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.
PlayStation has unveiled the latest episode in its six-part content series Players Unlocked. Hosted by gamer and comedian Tony Cantwell, this week’s guest features award winning film and gaming composer, Eimear Noone.
The Galway conductor talks about the impact video game music has had on players around the world “it always fascinated me how music and the twist of a chord change… can just ignite a picture.. it can make you physically feel goosebumps”.
Noone made history by becoming the first female conductor to perform at the Academy Awards in 2019 and throughout her 15-year career has conducted many orchestras including Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and BBC Concert Orchestra.
Players Unlocked see’s Tony Cantwell speak to some of Ireland’s biggest gamers, each from very different backgrounds. Throughout the series guests discuss what role gaming, and PlayStation, has played in their life.
The series has already featured guests such as lifelong gamer and TV star Baz Ashmawy, streamer Úna-Minh Kavanagh and Marvel comics illustrator and TV Presenter, Will Sliney. You can watch the first four episodes now on PlayStation Ireland’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Soundcore are on a bit of a roll of late with their products and having tested their Liberty 3 Pro they will be a hard to beat pair of true wireless earbuds and I look forward to the next version of those, Recently we also tested there budget Life P2 mini and when both of these arrived I was stuck which to test first so I tested side by side and put other work aside to get a handle on both products and yet again Soundcore deliver and these would be a more affordable pair if you do not have the bucks to shell out right now for the top tier.
The Life P3 come in a really cool range of colours to start with which I love as I am fed up with the typical Black and White offerings we see so much of however most manufacturers are moving away from this and giving us colours that pop and stand out which makes a statement and in my view if you want to get noticed you need to get seen and these do just that with the fresh colorways on offer.
The case they come in is really cool with a matt finish and we have the Sky Blue colour, there is LED lights on the front with a USB-C port on the rear with the logo up top and the case is also nice to hold in the hand and a kind of large pebble shape,once opened you get the earbuds which have a really nice silver trim on the edges which make them look more premium and these stand out plus you have also got wireless charging thrown in for the mix which for me works as I have wireless charging options all over my house and office.
Soundcore Life P3 techbuzzireland
These are the typical stem finish which looks well and not to bold or standoutish either and once fitted with the right tips these sit well and will not move in the ears giving great noise isolation straight away. You have simple to use touch controls here which I found just about perfect with response and work every time which saves those embarrassing taps with nothing happening. They also have adopted what some other manufacturers have started doing which is an ear fit test which is welcome and will give you the benefits in the end as well as trying out the right tips which you should do with all earbuds..There is no auto play and pause detection here which might bother some however you have the controls to set up as you wish in the app and it is often the option I choose myself.
You have full app access here which is great,again we go through this in the video review, however there is no voice commands like Hey Siri for example but again this is something I never really use being honest, the app however gives you the option to makes things suited best to you and this is a feature I like and gives you more control giving you the best option to tailor the right sounds for you, highs lows and mids are fine here with decent bass too and decently loud, again these showed no lag latency either where fine on calls and did well with Netflix Youtube and more plus you have a gaming mode for some extra fun if you are a gamer. ANC works well but not much noted in the options available this though does depend on your surroundings but indoors work best in my book with a quiet environment.
Features
Pocket-Sized pop of Color: Life P3 noise cancelling earbuds come in 5 eye-catching colors to pair with your personal style. And the ultra-compact case fits effortlessly in small bags or pockets.
Fueled By The Beat: Life P3 noise cancelling earbuds’ thumping sound is produced by custom 11mm composite drivers. Activate BassUp mode in the app to further intensify bass in real-time.
Multi-Mode Noise Cancelling: Sync the noise cancelling to your location for an optimized experience. Transport, Outdoor, and Indoor modes are each tailored to block out irritating background noises in each environment.
Enhanced Call Performance: Life P3 noise cancelling earbuds have 6 microphones and an exclusive algorithm to tune out background noises. Your voice will be heard clearly on calls, video chats, livestreams, and more.
The Soundcocre Life P3 have been sent to us by the company and have had no input preview or paid us money and are seeing the review the same time as you.
