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.
Screen protectors are a must have for most these days to save you a small fortune on screen replacement especially when you are dealing with Apple and their insane repair costs which also applies to the back panel, most of us case up too which is good and some go naked I like all but with my iPhone full protection is what is required and we have covered multiple case and screen protectors here before for that and other devices.
TORRAS is a new brand and we have checked out some of their goods on site already and now they have launched a screen protector which is claimed to be a world first replaceable option which means you can remove it and reinstall it which I would never buy into until now due to dirt attaching itself to it and of course you know what happens there, it simply will not stick and it is near impossible to remove the dirt.
This screen protector however did go back on after talking it off but no dirt was applied to it but left on the review desk and kitchen table and I did manage to reapply it, and one thing noted is the bubble free hassle it remains responsive and is still on my phone today a month later.
Features
Check out their video here and our install and review below.
· The world’s first reusable screen protector
· 10 Sec Bubble-free and Dust-absorb Installation
· Full Coverage Stronger Protection
· Fingerprints-proof & Clean and clear as always
· Delicate Craftsmanship for Smooth Touch
· Anti-scratch and Wear-resistant
A new research report “The Irish Immersive Economy” launching today shows that the Irish immersive technology sector is currently worth over €43 million, with significant potential for future growth as 63% of businesses in the sector expect to grow in the coming 12 months.
Commissioned by Immersive Technologies Skillnet, Animation Skillnet and Screen Skillnet, all promoted by Dublin Business lnnovation Centre (DBIC), the report outlines Ireland’s current immersive technology capacity and capabilities. It also makes recommendations that support business growth across a range of sectors and supports the attraction of foreign-direct investment within the sector.
The research finds that there is significant opportunity for Irish immersive tech businesses to excel on a global scale, with 80% of Irish immersive businesses are exporting to Europe and internationally. Investment in the sector is also robust with a majority of organisations surveyed certain they will either make a major investment (22.2%) or exploring new applications (40.5%), with a further 18.5% seeing a possibility of investing in the next 12 months.
The report also explores the most critical barriers to growth in the sector, and signalling that significant strategic support is required to capitalise on these new opportunities. Five main barriers to growth of the sector include shortages in talent (44.9%), funding (44.1%), knowledge (31.5%) and time (31.5%), as well as a lack of an ecosystem (29.9%).
Speaking in advance of the launch, Tracey Donnery, Executive Director, Skillnet Ireland said: “Immersive technologies have evolved rapidly in recent years. For Ireland to be a global leader in this space, we need to ensure the immersive technologies talent base reflects not just current business demands but the challenges of future growth in existing and new markets. Central to achieving our potential in this space will be developing a robust skills and talent pipeline, a world class research and development framework, and relevant business supports to start-ups and scaling up existing businesses.”
Susan Talbot, Network Manager, Immersive Technologies Skillnet, said: “This much needed body of work not only gives us a baseline for future research around the Irish immersive ecosystem, but will help align thinking and aid key decision makers moving forward. From a Network perspective, the recommendations will ensure a continued industry-led approach in building Ireland’s immersive talent pool.”
Camille Donegan, Director of Eirmersive and Creative Director of Solas VR, said: “This important report was commissioned to gain a better understanding of Ireland’s emerging immersive technology ecosystem and talent needs. It responds to a growing demand from industry itself to articulate Ireland’s unique voice and contribution to the national and global immersive technology marketplace. The report will also help inform how key government stakeholders can go further in supporting the needs of this emerging sector.”
The report also reveals sectors where immersive technologies are finding the widest application including education and research, software development, and training and skills. It also shows the real-life impact of immersive technologies and the benefits it can offer Irish businesses and people including:
BioPharmaChem Skillnet recently collaborated with TU Dublin to develop a VR programme called ‘Powder Handling for Pharma Manufacturing’. Using VR, it allows participants to learn powder handling essentials – a critical process in pharmaceutical manufacturing – in a low-risk environment – significantly reducing training costs as workers virtually perform activities in a simulated environment.
