|
||||||||||
|
Urbanista reveals a record 2019. #TrueWireless #Headphones #UrbanistaLife
Urbanista, the Swedish lifestyle audio brand, revealed today that 2019 was a record year for the company. Last year, Urbanista’s revenues grew 70% on those of 2018, bolstered by more than 500,000 sales of its true wireless headphones, and online sales with annual growth in excess of 1,000%. Urbanista finished 2019 with revenues of 241 million SEK, compared to 145 million SEK in 2018, corresponding to a growth of 70 percent, year-on-year.
Urbanista’s Scandinavian design and quality audio engineering inspired by urban life resonate strongly with an ever-growing audience that values the freedom of a mobile lifestyle. As such, the company’s true wireless headphones – named Stockholm, Paris and Athens – have all proven popular with consumers and made Urbanista a strong presence in this growing category*. Since the product launched in May 2019, Urbanista has sold approximately 2,000 Stockholm units per day, while Paris and Athens (both first available in late 2019) have also been in high demand.
2019 was a period of global expansion for Urbanista, primarily in Germany, UK and US, as well as through e-commerce channels including Urbanista’s own online store. In addition to the company’s revenues growing 70% year-on-year from 2018 to 2019, Urbanista is proud to reveal that its total revenues have increased 1,000% during the past five years – from 20.8 million SEK in 2014 to 241 million SEK in 2019 (representing growth of 1,072%).
Anders Andréen, CEO of Urbanista, commented: “We are proud to be able to maintain good organic growth year after year. We will continue to develop in everything we do and are excited for the years to come.”
Urbanista has also grown in headcount at its Stockholm headquarters. In February, Tuomas Lonka was appointed Brand & Marketing Director – a newly-created role for this growing business. The perfect match for Urbanista’s next phase and promising growth trajectory, Tuomas has gained extensive experience in growth companies such as Happy Socks and Rovio (Angry Birds), as well as larger organisations like Telia and Nokia. Tuomas confirmed: “I’m thrilled about joining the team at Urbanista. Our brand has been growing across all our key markets and we have many new and exciting projects coming in 2020 and beyond.”
Image – Tuomas Lonka, Brand & Marketing Director
Check out their range and get a 15% discount from us using this link. Check out our extensive reviews by searching Ubranista on site.
How to keep calm, cool and healthy when working from home. #Meaco #Office #Home
Chris Michael, Director of leading UK air treatment manufacturer Meaco, recommends the use of a fan to help maintain health as families spend more time indoors and in close proximity.
With a large number of people now working from home and turning living spaces into offices, it is important to circulate air to help focus and maintain calm. With spending so much time indoors the air can become stuffy and can quickly make people feel uncomfortable and unwell. Using a fan keeps the air moving, and as we edge towards warmer summer weather will help us keep our cool at this difficult time.
Air treatment specialist Meaco has a range of best-selling, award winning fans, the MeacoFan range, designed to suit all room sizes. Advanced DC technology means the MeacoFan range has extremely low noise levels, and are low on energy usage, making them a popular choice for use in the bedroom and home office. Meaco fans can be powered from a PC or laptop USB port or even a powerbank.
Chris Michael, managing director of Meaco, comments “We have experienced a large spike in sales since more people have begun working at home. We are flattered that so many people are using the MeacoFan to bring them some comfort when so many are stuck indoors at the moment and we are working hard to get all orders out as quickly as possible whilst maintaining the safety of our own staff.”
There are three products to choose from; MeacoFan 1056AC, MeacoFan 650 and the MeacoFan 360. All have been awarded a QuietMark in recognition of being amongst the quietest cooling fans tested to date. Quiet Mark is the international approval award programme associated with the UK Noise Abatement Society charitable foundation.
The bigger MeacoFan 1056 has twelve fan speeds capable of cooling the largest of rooms. Multidirectional oscillation ensures that cool air circulates throughout the whole room by bouncing the air off walls and ceilings, so that every part of the room and everyone in the room feels the benefits. This is a major differentiator to a standard pedestal or tower fan. An ECO mode automatically changes the fan speed as the room temperature changes, providing a simple, one touch control.
