Month: May 2024

Dell Technologies helps ignite Irish start-up growth with inaugural Powering AI event

Dell Technologies hosted the inaugural Powering AI event in Dublin this week bringing together leaders from across Ireland’s start-up and scale-up community to explore the key ingredients needed to power their AI journey and unlock new growth opportunities.

Held in partnership with Scale Ireland over 50 founders, industry leaders and AI experts came together at the Digital Hub in Dublin to discuss the opportunities presented by Generative AI (GenAI) and the obstacles they need to overcome to embrace this technology in their organisation.

The first Powering AI event featured a number of speakers including Catherine Doyle, Managing Director, Dell Technologies in Ireland; Brian Caufield, Chair, Scale Ireland, Dr. Patricia Scanlon, Ireland’s AI Ambassador & Chair of AI Advisory Council; Dr. Paul Byrnes, CEO, Mavarick; Andreea Wade, VP & Product Strategy at iCIMS, and Ivor Buckley, Field CTO at Dell Technologies Ireland.

This comes as Dell Technologies unveiled its Innovation Catalysts Study which revealed that 75% of organisations in Ireland have begun implementing Generative AI. 47% cite GenAI’s transformative potential to enhance the customer experience while 42% believe it has significant potential to unlock productivity. However, 95% are experiencing data management challenges as they look to adopt GenAI.

Highlighting the significance of the inaugural gathering Catherine Doyle, Managing Director at Dell Technologies in Ireland said: “As the clear leader in computing and storage, Dell is helping to power AI for businesses and organisations across Ireland. That’s why we’re delighted to host the inaugural Powering AI event which is focused on how GenAI can enable Ireland’s vibrant start-up community to grow and scale-up their success.

 “Due to their agility and the fact many were born in the Cloud, start-ups and scale-ups are uniquely positioned to adopt GenAI at speed. By bringing together industry leaders, AI experts and founders, we can highlight the ingredients that will power the AI journey of our thriving start-up community and ensure in time that they can compete internationally.”

Tech Review – Shure AONIC 50 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones Gen 2

The Shure AONIC 50 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones Gen 2 have been on my bonce the last few weeks and is their latest cans on offer and as promised we will doing more headphone reviews over earbuds but keeping the pace going on both.

Presentation to begin with is excellent here as seen below in the unboxing a review and you get nicely laid out instructions in the box and lots of detail on the box which is not cheaply made, you also get a hard case for travelling and storing away when not in use and you should use this by the way to get more longevity out of them

The build quality is top notch here with plus ear cups and headband which makes for comfortable listening for hours which is nice, the top of the headband has a leather finish giving them a premium look.

The controls are all on one side and you have all the requirements needed here by the usual combination of taps which are as follows.

Check battery level – Double Press power button

Play and Pause – Press center button

Skip track – Double press centre

Reverse Track –  Triple press center ( I feel these would have been better placed on the volume keys with a long press)

Volume – Volume up/down key press once.

Voice Assistant – Again sees you pressing the center button.  So effectively the center button is an MFB ( Multifunctional Button)

The sound

There is three modes to start with and you should check these out.

  • Music Mode: enables users to experience listening through high-end speakers and is the most subtle, maintaining the original source material.

  • Cinema Mode: emulates the low frequency excitement that users experience in a theatre that employs subwoofers for an immersive, larger-than-life sound through clarity, presence, and natural sounding dialogue.

  • Podcast Mode: brings the voice of a user’s favourite podcast host closer to their ears.

Unlike some earbuds or headphones there is a notable difference here between these and this again is subjective to one’s audio taste but for me these work well and are excellent and give you all angles to get a feel for how audio works if you have not tried such before. Also in the app as you can see in the screenshots you can pick between the EQ settings, again a must have and you must try this it is again yes you guessed, excellent.

 

ShurePlus PLAY App 

 

Additional Features and Benefits:

  • Enhanced Environment Mode: Immerse yourself in the outside world with a simple switch. The adjustable slider on the ShurePlus™ PLAY app lets you refine the ambience settings to your liking.

  • Extended Battery Life: Holds up to 45 hours of battery life with quick charging capabilities, more than doubling runtime from the earlier generation. The quick charge feature provides up to five hours of use with only 15 minutes of charge.

  • Customizable EQ: Choose from a variety of presets or create your own personalized sound profile using the ShurePlus™ PLAY app. Save your settings directly to the headphones for a seamless and personalized audio experience across different apps and devices.

  • Crystal Clear Communication: Experience superior call quality with beamforming microphone technology and proprietary automatic gain control (AGC) settings. Leveraging six microphones, the precision-engineered system adjusts automatically to minimize surrounding noises, providing unmatched clarity for video calls and phone conversations.

  • Cutting-Edge Bluetooth® 5 Wireless Technology: Seamlessly connect to your phone, tablet, or laptop with the class one transmitter, offering enhanced stability and a remarkable range of up to 100 meters.

  • Premium Headphone Amplifier: Enjoy support for Snapdragon Sound™ with Qualcomm® aptX™ Adaptive technology for high-res music streaming, and AAC, SBC, and LDAC codecs.

Overall these are the best yet I have tried from Shure when it comes to headphones and their app is also excellent giving them more justification for their high price they are comfortable to wear for long periods of time and when it comes to the audio experience you have more than enough at your fingertips to get the desired audio experience you need and it is a joy to wear them and block out the outside world.