Immersive tech is also helping many organisations who are unlikely to go back to a full “office only” model. MeetingRoom has built a secure and scalable end to end VR enterprise solution to encourage collaboration where people cannot be in the same room together, proving especially useful for sessions that do not work well on standard video calls, such as workshops, brainstorming, site tours and audits.
As revealed live during this year’s Meta Quest Gaming Showcase, developer Digital Lode and publisher Tripwire Presents are excited to announce Espire 2, the sequel to the award-winning first-person stealth action virtual reality (VR) title Espire 1: VR Operative. Scheduled to release in November 2022 for the Meta Quest 2 platform, Espire 2 combines the tactical precision of modern stealth titles with the unprecedented immersion of VR, further expanding upon the genre-defining experience of its critically acclaimed predecessor. More information about Espire 2 will be made available in the near future, but agents wishing to secure their role early can add the game to their wish list on the Meta Store.
“We are so excited to finally share a first-ever look at Espire 2, the VR stealth-action sequel of our dreams,” said Digital Lode Founder and Game Director Michael Wentworth-Bell. “Espire 2 would not be possible without the amazing teams at Meta and the Quest 2 platform, or without our continued publishing partnership with Tripwire Presents, who have believed in our vision from the beginning and continue to guide and mentor our studio. Most importantly, this sequel wouldn’t be happening without the incredible community that has supported Espire 1 since its release two years ago. We thank you, and we hope you will enjoy what we have in store for Espire 2.”
In the world of Espire 2, advanced military and virtual reality technologies meet, allowing Espire Agents to take on the role of a super spy, piloting deadly Espire Model 1 Operative espionage droids remotely from the safety of the Control Theatre. Set in the year 2036, Espire 2 marks the return of Espire Agent POE (the Primary Operator of Espire). After emerging from a seven-year coma, POE is thrust back into the world of dark espionage as the centerpiece of the Espire project. Now, with the help of two bleeding-edge droids called “Frames”, and an all-new arsenal of weapons and tools, POE must embark on a mission to eliminate the global threat imposed by the deadly terrorist organization, OPHIS.
“We are thrilled to be working with Digital Lode and Meta on Espire 2! The team at Digital Lode has embraced fan feedback from Espire 1 and is focused on implementing features that open exciting new ways to play in the sequel,” said Brian Etheridge, Publishing Director at Tripwire. “The new Espire frame offers an entirely new tool set to take on the enemy in Espire 2, while the addition of cooperative multiplayer lets players coordinate with each other to develop dynamic tactics and create awesome memories. The Digital Lode teams are, more than anything, VR super fans and that shows in everything they do!”
Developer Digital Lode has big plans to expand upon the success of the original Espire 1: VR Operative, adding a wealth of new features and improvements to the gameplay that made the original a top-selling hit.
Espire 2features include:
Immersive Single Player Campaign – Take on missions across the globe in sandbox environments designed to allow the player total freedom over their play style. Sneak past guards, create distractions, and think strategically to achieve objectives or charge forward, guns blazing. Espire 2 offers the thrill of both stealth and action-focused strategies to each area, all presented with immersive VR technology.
Multiplayer Co-op campaign: Players can now team up with a fellow operative in a new multiplayer co-op campaign that bridges the gap between Espire 1 and Espire 2.
Control Multiple Espire Frames: For the first time, players can control and can switch between two unique Espire frames. Each frame is suited with their own special abilities and attributes, offering strategic benefits for players to discover while playing through both of Espire 2’s campaigns.
Unique Gadgets: The player’s entire array of tools and gadgets is now fully integrated into the Espire frames, offering a vast variety of accessible options for handling objectives before they even draw their weapon.
Rule the Play Area: Espire Vision gives Agents a strategic, accessible view of the situation, allowing players to see through walls, mark the location of enemies, predict patrol paths, and more.
Voice commands: Players can utilize voice commands to distract, hold up and interrogate the enemy. Interrogation commands include “empty your pockets” and “where are your friends?” Espire 2 can be played without voice commands, if players prefer.
