Author: Jim O Brien/CEO

CEO and expert in transport and Mobile tech. A fan 20 years, mobile consultant, Nokia Mobile expert, Former Nokia/Microsoft VIP,Multiple forum tech supporter with worldwide top ranking,Working in the background on mobile technology, Weekly radio show, Featured on the RTE consumer show, Cavan TV and on TRT WORLD. Award winning Technology reviewer and blogger. Security and logisitcs Professional.

Review – The all new @WatchOvers Assure GPS watch phone review. #Kids #GPS #Tech

This is the second installment from the Irish company and we have spend a few days testing it out.. It does what it says on the tin..

First up its much cheaper than the previous offering which will suit more peoples pockets and again its trimmed down from the bulky version so we are off to a good start and once again presentation is excellent which is an important factor on any prodcut in my opinion.So lets check out the contents and how its presented first..

 

Inside of course is our Micro USB to USB cable for charging and a handy booklet that will guide you on setting up the device which takes a few minutes and once this is sdone its easy from here on in.. Check out the unboxing below for more details on the watch as we take a walk around the device itself….

 

 

There is some dofferences between new and old and all for the better which is highlighted below…

 

  • Location data is sent every 1 minute instead of every 20 minutes which along with its location algorithm, improves the location and the Geo-fencing.
  • The watch has a sim card slot on the side. It would be supplied with a sim card fitted but the customers have the option to use their own sim.
  • It is slim at only 13mm so fits better under a shirt sleeve and looks more like an ordinary digital watch.
  • The strap is longer, which is better to also suit elderly wearers.
  • Multi repeat alarms in the app will allow for setting several watch alarms per day for reminders for elderly to take medicine and other similar uses.
  • There are also additional features such as silent mode for during school hours, remotely power on and off, voice messaging, shake 2 watches together for kids to share voice message contacts, allowing kids to send voice messages to each other.

 

 

You will need to firstly charge up the unit,download the app then register this is simple and take little time so ensure all this has been completed there is an app for both Android and iOS Platforms so anyone sporting other devices such as Windows Phone can turn away right now and due to the market share its completly understandable…

 

The app itself is simple to navigate through with a simple UI with the abilitiy to leave messages, track your childs movements set geofence parametres its got all you need should something happen and the from the childs side of things its a simple press to call the important contact required if there is a time in need, Quality on voice is also excellent from the device as my child had quite alot of fun ringing me and showing off to her freinds in school and parents and teachers alike where impressed on how simple this works and how the watch is more on the discreet side not shouting out that it is more than just a timepiece..

 

 

The watch for me has two geofence parametres set one for home and school and one for a releation where she would often stay with so i based my judgement on these settings all worked fine and anytime something went wrong ie,going outside a set zone I was notifed The ability to leave your child a message is also excellent but fear not about the constant calls from your child as over time the novelty will wear off,but my child still loves it and feels secure with it and I feel secure with her having it on,The only caveat here though is another item to charge in the house as for me personally I have lots of devices on charge all day and plugs are taken up everywhere but it just me and because of What I do for living.

 

 

 

There is however a cost obviously to have the watch run due to having data and calls however this is not an expensive price to pay if it gives you the added protection for your child looking at the costs its nothing really and somethng I would not gripe about even though you would need to sign up a new contract which in fairness is not alot these days and for the needs of this watch Our Watch came with a Spanish Sim but you can use your own if like or buy a prepay sim,these needs will vary by person bit again as mentioned its not much to consider…

Going forward I think their next model should be touch based and perhaps two sizes available kids just like adults come in all shapes and sizes and in my own case and like several others in her class she is on the small size,other than that this is an excellent product well thought out. Battery life though varies an it does need to be charged daily which is annoying but so does most smartwatches today. There is also good technical support should you run into issues with these guys so thats a big bonus rather than fend for yourself….

The product is not only specific for kids this is also a fantastic idea for eldelry people to have so keeo that in mind. If you have any questions about this feel free to ask ….

Note.. You can buy a sim direct from the company or get your own either is at an additonal cost to the owner.

