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.

Review – The @Edifier_Global R2000DB Classic multimedia speakers #Edifier #Tech #R2000DB

Edifier offer many types of speakers to suit all peoples needs and suit all environments at home or even an office space not only that they look good with a premium finish and will last and most importantly deliver on the sound experience.

The latest on offer is the R2000BD Classic multimedia speakers and I have tested these out in several situations and the sound that is delivered is top class and something I expect from Edifier been a long time user and tester of their products.

The R2000DB are built to last and look good keeping things simple too for the user with minimal controls on the rear and the option to change the tune via remote. One speaker is a satellite whilst the other houses all the I/Os and it is a simple set up.

With the R2000DB you can connect up to two devices which is great and will suit most people you can use your mobile phones bluetooth, then you have the other options at hand such as Optical which I highly suggest as this allows audio from all devices connected to your TV pass through so if you move from your games console to TV or Netflix for example you are still connected and no fuss and the same great sound is delivered.

Click to enlarge images…

Design here is robust and lasting and the looks is good with a great finish and will suit any home or office they can be placed more or less anywhere  but these are bookshelf speakers bit can be placed either side of your TV or bookshelf setup it all depends on your personal needs however they are versatile and can be moved once you are near a power socket or again you could use an extension.

The sound is second to none with music,tv,gaming or streaming and you have the options to adjust bass,treble and volume on the rear of the speaker or use the remote to adjust to your needs,these will rattle your floorboards at max volume but I did not notice any distortion maxed out but they will vibrate any surface they are on.

One thing to note is they are not as light as other speakers on offer and might be cumbersome for a few folk but it is a caveat I can forgive over how they deliver elsewhere. Probably their best to date from the range I have tested.

Looking for a job in IT or Tech,click the image below.

  • BLUETOOTH CONNECTION – Pair your phone, tablet or computer for a true hassle free wireless experience, perfect for any iOS, Android, MacOS or Windows device.
  • OPTICAL INPUT – Enjoy lossless digital connection from your TV, TV Box, DVD/blu-ray player, receiver, HTPC, computer or gaming consoles such as Xbox and Playstation.
  • 2 x AUX INPUT – Convenient connection to any device that has a 3.5mm headphone output or dual RCA output.
  • REMOTE CONTROL – switch input sources, control volume and choose digital sound processing (DSP) modes at your figure tips.

See more

BUY 

 

Review – The Logitech MX Master 2S wireless mouse. #Logitech #Office #Productivity

I am not one to use a mouse much (until now) as I have already got a logitech wireless keyboard which does a great job as it is but I have tried several mice over the last year and this one has got my attention really quickly because of how it can make you more productive and what it has to offered compared to many standard mice out there most of us are custom to using on a daily basis.

The fact alone here which is beneficial for multiscreen/laptop set ups is you can use the mouse across 3 of them (Logitech flow) and drag and drop items from one set up to another which is really handy and an excellent feature not seen on many other offerings out there. Setting up the mouse is simple and you get a dongle in the box and connectivity is instant  you can of course use your pc/laptops own bluetooth connection but the dongle just works much better and faster you will need to install additional software and have bluetooth connectivity to use the feature mentioned above which will be no problem on any of today’s laptops with bluetooth a standard.

 

The design is ergonomic and fits perfectly in your hand with a built in gesture button on the thumb with all the buttons at your ease and you can also assign shortcuts to the buttons if you desire you have software to look upon to see what options are available I got one update during my testing period.

On the top is a typical set up with a mouse wheel you can use for infinite scrolling which is handy and you have the left and right buttons which are sensitive and light to touch and work very well and clicky. The mouse wheel on top can be used in two modes as mentioned above or a ratchet action and can be easily changed with the small square (mode) button beneath the wheel.

On the side of the mouse you have another scroll wheel and this also can come in handy for the likes of spreadsheets etc and this one is more stiff than the main wheel which will give you good control of scrolling sideways. I am by no means a mouse expert but this works well. Behind the side scroll wheel you have two elongated buttons which actually allow you to go back on a web page and go back forward again which is very handy.

