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.

4 Effective Monetization Strategies for Mobile Apps

In the world of app development, monetization is not just a way to earn revenue but also to sustain ongoing improvements and cost recovery, and ensure the long-term sustainability of an application. Having a reliable and consistent source of income is important for mobile developers and businesses because it enables them to continue working on the mobile app and keep expanding it.

Beyond the traditional in-app ads, developers must implement advanced monetization strategies to optimize revenue, ensure app growth, and add new features to the app. Although there are various monetization strategies that one could use in a mobile app, here we have discussed four effective monetization strategies for mobile apps below. 

Freemium Model

The first effective monetization strategy for developers these days is the freemium model or freemium strategy. As of now, the freemium model is quite prevalent in mobile apps around the world because of how effective it is in generating revenue for developers. This monetization strategy involves offering a download free app with some optional paid features or content that can be unlocked only after the users pay for them.

This approach is quite an effective one in generating revenue for developers, but developers must have to ensure that they provide a smooth transition between the free and premium versions, and the premium version offers the users something that compels them to pay for it.

Subscription-Based Model

The subscription-based model has also gained a lot of popularity over the years, as it allows developers to have a sustained stream of income. This model involves the developers offering exclusive access to premium features and content in exchange for a monthly or annual billed fee. For applications that offer continuous benefits such as fitness apps, streaming services, or productivity tools, this model is quite effective in generating revenue.

The only thing that the developers need to take care of is that they must implement a secure and seamless system that ensures secure payment gateways and manages different subscription levels.

In-App Purchases

For many developers, the most favored monetization strategy or model is the In-app purchases (IAPs) one. It is highly favored by developers from around the world and involves the developers offering additional content, features, and services within the app. This monetization model is particularly popular in mobile games and consists of consumable purchases, non-consumable purchases, unlockable content, and subscriptions.

For this model to be effective, developers must adopt such an approach with the in-game features and content that compels the users to buy the IAPs. The benefit of this model is that some in-app resources like consumables or subscriptions allow developers to generate ongoing income but the developers must strike a balance between free and paid content to avoid alienating users.

In-App Advertising

The in-app advertising model is applicable to almost all types of mobile apps and involves app developers displaying ads within their applications and generating revenue through it. This model leverages the app’s user bases to attract advertisers so that they can reach the app’s audience. There are various types of in-app ads including banner ads, rewarded video ads, interstitial ads, playable ads, native ads, etc.

The main benefit of this monetization strategy is that developers can generate revenue from the app while keeping it completely free and at the same time, they can combine this model with other monetization strategies, as it can be seamlessly integrated with other monetization models.

How to Captivate Your Audience in a Webinar?

Keeping your audience attentive and interested in a webinar is more difficult than in a live presentation because leaving a webinar is quite easy, you just have to exit your web browser. Similarly, in a webinar, one can get bored quite easily but as a speaker, it is your job to captivate your audience and retain their attention. How can you captivate your audience and keep them interested in your webinar? Let’s find out as we discuss various ways to captivate your audience in a webinar.

Provide Useful Information/Content

The first and foremost thing to do in order to keep your audience interested is to provide them with useful content. Every person joins a webinar to gain some useful and actual knowledge. As a presenter, you should make sure that you are delivering useful content and knowledge to your audience that might actually help them. 

Instead of loose talk, try to share various advice and life hacks that can help your participants. This is a great way to keep your audience interested in your webinar. While sharing information, ensure that you are using easy terminology that is not too difficult for your audience.

Communicate With Your Audience

Communicating with your audience is very important to keep them interested and engaged in what you are presenting or what you are saying because the human mind reacts quickly to questions. Therefore, to make your session more engaging, communicate with your audience, ask questions, and engage them in one way or another to retain their attention. Asking questions during your webinar after every 10-15 minutes is a great way to keep your audience attentive.

Use Multimedia and Visual Elements

If you are only speaking in a webinar and do not use multimedia, you will bore your audience and lose their attention. It is hard to concentrate on a person’s voice for a long time, especially in an online session. To keep your audience interested, make sure that you use presentations, photos, and videos. Adding visual elements to the webinars as in the Talk to Strangers app makes it easier for the listeners to understand what you are saying.

