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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.
Poly recently announced some new products that are ideal for the office and now the work from home environment which has seen a sharp rise due to the pandemic. The Voyager 4245 and Blackwire 8225 have arrived for testing and if you have any questions feel free to ask below or on any of our channels during the test period.
Blackwire 8225.
The Blackwire 8225 is easy for IT to deploy and manage and is designed to drastically reduce the noise and distraction that comes with every style of workplace – from the home office to the traditional office. Three settings of advanced hybrid active noise cancelling (ANC) technology allow users to adjust to fit their work environment and seamlessly tune out distracting household noises such as vacuum cleaners, or workplace chatter from colleagues. A noise-cancelling microphone enhanced with Poly Acoustic Fence technology ensures users sound crisp and clear from wherever they work by automatically reducing distracting background noise, like nearby talkers or dogs barking, so that the only sound heard on the other end of the line is clear, premium audio of the speaker talking.
The Voyager 4245 wireless headset system enables your employees globally to experience high levels of wireless freedom, comfort, and audio quality. Connecting to deskphones, PCs, and mobiles—the Voyager 4245 enables your journey from on-premises equipment to the cloud. Unlike other solutions, the Voyager 4245 Office delivers unlimited talk time,so you never lose that connection with a customer. It delivers 3-way connectivity for more flexibility and has Microsoft Teams certification to futureproof your devices.
Recently Urbanista announced their new TWS earbuds called the Stockholm Plus and we have just got the titanium version in which looks really cool. Today we take a first real hands on first look and if you have any questions in the interim please feel free to ask whilst we test them out. We will have our real hands on review soon here on site. For more information see HERE
Urbanista Stockholm Plus key features
20 hours total playtime
3.5 hours playtime
Bluetooth 5.0
IPX4 protected
Type C charging
Stereo phone calls
Voice and music controls
Touch control
Voice assistant (Siri and Google Assistant)
Compatible with iOS, Android and Windows devices
Slim, colour matches charging case with LED battery indicators
Charging case reset button
Stockholm Plus comes in a set of attractive colours, including Midnight Black, Fluffy Cloud, Rose Gold, Olive Green and Titanium. The product is available now at https://www.urbanista.com/stockholm-plus and authorised retailers globally.
A special occasion deserves a special edition: Sennheiser is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a limited edition of earbuds that truly put sound first. The MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 Anniversary Edition comes in an exclusive all-black design featuring the original Sennheiser logo on the earbuds and case. Created as a thank you to Sennheiser’s customers, it pays tribute to the company’s heritage and reflects the audio specialist’s longstanding commitment to creating unique listening experiences.
When heritage meets the Future of Audio It has been 75 years since Prof. Dr. Fritz Sennheiser founded the “start-up” that would become Sennheiser in a farmhouse near Hanover, Germany. Today, the company he created is still driven by the same passion for sound and a spirit of discovery.“Since our foundation in 1945, we have been setting standards in terms of audio quality and listening experiences that challenge the status quo. This was the ethos with which we created the second generation of our MOMENTUM True Wireless headphones”, said Daniel Sennheiser, co-CEO at Sennheiser, who alongside his brother Andreas Sennheiser is the third generation of the family to lead the company. “With the anniversary edition of these acclaimed headphones we are honouring our roots as well as offering a special thank you to our customers”, added Dr. Andreas Sennheiser, Co-CEO.
A tribute to the audio specialist’s heritage, the MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 Anniversary Edition comes in an exclusive all-black design featuring the original Sennheiser logo
A tribute to Sennheiser’s heritage, the MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 Anniversary Edition comes in an exclusive all-black design with the original Sennheiser logo on the earbuds’ iconic metallic spin ring and charging case.
Earbuds that put sound first The ideal choice for the discerning listener, the MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 Anniversary Edition delivers exceptional sound quality. Sennheiser’s 7mm dynamic drivers, designed and manufactured at the company’s headquarters in Germany, create superior stereo sound with deep bass, natural mids and clear, detailed treble.
The built-in equaliser and Sennheiser’s Smart Control App make it possible to tailor the audio experience to individual taste, while even noisy surroundings won’t compromise the audio quality, thanks to Active Noise Cancellation which works alongside the excellent passive noise isolation. Additionally, the earbuds’ Transparent Hearing feature allows the blending of ambient sound to offer a focused listening experience.
