The super folks at Plantronics have sent us over a few products to check out and there is something for everyone here. We have got the Plantronics Voyager 3240/5200 6200 UC and Calisto 5200.
We will be reviewing these over the next few weeks on our YouTube and will be heading that way with reviews going forward with real hands on tech reviews and a deep look into the products. If you have any questions feel free to ask there or below or on any of our social media and we will gladly answer any questions you might have.
Today, parents are bombarded with information on how to protect their families from threats online.
This is actually resulting in a phenomenon termed ‘security fatigue’. People get overwhelmed with the sheer volume of stuff we are told we must do to stay secure, that actually we get paralysed by the complexity of it all. As a result, parents end up having no protection at all.
Luckily, the reality is far more simple. At SimpleCyberLife.com we believe there are several key things to consider when it comes to developing a healthy, happy and safe technology connected family home.
1) Set the ground rules: establish a set of ground rules that the whole family can subscribe to can help everyone ‘buy-in’ to the responsible use of technology at home.
2) Social media privacy settings – social media is often the way cyber criminals gather important personal information which can then be used to attack us. We should all be reviewing our privacy settings for all social media sites on a regular basis, reviewing historic posts for sensitive information, only accepting friend requests from people you know in real life and remembering NOT to over-share.
3) Maintain an Open & Honest Relationship – easier said than done, but try as a parent to maintain and open and honest relationship with your children and the use of technology in the home.
– Parent-as-teacher– start an ongoing dialogue with your children around cyber and the risks it brings. Use some real world examples to bring the risks to life for them. Discuss news stories with them.
– Parent-as-confidant– one of the biggest risks children face is the feeling of feeling isolated – this is exactly what sexual predators have techniques to try and engineer. Try and position yourself as the person they can come to when things go wrong online.
– Parent-as-expert– it has been shown that kids have a short-sighted view of cyber risks as they interpret risk as a measure of how much something bothers them. Parents need to have an understanding of cyber security risks themselves in order to help their children bridge this gap.
– Parent-as-student– reverse the usual roles…ask your kids to teach you! Be inquisitive about the social media they use, how they keep their accounts secure and how they identify suspicious activity or communications. Don’t ask leading questions and be genuine in your questions and supportive in their responses.
4) Home wifi setup – our home WiFi is the primary way that we access the internet but it is surprising how insecure some WiFi routers come out of the box. To ensure the security of our WiFi router and help protect all of the family devices that connect to it, ensure you change the default password and set up automatic software updates.
5) Keep phones out of bedrooms – kids can end up squirrelling themselves away in their rooms, becoming more and more isolated as they endlessly scroll social media on their own. The solution? Buy a cheap Family Charging Station that can be placed on a hallway or corridor table. All family members can place their smartphones on charge before they go to their rooms, they are left outside and when they return to them in the morning they are all fully charged and ready to go!
6) Secure browsing – our internet browsers are the main portal through which we access the internet and you would be amazed at how insecure some standard browsers such as Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox are. We need to either ensure we review the security settings of our chosen browser or we are using a secure browser like BRAVE.
7) Family & friends education – educating our loved ones is vital because cyber criminals know that kids can be the weak link and can often be their way ‘in’ to get access to the more sensitive data stored by parents. Education can help combat almost all of the cyber threats out there in some form or another, so the little time it takes to talk about cyber security is time well spent. For example, if everyone in the family knows how to spot a phishing email, this will drastically reduce the number of viruses making their ways onto family devices.
Of course, each family will have slightly different security needs – which is why to make it even less daunting – SimpleCyberLife.com have a short one-minute quiz for potential members to complete, to help them decipher what their internet safety priorities should be.
It’s important to feel supported in your endeavour to keep your family safe online, and simplecyberlife.com are the world’s first membership network designed to provide accessible resources and expert advice, all in one place. There’s also a community forum where you can pitch questions direct to internet safety experts and fellow parents. Join today – launch offer on now at simplecyberlife.com.
