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.

Edifier announces the new G2000 gaming speakers. #Edifier #Gaming #RGB

Edifier® International, prominent designer and award-winning manufacturer of consumer audio electronics for both the lifestyle and multimedia markets

No gaming set up is complete without speakers which deliver incredible sound, enhancing the experience of the game and ensuring you are totally immersed in your play. The new Edifier G2000 will make that happen. 

Although the speakers are only 2.75” high, they offer a punch-packing backward mega bass port, with up to 16W of RMS power output. The composite fibre sound basins, with their effective shield reflector cones, provide 8W + 8W of continuous, undistorted power, peaking at a value of 16W + 16W. With the subwoofer output interface included, the result is sound delivered at an exceptional quality. 

Featuring a sound chip perfected by the Edifier professional acoustic team, the fine-tuned EQ data algorithm offers three separate modes, easily adjusting between game, movie and music settings. This achieves an excellent sound quality across all listening types. 

Customise these speakers further, and consequently your desktop, using the RGB lights, allowing 12 light set ups to be chosen from with the touch of a button. 

The G2000 offers a range of connection options and is compatible with Bluetooth v4.2, USB and 3.5mm AUX; PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox, Laptop, TV, CD player and mobile phones can all easily be connected to begin your gaming experience. 

Contemporary design adds to the appeal of these speakers; 10 degree elevation ensures sound is projected to fill your gaming space, while the matte panels and metal laser engraving exude understated quality.

Easily adjust the volume using the mechanical shift lever on the unit. 

Priced at only £79.98, these speakers will deliver everything you need to enhance your gaming experience. 

Main Features:

  • 2.75-inch full-range unit with 16W RMS power output
  • Column-shaped cabinet with backward mega bass port
  • 12 light effects enhance the gaming experience
  • Mechanical shift lever easy to control volume
  • Music, game and movie sound modes supported
  • Bluetooth/USB sound card/AUX input available
  • Dedicated power adapter for stable and safe power supply
  • Subwoofer output interface included

 

Specifications

Bass unit 2 3/4 inch
Power output R/L: 8W + 8W
Maximum power 16W + 16W
Frequency response R/L: 98Hz -20KHz
Noise level ≤25dB(A)

 

Price & Availability:

 

The G2000 is available from Amazon at £79.98 – 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08FMFZNZD?ref=myi_title_dp 

Pure Telecom survey identifies that 28% of Irish people want career as online influencer. #Influencers

Pure Telecom, Ireland’s high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, today announced findings of a survey, highlighting that 28% of respondents would like to have a job as an online influencer as their main source of income. The survey of 1,000 consumers was carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom.

Pure’s survey also found that 50% of respondents feel they can earn more than the average national salary of €39,000 if they were an online influencer. Younger respondents are more convinced of the monetary gains, as 58% of respondents in the 18-23 age bracket surveyed believe they can earn more than the average wage as an online influencer. The figure lowers to 52% for the 24-39 segment.

Moreover, 67% of respondents admitted they had made purchases that were inspired by an online influencer over the last 12 months. In recent months, the Irish Government has considered the prospect of potentially leveraging online influencers to disseminate key COVID-19 messaging to younger demographics.

The rapid expansion in the number of online influencers making a living through their social media accounts has inspired many aspiring influencers to enter the space in recent years. Last year’s report by inzpire.me noted that attaining 42,575 Instagram followers is enough for an influencer to earn the average UK salary – underlining the greatly enhanced career viability of online influencers in recent times. Typically, prospective influencers try to organically build their own network of followers, before ultimately inking lucrative partnership deals with brands across fashion, beauty, health, and culinary verticals.

Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “For many, the viability of a career as an online influencer has now become undeniable, with the potential monetary gains associated with this new line of work continuing to turn heads. After a prolonged period of lockdown-induced reflection, I would imagine a sizable amount of the population are weighing up their career options, their life plans, and pouring more time and energy into passion projects. Having access to super-fast, reliable broadband is a fundamental part of helping people chart new paths forward.

