Month: September 2021

The Growing Importance of Technology in Education

Over the years, technology has evolved significantly and seeped into various sectors. For instance, essay writers now use digital editing tools and software to practice their craft. The educational sector hasn’t been left out either. Today, more and more schools are ditching traditional methods of teaching for a more digital experience. 

While this is undoubtedly a great trend, it begs the question: why is technology becoming more important in education? Why are teachers and students alike opting for a technology-based learning experience instead of sticking to the traditional marker-and-whiteboard method?

Well, in this article, we’ll take a closer look at the growing importance of technology in education and how these tools are revolutionizing the classroom experience.

Why Do Students Need Technology in the Classroom?

Contrary to popular opinion, educational technology is not another avenue for teens and children to spend hours on smartphones or tablets. Rather, it broadens student’s learning opportunities and helps teachers interact with students even better. Here are further reasons why students need technology in the classroom:

It makes it easier to access learning resources

Sometimes, after a seemingly easy lesson, students might feel overwhelmed or confused about a concept. Visiting a library to get more information doesn’t always work because of the numerous protocols involved in reading and borrowing from a physical library.

However, technology provides students with easy access to numerous online learning resources. This way, they can research by themselves and become independent thinkers. This increased access to learning resources also helps to ensure that students don’t lag in class. When students can get access to all the simplified resources they need, the learning gap is bridged with a level ground for everyone.

Improves the overall learning experience

Studies have shown that the average teenager has an attention span of about ten to twenty minutes. Since most classes typically hold for an hour or more, you’ll find many students drifting off or falling asleep while learning.

However, technology can improve the learning experience and make it more interesting for students. Teachers can now develop creative and original lesson plans using technological tools such as artificial intelligence and drones. Imagine going on a virtual field trip using a drone and educational bot. Sounds more interesting than a traditional Geography lesson, doesn’t it? Well, that’s exactly how technology can liven and reshape the classroom experience.

Increases their personal learning opportunities

Using technology for education can help students learn and assimilate concepts on a personal, one-on-one basis instead of the collective learning experience we’re all used to. Since technology enables students to research complex concepts and subjects on their own, they get to access more personal learning opportunities and learn at their own pace without relying on their teachers and peers for support.

How technology is breaking barriers in the educational system

Since the introduction of education technology, tech tools have been slowly but steadily breaking down barriers in the educational system. For starters, the cost of education has significantly reduced thanks to the availability of online degrees and courses. Students can now get a degree from the comfort of their homes instead of commuting daily to class.

Similarly, they can now access ebooks, journals, and reports online without having to buy physical textbooks for their studies.

Another way technology is revolutionizing the educational system is by increasing teachers’ productivity and efficiency. For instance, teachers can implement helpful digital tools that can help them assess assignments faster and better. This way, less time will be spent on grading assignments and tests.

Educational technology challenge

Although technology has been increasingly helpful in classrooms, there are still some educational technology challenges that can’t be overlooked. For instance, while some students thrive in online education, others are more comfortable in the traditional classroom setting and may lag behind when it comes to virtual learning.

There’s also the issue of privilege and poverty. Educational technology is great, but just how many students and teachers can afford it? Less privileged students who don’t have access to personal laptops or the internet, for instance, will definitely have a hard time in a tech-centric classroom.

Finally, a lot of experts and parents have raised concerns about excessive screen time for students. The average teenager already spends hours on their smartphones, computers, and video games. Using education technology will increase their daily screen time, and this could lead to health issues such as back problems and poor eyesight.

Final Thoughts

Technology has been very beneficial in today’s classroom. Not only does it give students increased access to learning opportunities, but it also improves the overall learning experience for both teachers and students alike. However, to harness the full potential of educational technology, we need to collectively eradicate financial barriers and put in more equitable measures for students.

