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.

Virgin Media Business Team Up with Dublin Cycling Buddy App to promote Sustainable Commuting

To promote a healthier and more sustainable way of getting around Dublin, Virgin Media Business has teamed up with Smart Dublin and their Dublin Cycling Buddy app to launch the ‘Virgin Media Business Cycling Challenge’ and give users of the app the opportunity to win some fantastic prizes throughout the month-long competition.

The challenge, which asks participants to record at least one cycle trip on the app between the 26th of October, and the 21st of November, will result in spot prizes including cycling accessories such as Lazer Compact Helmets, Grip Grab Knitted Waterproof Gloves, Bookman Curve Lights – Front and U lock Kryptonite Keeper – Sold Secure Bronze.

There will also be a grand prize of a Tern Link C8 Folding Bike for one lucky winner to be chosen at the end of the month-long campaign, with €250 vouchers for Rothar bike shop for the second and third place winners as well.

Alison Gilliland, Lord Mayor of Dublin said: “I’m delighted to see the continued growth of the Dublin Cycling Buddy app since its summer launch! This Dublin City Council Smart Dublin challenge with Virgin Media Business will help introduce it to a whole new group of current and soon to be cyclists, particularly those returning to offices, schools, and campuses.”

Aidan D’Arcy, Director of Business at Virgin Media Ireland said: “Virgin Media Business is an advocate for cleaner and more sustainable ways for people to get around and partnering with Smart Dublin and their Dublin Cycling Buddy app reinforces our commitment to promoting healthier and more environmentally friendly modes of transport, as many of us start returning to our places of work and education.

“I’m so excited to see more and more people take up cycling and using the new Dublin Cycling Buddy App and, with great prizes to be won as part of the Virgin Media Business Cycling Challenge, there’s never been a better time to start cycling.”

Deirdre Kelly, Cycling Officer, Dublin City Council said: “This Virgin Media Cycle Challenge and Dublin Cycling Buddy app really complement our efforts to promote cycling and active travel in Dublin. The app is very helpful for new cyclists looking at bike-friendly routes, which is even more important now as people physically return to offices, campuses, and other indoor environments.”

The cycling community in Dublin has grown significantly during and throughout the COVID-19 restrictions. When compared to using a private vehicle, cycling contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, noise pollution and the improvement of air quality.

Jan Nykl, Product Lead, Dublin Cycling Buddy app said: “The support of Virgin Media in this challenge would be great in promoting our bike-friendly routing functionality for Dublin residents. Especially those thinking of cycling for the first time. It could be the first step in nudging others to adopt the bicycle in their daily commutes.”

The Dublin Cycling Buddy app, which was launched by Smart Dublin earlier this year, was created to help Dublin residents and visitors to safely and efficiently plan a cycling route. Thanks to the community feedback aspect and use of artificial intelligence, the recommended routes in the app should have reduced vehicle traffic, greater number of segregated cycle lanes and better road surface quality.

Mary Rose Burke, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce said: “We’re delighted that active travel is being encouraged in this challenge for both climate action and health reasons. Workers returning to the office will be able to take full advantage of Dublin Cycling Buddy to find more convenient routes to take.”

The community feedback reports also help other users in real time, giving them updates along their routes about potential hazards and things to be aware of.

The app allows users to collect virtual badges for carrying out specific tasks as well as participate in larger community-based challenges, including the new Virgin Media Business Cycling Challenge.

This particular challenge was set up to highlight the ongoing lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, meaning many more Dublin residents will once again be able to commute to their colleges, workplaces, and other places of interest over the coming weeks and months.

The Virgin Media Business Challenge seeks to encourage people to choose cycling as their mode of transportation. Coupled with Dublin Cycling Buddy’s routing function to find more conducive routes, the challenge hopes to engage not only current cyclists, but also, non-cyclists considering using the bike for the first time.