 

“With more and more major brands now factoring influencers into their budgetary plans, the potential to make a living as an influencer has never been higher. Pure is proud to support new swathes of aspiring online influencers, connecting customers to the best value broadband based on their speed and bandwidth needs.”

 

Earlier this month, Pure Telecom signed a deal with BT Ireland worth up to €10 million, granting Pure Telecom access to SIRO’s nationwide high-speed fibre broadband network.

Royole’s new smart writing notepad, RoWrite 2, is now available. #Royole #RoWrite2 #Tech

Royole Corporation, an innovator and pioneer of the next-generation human-machine interface technologies and products such as fully flexible displays, fully flexible sensors, foldable smartphones and other smart devices, announces global launch of its RoWrite 2 smart writing notebook. Based on the company’s patented flexible electronics technologies, RoWrite 2 is designed to accurately capture, store, and share all manner of handwritten material (on regular paper) for digital use and improves upon its predecessor’s foundations while bringing fresh and exciting features.

Winner of 2020 CES Tech Awards and the Good Design Awards 2020, RoWrite 2 uses Royole’s industry-leading fully flexible sensor technology and can flex and bend just like a regular notepad. As well as being more flexible, RoWrite 2 is 50% lighter, significantly smaller and has an improved 30-day battery life compared to its predecessor. The upgraded magnetic pen, high-quality synthetic leather folio and aluminium construction complete a range of improvements, making RoWrite 2 an elegant, durable and ultra-portable solution.

Bill Liu, Royole’s CEO, had this to say about the RoWrite 2: “While its predecessor has become a favourite productivity tool during our working and learning from home routine, RoWrite 2 has so much more to give and love. We’re sure that RoWrite 2 will bring a new level of performance in its hardware, software and user experience. For those consumers who use the smart notebook and tablet for work and leisure will enjoy the experience it offers more than ever.”

With RoWrite 2, handwritten notes or sketches can be reproduced directly onto any smart devices, where they can be digitally edited and saved. Everything can be done in real time. The device can also work without the need of a smartphone or tablet. RoWrite 2’s new redesigned app is also far more capable, making it easier than ever to collate, file and compartmentalize all of your notes and share them to social media, colleagues, family and friends.

With 2048 different pressure levels of Royole’s flexible sensor, RoWrite 2 is incredibly sensitive and creates an accurate representation of the written material, providing a natural writing and drawing experience. RoWrite 2 can capture even the subtlest of strokes, giving the feeling of writing on paper. It is able to convert handwritten notes to text, for quick sharing meeting notes with colleagues, and is compatible with a standard filling for the pen and any A5 regular paper for the pad.

The RoWrite app allows users to digitally convert work to easily edit, playback in real time, change stroke thickness, writing instrument or add up to 20 colours, export a video (MP4) of your work to show your stroke sequence and the way to your conclusion. The cloud storage allows you to work on different devices and platforms. Your finished work can be shared across multiple channels including WhatsApp, OneDrive and email. With the app’s advanced features, work can be organised into personalised notebooks or easily located with search function.

With its compact, portable and beautifully designed features, RoWrite 2 is the perfect solution in many cases. With RoWrite 2, users can take notes in business meetings or easily share sketches with colleagues when working from home. During a collaborative signing ceremony, representatives may easily sign documents or broadcast the signing process. Artists can let their creativity flow with the natural feel of pen on paper, combined with the variety of colours and digital brushes available. It is also ideal for students taking notes in lectures or sharing work with classmates and teachers, especially for subjects where graphs or diagrams are common.

Royole RoWrite 2 is now available from www.global.royole.com with an SRP of $129.99.

Magnet promises to put the human back into customer service. #Magnet #Broadband

A new gigabyte broadband service, aimed at remote workers, has been launched with a “talk to a human” technical support guarantee.

Magnet Networks is promising that all technical support calls on its Business Broadband service will be answered by a technician almost instantly – meaning customers can escape the dreaded holding pattern or automated answering service.