It has been a busy few weeks for Jabra with all their new products hitting the market and now their latest Elite 4 Active has just landed and it is now their 4th new pair in their portfolio which now gives something for everyone to pick from at multiple price tiers which is great. We will just get straight into this as we are already stacking up our tech reviews this month which is a good sign so if you have any questions feel free to ask as usual.
We have also got the Elite 7 Pro Elite 7 Active and the Elite 3 so if you want to see more of those do check out the review section or type Jabra Review in the search box.
Elite 4 Active Key features:
Secure active fit with ergonomic, wing-free design
IP57-rated water and sweat proof durability
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
6mm speakers and customisable equaliser
HearThrough technology for added awareness
4-microphone call technology
Up to 7-hours playtime (up to 28 hours with charging case)
Use either earbud with mono mode
Alexa Built-in or Spotify Tap playback, and Google Fast Pair
Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) announces the expansion of APEX Data Storage Services with new availability in Ireland. The portfolio of scalable and elastic storage resources is deployable on premises, helping customers expand business and IT operations into new geographies while gaining better control of their storage costs.
According to Gartner, by 2024, over 50% of newly deployed storage capacity will be sold as-a-Service or on a subscription basis, up from less than 15% in 2020. APEX Data Storage Services delivers the industry’s leading enterprise storage portfolio as-a-Service. Through a cloud experience, customers pay for the storage capacity they use and can scale, at the service level they need with infrastructure owned and maintained by Dell. Ireland is one of 14 countries that now has APEX Data Storage Services availability.
The portfolio includes APEX File Services, which now offers object-enabled capabilities with support for the S3 protocol, expanding storage use cases to include cloud-native application development without the need to copy data. This approach allows customers to transform applications for greater agility and control.
Jason Ward, Vice-President and Managing Director, Dell Technologies Ireland, said: “70% of Irish organisations are gathering data faster than they can analyse and harness its value. The explosion in the growth of data is placing significant pressure on IT teams as they look to store this most value asset. Predicting storage needs is also becoming increasingly unmanageable.
“That’s why we’re introducing APEX Data Storage Services here in Ireland. Our new as-s-Service solutions will give businesses and organisations complete oversight of storage resources as well as the flexibility to scale their storage requirements as they need.
“With today’s business environment transforming at pace, I’m confident that our APEX Data Storage Services will provide immediate access to storage capacity which organisations require in a data-driven age. The Dell Technologies team will be supporting Irish customers in their Storage as-a-Service decisions over the coming months and work with them to simplify their storage need.”
How APEX Data Storage Services works
Organisations can select from three performance tiers for APEX Block and File Services, available in one- or three-year terms, with base capacity options starting as low as 50 terabytes. Customers can easily procure their data storage resources through the APEX Console, a web-based tool that provides a single, seamless experience for customers to navigate their cloud and as-a-Service journey.
Customers can monitor capacity, performance and usage costs in real time, and update their subscriptions as needed. A recent Dell-commissioned Forrester Consulting study on APEX Data Storage Services shows customers can significantly reduce storage planning and provisioning costs while improving efficiency of storage professionals.
Channel partner opportunities in Ireland
APEX creates opportunities for channel partners to offer customers flexible and simplified IT solutions. With APEX Data Storage Services expanded availability, Dell Technologies Solution Providers and Storage Authorized Distributors in Ireland are able to earn incentives when selling these solutions on a referral basis. Cloud Service Provider partners also can host enhanced APEX Data Storage Services on behalf of customers.
Cycling technology company See.Sense are proud to announce that their newest bike light, ICON3, will be the first bike light to the market, where key design elements are decided by the customer.
See.Sense, who have a successful track record of crowd-funded product campaigns, have taken customer input to a new level for their launch of their latest reactive and smart bike light, ICON3, by allowing their community to choose key design elements such as the mount, and charging connection as well as flash modes just prior to the light going into production.
