As you we all very aware now, COVID-19 has had a huge impact on local businesses throughout Ireland and it has been a challenging time and there is a long road ahead yet. To make it easier for businesses to keep customers fully informed during this time, Google has recently added a range of tools and features which allow them to add extra information to their Business Profiles
From today, Google will be rolling out support links for businesses which they can post directly to their Business Profiles on Google, allowing them to add such features as donation or gift card links to their profile. As part of this initiative, Google has partnered with PayPal and GoFundMe for donations, allowing merchants to link directly to the relevant page on their website or to their gift card offerings with one of Google’s eligible partners, which include Square, Toast, Clover and Vagaro.
Businesses will also be able to share personal messages in their posts to inform customers how their donations will be put to use.
As many businesses around the world currently require financial support, the initial launch of new features will begin with a subset of businesses to protect against misuse, with plans to expand to more countries, merchants, and partners in a safe and responsible way over the coming weeks.
The support links will be available to customers later this month. Google will not charge merchants or consumers any fees, however there may be partner processing fees associated with campaigns.
Nokia today dropped two new devices which are new feature phones called the Nokia 125 and Nokia 150 which ads to their line up.
Both devices have been designed for ultimate ease of use. Nokia 125 and Nokia 150 both feature an all-new longer design, creating more space for bigger buttons so that navigation, dialling and texting is easier than ever before. With a battery that lasts for weeks on a single charge¹, fans can play classic games like Snake, or use the wireless FM radio to stay entertained on either one of these devices. For those looking for multimedia features at a low additional cost, the refined Nokia 150 has all the everyday essentials you need with additions including an MP3 player², and a camera² with flash to capture the moments that matter.
Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer, HMD Global, said:
“As an industry leader in feature phones, we are constantly on a mission to improve usability and we are excited to announce two new phones that do just that today. Feature phones remain a popular choice for consumers and businesses alike and we know that ergonomic design is important to our customers. So we’ve developed a brand-new form factor for the category, with a design that maximises usability. At the same time, we’re bringing large 2.4” screens to the most affordable price points yet. Both phones offer a simple, yet extremely reliable experience – with the Nokia 150 packing multimedia features and a battery that lets you talk all day and night, while the stand-by time lasts for weeks.”
Nokia 125
The Nokia 125 allows us to deliver our most affordable large 2.4” screen to date, providing a great viewing experience at an amazing price point. It comes with a truly ergonomic design with bigger buttons making the user experience easy. Keep your eye on that high score playing classic Snake and other great try-and-buy games and listen to music at your leisure with its wireless FM radio. Plus, with a durable finish, this is a phone that’s fit for everyday life.
Never miss a moment and chat with friends and family from sunrise to sunset, thanks to the Nokia 125’s long-lasting battery. There’s also enough storage to save up to 2,000 contacts and up to 500 SMS messages on the phone, so you can have all your friends just a text or a call away.
Nokia 150
The Nokia 150 brings extra additions, allowing you to enjoy your tracks using the MP3 player with up to 32GB of expandable storage². Capture every moment with the VGA camera² and flash and share your pictures with your friends using Bluetooth³.
The Nokia 150 lets you play the classic game of Snake and others you can try and buy. Like the Nokia 125, this feature phone supports FM radio play without a headset. In addition, this phone makes dialling and texting simple to navigate with the 2.4” screen and large ergonomic keys. With an exterior made from high-quality, durable polycarbonate, the Nokia 150 can handle the knocks of everyday life. Coming with a battery life that lets you talk all day and night, and lasts on standby for weeks, it truly is a phone you can rely on.
Pricing and availability
Check local availability. The Nokia 150 comes in Red, Cyan and Black, and will be available in select markets for a global average retail price of 29 USD.
Check local availability. The Nokia 125 comes in Charcoal Black and Powder White, and will be available in select markets for a global average retail price of 24 USD.
Edifier® International, prominent designers and award-winning manufacturers of consumer audio electronics, announce the availability of the new TWS6 in the UK. The TWS6 won an iF Design Award 2020 for consumer electronics by the Hanover-based iF International Forum Design GmbH.
