Unlimited 7 Aqua – Bosch’s first 2 in 1 cordless vacuum and mop

Designed to save time and effort by doing two jobs at once, the Unlimited 7 Aqua is all you need for multiple surfaces in just one box. Combining a powerful vacuum to lift away dust and dirt, the Power Spinning Pads then remove even the most stubborn stains for flawless floors every time. The 2in1 Dynamic Aqua Mop vacuums and mops smooth surfaces and can even handle dry dirt and hair, while the AllFloor Dynamic Power Brush is perfect for powerful carpet vacuuming, meaning it can handle every type of surface.

Its special features include Automatic Water Supply for the perfect level of moisture each time, making it a breeze to clean dried-on stains like orange juice and ketchup, even on delicate floors. There’s no need to wring out, like with a traditional mop, and the floor dries in next to no time as the spinning cleaning pads only use the exact amount of water needed.

Being part of the Unlimited 7 range from Bosch, the Aqua has all the great features of an Unlimited 7 vacuum as well. Light and manoeuvrable with a 180-degree hinge and bendable “Flex Tube” and “Long Flexible Crevice Nozzle”, the combination vacuum & mop reaches tricky and awkward places, like corners and under sofas, with ease. The AllFloor Dynamic Power Brush with LED lights also makes for spotless cleaning results.

The Unlimited 7 Aqua picks up 99.9% of dust and allergens which are removed by HEPA Filtration System filters. With a motor with up to 66,000 rpm, 20% more energy due to a more powerful 3aH battery compared to a 2,5aH battery and a runtime of 40 minutes, it makes keeping floors clean effortless. Maeve McCarey, Head of Marketing for Bosch Home Ireland said: “We know there’s more to life than cleaning – that’s why we develop innovations like these to make getting chores done a doddle, so people can get back to the things they really want to be doing. Cleaning in two steps – vacuuming and then mopping – is time-consuming; our new Unlimited 7 Aqua helps get the job done faster and with less effort.”

The Unlimited 7 Aqua is available for is available for purchase at all good electrical retailers

75% of adults deem minute-long voice notes the max

Pure Telecom, Ireland’s high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, today announces the results of its annual Connected Lives survey, which has found that three-quarters (75%) of the population think that sending voice notes exceeding a minute’s duration is unacceptable. The research found that adults in Ireland are prolific users of voice notes, with 54% saying they send them at least once a week and a chatty 23% send them at least once a day.

The nationally representative survey of 1,006 adults in Ireland was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Pure Telecom and examined the growing trend of voice notes as a means of communication. The research found that in total, 77% of adults have recorded and sent a voice note in the last 12 months. In fact, voice notes are so popular, that one-third of the population report that they are the primary way in which they communicate with their friends.

While voice notes have exploded in popularity, there is a limit to recipients’ patience with them – but women have a lot more time for them than men do. The research found that just 11% of men will tolerate a voice note that goes beyond one minute in length, compared to 21% of women. Almost all adults (94%) consider voice notes of longer than three minutes unacceptable.

The research found that the public is divided in their overall opinion of the voice notes, with less than half (45%) saying they actually like receiving them. Going even further than this, nearly a quarter (23%) admit to being irritated when they see that they have received a voice note. This could explain why a similar proportion (22%) say they have been reprimanded by a recipient for sending one.

The survey also revealed that not everyone gives voice notes the attention and commitment they require, with 40% finding it difficult to take the time to listen to voice notes in their entirety. This may explain why 34% of adults admit that they don’t always listen to the full message and more than one in 10 people (14%) don’t listen to them at all. More than half (51%) confessed that they often forget what was said in a lengthy recording, while 46% said that they often forget what they, themselves, have said in their voice notes.

Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “While convenient when on-the-go or when we have our hands full, the Irish public has spoken – and they are saying to get to the point! We might be renowned as a nation of storytellers, but rambling is out, as our research shows.

“The way in which we communicate and connect with each other is always changing and evolving and it is clear that voice notes are a growing, if divisive, medium. By providing our nationwide customers with the best quality broadband available in their location, Pure Telecom’s network is here to help people to connect and stay in touch with each other. However, while our network won’t be the cause of cutting a rambling voice note short, we can’t always say the same for the recipients!”

