The World’s Dirtiest and clean Websites: New Research Reveals Websites With Biggest Carbon Footprint

A new report by energy comparison site Uswitch has analysed the carbon footprint of the world’s most popular websites to highlight the environmental impact of our digital lives.

From sending emails and streaming content, to internet shopping and posting content on social media, everything we do online uses electricity. In turn, this produces carbon which negatively affects the environment and can lead to climate change. So, to shed some light on the lesser-known impact of using the internet, the study reveals which of the world’s most popular websites are the cleanest and dirtiest when it comes to carbon emissions.

 The Good, The Bad, And The Dirty

Taking the top spot as the ‘dirtiest’ website is the self-titled ‘front page of the internet’, Reddit. The website is used by millions of people around the world as a place to share news, content and discussions. According to the data, a single visit to the website leads to 13.05g of CO2 emissions.

Another highly used social network comes in as the second dirtiest website, the image sharing site Pinterest emits an estimated 12.43g of carbon from every visit to the site. The gaming website Nintendo, where you can purchase games and consoles, is the third most ‘dirty’ website – every time someone visits the site, it produces an estimated 11.43g of CO2.

In contrast, the cleanest website is one of the most visited online resources in the world, Wikipedia. The website only produces an estimated 0.04g of carbon per visitor. LinkedIn, the professional social network, comes in at second place – emitting just 0.23g of CO2 for every visit, and international fashion brand H&M follows closely behind in third, with 0.29g of carbon being emitted with each visit to their site.

Top 25 Dirtiest Websites:

  Website Website type Amount of carbon per website visit
1 reddit.com Social media 13.05
2 pinterest.com Social media 12.43
3 nintendo.com Gaming 11.43
4 accuweather.com Weather 9.71
5 espn.com Sports 6.8
6 victoriassecret.com Fashion 6.64
7 uniqlo.com Fashion 5.22
8 nytimes.com News 4.64
9 ebay.co.uk Auction site 4.53
10 alibaba.com Ecommerce 4.43
11 zoom.us Video calling 4.28
12 ikea.com Homeware 3.52
13 wayfair.com Homeware 3.21
14 twitch.tv Streaming 3.16
15 weather.com Weather 3.13
16 cnn.com News 3.07
17 bbc.co.uk News 2.95
18 shein.com Fashion 2.88
19 steampowered.com Gaming 2.72
20 currys.co.uk Technology 2.64
21 amazon.co.uk Ecommerce 2.54
22 office.com Technology 2.26
23 shutterstock.com Stock imagery 1.92
24 next.co.uk Fashion & home 1.89
25 youtube.com Video streaming 1.85

Top 25 Cleanest Websites:

  Website Website type Amount of carbon per website visit
1 wikipedia.org Resource 0.04
2 linkedin.com Social media 0.23
3 hm.com Fashion & home 0.29
4 messenger.com Social media 0.29
5 paypal.com Financial service 0.34
6 familysearch.org Ancestry database 0.40
7 wordpress.com Website platform 0.43
8 experian.com Financial service 0.44
9 marksandspencer.com Fashion & home 0.45
10 coinbase.com Financial service 0.49
11 wish.com Ecommerce 0.49
12 shopify.com Website platform 0.54
13 indeed.com Recruitment 0.58
14 spotify.com Music streaming 0.58
15 craigslist.org Listings website 0.61
16 t.me Social media 0.61
17 asus.com Technology 0.65
18 ubereats.com Food delivery 0.66
19 zara.com Fashion & home 0.67
20 sainsburys.co.uk Supermarket 0.68
21 fedex.com Courier 0.70
22 archiveofourown.org Fan fiction 0.73
23 apple.com Technology 0.75
24 dell.com Technology 0.77
25 sharepoint.com Technology 0.83

 

How Each Website’s Carbon Footprint Was Calculated

To estimate each site’s impact on the planet, Uswitch used a carbon calculator called Website Carbon to compare the carbon emissions of more than 200 of the world’s most popular websites.

The sustainability tool works out the amount of energy that’s used when someone loads a page on a website – this factors in the energy that’s required at the data centre (the cloud), by the telecoms network and by the user’s computer or mobile, as well as things like whether the data centre is using green energy to power it.

With more and more of us are making changes to minimise our impact on the planet and to live more sustainably, but even some of the most environmentally conscious people might not be aware that our personal carbon footprint is also impacted by our virtual lives too.

How Different Online Industries Impact The Planet

The report also looked into specific industries to discover which sites were the best and worst in their field.

When it comes to fashion, Victoria’s Secret is the worst website for carbon emissions, with 6.64g of CO2 produced with every visit to the site. Mazda is last place in the automotive pack with an estimated 16.19g of CO2 emitted every time someone loads the website and, in the beauty industry, Urban Decay is the ‘dirtiest’ website, producing 11.29 of CO2 from every visit to the site.

 

Top 5 Dirtiest Websites, by industry

Fashion
  Website Amount of carbon per website visit
1 victoriassecret.com 6.64
2 nastygal.com 5.67
3 uniqlo.com 5.22
4 footasylum.com 3.35
5 everything5pounds.com 3.24

Automotive
  Website Amount of carbon per website visit
1 mazda.co.uk 16.19
2 jeep.co.uk 10.73
3 mitsubishi-motors.co.uk 10.07
4 kia.com 7.08
5 subaru.co.uk 4.27

 

Beauty
  Website Amount of carbon per website visit
1 clinique.co.uk 9.63
2 trinnylondon.com 4.85
3 elfcosmetics.co.uk 4.3
4 lookfantastic.com 3.75
5 aesop.com 3.6

 

With much of the UK and the world still working from home, the research team also compared some of the tools that have helped with remote working recently. Given Dropbox is in the game of data storage, it’s perhaps unsurprising it’s the worst website for carbon emissions, with a visit to the site emitting 7.35g of CO2.