The Edifier TWS6 Earbuds feature outstanding sound quality in a compact, ergonomic 12mm design. With built-in balanced armature drivers from leading manufacturer Knowles, paired with an electroacoustic structure, vivid, high resolution sound is delivered with exceptional clarity, enriching every detail of the sound.
With clear Voice capture (cVc) noise cancellation technology, sound clarity is improved, producing an immersive listening experience and excellent call quality. Thanks to Bluetooth 5.0, Qualcomm aptX audio and the Laser Direct Structuring antenna, the TWS6 offers fast transmission with ultra-low latency and a range of up to 10m (33ft). The touch controls also offer easy playback.
The IPX5 water resistance will protect the earbuds against sweat or rain, making these the perfect partner for a gym workout. The interchangeable earplugs come in three different designs – foam, silica and ear wings – for maximum comfort. Varying sizes of each provide the user with an excellent and stable fit for prolonged and secure wear.
The TWS6 provides up to eight hours of playback in a single charge, and the efficiently designed, 22mm charging case is easily portable. The case allows for three extra charges, totalling 32 hours of use between mains charging.
Edifier does not sacrifice aesthetics for sound quality. The TWS6 earbuds have been created with the LG scratch-resistant finish, ensuring your earbuds stay in top condition. Along with being durable, this finish is also environmentally friendly, avoiding the need for paint, electroplating and post-production surface treatments. With the seamless and sleek design of the earbuds and charging case, comfort, style and great technology are at the user’s disposal.
Main Features:
Built-in Knowles balanced armature drivers feature, reacting to weak signals, enriching each sound and producing exceptional sound quality. 98dB sensitivity.
Bluetooth 5.0 with Qualcomm aptX audio and Laser Direct Structuring antenna offering fast transmission and ultra-low latency.
Up to 32 Hours of Playback; with one charge providing eight hours of battery life and the slimline, wireless case providing three additional charges. USB Type-C charging also available.
IPX5 water, sweat and dust resistance, perfect for intense workouts and sport activity.
Lightweight, ergonomic design including a variety of earplugs and wings to ensure a comfortable fit.
Price & Availability: The Edifier TWS6 is available at £89.99 from Amazon:
Urbanista, a leading developer and manufacturer of lifestyle audio products, has teamed up with H&M HOME to present a limited-edition, wireless Bluetooth speaker – perfect to enjoy music indoors or outdoors! The speaker’s design is inspired by H&M HOME’s summer collection with classic blue and white stripes – the fresh and timeless colourway for the summer season. Bring the music wherever you are – in an easy, stylish way.
Music Never Goes out of Fashion
The Sydney speaker from audio specialists Urbanista is the ultimate portable speaker: petite and lightweight with a clean silhouette and sleek design that delivers big on sound. Born out of a passion for colour, form and a mobile lifestyle, Urbanista’s designs, including Sydney, are rooted in the Scandinavian tradition and are designed for life in motion.
H&M HOME presents the Urbanista speaker that will be available at https://www.urbanista.com/uk/sydney-hmhome from 11th May 2020, for a limited time only. Offering sleek design at an accessible price, the H&M HOME and Urbanista speaker will retail at the pocket-friendly price of £34.90.
“It’s been great working with H&M HOME for this exciting release: an inspirational fusion of music and interior design. We hope that this special edition speaker will be appreciated for its playfulness and true summer vibes”, says Nadine Schultz, Marketing Manager, Urbanista.
Camilla Henriksson, Head of Marketing and Communications at H&M HOME, comments: “We are very excited to collaborate with Urbanista this season. We love to bring our products outdoors during summer and now we can also bring out the music! The Urbanista speaker, with its neat design, matches perfectly with our summer collection.”
Urbanista’s Sydney speaker comes complete with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, iOS and Android compatibility, and built-in microphone and speakerphone. Fitting in the palm of your hand, the Sydney is small but powerful, water-resistant and comes with up to 5 hours’ battery life. Want even more epic sound? It’s easy to pair two speakers together for a stereo sound experience.
