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.

Fujifilm printlife@home exhibition: Tens of thousands of photos from members of the public showcase life in Europe in 2021

More than 35,000 photos from 21 countries complete this year’s Fujifilm’s printlife@home digital exhibition, an exhibition where every picture tells a story – continuing Fujifilm’s 15-year history of hosting public photo exhibitions.

From August to December 2021, Europe’s public has submitted photos to an exhibition open to everyone, regardless of the quality of the photographer or whether their photos are shot on smartphones or digital cameras.

Receiving more than 35,000 submissions from across the continent, the result is an exhibition that provides a unique snapshot of 2021. The exhibition shows that despite living through the second year of a global pandemic, creating new memories with family, friends, and loved ones have never been more important.

Throughout printlife@home, Fujifilm has also celebrated the most creative contributions and meaningful stories by choosing five Photos of the Week, with 90 prizes awarded overall. A selection of the best of these Photos of the Week, selected by a Fujifilm jury, is just a tiny snapshot of life shared by Europe’s public.

 

 

 The entire printlife@home exhibition is available to view online here.

Each photo uploaded has also had the opportunity for this memory to be preserved in print through the myFUJIFILM platform and other local Fujifilm print offerings. The result has also seen displays of photos created at home to look back at memories through the power of photo prints, giving comfort and happiness to many through difficult times.

Toshi Iida, President and Managing Director of FUJIFILM Europe GmbH said:

“This year’s Fujifilm printlife@home exhibition is a unique collection of truly memorable photos that tell the story of Europe in 2021 through the eyes of the public. So many of us have returned to old photos to remind us of what life was like before COVID-19, but what we see in this exhibition is how the power of photography continues to capture and preserve memories for years to come, with each photo telling its own unique story.

“Overall, we don’t just see how daily life has changed and continues to change because of the pandemic, but we are inspired by how the public have sought to return to normal, with a big focus on culture, travel, fun and family life emerging from more than 35,000 photos submitted.”

 

After Fujifilm’s global 100,000 Photos exhibition was postponed in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, printlife@home launched in Europe in 2020 to provide a way for amateur, professional and hobbyist photographers to connect with each other. In 2020, more than 10,500 photos were uploaded, giving a unique insight into the stories emerging across the continent.

Fujifilm’s 15-year history in mass public participation photo exhibitions has seen the 100,000 Photos exhibition tour across various locations, from Japan and Malaysia to France and the USA. Earlier this year, 500 photos entered into printlife@home were also showcased in an on-site exhibition at The Photography Show in Birmingham, UK, in September 2021.

Tech Review – HP Deskjet 2720e wireless printer

Printers are in no short supply and for me it has been something I tend to skip to have at my disposal bringing my business to local print shops which is a bit time consuming as I work from home and it seems to be always at a bad time when something needs doing, that however has changed despite my local printing shop wondering where I have been of late and I told him that I was sent a printer to review and we also have more coming in which is a but of a double whammy for said print shop.

Ok as far a printers go it copies prints and scans documents it is an average sized printer but not too bulky and it can be transported in a car if you travel, not as small as one we recently reviewed but it is portable if you need it to be. For me now it sits at home beside my office set-up and remains there but this one for me has a trick up its sleeve and comes with and app too which makes things so much easier for those that work from their mobile phone printing documents and so on and for me signing NDA agreements and product loans etc and if I am out when these documents need attention I can do this on the go and print it so it is ready when I get in or it is in the cloud.

You can also assign other people to use the printer or just keep it for yourself so like an open office nobody can just go up and use it, ink is not cheap you know and for me that works and the funny thing is when this came into my house it was amazing how many said “oh I need to print stuff” well I just laughed and said nothing and went on with my day letting them all look at it and figure out how it works.

 

 

Speaking off how it works it is simple with the control panel on the left with a small LCD display but it does not stop there, The HP smart app is where it is all at for me, I rarely have to copy anything, it is normally documents that need to be signed and this is what suits me best. Other than that it works fine as a typical printer that copies multiple pages,scans docs and so on.

The HP smart app is where it is at and we go through this in the video below on what it is all about and how it works and it is pretty simple to use in fairness and the app works really well, you will need to set up your printer to your Wi-Fi and connect up with the app and once this done you are good to go, it is not hard to set up either and by no means slow when printing however there is a delay between devices talking to each other as expected it is not the same as just printing off documents on the tray that come out immediately.