When comparing different travel companies, although most brands performed better than a lot of the other companies in different industries, it’s Qatar Airways’ site that’s revealed as the most carbon emitting, with 3.16g produced with every visit.

In the streaming and gaming industry, it’s the third ‘dirtiest’ website overall, Nintendo that takes the top spot for the worst streaming and gaming site for carbon emissions, with 11.43g of CO2 produced every time someone visits the site.

Home-working
  Website Amount of carbon per website visit
1 dropbox.com 7.35
2 slack.com 4.72
3 zoom.us 4.3
4 asana.com 3.95
5 office.com 2.26

 

Travel
  Website Amount of carbon per website visit
1 qatarairways.com 3.16
2 sykescottages.co.uk 2.89
3 easyjet.com 2.4
4 expedia.com 2.1
5 skyscanner.net 1.7

 

Streaming and gaming
  Website Amount of carbon per website visit
1 nintendo.com 11.43
2 store.steampowered.com 3.52
3 sky.com 3.45
4 playstation.com 3.13
5 stadia.google.com 2.78

Carbon expert, Tom Greenwood from Website Carbon commented:

“Improving energy efficiency and prioritising renewable energy sources are two key ways a website can reduce its carbon emissions. A good place to start is making sure the size of images, fonts and videos are kept to an absolute minimum – this will reduce the amount of data that needs to be transferred when someone uses the site, and will in turn reduce the amount of energy used. Reducing website emissions might sound a bit niche, but there’s a stack of other benefits for the customer as well as the company – from improved user experience, to better security, better accessibility and faster load times. So, it’s a win-win for people and planet.”

To find out more about the world’s best and worst sites for carbon emissions and to find out easy ways to reduce your digital carbon footprint, visit https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/worlds-dirtiest-websites/

Tech Review – SOUL Sync ANC true wireless earbuds. #Tech #TWS #SOUL

Next up for review is the SOUL sync ANC TWS earbuds which again come in really nice pastel colours and offer are targeted for those who like that bit more from their earbuds and offer more than the NANO we recently checked out which are a serious bang for your buck when it comes to sound. You can check out the trio below in the unboxing and see what is on offer and all in all you get great value for money and colours that pop, but it is not all down to looks I hear you say it is down to how they sound what matters..

The design and fit of the Sync are really nice and look great, these have a small stem in comparison to others but a nice sized touch area to control your music which is simple. Once on they offer a great seal alone and then you can switch between modes to suit your needs or surroundings, the ANC works really well and I have a test case to do this in my house which is a fan and this is almost blocked out once fitted, Once the ANC is activated you do not hear the fan and most noise, You will never get the same level of ANC with TWS earbuds as you will headphones, Just now anyway but the technology is improving every day, In general they do a great job with noise cancelling.

When it comes to sound they are pretty good but not as loud as I would like they seem to be to less loud of of the Three I have have hear which is fine most folk use about 70/80% of the volume where I am a full volume person and that is just me and at that level they where not the loudest I tested but this is common and probably better for the ears anyway. Direction, Instruments, highs, lows and mids where fine and a good balance also with voice and voice calls where fine and you can again use these on their own be it left or right which is often a feature left out in even more expensive earbuds.

Overall you cant go wrong with these earbuds and they look really trendy and pop out and from wearing them out walking etc people have stopped and asked my who makes these so that is nice to see, you will not get the loudest volume here but a good overall result with some bass thrown in too. Battery life is on par however with ANC on like any other earbuds with ANC you will draw that power faster and see around 20-22 hours of life using ANC and volume up high.

SOUL sent us this press sample and are seeing this review the same time as you..

BUY HERE 

Edifier launch the TWS NB2 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Technology with Wearing Detection Technology and Environmental Sound Monitoring Mode

Edifier® International, prominent designer and award-winning manufacturer of consumer audio electronics for both the lifestyle and multimedia markets announces an update to the popular TWS NB earbuds; the TWS NB2. Not so long ago I checked out the TWS NB and these in fact remain in my top 5 earbuds last year and they still sound great today so we look forward to what the new model has to offer..

Drawing on the same cutting-edge design, the TWS NB2 earbuds offers an improved look whilst still delivering the same audio quality. Through extensive testing, the new TWS NB2 earbuds offer an immersive listening experience by blocking low to medium external environmental noise frequencies. This Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Technology has elevated noise cancelling capabilities by -40 dB, 30% deeper than the previous generation, utilising advanced electro-acoustic technology and an innovative algorithm. Quick Ambient Mode can be conveniently activated by tapping the earbud, enabling you to hear external noise when it is appropriate, for example, flight announcements or traffic noise. 

Superior sound quality is achieved through the 10mm composite diaphragm driver unit, which delivers a completely balanced, high resolution sound and punchy bass with a wider soundstage. The Bluetooth v5.0 and Qualcomm aptX deliver low latency, minimising interruptions and providing a reliable connection. 

Calls are crystal clear with the dual microphone noise cancellation, ensuring the clarity of phone conversations and enhancing the user’s voice. Easily answer phone calls by using the on-ear controls. The TWS NB2 also feature User Detection Technology, which automatically starts and stops the music when the earbuds are inserted or removed, and with the primary-secondary earbud switch function, the left and/or right earbud can be used for mono or stereo sound. On-ear tap controls also allow for the playing/pausing of music and the answering of phone calls. 

