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PS5 Announcement – What We Think We Know

Jon

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13th October 2019

PS5 Announcement – What We Think We Know

It’s happening, the next-gen PlayStation has been announced! It’s due to land in time for Christmas 2020 and will be dubbed the PS5. Since Mark Cerny, Sony’s chief architect announced the company were working on the new console we’ve seen a steady release of information circulating such as an official PS5 release window, name and a few details about features. Alongside this, there was the surprising leak of a Sony patent which seems to hint at the console’s new shape and general design. So what’s the craic with the PS5? well here’s everything we think we know about the new PlayStation 5.

PS5 Release Date

Image result for mark cerny

Probably the best place to start and thankfully the little ones won’t be on the hunt for a new console this Christmas. After the recent announcement of Xbox’s Project Scarlett due for release for Christmas 2020, it looks like Sony are following suit. We’d be surprised if this wasn’t the case, to be honest, and the latest instalment of the console wars could be the best yet.

However, let’s not be surprised if Sony throw a curveball. There has been a rumour floating about in recent days that we could see the PS5 release in February/March to get a jump on the competition. I reckon Black Friday is going to be a pretty decent indicator of Sony’s tactic and if we see the PS4 get crazier discounts than usual this year, don’t be surprised if we see the PS5 by April 2020.

To get technical for a moment the answer is a bit yes and no. The PS4 is by all accounts set to ship with the AMD Ryzen chip and a GPU from Radeon Navi family. Couple this with the SSD Storage and this combination promises great graphics ability, fast as fuck load times and good bandwidth capabilities. However, that on first glance looks like 8k gaming could be possible for simpler titles while the bigger games will employ a new version of upscaling used on the PS4 Pro to make games look slick on 4K.

One idea floating about and I personally don’t like it is that at launch we’ll get a PS5 and PS5 Pro. The Pro version will be a higher spec with much more powerful features including a higher frame rate and 8K video.

What about a 4K Blu-ray drive?

Mark Cerny confirmed that the PS5 will have a 4K Blu-ray player. To be honest the PS4 should have included this feature as both the Xbox One X & S come with the 4K drive. What that means is that if your the home cinema type the Xbox would have been the better choice however with this news the PS5 is ready to bring the Ultra HD Blu-ray fight to Xbox.

The Audio Setup

Dobly Atmos – we really hope we get it. Right now the Xbox One baits the PS4 in the audio department. The Xbox is already rocking both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio for gaming and 4K Blu-ray playback but Cerny has promised that the PS5 will be the “Gold Standard” in audio. Early reports are stating that we will see a redesigned 3D audio engine to deliver a more immersive experience and better again you won’t require any new hardware.

We hope there will be Dolby Atmos support for movie and gaming content from the offset, sure you will need a proper speaker setup and AV receiver to really maximise this but if you’re a gamer or a movie lover then this small outlay will be worth your time.

PSVR compatibility

So the comments from Mark Cerny points towards VR being apart of the console from the get-go. Now he hasn’t mentioned whether that will mean we will get a PlayStation VR 2, if the current VR will work or will the kit be built in as a standard. In my humble opinion, I reckon it will be a PSVR2 kit as the current version has a weaker resolution than any of the comparable systems on the market, namely the Vive and Oculus Rift.

Another rumour in the mill is that Sony may be looking at some 3D hologram accessory for multiplayer games. This would work by using an eye tracker with a light emitter to project an image giving the impression of a hologram floating in mid-air. Honestly, I reckon that’s a rumour but would love to be proved wrong.

The PS5 Console

I know we’ve gotten this far and still haven’t mentioned the most important part – the actual console. Anyway back in August a patent was registered as a Sony electronic device by the companies technical director. This little piece of paper was leaked to the internet and the rendered images we have been seeing thus far are very similar to the sketch that accompanied said patent. While the console will probably be tweaked a fair bit between now and then it’s definitely interesting to see what’s potentially in store:

It’s a big change that’s for sure and if I was to bet that U shape on the top (if it stays of course) will become the docking station for the controls instead of an area for fans. But that’s just me guessing. Interestingly we can see what looks to be five USB ports at the front for headphones, controllers, hard drives and other accessories. Other than that we have very little else to go off but it’s a funky shape if nothing else. Hit us up if you have ideas of your own.

