Ray-Ban and Facebook launched the first pair of smart glasses that combine style and everyday wearability to help you stay present with friends, family, and the world around you. Ray-Ban Stories let you capture, share, and listen in a whole new way, so you can keep your eyes up and stay present in the moment. Ireland is one the initial launch countries. Starting at €329, you can choose from 20 combinations of frame/lens styles from the most iconic frames Ray-Ban offers: Wayfarer, Round or Meteor Ray-Ban. A rather unusual partnership that has turned eyes and then there is the data problem.
Convenient Camera Capture: Instant photo and video (up to 30 seconds) lets you capture spontaneous moments using the dual 5MP cameras on the front of the frames. A capture LED lights up when the cameras are on to notify those around you that photography or recording is taking place. Go hands-free for more convenient capture with Facebook Assistant and the “Hey Facebook” wake word. Simply say, “Hey Facebook, take a photo [or video]” and Ray-Ban Stories will do the rest.
Stylish Design: Choose the frames that fit your style and needs.Ray-Ban Stories comes in three styles: Wayfarer (also available in size Wayfarer L), Round and Meteor, and is offered in five colors and more lens choices, for 20 possible variations.
Built-In Audio: Built-in Bluetooth and a 3-microphone audio array allow you to listen to your favourite media, music, or podcast from any app on your phone and take calls – all from the glasses.
Facebook View App: Edit and enhance the everyday memories captured on Ray-Ban Stories using the Facebook View companion app (iOS and Android) and share them with family and friends, or across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, or any other app of your choice.
Ray-Ban Stories was designed with privacy in mind. We’re taking steps to make sure device owners–and the people around them–feel comfortable, safe, and informed. More information on these efforts, from specific product features to tips for device wearers, can be found in our dedicated microsite.
The Tronsmart Studio Bluetooth Speaker is the latest on offer from the brand that brings you affordable tech which for the consumer is a win and from testing many products over the years including their latest earbuds the Onyx ApexApollo Air Plus and the Apollo Air the products are robust and well worth considering.
Their latest speaker is also one to look out for when it comes to sound and quality and the build quality is premium here and certainly grabbed my attention, it might feel weighty to some however this is just an example of great build quality all round with all the ports required and also SD card support which allows you to use old cards you might have music stored on like I do.
There is a nice control panel up top with slightly raised keys and tactile and work perfectly fine each time and not a complicated set up either. On the rear you have your ports which allows for the SD card as mentioned your charge port via USB-C and aux support should you need it..
The shell of the speaker is a solid frame made with Aluminium with a grille front and rear, the rear allows the sound to pump from it which enhances the audio experience and it can be used with the front speakers firing but both highly recommended. You will see the example in the video review and how the controls work in the video below, we believe letting you get a sample of the Audio and how the features work rather than stock image reviews which has no context whatsoever.
Overall is this speaker worth a punt you will ask and the answer is yes. Great sound, app support you also have soundpulse technology and a premium build with a decent battery life that checks out to their specs..
Patented SoundPulse Technology.
Patented TuneConn Technology to Sync Audio Across 100+ Speakers.
Lossless High Fidelity Audio.
Personalize Audio via In-app Equalizer.
Stable Bluetooth 5.0 Connectivity.
Intelligent Voice Assistant.
Type-C Charging Port.
Up to 15 Hours of Playtime.
As with all our reviews we are transparent and tronsmart did not compensate us or have any input to this review and are seeing it the same time as you.
HP Inc. today released its HP Wolf Security Rebellions & Rejectionsreport, a comprehensive global study highlighting the tension between IT teams and employees working from home (WFH) that security leaders must resolve in order to secure the future of work.
The findings show that IT teams have been forced into compromising security for business continuity at a time of rising threats. Making matters worse, their attempts to increase or update security measures for remote workers have often been rejected. This is particularly true for the future workforce of 18-24-year-olds – digital natives who feel increasingly frustrated with security getting in the way of deadlines, leading many to circumvent controls.
