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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.
KidsBeeTV: a new brand on kids’ streaming apps #edtech #streaming
The edtech Magikbee announced that its popular kids’ video app KiddZtube undertook a rebrand and is now called KidsBeeTV.
KidsBeeTV borrows the “Bee” from the parent brand Magikbee, and is deeply committed to being “The kids’ app that cares”. Like bees help plants grow, the new brand wants to have a positive impact in kids’ development.
“We needed a brand that clearly expressed our values – family fun, positive education and diversity. We have more than a safe, fun and educational app for kids. We have an interactive video experience that sparks imagination and curiosity. And we also care a lot about parents. They can monitor kids’ activity, questions answered, and, to protect
their kids from being too much time in front of a screen, daily time limits can be setup”, explains Hugo Ribeiro, Magikbee’s CEO.
KidsBeeTV, a global brand with a global message
In the last few years, there was a major growth in the offer of streaming services for kids. Magikbee needed to stand out showing what makes it different.
The name change is accompanied by a refresh on the brand’s visual identity, with a new colorful palette that suggests diversity, in line with its global expansion strategy. The USA and the Middle East are the two main markets of KidsBeeTV, but the app has customers worldwide in more than 200 countries. That is why it needed to build a diversified catalog: to answer to a variety of kids’ interests and to meet the demands of a growing worldwide community of parents that seek to find content that respects cultural differences and, at the same time, resonates a universal language.
Magikbee has been licensing content for KidsBeeTV from the best studios and content producers. The most recent agreements were inked with studios like Millimages (Molang and Mouk), Twist Animation (TuTiTu), Xilam (Where’s Chicky) or Aurora World (Yoohoo and Friends). Some youtubers, like Caletha Playtime and Get Matt, are also making their way into the app, but, contrary to what happens on the social network, there are no videos with unboxings or product placement – only positive meaningful messages are allowed to pass KidsBeeTV filters conducted by teachers.
Videos curated by teachers, quiz questions on top
Good-quality, engaging and age-appropriate videos continue to be the core of the app. The videos are curated by teachers and other specialists, and to make the experience less passive, the app offers pop-up quiz questions (ABC, Colors, Counting, Language, Maths, Science, among others) on top of the videos.
“For more than a decade, YouTube was almost synonymous with video streaming. At the time we started our platform, it made sense to present it as a safe alternative to YouTube for young kids. The name “kiddZtube” reflected that mission. But now our mission is broader”, says Hugo.
Hugo came up with the idea for the app because of a challenge he was facing as a parent: finding a safe environment for his daughters to watch good-quality videos without the risk of crossing paths with inappropriate or even disturbing content, such as the violent parodies of Peppa Pig and other cartoons widely reported a couple of years ago.
As he deepened in the searches, he found that there was a need for wider curation.
Kids learn best when they are having fun
“We know the importance learning in the early years plays on kids’ development and we are committed to helping them discover their abilities and reach their full potential. This is not a curriculum-based app, nevertheless, we do have curriculum-based entertainment and activities. The main purpose of the app is to be fun. Being educational is a natural consequence of the kind of content we hand-pick and the way we choose to present it to the kids. They learn best when they are having fun”, tells Hugo.
The platform features now more than 500 hours of video and plans to add more IPs monthly aimed at kids up to 8 years old. Having no ads and an image-based interface, it is perfect for young kids, especially toddlers and preschoolers.
Website – KidsBeeTV
What is the best software for an online gaming website?
The online gaming industry currently has an estimated 1 billion gamers playing around the world. People are increasingly turning to video games, online casinos, and digital entertainment to fill their spare time making online gaming extremely profitable.
Think Animal Crossing, Fortnite, and World of Warcraft. It’s a multibillion-dollar industry that has skyrocketed in recent years due primarily to new technological advances, acceptance on social media, and more time spent at home. Not to mention, streaming capabilities coupled with faster internet speeds, cheaper data packages, and high-quality screens make it all the easier for you to enjoy from the comforts of your own home. Have you ever wondered what it takes to build an online gaming site? There’s a lot more that goes into them than you’d think.
