Review – The UMI W8 true wireless earbuds. #UMI #TrueWireless #Amazon

The UMI W8 from Amazon are an affordable pair of true wireless earbuds that offer all the needs for those on a budget with plenty of specs to write home about and they do offer similar features you expect to find in more expensive earbuds. Having used these for some time now they fall into the entry level category but offer some things often left out at more expensive earbuds.

The build is plastic and the earbuds are lightweight and the case can be a tad difficult to open at times with micro USB charging and no wireless charging but these would be the only things missing on the case hardware and one other thing missing is no auto pause feature which is fine but they do offer individual charging which for some is a key factor and often left out on more high end earbuds so this is what you have to think about.

The fit is great,they are light and feel cheap at first compared to their sister product and the same applies for the case, The earbuds fit well giving a good seal to begin with which is a great start no matter what. They will not fall out which is also important and you will forget they are there after a few mins use. Overall a comfortable and secure fit offering a deal of external noise isolation too.

Controls are great yet can be sensitive.. You might experience some accidental commands but for the most it is volume which is not bad rather than skip tracks,this is only noted when lying in bed for example which is where I tend to use mine and if your tossing and turning around getting comfortable.. You have volume control, play and pause,skip and reverse tracks,call management and access to your voice assistant which all worked fine during my testing period. Touch based controls can be finicky but these overall fine and on cue.

How they sound is the one thing which people will want to know about here and overall this is good….Overall pretty good,decent volume levels with a nice touch of bass and balanced overall with highs lows and mids, You will not be let down for the money and also there was no lag latency seen on my usual test run, These also shine with Netflix and You Tube giving you a good all around experience both on Android and iOS and if you are into volume they pack a great punch.

BUY HERE 

 

Client Solutions powers Tesco Mobile Ireland into the cloud in €2.5 million deal. #TescoMobile #Cloud #ClientSolutions

Client Solutions, one of Ireland’s leading technology partner companies, is proud to announce the latest development in its ongoing partnership with Tesco Mobile Ireland. As part of a recent three-year digital transformation deal, Client Solutions will migrate key Tesco Mobile customer-facing systems to the cloud on Microsoft Azure, to enable the telecoms network to reach its ambitious potential. The project, which is already underway, is estimated to be worth around €2.5 million and scheduled for completion by July 2022.

Tesco Mobile Ireland currently has over 400,000 customers, making it the country’s fourth largest mobile service provider. It is also Ireland’s largest Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO).  As competition increases in this sector, Tesco Mobile Ireland has engaged the teams at Client Solutions on several occasions to stay ahead of the curve.

Pictured at the annoucement was Leo Murphy, Sales Director, Client Solutions and Geoff Byrne, chairman, Tesco Mobile Ireland.
Pic Orla Murray SON Photo

Having built up an expert knowledge of Tesco Mobile’s business requirements, Client Solutions devised an ambitious plan to re-platform and transform the operation. Among the elements being addressed are:

  • Improved Customer Self-Service Care: Mytescomobile.ie, the public portal that allows customers to access account balances, top-up, switch plans and manage their account
  • Enhancement of Award-Winning Mobile Virtual Network Analytics – Business Intelligence platform including data management, analytics and forecasting
  • RETAIN – A rich suite of applications used by Tesco Mobile’s Waterford based Care Team to serve customers
  • Introduction of Hosted Finance System – SAP for financial management

For Tesco Mobile customers, this transformation means the public-facing portal mytescomobile.ie will offer increased control and transparency while enabling the customer care team to further improve their ability to serve customer needs. For Tesco Mobile Ireland, the suite of solutions will allow their teams to better understand the user experience and ultimately improve the service to their growing customer base.

Sales Director at Client Solutions Leo Murphy said: “It’s fantastic to be part of Tesco Mobile’s continued growth. Their ambition matches our innovative approach to designing future-proof solutions and this cloud transformation programme in conjunction with Microsoft Azure, is truly transformative for them and their customers.”

Geoff Byrne, chairman, Tesco Mobile Ireland said “We’re pleased to continue our ongoing relationship with Client Solutions. The innovation, creativity and value for money products that Tesco Mobile brings to the Irish market means our customer base continues to grow. We look forward to working with Client Solutions to continue to serve our mobile customers a little better every day.”

“Client Solutions is a great example of an innovative partner who understand the challenges of digitally transforming organisations,” said Denis Meade, Partner Lead, Microsoft Ireland. “They fundamentally understand how to help organisations manage this complex process, with a consultative approach that will ensure their client’s successful digital evolution. This announcement with Tesco Mobile demonstrates their capability to successfully deliver value and change for their customers.”

Review – The Lindy BNX-100 ANC headphones. #Tech #Lindy #ANC

The Lindy BNX-100 are an affordable pair of headphones that offers some good specs for the price and features too including some omitted ones at that priced at a higher range.

