Month: August 2022

Sennheiser launches the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless

Sennheiser’s MOMENTUM range continues to redefine the standard for sophisticated listening through superior sound. Now, the new MOMENTUM 4 Wireless raises the bar even higher, with best-in-class sound, advanced Adaptive Noise Cancellation and exceptional comfort. With smart, intuitive features that enhance every interaction and an outstanding battery life of up to 60 hours, there’s nothing between users and an incredible listening experience if you remember some weeks ago they gave a sneak peak but now we get to see them all in their glory.

“Our MOMENTUM range has always set the standard for sophisticated listening with superior sound,” says Christian Ern, Sennheiser Principal Product Manager Consumer Headphones. “The new MOMENTUM 4 Wireless once again raises the bar – delivering best-in-class sound quality with advanced Adaptive Noise Cancellation and exceptional comfort.  Thanks to features including Transparency Mode, Built-in EQ and a new Sound Personalisation feature, users can listen in their own customised way.”  

Experience superior sound, hear every detail  
​MOMENTUM 4 Wireless delivers Sennheiser’s Signature Sound that surpasses everything in its class – letting users enjoy their music as never before. Thanks to an audiophile-inspired acoustic system powered by a 42mm transducer, the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless provides brilliant dynamics, clarity and musicality. Its next generation Adaptive Noise Cancellation ensures users stay immersed, hearing every thrilling detail even in noisy environments.
​
​Alternatively, when users need to talk to others or hear surrounding sounds without removing their MOMENTUM 4 Wireless, the versatile Transparency Mode lets them hear outside sounds through the headphones at a touch. And for a truly tailored experience, the Sennheiser Smart Control app makes it easy to customise the sound using the Built-in EQ, sound modes and the new Sound Personalization feature. This assesses the user’s listening preferences and adjusts the listening experience according to their taste.
​
​With the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless every interaction is effortless. Calls and voice assistant interaction is incredibly natural and disturbance-free thanks to an advanced 2×2 digital beamforming microphone array and automatic wind noise suppression, which guarantees superior voice pick-up.

Enjoy exceptional comfort 
​The MOMENTUM 4 Wireless defines elegance with an all-new design that perfectly balances exceptional comfort and streamlined style. For all-day use without fatigue, it combines lightweight with a richly padded headband and deep cushioned earpads. Meanwhile, the low-friction hinge mechanism easily adjusts to guarantee a great fit without placing excess pressure on the user’s head. The fold-flat design is also comfortable when worn around the neck and can be easily slipped into a bag or backpack in the slim case when on the go.
​
​An effortlessly smart user experience 
​With an outstanding battery life of up to 60 hours and fast charging capability that can provide a further six hours listening in just 10 minutes, MOMENTUM 4 Wireless keeps the entertainment coming for long listening sessions and long-haul travel alike. Every interaction is effortless, and every need anticipated: Smart Pause halts playback when the headphones are taken off and resumes when placed back on the ears, so users never miss a beat, while Auto On/Off rapidly powers up the headset when it’s picked up and shuts down to save energy when not in use.
​
​The touchpad interface of the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless, combined with voice and sound prompts, make controlling music, calls and voice assistants intuitive and easy to navigate. Set up is also simple thanks to Bluetooth device management that allows multiple devices to be connected at the same time.
​
​Pricing and availability  
​The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless will be available for pre-order globally on August 9, 2022, and for sale from August 23, with an RRP of £299.99 / €349.90.

Robot helps reveal how ants pass on knowledge

Scientists have developed a small robot to understand how ants teach one another.

The team built the robot to mimic the behaviour of rock ants that use one-to-one tuition, in which an ant that has discovered a much better new nest can teach the route there to another individual.

The findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology today, confirm that most of the important elements of teaching in these ants are now understood because the teaching ant can be replaced by a machine.

Key to this process of teaching is tandem running where one ant literally leads another ant quite slowly along a route to the new nest. The pupil ant learns the route sufficiently well that it can find its own way back home and then lead a tandem-run with another ant to the new nest, and so on.

