Month: November 2021

In Dublin, Ireland Riot Games to open Remote Streaming and Content Production Center (RBC)

Riot Games has opened a new Remote Broadcast and Content Production Centre (RBC), in Dublin as part of its continuous drive to innovate and advance its digital broadcast and production capabilities for esports as well as super serve players and fans.

It is the first of three RBCs they are launching, each of which will have the ability to produce six simultaneous events across production and audio rooms, live stages, and bull pens. All will be built with a scalable infrastructure to allow for future growth.

Riot Games is an American video game developer, publisher, and organiser of esports events. Founded in 2006 in order to develop the game League of Legends, the company has gone on to develop several spin-off games, as well as the first person shooter game Valorant.

It currently operates 14 international League of Legends esports leagues, and the League of Legends World Championship, and has 24 offices worldwide.

Dublin was chosen as the headquarters of its EMEA operations in 2011, and the office in Dublin city centre has since grown to 165 employees, although, until now, they have been primarily focused on back office functions such as business operations, engineering, and security.

The new facility is a vote of confidence in Ireland with its rich pool of local talent, and the attractive business environment. The company has been backed by the Irish Government, through its Development Authority.

It is also an indication that Riot Games expects the robust growth in esports to continue, one of the businesses that proved resilient to the pandemic.

Another was the online casino business, which saw new subscriber numbers surge during government imposed lockdowns. Those wanting to learn more may want to follow the best new online casinos for Irish players provided here.)

It is no coincidence that hi-tech American companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter have chosen Ireland as the base for their European operations. 

At 12.5% it has one of the lowest tax rates in Europe, but that is only part of the attractiveness for companies from then US like Riot Games.

Equally important is the fact there is a  strong local skill base, with many graduates holding degrees in software development and a wide range of specialism across a talented, young workforce.

And the economic collapse which followed the implosion of the Irish property market, has proved a boon to investors form abroad as well.

It means that Irish workers are prepared to accept lower salaries than competing European hubs like London.

And unlike the UK following Brexit, Ireland remains part of the European Union, and is part of the Euro, enabling frictionless trade with much of the rest of Europe.

With a supportive and light touch regulatory environment and strong business support network with experienced commercial law and accountancy firms, what is there not to like about setting up shop in Ireland?

Nor is Ireland complacent about its status, with the government committed to continually improve the business environment for foreign companies. This latest move by Riot Games is one sign that their commitment to progress is starting to bear fruit. 

How Technology is Helping Education

The introduction of technology to the educational system has made learning easier for both students and teachers. As a student, you can now access information easily. With technology, teachers can adopt new methods of teaching. 

You can make the most of your learning with the wide selection of resources available to you through the internet. Technology has become an important part of all our lives. Here are some of the positive impacts that technology has made on your education as a college student.

Improves engagement and collaboration

Technology can encourage you to actively participate in classroom activities. The use of electronic devices like notebooks, tablets, and computers in the classroom can turn boring subjects into fun and interactive ones. 

Teachers have also observed that there is an increase in the frequency of students assisting each other when they use technology. Several technology-based activities in the classroom involve various aspects. These could lead to situations where you will need to ask for help from your teachers or classmates. When you get assigned to work in a small group, those who are more technologically capable can help those who lack experience.

 

Offers concrete learning opportunities

As you may have already experienced, it can be very difficult to grasp a concept in traditional learning. But with technology, digital simulations can greatly help you comprehend various disciplines better while getting you acquainted with our modern world.

Teachers can also benefit as technology will help them explain certain concepts that are a challenge to tackle within the boundaries of physical classrooms. Teachers with plenty of tech experience can prepare lessons in more strategic ways by including various types of activity models, interactive controls, and text for their students.Back when I was in college, my fellow students and I felt very excited to use various technologies to complete our education.

Back when I was in college, my fellow students and I felt very excited to use various technologies to complete our education. One of the best ways we use technology is through homework help. Whenever I had to do my homework and I had other things to deal with, I turned to Writix for essay writing to write my essay. They always provide an essay for students that’s well-researched and well-written. No matter what the topic is, you can count on this essay writing service. Besides using this service, I always used an advanced plagiarism tool to check plagiarism in the essay This approach helped me to ensure that the content is completely free of plagiarism. I knew that submitting copied or duplicated essays in my homework may affect my grades. Therefore, I tried to confirm that my submitted content is completely unique by getting assistance from an online plagiarism checker. The tool helped me in finding any duplicated text instantly and saves me from getting a poor grade.