To learn more about how you can participate in this challenge and the Dublin Cycling Buddy app, please visit: https://smartdocklands.ie/virginmediacycle/

Sport Ireland packs winning punches with SAS

Ireland’s elite boxing team based at the Sport Ireland Institute is looking to build on its Olympic success in Tokyo at the AIBA World Championships which have just got underway. To do this, it will again be using data analytics provided by SAS to drive innovative coaching techniques. The software provides coaches with deeper insight to help boxers achieve their full potential and also identifies potential flaws in opponents.

Following the success of in-competition analytics used by the Irish Swimming Team, Sport Ireland Institute  introduced the technology to the boxing ring.  Both sports are challenging to track and extrapolate data, to give coaches deeper understanding of how to adapt training methods and even deliver insight during competition. SAS Visual Analytics collects data from video feeds to facilitate analysis and performance enhancement in almost real time.

Alan Swanton, Lead Performance Analyst at the Sport Ireland Institute has directly seen the advantage of data analytics adoption in sport. Alan said: “Success in combat sport has been largely based on the subjective views of the coach and athlete. SAS Visual Analytics helps to assess the effectiveness of an athlete’s tactical plan, which can provide coaches with an added level of confidence as they advise boxers on the best strategy to take in their next fight.”

Live data can be gathered during competitive events, allowing coaches to track techniques and positions such as punches landed and conceded, the stance held for landed punches, the type of punch and other variables. These are then used to help assess the effectiveness of the athletes’ tactical plan. The technology is also able to compare a boxer’s performance against the different styles of their opponents.

Speaking about the partnership Scott Comber, Senior Director of Consulting and Professional Services, SAS UK & Ireland, said: “Applying analytics across high-performance sport is quite literally a gamechanger, with limitless potential to help athletes and teams get more value from data and bring improvements to training and performance at every level. Visual analytics presents a fantastic opportunity to drive innovation in boxing that helps athletes and their coaches adapt training methods and inform tactics between competitive bouts. We’re delighted to work with Sport Ireland to expand the capability of performance analysis for boxing and to play a part in giving athletes every possible chance of success in elite competition.”

Zaur Antia, Head Coach of the Irish Olympic boxing team, said: “This tool gives us insight into the tactics used by upcoming opponents.  When we analyse their previous bouts we get a better understanding of how they change their tactics against different styles and types of opponents.  This information is a critical element in how we prepare effectively for upcoming bouts in competition.”

Performance analytics are ultimately created with the athlete in mind. The technology cannot replace the hard work of coaches or athletes, but boxers can rest assured that their coaches have the key insights it takes to push them towards personal success.

Kellie Harrington, Olympic Champion at the Tokyo Olympics in the 60Kg weight category, said of her coaches: “They spend hours reviewing video and analysis in the days ahead of upcoming contests, using bout analysis created by the analyst to assist their decisions and development of the tactical plan.  This gives me confidence, knowing that coaches are prepared; then l feel fully ready to execute the game plan which they have put together for me.” 

In addition to providing top-level analysis of a boxer’s performance during competitive events, Sport Ireland Institute is also using SAS Visual Analytics to dive deeper into an athlete’s performance – valuable data that coaches use during post-match analyses and to compare Irish athletes against other world-class performers.

Find out more about Sport Ireland Institute’s use of analytics in boxing.

StoryToys announces New LEGO DUPLO MARVEL Collaboration for Preschool App Launching December 2021

StoryToys, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Team17 Group plc, the LEGO Group and Marvel Entertainment are bringing the fun and excitement of the LEGO® DUPLO® brand and Marvel Universe to preschoolers with the unique LEGO DUPLO MARVEL mobile app. Coming this December, the app is now available for pre-order on the App Store and Google Play.

The LEGO DUPLO MARVEL app will allow preschoolers to join Spidey, Captain America, Ghost-Spider, and other heroes for learning adventures and imaginative play. Each activity will feature a play experience where kids can help their favorite Marvel hero save the day by shooting webs with Spidey and his Amazing Friends or rescuing a kitten with Captain America.

