Tech Review – Atom Studios iPhone 13 Pro split silicone case

Atom Studios who just launched a range of accessories on Three UK sent us over one of their phone cases to check out and the good news is they will be launching here in Ireland soon too and the case we checked out is the split silicone case for the iPhone 13 Pro and it is a dual tone coloured case and looks and feels good too and stands out, this case also gives you extra grip and your phone can be placed face or rear down and the camera lens is also protected, the keys also work great and overall this makes an excellent case to look at and they also have some other really nice designs to pick from.

The Split Silicone iPhone Cases contain a combination of infinitely recyclable anodised aluminium and sand-based silicone, offering a stylish and sustainable alternative to plastic. The materials were chosen for their durability — they’re built to last for the life cycle of a phone. The silicone part of the case is soft to the touch while the aluminium has a premium, slim appearance resulting in a distinctive look.

The full range of products can be found and purchased via AtomStudios.com or Amazon

Video Link

Tech Review – Sades spirits gaming headphones

Sades spirits are a simple plug and play option pair of gaming headphones that just keeps things simple, there is no app no set up and little controls to be worried about which just makes life nice and easy, they a made from plastic and have soft cups for the ears which makes them ideal for long periods of use.

They have the familiar ratchet style extension arms both sides and the controls or lack thereof are all kept simple on one side to and this might draw up the question on how they sound with just two controls on the headset to adjust. One control is a wheel which adjusts the volume and the other is a mic control and both found on the left earcup.

The headset is light and comes in many colours too which for gamers is a win as there is no RGB lighting effects going on here at all so having the options from a big colour range will have to do the job here, The headband is comfortable which again is ideal for long periods and ideal being such a light headset.

Sades Spirits gaming headset techuzzireland

Sound is fine which is what we all want to know, it will not win awards for the lack of features however being a simple plug and play you can adjust settings on your console of choice and work from there, there is 50mm speakers inside and overall they do a good job and users will be happy especially if you are a first time customer and want to try out such headphones for your set up at home. The mic works well too and is adjustable and clear both ends when gaming. The headset can be used on phones with a headphone jack and works well here too so if you have a console or phone you game on they get the job done.

Overall it is a great cost effective headset on the cheap and is fairly robust and ideal for kids more so and the range of colors available makes good for the consumer for choice. From my testing on mobile phone, PS5 Switch and Xbox one they do a good job.

Suitable for all 3.5mm interface devices. Support PS4 / XBOX ONE ( 2015 Version ) / Laptop / Mobile Devices / VR / Switch. The Y-cable(Adapter cable) is ready for connecting the PC.

BUY 

Unboxing Video

 

 

The History of the Season Pass

Season passes are a novel form of game monetization that have been around in various forms for some time, but have risen in prominence thanks to their association with immensely popular battle royale style games such as PUBG and Fortnite. The basic premise of a season pass follows the real world concept of a sporting season ticket, and gives gamers open access to time bound events and activities in a game’s world. These frequently run for about 3 months before expiring, at which point a new season pass must be redeemed. With each season, developers offer fresh content, features and customisation options to incentivise renewal. This method of monetization is very effective as it means a game can continue earning revenue long past its initial release date. The concept has a long running association with DLC (downloadable content packs) release and can be seen as a refinement and serialisation of them. 

Monetization models

The season pass is but one of the many game monetization models that has been in the ascendancy with the rise and proliferation of smartphone gaming. In this space, season passes rub shoulders alongside a range of diverse game monetization strategies. These range from those seen on iGaming platforms, where promotional offers on online variants remain attractive to new and returning patrons, to the well known freemium model that has maintained primacy in the app store for over a decade.

History and development

Early prominent uses of the season pass model included 2011’s L.A. Noire, by GTA developers Rockstar Games. This paved the way for major developers such as EA to begin offering season passes for their league franchise games under their sub-brand, EA Sports. Season passes experienced a renewal of interest around the mid 2010s when a new type of free-to-play game became popular among gamers. These games, following the template laid out by PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), are built around battle royale gameplay wherein a large number of players, sometimes in excess of 100, battle it out on a single large map to a last-man-standing rule-set. 

These games, of which Fortnite is now the most popular, attracted players due to their free-to-play status. These games all offer customization features and additional game-mechanics that can only be purchased once players pay for the current season pass (sometimes called a battle pass). By letting gamers invest time and energy into a game, they are statistically far more likely to want to invest monetarily over the long run, especially if this lets them display their identification with the game’s community to other players. 

