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.
When it comes to computing most of us sport a PC or laptop at home or the office but when you travel and have no laptop and you need one, the likes of this product is the answer, Portability is another option we can factor in here and a portable computer is a great idea as its not cumbersome and can be used anywhere we have access to a screen and this is our first such product to arrive which is the MINIX NEO which is great in more ways than one. Check out the unboxing below and tell us what you think.
Intel Pentium N4200 Quad Core CPU • Intel HD Graphics 505 • DDR3L 4GB installed (expandable to 8GB) • 2x SODIMM slots with dual-channel support • 32GB eMMC 5.1 (MLC) installed • 1x 2280 M.2 slot (SATA 6bps) for upgrading with a M.2 SSD • 802.11ac dual band WLAN
A new programme to support entrepreneurs and deep tech start-ups has been launched by Tyndall National Institute. The Deep Dive programme offers access to seed funding and a portfolio of spin-out ready innovations, from radiation detectors used in the International Space Station to infrared sensors for autonomous vehicles and wearable rehabilitation devices.
Speaking at the launch of Deep Dive, Tyndall’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Declan O’Mahoney said, “Experienced Entrepreneurs and astute business professionals who are keen to join the next wave of high-value start-ups should get in touch to take a ‘deep dive’ with us into this exceptional business opportunity. Tyndall has an exciting portfolio of spin-out ready technologies which answer real market needs and has highly-defensible IP. We are also calling entrepreneurs who have identified a market opportunity that needs a deep-tech solution.”
Carl Jackson (former CTO of SensL), Tyndall’s Entrepreneur in Residence Declan O’Mahoney (former CEO Firecomms) and Joe O’Keeffe (former CEO of InfiniLED) pictured at the launch of Deep Dive, a new Tyndall National Institute programme to support entrepreneurs and deep tech start-ups. Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision
Through Deep Dive, entrepreneurs will have access to initial funding, state-of-the-art facilities at Tyndall and expertise from the researchers involved in developing the core IP in the spin-out.
Tyndall has an incredible track record of successful high-value tech spin-outs which achieved global acclaim. Among the list of multi-million dollar tech companies are SensL which grew to become a global leader in medical imaging and automotive LiDAR and was acquired by ON Semiconductor. InfiniLED also spun-out to bring Tyndall’s state-of-the-art MicroLED technology to market, which was later acquired by Oculus, part of the Facebook group. Firecomms, based on Tyndall’s technology in the area of compound semiconductor materials and fiber optics was the first Irish high-tech company to be bought by a Chinese corporation, (ZJY Corp).
Deep Dive is part-funded by Bank of Ireland under its technology commercialisation programme with Tyndall National Institute.
“Deep Dive is an exciting part of Tyndall’s entrepreneurship agenda which, in partnership with University College Cork’s Technology Transfer Office, has delivered not only high-value start-ups, but also the infrastructure and talent for Tyndall spin-ins and SME scaling projects,” said Peter Smyth, Commercial Director, Tyndall National Institute.
If you are on a budget and want some crisp sounding earphones these are one to try.. Given they are wired and you have limited controls they come in a stylish carry case,come with extra buds and some Complyfoam tips. Complyfoam tips are a great extra in the package and do a better job of earbuds staying put and noise isolation.
Most will want to know how these boys sound.. Overall they pass the test with crisp clear soundstage across all genres of music. On some occasions the bass was not great and when it comes to volume they are not the loudest but as those who know me I just like my music really loud but for a great overall balance these will be ideal for a commute or a spare set for travelling about. They would also make a great gift to someone too coming in at around €25 and the fact they come with a carry case is also a nice extra as this is something you dont see to often with wired headphones at this pricepoint. Calls too are crisp and clear.
The build quality here is also great considering most earbuds at this pricepoint are made with plastic so aluminium housed buds are bound to give better sound which they do. See the video for more and any questions hit me up in the usual spots.
Features..
Instruments and vocals reproduced with clarity. Astounding value for money sound performance. You won’t find earphones with this high quality build, premium accessories and wonderful sound quality at this low price! Makes for a perfect gift.
