Secondary school boosted by literary donation from Amazon in Dublin

A secondary school in Dublin has received a donation of books and bookcases worth over €1,000 from the team at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Dublin.

Pobalscoil Neasáin, located in Baldoyle, provides a caring learning environment for both staff and students to reach their full potential.

The team from Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Dublin visited the school to deliver and set up eight bookcases for the school’s library, as well as donating over 50 books including Charles Dickens and Jane Eyre collections.

Gedvis Venckus, an Amazon employee who set up the bookcases at the school, said:

“The team and I had a fantastic time setting up the bookcases for the pupils at Pobalscoil Neasáin. It was a pleasure to help revitalise the library with a range of books, too. It has been a while since I’ve visited a school which brought back many great memories and it was great to see pupils helping us out. As someone who grew up reading Edgar Allan Poe, I hope the pupils get as much enjoyment out of his work as I did.”

Darragh Kelly, General Manager at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Dublin, said:

“We’re proud to support Pobalscoil Neasáin with this donation of books and bookshelves. Our team really enjoyed helping to spruce up the school’s library and I hope the staff and pupils are pleased with the results and are benefitting from the new books.”

Julia Galiza, a student from Pobalscoil Neasáin, added:

“On behalf of everyone at Pobalscoil Neasáin, I would like to say thank you to the team from Amazon in Dublin for their support. This donation of books will help myself and my peers to engage in reading and have a better understanding of classic literature.”

The donation to Pobalscoil Neasáin was made as part of Amazon’s programme to support the communities in and around its operating locations in Ireland.

Since opening its doors in 2022, the Dublin fulfilment centre has supported many community organisations locally, with donations totalling €46,000. Charities supported by the team at the fulfilment centre include Cliona’s Foundation, Jigsaw and LauraLynn Children’s Hospice.

The Amazon fulfilment centre in Dublin, the first of its kind in Ireland, opened in August 2022 providing more than 500 new permanent jobs. The 630,000 square foot centre at Baldonnell Business Park in Dublin holds millions of items that are picked, packed and shipped to customers across Ireland and the rest of Europe.

Engineering and construction dominate top 20 hardest to fill jobs

Jobs for online moderators, ad reviewers, tax consultants, assorted engineers and construction specialists are among the top 20 hardest to fill in Ireland, according to new data from Indeed.

The global job site’s latest “Hardest to Fill Jobs” analysis of Irish job posts shows engineers and specialist construction staff remain difficult to recruit with a number of roles in both sectors dominating the top 20.  

Indeed’s analysis examined job postings from January 1st through to the end of November 2023 to determine which positions were most likely to remain open for over 60 days – an indicator of them being ‘hard to fill’.

Job postings for instrumentation engineers ranked in No:1 position with just under 63% of advertised roles remaining open for 60-plus days. These engineers are responsible for planning, installing, monitoring and maintaining control systems and machinery within manufacturing environments. 

Other engineering disciplines feature throughout the top 20, with many involving construction related roles. Jobs for resident engineers (5th) and design engineers (6th) feature in the top 10 with roles for senior structural engineers in 11th position.

A shortage of construction workers in Ireland has been well-documented and posts for mechanical and electrical project managers, civil supervisors, civil technicians, mechanical, electrical and plumbing managers and ecologists all feature in the top 20. The latter are required to report on the likely impact of proposed construction works on the environment and surrounding habitats.

Jobs for lawyers rank 4th on the list with 57% remaining open for more than 60 days while 49% of job postings for tax consultants remain open after this time period.

In a sign of the increasing prevalence of online advertising and the rise of social media, jobs for ad reviewers rank in 2nd position at 61% while posts for online moderators are in 13th at just under 50%.

Ad reviewers are in charge of checking ad content to ensure it is accurate and appropriate. Moderators tend to increasingly work for online companies, particularly those involved in social media, to review content and ensure it adheres to a platform’s rules and ways of working. They may also review complaints or material flagged as inappropriate by users or by AI systems.

The demand for certain workers in the technology sector is also confirmed by the top 20 with nearly 53% of roles for python developers proving hard to fill and just under 52% of principal software engineer roles.  

Jack Kennedy, senior economist at Indeed, said: “These results highlight the sectors in which employers are finding it difficult to recruit staff. The engineering and construction roles proving the hardest to fill are specialised and require either extensive education or training in addition to experience in many cases.