TCL recently announced a slew of devices and we have one of them here that will offer good value and new features for money with a quad camera set up on the rear that looks well and moves apart from the trend like what Samsung and Huawei offer with the square hump. A full review of this device will be up soon but we have unboxed and took a look at what is inside so you can check it out below and if any questions please feel free to ask and we will answer in our review..
Immerse yourself in an upscale entertaining experience via the NXTVISION 6.53-inch FHD+ Dotch™ display with a 91 percent screen-to-body ratio. Featuring a dedicated display engine, overall visuals will be enhanced in real-time to produce images that incorporate adjusted brightness, greater contrast and true-to-life details. With comfort also in mind, the TCL 10L implements features such as Adaptive Tone, Reading Mode and Eye Comfort mode to assist with preventing eye-strain.
To keep fun and games going, the TCL 10L provides you the chance to connect up to 4 devices (headphones or speakers) through the integrated Super Bluetooth Multi-streaming audio solution.
THE CAMERA FOR EVERY MOMENT
NXTVISION CAMERA
With the TCL 10L, rest assured that the magic of the moment will never be lost.
Superior quality images will set your creations apart via the NXTVISION AI powered 48MP quad-rear cameras, 16MP selfie camera and 4K recording functionality. From producing brighter images in extreme low light conditions, to packing more into the shot with the flagship-level 118° super wide-angle cam, the TCL 10L brings versatility to the game with a macro lens for exquisite micro world shots as close as 3.7cm and natural artistic bokeh portraits.
If you’re wanting to try your hand at video production, keep in mind that you will be able to film great,completely stable 4K videos, blending an intelligent low-light algorithm and a fun wide-angle for stop motion videos.
INTELLIGENT CAREFREE LIVING
A SMOOTH PERFORMANCE
Looking for a smooth performance that doesn’t forgo efficiency? The TCL 10L combines 6GB RAM with a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™665 processor that comes with an AI engine and a long lasting 4000mAh battery, together these deliver lower power consumption so that you can concentrate on running various tasks all day.
EASY & SECURE ACCESS
Enjoy an intuitive user experience with the dedicated Google Assistant button. From launching the camera, setting reminders or receiving smart suggestions, the
Google Assistant helps with everyday tasks. TCL 10L users will enjoy the latest Android versions with at least one guaranteed major OS upgrade, and also receive the latest security updates every 60 days. Combine this with the convenient and secured face unlock and fingerprint sensor, the TCL 10L keeps things safe & secure.
AESTHETICS DESIGN
Comprised of an attractive holographic finish that shines iridescently in a tide of luminescence, the sleek 3D backing grants you a premium in-hand feel at an affordable price.
The TCL 10L is available now, starting from £399 and comes in the nature-inspired versions of Arctic White & Mariana Blue,both the 10Pro and 10L will be available to purchase in the UK in the first week of June and in Ireland from the last week of June.
The Creative Sound Blaster G3 is a Portable External Console Gaming USB-C DAC Amp for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac, This enhanced gaming audio experience has voice chat balance capability, a customizable EQ preset with custom-tuned Footsteps Enhancer, and on-the-fly audio adjustments without having to exit your game’s screen.
The first impression of the unit was the feel of the unit, the plastic seems flimsy, with the buttons/switches not as comfortable as I would expect for the well-know Singapore-based Creative, Technology company. The inclusion of the USB Type-C to Type-A Converter reinforced the UpToDate technology with the fibre optic cable.
Package contents,
Sound Blaster G3
Optical Cable (1m / 3.28 ft)
USB Type-C to Type-A Converter
Quick Start Leaflet
Warranty Leaflet
Compatibility.
Setup:
The basic setup was easy in terms of the units was designed for use with gaming consoles with No software required, no drivers just plug and play. When using the advance features via the Creative app, this had challenges in the connection to the unit, the app had to removed from the android phone and reinstalled as did not pair immediately to the Samsung S10 phone. After reinstalling this worked ok. The setup was done via a PS4 Slim which does not have an optical port (The standard Ps4 and PS4 does), this was easily connected directly to the optical port on the TV and worked.