The Aukey T21 are a budget pair of true wireless earbuds and at this price you will question on how good they can be, Like I have said before the cost to performance ratio is coming down on true wireless as it has on smartphones and something to keep in mind Aukey have had a constant good audio signature from what I have tested over the last few months.
First notable thing here is the fit, they fit really well and they are really comfortable and will not budge from the ears,the noise isolation is better than expected and they sit well. They have a plain bland look with no buttons on board but that is fine and at this price point you really cant complain when you get the sound they deliver.
Build quality is simple and a plastic affair with IPX4 rating which will suit most people like commuters or for those who want to have a spare pair lying around or if you are heading off for a trip or camping weekend and dont want to bring your more expensive ones away.
The touch controls for me where fine with simple commands to follow. Double tap on the left and right to play and pause, Triple tap either side to get access to your voice assistant and a long press left or right to skip or reverse tracks and that is all there is to it. There is no volume control here which is fine but something to think about,being honest it does not bother me and again you have to think of the price.
There is no auto play or pause and they can be used individually once not in the case, the right side will work with the left charging and the left wont with the right side charging in the case, again people like to know these things.
Calls are fine and clear here too on both sides, The audio experience though is where they excell for the price, they have a nice bass level though not too deep and overall the sound experience is bright and well balanced and you will not be disappointed at all,there is no lag latency whilst watching Netflix or You Tube and the volume level is quite decent so for me the max is the better level but that is my personal taste.
Battery life is around the 4 hour mark which is fine but you get 25 hours in total with the case which is not to sniffed at and these are on par with the companies claims with two full charge and discharges.. So for the money are they worth it?? An easy yes if you want something clean and just works minus the aesthetics and just do the job they are meant to do and these do just that and more for the price tag. Tested on both Android and iOS and work fine with both.
Technology: BT 5, A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP
Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 5
Driver: 1x 6mm / 0.24” speaker driver
Operating Range: Up to 10m / 33ft
Battery Life: Up to 5 hours
Input: DC 5V
Charging Time: 2 hours
Battery Type: Li-Polymer (2 x 40mAh)
Weight: 9g / 0.32oz
Charging Case: Li-Polymer (380mAh)
Number of Earbuds Recharges: 4 times (pair)
Digital mapping company Esri Ireland, has just launched a new interactive online map which highlights on Irish homelessness figures from 2016 to 2019. As we are all aware homelessness is a huge crisis in Ireland and this map will guide to to how bad the situation really is and something to think about.
The dashboard and map present a visual summary of homelessness statistics provided by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. They cover the department’s monthly reports from February 2016 to the latest available (November 2019). The dashboard breaks down homelessness figures by regions across Ireland, as well as providing further detail including age, gender and the numbers in emergency accommodation.
Starting today, you’ll see an updated Google Maps app for Android and iOS that gives you everything you need right at your fingertips with five easy-to-access tabs: Explore, Commute, Saved, Contribute and Updates.
Explore: Looking for a place nearby to grab lunch, enjoy live music or play arcade games? In the Explore tab, you’ll find information, ratings, reviews and more for about 200 million places around the world, including local restaurants, nearby attractions and city landmarks.
Commute: Whether you’re traveling by car or public transit, the Commute tab is there to make sure you’re on the most efficient route. Set up your daily commute to get real-time traffic updates, travel times and suggestions for alternative routes.
Saved: People have saved more than 6.5 billion places on Google Maps—from the new bakery across town to the famous restaurant on your upcoming vacation. Now you can find and organize all of these spots in one convenient place. View your saved places, find and organize plans for an upcoming trip and share recommendations based on places you’ve been.
Contribute: Hundreds of millions of people each year contribute information that helps keep Google Maps up to date. With the new Contribute tab, you can easily share local knowledge, such as details about roads and addresses, missing places, business reviews and photos. Each contribution goes a long way in helping others learn about new places and decide what to do.
