Category: Tech News

Dublin Smartphone Film Festival is back with a BANG with more Mobile Movie Magic

Now in its 6th year, The Dublin Smartphone Film Festival returns to the Capital for another weekend of mobile movie brilliance. Taking place on June 3rd -DubSmartFF has the usual exciting mix of shorts, features and workshops, but this time at the beautiful MART GALLERY & RATHMINES Ominplex in Dublin 6

This year’s festival is bigger than ever with filmmaking workshops, a range of short films from 15 countries around the globe, and an Irish premiere of the heartbreaking documentary Everybody’s Oma from award-winning with director Jason Vangenderen 

The festival organizers have meticulously curated an exceptional program, emphasizing powerful original concepts and innovative utilization of technology. In an exciting development, this year’s festival has partnered with esteemed brands such as Zacuto, Dreamgrip, and Zhyiun as well as Ireland’s premier tech site, Goosed.ie. These collaborations will offer fantastic prizes and gifts to fortunate audience members coming to the event

Festival Director Robert Fitzhugh commented: “We just could not believe the success of the festival in the past five years. We sell out each year before the doors even open. The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have brought about an incredible period of creativity with people forced to use the tools they have at their disposal to tell stories. There has never been a more interesting time to explore Smartphone filmmaking. This is what the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival is here to do; to encourage the next generation of filmmakers to create their stories using their phones and to provide them with the widest possible platform to present these stories to a wider audience”

The Dublin Smartphone Film Festival will take place on the 3RD of June 2023 at the Irish Film Institute and online from May 1st to May 7th 

Tickets

Filmmaking Workshop:  https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/630634182817

Gimbal Workshop: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/630779948807

Shorts Programme: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/630634182817

Feature: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/631404145797

 

Edifier Announces W820NB Plus Headphones

Edifier, the forward-thinking audio-technology brand, have announced the release of the W820NB Plus which continues the brand’s outstanding record for affordable but premium quality audio products incorporating the latest technologies.  The W820NB Plus is an update to the top selling W820NB headphones. This latest version features support for LDAC coding, certification of Hi-Res Audio Wireless, 40mm dynamic driver with Titanium coated composite diaphragm for crystal clear listening and up to 49 hours of playtime.

The W820NB Plus is certified by Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Wireless Audio, providing a high-frequency bandwidth of up to 40kHz. Whether you prefer wired or wireless connectivity, you can enjoy music with enhanced details, a wider sound field, and richer emotions.

These latest headphones utilize LDAC high-definition codecs technology that allows for a transmission bandwidth of up to 990kbps, similar to a highway in wireless protocol. This ensures that high-bit-rate audio files are transmitted with great protection, retaining about three times the amount of music detail and delivering nearly lossless, natural and full sound.

The W820NB Plus headphones feature Hybrid ANC technology that can effectively cancel up to 43dB of background noise, resulting in an immersive music listening experience. Moreover, these headphones use advanced deep neural network call noise reduction technology, ensuring clear voice calls by accurately capturing the human voice and filtering out unwanted sounds. Business or personal calls can be made and taken with the confidence that call quality is guaranteed.

Equipped with 40mm dynamic driver with Titanium coated composite diaphragm, the W820NB Plus offers an exceptional transient response that enhances the clarity of high-frequency sounds. This results in rich, dynamic bass and clear, well-defined mids and highs, which create an immersive music experience background noise. 

With a high capacity battery and an energy saving Bluetooth chip, the W820NB Plus provides up to 49 hours of non-stop playtime, making it ideal for travel. Even if the battery runs low, charging for just 10 minutes gives up to 7 hours of music playback ensuring that you can listen to your favourite playlist anytime, anywhere without missing a beat! 

Turn on the ambient sound mode and enjoy your music whilst being aware of your surroundings without worrying about missing that important train, plane, bus announcement and more. With an ultra-low game mode of just 0.08 seconds, you will experience perfectly synchronized sound.  Every sound and position is accurately heard, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in your game and play your role effortlessly. 

