Jim O Brien/CEO - techbuzzireland.com

ST Engineering, Sumitomo and Skyports Join Forces to Use Unmanned Aircraft for Heavy Lift Shore-to-Ship Parcel Delivery

ST Engineering, Sumitomo Corporation and Skyports today announced the formation of a consortium to provide Unmanned Aircraft (UA) services for heavy-lift shore-to-ship parcel delivery in Singapore.

Each consortium member will exploit their respective operational and technological capabilities to expand the use of autonomous UA for the deliveries of maritime essentials to vessels at anchorage. During a nine-month pilot programme, the consortium will engage key customers for maritime UA deliveries, with the goal of establishing a UA delivery network capable of carrying parcel payloads of 10kg.

ST Engineering will provide the UA technology using its end-to-end solution – DroNet; Skyports will jointly conduct the Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight operations with ST Engineering; while Sumitomo Corporation will provide go-to-market support, including their own fleet of vessels.

As a leading unmanned systems participant in Singapore, ST Engineering has been testing and developing autonomous solutions to enable BVLOS UA operations for shore-to-ship delivery in close collaboration with regulators and industry partners. Through funding support from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore’ (CAAS) Call-for-Proposals, the Group recently completed the initial development of an UA system for shore-to-ship parcel delivery based on its in-house DroNet solution.

Compared to the traditional form of delivery by boats, UA operations can significantly slash response time and speed up turnaround for shore-to-ship delivery, in addition to reducing logistics costs. Replacing launch boat delivery with UA also helps to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to the maritime industry’s overall efforts to operate sustainably.

Sanjay Suresh, Head of Business Development & Operations APAC at Skyports, said, “As home to one of the busiest ports in the world, Singapore is the ideal setting in which to demonstrate to customers the potential for unmanned aircraft to transform maritime logistics by moving essential supplies such as heavy shipping components and tools in a more cost-effective and sustainable way. Together with ST Engineering and Sumitomo Corporation, Skyports is excited to play a key role with our expertise in BVLOS unmanned aircraft operations in the continued expansion of our collective capabilities in the maritime sector.”

Teong Soo Soon, VP & Head of UA Systems at ST Engineering, said, “UA Systems have evolved rapidly in recent years to emerge as safe and robust alternatives to traditionally labour- and time-intensive missions. We are excited to be partnering Sumitomo Corporation and Skyports in the pilot launch of unmanned services for shore-to-ship parcel delivery after spending close to two years of R&D efforts to develop the solution. We look forward to being a strong enabler for customers which wish to leverage unmanned technology to inject higher efficiency and sustainability into their operations.”

Ichiro Tatara, GM, Commercial Aviation Department at Sumitomo, said, “UA systems are a potential infrastructure enabling sustainable transportation. We are very excited to launch a pilot programme for shore-to-ship parcel delivery together with ST Engineering and Skyports, and we believe this partnering is a great team and provides sustainable and efficient service to vessels in Singapore.”

ST Engineering is showcasing its UA systems and other aerospace capabilities at the Aviation cluster of the ST Engineering Pavilion (G01) from 15 – 18 February at Singapore Airshow 2022.

Continental Tyres Irish Van of the Year 2022

The Citroën e-Dispatch / Opel Vivaro-e / Peugeot e-Expert, an electrified joint collaboration of the three companies, has been voted Continental Tyres Irish Van of the Year for 2022.

The award is voted upon by a jury of Ireland’s most experienced van journalists and was announced at the 2022 Irish Car and Van of the Year awards ceremony which took place at The Aviva Stadium on Friday February 11.

EVs were very much to the fore at the awards event as, in addition to electric models taking the main trophy in the Van of the Year contest, the full electric Kia EV6 won the top award in the Irish Car of the Year competition.

Pictured at the presentation of the award with the winning vans were (l to r): Colin Sheridan, MD of Citroën Ireland; James Brooks, MD of Opel Ireland; Tom Dennigan of awards sponsor Continental Tyres; Cathal Doyle and Anthony Conlon, Joint Chairmen of the Irish Car and Van of the Year Committee; and Stephen McGrath, Head of Product and Pricing with Peugeot and DS Automobiles.