Share Experiences

While speaking and presenting a topic, make sure that you share personal life experiences. If you don’t have personal experiences, share experiences from other people’s lives but make sure that you include experiences in your webinars because people can learn greatly and resonate with stories from the lives of other people.

Sharing experiences of your life as well as from the lives of clients, friends, colleagues, or celebrities will make the audience listen more attentively to what you are saying. Apart from webinars, if you are having online sessions with random strangers on strangercam.com, make sure that you share your experiences there too as it helps to connect your story to reality.

Eliminate Backgrounds Sounds

Try to eliminate background sounds during your webinar because background sounds like noise, echo, or notification sounds can distract the audience from what you are trying to present. To eliminate background and distracting sounds, use a quality headset and put your phone on DND mode so that you can focus on your webinar only.

Change the Rhythm and Tempo of Speech

Another useful method to retain the attention of the audience is to change your tempo and rhythm of speech after a while. You can slow down, speak louder, or increase the tone of your voice. By changing the tempo and rhythm, you can catch the attention of the audience because a sudden change in the tone of voice or tempo of the voice can catch the attention of your audience quickly.

How To Reduce WiFi Network Congestion?

One of the main concerns of businesses and households with many people related to the internet is WiFi congestion. WiFi congestion occurs on a network when too many devices on the same network send data packets at the same time or when too many devices try to access the network. WiFi or network congestion can lead to a speed drop and also cause the network to become unstable and unreliable.

Fortunately, there are some ways by which you can reduce congestion on your WiFi network and keep the network fast, stable, and responsive. Here are some ways by which you can reduce WiFi congestion on a network.

Increase the Connection Bandwidth

The most obvious way to reduce or prevent network congestion is to simply increase the bandwidth of your internet connection. If you don’t know what bandwidth is, it is basically the amount of data that can be sent and received over the network simultaneously. If your network bandwidth is low, you won’t be able to handle the data requests and it can lead to network congestion.

If you are facing network congestion because of low bandwidth, then the best option you have is to increase the bandwidth on your internet connection. To do this, you only have to talk to your internet service provider and purchase more bandwidth. You needn’t make changes to the FRITZ!Box or settings of the router.

Improve the Network Design of Your Connection

Improving the network design of your connection can help to reduce network congestion on your WiFi network. If your network is poorly designed, it can lead to network congestion in no time. Oftentimes we see networks being designed without any idea in mind. A poorly designed network can result in congestion in no time, which is challenging to fix.

For instance, if your network has multiple access points and all of the access points are either placed too close to each other or using the same channel, it can lead to network congestion and interference. To prevent this, make sure that you design the whole network in a proper way, place access points at a proper distance, and use less congested channels through router settings.

Analyze and Assess the Connected Devices

Sometimes, the culprit could be the devices connected to the network because some devices may use too much of the network’s resources or cause interference. Always check the devices connected to the network and assess whether they need to be reconfigured to be turned off because they may be causing problems for other devices and users on the network. Analyzing and assessing the devices is a simple process but it can help you quickly identify potential sources of congestion.

Use of Quality of Service (QoS) for Essential Applications

QoS or Quality of Service is a widely used feature these days that can help you prioritize a certain type of traffic over other types. When network congestion occurs, it can slow down the internet activity of all devices and applications. If this happens to an application that is essential or important for you, it can make things bad for you. With the QoS feature, you can prioritize specific applications and data packets over others so they are sent and received on a priority basis.

The benefit of QoS is that it helps you prioritize essential and important applications on the network. So that even when network congestion occurs, those applications are less likely to be affected by it.

DreamDev Technologies software company from KIldare win at the National Enterprise Awards

DreamDev Technologies, a software company from Kildare who have developed a new AI augmented platform helping companies to significantly increase their product’s time to market, have been named Overall Winner at this year’s National Enterprise Awards.  DreamDev Technologies, established by Eoin Barry and Douglas Augiar, are the third Kildare winner of the National Enterprise of the Year Award in the last six years following on from Terra NutriTech in 2018 and Pestle & Mortar in 2019.

