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.

Musical Instrument Design: The Art and Science of Crafting Sound

Musical instruments have been an integral part of human culture for millennia, serving as tools for expression, communication, and creativity. The design of these instruments is both an art and a science, blending craftsmanship, physics, and aesthetics to create devices capable of producing rich, expressive sounds. Whether ancient or modern, acoustic or electronic, the process of musical instrument design reflects a deep understanding of how materials, shape, and technique come together to influence sound quality and playability.

Foundations of Instrument Design

At its core, musical instrument design revolves around the production and manipulation of sound waves. Sound is created when an object vibrates, causing air molecules to oscillate and propagate waves that our ears perceive. Different instruments use varying mechanisms to generate these vibrations—strings vibrate, air columns resonate, membranes oscillate, or electronic circuits produce signals.

Understanding these physical principles is essential for designing an instrument that not only produces pleasing tones but also responds dynamically to the musician’s touch. For instance, the tension and length of a string affect its pitch, the shape and size of a drum’s head influence its resonance, and the bore of a wind instrument determines its harmonic series.

Materials Matter

Material selection is a fundamental aspect of instrument design. Wood, metal, plastic, and synthetic composites each impart unique tonal characteristics. For centuries, luthiers carefully chose woods like spruce or maple for their resonance and strength when crafting violins or guitars. Brass and bronze alloys have long been favored for horns and bells due to their durability and bright tonal qualities.

Interestingly, the design of an instrument can even aim to mimic natural sounds. Wind chimes, for example, are designed to evoke the sound of the wind, blending random patterns of resonance with gentle, airy tones that remind listeners of breezes rustling through leaves. Such inspirations highlight how instrument makers connect the physics of sound with human perception and emotion.

Shape and Structure

The shape and structure of an instrument are equally crucial. The geometry of a guitar’s body, for example, affects how sound waves reflect and amplify inside, directly impacting tone and volume. Wind instruments rely heavily on the shape and length of their tubing; a flute’s slender, straight design produces a pure, bright tone, while a curved saxophone generates a warmer, richer timbre due to its conical bore.

In percussion, the size and tension of drumheads influence pitch and sustain. Designers often experiment with dimensions, materials, and bracing patterns to create instruments that balance durability with the desired acoustic properties.

Moreover, the ergonomics of the instrument—how it feels to hold, play, and manipulate—are carefully considered. A well-designed instrument accommodates the physical demands of musicians, enabling comfortable, expressive performance. This human-centered design often evolves through feedback from players and iterative prototyping.

Innovation and Technology

While traditional craftsmanship remains foundational, technology has significantly expanded the horizons of musical instrument design. Computer-aided design (CAD) tools allow makers to model acoustics and ergonomics with unprecedented precision. Digital fabrication methods like 3D printing enable the creation of complex shapes and customized components previously impossible by hand.

Electronic instruments have revolutionized sound possibilities. Synthesizers, for instance, use electronic circuits to generate and manipulate audio signals, offering virtually infinite timbral variety. Even traditional instruments now often incorporate pickups and sensors, blending acoustic warmth with digital versatility.

These innovations challenge designers to blend the tactile qualities of traditional instruments with modern functionality, creating hybrid instruments that appeal to contemporary musicians.

The Role of Cultural and Historical Context

Musical instrument design cannot be separated from cultural and historical contexts. Instruments often carry symbolic meaning and reflect the musical styles of their time and place. The sitar’s resonant strings and sympathetic tones are intimately linked to Indian classical music, while the electric guitar’s design echoes the energy and rebellion of rock music.

Designers draw inspiration from these traditions while also pushing boundaries. Revivals of ancient instruments coexist with futuristic designs, reflecting ongoing dialogues between heritage and innovation.

Acoustic Challenges and Solutions

One of the persistent challenges in instrument design is managing acoustic feedback and unwanted noise. For example, string instruments can produce “wolf tones,” dissonant resonances that interfere with sound quality. Designers employ damping techniques, structural reinforcements, and selective material use to mitigate these effects.

In wind instruments, controlling airflow and preventing leaks is vital. Precision in key mechanisms and seals ensures accurate intonation and responsiveness. The engineering of valves, keys, and pads is often as important as the acoustic design itself.