Impact

By offering season passes as a doorway into letting people acquire DLC microtransactions, Fortnite has earned over $9 billion since its release in 2017. Other major game developers are rapidly following suit, with Activision launching a battle royale free-to-play version of its Call of Duty franchise in Call of Duty: Warzone, an enterprise that has already generated nearly $500 million in revenue since its 2020 release date. Japanese developers Square Enix, the company behind the long running and immensely popular RPG series Final Fantasy, recently launched Final Fantasy: VII — The First Soldier, their own take on a battle pass style massively multiplayer arena game. 343 Studios, the developers working on Halo: Infinite have also announced, following a long running open beta of its multiplayer mode, that it will be available as a free-to-play add-on to the main game, and will use its own version of a battle pass.

Changing landscape

Where this trend will end is hard to see at this point, as news that a major iterative title like Halo: Infinite, set to be the new Xbox Series X/S’s de facto flagship game, will be using a free-to-play season pass for its multiplayer will increase the likelihood that this will become commonplace among major console games. All of this points to a change in the way games are made, marketed and consumed by the industry. This is reflective of the sector coming to terms with the rise of massive multiplayer gaming, and in exploring the best way to monetize this shift into the future.

Apps Bringing Sports Fans Closer to the Action

There is no shortage of ways in which the modern sports fan can follow their favorite athlete or team, whether it be on a traditional television set, in the media, or via their mobile phone. Indeed, it is the latter that has really revolutionized the way in which people consume their sport, able as they are to do everything from watch a live stream all the way through to subscribing to the news feeds of their favored journalist, who has all the inside scoops on team selections and injuries.

Part of this shift towards making professional sports more accessible than they have ever been is the proliferation of mobile apps, many of which use innovative ways of thinking to allow sports fans to get closer to the action than ever before; sometimes to the point that they feel like a part of the team. Here are just some of the types of app that are taking being a sports fan to a whole other level.

Apps are now at the forefront of providing sports fans and sports bettors with all the detailed information they could ever wish to have

Comparison Apps 

One of the ways in which sports fans have been able to feel a part of the action is by having a vested interest in the games and contests they are watching. This can be achieved with things like fantasy sports apps, and sports betting apps. However, there are now so many of these sorts of apps that it can be tricky for some people to spot the difference between what is a good deal for them and what is most certainly a bad deal. That is where comparison apps and websites like OddsChecker come in, which work tirelessly to provide everything from the best Colorado free bets to the tastiest sign-up deals to be found for NBA and NFL odds providers. These apps also come in handy when it comes to the technical small print of some online promo deals, putting in plain English exactly how a free bet or a sign-up bonus works.

Live Streaming Apps

Perhaps the biggest sea change in the sports broadcasting arena this century has been the rise of live sports streaming services like DAZN and ESPN+ which have been disrupting an industry slow to adapt to new technologies. The benefit of such apps is that they run on cheap subscription models that provide incredible value for viewers. There are further benefits as well, as with these services people more easily able to stream content on their mobile devices. This lets viewers access highlights or even watch entire games, all at the click of a button. While cable television networks scramble to catch up, it seems only a matter of time before they are made obsolete by the new boys on the block.

Apps are now just as much a part of an athlete’s workout routine as they are a part of the matchday experience for fans all over the world

Apps That Get Fans Active

Being a sports fan is great fun, but it can sometimes mean being stationary for long periods of time. Thankfully, there are now apps out there that encourage the average sports enthusiast to take part in the sports they love rather than just being a passive bystander. This is most evidenced in the rise of apps like Strava and Zwift, both of which take their respective sports – athletics and cycling – and encourage people to build communities, better their personal best performances, and even compete against some of their sporting idols in the process.

Apps That Deliver Sports Journalism

Let’s face it, mainstream journalism is going down the pan, as hacks regurgitate what they read on social media and then pass it off as genuine reporting. That is where a new breed of sports journalism apps come in. The market leader in this regard is The Athletic, which delivers a bespoke service to fans of many sports and has lots of top writers working across its platform.

How to build an email list for an affiliate marketing campaign

Many people today think email marketing is dead, but that is not the case; email is more popular than ever. There are more than 3.5 billion email users worldwide, and the number is expected to grow exponentially over the years owing to a plethora of reasons. 

Statistically, email has more users than social media, so if you are still not making use of affiliate email marketing as part of your digital marketing campaigns, you are missing out on a lot of business opportunities. 

Starting an email campaign can be difficult, but it can be beneficial for your future promotions with the right strategy. Such campaigns are efficient as they allow you to open a direct channel of communication with your customers. 

Once you have made your website, it is time that you start focusing on building your email list. 

Building a list of contacts you can send emails to is a challenging task, but it can yield great results for your business if you do it right. 

