Leading real hands on tech review site in Ireland with technology, business news and more. Jim O Brien Tech.
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.
London based entrepreneur Bogdan Coman, has just launched Woogie, the voice activated robot which uses AI to give kids a personalised learning experience. Woogie is making edtech affordable (costing £76.70), without needing a screen to keep kids engaged. This is at a good pricepoint considering gping forward AI and VR/AR are things these days and costing big money and systems to run them however their pace has slowed down with more of a focus now on AI..
Woogie, a new artificially intelligent robot that helps enhance a child’s after-school learning, has just launched on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. The device introduces children to technology in a safe and informative way without the need for LCD screens, whilst letting parents monitor and control the content their child can access in a discreet and reliable manner.
“As a parent myself I know how difficult after-school learning can be for both children and parents,” said Bogdan Coman, founder and CEO of Woogie. “Little has been done to develop a more entertaining and wholesome learning approach that children can enjoy and benefit from. Meanwhile children’s screen time continues to increase with no safe alternative for parents. This is why I founded Woogie. I wanted a better and more engaging way for my children to learn in today’s world.”
Woogie is a voice-activated robot that sits in a child’s room to act as their personalised learning companion. Woogie accesses a curated bank of digital content, both educational and general knowledge, to ask and respond to any child’s question; from “Why did the dinosaurs disappear?” to “Why do I need to eat broccoli?”
To create the best possible learning experience, Woogie has been developed with educators, psychologists, parents and children. Using artificial intelligence Woogie learns from one-to-one interactions to offer a unique user experience tailored to each child’s habits and interests. He then proactively delivers knowledge and content in a witty and playful way that every child can enjoy, using reverse learning to strengthen their learning.
To ensure parents are always in control of the content, the Woogie team have developed a dedicated mobile app through which parents can manage access to topics that are, and aren’t, suitable for their children. Parents can also top Woogie up with new content such as audiobooks and learning games.
Features:
Capable of proactive conversations & tailors interactions based on the child’s interests
Tells jokes, riddles and facts in a proactive and engaging way
Parents can update and curate Woogie’s content through the dedicated mobile app (Andriod & iOS).
Designed to act sleepy and less talkative, playing audiobooks or bedtime stories to get children ready for bed (Very important for parents!)
Coman has also partnered with Arrow Electronics, a global technology company, supporting Woogie from concept to market.
30 prototypes have been created and Woogie is currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo to manufacture the first production run.
The Low Carb Program from award-winning diabetes community Diabetes.co.uk is now free to download on both mobile and tablet. Over 200,000 people have already joined the program, all wanting to take their first steps towards type 2 diabetes remission. This community includes success stories such as Mark who lost 50kg and Stella who lost 35kg. On average, weight loss is 7kg per person who completes the program – with some people losing 10% of their body weight in just over 10 weeks!
An analysis of results from the Low Carb Progam have been impressive:
74% of people who have completed the 10-week program have seen an improvement in blood glucose levels
78% are motivated to maintain the changes they have made
59% have an improved outlook on life
96% of people would recommend the program
65% of users who completed the program reported that their HbA1c has improved
This is further supported with 66% of people stating their blood glucose levels after meals has improved, 64% stating their fasting blood glucose levels have improved.
The ten-week Low Carb Program http://www.diabetes.co.uk/lowcarb allows access to a whole world of low carb information that will help turn your life and health around. It is based on achievable, sustainable lifestyle changes that improve health and includes video lessons, daily updated content and the opportunity to ask questions to 200,000 others. This is experience-led lifestyle, rather than a quick fix ‘diet’ and offers support, tips, and downloads guiding users through as they make gradual steps to improving their health, losing weight and in some cases coming off medication altogether (on signing up, people are taking on average 2 medications, on finishing the program 1 in 5 people come off medication altogether).
