AWS re:Invent is Amazon Web Services annual conference and it took place recently. Celebrating AWS’s 15th anniversary and the 10th year of re:Invent, there was keynotes and sessions from some of the most prominent leaders across industries and AWS. One of the keynotes was delivered by Michael MacKenzie, General Manager, AWS IoT. Ronan talks to Michael MacKenzie.

Michael talks about what his role in AWS entails, what AwS IoT does, the increase of IoT usage, auto manufacturer usage, machine learning and AI, the issues the pandemic caused, and how security is handled.

More about Michael Mackenzie’s AWS re:Invent session:

By unlocking data and control surfaces through connected devices, organisations are taking the first steps to reinvent their businesses with data. By using IoT technology as a gateway to big data analytics, image analytics, application modernisation, and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, companies are powering innovations to improve their customer experiences, optimise industry operations, increase vehicle safety, and protect their supply chains.

In this session, which can be viewed here, learn how AWS is helping its customers send data to the cloud and send actionable insights back to the device to effectively close the loop and deliver business value.

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In This Podcast, Shane Speaks to Futurist and Best-selling Author Martin Ford. Martin Discusses his latest book, Rule of the Robots, which was released in 2021. Martin discusses how AI, much like electricity, is going to touch everything and also talks about some of the dangers of AI such as weaponisation and deep fakes.

The Rule of the Robots, with Martin Ford

Martin also discusses some of the positives of AI such as jump starting innovation and how it can be used in the fight against climate change. Martin also explains how AI as a whole has changed since he wrote his first book in 2009, the future of Artificial Intelligence and what his plans are for the future.

About Martin

Martin Ford is a futurist and the author of four books, including Rule of the Robots: How Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Everything (2021), the New York Times Bestselling Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future (winner of the 2015 Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award and translated into more than 20 languages), Architects of Intelligence: The truth about AI from the people building it (2018), and The Lights in the Tunnel: Automation, Accelerating Technology and the Economy of the Future (2009). He is also the founder of a Silicon Valley-based software development firm.

About Shane

Shane is currently interning with Irish Tech News. He is in his third year of studying Journalism at NUI Galway where he also studies IT and has an interest in programming and web development.

See more podcasts here.

A new online career planning tool – developed by the Limerick-based consultancy firm Ingenium – for secondary school students to aid them in the decision-making process when choosing further education options and potential future careers, has launched in the Irish market.

New Academic Tool Aims to Reduce College Dropout Rates

The new Pathway survey is an academically validated tool that will assist Leaving Certificate students in choosing the best options for their CAO application, as well as assisting TY students to select subjects that align with their ideal career path.

The service was trialled in a pilot programme between 2018 and 2020 with 412 participants, with 98% of the students involved rating the platform as extremely useful. The service involves a comprehensive survey, which can be completed by the student in less than 15 minutes.

Designed around what the student enjoys, Pathway’s algorithm considers several key variables unique to each person, including the student’s favourite subjects in school, their hobbies, interests, passions and personality, assessed through their unique decision-making style.

Based on their survey answers, students are provided with a detailed report with an analysis of their unique decision-making style and personality traits as they relate to their career path, as well as a ranked list of twelve suggested courses that would best suit them at third level education.

From there, students can research relevant courses in Irish and international universities using the suggested career paths provided in the report.

Pathway also provides students at graduate-level with assistance and support, to better focus their academic decisions and help set them up as future professionals passionate about their careers.

Janna Gasanova, one of Ingenium’s organisational psychology leads and part of the research development team for Pathway, said “The lead up to the Leaving Certificate, when students begin considering what path to take next, can be an incredibly uncertain and anxious time.

“Our ambition with launching Pathway is to provide a resource to make this difficult decision-making period easier, less stressful and more exciting. We also wanted to create an engaging report that facilitated new conversations, between students, parents and career guidance counsellors.”

Pathway has a free and premium version of their survey and report, both available through their website.

Pathway also provides a number of additional resources including free articles and webinars, which are available here.

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Irish Tech News are Ireland’s No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland’s No.1 Tech Podcast too.

You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here:

If you’d like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at [email protected] now to discuss.

Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at [email protected] now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience.

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Creating Moddable AAA Enabled Blockchain Games and Navigating Global Gaming Challenges, with Don Norbury and Shrapnel

Global gaming challenges, Don Norbury, Shrapnel

Don Norbury is Head of Studio at Shrapnel, the world’s first blockchain-enabled moddable AAA first-person shooter game. From the genre-defining franchises of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Bioshock, Sunset Overdrive, and Crackdown, to the sports superstars Madden NFL and NASCAR, Don has redefined creative boundaries across platforms and player experience for over a decade.Shrapnel is the world’s first blockchain-enabled moddable AAA first-person shooter game.

