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.
Samsung is well known for having multiples models of the same phone, but in this particular case, it has been almost two years since the Xcover 2 came out. And this week Sammy has decided bring the name back with the upgraded Galaxy Xcover 3.
Samsung’s latest ultra-rugged device is aimed to a very niche segment of the audience, for the extreme adventures out there.
Unlike the Galaxy S5 wich is IP certified but nor really “drops-proof” the new Xcover has a better protection in all ways. It’s IP67-rated, signifying its dust tight and its capable to withstand ingress of water for up to 30 minutes at up to 1 meter deep. Is also MIL-STD 810G-certified, meaning that it should be capable of withstanding very high or very low temperatures, and survive drops with ease.
Let’s take a look at the device:
O.S: Android 4.4 upgradable to Android 5.0 Lollipop.
Display: 4.5-inch WVGA 800×480
Battery: 2200mAh
Processor: 1.2GHz, Quad-core Snapdragon
Main camera :5 MP main with underwater shooting mode.
F.F Camera: 2 MP
Internal Memory: 8GB, micro SD
RAM: 1.5 GB
As you can see this is apretty interesting Mid-range device, the smartphone is planed to be offically unveiled at CeBIT and will be release in April for a price of around 275 euros.
What do you think of the new extreme mid-range on town?
Let us know in the comments, or Tweet us at @jimboireland
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
HERE has been working tirelessly to offer it’s free offline navigation service to lots of people. In this quest to ease people’s lives, today HERE has take a giant leap forward by rolling out HERE for iOS. It was expected that iOS version of HERE was around the corner ever since the Android version was launched. iOS version of HERE combines saved maps with online information — such as live traffic, scheduled or real-time public transit info as well as photos and reviews for the places shown on the map. You can save maps to your phone so that the whole HERE app can be put into ‘offline mode’ and it won’t use any data. Even if your iPhone is in flight mode, you can still see where you are, search for places and navigate there on foot, by public transport or by car. The all-inclusive route planner on HERE for iOS allows you to compare walking, transit and driving directions including an estimate of how long each will take you – and all of this can be done in ‘offline mode’ too. The offline car navigation on HERE for iOS provides full turn-by-turn voice guidance with spoken street names. HERE for iOS is a completely different app from the one previously available on the App Store – because the old version was based on HTML5, it had limited features and it wasn’t optimized for iOS. This time we’re introducing an experience built for iOS from the ground up with the features and the polished feel that people rightly expect from their favourite map app.
Earlier today the very popular personalized music streaming service on WindowsPhone, MixRadio released its BETA Android and iOS versions of the App. Whilst this is not a launch it does point in a new direction for the MixRadio team. We may have expected this as Microsoft sold this awesome service to LINE Corporation sometime back.
MixRadio is a radio focused service that serves up music suggestions based on your chosen parameters. Favorite artists, genres, or even just using some of the curated mixes, MixRadio usually comes up with tunes you want to hear, or just hit Play Me and it plays music which you can thumbs up or down to make it a personal radio station.
MixRadio evolved from Nokia Music which was exclusive to Nokia devices. Nokia later on passed on MixRadio to Microsoft as part of the acquisition and then Microsoft sold it to Line Corporation. Keeping in mind the popularity and the amazing music streaming service, MixRadio is now game to take on the Android & iOS platforms. We are yet to see how the apps look but one thing is very clear with this initiative that MixRadio is on a huge expansion spree. We wish them all the very best and extend all our support both as bloggers and personal.
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.
