Shoppers given spy cameras inside their fridge

If you are someone who never remembers their shopping list then a camera inside your fridge could provide the ultimate solution.

A British supermarket is offering shoppers a new fridge that has a built in camera inside so they can see if they are running low on butter or milk while standing in the shop aisles.

The appliances allow users to connect to their fridges using their mobile phones to see what they have in their fridge at any time

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USA – News – City of Fremont Selects Trafficware’s ATMS.now for Deployment

Intelligent Transportation Society of America Annual Meeting – After a competitive bid, the City of Fremont has selected Trafficware’s central traffic management ATMS.now™ technology and will also add SynchroGreen® adaptive signal technology on a 2.2-mile stretch of Fremont Boulevard.

The bid team was led by Trafficware’s exclusive distributor for northern California Western Pacific Signal (WPS) and replaces an older system. The new technology is scheduled to be deployed by late first quarter 2017.

“We are pleased to welcome Fremont into the Trafficware customer family,” explains Trafficware CEO Jon Newhard. “Trafficware has become the partner of choice for technology-savvy customers such as the City of Fremont and the natural choice for agencies looking to move to a more modern platform.”

The Fremont Boulevard Corridor is targeted for the latest deployment of adaptive signal technology in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco commuter area. The Corridor is a major arterial in the city that experiences drastic and highly directional traffic during morning and evening peak periods and more balanced traffic operations during the off peak periods, but also has swings in traffic volume due to nearby schools. Adding smart signal technology that responds to real-time conditions through this corridor will ease congestion and manage queues caused by traffic volume fluctuations.

The City of Fremont joins other nearby Bay Area communities adopting Trafficware technology, such as Palo Alto, Santa Clara City & County, Oakland, Walnut Creek, Fairfield, Napa, Brentwood, Pittsburg, Concord, Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, San Leandro, Hayward, Foster City, Milpitas, Cupertino, Campbell, and Alameda County.

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Samskip Launches Track & Trace Capability for 45ft Reefers

Samskip has launched track and trace capability across its 45ft refrigerated container fleet, bringing web-based remote management for temperature-controlled cargoes throughout the Samskip intermodal network.

Over time, reports Multimodal, the entire Samskip 45ft reefer fleet is expected to feature the track & trace capability.

Track & trace management software will be used to monitor and control sensor-connected 45ft reefer units operating in shortsea, rail, barge and road services throughout Europe, and during terminal storage.

“The temperature data is live, enabling instantaneous control over our reefers, whether they are awaiting pick-up or delivery, or moving anywhere in our logistics chain,” said Johan Vogelaar, Manager Multimodal Services – Reefer Trade, Samskip.

“Pre-trip inspections are straightforward and speedy, with the potential for human error minimized. Meanwhile, automated alarms warn of any potential risk of cargo damage ahead of time.”

Investment in track & trace capability is more usually associated with deepsea operations, but it has clear benefits long distance intermodal moves. Shortsea transit already beats road trailer counterparts for reliability, Mr Vogelaar said, but the ability to make temperature adjustments and respond to malfunctions instantaneously brought a new competitive edge to Samskip’s temperature controlled services.

 

See http://afloat.ie/port-news/port-and-shipping-news/item/32614-competitive-edge-as-samskip-sharpens-reefer-track-trace

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Ireland’s Latest Crime Statistics On The Rise Across the Country

Ireland – June 29, 2016 – The latest crime statistics in Ireland reflect mixed trends in crime rates, types of crime and locality variants.  The most recent 2015 analysis and reports produced by Irelands’ Central Statistics Office (CSO) and police force, Garda, indicate that 243,968 criminal offences were reported countrywide last year, ignoring road traffic incidents.  This equates to approximately 667 crimes committed daily, directly affecting roughly 5.3% of the population.

The most common offences are theft, public order offences, criminal damage, and drug related crimes.  Through September 2015 almost 30,000 burglaries were committed, a 6% increase from 2014.  In comparison with less prosperous areas, affluent neighborhoods such as Donnybrook in Dublin are experiencing a significant increase in the number of crimes reported.  For example, there is more public order offences in areas such as Donnybrook than in Finglas or Ballyfermot, with Donnybrook’s crime rates being notable based on their proportion to the population. The nature of the offences in affluent areas is broad and includes drunkenness, violent disorder, street-begging, brothel-keeping, and soliciting.

