Jim O Brien/CEO - techbuzzireland.com

emporia to launch its mobile handsets in the UK and Ireland in 2020 #emporia #mobile

Mobile industry veteran Chris Millington has been appointed to launch the emporia Telecom brand in the UK and Ireland in early 2020. The UK and Ireland add to emporia’s current market presence in 30 countries, with the brand having grown across Europe since initially offering fixed-line devices in 1991, and mobile devices from 2003.

emporia, a multi-national private company based in Austria, exists to offer customers user-friendly products. Its portfolio features a range of telecommunication devices specially designed and adapted for the changing lives of the 60+ demographic.

Eveline Pupeter, CEO of the emporia Telecom group, said: “Our company vision is to provide simplicity in telephony for everyone, and we are confident that our range of user-friendly devices has strong appeal for the senior market in the UK and Ireland. There are currently 8.6 million senior citizens in the UK alone today who still don’t own a smartphone; yet there is an ever-increasing number of day-to-day activities that can only be performed with one. It is our mission to guide older people into the digital future.”

Pupeter added: “We have appointed Chris to lead our entry into the UK market where we see a great opportunity to build market share in the provision of telecom products for seniors. The UK senior category has had very little investment in recent years so we have a great opportunity to become the leading brand. Chris has a wealth of success in telecoms solutions for the senior demographic. Chris and his team have the passion and drive needed to succeed.”

Millington, who will have the title of Managing Director for emporia UK and Ireland, said: “Working with a strong brand with a long heritage in both fixed-line and mobile devices gives us the firepower to get up and running, build our profile, and start to gain market share from day one. We are investing significantly in the brand launch and further details will be made available in the New Year.”

The brief at emporia UK and Ireland is to establish itself as a trusted supplier of products that are exclusively focused on the ageing population. Partners will include specialists that focus on hearing, sight and dexterity, alongside key national retail and network relationships.

Having reviewed the current distribution market in the UK, Chris has chosen Eurostar Global Electronics Ltd as the launch partner and UK distributor with its dedication to flexible and professional distribution services.

Steve Hankey, Head of Commercial and Vendor Management, said: “We will be working hard with Chris and his team to ensure we provide wholesale customers and retail consumers with the seamless purchasing experience that they would expect from a brand as internationally strong as emporia. We are delighted to have been chosen as their launch partner for their entry to the UK market.”

Peter Carnall, Managing Director of Eurostar Global Electronics, added: “By 2050, the Office for National Statistics estimates that there will be nearly double the number of people aged 60 and over (2.1 billion people) which will represent 21.3% of the global population. Our ageing population is therefore clearly a growing market, where seniors are often left isolated and overwhelmed by technology. As an established entity throughout Europe, emporia has a set of hardware and software products that make it a market leader in its field. It delivers pragmatic solutions and allows seniors access to technology in a way that works for them. Eurostar Global is looking forward to being part of the solution – bringing emporia products to the UK consumers – and we are delighted to have partnered with Chris and his experienced team.”

Prior to the launch, Millington is currently laying the groundwork for a sales and distribution network in the UK and Ireland and assembling an account handling and marketing team, with a headquarters operation in Watford.

Handset and devices that will be available to UK and Ireland customers will be announced soon.

UK and Ireland customers will be able to visit www.emporiatelecom.co.uk for more information.

What WON’T happen in 2020: 5G Wearables, Quantum Computing, and Self-Driving Trucks to Name a few.

As 2019 winds down, predictions abound on the technology advancements and innovations expected in the year ahead. However, there are several anticipated advancements, including 5G wearables, quantum computing, and self-driving trucks, that will NOT happen in the first year of the new decade, states global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research.

In its new whitepaper, 54 Technology Trends to Watch in 2020, ABI Research’s analysts have identified 35 trends that will shape the technology market and 19 others that, although attracting huge amounts of speculation and commentary, look less likely to move the needle over the next twelve month. “After a tumultuous 2019 that was beset by many challenges, both integral to technology markets and derived from global market dynamics, 2020 looks set to be equally challenging,” says Stuart Carlaw, Chief Research Officer at ABI Research. “Knowing what won’t happen in technology in the next year is important for end users, implementors, and vendors to properly place their investments or focus their strategies.”