 

Enhances and facilitates learning

Slowly but surely, new technologies are now finding their way inside classrooms all over the world. These technologies include 3D printers, smartboards, and more. Integrating all of these in the educational system helps you engage better in the process of learning. 

As such, they have made teaching more significant while increasing the creativity of students like you. One very important aspect of using gadgets is that it gives you easy access to learning resources. These gadgets can help you complete your school assignments and projects faster. Today, LMS systems, education portals, virtual classrooms, and the like are the future of education as these effectively help you cope with the stresses of college life.

Improves communication

Learning how to communicate effectively is a very important aspect of education. The inability to communicate isn’t acceptable when you’re studying at school. Luckily, technology for students has bridged communication gaps and this has led to a smoother flow of knowledge.  

With the use of online tools for collaboration, whether in a virtual or traditional classroom setting, we can all form a community where the teachers can assign tasks to students in real-time. Also, students like you can freely ask questions if you have any. You and your peers can interact with one another easily for any concerns regarding your subjects or other school matters.

Promotes cognitive development

One of the most important parts of the human body is the brain. For your brain to function more efficiently, you need to keep using it. To this effect, technology can help you develop your mind by providing you with a huge source of interesting information. 

Through technology, you can access journals, books, learning resources, and even writing assistance that will help you with your assigned tasks. As for the entertainment side, technology also offers games that will help improve your problem-solving skills significantly. Through these games, you can apply what you have learned in solving real-life issues like doing your homework or finding solutions to technological issues.

Conclusion

Hearing about the adverse effects of too much screen time and the dangers of social media are very common. But we don’t hear much about the positive effects of technology in shaping our lives. When used appropriately, technology will improve your education in so many ways.

Author’s Bio 

Alisia Stren is a writer and editor of high repute and is loved by students for her deeply researched work that’s always delivered well before the deadlines. She has worked closely with the students and earned a reputation for her dedication and skills in the writing field. Besides her work, she enjoys doing yoga, watching live sports and reading classical fiction.

 

Riot Games offers 30 community grants to Irish non profit nominated by players

Riot Games announced today the 30 recipients of their $10,000 community grants as a part of Progress Days inspired by Riot’s new TV series, Arcane League of Legends. Throughout the month of November, Riot is uniting its games and products for a global event called RiotX Arcane to bring together players and fans for the launch of the company’s first television series. As a part of the celebration, Riot is honoring the incredible work that these nonprofits are doing all around the world in hopes of inspiring progress.

Over the summer, Riot invited players from around the world to become a ‘force for good’ and nominate a nonprofit and/or a cause area that was important to them. Along with the nomination, players were asked to share a testimonial to explain why this cause was meaningful to them and how it was impacting their local community. Over 19,000 submissions came in from players around the globe and Riot’s social impact team, with the help of their partners ImpactAssets and GlobalGiving, vetted and chose 30 nonprofits to receive $10,000 donations. These high-impact nonprofits support a wide range of countries and cause areas, including an organization from New Zealand that supports community wellbeing and a nonprofit from Brazil that advocates for the rights of people with intellectual disabilities.

“Throughout Riot’s history we’ve seen time and again players come together as one collective community to support the smaller communities they are a part of,” said Jeffrey Burrell, Director of Social Impact. “I want to give the credit where it’s truly due and that’s to the players. It’s really special when we put out a call like this to players and get such an overwhelming response. We couldn’t do this work without them.”

The Riot Games Social Impact Fund is Riot’s nonprofit engine for our collective efforts for global social impact. Through the Social Impact Fund, in partnership with ImpactAssets and managed by GlobalGiving, Riot was able to distribute these grants to over 18 countries around the world. By being able to involve hyper-local NGOs serving local community needs, Riot is able to directly support the causes and interests of their community of players on what matters most to them.