Designed to reward and empower players and creators, the game is being developed by a BAFTA and Emmy award-winning team of game industry veterans with unmatched experience in transmedia, virtual production, gaming-as-a-service, and blockchain production. Spun-out from HBO Interactive, the acclaimed team have enjoyed past successes with some of the world’s leading game companies including Xbox, Electronic Arts, HBO, LucasFilm, Irrational, and Zombie Ent, working on titles such as Halo, Call of Duty, Star Wars, and many more.

🚨 We’re hiring! 🚨

The Shrapnel team is creating something special and we want you to be a part of it!Various roles are open:🔹UI Visual Design Lead🔹Game Art Director🔹And more!Join a growing diverse team of creators!Apply:#Gamedev #Gamedevjobs

Shrapnel (@playSHRAPNEL) January 6, 2022

Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders.

Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies.

Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual.

With over ninety podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry.

Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.

See more podcasts here.

More about Irish Tech News

Irish Tech News are Ireland’s No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland’s No.1 Tech Podcast too.

You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here:

If you’d like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at [email protected] now to discuss.

Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at [email protected] now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience.

You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Gamma, a leading location intelligence services and solutions provider, has announced that it is targeting €2 million in business growth across the island of Ireland with its new service, AddressLink. The company is also expanding its team, with additional hires in the data science and software development teams, to support the rollout of this solution.

AddressLink is a web-based API service that delivers an extensive range of property level data and location intelligence analyses to organisations. In fact, it has access to over 3 billion data points across Ireland and over 10 years’ worth of change information.

Based on an address or Eircode, AddressLink delivers details on the potential perils relating to a specific building (including flood, fire, subsidence and crime) and can provide details around the planning application history of a property.

Moreover, it provides building variables such as height, number of floors, average BER, estimated property value and method of heating. It also includes information relating to a property’s proximity to many services including retailers, fire stations, dangerous building uses and even electric vehicle charging points.

Integrated into Gamma’s client transaction processes via custom APIs, AddressLink enables banks, insurance companies, government organisations, energy providers and telecommunication operators to make better-informed decisions and assessments using high-quality, GDPR-compliant building data.

It is particularly beneficial for assessing climate change impacts and estimating retrofit projects. In fact, Gamma is already partnering with SEAI and BERWOW in delivering the first online retrofit tool, BERWOW, to SSE Airtricity and An Post to help homeowners understand their retrofit options.

As well as growing its customer base in the Republic of Ireland, Gamma plans to roll AddressLink out in Northern Ireland and is currently developing partnerships with relevant data owners and providers. The organisation has long-standing collaborations with Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland, Ordnance Survey Ireland and Eircode. It also works closely with many commercial data providers and has developed several of its own spatial models for the Island of Ireland.

Feargal O’Neill, Chief Executive Officer, Gamma, said: “The race to understand and tackle climate change highlights the need for better and more available property level data. To both avoid the impacts and reduce our greenhouse gases, we need to understand in detail where our property assets are and what characteristics they have.

“AddressLink will support this and enable organisations to understand property-level risk. It is the first all-island property-level API solution and will soon be available in other markets. Developed over the past two years through a GDPR-compliant and ISO-driven process, AddressLink offers a unique data resource for researchers and analysts across the island of Ireland – one that can reduce risk and aid decision-making.”

See more stories here.

More about Irish Tech News

Irish Tech News are Ireland’s No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland’s No.1 Tech Podcast too.

You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here:

If you’d like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at [email protected] now to discuss.

Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at [email protected] now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience.

You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

I reviewed this book for Irish Tech News noting I was never employed by Analog Devices but was aware of their contribution to the semiconductor industry for some time.

The Future Years, a Story of Analog Devices Startup in Limerick, Ireland by Pat Cunneen

My overall impression upon reading this book is very good. I honestly expected the author who spent a career with Analog Devices in HR management to be reminiscing on the good old days. What I found was a welcome surprise. In essence, the author’s talent for storytelling from the outset was very clear and indeed engaging. I also found his weaving of the Analog Devices story into the overall story of semiconductor development from 1969 to be very well crafted. Equally as impressive was his ability to tell the interconnected story of establishing Limerick Ireland as a technology hub, which persists to this day.