BUY HERE

Blackboard Ally Helps Make Course Content More Accessible for Students. #Blackboard #Ally 

Blackboard Inc., a leading education technology company for teaching, learning and student engagement, has announced general availability of Blackboard Ally, its accessibility solution that helps make course content more accessible for all learners.  

Blackboard Ally integrates with an institution’s existing learning management system (LMS) and automatically runs course materials through an accessibility checklist that looks for common accessibility issues. The solution generates a range of more accessible alternatives for the instructor’s original content including Semantic HTML, audio, ePub, and electronic Braille. It provides educators with guidance for improving accessibility of their course materials, while also supplying reporting on the current state of content accessibility at both the course and institutional level. Over 30 institutions are already using the solution to help make content more accessible for their students.

“We recognize that providing access to accessible content can be a significant challenge for both instructors and institutions,” said Nicolaas Matthijs, Product Manager of Blackboard Ally. “The goal with Blackboard Ally is to increase awareness of course content accessibility and provide support for teaching students of all learning styles and abilities.”

As a part of Blackboard’s commitment to accessibility, it will make Blackboard Ally available in all major LMS platforms. The solution is currently available in the latest release of Blackboard Learn with the Original experience, as well as Canvas. It will also be available in the MoodleRooms 3.2 release later this year, as well as additional platforms in the future. 

In addition, to mark the sixth Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Blackboard hosted a series of free global webinars covering trending topics on digital access in education presented by its accessibility experts and leading academics. 

Irish Digital Agency #Engage announce new partnership with Avensia Storefront. 

Avensia Storefront welcomes Engage as a new implementation partner.

Providing out-of-box ecommerce solution for Microsoft Dynamics AX.


Engage, one of the UK and Ireland’s leading ecommerce digital agencies has just announced it will complement its product offerings with a strategic partnership with Avensia Storefront to provide an out-of-box ecommerce solution for Microsoft Dynamics AX and Dynamics 365. The solution enables retailers, manufacturers or anyone selling online the ability to monitor and control customer interactions through the purchase cycle and costs 40% less than similar solutions.


In addition to offering the only content management and ecommerce platform featured in both the Gartner Magic Quadrants for Digital Commerce and Web Content Management (Episerver), Engage will now add Avensia Storefront to provide a complete offering for Microsoft Dynamics AX and Dynamics 365users, which combines Episerver’s CMS and ecommerce platform, with Microsoft Dynamics’ end-to-end omni-channel retail system.  





“The power of Avensia Storefront along with Engage’s strengths in ecommerce-focused web design and development and complex integrations are a great match. Our partnership with Engage provides a great opportunity to bring our scalable, cost-efficient solution to more Dynamics AX customers across the UK and Ireland,” says Jörgen Bertilsson, VP Global Business Development at Avensia.


Working with Engage, an Episerver Premium Solution Partner, ecommerce companies can quickly and easily implement Avensia Storefront. Engage offers Storefront users not only deep technical expertise in the Microsoft stack, but also strategic guidance in user experience and digital strategy to enable retailers to sell more with an authentic ecommerce story.

“Our partnership with Avensia allows us to bring an industry-leading ecommerce solution to UK and Ireland based Dynamics AX users. We’re excited to help expand the Storefront customer base and to share our experiences around digital strategy and Episerver development with these Dynamics AX customers,” said Stephen Leathem, Commercial Director of Engage.

Unboxing – Jabra Speak 710 Premium portable speakerphone #Jabra #JabraSpeak710 #Tech

The good guys at Jabra have just sent us over the all new Jabra Speak 710 Premium portable speakerphone. On first impressions I am very impressed but the fact that you can link two together just makes the experince even better and the sound quality is quite amazing..

The product itself is very robust,has a really cool design and when you turn it on it looks like a spaceship,this is not a bad thing and the effects look really great when the speaker comes to life you will understand more when you see it in action below in the video..

We just took a quick look at the speaker itself and a quick demo of what it has to offer and if you have any questions in the meantime whislt we take some time to review it feel free to ask below or get me on social which is all linked on the top right or down the left sidebar..

See more about the Jabra Speak 710 right HERE 

 

 

Specs rundown..

