Jim O Brien/CEO - techbuzzireland.com

@NeosSmartHome launches smartcam upgrade: NEOS BOOST. We check it out. #Security #Tech #NeosBoost

Neos, the UK’s first smart home insurance provider, has released a new upgrade plan, Neos Boost, to advance the capabilities of their award-winning indoor smart camera, the Neos SmartCam. One of the cheapest home security cameras on the market has just got better for a small price to pay and we have been asked to test this out over the last while prior release and give feedback on how the new features work as we have done so with similar products and it is nice to share and help in such things and be part of a community.

Since launching in January this year, the Neos SmartCam has sold over 75,000 cameras in the UK and figures are climbing fast. Its’ high-tech features for an unbeatable price of £24.99 RRP, have proven to be a firm favourite with consumers, and Neos Boost only further emphasises the company’s dedication to home safety and incident prevention. Check our video review below of the NEOS prior this upgrade.

Neos Boost allows customers to capture more key moments on their Neos SmartCam, with 5X longer video clips and up to 12 hours of daily recording time. Customers also get the capability to personalise their in-app notifications by setting Security Scheduling and Activity Zones.

Neos Boost is available for a competitive monthly fee of just £3.49 – with the first 30 days free. Customers can set up Neos Boost easily and quickly in the Neos app using Apple or Google pay. Neos remains totally committed to making new innovative technology available at affordable prices.

Neos Boost features:

Extended Clip Recording: Capture more of what matters most with video footage recording, upgraded from 12 seconds to 1 minute. Neos Boost also cuts time between clips providing up to 12 hours of Cloud storage each day.
Activity Zones: Select specific areas to monitor, such as windows, doors, or the baby’s cot, so you don’t get a notification every time the dog makes a guest appearance!
Security Scheduling: Monitor when it’s needed most; set your own schedule to arm and disarm your Neos SmartCam while you’re at home or away.

Since launching in 2017, Neos has worked closely with its customers to continuously develop its range of products and services, bringing the next generation of connected home solutions to UK households.

“We’re so excited to launch Neos Boost and offer our customers an even smarter way to look after their home,” commented Matt Poll, CEO and Co-Founder of Neos. “We’re constantly looking for ways that we can develop and improve our offering, and we consider all customer feedback to ensure we deliver what people really want.

With Neos Boost, customers can capture more of what matters and personalise their app experience, so they feel even more confident that their home is being looked after while they’re not there. Prevention is at the heart of everything we do, our smart technology alerts customers the moment anything unusual is detected in their homes to give them the best chance of catching threats early and prevent major problems. With Neos Boost we’re making it even easier for customers to actively look after their home.”

FUJIFILM announces The INSTAX Mini Link now available in Ireland. #INSTAX #instaxminilink #FUJIFILM

FUJIFILM Corporation and its President, Kenji Sukeno, today announced the release of INSTAX Mini Link (RRP €120). This sleek instant photo printer will revolutionise how people embrace photography on their smart phones. Linking to phones via Bluetooth, the nifty printer and dedicated mobile phone app makes it easier than ever to turn photos saved on smartphones into lasting memories. The INSTAX Mini Link is available in Ireland from today and in three attractive colours; dusky pink, ash white and dark denim.

QUALITY PRINTS IN AN INSTANT

What sets INSTAX Mini Link apart from other smartphone printers is the fantastic image quality which it delivers. The easy to use printer uses FUJIFILM real film technology to offer unrivalled prints, all of which feature the iconic INSTAX white boarder that the brand is famous for across the globe. In addition to quality prints, INSTAX Mini Link is lightweight for excellent portability. The printer truly is instant with a fast speed of about 12 seconds per print.

A NEW USER EXPERIENCE

Another distinctive feature of INSTAX Mini Link is the simple yet fun app that links smartphones to the printer. With multiple modes and functions there is something to meet every printing need, not to mention, lots of ways to have fun and stay entertained.

Simple Print – shoot with a superimposed INSTAX white frame that gives users a visual reference, so it eliminates any uncertainty of exactly what’s in the picture, ensuring users get the photo they want each time. This intuitive function allows for allows easy photo adjustments, such as making it larger or smaller, rotating it, applying a filter or adjusting brightness.

Video Print –this cool function allows users to scroll through video frames left to right to choose the most memorable moments. Once selected, all that’s left to do is press the extract button to turn their favourite part video clip into an Instax print.

Frame Print – The Frame Print feature allows users to pick from 27 different templates to create quirky and show stopping pictures.