The new HP Wolf Security report combines data from a global YouGov online survey of 8,443 office workers who shifted to WFH during the pandemic and a global survey of 1,100 IT Decision Makers, conducted by Toluna. Key findings include:
76% of IT teams admit security took a backseat to business continuity during the pandemic, while 91% felt pressure to compromise security for business continuity.
Almost half (48%) of younger office workers (18-24 years old) surveyed viewed security tools as a hindrance, leading to nearly a third (31%) trying to bypass corporate security policies to get their work done
48% of office workers surveyed agreed that seemingly essential security measures result in a lot of wasted time – this rises to 64% among those ages 18-24.
Over half (54%) of 18–24-year-olds were more worried about meeting deadlines than exposing their organization to a data breach; 39% were unsure what their security policies say, or are unaware if their company even has them – suggesting a growing level of apathy among younger workers
As a result, 83% of IT teams believe the increase in home workers has created a “ticking time bomb” for a corporate network breach.
“The fact that workers are actively circumventing security should be a worry for any CISO – this is how breaches can be born,” comments Ian Pratt, Global Head of Security for Personal Systems, HP Inc. “If security is too cumbersome and weighs people down, then people will find a way around it. Instead, security should fit as much as possible into existing working patterns and flows, with technology that is unobtrusive, secure-by-design and user-intuitive. Ultimately, we need to make it as easy to work securely as it is to work insecurely, and we can do this by building security into systems from the ground up.”
The report highlights that many security teams have made efforts to curb user behaviour to keep data safe. 91% have updated security policies to account for the rise in working from home, while 78% have restricted access to websites and applications. However, these controls often create friction for users, who resent the controls and push back on IT, leaving security teams feeling dejected and rejected:
37% of office workers surveyed said security policies and technologies are often too restrictive.
80% of IT teams experienced push back from users who do not like controls being put on them at home; 67% of IT teams said they experience complaints about this weekly.
83% of IT teams said trying to set and enforce corporate policies around cybersecurity is impossible now the lines between personal and professional lives are so blurred.
80% of IT teams said IT security was becoming a “thankless task” because nobody listens to them.
69% of IT teams said they are made to feel like the “bad guys” for imposing restrictions.
“CISOs are dealing with increasing volume, velocity and severity of attacks,” comments Joanna Burkey, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), HP Inc. “Their teams are having to work around the clock to keep the business safe, while facilitating mass digital transformation with reduced visibility. Cybersecurity teams should no longer be burdened with the weight of securing the business solely on their shoulders, cybersecurity is an end-to-end discipline in which everyone needs to engage.”
Burkey continues: “To create a more collaborative security culture, we must engage and educate employees on the growing cybersecurity risks, while IT teams need to better understand how security impacts workflows and productivity. From here, security needs to be re-evaluated based on the needs of both the business and the hybrid worker.”
HP is helping organizations to secure the hybrid workplace by delivering transparent and unobtrusive endpoint security. With HP Wolf Security organizations benefit from robust, built-in protection from the silicon to the cloud, and BIOS to browser. It enables Cybersecurity teams to deliver user-friendly tools and help to ease restrictions, while also providing defence-in-depth and enhanced protection, privacy, and threat intelligence, gathering data at the endpoint to help protect the business at large
A second delivery station will open in Dublin this autumn creating over 20 permanent jobs
Amazon has announced plans to open its first fulfilment centre in the Republic of Ireland, creating 500 new permanent jobs to help meet customer demand. The state-of-the-art fulfilment centre, which will open spring 2022, will provide faster delivery for customers across Ireland seven days a week, including one-day delivery on hundreds of thousands of items.
The 630,000 square foot centre at Baldonnell Business Park, Dublin, will hold millions of items to be picked, packed and shipped to customers across Ireland as well as the rest of Europe.
Recruitment has started for a range of new roles for the fulfilment centre, including engineers, HR and IT professionals through to health & safety and finance specialists and operations managers. Recruitment for the Amazon teams who will pick, pack and ship customer orders will begin next year.
