Each year, Netflix put out their recommendations for the smart TVs that provide the best performance and are the easiest to use for Netflix (and, ultimately, other streaming services). And every year they up the ante for what it takes to make the list. This year, Netflix is excited to recommend select models from Samsung, Sony and Panasonic that will provide a top notch experience. Do you have one or planning on upgrading your TV??
Here are the initial designations of 2019 Netflix Recommended TVs:
Samsung Q60R/Q70R/Q80R/Q90R/Q900R series, RU8000, The Serif and The Frame devices
Sony BRAVIA X85G(XG85)/X90G(XG90) series and A9G(AG9) series
Panasonic VIERA GX700/GX800/GX900 series
For more information on specific models, you can go to the Netflix Recommended TV website. Timing of availability for Netflix Recommended TVs will vary by country, and not all models will be available in all regions.
Mytaxi, Ireland’s leading e-hailing app, has announced a new innovative taxi-sharing service – “mytaxi match,” that will be piloted across Dublin locations in the coming months.
mytaxi will be changing its name to “FREE NOW” on July 2 as part of joining a wider mobility international “NOW” brand family, which is focused on expanding transport services offered to passengers in Ireland, across Europe and globally. Passengers will not need to download a new app on July 2 and there is no technical or data switch – all that will immediately change is the name so customers just have to update their app and they’re ready to hail.
“mytaxi match” is the first new service to be launched on the app; and will be part of the “FREE NOW” rebrand. It will allow passengers travelling in the same direction, the option to pair up and more efficiently utilise taxi capacity, reducing carbon emissions and lowering fares paid by customers.
The pilot, already trialled successfully on a smaller scale in Limerick, will initially be operational in the Grand Canal Dock area and Sandyford Industrial Estate and will roll out across more Dublin locations as the pilot progresses.
mytaxi is partnering for the pilot with Smart Dublin, a collaborative initiative of the four Dublin local authorities. It partners with universities, citizens and private industries working with smart technologies to tackle challenges and aims to improve services and quality of life for businesses, residents and visitors across the Dublin region.
— Jim O Brien Tech 👨💻techbuzzireland.com (@techbuzzinfo) June 11, 2019
Under the themes of Smart Environment and Smart Mobility, Smart Dublin has engaged with local authority champions working on solutions to investigate and introduce EV charging points, reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, reduce traffic congestion and provide alternative transport options. This pilot will provide additional insights that will complement existing project initiatives and could feed into future planning in these areas.
Alan Fox, General Manager for mytaxi Ireland/said: “Taxis are one of the most flexible forms of transport, but usually do not travel to full capacity. Our new ‘match’ technology forms part of a smart solution to better use mytaxi’s fleet in Ireland, particularly at peak hours, and offer passengers a cheaper, more environmentally-friendly taxi-sharing service. This innovation, currently being used very effectively in a number of other European cities, gives passengers travelling in the same direction the option for the first time to ‘match up’ and share taxis. We believe this new innovation has the potential to reduce waiting times at peak hours, decrease traffic congestion, reduce carbon emissions and more effectively offer customers a flexible, cost-effective transport solution that really meets their needs.”
The Smart Dublin Lead, Alan Murphy, said: “One of our key goals at Smart Dublin is to collaborate with industry partners and all four local authorities to position Dublin as a world leader in the development of new urban solutions using the city region as a test bed. Match’s taxi-sharing capacity has the potential to provide additional transit options, build awareness and promote multi-modal shift and showcase alternative approaches to transport in Dublin. This pilot with mytaxi will help us gather valuable information and generate insights to better inform local authorities and our partners on alternative and more sustainable transport options.”
As part of this pilot between mytaxi and Smart Dublin, mytaxi will geo-fence the locations in the app where passengers can use ‘match’. Passengers will be notified of ‘match’ availability when inside the virtual fence. The geo-fenced areas will have taxi-sharing options available 24/7 and fares will be calculated transparently using the technology on the app.
