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.
Pearl Abyss today released a free update to Black Deserton PlayStation 4 that adds the Striker and Tamer character classes. While Striker is perfect for those who favor melee combat, Tamer is an expert in powerful AoE strikes together with her divine beast companion. The content additionally features a new world boss, Karanda, known as the Queen of the Harpies, and a skill upgrade for experienced adventurers.
Striker: Trained by a martial-arts master, Striker became a close-quarters combat expert through countless years of gruelling training. Striker is highly skilled in hand-to-hand attacks, utilizing devastating punches and sweeping kicks to overwhelm his opponents.
Tamer: Hailing from the beast filled Haemo island, Tamer and her loyal divine beast companion Heilang fight side-by-side to defeat their foes. Together they deliver a series of powerful AoE strikes to their opponents while remaining mobile and evading counter-attacks.
World Boss
Karanda: The leader of the ferocious harpies, Karanda protects her species from foreign invaders by utilizing unparalleled speed and incredible strength. With the aid of her harpies, Karanda plans to invade Delphe Knights Castle. Adventurers brave enough to take on this formidable foe can find the Queen of the Harpies at Karanda Ridge.
New Skill
Rabam Skills: Upon reaching level 56, adventurers can use this new gameplay feature to combine two skills together into a more powerful ability.
Black Desert on PlayStation 4 is featured within the PlayStation Double Discount event, with 25% off all three game bundles and PS+ members receiving 50% off until November 22.
When everyone on your Christmas gift list has it all already, then it’s time to think outside the box and get creative. Luckily, FUJIFILM Imagine has you covered, with tons of customisable and sentimental gifts ideas for loved ones who, on the face of it, are impossible to buy for.
SNAP. CREATE. GIFT
FUJIFILM Imagine know that photos locked away on your smart phone hold the secret to amazing Christmas gifts. Simply choose photos of your family and friends and use them to create personalised presents through the FUJIFILM Imagine mobile app, online, and on touch screen kiosks in store nationwide. With lots of quirky options, ideal for stocking fillers and secret Santa’s, your creativity will know no bounds. Choose from personalised jigsaws, teddies, mugs, iPad covers and much, much more. Then, wrap it all up with personalised gift-wrapping paper to really bring a smile to their faces this festive season.
GET SEMTIMENTAL WITH PICTURE BOOKS AND CANVAS PRINTS
For those extra special people on the list, why not put together a scrap book full of memories close to both your hearts? Bring your digital photos to life by printing them in a luxury photo book that can be treasured forever. Photo books can be customised online with heartfelt text and an array of decorative backgrounds, borders, and embellishments. For the interior lover in your life, opt for eye catching framed canvases instead, perfect for adding to walls and displays.
Gift availability varies in-store – call in-store, visit www.fujifilmimagine.ie, or download the FUJIFILM Imagine App. You can collect in-store at selected FUJIFILM Imagine stores in Ireland or if you want to send it as a gift, worldwide delivery to an address of your choosing is available.
Christmas is approaching not that I need to remind you and the guys at PNY have some gift ideas to share and stay tuned for some reviews coming up soon from PNY. These gifts are ideal for creators on the go and much more.
For the content producers (photographers, bloggers, writers…) you know, PNY has just launched the world’s smallest and fasted SSD’s. A must-have this Christmas.
For those who want to consistently backup and safeguard their precious photos and videos, they need these cards in their life. The PNY Elite Portable SSD measures just 60×35.6×8.9mm, and offers 420MB/s seq. read and 420MB/s seq. write speeds and it is 130x faster than USB Drives.
The pricing is as follows:
ELITE PORTABLE 240gb – £49.99
ELITE PORTABLE 480GB – £79.90
ELITE PORTABLE 960GB – £129.90
The PNY PRO Elite SSD is twice as fast as a USB 3.1 Gen 1 and seven times faster than portable HDD drives, allowing users to boost their workflow with incredible speeds. It’s also available in four colours: black, rose gold, silver brushed and light blue, so allows people to express themselves!
PNY’s brand new power pack is perfect for the commuter in your life who is always left without battery, so can’t listen to music or catch up on emails during their long journeys. The powerpack’s compact nature means it can slip into any bag with ease; so if you’re in need of charging your phone or laptop, this nifty gadget can be grabbed quickly, and will charge your device equally as quickly given the power delivery time of 30 minutes.
