Category: Tech News

Audioscenic Kicks Off 2023 With Series a Round Investment and Industry Recognition at CES

Audioscenic, developers of innovative 3D audio beamforming technology, has completed its Series A investment round led by Foresight Ventures and including Hostplus, IP Group, and FWT. The announcement, on the back of the launch of the first consumer product featuring the brand’s technology at CES, the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro soundbar, signals a promising year ahead for the company as it continues to explore consumer applications for its forward-thinking approach to spatial audio. 

 

Left, David Monteith. Right, Marcos Simon

 

“We would like to welcome our new investors to Audioscenic and would also like to say a huge thank you to our existing investors for their past and continued support,” said Audioscenic’s CEO David Monteith. “The completion of our A round positions us perfectly to drive the adoption of Audioscenic’s technology into multiple markets in parallel. The value of the company has already grown by more than ten times since it started operations in 2019, and we are very excited to be in a position to share the implications of this technology with the world in the form of accessible, consumer-focused products that will redefine how we experience spatial audio.”

“The team at Audioscenic has made tremendous progress in the last twelve months, culminating in the successful launch of the Razer product at CES 2023,” said Managing Director of Foresight Ventures Richard Lewis. “We are delighted to support Audioscenic in the current Series A round and we look forward to working with David and the team in the coming years.”

The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro is the first product on the market to implement Audioscenic’s unique 3D audio beamforming technology and captured 12 ‘Best of CES’ awards from publications such as The Verge, Engadget, TechRadar, and PC Gamer among others. The soundbar is but the first in a series of planned implementations of the technology that will add a new dimension of audio experience, to otherwise commonly available audio sources, including laptops and car audio systems. 

“Previous attempts to bring spatial audio to everyday consumers have often come with a high price tag and large amounts of supporting equipment that aren’t practical,” said Dr Marcos Simon, Audioscenic’s CTO and Co-Founder. “Our 3D audio beamforming technology can be implemented in form factors that are familiar to consumers – soundbars, laptops, built-in speakers, etc – while still giving an elevated level of experience that was not previously achievable. The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro is a crucial first step for Audioscenic, and we’re eager to take more of them in the coming years as we explore different product applications for our technology.”

For more information about Audioscenic, please click here. 

HP Engineers Extreme Performance with Z By HP

HP Inc. announced its new Z by HP high-performance workstation desktop lineup, engineered to change what is possible within complex, data rich workflows. HP is advancing hybrid workforce management with the HP Anyware Remote System Controller, a device that gives IT departments the management capabilities to support high performance devices from anywhere.

The complex workflows in industries spanning media and entertainment, data science, and engineering mean increased time pressure and the need for more compute power to deliver faster results. They also highlight a need to iterate with remote teams and push creative boundaries to deliver more accurate results. The new Z by HP Z4, Z6, Z8, and Z8 Fury desktops, powered by Intel®, deliver the scalable balance of CPU and GPU compute needed to fuel new levels of speed, accuracy, and creativity.

“Z by HP is dedicated to delivering the best possible computing experience to fuel new levels of speed, accuracy, and creativity,” said Jim Nottingham, Vice President and General Manager, Z by HP. “HP’s design engineering, together with the power of Intel and NVIDIA, provide the performance, scalability, and security our customers require to meet their evolving needs.”

“Intel® and Z by HP represent the future of high-performance workstation computing,” said Roger Chandler, Vice President and General Manager, Intel. “With Intel® Xeon® W, users can expect breakthrough performance, advanced security features, and the scalability they need to tackle the most demanding workloads.”

Extreme Workstation Performance

Z by HP innovations start with the customer to deliver the performance benefits needed whether it’s importing and working with large models and assemblies, running complex simulations, or training complex deep learning and machine learning models faster. The latest Z workstation desktops include up to 56 CPU cores and four high-end GPUs in the Z8 Fury G5. The Z4, Z6, Z8, and our all-new Z8 Fury, provide a variety of configurations to meet every workflow challenge for each of these segments. From our best-selling workhorse, the Z4, to the extreme performance of the Z8 Fury, Z by HP has the right workstation for every workflow.