The gamble has paid off, with their community flocking to back the product, smashing their funding target in only four hours, and with ICON3 going on to be 385% funded to date (with the campaign still live). On reaching the mid-point of the campaign, See.Sense surveyed the backers (who have already pre-ordered the product) on their preferences for key design elements. Taking this customer-led design feedback into account, See.Sense are pleased to announce the mount, charging and flash modes chosen by the crowd for ICON3:
Mounting: new popular ‘twist and lock’ mechanism, similar to See.Sense BEAM lights, and which is a departure from ICON2
USB-C Charging: A move from micro USB to USB-C is now confirmed.
ICON3 Flash Modes: See.Sense will introduce an all new ‘Super Visibility Mode’ as well as a new ‘Light Sensing Mode’ , designed for optimal daylight visibility. This is in addition to the existing ‘Brake Mode’ and ‘Get Me Home Mode’ (which provides at least 1 more hour run time to get you home when battery levels are low).
Philip McAleese, CEO of See.Sense said, “Customer-led design has always been important to us, but we are delighted to take this further than we have ever done before, by allowing key design decisions to be influenced by our community mid-campaign. As an innovative and dynamic company, this really sets us apart from our competitors, by showing our customers we listen and truly respond to their needs”.
In addition to the abovementioned additions, the ICON3 light is also brighter than ever before. Through a combination of a CoB (chip on board) and two quality-focused LEDS, ICON3 produces a powerfully bright 575 lumens in the front and 350 lumens in the rear, their brightest ‘to be seen light’ so far.
The ICON3 campaign will close on Sunday 7th February 2022. For any cyclists who were waiting on the final product decisions, now is the time to pre-order ICON3 at the best possible prices with delivery scheduled for April 2022: https://bit.ly/3rnMKIe
Small business owners work hard to make sure their businesses are running smoothly and turning a profit. But sometimes, even the most diligent owners can be losing money without realizing it. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most common ways small businesses can lose money, and how to stop it from happening.
First, you need to identify the problem areas. How is money being lost in your business? Are supplies being wasted? Is an employee stealing from you? Are you placing orders for products at higher prices than you should be paying?
Let’s take a closer look at some of these issues so that they can be identified and corrected and if you need help with your business you can also check out audit services.
Revenue Leakage
One of the first and most common ways small businesses lose money is through revenue leakage. Revenue leakage refers to any number of habits that can cause you to lose money without your even realizing it. For example, an employee who goes on long breaks throughout the day but stays logged into their computer for work purposes costs you money because you are paying them to be there even though they aren’t actually working. If you are doing something like this, it might be time for a reality check. Do your employees need to take so many breaks? Does everyone really need to stay logged in all the time?
Another example is when customers prolong the payment for services, which can often happen with medical assistance. In this case, revenue leakage can occur when bills remain unpaid for a long period of time. Most times these leakages remain unnoticed.
Product Waste
Another way you could be losing money without realizing it is by having product waste. If your business is not utilizing all the products you are purchasing, this loss will happen over time and can be easy to miss. For example, if you purchase enough paper for an entire year but only use it for half of that period.
Productivity
How productive your employees are directly affected by how much money your company makes. If everyone knows how to waste time at work efficiently, you could be losing more money than you think. To make sure productivity levels are high, it might be time to take a look at how employees are spending their day. If you find that they are spending too much time on personal calls or other non-work-related tasks, it’s time to implement some changes in the office work habits.
Office Work Habits
You can also lose money through poor office work habits like sloppy record-keeping and disorganized filing. These can cause mistakes to be made, such as incorrect orders or lost documents.
To avoid these problems, it might be time for a business owner to step in and take additional responsibility for the way things get done around the office. By knowing exactly what is going on and keeping the lines of communication open, you will be able to head off problems before they occur.
There are many ways for small businesses to lose money without realizing it. By identifying where the money is going and developing a plan for changing these habits, you can take back control and prevent unneeded leakages from taking place in your business.
Twelve South, an innovative Apple accessories designer, today introduces the ActionBand, a machine-washable wristband that provides a wrist-friendly way to workout with the Apple Watch. Made from flexible terry cotton, the ActionBand comfortably hugs the wrist, absorbing sweat and keeping the user and the watch dry while they work to close their activity/fitness rings. ActionBand can also be comfortably worn on the forearm or bicep, ideal for activities that involve the wrist.