Recently law enforcement’s attention has focused on the increase of reported crime in rural communities, with more isolated locations becoming targets for urban based organised gangs.  Other crimes follow a similar pattern with reported rape offences rising by 14.1% from 2014, while 5,490 fraud offences were recorded.  CSO figures reveal spikes of criminal occurrences across rural Ireland with rape and sexual assault being the most common offences.

Source – http://www.pressreleaserocket.net/irelands-latest-crime-statistics-on-the-rise-across-the-country/465695/

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Banking IT community faces uncertain Brexit future

The financial services IT community faces a period of uncertainty as finance firms reassess plans following the EU referendum result

Reports that HSBC and US bank JP Morgan could move thousands of jobs out of the UK if it leaves the European Union (EU) means uncertainty for IT workers.

IT workers in the UK banking sector are hardened to the threat of job losses with thousand cut since the financial crisis of 2008, Brexit adds another threat to staff.

Even without the fear of an EU exit, banks are cutting back on UK IT staff. On 22 June 2016, the Royal Bank of Scotland confirmed it is cutting 900 IT and back office jobs in the UK as the business shrinks.

David Banister, analyst at Ovum, said in the short term IT projects will be put on hold, “particularly if there is an EU regulatory element, which is a lot of them”.

He said in the longer term there is a worry that some big overseas banks will have to move parts of their operation to Europe for compliance reasons.

Areas such as Luxemburg might be attractive, as well as Dublin and even Scotland if Nicola Sturgeon’s efforts to keep Scotland in the EU succeed.

“Dublin is looking to do well out of it. If Scotland goes, there is a good case for Glasgow and Edinburgh, which have a lot of back office jobs,” said Bannister.

But it is not just a London problem, he added. “Lots of the data and processing centres are in other places – JP Morgan is one of the biggest employers in Bournemouth, for example, and Barclays is next door in Poole.”

Of course much of this depends on whether or not banks would retain their passporting rights, which allow them to trade across Europe.

“[If banks retain passporting rights] London remains the global centre it always has been and nothing changes. If they do [remove passporting rights], then most banks will need to relocate to Europe and will probably choose Dublin,” wrote Chris Skinner, chairman of Financial Services Club, in a blog post.

See http://www.computerweekly.com/news/450299160/Banking-IT-community-faces-uncertain-Brexit-future for more details

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Average Dublin Home Loss

The average Dublin home suffered a loss of close to €3,500, the figures … Mr Faughnan says that although it costs money, a monitored alarm

 

see http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/charlie-weston-going-on-holidays-then-lock-up-your-valuables-and-ask-neighbours-to-keep-an-eye-on-your-home-34844886.html for more details

Householders have been warned to lock up their valuables after new county-by-county data reveals crisis zones.

The AA Ireland research found the average theft claims made to home insurers is €3,500.

People living in Wexford suffered the highest average loss at €6,600, with burglars swiping valuables and damaging properties.

County Louth residents had the second highest loss resulting in claims worth an average of €6,286.

Meath is the third highest with an average loss of €5,300, followed by Longford where claims reached €4,663.

Dublin was ninth in the league table of the highest losses by county for 2015.

The average Dublin home suffered a loss of close to €3,500, the figures show.

Residents in Mayo claimed the least for theft in 2015 at just €650.

AA spokesman Conor Faughnan said commuter counties and highly populated areas are a target for robbers.

“While there are some stark differences between counties it is clear that no matter where you live, there is always a risk your home could become a victim of theft.

Read More: This is how to prevent house break-ins according to Gardai

“It’s really important that you have adequate home insurance cover in place, something many people still do not have.”

He urged families heading off on holiday to lock up their valuables.

He added: “I don’t like giving people advice that costs money but a monitored alarm system is worthwhile.

“It does provide a deterrent effect and while it may not make your home totally secure, it does at least tell potential thieves that you are not an easy target.

“It is also reassuring to know that if anything does happen at home you will know about it while on your holidays.”

Average insurance claims county by county

WEXFORD €6,624

LOUTH €6,286

MEATH €5,348

LONGFORD €4,663

LEITRIM €4,639

LAOIS €4,042

OFFALY €3,953

WICKLOW €3,513

DUBLIN €3,467

ROSCOMMON €3,400

GALWAY €3,233

CORK €3,208

KILDARE €2,921

CARLOW €2,893

TIPPERARY €2,780

CLARE €2,442

KERRY €2,433

WATERFORD €1,816

SLIGO €1,808

KILKENNY €1,681

ULSTER COUNTIES €1440

WESTMEATH €1,425

LIMERICK €1,294

MAYO €650

Average Total €3,495

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/counties-highest-home-insurance-claims-8205890

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Ireland is Sigfox-enabled for IoT

The two companies expect to connect over a million devices by 2017.