It also comes in handy on a night out when you are trying to order an uber home but don’t have enough battery left. The power pack is just the right size to fit in a clutch bag or pocket.
At £59.99, it’s definitely a worthwhile investment.
This nifty mobile accessory turns your smartphone into a camera system – perfect for someone wanting to document their travels or any keen blogger! It’s especially brilliant because there are no limits on how much footage you can record, as it allows you to charge your phone whilst it’s attached to the stabilizer, thanks to its USB power out connector.
The 3 axis stabilisation makes it easier than ever to capture high quality photos and videos on the move, so whether you’re blogging, or capturing stunning holiday views, your footage will be super smooth.
The UK pricing for this is £99.99, so will make a great gift for under £100.
For those who love to travel, this tripod is a must. It’s compact nature means it can be neatly tucked in your backpack, allowing you to capture the full beauty of your surroundings wherever you are.
Besides it being the ultimate travel gadget, the tripod is worth a spot on everyone’s Christmas gift list so you can take fun group photos with family and friends. Christmas is a time where the whole family gathers, but it can sometimes be a struggle to fit everyone in one shot. This tripod provides the answer to the age old problem of dashing back and forth from the camera to get at least one picture with everyone in. The wireless remote means you can snap a picture with just one click of a button.
The PNY Universal Tripod and Wireless Remote retails at £39.99.
Plantronics, Inc. (“Poly” – formerly Plantronics and Polycom) (NYSE: PLT), a global communications company that powers meaningful human connection and collaboration, will introduce video conferencing devices with a built-in Microsoft Teams experience at Microsoft Ignite 2019. The Poly Studio X series, purpose-built, all-in-one video bars for Microsoft Teams, will offer a native Teams meeting and calling experience and are among a host of Poly solutions built for Teams that the company will demonstrate at the show.
The Poly Studio X series consists of two new video bars designed for small rooms, the Poly Studio X30 and Poly Studio X50. The Poly Studio X series are purpose-built appliances that will run the Teams application natively.
The Studio X series supports 4K Ultra high definition (UHD), advanced noise suppression and unmatched video production rules to improve all aspects of the meeting experience. Set-up requires a single power-over-ethernet cable. Users can choose to control the Studio X series with the new Poly TC8 touch screen.
The award-winning Poly Studio, a plug-and-play USB video bar for small huddle rooms, is now certified for Microsoft Teams. The Poly Studio USB video bar features room-filling audio, a 4K HD camera with built-in speaker tracking and framing, as well as support for remote cloud management for ongoing updates and configuration. The Poly Studio is currently available worldwide.
“Whenever and wherever people connect with Microsoft Teams, we will be there to provide the best-in-class audio, video and voice endpoints to make the experience that much better,” said Joe Burton, president and CEO at Poly. “We deliver everything you need on the journey to transition to Teams.”
Ilya Bukshteyn, partner director, Teams devices, Microsoft Corp. said, “We’re pleased to partner with Poly on a range of Microsoft Teams solutions – from video conferencing, to headsets, to desk and conference phones, to services. Poly is a one-stop-shop for Teams users that need to communicate and collaborate from anywhere and with anyone.”
“The Poly Studio X series devices take simplicity to the next level,” said Ira M. Weinstein, managing partner at analyst firm Recon Research. “These sleek, all-in-one devices include mics, speakers, and camera, and come pre-loaded with the Microsoft Teams application. No software to load. From the box to a high-quality meeting room video conferencing experience in just a few minutes. This is a job well done.”
Showcasing End-to-End Solutions for Teams
Poly will also showcase its industry-leading voice, headset and service offerings to support Teams at Microsoft Ignite in the Poly booth (#2349):
The Poly CCX Series – Poly’s native Teams phones, are sleek business desk phones that combine a native Teams solution with premium voice quality. Three models, the CCX 400, CCX 500 and CCX 600, integrate Teams contact lists, calendar, and meetings. The CCX 400 delivers a cost-effective native Teams experience for the cost-conscious end-user, while the more premium CCX 500 & CCX 600 models power productivity with Poly HD Voice, Bluetooth, intuitive colour touch displays. The CCX 600 features a larger seven-inch display and integrated 802.11 Wi-Fi support. The CCX 500 is available in December 2019 and the CCX 400 and CCX 600 will be available in January 2020.
