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.
The wristband earphones wrap around your wrist so they don’t get tangled or lost and with the new design being reminiscent of a candy cane, they are a great idea for a Christmas present this year (or a treat for yourself!). They bring a festive touch to the collection and are available for a limited time only. Lets take a look at the latest instalment from Wraps….
Following the success of the Talk and Special Edition Wraps wristband earphones ranges, the company is now launching a new version, Wraps Limited Edition Berry, to celebrate the festive Christmas season.
Based on the Talk Wraps but with a striped pink design to bring this look to life, you can now listen to your Christmas songs whilst adding a festive touch to your look! Reminiscent of a candy cane and the traditional Christmas berries, they are sure to get you in the party mood. Perfect for treating yourself or an excellent gift or stocking filler – the new Wraps Limited Edition Berry will be available for a short time only so get yours whilst you still can!
Using Wraps earphones has fast become as much about how good you look wearing them as it is how good they sound. Not only do the earphones look and sound great, they also solve the daily frustration of those that are easily broken, tangled or lost. Wraps solve 3 inherent problems all earphones have: storage, anti- tangle and style simply by enabling you to wear them on your wrist whilst you’re not using them. #WearYourSound with pride and bring your outfit to life while also having your favourite music ‘on hand’ whenever you want it.
The Wraps Limited Edition Berry feature a built-in headset microphone and 3.5mm gold plated jack and a light, spherical ABS housing helps control the sound. With a choice of small, medium and large silicon tips it provides a comfortable and secure fit whilst worn in the ear or on a wrist. A large 10MM dynamic speaker, tuned by world-renowned British Audio sound engineers, delivers exceptional sound quality.
When worn on the wrist, the unique patented slider system keeps the lightweight heads, slider and jack plug all connected together for a secure compact fit. The cables are kept in perfect alignment and remain tangle free and always close to hand! The British designers blended materials and colours to craft a fashion statement earphone that can stylise your outfit and coordinate your look so whether travelling to work, to a Christmas party or heading off to school, there is a Wraps earphone for you!
The Wraps Limited Edition Berry is available from www.mywraps.com priced at £19.99 and we will have our review of them soon so stay tuned for that…
I have always said that this technology should be a standard on vehicles and with the ability to mass produce such items it would not be too much an effort to have this equipment installed on our vehicles as now they are now coming with more forms of wireless connectivity options as standard. Lots of cars today come with parking sensors,and with built in camera so what gives here with something like this preinstalled… Ireland has seen a massive hike in insurance premiums again this year and next year is set to rise again and this is certainly one way to deter fraudulent claims and therefore reducing insurance premiums and we are indeed inline with the UK here on this but prevention is better than cure and with a dash cam this is one simple way to decide a case,end of story, The camera never lies.
The Nextbase 112 dashcam is an affordable unit with 720p HD recording sporting a 2.0 LCD screen with a 120 degree wide angle lens. Not only that its got a parking mode feature built in. So lets take a look…
Packaging
What do we get..
First off no SD card included although NextBase did supply us with one,But on a personal level like any other gadget requiring external storage it would be a nice sweetener to the product but you can understand why they are not included its simply another revenue stream..Another way you could look at it is to keep the cost down..There is the usual instruction manuals and surprisingly a CD ROM. I say surprisingly because its almost 2017 and people still rely on CD ROMS..
It comes with all the cables you need including a charger or you can just use the seperate cable for USB charging which is now becoming the norm but I find it slower. It does however use the older USB which I find odd when we are now moving to USB type C this is behind but todays standard Micro USB would have been better but having said that its not the only product I have tested in recent times to come with MINI USB.. Going forward dash cams should become wireless,Less hassle,less wires as most of us have a phone or similar charging already.
You will need to charge the unit first before usage for around two hours, This comes with a 30 min emergency battery should an incident occur so keep that in mind. What I do like about this is that its magnetic attachment is simple,given its holder is a typical suction cup you place on your windscreen the main hardwear is just a magnetic clip which works much better rather than having to remove the whole unit from the window when not in use.This is good because you should never leave it in your car unattended because there is smash and grab thieves out there who will just do exactly that, Smash a window just to rob it..
