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.

93% of UK Parents Believe Toddlers Are Spending Too Much Time In Front Of Screens

A recent study has revealed that 93% of parents, of children aged 2-5 years old, believe toddlers of this age group are spending too much time in front of electronic devices.Being honest I would say we are not far behind here in Ireland and with us adults one can only imagine..

The data, by Kiddi Caru, also shows that 60% of this group have given their toddlers a tablet, with over half (57%) being just 3 years old and under.

When asked what their child uses the devices for, TV shows came out on top with 79% of toddlers using screens to watch their favourite shows. 59% use the devices to play games, the same number who use them for educational apps, and 50% for watching films.

More worryingly though, 29% of UK parents admitted they do not have screen time limits for their toddlers.

Losing Touch With Nature

When parents were questioned about the amount of outdoor time their child gets, weather permitting, 31% said they get 3 hours or less weekly outdoor time.

This is surprisingly little considering the same percentage (31%) get 2-3 hours of screen time per day, with 11% getting over 4 hours daily. If spread out evenly over the week this works out to be only 25 minutes per day.

According to the NHS physical activity guidelines for under 5s, toddlers should be physically active for at least 3 hours per day. And although this includes indoor play, it can be assumed that, for some, indoor time is being monopolised by screens.

When given a list of outdoor activities it was revealed 44% of toddlers have never held a bug, 36% haven’t collected sticks, 35% have yet to dig in mud and 30% haven’t fed ducks, all arguably priceless childhood experiences that introduce little ones to nature and wildlife.

These figures could suggest the next generation are at risk of losing touch with nature and wildlife, which is concerning in a time where conservation and being environmentally conscious is crucial.

Benefits of Outdoor Play

Outdoor play not only introduces young children to nature, it also has further developmental and health benefits, such as exposure to vitamin D and helping develop gross and fine motor skills.

Fiona Blackwell, Quality Care and Education Director at Kiddi Caru, said “Being outdoors supports children’s wellbeing. Often children are calmer and happier and more likely to engage in the learning process. Being outdoors gives the opportunity to ‘burn off’ excess energy, which in turn aids appetite and helps children to sleep better.

“Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and children do not benefit just during the summer months but in the winter during day light hours, meaning there is every reason to get outdoors in whatever weather. After all there is no such thing as bad weather just inappropriate clothing.”

Kiddi Caru Day Nurseries and Preschools are a child care group with nurseries based in the midlands and south of England. They currently have over 40 nurseries that offer exceptional care and support to babies and children from newborn to 5-years-old.

They have used the their findings to create a post that contains the data as well as giving suggestions of outdoor activities suitable for this age group, and activity sheets to go with them. You can find it here: https://www.kiddicaru.com/news/general-news/get-outside-and-play-10th-may-2019/

Smart Beds: What Are They And Do You Need One? #SmartBeds #Sleep #Tech

Depending on your sleeping needs, you might be interested in purchasing a smart bed. Generally, these differ immensely from regular beds, coming with a multitude of features all designed to help you sleep better at night.

Smart beds can do many things: adjust the temperature of the bed, change the firmness level, provide a soothing massage, and much, much more. These models typically cost more than traditional mattresses, but their benefits could very much outweigh the cost depending on your needs.

Deciding if one is right for you can be a bit of a hassle, with so many options to choose from so many different sleep preferences and requirements … where do you start? Hopefully, this guide will help you decide if one is right for you.

What are the main benefits of a smart bed?

You might be wondering what smart beds can do for you that your regular mattress can’t already. This is a valid question because this is still a relatively new technology, which many might have qualms about if they’ve never tried it before.

Sleep tracking technology

Some smart beds have the added feature of being able to track all kinds of relevant information about your sleep health and patterns with included sleep tracking technology. This can include heart rate monitoring, when you toss and turn, your breathing rate, the total amount of time you spent sleeping, how deep you slept, and so on.