Diabetes.co.uk was the first ever global digital community for diabetes. Medical evidence continues to grow that type 2 diabetes can be placed into remission through diet and lifestyle changes. Dr David Unwin, a Southport based GP discovered the diabetes forum a few years ago after and has since published evidence of low-carb diet benefits in his BMJ paper entitled Low carbohydrate diet to achieve weight loss and improve HbA1c in type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes: experience from one general practice. It has been reported that Dr Unwin saves his practice approximately £40,000 a year on drugs for diabetes as a result of his low carbohydrate pilot study.
Arjun Panesar, co-founder and CEO of the UK’s largest and fastest growing diabetes patient forum http://www.diabetes.co.uk said ‘The results from our Low Carb Program have been impressive and this a solution that is clearly working for people with type 2 diabetes. We’re documenting the preliminary results with healthcare savings. Once that has been created, we intend to share this with PHE/Diabetes UK for them to review the guidelines.’
Features of the Program include a constantly updated Lifestyle magazine to keep you up to date and give you handy recipes, Simple ‘Action Points’ at the end of each lesson so you know exactly how to progress and the opportunity to track your progress and personalise your profile. The week-by-week modules are as follows:
Week 1 – Introduction
Week 2 – Type 2 and Diet
Week 3 – Eating Fewer Carbs
Week 4 – Real vs Processed Foods
Week 5 – Healthy and Unhealthy Fats
Week 6 – Vegetables
Week 7 – Portion Sizes
Week 8 – Snacks and Desserts
Week 9 – Reducing Carbs Further
Case studies
“My HBA1C reduced from 77, to 55 after 3 months and 33 now after 6 months. As a result I eased off
3 x 500mg of metformin a day to now no medication.”
– Peter
‘I’ve always struggled with knowing what to eat. The low carb program has helped so much. The course modules are supported by hundreds of recipe ideas which made applying my learning nice and simple. My family liked the recipes too!’
Jack – 6 years with type 2 diabetes
‘I thought some of the questions I was asking sounded really stupid but I got answers really quickly and love how it feels like a community who are working together. This should be on the NHS’
Sohan – 2 years with prediabetes
The App
The NEW updated Low Carb Program by Diabetes.co.uk has just been launched and is available as a free app for both Android and iOS.
The Program was originally launched in 2015 as the first ever online structured 10-week Low Carb Program offering free diet and lifestyle education to people diagnosed and living with type 2 diabetes.
So far 201,403 people have downloaded the Program which shows people how to lose weight, reduce their HbA1c, become active and in some cases reverse type 2 diabetes..
The Low Carb Program app is a simple, practical and free way for people to monitor their low-carb journey and allows users to have access to the Progam at any time, in any place. Use the app to learn how to eat low carb; browse thousands of recipes and meal plans, track your progress, stay up to date and find support in a network of more than 201,403 people, all pooling their knowledge and experience to help you get on the right track, including people like Mark who lost 50kg, and Stella who lost 35kg.
The app is totally customisable and you can personalise the way you use it in the apps settings. You can rearrange the items you are keeping track of and put what you think is most important at the top of your dashboard, whether that’s your blood glucose level, your weight or how much sleep you got the night before.
The app aims to help those beginning their low-carb lifestyle to stick to their new diet and monitor their progress along the way. It encourages you to track measurements and allows you to see the interaction between different areas of your health and wellbeing giving you more information at your fingertips and more control of your new healthy lifestyle.
With the Low Carb Program you are never alone! You have the support of 201,403 other patients who are going through the same journey as you are. By making small changes each week you can revolutionise the way you handle your diabetes and in turn your life. The Low Carb Program is a maintainable lifestyle change, not a fad diet and is available to everyone around the world providing equal healthcare for all.
On average, people who complete the Low Carb Program reduce their HbA1c by an average of 1.1%, significantly reducing their risks of complications including blindness and amputation. 30% of those who complete the program come off at least one of their medications and on average, weight loss is 7.7kg and people lose 10% of their body weight!
LEARN LOW CARB: Learn the ins and outs of a low-carb lifestyle and how it helps manage diabetes and reduce risks of complications. With a few easy steps per week, it is possible to revolutionise an entire lifestyle!
APPLY LOW CARB: Action Points at the end of lessons make sure you know exactly how to progress.