Types of Online Games
Not all software is made equal, in particular for online gaming websites. Depending on what kind of gaming website one has, the mechanics are different. A website dedicated to sports, for example, will look a lot different than a website needed for a first-person shooter game. The main types of online gaming are:
- Sports Games: For sports enthusiasts of all types. Generally, you can play any sport you think of.
- Online Casinos: Gambling in many forms. Online casinos operate much like real casinos with games like blackjack, poker, roulette, bingo, craps, and even online slot machines.
- First Person Shooter Games: FPS games’ main focus is combat with guns and weapons via a first-person perspective, i.e. from the eyes of the protagonist.
- Massively Multiplayer Online Games: MMOs or exactly that — an online game consisting of hundreds or even thousands of players all playing at once. Everything is played at a large scale, often with people playing from around the world.
- Arcade Games: Your standard arcade favorites online. These games typically involve skill.
- Educational Games: Usually for kids, but great for people of all ages who want to learn something new or improve their knowledge and skill.
- Cross-platform Games: Play on a variety of platforms via online servers allowing two players to play together despite having two different platforms.
Types of Online Gaming Software
In order to get started in the online gaming sphere, the right gear is important. There is a large difference between what it takes to host a website and what it takes to make an actual game. For example, to create a massively multiplayer online, first-person shooter, sports, and cross-platform game you would need a team of programmers, designers, sound designers, artists, quality assurance, business and project managers. These types of games require a lot of planning and attention to detail. It also depends on the type of game and budget. Software development teams often require a large budget. Game development is an entire industry in itself.
For online casinos, educational, and arcade games, there are easy code scripts you can use or so-called “out-of-the-box” setups that have everything you need to start your site.
Online Casinos
The top software for creating your own online gambling site includes:
Real-Time Gaming: Real Time Gaming started in 1998 and has multi-channel delivery including mobile, kiosks, download, and instant play. They also offer powerful search and marketing tools. What’s more, they’ve developed an algorithm to make it appear like a real casino with a high degree of randomness and chance at play.
Playtech: This is one of the biggest names in the game with even casinos like the best casino in Ireland using software like this. They offer a high-tech, seamless, omnichannel gaming experience. As a pioneer in the field, they develop around 50 games a year including such classics as Spamalot, Highway Kings, and Chain Reactors.
Softswiss: Providing a one-stop solution for gaming websites, Softswiss offers a range of products to suit online gaming needs. These range from game aggregators to a sportsbook platform, an affiliate marketing management platform, and even crypto casino software.
Microgaming: With 800+ games and branded games like Jurassic Park and Game of Thrones, Microgaming is a good place to start. It is also one of the older players started in 1994 with a very diverse portfolio. They offer super easy onboarding and seamless integration. Isoft bet
NEtent: Providing a plethora of gaming options since 1996, NEtent has a vast knowledge of the industry and can help you find the best setup for you. Their setups are secure, offer fair gambling and even bonuses.
Arcades
Free Arcade Script: This site offers free scripts to create your own online arcade as well as a forum to get help and advice from. It’s relatively straightforward and easy to use with a full administrative panel, user accounts, links, categories, etc.
AV Arcade: While not free AV Arcade costs $39.99 for a single license. Five licenses cost $64.99. It comes with plenty of social media help, an AJAX-powered admin system, and a built-in rating system. Choose from four fun designs templates.
MyArcade Plugin: MyArcade Plugin integrates with WordPress, making it super easy to use. It costs only $20 and comes with over 70,000 arcade game options. These games are from 12 distributors. Because it uses WordPress it is very customizable with hundreds of plugins to make your site unique.
Arcade Booster: This is another free script that’s mobile-friendly and supports iOS, Android, Flash, and Unity 3D. There are plenty of designer mobile-responsive themes and templates, a powerful admin panel and caching and CDN system, as well as a multi-tier trading traffic system.
Launching an online gaming site has never been easier. It’s a nice way to supplement your income and learn more about the gaming industry. There are plenty of choices too. If on the other hand, the only thing you are interested in is to dive into the games, there are options in the best online casinos in Ireland where you can find a great number of online games.
