Jim O Brien/CEO - techbuzzireland.com - Page 984

New LUMIX FT7: The Ultimate Rugged Camera for you Outdoor Adventures. #LUMIX #cameras #Tech #4K

With 4K video and 4 waterproof/shockproof protection launching in July for €449.99 the FT7 LUMIX is one to watch and also comes in several colours, orange, blue and black.

Announcement below.

The Lumix FT7 is waterproof (up to 31m / 102ft), shockproof (to 2m/6.6ft), freeze proof (to -10°C), dustproof and pressure resistant (to 100kg/220lbf) making it the perfect rugged companion for all your extreme experiences.

With a 20.4-megapixel high-sensitivity sensor which is joined by a 28mm wide angle 4.6x (28-128mm equivalent) optical zoom lens, the FT7 also features Power O.I.S (Optical Image Stabilisation) to help keep your shots steady even during rocky activities.

New for the FT7 is a 0.2-inch 1,170k-dot equivalent Live View Finder for composing your images when screen use is impractical. Use the LVF to compose your shots in strong sunlight, with the added bonus of saving and extending battery life in harsh conditions – such as the cold. Meanwhile, the 3.0-inch rear monitor boasts the highest-in-class 1,040k-dot resolution and uses tough, tempered-glass.

Never miss an opportunity with full-resolution high-speed burst shooting at 10fps*, which is coupled with Light Speed AF. What’s more, all your incredible exploits can be captured in stunningly smooth, high-resolution 4K Video. When 10fps isn’t enough, use 4K Photo to grab even fleeting moments by shooting at 30fps in 8-megapixel equivalent resolution, extracting the best frame from a 4K burst to save as a photo.

When you want to share the thrills and spills with those back at home, you can do that easily with Wi-Fi connectivity giving you the option to upload your photos and videos to Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and more. Images can also be GPS geo-tagged to ensure you always remember exactly where your adventures took place. Don’t worry about running out of juice while on the go, as the FT7 supports USB charging for instant power from battery packs when wall charging is out of bounds.

For something extra special, take advantage of special modes such as time-lapse shooting, 22 creative filters and panorama mode, which can capture both horizontal and vertical images. The FT7 can even help with your night-time escapades, such as rock climbing or cave walking, as it can be used as a torch light, without the camera function being activated.

Other super-handy tools on board the FT7 include a compass and altimeter – making it ideal for a huge range of outdoor activities, including fishing, camping, diving, snorkelling, surfing, snowboarding, skiing and mountain climbing. This is a camera that is ready to capture the moments when you’d normally have to leave your other devices behind.

It’s not just thrill-seekers that will appreciate the FT7 – use it on your beach holidays, ensuring all those special memories are captured by a camera which isn’t fazed by sand, water and anything else you and your family want to chuck at it.

Guest Review – The Sony Xperia XZ2 by Liam Burke. #Sony #Xperia #XZ2 #Tech

Sony has changed its design in the new Xperia XZ2 family to what they call “Ambient flow” instead of the “Loop Surface” design from previous Xperia’s like the XZ1 Series. I liked the old design but the new design gives the phone a more curved rear surface allowing it to fit in your hand more naturally. I did find the phone slippy so its worth getting a case for the phone.
It feels very premium and solid with the metal frame and Corning Gorilla Glass5 making it look very sleek. It took me around a day to get used to the placement of the rear fingerprint scanner as on the previous Xperia’s it was on the side of the phone. Its great Sony has kept the dedicated camera button as it has on other Xperia’s, on the side is the power button and volume rocker, which were both easily used when the phone is in your hand.

I didn’t think that the phone would fit so well in the hand as it does as it weights 198g and its thickness 11.1mm but it feels comfortable in the hand. On the top of the phone is a microphone and a tray for the Nano Sim Card and Micro SD, its handy that no pin is needed to remove the tray, there is also a LED for notifications above the screen.
At the bottom is another microphone and the USB-C port as there is no headphone jack Sony have bundled and USB-C headphone adapter in the box. The Xperia XZ2 is rated for IP65/68 so its water-resistant and dust-proof, so no need to worry about getting it wet in the odd shower of rain we get in Ireland.

