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.

Twitter launches Twitter Moments on Android,iOS and Desktop. #TwitterMoments

Twitter have announced another new feature today called Twitter Moments this comes shortly after they announced you could place larger emojis in DMS – Direct Messages which has no interest to me at all..This reminds me of how Viber works by adding large stickers etc into your conversation but some will like that feature,Twitter is working on many new features as it competes with social media giant Facebook..The update is now rolling out on Android,iOS and Read more about the Moments feature and how the desktop version works. Basically its to attract disengaged users with the latest news and top stories..

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When you open moment you will get some balloons floating upwards on your screen which looks rather dandy..

Twitter says on their blog..

How it works
Tapping on the new lightning bolt tab on your phone opens a list of Moments that matter now. As new stories emerge throughout the day, we continue to update this list. Looking for more? You can also swipe through to topics including “Entertainment” and “Sports” to find more stories from the past few days.

Engaging with a Moment

  • When you click into a Moment, you’re taken to an introduction with a title and description.
  • Start swiping to dive right into the story, with immersive full-bleed images and autoplaying videos, Vines, and GIFs.
  • A single tap gives you a fuller view of the Tweet, which you can favorite, Retweet, and more. A double tap lets you instantly favorite the Tweet.
  • The progress bar at the bottom indicates how much more each Moment has to offer.
  • Swiping up or down dismisses the Moment and takes you back to the guide.
  • At the end of a Moment, click the share button to Tweet your thoughts, and send it out to your followers

Read more if this interests you HERE

 

 

 

Competiton – Win an iPhone6 running case with @MobileIrelandie #Fitness #iPhone6

Mobile Ireland have a big sale on right now and to celebrate they have given us a nice running case for iPhone6 owners to give away this week the competition will run for one week only and there is no prize alternative and is open to everyone in Ireland.. Check out the big sale right now at Mobile Ireland

The rules are simple and are as follows anyone can enter and you could win the case for family or friend..

1 – Share the competition below any way you wish.

2 – Follow  Mobile Ireland and TechBuzzIreland and Retweet the competition tweet.

 

Winner will be announced Monday 12th Ocotber 2015.
You can comment below too if you wish.

Good luck to everyone.

Passport card app launches on Android,iOS and WindowsPhone #Apps #Passport

A new app has launched today which makes life that bit easier to get your passport and forget the physical one and better again its available on Three platforms Android,iOS and even Windows Phone..The app is free but there is costs involved which is €35,00 plus an additional €5,00 postal fee if you reside outside Ireland.· The Passport Service has the capacity to process 3,000 Passport Card applications per week. Depending on demand it is estimated that applications will be processed within 20-25 working days.the card is also valid for 5 years and can be paid for with your credit card..

Speaking at the announcement of the new service, Minister Flanagan said;

“I am delighted to announce that applications for the new passport card can be submitted on-line from today through my Department’s website and also through a new mobile app which has been specifically designed for the purpose.

“The introduction of the passport card is a significant innovation that will enhance the travel experience for Irish people as they go on holidays or business trips to thirty countries throughout Europe. Citizens who apply will need to have a valid passport book already but they will be able to use the passport card alone for travelling to such popular destinations as Spain, France and Italy.

The Irish Passport Card, can be used by Irish citizens for travel within the European Union and the European Economic Area. EU Countries (27 excluding Ireland): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
The Passport Card is available to all Irish citizens who are over 18 years and hold a valid Irish Passport.

Applications can be submitted online or through the free app from anywhere in the world.

[ Download on Android ]  [ Download on iOS ]  [ Windows Phone ] { Submit details }

Source

 

Sony Z5 and Z5 Compact pricing for Ireland. #Sony #Z5

The Sony Z5  and Z5 compact are the next instalments to hit our shelves shortly and pricing has been posted up..As it stands the device will be only available in Black but Vodafone have it in White as an exclusive alongside their Z5 Spectre edition..

Prices at hand are as follows and varies across all networks..

Sony Z5

Billpay –  This will begin at €79.99 and head upwards then to €199.99

Prepay –  Begins at €649,99 and tops out at €729,99.