A second delivery station will also open at Northwest Logistics Park, Ballycoolin, serving customers in Dublin and the surrounding areas. The delivery station will create over 20 permanent jobs, in addition to dozens of driver opportunities for Amazon Logistics’ delivery service partners and Amazon Flex delivery partners. The 83,500 square foot building is expected to be fully operational this autumn.
Huge fleet of Amazon Prime vans Dublin. source – techbuzzireland
The first delivery station in Ireland opened last October in Rathcoole, Dublin, creating more than 20 permanent jobs and working with 10 independent delivery companies who hired more than 150 drivers. Last year Amazon also announced plans to create another 1,000 permanent jobs in Ireland over the next two years bringing Amazon’s total permanent workforce in the country to over 5,000 people by 2022.
Amazon provides competitive pay, excellent benefits and a modern, safe and engaging work environment for its employees. Amazon pays all its employees in Ireland, whether they are full-time, part-time, temporary, or seasonal, at least €12 per hour. Employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package including include private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and an employee discount as well as a company pension plan.
Amazon’s fulfilment network supports millions of businesses of all sizes worldwide through its Fulfilment by Amazon offering, and many of those local businesses are based in Ireland. There are thousands of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), authors and developers in Ireland growing their companies and reaching new customers with Amazon products and services.
What about Amazon.ie?
Whilst the awareness of the two new buildings have been no huge secret to many, especially those that work in the logistics industry this has been well known so all that remains is when will we see an Amazon.ie, well we will not be waiting to long it would be safe to say..
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar TD, said: “I welcome today’s news that Amazon will open its first Irish fulfilment centre in Dublin next spring, creating 500 new jobs. This, alongside the announcement of a second Dublin delivery station creating a further 20 new roles, will mean faster delivery of goods for customers all across the country and strongly underscores Amazon’s continued commitment to Ireland.
Since Amazon’s arrival here in 2004, it has become a significant source of employment – today’s announcement will bring its total workforce to over 5,000. I wish the team the very best of luck with this exciting new chapter.”
Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA Ireland, said: “Amazon has had a presence in Ireland for 17 years now, growing and expanding its range of activities which has contributed significantly to Ireland’s tech ecosystem and our reputation as a global tech hub. Already a substantial and valued employer, the 500 additional jobs being created in this new centre will bring its permanent workforce to over 5,000 next year in Ireland. It is great to see Ireland continuing to attract investment and playing such an important part in the future plans of this global company. Amazon’s ongoing commitment to Ireland is most welcome.”
Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Robert Troy TD, said: “I am delighted to see Amazon continuing to grow its presence in Ireland. The opening of this new fulfilment centre will speed up deliveries for Irish customers and create 500 new roles, bringing Amazon’s headcount here to over 5000. This announcement is a significant reaffirmation of Amazon’s commitment to Ireland, and I wish all involved every success.”
Stefano Perego, VP Amazon’s Fulfilment Centre Operations in Europe, said: “We are delighted to be opening our first fulfilment centre in Dublin enabling us to provide faster delivery times for customers across Ireland. We are excited to be creating 500 new permanent roles which offer competitive wages, excellent benefits and a modern, safe and engaging work environment for our employees.
“The new state-of-the-art fulfilment centre and delivery station are a further sign of our commitment to the communities in which we operate. The new teams will play a crucial role in providing faster delivery to customers across Ireland including one-day delivery on hundreds of thousands of items.”
Gaming on PC provides you with entertainment, and it helps you learn different skills. However, to enjoy your favorite game, you should make sure your computer is optimized for that purpose. Here are 4 expert-level hacks to optimize your PC for gaming.
1. Close Background Processes
First and foremost, you should specifically get a computer that is meant for gaming. There are special machines designed for games that you can get on the market. Whether you are using a PC for gaming or just a Windows computer to play games, make sure you close all background programs that are open in the background. These programs may prevent your computer from achieving its full potential in gaming. Any open programs can affect the speed of the game, which leads to a poor experience. Therefore, make sure you close all the windows that you do not need if you want to enjoy your favorite game.