The Z8 Fury G5 delivers powerful performance while staying cool and quiet under high-performance workflows with up to 56 cores in a single CPU[ii] and unleashing the power of four high-end double-wide GPUs with 2TB of DDR5 memory due to transformative single socket technology. Now you can breeze through even the most complex deep learning, virtual production, and VFX.

The HP Z4 G5 tackles advanced workflows from machine learning to advanced video editing with an evolutionary advancement of up to a 24-core CPU, two high-end GPUs, up to 512GB of RAM. The Z4 G5 accelerates a wide range of professional apps to advance intensive workflows and provides plenty of room to expand as workflows evolves.

The HP Z6 G5 accelerates graphics-intensive workflows with multiple GPUs based on the increased PCIe expandability of the latest Intel® Xeon® W-3400 processor architecture. With up to 36 processing cores, three high-end graphics cards, and 1TB of DDR5 memory, the Z6 G5 delivers significant performance for users demanding a machine that scales with their increased model and dataset complexity.

The HP Z8 G5 is designed for users who demand the most processing compute for CPU-intensive workflows to accelerate rendering with real-time ray tracing, data visualization, and model training while also providing plenty of room to expand as demands change. With a dual-socket workstation, designed to utilize 4th Gen Intel Xeon, it delivers up to 64 system cores in addition to supporting 2x high-end graphics cards with 1TB of DDR5 memory.

The Z8 Fury is designed for power users to experience a new echelon in high-performance. Based on the transformative single socket technology, the Z8 Fury G5 delivers extreme performance with up to 56 cores in a single CPU, while unleashing the power of 4 high-end GPUs

Consolidate Workstation Fleet Management

The HP Anyware Remote System Controller provides IT administrators a single dashboard with the ability to launch a kernel-based virtual machine (KVM) session and perform out-out-of-band management tasks such as pre-boot access, BIOS updates and re-imaging from anywhere.[iii] Through a single interface, IT administrators can now manage a fleet of devices, access secure system information like model numbers and BIOS versions, receive reports, and develop insights, to optimize their infrastructure to resolve issues before they affect users. [iv] HP is designing this hardware and software based on strong security industry standards, completing extensive testing, third-party reviews, and certifications to ensure maximum security.

Pricing and Availability

Product Ireland General Availability Month Starting Price
Z8 Fury G5 From 17 April From 2,800 Euro
Z8 From 20 March From 2,250 Euro
Z4 From 6 March From 1,500 Euro
Z6 From 17 April From 1,900 Euro

Creative Outlier Free Champions Aural Freedom with Bone Conduction Technology

Creative Technology today launched Creative Outlier Free, its latest wireless headphones which integrate bone conduction technology with the characteristics of the well-loved Outlier series, such as long battery life, water resistance and lightweight comfort.

The use of bone conduction technology revolves around transducers on the headphones, which, through vibrations on the user’s cheekbones, transmit sound waves into the inner ears. With their ears freed up from in-ear or over-ear headphones, users feel safer through heightened environmental awareness while enjoying high-quality acoustics – this is especially useful for joggers or cyclists on busy streets, or gym enthusiasts who like to chat with their workout buddies.

Thanks to this benefit of open-ear listening, the Outlier Free is also ideal for leisure activities such as singing on mobile karaoke apps, where users would enjoy being able to hear their own voices, just as they would in a natural environment.

The Outlier Free is equipped with a slew of handy features for wireless headphones – up to 10 hours of battery life per charge (10 minutes of quick-charging provides 2 hours of playtime), IPX5 water resistance, Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint connectivity (up to 2 Bluetooth devices at a time), low-latency mode to minimize audio-visual lag, built-in microphone and Siri / Google Assistant support. It is constructed using lightweight silicone and titanium memory alloy for optimal comfort and fit.

Considering these features against its irresistible price of UK£79.99, the Outlier Free is quite simply a steal.

For more information, visit creative.com/OutlierFree.

