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Snap Map on the Web: Everyone Can View Public Snapchat Videos

Marty
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0
Snap Map on the Web: Everyone Can View Public Snapchat Videos

You might remember there was a fair bit of outrage in 2017 when Snapchat launched Snap Maps. When you took a picture, it would appear on a map, allowing others on Snapchat who you aren’t friends with to see what you’re up to. The anger that followed was somewhat understandable as people thought their privacy was at risk. The truth of it all was that app users could turn this feature off, ensuring your snaps from the jacks remain within your private network. Today, Snapchat has released a new feature called Snap Map on the Web and I’m just waiting for the deluge of angry tweets to kick off again.

Snap Map On The Web

Right, so we’re pretty much all using WhatsApp, right? Have you tried out WhatsApp Web, which allows you to write and receive WhatsApp messages on your laptop? It’s really bloody handy getting to step away from the touchscreen every now and then. Snapchat has kinda gone and done the same thing.

Now, you can’t start uploading snaps from your laptop, but you can explore the Snapchat world by wandering around Snap Map on the Web and really hone your creeping game. Here’s what Dublin looks like; go on and have a wander:

 

I personally think this is pretty cool once you step away from the privacy scaremongering and can see the massive potential Snap Map present for event organisers.

snap map on the web

If you are a Snapchat user, don’t worry. Publically posted snaps are off by default and you do need to turn them on.

So What?

Well, this is a really big step forward for Snapchat because now you can explore a world of content created by everyday people, practically in real-time. Right now, according to Snapchat, the app has newsworthy content about ten minutes before traditional news reporters appear on site. This is down to the content being created by people on the spot when something happens. While that does sound like a precursor to a Black Mirror-style world when we just capture every moment, it’s a hard fact to ignore. Whenever something simply fantastic or utterly horrible happens these days look around and you’ll see a lot of smartphones capturing the moment.

According to Jack Brody, lead product engineer, Snapchat want’s to turn how we view maps on its head. With Snap Maps, it’s no longer about where you are or where you’re going, but more about what’s happening there and what can you do. Snapchat is bringing exploring real experiences to more and more people. The surprising part of Snap Map on the Web is the fact you don’t need to log in or even need a Snapchat account to view the images and videos being made public by people in an area.

Snapchat Isn’t Making Bad Moves

If you are in any way at all interested in the business side of Snapchat, you’ll no doubt be aware they’ve been taking a pounding in the stock market. They’ve recently released a fresh design for their app which has received mixed reactions.

However, Snap Map on the Web and Snap Map in general, for me, polarises what Snapchat’s mission is. They are making exploring the world easier than ever, by bringing authentic content created by local people. There’s a feeling of authenticity to this that you don’t often get with social media apps or even traditional TV shows. Snapchat has claimed that 31% of UK Snapchatters watch TV for less than an hour a day, indicating people are consuming news and reviews in very different ways.

I’m reluctant to ask, but how do you feel about Snap Map on the Web? If you decide to post publically (remember that’s off by default) anyone in the world could find your images and videos by zeroing in on your location. Awesome way to share content or terrifying for privacy? Let us know in the comments below.

Falcon Heavy Launch: Why I’ve Fallen in Love With SpaceX

Marty
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0
Falcon Heavy Launch: Why I’ve Fallen in Love With SpaceX

When you’ve been born in the very late eighties, it’s sometimes fair to feel a little bit cheated. I have no recollection of the Berlin wall coming down. Ray Houghton put the ball in the back of the English net on the day I was christened; again, no recollection of that event either. But they were close calls. I was around for them, but just too young to remember. Space exploration on the other hand, well I missed the best years which saw the likes of Neil Armstrong walk on the moon and utter famous words which to this day make the hair on my neck stand up.

Tonight, I watched SpaceX test a rocket. No humans were onboard. It all took little over ten minutes. Yet, I know I’ve just watched something on par with those great historical events that I’ve missed so far; the testing of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy.

What is SpaceX?

First of all, it’s not just “space” with the coolest letter of the alphabet stuck onto it. SpaceX is short for Space Exploration Technologies Corp. As you might imagine, SpaceX is focused on getting people into space, but it does go a little further than that.