Content-wise, it is quite detailed moving from the foundation days of semiconductors as we knew them in the late 1960s to what can only be described as pioneering work in the 1970s onwards. Bearing in mind the GNU project was ongoing at this stage, the future was bright for technology if the basics could get nailed down. Timing in the story was certainly a reoccurring theme in the author’s tale of risk along with a sustainable approach to commitment and reward.

The author made several interesting links to Analog Device’s operating environment through the 1970s/1980s/1990s. The management team dealt with some rather large challenges in getting their business off the ground, along with creating a sustainable future for it. What impressed me more than the high level of storytelling was the progressive nature of Analog Devices, and more specifically its leadership practices, management practices and company culture. This set in the 1970s was decades ahead of its time. Such an approach provided them with the flexibility to strategically pivot in a manner that is lost on many large corporations today.

The fact that it took place in one of Ireland’s regional cities, for the most part, is not as important as the fact that it is a success story that has the potential to be repeated anywhere in the world. If the chemistry of chance is aligned as it was in this story, then insightful vision and strategy can indeed make it happen. If you are interested in technology and/or leadership practice, then this will be a good read for you no matter where you are in the world.

More about the book

In 1976 Analog Devices began operations in a small SFADCO advance factory unit in Limerick with a start-up team of 13 people – among them author of THE FUTURE YEARS, Pat Cunneen.

Today, Analog’s Limerick wafer fabrication facility is one of the most important success stories in the company’s 50-year history. It employs over 1,200 scientists, engineers, production and support staff in one of the largest, most successful, most technologically advanced campuses in the country and has achieved a sustained stream of world class innovative new products, profitability, and growth.

With its consistently high levels of added-value employment, investment and growth, Analog has been hugely important to the economy of Limerick. In turn, the Limerick campus has been the source of extraordinary talent, hugely important to the continued global success of Analog Devices Inc., and has been a ‘jewel in the crown’ of the IDA as it regularly showcases Limerick’s success with its leading-edge technologies and advanced manufacturing processes.

Pat Cunneen’s story covers the first dozen or so years of the start-up, recording and celebrating the success of all the people who worked in Analog over those early years, including those sadly lost along the way. It touches on the technology and operational challenges, the vibrant sports and social environment but, mostly, it is a story about people.

THE FUTURE YEARS is an important contribution to the industrial history of Limerick – and Ireland – over the past half-century.

...

We look at this timely, well written and relevant book by Simon Dingle and Steven Boykey Sidley. See more about the book here.

Beyond Bitcoin: Decentralised Finance and the End of Banks By Simon Dingle and Steven Boykey Sidley, reviewed

This book is relatively short, coming in at under 240 pages, but it is timely, relevant and enjoyable to read. At the very end the authors expressed their dilemma at how fast this space is moving. To tackle the end first, it was almost comical how many relevant, significant and important things had happened even since the authors had to sign off on their prose. This doesn’t undermine the value of the book too much though, because the preceding chapters were all very informative. The authors do a good job of explaining what has happened, what is happening and what will be happening.

The book gives a good brief backstory, and then dives into what on earth has happened over the last five to ten years especially. Chapters tackling WeirdFi, Wyoming and Chainlink were all well explained and useful. We enjoyed reading the book, and found that the authors had a good depth of knowledge and the ability to explain, to a high level, complex aspects of DeFi, what is happening and why and how people are extracting value from it. Some of the projects see, to use their words, frothy, and may well not last, but others definitely present the prospect of delivering services better, faster, cheaper, and often more securely than what has previously been offered by banks.

We enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it to others. As the authors acknowledged themselves this is a fast moving area, but ideally this just enables them to deliver a strong second edition also. Definitely a book to read in Q1 of 2022.

More about this book

If you were startled by Bitcoin and the multi-trillion-rise of cryptocurrencies, prepare yourself. The real revolution is still to come. De-Fi, ‘decentralised finance’, is a revolutionary, technology-fuelled set of financial services which has the potential to threaten all financial institutions including commercial and central banks.

In Beyond Bitcoin, tech and finance entrepreneurs and authors Steven Boykey Sidley and Simon Dingle argue that DeFi – which enables all manner of financial transactions to take place directly, person to person, without the involvement of financial institutions – will redesign the cogs and wheels in the engines of trust, and make the remarkable rise of Bitcoin look pedestrian by comparison. It will disrupt and displace fine and respectable companies, if not entire industries. And it will impact upon all of us – anyone who has ever had a bank account or applied for a loan.

