Category: Tech News

Jabra announce updates to its PanaCast 50 video bar solution

First announced at InfoComm in June but now available as a product update, Jabra’s video bar solutions have just become smarter.  

Intelligent Meeting Space 

We made our Jaba PanaCast 50 professional video bar a little too good at picking up every face. So particularly in glass-walled meeting rooms but also for open-plan spaces, there’s a chance people outside your meeting could find themselves on screen for remote participants. 

Our new Intelligent Meeting Space feature has it handled, enabling you to customise your meeting space so that only people inside your specified area are included in the meeting. The Jabra PanaCast 50 and PanaCast 50 Room System simply allows for definition of room boundaries of the virtual meeting space, so only people within this area are included, whereas bystanders and people walking by are excluded.  

Intelligent Speaker 

Jabra PanaCast 50 and Jabra PanaCast 50 Room System are the first front-of-room devices to be certified for Microsoft’s new Intelligent Speaker functionality, which identifies who said what in a Microsoft Teams Room meeting and allows each person to have their spoken words accurately attributed to them in the transcript Using intelligent speech recognition identifies up to 10 individual speakers’ voices, adding names of in-room participants to the live transcription so you know exactly who’s said what. Voice recognition functionality – upon individual enrollment – enables in-room participants to maintain their identity in the meeting transcript, enabling more precise intelligent recaps for users with a Teams Premium license. 

Intelligent Speaker is proprietary Microsoft technology to uniquely identify a person’s voice to have accurate speaker attribution. When multiple people are speaking in a conference room, and the transcription feature in Microsoft Teams is enabled, it makes sure the sentences and words of each attendee be attributed to them as opposed to being generically attributed to the meeting space. 

Jabra PanaCast 50 is the first and only Microsoft Teams Rooms video bar that supports Intelligent Speaker right in the bar, without having to purchase a secondary device just to enable this capability.  

As explained by Microsoft, announcing the general availability, Intelligent Speaker will bring people identification in live transcription in a shared environment enabling clear voice capture of participants in the meeting room. Allowing everyone in the meeting to spend less time taking notes and easily follow along who said what in the room. Intelligent speakers include a 7-microphone array to identify voices, so whether you are working remotely or in the conference room, you can effectively see who said what during and after the meeting. 

Josh Blalock, Microsoft MVP and Chief Video Evangelist at Jabra said: ”No-one likes taking minutes – and now, no-one has to. We are proud to be the first to bring Intelligent Speaker for Microsoft Teams directly to a video collaboration bar, expanding the ROI for our PanaCast 50 customers, and eliminating the need for them to further complicate their meeting room deployments. At Jabra, we are always looking for ways to harness the power of cutting-edge AI technologies to revolutionise hybrid and remote meetings, and this is a major step.”  

Data Edge partners with HUBER+SUHNER to access unique optical solutions

Network optimisation company Data Edge today announces a new partnership with HUBER+SUHNER. The collaboration is expected to generate half a million euro (€500,000) for Data Edge in additional revenue over the next two years.

Headquartered in Switzerland, HUBER+SUHNER manufactures electrical and optical connectivity solutions, serving a variety of industries. A global leader, its solutions and products include optical switches, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) distribution and antennas, as well as cabling and connectors. This new partnership with Bray-based Data Edge is the company’s first in Ireland.

The collaboration enables Data Edge to enhance its data centre offering by bringing several new innovative solutions to the market in Ireland and making use of the unique GNNS distribution equipment and ‘power over fibre’ antenna solutions from HUBER+SUHNER.

It will also benefit Data Edge’s existing customers, enabling access to the latest generation optical distribution frames and lab switching which improves the speed of connections between communication facilities.

Data Edge and HUBER+SUHNER expect to generate new business through this partnership. In fact, they are already working together on a significant project with a leading multinational technology company.

Commenting on the partnership, Paul Phelan, CEO, Data Edge said: “Partnering with HUBER+SUHNER has been a goal for us for quite some time, as its suite of products are a perfect fit for our customers’ evolving needs. Due to our experience and position in the Irish market, we are a natural fit for this partnership and are looking forward to leveraging it fully to grow our business, particularly our data centre offering.”

Mark Alexander, Sales Manager, Data Centre at HUBER+SUHNER said: “When considering a partnership in the Irish market, Data Edge stood out to us as an experienced potential collaborator, having done excellent work here for a number of years on high-level projects such as the National Timing Protocol Timesaver and the recently launched National Timing Grid. Data Edge’s extensive work with optical switching installations and lab automation, as well as its standing in the telecommunications synchronisation sector, made them a natural choice to become our first partner in Ireland.”

