Tag: manchester

Bringing 115 Years of Manchester United History to Life with AI Photo Upscale on Magic7 Pro

To commemorate the 115th anniversary of the first game at Old Trafford, HONOR today announced that its new AI photo upscaling feature on the HONOR Magic7 Pro, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform6, has revitalized iconic historical photographs of Manchester United’s legendary stadium, nicknamed “Theatre of Dreams” in connection with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. ’s sponsorship of the club. Since 1910, Old Trafford has been the stage for countless unforgettable moments in world football. Now, HONOR’s AI technology powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite brings these treasured images into the 21st century, enhancing their clarity and detail.

From 1910 to 2025 with HONOR AI Upscale

The new HONOR Magic7 Pro, powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform offers a wide range of powerful AI photography features, from AI Super Zoom and AI Enhanced Portrait to AI Motion Sensing Capture. Its self-developed AI Upscale is a new addition which allows users to easily restore damaged or faded old portrait photos by eliminating scratches, enhancing resolution, and improving clarity to bring back cherished memories. The HONOR Magic7 Pro’s AI Upscale restored and enhanced over 40 photographs from Old Trafford’s archives, turning faded relics into polished images fit for the 21st century to showcase the technology and demonstrate Qualcomm Technologies’ innovative sponsorship with the club in delivering unique fan experiences with their partners.

“These restored photographs are an invaluable contribution to celebrating Manchester United’s history, offering a glimpse into the very first moments at Old Trafford,” commented Jason Leach, club historian at Manchester United. “The AI Upscale by HONOR is truly remarkable. It’s like stepping back in time, allowing us to see these scenes with amazing clarity. Some details that were lost to time are now more visible, bringing the atmosphere of that first game in 1910 to life for modern fans. It’s a fantastic way to celebrate 115 years of the Theatre of Dreams.”

“Old Trafford is a symbol of tradition and excellence, so we’re thrilled that our AI technology, powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite can play a role in preserving its legacy through Qualcomm Technologies’ sponsorship of the club,” said Wei Luo, Chief Imaging Architect at HONOR. “The HONOR Magic7 Pro’s AI Upscale isn’t just about improving photos, it’s about connecting people with magic moments from the past. We believe that AI can be a powerful tool for preserving cultural heritage, and this content is a perfect example of that potential. We’re excited for fans to see these restored images and experience the history of Old Trafford in a whole new light thanks to Qualcomm Technologies’ sponsorship of the club.”

“It’s fantastic to see this technology bring Manchester United’s illustrious history to life,” said Judd Heape, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Our advanced AI ISP enables powerful, AI-driven photography features that make it easy for users to capture and preserve life’s most memorable moments. Our collaborations with HONOR and Manchester United powerfully demonstrate how on-device generative AI features enable the camera systems on the HONOR Magic7 Pro to deliver ultra-clear portrait photography so Manchester United fans can enjoy around the world.”

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CitySwift announces latest UK partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester

CitySwift, leader in performance optimisation for the public transport sector across the globe, has partnered with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), local government body responsible for transport in the Manchester region. This partnership looks to power the future of Manchester’s public transport network through the use of AI and data.

This move makes TfGM the first franchised transport authority in the UK to utilise AI to deliver more reliable, frequent and quicker bus journeys, building on the Greater Manchester Bus Strategy announced last year. The plans laid out in this report highlight Greater Manchester’s vision for the future bus network, aiming to make buses the first choice for more journeys within the Bee Network.

The strategy sets an initial target of a 30% increase in bus patronage by 2030 from 2022/23 levels, equating to nearly 50 million additional bus journeys annually. This growth will be driven by improvements such as a more integrated, user-friendly, and frequent network, and better infrastructure for reliable bus journeys, with CitySwift playing a key role in this transition.

Founded in 2016 by Brian O’Rourke and Alan Farrelly, CitySwift’s performance optimisation platform gives operators and transport authorities insights, recommendations, and predictions, supporting them in the delivery of efficient, reliable and in-demand services.

CitySwift empowers public transport authorities and operators to achieve unparalleled efficiency by leveraging advanced analytics, simulations, and optimisations. With its easy-to-use industry-leading technology, CitySwift envisions a future where public transport is the travel mode of choice for all people.

Speaking on today’s announcement, Brian O’Rourke, CEO and Co-founder of CitySwift said “The goals and vision set out in the Great Manchester Bus Strategy speak clearly to our mission at CitySwift – grow patronage with frequent and more reliable buses.. I am thrilled that we’re partnering with TfGM, supporting them in achieving this goal through our transport data-solutions, as we continue to build the smart cities of the future.”

 

Through this partnership, TfGM will have access to CitySwift’s performance data across the entire Bee Network, helping to identify trends and pain points such as traveller destinations and service performance, allowing them to recognise where improvements should be made to benefit passengers. Additionally TfGM will leverage CitySwift’s latest product offering, Spotlight, a globally leading intelligent recommendation engine for bus network enhancements.

Designed for stakeholders, the product enhances decision-making by providing AI-powered insights into performance and resource parameters like timeliness, cost, and vehicle numbers through scanning the whole network, executing optimisation variations, and proposing ROI improvements.

Catherine Towey, Senior Lead for Bus Franchising at TfGM said: “Customers are at the heart of the Bee Network and by working with CitySwift we will be able to see more clearly than ever how services are performing. We can then use this information prioritise improvements and deliver a better service for passengers.”

Powered by AI data processing, CitySwift optimises over 1 billion passenger journeys annually, working with public sector transport authorities and private bus operators to break down the barriers to accessing and interpreting transport data, replacing manual analysis with reliable, actionable insights. This solution enhances efficiency, benefiting drivers, passengers, partners, and cities, whilst remaining human-centric throughout.

