ASUS announced the virtual launch event for the highly anticipated Zenfone 11 Ultra, taking place on 14th March at 12:00 BST.The Zenfone 11 Ultra launch event will be streamed online, allowing tech enthusiasts and media representatives from around the world to witness the unveiling of this revolutionary device.
Experience this powerful smartphone that blends cutting-edge hardware, innovative software, and elegant design into one stunning device. This new mobile experience is redefined by innovative Al features that offer unmatched user interaction and seamless capture of life’s moments.
Japanese high-end audio pioneers, Final, introduces the VR500 wired Gaming Earphones, delivering an extraordinary gaming audio experience without breaking the bank. The VR500 sets a new standard for affordable immersive audio, offering gamers a high-end experience at a remarkably low price.
The VR500 specialises in “sound image localization” in order to accurately reproduce the direction of sound, providing gamers with a three-dimensional soundstage for a heightened sense of realism and immersion. Whether you’re in the midst of a battle or exploring a virtual world, Final’s expertise in high-end audio is evident in the VR500 – elevating your gaming experience to new heights.
The VR500 features Final’s newly developed precision-tuned dynamic drivers that deliver exceptional audio clarity at a fraction of the cost of other gaming earphones and headphones. From subtle in-game cues to explosive sound effects, the VR500 ensures an immersive gaming experience without the premium price tag.
In games, sound effects and dialogue are localised to the creator’s intended position and can be heard clearly, making it easy to identify each sound even in situations where sound effects overlap – allowing deeper immersion into a wide array of digital dimensions.
Designed for extended gaming sessions, the VR500 prioritises comfort without compromising affordability, and comes with a wide selection of Final’s own superior quality silicone eartips, ensuring a secure and comfortable fit. The compact, ergonomic design and lightweight build allow gamers to enjoy extended playtime without discomfort.
Not only is the VR500 ideal for gaming, when it comes to music, the position of vocals and instruments becomes clearer, and sounds can be heard separately without being muddied by other frequencies – allowing you to enjoy your favourite music with new insight and clarity.
With audio content such as ASMR, you can feel the distance between the voice and your ears more clearly, giving you a vivid sensation as if you were in the room yourself.
The in-line microphone ensures clear communication with teammates during multiplayer gaming sessions, or distraction-free voice calls while on the move.
The one button control can play/pause, skip tracks and take calls with ease.
Crafted with durability in mind, the Final Audio VR500 is built to withstand the rigors of intense gaming sessions. The tough ABS resin material used in its construction ensures longevity, making the VR500 a reliable companion for gamers. On top of that, the new Matte Grey colour coating makes fingerprints and dirt less noticeable.
The VR500 represents a significant leap forward in gaming audio technology. Final believe that exceptional gaming audio should be accessible to all gamers, regardless of budget constraints. The VR500 is a testament to their commitment to delivering premium sound at an unbeatable price, ensuring that every gamer can experience the joy of high-quality audio. The E500 is not just a pair of earphones; they are a gateway to a new dimension of gaming audio.
The Final Audio VR500 Gaming Earphones are now available to buy through Amazon and selected retailers across the UK and EU for £29.99/€34.99 – offering an unmatched combination of performance and affordability.
After the success of last year’s programme, IDEATE Ireland is returning for 2024. The initiative uncovers and empowers Ireland’s next generation of entrepreneurs, helping to turn their brilliant ideas into thriving international businesses.
IDEATE Ireland is now seeking applications for its 2024 competition, where candidates can develop their business ideas through mentoring and workshops, apply for start-up support and pitch for cash funding. Applications open on Wednesday, 14th February and will be accepted until midnight on Tuesday, 19 March. Last year’s winners were Array Patch founded by Dr. Waleed Faisal, Dr Ziad Sartawi and Dr Caroline Blackshields of University College Cork. ArrayPatch is a propriety wearable microneedle patch (MN) that treats local diseases. First runner-up was LEP Biomedical, led by Dr. Alan Hibbitts, Dr. Golestan Salimbeigi, and Dr. Tauseef Ahmad of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, who are on a mission to transform glaucoma surgeries.
As great ideas can come from anyone and anywhere, IDEATE Ireland is open to undergraduate, postgraduate or research students from any academic institution or research centre on the island of Ireland. The ten best submissions will be invited to participate in a 10-week mentoring and support programme and compete for a €20k prize fund.