Cutting Edge Graphics and Spatial Audio:Espire 2 boasts next generation VR graphics and spatial audio systems that will take full advantage of the power of the Meta Quest 2.
Stealth AI System: The stealth AI system has been rebuilt from the ground up with a focus on core stealth mechanics, enemy engagements and player agency, bringing even more depth to Espire 2’s variety of gameplay options.
Immersion and Presence: Thanks to Espire 2’s accurate “arm IK” system, players see their virtual forearms where their real ones would be and experience VR interactions in lifelike detail.
Enhanced Control Theatre: The technology behind the “Control Theatre” lies at the heart of the Espire 2’s movement and control system. Utilizing the Meta Quest 2’s additional rendering capabilities, the innovative “Control Theatre” comfort system makes its return in Espire 2, with enhanced features, a new user interface, and easier accessibility. This “VR within VR” system allows for precise full freedom of movement, maintains immersion, and also eliminates “VR motion sickness” for almost all players. The Control Theatre is fully customizable to suit the player’s level of comfort, up to fully disabled for those already comfortable moving in VR.
For more information on Digital Lode and to stay up to date on the latest news for Espire 2, be sure to visit the official website – and follow the developers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Collaboration endpoint specialist Konftel has strengthened its sustainability ethos by announcing a series of ‘greener’ measures to help secure official Climate Neutral status for the third year in a row.
The manufacturer, with a growing global footprint, became the first in the UC industry to become Climate Neutral certified, where all greenhouse gas emissions have been offset by credits, to support various projects around the world.
Konftel joins a growing movement of over 260 brands achieving the standard, based on a far-reaching three step process which comprises:
Measuring its 2021 greenhouse gas emissions footprint
Purchasing verified carbon credits to offset that footprint
Implementing plans to reduce emissions during 2022 and beyond
Together the brands have so far measured and offset 783,768 tonnes of carbon. As part of this year’s commitments Konftel will cut the use of plastic bags in some of its most popular products by 50%, look to increase renewable energy at main manufacturing facilities and also reduce car commuting of staff by 40%.
Clear climate conscience
In an era of agile working with huge demand for conferencing and collaboration hardware, protecting the planet is just as important as connecting the world, for Konftel, says CMO Stefan Eriksson.
“Buying from Konftel ensures our customers have a ‘clear climate conscience’ that there are zero net carbon emissions from our manufacturing processes. We believe every company should be climate neutral and invest in our planet. It’s about measuring, offsetting and reducing emissions to help the world become net-zero by 2050.”
He continued: “There are many effective ways we are helping. For example we will cut the use of polythene bags in our products boxes for the Konftel 800 conference phones and Konftel Cam20 and Konftel Cam50 cameras by 50% by 2023. For cables and other small parts today shipped in poly bags, we will either shift to biodegradable bags or if possible just exclude the bags completely.
“In addition we aim to increase the renewable energy ratio by 10% at our main contract manufacturer’s facilities by 2023. We will also dramatically reduce car commuting of staff compared to pre-pandemic levels. By promoting a hybrid workstyle with flexibility in work location, staff will not be required to commute to corporate offices to the same extent as before.”
Stefan Eriksson Konftel CMO
His positive comments were endorsed by Austin Whitman, CEO of Climate Neutral, a non-profit organization working to eliminate carbon emissions. He said: “Climate Neutral Certified companies show the world that immediate action on climate change is possible and essential. In just three years, the growing number of Climate Neutral Certified brands has built a powerful movement that gives companies and consumers meaningful ways to act on climate, right now. Certified brands are leading the way by recognizing that climate change must be solved. They believe that all companies should take immediate voluntary action to zero out their entire carbon footprint, and they are engaging their consumers around this important issue like never before.”
He added: “Konftel and our other Climate Neutral Certified brands are leading the global shift to a net-zero economy by doing what all companies should be doing immediately: measuring, offsetting, and reducing their carbon emissions. Our label helps consumers identify these brands. It’s a recognizable and trusted symbol that turns everyday purchases into meaningfully positive climate action.”
