Ok so phone cases come in all kinds of packaging and that is grand and dandy but Tech 21 sent us probably the best phone case launch pack I have seen and it is cool, Inside is some documentation, USB key and a whopper bar of Dairy Milk ( How did they know it was one of my favourites) anyway it was gorgeous. Also inside was the Evo Clear case for the iPhone 12, thought / felt like there would have been more cases but overall it is a well presented package and I like it.
The Evo Clear case is offering the usual aspects tech 21 offer with their cases and this one being clear allows you to see your devices natural colour, it is also scratch resistant and works with wireless charging. See the video below for more. See their full range as there is some really nice options available
Recently on tech buzz we checked out the Otterbox Symmetry case for the Google Pixel 5 and it is serving me well and protecting my device, One of my other devices in house now is the iPhone 12 and Otterbox has kindly sent us a selection of cases for it and an 18 charger something that Apple forgot to put in the box.
POP SOCKETS have been a popular gadget for some time now and Otterbox has included three colours here alongside their symmetry cases so there is something for everyone here with a really nice selection to choose from, Also now has new packaging a red heart on the front. This is our giving back program, any customer who purchases an Otterbox case that comes in that packaging can now go onto our website (website is included in the packaging) and choose a prevetted charity that Otterbox will donate €1 to on their behalf. Their new products (Including pixel 5 as seen above) now come in new white and black packaging, this packaging is recyclable and can be disposed of in a green bin. It’s not 100% plastic free as there are plastics in the adhesive and the ink I think but a nice sustainability change.
And finally the symmetry colours Black, Blue, Grey (Not clear) for iPhone 12/pro/mini/max now come with Anti microbial protection built in, stopping the growth of nasty bugs on your device and helping keeping it safer to use. – it will be written on the packaging for all products it applies to.
The latest gaming consoles the Xbox Series X/S and Playstation 5 are the two hottest gaming machines on offer this year and certainly one that will be on many Christmas lists this year and already the supply chain is seeing difficulty with keeping up to order and will so for the foreseeable future and hopefully will ramp up production in the coming weeks as the demand has been huge due to the long cycle between the generations of the said machines. You might be lucky to get your pre-order and then you may not and from here until Christmas it will be hard to get one, I have both mine secured and we will discuss them at a later date.
However a reader got in touch today who did not want his and got it as a gift went to sell his Playstation 5 on Adverts and the add was taken down and if anyone if familiar with Adverts which is a great site to sell new and used goods you do get the option to re-sell your goods be it new or in a used condition you have to abide by their rules and profiteering is one rule I do know they address, Adverts is now teamed up with Done Deal to sell your item faster at a cost and you so not have to use this option if you wish not too.
Today the reader was selling his Playstation 5 and got this response from the team which is fair and also makes no sense with some of the comment.
Hi, Thank you for your email. We took a decision this week not to allow the new XBox and PS consoles. In the run-up to Christmas and bearing in mind pressure some parents may be feeling in trying to get those, we have decided that it’s best they buy them from original stockists such as Argos, Currys etc etc. If there is anything else we can assist with, please do not hesitate to contact us. Best regards, XXXXX Customer Services Manager
As the email outlines above you are asked to go elsewhere to purchase the goods and the pressure the parents are under, This I can relate to however if the stores above have no stock they can buy one from the either Adverts or Done Deal and the parents that cant say no will just go to the next option like these two sites selling and you could get a slightly better deal by genuine sellers and that have proof of purchase etc.
Ticket touting is one thing and so is profiteering and both sites have addressed this however if people are selling for the retail price I do not see what the problem is here once the ads are vetted with genuine accounts who build up a reputation via the site and can be trusted. Do you think this is the right move? After all they are loosing money too on the potential sales and if all is in order I do not see the problem.
I have been checking both sites today and not long after the ads are been taken down as seen in this link
Shopping safely from the comfort of your own home has now become a reality, augmented reality in fact. EZ Living Furniture is proud to announce the launch of its AR app (Augmented Reality), the first of its kind in Ireland. With the magic of technology, you can now bring sofas, bed frames, wardrobes, lighting and so much more directly and virtually into your own home.
“There’s nothing normal about operating a business in a pandemic therefore instead of finding fault, we decided to find a remedy”, informed EZ Living Furniture’s E-commerce Manager Robert Walsh.
Teaming up with AR specialists Intiaro, EZ Living Furniture developed the first real Irish furniture AR app for the retail sector.
What can you do with the app?