“Last year’s cohort of IDEATE showed us yet again the extraordinary potential that entrepreneurs in this country have”, said Helen Fullen. “We’re looking forward to finding and working with this year’s participants and to continue inspiring future business leaders through the competition. We believe ideas can change the world; that’s why we’re just as excited and ambitious about our entrepreneurs’ projects as they are. Through IDEATE Ireland, entrepreneurs are provided expert guidance and support in a focused, motivational, and hands-on environment, making it an invaluable and rewarding experience.”
“We’re looking forward to writing the next chapter of Ireland’s leading third-level start-up competition with IDEATE Ireland”, added Chairman of IDEATE Ireland David Moffitt. “The competition’s success over the past 12 years highlights the importance of providing entrepreneurs across the island of Ireland with education, mentorship, and a robust business network. Our mission is to capture the imagination of Ireland’s brightest minds, enabling and empowering them to make a lasting contribution to the global economy, employment, and society. We have a deep bench of alumni who are ready and willing to engage with the next generation of Irish entrepreneurs, offering them support and feedback; it’s also great to have the support of Key Capital and PwC Ireland as pillar sponsors for this year’s competition. We’re determined to sustain and grow this network to ensure IDEATE Ireland continues to be the best start entrepreneurs can get on the island of Ireland.”
Conor Killeen, Chairman of Key Capital, is looking forward to supporting entrepreneurs throughout the competition: “Our goal is to develop commercial know-how and allow the entrepreneurs to engage with like-minded people so that their business can have a global impact. Entrepreneurs can speed up their learning through exposure to the best in the business.”
Adding to this, Doone O’Doherty, People Partner at PwC Ireland, said: “IDEATE Ireland offers a tremendous platform to nurture emerging entrepreneurial talent. We look forward to exploring the diverse ideas being developed by entrepreneurs nationwide and offering them structured guidance to help their businesses thrive.”
This year’s IDEATE Ireland sponsors are PwC, Key Capital, Guinness Enterprise Centre, Each & Other, and Ormeau Baths.
HP Ireland issued its quarterly HP Wolf Security Threat Insights Report, showing attackers are continuing to find innovative ways to influence users and infect endpoints. The HP Wolf Security threat research team uncovered several notable campaigns including:
PDF Malware is on the rise: 11% of malware analysed in Q4 used PDFs to deliver malware, compared to just 4% in Q1 and Q2 2023. A notable example was a WikiLoader campaign using a fake parcel delivery PDF to trick users into installing Ursnif malware.
DarkGate campaign uses Ad tools to sharpen attacks: Malicious PDF attachments, posing as OneDrive error messages, direct users to sponsored content hosted on a popular ad network. This leads to DarkGate malware.
By using ad services, threat actors can analyse which lures generate clicks and infect the most users – helping them refine campaigns for maximum impact.
Threat actors can use CAPTCHA tools to prevent sandboxes from scanning malware and stopping attacks by ensuring only humans click.
DarkGate hands backdoor access to cybercriminals into networks, exposing victims to risks like data theft and ransomware.
A shift from Macros to Office exploits: In Q4,at least 84% of attempted intrusions involving spreadsheets, and 73% involving Word documents, sought to exploit vulnerabilities in Office applications – continuing the trend away from macro-enabled Office attacks. But macro-enabled attacks still have their place, particularly for attacks leveraging cheap commodity malware like Agent Tesla and XWorm.
Discord and TextBin being used to host malicious files: Threat actors are usinglegitimate file and text sharing websites to host malicious files. These sites are often trusted by organisations, helping the sites to avoid anti-malware scanners, increasing attackers’ chances of remaining undetected.
Val Gabriel, Managing Director at HP Ireland, comments:“Our latest report highlights how cybercriminals are becoming more and more agile in understanding how we work and the easiest ways to breach systems. For example, the design of popular cloud services is always being refined, so when a fake error message appears, it won’t necessarily raise an alarm, even if a user hasn’t seen it before. With GenAI generating even more convincing malicious content at little-to-no cost, distinguishing real from fake is expected to become more difficult.
“By isolating threats that have evaded detection tools on PCs – but still allowing malware to detonate safely – HP Wolf Security has specific insight into the latest techniques used by cybercriminals in the fast-changing cybercrime landscape.”
To date, HP Wolf Security customers have clicked on over 40 billion email attachments, web pages, and downloaded files with no reported breaches.
