Leading real hands on tech review site in Ireland with technology, business news and more. Jim O Brien Tech.
Author: Jim O Brien/CEO
CEO and expert in transport and Mobile tech. A fan 20 years, mobile consultant, Nokia Mobile expert, Former Nokia/Microsoft VIP,Multiple forum tech supporter with worldwide top ranking,Working in the background on mobile technology, Weekly radio show, Featured on the RTE consumer show, Cavan TV and on TRT WORLD. Award winning Technology reviewer and blogger. Security and logisitcs Professional.
Today, Brennans Bread launched its first ever NFT menu, which takes 16 of the nation’s favourite sandwiches and immortalises them as digital art. For over 50 years, people across the country have been creating their own tasty masterpieces using Brennans Bread. With this new NFT menu, the brand is celebrating these slices of brilliance and proving that they’re works of art across any medium.
NFT, standing for “non-fungible token”, is the digital art new pop culture phenomenon taking the world by storm. NFTs allow people to buy and sell ownership of unique digital items and keep track of who owns them using the blockchain (a virtual ledger).
For the next month, Brennans Bread will be launching four unique artworks each week inspired by some of the country’s most beloved sandwiches, including the Classic Ham & Cheese and Crisp Sandwich. Ten ‘prints’ of each artwork will be sold on Bubblehouse, the world’s first carbon-neutral NFT marketplace, for €1.87 – the approximate price of a sliced pan.
Brennans will also be creating one extra-special NFT sandwich, inspired by a mouth-watering fan submission. Sandwich makers can have their say on what sliced sensation will become the final piece of art on Instagram.
Speaking on the launch, Ivan Hammond, Head of Marketing at Brennans Bread, said:
“Brennans Bread has been around for generations, and we’ve seen lots trends particularly around the area of innovation come and go. When we heard that NFTs offer people a chance to own a slice of history, we knew we had to get involved! We think our NFT menu is one of the most exciting combinations to hit the sandwich world since sliced bread – tech and tradition together in perfect harmony, creating something beautiful. We’re looking forward to celebrating these works of art that are created every day in kitchens across the country.”
Fans can purchase the artworks here and become part of sandwich-making history from now until eternity.
CyberSmart, a UK leader in simple and accessible automated cybersecurity technology for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), has today announced its strategic partnership with Vodafone Ireland. Following the launch of productivity solutions including Office 365 and AppHelp by Vodafone, this initiative to bolster cybersecurity defences serves as a natural progression to equip SMEs for successful, secure ways of working in today’s digital age. The move also represents CyberSmart’s debut on the European market, marking a significant step for the company toward global expansion.
A recent study published in October 2021 found that over half of Irish small businesses have paid a ransom demand, averaging at €22,712. In fact, a majority (57%) have also created a cryptocurrency reserve in case they are needed to pay a ransom. Yet, in spite of this general awareness of cyber threats and anticipation of ransom demands, only 39% of SMEs in Ireland believe they are well-protected from attacks. Through CyberSmart’s platform, Vodafone will help businesses to change the narrative and prevent them from falling victim to cybercriminals.
With little to no IT expertise required, CyberSmart’s technology continuously assesses all laptops, mobiles and tablets against best practices, and recommends fixes to reduce cyber risk – regardless of the network a device operates on, whether it is company or employee-owned, while home or remote working. They offer a trust seal to demonstrate the business’ commitment and compliance with said best practices. CyberSmart also provides SMEs with digital security training for all staff and a GDPR compliant data protection policy.
Managing Director of Vodafone Business in Ireland, Sinead Bryan said: “Vodafone is committed to providing essential connectivity solutions to Irish SMEs. This new automated security service and partnership with CyberSmart further enables us to safeguard our SME customers, support them on their digital transformation journey and protect them from the ever-growing cyber threat environment”
“Since inception, CyberSmart’s primary objective has been to empower SMEs to take back control of their cybersecurity. Our technology is affordable, straightforward to implement, but most importantly, easy to use. SMEs are under-attack and underserved – we’re looking forward to supporting the tens of thousands of Irish SMEs that fend off cyberattacks on a daily basis.” said Jamie Akhtar, CEO and co-founder of CyberSmart. “We are thrilled to be working alongside Vodafone Ireland, whose vision very closely aligns with ours. The world has gone digital in the last couple of years, and we’re here to make sure SMEs can stay resilient and secure online.”
