Sydney based consumer electronics brand, asap Technologies, the team behind four successful crowdfunding campaigns including X-Connect, the world’s most crowdfunded cable and over 200,000 cables sold worldwide is today pleased to announce that its newest product, the UNO cable is live on Kickstarter. With guaranteed shipping in July and pledges starting at just $21/£16, the UNO has already smashed its funding goal with 45 days still to go.
The UNO cable is the world’s first cross device USB Type-C magnetic cable, allowing it to work with Lightning, Micro USB & Type-C tips giving compatibility with all smartphones, tablets and USB devices. This latest innovation in magnetic cables offers unparalleled quality, convenience and aesthetics brought by a company who believe users should be the creators and innovators of products.
The UNO cable has a USB-C connector end which is an upgrade from the current USB Type-A. This allows a higher power input and output and enables the UNO to be compatible with QC4.0 and Apple fast charge. The cable is capable of 2-way full speed USB 2.0 data transfer at 480 Mbps between any USB devices and features a reversible magnetic connection which means instant fit every single time. No more fumbling around to connect devices, even in the dark.
Each UNO cable set features two N52 grade neodymium magnets which are the world’s strongest commercial grade magnets. Unlike poor market imitations, UNO is strong enough to hold an iPad Air which is 437g (0.96lb) without dropping the device. Additionally, asap Technologies have incorporated an innovative locking mechanism, giving the cable a stronger connection and longer lifespan. This stronger magnetic strength means it can support a heavier cable than ever before with an increased length of 1.5m (4.9ft) with a 2.5m (8.2ft) cable also available for purchase separately.
Thanks to its unique bevelled and concave magnetic connector design on both the tip end and cable head end, UNO will connect correctly even if the tip is flipped 180°, due to both the strong neodymium magnets having their polarity perfectly positioned. Competitor designs require the tips to be correctly aligned inside the cable head and use weaker magnets needing expert guidance to be connected correctly if missed. The magnetic cable tips on the UNO are also just 10mm (0.39″) wide allowing them to fit perfectly into all Apple and Android devices. asap Technologies have tested the tips on over 100 phone cases and found it fit on all of them.
The UNO cable is the first in the asap Technologies range to introduce an improved anti-fray neck, meaning the cable will have increased durability and less chance of fraying or snapping at the most common weak point. This anti-fray neck significantly increases the lifespan of the cable handling everyday wear and tear offering a longer connectivity lifespan of the previous cables from 30,000 to 40,000 connections. With the improved materials and machinery used to build each UNO cable, asap Technologies are so confident in the UNO’s build quality that the company is now offering apremium 10 year warranty – designed to outlast the next decade worth of phones!
Urbanista have launched some new true wireless earphones which look really nice and come in several colours to boot. We will also have a review soon on these. The previous true wireless TOKYO where and still are a good contender in the market with excellent sound a volume levels and still go strong today so we look forward to seeing how these fair out.
The new Urbanista Stockholm provides you with true wireless freedom. Designed with simplicity in mind these new earphones will fit perfectly for your everyday use. Available in a selection of four colours, you’re sure to find a pair that fits your personality.
Stockholm is the pinnacle of wireless earphones. True wireless means true freedom, and with a sleek charging case that provides for 14 hours of total playtime, four appealing colours to choose from and simple and intuitive controls, you can go anywhere while always equipped with incredible sound.
Features
Total Playtime: 14 hours
3.5 hours per charge
Slim charging case with 3 charges
Dual microphones on the right earbud
which cancels the surrounding noise
Stereo phone calls
Bluetooth 5.0
Touch control
Volume and music controls
Voice control (Siri, Google Now)
Compatible with Android and iOS
Some new cans and earbuds have just arrived from Skullcandy which are the Venue headphones with ANC and the True Wireless earbuds both in the Elevated Olive colour which look really nice and differ from the industry Black and White we tend to see across the board.