Tech Review – BuddyPhones School plus wireless headphones for kids. #Tech
The BuddyPhones school plus headphones are ideal for kids who need headphones for either school or just listening to music playing games, these being the cheapest of the two pairs we have in are probably the best option to start them off with and get going and getting use to headphones but these also have a mic that is removable and unlike more expensive headsets out there the mic is detachable which for me is a real win.
This headset is super light and made with mainly plastic all round and is also a robust product which makes it ideal for kids who tend to drop things and throw them around the place, these are also easy to clean and have no parts that could fall off and overall a solid product, the cups are small on these being aimed at kids yet comfortable and do not clamp onto your head either..
There is raised buttons on one side to by way of three circles that controls the music which is very simple and not a complicated setup. You can play and pause, skip and reverse tracks and change the volume which is great, this headset can also be used for gaming too which also works really well and also be used with your tablet and mobile phone and all the controls work just fine all the time.
The mic also works well not that kids would be taking any calls however for gaming it does a decent job too and the fact it can be removed is a real bonus.
BuddyPhones School+ offers 3 SafeAudio settings to choose from. With the special StudyMode it can be tailored to the child’s educational needs, at home or at school. The new look has super comfortable fabric headband and sports all new style housing with dedicated sticker area. Their patented StudyMode helps isolate voices from other sounds, producing crisper, clearer vocals for studying or watching lessons. With the dual connection feature, the headphones can be used both wirelessly or wired, meaning there’s no interruption from your favourite video or music if the battery runs low.
This product was sent to us to review with no input or compensation paid and are seeing the review the same time as you.
BUY HERE Cant see video – click here
How will the rise of electric vehicles affect the oil industry?
If you told us a decade ago that electric and hybrid cars would account for 10% of the registered vehicles on UK roads, we probably would have been sceptical. However, this figure released in 2020 shows that the electric vehicle revolution is well underway.
These sustainable alternatives are becoming more affordable and widely available. More and more car manufacturers are bringing out sustainably powered vehicles to meet the rising demand for these eco-alternatives.
To help to combat climate change, the hope is that all gasoline, petrol and diesel vehicles will eventually be phased out, replaced by sustainably-fuelled alternatives. The government plans to ban the sale of all new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, meaning that these oil-fuelled vehicles will depreciate, causing more people to purchase electric cars. The question is — what will this mean for the oil industry?
The refinement of oil
Oil is the most actively traded commodity and is incredibly versatile, refined to create heating oil to warm our homes, to make petroleum to fuel our cars, to make jet fuel so that we can travel, and is used in the manufacturing of many everyday products.
Oil is a fossil fuel, and though we are reliant on them for the majority of our energy needs, this will have to change. They will eventually run out and are one of the biggest contributors to climate change.
It is apparent that a shift away from fossil fuels towards greener, more sustainable energy sources is the goal, but this will be a gradual change which will require time and a global adaptation to accept alternatives.
A short-term solution to help combat the detrimental effects of oil refinement on the climate, was to place restrictions on the process to reduce emissions. These new rules required refiners to cut the amount of sulphur used in many of the fuels that they produce. This has caused many refiners to turn to light sweet crude oil. This grade has a naturally lower sulphur content than alternatives and therefore, releases fewer contaminants into the air that we breath.
In the near future, experts predict that the oil market will benefit greatly from development of weaker economies, particularly rapidly expanding Asian economies. As a result, oil trading on Plus500 for example, through a financial derivative, will still be viable and could prove to be a profitable investment, if you take the time to conduct sufficient research and make strategic decisions.
As smaller economies grow and become more prosperous, more individuals who reside there will be able to purchase their own vehicle. In fact, the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook (WEO) propose that the total cars owned in the world could double in the next 20 years — reaching 1.8 billion vehicles.
If the experts are right and this vehicle growth comes to fruition, it is likely that the world’s demand for oil could also double within the next 20 years, which is great news for oil traders, but not so great for the environment.
The majority of this growth is likely to come from developing countries. Therefore, though the number of electric cars will also increase significantly, it is likely that they will still only account for less than a tenth of the world’s vehicles.
