Tag: calls

Sky Live is the new interactive camera from Sky

Sky today unveils Sky Live, the clever entertainment device that will transform the way you use your TV. Exclusive to Sky Glass, the new interactive camera brings you exciting new ways to share your favourite TV with family and friends, work out, play and video call – all on your TV. Sky Live is now available to buy from €6 per month*.

Speaking about Sky Live, JD Buckley, CEO, Sky Ireland, said: “Following Sky Glass’ successful launch last August, we are thrilled to announce that we are transforming the home entertainment experience yet again with the launch of our new 4k interactive camera, Sky Live.

We are so excited to bring this innovative product to our Sky Glass customers as our new camera will change the way we interact with TV.  There’s a new way to chat, play, work out and share the greatest TV moments with family and friends. We hope our customers love it as much as we do.”

Fraser Stirling, Global Chief Product Officer, Sky, said: “We surprised everyone when we launched our streaming TV, Sky Glass. Now we’re doing it again. Sky Live makes your TV much more than just a TV, by introducing new entertainment experiences for the heart of your home.

“Get active with motion control games, work out with body tracking technology, video call on the big screen and watch TV with loved ones – even from afar. And this is just the start. With our powerful Entertainment OS ecosystem, it will keep getting better with every update.”  

Sky Live makes the big screen in your living room even smarter, more social, and more interactive. Key features include:

Watch Together when you’re not together

 

  • Enjoy TV together, even when you’re apart.
  • See and hear family and friends in their own homes alongside your favourite content on your TV screen, so you can celebrate Premier League goals together live, discuss the latest murder mystery from Poker Face and chat through every episode of And Just Like That, S2.
  • Working across live channels and Sky on demand content – the dedicated Watch Together button on screen lets you invite your family and friends to watch with you**.
  • And with Auto-Tracking, everyone will always be in shot and in focus. Plus, Sky Live’s background noise suppression technology means sound will be crystal-clear.

Workout with a personal trainer on your TV

  • With the exclusive Mvmnt fitness app, you can choose from over 130 interactive workouts, including a range of strength, mobility, Pilates and yoga classes for all abilities.
  • Built-in Body Tracking technology improves your technique by analysing your form, providing real-time feedback as you move and counting your reps.
  • Developed in partnership with WithU and qualified coaches, Mvmnt is exclusive to Sky Live for innovative and easy ways to work out from home on the big screen.
  • Download the Mvmnt companion mobile app so you can also get real-time feedback on your form directly to your mobile. Plus, you can plan your workouts, track your personal progress, and share to social media.

Play hands-free immersive games for the whole family

 

  • Use your body as the controller in fun active games like Starri, PAW Patrol PAWsome fitness and Fruit Ninja with Sky Live’s ground-breaking Motion Control technology, which uses AI-powered body tracking and gesture control. With more games like Peppa Pig coming soon.
  • Play solo at home, or challenge family and friends to join in a range of fun multiplayer games and experiences like Monopoly.
  • With VideoBooth you can capture short videos and photos on your Sky Glass. Immerse yourself in some of your favourite TV shows and films with AR filters for PAW Patrol, Trolls and more. Download your creations and share with your family, friends and on social media.
  • Also coming soon is the Stingray Karaoke app, allowing you to record, play back and easily share your best performances on social media.

Video Call on your TV

 

  • Make Zoom calls to family and friends from your sofa to any device.
  • Have better conversations and see people in HD, large as life and crystal-clear on the big screen – no more juggling iPads, laptops or mobiles.
  • Everyone will be in shot with Auto-Tracking and you can hear every word with the background noise suppression technology.
  • You can even switch from a call on your mobile to your TV if you’re signed into the same account on Sky Live. Just use your existing Zoom account and log in with your regular e-mail address and password.

Simple set up

Sky Live has been designed with the same simplicity and privacy credentials as Sky Glass. It’s easy to set up, with no remotes, headsets or controllers, and the magnetic base sits securely on top of your Sky Glass, with cables to connect to the TV. Giving you complete control over your privacy, there’s a dedicated button which lets you switch the camera and microphone on and off – when the front light is off, you know it’s completely off.

Pricing and availability

Sky Live is available to buy in Ireland from today (Thursday 22 June) at Sky.ie/SkyLive, in Sky retail stores or with our customer services.

Buy for €6 per month interest-free credit on a 48-month credit sale agreement, €12 per month on a 24-month credit sale agreement, or €301***.

