Monthly Archives: April 2021

Pictured: Technology in use

Why broadband has never been more important for a residential care home in the midst of a global pandemic by John Keaney, SIRO CEO.

Covid-19 lockdown restrictions have been difficult for everyone, but it has been even more challenging for residential care homes across the country like the Tara Care Centre in Bray. Families suddenly could not visit loved ones, many of the centres operations quickly shifted online and connectivity was key as part of the vaccination programme.

The management of Tara Care Centre realised very early that their existing broadband service simply could not cope with simultaneous video calls by numerous residents, along with ongoing uploading and downloading of vital information as part of ongoing engagement with the health authorities. Simply put, they could not risk the safety of residents and staff due to slow broadband speeds.

After being connected to the SIRO network, the Tara Care Centre could ensure residents could contact loved ones from the comfort of their own rooms, instead of needing to be reliant on being nearby to a wifi router; and instantly access and upload the necessary information in seconds as part of the requirements of the vaccination programme and Covid-19 testing regime. Thats why a Fibre-to-the-Building broadband service was a crucial part of their strategy for navigating their way through the pandemic.

What most companies do not realise is that they are actually using a residential Fibre broadband service, which simply is not suitable for their needs a fact that is suddenly becoming obvious in the midst of the pandemic as their service slows to a crawl.

Regular Fibre broadband is typically delivered to a regular telecoms cabinet near to your company premises, with a copper connection serving as the last mile. In contrast, a Fibre-to-the-Building broadband service consists of a fibre-optic cable connected directly to your premises. It is a dedicated connection that is not shared with other users and it has no copper connections at any point to slow down the network.

The crucial aspect of a Fibre-to-the-Building business broadband service is that it is an asymmetric service where upload speeds are the same as download speeds, meaning that it is specifically designed for the demands of a modern business where supporting video and large file sharing, multiple remote users, cloud-based applications and smart technologies is a must. If a company is using a residential fibre broadband service, their upload speeds will be around 10% of the download speed.

SIRO, a joint venture between the ESB and Vodafone, is building Irelands only 100% Fibre-to-the-Building broadband network. Using the existing ESB network, SIRO delivers fibre-optic cables all the way to the building. Our Fibre-to-the-Building technology is recognised as the only future proofed broadband in Ireland, with a solution specifically tailored for business providing Enterprise grade SLA services, including a 24/7 option to give your company peace of mind.

Our services are available from a range of broadband retailers such as Vodafone, Digiweb, Viatel, Airwire, Blacknight Internet Solutions, Carnsore Broadband and Westnet. To enquire about switching to SIRO, simply search your Eircode on SIRO.ie to find out which retailers are available at your business address.

Excerpt from:

Guest blog: Why broadband has never been more important for a residential care home in the midst of a global pandemic | Business & Finance -...

A look at all the women supporting each franchise that the cameramen of IPL has caught.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has always been the source of entertainment for fans over the ages. The cash-rich tournament has grabbed the attention of many who used to flood the stadium and enjoy the limited-overs game.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything and with keeping the safety of fans and players in mind, the league has gone behind closed doors.

However, before when situations were better and fans flooded the stadiums, the IPL cameramen were known to make people famous just by zooming on them.

The camera has caught many fans and even the franchise stars celebrating from their respective stands. So let's have alook at all the women supporting each franchise that the cameramen of IPL has caught.

1. Kaviya Maran

1/5

The 'mystery girl' that grabbed the attention of the cameramen is Kaviya Maran - the CEO of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). She is the daughter of Kalanithi Maran and is involved with SUN music and FM channels of SUN TV.

She first grabbed the attention in the 2018 season when she was spotted supporting SRH in a match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

During the mini-auction for the 2021 season, the camera panned towards the SRH table and fans got talking about her on social media.

She also grabbed the attention of netizens after she was seen frustrated after SRH's loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai.

2. Navnita Gautam

2/5

Navnita Gautam is the massage therapist for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Gautam is from Canada and worked with the Toronto Nationals in Global T20 League.

As she always wanted to be associated with cricket, especially IPL, she shifted her base to India in 2017.