     1. Grow Your Email List With Contests & Giveaways
Growing your email list is crucial for the success of an affiliate marketing campaign, and contests and giveaways can be powerful strategies to achieve that. By leveraging the appeal of winning prizes, you can entice your target audience to provide their email addresses in exchange for a chance to win. Platforms like Gleam offer robust features to run engaging contests and giveaways, allowing you to capture leads effectively. With customizable entry methods, social sharing options, and email verification, you can maximize participation and ensure high-quality leads. Utilizing contests and giveaways as part of your email list-building strategy can help you attract, engage, and convert a wider audience for your affiliate marketing campaign.

 

  1. Optimize your website

The more email contacts you have, the more emails you can send and the more audience you can convert. Try integrating and optimizing your website with strategically placed signup widgets and pop-ups. 

 

A/B testing is the best way to optimize, try out different widgets or pop-ups to get more signups. Also, remember to closely monitor and track your progress and customer responses, as it will allow you to tweak your affiliate email marketing campaign accordingly. 

 

  1. Create drip emails

Once someone has signed up on the website, you must have systems that send them to set emails at particular intervals. You can set up drip emails and alter the details of your industry and what works for you. 

With an automated drip campaign in place, you do not have to worry about sending emails manually, and you will be able to send an email at the right moment. 

A planned and well-executed series of emails will keep your customers engaged. 

 

  1. Produce high-quality content

Even if you have a long list of potential customers, a proper drip system, and an optimized website, your email campaign will not yield any results if you do not produce high-quality content. 

You must make good content to keep the audience engaged. Create content around things and topics in your business’ niche. 

Once you have sorted the basics, you must continue creating high-quality email content and optimize your website regularly to get more signups. 

Are You A Business Owner? Here Are Some Useful Tips

Starting a business, maintaining it and later on expanding it is a lot of work – it’s definitely something everyone can try, but not a lot can master. But thankfully, nowadays there are so many resources and helpful tips to use to your advantage, which can help grow your business overnight! Here are some of those useful tips every businessman should keep in mind! 

Have a good plan

When getting involved with business owning, you need to understand how big of an investment that actually is – and not just financially. There are other elements, such as time and energy that are easily exploited, so having a plan of action is a must. Even at the beginning entry stages, try to set aside a budget, whilst keeping an exit strategy in mind!

Be passionate

Some people start a business out of wanting to be their own boss, while others start their businesses in hopes of getting rich. Both paths are valid and they strive for the same purpose which is making it in the midst of similar businesses. It’s extremely important to be passionate, even when things are not looking so good – it’s said that people work much harder for the things they are passionate about. Being passionate can also boost the productivity of other workers as well, especially when things get tough!

Social media is key

Using social media to your advantage is such a good hack nowadays – the accent is always on the incredible algorithm systems that can do a great marketing job! This goes hand in hand with getting to know your customers, that way you’ll know what kind of marketing methods to use in order to reach similar customers. Social media is also great for exploring different formats and using new methods of marketing, as trends come and go, this is also a good way to practice and see what suits your business the most! At the end of the day it all comes down to the customers and what they truly want! 

 

Grab some inspiration

As a business owner, it can get a bit overwhelming, no matter how big or how small the scale of the business is, the pressure is on! This, mixed with the fact that the market is overflowing with all sorts and kinds of companies and aspiring businesses, it’s important to stand out as a business and outshine the competition. A good tip with this is to get familiar with the competition – don’t necessarily copy their stuff, but rather understand how they operate, what works for them might also apply for your business as well! Always striving to learn new things is a much needed skill in every business owner!

Keep things simple

Behind every great company, stands a simple concept – every businessman should start with building a strong foundation and working towards their goals. These so-called simple things can completely transform the business in no time. Having a customer-friendly website is extremely important from an easy and clean layout to a clear payment system, as Cardknox Merchant Portal suggests, they just make things better for the customer and the business at the same time. Sticking to proven methods is way better, especially in the beginning, rather than experimenting – so try to keep things simple, yet strong! 

 

Set short term and long term goals

Having regular checkups and re-evaluations of your work is essential in order to understand how well the business is going, or on the other hand how bad. Setting short-term goals as well as long-term goals is the best way to monitor progress and compare the accumulated data from time to time. That way you can determine the blind spots that might be stopping the failure of your business! This, along with a strong strategy will definitely contribute to the success of your business!

Be up to date

Trends are coming and going every hour of every day, sometimes it’s hard to even keep up with them! But being up to date with trends and the latest happenings in the world is much needed in order to run a well functioning, successful business! Thankfully, the resources are endless, with many books, blogs, and other business owners sharing news, possible business plans, and other useful info you can grab onto! Running a business is a process that’s constantly evolving and growing so it’s hard to follow just one way of doing things and isolate your business. 