Worldwide projects supported
By investing in worldwide carbon credits, forest conservation, renewable energy and carbon capture technologies all benefit. Forest conservation in Zimbabwe, water filtration in Cambodia, renewable energy in India, clean electricity in Indonesia, reducing landfill gas in the USA and providing clean cookstoves in Mali are some of the many projects supported by Konftel so far. New this year include improved forest management in the US, solar and wind energy in China, biomass in India and reforestation in Costa Rica.
Eriksson emphasized: “We find that our customers, our partners and our people really care about all of this. We have put it at the very heart of our business because it’s the right thing to do. Yes, the right thing from a commercial perspective, but also the right thing from an environmental and ethical perspective.
“When customers buy from us, they know they are buying from an organisation which has no carbon footprint whatsoever; zero net emissions. This is a major statement of intent. The technology we produce works in harmony with our climate neutral philosophy. More conference calling means less car and rail journeys, fewer flights, less busy offices, reduced gas and electricity consumption. The two strategies operate together. By choosing Konftel users really can conference with a clear climate conscience from the very first meeting.”
Find out more about Konftel’s Climate Neutral status here
it@cork has today officially launched TechFest 2022, its annual flagship technology conference, which returns for its first in-person event since 2019. The technology conference will be held in the Clayton Hotel in Cork City from 9:30am on the 25th of May 2022 with a festival of supporting technology events all that week. Tickets for the main conference are currently on sale at https://bit.ly/itcorktechfest22.
The technology festival will feature expert speakers from across the world, including Global Tech for Good practitioner and Director at GitHub Mala Kumar and Environmental Scientist Dr. Tara Shine. The event, MC’d by award-winning industry broadcaster Jonathan McCrea, will also feature workshops, networking opportunities and an industry expo.
Gillian Bergin, it@cork Chairperson and Senior Consultant with DELL Technologies commented: “We are energised and excited that TechFest returns as an in-person event this year. There are two years of networking and knowledge sharing to catch up on, and we have a jam-packed day planned with panel discussions, breakout sessions and keynote addresses.
“With our three key themes of Transform, Innovate and Inspire, attendees will hear from industry leaders and subject matter experts on how tech has enabled them to adapt and succeed, overcoming the lingering impacts of the pandemic. There will also be a focus on how companies can overcome the current talent crisis, how current and future transformative technologies will impact the nature of work and challenging discussions on possibilities and practicalities.”
Over 250 people are expected to attend the event, giving the opportunity for attendees to network, connect and collaborate. Other speakers include Dr Marguerite Nyhan, Associate Professor in Environmental Engineering and Future Sustainability from UCC, Rois Ni Thuma, Head of Cyber Governance from Redsift, Niamh Parker, Co-Founder from Altada, Greg Tarr, Chief Executive Officer from Inferex, Conor O’Loughlin Co-Founder of Glofox, and Ross Frenett, Founder and Chief Executive Officer from Moonshot. Plus, many more speakers will be released in the coming weeks.
TechFest project lead William Dalton, Head of Global Infrastructure Services at Trend Micro and it@cork board member added: “We are also inviting organisations in the region to host satellite events that week, creating a multi-day technology festival, offering diversity of thought and experience, and showcasing the best of what the region has to offer”
As part of the TechFest 2022 schedule, it@cork is inviting organisations in the southwest of Ireland to host an event for it@cork members and beyond. If you have an idea for a partner event, please contact Juliette at juliette@itcork.ie.
At their recent AGM, it@cork appointed five new members to their board, including Laura Hughes, Program Manager at Cloudera, Vikram Kunnath, Lifesciences Manufacturing, Supply chain and Technology Consulting leader and Partner at Ernest & Young, Louise O’Neill, Associate Director at Berkley Group, Catherine Evans, RDI Collaboration Managerat Fexco and Matthew Camilleri, Founder and CEO at Castille.
Tickets for the event are now on sale at https://bit.ly/itcorktechfest22, but numbers are limited so attendees are encouraged to book early as the event is expected to be a sell-out.