IT Help Desk against company IT pains

Nowadays, businesses rely on modern technologies for their operations. The employees and customers have higher demands, so your IT team might not meet them. All those issues need to be addressed quickly and profoundly, so your team might not manage to keep up unlike the professional software development team. That will definitely cope with this task If you don’t solve your customer’s inquiry promptly, your customer satisfaction is put at risk. In addition, your employees can’t dedicate their time and attention to essential tasks. Knowing that IT problems can reduce employee’s productivity and customer satisfaction, we highlight the importance of an IT help desk. This service is beneficial for any business that wants to secure a steady workflow and improve its service. In this post, we reveal how an IT help desk will address your business’s issues.

 

Keep updated with the latest technologies

We saw how technologies changed drastically to answer the business’s needs. While modern technology moves the company forward, it leaves business owners with tedious tasks. Every leader faces challenges related to the implementation of new technology, such as training their employees. When you use the services of an IT help desk, you don’t have to invest in expensive training and courses. 

 

Working on various issues simultaneously

Issues of IT nature can obstruct the working process and end up costing a lot. When you work with an IT help desk that includes responsive support (L1, L2, L3), you will feel relieved knowing that an expert team is always ready to help. The expertise and readiness deliver prompt solutions while still maintaining high standards. 

 

Your IT team wasn’t designed to solve many problems simultaneously. In addition, they will lose their precious time in the communication process. Since expanding your IT team is very costly, it is better to outsource the service to professionals. The experts will tackle the issues through a live chat in no time.

 

Keep track of the issues

In many cases, businesses experience repetitive IT issues. If they don’t have a tool for collecting and analyzing data, they won’t keep track of the recurring problems. This means that companies will waste their time on solving repetitive issues instead of addressing the root. A Known Error Database contains the past problems, giving insights on how to prevent the problems in the future. This saves precious time and makes the work process smoother.

 

Provide automation tools

Most of the IT issues are related to resetting passwords or other simple tasks. Around 20% to 50% of the IT desk calls are about addressing this common issue. A business can eliminate this problem by implementing self-service tools such as password management tools. This makes the process straightforward while saving time. An IT help desk can provide the proper tools to automate the process and allow for self-service. In addition, they can offer information on how to solve more minor issues.

 

No need for training

Hiring new employees is difficult when we speak about the IT industry. Employee turnover is a significant issue for businesses, no matter how hard they try to retain their workers. If your IT employees retire or leave, you are obligated to find new ones with the same expertise. Business owners know that new employees won’t stick for a long time. After they gain the needed skills and knowledge, they might leave for another company. When you work with an IT help desk, you don’t need to regrout, train, or invest in employees. The service provider gathers proven professionals with specific expertise, so you don’t need to invest in them.

 

Final thoughts

An IT help desk will solve any business’s IT pains. Leaving the work in the hands of professionals will eliminate the need for investing in the workforce while your business process flows uninterrupted. 

Legion Esports launch new esports series for Irish college students

Legion Esports, Ireland’s leading esports company, has launched a new esports series specifically for Irish third level students with tournament registrations having opened across the country on September 23rd. 

As the only third level esports series in Ireland, Legion Collegiate will provide students the opportunity to go head to head with fellow esports competitors with over 20 Irish universities and colleges already signed up. 

Gaming and esports in Ireland has seen a surge in popularity in recent years with a significant pool of talented players across a wide range of games, with Legion Esports recently announcing a ground-breaking title partnership with An Post Money for the company’s flagship Legion Esports Series. 

Speaking ahead of the launch of the new college series, Legion Esports Co-Founder & CEO Stuart Dempsey believes there is significant potential to develop a world class student series in Ireland. “Legion Collegiate is a hugely exciting opportunity for us. The popularity of esports amongst third level students has been obvious for a number of years now, and we’re looking forward to providing them a platform to showcase their skills and go head to head with other college teams in Ireland and beyond.”

 

Legion Collegiate – Participating Colleges
University College Dublin Dublin Business School
University College Cork Dublin City University
Trinity College Dublin Dundalk Institute of Technology
University of Limerick Institute of Technology Carlow
University of Ulster Institute of Technology Sligo
Letterkenny Institute of Technology Queen’s University Belfast
Maynooth University RCSI Dublin
Munster Technical University Technological University Dublin
National College of Ireland Waterford Institute of Technology
National University of Ireland Galway Athlone Institute of Technology

As part of the new series, Legion Collegiate has also announced a partnership agreement with Ireland’s leading supplier of gaming peripherals, GamerStore.ie, which will include prize pool sponsorship, gaming equipment prizes and cross marketing campaign activations. 