All-day listening pleasure With an outstanding 7-hour battery life, which can be extended to up to 28 hours by charging on the go using the case, audio lovers can truly enjoy an all-day listening experience.
The special edition of MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 offers an outstanding 7-hour battery life, which can be extended to up to 28 hours by charging on the go using the premium charging case
Like the MOMENTUM True Wireless 2, the special edition ensures a seamless user experience, thanks to intuitive touch controls that can even be customized to personalise controls for audio, calls and interacting with voice assistants such as Google Assistant or Apple Siri. Just as intuitive is the Smart Pause feature that anticipates the listener’s needs by pausing the audio when the earbuds are taken out and seamlessly resumes when replaced in the ear.
The MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 Anniversary Edition will be available from September 8 at Sennheiser for £279 (RRP).
Esri Ireland, the market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), today announces that Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council is using its digital mapping platform to develop a number of interactive resources to keep the public informed and support local business throughout COVID-19.
Built using Esri’s mapping software ArcGIS, the council created an interactive Open for Business map, which shows what shops and services are available to the public throughout the borough. The map also shows business opening hours, delivery and collection information and what safety measures the business has in place, all helping to support local enterprises as they reopen.
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council COVID-19 Vulnerable and Isolated Persons GIS Dashboard.
A dedicated COVID-19 information and advice hub also built using ArcGIS is available on the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council website and homes a wide collection of resources with further information and advice for local businesses, vulnerable members of society and the wider community in the area.
The council’s COVID-19 Coordination Hub connects people to vital community support services and has had more than 1,200 referrals to date from Advice NI and the Northern and Western Health and Social Care Trusts. It helps provide an important continuation of services and access to supports for the most vulnerable people during the pandemic.
Formed in 2015 following the merger of four different councils, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council provides public services to more 144,000 citizens throughout the region. Since its formation, the council has worked closely with Esri Ireland to implement GIS across the entire organisation, digitally transforming its services to enhance engagement with the public and enable better, more informed decision making.
Esri’s software enables legal and finance teams to view all of the council’s agreements, leases and licences on one secure platform, eliminating the need to review unwieldy paper-based records and saving both time and money for the council.
Esri’s survey app, Survey123, enables field-workers to gather data on mobiles, tablets and laptops from anywhere in the borough. This information, for example on the condition of local facilities and amenities, can be made available to view across the entire council for analysis in real-time.
Philip McLaughlin, Client Manager, Esri Ireland, said: “COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of clear communication between local government and the public. Having already rolled out GIS across many functions, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council was well-placed to leverage the power of digital mapping to create numerous rich information resources that are proving incredibly helpful to local businesses and residents.
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has leveraged Esri’s digital mapping technology to create a number of interactive resources to keep the public informed and support local business during COVID-19. Pictured (L-R) are: Nial McSorely, Digital Services Manager, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council; David Jackson, Chief Executive, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council; and Philip McLaughlin, Client Manager, Esri Ireland.
“In both supporting people and businesses during COVID-19, as well as using GIS to transform its processes and services, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has shown what is possible for a local authority willing to transform how they engage and collaborate with their community.”
Nial McSorley, Digital Services Manager, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, said: “The biggest challenge for us as a council is in how to interpret the sheer volume of information that is available today. With Esri’s digital platform, we can compress all the different information channels into a single source, enabling us to meaningfully analyse and use data to make intelligent decisions.
“As we look to move on responsibly from COVID-19 restrictions, we will again leverage digital mapping to stimulate local tourism and support the reopening of businesses. Beyond that, we will continue to roll out GIS to further areas in the council and ensure all members of our staff can access and use the platform to enhance every aspect of the public services we deliver.”
McCabes is an independent, family-owned pharmacy provider based in Ireland, operating 28 pharmacies and employing around 350 staff. It was founded in 1981 by Roy and Margaret McCabe as a single pharmacy in Malahide near Dublin, and has grown since then to become one of Ireland’s most loved providers of prescription medicines and health and beauty products. The business is still run by the McCabe family, who remain fully dedicated to offering an exceptional service to the communities they serve.
The challenge
McCabes prides itself on providing a comprehensive, consultative approach to its customers in-store, which is central to the company’s philosophy. This encompasses all aspects of its service offering, including aiding customers in navigating the complex process of buying skincare products.
