Category: Tech

ACTAFUN launches virtual activities during COVID lockdown in Ireland and more. #ACTAFUN #VirtualActivities

It’s been weeks since we’ve all been stuck at home, some working from home, some have taken exercise to another level while others are binge-watching everything and anything. We are in need of human connection more than ever and we are in need of experiences, “Unforgettable experiences” to be exact. Why ?..because we are social beings, so the need for doing new things, experimenting and creating unforgettable memories with the people that we love and care about is in our nature. 

 

Unfortunately, activities (indoor and outdoor), meetups, travelling, and other basic human necessities have been temporarily taken away from all of us when COVID-19 began. Knowing the impact of this lockdown and self-quarantine phase on people’s psyche and their need to be social and bond with others, the activities booking platform  “ActaFun.com” had a pivot to align with our sudden reality and quickly launched virtual activities, providing us with unique experiences. 

 

What do we mean by virtual activities? – these are activities that users can do from the comfort of their homes while respecting the social distance safety guidelines. 

Online Jiujitsu and Self-defence classes by Jaqueline Almeida, every Wednesday (6:30 pm) and Saturday (11 am). This class will teach you useful self-defence and escape techniques improve your muscle memory and to protect you when in a difficult situations  https://actafun.com/activity-details/287 

Are you a coffee lover that is missing their favourite coffee spot during this quarantine period? We have top quality home brewing coffee classes By Matt Coade – The Best seller Cafe’s head barista https://actafun.com/activity-details/279

Dance, tone up, burn calories and learn some amazing moves for your post quarantine nights out with AfroDance provided by Kareen SK from the Caribbean islands (Dominica/ Guadeloupe). https://actafun.com/activity-details/289

Dave O’Dwyer will be hosting his famous laughter Yoga classes. Besides being easy to do, laughter yoga can help to reduce stress, encourage a more positive outlook, and help you feel more refreshed and energetic, in other words, “its great crack” https://actafun.com/activity-details/284

The activities above have been the most popular ones, there’re are more free and paid online activities like juggling classes, Fitness classes available on Actafun.com 

 

All virtual activities are bookable internationally through ActaFun’s website (ACTAFUN.COM) and their App, with classes taking place on Zoom.  Now you can book an experience for you and your friends/family in Spain, Canada, Ghana, New Zealand or anywhere in the world (with Wifi access of course) and have a great laugh with them regardless of where you all are. Use the code “LetsHaveFun” to get 20% off any of their paid virtual activities in this article. 

 

If you have a unique skill or teach a class that you would like to host on ActaFun, send an email to their virtual project manager Andrew@actafun.com.  

How to create an effective business continuity plan. #Business #IT #CyberAttack #DisasterRecovery

Business continuity plans have come to mean instructions or procedures any business should follow in the face of a successful ransomware or other cyberattack. Although IT issues are often the most debilitating when it comes to getting things back to normal, ‘business continuity’ anticipates and includes responses to other disasters, like fire, flood and theft, too.

There are business processes, partners and suppliers, human capital, data and other assets to protect in the event of a disaster. While each dark episode in the life of a company will be unique in certain aspects, enterprise can avail itself of an essential toolkit – the business continuity plan – when things go wrong. Always variable and often unexpected, business calamities demand a strategy for the maintenance of business as usual, regardless of how unusual circumstances might be in the moment.

That strategy will optimise continuity and minimise negative implications, resulting in an overall minimisation of longer-term repercussions on business profitability. It’s often grisly and as often demanding of sudden decisions that are extraneous to the core plan, but the core plan is essential as a guidebook for the promptest and least stressful restoration of business, in order to maintain cash flow and overall profitability. Force majeure events (the Covid 19 lockdown is a classic example), physical destruction or damage to business premises, or a wholesale sacking of company data are all events capable of ending business for good. The stakes are high, and the fittest companies have a ready template of action for such dark moments.

Business continuity plans and Disaster Recovery (DR)

Disaster Recovery (DR) centres on restoring IT systems after a ransomware or other cyberattack. Often confused with a business continuity plan, DR protocols may well be the most important component of a business continuity plan, yet they remain but one component of an overall plan.

