Month: August 2022

Defend Earth from an Alien Invasion in the 1950s Sci-fi-Inspired shoot-’em-up Squad 51 vs. The Flying Saucers

Join the rebel cause! Assemble Entertainment and China-based publishing partner WhisperGames, Brazilian film company Fehorama Filmes, and developer Loomiarts are thrilled to announce that the 1950s sci-fi-inspired, fast-paced 2D shooter Squad 51 vs. The Flying Saucers, explodes onto Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam this autumn.

Join Squad 51’s Lieutenant Kaya and face unrelenting hostile alien aircraft, martian fighters, and monsters in fast-paced shoot-‘em-up action all recreated in glorious black-and-white visuals of the 1950s along with live-action FMV sequences.

Brave pilots can now take to the skies with the free prologue of Squad 51 vs. The Flying Saucers on Steam. The demo features English voiceovers, a local co-op mode, and never-before-seen levels, bosses, and gadgets for your spaceship to defend Earth from a merciless alien invasion.

 

 

About Squad 51 vs. The Flying Saucers

Warning! Extraterrestrials from outer space have arrived on our planet, bringing promises of a bright new future for the earthlings. However, this otherworldly partnership soon reveals a darker side as the VEGA Corporation, the alien enterprise led by the hideous Director Zarog, is imposing its predatory politics on the human race. In the midst of this oppression, the rebel group Squad 51 rises as a response against the violent acts committed by these vile beings. Will the brave pilots of Squad 51 and their aircraft stand a chance against Zarog’s diabolic fleet of flying saucers?

Key Features Include:

  • SHMUP Yeah!: Enjoy classic shoot-’em-up gameplay with four unique aircraft that can be customized with special weapons
  • Cinematic Experience: Marvelous black-and-white aesthetics, live-action FMV sequences, and dubbed voices will tell the story of the battle between Squad 51 and Director Zarog’s alien fleet
  • 11 Ways to Save the World: Fight against enemy ships and bosses in 11 different environments – snowy mountains, forests, cityscapes, and more
  • Rookie Pilots Supported: Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran flying ace, Squad 51 vs. The Flying Saucers supports dynamic difficulty that allows every pilot to enjoy the alien extermination
  • Ducks Fly Together!: Fighting an alien horde is more fun with a squadmate! A second player can enter a level at any time — earn points with a co-op player and unlock together new special weapons and upgrades

To learn more about Squad 51 vs. The Flying Saucers,  add the game to your wishlist, and download the demo, please visit the official Steam store page here. Squad 51 vs. The Flying Saucers will launch on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC via Steam this autumn.

Urbanista Phoenix: True Wireless Earphones Powered By Light With Endless Playtime That You Control

Urbanista, the Swedish lifestyle audio brand, announces the launch of Urbanista Phoenix, the world’s first true wireless, active noise cancelling earphones powered by light. Following a successful partnership with Exeger to launch the Urbanista Los Angeles headphones, Phoenix advances the use of their ground-breaking Powerfoyle™ technology to a new level, with true wireless earphones that deliver an endless playtime experience which the user controls. If you have not seen this technology before and how it works check out our Urbanista Los Angeles review

Unleash the Power of Light

With Urbanista Phoenix you can experience a truly true wireless future with no need for cords or charging cables. Integrated with ground-breaking Powerfoyle™ solar cell material, the earphones’ streamlined charging case continuously recharges when exposed to all forms of outdoor or indoor light, meaning that the earphones will provide endless playtime when placed back in their case for charging and continuously exposed to light. The earphones also feature advanced hybrid active noise cancelling technology and noise reduction microphones that filter out ambient sounds, so you can enjoy music and crystal-clear calls without distractions, even when in crowded spaces.

Tuomas Lonka, Urbanista’s Brand and Marketing Director, comments: “It’s a privilege to continue on this path of innovation together with Exeger and use the latest in solar cell technology to bring ground-breaking audio products to market. Our Los Angeles self-charging headphones were so well received by customers and consumers alike, that we knew right away that we wanted to apply this futuristic way of consuming audio to a true wireless design. Urbanista Phoenix really is a market leading product, and we are excited to see how these shape the future of our listening experiences in years to come.”

Urbanista phoenix

Giovanni Fili, founder and CEO of Exeger adds: “We are incredibly excited to launch the world’s first Powerfoyle-powered true wireless earphones together with Urbanista. The Los Angeles headphones set a new standard and as users around the world are treasuring not needing to charge their devices in the wall, they are craving category expansion.” Powerfoyle is the world’s only fully customisable solar cell and consequently uniquely positioned to power audio products given the extensive design requirements. Both end-users and our customers benefit immensely when a whole product line up is offered”, he continues.