There will be a more environmentally friendly element to the PS5 with a new energy saving mode which will go through less power than the PS4, what they are saying is if this feature was used by 1million users it would reduce electricity consumption equal to that of 1000 houses.

Updated Dualshock 5 Controllers

Image result for ps5 controller

A new console can’t come to market without a brand new controller. The PS5 is no different and Sony has already confirmed that the Dualshock 5’s will come with some nice new features. Haptic feedback is gone in favour of a new “rumble” system that is set to give more realistic feedback and we will be getting something else called adaptive triggers that will be driven by programmable resistance within the trigger buttons.

Some rumours have suggested that the new controller will contain a touchscreen…for what I don’t know. Some are saying could be in place of the central pad and would be used for controlling bits and pieces while others say it could be used for your smartphone notifications (which I hope is a lie)

Automatic charging over Wi-Fi has been discussed by fans as a way of powering such a controller and, while that sounds interesting, that’s going to cost cash moneys.

PS5 Pricing

Speaking of pricing, we haven’t a notion right now but if any of the other consoles are anything to go buy then €500 will be the maximum price. Sony in the past have stated that they will always try to make their consoles as accessible as possible, so over pricing could be a problem. If we look back on previous models the PS1 & 2 launched for about €300, the PS3 & 4 rocked up about €400 at launch. With this in mind, it would be a surprise to see Sony charging any more, after all, they are in a volume game.

That’s all for now, we will have more information in the coming months but for now, all we can do is piece together what we know, what’s rumoured and a few of our own guesses. What do you think we are going to get from the new PS5? Hit us up.

FIFA 20 Review: Is it really as bad as the early reports?

Jon

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11th October 2019

0

FIFA 20 Review: Is it really as bad as the early reports?

Every year we play it and every year people say the same thing, FIFA 2020 is just FIFA 19 with a new hat. We love smartphones and often they might be quite similar but its the subtle nuances that set them apart. The same can be said for FIFA 20. Sure it’s a bit pricey and As you might expect, FIFA 20 doesn’t rewrite the rules but the addition of a completely new mode adds some much-needed excitement to the series.

Back to the Streets

We loved The Journey from games gone by but this year we get the renaissance of FIFA Street in the form of Volta. Volta is the biggest change to the game this year hence why we are starting our review here. If you’ve ever played FIFA Street, Volta is like a grown up version of the same game. Gone are the mad tricks and flicks, power boosts and other mad shite to be replaced with over-the-top celebrations, outrageous flicks and tricks, and quick matches. To be fair playing a 3 on 3 game on top of a car park in Tokyo is a wonderful change of direction to your typical 11 a side game of FIFA.

I liked the environments as I said they are different and boy do they pop. Volta isn’t just nice locations, it can be played in a few different game modes from kick-off to the Volta Season Mode. The season mode lets you create your own player and go through their preset story full of cut scenes. What i’ll say about it is simple, the story is ridiculous, the cut scenes go on way too long and it’s a bit meh but get through all that and the game play itself is some craic.

Speaking of the game play, tricks are difficult to get to grips with but once you figure it out you’ll enjoy making either the computer or friends look stupid. Especially when you can be that guy to play a wall pass just to wind them up. You won’t spend the majority of your time on FIFA 20 playing Volta. It’s a super flashy add on this year but realistically FIFA 20 is all about the actual football.

Overall Gameplay

First things first, when you login to FIFA 20 for the first time you’ll be forgiven for thinking you leeft your FIFA 19 CD in the drive the interface looks that similar. Everything on the face of the game feels like a copy and paste job with opening game scenes and commentary almost a carbon copy from last year, it’s not until a ball is kicked you get to feel the subtle changes.