Installation is simple there is an instruction manual but for the most its easy and you can compare it to a mobile phone holder that mounts to your windscreen just slightly wet the suction cup and stick it on and secure with the lock,after that you have a choice of two charging types be it the standalone charger or the extra cable provided for USB. Do note we can today buy USB adapters for charging and some that come with both and you can find these anywhere today mostly visible at our petrol stations here or electrical stores so you have choice..
CHECK OUT THE QUALITY TEST WHICH WAS RAN AT MORNING AND EVENING
Set-up is easy from here with tactile buttons to select mode it is simple for one touch recording and then to stop it,When mounted to the window you would want to hold the device as it is rather free moving but you can lock it into position with the nut for a fixed position but for myself I was moving it around to get the best position and seeing what angles I could cover from where it was placed.. It never fell off once which was good,at times these can fall off depending on weight and so and and of course road conditions this is small and light and does not obstruct your viewing range nor will it distract you..
CONNECTED TO PC
FILE TRANSFER
MOUNTED TO WINDOW
When you have finished or used up your card it is a simple process to transfer files to your PC then upload to whatever it is you might be using or the purpose its used for, Presuming its You Tube is like uploading any other file. You will connect your dashcam to laptop with cable provided and see the files but you would want to just view them first before you upload the correct files required.
FEATURES OVERVIEW
Four Element Sharp Lenses made with 4 layers of glass to provide clear images
Bright, clear 2” LED screen for easy viewing
120° wide angle view with up to 720p High Definition recording
Powered Magnetic Click & Go mount to easily install in the car
Instant evidence to support insurance claims in helping prove an incident was not your fault
Photo mode allows you to take still images for further evidence
Compact design makes this model ideal for mounting behind rear view mirror
Easy to install with 4m 12v power cable
Inbuilt battery with up to 30 minute backup in the event of an accident
SOS data protection prevents the impact/event recording from being deleted
Loop recording feature prevents recording from stopping when the SD card is full
Dimensions: 5.7 x 5.8 x 3 cm (WxHxD)
Supports SDHC and SDXC Micro SD cards up to 32GB (class 10 recommended)
Overall I was happy with the product and it worked flawlessly during the time I tested it and quality is good,it perhaps looks a bit better on You Tube than it does on the small screen but you can expect that, Its small,neat,works well and easy to set up and use and a must have today especially with the insurance premiums sky rocketing something like this could safe you a lot of hassle and money in the long run and you should see it as an investment rather than a cost. We would like to thank Nextbase UK for sending this out to us to check out and we have another review coming soon . You can head over to Nextbase UKfor more and check out what they have to offer…..This model which is the 112 to will cost you just £49.99 which is cheap bearing in mind the quality..
A few months ago we where given the opportunity to try out the all new Stealth VR headset and to date it has not let me down as we still use it testing VR apps alongside our big collection of HMDs and Google Cardboard VR viewers. There is a wide variety of HMDs out there today and having many here in house this one in particular is quite good and very comfortable…
“Following a hugely positive reception to our inaugural product – the VR100 – we have now set our sights on becoming a major player in the Mobile VR arena. At this early juncture, global sales of the VR100 have exceeded all expectations. As well as capturing the imagination of consumers in the UK and key EU territories, the VR100 has taken the Japanese market by storm – particularly in major Electronic Stores such as Yodabashi and Bic Camera. Our unique combination of product and online community support has proved crucial to establishing our brand as one of the leading lights in Mobile VR.”
This headset is now on sale in Ireland at Smyths toys… You can see our FULL IMAGE GALLERY of the headset HERE
The VR2OO is a premium MobileVR headset designed to give you the perfect VR experience. 42mm lenses give unrivalled clarity to make your virtual experience completely unforgettable. Breathable leatherette eye padding and headband support ensure that the user is comfortable at all times. The folding visor gives full access to both sides of the lenses and the magnetic front panel is detachable for AR and device cooling purposes. Stylistically. theVR2OO is totally unique in cool white with embossed panelling and a choice of either silver or red trim.