What won’t happen in 2020?

5G Wearables: “While smartphones will dominate the 5G market in 2020, 5G wearables won’t arrive in 2020, or anytime soon,” says Stephanie Tomsett, 5G Devices, Smartphones & Wearables analyst at ABI Research. “To bring 5G to wearables, specific 5G chipsets will need to be designed and components will need to be reconfigured to fit in the small form factor. That won’t begin to happen until 2024, at the earliest.”

Quantum Computing: “Despite claims from Google in achieving quantum supremacy, the tech industry is still far away from the democratization of quantum computing technology,” says Lian Jye Su, AI & Machine Learning Principal Analyst at ABI Research. “Quantum computing is definitely not even remotely close to the large-scale commercial deployment stage.”

Self-Driving Trucks: “Despite numerous headlines declaring the arrival of driverless, self-driving, or robot vehicles, very little, if any, driver-free commercial usage is underway beyond closed-course operations in the United States,” says Susan Beardslee, Freight Transportation & Logistics Principal Analyst at ABI Research.

A Consolidated IoT Platform Market: “For many years, there have been predictions that the IoT platform supplier market will begin to consolidate, and it just won’t happen,” says Dan Shey, Vice President of Enabling Platforms at ABI Research. “The simple reason is that there are more than 100 companies that offer device-to-cloud IoT platform services and for every one that is acquired, there are always new ones that come to market.”

Edge Will Not Overtake Cloud: “The accelerated growth of the edge technology and intelligent device paradigm created one of the largest industry misconceptions: edge technology will cannibalize cloud technology,” says Kateryna Dubrova, M2M, IoT & IoE Analyst at ABI Research. “In fact, in the future, we will see a rapid development of edge-cloud-fog continuum, where technology will complement each other, rather than cross-cannibalize.”

8K TVs: “Announcements of 8K Television (TV) sets by major vendors earlier in 2019 attracted much attention and raised many of questions within the industry,” says Khin Sandi Lynn, Video & Cloud Services Analyst at ABI Research. “The fact is, 8K content is not available and the price of 8K TV sets are exorbitant. The transition from high definition (HD) to 4K will continue in 2020 with very limited 8K shipments – less than 1 million worldwide.”

For more trends that won’t happen in 2020, and the 35 trends that will, download the 54 Technology Trends to Watch in 2020 whitepaper.

Top 5 technology predictions for 2020 unveiled by Dell Technologies. #AI #5G #Multicloud #Dell #Tech

Dell Technologies has today unveiled its top five technology predictions for 2020 with the company forecasting how developments in AI, 5G, Multicloud technology and sustainable innovation will reshape Ireland’s economy and society in the next twelve months and to pave the way to the next data decade.

Unveiling the predictions today, Mark Hopkins, General Manager, Dell Technologies Ireland, said: “2020 will be a milestone year in technology. The explosion in the growth of data and increasing computer power will result in emerging technologies becoming ever more evident in our everyday lives – from how we work and play, to how we do business in Ireland.

“To help organisations to prepare for the change that lies ahead, we’ve identified the technology breakthroughs that will come to the fore. From AI and Machine Learning turning our PCs into even smarter companions, next-generation infrastructure supporting the delivery of 5G, and sustainable innovation taking centre stage, 2020 is set to be the opening of the next data decade.

“I’m very excited about what the future holds and how the Dell Technologies’ teams in Limerick, Cork and Dublin can help businesses to transform. Our Innovation Lab in Limerick provides a critical AI and Internet of Things test-bed for businesses whilst our teams in Cork are at the global forefront of using 5G technology and Edge Computing to create next-generation services that can help to save lives.”

Top 5 Predictions:

The top technology predictions from Dell Technologies include:

Prediction 1: Intelligent devices will change the way we work

Over the next year, AI and machine learning will turn our PCs into even smarter companions. They’ll have the ability to optimise power and battery life for our most productive moments. These devices will become increasingly self-sufficient with the ability to automatically repair, without needing to inform the owner. Biometrics will also become widespread in PC ranges. With this innovation, PCs know it’s you from the moment you gaze at the screen.