 

With that said, it’s common to modern enterprise that almost nothing can be resolved without IT in place and running smoothly, hence the need to develop a reliable business continuity plan template with IT support well ahead of time. Business continuity is absolutely essential to map out while it’s still completely unnecessary. On the plus side, IT architecture lends itself to backup and security, and with typical Irish zeal and prowess in the arena, a detailed and ultimately successful continuity plan with adept DR protocols can be effectively formulated ahead of any possible disaster.

IT considerations for a business continuity plan

  • Storage. Where and how is data stored? What are the alternatives on access and/or storage if that particular access door closes? A company needs to know exactly how it will access what data it needs to roll on without hiccupping in the event of a complete denial of access or loss (removal) of working data.

 

  • Who are the key personnel in making IT continuity happen, and what are their responsibilities? It might seem a stupid question, but do they then have the authority or clearance (with accompanying credentials) to act on their responsibilities? Disaster recovery is a moment of unusual trust and professional performance – everyone needs to understand that, be equipped, and up to the task.
  • In the event of hardware damage or loss, where are new machines coming from, what or how much is needed to tie them into current daily operations, and what aspects of the current IT system or systems might snag on replacements of this nature?

Some broader considerations for business continuity plans

  • Manufacturing, sales and deliveries or service provision, as well as HR considerations feature in any decent business recovery template. How will normal comms evolve (or dissolve) during recovery? Would majority remote work be best, or perhaps a secondary location should be established that ultimately costs less and facilitates more in the event of a calamity? What functions can be contracted out?

 

  • To answer all the above questions, a business impact analysis will have been tabled and tested for validity way ahead of genuine disaster striking a company. This analysis will identify the most crucial aspects to maintain business continuity. A business impact analysis acknowledges vulnerabilities and doubles down on safeguarding these, while also looking at cost implications on all aspects of the business – what it will cost to put in place and what it might cost when absent. Generally, the latter costs a whole lot more in a typical disaster scenario.

Testing, testing, one two three

Disaster Recovery may be well-sorted by IT support in the event of catastrophe, but any successful, comprehensive business continuity plan has to factor in what happens with people and processes, too. Quite remarkably, the way in which a company performs under such adversity can often enhance client relations and go towards an overall greater profitability in the future. If ever there was a test of a business’ professionalism and real caring, it’s what it does and how it handles its clients in the event of disaster.

Effective disaster management can elevate a company’s reputation and generate an immense amount of goodwill, too. Being prepared and making the best of getting back on track can increase any company’s listed market value, plus boost customer numbers and overall confidence.

Such effective behaviour must include testing. Testing of a mock wholesale collapse of systems, testing of alternative (disaster) protocols, and testing of everyone’s ability to keep the wheels turning in a trial scenario. It might seem silly when everything is going well – much like those school drills that practise fire alarm responses – but testing a business continuity plan is as essential as formulating it in the first place. Companies that discover gaps in their contingency plans while suffering catastrophe are unlikely to be around afterwards. Testing allows for improvements and the fine tuning of the continuity strategy details. 

The business impact assessment informs the drafting of the business continuity plan. That plan contains the DR component and goes on to address all aspects of the business. And it’s in the testing – regularly and repeatedly – that an enterprise will ready itself to survive even wholesale shutdowns or failures, and go on to a better future. 

FlexClip Review: Create Videos For Social Networks Easily. #Videos #Social #Flexclip

An image speaks louder than words, but what speaks even more emphatic than an image is compelling video. Whether you need to create animated videos to promote your business or want to make a video montage to play at your friend’s wedding, you don’t need to hire a professional as long as you have some cool video creation tools available.

There are lots of tools that turn your photos and movie clips into interesting videos. In this post, I selected the best video creation tool, FlexClip, which is full of features and can be easily used by anyone. Come on, let’s take a look.

What’s FlexClip video maker

FlexClip is a tool that has surprised me a lot because it has templates, which for users who have never made a video, can be enormously useful for making videos with photos very easily and quickly. Also, to start using the editor, you do not need to register, something that is also appreciated. However, once we have made our video, we will have to register to save or download it. Of course, your free creations will have a watermark at the beginning of each video that you can remove once you have switched to the paid version, which costs 8.99/month.

