Category: Tech News

Edifier TWS6 Wins iF Design Award. #TrueWireless #Edifier #TWS6

Recognized for its innovation in design excellence, Edifier International Ltd., today announced that the truly wireless TWS6 earbuds were named as an iF Design Award 2020 consumer electronics winner by Hanover-based iF International Forum Design GmbH. Established in 1953, the iF Design Award is the world’s oldest independent design seal and aims to draw attention to particularly well-designed industrial products. The 2020 winners were selected from over 7,000 entries from 56 countries and regions and chosen by a 78-member jury. The Edifier TWS6 reflects the aesthetic quality sought after by the expert jury.

 

The TWS6 is designed for audio lovers who are in need of a durable, ultra-light and compact earbud which offers impeccable sound quality. The design of the TWS6 is the epitome of small but mighty. Paired with an electroacoustics structure, the earphones create an outstanding sound experience while still maintaining a slim and travel friendly size. Organise any purse, pocket or travel compartment with the earphone’s wireless and credit-card sized charging case. With its credit-card sized charging case, the TWS6 easily fits into any pocket or travel bag.

 

 

With the LG scratch-resistant finish, you know that your earphones will stay in tip top condition. This finish has the added bonus of being environmentally friendly as it avoids the need of paint, electroplating and post-production surface treatments.

 

Main Features:

  • Outstanding Sound. TWS6 is featured with Knowles balanced armature drivers that offer great sensitivity. Make it possible to enjoy a large soundstage using smaller earbuds. 

 

  • 20 fitting choices – The TWS6 come with 3 pairs of silicon earbuds, 3 sets of “shark fin” sleeves and 2 pair of memory foam tips, total 20 different fitment setup to ensure a secure fit for everyone. Together with IP55 Water and dust Resistance, makes it perfect for intense workouts and sports activities. 

 

  • Super-Fast Transmission with Ultra-Low Latency. Enjoy fast transmission with the range up to 10m(33ft), thanks to Bluetooth 5.0 with Qualcomm aptX audio and Laser Direct Structuring antenna. 

 

  • Up to 32 Hours of Playback. A single charge provides 8 hours of battery life with 3 extra charges using the wireless charging case. Wireless charging and USB Type C charging available. 

 

  • Ultra-slim design – Both the charging case and earbuds are one of the most compact design on the market, minimize the presence and maximize the comfort level for prolonged wearing. 

 

Price & Availability:

At a suggested retail price £99  the TWS6 will be available to purchase in 2020, at Edifier.com with availability on Amazon following thereafter. For more information on the headsets and other Edifier products, please visit Edifier.com.

A quarter of Irish businesses concerned about losing data to dark web. #DarkWeb #IrishBiz

Logicalis Ireland, the IT solutions and managed services provider, today announces the results of a survey which explored the barriers, challenges and concerns around cloud adoption in Ireland. The research, which involved more than 100 IT decision makers across Irish businesses, found that almost a quarter (24%) are concerned about losing data to the dark web.

The study, carried out by TechPro on behalf of Logicalis Ireland, revealed that the three biggest concerns in relation to cloud security are data breaches (70%), human error (60%) and permanent data loss (44%). Furthermore, almost three quarters of respondents are more worried about cloud security threats in 2020.

Security was found to be the leading barrier to cloud adoption with 56% of IT decision-makers citing it. Other top barriers are lack of in-house knowledge and skills (38%), budget constraints (37%), data compliancy concerns (35%) and lack of visibility of workloads/applications in the cloud (32%).

Public cloud (38%) is perceived as the IT environment that poses the greatest risk to security, followed by on-premises infrastructure (31%). Meanwhile, private cloud is considered the lowest risk (6%) among IT decision-makers.

Despite their concerns, over half (55%) of Irish businesses do not have an integrated cloud security plan in place. Furthermore, 13% admitted their organisations have no response plans in place for security incidents, with a further 26% only acting reactively as and when incidents arise.

Loman McCaffrey, Sales Manager, Logicalis Ireland

Loman McCaffrey, Sales Manager, Logicalis Ireland, said: “Of course IT decision-makers should be worried about incidents which could result in data breaches and data loss – it’s good that they are because data has huge value and threats are evolving as quickly as technology is.