With increasing numbers of customers moving to online shopping, McCabes had spent around 18 months implementing a digital-first strategy, overhauling its e-commerce capabilities so that it could better replicate the in-store experience. This began with stabilising and improving the company website, which included considerations such as SEO, cataloguing products correctly, and adding appropriate categorisation to assist customers when browsing.
However, there was still more that McCabes wanted to do to personalise the online skincare experience.
Sean Gleeson, E-Commerce Manager at McCabes, said: “When our customers shop in-store, we want them to very much feel part of the McCabes family, which means we’re passionate about providing a personalised service. This is the ideal approach when selling skincare products, where customers often need a helping hand.
“However, the nature of e-commerce means it’s much more difficult to recreate this experience online. Skincare in particular is an area where the browsing and buying journey can be highly complex due to the diversity of products on offer, so we needed a way to make this much more straightforward for customers.
The solution
To bring this extra element of personalisation, McCabes enlisted the help of Conversity, leading to the adoption of an intelligent guided selling (IGS) solution for La Roche-Posay skincare products, known as the Skincare Advisor.
In building the tool, Conversity worked to gain an understanding of the shopper mindsets of McCabes’ skincare customers. Some are looking for beauty products that specifically target the face. Others are browsing for specialised sun protection to suit a variety of needs and skin types. Many are also interested in high-quality skincare products for their children.
Once these mindsets had been established, Conversity worked on enriching the data that McCabes had on its customers, applying dynamic search, recommendation and segmentation logic to the IGS tool.
Gleeson added: “The Skincare Advisor is the exact kind of technology we needed to bridge the gap between in-store and online personalisation. Properly replicating the McCabes store experience required us to better understand our customers’ online behaviour, which meant having a system in place that draws meaningful, actionable insight from all of our customer data.”
The results
Since implementation, the tool has been hugely successful in driving purchases of La Roche-Posay products. Some of the highlights that can be attributed to the presence of the IGS tool include:
La Roche-Posay skincare sales saw increases of 2,157% in May 2020 compared to May 2019
Online turnover increased by 176% when comparing all of 2019 vs Jan to May 2020
Between 18th March and 30th March, there was a 157% increase in products added to baskets compared to the period of 1st January to 17th February, demonstrating the tool’s usefulness during the Covid-19 lockdown
Between 1st January and 30th March, 35% of customers using the Intelligent Guided Selling tool clicked the ‘Add to basket’ button after viewing products
The average session duration on McCabes’ ecommerce platform has more than doubled from 1 minute 16 seconds, to 2 minutes 46 seconds
Average order value has increased by 27%
McCabes has an average rating of 4.9 stars on Trustpilot
Gleeson said: “Having Conversity’s IGS tool in place has been incredibly powerful in helping us maintain those all-important connections with our customers. With the Skincare Advisor, we feel we’ve empowered our customers to browse, select and purchase products with the utmost confidence, while still retaining the human element of the experience that is so important to our business.
“We have also noticed a significant halo effect from having the Skincare Advisor in place, with skincare customers showing increased engagement with other areas of our e-commerce offering.
“We are now planning to extend IGS to other skincare brands that we offer, as well as other core areas of our business, including allergy and vitamin products. We believe this will be key in helping us build a truly world-class e-commerce experience in the long term.”
The 3rd Gen Moto 360 is the latest on offer and vastly improved over the well received first model that came out some years ago and in short for me it takes me away from my phone more now which is not a bad thing and effectively acts as a detox tool for me with rich notifications. Having a companion device is handy for most if you can find one that is affordable as there is many out there today that are not cheap and you could say this falls into that category as is and it was missing one big feature which would make the sale easier and that is it is missing a speaker to take calls on and would probably detach me from my phone even more. It is now on sale for 219 euro which is good but at the full price of 299 it is harder to swallow but do check the pricing as it does vary.
The build quality is excellent here and a watch I have yet managed not to scratch the screen on due to the corning gorrila glass 3 and stainless steel build which makes it a more robust watch compared to the plastic version 1 which I still have and it is more beefy looking with two buttons on the right and one being a dialler that turns to navigate through the menu set up which is cool but you can also do the same by touch on the screen,it is akin to apples digital crown if you will.
Spec wise it comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 with 1GB RAM + 8GB Internal Memory,Bluetooth 4.2 and quick charge which is really good at 0-100% in 60 minutes with a 355mAh battery. The display is a 1.2″ Circular AMOLED (390×390) Full color always on display but has a bezel inside which takes up some screen estate which would have suited it better if not there I have seen smaller bezels on phones. You have GPS, NFC for google pay heart rate 3ATM water resistance.