The W820NB Plus is also compatible with The Edifier Connect App which offers a wide range of musical options and allows you to tailor your listening experience. You can customize settings such as power display, EQ selection, shutdown timer, prompt volume and soothing sounds to your own preference.

Available in Grey, Green, Blue, Ivory or traditional Black, there is a colour for everyone! The super soft headband and ear cushions are comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The retractable headphone arm will give you a secure fit with less pressure and help prevent sound leakage.

Main Features:

  • Immersive sound with both Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified
  • Active Noise Cancellation with ambient mode
  • DNN noise cancellation technology for crystal clear call quality
  • Up to 49 hours of continuous playback with ANC off
  • 0.08s of low latency for the seamless gaming experience
  • Super soft and comfortable ear cushion for all day entertainment
  • Can be use as wired headphones via a USB cable connection

 

Price & Availability:

The W820NB Plus is available at £79.99 from: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09YV6FRVT

 

 

 

 

BearingPoint renews Leinster Rugby sponsorship as Official Innovation Partner

Management and technology consultancy BearingPoint, has today announced the renewal and extension of its sponsorship with Leinster Rugby as part of a new five-year contract. BearingPoint will continue to partner with the club as their Official Innovation Partner with the aim of helping Leinster realise the potential of its people, technology and ideas.

As part of its new five year contract, BearingPoint will now expand its sponsorship to support the women’s game, with BearingPoint becoming the title sponsor for the Under-17 regional Sarah Robinson Cup.

In addition, BearingPoint will become the new title sponsor for the regional Under-16 Shane Horgan Cup and will sponsor the Women’s Young Player of the Year Award at the end of season awards. Current Leinster Rugby players Tadhg Furlong, Ciarán Frawley, Dannah O’Brien and Ella Roberts are examples of the talent that has come through these underage competitions.

As Innovation Partner, BearingPoint will continue to support the achievement of Leinster Rugby’s goals by providing digital transformation, technology implementation and consulting services.Commenting at the announcement, Gillian O’Sullivan, Country Leader for BearingPoint in Ireland, said: “Leinster Rugby is a well-established high-performance organisation. BearingPoint’s Innovation Partnership over the past five years has contributed positively to creating a successful environment within Leinster Rugby. We are delighted to be continuing our sponsorship with Leinster Rugby and look forward to further collaborative innovation. We are particularly excited to be expanding our sponsorship into the female game through our sponsorship of the Sarah Robinson Cup.”

Over the last five years as Innovation Partner, BearingPoint has implemented a number of innovation projects, from fan engagement, virtual reality experiences and facilitating innovation bootcamps with staff from Leinster Rugby’s Centre of Excellence and Academy.

Shane Nolan, Leinster Rugby CEO, commented: “We are delighted in Leinster Rugby to be renewing our partnership with BearingPoint. Since 2018, they have been a key part of the wider Leinster family and we have thoroughly enjoyed working with Gillian O’Sullivan and Eric Conway who made those early days and indeed the days since then, very easy on our part and very quickly a spirit of partnership and cooperation was formed.

“As a club, we are continually looking to innovate and BearingPoint has been a crucial partner in driving innovation at Leinster Rugby. As recently as last year we explored the possibilities of the metaverse with BearingPoint. This was Leinster Rugby’s first foray into this area and one we plan to explore further with BearingPoint. The announcement today allows us to do that and we are hugely excited to now be further cementing the relationship so that we may continue to explore what can be done between both our organisations over the coming years.”

Nolan added: “Leinster Rugby is keen to be market leaders and innovators in everything we do and partners like BearingPoint are vital in helping us achieve that.”

Creative launches Live! Cam Sync 4K

Creative Technology today announces the release of Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K, the latest webcam that comes equipped with nifty features to meet any video conferencing or streaming needs. With a high-performance Sony 4K UHD 8MP image sensor*, a backlight adjustment feature, and a 95° wide-angle lens, this webcam captures more within the frame and delivers crystal-clear videos even in low-light conditions at a smooth frame rate of up to 40 FPS. Perfect for pros, streamers, and anyone who wants to take their video quality to the next level.