Simply pick an item from our collection available in the app. Once you have found your favourite, point your phone or tablet at a flat surface and watch as the item appears before your eyes. Next, place the item in the room and choose from all available colours and materials.
Using your mobile phone or tablet, bring EZ Living Furniture’s catalogue of virtual furniture into your home with their new augmented reality app.
Unleash the virtual interior designer in you and add multiple pieces of furniture to your scene at once. See how your favourite sofa, table and lamp will look in any room setting and zoom in or walk towards it for a more detailed view. Create virtual walls with the press of a button and hang virtual wall art from them (perfect for new builds).
Your personally designed space can be easily saved and returned to later for further changes. Or if you are happy with your creation, take screenshots and share these with your family and friends.
This is the future of retail and EZ Living are delighted to present this exciting app to you. It’s a more immersive and convenient experience than browsing through countless online websites. The AR app allows you to view life-sized pieces of furniture in your room and all products are available to purchase from their online store. Further information can be found by accessing the link below
Lots of things to plug in in your gaff? Well most do now with the rise of technology entering our homes and over time you will notice this and see you need a new multiplug adapter or extension lead. For someone like me keeping things in order or having several things needing to be charged in one area is a problem even with doubling up on products that can charge your device and have a light built and bluetooth speaker I am out of plugs and sockets and only because of what I do and I have a need to have the capacity to do more but many homes are gathering tech and running out of sockets due to speakers, phones, clocks, IoT devices and one thing that annoys me is smartwatches as they are another thing to charge but I still use and love them.
For example on my bedside locker I have an Echo ShowGoogle Nest HubTrue Wireless earbuds X 5 at any one time headphones, and at least two mobile phones, yes an overkill for most but you get the idea and having the capability of charging all at one time is annoying yet alone the cable management, but this can help and you can sort your cables out afterwards behind the locker.
This is an ideal product to manage plugs and USB cables all in one place and a welcome addition to my place for sure and anyone in a similar situation or that has many plugs in one area. Check out the video below for more.
Features.
ENERGY SAVING: Each layer has an independent switch which helps you to save electricity when the other outlets are not in use. Due to different voltages in different areas, this surge protector power strip tower is designed to support 110V-240V. If it is used under 125V, the max power will be 125V x 13A = 1625W; if under 240V, the max power can reach 3000W.
SPACE SAVING: With the vertical tower design, JACKYLED charging station helps you to save space and you don’t need to worry about big plug blocking the other outlets.
SMART USB PORTS: The 4 USB ports (max total 5V/ 2.1A, each port up to 2.1A), can charge two cellphones together, or one iPad, MP3, digital camera, tablet at fast speed. (Note: USB charging may not work if the total current exceeds 2.1A).
SAFE & RELIABLE: RoHS, CE & FCC Certificates. This power strip with USB has surge protection (900J), overload protection, short-circuit protection, over current protection, over voltage protection and overheating protection. It will automatically cut power to protect connected devices when voltage surge is overwhelming.
RETRACTABLE CORD: With the 6.5ft pure copper retractable cord, you can roll up the cord by rotating the tower, which can make your desk tidy and you can set the cord length to your need. A durable handle on the top for convenient carry.
Typically the cables we get with our phones are crap to put it blunt although the USB-C cables seem to be more durable these days but anything else is pretty much short lived and in particular Apple cables they are the worst offender and they make a lot of money out of it. Lightning cables are woeful break at several points and in general your standard cable breaks and is an all too common scene, In Short you should invest in a much tougher cable that will last albeit more expensive in the long term it is worth it, I have tested cables similar from the likes of Otterbox too and they last and offer more longevity than your typical cable.
Anchor cable has been tested for 180K plus bends and are 30 times stronger than your average cable and I just put these to the test by brute force of my own and can easily snap your standard cable myself so in this real life test they are tough, they are thicker than the average cable too and have a nice coating with end to end cable jackets which again is a weak area on many cables. It is worth investing in such cables and I have said many times in the past steer clear of those cheap cables you see in euro shops and petrol stations as they are rubbish and the same applies to the plugs that go with them..
IDA Ireland welcome today’s announcement that Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, will establish a Research and Development facility in Cork City. The multimillion-euro four-year investment is expected to create hundreds of highly skilled engineering roles. The project, which is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland significantly enhances the reputation of the Irish semiconductor industry, adding to Ireland’s strong reputation in microelectronics R&D.