The Awards, which are an initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices to celebrate the best small businesses in Ireland, were held at the Round Room in the Mansion House in Dublin in what is their 24th year.  Peter Burke, T.D., Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, announced this year’s winners in front of representatives from the Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Authorities and small businesses from across the country at the event.

DreamDev was set up in 2019 with the aim of utilising online tools and software to enable faster digitalisation for companies. Their flagship product, ‘the dot-star enterprise’ software platform enables software engineering teams to create their own bespoke software programmes which deliver results with significantly reduced resourcing requirements.

Announcing the award winners at the Mansion House and after earlier launching the new Local Enterprise Office Policy Statement, Minister Burke said; “The National Enterprise Awards are the highlight of the small business and enterprise calendar.  Year on year the diversity of businesses and the standard of companies that are coming through the process is getting stronger.  We should not be surprised given the innovation and endurance that businesses have shown in recent years.  We have some outstanding winners but the finalists on the whole have been excellent, and this is very much the start of their journey.  

“The new Local Enterprise Office Policy Statement I announced today sets out the vital role that LEOs have in fostering entrepreneurship and helping small businesses thrive every day across the country. The Policy Statement charts a clear roadmap of how LEOs will align their work with the priorities of the White Paper on Enterprise and ensure that their high-calibre offering continues into the future. I pay tribute to the great work of the current and former staff of the LEOs who, over the last 10 years, have helped and guided small businesses in Ireland which are at the heart of every town, village and community and are vital to our economy.”

John Magee, Chair of the network of Local Enterprise Offices, said; “The National Enterprise Awards are the standard bearer for the very best of small businesses in Ireland.  You can see from previous winners that this is the first step on a bigger journey and it opens many doors for them nationally and internationally.   Across the Finalists and winners you see a great diversity of businesses covering a range of sectors.  The entrepreneurship eco-system is extremely healthy and these businesses are a testament to that.

“These entrepreneurs are inspired to create businesses and employment in their own areas and to establish businesses that can not only compete here but globally.  It’s a honour to be able to work with these businesses on a day-to-day basis and we look forward to seeing what all the finalists do in the coming years.”

 There were several other category winners announced on the night.

Innovation Award

The winner of the Innovation Award was Cytidel.  The cybersecurity company, supported by Local Enterprise Office Mayo, has created software that helps cybersecurity teams to identify and prioritise the top cyber threats to a company.

Best Export Award 

The winner of the Best Export Award was Eskimo Software.  The company, who are supported by Local Enterprise Office Carlow, have created a CRM and lead generation software package specifically for car dealerships to improve efficiency and sales.

Best Start Up Award

The winner of the Best Start-Up Award was The Black Stuff.  The men’s care business, who are supported by Local Enterprise Office Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, are creating over 10,000 handmade soaps a week and have utilised social media to create one of the fastest growing men’s care brands in the country.

 Green / Sustainability Award 

The winner of the Green/Sustainability Award was Living Green.  The sustainable living company, supported by Local Enterprise Office Donegal, create a range of products from organic compost and worm cast to wheatgrass and frozen shots.

One To Watch Award 

The winner of the One to Watch Award was Drink Botanicals.  The drinks company, supported by Local Enterprise Office Dublin City, have created a suite of products such as natural based syrups, cocktail ancillaries and dried garnishes that are being sold directly into over 200 bars, restaurants and off licences.

This year’s winners share a €50,000 investment fund and eight regional winners were also announced on the night.