 

Not every business is the same, certain kinds of businesses need a specific kind of treatment, but the goal is always the same – to grow and expand. There are many ways to do so, focusing on establishing short-term and long-term goals, seeing where your business is stagnant and what you can do to fix it is key in achieving success!

Tech Review – Realme 8i

The Realme 8i is as budget phone offering a 6.6 inch 120 hz refresh rate screen which seems to be all the hype today however once you have tried this refresh rate for yourself you will find it hard to look back, I myself had had to demonstrate here to people what it actually means and putting a 60 hz refresh rate beside the 120 hz device people then seen what it means the same applies for 90 hz devices but some still find it hard to notice and it might take time for others to get the whole idea of what it is all about.

This device also sports a huge battery too a 5000 mAh which for most will see an all day battery life which today still seems an issue for most manufacturers but to be fair power users like me spend most of my day doing my work from my mobile phone.

Unboxing and walkthrough of the Realme 8i

 

Design and build

The phone does however look premium being made with plastic and the back of the phone looks really cool and changes colour when it moves in the light and it stands out, the camera hump also on the rear is much smaller than any of its rivals and not a huge chunk popping out which has got really annoying now with the same design over and over again but this time it is a much smaller affair and looks well, the phone does look well and feel solid in the hand overall.

Performance

The Realme 8i was fine for me and my daily tasks which include multitasking and the same would apply to anyone else given I am a power user my phones get much more used and abused you could say but overall this did not fail at all for me and was good to see at this level, I did some gaming on the phone just to test it and high rated games is where it did get sluggish at times but it is not a phone that is intended for gaming anyway but for the most it is fine.

Processor

The device is equipped with realme’s first G96 chip. It’s manufactured using a 12 nm process and has two large A75 cores and 6 small A55 cores. Its main frequency reaches up to 2.05GHz. It’s really a powerful processor. Compared to realme 7i, the performance of 8i has improved 65%. The GPU has been improved by 91%, and the CPU by 51%. 

This G96 is also a processor that realme and MediaTek jointly oversaw and launched. For this processor, realme assigned 7 senior engineers to guide the whole process. Over the course of 106 days, they had technically optimized 3 major performance features. Firstly, Helio G96 is the only G9 series chip that can power 120Hz displays. Secondly, it supports realme’s first screen whose brightness can reach as low as 1 nit. Lastly, its gaming performance that completely surpasses that of realme 7i, providing a smoother gaming experience.

Realme launched the technology –Vitual RAM, upgraded from computers to smartphones. Virtual RAM actually uses the phone’s internal storage as makeshift RAM and increases the total amount of RAM on your smartphone. For realme 8i,realme launces 5GB Virtual RAM on 6GB+128GB version and this can improve the phone’s overall smoothness. ( realme 8i 4GB+64GB does not support Virtual RAM.)

 

Camera

50MP Primary Camera

realme 8i’s main camera features 50MP sensor. With f/1.8  large aperture, and 5P lens that secures enough light and makes your pictures more clear and brighter. In addition, the product also supports PDAF that makes the focus more rapid and precise.  You can judge yourself from the video and image samples we took below both in the day and night time.

 

B&W Lens

The B&W lens provide special artistic effect for portrait, which reproduce portraits in black and white, providing higher exposure and enhancing the contrast between light and dark of images. In the Portrait mode, exposure, color temperature, hue, and other parameters are repeatedly fine adjusted. In conjunction with the simulation of master portrait works, photos are tuned to retro film style with wide applicability, adding texture to the final portrait-style photos.

Macro Lens

The ultra macro lens enables users get closer and discover the beauty of the micro world with the 4cm shooting distance. It will empower consumers with the possible to shot amazing macro photography with details, enjoy explore the charm of the micro world.

16MP Selfie Camera

On the front, 16MP selfie camera can take crystal clear selfie. The camera also supports AI beautification function, HDR mode, portrait mode and a Panoselfie feature that can help you take wider selfies. Overall giving you the best camera experience in the segment.

Key features, Helio G96 Processor, 120Hz Ultra Smooth Display , Up to 5GB Virtual RAM 5000mAh Mega Battery

50MP AI Triple Camera 18W Fast Charge Ultra-Fast Side Fingerprint 16MP Selfie Camera 3-Card Slots realme UI 2.0

Conclusion

This is my first Realme device so can’t compare it to its other models but for me it did quite well overall if you want good battery life and a good display it has all this and more, the cameras are fine in the daytime but in low light levels not the best but this is to be expected anyway and even more expensive devices fail miserably here, it is a good looking device that is capable.