Updates: The new Updates tab provides you with a feed of trending, must-see spots from local experts and publishers, like The Infatuation. In addition to discovering, saving and sharing recommendations with your network, you can also directly chat with businesses to get questions answered.
Made for you, on the go
We’re constantly evolving to help you get around–no matter how you choose to travel. Our new transit features in the Google Maps app help you stay informed when you’re taking public transportation.
Last year, we introduced crowdedness predictions to help you see how crowded your bus, train or subway is likely to be based on past rides. To help you plan your travels, we’re adding new insights about your route from past riders, so you’ll soon be able to see important details, such as:
Temperature: For a more comfortable ride, check in advance if the temperature is considered by past riders as on the colder or warmer side.
Accessibility: If you have special needs or require additional support, you can now identify public transit lines with staffed assistance, accessible entrance and seating, accessible stop-button or hi-visible LED.
Women’s Carriage: Easily find out if there’s a designated woman’s section or women’s carriage that other passengers abide by.
Security Onboard: Feel safer knowing if security monitoring is on board—whether that’s with a security guard present, installed security cameras or available helpline.
Number of carriages available: In Japan only, you can pick a route based on the number of carriages so that it increases your chances of getting a seat.
These useful bits of information come from past riders who’ve shared their experiences and will appear alongside public transit routes when available. To help future riders, you can answer a short survey within Google Maps about your experience on recent trips. We’ll start rolling this out globally in March, with availability varying by region and municipal transportation agency.
Groov-e, a leading UK tech brand, today launches the Wireless Car Mount. Perfect for those who spend a lot of time in the car, it not only holds a phone, but also charges it wirelessly. Simple to use, the Groov-e Wireless Car Mount features an automatic detection and release grip system using infrared technology, literally taking charge of any device (between 3.5” – 6.7”) within seconds. The Groov-e Wireless Car Mount is available now for £29.99 from www.groov-e.co.uk.
By combining a wireless charger and phone holder in one, the Groov-e Wireless Car Mount means users can charge their phone without the constant hassle of plugging into the mobile device. The included air-vent or suction window mounts enable it to be positioned wherever the driver feels is most comfortable and safest in the car. Plus, a ball-joint pivot offers 360-degree rotation meaning users can find the optimal position for their phone, making it easy to follow satnav instructions or accept a hands-free phone call.
When it comes to placing a phone in the cradle, the Groov-e Wireless Car Mount uses infrared technology, making it easy enough to be operated with one hand. The sensor detects the device, automatically opening and closing the clips to grip it firmly and securely whilst still ensuring access to all ports and switches. Simply press a button for quick release.
The Groov-e Wireless Car Mount features fast wireless charging so users can easily top up their battery while they drive and not worry about whether it’s being drained by the use of GPS or streaming music through their phone. It’s compatible with all Qi certified enabled smartphones between 3.5” – 6.7”.
Kunal Patel, Director, Groov-e said: “We’re excited to add the Groov-e Wireless Car Mount to our range of wireless charging products. It offers a safe way to charge and see your phone in the car. It grips automatically, there are no cables to fumble around with and it can be positioned wherever is convenient to the driver. What’s more, its stylish and minimalist design means it won’t look out of place in your car.”
The Groov-e Wireless Car Mount is £29.99 and is available from www.groov-e.co.uk
Today marks Bob Marley’s 75th birthday, and to celebrate House of Marley are launching the first sustainably-minded ANC true wireless earbuds – Redemption ANC. The launch marks the 10 year anniversary of the sustainably minded audio maker created in collaboration with the Marley family to carry on Bob Marley’s legacy of love for music and the planet.
Crafted from highly-renewable Bamboo and REGRIND™ Silicone, the Redemption ANC mark a new generation of true wireless listening, offering 7 hours of playtime (5 hours with ANC) and an extended battery life of 20 hours with the charging case. The passive seal the earbuds provides’ combined with leading active noise cancelling technology, ensures unwanted sounds are kept at bay.