First Look – Naruto Shippuden Lexip Madara destruction gaming accessories

The internationally acclaimed anime series, Naruto Shippuden, is regarded as an epic masterpiece, spanning 500 episodes, and telling the story of teenage ninja Naruto Uzemaki and his allies, as he follows his quest to become the greatest ninja in the land.
Bringing key characters of the Naruto Shippuden saga to life in stunning detail, the new Lexip range includes twelve jaw-dropping products grouped into three distinct character ranges from the show: Sasuke, Kakashi and Madara.
We now have the range of gaming accessories in to check out so stay tuned for more over the coming weeks..
Any questions in the meantime feel free to ask below and we will see again soon and check out the unboxing experience below for a closer look.
The Naruto Shippuden Wireless Controller has been expertly crafted, bringing the stunning details of the anime series to life. Key elements of scenes taken directly from the show feature via an ultra-detailed sculpture extending over the entire front of the controller. Featuring a rock solid 2.4GHz wireless connection, the controller includes four programmable buttons, dual vibration feedback and a 600mAh lithium-ion polymer battery. With the prestigious German Design Awards recognising the Wireless Controller ergonomics as the “best in the industry”, the new Lexip x Tsume series is the hardware of choice by the LxP Valiant team, French Valorant™ champions and third in the world in Fortnite™.
Naruto Shippuden Mouse Pad (Sasuke / Kakashi / Madara):
The licensed Naruto Shippuden Mouse Pad features a strikingly broody design paying homage to the show. With unique stylization, detailed artwork, power button and even the colour of its illuminated outline themed to appeal to fans, the Mouse Pad has been designed to stand up to the most rigorous of gaming sessions, thanks to the rigid structure and micro-textured surface, engineered to maximise precision and comfort. Even better when used in combination with the Naruto Shippuden Mouse whose patented ceramic feet have been designed in conjunction with the Mouse Pad surface.
Naruto Shippuden Optical Mouse (Sasuke / Kakashi / Madara):
Engineered for sustained gaming sessions, the Naruto Shippuden Optical Mouse range features beautifully sculptured designs of weapons wielded by each hero used at crucial moments in the show. The Optical Mouse integrates two flagship Lexip technologies: extremely comfortable ceramic feet facilitating fast and precise movement, and a thumb joystick allowing for easy in-game navigation, fully configurable via dedicated free software. With 12 programmable actions and a powerful PAW3327 optical sensor which can be adjusted from 100 to 12,000 DPI, the Optical Mouse has been designed to dominate and is even better when used in combination with the Mouse Pad, as the surface has been designed in conjunction with the Optical Mouse’s ceramic gliding feet.
Naruto Shippuden Wireless Bluetooth Headset (Sasuke / Kakashi / Madara):
The Naruto Shippuden Wireless Bluetooth Headset features intricately detailed artwork, engravings and sculptures taken directly from scenes of the show and features them on the reinforced metal frame, microphone and the interior seams of the headband. Utilizing powerful wireless Bluetooth technology, the headset includes a fully detachable microphone, and its high-quality sound profile is fully configurable via a dedicated equalizer.

Tech Review – ELECROW CrowView Note, Empower Your Devices as Laptops

The ELECROW CrowView Note is a 14-inch monitor with a built-in keyboard, touchpad, speakers, and microphone. Its all-in-one design simplifies setup, making it ideal for Raspberry Pi enthusiasts, office use, studios, and on-the-go.

Our use case is only USB-C and screen mirroring which we feel is best for our region and indeed it does what it says on the tin, I have to note you need a decently branded USC-C cable for this to work as several would not and you know how cables are these days you get what you pay for.

This simple plugs into your smartphone and the option to screen mirror your phone will pop up on screen and away you go, some apps will not work in landscape mode so be sure to check your entire needs first but for the most it works fine but not Instagram on candybar phones.

There is a simple settings page you can adjust to your own needs and then you can just work away as it was a laptop and a cost effective one, in short this brings your device to the bigger canvas making work easy on the go and of course making it easier on the larger screen and the you can do it in reverse if you wish which makes it great for multitasking.

There is a decent picture here too and decent speakers so for media consumption you are good to go with little set up required and at an affordable price.

 

 

CrowView Note

• Lightweight and portable: Maximum thickness of just 0.78”

• Secure mobile office solution: Safeguard your data effortlessly

Mobile Office Challenges

• Editing on small screens is inconvenient and limiting

• Risk of information breaches with external computers

CrowView Note

• Simplified Integration: Integrated input/output for mini PCs, tablet PCs, and SBCs

• Effortless Connectivity: Connect and use multiple devices with ease

Complex Connectivity

• Cumbersome setups: hassles when connecting multiple external devices

• Inefficiency: Potential for operational inefficiencies and setup delays

Kickstarter Page

Unboxing and Look at the CrowView Note

ZAGG Announces Screen and Case Protection for the Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold

ZAGG, the global leader in accessories and technologies that empower mobile lifestyles, today announced screen protection and cases designed exclusively for the newly released Google Pixel™ 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. ZAGG InvisibleShield® screen protectors and ZAGG cases will bear the “Made for Google™” badge, indicating they have been designed by ZAGG for use with the Pixel 9 smartphones and have been certified to meet Google’s compatibility standards. These products from ZAGG uphold the highest quality standards, ensuring that users’ devices are well-protected without compromising style and functionality.
The ZAGG InvisibleShield product lineup features:
Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold
  • Glass Elite (£29.99) – Glass Elite tempered glass screen protection has got you covered with ultra-strong aluminosilicate glass, tested up to 5x stronger than traditional glass screen protection.3 The ClearPrint surface treatment makes fingerprints nearly invisible when your screen is turned on. Glass Elite applies evenly and accurately with our EZ Apply installation tray.
  • Glass Elite Anti-Reflective Lens Protection (£19.99)  – Protect your camera lenses from impact, scratches, rough surfaces, or the contents of your bag or pocket. Glass Elite Anti-Reflective lens protection fits precisely, and the embedded anti-reflective technology eliminates glare and lets you see everything in rich, vibrant color.
The ZAGG case lineup features:
Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL
  • Luxe (£19.99)  – Your phone deserves the Luxe treatment. Luxe has been tested to protect your phone from drops up to 10 feet/3 meters.4 Its comfort grip and soft, smooth surface feel good in your hand. The slim design fits easily in your pocket. Luxe is made with up to 100% post-consumer recycled content.5
  • Milan (£29.99)  – The iridescent Milan is more than just a pretty case. It provides up to 13 feet/4 meters of drop protection.4 The beautiful, iridescent finish complements the sleek lines of the new Pixel phones. Milan Snap is made with up to 78% post-consumer recycled content.5
  • Crystal Palace (£29.99)  – The gorgeous Crystal Palace case is a consistent favorite, combining transparent design with approximately 13 feet/4 meters of drop protection.4 It protects while showing off the sleek lines of your new Pixel phone. And Crystal Palace is made with up to 78% recycled content, so the strong, sleek choice in case protection is also the responsible one.5
  • Luxe 360 Bundle (£24.99) – Your phone deserves the Luxe 360 treatment. Elevate your smartphone protection with the Luxe & Glass 360 Protect Bundle, combining the ZAGG Luxe case and the Glass Elite tempered glass screen protector. This premium bundle offers unparalleled defence and style, ensuring your device remains in pristine condition from all angles.
Each ZAGG case for the Google Pixel lineup contains the revolutionary material Graphene, which is harder than a diamond, yet more elastic than rubber, and up to 200x stronger than steel.6 Trusted by innovators and leaders in the fields of aerospace, aviation, professional sports, and more, Graphene can withstand tremendous force and dissipate heat.
“ZAGG continues to stay at the forefront of the market, delivering innovative products that cater to the evolving needs of consumers,” said Brad Bell, senior vice president of marketing for ZAGG. “This new line of products embodies our dedication to enhancing the mobile experience and protecting the mobile devices at the center of our lives.”
Availability:
ZAGG accessories for the Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and the Pixel Watch 3 are available now on ZAGG.com, at ZAGG franchise locations, and at select retail stores nationwide. ZAGG backs its mobile accessories with an industry-leading limited lifetime warranty and will replace the product if it ever gets worn or damaged for the life of the device.7 With more than 330 million screen protectors sold worldwide, ZAGG InvisibleShield is the No. 1 selling brand for smartphone screen protection in the U.S. and has set the industry standard for screen protection.
  • Glass Elite (RRP £29.99) Pixel 9 / Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold – With ultra-strong aluminosilicate glass and tested up to 5x stronger than traditional glass screen protection, the ClearPrint surface treatment also makes fingerprints nearly invisible when your screen is turned on.
  • Glass Elite Anti-Reflective Lens Protection (RRP £19.99) Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold – Protect your camera lenses from impact, scratches, rough surfaces, or the contents of your bag or pocket. Anti-reflective technology also eliminates glare and lets you see everything in rich, vibrant colour.
New phone cases include:
1 Tests conducted by a 3rd party independent lab; tested up to 10X stronger than traditional glass screen protection.
2 Recycled material is certified through a third-party mass balance allocation process.
3Tests conducted by a 3rd party independent lab; tested up to 5X stronger than traditional glass screen protection.
4 Mil Std 810G 516
5Recycled material content is verified by an independent third party
6See ZAGG.com/grapheneFAQ for more details
7Shipping and handling fees apply. Visit zagg.com/warranty-policies for warranty terms and conditions.
Google Pixel and Made for Google are trademarks of Google LLC. Eyesafe is a trademark of Eyesafe Inc.

Google Pixel 9 series new earbuds and watch announced

The #MadebyGoogle event has just taken place and it is my favourite time of year to see what Google has to offer and again we have a full suite of devices and this time they all come to Ireland unlike last years foldable device which is great news for those who like such phones.

Of course being Google AI is one of their key features on their new devices along with other new features which look good making the new phones superb productivity tools and one we always carry on us all year round be it the Main staple model of the year or their A series..

Pixel 9 phones

The Pixel 9 phones have an elevated new look that puts the camera front and center with an evolution of our iconic camera bar. The sculpted design is stunning — and also feels good in your hand. They also feature updated finishes, with a silky matte glass back and polished metal sides for a distinctly premium feel. Plus, the phones are twice as durable as Pixel 8.

For the first time, our Pro model comes in two different sizes: Pixel 9 Pro (6.3”) and Pixel 9 Pro XL (6.8”). Both have our best and brightest Super Actua displays yet, and a new 42 MP front camera so you’ll get sharper and brighter selfies in low light. And other than display size, charging speed and power, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL share all the same specs and features.

Pixel 9 is packed with upgrades. With its 6.3-inch Actua display, Pixel 9 is 35% brighter than Pixel 8 and has been rated the best display in its class. As for the camera, you’re getting the same main and ultrawide cameras as Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL. That’s a huge upgrade for the ultrawide lens, from 12MP on Pixel 8 to 48MP on Pixel 9. And the front camera now has autofocus for even sharper selfies. Plus, the Pixel 9 has approximately 20% longer battery life during active use with the screen on when compared to Pixel 8.