Data Edge will be showcasing equipment from HUBER+SUHNER on its stand (#127) at the Data Centres Ireland show at the RDS convention centre this month, 22-23 November.

Edifier 30% off Black Friday deals not to be missed

Edifier will be running a 30% discount off some of their most popular models – the S3 included. The STAX S3 offer will be a reduction £379 to £265.30. https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0B4JWZYSS

This offer will run from November 17th until Monday 27th November. If you need to get a closer look check our reviews on site for all the reviews which we went hands on with from the brand that gives you great audio at even better prices now.

Other deals include 27% off the recently launched NeoBuds Pro 2 – https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0CFY1978H from £149.99 to 109.99

WH950NB from £179.99 to £149.99 a discount of 30% – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BM92D2D1/

WH500 from £39..99 to £23.99 – 40 % off –  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BM92D2D1/

W320TN 30% off from £99.99 to £69.99 – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C7Q43WRR

W240TN 35% off £69.99 to £45.95- https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B2PGF9VD/?th=1

Aer Lingus Chooses Salesforce to Digitally Transform Customer Journeys

Salesforce today announced that Aer Lingus, the Irish flag carrier, is using Service Cloud and Marketing Cloud to transform its customer experiences.

Why it’s important: 96% of customers say excellent customer service builds trust, according to Salesforce research.

With Salesforce, Aer Lingus will digitally transform to deliver personalisation and seamless customer experiences at scale. This includes introducing a centralised management capability and omni-channel approach across all marketing, transactional, post purchase/travel, loyalty, support and disruption communications.

Creating a customer-first approach across all touchpoints will remove friction, optimise the right message at the right time, and also help Aer Lingus consolidate its technology stack.

  • With Service Cloud, Aer Lingus will allow customer service teams to respond to customers more efficiently through data, automation, UI and guided workflows.  average case handling time and increase agent productivity through guided workflows. This will enable teams to respond to customers more effectively and quickly during peak travel periods.
  • Marketing Cloud will streamline all customer communications, increasing the quality of communications through richer, more relevant data and increased consistency.

 

Susanne Carberry, Aer Lingus Chief Customer Officer, said: “At Aer Lingus, we are constantly striving to enhance our customers’ journey with us. Salesforce will allow us to understand our customers better and offer them a personalised, digital led experience. As we grow our airline, this will become an integral part of how we ensure we are giving customers the dedicated care that they expect from Aer Lingus.

“We’re delighted to be working with Salesforce as we use their game-changing technology as part of our ongoing digital transformation.”

Carolan Lennon, Salesforce Ireland Country Leader, said: “The airline industry is increasingly competitive, and how brands communicate with passengers will continue to be a key differentiator. From booking travel to receiving notifications of new routes, Aer Lingus recognises the power of personalised customer journeys in the air and in their digital offer. Enhancing personalisation and reducing friction experiences are key ingredients driving success with Aer Lingus. We’re excited to help Ireland’s flag carrier to unlock the opportunities that digital transformation has to offer.”

Roll by ADP, the revolutionary payroll and HR app, launches in Ireland

ADP has announced the expansion of its chat-based mobile payroll solution, Roll by ADP, to the Irish market. The innovative payroll and HR app serves as an intuitive advisor for small business owners, offering payroll insights and support tailored specifically for Ireland.

Roll by ADP is fast, affordable and flexible. Thanks to its natural, conversational experience, there’s no training needed. Businesses can get set up on the app in minutes and run payroll anytime, anywhere in under 60 seconds. Roll allows small businesses to pay employees easily and quickly, whether they’re full or part-time, permanent, temps or casual staff. The app provides on-the-go HR and payroll support, offering a direct integration with Revenue and ensuring payroll taxes are calculated and reported correctly.

The launch marks Roll’s first venture beyond the United States, where it’s already established as a trusted solution helping small businesses streamline their payroll processes and enhancing business efficiency. Roll by ADP is designed for small businesses and backed by the leaders in payroll.

Roll is effortless to use, with capabilities such as:

  • Intelligent Assistant – Small business owners in Ireland can now seek guidance on managing and expanding their business through a chat-based, intuitive conversation on their mobile device. They can directly ask Roll for help writing job descriptions, conducting interviews, paying their employees’ taxes to Revenue, and more.
  • Swift set-up and hassle-free HR and payroll support – The app guides busy entrepreneurs in Ireland through the do-it-yourself set-up, cutting out time-consuming tasks through chat-based interactions on their device.
  • Security and privacy – All Roll Ireland data is safeguarded in a secure cloud environment and hosted in the European Union. Roll uses the latest in-app security protocols and benefits from the ongoing oversight of ADP experts to protect the employee data of Irish small businesses.