She was appointed by RCB in October 2019 and this news had grabbed the headlines all over. The reason being the lack of female support staff members in the IPL.

3. Malti Chahar

3/5

During an IPL 2018 clash in Pune between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI), the camera found someone sitting tensely.

Her tense look combined with her simple beauty had got social media curious and it was later revealed that the 'mystery woman' was the sister of CSK pacer Deepak Chahar. Her name is Malti Chahar and she was present at the Stadium to support her brother.

Malti is a die-hard MS Dhoni fan and keeps uploading photos of Dhoni on her official Instagram account. Not just Deepak, she even was to support her other brother Rahul who plays from MI.

4. Aditi Hundia

4/5

It was during the IPL 2019 final between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI), that the cameraman's focus shifted from the match and to one particular 'mystery girl' who was cheering from the stands. With social media asking questions, it came to be known that her name was Aditi Hundia. Soon after, her Instagram followers crossed over 100k within a few hours.

Aditi Hundia is a model and has taken part in Miss India 2017 pageant where she was crowned Miss India Rajasthan. She even won the Miss Diva 2018 pageant and was crowned Miss Diva Supranational. She represented India at the prestigious Miss Supranational contest in Poland.

While she is said to be a fan of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, she was seen supporting Mumbai Indians in the IPL and often spotted cheering the team in the stands.

The reason for her support for MI comes due to the rumours of her dating India's emerging star cricketer Ishan Kishan.

5. Riana Lalwani

5/5

Riana Lalwani, who was spotted during the Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) game at the IPL 2020 clash in Dubai, became the centre of attraction.

Her presence during the game's Super Overs led to tremendous internet speculation. Her photo broke the internet and netizens found her out soon.

On her Instagram page, it is said that she is from Dubai and even tagged herself as That Super Over girl.

More:

From Kaviya Maran to Aditi Hundia, women who grabbed IPL cameramen's attention over the years - DNA India

Last year Manticore Games launched Core, a free-to-play platform that acts as both a game creation tool and an online marketplace, letting people create their own games and then sell them. It's an ambitious project and one that received a $15M investment thanks to funding from Epic Games. Now, after a year in open alpha, Core is officially launching on the Epic Games store. From the outset, Core is similar to game creation platforms such as Roblox or PlayStation's Dreams, it's designed to make game creation more accessible for everyone.

"On one hand it's a place for game makers," Manticore CEO Frederic Descamps says. "Creating games, publishing them, sharing them, remixing them, and making money with them very easily. On the other hand, it's also an endless arcade multiverse for the players. People can build, explore games, explore worlds, all sorts of stuff. We literally already have dozens and dozens of genres already on the platform."

Core essentially has two halves. The first is an online arcade, where you and a group of friends can easily play a variety of community-made multiplayer games. There's a character creator where you can make a unique avatar and a social homeworld hub where you can meet your friends and decide what you'd like to play.

The second half is its PC-based game creation tool that uses Epic's Unreal Engine. This tool is Core's main appeal, and its editor has been designed with speed and ease in mind, and, according to Descamps, it's already attracted all kinds of people with no game development knowledge at all. "We'd go over some of our profiles, and see teenagers, old retirees, moms, people who were just back end game engineers, or people from completely different professions," Descamps says.

Descamps and Chief Creative Officer Jordan Maynard take me through some of the community-created games that are on the platform. Each time they wanted me to jump into a game, they would post a link in the call, and through the Core client, I could join their game in just one click. Hopping in and out of different games is pretty effortless, and according to Descamps, Core currently has about 20,000 games on the platform now that cover a huge range of genres including RPGs, shooters, platformers, puzzle games, and everything in between.

All of these community games have been made by individuals or small teams of people, and Maynard highlights a MOBA that was made by two people. "This was done for one of our game jams which ran for a month." Maynard says." So, two people within a month made a fully functional MOBA. There are weapons, upgrades, teams, and it looks gorgeous. "

Creators don't need any prior programming experience, and creating a game in Core's editor can be as easy as dragging and dropping assets from a drop-down menu. Maynard demonstrates this by quickly creating a level of a multiplayer shooter. It only took a couple of minutes of typing items into the editor search bar and dragging them into the level. He chooses the terrain, then places a handful of buildings into the scene.The terrain editing is all voxel-based, meaning you can carve away at the landscape, making tunnels and caves.