The report details how cybercriminals continue to diversify attack methods to bypass security policies and detection tools. Other findings include:
Archives were the most popular malware delivery type for the seventh quarter running, used in 30% of malware analysed by HP.
At least 14% of email threats identified by HP Sure Click bypassed one or more email gateway scanners.
The top threat vectors in Q3 were email (75%), downloads from browsers (13%) and other means like USB drives (12%).
Dr. Ian Pratt, Global Head of Security for Personal Systems at HP Inc., comments: “Cybercriminals are applying the same tools a business might use to manage a marketing campaign to optimise their malware campaigns, increasing the likelihood the user will take the bait. To protect against well-resourced threat actors, organisations must follow zero trust principles, isolating and containing risky activities like opening email attachments, clicking on links, and browser downloads.”
HP Wolf Security* runs risky tasks in isolated, hardware-enforced virtual machines running on the endpoint to protect users, without impacting their productivity. It also captures detailed traces of attempted infections. HP’s application isolation technology mitigates threats that can slip past other security tools and provides unique insights into intrusion techniques and threat actor behavior.
Get ready to bag that Dyson product you’ve always wanted at a discounted price, with Dyson’s amazing deals during their “Dyson Week” sale. Beat the cost of living crisis with discounts on essential Dyson products during Dyson Week (starts now and ends on 5th of March) .
If you are a fan of Dyson products which there are many or need something new here is the chance to pick up something right now..
Guerbet, a pioneer global pharmaceutical company specializing in medical imaging and contrast agents, has launched its first solar farm at its API manufacturing site in Dublin, coinciding with the celebration of its 30th year in operation.
2.4MW solar farm will meet 18% of the company’s total electricity requirements:
Guerbet entered a contract with Enerpower powered by Greenvolt, a leading renewable energy company, for the construction of a 2.4MW solar farm at the Guerbet site in Damastown in 2022.
The two companies entered into a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement where Guerbet has guaranteed to purchase the solar PV electrical power for a period of 20 years. The solar farm is constructed on land owned by Guerbet and will provide the equivalent to the electricity consumption of 500 households.
The project will deliver 18% of the site’s electrical power on an annualised basis, and during the peak summer months could potentially power the plant without addition of electricity from the grid during daylight hours.
The initiative aligns with Guerbet’s strategy and its People and Planet Corporate Social Responsibility positioning for reducing carbon footprint as it looks forward to the next 30 years.
David Hale, CEO of Guerbet Group indicates: “At Guerbet, our purpose is ‘Building lasting relationships that enable people to live better’, and preserving our planet is a foundational part of that purpose. In 2023, we made a commitment validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) to reduce our carbon emissions by 27,5% for Scope 1+2 and 13,5% for Scope 3 by 2032. Our partnership with Enerpower is a great example of a relationship that will help us achieve those objectives.”
David Forde, Site Lead at Guerbet Dublin said:“Guerbet has a long history of innovation, growth, and service in the pharmaceutical industry. This new Corporate Power Purchase Agreement will produce renewable electricity for our API manufacturing site in Damastown and is a significant development in our long-term strategy to significantly reduce carbon emissions at the site. Guerbet joined the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) which encourages ambitious climate action in the private sector by allowing companies to set science-based emission reduction targets. This is a further step on that journey.”
It also comes as the company celebrates 30-years of operation in Ireland. Over the past three decades, Guerbet has continuously strived for excellence, delivering cutting-edge medical imaging solutions and contrast agents to healthcare professionals worldwide, as well as offering highly skilled employment in the area.”
John Carty, CCO of Enerpower powered by Greenvolt stated, “We are delighted to partner with Guerbet on their first solar energy project. Similarly to Guerbet’s ethos we too endeavour to build lasting relationships with our customers and are delighted to add Guerbet to our list of clients using solar energy in Ireland.”
Guerbet marks 30 years of operation in Ireland, employing over 130 skilled workers
The site in Dublin began production in 1994 and currently boasts a workforce of over 130 skilled professionals at the Damastown location. This local presence contributes to the company’s global footprint, which spans across the 5 continents with 2,830 employees worldwide.
Guerbet develops and manufacture contrast media, which are instrumental in improving the visibility of internal organs, blood vessels, and tissues during medical imaging procedures.