Buy Sky Glass, Sky Ultimate TV and Sky Live from just €18.50 for 3 months

Developing for the future

Sky Live is the latest addition to the Sky TV Entertainment OS ecosystem, which includes Sky Glass. Sky Live will never stay the same; its software will continue to evolve, with new games, workouts, features and more to come in future releases.

As a platform Sky is looking forward to working with experience and app creators to bring new entertaining innovations to the big screen. We’re even opening our developer portal very soon.

For more, visit Sky.ie

How Botox & Body Language Are Changing The Face Of Video Calls

The art of communication continues to evolve with personal appearance becoming ever more crucial on video calls, as participants compete to be seen and heard clearly.

That’s the view of Holli Hulett, Co-founder of global conferencing manufacturer Boom Collaboration, who says body language and eye contact can help build an instant bond in an increasingly virtual world.

She says the Covid pandemic triggered a huge ‘Zoom boom’ with more than a 40% rise in the popularity of minimal invasive procedures such as Botox and lip fillers, in some areas of the world – as millions more  people began embracing video calls for work and socialising.

“People are definitely becoming more self-conscious and aware of how they appear.

Other than looking in a mirror, many hadn’t really paid too much attention to themselves and certainly not on camera before,” she highlighted. 

“We’ve read widespread media reports how interest in neck and face work has leapt dramatically in recent years, which reflects what we’re seeing too. In areas of the UK and Europe there’s been a reported 30% rise in bookings year-on-year, compared to the US which has seen a 41% increase in treatments, with 5.5m procedures conducted in one year alone. The industry is estimated to be worth $4.4 billion with no sign of slowing down.”
This increase has also brought more attention to other appearance-related concerns that surface under bright webcam lights—such as excessive facial sweating, which can impact on-screen confidence. Individuals now exploring cosmetic enhancements are often simultaneously considering treatment options including Botox that target facial sweating as part of their self-care routine for video calls. This overlap has positioned non-invasive cosmetic and dermatological procedures as part of the modern “Zoom-ready” toolkit.

 

 

Human interaction

Maintaining face-to face eye contact is crucial for a rewarding and life-like call experience, Hulett says. “Body language is part of the overall call chemistry, with great hardware vs not so great hardware a vital component of overall success. Building a bond and rapport happens in many different ways. Being relaxed, happy and friendly goes a long way.

“So much human interaction happens through body language and facial expressions. A smile can light up a room and make someone happy without any words. Emotion is powerful. A meeting is an encounter between people, where we constantly read each other. First impressions count.

“It’s also important to be flexible as well as natural and adaptable to different scenarios whether that’s teaching, pitching or selling. Being able to adapt is very important on a video call. Some miss that when trying to create inclusivity and equality. This is particularly hard with a large group when everyone is split up into little square boxes on a screen.” 

Boom Collaboration’s own independent research based on discussions with channel partners and backed by various industry studies, shows:

 

  • Around half of people worry about how they look on video
  • Nearly 60% feel more self-aware. 
  • Almost everyone multitasks during meetings
  • Around 40% experience hardware or software issues such as picture and audio performance

Hulett began the business with co-founder Fredrik Hörnkvist in 2020, with Boom now embarking on a global expansion drive including the UK and Europe.

She advises: “To overcome some of the challenges we always suggest putting the camera at eye level on the same wall as the main display so that it’s natural and easy to engage directly with people. 

“We feel something like a 360 degree camera is actually counter intuitive to the way we communicate. Also because more people are using video calls now they want to look their best as they can physically see themselves in a different way on screen. 

“For me, if I’m conducting a big webinar for example, when I’m prepping my content I’m also prepping my appearance. I do pay special attention and take more time.”

Global economies

She added: “Quality equipment does make a significant difference. Quality really matters. It’s one of the many reasons we decided to produce a 4K PTZ camera early on. We believe this is where a lot of the platforms such as Teams will go next. In the future video calls will be conducted in 4K not HD. Raising the bar and raising the game in terms of quality will lead to a greater customer experience.”

Hulett notes how global economies still face many challenges with the most recent report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) showing world growth slowing to 2.9% in 2023, down from 3.4% last year. 

“Through these interesting, challenging and evolving times, from lockdowns to hybrid working, conferencing has been at the fulcrum of dramatic changes in daily and working life; how people interact and communicate, almost from anywhere. Choosing the right equipment is crucial. That could be plug-and-play or more powerful full room integrated systems.

“To survive an unstable economic climate, business leaders are looking to technology solutions that cut costs, amplify productivity, and accelerate ROI. Automation tools are widely considered ‘recession-proof’ because they reduce operating costs, increase efficiencies, and build the strong digital foundation organisations need to weather any storm.”