Ajay Bawale, VP, Engineering, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. said: “We are excited about the new workplace in Penrose Dock. Not only are the offices state of the art, but they also have specially purposed and designed labs to enable continued ground-breaking security and validation work.”
Paul Kelleher, Sr. Director, Engineering for QT Technologies Ireland Limited and the site lead for the new facilities in Cork added: “This city centre location will help us to attract the world-class engineering talent needed to fuel our continued success.”
Qualcomm Technologies’ local affiliate moved into the new 4,600 m2 facility at Penrose Dock in Cork City Centre in October and is recruiting for roles in the ASIC areas of Digital, Analog, Machine Learning, Automotive, CAD, Automation, System Validation, Advanced Design for new Technologies and Software Engineering using leading-edge technologies to work on the next generation of ASIC Chips. For more information visit Qualcomm.Com/Careers
Commenting on the announcement, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said: This is really welcome news for Cork. Ireland is known for being one of the leading Research, Development and Innovation locations in the world and today’s announcement is further evidence of our strength in this area. This announcement from Qualcomm to invest €78m to establish a new Research and Development centre in Cork, is expected to create hundreds of highly-skilled roles over the next four years. Our skilled and talented workforce allows companies like Qualcomm to embed and grow their operations here. I wish them every success with their expansion plans.
CEO of IDA Ireland, Martin Shanahan said: “Qualcomm’s new Research & Development Centre in Cork will operate on the cutting edge of technological innovation in Ireland. It is a terrific project for Cork and the South West region, and demonstrates IDA Ireland’s proven record of winning investments for regional locations. This investment also significantly enhances the reputation of the Irish semiconductor industry, adding to Ireland’s strong standing in microelectronics R&D. I wish Qualcomm every success with today’s announcement and assure them of our continued support.”
HealthCare Compare (HCC.ie) has today, launched its new platform which aims to remove the confusion and overpaying associated with health insurance plans. The Dublin based company hopes to help consumers make informed decisions on reviewing cover at the renewal stage. HCC.ie is unique in that it helps users identify the most suitable healthcare plan to suit their requirements and budgets through its advanced comparison tools and advice from health insurance specialists.
The launch comes during one of the busiest periods for the sector (November to March) which sees thousands of policies up for renewal. According to the HIA, 2,289,000 Irish people currently have health insurance policies. With over 320 on the market and 2 in 5 Irish people purchasing health insurance, many consumers are becoming overwhelmed with options, resulting in many overpaying. In addition to this, research has revealed an inertia or fear when it comes to changing providers. According to recent figures from the ESRI, 14% of Irish people claim it is too much hassle to switch insurers with 11.2% saying they couldn’t be bothered. It was also found that 7.2% of people said they failed to change providers as it was too difficult to compare plans.
HCC.ie offers a wide range of easy to navigate plans from Ireland’s three providers, Irish Life Health, Laya Healthcare and VHI. HealthCare Compare enables consumers to choose the right insurance premium for them through conducting a full review of their insurance wants and needs and providing users with alternative plans that are a better fit. Through the site, consumers can compare all insurance plans through selecting the type of cover they require, whether it be a basic, corporate or high end plan. They can then select their annual budget, outline the level of excess they would be willing to pay and tailor their premium through selecting which benefits are most important to them. Some of the benefits they can select include cardiac, maternity, fertility, back pain and prescriptions among others. HealthCare Compare also hopes to recruit at least 10 insurance experts across Ireland over the next six months. This opens the idea for those looking for insurance coverage a bit more scope.
The concept for HCC.ie came from young female health insurance expert Barbara Sheahan. She developed the concept for a personalised insurance premium comparison platform following her years of experience within the industry. Sheahan noticed a sizable gap in the market for a health insurance policy comparison platform that would better inform consumers on the best plan for them and their families.
Commenting on the launch of HealthCare Compare, Managing Director Barbara Sheahen said:
“We are delighted to have launched our personalised health insurance comparison site to give consumers better insight into the benefits and cost savings associated with selecting a health insurance plan. December to March is when most consumers renew their health insurance, and we understand it can be difficult to sieve through the endless options available. Although many would like to review their options, fear of change and inertia prevents them from doing so. Through HCC.ie we hope to be able to help consumers identify the most suitable plan for them at the best rate, whether that includes fertility benefits, maternity, cardiac, health screening, counselling. Our team of experts will help advise on the most suitable options available, helping them navigate their way through the huge, often-confusing maze of options available to them. We offer a personal service and ensure everyone fully understands the benefits of their plan by simplifying the overwhelming amount of information into their key requirements.”
