Today Google Arts & Culture opens the largest online exhibition about inventions and discoveries ever created, with 350 interactive exhibitions by 110 institutions from 23 countries around the world showcasing the history of human endeavour.
The exhibitions come in a range of formats, from innovative augmented reality apps, to immersive 360 degree YouTube videos, Street View, high resolution interactive images, and much more.
The public is invited to explore “Once Upon a Try” on the Google Arts & Culture website or via the iOS or Android app. #OnceUponaTry.
Cognizant today announced it has acquired Meritsoft, a privately-held financial software company based in Dublin, Ireland. Meritsoft is best known for its FINBOS platform for post-trade processing, an intelligent automation solution for managing taxes, fees, commissions, and cash flow functions between financial institutions. Meritsoft’s products are currently used by five of the world’s eight leading investment banks. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Cognizant and Meritsoft have a track record of working together, meeting demand for integrated solutions that leverage the agility of Meritsoft’s FINBOS platform and Cognizant’s managed services and digital operations capabilities.
Meritsoft was recently recognized as one of the Deloitte Best Managed Companies in Ireland 2018, as well as being named 2018 Management Team of the Year by the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association.
Left to right..
James Burrows: VP BFS Platform Strategy Lead, Cognizant
Sean Middleton: President, Cognizant Accelerator
Ramesh Ramani: SVP – BFS – Europe, Cognizant
Angela Macalinney: CFO Meritsoft
Todd Paoletti: GM Cognizant Accelerator
Paul Burke: CTO Meritsoft
Daniel Carpenter: Head of Sales, Meritsoft
Kerril Burke: CEO Meritsoft
“Increased compliance and regulatory obligations, focus on operational efficiency, and a range of new digital technologies are among the forces that have led many of the world’s leading financial institutions to automate processes using Meritsoft and its FINBOS platform,” said Sean Middleton, President, Cognizant Accelerator. “Banking and financial services is one of the largest industries that Cognizant serves. Meritsoft brings proven automation expertise in case management, regulatory compliance, payment and settlement of claims, and tax and brokerage cash flows to help our clients in transforming their businesses for the digital era.”
“By becoming part of Cognizant, Meritsoft will have access to Cognizant’s knowledge, resources and scale to accelerate growth as we continue to innovate on the FINBOS platform for post-trade solutions,” said Kerril Burke, co-founder and CEO, Meritsoft. “It is a complementary match, coupling Cognizant’s industry platforms and solutions expertise, and Meritsoft’s advanced automation technologies. We will provide a powerful integrated offering to capital markets institutions who are seeking to control costs, meet regulatory requirements and maintain liquidity.”
“We look forward to Meritsoft joining us, and expanding the fintech offerings within our growing software product portfolio,” Middleton added. “This acquisition underscores our strategy for acquiring and developing unique and powerful software products that address critical vertical industry requirements, especially when combined with our digital operations capabilities.”
Meritsoft private equity investors were Synova and an affiliate of 22C Capital. Both have been working with Meritsoft management since 2015.
“It has been a great experience supporting Meritsoft management in scaling their game-changing product, and their acquisition by Cognizant paves the way for delivering the integrated software and services solution the market demands,” said Philip Shapiro, Managing Partner of Synova Capital, and member of the Meritsoft board.
“Cognizant has been an important strategic partner to Meritsoft for some time, and we wish the combined team continued success together looking ahead,” said Randall Winn, Managing Partner of 22C Capital, and member of the Meritsoft board.
Guest post by Seosamh McMahon, Enterprise Architect at Ervia
Ervia are a commercial semi-state company that provides strategic national gas, water and dark fiber broadband infrastructure and services in Ireland.
Ervia are growing, and growing at such a pace that our 2,000 workforce has the potential to expand by thousands in the next five years alone. However, this kind of rapid staff expansion comes with growing pains.
It’s certainly an exciting time for Ireland and the energy industry as a whole; however, adding larger headcounts to our head offices in Cork and Dublin, as well as offices around the country, has its challenges. These challenges range from securing enough office space to simply equipping employees with the right technology to get the job done.