Underneath the mouse is a standard affair with the power on/off the lazer only this time you have the option to switch from 1-3 PCs which is where this shines with the ability to connect 3 pcs/laptops and transfer files which is really useful but you must install the software on the other two devices on the same network to get the full functionality this will work with 2 by the way not just 3 computers.

You get 70 days battery life (Claimed by manufacturer but I have not had it that long) from this which is excellent and it is also rechargeable so no batteries required..Another bonus.. Also this will work on almost any surface. No mat required.

Looking for a job in IT or Tech,click the image below.

As i said I have only used a few mice over the years but this for me has changed how I work at home already with the ability to customize the buttons and to add any shortcut from your PC then be able to transfer files between two or three it will be the last mouse I need. For 109 euro though some might complain but once you use it and get the hang of it you won’t look back. It is a great productivity tool.

BUY HERE

 

InsureTech Travel Insurance firms Blink and Pluto enter partnership. #Blink #Pluto #Flights #Travel

UK InsurTech Pluto, the travel insurance startup backed by the recent winner of the ‘British Airways – Future of Flying’ award, Zurich, has teamed up with Blink to provide flight delay cover to its customers, instantly helping them get access to an airport lounge or a cash payout when they need it most.

Pluto allows customers to build and manage their own policies and even claim from their mobile device. With its headline ‘Travel cover for the travel lover’, Pluto aims to reduce the number of millennials who put themselves under unnecessary risk when travelling without cover, which applies to around 40% of this audience.

 

Blink, acquired by CPPGroup Plc in 2017, is quickly becoming one of the most innovative and successful providers of flight disruption solutions to insurers across the globe. It offers customers a proactive real-time insurance service that meets the speed and convenience that modern customers demand through notifying travellers instantly if a flight is delayed. Real-time event notification allows for real-time problem resolution. Blink can offer clients options such as a cash payment or access to an airport lounge, all within seconds of the disruption occurring.

 

Alex Rainey, Co-Founder and CEO of Pluto, said: “Insurance is such an exciting space because there’s so much room for improvement. A lot of this can be achieved by using the latest technology combined with thoughtful design. We’re constantly looking for new ways to bring experiences and services to our customers that they wouldn’t expect from a travel insurer. Being able to help them instantly in a time of frustration, like a flight delay, can be such a surprising experience for a customer. When we found Blink, we instantly knew we wanted to partner with them. They’ve proven themselves all over the world as a leading parametric travel insurance tech provider. Our customers are super excited to start using this new service.”

 

Alex describes the innovation as a “gamechanger, not only for the travel insurance industry but for all of those who travel, whether for work or for leisure, millennial or not.  Blink enables us to provide that magic moment to customers, surprising and delighting them when they least expect it. Our community just love to travel, but things go wrong sometimes, being able to be there to help is what we’re all about.”

 

Paul Prendergast, CEO of Blink, added: “The discussions we’ve had with Pluto, a dynamic company changing the insurance market with truly novel products, has been a delight.  The partnership is a natural fit for both companies and one we are excited about growing. Partnering with Pluto to design smart parametric travel insurance that appeals to a millennial demographic, which represents almost 18%[1] of the UK population alone, is just the type of work we thrive on.”

Alex concludes: “As we prepare for our crowdfunding campaign in September this year, partnerships with leading technology providers like Blink are key. They allow us to deliver on our vision of helping people get the most out of their travels. Instant help with flights delays are an incredible way to start bringing that vision to life.”

 

First Look unboxing and walkthrough. The Alcatel 3 2019. #Alcatel #Alcatel3 #Tech

The Alcatel 3 2019 edition has dropped in and comes with more new features over its 2018 predecessor and at an affordable pricepoint. This time round we have a dual camera setup on the rear and fingerprint sensor and also this time round we have Face Key detection which is similar to Face unlock. Also for those who like emojis we have AR emojis to boot.