 

Thanks to the low-power consumption chipset and high-capacity lithium battery, the TWS NB2 features seven hours of playback time with the Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Technology turned on, and nine hours with this disabled. There is also the added security of knowing that the travel-friendly charging case gives an additional 23-hour playback time before needing mains charging. The TWS NB2 also utilizes fast charging, which allows for a two-hour play-back time with only a 15-minute charge.

The stylish low-profile true wireless earbuds carry a IP54 rated housing for dust and water resistance, and you can personalise your settings further by connecting to the Edifier Connect App. 

 

Main Features:

  • Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Technology, 30% deeper than the previous generation.
  • 10mm driver with composite diaphragm unit delivers music with a wider soundstage.
  • Crystal clear phone calls using dual-mic noise cancellation. 
  • Feature User Detection Technology and primary-secondary earbud functions.
  • Seven hours of charge time with an additional 23 hours using the charging case. 

Specifications: 

Sensitivity 94±3dB
Driver size 10mm
Frequency response 20 – 20KHz
Impedance 24Ω
Wireless connection Bluetooth v5.0
Charging time 90 min
Connections Type – c

 

Price & Availability: Available for £89.99 from Edifier Online – 

https://www.edifier.online/products/edifier-tws-nb2-true-wireless-tws-bluetooth-active-noise-cancelling-anc-earbuds-with-touch-control-black-silver

OPPO launches its brand-new Find X3 series in Ireland. #OppoFindX3 #OppoIreland

Today OPPO, the world’s leading smart device brand, has  launched its new series of 5G premium smartphones, the Find X3 series, including the Find X3 Pro 5G, Find X3 Neo 5G and Find X3 Lite 5G. With a cutting-edge quad camera and a one billion-colour immersive screen, the flagship Find X3 Pro has been carefully designed to capture true-to-life images as you’ve never seen them before. It was also an excellent online presentation and one of the best I have seen in a while. Again OPPO now bring more choice and value for money for the consumers in the Irish market and is most welcome. Do not forget to stay tune for real hands on reviews very soon and fire any questions you might have at us via our social media or comments section below. 

Picture perfect with DSLR-level features 

The OPPO Find X3 Pro is the brand’s first ever smartphone to capture and display up to one billion colours in a single image – ten times more than the human eye can detect. 

The crown jewel of the new series, the OPPO Find X3 Pro, is the first smartphone to combine both two primary 50MP cameras (wide-angle and ultra-wide angle) with a new-to-market Sony IMX 766 imaging sensor, to revolutionise how users film and take photographs on the move.

In Cinematic Mode, the Find X3 Pro delivers wider dynamic range and colour depth with professional DSLR-level features capturing high-quality video. The camera offers full manual control over shutter speed and focus – making it a videographer’s best friend. Plus, the Find X3 Pro debuts an ultra wide-angle camera with a freeform surface lens that helps drastically reduce distortion around the edges of photos and videos.

Maggie Xue, President of OPPO Western Europe, said: “The Find X Series continues to enjoy huge success globally. The new Find X3 Series pushes innovation synonymous with OPPO even further. Our flagship Find X3 Pro 5G smartphone combines true image capture performance with a one-of-a-kind, elegant design. With this new series our focus was to help customers bring colours to life and inspire them to explore new possibilities with the latest technology.”

Maximum display in a minimalist design

OPPO’s incredible display housed in the compact and sleek design of the Find X3 Pro is driven by a 10-bit-full-path Colour Management System which captures, stores and displays photos in unparalleled colour with cutting-edge clarity. With an unflinching focus on premium design, the camera module has been encased in the back panel so that it blends in with the clean, streamlined and ergonomic design. Built with durability in mind, the Find X3 Pro is both dust and water resistant, perfect for creators on the move. 

Powerful processing for unparalleled performance 

The OPPO Find X3 Pro 5G is a true powerhouse, running on the latest and most advanced, Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 888 5G Mobile Platform. Users can easily multitask and switch between the most demanding apps, while enjoying 5G connectivity.

Whether users are gaming or binge-watching the latest Netflix series the combination of the Qualcomm mobile platform and 4500mAh battery allows for continued unparalleled performance. Plus, with 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 Flash Charge, 30W AirVOOC Wireless Flash charge and reverse charging, this smartphone will always be ready to go.

The Find X3 Pro (€1149 RRP) in Blue, Find X3 Neo (€749) in Starlight Black and Find X3 Lite (€449) in Starry Black and Galactic Silver will launch in Ireland in mid-April, with carriers and retailers to be announced imminently.

Uncover more: OPPO Find X3 Neo 5G and Find X3 Lite 5G

Two new smartphones join the Find X3 Series family, the OPPO Find X3 Neo 5G and Find X3 Lite 5G, bringing 5G connectivity and performance to a wide range of users, thanks to the use of advanced Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 5G Mobile Platforms.

Find X3 Lite 5G

Bringing true imaging innovation to the mid-tier, the smartphone combines a range of AI features including AI Highlight Video, Live HDR and Ultra Night Video to create stunning shots. Together with features like the 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 Flash Charging, the 90Hz screen, 5G connectivity, and a sleek, light design, the Find X3 Lite is the perfect device for trendsetters around the world.

Maggie Xue, President of OPPO Western Europe said:

“The Find X3 Lite represents our promise to deliver innovation at every level. Our vision was to leverage both software and hardware to deliver a trail-blazing AI-powered photography experience, making the device a true creative powerhouse. In addition, thanks to a unique design process, we were able to create a stunning finish that stands out with Galactic Silver. All this comes powered by segment-leading hardware, giving you a high-performance OPPO device in an accessible package.”

