Category: Tech

Snapcats and Insta-pooches are creating a pet spending surge. #Pets #SocialMedia

Sales of premium grooming products at Argos have risen by a whopping 163% in ONE YEAR

Instagram or what I like to call it is the “Post what you eat for dinner” app is no longer famed for just posting selfies or food pictures and the same can be said for other social networks including Snapchat,Facebook and Twitter we are now seeing more photos of our pets and the trends in this study back it up. One thing for sure is I am glad to see the food pictures decrease somewhat and would rather see peoples pets.

Pet owners seeking Instagram fame for their cats and dogs are responsible for a rise in sales of animal grooming products and accessories, according to leading Irish retailer Argos.In fact, sales of premium grooming products at Argos have risen by a whopping 163 per cent, compared to the same period last year.

Owners are now splurging on top-of-the-range hair clippers and luxury water fountains for their precious animals. The Wahl Super Groom Premium Rechargeable Pet Clipper, priced at €149.99, is currently Argos’s best-selling premium pet grooming product. Now I have a beard trimmer and it would not cost that much so it shows we do love our pets splashing out…

Meanwhile, pet accessories have risen by 13 per cent, suggesting that pet owners are investing in props to make their furry-themed posts even more shareable.  Whilst dogs ‘lead’ the way on total accessories spend, cat accessories have seen the biggest growth in sales at 19 per cent over the last twelve months.

It also appears Insta-addicts are letting sleeping dogs lie, with sales of dog beds rising by 18 per cent for those all-important cute napping posts.

This rise in sales has been associated with the increasing trend of ‘pet-working’, where social media channels are created by owners on behalf of their pets. On Instagram, the hashtag #dogsofinstagram has attracted over 70 million posts, whilst #catsofinstagram boasts over 60 million.

Animals on social media now attract larger followings than some celebrities, with pets such as Boo the Pomeranian attracting over 16 million followers on Facebook. And over on Instagram, Doug the Pug and Grumpy Cat command over two million followers each.

 

This trend has also extended to celebrities – with stars’ pets attracting their own cult following. Karl Largerfield’s cat, Choupette, has over 100,000 followers on Instagram and Mark Zuckerberg’s Hungarian sheepdog, Beast, has scored a huge 2.6 million likes on its Facebook fan page. Stars who regularly post about their pets include Nick Grimshaw, Millie Macintosh, Professor Green, Caroline Flack and Lewis Hamilton.

Emma Carter, pet care buyer at Argos, said:

“Whilst Ireland has always been a nation of pet lovers, the rise of social media has really taken our obsession to another level. This is reflected in the huge increase we’ve seen in pet product purchases over the last twelve months alone.

“It’s great to see so many people documenting the antics of their beloved pets and sharing these moments on their social channels. With pets now dominating newer social networks such as Snapchat, the ‘pet-working’ trend isn’t slowing down any time soon.”

How mobile robots will transform material handling and logistics industries. #Robots #Logistics

Mobile robotics in material handling and logistics will become a $75bn market by 2027. It will then more than double by 2038. Thesestaggering headline figures mask turbulent transformative change underneath: some technologies will rise and transform the fortunes of industries, fuelling growth rates far outpacing recent trends, whilst others will face with decay and obsolescence. We are at the beginning of the beginning of a transformative change, and the time to plan is now.Im am in this industry over 20 yrs and have seen change and have seen some of whats to come,there is a huge shift on the way and changes.

( Dr Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, Research Director, IDTechEx) has sent us this Research report Mobile Robots & Drones in Material Handling & Logistics 2017-2037 focuses on all aspects of mobile robotics in material handling and logistics. In particular, we consider the following: automated guided vehicles and carts (AGVs and AGCs); autonomous mobile vehicles and carts/units; mobile picking robots; last mile delivery ground robots (droids) and drones; and autonomous trucks and light delivery vans (level 4 and level 5 automation).