It comes as new research shows the communications sector has seen its ‘You Get Me’ scores drop by almost 12% during Covid-19, leaving it at the bottom of the league table for customer experience scores for the second year. This compares to a 4% increase for supermarkets.

The recent customer experience report by the CX Company highlighted how being able to understand and empathise with a customer’s circumstances is even more important in these current times.

Ireland’s communications sector saw the largest decrease in customer experience and empathy across all of 10 sectors surveyed.

Separate research by customer and employee listening platform Usabilla, showed 73% of people of skip the automated answering service, often pressing “0” to reach a human first.

Louise McKeown, Marketing and Product Director, Magnet Networks

“No-one wants to be placed on hold for what seems like an indefinite duration at the very time when they may be frustrated and need advice on an issue,” said Magnet Networks Marketing Director Louise McKeown.

“We are offering a guarantee that if customers need technical assistance, their call will be answered almost instantly during business hours, they will speak directly to a technician and that an expert will be working on their query within 30 minutes of the call. 

“Our seven-day Ireland-based technical support services answer calls in an average of 11 rings. 

“With the current migration towards remote working, we are now bringing our business broadband to the home for employees, backed by a responsive business-class support network.” 

“We want to put the human back into technology and ensure a hassle-free experience for our customers.”

The Magnet Networks Business Broadband service is available to both consumers and businesses, and delivers business-class connectivity and customer service almost nationwide.

It offers a range of six speed options from 24 mbps up to 1 gbps, all of which come with a fixed IP address at no additional cost, allowing ease of access to office servers.

The cost for the 1 gbps service starts at €75 ex vat per month on the Business Broadband + package which gives customers the ability to add this to a current phone line without the need for additional line rental charges.

The first two months are free. For details and pricing see magnetnetworks.com.

New Launch – Lomography × Challenger Special Edition Simple Use Reloadable Camera. #Lomography #Cameras

Lomography has just announced the release of the new Simple Use Reloadable Camera Challenger EditionRemember these cameras folks? This special edition comes to you with an exclusive new look designed by Japanese street brand Challenger founder, designer and professional skateboarder, Satoru Taguchi. Taguchi has transposed his recognizable illustration style and popping color palette onto our Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera, and, with an exclusive Challenger logo sticker shot on LomoChrome Purple film included with every camera, this is our most electric edition to date. Available on their online shop and selected retailers.

Lomography have collaborated with Challenger and hope that this linkup will inspire creative minds across the globe to immortalize their analogue antics. Preloaded with psychedelic LomoChrome Purple film, portable and ready for anything – this easy-to-use number fits in your pocket and best of all, it’s reloadable – so you can shoot, reload and repeat the fun with any 35 mm film on the market! Made for street, action and creative photography this is a striking new edition to a much-loved family of Simple Use cameras.

Price: £22.90
Available via the shop link below.
https://shop.lomography.com/lomography-simple-use-reloadable-camera-lomochrome-purple-challenger-edition

Is In-Car Technology The Answer To Being Safer On The Roads? #RSA #Volvo #Motoring

1.3 million people die globally in traffic each year. Last year in Ireland there were *137 fatal collisions resulting in 148 fatalities on Irish roads. Leaders in safety, Volvo Cars, has saved a million lives since it first introduced the 3-point safety belt in 1959, which was invented by Nils Bohlin, a Volvo engineer. Now, Volvo Cars is committed to saving a million more lives and reducing road traffic deaths to zero through technological solutions. 

 

Driver Monitoring Camera  

Volvo Cars is working on new in-car solutions to help address intoxication and distraction in traffic, one of which is a Driver Monitoring Camera, which will be introduced on Volvo’s next generation SPA2 (Scalable Product Architecture)  platform in 2022. The Driver Monitoring Camera, together with other sensors, will allow the car to intervene when a clearly intoxicated or distracted driver risks serious injury or death. This new system will keep track of the driver’s visual behaviour, (eye movements and control, pupil reactions, scanning behaviour), reaction times, and other driving control behaviours to monitor if the driver is engaged in driving. If the system detects a pattern of vision and attention impairment, (e.g. specific eye movements and eye closures), along with other serious loss of driving control, the car will then go through three phases of help. 