Fifty new roles will be filled in Dublin this year by tech firm Xtremepush, with plans to add another 120 in the next three years.
The Irish-owned provider of multi-channel customer engagement and marketing will more than double its workforce here, in support of the global roll-out of its award-winning enterprise customer intelligence platform.
New Xtremepush offices were officially opened in Clarendon Street in Dublin 2 by Robert Troy TD, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
The Minister was welcomed by Xtremepush CEO and founder, Tommy Kearns, who said that the company’s unique digital marketing platform has fuelled dramatic business growth in the Seven years since it was established.
“We are already becoming a global category leader, working with leading enterprise clients from offices in Ireland, the United Kingdom, North America and Eastern Europe. Our new Dublin flagship headquarters, in this prime location, is a marker of further growth acceleration”, the company founder said.
Welcoming the success of the indigenous firm, Minister Robert Troy said that global demand for Irish-developed software and digital solutions underscores Ireland’s reputation as a world-class technology hub, where talent and investment drive continual innovation.
Just under a year ago, Xtremepush secured $33m USD in growth finance to scale globally. The funding round included equity funding from Grafton Capital, a London-based growth investor in leading European technology companies, and a refinanced debt facility.
Demand
Pandemic-induced demand continues strongly for Xtremepush, where the past two years have seen clients in the eCommerce vertical doubled and 64% growth in customer numbers. The company’s global enterprise customer base is around 350 and is forecast to grow 60% in 2022.
Welcoming the success of the indigenous firm, Minister Robert Troy said that global demand for Irish-developed software and digital solutions underscores Ireland’s reputation as a world-class technology hub, where talent and investment drive continual innovation.
Speaking at the opening of their new Dublin Headquarters, Minister Robert Troy T.D. said, “I am delighted that Xtremepush plans to create up to 50 new roles at its new Dublin headquarters. The successful growth that Xtremepush has experienced in recent years is reflective of the wealth of highly skilled and talented people here and reaffirms Ireland’s reputation as a world-leading tech hub. The Irish Government, through Enterprise Ireland, is committed to supporting companies like Xtremepush to scale and grow and I wish the team every continued success in this new chapter.”
Also welcoming the company’s announcement Jenny Melia, Divisional Manager, Technology and Services with Enterprise Ireland said,
“Xtremepush has an ambitious growth strategy and its new headquarters and employment expansion plans are tangible evidence of the potential of this Irish-owned global leader. Enterprise Ireland is proud to support Xtremepush and we look forward to working with Tommy and his team into the future as it builds on its impressive growth to date.”
The business which currently employs 80 people, doubled staff numbers in the last eighteen months. Significant recent hires include a new Chief Financial Officer, a Chief People Officer, a new Head of Engineering, a Director of Operations and a Director of Marketing.
Top roles currently being recruited include a VP of Sales for the USA, customer support staff including account executives and managers for both the USA and Europe, technical solutions consultants and financial accountants.
Generous pension, healthcare, life assurance, education supports and career development opportunity reflects the demand for newly qualified and experienced software and DevOps professionals, as well as sales, marketing, finance and operations people with a tech background.
The company’s Clarendon Street headquarters will accommodate more than 120 employees.
A new office in downtown Manhattan in New York was opened last year to support accelerated growth in North America, where clients include Groupe Dynamite, Piping Rock, Oregon State Lottery, Golden Nugget, Barstools Sports, Mohegan Sun and a host of other Tier One enterprise brands across the USA & Canada.
Founded in 2014 in Ranelagh in Dublin, by CEO Tommy Kearns and Dr Kevin Collins, its Chief Technical Officer, Xtremepush has been placed in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards for three consecutive years.
