Dyson whom we all know are the makers of super duper hoovers for our homes are said to make a move on improving our smartphones battery life,today its still an almost daily topic on how long our battery lasts and if Dyson pull it off it could change things for the best.
A University of Michigan spin-off called Sakti3 has developed a new type of solid-state battery that can store twice as much energy as a typical rechargeable battery.Dyson has invested £10 million with the firm Sakti3.
Founder James Dyson said: “Sakti3 has achieved leaps in performance, which current battery technology simply can’t.
“It’s these fundamental technologies – batteries, motors – that allow machines to work properly.”
Today we travel quite often and often the question appears ,will my phone work over in another country,not only that we are now importing phones into Ireland more than ever,with new OEMs on the rise people are importing mobile devices every day and its popular,a prime example would be the One Plus One,people now buy from Amazon,Ebay or Aliexpress etc in the hunt for good bargains for a new device..
This new tool is quite handy to test if a device you see will work,with a database updated quite regular its keeping people informed as much as possible and its been mentioned a few times on some of our local boards.
Will my phone work
Have you ever asked the question, “Will my mobile phone work with a certain mobile carrier?” Or perhaps you’re traveling to another country and want to make sure your smartphone works there. You could even be selling a cellular phone and need a website to point people to when they ask if the phone works for a certain carrier. WillMyPhoneWork.net can help you find the answer you’re looking for.
Its an easy pain free process to complete which is detailed below…First select a Brand.
Then you can pick a model number and a variant option may apply which will be listed in the drop down menu..
Next up then is to enter carrier and country a list will appear here of what is available so we just used our own network and picked a BlackBerry Passport for a test case..
Then you get the results presented to you in a nice simple to read layout which is very easy to understand.
NOTE
When performing a search, you will be presented with three networks: 2G, 3G, and 4G. A check mark means that the device is compatible on that network and will work. A red X means that the device is not compatible on that network and will not work.
For the technical savvy, we have included the network frequencies that match between the device and the mobile carrier. Also, we consider HSPA+ to be 3G.
Note: Will My Phone Work assumes that your device is unlocked or allowed to be run on the desired mobile network. Certain carriers such as Verizon USA have an “approved list” of devices. This means that although the phone is capable to work on the carriers network, the carrier blocks it. Also, some carriers make frequencies/bands available only to specific regions.
Something of this nature happened last year sometime or the year before with a Dunnes Stores prize which you will receive via sms on your mobile phone.These messages seem to go around for a while and the fade off but they are back..
The SMS contains a link which will look like the following below.How on earth they have my name too is another mystery but be warned regardless. Last year there was similar with an interflora message which you can read HERE There is no number on the sms either to document.
So after this we decided to open the message we have several sim cards and devices at hand so we don’t mind investigating these things.You will then get the two following screens.
So then you proceed further on and you get brought to the Android store, where we see this has been an issue by the reports users have made in the comments section,so ignore this sms if you have downloaded the app,remove it and perhaps run a test with Avast or similar..Common sense will tell you not to open any link or text but sadly it happens.. And here is the twitter account belong to these guys thats dormant a long time now Tokens App
With the smartwatch slowly gathering pace here in Ireland its set to become the norm to own one in a few years,prices are still rather high though to move people to it and many do like wearables such as fitness trackers.,The smartwatch has changed rather fast over the last year or two and they are now becoming more capable than ever.
We are all aware of Banking apps,they are on the top platforms like iOS and Android and we also have Apps optimized for tablets,this is fine for the majority but Windows Phone users are lacking the pleasure here to use banking apps bar one bank,With Windows having a 11% approx market share i think its time these banks woke up and gave its customers the app they want,i am not going to go into this long repetitive argument and moan about it but the banks have constantly fobbed off users regarding Windows apps and its the same scripted nonsense each time.
Moving on, the Irish Independent reports that AIB is working on smartwatch apps which they have along with others already started with the Apple watch,it is now in testing as we speak.
Fergal Coburn, AIB’s head of direct channels said: “Most leading commentators in the emerging technology space are saying that ‘wearable’ technology will be big in the future across all aspects of our lives from monitoring our health to guiding our purchases – for this reason AIB wants to know what our customers think of ‘wearable’ and more specifically how would they like to see AIB leverage ‘wearable’ to deliver exceptional customer experiences for them.”