In terms of the tournaments available to students, Legion Collegiate is offering a packed programme including League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League, Smash Bros. and CS:GO with the initial Legion Collegiate Winter Series running from October 11th and concluding in January. The subsequent Legion Collegiate Spring Series will kick off in February 2022 and conclude in May of that year. 

While the college esports scene in Ireland has continued to develop at a rapid rate over recent years, Dempsey sees significant scope to scale Legion Collegiate over the next 12-18 months in particular. “Ultimately we want to integrate Legion Collegiate into our live events programme and give these students the opportunity to compete live on stage in front of thousands of spectators. We’re delighted to announce the partnership of Legion Collegiate and GamerStore.ie, while we’re also speaking to a number of additional brands who are excited at the opportunity of engaging with third level students in a genuine and meaningful way via esports.” 

 

Registrations for Legion Collegiate Winter Series are Now Open:  challengermode.com/s/LegionCollegiate

Smarttech247 and Armis announce strategic partnership to offer full visibility and real time detection for OT/ICS and IoT Assets

Partnership allows mutual clients to have total visibility of their digital assets and enhanced cybersecurity for the very first time 

Smarttech247, the multi award-winning MDR cybersecurity organisation and Armis, the leading unified asset visibility and security platform provider announced today that they have formed a strategic partnership to offer their global customers the opportunity to increase asset visibility, security and threat detection across their entire ecosystems. With IT and IoT increasingly converging on OT environments, it’s not enough anymore to simply identify OT devices – this approach will not give these organisations the full picture needed to combat modern cybersecurity threats.

The strategic partnership with Armis enables Smarttech247 to seamlessly enhance their current offering to deliver 100% visibility across all assets and device types. Customers can subsequently identify risks and gaps with a simple integration that will allow them to not only focus on their managed devices but also their new unidentified environment of unmanaged OT/ICS and IoT devices.

“This partnership will give our customers greater visibility and a bird’s eye view over the whole organisation. Armis will build on our cybersecurity asset management, risk management, and automated enforcement to all assets within our clients’ environments,” explained Raluca Saceanu, COO at Smarttech247.

The partnership will provide increased value to clients looking for consolidation of monitoring and security analysis for IoT/ICS/OT environments. Smarttech247 will add the Armis security platform to its cybersecurity offerings to bring customers real-time detection tactics and techniques and allow them to benefit from Armis’ unique ability to see all assets across a client’s ecosystem.

“Smarttech247 enabled the seamless integration of the Armis platform into our security platforms. This integration significantly increased our asset visibility and security analysis across our OT/ICS environment. It also allows us to monitor not only our managed devices but also our new, unidentified environment of unmanaged OT/ICS, loT devices,” said Luis Cunha, Head of Security Engineering and Operations at Aptiv.

“Strategically this partnership will benefit our shared customers and prospects, allowing a wider user community access to our collective award-winning abilities. One of the biggest risks firms are facing today is from unseen, unmanaged and legacy connected devices that many organisations have little and incomplete visibility of, let alone the know-how to manage them.  Having complete, real-time visibility of all devices coupled with Smarttech247 will benefit our customers by giving them all the information they need to make better risk-related decisions,” said Jamie Andrews, EMEA Partner Director at Armis.

In the recent Mitre Engenuity Att&ck Evaluations Armis provided 100% visibility of all IT, IoT & OT/ICS assets with real-time detection of all initial access and lateral movement. In addition, Armis also achieved 100% coverage of all known ICS threat tactics.

The Best Colleges to Earn a Master of Data Science Degree in Ireland

In organizations that leverage big data and the use of data analytics tools is an everyday occurrence, qualifications in data science can open doors to lucrative job positions. If you are considering taking a master’s degree in Ireland, it is important to note that most colleges accept students with technical backgrounds such as engineering, mathematics, and computer science.