Future Human will partner with the IT Ukraine Association for this year’s event. Future Human takes place on May 12-13, at the state-of-the-art Trinity Business School on Pearse Street in Dublin, where leading international thinkerswill share their wisdom on the future of everything.
Produced by Silicon Republic, and supported by Aon, the event replaces the award-winning Inspirefest, which ran for five years at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin.
Along with leading thinkers on Entrepreneurship, Web3, Climate, Future of Work and Business, the event will host a special panel on the Future of Ukraine. Along with Irish-based speakers like Neill Dunwoody, co-founder of TechLink Ukraine, IT Ukraine Executive Director Konstantin Vasyuk will be dialled in live to join the panel.
“It was important that at an international event like Future Human, we hear from our peers in the innovation sector in Ukraine at such a tough time,” says Ann O’Dea, founder of Future Human and CEO of Silicon Republic.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Konstantin and the team at IT Ukraine, as well as with other players locally like Tech Link Ukraine and Pryvit.ie to ensure our Ukrainian friends and colleagues have a presence and a voice at the event.”
“We are so pleased that Future Human will be a platform for exploring the Future of Ukraine,” says Vasyuk. “Especially considering that the future – being the joined values of civilized nations – is exactly what Ukraine is fighting for in the war with Russia. I believe at this forward-looking event, we will be able to discuss how Ukrainian tech contributions can inspire the world.”
In Ireland, AWS In Communities is supporting Future Human to bring a group of recently arrived Ukrainian STEM professionals in person to this year’s event for free, and many have already received their tickets, by applying via Pryvit.ie. On Friday afternoon, attendees will get to mingle in smaller groups when the main stage closes early, with a special Masterclasses programme this year, which will include several masterclasses and workshops aimed at recent arrivals from Ukraine.
“We want to ensure our new arrivals get a great welcome into the sector here and make valuable connections, and we’re very grateful to AWS in Community and Pryvit.ie for supporting us to do this,” says O’Dea.
The rest of the main stage programme includes industry leaders like Aon president, Eric Anderson, entrepreneurs like Des Traynor, co-founder of Irish Unicorn, Intercom, and Dee Coakley, co-founder of Boundless, as well as academic speakers like Professor Alice Roberts, who is a familiar face from her 100+ TV appearances in the UK. You can find the speaker line-up and programme to date here.
In-person numbers are limited this year, but the entire main stage programme will be streamed live on 12 and 13 May for virtual ticket holders.
McGreals Health has launched the innovative Defend 400 as the next generation model to their range of Novaerus air cleaning devices. Using pioneering patented NanoStrike™ air disinfection technology it inactivates 99.9% of all airborne viruses, bacteria and fungi including Sars-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and mitigates odours, pollen and mould spores to support user’s health and wellbeing all year round.
The medical grade and portable Defend 400 has a four-stage pathogen inactivation and filtration – the NanoStrike system inactivates while the use of medical-grade filters capture nanosized pathogens in the air, providing advanced rapid air dis-infection and purification to users. The Irish-designed Defend 400 advances indoor air quality (IAQ), is FDA approved and CE marked. Those suffering from respiratory diseases and allergies have seen a positive benefit from using Novaerus devices and its use has also shown to reduce absenteeism* in the workplace.
Deirdre Devitt, CEO of Novaerus by McGreals Health, which distributes the devices in Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be adding the Novaerus Defend 400 to our product portfolio. Indoor air quality has become an essential health and safety component across all businesses and organisations in every sector. Providing clean air is a priority, especially when we know that indoor air can be up to twice, even five times** more polluted than outdoor air. As we’ve learnt, this can lead to illnesses and infections, but we also know that it can reduce cognitive function which impacts productivity levels in the workplace. Clean air technology can play a central role to support everyone’s wellbeing and comfort levels whether they are at home, at work or in any indoor setting.”