HP Deskjet 2720e techbuzzireland

Another feature or addition if you will is the option to get instant in for 6 months as a trial basis and get more with HP+

 

Features

  • BEST FOR BASIC PRINTING – Print basic colour documents like recipes, forms and travel documents
  • KEY FEATURES – Print, copy and scan in colour, plus mobile and wireless printing
  • HP+ SMART PRINTING SYSTEM – The optional HP+ system enables your printer to think ahead so it’s more secure, more productive and ready when you are. Requires an HP account, internet connection and use of only Original HP Ink for the life of the printer
  • 6 MONTHS OF INSTANT INK INCLUDED & AN EXTRA YEAR OF HP WARRANTY – when you activate optional HP+ and Instant Ink when setting up your printer. Only with HP+
  • EASY SETUP – Get started fast on any device with the HP Smart app that guides you step by step
  • HP SMART APP – Print, scan and copy from your phone—whenever, wherever. Get advanced features for 24 months with HP+
  • WORRY-FREE WIRELESS – Get better range and more reliable connections using dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset
  • INK DELIVERED BEFORE YOU RUN OUT – Never run out of ink with an optional Instant Ink subscription. Try for 6 months with HP+. Credit card required; change or cancel anytime

See more on the printer HERE 

Video link 

Useful Tips That Will Help You Avoid Becoming The Victim Of Identity Theft

We live in the digital era where almost all facets of our lives are strongly tied to online activity. However, security threats such as hacking, identity, or data theft are increasingly becoming a cause for concern. Fortunately, there are preventive measures you can take to secure your information. Here are some useful tips that will help you avoid becoming a victim of identity theft. 

 

Secure Your Accounts With Strong Passwords

The most important thing you should consider is to secure your accounts with strong passwords. Make sure each account has a strong password consisting of more than 10 characters, including letters in upper and lower cases as well as figures. You should regularly change your password and do not use your nickname or other names that are easy to guess. Never share your password with anyone, even someone very close to you. You may never know what they will do with your data. 

Know Your Legal Rights

You should know your legal rights to avoid a situation where you can become a victim of identity theft. It is vital to know that no one should use your information without your consent. Companies usually collect customer details for different purposes. However, no company should use your information for whatever reason without consent. It is vital to seek legal advice from quality lawyers to understand how you can protect your information. When you engage a professional lawyer, you will also learn different steps you can take if you feel that your privacy has been violated. 

Use VPN 

Do you know that your online activity using a public Wi-Fi network can be accessed by unauthorized persons? If you want to perform sensitive transactions like online banking, you should never use a public internet café. The other thing is that your internet service provider can also access your information from their servers. Therefore, you can consider using a virtual private network (VPN) if you are concerned about your security and privacy. VPN provides data encryption solutions that make it difficult for an unauthorized person to access your data. 

VPN also gives you online privacy and anonymity through the creation of a private network that cannot be detected easily from a public internet connection. It hides your internet protocol (IP) address meaning that it will be impossible for anyone to trace your online activity. In a country where censorship is common, you should use the right VPN. Furthermore, a VPN also protects your browsing history since your online activity will be associated with the VPN provider’s server IP address located in a different place. In other words, a VPN gives you total protection. 

Secure Your Records

You must secure all your financial statements or other papers with sensitive records. When you want to dispose of physical records like insurance forms, financial statements, expired ATM cards, medical statements, or any other personal information, shred them. Alternatively, you can burn the documents you no longer need to ensure that no one will access them. You must not leave confidential information in the open, even at your workplace. 

Secure your mail

Make sure your mailbox is empty every time since criminals usually target it. When mailing items like checks and outgoing bill payments, make sure you do it from the post office or any other secure place. Additionally, you must be very careful when dealing with people who may ask for your private details. If someone asks for your data, you must check the reasons why they need the information. If it is for marketing purposes, you should verify with the company first and make sure third parties do not access your confidential information. 

Monitor Financial Statements

You must closely monitor your financial statement or credit report to ensure that your data is correct. If your account has been tampered with, all the details will come to your credit card report. If you suspect foul play, notify the credit card provider immediately and block the card. In the same vein, you must keep your social security number in a safe place. Don’t carry cards with your number since you can lose them.   