Collage Print – this function has four amazing features that are perfect when creating images with friends. The Collage Print feature allows users to combine lots of their favourite photos onto one print.

Party Print – INSTAX Mini Link is all about connecting with friends and family and there is no better way to do that than with a Party Print. This entertaining feature gives users the ability to create one photo with loved ones by connecting up to five smartphones to the app. The app receives a picture from each of the devices and combines them into one INSTAX print. Once smartphones are linked together, users can select the layout of the images, or use ‘surprise mode’ to get a shock! In the “Surprise Mode,” no one knows what kind of pictures others have chosen and what the final print will look like until the images appear on the print.

Match Test – Have hours of fun with the Match Test function, a quirky game that allows the user to check the compatibility of two people in a photo. The app has the “Quick diagnosis” mode to check compatibility of people shown in a picture, and the “Precision diagnosis” mode that involves answering some questions.

TAKE CONTROL

When taking pictures from the printer’s dedicated app, users can use INSTAX Mini Link main unit to remotely control the camera operation. For example, they can zoom in and out by tilting the printer in different directions. Printing multiple copies of a picture has never been easier, simply hold the Link with the printout end pointing down and press the button at the centre.

Bring people together for a group shot by using the camera as remote controller for your smartphone’s camera. INSTAX Mini Link is available now in FUJIFIILM outlets nationwide, RRP €120.00 prices may vary by retailer.

Belfast – HeightLight, the world’s first handheld laser height measurement device from Capaltec. #Capaltec #Equine #HeightLight

Today, Capaltec Ltd, Belfast-based technology company, announced the launch of HeightLight, the world’s first handheld laser height measurement device. HeightLight was unveiled at this year’s Horse of the Year Show at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, where it was exhibited amongst the world’s leading equine technology and innovation.

The idea for HeightLight came from County Tipperary pony breeder, Michael Grace, who saw an opportunity to bring equine measurement from the analogue age of measuring sticks and tapes into the digital age. Resulting in the founding of Belfast-based start-up Capaltec to bring this technology to market, HeightLight was developed over the past five years with investor and Invest NI support.

Speaking on the launch, Robert Park, CEO at Capaltec stated: “This is a world first innovation for the global equine market, bringing five years of extensive research and development to create an easy to use hand-held laser height measurement device. For too long, the industry has depended on inaccurate measurements for equine purchasing or competition.

“It may seem like a simple idea, but this type of innovation has never been utilised for height measurement, until now and we’re already seeing the huge demand for this product through our pre-sales. This is just the beginning of our journey with HeightLight, as this type of technology can be utilised for so many other industries such as medical, construction or DIY.”

HeightLight was specifically engineered and designed to bring accuracy and dependability to the process of measuring horses and ponies for passports, competition and sale. The device provides total precision measurement by combining triangulation technology with proven mathematical theory. Whereas approaching a horse or pony with a measuring stick or hand-measurements can result in an adverse reaction, the compact handheld HeightLight provides the means to measure without distress.

HeightLight comes complete with a carry case, wrist lanyard for use when measuring, 2 x AA batteries and a mini screwdriver for easy battery access. HeightLight has further multiplicity of use in the veterinarian, human health, construction and DIY sectors.

HeightLight is available to Pre Order for £200.00. To reserve a device or learn more, visit: www.heightlightstore.com.

Zurich Leverages Digital Voice Assistants to enhance Customer Experience. #Zurich #DigitalAsisstants

Zurich is the first Insurance Company in Ireland to leverage the capabilities of digital voice assistants, such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa, to enable parents to get a quick estimate of the likely cost of their children’s education.

Responding to an increasing number of people using digital voice assistants, with research showing half of online consumers globally now using the devices, Zurich Life is leveraging the technology in Ireland with the Zurich Ireland skill for Alexa and Google action.

By simply saying “Hey Google/Alexa, talk to Zurich Ireland” people can interact with Zurich’s secondary school and third-level cost of education calculators to find out how much money the calculators suggest to put aside to cover their children’s education. In addition to accessing the calculators via digital voice assistants, people can also view the most recent 2019 cost of education research on their mobile device. Most homes today have either Amazon or Google assistants in their homes today and the number of such is growing each year and in some cases more than one in each household for an example I have 4 in total at the minute.

Sean Carty, Head of Online and Digital, Zurich, said: “With a simple question said aloud, customers can take the first step towards planning for the cost of their children’s education. Our 2019 Cost of Education survey showed that the cost of secondary school rose 16% compared with last year, so it will be a key concern for parents. We appreciate that parents have very busy lives, so by leveraging the technology available through digital voice assistants with our Cost of Education Calculators, we want to make it as convenient and easy as possible for them to interact with Zurich products and services and to take their first step in planning ahead for their children’s future.”