FEATURES
Compatibility – Works with all smartphones up to 6 inches; Android, iOS & Google Cardboard apps.
Visual Immersion – Opaque visor (with detachable magnetic front for AR) which blocks out all external visual stimuli.
Audio Immersion – Access port for audio headphone connection.
Design & Practicality – Stylish embossed finish with breathable leatherette comfort eye padding, held in place by adjustable stretch headband with extra head support.
Lenses – 42mm.
Maintenance – Cleaning cloth allows you to keep lenses crystal clear.
Adjustability – Separate focal and lens distance adjustment dials to suit individual preference.
Power – Access port to allow charging alongside use.
Demographic – All ages (11+), genders & backgrounds.
Community – Full support network with expert advice, newsletters, user forums and a constant stream of updates on the latest free content.
After spending some time with the Kobo Aura One I will share my thoughts on it,To be transparent here this is my first ereader and I will not be comparing it to others on the market apart from the price and what it has to offer versus its competition…
Firstly the build quality is excellent and for such a big device it is very light even though it packs a battery that can last up to a month with what I would call myself a sporadic reader, Reading is not a first on my list but spending time with this did give me the opportunity to perhaps engage myself some more but compared to what I read on the web the time still differs hugely..
Having said that what I did like with this is the settings provided which helps you greatly on the eyes,mostly at night when I am in bed I would have done most of my reading as I would with catching up on news on my phone or tablet and this is where the Aura One had a great advantage with its settings to read the device in whats called “Night Mode”
There is a few settings here to make the choice right but as well as at night and day I would suggest turning off the auto brightness features as at times this seemed to decide to work all by itself and give me a setting that did no suit the surrounding… The Orange look as you see is a much more comfortable way to read and does not strain the eyes and visually looks good with no loss of detail and with a huge screen estate here viewing is great offering you next best thing to holding that clunky book or newspaper if you will…
Handling the unit is good, With having a huge 7.8inch screen it is comfortable in hand because its light and got this nice texture on the back,not only that its also thin at 6.9mm. You will not believe how light this is for its size but those who use these machines might relate to it better with its competition as I have never owned such and would have a better judgement but for me even comparing it to several tablets I have this is the lightest..You could use it one handed but would find it awkward but with two hands you would be much more comfortable especially with grip..
There is a service called OVER DRIVE which allows you to borrow books from your local library which is an excellent feature,this is something that brings me back to my childhood when I did read alot on nature and as I got older I took medicine as a subject I was drawn too when I went to college,you will need to set up an account and browse for libraries then enter some information and you will be then sent a confirmation email and you can then make way to collect your library card and store it on the device itself so this means no separate plastic to stuff your wallet up even more which is something I detest..Though years ago I did have a habit of collecting plastic which thankfully wore off over the years.But for now the choice here is minimal but that will change but you can borrow books. You will need a library card to borrow books and you can also find compatible libraries at https://www.overdrive.com/libraries
Something to note here also is you need not worry about late fees or returning the book like we did on the old days because they are automatically returned which is great and shows you how much things have changed with the digital age and that will tell you the last time I visited a library which was when I was around 19…
Reading on this unit is excellent both indoors and outdoors thanks to the Carta E panel. Though mostly indoors is where I read this device can be used outdoors with no issues at all,this means those who travel,go on holidays or sit by the beach or pool can enjoy the experience plus the fact that its waterproof pool and beach goers can rejoice as there is no other ereaders available that offer waterproofing which is IPX8 up to 60 mins in 2 Metres of water…
The Kobo Aura one has alot to offer given it is a the higher end of the price scale but its different when comparing towards content such as what is available Amazon might have some more but they are around longer and some books are cheaper and vice versa when it comes to content on the kobo store but there is no need for me to go on about this as this is my first time to use such a device but long time ebook readers will know in the long run what to get and where to find it,However there is plenty of indy books available on the Kobo store which they a cut of the sale which is quite good… Another feature built in here for social fans which they might find useful is the ability to share via Facebook,This might be for some to let others know but the ereader community would welcome it but I think if you are going social dont just tie it to Facebook…
Overall for me this is probably a hard sell to me personally as I do like the UI especially with the tiled homepage which reminds me of Windows Phone, I do like it as an overall product with its outstanding battery life and being waterproof but I do most of my work on a phone or tablet something which this cant offer as a standalone device.. Yes its portable and fits in your travel bag,its light,amazing battery life,waterproof,durable and lots more but personally I cant ever see myself buying a ebook reader anytime soon as its not my thing but for the person who does use these I would say its a good buy given its at the higher end of the price range,You have as solid product….