Overall.
There were a few niggles in the build quality the app setup and the length of the cable option. On the positive, once the set up was done there is an abundance of features tailored to specific games in the app, which can be adjusted from your phone and saved on the unit or via the app. The audio difference was noticeable in terms of isolation out specific sounds to your colleagues on the games or enhanced sound which often go unnoticed on the game. This is a real gamer paradise in terms of sounds.
Plantronics is a Brand Synonymous with call centres throughout the world in small office and reception areas and those that use telecoms equipment. The Plantronics Voyager 3240 is geared towards the office user rather than the full-time receptionist allowing connection to a variety of phones/laptops and telecoms equipment with an abundant of voice prompts to ensure clarity. This is suitable for those on the go in a busy environment, drivers, office staff that have to make/received allot of calls and require handsfree,
The unit comes with only 1 headset which allows you to be aware of your surroundings, most of us will be aware of people with 2 earphones shouting on a call unaware a full office can hear them unaware of their surroundings.
Main features
In-ear design provides a wearing style that’s easy to put on or take off
Precision tuned triple-mic with enhanced DSP delivers superior noise cancellation
Smart sensors answer calls by simply putting on the headset
Dynamic mute alert senses and alerts you when you begin to speak while muted
Up to 98 feet/30 meters of wireless range from supported Class 1 Bluetooth devices
Portable charging case provides up to 10 hours of additional talk time
Specifications:
Listen/talk time Up to 6 hours plus up to 10 extra hours with charging case
(available in select bundles); up to 7 days standby time
Range Up to 98 feet (30 meters) with Class 1 Bluetooth enabled device
Audio performance Triple-mic DSP noise-cancelling technology, mobile wideband
compatibility up to 6,800 Hz; echo cancellation, proprietary DSP,
A2DP, mobile wideband compatibility (HD Voice-enabled)
Hearing protection SoundGuard®: Sound leveling for listening comfort and acoustic
limiting for protection against sounds above 118 dBA
Firmware Update firmware and change language settings using Plantronics
Hub for iOS/Android
Connection:
The connection is standard to most phones using the Bluetooth option to your phone/laptop with no issues found. The NFC option works easier and faster.
Charging:
The unit comes with a micro USB cable which is disappointing in terms on modern phones for the last number of years have migrated to USB C resulting in another cable to be carried around, it takes approx. 90 minutes to fully charge the headset. The status of the charging can be seen/heard via voice prompt/headset LEDs / phone app,
Charge case:
The charging ( open style ) case does as it states, charges the headset but as a design having the charging connection on the bottom leaves it prone to liquid ingress when placed on a wet surface, the case gives minimum protection when carried from place to place, ( whereas the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 5100 True Wireless Bluetooth Headset, aimed at music lovers case is ideal offering protection and charges the headset ) the belt type clip again leaves allot to be desired with little practical use. The charging case gives 10 additional hours on a single charge, giving you up to 16 hours of combined talk time between a fully charged headset and charging case.
The app – Plantronics Hub
The Plantronics Hub has a variety of useful features but again is different to the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 5100 Blackbeat app. The manufactures appear to have 2 completely different designs and technology which would be great to have one standardised one. The app gives a clear view of the battery time left, allow you to locate a misplaced headset, customise calls, mute calls, auto-answer, headset sensors and a variety of other features to personalise your experience. This also has a reset option in case a mistake is made during setup. The app has got 4.3 out of 5 on the play store out of near 30,000 downloads which is good, the app worked as required and can’t fault.