On a whole the watch does deliver minus the usual Android wear bugs and for me has worked quite well and you can customise the watch as before with faces built in or like in my case I have used Facer but went back to the original watch face as I did with the first model, You can add information (tiles) to the screen to get the most use out of the watch too which again takes you away from your mobile phone and set what notifications you want this will impede on battery life too which is moderate but again this is down to the watch face you use and how much information is being sent to the phone and I went max out here because I want to spend less time on my phone and the fact you can directly respond to notifications on the watch makes it even better given there is limitations and a tiny keyboard you do have some predefined messages there that are brief but it does the job for me.
Yes you can screenshot your watch face by using the app which is handy for information or whatever the case might be for using it and a nice option to have at your disposal and you can see an array of images taken above of the OS and so on.
For me this is a great watch and the pricing depending on where and when you buy it and to compare it to others out there it has alot going for it but no stand out feature to buck the current trend and they missed out here by not having a speaker either, there is no wireless charging either and the design of the charging puck is rather odd with how the cable underneath was placed when it could of been easily just a plug in from the side and again proprietary charging which needs to go and that applies to most smartwatch makers and just make them USB/C.
OG MOTO 360
OG MOTO 360
3RD GEN
3RD GEN
This product was sent to us by Motorola with no compensation paid nor influence on my thoughts they are seeing the review the same time as you..
We have reviewed the much welcomed Neos Security Camera last year here on techbuzz but they have some new additions to the family and are building an ecosystem and going forward Neos should look into outdoor camera to complete this and it would be an affordable win for the consumer. Why I say this is I have several systems in operation here and I just want one complete one with ONE app and not several but due to timing of products and availability and so it has not happened just yet and we have more new home security packages here to review and it is good timing due to the darker evenings and mornings soon approaching and due to the pandemic we all need to recheck out home security status.
Most of us have been at home and now work from home but there is demographic heading back to work and perhaps have forgotten to recharge the batteries and check their security system so go do it now. I have had this product prior release date and being a beta tester ran into issues but it is how it is so I could not give a real opinion but now I have the problems fixed I can and it is a win win for the consumer and simplicity is also a key factor in setting up..
These packs are great although some different configurations might be better to enhance the overall experience you could cover your house downstairs with 3/4 door sensors and cameras however this depends on your set up and you could buy separately these are small discreet cameras but everyone’s house if different and to have all doors covered would require more than one camera even though the motion sensor can pick up motion. More cameras are better, Speaking of NEOS should look into outside your house, prevention is better than cure and I feel they will look into this area if they dont well I give up ,if someone gets in they will do what they have to do and leave and at a cost but if they can be caught outside it leaves options open.
The leak detectors offer more though similar to MINUT POINT which has no cameras and again good idea but with this there is no visual evidence at hand to capture intruders. Having the leak detection though gives you a chance to act on an alert and placing them in the right place is important, I have moved into a new house and had water marks on the wall in my kitchen on the extension but they have seemed to have stopped so I placed the leak sensor there for now to see if anymore leaking was detected as the builder said it is the house settling which is plausible so i ran a test leaving them on top of doors just to see and kept giving me high temp warnings, It has been warm but you can adjust the parameters to fix this,now they are placed under places known for leaks in general and all is fine …
Notifications are quick which is important and no lag seen here the entry sensor kits and pir work quite well and deliver on what they are made for, entry sensors are quite handy as they can indicate the obvious and if placed right can also indicate if someone is at your door or trying to gain access, again I bring up the exterior cameras or even sensors NEOS should look into. Overall though this is a really great purchase to invest in and can only get better over time building on their ecosystem.
The Smart Leak Sensor Kit is designed to detect a single drop of water, preventing small leaks from turning into big problems. It also alerts you to unexpected changes to your home with built-in temperature and humidity sensors. The Smart Motion Kit can capture movements with the Neos Smart Motion Sensor and make any household item smart, from your cat flap to the cookie jar, with its contact sensor. Both kits integrate with the Neos SmartCam, converting it into a bridge so you can connect all your devices wirelessly and manage them from a single app to check up on your home from wherever you are in the world.