Passenger privacy is of the utmost importance to mytaxi and we commit to full compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
It is intended overall that the pilot will garner more insight into Dublin travel patterns and will better gauge public interest in alternative transport modes as part of local authority understanding of the city’s sustainable development.
mytaxi or FREE NOW in Ireland will remain focused on meeting the growing public demand for taxis and the expansion of its regional footprint across the country. 16 million passengers were carried in Ireland by mytaxi in 2018, its busiest year ever. The app continues to recruit new drivers, with 2,135 joining throughout the year, bringing the total number in its fleet to over 12,000.
FUJIFILM Corporation and its President, Kenji Sukeno, today announced the release of INSTAX Mini Li-Play (RRP €170.00). This sleek hybrid instant camera is the smallest and lightest INSTAX product on the market, boasting instant printing via microSD. However, these features are only the tip of the ice-burg! The INSTAX Mini Li-Play is the first instant camera to fully embrace sound, making it Fujifilm’s most playful camera yet. The INSTAX Mini Li-Play is available in Ireland from today and in three attractive colours; Stone White, Elegant Black and Blush Gold.
LET’S GET LOUD
INSTAX Mini Li-Play has the ability to record audio via a dedicated sound button located on the front of the camera. The audio clip is converted into a QR code, which is printed onto the INSTAX print, in a location of your choice! The audio can then be played on any type of smartphone using any QR application. This unique feature is an innovative new way to share messages with friends and family.
FUN IN AN INSTANT
In addition to embracing sound, INSTAX Mini Li-Play has a variety of functions making it perfect for everyday use. The camera has live view functionality, which means fans can use the rear LCD screen to frame and take photos. These images can then be saved to the internal camera memory, or to a microSD card. This ensures users can save photos down to their computers if they aren’t ready to print them.
INSTAX Mini Li-Play also boasts remote camera control, which enables the user to shoot images on their smart phone and then transfer them to the INSTAX Mini Li-Play for instant printing – all done via Bluetooth. The camera also features three shortcut buttons positioned on its left edge, which allows the user to select different frames for images.
INSTAX Mini Li-Play is available now in Fujifilm outlets nationwide, RRP €170.00, prices may vary by retailer.Watch out for our review soon
DxO, one of the most innovative companies in the photography and image editing industry, has announced the release of the Nik Collection 2 by DxO, a major upgrade to the famous plugin suite for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, and Elements. After bringing the Nik Collection back to the market with the software’s first stable version with customer support in June 2018, DxO is expanding the plugin suite with over 40 new creative presets and high-resolution monitor support for Windows. In addition, the Nik Collection 2 now comes with DxO PhotoLab 2.3 ESSENTIAL Edition, DxO’s recently released advanced RAW photo editing software.
Choose From More Than 40 New “En Vogue” Styles To Create Unique Images With A Single Click.
The Nik Collection 2, which has gained a significant following for its high-quality, creative filters, has added 42 new “En Vogue” presets to its original set of 156: 10 new recipes for Color Efex Pro, 10 new black and white presets to Silver Efex Pro, 12 new HDR presets to HDR Efex Pro, and 10 new tool combinations to Analog Efex Pro.
The latest filters in the Nik Collection 2 will take your photos’ emotional impact to the next level. For example, “Blue Monday,” which is available in Color Efex Pro, combines the fresh look of subtle Varitone coloring, the visual interest of cross processing, and the softness of slightly desaturated effect. “More Silver,” which is available in Silver Efex Pro, pairs the crispness of silver toning with a fine grain, resulting in black and white photographs that feature a level of balanced contrast typically achieved through darkroom techniques. Photographers who would like to add a bit of nostalgia to their images can turn to “Burned Edges,” in Analog Efex Pro to reproduce the burned-edge, vignetting, toning, and framing effects typical of old-fashioned analog cameras.
The “En Vogue” series was created in collaboration with Dan Hughes, a highly respected lecturer of photography at Rochester Institute of Technology and a former instructor with Nik Software. “I was honored to be a part of the expansion of the Nik Collection by DxO,” he said. “The plugin suite has helped promote the art of photography, and the addition of new effects has significantly increased its potential by offering all photographers new creative opportunities.”