2. Choose The Best Components For Gaming
There are different components like graphics cards, CPUs, storage devices, and memory that affect your games. Additionally, you also need to consider the motherboard for gaming which ensures enough connectivity for the vital components required by the games. There are different types of motherboards designed for gaming; you must get something that suits your needs. You need to check the best motherboard that suits your needs. In addition, it is vital to tweak the graphics settings for your games. For instance, lowering the resolution of your game can go a long way in ensuring that you get more frames per second.
3. Update GPU Drivers
To boost the performance of your PC for games, you should update its GPU drivers. If you update the graphics card, your GPU will deliver 100% of its potential performance. You will observe a significant increase in FPS. To achieve this, you can look for the best software to update your drivers for PC gaming. With the right program, you will get the latest updates that will help improve your gaming experience. If you want, you can set your PC to install automatic updates at given times. This helps to ensure you do not miss any critical updates.
4. Remove Unwanted Programs
If your PC for gaming consists of programs that you rarely use or no longer need, it is a good idea to remove them. These programs affect the performance of your computer by competing for precious RAM. This means you will have lower FPS while gaming. You can uninstall all programs you are not using. On top of that, you should clear all outdated updates since they can affect your RAM. Reduce startup programs or deactivate them so they do not affect the speed of your computer.
Computer gaming is exciting since it plays a crucial role in entertaining different people. To enjoy the maximum experience of gaming, you must have an optimized PC. There are different measures you can take to improve the performance of your computer when playing games. While the list is not exhaustive, the above tips can help you enjoy your favorite game to the fullest.
Creative Technology today announced the release of Sound Blaster Audigy FX V2, the latest addition to its well-established series of Sound Blaster sound cards. A compelling facelift over its predecessor Sound Blaster Audigy Fx, which was already a bestseller in its own right, this sound card features improvements in audio quality (including an upgrade option via a daughter board) and the versatile SmartComms Kit for seamless online calls. The Sound Blaster FX V2 is quite simply the choice pick amongst cost-effective audio upgrade options for PCs.
Sound Blaster Audigy FX V2 features a separate daughter board as an upgrade option.
Hear the Sound Blaster Difference
The Sound Blaster FX V2 is powered by the heralded Sound Blaster Acoustic Engine technology that delivers high-quality, 5.1 cinematic surround sound, 24Bit 192khz high-resolution audio. Coupled with its high-fidelity DAC which is capable of up to 120dB dynamic range, this sound card offers pure ear candy for users looking to improve their motherboard audio for movies, gaming and music. Scout Mode, a Sound Blaster staple, enhances in-game audio cues so that users get a ‘ear-start’ in nailing down opponent locations while in battle.
This sound card supports 5.1 discrete channels on speakers, as well as 5.1 virtual surround on headphones (up to 600 Ω). For users who want even more, the Sound Blaster Fx V2 DBPRO daughter board is available as an upgrade option – users get to enjoy full 7.1 surround sound, DSD256 high-quality playback and an optical-out port for even more connectivity.
With a half-height and compact form factor, the Sound Blaster Fx V2 is 16% smaller than the preceding model. It also comes with interchangeable full-height and half-height brackets in the box; making it easier than ever to fit a sound card into a PC.
The Smarter Way to Communicate
The Sound Blaster FX V2 performs beyond a typical sound card; the SmartComms Kit is a suite of smart communication features to help simplify the way users communicate during conference calls and online chats. With features such as VoiceDetect, NoiseClean-in, and NoiseClean-out, users can skip the unnecessary fiddling of microphone controls and ensure constant clarity while talking to others without the disturbance of annoying background noises.
Pricing and Availability
Sound Blaster FX V2 is priced at US$54.99, £49.99, €54.99, PLN249; Sound Blaster FX V2 DB PRO is priced at US$17.99, €17.99, £16.99, PLN 79. Both are available at Creative.com.
Nokia has a slew of devices on the market now and one thing I have noticed is we are seeing a pattern that is very familiar with them ie they look all the same now and this something Samsung have been known for hence their nickname SameSong over the years alongside Apple but seemed to have addressed that to an extent of late with their new devices and we will have our Flip 3 review in soon too so stay tuned for that. However for Nokia and HMD their devices are getting better as time goes on and hopefully we will see a true flagship offering soon as the market is super saturated right now and maybe they can pull something off in the coming weeks with smartphone season kicking off.