First up is the Skullcandy Venue Headphones with ANC which has everything you need in a headphone along with comfort,easy to use controls and they come with a carry case which is important. The also support TILE and also have a 24HR battery life which is enough for those on the go and you can also use your digital assistant. Any questions hit us up in the usual spots in the interim.
Next up is the Push true wireless earbuds which is now the craze and even my own collection is catching up on my Headphone stash, True Wireless buds are the thing now for everyone especially those who go to the gym and commuters alike, they come with a charging box which gives additional power on the go.
Another home security system has dropped in and once more this one is totally wireless which is ideal for the average consumer. This will not require any technical knowledge to install or set up and this package comes with two cameras and base station pretty like most out there on the market today.. Of course this comes with its own free app on Android and iOS.
This is a first look and we will have our full review soon on how it works and whats involved with this kit and we will have samples of how it performs overall and we look forward to checking it out. Any questions as always feel free to ask below or on our social channels.
Irish startups from across the country are being encouraged to apply for Google’s Adopt a Startup Programme which this year launches in an exciting new format. The new programme will be 8 weeks duration and will focus on Priority Growth Areas, identified by the companies themselves and the Adopt a Startup team in Google, which have a significant impact on a startup’s development and success.
The Priority Growth Areas include 4 crucial stages of growth: Understanding Your Customer, Building Your Brand, Growing Globally and Scaling Your Organisation. Participants will benefit from unmatched expertise and support in topics such as Analytics and UX, pitching and networking, automation and machine learning and how best to plan for global growth.
The new programme offers startups full support though a series of exclusive lectures and workshops, 1-on-1 on-site support with a team of passionate Googlers, and unique networking opportunities at Google’s EMEA Headquarters.
Paddy Flynn, Director, Google said: “We’ve achieved a lot of success over the past five years but we are always looking at ways to improve our impact. We’ve listened to feedback from startups and have reshaped this next iteration of the programme, including reducing the number of startups from 30 to 15 for this cycle. This will allow us to deliver a more intensive programme, will focus on 4 crucial stages in a startup’s growth cycle and will give participants more direct engagement with Google experts. We hope that this focus will enable them scale more effectively and learn from each other through the programme.”
Following the 8 week programme, each startup will have the opportunity to pitch their growth plan to a panel of select judges, with some unique prizes up for grabs including €10,000 in Google Ads credit and eligibility for the Google Cloud Programme which includes $100,000 in Google Cloud Credit.
The Adopt a Startup programme was launched by Google in 2014 and has mentored over 150 companies, helping them to develop and grow. FoodCloud, UrbanVolt, Jobbio, Beats Medical and Logograb are just some of the amazing companies who have participated in the programme and have gone on to achieve significant success in their industries. The programme was created in Dublin and has become such a success that is now being implemented in dozens of other countries around the world. In the last year the Startup team at Google have also worked on bringing Irish scaleups into global Google programs and helping Irish scale ups understand how to engage with Google at a global level.
Places on the programme are now limited to 15 companies, with applications closing on 22 April. More information on Adopt A Startup and full details on how to apply can be found at https://events.withgoogle.com/adoptastartup/
For a businesses the phrase ‘going digital’ no longer only means getting a website done and doing some Google and Facebook ads. It has gone far beyond that and in coming years it will evolve much more than anticipated. Digitalisation is at peak. People are readily embracing the digital devices and technology which is shifting their focus from traditional media towards digital media. Hence it becomes extremely important for SMBs to keep up the pace with technology and leverage the power of digitalisation to grow their business.
As of now large business owners have the capacity to try and commission latest digital tactics to grow business but what do SMBs do? They should wisely choose their digital strategy from the sea of digital techniques which claim to grow businesses. To help you out Maiden Stride have compiled an infographic of the tried and tested digital trends that SMBs can follow to grow their business cleverly.
As autonomous technology becomes more advanced, many retailers are exploring how self-driving vehicles can be used to optimise their logistics operations. Find out more about how the ecommerce sector could benefit from delivery drone technology in the infographic below from 2Flow.