Nokia G11 and G21 announced – Irish details inside.

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today announces a pair of resilient new Nokia G-series smartphones, the Nokia G11 and Nokia G21. Legacy Nokia phones were famed for their robust battery lives, and the new affordable Android smartphones are no exception with an impressive three-day battery life and new Super Battery Saver mode, as well as category-leading security updates.

Florian Seiche, CEO at HMD Global: “We continue to push boundaries in the mid-range segment providing affordable, secure and competitive technology for all. I am delighted to unveil two new heroes from our heartland G-series, the Nokia G11 and Nokia G21.The two devices epitomise the durability and long-lasting battery life qualities Nokia phones became famous for all those years ago. This combined with the best of Android software, and more security updates than the competition within this price category, cements our vision for 2022 and beyond – as we continue to build phones that last for longer.”

Unrivalled protection for mobile technology that lasts for longer

Twice as many security updates as competition to help keep important data protected – the Nokia G11 and Nokia G21 will work seamlessly in the background to protect you so that you can go about your day worry-free.

Introducing Mask mode to affordable smartphones – available on G-series for the first, it ensures the convenience of face unlock is never disrupted. Keep your data safe with or without a protective face mask.

Ready for Android 12, so you always have access to the latest features and have a smartphone that you can keep for longer.

Supported by industry-leading partners for best-in-class experiences, the Nokia G11 and Nokia G21 come pre-loaded with Spotify and ExpressVPN. Spotify also gives Nokia smartphone owners access to 70 million tracks and 3.2 million podcasts out of the box.[iii] For enhanced privacy and added peace of mind, ExpressVPN is now available on all new Nokia smartphones with a 30-day free trial.

Long-lasting battery life so you can stay connected all-day

The impressive three-day battery life is perfect for those who want to go about their day without worrying about how much battery they have left. Whether its capturing memories with the family, or watching all your favourite shows, staying connected all day is made easy with the new Nokia G11 and Nokia G21.

Turn on the all-new Super Battery Saver mode to extend your battery life even further – you can even choose where exactly the energy savings are made, so you can still access key features that are needed. Nokia G11 and Nokia G21 also allow for this feature to be switched on at any time.

Fast response for increased productivity

Unlocking the power of 90Hz for the first time in G-series, the improved refresh rate makes scrolling and typing even more fluid, and photos look smoother.

Breath-taking photography with Nokia G21

The versatile triple-lens cameras will fully equip anyone to create professional-looking photography, delivering beautiful detail even in low light. On the front, AI smarts ensure your evening selfies will have just the right amount of light and clarity. Also, with AI Super Resolution, the new handsets elevate the zoom quality of your shots for a striking result.

New design, same Finnish durability

Introducing an all-new design, the Nokia G11 and Nokia G21 are thinner and more ergonomic. Made from tough polycarbonate, the new design honours the durability and Nordic excellence you’d expect from a Nokia phone whilst bringing a refreshed look to the range.

For extra peace of mind, the Clear Case is available for both phones, will show off your phone’s beauty. It’s made from recycled materials and can also be recycled after use.

Plant 10 trees via Ecologi for every Nokia G21 or Nokia G11 purchased

Customers buying the Nokia G21 or Nokia G11 will be given the gift to plant 10 trees via Ecologi. As a first target milestone, HMD Global has committed to facilitating the planting of 1,000,000 trees. Amounting to 308,000 tonnes of carbon avoided over 25 years, the combined effort from customers will be equivalent to over 700 million miles driven in a car or 37,465,935,100 smartphones charged.

Elliot Coad, co-founder & CEO Ecologi: “We are excited to play a part in giving Nokia phone owners the power to plant a million trees. This unique redemption mechanism allows people to redeem and see their own trees, making climate action tangible and personal.”

