Latest news with #O2
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
US rocker Alice Cooper the surprise bidder for €55 golf-inspired toast rack sold by Meath auctioneer
The School's Out rocker bought the unusual household item from Matthews Auctioneers in Kells, Co Meath, at pre-auction for just €55 and showed it off ahead of his London O2 gig on Friday, July 25. Damien Matthews, who delivered the item to Cooper, said he had no idea the bidder was actually the US star when he made the offer. 'He's a bit of a golf nut,' Mr Matthews said, explaining why the 77-year-old star was interested in this particular toast rack. 'It turns out he's a very nice, funny guy. I thought people would be amused to hear about this. It's a small world now items are auctioned online and smaller regional firms have the same international reach.' Cooper, a pioneer of 'shock rock', has enjoyed a six-decade career. The singer says he has played golf daily for the past 30 years. During this London gig, actor Johnny Depp joined Cooper's band to perform a cover of Black Sabbath's Paranoid in tribute to Ozzy Osbourne after the metal singer's death. Mr Matthews said he travelled to London regularly with big-ticket items customers had bought. Curiosity got the better of him in this case, so he decided to drop the budget-friendly toast rack off to Cooper, just to check whether it really was the star. 'He was delighted to receive it,' Mr Matthews said. 'It was a small-value item but I hand delivered it.' 'It was a bargain for sure. But it's a nice thought Alice Cooper, who I believe appreciates the finer things, will take his toast from it each morning.' The toast rack is up to 40 years old and is silver-plated.
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Alice Cooper surprise bidder for €55 golf-inspired toast rack sold by Meath auctioneer
The School's Out rocker bought the unusual household item from Matthews Auctioneers in Kells, Co Meath at pre-auction for just €55 and he showed it off ahead of his London O2 gig on Friday, July 25. Damien Matthews, who delivered the item to Cooper, said he had no idea the bidder was actually the US star, when he made the offer. 'He's a bit of a golf nut,' Mr Matthews told the Irish Independent, explaining why the star was interested in this particular toast rack. 'It turns out he's a very nice, funny guy. I thought people would be amused to hear about this. It's a small world now items are auctioned online and smaller regional firms have the same international reach.' Cooper, a pioneer of 'shock rock' has enjoyed a career of six decades. The singer has played golf daily for the past 30 years. During this London gig, actor Johnny Depp joined Cooper's band to perform a cover of Black Sabbath's Paranoid in tribute to Ozzy Osbourne after the metal singer's death. Mr Matthews said he travels to London regularly with big ticket items customers have bought. And curiosity got the better of him, so he decided to drop the budget-friendly toast rack off to Cooper, just to check was it really the star. 'He was delighted to receive it,' Mr Matthews said. 'It was a small value item but I hand delivered it.' 'It was a bargain for sure. But it's a nice thought Alice Cooper, who I believe appreciates the finer things, will take his toast from it each morning.' The toast rack is up to 40 years old and is silver plated.
Entrepreneur
3 hours ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
4 Steps to Rebrand Your Product So Customers Actually Want It
Rebranding can be a complicated process, but it doesn't have to be. Here's how one beverage company fixed its messaging problem in a few key steps. This story appears in the July 2025 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe » When O2 launched in 2014, it called itself an "oxygenated recovery drink." What's that? It means it's infused with oxygen to improve recovery. O2 was marketed to young men who exercise hard, like its founders, Dave Colina and Dan Kim, and it did great in gyms. But it struggled to reach wider retail. Then it became clear. Retail buyers didn't understand the phrase "oxygenated recovery," and consumer research revealed a surprising disconnect: O2's most engaged customers were women ages 35 to 55 — not young men! It was time for a change. O2 hired the branding agency We Are Bill. Here's how they tore the brand down and then built it back up. Related: Customers Want More Than Just a Product — Here's How to Meet Their Expectations Step 1: Define the Problem. This is the original O2 design. We Are Bill pointed out a few problems: "The logo could be interpreted as a kind of recycling symbol. The waves can communicate water, but also make the logo busy." The silver metallic top was also a problem. It's often associated with energy drinks, which are not perceived as healthy — one of O2's greatest selling points. It also leans more masculine. Step 2: Rethink the Vibe. These are a series of alternative designs from We Are Bill. Here's their thinking about each can: 1. It's a simplification of the existing logo. The blues help to communicate hydration. Real ingredients are on the front. Saturated colors communicate full flavor. 2. This was inspired by the Lewis Structure, which is a way of communicating the molecular structure of oxygen. The scientific design helps create a sense of authority. 