The LEGO DUPLO MARVEL app is carefully aligned with the esteemed Headstart Early Learning Outcomes Framework to ensure it meets the developmental needs of 2–5-year-olds. Each activity will feature fun and engaging challenges to support learning and development skills including, early math, creativity, reasoning, and problem-solving.

The LEGO DUPLO MARVEL app launches worldwide in twenty-eight languages initially, with more to come in 2022. The LEGO DUPLO MARVEL app will be free to download and include additional content to purchase.

“As a lifetime fan of both Marvel and LEGO bricks, this project is one that’s very close to my heart,” said Emmet O’Neill, CEO of StoryToys. “We’re delighted to once again be collaborating with our amazing partners at the LEGO Group, and to be working with Marvel for the first time on such a special project. Preschoolers adore and aspire to be Marvel heroes and this app will offer them a positive digital experience tailored to their abilities. Whether kids are LEGO DUPLO fans, Marvel fans, or both, it’s our absolute privilege to bring them the opportunity to engage with their favourite heroes in this fun and educational digital experience.”

“We’re thrilled to be able to bring Super Hero adventures to our youngest fans,” said Daniel Fink, SVP of Business Development and New Initiatives, Marvel Entertainment. “Not only will it delight today’s young Marvel fans, it also provides an all-ages experience for parents to introduce their own favorite Marvel super heroes to their children. The LEGO Group and StoryToys are both experts in making high quality preschool educational products, and we look forward to how the app will resonate with families everywhere.”

Sean McEvoy, VP of LEGO Games said “Building on the LEGO Group’s long history of successful partnership with Marvel and our expanding partnership with the digital play experts at StoryToys, we were keen to bring the LEGO DUPLO Marvel world to life in digital form. The app perfectly encompasses our core values of imagination, fun, creativity, learning, caring and quality. We’re excited to bring this world to young Marvel fans while inspiring and developing the builders of tomorrow.”

Pre-order now:

App Store

Google Play

Vonmählen launches High Six – The World’s most compact key chain charging cable for power on the go anywhere #Kickstarter

German based lifestyle tech accessory designer Vonmählen, known for its wildly successful crowdfunding campaign, High Five, the 5 in 1 charging cable for the key ring, which raised over €125,000 from 5,491 backers is today thrilled to announce the its successor, the High Six.  The most compact six-in-one charging cable for the key chain with an integrated bottle opener, the High Six is available in black, all black, silver, and rose gold now on Kickstarter for 30 days until November 25th 2021 with early bird pricing starting at €19 for the first 48 hours (approx $23/£17). Shipping will take place in January 2022.

High Six is the second generation of High Five, solving problems found in High Five after long-term use, including losing the USB-A adapter cap and modernizing to a USB-C to USB-C cable from a micro-USB to USB-C, and is equipped with power delivery up to 60 watts and data transfer.

High Six consists of a USB-C to USB-C cable, a USB- A adapter, and 2in1 micro USB/ lightning adapter, which all fit comfortably into its sleek metal casing with an integrated bottle opener so users can always ensure they are charged and never thirsty! Additionally, the cable on the High Six has two strong magnets that tightly holds it together whilst functioning as a place to put the adapters when using the other connectors.

The High Six is also more compact and lighter than its predecessor, weighing in at only 16.5 grams with dimensions of 12 x 16.5 x 61 mm. The charging cable is packed with the current technical standards and functionality, all the while becoming an elegant multi-purpose key chain accessory.

Vonmählen CEO, Julian Thormählen, commented ‘We really appreciate the valuable feedback we received from our Backers after the first campaign. We were able to apply the feedback when designing High Six, which has resulted in an even stronger, more user-friendly product. Our aspiration has always been to create functional products with innovative features and aesthetic design, resulting in the best user experience.’