The USP of the Nokia X20
The USP of the Nokia X20 is battery, 5G and a big screen with a three year warranty and this may tick the box for the many folks out there who just want something with a decent sized screen and battery to consume media on but as for 5G you can forget about it now as the uptake is bad and being on it myself well lets say it is nothing to write home about, in fact my service has been terrible since I moved over to 5G but you cans say the Nokia X20 has future proofed itself as long as they dont start dropping too many phones out over the coming months and keep their portfolio tailored and have no conflicting devices which in turn makes others redundant like others seem to have a habit of doing.
Who is the Nokia X20 for
Well to be fair here it can be for anyone, if you have money to spend and want to show off with your iPhone 12 pro max off you go to your limited experience as always is with Apple and most tech journos never shut up about the iPhone, I do own one and find it good in fairness but restrictions still apply and stupid ones at that which make it hard for me to use it as a daily driver, Using two phones as my daily drivers I tend to use an Android device and a test device or my iPhone but the iPhone sits in my drawer for the most part, The X20 is mid tier and affordable ticking the key boxes for most but you have small hands look somewhere else because this is a big phone.
Nokia X20 techbuzzireland
Nokia X20 techbuzzireland
Multitasking
For daily tasks it has been fine and that means multitasking all day long with the usual 2 email accounts open and all my social media and news feeds etc and it was no problem, like who in fairness uses their phone to its full potential? Not many I bet but doing my everyday tasks as I do on any phone it has been fine with no lags or reboots during use and I get a day out of it no problem and that is a bug feat in my book.
Camera
Not going to bore you with the specs but it does a good job overall and is capable for the majority of people who will use this phone you wont get great shots like more expensive phones but well balanced overall a decent enough for a point and shoot device. You get a 64MB main camera and three other lenses and one lens like on most phones is a stick on and there is no point in it being there and video shooting maxes out at 1080P at 60fps and you can also use 30fps here if you want so no 4K here which is a letdown. The front facing camera is 32MP and being honest quite good on this front and probably one of the better ones out there especially at the price.
Build
With a 6.7 inch fhd display consuming media is nice to say despite its 60hz refresh rate but most phones in this category are the same but more leaning towards a higher refresh rate like 90hz. It still offers a decent experience for the consumer and with everyone now on their mobiles now more than ever watching films on this is a great experience with a decent enough speaker but the colours are bright and pop so overall it is great and when browsing the web you have a better screen estate to work with and makes it a more comfortable experience offering a better view rather than tall thin devices . It has a plastic build but looks like metal so do not let that fool you and many lower end mid tier phones use this approach and get away with it however some might prefer this as the phone is lighter and easy to hold in the hand.
Battery
With a 4470 mAh battery it is considered big and for what it is powering all day long it lasts a day which i said earlier which is good and for most average users you can expect a two day life with one charge but the thing is we are now on our phones more and the minority would get the two days out of it. This however is not a bad thing either as one a one day battery life for most is great and the expectation for most users these days until the battery technology improves however you do get quick charge here and again battery size will have alot to do with cost and weight and it is well balanced here.
Conclusion
With 128GB of storage, 8GB RAM Android One which has no bloatware, three year warranty a big screen and decent cameras this might be one to look at it also looks more expensive than it is and something many manufacturers can do now to give devices a better aesthetic look it is a good all rounder for the average joe soap, with the competition rife in the smartphone market you might look at imported phones but that is another issue if you run into problems with repairs etc it is a one to perhaps look into if you are on a budget..
The organization of a company is a key element of a properly running office. Wasted time is one of the biggest expenses to a company and it’s usually because of improperly organized systems. If everything is convenient and properly in its place, the entire process will run smoothly. Fortunately, there are a lot of things people can do to improve office efficiency.
Having a smooth-running office has lots of employee benefits as well. Everyone can be more productive and experience less frustration from poor organizational schemes or tedious and outdated tasks.