Here are the 30 nonprofit winners:

América Solidaria Argentina, APAE Brasil, Ape Action Africa, Asian American Success Inc., BeLonG To, Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, Clean Up Australia, Coalition for Rainforest Nations, Cordem ABP, Fundación Aquí Nadie Se Rinde I.A.P, Fundación Minga Valpo , Fundación Superación Pobreza, Genesis Women’s Shelter, Ingenium ABP, Instituto Vovô Chiquinho, LÖSEV, Maslow Project, Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA), Plan International Japan, Prairie State Legal Services, Shatterproof, Société Protectrice des Animaux (SPA), SPEAR Islington (Resurgo), Story Tapestries, The Nature Conservancy, The Table Community Food Centre, Verein für krebskranke Kinder Harz eV,  WAI Wanaka, WaterAid, and World Wildlife Fund-SA.

BelongTO (Ireland)

“The past 18 months have been particularly tough for LGBTI+ young people. Even before Covid-19, LGBTI+ young people experienced a significantly increased risk of depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation. The global pandemic has heightened these mental health challenges, and for many LGBTI+ young people, the past year has been a lonely, anxious time. Earlier this year, 97% of LGBTI+ young people told us for their struggles with anxiety, stress, and depression. We have seen a huge rise in demand for our life-saving support services. With this funding from Riot Games, we can continue to grow and flex to meet the emerging needs of LGBTI+ young people in their homes, schools, and communities. It means so much to us that a member of our community recognized the vital work that we do to support LGBTI+ youth and nominated us for this grant.” – Chris Rowan Fundraising Assistant

The $300,000 in community grants adds to another successful year of social impact. Earlier this year, Riot launched the charitable skin “Elderwood Ornn” and mobilized players to achieve real impact in their own communities while participating in a global event that raised over $7 million for the Social Impact Fund. Also this year, VALORANT held its first in-game fundraiser with a Give Back Bundle which raised over $5.5 million. 50% of the proceeds from weapon skins and 100% from accessories in the Give Back Bundle went towards Riot’s Social Impact Fund to be distributed to various nonprofits. In total, players have raised over $12 million through Riot’s in-game fundraisers for 2021.

Aramark Launches World-First Solution Inpatient Feeding

Aramark, the market-leading foodservice and integrated workplace solutions provider, launches DISH; a Digital Innovation Solution for Healthcare. The transformative platform offers a bespoke digital ordering system for healthcare environments.

Developed in Ireland, DISH combines pioneering technology with innovative customised menus into a seamless, integrated, digital healthcare solution. The platform offers unrivalled reliability, efficiencies and support for patients, healthcare staff and foodservice workers, transforming the patient experience. Available for use in a wide range of public and private healthcare settings, pilot testing has shown that busy hospitals can save 2,000 man hours of administrative work per annum, while also removing the potential for human error in the patient ordering process.

Created in collaboration with Nutritics, an industry leader in nutrition and food management software, DISH focuses on improving patient safety, removing potential errors in data collation, displays allergens, ingredients, and nutritional composition, texture, and identifies appropriate therapeutic meal options.

Smart ordering, supported by technology, minimises the risk for patients with food allergies and reduces touch points and contact between patients and hospital staff. It helps to ease communication barriers with certain patient groups. Written, visual and verbal menu choices are all designed in compliance with HIQA requirements.

DISH can also fully integrate into each hospital’s patient management system, calculate specific individual nutritional requirements, including stress factors and activity level, which can be utilised by the hospital’s dietetic and clinical teams. It is an all-round solution ensuring connectivity and continuance of care.

 

Elbha Purcell, Head of Dietetics and Wellbeing, Aramark Northern Europe “Everyone knows the pressure that Ireland’s Healthcare system is under, so we set out to create a solution that improves efficiency, quality, and safety, as well as reducing food and paper waste. It was critical for us that DISH can truly transform the inpatient feeding experience in every setting, serving everyone involved in the process.

“In equal importance, we made sure that DISH drives efficiencies, sustainable practices, and cost savings, removing an unnecessary environment impact and cost of the existing process. It reduces time from kitchen to pantry to patient, taking pressure off frontline staff, and helping to reduce food waste.”