Creative Outlier Free Pro: This One’s for the Pros

Creative Technology today launched Creative Outlier Free Pro, its latest wireless bone conduction headphones equipped with all the features desired by pro-level sporting enthusiasts who love a soundtrack. Built to be tough yet comfortable in fit, unstoppable in the heaviest of rains and even underwater, indefatigable battery life and without the need for a device to play music, the Outlier Free Pro is simply at the top of its game.

Thanks to bone conduction technology, where sound waves are transmitted into the inner ears through vibrations from transducers on the user’s cheekbones, the benefits of open-ear listening are realized. With a much-heightened level of environmental awareness, users can enjoy a safer listening experience as compared to in-ear or over-ear headphones – joggers and cyclists can make their way down busy streets with ease; gym buddies can chat effortlessly during workouts. Additionally, for leisure activities such as the use of mobile karaoke apps, users can enjoy the better experience of singing while hearing themselves naturally.

The Outlier Free Pro stands out even more with its 8GB (stores 2,000 MP3 songs) built-in music player (also compatible with FLAC, WAV and APE file formats); it enables users to enjoy their favorite tunes without the need to carry their mobile phones. Thanks to its IPX8 rating (the highest waterproof rating for water immersion), swimmers can even swim underwater in the pool.

Trail runners and hikers who love to go the distance would always have their soundtrack on, as the Outlier Free Pro offers up to 10 hours of battery life per charge (10 minutes of quick-charging provides 2 hours of playtime).

The Outlier Free Pro is also an excellent all-rounder as a daily go-to headphone, offering multipoint connectivity with Bluetooth 5.3, delivering robust connections for up to 2 Bluetooth devices at a time. There is also a low-latency mode to minimize audio-visual lag for movie-watching; users have the added convenience with a built-in microphone for calls, and Siri / Google Assistant support. Lightweight silicone and titanium memory alloy are used to construct the Outlier Free Pro, translating to all-day comfort and fit.

With the price of UK£99.99, the Outlier Free Pro presents great value which is hard to beat for its comprehensive features set.

For more information, visit creative.com/OutlierFreePro.

IDEATE Ireland Searching For Next Cohort Of Irish Entrepreneurs

After the success of last year’s programme, IDEATE Ireland is returning for 2023. The initiative uncovers and empowers Ireland’s next generation of entrepreneurs, helping to turn their brilliant ideas into thriving international businesses.

IDEATE Ireland is now seeking applications for its 2023 competition, where candidates can develop their business ideas through mentoring and workshops, apply for start-up support and pitch for cash funding. Applications open on Wednesday, 15th February and will be accepted until midnight on Tuesday, 21st March. Last year’s winners were Dr. Mark O’Sullivan and Dr. Alison O’Shea of Neurobell, which is developing a pocket-sized brain monitor with automated seizure detection for new-borns, while the first runners-up were Sarusha Pillay and Dr. Fergus McCarthy of pHetalSafe, which seeks to detect and prevent fetal hypoxia and assess fetal well-being during labour.

As great ideas can come from anyone and anywhere, IDEATE Ireland is open to undergraduate, postgraduate or research students from any academic institution or research centre on the island of Ireland. The ten best submissions will be invited to participate in a 10-week mentoring and support programme and compete for a €27k prize fund. 

“Last year’s cohort of IDEATE showed us the extraordinary potential that entrepreneurs in this country have”, said Helen Fullen. “We’re looking forward to finding and working with this year’s participants and to continue inspiring future business leaders through the programme. We believe ideas can change the world; that’s why we’re just as excited and ambitious about our entrepreneurs’ projects as they are. Through IDEATE Ireland, entrepreneurs are provided expert guidance and support in a focused, motivational and hands-on environment, making it an invaluable and rewarding experience.” 

“We’re looking forward to writing the next chapter of Ireland’s leading third-level start-up competition with IDEATE Ireland”, added Chairman of IDEATE Ireland David Moffitt. “The competition’s success over the past 11 years highlights the importance of providing entrepreneurs across Ireland with education, mentorship, and a robust business network. The initiative is going from strength to strength, with exciting new partnerships since last year. Our mission is to capture the imagination of Ireland’s brightest minds, enabling and empowering them to make a lasting contribution to the global economy, employment, and society. We have a deep bench of alumni who are ready and willing to engage with the next generation of Irish entrepreneurs, offering them support and feedback; it’s also great to have the support of PWC and Key Capital as pillar sponsors for this year’s programme. We’re determined to sustain and grow this network to ensure IDEATE Ireland continues to be the best kick-start entrepreneurs can get on the island of Ireland.”