This can help tremendously with helping you to track just how much or how little sleep you’re getting, which can make a huge difference in your overall well-being. For example, with a smart bed, you’d be able to have a ready set of information about your sleep that you can give to a doctor for a potentially easier diagnosis, as they’d have more exact knowledge of how you sleep at night, instead of relying on your own recollection. 

Image source

This can also be a handy feature in telling you if you sleep too hot or cold, allowing you to make adjustments to your room temperature for better sleep. A good place to shop for some really cool beds is mattressnut.

Temperature regulation

Another feature that could help aid in sleep is the temperature regulation features often included in a smart bed. These can track temperatures and either warm you up with onboard heating capabilities when you’re too hot, or keep the heat at bay with cooling technology. This will depending on which model you get, but it should be standard feature of many.

Be sure to do your research, as some smart beds will perform better than others.

This might save you from having to adjust the thermostat of your house, which could come in handy if you’re living with multiple people who have different sleeping/temperature needs, potentially saving you some money in the long run.

Added smart connectivity

Many also come integrated with apps or other smart home internet devices, meaning you could possibly control your bed through other smart devices like your phone, giving you greater control over your mattress. Want your bed to be nice and warm before you get home? Program it from far away with the push of a button.

You can also adjust the firmness levels of a smart bed, usually, allowing you to customize your sleep to a level of comfort you may not have received from other traditional mattresses. And with added control comes potentially better sleep, which could be great for working off sleep debt and other forms of sleep deprivation.

This could also be a good option if you tend to share your bed a lot or require different settings from time to time, as you can adjust your smart bed on the fly and set the firmness to whichever setting you like, a feature unavailable to most traditional mattresses.

Are there drawbacks to getting one?

As we’ve said before, smart beds tend to be more expensive than traditional mattresses, which might be a problem if price is a concern. Check into the features included with yours and make sure that it’s right for you, as sometimes you may not be able to utilize a feature to the fullest extent.

The added technology might also make things a bit more complicated to those who aren’t so used to more modern types of bedding, potentially creating more confusion.

Conclusion

Smart beds can be a great fit for your home and might offer you better control over your sleep over traditional mattresses, depending on your needs. They can potentially offer you a better diagnosis of sleep problems and help you achieve more comfort during sleep.

These could give you more convenience in the long run and allow you to sleep more soundly. If this sounds like it could be right for you, then you should consider purchasing one.

SJCAM Launch New SJ9 Series,Waterproof cameras are the first action cameras on the market with wireless charging

SJCAM, the action camera manufacturer who eased its way in to the market with the release of the SJ4000, is pleased to announce the launch of its new SJ9 Series. Consisting of 2 models – the SJ9 Strike and SJ9 Max, both the new cameras feature some impressive specifications.
The most powerful SJCAM cameras to date, the SJ9 Strike and SJ9 Max are the perfect companions to any adventures you have planned – both above and below water. With a 2.33” touch screen display and 1300mAH battery on both models, the new cameras also introduce the below features:

Waterproof
Leave the waterproof case behind – the new SJ9 models are both waterproof up to 10m deep without any housing. The sleek new design and waterproofing make both cameras perfect for any underwater adventures.

Supersmooth Gyro Stabilization
Capture every moment in crisp, clear detail thanks to the supersmooth gyro stabilization. Make shaky images a thing of the past – both the SJ9 Strike and SJ9 Max give you the capability to make vibrant, sharp videos. The SJ9 Strike boasts a six-axis Gyroscope, whilst the SJ9 Max includes a three-axis Gyroscope.

Livestream
Show adventures as they happen with the new Live Stream feature. Simply use the SJCAM app to select streaming with either Facebook or YouTube, choose the WiFi network and start streaming!

Wireless Charging
Charging your camera becomes a breeze with the new SJ9 Strike and SJ9 Max. Say goodbye to cables and hello to simple, hassle free charging!

Impressive specifications
The SJ9 Strike model also features the best components from previous SJCAM models. The super powerful Amabarella H22S85 chipset and the Sony_IMX377 image sensor means it can record 4K at 60fps and even 240fps at 1080p. These high specifications also mean the timelapse can be used with intervals up to 30 minutes, slow up footage of up 8x, digital zoom and much more.
Let your passion for adventure guide you – the new SJ9 are ready to go wherever you choose!