Unlike the traditional Apple Watch band, the ActionBand has a protective frame to keep the Apple Watch safe from knocks and scratches while exercising. Comfortable to wear, the ActionBand keeps the device securely pressed against the user’s skin, making it easy to track their progress and providing full access to the Digital Crown and Side Button. Switching to the ActionBand for a workout will also mean that a user’s day-to-day Apple Watch band will stay clean and dry.
The ActionBand comes with a pair of machine-washable wristbands in the box, one with an Apple Watch frame, one without. Thanks to a blend of Lycra, ActionBand has enough stretch in it to position on the forearm, giving users the option to move the Apple Watch off the wrist if they prefer. Its thick cotton material soaks up sweat, keeping hands dry and making it easier to keep a firm grip on barbells, free weights, cardio equipment or a tennis racquet.
The ActionBand is available now for £24.99 from Amazon.co.uk. It is currently compatible with Apple Watch Series 4, 5, 6 & SE (both 40mm & 44mm) with Series 7 compatibility coming soon.
Ecommerce is a booming industry and it’s no surprise that businesses are scrambling to get their piece of the pie. But while some eCommerce stores thrive, others struggle. The key to success in this highly competitive field is customer loyalty and satisfaction. Fortunately, there are numerous strategies that you can implement to keep customers coming back for more! This article will focus on four things you can do to increase your customer lifetime value: incentivizing repeat business with discounts or freebies; providing excellent customer service; developing loyalty programs; and offering quality products at fair prices. With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to make your store stand out from the competition and set yourself up for long-term success!
Subscribing Customers
One of the best ways to increase your customer lifetime value is by offering incentives or discounts in exchange for repeat business. You can send emails to customers every time you have a sale, but this is annoying and they probably won’t even open them. Instead, offer subscription services through your store, so that customers can subscribe to receive information about sales and new products!
People like getting things by subscription because it guarantees that they will be able to purchase the item when it goes on sale. Plus, most people don’t want to miss out on great deals, so having something with recurring relevance ensures that customers will come back again and again! Browsing through the top subscription apps can give you an idea of how they work and what’s on the market. You could also launch membership programs where shoppers sign up for exclusive newsletters or access certain areas of your website. This will give customers incentive to buy from you more frequently.
Customer Service That Goes Above And Beyond
Improving your customer service is another great way to increase your customer lifetime value. Nobody wants to work with a company that doesn’t take their business seriously. That’s why you will want to make sure that your products are well-made, ship on time, and are packaged carefully. You should also highlight customer service representatives in your marketing campaigns so customers know they are committed to providing the best possible experience.
Customers who receive great customer service are more likely to shop at your store again because they know they can rely on you for support if anything goes wrong! Whether it is via phone, email, or chat, replying quickly will show customers how much you care about them and their concerns. Feel free to publish reviews or positive testimonials on your website as well.
Loyalty Programs To Keep Customers Coming Back For More
Offering loyalty programs is another great way to boost your customer lifetime value. Once customers start coming in regularly they become big spenders, so giving them discounts in exchange for shopping in your store encourages them to keep doing so!
A loyalty program can be anything from offering an early bird discount on the weekend when people have more time to shop, to providing regular coupons or newsletters full of deals. You could also give out points or tokens that shoppers accumulate over time and then redeem for discounts on future purchases once they have reached certain milestones. Developing custom eCommerce software can help track how many points people have when they are earned, and when they expire.
Offering Quality Products At Fair Prices
Last but not least, providing quality products at affordable prices is another great way to boost your customer lifetime value. If shoppers know that your store is always well-stocked with quality items at good prices, they will be more likely to shop at your store again and again. While it may take a little longer, you can grow your customer lifetime value by offering free shipping or discounts on larger orders.