 

Prof Nigel Franks of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences said: “Teaching is so important in our own lives that we spend a great deal of time either instructing others or being taught ourselves. This should cause us to wonder whether teaching actually occurs among non-human animals. And, in fact, the first case in which teaching was demonstrated rigorously in any other animal was in an ant.” The team wanted to determine what was necessary and sufficient in such teaching. If they could build a robot that successfully replaced the teacher, this should show that they largely understood all the essential elements in this process.

The researchers built a large arena so there was an appreciable distance between the ants’ old nest, which was deliberately made to be of low quality, and a new much better one that ants could be led to by a robot. A gantry was placed atop the arena to move back and forth with a small sliding robot attached to it, so that the scientists could direct the robot to move along either straight or wavy routes. Attractive scent glands, from a worker ant, were attached to the robot to give it the pheromones of an ant teacher.

Prof Franks explained: “We waited for an ant to leave the old nest and put the robot pin, adorned with attractive pheromones, directly ahead of it. The pinhead was programmed to move towards the new nest either on a straight path or on a beautifully sinuous one. We had to allow for the robot to be interrupted in its journey, by us, so that we could wait for the following ant to catch up after it had looked around to learn landmarks.”

“When the follower ant had been led by the robot to the new nest, we allowed it to examine the new nest and then, in its own time, begin its homeward journey. We then used the gantry automatically to track the path of the returning ant.”

The team found that the robot had indeed taught the route successfully to the apprentice ant. The ants knew their way back to the old nest whether they had taken a winding path or a straight one.

Prof Franks explained: “A straight path might be quicker but a winding path would provide more time in which the following ant could better learn landmarks so that it could find its way home as efficiently as if it had been on a straight path.

“Crucially, we could compare the performance of the ants that the robot had taught with ones that we carried to the site of the new nest and that had not had an opportunity to learn the route. The taught ants found their way home much more quickly and successfully.”

The experiments were conducted by undergraduates Jacob Podesta, who is now a PhD student at York, and Edward Jarvis, who was also a Masters student at Professor Nigel Franks’s Lab. The gantry programming was accomplished by Dr. Alan Worley and all the statistical analyses were driven by Dr. Ana Sendova-Franks.

Their approach should make it possible to interrogate further exactly what is involved in successful teaching.

Paper:

‘Robotic communication with ants’ by Nigel R. Franks, Jacob A. Podesta, Edward C. Jarvis, Alan Worley and Ana B. Sendova-Franks in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Featured image credit – Prof Norasmah Basari and Nigel R Franks

Alibaba Stock: Is It A Good Buy?

In every marketplace, two crucial things happen; it is either you are buying or selling. However, someone must be willing to sell what you want to buy. The same thing applies to Alibaba stock; if it is available in the marketplace, you can purchase the shares. However, some things need to be considered by a buyer before investing in any company’s stock. 

Although Alibaba is a Chinese-based company in a country with the second largest economy, it does not mean it will be a good buy. Before purchasing Alibaba stock, you need to study the Alibaba stock forecast, which will guide you through making your decision. After going through this guide, you will be able to make your decision on whether Alibaba stock is a good buy or not.

 

Three Reasons to Buy Alibaba Stock

Alibaba is among the giant companies in the e-commerce industry, and if you are not sure whether to buy its shares, these reasons should convince you:

  • Dominant business in China
  • Stellar financials
  • The stock is a bargain

Dominant Business in China

Alibaba hugely influences many businesses in China, including having a 33 percent ownership of Ant Group. Based on the evaluation of the worth of each company in the e-commerce industry, Alibaba has the highest value, which amounts to 69 percent. 

In a year, there are about 11.3 billion purchases through Alibaba sites which are actively used in China by approximately 912 million people. About 1.17 billion people were active users of the sites in 2020, and the purchases were about 1.2 trillion.

Stellar Financials

The growth the company is experiencing is one of the reasons why the stock of the company is worth buying. The profit made by Alibaba in 2020 is 109 billion dollars which is a 41 percent increase compared to the year before. Likewise, during the first quarter of 2021, the company realized a profit of about 32 million dollars. 

Based on the Alibaba stock forecast, the company is estimated to make a 30 percent increase in revenue in 2021, which is 143 billion dollars. Investors buy the stock because the company can generate money through various means. 