Also the new edition has a nice display on offer this time with 4G RAM with a 3500mAh battery on board so this would be a great first time device or if you are upgrading from last years iteration. Check out the unboxing and walkthrough below so you can see what you get and if you have any questions feel free to ask during our test run.

Read more 

Now On sale at eir 

Carphone Warehouse

UNBOXING AND UI WALKTHROUGH

First look and unboxing. The QUMI Z1V projector. #QUMIZ1 #Vivitek

A projector is something I have been looking for a good while now and this is one way we can evade the licence fee we have to pay here by the way which has been big news of late and no doubt some folk use such tech today. But we have this new product out which has much to offer in a small package that also looks good and contemporary and will fit the bill for many in my opinion. We will do a quick first look and unboxing today and in the meantime if you have any questions feel free to ask. One thing to keep in mind here is the versatility of this product and its ease of use and we look forward to showing you our results in the coming weeks.

The Qumi Z1 Series is available as two models. The Z1H can project a screen size of up to 100 inches at 300 lumen brightness level with HD720p resolution. Texas Instruments’ established and respected DLP technology delivers sharp and crisp images with a 10,000:1 contrast ratio. It is feature-rich and equipped with WiFi to connect to the user’s favourite online content, while other preferred content can be preloaded onto the 8Gb onboard memory of the Z1H.

The Qumi Z1V enables users to enjoy projection with 480p resolution with a screen size of up to 75 inches at a brightness level of up to 250 lumens and a 10,000:1 contrast ratio. Like the Z1H, the Z1V benefits from the convenience of an HDMI-in interface to make it even easier to connect it to laptop devices.

 

Superb image

The Qumi Z1 Series can light up any social gathering thanks to it being able to project an image of up to 100” from any mobile device. Its advanced multi-media player and ability to display virtually any content makes the Qumi Z1H a true extension to a mobile device. Users can display their favourite apps or stream online content directly via a WiFi connection to the Qumi Z1H, or preload content to the on-board storage, or directly mirror their content from USB-C for certain compatible Android phones, via a cable. It is equally easy to connect the Qumi Z1V to USB or HDMI sources to really get the party started.

Massive sound

The Qumi Z1 Series is set to impress those who consider a smart phone’s screen too small and its volume too quiet for true entertainment satisfaction. The combination of image quality and the built-in 2x5W stereo sound performances adds to its talents as a true entertainer offering both perfect picture quality with an audio ambiance that will impress users wherever it accompanies them; to a friend’s, at parties, in a hotel room, or even at an outside movie-night, under the stars.

See more

Review – The @Edifier_Global R980T Multimedia speakers. #Edifier #R980T #Tech #Speakers

The Edifier R908T might be a few years old and we tested them out to see how they stand the test of time and for the price you pay here you get a great stylish set of multimedia speakers for your office or home set up that deliver on sound and also they are not too cumbersome to place in your home be it on a bookshelf or your personal set up as for example I have one made up in the video below to check out yourself, I tend to change my set up quite often and I also move from upstairs to downstair in the house depending on how busy I am.

These speakers have no bluetooth or remote which some might find annoying but it is no big deal as they are a simple plug and play set up. These can be plugged into your smartphone,pc,laptop or tv if it has the requirements on the rear,some will depending on how old your TV is as some configurations might not allow it.

Using this from my PC and phone the speakers yield great results with sound and also deliver a nice touch of bass and the overall impression is the sound is well balanced and plenty aloud which is how I like it and louder than I expected from this pair. They also look good and they are clean and will blend in anywhere.

Check out the unboxing and sound test below and let us know what you think. For the price you will pay for these they are well worth the spend for a strong good looking and sounding pair of multimedia speakers.

  • Active bookshelf speaker system with 24W total power output
  • Calibrated, flared bass reflect port in front of the speaker
  • Dual RCA inputs for connectivity to multiple audio sources
  • 100% MDF wooden enclosures to minimize acoustic resonance

BUY 

Nokia 2.2 now available in Ireland. Free xpress on cover thrown in. #Nokia2

The Nokia 2.2 is now available to purchase in Ireland from the Nokia store and you can also bag a free xpress on cover if you purchase from the store right now but this is a limited offer which runs from now until 31/08/2019.