Those winners are –

 

  • PRM Assist in the Dublin Region (backed by LEO Fingal)
  • Nutshed in the South West Region (backed by LEO Tipperary)
  • Watt Footprint in the Mid East Region (backed by LEO Westmeath)
  • Expat Taxes in the South Region (backed by LEO Waterford)
  • Brady’s Coffee in the South East Region (backed by LEO Wicklow)
  • Sleater Solutions in the North West Region (backed by LEO Sligo)
  • Zoma in the North East Region (backed by LEO Louth)
  • Grá Chocolates in the West Region (backed by LEO Galway)

Also honoured on the night were Bevcraft who won the Outstanding Achievement Award.  An example of a company who began with their Local Enterprise Office and then accessed support from Enterprise Ireland to grow their business globally.

Established by friends Ciarán Gorman and Darren Fenton who wanted to create an international business with significant employment in their hometown of Mullingar.   Their independent canning business and their mobile canning function allowed any small brewer to can and brand their drinks on site.  They now have 8 locations across Europe, servicing 20 countries and handling over 100million cans per year.

Previous winners of the National Enterprise Awards include Irish Yoghurts (1998), Obelisk (2000), Simtech Aviation (2008), Digiweb (2004) and Design Pro (2013), Terra NutriTech (2018), Pestle & Mortar (2019), Bevcraft (2021) and Aqualicence in 2022.

Last year’s winners were Advanced Cosmetics, supported by Local Enterprise Office Mayo.   The Ballina based company were set up Noreen Hackett in 2018, before launching to market in 2022.  As one of the only “concept to shelves” cosmetics companies in Europe they have achieved significant success, securing contracts with some of the biggest brand names in the cosmetics industry.

The National Enterprise Awards also celebrated 10 years since the inception of the Local Enterprise Offices in 2014 with several former winners attending on the evening.

The National Enterprise Awards are one of several initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country. Others include Local Enterprise Week, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women’s Enterprise Day and Local Enterprise Showcase. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland.

Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. Since their inception eight years ago, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 70,000 jobs across the country. The LEOs work with thousands of client companies across Ireland in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses. For more information see www.LocalEnterprise.ie

Skullcandy SLYR Pro Wireless: SLYing the Competition with Unrivaled Gaming Audio!

Skullcandy have announced the latest entry in their gaming series: the SLYR PRO Wireless! 

Experience Seamless Connectivity: Our console-specific gaming headsets effortlessly connect via Bluetooth, low-latency wireless, or the included 3.5mm aux cable, ensuring compatibility with PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Elevate Your Gaming Experience: Packed with innovative features such as rapid charge (10 mins = 4 hrs!), a bi-directional removable boom mic, LED Mic Mute Indicator, EQ modes, and intuitive call & media controls, the SLYR PRO Wireless headset will revolutionise your gaming sessions.

Technical Specifications

  • Headset Type: Wired/Wireless Over-ear

  • Connection Type: 2.4ghz, Bluetooth®, USB-A, 3.5mm Aux

  • Impedance: 32Ω

  • Driver Diameter: 50mm

  • THD: <2% at 1KHz

  • Sound Pressure Level: 95 ± 3dB

  • Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20KHz

  • Weight: 274g

 

What’s in the box:

  • SLYR® Pro Wireless Headset

  • Removable Boom Microphone

  • 3.5mm Aux Cable 5-pole to 4-pole (5ft)

  • USB-C to USB-A Cable (6ft)

  • Quick Start Guide / Warranty Guide

RRP: £99.99

Global Telesat Communications Celebrates 45,000 Globalstar Device Sales Milestone

Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar, Inc. (NYSE American: GSAT), the next-generation international telecommunications infrastructure and technology provider, announced today that UK specialist wireless and satellite technology reseller, Global Telesat Communications (GTC), a subsidiary of NextPlat Corp. (NASDAQ: NXPL), has surpassed the landmark milestone of 45,000 Globalstar devices sold.

One of Europe’s most successful resellers of Globalstar’s SPOT satellite-enabled GPS messengers, GTC supplies individuals and organisations with robust, practical and affordable SPOT Gen4, SPOT X Bluetooth and SPOT Trace. GTC’s wide range of organisational customers embraces an array of commercial and non-commercial entities to safeguard lone and at-risk workers. These include disaster relief agencies, energy and utilities suppliers such as Scottish Water, as well as civil and national defence organisations. GTC also supplies SPOT devices to numerous private and public organisations keen to protect staff involved in potentially hazardous forest management work.