Elon Musk, the founder of PayPal, Tesla and SpaceX, founded the aerospace company to make leaving the earth’s atmosphere more affordable and accessible. His ultimate goal was to see SpaceX facilitate the colonisation of Mars; our Elon doesn’t think small. And if the man wasn’t inspirational enough, just check out this heart wrenching showing his reaction to criticism from his heroes – couldn’t be further from the supervillain that I predict he’ll become:

But how can Musk and SpaceX make space exploration more affordable? It’s really simple: you reuse the rockets, duh.

When SpaceX rockets take off, they aren’t just jettisoned into space, oh no. Those damn things land. Watching the recent test flight of Falcon Heavy, the company’s largest rocket to date, I fell in love with SpaceX.

What is the Falcon Heavy Rocket?

Originally due to launch in 2013, the Falcon Heavy just made its maiden voyage. The Falcon Heavy design consists of two engines and a fuselage. The rocket’s design allows it to lift almost three times more than previous SpaceX rockets, nicely compared by the BBC below:

falcon heavy launch

The maiden Falcon Heavy mission was not without bucket-loads of drama. The goal was to launch and return everything, minus an interesting payload, to earth. This meant that for the first time ever, two boosters and the core would need to return to earth in a single mission. Of course, knowing Elon Musk was involved meant there would be some extra sprinkles of fun on the mission too.

The Boosters

The boosters provided what was most certainly the most exciting moment of the whole mission. Following a successful separation from the core and their initial lift duties are done, the two identical boosters began their journey home. Remember, SpaceX is all about making this craic sustainable and affordable so these things needed to land safely back at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Madness.

As mad a thought as it is, nothing prepared me for actually seeing these two incredibly powerful pieces of engineering land in perfect sync together. Dare I say it, I was bloody moved by it all:

I was not alone. Everyone was caught off guard by how incredible a moment this was and to be fair, the landing really was a thing of beauty.

The Core

While the boosters absolutely take the title of the most exciting part of the mission, the core maintains the most nail-biting aspect of the Falcon Heavy’s maiden voyage. The core, which held the mission payload and sat between the two booster engines has yet to be recovered. Speculation on Twitter so far suggests many believe the core has been lost following SpaceX ending their broadcast shortly after the two boosters successfully touched down.

The Payload

In 2017, Musk said the Falcon Heavy mission’s test payload would be the silliest thing he could think of:

So, when Musk drove to The Kennedy Space Center in his red Tesla Roadster, he would also be saying goodbye to that motor. Right now, that car is hurtling towards mars with a Tesla Spacesuit manning the driver’s seat, listening to Bowie’s “Life on Mars?” on infinite loop.

That payload is still due to two burns over the next few hours to ensure it’s on a trajectory which will see it grabbed by pulls directing it towards Mars. Musk’s motor is going to have some serious mileage on it, but if the mission does fail and the Roadster finds its way back to earth, it’ll just be burning up in our atmosphere.

Still, if he has third party, fire and theft, he might just be covered.

 

Going Off-Grid: How About a Feature Phone Life ?

Neal
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0
Going Off-Grid: How About a Feature Phone Life ?

Do you remember back in the day when your phone was used for just calling and texting? In fact, all it could do was text, make calls, play games like Snake and listen to the radio. Listening to the radio, ironically, taken away from us much to Dean’s dissatisfaction as he revealed on the Goos3D podcast.

What about the battery? The battery could last nearly a month. Yes, a whole month! Today, these are now commonly called ‘feature phones’. They had no internet or, at most, limited Internet connectivity. Connecting to the Internet, sending emails or booking Ryanair flights all had to be done on your home computer or in work when the boss wasn’t looking.

There is a lot of interest lately in getting back to the simple days of these feature phones. This is often referred to as going off-grid. The modern smartphone can play videos, take great pictures, download apps, check Facebook/Twitter/Instagram feeds and much much more. However, a movement has sprung up lately for a return to simpler and less connected phones. RTÉ’s Ryan Tubridy has recently been highlighting the risks of children using their smartphone and apps like KIK messenger, unwittingly interacting with dangerous individuals. Tubridy has also gone off-grid and is using a feature phone while documenting his experience and seeing how well he can re-adjust to a phone life with just being able to send SMS messages and make/receive calls. That said, team Goos3D did something very similar not too long ago for charity.

