Month: September 2022

myPOS obtains e-money licence from the Central Bank of Ireland & plans to grow local team

Award-winning fintech myPOS is announcing today that it has received authorisation as an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) from the Central Bank of Ireland, the country’s financial services regulator.

myPOS, which provides point-of-sale payment acquiring and payment solutions to more than 150,000 small and medium-sized merchants in more than 30 European countries, plans to grow its Dublin-based team to around 30 by the middle of next year.

“Our international growth demands a talent pool, a strategic location and a robust legal and regulatory framework, and Ireland offers all of these,” said Stephane Pilloy, CEO of myPOS Ireland.

He added: “We are excited as the new EMI authorisation will enable us to bring all regulated services under the myPOS Group umbrella, therefore becoming even more efficient at empowering small businesses across Europe and accelerating our growth strategy.”

Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Seán Fleming TD, said: “I would like to congratulate myPOS on its new Irish license. The Government is focused on improving Ireland’s status as a global fintech hub, and I am pleased that myPOS has chosen Ireland as its European regulatory headquarters. All the best to the entire team and I look forward to following their success in the future.”

The new myPOS EMI authorisation comes in the wake of news that the fintech company is planning to open its second store and experience centre in France, while earlier this year it continued its expansion by opening stores in Rome and Bucharest. A Dublin experience centre is also planned for 2023.

Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA Ireland said “The myPOS expansion is impressive and we are delighted that another of the world’s most dynamic organisations, which puts innovation in payments at the service of its merchants, has chosen Ireland as its European regulatory headquarters.”

myPOS is the only payment service provider in Europe that gives SMEs instant access to their funds from card transactions, at no added cost. As a result, more and more businesses are choosing myPOS, as shown by the continued growth in the platform’s transaction processing in the last year. The company is expected to meet its targeted annual growth of more than 60% and reach €8 billion in total payment volume, with circa 200k POS terminals in circulation.

64% of Irish organisations View Customer Service as a Revenue Generator

Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the global leader in CRM, today released the fifth edition of its State of Service report that shares insights from over 8,000 professionals across 36 counties, including 100 from Ireland on how customer service organisations’ priorities, challenges, success measures, and strategies are shifting amid digital-first customer expectations and economic headwinds.

Key insights of this year’s State of Service report include:

Economic Uncertainty Prompts a Focus on Efficiency. As inflation takes hold and rate hikes dominate headlines, customer service teams are leaning into new success measures and technologies that promote productivity and efficiency. 78% of service organisations in Ireland use workflow and process automation.

Digital-First Customer Service Continues to Rise. Customer migration to digital channels took off during the pandemic, and shows no signs of slowing. 64% of service organisations in Ireland offer video support, and 63% offer live chat.

The “Great Resignation” Prompts a Focus on Employee Experience. With high turnover rates, service organisations are offering perks like remote work and improved career development opportunities. Service organisations in Ireland experienced an average turnover rate of 17% over the past year.

Customer Service Continues to Expand Beyond the Contact Center. Field service is now table stakes beyond its original domain in industries such as energy and utilities. 93% of service organisations with field operations in Ireland say it’s critical to scaling their business.

Comments on the news:

  • “Customer service is on the forefront of shifts to digital-first customer engagement.” said Brian Solis, Salesforce Global Innovation Evangelist. “As economic uncertainty prompts customers and businesses to reevaluate their priorities and investments, it will be all the more critical for leaders to take stock of how their capabilities, success metrics, and strategies reinforce customer service’s position as a revenue generator that drives customer loyalty. This research provides valuable baselines and differentiators that help inform important decisions .”

For more information:

The Most Fun Multiplayer Games With Friends

Multiplayer games serve as a source of triumph and laughter. Playing a solo game is fine, but multi-playing is more fun. You enjoy watching your counterpart help you achieve your wins and succumb to your powers. These games wouldn’t be interesting without having a bunch of people running around killing, maiming, or occasionally helping each other. 

However, apart from the fact that multiple-player games are interesting, it brings friends and families together. Adults can keep their brains sharp by playing online. It also helps individuals to tackle stress and build their overall well-being. It is hosted by setting up a valheim dedicated server that supports multiplayer. The best valheim server host helps you to host your game locally on your PC. A dedicated server will mean the world is always online, and the host won’t need to be online before others can play. 

