Leading real hands on tech review site in Ireland with technology, business news and more. Jim O Brien Tech.
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.
If you are on the lookout for some new True Wireless and are on a budget these are something to check out and do a great job at the price they come in at and are ideal for fitness folk, One thing that is a staple for fitness gurus is having true wireless that will not budge and these certainly do not move after my testing.
When it comes to sound they do a decent job too and have all the controls at your fingertips with a clicky button rather than one you tap which works best for me but a touch sensitive area is no different either for me. The design and fit is spot on and there is a selection of tips to get that right fit that will give you some isolation. The sound is good overall and well balanced not the best in the world but for the price you pay here you really cant complain,they sound good overall on calls and using the likes of netflix and you tube with no lag latency noticed. Battery life is also decent here too and you get around 6 hours of use in total but overall 30 with the case on the go which is pretty good. See the first look of the EXEC and ATHLETE
Jam Audio sent us this to review there was no compensation and have had no influence or copy approval.
PRODUCT FEATURES
6+ hours of playtime, 30+ hours total with charging case
IPX5 sweat resistant and all-weather ready
Over-ear hook design for ultra-secure, comfortable fit
The Jam Audio Exec are an affordable pair of TWS earbuds with the common stem on board which suits some people, Some folk dislike the stem approach but I do not really mind once they sound good,the stems are getting shorter having said that since the inception of the overpriced airpods and there is real value to be had these days buying true wireless and these are pair that fit right in.
These come in a circular puc style case which is nice and it can open either side by the swivel lid on top,these are a touch based approach too which is an issue for some as they prefer a button just like the ATHLETE but they are easy to adopt to and you will be able to execute your controls in no time.
We go through all the motions in the video review below, you get decent battery life in these too over the ATHLETE version which is ideal for commuters and so on and of course you get more juice from the case provided which fits in any pocket. Sound is good in general as a whole and pretty much the same as the ATHLETE version with a nice bass tone and decent highs,lows and mids for the price they come in at, if it is your first pair of TWS you will not be disappointed with no lag latency noticed during my testing either.
PRODUCT FEATURES
8+ hours of playtime, 32+ hours total with charging case
Dual microphones for background noise reduction and call clarity
IPX4 rating for sweat-proof and weather-resistant design
Intelligent tap touch controls
Micro USB charging
Three size ear tips (S, M, L)
Bluetooth® 5.0
SKU: HX-EP625
RRP £69.99
Jam Audio sent us this to review there was no compensation and have had no influence or copy approval.
Sony today announced the WH-1000XM4, the 4th generation over-ear wireless noise cancelling headphones in Sony’s award-winning 1000X family. The latest headphones offer all the much-loved technology from the hugely popular WH-1000XM3, with additional intelligent features that allow you to personalise and control your music, improve noise cancellation and adjust ambient sound automatically based on your preferences for a superior sound experience.
Superior silence, superior sound
Whether you’re flying long haul or relaxing in a café, the WH-1000XM4 headphones deliver Sony’s best ever noise cancelling performance, reducing high and mid frequency sounds. With two microphones on each earcup, being used for noise cancelling, our Dual Noise Sensor technology captures ambient noise and passes the data to the trusted HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1. Then a new BLUETOOTH® Audio SoC (System on Chip) senses and adjusts to music and noise at over 700 times per second. Using a new algorithm, the HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 applies noise cancelling processing in real time. This allows the user to focus more on the music they love and blur out the chaos of the outside world.
Using Edge-AI, DSEE Extreme more accurately rebuilds audio lost during digital compression for a full fidelity experience. Edge-AI analyses music in real time and recognises instruments, music genres and individual elements of each song to restore the high range sounds lost in compression for a richer, more complete listening experience. To build this AI system, Sony has worked with Sony Music Studios Tokyo to gather data on music to garner true insight into how specific music signals are composed.
360 Reality Audio, a new immersive audio experience, can be enjoyed on the WH-1000XM4 headphones when combined with an Android™ smartphone/iPhone that has a participating streaming services app installed. The 360 Reality Audio listening experience immerses you in the music as if you are right in front of your favourite artist. Listeners can enjoy a custom immersive musical field that is perfectly optimized for each individual user when using the WH-1000XM4 headphones and the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app.