The rise of electric vehicles
Although electric vehicles are not likely to take over the world in the next 20 years, their effect on the oil industry in the more distant future is inevitable. Electric vehicles may be becoming a more common presence on our roads, but our petrol and diesel vehicles are also working harder to become more environmentally friendly.
The efficiency of these oil-powered vehicles has improved significantly in the last decade and is only likely to continue to improve as long as they are permitted to be sold. A more efficient vehicle will mean that it consumes less fuel, which could subsequently decrease the demand for oil.
It is the hope of environmental experts that electric vehicles will eventually contribute to the demise of the oil industry. However, because of their hefty price tags and the fact that the world is currently so heavily reliant on oil-powered vehicles, they are likely to still only account for a small percentage of the world’s total vehicles in 2035.
For the next 20 years at least, electric vehicles are very unlikely to affect the oil industry. Although these sustainable vehicles are becoming more prominent on the roads in more developed countries, it is the growth of lower economically developed countries that should continue to fuel the industry for the next couple of decades.
September Sizzlers: New Game Releases 2021
Even though the year is halfway through, there are plenty of new 2021 games to look forward to between September and December. The start of 2021 was a little quiet at first, but that provided us with the opportunity to notice a few unexpected hits like Valheim and Loop Hero and to get in a few live dealer games on the Blackjack table.
Now that the summer is almost over and the E3 announcements are no longer fresh in our minds, we’re starting to look ahead to some of the most anticipated releases of 2021. Some of this year’s most anticipated games have been pushed back from earlier in the year to this autumn and holiday season, which isn’t as sad now that we’re getting closer to that time.
There are many re-titles among these new releases, including two from Sega to commemorate the Sonic and Super Monkey Ball anniversaries, and Rockstar Games is keen to sell Grand Theft Auto 5 to everyone again. Even though Sony and Microsoft’s new consoles were released about a year ago, this roster is notable for its absence of current-gen exclusives. But that doesn’t mean the lineup isn’t as action-packed as an Expendables film! So, let’s get cracking with previewing some of the latest upcoming releases.
Valheim Hearth and Home Update
The release date for Valheim Hearth and Home has been confirmed. On September 16, the first significant update for the Viking-themed survival game was released. Those of you eager to learn more have come to the right place; we’ve gone through all of the teasers, videos, and developer updates from the past few months. To give you an idea, the Valheim Hearth and Home update will offer us a tonne of gold, a cute little oven, and an onion garden, to name just a few things. Also, a raven or a horse may or may not be present (those bits are still unclear).
Eastward
Eastward transports you back to the days of VHS anime in the 1980s, when you could immerse yourself in a secretive and unique medium that you couldn’t find anywhere else. Players take on the roles of John and Sam and must travel Eastward (whoa, that’s the title!) through a bizarre and surreal realm. Unfortunately, while the characters and narrative have a lot of heart and carry the story to its conclusion; the combat, puzzles and boss encounters fall short.
A fantastic tune serves as an excellent backdrop to the pixel-perfect visuals, creating a whimsical and captivating ambience for this quirky RPG that openly pays homage to titles such as Earthbound. In addition, there’s an entire game called Earth Born inside Eastward, complete with its own (in-game cash) gacha system, that’s a lot of fun to play when you need a break from the main tale.
Diablo 2: Resurrected
It’s official: Diablo 2 will be remastered in the form of Diablo 2: Resurrected after 20 years. And we finally have a release date for Diablo 2: Resurrected, September 23, 2021.
Blizzard hopes to maintain the essence of the original Diablo 2, but with enhanced graphics, Dolby 7.1 surround sound, and other crucial quality-of-life enhancements. You’ll be able to choose between the upgraded graphics and the original sprite-based textures, just like in Halo: The Master Chief Collection. We enjoyed the game throughout its technical alpha and latest beta, and we’re looking forward to seeing it in its final form in a few days.
Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality
With the release of two new video games, including a first-person experience featuring both the Tenth and Thirteenth Doctors, the worlds of Doctor Who are about to expand. Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality, which is coming to consoles and PCs, reimagines and builds upon last year’s VR experience, Doctor Who: The Edge of Time. It will feature the voices of Jodie Whittaker and David Tennant.