Craftsmanship and Artistic Expression

Despite advances in technology, musical instrument design remains a deeply artisanal practice. The skill of the maker is visible in the fine details—the curvature of a violin’s scroll, the finish of a drum shell, or the hand-wound coils of a pickup.

These artistic touches not only influence aesthetics but also contribute subtly to sound quality. The balance between uniformity and individuality in handcrafted instruments creates a personal connection between maker, musician, and listener.

The Future of Instrument Design

Looking ahead, musical instrument design is poised for exciting developments. Advances in materials science may yield lighter, more durable instruments with enhanced acoustic properties. Artificial intelligence could assist in crafting instruments tuned to specific player styles or optimizing design parameters for new tonal possibilities.

Virtual and augmented reality technologies might transform how instruments are played and taught, integrating haptic feedback and immersive environments. Designers will continue exploring the boundaries of what an instrument can be, maintaining the essential link between sound, expression, and human creativity.

Conclusion

Musical instrument design is a rich and evolving field where science, craftsmanship, and art converge. By understanding the principles of acoustics, carefully selecting materials, and innovating with form and technology, designers create instruments that not only produce beautiful sounds but also inspire and empower musicians.

Whether evoking the gentle rustling reminiscent of the sound of the wind or delivering powerful, electrifying tones, musical instruments remain vital expressions of human culture and imagination. The ongoing dialogue between tradition and innovation ensures that the craft of instrument design will continue to flourish, producing new voices and enriching the world’s musical landscapes for generations to come.

 

Dell Technologies Fuels Enterprise AI Innovation with Infrastructure, Solutions and Services

Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL), the world’s No. 1 provider of AI infrastructure, announces Dell AI Factory advancements, including powerful and energy-efficient AI infrastructure, integrated partner ecosystem solutions and professional services to drive simpler and faster AI deployments.

 Why it matters

AI is now essential for businesses, with 75% of organizations saying AI is key to their strategy and 65% successfully moving AI projects into production. However, challenges like data quality, security concerns and high costs can slow progress.

The Dell AI Factory approach can be up to 62% more cost effective for inferencing LLMs on- premises than the public cloud and helps organizations securely and easily deploy enterprise AI workloads at any scale. Dell offers the industry’s most comprehensive AI portfolio designed for deployments across client devices, data centers, edge locations and clouds. More than 3,000 global customers across industries are accelerating their AI initiatives with the Dell AI Factory.

 

Dell infrastructure advancements help organizations deploy and manage AI at any scale

Dell introduces end-to-end AI infrastructure to support everything from edge inferencing on an AI PC to managing massive enterprise AI workloads in the data center.

Dell Pro Max AI PC delivers industry’s first enterprise-grade discrete NPU in a mobile form factor7

The Dell Pro Max Plus laptop with Qualcomm® AI 100 PC Inference Card is the world’s first mobile workstation with an enterprise-grade discrete NPU. It offers fast and secure on-device inferencing at the edge for large AI models typically run in the cloud, such as today’s 109-billion- parameter model.

The Qualcomm AI 100 PC Inference Card features 32 AI-cores and 64 GB memory, providing power to meet the needs of AI engineers and data scientists deploying large models for edge inferencing.

Dell redefines AI cooling with innovations that reduce cooling energy costs by up to 60%9

The industry-first Dell PowerCool Enclosed Rear Door Heat Exchanger (eRDHx) is a Dell- engineered alternative to standard rear door heat exchangers. Designed to capture 100% of IT heat generated with its self-contained airflow system, the eRDHx can reduce cooling energy costs by up to 60% compared to currently available solutions.

 

With Dell’s factory integrated IR7000 racks equipped with future-ready eRDHx technology, organizations can:

  • Significantly cut costs and eliminate reliance on expensive chillers given the eRDHx operates with water temperatures warmer than traditional solutions (between 32 and 36 degrees Celsius).
  • Maximize data center capacity by deploying up to 16% more racks of dense compute, without increasing power consumption.
  • Enable air cooling capacity up to 80 kW per rack for dense AI and HPC deployments.
  • Minimize risk with advanced leak detection, real-time thermal monitoring, and unified management of all rack-level components with the Dell Integrated Rack Controller.