A current Kickstarter project to create a new feature phone called “The Light Phone” has raised double their goal, highlighting the huge interest worldwide for simpler feature phones amongst those who perhaps seek a simpler, social media less life. Sure heck, maybe a feature phone retreat for few weeks has benefits. Plus, let’s never forget who’d win in a drag race…

So, we’ve been looking into this and below is a list of some of our favourite cheap and very cheerful feature phones with just the basic features. All of these phones can be purchased from mobile operators on basic monthly or pay as you go contracts. Usually at reduced tariffs also, which is an extra reason to go with a feature phone! You could, of course, purchase these phones directly yourself (e.g. eBay, Amazon etc) and use your existing sim card. Remember to request your mobile operator to reduce your package rate to reflect that you don’t need a 3G/4G data allowance anymore.

Nokia 3310

Originally released in 2000, the original Nokia 3310 became one of the worlds most popular phones, selling over 126 million worldwide. Re-released in 2017 as a faithful recreation of the original with an updated screen, colour user interface and a battery that still last a month! Packed with old-school features such as the ability to send SMS texts, make calls, listen to FM radio and play the legendary snakes game. It’s a modern phone with all the great old school features you or your parents will remember. There is a 3G version of this phone but of course, that wouldn’t really be playing fair with your inner back to basics self. Carphone Warehouse and Vodafone currently have this on sale for €59.99, pay as you go contract.

Nokia 150

Another recent release from Nokia (2017), this feature phone has all the build quality and reliability you would expect from a Nokia phone. It features a 31-day battery, camera and flash, FM radio & MP3 player, SMS texts and voice calls.

Carphone Warehouse and Vodafone currently have this on sale for €29.99 on pay as you go.

Alcatel OneTouch/10.54

Simplicity at its best. The Alcatel One Touch/10.54 comes with an FM radio, camera, games, SMS texts and voice calls. Comes with a great battery that’ll last you 30 days standby time and a tasty price to boot. This phone can be picked up for €19.99 in Vodafone and Eir on pay as you go. Sure, what more would you need?

Alcatel 20.08

Another no-frills feature phone from Alcatel. Featuring an FM radio, MP3 player, camera and the ubiquitous ability to send SMS texts and voice calls. Long life battery is also a beneficial feature. This phone does actually offer very basic 2G Internet connectivity but don’t worry, the connection will be far to slow to surf modern web pages with any degree of comfort or patience. The big features on this phone are Hearing Aid compatibility and extra large keyboard buttons. So for those in need of such features, this could be a godsend. Available for €29.99 from Vodafone on pay as you go.

Are you tempted to go off-grid for a while?

Safer Internet Day Quiz: How Safe Are You Online?

Marty
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0
Safer Internet Day Quiz: How Safe Are You Online?

We have quite an incredible amount of data about ourselves online these days. Simply put, pleading ignorance isn’t an excuse anymore as educating yourself and your family is a key part of enjoying technology safely. While we applaud RTÉ’s insight into the dangers of KIK Messenger for children recently, little was done to educate parents on using apps like this safely.

But how do you know if you’re up to speed with keeping your online privacy in check? For example, if you’re a Gmail user are you in the 10% that use two-step verification? Or are you in the 90% of people who choose not to use this extra layer of free security?

6 February: Safer Internet Day

6 February is Safer Internet Day and we plan to bring you a few bits and bobs in the run-up to help you stay secure online. To kick things off, we have a lighthearted quiz from Google that’ll give you an idea how your fixed when it comes to cybersecurity.

So go ahead, give it a lash:

[interaction id=”59fe0cbaab9c9a0001c99239″]



Amazon Music Unlimited: Spotify Alternative Now Available in Ireland

Marty
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1
Amazon Music Unlimited: Spotify Alternative Now Available in Ireland

Back in December, we brought you the delightful news that Amazon was now officially supporting Alexa powered devices like the Echo and Echo Dot in Ireland. This meant you could actually download their Alexa app in the proper stores rather than having to sideload the app to your mobile device. Turns out, we were breaking an exclusive without even knowing it as Amazon just announced that they were officially shipping devices to Ireland along with a few more surprises.

Amazon Music Unlimited Now in Ireland – A Spotify Challenger

With prices aligning to that of Spotify, Amazon is now streaming music through their Amazon Music Unlimited service in Ireland. Amazon’s catalog of music spans 40 million songs which already would appear to be a round to the UK e-commerce giant. Spotify only has a catalog of 30 millions songs. Just 30 million, because you’ll really get around to listening to them all.

