Category: Tech News

Poly invests and partners with CLIPr to tackle Zoom Fatigue. #Poly #CLIPr

CLIPr, a Video Analysis and Management (VAM) platform using AI and machine learning to index video content to help people save time and reduce video fatigue, announced today that Poly (NYSE: POLY), a global outfitter of professional-grade audio and video technology, has become an investor, strategic partner and customer of CLIPr. As a first step, Poly will utilize the platform internally for its recorded video assets, including global sales meetings.

CLIPr’s VAM platform is designed to save time, increase productivity, and is expected to allow Poly and its customers to manage and extract important moments of recorded video content so they can organize, search, interact and share with ease and efficiency. Recorded videos are processed by CLIPr’s machine learning algorithms, which analyze audio and visual cues using natural language processing and emotion detection to index the most important topics and moments in each video.

According to Microsoft’s Work Trend Index, virtual weekly meeting time on Microsoft Teams have more than doubled, climbing 148% in February 2021 compared to the same time last year. Additionally, the Index found 54% of survey respondents felt “overworked” and 39% felt “exhausted.” Measures should be taken to reduce the number and length of virtual meetings to improve employee health and productivity moving forward in remote or hybrid work environments.

“This is a proof point in our strategy and we believe CLIPr brings true innovation to video conferencing, will increase productivity by improving the way people consume and recall remote meetings, as well as extend the value of virtual conferencing content for event organizers,” said Beau Wilder, vice president and general manager of video collaboration at Poly. “We see the value CLIPr provides customers, especially given the explosion of video content in the marketplace, as businesses change the way they conduct meetings post-pandemic.”

CLIPr’s searchable database and quick recall of video content makes it easy for employees to follow-up and take actions without relying solely on time-consuming and often incomplete note taking. The CLIPr Trainer component of the VAM platform allows humans to manually review the AI-processed video segments in a timeline view and make adjustments as needed, which in turn, further trains CLIPr’s machine learning algorithms to understand each user’s individual preferences over time.

“Together with Poly, we’re excited to discover the many compelling use cases for CLIPr spanning the full range of functions within the enterprise,” said Humphrey Chen, co-founder and CEO of CLIPr. “Essentially, CLIPr puts the power to see and hear at scale directly in the hands of the workers which we believe helps enterprises solve one of the most time consuming and daunting tasks of the remote and hybrid work era.”

For more information on CLIPr’s VAM platform, now with support of 31 different languages including English, French, German, and Spanish, visit www.CLIPr.ai.

HelloSign Expands International Offering with Qualified Electronic Signature. #HelloSign #Dropbox #QES

Dropbox announced that HelloSign now offers Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) to further support customers doing business in the UK and European Union. QES meets the highest standard of security and authentication available in Europe, as the only type of electronic signature with the same legal value as a handwritten signature under electronic IDentification, Authentication and Trust Services (eIDAS).

 

“We recently expanded globally and brought our trusted eSignature functionality to businesses across the world in 21 additional languages,” says Whitney Bouck, COO of HelloSign. “We are so pleased to now bring our customers the option of adding QES to their agreements, providing even greater confidence as they build out their digital workflows and conduct business in the EU.”

While not a requirement for all agreements in the European Union, specific use cases require QES, making HelloSign with QES an appealing option as an incremental add-on for HelloSign Premium plan customers. Customers who add QES to their HelloSign Premium plan will be ready for any agreement that requires QES, which may include loan, lease and rental agreements, sales agreements, and employment contract termination. They will also be prepared for any new QES requirement that may lay ahead as their business grows.

Thanks to face-to-face identity verification provided by IDnow and digital certification from Trusted Service Provider (TSP) on the European Trusted List (EUTL) Namirial, HelloSign with QES delivers the highest standard of legally binding eSignatures. HelloSign chose to partner with IDnow and Namirial as leaders in identity verification and digital certification, which meet eIDAS standards and deliver a flexible and easy-to-use service that aligns perfectly with HelloSign’s secure and intuitive eSignature platform.