Meanwhile, GTC continues to count outdoor adventurers and sportspeople among its growing customer base for popular SPOT products.

All these users recognise that whenever their activities take them beyond the reach of existing cellular networks or other terrestrial communications systems, only satellite technology can provide trustworthy and ubiquitous connectivity.

“SPOT devices have an enduring appeal, even in today’s competitive marketplace,” says David Phipps, CEO of Global Operations of NextPlat Corp, and Managing Director of GTC. “Their inherent simplicity, easy operation and economical price make SPOT an ideal choice for users in a wide variety of applications.”

Phipps also points to network reliability and reach as key drivers of SPOT’s ongoing market success: “Globalstar’s robust network and near-global coverage are also key factors in why consumers and organisations choose SPOT,” he says.

Thanks to the SPOT family of satellite GPS messengers, this wide range of users can instantly transmit their GPS location via satellite, and check in with colleagues, friends and family with SPOT’s messaging function. With SPOT’s one-touch SOS button, faced with an emergency, users can summon colleagues or first responders via SPOT’s 24/7 Search and Rescue Services.

Globalstar recently marked the milestone of the 10,000th rescue made possible by Globalstar devices, including SPOT.

“Additionally, Globalstar’s economical and flexible SPOT airtime packages deliver great value, and ensure users benefit from reliable, ubiquitous satellite connectivity in plans that meet their needs,” Phipps adds.

Globalstar’s compact and cost-effective devices provide reliable, near-global coverage thanks to Globalstar’s next-generation Low-Earth Orbit satellite network.

GTC has also seen expansive growth in uptake for Globalstar’s commercial IoT devices. Phipps reports that demand for SmartOne C, GTC’s bestseller in this category, continues apace. “SmartOne C keeps going from strength to strength: The range of applications for SmartOne C and Globalstar’s other commercial satellite IoT products keeps expanding every year,” says Phipps.

Tracking of shipping containers, heavy equipment, boats and road vehicles are just some of the requirements being satisfied by SmartOne devices provided to customers by GTC.

Recent GTC-facilitated deployments of Globalstar’s IoT solutions include tracking equipment and workers in the construction industry, agriculture, and protection for staff working with environmental agencies and historical preservation organisations.

In the marine sector, fleet owners are tracking and optimising management of seafaring vessels with SmartOne, and providing emergency rescue support with the help of SPOT Gen4. Elsewhere, SPOT devices are safeguarding participants on adventure trips by Duke of Edinburgh candidates, scout groups and schools.

The applications of Globalstar innovations that embrace the Internet of Things to solve real-world challenges continue to grow. NATO, for one, procured its SPOT Trace devices from GTC to study ocean current movement using buoys.

A GTC customer in New Zealand uses SmartOne C and SPOT Trace for a novel beehive optimisation platform that helps manuka honey producers improve yields. When a hive fitted with SmartOne C reaches optimum weight, the owner is alerted that it’s time to harvest. Meanwhile, SPOT Trace units are helping protect the valuable hives from theft.

Always-on connectivity and real-time tracking capabilities are assured, even in remote or challenging environments where traditional telecom networks may be unavailable.

GTC’s own SolarTrack asset tracking system has also seen increasing uptake. SolarTrack incorporates GSatSolar, part of the Globalstar commercial IoT solutions portfolio. With tiny, lightweight GSatSolar at its heart, SolarTrack enables economical, low-maintenance long-term tracking by using the power of the Sun.

“We offer huge congratulations to GTC in achieving this landmark milestone,” said Mark O’Connell, Globalstar EMEA & APAC General Manager. “With its steadfast commitment to innovation and keeping customers front-of-mind, GTC continues to play a vital role in enabling a wide range of organisations and individuals to benefit from Globalstar satellite technology,” he added.

Tech Review – Pioneer DJ HDJ CUE1BT headphones

The Pioneer DJ HDJ-CUE1BT-K DJ Headphones with Bluetooth are the next step up from the HDJ CUE1 we reviewed last year and for me living my wireless headphones it is nice to see these in a wireless version.