To top it off, all the Pixel 9 phones get even better over time — each phone comes with seven years of OS, Pixel Drops and security updates.

AI helpfulness, powered by Google Tensor G4

The Pixel 9 phones are powered by their new custom silicon: Tensor G4. It’s our most efficient chip yet and was designed to improve everyday use cases, like opening apps more quickly or browsing the web.

Tensor G4 was designed with Google DeepMind and is optimized to run their most advanced AI models. It will be the first processor to run Gemini Nano with Multimodality — which helps your phone understand text, images and audio.

To make sure the AI-powered experiences on your device run smoothly, with upgraded memory memory across the entire Pixel 9 family, with 12GB of RAM for Pixel 9 and 16GB for Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL.

Gemini Live helps you get the answers you need

Gemini Live lets you have a free-flowing conversation with Gemini — right from your phone or Pixel Buds. So whether you’re trying to plan a fun tailgate, need help thinking through household repairs, or want help brainstorming gift ideas, Gemini Live will offer a new level of help in a more intuitive, natural way.

Gemini: Updates to Android and Pixel

Pixel Studio is a canvas for your creativity

Pixel Studio is a first-of-its-kind image generator. So now you can bring all ideas to life from scratch, right on your phone — a true creative canvas.

It’s powered by combining an on-device diffusion model running on Tensor G4 and Imagen 3 text-to-image model in the cloud. With a UI optimized for easy prompting, style changes and editing, you can quickly bring your ideas to conversations with friends and family.

Pixel Screenshots to remember more without doing more

Ever screenshot something on your phone that you want to remember, but then can’t find it when you need it? Pixel Screenshots, an exclusive app for Pixel 9, helps you save, organize and recall important information you want to remember for later.

Let’s say your friend, who loves squirrels, has a birthday coming up. You may browse Google Chrome for a gift for them, screenshotting squirrel shirts, squirrel coasters and everything else squirrel-related you think they might like. Pixel Screenshots will analyze the content of all those images and make the information searchable for you in the app. So all you’ll need to do is open the app and search for “squirrel,” and these results will pop up. Even better, it will include links to where you found everything and a summary of what you’re looking at with relevant information.

Better weather app

One of the most common things people do on their phones is check the weather, so we’ve used AI to make that experience more helpful and delightful.The Pixel Weather app is beautifully designed with super accurate weather forecasts. And Gemini Nano will generate a custom AI weather report to get you a sense of the day’s weather.

More camera improvements for stunning photos and videos

With outstanding camera performance and a re-engineered imaging pipeline, your photos and videos will more accurately capture the world around you, also added AI features to help you perfect the shot — from getting everyone in the group photo to capturing zoomed-in videos.

There’s usually the one designated photographer who’s left out of group pictures. With Add Me you’ll get a photo with everyone who was there — photographer included — without having to pack a tripod or ask a stranger for help.
Panorama has been rebuilt to give detailed shots — even in low light. It’s the highest-quality low-light panorama on any smartphone.

Magic Editor in Google Photos has new editing capabilities so you can get the shot you want. Auto frame lets you reframe a photo for better composition, and you can reimagine your photos by simply typing what you want to see — like adding wildflowers to an open field — so you can bring your ideas to life.

Video Boost — available on all Pro phones — is even better, processing Night Sight Videos twice as fast once videos are uploaded. And for Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL, you can use the 48MP 5x telephoto to record high-resolution zoom videos all the way to 20x with Super Res Zoom Video.
The Pixel 9 start at 919 euro and pre-order here
The Pixel 9 Pro/XL  starts at 1119 here

Pixel 9 Fold the one I really look forward to….

As above we did not get the fold last year but now that has changed and for the better as now I have an interest in the foldable phones, The Pixel 9 Pro Fold combines the best of Google hardware and software with a sleek and sophisticated design, an advanced camera system, multiple screens to get more done, and our most powerful Tensor G4 processor to fuel the Pixel features you know and love.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is now available for pre-order now, and will be on shelves September 4 from 1919 euro on the 256GB and if pre-ordered you get 512GB for the same price HERE

Here’s a look at the newest foldable in the Pixel portfolio.

A thin, durable design with a big display

Pixel 9 Pro Fold brings the best of a foldable form factor to life. It’s the thinnest foldable phone and has the biggest inner display ever seen on any mobile device.

Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a fluid-friction hinge that easily opens fully flat with a satisfying snap so you can enjoy the big, bright Super Actua Flex display. It’s 80% brighter than Pixel Fold, so you’ll be able to see your screen clearly even when it’s bright outside. And Pixel 9 Pro Fold features scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus® 2 and boasts an IPX8 rating for water resistance of up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes of submersion.

AI at your fingertips

Pixel 9 Pro Fold brings you the best of Google AI for a more helpful and personal smartphone. Powered by Google’s new Tensor G4 chip, Pixel 9 Pro Fold delivers improved performance and increased efficiency across a range of experiences for everyday use.