In the book, Sidley and Dingle explain for the first time for the general reader how DeFi works, introduce the organisations and individuals – many, such as Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin, still in their twenties – that comprise the new industry, and identify the likely winners and losers in the coming revolution.

More about the authors

Steven Boykey Sidley has worked extensively in technology and finance and is an award-winning novelist, playwright and columnist. An American citizen, he currently lives in Johannesburg with his wife and their two children.

Simon Dingle is an author, broadcaster and entrepreneur with extensive experience in cryptocurrency, including being on the founding teams of several fintech firms, including cryptocurrency exchange Luno and open banking provider Curve.

The gripping story of the great financial disruption and its portents, told with wit and insightRay Hartley, Research Director, The Brenthurst Foundation

‘Looking backward to move forward, this book is a masterclass on the evolution and expansion of the crypto world and its possible futures. Essential for those wanting to move beyond the headlines.’

Herman Singh, Associate Professor, University of Cape Town Graduate School

See more reviews here.

Jamil Hasan’s first podcast of 2022 to launch Season 3 of his successful crypto corner podcast show with Irish Tech News

Verge Crypto, Quantum, Casino Coins, Cyber with Mark Wittenberg, Mihael Radoslovic

Mark is a crypto educator with a huge following. He has been in Partner Development with the Verge currency ($XVG) Core Team since early 2018. He was also an exhibitor and Top Influencer at CES2021. Mark is currently on the board of advisors for Voice Life Inc , Hypersphere Technologies, and CasinoCoin. His links with cryptocurrency go as far back as 2010. His love for all things crypto is reflected in his very impressive 239,000 followers on Twitter( @itsmwittenberg )

Mihael Radoslovic

Mihael is a member of both Verge and Voice Life teams. He was born in Rijeka, Croatia where he finished his education for mechanical engineer. He worked as an offshore mechanical engineer for 15 years where he was responsible for a team of engineers. However, he recently decided to focus on what he is most passionate about – changing the world for the better with new advanced technologies. As a true ambassador of decentralized and open-source projects, Mihael joined the Verge community in early 2017 and quickly realized he could support the project from within the team by managing the internal team action and communications.

His roles in the Verge team have changed multiple times over the years and for the past two years he volunteers as Project Manager for Verge Currency. In September 2021 Mihael joined Voice Life as Project Manager where he oversees all aspects of the project and coordinates various departments to ensure all projects are delivered on time. He enjoys working with other individuals and teams on delivering the latest technologies and inventions to the world.

Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders.

Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies.

Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual.

With over ninety podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry.

Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.

See more podcasts here.

More about Irish Tech News

Irish Tech News are Ireland’s No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland’s No.1 Tech Podcast too.

You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here:

If you’d like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at [email protected] now to discuss.

Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at [email protected] now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience.

You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

HBAN (Halo Business Angel Network), the all-island organisation responsible for the promotion of business angel investment, and a joint initiative of Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland and Invest Northern Ireland, has announced its latest survey results which found that HBAN business angels have invested a median of €200K each in start-ups on the island of Ireland.

HBAN surveyed 114 business angel investors across the island of Ireland about their portfolios, expectations and plans for the future. It found that the average angel has invested in 6.3 companies. The majority (66%) of angels prefer to invest as part of a syndicate, rather than alone.

HBAN data shows that the industries that attracted the largest number of angel investors in the last 12 months were ICT and FinTech; MedTech; and Life sciences.

The survey showed that in the next 12 months, angels will continue their interest in these sectors, while also considering sectors including engineering, manufacturing and electronics (40%); food, beverages and agriculture (31%); and business services (29%). Survey respondents said that they expect to hold shares in investee companies for an average of 5.5 years.

Of those surveyed, 32% of investors report to have achieved at least one exit. 22%, meanwhile, are currently planning their first angel investment.

HBAN will encourage more people to get involved in angel investing at its all-island conference next month. With a focus on impact investing and demystifying the angel investment process, the event will be streamed on Wednesday, 2nd February 2022.

Speakers will discuss how impact investing is transforming investor portfolios and the start-up ecosystem, while a series of workshops and talks will help attendees to understand the many rewards of being an angel investor. More information can be found at www.hban.org/conference.

John Phelan, all-island director, HBAN, said: “Angel investing is high risk, but it can be extremely rewarding and that is why we see business angels investing in multiple start-ups. Internationally, best practice would suggest a minimum of 10 investments in a personal portfolio and our survey shows that while many have already exceeded that, others are well on their way.