The management of the company’s financials makes it flexible such that it can spread its wings either by acquiring an existing business or creating a new one. Since it is ascertained that once the profit increases, the stock price will also increase.

The Stock is a Bargain

Once many companies, especially the ones listed in the S&P 500 start increasing in value, their stock price also increases such that investors that want to buy the company shares will buy at a high price. Although Alibaba is growing, you can still purchase the company’s stock cheaply. However, it is vital to study the Alibaba stock forecast to know the best time to buy the shares at a cheap amount.

Why Is It Not A Good Buy?

There is a decrease in the company’s stock due to the political interference the company faced after the founder of Alibaba criticized the China financial system. The criticism also led to the blocking of the IPO for Ant Group. 

Furthermore, because Alibaba Group Holding Limited is structured, it is possible to break the law in China. The company had to pay a fine of about 2.8 billion dollars to the regulatory body in China after being charged with anti-competitive practices. 

All these have negative effects on the company’s stock price, and the continuous involvement of the regulators can further worsen it. Recently, there have been some controversies surrounding the disappearance of the founder of the company. Many investors are skeptical of whether to invest in the company or not because they are not sure of what might happen to the company since it is locally based in China.

Conclusion

Although Alibaba is a leading company in the e-commerce industry, positioning it as a good investment opportunity, its political risks make it a bad investment. The uncertainty prevents some from buying the stock and makes some sell the stock. Whether the stock price increases or decreases, research the market before buying or selling. You can also check the stock’s financial information and use the Alibaba stock forecast.

Fexco Managed Services and TEKenable Strategic Partnership to Create 75 Jobs

Financial technology and business services company Fexco and digital services company, TEKenable have announced a strategic partnership to transform customers’ digital experience, invest in new services and create 75 new jobs as a result of this partnership by 2025.

The Fexco Managed Services and TEKenable partnership will see both organisations co-invest in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Products and Salesforce Cloud Solutions and Services aimed at improving their collective customers end-to-end experience across both Irish and UK markets.

This partnership combines TEKenable’s experience in providing Microsoft Dynamics 365 consultancy, development, and support services to their customers, with Fexco’s experience of premium operational delivery, customer management and process optimisation experts. This partnership will also see the creation of 75 new jobs by 2025, with roles created within Digital Customer Experience, Predictive Customer Behaviour Analysis, and Automation & Operational Efficiency services.

Martin Ryan, Managing Director of Fexco Managed Services & Advisory Services, “This partnership will help us build on our collective strengths, and deliver the perfect blend of premium operational expertise, support, and resources to maximise the potential of Microsoft Dynamics 365 in improving our customers’ digital end to end experience. This will see us and TEKenable collaborate across multiple sectors and reinforce our position as trusted advisors who deliver transformative services for our clients.”

Nick Connors, Managing Director, TEKenable “This partnership will see us work with Fexco Managed Services to bring solutions, products and services offerings that will fundamentally change the end-to-end experience of both our customers, and their customers,” said Nick Connors, Group Managing Director, TEKenable. “We predict that we will see growth from a combination of existing and new clients over the coming three years.”

TEKenable was founded in 2002 by Nick Connors and Peter Rose is an innovative technology company focused on delivering digital services through Low Code platforms to medium and large-scale enterprises in Ireland, UK and EMEA.

6 Reasons Why You Should Choose a Career In Computers and Technology

Ever since the development of the personal computer, IT has been an integral part of society. Computers are used for all kinds of tasks by individuals and companies of all sizes. Today, a lot of people may think that the computer and technology field has become saturated but it is far from it. On the contrary, the computer and technology industry is experiencing tremendous growth after Covid-19. Here is why you should still consider this as your future career.

 

  • Good Salaries

Computer engineers, IT technicians, developers, network specialists, cybersecurity professionals, and many more careers in the IT sector attract excellent salaries. No matter where you are in the IT industry, the pay is very good compared to nearly every other field. The only other field that comes close to IT salaries are jobs in medicine. Even small IT companies tend to pay well but if you want to get to the top of the ladder, you will have to migrate to bigger tech organizations.

  • Global Job

Every country on the planet needs IT professionals. There’s an extremely low chance you won’t get a job if you’re in IT. There are some IT specialties that have a higher demand but generally finding a job is not a problem. However, employers want people who can solve their issues. Just having a degree is not the only requirement.