If you want comfort and a clean design these are a pair of headphones to check out and for me they are nice with the bass but lets see what else is in store for you money which will be around the €100 mark.

Comfort wise these are great with sufficient padding all round and that includes the headband and can be worn for long periods of time with no sweat but that might depend on ones environment as more humid rooms may give a different result the cups cover the ear and blocks out the majority of the outside world and this is a good start and they do not clam onto your head either like some cans often do. These will wear well too with their robust design and materials used and easy maintenance and they dont have that glossy finish but more a matte one.

Controls are a gift here and simple to use with buttons on both sides. We have a 3.5 mm socket micro USB port and several buttons to control the music which are raised slightly and easy to navigate blindly and really much better to use than true wireless for example with a one push control to skip or reverse tracks and the we have the ANC button and hear through and all one tap to work and they have been consistent over my test period.

Build quality is good here and one of their better builds over the years and the black and silver combo looks well and its sturdy and again will last I would like to see more colours but Lindy are known for the traditional black and silver products and not forgetting the red ear cups which look good,never mind feel good.

When it comes to the sound they are not the best I have from Lindy but they still deliver, they are loud,punchy good bass good balance and decent separation with direction more centred than travelling and the highs lows and mids are fair. These are more bass driven and have 40mm drivers and the volume up at max with ANC turned on is where they achieve the best scenario for me. They have no lag latency on testing the usual You Tube and Netflix runs I do and have auto play and pause to boot.  Call quality and connection is fine and they will allow you move around 30-40ft away from your phone.

The audio pass through is most welcome too with not having the need to remove your headphones which for me is quite annoying when you want to hear your surroundings or listen to someone trying to communicate with you. Overall I was impressed with the package as a whole and how it is presented with all the extras you get along with the storage case.

Specs

  • Design: Over Ear
  • Driver: 40mm neodymium
  • Active Noise Cancellation: 95% reduction of low frequency noise
  • Bluetooth Standard: 5.0
  • Bluetooth Chipset: CSR 8670 with aptX and aptX Low Latency
  • Battery Type: Internal Lithium Polymer
  • Battery Life: 30Hr ANC Only, 15Hr Wireless Only, 12Hr ANC & Wireless
  • Impedance: 32Ω passive mode / 100Ω ANC mode
  • Sensitivity: (1mW@1kHz ±3dB): Passive 93dB ANC 95dB
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
  • Nominal THD: Passive <0.5%@ 1kHz / Active <0.5% @ 1kHz
  • Special Features: External Audio Pass-through, Automatic Pause/Resume, Handsfree calling

BUY HERE

Sony’s new Xperia L4 joins its entry series, bringing 21:9 viewing and capturing experiences in a sleek design #Sony #XperiaL4

Sony today announced Xperia L4 – adding a new entry model to its portfolio of entertainment-focused smartphones.

 21:9 Wide display for sleek design and increased productivity

New for Sony’s L series, Xperia L4 benefits from a sleek 6.2” 21:9 Wide display that delivers a slender style and fits perfectly in your hand. The 21:9 ratio allows you to see more at once and scroll less, plus together with Sony’s multi-window UI you can launch and enjoy using two apps simultaneously in easy-viewing sizes for both windows. Furthering the ease of use is the Side sense function which provides easy access to your favourite apps.

 

Widen your photography skills

Xperia L4 is the first product in Sony’s L series to feature a triple camera, offering 13MP main lens, 5MP ultra-wide lens and 2MP depth camera, so you can channel your inner creativity and capture high quality, artistic photos and benefits from a beautiful bokeh effect.

 

Always get the full picture by switching between the two angles, wide and ultra-wide, offering you the option to capture beautiful landscapes, as well as effortless portraits and everything-in-between.

Camera creativity is also enhanced by the 21:9 display, allowing you to capture videos and images in the dramatic 21:9 aspect ratio.

 

A battery built for life

The high-capacity 3,580mAh battery with fast charging will easily see you through a busy day, so you can do more of what you love.

Sony’s Xperia Adaptive Charging monitors your phone as it charges, ensuring that the battery isn’t overworked and stays healthy for longer.

 

Availability

Xperia L4 is available in a choice of two colours, Black and Blue and will be available in select markets from Spring 2020 onwards.

See full press release

Timing and availability may vary by market and/or carrier  http://www.sony.net/

First look at the TomTom Go Premium Sat Nav. #Navigation #Tech

With a wide option of sat nav equipment out there today we are not stuck for choice when it comes to getting around, Be it using our mobile phones which is popular or built in kits in our cars there is still a market for standalone products and again a huge variety to pick from. Tom Tom would be more familiar in the UK market more so than here and from having tested and worked on several mapping instances I look forward to seeing how this kit works out..