LOW CARB SUPPORT: Ask your low-carb questions to a community of over 201,403 people, all on the same journey. Share support, ideas, recipes and motivation. Think of it like an extended low-carb family.
MAKE LOW CARB A LIFESTYLE: A constantly evolving, ever expanding, online magazine, Lifestyle is updated every day and helps you maintain your low-carb lifestyle by keeping you up to date with the latest low-carb news, exclusive interviews, recipes, meal plans, low-carb research and success stories.
ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS: Choose your own goals and apply what you learn in the program. It’s all about small steps, in your own time – fitting it around your personal, social and family life. Thousands of people have placed type 2 diabetes into remission with the Low Carb Program. It’s all about the right mindset and practice.
Additional info..
⦁ Not to be confused with the charity Diabetes UK, Diabetes.co.uk is the world’s largest and fastest-growing community website and forum for people living with diabetes.
⦁ With over 3million unique visitors per month and a diabetes support community of over 500,000 members this award-winning website has proven to positively influence health outcomes.
⦁ Winners of ‘Positive Social Impact Award’ Lloyds Bank National Business Awards 2016
⦁ Winners of ‘Best Use of Social Media in a Healthcare Campaign’ EHI Awards 2015
⦁ An online community where people with diabetes can get support, advice and practical information first hand ⦁ www.diabetes.co.uk/forum.
Today, TrackR, a leader in personal item management, announced general availability for TrackR pixel, one of the smallest and brightest Bluetooth tracking devices on the market. In addition to having a longer range and louder ringer than TrackR bravo, TrackR pixel includes an LED light that makes it simple to locate items in the dark, comes in nine colors to fit anyone’s personal style, and is offered at a lower price point to make tracking everyday items more affordable.
“Our goal is for people to no longer need to remember where all their items are located. Instead, technology should keep track of where our things are for us and our families,” said Chris Herbert, CEO and Co-Founder of TrackR. “TrackR pixel is a step towards that future with its small and light design, built-in LED light, over one year battery life, and expansive Bluetooth range, making it one of the most versatile and easy-to-use tracking devices out there. Plus, it’s backed by the TrackR Crowd Locate network, which helps our customers find more than two million items worldwide each day.”
With a free key loop and adhesive included, TrackR pixel can be attached to any item that gets commonly lost or misplaced – keys, wallet, bags, even pets – ensuring that people always know the location of their important belongings. Once the device is paired with the free TrackR app, customers can not only loudly ring their misplaced item, but can also make the attached TrackR pixel light up, making finding faster and easier, whether the item is at the bottom of a bag, under the couch, or between car seats. Simultaneously, users can track item locations on the convenient in-app map.
If an item is lost outside of range, TrackR’s Crowd Locate Network is activated, enabling the owner to receive anonymous updates of the last-known location of their missing item whenever another one of the millions of TrackR users passes within range of it. The Network receives more than 360,000,000 individual item updates every month. Additionally, with Family Sharing, TrackR users can share items with family members so everyone can help find those missing car keys in the morning from multiple phones and TrackR accounts. TrackR also integrates with Amazon Alexa-enabled devices like the Echo, making it quick and easy to ring and find a missing phone. Pressing a button on the TrackR pixel device can also ring a misplaced phone – even if it’s on silent.
As with all TrackR devices, TrackR pixel is designed to last and uses a replaceable coin cell battery, making the cost of ownership low and enabling people to track everything their family owns. TrackR pixel is the lightest Bluetooth tracker on the market; it’s also one of the smallest at just 5.6 mm thin and 26.2 mm in diameter. Currently available in nine colors including red, yellow, white, black, orange, green, blue, purple, and pink, TrackR pixel can be purchased for $24.99 at www.thetrackr.com today and will be available in US Best Buy stores and online on June 4, 2017. TrackR pixel can also be purchased in eight-packs for a special price of $99.99.
With one year remaining until the commencement of EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), new research by RiskIQ reveals that more than one-third of all public web pages of FTSE 30 companies capturing personally identifiable information (PII) are in danger of violating the regulation by doing so insecurely.