The Poly Calisto 3200 optimised for Teams – Announced today, Poly’s first native Teams personal speakerphone allows you to take conference calls anywhere. This plug-and-play portable speakerphone features 360-degree audio for outstanding sound no matter where you are working. The single touch of a button invokes the Teams app on a PC and makes for easy communication and collaboration. Available December 2019.
Poly Voyager Office Series optimised for Teams – Poly will preview a new version of its highly popular Voyager 4200 and Voyager 5200 products for in-office mobile professionals seeking versatile connectivity options to desk phone, smartphone or computer. Available December 2019.
Poly Managed Service for Teams – Poly has introduced Poly Managed Service for Teams. The hosted service aims to accelerate Teams adoption in enterprises worldwide with a range of managed services to support enterprises on their entire Teams journey. These services include identifying the most effective way for customers to migrate from legacy platforms, to Teams, the provisioning of endpoints and licences, the end-to-end deployment of Teams, adoption, training and change management, as part of the ongoing managed service. This Managed Service can work in conjunction with Microsoft’s calling plan or any Direct Route service offer. Available now.
Poly will preview the Studio X series for Teams at Microsoft Ignite. Poly Studio X30 and Poly Studio X50 will be priced at $2,199 and $3,499 respectively, including the Poly TC8. The Poly Studio X series will be available for pre-order in November with general availability in North America, Europe and select countries by December 2019. Native support on Teams will be available in 2020.
The Microsoft booth (#1515) will also host the following Poly solutions optimised for Teams: The Poly Studio X30, Poly Elara 60 Series, Calisto 3200, Voyager 4200, CCX 500 and the Trio 8800.
The good folk at noreve has sent us over a case to check out and it is not the normal case we typically receive from them for our case round ups on mobile phones. As mentioned with every review we have done for noreve you can customise your case to your specific needs but now there is more options available for customers leveraging the look to your smartphone giving it a real professional look and also feels good to hold too and not only that adding protection to your smartphone. Check out the images and video review below for more and check out the range on offer at noreve and give your smartphone a new professional look.
With an elegant and functional cover designed by Maison Noreve, provide optimum protection to your Blackberry Key2. It reflects the French know-how with a note of glamour signed by Saint-Tropez. This luxurious handcrafted cover has been developed from high quality leather. It has a thin and light design, perfectly fitting the shape of the Blackberry Key 2. It covers only the rear of the mobile and has a thermoplastic frame inside. The edges of the camera are also protected and a cut-out has been provided for the headphones as well as to avoid removing the accessory when you will use the camera. The leather will allow you to cushion any falls and avoid scratches and cracks that could damage the aesthetics of your Blackberry Key2.
Various finishes are offered to enable you to change the leather texture, for example: to change from the smooth one to the granulated one, or to opt for synthetic leather. You can also choose the colour: choose a sober colour for a chic style, or prefer a bright colour for a good touch of brightness. You will find the Noreve logo engraved on the inner lining. You will then get an authentic model to wrap your Blackberry Key 2 with charm and elegance.
PowerVision, a global technology company that leads the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) industry with smart drones, today announces that its newest innovative marine product, the PowerDolphin, is now available from Harrods in the UK.
With a sleek, streamlined design, the PowerDolphin is an intelligent, multifunctional water drone. Offering the ability to capture impressive 4K high-definition images, intelligent fish finding functionality and search and rescue support, the PowerDolphin has been designed for water sports enthusiasts, underwater and wildlife photographers and fishermen as well as for emergency profession support. The PowerDolphin is available now from Harrods as well as www.powervision.me and Amazon UK with prices starting from £695.
Stunning photography
The PowerDolphin is equipped with a unique dual-joint rotation 4K camera covering a staggering 215°. Shoot above the water level up to 80° and tilt down to shoot below water at -135°. Whether it is water sports (sailing, surfing, diving, canoeing, kayaking etc.) or the mysterious magnificent sea scenery users want to capture, they can see it all in glorious 4K. The 4K high-definition images and footage captured by the PowerDolphin can be sent in real-time wirelessly to a mobile phone through the Vision+ companion app, from a distance of 1000m.