Currently, employees at Ervia, as well as our subsidiaries Aurora Telecom, Gas Networks Ireland and Irish Water, use Chromebooks with Chrome Enterprise licenses and Citrix. Not only do these devices improve productivity, they significantly reduce IT maintenance. So, when our new employees come onboard, we are confident that Chromebooks with Chrome Enterprise will help them get kick-started. With little set up time, from day one, our new employees will be immediately productive and connected to our systems, no matter which office they’re working from.
Before moving to Chromebooks, we knew we had to replace our declining Windows laptops used by remote employees and staff who travel frequently. Even our virtual desktop software ran slowly on the laptops. Anecdotally, employees expressed that they would waste as much as six minutes just to get to the Citrix login screen. On top of this, the laptop battery life was also dire – our staff just didn’t want to use their laptops at all.
Coupled with these issues, Ervia’s help desk fielded a perpetual flood of calls about boot-up issues, blue screens, and network access. We even had a pile of old laptops just waiting to be repaired – it seemed a criminal waste of resources.
Enough was enough! We decided to approach Fourcast, a Google Cloud Premier Partner, for their much needed help and advice. The Fourcast team were extremely helpful and suggested solutions that would work for Ervia’s specific needs. Our IT resources, like most big companies, are overloaded, so Fourcast’s support helped us efficiently roll out the new Chromebooks.
To begin our cloud-first journey, we replaced 30 Windows laptops with Acer R13 Chromebooks. The feedback was so good, we had a waiting list of people asking for the new Chromebooks. Now we have 200 employees using Chromebooks, with another 300 to be rolled out by the end of 2019. Going forward, every employee who needs to travel for work will get a Chromebook when they join Ervia, or when their Windows laptops need replacing.
Not only has the big stack of broken Windows laptops in the help-desk office disappeared, our support calls have fallen by 75 percent. IT costs have significantly reduced too – an added bonus! With Chrome Enterprise, we can set up a new Chromebook in just a few minutes, and disable devices that are lost or stolen.
Chrome Enterprise and the Google Admin Console also allow us greater control and visibility that we never had with our Windows laptops. Due to Chromebooks’ quick boot-up time we’ve won over many staff members. One of our employees quipped: “That’s the best thing IT has ever done for us!”
Ervia is quickly becoming a cloud-first organisation and Chromebooks will help us move forward on that adventure. Our baby steps towards becoming a cloud-first organisation have just become large adult strides!
True wireless earbuds are now a big thing these days and the choice is growing on a daily basis. Price is a factor here too and most are on the expensive side, One thing though we are now seeing though trickle down from phones to other tech products like earbuds and the cost to performance ratio is a win for the consumer.
The consumer wins on these hands down… I own multiple true wireless earbuds and these at the price they come in at easily get into my top three of my personal collection. They come with a charge box that doubles as a phone charger too and the sound which is the key issue here is simply great across all sound stages and genres even at max volume and they are plenty aloud. I really did not expect to get the sound I did at the price which is around 50 euro..
The sound is crisp,clear and good bass but the only thing missing was an EQ app but at default here these really hit the notes and will be perfect for anyone on a budget. You can of course use a third part EQ app if you want more but being honest as they are these have it all. They are light,look good and wont budge once fitted with the correct bud size which several are provided in the box.
Features:
1. Wireless Bluetooth 5.0— Upgraded Bluetooth 5.0 and Dual high sensitivity antenna deliver steady connection without call and music dropouts. Never worry about walking away or losing your connection again. Simply take it out of case and it enter pairing mode without messy tricks. Reconnect to your cell phone automatically after initial pairing.
2. HiFi Stereo— The BW-FYE3 True Wireless Stereo Headphones built-in the 6mm HiFi stereo horns which delivers you high quality HiFi stereo bass sound you never experience before.
3. Invisible Shaping Design— Mini in-ear design with two earwings in your ear canals snugly and multiple sizes of eartips to block outer surrounding noise, ensure your headphones stay comfortably firm in place and improve the sports and workout experience.
4. 2600mAh Ultra-large-capacity— The charging case can charge the earbuds for about 13 times. The earbuds can play for 2-3 hours after charging them once. In addition to charging the earbuds, the charging case can act as a power bank for charging mobile phones and other USB devices.
5. Touch Control— New touch design instead of button to operate, Relieve the physical pressure bring about discomfort. Powerful and easy to operate. rejected calls, play / pause.
6. Universal Compatibility— Compatible with iOS, Android,Google,Nokia,BLACKBERRY, HTC, Xiaomi, Huawei, Bluetooth-enabled Cellphones tablets;Perfect for Sports, Workout, Running,Jogging, Gym Exercise, Audiobooks, Watching TV,or Sleep.
Our next product from HyperX is the cloud stinger wireless headphones which on first impressions is light,comfortable and robust out of the box.Wireless is the way to go and save the hassle of cables an restrictions and this is the way forward.
HyperX Cloud Stinger is the ideal headset for gamers looking for lightweight comfort, superior sound quality and added convenience. At just 275 grams, it’s comfortable on your neck and its ear cups rotate in a 90-degree angle for a better fit. Its 50mm directional drivers position sound directly into the ear for audio precision and gaming-grade sound quality. For ultimate comfort in prolonged gaming sessions, it features high-quality HyperX signature memory foam.
Check out the unboxing below and feel free to ask any quesitons in the interim.
Withings is back and back with some really nice products this time and new colours to boot. Today we are checking out the Withings Hybrid Multisport smartwatch and the Body Compostion Wi-Fi scales. Both these work off the same app which is excellent and no need for standalone apps. I am a watch fanantic and own countless watches be they smart or non smart and this one will be my daily driver now for the next while as we test it out over the coming weeks and naturally keeping health in mind I will be testing myself daily with the scales too to keep track and get motivated when I get lazy. Having the right products at also makes things easy and these two products marry each other well and I will be also using my Nokia 7.1 to keep track of my daily achievements.
Any questions in the meantime as always feel free to ask below or on our social channels. Stay tuned for lots of health tech in the coming weeks.
Irish virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) software firm, Immersive VR Education (IVRE), was announced as the winner of the Best Digital VR/AR Product at last night’s GESS Education Awards in Dubai. The Waterford-based company scooped the prestigious accolade for their work in developing their ENGAGE platform, an online virtual social learning and presentation platform. ENGAGE is a powerful virtual reality collaboration and creation tool, that allows educators and corporate trainers to host meetings, classes, private tutorials, training sessions and presentations with people from all over the world, participating in a safe, virtual, multi-user environment.
The GESS Education Awards are accolades of excellence that highlight and reward the quality and diversity of educational products, resources, services and people, as well as celebrate the best educational establishments and the most dedicated members of the teaching profession.
VR Education beat off stiff competition from hundreds of other award entrants and nominees to take home the prize, which was announced last night at a ceremony at the H Hotel, Dubai. The ceremony was part of the GESS Education Expo and Conference Dubai – a 3-day event which drew over 15,000 of education professionals from 92 countries together to hear inspirational talks and speakers, and take part in dynamic, hands-on workshops from global industry leaders and influential local practitioners.
Speaking of the win David Whelan, CEO and Co-founder of VR Education,
“Huge strides have been made in recent years in education technology and to have our role in this movement recognised by our industry peers and by the people we hope will utilise our creations, is hugely gratifying.
We believe so strongly in the role of VR in education. And we have put so much hard work into bringing our ENGAGE platform to fruition – we have strived to develop a best-in-class product and we see this win as a confirmation of that.
Our ENGAGE platform aims to fully immerse the user into their learning experience, in order to increase learning retention and engagement. It will allow people to receive the best education, from the best educators from around the world, all from the comfort of their own home using virtual reality”.
David Whelan, CEO and Sandra Whelan, COO, Immersive VR Education. Picture by Shane O’Neill, SON Photographic
Be ENGAGED
ENGAGE (See Appendix) is an online virtual social learning and presentation platform. It is a powerful virtual reality collaboration and creation tool, that allows educators and corporate trainers to host meetings, classes, private tutorials, training sessions and presentations with people from all over the world, participating in a safe, virtual, multi-user environment.
It is designed to either complement and enhance classroom teaching, or for use in a standalone environment, providing distance learners with access and opportunities to connect at a new level with their fellow students.
The Power of Ed Tech
Mr. Whelan spoke of the exciting future ahead for ed tech,
“Recent studies have shown the use of VR in education has a positive impact on knowledge retention and actually improves the learning experience overall. We are only at the cusp of the ed tech revolution and the possibilities and permutations of how technology can shape the education of future generations is endless. A 2016 report from Goldman Sachs predicts $300 million in revenue for VR/AR educational software in 2020, and that figure is expected to grow to $700 million by 2025.
The developments in automation and innovative technologies within the educational sphere are progressing at a rate of knots and a commonality we find in these advancements is that ed tech has the potential to immerse the student further into the learning experience than ever before – building on and complementing more traditional methods rather than replacing what has gone before.
ENGAGE is the perfect example of this – it has the potential to transform distance learning – taking the conceptual to the practical with the touch of a button.”
Smartphones today are like mini computers in our pockets and are quite capable devices but they are not for everyone particularly our seniors. Some might be well aware of them but when it comes to use them they would be technically challenging for some as many prefer the phone and call only devices no camera or internet. With the entry level devices out there now this is near unavoidable with their price and some feel forced to take on such phones rather than talk and text devices.
DORO are around many years offering simplicity when it comes to smart devices and they have many phones on the market targeting the older generation with big buttoned phones and simple to use menus to guide make the transformation from older phones more simplistic or even just to get away from the prying eyes of the likes of Facebook and Google,they just want a simple device to get along with it.
My own father is one example of the opposite out there having moved to a smartphone,he uses my old Nokia 3 and 5 but finds them just a bit too much sometimes but likes their technical details but that being said the annoyance of apps and push notifications and so on are a bit too much, True you can turn off most of these things but the fact they are there at any time and a good camera its really trapping people his age into the digital world thus no detox at the same time.
The Doro 8035 smart phone is no different being honest because you have access to the internet and the app store but the phone makes life easier in other ways by means of screen usage and what you place on it with big icons and so on and not forgetting we can do similar on your typical Android phone by using bigger fonts and high contrast display and some Androids let you change the grid display but not all.
MENU
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The Doro 8035 is still a capable phone with a 5MP and 2MP cameras on board so you can still takes pictures and videos if you ever need too. You have an Assistance button where you can add numbers of those you choose to get in touch with in an emergency but tapping the button on the rear which can be set to your preference on how it functions. As you can see below this is what the 8035 can do..
Some might say this goes against Doro and why they exist from what they began with to where they are now but there is a reason why such a product is out there now. Simplicity…. Many of our Android phones are a convoluted mess when it comes to menus and sub menus and finding settings.. Ok you might be still lost but I look at this from an experienced users point of view and its true features are buried and someone coming from a dumbphone in their senior years dont want this confusing set up on their phone as moving from a dumbphone to a smartphone is and can be a real problem particularly for our senior but lots want to get in on the act now of Social Media and more and easy access to the web but not all.
ASSISTANCE BUTTON
When you go to Advance settings on this device then and only then you will be brought to your typical Android layout of settings but you will have had your device more or less set up prior to this..The Doro UI makes the typical menu layout more simple to use and navigate with help along the way. The Doro manager option is also a handy option for the non technically minded for photo transfer,phone management and more with tutorials.
The Doro 8035 is a great phone making life easy and has it all for the senior user with simple to use menus with detailed help all along the way for the user at any level which should not frustrate the user but there is help if you get into trouble so they have you covered but its not a powerful phone not is it meant to be but this is just to make it clear for anyone buying one expecting a powerhouse because its a smartphone,why do I say that you might ask, Well in typical form many expect more from what they buy and being a smartphone they will want all the bells and whistles which this mostly has but the camera and chipset will not give you the performance of your overpriced Androids and Apple devices but that issue is sorting itself out with better specs and better phones coming in much cheaper than before so if one should pick this one up and get comfortable they can move on or perhaps DORO will come out with a more advanced offering of their own for seasoned senior users who now have become comfortable with a phone like this to get off on the right start with.
Is there a need for Doro to go any further than this? I’d like to see a premium device. Well they might answer that with a mid to high end ranged device to make things easy but is there a market for that.. Only DORO can tell us that with its user base and loyalty but for now this does as it aims to do and is worth a look and has plenty to keep you going whilst you learn if you are new to the smartphone era at any age. Doro phones are available throughout Ireland on our networks and sim free or check out their pages below. Any questions on either device feel free to ask.
This is not your typical phone, this has a flip with a 2.8 inch screen on the inside, the phone has large manual keys without the screen. The size of the phone fits nicely into your pocket shorter and thicker than most smart phones. The phone is physicality designed strong and easy to use with large buttons. The material used has a soft touch coating with a good grip. They are designed for the elderly and persons with disabilities, they can be used by users that require a smart device without the complications of functionality.
Charging & Battery:
I am not a fan of propriety chargers, but this is a different one. This comes with your standard android charger, with the option of a pod. The phone comes with a pod charger with the added feature of allowing to connect directly via a USB charger lead the phone. The phone came with a removable 1350mAh Li-ion battery which has a talk time (up to hours) 11 hours and a standby of up to 500 hours. The battery takes approximately 3 hours to fully charge. The charging and battery are a real positive to this phone.
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Powered by Kaois:
The phone is not an android phone rather powered by KaiOS just like the recently launched Nokia 8110, KaiOS, is a web-based mobile operating system that is based on Linux kernel that “merges the power of a smartphone with the affordability of a feature phone” In market share study results announced in May 2018, KaiOS beat Apple’s iOS for second place in India, while Android dominates with 71%, albeit down by 9%. KaiOS is now 2nd most popular mobile OS after Android in India as iOS drops to third. KaiOS is a contemporary mobile operating system targeted for feature phones.
Setup:
The set up is standard on the phone, this was less complicated than a typical Android phone which asks to accept a variety of T&C. The setup is easy but connecting the phone to your Wi-Fi required the password entered. The basics of putting in a Wi-Fi password is not as easy as we have become familiar with smart phones, putting in a capital letter, then back to a small letter etc on a button phone it takes time to get use to. The phone signal and audio quality were excellent with the added feature of when viewing a call, opening the flip allowed the calls to be answered with no need to press additional buttons, closing the flip ends the call. Something we have seen before on older clamshell or flip devices.
Warranty:
This product is guaranteed for a period of 24 months and for original accessories for a period of 12 months (such as the battery, charger, charging cradle or handsfree kit)
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Conclusion:
Typically, on smart phones the Chipset, Ram and Cameras are the main areas looked at for smart phones. This phone has a nostalgic feel but the specification on this phone is not the primary logic to purchase. This has the main feature you would expect in a smart phone, camera, (albeit a poor camera at 3 MP) the option of storage of using a 32GB Micro SD memory card, calculator, wakeup alarm, FM-radio, key tone, calendar with reminder, backlit keypad, ICE (In Case of Emergency) are some of the features.
The FM radio is good to see on the phone. The unique feature of the assistance button allows easy access to contact a predefined help number should you need help. The hearing aid compatible is great to see on a phone for those that require this option. The phone can use Google maps, YouTube with a great battery life. This is a phone designed with large buttons and designed for the elderly and persons with disabilities. Alternatively, this can be used by the young or those that want a basic easy to use phone that works getting away from the current society of always on.