The game from digital entertainment studio Maze Theory – produced in partnership with BBC Studios – will see the player team up with the Doctor(s) to uncover a universe-spanning threat and work to save reality from a series of time-breaking glitches, continuing the story that began in The Edge of Time. Along with new monsters, fans may expect to see old villains such as the Daleks, Weeping Angels, and Cybermen make cameo appearances.
The Amazing American Circus
Roll up! Roll up! As you strive to establish yourself amid industry heavyweights Ringling Bros., P.T. Barnum, and Buffalo Bill, take command of your own run-down circus and navigate a distinctively American type of entertainment filled with weird folklore, vicious crime, and social inequity. To become the tycoon of an entertainment empire the likes of which the world has never seen, build your troupe, manage your circus camp, travel Gilded Age America, and surprise your audience!
The Most Important Hardware for a New Gaming Laptop
Buying a gaming laptop is an exciting time in a gamer’s life, and choosing the right laptop is not a decision that you should take lightly. We all know that a proper gaming laptop is not going to be cheap. In fact, if you’re hoping to spend less than $800, you’re probably in for a nasty surprise unless you find discounted laptops and notebooks for sale. The best gaming laptops are all well over the $1000 mark. It is possible to find a decent one priced at around $1000, but you’re going to have to do your research.
Remember, this is not the same type of laptop that you would normally use to play casino games with the best Canadian online casino bonuses, nor is it the same type of laptop that you would use to get your social media fix, or to prepare PowerPoint presentations. This is a machine that is going to need some serious chops to be able to render the full effect of all the incredible games that you no doubt desire to play.
The Graphics Card
The first thing that you need to look at when you’re comparing gaming laptops is the GPU. The GPU is the graphics card, and as far as hardware is concerned, it is arguably the most important. With a high-quality GPU, you will be able to enjoy your games in all their graphic glory. Your games will perform better, which means your overall enjoyment of the gaming experience will be better than it would with a low-quality GPU. You might be able to get away with spending less than $1000 on the laptop itself, but only if you choose one with a decent GPU like the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060. Keep in mind that unlike storage and memory, the GPU cannot be upgraded at a later date, so you need to get it right first time.
The Processor
Another element that you will not be bale to change is the processor. We recommend looking for a laptop with eighth- or ninth-generation Intel Core i7. In addition, look out for the K line of processors. The i7 processors actually differ from one another, and for gaming you’ll get more power from the K line. The GPU and processor will be why your laptop is not cheap, but you can cut costs in other areas, such as the touchpad, keyboard, and multicoloured keyboard backlights. You’ll be using a game controller or a mouse most of the time, and multicoloured keys are only useful if you’re playing in the dark.
The RAM
For optimum gaming, you’ll need at least 8GB of memory. But in reality, you’ll want 16GB. Your GPU and CPU will need as much RAM as you can give them. Basically, the RAM itself does not affect your laptop’s performance per se, but it does affect your GPU because the higher the RAM, the more detail your GPU will be able to render. This means you’ll get better quality graphics during gameplay. RAM also has an impact on the CPU because is controls how much of the game can be stored in order to process it more quickly.
So, there you have it: GPU, CPU, and RAM. The three element that you need to have sorted if you to enjoy your new gaming laptop to the full. Even if money is no object, you’re still going to need to pay close attention to these elements. You could easily spend over $4000 and still end up buying a laptop that doesn’t have good specs, so pay attention and don’t let a savvy sales dude talk you into buying a dud.
Frenetic Firefighting Multiplayer ‘Embr’ Launches on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch Today
Ever wanted to burst into your neighbour’s home, douse it in jets of water, throwing said resident out of the nearest opening in the process, all in the name of heroism?
More than a year since it first made its Early Access debut, Curve Digital and Muse Games are happy to announce the frenetic firefighting multiplayer game Embr launches on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch today.
For those taking their first steps into the world of for hire heroism, Embr is a marvellously manic multiplayer game where you and your friends come together to have a go at fighting ferocious fires and rescuing residents – if you consider tossing them out a third-floor window window “rescued”, that is.