Smarter listening experience like no other
Adaptive Sound Control on the WH-1000XM4 is a smart function that senses where you are and what you’re doing then adjusts ambient sound settings for the ideal listening experience. Over time, Adaptive Sound Control learns to recognise locations that you frequently visit such as your workplace, gym or favourite café, and tailors sound to suit the situation. So, if you’re travelling you can lose yourself in your journey with no background noise to interrupt your favourite tracks. Or if you’re walking you can be aware of everything around you while still enjoying your music. You can set up your frequently visited locations and your preferred settings via the “Sony | Headphones Connect App” and ambient sound settings will automatically update as you move between different environments.
Everyday convenience
New to the WH-1000XM4 is ‘Speak-to-Chat’, an innovative feature that lets you have short conversations without taking your headphones off, making ordering a coffee whilst listening to music even easier. Just simply say something and the headphones will recognise your voice, automatically stop your music and let in ambient sound so you can conduct a conversion without removing your headphones. The music automatically starts playing again 30 seconds after you’ve last spoken. ‘Quick Attention’ mode is available on the WH-1000XM4 so if you want to listen to an announcement or say something briefly, you simply place your right hand over the earcup to decrease the volume instantly and let ambient sound in.
The WH-1000XM4 now comes with wearing detection. The headphones detect whether they are being worn and adapts playback accordingly to help save battery power. Using the headphone’s proximity sensor and two acceleration sensors, the headphones automatically stop the music when you remove them and resumes playing when you put them on again, providing an effortless listening experience.
The WH-1000XM4 features new Precise Voice Pickup technology. This controls five of the microphones in the headphones optimally and performs advanced audio signal processing to pick up voices clearly and precisely for hands-free calls and Speak-to-Chat.
Pursuit of ultimate design
WH-1000XM4 blends sophisticated styling with an exceptional comfort and light-weight design, you’ll barely notice you’re wearing them. Designed for those who travel frequently, the super-soft, pressure relieving earpads evenly distribute pressure and increase ear/pad contact for a stable fit.
For total convenience, the WH-1000XM4 can be paired with two BLUETOOTH® devices at the same time[6]. When a call comes in, your headphones know which device is ringing and connect to the right one automatically. You’ll also be able to quickly and smoothly switch your headphones to either of the two devices at a single tap.
The WH-1000XM4 are NFC and BLUETOOTH® enabled and have a battery life of up to 30 hours and quick charging function giving you up to 5 hours of wireless playback from 10 minutes of charging.
The WH-1000XM4 also supports Google’s helpful new Fast Pair feature that lets you easily locate where you left your headphones by ringing them.
The latest model includes the same touch panel controls as its predecessor and are optimised for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa so you can manage your day by asking your favourite voice assistant.
The industry-leading Noise Cancelling wireless headphones WH-1000XM4 will be priced at approximately £350 / €389 Ireland and available later this summer in black and silver.
Whilst we are waiting on the original cases to drop by and other third party case this one from KW Mobile might fit the bill if you cant wait,quite similar to the original case coming in at around 10 euro including shipping it is not a bad buy and looks well and comes in multiple colours too,access to all ports and buttons are there with a lip on the front of the device and the camera hump and fingerprint sensor is also protected on the rear,also it gives you additional grip,check out the video review below for more.
COMPATIBILITY: Made to fit Google Pixel 4a
CANVAS: Smartphone case is made of durable and resistant fabric for a classic and lightweight, slim look
PROTECTION: Case covers all four corners of phone to protect it from shocks, falls, drops, bumps and scratches
ANTI SLIP: Textured canvas material provides ultimate non-slip grip and stability when handling your phone
PERSONAL TOUCH: Personalize and protect your phone with a stylish cover in green
We purchased this product and KW Mobile have not seen this review before you.
Granite Digital, Ireland’s leading full-service digital transformation agency, today announces that it has acquired Dublin-based digital and creative marketing agency, Connector. Granite Digital is forecasting additional revenues of €1 million over the next 12 months following the acquisition.