Balanced sound with a balanced bass response. The sound signature is commonly only found on higher end audiophile earphones.
All metal housing. Manufactured from high grade aluminium making the housing rugged and durable, perfect for on the go earphones.
Comply Foam Ear Tips Included. Simply the best premium foam tips available on the market, not normally found on budget earphones.
To celebrate the birthday of composer Johann Sebastian Bach today, Google has created the first AI-powered Google Doodle that allows anyone to create their own Bach harmony directly within the Doodle on Google’s search page.
The Doodle is an interactive experience encouraging players to compose a two-measure melody of their choice – users can add notes, accidentals, change tempo and key. Then, with the press of a button, the Doodle uses machine learning to harmonize the custom melody into Bach’s signature music style (or a Bach 80’s rock style hybrid if you happen to find a very special Easter egg in the Doodle…)
The machine learning engine behind today’s Doodle was trained by analysing 306 of Bach’s chorale harmonisations. His chorales always have four voices, each carrying their own melodic line, while creating a rich harmonic progression when played together, and it was this concise structure that made the chorales good training data for a machine learning model.
· The Bach Doodle is available today worldwide on Google.com.
There has been many scams of late citing eir and has been an ongoing issue and one has hit home today to my folks house but what much of the media do is fail to give numbers to people of the said scammers. The number has been reported several times on checking up and appears to be an Indian/Pakistan female, I had a male most likely of same origin call me even recently with a revenue scam which you can hear the recording here.
The modus operandi is still the same claiming to be eir broadband and will hang up when challenged also to note my parents are not eir customers (thank god) I have enough issues with them as is and they are with another provider some years. Just be vigilant and pass the number on and block it if possible,the number in formats are provided below and just ignore it. The call also appears to be coming via Galway. (0914872635, 00353914872635)
Verizon Connect has introduced Engine Connect, a powerful tool developed specifically for the special needs of light commercial vehicles, that collects critical data directly from a vehicle’s engine to help monitor for potential vehicles issues, helping prevent mechanical problems and maximize vehicle uptime.
“Engine Connect gives fleet managers a complete view of their vehicles performance, enabling them to identify potential vehicles’ issues before they become costly,” said Derek Bryan, Vice President, EMEA at Verizon Connect. “With a better understanding of vehicle performance, we can help customers save time and money in the future and provide them with peace of mind knowing their vehicles are running optimally.”
Engine Connect analyzes critical data directly from a vehicle’s engine including fuel usage, distance travelled and diagnostics to help track and respond to vehicles in distress. By combining data with GPS location, customers are able to get a complete view of vehicle performance.
Engine Connect can help customers identify driver behavior that is linked to fuel costs. Notable features include the ability to:
Keep VIN records up-to-date
Capture accurate odometer readings to see how many miles drivers have traveled
Automatically receive diagnostic trouble code (DTC) alerts when problems are detected
Identify speeding events to help coach drivers and track engine status to see how long an engine has been running or idling to stay on top of maintenance
Dell has today announced that its technology is empowering classroom creativity at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) with students enabled to create graphic-intensive Virtual Reality (VR) projects and lecturers gaining more teaching time.
As CIT sought to harness the opportunities of the world of VR for its creative digital media students, it experienced a number of performance-related barriers. Outdated workstations and supporting infrastructure were hindering the third-level institute from rolling out new modules on gaming, VR, animation and application design.
To overcome these challenges and become a leader in VR design education, CIT undertook a programme to update their design labs and selected Dell as its trusted partner. Through the provision of the latest Dell workstations, Alienware gaming desktops and ProSupport Plus, students at CIT now have the tools to harness the power of VR to accelerate their cutting-edge multimedia careers.
In giving students access to emerging technologies, CIT is responding to a growing desire amongst Generation Z, or those born after 1996, 80% of whom want to work with cutting-edge technology in their future career. CIT sought to develop courses that challenge these students and equip them with vital industry skills.
Rose McGrath, Head of Media Communications in CIT said: “As a third level institute that has trained Ireland’s leading artists for the last 100 years, CIT CCAD has prided itself on fostering an innovative learning environment that best positions our students for the workplace of the future.