Data breaches have a huge impact on organizations. All it takes is one tiny mistake to suffer a major security issue. That’s why it’s no secret that a data breach can destroy any company. Such cybersecurity incidents that lead to data breaches put the whole company’s network in danger. Entities need to use special security measures to avoid these serious consequences,
If a business experiences a data breach, it usually takes a toll on the company’s reputation, as the clients want to use other companies’ services where they feel safe. Unfortunately, you can say that everyone’s at risk. That said, keep reading to find out about the biggest and most notorious data breaches from last year.
How do fraudsters breach data?
As years go by, the main security gap that results in data breaches remains human error. Even though users aren’t directly associated with the breaches sometimes, they play the leading role in the success of cyberattacks. Usually, criminals gain access to data through insider leaks. For instance, a trusted employee with many privileges can still commit cyber theft.
Another popular example is when cyber criminals break into lost or stolen devices. They can also exploit personal data by accessing drives or even physical folders. Typically, this happens due to hardware vulnerabilities, especially if companies use old software. In this scenario, criminals can inject malware and steal sensitive information.
The impact of data breaches
If a business lacks security measures and has its data stolen, the chances are that the incident will impact the company’s sales. Reputational damage is a real deal, leading to the loss of clients and, eventually, a decrease in sales revenue. On top of that, the media picks up negative news and spreads it around the internet without the possibility of scraping it. Of course, such factors might scare off some potential new partners or customers.
Not only new clients but also new employees are affected by data breaches. Specialists argue that data breaches can result in employee turnover, which adds more uncertainty and stress to the organization’s table. Let’s not forget that there are also legal penalties for non-compliance with the laws and security standards. In other words, the mitigation process is much more complex than the prevention procedures that ensure safety against data breaches.
Now that we’ve wrapped up the basics, let’s continue with a short list of the worst data breach cases of 2021.
Microsoft data breach
Microsoft’s servers were attacked back in January of last year when some of the servers were affected. Hackers gained access to users’ credentials; this way, making their way through to other information systems that were connected to Microsoft’s network. To repair the damages, Microsoft released updates and updated its file encryptions.
Facebook data breach
Facebook made the news last year for the wrong reasons when the personal data of over 533 million users was posted on a low-level hacking forum. Many important details were stolen, such as the users’ full names, emails, phone numbers, or location data. Fraud prevention specialists speculated that this data breach could be used as a channel to commit further crimes, for instance, impersonating people.
LinkedIn data breach
The government launched an investigation on LinkedIn when hackers stole and shared the data of 700 million users. Even though LinkedIn tried to deny the damages in its statement, the evidence proved otherwise. The stolen personal details were uploaded to one of the forums on the Dark Web. The bad actor behind the data breach divided the stolen information into different parts, filtering the credentials by profession: IT specialists, Finance executives, and HR professionals.
How to resolve the issue?
There are essential security practices that companies must follow in order to safeguard their data. For example, using encryption, regularly updating software, and training your staff are the fundamental rules of an effective security strategy. Despite that, guaranteeing long-term data protection requires extra security layers. Nowadays, innovative companies choose to implement ID verification as a fraud prevention measure against dangerous attacks.
This service is powered by artificial intelligence, enabling smooth and secure customer identity verification services for businesses that want to onboard trusted accounts to their network. That means scammers and hackers with stolen identities are restricted from gaining access to the businesses’ services. Automatic ID verification detects photo or video spoofing, montage, and other graphic manipulations, leaving fraudsters out of the picture.
The organisers of this year’s Dublin Tech Summit (DTS) say they expect a surge in demand for pints of Guinness, an increase in the number of selfies and a spike in hotel accommodation ahead of next week’s leading technology conference. Taking place at the RDS in Dublin on the 15th and 16th of June, it marks the event’s return to a physical capacity after 2 years of being held virtually due to COVID.