There is nothing more important than securing what’s yours. While we do most of our transactions online during the current period, cybersecurity threats are real. Identity theft can lead to loss of money, or your data can be used in the commission of various crimes. There are different measures you can take to protect your data from unauthorized people. The tips above can go a long way in preventing you from becoming a victim.     

Survey suggests that e-scooters could bring economic uplift, including potential business boost in Ireland at Christmas, in addition to environmental benefits

Following the passing of preliminary legislation by the Dáil that will allow for the use of e-scooters on public roads in Ireland, e-scooter company, Spin – a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company – carried out a survey* of Irish adults to gauge their attitudes towards this new mode of transport and specifically how small businesses in urban areas would benefit from it, including during the crucial Christmas sales period.

One in six (16 percent) said that e-scooters could have the potential to provide a significant boost for small businesses, such as cafes and bookshops, by bringing more customers to their premises. During busy retail periods, like Christmas, such benefits would be expected to further increase.

Availability of rental e-scooters in towns and cities in Ireland would enable people to get out and about more frequently, likely resulting in higher consumer spending. More than a third (36 percent) of respondents said they would consider visiting local shops, restaurants, cafes and other outlets more frequently to make a purchase of goods or services if an e-scooter scheme was available in their area.

The survey also showed clear environmental benefits resulting from an expected mode-shift.  More than a third of respondents (36 percent) said they would consider or strongly consider using an e-scooter sharing scheme, rather than a car, for travelling to their main urban centre for Christmas shopping for small items or for socialising with friends or work colleagues during the festive period. Nearly half of Irish people (45 percent) believe that e-scooters can help reduce the number of cars in city centres, particularly at busy times like Christmas, further suggesting that Irish people recognise the environmental benefits of e-scooters.

Steve Pyer, Spin Country Manager for the UK and Ireland, said: “We know that the introduction of e-scooters has a positive economic impact for local enterprises, in particular small businesses in the food and beverage industry. For example, a recent study by Emory University in the US** showed that local economies experienced a significant boost from shared e-scooter systems due to an estimated $13.8 million in additional sales in four city locations across the US over six months in 2019.  This is in fact one of the priority research areas that we’ll be looking closely at next year in Ireland when we launch e-scooter rentals”. 

“Our survey further underpins that there is a huge potential for urban centres across Ireland too when e-scooter rentals launch. Whether it’s Christmas or just a nice spring day, it’s clear that micromobility can provide a significant boost to small businesses like cafés, restaurants and shops by increasing the number of potential customers for these businesses.  Hopefully very soon the Irish consumer will be able to roll up with a Spin e-scooter to get their hair cut at the local barber’s or attend their favourite yoga class at their neighbourhood studio, promoting less congested roads and ultimately, cleaner air ”.

Given the recent approval of legislation by the Dáil, it is expected that during 2022, we will see the launch of e-scooter sharing schemes in many towns and cities across Ireland – similar to the bike sharing schemes that are already running in cities across the country.

*The Spin survey was carried out among a sample of 1,000 people across Ireland during the last week of November 2021

**Wheels to Meals: Measuring the Impact of Micromobility on Local Food Sector Demand, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, US.

Dell Technologies Ireland unveils top five technology predictions for 2022

Dell Technologies Ireland, has today unveiled its top five technology predictions for 2022. The technology leader is forecasting how advances in 5G and Edge computing together with a greater focus on cyber resilience will change the way businesses and organisations protect and harness the value of data in the next twelve months.

With 41% of businesses in Ireland saying the pandemic has significantly increased the amount of data they need to capture and act on, this explosion in data is only set to grow in 2022. Advances in 5G connectivity, Edge computing and the shift to as-a-Service will make managing and extracting value from large amounts of data easier and more efficient for Irish businesses.

The technology predictions for 2022 follow a year in which Dell Technologies uncovered the complex challenges associated with gathering large amounts of data. According to the company’s Global Data Paradox, 63% of companies in Ireland regard their business as data-driven yet only 20% testify to prioritising its use across the business. In addition, although handling greater amounts of data than before, almost 60% of companies in Ireland have not come close to realising their digital transformation goals.

Unveiling his 2022 predictions, Jason Ward said: “As we look ahead to 2022, technology will provide a path to sustaining economic recovery as well as helping businesses to unlock the value of data to achieve their digital transformation goals.