 

  • Phase One: The car will first engage safety support systems to shield from consequences and encourage the driver to drive with care through information and warnings. 
  • Phase Two: If there is no improvement for an extended period, the car will then intervene by slowing down and for example contacting Volvo On Call for assistance services, if it detects that the driver’s behaviour will lead to severe dangers. 
  • Phase Three: Lastly, the car will eventually intervene and safely park on the side of the road.

Please see further information below and a very moving campaign video which highlights the importance the safety belt and the fact that ideas that change the world are often the most controversial.

 

Speed Cap

Data from the Road Safety Authority says that 2019 saw an increase in driver fatalities on the previous year, with the majority of fatalities occurring on higher speed roads. And, in a speed survey conducted by the RSA in 2018, *52% of drivers monitored were breaking the speed limit on urban roads, 27% on rural roads, and 23% on motorways. This year, to send a strong signal about the dangers of speeding, Volvo Cars has reduced the top speed of all new cars to 180 km/h, and it is looking at how smart speed control and geofencing technology could automatically limit speeds near schools and hospitals in the future.  

 

Volvo Driver Assistance System  

“It is easy to think that phones and screens are the only scourge of the modern driver, but life as a whole is distracting,” said Malin Ekholm, head of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre. “We know people do not get distracted on purpose, but it happens. You could be late for daycare and somewhat stressed. Or you get behind the wheel after a bad day at work. All this affects you as a driver. The reality is that people want to engage with friends, family, work and entertainment, and everyone responds differently to distraction. So, we want to meet our customers where they are, not where we want them to be. That is why our focus is on using technology in the right way, so we can use it to help you stay safe behind the wheel.” 

 

The Volvo driver assistance system can detect and help avoid a collision with other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. The systems support drivers with audible, visible, and brake pulse warnings when needed, and if a collision is imminent or if the driver should turn into the path of an oncoming vehicle in an intersection, the car can brake automatically. Also, inside the cabin of the new XC40 Recharge (expected in Ireland mid 2021), is an advanced voice control on Volvo Cars’ new Android-powered infotainment system, which allows drivers to control the temperature, set a destination, play their favourite music and podcasts or call their mum on her birthday – all while keeping their hands on the wheel.

“Being able to control key features on your Volvo by voice allows you to keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road,” said Malin Ekholm. “Active safety systems such as City Safety, Run-off Road Mitigation and Oncoming Lane Mitigation with steer assist can act as an extra pair of eyes watching over you.” 

Under its new company purpose, Volvo Cars aims to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable, and safe way. This purpose is reflected into a number of business ambitions: for example, by the middle of this decade it aims for half of its global sales to be fully electric cars and to establish five million direct consumer relationships. Volvo Cars is also committed to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.  

Tech Review – The Tranya T10 True Wireless earbuds #Tranya #TWS #Tech

The Tranya T10 are the latest on offer from the company and an improvement over the B530 we reviewed a while ago. Where these fair out better is the touch controls which are excellent and not ones you need to shove into your ears like some to get a command activated. These come equipped with fast charging and a nice level of bass and volume to boot and overall deliver on sound quality for the price you pay, In general earbuds are now getting much better value for money like smartphones and these are in the same league and offer it up to the competition out there now in the crowded market for earbuds but here is where the consumer wins by way of choice and value for money.

 

 

Features on the T10 include….