The smaller MeacoFan 650 and 360 models are ideal for home office use, as they take up little space and can be placed on desks, bedside tables and windowsills. As well as being stylish and lightweight, the MeacoFan range is very low on energy consumption.
All Meaco products come with a two-year parts and labour warranty, with the option of extending the warranty to five years.
These stylish light weight fans will help create a better home working environment for all the family, and once the hot weather arrives, can contribute to a good night’s sleep when used in the bedroom which can help to keep you healthy.
See meaco for more
A cyber security expert on @houseparty app. #Houseparty #Apps #Hacks
With everyone working from home and in self-isolation, the Houseparty app has rocketed to number 1 of the download charts.
But there’s a lot of hysteria (and scaremongering) out there about it stealing all your data and being ‘hacked’, so cyber security expert Jonny Pelter, founder of internet safety membership site SimpleCyberLife wanted to set the record straight with a quick app review..
What is Houseparty?
Know the game ‘Fortnite’? Sure you do. The same guys (Epic Games) created this app. In short, it is a multi-person video calling app. Friends and family, or, even strangers (if you’d like) can connect with you and chat face-to-face much like Skype or FaceTime.
Is Houseparty safe?
1. I’ve Been Hacked – on Monday there were numerous rumours circulating on social media that the app has been hacked but all of these have been unjustified, with no evidence and Houseparty themselves have confirmed there hasn’t been a breach of any kind.
In fact, these claims that the app had been hacked were all so similar in nature to be honest it felt like a commercial smear campaign (probably by a competitor) and low and behold, about 30 minutes ago the BBC posted that the owner of Houseparty is now offering a $1 million reward for evidence that it is indeed a smear campaign.
In short, it hasn’t been hacked. Ignore the rumours, they are wholly unfounded.
2. Privacy – again, many on social media have claimed that Houseparty steals all your personal data. Houseparty does not access third-party apps like Netflix or Spotify, though it does ask for access to user’s contacts and connections on Facebook and Snapchat. This is basically to help them grow by inviting your friends to the app too – loads of apps do this. You can of course turn this off.
3. Gate-Crashers – yes it is true that friends-of-friends (so in effect, strangers) can gate-crash on your video calls. Yes, this is a little creepy especially if adults are crashing on your kids conversations. This is easily turned off in the settings by ‘locking rooms’ so that people have to be invited to ‘rooms’ in order to enter. Easy.
4. Cyber Bullying & Inappropriate Content – as the video chats are unmoderated, as with all social media there is of course a possibility for people to be nasty to one another or kids seeing inappropriate stuff. We suggest parents try to for themselves to assess this. With the settings below which restrict your chats to friends only, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Our Recommendation
1. Use Houseparty! In a covid-19 world in self-isolation, it’s a great way of catching up with the whole family all at once and you can even play some pretty fun games. Resist the scaremongering!
2. Turn Private Mode On…so strangers can’t walk into your or your kids’ chats.
When in the app, click the white smilie in the top left of your screen and then click the red cog icon in the top left of the screen.
3. Update Your Settings. Review settings and ensure you’re happy. Definitely turn location off. Camera and Mic is the only one that is absolutely necessary. The notifications can be highly irritating so you may want to turn them off too.
4. Reject Friends Requests From People You Don’t Know. Ensure your kids know that they should be denying requests from strangers too (even if they are a friend-of-a-friend).
Humidity in the home and the impact on health. #Health #Coronavirus.
With our world shrinking and the majority of people now working from home, indoor air quality experts, Airthings, wanted to share some information on an issue that is easily fixed but often forgotten: humidity. Issues with humidity are a problem for everyone. It can cause mould growth, exacerbate eczema, bring on dust mite allergies, and has even been linked to asthma and respiratory illnesses. As if that wasn’t enough, the link between low humidity and infection has recently been investigated, and the results aren’t good. Since Airthings specialise in indoor air quality, they have generated a quick summary to demonstrate how healthy humidity levels impact everyone’s new temporary place of work; their homes.