 

Top Most Fun Multiplayer Games With Friends

This section entails the top Multiplayer games that can be easily played with friends. 

Valiant

Valiant is one of the good games that you can play with friends. It is a thrilling, 5-v-5 action that involves proper teamwork and strategies. It is played online and is only available for PC users. Valiant has assured mobile gamers that it’ll be available in Android and iOS versions soon. 

The main objective of you and your partner is to eliminate the other team on the server. To be good at this, you need proper knowledge of the multiple maps in which the matchup is played. 

Apex Legends

Apex Legend is a fast-paced battle royale you can play with two friends at a go. It has a little similarity with valiant. The numerous characters are called legends. It is available on multiple platforms. The mobile version was recently launched this year. It is available as a mobile version to so many countries worldwide. 

Also, Apex Legends is a good option for individuals that love fast-paced and gun-fighting actions. 

Among Us

Among Us is an online competitive activity that requires about 4-15 players. It is unusual; it entails a real-life conversation among players to discover an imposter among them. It’s one of the best multiplayer games to play with friends because it’s free. Apart from that, anyone with a medium to low-speed PC can play it. 

It is a conversation-based multiplayer. It’s also available on mobile devices as well as high-end gaming consoles. 

Call of Duty: Warzone

Another royale multiplayer game with friends is Call of Duty warzone. It allows about 150 players on its server to battle against each other. However, the number of players increases to 200 in some limited-time modes. You can team up with your friends to play against other teams worldwide. 

Rocket League

Rocket League is a fantasy sport that you can play with friends. It also supports an unturned dedicated server, making you a host without being a participant. In Rocket League, the site supports unturned server hosting. This platform allows you to drive coked-up, rocket cars, etc.

It can be played on a local area network or online. You can also add your friends to the platform you’re playing on. This service is available on different platforms. They include Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox consoles, etc. 

League of Legends

League of Legends is listed under the multiplayer online battle arena category of games. It might be complicated to understand if you’re playing for the first time. You can team up with your friends to create a five-member team and join a virtual map where you’re allowed to compete with other teams. 

The main objective in League of Legends is to destroy the structures that the enemy team is safeguarding before they destroy yours. 

Conclusion

Multiplayer games are the best option for enjoying a fun and lively gaming activity. Whether you’re home or on vacation, you can join friends and play your favorite right on your PC or Smartphone. The platforms mentioned meet server requirements, and you won’t experience any glitches while playing. No order is required for these platforms to follow. Choose anyone that catches your fancy. 

Nokia 5710 XpressAudio first look – A phone with earbuds built in

Nokia had a slew of Xpress Music phones back in the day which was aimed at the music fan we have them all here but today we skip forward some years and we now have their Nokia 5710 Xpress Audio which is not a smartphone but still has lots on offer like a built in radio too and many other features which would suit most, this could be used as a spare device or as intended a music device with the built in earbuds which I look forward to testing too.

So lets cut to the chase here, we take a quick first look and unboxing of the Nokia 5710 XpressAudio and see what you get and have a look at the UI so if you have any questions feel free to drop them below and we will gladly answer. Back in 2020 we checked out another music orientated device called the Nokia 5310 2020 edition you can see that review here

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..

Video 

 

What Education Apps Would Enhance Your Academic Performance

According to a recent “Educational Technology” poll, 87% of college students rely on mobile applications to help them study at university and keep organized. However, considering there are more than 520,000 educational applications to choose from in 2022, selecting those of excellent quality may seem like an overwhelming effort. It might be challenging to find high-quality apps to enhance learning. But don’t worry; we’ve covered you and picked the top programs for you.

Companion apps

Students identified Todoist and Dropbox as two of the most useful tools for managing their time and reducing the pressure of approaching due dates. These apps aren’t designed to teach college kids directly, but they help students succeed in school by improving their time management, study habits, and deadline adherence.

Sometimes students procrastinate about writing a paper until the very last minute. What app can help in this case? You can buy assignment and no longer have to feel the overwhelming number of responsibilities trap you. Even if you have a paper due the next day for an assignment, you can still obtain expert assistance. Homework assistance service is an intelligent way to deal with a problem because you may use the paper as a sample in the future and learn from it. 

Kahoot!