“To help organisations on this road, we’ve identified five technology predictions that will play a key role in 2022. Advances in 5G connectivity will enable greater numbers of businesses to extract real-time insights from data – at the Edge – as well as supporting unprecedented connectivity to transform different aspects of our society.

“We’ll also see cyber security become intrinsic to digital transformation, protecting the growing amounts of data being generated by businesses. Meanwhile, the shift to as-a-Service will accelerate sharply as organisations look to improve their agility and data management. In doing so, they can turn their data burden into a data advantage.

“Next year will also see emerging technologies accelerate the shift to a more sustainable future. At Dell Technologies, we believe that by looking ahead and identifying the IT challenges to come, business leaders can overcome the obstacles standing in the way of digital transformation and remain resilient, competitive and sustainable in the long-term.” 

Top 5 Predictions:

The top technology predictions include:

  • Prediction 1: Cybersecurity will become intrinsic to digital transformation

With the increased focus on technology over the course of the pandemic, cyber resilience has never been more important. The new year will see cybersecurity become intrinsic to digital transformation. No longer seen as an ‘added extra’, organisations will build security and resilience into the very fabric of their IT ecosystem, from supply chains and services to infrastructure and devices.

  • Prediction 2: 5G set to become the digital fabric of our data-driven era

2022 will mark the turning point for widespread connectivity enabled by 5G. As the digital fabric of our data-driven era, 5G will accelerate the creation of digital cities and a surge in new smart mobility services from autonomous vehicles to connected scooters. Private 5G rollout will also become a viable option for many large businesses in the areas of manufacturing and logistics. This heralds a new era of private connection for businesses, enabling greater data-driven insights and real-time business decisions.

 

  • Prediction 3: Opportunities at the Edge will be realised    

As we move into 2022, more organisations will seek to act on data closer to where it is created – at the Edge. With an 800% increase in apps at the Edge expected by 2024, Edge Computing will become the new battleground as data management becomes a new class of workload. Fuelled by 5G, a growing number of organisations in Ireland will seek to capitalise on Edge Computing to increase the speed at which they gather data and enable decision-making in real-time.

  • Prediction 4: Technology to be consumed ‘as-a-Service’

With 83% of businesses around the world battling outdated IT infrastructure, a growing number of Irish organisations will embrace technology ‘as-a-Service’. The IDC predicts that by 2024, half of data centre infrastructure will be consumed ‘as-a-Service, bringing with it the ability to scale to meet the evolving needs of businesses.

 

  • Prediction 5: IT to play a greater role in advancing sustainability   

As the world becomes more aware of its climate commitments, 2022 is due to see an enhanced focus on the role of emerging technology in advancing sustainability. From more efficient farming practices enabled by AI to advanced robotics and 5G fighting water pollution, new technologies have the potential to create a greener future. There will also be a greater focus on how technology companies themselves will meet their own sector-specific sustainability goals.

PlayStation brings musicians… illustrators… streamers… TV stars…. together for new social media content series

PlayStation has released a brand new, six-part social media content series, hosted by gamer and comedian Tony Cantwell. The new series sees Tony talk to a plethora of guests from very different backgrounds, who all share one thing in common: their love of gaming. In each episode, guests discuss what role gaming, and PlayStation, has played in their life. From the moment they got their hands on their first PlayStation, to the recent launch of the PS5, these gamers press play on a whole host of personal stories you won’t want to miss.

The first and second episodes, featuring lifelong gamer and TV star Baz Ashmawy and streamer Una Minh Kavanagh, are now available to watch on the @SonyPlayStationIreland (Facebook), @playstationie (Instagram) and @PlayStationIE (Twitter) channels.

https://fb.watch/9YdLqp8ojX/

https://fb.gg/v/9YdKrQ9Jn9/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXQulyWgCpi/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXlRsbwFU5s/

https://twitter.com/PlayStationIE/status/1468918494649622529

https://twitter.com/PlayStationIE/status/1471810490657652738

How iGaming Providers Encourage Customer Loyalty

There’s no doubting the online casino industry is booming. Around the world, the devastating effects of 2020 are still being felt. The pandemic still has people in its grip, and many sectors, including hospitality, are suffering again. Where there is a cloud, there’s always a silver lining, and that can be found in the iGaming industry, which benefited hugely from people not being allowed out. Casinos closed, and people had to find their gaming fix at home. That led to an increase in revenues when the opposite was the case around other industries.