 

Dell PowerEdge servers with AMD GPUs maximize performance and efficiency

 

Dell PowerEdge XE9785 and XE9785L servers will support AMD Instinct™ MI350 series GPUs, which offer 288 GB of HBM3E memory per GPU and deliver up to 35 times greater inferencing performance. Available in liquid-cooled and air-cooled configurations, the servers will reduce facility cooling energy costs.

Dell advancements power efficient and secure AI deployments and workflows

Because AI is only as powerful as the data that fuels it, organizations need a platform designed for performance and scalability. The Dell AI Data Platform updates improve access to high quality structured, semi-structured and unstructured data across the AI lifecycle.

 

  • Dell Project Lightning is the world’s fastest parallel file system per new testing, delivering up to two times greater throughput than competing parallel file systems. Project Lightning will accelerate training time for large-scale and complex AI workflows.
  • Dell Data Lakehouse enhancements simplify AI workflows and accelerate use cases — such as recommendation engines, semantic search and customer intent detection — by creating and querying AI-ready datasets.

 

“We’re excited to work with Dell to support our cutting-edge AI initiatives, and we expect Project Lightning to be a critical storage technology for our AI innovations,” said Dr. Paul Calleja, director, Cambridge Open Zettascale Lab and Research Computing Services, University of Cambridge.

With additional portfolio advancements, organizations can:

  • Lower power consumption, reduce latency and boost cost savings for high performance computing (HPC) and AI fabrics with Dell Linear Pluggable Optics.
  • Increase trust in the security of their AI infrastructure and solutions with Dell AI Security and Resilience Services, which provide full stack protection across AI infrastructure, data, applications and models.
  • Dell expands AI partner ecosystem with customizable AI solutions and applications

Dell is collaborating with AI ecosystem players to deliver tailored solutions that simply and quickly integrate into organizations’ existing IT environments. Organizations can:

  • Enable intelligent, autonomous workflows with a first-of-its-kind on-premises deployment of Cohere North, which integrates various data sources while ensuring control over operations.
  • Innovate where the data is with Google Gemini and Google Distributed Cloud on- premises available on Dell PowerEdge XE9680 and XE9780 servers.
  • Prototype and build agent-based enterprise AI applications with Dell AI Solutions with Llama, using Meta’s latest Llama Stack distribution and Llama 4 models.
  • Securely run scalable AI agents and enterprise search on-premises with Glean. Dell and Glean’s collaboration will deliver the first on-premises deployment architecture for Glean’s Work AI platform.
  • Build and deploy secure, customizable AI applications and knowledge management workflows with solutions jointly engineered by Dell and Mistral AI.

 

The Dell AI Factory also expands to include:

  • Advancements to the Dell AI Platform with AMD add 200G of storage networking and an upgraded AMD ROCm open software stack for organizations to simplify workflows, support LLMs and efficiently manage complex workloads. Dell and AMD are collaborating to provide Day 0 support and performance optimized containers for AI models such as Llama 4.
  • The new Dell AI Platform with Intel helps enterprises deploy a full stack of high performance, scalable AI infrastructure with Intel® Gaudi® 3 AI accelerators.

 

Dell also announced advancements to the Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA and updates to Dell NativeEdge to support AI deployments and inferencing at the edge.

 

“It has been a non-stop year of innovating for enterprises, and we’re not slowing down. We have introduced more than 200 updates to the Dell AI Factory since last year,” said Jeff Clarke, chief operating officer, Dell Technologies. “Our latest AI advancements — from groundbreaking AI PCs to cutting-edge data center solutions — are designed to help organizations of every size to seamlessly adopt AI, drive faster insights, improve efficiency and accelerate their results.”

 

“We leverage the Dell AI Factory for our oceanic research at Oregon State University to revolutionize and address some of the planet’s most critical challenges,” said Christopher M. Sullivan, director of Research and Academic Computing for the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University. “Through advanced AI solutions, we’re accelerating insights that empower global decision-makers to tackle climate change, safeguard marine ecosystems and drive meaningful progress for humanity.”

 

Facial recognition systems: applications, benefits and service providers

Facial recognition  technology (FRT) has been around for years now. However, with the technology rapidly evolving, including AI-based solutions, FRT is becoming even faster and better at analysing unique facial features. So, in this article, we’ll look into how this technology actually works, where it can (and is) used, as well as who are currently the key players in the industry.

How does facial recognition work?