  •  Easy Access To Education

IT is a technical field, much like traditional sciences. You need a sound education in the area that you want to work in. According to the team at Degree Planet, you can easily get a degree online for any kind of field you want to explore. Through the internet, getting educated has become extremely easy. You can be located anywhere in the world and study at any university you want through online programs.

  • Job Growth

The computer and technology field is constantly evolving. Something that works today may be completely obsolete tomorrow. If you’re willing to continuously upskill yourself, there is plenty of growth potential in this field. You could be hired as a junior developer but you can quickly work your way up to the top of the hierarchy. IT companies don’t want to be continuously hiring either so if existing employees can fill positions, they would be more than happy to do that.

  • Variety Of Work

Whether you like drawing, educating people, solving problems or developing new products, it is all possible within the field of IT. Today we use IT for so many different tasks that there is an incredible variety of jobs in this field. You will easily find some branch of IT that resonates with your interests.  

  • Knowledge

The knowledge you gain from your IT education can be applied to your job or your own business. Today, lots of people are making money as IT consultants or just as private service providers. If you want to get into the product or service industry as a business, IT is a great way to start.

Considering how rapidly IT is expanding into every area of life and how more people are getting access to the internet and smart devices, it’s safe to say that IT products and services will be in high demand in the near future. The only real challenge is learning a skill and then being extremely good at it. If you want to be at the very top of the chain, you have to be great at what you do.

Ireland’s ability to develop world class tech firms threatened by over reliance on foreign investors

Ireland’s ability to continue to develop indigenous world class technology companies is seriously threatened by over reliance on foreign investors, according to the Irish Venture Capital Association’s pre-budget submission. Last year 57% of overall venture capital funding into Irish companies came from investors outside Ireland.
The IVCA recommends that the Government introduces an opportunity for new pension schemes to invest a small percentage of funds into indigenous enterprises. The association argues that this measure would be Revenue neutral “while increasing the number of start-ups in Ireland and crucially ensure their ability to remain Irish and scale here”. 
Leo Hamill, chairperson, Irish Venture Capital Association said, “Irish pension funds seriously lag the rest of world when it comes to VC investment. Public pension funds contribute 65% of the capital in the US VC market, 18% in Europe and 12% in the UK. Here it is estimated to be significantly less than 1%.” 
He added, “We must find new sources of capital if we are to fund the growth of indigenous post start-up enterprises. Last week’s Exchequer returns highlight our reliance on corporation tax generated by a small number of multinational companies and the need to grow our own large enterprises.”  
The IVCA pre-budget submission states, “Artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, digital and deeptech technologies will be the innovations that propel our digital economic future. Ireland has shown itself capable of creating world class companies in these areas, but not in providing scaling funding for them.” 
Sarah-Jane Larkin, director general, IVCA, commented, “Other EU countries and the UK have already implemented or are planning to source VC investment through pension funds. For example, Germany has just announced a scheme to invest €30 billion into venture capital through pension fund assets and institutional investors.”  
The submission highlights the impact of a scheme introduced in France which mandated that corporate employee savings schemes offer a solidarity investment funds option. “This resulted in significant growth in the amount of capital allocated from €200m to €6bn between 2002 and 2016,” states the report. 
The submission adds, “We are not only witnessing a global economic slowdown but also the weaponisation of international trade. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has accelerated this trend. Chinese and U.S. trade tensions, combined with potential UK and EU ones… will impact the availability of scaling capital for Irish companies. If we are unable to fund our own leaders in these areas, we risk having our economic future dictated by interests outside Ireland.” 

UPS to Acquire Multinational Healthcare Logistics Provider Bomi Group

UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced plans to acquire Bomi Group, an industry-leading multinational healthcare logistics provider. The transaction will add temperature-controlled facilities in 14 countries and nearly 3,000 highly-skilled Bomi Group team members to the UPS Healthcare network in Europe and Latin America.