Accompanying the dual-joint rotation camera, the front lights have four adjustable brightness levels, which rotate in balance with the camera, to shoot well-illuminated, stunning photos in different types of water.
Intelligent fishing
In addition to its powerful imaging capability, the PowerDolphin can help fisherman find the best fishing spots. With the assistance of the included PowerSeeker, an intelligent fish finder, the PowerDolphin can detect fish within a range of 131ft (40m).
The remote-controlled PowerDolphin can directly tow hooks and lure fish by dropping bait to a desired location at up to 1,000m. Whether standing on the shore or on a boat, the PowerDolphin can greatly extend the fishing rod’s reach and allows users to watch and record the entire prey bite process through the 4K camera.
Combining the PowerDolphin and PowerSeeker helps anglers to accurately determine the best fishing spot and timing. Once the prey successfully bites, PowerDolphin will drag it back to the controller’s side, providing a completely new fishing experience.
Search and rescue support
With three different speed gears, the PowerDolphin can swim up to 5m per second, delivering attached lifebuoys, lifejackets, towlines and other rescue equipment timely and accurately.
Acting as the First Responder to arrive at the incident scene, PowerDolphin can carry and release remotely the necessary equipment faster than lifeboats by eliminating manual preparation and hull activation; and swimming faster than lifeguards at 5m/sec largely beats the Olympic Men’s 100m freestyle record of 2.17m/sec.
State-of-the-art hardware for scientific research
PowerDolphin has up to two hours of battery life, and is equipped with an intelligent sonar device + GPS waypoint cruise function. It can also automatically scan designated waters and draw underwater topographic maps by mounting a smart fish finder with path planning function on the Vision+ App and providing scientists with highly accurate data in a visual form, adding great value to their marine research.
Additional PowerDolphin features are a water touch switch, mobile phone control, return home function, and support for battery and SD card replacement. In addition, both waterproof glass design and automatic anti-roll technology amongst many other attributes, greatly enhances the drone’s ease of use and stability.
Wally Zheng, founder and CEO of PowerVision Technology Group said: “The PowerDolphin is a new lifestyle drone that is not only suitable for photographers, fishermen and other water sports enthusiasts but also for rescue and scientific researchers, providing adventurers with a new perspective of life.”
Recommended retail pricing & availability
The PowerDolphin is available now from Harrods, Amazon UK and www.powervision.me. There are three packages to choose from with prices starting at £695.
Twelve South is known for designing beautiful accessories exclusively for Apple products. Constantly offering surprising new ways to protect and personalise Apple hardware, its range of products make perfect Christmas gifts for the Apple lovers in your life.
AirFly Pro – £49.99
Available from Apple.com from November 12th and Amazon UK from December 12th
With AirFly Pro, users can now connect two pairs of wireless headphones to any wired audio jack. This allows two people to listen to the same soundtrack, podcast or music with their favorite noise-cancelling headphones or AirPods, making the wireless experience shareable no matter what brand of wireless headphones they may have.
AirFly – £39.99 – Available from Amazon UK
AirFly allows for AirPods or wireless headphones to be used with any wired headphone jack. Perfect for in-flight entertainment or gym workouts this handy little device is the new travel must-have on every tech lovers wish list.
AirSnap – £29.99 – Available from Amazon UK
AirSnap is the perfect accessory to keep pricey ear buds safe and sound but still easily accessible. This protective case for AirPods attaches to any bag with its integrated clip, available in leather and twill.
BookBook vol. 2 for iPhone 11 – £54.99 – Available from Amazon UK
BookBook is a beautifully-designed vintage leather case for iPhone 11 that takes the form of a mini leather book. BookBook streamlines everyday carry while protecting the users’ iPhone. With a magnetic leather shell for easy separation of wallet and phone, it’s like getting two cases in one. BookBook also has a built-in viewing stand to FaceTime or view favourite shows.
HiRise Wireless – £79.99 – Available from Amazon UK
HiRise Wireless is a 3-function beauty: a gorgeous upright desktop stand for mobile phones, a wireless charging pad for AirPods and a USB-C portable wireless charger for travel, all in one beautiful chrome and leather package. Now users only need one wireless charger for both at home and on-the-go.