Z5 Compact 

Billpay – This begins at €29,99 and heads up to €99.99

Prepay – Starts at €499.99 and €619 will be the highest..

 

 

 

Motorola and Marshmallow – Here is what devices get it. #Marshmallow

Marshmallow is the next update on Android which will be rolling out soon enough,but not all devices will get it,as with sim free devices from Motorola they will get it first including the Nexus 6 which is available in Ireland,We can also see that the entry level MOTO E models have been left out of this list.

  • 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd gen)
  • 2015 Moto X Style (3rd gen)
  • 2015 Moto X Play
  • 2015 Moto G (3rd gen)
  • 2014 Moto X Pure Edition in the US (2nd gen)
  • 2014 Moto X in Latin America, Europe and Asia2 (2nd gen)
  • 2014 Moto G and Moto G with 4G LTE2 (2nd gen)
  • DROID Turbo
  • 2014 Moto MAXX
  • 2014 Moto Turbo
  • Nexus 6

Remember updates will vary by region so just because one part of the world sees it does not mean the everywhere is at same time, you can check the status HERE Some of the above devices are not available in Ireland but I have included them as many people import devices these days.

Source

UAG – Samsung Galaxy S5 case review from @MobileIrelandie #UAG #Review

Mobile Ireland is Ireland’s premium smartphone and tablet accessory supplier. Their products look to provide you with high quality gadgets that allow you to get more out of your technology and they have kindly sent us the UAG case for the Samsung Galaxy S5 to check out and share our thoughts.

 
Mobile Ireland wants to be at the forefront of where technology and the outdoors meet. Get more benefit and power from your smartphone or tablet. We have you covered whether you are hiking Ireland, travelling abroad on a holiday or are looking to add an accessory to your collection.
Here is what we think of the UAG case for the Samsung Galaxy S5 
Presentation
Most people have a thing for presentation no matter what the product is and personally for me it is not vital but it helps,as it stands case can come in a nice box or perhaps just thrown into a cheap plastic bag with a sticker on it,this is not the case here as its presented in a decent box with plenty of information about the product..

What is inside the box..

Not much and what would you expect,we get the case,A screen protector and and some instructions on how to fit the screen protector would need steady hands and the case simply clips on to your device in a matter of seconds so overall its a simple process to get your device protected with the contents..

What is it like on the device.

Does not add much bulk to be fair and feels good in hand and the design is quite nice too,we shall go around the case now and see how it fairs out in access to ports and how well your device will be protected..

On the top we are covered,with the screen protector that comes with it its a good addition to have rather than seeking one in a separate purchase,its a mixed bag these days as to how your case arrives and what else you get with it,some offer a stylus,cloth,screen protector or all in.There is a nice lip going around the top so the screen is below surface and device can be placed flat on table without fear of getting scratched,the rear of the case have several raised rubberised notches protecting its own if you will and colour dependent this might be ideal for you,there is nicely designed corners to giving extra protection for drops and typically its a corner that hits the ground first so you are covered here.

The left and right side are similar in design and looks but keeping those areas protected to the max with all keys covered with good travel on the keys themselves,there was no sign of loosing functionality and the keys worked fine,on some case that are similar you would often find them stiff,this was not a problem here and there is raised ridges both sides to give grip and extra support..

Ports and connectivity points are well covered with obstruction or nagging with cables being inserted or removed,this is important some cases can leave users with little space to move and some dislike that experience,there is no flaps on this case again this is a matter of preference,for me I like this as fumbling with flaps is annoying yet it gives more protection but then again with constant moving these flaps would tend to eventually fall off,there was no interference at all with headphones and Micro USB cable and the infra red beam also left unaffected,nor did I experience any loss of sound or clarity with mic holes etc..

Although the case has a small lip its does not get in the way of the home button and sensors on top of the front facing side of the devices and the screen protector does meet up with case so all in all the front is covered,you might have a tempered glass protector on device already but this again has no effect with the case aligning itself on the device.

Overall these UAG cases are good and have a good feel to them and very robust and look well to boot,for the money these are worth it,some people prefer gel cases or cases in this form again that’s a matter of ones preference,personally I like the gel case but would have no issue using one of these either as they do not bulk out your device like some cases can,so I would recommend one of these anytime to anyone..