Over 8,000 attendees, 200 speakers, 150 startups and 65 partners from over 50 countries are expected to turnout for the conference which attracts the world’s biggest names in technology and innovation. It also provides early stage companies with opportunities to get recognised as the latest up and coming tech players across Europe. With over 150 staff involved in the organisation of the event, it is expected that:
2,500 pints of Guinness will be consumed by attendees over the course of 2 days
8,000 phones will be used with a minimum of 160,000 whatsapp messages sent
1,000 selfies will be taken
400 hotel beds will be occupied
2,500 cups of coffee will be enjoyed
This year’s speakers include Frank McCourt, owner of football club Olympique de Marseille, and founder and CEO of Unfinished, Christopher Wylie, Cambridge Analytica Whistleblower, Tyson Singer, VP of Technology and Platform, Spotify, Bryan Che, CSO, Huawei, Eileen O’Meara, Head of EMEA Revenue & Growth, Stripe, Harry D. Moseley, Global Chief Information Officer, Zoom, and more. Topics for discussion include: cybersecurity, e-commerce, sustainability, finance digitisation and more.
Dublin Tech Summit 2022 reinforces Ireland’s position on the world stage as being a European Hub for tech. Dubbed ‘Europe’s Silicon Valley’ the event aims to highlight Ireland’s attractiveness as a tech destination – playing host to the tech giants Google, Apple, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter amongst others. According to IDA Ireland, the ICT industry in Ireland employs over 37 thousand people and generates €35 billion in exports annually. In addition to this, figures from The Irish Advantage reveal Ireland has the highest proportion of high-growth enterprises in the EU.
DTS 2022 will bring together the brightest tech innovators, influencers and entrepreneurs globally, highlighting the capabilities and creativity all of which form part of a wider tech ecosystem.
Speaking ahead of the event, Tracey Carney, MD of DTS, said:
“We’re so excited to see the return of the physical event after a two-year hiatus. DTS presents such a fantastic opportunity for networking and while we were delighted to be able to hold the event virtually over the last two years, it’s really brilliant to be back in the RDS. Our team has grown significantly to expand into the live event and we’re really looking forward to two great days on June 15th and 16th.”
We are living through a golden era for gaming on the go. From full blown handheld consoles to versatile smartphones, gamers can enjoy a wealth of experiences across a range of form factors.
Of course not all portable gaming gadgets are created equal, so here are the top contenders to take for a spin in 2022.
Nintendo Switch OLED
The Switch is fast becoming one of the best selling consoles of all time, and the recent hardware refresh which added an OLED screen in place of the older LCD panel is much appreciated.
While the power under the skin is much lower than other consoles, the portability combined with the quality of the first party games is hard to match. There’s also ample support for third party titles, whether you’re into arcade classics or modern shooters.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
One of the world’s most powerful mobile devices, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the pinnacle of what can be achieved in the smartphone space right now, and has received rave reviews as a result.
It’s got enough grunt to make light work of even the most demanding gaming experiences, and being an Android-based handset it also supports every other conceivable format of play you could imagine. So whether you’re into online first person shooters, or you want to spin the reels at some of the best Irish casinos in the market, this Samsung flagship has got you covered.
The price is the main downside, but on the right pay monthly contract it becomes more manageable as an option.
Realme GT 2
You might not have heard of mobile brand Realme, but its latest release is definitely going to help it make its mark, thanks to the sheer value for money it represents.
For gaming, the 6.6 inch QHD screen is a welcome inclusion. And with the Snapdragon 888 chipset paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, it is no slouch in the number-crunching department either.
Add in the hefty 5000mAh battery, and it’s easy to be impressed by just how much bang for your buck you get with this wallet-friendly phone.
Soundpeats Free2 Classic Earbuds
The name may be a bit of a mouthful, but we loved the cost-conscious Free2 Classic Earbuds from Soundpeats. And for gaming on the go, where you don’t want to disturb other people with the audio from your interactive entertainment, having wireless audio accessories like this to hand is essential.
Don’t expect market-leading sound quality, but also don’t be fooled into thinking that because these are affordable earbuds, they’ll also be unable to deliver a decent experience. Compared with equivalent budget products, they are a breath of fresh air, and with bonuses like integrated touch controls and Bluetooth call support, they’re good for more than just gaming.
Razer Kishi
If you are a fan of the idea of the Switch, but you don’t want to carry around a portable console as well as your smartphone, then the Kishi controller accessory from Razer is a good investment.