“European small businesses have been among the earliest adopters of digital workflows, understanding how ideal the likes of eSignatures are in the digital and distributed world we live in,” says Jim Lundy, Founder and Lead Analyst at Aragon Research. “eSignatures enable business agreements to be executed, without restriction by borders or the need to meet face-to-face, and the added layer of authentication provided by QES simply opens even more opportunities for business to grow.”

HelloSign Premium plan customers can add QES in increments of 100 (100, 200, 300, and so on) per year depending on their individual business needs, giving them the perfect balance of flexibility and security.

QES is now among several features HelloSign offers to promote security and compliance. To protect HelloSign user accounts, all user information is encrypted and passwords are additionally salted and hashed. Users can also use OAuth and SAML for efficient and secure single sign on. HelloSign offers two-factor authentication and can seal final documents so users can identify any changes (or lack thereof) made to post-signed documents. In addition, HelloSign meets stringent SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 & ISO 27018 compliance requirements.

Learn more about HelloSign here: https://www.hellosign.com/what-is-hellosign

Find your nearest pharmacy to book your covid vaccine right here if you are 50 or over.

Your local pharmacy is now giving out the J&J vaccine which is great news for those waiting to get vaccinated. The HSE have posted a list of pharmacies participating in the service and there is plenty to pick from and all these are given an eircode, phone number and address..

All counties are covered and there is a dropdown menu to check out what pharmacy in your area is participating, Once you are 50 or over you can book your appointment. So what are you waiting for. To find out where your nearest pharmacy is today see

https://www2.hse.ie/Apps/Services/PharmaciesServiceList.aspx

 

 

Important Advice For People Looking To Start A Podcast

“Be loud about the things that are important to you” – Karen Walrond

Starting a podcast is a good way to air your ideas to people who’ll be interested in what you have to share. It is pretty simple to set up a podcast channel. However, you must be aware of the steps needed to make your podcast a success. From planning the podcast and buying the equipment to recording the audio and publishing it on a platform, there are many aspects of creating a podcast. In this article, you’ll get some important tips if you’re looking to start a podcast.and if you find yourself looking for more guidance, check out https://melonapp.com/how-to-start-a-podcast/.

 

Planning Your Podcast

If you’re planning to start a podcast, the first thing you’ll need to do is to decide the theme of your channel. If you want to share your knowledge about cooking, you can plan your podcasts to be based on recipes, cuisines, and kitchen-related topics. If you are good at yoga, you can plan your content based on meditation techniques, poses, and other yoga-related topics. If you follow a consistent theme in all your podcasts, you’ll be able to acquire a dedicated audience. Alternatively, if you publish podcasts based on random topics, there are high chances that you will not be able to retain your audience effectively. It is best to carry out detailed research on your potential audience to find out which topics would be best received by them. Once you zone in on the theme of your podcasts and the tendencies of your target audience, your podcasts will have a bigger impact overall. In addition to this, you’ll have a clearer idea of what you want to achieve and the correct way to plan your podcasts. You’ll be able to bring consistency and quality to your podcasts that will drive your audience to interact more with your channel.

Creating Your Podcast

The process of creating a podcast can be intimidating for a beginner. However, if you choose the correct equipment and follow the correct procedures, you’ll be able to accomplish it with ease. To successfully record a high-quality podcast, all you will need is your computer, headphones, and a mic. In addition to this, you can invest in a pop filter that acts as a windscreen between you and the mic. To increase the quality of the podcast, you can also use a headphone amplifier and shock mount. The basic idea is to reduce the background noise as much as possible to have a clear audio interface. Your podcast’s success depends greatly on the sound quality.  In addition to this, the folks at Wired Clip suggest reading reviews of the latest podcast hosting platforms to find the platform that caters to your target audience. That said, the content also plays a crucial part in your podcast’s success. You can invite a friend to converse with you and make things exciting every once in a while. Once you’ve recorded the audio, you’ll need to edit out the unnecessary parts. You can instantly make the podcasts better by masking the background noise and tuning the main sound. On another note, if you feel like your content is great, but your podcasts are not getting enough reach, you may need to improve the quality of your podcasts. You can always hire a sound editor to edit your podcasts. Alternatively, you can learn to do it yourself via online courses and tutorials.