At its core, facial recognition technology uses sophisticated AI, particularly machine learning (ML) and deep learning algorithms. The process begins with detection, where the system identifies and isolates a human face within an image or video. Next is analysis, also known as feature extraction, which involves mapping out the unique facial landmarks of your face.

For example, things like the distance between your eyes, the shape of your nose, the contour of your jawline, or the subtle differences in your eyebrows all make up who you are. This is also referred to as a “faceprint” or the biometric template of your face. Once this information is processed, it’s usually converted into a numerical code, which is matched with the one associated with you. The accuracy and reliability of facial recognition heavily depend on the quality of the database and the sophistication of the algorithms.

Diverse applications of FRT

Facial recognition’s applications are already extensive and growing daily. For instance, it’s already a critical tool in security and law enforcement. Agencies can use it to identify suspects from a vast database of CCTV footage, scan large crowds for a person of interest, secure access to sensitive facilities, and so on. You’ve also most likely run into it at the airport passport check, where the machine verifies your identity against your passport. In fact, many people believe your face will become your boarding pass at the airport in the future.

In commercial and consumer applications, FRT brings a lot of convenience. One of the most familiar uses is to unlock our smartphones and laptops just with a glance. Online retail shops are also increasingly offering personalised experiences to customers, using the same technology. Contactless payments can also now be authorised using facial verification instead of passwords. On social media, photo tags are automatically recommended, as platforms can recognise the people associated with you, based on the names you’ve provided.

Moreover, the healthcare sector is where we see a lot of important applications. Facial recognition technology can help prevent various medical errors by accurately identifying patients as well as streamlining hospital check-ins. Experimental systems are even aiming to monitor patient conditions, like diagnosing rare diseases or assessing their pain level, all by analysing their facial dysmorphology.

The benefits of facial recognition implementation

The implementation of facial recognition technology offers numerous incredible benefits across various different industries. Foremost is enhanced security – FRT enables proactive threat detection and more effective crime prevention, improving both public and private safety. Beyond security, it drives improved efficiency and automation. Processes like identity verification, employee check-ins or physical access control are streamlined, reducing the need for manual monitoring.

Of course, FRT brings many benefits to our day-to-day lives too, by making different tasks more seamless. We have quick, contactless, intuitive interactions with our technology, from unlocking a phone to entering a building. Modern systems boast impressive accuracy and speed, quickly becoming the new normal in our homes and workplaces.

Key players in the FRT services

If you are looking to implement facial recognition in your organisation, partnering up with a reliable company will be here. Here are some of the best service providers in the industry today:

Digital Sense

Using the DSBio Face Recognition System (FRS), Digital Sense aims to turn complex projects into simple solutions. Their technology boasts 99.76% accuracy, allowing for reliable identification and verification of faces in real-time.

NEC Corporation

Based in Japan, NEC Corporation is a global biometrics leader, offering high-accuracy facial recognition technology NeoFace. These are widely adopted by law enforcement, border control, and enterprises for robust identity verification and enhanced security.

Clearview AI

Clearview AI primarily serves law enforcement with a controversial, vast database from public internet sources. Its powerful search is a game-changer in police investigations, with 99%+ accuracy, although it has sparked some debates over data collection and privacy practices.

Thales

Thales excels in digital identity and security. They offer biometrics for government programs, enterprise access, secure IDs, aerospace, and advanced border management systems incorporating facial recognition.

The future of face recognition

Facial recognition technology can be absolutely transformative across many sectors, particularly as it keeps getting even faster, more precise, reliable, and powerful. However, despite all of its advantages, the technology is increasingly challenged with privacy concerns, as vast amounts of public data are collected to train it for security purposes. There are also rising worries regarding potential identity theft crimes, as AI face recognition is fast becoming widely accessible to everyone. Ultimately, the positives outweigh the negatives, and with enough transparency and accountability, it can continue to serve individuals and the public safely.

How to Game on the Go with Your PlayStation or Xbox

If you find yourself away from home for work, to visit friends or on holiday, you can still enjoy playing your games. For those who have a passion for gaming, stepping away from the console, especially during important competition, teaming up with others or updates, can make them feel frustrated quickly.

Nowadays, new features in portable technology make it possible to watch anywhere you choose. With today’s portable gaming gear, you can grab a powerful game anywhere you go in your backpack.