Consider An Inserter
One such outdated task that is a major time-waster is inserting letters into envelopes. Lucky for you a folder inserter is an office machine that can do that job for you. This alone can save thousands on the payroll if your office relies on traditional mailings.
Not only does an inserter do all the work more quickly and consistently than a person, but it also keeps highly skilled workers from wasting their time on menial tasks.
Franking For Efficiency
Another way to speed up mailings and deliveries of all types is to employ a franking machine. The franking machine is a piece of office equipment that calculates and prints postage information on letters or package delivery labels.
Franking machines have a scale and everything. You just put your letter or package on the scale, enter your shipping details, and the franking machine will print a label with postage included. Depending on the model, different levels of automation are available. You can send a shipping manifest via computer and stack it up against your letters, the machine will do the rest.
MailMark Rates Are Better
When you use a digital postage machine like a franking machine you gain some other benefits as well. MailMark is one such benefit. It’s a service offered by Royal Mail and when using it, you get the best postage rates available today. It’s also convenient for a lot of other features. MailMark is the most convenient form of postage while also being the cheapest.
There are a lot of other ultra-modern features that come with MailMark postage and they will do a lot for your company. Those features are discussed further down.
Utilize Enhanced Tracking
Digital postage systems like MailMark also come with enhanced tracking services for your letters and packages. That’s because each postage glyph contains information including the recipient address, return, and tracking number.
This makes processing and delivery faster at every level of the system. Whether you’re loading trucks at the plant, sorting or delivering as a postal worker, or checking out your package delivery dates, having a digital glyph with all pertinent information ensures that the package gets to its destination.
Use Online Resources
If you’re having trouble with teamwork and staff productivity, it’s probably due to some gaps in the information flow at your office. That can surface at any point in the hierarchy if someone is communicating poorly. If you make sure everyone has a collaborative whiteboard for each project, people can have a visual focus that outlines each aspect of a project.
Workers can check it out for inspiration, to find their next task, and add their own ideas. People can discuss issues through a collaborative workspace and managers can use it as a centralized point of focus.
Integrate A Management Platform
Another option is to use a management platform. There are many kinds of online workspace platforms available nowadays. Microsoft Teams is a telecommunication app that organizes people by teams and allows you to assign tasks and communicate with each team. This creates a virtual workspace that everyone can contribute to and use for meetings.
There are lots of choices to choose from and it’s important to try out more than one if you want to find the perfect solution to your workspace needs. The best platform for you may not be the best for everyone else.
Assess Employee Capability
Make sure you’re using your employees correctly. If an employee’s talents go untapped, it’s the fault of the manager and their inability to properly evaluate staff capability. A bad manager just wants to fill seats with people that meet the minimums and accept minimum pay. However, finding positions or tasks that utilize the strengths and avoid the weaknesses of employees shows mastery of staff management.
This also tends to improve morale as people are more satisfied with their job and are recognized for their abilities. And this leads to better outcomes and improved productivity. Happy workers in positions that suit them are the ideal outcome of every workplace.
Creating productivity is about removing bottlenecks in work and idea flow. Improving communication, reducing menial tasks that eat time, and providing quality tools are the best ways to eliminate the bottlenecks that threaten your office’s efficiency.
Europe’s leading e-scooter operator TIER and Irish micromobility tech platform Luna have announced a strategic partnership to explore the piloting and deployment of computer vision and smart city technology on shared e-scooter fleets, across Europe and the Middle East. In response to today’s announcement, Luna will also create 15 new full time jobs to assist with the work on these pilot projects. These jobs will cover computer vision/AI, hardware, IoT and project management roles in Ireland.
The announcement comes as part of an Enterprise Ireland trade mission to Germany where Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar T.D. met with representatives from Luna and Tier in Berlin. The meeting was to further understand the nexus between Ireland and Germany within the e-mobility and automotive industry, and the future role of shared e-scooter schemes in Ireland once the required legislation is passed.