Publishing Your Podcast 

To help your podcasts reach a wide audience, you’ll need to create a podcast channel on different hosting platforms. You can research the different podcast hosting platforms to understand which ones attract the audience that would most likely resonate with your content. Once you’ve created your podcasting channel, you can publish your podcasts to make them visible to the public. You can track the progress of your podcasts by the number of times people interacted with them. Most platforms allow users to comment on the content. It is a good way to get your audience’s feedback and improve your strategy accordingly. By trial and error, you can find a suitable niche for your podcasts that will give you the most reach and engagement.

To sum up, let’s go through the process of starting a podcast once more. You’ll need to plan your podcasts ahead of time. Sticking to a theme will get you more subscribers. The success of a podcast depends on its content and audio quality. Invest in proper equipment and hire a good sound editor if needed. Find a suitable podcast hosting platform, publish your podcasts, and improve with the feedback you receive.

Sony announce WH-1000XM4 headphones in new Midnight Blue. #Sony #Headphones

Sony has announced its WH-1000XM4 headphones in delightful Midnight Blue (RRP: €380). The latest design supports the same specs as the hugely popular Black and Silver versions, including award-winning and industry leading noise-cancelling, adaptive sound control and the speak-to-chat function.

 

The stylish Midnight Blue allows users to further personalise their listening experience and  will be available to purchase from mid-June.

  • Industry leading noise-cancellation
  • Adaptive Sound Control
  • Speak to Chat function
  • 30H battery life
  • Multiple device pairing via BLUETOOTH®
  • Now available in stylish Midnight Blue
  • RRP €380

Only 26% of workers felt psychologically safe during the pandemic. #Workhuman #Covid19Ireland

Only 26% of workers felt psychologically safe during the pandemic and experienced higher levels of burnout, stress, and greater feelings of being lonely, according to a new survey from Irish-American tech firm Workhuman. The survey, of over 3,000 U.S. workers in March 2021, further revealed men experienced higher psychological safety than women, white employees experienced higher psychological safety than other ethnic groups, and working parents had the lowest psychological safety in comparison to employees who are not parents. Psychological safety describes the feeling of being one’s whole self at work, taking risks and being vulnerable, without fear of negative consequences.

 

“Based on our survey, the two most practical ways to boost psychological safety are to say “thank you” more often and to check in with employees more frequently,” said Workhuman Director of People Analytics Dr. Meisha-Ann Martin. “Creating a sense of psychological safety, especially for underrepresented groups, allows for higher levels of engagement, increased motivation, innovation, and better performance, which can lead to major breakthroughs.”

The Workhuman survey also affirms psychological safety is highest for employees who are recognised and is lowest for those who are never recognised, and only 51% of the respondents said they’ve been thanked at work in the last month. To make gratitude a habit, set aside time each week to think about which colleagues delivered for the business, then take the time to thank them for their efforts. Additionally, people who check in with their manager at least once a week experience higher psychological safety than those who check in less frequently, and yet only 29% of respondents in the Workhuman survey said they check in with their manager every week. A regular cadence of check-ins becomes an opportunity to build trust and sets a foundation of positivity for the manager-employee relationship.

At its core, psychological safety is about feeling comfortable bringing your whole, human self to work. For employers, it’s about empowerment – trusting the humans you’ve hired to do the jobs they were hired to do, allowing them to use their voices and show up in their teams. These two simple tactics – recognising more frequently and establishing a cadence of check-ins – can go a long way in creating an inclusive and psychologically safe environment for your people.

For more information about how the Workhuman Cloud can help strengthen your workforce and drive better business performance, please visit www.workhuman.com.

