Month: July 2022

What Is an ASP.NET Shopping Cart and What Are the Benefits?

Online businesses have multiplied, with up to 80% of today’s customers preferring to shop online. Having an online presence as a business is no longer a luxury but an important strategy to help you keep up with the high competition right now. With online shopping, customers are guaranteed an easy way to shop without having to visit stores physically. Online shopping has paved the way for the creation of different websites that have helped link up most brands together in one area to make shopping much easier. 

A shopping cart is an essential part of every online business. It is a tool that helps customers select and reserve their products while shopping. It acts like a traditional physical shopping cart, but in this case, it is more advanced. You can easily remove and enter new products without the cart getting filled. 

To learn more about this interesting topic, here is an introduction to using an ASP.NET shopping cart for your online business. 

Features of an ASP.NET Shopping Cart 

There are various features of an ASP.NET shopping cart. They include the following. 

  • Search filters – An ASP.NET shopping cart is backed up with strong search filters that make it easier for customers to identify relevant items and narrow them down to their desired products in a span of seconds. 
  • Mobile-friendliness – Most people today spend hours on their mobile phones, either on social media or making purchases online. Therefore, to prosper in this competitive market, you need to make use of mobile-friendly ecommerce tools. Virto Commerce provides ASP.NET shopping cart technology that is mobile-friendly and has made it easier for anyone to shop for products online, anywhere. 
  • Different payment methods – Statistics show that 80% of shoppers are only likely to finalize their payment if the online site they use supports their payment method. Therefore, while investing in a shopping cart, make sure it supports various payment methods. A simple example of one is the ASP.NET shopping cart, which supports various payment methods, making it easier for customers to finalize their payments. 

Benefits of Using an ASP.NET Shopping Cart

There are numerous benefits of an ASP.NET shopping cart. Here are some of the top ones.

  • Easy and simple features – An ASP.NET shopping cart comes with easy-to-use features that anyone within the business can understand. This makes it easier for your customers to use the system to store their products before purchasing them. 
  • Easy product management – Product management is an important tool in every business today. Both the customers and the sellers should have easier product management from their point of view. This makes it easier for customers to add products or delete them before making the final payment. 
  • Secure and safe – Shopping online has always presented security concerns for most people, especially when one is using a new website. But with the ASP.NET shopping cart, customers are guaranteed a safe environment to enter their credit or debit card information without having to worry about hackers. This has made it more appealing for customers to store up to twenty products in their shopping carts while waiting to make their final purchases. 
  • Easily customizable – Ecommerce sites have to be updated regularly, whether it is when changing prices, adding discounts, or so on. In this case, one has to use a shopping cart that is easily customizable to meet every customer’s needs. 

Conclusion 

The ASP.NET shopping cart has made it easier for customers to shop since it stores all their items in one place, making it more convenient for them to make purchases. This, on the other hand, has improved the overall management of an online business while creating a more organized website.

 

Top Benefits of Student Engagement and Retention Platforms

People in all spheres, including students and lecturers, have benefited from the continual advancement of technology. Plenty of websites and apps are available to help college and university students manage their schoolwork such as proessaywriting.co.uk. Additionally, students are increasingly using laptops, tablets, and smartphones in class and at home, both for academic purposes and for personal use.

However, the widespread adoption of these gadgets and the shift to the online sphere have resulted in a decline in students’ attention, thus decreasing their engagement in learning activities considerably. Luckily, this is where student engagement and retention platforms come into play. 

What Are Student Engagement and Retention Platforms?

A student engagement and retention platform is a tool that keeps a record of student profiles and academic information. It is the most effective way to capture each student’s personal input, plus it facilitates real-time communication between students and faculty members. 

Every time students interact, their data are added to centralized, unified profiles. This contributes to a more personalized experience for each student and is an excellent way for lecturers to track their students’ performance and understand them better. With apps like the student engagement and retention platform by campusM, educators can gain valuable insight into areas such as student attendance, daily submissions, and interactive activities. 

In addition, a platform like this can be used to promote events, increase attendance, and engage students more effectively. But the ultimate goal is to encourage student participation and retention in the classroom and on campus.

Benefits of Student Engagement and Retention Platforms

The following section outlines a few benefits of using a student engagement and retention platform.