Say goodbye to blurry video quality and hello to 4K perfection with Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K. The Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K is not just about video quality, though. It also has dual built-in microphones that can capture the user’s voice with clarity and accuracy. So, whether for presentations, live-streaming, or just chatting with friends and family, this webcam makes sure that users appear and sound great in any setting. Plus, it has an integrated lens cover for extra privacy and a universal mounting clip that allows greater flexibility for users to find the best angle.

Setting up the Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K is also super easy. It’s UVC-compliant, which means users can jump into virtual meetings and start streaming right away without any additional drivers. It is also compatible with most video conferencing platforms and popular streaming apps. And if that is not enough, it even comes with a SmartComms Kit via the Creative App. This kit includes features such as VoiceDetect and NoiseClean-Out to ensure clearer communication whenever and wherever.

Be it for work or personal use, the Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K is the perfect tool to achieve greater video quality with clear audio to match. Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K is priced at £74.99 and is available at Creative.com. For more information, visit www.creative.com/LiveCam4K

Sennheiser announces SoundProtex hearing protection earplugs

The new Sennheiser SoundProtex hearing protection earplugs enable wearers to hear the best possible sound at concerts and loud environments without having to worry about damaging their hearing. Many people will be familiar with that ringing sound in the ears after a concert, and that’s not a healthy thing. Music fans are often turned off from using earplugs as they can make it feel like the band or DJ is playing under water, which can ruin the concert experience. Utilising the brand’s extensive knowledge of sound, the Sennheiser SoundProtex enhances the live music experience in a safe way.

Perfect for enjoying concerts and festivals

The advanced high-fidelity ear plugs have patented membrane filter technology. This gives users the opportunity to enjoy perfectly balanced and full frequency sound without damaging their hearing. It preserves all the sonic details that make music brilliant and beautiful. By reducing the sound pressure that reaches your ear, the filter lowers potentially harmful volume levels so that users can listen safely for longer. The decibel level at many rock concerts, for example, is above 100 dB, and exposure to such decibel levels for more than 15 minutes already puts the listener at risk of hearing damage.

Balanced sound to preserve ambient awareness

The two-stage filters in SoundProtex are uniquely capable of passing on only clear, balanced sound to a user’s ears. The combination of a tuned membrane and a sound dampening mesh reduces high and low frequencies in equal measure. To understand speech, people rely heavily on higher frequency details. But standard earplugs can mask those details. The perfectly balanced SoundProtex filters keep enough of the higher frequencies to preserve ambient awareness —so users can still have a normal conversation at a concert.

Long lifetime

Unlike single-use earplugs, SoundProtex can be used as often as users like. Just wipe them off after use or rinse them under water. Three sizes of ear tips are included in the standard package which also comes with a small pouch bag. This way, everyone can enjoy a comfortable, secure fit for hours on end. The soft, flexible, medical-grade TPE material is free of plasticisers and other substances that could irritate the sensitive skin in ears.

Multiple use cases

SoundProtex is also great to enjoy some peace and quiet on the road or in a noisy office when users need to concentrate. And whenever the goal is to eliminate as much sound as possible, pop in the included full block filter. It’s perfect any time a user wants complete quiet to relax or sleep and as it is air-and water-tight, it even protects ears from water when swimming.

SoundProtex Plus

The Sennheiser SoundProtex Plus comes with everything included in SoundProtex as well as two additional acoustic filters allowing people to choose between three different levels of sound attenuation to cover any situation from noisy offices to loud concerts.

Choose the strongest filter with an estimated single number rating (SNR) of 20 dB for loud music, motorsports, or power tool use. Medium is perfect for festivals, events, or travelling, with an estimated SNR of 17 dB. The low filter is suitable for quieter or non-amplified concerts, noisy offices, or visiting bars and restaurants and has an estimated SNR of 10 dB. Or, when you want nothing but silence, pop in the total block filter. SoundProtex Plus has the right filters for practically any situation.