Now, anyone from occasional gamers to console experts can easily set up a mobile gaming station. Learn from us how to use your PlayStation or Xbox for gaming wherever you are, and why choosing the right monitor for your PS5 is important.

First, You Should Set up the Console Properly

If you want to play games offline, you should use a portable setup. Here are the things you should bring with you:

  • You can use your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S
  • Compact design of both the controller and the power cords
  • HDMI cable
  • Monitor designed for use with a PS5 monitor that updates the display fast and has low input lag.
  • If you like, you can buy a carrying case or backpack made for consoles.
  • Being able to play your games on the go should not mean you feel the quality suffers.

Even if you’re away from home for any reason, you can still play your games. For gamers who love their sport, stepping aside from the console, especially during important competitions, teaming up, or receiving updates, can quickly cause them to feel frustrated.

Now, you can watch TV wherever you like using portable devices. Today’s portable devices allow you to bring a high-quality game with you anywhere.

These days, both occasional and dedicated gamers can easily create a mobile gaming area with no problem. Find out from us how to connect your PS4 or Xbox to any TV for gaming and why you need an ideal monitor for your PS5.

Here’s Why Choosing a Portable Monitor Has Attracted Many Gamers in 2025

This is why people everywhere are choosing to use portable monitors when gaming.

  • You can carry the amp in a backpack or a console case because it is so light.
  • Games are playable on PS5, Xbox, Switch, and on computers and phones.
  • You can expect top computer gaming performance, vivid colors, and software limitations for sensitive eyes.
  • It’s Plug-and-Play, setup is very easy and doesn’t take time.
  • The gaming monitor made for PS5 is worth buying if you want a display that will last in the future.

Some Ways to Maximize Your Gaming Experience When Away

  • Download games and updates while you are still connected to the internet
  • Take a Surge Protector with You: Sometimes, the power outlets in hotels are limited or just do not work.
  • Sort your cables using a technology pouch to avoid getting them tangled.
  • Enter Game Mode on your monitor to see visuals that are best for gaming
  • Plug in and load all your controllers, headsets, and battery banks before you leave.

Game Suggestions for PlayStation or Xbox 

  • The sequel, God of War: Ragnarok, is full of epic scenes and lovely scenery.
  • You can enjoy FIFA 24 multiplayer wherever you are.
  • Players can get involved and stay entertained as Elden Ring is full of in-depth gameplay.
  • You can join in on the action anywhere with Halo Infinite.
  • Spider-Man 2 – The game feels outstanding and travels smoothly on a 120Hz touch screen monitor.

Final Thoughts

You can play video games anywhere where you can connect to a device with a reliable screen. If you have a PS5 monitor with unique features or a multi-touch screen, you can play your favorite PS5 games any place you go.

Besides, the gaming monitor for PS5 surpasses others in quality with its superb image, smooth refresh rate, and low delay, allowing it to move comfortably from place to place and work among numerous consoles. 

With new forms of gaming coming along, your equipment should change as well. Use technology to help you access your games whenever and wherever you wish. If you have a powerful portable monitor, you can keep working, stay in touch with others and explore your games or entertainment anywhere.

EHS International Announces Exclusive Partnership to Deliver FLAIM VR Fire Training

EHS International, a leading Irish provider of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) solutions, has announced an exclusive partnership with Australian-based technology company FLAIM Systems. Through the partnership, EHS International will deliver FLAIM’s world-leading virtual reality (VR) fire training simulators exclusively across the island of Ireland, as well as to its global client base.

The partnership will introduce a suite of VR training programmes — including fire extinguisher simulators, work instruction simulators and advanced industrial fire crew and defence industry simulators. Using 4D technology, FLAIM provides interactive, multisensory, highly realistic scenarios, with well over 60 lifelike training situations enhanced by heat and resistance software.

In addition to the core simulators, EHS International will offer the FLAIM product called Trainer. This is a leading-edge VR platform for advanced firefighter training. It enables realistic simulations of fire emergencies using over 70 immersive emergency fire situations. Trainer replicates key elements of live-fire response, including heat, hose pressure, and full interaction with real firefighting equipment such as hose reels, nozzles, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), and PPE. Unlike traditional drills, it offers lifelike training without the risks, environmental impact, or resource use. Each session is estimated to save hundreds of litres of water, 20–50 litres of hazardous foam, and over 20 kg of CO₂ — roughly equal to discharging four large CO₂ fire extinguishers.