Better Understanding of Student Needs

Detailed analyses and student participation reports can help universities determine which events or methods of delivering courses should be used and which ones should be discarded. With this data, lecturers can plan for the future and make informed decisions.

Automation of Tedious Tasks

Lecturers no longer have to spend hours on time-consuming processes such as grading, marking, and tracking student performance. Engagement and retention apps can make grading assignments, conduct discussions, and manage event participants instead.

Personalized Student Experience

Using engagement platforms allows institutions to tailor learning to the needs of each student. Thanks to the app’s unique features, learning content is customized according to the student’s strengths, interests, ethnicity, community needs, and cultural background.

Furthermore, teacher assistants, with their teacher aide courses, can provide further personalized care, behavior, and experience for the teachers to their students. Students can choose topics that interest them and participate in related activities.Still, these platforms don’t only benefit the students in the long run — they are good for the lecturers, too. Personalizing a student’s experience requires an ongoing team effort, but in the end, the lecturers will also reap the benefits of streamlined workflow, automated alerts, and automatically generated feedback.

Increased Student Engagement

The software tracks students’ participation and evaluates a course’s effectiveness based on their feedback. Moreover, it may be possible to increase engagement and retention levels with emerging technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) — especially for those students who have difficulty following text-heavy courses. This article also provides valuable information on increasing student engagement in the classroom. 

Valuable Student Insights Uncovered

Understanding student behavior allows teachers to make better decisions that will help young minds flourish. A student engagement and retention app enables lecturers to easily create robust reports and generate actionable insights that everyone can use to stay on top of things and take the best possible action.

Universities can also gather information about the common reasons for dropping out. Collecting such feedback allows the faculty to identify at-risk individuals and improve their overall experience.

Unified Student Profiles

The data on student engagement and retention is often scattered across multiple formats and systems. However, with student engagement and retention platforms, this information is easily collected, unified, and organized into a single profile that can be accessed anytime.

UPS Healthcare Revolutionises Prioritised Shipping with Enhancements

UPS Healthcare today announced a market expansion and the next generation in the UPS® Premier product line. The UPS® Premier service portfolio provides unique flexibility to meet healthcare customers’ unique needs. The expansion will see the service become available in Ireland this year.

UPS Premier monitors packages at all times, creating visibility and prioritisation for each shipment. In addition, sensor technology enables real-time recovery of UPS Premier shipments if they encounter network delays, temperature deviations, or other issues.

UPS® Premier Silver and Gold are now available in major markets around the world. UPS® Premier Platinum adds the ability to monitor temperature, light and humidity while tracking shipments in and out of the UPS network.

“The expansion and enhancement of UPS Premier supports the complex needs of our laboratory, medical and pharmaceutical customers around the world,” said EVP and President International, Healthcare and Supply Chain Solutions Kate Gutmann. “Whether efficiently moving healthcare products between countries, maintaining negative 80-degree temperatures or locating life-saving shipments with precision, UPS Premier provides industry-leading visibility, control, reliability and recovery.”

This specialised service connects major global trade lanes and is now expanding geographically. These new offerings provide customers even more benefits, including efficient customs brokerage, environmental monitoring, and visibility to meet the challenges of global healthcare logistics leaders.

“Visibility and traceability are essential to prioritizing the life-saving medications our customers ship and their customers need,” said UPS Healthcare President Wes Wheeler. “The difference between life and death for patients often hinges on the ability to quickly ship and precisely track, monitor and locate medications.”

Innovations in biologics, specialty pharmaceuticals, and medications genetically personalized for each patient’s needs are driving significant demand for precision logistics to support more patient-critical, time and temperature-sensitive products.

The global market for biologic therapeutic drugs is set to increase from $285.5 billion in 2020 to $421.8 billion by 2025. [1] UPS Healthcare has added these new UPS Premier capabilities to support the complex needs of this growing market.

For more information on UPS Healthcare’s innovations and customer-driven solutions, visit Healthcare.ups.com and about.ups.com.

Tech Review – Chipolo CARD Spot wallet finder

The Chipolo CARD looks like a typical credit card, albeit slightly thicker with the Chipolo logo printed on the black ish card.  This model supplied is for iPhone & iPad. The card is designed in the event your e.g., wallet is lost, the card can be requested via the app to ring or use crowd surfing to find the unit.

