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.

Austin-rooted 512 Audio Launches Professional Gear Built for Creators #512Audio #Creators

512 Audio, a new Austin-based audio brand dedicated to delivering professional gear built for creators, announces two XLR microphones一Limelight and Skylight一 and a lineup of studio essentials for creating podcasts, live streams, vocal recordings and more. Developed by the dedicated team behind Warm Audio’s award-winning, classic-inspired microphones, preamps, guitar pedals and more, 512 Audio launches from the creative culture of Austin, TX at a time when people are producing more content than ever before.

“Instead of focusing on the specs war, we thought about how audio gear would be used by people, what they want to create, and how they want to connect,” said Tommy Edwards, VP of Product Strategy for 512 Audio and Warm Audio. “512 Audio microphones and accessories are built to capture everything creators need and nothing they don’t. We specifically tuned the mics to focus on the frequencies that would deliver the most for the creators without any noise they don’t need. We wanted to deliver the best of pro audio in a tailor-made, uncomplicated way.”

For its initial debut, 512 Audio is introducing five products built to help creators capture speech and vocals with clarity and warmth, making audiences feel as if they’re listening in person:

Microphones:

Limelight (£189.99 MSRP)

Limelight Mic

A dynamic vocal XLR mic that delivers exceptional clarity for close-range, talk-focused podcasts, broadcasts or live streams. The combination of a modern circuit and professional dynamic capsule produces smooth, crystal clear audio. Limelight’s hypercardioid pattern creates a hyper-focused pickup field to capture your voice and cut out unwanted ambient noise. The built-in pop shield and switchable, low-frequency filter remove intrusive plosives and low-end rumble for a clean, uncompromised sound. Bring the clear, natural audio of a professional broadcast studio to your home setup.

Skylight (£189.99 MSRP)

Skylight

A large-diaphragm condenser XLR microphone featuring a 34mm gold-plated capsule engineered with premium components and a voice-tailored frequency response to capture the warmth and detail of speech and singing vocals. With a fixed cardioid pickup pattern, Skylight records your voice in front of the mic and reduces ambient room noise. The included metal mesh pop filter and low-profile shockmount eliminate unwanted plosives and low-end rumble delivering a clean, natural sound for podcasts, live streams or vocal recordings. Capture the richness of your voice with detailed warmth and true studio sound, without the studio.

Setup Essentials:

 

  • 512-BBA Boom Arm (£79.99 MSRP) – an adjustable microphone boom arm with a 360-degree rotation and silent, high-tension spring design for easily achieving stay-in-place mic positioning for podcasting, streaming or recording.
  • Academy Headphones (£89.99 MSRP) – studio monitor headphones with 45mm dynamic drivers precision-tuned to deliver exceptional clarity when monitoring speech and vocals. With an ergonomic design and superior acoustic seal, hear every nuance of your recordings with clarity and comfort.
  • 512-Pop Professional Microphone Pop Filter (£54.99 MSRP) – a superior metal mesh pop filter to achieve clear, natural speech and vocals. No more post-production hassle or livestream concerns for achieving clean audio.

 

“Living and working in Austin we are in the heart of a creator culture, but regardless of where you are, creator content dominates what we listen to and watch,” said Bryce Young, founder and CEO of 512 Audio and Warm Audio. “We all have that creator whose content connects with us, whether it’s in music, gaming, politics, faith or passion projects. 512 Audio was our way to build audio gear specifically for creators to make closer connections to their audiences.”

 

Limelight, Skylight, 512-BBA boom arm, and 512-Pop filter are all available today at Amazon.co.uk. Academy studio monitor headphones will be available in October. For more information, visit www.512audio.com.

Sci-Fi Zelda-like XEL Announced for PC and Consoles in 2022. #Gaming #XEL

Publisher Assemble Entertainment today unveiled the latest title to join its award-winning roster: XEL. Developed by Tiny Roar, XEL is a vibrant sci-fi “Zelda-like” that will head to PC and consoles in 2022. In the game, players will explore a lush, vibrant world filled with gorgeous — and occasionally deadly — biomes. Solve intricate puzzles, explore mysterious dungeons, and battle merciless robots and exotic wildlife. Inspired by titles like the Zelda series, XEL will take players through an epic and heartwarming story filled with fantastical settings and memorable characters set to an emotionally powerful soundtrack from composer Gidon Wolff.

