Category: Tech

Monitor your heating oil anytime, anywhere with OilPal. #Heatmatters #OilPal

OilPal is a neat idea which enables users to stay connected with the heating oil tank at all times with a simple Ultrasonic Tank Sensor and a web enabled device. From here you can then monitor everything on the go no matter where you are and even get notifications straight to your device.

Who is OilPal and how did the idea come about?

OilPal is a product of Dunraven Systems aimed at the consumer market who have oil fired central heating. For the first time, it allows heating oil users to really take control of their oil tank by showing you the approximate volume of heating oil left in your tank. It also features a handy estimated days to run out, giving you that peace of mind that you or other family members have sufficient supply and won’t go cold on the long winter’s nights.

The OilPal works on any web enabled device, which means you can keep an eye on your oil anywhere you are and monitor other tanks like your elderly parents for example. You can monitor your oil levels with the touch of a button anywhere in the world. It also includes a theft alert system should your levels drop dramatically over a short period of time.

The OilPal is based on tried and tested 100 % reliable technology. It was developed to complement our current Apollo product range and offer a self-monitoring possibility to the households. We already had commercial monitoring in place so it was a natural progression to move into the consumer market.

Is there any competition in the market similar to yours and if so, what makes your product better?

Dunraven Systems are pioneers in ultrasonic fuel tank monitoring and the first to bring the system to the domestic market. There are competitors out there, trying to replicate what we do, but with 4 decades of experience in the business and over 600,000 units sold in Ireland and UK alone, we are proud of being a provider of innovative, reliable products and great customer service and support.

What are the plans going forward? New products or work on current idea.

We are constantly doing research and development into new areas using our existing technology. There are several possibilities out there as our core product is an ultrasonic measuring device and it can be used with a variety of liquids from home heating oil to other oil products, water and waste. The best way to follow us and our product development is to follow either both of our Twitter accounts @Dunravensystems or @Oil_Pal and our Facebook pages.

 

NEW APP LAUNCHED

 

 

New App now available on Android and iOS…

 

 

 

Samsung Gear VR now €149.99 from @Meteor_Mobile Ireland. #VR #Samsung

If you fancy checking out the VR world which is tipped to be one of the hottest tech areas this year you can now do so with Meteor Mobile,you can buy the unit outright or bundle up and save money if you purchase the Samsung Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge. These are hard to come by so if you plan on purchasing either of these devices it might be worth your while checking out the deal.

You can save €50 on the purchase if you bundle the phone and the headset together.For the price of €149.99 and if you bundle this is a worthy investment.

 

Interested? Head  over to Meteor  for more.

Check out what the package contains below in our unboxing and image gallery.From using this headset the last few days all we can say is you will not regret getting it…

Candel – A music inspired phone case that lights up with built in charging. #Kickstarter

There has been an array of new case ideas showcased at CES this year and here is one that we have had our eye on and it has now officially launched on Kickstarter… This idea is somewhat different than what we could call the norm when it comes to cases and those that have the ability to charge too,If you are a music or festival lover this will be for you.We have been speaking with the team over the last few weeks and they have asked us to show you their product.

 

Inspired by the energy and music embodied in Burning Man, chemist-turned-inventor Matt Sikora is launching a Kickstarter campaign to put Candel, an interactive phone case, into the hands of music lovers.

Candel cases give owners a new medium of expression, while offering protection for Apple, Samsung, and other mobile phones. Sikora was inspired to create the product after his first experience on the playa at the annual Burning Man festival.

“I began attending more festivals, and developing a personal sense of individuality,” Sikora said. “There was this unique commonality for everyone who attended. We bonded over our love for the music experience. Burning Man awakened a new sense of energy and purpose — an urge to build, create and invent. I became more confident and ready to start this project.”

 

https://ksr-video.imgix.net/projects/1956410/video-627029-h264_high.mp4?_=1

 

The cases are powered by a small, intelligent microprocessor designed to react to various levels of sound – from the soft cadence of a voice to the booming bass of a festival speaker. As amplitude climbs and falls, the cases respond accordingly, illuminating personalized and branded images with multicolored lights that brighten and recede with the beat.

 

Candel cases are made out of durable material. A rechargeable battery inside of the case offers 100 percent more battery life to phones, making Candel cases a must-have to light up crowds for hours.

 

Candel’s light up phone cases are designed for music lovers. Beautiful and functional, this portable light show also works as a charging phone case to keep you charged and flashing all night long. Candel is the world’s first phone case that lights up and features extra battery to power your phone. The case lights up to the sound of music, voice and ringtone. They are the coolest, most unique and fun phone cases to date. Choose a light up image from our selection or select the special tier and we will make a custom light up case just for you!

The Inner Workings of the Candel Case

Candel case inner workings are more technologically advanced than other cases. Our goal was to design a case slimmer than our competitors as well as house all of the components needed to support innovative smart functions.