The more often shoppers purchase from you, the more time they will spend on your website perusing through products as well as talking about you with their friends and family. Some customers even come back to do all of their holiday shopping at once! This is definitely something you will want to try and shoot for because it means they are happy with your products, prices, shipping timeframes, etc.
The input provided here is some really great tips on how to increase your customer lifetime value. Hopefully, this article has been helpful in providing you with a roadmap of what it takes to be successful on the eCommerce platform! If you are not sure where to start, all of these principles can help guide your decisions when making changes or updates to any part of your business.
NAD Electronics, the highly regarded manufacturer of high-performance audio/video components, takes value and performance to a whole new level. The M23 Hybrid Digital stereo power amplifier (£2999 / €3499 / US$3499 / CDN$4599 MSRP), available in January 2022, builds on the Purifi Eigentakt amplification technology first introduced in the acclaimed M33 BluOS Streaming Amplifier – a once-in-a-decade amplifier innovation that will define the pinnacle of power and performance in the category for years to come. Continuing NAD’s long-standing tradition in identifying and developing cutting-edge amplification technology, Eigentakt nearly eliminates harmonic and intermodulation distortion and noise while its load-invariant frequency response can drive even the most demanding of loudspeakers to their highest performance.
According to Cas Oostvogel, NAD’s Product Manager, “The sonic character of the M23 is reinforced in the story told by the numbers. This is an amazingly powerful and transparent amplifier bringing new levels of refinement and dynamics at any level and sets a new benchmark for performance and value in its category.”
Powerful Eigentakt™ Amplifier Technology
The Masters M23 Hybrid Digital stereo power amplifier features Eigentakt™ amplifier technology, manufactured by NAD under license from Purifi. This new technology nearly eliminates harmonic and intermodulation distortion and allows for an even, wide, and load-invariant frequency response.
In common with the previous generations of NAD Hybrid Digital technology but unlike most Class D amplifier designs, the M23 offers a minimum of 200W per channel with amazing reserves of dynamic power at lower impedances. It is capable of beyond 260W dynamic power per channel even into 8 ohms, and beyond 520W into 4 ohms. It can effortlessly power any loudspeaker to live performance levels with amazing efficiency and low power consumption.
The M23 in bridge mode is the perfect addition to expand the power of an M33 BluOS Streaming Amplifier to create a 2 x 700W system or is an easy upgrade to power any high-performance separates system.
Thanks to the advanced Purifi Eigentakt amplifier technology, all this power comes at a lot less cost than traditional technology while delivering improved performance!
A Diverse Performer
It is easy to find amplifiers that can excel in one or two areas. The M23 HybridDigital stereo power amplifier featuring the Eigentakt amplification technology provides nearly unmeasurable distortion, ultra-high damping factor, and unconditional stability with any speaker.
Leaving old fashioned and power-hungry linear power supplies and Class A/B output stages behind, the M23 features proven switch mode power supplies and Class D output stages that are very linear over a wide bandwidth and provide consistent performance into all speaker loads. With tight, detailed sound, amazing control, and transparency, the M23 is a stereo power amplifier that truly does break down barriers to audiophile-grade sound.
The M23 is the perfect addition to expand the power of an M33 BluOS Streaming Amplifier or power any high-performance separates system.
The M23 features all alloy casework that is elegant yet practical. Rigid panels with magnetic iso-point feet provide a solid foundation for the multi-layer circuit boards and intricate internal construction. The M23 employs a completely modern and fresh take on the traditional stereo amplifier, with a combination of features, performance and value for money not found elsewhere.
Key Features of the NAD M23 Hybrid Digital Stereo Power Amplifier
– Purifi Eigentakt™ amplifier technology
– Continuous Power Output: 2x200W into 8 ohms; 2x380W into 4 ohms
– Dynamic Power Output: 2x260W into 8 ohms; 2x520W into 4 ohms
– Bridged Power Output: 700W mono continuous into 8 ohms
– Virtually immeasurable noise, harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion
– Wide, flat frequency response into any loudspeaker load
– Balanced (XLR) and single-ended (RCA) auto-sensing inputs
– Three-position adjustable gain control
– 12V trigger input