Regardless, many would consider Spotify to be unbeatable, but already Amazon is showing some promise. I won’t lie though, I’ve yet to really browse Amazon Music and see what they offer in comparison to Spotify. Imagine if they didn’t have The Rubberbands like!

Why Choose Amazon Music Unlimited?

Like I said, I’ve yet to dive into Amazon Music Unlimited, but if you already have a lot of Amazon devices like the Echo, it might be a good idea to keep the same ecosphere going. Apple users benefit from keeping everything in their lives having the same logo so maybe Amazon products and services will be the same? You’ll have to check back in to see if that’s true or not after I get some proper testing done.

Amazon Music Unlimited is available across a range of plans:

  • €9.99 for single users
  • €14.99 for a family plan (up to six users)
  • €3.99 for the Echo plan

The Echo plan literally gives you Amazon Music on just that one device which is grand for a dining room speaker. Be sure to sign up to our newsletter to find out how I get on with this Spotify alternative.

 

 

eCall: Every European Car Will Call Emergency Services for You

Marty
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0
eCall: Every European Car Will Call Emergency Services for You

I recently went for a drive around Dingle in Kerry and ended up driving the route that Top Gear drove, including the breathtaking Conor Pass. When you drive routes like that you can’t help but bask in the remoteness of where you are. You also can’t settle in your seat too long as narrow roads make you feel like your only ever a moment away from crashing. What happens if you crash on a rural road? eCall is an EU initiative set to tackle just such a scenario.

What is eCall?

Back in 1999, the first sight of eCall technology was being presented but come April 2018 it will be a new normal in Europe. All new cars sold after April 2018 must be fitted with eCall technology, a technology that will automatically call emergency services in the event of an accident. The system can be manually activated in the car with a button or, should the driver be unable to make the call, the car can automatically pass on information through the European emergency number 112.

eCall will inform the emergency services of:

  • Whether it was an automatic or manual alert
  • Number plate of your car
  • Car and engine type
  • Time of message
  • Car direction
  • Current and previous positions
  • Number of passengers

The system can also be used if, when driving your own car, you witness an accident, allowing you to provide detailed information to emergency services.

What’s the Benefit of eCall?

Like the example I opened with, the idea behind eCall is to reduce the time it takes for emergency services to attend the scene of a car crash. The EU has stated that the response times could be reduced by 60% in urban areas and 50% in rural areas. It’s believed this reduction in response time will save hundreds of lives every year in the EU and reduce the severity of injuries for thousands more.

Can Additional Services Be Added?

eCall is for emergencies only and right now, doesn’t look like it will be used to offer additional services like breakdown assist or in-car WiFi. You can sign up for third-party services like Opel’s On-Star to get stuff like that in your motor.

Can the eCar System Find Stolen Cars?

The early suggestions of an eCall system were flagged for data protection reasons. Many feared that the system could lead to cars being tracked and monitored. The EU has addressed these concerns directly and rigorously tested the system to ensure it remains dormant until activated or an accident takes place. With this in mind, it’s unlikely the system can even be used to locate stolen cars as this would undermine steps taken to protect the owner’s privacy.

What Cars Come With eCall?

From April 2018 all new cars sold within the EU must be fitted with the eCall system. Older cars are not required to be retrofitted with the system and the EU expects all cars on the road to have the system by 2035 – thought that’s unlikely considering our tendency to enjoy the odd classic car.

What do you think of this eCall system? Considering there’s no avoiding it are you worried about your privacy? Maybe you think it would be better if you could easily add extra services and find your car if it was nicked? Will you just be really tempted to press the emergency button to give out about people? Let us know in the comments.

 

Why Aren’t You Using Gmail’s Two-Step Verification?

Marty
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0
Why Aren’t You Using Gmail’s Two-Step Verification?

Ever had your house broken into? Whenever you hear victims recount their feelings after a break in, you hear how violated they felt at someone being in their house. Naturally, after something like that happens, security in the home gets beefed up with some extra locks and the likes. But getting your email hacked can be pretty violating too. That account is linked to your social media, your friends and family, your financial information and quite likely holds years of correspondence. Even so, 90% of Gmail users aren’t making use of a completely free feature that will make their accounts infinitely more secure. This article is all about two-step verification.

What is Two-step Verification?

