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.

AnkerMake’s New 3D Printer Makes Its Debut with the AnkerMake M5

The first 3D printer designed to improve the user experience by reducing printing time up to 70%. The AnkerMake M5 is available today on Kickstarter.com, starting at a super early bird price of $429.

“3D printers help us imagine a world where ideas and creative concepts can be instantly transformed into physical form. However, the reality is 3D printing can be slow, cumbersome, and difficult to figure out,” said Steven Yang, CEO of Anker Innovations. “AnkerMake is committed to removing these pain points so that artists, inventors, hobbyists and DIY enthusiasts can take advantage of a more practical tool to bring their creations to life.”

The AnkerMake M5 solves the most critical issues that have prevented 3D printing from becoming a more mainstream endeavor. These issues include slow print speeds, the need to constantly supervise printing for errors and a needlessly complicated user experience.

AnkerMake M5 3D printer techbuzzireland

The AnkerMake M5 solves these issues by delivering:

Quick and Easy Assembly

3D printing has never been this accessible. The M5 is designed is easy to set up in just three steps within 15 minutes. Several user-friendly features including 7×7 auto-leveling, PEI soft magnetic printing bed, auto-resume after power outage and printing notifications. These enhancements help the user focus completely on their prints instead of technical aspects and handcrafting.

A New Standard in Print Speeds

Thanks to its new PowerBoost technology, the AnkerMake M5 basic print speed is 250 mm/s, which can be used for printing jobs that require a smoother and more detailed finish. For faster print jobs, perfect for prototyping and less detailed finishes, the M5 can save even more time with an acceleration of the extruder up to 2,500 mm/s². In this print mode, the M5 can reduce the average print times by up to 70% in comparison to other 3D printers.

Stable, Quality Printing

The aluminum alloy die-casting design increases the weight of the base, reducing the center of gravity of the machine. The sleek design makes printing more stable and allows fast speeds and extreme acceleration. The installation error of the base is also reduced, improving the accuracy of the printing tool and surface even at high speeds with 0.1 mm precision.

AI Print Monitoring

The built-in HD camera will monitor print jobs for issues like layer splitting, spaghetti mess or nozzle plugging. When it detects an issue, the AnkerMake M5 will alert users. This feature helps avoid wasting time and valuable printing materials.

Live WebCam View With Time Lapse

Users can view live feeds of their print jobs from anywhere using the AnkerMake mobile app. Time lapse videos are also automatically generated after the printing job is complete. With an adaptive light-sensing algorithm, users can see the printer output clearly, even at night.

Smart, Connected Printing

The AnkerMake M5 can be seamlessly connected and controlled through both the AnkerMake mobile app and AnkerMake slicing software1. Multi-device management and remote messaging notifications enable the user to start printing from their smartphone or computer anytime, anywhere.

Additional Specs:

• 5X industry average print speed (250 mm/s in standard print mode)

• 2,500 mm/s² in accelerated print mode

• Can reduce average print time by up to 70 percent

• AI print monitoring with auto shut-off

• Integrated HD cam with remote viewing

• Supports WiFi and USB connectivity

• Easy filament loading and extraction with heat assist

• Magnetic base for easy removal and cleaning

• Weight: 12.4 kg / 27.3 lb

• Measurement: 502x438x470 mm / 19.76×17.24×18.50 inches

Price & Availability

The AnkerMake M5 3D printer is available on Kickstarter.com starting today for special, limited super early bird price of $429. The normal early bird price is $499

World of Warcraft: The Most Powerful Game Franchise of All Time

Perhaps you’re one of the large numbers of individuals getting a charge out of Overwatch, Blizzard Entertainment’s multiplayer shooter. Or, on the other hand, maybe you’re an eSports fan, fixated on League of Legends or Dota 2. Some of you have gone through hours slouched over your telephones, tapping away at Plants versus Zombies or Clash Royale.

Assuming this is the case, you have Warcraft to thank.

Players and pundits preferred the primary World of Warcraft game. They cherished the second, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, and the third, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. Its science fiction spin-off, StarCraft, has been known as the best computer game made. The advanced Warcraft-themed game, Hearthstone is turning into an eSports pillar and has roused various impersonations. The Warcraft film even broke film industry records in regions of the planet.

The series’ prosperity has made Blizzard perhaps the most excellent designer. Before Warcraft, Blizzard got by programming ports of others’ games. The organization holds a yearly show committed solely to its intellectual properties.