Journal CaddySack – £69.99 – Available from Amazon UK
Crafted from luxurious full-grain leather to complement the users’ style and professional appearance, Journal CaddySack is designed to neatly house the most essential tech accessories on-the-go. The perfect way to celebrate a recent promotion or exciting new career path.
Journal for iPad Pro and MacBook – From £99.99 – Available from Amazon UK
Crafted from New Zealand leather and tailored just for iPad Pro and MacBook, Journal offers protection and luxury in a sophisticated, classic design. Perfect for those sharp dressers who want their iPad Pro or MacBook to follow suit.
PlugBug Duo – £49.99 – Available from Amazon UK
Perfect for the world traveller, PlugBug Duo keeps USB-powered devices charged in more than 150 countries. It also adds two USB ports to a MacBook Power adapter so users can charge three devices at once. With PlugBug Duo, users can keep all their devices charged, wherever they may roam.
PowerPic – £89.99 – Available from Amazon UK
PowerPic, a wireless phone charger disguised as a picture frame, blends seamlessly into any home decor. Hide your charger in plain sight and enjoy your favorite photo on your nightstand or shelf. With PowerPic, your favorite photograph will become your favorite phone charger.
When travelling find the right bags is important no matter what your needs are and if you are like me who travels and goes to tech events often you need the right bag for sure and something that can make life easy on access and also keeping the goods secure. The Targus 27 litre backpack might be one for you to check out and I have filled it with my items of choice which in fairness can change depending on the travel plans but most of what you see in this review is the norm for me.
In most cases I carry two bags, One being a laptop bag where I can house the essentials in it and the rest pops into another bag and this bag can combine things into one yet still having easy access to everything with no fuss, the bag is also tough,strong and secure with plenty of compartments at hand so you are not stuck for choice and also a really nice feature here is compartment to store dirty laundry.
Work + Play Fitness features include:
Targus’ first ever combination laptop, work and sports backpack (27L)
Dedicated laptop compartment for screen sizes up to 15.6″
A padded top handle, shoulder straps and ventilated cushioning ensure comfort
Lined and ventilated front compartment, designed for transporting work or sports shoes
Detachable laundry bag and portable washbag
Plenty of pockets, including two for water bottles and a soft-lined, internal zipped pouch to protect small valuables
Fitness for multi sports
Contents..Jabra Elite 85h/65t book,pens,cup and notepad, Adonit QI,Blackberry Key2, PACUM,SKYROAM SOLIS X, Nike Air 180, Lenovo Laptop, Various cables,10,00 mAh powebank.
Urbanista recently announced some new products and now they are starting to surface and the first up is the all new Sydney Bluetooth Speaker which is smaller than their previous speaker we reviewed some time ago.. This speaker is half the size almost and packs the same punch but only better and has nice bass to it too which is welcome.
With a choice of colours at hand too there is options and we opted for the Olive Green being Irish and all that and out of the box it looks well and this speaker has a fabric covering which is really nice and a break away from the typical metal finish many speakers have these days but it is noticeable that many manufacturers are now using fabric coverings which is good.
The speaker has got simple controls too which is nice and up top you have the power on/off button,bluetooth button and plus/minus volume keys. On the back there is the i/o with Micro USB ports and aux. On the underside there is rubber feet to keep it still and it does not move at max volume as you will see in the video review below.
Need a job in IT or tech? Click the image below
Sound quality is great here and so is call quality you can also connect to the speaker with your phone if you like with 3.5m cable. This speaker is very portable and pocketable too and can be used anywhere from your own personal space such as your bedroom or be brought on a picnic or camping and sit back and enjoy the clear sound and especially the bass.
Specs
Driver unit: 40mm
Driver power: 3W
Sensitivity: 80dB+/-3dB
Impedance 4±3﹪Ω
Frequency: 80 – 20.000 KHz
Working time: 5 hrs
Charging time: 1.5 hours
Stand-by time: 30 days
Charging Type: Micro USB
Battery type: Lithium-ion battery/600mAh
Battery watt hours: 2.22Wh
Bluetooth Version: V5.0
Working Range: >10
Mic Distance: 0.5m
Supporting codecs : SBC, MP3, AAC