The innovative foldable form factor of Pixel 9 Pro Fold works in tandem with on-device AI to help you do more while saving time. With the biggest inner display on the market, you can easily Split Screen paired apps to multitask with ease, drag and drop photos, and use Dual Screen with Google Meet, so the people on your call can see your face and what you’re seeing.

Your favorite time-saving Google AI features on Pixel are coming to Pixel 9 Pro Fold too, including Pixel Screenshots, Pixel Studio, Circle to Search, Summarize and Gemini, plus some world-class photography features including Magic Editor, Best Take, Video Boost, Add Me and Pro Controls.

A Pixel-perfect camera

Pixel phones are known for their incredible camera quality, and this phone is no exception. Pixel 9 Pro Fold harnesses the power of Google hardware and AI capabilities with an ultra-thin advanced triple rear camera system. It’s the best camera on any foldable phone. Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s cameras to the next level with an upgrade to the ultrawide camera — which now supports Macro Focus — and both front cameras, which now support Face Unlock whether folded or unfolded.

In addition to existing features like Dual Screen Preview, Tabletop Mode and Rear Camera Selfie, we’re bringing a new camera feature to Pixel 9 Pro Fold that’s perfect for parents: Made You Look. It helps get your little one to smile for a photo by displaying an animation on the outer screen to grab their attention while snapping a picture. Say goodbye to making silly faces to get their attention (unless you really want to)!

An elevated entertainment experience

With its updated aspect ratios and larger screen size, this is the phone for entertainment lovers. With multiview on YouTube TV, you can watch up to four preselected events at once on the large inner screen for the perfect gameday experience.

Gaming is also amazing on Pixel 9 Pro Fold. We’ve partnered with several game developers to bring you optimized experiences in games like Asphalt Unite and Disney Speedstorm, which support tabletop mode on the large inner screen. Minecraft and Candy Crush Soda Saga have also made optimizations for a more immersive experience, and even more optimizations are coming later this year for games like NBA Infinite and League of Legends: Wild Rift.

Pixel Buds Pro 2

Pixel Buds Pro 2, the newest earbuds from Google Pixel. For the first time, Pixel Buds Pro 2 are equipped with the all-new custom-designed Tensor A1 chip to power industry-leading audio performance, helpful Google AI, and improved noise cancellation. With a new redesign the buds for maximum comfort and a more secure fit — you’re going to want to hear this. Earbuds are a staple of our site and we look forward to sharing our thoughts on these soon after testing them out in the coming weeks.

Designed to move with you

Pixel Buds Pro 2 are 24% lighter and 27% smaller than Pixel Buds Pro. After analyzing 45 million ear scans and conducting real-life wear tests, they designed Pixel Buds Pro 2 to be the most comfortable and secure fitting earbuds. Thanks to the new twist-to-adjust stabilizer, your earbuds stay put while still offering maximum personalized comfort. And they come with four different sized eartips, so you’ll be able to find the perfect fit.

Noise cancellation that’s twice as strong with Tensor A1

Thanks to Tensor A1, Pixel Buds Pro 2 have ultra low-latency audio processing, adapting to your environment up to 3 million times per second. This gives you Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) that’s twice as strong as their previous generation earbuds. The buds also cancel a wider variety of noises, from the bustling sounds of traffic to surrounding conversations in coffee shops.

And with Tensor A1’s multipath processing, your music sounds better than ever. Tensor A1 provides a dedicated “highway lane” for your music, completely independent of the continuous processing that’s happening for Active Noise Cancellation. This is pretty rare, even in premium earbuds, and the result is accurate, highly detailed and immersive sound.

Tensor A1 also allowed them to increase the battery life, despite the smaller and lighter design. When Active Noise Cancellation is enabled, you get up to 8 hours of battery life on the Buds and 30 hours with the case, so your buds will last all day and still have some charge to spare. When they need a quick charge, pop them back in their case for 15 minutes for up to three hours of extra battery life.

Made for the Gemini era

Pixel Buds Pro 2 do more than just play music, keep you focused and help you take phone calls. With Gemini, they also provide a hands-free, eyes-free virtual AI assistant right when you want it. Need walking directions to the nearest public transit? A reminder of an upcoming appointment? New song recommendations? Gemini can do all of that and more, even when your phone is locked and in your pocket.

And with Gemini Live, Pixel Buds Pro 2 provide a mobile conversational experience that uses our state-of-the-art speech technology to let you have extended conversations with Gemini. It’s like having a sidekick right in your pocket, one that can chat with you about new ideas or even practice for an upcoming interview. You can even use Gemini Live while on the go — just unlock your phone while wearing your Buds, say “Hey, Google, let’s talk live” and have a free-flowing conversation with Gemini even if your phone is locked.

Packed with helpful features you know and love

You can easily find your buds with the new Find My Device Network if you ever misplace them. They’ve even added a ringing speaker to the case, so you can hear where your buds are hiding even if they’re tucked away.

Clear Calling cuts through noisy environments when you’re talking with someone on the phone, so they don’t have to ask, “Hey, can you hear me?”