XEL follows an amnesiac protagonist named Reid, who finds herself shipwrecked on an enigmatic world with no memory of her previous life. Players will join Reid as she sets out to get to the bottom of the mystery behind this bizarre land filled with secrets, puzzles, and a not-so-stable sense of time. Explore a beautiful overworld dotted with challenging dungeons in a  classic, top-down, 3D action-adventure format in a rich, vivid palette. During her quest Reid will meet charming, enduring characters, engage in thrilling combat, and of course, find and upgrade a whole bevy of nifty weapons, items, gadgets, and moves — some of which may help her jump through space and time.

XEL will be featured during the “Assemble: Spotlight On” which will kick off Thursday, August 26th, at 12.30 BST/13.30 CEST on the RocketBeans Twitch channel. The showcase will be a 90-minute spotlight on Assemble’s portfolio featuring XEL, Endzone – World Apart: Prosperity, Plan B From Outer Space: A Bavarian Odyssey, Sphere – Flying Cities, ITORAH, Super Catboy, Orbital Bullet, Ultimate ADOM – Caverns of Chaos and Squadron 51. XEL, Lacuna, and Super Catboy, are also part of this year’s Indie Arena Booth, the biggest shared indie developer booth in the world.

Key Features of XEL

  • Sci-fi Dungeon Diving: The world of XEL features a vast, extensive overworld and challenging, Zelda-like dungeons to explore
  • A Deep Combat System: Become proficient at using a variety of attacks and combos, while dodging, and parrying to tackle and take out foes
  • Gadgets & Guns: Master and upgrade your weapons, shield, and gadgets to smash your foes and open up new areas to explore
  • Deep Lore and a Deeper Mystery: What exactly happened to this world, and who is responsible? Piece together a captivating story and dive into the legends behind the cryptic history XEL
  • Spacetime? Not a Problem: Unlock special abilities that allow Reid to bend the rules of space and time, grantingher access to previously impassable areas and opening up new ways to defeat difficult enemies

The entire Assemble line-up will be available in the gamescom now content hub and will serve as the home base for premieres, games, and events. During the event, new demos of Super Catboy, Roadwarden, Squadron 51 and Plan B From Outer Space: A Bavarian Odyssey will be available.

Developed by Tiny Roar and published by Assemble Entertainment, XEL will launch Q2 2022 on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.

What Big Companies Do To Protect Their Data

In the modern tech scenario, businesses are worried about the maintenance of their speed to match the fast-paced momentum of the rest of the tech world. This is why cyber-security concerns have escalated in the industry.

Cyber-security has always been a point of concern for all kinds of businesses due to the importance of the field and the significance of data for businesses. For this reason, many organisations are now channelling their focus towards building a protective shield around their systems to ensure nobody can break through the security. However, to fully understand how companies protect their data, you will have to learn first about the significance of data for all kinds of businesses.

Importance of Data for Businesses

Data has always been a part of our systems, but its importance has seen a major rise in the last couple of decades. From being explicitly limited to medical calculations and analyses, data has now proved its importance in all aspects of life. From managing businesses to saving lives, every field of life requires proper data analysis to ensure the decisions are factual and relevant.

For this reason, businesses have developed an increased amount of interest in building their business models around their data analysis. This allows them to map their company’s performance as compared to other competitors, improve the customer’s experience, and make quick relevant decisions. Furthermore, the significance of the maintenance of your company’s success also relies heavily on data analyses.

How Do Companies Protect Their Data?

The significance of the protection of data has escalated in the last decade due to the shift in the business models across the tech society. For this reason, companies have followed certain steps that ensure their data is bullet-proof against all kinds of dangers. Let’s traverse through these steps to spread awareness among emerging businesses.

  • Data Protection with Cloud Protocols

As digitisation has picked pace, cloud management has become an active contributor in managing the tech infrastructure of a company. Although cloud service providers have standardised security protocols that ensure the safety of your data, the process of transferring to and retrieving their data from their systems holds major security concerns for many businesses. However, these channels have advanced levels of encryption to ensure the information remains secure.

  • Develop Strategies

Instead of having vague policies that create further confusion for the governing bodies, companies tend to develop standardised IT security strategies that ensure the protection of both data and resources.

  • Ensure Safety of Their Wireless Network

Ensuring the safety of the wireless network holds key importance for businesses. Since every major business has a systematic database that contains their data, they need to ensure the safety of their wireless network. To cement their efforts of ensuring security, businesses tend to build cost-effective oracle database standby systems that work as disaster recovery software to provide an instant backup in the event of an emergency. This provides a buffer time to let the organization make the necessary changes in their main system and bring it back online without having to enforce any kinds of inconveniences on their customers.