SCREEN
The Xperia XZ2 has a Full HD+ 1080p IPS LCD HDR screen with a 18:9 aspect ratio and increased its screen size to 5.7 inches from the previous Xperia XZ1 so that 13% larger (2160 x 1080 pixels which gives a pixel density of 424 ppi), you can watch HDR video content from YouTube.
Again Sony bring their Bravia Television technology to their Xperia devices to improve the screens display with TRILUMINOS and X-Reality features as well as being able to convert non-HDR content to near HDR.
The screen gave quiet good viewing angles and even in direct sunlight the screen was viewable without any problems, theres plenty of options in the Display settings like White balance and Colour gamut and contrast allowing you to tweak the display to the way you like. Sony had also added a neat feature called Night Light which cuts down on blue light so it should make it easier to fall asleep at night.
AUDIO
Sony brings plenty of their audio tech to the Xperia XZ2 like DSEE HX, LDAC Hi-Res Audio, ClearAudio+ and S-Force Front Surround Sound. It also has something Sony call Dynamic Vibration System which gives the Xperia XZ2 a rumble feedback like you would find in a PlayStation controller when there is audio playing either in music or watching movies or games. I found the feature most useful when playing games as it adds to the overall gameplay.
As I mentioned above Sony have followed other phone makes and have removed the headphone jack so you will need to use the included adapter if using wired headphones, it’s a pity the Xperia XZ2 doesn’t support wired digital noise cancelling headphones like the MDR-NC31EM or MDR-NC750. The Xperia XZ2 Stereo speakers which Sony say are 20% louder compared to the Xperia XZ1 and the Stereo Speakers are definitely a step up in loudness.

CAMERA
The Xperia XZ1 and XZ2 have a 19Mp Motion Eye single-lens cameras, but Sony has made some enhancements in the Xperia XZ2 with its new image signal processor which Sony developed with Qualcomm. The rear camera is 25 mm wide with Sony G Lens F2.0 with laser aufofocus. Like all Xperia’s when you open the camera app its default mode is the Superior Auto mode which tries to automatically recognize the scene the camera is looking at and apply the correct settings for it.
There is a manual mode when you can change settings like ISO, White Balance, Exposure, Shutter Speed and Auto Focus. I found the Auto mode quite good at quickly selecting the correct scene when opening the camera app and taking good quality photos, it gave good color reproduction and keeps the images sharp in the situations that I used the camera.
The Camera apps section where you can have AR effects in your photos, or ‘Bokeh’ app which puts the subject in focus and background out of focus.
For videos there are plenty of options on how you want to record your videos, like color and brightness, Video resolution, Object tracking and Steadyshot. I found Steadyshot very good at keeping the video smooth even when your moving.

The Xperia XZ2 can record in 4K HDR, the videos recorded with these settings did keep a lot of detail and color compared to videos recorded in HD. The Xperia XZ2 supports Full HD slow motion video recording at 960fps, in practice I found it a bit tricky to get slow motion videos, as it does take a bit of practice. Xperia XZ2 Slow Motion

BATTERY
The Xperia XZ2 made some improvements in the battery department increasing its capacity to 3180mAh (compared to 2700 mAh in the Xperia XZ1). The Xperia XZ2 also supports Qi Wireless charging (Qi Mid 9w) as well as Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.
As we keep our smartphones for longer now Sony have a feature called Battery Care which learns you charging routine and instead of charging the phone quickly it slow charges the phone which increases the lifespan of the phones battery. I was getting 2 days of usage from a full charge with “Stamina mode” enabled.
PERFORMANCE
The Xperia XZ2 runs Android Oreo 8.0 out of the box, while I used the phone it was very smooth as its running Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845 with 4GB of RAM and 64 internal storage. I had no issues when switching between different apps. Sony has a light skin on Android so they should be quick enough to release patches as they are following Googles A/B (Seamless) System Updates. Bluetooth 5.0 is supported.
They also have carried on their 3D creator app from the Xperia XZ1 which allows you to create 3D scans and make avatars from them it’s a pretty nifty app. Aligning with the PlayStation brand the Xperia XZ2 allows PS4 Remote Play so you can connect to your PS4 in your home, you also get a 12 month free PlayStation plus subscription included with the Xperia XZ2 which is a nice extra.
Full Specs – https://www.sonymobile.com/ie/products/phones/xperia-xz2/
Available to buy:- From Vodafone :- from Free on Billpay http://shop.vodafone.ie/shop/phones/sony-xperia-xz2-bill-pay-black And on Prepay 649€ http://shop.vodafone.ie/shop/phones/sony-xperia-xz2-pay-as-you-go-black
From Eir :- from 149€ on billpay https://www.eir.ie/store/mobile/phones/bill-pay/sony-xperia-xz2/

Three Billpay from 139€

https://www.three.ie/online/voice/contract/sony-xperia-xz2/?src=p

Three Prepay 639€

https://www.three.ie/online/voice/prepay/sony-xperia-xz2/?src=p

From Sony Direct https://estore.sonymobile.com/ie/sony-xperia-xz2-liquid-silver-uk-ie-309139/

See more from Liam HERE

Park secrets: Kerb is a new app set to change parking in Ireland. #Parking #Ireland #App

If you’ve ever had a parking ticket, been towed or even just been late because you couldn’t find a space, you’ll know that parking can be stressful – and expensive. That’s changing – thanks to a pioneering new app from Down Under called Kerb, which has already solved a lot of parking problems for thousands Australian and New Zealanders.