Pricing and availability

The Sennheiser SoundProtex and SoundProtex Plus will be available for pre-order on May 16, 2023, and will go on sale on May 30, with an MSRP of 34.99 and 69.99 GBP respectively.

www.sennheiser-hearing.com

Students scoop national prizes at The Big Idea creative thinking awards

Powerful problem solvers and creative critical thinkers – students from across Ireland have learned one of the most in-demand skills in the world, as teams from Carlow, Offaly and Kilkenny have won the top prizes in Ireland’s national creative thinking programme The Big Idea.

Team Community Cara from Borris Vocational School won the overall award having journeyed through the 14-week problem-solving programme, exploring the issue of hidden poverty and developing a solution with potential for real social impact. They developed an idea for an app to support people living in poverty in Ireland to help connect them with local support.

The standard of projects submitted this year in the Youthreach and Community Training Centre (CTC) pilot programme was outstanding and in recognition of the innovation shown across this programme two additional Big Idea national prizes were awarded.

The Youthreach & CTC Climate Change winner was Team YR – Kilkenny Youthreach, who designed an app that would use augmented reality to educate primary school students about the impacts of climate change in their local environment.

The Youthreach & CTC Mental Health Award was won by Team HopOut from Tullamore Community Training Centre in Offaly, who proposed a community hub promoted by a drink’s coaster with a QR code to help support younger men with their mental health.

The Big Idea is delivered through the Leaving Cert Applied (LCA) and Transition Year (TY) programmes, as well as an expanded pilot Youthreach and Community Training Centre (CTC) programme. It was delivered across 22 counties this year, with a successful pilot programme trialled in Northern Ireland.

Students were tasked with working through the four Ds of the creative process – discover, define, develop and deliver – focusing on solutions for issues they identified as major stressors in their lives. These were mental health, climate change, hidden poverty, displaced people, and diversity and inclusion, all aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With the help of hundreds of Big Idea mentors from a range of sectors, they develop a digital experience, product, service, space or place, or a tech solution to tackle that issue.

Winning ideas

The Climate Change Award went to the Eco Activists from Scoil Bernadette in Cork, who delivered the idea of a wildflower garden at the school, which is a safe space for students and their hero Brian The Bee. 

Sarah’s Strength won the Mental Health Award for St Patrick’s College Dungannon in Tyrone for the website ‘It Takes Strength’, which would support university students’ mental health and wellbeing by offering relevant information and peer-to-peer advice on topics such as financial worries or time management issues. 

Team Immoderate at Mercy Secondary School in Ballymahon in Longford won the Hidden Poverty Award for their development of an idea for an app ‘Incognation’, to build an online community and provide information, resources and support for people experiencing hidden poverty. 

Borris Vocational School in Carlow had a second winner as Team Cabhrú wanted to develop a comprehensive multi-lingual website for the Displaced People category to support refugees to Ireland and offer information on education, housing and employment, as well as a guide to help them settle in.         

Meanwhile, Team The Bois at Meánscoil San Nioclás in Waterford won the Diversity and Inclusion Award for an inclusive mental health journal called ‘Mind Bloggling’,  which supports the emotional wellbeing of young people from all backgrounds. 

Teachers and tutors were also celebrated, as teacher Patricia Dunphy of Mercy Secondary School in Waterford was crowned TY/LCA/NI Creativity Champion, with tutor at Tullamore Community Training Centre Lynsey McCabe winning the Youthreach and CTC Creativity Champion award.  

Elevating the national skill base

Founder and CEO of The Big Idea, Kim Mackenzie-Doyle says the winners were selected by judges based on the recognition and celebration of their journey through the creative Big Idea process, in addition to their innovative and inspiring ideas which have potential for real social impact.

“A massive congratulations to all of the students across the 22 counties who have journeyed through the 2023 programme. They have learned transformative creative skills and thanks to the help of our industry mentors, they can continue to think big and use creative thinking to solve problems and develop solutions – whether in life, college or work.”

The award-winning product designer who founded Ireland’s creative thinking programme, The Big Idea in 2021 says it is more than just an educational programme, “it’s a movement to elevate the national skill base and democratise the world’s most in-demand skill – creative thinking.”