House of Marley today announces the launch of its flagship Redemption ANC true wireless earbuds – the second generation of true wireless listening. The release marks the 10 year anniversary of the sustainably minded audio maker dedicated to superior quality, innovative eco-conscious materials, and charitable causes.
SUSTAINABLY-MINDED MATERIALS
Integrating active noise cancellation technology with earth-friendly materials, House of Marley is providing the first sustainably-minded ANC true wireless earbuds. Redemption ANC is crafted using highly-renewable bamboo and recycled REGRIND™ silicone from post-consumer waste while the case is designed by combining wood derivatives such as sawdust along with plastic fibres to form a durable, wood fibre composite.
ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION
The sound features on the Redemption ANC include a deeper, punchier bass with a warm and rich, natural feel. The passive seal the earbuds provides combined with leading active noise cancelling technology ensures unwanted sounds are kept at bay. For a more natural listening experience, simply triple-tap the earbuds to switch into ambient mode to allow for transparent hearing of your surroundings.
COMFORTABLE DESIGN
Building from their first truly wireless earbuds release, Liberate Air, the Redemption ANC offers stable, consistent performance for those looking for active noise cancellation with a customizable stem design for all-day comfort. The weight is balanced between the stem and the body to help anchor and keep the earbud secure in the ear, making them an easy choice for everyday wear from travel to active use.
REDEMPTION ANC PRODUCT FEATURES
Materials:Bamboo, natural REGRIND™ wood fibre composite and REGRIND™ recycled silicone
5-hour battery life, up to 20 hours total with ANC on (even longer with ANC off – up to 7-hour on board battery life and 28 hours total with case)
Active noise cancellation with ambient mode feature
IPX4 rating for sweat-proof and weather-resistant design.
Four microphone technology with stereo voice clear communications
Touch controls easily play, pause, or change music, take calls and more.
Bluetooth® 5.0
SKU: EM-DE021
RRP: £179.99
Redemption ANC is available now on www.thehouseofmarley.co.ukfor £179.99 RRP and will be launching exclusively in retail at Smartech in Selfridges, London, during March.
An Irish Insurtech which is making waves across the globe, has just launched Blink Parametric, a broad-based parametric insurance solutions platform to allow insurers around the world bring the benefits of parametrics to their customers.
The launch comes as the latest success for Blink, who having only set up in 2016, have since experienced significant growth, partnering with some of the world’s largest insurers and reinsurers such as Blue Cross Canassurance Group, Pluto in the UK, Manulife and TuGo in Canada, Generali in Hong Kong, Munich Re in Germany and Financial Conduct Authority in London.
Speaking on the expansion of the business concept and what it will mean for Blink partners, Paul Prendergast, CEO of Blink,
“We have been working on this platform expansion for 2 years now so it’s exciting to finally be able to launch it. Parametrics is an Insurtech gamechanger globally, and Blink is leading parametric insurance product innovation, by transforming our clients’ complex offerings into simple, intuitive, online products. By using parametrics, we are simplifying that which people might ordinarily deem convoluted – by simply offering a pre-agreed amount of cover, based on the probability of a pre-defined triggering event. We are already using it widely with our travel partners in North America, Singapore, Australia, Turkey and the UK and with great success. Insurers recognise that what we offer adds real value to what they can then offer their clients and customers. Parametrics allows clients to self-serve, assessment is data-led, and claims pay-outs are immediate”.
Blink Parametric platform-based solutions span the Travel, Climate, Energy and IOT sectors.
It comprises:
– Blink Travel which offers customers a proactive real-time insurance service that meets the speed and convenience that modern customers demand of their travel insurance provider, on-line travel agent, airline, transport provider or enterprise travel specialists.
Mr. Prendergast explained,
“If a customer misses a flight or experiences a delay, we can provide them with real-time options like a lounge pass, a hotel room or an instant cash pay-out. We offer customisable software that can be adapted to innovate our partners insurance solution”.
