Month: May 2021

How To Stay Safe And Secured While Still Trying New Fun Ways Of Playing Online

Online gaming has become a sensation. With billions of people playing at last count, the gaming industry grows every day. There are hundreds of new games and ways to play.  It’s all literally fun and games, but safety concerns abound. If proper measures aren’t observed your security, personal information and privacy will be constantly threatened. 

 

Check out these simple steps you can take to stay safe and secure while playing online. 

Buy A Smurf Account 

In the online gaming world, every player has a reputation, particularly skilled gamers. This is why smurf accounts have been popular since as early as the 90s. 

 

A smurf account is a new different account that allows a player to play only under a name and account separate from their regular one. It’s like starting afresh, with no pressure or reputation to live up to. As a result, as explained at GooseSmurfs.com, players can go wild, play differently than their regular playstyle, practice their technique without messing up their original high score, playing with lower-skilled players as an ego boost, and elevating new accounts to expert level for sale to interested amateur players. 

Because of the vagueness and anonymity of smurf accounts, there’s a significantly less chance of being targeted for security breaches such as hacking. 

Beware Of Cheat Codes And Cheat Programs

 

One of the most fun parts of playing online is finding new games and progressing steadily to the top or the next level. Hitting a snag and struggling to make it to the next level when you’re playing is one of the worst feelings. This is why cheat codes are a thing. 

 

A cheat code or program is one that is designed to give gamers shortcuts so that they progress a lot faster than average. For example:

 

  • In shooting games cheat codes are sold that improve a player’s shooting by doing things like marking their opponents’ heads bigger and thus easier targets. 
  • There are cheats called ”wall hacks” which operate by allowing players to see the positions of opponents through opaque objects. Or to identify the location of the treasure.
  • ”Lag switching” let players stutter around a game’s map so that they’re difficult targets
  • There are cheats that allow players to hide their avatars for the duration of the game until the very end, winning by default 
  • Other cheat codes and programs give gamers the ability to heal their avatars over and over again

 

A cheat code may seem like a sweet deal, but the majority of codes and programs purporting to aid in cheating will do nothing but give your computer viruses. 

If you must cheat, rely on popular cheat codes, like the Konami Code. Created by Kazuhisa Hashimoto who was developing the video game Gradius back in 1985, it is the most famous cheat code. 

Beware Of Cyberbullies

Playing online exposes you to all manner of people. Online gaming platforms give you the ability to interact with other players. This is good and bad at the same time. 

These interactions mean the chance to exchange tips and tricks with other players, create bonds, beautiful friendships, and be thoroughly entertained. On the flip side, being exposed to all types of people also means being a potential target for online bullies and trolls. 

Gaming trolls do things like shouting at players in the middle of playing, constantly insulting everyone for making mistakes, and booing all the winners. 

Almost every online playing site offers channels for reporting toxic behaviours and rude language so make sure to report users who behave badly online. Block and report. 

Virtual Private Network

Discovering new ways to play online is fun, but all that surfing all over obscure parts of the internet exposes all your devices to not just viruses but spyware. 

This is particularly true whenever you use public Wifi. When you use public Wifi anyone with the password and basic tech knowledge can monitor your online activity. This is where Virtual Private Networks come in handy. 

A VPN is a piece of software that creates a secure connection over the internet by encrypting your information and shielding your online activity from cybercriminals and even your Internet Service Provider, or ISP. 

Use A Firewall

For added double protection, use a firewall even if your network is secure and encrypted with a firewall. 

A firewall is an electronic barrier that blocks unauthorized access to your computers and devices and is often included with comprehensive security software. Getting a firewall means that all of the devices connected to your network are secured. Did you know that most Internet of Things (IoT) devices are vulnerable entry points for hackers? 

Playing online doesn’t have to spell danger to your safety and security if you take steps to protect yourself. Using firewalls, buying smurf accounts, and reporting bullies are all examples of how to protect yourself.