Chris Mee, Founder and CEO of EHS International, stated: “Our partnership with FLAIM Systems is a game-changer for fire safety training in Ireland. From basic extinguisher use to advanced emergency response, trainees can now experience real-life fire scenarios — safely, sustainably, and without the risks of live-fire drills.

“With immersive simulations, in-the-moment feedback, and real firefighting gear, FLAIM delivers unmatched realism. You wouldn’t let an airline pilot fly a plane without simulator training — the same should apply to fire and other safety training. Simulators are here to stay”

This new technology allows organisations to measure and track individual trainee competence, supporting compliance with Irish and EU safety legislation. All simulator training is led by EHS International’s expert trainers, ensuring correct and effective use across multiple sectors, including chemical, pharmaceutical and food.

FLAIM Systems’ Managing Director, Simon Miller, added: “FLAIM’s purpose is to deliver training technologies that prepare people to respond to hazards and emergencies, safely and confidently, for real-world challenges, and this partnership with EHS International reflects that mission perfectly.  As emergency services face growing complexity, we’re committed to evolving our technology to meet their needs, delivering safe, immersive, and high-impact training experiences.  Just as important is how we work: we listen and collaborate with our partners and customers to innovate purposeful training solutions that deliver a safer ready-to-respond workforce”

Headquartered in Cork, with offices in Dublin, Belfast, and London, EHS International was founded by Chris Mee in 2023 to deliver technology-enabled EHS services across consultancy, training, fire safety, and occupational health. The FLAIM collaboration expands its growing portfolio of innovation-led partnerships in the EHS sector.

The VR training programme is projected to deliver over €1 million worth of fire safety training over the next two years, supporting firefighters, emergency responders, and safety teams — from everyday workplaces to high-risk industrial environments.

For more information or to schedule a training session, visit ehsinternational.com.

New Seven-inch Camera Monitor from Viltrox: The DC-A1

Meeting the needs of professional filmmakers and photographers for a compact but clear monitor that makes brilliant shots easy, Viltrox is pleased to announce the launch of the DC-A1 Camera Monitor, a seven-inch ultra-bright 1920×1080 FHD touchscreen. The DC-A1 displays in 4K resolution at 60Hz, delivering lossless, high-definition HDMI 2.0 signals for a clear, smooth monitoring experience.

The impressive 2800-nit ultra-bright high-resolution wide-angle display effortlessly handles strong illumination and complex lighting environments, ensuring clear visuals in any situation, especially outdoor shooting – a detachable easy-to-use sunhood is included.

Equipped with advanced monitoring tools and functions – such as 3D LUT, gyroscope, focus peaking, false color, anamorphic de-squeeze, and more – the DC-A1 delivers precise image control to enhance shooting accuracy and efficiency. The DC-A1’s custom LUT import enables seamless color consistency, from on-set monitoring to post-production. This monitor ensures stellar results, with powerful features guided by user-friendly control, making it ideal for aspiring photographers or professional teams. It’s ideal for film crews, as it meets the demanding standards of high-quality productions.

Intuitive controls and operating system

The familiar tactile knob and button controls let users easily navigate functions quickly with one hand for precise control. The customizable preset buttons help photographers instantly access key monitoring features with a single touch. The touchscreen ensures all functions are at the user’s fingertips for an intuitive and seamless creative process. Intuitive pinch-to-zoom allows for detailed inspection of every corner of the frame, ensuring no detail is missed.

Multiple power options, enduring performance

With versatile power supply options, the DC-A1 ensures uninterrupted operation in any environment, making it ideal for extended shooting sessions. For reliability, the monitor supports three power sources: The included NP-F series lithium batteries, DC IN (direct current), and USB C charging.

Silent cooling helps get the best shot, all day

The quiet cooling fan automatically adjusts speed according to the temperature of the monitor, ensuring stable operation even during long hours of work – and keeping the monitor cool without excessive noise. The monitor is compact and lightweight at just 188x110x28mm and 348g.

Comprehensive accessories included

The standard package provides everything needed for immediate use. As well as the DC A1 monitor, it includes a robust hard carrying case, custom-designed tilt and swivel mount, NF-F550 battery, convenient quick-release sunhood, custom-fit screen protector, HDMI cable, mini HDMI cable, and USB-C power cable.