That is to the point of solidifying Warcraft’s inheritance as one of the leading gaming establishments ever. Yet, the game’s impact goes past an index of side projects and Blizzard’s financial balance. The universe of Warcraft, which transforms Warcraft’s dream setting into a virtual world populated by a vast number of genuine players, characterized the MMORPG classification. Goodness, and the $700 million esports industry? Without Warcraft, it wouldn’t exist.

Everything began in 1994 with Warcraft: Orcs and Humans. Warcraft wasn’t the primary continuous procedure game-the class has been around in different structures since the 1970s, and there’s a ton of Westwood Studios’ Dune II in Warcraft’s DNA. As in most procedure games, Warcraft players gather assets, which they use to construct armed forces. Players send their soldiers out into the wild to vanquish foe bases whenever their powers are adequately considered. The primary side to crush its rival wins.

Warcraft’s essential interactivity was like its ancestors. However, Warcraft added a smoothed-out UI and a convincing storyline, making the game more available. New mission goals, such as finishing attacked towns and killing explicit targets, infused some assortment into the ongoing technique’s deeply grounded equation. Warcraft is brimming with character and humor, which loans a character to the game’s anonymous snorts.

Be that as it may, Warcraft’s most significant advancement was its multiplayer mode. Pre-Warcraft, most technique games were only issues. Warcraft changed that. Utilizing a dial-up modem or a neighborhood, players could interface with one another’s PCs and go up against each other rather than PC-controlled adversaries. Warcraft wasn’t the primary ongoing methodology game to offer internet-based play. Yet, it was the first to hit the standard, and after a short time, the multiplayer battle was the continuous system’s real draw.

Multiplayer was much more vital to StarCraft. At first, StarCraft wasn’t considerably more than Warcraft with a science fiction skin. Patrick Wyatt, Blizzard’s previous Vice President of Research and Development, portrays the main variant of StarCraft as “Orcs in space.” It ran on a similar code as Warcraft II. It was made as a speedy, one-year project intended to connect the time between Warcraft II and Blizzard’s upcoming pretending game, Diablo.

After StarCraft got a tepid reaction at E3, Blizzard rebooted the task, composing another motor without any preparation and extending the game’s degree. At the point when StarCraft, at last, turned out in 1998, Blizzard had Battle.net, its exclusive web-based matchmaking administration. With highlights like channels and leaderboards, Battle.net made it simple to associate with StarCraft players all over the planet, and the contest flourished.

StarCraft got rave surveys, and many players rushed to Battle.net. The game was particularly famous in South Korea, where outsider coordinators began to hold competitions. The contests pulled in onlookers, the best players ultimately became VIPs who acquired enormous compensations, and the cutting-edge eSports model was conceived in a little while.

In any case, StarCraft was only the start. At the point when Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos turned out in 2002, it was transported with both a solitary player crusade and online Battle.net support. It also accompanied a piece of programming called World Editor, which let fans change all aspects of the game.

Past versions of Warcraft included map editors, yet World Editor took things further. With the new model, aggressive players could take the Warcraft motor and use it to make new games. That is the thing they did.

3D printed fingertip ‘feels’ like human skin

A highly sensitive, 3D-printed fingertip could help robots become more dexterous and improve the performance of prosthetic hands by giving them an in-built sense of touch.

Machines can beat the world’s best chess player, but they cannot handle a chess piece as well as an infant. This lack of robot dexterity is partly because artificial grippers lack the fine tactile sense of the human fingertip, which is used to guide our hands as we pick up and handle objects.

Two papers published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface give the first in-depth comparison of an artificial fingertip with neural recordings of the human sense of touch. The research was led by Professor of Robotics & AI (Artificial Intelligence), Nathan Lepora, from the University of Bristol’s Department of Engineering Maths and based at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory.

“Our work helps uncover how the complex internal structure of human skin creates our human sense of touch. This is an exciting development in the field of soft robotics – being able to 3D-print tactile skin could create robots that are more dexterous or significantly improve the performance of prosthetic hands by giving them an in-built sense of touch,” said Professor Lepora.

Cut-through section of 3D printed tactile skin

Professor Lepora and colleagues created the sense of touch in the artificial fingertip using a 3D-printed mesh of pin-like papillae on the underside of the compliant skin, which mimic the dermal papillae found between the outer epidermal and inner dermal layers of human tactile skin. The papillae are made on advanced 3D-printers that can mix together soft and hard materials to create complicated structures like those found in biology.