Deezer brings offline listening to Apple Watch. #Deezer #AppleWatch

Deezer, has released a new Apple Watch app which will allow users to benefit from offline listening on the Apple Watch, a feature currently unavailable on Spotify for example. This will provide Apple Watch users with a greater variety of potential streaming services, and Deezer users with an optimal experience when using an Apple Watch.

Key features:

  • Offline listening
  • Download music straight to Apple Watch
  • add or remove playlists that you no longer want to hear.
  • Family subscribers will also be able to download playlists and favorites from individual profiles

 

Gifts for music-mad Dads from House of Marley and JAM Audio. #Tech #FathersDay

JAM Audio and House of Marley – the sustainable audio brand created in collaboration with Bob Marley’s children – have a range of gifts for music-mad Dads. With stylish bookshelf speakers and turntables to blast his golden oldies and true wireless earbuds for listening on-the-go or whilst exercising – all of his music needs are sorted!

House of Marley Champion True Wireless Earbuds – RRP £59.99

Available from: thehouseofmarley.co.uk, Amazon, HMV

The Champion TWS Earbuds are crafted from REGRIND™ silicone, bamboo and natural wood fibre composites. What’s more, the braided charging cable is made from 99% post-consumer recyclable polyester. With 8 hours of battery and a sweatproof design, the Champion TWS Earbuds are ideal for all of Dad’s daily activities.

 

Get Together Duo Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers – RRP £179.99

Available from: thehouseofmarley.co.uk, Amazon, HMV

 

Introducing the brand new Get Together Duo, bookshelf style speakers with Bluetooth connectivity. Capturing House of Marley’s signature style with materials that make a difference to the footprint we leave behind. Get Together Duo are crafted from Bamboo and REWIND™ Fabric. The speakers sync together as soon as you connect them, or can be used separately. One is a permanent plug-in home wired speaker (with built-in RCA and Aux inputs) and the other is rechargeable for life on the move. The wireless and rechargeable speaker carries 20 hours of playback for easy listening wherever the beat takes you. The speakers can be paired with the Stir It Up Wireless turntable, and purchased as part of a bundle.

Stir It Up Wireless Turntable – RRP £229.00

Available from: thehouseofmarley.co.uk, Amazon

Bamboo, REWIND™ fabric, REGRIND™ silicone and recyclable aluminium have been used to make this stylish product. This turntable wirelessly connects to any Bluetooth speaker and offers a built-in switch pre-amp allowing seamless compatibility with Marley speakers or in-home receivers. It also includes a USB port for PC recording. The turntable can be paired with the Get Together Duo speakers, and purchased as part of a bundle.

JAM Audio Bluetooth Speaker & Turntable Bundle – RRP £179.98

Available from: uk.jamaudio.com

The JAM Speaker and Turntable Bundle is the perfect set-up for all vinyl lovers. This all-in-one vinyl solution allows Dad to surround himself with his go-to albums, delivering a clear, rich audio experience. The Stream turntable allows for easy streaming of Dad’s favourite vinyls to the Bookshelf Speakers. The speakers and turntable can also be used separately.

GameSir F7 Claw World’s First Capacitive GamePad for Tablets.

Gamesir, a leading provider in innovative, high quality game peripherals are pleased to announce that the F7 Claw is now available.

When it comes to gaming on the go, tablets have a larger screen, longer battery life, better processing power and can provide a considerably better gaming experience than a smartphone. The GameSir F7 Claw can help to improve that experience even further. 

The GameSir F7 Claw has been specially made for on-screen control games. It doesn’t rely on Bluetooth for a connection; instead, the micro mechanical buttons and advanced chip mean a fast response and sensitive trigger operation. Thanks to the lack of Bluetooth connection, you don’t have to worry about installing any apps for key mapping – you can simply start playing straight away. 

The GameSir F7 Claw is compatible with all tablets on the market with a thickness range of 6mm to 12mm and will give up to 120 hours of battery life on a single charge. The suction cup design makes it easy to attach (and detach), and will be a comfortable hold for a long gaming session.

Featuring 3/6/9 turbo modes, and supporting recording turbo, the GameSir F7 Claw will enhance your tablet gaming. 