Pros…
Light
Waterproof
Amazing battery
Great display and screen estate
Build quality is great
Pocket integration
Sideload PDFs
Cons
Pricey
Lags at times with text entry
Titles can be found cheaper elsewhere
Digital library choice in Ireland – This will improve though
Waterproof from the inside out with HZO Protection™ IPX8 – up to 60 mins in 2 metres of water
Screen:
7.8” HD Carta E Ink touchscreen, 1872 x 1404 resolution 300 dpi
Weight:
230 g
Size:
195.1 x 138.5 x 6.9 mm
Storage:
8 GB on-board memory, holds up to 6,000 eBooks
Front-light:
ComfortLight PRO – Reduces blue-light exposure and protects your eyes for the best nighttime reading experience.
Customizability:
TypeGenius: 11 different fonts and over 50 font styles
Exclusive font weight and sharpness settings
This datahub Pro USB flash driver initially looks like something from a Bond movie with a keypad on the device. This would impress at any boardroom presentation pulling out to open a power point presentation. This flash drive uses the USB 3.0 .The good news USB 3.0 (Universal Serial Bus.) is backwards compatible and 10 times faster than USB 2.0, Comes with Quick start guide, and default pin code. I would recommend spending a few minutes reading the Quick start guide set up as you must enter a default pin with the option to add a new user pin 7 to 15 digits. Now how the numbers are presented on the key might entice you to use them in a similar fashion but it does not allow you to use sequential numbers so get creative with a passcode or make one relevant to something perhaps you might use already, A phone number for example would be good..
One thing I would take into consideration is always purchase a flash drive from a brand you trust and a reputable supplier.We can pick up some for literally nothing these days and often the case they will fail or data gets corrupted. This datashur SSD Pro has a 3-year warranty, water resistance keypad and a variety of other features not seen on cheaper alternatives.
But is it safe!Very safe – Encrypted to military & government standards, plus its got a variety of industry awards. That is good enough for me but full details are available on https://istorage-uk.com/product/ Attempts to break into the data entering the pin incorrectly 10 times will result in a Self-destruct feature keeping data away from Prying eyes.
This unit would be great for anyone in the ISO 27000 industry or like myself self-employed taking files to the accountant for example or when I receive NDA (non disclosure agreements) I can transfer the information to the USB key. If my Laptop bag or travel bag got lost or stolen, my laptop is protected, I would dread the thought of confidential info getting into somebody elses hands via my flash drives, This is a bit like insurance, I don’t need it until I leave the flash drive in a board room table only to return an hour later and wonder has anyone copied the data. With this flash, I can sit back with confidence knowing the level of security on board..
My only criticism was using an 8GB to test, but given the cost it is understandable plus I have several flash drives but NONE on the level of security to this one, nowadays this size (8GB) can nearly be given away with purchases in an electronics store where a 32GB may be the way to go,BUT this is no ordinary USB key and not riddled with information that is pointless and trying to sell you more with information pre – installed, In fact a product like this has turned a circle like mobile phones for example where 8GB/16GB on board storage do not cut it anymore unless they offer micro SD expansion which again can be limited but thats changing now offering higher capacity..However on a positive side not all people need this amount of storage and I see this as an opportunity for people to buy something that fits their need and not forcing the consumer to buy one thats gone overboard with the storage on offer so it is a good thing perhaps. Companies that back-up their complete server may look to a datashur 2 /3 /4 TB with the perfect blend of Security, durability and speed.