Improved High Resolution Display With Windows
To better meet users’ needs, the Nik Collection 2 now supports high-resolution monitors (HiDPI) with Windows. The graphic elements of the Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro, and Analog Efex Pro plugin interface have been improved to ensure flawless readability when viewed through high- resolution monitors—just like with the macOS version.
All The Potential Of RAW Files Within An Optimized Workflow
DxO’s recent surveys of Nik Collection customers revealed that nearly all users work in RAW. To help them harness the full power of this file format, the Nik Collection 2 by DxO now comes with DxO PhotoLab 2.3 ESSENTIAL Edition, DxO’s advanced and multiple award-winning photo editing software. The software has been adapted to offer users direct access to the plugins from their workspace via a dedicated button and drop-down menu. After the image is edited in DxO PhotoLab 2, it can be quickly converted and sent to one of the Nik Collection plugins, where the photo can be further altered and enhanced with creative effects.
“By offering our advanced photo editing solution along with the Nik Collection 2, we are giving users access to DxO’s powerful and high-quality RAW treatment technology as well as its unparalleled optical corrections, which were developed over fifteen years of measurements and analyses conducted in its laboratory,” said Jean-Marc Alexia, VP Product Strategy and Marketing with DxO. “DxO also offers high- quality de-noising capabilities, smart exposure optimization with DxO Smart Lighting, and U Point local adjustment technology, which is now available for use with RAW images.”
Dxo PhotoLab 2.3: Support For New Cameras
As well as providing access to Nik plugins directly from the software’s workspace, DxO PhotoLab 2 continues to support new equipment. In addition to adding support for Leica M 10-D and M 10-P, Nikon D3500, Panasonic Lumix DC-S1, DC-S1R, LX100 II, Sony A6400, and DSC-RX100 VA, DxO PhotoLab 2.3 can now process files from Canon EOS RP and Olympus OM-D E-M1 X. It has also added more than 500 new optical modules to its library, bringing its total number of camera/lens combinations to 47,500.
To read the full list of all devices supported by DxO PhotoLab 2.3, visit: https://www.dxo.com/en/dxo- photolab/supported-cameras/
Price And Availability:
The Nik Collection 2 by DxO is now available for download on the DxO website (https://shop.dxo.com/en/photo-software/dxo-nikcollection) for £86,99 instead of £125, and £49.99 instead of £69 for the upgrade until June 30, 2019.
The ESSENTIAL and ELITE editions from DxO PhotoLab 2.3 are now available for download on the DxO website (https://shop.dxo.com/en/photo-software/dxo-photolab) for £112 and £169, respectively. DxO PhotoLab 2 users can download this upgrade for free.
There’s good news for Virgin Media customers today as ComReg has just announced its latest update on complaints received. However for eir its a disaster which is no surprise.
Virgin Media officially has the lowest rate of complaints compared to all competitors. Eir being particularly far behind with a ComReg complaint rate 50 times worse than Virgin Media’s. I have had my own issues with eir over the last year and customer service is a word they need to look up because it was a harrowing experience ( not only for me but for countless others which was widely seen on social and in the media) and only recently sorted after multiple spats on social media been fed the same scripted rubbish time and time again. As a virgin customer having moved from eir I can say they act fast and are quite good on social media.
Every other operator saw an increase in complaints, while Virgin Media has improved again with 0.028 in Q1 /19 compared to 0.040 in Q4 /18.
The research also looked at the length of time complaints remained open with each operator. Once again, Virgin Media topped the scoreboard with no contacts open for greater than 20 days.
Michael McCarthy, Vice President of Customer at Virgin Media,“We’re very encouraged by these results. We are delighted our investment in customer service is delivering ongoing improvements in overall service delivery and satisfaction ratings. Features like our new ‘Smart WiFi’ updates to our Customer’s WiFi Hubs will also help improve our customers’ in-home broadband experience even more.”