The issue:
Researchers for the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention found that when humidity levels were at 23%, 70 to 77% of flu virus particles were still able to cause an infection an hour after coughing. Raising humidity levels to 43% reduced the percentage of infectious particles to just 14%.
New research:
Yale University recently unveiled ground-breaking research that discovered the link between low humidity and the increased risk of contracting the flu virus. The lead researcher found that the body’s natural defence mechanisms were hindered in fighting the flu virus in environments of low humidity.
Why should I care?
The CDC research shows that the flu virus survived for longer in low humidity. The Yale researcher found that low humidity also made it more difficult for the body to remove inhaled particles and therefore reduced the test subject’s natural defences and increased the chances of contracting flu.
The risk:
The tricky thing about humidity levels is that they fluctuate and vary depending on the home, daily activities, the seasons and much more. Excess humidity levels can result in mould growth on window panes and in the home whereas very low humidity levels can help the spread of the flu virus as shown in the research.
Correct humidity levels:
Healthy indoor humidity levels are between 30-50% according to Environmental Protection Agency recommendations. By keeping the home in between these recommended levels, it can reduce the risk that comes with poor indoor humidity.
How to maintain healthy humidity levels:
Humans find it hard to detect when humidity levels are changing, that is why we are so good at adapting to different environments. The problem is, we only notice when humidity levels are really bad, where we start scratching our skin or notice mould growth. The best solution is to monitor humidity, that way you can be alerted to when levels get too high or low. Airthings Wave Mini helps to monitor humidity, or by upgrading to Airthings Wave Plus, the device offers complete indoor air insights including humidity and radon gas.
In addition, Airthings have compiled their top tips to fix humidity in your home. The important thing to remember is that as long as humidity is monitored, it will show when is the right time to make these small changes to fix the issue before it becomes a bigger problem. With regards to the Coronavirus, the World Health Organisation warns that everyone can be at risk including those living in hot, humid conditions. For information and support on the Coronavirus, read what the WHO says here.
Want to find out more? Airthings take a further look into the research and the importance of healthy air when working from home, here.
The Edifier TWS1 comes in a new range of colours. #Edifier #TrueWireless #Tech
Edifier International, prominent designer and award-winning manufacturer of consumer audio electronics for both the lifestyle and multimedia markets announces its latest TWS1 earbud updates.
Addressing demand for more colourful earbuds, Edifier has started manufacturing its popular TWS1 earbud in a range of colours dark blue, pale pink and mint green. The Edifier TWS1 are a pair of classic entry-level true wireless Bluetooth earbuds. They are compact and ergonomically fit into the ear cavity for a secure, comfortable user experience. With up to 8 hours of playback time on a single charge plus an additional 24 hours using the charging case there is more than enough power to run a marathon, have a day’s hike or simply just enjoy your own playlist without constantly having to plug in.
In terms of audio performance, the TWS1 has been designed with materials and advanced functions not commonly applied for an entry-level headphone. They feature 6mm bio-diaphragm units which provide rich sound details and give an exceptionally better audio experience for the listener. New and improved Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo Plus technology allows you to pair both earbuds simultaneously, while also reducing latency and improving the stability of the wireless connection for more seamless audio and video sync. Enjoy audio in standard stereo, or switch to a mono configuration that allows you to use just one earbud without losing sound channels. Bluetooth 5.0 offers better stability and latency for video and audio sync. The embedded silicon microphone is highly sensitive, picking up the user’s voice for a clearer call quality.
The TWS1 is user friendly with multi-function tap controls and is made from LG scratch-proof material to withstand any knocks or drops!