Arlo Pro 3 now available to pre-order on Amazon. #Arlo #ArloPro3 #Security

The Arlo Pro 3. Designed to provide home and small business owners with a high-performance, simple, wire-free security solution, Pro 3 features 2K resolution with high dynamic range (HDR), an integrated spotlight with colour night vision and a super-wide 160-degree field of view. Engineered to work indoors or outdoors, Pro 3 offers advanced image quality for DIY security that anyone can easily install in minutes and monitor from anywhere using the Arlo app. Pro 3 also includes a new Smart Hub that securely manages network traffic to the camera in addition to enhancing power and WiFi performance for better range and battery life.

Completing the security solution, Pro 3 comes with a three-month trial of Arlo Smart, Arlo’s AI and computer vision-based service that delivers advanced detection of people, vehicles, animals and packages. In addition, Arlo Smart enables personalised notifications with custom activity zones and cloud storage for video recordings up to 2K in resolution. Pro 3 camera systems, which include the SmartHub, start at £549.99 for a 2-camera system. Add-on Pro 3 cameras start at £279.99 for those who need to add more cameras to their Pro SmartHub. Pro 3 will be available to pre-order on Amazon from 1st October, shipping from 28th October. Additional retailers to follow.

With category-leading 2K image quality boasts nearly 80 percent more pixels than its predecessor, Arlo Pro 3 takes the Pro Series up to a new level of performance. With a brand-new image sensor, Pro 3 can record video at up to 2K in resolution with HDR for enhanced details and clarity across light and dark areas in a scene, with a new super wide angle 160-degree field of view. Pro 3’s wire-free design includes a weather-resistant housing that can be installed at nearly any angle via a magnetic mount or screw mount for added physical security.

Arlo Pro 3 marks the first time a camera in the Pro series will feature a built-in siren that can be triggered automatically, or manually from the Arlo app, when motion or audio is detected, as well as an integrated spotlight to light up the night and ward off unwelcomed guests. Colour night vision further differentiates Pro 3 from other conventional security cameras, by allowing users to see what’s lurking with color video instead of traditional black-and-white security footage. Additionally, superior two-way audio lets users have clear, natural conversations remotely through the camera’s built-in microphone and speaker.

“As our new Pro Series flagship product, Pro 3 is packed with the latest innovations that give DIY users the ability to monitor their home or business with more clarity and details, along with all of the convenience of Arlo’s award-winning wire-free design,” said Naveen Chhangani, Vice President of Product Management. “By further factoring in the capabilities of Arlo Smart’s artificial intelligence, it only alerts you for the activities that matter most to you.”

With the purchase of the Pro 3 system, users will receive a complimentary three-month trial to Arlo Smart, which offers rolling 30-days of cloud recordings to store and view video clips at 2K resolution. In addition, users will be able to customise their experience by adjusting notification settings to spot people, vehicles, animals or packages. Controlled entirely through the Arlo app, users can easily view live streams and recordings from their Pro 3 cameras, adjust their camera’s settings or access cloud recordings with the available Arlo Smart trial.

With its fast and simple wire-free setup and weather-resistant design, Arlo Pro 3 is the perfect solution for monitoring any outdoor or indoor area. Pro 3 includes a magnetic mount that allows users the flexibility to easily angle their camera in nearly any direction and almost any type of surface, including walls, ceilings, tables, awnings, and more. The new system includes a rechargeable, long-lasting battery along with a magnetic charging cable that can also be used to directly power the camera. Using the same accessories as Arlo Ultra, Pro 3 users can further customize their set-up with convenient add-ons like the solar panel, extended length outdoor charging cables, and a dual charging station designed to quickly charge two batteries at once.

For more information on the full range of Arlo Smart Home products and services, visit www.arlo.com. or https://www.arlo.com/uk/products/arlo-pro-3/default.aspx

Competition Heats up in the South West Tech Hub as it@Cork Leaders Awards Shortlist is Revealed

This week 21 tech-leading organisations in the Cork region received word that they have been selected to go to through to the final stage of the judging process in the celebrated it@Cork Tech Leaders Awards 2019.