Pricing and availability

Nokia G21 is available in Ireland starting today in Nordic Blue (navy) and Dusk (dark taupe) in 4/64 GB for €179.99

Nokia G11 is available in Ireland mid-March in Charcoal (dark grey/ black) and Ice (white/blue) in 3/32 GB for €139.99
The Nokia G21/G11 Clear Case is available on Nokia.com/phones for €29.99 (customers can get the case free for the first four weeks when they buy on https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_ie/nokia-g-21)

Advanced computer simulations shed intriguing new light on magma deep below Earth’s surface

Unlike the classic Jules Verne science fiction novel Journey to the Center of the Earth or movie The Core, humans cannot venture into the Earth’s interior beyond a few kilometres of its surface. But thanks to latest advances in computer modelling, an international team of researchers led by the University of Bristol has shed new light on the properties and behaviour of magma found several hundreds of kilometres deep within the Earth.

The study showed water-rich (hydrous) magmas (extremely hot liquid rocks) formed in the Earth’s mantle – the layer beneath its crust – are more buoyant and fluid than previously believed. This discovery allows us to predict how and where hydrous magmas move within Earth’s interior, which means the amount of water in these realms can be more reliably predicted, furthering understanding of the deep Earth water cycle.

Lead author Dr James Drewitt, Senior Research Associate at the University of Bristol, said: “It’s really exciting to be able to explore the nature and properties of magma hundreds of kilometres beneath our feet. Although previous knowledge is limited, it was widely thought these water-rich molten rocks, called hydrous magma, would be denser than the solid rock above them and so would form vast pools of magma at depths close to 400km.

“However, we were not convinced by this theory, as it relies on chemical compositions which are unrepresentative of natural magmas, as known from high-pressure laboratory experiments. We wanted to determine the properties of hydrous magmas to model their behaviour, how they flow and where they go after forming in the deep mantle, to provide more accurate insight into the deep Earth water cycle, which is tightly connected to Earth’s habitability.”

The researchers used ARCHER, the UK’s national supercomputing service, to simulate the physical properties of magma at the extreme conditions on the boundary of Earth’s upper and lower mantle at temperatures up to 1600°C and 250,000 times atmospheric pressure. This region, at depths of 410-660km, is known as the transition zone and contains solid rocks capable of storing several ocean’s worth of water.

The high water content means rocks just above and below the transition zone will melt at a lower temperature than elsewhere in the Earth’s mantle, resulting in the formation of water-rich or ‘hydrous’ magmas. Their physical properties, including density and viscosity – in other words how freely they flow – have been shrouded in mystery, so little was known about how they behave and where they ultimately go.

Dr Drewitt said: “Using advanced computational techniques to model hydrous magmas down to the atomic-scale, we discovered natural hydrous magmas will be more buoyant and fluid than expected, and will therefore rise through the upper mantle towards the surface, rather like the wax rising in a lava lamp.

“By incorporating these findings into global mantle circulation models, we found that over geological timescales water in hydrous magmas was transported from the lower and mid-mantle towards the upper mantle, resulting in a similar mass of water found in all Earth’s oceans combined evenly distributed throughout the mantle of the present-day Earth.”

The three-year-long study, funded by the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council, involved physicists and Earth scientists from universities in the UK, United States, and China.

Paper

‘Hydrous silicate melts and the deep mantle H₂O cycle’ by James Drewitt et al in Earth and Planetary Science Letters’

Tech Review – Instax Mini Evo camera

The Instax Evo mini camera is the latest camera on offer which is a cool gadget to have at your disposal, most of us today use our smartphones to take images and in most cases they go no further than your phone or else stored on your pc or a drive but with this camera you can print out the moments captured on your phone and indeed with the camera itself which allows for plenty of creativity before you even take the picture and then more after.

This camera features 10 integrated lens modes and 10 filter options, offering 100 different combinations for photographers to express themselves creatively with unique, one-off shots.