Main Features:
- TrueWireless ™ Stereo Plus for easier pairing and better connectivity
- Up to 32 hours of playback with Charging Case
- IPX5 splash and sweatproof
- Bluetooth v5.0 aptX for a strong connection with lower latency
- Up to 10m (30ft) connection distance (with walls)
- Low-profile, ergonomic in-ear design with touch controls
- cVc noise reduction for crystal clear calling
Price & Availability:
The TWS1 new colour range is now available at £32.99 at Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edifier-TWS1-True-Wireless-Earbuds-White/dp/B07TTB8S8F
Jabra announce new range of professional headsets. #Jabra #Evolve2 #Tech
Jabra today announces its Evolve2 range, the next generation of the Evolve range, its best-selling and market leading UC headset to enhance productivity in the office. The range consists of the Evolve2 85, Evolve2 65, and Evolve2 40 and is engineered to transform concentration, collaboration and flexibility in the workplace. By blocking out more noise, providing better voice clarity, bringing distributed teams together, giving people the power to work from anywhere, and monitoring data to enable intelligent decision-making, the Evolve2 is the new standard to elevate office productivity to new heights. The headsets work with all leading UC platforms as well as pending certification for Microsoft Teams.
Since Jabra’s Evolve range first hit the market in 2014, office work has changed significantly. Tasks are increasing in complexity and are creating a higher need for collaboration which makes people spend more time in collaboration mode compared to concentration mode. This causes an increase of distractions and noise in the office. As a result workplace productivity remains a constant battle for businesses globally.
But not only our office environment has changed. In today’s society where our work and private lives overlap regularly, it is important that tech solutions can support every scenario. Jabra’s no-compromise Evolve2 headset range offers features that suit every element of life – whether at work, at home or on-the-go.
Future-proofing with monitoring and analytics
Besides elevating concentration, flexibility and collaboration, the Evolve2 range tackles another key reason for the continued productivity problem: the need for monitoring and analysing the entire UC ecosystem in the company to secure stable and high UC call quality. Evolve2 will integrate with leading software/monitoring vendors to allow IT Directors and other decision-makers to analyse the performance of every Jabra headset and quickly identify the root cause of poor call quality, whether it’s due to Wi-Fi router, UC infrastructure, or the individual user’s headset settings. Moreover, the Jabra Xpress software enables easy and secure management of headsets, allowing for firmware updates and the implementation of new features whilst making life easier for the IT department.
As a result, businesses can advance their digital evolution by future-proofing their employees with the Evolve2 range, a solution built for all the challenges of modern knowledge workers: concentration in the office, remote collaboration, and the need for flexibility.
Leading sound and voice performance
Fuelled by 150 years of audio engineering excellence, Jabra has a proven track record in sound engineering. Compared to Jabra’s existing Evolve range, the new leading product Evolve2 85 is a purely digital headset that delivers 50% better noise cancellation via the Digital Hybrid ANC and noise isolating ear cushions with memory foam. The voice performance is powered by 40% better transmitted audio and double the voice distractor performance, which delivers a distinct focus on the user’s voice while cancelling distracting voices around the user. This focus is partly achieved via the 10 microphones that ensure both voice clarity and ANC – for speaking in even the nosiest environments.
The products within the range feature 360-degree visibility of the Jabra signature busy light on both ear cups to clearly signal concentration mode whilst working autonomously. Additionally, the wireless headsets in the range can be connected to all mobile devices. For these, the Jabra Sound+ App ensures a personalised and fully utilised audio experience.
The Evolve2 range includes three headsets:
- The Evolve2 85 offers Digital Hybrid ANC and ten microphones in total, including two microphones in the fully integrated boom-arm and eight in the ear cups. Users can enjoy up to 37 hours wireless battery life, 40MM speakers for immersive music, and an integrated busy light with 360-degree view on both ear cups. The headset has been developed to take full advantage of the latest in audio chipset technology, enabling the Evolve2 85 to be one step ahead in battery life, solid connectivity and audio processing. Also, the sleek Evolve2 85 is designed with both the office environment and ‘on-the-go’ professional in mind, which ensures the headset can be worn regardless of where you’re working.
- The Evolve2 65 has three microphones of which two are located in the boom-arm and one in the right ear cup. The headset offers up to 37 hours of battery life and three times better real wireless range than the existing Evolve 65.
- The Evolve2 40 is a corded variant and offers the same comfort, durability and user experience as the Evolve2 65.
The Evolve2 85 and Evolve2 65 will include the Jabra Link 380, Jabra’s new BT adapter (dongle) that will be available in either USB-C or USB-A version.