Connector is a multi-award winning creative agency which has developed innovative digital campaigns for leading Irish and multinational brands, such as Volkswagen, Dr. Oetker, Huawei, FreeNow, RTÉ, KBC Bank and Littlewoods Ireland. The agency offers digital strategy, content creation and influencer marketing services.
The acquisition of Connector opens a global market opportunity for Granite Digital, contributing to its increased forecasted revenues. Connector is already involved in the development of several projects with multinational clients in global markets, creating the opportunity for Granite Digital to offer these clients a range of additional digital services both in Ireland and overseas.
Granite Digital will retain the Connector brand and all of its existing employees, making it the largest independent digital agency in Ireland. The Granite Digital senior management team saw the opportunity to greatly enhance its creative offering and can now provide clients with a full suite of digital marketing services, as well as web and application development and design from the one entity.
Connector will continue to provide innovative campaigns and projects to its existing clients, now with additional digital and development services available, Conor Lynch, founder and former CEO exits the business to launch his new venture SelfMakers.com, a platform offering personalised career plans to enable employees, entrepreneurs, freelancers and others to achieve self-made success.
Announcing the axquisition of Connector by Granite Digital are (L-R) Ivan Adriel, CEO, Connector, and Seamus White, co-founder and Partner Granite Digital
Granite Digital, which has offices in Dublin, Cork and Galway, remains on track to achieve its €10 million annual revenue target by 2023. In combination with strong organic growth, Connector is the latest company to be acquired as part of Granite Digital’s wider acquisition strategy to ensure it achieves its growth targets. The company also recently acquired application developer, Apps Made Easy, and is open to further opportunities.
Ivan Adriel, is Connector’s current CEO. He will assume a wider role as Granite’s Creative Strategy Director. He commented: “Both during and following restrictions imposed by COVID-19, it is more important than ever for businesses to leverage creative and digital opportunities to remain competitive in a changing world. For example, with less people on the high street, we are helping brands to divert out of home advertising spending into innovative areas, such as our influencer platform, to ensure that brands and their campaigns can still reach their target audience no matter where they are located.
“The coming together of Connector and Granite Digital means clients can get the best of creativity and the best of digital in a one-stop shop. With us, companies can now enjoy a seamless integration of all digital and creative channels, activities and strategies – ensuring brand consistency and significant cost savings.”
Seamus White, Co-Founder and Partner, Granite Digital, said: “This acquisition is fantastic news for everyone within Granite Digital and Connector and especially our existing and prospective clients. With our combined skills and knowledge, we can now truly provide companies both in Ireland and overseas with market-leading digital and creative services. Connector’s involvement on global projects with huge blue-chip organisations is opening entirely new doors for us, enabling Granite to offer a full suite of digital services to some of the world’s most recognised brands.
“It was evident from the outset that this partnership was the perfect fit not only from a business perspective, but also culturally. We share the same vision of enabling brands to thrive through rich engagement, excellent user-experience and highly-coordinated messaging, with the Connector team bringing real creative flair to this ambition. We are excited to bring our combined skills and knowledge to bear to provide brands with the creative edge needed to stand out from the pack and succeed today”.
Doing the hoovering is a chore nobody likes most would admit but with the tech now being used with such products in the home that may fast change, OK it is not a hoover that does the work for you like deebot for example but it makes like easy and kinda fun and if you are on a weight watch plan or counting calories this could be the one to look at even I enjoyed using it over the last few weeks.
This comes packed with accessories and is light and reminds me of a play gun if you will only loaded with more lights and switches and real functionality and for the most part it does a great job and makes life that bit more simple.. I like many have one of the older type hoovers a HETTY which as we know has to be dragged around the place and you are limited by having to plug in to a power socket and keep moving plugs to get jobs done and it is also cumbersome and annoying dragging up and down the stairs,with the H-FREE 800 this all vanishes being wireless and having the ability to carry a bag armed with goods too to get the job done.