After Maynard is done with the level, he hits the publish button to upload it to Core's server, and within a minute the team and I are playing the level. Manticore is keen to emphasize how quick building, uploading, and jumping into a game is. "The traditional game development pipeline, it's very tough," Descamps says. "It's very clunky, it's rigid, it's codified, and it can take dozens and dozens of specialists to make a game. The speed at which you can make games in Core is extremely fast, the ease of creation and speed is extremely high. It's a completely different paradigm of what the gaming industry is used to."

With this in mind, the team sincerely wants Core to bring in a new generation of creators into game development. Descamps emphasizes that the team has bold ambitions for the platform, not only having it be a place where creators can express their creativity through games but also as a platform where players can earn money.

With Core it's absolutely one of our missions is to bring a new generation of creators to the gaming world

"With Core it's absolutely one of our missions is to bring a new generation of creators to the gaming world," Descamps says. "And that means, as a creator, you should be able to monetise the way you want. In Core, you can monetise however you like, whether it's a tip jar, donations, a subscription, a VIP club with membership, consumablesit's all available."

Once you create something in Core, you can choose to release it for free, letting the community play and mess around with it, or you can settle on a monetisation option. Although creators cannot yet sell their games at full price, Descamps explains that Manticore is looking into how they can implement that system and even a system where you can contract people for work. "So basically you could say, 'Hey, I'm looking for someone who's super good at making this type of game or this type of environment.' The person could make them themselves, but this way they could hire someone in the community to do it."

It's not entirely clear how everything will work but, as with any platform that's based on both community sharing and creator monetisation, there's always a concern about who owns what. With Core, creators will retain rights to any original IP and Manticore will retain the rights of all the assetssound files, graphics files, and the like. Regarding the cut Manticore takes, the number currently sits at a 50 percent revenue share with its creators.

"It's the highest by a large margin of any other platform out there," Descamps says. "It's higher than, for instance, Roblox. In Roblox, if you're a top creator at the very max, they share 24.5 percent with you, we share 50 percent."

With a revenue split that big, I ask Descamps what they would think if anyone decided to leave the platform, taking the success they've found in Core to pursue their idea solo. Maynard says that it all comes back to the accessibility and agency Core gives players. They have the tools to create games, the audience to play them, and the ability to make money doing it. And this is without needing to worry about running servers or hiring whole teams.

"I don't think it would be the best choice to leave, because then you're having to create everything from scratch," Descamps says. "If it took you let's say two weeks to make a quality game. In the real world, if you're on your own or have a team, it's gonna take you like several months. I would say probably six months. So, why would you leave right?" Maynard adds, "I feel like it's our job to basically make it more enticing and better for them to stay on the platform than to go off."

Manticore certainly has bold ambitions for Core, and it has already seen game studios and solo devs emerge from its community. Maynard says that Core gets around 200 new or updated games every day and that the team hopes to keep nourishing the talent that does pop up in its community. It's hard to say if Core will open up the game development scene as much as the team wants it to. The 50/50 revenue split may end up being divisive, but it certainly succeeds at creating an accessible game creator that's easy to use.

See more here:

Core is an Epic-funded development platform hoping to be the next Roblox - PC Gamer

Setting up a website is nowhere near as difficult as it used to be, thanks to a wealth of different website builder options out there. Whether you're looking to blog, or you're eager to set up shop online with extensive ecommerce features, there's an effective site builder/web host combo for you. That's where things can get confusing there's so much choice out there!

Squarespace and GoDaddy are two of the biggest names in website building (and hosting), and it can be tricky to know which website builder is best for you and your needs, as well as your budget. Both web hosting providers offer extensive features aimed at the newbie website maker, while providing other benefits like security and fast page loading speeds. That means it can take seconds to get started with either service, so you can spend less time website building and more time working on the business or hobby idea that's leading you to make a website in the first place. Thanks to template options and some design flexibility, you don't have to know how to code to make your site look good. Both Squarespace and GoDaddy allow you to integrate social media and make it easy to implement effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) options so that your site is more easily discovered by search engines such as Google.