This is a Ronseal moment as two-step verification does exactly what it says on the tin; it takes two steps to identify you as you, the owner of your Gmail account. Gmail is one of the world’s most popular email providers with 15% of users opting for it. This also makes it a tasty target for hackers. Should you be in the 10% of users using two-step verification, a hacker could get your email address and password but still not be able to access your email.

How Does Two-step Verification Work?

After you try to sign into your Gmail account, if you have 2SV set up, you’ll then be prompted to enter a code. You’ll get this in the form of a text message, a voice call from Google or using Google’s Authenticator app. The latter is definitely my choice as it’s a little cool. With a little imagination, it’s kind of like having your own nuclear codes.

When prompted for your 2SV code, open the Authenticator app and you’ll be greeted with an access code for the account your trying to log in to. You might have to be quick though as these access codes refresh every minute.

Google has also developed the Authenticator app so you can add an extra layer of protection to other sites too. Personally, I use 2SV for Gmail, Trello, and Twitter and will be setting it up for Facebook too. An extra layer of protection for your personal data and it doesn’t cost you a penny.

Why Wouldn’t You Do This?

Setting Up 2SV

The quickest way to set up 2SV is to use Google’s “Security Check-Up” feature. In here, you can review a few bits and bobs around your account and enable 2SV. You’ll need to download the Google Authenticator app for either iOS or Android, scan a barcode and then you’re done. Your Google account is now infinitely more secure than it was a few minutes ago.

Apple Plans and Predictions for 2018

Neal
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0
Apple Plans and Predictions for 2018

We always have a vigilant eye on the future of tech, especially for new products that are coming our way this year. Jon’s review of CES 2018 gave us a look at what some of the world’s biggest companies are plotting for the year ahead. Apple of course no longer attend CES, probably out of spite in having to share the limelight with others. But also that they like to do things their own way these days. So, those of you interested in all things Apple or are planning to purchase a new iPhone or other Apple product this year, here is a brief overview of Apple products planned and predicted in 2018.

Apple HomePod – Due Early 2018 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hw9skL-IXc

This is Apple’s answer to the current zeitgeist for smart speakers in your home. Currently, the Amazon Echo, Google’s Home and Sonus One have the market pretty much sewn up.

Apple hopes to get ahead of the competition by positioning their speaker as having the best sound of all rival products, surpassing even the current leader Sonus One. Add AI interaction via Siri, integration with Apple services such as Apple Music and Home devices e.g. lights, heating etc. they hope to have a winner on their hands. Whether they can pull all of this off remains to be seen. Apple originally had planned to release the HomePod in time for last Christmas but was forced to delay until early 2018. Latest rumours suggest it could be out very soon. We in sunny Ireland(sic) may not be in the initial launch countries, so our wait could be a little longer. Expect to price around €250-300.

Apple iPhone SE 2 – Early 2018

Apple released the current iPhone SE in March 2016 to cater for customers who prefer smaller phones and who don’t like the current trend for large sized phones. The 4” iPhone SE has proved to be a big hit. Unsurprising it is expected that Apple will release a refresh this year with new and improved internals, camera and possibly wireless charging. If Apple keeps to the same release time-frame as the original, then it could be released as early as March 2018.

iPhone XI, iPhone 9 and iPhone 9S – September 2018

Apple has for the past many years released new iPhones in September each year. We have yet to hear naming conventions for the new phones, so we are working on guesstimates at the moment. Don’t expect major design or form factor changes this year. It will likely be an iterative update cycle. Current rumours point to improved internals for all the new iPhones, such as more powerful chips, better battery and camera.

There is a rumour that Apple may have cracked how to integrate the Face ID InfraRed Camera into the photo Camera. This could mean a smaller “notch” at the top of the iPhone XI, which would be welcome news and could point to Apple’s plans to eliminate the notch completely in future updates. Other rumours suggest Apple may introduce a larger sized iPhone XI Plus also. The tension is building already!

Apple Air Pod 2, Watch 4 and Air Power wireless charger – 2018

The Air Pod has been a big seller since it’s launch last Summer. Even now, they are still hard to come by in stores and online. Some rumours suggest a new model later in the year but this could be more likely for 2019.

A new Watch 4 is expected later in the year. Very little in the way of rumours exist at the moment bar some additional features such as Glucose sensor and EKG heart rate sensor. A design change is possible but not expected.