The H-FREE 800 however is not a hoover you will get the entire house done in one swoop though due to the battery life which is its only caveat from my testing as it does hoover up the dirt rather well and has an easy empty option which would be a bin in any room of the house,the storage container on the hoover is not huge therefor making it an easy disposal option in any room of the house or even the loo…
The portability factor is what will sell this hoover given it might be a bit top heavy for some,along with the app that defines your usage and calorie loss, you can use this indoors or outdoors be it in your car,shed or external office and not have to worry about wires,Using a hoover like this will change your habit of doing the whole house in one go which is not a bad thing either as you can do a percentage of the work then recharge it and go do something while it is charging so it can split up the cleaning process which for me works better.
THE APP
1 / 7
You can reach high presses,sills window frames curtains,down the backs of radiators wardrobes presses and more with all the accessories that come with it including pet hair removal which is a non issue for me but I found that brush is great on the stairs. The main part of the hoover does a really good job on the tough work say on carpets etc and I have noticed less work is required to get the job done lets say over the HETTY you have a turbo button too which does drain your battery quicker and again the average of 35 mins is brought down some more using the turbo constantly but the turbo is turbo and gets the job done.
As a male I do hoover a bit but since this came into the house I have enjoyed doing it and poor HETTY has been left aside and the smiley face ain’t so smiley now to a hoover many people adore but technology is moving on and I keep with the times and using this H-FREE 800 makes life easier and give me stats on the go which is something myself and any others would be interested in, the hoover is not heavy nor is the accessories all piled into the bag and just makes life even easier and even the men will enjoy the ugly task of doing the hoovering. Portability wins here in getting the job done and much more.. The only caveats is the battery having said tha tthat is down to how you hoover your home again its portable and can be brought outside,the continuous switch which you keep hitting accidently and it could be made shorter and that was with myself and others here in the house having the same report.
Hoover sent us this to review and are seeing this the same time as you,no compensation was paid nor did they get a preview.
Emporia is a company that makes mobile phones for the senior generation which is quite large here in the UK and Ireland and offer several devices which some are smart, smart they are they are made with an easy to use UI and not a convoluted mess with lengthy menus and submenus.
Recently we tested out the smart 3 mini which is a touch screen smart phone but this one today is a flip phone which is making a comeback and again simple to use with no complex menus and a reminder of how phones looked like before..
The design and build quality is nice and feels nice in the hand and can be opened with one hand,you have an external 1.77 inch mini display that shows time,date and notification icons at a glance,the buttons are a key part of the design here and are really nice to use but for those who text you are brought back to the old way of texting using the numbers to get through you text as you once did before but you get use to it quickly.
You have a torch,emergency care button and two very visible coloured keys on the front to answer and hang up, you have bluetooth and a basic 2mp camera that can shoot video too but it is not anything to write home about there but they are there just in case and can take photos you can make out, again this is a phone that could be great for a detox,in fact I was out recently for the first time since the lockdown from a meal and two of my friends have gone back to the old nokia 105 phones to get away from the world of social media and this phone can do just the same with no option to add apps.
If you want something easy to use and get away from it all this is seniors device but anyone can use it plus it stands out in the colour it comes in too,check out the device below in the video as we walk through the options and what it has to offer.
Call for care emergency button
Clamshell design with 2.4” main LCD colour screen & 1.77” external display. 2MP camera. Dimensions 104.3 x 51.5 x 18.6 mm
Bluetooth and Micro USB connectivity with MicroSD card slot
Space for 300 contacts
Extras include calendar, torch, wallpapers and additional battery cover (without emergency button)
Emporia mobile sent us this to review and had no influence on my findings and no compensation was paid,they are seeing the review the same time as you.
Twelve South today introduces the BookBook for Kindle Paperwhite, a vintage-inspired one-of-a-kind case designed to protect Amazon’s latest e-reader. Enhancing the joy of reading, BookBook transforms the Kindle Paperwhite into what looks and feels like an elegant leather-bound hardcover book.
Made from hand-distressed, genuine leather which is different and unique on every BookBook, this case not only protects the Kindle Paperwhite, it disguises it, making it less tempting to thieves. The hardback cover, reinforced corners and rigid spine shields the Kindle Paperwhite from drops as well as dings and scratches caused by keys and other sharp objects in a purse or backpack. A soft interior lining keeps the Kindle Paperwhite free from marks with dual zippers ensuring the covers stay firmly closed while still allowing users to charge the device inside.