Prediction 2: 5G promises to completely change the data game

5G promises to completely change the data game – bringing transmissions speeds up to 20 times faster than current 4G platforms. The near-instantaneous transfer of data and information will speed up the delivery of autonomous vehicle and smart cities. In 2020, focus will turn to the delivery of the hardware and infrastructure needed to support the delivery of 5G and the massive amounts of data that will move at speed.

Prediction 3: Public and private clouds to co-exist

The idea that public and private clouds can and will co-exist becomes a clear reality in 2020. Multi-cloud IT strategies supported by hybrid cloud architectures will play a key role in ensuing organizations have better data management and visibility, while also ensuring that their data remains accessible and secure. In fact, IDC predicts that by 2021, 9 in 10 businesses worldwide will rely on a mix of private and public clouds together with legacy platforms to meet their infrastructure needs.

Prediction 4: Flexible consumption and as-a-service adoption will accelerate rapidly

One of the biggest hurdles for IT decision makers driving transformation is resources. In 2020, flexible consumption and as-a-service options will accelerate rapidly as organisations seize the opportunity to transform into software-defined and cloud-enabled IT. As a result – they’ll be able to choose the right economic model for their business to take advantage of end-to-end IT solutions that enable data mobility and visibility, and crunch even the most intensive AI and Machine Learning workloads when needed.

Prediction 5: Sustainable innovation to take centre stage

Sustainable technology will also take centre stage, with organisations increasing looking to protect the plant. 2020 will see greater investments in reuse and recycling for closed-loop innovation. Hardware will become smaller and more efficient and built with recycled and reclaimed goods.

For more information on Dell Technologies 2020 Predictions, see here.

Review – The Sudio FEM True Wireless plus get a discount. #SudioMoments #TrueWireless #Tech

Over the last two years or so I have been testing out Sudio products and they are consistent in quality and design and also their presentation which works well for everyone and the latest product from them has jumped in many way ways and the new Sudio FEM are their best yet when it comes to Audio quality and design.

You get the typical packaging from Sudio which as always is excellent and well presented and the case looks like the Sudio NIVA we did some time ago with a nice matt black finish that is rubberised and comes with USB-C charging/quick charge and gives great battery life giving you 20hrs in total but you do not get wireless charging here and there is no EQ app but there is no need for one in this instance.

The design is nice with a small stem that sits perfect on your ear and they offer a snug tight fit isolating much of the outside world and you also have 4 mics and noise cancelling which you have no control of but that is also fine for me. They are light and have a nice finish to them and we go through all the features in the video review below.

These work individually too so one can be placed in the box this applies to both sides which is something you dont see to often today and you also have volume control alongside the usual features you would expect to find and the FEM offer some more at the pricepoint they come in at.

When it comes to sound which is what you all want to know is they have upped their game over the previous true wireless on offer and they have a nice bass level thrown into the mix here, I was impressed with my usual test run here and across all genres and sound stages all quite clear crisp with good direction and separation here overall. My usual You Tube and Nextlfix delivered excellent results and no lag latency and phone calls great both ends and clear. You will not be left short changed here with the Sudio FEM minus the lack of wireless charging and no app they still deliver an excellent product that comes in an array of colours.

Real Clear Voice: 4 environmental noise-cancelling microphones
– IPX 5 (splash/rain/sweat proof)
– Touch control
– Individual automatic pairing
– Total 20h of playtime, 6h in a single charge
– Weighs 5.5 g per earbud

You can get an extra discount too from us using the code TECHBI at the till

BUY HERE

Check out the full range of products HERE

Review – The Skullcandy Cassette Wireless Headphones. #Tech #Skullcandy #Cassette

Skullcandy are a known audio brand delivering several products to cover most pockets but the Cassette wireless headphones come in at the €40 price mark and like this entry level and mid tier market it is quite over saturated with such products but its the audio quality you want most for you euros and after that whatever you get is a bonus. Like I have said before the cost to performance ratio is coming down and we are all now expecting top tier specs for little money,In some cases you get this but many factors still omitted and this is subjective as to what people want in their headphones and what they get.