 

 

Tech Review – Poetic Guardian and Revolution cases for the Google Pixel 6

Next in for review is the Guardian and Revolution cases from poetic cases for the Google Pixel 6 which is my daily driver the last few weeks and so far liking the device, my full review on that is due shortly too so stay tuned for that but today we check out two cool cases for the Google Pixel 6 which will need protection and save you a fortune if you drop the phone not only that the device is slippy and these cases both give you extra grip and the ease knowing if you drop the phone your phone will be safe and sound.

Guardian – 2021 Google Pixel 6 Case

  • MILITARY GRADE DROP TESTED GOOGLE PIXEL 6 RUGGED CASE -Protects your Google PIXEL 6 from all angles. Includes: Built-in Screen Protector, Clear polycarbonate back, and TPU lining and Bumpers.
  • SAFE SCREEN PROTECTION – Extra raised lips and corners of the front hard frame provide super protection from drops, keep your screen safe.
  • SHOCK ABSORBING – Impact resistant TPU lining around the polycarbonate case provides shock absorbing bumper protection for the corners and enhances grip to prevent sliding.
  • ANTI-SCRATCH CLEAR BACK – Premium clear polycarbonate prevents scratches on the device. The full clarity and gloss showcases the best that your device has to offer.
  • EXTRA Front Frame – For people who don’t like to use built in screen protectors, Poetic has included an extra front frame to use with your own tempered glass.

BUY 

Revolution – 2021 Google Pixel 6 Case

  • MILITARY GRADE DROP TESTED GOOGLE Pixel 6 RUGGED CASE – Protects your Google Pixel 6 from all angles. Shockproof/Drop-proof/Import resistant/Scratch-proof.
  • SAFE SCREEN PROTECTION – Extra raised lips and corners of the front hard frame provide super protection from drops, keep your screen safe.
  • HEAVY DUTY MATERIAL – Composed of premium polycarbonate and shock absorbing TPU bumper for drop protection.
  • BUILT-IN-SCREEN PROTECTOR – Front polycarbonate casing with a built-in screen protector adds a layer of protection without affecting screen responsiveness.
  • EXTRA Front Frame – For people who don’t like to use built in screen protectors, Poetic has included an extra front frame to use with your own tempered glass.

BUY 

Check the video below of both cases in detail and tell us what cases you are rocking on your Google Pixel 6..

Video Link 

The Most In-Demand Knock-Off Tech Brands Revealed

With scores of shoppers on the hunt for the best bargains this Black Friday, a new consumer study, conducted by Uswitch, has analysed Google search data to reveal which fake brands are most in demand.

The research shows counterfeit Rolex, Yeezy and Louis Vuitton are the top three most searched for designer fashion labels. Fake Beats takes the top spot for the most wanted tech brand, and in the world of beauty, Olaplex is the most in-demand brand that people want fake versions of the most.

The Most In-Demand Fake Tech

Black Friday is when many people try to get the latest tech releases at a discounted price, so Uswitch also looked into the number of searches for the most sought after counterfeit tech brands.

Beats by Dr Dre – considered to produce the ‘best headphones on the market’ – is the most searched for tech brand with 8,400 annual searches for ‘fake beats’.

Xbox is joint third on the list, with a total of 6,000 searches for a cheaper, unverified version of the iconic games console. Also with 6,000 annual searches for fake versions of its products is Apple. Xbox’s rival, Playstation is sixth on the list, receiving 3,600 searches for a knock-off version.

Top 10 Most Searched For Fake Tech Brands

Rank

Branded Bag

Annual Searches

1

Beats

8,400

3

Xbox

6,000

3

Apple

6,000

6

Playstation

3,600

6

Fitbit

3,600

6

JBL

3,600

7

Samsung

3,000

8

Dyson

1,200

9

Nintendo

1,080

10

Wii

840

When it comes to the most in-demand tech products, ‘fake iPhone is searched for almost 2,000 times a year, which is the highest of all tech products in the study. Ring’s doorbell is second on the list and Dyson’s innovative Airwrap is third.

The top 5 most searched for fake tech products:

Rank

Product 

Annual searches

1

iPhone

1,800

2

Ring doorbell

720

3

Dyson Airwrap

600

4

Xbox series s

480

5

Google pixel

480

For the full research, and for advice and tips on how to spot scam sites and how to tell the difference between fake and real products this Black Friday, visit: www.uswitch.com/broadband/most-in-demand-designer-knock-offs