– Blink Climate which offers an efficient, rapid, tailored, risk cover. It is a metric-based insurance solution adaptable to risk factors including climate change, extreme weather and natural disasters.
Mr. Prendergast explained,
“A farmer for example can secure cover for specific harmful climate conditions (drought or flooding etc) occurring within a fixed period of the year. The parameters of the insurance cover are clear, and the determination of a claims pay-out are automated and conclusive as they are supported by measured weather data across that specific period. Customers benefit from immediate claims decisions, without a lengthy loss adjustor process time. We can adapt to specific requirements, as our partners determine the policy criteria, enabling them to add tangible value to their insurance offering”.
– Blink Energy& IOT which is a parametric insurance technology solution adaptable to such risk factors associated with domestic appliance and industrial-led IoT.
Mr. Prendergast explained,
“Exposure to frequent and unpredictable environmental changes is now impacting on our energy consumption levels. Blink Energy Parametric Insurance Solution can be designed to monitor the increase or decrease in energy usage during a pre-defined time period. Based on data-led assessment, it can deliver insurance cover, as oil, gas, electric and renewable energy shifts in terms of demand and cost. For example, an energy provider could give automatic support to vulnerable customers where they have secured cover on the occurrence of an extended spell of freezing temperatures across a specific period. IoT devices that create connected homes with the use of smart devices, smart meters and digital assistants provide huge amounts of data that can inform a multitude of solution-based parametric insurance services.”
Mr. Prendergast spoke as to why he believes they have experienced such rapid growth and expansion to date,
“Our business development and integration teams have been stellar, and we are really fortunate that our reputation has helped open doors for us along the way with insurance companies that are ready to introduce a step-change to their business and customer relationships.
Our commercial strategy has been to enable our insurance partners to innovate and to collaborate with them to build new experiences for their customers. We are agile and expert and have the capacity to have an insurance solution implemented within a 12-week timeframe. The industry feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are on track to achieve 3 million users by the end of 2020”.
AVer Europe, the award-winning provider of video collaboration solutions and education technology solutions, today announces the UK launch of the CAM520 PRO enterprise grade PTZ (Pan/Tilt/Zoom) camera.
The CAM520 PRO is perfect for mid to large conference rooms and features SmartFrame, IP based management, True WDR (wide dynamic range) and up to 100 programmable presets. With 18X total zoom, 1080p HD and whisper-silent Pan/Tilt/Zoom, the CAM520 PRO results in crisp images for an outstanding video experience at a competitive price.
The CAM520 PRO perfectly complements AVer’s EP65 interactive flat panel featuring Zoom Rooms integration. The 65” display can transform any meeting room into a streamlined collaboration hub for both video conferencing and face-to-face brainstorming. The EP65 allows users to interact, take notes, annotate on a shared screen and enable split-screen multitasking.
The CAM520 PRO plug-and-play USB conference camera is designed for workgroups of six to twenty people that need the power of enterprise grade video capabilities and want the convenience of remote management through a web browser or centralised management software. Users can connect to live video content from the CAM520 PRO and stream to a cloud or physical network. It is compatible with all main favourite videoconferencing applications, including Zoom Video Communications, Inc.
“The combination of Zoom Rooms with Aver’s CAM520 PRO creates a perfect solution for conference rooms,” said Nick Chong, Head of Global Services at Zoom Video Communications, Inc. and Zoom Rooms evangelist. “With high-quality video, audio and screen sharing from Zoom Rooms and the CAM520 PRO’s motorized pan-tilt, stylish design and simple USB functionality, the video conferencing experience for medium and large meeting rooms is transformed.”
“AVer Europe is raising the video conferencing bar with the CAM520 PRO. With amazing performance, Zoom integration, and a three year warranty this is the perfect camera for high quality video conferencing” said Rene Buhay, AVer Europe Vice President of Sales & Marketing.