“However, Irish businesses shouldn’t let these security concerns and other challenges – such as lack of visibility, rising costs and lack of in-house resources – delay their adoption of cloud and hinder the potential growth of their company. It comes down to choosing the right solution.

“As well as maximising security, organisations need to consider platforms that also help to keep costs under control, support staff productivity and enable better management of data, regardless of the cloud environment they’re using.

“Furthermore, as more organisations move their workloads into the cloud, it’s vital they have a clearly defined and continually evolving security strategy that covers all aspects of the business, including staff training to reduce the risk of falling victim to cybersecurity attacks. Otherwise their fears could be realised.”

 

 

Preparing Irish businesses for increasingly extreme weather events.Noel O’Grady, Sungard AS #Weather #ICT #SungardAS

The impact of extreme weather events on business performance, both positively and negatively, should not be underestimated. Abnormal weather is the difference between observed weather and its normal value, which is typically calculated using the 30-year average.  With the news that Ireland can expect plunging temperatures and extreme storms to become a more regular occurrence, the question of how companies can best prepare and respond should be an increased priority for business owners. 

 

Production, supply, demand and operations can all be impacted by extreme weather. Abnormal weather patterns offer a unique form of disruption for companies and, in recent years, organisations in the fields of energy, water, telecoms, transport, retail, leisure and agriculture have all been affected in a variety of ways. Small businesses are the most vulnerable, with there being no simple way of telling how long the weather-related disruption can last. Prolonged periods of disruption can lead to financial distress, triggering shortfalls in sales, store closures and even job cuts.   

 

Thanks to climate change, the frequency and intensity of abnormal weather patterns have increased too, with a shift to warmer temperatures only set to further the threats. Financial losses caused by adverse weather that didn’t seem material enough for companies to concern themselves with 10 years ago, are now examined and managed by weather-based financial instruments that seek to cover the risk to which businesses are exposed. As recently as October 2019, the Irish government were forced to send out an orange weather warning in preparation for ex-hurricane Lorenzo, proof that the time has now come when businesses can no longer fail to have an effective back-up plan in place to limit the negative impacts of a disaster.   

 

Failure to plan 

 

The European Economic Area records that, over the period 1980 – 2017, total reported economic losses caused by weather and climate-related extremes in the member countries amounted to approximately EUR 453 billion. In 2018, Sinn Féin proposed a bill to make it compulsory for employers to close its place of business during a red alert weather warning. It stated that in the event of a place of work being subject to a red weather warning, an employer would be required to “close such place and make reasonable measures to inform all employees to stay away from it for the duration of that warning.”  

 

Organisations must review assumptions about the risks they face because of their direct influence on both organisational resilience and the bottom line. Key to deciding how to move forward is making an accurate assessment of the level of risk a business is willing to accept, and taking a multi-tiered approach to assess and plan for a range of threats.

 

Advice for organisations to consider today 

 

To best address extreme weather events, companies should consider the following: 

 

  • Get a good weather forecast. The quality and range of forecasts has improved markedly in recent years.
  • Evaluate how to react to a disruption of this nature – organisations should look at completing an assessment of business impact, risk and overall resilience. 
  • Ensure ICT is robust yet agile – businesses must ensure an ICT service continuity plan is in place, and that it extends to disaster recovery scenarios. 
  • Prepare operations for action accordingly – this should consider business continuity processes, training and awareness processes for staff at all levels of the business, and vendor/supplier risk management too. 
  • Develop crisis leadership competencies within the executive team – this can include training, executive coaching and coached crisis scenarios.   
  • Foster a mutually supportive network of suppliers and stakeholders – examine market-wide crisis exercises and identify best practice. Also assess supply chain resilience. 

 

A growing trend 

 

Environmental risks have grown in prominence over the last decade and we can expect this trend to continue. Findings from the World Economic Forum’s 2019 Global Risks Report send a clear message to companies, with extreme weather events, natural disasters and climate change all highlighted as top concerns. 

