Monitor your heating oil anytime, anywhere with OilPal. #Heatmatters #OilPal

OilPal is a neat idea which enables users to stay connected with the heating oil tank at all times with a simple Ultrasonic Tank Sensor and a web enabled device. From here you can then monitor everything on the go no matter where you are and even get notifications straight to your device.

Who is OilPal and how did the idea come about?

OilPal is a product of Dunraven Systems aimed at the consumer market who have oil fired central heating. For the first time, it allows heating oil users to really take control of their oil tank by showing you the approximate volume of heating oil left in your tank. It also features a handy estimated days to run out, giving you that peace of mind that you or other family members have sufficient supply and won’t go cold on the long winter’s nights.

The OilPal works on any web enabled device, which means you can keep an eye on your oil anywhere you are and monitor other tanks like your elderly parents for example. You can monitor your oil levels with the touch of a button anywhere in the world. It also includes a theft alert system should your levels drop dramatically over a short period of time.

The OilPal is based on tried and tested 100 % reliable technology. It was developed to complement our current Apollo product range and offer a self-monitoring possibility to the households. We already had commercial monitoring in place so it was a natural progression to move into the consumer market.

Is there any competition in the market similar to yours and if so, what makes your product better?

Dunraven Systems are pioneers in ultrasonic fuel tank monitoring and the first to bring the system to the domestic market. There are competitors out there, trying to replicate what we do, but with 4 decades of experience in the business and over 600,000 units sold in Ireland and UK alone, we are proud of being a provider of innovative, reliable products and great customer service and support.

What are the plans going forward? New products or work on current idea.

We are constantly doing research and development into new areas using our existing technology. There are several possibilities out there as our core product is an ultrasonic measuring device and it can be used with a variety of liquids from home heating oil to other oil products, water and waste. The best way to follow us and our product development is to follow either both of our Twitter accounts @Dunravensystems or @Oil_Pal and our Facebook pages.

 

NEW APP LAUNCHED

 

 

New App now available on Android and iOS…

 

 

 

Spigen – Review,Galaxy Note 5 Case Neo Hybrid Crystal. #Spigen

This case comes in two pieces and you could actually live without the band which in this particular case would probably be the best option from my experience,we will go into that later.The case however is nice all round,comfortable and offers good protection all round even if the outer band is a little weak..

The outer TPU skin is thicker than most on offer and there is no harm in that though the band that sits atop is quite weak on the sides,the key parts though where excellent with good tactility and travel which made the keys easier to use..

Top and Bottom. – The case does leave easy access to ports but to an extent especially on the bottom for Micro USB charging,Here is where I had issues due to the huge gap which you will see below,perhaps it may have been a faulty case here but you can see the distance between the outside and the base of the phone,it is rather big and yes the case is fitted correctly. Also on the top of the case the mic is covered by the outer ring which you can see pictured below too.. (click to enlarge)

Dual Layer
Bottom
Top

 

Left and Right Sides – The left and right sides just house the keys on the Note 5 on the case there is branding on the bottom right hand side,they keys themselves worked a treat and made them easy to use and I found no issues with functionality or travel and overall a nice experience to use..

Right
Left

 

Front and Back – On this case there is a lip around the front which is ideal if you are one to place your device face down and dont sport a screen protector,the lip comes around onto the front giving it a good deal of protection and feels quite solid,the outer band here really enforces the entire case into one solid piece,the back also protects the camera and flash area leaving it below flush level protecting it from harm on flat surfaces so you can be sure that then lens or flash for example will be be prone to scratches provided the flat surface you rest it on is dirt free..

 

Camera Area
Front
Home key
Top front

See Spigen for more options available in the range and other cases available.

 

Portable power on a keychain. Say hello to THINO by @VIGLONEW Now on @Indiegogo

There has been a large array of portable charging ideas popping up of late and with the vast amount of ideas growing it shows that we still have an issue with battery anxiety,well most of us..Even though mobile phones batteries are getting bigger this does not entirely solve the matter,In most cases bigger batteries mean the device has bigger screen. The market now for portable charging is becoming very competitive too and the options available are quite good and some not so good and there is an element of style over substance attached.

Thino is a little different,it looks good its compact and its light,also it does not have masses of power but its designed for the emergency situation rather than the longevity of battery until you meet your next power point.Having said that it looks neat,is neat and its convenient,convenience wins for the consumer,its small,not bulky so it wont take up space anywhere unlike some alternatives.

Thino will come in different options to so you can pick,they support Micro-USB devices such as Android and Windows Phone and of course a lightning connector for the iPhone 5 and above.