Making the announcement Anthony O’Callaghan, Chair of it@Cork, said,

“We are delighted with the applications received for the 7 award categories this year, and the calibre of each and every submission brings home what we already know – that our IT sector is brimming with talent, ambition and innovation. Whittling it down to just 3 candidates per category was an unenviable task, which the judging panel spent hours upon hours poring over. Those who have been shortlisted this year were the standout IT leaders in an exceptionally talented pool, and they should be extremely proud of this achievement”.

The awards, which are in their 13^th year, shine a light on those people who are leading the charge for the region’s tech community and are paving the way for the continued success of tech in the South West region.

Winners of the 7 categories will be announced at a Gala dinner to take place at the Rochestown Park Hotel on October 18th. The night will also see one person take home the coveted Tech Person of the Year Award, which, in the past, has been won by gamechangers of Ireland’s tech industry, such as Peter Coppinger and Daniel Mackey of Teamwork, and Dan & Linda Kiely of Voxpro.

it@Cork also announced the addition of the new “Trend Micro Excellence in Education Award”.

Mr. O’Callaghan added,

“We have added a hugely positive incentive to the award this year, with the winner receiving a prize to the value of €5,000, which can be used towards purchasing equipment to further their STEM initiatives. We collectively feel that this is a very important give-back initiative, one which the entire it@Cork community feel very strongly about, and we are thankful to the continued support of Trend Micro and in particular William Dalton and Avril Ronan, who jumped at the opportunity to support this initiative.”

Avril Ronan, Global Programme Manager Internet Safety, Trend Micro commented,

“We passionately promote cyber safety education and the positive use of technology in communities around the world. That’s why we seek to award the Excellence in Education award to the school that has not simply demonstrated the use of digital technology in class, but that also actively engages and promotes STEM; incorporating software and hardware development skills into the curriculum, prioritising teacher support and training to advance IT/ICT skills and sharing what they learn with those outside the school walls, right into local community, making a real difference. With open positions in the IT sector in Ireland at an all-time high, these schools are nurturing a sense of creativity and curiosity in their students, and hopefully a desire for a career in technology and so are helping us fill those open positions. This is why we applaud all of the schools who submitted applications for their foresight and leadership.” Shortlisted post-primary schools are Mayfield Community School, Coláiste Éamann Rís and St Brogan’s College.

This year will also see one company win the inaugural it@Cork Skillnet Best Workplace Award, which Mark Jordan (CTO) of Skillnet Ireland described as a “fantastic addition to the already broad accreditation base”,

“A work environment can bring out the best or the worst in a team – we know we have the people and the skills in the region, but it’s up to the employers to foster a community of inclusion, personal development, and creativity in their workplace. And we know from working with employers that so many of them are excelling in this regard and are really delivering for their employees. We think their work should be commended and we hope that it may inspire others to follow suit or to learn from their best practices”. Shortlisted companies for this year are McKesson, Poppulo and VMware.

The theme of this year’s Leaders Awards is ‘Towards 2020’, which it@Cork say is a celebration of all the previous winners who have contributed immensely to the tech industry in the region, and a nod to the present and future leaders who will bring the Irish tech industry into the next decade.

An exciting addition to this year’s initiative is the opening of the new it@cork Tech Leaders Hall of Fame, into which all previous winners of the prestigious Tech Leader of the Year award will be inducted.

it@Cork Leaders Awards 2019 – Shortlist

Excellence in Education (listed in main body text)

Mayfield Community School (post primary)

Coláiste Éamann Rís (post primary)

St Brogan’s College (post primary)

2 – CSR AWARD

Gas Network Ireland

McAfee

McKesson

3 – Best Workplace Award (listed in main body text)

McKesson

Poppulo

VMware

4 – MNC of the Year Award

McAfee

Quest

IBM

5 – Smart Technology Innovation Award

Keelvar

Spearline

Blink

6 – One to Watch

Asystec

GridBeyond

Rinocloud

7 – Tech start-up of the Year

Apis Protect

Work Vivo

Swyft Energy

See https://www.itcork.ie/

The GameSir G6S – the First iPhone Gaming Controller with Customizable Vibrating Buttons #Gaming #iPhone

The GameSir G6S Touchroller is a hybrid game controller that has been developed specifically for mobile gaming on the iPhone. A new term coined by GameSir, ‘Touchroller’ describes the combination of gamepad and touchscreen controls for the perfect in game control and experience.

Designed specifically for FPS, MOBA and games that need the combination of gamepad and touch screen controls, the G6S is the world’s first mobile gaming controller where the vibrating buttons can be customised.