And with Conversation Detection, you can easily engage in conversation, even with your earbuds in. It automatically disables noise cancellation as you speak out loud, allowing you to seamlessly switch between focusing on your music and talking with those around you.

To make your favorite movies and shows sound just as realistic as if you were hearing them live, Pixel Buds Pro 2 has spatial audio with head tracking. No matter how you move, sound moves with you. You can also seamlessly switch your buds between multiple devices.

Pre-order starting today

Pixel Buds Pro 2 come in four fun colors that beautifully complement your other Pixel devices: Porcelain, Hazel, Peony and Wintergreen.

Pre- order the all new Pixel Buds Pro 2 for 249 euro here

Google Pixel Watch 3 

Not one but two watches this time and thankfully a larger one to suit bigger wrists. Both the 41mm and the larger, all-new 45mm size have their most advanced Actua displays that are twice as bright as before, with a peak brightness of 2,000 nits — perfect for seeing your run stats mid-stride on a sunny day. They also automatically adjust to as low as 1 nit in dark environments for a more discreet glance, like when you are at the movies. The displays are bigger with smaller bezels: the 45mm watch showcases 40% more screen, and the 41mm offers 10% more screen than Pixel Watch 2. Both are more power efficient with refresh rates from 60Hz all the way down to just 1Hz in always-on-display.

With these more efficient displays, combined with Wear OS 5 and a power-efficient hybrid architecture, Pixel Watch 3 delivers dependable all-day battery life. It also uses machine learning to automatically detect sleep and enable Bedtime Mode, turning off notifications and the always-on display for disruption-free sleep while conserving battery.

Plus, a new better Battery Saver Mode extends battery life to up to 36 hours across both sizes, without compromising any of your health and fitness tracking or safety features. On top of that, the Pixel Watch 3 45mm includes a 35% bigger battery than before, and the 41mm size charges 20% faster, saving you up to 15 minutes to fully charge up.

Insights to plan your activity and recovery

Fitness isn’t just about going all out on your workouts — it’s also about listening to your body when you need to prioritize rest. To help you find that balance, Pixel Watch 3 introduces three new tools: an all-new Daily Readiness, Cardio Load and Target Load.

Daily Readiness is more in tune with your body’s state of recovery than ever before. An improved algorithm tracks and analyzes your body’s key recovery biometrics — like resting heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV) and recent sleep. The result is a more comprehensive picture of how ready your body is to take on training each day.

Cardio Load helps you better track your training. It tracks your heart’s exertion and intensity during an activity and throughout the day, and even keeps track of your trends over time to help you know if you’re over- or under-training, maintaining or improving your fitness.

Target Load is a personalized target for your training, received each morning. It connects it all together, taking into account your recent cardio load and Readiness — guiding you to improve your fitness, while balancing recovery. And all these insights come together in the new Fitbit Morning Brief, making it easy to plan each morning, with a daily digest delivered proactively on your wrist when you wake up. It includes Sleep, Readiness, your target Cardio Load and how you’re tracking against your weekly exercise goal. It even shows the weather, and lets you know if any of your metrics — like HRV, SpO2 or Skin Temperature — are out of your personal range.

New ways to plan, run and reflect on your progress

Pixel Watch 3 also comes with powerful new tools for runners: helping you plan your runs, guiding you through them, and reflecting on your progress.

Whether you’re training to run a faster half-marathon or your first 5K, the new Workout Builder lets you build custom runs. You can set goals for distance, time, pace or heart rate zone, and easily create repeats for interval runs.

Pixel Watch 3 is like having a running companion on your wrist, providing haptic feedback and audio guidance so you know when your warm up is done, when you’re off pace, if you’re over your heart rate target, or when it’s time for your next interval. This real-time guidance is powered by our continuous sampling, machine learning based heart-rate tracking. And Pixel Watch 3 takes it a notch further — with major improvements in one of the toughest environments for heart rate sensing — delivering our most accurate heart rate for running yet.

After your run, Pixel Watch 3 even helps you analyze your form. New advanced motion sensing, combined with machine learning, powers running form-tracking that delivers a comprehensive analysis of the cadence of your steps, the length and height of your strides, and your ground contact time. You can even see how you are improving your pace, form and mileage over time, while tracking your personal records in the new running dashboard in the Fitbit app.

Fitbit Premium brings major benefits on top of all this. Google AI powers automatic daily run recommendations, tailored to help you hit your target load and personalized to your previous runs. And if you’re looking for ways to go beyond your regular training routine, Premium members can also enjoy a variety of Peloton workout classes from Peloton instructors. Pixel Watch 3 comes with six months of Fitbit Premium included so you can make the most of your training with this personalized guidance and insights.

Loss of Pulse Detection: A first-of-its-kind feature on Pixel Watch 3

Pixel Watch 3 introduces a first-of-its-kind capability — Loss of Pulse Detection — which detects loss-of-pulse events occurring when the heart suddenly stops beating. It’s a health emergency, where every minute matters. It can affect people of any age and be due to a wide range of problems internal or external to the heart, such as primary cardiac arrest, respiratory or circulatory failure, overdose or poisoning. Unfortunately, many loss of pulse incidents happen when a person is alone, leaving them with effectively no chance of receiving emergency assistance.