 

As tempting as it might be to think “that’ll never happen to us”, understanding and investing in a business continuity plan, and business interruption insurance can greatly support recovery. The latter can be an invaluable safeguard for a business, for example allowing for the reimbursement of ongoing expenses and lost gross profit while a permanent business location is being repaired. 

 

Disasters can happen when least expected. Companies might not be able to prevent the storm, but they can take steps to handle the situation and keep operations up and running with minimal disruption. This is what the most resilient companies do, and it’s why they’ve stayed afloat while others have not.

Redison introduces Senstroke: the first connected solution to play, record and improve drumming anywhere, anytime. #Senstroke #Drumming #Music

Redison, the French startup company that specialises in connected music, today announces the launch of Senstroke. Senstroke are the first Bluetooth enabled sensors for percussionists that allow drummers to reproduce the movements and impacts of authentic drumsticks as well as the footwork of a real drum kit.

This unique innovation with patented technology has been designed for both amateur and professional drummers who want to practice their scales anywhere without bothering those around them with loud noise.

Getting a drum kit set up has never been easier- users simply download the iOS & Android app, connect the Bluetooth enabled sensors to the drumsticks and define the playing zone to their preferences.

The technology built into Senstroke means drums can now be played on any surface: from digital practice pads to real drums, from cushions, books or tables, to outdoor furniture – the possibilities are endless. Once the zone of playing is defined each touch is transformed into a MIDI note and real drums’ sounds are created instantly through the smartphone or tablet and any computer-based music software.

The Senstroke app comes packed with features such as ability to record drumming fragments and export and share on social media. Drummers can record their session wherever they want, directly on their smartphone in just a few seconds and use it later in a professional setting. The app update due in March will also help learners with its interactive lessons function – ideal for children and beginners alike.

Senstroke can manage a whole variety of rebound levels in a realistic manner. Everything has been designed in order to achieve the highest level of the real drumming sensation. What’s more, those who are using Senstroke’s digital practice pads have the additional benefit of a superior quality of rebound and a significant noise reduction.

To achieve this, the user needs only their favourite MIDI compatible software and to record all of their drumming sessions. Furthermore, by adjusting the sensors on an acoustic drum kit, users can record without requiring any additional equipment.

The precise rebound handling allows Senstroke to be used in a realistic and a professional way. It is also possible to record any drumming on an actual electric or acoustic drum set.

Besides reproducing the sound of the drums, each user can use a metronome and personalise their drum kit and the sounds used.

Jérôme Dron, Founder, Redison said: “For many drummers the barriers of cost, space and noise made the instrument a no go, but with Senstroke users all over the world can experience the joy of drumming – no matter where they are! We already have 3,000 users and are looking forward to welcoming plenty more from the UK. ”

Senstroke is available from Amazon, Conrad Shop and Gear4Music and offers three packages:

The Senstroke Essential Box £145 : perfect as a gift or for beginners

The Senstroke Standard box £185 : ideal for drummers who already have drumsticks

The Senstroke Ultimate box £230 : highly recommend to enjoy the full experience of drumming

7 Things Parents Must Do To Keep Their Families Safe Online. #SaferInternetDay #SID2020

Today, parents are bombarded with information on how to protect their families from threats online.
This is actually resulting in a phenomenon termed ‘security fatigue’. People get overwhelmed with the sheer volume of stuff we are told we must do to stay secure, that actually we get paralysed by the complexity of it all. As a result, parents end up having no protection at all.
Luckily, the reality is far more simple. At SimpleCyberLife.com we believe there are several key things to consider when it comes to developing a healthy, happy and safe technology connected family home.
 
1) Set the ground rules: establish a set of ground rules that the whole family can subscribe to can help everyone ‘buy-in’ to the responsible use of technology at home.
 
2) Social media privacy settings – social media is often the way cyber criminals gather important personal information which can then be used to attack us. We should all be reviewing our privacy settings for all social media sites on a regular basis, reviewing historic posts for sensitive information, only accepting friend requests from people you know in real life and remembering NOT to over-share.
 