With this app, teachers might transform a dull class into a fun game. Kahoot allows you to make your classroom a game show, enhancing the learning experience. Input your pre-thought questions and answers into the website, and you’ll have a fun, interactive game in no time. Everyone may install Kahoot on their mobile devices and join the fun. It works with iOS and Android smartphones alike. This program is unique because it keeps tabs on each student’s development by plotting their responses on a bar graph.

edX

When using the edX app, you’ll have access to courses taught at various global institutions. It was released in 2012 as an online education platform developed by Harvard and MIT. It features tutorials and online courses in a wide variety of disciplines. Everybody c utilize these materials to further their knowledge and understanding in various fields. 

Photomath

Students may use the camera on their mobile devices to snap a picture of a math issue. Then one can use the app to obtain a detailed walkthrough on how to solve the problem. It clears up any confusion about mathematical concepts. You may improve your reasoning skills by using this application. The primary objective is not just to realize what the correct response is. The key part is to comprehend the reasons behind why it is correct.

Duolingo

Students can study more than 30 different languages with this program. Put it to use in the classroom, at home, or even on the go. This is a free program that can teach you languages and is compatible with devices running Android and iOS. Duolingo offers tasks for developing different skills – speaking and listening to grammar. The app’s more advanced classes provide each student individualized feedback and practice. Also, the dashboard that comes with Duolingo allows monitoring of the progress of each individual. The app motivates users to try harder by setting all things like a competition.

Here are more similar apps to enhance your skills in different fields.

Cite This For Me

A proper citation is required if words or concepts are taken from another source. Students may benefit significantly from using this tool. Especially if they have a hard time drawing up the bibliography. It not only generates a citation by scanning a book’s barcode with your phone’s camera, but it also styles the citation in MLA, Chicago, or any style your school requires. It’s cost-free, and it works with both Android and iOS devices.

Apps to enhance learning: closing thoughts

There is a broad range of topics and learning styles catered to by the plethora of education applications available today. Using such apps makes students more likely to participate, stay interested, and achieve their full potential. Also, learning apps are a terrific tool to keep teaching techniques and lessons interesting. We hope our app list will help you achieve your academic and personal goals. 

 

iPhone 14 Pro unboxing and side by side with the 13 Pro and the cases problem

The iPhone has just dropped and moving on from the 13 Pro I have been asked and asked myself about the case issue which is will the 14 pro fit the 13 and vice versa, we have plenty of iPhone 14 Pro cases coming in for review next week but this is just a quick look at both iPhones and explaining that the cases will not fit both and of course a clever move by Apple to get more cash.

In short the buttons are basically lowered down on the phone which you will see in the video below, There is room for argument on thinner based cases where you may get some functionality but not all so in short the cases for the 13 Pro will not fit the 14 Pro properly, they will go on each other but that’s as far as it goes but you can look at it this way if you are waiting on a case for the 14 Pro you can perhaps get a thinner one on but as you will see in this video depending on the thickness of the case it will be an issue.

Stay tuned for more on the iPhone 14 pro and case reviews. Check out the Apple Watch SE 2022 unboxing

Video Link

 

Campaign shot on mobile phones shows real life impact of high-speed fibre broadband for two Irish families

A new National Broadband Ireland (NBI) advertising campaign features two Irish families demonstrating the benefit of Ireland’s National Broadband Plan in their daily lives in videos filmed entirely on their mobile phones. The campaign follows ‘A Day in the Life’ of two Irish families – the Curley family in Co. Galway and the Randall’s Ayle Farm in Co. Tipperary.

The campaign is part of NBI’s commitment to create limitless opportunities through connectivity and access to high-speed fibre broadband for those living in rural communities, where such services are not available commercially. The campaign is running across social, digital and VOD channels including: RTE, Virgin Media and Channel 4.

The videos show the positive impact that high-speed broadband has made for both the Curley family and Randall’s, who have seen massive improvements in internet speeds, and also experience benefits for family’s life, business enterprises and careers.

Peter and Lorraine Randall in Co Tipperary, bought Ayle Farm in 2005 and produce award winning artisan chutneys, granola, and more in small batches. One of the added benefits of the installation of the fast speed solution by NBI, is the security aspect for rural businesses and enterprises. Peter Randall is able to access alerts and live feeds across the farm, “which are things we could never do before”, he says.

Lorraine Randall explained how access to high-speed broadband has meant she could begin working for a global company as one of the conditions was access to “good internet speed so I could work from home”, she remarks. 