“However, in recent times outdated technology has meant we have been unable to meet the needs of students and teachers who increasingly undertake intensive VR projects as part of their digital media and e-learning curriculum.
“Our partnership with Dell has proved pivotal in enabling our students to be more creative and use VR to push the boundaries of what they can do with graphics. Without the improved performance from the Dell workstations and Alienware gaming desktops, we wouldn’t have been able to regain 40 minutes of classroom instruction time every day.”
In marking today’s news, Aisling Keegan, Vice-President and General Manager of Dell EMC Ireland, said: “At Dell, we are committed to preparing the future workforce by using the latest technology to spark creativity within the classroom. With 90% of tomorrow’s jobs requiring digital skills, third-level institutions in Ireland must have the tools at their disposal to drive digital transformation.
“By leveraging our latest portfolio of devices, Dell has empowered a creative and immersive teaching environment that is producing impressive academic results. Students have used our devices to create projects ranging from therapeutic activity–based video games to assist patients with Parkinson’s disease, to a VR immersive programme that helps prepare individuals in prison for release.
“CIT should be commended for its leadership in digital transformation. This is an example of third level institutions looking to opportunities unlocked by emerging technologies to prepare the workers of the future. By forging an ambitious strategy for change and embracing technology to make that strategy a reality, Dell and CIT can enhance learning experiences and improve student outcomes both now and into the future.”
Google today named the fifteen beneficiaries of its €1million Google.org Impact Challenge Dublin, with each receiving €50,000 in grants to bring their ideas to life. Launched last November, the Google.org Impact Challenge Dublin invited nonprofits, social enterprises, and educators throughout Dublin to submit proposals for bold ideas to grow economic and social opportunities in their local communities.
Pictured are some of the judges participating in the Google.org Dublin Impact Challenge: Stuart McLoughlin, Senior Regional Manager, Google.org EMEA; Fionnuala Meehan, Vice President and head of Google in Ireland; Dublin GAA legend, Bernard Brogan; Dolores Wilson from St Andrews Resource Centre, Pearse Street, Dublin 2; Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Nial Ring; Mary Rose Burke, CEO of Dublin Chamber. Picture Conor McCabe.
Of the fifteen recipients announced today, five are in line to receive an additional €50,000 of funding, bringing their total grants to €100,000 each. Four of these will be selected by Google’s esteemed panel of judges, with the fifth open to a public vote. Voting is open for one week from Tuesday 19th to Tuesday 26th of March at http://g.co/dublinchallenge. The five projects to receive additional bursaries will be announced at a celebratory event on the evening of Thursday 4th April and is funded by Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org.
Fionnuala Meehan, Head of Google Ireland commented, “We were blown away by the quantity and quality of the entries received. Over our 15 years here in Ireland we’ve supported many local projects but this is our biggest drive yet to support the community initiatives in the city we call home. The diversity and ambition of the submissions were very impressive, with small local initiatives through to more established charities all submitting entries.
“Choosing the final fifteen was not an easy task. Our aim was to tap into innovation across the city to support great ideas to build stronger communities, and the list of finalists represents a broad spectrum of charities and community initiatives across Dublin, with mental health, education, employment, support services, and more represented. I really hope that the Google.org Dublin Impact Challenge goes some way to assisting these great projects in achieving their goals, and I look forward to announcing the additional five bursaries in April.”
Pictured are some of the judges participating in the Google.org Dublin Impact Challenge: Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Nial Ring; Dublin GAA legend, Bernard Brogan; Mary Rose Burke, CEO of Dublin Chamber. Picture Conor McCabe Photography.
The Google.org Impact Challenge Dublin has been immensely popular with over 150 entries received by groups from all areas of the city covering a wide spectrum of initiatives. The public has been given the opportunity to double the funding of one of the winners by way of a “People’s Choice Award”, with voting now open at http://g.co/dublinchallenge for one week only (closes Tuesday 26th March).