The GameSir F7 Claw is available for RRP £33.99. For more information head to https://www.gamesir.hk/products/gamesir-f7-claw 

Konftel Gets Personal With New Video Kit. #Konftel #KonftelCam10

Conferencing and collaboration specialist Konftel has developed a combined personal video and audio solution for wherever people are working. The Konftel Personal Video Kit creates conferencing convenience – and is ideally suited to today’s growing hybrid working trends, spanning both the home and traditional office.

The complete conferencing package consists of the new Konftel Cam10 webcam and popular Konftel Ego speakerphone – delivering business class performance with high levels of usability as part of a compact and portable overall design. 

“The Konftel Personal Video Kit is specifically designed for desktop users who demand professional quality conferences anywhere,” says UK Sales Director, Jeff May. “High quality video matched by crystal clear audio.”

Users can take advantage of an enhanced visual and audio experience, with a 90 degree viewing angle, full HD video output and acclaimed OmniSound audio performance. 

“With USB plug and play, this portable kit is the perfect home and traditional office companion,” May adds. “The Konftel Cam10 is ideal for users with single or multiple external displays. Placed in an optimal position on top of the main screen, it promotes a natural lifelike viewing experience.”

UK Sales Director, Jeff May.

In addition the Konftel Cam10 features innovative noise reduction technology, low light capabilities, swift autofocus and a 4x digital zoom for great flexibility. 

The Konftel Ego is a Red Dot design award winner and despite its compact size, it delivers exceptional sound – together with a smart and clear LCD display. The Konftel Ego is a good alternative to a headset; more comfortable for longer calls with the capability of room filling music too.

“Designed for today’s hybrid working trends – where more and more business critical meetings take place online – this professional USB web camera and speakerphone combine advanced technologies with big performance. The Konftel Personal Video Kit is ideally suited for more flexible ways of working. It’s personal, productive and performance-driven,” May explained.

Whatever the preferred app or cloud service, the Konftel Personal Video kit fits all collaboration needs. Users just connect the USB cables to their laptop or PC and they’re good to go – with optional Bluetooth for audio too. A simple desktop app enables zoom, customization of image and camera features.

The Personal Video Kit is part of Konftel’s recently renewed Climate Neutral certification – where all greenhouse gas emissions are offset – so people can conference ‘with a clear climate conscience’.  The Konftel Personal Video Kit has a list price of £209.

Tech Review – Oppo Find X3 Neo. #OppoFindX3Series

The smartphone market is saturated to say the least but there is much to consider here when it comes to buying a smartphone these days and people are now more tech savvy too and will not be fooled by great marketing and tend to look at real life usage reviews of smartphones over clever advertising and Oppo is one brand that can deliver with both after using some of their smartphones over the last year and these devices offer good value for money even at the lower end and mid tier section.

Testament to that is now how Oppo is placed in the market being 4th in the world as a smartphone vendor and this is something to write home about considering the market out there today and their phones do stand out and grab your attention even to walk by a shop or see it on a display in the shop window and they coalesce well. From their design and looks they do move away from the current trend of gigantic camera humps with more slender looking ones and not in your face I find them much more elegant looking devices and in comparison to some recently launched devices the humps on the rear have become too much and in your face making a statement Oppo does this more elegant and can still make a statement.

I have gone through pretty much all the features in the first look experience below so you can have a look here and see what you can expect  when you hand over your money for this phone and yes for those who want to know how good the camera is it is excellent and there is more samples further down here to look at.

 

On the looks department the phone looks really nice and in fact it is one of those devices you would rather carry with no case on board due to its sleek finish and soft corners, the design of this device is simple great but I think the more expensive option the pro version might just beat it.

The display is one to behold though with a 6.55-inch FHD+ (1440 x 1080 resolution) AMOLED making content rich on a bigger canvas with really great speakers too that are loud, in fact I have had people tell me to turn them down in some cases even showing them the content on the device, like for me it is if i have a great display why not enhance that with the sound and that you can do here with this device capping out at 1100 nits with two refresh rates on offer being 90Hz refresh rate and a 120Hz touch sampling rate..