Roberto Masiero, SVP of Product Development and Innovation at ADP, and founder of Roll, emphasised, “We built Roll with the goal of giving small business owners a tool that would make their lives easier. To reduce the time they have to spend on payroll, so that they can focus on growing their business. Roll acts like an intuitive assistant, reminding them of important tasks and providing valuable guidance in a safe and secure way.”

Roll™ by ADP® is now available to small businesses across Ireland. To learn more:  RollbyADP.com/en-ie.

Malware ‘Meal Kits’ Are Helping Attackers Steal Businesses’ Lunch, HP Finds

HP Ireland issued its quarterly HP Wolf Security Threat Insights Report, showing that thriving cybercriminal marketplaces are offering low-level attackers the tools needed to bypass detection and infect users.

Based on data from millions of endpoints running HP Wolf Security, key findings include:

  • Houdini’s Last Act: A new campaign targeted businesses with fake shipping documents concealing JavaScript malware. Its obscure code allowed the malware to slip past email defences and reach endpoints. The analysed attack delivered Houdini, a 10-year-old malware. This shows that, with the right pre-packaged tools from cybercrime marketplaces, hackers can still use vintage malware effectively by abusing the scripting features built into operating systems.
  • Cybercriminals Deploy “Jekyll and Hyde” Attacks: HP discovered a separate campaign launching two threads when a user opens a malicious scanned invoice designed to trick users. The “Jekyll” thread opens a decoy invoice copied from a legitimate online template, reducing suspicion, while the “Hyde” runs the malware in the background. This attack would be easy for threat actors to carry out, as pre-packaged kits to carry out this type of hacking have been advertised on forums for around €62 / $65 per month.

HP also identified attackers are hazing aspiring cybercriminals by hosting fake malware building kits on code sharing platforms like GitHub. These malicious code repositories trick wannabe threat actors into infecting their own machines. One popular malware kit, XWorm, is advertised on underground markets for as much as €474 / $500, driving resource-strapped cybercriminals to buy fake versions.

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 30 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 sixth quarter running, used in 36% of cases analysed by HP.
  • Despite being disabled by default, macro-enabled Excel add-in threats (.xlam) rose to the 7th most popular file extension abused by attackers in Q3, up from 46th place in Q2. Q3 also saw malware campaigns abusing PowerPoint add-ins.
  • At least 12% of email threats identified by HP Sure Click bypassed one or more email gateway scanners in both Q3, and Q2.
  • Q3 saw an increase in attacks using exploits in Excel (91%) and Word (68%) formats.
  • There was a 5%-point rise in PDF threats isolated by HP Wolf Security compared to Q2.
  • The top threat vectors in Q3 were email (80%) and downloads from browsers (11%).

Val Gabriel, Managing Director of HP Ireland, comments: “This quarter’s report has found that threat actors can easily and inexpensively purchase pre-packaged, user-friendly malware ‘meal kits’. We have found that these kits infect systems with a single click. So, instead of creating their own tools to breach security systems, low-level cybercriminals can now access kits that use living-off-the-land tactics. These stealthy in-memory attacks are often harder to detect due to security tool exclusions for admin use, like automation.

“While the tools for crafting stealthy attacks are readily available, threat actors still rely on the user clicking in order to infect systems,” continues Val Gabriel. “To neutralise the risk of falling victim to pre-packaged malware kits, businesses should isolate any high-risk activities, like opening email attachments, link clicks, and downloads, as doing so, significantly minimises the potential of a breach by reducing the attack surface.”

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 slip past other security tools and provides unique insights into intrusion techniques and threat actor behaviour.

About the data

This data was gathered from consenting HP Wolf Security customers from July-September 2023.

Shure Black Friday Deals for content creators

Black Friday is almost here, and Shure has prepared special deals for all content creators and music lovers looking to upgrade their audio!

Trusted by the most acclaimed professionals in recording, performance, podcasting, and streaming, Shure has been setting the standard for extraordinary audio for nearly a century. Now they can enhance their equipment with a selection of Shure’s professional-grade listening products and microphones with instant savings from Black Friday and during the holiday season.

Shure products with special deals include:

Shure AONIC 40 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones in White – From £255 to £135 RRP *

All offers will be available at shure.com and selected retailers.

*AONIC 40 discount will start on Black Friday onwards.