  • Jabra Speak 710 – Jabra Link 370 USB adapter – Quick Start Guide – Neoprene pouch – Warranty leaflet
  • Speakerphone weight
    298 g
  • Connectivity
    USB 2.0 & Bluetooth® – USB cord ~ 100 cm
  • Certifications
    Microsoft (Skype for Business)
    Cisco (Cisco 7800 series, Cisco 8800 series, Cisco Jabber, Cisco VXME eLux – HP ThinPro – SUSE, DX series)
    Avaya (Avaya Communicator, Avaya One-X Agent, Avaya One-X Communicator)
    Mitel (Mitel 68XX series, BluStar, MiVoice)
    Unify (Unify OpenScape series)
    Alcatel-Lucent (ALU Open Touch 8xxx, ALU OpenTouch Conversation, ALU PIMphony, IP Desktop Softphone)
    Citrix (HDX RealTime Optimisation Pack)
  • Bluetooth® standard
    Bluetooth® 4.2 – Bluetooth® Low Energy (BTLE)
  • Bluetooth Core
    Class 1, Version 4.0, HFP 1.6, HSP 1.2, A2DP
  • Wireless range
    Up to 30 m
  • Paired devices
    Personal use up to 8 & shared use up to 900
  • Supported Bluetooth® profiles
    Headset profile v1.2 , hands free profile v1.6, A2DP v1.2, AVRCP v1.5
  • PC USB Bluetooth dongle (Jabra Link 370)
    USB BT audio device/HID dongle. Bluetooth® 4.2 – Bluetooth® Low Energy (BTLE)
  • Peak output power
    10 watt
  • Charging Interface
    Micro USB
  • Microphone Type
    Omni-directional
  • Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)
    +70 dB
  • Talk-time
    Up to 15 hours
  • Charging power & time
    USB 5 V/500 mA – Charging time 3 h
  • Standby time
    Power safe after 15 min/Standby 480 days

Review – Ghostek waterproof wireless earblade headphones. #Headphones #Bluetooth

With an unsual shape and different from the norm our friends at mobile fun have sent these in for testing and we will check them out and tell you what we thought about them..

Simple and sleek you could say with an unusal look on the ears but futursitic one might say the Ghostek come packaged in a simple manner,nothing to extravogant nor nothing undesribale sure most of discard of the packaging anyway but here is what to expect when you get it delivered….. Contents included….

 

 

The Main Features 

Ghostek’s EarBlade’s Amazing Sound Lets You Listen To Your Beats While Working Out
IP66 Water Resistant Lets You Run & Sweat As Much As You Want Without Skipping a Beat
The Ghostek EarBlade’s Come With Bluetooth 4.1 Technology Which Provides Crisp Clear Sound
Connect the EarBlade’s to Virtually Any Bluetooth Enabled Device from A Distance of 30-Feet
The Ear Hook Is Flexible & Curves to Your Ear to Sit Comfortably & Securely
EarBlade’s Have an Aerodynamic Design to Reduce the Drag on Your Performance
Easily Control the Volume of Your Calls & Music, Answer & End Calls, Hold or Reject Calls, Switch Songs or Call Waiting All From the EarBlades without Touching Your Device
1-Year Limited Exchange Warranty Direct from Ghostek

 

 

 

Looks..

They look odd if im honest but futuristic to an extent something in the lines of star trek and thats not a bad thing and again its something different than whats considered the norm so for me thats fine I like different things to what others have and not be part of a particular fan brigade…

 

 

Comfort.

They are comofrtable like any headphone similar and also compact and can be easily tucked away in a shirt pocket for exapmle or even your trousers or whatever you wear thats if you dont fancy them danlgling around your neck whislt not in use after some time wering them you will actually forget they are there but I am not the type to like something around my neck for a long period of time but as I said you would over time forgt about them and probably wonder where they are and have that blonde moment after rooting around and there they are …. You get two sets of ear tips to suit your ears and one comes fitted ,I however am not a fan of these but felt comfortable enough with these on and using the smaller sized tips.