So this is what to expect in the future folks,less time on our mobiles and more on our wrist.
QR codes are those square boxes you often see on the internet which allow you to scan codes which give you a direct URL which i find is much better than searching for them manually so in short they make life that much simpler which is what we all like and we are here to talk about a new startup called Codacast which one of our readers Michael Connolly brought to our attention this morning and then we touched base with Mark White who is a Post Graduate from NUI and Software engineer from Galway.
Q1 – How did Codacast come about and why?
I was enjoying a meal one evening in a local restaurant and wanted to recommend it to my friends on Facebook. I took a photo of the menu and posted it on my timeline. After sending it occurred to me that there should be some way to share the experience other than taking a photograph. A few days later, in what appeared at the time to be a completely unrelated event, I was handed a loyalty card with a QR Code on it in my local petrol station which you scan at the point-of-sale each time you visit. Scanning adds points to your loyalty ‘score’ and offers the chance to enter a monthly draw. It was from a ‘fusion’ of these two concepts (Facebook sharing and QR code scanning) that the idea for Codacast came about.
Q2 – What can Codacast offer its customers and why Codacast ?
When a person scans a Codacast QR Code they are automatically prompted to share it on their Facebook timeline before being redirected to the URL (web address) embedded in the code. This is the Codacast USP. A single scan of the code results in advertising the embedded link to as many friends as the ‘scanner’ has on Facebook.
Codacast codes are also brandable, differentiating one company’s code from another and – consolidating their brand. In addition, code scanning is tracked by the Codacast Analytics Engine so that customers can monitor the performance of the codes they create in real-time via their online account – providing invaluable Return-on-Investment (ROI) data.
The Background
Although ubiquitous in Japan for the last number of years (80% of Japanese people currently scan at least one QR code per day), QR Codes have had a somewhat ‘checkered’ past in the Western world –
due to
having to download an app to read / scan the code
all codes looking the same [black and white squares]
lack of engaging applications
Founded last September (2014) by Software Engineer and recent NUI Galway MSc (IT) post-graduate Mark White (that’s me!), Codacast has addressed the latter 2 of these 3 issues. Following extensive pilot testing of Codacast’s marketing and promotional features at a number of events in recent weeks, we are confident that public usage of QR Codes will continue to rise as increasingly-engaging applications result in the technology becoming an integral part of the interface between printed media (e.g. business cards, flyers, posters) and the web (happily living side-by-side with NFC).
Samples
The Codacast USP
When a person scans a Codacast QR Code they are automatically prompted to share it on their Facebook timeline before being redirected to the URL (web address) embedded in the code. So a single scan of the code results in advertising the embedded link to as many friends as the ‘scanner’ has on Facebook.
Other Features
Codacast codes are also brandable, differentiating one company’s code from another and – consolidating their brand. In addition, code scanning is tracked by the Codacast Analytics Engine so that customers can monitor the performance of the codes they create in real-time via their online account – providing invaluable Return-on-Investment.
Codacast is due to officially launch on Monday 13th April next. Until launch, a free trial is available on the website www.codacast.com
We all remember the snazzy watches Swatch are known for years ago,well they have plans to come hit the smartwatch game.I did have one or two of these watches back in the say but they don’t seem popular nowadays,or else i have missed something…Personally i have not seen many about…but they are quite nice it must be said.
Recently they announced the Touch Zero which is by no means smart but its a step in the direction they want to go.
New Swatch Touch Zero One combines design & cool new Beach Volley functions for players and fans – Step Counter, Power Hits and Power Claps. Dig the fun, track the action & collect your reward… Beach Volleyball is played all over the world, on beaches and in stadiums filled with huge crowds stomping their feet and clapping their hands as the action kicks up thrills and chills. Swatch and Beach Volley go way back – and now there’s a new Swatch Touch that makes the game even more exciting! Swatch Touch Zero One takes the already popular Swatch Touch one step further, adding great new functions to pump up the excitement for both players and fans. It has all the Touch features that already make it so successful, from the curved touchscreen and built-in backlight to finger-tap and side-swipe access to six timing functions. On top of all that, Swatch Touch Zero One is a touchscreen Swatch with fingerfun access to multiple Beach Volley functions right on the Swatch, and tons more information when connected to the free Touch Zero One App. Swiss Made, it’s a Swatch, so there’s no need to charge it up every night—the standard Swatch battery lasts for months and months. Even before it’s hooked up to the App, three Beach Volley functions are right at your fingertips on the touchscreen display.