The Cassette are cheap but built well, I have my video review below and gave these a good twist and no creaks or nosies and they did not snap. I have done so before with headphones at this price and they snapped and the companies involved just said forget it and never heard from them again,So much for being up – front about things and how they operate but this is not the case here as you will see.

The headphones are light and comfortable too which is great,smaller cups (they are on ears rather than overears though) than I would like but having said that they do no sweat the ears and are really comfortable to wear for long periods of time,there is also a leather cushion on the top of the headset, you will notice they are thinner than say their crusher range but thats fine,these are not aimed at the real audiophile at all but something they could consider as a spare headset to have lying around of for travel perhaps.

Controls on these are great and all placed on one side where your USB port is for charging and a status LED light and of course your 3.5mm headphone socket should you run out of juice, But these have quick charge which gives you 2 hrs of play in just ten minutes. B

The controls are in a small cluster and rubber coated and simple to use and raised perfectly for navigating blindly in comparison to some recent headphones I test which seen it a bit more troublesome to get use to where the buttons are and they have a good tactile feedback and you know when you hit a command easily.

Given these are entry level they have voice assistant present,there is no audio pass through or ANC but again this is fine at this level,the cups do a decent job of noise isolation and do not clamp onto your head so overall this works well at this price. Bluetooth connection is good and I got at least the typical 10M average with no problems,battery life is great and as mentioned you get quick charge too and not forgetting you get the audio cable just in case.

The controls offer the usual features you would expect with play/pause ,call control and skip and go back on tracks and you also have volume control here,this is something that is omitted from many headphones and true wireless. The sound overall is great and for me I got a nice bass orientated feel from them and deeper tones, there is no lag latency at all on my testing the usual Netflix and You Tube playlists and overall the music experience is generally good with all genres ,instruments and direction very good but nothing near the level of the crusher series which is probably one of the best experiences you will find on headphones today especially if you are in the market for bass heavy cans.

You cant go wrong if you want something affordable that gives a good listening experience overall and you need access to a voice assistant,comfort is great and the ease of use too and for €40 you will find it hard to get something decent, I have been talking about headphones on sale now in the likes of local garages and multiple supermarkets for example coming in less than €25 euro but these are trash I have tested in store and the audio experience is woeful as a whole and lacking features.

BUY HERE

Review – Riwbox XBT-90 Foldable Wireless Bluetooth Headphones. #Tech #Headphones #Amazon

Headphones are not hard to find these days and for cheap and cheerful ones certainly easier we tend to see in local shops or garages now but they are terrible especially headphones. This pair of headphone from RIWBOX is the latest they have on offer and are the XBT-90. There is several different types available these being their newest addition and come in at around €25.

They are a simple pair of headphones with a nice look to them with the usual aspects you would expect but these pack a bit more, These are bass heavy I find anyway and that is not a problem,there is no app of course but no need for one if you want a deeper tone to your music and listening experience.

They are made of plastic and light and come with a nice travel case included which is nice to have they do fold up and being plastic I would advise taking it easy with them in general as joints and links tend to break easier on such build headphones but they are solid enough.

The controls are simple to use,buttons are small but you will get use to finding them blindly after some use. Comfort is fine here too with nice padding on the cups but a rubber textured pad on the headband but caused me no problems with long term use. The controls offer the expected pause/play,skip and reverse tracks and call controls and work fine each time and no issues there and they are indicated on the headphones in black but this might fade away over time.

You do not have access to a voice assistant which is fine at this price range and no audio pass through but you get Bluetooth 5.0 which gives a stable connection and I had no issues here. The quality on the music itself was great overall considering the cost and was loud, There is good bass too and overall across all sound stages and genres of music I listen too was decent even on max level,there is sound leakage but not overly loud but something to consider sitting on a bus or train but this is at maxed out volume.