Adding to this, Emma Scott, People Partner at PwC, said: “With IDEATE Ireland, we have a great opportunity to develop talent, as well as engage with PwC graduates and encourage them to participate in the competition. We look forward to seeing even greater innovation in 2023, discovering what ideas entrepreneurs around the country are working on, and providing them with a structured insight into how to progress their business.”

Conor Killeen, Chairman of Key Captial, is looking forward to supporting entrepreneurs throughout the competition: “We aim to develop commercial know-how and allow entrepreneurs to engage with like-minded people so that their business can have a global impact. Entrepreneurs can speed up their learning through exposure to the best in the business.” 

This year’s IDEATE Ireland sponsors are PwC, Key Capital, Guinness Enterprise Centre, Irish Life and Each & Other.

Website: www.ideateireland.ie

Envisage wins Sage Irish Partner of the Year Award

Envisage, Ireland’s largest Sage partner, a division of the Noledge Group, today announces that it has been recognised as ‘Sage Partner of the Year for Ireland’, as revealed at Sage’s 2023 Partner Kickoff event.

Sage – the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses – awarded Envisage the accolade for its success in generating strong revenue and in boosting the industry standard for software implementation.

By implementing Sage accounting and ERP solutions for its customers, Envisage focuses on automating and streamlining processes, reducing time, and making it easier for them to do business. For more than twenty years, the team at Envisage has served customers such as Tour America and Mr. Price, while more recent customer additions include Jump Juice Bars and The Institute of Education.

Ray Ryan, CEO of Envisage, said, “Envisage has had a successful few years, so it’s wonderful to see Sage recognise the effort of our growing team and our dedication to offering the best accounting and ERP solutions and services to our customers. This accolade acknowledges our amazing team, so we are thrilled to receive this prestigious award.

 “From sales and marketing to project execution, development, customer support and accounts, we have a remarkable group of talented individuals. We pride ourselves in delivering quality projects and ongoing services to our customers to make their businesses more profitable.

“Supporting our clients in a friendly and helpful way is at the core of what we do. Our business model depends on establishing sincere, honest connections with our customers and demonstrating that we care. We greatly look forward to the year ahead and the opportunities it may bring.”

Photo – (L-R) Paul Struthers; EVP & Managing Director UK and Ireland, Sage; Steve Boyes, Customer Care Director, Envisage; Amy Hughes, Sales Manager, Envisage; Sinead Galligani, Marketing Director, Envisage; Roger Gribbin, Sales Director, Envisage; and Brian Habanna, Former South African Rugby Player. Envisage received the award at Sage’s 2023 Partner Kickoff event for its success in generating strong revenue and in boosting the industry standard for software implementation.

PSB Announces the M4U 8 MKII in Espresso Brown

PSB Speakers, long renowned for affordable excellence in loudspeaker and headphone design, announces a new Espresso Brown colourway for the M4U 8 MKII wireless ANC headphones at the CanJam premier headphone and audio show in New York City, New York, ahead of the public release. The advanced, wireless active noise cancelling headphones are the company’s leading headphone product and the new finish option will be made available across PSB sales channels in the spring of 2023.

New Colour, Same Great Sound

PSB has a long-held reputation since 2011 of creating award-winning headphones. The M4U 8 MKII implements advanced personalization technology by Audiodo Personal Sound™ along with a comprehensive set of features. The new Espresso Brown colourway continues this legacy while bringing added luxury to the mobile listening experience.