 

Shane Flynn, Managing Director for Aramark Food Services, Facilities Management & Avoca, Ireland commented “Aramark stays on the cutting edge of innovative technology. Our long-standing partnerships in Ireland’s healthcare sector are a reflection of our expert teams’ deep operational and nutritional knowledge, innovative thinking, and safety-focus, which enables us to develop customised programs for every organisation we serve.

“We’re also proud to partner with industry leaders on the development of new systems and often bring these solutions to our clients so that we can solve for the very real challenges that they face.

I’m excited for the transformation this solution can bring and look forward to seeing this Irish innovation grow and serve Aramark’s Healthcare partners and patients around the globe.”

Anker launches its first conferencing headset: PowerConf H700

The Anker PowerConf H700 is designed to deliver crystal-clear audio for both sides of the call, using two noise-reducing technologies. This includes AI-enhanced noise reduction powered by VoiceShield™, that helps eliminate background noise from being picked up by the microphone as well as hybrid ANC, to ensure a user can clearly hear the conversation in even the noisiest environments.

“For many, the ability to record or take notes during a call is important. But it’s also awkward and often inaccurate while in a conversation,” said Eric Villines, Head of Global Communications at Anker Innovations. “The H700 is the first on-ear, conference headset that can both record and create direct transcriptions of calls, giving users the freedom to stay focused on what’s being said in their meetings.”

No More Meeting Minutes:

The PowerConf H700 is the first wireless conference headset to be integrated with a call recording and transcription service. During calls, audio can be recorded to a computer using AnkerWork’s conferencing software, and then later retrieved and quickly transcribed into text. The AnkerWork software is compatible with Windows 7 and above (1) and macOS Mojave 10.14 and above.

At time of launch, the H700 transcription service will support English and Chinese, with support for Japanese and German currently planned for 2022. Included in their purchase of the H700, users will receive 1,000 free minutes of transcription service.

No Wires Required

The PowerConf H700 can be connected to a PC or Mac using AnkerWork’s USB-A dongle** or via Bluetooth to any mobile device. Once connected, the H700 will work seamlessly with popular meeting and conference platforms.

24 Hours of Talk-Time and Fast Docked Charging

AnkerWork’s new H700 headset delivers 24 hours of talk-time on a single charge and comes with an optional charging stand, which, in addition to reducing clutter on the desk, means the headset is charged and ready to go at any time. Additionally, just five minutes of charging will give the H700 headset a three-hour boost in talk-time.

PowerConf H700

For added convenience, the headset maintains its wireless Bluetooth connection while docked as well as while charging through USB-C. The light on the end of the boom will also flash to indicate an incoming call.

Other Features Include:

  • Smart Mute: Simply mute using a number of methods including touch controls, lifting the mic boom up in vertical position, or removing the mic-side earcup off the ear.
  • Customizable Design: Includes articulating earcups for added comfort and reversible mic boom to support both right and left side mic usage.
  • Multiple Listening Modes: ANC on/off and transparency on/off
  • Multi-Point Compatible: Can be connected to two devices at the same time (e.g., a computer and a mobile device).
  • Convenient Charging: Supports both USB-C charging as well as while using the optional charging stand.
  • Big and Clear Sound: 40mm audio drivers
  • Noise Reducing Microphones: There are 5 noise-reducing microphones, including 2 located in the boom
  • All-Day Battery Life: 21-hours (ANC) / 24 hours of talk-time (ANC off) / 100+ hours on standby
  • Home, Office and On The Road: Includes a semi-hard travel case to keep headsets safe
  • Incoming Phone Call: Indicator light on the end of the boom signals an incoming call.

Price & Availability:

The Anker PowerConf H700 is available for purchase today in the United States on Amazon.com and Ankerwork.com. In the United Kingdom, it can be purchased on Ankerwork.com.

3,000 additional jobs enabled by launch of expanded Guinness Enterprise Centre incubator

Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC), a top global incubator in the heart of Dublin City – in the presence of Leo Varadkar TD, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment – today launches its new 100,000ft2 space following a €10M expansion project. A €1M phase two investment has now been announced and will commence immediately. Due to strong demand, the GEC has already committed 80% of its additional capacity to start-ups and expects to be at full capacity by early 2022.