WhatsApp API: A Powerful Messaging API Integration

Discover what the WhatsApp API is, the benefits it offers and how you can use it effectively to give seamless, highly personalised digital experiences to your clients.

In the ever-evolving e-commerce environment, companies continuously seek efficient methods to communicate with their consumers and increase sales. With a growing number of messaging applications, the WhatsApp API has become a crucial company resource.

What is WhatsApp API?

WhatsApp API, also called WhatsApp Business API, is a powerful programming interface that enables businesses to receive and respond to limitless WhatsApp messages smoothly. WhatsApp API was launched in August 2018 to give medium and big companies a personalised solution for increasing their consumer interaction using WhatsApp.

You can send and receive texts, set up automated replies and talk to people on the renowned messaging app WhatsApp with the WhatsApp API. Therefore, WhatsApp API is a safe and effective way to connect with your audience and make the whole experience better for your customers.

Why WhatsApp API is Important for Your Business

Let’s look at the top benefits of employing a whatsapp api for your business.

Order Monitoring and Alerts

Businesses that deal with e-commerce use the API to provide their clients with real-time information, delivery alerts and order tracking. That improves transparency and maintains client interest throughout the buying process.

Automated Services

A fundamental benefit of the WhatsApp API is its capacity to facilitate the integration of chatbots. It is possible to program chatbots to deliver automated customer service. That not only simplifies the workload of customer service representatives but also offers immediate responses to customer inquiries. Enhanced user experience and increased customer satisfaction result from this.

Improved Data Privacy and Security

In today’s digital world, security and data privacy are crucial. End-to-end encryption, which the WhatsApp API offers, guarantees the security and confidentiality of every communication sent and received between companies and their clients. That gives companies and clients peace of mind that their private data is secure.

Product Suggestion

Based on what buyers have bought, WhatsApp API can be used to recommend products to them. Businesses can make personalised suggestions to customers by looking at their data. That leads to more involvement and more sales. Companies can also use the WhatsApp API to inform customers about new goods and services.

Set Appointments

Your calendar may be linked with the WhatsApp API. Without making any phone calls or email threads, you may automatically schedule appointments for each client. You may use automatic messages to inform your clients when your sales staff will be accessible again, even if they are not present at a particular moment. Businesses may save their employees and clients much time using the WhatsApp API.

How WhatsApp API Works

Installing the WhatsApp API differs from installing the phone’s ordinary messaging app. Additionally, connecting to an ordinary API is more complicated than just inputting a key. Since WhatsApp requires end-to-end encryption, its keys are constantly updated to guarantee that it offers the security it claims.

However, the WhatsApp API client must be hosted on the server of each business. To streamline message automation and monitor client experiences across channels, organisations may also link WhatsApp with their internal solutions, such as customer relationship management (CRM) and customer care systems.

All of this requires significant effort from your IT and development teams. Although users may utilise Facebook’s support materials to guide them through the process, in-house developers are responsible for configuring, integrating and maintaining the API. For the API to remain compliant and up to date with WhatsApp’s regulations, regular deployment and monitoring will be necessary.

Final Thoughts

Improve your company’s communication strategy and customer engagement with the help of WhatsApp’s API. Reaching a global audience, automating processes and engaging in conversational commerce are all ways that contemporary businesses are trying to gain an advantage. Don’t wait any longer to provide your business with the advantage of the WhatsApp API. Provide your business with the resources to adapt to the rapidly evolving digital landscape and stay ahead of the competition.

Source

WhatsApp to launch customer-business chat feature

 

Skullcandy Unveils Limited-Edition Acid Snow Camo Collection to Mark 20th Anniversary

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Skullcandy announced today the limited-edition Acid Snow Camo collection. Designed exclusively for boardsport retailers and Skullcandy.com, the collection is a key part of Skullcandy’s strategy to return to the brand’s roots. Acid Snow Camo features the bright color and uncontrolled chaos of retro Skullcandy with a ‘90s skate spin and includes Crusher ANC 2 Sensory Bass Headphones, Dime 3 True Wireless Earbuds and Kilo Wireless Bluetooth Speakers, available now on Skullcandy.com and at select boardsport retailers. 

“Twenty years ago, Skullcandy arrived on the scene as the original lifestyle audio brand and we’ve been serving the action sports community ever since,” said Justin Regan, VP of Marketing at Skullcandy. “We’re celebrating this milestone with the launch of our new Acid Snow Camo collection, dialing up the creativity and delivering an extra dimension of fun to the lifestyle.” 

With this launch, Skullcandy is also announcing a new athlete roster across skate, snow, and surf, including globally-recognized athletes Nora Vasconcellos, Louie Lopez, Anna Gasser, and Red Gerard.