There was slight lag latency at times but nothing bad and pretty much what you might see from time to time on average around half a second whilst I watched You Tube and Netflix so overall for the price they are worth it, The thing I like best is the option to put a micro sd card in to carry your music around without a companion device but you are only able to use the features the same as you would on the phone but cant visibly see them., Check out the specs below and video for more.

BUY HERE

Hi-Fi Sound and TF Card Design: The Riwbox XBT-90 Bluetooth wireless headphones has such features as a clear bass design and a 40mm oversized speaker. The superior sound quality design gives you a clear feeling of the changes in the treble and bass of the song, and bring you into an immersive closed listening environment. And the XBT-90 wireless headphones work with a built-in TF card slot, so you can enjoy music wherever you are.
Bluetooth 5.0 Technology: Bluetooth 5.0 provides you with a stable and fast Bluetooth connection. Once the bluetooth matched successful, there’s a voice prompt in the headphones and the connection and battery status will be displayed on the screen of the smartphone. They can connect to the Bluetooth-enabled devices,such as iPads, iPhones, iPod touches, Android smartphones, tablets, etc.
Wireless and Wired Design: XBT-90 Bluetooth headphones, (1) Wireless mode:With the Built-in 420mAh battery, The battery update to 18-hr of of music time / 25-hr of talking time on a single charge.(2) Wired mode: There’s a free 3.5MM headphones cable in the package, and the built-in controller is used for Remote Play, pause and skip tracks. It is equipped with a high-quality built-in microphone for hands-free calling.
Fashion and Personalized Design: Concise appearance and stylish color scheme. As an eye-catching wireless headphones, they are adopted the popular color design,there 4 color options: White-gold, Black-gold, Rose-gold and Purple. We also pay attention to the customer experience. These Over ear headphones combined with the custom fit sponge padding and adjustable headband,foldable design makes the wireless headphones easy to carry and take up no space.We aslo offer a free drawstring carrying bag.
Perfect Packaging Design and After-Sales Service: Package with an XBT-90 Bluetooth headset, a 3.5MM headphones cable, a charging cable and a drawstring carrying bag. We provide 7*24 hours customer service, perfect one-year after-sales warranty service to protect your shopping experience. No matter you are office worker or student, teenager or girls. This wireless headset is a great choice for your gift, so you can share your happiness with your friends and family.

First look at the Nextbase 322 GW dashcam and UI. #Nextbase #Tech #Motoring

Over the last while we have checked out several of the new Nextbase dashcams from high end to entry level and the Nextbase 322 GW sits right in the middle coming in at €149.99 and comes with lots of new features for your money. Today we take a tour of the device and go through the features and unboxing experince and we will come back later with out final thoughts on it and see if it is worth your money, Nextbase is a brand I always recommend when it comes to dashcams and this one should be no different.

The world’s first Dash Cam with Emergency SOS ensures your journey is safer than ever before. It will alert the emergency services to your location in the event of the accident and send on crucial medical data to aid efficient treatment. A vastly upgraded 2.5” IPS HD touch screen for menu selection and playback provides the ultimate user experience.

Key features: 1080p HD resolution at 60 fps, 2.5” HD IPS touch screen, 140° viewing angle, 10Hz GPS Module, AutoSync, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi via MyNextbase Connect and PC/Mac software – MyNextbase Player

The 322GW is also compatible with the Nextbase Rear-View Camera Modules to add a second camera. Personalise your Dash Cam and choose one of 3 different rear camera views from Rear, Cabin or Rear Window view.

BUY HERE

Review – The LUDOS CLAMOR wired earphones. #Tech #Earphones #LUDOSCLAMOR

Wired earbuds are still a thing these days and people are still moaning about the headphone jack which is probably a valid one for many but that is not my call but having said that I had to take out a Three Year old phone to test these earphones out but it is what it is..

The Ludos Clamor earbuds from Amazon are a wired headset with a simple inline control allowing you to do the usual with your earbuds but with a wire attached and it was some fun even for me to check them out and go the old fashioned way just to see how these actually sound.