Pricing and Availability:
The new SJ9 Max and SJ9 Strike are available for pre order now. Approximate pricing will be:
:: SJ9 Strike – RRP £209
:: SJ9 Max – RRP £159
For more information and to pre order visit https://sjcam.com/product/sj9/

First look at the all new Jabra Elite 85h #Jabra #JabraElite85h #Tech #Headphones

As most of you know I am huge Jabra fan and I have been waiting on these ones since they got announced and now they are finally here. The 85h is set to take on the likes of Sony and Bose QCs which I have tried out for a bit but they never arrived,still waiting on the Sony MX3 but on initial testing these are certainly giving them a run for their money but I will test for a while longer for a more conclusive review later on but let’s just say for now..WOW..

Any questions in the interim hit me up and check out the unboxing below.

Key features of the Jabra Elite 85h:

  • SmartSound: Audio that automatically adapts to your surroundings
  • One-click access: Voice Assistant access at the push of a button
  • Four colour variations: Black, Titanium Black, Gold Beige and Navy
  • Battery: Up to 36-hour battery with ANC activated and 41 hours without ANC
  • Microphones: 8 microphones in total. 6 dedicated for calls, 4 for ANC and 2 hybrid mics for both calls and ANC.
  • Speakers: 40 mm custom-engineered speakers
  • Durability: Unique IP52 dust and rain resistance, backed by a 2-year warranty against water and dust

First look and unboxing. The Jabra Elite Active 45e earphones. #Jabra #JabraEliteActive45e #earphones

The Jabra Elite Active 45e have arrived alongside the 85h which you can see HERE, The 45e are aimed at the sports minded folk and offer a secure fit which is vital for fitness activities which is popular and hard to find earbuds that stay put, We will be testing these out over the coming weeks and tell you what we think so stay tuned and any questions hit us up below or on our social.

Jabra Elite Active 45e key features:

  • Comfortable and secure fit with Earwings and Earhooks that hold firm when you move
  • Voice assistant-enabled with one-touch access to Amazon Alexa, Siri® or Google Assistant™
  • IP67-rated waterproof durability with 2-year sweat and dust warranty**
  • Run safely with an earbud designed to keep you aware of the surroundings
  • Make calls on the move with 2-microphone call technology for superior call experience
  • Choose your favourite colour from Mint, Navy or Black
  • Boost your day with 9 hours battery on a single charge
  • Personalise your device with the Jabra Sound+ app

BUY HERE – https://www.jabra.co.uk/bluetooth-headsets/jabra-elite-active-45e

Review – The Jam “Hang Around” Bluetooth speaker #Tech #Jam #Bluetooth

Just like earbuds and headphones there is no shortage of bluetooth speakers here and today we are going to check out the Jam “Hang Around” bluetooth speaker. The main question is as always how good does it sound well you can find out that below in the video review.

The speaker is trendy looking and on the bright side which is nice, I prefer this stand outish look over the industrial design which has become all to common with such and this one will certainly stand out.

On the base there is 4 rubber stoppers to keep it still although when full max the speaker began to move this though shows how powerful it is when at max volume and it will certainly fill a room.

This compact speaker has up to 20 hours of playtime with its 30-metre Bluetooth range. Rugged and waterproof, the Hang Around is perfect to kick back, relax and listen to your favourite tunes, even in the bathroom. The amazing dual drivers and bespoke dual passive bass radiators pack an awesome punch for its size. Better still, pair it with another Hang Around for a fuller stereo sound.

With easy to use controls and ease of use this is a must have for your picnic or trip to the beach,Build quality here is also excellent and this will take a few knocks too.. Check out the video review below for more..