Making the BookBook case even more novel is the integrated folding kickstand that props up the Kindle Paperwhite for hands-free reading, perfect for those bookworms who want to finish a chapter over breakfast or lunch. The BookBook for Kindle Paperwhite also opens and closes just like a book to wake your Kindle or put it to sleep. Whether users are reading the latest news on their way to work or immersed in a best-selling thriller by the pool while on holiday, the BookBook for Kindle Paperwhite is a must-have for those who want to protect their personal library.
“Every Mac friend I know has a Kindle for ‘reading-only’ time. Me too!” said Andrew Green, Co-founder of Twelve South. “Our new BookBook for Kindle Paperwhite gives our customers a vintage case that adds tons of personality and protection. There are plenty of plain cases for Kindle – now customers can have a case for their Kindle as interesting as the stories inside.”
The Twelve South BookBook is compatible with the Kindle Paperwhite 10th generation. It is available now for £49.99 at Amazon.co.uk and is part of the BookBook collection of cases which includes BookBook for iPhone, iPad and MacBook.
8×8, a leading integrated cloud communications platform provider, today announced that Kingspan Water and Energy Limited, a division of leading insulation and building envelope solutions provider, Kingspan Group plc, has deployed 8×8 X Series to support their global growth and streamline the employee and customer experience.
Founded in 1965 and headquartered in Ireland, Kingspan has grown from a small family business to a global leader with more than 15,000 employees across over 70 countries. Growing predominantly through acquisitions, the company was challenged by having many disparate legacy on-premises telephony and contact centre systems in use across the organization.
With growing demand for a single voice, video, team chat and contact centre solution, Kingspan needed to retire legacy PBXs and contact centre solutions and bring everyone onto a new cloud communications platform to improve employee productivity and customer experience. There was also a need to address significant gaps identified in its customer analytics and data. With multiple vendors and platforms used across the business and in different locations, having a single view of a customer had been an almost impossible task. In order to achieve this they required a single vendor to unite data spanning across their international offices, providing them with the insights needed to remain competitive in their market.
Working with their local technology partner Outsource, a leading solutions provider with vast experience in delivering solutions to mission critical business’, Kingspan selected the 8×8 Open Communications Platform for operate-from-anywhere enterprise communications, combining voice, team chat, meetings, and contact centre solutions fuelled by shared intelligent communications services like AI-driven expert routing and predictive analytics.
Starting in the UK, Kingspan will deploy 550 seats of 8×8 cloud communications and contact centre seats across six countries, with first line support provided by 8×8 and Outsource.
The solution will offer a single view of data and analytics across every interaction, boost employee and contact centre agent communication and collaboration, as well as improve customer insights. Scalability and extensibility of 8×8’s cloud technology means that Kingspan can roll out more services and reach more users across Kingspan’s international business, without the need for any infrastructure installation. With features like 8×8’s ready-to-use integrations and APIs also means that Kingspan can integrate its ERP and CRM systems with its communications platform effortlessly in due course.
“We’re moving toward a digital workplace and it’s proving a powerful enabler for our business as we continue to grow. Not only does it allow us to improve employee productivity, but access to more data allows us to improve business insights and meet ever-changing customer needs. Working with local contacts at Outsource, who had global experience and expertise, was critical in helping us identify the best solution to meet our needs. We’ve got a great relationship with both Outsource 8×8 that inspires confidence. They work hard, they’re responsive, and their solutions lead the field, based on our experience,” said Richard Gray, IT Manager – Operations at Kingspan Water and Energy.
“We are delighted to be working with Kingspan as they make their move to the cloud. 8×8 is committed to helping organisations improve employee productivity and customer experience as well enabling them to operate from anywhere, should they need to,” said Jamie Snaddon, Managing Director, EMEA at 8×8. “Withcloud communications now core to business operations, Kingspan has a future-proof communications strategy in place, increasing their business responsiveness, productivity and resilience. We look forward to working closely with Kingspan as they continue to scale their cloud communications operation across the globe”.