An AI-powered expert in portrait photography

The OPPO Find X3 Lite introduces an impressive camera system featuring a 64MP rear quad camera module and a 32MP ultra sharp front camera. These are further enhanced by OPPO’s Portrait Video System. The system is composed of two engines, the Quality Enhancement Engine and the Portrait Perception Engine. The former helps capture clear video in any conditions, even if you’re shooting low-light or backlit scenes, in motion or standing still. The Portrait Perception Engine focuses on detailed portrait effects to bring out your subjects in videos. 

The industry-leading AI Highlight Video feature automatically detects the ambient light in a scene, taking your portraits to the next level. In addition, the Ultra Night Video and Live HDR features allow you to brighten up scenes in low-light environments and reduce overexposed areas when shooting backlit subjects. 

With the Portrait AI Video feature the Find X3 Lite can detect up to 194 key facial feature points to provide tailored highlights specifically based on your subject. Eight customisable tools allow you to refine portrait details to your liking.

Get in on the action with the Dual-view feature. This double-perspective recording function enables you to use both the front and rear cameras – great for vloggers and those who want to capture both sides of the story.

In addition, the Find X3 Lite comes with a slew of features to enhance the shooting experience. With the help of OPPO’s Image-clear Engine and AI Scene Enhancement, shots look clearer, brighter and richer in colour. Able to recognise up to 22 different scenes, the Find X3 Lite’s AI can help create stunning photos through just one tap.

Iconic design with a unique finish

The Find X3 Lite is designed with trendsetters and trailblazers in mind. The smartphone comes in three elegant colours: the shimmering Galactic Silver, Astral Blue and Starry Black.

Through the Diamond Spectrum process, the Galactic Silver finish creates a stunning visual effect that looks like thousands of colours when light hits the phone’s surface from different angles. The finish is also created with the Find X3 Series Glow process, uniquely designed by OPPO. This gives the smartphone a subtle glittery effect similar to many small diamonds, making it fingerprint-resistant. 

Designed to be exquisitely compact and sleek, the Find X3 Lite weighs only 172g and is only 7.9mm thick. The bottom bezel has been reduced by 28% compared to its predecessor, leading to an immersive edge-to-edge display experience with a screen-to-body ratio of 91.7%. In addition, Hidden Fingerprint Unlock is integrated underneath the display to ensure instant unlocking while keeping data secure.

The 6.4″ OLED screen with a single punch-hole design delivers a more vivid display, which, combined with a crisp FHD+ resolution and silky smooth 90Hz refresh rate, make for a life-like entertainment experience. The Find X3 Lite with Netflix HD and Amazon Prime Video HD Certification, allowing you to stream content in even greater detail. And, the low-blue light screen, fully tested, verified and certified by the world-renowned SGS, is designed to protect your vision while you’re binge-watching your favourite shows.

Best-in-class hardware and software for a great performance every time

The OPPO Find X3 Lite is designed with efficiency and performance in mind. Coming with an ultra-fast 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 Flash Charge feature, the smartphone removes battery anxiety entirely. Able to charge up to 100% of its battery in 35 minutes and coming with a large 4300mAh battery, the Find X3 Lite offers hours of fun without worry. 

The Qualcomm™ Snapdragon® 765G 5G Mobile Platform helps deliver speedy performance with balanced power consumption across the board. Together with ColorOS 11.1, the Find X3 Lite ensures greater efficiency and a smooth software experience as well.

Supporting all-around customisation, Find X3 Lite users can design their own Always-on Display, and dark-mode to truly make the phone their own. Further innovative features such as Flexdrop and Three-finger Translate with Google Lens significantly increase productivity. And Gaming Shortcut Mode, Gamer Mode, Bullet Screen Messages, and Adjustable Gaming Touch allow you to be totally immersed in entertainment. 

Security is also enhanced at the operating system level with Private System – allowing owners to create multiple accounts on the phone with partitioned apps and data. The Find X3 Lite’s data security has been certified by renowned third-party organisations including ISO, ePrivacy and TrustArc.

The OPPO Find X3 Neo 5G brings an outstanding camera and fast 5G connectivity in a shiny new package

The Find X3 Neo, a smartphone designed for those who want to take their photography to the next level. Part of the new Find X3 Series, the smartphone combines innovative technology with outstanding looks. Bringing top-class hardware such as the Qualcomm™ Snapdragon® 865 5G Mobile Platform and a robust battery with SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging, the Find X3 Neo offers a leading 5G smartphone experience across the board in a slim and trend-setting design.

 

Maggie Xue, President of OPPO Western Europe said:

“As a company we always put our customers first. The Find X3 Neo combines best-in-class hardware and a tailor-made Sony IMX 766 imaging sensor offering even more people the chance to transform their photography. Using this large sensor in combination with our industry-leading AI helps us deliver an amazing experience across the board, but especially when it comes to low light photos. And, with its optimised battery and shimmery design, the Find X3 Neo is sure to become a great companion for those looking to push their creativity to its limits.”

Co-developed imaging sensor taking portraits to the next level

Leveraging a long-standing tradition of using tailor-made imaging hardware, OPPO has worked closely with Sony to push the boundaries of innovation in imaging technology. The co-created IMX766 sensor delivers outstanding optimisation especially for low light photography, backlit scenes and fast-moving action shots. This, combined with an ultra wide-angle, telephoto and macro camera as well as a colour temperature sensor, ensures consistently high quality, sharp images with every photo.