Loss of Pulse Detection can automatically place a call to emergency services and share an automated message with critical context, along with your location. It will be available on Pixel Watch 3 in September in various countries in Europe.

More help from Google, at a glance

Pixel Watch 3 provides even more help at a glance, with our deepest integration across the Google and Pixel ecosystem.

When your couch cushions eat your remote (…again), your Pixel Watch 3 doubles as an on-wrist remote to pause, control the volume and change the channel on your Google TV Streamer. If you’re in the middle of a workout when the doorbell rings for a delivery, you can open a live camera feed in the Google Home app on-wrist to see who’s there, and even tell them to leave the package on the doorstep.

Or as the perfect companion to your Pixel Phone — the new Pixel Recorder app on-wrist lets you grab voice notes on-the-go, then search and transcribe with automatic sync to your phone. Call Assist uses Google AI to not only screen spam calls, but also pick them up and hold when you need a moment to find a quiet space.

And with a new Ultra-Wideband chip, you can easily unlock your Pixel phone with a swipe while wearing your watch, or even unlock and start your car with your watch as your digital car key, starting with BMW and MINI

Colors and bands to style your watch, your way

The 41mm comes in a Matte Obsidian case with a Matte Black band, Porcelain with Polished Silver, and Hazel with Champagne Gold. Or you can try a fresh pop of color with the Polished Silver case with an all-new Rose Quartz band. The 45mm also comes in Obsidian and Porcelain, and debuts a new matte Hazel Aluminum case with a matching Hazel band.

The watches can be styled with a range of accessory bands in a variety of colors and premium materials, including leather, metal and woven bands for any occasion.

Pre-order Pixel Watch 3

Starting today, you can pre-order Pixel Watch 3 from 399 euro here

Stay tuned for our reviews on selected devices soon.. See our other Pixel series reviews here

Bring fun to life with the new instax mini Link 3 photo printer

FUJIFILM Europe GmbH, Imaging Solutions Division, is set to launch the new instax mini Link 3™ instant photo printer, designed to transform your everyday moments into vibrant, colorful instax™ mini photos. This innovative product, an update to the highly popular instax mini Link 2™ printer, combines cutting-edge technology with playful features, making it the perfect companion for capturing, printing and sharing life’s moments simply in fun & creative ways. 

Available in three on-trend colors – Sage Green, Clay White, and Rose Pink – the textured and easy-to-hold instax mini Link 3™ printer is designed to be as mobile as your smartphone, allowing you to print photos simply and effortlessly from anywhere. Adorned with three unique LED lights on the front to tell you what the printer is doing, this instant photo printer is both functional and stylish. The printer also supports the instax Pal™ digital camera for direct print and features a USB-Type C port for easy charging.

Pricing and Availability:

Fujifilm’s instax mini Link 3™ instant photo printer will be available at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of EUR 130.00 (incl. VAT). It is expected to be available for purchase across Europe on 28th August 2024. Available at Fujifilm stockists nationwide or visit https://www.instax.ie/printers/mini-link-3/

Launching new instax mini film “SPRINKLES”Fujifilm is also thrilled to announce the launch of the new instax™ mini film “SPRINKLES.” Inspired by the new instax AiR Studio™ effects, the film features a colorful sprinkle pattern reminiscent of cakes, ice cream, and other sweets. The silver sprinkles have a metallic sheen that accentuates the design, making the film both colorful, fun and eye-catching.

The SPRINKLES film pairs perfectly with the instax mini Link 3™ printer’s distinctive instax AiR Studio™ and Click to Collage modes, adding that extra touch of fun and creativity to your instant photos.

Pricing and Availability:

The new instax™ mini film “SPRINKLES” will be launched on the same date, 28th August 2024, at a manufacturer suggested retail price of EUR 10.50 (incl, VAT). Available at Fujifilm stockists nationwide or visit https://www.instax.ie/film/

instax UP!™ Smartphone App Update

And that’s not it! Fujifilm also announces an update to its free, downloadable instax UP!™ App. An App designed for instax™ users to digitally scan, import, organize, and store their photos in one place, regardless of which Fujifilm instax™ instant film, camera or printer product they use. 

The latest addition to the instax UP!™ App is the introduction of “instax Days™”, a new calendar function where your scanned-in instax™ photos are automatically dated and added to a calendar. Users know the date of key moments instantly, as well as can modify dates.  

The updated instax UP!™ App is available today.

For more product information, visit www.instax.ie

See our other instax reviews

Revolut Report: Stats indicate a return to Irish staycations this summer

Revolut, the European-licensed bank with more than 45 million customers worldwide, and over 2.8 million in Ireland, has crunched the numbers on Irish consumer spending over the last month, with the app’s own data revealing that a return in the popularity of staycations led to a record month of Revolut spending in Ireland this July. 

Revolut’s consumer spending analysis tracked more than 58.5 million card payments over the course of the month, indicating several real-world spending trends by the country’s Revolut customers. The amount Revolut users are spending with the bank each month continues to rise, up nearly 5% (MoM increase) in July, with staycations a key driver in the broader uplift.