 Representing €11M in total investment, the expansion was funded by the GEC; Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF);) the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment’ Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) administered by Enterprise Ireland; Dublin City Council; Diageo; and Dublin BIC. It consists of two additional floors at the GEC’s home in Dublin’s Liberties and is enabling a 75% increase in net floor space with capacity for 762 start-up employees.

Over the next five years, 3,000 additional jobs will be supported by the GEC’s expansion. This will include 1,500 direct jobs and 1,500 indirect jobs. The additional jobs will bring the total number of direct jobs supported by the GEC to 5,000 by 2026.

 Collectively, the investment will enable the GEC to support 150 resident companies – up from 85. The facility can accommodate 220 co-working companies, up from 160.

 Resident companies will benefit from the GEC’s start-up and scaling ecosystem, which includes CoConnect – the GEC’s partnership with more than 50 regional and international hubs – the Prosper Programme, which introduces CXOs to key local decision-makers; and the University Programme, which gives start-ups access to MBA business executives in 35 top Irish and international business universities. In 2019, the GEC was named by UBI Global as a World Top Private Business Incubator.

 GEC graduate companies include cyber telecoms security company, AdaptiveMobile Security, which was acquired for €45M this year; cryptocurrency start-up, Circle, which was recently valued at almost $3BN; and cloud software company, Qualio, which raised $50M in funding earlier this year. Current residents include gaming studio, Black Shamrock, which now employs more than 80 people; and digital health software company, Wellola, whose co-founder Sonia Neary was a finalist in the global Women in Tech Awards in Paris in 2019. Others include Selio Medical, Volograms, Benetel, Examfly, Kinia and Amnexis Digital Solutions.

 

Leo Varadkar TD, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, said: “This expansion is fantastic news for the future of entrepreneurship in Dublin City and a real boost to those already putting their ideas into action. By providing the space and network for start-ups to thrive, we are bringing entrepreneurship and innovation into the heart of the city and providing the right environment for the creation of world-leading Irish companies. The Guinness Enterprise Centre is one of the top incubators in the world. This investment will support 3,000 more jobs over the next five years. I’m excited to hear about the success of the companies who originated here in the future and I want to pay tribute to the GEC team for their vision and dedication in bringing the Centre to the next level.”

 

David Varian, Chairman, Guinness Enterprise Centre, said: “This expansion project was completed during a global pandemic that brought challenges including construction shut-downs, escalating building costs and reduced operating income due to public health restrictions. Surmounting these obstacles is testament to the resolve and vision of all partners involved.

“The newly-expanded space will give more entrepreneurs access to the supports, networks, learning and investment funds they need to scale globally. They will be creating more jobs in the local community and contribute significantly to Ireland’s economic growth. In the next five years, they will return almost €77M to the exchequer. We are creating a global entrepreneurial superhub that will give our start-ups every opportunity to become world industry disruptors.”

Sonia Neary, co-founder and CEO, Wellola, said: ”The GEC has provided us with vital supports for starting and scaling Wellola. It has given us access to investors, business advisors and learning opportunities, along with office space in a supportive business ecosystem. Choosing the GEC was a no-brainer; it’s where everything we need is.”

Donal Murphy, Senior Investment Director, ISIF, said: “This project is an excellent example of ISIF’s double bottom line mandate in action – a commercial investment underpinned by the GEC’s successful track record which is now set to deliver significant and ongoing economic impact. The transformation of the GEC into a top-class enterprise centre of scale will help Irish businesses to collaborate, grow and create employment into the future. The successful completion of the project, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, speaks volumes for the GEC team’s professionalism and resilience. ISIF welcomes this official opening as the start of many successful years ahead for the GEC.” 

TU Dublin students selected to represent Ireland at the Global Innovation final.

Technological University Dublin student innovators Harsh Chandra and Clara Fargas with their career guidance solution CareersXP have been selected to represent Ireland at the 2021 Red Bull Basement Global Final.

In this global program, students are empowered to showcase their innovative ideas, using technology to make tomorrow’s world a better place. Ireland’s winning entry, Harsh and Clara’s online platform CareersXP is a game-changing career guidance solution which aims at giving students more clarity when choosing their college course. Inspired by the issue of college dropout rates and the lack of solutions already available, CareersXP provides hands-on experience through short and simple activities across a range of different courses which aims to provide valuable insight to help students make a better-informed choice.