In this article, you will see how easy it will be for you to edit videos with FlexClip and share them with your audience on social networks. I am currently working on some intros/outros and so on for my own site which you will see soon on our YouTube 

Before opening the editor, a screen appears that indicates two options, a template version with all the predefined effects and a blank version for a quick video. To create a new project in FlexClip, you can go to “Start from scratch” and choose the format as (16: 9), (1:1) or (6:19).

To enter images or videos, you have to go to the storyboard and add local files. It also provides a library with videos, pictures, and sounds for free use that we can integrate into our projects if we wish.

What you can do with the FlexClip video maker

 

We already knew that FlexClip is a tool, which stands out for its ease of use and simplicity. However, what exactly can you do with the FlexClip video maker?

Trim and split Videos

Oftentimes, you will find that a specific video is too long, or you need some videos to reflect your message better. In such cases, it will be very beneficial to use the trim and split features. You can simply cut out the parts of the video that are most useful and interesting and then blend them into your storyboard to create a smooth and entertaining video.

Insert text to video

FlexClip offers us options to add texts to our projects in a simple way. In the upper part of the menu bar, you will see different designs appear to add text, and then you can drag the text to the segment where you want it to appear. In advanced edition, you can work better on editing texts, choosing typography, sizes, shadows, reliefs, etc. In addition, you can also edit the timeline for texts when they appear and disappear from the video, which allows you to give the video more movement.

Add Filters in FlexClip

It is one of the most interesting options of this video editing tool, and it sets it apart from other editors. In the menu bar at the top of the editor, you will find the option ‘Filters’. There is a gallery with 17 filters that you can use for free. You can, for example, put some Instagram type filter, which imitates the filters offered by this social network. The effect is stunning, giving your video a different touch. In the option of “adjust”, you can also adjust exposure, contrast, brightness, saturation, shadow, and clarity of the video. 

Insert widgets and overlay

FlexClip has a variety of widgets for multiple platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. There are a few other decorative widgets as well. Layers work similarly to filters, but with different effects on the images and videos, you are working with. They are both elements that can be incorporated into the project between the image and the text, and give an exceptional finish to your video. 

Choose a transition and modify video speed

If you have previously edited a video, you will know what transitions are. They are effects that improve the passage from one element (image or video) to another element. For example: cross dissolve, fade, zoom, wipe, etc. Adding many types of transitions to a video is not recommended, as they can be distracting to the public. In addition to the type of effect, you can change the video playback speed. Tinker around a bit and choose the one that best fits your project. 

Insert music to your video

We leave the introduction of music in the editing of the video for the last. Because listening to the music over and over again until the project is finished can be exhausting. You can use the music that appears by default in FlexClip, totally free to use, or upload the music you want (as long as it is free to use and add the author in the video credits) and avoid having problems with the Copyright.

 

Once we have finished our edition, we can export the final result in MP4 and distribute the final file freely. With all of these straightforward features, FlexClip is a handy tool, especially for those who want to edit their videos going. Why not try it, and give the videos a nice boost in your shape and, therefore, views.

Get your iPhone SE accessories from Twelve South. #iPhoneSE #TwelveSouth

The new iPhone SE goes on sale tomorrow, Friday April 24th. A new iPhone means new accessories so here is a selection from Twelve South, the company known for designing beautiful accessories exclusively for Apple products.

Journal for iPhone

£39.99

Available from Amazon UK or Twelvesouth.com

The Twelve South Journal is a stylish premium wallet case for iPhone made from full-grain leather that is not only used on the outside, but throughout the interior as well. Each case is stitched to perfection with features including card slots, an ID window and a pocket for cash and receipts. This folio case can also be folded into a hands-free display stand, perfect for watching Netflix on your phone or taking a video call.

A leather lined shell securely holds the iPhone whilst a hardback cover and a reinforced spine provides a shield against drops and dings. The leather wrapped shell is beveled to protect the screen in the event the folio opens if accidentally dropped. The Journal for iPhone comes in two colours – black or cognac.

HiRise Wireless

£79.99

Available from Amazon UK

The Twelve South HiRise Wireless is a 3-function beauty: a gorgeous upright desktop stand and wireless charger for your new iPhone SE, a wireless charging pad for AirPods and a USB-C portable wireless charger for travel, all in one beautiful package. Now users only need one wireless charger for both at home and on-the-go. The stand is made of heavy, polished metal for a solid luxurious feel, and the base of the stand is topped with soft leather to cushion the bottom of your phone.