More details and how to buy

For more information, please visit: https://geni.us/DCA1_PR

Amazon Store:

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F8NG1DMZ

Europe: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0F8NG1DMZ

 

MSRP: $278 / €319 / £260

Other Viltrox news 

Jabra launches Engage AI Complete, the human-focused AI software for call centers

Jabra, the world’s leading professional audio brand, today announced Jabra Engage AI Complete – a new premium tier of its call center software, Engage AI. The new offering adds real-time speech-to-text transcription and generative AI to elevate agent performance and enhance every customer interaction.

With Engage AI Complete, call center agents receive live coaching and automated call summaries, while supervisors gain real-time insights, sentiment analysis and powerful analytics tools – all designed to drive better conversations and stronger customer outcomes.

Evolving the customer experience

Modern call centers often operate across several physical locations, with agents working from shared offices or noisy home environments. Multi-tasking is constant – solving customer issues while managing systems, tools and admin work. Engage AI Complete is designed for this reality.

The platform uses AI to transcribe conversations live, enabling agents to focus on the caller rather than note-taking. It also analyzes not only what’s said but how it’s said, helping agents adjust their tone in real time. Additionally, the platform uses AI to cut through background noise to ensure clearer conversations, powered by Jabra’s ClearSpeech technology.

The result is fewer distractions, faster resolutions and more meaningful conversations – while reducing cognitive load for agents and enabling supervisors to support teams at scale.

One platform with real-time voice intelligence for deeper human connections

Jabra launched Engage AI in 2022 to bring real-time tone monitoring and feedback to agents. In 2024, ClearSpeech was introduced, removing background noise from the customer’s end to improve clarity and reduce cognitive loads on agents.

Jabra is the only solution that delivers tone AI, speech-to-text, generative AI and noise cancellation, all in the same package.

Backed by over 20 years of research and millions of conversations analyzed, Engage AI is built on a foundation of data, insights and privacy-first design. Calls are securely processed, with instant feedback delivered directly to the agent — helping them adjust in the moment and improve with every interaction.

This enables agents to focus fully on the customer, making each conversation more effective. Supervisors can boost team performance with immediate coaching insights, while leaders can use real-time data to address shared customer concerns and make improvements. As a result, call centers benefit from higher customer satisfaction, lower agent turnover and more efficient operations overall.

“Our goal is simple: give every agent the ability to own their tone, elevate every conversation and make the most of every call,” said Andreas Orebo Wenzel, VP of Engage AI at Jabra. “With Engage AI Complete, we’ve brought together years of voice research and generative AI innovation to address the core needs of the call center. Engage AI Complete increases operational efficiency and improves both agent experience and customer satisfaction, allowing companies to get more from every call.”

New features that will be available in Engage AI Complete:

  • AI Call Summaries – Automatically transcribes and summarizes calls to reduce post-call admin.
  • Auto Call Reason Detection – Detects the reason for the call to help teams identify patterns and improve processes.
  • Auto Topic Tagging – Tags key topics discussed during the call to track trends and streamline coaching.
  • Customer Sentiment – Gives an instant, high level view of how each call went with a simple sentiment score based on the words used during the call.
  • Insights & Analytics Dashboard – Overview of conversations to help leaders improve coaching and quality.

 Whether paired with a Jabra headset for an optimized experience or used with any professional headset, Engage AI Complete is easy to deploy and scale.

Jabra Engage AI Complete will be available globally in June 2025. MSRP: €50/$50 per user per month. The original version, now called Engage AI Core, remains available at €25/$25 per user per month.

Jabra will be showcasing its Engage AI Complete solution at CCW Las Vegas 2025, June 9th-12th (Booth 838), where Jabra has been recognized as an ‘Up & Coming solution provider’ by CMP in the Auto QA/QM category.   

Learn more at: Engage AI – Transform customer experience with the power of tone AI

See our Jabra reviews

Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G Review

The Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G is a mid ranged priced phone but has the premium look to it and we have been testing it out the last few months and have to say it is a device I could use as a daily driver all year round.

Storage is now a factor in mobile phones and the base factor here starts at a rather generous 256GB where others fall behind and for those who like to take good photos and video the base offering here is more than welcome.