  • Protect Their Passwords

Many people believe that remembering or using complex passwords can be a tiring activity, considering they are difficult to remember. However, standard laws of security suggest that your passwords need to be bullet-proof and this can only be achieved if your passwords are complex and difficult to crack.

Moreover, modern-day password managers provide companies the liberty to secure their passwords and use them without having to remember them, so there is absolutely no reason left not to secure your systems with a complex password.

Benefits of Improving Cybersecurity for Businesses

Cybersecurity has been a point of interest for the majority of businesses in recent years. Here are a few benefits that help organizations who prioritize cybersecurity over everything else.

  • Productivity Boost

Since a cyber-attack can halt your productivity, by maintaining their security protocols, companies can avoid this stutter and allow their systems to run smoothly without a dip in their productivity.

  • Restoration of Customer Trust

Customers crave customized user experiences to ensure they feel an emotional connection with the brand. This connection can only be strengthened if the customer feels secure with their data. This is why businesses establish advanced security protocols to maintain the trust of their customers.

Cyber-security is not an alienated concept for the technical fraternity. It has been around since the start of online businesses, and it will remain as long as online businesses exist. However, the significance of ensuring your company’s data security has only increased with time. This increase in significance is directly proportional to the dependency of organizations on their data and the change in the structure of building their business models around their acquired data. This is why many emerging and established businesses are now focused on ensuring their data security to make sure they continue to stay unique due to their business logic.

Irish food app’s explosive growth helps hard-hit hospitality industry during COVID-19 recovery

An Irish food ordering app has seen its revenue rocket by more than 400% in the last year as part of its mission to help the local hospitality industry recover from the impact of the pandemic. Dublin headquartered Bamboo also experienced an uplift in customers of 230%, with orders rising by 136% in the 12 months to July 2021.

Bamboo allows customers to order and pay from hundreds of restaurants, cafés and hotels across Ireland seamlessly through its app and suite of ordering tools. Bamboo gives hospitality businesses a platform to offer advance ordering and contactless pickup for their customers.

To help fuel its growth, Bamboo has agreed a new partnership with Square, the globally trusted software, payments, and hardware solution.

The partnership with Square, the first of its kind in Ireland, will help Bamboo increase its support of local hospitality businesses by introducing Square’s point-of-sale technology to help manage orders and payment processing.

The new technology will be a major driving force in helping to increase sales for Bamboo’s partners across Ireland.

One of the many venues to benefit from Bamboo’s partnership with Square is On The Go Coffee Co. in Buncrana. Andrea Kelly, Owner of On The Go, said:

“Being a part of the Bamboo platform means we can offer a click and collect service to our customers without the hassle and cost of investing in additional technology. Bamboo’s partnership with Square will make our experience with the app even better, giving us access to world-class payments technology that will really help our business continue to grow.”

In addition to the point-of-sale technology, Bamboo’s partners will also be able to leverage Square’s vertically integrated restaurant technology to help them get online and easily manage orders from the Bamboo platform. Ireland’s leading food truck manufacturer https://vstreetfood.com/food-trucks/ireland/ swears by this app and has said; “this app has truly changed the food truck industry in Ireland”.

Nicholas Harris, Head of Partnerships at Square UK, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Bamboo and understand the huge demand in Ireland for safe and seamless mobile food ordering. We know that together, we can provide the tools to help F&B businesses adapt and grow as they look toward the future after an unpredictable year.”

 With hundreds of venues in Ireland relying on Bamboo to order ahead for a contactless pick up, it is now accelerating hiring and investing heavily in on-boarding new restaurants, cafés, bars and hotels as it introduces the next generation of in-venue dining to Ireland.

Conor Moules, Country Manager at Bamboo, added: “Our partnership with Square is the latest in a long line of amazing things that are happening at Bamboo, all designed to help our partners reach more customers and increase their sales. Teaming up with Square will not only help our partners, but it’s also a clear signal of Bamboo’s intent to dominate the Irish food apps market; something we’re well on our way to achieving after a trailblazing period of growth in the last 12 months.” 

Square’s suite of products are designed to seamlessly work with each other to save businesses time and money, reduce inefficiencies from managing multiple systems, and help sellers grow their businesses in the future.