The Find X3 Neo’s IMX766 sensor lets you harness advanced focusing. Delivering improved focus speed and accuracy, the sensor allows real-time autofocus with the Focus Tracking feature. Together with the AI-based movement predictor, the feature can anticipate movement and adjust focus in advance so videos will come out sharp every time. 

In addition, with the Flash Snapshot feature, the camera shutter button engages a quick focus function that ensures photos are crisp and clear, regardless of how rushed the shot might be. Combined with OPPO’s exclusive video features like AI Highlight, AI Portrait tools, and Ultra Steady Video 3.0, the Find X3 Neo guarantees effortless and stunning portrait videos in any situation.

Powerful hardware meets ColorOS 11.1 for a superior, all-round experience

Built on a foundation of top-end hardware, the Find X3 Neo runs on the Qualcomm™ Snapdragon® 865 5G Mobile Platform and features a 90Hz 3D curved display for an immersive visual experience. With a Multi-Cooling System and a reliable battery, the smartphone offers a comprehensive 5G experience even for the most demanding users.

To help make the 5G experience last even longer, the Find X3 Neo also features 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 – one of the fastest charging technologies commercially available on the market. This means it can charge up to 100% in as little as 35 minutes. 

The newly optimised ColorOS 11.1 enables you to truly take advantage of the smartphone’s powerful hardware. OPPO’s Android-based operating system particularly shines when it comes to gaming, being designed to deliver a more immersive and fluid gaming experience. The high refresh rate screen ensures a faster frame rate for smoother gameplay. With Gamer Mode, players can free themselves from unwanted distraction by temporarily disabling alarms, notifications, incoming calls, gesture controls and more. Game control is also fully customisable thanks to Adjustable Gaming Touch, which allows players to adjust game settings like touch sensitivity to five different levels, for a tailored and comfortable experience.

A glowing finish in an ultra-sleek design that captures attention

Staying true to OPPO design, the Find X3 Neo is ultra-sleek at just 7.99mm and weighs an impressive 184g. This makes for an excellent fit in hand, be it while gaming, snapping pictures or watching your favourite shows.

Through a unique AG glass process, designed exclusively by OPPO, the back of the smartphone delivers a stunning visual effect that glitters in the light under the matt glass finish. Shimmering like millions of diamonds embedded into a moonlit ocean, the effect is particularly dazzling on the unique Starlight Black finish. 

Merging a deep black colour with the glittering design, results in a rich finish that both looks and feels unlike any other. And, with OPPO’s all-new Diamond Spectrum process, the Galactic Silver finish brings the phone alive by creating a beautiful effect when viewed from different angles or under different lighting.

Is Your Weather App Equipped With These 5 Important Features? #Weather #Apps #Climacell

The modern-day weather app should not only be able to tell the weather, but it also needs to help us make decisions. It needs to have features that can make our lives a little easier and stress-free. If you are using a weather app, check if it has these 5 amazing (and necessary) features. If not, maybe it is time to get an upgrade.

#1 Regular weather updates

The most important feature that a weather app needs to have is the ability to provide regular weather updates. These updates are often the main reason why you are installing the app in the first place. You will probably plan for the day based on these updates.

A perfect weather app is the one that keeps you posted on all sorts of weather-related information. It should provide you with the latest temperature, humidity, precipitation rate, wind speed, and other weather-related information for your locality. Plus, the app should also be able to fetch weather from other areas of the country, as well as different parts of the world. ClimaCell is an app that does a fine job here with its improved radar system. This new weather radar is a feature that sets the app apart from its competitors.

#2 Accurate forecasts

Keeping you updated on the latest developments in your local weather is a job that every weather app must do without any fail. Besides this, it is also expected that the app will provide you with accurate forecasts. Every good weather app has its own way of retrieving weather data and analyzing it. Hence, based on this data analysis, the apps are able to predict the weather conditions for the upcoming weeks.

Of course, it will be foolish to think that the predictions will be accurate down to the last decimal point. However, a well-developed weather app will at least give you a good idea as to what the weather might be like in the upcoming days or weeks. Using the right local weather API tool can greatly improve the accuracy of these forecasts. It will never fail to surprise you with its precision, and it will not let you get caught in an unexpected rainstorm.

#3 Hourly weather breakdowns

We no longer plan by the day, and rather by the hour. In a day, we can go from attending classes or office to visiting someone in another state or city, and then coming back home again. Our lives are very busy nowadays, and in order to plan each action or decision, we need hourly weather breakdowns.

These breakdowns are somewhat like the weather forecasts, except instead of a weeklong prediction, we are presented with a breakdown of the weather on an hour-by-hour basis. It could be scorching hot in the morning, a little windy at noon, raining in the evening, and freezing cold at night – we never know. Hourly weather breakdowns can help us be aware of any unforeseen changes in the weather, and then allow us to plan or adjust our plans accordingly.

#4 AQI data

The air quality index (AQI) is a very important measure. It helps us realize the quality of the air around us. Give how the air around us is drastically deteriorating, we should be more aware of the air that we are breathing. 

The air quality index of a place is determined based on the concentration of certain particles present in our air. When the normal air is exposed to high levels of pollutants, the AQI increases. Generally, an AQI reading from 0-50 is considered good, and 50-100 is considered moderate. These are normal conditions basically. However, from this point onwards, the higher the AQI climbs, the worse the air gets. Sometimes, AQI readings will reach levels over 200. These conditions are very bad for our health and we need to prepare accordingly for these situations. 

Your weather app should give you insights into the AQI as well. By being aware of the conditions in your area, you can take necessary precautions before heading outside. 

#5 Weather intelligence

Weather intelligence is a technique by which apps can give you certain suggestions, based on the weather data. This is a technology that uses artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analysis to better understand the weather conditions and their impact on us.