“We found our 3D-printed tactile fingertip can produce artificial nerve signals that look like recordings from real, tactile neurons. Human tactile nerves transmit signals from various nerve endings called mechanoreceptors, which can signal the pressure and shape of a contact. Classic work by Phillips and Johnson in 1981 first plotted electrical recordings from these nerves to study ‘tactile spatial resolution’ using a set of standard rigid shapes used by psychologists. In our work, we tested our 3D-printed artificial fingertip as it ‘felt’ those same rigid shapes and discovered a startlingly close match to the neural data,” said Professor Lepora

“For me, the most exciting moment was when we looked at our artificial nerve recordings from the 3D-printed fingertip and they looked like the real recordings from over 40 years ago! Those recordings are very complex with hills and dips over edges and ridges, and we saw the same pattern in our artificial tactile data,” said Professor Lepora.

While the research found a remarkably close match between the artificial fingertip and human nerve signals, it was not as sensitive to fine detail. Professor Lepora suspects this is because the 3D-printed skin is thicker than real skin and his team is now exploring how to 3D-print structures on the microscopic scale of human skin.

“Our aim is to make artificial skin as good – or even better – than real skin,” said Professor Lepora.

Online, Offline: 7 Ways to Safeguard Your Privacy While Using the Internet

Whether you like it or not, the internet is an inescapable part of day-to-day life. Everything from communication to entertainment to information access has a home on the world wide web, offering limitless access to information in seconds. However, the online world is also ripe with risk, leaving many vulnerable to costly cyberattacks. 

Thankfully, you can safeguard your privacy online by implementing proper precautions. Read on for seven cybersecurity tips to keep your information safe while enjoying life online. 

Use private browsing

A straightforward yet effective way to protect your online privacy is by utilizing private browsing settings. With the simple click of a button, you can search the web without leaving a record of your browser activity. However, it’s worth noting private browsers cannot combat sophisticated tracking applications. So, if you’re looking for additional protection, consider installing a VPN to direct cyberattacks away from sensitive info. 

Don’t reveal your home address

Though it may seem safe to enter your home address into online shopping sites or internet forms, even secured sites are prone to data breaches. Thankfully, you can circumvent the system by utilizing mailroom P.O. boxes—a separate address for packages and mail. You can even sign up for cheaper virtual address options, enabling you to forward deliveries to your home without compromising your address. 

Use tracking protection

Though web browsers have built-in tracking protection to block third-party surveillance, many users employ additional security features to ensure online anonymity. For example, Disconnect and Ghostery are free browser extensions that disrupt direct pathways to your server, keeping you safe from hover-happy sites. 

Use two-factor authentication on your accounts

Though it may be frustrating, enabling two-factor authentication on email and social sites can save you from low-level hacks and password breaches. In addition to entering your passcode, authentication applications will generate a unique, one-time code necessary for entrance. By adding a second layer of security to your online accounts, you can reduce the risk of a costly cyber attack.

Don’t over-share on social media

Though it’s typical for social media users to share personal information online—whether through pictures or words—over-sharing on the world wide web comes with a price. For example, uploading a photo with identifiable features can compromise your location, leaving you vulnerable to online and in-person threats. So, next time you upload to Instagram or Facebook, think long and hard about the information you’re sharing with the online world.

Always use strong passwords

The simplest way to protect yourself against data breaches is by creating strong passwords and updating them frequently. Instead of leaning toward the traditional route of birthdays and maiden names, consider throwing in numbers, symbols, and capitalization to throw hackers off your trail.

Use virtual private networks

A virtual private network–or VPN—protects your personal information by encrypting data before leaving your computer and traveling to an off-site server. Whether you’re protecting yourself from public Wi-Fi networks or simply want a security cushion at home, installing a well-reviewed VPN can keep tracking to a minimum. 

What’s next?

The internet is both a precarious and powerful tool. Unfortunately, many online interactions aren’t secure, which is why implementing proper security protocols is a must for internet enthusiasts. By enabling private browsing, upgrading to a VPN, and upgrading all passwords, you can enjoy the online world anxiety-free. 

Prepare to feel awful: Trolley Problem, Inc. launches onto PC 21 April

Trolley Problem, Inc., a darkly comedic philosophical adventure which judges players on their awful choices, will be launching onto PC on 21 April 2022.