Also, some colleges may offer a Master of Data Science degree with Data Analytics or Computing Science to allow students to explore data scientist and data analyst roles. Whether you are a local or international student, finding the best college for your postgraduate education is key to securing the foundation of your career. Below are the best colleges to consider if you are looking for an institution to earn your Master of Data Science degree in Ireland.

1. Trinity College

Founded in 1592, Trinity College is the oldest university in Ireland. It offers a Master of Computer Science program, and allows students to specialize in Data Science. The specialization focuses on three main areas: storage data management, data analysis, and computation.

You can expect to complete the program in 3 semesters that takes 12 months. During your study, you have the option of taking optional courses like text analytics and urban computing in the first two semesters, in addition to the mandatory courses like data visualization and machine learning. The tuition cost for Trinity College is €22,575. To qualify for the program, you need to have ELTS/TOEFL/PTE, Bachelors with 75% or 7.5 CGPA

2. University College Cork

Situated in Ireland’s second-biggest city, University College Cork (UCC) positions itself as a research-oriented institution. Founded in 1845, it has a Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics program that runs for one year offered by the Science, Engineering, and Food Science College.

The master’s program is divided into Part 1, consisting of 60 credits, and Part 2, consisting of 30 credits. The program equips you with crucial skills in data programming, data management, and modeling and interpretation of data. The tuition fee for EU citizens is €7000, while non-EU citizens can expect to pay €18000. You also need to have a CGPA of 6.5 to qualify for the program in addition to ELTS/TOEFL/PTE.

3. University College Dublin

University College Dublin is a public university established in 1854. It is among the best colleges in Ireland, given its ranking among the 1% of best universities globally. The college offers an MSC in Data and Computational Science and an MSC in Data Analysis.

The master’s program is ideal for students with quantitative discipline backgrounds in statistics, physics, math, and engineering. It will take you one year to complete the program on a full-time basis, and two years on a part-time basis. You can expect to pay a tuition cost of €19200.  To qualify for the program, you need to have at least a Bachelor’s degree with a second class honors upper division and ELTS/ TOEFL/PTE.

4. Maynooth University

Maynooth University is among the newest colleges in Ireland. It was established in 1997 and is located in the town of Maynooth. The college introduced the Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics degree program in 2017, making the institution one of the best places to earn a Master of Data Science degree in Ireland. The college offers the program in the Nation Center of Geocomputation under the university’s departments of Mathematics and Statistics and Computer Science.

The master’s program takes one year to complete if you study full-time and two years when studying part-time. Under the program, you will learn the fundamentals of data science as well as statistical machine learning. You will also need to submit a thesis before graduating. To qualify for the program, you need Bachelors with 65% or a CGPA of 6.5 in addition to ELTS/TOEFL/PTE exams. The tuition cost for the Masters of Science in Data Science and Analytics is €17,500.

5. Letterkenny Institute of Technology

Established in 1972, Letterkenny Institute of Technology is located in Letterkenny and offers a Master of Science in Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. The duration of the program is one year for full-time students and two years for part-time students. During the study, students learn the processes of examining and interpreting large data sets to uncover insights. You also learn to enable computer systems to come up with independent decisions.

The tuition cost for the program is €10,000. Additionally, you need ELTS/TOEFL/PTE, as well as a 6.0 CGPA to qualify for the program. A Higher Diploma in Computing also makes you eligible to apply. If you wish to pursue the program without an honors degree but have relevant experience in the field, you can apply through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). One-week bridging courses are also available.

A Masters of Data Science degree in Ireland gives you a competitive advantage in the job market and propels you towards career excellence in data science and related fields. With the above information, you can choose the best college for your postgraduate education and begin your journey towards career advancement.

Mega Otterbox product showcase for the iPhone13 Pro and more. #Otterbox #iPhone13Pro

Otterbox has been a long time staple name when it comes to getting cases and accessories for your mobile phone and if like me and have been using them for many years you will understand that the company offers a massive range to cater for all leading smartphones and much more.