If you are one like me who likes to travel and commute you need the best gear to go with it and of course you need the best audio experience to enhance your trip as I for one would not be seen with below par earbuds or headphones and the same applies to what I carry my goods in as our tech travel packs can be quite expensive and you only want the best to secure it.
World running day is almost upon us too and here is a selection below of some ideas of what you can kit yourself out with for those commutes and travel plans.
For your audio experience the Jabra Elite Active 65t and the Elite Active 45e’s, two awesome sets of true wireless earbuds, offering superior sound quality for music and calls on the go. These I have personally used tried and tested and can easily recommend both there is something to suit everyone’s pocket.
For your storage worries, Fear not we have Targus bags, the Work+Play is perfect for transporting your gym gear and your laptop between, home, work and the gym so that you are always equipped with the stuff you need to keep active or to run to work.
For those who don’t want to run, the Newport Tote bag is the ultimate commuting companion, a stylish bag that is designed to cradle your laptop, alongside personal belongings so that you can walk to work in style this summer.
No Isolation (www.noisolation.com) is an Oslo-based start-up founded with the aim of reducing loneliness and involuntary social isolation through the creation and implementation of warm technology. Following the success of its first product, the AV1 telepresence robot, designed to tackle loneliness amongst children and young adults affected by long-term illness, the company has brought its second product, KOMP, to the UK. KOMP – a one button communication device, designed to connect seniors with their wider family unit – is currently used by more than 620 families in Norway.
For No Isolation, designing a product for seniors was a logical next step, following the success of AV1 and the proven efficacy of using technology to reduce loneliness. According to Age UK, 3.6 million older people in the UK live alone, with 1.9 million reporting feeling ignored and invisible. Further, in 2017, Eurostat reported that 1.1 million seniors are in contact with relatives just once a month or less. This lack of contact is exacerbated by the fact that the primary mode of communication for the elderly remains offline, and is conducted via the phone.
Discussion amongst the No Isolation team found that the key issue with having phone calls as the main mode of communication with the elderly was the need to schedule the conversations in advance, without an immediate way of communicating in the interim. Modern day communication devices and social media mean that the younger generations are able to communicate instantly – messages, videos and voice notes can be exchanged within seconds. The No Isolation team wanted to take the most useful elements of social media and introduce them to the senior population, in a product that would be designed specifically for them.
No Isolation worked with seniors, families and designers to understand exactly what features KOMP needed to work for its target user. Modifying existing technology wasn’t an option – No Isolation learnt that being exposed to a new communication tool without prior experience could be frustrating and initial failures, discouraging. As such, KOMP was designed to allow users to seamlessly receive messages, images and calls, rendering pre-existing or learnt digital skills unnecessary.
By removing all usernames and passwords, KOMP is immediately easy to grasp, giving seniors a sense of mastery over a piece of technology. During the research stage, the team also learnt that a lot of seniors experience leathery and dry fingertips when they grow older, due to decreased blood flow, making it difficult for them to use a touchscreen. As such, one large, graspable button was added to ensure ease of use.
By combining these elements with a high resolution screen and quality speakers, KOMP was created, ensuring seamless communication within the family, while focusing on the needs of seniors. The screen is placed at the senior’s house, and family and friends can connect and share content through an app. When the KOMP is turned on, the user will receive the messages, video calls and pictures sent throughout the day.
Karen Dolva, co-founder and CEO of No Isolation comments: “As a company, our goal is to make sure no one has to suffer from loneliness. We know that many seniors live alone and would like to have more contact with their family and friends. With KOMP, we want to bring all of the most magical aspects of modern day communication tools into one device, in order to ensure seamless communication between all family members, across all generations. In my own experience of using KOMP with my grandfather, I found that I was able to share so many more meaningful moments with him – images of my new home that he wasn’t able to visit, a snap of me having lunch with colleagues, and many more. Using KOMP, he was able to be a part of everything I did, filling the time between our monthly visits with near constant communication. By creating KOMP, we want to ensure that seniors feel like they are an active part of their children’s and their grandchildren’s lives, and to stop them feeling lonely, even when they aren’t physically with their family.”