I have been a huge mapping fan for years and have been involved in several mapping projects over the years and a rather large one last year and will continue to keep at it as I have a keen interest in maps and the tech behind it and what is to come down the road. Today we check out the Tom Tom Go Premium and take a quick first look and tour and will have a full review soon.. As usual any questions feel free to hit us up.

Features include:

  • Wi-Fi® Updates for both World maps and software
  • Lifetime* Traffic and Speed Cameras via built-in SIM
  • Last Mile Navigation and Find My Car
  • IFTTT Integration – syncing agendas, connecting to smart home devices, interacting with virtual assistants and sending notifications
  • Trip Planning with TomTom MyDrive and Road Trips
  • Share ETA, Location and Notifications

BUY HERE 

First look at the Tranya B530 Pro True Wireless. #Tranya #TrueWireless

Tranya is a relatively  new company to the audio market and has a wide range of products for consumers to buy at an affordable price. In fact their range is all under the €100 mark and it is good to see. They have sent us their very latest product to hit the market which is the B530 PRO true wireless earbuds which we cant wait to test over the next while..

The B530 pro has all you would expect to find for a pair of true wireless at this price and we will be going over all the features and finding out if they are worth your money so stay tuned for a review and check out the unboxing below and you can fire away with any questions as we go a full real hands on like we do with all our tech.

BUY HERE 

Equinix partners with AirSpeed Telecom to provide secure cloud solution. #Cloud #Airpseed #Equinix

Equinix, Inc. the global interconnection and data centre company, today announced a partnership with Irish telecommunications service provider, AirSpeed Telecom. The joint cloud offering comes as results of an independent survey commissioned by Equinix, finds 38% of Irish IT decision-makers believe the volume of data breaches will increase with the widespread rollout of remote working solutions. The survey also shows 31% of businesses in Ireland cannot fully support employee remote working because of latency issues. Equinix’s collaboration with AirSpeed Telecom addresses these concerns with the launch of AirSpeed Cloud Connectivity.

As digital transformation takes hold in Ireland and across the world, flexible working gives employees choice on how, when and where they work – increasing productivity, job satisfaction and improving business performance. As demand from employees for flexible working increases, businesses are under pressure to ensure they have the right technology, network speed and security to support it.

Pictured announcing Equinix’s partnership with AirSpeed Telecom to provide a secure cloud solution for businesses are (L-R):
Charles O’Reilly, General Manager, AirSpeed Telecom; and Kevin O’Connor, Channel Manager, Equinix

To facilitate the rise of flexible working in Ireland, and as part of its ongoing strategy to offer enhanced end-to-end solutions, Equinix partner, AirSpeed Telecom, now provides Equinix’s cloud platform, Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric™ (ECX Fabric®), as ‘AirSpeed Cloud Connectivity’. It will offer businesses across Ireland, fast, secure and reliable connectivity to streamline cloud migration and increase business performance.

AirSpeed Cloud Connectivity allows businesses to privately and seamlessly interconnect with the world’s largest cloud providers such as Microsoft Azure (ExpressRoute), Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Google Cloud. As Equinix offers direct access to the highest concentration of major cloud provider onramps in the world, it allows businesses to choose the cloud services that best fit their, and their employees’, ever-changing business requirements.

Highlights/Key Facts

  • By offering a cloud solution, AirSpeed Telecom is answering the growing trend for businesses to move from traditional IT infrastructure to cloud-based services. Independent research commissioned by Equinix found cloud is now the number one driver of channel engagement in Ireland, with almost half (45%) of IT decision-makers using the channel to access cloud-based services.

  • Equinix’s third annual Global Interconnection Index (GXI) shows the need to connect to multiple clouds and IT services represents the fastest-growing use of interconnection bandwidth – in other words, the bandwidth required for businesses to privately connect to clouds, enterprises and networks – is growing at an expected 112% CAGR by 2022.

  • Available in 37+ locations across five continents, AirSpeed Cloud Connectivity, through ECX Fabric, now provides businesses with a multinational presence to support cloud connectivity across the world.

  • Through ECX Fabric, AirSpeed Cloud Connectivity enables enterprises to make significant cost savings and enhance productivity by eliminating the costly overheads associated with traditional IT infrastructure. It also offers organisations a selection of bandwidths to support their business needs – ensuring they only pay for what they need.

  • AirSpeed Cloud Connectivity, through ECX Fabric, uses integrated APIs and allows organisations to establish on-demand virtual connections in near real time.

  • The cloud solution delivers bandwidth ranging from 10Mbs to 10Gbs to ensure businesses can easily access 145+ cloud service providers via a fast, secure and reliable dedicated private line, therefore supporting a variety of use cases in addition to remote working, such as business continuity and disaster recovery.