A modern weather app should be intelligent. It should be able to tell you what to do, and how you can benefit from it. For instance, assume that you are a farmer and the temperature is somewhat warm today. The app will tell you the exact temperature, precipitation rate, humidity, etc. The weather intelligence report from the app, on the other hand, will pass suggestions like how much water should you give to your crops or plants today, when should you give the water, whether or not you should apply fertilizer of any sort, and so on. Simply put, weather intelligence helps you to make decisions that can otherwise be difficult to make.

Tech Review – SOUL NANO true wireless earbuds. #Tech #SOULNANO

Currently I am testing several of the products from the SOUL TWS line up and these are the smallest of the lot and certainly cute with the tiny charge case that comes with it but how do they perform overall is the one question we all want to know and offer testing these ones out there is quite a surprise in store to how they performed overall and at the price they come in at and not forgetting the cool colours they come in too which is really nice and make them stand out in the crowd. See the unboxing below for the range we are testing now.

The S-NANO offer all the features you would expect but at the price point you get most except wireless charging which for me now is a cool feature but can live without it, these are easy on the pocket and easy to fit in any pocket by size and look really cool too. So when it comes to features what do you get for you money?

Features- Bluetooth 5.0 – quick charge – AAC codec – IPX5 rating – Transparency mode – Touch Controls- Auto Pairing and Assistant compatible. You do not get auto play and pause here but you do get the transparency mode which works well and these offer a really good seal off the bat and give good isolation when fitted right and you are good to go.. One thing with these is they are loud they are punchy and have a nice level of bass too and overall delivered well with all aspects you would like to find, they work individually too. n my usual test loop they deliver on watching films on Netflix, You tube and music, call quality is decent and direction is good and when watching films they deliver really well on direction instruments and voice and all is very centred so overall a great experience to be had for the price battery life is also good for the size here considering and I cant complain really about these at all as a whole.

The True wireless market has heated up over the last year and there is great value to be had here, these come with 28mm drivers and have a nice even tone with good bass and you will get around 5.5 hours of use which is good when you look at it. You get three extra charges via the tiny case and you get around 24hrs in total which is good by any standards when you look at how small this package is.

SOUL sent us this press sample and are seeing this review the same time as you..

BUY HERE 

 

 

imoo Ear-care Headset: The World’s First Open Ear Wireless Headphones For Children. #Tech #Kids

Following its recent global launch of imoo Watch Phone Z6 from leading Tech brand for children, imoo is happy to announce the availability of its imoo Ear-care Headset to the global market. It is the first of its kind children’s open ear headset with a 85 dB limit for the headset volume to ensure that the potential for hearing damage is drastically reduced to safe levels for children. It also features sound transmission outside of the ears to ensure that children maintain environmental sound awareness even when using the headset.  

Designed To Promote Hearing Health 

Built to ensure Volumes are always at a suitable level for children, the imoo Ear-care Headset’s volume maxes out at 85dB to meet World Health Organisation recommendations to protect children’s ears from early hearing damage.   

Made To Keep Children Safe 

Allowing children to hear their surroundings when they are using the headset so whenever they are on their way home, in the playground or at the park, the imoo Ear-care Headset always has safety in mind because it is designed to make sure children are aware of what is around them. 

 Clear And Precise Audio 

The imoo Ear-care Headset gives the best quality sound of any audio device made exclusively for children, they will be expected to hear crystal clear sound sent directly to their ear canals while also ensuring their privacy when they use it. This is possible because of the exclusive soundbeaming speakers. 

Built For Comfort 

With a comfortable design, the imoo Ear-care Headset has a first of its kind outer ear design, especially built for children and made to directionally transmit sound to children’s ears for a truly unique experience that is always stable on their heads.  

Key features and specifications: 

 

  • 16.2mm Large-size Soundbeaming Speaker 
  • Infrared wearing sensor for automatic start and pause 
  • IP54 Dust-proof and water-resistant 
  • Extremely Lightweight and Anti-allergy Materials 
  • Strong and sturdy design built to stay on children’s heads 
  • Bluetooth 5.0 with up to 10m of range. 
  • 8 Hour Battery Life 
  • 1 Hour Quick Charge 

 

Pricing:  EUR: €49  GBP: £49  USD: $59 AUD: A$79 

 Availability: Countries and Regions 

 

  • North America: USA, Canada 
  • Europe: EU, UK 
  • Rest of the World: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore 

ASUS Republic of Gamers Announces ROG Phone 5 Series. #ASUS #ROGPhone5

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced ROG Phone 5, ROG Phone 5 Pro and ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, the latest and most powerful incarnation of the world’s most advanced gaming smartphone.

The ROG Phone 5 series is powered to win by the flagship Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 888 5G Mobile Platform featuring advanced 5G communications and premium Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gaming™ features. The upgraded GameCool 5 cooling system along with the all-new performance manager in Armoury Crate ensure maximum performance is available for any gaming scenario.

For ultra-smooth and ultra-responsive gaming visuals, the ROG Phone 5 series is equipped with a Samsung-built 144 Hz / 1 ms AMOLED HDR10+ certified display with an industry-leading 300 Hz touch sampling rate and ultra-low 24.3 ms touch latency.

Gamers can play longer with the ROG Phone 5 series thanks to the monster 6000 mAh battery, and the phones come with a 65-watt HyperCharge adapter that tops up the battery in the shortest possible time.

The ROG Phone 5 series continues the ROG built-for-gamers design philosophy with ROG Vision, a never-before-seen rear matrix display — available exclusively on ROG Phone 5 Pro and ROG Phone 5 Ultimate — that shows customisable animations in response to a variety of system and in-game events.