We know that there is great demand for housing in the country and that the construction of new homes is increasing year on year. We also know that engineers in certain disciplines are required to work on transformative projects, including large-scale infrastructure developments, that will help businesses, organisations and the country to meet carbon reduction targets.

At a time when the unemployment rate is low, many employers in these sectors are seeking to recruit overseas workers or to convince Irish diaspora to return home. In certain cases, this is proving challenging in itself given the pressure on housing supply and the relatively high cost of living in Ireland. With a limited talent pool, those employers who can offer flexibility and other benefits in addition to competitive salaries are more likely to win over recruits.

“Given the increased cost of living, employees in some hard to fill roles may have a degree of leverage when it comes to seeking pay rises and the option of potentially moving roles if the available ones offer better pay and conditions. Meanwhile, the list should make for interesting reading for policy makers and those in the education and training sectors already focussed on ways to increase the talent supply for crucial sectors whether that is through more third level places or apprenticeship opportunities.”    

Rank Job Title % of postings open 60+ days
1 Instrumentation Engineer

62.7
2 Ads Reviewer

61
3 Mechanical and Electrical Project Manager

58.8
4 Lawyer

57.4
5 Resident Engineer

54.4
6 Design Engineer

54.1
7 Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Manager

53.2
8 Python Developer

52.6
9 Principal Software Engineer

51.6
10 Civil Supervisor

51.5
11 Senior Structural Engineer

51.3
12 Civil Technician

51.2
13 Moderator

49.6
14 Senior Mechanical Designer

49.1
15 Tax Consultant

49
16 Junior Engineer

48.8
17 Senior Process Engineer

48.6
18 Electrical Project Engineer

48.4
19 Senior Engineer

47.6
20 Ecologist

47.4

Tech Review – STM Goods iPhone 15 Pro Cases – The Focus Collection – Cases to calm your mind

The new FOCUS iPhone 15 collection from STM Goods are not just ordinary phone cases; they are designed to promote mindfulness, improve focus and help restore personal well-being. We have been checking these out and there is something for everyone here so check out the video review below for a close up and hands-on of the latest from STM. Also if you need a great wireless charger check out our CHARGETREEGO 3-in-1 wireless charger review.

This new game-changing collection (including the Relax, Reawaken, and Reveal cases) comes with a variety of designs that incorporate tactile materials, serene colour palettes, and interactive features that encourage users to be in the moment. The cases are made from impact resistant, high-quality materials that are comfortable to the touch yet durable for everyday use.

RELAX:

Like having a tropical beach or warming sand dune in your hand everywhere you go, focus your mind with the flowing sands of the RELAX case. Be transported as the sand moves hypnotically through the case and take a momentary break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

REVEAL:

Upon first glance the REVEAL just looks like a smart black phone case. Watch as a warming touch reveals a hidden pattern, helping to uncover a world of mindful focus. The heat-reactive overlays changes when touched by a source of warmth, unveiling a ripple of colour to invigorate your mind.

REAWAKEN:

Featuring captivating contours, the REAWAKEN cases releases your mind from the clutter of life through tactile feedback. Feel your way along the contoured surface and take a breather, allowing yourself to refocus at any point in the day.

STM Reawaken – £29.95

STM Reveal – £39.95

STM Relax – £39.95

https://www.stmgoods.com/focus-collection/

Video Review

Menta exhibits at Chiplet Summit and presents its new scalable chiplet platform, MOSAICS-LP

Menta, a deeptech company specializing in semiconductor design will attend Chiplet Summit to present MOSAICS-LP – an industrial platform specifically designed for the development of heterogeneous chips, using a universal chassis and a catalog of third-party chiplets . This platform is supported by the French government and the CEA-List, a research center specializing in intelligent digital systems .

The Second Annual Chiplet Summit is a pivotal gathering for chip designers and market players, providing insights into optimizing chiplet performance in speed, scalability, power efficiency, and flexibility. The summit facilitates networking, expert interactions, and exposure to a wide array of products and services, enabling participants to stay abreast of the latest advancements in chiplet technology.

Menta, is has pioneer in programmable logic solutions and will share a booth with its partner CEA-List .