Described by Forbes as “2022’s most important game…” Trolley Problem, Inc. is a deeply thoughtful and thoroughly awful narrative game which pressures players into making decisions based on genuine philosophical problems and then judges them – and the world.

With scenarios that challenge opinions on vaccinations, war, immigration, corporate espionage, religion… even the nature of decision making itself, Trolley Problem, Inc. will take players on a journey that could ultimately change how they view the world, themselves and ultimately the concept of free will.

Players are initially assessed as new recruits to Trolley Problem, Inc. – their suitability for employment determined through some initial introductory problem solving which only affects the lives of a few people and a dog. Two choices are offered – then a countdown begins. Pick the option you feel is right – but justifying your decisions to any family or friends watching you? Well, that’s your problem.

Oh, and Dead Ringers, Spitting Image and Skins actor Jan Ravens will be the one questioning all your choices by the way. No pressure.

“Everything is awful at the moment,” says Samuel Read-Graves, developer of Trolley Problem, Inc. “so what better way to take your mind off that fact by playing something which will make you feel worse? Trolley Problem, Inc. presents some genuinely testing and morally challenging scenarios based on philosophical problems and has been designed to spark debate in a format only possible through videogames. The journey isn’t entirely bleak – there are moments that I hope will make players laugh out loud – but ultimately, it’s a game about making hard choices and discovering more about yourself and how your moral compass compares with the rest of the world.”

Trolley Problem, Inc. features:

  • 55 intensely thought-provoking multiple-choice questions across a 90-minute playtime
  • Streamer mode allows content creators to engage with a live viewing audience
  • Multiple profiles allow local players to compare and discuss their choice – whilst global statistics reflect the choices players across the world have made
  • References to the original philosophical papers
  • A host of unlockables to discover throughout the game
  • The strangest ‘Achievements’ ever featured in a video game
  • Voice acting by Dead Ringers, Spitting Image and Skins actor, Jan Ravens
  • Support in 10 different languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Arabic

Trolley Problem, Inc. can be wishlisted on Steam now and is currently part of the London Games Festival, listed under ‘Games Are Good for You’.

Trolley Problem, Inc. will be available on PC on 21 April 2022 priced at £8.99 / $10.99 / €10.99. It has been developed by ReadGraves and will be published by Yogscast Games.

New Tools Help Users Continue to Move Work Forward All Within Dropbox

As digital ecosystems have become increasingly complex—with content scattered across a sea of browser tabs and apps—creators, solopreneurs, and distributed teams need a better way to organize everything and keep work moving. That’s why Dropbox has been focused on building and improving capabilities that support all of your cloud content and workflows.

Over the last year, the company launched several new features and product experiences to help you organize, find, and do more with your digital content. Today, it’s building on that momentum by introducing more new tools to help you move work forward faster and simplify the way you back up and recover your digital files.

Secure your digital life with Dropbox Backup

If you’ve ever spilled coffee on a laptop or had a computer crash for no apparent reason, you know the stress and heartbreak that come with losing your content. The newest iteration of Dropbox Backup is designed to take away those headaches. Building on Dropbox’s already popular backup functionality, Backup has been upgraded with new features, including a new restoration flow, settings to manage your backups on your computer, and more.

An easy-to-use alternative to other backup tools available in the market, Backup gives you the option of choosing a robust, standalone cloud backup solution from Dropbox, even if you don’t have a Dropbox account.

While cloud sync services can free up space on your hard drive and let you access, share, and collaborate on your content with others, Backup gives you extra peace of mind by automatically backing up a copy of your files and folders that can be quickly recovered from the cloud if needed. With Backup, you can make sure you’ve preemptively taken the steps you need to protect your most important files, such as photos, videos, and personal docs.

https://aem.dropbox.com/cms/content/dam/dropbox/blog/files/2022/april/april-5-launch/Backup_Simple-Computer-Backup_1440x960.mp4?_=1
  • Simplify your backup experience. Manage everything from your desktop—one place to check progress, view history, and prioritize specific files.
  • Be prepared with an automated safety net. Keep backed-up files separate from your shared files, so you won’t have to worry about overwriting your emergency backups.
  • Rely on fast recovery if things go wrong. Start recovery with just a few clicks, and your files will be automatically restored from cloud backup.