Neos Smart Leak Sensor Kit features:
3x Leak Sensor
Built-in Temperature Sensor
Built-in Humidity Sensor
1x Smart Bridge
Built-in battery Life Indicator
Neos Smart Motion Kit features:
2x Open/Close Sensor
1x Motion Sensor
1x Smart Bridge
Built-in battery Life Indicator
You can find out more about Neos and its smart home technology here: https://shop.neos.co.uk
NEOS sent us this to review with no copy approval, compensation or influence and are seeing this the same time as you.
Boston Scientific engineers have helped the Covid Response Team non-profit group develop an emergency ventilator that is targeted for use in the developing world as countries respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is the latest member of the Irish Medtech Association to be spotlighted as part of its ongoing #MedtechGoodNews campaign.
Boston Scientific employees are also involved with a project called E-vent, which is focused on designing, fabricating and assembling a manual resuscitator that could potentially provide longer-term ventilation for patients.
Sinead Keogh, Director of the Irish Medtech Association said;
“The support for this not-for-profit initiative by Boston Scientific shows how Irish Medtech Association members are responding to needs of developing parts of the world and their populations that live there during the pandemic. The acute and ongoing shortage of ventilators in low income countries is humanitarian disaster and requires an urgent response. The Irish medtech sector, as a global leader, has made an important impact in its response to COVID-19. The Irish Medtech Association will continue to highlight how medtech leaders in Ireland are assisting the frontline fight against COVID-19 here, and across the world”.
Vice President Operations at Boston Scientific in Galway, James Lyons, said;
“We couldn’t be prouder of our teams at our Galway, Cork and Clonmel facilities and how they have responded to the needs of others during this crisis. From volunteering to make PPE for local frontline workers, to helping others develop emergency medtech equipment for developing countries, our 5,000+ Irish employees have made an exceptional contribution to local, national and even international Covid-19 response efforts.”
The first ever videogame based on the award-winning television series Peaky Blinders – one of the most popular dramas on global TV in recent years- Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is out today on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The game is being published by Curve Digital and has been developed by award winning indie studio, FuturLab in collaboration with the creative and production teams behind Peaky Blinders, the independent production company Caryn Mandabach Productions.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind is a puzzle-adventure game where players take on the roles of Tommy Shelby and his gang as they seek to take control of the streets of Birmingham in the early 20th century.
Set immediately before the events of the first season, players join the Shelby family’s criminal organisation as they unearth a sinister plot to put Tommy out of business. The game is designed to sync with Tommy’s talent for planning out complex scenarios in his head, with players setting out strategies by taking control of key members of the Shelby family down on the ground.
Peaky Blinders: Mastermind will allow players to set and rewind each character’s path in order to tune all of their actions for perfect coordination, tactically utilising characters and stealth to solve increasingly complex puzzles.
James Marsden, Founder, FuturLab said:
“After having the pleasure of working with this license, we’re super excited to see the hard work from all involved come to fruition today. Our concept came down to a simple idea at the heart of the show: The Soldier’s Minute; where everything in a battle can be decided. This idea inspired us to offer the player an opportunity to feel as smart and powerful as Tommy Shebly, coordinating all the Peaky Blinders to pull off daring acts in perfect sync..”
Simon Byron, Publishing Director, Curve Digital added:
“There’s often scepticism about licensed titles, which is why we have been so delighted to work with FuturLab and their concept – The Soldier’s Minute – it felt like a fresh, innovative approach to how to design a licensed game, and was clearly a perfect fit for the franchise. We hope the game resonates with fans now that they can get their hands on the title.”
“James and his team at FuturLab found an ingenious way to take the DNA of Peaky Blinders and turn it into an utterly compelling game. I’m thrilled beyond measure that both fans of the show and players new to our world will finally be able to experience it for themselves.’
In Peaky Blinders: Mastermind players CAN: –
Witness the rise of Tommy Shelby as the true leader of the Peaky Blinders in early 20th century Birmingham
Utilise Tommy’s prowess for planning to set up complex scenarios
Control Tommy, Arthur, Polly and more on the ground as they pull off mission after mission
Peaky Blinders Season 1 to 5 are currently on Netflix in the UK. The fifth season launched on BBC One in autumn 2019 to its highest ratings yet.
Created and written by Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises and Locke), the multi-award-winning BBC One and Netflix series is produced by Peaky Blinders official brand owner Caryn Mandabach Productions and by Banijay UK’s Tiger Aspect Productions.
Endemol Shine Group represents a range of global ancillary rights for Peaky Blinders which is distributed by Endemol Shine across more than 180 countries.