Voice alerts:
The unit has a variety of useful voice alerts
Voice alerts list
Following is a list of common voice alerts. You can use Plantronics Hub to customise some of
these alerts. Download Plantronics Hub at plantronics.com/software
“Answering call”
“Battery low”
“Redialling last outgoing call”
“Incoming call”
“Mute on/mute off”
“No phone is connected”
“Pairing”
“Pairing incomplete, restart headset”
“Pairing successful”
“Power on/off”
“Phone X connected/disconnected” (my personal favourite feature)
“Recharge headset”
“Smart sensors on/off”
“Battery high”
“Volume maximum/minimum”
Call quality:
The Plantronics Voyager 3240 as expected has excellent call quality, quoting noise-cancelling technology which is far superior to most headset tested in the last year. This does not mask out all sound from the call as on tests walking close to a radio / TV, the caller can hear the sounds albeit lower than many other brands. When used to listen to Spotify / Google play music. / Amazon music quality is average been distracted with 1 earpiece and the highs and lows not as pronounced, again this is not designed for recreational music listening but will work perfectly on your voice frequencies.
Conclusion:
Plantronics is a great brand with quality products, with my favourites being able to connect numerous phones/laptops at the same time, and able to make or receive a call from any device. This is a feature not seen on many earphones. This Bluetooth multipoint technology enables you to pair and connect your headset to two different Bluetooth audio devices at once with audio prompts to advise what is connected. The brand as an office technology has a compatibility guide which you expect to ensure if the connection to a specialised device the guesswork is taken out of the interface connection, this may include Desk phone, Softphone, Mobile Bluetooth, Mobile corded Gaming and Landline.
The headset when sitting on a desk can easily be seen to connect to a phone when lifted to your ear but states not connected ensuring when you decide to take a call you can use the headset or traditional holding your head to the phone. Over the years I have had numerous earphones connected via Bluetooth only to find the audio was via the earphone, not the phones when required.
Overall the unit is a lightweight, solid build, comfortable to wear for hours, and allows you to be aware of your surroundings with superior call quality. There are a few niggles in the charger style given limited protection and micro USB charger while minor in the overall scheme. The multipoint technology allowing multiple units connected at the same time is a must for those that carry 2 phones or take skype/teams calls from laptops etc. The Plantronics Voyager 3240 has an abundance of features and personalise options in the app given a great experience overall.
Noel O’Grady, Director of Irish operations at business risk and resilience consultancy Sungard AS.
The data centre industry is arguably facing its largest ever crisis with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In-house teams have had to quickly build out their ability to support remote workers on a scale never seen before. Commercial providers have had to tighten access to facilities globally, decide which staff are essential to keep onsite, and reach for their pandemic contingency plans – if these even existed.
Elsewhere, data centre managers have had to embark on mass disinfection of premises and assess access following both staff and visitors testing positive for the virus.
The last few months have been a huge learning curve for many, and here are three key lessons we have learned.
Lesson 1: Be prepared to scale quickly for remote working demands
As our worlds of work and play shifted from office blocks and business parks to living rooms and kitchen tables across the globe, society has been highly dependent on internet services and supporting equipment working as expected.
Infrastructure teams with responsibility for making sure organisations and consumers stay online have worked hard to expand network bandwidth and computing muscle in data centres. The most frequent bottleneck created in many cases has stemmed from the overnight enablement of vast remote workforces. Many company networks simply weren’t set up to meet demand at such scale.
Organisations need to provide staff with private, secure corporate network access from home. VPN capacity has had to ramp up and conversations about readying the infrastructure to support it have had to happen quickly. Companies must now prepare to ensure employees can access a company network from their own machines at home too – there will have been many cases where people hadn’t taken work equipment home with them, and IT were unable to access buildings to get it to them.
Technical understanding of the expanded capacity to support remote application access became a boardroom issue overnight as well. This will only be a good thing for companies moving forward. Senior executives will have no choice to overlook infrastructure. They will have to understand and monitor it like never before.
Lesson 2: Pre-define ‘essential’ staff
Evaluation of who was ‘essential’ was another thing organisations had to determine quickly, and this expanded to the data centre industry. Essential workers had to be divided up. Some kept onsite and others sent home to become reserves. There had to be no risk of cross-contamination between them.