When assessing the public websites of FTSE 30 organisations, RiskIQ found that more controls on external facing web assets, known as an organisation’s digital footprint, are needed in order to support requirements ahead of the fast-approaching GDPR deadline. Most data capture forms found on websites fall within the scope of GDPR as they collect personal data. The regulation emphasises that provisions should be in place to ensure that PII is securely captured and processed. In the UK, the Information Commissioner has provided guidance that, in the case of data loss where encryption software has not been used to protect the data, regulatory action may be pursued. 1
RiskIQ research on the public facing websites of FTSE 30 organisations reveals:
99,467 live websites in total, an average of 3,315 websites per organisation
13,194 pages on those sites that collect PII; an average of 440 pages per organisation
34% of pages that collect PII are doing so insecurely
29% are not using encryption
3.5% are using very old, vulnerable encryption algorithms
1.5% have expired certificates
Insecure collection of PII is not just a GDPR compliance violation. The loss of personal data, profit, and reputation resulting from the use of insecure forms is a legitimate concern for consumers, as well as shareholders. In addition to personal claim liability, Article 83 provides guidance on fines for GDPR faults, which start at the greater of €10m or 2% of global annual turnover for the preceding financial year– or even double depending on the infraction. This applies to all companies actively engaging with European citizens, regardless of whether they have a physical presence in Europe.
GDPR hygiene extends beyond secure collection. As part of the regulation’s fairness and transparency guidelines, organisations must clearly state at the point of capture how they’ll be using an individual’s data. Permission to use their data must be explicit and demonstrated through an action such as ticking a box, a significant departure from the ‘opt out’ process most organisations have in place today.
Bob Tarzey, analyst and director, Quocirca Ltd., said
“While this RiskIQ research is focused on large UK companies, the findings will be representative of all organisations. Many will already have the data security basics in place to comply with the regulations that precede GDPR. However, GDPR has many additional requirements, especially around the way data is captured and processed. These include obtaining explicit opt-in from data subjects. Before an organisation can address GDPR, it needs to fully understand the extent of its online data gathering activities. With enforcement of GDPR less than a year away, the time to act is now.”
The challenge for large, global organizations is the sheer volume and complexity of websites and web applications that need to be accounted for, not only for security purposes but also for regulatory compliance such as GDPR. RiskIQ’s Digital Footprint helps organizations address this challenge by discovering and monitoring an organisation’s public facing digital footprint, including websites and associated pages and forms. It highlights both security and policy violation exposures in that footprint to enable security and GRC teams to reduce their attack surface and maintain compliance.
To find out more about the risks of using insecure forms, read their recent blog post. To learn more about the risks of old encryption algorithms, read this blog post.
The Triple Drivers are compact, lightweight, comfortable, and offer a spectacular sound…
Described by The Wall Street Journal as ‘China’s answer to Beats’, specialist audio manufacturer 1MORE today introduces its award winning Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones to the UK. The headphones feature two balanced armatures and a separate dynamic driver to deliver an extremely accurate listening experience with unsurpassed dynamic power and are available for just £99.99 from http://uk.1more.com
1MORE uses the latest patented designs and materials to enhance sound, comfort and aesthetic appeal. From aerospace grade materials to genuine Swarovski crystals, 1MORE takes no shortcuts to maintain a standard of modern excellence in both function and form. 1MORE may not as yet be a well-known audio brand in the UK, but it has sold more than 10 million earphones in China and has expanded globally into X countries including the highly competitive U.S market. The Triple Driver In Ear Headphones have received rave reviews in all territories and been described as ‘an audiophile bargain’, ‘impressive sound at a great price’ and ‘simply wow.’
Winner of numerous awards including the “Best of Award” for home theatre review and 2016 winner of the Richard Beers Innovation Award, the Triple Driver In-Ear headphones have been expertly tuned by Grammy Award winning sound engineer Luca Bignardi to deliver a precise representation of a listener’s favourite music. The two balanced armatures and a separate dynamic driver deliver an extremely powerful yet intimate listening experience which together create a spacious and transparent feeling of having nothing between users and their music.
