Latest news with #Ring
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Hunt for Irish ‘Ring doorbell' voice with open casting call and auditions announced for three cities starting this week
A MAJOR hunt is on the way for an Irish 'Ring doorbell' voice - with open casting call and auditions announced for three cities starting this week. The smart home security company 2 Ring has launched a nationwide casting call and auditions in three cities Credit: Ring 2 The home security company is looking for their first ever Irish voice on its video doorbells Credit: Ring The campaign, titled 'Voice of the Nation,' kicks off this week with in-person auditions scheduled in Cork, The chosen winner will become the official Irish voice behind Ring's 'Quick Replies,' which are pre-recorded greetings used when people can't answer the door in real time. These replies work like a front-door answering machine, giving visitors a friendly message and the option to leave one of their own. Auditions begin in READ MORE IN TECH The pop-up then moves to Eyre Square Centre in Galway on August 9 and August 10, next to Penneys on Level 1. Final in-person auditions take place in Anyone who can't attend in person can audition online by recording themselves saying the line: 'We can't answer the door right now, but if you'd like to leave a message, you can do it now.' And for those who want to audition in Irish are asked to record the phrase: 'Dia dhuit! Ní féidir linn an doras a oscailt faoi láthair, ach más mian leat teachtaireacht ghearr a fhágáil is féidir leat é sin a dhéanamh anois.' Most read in News Tech People with a Ring device and a Ring Protect subscription can also audition directly through the Ring app by recording a video and using the 'Share with Ring' feature. Radio and TV presenter Amazon's Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus watches your front door & doesn't need any wires It comes after new research from Ring that is based on a survey of 1,000 Irish adults found 55 per cent of people love their accent and wouldn't switch it for another. Cork came out on top as Ireland's favourite regional accent at 12 per cent, with Dublin just behind on 11 per cent. And only a quarter of Dubliners said they want to hear their own accent on The final deadline to submit an audition is 11:59pm on Thursday September 5 and entries received after this won't be accepted. Ring says the final decision will be made by January 31st, 2026 by a panel of judges, including Carl Mullan and other independent experts. The person chosen as the Irish Voice of the Nation will be contacted by email or phone after the judging process is complete. Ring's EU & International Managing Director Dave Ward said the new Irish voice will add a local touch to the He said: 'Our customers find Quick Replies really helpful when they want to answer the door, but just can't make it in time. We're celebrating the beauty of Irish accents by personalising this useful feature and bringing authentic local dialects to doorsteps across Ireland.' To enter online, applicants need to post their clip on
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
What Brits look for in a modern home from a quiet neighbourhood to natural light, survey shows
A home with eco-friendly credentials is 'important' for half of those polled MODERN DIGS What Brits look for in a modern home from a quiet neighbourhood to natural light, survey shows Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITS have revealed what they look for in a modern home - including plenty of natural light, a quiet neighbourhood - and an EV charger. A poll of 2,000 adults, identified the must haves when it comes to buying a property, with a garage, secure fencing and decent mobile signal also key. 2 Brits have revealed the key features they look for when buying a property Credit: Vauxhall/Zoopla Other necessities included having space for a home office, and a downstairs loo, with proximity to shops, pubs, and restaurants also priorities. It also emerged a home with eco-friendly credentials is "important" for half of those polled - with features such as an electric vehicle (EV) charger. The research was commissioned by Vauxhall, which has teamed up with property marketplace Zoopla to introduce a search filter enabling users to find homes with an EV charger or help them locate the closest public charger to a property. This comes after 40 per cent of drivers polled in the study said access to EV charging facilities near a house they were looking to buy would influence their purchasing decision. While 54 per cent admitted it would be helpful if property marketplaces or apps were to show where the nearest EV chargers are. Spokesperson for the car maker, Steve Catlin, said: 'Moving house is one of the biggest decisions most of us make in our lifetime. 'And anyone who's done it knows how important – and difficult - it is to find the perfect home.' Other attributes adults would like in a modern home include energy-efficient glazing (35 per cent) and a low-maintenance garden (34 per cent). But 51 per cent said that if they were choosing their next home now, access to eco-friendly features like an EV charger would be important to them. While 33 per cent would like a home with both old and new features, and 32 per cent would rather it be completely brand new, compared to 17 per cent who'd want an old house. Ring's flying 'spy drone' that monitors your home in the AIR 'coming 2026' – it stalks burglars & even recharges itself Around seven in 10 (68 per cent) currently have access to a driveway, with 58 per cent of motorists using a petrol car, 17 per cent diesel and 25 per cent a hybrid, electric or plug-in hybrid. But 47 per cent would be more likely to buy an electric or hybrid vehicle, if there was easy access to charging near their home, according to the figures. Steve Catlin, spokesperson for Vauxhall, which partnered with Zoopla as part of its 'Electric Streets of Britain' campaign, to improve on-street charging for households without driveways, added: 'As EVs become an even more common sight on our roads, more and more people will be prioritising charging access when thinking about where to live. 'We hope the features we have worked with Zoopla to introduce go some way to make decisions around buying and renting a new home that little bit easier for millions across the country.'