Tech specs tied to each Acid Snow Camo product include: 

Acid Snow Camo Crusher ANC 2 Headphones –  £219.99 MSRP

  • Up to 60 Hours of Battery Life (ANC off) – And up to 50 hours of battery life with ANC turned on
  • Rapid Charge – 10 minutes of charging gives you up to 4 hours of playtime
  • Adjustable Sensory Bass – Skullcandy’s patented bass technology is responsible for the experiential bass for ‘Music You Can Feel’
  • Adjustable 4-Mic Active Noise Canceling – ​​Actively monitors the surrounding environment to filter out external noise, maintaining crisp audio quality
  • Skull-iQ Smart Feature Technology® – Issue simple, hands-free voice commands to take calls, change tracks, adjust volume, turn on and adjust Stay-Aware Mode, activate your device’s assistant, launch Spotify Tap, Take Photo and more
    • Multi-Assistants Feature – Enable additional hands-free voice services, including “Alexa” and “Hey iHeart”, to connect directly to your favorite brands
    • Over-the-Air Updates – Update headphones via the Skull-iQ App to add new features for enhanced functionality and to extend the life of the headphones
  • Personal Sound – Tune your audio experience to your unique hearing ability by taking a real-time audio test to create a Personal Sound Profile for optimized audio levels
  • Multipoint Pairing – Seamlessly pair to multiple devices at once, regardless of platform or manufacturer
  • Clear Voice Smart Mic – Experience a reduction in background noise to ensure calls are crystal clear
  • Preset & Custom EQ Modes – Choose one of the preset EQ modes or create your own custom EQ
  • Customizable Button Functions – Personalize your headphones by customizing your on-board button controls
  • Auto On/Connect – Enjoy automatic connection and pairing with the last device used
  • Built-In Tile Finding Technology – If headphone is misplaced, simply “ring” it from the Tile app
  • Durable, Lightweight Design – All-day comfort with asymmetrical, ergonomic earcups

 

Acid Snow Camo Dime 3 True Wireless Earbuds –  £44.99 MSRP

  • 20 Hours of Battery Life + Rapid Charge – Listen longer with 8 hours of battery life in the earbuds and 12 hours in the charging case
  • IPX4 Sweat and Water Resistance – Go on any adventure fearlessly without missing a beat
  • Multipoint Pairing – Seamlessly pair to multiple devices at once, regardless of platform or manufacturer
  • Skullcandy Supreme Sound – Unique audio-tuning process enables users to maximize the depth and detail of each sound
  • Stay-Aware Mode – Hear what’s going on around you without having to remove an earbud
  • Built-In Tile™ Finding Technology – If earbuds is misplaced, simply “ring” it from the Tile app
  • Clear Voice Smart Mic – Experience a reduction in background noise to ensure calls are crystal
  • clear
  • Preset EQ Modes – Select between your preferred EQ mode: Music, Bass Boost or Podcast
  • Call, Volume and Media Controls – Take calls, adjust volume controls and activate native device assistants (Google, Siri, etc.) without ever touching a phone
  • Integrated Lanyard Loop – Rely on secure portability that protects the charge case and buds from drops
  • Noise-Isolating Fit – Ergonomically redesigned ear gels for all day comfort
  • Microphones in Each Bud – Use either bud solo without losing the ability to take calls

Acid Snow Camo Kilo™ Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – £44.99 MSRP

  • Up to 24 Hours Battery Life
  • IPX7 Waterproof – Fully waterproof design means this Bluetooth speaker is able to withstand full immersion down to 3 feet for up to 30 minutes. Acoustically transparent waterproof fabric mesh is engineered to maximize the passthrough of high frequency audio waves, keeping the speaker’s sound bright and crystal clear. 
  • Rugged & Durable – Seamless mesh fabric material and rugged housing ensures speaker’s durability for fearless entertainment.
  • Clip it Anywhere – Included aluminum anodized carabiner along with allows you to attach the speaker’s built-in nylon strap easily to your bag or bike.
  • Wireless Bluetooth® 5.3 Streaming – Advanced Bluetooth® 5.3 chip, ensures stable transmission up to 33 ft (10m) long range.
  • True Wireless Stereo – Create an immersive stereo sound experience by connecting two Kilo™ speakers to each other wirelessly.
  • Downward Firing Passive Radiator – Surface resonating passive radiator with contoured foot for maximum bass.
  • USB-CTM Input Charging – USB-CTM charging provides a reliable, fast charge to your speaker.


For more information visit skullcandy.co.uk