The patented armatures work together to deliver sizzling highs and can withstand extremely high input power without distortion. They have an extended frequency range up to 40,000 Hz to reproduce high-resolution audio – frequencies in this range add “transients”, a sonic quality normally only heard in live music. The armatures are uniquely inset with durable silicone covers for lasting performance and resilience. The patented triple layer driver with aerospace grade metal inside two outer layers of PET, a resilient polymer, greatly increases bass and midrange response time, definition, and fullness.
The headphones are comprised of a lightweight aluminium body with an interior enamelled copper wrapped around Kevlar cable to increase durability and strength. The surface of the cable is enhanced by TPE for softness and comfort with a final braided layer of nylon for lasting resilience and tangle resistance. The oblique angled ear fittings naturally match the ear canals and the snug fit increases noise isolation, fullness, and bass to ensure a fully satisfying listening experience without the need for unhealthy volume levels. There are 6 sets of different ear tip sizes included to ensure a good fit for all ears.
The Triple Driver’s dual-system intelligent control technology also supports both Apple devices and mainstream Android devices, solving the in-line control compatibility between the current Apple and Android system, allowing users to turn up or down the volume and select between songs. The headphones also have hands-free calling capability where problematic cross-talk is a thing of the past with ground wires set independently to provide a high fidelity sound experience so users can focus on their conversations, instead of background static. Additionally, the single-sided control is control is conveniently located for easy access when it is required to take a call.
Available for just £99.99, the 1MORE Triple Driver in-ear headphones deliver a spectacular sound at amazing value when compared to other headphones of similar specifications available in the market. 1MORE are proud to be superior to the industry standard.
It has been a while since we have had a case in from the good guys over at noreve but we have just got delivery of one of the offerings for the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus which is also available for the standard S8. With fine presentation as always and handcrafted cases made with genuine leather check out what we think of the case below in the video review and check the image gallery too. Any questions fire away….
FEATURES HIGHLIGHTS
Elegant case conceived in top quality handcrafted leather
– Hand-crafted manufacturing quality
– Easy-to-close case without non-magnetic closure nor snap closure
– Slim and padded design
– Protects the device in an optimal manner
– All sides protective case
– Access to basic functions (multiple openings on the leather)
– Camera lens & flash access
– Headphones and headset jack access
– Charging and synchronization cable access
– Beautiful interior lining embossed with the Noreve logo
Wrap your phone in nature with Organika from MMORE – the first smartphone case collection made from handpicked organic materials
Smartphones today are an essential part of our everyday lives and with technology and devices everywhere we turn, keeping in touch with nature is even more important than ever. The MMORE Organika collection truly connects you to the natural environment, appealing to your senses and allowing you to hold and smell a small part of nature in the palm of your hand.
MMORE, which stands for much more, has developed the totally unique Organika case range, which is not only made from handpicked and hand crafted natural materials but smells of nature too. You can choose between the energising aroma of percolated Coffee, the freshness of Alpine Hay, romantic Roses or the calming and soothing scent of Jasmine. For those who appreciate the simpler things in life, have a love of nature or just like to stand out from the crowd, the new MMORE cases are the perfect choice.
Being built from purely natural materials does not however diminish the protection it gives your treasured smartphone. With the use of an organic resin, the team at MMORE developed a natural protective coating, which doesn’t alter the look of the material itself, but provides the necessary durability and impact-resistance. The coating that overlays each of the four materials on the back of the case, guarantees the durability of the case itself and prevents the natural materials being broken or damaged. The texture of all the chosen materials also provide a perfect grip to prevent your smartphone from slipping out of your hands, avoiding the much dreaded cracked screen!
The Organika range, plus MMORE’s other phone case collections including numerous designs hand crafted from wood and carbon fibre, can be purchased from MMORE with prices starting at £23.23 and free shipping on all orders. The cases are suitable for a wide range of phones including iPhone 5, 5S, SE, iPhone6, 6S, 6+, 6S+, iPhone7, 7+, Samsung Galaxy S5, S6, S6 Edge, S7,S7 Edge, S8 and S8 Plus.