“We are delighted to have such a high proportion of first-time angel investors registered with us, which is reflective of the continued growth of the network and the greater interest we are seeing in angel investing.

“One of the primary reasons for this is that angels tend to invest in syndicates, sharing deep domain knowledge across multiple sectors. Those with an interest in investing, and who have industry knowledge that they can impart with start-ups, are realising that they don’t need to be high-net-worth individuals to become angel investors and have a positive impact on the start-up community.

“The survey results also show a strong appetite among investors to back companies operating in high performing sectors. Our MedTech syndicate, based in Galway, has been particularly active recently and we expect this level of activity to increase in the next 12 months.”

See more stories here.

More about Irish Tech News

Irish Tech News are Ireland’s No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland’s No.1 Tech Podcast too.

You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here:

If you’d like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at [email protected] now to discuss.

Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at [email protected] now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience.

You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

By Calvin Jones

When you think about wearable tech, you immediately think of the Apple Watch, Google’s Wear OS devices like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, and of course the practically ubiquitous Fitbit (now owned by Google). Fitness bands and Smartwatches are booming, and with some of the newer devices on the market, the distinction between the two is blurring.

The Amazfit GTR 3 Pro is one such device. With very strong fitness and health tracking credentials, this new flagship watch offers capable smartwatch functionality.

While it lacks some key elements you’ll find with likes of the latest Apple Watch or Wear OS devices (like built-in wifi/cellular connectivity, NFC payments and the availability of third-party apps), it blows the sector leaders out of the water for battery life, and still delivers an impressive suite of features that offer more than enough for most users.

Amazfit is a brand owned by Huami, which is a sub-brand of Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone company. It has earned a solid reputation for good value fitness trackers over recent years, and with its new GTR 3 and GTR3 Pro line, is moving closer to the premium smartwatch space.

So how well does its latest flagship smartwatch stack up?

Well, I’ve had a GTR 3 Pro on my wrist for a few weeks now, so let’s find out..

Amazfit GTR 3 Pro Smartwatch Reviewed

Build Quality and Design

The Amazfit GTR 3 Pro is a beautifully made piece of technology. When you open the swanky looking box you’re greeted by a sleek 46mm classic round watch made of aircraft-grade aluminium alloy in a matt grey finish. My review unit came with a dark-grey fluoro-elastomer/silicone strap, but you can also opt for a brown leather strap if you prefer, or swap it out for any standard 22mm strap you like.

At 46mm this is a big watch, but thanks to its sleek, lightweight design (it weighs just 32g) it doesn’t feel overly bulky, or seem too big on your wrist (well, on my wrist, at least). What grabs your attention immediately, however, is the huge 1.45” Ultra HD Amoled display, which manages to look impressive even before you switch it on.

The watch has two buttons on one side of the case, The top button is also a rotatable crown that allows you to scroll through menus and adjust levels like brightness and volume without swiping the screen. You can wear the watch on either wrist, and can adjust its orientation in the app to suit.

The design of the GTR 3 Pro is classic, yet contemporary. It’s more sleek and elegant than sporty and is a watch that will be equally at home in the gym, in the office or on a night at the opera.

It lacks the military-grade ratings of its rugged stablemate the Amazfit T-Rex, yet still feels solid and robust. The watch is waterproof to 5 atmospheres (or 50m to you and me), so you can safely wear it in the shower, the pool or for your outdoor swim, where it will merrily track your swimming activity using one of its bewildering array of more than 150 sports modes.

Display

Star of the show here is undoubtedly the stunning AMOLED display. At 1.45” it’s one of the largest available on a smartwatch today, and with a 480×480 resolution, a pixel density of 331ppi and a max brightness of up to 1,000 nits it’s bright, vibrant and simply gorgeous to look at. Thanks to that brightness, it’s also easy to see outdoors, even in bright sunlight.

The display is smooth and responsive when scrolling through menus and swiping around the touch interface. If you don’t like the default watch face, or simply fancy a change, you can select from eight pre-installed watch faces, or pick from a library of more than 150 (and counting) custom watch faces, all with matching always-on-displays, available via the ZEPP app.

You’ll find everything from understated chic to full-on every-metric-under-the-sun options in there, and yes, you can upload your own photos to create a totally personal watch face if you want to.

Thanks to that AMOLED panel, you can enable the always-on display to see the time at a glance...