BenQ Launches New 4K Ultra Short Throw Laser TV Projector with Android TV and Filmmaker Mode. #BenQ #Projectors #Tech

The V7000i and V7050i Redefine the Living Room Cinema Experience.

BenQ, a global leader in display technology and solutions, proudly announces the introduction of its latest true 4K, HDR-PRO™, CinematicColor™ and Filmmaker Mode ultra-short throw Laser TV projector, the V7000i and V7050i. Those who demand only the best performance will immediately notice that even in a well-lit environment, colours are delivered with stunning richness and vibrancy. The V7000i and V7050i offer 1.3 times more colour volume than other laser TVs in the same class across an image size greater than 100”. With the built-in Android TV and a stylish, contemporary design, the V7000i and V7050i set the stage for a true living room home cinema experience.

 

Even in a bright, well-lit room, each of the 8.3 million pixels in the true 4K UHD image renders a projection with incredible clarity and vivid colours for the most visually impressive pictures. With BenQ’s exclusive CinematicColor technology, colours are stunningly rich and gradients are extremely fine thanks to the 98% coverage of the super wide DCI-P3 colour space. In addition, HDR-PRO brings HDR10 and HLG support and dynamic tone mapping adjusts image contrast and brightness levels on the fly to reveal previously lost details in dark or shadow areas while preventing bright areas from being overexposed. 

 

Also, BenQ shares the same values as the UHD Alliance; the V7000i and V7050i come prepared with Filmmaker Mode. Optimised by CinematicColor, Filmmaker Mode enables your Laser TV to display the movie or television show precisely as it was intended by the filmmaker for a genuine cinema experience. These class-leading features all work together to ensure that images are rendered more accurately and delivered in the way it was originally intended.

 

For the ultimate cinematic atmosphere, the V7000i and V7050i can be connected to an external sound system via dual HDMI 2.0b and SPDIF ports. Also, the treVolo-tuned 5Wx2 virtual surround stereo speakers with a tweeter and a woofer in the left/right cabinet, put out an impressively punchy and powerful sound for speakers of that size. Utilizing acoustic and psychoacoustic science, an immersive soundscape is created through the virtual surround sound format.

 

When it comes to entertainment content, the Google-certified Android TV functionality provides an extensive library of films, TV shows, games and sports to satisfy the needs of everyone. Furthermore, the intuitive and well-organized interface makes finding content easy and quick.

 

On the outside, the unobtrusive, yet aesthetically pleasing exterior design of the V7000i and V7050i brings a stylish home décor touch to any room. These ultra-short throw projectors take up very little space and eliminate the need for complicated wiring. The integrated automatic eye protection sensor, sunroof and dust-reducing louver design adds simple elegance to these additional practical features. Combined with easy-on-the-eye viewing, the brighter laser light source also will last 20,000 hours.

 

With beautifully rich colours and captivating soundscapes, unlimited media library and stylish contemporary design cues, the V7000i and 7050i set a new light on how the full cinema experience should be enjoyed at home.

Available in June, the V7000i/V7050i retails at €3799 or £3499. For more information, please visit the V7000i and V7050i product pages. 

Savant brings Deezer HiFi to smart home owners worldwide #Savant #Deezer

A supreme music experience deserves high-quality home audio hardware. That’s why Deezer HiFi has been fully integrated into the Savant Music experience. Starting today, you can fill your home with the music of your choice, in lossless audio quality, through Savant’s award-winning smart home audio products.

Savant’s latest Pro 9.4 software allows users to enjoy an on-demand music experience within a personalised and customizable app, letting all users access Deezer music effortlessly. Users can also enjoy top sound quality in lossless FLAC audio, just like you’d hear from a CD. The service plays the full range of frequencies that the human ear can hear (16-Bit/44.1 kHz), while making sure that data and energy isn’t wasted on huge file sizes.