These figures show a short-term as well as a long-term view of the market evolution. Each colour refers to a different technology, demonstrating how the market composition will completely change in the coming years and how technology improvement (rise of autonomous mobile robots) will bring significant new revenue into the industries considered. We are at the beginning of the beginning of a transformative change, and the time to plan is now. This figure includes automated guided vehicles and carts (AGVs and AGCs); autonomous mobile vehicles and carts/units; mobile picking robots; last mile delivery ground robots (droids) and drones; and autonomous trucks and light delivery vans (level 4 and level 5). Note that the headline figure quoted above is at the level of complete autonomous vehicle. We also provide forecasts at the automation-only level where appropriate (e.g., autonomous trucks).
Read more at: http://www.idtechex.com/research/reports/mobile-robots-and-drones-in-material-handling-and-logistics-2017-2037-000548.asp

IDTechEx provide technology roadmaps and twenty-year market forecasts, in unit numbers and revenue, for all the technologies outlined above (11 forecast lines). IDTechEx built a twenty-year model because their technology roadmap suggests that these changes will take place over long timescales. They further provide investment/trend analysis and company interviews/profiles/reviews.

55% of young people plan to ditch TV licence – Pure Telecom survey reveals. #TV

The survey found that 55% of young TV licence holders (aged 30 and under) are planning to, or considering, stopping payment of their licence solely due to an increase in viewing online content. On average, 43% of licence holders are thinking about ditching their TV licence for the same reason.The survey found that the average person spends 6 hours and 36 minutes streaming content each week, rising to 8 hours 47 minutes for people aged 30 and under. I for one outside this bracket will be and I think its time some changes where made here like RTE going subscription falling in line with current trends giving people the option to subscribe rather than how it is now which is enforced.

The new online survey from Irish telecoms and broadband provider, Pure Telecom, has revealed that 55% of Irish TV licence holders aged 30 and under are planning to, or considering, ceasing payment of their TV licence due to an increase in consumption of online content and streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. The research*, carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom, surveyed 1,001 online adults across Ireland in July 2017.

  • Pure Telecom survey finds 55% of TV licence holders aged 30 and under are planning to, or considering, stopping payment of their licence due to increased viewing of online content
  • 17% of same age group have already stopped paying a TV licence fee
  • On average, consumers watch 6 hours 36 minutes of streamed or internet-reliant content each week, rising to 8 hours 47 minutes for 30 and under age group
  • People living in Donegal are the highest consumers of online content, while consumers from Cavan watch the least
  • 62% of Irish adults opposed to extension of TV licence to cover online media consumption

 

The survey highlights how traditional TV viewing habits are changing, as increasing numbers are choosing to go solely online to watch TV and on-demand content. Currently, any household with a TV set is required to pay the €160 licence fee, however the charge does not apply to those who view all their video content via laptops, tablets or smartphones.

Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom

Pure Telecom’s research found that in total, 43% of Irish TV licence holders are planning to, or considering, ditching their TV licence solely due to an increase in online viewing. The research found that one-in-10 Irish adults have already stopped paying the TV licence, rising to 17% in the 30 and under age group.

The survey also found that the average consumer spends 6 hours 36 minutes watching streamed or online content each week. This trend is even more pronounced with younger audiences, with those aged 30 and under consuming 8 hours 47 minutes of online video per week. The research found that people living in Donegal are the heaviest consumers of streamed and online content, watching 10 hours 18 minutes each week. That is followed by those living in Meath (9 hours 13 minutes) and Galway (7 hours 53 minutes). Those living in Cavan spend the least time on streaming sites, watching only 3 hours 12 minutes per week.

Commenting on the findings, Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “The quality of content produced for online platforms has been steadily rising to the point where it is now at least on par with – and in many cases it outshines – what is offered on traditional television channels. People also now take for granted the convenience of on-demand viewing and the ability to watch content on-the-go. Coupled with very high quality content now available online, it is natural that consumers are questioning the need to continue to pay for a TV licence.

 The results come as no surprise to us at Pure Telecom and solidify our commitment to providing the lower cost, fast and reliable home broadband service that is essential to delivering high quality viewing experiences for our customers. As people become increasingly reliant on internet-driven content, we are ensuring we will be there to provide the best service for everyone’s broadband needs.”