Computer Science student Harsh commented on the project; “We aim to create a platform that helps sixth year students to overcome the fatigue and pressure of choosing a college course and a career. Many college freshers are led to make uninformed decisions which leads to poor performance, stress, and dropouts. With CareersXP we plan to tackle this problem with a practical approach by allowing students to ‘try courses before applying to them’. This creates a unique & personal experience helping them to gain insight and narrow their search to find the right fit for them.”

Harsh and Clara will now receive support and mentorship to further develop their platform ahead of the Global Final in Turkey in December where they, alongside 44 other country finalist teams will pitch to a panel of globally acclaimed thought leaders, entrepreneurs and tech and innovation experts and visionaries.

Business student Clara commented on the Red Bull Basement experience; “It is a huge opportunity to be selected to represent Ireland and TUD at the Red Bull Basement Final and we are so excited to be able to travel to Turkey in December. The mentorship, work-space and support will be a real leg up for the project as we continue work on the prototype ahead of the Final. This is a real game changer for us as students and for our project, we look forward to great things to come.”

https://www.redbull.com/ie-en/videos/red-bull-basement-launchpad-ireland-recap

British music streaming firm ROXi launches new FREE TV Music App on millions of TVs

British music streaming company ROXi, backed by Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams, announces the launch of its revolutionary new free TV Music App available on millions of TVs across the UK.

Until now music streaming services simply gave you something to listen to, in audio. ROXi changes everything by igniting all the senses, transforming the way you experience new music and your favourite tunes in the home.

Dedicated entirely to music and featuring an intuitive new TV user interface, ROXi is the only holistic TV Music App designed to bring friends and families together to enjoy unlimited  free music videos, sing karaoke and play interactive music games on TVs, for free with ads.

ROXi provides unlimited access to every original music video, album and song with 70 million music recordings from all the major and leading independent labels constantly updated with the latest releases.  For creators and performers, ROXi also offers access to a growing library of copyright free music perfect for background use or inspiration.

ROXi also features hundreds of exclusive music video channels for every mood and occasion and for karaoke fans there are 140,000 traditional karaoke and ‘Karaoke With The Stars’ singalong tracks, plus interactive music games to test your musical knowledge, and more.  For versatile soundscapes and content creation, explore royalty free music options.

An optional upgrade to the ROXi Premium tier offers full ad-free access to all of ROXi’s features for just £6.99 per month and comes with a no obligation 30-day free trial.

Millions of free ROXi Karaoke Microphones

To celebrate the launch of ROXi’s new TV Music App, the company is giving away more than ONE MILLION ROXi Karaoke Microphones worth £29.99 to new users.** The ROXi Karaoke Microphone features a built-in amplifier and speaker, and works with any TV, perfect for singing along to ROXi’s 140,000 karaoke tracks with friends and family.

Revolutionary new TV User Interface

Dubbed “Netflix for music” by new users, ROXi’s new TV Music App user interface makes it easy to find and play all your favourite music videos, songs and albums, browse and select music video channels for every mood. You can check out the latest releases and discover new music with a familiar and intuitive on-screen design and simple controls via your TV or set-top box remote control or ROXi’s Mobile Companion App (available for Android and iOS).

ROXi CEO, Rob Lewis said, “ROXi’s new free TV Music App is the best way to enjoy music together at home. It gives millions of households across the UK free unlimited access to every music video, album and song as well as karaoke sing-a-longs and music games to enjoy together on their TV – delivering unlimited fun with family and friends for free. With ROXi, we’re shifting the dial away from solitary to shared music experiences.”

“Following the lead of Netflix and Disney+, we’re bringing ROXi’s TV Music App to millions of UK households this year through Apps on Smart and Pay TVs. We’re doing for music what the video-on-demand services have done for movies on the TV, but for free.”

“The launch of our new TV Music App is just the beginning. We have a raft of exciting innovations for the ROXi platform in the pipeline”, concludes Lewis.

The new ROXi TV Music App launches today for the vast majority of UK households using connected TV devices on Sky Q, Fire TV, Android TV, Google TV including compatible Sony, Panasonic, Philips, Toshiba, TCL, HiSense and Shield Smart TV platforms with Samsung TV and others coming soon.