1. Utilizes a 12mm graphene driver that delivers more powerful, detailed sound with deep bass

2. Adopts advanced aptX and AAC codec technology for truly authentic sound with highly-pitched playback

3. The sound is expertly tuned with high clarity. The bass is powerful, tight and layered, the treble is clear and crisp

3. IPX7 water and sweat proof

4. With cVc 8.0 noise cancellation on the built-in microphone, it automatically reduces the background noise and optimizes the voice pick up

5. 8-hour playtime on a single charge and total 32-hour playtime with charging case

6. Supports fast charging with Type-C port and wireless charger

 

BUY HERE 

 

Check out the video review below for more..

 

 

Social Media for Gamers: Useful Instagram Tips.

Thanks to gaming celebrities like PewDiePie, and a couple of billion dollars the mobile game industry has reached recently in revenue, gaming has become one of the most lucrative gigs these days. Who would assume that something considered only a fun pastime would actually provide a nice living and be considered a profession. 

As the competition is growing, the stakes are getting higher. The modern-day gamer has to work twice as hard to break through the noise and achieve success in 2020. 

Enter Instagram as the perfect visually-oriented platform gamers can find tons of opportunity to promote on. Add the ridiculous popularity of Instagram amongst the perfect demographic – younger folks, and you’ve got the ideal scenario to promote your brand. 

 

If you’re looking for ways to promote your gaming channels through Instagram, we’ve got just the guide for you. For additional info and some advanced hacks, you can read more about instagram growth hacks. 

 

Know your lane

Breaking into the gaming Instagram world is similar to any other niche on the platform in the sense that it requires picking a niche and sticking to it. 

There’s nothing wrong with being the jack of all trades; however, it can be overwhelming trying to incorporate it all at once and succeed. It’s best to pick something you’re great at and add a little personal touch, or a twist, if you will.

For example, you can stream or screen record a specific game and narrate your personal, fun stories as you play. Or, give advice to your target audience on the topics they are most interested in. 

 

Be on-brand

Define your brand colours, logo, fonts, and all the other visual elements and sync it across all platforms. Let your Twitch and YouTube audience easily recognise and follow you on Instagram.

Aside from nailing those recognisability points, you’re also building credibility as a brand by investing in your branding. This also allows for great merch opportunities as you grow your audience. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1s-P-FHAQy/

 

Don’t forget the hashtags

Hashtags are the number one most powerful tool to grow your following on Instagram. And we’re not talking just any following, but a specific, targeted following that would want to engage with your content. 

To achieve this, naturally, you would have to include your niche hashtags, the ones your targeted audience uses. The winning formula goes something like this: use 10% of the super popular ones, 80% of niche-specific, and the remaining 10% should be your branded or super-specific hashtags. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGYFulTBRX0/

 

Use your Bio wisely

More specifically, the link in your Bio. The only clickable link on Instagram gets the most attention, so it’s crucial to be smart about it.

It’s an ideal opportunity to connect your Twitch or YouTube channels if the majority of your content is there. However, you can change it for the purpose of specific promotion on your website or if you want to direct your audience to buy your new merch. 

 

Test and analyse

Finally, behind any successful Instagram strategy, there are several that didn’t work. So, don’t be shy about trying different things and track their success. 

Experiment with different content, collaborate with influencers and different gaming brands and see what your audience responds to. 

The Instagram Insights provide a solid overview of all the data you need to track, such as reach, interactions, and followers. Of course, you have to switch to a business account to be able to access this feature. 

Over time, as you learn about your audience, you’ll be able to define the right posting schedule and content formats that work best. Until then, be prepared for some trial and error.

Review – Otterbox Symmetry case and Alpha Glass screen protector for the Google Pixel 5 #Pixel5

Otterbox is a well known case brand and have been a staple of case making for many years with their tough approach to protecting your smartphone, often bulky back in the day with technology things have changed and they now have more streamlined cases to protect your smartphone and a much wider range and also accessories to go with them. They have just launched a new case for the Pixel 5 and an Alpha Glass screen protector and both combined give your Google Pixel 5 the ultimate protection and will save you a fortune on repairing your phone if you drop it.

Check out the video review below for more and head over to their site to pick up the Case and Screen Protector and hopefully we will see more added to the range for the Pixel 5 soon..