Oppo Find X3 Neo
Oppo Find X3 Neo

You can customise this device to your liking with many features on offer here giving you more control over your device unlike my iPhone 12 which is being heading toward my storage box more and more of late and along with ColorOS 11 which keeps improving over time you will be pleased at what can be done here especially the cool lighting effects on the sides of the device for notifications, this is similar to that on the TCL 10 pro which is really nice and should be on all phones. The home screen is also another area with an always on display that can highlight your needs too and the options to customise and control how this works it cuts down alot if you have a busy phone like I would. Themes and wallpaers too are nice, the animations on offer for fingerprint and charging and not forgetting again the edge lighting.

Multitasking on this phone for me has been one of the best so far this year, again I am considered a poweruser and a phone that can multitask fast is what I need and this is simply great, from the moment i pick it up the speed of the bio metrics have the device ready to go before I get ready to make some moves and get work done quickly and promptly with no interruption or lag anywhere and for me this makes it great for a workload on mobile.

The Camera department here is good overall with many options to play with, it does not have the microscopic lens which I will try out on the pro and looks really cool the macro does a good job, again a more elegant hump on the rear with Quad rear cameras with a 50-megapixel, f/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilisation (OIS) 2x optical zoom: 13MP, f/2.4 Wide-angle: 16MP, f/2.2 Macro: 2MP32MP front-facing selfie camera and Video: 4K up to 60fps which is really impressive stuff for those who are into vlogs etc. Check the samples below for more and decide for yourself. I am not a photography specialist never claimed to be one but for me it delivers.

 

The Find X3 Neo also features 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 – one of the fastest charging technologies commercially available on the market. This means it can charge up to 100% in as little as 35 minutes. This is game changing for those with battery anxiety or those who forgot to charge their device overnight and you can simply pop it on charge whilst you get ready for work and so on.  One annoying thing for me though is there is NO wireless charging but with the above you can forgive it I am one of those who has adopted wireless charging with wireless charging docks around the house and at this price you would expect this included but hey its fine look at the speed you can charge your device up to 100% at.

Can I recommend this phone ? Well certainly yes I can it might be a hard sell though depending what you want in a phone but with the overall package here and how it is executed I would lean more so to this phone than other offerings particularity ones available outside Ireland that some folk sing and dance about but lets see what happens those when you run into problems and getting those addressed.

6 Handy Ways You Can Use To Create An Ideal Office Working Environment

There are many handy ways you can use to create an ideal office working environment. In this article, we’ve covered six of the best ways to make this happen. From getting the basics down like proper lighting and the right office temperature to more interesting ways such as installing a food station and even maybe a game room. Here are these handy ways described in detail and why it’s important to consider them for your ideal office working environment.

1. Natural Lighting

While there are many handy ways you can use to create an ideal office working environment, let’s discuss how much lighting your office space has. More often than not business buildings are made to have as much natural lighting as possible. This has been shown to boost productivity, motivation and to make employees feel more at home. If your office working environment lacks natural lighting an easy way to improve this is to invest in better electric lighting. The office space mustn’t be too dark nor too bright, as this can make employees sleepy or even cause discomfort, respectively. 

2. Go an Extra Mile

Most office working environments have space partitions. The main focus of these installations is to make employees cozier, focused and to give them at least some personal space. However, space partitions can have more properties than you’d imagine. Some space partition manufacturers have gone as far as creating ones with acoustic absorption properties. This translates to having your employees less distracted during working periods and giving them even more comfort. In addition to this, these space partitions can be a great way to install some colour and design into your office working environment too, since they come in many different styles.

3. Proper Air Conditioning

Another important thing to consider when it comes down to improving your office working environment is to adjust the temperature accordingly. This is especially important if you live in an area where it tends to get either very hot or very cold. Many administrations suggest that the ideal temperature is in the range of 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit and any other temperature outside this range can cause discomfort which is the last thing you want. Employee discomfort can seriously impede their focus, and the work will be done much slower. To make your employees more comfortable, consider hiring an AC company.