 Earlier in the year the Department of Communications considered an extension of the TV licence fee, which would apply to owners of computers, laptops and large tablets – a suggestion that has since been scrapped. The survey highlighted that there is little appetite for the charge amongst Irish adults, with 62% opposed to its introduction.

The Easy-To-Fly, One Handed Drone Has Arrived at Menkind. #drones #tech #motioncontrol

The one-handed motion controlled drone has launched, bringing easy piloting and drone enjoyment to all ages.

Many traditional drones have complex remote controls that take dexterity and effort to get a good flight, the Motion Control Drone prides itself on being the easiest drone to fly, simplifying use for children, those with disabilities or mobility limitations, and everyone who wants a fun  flying experience, straight out of the box.

Priced at an introductory price of £29.99 until 6th August and available exclusively at Menkind, the striking yellow and black motion control drone uses simple hand gestures to steer its six-gyroscope axis for take offs, landings and altitude lock – as well as 360 degree flips at the touch of a button. Complete with blade protectors to soak up any crashes, the drone runs off 3 x AAA batteries and has brightly coloured LEDs around its body for additional visibility when in the air.

Paul Kraftman, Chairman of Menkind says, “We’repassionate about making great tech fun and affordable. The Motion Control Drone is an exciting addition to our already extensive drone offering and we’re thrilled to launch the Motion Control Drone as our most manageable, affordable and accessible-for-all drone model.

Whether young beginner, photography lover, outdoor enthusiast, gamer or racing league professional, we encourage all to try drone flight and believe our range offers a fantastic variety to suit all ages and flyers. We also have new models dropping later this year, watch this space!”

The Motion Control Drone is available to order online now.  https://www.menkind.co.uk/motion-control-drone/

Irish companies exposing themselves to huge GDPR fines. #GDPR #Data AMI

AMI carried out the survey to find out how companies are dealing with end-of-life IT equipment, and whether or not they are taking the right steps to dispose of this equipment in a secure manner. The results reveal an interesting contradiction between companies spending thousands on network security, etc., yet exposing themselves to the risk of data breach at the end of life stage by failing to ensure that data is wiped properly.

AMI’s survey found that even companies that use third-party IT retirement services are failing to take the necessary precautions; one-third don’t get formal confirmation that their data has been completely erased. This, in turn, exposes them huge fines under GDPR regulation which comes into force on MAY 25TH 2018, so if you have not marked this date yet,now would be a good time..

In their press release….

–        AMI survey finds that 32% of companies that use third-party IT retirement companies don’t get formal confirmation that their data has been completely erased

–        25% of companies leave end-of-life IT assets on premise for more than one year

–        47% claim to manage specialist data-destruction process themselves

–        77% of companies say they would be seriously affected by data theft from old equipment, with 8% saying they would go out of business

The survey reveals that many Irish companies have overlooked the risk posed by failing to properly dispose of end-of-life IT assets. Some 47% of those surveyed stated that they manage data-destruction themselves and wipe or physically destroy data on site. As well as this, a quarter of respondents said that end-of-life IT assets remain on their premises for more than one year, highlighting that many organisations do not have established processes in place for managing the disposal of old IT equipment.

Despite these practices, the majority of organisations accept that the consequences of data theft from a retired device would be very grave, with 77% of those surveyed stating that it would have a serious effect on their company. Of those companies, 8% believe that their company would be forced to cease trading as a result.

Of those organisations that do have established processes for handling end-of-life assets, just over half (52%) send retired assets to a third-party specialist. A further 43% donate the equipment to employees, schools or charities.

For this reason, it’s clear why 71% of respondents say that security of data disposal is their most important consideration when it comes to choosing a means of disposal for data-bearing devices.

GDPR will introduce more stringent guidelines around where data flows and how it is processed. In the event of a data breach or compromise, companies who are unable to account for the whereabouts of their data could face fines of up to 4% of global turnover or €20 million, depending on which is greater. This will require companies to closely review supplier processes and policies to safeguard their interests. However, according to the survey results, 39% of those who work with a third-party IT retirement provider never audit the provider’s security processes.