This is a tried and tested solution for adding physical controls to a touchscreen device, and it adds in a pair of analogue sticks, a D-pad, face and shoulder buttons to transform the way you can play.
Versions of the Kishi for both iOS and Android devices are available, but compatibility is not universal, so do check carefully to see if your phone is supported.
So with 2022 well underway, now’s the perfect time to gear up on portable gaming gadgets, and as you can see there are options in all price points.
IDA Ireland, together with Taoiseach Michéal Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar today welcomed the news that TikTok is to hire an additional 1,000 workers.
The news was shared with the Taoiseach and IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan at a meeting today with TikTok CEO Shouzi Chew and senior company leaders, at which both were advised of TikTok’s strategy globally and Ireland’s role in it and updated on TikTok’s growth in Ireland and future expansion plans.
Following the meeting Taoiseach said: “Tik Tok’s latest expansion further embeds Ireland as an important hub for its European and Global operations, and is clear evidence of its commitment to this country. The substantial number of additional, highly skilled jobs being created is testament to the strength of Ireland’s offering, which includes a strong talent base and collaborative ecosystem. The Government remains dedicated to cultivating an environment in which businesses of all sizes can succeed and prosper here, both now and into the future.”
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said: “TikTok’s growth since coming to Ireland has been truly incredible. At the start of 2022, TikTok had over 2,000 employees in Ireland, and the addition of another 1,000 this year really underlines the company’s commitment to Ireland, our people and the environment we have worked hard to create here. There are more people employed in Ireland now than at any other point in our history. We don’t take it for granted and will continue to work hard to make companies like TikTok feel welcome here. I wish the team the very best with this latest expansion.”
IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan said: “TikTok has expanded rapidly since establishing in Dublin in 2019. News of these additional 1,000 jobs, adding to its already substantial headcount, underscores the strategic importance of Ireland in TikTok’s global operations, with its Dublin site now base for a number of the company’s critical functions: its EMEA Trust and Safety Hub, European SMB operations, European Data Privacy and Data Protection team, its Transparency and Accountability Centre and, the most recently added, first regional Fusion Centre to be developed. That represents a substantial, continued investment by TikTok and is proof of the company’s continued commitment to Ireland.”
With hybrid working a huge trend these days and of course many have returned to the office the right equipment is required and with Edifier they have launched a new headset just for that, the CC200 is the latest mono wireless headset now on offer at an affordable price too.
The beamforming microphones on CC200 pick up and enhance your voice with incredible accuracy through DNN noise cancellation technology and Al algorithm,bringing you a high-quality even in a noisy environment.CC200 adopts USB Type-C interface design. A built-in high-performance and large-capacity battery, with an endurance of up to 64h, which provides uninterrupted music enjoyment.
Main Features:
Crystal Clear Call Quality The Caller hears you — not your surroundings, with a noise-cancelling dual mic with DNN noise reduction technology to block out background noise in a flexible microphone boom. Dual MIC AI Call Noise Cancellation
The beamforming microphones pick up and enhance your voice with incredible accuracy through DNN noise cancellation technology and AI algorithm, bringing you high-quality even in a noisy environment.
Immersive Audio Experience – With a 30mm composite diaphram driver for more immersive audio experience.
Long Battery Life Around 64hours for music play and around 29 hours for call.
Busylight Visible call status.
Compatible with Multiple Devices – Support PC of mainstream Windows and Mac operating systems compatible with mainstream Android， iOS mobile phones, etc. Convenient connection in one go.
Rotatable MIC boom, 240° back and forth adjustment. Accurately picking up sound at any angle and greatly improving the call clarity.
As a real estate professional, you’re familiar with all the pain points of real estate. From convincing a buyer that a particular home is right for him to sourcing new listings, real estate is not for the faint of heart. The advent of the Internet changed many things, and the real estate scene is no different. These days, property listings are almost exclusively online, and people are aware of this. While it might seem like the real estate agent’s job has gotten easier from the good old days…. In reality, it hasn’t.
