Rediscover the beauty of Ireland with Google Maps. #Ireland #Maps #Google

As we journey into Phase 3, people are ready to escape their back gardens and are looking for a holiday. As Government advice continues to advise against all non-essential foreign travel now is the time to plan a staycation and rediscover everything Ireland has to offer.  Whether you’re planning a staycation at home with day trips to local sights or  going further afield for a longer trip, Google Maps is on hand to help staycationers rediscover the best of Ireland.

 

From isolated beaches to breathtaking mountains Ireland has some of the most spectacular scenery in the world and our cities, towns and villages are filled with museums and attractions that can keep all the family occupied for days. Google Maps has everything you need to plan the ultimate road trip at your fingertips, with Local Guides advice on hand along the way to help find the best route, best view and best place to have dinner and drink after a long day of sightseeing. Google Maps is the ultimate travel companion whether you’re driving across world famous routes like The Ring of Kerry, discovering the soaring Cliffs of Moher, braving the Wild Atlantic Way, uncovering the history of Newgrange or spending a day delving into Irish history through the many museums in the Capital.

 

These Google Maps features will help people have a staycation to remember this summer:

Create lists so you can keep track of your favorite places and share them with friends.

 

Find hidden gems: Use the Explore tab find the best restaurants, sights and events happening in the area.Find things to do and places to eat based on your unique interests and preferences.

 

Go Handsfree Keep your focus on the road by using voice commands on Google Maps. Just say “OK Google, find petrol stations” or “ Show alternate routes” to get the information you need, hands free.

 

Offline maps: No data? No problem. You can still find your way even if you have spotty reception or an expensive data plans. You don’t need data on a road trip, you can download a map of an area so you can see directions and use turn by turn navigation even when you can’t get online.

 

Plan activities as a group: With group lists in Google Maps, planning travel with others is simple and efficient, giving you the ability to create an itinerary together by adding places to go and things to do as a group.

 

Plan ahead: Look for restaurants doing takeaway, dine-in or delivery. COVID-19 has forced many restaurants to change their operating models or even temporarily close, which makes planning ahead even more important. With Google Maps you can look for local restaurants around you that are open, offering takeaway, delivery, or no-contact delivery.

 

Remember where you parked: After navigating somewhere, use Google Maps to save your parking location so you never forget where you parked again.

 

Add detours to your route: With Google Maps you can easily search for places along your route while in navigation mode, so you can find the nearest store and get back on the road as quickly as possible.

 

Explore more: Maximize the Google Maps search bar and Explore tab. Use the search bar in Google Maps to look for specific things like “scenic spots”  or “trailhead.”

 

 Find your nearest Petrol Station: Running low on petrol or just need a break? Use Google Maps to find your nearest stop so you can rest and refuel during a long drive. You can also use Google Maps to search for nearby Petrol prices to get the best deal.

 

Don’t get lost: If you’re exploring on foot, a beta feature called Live View can help you figure out which way to walk with arrows and directions clearly overlaid on the map. Live View allows you to use augmented reality (AR) to better see which way to walk. Arrows and directions are placed in the real world to guide your way.

 

Control your music and podcasts without ever leaving Google Maps: No road trip is complete without music. With Google Maps, you can access Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music while in navigation mode so you can keep your focus on the road.

 

Never miss your stop again: Don’t want to drive? No problem. Use Google Maps to get transport navigation times, ETAs and a notification that tells you when to transfer or get off your bus or train, so you can stop worrying about missing your stop and start enjoying the sights.

 

Make ordering at restaurants a snap: It’s not always easy to decide what to order when you’re in a new place and you’re less familiar with the menu. With the popular dishes feature, you can quickly find out what the must-try items on the menu are.

Top New Technologies for Students. #Tech #Students

Are you looking for the most innovative and promising technologies in education? Discover top technologies for students here in this post. 

Technologies are changing the world at railway speed. Education is one of the fields that faces lots of drastic changes. Now, students are getting opportunities to use the most modern methods of learning, enjoy remote education, and benefit from using a whopping number of various advanced educational services. In this post, we’ve collected a list of the most innovative technologies for students that are likely to change the industry within the shortest terms.

Adaptive Learning

Currently, most students get similar academic assignments regardless of their academic performance. Crowds of learners find the tasks to be extremely difficult. Many of them are constantly wondering “Can someone do my homework for me?”, as well as “Is there anyone who can write my college paper for me?” Most of the students are searching for help online and are often feeling desperate with completing tons of tasks within the shortest terms. 