New ROXi research published

New research carried out by CensusWide for ROXi and published for the first time – found 83 per cent of UK households now use Smart TVs. Video-On-Demand services like Netflix and Disney+ are driving a surge in consumer downloads and use of TV Apps on Smart and Pay TVs with over 63 per cent of Brits now downloading Apps to their TV.

The research also found the average British household downloaded their first TV App over two years ago.

In addition to watching on-demand movies and box sets on TV, the ROXi poll found 64 per cent of Brits expressing a preference were interested in free unlimited music video streaming on their TVs with 78 per cent of 25 to 44-year old’s the most enthusiastic at the prospect.

Multi-million pound ROXi TV Ad Campaign

ROXi’s launch of the new Music TV App will be supported by a multi-million pound TV ad campaign across hundreds of UK TV channels and with over 500 million TV ads by the end of 2021.

To ensure users with older TVs can still enjoy the service, ROXi offers the ROXi Console and Microphone Controller which works on any TV.

Atom Studios debuts sustainable tech accessories line and announces Three as first UK stockist

Atom Studios, a new smartphone accessories brand  formed by a team of tech and accessory industry experts, has today revealed its debut collection of iPhone cases and innovative accessories. Also confirmed is that these products will be releasing in Ireland soon.

The new line of products, which include iPhone and AirPods Pro cases and charging cables, have been designed with sustainability, longevity and practicality in mind while also being sleek and stylish.

The brand already has an exciting pipeline of accessories for Samsung and other device manufacturers, which will be announced early 2022.

The team behind Atom Studios boasts a strong background in the tech industry, with all having worked for major brands including Bang and Olufsen, Nokia and Panasonic. Their combined passion for innovation and sustainability led them to create an accessories brand that focuses on high quality design, innovation and use of natural, renewable materials.

The debut line includes two different cases for iPhone:

The Split Wood Fibre iPhone cases are made from wood fibre material, specially developed by Atom Studios, which is a combination of recycled wood and cornstarch-based ingredients — a completely unique and sustainable alternative to plastic in phone cases. It has a resilient finish and, unlike plastic, doesn’t show scratches, stains or wear in the same way plastic does. The grade 5052 aluminium used is also used in architecture and aircraft, because it’s slim but durable, it is also anodised which strengthens it further. Anodised aluminium is also infinitely recyclable. The iPhone 13 models are MagSafe compatible with 50% thicker magnets than industry standard for the most secure MagSafe connection.

 

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 iPhone 13 models are MagSafe compatible and, like the Split Wood Fibre Cases, also have 50% larger magnets than industry standard.

 

 

Other products in the launch range include AirPods Pro cases and cleverly designed charging cables to meet any user’s needs.

 

One of those cables is flat + mass, a cable weight (mass) and universal flat, tangle-free charging cable with interchangeable heads, so users only need one cable to meet all their charging needs. Mass holds the cable in place, preventing cables from trailing on the floor and dropping from desks and nightstands when not in use. The interchangeable heads are made from the same infinitely recyclable aluminium.

 

 

“We formed Atom Studios with the aim of creating tech accessories that look great, perform brilliantly with smart design details, and really are sustainable,” says Akbar Ali, Creative Director at Atom Studios, “we can see that many accessories out there currently come with a compromise – they are either sustainable but unattractive, fashion focused but made of plastic or very function-led and look like bricks. We wanted to start with smart design and make sure we could deliver it in a sustainably conscious way.”

Sustainability is the primary focus for Atom Studios across all areas of the business. From the long lasting eco materials they choose, to the right production and transportation methods, and also a full life cycle management process in which customers can return their Atom Studios cases when they’ve finished with them, so they can be properly disposed of or recycled.

“We created Atom Studios with sustainability and responsibility in mind,” continues Mr. Ali, “we’re by no means perfect yet in terms of being green, and don’t believe anyone is ,but every business decision centres around social and environmental responsibility.”

The full range of products can be found and purchased via AtomStudios.com or Amazon. Telecoms giant Three also now stocks a range of Atom Studios products in stores throughout the country and online.