Features:

  •     This is slim with a size of SIZE: 85,1 mm (3,35 inch) x 53,6 mm (2,11 inch)
  •     THICKNESS: 2,4 mm (0,09 inch)
  •     WATER RESISTANT: Splash proof (IPX5 standard)
  •     BATTERY LIFE: Up to 2 years, Renew & Recycle program available*
  •     COMPATIBILITY:

Pairing requires iPhone or iPad. This is not for Android devices but do check out their range 

To use the Apple, Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac to locate Chipolo CARD Spot, the latest version of iOS, iPadOS or macOS is recommended.

  • Register your Chipolo CARD Spot after adding it to the Find My app and you’ll get an email reminder with a 50% discount code for a new CARD Spot in 2 years. Send your used CARD Spot back to us for recycling free of charge.

Setup:

The setup is extremely simple in downloading the Find my app, then following instructions adding the Chipolo ONE Spot or CARD Spot to the Apple Find My app

Open the Find My app on your supported iPhone or iPad.

  •   Choose the ‘Items’ tab’.
  •   Tap on the + icon. 
  •   Tap on ‘Add Other Item’.
  •   The Find My app will now start searching for nearby compatible devices. Once the app sees your Chipolo ONE Spot or CARD Spot, tap on ‘Connect’. 
  •   After connecting the Chipolo ONE Spot or CARD Spot with your Apple device, you can choose a name and set an emoji for it.
  •   Set a recognizable name and emoji and tap on ‘Continue’.
  •   Find I will ask for confirmation to add the Chipolo ONE Spot or CARD Spot with your Apple ID. Tap on ‘Continue’ to confirm.
  •   On the final overview screen, simply tap ‘Finish’, and you’re all set! The Chipolo ONE Spot or CARD Spot has now been successfully added to your Apple ID.

This is one of the easiest setups done in the past and worked seamlessly.

Overall:

The Chipolo CARD Spot is easy to set up, and works as required when the card is misplaced with a Ring option to find the card locally, alternative if leaving the house this can be set to “Be Alerted” which warns should you leave without the card in your possession, in the event the card is lost the card can be tracked to where the card was seen last,  Crowd surfing can also be used to find the card. A slight niggle on the product on the “BATTERY LIFE: Up to 2 years, Renew & Recycle program available” is positive but I would prefer the option to change the battery locally rather than like changing a watch battery.

In the event, your wallet or property is lost this may be the best purchase of the year, well worth the extra insurance of having a tracker.

Buy

Video review

ASUS Announces Upcoming Zenfone 9 Launch Event

Asus has announced the upcoming virtual launch event that will reveal the latest Zenfone 9 smartphone, an ultra-compact phone with big possibilities and big performance. The event will introduce performance improvements in both hardware and software, along with exclusive new features and never-before-seen accessories. The online-only event will take place on July 28, 2022 at 15:00 (CEST).

The fully immersive event will showcase the many improvements featured in Zenfone 9, including camera modules, processor and graphics performance, display speed, battery life, user interface and more. Zenfone 9 will feature the latest flagship Snapdragon® 8+ Gen1 Mobile Platform processor from Qualcomm®, giving it previously unimagined capabilities with up to a 3.2 GHz CPU clock speed. Zenfone 9 has also been completely redesigned, making it the most modern-looking Zenfone ever.

As part of the show, ASUS will showcase novel UI improvements and tunings, which will allow Zenfone 9 users to enjoy the intuitiveness and flexibility of a one-handed smartphone experience. Other new software improvements, combined with an extensive range of optional accessories, help users capture memories anytime, anywhere. Working in concert with the incredible performance improvements of Zenfone 9, this new UI is the perfect way to capture life, with just one hand.

Join the launch event online to see Zenfone 9 unveiled at https://asus.click/Zenfone9_edmpr

Tech Review – FiiTii HiFiPods from MIFO

Recently here we tested out the mifo MIFO active S earbuds which are one of my favourite earbuds to date this year, well these boys are from the same company and are aimed at a different user and the company does this well with how they sound and look, however one might look at how a product is targeted this does not mean you don’t want or need them but it is how things work today and with these earbuds they are almost twice the size of the MIFO ones and a different design too which is cool by the way and overall a bigger profile and this allows for some more inside.

