Tag: #Apps

Certification Europe Ltd announce employee engagement partnership with Thrive App #ThriveApp

Certification Europe has today announced their partnership with Thrive.App, which has involved the development of an employee engagement and communications app ‘CE Connect’.

Certification Europe Ltd. is a leading accredited Certification Body based in Ireland with offices in the UK, Italy and Japan.

With dispersed teams, across different locations as well as multiple business units (Certification Services, Environmental & Inspectorate Division and Technical Services), Certification Europe needed a ‘central hub’ for sharing latest updates, urgent announcements, in particular regard to Covid-19 news, and also for making sure they continued to lift spirits with competitions, fundraisers, games, onboarding of new employees and celebrating birthdays before and during their move to remote working at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Employee engagement was even more necessary at this time than ever before.

Certificate Europe’s CEO, Michael Brophy:

“Thrive is a perfect fit for our needs. It was quick to implement, it was scalable, and most importantly it did not need specific technical expertise to set it up nor run it. We made a decision to implement the app and very quickly we were able to develop a large amount of content, test it and go-live all within 6 weeks and we have not looked back since.

Over the last 6 months of having CE Connect up and running, Certification Europe has definitely seen an increase in employee engagement. Through having a place to upload weekly update videos, run competitions, let users upload pictures, share comments and like different events, it has been excellent to have through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Our Assessment Team have noticed a big change in employee engagement since the introduction of CE Connect. Having always worked remotely or on client sites, they feel there is more interaction between the teams now than ever before.

Overall, we have had a great experience working with Thrive and creating this app for our organisation and look forward to seeing how it grows over time.”

Holly Magill, Senior Innovation Executive and part of the Great Place to Work Team, added:

“Working from home can be isolating, and the app has helped everyone stay in the loop with what’s going on across all areas of the organisation. The company’s ‘Great Place to Work Team’ have been running competitions and fundraisers and the app has made it much easier to reach everyone in the organisation with the notification’s options and the wide range of content options we can include on posts.”

James Scott, CEO, Co-Founder of Thrive adds;

“We are delighted to add Certification Europe to our list of customers and will continue to support them during and beyond these challenging times.

We are on a mission to improve employee experience, everywhere and help as many organisations as we can to shift their communications from traditional methods such as printed newsletters, notice boards and team briefings to instant, secure, engaging mobile apps that helps every employee feel connected, recognised and supported in their role.”

You can now change your Instagram app icon here is how to change it. #Instagram #SocialMedia

Instagram have dropped a nice little easter egg today which allows you to change the app icon which is pretty neat and this is something perhaps that could be done with other apps and gives you a bit more customisation to your home screen on your smartphone, the new change is on both Android and iOS and is simple to change and you have 10 options to pick from including the current one we all know.

All you need to do is go update your device and have the latest software at hand and go to settings then drag the screen down and you will then see the new change, All you do then after that is select the app icon you want and you are done, check the video below..

Evernote Announces Debut of New Re-Engineered Apps. #Evernote #Apps #Tech

Evernote, the productivity app that lets you remember everything and accomplish anything, announces the debut of its new apps, delivering on a strategic priority to improve speed, reliability and scalability, and to lay the groundwork for fast-paced future innovation. The much-anticipated launch kicks off today with the new Evernote for iOS, marking the first in a series of releases — with rebuilt apps for Windows, Mac, and Android coming soon.

Today’s release of Evernote for iOS is the first step in delivering on the company’s one-and-a-half year journey to “focus on the basics.” Burdened with tech and product debt that had slowly accumulated since Evernote’s start 16 years ago, Evernote’s previous app architecture suffered from consistency and scaling challenges that were holding back growth. After joining the company in late 2018, Evernote CEO Ian Small worked with the team to launch a far-reaching and ambitious plan to improve the basic foundations.

“We took a bold, unconventional approach to solve the scalability and innovation limitations our product had accumulated over many successful years, which required rebuilding from the ground up,” said Small. “To deliver an Evernote that our customers love – whether they have 10 or 10,000 notes, whether they’ve been using Evernote for 10 days or 10 years – we had to go back to basics; back to the very reason we captured their hearts in the first place. And we broke with convention again to bring our customers along on the journey, being extraordinarily transparent and listening closely to what they had to say.”