These are built really well and are a clean looking pair of headphones for DJ headphones this must be the case with strengthened stress points on these they are built to last, joints is one of the main areas that go on headphones but these are built here and it is visible in comparison to your standard headphones. The ratchet style extensions are made with metal rather than plastic and the headband is tough too also so are the arms holding the cups. Some might feel edgy seeing lots of screw but trust me they last and my old pair is still going strong that I have given to my daughter who is by far not the most caring with all the headphones and earbuds passed down.

These are comfortable given the smaller cups than I would like they isolate much of the noise once placed on the head and there is no ANC or App available there is no clamp effect either and can be worn for long term use too however this may vary per person as all our heads are not the same. Comfort is important and for a DJ especially which I am not so and they will be happy here at the level of comfort here and lightweight for general use at home and so on.

There is some controls this time around too and if you run out of battery you can plug in direct with the cable provide, the buttons are raised nicely and large enough even for my big fingers to navigate. With no app you have no control over the EQ but these are designed for DJs and I have some woofers here etc I can plug into and it all sound great, you can also play and pause skip and reverse tracks and higher and lower the volume.

The sound is bass heavy via my smartphone and that is how I like it and once tuned up to the max you will not hear a thing outside so you can soak in all that bass in peace and quiet. Highs lows and mids are all fine and any genre tested but again bass heavy which many folk like out there.

Overall these are not expensive headphones now and give you great comfort and an enjoyable listening experience and lets you sit back and relax or lie down where the buttons cannot be interfered with and enjoy your music or films on Netflix. They are robust and will last and anyone in the market looking for such headphones which can be used in a hybrid manner should check them out.

Pioneer DJ HDJ-CUE1BT-K, DJ Headphones – techbuzzireland

 

Features

  • HIGH QUALITY SOUND. Hear the full richness of your music when DJing or just listening to a favorite track. Dynamic drivers enable you to feel the bass and hear mids and high-end sounds with crystal clarity, helping you to mix with pin-point precision.
  • BUILT TO LAST. Each HDJ-CUE1BT model can handle the heavy stress that DJing places on headphones. All moving parts have passed our strict-in house durability tests and extra-strong metal sliders in the headband bring added reliability.
  • COMFORTABLE PRO STYLE SOUND. With ear cups that turn a full 90 degrees and a flexible, cushioned headband, you can comfortably monitor your mix your way. Listen with one ear while the other cup rests on the back of your head, or while your headphones are draped around your neck.
  • CUSTOMIZABLE LOOK Personalize your look and express yourself by switching out the cable and earpads for one of 5 brightly colored replacements. Our separately sold HC-CP08 accessory pack is available in orange, yellow, green, blue, and pink.

BUY

Video Review

Revolut launches Instant Access Savings in Ireland

Revolut, the global financial app used by more than 40 million customers worldwide, has today rolled-out Instant Access Savings accounts to its more than 2.7 million customers in Ireland. Instant Access Savings accounts are a new and better way for customers in Ireland to save their money. Customers will be able to earn daily, competitive interest of up to 3.49% AER on their deposits, all in just a few taps.

Instant Access Savings complements an existing feature Revolut announced in Ireland earlier this year, which enables customers to invest their cash in money market funds to grow their wealth in either EUR, USD, and GBP.

Instant Access Savings is the newest feature to Revolut’s all-star financial app, where customers will have, upon launch, access to interest on deposits at the following variable annual gross rates: Standard & Plus plans 2% AER, Premium 2.5%, Metal 3%, and Ultra 3.49%.

Revolut’s new Instant Access Savings account gives customers the ability to move their cash into their savings as soon as their salary reaches their account, earning interest on those funds every day, unlike other banks. Customers who would like to earn higher interest rates can upgrade their existing plans from Standard to paid plans in just a few taps within the app.

Instant Access Savings offers savers in Ireland full control too; customers will have access to their funds on-demand whilst earning competitive interest, adding or withdrawing at any time.