Swatch Group AG plans to start selling a smartwatch within the next three months, potentially pitting the Swiss maker of colorful plastic timepieces against the debut of the Apple Watch.
The device will communicate via a form of technology known as NFC and won’t have to be charged, Chief Executive Officer Nick Hayek said in an interview. The Swatch smartwatch will also let consumers make mobile payments and work with Windows and Android software, he said.
Hayek is ready to go head-to-head with Apple Inc., which has scheduled its smartwatch introduction for April. The market for such timepieces, which enable phone or data communication, will probably reach about $10 billion in 2018, Citigroup Inc. analysts forecast last year, with half of the market coming from traditional watch wearers switching to the devices.
Swatch has decades of experience developing technology that might go into a smartwatch, such as long-lasting batteries so thin they’re bendable. The company’s Tissot brand has made watches with touch-screens since 1999 that now offer an altimeter, a compass, and sensors to record a diver’s descent.
Skeptic’s U-turn
Hayek has been skeptical about the smartwatch’s potential. Two years ago, he said that he didn’t think the smartwatch would be a “revolution” for the industry. He has repeatedly voiced concern that watch screens are too small for communicating and that such devices might need too much charging. Last year, he said Swatch won’t participate in a race to be first in developing the products because of consumer resistance. He once said Swatch’s luxury brands such as Blancpain are smartwatches because “they make you look smart.”
“Entrepreneurs are practical people, and they care more about being successful than being consistent,” said Luca Solca, an analyst at Exane BNP Paribas. “Hayek has always said they have relevant technology for a smartwatch — sensors, display, battery — and seems to be set to make the most if it. Better to have an option and a hand in this category than not to. Nobody can yet say how relevant smartwatches will be in the end.”
Mobile phone theft is pretty big still,not only here in Ireland but worldwide and its a pretty lucrative business often seeing teams of organised criminals moving from country to country to carry out this crime and in recent times its made headlines here in Ireland too.Not taking your mobile phone out in public is not an easy task we all do it we are at risk.
The Gardai have launched a National ‘Crime Prevention Day of Action’. which happens tomorrow,March 12th.
A quarter of mobile phones stolen between midnight and 4am
– After mobile phones, cash and credit cards are the most common item stolen
– A third of thefts from persons involve a ‘snatch and grab’ in public
– Half of all thefts from persons, robbery from persons and assaults happen between Friday and Sunday
An Garda Síochána has today (March 12, 2015) released figures and advice on how the public can protect themselves and their property while out and about.
As part of a National Crime Prevention Day of Action, Gardai are advising people to take some common sense steps to minimise the risk to themselves and their property.
This “streetwise” approach includes:
– Planning your journey, telling someone where you’re going, and using well lit routes to get there
– Being observant and concealing your valuables
– Avoiding making mobile phone calls in public places, but if you have to make or receive a call in public, always do so with your back up against a wall or a shop window etc so that you can see around you and reduce the opportunity to be attacked from behind
– Being wary of strangers and avoiding confrontation
“We want people to enjoy themselves when out, and taking a few easy steps can greatly reduce the chances of their day or night being ruined. These include remaining observant, be conscious of your alcohol intake, don’t make it easy for a thief to take your phone by leaving it on the table, and avoid walking in dark locations. Working together, we can reduce the opportunities available to criminals,” said Sergeant Alan Roughneen of the National Crime Prevention Unit.
The National Crime Prevention Day of Action will see Gardaí around the country engage with communities to provide practical advice to enhance personal safety and security.