Adaptive learning is designed to help students learn at their own pace. For example, you might be able to pass tests easily but fail to write excellent essays. This way, the system will identify your strengths and weaknesses to offer the most relevant tasks to boost your skills. As a result, you will get instructions on how to write academic papers or discover some topics for essays. Generally, the educational system will soon be able you track your learning behaviors and provide you with the best assignments for your needs. 

3d Technologies 

3d printing is currently gaining incredible popularity. Using this type of printers allows students to elevate their creativity to a higher level, get hands-on experience, and make the entire process of education more productive. Students can implement their ideas, create innovative solutions, and just give shape to their outstanding imagination. 

Artificial Intelligence 

AI is likely to transform the entire system of education. Although artificial intelligence is one of the most discussable trends, it is hitting lots of fields, including education. This type of learning will provide students with more immersive learning and will give lots of new opportunities to remember important facts easily. Medical students are likely to benefit from this feature the most – learners will be able to watch operations in real-time and better understand the human body. 

Cloud Services 

Being one of the most widely used services, cloud computing is now incredibly popular among millions of students. Learners can have access to different files, lectures, and courses from any device anytime. This makes the process of learning incredibly convenient and easy. Moreover, it brings communication between students to the next level. Now, young learners can effortlessly edit the same document or work on the same project simultaneously. Moreover, teachers get easy access to their completed assignments, enjoying a more flexible process of sharing knowledge. By the way, cloud technologies are still evolving. 

All in all, the number of technologies that can change the future of education is just amazing. Moreover, the new alternatives might also soon appear on the market. Keep in touch with the latest trends and apps in education to make your learning process easier and more comfortable. 

 

Here is a walkthrough of the Irish Covid Tracker App Now over a million downloads. #CovidTrackerApp #HSELive

UPDATE..

Now downloaded over a million times we still need more.  So straight away you should download it and ignore the conspiracy theorists on social media and help out in these challenging times. Get it HERE on Android and HERE on iOS

First of all on both stores the app does not ask for permissions I have it downloaded on both Android and iOS and done so last night, Next up the people complaining about it are the same ones that most likely use Facebook Twitter and other social platforms so if you are worried about privacy concerns you have long missed that boat folks regardless. See below. The app is decentralised and cant access any other apps on your device,have a nice day!!

COVID TRACKER
WHATS APP
FACEBOOK

 

In short if you use the app you will

  •  be alerted if you have been in close contact with another app user who has tested positive for coronavirus
  •  be able to track any symptoms you have and get advice on what to do to protect yourself and others
  •  be able to anonymously warn other app users that you were in close contact with, if you test positive for coronavirus

I will not bore you with an “all you need to know” section but here is all that information HERE all you need is a smartphone on Apple’s iOS 13.5 ( iPhone 6s or higher or Google’s Android 6.0 or higher and you download just like any other app like any social media app, the app just uses your bluetooth and for now has had little or no effect on my battery which also has been a concern for many on social media this morning. You will ultimitley need to allow Exposure Notification on your device and fill in the information provided during the set-up just like you are the one that decides to hand over your phone number. Another point to mention it states you must be over 16 to use this app however how many teenagers out there today have a mobile phone,the same ones that hung around in groups during the height of the pandemic are we missing something here,these are the very people on social media too.

Below is a quick walthrough of the app and what to expect.  Again see The HSE website here for anything else. My first notable observation so far is no effect on battery life but it does seem to delay bluetooth connections.

Creative Releases Flagship SXFI GAMER Headset. #Gaming #Creative #Tech

Creative Technology has launched its flagship gaming headset, the Creative SXFI GAMER. Powered by the exceptional BATTLE Mode audio profile, a brand-new CommanderMic with professional-grade clarity, wired through a Kevlar-reinforced USB cable and topped off with a stunning RGB light design, SXFI GAMER is simply the ultimate weapon for complete gaming immersion and domination.

Gaming Sounds Real Like Never Before

 

Having snagged 23 best-of-show awards over the last two editions of CES 2019-2020, users and critics have been blown away by the next-generation realism of Super X-Fi headphone holography.

 

Since the start of this year, Super X-Fi products have been upgraded to Gen2, an improved and expanded version of Super X-Fi which incorporates key enhancements like higher accuracy in personalising a user’s audio profile, extending more details in the surround sound configuration, better audio positioning and fidelity.