Remember in previous years when you’d be darting down the wing with lets say Mpabbe but suddenly the slowest full back in the world would be able to catch you? yeah that’s gone for good. The lads in EA took feedback to hear and you need to be aware of slower defends and manavouer yourself accordingly to defend. Players like Salah and Adama Traore (seriously wow) feel every bit as fast as they should be and if you’re unlucky enough to be playing a mate with one of these speed demons without the appropriate defensive tweaks, prepare for smashed controllers. Actually the same can be said for the bigger more powerful players like Zlatan, Maguire or Akinfenwa really feel like big strong units.

Overall FIFA 20 made a few tweaks and changes that really make small difference without completely overhauling the game. The speed is the first one, picking the top teams feels like you’ve ramped the speed settings to the max while a one star team can feel like a watching boys playing in custard. EA also claim to have upgraded ball physics but from what I can tell so far, I’m not buying it so maybe it’s so subtle I don’t notice it or their talking out their hoop. We’ll let you decide on that one.

Another change you can feel though is the ball weighting and by that I mean when you sweep that delicious cross field ball to your pacey winger in games gone past would have just gone out of play whereas now it feels more realistic. For now anyway. I reckon this is one feature they will tone down in the future because perfecting that pass can literally be unstoppable. Plus we all know FIFA comes unfinished at this stage so the game we play on release is normally different by the new year.

Apart from that everything else is FIFA 19 with a new hat…until you look at set pieces.

Set Piece Dynamics

Honestly while I still can’t take a free or peno I’m delighted they finally did something about their god awful set piece system. In FIFA 20 free-kicks are very different and they almost feel like a mini-game in-game in their own right. Looking at the image above you’d think right picked the spot and the shot type I want and that’s that right? Wrong. There’s a few variables that actually differ from player to player and free to free. Take into account things like wind, curl and who is the taker and it really does make a difference. After a bit of practise I reckon hitting the target will be more manageable than last year but those who find that sweet spot can become an online Juninho….For those of you too young to remember that glorious deadball specialist just watch the below.

Career & Ultimate Team Modes

Glorious stuff, anyway back to business, Ultimate Team & Career Mode. Does FIFA 20 actually care about the career mode players or have they doubled down on the daily profits on Ultimate Team. Well put it like this we’ve all seen the videos on social media with players receiving their Ultimate Team Card and with that kind of marketing career mode just feels like a a week old banana. Like it’s there, you can have it but the love isn’t there.

Maybe that’s a harsh description but all the good stuff is the same as last year:

Big Leagues are licensed and branded
European competitions from the start
Nice commentary
Simple navigation

You can play in a selection of pre-season tournaments to get your team up to scratch, plus there’s a couple of training options if you want to try to boost the stats of some of your players. Player and Team Morale becomes a little more important this year signified by a red sad face shows a player’s morale is poor, while a smiley green face represents they’re happy. This is a simple dynamic that doesn’t really add anything to the game because those that won’t be happy are exactly the players you want to sell in the next window.

You manage the morale in things like post match interviews where you answer questions with an obvious right answer to improve or decrease player moral. Honestly these cut scenes that play out when you’re negotiating either to buy a player or give them a new contract are pointless. Your avatar has no voice, he sits and nods while the game slowly reels of your responses. Pointless and shouldn’t have been included, get rid of these and give us something like if this then that tactics or creating my own set piece routines any day.

Of course, Ultimate Team is back for another season. The biggest improvements here appears to be many more iconic players to build into your team, season objectives and deeper customization options. If you’re a FUT veteran then you’ll likely dive straight in here without even taking a second glance at the other modes. There’s not much here for those who weren’t convinced before, though because EA are happy to sit back and watch the money roll in.

FIFA 20 The Goosed Verdict

I may have had a moment on our recent podcast with The Sun’s Gaming/Technology Journo Vinny Fanneran.

Having taken a step back for a week or so to delve into the depths of the game I have slightly changed my tune. I still feel like this game doesn’t feel fully finished with updates waiting on lineups, bugs in the Career Mode and a general feel that it’s FIFA 19 with a new hat. Buuuuut FIFA 20 does have an awful lot going for it. The slight changes to player movement and ball physics are a welcome addition and the sheer volume of gaming option in Kick-Off Mode means that it’s still the absolute best game to play when you’ve a few mates over.