PowerPic

£59.99

Available from Amazon UK

The Twelve South PowerPic is a wireless phone charger disguised as a picture frame. Just set any Qi-compatible phone like the new iPhone SE inside the frame to begin charging. Available in black or white, the PowerPic blends seamlessly into any home or office decor. With PowerPic, your favorite photograph will become your favorite phone charger.

PowerPic enables up to 10 watts for wireless fast charging and will charge through most popular phone cases up to 3mm thick, including Apple iPhone cases and the Twelve South Journal.

House of Marley offering 25% off all day today. #EarthDay2020 #Tech

Today marks Earth Day 2020 and to celebrate, the House of Marley, the sustainable audio brand created by Bob Marley’s children, are offering 25% off all products on https://www.thehouseofmarley.co.uk/ for the whole day – just use discount code EARTH25 at check out.

The brand is built on the principles of superior quality, earth-friendliness and a commitment to global charitable causes. All House of Marley products are consciously crafted from mindfully sourced materials, including FSC certified woods, solid bamboo, consciously harvested cork, non-toxic silicone and Marley’s own signature blend of REWIND™ up-cycled fabrics made from organic cotton, reclaimed hemp and recycled plastic bottles.

In an effort to spread awareness of global reforestation needs and corporate social responsibility, House of Marley set up Project Marley, a charitable initiative contributing to the planting of trees through non-profit organisation, One Tree Planted. Through the Project Marley initiative, over 223,000 trees have been planted to date across the globe.

Meet Slim PDF Reader 2: PDF Viewing Re-imagined. #PDF #Reader #Documents

There is no shortage of free PDF readers and viewers you can use, but which one should you choose? 

One really successful representative of this category is Slim PDF Reader developed by Investintech.com Inc. 

Slim PDF reader is acclaimed as the most lightweight, minimalist PDF viewer ideal for basic PDF viewing that takes only a couple of MB on your computer, though it lacks some advanced functions.  

Now, the well-known free PDF reader has received a major update. Version 2.0 keeps its small footprint (15.1MB) while adding some powerful new features and functionalities to its toolbox. 

Let’s find out what this updated free PDF reader has to offer.

The New & Intuitive UI

Slim PDF Reader has gotten a new modern, and simplified UI that allows for a clear and streamlined PDF viewing and handling. 

If the user interface looks familiar, it’s because it’s inherited from its older sibling Able2Extract Professional, an all-in-one PDF solution we already had the pleasure of showcasing here.  

Once you run the program, you’re welcomed by a nicely designed Start Page that provides you with quick and easy access to your recently viewed documents. 

Besides being able to access the most recent files you opened, you can also adjust the UI scaling, and switch between the default light and new dark UI theme. 

On top of looking modern and stylish, the new dark theme uses a colour palette that doesn’t hurt the eyes as much as the default theme, making it the  perfect choice for working in low light conditions. 

The Start Page also hosts a promo banner where you can download a free trial of the above mentioned Able2Extract Professional. 

PDF Viewing & Navigation

Slim PDF Reader provides you with different ways to view your PDF content using various options from the main toolbar, side panels, and viewing options nested in the footer toolbar. 

You can use the footer viewing options to: 

  • Switch between pages, or go to a specific page in the document
  • Rotate the pages by 90 degrees in the chosen direction
  • Zoom in and out or use one of preset viewing options
  • Set a single page or a two page viewing mode
  • Search through the document for specific keywords
  • Switch between the light and dark UI theme

The left side panel enables easy access to thumbnails, bookmarks, and attachments. 

 

Also, note that you can open more than one PDF, and easily jump back and forth between the documents in the navigation bar. 

Content Extraction Tools 

As a rule, PDF content cannot be easily changed. For instance, you can’t edit PDF text or convert it to another file format without using advanced PDF tools. 

However, Slim PDF Reader offers some basic, yet useful content extraction functionalities with the Copy and Snapshot tools. 

If you need to extract a specific portion of text from your PDF and import it into MS Word for editing, you can select the text using the Selection tool, click on the Copy button, and finally paste the text in MS Word. 