The strategic partnership builds on the Dublin pilot which is taking place across DCU’s five campuses, and which also involves the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics. TIER and Luna are exploring the option of partnering in Paris and examining the possibilities of how vision-enabled e-scooters can assist the Mayor’s Smart City ambitions, using high fidelity and high frequency imagery captured by a portion of TIER’s fleet of 5,000 scooters there.
In addition to Paris, both companies are also exploring partnering in the Middle East with Smart City stakeholders, to examine the potential for bespoke computer vision solutions to tackle local issues around safety, infrastructure optimisation, as well as current and future municipal governance requirements. Additional pilot projects are also being explored in Spain amongst other locations, but details on these locations are yet to be finalised.
Another element of today’s announcement is that there will be a further collaboration with various digital mapping platforms, which will look at how TIER riders and computer vision on scooters can be utilised to capture more accurate and up to date mapping data, that will assist the deployment of micromobility schemes in cities on a global scale. Existing mapping platforms scan cities maybe once or twice a year, whereas scooters can capture and infill additional street level data on a daily basis.
Finally, as part of the strategic partnership, TIER and Luna are also embarking on a technical integration project to examine how the Luna computer vision hardware can be embedded into TIER vehicles at the point of manufacture. This will allow Tier to develop a next generation e-scooter that allows the current Luna standalone computer vision tech to integrate more deeply with the vehicle, similar to how Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) tech has evolved in the automotive industry.
Speaking at the announcement of this strategic partnership, Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar T.D. said: “I’m really happy to see this strategic partnership between Irish company Luna and Europe’s leading e-scooter operator TIER. Ireland is introducing a new law to allow for the legal usage of scooters on our roads in our towns and cities, as they become an increasingly popular option for commuters. Luna will hire 15 people as a result of the partnership, which will help build on the current pilot project that is taking place in DCU. These kinds of innovative partnerships can provide Ireland with a ‘second mover advantage’, helping us avoid some of the safety and other teething issues of earlier e-scooter schemes elsewhere. With this in mind it’s reassuring to see TIER, not only bringing advanced technology to solve some of the challenges we will no doubt also face in Ireland, but also to see them working with Irish stakeholders such as the NCBI and the Irish Wheelchair Association, through their recently established Safety Board.”
Matthias Laug, CTO and Co-Founder of TIER, said: “We are already working closely with Luna in Dublin, and this broader strategic agreement allows us to expand the scope and ambition of our partnership. We see computer vision as a valuable tool in our mission to change mobility for good and to lead the way towards seamless, sustainable and safe micro-mobility. Alongside our world-leading parking capabilities with Fantasmo, this powerful collaboration with Europe’s leading computer vision and edge AI startup in the scooter space, allows us to explore the full potential of this exciting technology on our fleet. Luna thinks about cities in the same way as we do, and we look forward to jointly developing new solutions that address some of the key smart city challenges our city partners are identifying, from pavement riding to infrastructure monitoring and from litter alerts to road condition reports.”
Andrew Fleury, Co-Founder & CEO, Luna said: “Luna is thrilled to be partnering so closely with TIER across multiple geographies in the EU and Middle East. Cities and stakeholders everywhere are looking towards smart technology to help find solutions to some of the operational challenges that are holding the shared scooter industry back from fulfilling its potential. TIER is embracing Luna technology, even at this early stage of its evolution, in order to pioneer the future of micromobility, and deliver safe and sustainable services that not only do the basics of looking after rider and pedestrian safety, but also look to the future where scooter fleets act as mobile sensor networks in the smart cities of tomorrow. The rate of industry advancement is astonishing in the shared scooter sector, and TIER is very much to the fore in this regard, having already developed an innovative Energy Network infrastructure for its user swappable batteries, as well as pioneering the deployment of Augmented Reality parking technology. Luna sees TIER as a natural partner in our mission to keep people safe and make cities smarter, and we’re excited to see how the partnership develops over time.
We were also excited to announce the expansion of our team with the creation of 15 brand new jobs over the coming months especially in the presence of the Tánaiste, who responded positively to the work we are currently undertaking in the micromobility sector.”