I would like to thank the guys at datashur for the personalised USB Flash drive which was a really nice gesture and unexpected its something I will treasure and show off to my colleagues with pride,having said that some have seen it already and are impressed not only with how cool it looks but what it offers when it comes to securing data which is something we all need to take on board these days,Data is now like cash,its worth something to somebody…. The overall build of this product is excellent,as mentioned before its waterproof,tactile keys nice texture on the back and sides and very robust and you cant gain entry in any way at all..
Want to change your PIN? Here is a tutorial
The new datAshur Pro incorporates all the features of its predecessor, the datAshur, but with a super-speed USB 3.0 interface and higher capacities of up to 64GB. Features include an on-board keypad for authentication, which gives the flash drive ultimate protection against software and hardware-based keyloggers. In addition, the datAshur Pro incorporates a boot delay feature which means users can boot any operating system directly from the drive.means the datAshur Pro secures your data from unauthorised access even when lost or stolen.
The drive incorporates military grade XTS-AES 256-bit hardware encryption, a read-only (write protect) mode, a user configurable timeout lock and brute force hack detection and protection. All of this means the datAshur Pro is ideally positioned to secure data from unauthorised access, even when lost or stolen.
Specs
USB 3.0 Flash Drive
Capacities up to 64GB*
FIPS 140-2 Level3 Certified; Certificate No. 2688
FIPS PUB 197 certified
IP57 certified – water/dust resistant
Bootable drive
AES 256- bit hardware encryption – no software required
One Plus have announced a new device today.. Basically it is a bumped up version of the One Plus 3 which to date has been quite solid and for the money you just cant go wrong if your looking for a powerful phone at half the cost of flagship devices from Samsung and Apple and so on…
The device has more RAM, A bigger battery and better camera and more storage and will set you back a little more than the asking price of the One PLus 3 at launch which was €399 but the new model will set you back 439.00 and will go on sale on the 28th of November 2016… I might pass on this as I have the One plus 3 and is serving me well and I have other devices in mind but for anyone looking for a new device this Christmas this could be the one for you,I will wait a bit longer myself and see what reviews come in like rather than jump in like before.. Depending on how sterling is and with brexit it will interesting to see how this fairs out in price, I got my One Plus 3 for €364 so there could be a bargain to be had here yet unless they up the price like they did before. The device though has the same industrial design as before and current OP3 owners might just pass…
Qantas has launched a new VR app on Android and iOS and more and it probably wont be the last app of this kind we will see in the coming months they are popping up everywhere and rightly so as it lets users to see a particular country without having to leave their house. For those who have the Samsung Gear VR you will remember the app back then which was pretty cool and was released around July last year. Back then it did not have much content within but you did get to see some nice things including and Airbus A380 take off and landing… What is nice hear they have opened up the experience for a bigger audience which will be certainly advantageous for them and will give others the ability to see what is on offer..
Available for iPhone, Android, Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive devices, the app showcases Australia’s distinctive landscape through a series of immersive videos, including never before seen aerial footage of Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
Qantas Group Executive Brand, Marketing, Corporate Affairs Olivia Wirth said the app is an innovative way for travellers to plan their trip to Australia.
“Our aim with the new virtual reality app is to connect with travellers by showcasing parts of Australia they may not be familiar with.
With Qantas VR you can:
1. Escape to Qantas destinations: scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef, climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, relax on a sunset river cruise in Kakadu and explore water holes in the Australian outback.
2. Access unique Qantas experiences: fly with the pilots in the cockpit of a Qantas aircraft and experience the Qantas A380 take-off, approach and land in front of where you stand.
3. Travel with Qantas: experience flying with Qantas as it lands at Hamilton Island airport and take a tour of the Los Angeles International First Lounge.
Tracking has become a huge thing these days and has been a long time, It became a big thing in logistics with the placement of vehicles,and the same can be said within the security industry be it cash in transit vans or even regular van drivers its now become a standard not just purely for safety purposes but also to get a time stamp for a future stop or drop off point and also it is use with government bodies within their vehicles and yes people themselves do wear personal tracking devices I have tried and tested some myself but thats something we will not be discussing now.