Controls

Minimal and simple what more do you need. All buttons placed on one side which is the right side with two small buttons to navigate volume,calls and tracks its easy to get the idea of how this works and again like most present similar headsets on the market..There is Micro USB charging and again on the same side at the end of the earpiece which is nicely discreet and has a good closure on the flap to keep it sealed. There is also an indicator light on the same side which shows charge and power status…

 

 

 

Sound quality 

Not bad but not loud for me however as most know Im the one that likes it loud even though its probably not the best thing for my ears but overall the sound is fine crisp and clear and for the average person you will be perfectly fine but the real audiophiles would notice the lack of whoomp in them, Given I have around 20 pairs of headphones/earphones I found them on the low side but this does not qualify me as an audio expert neither..

 

Build quality

They are tough I will giveem that, Flexible,robust and do not foroget waterproof.. These will take a hammering in fact and are well made all round ,they are sealed pretty good and are light and very maliable they can twist and turn no matter what way you like and remain solid…..

 

Overall for the money you will get a decent waterproof pair of headphones that look different to the norm so I would not be complaining if I had them bought as a gift or if you wanted a spare pair lying aorund they do the job,stand out and are now priced well at €48 at the time of review..

BUY HERE   

 

 

The 6 steps you can take to protect against harmful hackers. #WannaCry #Ransomware #Hacking

Since it first struck on Friday May 12th, the WannaCry ransomware attack has spread to more than 150 countries worldwide, with upwards of 10,000 organisations and 200,000 people directly affected. Ransomware involves hackers capturing crucial files and demanding the payment of a sum of money by a set date for the resumption of access to the files. If the user doesn’t produce the predetermined money on time, they are threatened with permanent deletion of the files. It’s an unenviable situation, to put it mildly.Bitcoin seems to be the thing though but overall we need to be more savvy and be on the look out..

 

Our friends over at http://www.exigentnetworks.ie/solutions/ip-telephony/  have sent this uselful infographic over for you to check out. Enjoy….

 

Meteor launches Wi-Fi calling but you are limited by handset. #Wifi #Calls #Meteor

WiFi Calling lets you use your smartphone to call and text over any WiFi connection which to be fair at most times is brutal well in my case anyway however if you are in a good environment with decent WiFi and brutal data this is your answer ,there is a catch though you are limited to the service by certain handsets. Yip there is a caveat already…. Also you need to be on selected plans..

 

As Meteor is part of the eir family, you can now enjoy new WiFi Calling, exclusively from eir on selected smartphones. Our way of saying thanks for being with Meteor!

 

 

The plans you need to be on and devices required are listed here below to avail of the service which will be quite handy….

 

  • Android – Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge and S8 all support WiFi Calling.
  • IOS – Apple IPhone 5C and above including IPhone SE all support WiFi Calling.

 

 

 

 

 

  • SIM Only Lite
  • SIM Only Regular 4G
  • SIM Only Super 4G
  • SIM Only Super Deluxe 4G
  • Smartphone Lite
  • Smartphone Regular 4G
  • Smartphone Super 4G
  • Smartphone Super Deluxe 4G
  • SIMO Regular Extra 10GB 4G
  • SIMO Super Deluxe Extra 30GB 4G
  • SIMO Super Extra 15GB 4G
  • SIM Only Regular Extra 4G
  • SIM Only Super Deluxe Extra 4G
  • SIM Only Super Extra 4G
  • Smartphone Regular Extra 4G
  • Smartphone Super Deluxe Extra 4G
  • Smartphone Super Extra 4G

 

For more info read over HERE   

 

 

Mediahawk Launches International Call Tracking Solution. #ROI #SEO #tracking

Businesses can now calculate how many sales are driven overseas and achieve a global marketing ROI

 

The UK’s leading call tracking software provider has launched an international call tracking solution allowing businesses to monitor calls and optimise marketing activity on a global scale.

Mediahawk’s brand new international tracked telephone numbers are available as both online dynamic phone numbers and offline static numbers, making it possible to determine which SEO activity, PPC ads, Social Media placement and offline marketing are performing worldwide.

The software works by matching a website visitor’s location to a tracking number, for example – a visitor in Germany will see a German number in the same way a UK visitor sees a UK number. So if your business has an international customer base, you’ll finally be able to answer crucial questions like: which phone leads are generating sales, which of my online campaigns are delivering desired call conversion rates, and what online behaviours lead to a call; with data attributed from the caller’s location.