Unleash the Power

Urbanista Phoenix’s true wireless design allows you to enjoy your audio wherever you are, without any restraints. You can always easily connect the earphones to your Bluetooth device of choice with the earphones’ new multipoint connectivity feature which enables you to connect Phoenix to up to two devices simultaneously. Virtually weightless, the earphones sit lightly in your ears so you can listen to music and podcasts with minimal distractions, and intuitive touch controls and intelligent voice assistance let you effortlessly take charge of your tunes while enjoying full freedom of motion.

Urbanista Phoenix is compatible with the Urbanista mobile companion app that puts you in complete control of your audio experience. The Urbanista app, available on Apple App Store and Google Play Store, gives you deep customisation options, including EQ controls to adjust the audio to meet your taste. The companion app also provides information on how to get the most out of the product’s playtime, including visual indications of solar charge levels and usage, and the option to customise the earphones controls and voice assistant.

Axel Grell, Audio Engineer for Urbanista, comments: “Phoenix advances technology to create a cutting-edge, innovative audio experience and we have worked hard to develop a sound stage to match. These earbuds are designed to deliver a crystal clear and transparent sound with a punchy bass that doesn’t overpower the mids and highs. With the ability to provide an endless audio experience, Phoenix also delivers sound that will have you listening comfortably for hours on end.”

Unleash the Style

Inspired by the breath-taking desert scenery of one of the sunniest places on earth, the earphones come in two iconic colourways, Midnight Black (black) and Desert Rose (pink), lighting up your ears with superbly radiant sound. The custom fit silicone tips provide sound isolation while securely cushioning the earphones in your ear and an IPX4 water resistance rating allows you to safely and confidently use the Phoenix earphones come rain or shine.

Read more about Urbanista Phoenix true wireless earphones and sign up for updates at https://www.urbanista.com/phoenix

Urbanista Phoenix key features:

●      Solar and ambient light charging with Powerfoyle™
●      Hybrid active noise cancelling
●      Transparency mode
●      Multipoint connection
●      Playtime 8 hours
●      Total battery reserve 32 hours
●      Microphone noise reduction
●      In-ear detection
●      Automatic power off
●      Touch controls
●      Voice assistant support
●      IPX4 water resistant
●      USB type-C charging
●      Bluetooth 5.2 version
●      Urbanista mobile app compatible
●      Available in Midnight Black (Black) and Desert Rose (Pink)

Priced at 129 GBP, 1499 SEK, 149 EUR, 149 USD MSRP, Phoenix boasts full compatibility with iOS and Android devices. See more 

Electric vehicle owners believe the Government is not doing enough to facilitate the adoption of EVs

New snapshot research undertaken by Energia and the Irish Electric Vehicle Owners Association has found that while large numbers of EV purchasers are driven by environmental concerns (40%), almost as many are enticed by the financial savings offered by electric charging (39%).

More than half of respondents to the survey, which took place in June 2022, are paying less than €5 to charge their car, a clear illustration of the cost benefits of EVs versus traditional petrol and diesel vehicles. Furthermore, the number of people charging their electric vehicle daily has dropped by 7%, with charging 1-3 times a week the most common response.

The survey also found that electric vehicle owners feel the Government is not doing enough to promote electric vehicles, with 87% of respondents stating so. Almost a third (28%) lack confidence that the government’s target of 1 million EVs by 2030 would be reached.  However, respondents were positive about the available SEAI grant, with nearly a fifth stating that they wouldn’t have purchased a home charge point without it.

 

91% of respondents charge their electric vehicles at home. Free chargers, such as those provided by a third of survey participants’ employers, along with range anxiety, were the main reasons stated by the 9% who do not charge at home.

In terms of charging technology, most home charge points continue to come from charge point installers (47%) despite a decrease of 19% since 2021. Being able to connect their home charge point to their solar panels was of importance to 31% of respondents, an increase of 18% since 2021. There has been a 3% increase since 2021 in those using public chargers.