When it comes to personal belongings there has been alternative options out there for many years but being a new technology as such to personal items via a standalone product they have been big,some stupidly big and made no sense then smaller ones came about with are small tidy and not so cumbersome and most importantly no so noticeable.. The first one come to mind is something Nokia brought us some years ago called the treasure tag,there was two of them the WS-2 and WS-10 which we reviewed back then…
This is when things got interesting for finding personal things like car keys,house keys a gym bag,handbag perhaps or whatever suited you best. The thing here is though they are noticeable and if someone did happen to steal or you just misplaced the item if this was seen some may not know what it was which is a good thing other would and would ditch it straight away,thats where this new product has a caveat as it got good promotion on the internet and for example people attach them to the underside of the saddles on their bike and a thief would just have to look and remove it, Concealing such items are a better idea lets just say the inner lining of a gym bag or purse and there is plenty of ways to conceal such an item such as TrackR which we are looking at today..
TrackR is a relatively new product on the market its much smaller and easy to conceal,if you have the brains to do it and not just stick it anywhere and will work even within your wallet depending on its size,this comes in a simple small package with plenty of instructions and the selling points clearly marked out on the reverse of the packaging,also we get a chin ring which personally i would ditch and a double sided sticky pad which again I would ditch,this is an item i would conceal with no need for anything else… Sadly there is no spare battery which would have been nice,but you can pick one handy enough at a car motor factors for example or even a watch shop..
So next thing now is to download the app to your device be it Android or iOS then you need to add a new TrackR device.. Pair the device,you will get an audio alert from the unit and register and your done,When you register you become par of the hundreds of thousands of TrackR members which is crowd sourced so if you loose and item and it becomes within 100ft. You will be notified of the items last know location…
When you are all paired up and registered you are good to go now all you need to do is select what you want to track,there is a default list then presented to you and you can chose what you want to assign the TrackR too..So I have assigned my wallet to the TrackR in this instance..One thing to point out here which is good if you forget your mobile phone you will be notified via TrackR this is called a separation alert. On your device you will be shown a map of your location and how many others are local and in my instance where I was testing the unit there was 758 users which seems rather impressive…
Does this work?? Well yes it does and even through a leather wallet stuffed with coins and so on which is comforting and I will add its not just dumped in a pocket I have carefully tore the stitching to place it behind the lining so its not there for anyone to pick it up and see the piece in a coin pocket which would be just discarded…
Now without sounding harsh I want you to watch the video below and then tell me what you think of the placement of the TrackR,be it only for advertising purposes this is 2016 I have worked in the security/personnel protection and reconnaissance business before and one thing I need to point out is DO NOT LET OTHERS SEE IT… Why you might ask, Well as I said its 2016 be it a case of criminality you can kiss your goods goodbye these guys are a step ahead and will dispose of it immediately like I said before CONCEAL it do not flaunt it it defeats the purpose of having it…. Overall it is a great product that works flawlessly executed badly by how its advertised especially on the bag and bike as seen in the video..Perhaps that might sound harsh but as I have stated I have worked in areas where these would be highly effective due to its size they are ideal for many things yet alone personal goods…
Neil Tohill is the Director of an Irish company called Southside Motor Factors. He regularly writes about the motoring industry and has created this infographic about best practice for using a satnav/GPS navigation device while driving. We have some more satnav reviews to come and another thing to keep in mind is dashcams as we have said before,we have some of them to come too very soon, Check out the infographic below and tell us what you think…
Satnavs can undoubtedly be massively helpful driving aids, especially for those who spend a lot of time on the road and frequently drive in unfamiliar territories. However, many drivers have a tendency to trust in their satnav too much. More than 1 in 10 drivers under the age of 24 have narrowly avoided a crash because of a distraction from their satnav, for example, while there have been horror stories of drivers being drastically misrouted because they failed to check that the destination they typed into their satnav was the correct one.