Advice leaflets are available on the right and further crime prevention information is available on www.garda.ie
WIRED and Nokia announced maketechhuman, a new initiative created to start a conversation about technology, its role in society, and whether it truly serves humanity. The goal of the initiative is to identify opportunities and challenges created by technology, and then shape the future in a positive direction through conversation, awareness, and content.
“Although technology has ushered in an extremely exciting era of unprecedented productivity, convenience, collaboration, and creativity, it’s also shaken up our security, our privacy, and our jobs in many ways. As the role of technology continues to expand our lives, we feel it’s time to start a conversation to ensure that technology serves humanity and not the other way around,” says Barry French, Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Nokia. “Nokia turns 150 years old in May of this year. Our aim is to expand the human possibilities of the connected world and, true to that vision, we look forward to the future with a desire to talk about both the challenges and the extraordinary potential of our technological path ahead.”
“We are very excited to launch this important and timely conversation with Nokia,” said Kim Kelleher, publisher and chief revenue officer. “WIRED has always been optimistic about the future of technology.”
WIRED and Nokia launched a content hub-a first-of-its-kind narrative on WIRED.com. Throughout the duration of the initiative, the hub will serve as place for users to share their enthusiasm and concerns about technology. Based on user feedback, topics will be determined and content will be created. Videos, short web posts, and long form articles will be published regularly by WIRED’s Brand Lab, comprised of industry luminaries, experts, and notable writers.
Later in the fall, WIRED and Nokia will hold the first-ever maketechhuman Summit-an event that will highlight the innovative solutions for the important issues uncovered throughout the initiative. The program will wrap with a documentary recapping the key learnings.
People can begin submitting topics for consideration today here or via social media with the hashtag #maketechhuman.
Whilst battery life may be improving slightly these days its not good enough,our phones are getting bigger,screens getting better and the battery it still behind its an ongoing tech cycle,think back to when we had small phones and wanted bigger phones but the battery technology was behind..Back then we did however have phones that would last for days on one charge but these phones are not as capable as today’s mobile devices.Given that there is phones that still last days but these are dumb phones which are slowly dwindling away.
Samples of some phones that could last days on one charge back in the day.
This however varies by individual,today we are more on our devices than ever its a fact and we are now entering into a new era with a term called battery anxiety.Something we have been working on a while and will be discussing soon on the big screen and how we can avoid it.The average smartphone user would see through the day on one charge but there is always the thought of our battery running out or realising when its too late.
However with phones such as the Note Edge below there is ample battery life,this is fine once you are the average user,but if you are a power user you may find things different,given that you can now charge some phones in a space of a few minutes with fast charging is it enough ?
The Irish examiner reports the following..
Irish and American scientists are to receive more than €1m to research new ways to improve the battery life of mobile phones and other portable devices.
Researchers at the Tyndall National Institute in University College Cork, Dublin City University, Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Texas in Dallas are to collaborate on the three-year project which aims to reduce power consumption in mobile devices.
Researchers will also explore new materials in the miniaturisation of transistors which are essential to all portable devices.
The project is to receive €343,000 from Science Foundation Ireland, £319,859 from Invest NI and $420,000 from the National Science Foundation in the US.
The Irish and American scientists are collaborating to develop ultra-efficient electronic materials through the Unite project: Understanding the nature of interfaces in two-dimensional electronic devices.
Unite will create and test the properties of atomically-thin layers of semiconductors called transition metal dichalcogenides. These are 100,000 times smaller than the smallest thing the human eye can see. The properties these materials have displayed suggest they could facilitate extremely efficient power usage and high performance computing.
“Materials that we are currently reliant on, such as silicon, are soon expected to reach the limit of their performance,” said Tyndall’s lead researcher Dr Paul Hurley.
“If we want to continue to increase performance, while maintaining or even reducing power consumption, it is important to explore these new transition metal dichalcogenides materials.”
The application of these materials in transistors could prolong the battery charge life of portable devices and phones, as well as having applications in larger more power-intensive operations like data storage and server centres.
Unite builds on a previous highly successful US-Ireland collaborative project between these academic research partners called Focus. The success of this project played a role in demonstrating why funders should back the new project, including training for five graduate students in the USA and Ireland, as well as student exchanges between the institutes.