In the new post-pandemic era of remote working, The Curley Family in Co. Galway echo this sentiment stating that they are saving almost 2 hours of a commute each day by working remotely – leaving more time for family, activities and the children. On the video we see the Curley family describe that “back in March 2021 our download speed was 1.35Mb and in 2022 our download speed is now 640Mb – we now know what a true internet connect is”.

The Campaign development has been managed by Pauline Broderick, Head of Marketing at National Broadband Ireland, who says:

“NBI is delighted to launch  the first phase of our new advertising campaign, illustrating  the real-life impact of high-speed fibre broadband on the well-being and quality of life of those families involved. The aim of the campaign is to allow NBI’s end users to describe their own experience of gaining access to the fibre network, enabling families throughout Ireland to become multi-device households, and to ensure businesses can make use of new technology and open up economic opportunities in the future. 

Overall, 1.1 million people living and working in almost 560,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms, are set to benefit from access to the broadband network being rolled out by NBI under the National Broadband Plan. The videos give a small glimpse into the real-life experiences and upsides, as a result of the high-speed broadband connections.”

NBI is the company rolling out the new high-speed fibre broadband network under the Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP). To date, a total of 18,592* premises – including homes, schools, businesses and community facilities – are now connected to NBI’s network, meaning that these premises now have guaranteed access to minimum broadband speeds of 500Mb.

The campaign reflects National Broadband Ireland’s strategic approach to transform Ireland’s broadband landscape. The plan is to deliver quality, affordable high-speed broadband throughout Ireland including areas where such services are not available commercially.

Commenting on the campaign, TJ Malone, Chief Executive Officer at National Broadband Ireland said: 

“There has never been a more appropriate time to introduce high speed fibre broadband in rural Ireland. During the pandemic, many families were forced to rely on their internet connection to complete daily tasks such as working remotely, home schooling and other daily roles. Remote and hybrid working is still a factor to consider for homes and businesses meaning high-speed fibre broadband is still a requirement in these rural areas. At National Broadband Ireland, we are committed to connecting families, homes and businesses to the network throughout the country.”

JOBY and Casey Neistat Raise the Volume with the Ultimate Creator Contest that Showcases the Wavo PRO Mic

JOBY, the go-to brand for content creator gear, announces its collaboration with the multimillion-subscriber YouTube personality and vlogging godfather, Casey Neistat, to shine a light on the JOBY Wavo PRO shotgun microphone. The new go-to, on-camera mic built for storytellers, filmmakers and expert content creators combines broadcast-level audio performance with superior voice intelligibility.

JOBY, being a brand that stands for creators, teamed up with world renowned content creator Casey Neistat to launch the contest of a lifetime. The competition gives the next generation of storytellers around the globe the chance to achieve their dream of becoming the next top creator, thanks to the top prize being not only the chance to co-create a video with the one and only Neistat, but to have it featured on his YouTube channel.

During the contest, running from September 15th to October 17th across the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and India, JOBY and Casey will invite the community to share their most creative and original video ever realized. The mechanics to participate are designed to reflect JOBY’s iconic simplicity: just a few simple steps to great creator possibility!  

 

  • Step 1: Creators simply fill out a form via the contest landing page or JOBY social media channels
  • Step 2: Submit a link to their most creative and original video ever created
  • Step 3: Follow @JOBYinc on Instagram to stay up to date.   
  • Step 4: Win endless prizes and the chance to co-create with Neistat

 

The top 5 winners will celebrate with an all-inclusive trip to a secret location in the United States for the ultimate creator experience: working alongside Casey to create a video with Wavo PRO and all its features. The video will be featured on Neistat’s YouTube page on November 23rd, reaching his current 12.4 million subscribers. To further connect creators with JOBY products, the next best 95 creators will win $100K worth of products and discounts to help them upgrade their content creation.

However, the prizes don’t stop there: together with the 100 winners that will be announced on October 28th, JOBY will extract an additional four bonus winners for five consecutive Wednesdays, starting September 19th, for weekly prizes in order to help creators to level up their content right away. 

As a brand, JOBY has always supported creators in uplifting their creativity thanks to the development of quality products that simplify workflow, make delivering content easy and ensure fun along the way. JOBY’s ‘born by listening to creators’ mantra, developed in the 2020 Song of Us Campaign, was equally leveraged in the newest JOBY Wavo mic lineup, enabling JOBY to further connect with its global community.