Quotes

  • Charles O’Reilly, General Manager, AirSpeed Telecom:

“As cloud services continue to grow and facilitate the strategic needs and direction for more and more organisations, AirSpeed Cloud Connectivity has been designed to provide fully managed, secure and reliable access to the cloud. Reliance on the cloud, and the benefits it will deliver, continues to expand; and throughout that journey businesses can rely on AirSpeed every step of the way.”

 

  • Kevin O’Connor, Channel Manager, Equinix:

“Our research shows Ireland’s IT decision-makers are cautious of the impact remote working will have on cybersecurity – and rightly so. Organisations must ensure that in their efforts to modernise their business, they are also considering the security risks in doing so. Remote working is all about employee satisfaction and boosting productivity. Organisations who experience latency issues won’t be able to reap the benefits of remote working, as it will slow down workloads and frustrate users. Having direct access to the world’s leading cloud service providers is therefore essential in removing these hurdles.”

Twelve South introduces the Curve SE notebook stand.. #MacBook #TwelveSouth #Tech #Apple

Twelve South today introduces the Curve SE notebook stand in matte white. The ultimate partnership of style and functionality, not only does it perfectly match clean modern office spaces and the aesthetics of many Apple accessories such as the Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard, it also has an improved ergonomic design. With the Curve SE, users no longer have to hunch over and tilt their head downwards towards a screen, they can easily elevate their MacBook to a healthier, more comfortable height, relieving neck and shoulder strain in the process.

Offering multiple uses, the Curve SE can be paired with a full-sized keyboard and mouse for a convenient desktop setup or used with a monitor for dual screen functionality. Its minimal design uses a single piece of aluminum which allows for 70% of the base to be exposed for optimal cooling. Anti-slip silicone pads and bent arms keep the laptop in place and prevent scratches.

Andrew Green, founder & designer at Twelve South comments; “While others may chase the latest colour of MacBook, we continue to look for better ways to integrate your work tools into your work space. Desktop accessories – especially MacBook stands – are inherently home decor. They should match your room, your style, your desk and complement (not copy) your MacBook. Our latest solution, while deceptively simple, is a beautiful matte white MacBook stand we call Curve SE.” 

The Twelve South Curve SE is available now for £49.99 at Amazon.co.uk. It’s also available in black.

Globalstar Launches SPOT Mapping Platform with New Terrain Details and Weather Overlays #Mapping #Tech #Spot

Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc. (NYSE MKT: GSAT) and the leader in satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies, today introduced its new mapping software, SPOT Mapping. This new platform gives adventurers and lone workers enhanced location insights, including granular detail about terrain to aid navigation, and, for the first time, weather forecast overlays.

SPOT Mapping makes it easier than ever for SPOT owners to plan and track their trips, with dynamic intelligence about local conditions, and allows them to share their journey details with friends, family and colleagues. Users can now view maps with satellite, road and terrain options with far more detail than previously available. The new mapping platform is viewable on any mobile device, and users can either view maps in Live mode for real-time tracking or in History mode to review previous trips.

The entry-level SPOT Basic Mapping service is included in the SPOT Basic service plan. It enables users to post their waypoints; set an alert for check-in or custom messages; share maps with up to three additional people, store up to 10 contacts, and store up to three years of position history.

Premium Mapping pricing starts at 24 Euros (£20) including VAT annually and features weather mapping layers, geofencing and two-way messaging to/from SPOT X, the latest addition to the SPOT family, launched in 2019. The premium service also allows users to share maps with up to 10 people, store up to 25 contacts, and hold up to five years of position history.

Enterprise-level subscriptions start at 45 euros (£38) + VAT per year with unlimited sharing and contacts, as well as features including the ability to customise maps and add customised icons.

“With a choice of devices to suit different types of adventurer and lone workers, SPOT devices are being used by individuals and groups exploring remote regions of Europe from the Alps to the Nordic tundra. With this new mapping software, users now have the information at their fingertips to plan routes accurately and even check the local weather,” commented Karim Kabir, CEO of VarioTek, a German SPOT reseller.

“Having listened carefully to SPOT users about their mapping needs, we have worked diligently to bring them an enhanced mapping experience,” said Dave Kagan, CEO of Globalstar. “SPOT has been used to trigger more than 7,000 rescues worldwide, and now, with our new mapping platform, it will keep outdoor adventurers more informed than ever, resulting in safer journeys into the wild, and more peace of mind for friends, family and colleagues.”

 

SPOT Mapping is now available for all existing SPOT customers including SPOT X, SPOT Gen 3,  SPOT Trace, and legacy SPOT products.

 

Powered by the Globalstar Satellite Network, with its worldwide fleet of spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the SPOT family of satellite messengers provides affordable messaging and tracking for outdoor enthusiasts and remote workers. SPOT devices with a one-touch SOS button have a direct connection to the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center.