There is lots of filters and other options to toy around with here to on the Instax Mini Evo and I have been carrying about with me over the last few days and found it a joy to use and it has a simple UI to work through too and of course their app which we go through in detail in the video review below.. You can see the unboxing HERE

For me over the years I use my smartphone to take images but rarely a camera unless I use one from Instax which I have been over the last few years I find it nice that I can print an image there and then and not only that but share with others should they want a copy of the image, the only caveat here with such cameras is the cost of prints but I find these cameras would be more useful in treasured moments or ones created so buying packets of film every week would not really be the case.

What makes this camera fun is the options available for the user with the filters and more unlike other cameras you have a screen to use and options built in here to which allows you get the full feature set available and not just a limited standard list of settings, The build quality of the camera is robust and I like the overall design, more compact than other models it is more portable and I really the the silver buttons and controls which gives the unit a nice two tone effect and looks more on the premium side.

There is also a option to mount the camera on a tripod which some will find a real treat, this can be used for timed photos or group photos etc with the remote option on the app and more, Overall the image quality is decent but not to the full value your phone or the camera itself might take but this is not what the intent of the camera is, the camera is easy to use given all the options on it and ideal for those who like photography in general and even novices and overall if you just want to snap a photo and print this is what you need.

BUY

Video Link

Parking Tag and Easytrip announce Connected Parking Services

Mobility solutions specialist, Easytrip, Ireland’s only electronic parking and tolling tag provider, is partnering with Parking Tag, a division of payment solutions provider Payzone, to enable customers to pay for parking on-street and in commercial car parks through a single parking service.

Drivers with Easytrip or Parking Tag accounts will now have access to over 60,000 parking spaces across both services offering faster, safer, and easier parking at enabled locations throughout Ireland.

The new partnership covers cashless parking solutions across Easytrip’s portfolio of 53 off-street carparks and Parking Tag’s 40,000 parking spaces across the country.

Commenting on the new partnership, CEO of Easytrip Ireland, Colin Delaney said: “We are excited to be partnering with Payzone, combining our respective parking payment networks to significantly simplify Irish motorists needs. We know that our customers value convenience, and this new, integrated ticketless parking payment service gives access to thousands of parking spaces nationwide in one place through the Easytrip App. It’s also a safe and easy way to pay as a cashless solution, meaning that drivers no longer need to physically interact with parking meters on streets or at car park ticket machines going forward.”

Jim Deignan, CEO of Payzone said: “Payzone want to make parking easier and more convenient for motorists. We have already transformed how thousands of customers park on streets all over Ireland and now in partnership with Easytrip we want to extend that service. We will be able to offer our customers the ability to use the Parking Tag Mobile Application to park in car parks nationwide thereby giving them faster, safer, and more effortless parking. We are delighted to be working with Easytrip and look forward to motorists availing of this new expanded service going forward.”

How Easytrip parking works

The Easytrip parking service offers hassle-free contactless parking to motorists with the use of an electronic tag or mobile App, with no need to take a ticket or queue at the paying station. In barrier car parks, the Easytrip tag is scanned on entry and exit to the car park and the fee is then automatically deducted from the tag holder’s account. To park on-street, customers use the Easytrip App. Motorists who sign up can avail of this seamless parking payment solution straight away and avail of daily, weekly and monthly rates. New and existing Easytrip customers can sign up for parking by downloading the Easytrip App, by calling Easytrip on 0818 67 67 67 or by logging onto Easytrip.ie .

How Parking Tag works

Parking Tag is a popular cashless mobile parking payments system with over 330,000 registered motorists. Operated by payments provider Payzone, the solution is available in 15 local authorities across Ireland. Motorists can register by visiting parkingtag.ie or by downloading the mobile App. Once registered, customers can park immediately and take advantage of daily or weekly rate parking, where available.

For those who prefer to park without registering for an account, they can choose the option to ‘Park Now’ on the website and pay with a debit or credit card, while the SMS and phone options allows for once-off payment to a debit or credit card. Parking Tag also offers a Charge to Mobile service which allows Three and Vodafone customers charge their parking to their mobile phone bill or credit. Motorists can avail of an optional SMS reminder which means no running back to the meter, they can park again from wherever they are. For more information on how to sign up, call the Parking Tag customer support team on 0818 300 161, visit parkingtag.ie or download the Parking Tag mobile App.