While we may have been disappointed to see the end of the enjoyable Journey Mode, the new street football ball game Volta offers enough light-hearted fun for couch co-op and some clever, nuanced game play tweaks that coax out a more fair and rewarding game of soccer. Probably enough to warrant a full game in it’s own right ah la FIFA Street from back in the day. Look it’s not perfect but FIFA 20 picks up right where FIFA 19 left off as a glossy, slick title ideal for playing with the lads for a few pick up games.

Google Launches Website With Data to Support Dublin Climate Action Plan

Marty

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10th October 2019

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Google Launches Website With Data to Support Dublin Climate Action Plan

The environment is a bit of a hot topic right now. If it wasn’t so serious, I’d smugly reflect on that pun for another few minutes. It’s hard to know if any government-led plan will help tip the scales towards us all doing this planet some good for a change, but the most important thing we need to hold them to account is data. We need to know what the score is so we can know who’s winning. Today, Google launched its Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE) website after partnering with Dublin City Council’s Smart City program and UCD.

How Bad is the Air in Dublin?

Dublin City Council is aiming to be a leader when it comes to climate action and is seeking to improve air quality within the nation’s capital. I’m sure that raises the eyebrows of many, including at least one eyebrow myself, considering the hardship cyclists and electric scooters go through with little support, but you could argue that’s a problem higher up the chain.

Anyway, as I said, if change is to happen, we need to know the score. Google’s new website lets us check in on that.

Google’s EIE website for Dublin shows us that the city is generating a total of 2,130,000 tCO2e per year. That stands for metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. That figure is arrived at by looking at the buildings which generate greenhouse gas emissions from direct combustion of fossil fuels (like for heating, and indirectly by the electricity the residents and equipment consume.

When it comes to transport, the city generates 1,310,000 tCO₂e per year. This figure not only includes the likes of petrol and diesel engines but the electricity required to charge electric cars.

Recommendations: Going A Step Further

In the hope that common sense can be achieved by Google telling Dublin City Council what is needed, they’ve done just that. The EIE website also outlines suggestions which will directly impact the big air quality numbers. For example, if we want to reduce transportation emissions, Dublin City Council should look to promote electric vehicles, in particular, expanding the city’s charging infrastructure. I can’t help but feel it’s a shame this comes a day after the budget which announced a paltry €3 million for electric vehicle infrastructure in transport while also abolishing the electric car grant.

Google’s suggestions also include a car-free downtown. I’m not sure where that would be, but College Green would surely make sense? The plan here would be to eliminate cars from high-density districts while also creating car-free pedestrian zones, limiting vehicles on certain days of the week and implementing congestion pricing. This are rules applied in many big German cities.

Dublin, I’m sorry, but we’ve all got to stop worshipping the car.

Solar Panel Potential

Why wouldn’t we just do this? It’s not like it’s the White House solar panel debacle!

Google is spelling out what we need to do to help improve the air in Dublin, so now you can start asking what’s actually been done about it. It’s kind of like when you’re wondering why you’re never losing weight but then you realise it’s because you finally wear a FitBit and realise it’s down to the fact you do 2,000 steps per day! The data matters.

If you want to gain a better understanding of what’s going on here with the data, get on over to Google’s EIE website and have a play yourself. It’s publically available and is crammed with interesting bits of data. According to Google, Dublin City roofs can help us avoid generating 206,000 tCO₂e per year. Empty space that just needs a few panels lads. Couldn’t be simpler.

Track Storm Lorenzo Live With Google Maps

Marty

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2nd October 2019

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Track Storm Lorenzo Live With Google Maps

One of the most impressive things that Google has developed over the years isn’t there search engine. At least, for me it’s not. To me, it’s Google Maps. With Google Maps, we have a tool which can quite accurately estimate journey times based on live data from real users and even offer you an alternative, faster route. It can find places of interest nearby and even help you remember the route home you took after a few pints the night before. Live location sharing is one of the top tips I’ll give anyone who’s looking for a safe trip home alone on a night out.