Joe Heneghan, Partner & Chief Executive Officer – Revolut Europe, said: “The Irish banking landscape is characterised by some of the lowest deposit rates in Europe, tricky or confusing limits, inaccessibility, and a real lack of competition. Today, Revolut is stepping in with a solution that makes saving money much better and much simpler for the people of Ireland. With our app now the preferred choice for managing finances every day for millions of customers in Ireland, we’re introducing Instant Access Savings accounts to offer customers great rates of up to 3.49%, full control over their money at any time, and interest paid out daily. Now when payday arrives, customers can confidently allocate a portion of their salary to their savings without having to worry about accessing it when they need it.”

Albert Codorniu, General Manager of Savings at Revolut, commented: “This is a key step in our mission to make Revolut the best choice for everyday banking. With daily interest payments and instant-access withdrawals, secured by our fully licensed bank, we’re making it simpler and better than ever for our customers to save and grow their money in Ireland.”

To open an Instant Access Savings account and start earning interest, customers need to:

  • Update their Revolut app to the latest version.
  • Tap on ‘Accounts’
  • Tap ‘Add new’
  • Scroll down and tap on ‘Savings & Funds’
  • Choose ‘Instant Access Savings’.

For more information about the product see product T&Cs. For more information about deposit protection see the deposit insurance page. For more information about complaints and disputes see the complaints policy page.

Revolut bank UAB is authorised by the bank of Lithuania in the Republic of Lithuania and by the European Central Bank and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland for conduct of business rules.

For more information, visit: www.revolut.com/en-IE/instant-access-savings 

One-in-five voters have changed their ballot choices based on social media posts

Pure Telecom, Ireland’s high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, today announces the results of its annual Connected Lives survey, which shows that one-in-five (19%) voters have changed their voting choice based on posts they have seen on social media. The research found that this is significantly higher for younger voters, with 28% of those aged 18 to 24 saying social media has led to them changing their ballot preference.

The nationally representative survey of 1,006 adults in Ireland was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom. It examined the growing crossover between politics and social media and how that is impacting public opinion. In doing so, the research found that 38% of adults in Ireland believe that social media is now the most important political campaigning platform, rising to 47% for those aged 18 to 24.

The research shows that many adults turn to social media to keep themselves informed on political discourse. Of those who use social media (85%), more than a quarter (26%) credit it with helping them to see alternative political points of view, while 32% say it supports their knowledge of election and referendum issues. Despite this, just 41% of social media users fact-check political social media content, while 27% will only follow people and accounts whose political opinions they agree with.

Pure Telecom’s survey showed that there is an appetite for politicians to have a presence on social media, with many saying they would like to see more of it. Almost half (49%) of adults who use social media said they like politicians to use it because it makes them more accessible, while 49% like them to use social media as it keeps them up-to-date on their progress and opinions.

It’s not just election issues that adults in Ireland are interested in seeing from politicians. Almost half (47%) of social media users would like politicians to give more personal insights on social platforms to make them more relatable. Meanwhile, one-third of adults (33%) believe that politicians should make TikTok videos to appeal to younger generations. This rises to 45% for those aged 18 to 24.

When it comes to voicing their own opinions, the population is less sure. While 27% of men who use social media say they share their political opinions on social media, just 13% of women do it.

Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “Social media is making politics more accessible to the general public, while also helping people to get up-to-speed on important political issues. It can help the population to stay informed on local issues and developments, while also having a greater awareness of national issues, elections and referenda. However, with so many admitting to being influenced politically by social media, it is incumbent on all of us to make sure we carry out some fact-checking before forming an opinion.

“With voters set to return to the ballot boxes at least twice over the next 12 months, staying connected and informed will be important for all of us in deciding which way to vote. At Pure Telecom, by providing high-speed broadband connectivity to any location in the country, we are proud to empower people to make the choices that are right for them.”

 

The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 1006 ROI Consumers, aged 18+. The data was collected between 26.03.2024 – 28.03.2024. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.