Using the left controller to move or jump, you can then focus on precise aiming using the right touchscreen making sure the entire battlefield is in your hands. The professional layout of 10 configurable buttons and an ultra-thin 3D joystick enables optimal combination control of moving, aiming, jumping, shooting, tactical positioning and combo attacks in a variety of game genres.

Equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, the GameSir G6S will provide a strong connection to the controller when game playing, so you don’t need worry about missing a play.

Play without worrying that your iPhone will fall out of the controller – the two stage retractable structure ensures a strong fit for even the largest iPhone, meaning you can stay focused on winning your battle!

The GameSir G6S is available for RRP £39.99. For more information head to www.gamesir.hk

Review – The EPSON 4K EH-TW9400 Home projector. #Tech #Epson #Projectors

First thing you need to know this is a beast by that I mean in size and weight and some might go as far to say the price.. It is not cheap but it does offer massive screen size if you have a wall big enough which enables enhanced viewing pleasure and not only that it is simple enough to use. The remote is a bit scary looking with all the keys but I found using the navi pad on the projector itself easier to use,there is lots of use case scenarios here this can be used in but my review is on home based use which for most will be HDMI based technology.

I tested this with my laptop,gaming consoles and USB and it works a treat, most of us will use the same at home especially HDMI connected products, Gaming is fantastic on this and it really changes how you look at it and play.either turn your speakers up full whack or put some headphones on and you are in a different world playing this on a maxed out wall as you will see in the video below..

Looking for a job in tech or IT click the image below…

This is going to need space depending on where you plan to put it and its heavy. This is not a short throw projector so it needs to be spaced and again you need to test run it before final installation especially if ceiling mounted. Once all that is done you are good to go after some adjustments with focus and so on and of course cable management.

Features..

PRO-UHD 4K-enhancement technology with advanced pixel-shifting
Full HD, UHD BD, and HDR support
3LCD technology and an equally high White and Colour Light Output of up to 2,600 lumens delivering vivid colours
Frame interpolation and Detail Enhancement for smooth fast-moving action
Fully motorised optics: Powered zoom, focus and wide lens shift for flexible positioning
Large screen size – up to 300 inches
Incredibly long lamp life and easy installation

PC image on set up

Gaming

You can stream high-quality 4K content to the projector from smartphones, games consoles, Blu-ray players and more by connecting via HDMI to the 4K WiHD transmitter. I tested this on smartphones, TV,Gaming consoles and laptop Blu Ray is a thing of the past for many but I wish I had one..

Check the video below for more..

Buy here – https://www.epson.co.uk/products/projectors/home-cinema/eh-tw9400

Review – The Garmin DriveSmart 65 Sat Nav #Garmin #SatNav #Tech #Motoring

I am not one to use a sat nav due to being in the logistics industry over 25 years and working on maps and digital cartography over the years but I do like to check out these things when they come along and compare to what is on offer.

The DriveSmart 65 also has Amazon Alexa built in which is a good thing in one respect and keeps you with your hands on the wheel ( current laws in Ireland do not allow you access information now on devices) but there is other features on the tablet sized device that can help you on your travels which is good. I have mostly compiled video footage on this for a visual aspect and set up of the product too so I will go over the rest and point out the bad and good..

Set-up is easy and it is more or less ready to go out of the box just go through the options regardless as regions will vary on some aspects, Download the app and connect then fix to you or car window and you are good tho go,this is simple to and is just mounted with a suction cup like a dash cam for example or mobile phone holder.

You can then pair to your cars audio system too and your mobile phone and chose which the audio comes from which is handy.

Using the Amazon features is fine in one respect but for some like any voice assistant this can be hit and miss but for the basic tasks you are fine, There is an “OK GARMIN” option too and the same is to be said here when asking for directions mainly because of the map data gathered here and this is shown in the maps itself but you can search with eircode which is handy and might be a better option for some, if you are looking for a business you will struggle and may perhaps have to relate to your smartphone for an eircode to get directions to the door..

Getting directions can be also a hit and miss as mentioned with businesses in particular and you will be sent off the opposite direction but this can also occur with other mapping options but the Garmin mapping layout is quite good overall on the large screen with good warnings on speed limits,coming off motorways with lane selection and on most occasions it will tell you that you are coming up to a school but you will see more in the video by how I mean the maps are antiquated.

Overall thought it is a good product and there is a version of this available with a dash cam which I would recommend over this for cable space and less window space taken up, Garmin dash cams are great and both these combined in one unit would be of good benefit but I feel the product will get better and there might be more map data available in other countries as to whats available here.The latest software updates where installed during my testing period which was a huge 8GB update before I tested it.

BUY HERE

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