So how does it work? It’s a bit like ‘Airbnb for Parking’: homeowners or businesses can rent out their spare spaces to make extra cash – and drivers can use the app to park more easily AND more cheaply. But unlike Airbnb, councils love Kerb because it reduces congestion and environmental impact by getting cars off roads, makes use of existing infrastructure – and means more money for locals to spend in the economy.

A Kerb parking space will save the average commuter anywhere between €10 and €40 a day, depending on where they park. Those who park with Kerb use the extra cash on anything from house deposits to holidays, or their kids’ school or university fees. The app isn’t just for parking cars either – Kerb is also for renting and leasing spaces for motorbikes, boats, trucks – even helicopters…

You might be thinking you’ve heard of parking apps before. And you’d be right, but Kerb is different. That’s because it also offers a car park management solution – Kerb Bays – which lets churches and schools use their car park to fundraise, allows universities and shopping malls to better manage their parking, and businesses put their car parking spaces to work and generate extra cash. Residential committees even use Kerb to monitor visitor parking spaces and manage the allocation of parking spaces in apartment buildings.

Kerb leaser, Dee Marshman says, “I have founded KERB to be an awesome way to make use of my car space when I’m not parking my car there! The app is user-friendly and makes the whole process super-easy. The staff at KERB have great communication, too! There’s no downside to using KERB and I recommend it to all of my friends!”

Kerb launched in October 2016 and is live across Australia, New Zealand and will be rolling out in 16 languages later this year. “We’re really excited about the benefits that Kerb is going to have for Irish users”, says co-founder Rob Brown. “The app allows you to list an entire car park up in minutes, and each individual bay can be customised by availability, price and vehicle type.”

If you’re envious of your neighbours paying off their mortgage earlier or going on great holidays because they list their home on Airbnb – this could be your easier, greener way to cash in on the sharing economy!

Facts

https://kerb.works/
Kerb was launched in 2016 by Rob Brown (one of Australia most prominent marketers), and Matt Salmon (a highly regarded technologist and app developer).
Kerb allows leasers to list an entire car park up in minutes: each individual bay can be customised by availability, price and vehicle type.
Currently leasers approve booking requests. With Kerb Bays, leasers have the option to apply instant book to all your bays.
If leasers prefer long-term users in some car parks, they have the option for the user to pay by the week as a direct debit. The user is then provided to give notice to end the lease.
Kerb allows leasers to add their own terms to the app, which the user must accept when they click to book.
Registration is collected on all bookings – other documents can be collected if required.
Car park access – provided boom gates or doors are online, Kerb should be able to trigger them open via a button on the app which appears to the user when they book. There are other devices like GSM openers which can also be integrated with.
Kerb is happy to provide signage for any bays listed on Kerb, free of charge.
Kerb will be available around the world and is already in Australia, New Zealand, and just arrived in the UK and Ireland.

WeatherKit is your pocket weatherman. #Apps #Weather #IndieDev #Android #iOS

There is plenty of weather apps out there today and we have covered many over the last two years here and I always like to see something new, WeatherKit is an updated version of the App called Aerium which we featured before by Indie Dev Raul, Check it out below the app is available on both the Android and iOS platforms. It has a really nice minimalistic design and looks great.

Features

5-day forecast
During our beta, we heard lots of voices saying that we should support at least 5 days of weather forecast. To do so, we invested heavily into how we can make that experience as seamless as possible and our whole team is stoked with the result. Did someone say hourly forecasts? They’re next.

· RainAlert
We love RainAlert only because sometimes it’s invisible. It was designed to only get in your way when you need it more.

· Subscriptions
To provide you with the best weather data, we’re using the best weather API’s available – and boy, they’re not cheap. We’re a small indie team committed to this project and to the people using it, without turning a profit. In all fairness, we’d love to push the limits on the affordability and in this update, we added multiple Pro subscriptions. You can subscribe to our monthly or yearly plan, or get the best deal available and buy the lifetime in-app purchase.