Additionally, Square offers fair, transparent, and merchant-friendly pricing for business software and payment processing without requiring long-term contracts or extra fees. Square takes care of fraud prevention, dispute management, security, and compliance at no additional cost. Businesses can access their funds as soon as the next working day and only pay a transaction fee when they accept a card or mobile payment.

How Manufacturing Technology Boosts Business And Revenue

Manufacturing technology has changed dramatically in the past few decades. From manufacturing robots to 3D printing, manufacturing is now faster and more affordable than ever before. This article will discuss how manufacturing technologies have changed business for the better and led to increased revenue opportunities for manufacturing companies of all sizes.

The benefits of manufacturing technology

Manufacturing technology has led to increased manufacturing efficiency and revenue opportunities for manufacturing companies of all sizes. According to a report by the International Federation of Robotics, the global robotics market will grow from $42 billion in 2015 to nearly $70 billion by 2020. With more robots on factory floors than ever before, the manufacturing output will be higher and less laborious over time.

Additionally, offshore manufacturing is often seen as one-way manufacturers that can cut costs without sacrificing quality or speed of production. However, this may not always be true with recent advancements in manufacturing technology. Increasingly sophisticated equipment combined with automation investments has resulted in better overall service and lower prices even when outsourcing jobs overseas. Offshoring can sometimes lead to expensive delays in manufacturing, quality issues, and a prolonged turnaround time.

At the same time, manufacturing technology has also led to an increase in retrofitting opportunities for manufacturing companies with older machinery that may not be up-to-date or efficient enough. With newer technologies being more affordable than ever before, it’s now easier to invest in new equipment without breaking the bank as much as it used to be. In this case, explore online sources. This is where you will be able to find burn tables for manufacturing in case you need them for your processes. Invest in this equipment should you need to address certain bottlenecks in your process.

Manufacturing systems automation is often used to increase productivity and efficiency in manufacturing environments. Automation has several different benefits that have been noted by companies such as increased production rates, less downtime due to machine failure, lower labor costs because you only need one operator per shift instead of multiple operators for the same amount of work, and improved quality control monitoring on the manufacturing floor. And with so much money being saved through these methods (about 50%), implementing this system should be at the top of your priority list. An automated manufacturing solution will typically save time and reduce errors in manufacturing processes across an entire plant or facility.

Manufacturing is changing dramatically because of advancements in manufacturing technology. If you are considering investing money into your current facilities or looking at other ways to grow your business through manufacturing investments, remember these benefits! If you need more assistance try vendor managed solutions. 

How to implement a new system

Implementing new manufacturing technologies often means changes are needed in many areas including business processes, human resources practices, plant equipment design and layout, training programs, and more. This change comes at some cost and often means changes are needed in many areas including business processes, human resources practices, plant equipment design and layout, training programs, and more.

Through careful planning of the transition to a new manufacturing technology system or process can improve profitability as well as productivity. The following steps will help you plan for success:

 

  • Conduct a needs analysis – gather data on what is happening now; identify opportunities for improvement with your current manufacturing process; assess how much risk (and reward) there may be if you were to implement a new manufacturing technology strategy. Conduct a manufacturing technology assessment that will identify the manufacturing processes, equipment, and systems that work well with the new system. 
  • Create an implementation team that has representatives from all parts of the organization involved in the project – management teams should include people who understand inventory

To implement a new system, manufacturing companies need to:

 

  • Implement a manufacturing technology plan or roadmap for updating existing manufacturing technologies so they align with changes in their production process.
  • Develop an implementation strategy using information from their manufacturing technology assessment and then finalize it by developing clear timelines, assigning responsibilities, and establishing budgets.

 

What are the best systems for your company?

The best systems for manufacturing companies depend on the manufacturing process. For example, a company that manufactures metal products uses machining to cut and shape parts in advance of assembly whereas a company manufacturing plastic or rubber products will use injection molding for production. It also depends on the manufacturing environment such as factory size, location, and whether they do outsourcing work offshore or domestically. The type of machinery that is best suited to each situation must be chosen carefully because not every system can handle all types of materials well enough for industrial applications.

 

Why it’s important to have a system in place 

It is important to have manufacturing technology in place so that manufacturing businesses can maximize their potential and grow revenue. The manufacturing industry is one of the largest industries in America, with a total value of $800 billion, and yet for many manufacturing companies, it seems like there are too few resources to manage all aspects of manufacturing while simultaneously pursuing growth.