Kim says the programme is brought to life by the Creativity Champions, teachers, staff, facilitators and coordinators who bring the Big Idea to life across classrooms and workshops across Ireland.

“They create a safe space for students and learners to experience creativity in action. They empower young people to find their voice and share their Big Ideas.”

EPAM Ireland is a partner of The B!G Idea and provided 13 mentors to work alongside the students, helping to bridge the gap between industry and education by providing practical advice on how to develop their innovative ideas and projects. Commenting on the programme, Martin Byrne, VP and Country Manager at EPAM Ireland, said: “Partnering with The B!G Idea was a no-brainer for us. Equipping the next generation of students with high-level problem-solving skills to tackle complex global issues like climate change and hidden poverty is exactly what Ireland and the technology industry needs right now. Highlighted by the fact that climate change was the #1 topic that these students wanted to address, sustainability is a huge issue in modern society and one that we are passionate about in EPAM. Our mentors and I are very excited to see how some of these Ideas progress, and we look forward to continuing the relationships we have built after the Showcase.”

Since the programme launched in 2021, it has already reached 6,500 learners, supported by over 750 industry mentors globally to help unlock valuable industry knowledge to help build the confidence and problem-solving skills of young people.

The winners, along with a selection of Big Ideas from the programme will go on to take part in a Big Idea accelerator in September. The Big Exhibition which includes every project submitted this year is now live at thebigidea.ie, where schools and mentors can also sign up for the next term.

Esri maps out routes as migratory birds return to Ireland

Esri Ireland, the market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), has created a digital map highlighting the flight paths of a number of migratory birds which have returned to Ireland’s shores after having flown south for the winter. The maps are to mark World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD), which falls on May 13th, an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. Esri has also launched a survey asking for public participation to help it provide the most accurate information possible about the locations of the returning birds.

Around 450 different bird species have been recorded on the island, and although a lot of them are migratory and rare, now is the best chance to catch a glimpse of them as they return north to build nests and prepare for the breeding season.

This will be welcome news for any birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts out there, with birds such as the arctic tern, the manx shearwater, the swift, the sand martin, the cuckoo, the swallow, and the wheateater amongst the feathered friends calling Ireland home until the autumn.

The Arctic tern has travelled the furthest to pay us a visit, with its migration clocking in at a whopping 19,000KM, while you’ll have to be quick to see the swift. The bird lives up to its name and is one of the fastest birds in Ireland, reaching speeds of 112KM/H!

To help in the conservation efforts and allow for the most accurate mapping of these creatures as possible, people in Ireland can  share a photo and the location of the birds spotted using Esri Ireland’s survey. Everyone is encouraged to grab a pair of binoculars, get outdoors, and see what they can see!

TCS names Laura Farry as goIT Global Innovator of the Year

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced that Laura Farry, a third year student at secondary school, St Columba’s College Stranorlar in Donegal, has been named the 2022 goIT Global Innovator of the Year. The global competition had over 40,000 entrants and Laura, aged 15, was named the overall winner for the year.

This year, TCS set out to identify some of the top young talent the world has to offer through its flagship digital innovation and career readiness program, goIT (Go Innovate Together). goIT prepares students with the skills, confidence, and mindsets to pursue STEM careers.

During the program, students work to design tech-for-good solutions to address global problems aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With a global footprint of 42 countries and more than 135,000 student participants, goIT is uniquely positioned to find, inspire, and activate the world’s top, young innovators ready to design solutions to all 17 of the United Nations SDGs.

John DiChiara, Global Head of TCS’ goIT program, said, “TCS’ objective with goIT is to demystify computer science and motivate students to pursue STEM education and become tomorrow’s technology leaders. As a first-year participant in goIT, with no explicit experience in design or computer science, Laura has captured the true essence of the program, designing a tech-based solution that directly impacts a need in her local community. Like Laura, students around the world are discovering their passion to learn about technology and apply their learnings to improve their community. We could not be prouder of what Laura has accomplished and we look forward to continuing to work with her to bring her concept to life.”