3)  Maintain an Open & Honest Relationship – easier said than done, but try as a parent to maintain and open and honest relationship with your children and the use of technology in the home.
 
– Parent-as-teacher – start an ongoing dialogue with your children around cyber and the risks it brings. Use some real world examples to bring the risks to life for them. Discuss news stories with them.
 
– Parent-as-confidant – one of the biggest risks children face is the feeling of feeling isolated – this is exactly what sexual predators have techniques to try and engineer. Try and position yourself as the person they can come to when things go wrong online.
 
– Parent-as-expert – it has been shown that kids have a short-sighted view of cyber risks as they interpret risk as a measure of how much something bothers them. Parents need to have an understanding of cyber security risks themselves in order to help their children bridge this gap.
 
– Parent-as-student – reverse the usual roles…ask your kids to teach you! Be inquisitive about the social media they use, how they keep their accounts secure and how they identify suspicious activity or communications. Don’t ask leading questions and be genuine in your questions and supportive in their responses.
 
4) Home wifi setup – our home WiFi is the primary way that we access the internet but it is surprising how insecure some WiFi routers come out of the box. To ensure the security of our WiFi router and help protect all of the family devices that connect to it, ensure you change the default password and set up automatic software updates.
 
5)  Keep phones out of bedrooms – kids can end up squirrelling themselves away in their rooms, becoming more and more isolated as they endlessly scroll social media on their own. The solution? Buy a cheap Family Charging Station that can be placed on a hallway or corridor table. All family members can place their smartphones on charge before they go to their rooms, they are left outside and when they return to them in the morning they are all fully charged and ready to go!
 
6) Secure browsing – our internet browsers are the main portal through which we access the internet and you would be amazed at how insecure some standard browsers such as Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox are. We need to either ensure we review the security settings of our chosen browser or we are using a secure browser like BRAVE.  
 
7) Family & friends education – educating our loved ones is vital because cyber criminals know that kids can be the weak link and can often be their way ‘in’ to get access to the more sensitive data stored by parents. Education can help combat almost all of the cyber threats out there in some form or another, so the little time it takes to talk about cyber security is time well spent. For example, if everyone in the family knows how to spot a phishing email, this will drastically reduce the number of viruses making their ways onto family devices.  
Of course, each family will have slightly different security needs – which is why to make it even less daunting – SimpleCyberLife.com have a short one-minute quiz for potential members to complete, to help them decipher what their internet safety priorities should be.
It’s important to feel supported in your endeavour to keep your family safe online, and simplecyberlife.com are the world’s first membership network designed to provide accessible resources and expert advice, all in one place. There’s also a community forum where you can pitch questions direct to internet safety experts and fellow parents. Join today – launch offer on now at simplecyberlife.com.

Interactive map – Homelessness figures in Ireland. #Esri #Homelessness #Map

Digital mapping company Esri Ireland, has just launched a new interactive online map which highlights on Irish homelessness figures from 2016 to 2019. As we are all aware homelessness is a huge crisis in Ireland and this map will guide to to how bad the situation really is and something to think about.

The dashboard and map present a visual summary of homelessness statistics provided by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. They cover the department’s monthly reports from February 2016 to the latest available (November 2019). The dashboard breaks down homelessness figures by regions across Ireland, as well as providing further detail including age, gender and the numbers in emergency accommodation.

Feel free to check it out HERE 

House of Marley launches Redemption ANC on Bob Marley’s 75th birthday. #Tech #TrueWireless #BobMarley75

Today marks Bob Marley’s 75th birthday, and to celebrate House of Marley are launching the first sustainably-minded ANC true wireless earbuds – Redemption ANC. The launch marks the 10 year anniversary of the sustainably minded audio maker created in collaboration with the Marley family to carry on Bob Marley’s legacy of love for music and the planet.

Crafted from highly-renewable Bamboo and REGRIND™ Silicone, the Redemption ANC mark a new generation of true wireless listening, offering 7 hours of playtime (5 hours with ANC) and an extended battery life of 20 hours with the charging case. The passive seal the earbuds provides’ combined with leading active noise cancelling technology, ensures unwanted sounds are kept at bay.