 

The SXFI GAMER incorporates all of these and goes one step further with BATTLE Mode, a specially-designed audio profile which optimises Super X-Fi to a perfect fit for FPS games – environmental imaging, audio cues, distance projection and directionality are all enhanced with unprecedented levels of accuracy for the competitive gamer’s benefit, while preserving the essence of the award-winning holographic audio experience.

Look, Feel and Talk like a Pro Gamer

 

Besides its sharpshooter audio quality, the SXFI GAMER performs in various ways befitting bona fide pro gamers.

 

The CommanderMic makes its debut in a completely new acoustic design which includes an integrated pop filter. It sports Creative’s latest SXFI inPerson microphone technology, which uses a special algorithm to enhance speech pick-up while suppressing ambient noise effectively.

 

The SXFI GAMER also ups the cool factor with its custom-designed, Kevlar-reinforced USB cable, which is meticulously engineered for strength and durability as it drives high-speed data transfer to deliver its maximum potential for gaming. The new RGB lighting design on the earcups, which allows users to customise their combat get-up with 16.7 million colours to choose from, provides the finishing move for the SXFI GAMER’s assault on gaming headsets.

 

Creative’s CEO Sim Wong Hoo said, “Gaming has always been entrenched in our DNA, since the earliest days of Sound Blaster more than 30 years ago. 

“After we successfully created Super X-Fi, which critics have hailed as the holy grail of headphone technology, we did not rest on our laurels. We went ahead and spent a great deal of effort and resources to further improve Super X-Fi, especially targeting the gaming sector. The BATTLE Mode is here, and together with the CommanderMic and other features, the SXFI GAMER truly embodies the culmination of our very best technologies in a gaming headset. 

 

“At the same time, the SXFI GAMER allows you to communicate with others as if they were in front of you, and also they would be able to hear you clearly. Hence it would be a great tool to Work-Learn-Play from home with.” 

 

Pricing and Availability

SXFI GAMER is priced at £124.99 and is available at Creative.com.

For more information, visit creative.com/sxfigamer.

Review – Robus GLS connect smartbulb and¸5M IP20 LED Stripkit – 2700K – 6500K Tunable with Wi-Fi controller. #Robus

The Robus Plus Connect is a LED light strip that connects to an app on the phone allowing the led to be controlled allowing light to be turned off remotely and varied in colour. The packaging from Robus is bright giving clear specification, 3-year warranty, Wi-Fi, voice-controlled, compatible with Amazon Alexa and google assistant.  

 

Product Specifications:

Total Power (W):          23

Luminous Flux (lm):     1,360-1,580

Lamp Life (Hrs):             30,000

Number of LEDs:           120 / meter

CRI:    90

CCT (K): 2700-6500

Width (mm):  10

Length (mm): 5,000

Height (mm): 2.5

Weight (Kg):   0.4

 

Note the Lamp Life is rated as 30,000 Hrs, as compared to a typical incandescent bulb which only lasts 1,000 to 2,000 hours, The led comes with an impressive 3-year warranty.

 

Features

  •         Smart device enabled, works with iOS and Android via the ROBUS CONNECT App
  •         Connects with Amazon Alexa and Google Home via Wi-Fi with no need for a hub
  •         Smooth control of the light colour between 2700K and 6500K
  •         5m roll of Flexi strip light
  •         Strip can be cut every 6 LEDs
  •         Each kit c/w Wi-Fi controller, driver, flex and 3M double-sided tape for easy installation

 

Company.

The brand is an Irish owned company, LED Group ROBUS which was founded in 1984 with their headquartered in Dublin, branch offices in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Guangzhou in China. The Dublin office inspires trust in terms of familiarity with local power supplies, local Wi-Fi frequencies and standards to ensure compatibility with our local technologies.

 Safety Standards & Approvals:

Complies with: EN60598-1, EN55015, EN 61000-3-2, EN 61000-3-3, EN 62493, EN61547, EN 62471 

Setup:

The setup is standard in terms of download the ROBUS Connect App, register via text message & email address, note when connecting,  use the only 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network.  To set up the Led strip in the pairing mode, press and hold the reset button for >5 seconds. Alternatively, if the switch is inaccessible, turn on for 10 seconds, turn off – on – off – on – off – on. The luminaire will blink rapidly when in pairing mode.  In the background of the app the IP address, Mac address, time zone, Wi-Fi strength is available for those of a technical nature but not required for most installations.