This news follows a series of other partnerships for the data transportation company across the UK, including National Express, Transport North East, Transdev Blazefield, and trentbarton. Since its inception, CitySwift has grown to have a presence across the UK, US and its home territory of Ireland, covering transport networks in all major UK cities.

TECHGIANT Workplace To Build ‘Foundations Of Change’ In Manchester

Some of the country’s leading technology wizards are converging on Manchester early next month to shape a new era of innovation – inspired by father and son entrepreneurs.

Ian Taylor spearheads disruptive ITC consultancy, TECHGIANT Workplace, with his 20-year-old son Oliver. The company was recently named one of the UK’s top 100 SME businesses and is hosting a digital transformation insight event at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium on June 8th.

It will see guest speakers from top tech companies come together to inspire and educate as part of a ‘Foundations of Change’ theme – spanning cloud-based communications, cybersecurity, devices, infrastructure and AI.

“Manchester’s industrial heritage and rich reputation for innovation makes this the perfect place to inspire new ways of working and the next generation of technology leaders.” Ian explained.

“This is a conference all about UK digital transformation, and aims to provide great insight into the ways in which companies can adopt technology to bring them into the 21st century, allowing them to compete on both a domestic and international stage.

“My son is just 20 (fellow Director and Shareholder), and brings in the understanding and knowledge of just what the next generation (Gen Z) expect from the work environment, therefore helping direct the pillars of change across business enterprises.

“We want to reshape and inspire the next generation of tech innovators based on best practice, research, analysis and insight from many industry experts.”

Ian, who hails from Shevington in Wigan, concluded: “The tech giants are coming to Manchester and I’m coming back home. I’ve missed the pies too!”

To register interest in the event click here: ‘Foundations of Change’  or visit www.techgiantworkplace.com/upcomingevents 

Aspirations

TECHGIANT Workplace has developed a three-year business plan based on annual revenues of over £5m with further exponential growth planned to reach £20-£30m in just five years.

Launched in Autumn 2022, TECHGIANT wants to ensure organisations can fully embrace and exploit digital transformation and reshape their communication and collaboration strategies, helping companies to invest in the core technology areas which support sustainable positive operational change.

“It’s about creating certainty, finding the right technology fit and developing partnerships which last,” Oliver explained.

“I actually see my young age as a real benefit because I truly do understand the aspirations and demands of this emerging generation in relation to business asks, and in the years to come I hope my company, with its vast market knowledge and global partner relationships, will be of great assistance to both employees and employers alike.

“We want to be the first of a new generation of service providers, a true giant of tech. We are changing the rules, bringing the marketplace to customers and guaranteeing IT buyer certainty for the future. Culture and business productivity is underpinned by technology and so it’s about getting involved in the operational challenges themselves, and looking to apply the right change agents to help companies go faster, compete harder and retain more talent for years to come.

“With huge curiosity around areas such as Artificial Intelligence and return to the office mandates – technology and customer demands continue to evolve, which elevates to a level of critical importance the role of the trusted advisor.”

Red Bull Home Ground reveals KRÜ Esports as the latest team to compete in Manchester

Red Bull Home Ground, the one-of-a-kind pro VALORANT tournament, is set to return for its third iteration, bringing together some of the world’s most elite teams to battle it out for victory in a unique ‘Home and Away’ format from December 9th-11th. As an official part of the VCT Off-Season Tournaments, fans & players alike can expect VALORANT action at its highest level.

For the first time, Red Bull Home Ground has opened its doors to teams outside of Europe who are set to make waves going up against the EMEA’s best teams, taking their best shot at the $100,000 prize pool. These invitations promise fierce competition as Red Bull Home Ground will witness rivalries reignite for the first time outside the VALORANT Champions Tournament. Before, we’ve seen EMEA battle it out on the Red Bull Home Ground Stage, but now it’s time for the Americas teams to prove their skills.

 

  • Red Bull Home Ground will see eight of the best VALORANT teams go head to head in December, broadcast from Victoria Warehouse, Manchester.

  • South American team, KRÜ Esports, has been unveiled as the latest VALORANT team to compete in Red Bull Home Ground 2022.

  • The teams announced so far include 100 Thieves, Team Liquid, Team Vitality, FOKUS Clan, the Turkish Qualifier winners, and FUT Esports & EMEA Qualifier winner Team BIG.

  • Founded in 2020 by the world-famous striker and former Man-city player Sergio Agüero, the young team has made waves in the Latin American VALORANT Championship. Simultaneously, becoming the most successful team in the region and two-time semifinalists at the previous 2021 VCT Masters events. Recently, the Argentinian squad signed on xand, Daveeys, Melser and axeddy to bring new talent into its VALORANT roster.

  • Red Bull Home Ground fans will get the chance to witness KRÜ Esports battle it out on their founders’ former home ground for the Red Bull Home Ground Championship title and experience the team’s VALORANT roster ahead of the 2023 VCT for themselves.

  • Yinsu Collins returns to host the third iteration of Red Bull Home Ground alongside Mitch “Mitchman” McBride, Tom “Tombizz” Bissmire, Ryan “RyanCentral” Horton, Beatriz “kaquka” Alonso and Adam “Dinko” Hawthorne.

  • Tickets for Red Bull Home Ground are now sold! Don’t forget to tune in to the action which will be broadcasted live from Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on twitch and YouTube. The event will also be broadcast by various co-streamers in multiple languages, with details to be revealed soon.

  • AGON by AOC is the official Monitor Partner for the event, bringing exceptional visual clarity and ultra-high refresh rates to competitors. AMD joins Red Bull Home Ground as Technology Provider, ensuring the high-performance computing that will push the boundaries of the tournament. Supporting Red Bull Home Ground as a peripheral sponsor, HyperX ensures that players can reach their full potential on the stage.