Ciara Moane, Electric Vehicle Product Owner with Energia commented: “We know that the environment is the most important factor for those deciding to buy an electric vehicle, and as Ireland’s greenest electricity supplier, we take pride in providing 100% renewable energy to our customers with charge points located at their home. Over the past year, the number of home charge points we have installed has increased tenfold. With one in five cars licensed so far this year being electric or plug-in hybrid, we are confident that we will see these numbers continue to grow significantly, along with the numbers of customers on EV specific tariffs. Energia’s EV offers include reduced night rates and tariffs bundled with discounted home charge points. We are delighted to be energy partners with some of Ireland’s largest electric car manufacturers including Hyundai, Kia, Opel, Honda, FIAT and Citroën. Energia are very proud to play our part in assisting customers to make cleaner energy choices and help them on their exciting journey to owning an EV.”

Kevin Dowling, Chair of the IEVOA added: “Over the past few years we have seen the shift to EVs accelerate, and from this research we know that Irish people’s deep concerns about their carbon footprint and their household running costs are prompting this. Being able to charge at home is a huge benefit for owners and alongside public transport, walking, and cycling, switching to an EV becomes low hanging fruit for households to play their part in efforts to reach net zero.”

Years & Years announce homecoming show at OVO Arena London will be available to stream in partnership with On Air

Fresh from a performance on The Other Stage at Glastonbury last night, this morning Years & Years and On Air announce that fans around the globe will be able to experience Years & Years homecoming London show from OVO Arena, London.

Recorded on 26th May 2022 as part of the Night Call Tour, the show will be available to watch from 7pm on 11th August.  After this time, it will be made available to watch On Demand. Tickets are available now from the On Air website – https://onair.events.  

As Years & Years, Olly Alexander has become one of the world’s most trailblazing modern pop stars. Across three hugely successful albums the singer, actor, fashion icon and cultural vanguard has earned 5 Brit Award nominations and surpassed 5 billion streams.

Bringing the subversive, hedonistic and ultimately feel-good world around number-1-charting album ‘Night Call’ to vibrant life in stunning 4K UHD Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, tickets to watch Years & Years ‘Night Call Tour’ are available now – https://onair.events.  

Talking about the show, Olly explains “I’m so happy and excited to share this performance from the Night Call Tour. I grew up loving concert videos of Britney, the Spice Girls and Madonna so this is literally a dream come true. This show, created with Theo Addams, is a delirious night out that begins in a phone box and ends with a cosmic impalement.  (there are toilet cubicles, motorbikes, a magic chair and a giant bed along the way). I had the best time. It’s not possible for me to physically take this show around the world so it’s a great feeling to have it captured like this and to be able to share it with everybody! The Night Call Tour is a massive team effort and I’m so grateful to everybody for putting their all into making it.  It’s so exciting to be able to share it like this ! I hope you enjoy the show ;)” 

As part of their ongoing partnership with One Tree Planted, a non-profit charity on a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees, On Air will be planting one tree for every ticket purchased from their website for the Years & Years ‘Night Call Tour’ show.

Konftel’s Latest Video Kit Is A Triumph For Trust Distribution

One of Konftel’s newest video conferencing systems has become an instant sales success for supply specialist Trust Distribution.

The Konftel C2070 has developed into a major tool in the distributor’s conferencing armoury, with manufacturing and education sites as well as general offices proving particularly popular.

Simon Hughes, Konftel Brand Manager at Trust, says the system combines an attractive price point with many high end features which makes it a flexible ‘Bring Your Own Meeting’ solution for many different locations.

“The Konftel C2070 ticks many boxes customers are looking for. It’s the sweet-spot of our conferencing portfolio, without any additional licences which inflates the cost of ownership from some other brands. It’s a plug and play USB solution which fits most standard size meeting rooms.”

The Konftel C2070 is designed as a perfect video package for huddle to medium meeting rooms, combining the Konftel Cam20 4K conference camera with the Konftel 70 speakerphone for OmniSound audio quality. The Konftel OCC Hub brings everything together into one convenient kit, so a single USB cable is all users need to connect the camera, the sound unit and the room’s screen to the video meeting on their laptop. 

In addition Konftel has just launched a dedicated version for in room PC-based systems, the Konftel C2070 Attach, which is part of a new product range optimised for Microsoft Teams Rooms, Zoom Rooms and other platforms.

Hughes added: “It’s not just standard offices where the system is ideally suited. The auto framing of images is proving really useful in the education sector whilst the 4k detail is great for companies wanting to see and assess products that are often in another part of the world. That could be the quality of stitching and zips in garments or nuts and bolts and garage parts. Four beamforming microphones is another impressive feature along with Bluetooth capabilities. It’s not just standard meetings where the Konftel C2070 has started to shine.”

Konftel’s entire product portfolio is Climate Neutral certified where all greenhouse gas emissions have been offset. Hughes thinks this is growing in importance.