The survey also found that despite the significant value of old IT equipment, 70% of businesses say that they don’t recover any value when retiring old assets. More than half of these (37%) would consider it in the future.

 

Philip McMichael, managing director, AMI, said: “It is extremely clear from the results of this survey that Irish organisations are leaving themselves vulnerable at the end-of-life stage by failing to securely manage the retirement of their old IT assets. Companies need to establish processes for disposing of this equipment and dramatically reduce the amount of time that it spends in storage, as this increases the risk of data going missing. It also devalues the equipment, so it’s in companies’ own interest to manage this process effectively.

It’s interesting to see that so many companies claim to manage and carry out data destruction themselves as this is a specialist security process that requires advanced tools to ensure that data-bearing equipment is erased to the most stringent global standards. Unless companies have trained specialists in place using the correct software and carrying out data erasures, they should reassess their ability to carry out this process themselves and align themselves with a specialist IT retirement provider.

Those that do work with IT retirement companies need to ensure that they receive formal confirmation that their data has been destroyed, as organisations that are happy to hand over data-bearing devices without a certification process in place are putting themselves at real risk of a data breach.

Companies that work with an IT retirement specialist can benefit from the creation of a new revenue stream that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as upgrading IT equipment or even charitable donation. However, the primary focus for Irish organisations now has to be plugging the security gap stemming from current and past failings to securely tackle IT retirement.”

Nokia 6 – We take our first look at the #Nokia6 #Nokia #Ireland.

We have got out hands on the Nokia 6 dual sim and have been using it for a few days now and we wanted to check it out first and load it up with apps before we take a closer look at it. So far its been quite impressive and especially the camera and it been working fine with plenty of apps on board and the usual social media accounts and so on..

 

Build quality here is quite good and it feels solid in the hand and it also looks well its got some familiar traits of old too but overall its solid which is important,the screen is big which is good for media consumption however a bit on the dark side I find in fact similar to the Blackberry KeyOne but its no big deal for me. I will be testing this further over the coming weeks and using it as my daily driver so it will be interesting to see how it goes over time with the heavy usage I tend to give my devices. For now so far so good but time will shed a light no doubt, It is good though to finally sport a device I can use with the Nokia logo atop and so far any that have seen it like it too. With a 5.5 inch screen, 3000 mAh battery and built-in fingerprint scanner on the home key, 16 MP shooter has it enough? Any questions fire away below or get me on social. We still have no date for launch in Ireland yet but the Nokia 3 is set to launch August 2nd if you cant wait or dont want to spend some more on your next phone that has that famous Nokia branding.

SEE THE NOKIA 3310 UNBOXING HERE

 

 

In an Evil Internet Minute, £656,393 is Lost to Cybercrime, Reveals RiskIQ

With cybercriminals costing the global economy £345 billion last year alone, Digital threat management leader RiskIQ has examined the growing volume of malicious activity on the Internet to reveal the inaugural ‘Evil Internet Minute’. In a single evil internet minute, close to £656,393 is lost to cybercrime and 1,080 people fall victim. Despite businesses’ best efforts to guard against external cyber threats, spending up to £109,942 in 60 seconds, bad actors continue to proliferate online.

Colin Verrall, VP EMEA, RiskIQ comments, “As the Internet and its community continues to grow at pace, some people have been trying to make the vast numbers associated with it more accessible by framing them in the context of an ‘Internet Minute’. As the same growth applies to cybercrime, similarly, we have framed malicious Internet activity, leveraging the latest research as well as our own intelligence to define the darker happenings across the web in 60 seconds.”

The threats are complex with tactics ranging from malware to phishing, and intentions including monetary gain, inflicting large scale reputational damage or perhaps even to entertain. Cyber criminals continue to find success deploying tactics from 818 pieces of unique malware, 1214 ransomware attacks and over 100,000 phishing emails in just one evil internet minute.