· Interface & Experience
We updated the on boarding alongside with the interface for a better user experience. You’ll notice major changes to the swipe-up weather card, both in smoothness and content. It’s a small redesign with a focus on accessibility.

Blinkers launch the complete smart lighting system for cyclists. #Cycling #Cyclists

Designed to make communication easier between cyclists and other road users, it aims to keep people safe on the roads and bring a bit of smart tech to your hobby or daily commute. Something like this should be mandatory on bikes anyway.

Velohub, a Swiss start-up based in Zürich that specialises in developing smart technology for cyclists, is today pleased to announce the launch of its first product, Blinkers. Blinkers is a new smart lighting system that makes the urban cyclist visible, predictable and respected by everyone else on the road. The smart lighting system including front, rear and laser lighting is available to buy from www.blinkers.bike with prices starting from £89/€99/$120

Cycle use has been increasing in the UK with 1.9 million people cycling every day and more people cycling at least once a week. With so many bikes and 71% riding on roads, safety is paramount as cyclists are among the most vulnerable users of the road. Using two wheels to balance, no chassis to protect them and only able to communicate by hand with other vehicles, they are often left in risky situations particularly when riding in a busy city. With cars and bikes always struggling to share the road together, the concept behind Blinkers is to allow cyclists to communicate with fellow road users more efficiently and become a more natural part of the road.

Along with communication benefits, Blinkers aims to be the next generation of bike lights by giving cyclists the ability to use extra safety functionalities including turning indicators, brake lights and laser projection with a simple remote control. With two-thirds of cyclists’ injuries or fatalities occurring at, or near, a road junction with T-junctions and roundabouts being the most commonly involved, the benefits of turning indicators is clear and a safety precaution that should prevent confusion and give all road users peace of mind.

Blinkers smart lighting works in many of the same ways that road users are already familiar with, allowing a smooth transition for all on the road. The Blinkers indicate the direction of the turn the cyclist is taking, by blinking to the right or to the left, with the rear Blinker using a red light that becomes more intense when the cyclist is braking. The laser set allows users to project half a circle on the ground, which will increase visibility during the night and to give cars a better understanding of the cyclists’ positioning on the road and the space the cyclist requires. All of these features are controlled by a wireless remote control on the handlebar of the bike to make the communication and use as simple as possible.

The lights can be charged by USB and are designed to be used for approximately 20 hours. They can be put on any bike with universal attachments on the handlebar, the saddle and the rack. Blinkers can be easily removed from the bike due to a magnetic system, so that users can take them off whenever the bike is locked or left unattended. The system works with radiofrequency and a light on the remote control indicates when the Blinkers should be charged so that cyclists will be aware of when the battery is running low.

Previously, Blinkers was on Kickstarter in June 2016 and gained support from over 500 backers, including from within the UK, raising over €50,000. The feedback from both backers and beta testers was overwhelmingly positive with one backer, Elaine, commenting: “How come this kind of product hasn’t come out before? I am so looking forward to receiving mine, roads here in the UK are everything but safe”. Beta testing of the Blinkers solution confirmed that cyclists found it easy to use and intuitive.

Blinkers are available in the 4 different packages from £89/€99/$120 for the rear light without laser, to £175/€199/$240 for a complete safety solution (the rear and front light with laser), shipping included from www.blinkers.bike.

Unboxing and first look. The Conbrov T17 worlds smallest dashcam. #Dashcams #Motoring #tech

Dashcams are a must and something I will nag people to get and let’s be honest they are a worthy investment. Of course there is the rule of thumb you get what you pay for but there is good and bad in this category when it comes to price just like any other tech item but with the insurance situation here in Ireland alone as a population we could reduce costs and make it an embedded thought in people’s heads thata people use these things now and have people with a mindset wondering should an incident arise or a fraudulent attempt occur did the occupant have a .. dashcam installed..

We have got this new dashcam in claiming to the worlds smallest from Conbrov,small and discreet it is which is a good thing can it live up to its name when it comes to quality overall?? The fear people have is that smash and grab factor by default and someone will smash a window to grab the dashcam yet alone a sat nav system or some fool that leaves a laptop bag or purse on the passenger seat which is an easy target for some lousy opportunist as they or known or an organised criminal gang these things do happen even in the most unlikely places.Small is good but small needs to work so we have a quick look here at small then we will give the results..

Buy HERE Or on Amazon

The Nokia 2 and 7 Plus now on sale with Power City. #Nokia2 #Nokia7Plus #Ireland

Its the last place I would have expected to see these phones but yes they are there.