The Nokia 2.2 comes with Google Assistant and AI technology and will get regular updates as part of the Android One programme and is said to get Android Q at a later stage this year. The 2.2 comes with a 13 megapixel real camera and a 5MP front facing camera, 3000mAh battery and 2GB RAM. At the time of posting this the Dual Sim variant is on offer so again this might suit those who carry two sims and it would be an ideal holiday phone which would allow you buy a local sim.

See the offer HERE 

 

TV viewership dropping as younger generations go online – Pure Telecom survey

Pure Telecom, the Irish high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, today announces the results of a survey, which found that traditional TV viewership is declining as younger generations choose internet-reliant video and streaming instead. The nationally-representative research*, carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom, also found that Irish consumer spending on video streaming will reach €454.6M in the next 12 months.

As more streaming services come to the Irish market, consumers are being offered a wider range and greater volume of programming. As a result, just 20% of Irish adults now view the TV licence as better value than streaming services. Some 57% think streaming is better value than the TV licence – increasing to 73% and 66% for Gen Zs and Millennials respectively – while 23% are undecided.

These results come in today just after the announcement of the way the licence fee will change in the coming years and how change is coming as we now consume more media from our smartphones and tablets and a #mobiletax is what I am going to call it will be introduced. We are now in the era of subscription based products like Netflix for example and I think this is the way forward in 2019 and the coming years rather than have a licence fee forced upon us we should be able to choose the content we want to watch and not have this mobile tax forced upon us, I heard Dee Forbes today on the Radio discussing how change is required to make things sustainable and for me and many others they need to look closer to home rather than force a levy on customers and perhaps look into Pay Per view or like I have said which many people like is a subscription based model.

One can argue about publicly funded content but the flipside of this is what the public want to watch and not have a fee forced upon us if we don’t chose to watch it, We live in a democracy and forcing a fee on consumers is far from a democracy end of story. We pay tax on our electronics when we purchase them as it is. There is younger new talent out there too which RTE need to look at since they speak or reform and give other’s a chance.

Pure Telecom’s research suggests that internet-reliant content is closing the gap on broadcast TV. The average person spends 17 hours 21 minutes watching broadcast TV per week, compared to 14 hours 3 minutes spent viewing content sourced online. However, that changes to 10 hours 9 minutes of TV versus 21 hours 12 minutes of online content for Gen Zs; and 14 hours 8 minutes versus 16 hours 10 minutes for Millennials.

The research found that Galway and Longford residents are the heaviest consumers of online content, watching an average of 18 hours 20 minutes each week. This is closely followed by those living in Kildare (18 hours 16 minutes) and Louth (17 hours 59 minutes). Those living in Roscommon spend the least time viewing online content, watching 7 hours 16 minutes per week.

Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom

Commenting on the findings, Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “There is a growing global appetite for sourcing TV and video content online and Irish consumers are no exception. That trend is particularly pronounced amongst the younger generations, who have grown up alongside technology and are used to having services at their fingertips.

“Consumers expect the convenience that online content can offer such as high quality on-demand, on-the-go viewing; they want to watch what they want, when they want. High-speed broadband is crucial for this, as it ensures viewers get a seamless service without any buffering or quality issues. As broadband plays a greater role in people’s lives, it is essential that both urban and rural areas have access to the fastest, most reliable internet and that is something that we at Pure Telecom are very committed to providing.”

Five Major Revolutions Will Transform Healthcare Over the Next 20 Years. #AllianzCare #Health #Healthcare

The world of healthcare is changing. By 2040, specialist surgeons will use remote robots to operate on patients in different continents; babies will have their DNA sequenced before they are even born; and patients will be able to generate new blood inside their own bodies without the need for a blood donor. 