The iPhone 13 Pro and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are my two new daily drivers and Otterbox has kindly sent us over some cases for both, When I say some we mean them all, we have the full range of cases and accessories for the iPhone 13 Pro max for you to check out and today we walk through what you can buy for your iPhone 13 Pro which of course applies to the iPhone 13 range too.

We have accessories, Magsafe products, their top line Symmetry case line up and much more so check out the video below and if you have any questions of course feel free to ask.. Hit us up in the comments and we will see you in a few days as we have a lot to do here..

Check out Otterbox.ie and see what is available for the latest phones today

 

 

Epson brings the big screen experience to the home with two new 4K Laser projectors

Epson has introduced two new high-end home cinema projectors, ideal for film enthusiasts and gamers looking for an immersive big screen experience. Featuring Epson’s laser light source, and a new 4K image processing chip delivering 4K resolution, these projectors offer high brightness, high image quality and flexibility. The new projectors deliver the ultimate home cinema experience and come with a range of features making them perfect for film nights, streaming, sporting events and gaming.

Fans of the big screen will revel in these powerful projectors’ impressive displays. A combination of high-end technologies come together to deliver exceptional image quality with a high 2,500,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 4K resolution (8.3mil pixels), HDR10+ support, 3LCD and a laser light-source. With powered lens shift and zoom lens it’s easy to achieve an accurate display.

With Epson’s 3LCD technology the ‘rainbow effect’ is avoided and users can enjoy vivid colours thanks to an equally high White and Colour Light Output of 2,700 lumens on the EH-LS12000B and 2,500 lumens with the EH-LS11000W. HDR10+ support reveals extra detail and depth for natural yet richer colours. Detail in the shadows is well defined with a high contrast ratio of 2,5000,000:1 delivering deep blacks. With 4K Frame interpolation, 4K Super Resolution and scene adaptive gamma correction/auto contrast enhancement, the ultimate home-cinema experience is simple to achieve.

Gaming up to 4K at 120 frames per second, along with input lag times below 20ms, allows for serious gamers to take full advantage of the latest generation of gaming consoles and even higher-end gaming PC’s.

EPSON EH-LS11000W

The long-lasting laser light source in the EH-LS12000B and EH-LS11000W not only provides lower energy consumption but delivers home entertainment for up to 10 years¹.

Both projectors are easy to set up and install thanks to motorised optics including a powered 2.1x optical zoom, powered focus and powered lens shift of ±96.3% vertical and ±47.1% horizontal. Watching content in the right aspect ratio is made simple by being able to store your ten favourite formats. The projectors are also compatible with Calman colour calibration software.

Paul White, manager product management for Epson Europe’s video projection unit said: “With more and more people spending time at home enjoying movies together, or even gaming as a family, these projectors are ideal for anyone looking to take their viewing experiences to the next level. More households now have dedicated home cinema rooms, or spaces large enough to enjoy the big screen cinema experience that these projectors can deliver.”

Epson EH-LS12000B

The EH-LS11000W (white chassis) and EH-LS12000B (black chassis) are available from October/November 2021 with an RRP of £4,099.99 inc. VAT and £4,399.99 inc. VAT respectively.

New Key Features:

  • 4K resolution (8.3mil pixels)
  • Over 2,5000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
  • Colour space DCI>85%
  • 4K Super resolution
  • 4K Frame interpolation
  • Scene adaptive gamma correction
  • Instant off
  • Laser Light Source
  • HDMI 2.1 (4K/120Hz)

Dell Technologies Drives the Evolution of Modern Support and Security

In today’s “do anything from anywhere” world, the PC is more than just a tool; it has become the key connection point for work and communication. Employees rely on it as a gateway for collaboration and productivity—and any downtime is disruptive especially to the bottom line.

New Dell Technologies support services and security solutions enhance the way IT leaders provide a modern, intelligent and secure PC experience for employees. Added capabilities in the ProSupport Suite for PCs build on the foundation of artificial intelligence and an always-on approach to make IT support easier and more customizable. New endpoint security offerings enhance the industry’s most secure commercial PCs with new security verification capabilities and additional protections below the operating system.