Thino has a short cable which has a locking mechanism attached to it too so it aint one of those long annoying ones that get tangled easily and can be attached to your keychain or where you may decide yourself,there is a Turbo mode also built in to speed up charging which is handy and the internal battery provides 480 mAh which would get most people out of a mess..

 

 

While most ordinary chargers are set to supply a specific current, THINO is able to detect exactly how much current your device can draw from the power source and supply it with its maximum intake by using a built-in Micro-Processing Unit (MPU).

 

THINO – The fastest On the GO charger is now LIVE on Indiegogo today if this is something that suits your requirements you can support them over HERE

 

KnowMe is a new app to help you create great videos on your mobile phone. #iOS

KnowMe is a new kind of video editing app which has just launched in the App Store,sadly for now it is just on iOS,Basically it make editing and creating videos via what is already on your device or something you create on the go,you can then also add voice to the video and create a clip,furthermore then you can either save or share the clip,this seems like an extension to the likes of Vine or Instagram video which allows you to be creative and create longer short stories if you will and looks intuitive and easy to use.

DESCRIPTION

KnowMe is the easiest way to make a video using all the media on your phone and the Internet.
In one simple screen, KnowMe lets you string together photos, videos and more to create edited, personalized videos. Just touch and hold a picture as you talk to record your voice, then let go to add the clip to your timeline.
Expressing yourself through video is now as easy as touching and talking. You can add as many clips as you want, redo and rearrange on the fly, add music and more.

Samsung Gear VR now €149.99 from @Meteor_Mobile Ireland. #VR #Samsung

If you fancy checking out the VR world which is tipped to be one of the hottest tech areas this year you can now do so with Meteor Mobile,you can buy the unit outright or bundle up and save money if you purchase the Samsung Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge. These are hard to come by so if you plan on purchasing either of these devices it might be worth your while checking out the deal.

You can save €50 on the purchase if you bundle the phone and the headset together.For the price of €149.99 and if you bundle this is a worthy investment.

 

Interested? Head  over to Meteor  for more.

Check out what the package contains below in our unboxing and image gallery.From using this headset the last few days all we can say is you will not regret getting it…

Candel – A music inspired phone case that lights up with built in charging. #Kickstarter

There has been an array of new case ideas showcased at CES this year and here is one that we have had our eye on and it has now officially launched on Kickstarter… This idea is somewhat different than what we could call the norm when it comes to cases and those that have the ability to charge too,If you are a music or festival lover this will be for you.We have been speaking with the team over the last few weeks and they have asked us to show you their product.

 

Inspired by the energy and music embodied in Burning Man, chemist-turned-inventor Matt Sikora is launching a Kickstarter campaign to put Candel, an interactive phone case, into the hands of music lovers.

Candel cases give owners a new medium of expression, while offering protection for Apple, Samsung, and other mobile phones. Sikora was inspired to create the product after his first experience on the playa at the annual Burning Man festival.

“I began attending more festivals, and developing a personal sense of individuality,” Sikora said. “There was this unique commonality for everyone who attended. We bonded over our love for the music experience. Burning Man awakened a new sense of energy and purpose — an urge to build, create and invent. I became more confident and ready to start this project.”

 

https://ksr-video.imgix.net/projects/1956410/video-627029-h264_high.mp4?_=1

 

The cases are powered by a small, intelligent microprocessor designed to react to various levels of sound – from the soft cadence of a voice to the booming bass of a festival speaker. As amplitude climbs and falls, the cases respond accordingly, illuminating personalized and branded images with multicolored lights that brighten and recede with the beat.

 

Candel cases are made out of durable material. A rechargeable battery inside of the case offers 100 percent more battery life to phones, making Candel cases a must-have to light up crowds for hours.

 

Candel’s light up phone cases are designed for music lovers. Beautiful and functional, this portable light show also works as a charging phone case to keep you charged and flashing all night long. Candel is the world’s first phone case that lights up and features extra battery to power your phone. The case lights up to the sound of music, voice and ringtone. They are the coolest, most unique and fun phone cases to date. Choose a light up image from our selection or select the special tier and we will make a custom light up case just for you!

The Inner Workings of the Candel Case

Candel case inner workings are more technologically advanced than other cases. Our goal was to design a case slimmer than our competitors as well as house all of the components needed to support innovative smart functions.

We developed proprietary hardware and software to accomplish the design within our constraints. The electronics pick up sound from the surrounding environment. This input is then sent to a processor where the amplitude is measured and constant gain is adjusted. This allows the case to light up perfectly no matter how close or far away you are from the sound source.