 

4. Chairs

A big part of creating an ideal office working environment is making sure that comfort is a priority. More often than not, your employees will spend the majority of time sitting which is why chairs should be the main focus. Make sure the chairs you order for your office space are ergonomic. This translates to being more healthy for the posture and offering ample back support. In addition to this, you may think beyond the chairs and focus on making the whole desk setup ergonomic to ensure maximum comfort and productivity, which will ultimately translate to the quality of the work done.

5. Food Station

If we’re talking about creating an ideal office working environment, food stations fall under the favorite factors. Take an example from Google. They have food at every corner of almost every part of the company, made readily available for employees, so much so, that they’ve noticed these interesting results. If you run a small business, your food station doesn’t have to be anything spectacular, just make sure it’s the food that the majority of people enjoy. If this is still a problem, maybe consider installing a food station for some days of the week, like Taco Tuesday or so.

6. Game Room

The game room, right along the food station is one of the employee favorites. While you may not have an entire room to dedicate to this, you might find at least a few corners in your office working environment to install things like table tennis, table football, maybe even an arcade game. Your employees will enjoy these activities in their work breaks and will make them happier overall. While having games in your office space might suggest less work done, studies have shown that it boosts productivity and even improves the quality of work done, so it’s a worthy recommendation. 

These six ways to make your ideal office working space happen are some of the handiest ways to do so. Make sure you remember all the basics such as the right kind of lighting and temperature. In addition to this, comfort also plays a huge role in making an ideal office space, so be sure to consider all the ergonomic factors too. Lastly, give your employees some extra fun with food stations and game rooms to boost their morale.

6 Benefits Of Having A GPS Tracker In Your Car To Ensure That Your Family Is Safe..

GPS is short for Global Positioning System. It is a tracking system that allows you to be found anywhere in the world. A Global positioning system(GPS) comprises satellites orbiting the Earth and devices on the ground. The network can find out a person or object’s position on Earth with remarkable accuracy.   

Positioning, navigation, and timing are the data the global positioning system tracks. Although it was created for military use, it has recently become widely accessible for public use. Now it can be used by any individual, provided the person has access to the system to track other people, objects, vehicles, cell phones, humans, animals.

A GPS tracking unit or tracker is a device that uses the global positioning system to get the locations of any entity anywhere on Earth. It is usually on a vehicle, pet, person, or asset.

There are several benefits of a GPS tracker, but this article highlights how it benefits you and your family.

1. Safety 

It helps you track your family. Not to keep tabs on or monitor them every time but to track your family members when the need arises. 

You can use the tracker to monitor activity on your vehicle when a friend or family member is using it. With the aid of the GPS, a tracker can give both real-time and historic navigation data on any journey. It could come with features that track speed, bearing, sunrise and sunset time, distance to destination. All of which makes a GPS tracker a must-have for you and your family.

If your family goes on vacation without you, the GPS tracker can help you identify their position quickly. You can see where they’ve been or where they are headed and if you want to join them without them knowing, then Voila! Surprise! 

2. Security

In a world of heightened insecurity, we must make constant efforts to ensure the security of our family. Having a GPS tracker in your vehicle before leaving your home or embarking on journeys will allow you to be proactive with your safety. If you have teenagers as kids, the tracker will help you monitor their movements and driving patterns. It would put your mind at rest on days when your children or spouse come home late. It can give you clues on where your children take your car out to and on any irregular activity that comes up in your family member’s lifestyle. It can also allow law enforcement officials to find you and your family in case of emergencies or accidents. 

3. It Helps You Avoid Unforeseen Events

With a GPS tracker, you can see what lies ahead of you – a roadblock, fallen bridges, accidents, and other stuff that may make up a threat to you on the road. 

An active GPS tracking system is a real-time system because it automatically sends you the information to a tracking portal(like a tracker) in real-time while it happens. There are different trackers with varying functionality. One that comes with sensors like erratic driving, acceleration, maintenance notifications, and hard braking is an obd gps tracker. It shows your current position and the position of what lies ahead. 

In case of a blockade, you can slow down to avoid a collision or take another route. It can also help monitor your vehicle’s fuel consumption, alerting you if you need to stop for gas. 