The High Six is available black, silver and rose gold now on Kickstarter now on a 30 day campaign until November 25th 2021 with early bird pricing starting at €19 for the first 48 hours (approx $23/£17).

‘Early bird perk’ pricing (First 48 hours)

The single: 19€

The double: 37€

The triple: 52€

Perk pricing

The single: 21€

The double: 39€

The triple: 54€

Shipping is expected in January 2022

Key facts at a glance

  • Data and charging cable with fast charging capabilities (up to 60 watts) for your keychain.
  • USB-C to USB-C connector
  • Includes additional connectors for USB-A, micro-USB and Lightning
  • Stainless steel case doubles as a bottle opener
  • Data transfer rate of 480 Mbit/s
  • Compact size of 12 x 16.5 x 61 mm
  • Weight: 16.5 grams
  • Available in three different colors: Black, rose gold and silver

 

Charging speeds

  • USB – C to USB – C = PD 60W 3A
  • USB – C to Micro – USB = 2.4A
  • USB – C to Lightning = 2.4A
  • USB – A to USB – C = PD 60W 3A
  • USB – A to Micro – USB = 2.4

HELP OUT THE GUYS HERE 

Why Should You Make a Corporate Video for a New Product Launch?

There are over 16,700 businesses in Melbourne. If you’ve ever launched a new product, regardless of whether it was in the brick-and-mortar or virtual world, then you know that there are always certain things that need to be prepared before the launch date. 

In this case, however, it’s not only about preparing the necessary materials for your product but also about how to present them should you choose to make a corporate video. According to Hedge Hogs Vs Foxes in Dublin, having a professional eye-catching corporate video produced for your new product launch is one of the most effective ways of marketing it.

A corporate video is a short film that explains what a business does and who they are while establishing their credibility in front of their target market audience. It may include footage from past events, images of current promotions and products, and interviews with influential people. 

The whole idea behind making a video for your product launch is to better engage your target market with your business, which is why the content must be informative and entertaining at the same time.

So, how can a corporate video help you in a product launch? Here are some ideas.

Establish Authority 

When you have a website or a blog, chances are you also have competitors who do so. While having several followers for your social media sites shows credibility in itself, nothing beats an authoritative source. 

By this, we mean someone who has been around for quite some time and has already proven to be trustworthy when it comes to their product and when it comes to the advice they give out. To better establish yourself as such your industry, one good idea is to include something like this in your corporate video: “Since 2010, we have helped over 5,000 businesses just like yours grow and succeed through the use of our product. Here’s why you can trust us too.”

Establish Your Brand’s Personality 

Even if you’re the only business operating in your industry, chances are other companies deal with what you do as well. As such, it’d be best that you create a personality that will set you apart from them all. 

By creating an entertaining yet sensible video for your launch date, potential clients can learn more about who you are even before they decide to engage with whatever product or service you offer. This way, they decide to make a purchase. All they need to do is look for you on social media or search your website.

Gain Trust 

It’s safe to say that not everyone is easily convinced with just anything, whether it comes from a new product launch video or an ad on TV. As such, one way for them to know if they can place their trust in you is by becoming aware of some facts about your business. 

You can incorporate this into your video by showing some statistics about how many clients you currently have and what kind of impact these people had when they bought from you.

Create Content 

Over 37% of Melbourne’s population is employed in corporate jobs. Who says making a video means that it has to be complicated? 

If you succeeded in getting the attention of your target market, then it means that it was simple enough so they can easily understand what you want to say. At the same time, if they are entertained, their brains will be stimulated and help them memorise what you said in your video.

Be Creative 

You’ve noticed by now that there’s a fragile line when it comes to having fun and “advertising” things in a way that may come off as desperate or fake. 

Wrapping Up

It’s best that before making any product launch videos for yourself, you do some introspection first to know if what you’re about to present is something people will enjoy watching. After all, no one would want to buy from someone who made them uncomfortable.