“As a leading global healthcare logistics company, Bomi enhances our portfolio of services and accelerates our journey to become the number one provider of complex healthcare logistics,” said EVP and President of UPS International, Healthcare and Supply Chain Solutions Kate Gutmann. “UPS Healthcare and Bomi Group employees share similar values and our cultures are firmly rooted in a relentless focus on quality. The combination of our two teams will significantly improve our healthcare customers’ ability to continue to develop and deliver life-saving innovations.”

Since 1985, Bomi Group has provided high value-added services for the Medtech and Pharma sectors with a customized and tailored approach. It is a quality-focused company devoted to healthcare that has built solid and long-lasting business relationships with more than 150 multinational customers worldwide.

Key Bomi Group leaders, including CEO Marco Ruini, will continue in their roles to provide seamless service to Bomi Group customers after the transaction closes. Bomi Group’s employees will also continue to play vital roles in the combined organization.

“With over 35 years in the healthcare logistics industry, our team has developed best-in-class services designed to meet and exceed the needs of our medical technology and pharmaceutical customers,” said Ruini. “Joining the UPS team will expand those capabilities and create an even more integrated and smart global network for our customers.” 

The acquisition will add more than 350 temperature-controlled vehicles and four million square feet (391k m2) to the UPS Healthcare global footprint, offering customers access to faster shipping times, greater production flexibility, and offerings to help them attract new business. The acquisition will play a key role in the delivery of next-generation pharmaceutical and biologic treatments that increasingly require time-critical and temperature-sensitive logistics.

“We are focused on building healthcare logistics capabilities and services that allow our customers to deliver the newest healthcare innovations,” said UPS Healthcare President Wes Wheeler. “We are excited to combine Bomi’s talent, expertise and capabilities with UPS Healthcare – together, we will provide unmatched solutions to our customers, powered by UPS’s integrated, global smart logistics network.”

The acquisition of Bomi is part of UPS Healthcare’s continued expansion of its network and services to meet growing demand – including Bomi, UPS Healthcare has doubled its global footprint since 2020. Recent expansions include newly constructed and soon-to-be-opened dedicated state-of-the-art healthcare logistics facilities in Germany and Australia, and expanded campuses in Hungary and the Netherlands.

UPS Healthcare also recently enhanced UPS Premier, a technology-led service that can prioritize and track critical shipments within 10 feet (about 3 meters) of their location anywhere in UPS’s global network. UPS Premier brings worldwide visibility, control, reliability and product recovery capabilities to UPS Healthcare customers.

These expansions and new services meet the complex and varied needs of UPS Healthcare’s customers, helping them turn logistics into a competitive advantage.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year, subject to customary regulatory review and approval. The value and terms of the transaction are not being disclosed at this time. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as the financial advisor to UPS.

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

SilverCloud Health reach 1 million users worldwide

SilverCloud Health, the world’s leading digital mental health platform announced today that it has provided behavioral and mental health services to more than one million users globally to date. In addition to reaching this milestone, the evidence-based digital mental health platform has also achieved a 93% satisfaction rate from more than 20,000,000 user hours spent on the platform and has supported more than 500 organizations across the globe with various mental and behavioral health initiatives.

“The positive impact of SilverCloud for these one million active users is immense, and that impact is also felt by these one million active users’ families, workplaces, and communities.”

“This major milestone also demonstrates the incredible role truly effective digital mental health care platforms play in removing traditional barriers that prevent people from accessing mental health services, such as clinician availability, lack of transportation, life demands and stigma concerns,” said Ken Cahill, CEO of SilverCloud Health.

“The demand for mental health services is now greater than ever; this milestone is just the beginning for us and reflects our passion and vision to democratize mental health care for all. We look forward to offering even more scalable and accessible solutions that provide care for patients in need and improve outcomes while ultimately driving healthcare costs down.”

 

With nearly two decades of clinical research on effective digital delivery of mental and behavioral health interventions, SilverCloud Health provides an easy-to-use, measurable and modern platform to improve access and outcomes for patients in need. With up to 80% of users reporting decreased depression and anxiety symptoms and using SilverCloud Health, members can receive self-guided and coach-supported care, with the ability to be seamlessly referred into virtual therapy and psychiatry as needed. SilverCloud Health services a variety of key segments including health systems, health plans, employers and higher education for mental health needs including chronic health, wellbeing and substance abuse.