Remote nodes on Sigfox networks, which are low data rate and ultra-narrowband, are expected to run for over 10 years on two AA cells.

Applications are expected in water metering, building securit, smoke alarms, tracking stolen farm assets, farm gate opening sensors, machine monitoring.

“Irish businesses and farmers have been quick to understand the benefits that the dedicated IoT network provides,” said VT Networks CEO Mark Bannon. “We look forward to launching programs that further integrate the network throughout the country.”

Earlier this year, VT held a ‘Sigfox makers tour’ in Dublin, a workshop based on a European tour (Sigfox is French) in which developers, makers and IoT start-ups get their hands on prototyping boards and the network to develop new applications. There is to be another in Dublin on 5th July, held with component distributor EBV Elektronik.

The National University of Ireland in Maynooth is setting up a VT Networks’ IoT academic program, where students will get free hardware, Sigfox subscriptions and licenses to ‘Sigfox-ready’ IoT platforms, said VT.

Sigfox claims to have >7 million devices in its network, across the world – claiming to have added 15 countries to its coverage map in the last year, planning to have >30 countries by the end of the year.

After France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Ireland is the sixth European country to have complete Sigfox network coverage.

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How Brexit will impact the US tech industry

Falling currency, data concerns and the uncertainty of it all

he UK’s decision to leave the European Union has led to predictions of doom for the region’s tech industry. TechRadar reported how the move could cripple the sector by removing EU talent and funding, cut off access to data and markets, and complicate trading and data privacy laws for years.

American tech industry investors might see fit to cheer the weakening of international competition, but in truth they have little reason to celebrate: the effects of Brexit on the US tech industry strike a harsh financial blow, and could have long-term ramifications on US businesses, from tech giants to fledgling startups.

Through our own research and a conversation with Stanford University professor and technology forecaster Paul Saffo, we set out to determine just how unfavorable these events will be to US tech businesses, and whether there’s any silver lining to Brexit’s chaotic impact on the technological economy.
Strong dollar = weak foreign profits

Financial markets reacted violently to the news of Brexit, with the pound decreasing to a 31-year low, the euro similarly plummeting and the dollar rising 6.3% in one day, its fastest rise in 50 years.

This trend is, somewhat counter-intuitively, terrible for US businesses, as foreign consumers and businesses will avoid purchasing increasingly expensive US goods. CNN Money reports that the strong dollar has already cost American companies tens of thousands of jobs from reduced foreign sales in early 2016, and this will only become exacerbated post-Brexit. Worse, any sales already made, paid in pounds and euros, become less valuable by the second until businesses have the chance to exchange the currency.

Silicon Valley tech companies do huge business in Europe, and this has shown in their soaring profit and stock losses, both in recent months and immediately after Brexit. Apple, for example, lost $2.3 billion in profits due to weakening foreign currency this past quarter, and its stocks fell another 3% just one day after Brexit. Microsoft’s stocks fell 4% on June 24, and another 3% on Monday. Facebook, which gets a quarter of its revenue from Europe, fell 3% Tuesday.

We asked Google, Microsoft and Apple how they plan to combat foreign losses; Microsoft had no comment, and Google and Apple didn’t respond by time of publication.

“Nobody in Silicon Valley just has a company in Silicon Valley,” says Saffo of the globalized tech market. Companies from giants to startups tend to branch out throughout international markets; the fact that London has traditionally been the bridge to the rest of Europe means almost the entire Valley is facing scrutiny and worry from investors after Brexit. Saffo notes that Apple, which located its main EU headquarters in Ireland, “looks really smart right now.”

Strangely, the biggest financial winners of Brexit might be British companies that deal primarily with US firms and consumers. Market Watch points to Arm Holdings PLC, a British supplier of silicon for Apple microchips, which soared in the stock market because its profits primarily stem from US currency. Thus, we could see more British companies trying to export to American businesses in future, so long as the EU market and currency remain in turmoil.

See http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/how-brexit-will-impact-the-us-tech-industry-1324154 for full story

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