The Nokia 7 Plus is starting to pop up in many outlets now apart from our operators which is a good thing to see. Some places however are commanding a higher price that what Nokia are offering for but Power City are now selling the new 7 PLUS for €399.95 and the NOkia 2 for €119.95 both sim free, It is good to see Irish grown stores get in on the act and you can check out the deal below. They also have a live stock check so you can check your local store if you are looking for one today..

https://powercity.ie/product/9013101

NOKIA 7PLUS

NOKIA 2

https://powercity.ie/product/9009289

Netflix Recommended Smart TVs for 2018. #SmartTV #Tech #Netflix

Picking a new TV can be a challenge for many it does not only come down to budget it comes down to ones personal requirements. For sure I could recommend one and have done many times and there are some really good deals out there right now but Netflix have done some research of their own in this department so check out what they have to offer.

When you see the “Netflix Recommended TV” logo, it means that device has passed rigorous testing to ensure great performance and easy access to Netflix and other services. This means the TV:

Starts up instantly and gets to Netflix (or other internet TV services) within just a few seconds.
Allows users to move quickly and easily between apps
Comes with the latest version of Netflix
Can support newer, more immersive Netflix browsing experiences, like video previews

In order to receive the designation, the TV must meet 5 out of 7 criteria (listed here).

What’s more, all of the models designated include a Netflix button on the remote control which means viewers can start watching instantly with the press of a single button. Magic. And our stopwatches come in handy, because we make sure you can power on your TV and start watching in just a matter of seconds.

Here is the first wave of 2018 Netflix Recommended TVs:

LG 4K UHD TVs with webOS 4.0
Sony W800F / WF800 series Android TVs

We test all TVs that carry Netflix and will continue to report new designations throughout the year as new devices become available or get updated. Timing of availability for Netflix Recommended TVs will vary by market, and not all models will be available in all regions. For more information, you can go to our Netflix Recommended TV website.

Stop Your Smartphone Addiction with Social Fever App. #Apps #Addiction #Mobile

With emerging smartphone addiction people are glued to their smartphone devices like never before. While smartphones are considered to be one of the best inventions of all time it is not immune to common problems usually associated with largely used technologies. Here, it has not only given a medium to people to communicate and stay connected with their near and dear ones but it is also full of other apps & services. In fact, you unbox your smartphone bundled with a lot of apps & services that come pre-installed on your device. While some of these apps you use rest remain idle on your device.

Time to Intervene: Well, the time has come when we should stay vigilant to issues arising due to addiction to smartphones & social media accounts. Here, we should limit phone usage to save our time and to reduce smartphone dependence. To do this, Systweak Software offers you one effective tool in the form of Social Fever.

Features of the App

Track Goals: Under Track Goals option, the app helps you set individual goals for yourself and further track them. Using this option, you can reduce your smartphone dependency considerably. In this option, you need to go to individual app to set maximum time you want to spend on it. You can set your goals under tracking module and further track them when needed. You can use this effective feature to track time spent on phone efficiently.

App Usage: You can use this one of the best apps that track phone usage to monitor and limit phone usage significantly. Under app usage option, you can instantly view the information related to app usage. Further, it displays the total time spent on the specific app from tracking module.

History: It displays information related to the total time you have spent on different apps in last 7 days. Here, you will find history in a geographical format for easy understanding.

Interest: App not only allows you to track and limit your smartphone usage but it also helps you know how much time you have saved to spend your favorite activity. Under Interest, you need to set interest for yourself.

Ear Health: Under this feature, app will send you alerts when you spend long hours using earphones on your device. This feature is meant to reduce over usage of ear/headphones to keep your ear health intact. Using this app, that track phone usage also helps you keep your health well.

Eye Health: Like ear health, the app also helps you keep your eyes in good condition in addition to limit phone usage. Here, the app will send you warnings when you spend a long time on your smartphone starring at the device screen. You can use this feature to relax your eyes and mind.

Other features

To view app usage in real-time use Show App Tracking feature. Here, it will display a time tracker with selected app to help you know the time you have spent on any app.
You can change daily delivery report time by heading to app settings. Here, default time you get reports is 22:00 hours.
To view and manage daily goals click on “Show daily report” option. It will help you track time spent on phone effortlessly.
To clear tracking, history click on “Clear History” option.
To change interest, you have set click on “Show Interest” option.

The Verdict of the App: Social Fever offers an intuitive solution to deal with smartphone addiction. Using this smart solution, you not only manage to track and limit phone usage but you also save lot of your valuable time. This powerful tool offers lot of useful features to offer improved user experience. We can recommend you try this app to get best results in no time.

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