SilverCloud Health was acquired by Amwell in 2021, and, later that year announced a partnership with the HSE to pilot their digital therapy solutions in Ireland. SilverCloud Health has more than 30 online mental health programmes available in Ireland which are aimed at covering a range of mental health issues from wellness, resilience and severe mental health. These are backed by more than 17 years of research and including partnerships with academic institutions.

SilverCloud was founded in 2012 with a mission to break down barriers to mental health treatment and improve outcomes. The company spun out of the Technology Enhanced Therapy (TET) project, a three-year joint translational research project undertaken jointly by the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC), Trinity College Dublin and Parents Plus, Mater University Hospital in Ireland. You’ve likely heard it a lot – SilverCloud is an evidence-based company – but were truly born from research and the extreme need for an effective and clinically validated digital product.

To learn more about SilverCloud Health, please visit www.silvercloudhealth.com

Understanding the basics of Blockchain Technology in the Crypto World

The rise of Cryptocurrency started ever since 2009. Crypto like Bitcoin has ruled the trade market for quite a long time. However, many people worldwide have miserably failed to trust digital currencies. 

To break their stereotypical ideology, they should know that for whatever factor they fear or mistrust virtual assets like BTC, be it fear of losses, getting cheated, false investments, etc., and they can trust on crypto like BTC because it is based on a secured blockchain technology. If you do not know much about blockchain technology, then the following article will enlighten you.

Essential facts about Blockchain Technology

Many modern folks might have heard of the term ‘Blockchain technology’ yet might not have a clear idea of its basics or in-depth knowledge. If you fall under this particular category, then, to your surprise, it is nothing to be ashamed of, as this is how things work. A person can’t have adequate knowledge of everything in this world. 

However, to clear your clouds of confusion, here are a few essential facts that you should know about blockchain technology used for the crypto currencies:

 

  • High-level security:

Security concerns are one of the most important things for which most people do not feel confident enough to invest in cryptocurrencies. If you ever feel like investing in popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoins, then you can do so by being carefree and optimistic mind due to the presence of blockchain technology. 

 

For every transaction in the Cryptocurrency world, all the data get stored in public ledgers. It is a form of the online register that permanently records every movement in the crypto world in terms of transactions. These records cannot be altered at any point. Thus, even if the developers notice any suspicious activities in the crypto empire, they can take all the necessary steps to secure the transactions. 

  • Anonymity:

Another significant benefit of having blockchain technology in the crypto world is none other than the anonymity factor. If any transaction occurs from one corner of the world to another, it becomes easier for hackers to get their hands on virtual assets. However, blockchain technology’s recent developments have brought in the factor of anonymity where nobody gets to know the identities of the parties performing the crypto transfer. Only the sender and the receiver gain to know the identity. Thus, keeping your virtual assets safe from cybercriminals is also a critical point. People may think that transferring money with anonymous identity can be a money laundering activity. But, in the case of BTC and other crypto currencies, only KYC verified account holders can make such transactions and they can be traced through their account information, if required. 

  • Speedy transactions:

Is it not boring for you to wait in the long queue at the banks? Yes, it must be pretty hectic for you to choose from the varieties of central bodies to get a smooth transaction. However, gone are the days of waiting in long queues and over-crowded banks as blockchain technology brings you speedy transactions. Other transactions may take up to hours or even days for the money transfer. It is not so with the blockchain technology in the Cryptocurrency world, as it only takes a few seconds to complete an entire transaction. Apart from that, you can save your transaction fees by using your BTC because you do not need to pay any fee to the third party payment gateways for international transactions. 

  • Decentralization:

It would help if you did not forget the decentralization factor due to the blockchain technology in the crypto domain. You might be unaware of the term decentralization now. Still, to your surprise, this factor is the crucial reason behind major parties’ inability to interfere in crypto affairs. 

In simple words, if you ever think of carrying out a transaction in the crypto world, you need not take any permission or allowance from the central authorities, unlike in the real world. Thus, you need not wait for the bank’s approval upon your transaction. 

All these key factors are essential for understanding blockchain technology’s basics. If you want to know more, then you can check 5 ways to add bitcoin in your portfolio. Here you can trade BTC through a broker.