Personalised Sound with Audiodo™

Using breakthrough technology and a non-replicable set of algorithms, Audiodo Personal Sound™ calibrates the headphones to adjust to the unique hearing of every listener, revealing the “True to Nature” sound signature which PSB Speakers is known for. Through a quick and easy hearing assessment, Audiodo Personal Sound™ maps out a precise and thorough understanding of the listeners hearing, calculates what changes need to be made based on personal sound perception and hearing abilities, and creates a unique profile for every user. All customisation options, including Audiodo Personal Sound™ profiles, are accessed through the PSB Headphones app, a full-featured app that regularly keeps the headphones up-to-date with the latest firmware updates and codes.

M4U 8 MKII in Espresso Brown

Feature and Comfort Rich

Enhanced battery life, aptX™ HD Bluetooth, the latest active noise cancelling technologies and more highlight the M4U 8 MKII listening experience, while PSB’s immersive RoomFeel™ technology delivers the clear, natural sound of a live performance and stunning musicality overall. To ensure fatigue-free listening over long periods, the two-way adjustable ear pads are gyro-suspended for optimal ergonomics and supreme comfort. Soft foam ear pads, an adjustable, expandable headband and a lightweight design provide a customised, unrestrained fit so that nothing stands between users and what they want to listen to. Whether for work or play, the M4U 8 MKII headphones bring comfortable and noise-free extended listening to any hi-fi lover on-the-go.

Key Features of the M4U 8 MKII

Bluetooth HD wireless connection with aptX™ HD and Qualcomm® cVc™ technology
Separate Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), Active, and Passive Modes
All-digital ANC with digital MEMS microphones decreases audio conversion error
PSB’s latest RoomFeel™ technology with greater detail and better imaging
Personal Sound by Audiodo™ through the PSB Headphones app
Access additional features, settings, and over-the-air updates using the PSB Headphones app
NFC pairing for supported devices
Over-ear, amplified, closed back design
Physical controls for volume, playback, and mode selection
Unique dual 3.5mm input connections (left or right side)
Tangle-free cords for analogue wired and USB-C connection
1/4” stereo and dual-input flight adapters
Runs on included rechargeable battery power
Up to 25 hrs battery playtime in Active Mode
Gyro-suspended ear pads
Carry case and easy folding for travel and storage

HP Anyware and IMSCAD partner to deliver remote working solution for graphical applications

IMSCAD adds HP Anyware, the enterprise software that provides secured access to digital workspaces, to their portfolio of Remote Work Solutions for Graphics-Intensive Applications.  HP Anyware allows users and teams to be flexible and access their digital workspaces from virtually any device, in any location with a network connection.

IMSCAD is excited to announce a new global collaboration with HP via the HP Anyware* solution, a move that reinforces their place at the forefront of remote work solutions for graphics- intensive applications. The collaboration combines IMSCAD’s world leading expertise for deploying and supporting graphical applications and workflows, to facilitate User and Enterprise Mobility with HP Anyware’s technology, which leverages the PC-over-IP (PColP®) protocol to stream highly interactive desktop displays between almost any host (cloud, data center, edge, workstation) and end-user device (PC, Mac®, laptop or tablet) without any data ever leaving the safety of the customer’s network.

PCoIP transmits AES256-encrypted image pixels to the client device, thus keeping business information safe in the data center. Users can enjoy lossless image quality and near-perfect text clarity from the PCoIP, which almost mirrors the user experience of working at a desktop or workstation under your desk.

IMSCAD CEO Adam Jull states, ‘’We are excited about HP Anyware as it provides customers with a secured, high performance solution running on their existing workstations. One step before VDI and easy to use. Remote working done!’’

About HP Anyware

HP Anyware is the enterprise software that IT needs to keep people and teams productive with secure access to their digital workspaces from any mix of infrastructure (cloud, data center, edge, workstation) and end-user device (PC, Mac, laptop, tablet, thin and zero client), anywhere. Built on the same technology that won both Teradici and HP Engineering Emmys in 2020, HP Anyware future-proofs deployments for ever-evolving infrastructure, network, and hybrid workforce demands. HP Anyware also includes Anyware Manager, a connection management plane for IT Administrators to simplify the management of secure user access to desktops. For more information, visit: www.hp.com/anyware.