The Microsoft Teams variants in the range have a dedicated Microsoft Teams button which allows instant connection to colleagues and meetings. For these versions the special status indicator LED on the headset can signal different issues, like missing a call or a meeting.
Holger Reisinger, SVP, Enterprise Solutions at Jabra, said: “The working world is changing. Advancements are being made across all sectors, but productivity isn’t improving at the necessary pace. Instead, distractions are growing in the workplace. Collaboration is on the up, but so is remote working. This makes the working world a fairly convoluted space, something the Evolve2 range provides an answer to. Our headsets deliver productivity, pioneer the digital experience, and enhance concentration. We are confident that with the Evolve2 range we’re offering the best headset for concentration and collaboration, whilst also creating a new standard in headsets for the modern office worker.”
Pricing and availability
The Jabra Evolve2 range will be available from April 1st, 2020 in selected retailers. The Evolve2 85 and Evolve2 65 will be available in two colours: Black and Beige. The Evolve2 40 will be available in black.
Evolve2 85 STEREO MSRP £382 MSRP (£416 MSRP with desk stand for charging)
Evolve2 65 STEREO MSRP £178 MSRP, £249 (£212 MSRP with desk stand for charging)
Evolve2 65 MONO MSRP £169 MSRP (£203 MSRP with desk stand for charging)
Evolve2 40 STEREO MSRP £101 MSRP
Evolve2 40 MONO MSRP £93 MSRP
Find out more about Jabra at www.jabra.co.uk/evolve
Olive Group launches €5M virtual tutor to address coronavirus training concerns.
Olive Group, the Irish-founded global educational technology company, today announces the early launch of its online training platform, My Virtual Tutor, to help organisations struggling to train staff as coronavirus restrictions put an end to face-to-face training. The new platform represents a €5M research and development investment by Olive Group to enable remote staff learning, upskilling and regulatory compliance. It uses advanced technologies to produce engaging, accredited digital courses tailored for learners.
As the coronavirus pandemic forces organisations to take drastic measures to protect their staff and communities, many are finding that they are no longer able to train or develop employees in important areas – such as health and safety and corporate compliance – due to their reliance on classroom-based tutoring. Organisations are also facing the challenge of ensuring workers are not putting their business at increased cyber-risk by working from home. Olive Group produces low-cost, high-end online training courses that are custom-built to help businesses on-board, train and upskill staff.
To help healthcare workers access the latest information regarding infection control, Olive Group is offering free and unrestricted access to its infection control hand hygiene course to any healthcare worker who wishes to avail of it at https://olivegroup.io/campaigns/free-hand-hygiene.
Since its establishment in 2011, the company has trained more than two million people across the world and created digital learning content in 27 languages. Olive Group works in a variety of sectors including healthcare, nursing, pharma, retail, construction, hospitality, manufacturing and education.
My Virtual Tutor is distinctly different to traditional video-conferencing applications that tend to limit the user to communication capabilities. My Virtual Tutor is designed using a learner-centric approach. It incorporates a learning management system, mobile apps and document management to allow tutors and learners to engage with each other, submit and assess coursework, track progress in real time, set goals and build individual learner programmes to be reviewed and audited by assessors. The platform also helps tutors to map and co-ordinate the rollout of customised learning materials and content, and many of the courses are created, or co-created by Olive Group.
The launch of My Virtual Tutor follows months of successful pilots with large multinational organisations. It will allow Olive Group to continue to tap into the further education market in Ireland and across the globe, including the UK and US where educational technology and e-learning is flourishing. In Ireland, the company will work with business associations including Ibec, the Restaurants Association of Ireland and Retail Excellence Ireland to provide relevant, accredited employee training to businesses, with expected revenues to reach €20m of which Olive Group expects to generate a total of €8m through My Virtual Tutor by year-end 2022. Globally, the further education market is worth €40.9bn
Brendan Kavanagh, founder and CEO, Olive Group, said: “The educational technology movement extends far beyond the current crisis. Organisations are turning to e-learning en masse, as it is a time-efficient way to train employees; and by using engaging, immersive technologies such as virtual reality, it helps them to retain key information that they can apply on-the-job.