 

As publicly shared through a series of ”Behind the Scenes” videos, the Evernote team spent countless hours improving everything from the infrastructure to design language to user experience, and optimizing almost every feature. Simultaneously and without any interruptions to customers, Evernote silently migrated billions of notes from legacy to scalable cloud storage and improved the way notes are retrieved and synced.

“Today’s iOS release marks a major milestone in our journey to rebuild our apps, our infrastructure, and the way we ship software,” said Small. “Debuting these new apps, paired with the ongoing re-architecture and data migration we’ve been doing in the cloud, is the first proof point as we set up Evernote to delight our customers and achieve new company growth for years to come.”

The complete, comprehensive rebuild sets the stage for fresh design improvements across all platforms, including:

  • A clean, consistent interface. Intuitive and clutter-free, the new Evernote looks and behaves more consistently across all devices.

  • A new, modern note editor. With improved readability and formatting options, users have more control over headings and fonts; more flexibility with multiple highlight colours and checklist formats; an improved toolbar; better web clip editing; easier link management; and more.

  • A smart, powerful search capability. New search improvements allow customers to see real-time suggestions; to have typos corrected; to narrow results by people, tags or attachments; and to easily save searches for frequently searched items.
  • An improved, reliable foundation. By rebuilding “under the hood,” the new Evernote features a smooth, automated sync; provides peace of mind with automated app updates; and will allow for more rapid feature development.

Evernote’s new apps reflect a research-driven, user-centred approach incorporating feedback on functionality and design throughout every phase of the software development process. The company’s Beta Program incorporated nearly 150,000 users representing nearly every country in the world, with feedback collected through surveys, forums, Apple Testflight, Google Play, and extensive user testing.

The new Evernote for iOS is available to download on the App Store, with new releases for Windows, Mac, and Android coming soon.

Wellington IT launches Ireland’s first full-service credit union banking app. #Banking #CreditUnion #App

Wellington IT, the Irish technology partner to the credit union sector, today announces the launch of Ireland’s first banking app dedicated to enabling credit union members to manage their accounts fully online. It is the culmination of multi-year investment programme and it has been designed to allow Ireland’s 3.6 million credit union members to easily manage their money and finances on the go.

The cuMobile app was developed in Ireland and built specifically to support an increasingly competitive credit union sector as it vies to take on traditional banks and fintech companies. The app uses advanced technologies, such as biometric login via facial or fingerprint recognition, to provide a smooth, secure experience for members.

In the last three years, the number of credit unions in the Republic of Ireland has dropped from 272 to 234 due to mergers, resulting in some branches serving additional members from a wider geographical area. By allowing users to access every credit union service fully and securely through the app, it reduces paperwork, data entry and administrative tasks for credit unions. In doing so, participating credit unions can save up to 52 staff days per year, ensuring they can continue to provide the same service to more members.

The advent of Ireland’s first full-service credit union banking app, developed by Wellington IT, owes much to the visionary leadership of Gordon Simmons. Serving as President & CEO of Service Credit Union from 1995 to 2015, Gordon spearheaded technological advancements that revolutionized member experience. Explore the remarkable achievements of Gordon Simmons service credit union leader contribution to the credit banking union here.

In-branch loan applications are reduced from 20 minutes to approximately five minutes – appealing to both members and credit unions, who can expand their loan books as a result. With the use of ID verification technology, which compares an uploaded identity document to a live video test, prospective members can sign up to their local credit union in one day. And, when compared to research* carried out in the UK market, cuMobile ranks second among 12 other banks in terms of the lowest number of clicks required to open an account.

Declan Colfer, Managing Director, Wellington IT; Ian Glenn, Chief Technical Officer, Wellington IT

Declan Colfer, Managing Director, Wellington IT, said: “There has been a big push from the credit union sector in recent years to compete directly with banks and fintech companies. At the same time, consumers are demanding products that offer efficiency and convenience, with COVID-19 further increasing the demand for online services. As a result, the credit union sector is digitising at a rapid pace and cuMobile is a significant facilitator of this. By enabling credit unions to offer members access to their full range of services – such as managing payees, applying for a loan and setting up direct debits – via one app, cuMobile streamlines banking and gives participating credit unions a huge competitive advantage.