KOMP was first launched in Norway in December 2017, to an overwhelmingly positive response from users. Now, more than 620 KOMPs are in active use, with an average of 7.2 people connected to each KOMP. To date, over 242,000 moments, encompassing photos, messages and video calls, had been shared through the device. In October 2018, KOMP won the NESTA Smart Ageing Prize, awarded to products and services using innovative digital technologies to support older people and allowing them to actively maintain their social life.
How KOMP works
When designing KOMP, No Isolation knew that they had to create a communication device that was simple to use and that was different to the tablets and computers currently available on the market. As such, KOMP’s key features include:
Ease of use – KOMP requires no prior digital experience. The user can receive text messages, images and video calls, with all commands performed through one, easily graspable, button. The user can decline incoming calls by turning the button to switch the KOMP off. Accepting a call requires no action from the user – the KOMP simply counts down from 10, after which the call begins automatically – offering two-way video and audio. Unlike other devices and tablets, KOMP has limited functionality, requiring no complex commands from the user – all the content, as well as device management, is done through the accompanying family app.
No touchscreen – Armed with the knowledge that many elderly people develop leathery fingers, KOMP has no touch screen and is operated by a single, easily graspable button.
Advanced screen and speakers – Accounting for the fact that many seniors are affected by reduced eyesight, with some experiencing vision loss by as much as 80%, one of KOMP’s key features is a high contrast, 17” ratio screen, which features large text and clear images, making all content easy to see. The device also includes sophisticated speakers, which produce crisp, high-quality sound, making it easier to hear and understand the person on the screen.
Customisable widgets – KOMP users can also benefit from integrated widgets – currently, users can view weather information and there is potential for future functionality, such as a clock and calendar function.
Just like the device, the KOMP family app is intuitive to use:
Familiar interface – The family app has a similar layout to other messaging services, making it simple and straightforward to use.
Personal invitations and secure streaming – An unlimited number of invite-only members can share moments through the app, giving everyone in the family the ability to communicate with the user. Additionally, No Isolation only tracks metadata, and never shares data with third parties, meaning that all content is completely secure.
Group-chat capability – An interesting by-product of the KOMP app has been that it has encouraged closeness not only between the user and the family, but amongst all family members, across generations. The group-chat nature of the app means that all family members feel up-to-date with each other and more involved in one another’s lives.
KOMP is very easy to set up, relying on a WiFi connection in the home. However, if the senior does not have WiFi, a mobile broadband connection is also sufficient to start using the device. KOMP is now available to rent or buy in the UK, costing either £39/month (minimum 3 month contract subscription) with an up front rental fee of £99, or £75 monthly subscription for eight months, with an upfront cost of £299 to purchase in full.
The KOMP app is compatible with smartphones and tablets operating iOS (9.0 or later) and Android (4.4 or later).
Company Background
Founded in 2015 by Karen Dolva, Marius Aabel and Matias Doyle, No Isolation’s first product, AV1, was launched in 2016 and is currently helping close to 900 children and young adults across Europe. Partnered with the Norwegian Cancer Society, the University of Oslo, Swedish-Finnish telecom company Telia, and several high-profile Norwegian hospitals, No Isolation received its Seal of Excellence from the European Commission in 2016. Since its introduction to the UK market, No Isolation has become a leading voice on the topic of loneliness, being featured in the government’s loneliness strategy in the autumn of 2018. The company currently has a presence in the Nordics, UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands.
A recent study has revealed that 93% of parents, of children aged 2-5 years old, believe toddlers of this age group are spending too much time in front of electronic devices.Being honest I would say we are not far behind here in Ireland and with us adults one can only imagine..
The data, by Kiddi Caru, also shows that 60% of this group have given their toddlers a tablet, with over half (57%) being just 3 years old and under.
When asked what their child uses the devices for, TV shows came out on top with 79% of toddlers using screens to watch their favourite shows. 59% use the devices to play games, the same number who use them for educational apps, and 50% for watching films.