Likewise, if you want to create an image of a specific graphic or other content, use the Selection and Snapshot tools to get the job done.  

Advanced Review Tools 

Besides the basic functionalities like printing, filling out forms, and editing document information, Slim PDF Reader offers some advanced tools not found in regular PDF viewing programs. 

In order to markup and review your PDF content, you can use one of 10 distinct annotation options:

  1. Sticky Notes
  2. Underline
  3. Highlighter
  4. Stamp
  5. Caret
  6. Squiggly Line
  7. Strikethrough
  8. Attachment
  9. Link
  10. Watermark

 

Adding annotations to PDF is quick and easy. You simply select one of the annotation tools from the right side panel and place it where you want it on the page.  From there, you can customize the appearance of the markup and leave comments that are visible in the sidebar. 

That isn’t where the advanced features end, though. Slim PDF Reader is also equipped with digital signature verification capabilities. If you receive a PDF that has a digital signature attached to it, you can validate the signature and display its ownership info in the Digital Signatures tab.

The Verdict

Slim PDF Reader is a fast and resource-saving tool that opens and displays PDF documents in no time. The free PDF reader offers diverse viewing options and impressive productivity tools packed inside a modern UI. 

The new UI, cross-platform support, powerful toolbox, and small size make Slim PDF Reader a natural alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader and other well-known PDF readers. 

You can get it completely free from the developers website here. 

Convert PDF to Excel Online without an Email. #PDF #Excel #Documents

What can you do when you receive a neatly formatted PDF table that you need to edit or reuse in Microsoft Excel? You can always retype it manually in Excel, of course, but that’s so time consuming. Especially if we are talking about a complex data table with multiple rows and columns. 

The right way to tackle this problem is to use a PDF to Excel converter: an application that will help you to export your PDF tables to spreadsheets. If you want to perform your conversions without much hassle and without installing anything on your computer, your go-to solution would be an online PDF to Excel conversion service. 

 

Online PDF converters, even free ones, are easily found on the Internet, but the trouble is that most require that you create an account with your email address and, in some cases, provide other personal and identifiable information. If you’d like to keep your email address to yourself, head to PDFtoExcel.com and get your PDF table converted to formatted Excel spreadsheets without registration and hassle. 

 

The whole process takes virtually a few clicks:

 

 

  • Upload your PDF file for conversion to Excel. You can choose one of three available ways to upload your file.

 

          

  1. Click the grey “Upload” button on the homepage and browse for the PDF stored on your hard drive. 
  2. Simply drag and drop the selected files into the conversion interface.
  3. Import files from your Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive. 

 

2) The moment your files are uploaded to the website, the conversion starts automatically. 

 

The conversion process is generally fast – your file can be converted in a matter of seconds. However, note that the conversion speed depends on the size and complexity of the file being converted and on how busy the servers are at the moment. 

 

As soon as your file has been converted, you will notice the red Free Download button. Click on that button and save your Excel spreadsheet on your computer. Open the spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel and start editing it immediately.

Voila! You have converted PDF to Excel online for free, without any prompt to sign up with your email or leave any other personal information. One more important thing is that all files uploaded to the PDFtoExcel’s website are accessed only by software agents and will be removed from the servers without trace in up to 6 hours. 

 

In addition to being free, anonymous and secure, PDFtoExcel.com offers further benefits to their users:

 

  1. Unlimited conversions: Convert any number of PDF files to Excel for free anonymously.
  2. OCR: Extract content and data from scanned PDFs to Excel as well. 
  3. No size limits: the app will convert the entire document, regardless of its size or complexity. 

 

Not bad for an online freebie, right? Go ahead and give it a try!

 

Irish Med-Tech Launches COVID-19 Triage Solution to Free Up GP Time and Protect Patients. #Flow #FullHealthMedical

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing challenges faced by GPs across the country, Irish med-tech, Full Health Medical, has developed a new clinically-driven patient empowerment solution, “Flow”, to create  a safer and more efficient manner for GPs to treat patients and to free up procedural and administration time by up to 75%

Full Health Medical is a software platform designed and driven by doctors to streamline patient care, freeing up doctor’s time and resources and facilitating preventative medicine. Over the past three weeks, the company’s technology has been repurposed to help specifically with the COVID-19 pandemic. Flow now has a triage element that enables doctors and other healthcare professionals to complete COVID-19 screening before they proceed in assessing patients coming to them with other conditions.