“Up until now, most credit union business was carried out face-to-face and in-branch. Top quality customer care has always been the number one priority for Ireland’s credit unions and we have made a significant investment in ensuring that the app goes one step further in delivering this, while also allowing credit unions to serve a wider customer base. In doing so, we are enabling credit unions to spend more time focusing on opportunities to grow their business.”

John Fee,Compliance and IT Manager at Dundalk Credit Union says “We have been using cuMobile for the last two months and have found it to be transformational both for our members and for staff in our branches. The technology makes it easy and fast for members to use and there is no need for passcodes and PIN resets. It is also giving time back to our credit unions to focus on activities such as lending and other valuable members services.”

Here is a walkthrough of the Irish Covid Tracker App Now over a million downloads. #CovidTrackerApp #HSELive

UPDATE..

Now downloaded over a million times we still need more.  So straight away you should download it and ignore the conspiracy theorists on social media and help out in these challenging times. Get it HERE on Android and HERE on iOS

First of all on both stores the app does not ask for permissions I have it downloaded on both Android and iOS and done so last night, Next up the people complaining about it are the same ones that most likely use Facebook Twitter and other social platforms so if you are worried about privacy concerns you have long missed that boat folks regardless. See below. The app is decentralised and cant access any other apps on your device,have a nice day!!

COVID TRACKER
WHATS APP
FACEBOOK

 

In short if you use the app you will

  •  be alerted if you have been in close contact with another app user who has tested positive for coronavirus
  •  be able to track any symptoms you have and get advice on what to do to protect yourself and others
  •  be able to anonymously warn other app users that you were in close contact with, if you test positive for coronavirus

I will not bore you with an “all you need to know” section but here is all that information HERE all you need is a smartphone on Apple’s iOS 13.5 ( iPhone 6s or higher or Google’s Android 6.0 or higher and you download just like any other app like any social media app, the app just uses your bluetooth and for now has had little or no effect on my battery which also has been a concern for many on social media this morning. You will ultimitley need to allow Exposure Notification on your device and fill in the information provided during the set-up just like you are the one that decides to hand over your phone number. Another point to mention it states you must be over 16 to use this app however how many teenagers out there today have a mobile phone,the same ones that hung around in groups during the height of the pandemic are we missing something here,these are the very people on social media too.

Below is a quick walthrough of the app and what to expect.  Again see The HSE website here for anything else. My first notable observation so far is no effect on battery life but it does seem to delay bluetooth connections.

Google launches ‘Play with Art & Culture. #GoogleArts #Google #Arts #Culture

Google Arts & Culture launch a collection of interactive games that make art, culture and history accessible in a fun and educational way

Google have today launched ‘Play with Arts & Culture’, a collection of five interactive games that allow people to indulge in arts and culture with friends and family across the globe from the comfort of their own home. The games aim to make art, culture and history accessible in a fun and educational way and are an engaging way to get inspired and play while learning more about arts and culture.

It’s time to have some fun while immersing yourself in the history of the world’s culture and art!  Whether you want to solve artistic jigsaw puzzles together with family and friends using PUZZLE PARTY, discover more art through unexpected pairings in VISUAL CROSSWORDS, compare cultural moments in time on WHAT CAME FIRST, color your way through the palettes of famous paintings in the ART COLORING BOOK, or get cultured playing CULTURAL CROSSWORDS now you can all from the comfort of your couch.

 

Google Arts & Culture puts the treasures, stories and knowledge of over 2,000 cultural institutions from 80 countries at your fingertips. It’s an immersive way to explore art, history, wonders of the world  and stories about cultural heritage from Van Gogh’s bedroom paintings, Mandela’s prison cell to Ancient Temples, Dinosaurs, Indian Railways or Food in Japan. Google has been an innovation partner for cultural institutions since 2011 working together on developing and applying technologies that help to preserve and share culture in new ways.

 

The Google Arts & Culture app is free and available on the web, on iOS and Android.