Once set up as the default name of the Flexi-strip, this can be renamed to your choice of name.

The 3M double-sided can be used to stick on to walls, ceilings as required and cut to length.

 

Once connected:

The Led can be turned on / off via the wall socket, button on the cable or via the smartphone alternatively use of the App.  The light can be set to change colour (also with sound) as adjusted to brightness low to high. The app has a variety of default setting for the colour and brightness. A new setting can be saved on the app to your mood of lighting.  A scene in the app can be set up which connects various products which can be connected in various rooms as required. The colours choices are limited in the led but sufficient for a limited variety.

The Robus GLS Connect smart bulb.

 

Connect to the Amazon Alexa, (This unit does not need to be connected to a smart home but a great feature when done). Connecting to the Amazon Alexa required the use of an additional app – Smart Life Alexa skill and then via the Skills & Games. Again, the connection is easy when aware to use the Smart Life app.

 

Conclusion

The quality of the product is excellent with a 3-year warranty and a led life of over 30 thousand hours which alone is impressive. The IP rating may give a false impression as IP20  which is merely a touch by fingers / able to withstand basic touch and rudimentary dust protection, The kit has an excellent  Safety Standards &  list of Approvals which calls out the standard “ Electrical products can cause death or injury, or damage to property” I suspect the 12 Volt, 3 amp would be safer than most Christmas tree lights which can be fitted as DIY easily with minimum electrical knowledge.  Robust ethos is to create enduring products with low energy, low maintenance, which is certainly the case with this product.  My favourite features are not the warranty, led life the colours of the LED. Cost-saving from the lower power drain, but the smart home feature to connect directly to the Amazon Alexa enduring the home is smart. This is a product that once viewed by friends and family is on their wish list, a product that stands out for the right reasons, impressive.

Available at https://robus.com 

 

Review – Robus GU10 CONNECT 5W WIFI Tunable White LED Lamp. #Robus #IoT

The Robus GU10 Connect for all intensive purpose is a bulb but brings a new excitements/technology to the bulb ( LED). The Led is smart-enabled that connects to the Robus app for Android and IOS to control the Led, with the smartphone. This can be connected via Amazon Alexa and google home. The Led bulb looks the same as standard GU10 Bulb. The LED via the app allows scenes, controlling on/off switching, dim level and tunable white colour temperature.

 

Features:

The ROBUS Connected devices provide multiple functionalities which include:

  •         Smart device enabled, works with iOS and Android via the ROBUS CONNECT App
  •         Connects with Amazon Alexa and Google Home via Wi-Fi with no need for a hub
  •         Multiple lamps can be controlled via a single app
  •         Tunable white between 2700-6500K
  •         Lamp Life (Hrs)  25000
  •         Suitable for use in fire-rated downlights
  •         LED replacement for 50W Halogen downlights
  •         30ø beam angle
  •         No UV or infra-red content
  •         Die-cast aluminium, plastic coated housing and polycarbonate lens
  •         GU10 cap type
  •         High quality LED array providing high efficacy of 83-93lm/W
  •         Wide operating ambient temperature range of -20øC to +40øC
  •         On / off switching so lighting can be controlled from anywhere. You can switch off lights left on in another part of the house after going to bed, without getting up
  •         Dimming feature
  •         Tunable White Colour temperature control from warm to daylight white or anywhere in between dependent use of the lit space
  •         Scene setting which allows single or groups of fittings to be set to a specific state. A dining scene (1) whilst eating might need some lights over the table set to a higher level with lighting around the perimeter of the room set to low level
  •         Scheduling allows setting up of “holiday mode” actions where lights can be set to come on or go off at specific times of the day or night

 

Over several years, I have changed constant blowing of incandescent GU10 bulbs, this was caused by vibrations from the upstairs bedrooms, vibration to the light. The high power rating of the 60W x 6 bulbs burned out the dimmers switch every 8- 12 months, due to the power drain of 6 X 60 = 360 Watt draw of power. The Electricity cost alone on the lights was expensive.

Setup:

The setup is standard in terms of download the ROBUS Connect App, register via text message & email address, note when connecting, use the only 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network.  To set up the GU10

 in the pairing mode, press the on and off button three time until the LED flashes, the luminaire will blink rapidly when in pairing mode.  Once set up as the default name of the GU10 Led, can be renamed to your choice of name.  The setup is the same as the Robus Plus Connect¸5M IP20 LED Stripkit.