In the current semiconductor manufacturing environment , conventional monolithic solutions give rise to issues related to energy consumption, scalability, and cost. MOSAICS-LP aims to tackle these challenges, in the booming environment of increased production demands. MOSAI CS- LP addresses the Edge Computing market, including Artificial Intelligence, IoT, robotics, automotive industry and 5G/6G markets; by offering competitive, scalable, high-performance, and energy-efficient solutions.

Vincent Markus, CEO of Menta declares “ At the forefront of innovation, Menta, alongside our strategic research partner CEA-List, is proud to participate in the Second Annual Chiplet Summit, a crucial event for chip designers and market players in the United States . MOSAICS-LP redefines semiconductor solutions, addressing issues of energy and cost in traditional monolithic approaches. Our groundbreaking platform, centered on Edge Computing and embedded AI, features a unique architecture with a universal chassis and chiplets. Key advantages include scalability, energy efficiency, reduced development costs, and risk mitigation through pre-tested components , making MOSAICS-LP an innovative solution for the evolving semiconductor landscape .”

Google Ads is fully rolled out to advertisers in the US and UK

Google have just announced that conversational experience in Google Ads is fully rolled out to advertisers in the US and UK and it will be rolling out globally to all English language advertisers over the next few weeks.

The conversational experience was first announced last year and helps businesses of all sizes build better Search campaigns through a chat-based experience. After months of testing, we’re excited to bring this to more advertisers around the world.

Some of the highlights are

  • This is the first of many Gemini integrations for Google Ads.

  • All advertisers need to do is enter their website and Google AI will generate relevant ad content, including creatives (images, headlines, descriptions) and keywords.

  • Advertisers retain full control over which assets are ultimately deployed as part of their campaign and they can iterate on the generated content via the chat function.

  • All images created with generative AI in Google Ads, including conversational experience, will include open standard metadata and be invisibly watermarked with SynthID.

For smaller businesses, the conversational experience is especially helpful at scaling creative and more easily building high-performing campaigns, while larger agencies may find it useful to quickly deploy and test campaign concepts before rolling them out more broadly.

Find out more on the blog post from Shashi Thakur, VP & GM in Google Ads here: Put Google AI to work with Search ads.

Tech Review – QDOS PowerLink COMBI 8-in-1 USB-C Hub

The QDOS PowerLink COMBI 8-in-1 USB-C Hub is a handy gadget to have if your PC or Laptop lacks ports which of late I find they do even with a recent purchase of an expensive laptop myself, this will give you the opportunity to enhance your overall experience with minimal space taken up and giving you maximum ports at your disposal if you are the one who needs to do more.

You get a well built product that looks neat and is clean with a nice blue light around the product when in use and of course uses USB-C to connect to your chosen working laptop or PC in use. This gives you passthrough charging up to 100W so you can charge whilst working and has 3 X USB 10GB 3.1  high speed ports ideal for using thumb drives and more. You will also find a USB-C port which offers which you PD 3.1 charging, You also get a headphone jack as many laptops like phones have omitted these now and there is a HDMI port also something that lacks theses days, finally you get 1 x SD card reader (480Mbps) and 1 x Micro SD (TF) card reader (480Mbps) so if you have SD cards for you work and so on like I would for example it makes and ideal kit to transfer data between connected devices seamless.

 

Features

  • Space Grey, multi-port USB-C Hub with tuck in cable design
  • Charge your USB-C enabled MacBook/laptop with pass through PD charging at Max 100W
  • 3 x USB 3.1 (10Gb/s high speed transfer)
  • 1 x USB-C (PD 3.1, Max 100W)
  • 1 x HDMI (4K display)
  • 1 x Audio Jack (3.5m)
  • 1 x SD card reader (480Mbps)
  • 1 x Micro SD (TF) card reader (480Mbps)
  • 10cm built in cable
  • Slim and light 8 in 1 hub, easy to transport

BUY

Video Review

Michael McAteer joins leading Irish EV charging company EasyGo

Erapid Charger Company Limited, trading as “EasyGo”, the largest private car charging network operator in Ireland, has today announced the appointment of Michael McAteer, former Managing Partner of Grant Thornton, as a member of its Executive Committee.