Now you are only paying around €15 for these and they are by no means a high end product but have a great build quality and not made with cheap plastic which alone is better for sound. They come with spongy tips similar to comply foam which do a decent job of noise isolation which is not seen too often at this pricepoint.

The inline control works well and is very tactile and works every time and I had no issues plus they look good in the Black and Green combo I have and they come in a good range of colours so you will not be stuck for choice in the long run.

When it comes to sound they do a good job across the board and did not sound tinny even at max volume which most earbuds do coming in at this price. You will get a certain level of bass and volume which is not the best in the world but good for the price,they are not as loud and as bass heavy as I would like but having said that you cant get it all for a pair of earbuds at this price even if they are wired.

The usual You Tube and Netflix playlist for my testing was fine and balanced overall at the level you would expect for the price here, not overly loud but good crisp and clear instruments and vocals and direction, These are not for the true audiophile but for the average person just looking for a pair of earbuds to use to commute to work or listen to at home and they will be happy with the price paid at the till alongside the nice presentation knowing they have got a better built product than you tend to find in your local garage of euro shop which is now a common sight and you often see prices up to 25 euros for such which in most cases is just junk.

Product LUDOS CLAMOR Earphones:

★US:https://amzn.to/2Wlcll9
★UK:https://amzn.to/2MP0QiM

Instagram profile LUDOS Techs: https://www.instagram.com/ludostechs/

PNP–Portable North Pole – Calls & Videos from Santa. #Apps #Kids #Santa

This year, Christmas Eve will be even more magical than ever thanks Portable North Pole (www.portablenorthpole.com) and their brand new special multi-device scenario straight from Santa’s sleigh delivered on Christmas Eve! Children will join Santa as he reviews his flight plan for the big night in a personalised video message for an excited child or children – the perfect way to get them to go to bed early too!

While checking his plans, Santa has time for one more phone call and children will be amazed and delighted when the phone rings and Santa himself is on the line telling them to go to sleep early in readiness for his arrival. For just £12.99 for a Magic Pass for one child https://www.portablenorthpole.com/santa-video, you will receive access to all NEW videos and past content as well as a unique Reaction Recorder to make a keepsake of their face and response to the surprise call. The Magic Pass also includes enhanced video and a NEW Family Option to allow you to create one video for multiple children.

There’s so much content included within the Magic Pass, you can build excitement and encourage good behaviour from mid-November onwards. Don’t forget to print off their personalised Nice List Certificate too!

New content also includes high definition videos with amazing outdoor shots of Santa’s reindeers and huskies as well as a premium personalised birthday message from Santa that children can enjoy all year round but its particularly great for November and December born children who often get their birthdays overlooked by Christmas.

Here’s a full list of what’s new this year:

A brand new special multi-device scenario straight from Santa’s sleigh on Christmas eve with a personalised video message from Santa on one device (desktop, smartphone, or tablet) and integrated into the video message is a call from Santa to your phone during the video message. This message can be made for one child or the whole family. *
2019 kids and grown-up editions of our free personalised cinematic video messages from Santa with amazing outdoor shots featuring husky dogs and reindeers.
Download messages in 1080 HD.*
An all-new Premium personalised birthday message from Santa that can be enjoyed all year long. *
A total of five new Premium personalised videos with even more ways to personalise the message. *
Another new multi-device Premium video scenario with a group option. This is great for parents looking to encourage good behaviour from their children in the days leading up to Christmas.*
Two new Premium personalised video calls. *
Six new Premium personalised voice calls. *
The Reaction Recorder is now available on Google Chrome for desktop and laptop, as well as on the PNP mobile app to capture the moment your little one realises it’s Santa speaking to them directly on one of our Premium videos to create a lifetime keepsake.*
Fun games in the Kid’s Corner section on the PNP mobile app for year-round play.
New personalisation options. Santa will know even more about your loved one, than ever before.*

* Features only available with purchase.

Since 2008, the Portable North Pole (PNP) website (www.portablenorthpole.com) and mobile apps (https://pnpapp.page.link/PR2019) has offered personalised videos and calls from Santa in a tradition that is now enjoyed annually around the world with more than 220 million personalised video message views by Santa fans worldwide.

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