Today, Google announced that you can also track Storm Lorenzo with Google Maps. See, it’s the talk of the town and I just found a tech angle!

What is Storm Lorenzo?

This is not our area of expertise at all, but Storm Lorenzo is a big gust of wind heading towards Ireland later this week. Being a little more serious, Storm Lorenzo is currently a category 1 hurricane set for landfall in Ireland over Thursday and Friday. Lorenzo was previously a category 5 hurricane, which initially meant nothing to me. However, when you realise that there’s only ever been 36 recorded category five hurricanes in history, it becomes clear why Storm Lorenzo is a bit more newsworthy than most lashings of rain that we get over here.

It’s also the reason why Met Éireann has issued orange wind warnings for six counties and a nationwide yellow warning. So, now that you’re regretting all those times you laughed at Doomsday Preppers on the telly, here’s how you can track Storm Lorenzo with the incredible technology of Google.

Track Storm Lorenzo With Google Maps

Enter Google Maps.

Google has started tracking Storm Lorenzo in Google Maps. That means you can now nip into that link and follow how Lorenzo is getting on. It also shows projected areas of the storm’s landfall in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Will I Get Off Work Because of Storm Lorenzo?

I’d say there’s a chance. Now, I’m no meteorologist, but looking at Google Maps, the bulk of the country is going to get lifted out of it. Buy a load of snacks and white bread, just-in-case. If you can, bring the laptop home from work and take the “I better work from home” option while binging on Netflix.

Knuckle down lads and keep an eye on Google!

Skullcandy Sesh Review: Quality Budget Truly Wireless Buds

Marty

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2nd October 2019

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Skullcandy Sesh Review: Quality Budget Truly Wireless Buds

I think it’s audio that best shows off how fast technology is moving these days. It felt like only yesterday that earbuds were a new idea as we laughed off Apple’s AirPod hitting the market. Less than three years later, and truly wireless audio is a massive revenue driver for tech’s heavy hitters. Skullcandy, a favourite brand here at Goosed Tower recently launched the Skullcandy Sesh truly wireless earbuds and we picked up a pair at IFA Berlin to test out.

Truly Wireless Buds on a Budget

Truly wireless earbuds really are all the rage these days. So far, I’ve tested out the Soundcore Liberty Air, Jabra 65t Elite and an interesting budget pair of buds from Enod. Jon has test-driven the Skullcandy Indy buds and even Amazon is moving into the buds space and closer to home, just around the corner are the new Huawei FreeBuds 3 which should be on shelves in Ireland before Christmas.

The Huawei buds will likely be next-level quality, coming at a next level price. This is what blew me away when I got to test out the Skullcandy Sesh. For €59.99 in Irish shops, you get a pair of buds which, even without noise cancelling of any kind, offer great ambient sound suppression and decent playback audio quality too. Sure, if you’re watching some videos, you may notice the slightest lag, but I’ve tested much more expensive earbuds with lag which rendered watching video nigh on impossible.

The Skullcandy Sesh performed admirably for me across several testing environments, including an aeroplane and busy office environment.

Audio Quality

If the audio quality isn’t there, they’d be dead in the water. Thankfully, the Skullcandy Sesh deliver an above-average audio experience.

Music Quality

I really don’t want that to sound like a negative, because for me, Skullcandy has achieved something incredible with their truly wireless Sesh earbuds. Why? Because I keep coming back to the price.

I was left wanting for very little when testing out the Sesh earbuds. The buds were never going to blow me away with a best-in-class audiological experience, but they far outperformed what I’d expected when I saw how much these were worth. If you’re an audiophile, I’m sure you could pick these apart much more than I could. If you’re a casual Spotify streamer looking for a decent set of buds, look no further.

Call Quality

This is one area which the Sesh, like many truly wireless buds, falls down. Call quality is pretty poor. For me, buds should cater to my need for seamlessly picking up a call when I’m listening to a few tunes. Buds, because of their design in general, result in the mic being quite a distance from your mouth. This is why calls are generally hard anyway.