There are also massive enhancements to the pioneering and still-unrivalled AirTrigger 5 control system, and the powerful GameFX audio system has also been overhauled to deliver even more immersive sound.

Dare to win

The ROG Phone 5 series harnesses the massive power of the latest flagship Snapdragon 888, which packs industry-leading innovations in 5G, AI, gaming, and camera technologies. Snapdragon Elite Gaming allows gamers to harness the power of ultra-smooth play at the highest possible HDR quality levels, with desktop-level capabilities. It also debuts Qualcomm Game Quick Touch, so players can experience up to a 20% increase in touch responsiveness and lower latency. With up to a stunning 35% increase in GPU performance and 25% in CPU performance, even the most demanding 3D mobile games run smoothly with maxed-out settings.

To enable maximum sustained performance, the GameCool 5 cooling system in the ROG Phone 5 series now has an optimum thermal structure featuring a centred CPU with the battery split into two parts, one located on each side of the CPU. This ensures that the heat generated by the CPU is transferred to all the edges and corners of the chassis simultaneously for higher thermal efficiency. The reshaped 3D vapor chamber and extensive graphite sheets also help to spread the heat evenly across the device to reduce heat build-up in the middle.

The completely revamped AeroActive Cooler 5 now intakes and expels an incredible amount of air directly onto the centre of the phone — right where the CPU is — to deliver an amazing 10°C drop in the CPU temperature.

The all-new performance manager in Armoury Crate now includes X Mode, with multiple system profiles to give gamers even more performance settings and performance tuning tools, so they can instantly adapt the phone to the task at hand.

Additionally, ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is the world’s first smartphone to use 18 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, which dramatically increases the overall gaming performance and takes the user experience to the next level.

 

Dare to see

Cutting-edge displays have been a signature ROG Phone feature since its inception, and the ROG Phone 5 series continues this tradition. Boasting an industry-leading 300 Hz touch-sampling rate, the 144 Hz / 1 ms AMOLED display — built by Samsung — delivers a super-smooth gaming experience, with an ultra-low touch latency. Tuned in collaboration with leading visual-processing company Pixelworks®, the supreme visuals are enhanced even further with world-beating Delta-E <1 colour accuracy, the new always-on HDR technology that improves non-HDR visuals, and a screen that’s protected by the toughest ever Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus™. The ROG Phone 5 series is built to endure — and built to win.

 

Dare to play

To extend both screen-on time and the lifespan of the monster 6000 mAh battery, ROG Phone 5 series is optimised using new software optimisations and power-saving mechanisms, including a charging upper limit, steady charging, and enhanced scheduled charging. There are also passive power-saving mechanisms to limit inactive apps and deliver up to 67% more power savings. The ROG Phone 5 series always optimises itself for the best power efficiency, however it’s being used.

Rapid charging is assured by the bundled 65-watt HyperCharge adapter, which gets gamers up and running again in the fastest possible time.

 

Innovative ROG Vision

ROG Phone 5 Ultimate and ROG Phone 5 Pro let gamers make their presence known to the world with the exclusive ROG Vision, a pioneering rear matrix display that’s never been seen on any phone until now. ROG Phone 5 Pro features a colour ROG Vision display, while ROG Phone 5 Ultimate has a monochrome version.

ROG Vision can display a variety of cool animations that show whether the phone is charging, if there’s an incoming call, whether X Mode is enabled, and more. Owners can even create custom animations to make their phone even more personal.

 

Built for gamers

Total control is the name of the game for the ROG Phone 5 series, and the massively upgraded AirTrigger 5 control system now gives gamers up to four distinct ways to interact with their ROG Phone 5, delivering an unrivalled level of game control. The AeroActive Cooler 5 now also features two extra physical buttons to allow a genuine console-like gaming experience.

The ROG Phone 5 series supports an unprecedented total of 10 different motion controls, so gamers can easily pick the moves to fit their game. In a racing game, for example, they can swivel the phone to steer or pull it towards them to brake. Game control has never been so easy.

ROG Phone 5 Pro and ROG Phone 5 Ultimate additionally features innovative hidden rear touch sensors on the back cover, which provide L2/R2 trigger functions, just like a game console controller. These also work together with the ultrasonic sensors, the AeroActive Cooler 5 buttons and the motion controls to provide full control for a total gaming experience.

The GameFX audio system in the ROG Phone 5 series now incorporates symmetrical seven-magnet dual speakers for truly balanced stereo sound effects. Optimised in collaboration with audio specialist Dirac, the projected sound quality will grab the user’s aural senses and take them to a different world. There’s also a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a hi-fi-grade ESS DAC for lossless audio processing. The AudioWizard audio-tuning app has also been completely revamped to optimise sound for different audio styles, including Game, Cinema, and Music settings. GameFX audio on ROG Phone 5 series delivers the crystal-clear in-game sound effects and powerful aural soundscapes that gamers never dared to hope for in a phone.

For the ROG Phone 5 series, we’ve teamed up with some of the most popular game titles to give owners a series of different theme packs for customising their device with their favorite characters and screens. Gamers can also share, discuss, and interact via ROG Connect, an online community that’s built into the ROG Phone 5 series.