With in-depth technical and practical experience across numerous sectors including retail, aviation, leisure, construction and IT, Mr McAteer was Managing Partner of Grant Thornton, from 2018 to 2023, after previously leading the firm’s Advisory Services practice.

Commenting on the news, Chris Kelly, co-founder and CEO of EasyGo said: “This strategic move by one of Ireland’s most prominent business leaders underscores the enormous opportunities, confidence and growth trajectories within the Electric Vehicle (EV) sector, and specifically in EasyGo.

“Our mission is to decarbonise transport by providing accessible and efficient EV charging solutions across Ireland. We welcome Michael’s expertise, experience and insights, as we make a significant leap forward in our expansion plans. By 2032, we will roll out over 3,000 fast DC chargers onto the national charging network while adding over 20,000 commercial AC chargers into apartment buildings, hotels and other key locations.

Mr McAteer added: “I am excited to be part of EasyGo, a company that is playing a pivotal role in delivering a decarbonised transportation future in Ireland. With a focus on sustainability and innovation, EasyGo is well-poised to lead the charge in the EV sector by enhancing infrastructure, network reach and charging options. I look forward to contributing to the company’s continued success.”

In addition, EasyGo has announced that David Fitzgerald will join the company as Chief Revenue Officer, working alongside Gerry Cash, co-founder and commercial director. Mr Fitzgerald has over two decades of experience building and managing high-performing sales platforms across the digital and software sectors for market leaders such as Microsoft and Siemens. His role at EasyGo will be to lead the sales and marketing function for all of the company’s B2B and B2C products and services.

Mr Cash said: “We are delighted to add David to our executive suite. With EV adoption rates continuing to grow, there is an urgent need to expand the charging network nationwide. Building on recent investment and the work EasyGo has delivered to date, David’s deep industry knowledge will no doubt accelerate the delivery of much-needed infrastructure and technology, helping Ireland meet its 2030 Climate Action Plan targets.”

Today’s news follows the recent funding announcement of €30 million by Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc, leading to the creation of 60 new jobs at EasyGo. Last month, Rubicon Capital Advisors, through its asset management business, also announced it has increased its investment in EasyGo to over 50% shareholding, following its initial investment three years ago.

EasyGo is Ireland’s fastest-growing and largest privately owned EV charge point operator and turnkey solutions provider. Its EV charging network provides access to over 4,000 charging points in 1,500 locations across the island of Ireland. The EasyGo app currently has over 60,000 registered subscribers and grew by approximately 2,000 new users each month in 2023.

RoEx Automix Introduces New Product Feature to Enhance the Live Music Recording Experience

RoEx are proud to announce a significant development addressing the unique challenges of live music mixing. RoEx’s newly launched product, Automix, an AI-assisted audio mixing and mastering tool, has just taken its next step in enhancing the processes of live performance recordings within the creative community. Enabled by a £50,000 Innovate UK grant, this advancement transitions from the controlled studio environment, to the vibrant unpredictability of live performances, marking a game-changing moment for creators and innovators in the music industry.

The authenticity and spontaneous energy of live music often brings challenges such as inconsistent acoustics, ambient noise, and microphone bleed. These issues traditionally require hours of meticulous manual editing, hindering the production of resonant live recordings.

RoEx’s latest feature, powered by enhanced AI technology, tackles these complexities head on. Automix refines audio whilst maintaining the distinct feel of live performances, offering a new approach to how live music is mixed and enjoyed.

This development came from thorough research involving machine learning and audio signal processing techniques. Based on user feedback, RoEx’s team adjusted algorithms to improve audio quality, while keeping the genuine momentum of live performances.

The new feature will equip artists and producers with the ability to transform their archived live recordings into enhanced, clear-sounding tracks. This not only enables them to save time and studio fees, but also breathes new life into their live recordings.”

David Ronan, RoEx CEO comments: “We are so excited to launch the first AI multitrack studio mixing software capable of mixing live music, and we can’t wait to see how our community will resonate with it. We remain committed to ongoing innovation, driven by user feedback and experiences. That’s why we developed this new feature – to provide our community with a tool that can quickly enhance audio quality while preserving the authenticity and energy of their live performances.”

Automix, RoEx’s new feature, once again underscores their innovative approach. By streamlining the mixing and mastering of live performance recordings, it democratises the world of music creation, fostering talent growth and broadening opportunities.