Every second, somewhere in the world a patient undergoes an imaging procedure with a Guerbet product. More than 60,000 health professionals rely on the contrast agents to diagnose disease and assess treatment efficacy.
The League of Ireland has announced the introduction of the EA SPORTS LOI Academy MU20 League to replace the existing MU19 League as the 2024 EA SPORTS LOI Academy was launched today.
The introduction of the EA SPORTS LOI Academy MU20 League comes in to allow players in the final age group of the system every opportunity to develop and progress into senior League of Ireland teams.
The move will see players be retained longer in the EA SPORTS LOI Academy system and it will provide players with the additional time they may need to physically mature and develop as a player. Additionally, the Future Developers rule has been extended to include first year MU20 players who can now play across age groups also.
The launch of the EA SPORTS LOI Academy Leagues for 2024 also sees the introduction of Mayo Football Club to the League of Ireland for the first time.
Mayo FC will be represented by MU14, MU15 and WU17 teams in their respective EA SPORTS LOI Academy games programmes.
Kerry FC’s introduction to the League of Ireland is also extended as they will enter a WU17 team for the first time.
With the most amount of players and teams, the 2024 EA SPORTS LOI Academy Leagues will be the biggest ever in the League of Ireland.
Clubs who have both boys and girls EA SPORTS LOI Academy teams will have the option to play female players with the boys as a player development tool also next season. WU17 players will be allowed to play at MU14 & MU15 level and WU19 players will be allowed to play at MU15 & MU17 level.
League of Ireland Academy Development Manager, Will Clarke, said:“We’re very excited to launch this years EA SPORTS LOI Academy Development Programme. The introduction of the EA SPORTS LOI Academy MU20 League will give players even more opportunities of fulfilling their potential and achieving their aim of playing for senior League of Ireland teams. We’re also delighted to have Mayo FC enter the League of Ireland with their new EA SPORTS LOI Academy teams as well as seeing football grow further in Kerry with their new WU17 team. Last season we expanded the games programme by hosting several successful events and we look forward to more new events in 2024. We would like to thank EA SPORTS for their continued support in helping to develop the next generation of Irish footballer and I’d like to wish all players, coaches, referees, club officials and volunteers the best of luck ahead of the new season.”
James Taylor, Director – Football Partnerships at EA SPORTS FC, said:“We are proud to support the EA SPORTS League of Ireland Academy for the second year, as we continue our commitment to the grassroots game and help to develop young, aspiring talent in Ireland. It’s a real privilege to be a part of each player’s journey as they navigate their way through the player pathway to hopefully become a future star of the world’s game. We look forward to continuing to support the clubs, league and players across the country for Season 24.”
Creative Technology today announced the release of the Creative Pebble X and Creative Pebble X Plus, the latest additions to the acclaimed Pebble series. These beautifully tuned speakers are set to transform the users’ workstations or any setup into an immersive sound sanctuary. Boasting an impressive RMS power of up 30W and a peak power of up to 60W, both the 2.0 and 2.1 speakers promise superior listening experience across music, movies, and gaming. Apart from their audio prowess, these latest speakers dazzle with customizable RGB lighting, allowing users to create a pulsating lightshow to match any mood. Along with wired and wireless modes, these latest speakers serve as an excellent choice for those looking for a premium desktop audio upgrade.
Pebble X Creative Pebble X Plus
Experience the perfect blend of stunning audio and captivating aesthetics with the Creative Pebble X Series.
Pebble’s Sound Signature
The Creative Pebble X series makes its debut, packing a hefty audio punch with enhanced custom-tuned 2.75″ full-range drivers for a truly immersive listening experience. Both models boast the iconic 45° elevated design, meticulously angled for an optimized listening experience.
Taking the audio game up a notch, the Creative Pebble X Plus sports a sleek subwoofer with dual passive radiators, designed to be compact enough to sit seamlessly on any desk setup. With added features like Dialog+ and BassFlex, these latest speakers can deliver powerful bass and crystal-clear spoken dialogues without compromising volume.
Despite their small footprint, these speakers can envelop users with an acoustic power output reaching up to 15W RMS and a peak of 30W when plugged into a PC port. When connected to a 30W (or higher) PD adaptor*, these speakers truly shine as it can deliver a peak power of up to 60W, unleashing their complete audio potential for an outstanding listening experience.