 

Connect to the Amazon Alexa, (This unit does not need to be connected to a smart home but a great feature when done). Connecting to the Amazon Alexa required the use of an additional app – Smart Life Alexa skill and then via the Skills & Games. Again, the connection is easy when aware to use the Smart Life app.

 

An LED lamp is expensive:

This is a common comment I get;” I’m not getting an LED bulb as they are expensive and they all do the same job,  “

This is a short comparison done by Techbuzz on the cost of the use of the LED

Comparison incandescent bulb Vs Robus Gu10 Connect The number of hours switched on per day. kWh per day Annual energy consumption (365 days on) kWh used *Utility rate 19.22 c/kWh (Charges Electricity prices per unit (cent per kWh) inc Vat The total cost of electricity for 1 year Cost per year to use the bulb
Incandescent bulb 60 Watt Light Bulb 6 0.36 365 131.4 19.22 €25.26 The Bulb costs €25.26 a year to run
Robus Gu10 Connect 5 Watt LED Bulb with 60W Light Output 6 0.03 365 10.95 19.22 €2.10 The Led   costs €2.10 a year to run

 

*Source https://www.electricireland.ie

Company.

The brand is an Irish owned company, LED Group ROBUS which was founded in 1984 with their headquarters in Dublin, branch offices in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Guangzhou in China. The Dublin office inspires trust in terms of familiarity with local power supplies, local Wi-Fi frequencies and standards to ensure compatibility with our local technologies.

 

Conclusion:

If you Ignore the green planet, green energy, the idea the Led bulb will last longer  ( Lamp Life  25000 Hrs at equivalent to 50W Halogen downlights ) due to the low heat emission,  the approx. cost  of €25.26 a year to run vs the  Robus GU10 Connect  €2.10  a year to run per year, The technology is cool, power on  / off via a standard switch, or the app, or Voice-controlled via the Alexa app. On the occasions getting into bed, did you switch off the lights, response Hey Alexa – switch off all lights, or when noise is heard downstairs in the middle on the night, the option to turn on 1 light or all light via your phone or via voice commands is genius.

Robus ethos is to create enduring products with low energy, low maintenance, which is certainly the case with their LED range. The Robus GU10 Connect is technology at its best, Cost saving, efficient for the planet, features to allow the LED to change the white colour from warm to daylight with the option to turn on / off via the app or voice control.  A simple product complimented by a Ireland  company using technology at its best and saving money.

 

Available from https://robus.com/

Or

https://nationallighting.ie/shop/rcgu5cx-gu10-connect-5w-wifi-tunable-led-lamp/

€18.40

Review – The Crave Curve Bluetooth Speaker plus get 10% discount site wide #Crave #Tech

I go through many bluetooth speakers and in fairness most pass the test and are good value for money but it is rare when one just has that perfect sound and good looks and slightly different to the normal industry design we are use to seeing on offer and this is where the one we are reviewing today kicks in and it is mighty for its size.

It is not the lightest speaker for its size but this is ok as the sound it puts out will vibrate anything it sits on and having tested it at full volume it does not budge and sits nicely on rubber feet underneath,it is best thought to have it on a good solid flat surface as it helps with the sound. This is certainly one for the bass lovers too….

The build quality is excellent with an excellent metal finish this is robust and tough yet will fit and look well anywhere,once more it is portable too and packs 20 watt dual drivers. Given that you would think it is more powerful when you listen to it. On top we have simple controls to change the musics tracks and take calls and so on,evertything you expect to find in a bluetooth speaker.. Taking calls is great if you ever need to with clear sound and loss of clarity or disconnections seen and the same applies to the sound output here.

You have 66ft distance to play with here more than your average speaker which makes it more versitile and for instance if you have a large house and back garden this is ideal, even testing here in my place through closed doors you could still here it pump out the tunes no problem at all.

The sound though is where it will matter for most and it is good and what is really nice here the louder you have it the better and no distortion on testing from my usual music tracks overall I was more than delighted with the punch and the bass this delivers, but less of the usual chat on genres and so on and take a listen in the video review below..

Get 10% OFF Site Wide Discount, using the code  TBI10

BUY HERE 

 

 

YOGSCAST GAMES Announces the Tiny Teams Festival Celebrating Indie Development From 9-15 August. #Gaming #Yogacast #Indie

Yogscast Games and the Yogscast network today announced the first ever Tiny Teams Indie Festival, shining a spotlight on games from indie micro-studios. The Tiny Teams Festival will be broadcast live on Steam and Twitch.tv/yogscast from 9-15 August 2020.