Apple has already announced they are working on the Air Power wireless chargers for the iPhone X, 8, 8Plus and Watch. It will allow for two items to be charged simultaneously. No specific date announced beyond “2018”.

iOS12, WatchOS 5, Mac 10.14 and TVOS 12 (Demoed June 2018, Release Autumn 2018).

Apple traditionally announces upgrades to their software at the annual WWDC conference, held in June. Expect Security updates with some new features and functionality.

iPad Updates – Mid to Late 2018

Apple is expected to deliver updates to their iPad lineup this year. Rumours at the moment suggest updates to the low-cost iPad in early to mid-2018. An iPad pro update is also expected with some internal improvements later in the year.

Apple Car

OK, I just added this in because it would be cool to see an Apple car however unlikely it is. Apple has though admitted that they are working on autonomous driving and potentially delivering the software behind this for other vehicles to use. They already have autonomous test cars on the road in the US. It’s unlikely we will see anything this year, but we may get hear details on what exactly Apple is working on.

More likely might be Apple’s CarPlay getting some new features as smartphone companies start entering more spaces you find yourself in every day.

Best of CES 2018

Jon
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Best of CES 2018

And that’s a wrap for CES 2018. The annual Consumer Electronic Show is probably one of our favourite events every year as we get the chance to look at the latest tech from around the world. In fact it’s the largest consumer gadget showcase of the year. So every January tech companies big and small converge on Las Vegas to show us all the new toys that will soon be part of our every day lives. Pretty cool right? So without further adieu here is our Best of CES 2018:

HTC Vive Pro & Black Box VR

Image result for HTC vive pro

In case you didn’t know we are huge fans of the HTC Vive. So it should come as no surprise to anyone that the brand spanking new HTC Vive Pro makes our Best of CES 2018 list. Ok we have to admit that VR has really not taken off as we had anticipated, but the Vive is far further along than any of the competition. I’ve even managed to get the fright of my life last year at the DTS when we reviewed AnotherWorldVR. Don’t believe me here’s the proof!

Anyway, the new Vive Pro was one of the biggest announcement at CES 2018, with improved graphics and integrated headphones. Oh and it has a new wireless adaptor which brings us as close to a fully wireless system. This allows the player to play without getting tangled in all the wires, that’s a big win in my book. Right now we have no prices available at this point in time but when we can get a closer look at this cool piece of kit we will bring you the full review.

Wi-Charge

Image result for Wi-Charge

Not exactly a consumer product but holy crap is this cool! Just imagine popping into Maccy D’s and your phone will charge the whole time your there. Without plugging it in, without cables and without actually doing anything. You might think this is some BS gimmick but it’s real, true wireless charging is happening.

The Wi-Charge, uses infrared to enable full-room charging and it impressed so much that the product actually won the CES 2018 Best of Innovation Award. Now that’s something you can’t turn your nose up at.

The cheeky buggers really pushes the boat out at this years even as the company allowed people to chill out in their demo space and charge their phone at the same time. Talk about proving a point.

L’Oreal UV Sense

Image result for L’Oréal UV SenseThis one is a bit different but well deserving of out Best of CES 2018 list. The L’Oréal’s UV Sense is a small sensor that fits on your nail and detects ultraviolet exposure. Probably not overly relevant in Ireland but hey we get summer one week a year so Im counting it.

The small, stylish sensor is completely battery free and includes a temperature sensor, UV sensor and an NFC antenna for easy connection to your smart phone. The L’Oréal’s UV Sense can store up to three months of data, passing the information to the app on your phone. This app will then keep track of your UV exposure levels and will also provide tips for managing sun intake. This technology is trying to solve a problem pro-actively which is something we like as most tech we get the chance to see is traditionally trying to help you after the fact. It is for this reason alone that the L’Oréal’s UV Sense makes our Best of CES 2018 list.

Blocks Modular Smartwatch

Image result for blocks modular smartwatch

This is one of my personal favourites, I love watches and tech so any opportunity to merge the two with a bit of style always gets my full attention. Ok it might not be the flashiest piece of kit that was showcased at CES 2018 but this began as a humble Kickstarter program around 18 months ago. The Blocks has come such a long way in such a short space of time and is actually already for sale!