The flagship product of the JOBY Wavo lineup, released in January 2022, Wavo PRO, is the ultimate professional on-camera microphone for creators and filmmakers. The new audio range provides creators like Neistat with crisper and clearer sound for pro-level content. 

The Wavo PRO is packed with features like Active Noise Reduction for clearer sound, built-in LEDs that monitor battery and audio levels in real-time, a second built-in mi input and more. The Wavo PRO is designed to equip creators like Neistat with top-notch quality gear for amazing content. Through the contest, JOBY aims to reach a wider creator audience, helping to uplift their content creator potential.  

Beyond the flagship Wavo PRO, JOBY has microphones that can be used in a variety of scenarios by all creators – whether just starting out or already established. 

  • The Wavo PRO DS is the perfect companion for those just starting out.   This shotgun microphone shares most of the pro-grade components of the flagship Wavo PRO, but is designed to deliver high-quality audio with a more streamlined user experience. 
  • The Wavo AIR is an ‘instant-pairing’ wireless microphone kit designed for creators who need freedom in front of the camera. From food vloggers to virtual fitness instructors, Wavo AIR is perfect for delivering tight, broadcast-quality sound – even at a distance. 
  • Wavo POD is JOBY’s large-diaphragm, USB condenser microphone for audio streamers. The mic is designed for the everyday podcaster or game streamer, featuring the versatility of both cardioid and omnidirectional pickup patterns with 24bit/48kHz high-res sampling rates. 
  • The Wavo Lav PRO is a pro-grade lavalier mic designed for big sound with a small footprint. The Wavo Lav PRO introduces a high-quality lavalier microphone with discreet capsule dimensions and sound fit for the Wavo PRO.
  • More microphones set to come this year, so stay tuned!
  • To learn more about the competition and JOBY check out the campaign, now live. 

Jabra introduces unique AI software for improving customer and agent experience in contact centres

Jabra, a leader in personal sound, video and office solutions, is launching a new Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, Engage AI. Engineered to transform contact centre call experiences, the solution employs Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that provides real-time insights to improve customer calls and support employee wellbeing.  

The launch comes on the back of Jabra’s findings on how 76% of customers who contact customer service do so over the phone and how voice interaction remains the preferred channel for customers. With customer experience being a key performance indicator for businesses, Engage AI is built to journey with agents to improve customer satisfaction through monitoring elements like tone of voice. 

Using real-time insights to transform call experiences 

Engage AI assesses both the caller and agents’ conversation and levels of engagement. The solution, which works well with most contact centre systems, provides an instant measurement of the customer experience and live coaching on how to manage the given situation. When agents deliver a friendly and energetic voice, it demonstrably improves customer satisfaction and conversion rates, and reduces call length, thereby saving costs. 

Such real-time insights allow agents to adjust their approach during calls immediately to better suit the caller’s needs as well as post-call in the form of engagement scores to understand areas of improvement. The engagement score and data can also be integrated into existing analytics platforms via API.  

Bringing teams together with upskilling opportunities 

The SaaS solution comes with tools to support skill development and improve team management. Contact centre agents can get access to self-coaching assessments and performance evaluations which are strength-based, inclusive and personalised for each agent and team.  

Contact centre supervisors can also gain instantaneous actionable insights into their team’s performance to further improve customer experience on an individual and team level. On top of receiving real-time updates on praiseworthy and coachable moments, supervisors can use the platform to monitor employee wellbeing based on real-time event updates and dashboards with call analytics and data.  

“Our partners in the contact centre space are obsessed with their customers and are constantly seeking ways to enhance the customer experience. At Jabra, we believe in getting it right from the first second and see the value in improving conversation qualities,” said Anders Hvelplund, SVP for Call Centric Solutions at Jabra. “Engage AI has cracked the code of human sentiment, enabling agents to react instantly and be the best version of themselves. We are also keen to use the platform to bring supervisors and agents closer together in this era of remote working and create more opportunities for coaching.  

The AI model is based on over 20 years of research and millions of analysed conversations by the world’s most prolific voice AI scientists at audEERING, a Munich-based technology operation.  

Jabra Engage AI is easy to implement as it works across all dialects and languages. It is ideal with Jabra Engage headsets, which enable additional features such as measuring background noise, but works well with all professional headsets.  

Jabra Engage AI will be available from September 15. Find out more here: jabra.co.uk/engageai