“We all have to be aware of our environmental responsibilities and both from an ethical and commercial perspective we are seeing more end user emphasis in this area. It’s important for our resellers to be able to outline this important credential during the sales process.”

Hughes concluded: “For many reasons the Konftel C2070 has become one of our best-selling conference kits since its launch last year – backed by high levels of support from both Trust and Konftel. Its popularity will continue to grow as it doesn’t cost thousands of pounds to purchase, just hundreds.” 

€450 Million Data Centre First Approved under New Government Policy

The €450-million Ennis data centre has been four years moving through various stages including strategic site assessment, zoning & planning. Art will create between 400- 450 permanent jobs when the data centre campus is fully operational. Up to 1,200 will be employed in construction and 600 jobs in support services.

The new Government Policy Statement on the role of Data Centres in Ireland’s Enterprise Strategy was published on Wednesday 27th July 2022 and the Ennis Campus is considered to align well with the policies set out therein.

Mr Tom McNamara, CEO of Art Data Centres, the developer of the project, welcomed the announcement. “This is great news for this data centre campus and for Clare as the project will be a key pillar of the Ennis 2040 Economic Plan for the area which was launched by Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Leo Varadkar in 2021”

The campus will comprise six data halls of 33mw each, Energy Centre & Vertical Farm designed on a flexible and modular basis, covering 145 acres and 1.3 million sq ft. Construction of the Art Data Centre Campus will be phased over a seven-year year period commencing in 2022. It has been designed by data centre specialists Colin Hyde of ARC:MC, and Robert Thorogood of HDRInc. It has access to 200 mega-watts of power from both the network grid and gas generation on site & aligns with the current CRU requirements for dispatchable Power & being located in an unconstrained area. The proposed site, adjacent to Ennis, was zoned in 2019 for ‘Data Centres & Power Generating Infrastructure’.

The 200 MW Ennis Project underpins the Government Policy Statement as it has the key infrastructure on the 145 acres including access to Grid, Main Gas Interconnector running through site which facilitates self-generation availability on site, and access to both wind and solar farms in Clare through the Grid or Private Wire. It also has the key availability of existing high-speed fibre located both on & adjacent to the site . The energy centre turbines have been designed to run on green hydrogen which the Minister Eamon Ryan has indicted he is hopeful will be available by 2030 when the Project is due for completion

“This Ennis Project fulfils the Government’s key requirements immediately while state bodies, regulators and the electricity sector work to upgrade infrastructure, connect more renewable energy and ensure security of supply,” Mr McNamara said. “The infrastructure that is available in the Ennis site will assist Government in national ambitions to deliver ongoing opportunities for the country in the tech industry.”

Tech Review – Creative Outlier Pro

The latest earbuds from Creative have been in for testing the last few weeks and once again we see the company deliver an affordable pair of earbuds with all the bells and whistles thrown in too and the colour here is another thing that I like and looks really well.

The Outlier Pro come in a familiar looking case that has wireless charging built in and a USB-C port for wired charging which in turn gives you around 38 hrs of battery life in real world testing and this of course varies by how you use your earbuds, With ANC on and high volume you will get less but everyone is different on how they listen to their earbuds.

They have a larger profile too than most earbuds but still sit comfortably in the ear although they do protrude and bit but having said that they fit well a do not fall out and when it comes to controlling them this works well too due to the large touch area on the buds.

There is a two apps you can use with the Outler pro that maximise the sound quality we have a look at those in the video review below and it is certainly worth noting that you should use both apps or at least try and that is due to the Super X-FI app which does what you want and more. The app allows you see what holographic audio is like as we have discussed before.

When it comes to sound yes they deliver yet again, you have support for aptX but AAC and SBC which is fine as the app allows you some fine tuning and again you can check their both apps to allow you decide yourself from the long list of presets or make your own, highs lows and mids are fine nice bass and treble here and overall a good audio experince for the price, the ANC is not the best out there but does enough to make it passable as a feature you have also got the option to hear your surroundings too. Also on their app is an option to use low latency which is intended more so at gamers an this works fine.

Creative Outlier Pro is specially tuned to support Super X-Fi READY – a free preview version of the Super X-Fi technology, which is available through the SXFI app. Users can sample Super X-Fi headphone holography on local music content inside their phones.

See the video review below for more.