The Novaerus range of portable air cleaning devices are available in four sizes (NV 200, NV 800, Defend 400 and Defend 1050) catering for small to large spaces. Developed by WellAir, the Novaerus devices are sold in 72 countries worldwide, supporting all sectors with additional frontline protection without generating any harmful by-products to clean the air 24/7. The Defend 400 is available from €6,500 (ex VAT). For more information visit www.novaerus.ie.
McGreals Health, distributor of Novaerus NanoStrike™ technology in Ireland are the Official Clean Air Partner to Leinster Rugby.
A new really sleek pair of earbuds have just landed and they are called the eppfun cute meet 300 ENC, with a super slim case and a small profile overall they look neat and pack quite a few important specs, we take a quick first look today and unbox them and in the interim while we test them out feel free to ask any questions you might have.
Key features:
1. Metal materials and special appearance technology give you better touch and visual feeling. Super small earphones designed for comfort and secure fit.
2.13mm size speakers give you a strong base and Qualcomm APTX HD brings you with clear sound.
3. IPX5 waterproof, you can use it anywhere Freely for sports.
4. 6 Hours Per Charging for Earbuds; Support up to 32hours on vol 80% with charging case.
5. Qualcomm CVC8.0 calling noise cancelling and dual mic noise cancelling technology to give you clear calling.
6.Support Aptx Adaptive code Automatically switch codec between high sound quality and 60ms low latency.
After having spent numerous working hours on processing emails and searching for necessary information, you made up your mind to go digital and apply Salesforce and Microsoft Outlook to your company workflow. However, many pitfalls can become a wall behind the effortless integration of user data between these two systems and your business efficiency. For you not to devote too much time and effort to fix things that have been successfully managed by others, read our helpful guide on one of the most powerful solutions that can aid you on your way — Revenue Grid.
Problems of Using Salesforce and Outlook Simultaneously
It might be tricky for an average business user to deal with tons of scattered data sources. Constantly updating reports and waiting for replies from IT is both time and energy-consuming. Although modern analytics tools can provide you with privileges over competitors, they usually require specialized knowledge and skills to be utilized on a regular basis.
The lack of the latter can worsen forecast visibility and opportunity analytics, and prevent you from getting predictive insights. Luckily, modern solutions such as Einstein SalesforceAnalytics or Revenue Grid can help you store all business data in a single place, gain powerful insights, and instantly make data-driven decisions.
When trying to integrate Salesforce and Outlook, users usually have to pass several circles of hell:
switching back and forth between Outlook and Salesforce trying to duplicate the data in both systems;
making occasional errors when re-entering the necessary information into separate apps;
missing essential data during the inputting process;
wasting much working time on synchronizing the data manually;
addressing seemingly reliable at first sight, but ineffective on practice platforms, etc.
However, seamless data integration is not impossible with the right service at your hands, like Revenue Grid. Read on to find out which benefits make this software cover all the arising issues you might face when you sync and unify your data between Salesforce and Outlook.
Revenue Grid Advantages for a Business User
Here are the benefits your service, sales, and marketing teams can get with Revenue Grid:
easily manage Salesforce data in Outlook without logging into the CRM;
data auto-capture function to automatically update records for any project;
clickable time slots added in emails for optimized scheduling;
syncing Salesforce calendars with those used in Outlook;
automatically building new records without duplicates;
no manual data entry since Revenue Grid automatically captures emails, calendar events, contacts, attachments, and tasks;
overall optimization of user Salesforce account;
building an improved sales process;
easy installation and straightforward use;
a free demo to decide whether you’d like to continue using the service, etc.
In the end, you will get a well-structured, easily manageable system of contacts, email threads, events, and tasks. Many users have claimed this smart solution helped them boost their sales and marketing efforts.
Salesforce Plus Outlook Equals to Revenue Grid
By integrating the Outlook app into your Salesforce account, you can maintain and operate all the data in a single place, streamline business workflow, and provide your clients with a unified experience and better service. Using efficient, trustable software like Revenue Grid only enhances your chances to avoid typing mistakes and experience a smooth and seamless integration process. Centralize your company’s Salesforce data into Outlook, save you resources and time, and boost your business efficiency.