First look – iStorage datAshur SD the world’s first and only encrypted USB flash drive with removable iStorage microSD Card

The iStorage datAshur SD is a PIN authenticated, hardware encrypted, USB Type-C flash drive designed to incorporate removable iStorage microSD Cards with capacities ranging from 32GB-1TB. Rather than incorporating fixed memory, the datAshur SD is designed with an integrated microSD Card slot making it a unique, ultra-secure and cost-effective solution that enables users to use one drive with as many iStorage microSD Cards as required, which are available in varying capacities, offering unlimited encrypted data storage.

Furthermore, the patented iStorage datAshur SD KeyWriter software clones datAshur SD flash drives with the same encrypted encryption key enabling a secondary drive as a backup and also permits organisations to share encrypted iStorage microSD Cards with as many authorised users of cloned datAshur SD drives as required, without compromising on data security.

All data stored on iStorage microSD Cards is encrypted (full disk encryption) using FIPS PUB 197 validated AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption. In addition to the datAshur PRO2, the datAshur SD is the world’s only encrypted USB flash drive to incorporate a secure microprocessor that is Common Criteria EAL 5+ certified, which enhances security through true random number generation and built-in cryptography. The data encryption key is protected by FIPS and Common Criteria validated wrapping algorithms and is securely stored on the secure microprocessor, separate from the data.

How does it work?

Easy to use

Insert your iStorage microSD Card into the datAshur SD microSD Card slot and simply enter your 8-64 digit PIN to authenticate and use as a normal flash drive. When the drive is locked, all data on the iStorage microSD card is encrypted (full disk encryption) using AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption (no software required).

Product highlights

Easy to use – 8-64 digit, PIN authenticated, hardware encrypted USB Type-C flash drive.
Expand your datAshur SD capacity instantly. The microSD Card slot is designed to accept as many encrypted iStorage microSD Cards, in varying capacities, as required.
datAshur SD drives can be cloned with the same encrypted encryption key using the patented iStorage datAshur SD KeyWriter software. This allows users with different datAshur SD drives to share encrypted data stored on iStorage microSD Cards or to create a backup drive in case your datAshur SD drive is lost or stolen.
FIPS 140-3 Level 3 compliant, tamper proof and evident design.

Video link

Kia EV6 Takes Continental Tyres Irish Car of the Year Title for 2022

At an awards ceremony today at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, the Kia EV6 was named as the Continental Tyres Irish Car of the Year for 2022.

Kia took the top award with its latest EV6 model which also won the Continental Tyres Irish Large Car of the Year category award at the ceremony. It is the second time that an electric vehicle has taken the award as Kia also won the 2020 Irish Car of the Year title with the all-electric Kia e-Soul.

Joint-Chairman of the Irish Car of the Year Committee, Anthony Conlon said: “The Kia EV6 is a great car and as the second electric vehicle to win the title, it is proof, if any proof was needed, that the era of electric motoring is already well and truly here in Ireland. Just look at our field of runners for this year’s awards, more than half of the contenders are available as either partial or full electric vehicles”.

Joint-Chairman of the Irish Car of the Year Committee, Cathal Doyle said: “Congratulations to the Kia team on a very worthy win and what an achievement to score back-to-back titles with two great electric vehicles. The Kia EV6 came out as the clear winner and was hugely popular with my motoring journalist colleagues”.

Tom Dennigan from awards sponsor, Continental Tyres said: “After missing out on a 2021 Irish Car of the Year awards programme, we are delighted to be back with these awards for 2022 as the whole programme provides a great guide to Irish motorists on what the best and latest cars coming onto the Irish market are. I am sure that the Kia EV6 will benefit hugely here from winning this much coveted award.”