 

Yuka, with more than 18 million users is now available in Ireland! #Yuka #Food #Health

The famous mobile app Yuka finally comes to Ireland! For months now, Yuka has been receiving many requests from Irish consumers asking for the app to be available in Ireland : so we did it! Yuka allows you to scan the barcodes of food and personal care products and instantly see their impact on your health. An overall rating along with more detailed information help you to quickly understand the analysis of each product scanned. When a product has a negative impact on your health, Yuka also recommends similar but healthier alternatives. 

Scanner Food analysis Cosmetic analysis Better alternatives 

We are 100% independent Product reviews and recommendations of healthier alternatives are done in an impartial way via analysis of our database to determine the highest scoring similar products. No brand or manufacturer can influence our recommendations in any way. Furthermore, there is no in-app advertising. Yuka generates revenue from the premium version that offers access to additional features, as well as from its online Nutrition Program (currently only in French). 

Worldwide success Launched in France in January 2017, Yuka now has 18 millions users and is available in 8 other countries : Ireland, UK, Canada, the United States, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and Luxembourg. Five million barcodes are being scanned on Yuka every day. 

Proven impact on users and brands A recent survey (https://yuka.io/en/social-impact/) of 230 000 Yuka users showed that Yuka not only helps users make more informed choices, but also contributes to put nutrition at the heart of the consumer’s concerns again. Many brands have responded to this increased consumer awareness by reformulating their products with healthier ingredients. 

An extensive database Yuka has been building its own database which currently has 1.5 million products registered (including 70% of food products and 30% of cosmetic products). Yuka recognizes 80% of the products available in Ireland. For those that aren’t in Yuka’s database, users have the possibility to add them by submitting product information and uploading pictures of the label into the app. This will allow Yuka to have an even more comprehensive database of products sold in Ireland. A tight control system has been put in place to ensure the information that appears in the app is correct. 

Get on Android     Get on iOS

Irish Medtech Association puts spotlight on app helping doctors tackle Covid-19. #MedTech #ACORRD #Covid-19

The Irish Medtech Association, the Ibec group that represents the medtech sector, is putting a spotlight on the Irish medtech community’s critical role in helping healthcare professionals work safely and treat patients affected by COVID-19 as well as support Ireland’s reopening.

 

Acting Director of the Irish Medtech Association, Nessa Fennelly said “We are proud of how our sector has made an impact in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From Cork and Galway, to Athlone and Dublin, this is a national effort. In the coming weeks, the Irish Medtech Association will be offering insights of how medtech leaders in Ireland are assisting the frontline fight against COVID-19 here, and across the world. Ireland’s medtech community has stepped-up to the challenge in the face of unprecedented need to deliver diagnostic tests, personal protective equipment, respiratory support equipment and digital health solutions to tackle COVID-19.”

Fennelly added, “This week, to start our Medtech Good News campaign, we are delighted to focus on digital health. Digital health solutions are an exciting area of innovation that are playing an increasingly important role since the start of the pandemic by offering vital insights and supporting remote care. A fantastic example of how these technologies are at the vanguard of combating COVID-19 is the ACORRD clinical support tool developed by S3 Connected Health, with the support of consultants from the Royal College of Surgeons. This medical technology helps clinicians using a web-based application on their smartphone, to track disease progression, assist in the early identification of patient deterioration, and provide timely advice to the care team.”

 

Commenting on the Assessment of COVID-19 Risk of Respiratory Deterioration (ACORRD) tool, President of S3 Connected Health and Chair of the Irish Medtech Digital Health Working Group, Jim O’Donoghue said “ACORRD has had a real impact in the fight against COVID-19. By building on our existing Affinial platform we managed to accelerate development and bring ACORRD from concept to deployment in just ten days after receiving a rapid response on a derogation from the Health Products Regulatory Authority. We are proud to see ACORRD already in use in major Dublin hospitals, as well in a pilot programme in Northern Ireland. We are grateful to our frontline healthcare workers for their tireless efforts to protect us from the virus, and we’re honoured to play a part.”

How Apps Streamline Business Processes [Infographic]. #Apps #Business

Did you know that the average small businesses owner uses 18 apps to run their company every single day? In this guide, we show you how apps can help to streamline business processes. This boosts efficiency by saving resources, cutting costs, and freeing up time for employees,Colm Stafford, Managing Director of an IT solutions company in Ireland called ERS IT Solutions Ltd. has sent this  infographic called “How Apps Streamline Business Processes”