 

The importance of training employees on the new process 

It is important to train employees on the new manufacturing process, which is a difficult task to undertake when they are used to an older system. This is because the old manufacturing process required a lot less training than the new systems. The main reason for this was that employees were able to learn how to do their job simply by doing it, whereas now they need extensive coaching and instruction before being allowed on a manufacturing line at all. 

It can be difficult finding people who are up-to-date with manufacturing technology so there’s not much point in hiring those without experience if you want them trained quickly enough! There will also be an increased cost of time needed per person as opposed to just throwing someone into the mix and expecting them automatically to know what needs to be done (although admittedly this might work out cheaper).

 

 

The benefits of manufacturing technology are apparent, but the implementation process is not always easy. It’s important to do your research and find a system that best suits your company’s needs. Make sure you train employees on how to use this new system so they can be prepared for future changes in the workplace. All these are geared towards maximizing the key benefits that innovative technology can bring to your manufacturing business.

Virgin Media Business launches innovative SD-WAN solution nationwide

Virgin Media Business has today launched a brand-new secure software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) solution to enable businesses right across the country to secure and optimise their data, empower productivity amongst their workforce and improve overall customer experience, all thanks to the power of the cloud.

The new cloud-ready service has been designed to support next-generation networking and comes with optimisation tools that will enable large organisations to access cloud data, applications and software-as-a-service (SaaS)-based offerings such as Office 365 from multiple branch sites. As a software-based solution, SD-WAN allows customers to rapidly scale and alter their networks in line with their needs.

SD-WAN builds on existing WAN and VPN technologies and can be used to connect enterprise networks – including multiple dispersed sites and data centres – with more open and flexible hardware than traditional WAN solutions. The network is instead controlled using cloud-native software.

Results from The Central Statistic’s office’s ‘Survey on E-Commerce and ICT 2020’ reveals that 51% of enterprises in Ireland purchased at least one type of cloud computing service in the first half of 2020, up from 45% in 2018*.

This increase in demand for ICT support that utilises the power of the cloud reinforces the need for innovative solutions. Virgin Media Business is now offering a next-generation networking and security solution to Irish enterprises to help them fully embrace the services available to their businesses via the cloud.

Emer Kelly, Head of Sales and Marketing at Virgin Media Business from Virgin Media Business said: “With our newest SD-WAN solution, we’re able to offer a fully managed package that delivers the best in software and network support. You’ll also get 30 years’ of network experience and superfast connectivity, now available in speeds up to 1Gb to all Virgin Media Business customers, ensuring your business is in the best possible position for its digital transformation, all on our fast, reliable and secure network.”

As part of the SD-WAN journey, we will manage every step of the migration, from planning to delivery of service and we are right beside you every step of the way.”

Shure announced as headline partner for the International Women’s Podcast Awards. #Shure #IWPA #Podcasts

The Skylark Collective are pleased to announce Shure, a leading global manufacturer of premium audio equipment, as Headline Partners for this year’s inaugural International Women’s Podcast Awards. The IWPA is a unique event celebrating the very best female-led moments in podcasting of the last year, where recognition will be given to women in podcasting, both behind the mic and behind the scenes, who have created incredible audio moments and intimate listening experiences.

Naomi Mellor, founder of the International Women’s Podcast Awards, said: “I am so excited to announce Shure as our Headline Partners for the awards. Their passion for creating great microphones and audio electronics has been recognised by podcasters the world over, making them a staple of the podcasting community. Their support for women and non-binary podcasters at the International Women’s Podcast Awards helps us provide an opportunity for women from all over the world to showcase their work, and we can’t wait to bring the event to life.”

 

“We are extremely proud to partner with The Skylark Collective for the first ever International Women’s Podcast Awards, championing inspirational voices from around the world. In supporting the podcasting community since the beginning, we’ve witnessed the importance of diversity to leverage creativity in the industry. For this reason, we are sponsoring the Award for Changing the World One Moment at a Time, which we believe will give women and non-binary podcasters the visibility and recognition to continue their impressive work, while inspiring the podcasters of tomorrow” said Paul Crognale, Senior Manager, Global Marketing at Shure.