What if we told you that you didn’t have to comb through listings for hours each day? What if we told you that new listings could be delivered to you in spreadsheet format, with all the information you’d need to make a move? What we’ve just described is web scraping in a nutshell. If you’d like to know more about web scraping, keep on reading!
Why is a residential proxy provider necessary for web scraping?
When you perform web scraping, the bots you use (more on this later) will send out multiple connection requests as they visit numerous sites to collect the data you need. Servers might flag the activity as suspicious, which could lead to your bot being blacklisted or suspended.
With a residential proxy provider like Smartproxy or Croxy, you’ll be given access to over 40 million IP addresses for each connection request. That means your bots can visit as many sites as they want to without any slowdowns or Captcha verifications.
Click here to learn more about Smartproxy and how it can help you use web scraping more effectively in your real estate business.
What is web scraping?
Web scraping involves the use of software to trawl various sites in an attempt to consolidate data. This software is called “scraper bots”, and they can be programmed to retrieve information on any site on the Internet.
What are the benefits of web scraping in real estate?
Web scraping opens up an entirely new world for real estate.
You simply need to set your scraper bot to retrieve information on properties like the size, property type, sale price and amenities surrounding it. Gone are the days of you having to manually research each of these on your own and then painstakingly compare them between other properties. Your scraper bot will summarise all of this information into a spreadsheet for you, so you can easily view information on the properties on a single page.
Here are four main ways web scraping can help your real estate business:
Appraising A Property’s Value
Appraisals require information in the fields of time of sale and proximity, square footage, and the age of the property.
With web scraping, you can easily retrieve sales information within a set time period, as compared to manually searching through public records to find comparable sales.
Though it might seem like an apparent item to scrape, square footage is vital in determining a home’s value and can provide you with undisclosed information, like whether the property underwent a renovation that could potentially increase its value.
Through the use of discrete filters and search constraints, you can exclude the age and lot size of a property from being included in web scraped results. This will prevent your other data from being skewed, giving the impression that other homes are worth less than they really are. Another great idea is to check out this blog post which also gives you a look at real estate marketing agencies.
Monitoring Vacancy Rates.
Every experienced real estate agent knows monitoring natural vacancy rates (NVR) is the key to being prepared for trends in the market. Static NVR’s just don’t cut it anymore since actual NVRS vary over historical periods and across commercial, residential and special use properties.
No one has the time or resources to continually track and analyze this data. This is where web scraping comes into play. Incorporating scraped data into your real estate processes enables you to determine the best time to buy or sell susceptible properties.
It even poses several benefits for buyers. This data can shine a light on various vacancy opportunities, helping them to negotiate better. Even property managers can use scraped data to manage their expectations and decide if they can weather potential storms without liquidating their assets.
Estimating Rental Yields.
Even if your desired rental yields are high, minor market fluctuations in any number of related variables and cause volatility in specific markets. Web scraping historical yields allows you to filter out the noise and focus on comparable properties in the vicinity of a target property. You’ll be able to remove all the other factors that go up and down and remain focused on the property at hand.
Understanding Market Direction.
Web scraping allows you to know what market investor activity is rising in, which clearly indicates that the area is about to appreciate in value.
It can even give you key areas of comparison, like the net growth in investor activity and the ratio of investors, so you can decide which upcoming market to focus on. This also alerts you to upcoming trends.
Lastly, web scraping also allows realtors to see how long a property has been on the market. One can see the average time houses have been on sale and compare them with other homes. Some realtors might become concerned if a house takes over five to six months to sell, but with all the other data you have on the house, you’ll be able to troubleshoot and decide what the issue is. Is the asking price too high? Or does the house need to be marketed in a different light?
Conclusion
Web scraping holds tremendous promise for the real estate industry. It goes far beyond simply recording down house prices and other essential factors. When used correctly, it can be a very powerful business tool, one that will give you an edge over your competitors.
No matter how good a realtor is, one can’t deny that those who use automated web scrapers will be the first ones at the scene of every property that needs to be bought or sold. Like the Internet, web scraping is yet another innovative invention that will transform real estate as we know it. Instead of resisting change, we should move with the times, so we don’t get left behind when newer, leaner competition comes into the market.