Players can take on the game solo or work together in online teams tackling fire after fire to pick up tips from clients, earning the ever-so-crucial 5-star rating in order to collect cash, upgrade tools, and hopefully become the ultimate ‘have-a-go hero’ firefighter.
On top of that, players can also deliver takeout food on the fly with ‘Embr Eats’ and drop off explosive parcels as a ‘Box Box’ delivery expert, all before becoming a DIY safety engineer as a Gaslight Inc employee. In short, it’s the ultimate amateur adventurer experience.
Compared to the Early Access build, Embr’s full release also includes:
- 2 brand new expansive districts to explore housing 12 new hand-crafted levels.
- 13 new tools and upgrades to customise your firefighting experience.
- 5 brand new game modes to earn extra money your way.
- Daily and weekly missions for extensive replayability.
- Cross-platform play across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Stadia.
- Extra difficulty settings and level mutators to keep things rolling.
- Tons of additional wearables, vehicle cosmetics, UI overhaul, achievements, and more.
“Here at Embr, we’ve revolutionized firefighting,” says Matthew Niederberger, Director of Embr at Muse Games. “Now you and your friends can step in, save lives, and earn yourself a little money on the side. Be sure to rescue all of your clients, their valuables, and crack their safe open, in order to earn that five-star rating, and keep your career going! We believe anyone can start a new career running into house fires today!”
Embr is designed for PS4 and Xbox One, but will run perfectly on PS5 and Series X|S. The game launches today on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch for £17.99/€19.99/$19.99, and features crossplay compatibility between the PC, Playstation, and Xbox versions. Embr will also see a physical release on PlayStation and Switch tomorrow.
Rover Mechanic Simulator out now on Xbox and is coming to other consoles soon
Developed by a Polish studio, Pyramid Games S.A., and previously released on PC in November 2020, Rover Mechanic Simulator has been warmly received by gamers. The title created by the makers of Castle Flipper and upcoming Occupy Mars has garnered a 90% approval rate from Steam reviews.
The Xbox One port is handled by Ultimate Games S.A, and this version of Rover Mechanic Simulator is also backwards compatible with Xbox Series X|S.
In Rover Mechanic Simulator you will get a taste of what it is like to live on the first Martian colony and work there as a mechanic responsible for repairs and maintenance of Mars rovers. The game at its core is about fulfilling various tasks: after familiarizing yourself with a particular mechanical problem, it is expected of you to conduct an analysis, find a solution and then perform an entire repair procedure. Once in a while you’ll get to tinker with a 3D printer that will create for you a specific part that your current mission demands. What’s more, the gameplay itself is interspersed with hidden retro mini-games.
The game features several well-known rover types that space enthusiasts will surely recognize (among them: Sojourner, Curiosity, Opportunity and Spirit) as well as a robotic helicopter, Ingenuity. Each of the models has been faithfully recreated thanks to actual NASA technical documents. Such level of meticulousness led to rendering a grand total of 437 separate parts for the Curiosity rover alone.
“Our game combines a relaxing gameplay along with educational elements. Individual vehicle models showcase a huge level of realism in the game. Our artists have spent several months studying actual NASA equipment to recreate it as faithfully as possible. Of course, we had to take some liberties in order to make the gameplay fun. A good case in point is that real-life rovers are designed for one-way trips only, yet in our game it is possible to fix them and bring them back to full operational capacity, so for example we replaced bolts with screws in order to make it possible.” – said the CEO of Pyramid Games S.A., Jacek Wyszyński.
Players will have a plethora of tools at their disposal, such as a 3D printer, recycling machine, overhead crane, soldering iron and many more. Your progress in Rover Mechanic Simulator is reflected in a character development system that lets you earn and spend skill points once you reach certain experience levels. According to the developers, the simulator offers at least a dozen hours of relaxing gameplay.
Rover Mechanic Simulator – key features:
- Take up a career of a Martian mechanic
- Enjoy leisurely and educational gameplay
- Get a chance to work on a selection of faithfully recreated real-life NASA rovers and vehicles
- Shape up your character with a rank system allowing you to improve your skills
- Fulfill a wide array of varied and engaging tasks
Rover Mechanic Simulator is set to debut on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on September 22, 2021. PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch ports are slated for release at later dates.