Laura Farry’s prize-winning concept titled ‘Educate Ukraine’, is based on the development of an app that would provide services for Ukrainian refugees in the community in which they are now living, featuring translation guides, the history of their new community, tourist attractions, shopping and food options, information on school systems, and available support groups.

Commenting on the decision to award Laura as the goIT Global Innovator of the Year, Chris Lynch, senior leadership executive at TCS said “We are so proud that Laura from Donegal was successful out of thousands of app innovation entries and named Global Innovator of the year; her compassion for her target audience and her confidence was truly remarkable, a worthy winner of the competition.”

Since being named Global Innovator of the Year, Laura has visited the TCS Global Delivery Centre in Letterkenny to receive her prize of €500 cash. As part of her prize €500 was also donated to the Donegal Intercultural Platform on Laura’s behalf. She will be the face of the TCS goIT programme for 2023 and will be invited as a guest to TCS events throughout the year. Empathy and an eagerness to learn and support those in need are characteristics TCS holds close as a company and Laura has truly embodied this in her winning concept.

Last year, a group of transition year students from Rosses Community School, Dungloe in Co. Donegal became the first Irish school to be selected as a monthly winner of the goIT Monthly Challenge.

TECHGIANT Workplace To Build ‘Foundations Of Change’ In Manchester

Some of the country’s leading technology wizards are converging on Manchester early next month to shape a new era of innovation – inspired by father and son entrepreneurs.

Ian Taylor spearheads disruptive ITC consultancy, TECHGIANT Workplace, with his 20-year-old son Oliver. The company was recently named one of the UK’s top 100 SME businesses and is hosting a digital transformation insight event at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium on June 8th.

It will see guest speakers from top tech companies come together to inspire and educate as part of a ‘Foundations of Change’ theme – spanning cloud-based communications, cybersecurity, devices, infrastructure and AI.

“Manchester’s industrial heritage and rich reputation for innovation makes this the perfect place to inspire new ways of working and the next generation of technology leaders.” Ian explained.

“This is a conference all about UK digital transformation, and aims to provide great insight into the ways in which companies can adopt technology to bring them into the 21st century, allowing them to compete on both a domestic and international stage.

“My son is just 20 (fellow Director and Shareholder), and brings in the understanding and knowledge of just what the next generation (Gen Z) expect from the work environment, therefore helping direct the pillars of change across business enterprises.

“We want to reshape and inspire the next generation of tech innovators based on best practice, research, analysis and insight from many industry experts.”

Ian, who hails from Shevington in Wigan, concluded: “The tech giants are coming to Manchester and I’m coming back home. I’ve missed the pies too!”

To register interest in the event click here: ‘Foundations of Change’  or visit www.techgiantworkplace.com/upcomingevents 

Aspirations

TECHGIANT Workplace has developed a three-year business plan based on annual revenues of over £5m with further exponential growth planned to reach £20-£30m in just five years.

Launched in Autumn 2022, TECHGIANT wants to ensure organisations can fully embrace and exploit digital transformation and reshape their communication and collaboration strategies, helping companies to invest in the core technology areas which support sustainable positive operational change.

“It’s about creating certainty, finding the right technology fit and developing partnerships which last,” Oliver explained.

“I actually see my young age as a real benefit because I truly do understand the aspirations and demands of this emerging generation in relation to business asks, and in the years to come I hope my company, with its vast market knowledge and global partner relationships, will be of great assistance to both employees and employers alike.

“We want to be the first of a new generation of service providers, a true giant of tech. We are changing the rules, bringing the marketplace to customers and guaranteeing IT buyer certainty for the future. Culture and business productivity is underpinned by technology and so it’s about getting involved in the operational challenges themselves, and looking to apply the right change agents to help companies go faster, compete harder and retain more talent for years to come.

“With huge curiosity around areas such as Artificial Intelligence and return to the office mandates – technology and customer demands continue to evolve, which elevates to a level of critical importance the role of the trusted advisor.”