I’m afraid, Skullcandy didn’t do anything to nail improving the situation here with the Sesh as call quality was a letdown. If calls are your thing, it might be best if you check out the, admittedly more expensive, Jabra 65t Elite.

Design and Build

In terms of design, the most important thing for earbuds is comfort. Comfort means many things, but ear fatigue and likelihood to have an earbud slip out of your ear are the two most important comfort factors for me.

I will admit, an earbud popped out on me once. The situation was so funny, I refuse to consider it a negative:

God, I forgot about the awkward moment my ear bud fell out on the flight yesterday and landed on a sleeping passengers crotch. I'm grateful he woke up. pic.twitter.com/9BUET212v7

— Marty Meany [Insert tech event here] (@martinmeany) September 14, 2019

That is honestly a true story. Awkward.

Again, I feel, as funny as that story is, that it paints a negative picture. The Skullcandy Sesh do feel comfortable and secure in my ear, even when being fairly active.

On the note of ear fatigue, I had no issues at all. The Sesh buds are quite light which helps. Another thing lending to ear fatigue not being a problem, is the battery life.

Battery

The battery in these buds will not suit your needs if you want a pair of buds to run for hours and hours. You’ll get just three hours from the buds themselves and a further eight hours from the carry case. I’ve never found myself in a situation where I leave in my buds that long. For me, buds are for working out or short stints in the office. Anything longer than two hours, especially long trips, will see my pull out something like my Bose QC35 II noise-cancelling cans.

Design and Build Quality

The Skullcandy Sesh do generally look their pricetag. I’m not going to rip into them too much for that because I care more about sound than looks, but it’s important to manage your expectations here.

The charge case is proper cheap plastic. Just a few weeks into owning a set of these buds and mine have seen better days; the first days. The buds themselves, while comfortable, aren’t anything special at all to look at. I’m sure for many, that’s grand. Unless you like wearing Apple AirPods just because you want the world to know you’re wearing an Apple product.

One thing worth noting is the on-bud controls for volume, playback and smart assistants is brilliant. Having an actual physical button instead of a capacitive touch area is rather reassuring when you need to control your playback.

If I really had to find a negative, it would be the fact Skullcandy seem to be clearing out the last of their micro-USB ports. I’ve noticed that nearly all of my gadgets are USB-C these days but I do still need to carry an old cable with me for one or two items. The sooner everything is USB-C the better!

Connectivity

Poor connectivity can drive just as much negativity as poor sound quality. The Sesh were largely delivering a consistent connection, largely down to the Bluetooth 5.0 technology. I did have a few hairy moments when surrounded by large crowds, particularly if the battery in my buds was a little to close to being empty.

Skullcandy Sesh: The Big Selling Point

If you’re after a decent pair of buds for casual listening and don’t want to break the bank, look no further than the Skullcandy Sesh. They’ve got form when it comes to making great audio accessories that don’t break the bank.

We’ve found the cheapest price for the Skullcandy Sesh truly wireless buds using PriceSpy, who’ve pointed towards €59.99 in Argos. You could save about €3 if you shop on Amazon.co.uk but maybe wait and see what happens with the Pound to see if it is more worth your while later this month!

Skullcandy Sesh Specs

Brand	Skullcandy
Model	Sesh
Headphone Type	True Wireless In-Ear
Connection Type	Bluetooth 5.0
Impedance	16 Ohms ±15%
Driver Diameter	6mm
THD	<3% at 1KHz
Sound Pressure Level	99-105dB
Frequency Response	20Hz – 20KHz
Weight	59.5g (earbuds); 106g (case)
Smart Assistant	Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa compatible
Water Resistance	IP55 Sweat, Water, and Dust Resistant
Features	Microphone, Call, Track and Volume Control
Price	€59.99 with Argos.ie

Goosed Stats: 32% of Irish Consumers Shopped On Amazon.co.uk in the Past 12 Months

Marty

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30th September 2019

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Goosed Stats: 32% of Irish Consumers Shopped On Amazon.co.uk in the Past 12 Months

We’re, unfortunately, counting down the days to Brexit. Personally, this is kind of like the whole Google/Huawei app thing. Surely, something is going to happen at the death and make all the panic obsolete, right? Unfortunately, things are ramping up for Brexit to happen and one of the knock-on effects will be increased friction when trying to order from UK online stores like Amazon.co.uk.