RiskIQ’s research has also uncovered additional malicious activity, ranging from blacklisted mobile apps to malvertising:

  • New blacklisted mobile apps: 0.3 per minute
  • New phishing pages: 100 per minute
  • Malvertising: 14.5 incidents per minute
  • Pirate content: 4,300 people globally exposed to malware from content theft sites per minute

Colin Verrall, VP EMEA, RiskIQ comments, “Sophisticated cyber criminals continue to expand their digital armoury, lurking behind more online activity than we might expect. Websites, emails, mobile apps, online videos or even digital advertisements; all have become regular methods of entry for malicious online activity. The digital footprint of a business is always larger than perceived and with such happenings, control is often relinquished. It is crucial then for organisations to be aware of their entire digital footprint and make it a priority to close any critical security gaps. It is only way to adequately secure a business, its employees and customers.”

 

#BlackDuck Teams Up with #Pivotal to Secure and Manage Open Source Cloud-Native Applications for the Enterprise

Black Duck, the global leader in automating the security and management of open source software, today announced a new technology collaboration with Pivotal® and the launch of its Black Duck Hub product as an integrated service for Pivotal Cloud Foundry®, one of the world’s most powerful cloud-native platforms. This is the first open source-focused security management integration with Pivotal Cloud Foundry, enabling enterprise customers to embrace open source in their applications with automated visibility, intelligence, and control.

Black Duck and Pivotal have collaborated to integrate Black Duck Hub and Pivotal Cloud Foundry to deliver a Secure DevOps process and user experience for building and deploying applications to Pivotal Cloud Foundry.

  • Enterprise customers can find Black Duck as a tile on the Pivotal Network.
  • Black Duck Hub Service Broker enables the integrated use of Hub with Pivotal Cloud Foundry. Black Duck Hub interacts with the Pivotal Cloud Foundry build and application deployment process (‘cf push’) to automatically scan, analyse, and monitor applications and their contents.
  • Enterprise customers can automate their Black Duck scans with third-party Continuous Integration (CI) tools such as Jenkins, Bamboo, Team City, and Microsoft VSTS/TFS.
  • Enterprise customers can deploy Black Duck Hub product either in their private cloud or in a public cloud, such as Google Cloud.

Using Black Duck Hub, enterprise customers can automatically identify all the open source components; detect and analyse known security vulnerabilities, compliance issues, and code quality risks; and enable policy management to control risks and their remediation. Additionally, Hub dynamically monitors the scanned code and provides alerts on newly discovered vulnerabilities or policy violations. Enterprise customers can also use Hub to access Black Duck KnowledgeBase™, the world’s most comprehensive data store of open source components and risk intelligence.

“Open source comprises 80 to 90 percent of the components in a modern cloud-native application. Integration of Black Duck Hub with Pivotal Cloud Foundry provides automated visibility and control into that open source,” said Black Duck CEO Lou Shipley. “This helps increase enterprises’ confidence to increase their production deployment of cloud-native applications.”

“Fortune 2000 companies are facing tremendous pressure to build and deliver cloud-native applications –  faster, on a larger scale, and at lower cost,” said Nima Badiey, Head of Business Development, Pivotal Cloud Foundry. “Combining Black Duck Hub with Pivotal Cloud Foundry helps our customers automate the security and licensing processes in their application deployment pipelines, enabling agility and innovation at cloud-native speeds.”

Availability

  • The integrated solution is available for Pivotal customers. Pivotal Cloud Foundry users can find Black Duck Hub Service Broker on the Pivotal Network.
  • Use of Black Duck Hub with Pivotal Cloud Foundry requires an active Hub license from Black Duck.

In addition to the new integrated solution for Pivotal Cloud Foundry users, Black Duck today announced that Pivotal has become a Black Duck Hub customer for Pivotal’s internal use. Pivotal uses Hub as part of its internal Pivotal Cloud Foundry development and security processes to help secure and manage open source components in the Cloud Foundry project.