3. This is the simplest way to communicate "water with oxygen in it." The drop of water shows it's a hydrating drink. The scientific structure of O2 lends some authority. 4. This makes the brand slightly more premium. The custom form of the serif "O" is bold and memorable. The "2" nested in the "O" allows for a symmetrical balance. Related: Why Most Branding Advice Is Wrong — and What Actually Works Step 3: Refine the Approach. O2 gravitated toward Option 1, which bears the closest resemblance to their original branding. "We already had several hundreds of thousands of customers drinking O2 somewhat regularly," Colina says. "So we didn't want a redesign that confused them." But the changes still marked fundamental, clarifying shifts. They swapped out the "oxygenated recovery" language for the simplicity of "hydration," and described the beverage as "a new kind of sports drink." They ditched silver for white to create a sense of clean healthfulness and an approachable premium feel. The bright colors helped communicate the full flavor even though the liquid is clear. Step 4: Finalize the Decision. Once the O2 team picked their favorite design, it was refined for further clarity. They added "non-carbonated" at the top of the can, and tweaked the description and nutritional fact bubbles. Related: 10 Reasons Why Branding Is Important, Even For Startups They also thought about how the cans would appear in retail. "When you have several cans side by side, the color blocking on the bottom curves up to mimic a wave," We Are Bill CEO and cofounder Scott Roslyn says. The final result: O2 began life as an "oxygenated recovery" drink for hyperathletic men, but is now a gender-neutral, flavor-focused, clean hydration drink for everyone. That's what unlocked growth for O2, which you can now find nationwide at CrossFit gyms, yoga studios, and Life Time fitness clubs. Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.
Local France
5 hours ago
- Business
- Local France
Which UK phone companies offer free roaming in France?
EU agreements mean that phone companies are banned from charging extra 'roaming' fees for data use in any country within the European Bloc. Since Brexit, that no longer applies to the UK and in the aftermath of the UK's exit from the EU, many telecommunications companies in the UK have begun charging additional 'roaming' fees. In some cases, companies started charging extra fees directly after Brexit, but others have taken a slower approach by gradually introducing them. Meanwhile, there are still a few British phone plans that do not charge extra for 'roaming'. Here is the latest list (as of July 2025) of the British phone companies that offer free roaming, as well as those who do not, plus what they offer instead. This list is correct at the time of publication, but providers can change their deals. READ MORE: Roaming: Where can I use my French mobile without landing a huge bill? Free roaming in France O2 - As part of their standard monthly SIM plans - Classic, Plus and Ultimate, ranging from £16 to £34 - O2 includes free roaming. Advertisement O2 customers can make calls and send texts within the Europe Zone (which includes France) to any other country in the Europe Zone (including the UK). Users can also benefit from their monthly data allowance, but there is a roaming limit of 25 GB. Once you near the roaming limit, you will receive a text message warning that if you keep using data, you will be charged extra. BT 'Roam like Home' - Despite the fact that BT and EE are merging, the company still allows customers to opt for BT mobile plans, such as the 50GB SIM , which starts at £13 a month. As for roaming, this means that customers can benefit from 'Roam like Home' free roaming in France and the EU. The plan includes 50 GB of data usage (as part of their fair use policy allowance). You can make calls and send texts within France at no extra charge, but you cannot call abroad from the UK without paying a fee. You ought to receive a notification if you are at 80 percent of your usage allowance. The company does warn that 'Roam like Home' is only available for people "usually based in the UK". They may add a surcharge if they see you have been using the plan for over four months in France. Smarty - Smarty's SIM-only plans include roaming within the EU, with unlimited calls and texts. Users have a 'fair use' limit of 12GB per month for a maximum of 60 days. To go above that, you have to buy a data add-on. Giffgaff - This phone company allows people to use their usual capacity of calls and texts in the EU "at no extra cost". As for data, the cut off is 5GB, and if you go over, you will have to pay 10p/MB. There are other travel add-on plans available, too. Additional roaming fees Vodafone - As things stand, Vodafone has several different plans, and some of them include roaming (up to 25 GB fair use limit) in France (which falls into their 'B' list). Specifically, you can opt for the 5GB Xtra Euro Roam (£25 monthly). Otherwise, you can purchase a plan that does not include roaming and pay an extra daily charge of £2.57 a day or purchase a 'European Roaming Pass" (either 8 or 15 days). Advertisement EE Mobile - EE Mobile has been changing its approach to roaming, with some