Source Galileo and Lhyfe join forces for green hydrogen production in Ireland and the UK

Source Galile, a Dublin based European renewable energy developer, and European green and renewable hydrogen producer and supplier Lhyfe today announced their joint agreement to develop commercial-scale green and renewable hydrogen production units in Ireland and the UK.

The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the goal of deploying production facilities powered by renewable energy, providing a boost to the net zero emissions goals of both countries.

Under the agreement, Source Galileo and Lhyfe will combine their expertise to generate and supply the environmentally friendly gas to a variety of customers across industry and transport, helping them decarbonise their operations.

The partnership will see Source Galileo and Lhyfe collaborate to establish commercial-scale green hydrogen production. The energy firms are exploring opportunities in Ireland, focusing on identifying consumers and assessing factors such as grid availability, power supply, land accessibility, and planning requirements. Plans are already underway for multiple plants in the UK.

By working together, Source Galileo and Lhyfe believe that their economies of scale can accelerate the roll-out of green hydrogen, meeting the increasing demand from companies aiming to reduce their reliance on natural gas and other fossil fuels.

Initially, the companies will focus on using electricity from onshore renewable sources. However, in the longer term, they could harness the enormous offshore wind potential in Ireland and the UK, which would help overcome electricity grid constraints.

Green hydrogen can support deep decarbonisation, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy industry, including chemicals and steelmaking. It can also be used for heavy transport, including buses, trucks, construction or logistics vehicles, etc. Green hydrogen, produced from water and electrolysis, can also in the long term replace the more than 3000 TWh of hydrogen currently produced from oil, gas and coal throughout the world.

The Irish Government published its National Hydrogen Strategy in July 2023, outlining plans to develop 2GW of hydrogen production from offshore wind farms in the country by 2030. The UK Government has doubled its low-carbon hydrogen production target from 5GW to 10GW by 2030, with at least half of this coming from green hydrogen.

Source Galileo was founded to accelerate the roll-out of large-scale renewable energy projects as part of the energy transition. It has a pipeline of approximately 10GW of offshore wind and hydrogen projects under development in Ireland, the UK and Norway. The company is also developing onshore battery storage and solar projects.

Lhyfe (EURONEXT: LHYFE) is one of the world’s pioneers in producing green and renewable hydrogen by using water and wind or sun to power electrolysers. The France-based multinational’s first plant at Pays de La Loire has been operating since the second half of 2021, with two more sites inaugurated in Occitanie and Brittany in December 2023. An additional five sites are currently under construction or extension throughout Europe.

Since launching its UK operation in 2022 to support regional decarbonisation, Lhyfe has established offices in Newcastle and Sheffield. Lhyfe aims to achieve a green hydrogen production capacity of 200MW by the end of 2026 and an ambitious goal of 3GW by the end of 2030.

Kevin Lynch, CEO of Source Galileo, said: “We believe the development of a hydrogen economy alongside electricity is critical to the energy transition. Both the UK and Ireland have hydrogen strategies. The UK has committed to deploying 50GW of offshore wind by 2030, and Ireland is expected to develop at least 20GW of offshore wind by 2040, with an initial target of 2GW of hydrogen production from offshore wind by 2030. Our partnership with Lhyfe provides an onshore and offshore platform and a major step forward from which to assist in delivering government hydrogen targets.”

Stirling Habbitts, Director Hydrogen Business Development at Source Galileo, said: “With Lhyfe, we are geared towards decarbonising challenging sectors, particularly industrial processes, through the use of green hydrogen. Hydrogen’s role as an energy carrier will be pivotal in overcoming emerging constraints in current electricity grids, ensuring a supplemental and additional supply of clean energy to industries beyond the electricity grid’s current capabilities.”

Taia Kronborg, Chief Business Officer at Lhyfe, said: “We are pleased to announce this agreement with Source Galileo, which represents an exciting opportunity to drive forward the clean energy transition with large-scale green hydrogen production. At Lhyfe, we are moving at pace to enable decarbonisation in our communities and unleash the extraordinary potential of renewable energy across Ireland and the UK. Green hydrogen is one of the key solutions to reaching net zero, and the good news is it’s available to be deployed today, improving national energy security while turbo-charging local economies.”