Learn to Code on the ASUS Tinker Board with FUZE Studio #Coding #ASUS

Hot on the heels of their recent FUZE Studio for Nintendo Switch announcement, FUZE Technologies Ltd are extremely proud to announce an exciting new collaboration with ASUSTeK.

 

Launched in 2013, FUZE Technologies set out with one goal – to make coding as easy and accessible as possible for everyone. Since then, the FUZE team has achieved great success in teaching young people how to code using the FUZE personal computer and their accessible, easy to use programming language FUZE Studio.

 

FUZE is now proud to announce two new models to their FUZE Workstation range powered by the recently announced ASUS Tinker Board.Additionally the ‘powered by’ ASUS Tinker Board editions have replaced the Raspberry Pi versions of the FUZE Workshop units used across the
country in schools and STEM events.Matt Stewart, ASUS Product Manager commented “ASUS recognise that learning to code is incredibly valuable; we’re really excited to be working with FUZE and bringing the ASUS Tinker Board into UK schools.”

The new units are, the FUZE-TB-R priced at £249.99 including VAT. It comes complete and ready torun out of the box. Included is the FUZE Special Edition case & keyboard, ASUS Tinker Board, FUZE IO Board with built in analog, 16GB boot SD card, the FUZE Component pack, solderless electronics breadboard, mouse and mouse mat, 250 page reference guide (PDF), worksheets (PDF) and the ever popular USB Robot Arm kit.

 

 

About the ASUS Tinker Board: The ASUS Tinker Board is a Single Board Computer (SBC) in an ultra-small form factor that offers class-leading performance while leveraging outstanding mechanical compatibility. The Tinker Board offers makers, IoT enthusiasts, hobbyists, PC DIY enthusiasts and others a reliable and extremely capable platform for building and tinkering their ideas into reality.

Specifications:
CPU Rockchip Quad-Core RK3288 processor
Memory 2GB Dual Channel DDR3
Graphic Integrated Graphics Processor ARM® Mali™-T764 GPU*1
Storage Micro SD(TF) card slot
LAN RTL GB LAN, Wireless Data Network, 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth V4.0 + EDR
Audio RTL ALC4040 CODEC
USB Ports 4 x USB 2.0
Internal I/O 1 x 40-pin header(GPIO, SPI, I2C, UART, PWM, 5V, 3.3V, GND, S/PDIF, DSI, CSI

The second unit is the FUZE-TB-D priced at £149.99 including VAT. Included is the FUZE Special
Edition case & keyboard, ASUS Tinker Board, FUZE IO Board with built in analog, 16GB boot SD card, solderless electronics breadboard, reference guide (PDF) and worksheets (PDF).

 

“The ASUS Tinker Board perfectly complements the FUZE’s existing design and dramatically improves performance. Running FUZE it’s roughly twice as fast as the Raspberry Pi editions and has far superior audio hardware and RAM capacity.
The Tinker Board enhances the FUZE’s learning capabilities, and partnered with FUZE Studio, provides the ideal environment to learn and ‘tinker’ with coding, gaming, audio, electronics, robotics and more.”
Stated Jon Silvera, CEO of FUZE Technologies Ltd.

A multi-award winning and highly accessible coding workstation, the FUZE is intended for students of all ages and also for teachers and parents. Anyone learning to code on the FUZE will find out that real, text based coding is not as complicated as they may have thought. FUZE’s unique method ensures children as young as six can learn to code using a real text based language, setting them up to eventually move onto more complex languages such as Python and Java.
It requires no previous experience, and is a self-contained coding and electronics workstation that will keep kids, and adults, motivated and wanting to learn more.

FUZE Studio is the perfect stepping stone between visual coding simulators currently usedin most primary schools and realworldlanguages like Python, Java and C++/# etc. FUZE Studio comes
with everything you need to learn to code in one app. Users can
code their own games and share the experience with friends and family. Tutorials are included, as is a 250 page reference guide.
One reason for FUZE’s success in educating young people to code is the wealth of support content included and to download. Worksheets, projects and a very comprehensive reference guide are all
included and more are being added all the time.

For more information on FUZE  see www.fuze.co.uk