The case has an internal battery that performs two functions.

1. Provides enough juice to light up for 12 – 28 hours

2. Enough power to fully recharge your phone (however, this does depend on how long you use the light up feature)

The Candel phone case has been under development for over two years and the technology is ready to go mainstream. We need your support to move from prototype to production so we can deliver Candel cases directly to you, the consumer.

Like the idea? Head over to Kickstarter now and back the guys right away and see some more on this new idea.

Next Train Ireland – Free Timetable and realtime results.#Apps #Trains #Travel #Android

Many of use us will depend on realtime info for either buses or trains today and having the correct info is a key attribute to either. There is several of these apps widely available and indeed some official ones too,this app though was developed by an Irish dev and does use information provided by Irish Rail itself..

 

Stephen Mc Bride who created the idea tells us some more.

Next Train Ireland (formerly called Next DART under the old Android Market store) is one of the earliest Irish-made Android apps, having been released in mid 2009 before Android phones were even offered by phone operators in Ireland. It has gone through a number of iterations since then but has been a bit neglected in the last two years. I finally got around to working on an update a few months ago and, having looked at the mess that was the codebase, decided to re-write it completely from scratch. Compared to the official Irish Rail app this new app is much cleaner, more intuitive and gets you the information you need in fewer steps. Feedback from new and existing users is most welcome.

 

App description:
Next Train Ireland is a simple, slick app that will quickly show you train times for any station in Ireland. Incorporating a modern UI that follows the Material Design guidelines, the app has lots of great features such as:
– Comprehensive journey planner showing extensive itinerary information for any journey between two stations
– Fast realtime station lookup with detailed train information to show you what stations a train will call at
– Android Wear support
– Travel news from Irish Rail on Twitter
Check out the Next Bus app HERE which is another creation by Stephen Download Next Train on Android below by clicking the image.

 

 

iCandy – 3D Virtual Reality Goggles unboxing. #VR #3D

VR – Virtual Reality and AR – Augmented Reality are two hypes right now and the race for VR headsets is alight with many manufacturers competing against each other to bring their unique offering to the market,one thing though here is the cost and with the upcoming options we are all aware of now is not designed to reach the consumer market so much and mainly for real tech heads like myself,However Samsung have done so bringing its last headset down quite a bit now with the consumer model at an affordable price if you will..

How about a similar experience for just €30? It is possible thanks to iCandy,not as immersive as what is now available but its quite good and in fact comfortable to wear too and light,Yes you can now buy such a device from the Carphone Warehouse and the good thing with it is its universal,Unlike what others have to offer there is no limit to the amount of devices that you can use with this which is a huge advantage over the fixed ones from say Samsung,this though is not a hit at Samsung but they have chosen this route but this time round the latest can take 4 devices where the first innovator pack just took the Note 4 limiting its maximum potential to reach the consumer,the Note 4 is a phablet and even though they sell by the truckload they do not match the likes of the S6 or 6 edge in volume…

So what do we get for €30 with iCandy?

A headset in a box with a cloth,some straps which are already installed,not like the Gear VR which had to be installed which is no big deal and the packaging was no big deal for both although the iCandy did come better packed in a nicer package and more robust than Samsung…Also to note they come with a cloth to wipe the eyelets they tend to steam up now and then which is annoying but cant be avoided really.

View from front
Top view and adjustment toggles
Left side
Bottom view
Looking into iCandy
Right side
Front view
Opened tray
Top view assembly
2 / 9

The product features

  • Watch 3D movies and play games
  • Light weight with elastic comfort band
  • Foam padding around eyepiece
  • Experience computer-simulated environments
  • Compatible with multiple devices with screen sizes 3.5 inches up to 5.7 inches
  • Maximum length of phone 154mm
  • Maximum width 82mm

To set up is simple you can use the Google cardboard and then select games from the store and fire away,It is comfortable to wear and easy to adjust should you need to when showing friends or family..

Any questions fire away below or get us on Twitter,Check out the unboxing below..

Nokia drops new video with possible hints of future devices. #Nokia

Nokia this morning have dropped a new video titled “Our Vision” which is basically promoting itself and what is to come in the future,we are all aware of the recent deal with Alcatel Lucent and we are also all aware that they can now start making devices soon and im sure plenty of us are waiting to see what Nokia have prepared for us this year,there has been several rumors of what may be coming but we shall leave them alone..

How many devices did you spot and check out the video below after the slideshow..