 

House of Marley today announces the launch of its flagship Redemption ANC true wireless earbuds – the second generation of true wireless listening. The release marks the 10 year anniversary of the sustainably minded audio maker dedicated to superior quality, innovative eco-conscious materials, and charitable causes.

 

SUSTAINABLY-MINDED MATERIALS

Integrating active noise cancellation technology with earth-friendly materials, House of Marley is providing the first sustainably-minded ANC true wireless earbuds. Redemption ANC is crafted using highly-renewable bamboo and recycled REGRIND™ silicone from post-consumer waste while the case is designed by combining wood derivatives such as sawdust along with plastic fibres to form a durable, wood fibre composite.

 

 

ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION

The sound features on the Redemption ANC include a deeper, punchier bass with a warm and rich, natural feel. The passive seal the earbuds provides combined with leading active noise cancelling technology ensures unwanted sounds are kept at bay. For a more natural listening experience, simply triple-tap the earbuds to switch into ambient mode to allow for transparent hearing of your surroundings.

 

COMFORTABLE DESIGN

Building from their first truly wireless earbuds release, Liberate Air, the Redemption ANC offers stable, consistent performance for those looking for active noise cancellation with a customizable stem design for all-day comfort. The weight is balanced between the stem and the body to help anchor and keep the earbud secure in the ear, making them an easy choice for everyday wear from travel to active use.

REDEMPTION ANC PRODUCT FEATURES

  • Materials: Bamboo, natural REGRIND™ wood fibre composite and REGRIND™ recycled silicone
  • 5-hour battery life, up to 20 hours total with ANC on (even longer with ANC off – up to 7-hour on board battery life and 28 hours total with case)
  • Active noise cancellation with ambient mode feature
  • IPX4 rating for sweat-proof and weather-resistant design.
  • Four microphone technology with stereo voice clear communications
  • USB-C quick charge technology (15 minutes = 2 hours playtime)
  • Touch controls easily play, pause, or change music, take calls and more.
  • Bluetooth® 5.0
  • SKU: EM-DE021
  • RRP: £179.99

Redemption ANC is available now on www.thehouseofmarley.co.uk for £179.99 RRP and will be launching exclusively in retail at Smartech in Selfridges, London, during March.

Blink Parametric Platform is Launched across Travel, Climate, Energy and IOT Sectors. #InsureTech #IoT #BlinkParametric

An Irish Insurtech which is making waves across the globe, has just launched Blink Parametric, a broad-based parametric insurance solutions platform to allow insurers around the world bring the benefits of parametrics to their customers.

The launch comes as the latest success for Blink, who having only set up in 2016, have since experienced significant growth, partnering with some of the world’s largest insurers and reinsurers such as Blue Cross Canassurance Group, Pluto in the UK, Manulife and TuGo in Canada, Generali in Hong Kong, Munich Re in Germany and Financial Conduct Authority in London. 

Speaking on the expansion of the business concept and what it will mean for Blink partners, Paul Prendergast, CEO of Blink,

“We have been working on this platform expansion for 2 years now so it’s exciting to finally be able to launch it. Parametrics is an Insurtech gamechanger globally, and Blink is leading parametric insurance product innovation, by transforming our clients’ complex offerings into simple, intuitive, online products. By using parametrics, we are simplifying that which people might ordinarily deem convoluted – by simply offering a pre-agreed amount of cover, based on the probability of a pre-defined triggering event. We are already using it widely with our travel partners in North America, Singapore, Australia, Turkey and the UK and with great success. Insurers recognise that what we offer adds real value to what they can then offer their clients and customers. Parametrics allows clients to self-serve, assessment is data-led, and claims pay-outs are immediate”.

 

 Blink Parametric platform-based solutions span the Travel, Climate, Energy and IOT sectors.

It comprises:

–          Blink Travel which offers customers a proactive real-time insurance service that meets the speed and convenience that modern customers demand of their travel insurance provider, on-line travel agent, airline, transport provider or enterprise travel specialists.