We developed proprietary hardware and software to accomplish the design within our constraints. The electronics pick up sound from the surrounding environment. This input is then sent to a processor where the amplitude is measured and constant gain is adjusted. This allows the case to light up perfectly no matter how close or far away you are from the sound source.

The case has an internal battery that performs two functions.

1. Provides enough juice to light up for 12 – 28 hours

2. Enough power to fully recharge your phone (however, this does depend on how long you use the light up feature)

The Candel phone case has been under development for over two years and the technology is ready to go mainstream. We need your support to move from prototype to production so we can deliver Candel cases directly to you, the consumer.

Like the idea? Head over to Kickstarter now and back the guys right away and see some more on this new idea.

Next Train Ireland – Free Timetable and realtime results.#Apps #Trains #Travel #Android

Many of use us will depend on realtime info for either buses or trains today and having the correct info is a key attribute to either. There is several of these apps widely available and indeed some official ones too,this app though was developed by an Irish dev and does use information provided by Irish Rail itself..

 

Stephen Mc Bride who created the idea tells us some more.

Next Train Ireland (formerly called Next DART under the old Android Market store) is one of the earliest Irish-made Android apps, having been released in mid 2009 before Android phones were even offered by phone operators in Ireland. It has gone through a number of iterations since then but has been a bit neglected in the last two years. I finally got around to working on an update a few months ago and, having looked at the mess that was the codebase, decided to re-write it completely from scratch. Compared to the official Irish Rail app this new app is much cleaner, more intuitive and gets you the information you need in fewer steps. Feedback from new and existing users is most welcome.

 

App description:
Next Train Ireland is a simple, slick app that will quickly show you train times for any station in Ireland. Incorporating a modern UI that follows the Material Design guidelines, the app has lots of great features such as:
– Comprehensive journey planner showing extensive itinerary information for any journey between two stations
– Fast realtime station lookup with detailed train information to show you what stations a train will call at
– Android Wear support
– Travel news from Irish Rail on Twitter
Check out the Next Bus app HERE which is another creation by Stephen Download Next Train on Android below by clicking the image.

 

 

Nokia drops new video with possible hints of future devices. #Nokia

Nokia this morning have dropped a new video titled “Our Vision” which is basically promoting itself and what is to come in the future,we are all aware of the recent deal with Alcatel Lucent and we are also all aware that they can now start making devices soon and im sure plenty of us are waiting to see what Nokia have prepared for us this year,there has been several rumors of what may be coming but we shall leave them alone..

How many devices did you spot and check out the video below after the slideshow..

 

Windows10 will be the only fully supported OS for newer hardware By @VicenteA_George #Intel #AMD #W10

As the year is starting many of you are planning on upgrade you PC’s or laptops but if you’re thinking of getting the latest and greatest specs the only version of Windows you can use is Windows 10

Although as today, there’s more than 200 millions devices running Windows 10 there’s also millions of other that still prefer to use the old but reliable Windows 8/8.1 or even Windows 7, (specially companies)

And given the fact this versions of the OS are going to get updates ’till 2020 and 2023 is not a bad idea at all, but there’s a catch.

After CES las week, Microsoft has made official their commitment to Windows 10 as a “One OS to rule them all” therefore, they want to W10 to be on more and more devices.

So with the announcements of the upcoming silicon such as :

Intel’s “Kaby Lake”

Qualcomm’s “8996” 

and AMD’s “Bristol Ridge”

Microsoft is planning on rely on this manufactures “a better integration between software and hardware to improve performance” on every device.

How? There’s going to be limitations on how the devices will perform under certain OS, if you have W7 or W8 your system is not going to be well optimize, but if you have W10 you will get up to 30x better graphics and 3x battery life (which is certainly unfair as it’s a really big difference in graphics)

You still are going to be able to install any of the former versions but without the proper optimizations your system will be very vulnerable.

Actually, even the recently announced Skylake silicon is going to have a downfall as those who are still on W7 or W8.1 just going to get security updates until July 17th of 2017.

So this is one of those situation in which you have to choose between to two worst options.

But, what are your thoughts on this matter? Are you happy with this decision?

Or do you think is worth the risk keeping up the old W7 or the not so old W8.1 around?

Let us know in the comment below or tweet us at @jimboireland or @VicenteA_George

Source: Microsoft

 

The World’s Most Advanced Smartwatch For Kids.#dokiWatch #Kickstarter #Kids

Smartwatches are not new and still slow on the uptake where as fitness trackers are popular,though the smartwatch now has morphed into fitness trackers too they still do not have the same appeal,I use them but not everyday as I like to chop and change,Kids though is a new area for the manufacturers of  wearables to grab hold of. There is already aplenty out there available now and more on the way but can you see your child actually wearing them,thats a topic for another day,never mind having a smartphone…

This watch though looks childish,is childish but packed with features and will be an attraction option compared to what is on offer,there are some nice ones out there and some not so nice,this could be said for the adults wearables too..

dokiWatch claims its  the world’s most advanced smartwatch for kids 6 to 12 years old that’s also a wearable phone and locator. It’s the first-ever 3G-enabled smartwatch for kids with video calling, voice calling, and messaging capabilities in one simple device! dokiWatch anticipates what families need in order to keep connected.

https://ksr-video.imgix.net/projects/2232901/video-623444-h264_high.mp4?_=2

This watch has more options than you can shake a stick at and is more than just a watch,dokiWatch comes with important safety features including GPS tracking, which enables parents to know the whereabouts of their children right on their smartphone. The electronic pet, or “dokiPet”, doubles as a fitness tracker to encourage kids to stay active and healthy by utilizing fun incentives such as achievement badges.