The Tiny Teams festival will be hosted by Yogscast Games’ Head of Publishing Ben Edgar and feature developer interviews, gameplay streams and trailers of dozens of games from one to three-person indie development teams. The Tiny Teams Festival will also celebrate a selection of classic indies with Steam Store discounts of up to 50% off through the week and culminate in an awards show  at 5pm BST on 15th August highlighting the most fun, weird and exciting games profiled during the week.

“At Yogscast Games we’re all about indie games that are as fun to watch as they are to play,” said Yogscast Games’ Head of Publishing Ben Edgar. “With the first-ever Tiny Teams Festival we want to shine a spotlight on some fantastic games and teams that could otherwise slip under the radar in a hugely busy year of gaming. We’re looking forward to sharing some of the coolest, weirdest and most fun upcoming indies starting 9 August.”

The full event program will be announced in early August. Developers who would like to be featured in the Tiny Teams Festival can submit their game for consideration at the Yogscast.games site. The deadline for submissions is 27th July.

The Internet Landscape in the Aftermath of COVID-19: Changes in User Habits and Network Development. #Heficed

The rapid outbreak of COVID-19 has affected the world in numerous ways, ranging from an economic halt to social distancing. As governments imposed lockdowns, many had to adapt to the new reality of all-things-online. The surge of users, shifting their focus to the digital world, influenced major changes in online behavior, network governance, and digital adoption, leaving to wonder how this will reshape the current Internet landscape.

New user habits

Global isolation drastically increased the demand for online collaboration services, for instance, video conferencing app Zoom went from 56 thousand to 2.13 million downloads a day as soon as officials announced lockdown. With the majority of the workers having moved online, the newly found convenience of remote work is shaping up to be a long-term reality, which will be highly relevant even in the post-pandemic era.

As the welcoming attitude towards flexible work environments seems to be here to stay, Vincentas Grinius, CEO at Heficed, suggests that companies should place more emphasis on developing a solid in-house network infrastructure, prepared to handle the rise in the digital workforce. “With a significant part of workers taking care of their day-to-day from their home office, companies will need to reevaluate the architecture of their internal network: are there enough IPs? What additional safeguards would mitigate risks associated with pc malware? These are some of the questions that should move up the list of priorities once the situation dials down,” said V. Grinius.

Sharing network resources

The online ecosystem has also revealed itself vulnerable to the mass-usage. For instance, with the sudden increase in traffic, major streaming platforms – Netflix and YouTube – had to lower their video quality to reduce some of the strain on Europe’s infrastructure.

“As soon as the lockdown was announced, the Net felt its consequences with full force: few had backup hardware to maintain a stable network, or enough IPs to suffice increased connectivity,” Grinius explained. “With the population nearing 8 billion, and widespread IPv6 implementation still light-years away, the need to adopt a sustainability-driven mindset that would facilitate further expansion became even more apparent.”

The latest developments showed that the Internet is not advancing as fast as it needs to, in order to keep up with the growing market. According to V. Grinius, the solution to this could be a collaboration-based approach towards network resources.

“IP address leasing could help accommodate the exponentially growing demand without aggravating the current strain on the market,” continued V. Grinius. “Reallocating unused IPv4s enables companies to continue scaling alongside increasing device connections and could be the facilitator the market needs until it is a hundred percent IPv6-ready.”

Lower digital division

The Internet helped solve numerous problems that have risen along with the coronavirus wave. That said, the circumstances also exposed a significant digital divide in emerging, as well as developed countries, as many were unable to get online: it is predicted approximately 3.7 million have no Internet access. V. Grinius notes that the current crisis will act as a catalyst for lessening the gap in connection, which seems like a highly likely scenario, as it is already pushing some markets towards more rapid digitization.

“Interconnectivity is what the market is heading towards. For those that have been delaying the implementation of digitized solutions, or not giving them the required attention, this was an eye-opener,” said V. Grinius. “The pandemic emphasized the significance of having network access and will be an essential factor in driving progress, as there are plenty of opportunities for anyone willing to execute change.”

Even though the full scope of how this recent shift is going to evolve in the future is unclear – these major changes already on the way to shape a new reality where everything is connected.