Available from: uk.jamaudio.com, Argos, Amazon

Review – The Jam Audio “Live True” wireless earbuds. #truewireless #earbuds #Audio

The Jam Audio “Live True” Wireless earbuds are a set of earbuds that are on the cheap and look trendy given they have a different take on the current trend with fabric coated buds housed in plastic rather that the total plastic or metal housed in ears. They also offer some more than some other offerings at this price range which is now 50 euros at the time of press but fall short on some aspects but overall they are quite good and can be easily considered if it is your first pair or true wireless earbuds.

These look different as mentioned and are not the type that look silly in your ears but stick out a small bit but this is not an issue for me. They come in a really cool carry case and not only that you can charge your mobile phone up on the go should you run low on juice which is an excellent idea and the case is not that big either compared to many others out there and this I like.

These are also IPX3 rated which is sufficient for many average users yet some come with no rating at all so there are on the mark there giving these a rating You can expect 3 hours of play from a single charge and get an extra 10 charges from the case which is ideal for those on long commutes and as mentioned you also get the benefit to charge your smartphone on the go which lets be honest is still a thing these days.

Functionality here is great and they are easy to use, Once removed from the box these sync together unlike others that require a seperate sync for each side which is annoying and here is where some folk run into problems but this will not be one here. Once you turn on your bluetooth on your device just find the Live True and pair and you are good to go you will also hear a tone when connected and when you power off…

You can connect one at a time if you wish for a mono experience if you will this is ideal for people that want to hear their surroundings whilst listening to tunes or the radio and for those who perhaps might be out walking or cycling where you do need your wits about you.

Where they fall short is you cant skip a track you can just play and pause and when you take a call they only work on one side being the left this might be a caveat for some but the price point here is what you look at, You can listen to music on either side alone and you can only hear calls on one side being the left so it does not take calls with both plugged in. To activate your voice assistants be it Alexa or Google for example you just double tap either side. Calls on these where fine and clear both ends for my time of use so this is another good point to considering it was just one side that takes them.

Overall they are not a bad pair of true wireless for the money with their different look and they sound quite good with all music genres and it was a pleasant experince and even a bit louder than some I have tested which I like they however are not bass deep but if you have an EQ on your device you can modify the sound, There is no app here either which many others have not implemented and perhaps should look into going forward but at this price point I would not be too concerned there is third party apps out there if your phone does not come equipped with one.

Available from: uk.jamaudio.com, Argos

BUY HERE

Review – Ringke Card slot holder for mobiles. #Ringke #Cards #Accessories

Card holders are a thing now with mobile phone cases and they are widely available for any device, Despite my anti card holder opinion due to safety some cases come with key holders too and you often see people sporting both and its their life in their hands for opportunists or you could lose or misplace your device at any time but that’s just my take them. However they do make life simple and some look good and trendy and there is a wide variety on offer.

You can also purchase just the card slot alone which is what we have here today and these are an easy add-on accessory for your phone should you wish not to carry a wallet but you are limited to two cards but as we turn digital now we can use NFC capabilities to keep the card count low on your person. The Ringke card slot is one idea you can check out if you are in need of such an accessory for your smartphone, Check it out below.

Buy

Review – The Ringke Fusion clear case for the Blackberry Key 2 #BlackberryKey2 #Ringke

It is hard to get cases for the Blackberry Key 2 however like many of their devices you can go without especially if it has that rubberised back which is great but as I always say its best to case up just in case even if you are just going out for the day or night.

This case is simple to install and clear which means you can see the device in all its glory given there is now a red version available it would look really well on the red one more so than the Black in my opinion.

The case has a hard shell on the rear and has military grade drop protection and TPU throughout the rest of the case. The keys are raised perfectly and ideal to use and very tactile with no issues at all to report. The four corners have slight raised edges which keeps it safe and the corners have nice little bumpers there to give additional protection in one of the most vulnerable parts of any smartphone.

RINGKE CAR MOUNT REVIEW

There is a lip going around the front of the device which is also a great addition to the case as the screen is also another vulnerable piece and the most expensive in most instances and when it comes to the camera that is well protected too below the surface level and all ports are easily accessible too. Check out the video below for a more detailed look.

BUY HERE