 

The International Women’s Podcast Awards will be hosted at the Allbright in London on 23rd September 2021 by acclaimed presenter, author and journalist Vick Hope of BBC Radio 1, with additional support from Acast, Blubrry, Captivate FM and Redhead PR. Entries are open to podcasters worldwide until Friday 13th August 2021, and the ceremony will be live-streamed internationally. The International Women’s Podcast Awards aims to help level the playing field for women in this exciting and evolving industry, by rewarding and elevating the unsung podcast hosts, editors,producers and writers out there whose work deserves recognition. To many, the joy of podcasting lies in its intimacy, in the atmosphere created between the host, guest and listener, and in the moments of incredible sensitivity, humour or honesty that keep people engrossed.

The International Women’s Podcast Awards celebrate these intimate moments of podcasting brilliance, and the women that make them happen. It doesn’t matter if they’ve had 100 downloads or 100 million, the awards are open to everyone in podcasting that identifies as a woman ornon-binary.

 

Nominations are now open and will be accepted in eight categories of wonderful ‘Moments’, which are:

  • Moment of Comedy Gold
  • Moment of Raw Emotion
  • Moment of Cliffhanging Drama
  • Moment of Touching Honesty
  • Moment of Behind-the-Scenes Brilliance
  • Moment of Entrepreneurship Inspiration
  • Moment of Badass Business Advice
  • Award for Changing The World One Moment At A Time

 

The awards ceremony will be held at Allbright, Mayfair on Thursday 23rd September.

Introducing AirLit – the UK’s first portable ring light, mirror and smart fan in one. #AirLit #Creators #Tech

British based start-up launches AirLit – the UK’s first portable smart fan, ring light and mirror in one

AirLit is available online and on Robert Dyas for £89.99

British based start-up GeoSmartPro, a specialist in building smart home products that fit seamlessly into our homes, has launched AirLit – the ultimate accessory for video creation, remote working and online beauty tutorials. The GeoSmartPro is a fan that has saved my life this Summer go check it out.

The AirLit is a portable ring light, mirror and smart fan, providing users with confidence, comfort and convenience on screen, all from the tap of a button – perfect for influencers and people working from home.

Weighing less than 1.5 kg the AirLit is small, but packed full of features including a smart phone holder to support hands free usage and allow users to make use of the lighting benefits while taking a video call or recording.

Users can also change the angle and brightness of the light to suit their individual needs and the smart fan also provides comfort during warmer months as many of the UK’s workforce now work from home, without the luxury of office air conditioning.

Users can set the fan to a schedule, certain temperatures and speeds at the touch of a button.

 

AirLit
AirLit
AirLit

The AirLit features include:

App automation – allows users to automate the fan’s actions and triggers. For example, if the room gets too hot the fan will automatically kick in. The fan uses WiFi to source and follow temperatures.

Light it up (or down) – Manage your light based on your preferences. Select from 3000-5000k and 10%-100% dimming means you can change the brightness depending on your environment and time of day.

Magnetic mirror – easily transform the AirLit into a mirror with a magnetic attachment and couple up with the light and it’s perfect for make-up application and hairstyling.

Flex-Rotation – choose your best angle – with 180° vertical rotation and 270° flex rotation AirLit can work with your best angles.

Telescopic extension– 400mm to 1000mm

Reverse charging– Allows you to charge your device in case of an emergency.

Blue light reduction– Use it as a desk lamp when on screens to help reduce strain on your eyes.

Battery life – up to 15 hours of usage

Timer – users can use AirLit for up to eight hours, so it’ll last the whole working day or night.

Modes – users can choose between three different light modes, reading, focus and leisure according to their environment and one fan mode which mimics nature’s air flow to ensure a controlled and calming breeze, giving you a feeling of sitting outdoors.

Speed –the fan can be set to low, medium or high fan speed depending on your preferences.

Voice control – Alexa or Google Assistant can give users a glow up in seconds

AirLit is the second product from British start-up GeoSmartPro to enter the market, following the launch of its AirGo smart pedestal fan in 2019.

 

Uzair Rafi, GeoSmartPro founder, said: “After seeing ourselves on video more than ever before, many of us are ready to up our screen appearance game and the AirLit does just that!

“AirLit has been designed to help people feel much more confident and comfortable when on screen. The ring light can be positioned to offer a flattering appearance for calls or video content creation, while the fan offers better comfort without the noise of having a window open.

“For the growing creator economy having the best lighting when posting or streaming to social media is essential, so the AirLit is the perfect influencer’s tool. The AirLit can be moved around easily so getting those perfect shots, with the ultimate glow, is a breeze.”

The AirLit is available for £89.99 from Robert Dyas and www.geosmartpro.com.