McKinsey predict that in the future up to 80% of all items will be delivered by self-driving vehicles and drones. Drones in particular present an attractive option for retailers. While delivery drones have yet to become mainstream, we are already seeing major players within the ecommerce industry experimenting with this technology.
For example, in 2015 Amazon launched the Prime Air which aimed to deliver goods by drone within 30 minutes to customers in a handful of locations around the world. According to Amazon’s own estimations, the increased distribution efficiency resulting from the use of drones could bring about cost savings of up to 80% for last-mile shipping alone.
Proponents of cargo drone technology say that it could help improve delivery logistics in a major way. Some propose that drones could be used alongside traditional road haulage to cover the last mile of each delivery. This alone could drastically reduce the travel time for last-mile delivery thereby boosting efficiency, saving time and slashing costs.
One example of this is UPS who are experimenting with placing mini-helipads on the top of their vans. According to the company’s own projections, eliminating just a single mile from the routes of each of their 66,000 delivery drivers could save up to $50 million.
However, a few critical issues still remain that need to be resolved before delivery drones become commonplace. The law represents the biggest obstacle, as air space restrictions are greatly limiting where drones can currently travel. What’s more, short battery life means that drones can currently only handle small journeys with small loads.
For more information about delivery drones, take a look at the infographic below.
Mini PCs are becoming more and more popular. While the small, fast computers were mostly to be found on the desks of offices and agencies not long ago, there has been a shift towards more home-use in the last couple of years. The reasons are obvious: Mini PCs are space-saving, affordable and offer high-performance – such as the NEO N42C-4 from MINIX.
Desktops or so-called Mini PCs are enjoying a constant growth in popularity and, according to a study by British trade analyst CONTEXT, were able to increase their sales figures substantially, especially in German-speaking countries – in Germany in Q1 2018 by around 37 percent[1]. MINIX is one of the market leaders in the field of Mini PCs and Media Hubs and, as part of this trend, is presenting its most powerful Mini PC: the NEO N42C-4.
The NEO N42C-4 offers the full performance and functionality of a desktop computer in a compact, stylish case, but can be taken anywhere due to its light weight and convenient dimensions. This Mini PC allows up to three displays to be connected via HDMI, Mini DisplayPort and USB-C outputs. The NEO N42C-4 comes with 32GB of eMMC internal memory and 4GB of DDR3L memory – but both the memory and RAM can be expanded via the 2280 M.2 slot (SATA 6.0Gbps) and a pair of SODIMM (Dual Channel Support) slots, depending on your needs. The 2280-M.2 slot (SATA 6.0 Gbps) offers an optional memory expansion up to 512 GB, while each the two SODIMM ports supports up to 8 GB of DDR3L memory.
The NEO N42C-4 offers various connection options: Three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, USB-C, Optical S/PDIF, 3.5 mm audio jack, 802.11ac Dual-Band Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth 4.1. Its built-in USB-C port ensures ultra-fast data transfer, video display up to 4K @ 60Hz and power supply. The active cooling solution guarantees an extremely low background noise and ensures safe and stable performance even during long periods of operation.
Another convenient aspect: The NEO-N42C-4 can be easily attached to the back of a modern monitor thanks to the included fixture, thus creating even more space and clarity on the desk. The NEO N42C-4 Mini PC is available at Amazon.co.uk at a RRP of £249.90.
More information about the complete MINIX portfolio is available at www.minix.com.hk/en.
Ireland has become one of the most confident and successful countries in Europe, enjoying a booming jobs market and an economy that was the EU’s fastest-growing in 2018, for the fifth consecutive year.
It’s not all good news, however. Ireland sits within the EU’s top ten countries for money laundering activity, and reports have advised that Brexit has increased the risk of Ireland becoming a “perfect storm for money laundering”. This is a serious challenge for a responsible global citizen like Ireland – and, of course, its financial institutions.
Convergence of regulations and the banking customer experience
With every challenge comes opportunity. While financial regulation is often seen as a burden, in this instance it represents the opportunity for Ireland’s banks and financial services organisations to simultaneously revolutionise the customer experience in many ways – including account onboarding through mobile devices – as they strengthen their compliance. A quick look at what the law shows us how this can be achieved.