The idea is simple, build your own smartwatch that suits your needs. Buy the modules as you need them, whether that’s a GPS unit or a simple torch. These modules actually then make up the watch strap with a clever interlocking system. Blocks will work with iPhones and Android and will cost around $259, with extra modules for $35.

For that kind of money and customization I felt the need to include this in my Best of CES 2018 list.

Aflack Duck

Image result for aflac duck toy

Last but not least in our Best of CES 2018 is the My Special Aflac Duck. This one is guaranteed to make you say awh!

While so many robotic toys built for education, the Aflac Duck was created to provide comfort to children with Cancer. Kids can mirror their care routine on the duck and can express their emotions through the toy by holding the badge in the middle of it’s chest. By holding the token with a smiley face the toy will be able to respond accordingly. This is meant to bring the kid a sense of companionship as they undergo therapy.

The Aflac duck is expected to be available for kids diagnosed with Cancer for free by the end of the year. Yes you read that right, free! Tech doesn’t have to be futuristic or overly innovated, we can simply use it to help and that’s why the Aflac Duck makes our Best of CES 2018 list.

When can I get these?

So that’s it for another year. We found so many different products that could have easily made our Best of CES 2018 list, these are just what we thought were pretty cool. There were some stinkers too and we are putting together a list of some of the worst tech we discovered. Because we can and seriously you should see some of this nonsense.

Right now most of these products are not available to buy, but trust us when we know so will you.

PSD2: Why Banking in Ireland Is Set to Change Forever

Marty
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0
PSD2: Why Banking in Ireland Is Set to Change Forever

It’s been fairly obvious for the past few years thank banking in Ireland has been undergoing significant change. There’s barely a sinner left in physical banks these days and you don’t even need to use banks to transfer money to friends. Even with these changes, you’ve seen nothing yet with PSD2 set to be the biggest shakeup Irish banks have ever seen.

What is PSD2: Explained in plain English

First of all, PSD2 stands for Payment Services Directive 2 and has been designed by the European Union. Financial regulation is a boring and often difficult topic to simplify, but I’ll try. Banks don’t like external parties accessing your data, to which you might say, ‘fair enough’. PSD2 paves the way for third-parties and online stores to access your details. Obviously, access is only granted with your permission and will remove the reliance on Visa and PayPal for online payment. There’s also an immediate impact for online shoppers.

PSD2 Means No Annoying PayPal or Card Fees

If you’re normally conscious of cost you’ll be aware of the additional fees you pay online for goods and services. Ordering a takeaway on Just Eat or booking flights through Ryanair will include a processing fee which you pay to cover costs to the business. Here’s how you’ve been charged these fees so far on Just Eat, visible in this order for a healthy salad I totally ate.psd2 just eat From today, thanks to PSD2, that card fee for €0.50 is no longer allowed under EU regulations. While you can expect that to disappear in the coming days, don’t be surprised if, like has happened in the UK, online services like Just Eat introduce blanket €0.50 fees on all orders.

PSD2 Will Make Managing Finances Easier

For me, the most exciting innovation which will accompany PSD2 is how you manage your finances. If you have two bank accounts, you’ll be able to manage these accounts in a central third-party account, like popular service Mint in the US. You’ll also be able to plug your finances into budgeting apps like Wallet from Budget Bakers. This already works with N26 and makes saving and budgeting easier as everything is automated and updated live based on your own data.

You’ll also be able to share your banking financial data with businesses under PSD2. This means you can open your information up to third parties who can then advise you on products which better suits your needs.

The Second Payment Services Directive Also Means More Security

PSD2 two factor authenticationAnother element of the Payment Services Directive is added security for the accounts of EU citizens. This will likely come in the form of two-factor authentication. This is actually extremely practical and won’t be too mad a notion for security-aware Gmail customers. In practice, two-factor authentication might mean real-time identity verification through your smartphone when transferring money. This may require security levels including voice or fingerprint recognition, but the full security spec for this will be released later this year.

What is the PSD2 Timeline?

There are plenty in the financial services none too pleased about PSD2, as it’s quite expensive to implement. Still, there’s pretty much feck all they can do about it and they must make tracks into implementing the new directive. To soften the blow, the EU has given those affected until 2018 to make the necessary changes. That’s still a fairly ambitious deadline if you ask me, but it’s good to know there’s a date on the table.

If you’re looking for a detailed look at PSD2 but aren’t looking for jargon, check out PSD2 in Plain English.

 

 

 

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