Key Features of Creative Outlier Pro

  • Hybrid ANC (feedforward/feedback mics on each earbud), Ambient Mode

  • (ANC Off) Up to 15 hours of battery life on a single charge, 60 hours including charging case. (ANC On) Up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge, 40 hours including charging case

  • New 10 mm graphene-coated driver diaphragms

  • IPX5-certified sweatproof

  • Super X-Fi READY

Pricing and Availability

Creative Outlier Pro is priced at US$119, €89.99, £84.99 and is available at the Creative online store.

For more information on Creative Outlier Pro, visit creative.com/Outlier Pro

Video Review

Ireland’s National IP Protocol recognised as EU best practice

Ireland’s National IP Protocol (our guidelines and framework for commercialising State research) has been published as an example of European best practice on a new EU platform.

The Knowledge Valorisation Platform connects players in the EU with the common goal to transform excellent research results and data produced in Europe into sustainable products and solutions for the benefit of all – be it economic prosperity, environmental benefits, societal progress or improved policy making.

The platform provides a space for stakeholders to share best practices and establish contacts, to exchange experiences and co-design guidance, and to stay connected to EU developments in knowledge valorisation. The aim of the platform is to ultimately improve policies and enhance capacities and skills.

Research Commercialisation

Ireland’s framework for research commercialisation is called the National IP Protocol. It provides for best practice, guidance for research-related engagements between industry and State research performing organisations (RPOs) and the formation of spin-out companies from State research.

This protocol and an accompanying resource guide which are housed on the Knowledge Transfer Ireland website have now been published on a European Commission Research and Innovation website, where Ireland joins other leaders in this area including Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Italy and France.

Imelda Lambkin, Manager Disruptive Technology, Innovation & Knowledge Transfer at Enterprise Ireland said:

“Ireland is showing itself to be a leader in the field of knowledge transfer and research commercialisation. We may be a small country, but we certainly punch above our weight in this area, and the publication of the National IP Protocol as best practice by a key EU agency is testament to that.

“Our annual AKTS (Annual Knowledge Transfer Survey) – published just last month – showed that Irish research performing organisations (universities, institutes of technology and other publicly funded research institutions), are spending upwards of half a billion euro on research expenditure.

“2021’s figure of €672m is the highest on record, and an increase of over one-third since KTI began collating research expenditure in 2013. Engaging with the third level on R&D is known to make businesses more competitive than those who don’t.”

IP Protocol

The Irish National IP Protocol includes chapters on spin-out company formation, intellectual property, licensing and research collaboration.

It is about helping industry, from start-ups and small and medium enterprises to multinational corporations, entrepreneurs and investors to access the research and development carried out in Ireland’s universities, institutes of technology and other public research institutions (collectively termed ‘Research Performing Organisations’ or RPOs).

It sets out the Government’s policy for research commercialisation and describes the practical arrangements for this to happen. The IP Protocol also sets expectations – on RPOs and on parties wishing to engage with RPOs.

Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI, the national office responsible for oversight of the knowledge transfer system) is responsible for developing and updating the IP Protocol.

For further information see: https://www.knowledgetransferireland.com/ and https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/research-area/industrial-research-and-innovation/eu-valorisation-policy/knowledge-valorisation-platform/repository/irelands-national-ip-protocol-and-resource-guide

New Privacy Features on WhatsApp

Today, Mark Zuckerberg announced that WhatsApp is bringing three new privacy features to users, giving them more control over their conversations and added layers of protection when messaging. Which ties in well with the news release as I had a new update noted on my phone.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Announcement & Quote: “New privacy features coming to WhatsApp: exit group chats without notifying everyone, control who can see when you’re online, and prevent screenshots on view once messages. We’ll keep building new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations.” – Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Meta

  • Leave Groups Silently: Users will be able to exit a group privately without having to notify everyone. Now, instead of notifying the full group when leaving, only the admins will be notified. This feature starts to roll out to all users this month.
  • Choose Who Can See When You’re Online: Seeing when friends or family are online helps us feel connected to one another, but we’ve all had times when we wanted to check our WhatsApp privately. For the times you want to keep your online presence private, we’re introducing the ability to select who can and can’t see when you’re online. This will start rolling out to all users this month.
  • Screenshot Blocking for View Once Messages: View Once is already an incredibly popular way to share photos or media that don’t need to have a permanent digital record. Now we’re enabling screenshot blocking for View Once messages for an added layer of protection. We’re testing this feature now and look forward to rolling it out to users soon.

These new updates join WhatsApp’s growing list of privacy features that users can take advantage of including end-to-end encryption, block and report, two-step verification, end-to-end encrypted backups, disappearing messages, and more.