 

 

 

Telephone call data can be monitored centrally or can be integrated with popular platforms like Google Analytics, SalesForce and other CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools to pinpoint exactly which marketing channel or search term is generating calls, the web pages callers are viewing before, during and after a call and businesses can identify precise sales volumes and calculate how much revenue has been generated on a globally.

This sales conversion information can quickly establish the value of inbound calls from abroad and assist in making more informed decisions on marketing spend and where to target or optimise activity. Additionally, the specific campaign tagging functionality can help businesses get even more granular with their attribution to truly establish call value from specific campaigns, not just overall channel revenue.

Speaking on the value of using international dynamic numbers, Mediahawk’s CEO Michael Morrell says: “If you have a business with a known international customer base purchasing from you in the UK, this will finally answer those questions about ROI from your website and wider online marketing which have previously been difficult to obtain without correct global tracking.”

Garmin – Dash Cam 65W arrives with a 180-degree field of view! #Garmin #Dashcams

Dashcams should be a standard in motoring today yet it is not and with the ongoing issue of insurance costs as I have mentioned before these can and will save you hassle should an incident arise not only that having a Daschcam installed in your vehicle can often capture moments you would never get on the fly with your camera or mobile phone such as weather events and other strange things you might often see on the road.

 

 

 

The Dash Cam 65W, its newest dash cam model capable of capturing an exceptional 180-wide-angle field of view to expand the scope of its high-quality 1080p video recording capability. The increased field of view allows drivers to capture even more details from the vehicle’s surroundings such as traffic congestions, road construction and more. The Dash Cam 65W’s wide angle ultimately enhances the way video is captured, shared and viewed. Sleek and compact, the Dash Cam 65W boasts a number of established features found across the Garmin Dash Cam series, including voice control, advanced driver awareness features like red light and speed camera alerts1, and forward collision and lane departure warnings2 to encourage safer driving A camera-assisted sensor known as the “Go” alert is also built into the Dash Cam 65W to notify drivers when traffic ahead of their vehicle begins to move.

 

“The new 180-degree field-of-view allows the Dash Cam 65W to capture moments – like cross traffic details – that can often be missed with other dash cams,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of global consumer sales. “Coupled with the ability to help increase a driver’s sense of awareness while recording high-quality footage on the road, it makes great sense for a customer to integrate the Dash Cam 65W into their daily drive.”

 

As soon as the Dash Cam 65W is plugged in, the device automatically begins to record high quality eyewitness video footage in 1080p, or 720p with a 2.0-inch LCD display screen and a 2.1 megapixel camera. The automatic incident detection (G-sensor) allows the Dash Cam 65W to save footage on impact, while also adding GPS capabilities for detailed time and location data. The dash cam also offers a parking mode option (cable sold separately) that feeds constant power to the device when the vehicle is parked and turned off, and automatically begins recording surroundings when motion is detected.

 

 

 

 

The inclusion of voice control enables drivers to speak out commands to the new dash cam to start and stop audio recordings, take still pictures, and save videos. Customers can even speak out commands such as, “OK Garmin, start Travelapse — a video capture feature that compresses hours of video footage into minutes of highlights. When drivers download the free VIRB mobile app to a compatible smartphone, drivers can use the Dash Cam 65W’s built-in Wi-Fi to wirelessly sync their recorded videos and automatically share them with friends, family or insurance agencies. For video storage, the Dash Cam 65W includes a 8GB microSD card and can accept replaceable memory cards (Class 10 required) of up to 64GB.

 

The Garmin Dash Cam 65W is expected to be available in June with a suggested retail price of £199 / €249.99. For more information, visit www.garmin.com/DashCam.

We will be putting one through its pace in the coming weeks so stay tuned for that…

The Garmin Dash Cam 65W is the latest from the consumer automotive and camera segment of Garmin, the leading worldwide provider of portable navigation devices for automobiles, motorcycles and trucks. The company’s user-friendly navigation and action camera solutions have innovative features that provide time- and fuel-saving benefits to meet the demands of everyday driving and outdoor living.