“If your PCs aren’t productive, your employees aren’t either,” said Patrick Moorhead, founder and chief analyst, Moor Insights & Strategy. “Support services and security offerings must evolve with changing employee experiences and stay ahead of the threats that exist at every corner. I believe Dell Technologies is stepping up to the plate with some unique offerings that are designed with the future in mind.”

ProSupport Suite for PCs maximizes productivity and uptime with new features that customize and tailor IT support 

According to a recent survey from Forrester Consulting, 70% of companies plan to increase their investment in remote workforce in the next year. With ProSupport Suite for PCs, IT managers can now customize and automate the way they support employees and optimize PCs. New features include:

  • Customizable IT management tools: ProSupport Suite for PC is the first support service to provide IT managers with automated custom update catalog management and deployment capabilities. Now they have the ability to update Dell BIOS, drivers, firmware and applications automatically and remotely, and customize how those updates are grouped and managed.
  • Tailored, actionable information for PC fleet in one place: For the first time, IT managers can see the health, application experience and security scores for their entire Dell PC fleet in one glance.They can use those scores over time to uncover performance trends and also take immediate action when needed, remotely, leveraging tailored recommendations and utilization metrics provided by Dell Technologies AI-powered services support software.
  • Customized, remote workflows: Using a customized rules engine to define and orchestrate remote remediation workflows at scale, IT managers are also able to predetermine who receives updates automatically and how they are administered.
  • ProSupport Suite for PCs features available to channel partners and their customers: Channel partners can leverage the entire scope of our AI-driven support, tools and portal within the ProSupport Suite for PCs. Partners can view and manage the support experience for multiple organizations using SupportAssist in TechDirect and have the option to leverage Dell Technologies’ expertise to overcome customer challenges on a case-by-case or fleetwide basis.

“The role of IT has never been more important. While the mission remains the same – keep everyone productive and systems up and running – the operations behind it have become a lot more complicated, especially with the amount of data and opportunities at the edge ever-increasing,” said Doug Schmitt, president of Services, Dell Technologies. “Our approach to IT services is built on an AI-driven, adaptive, always-on foundation, taking today’s realities and future customer needs into consideration. At the end of the day, the new capabilities are about helping IT leaders see ahead, and stay ahead, while providing workforces around the world the ability to continue collaborating and innovating without disruption.”

Doubling down with innovations for the industry’s most secure and intelligent commercial PC portfolio with built-in AI[5]

The rapid shift to remote work, increased use of cloud applications and new ways of addressing employee productivity needs have created new threat vectors at the endpoint. Every business is a target regardless of location, industry or size as threats have grown increasingly sophisticated and sometimes challenging to detect. Recent data suggests 44% of organizations experienced at least one hardware-level or BIOS attack over the past 12 months.[6] For an endpoint security strategy to be effective, it must take the entire attack surface into consideration, including supply chain hardware and firmware.

Dell Trusted Devices security portfolio helps protect Dell commercial PCs throughout the supply chain and device lifecycle. This comprehensive suite of above- and below- the operating system (OS) security solutions leverage intelligence and help empower businesses to prevent, detect and respond to threats with improved mean-time-to-detect (MTTD) and mean-time-to-resolution (MTTR) of issues.

Dell Technologies builds upon its leadership position with new security capabilities that include:

  • Advanced Secure Component Verification for PCs allows customers to verify Dell commercial PCs and key components arrive as they were ordered and built. Dell Technologies is the first commercial PC manufacturer in the industry with this native capability, extending its supply chain security and integrity controls.
  • Intel Management Engine (ME) Verification verifies critical system firmware and detects tampering. The initial release of Intel ME Verification targets boot processes critical to system security and provides additional layers of below the OS security.
  • Dell Trusted Device Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Integration brings customers full visibility of critical below the OS security events through select SIEM dashboards.[8] It allows for a comprehensive analysis of the organization’s security status while enabling them to extract more value out of existing security investments.

Availability

  • New ProSupport Suite for PCs capabilities will be available to new and existing customers directly and through channel partners globally starting Oct. 19.
  • Advanced Secure Component Verification is available today for U.S. federal customers and on select Dell commercial PCs.
  • Intel ME Verification and Dell Trusted Device SIEM Integration are available today in Europe on Dell commercial PCs.