“Dropbox Backup is excellent. You can easily back up all the files that you want to, make changes anytime, choose which folders you want to back up, and access your files everywhere.” —Arvin Velarde

Dropbox Backup is available across all plans. Backup is also available as a standalone offering for new and Basic users, so even those who don’t yet have a Dropbox account can benefit. To learn more, visit dropbox.com/backup

Launch your digital business with Dropbox Shop

With the rise of the creator economy, more people are turning their passion into a business. Last year, Dropbox launched Dropbox Shop in private beta, and now it’s introducing updates to the experience. Available today in open beta, Shop lets content creators sell and share their digital content—right from Dropbox.

By enabling you to sell directly to your customers, Shop lets you maintain ownership and control over your business and audiences. The latest updates to Shop help you elevate and customize the way you bring your digital content to customers. With the new version, you can customize your storefront and URLs, embed HTML codes, and add tipping capabilities.

“What I really like about Dropbox Shop is that it’s very easy to use, and you can create a Shop very quickly. It allows me to focus on what I’m good at instead of figuring out the logistics of a new platform.” —Sally Schönack

Dropbox Shop beta is available today to individual users on Dropbox Basic, Plus, and Professional plans in the U.S. If you’re on a team account or outside of the U.S., you can sign up for the waitlist at experience.dropbox.com/form/shop-sign-up

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Move work forward with HelloSign Templates, PDF Editing, and DocSend Dashboard Analytics

With HelloSign Templates, you can streamline eSignature requests by turning your most frequently used documents into templates directly from your Dropbox account. Create, save, and send Templates right from Dropbox to spend less time formatting those high-volume documents—such as NDAs, offer letters, SOWs or contracts—that you frequently send to different recipients.

You and your team can:

  • Create and edit reusable templates to prepare and send documents in a flash.
  • Track documents throughout the entire signing lifecycle and set automatic follow-up emails so no document ever falls through the cracks.
  • Automatically store and organize your signed documents within Dropbox, minimizing tedious manual work.

HelloSign Templates are available today to select Dropbox users in beta, and will be rolling out to all users in the coming weeks.

PDF files are one of the fastest growing content types on the Dropbox platform. In 2021 alone, the number of PDF files shared on Dropbox grew by 40%. Customers told the company that they needed a simple way to take action on these files without leaving Dropbox. Now, a new PDF Editing feature eliminates the time and hassle of creating multiple PDF versions and switching between different platforms.

  • Rearrange, insert, rotate, and delete PDF pages
  • Fill out interactive forms
  • Manage multiple version by saving PDFs as a copy or replacing the original

PDF Editing is available today to select users in beta, and will be rolling out to all users in the coming weeks.

Animation of PDF Editing in Dropbox
Before following up with contacts, you need to know exactly which content your audiences find most engaging. DocSend Dashboard Analytics provides data-driven insights to help you identify your most promising prospects and learn which content captured their interest. Dropbox’s new analytic tracking includes a list of your most-engaged contacts, a more detailed log of recent visits that’s refreshed hourly, and a new option to sort by views, page visits, and time spent on documents.
Dashboard Analytics is available today to all DocSend users.

Tech Review – Naenka Runner Pro Bone conduction Open Ear Wireless Headphones

Bone conducting headphones are now a more common sight these days and becoming more visible in store and are a new approach to the audio experince we have tested several now at this stage and the latest offering from Naenka deliver here with their higher end model and are ideal for those who jog,cycle, do fitness and even swimmers they have a simple product with simple to use controls and overall makes it a simple product to use and enjoy no matter the use case you might want them for.

How Bone Conduction Headphones Send Signals to Your Brain?

Some creative minds found a way to make the sound waves pathway much easier, i.e. through bones. They are transmitted directly to the cochlea when the sound waves cause the head’s bones to vibrate, which further transmits the electrical impulses through auditory nerves to the brain. The impulses that reach the brain are the same that reach the ear. The technology has proven to be effective for people who have hearing impairments. The technology is even used to treat hearing loss in the medical field. 

On board you get 8GB of storage which is a first I have seen in such headphones and this is great meaning whilst out on a jog or down at the gym you do not need your phone with you, they do have a proprietary connector which is always a bug bear for me mostly seen on smartwatches but you can forgive this caveat with all the other features on offer.