The Deezer HiFi experience with Savant allows you to:

  • Play Deezer HiFi on any Savant enabled audio product to experience exceptional sound quality.
  • Search for and play a song directly from the Savant app. Simply type in your  favourite artist to discover albums, tracks and more in one easy-to-navigate app experience.
  • Wake up to your favourite tunes, party to the best playlists or listen to relaxing music
  • Savant ‘scenes’ include music settings as well as lighting, shading, and other entertainment settings. Press one button to activate multiple devices and create the perfect mood for any occasion.
  • Control all of your music from on all mobile devices, Savant Remotes and in-wall touch screens.
  • Create a unique personalised dashboard experience on the app of favourite albums, artists, playlists, podcasts and more.

All Savant users will also benefit from a free two-month trial of Deezer HiFi. Deezer HiFi offers advert-free access to over 70 million tracks in high fidelity, plus exclusive artist content from the dedicated ‘HiFi Room’, as well as a wide range of curated and personalised content for every listener.

“Our new partnership with Savant means that enjoying exceptional sound across your home couldn’t be any easier. Together we’re bringing music fans the best lossless quality music with just a quick touch of a button. HiFi music brings out the best from every song. Experiencing music through high quality speakers in the home will really make your smart home stand out,” said Deborah Jourdan, Head of North and Central America at Deezer.

Deezer has made the free two-month trial easy to access, simply ask your Savant representative for the free trial code or open Deezer on the Savant app and redeem today.

Detection Technology expands the X-Scan T camera family

Detection Technology, a global leader in X-ray detector solutions, has expanded its X-Scan T camera family to address a wide range of industrial inspection needs. Today, the company has launched four new variants of the TDI-based (Time Delay Integration) product family. The new variants are available in lengths of 307 mm, 512 mm, 614 mm, and 820 mm that perfect the company’s existing offering, and are fitted for the mainstream system configurations and production belt widths in the target segment. The X-Scan T is built on a well-proven and modular platform that is easy to scale for a variety of X-ray imaging needs.

“The new variants come with the added value features, for which our X-Scan T product family is known in the industry and our customers have been thanking us. For example, our customers have been delighted with its capability to provide better imaging performance than standard detector solutions, even if X-ray source power has been more than halved. This highlights the fact that we have succeeded in providing a solution that promotes system efficiency and cost drivers, and increasingly important environmental aspects, not to mention how its target applications have a positive impact on building a more sustainable future by reducing variation and throwaway waste in production lines. As another example, its scanning speed seems to be a feature that is highly valued in fast-paced manufacturing,” says Tomi Fält, Director of Product Management at Detection Technology.

The X-Scan T product family provides high sensitivity with a low X-ray dose. As a result, image quality meets the most stringent requirements of industrial applications. At the same time, it significantly reduces the required X-ray power and doubles the detector lifetime under X-ray when compared to the industry average. Furthermore, the low-dose operation mode enables the minimization of shielding of X-ray systems, generating total cost savings and streamlining system designs.

The TDI technology features high sensitivity and enhanced contrast resolution. In addition, the unique photodiode-based sensor provided only by Detection Technology, the fast and sensitive scintillator, and the signal processing chain, which is capable of reading each single pixel, further boost the imaging performance of the series. With the application-optimized readout electronics and pixel sizes, the series now features an improved scanning speed of 180 m/min that meets the requirements of the fastest target applications.

Equipped with a built-in control unit, embedded TDI algorithm, and other data processing functions, the X-Scan T is a true plug-and-play–type detector solution. The series comes with robust mechanics, reliable industrial connections, and bidirectional scanning operation for improved usability.

“We have optimized the X-Scan T series for demanding industrial environments. The X-Scan T is an ideal solution, especially for the food industry, which values fast throughput times, precise material discrimination, and low power consumption on harsh production lines, and aims to reduce the amount of waste for cost and sustainability reasons. For example, the X-Scan T is a perfect match for quality inspection in high-speed bottling and canning lines, and bone detection in meat and seafood processes. In addition, this digital detector series serves the battery industry.”

Detection Technology extended its portfolio to TDI scanning technology in 2019. The company expects TDI to become one of the major technologies for in-line industrial inspection applications, especially in the food industry.