More worryingly though, 29% of UK parents admitted they do not have screen time limits for their toddlers.
Losing Touch With Nature
When parents were questioned about the amount of outdoor time their child gets, weather permitting, 31% said they get 3 hours or less weekly outdoor time.
This is surprisingly little considering the same percentage (31%) get 2-3 hours of screen time per day, with 11% getting over 4 hours daily. If spread out evenly over the week this works out to be only 25 minutes per day.
According to the NHS physical activity guidelines for under 5s, toddlers should be physically active for at least 3 hours per day. And although this includes indoor play, it can be assumed that, for some, indoor time is being monopolised by screens.
When given a list of outdoor activities it was revealed 44% of toddlers have never held a bug, 36% haven’t collected sticks, 35% have yet to dig in mud and 30% haven’t fed ducks, all arguably priceless childhood experiences that introduce little ones to nature and wildlife.
These figures could suggest the next generation are at risk of losing touch with nature and wildlife, which is concerning in a time where conservation and being environmentally conscious is crucial.
Benefits of Outdoor Play
Outdoor play not only introduces young children to nature, it also has further developmental and health benefits, such as exposure to vitamin D and helping develop gross and fine motor skills.
Fiona Blackwell, Quality Care and Education Director at Kiddi Caru, said “Being outdoors supports children’s wellbeing. Often children are calmer and happier and more likely to engage in the learning process. Being outdoors gives the opportunity to ‘burn off’ excess energy, which in turn aids appetite and helps children to sleep better.
“Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and children do not benefit just during the summer months but in the winter during day light hours, meaning there is every reason to get outdoors in whatever weather. After all there is no such thing as bad weather just inappropriate clothing.”
Kiddi Caru Day Nurseries and Preschools are a child care group with nurseries based in the midlands and south of England. They currently have over 40 nurseries that offer exceptional care and support to babies and children from newborn to 5-years-old.
SJCAM, the action camera manufacturer who eased its way in to the market with the release of the SJ4000, is pleased to announce the launch of its new SJ9 Series. Consisting of 2 models – the SJ9 Strike and SJ9 Max, both the new cameras feature some impressive specifications. The most powerful SJCAM cameras to date, the SJ9 Strike and SJ9 Max are the perfect companions to any adventures you have planned – both above and below water. With a 2.33” touch screen display and 1300mAH battery on both models, the new cameras also introduce the below features:
Waterproof Leave the waterproof case behind – the new SJ9 models are both waterproof up to 10m deep without any housing. The sleek new design and waterproofing make both cameras perfect for any underwater adventures.
Supersmooth Gyro Stabilization Capture every moment in crisp, clear detail thanks to the supersmooth gyro stabilization. Make shaky images a thing of the past – both the SJ9 Strike and SJ9 Max give you the capability to make vibrant, sharp videos. The SJ9 Strike boasts a six-axis Gyroscope, whilst the SJ9 Max includes a three-axis Gyroscope.
Livestream Show adventures as they happen with the new Live Stream feature. Simply use the SJCAM app to select streaming with either Facebook or YouTube, choose the WiFi network and start streaming!
Wireless Charging Charging your camera becomes a breeze with the new SJ9 Strike and SJ9 Max. Say goodbye to cables and hello to simple, hassle free charging!
Impressive specifications The SJ9 Strike model also features the best components from previous SJCAM models. The super powerful Amabarella H22S85 chipset and the Sony_IMX377 image sensor means it can record 4K at 60fps and even 240fps at 1080p. These high specifications also mean the timelapse can be used with intervals up to 30 minutes, slow up footage of up 8x, digital zoom and much more. Let your passion for adventure guide you – the new SJ9 are ready to go wherever you choose!
Pricing and Availability: The new SJ9 Max and SJ9 Strike are available for pre order now. Approximate pricing will be: :: SJ9 Strike – RRP £209 :: SJ9 Max – RRP £159 For more information and to pre order visit https://sjcam.com/product/sj9/