The category winners:

Continental Tyres Irish Compact Car of the Year: Dacia Sandero
Continental Tyres Irish Medium Car of the Year: Citroen C4
Continental Tyres Irish Small Crossover / SUV of the Year: Opel Mokka
Continental Tyres Irish Medium Crossover / SUV of the Year: Renault Arkana
Continental Tyres Irish Large Car of the Year: Kia EV6
Continental Tyres Irish Luxury Car of the Year: Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Continental Tyres Irish Performance Car of the Year: BMW M3/M4

(Full details on all of the winners are available on the Irish Car of the Year website: caroftheyear.ie)

The Continental Tyres Irish Van of the Year title for 2022 was awarded to the joint entry Citroen e-Dispatch / Opel Vivaro-e / Peugeot e-Expert.

Header image photo – Anthony Conlon and Cathal Doyle, Joint Chairmen, Irish Car of the Year Committee; Ronan Flood, Kia Ireland; and Tom Dennigan, Continental Tyres Ireland

High-speed fibre internet continues its strong growth in OECD countries as DSL declines

High-speed fibre subscriptions grew by 15% across OECD countries from June 2020 to June 2021, as living and working under Covid-19 restrictions continued to drive demand for high-quality internet connections with the rapid upload and download speeds that fibre offers.

The latest update to the OECD’s broadband portal shows fibre now makes up 32% of fixed broadband subscriptions across the OECD’s 38 member countries, up from 12% a decade ago, and is by far the fastest-growing broadband technology, outpacing a 4.5% rise in overall fixed broadband subscriptions. While countries use different technology mixes, 23 OECD countries have now a higher share of fibre than copper-wire DSL in their total fixed broadband connections, up from 20 countries a year ago.

Cable showed more modest growth of 4% in the year to June 2021, and is now declining in 15 countries, yet it remains the main fixed broadband technology for nine OECD countries. DSL subscriptions declined by 6% over the same period, with several OECD countries showing sharp declines.

Fibre, DSL and cable subscriptions in total fixed broadband, June 2021

Latin American OECD countries saw significant increases in fibre with growth rates of 74% for Costa Rica, 71% for Chile, 43% for Colombia and 26% for Mexico. Other countries with impressive growth in fibre connections include Israel with 76%, Ireland with 54% and Italy with 53%. Seven countries now have a fibre share of above 70% of their fixed broadband subscriptions: Korea with 86%, Japan with 83%, Lithuania with 77%, Spain with 76%, Sweden with 76%, Iceland with 72% and Latvia with 71%.

Cable remains dominant in North and South America, accounting for 64% of subscriptions in the United States, 62% in Costa Rica, 61% in Colombia, 50% in Canada, 42% in Mexico and 41.4% in Chile, where fibre has overtaken it. In Europe cable is the dominant technology in Belgium (53%), Hungary (46.4%), and The Netherlands (46%).

DSL connections, meanwhile, saw sharp declines of over 30% in Chile (-37%), New Zealand (-32%), Norway (-40%), Spain (-32%), and Sweden (-31%). Some operators in OECD countries are in the process of shutting down copper connections altogether, for instance in France, Japan, Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Spain.

Mobile broadband continued its inexorable growth with a 6.3% increase in subscriptions in the year to June 2021, a higher rate of growth than in the two previous periods (3.6% in June 2019-June 2020 and 5.8% in June 2018-June 2019.) In contrast, the number of data-only subscriptions declined in 17 out of 38 countries and this category experienced a 0.4% drop in subscriptions. This could be due to greater use of fixed networks at home during Covid-19, which tend to offer a better connection quality for work, education, and leisure.

M2M SIM cards have grown by an impressive 16%, with Sweden, Austria, Iceland and the Netherlands dominating the ranking, having 175.6, 82.5, 82.3 and 50.3 M2M cards respectively per 100 inhabitants.

Overall, fixed broadband subscriptions in OECD countries totalled 462.5 million as of June 2021, up from 443 million a year earlier, to average 33.8 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Mobile broadband subscriptions totalled 1.67 billion as of June 2021, up from 1.57 billion a year earlier, and averaged 122 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.

Download broadband data, charts and penetration maps by country at http://oe.cd/broadband.

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