IMSCAD are a UK business with a global customer base, working to assist Resellers and their Customers when deploying remote solutions for graphics-intensive applications utilising NVIDIA vGPU, with over 700 successful deployments, IMSDCAD have the experience and knowledge base to ensure better than local workstation performance and ultimate user experience

IMSCAD are the global leader in deploying and supporting remote work solutions for graphics-intensive applications. IMSCAD ‘s team of specialist’s guides customers through an end-to-end solution, including Pre Sales, Scoping, Deployment, Optimisation and Ongoing Support to ensure HP Anyware remote solutions deliver on productivity and business continuity objectives, while also achieving performance at scale.

IMSCAD offer the following:

 

  • ’48 hours demo for free’ – IMSCAD host and support customers that want to test drive the technology. Your data, your users and the Applications you require. 
  • Specialist Resources – leverage our expertise and years of experience for delivering remote solutions for graphics intensive applications  
  • Realise the Benefits – help firms realise the benefits of an HP Anyware, Remote Solution, such as, IP security, flexibility, anywhere access and robust home-working solutions to increase your teams productivity.   
  • User Acceptance – IMSCAD specialises in delivering the performance designers need, understanding their workflows and application usage.  
  • Comprehensive Support – from pre-sales, project scoping and advice on infrastructure through to deployment, optimization, and ongoing support for HP Anyware solutions.

Lack of role models, education and training opportunities are stopping Irish women from working in tech

New research by HelloFresh Ireland has found 42% of Irish women between the ages of 16 and 27 are unlikely to pursue a career in tech, citing too many barriers to entering a career in the industry. The world’s leading meal kit company and integrated food solutions group conducted a survey of 1,000 young people, in partnership with Kantar*, to understand how young people in Ireland perceive a career in the tech industry. HelloFresh recently launched in Ireland, marking the company’s 18th market launch as part of its global growth strategy.

The survey found one in five (19%) of young women felt discouraged from entering the tech sector because their gender put them at a disadvantage. Three in four women (76%) said the tech sector is dominated by men, and only 61% of men think the same way.

The women surveyed said there is a sense of prestige that comes from working in the tech industry thanks to its associated perks and benefits (61%), job prospects (65%) and opportunity to have a positive impact on society (27%). However, HelloFresh found that the majority of women (54%)  don’t think their current skillset is suitable for the industry. In total, one in three (34%) women admitted that they didn’t know how to enter the field.

Role models were identified as an important factor in encouraging more women into the tech sector with 58% of respondents saying they would like to see better representation of women in tech leadership positions. Respondents also mentioned that access to training and scholarships (50%) and support to build skills (37%) would help them enter the sector. HelloFresh is in its second year of running a Women in Tech scholarship programme, which includes mentoring and financial support.

Annie Meininghaus, Senior Vice President of Product at HelloFresh, commented: “I’m not hugely surprised by the findings of this survey, with many women who have pursued tech having already faced these challenges. I enjoy being part of a company that recognises these struggles and actively supports women pursuing careers in technology. I’m looking forward to welcoming our next cohort of Women in Tech scholarship recipients, and further increasing the diversity in the tech sector.”

HelloFresh will re-launch the Women in Tech program this year and double the number of participants, offering more women the chance to step into a tech career from a non-tech background. The company has hired six women from different tech and coding bootcamps, who will work in Frontend and as Data Analyst interns in Berlin. In addition to the paid internship, the women are provided with a scholarship of 10,000 Euros each to support their educational and living costs. Each intern is assigned a woman mentor from HelloFresh’s tech team.

Suzi Filipowska, former Women in Tech scholarship participant and Frontend Engineer at HelloFresh: “Coming from a non tech background, it was daunting to change my career path, however through the Women in Tech scholarship at HelloFresh I was able to do so. Now, I’m continuing my career in tech as a junior engineer at HelloFresh, and I couldn’t be more happy to do so.”

With its Employee Resource Groups, including the Gender Equality Team, HelloFresh fosters a diverse and empowering working environment among their 21.000+ employees from 90+ nationalities. With a third of HelloFresh’s Germany-based technology team identifying as women, HelloFresh is far above the national average of only 17% of women working in tech. The company committed to the Women Empowerment Principles (WEP) established by the UN Global Compact and UN Women.