Ireland has long taken the issue of money laundering very seriously. The country has been a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) since 1991, and in 2010 enshrined its commitment to tackling money laundering in the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010. This piece of legislation brought Ireland in line with the European Union’s Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (MLD4) – the latest version of a constantly-evolving regulation designed to combat terrorist funding, human trafficking and other criminal activity. This latter regulation is one with real teeth: those who violate MLD4’s provisions face a maximum fine of at least twice the amount of the benefit derived from the breach or at least €1 million.
The next iteration to MLD due to come into effect in January 2020, providing further, much-needed improvements in specifying the acceptability of electronic documentation. The proposed MLD5 requires that member states “establish automated centralised mechanisms, such as central registries or central electronic data retrieval systems, of bank and payment accounts”.
For many EU countries, the digitisation of records may prove an enormous headache, since traditionally customer identification has been done via an in-person review of the identity document, with banks and financial institutions making photocopies. Ireland, however, is already ahead of the game. As Compliance and Risk Officers at Irish banks know, Section 33 of the 2010 Act (relating to customer due diligence) makes provision for “electronic verification of the customer’s identity on thebasis of documents (whether or not in electronic form) [emphasis on original].”
This puts Ireland’s financial service providers in pole position to handle new customer onboarding, and to create an experience that is fast, mobile, and hassle-free for their customers.
Digital Identity Verification
Because Irish law promotes electronic verification of identity documents, there is a substantial opportunity for financial services organisations to act fast, improve their operations, due diligence, compliance and customer experience and educate customers of the benefits.
Using digital identity verification for onboarding, due diligence is achieved by asking individuals to take a photo of their identity document and then a selfie with their mobile device, linking the document to the real person. Advanced artificial intelligence is then used to validate the authenticity and originality of the identity document. A second layer of identity verification is used on the selfie using sophisticated biometric face comparison algorithms that automatically compare the portrait extracted from the identity document with the selfie, proving that the person submitting the ID is its rightful owner. This digital process can be done in seconds and the individual does not have to visit a physical location to prove their identity.
Traditionally, this step in the account opening process has been conducted in person, which is typically very time-consuming for both the bank and its new customers. With the right technology, and solutions digital document verification enables financial institutions to meet all regulatory requirements, including GDPR, MLD4/5, and Ireland’s Criminal Justice Act – while also providing the convenience for the customer.
Combining identity document authentication with biometric face comparison enables banks, fintechs and other regulated providers to guide their prospective customers through the process via their mobile device. They can do this in a number of ways: for example, by using a digital assistant or chatbot, for fast and intuitive onboarding that they can complete with a few taps of their screen. Making ID verification “digital by design”, banks and other institutions can also prepare themselves for MLD5 and other regulations by making it easier to provide full records that prove due diligence was undertaken.
Further benefits of electronic verification
Important as it is to stay compliant with anti-money laundering regulations, there are a host of other benefits from implementing proven digital verification techniques. From the customer’s point of view, one of these is the ease, convenience and simplicity of being able to submit and verify their documentation.
Like many other industries, financial services are rebuilding long-established business models around the core principle of providing brilliant customer experiences. Challenger banks and other fintechs have so-far led this race, but now digital verification is available to any establishment, regardless of their existing technology estate. It means that they can immediately begin to make account opening fully digital, with no tedious requirement to visit a branch. What’s more, research by Consult Hyperion suggests that mobile technology can significantly decrease the risk of sanctions, provide significant improvements in user experience and reductions in Know Your Customer (KYC) friction, while delivering savings for the average bank of £5m in operational costs, rising to £10m in three years’ time.
Regulation is seen as a burdensome challenge in every industry, but the banking and financial services sector understands the importance of rules to combat the rise in crime such as money laundering. Seldom does a solution to compliance come about that can also provide for an intuitive and secure customer experience. Digital identity verification is one of these rare examples.