Flow – How it works in brief:

  • Flow is set up on the GPs IT system
  • Prior to consultation, the GP will send a password & login to the patient, with a link which will direct them to the relevant section of the platform
  • For example, the COVID-19 section will assist the GP in asking the patient a series of questions
  • Based on the answers, the GP can make a determination on whether or not a face to face consultation is safe or if it should take place by video, or over the phone
  • Following the consultation, a personalised report is automatically generated by the software and communicates the GP’s assessment to the patient, along with next steps and other health guidance

Dr Ann Shortt, Emergency Medicine consultant, GP and Co-founder of Full Health Medical, who is currently working with COVID-19 patients in Mayo General Hospital, spoke of their innovation,

“We’ve accelerated our own telehealth capabilities since the pandemic started and now more than ever Full Health Medical’s comprehensive patient-centric tool kit can bring real and quantifiable benefits to both patients and doctors in primary care.

While GPs around the country have increased their use of video calls in order to service their patients, the volume of work involved and the challenges brought about by social distancing to every day practice has highlighted an obvious need for a more extensive patient communications tool that goes beyond just video calls.

We have already had expressions of interest from over 100 GPs and while the new product is free to GPs for April, the ongoing cost is being kept at just €22 per month per physician for the duration of the pandemic”.

Flow uses smart data analytics to enable GPs to deliver streamlined medical services to patients. The consultation system enables instant generation of personalised, evidence-based medical reports which explain, in easily understandable language, which tests were performed and what actions the patient needs to undertake with minimal clerical input from the GP at the point of care. In a nutshell, Flow process satisfies the modern medical patient’s need for information whilst drastically reducing medical professional resource time, activities and costs.

Dr Anne Marie McGinley of the Weir Family Practice in Bandon Cork, will be using the system for most GP consultations for the remainder of the pandemic and sees a long-term role for the software also,

“The COVID-19 component of the product allows patients to list their symptoms and risk factors prior to a virtual consultation via the platform with their GP.  A personalised report is automatically generated by the software and communicates the GP’s assessment to the patient along with next steps.  Using Full Health Medical’s platform, GPs can screen patients digitally before conducting face-to-face assessments, both saving them time and reducing the spread of COVID-19.”

Dr Brian Higgins, a Galway-based GP, says that while the whole world is rightly focused on COVID-19, GPs still have patients with serious health conditions to manage,

“In our practice, we have been using Full Health Medical’s existing technology successfully for the past three years and see its obvious potential for expansion to manage a broader patient population”.

 

Dr Shortt went on to say,

“The Irish health system is overburdened and under resourced. Accessing healthcare is difficult and understanding it is even more of a challenge, but some of these challenges can be solved with efficient smart technology.

We believe that many of healthcare’s issues are rooted in communication, not medicine. Too often, patients leave the surgery with incomplete or poorly understood knowledge. With our system, each patient is given a unique login and password to the GP portal we provide for each practice when the report is ready, they are automatically mailed a link to access

This new software mitigates against the COVID-19 risk. It will also make it much easier for people to understand the medical data presented which increases the likelihood of behavioural change to ultimately, help avoid chronic diseases in the long run.”

First look at the Jabra Elite Active 75t #Jabra #EliteActive75t #TrueWireless

Over the last few months we have been using the Jabra Elite 75t which for me have been the best true wireless that i have tested from countless pairs of true wireless that has passed through our review table, Jabra have a new player in town called the Elite Active 75t which I look forward to checking out over the coming weeks and will have plenty of time to sit back and enjoy music during this current crisis.

The Elite active look much the same as the originals but come in a matt finish case in the navy colour we have here so over the next while we will be checking these out and if you have questions feel free to ask away here or on our social channels in the interim. These come with the usual features you would expect from Jabra with an IP57 rating 7.5 hours use and up to 28 hours with the case, USB -C charging and fast charge, Bluetooth 5.0 HearThrough and 4 mics, Not only that you have their fantastic Sound Plus app to tune these to your needs which is one of the best Apps out there.

BUY HERE