Th HiFiPods offer up to 70 hours battery life which is fantastic considering some headphones cant reach that even today and with their presentation too they are new brand to watch out for in my opinion. Just look at the case, it is again another cool unseen design with metal and not plastic it is just cool.

The profile is bigger as mentioned however they have a unique design and finish that stands out in the crowd which for me is a good thing, they might be too big for some and that is a standard thing these days with design elements, once fitted with the correct tips though there is great passive noise isolation straight away as there is again no app here which is fine.

These are easy to control too, the same as the previous pair we tested and of course we go through this in the video review below and overall they are quite good and consistent given their size.

The sound though is what you want to know about and these sounded brighter than the MIFO, with no app there is no option to change the sound or features however they sound good, the ANC is decent but not the best in the world and you cant access your voice assistant but I can live with this and I am sure many others can. Highs can be hard to pick out lows and mids are fine and there is some bass however not strong so overall a quite middle tone experience or bright, for videos and gaming you have latency options but there was some lag playing games from time to time but this is minute and hardly noticeable to the untrained ear and lets not forget the aptX support.

Calls are find you have a mild noise cancelling’/ ANC off setting and the ANC on and Transparency mode it still does pick up a bit of wind but the quality is fine here.

Battery life is excellent lets not mess around here it will however depend on the settings used  but for the most it is hitting the near 70 hour claim they make..

Overall they are good but the price might be a but hefty for some given they look great and come with a super cool case there is room for those to rightly claim the price is too much and missing an app but that is the earbud market today and design of features might suit some over others but the choice is yours at the end of the day.

BUY

Creative Launches Latest Soundbar; The Stage Air V2

Creative Technology today launches Creative Stage Air V2, its latest under-monitor soundbar designed to give users a filling audio experience with a minimalist form factor which is versatile on connectivity options too.

Revamped inside-out from its popular predecessor (Stage Air), Stage Air V2 sports a new look while retaining a slim and compact profile. It delivers fuller-sounding audio with significantly better bass, even though a subwoofer is not included – thanks to its new dual full-range racetrack drivers and an oversized passive radiator.

This soundbar has a comprehensive connectivity profile for compatible devices (which include PC, Mac, PS5, Nintendo Switch, mobile devices) – users can conveniently connect a single USB cable for audio and power, or revert to the trusty 3.5mm port for analogue connectivity. It also delights as a wireless speaker, featuring the latest Bluetooth 5.3 technology with six hours of playback on a single charge – encouraging users to bring it with them on their in-home adventures.

Creative soundbar V2 techbuzzireland

Stage Air V2 is eager to please, whether as a compact and space-saving desktop accessory, or at the kitchen counter to spice up a cooking party. Users undoubtedly get more than their daily share of good audio vibes in an altogether budget-friendly package.

Pricing and Availability

Creative Stage Air V2 is aggressively priced at $48.88 (US), £49.99 (UK) and €54.99 (EU) and is available at the Creative online store.

For more information on Creative Stage Air V2, visit creative.com/StageAirV2.

Jabra Amazon Prime Day Deals

Amazon Prime Day has arrived and here are the latest deals on Jabra’s true wireless earbuds range! If you need some new earbuds Jabra is one of the best places to start and do check out all our reviews too. 

Enjoy tuning into your favourite podcast, workout soundtrack or dial into work calls with ease with Jabra’s Elite range of earbuds, equipped with ANC. 

 

Jabra Elite 4 Active: Was £119.99 now £79.99

 

Black, navy, mint – the latest in Jabra’s Elite Active range, sure to stay put during your next gym session. 

Full review 

 

Jabra Elite 3: Was £79.99 now £49.99

 

Grey, navy, lilac, beige – the newest all-round earbud just got even more affordable

Full review

Jabra Elite 7 Pro: Was £199.99 now 139.99

 

Black, titanium black, gold beige – professional audio for taking calls on the go

 

Full review 

 

Jabra Elite 85t: Was £229.99 now £129.99

 

Black, copper black, grey – for superb sound quality with ANC

 

 

Full review 

Nokia announce three new iconic feature phones and a new Nokia tablet to enhance HMD Global’s 2022 portfolio

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today announces three new feature phones to offer an alternative for people seeking to escape technology fatigue and ‘always on’ culture. As a leader in the $1 billion feature phone market in 2022 HMD Global’s new feature phone launches cement the Nokia phone legacy of unbeaten durability and battery life.