Check out the UAG case over at Mobile Ireland  right here and check out the full range of goodies they have to offer,thanks again to John for getting in touch and sending us out this case to check out and share our thoughts.
Stay tuned for a chance to win a new case for your iPhone 6 on Monday thanks to Mobile Ireland.

 

Facebook improves mobile look with new features. #Facebook #SocialMedia #Gif

Facebook just like Twitter are always looking to improve things and with Twitter thinking of removing the 140 character limit Facebook announce new features today for mobile..

With the new update you can make your profile picture a GIF and set temporary images that will change over a period of time which is quite nice. You can simply now add short looping videos that will show up on visiting someone’s Facebook page..

 

Facebook say on their blog

Today we’re starting to test the next step in an obvious evolution of profiles: profile videos. Soon, you’ll be able to film a short, looping video clip that will play for anyone who visits your profile. Profile videos will let show a part of yourself you couldn’t before, and add a new dimension to your profile.

We’re not ignoring profile pictures either; we’ve also built some new features that will help you better let your personality shine through your profile picture. As part of that effort, we’ve started to roll out the ability to set a temporary version of your profile picture that reverts back to your previous profile picture at a specified time.

On profile controls they are now making life a bit easier to change things and showcase your profile they are now adding a space up top which you can curate yourself and you can add up to 5 featured images too so this is a nice touch and you also have control of who sees what..Our Facebook page will be launching soon so stay tuned for that….

Source

 

 

Psyself Radio – Electronic Dance Music Player on Android and iOS. #Apps

Electronic Dance music player is an app that simply collects music from different online media services (SoundCloud, Mixcloud and others) and tries to play music that the listener would supposedly like.You can select specific sub genres of electronic music (trance, house, dubstep,hardcore and others), and also listen to popular internet radio stations (DI.FM, SomaFM). The app was created by Maxim Novikov and has been around a while but just got a big update..

Maxim tells us…

I have always been a huge fan of music (electronic music, guitar music, jazz, and lots of other stuff) and even composed it myself before. But I always thought that the existing music industry is totally broken. Listeners can basically just stick to what commercial brands like Universal or Sony Music give them. And I wanna change this.
So, I started working on a mobile app to basically connect all the musicians to their target audience. I collect music from many different sources (like SoundClound, Bandcamp, Mixcloud, YouTube, …, and also online radio stations) and play it through the app as a personalized “radio stream” for a listener. And I am trying to contact to independent artists as well to get approval to play their music (for free) in the app.
There is a lot of great music not exposed through commercial channels like TV or radio these days, and with the current technology breakthrough (the internet, music software, etc.) it is getting available online to anyone, but it’s still very difficult to discover. Big music services like Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music are all affiliated with large record companies utilizing the old dinosaur-era model, so you can’t find new good stuff there. Other music services like SoundCloud or Bandcamp are basically huge directories where musicians can upload their songs, but it doesn’t really change anything for the listener, they still can only find something there if they know about a particular artist or track. I want to provide similar services like big online media systems give to the end consumer, but using all the music from all over the world, so the musicians would get better exposure and the listeners could find any music they enjoy without any effort.

Pick from many Electronic music genres (trance (goa trance, psychedelic and progressive), chillout (downtempo, psybient, psychill, ambient), dubstep, drum and bass, hardstyle, hardcore (happy hardcore and gabba), rave, eurodance, lounge (deep house, nu jazz), electro house and electro swing) and enjoy the best electronic music songs both from popular artists and independent and undiscovered yet music bands.

* No registration required
* No user agreement terms to accept
* No integration with social networks

{ Download on Android }   { Download on iOS }  { Web }

 

 

We’re finalists. Blog Awards Ireland. Best digital and tech. #bloggies2015

TechBuzzIreland has made it to the finals in the Blog Awards Ireland 2015 in the best digital and tech category and for only over one year going we are delighted and the team at techbuzz want to thank everyone who voted for us over the past few months and we could not have got this far without you.

We want to also thank the Blog Awards Ireland judges and team who have been put through their paces and have done an excellent job this year..and we look forward to meeting everyone on the night..