The build quality is great here and robust and will last after putting them through their paces for about a month they have been in the rain, in the gym and out on my bike and have not had one issue given they have been dropped a few times. Also worth noting they are great to have in your car too. Battery life is decent enough with around 240 hours of standby time and 6-8 hours of play

The sound quality is also quite good offering several formats of music files such as WAV FLAC APE WMA and MP3 with up to 1500 songs storage which is quite good if you ask me and more than enough for a few hours use doing workouts and so on.

You can also listen to your surroundings here to which is important for many these days but with the brighter nights now upon us it will not be that much of an issue, if you are with a group of friends out jogging or walking you can listen them and your music and podcasts on the go.

Naenka Bone Conduction Runner Pro Open Ear Wireless Headphones techbuzzireland

The 16mm drivers deliver decent sound too and one of the better of the few I have tried here in recent times and they do not annoy your passenger seated beside you on the bus or train for example. They are comfortable to wear to and after a few minutes you would forget they are there in fact.

The controls are great and simple here you have two buttons basically and you can take calls,higher and lower the volume skip and reverse tracks and also use your chosen voice assistant and the tactile buttons work really well all on one side making it super easy to use and easy to make the right selection.

Overall these are a well made easy to use product with and IP68 rating making them usable anywhere and easy to do so at that.

Check out the Naenka Lite Pro real hands on review where we show you the product and how they work and no stock images for context

Features

Runner Pro Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headphone

Born for sports   

IP68 Professional sports waterproof bone conduction non – ear black technology             

can be wear while swimming and bathing 

Built-in 8G memory card

16mm large speaker driver, sound quality is shocking and layered

33g Lightweight device 

The signal is as stable as wired

Comfortable wearing

plus size speaker drive

A new generation of vibration reduction technology   

high performance of Sound.

Multiple layers of protection to maintain performance in harsh environments.

Seamless injection molding, integrated molding, to avoid water seepage magnetic suction contact charging change the traditional charging interface without liquid accumulation, anti-oxidation nano-coating on the chip to isolate water vapor

One-key switch between memory mode and Bluetooth mode

8G large capacity storage 1500+ music

WAV, FLAC, APE, MP3, WMA music format support

13mm high frequency resolution is thorough  13mm low and medium frequency dive surging

*The above data comes from laboratory tests, and the actual use environment and equipment are different, there will be slight differences

Naenka Website

BUY

Video Link

 

 

Businesses struggling to monitor and report on key sustainability metrics

Businesses in Ireland are currently struggling to comprehensively measure, monitor and report on the range of metrics that they contribute to as part of the energy transition and in taking positive climate action.  According to new independent research* conducted on behalf of clean energy supplier, Pinergy, by iReach, 27 per cent of SME’s, employing less than 100 people, do not currently have any tools for effectively measuring, monitoring and reporting their consumption/contribution when it comes to energy, waste, water, air quality and carbon footprint.

The research also highlighted the top three actions businesses are citing to take in reducing their carbon footprint in 2022 are a focus on reducing electricity waste (43 per cent), reducing landfill waste and increasing recycling (40 per cent) and reducing water waste (34 per cent).

Despite a growing demand and trend among businesses to play their part to become more sustainable, without the tools to monitor and measure their contributions, many will continue to struggle to effectively manage and implement these stated actions and targets. 

In response, Pinergy has now developed a new measurement as a service proposition whose aim is to make measurement and reporting accessible to all businesses regardless of size with their simple to use technology.

Through this new service, Pinergy will give businesses the ability to measure the performance of their premises or buildings under various metrics.  The objective is to ensure that ‘what gets measured, gets managed’. Pinergy will install a series of meters and sensors in the building of its customer, that will enable the business to measure electricity & gas usage (regardless of supplier), water usage, waste usage (with select waste companies) and most timely of all, the quality of the air in their buildings.

In terms of measurable performance indicators, Pinergy will be able to offer businesses real time data, automated reporting, target and benchmark settings, carbon reporting and various other sustainability measurements across each of the categories covering energy, water, waste and air quality. For Property Management firms in particular this information can really help in delivering on key ESG goals.

Companies are already using Measurement as a Service to streamline their reporting; John O Donovan with the JLL Management Agent team at The Tio North Dock One & North Dock Two building in Dublin said: “This is a service that is very important to us, for monitoring energy and utility usage which reduces cost and saves time by bringing together a number of different reports into one portal.” 