These are just some of the findings of a new report commissioned by international healthcare specialists, Allianz Care, to help them prepare for the longer-term needs of their customers. The report looks at how medical science and healthcare delivery will be transformed globally in the next 20 years. Allianz Care is the international health brand of Allianz Partners and a leading provider of international health insurance.

 

The Future Health, Care & Wellbeing Report

Authored by internationally renowned futurologist, Ray Hammond, it presents likely future developments and trends in healthcare between now and 2040. Commenting on what healthcare will look like in 2040, Ray Hammond said: 

“Healthcare is one of the few arenas in which every one of us has a stake. The next 20 years will witness profound change in healthcare, all the more notable given that medical science and healthcare delivery tend to be conservative, slow-moving sectors that are highly resistant to change. The annual global market is currently estimated to be worth around $8.1 trillion, with annual global spending on healthcare forecast to rise to $18.28 trillion by 2040. With that in mind, we have a collective responsibility to ourselves and to the next generation to determine what that change will look like and the impact it will have on all of us.”

The report identifies five key trends which, collectively, will revolutionize the healthcare landscape. These include: personalized medicine; stem-cell medicine; nano-scale medicine; gene therapy and editing; and digital health.

 

The key healthcare predictions for 2040 are:

  1. Health information from traditional annual physical check-ups and other tests previously only available in a surgery or lab will be replaced by data from sensors on/around our ‘smart’ bodies (including in our clothing and, eventually, skin and blood). This will be immediately accessible to us, in real time.
  2. A new field of ‘predictive medical data mining’ will provide early warnings of physiological trouble ahead or indications of disease as it develops. Physicians will have 24/7 real-time reports of their patients’ wellbeing and will be alerted to any change in patients’ data that requires urgent attention
  3. Stem-cell medicine will be a powerful tool in mainstream medicine. For example, replacement human organs for transplant will be grown on demand from stem cells in the lab, with minimal risk of rejection
  4. Nano-medicine (in its infancy in 2019) may eventually outperform all other branches of medical science, as scientists create ‘designer drugs’ that are far more powerful than today’s drugs. The use of UV-Vis Spectrophotometers will also play an important role in the manufacturing process of nano-medicine in the upcoming years.”
    Anchor text: UV-Vis Spectrophotometers
  5. Artificial Intelligence (AI) ‘chatbots’ equipped with deep learning algorithms could relieve emergency room personnel of tending to large numbers of walk-in patients with non-emergencies (e.g. sore throats, UTIs)

Ultimately, this report will help insurers anticipate the benefits and potential challenges of the evolving healthcare environment, from a customer perspective. It not only provides insight, but it will also help spark ideas and debate to proactively plan for the future.

 

The future of health insurance

The report makes clear that in the future, insurance business models will need to change. Currently, one of the primary purposes of insurance is that an individual is covered for the unexpected. But in the future, health issues will be identified, and often addressed at birth. Health will no longer be an unknown quantity. Insurance premiums, which used to pay for health events that ‘might happen’, may evolve into a fund which is there to pay for treatment following unexpected accidents, and to access the latest technology to treat conditions which can’t be dealt with at birth. Health plans will most likely be completely tailored to each person. Plus, as the number of deaths due to unexpected or incurable illnesses decreases, populations grow and people live longer, the sheer number of people in the world will bring its own challenges in terms of making sure that everyone can get prompt access to care. This is where digital tools, robotics and artificial intelligence can really help. 

There will also be a significant shift with regards to where health information sits. Currently it’s primarily with doctors and hospitals. In the future, people will have much greater access to their own health data via in-body/device technology. However, future customers will need support interpreting that information and navigating the international healthcare system. They’ll also want data to back up decisions about which consultants they see and where to locate them. The role of the insurer will be to use their expertise and global network to make that process as easy as possible, while giving them access to the right care at the best rates.

For additional information about Allianz Care and how they are shaping the future of international healthcare, read the full ‘Future Health, Care & Wellbeing’ report, which was launched in July as part of ‘The World in 2040‘ futurology series.