 

Hermitage: Strange Case Files’ launches on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Steam Today

Giiku Games is excited to confirm paranormal horror adventure Hermitage: Strange Case Files from acclaimed story-driven Arrowiz launches today on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.

Previously a hit in China, Hermitage: Strange Case Files’ unique brand of mystery and eccentricity has been fully localised for a western release, bringing the game’s twisting and turning investigation to a fresh audience.

The titular ‘Hermitage’ is an endearingly peculiar bookshop stood on a lonely corner, home to a strange collection of books and, arguably, an even stranger collection of book worms. When one customer comes in searching for literature to solve the mystery behind some lucid ritualistic dreams, Hermitage’s manager casts his analytical eye over both the patron, and her particularly perplexing problem.

“We were really excited to work with Chinese developer Arrowiz and Hermitage: Strange Case Files exemplifies just why – it’s a captivating mystery tied to the kind of deep, multi-branching narrative that’s quickly become the studio’s signature,” says Rinalda Faraian, Product Manager at Giiku Games. “Every line of dialogue, every word in the script, carries weight, which is why we’ve worked so hard to make sure these localised versions do Arrowiz’ work  justice.”

 

With Hermitage: Strange Case Files causing its protagonist to question the lines between fantasy and reality, players take on the role of said bookshop owner –  a former anthropology professor who has strangely never been seen outside of Hermitage. With the help of a hacker genius on the run, a self-proclaimed detective and a short-tempered legal consultant, players will need to get to the bottom of a series of horrific incidents, taking on the supernatural horrors that lurk between the pages of Hermitage’s weird and wonderful book collection.

Hermitage: Strange Case Files features:

  • A unique adventure with a multi-layered story and a visual novel style
  • Interviews with characters where choosing the approach that matches their personality serves up important leads
  • Clues discovered through TV news, online forums, phone messages and emails
  • Analyze characters and events using an interactive pinboard
  • Investigate character backstories to discover secrets
  • Match your intel with your suspicions to uncover the truth
  • Take your adventure on a new path by unlocking various storylines with your choices

More information about Hermitage: Strange Case Files can be found at:

Tech Review – Tranya T20 true wireless

The Tranya T20 are the latest on offer from the company that come in a bean shape look with a glossy finish and look rather well and a bit different to the norm you could say, they fit well and are comfortable and would suit any person not looking to spend a huge amount of money on earbuds and get quality sound at the same time.

These have a trick up their sleeve and that is two separate modes which is normal and Bass Boost which there is a notable difference in sound which is great as with many earbuds some mode changes that are labelled as good do not give the same punch as these do.

Controls work really well despite the up to 5 times to change modes and the taps go down from there using 4 and 3 taps to enact commands this you will see in our video review below and it was slightly annoying however they work which is important and worked every time during my testing.

Volume is decent to and in general overall a good listening experience with highs lows and mids fine and certainly nice bass thrown in here for the mix. For the most as a first pair of earbuds or just a second pair people will enjoy these overall and are ideal for gaming watching videos netflix and listening to any music.

Battery life is decent too with 8 hours on a single charge depending on volume though this may be around 7 in total, you get USB-C fast charging and these are also IPX7 rated, they do not work on their own though ie one charging and one in the ear but this is the last thing that would be bothering me for the price here.

Get a 45% discount using the code Jim45 from their website

Check the video below for more Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2XoVJhl  Website Store: https://tranya.com/products/t20

Features about Tranya T20:

6mm High-intensity Magnetic Driver
Ultra Low-Latency Gaming Mode
Dual Effects Mode: Normal & Bass Boost
4-Mic Design for Call
Type-C Fast Charging
IPX7 Water and Sweat Proof
8-Hour Playtime on A Single Charge
Ultra-light & Portable Charging Case
6 Different Sizes & Thickness Ear Tip Replacements  Video  Link

Tech Review – Quntis 15W Wireless Charging Pad-With 20W Power Adapter

As we know Apple are very generous when you buy a new iPhone and you get no charging brick as they call it inside and then when you go to buy one they are expensive and do not offer near the power other brands offer you for half the price, luckily enough third party sellers can save the day with better cheaper alternatives and Quntis have just dropped a new option for your iPhone.