They also both offer relatively cheap hosting plan options (even compared to the best cheap web hosting), so they're ideal if you're just starting out and not 100% convinced they're for you.

Still, both web hosts/builders offer very distinct advantages and disadvantages. That's why we've chosen winners for the most important product features and considerations in the battle of Squarespace versus GoDaddy. That way, you'll get to enjoy the right hosting provider and web builder for you.

Squarespace is instantly appealing thanks to an attractive layout. Even for a newbie, it feels familiar, like you're simply arranging a presentation or something in a word processor document. It has a structure that feels like the kinds of things that most users will have done before on their computer. It's massively welcoming and far from intimidating.

That trend is most noticeable when choosing from the vast number of Squarespace templates out there. Each template is gorgeous and in keeping with the modern stylings of the internet. Even better, you don't have to worry about having coding experience to get the most from them. Each template plays nicely with mobile platforms so your site will look just as appealing on any device. Manipulating a template is a matter of using Squarespace's site builder. It uses a form of drag-and-drop with a grid layout that means you can place items around the page. It takes a little practice to master, but it's far better than coding yourself or using clunky and outdated-looking templates.

In particular, Squarespace lends itself to any creative field that involves visuals, like if you're looking to highlight your photography skills, showcase your cooking abilities, or exhibit products you wish to sell. That's also where Squarespace's ecommerce tools feature prominently. They're ideally suited for small and medium-sized businesses.

A Squarespace shopping and blogging template.

Simplicity is everything here, with Squarespace making it as easy to blog as it is to upload images without having to worry about installing plugins or getting your virtual hands dirty with the inner workings of your website. As a website builder, it's hard to beat Squarespace's functionality.

Aimed at complete novices, Squarespace can feel a lot like it's holding your hand every step of the way. That's ideal if you don't know what you're doing and you want the assistance it brings. However, if you're eager to get a bit more hands-on with your website, you may find it stifling. Squarespace isn't a regular web hosting service you can buy a domain through Squarespace (a domain is actually free for the first year when you pay annually), and it will host your site, but it's more about building a beautiful one which means it's all relatively enclosed. You're meant to sign up for Squarespace and then use it for everything, rather than gather together hosting elements and plug-ins from other services. For those looking to set up a business site with minimal hassle or to create a personal blog, this won't be an issue. But if you want to get into the more complicated side of website building, then GoDaddy has the advantage of teaching you about plugins and shared hosting, and all that comes from a traditional web hosting package.

Because of how almost comforting Squarespace is, it's also more expensive. That's not to say it's expensive exactly, but when GoDaddy offers a free plan as well as plans starting from $9 per month, it's difficult for Squarespace to compete with its $12 to $40 per month plans. Of course, Squarespace offers a lot more assistance alongside that, so, for those who simply want the most straightforward service, it's worth the added expense.

There are minor issues too with Squarespace primarily being focused on visual media. Its templates are gorgeous, but they rely on high-quality stock photography and similarly high-end imagery from you. If you're looking for something a bit more text-heavy, then this isn't necessarily the website builder for you.

GoDaddy is known mainly as a domain registrar, but is also a conventional web hosting option which is why it offers services such as shared hosting.

GoDaddy offers two key options for simple website setup you can use the GoDaddy website builder or you can use a WordPress install which comes with a wealth of WordPress themes to choose from. The company's website builder is an excellent place to start if you're in a rush. Like another website builder, Wix, it uses ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) to create a website for you in seconds. You simply answer a few questions about your site plans and GoDaddy conjures up a pre-built site that can work well when just starting out. Fortunately, you can then personalize it to an extent. It's not as clearly laid out as Squarespace, but if you simply want to get your business or creative idea online fast, GoDaddy cuts out all the hassle.