Playing Trials of Osiris and More PvP in Destiny 2

Destiny 2 has been improving and expanding more in recent years. With new expansions, there are more updates in the game to look out for. One of the hottest modes in the game right now is the PvP mode, specifically Trials of Osiris. 

If you’re new to Destiny 2, be prepared for a challenging and competitive play or opt for a Trial of Osiris Flawless Carry option. Nevertheless, you still have to know many things about Destiny 2’s PvP and Trials of Osiris, which we will discuss in this article. 

PvP in Destiny 2

The Crucible modes, as Destiny 2 veterans call them, are unlocked the first time a player joins the game. However, some modes are more complex than others, especially for newbies. Under the Player-versus-Player (PvP) game category, aside from the Trials of Osiris, you can choose from the following modes: 

  • Survival – Exhaust the lives of the players in the opposing team to win the round in this three-player team mode.
  • Mayhem – A mode that requires six players for each team. The first team to reach 125 points wins. Killing the other team will give you a point, while killing using Super or abilities will add two more points.
  • Rumble – The first to earn 30 points by killing a player wins.
  • Control – Another six-versus-six mode where teams capture and control marked zones. One point is given for one kill, and the first team to reach 150 points wins.
  • Elimination – Three players for each team need to kill and defeat the entire enemy team to win. 
  • Clash – A timed game where the first team to get 150 points wins, or whichever team has more points after the time.
  • Showdown – The goal is to defeat the other team as much as you can before the timer ends.
  • Vaulted PvP modes – More modes, including Breakthrough, Countdown, Team Scorched, Trials of the Nine, and others, fall under this. 

Trials of Osiris

Trials, in general, fall under the Elimination mode, where teams have to defeat the other team entirely in order to win. Trials of Osiris is a top PvP activity that can be played every weekend where you can gain Valor. 

Game Schedule

Like mentioned, Trials of Osiris can be played every weekend. This starts during the reset time on Fridays and lasts until Tuesday. This means you can play from Friday at 17:00 GMT to Tuesday. 

Game Mechanics

Based on the elimination PvP mode, three players on a team will have to fight with their best to kill the members of the other team and vice versa. Anyone who’s killed won’t be respawned automatically until one of their teammates resurrects them.

To resurrect a team member, you must go to their location and hold the resurrection button for some period. If your team killed all the three members of the other team, you win that specific round. 

Trials of Osiris is a game composed of five rounds. The first team to win three rounds will win the whole game. Each round lasts for only a certain amount of time and has a timer that pushes players to challenge their enemies in combat. 

For rounds where no entire team was defeated until the end of the time limit, the teams can find a flag appearing in the middle of the map. The first one to take it takes the round as well. 

Trials Passages

The latest version of Trials of Osiris came with five interesting Passages. Each of them has its own benefits to the players when climbing to the Lighthouse, and each depends on the number of wins and losses of a player. If you’ve been defeated three times, you can’t proceed for Trials until you buy a new Passage or reset the one you have. 

You can also only hold one Passage at a time, but you can change it whenever you want to. But, be reminded that changing your Passage will reset your progress. You can get these five exotic Passages from Saint-14: 

  • Mercy – One loss can be forgiven per ticket. 
  • Ferocity – If you have no losses, a third win will give you an additional bonus win.
  • Confidence – You can unlock this only after going Flawless since you will be granted rewards from the Flawless chest. 
  • Wealth – This is unlocked after five wins and grants more tokens after winning Trials matches. 
  • Wisdom – You can only unlock this after seven wins. This Passage will give you bonus XP based on the number of Trials wins indicated on your ticket.

Aside from these, there are also some rewards you can get in the game. You can receive Luminous Engrams based on your number of wins as a reward. At the same time, Flawless victory allows you to reach the Lighthouse to gain pinnacle gears from the chest. 

Tips on Playing Trials of Osiris

To be able to ride the tides of this competitive game, here are some helpful basic tips you can etch on your mind when you play: 

  • Learn how to play the game properly. 
  • Understand your character’s skills and how to upgrade them. 
  • Communicate with your teammates on strategies in game and off. 
  • Utilize the benefits of Passages. 
  • Develop an efficient and effective plan on your own or with your team. 

Everything might be overwhelming, especially if you’re new to Destiny 2. Although it sounds like a lot of work, playing Trials of Osiris is made competitive so that it can be fun. It doesn’t matter if you win all the time – enjoy playing the game.