The Technologies that Could Impact Online Slot Games in the Future

Most of us have seen phenomenal changes in technology within our lifetimes, and the industry doesn’t look as if it’s going to slow its advancements any time soon. From digital special effects in the movies, to electric cars and missions to space, these things seemed impossible just 100 years ago. Technology has also affected our lives on a smaller scale. Most adults now own a smartphone, with computing technology small enough to fit in their pocket. And by connecting to 4G internet, they can instantly access a global network of information.

The advancement of technology has also brought into existence entirely new industries. One of the fastest growing new industries is the online gambling industry, which is only 25 years old now. Online casinos and slot providers, like Wink Slots,  are now able to provide top quality games to millions of customers, anytime and anywhere. This convenience is why mobile slots are fast becoming one of the nation’s favourite online games.

The Evolution of Online Slots

Online slots developers have now got more creative freedom to design their games, because they know that modern technology can handle it. Gone are the standard 3 reels, some slots play around with 5 or 7, but developer NetEnt have taken it one step further and invented InfiniReels, where every win adds a new reel to your slot, with no limit to how many you can have. This really shakes up the way that online slots are played, and it’s not the only fun new innovation in slot design.

Megaways and Gigablox are some of the other fun new slot designs which offer players the change to play for higher jackpots than every before. Of course, the odds of hitting the top money are still very small, but new players are enticed in by the promise of larger payouts.

Technological advancements have also enabled online slots to come in many different themes and styles. Because it’s so easy to tweak a few settings within the coding of a game, new slots can be released quickly and without much cost. There are now online slots to suit every player, from animal themes to Viking themes, with different RTPs and volatility ratings.

How Technology has Made Online Slots Popular

Slots have always been a very visually appealing game, so it was important for their success that online developers be able to replicate the classic video slots look. But it was also important for players to possess hardware powerful enough to showcase the games in all their glory. The development of the smartphone market, and the fact that prices now start reasonably low for what is still a decent phone, has made it possible for more people than ever to access online games and enjoy them at their leisure.

Fibre broadband and the arrival of 5G mobile internet has also been a massive boost to the industry. Players no longer have to wait for their games to load, or deal with buffering and lag. Online slot games load almost instantly and players can play for as long as they like. Faster download speeds have made it more appealing for people to play for short bursts of time, like during a commute or a lunch break, and this has been great for the online slots industry.

Technology has allowed players to be able to play whenever and wherever they want.

 

Increased Competition

One of the downsides of the online slot industry’s rapid growth is that the marketplace is now saturated with competing sites. While this is great for the players as they have more choice of where to go, it means the online slots sites are having to work harder to appeal to new customers.

One-way sites are using technology to do this is by offering different payment methods. Debit and credit cards are no longer the only way of making deposits, with many online providers utilising the services of online wallets and cryptocurrencies to encourage new types of users to join their sites.

Female players tend to gravitate towards slots, but they also like to play socially. So online slots sites have started offering chat rooms, live slots games, and multiplayer slots. This increases player interaction and has replaced the missing social element that you could get from playing slot with friends in a land-based casino.

Technology has opened many doors for slot providers, however, competition has become even more intense.

 

The Future

Live online slots are just starting to appear online, as are virtual reality casinos, proving that there’s plenty of scope for the sector to continue evolving. Live online slots utilise fast streaming technology to broadcast from a studio where a dealer oversees spinning the reels. Players can interact with the dealer through a chat box and carry out conversations in real time – like being part of a massive game show! So far, only two online slots are available in this format, but interest is growing, and it looks certain to join other live casino games as the next big thing.

Conclusion

Online slots are constantly evolving and advancing to keep up with technological changes. Faster internet speeds mean the games can include more functions and better graphics; better smartphone penetration means that more slots are optimised for mobile in order to tap into a new market; and live slots are putting the community feel back into gaming. With 5G rolling out and virtual reality headsets becoming more affordable, online slots will be in for another big change soon.