Illuminate Your Soundstage Effortlessly
Experience a burst of colour with customizable RGB lighting, offering a palette of 16.8 million hues and six built-in presets. It’s a fun way for users to personalize their workspaces, matching their unique styles for an immersive audio-visual experience.
Connectivity is also a breeze, with support for wired and wireless modes, including USB audio playback, Bluetooth 5.3, and a universal 3.5 mm AUX input port. In addition, the dual ports for headphones and microphones also add convenience for communications and late-night private listening.
To unlock the full potential of the speakers, users can easily download the Creative app on Windows. This app grants users’ access to the Sound Blaster Acoustic Engine audio technologies, such as Surround, Smart Volume, Bass, Crystallizer and EQ. Users can also personalize the RGB lighting and other features using the Creative app’s modules, which are available on Windows, the Apple App Store, and the Google Play Store.
Pricing and Availability
Creative Pebble X is priced at US$89.99, UK£84.99, EU€99.99 and is available for pre-order at Creative.com.
From today, students at the University of Edinburgh’s Kings Buildings campus will be able to order takeaway food to be delivered piping hot to wherever they are…by a robot.
The system is being piloted by University of Edinburgh startup Pixconvey, whose founder, artificial intelligence and robotics PhD student Ebtehal Alotaibi, is on a mission to increase trust in autonomous vehicles since losing her aunt in a car accident caused by driver error.
Ms Alotaibi said: “I lost my aunt in 2014 in a car accident that also claimed her husband’s life. She was just 30 years old, and their three children are left without their parents.
“It was the fault of another driver, and I can’t accept that someone could pass away because of someone else’s behaviour when driving. I did some research and found that 94 per cent of car accidents are caused by human error, so there is a lot of potential for driverless vehicles to be safer.”
She wanted to create an autonomous taxi, but after receiving commercialisation advice, she decided to start with a “smaller prototype with a happy face”, which uses the same driverless technology.
Her custom-built robots, Pixie 1 and 2, adapted from the Bayes Centre’s HUSKY model, will deliver orders from the Kings Buildings’ Café in the library to students across campus in a pilot that she hopes could eventually be rolled out across the city.
The team is supported by Edinburgh Innovations, the University’s commercialisation service.
Alotaibi said:
“Getting takeaway food delivered is increasingly expensive, partly due to labour costs and shortages. Where cars are used, it also increases greenhouse gas emissions and, during the pandemic, there were hygiene concerns too. We think Pixconvey can address all these issues: electric vehicles have zero emissions, our business model is an affordable monthly subscription for the restaurant, and the robot sanitises the food cartons using LED rays.
“We hope that it will also create high quality jobs, for instance the technicians who operate and maintain the robots, or the insurers who will have to address this new field of activity.”
Although the Pixconvey robot can navigate roads, traffic lights and pedestrian crossings once it has mapped the terrain, current UK road regulations do not allow for autonomous vehicles without following specific protocols. A successful campus trial would pave the way for a road trial.
Alotaibi added:
“Our robots constantly map their surroundings and can navigate around people, traffic and dogs (who really don’t like them!). But regulation is not yet set up for autonomous vehicles, which is why we are trialling it in a campus environment.”
She will collaborate with Kings Building’s catering service, which will integrate the widely-used Upay takeaway app with Alotaibi’s Pixconvey app. When ordering, if the student choses ‘delivery’, they can specify the location and choose a timeslot. Once the order is ready, the catering staff loads the food into the robot’s cargo.
Using the Pixconvey dashboard, the staff dispatches the robot, which autonomously navigates to the delivery location. Upon arrival, indicated by a dashboard notification, the catering personnel remotely opens the robot’s cargo door. The customer retrieves their order and closes the door, and the robot takes itself back to the catering area.
Dr John Lonsdale, Head of Enterprise at Edinburgh Innovations, said:
“It’s great to see another of our student entrepreneurs showing their ingenuity and initiative to develop new technologies. We are delighted to be able to support Ebtehal in her innovation journey.”
The project also provides a digital twin – a simulation environment enabling researchers to test and refine their algorithms while the robots are operational, both for research and development purposes.
Alotaibi’s PhD supervisor at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics, Dr Michael Herrmann, said:
“This project also provides a test bed for students and researchers to explore machine learning in multi-agent systems. This important research area includes the direct cooperation of humans and robots which will be an important feature of our future work environment.”
Researchers interested in taking part are encouraged to email admin@pixconvey.co