Specs are known now and listed below so we will not bore you with them but there is plenty to think about at this phones price which will vary by region and further making the point there is no need to spend over a thousand euro on a phone today.

The build quality is decent here and given it has a plastic back the body of the phone is premium with alloy rails and a 6.7 OLDED panel with a 120hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 making it ideal for media consumption.

With the camera hump placed in the middle on the back it means no wobble on a flat desk though most of us will use cases it is good to know and in the camera array we have a 200mp main camera 8mp ulltra wide 2 mp macro and not forgetting the 20mp front camera. which the results of can be seen below with the photo and image gallery.

Redmi Note 14 pro 5G images and video samples 

We have no wireless charging on board here which might be a deal breaker for some but 45w fast charging which is a fair speed at this price point and we also have a decent battery at 5110 mAh and one thing we do not see too often is an IR blaster up top which is great for those who use such an remote controls is one handy use for it.

The Redmi Not 14 Pro is power by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Ultra chip and for my personal daily use which is more than most is fine and I had no issues with the countless apps running and social media and emails etc all day long making it fine for multitasking.

The phone runs on Hyper OS which lies atop Android 14 so we are a bit behind here but for me there was no issues in my review period and zipped along fine with any task I threw at it but there is only two years of software updates available now which is much less than rivals however that can change and most people change their device within that time frame.

If you are on a budget within the big budget market there is plenty of options available and making the choice more difficult but after testing this phone out myself it is one to certainly think about. Check out the first look video where we take a deep dive into the phone and show you lots more.

Features

Camera 200MP main camera
Chipset MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Ultra
Carrier Unlocked for All Carriers
OS Xiaomi HyperOS based on Android
Cellular technology 5G
Storage & RAM 8GB + 256GB
Connectivity technologies Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB, NFC
Screen size 6.67 Inches
Battery 5110mAh (typ)
Charging 45W turbo charging

Buy 

Unboxing and first look

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active Headphones Made for The Gym

Skullcandy, the original lifestyle audio brand, unveils Crusher 540 Active (£169.99), the first in its iconic Crusher line of headphones to be purpose-built for the gym. Designed to help users find their zone and stay in it, this new model features Skullcandy’s patented Crusher bass technology, offering a multi-sensory bass experience that makes every beat hit deeper and every rep feel more powerful. Sweat and water resistant with a specialized nano coating, the Crusher 540 Active is designed to help people stay in the zone no matter where their workout is.

“Fans have been asking for Crusher’s signature bass in a purpose-built gym-ready headphone for years,” said Justin Reagan, VP of Marketing at Skullcandy. “Music is a motivator, and we created the Crusher 540 Active to be the perfect partner in the gym or during an outdoor workout when you want to tune out the rest of the world.”

Built for endurance, Crusher 540 Active packs up to 40 hours of battery life, and when time is tight, a 10-minute Rapid Charge delivers 4 hours of playtime. 

With breathable fabric ear cushions, sweat-resistant nano-coating, and a secure fit headband designed to stay put, Crusher 540 Active is built to power through even your toughest workouts. 

Alongside new active-ready updates, Crusher 540 Active retains the signature features fans love—like a fold-flat design for easy portability and an adjustable bass slider for personalized sound.

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active is now available globally at Skullcandy.com and select retail locations.

 

 

Key Features Include:

  • Adjustable Sensory Bass powered by Skullcandy’s signature Crusher technology
  • Sweat and water resistant with a nano-coating and silicone TPU band for fearless workouts
  • Breathable fabric ear cushions and enhanced clamping force for a secure, comfortable fit
  • Up to 40 hours of battery life with Rapid Charge (10 minutes = 4 hours) 
  • Noise-isolating over-ear design to block distractions and lock in focus
  • Personal Sound by Audiodo™ for a customized audio experience
  • Skullcandy App compatibility for deeper control
  • Built-in Tile™ Finding Technology to help you keep track of your gear
  • Bluetooth® 5.0 Auto Connect and integrated controls for convenience on the move
  • Two full-range 40mm drivers, plus additional dual bass drivers 
  • Adjustable bass slider to let you dial in your perfect bass experience
  • Protective travel bag
  • Back-up AUX cable for plugging in
  • USB-C charging cable

See our Skullcandy Reviews