This is a simple job and does more than magsafe, it also offers a build in kickstand to mount your device and you can charge and still use your phone for consuming media and also the magnet is stronger, I have the magsafe charger and can confirm it is stronger than the one Apple sell. You can also hold the device with the charging plate on too for added security whilst holding it and overall it makes for a nice addition to your accessory collection for the new iPhone and compatible models..

 

Quntis 15W Wireless Charging Pad-With 20W Power Adapter,
  • Quntis wireless charger is specially developed for iPhone 13 and 12, this 15W wireless magnetic charger has 38 high-strength magnets to strongly absorb to the iPhone 12, so it will be able to attract and charge. Compared with the previous wireless magnetic charger, it optimizes the problem of insufficient magnetic attraction. It can have stronger suction power, and the phone will not slip off easily when charging.
  • 20W Power Adapter: To solve the problems of mismatch and unsafe charging caused by non-standard plugs in the past, the magnetic wireless charger is now equipped with a matching 20W power adapter. In addition to solving your one-stop purchase problem, this power adapter can also be used with the original cable, which can not only achieve the 20W fast charging effect, but also greatly enhances the safety.

SEE MORE AND BUY   Video link 

 

10% Discount code –  XVGO4LIH   End Date 10/06/202223:59BST

 

 

The 5 Best Tips For New Investors

Are you looking to invest your money? Then you’re going to need to learn about investing first. You can’t just jump straight in and start buying stocks and shares at random. Here are five tips for new investors.  

Establish a plan

 Before you do anything else, you need to sit down and work out exactly what your overall strategy in investing is going to be. This will involve defining how much risk you are prepared to take with your money (that is, how much of it you’re willing to lose). It will also require that you establish some priorities – for instance, are you more interested in making money or preserving capital? Finally, defining an objective for your investments will help you exercise personal discipline. Decide what kind of growth is more important to you and how much risk you are willing to take to achieve that goal.

Understand risk and reward

You need to grasp the relationship between risk and reward. You can’t make money without taking a bit of risk, but you can certainly lose your capital if you take too much. The trick is finding the right balance. A good investment strategy will strike this balance in some way – it might be to invest for growth with a view to preserving capital, or to invest for preservation but take on a little extra risk to increase your gains.

Read the news

 Investing is all about understanding the economic environment in which you are investing. You don’t need to read every single economic news article that appears online or on television, but it’s definitely worth reading up on the types of stories that interest you (and your investments) most. For example, you should visit the site that provides information on the industries that have thrived during the pandemic.

Be tax efficient from the start

Tax is another thing that you should bear in mind when you start thinking about your investments. The government takes a percentage of everything you earn, and if you want to maximize the return on your money (rather than leave it for them), then paying as little tax as possible will be essential. Tax can eat into investment returns quite significantly, so you need to be aware of how it will affect any given investment. For instance, if you invest in a tax-efficient savings account, then this money is likely to grow slower than an equivalent lump sum in a standard savings account – but at the end of the day, it’s better for your bank balance.

Diversify your portfolio

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. To be on the safe side, you should try to have a diversified portfolio that contains riskier investments (such as shares) and less risky ones (such as bonds). This will allow you to balance the highs and lows of different industries – for instance, if housing is doing well, then shares might not be doing so well. However, you can balance the situation by investing in a new share issue that a strong housing sector has buoyed up. A diversified portfolio will also make things a little more difficult for any unscrupulous parties who are hoping to target your investments directly – if they want to steal from you, they will need to steal from fifty people rather than just one.