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Explained: Why a Russian earthquake triggered tsunami alerts in Hawaii, Japan, and the US West Coast
Dennis and Devin Delatorre stand in the back of their truck waiting to return home after evacuating their Ewa Beach home in Kapolei Regional Park, Hawaii, Tuesday, July 29, 2025. (AP photo/Michelle Bir) TL;DR A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. It triggered tsunami waves that travelled across the Pacific Ocean. Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, and the US West Coast were all placed under tsunami alerts. Evacuations were ordered in Russia and Japan; Hawaii saw waves over 1.5 metres. Early warning systems helped minimise casualties and damage. What happened? A powerful earthquake struck the seafloor off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on July 30. Clocking in at 8.8 on the Richter scale and occurring at a shallow depth, it instantly set off alarm bells across the Pacific. Why did countries far away get affected? The Pacific Ocean isn't just vast—it's also ringed by what's known as the "Ring of Fire", a chain of seismic fault lines known for violent tectonic activity. Kamchatka is one such hotspot. When a quake this powerful occurs in that region, tsunami waves can reach places thousands of kilometres away. That's why countries on the other side of the Pacific—like the US, Japan, and island nations in between—were all put on alert. What was the impact region by region? Russia (Kamchatka and Kuril Islands): Tsunami waves up to 5 metres hit coastal areas. Flooding, property damage, and minor injuries were reported. Emergency services evacuated affected zones, and communications were briefly disrupted. Japan (Hokkaido and northeastern coast): Evacuations were ordered for up to two million residents. Trains were halted, nuclear plants put on alert, and coastal defences activated. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brain tumor has left my son feeling miserable; please help! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo Waves reached around 1.3 metres in some areas. Minimal damage was reported thanks to swift precautionary measures. Hawaii: Tsunami sirens sounded across the islands. Coastal residents and tourists were moved to higher ground. Waves between 1.5 and 1.8 metres were recorded. Ports and beaches were shut, but no significant injuries or structural damage occurred. US West Coast (California, Oregon, Alaska): Tsunami advisories were issued, though no large waves made landfall. The main risk was strong and unusual currents, prompting beach closures and marine warnings. How bad was it really? In terms of energy release and tsunami spread, this was one of the most significant Pacific events since the 2011 Japan earthquake. That said, widespread fatalities were avoided. Credit goes to early warning systems, international coordination, and well-practised evacuation drills—especially in Japan and Hawaii, which regularly rehearse such scenarios. Is this normal? For the region, yes. The Kamchatka Peninsula sits on the Pacific Plate's edge and has a long history of massive quakes and tsunamis. The 1952 Kamchatka earthquake, for instance, generated waves that reached Hawaii and caused serious damage in Russia. Tsunamis are rare on a global scale, but this part of the world is one of the few where they're expected—and prepared for. FAQ Q: Why was Hawaii under tsunami alert if the quake was in Russia? Because tsunami waves travel across the Pacific. Hawaii is directly in the path of waves radiating from the Kamchatka region. Q: What's the difference between a tsunami watch, warning, and advisory? Warning: Tsunami is imminent—evacuate. Watch: Stay alert—tsunami is possible. Advisory: No large tsunami expected, but strong currents and coastal dangers remain. Q: Could something similar hit India? Not from a Kamchatka quake. But India's eastern coast is vulnerable to tsunamis triggered by earthquakes in the Andaman-Sumatra subduction zone, like the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Q: Was there damage in the US mainland? No major damage, but there were beach closures and warnings about dangerous coastal conditions. Q: Is this over now? Yes. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has lifted most alerts. Waves have receded, and affected countries are in recovery mode. --
New York Times
12 hours ago
- Science
- New York Times
What is the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire'?
Hundreds of millions of people live along its path — in giant metropolises and in isolated mountain towns — tethered by a common geological fate forged by tectonic forces churning deep beneath their feet. The Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' as it has been described for more than a century, is a chain of seismologically and geologically active regions that encircle the Pacific Ocean, where many of the world's biggest earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis occur. It spans a horseshoe-shaped area winding from New Zealand, through parts of Southeast Asia, through Japan, Alaska, down through the west coast of North and South America. Some of the most devastating mass disasters, in recent memory and in distant history, have occurred along the ring: Japan's Fukushima disaster in 2011; the Great Chilean earthquake of 1960; the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004; and Alaska in 1964. Many of the big future quakes that governments, scientists and emergency responders alike are bracing for are expected in its course — on California's San Andreas, in Japan's Nankai Trough, and on the Cascadia fault off the Pacific Northwest. Here is what to know about the Pacific Ring of Fire. The 'Ring of Fire' is more of a convenient, colloquial concept to describe the plate boundaries that surround the Pacific Basin, rather than scientific terminology. It began with geologists' observation that a lot of volcanoes occur along the band — hence the 'fire' — and only came to be better understood in recent decades with advancements in theories of plate tectonics as to why so much of the world's seismic activity occurred along the Pacific Rim. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
UPI
a day ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Mysterious Ring camera footage sparks alien speculation
July 29 (UPI) -- A California woman's doorbell camera captured a video of a mysterious figure that has some residents speculating about alien activity. Jessica Ortiz shared footage to social media showing what her Ring camera picked up outside her Compton home after dark. The video appears to show an unusually-shaped figure walking next to the house. "Someone ANYONE please explain to me what my Ring just caught. I'm not tripping right?" Ortiz wrote. She said her son was equally perplexed by the footage. "He sat up on his bed and he played it like three times," Ortiz told NBC Los Angeles. "When he was done on the third one, he was like, 'Mom, it's an alien. Call the police.' I was like, I'm not calling the police on an alien. I'd sound crazy." Some commenters said the figure resembles an alien or another mysterious creature, while others speculated it could have been a person wearing a hat or a black-clad figure carrying a light-colored bag that showed up on camera as the silhouette of an extra-terrestrial. The video reached more than 1 million views on Instagram, but Ortiz has yet to receive a definitive answer. She said her best guess is still alien activity. "I think god is too creative for us to be the only ones with life," she said.