If this is something that you might be interested in,head over to their Kickstarter page where they have surpassed their required funding amount…

 

 

 

Samsung Gear VR consumer edition unboxing. #Samsung #VirtualReality #Ireland

We have just received some nice kit in today which is the new consumer version of the Innovator GR VR which is available now for the Samsung S6 range and the Galaxy Note 5,we are using our Note 5 in the demo and the Note 5 is one of my main daily drivers now..

The packaging is minimal compared to last years offering with much missing and cheaper,this is to make the unit affordable to consumers which is excellent and compared to what is upcoming like Oculus which will cost a small fortune and you then need a super laptop behind you the price of the Gear VR is really a worthy investment,Going forward I might just mention by looking at the spamfest thoughts regarding the Galaxy S7  I would say it is possible it will work with it f you have been thinking of holding off,before we move onto more detail check out the Innovator package from last year..

THE PACKAGE AND CONTENTS 

Oculus App
App download
Oculus store
Gear package
Top full set up
Bottom view set up
Looking inward
Navi keys - back button and volume toggle
Bransing
Top view,zoom dial
Micro USB port
Bottom view
Cover plate front
Cover plate rear.
Front view
Left side setting and micro USB port
Right side where device clips in.
2 / 17

The set up is quite simple and takes a few minutes,once you insert the device you will be prompted to get the app and download the app from there,then sign in create account and you can add bank details for purchases,you dont need to add the bank details to use the free content and view the store and what is there..

Keys and Parts

The right sight houses the navi keys,back key and volume toggle whilst the left just has some branding,the keys will take a few minutes to adjust to and you will be fine after a few minutes usage. The top of the unit has a zoom toggle which allows you to set to your own needs or perhaps someone else who might be using it..

Installation

Inserting the device is simple and take 2 seconds I would take it easy as i feel if using it much you may eventually mark your device over time so just to keep this in mind,be easy when inserting and removing device…You can use the unit wit or without the cover plate on too but I would suggest you put it on for safety sake..

Experience.

If you are new to VR this will be a huge treat,you really feel immersed in the content and there is some really nice options to check out in the store,content is not abundant like the play store but there is enough there and you can also view whatever is on your device with the gallery app so there is no shortage of things to do.

You probably will feel a bit funny and disorientated at first and probably best sit down until you ge the feel for it,Since we have had the last innovator package there is more on offer and it will be an experience you and the family can enjoy,First timers will love it who have not tried any VR machines and for the price of the unit this is well worth the money and will keep you and the family entertained..

Any questions get us on Twitter or pop a question below and we will talk to you soon again check out the unboxing below.

 

Check-my-Temp – Monitor your child’s fever accurately. #Kids #Health #Indiegogo

This time of year can be pretty hash on all of us never mind out kids,with the changeable weather going form hot to cold we can all be open to getting the flu or other illnesses such as the common chest infection,these are easy to control and fix but its our child we would worry about more rather than ourselves,speaking as a father thats how I feel anyway..

Most of us are familiar with the standard thermometer we all have and again most of us have one or two of them in our medical kits at home and taking one of these out to a child to read a temperature can be daunting for some kids and then if successful keeping it where you want it is another..Check my temp monitors your child’s position,motion and temperature ALL THE TIME via this product and also can be used to monitor the elderly,this of course has an app to go along with it on your smartphone and connect them up just like any other wearable device today.The app itself also looks really great..Also the information can be monitored remotely which is great and featured real time alerts and the option to share information to your GP or social circle.

 

What is Check my temp?

Check-my-Temp, a wearable thermometer, does just that and a bit more. With our passion, your support and a shared vision for a healthier world, let’s redefine thermometers for ever.

  • A thermometer that continuously monitors fever so you and your loved ones can rest easy
  • A thermometer that sends real time alerts and updates so you can monitor from anywhere, anytime
  • A thermometer that tells you if your loved one is awake or has fallen so you can quickly attend to them
  • A thermometer that lets you record symptoms and medication to create a complete medical profile
  • A thermometer that records fever history for your doctor
  • A thermometer that will allow you to connect with other users so you can build a healthier community
  • 3 modes to monitor

 

Head over to Indiegogo for more if you like this idea..