Taking inspiration from the resilient trio of feature phones, is the durable Nokia T10 – a tablet designed for work, home and family life. It comes in an affordable, compact 8” package with handy capabilities. It is a great all-rounder for juggling a busy life, whether you’re taking video calls from home, streaming your favourite TV shows, using the second screen feature to make it an expansion of PC display or keeping the kids entertained on Google Kids Space.

The latest portfolio additions reaffirm HMD Global’s commitment to ensuring everyone has access to affordable and long-lasting technology in both the phone and tablet categories. More importantly, these value devices are being released at a time of anxiety for consumers as the cost of living continues to rise. And the feature phones land at a time when 90s consumer culture is seeing a resurgence and resonating with customers.

Florian Seiche, CEO, HMD Global: ” Classic Nokia heritage is combined with innovation in our feature phone portfolio. This iconic range is gaining momentum as your trusted companion for all your communication needs.  At the same time, we have brought our signature longevity promises to the tablet market.

Innovation is just as important as heritage in our range which shines through with Nokia Aquila – a feature phone built for the 21st Century.  The Nokia Aquila delivers audio freedom through game-changing design.

Nokia T10: Quality that outlasts the competition

Small but mighty, the newest Nokia tablet is durable inside and out. Its unibody polymer design and nano-textured finish hide scratches so it looks almost as good as new when you pass it down to a family member or friend. Inside, the latest Android 12 software, two years of guaranteed Android upgrades, and three years of monthly security updates (twice as many as the competition) future-proof the device.

It also comes with Google Entertainment Space and Google Kids Space to make life easy whether the kids are enjoying tablet time, or you’re searching for your next favourite show. Meanwhile, a new range of accessories complements the Nokia T10’s functionality. This includes the Nokia Flip cover which handles most workplace environments and guards the entire device against bumps and scratches. It is available in Dark Blue or Cyan (green-blue shade) so you can stand out while keeping the tablet protected.

Nokia 8210 4G: Reviving a style icon

Nokia 8210 4G – a new addition to the ‘Originals’ family – celebrates the iconic Nokia 8210 launched in 1999 at Paris Fashion Week. Inspired by the classic feature phone, the new Nokia 8210 4G turns heads by combining memorable design and signature durability with 4G, VoLTE capability, a large 2.8” display and intuitive user interface. Things just got so much simpler! Plus, it has weeks of standby battery like the good old days.

Nokia 5710 XpressAudio: Game-changing audio meets 21st century innovation

The Nokia 5710 XpressAudio takes what people loved about the Nokia 5310 and makes it even better. A bigger battery, dedicated audio control keys, and a built-in wireless earbuds ramp up the audio experience to the next level and meet the needs of modern users. When not in use, earbuds are housed beneath a sleek slider on the back of the phone, so you always know where they are and charged. That, together with loud dual speakers means you can enjoy music privately or together with friends just like the artist intended with rich bass, clear highs, and natural vocals..

Nokia 2660 Flip: accessibility and durability in a flip phone

The flip functionality and thoughtful design of the Nokia 2660 Flip makes call handling simple by bringing the mic and earpiece closer to you. Enhanced, confidence-boosting accessibility features mean it is loved by everyone, especially those over 55. Its big display, hearing aid compatibility, stellar battery life, and big buttons provide a seamless experience for those who need it the most. The dedicated emergency button provides peace of mind by allowing quick contact with your loved ones. In case the unexpected happens, five contacts will be notified, so they can ensure help is on the way. And, if you’d like to always know where your phone is and that it is charging when not in use, the sturdy Nokia Charging Cradle[iii] is the perfect accessory.

Pricing and availability

  • The Nokia T10 will be available in Ireland in early August from €169. The Nokia Flip Cover will be available in Nordic Blue for €34.99
  • The Nokia 8210 4G will be available in Ireland in early August in blue for €74.99
  • The Nokia 5710 XpressAudio will be available in Ireland in August in black/red for €84.99
  • The Nokia 2660 Flip will be available in Ireland in early August in black for €84.99. The Nokia Charging Cradle is available for €19.99.  For launch, Nokia.com customers can buy the Nokia 2660 Flip with Cradle bundle for €94.99