Smart appearance

The quality of audio and video plus user friendly technology all have to combine to create the ultimate life-like video call experience, according to Hulett who stated: “It doesn’t happen by chance.”

She concluded: “A video call has become part of daily working life for many people. It’s probably one of the biggest lasting legacies of the pandemic. There’s no going back. Jumping on a video call is now part of working culture. However it doesn’t matter how good the technology is. If it’s not being used on a regular basis in the right way then the whole investment and experience is undermined. It has to be reliable, easy to operate and effective.

“Being smart and professional is hugely important. Equally people need to be seen and heard clearly too.”

Tech Review – Konftel 800 & Ceiling Mount Kit

The Hybrid conference phone came in a neutral packing in terms of limited information on the packing but has the impressive Climate neutral products symbol on the packing.  This kit came with the Konftel 800 Ceiling Mount Kit allowing the kit flexibility in placements The kit is designed for Small to Large rooms while having the options for larger spaces or multipurpose rooms to be able to connect additional devices using the daisy-chain to increase audio capabilities. The 4.3-inch graphical LCD touchscreen display allowed for easy configurations and visual displays when the volume or mute options were used via colour changes on the kit. The kit has an additional, two mute key buttons located along the corners of the unit to allow any user to go on mute.

Previously at techbuzz Ireland, we reviewed The Konftel C2070 conferencing system, which came with a speakerphone, camera, and hub their Konftel Cam10 Ego bluetooth speakerphone and also the Cam10 webcam

 Features:

  •   Connectivity: USB and Bluetooth
  •   Suitable for up to 12 participants, can be expanded to 20 with expansion mics (sold separately)
  •   Supports the Konftel Unite App via Adaptor
  •   SIP Verified – ShoreTel, Swyx, Avaya, Broadsoft, Cisco, Unify
  •   Hybrid: Collaboration App and Phone call
  •   Microphone: Omnidirectional 360
  •   OmniSound with HD Audio
  •   Supports HD Audio on mobile network
  •   NFC Technology
  •   Power through PoE (Power Over Ethernet)
  •   Web-based configuration

 

Konftel 800 conference ceiling and mount kit for conference calls – techbuzzireland

Setup and use:

The Kit came with a quick user guide in terms of the setting up with outstanding diagrams to give a clear view of how to install it. The basic installation required minimal technical experience. Those of an advanced nature can refer to the web version “Installing and Administering Konftel 800” which contains  200 pages for diverse types of network installations configurations,  

The conference phone can also use Bluetooth to connect to a mobile device, or a laptop as it supports Hands-Free and A2DP Bluetooth profiles. Konftel 800 uses 10/100 Mbit Ethernet and supports PoE Class 1 and Class 2 power.

Note: This kit is a Power Over Ethernet (PoE) enabled device and would require purchasing as an optional accessory if needed which Jim has a good deal of knowledge with NTP time servers when it comes to clock systems which also uses PoE in certain configurations

App:   Konftel Unite

This allows connection via your phone for One Touch Conferencing, calling from your contact list, create your conference groups. Techbuzz tested on an android device which was a standard install.

App Store

https://itunes.apple.com/app/konftel-unite/id1093774146

Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.konftel.unite

Warranty: 2 years

Overall:

The kit came in a Climate neutral packing which is always a bonus. The design while having many awards has a few personal niggles in terms of several types of screws provided for the Ceiling Mount Kit and the network cable does not have a tray to hide the cable if placed on a boardroom table as you would see on a typical phone system.

The physical connection to the network is straightforward but may require looking towards a PoE injector for power. The Ceiling Mount Kit mechanically connects easily and can easily be removed as required. Connectivity via the app or via a laptop was standard without any issues,

As a real positive the ability to connect via a smartphone easily and quickly, is great especially if the kit is being mounted, the colour changes for the mute etc are great.  The Audio quality cannot be faulted as the test carries out walking close and further back gave exceptional audio quality.

The audio quality is a result of the three microphones in the base of Konftel 800, which support 10 users in a 30 square meters room.  The audio was excellent at blocking out noise from outside of the room testing via the Smart Microphone which had built-in cancellation of echo and background noise through OmniSound.

The additional socket via daisy chain allowed for the addition of microphones to increase the conference phone coverage to seventy square meters or daisy chain three Konftel 800 devices to cover up to 90 square meters.

The kit has a few minor niggles but is a real gem in terms environmentally friendly, easy to set up and use with the options of seriously advanced features, Voip / traditional with the option to expand the impressive audio experience for any call.

https://www.konftel.com/en/products/konftel-800

Video review