Mr. Prendergast explained,

“If a customer misses a flight or experiences a delay, we can provide them with real-time options like a lounge pass, a hotel room or an instant cash pay-out. We offer customisable software that can be adapted to innovate our partners insurance solution”.

 

–          Blink Climate which offers an efficient, rapid, tailored, risk cover. It is a metric-based insurance solution adaptable to risk factors including climate change, extreme weather and natural disasters.

Mr. Prendergast explained,

“A farmer for example can secure cover for specific harmful climate conditions (drought or flooding etc) occurring within a fixed period of the year. The parameters of the insurance cover are clear, and the determination of a claims pay-out are automated and conclusive as they are supported by measured weather data across that specific period. Customers benefit from immediate claims decisions, without a lengthy loss adjustor process time. We can adapt to specific requirements, as our partners determine the policy criteria, enabling them to add tangible value to their insurance offering”.

 

–          Blink Energy & IOT which is a parametric insurance technology solution adaptable to such risk factors associated with domestic appliance and industrial-led IoT.

Mr. Prendergast explained,

“Exposure to frequent and unpredictable environmental changes is now impacting on our energy consumption levels. Blink Energy Parametric Insurance Solution can be designed to monitor the increase or decrease in energy usage during a pre-defined time period. Based on data-led assessment, it can deliver insurance cover, as oil, gas, electric and renewable energy shifts in terms of demand and cost. For example, an energy provider could give automatic support to vulnerable customers where they have secured cover on the occurrence of an extended spell of freezing temperatures across a specific period. IoT devices that create connected homes with the use of smart devices, smart meters and digital assistants provide huge amounts of data that can inform a multitude of solution-based parametric insurance services.”

 

Mr. Prendergast spoke as to why he believes they have experienced such rapid growth and expansion to date,

“Our business development and integration teams have been stellar, and we are really fortunate that our reputation has helped open doors for us along the way with insurance companies that are ready to introduce a step-change to their business and customer relationships. 

Our commercial strategy has been to enable our insurance partners to innovate and to collaborate with them to build new experiences for their customers. We are agile and expert and have the capacity to have an insurance solution implemented within a 12-week timeframe. The industry feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are on track to achieve 3 million users by the end of 2020”.

AVer Europe launches new enterprise grade PTZ video conferencing camera #CAM520PRO #AVer

AVer Europe, the award-winning provider of video collaboration solutions and education technology solutions, today announces the UK launch of the CAM520 PRO enterprise grade PTZ (Pan/Tilt/Zoom) camera.

The CAM520 PRO is perfect for mid to large conference rooms and features SmartFrame, IP based management, True WDR (wide dynamic range) and up to 100 programmable presets. With 18X total zoom, 1080p HD and whisper-silent Pan/Tilt/Zoom, the CAM520 PRO results in crisp images for an outstanding video experience at a competitive price.

The CAM520 PRO perfectly complements AVer’s EP65 interactive flat panel featuring Zoom Rooms integration. The 65” display can transform any meeting room into a streamlined collaboration hub for both video conferencing and face-to-face brainstorming. The EP65 allows users to interact, take notes, annotate on a shared screen and enable split-screen multitasking.

The CAM520 PRO plug-and-play USB conference camera is designed for workgroups of six to twenty people that need the power of enterprise grade video capabilities and want the convenience of remote management through a web browser or centralised management software. Users can connect to live video content from the CAM520 PRO and stream to a cloud or physical network. It is compatible with all main favourite videoconferencing applications, including Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

“The combination of Zoom Rooms with Aver’s CAM520 PRO creates a perfect solution for conference rooms,” said Nick Chong, Head of Global Services at Zoom Video Communications, Inc. and Zoom Rooms evangelist. “With high-quality video, audio and screen sharing from Zoom Rooms and the CAM520 PRO’s motorized pan-tilt, stylish design and simple USB functionality, the video conferencing experience for medium and large meeting rooms is transformed.”

“AVer Europe is raising the video conferencing bar with the CAM520 PRO. With amazing performance, Zoom integration, and a three year warranty this is the perfect camera for high quality video conferencing” said Rene Buhay, AVer Europe Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

www.avereurope.com. CAM520 PRO £799 MSRP.