 

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

ASUS ROG Phone 5 (12GB / 256GB) will be available in the UK from the end of April 2021. MSRP: £799

ASUS ROG Phone 5 (16GB / 256GB) will be available in the UK from the end of May 2021. MSRP: £899

ASUS ROG Phone 5 Series

Processor 2.84 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 888 5G Mobile Platform with 5 nm, 64-bit Octa-Core Processor
GPU Qualcomm® Adreno™ 660
UI Android™ 11 with new ROG UI
Display 6.78″ 20.4:9 (2448 x 1080) 144 Hz / 1 ms Samsung AMOLED display

800 nits outdoor readable brightness

1,200 nits peak brightness

Delta-E < 1

111.23% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage

Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus™

Supports Always-On HDR display

HDR10 and HDR10+ certified

Capacitive touchscreen with 10-point multitouch (supports glove touch)
Dimensions 173 x 77 x 9.9 mm
Weight 239 g
Battery 6000 mAh typical capacity
Memory ROG Phone 5 Ultimate: 18 GB LPDDR5 RAM

ROG Phone 5 Pro and ROG Phone 5: Up to 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM
Storage ROG Phone 5 Ultimate and Pro: 512 GB UFS 3.1 ROM

ROG Phone 5: Up to 256 GB UFS 3.1 ROM
Sensors In-display fingerprint sensor, face recognition, accelerometer, e-compass, gyroscope, proximity sensor, ambient-light sensor, ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger 5 and grip press
Wireless Technology Integrated WiFi 6E (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2×2 MIMO)[7]

Bluetooth® 5.2 (HFP + A2DP + AVRCP + HID + PAN + OPP), supports Qualcomm® aptX™ Adaptive

WiFi Direct

NFC
GPS GNSS support GPS (L1/L5), Glonass (L1), Galileo (E1/E5a), BeiDou(B1i/B1c/B2a), QZSS (L1/L5) and NavIC (L5)
I/O Ports Side and bottom:

USB-C®
Front Camera 24 MP
Rear Camera 64 MP (Main camera Sony® IMX686) + 13 MP (125° ultrawide-angle lens) + 5 MP (Macro)
Voice Wakeup Yes
Speaker Symmetrical dual front-facing speakers powered by Dirac technologies

7-magnet stereo speaker with Cirrus Logic amplifier for louder, deeper and less distorted sound effect
NFC Supported
Color ROG Phone 5 Ultimate: Storm White

ROG Phone 5 Pro: Phantom Black

ROG Phone 5: Phantom Black and Storm White

KBC Bank launches new survey highlighting the digitisation of Ireland. #KBC #Banking

KBC Bank, Ireland’s digital first bank, has launched a new survey which seeks to put a spotlight on the digitisation of Ireland, revealing how people in Ireland are using digital services and technology as COVID-19 accelerates digital adoption.

Findings from the first KBC Digital Indicator Survey show that Irish consumers have high levels of confidence when it comes to using digital technology, given the acceleration of digitally enabled products and services stimulated by COVID-19. The majority of respondents (85%) are confident in using digitally enabled products and services, with younger cohorts and those in urban areas more likely to describe themselves as ‘very confident’. Confidence with digital technology levels were lower in those aged 66 and over, and in those of a lower social grade, with 19% and 31% describing themselves as ‘very confident’ respectively.

Additionally, 29% of respondents would place themselves ahead of the curve when it comes to trying new digitally enabled products and services, compared to just 6% of those aged 66 or over.

The research findings come as Irish consumers continue to adapt to the changes brought about as a result of the pandemic. Consumers are now using digital technology and digitally enabled services more in their day-to-day lives, with streaming services (54%), fitness tracking (45%) and managing daily finances (44%) proving most popular. Nearly one third (31%) of respondents are now also using digital platforms to open new accounts. At KBC, over 77% of new current accounts were opened digitally or over the phone in 2020.

Interestingly, more than a quarter of those surveyed (29%) are using digital dating services less than before the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, almost a third of respondents (32%) admitted to using technologies more to manage and track their mental health.

Commenting, Fergal O’Riagain, Director of Daily Banking Products at KBC Bank said, “We understand that the pandemic has accelerated the rapid migration to digital technologies, however, the results of our first KBC Digital Indicator Survey show that consumers are increasingly more comfortable with using technology and digitally enabled services in all aspects of their daily lives. At KBC, we are committed to keeping up with the pace of change by making our products and services more accessible to customers across Ireland.”

As consumers embrace new technologies, 74% of respondents have used cash less since March 2020, with 48% reporting a significant decrease in their cash usage. Over half of those surveyed (55%) believe digital payment methods will replace cash payments within the next ten years, while 44% believe this will happen by 2025. According to KBC Ireland’s own data, spending on KBC digital wallets has increased 21% year-on-year in 2020.

Looking forward, nearly half of those surveyed (47%) feel they will use mostly digital payment methods and only ‘some’ cash, while nearly one quarter (23%) feel they will use an equal mix of both. Young millennials (21%) are most likely to believe they will use only digital payment methods into the future, followed by those aged 66 years or over. Higher social grades are also more likely than lower social grades to feel they will use digital only.

In addition to embracing digital technologies, Irish consumers are also more aware of online security threats with 95% of respondents claiming that they are more vigilant when it comes to online scams or text and email phishing attempts. Overall, 51% of respondents would describe themselves as much more vigilant.

Fergal O’Riagain, Director of Daily Banking Products at KBC Bank continued: “We’ve already seen notable increases in eCommerce spending, with online grocery spend amongst KBC customers increasing 116% year-on-year in 2020 and online home improvement centre spend up 228% year-on-year for example. As consumers continue to use digital solutions in their daily lives, we will continue get them ‘digital ready’, which includes our soon to launch first to market range of wearable contactless payment devices. By offering new, secure ways to pay, Irish consumers now have more choice and greater flexibility when it comes to making purchases, both in-store or online.”