“Given the coronavirus challenge, we have accelerated the launch of My Virtual Tutor to help organisations to train staff while also keeping their employees and customers safe. Like everyone else in Ireland, we were amazed to learn of the overwhelming response to the call for healthcare workers. These people are putting themselves at risk by volunteering to go on the front line to tackle this virus and we would like to do everything we can to help protect them by offering our infection control training courses for free.
“The entire planet is looking forward to things returning to normal as soon as possible and we are no different. When it does, businesses will inevitably need to recruit more staff and upskill existing members of their team. We look forward to supporting this and helping the world’s economies get back on track by ensuring businesses have the best-trained people steering them towards prosperity once again.”
Coronavirus lockdown: Massive surge in the use of fintech apps. #Fintech #Apps
Coronavirus-triggered social distancing, isolation and lockdowns have driven-up the use of financial apps in Europe by 72 per cent in a week, reveals deVere Group, one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations.
The sharp increase in the use of financial technology comes as the world readjusts to life fighting against the global health crisis and economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
James Green, deVere Group’s Divisional Manager of Europe, notes: “The world has changed in the last few weeks. The measures we’re now all taking to help the fight back against coronavirus are affecting the way we interact, live, work, and take care of our finances.
“A new era has already begun, with digitalisation and new technologies driving the shift. This can be seen by demand soaring for video-calling platforms such as Google Hangouts, Skype, FaceTime and Zoom amongst others, as more people from ever work remotely.
“Indeed, Zoom Video Communications has been a remarkable performer in recent times, with its shares gaining more 32% since the market began its decline in mid-February.”
“This new era has also been evidenced this week with a staggering 72 per cent jump in the use of our fintech [financial technology] apps from existing clients and a sharp increase in enquiries from potential ones.”
He continues: “Since the 2008-2009 financial crash, fintech has been filling the void left between what traditional financial services companies are offering and what clients are now expecting, especially in terms of customer experience.
“In broad terms, this means immediate, on-the-go, 24/7 access to, use and management of their money. It means personalised, on-demand services. It means lower costs.
“It can be expected that due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the steps being taken to combat it, this move towards fintech will be significantly accelerated. Fintech is fast-becoming the new normal.”
deVere is one of the very few financial advisory organisations that has been actively pushing into fintech and is now widely regarded as one of the leaders in the sector.
Over the last three years, the company has developed and rolled out a suite of ground-breaking fintech apps.
These include deVere Vault, a global e-money currency app and multi-currency prepaid card; deVere Crypto, a cryptocurrency app to store, transfer and exchange major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin; deVere Core, an app that allows clients to monitor their investments in real-time on-the-go, keeping them informed with news and events that impact investor returns; and deVere Catalyst, a low-cost investment and savings app that offers best-in-class globally diversified funds.
James Green observes: “deVere Catalyst, in particular, has seen a surge in usage over the last week. This app takes the hassle out of investing and gives those with little or no investment experience the opportunity to invest in well-balanced funds at a fraction of the price – thereby helping them to reach their life-enhancing long-term financial goals.”
Against the backdrop of Covid-19, last week, deVere Group, which operates in more than 100 countries worldwide, launched its Contactless Advice service.
At the launch deVere Group CEO and founder Nigel Green said: “Experts agree that very seldom is it a good idea to take a DIY-approach to something so fundamental to your life as your finances. With the financial and economic landscape shifting and evolving so rapidly, this, I suggest, is certainly not the time.
“With this free service that offers professional, independent advice, there’s no need to do that.”
deVere’s Divisional Manager of Europe concludes: “Fintech – a significant driver of the so-called ‘fourth industrial revolution’ – is going to become an increasingly dominant part of our lives and coronavirus is fuelling the shift.
“I believe it’ll have a positive impact. Why? Because it is meeting evident and growing client demand for on-the-go service, it is speeding up the advance of financial inclusion across the world, plus it gives firms the opportunity to diversify, cut costs, meet regulatory requirements and further enhance the client experience.
You could also check out Cointstats