COMING SOON…
Keep an eye out for MMORE’s scent refreshers later this summer. A small bottle of scent that can be applied to the material on the back of the case to ensure the smell of nature lasts even longer.
The research carried out by specialist mobile comparison platform HandsetExpert.com found British mobile users are more likely to be better off by switching to SIM only tariffs 88% of the time.
Contract Conundrums – HandsetExpert.com Reveals Raw Deals for UK Mobile Users
British mobile users are more likely to be better off by switching to SIM only tariffs 88% of the time
Switching to SIM only deals could save Brits a total of £3.4 billion per year
The average Brit spends £92.06 p.a. more than they need to on their phone contract
There are more than 1.8 million potential phone contracts available for UK customers
Almost every other week there is a story in the news about confusing utilities pricing, but while we all know how hard it can be to find the best gas and electricity deals, have you ever considered the confounding array of mobile phone contracts available? With more than 1,898,380 potential contracts compared through specialist mobile comparison platform HandsetExpert.com alone, it’s little wonder that recent research by the platform has revealed that British mobile users are more likely to be better off by switching to SIM only tariffs 88% of the time.
Of the 51.3 million adults in the UK, 73% are contracted smartphone users. When you drill that down to the 23.1 million 18-44 year olds in the country, that figure goes up to 91%. It turns out that on average in the UK, buying a contract with a smartphone is £92.06 more expensive than buying them separately, which means that British adults could be wasting a whopping £3.4 billion.
Why do we overspend so much on our phone contracts? The answer is twofold: firstly, there are an inordinate number of contracts to choose from – HandsetExpert.com compares and provides recommendations based on more than 1.8 million of them. Secondly, most shoppers want the easy option. Buying a handset outright and signing up for a SIM only deal is usually the much cheaper choice, but it takes a little more effort and more money upfront than buying a bundle, which can cost as much as an additional £400 over a 24-month contract.
The perceived saved effort of bundle deals is just that: perceived. In reality, there are so many contracts available for each phone that once you’ve decided on your make and model you still have a plethora of offers to wade through.
Take the Samsung Galaxy S8 – within one week of its release there were over 7,000 different deals available on the market. If that’s the result of a single week you can imagine the boggling number of offers based around the country’s most popular phones.
The contracts currently available for the Apple iPhone 7 reflect its popularity: it leads the way with a staggering 142,652 different contract variations available in the UK
Apple also take the second, third and fourth spots on the contract charts with the iPhone SE generating 121,535, the iPhone 7 Plus generating 85,461 contracts and the iPhone 6 providing the base for 83,865 bundle deals
In fifth place is the Samsung Galaxy S7, with 71,214 contracts available
Even the less popular phone models are available with a bewildering number of contract deals; the HTC Desire 626 has 17,220 potential offers available and the Huawei P9 has 12,756 – both more than enough for the casual shopper to get lost in when searching for a new deal.
Dr Shahrum Gilani, who founded HandsetExpert.com, comments:
‘Most of us think that we’re savvy shoppers, but with so many different deals available it’s almost impossible to find the best mobile contract for your needs.
‘It’s so easy to be lured into making an unnecessarily expensive purchase. A relatively small difference in the contract price per month can really add up across a 24-month contract, especially when you consider that most of us use more data when we are connected to Wi-Fi than we do on 3G or 4G.
‘With HandsetExpert.com our aim is to gather as much information together as possible so our users can find the very best deals without spending hours shopping around.’
Gain quick and easy access to the most detailed information on bar and club venues across the United States with over 30,000 venues and growing every day. Do you need a FREE API Feed for your website or app of over 30,000 bars nationwide?
Our friends over at BARZZ API have a solution.. Check it out…
BARZZ has the solution with its FREE BARZZ API FEED. Gain quick and easy access to the most detailed information on bar and club venues across the United States with over 50,000 venues and growing every day. Information for your website, app or publication can be filtered by specific bars in a geographic area, bar types and amenities. We have partnered with the 3Scale API Management Platform where you can register to request an API key and execute sample requests. Get started by clicking here https://www.barzz.net/api.php or call 888-462-2799