The fifteen finalists are:
A Lust for Life
A Lust for Life is creating a new, innovative platform to share creative mental health content
An Cosán Virtual Community College
An Cosán is harnessing the power of technology to grow and innovate community education
Citywise Education
Fast Track Academy is providing educational support to young people in underserved communities
Down Syndrome Ireland
Down Syndrome Ireland is helping adults with Down syndrome to secure meaningful paid employment
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre
The DRCC is removing barriers to accessing support for those who have experienced sexual violence
Irish Females in Technology (I-FITs)
I-FITs is a Tech Apprenticeship Programme for unemployed females from Dublin’s ‘Silicon Docks’ area
GiveBack.ie
GiveBack.ie is technology that empowers individuals to break the cycle of homelessness
THEATREclub
THEATREclub wants to affect a shift in Dubliners’ view of addiction using audience activist groups
Irish Youth Foundation
‘Next Step’ is supporting students in the transition from primary to secondary level school
Music Generation Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
Infinite Music is a music performance programme for young people with special educational needs
Peter McVerry Trust
Peter McVerry Trust is establishing a culinary training program for people experiencing homelessness
Senior Line
SeniorLine is offering peer-to-peer IT education and drop-in facility for older people
Dublin City Farm and Ecology Centre
St. Anne’s City Farm is a sustainable farm that promotes education and multiculturalism
Teen-Turn
Teen-Turn is changing how girls from underrepresented communities identify with STEM careers
Young Social Innovators
YSI is empowering Ireland’s most disadvantaged youth to address local issues using robotics and STEM
The Google.org Dublin Impact Challenge judging panel includes the following members:
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Nial Ring; Senator Lynn Ruane; CEO of Dublin Chamber, Mary Rose Burke; Dublin GAA legend, Bernard Brogan; Journalist, Roisin Ingle; Business In The Community CEO, Tomás Sercovich; and Head of Google Ireland, Fionnuala Meehan.
We have teamed up with Gearbest this time round and have more tech reviews coming soon from Gearbest so stay tuned for more soon on tech that’s made affordable. I have covered many earbuds of late including wireless ones and one thing that is getting better each time is the cost to performance ratio and it means good tech at good prices for the consumer.
These come in a nice presentation and sport not only a charge box that offers hours of use but they come with a USB key type fob to charge your earbuds individually too which is something I have not seen before considering the amount of earbuds I have in my collection or tested.
These Alphawise earbuds also look good and are really comfortable which is important for users and will not fall out either if jogging or going to the gym for example.They come in either Black or White but perhaps more colours might come along in time which would be a nice idea rather than the traditionals we see. Asides that how they sound at the price they come in at is quite good and not expected even from me..
The pairing process is simple , Once turned on find the buds on your phone, see video below and pair up.. You can use one bud as a mains or use one at a time depending on your needs, They have a simple one,two-three tap function like most do but have no companion app which is my only real gripe with them.
You can also use your digital assistant with these too which is handy for those who use them and also an handy feature is call your last number you dialled or received from your phone so this is a handy speed dial option for that important contact in your phone book or should you wish to communicate with..
The sound experience is quite good at this pricepoint it has to be said and I was certainly impressed at all genres and sound stages here with highs,lows,mids and even some nice bass,they are well balanced but if they had a companion app they could be even better.
One other niggle aside the app I would say is that calls only come in one the one ear, you can pick between left or right to choose the main earbud,Again this is a small nit picking but for some they prefer both sides to be operational here but it is no issue for me as clarity is good and calls are crisp and clear.
Really for the money you are getting a good product here which is on par with much more expensive true wireless earbuds which for the consumer is great and if you have around €30 to buy a new pair or even a spare set these are one to consider.
Main Features:
● Mono mode and stereo mode, auto shutdown and charging
● Dynamic driver with the moving coil for crystal-clear and more powerful sound
● Bluetooth 4.2 / 5.0, stereo sound, auto pairing after power up. Faster, more stable, and power-saving
● Innovative touch control for playing songs, handling calls, adjusting the volume
● 500mAh charging box / storage case for easy carrying and 4 charging times wherever you are
● IPX5 waterproof, ergonomic, lightweight, comfortable for the ears