Some senior-level facility and site managers were asked to work from home as well, as they possessed knowledge and experience covering multiple types of lower-level employees, such as line engineers, technicians and operations staff.
The outcome of this crisis will be that data centre organisations should now formally plan and document who is essential to keep onsite during such a state of emergency, and who are the backups that should remain at home. This should be clearly communicated at regular intervals, with tests run to confirm the process works as expected.
Lesson 3: Disinfect premises post-positive infection reports and have strict access rules
There have been some international reports of staff and visitors who have set foot in data centres testing positive for COVID-19 at a later date. In response, the affected facilities have had to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected by a specialist cleaning contractor. Data centre operators will now have to be crystal clear about the measures they will take in the event of such an incident and what they will do if a member of staff or a visitor falls ill whilst onsite.
In order to maintain effective social distancing, some facilities have made all non-essential staff work from home on a mandatory basis. Clients are also being actively discouraged from visiting and encouraged to use engineers to complete physical tasks wherever possible.
All deliveries and visitors should be handled by isolated security staff following very specific guidelines. Employee health has to remain the priority and having these measures in place requires a high level of adaptability on behalf of workers, so the businesses and the industry as a whole needs to be very clear.
If a data centre facility does have to be evacuated temporarily, whether it can stay online without staffing depends very much on its design, and is something that must be accounted for in planning and operations. Those with a low level of redundancy face obvious risks if left unmanned.
Rewriting the rule book
Data centre operators around the world have been forced to make big adjustments in light of COVID-19, with some of the areas mentioned above likely to become a necessary standard post-crisis.
Historically, most business continuity plans for data centres were based on local scenarios, where ‘acts of God’ wreaked havoc on one place. Rarely had many considered that one place being the entire planet.
This pandemic has shown us the speed of disease spread and highlighted the importance of a quick response. For the most part, data centres across the world are still functional, with our increasingly digital infrastructure showing a considerable level of resilience. However, it remains to be seen which contingencies will become the new norm and which won’t result in any permanent changes.
Cowboy, the company with a vision to transform urban mobility, has today announced record sales with a growth of 230 percent from January – April 2020 compared to the same time period last year. In addition, the company hit a major milestone as it reached one million kilometres covered in April, an increase of 800 percent year on year. Cowboy had predicted that the urban mobility sector would face a shake up in the years to come, however the pandemic has accelerated this as people seek faster, healthier and greener ways of travel.
In an unfortunate time when many start-ups are facing challenges, Cowboy has seen April sales increase by an impressive 40% over March despite the lockdown restrictions affecting its core markets. The growth demonstrates a shift in consumer demand as the requirement for a safer means of transport becomes a higher priority for global city dwellers.
Recent announcements from London, Berlin, Paris, New York and Milan to increase and dedicate space for cyclists and pedestrians are reinforcing Cowboy’s view that these measures will drive a more permanent change that will extend beyond a post COVID-19 pandemic world.
Cowboy has also noticed significant changes in usage patterns over the past few weeks. In Germany alone Cowboy has seen a surge of 100% in its active users as they utilise the smart electric bike as a way to combat the closure of public transport methods. Across all countries the number of kilometres travelled has increased by an impressive 100 percent when compared to pre COVID to reach one million kilometres covered in April. The biggest monthly total to date for the company and a staggering 800 percent increase year on year.
Users have extended their Cowboy use for more than just the daily commute as the average journey increased from 5km in March prior to lockdown restrictions to 6km in April. In February, 50 percent of our riders were using their bike around offices standard opening and closing times ( 7 AM to 10 AM and 5 PM to 7 PM ). This has shrunk to 28 percent with peak time now being 15:00 proving that the electric bike is now more than just a means to getting to work but also being used for shopping and exercise.
Adrien Roose, CEO, Cowboy said: “We’ve always felt that urban mobility was due a transformation as we look at ways of cutting down on stress, traffic and pollution. However, the pandemic has accelerated this evolution by forcing us all to rethink elements of our life from how we work, shop and move around. More than ever, we exist to make it a permanent change rather than temporary.”