With a scorching heat wave across much of mainland Europe in July, a rising number of Revolut’s customers in Ireland chose to stay put for their summer break rather than go abroad. 

In terms of accommodation, spending on hotels and resorts in Ireland has risen by 15% compared to last summer (YoY increase), while Revolut customers are spending more than 38% more (YoY increase) on health and beauty spas compared to this time last year too. For those looking for a slightly more outdoorsy or cost-effective alternative, the amount spent on camping sites and caravan parks has seen a more than 14% jump in July 2024 versus July 2023 (YoY increase). 

When making their way around Ireland, Revolut has seen customers increase their spending at service stations, nearly 19% more this July than last (YoY increase), and on EV (electric vehicle) charging, which has risen considerably by over 46% since last summer (YoY increase). Staycations have also driven a surge in toll charges, with customers spending over 33% more to get to their destination faster than in July 2023, highlighting an uplift in domestic tourism. 

At their journey’s end, Ireland’s staycationers are spending more in local bars, cafes, and restaurants, up close to 5% (YoY increase), with other leisure activities such as tourist attractions and museums rising by nearly 18% (YoY increase) and boat rentals by over 25% (YoY increase). 

Maurice Murphy, General Manager at Revolut Bank UAB – Ireland Branch, said: “Once a trusted travel card, this record month of spending clearly indicates our evolution into many customers’ preferred bank and why we’re a mainstay for the people of Ireland. Revolut’s ecosystem of financial products is the answer for people whether at home or overseas, and helps them make the most out of their money. It’s so great to see our customers choosing to spend on their staycation with us, while others are doing the same as they jet off abroad too.” 

European-licensed bank Revolut was recently recognised by financial comparison site Bonkers.ie as ‘Ireland’s Best Consumer Business’ and ‘provider of the Best Current Account’, while the company ranked 9th as part of the Ireland RepTrak® 2024 study earlier this year. 

For more information, visit: www.revolut.com/en-IE 

Tech Review – Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 is my first foldable to use long term so to speak and is certainly a beast of a mobile phone in more ways than one.

Being a foldable this is still regarded as a niche product however at the beginning I was not a fan of the closed option due to the ratio but over time this grew on me and some slight adjustments made it easier to use and all was good but still on the thin but all the screen was reachable for me as I have big hands and they often get in my way.

The price of these phones to has come into question and even for me I find it a hard sell but if you want a powerhouse phone that opens into a device with screen estate like no other this is perhaps the way to go and is easily the best phone now for multitasking on the go or at home and when fully loaded with your apps and even apps on board the device this is a super productivity tool.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 standing – techbuzzireland

When closed it is on the thick side but when open it is not but here is another caveat to get used to is that it is hard to hold one handed and you find yourself hitting things on the screen but again this wears off once you get comfortable with it and get to grips so to speak.

Whilst on holiday for example was a good idea to start putting features into test so with maps and more and the interpreter using the big inner screen was an instant advantage, everywhere I took it people asked about it and the watch ultra so it was good to see people had interest in it.

 

Being a foldable of course the interpreter could be used in two ways as seen below on the big screen.

 

Of course AI is part of the package here and people are probably sick of it and as a tech guy I do not have much interest in it but you cant avoid it being honest and it should be embraced a bit more and of course this was tested as it is not new on devices now and much of what the S24 Ultra had to offer and more is now here at your fingertips.

Circle to search works well, Flex mode which is super handy and a better hinge this time,detailed notes, photo assist, live translate etc all worked well when I was testing away and at home and came in handy when on a recent holiday as language barriers still exist but not with this phone and it picks up speech pretty much on point all the time it is super cool and made life easier and got me some discounts I might add.

Photo and video would be another question people have asked about and again all good here, I will not bore you with specs and so on we did a walkthrough of the phone here and below is image and video samples taken with the phone and you can be the judge but i found it great overall and with photo assist and other features built in this is a portable editing studio too and again ideal for content creators who want the larger canvas.

 

Being the 6th iteration the phone has improved and is probably still the best and most solid one out there but the price is a key factor to consider with the competition out there which most of is not available here to be fair..

Overall for me this is a luxurious powerhouse of a phone that gives you real screen estate and ideal for those who are multitaskers and want the bigger canvas with great speakers you could even attach a bluetooth keyboard if you liked to make it even more special and almost close to laptop status depending on what you do, it grabs attention looks good does what you ask it to do and more..

Read more on the Z Fold6 here

Product Features:
  • IP48: Water resistance
  • Flex mode
  • Stereo speaker
  • Fast Wireless charging 2.0
  • 25W Super Fast Charging
  • Enhanced armour aluminum
  • Brightest ever display
  • Nightography
  • Interpreter
  • Long lasting battery
  • Photo assist
  • S pen assist
  • Dynamic Amoled 2X main display
  • Gorilla Glass Victus 2
  • Live Translate
  • Brightest ever display on a foldable smartphone

For more information about Galaxy Z Fold6, Z Flip6, Buds3 and Buds3 Pro, please visit: Samsung Newsroom, Samsungmobilepress.com, or Samsung.com.