Commenting on this latest development for Pinergy, Colm Foley, Channel Manager, Business, said: “At Pinergy, we are constantly looking for new ways that our customers can make the most of not only their energy usage but how they can most efficiently manage their buildings and premises. Not only can we now give our customers the ability to measure sustainability KPIs such as their carbon footprint, but we can also show how well utilities such as Electricity, Gas and Water are being used across their property portfolio.” 

“Delivering our Measurement as a Service offering is empowering our customers with data and insights to make more informed decisions that are better for the business and better for the environment.”

* Research was conducted nationwide as part of the iReach Business Decisions Omnibus Survey Q1 2022. Over 200 SME businesses responded to the survey, delivering a high level of statistical accuracy.

Skyports strengthens maritime drone delivery commercialisation efforts

Leading Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) infrastructure developer and drone operator Skyports has entered into two new commercial partnerships with Thome Group, a fully integrated ship management company, and Wilhelmsen Ships Agency, one of the worlds’ largest ships agents. Adding the reach and competencies of  Thome and Wilhelmsen will accelerate Skyports’ ambitions in bringing drone delivery services to Singapore’s bustling maritime sector.

With strong backing and partnerships, Skyports is on the path to full-scale commercialisation of maritime shore-to-ship delivery services and the concurrent development of the necessary infrastructure to support these services for all industry players in Singapore and beyond

Mr Yun-Yuan Tay, Head of APAC, Skyports said, “Skyports is proud to be working with some of the leaders in the shipping and maritime industry, and to have forward-looking partners like Wilhelmsen and Thome recognise the importance and relevance of using AAM in their operations. Looking ahead, we hope to continue developing the AAM industry in Singapore and the region to enhance processes in the maritime industry – by reducing delivery times and carbon emissions, providing a new transportation option that is both more efficient and more sustainable.”

Wilhelmsen and Thome are two of the biggest players in the maritime industry, managing ships and providing agency services for thousands of vessels in Singapore’s port every year.

Separate trials will see Skyports in close collaboration with Wilhelmsen Ships Agency and Thome Group, as well as the Maritime Port Authority (MPA) in Singapore, and other government agencies. Skyports will lead the development and testing of the Concept of Operations (ConOps) for Proof of Concept (PoC) operations for shore-to-ship drone deliveries, leading into the operationalisation of drone delivery services in the maritime sector.

Skyports’ trials will deploy Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) deliveries from the temporary drone delivery distribution hub at the Maritime Drone Estate to vessels at pre-identified anchorages. Skyports is looking to complete up to 100 deliveries over the partnership period. 

“Wilhelmsen is excited to be working with Skyports to incorporate drone delivery option into our service offering,” said Ms Jodie Reibel , VP Governance & Sustainability for Wilhelmsen Ships Agency. “We are committed to exploring new opportunities in renewables, zero-emission shipping, and marine digitalization, and this partnership with Skyports is just one example of such collaborations. The use of drone technology and digitalisation of shore-to-ship deliveries would improve efficiency of our operations significantly, and offer our clients a more sustainable and convenient option.”

 

Mr Peter Schellenberger, Vice President, Supply Chain, Thome Group said, “Thome is continuously improving its services and offerings to enable customers to remain competitive in the maritime sector and is happy to be working with Skyports on this new collaboration. The company works closely with partners like Skyports to explore new technologies and methods to offer customers versatile solutions in ship management and offshore structure management. With the volume of cargo moving through Singapore’s port every day, the company sees the potential of the AAM industry to change the way the maritime sector operates and is looking forward to developing this further. Regulatory compliance is extremely important, and we work closely with our clients, suppliers, and principals to tackle important issues such as decarbonisation, sustainability, and governance. This forward-thinking approach has meant that the Thome Group is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading independent international ship managers.”

Mr Ng Yi Han, Director (Innovation, Technology & Talent Development), MPA said, “The agreements between Skyports and Wilhelmsen Ships Agency as well as Skyports and Thome Group are a testament to the potential of drone technology as they seek to develop drones for shore-to-ship deliveries in the unique operating environment of Singapore. The accelerating momentum for drone technology makes such partnerships important for both regulators and industry players to better understand how commercial operations can take place in our port environment to bring about commercial solutions that are effective and safe.”

Header image – The second contract signing ceremony took place between Skyports’ Head of APAC, Mr Yun-Yuan Tay (L), and Mr Peter Schellenberger (R), Vice-President, Supply Chain, Thome Group courtesy of Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore