Review – The ROCCAT Leadr Wireless RGB gaming mouse. #ROCCAT #Gaming #Tech

The box is striking, stands out which fits in with the gaming environment, the mouse is wireless with the key features listed on the box. The visual look of the mouse is different to your standard mouse having a variety of additional buttons. The initial feel on the mouse was hassle-free comfortable in the hand to move around.  The mouse came with a charging dock, the mouse clicked onto the dock easily while the Click sound was like a high power engine purr.

 

Contents:

  • ROCCAT® Leadr –
  • Wireless Multi-Button RGB Gaming Mouse
  • Quick-Installation Guide
  • Docking/transmission Stand
  • 1×micro USB to USB cable

 

Features:

  • ROCCAT® Owl-Eye optical sensor unrelenting pointer precision with 12000dpi
  • Next-gen button layout featuring X-Celerator analogue paddle + Fin Switch
  • Unrivalled wireless optics  zero lag: 1000Hz polling + 20h battery
  • Charging dock & top-up cable charging dock with status LEDs
  • ROCCAT® Easy-Shift[+]™ button duplicator technology
  • Two-level RGB illumination  customizable light system, 16.8m colours
  • 14 ergonomic mouse buttons programmable + solid 2D Titan Wheel
  • 32-Bit Processor for rapid macro execution
  • ROCCAT® Swarm powered comprehensive driver & software suite

 

Setup:

The setup was easy,  plug in the  USB connector to the ROCCAT® Leadr charging dock, update to the latest version of the software on www.roccat.org. Power on the mouse and pair the device by holding the pairing buttons on the dock and mouse at the same time. The option was available to use the mouse wireless or connect via the USB cable.  The 14 fully-programmable mice take a little longer to set up but advantageous for gaming or where constant repetition is required.  The setup used the ROCCAT Swarm Software which is available for Windows/android on https://en.roccat.org/Support/Product/Leadr /

ROCCAT mouse range comparison

 

 

Manufacturer:

The Roccat was founded in Germany in 2007, they are a hardware manufacturer of high-end gaming peripherals and accessories.

Practical use: Positive

The facility to allow the player to change the functions of the buttons is advantageous for games. For example, any of the buttons can be changed to control or shift. This makes it very easy for the player to just simply press a button on the mouse. This makes play a lot faster and greater entertaining as a result. The mouse runs smoothly over any flat surface which makes it easy-going to use on a variety of surfaces, the ability to use it wirelessly or wired is a big advantage for a gamer or for any use.   The wireless mode was extremely responsive and seems to be instant.  The mouse response ensured an advantage gamer experience ensuring not been vanquished on an online game.  This is far superior to a traditional mouse. In terms of style and design, its multiple lights and the illuminated logo look cool.

 

Practical use: Negative

The mouse size doesn’t suit smaller hand sizes which may make it more difficult for those with small hands and younger players. The cost of the mouse is expensive as compared to other mice. The Swarm Software is not the easiest software to set up for advanced use.  The lights while a bonus on a gaming environment would look out of place in an office if use for a dual purpose as the LED lights cannot be turned off.

 

Conclusion:

Overall the Roccat LeadR is a fantastic and comfortable mouse with well-distributed buttons that are good for mostly gaming but can be used for other uses besides gaming.  The freedom of the wireless mouse is a huge bonus with a cool docking station provided. The docking stands looks and felt cool saving the need to attach a cable at any stage to their mouse.  (The Click sound of the mouse to the Docking station was like listening to a purr of the high powered engine, the sound does nothing but feels gratifying.) There is the option to use the USB cable if required.  The main difference in this wireless mouse as compared to other non-gaming mouse is the 2.4GHz data transmission which has practically zero lag, and latency which gives lightning-fast input to a challenging game scenario.  The ROCCAT® Leadr mouse with its wireless high speed, enhanced functionality is a requisite to the exceptional gaming experience.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roccat-ROC-11-852-Wireless-Owl-Eye-Multi-Button/dp/B06XYHLZRJ

Review – ROCCAT Khan AIMO: Hi-Res 7.1 RGB Surround Sound Gaming Headset #Gaming #Headphones #ROCCAT

The Roccat Khan Aimo 7.1 Hi-Resolution RGB Gaming headset at first look was striking, eye-catching with the white headset and black box. The box contained oodles of logos and information on the front but lost the actual ROCCAT Khan AIMO logo with the colours, the box was large for the size of the headset but compact, not overly packed with manuals and documents.

Box Contents:

  • Roccat Khan Aimo 7.1 Hi-Resolution RGB Gaming (white Addition)
  • Information Document.
  • Quick instalment Guide

Roccat Khan Aimo 7.1 performance

The performance of the Roccat Khan Aimo 7.1 Hi-Resolution RGB Gaming headset was great-sounding

audio with smooth transitions of sound during gameplay and on your computer when listening to music. The Acoustics was very clear, excellent beat, pulse and blocks out most outside noises, the microphone was remarkable as compared to other headsets when players were talking, it was easier to hear the user.  The ROCCAT Khan AIMO is a comfortable fit after hours of gameplay, were most headsets would start to give of headaches, or hurt the top of your head due to no cushion at the top whereas this headset is particularly comfortable. When playing audio at a high level, practically no sound could be heard sitting beside the earphone.

 Range comparison,  https://en.roccat.org/Headsets

Positives:

  • Very comfortable during gameplay
  • Clear and smooth sound transactions during gameplay
  • The mic is not too long or too short like some gaming headsets where they must constantly be adjusted.
  • The mic is very clear when talking to other players on the headset.
  • Easy setup
  • Noise cancellation is very good even in very noisy places.

Negatives

  • USB connection rather than a normal AUX cord connection. (No adapter supplied)
  • Buttons don’t work on consoles like the PS4 and Xbox.
  • Expensive without the dual option to connect to Gamers, phones, tablets

 

Overall

These are a distinguished set of headphones that have a lot of handy features, excellent noise block out, clear and comfort that brings the best possible gaming headset experience. However, they should just be for PC gamers as the buttons don’t work on consoles like the PS4 and Xbox, this is a disappointment and as are only USB, not AUX jack, with no a USB adapter supplied. They are a well-made headphone set with memory foam headband and earpads. they have strong steel sliders and felt like a reliable headset with a flashy looking design with lights.

These headphones would suit the likes of a PC gaming streamer, that require a flashy set of headphones, this is ideal for those that use the video camera on the gaming experience. Again, the noise cancellation is superb, they are not ideal for an office job on the phone because of the lights even though they are quite comfortable the lights are glitzy and would constantly distract other workers. The earphone has Hi-Res audio, premium hardware, excellent noise cancellation, extremely comfortable for extended listening.  This ROCCAT Khan AIMO allows you to get immersed in an environment blocking out a nosy environment with comfort for hours.

A welcome indulgence of audio balance.

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roccat-Surround-Illumination-Real-Voice-Microphone/dp/B078RM7GHM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1543766618&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=roccat+khan+aimo&psc=1

Google Releases its Irish ‘Year in Search’ Results. #Google #Ireland #Search

As 2018 comes to a close, the annual Google Year in Search results provide a telling snapshot of what caught the interest of the Irish over the last 12 months. We are a bunch of nosey and inquisitive fcukers and just like to know what is going on and use Google to do the rest.. Not only for just random search on news but “How to….” is a very interesting topic to and reveals what have been looking for this year.

The FIFA World Cup was Ireland’s top-trending Google search for 2018, despite Ireland’s absence in the tournament, with soccer’s quadrennial competition trending most strongly in our searches for 2018. Staying with sports, the epic Ireland vs New Zealand match last month – which saw us overcome the world’s best team for the first time at home – was our 7th overall top trending search in this year (coming 2nd in sports searches overall). But in terms of quantity, golf tournaments took three of the top 10 spots in sport, horse racing took two spots, and tennis and MMA shared one spot each.

Musical tastes were reflected in the appearance of Avicii as our second top-trending topic for 2018. The electronic dance musician – famous for the song “Wake Me Up” – sadly passed away in April of this year, and his popularity on this island was reflected in our increased Googling of his name at that time. Dolores O’Riordan, the Irish icon and former lead singer of The Cranberries, was another musical notary that also passed too early this year – she was our 5th top-trending Google search in 2018. Finally, the perennial curiosity that is Eurovision was our 6th top-trending musical topic overall, driven no doubt by Ireland’s first inclusion in the final for five years.

Ireland’s ambivalent approach to healthy eating was reflected in our food-related searches this year: searches for healthy “Operation Transformation” recipes were closely followed by our less healthy interest in cake recipes. Perhaps guilty feelings lead to “healthy dinner recipes” coming 3rd in the rankings, before cravings set in again with “bread recipes” occupying 4th spot. Interestingly, “vegan recipes” made their first appearance in Google’s top trending search list, perhaps indicating a move away from an Ireland raised on black pudding and rashers.

Politically, we were inspired to ask “how to register to vote” (1st in the “how to…” list) as well as “what is blasphemy?”, “what is the backstop?” and “what is the 8th amendment?” (1st, 3rd & 5th in the “what is…?” list” respectively). But the seriousness of politics this year was mitigated by our love for escapist films, with the musical melodrama A Star Is Born taking top spot in the movie rankings, and also registering as the only movie to appear in the overall top ten list. Comic book adaptations take four of the top ten movie spots, hinting at a juggernaut of a trend that doesn’t show signs of slowing, with musicals occupying three spots and drama/thrillers rounding off the list, including the Irish Famine-based movie Black 47 in fourth spot.

Finally, former actress and now new Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, made an unsurprising appearance in the top list this year, coming in at third place, while Google’s “How to…?” list gives an interesting insight into the minutiae of our lives in Ireland over the past year. We asked “how to build an igloo” and “how to bleed radiators” in response to February’s Beast from the East, but also “how to get rid of fruit flies” during the summer’s heatwave. The perennial “how to lose weight” was in third spot and our tech worries centred around “how to get old snapchat back” and “how to turn off automatic updates” … perhaps, in terms of technology at least, the Irish have shown that we don’t like change?

Budding Irish scientists to reach for stars at European Space Agency. #IRC #ESA #Space

The Irish Research Council has announced today that two young Irish scientists have won a national competition to train at the European Space Agency (ESA). The coveted positions are part of an ongoing partnership between the Irish Research Council and ESA, which hosts Irish trainees at its centres across Europe.

As part of the programme, the researchers will work on cutting-edge projects and gain practical experience in high-tech space activities such as: space science; Earth observation; telecommunications; navigation; mission control and operations; and human spaceflight.

Following a national competitive process, the two top-ranking candidates who were selected to join the traineeship programme at the European Space Astronomy Centre in Madrid, Spain are:

  • Amy Joyce from Clonmel, County Tipperary: Amy has a master’s degree in experimental physics from the National University of Ireland, Galway. She will work on developing tools for mission cross calibration and will also learn about the scientific uses of x-ray satellites and the challenges and procedures of operating a space mission.
  • Cillian Murphy, from Dundrum, County Dublin: Cillian has a master’s degree in space and science technology from University College Dublin. He will work on the Gaia Mission to assist in completing an astrometric survey of stars, using spacecraft observation. He is also a future Analog Astronaut candidate with the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF).

Commenting on the announcement today, Minister of State for Training, Skills and Innovation, John Halligan TD, said: “This is a unique opportunity for Amy and Cillian to train with the best and to develop their skills at the European Space Agency.

“Supporting a pipeline of talent plays an integral role in taking Ireland forward in its contribution to space research, development and innovation and ensures that we are continuing to contribute and collaborate on an international level.”

Peter Brown, Director of the Irish Research Council also welcomed the announcement, saying: “The Irish Research Council and the European Space Agency first partnered in 2016 with the aim to give Irish-based science and engineering graduates a chance to make their mark in the field of space exploration.

“This traineeship offers the life-changing opportunity to pursue a career in Europe’s gateway to space. The Council is committed to supporting the development of Europe’s space capability and ensuring that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. We are delighted to support both Amy and Cillian on this project and look forward to continuing to collaborate with ESA on this initiative.”

Forecasting the unpredictable: details of DIAS earthquake event announced. #DIAS #Geophysics #Earthquakes

The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) will hold a special lecture this Wednesday (12.12.18) exploring the unpredictable nature of earthquakes.

Special guest, Professor John McCloskey, Chair in Natural Hazards Science, The University of Edinburgh, will speak at this Statutory Public Lecture on Wednesday, 12th December, from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at the Schrodinger Theatre, Fitzgerald Building, School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2.

Announcing details of the event, Director of the School of Geophysics at DIAS, Professor Chris Bean said: “From Zhang Heng’s development of the first seismoscope during the Han dynasty, to Dubliner Robert Mallet’s experiments on Killiney Beach in the nineteenth century, scientists have persisted in trying to understand earthquakes and to use this understanding to reduce their catastrophic effects largely through ‘earthquake prediction’.

“However, earthquakes have killed almost a million people already this century, and the goal of earthquake prediction is probably farther away than we could have ever anticipated. In this lecture we will hear why prediction is so illusive but we will also hear that all is not lost and that there is ‘another way’.

“Although lacking the timing precision of a prediction, new developments in earthquake-weather forecasts allow us to estimate how big the largest earthquakes are likely to be – and where (but not precisely when) they are likely to occur. This lecture we explore how this knowledge can be used in a preventative manner today, and in the planning of cities that are yet to be built.”

This Statutory Public Lecture: ‘Forecasting the Unpredictable: Earthquake science in a crowded world’ is free to attend and pre-registration is not required. Further details available at:https://www.dias.ie/2018/11/28/dias-2018-statutory-public-lecture-of-the-school-of-cosmic-physics/

Review – Jabra Elite Active 65t Copper Red #Jabra #Tech #EliteActive65t

The Jabra Elite Active 65t in Copper Red are probably the best looking in-ears about and stand out  from the industry norm when it comes to colour, I own several pairs of in-ears like this and these easily stand out on the collection and on the street as people have been asking me anytime I wear them outside and this is something I like.. They stand out..

The presentation as always with Jabra is good and again something I am always liking and you can check out the unboxing video below for a detailed look at what we are dealing with here.

At first these where a little uncomfortable like the previous pair and this is after trying several buds but after a few minutes they settle and after this its all good more or less. The pairing process is same as before and we have audio giving us status however it took me two attempts to pair both sides this time around but after this there was no drop out on switching to and from these earbuds as at the minute I am testing several so that is a good thing as some report only one side being picked up but there could be several reasons for that.

On the buds we have simple controls and again on first use they might hurt at first but like I said after a while they settle and all is good. The left side controls your volume and you can also skip tracks by holding down there is two little raised humps either side of the logo and the right side is for call management and playback.

One thing I like with these is if you remove one the music stops and is quite handy and on putting the earbud back in the music continues again,handy little feature this. If you are one to take commutes you get a charging case which is also in Copper Red and again be prepared eyes looking in wonder, the charging case gives you two full charges which would be around 4-4.5 hours of non stop music. The case itself flips open on top like previous versions and its charged via micro USB and sports and LED on the rear and one in top for status.

For those who run or train they do not fall out of ears as they are tight-fitting and are good at noise isolation but there is the Jabra Sound plus app which is really great and during my test period I got an update. I have touched on this app before but it really is a must if you have these earbuds or others from Jabra that is compatible, You can also use your voice assist but something I don’t bother with to be honest..

If you want to enjoy music it is better via this app with an array of features including Hear Through and caller ID and so on. The call experience was fine here but it’s the music that people want to know about. I feel most audiophiles would be happy overall with the performance if not too picky and for me all music attributes were reproduced well and great clarity too and this is down to the app and the app is FREE. If you like bass it is there and probably a favourite aspect many people are interested in.

These earbuds are IP56 rated so they can take a rain shower and sweat which is important for some and for a place like Ireland where the weather is never good they should last some time but it is advisable to take care of them regardless which is something I do with all my headphones and earphones just don’t take things for granted.

Overall I think these are a worthy purchase especially in this colourway if you want something different and that stands out. Some might say at the higher end of the scale when it comes to pricing but what you get is a good solid product that is ideal for those on the go and who workout or jog, Jabra are a long time in this business and deliver on all aspects.

See Jabra for more Info

Amazon

 

Review – Volt Electronics – The Battery Share Cable. More than just a cable! Now on #Kickstarter #StartUp

In 2018 we are still messing around between USB-C and micro usb cables to either charge or transfer data between devices and having multiple cables about the house is annoying and messy especially for me given the amount of tech I have and mobile phones and I normally carry two phones with me every day though try to avoid it but it never works out that way. However most houses today have more than one phone or tablet lets be honest.But this year we seen something new when it comes to charging a device via another device wirelessly with Huawei but if this tech passes on through other devices is something time will tell.

What if all this could be done with just ONE cable though….. Well you now can with battery share cable which is now live on kickstarter and we have been testing this out over the last few days and its a great idea,simple no mess and one cable to suit all. Not only that you can charge other tech items via your PC or wall plug as well as transfer data if your device supports USB OTG.

The idea came about by two guys from Switzerland called Benjamin Helmy and Janis Sollberger pictured below and they said..

“Everything started as we sat in our favourite bar… After one or two beers we came up with the idea, how cool it would be, if you could charge phone with another one. This Idea really packed us, and after some months of researching and experimenting we actually ended up with a very ugly but working prototype of such a cable”.

With this new cable from volt electronics you can not only charge your phone traditionally like your are used to it with a socket or a power bank, but you can phone your device with another device. You can not only charge your phone, electronic devices like music speakers or head phones can also be charged or taken electricity from with our cable. All these possibilities are available with still being able to use it to synchronise your phone with your computer or even exchange data between two connected phones.

The Battery Share Cable unites 3 important functions into just one cable.

  • Data Transfer between your phone and computers and phones that support the OTG function
  • Charging with the USB plug through a power adapter in a socket
  • Charging from other electronic devices which have a micro USB plug or the new USB C

The cable comes in two lengths on Android and it works well and you can do many things at once with just the one cable with no mess and no tangles and a clever implementation of USB-C and Micro USB connectivity and USB-A.

The lads go on to say…

“The most of us experienced the following situation. You’re spending the night out with your Friends and suddenly you notice it. Your phone is low on battery. Today we rely on our phones more than ever. We use it for bank transactions, transportation, reservations etc. So it becomes a major inconvenience if it’s shut down by low battery. There are ways to prevent this situation. Powerbanks for example. But honestly… you just end up forgetting to charge that thing or even forget it at home.

Of course you could charge your phone at home before going out in the first place. But sometimes there is no time left for that or you simply overestimated your battery percentage. We developed a simple Solution for this problem. From now on you just need to take our Cable with you anywhere you go. It definitely weighs less than a powerbank and almost needs no space. this cable you can charge your phone with the most other electronic devices. Simply connect your phone with another one and it slowly starts charging”.

Think this is something you could do with??? Head over HERE to support the guys on Kickstarter NOW..

First look an unboxing .The Amazon #Echodot and #EchoPlus 3rd Gen #Amazon #Tech

More new tech has arrived and plenty more to come but today we have got the all new Amazon ho dot and Echo Plus 3rd Gen. Both packaging and so on is the same as before with detailed info and the products themselves are slight upgrade to versions of old but both look really well and complement each other and these are a popular tech item today and also ideal gifts for the tech fan in your life.

We will be testing these out over the festive season so if you have any questions feel free to ask below or on our social channels. These are now widely available in Ireland and you can read up some more HERE 

 

 

ActaFun is a new activities booking platform in Ireland. #IrishBiz #Actafun #Activity #Booking

This platform allows for online booking of these gathered activities in less than 3 minutes on an easy to use website, instead of spending hours on Google looking for what to do, then having to pay a deposit through the phone – which is not secure process and most people feel uncomfortable giving their card details to strangers through the phone. Their story is interesting, unusual and somewhat funny.

“We are very active but it was too time-consuming to find fun things to do with friends in our spare times.” I built something that I really needed, I just felt like activities and fun things to do should be easy to find and booked with no hassle” said Steven.

With a small team of 6, ActaFun’s vision is to bring people together and do fun, challenging and memorable activities. Doing activities with colleagues, friends and families always bring something new to chat about, its amazing! Our current users are young professional, groups of friends, tourists and families usually between 22 – 40 who are booking activities on ActaFun.

Users are Booking activities such as Paintballing, Go Karting, FootGolf, Falconry, Rock Climbing, Ghost bus, comedy bus and many more in less than 3 minutes. “ You can book an activity for 2 people or for 30 people, as long as the time is available on the site.” said Steven. ActaFun Partners up with activity providers and makes sure all activities on the website are been booked at the best prices, with no booking fees for users. They are bringing on more activities on a daily basis.

While building the platform they created a Facebook group just to add value to people, they organise monthly group activities allowing random people to join. This group was very popular during the summer, “We plan to do more indoor activities such as Ice Skating, Rock climbing and Escape VR while it’s cold outside” said Steven

The website has the benefit of growing activity providers sales during off-peak times, it increases providers sales and reduces staff time been wasted on unnecessary tasks. 

ActaFun currently has 1 angel investor and are open to more investments offers while planning to Launch their app by the first week of December and scale to Barcelona & Madrid in March 2019. They plan to scale to Barcelona and Madrid because they are large cities, Full of local activities with a massive demand for fun activities. “ but our headquarters will always be in Ireland. I am a proud Irish, “Well,  Afro – Irish” says Steven

SEE MORE https://actafun.com/#!/