4. Accuracy and Reliability

The GPS can keep a person’s position anywhere on Earth. There are twenty-four operational satellites (with three extra in case any of the main satellites crash). They move around the Earth every 12 hours and send radio signals from space received by the GPS receiver. It is a reliable system that you can bank on anytime and anywhere. They provide information on every square meter of the Earth with a specified and unique address.

 

5. Recovery

In case of theft, a GPS tracker will help you recover your vehicle. Statistics report that in the United States, hijackers stole 721,885 cars in 2019, which means people lost about $6.4 billion to motor vehicle theft. We have also observed that vehicle thieves have become more sophisticated in their manner of stealing. Vehicle thefts happen every day, but exciting research shows that vehicle thefts often increase on holidays, especially New Year’s Day. Having a GPS tracker ensures easy recovery of your vehicle.

6. Timesaving

It saves time. Have you and your family ever been late to an event? Suddenly everything becomes a rush hour. It seems you can still make it to the event just a few minutes late until you get stuck in traffic. Then you get irresponsibly late to the event. 

The tracker shows maps of where you are and where you are going; it can predict the duration of your journey and show you another route you can take when you can’t use the usual path.

Coca-Cola confirm Dublin as location for new Digital Hub creating 40 jobs #Jobs #cocacola

Coca-Cola confirmed plans today to grow its presence in Ireland through the selection of Dublin as a location for a new Digital Hub in Dublin. This Digital Hub, which will employ 40 technical professionals in the first phase, will be at the centre of helping Coca-Cola to accelerate its digital transformation journey

The Hub is one of 6 worldwide and will comprise a strategic team of people supporting leaders and colleagues across the EMEA region as they seek to use digital insights, business intelligence, analytics and smart digital marketing to help improve the consumer experience while achieving commercial goals and objectives.

The Digital Hub team will span a broad range of roles – from business relationship managers to technical product owners, data engineers and MarTech developers.  The first phase of recruitment locally in Ireland involves the hiring of 40 people with potential for the team to grow further over the next 4-5 years.

 

Recruitment for these roles is underway with Coca-Cola looking for ambitious and talented people to help direction of Coca-Cola’s future through data driven insights.

Confirming the announcement today a Coca-Cola spokesperson said: “Coca-Cola is embarking on an ambitious transformation journey, completely changing the way it operates to support continued growth and innovation. The recent establishment of a global technology organisation is central to this transformation and we hope will power the company globally to step change its capabilities through scaled world-class digital platforms. This new organisation is part of the Coca-Cola family and there will be 6 Hubs spread across the globe, including one in Dublin to support its work with plans to add a further hub before the end of the year.  Dublin was selected as a location for one of these hubs because of its growing international reputation as an innovation city and because of the wealth of technical talent that live in or close to the city.”

 “These Digital Hubs will be have a team of talented technology professionals who will leverage the power of IT to capture quality marketing insights quickly, helping to inform smarter decisions, respond to consumer demands and support commercial goals and objectives by using data and analytic solutions.”

 The company confirmed that they are “actively recruiting 40 technical experts to join the team. These new employees will have the opportunity to help build the Hub from scratch and will be centrally involved in developing the strategy to support the planned transformation of the organization in the Europe, Africa and Eurasia Middle East region.”

 Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said: “This is great news from Coca-Cola. It demonstrates the vibrancy and attractiveness of Dublin as a place to invest. These 40 new jobs are most welcome, I’m sure Coca-Cola will benefit greatly from the highly skilled workforce available in the city.”

 Welcoming the announcement Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA said: “Coca-Cola has a long history of operating in Ireland and it’s welcome news that the company has made the decision to expand its workforce here and locate one of its new Digital Hubs in Dublin. The technology sector continues to grow in Ireland and is a vibrant part of our economy. It’s a testament to our highly skilled workforce that Ireland continues to attract these types of digital roles and I wish Coca-Cola the best of luck as they establish this new division in the coming months. ”   

 

Details about the roles at Coca-Cola’s new Digital Hub can be found at www.coca-colacompany.com/careers.