of the contracts it offered before July 2021 no longer available. The company still has several plans that do include EU roaming (the Max Plan, Full Works, Essentials Plus, and All rounder). For customers whose plans do not include roaming, they can purchase temporary passes, with fees of £2.59 per day, £15 per week, and £21.50 per 12 days. Calls, texts and data would be available at your normal UK allowance. You can decide which pass to purchase upon arrival, as you will receive a link giving you the options. Tesco Mobile - Customers who joined Tesco Mobile before June 16th, 2022 will continue to be able to use their UK data allowance in France. However, those who have changed contracts or joined after June 2022 will "be subject to roaming charges from 2026", the company warned on their website. Customers are expected to receive 30 days' notice before changes are implemented. For the time being, people on monthly SIM plans with Tesco Mobile will still be able to have roaming in France included in their standard bill. Advertisement Three - Similar to EE Mobile and Vodafone, Three offers some plans (like Value and Complete) which include roaming in France/ the EU. Otherwise, customers can pay a daily charge of £2 for the 'Go Roam in Europe' pass. Data is capped at 12GB. Sky - This phone service does not include free roaming automatically. You can opt for the 'Roaming Passport Plus' which allows users to access their UK data, calling and texting allowance for £2 a day. British tourists and second-home owners will likely keep their UK phone contract, but if you're moving to France then sooner or later you will probably want to switch to a French provider. READ ALSO : Which French phone operator offers the best mobile coverage?✎
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
O2 and Vodafone mobile customers warned of network problems TODAY due to ‘essential works'
O2 and Vodafone mobile customers have been warned of network issues today. The tech giants will be carrying out essential maintenance work, which may affect services until 8 pm this evening. 1 Customers had hoped the work was about 5G upgrade Credit: Getty The work is being carried out in The news is expected to leave a sour taste in the mouths of O2 customers in Devon's capital city after recent complaints over the network in the area. The telecoms company, owned by Virgin Media O2, has previously responded to problems in the St Thomas area. A message was sent to customers, which read: "To make our network more reliable, we'll be starting essential works in the area. read more on O2 "This may affect your services for a while. We know this isn't ideal, but we aim to have you back online by 8pm on July 29." The message also included a link for users to track the progress of the work being carried out. And hopes that the latest maintenance work would bring improved 5G to the area have been squashed. Most read in Tech reveals that Vodafone and O2 do not currently provide 5G mobile in the area. Vodafone confirmed the work is not related to increasing 5G coverage. A spokesperson for the company said: "Our team is undertaking essential site maintenance in this area. "We encourage customers to sign up to Network Checker to receive status updates regarding network issues and planned work.' 5G is the fifth generation in mobile network technology and was launched across the UK in 2019 and 2020. EE was the first company to launch commercial 5G and Vodafone followed shortly after, treating customers to the service in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and London. O2 rolled out its 5G service in October 2019 and covered Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Slough and Leeds. Giffgaff, which uses O2's infrastructure, only started offering 5G in January 2021. How to tackle phone addiction Mobile phone addiction is becoming a growing concern, with many people spending an excessive amount of time glued to their screens. This constant engagement with our devices is not just a harmless habit; it can lead to a range of health issues. Experts have warned that the overuse of smartphones can contribute to problems such as eye strain, poor posture, and disrupted sleep patterns. The blue light emitted by phone screens can interfere with the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep, making it harder for individuals to fall asleep and stay asleep. Moreover, the addiction to phones can have psychological effects. The pressure to stay constantly connected and the barrage of notifications can lead to increased stress and anxiety. Social media, in particular, can contribute to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem, as people often compare their lives to the seemingly perfect lives portrayed online. This can lead to a vicious cycle where individuals seek validation through their phones, further entrenching their addiction. To mitigate these effects, it is important to establish healthier phone usage habits. Setting boundaries, such as designated phone-free times or areas, can help reduce screen time. Engaging in activities that do not involve screens, such as reading a book or going for a walk, can also be beneficial. By taking proactive steps to limit phone use, individuals can improve both their physical and mental well-being.