GoDaddy is also fairly flexible. While its templates are less sophisticated than Squarespace's, its strengths lie in how you can cast aside any of the website building tools and focus on setting up home in a more hands-on way. That means you can easily upload your own web pages or use a WordPress build to enjoy all the extra WordPress plugins at your disposal. Those are options that aren't possible in the gated community of Squarespace, but whether that's an issue for you depends on how you want to approach your online presence. If you do stick with the GoDaddy website builder, tools like the ability to submit a sitemap easily for the sake of superior SEO gradually make this a more appealing option.

A GoDaddy ecommerce template.

GoDaddy also provides slightly superior support thanks to its addition of phone support. Sure, you may still prefer to use live chat, but sometimes, it's helpful to talk to a person right away. Phone support is slowly being phased out in many places, so it's welcoming to see if you still like the more traditional support model.

GoDaddy simply isn't as glamorous or as simple to use as Squarespace. Squarespace oozes style every step of the way while GoDaddy feels more like a conventional hosting provider with a website builder placed on top. Its website builder has the benefit of AI, which helps you create a site fast, but it's pretty basic and the Squarespace templates available are far better, even if they do take time to perfect. Such style is also practical as GoDaddy's mobile performance isn't as strong as Squarespace's, meaning your site looks infinitely better if you stick with Squarespace.

GoDaddy is a bit cheaper than Squarespace which makes it appealing, but generally, you get what you pay for here. To truly get the most from GoDaddy, which has plans ranging from free to $25 per month, you'll need to be willing to experiment. Veering away from its website builder is a smart move once you've got the basics figured out with a WordPress install being a good bet for general purposes. That takes time and we're not convinced even the most pleasing-looking WordPress install is quite as good to look at as many of Squarespace's templates.

GoDaddy is also a little weaker when it comes to blogging functionality, although installing WordPress helps. Again though, you'll need to set it up yourself rather than with Squarespace, you're only minutes away from better blogging features, superior social media integration, and better layouts.

Ultimately, GoDaddy's strength is in its web hosting rather than its website building, and it shows when you look at its features compared to Squarespace's.

Both Squarespace and GoDaddy have their place when it comes to providing you with appropriate website builder facilities. Both enable you to create websites relatively quickly and also offer helpful ecommerce and SEO tools. Both offer a form of drag-and-drop interface that means you don't need to know a tremendous amount about web design beforehand.

However, where things differ is in their approach. Squarespace offers modern and sophisticated-looking templates. They're arguably the best on the market and they're all part of your monthly fee. GoDaddy's options are a bit more functional and less attractive looking which makes them less of a good bet for visual media. On the other hand, GoDaddy offers ADI, which means you can create a website within moments, while Squarespace requires a little more effort to get the most out of it. Both offer mobile-friendly layouts, but we prefer Squarespace's style. Browsing websites on mobile is increasingly popular so it's an important factor to consider.

On the other hand, GoDaddy is the cheapest option here with a free plan available, but we're pretty confident that if you want a hands-off and non-technical approach, then Squarespace is worth the extra expense. If you want to avoid having your hand held at every turn though, GoDaddy means you can get involved with coding and uploading your own files more effectively than Squarespace, plus you can switch over to a WordPress blog any time you like. The latter is helpful if there's a plugin or WordPress theme that's been luring you in for a while but, again, you'll need to get a bit more hands-on to use it.

If you're looking for a simple yet effective and stylish experience, then Squarespace is a no-brainer of a decision. It looks fantastic and you can create stunning results in a short space of time. Its ecommerce features are a little pricey, but also great if you're looking to sell online. Just bear in mind that you'll need to put a bit of time into the design compared to GoDaddy's functional but somewhat soulless AI-based solution. (Speaking of ecommerce, we've compared Squarespace and Shopify as well.)

However, if you want more advanced options and the ability to control your own web hosting with all the benefits (and disadvantages) that it brings, GoDaddy is a good option. While it takes more effort, larger businesses, in particular, may benefit from a more traditional approach to website design. Again though, it's more effort than using GoDaddy's website builder as well as implementing a Squarespace template, so it's all about what's most important to you.

We won't blame you if you're lured in by the stunning looks of Squarespace rather than the hands-on approach of GoDaddy.

Continued here:

Squarespace vs. GoDaddy: Choose the best site builder in 2021 - Mashable