BUY

Video review

Feel the force with digitally enabled sensor technology

To help engineers working in production and assembly lines – or those handling test challenges that require measurements of tensile/compressive forces in confined spaces – HBK has released is U93A, an easy to mount miniature force sensor with the option of digital and analogue interfaces.

The U93A is available as traditional passive mV/V sensor or users can order the force transducer with different hardwired amplifier modules. Models with 0–10V or 4–20 mA are available, as well as a digital module with IO–Link interface.

IO–Link is an established and standardised interface, allowing the integration of HBK force sensors into any PLC system in a cost effective and time saving manner. As with all HBK smart sensors, the IO–Link version comes with many beneficial features such as the sensor health warning, which enables the sensor to compare conditions concerning temperature and force introduced within the limits of the sensor. When limits are exceeded, the sensor sends a warning to prevent failure. Limit switches, filter or digital outputs are included as well, helping to solve typical challenges in the world of production and assembly.

Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS) and various practical cable lengths are also an option, as well ready-mounted plugs for HBK instruments. This allows users to easily expand their testing capabilities – and the configurations offered means the sensor can also be integrated  as a part of a machine or in an assembly line.

The robust sensor is IP68 rated, rust-free, has cables resistant to most operating substances (oils, cleaning agents, etc), and is suitable for use in drag chains, making it ideal for laboratory based tests and tough environments, such vehicle engines, outside measurements or moving machinery parts.

This miniature sensor has been tested in an electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) laboratory according to IEC standards, shock and vibration test – and is also compliant with international standards. Despite its specialised, compact construction, it remains extremely resistant to lateral forces and bending moments.

U93A is the successor of the established U93, with many improvements: it operates to HBK accuracy class 0.2, instead of the previous 0.5, providing the user with precision measurements. It has excellent temperature characteristics, low hysteresis and a small linearity error.

More information about HBK’s U93A smart sensor is available here: U93A Miniature Force Transducer with IO-Link | HBM

Shure Debuts Nexadyne Dynamic Vocal Microphones with Groundbreaking New Revonic Technology

 Today, Shure has introduced a new era of vocal precision: the Nexadyne dynamic microphone platform with Shure Revonic Dual Transducer Technology.

Available now in cardioid and supercardioid polar patterns, Nexadyne vocal microphones achieve state-of-the-art polar pattern consistency, unparalleled noise reduction, and best-in-class professional touring performance, so sound engineers and performers can confidently provide front-row vocal clarity to every corner of the venue, every time.

“Nexadyne is the next chapter of Shure’s storied history as the leader and innovator in dynamic microphone technology,” shared Nick Wood, Senior Director, Professional Audio Products, at Shure. “With built-in acoustic signal processing, the Nexadyne platform ushers in a new era of modern live performance that engineers and vocalists can trust on stage night after night.”

VIVID, EFFORTLESS CLARITY WITH REVONIC™ TECHNOLOGY

To deliver these revolutionary benefits, the Nexadyne platform is built on Shure’s patented, groundbreaking Revonic Dual Transducer Technology. This meticulously implemented technology minimises the amount of time and effort required by sound engineers to make performers’ live vocals sound exceptional and cut through the mix.

Most dynamic microphones are designed with only one transducer, the part of the microphone that converts sound into an electrical signal. Breaking from the mould, Shure’s innovative Revonic Technology implements two precisely matched transducers.

These transducers work together to provide a greater range of acoustic optimisation, maximising specific frequencies and minimising unwanted noise, especially handling noise and mechanical vibration. This built-in signal processing delivers a stronger output than traditional single transducer designs, while subsequently removing the need for a traditional pneumatic shock mount and time-consuming, corrective audio editing.

BUILT-IN RELIABILITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE   

Implementing the benefits of perfectly matched transducers requires thorough attention to detail throughout the manufacturing process. By maintaining and surpassing the highest, stage-tested standards for every Nexadyne microphone, Shure has guaranteed optimum manufacturability for consistent performance.

As the leader in handheld microphones and a pioneer in dynamic microphone technology, Shure continues to set the standard for vocal reproduction and industry-leading build quality with the introduction of Nexadyne and Revonic Technology.

EMPOWERING A NEW ERA OF PRECISION FOR VOCALISTS AND SOUND ENGINEERS

With Nexadyne premium vocal microphones, performers and sound engineers can be confident the entire audience will hear an acoustically honest representation of their performance with vivid clarity.

Vocalists using Nexadyne vocal microphones will immediately experience greater clarity and range of detail, which enables more control of vocal nuance and less time either holding back or pushing the voice too hard, no matter the size of the venue.

For engineers, Nexadyne vocal microphones achieve improved signal quality, delivering a clearer source signal to work with during the mixing process. The higher output of the microphone ensures engineers can accurately reproduce and balance the performer’s vocals in the overall mix with significantly less corrective audio processing.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

Nexadyne dynamic vocal XLR microphones and wireless capsules are available now for £329 / €379 / $299 (US) in both cardioid (NXN8/C) and supercardioid (NXN8/S) polar patterns on Shure.com and at select retailers. Nexadyne capsules will be available bundled with Shure’s industry-leading digital wireless ecosystems starting this summer, including Axient Digital, ULX-D, QLX-D, and SLX-D.