Those additional customers appear to have stayed put; there has been no significant fall in revenue in 2021, even as the world opened for business. With uncertainty raging over the new virus variant, the Irish Times reports we could be the subject of further lockdowns. That will further drive people to their mobiles to play games. Will they return to the same providers?

The likelihood is that they will. Online casino providers utilise a range of tricks and approaches to keep customers loyal. If you are one of those customers, how many of these features do you recognise?

Branded Games

One huge method online casinos use to keep you coming back is branded games. These are not games that feature generic fruits slots; instead, they use accepted branding that already has respect outside of the gaming world. That could be anything from a film tie in, such as Batman or Terminator, to TV show branding. The idea is if you’re there for the casino games, you might see a film, sports star or something else you recognise and decide to stick around. It’s also a great way of grabbing new customers; commercial partnerships are common in all walks of life.

Timed Games

Another way to keep people paying is to offer games themed around the time of year. If you’re using an online casino in December, you want to play games that suit the overall mood in your household; if your Christmas tree is up and the songs are on the radio, then you don’t want to turn to an online casino and play something summer related. A good example of this can be found among the online slots offered by Gala Bingo; they include titles such as Slingo Bells and Plenty of Presents. The developer offers these to fit in with your experiences outside of the online casino. It isn’t just at Christmas either; they swap games around at Halloween, Easter and other key times of the year.

Live Shows

There has been an increased focus on live shows through mobile devices. This has been evident more recently than ever before, which could be a reaction to the lack of interaction in 2020. These are often casino games such as roulette, hosted on the app by a real live dealer. Some developers have incorporated game shows as well, furthering the experience for players. Again, they’re good for customer retention as they provide an option for players. You might have gone to a provider for a branded slot, but if you’re alone at home, what could be more attractive than a live dealer to make you feel connected again?

Esri Ireland Maps Ireland’s Favourite Festive Markets this Christmas

Esri Ireland, the market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), has created a digital map of some of the best Christmas markets across the Island of Ireland.

With the festive season in full swing, they have used Esri’s ArcGIS digital mapping system to create the interactive map highlighting the most festive markets for all the family this December.

Each market has a variety of local and artisan crafts on display and lots of our favourite festive treats like hot chocolate and mulled wine. A walk in the colourful glow of the Christmas market lights is a great way to brighten up the dark winter evenings.

Find your local market on the map below:

GoFundMe Now Allows Users to Fundraise For Charities in Ireland

GoFundMe is partnering with PayPal Giving Fund to allow users to send money directly to charities in Ireland for the first time.

Kind-hearted campaign organisers can now send  money directly and securely to charities – without having to lift a finger. Instead money will be safely delivered to organisations, using best-in-class technology, by GoFundMe’s partnership with PayPal Giving Fund Ireland.

GoFundMe first launched in Ireland in 2017 and since then millions of Euros have been raised for worthy causes. Ireland has been the most generous country in the world on the GoFundMe platform for three consecutive years.

With the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic to Ireland nearly two years ago thousands of campaigns were set-up to support Covid related causes, with more than 500,000 donations. Overall, more than 5 euros was donated for every person in Ireland as part of the response to the covid crisis.

John Coventry, Senior International Director, GoFundMe said “The past year has been tough for charities that have missed out on their traditional fundraising activity due to lockdowns and we hope launching charity fundraising will support them in developing their online fundraising activity.”

“Ireland is consistently the most generous country in the world on GoFundMe and we know we will see that continue with the power of GoFundMe unlocked for charity fundraising.

“This is just the beginning. We have more features planned to help charities connect with their users.”

Vanessa Babouram, Vice-President PayPal Giving Fund Ireland & UK  said:  “At PayPal Giving Fund, we’re delighted to extend our partnership with GoFundMe to Ireland in line with our mission to inspire a new wave of philanthropy and make giving a part of everyday life.”  

To get started off fundraisers need to follow these easy steps to start a charity campaign.

  1. Sign up and click ‘for a charity’
  2. Click start a campaign and choose ‘for a charity’
  3. Pick a Goal
  4. Tell your campaign story
    • What will the funds be used for?
    • How are you connected to the cause?
    • How will the donations raised aid you or help others?
    • Why does the recipient need this donation?
  5. Share your campaign with your friends and family and start raising money!