How Many People in Ireland Shop on Amazon.co.uk?

Last year, we carried out some of our very own research to find that 34% of shoppers in Ireland had purchased from Amazon.co.uk in the past twelve months. It’s time for us to refresh our figures and see if Brexit on the horizon is making shoppers slow their habits or start panic shopping.

We surveyed online shoppers if they shopped on Amazon.co.uk in the past 12 months. This time around, slighted fewer responded positively with 32% saying they had bought something on the UK retailers website over the past 12 months. When we extrapolate that data, it equates to approximately 1.6 million members of the 4.9 million population of Ireland has shopped on Amazon.co.uk in the past 12 months.

That means almost 100,000 fewer people shopped with the UK online retail giant last year. While it’s a reach to assume that drop comes from Brexit fears, increased taxes and delayed deliveries will almost certainly lead to a drop in interest amongst Irish shoppers to buy from the UK.

Who are the Amazon.co.uk Shoppers of Ireland?

Diving into the numbers a little further we can also see who it is that typically shops on Amazon.co.uk and gets items delivered to Ireland. 30% of Ireland’s Amazon.co.uk shoppers are aged between 25 and 34. That’s a 30% increase for this age group since last year’s research.

Last year, our research found that 64% of Ireland’s Amazon.co.uk shoppers were men. This year, that number has swung dramatically in the other direction. Now, 54% of Ireland’s Amazon shoppers are female. That’s a dramatic increase of 50% in female shoppers.

What Lies Ahead With Brexit?

Right now, Brexit remains a big unknown. It looks like taxes and delivery delays on items imported to Ireland will be the primary issues for online shoppers. Of course, also impacted will be shopper rights.

When you purchase goods or gadgets from online stores within the EU, you are protected by some great EU consumer laws. Distance selling is one of the best rights, allowing you to cancel most online orders within 14 days of delivery. According to the CCPC, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal specifically saying otherwise, Irish shoppers will no longer be protected by these rights.

This section is short because this is a whole pile of unknowns. Over the next month or so, we’ll learn a lot more about what Brexit means for online shoppers.

Brexit Winners

Now, this isn’t all doom and gloom. Should a no-deal Brexit become reality and online shopping with Amazon.co.uk become a reality, where will 1.6 million online shoppers go? Some will persevere and shop online with Amazon. Others will turn to their German sister Amazon.de. Naturally, other sales will remain in Ireland with Irish retailers, whether that be online or in-store.

Things are changing and we’ll be here to help you navigate every step of the way.

Crello: A Free & Easy To Use Graphic Design Tool

Jon

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30th September 2019

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Crello: A Free & Easy To Use Graphic Design Tool

Probably a bit out of the usual for us but over the last year or so I’ve noticed something amazing. Almost everyone has a side hustle! With a second job or prospering business many people are left scratching their heads when it comes to designing cover photos, invites, social media posts and all that jazz. Hence this review. I’ll be honest, I’m a bit of a graphic designer, in fact my undergrad degree is in Design & Technology so while I know my way around Photoshop, I’m lazy. With both those points in mind I went on a hunt for a free and easy design tool that anyone could use. Most of you would have heard of Canva but recently I found Crello, a free and stupidly easy to use graphic design tool.

What Is Crello?

Crello is essentially a cloud based design tool, similar to Canva. Giving you thousands of free templates to work from, they can be used to create graphics for print, social media, ads, websites and anything else you can think of. It’s available on Apple, Desktop and now Android. As with any of these types of platforms, it’s free and you can get started straight away but of course there are premium plans that add extra functionality if you want even more templates and some extras.

Crello lets you do animated short GIF imagery as well as standard static images. The large library and range of templates available makeit ideal for 1st time designers or those like me who just want a quick and easy solution.

What Can Crello Do?

Crello have dubbed themselves a “visual editor” which I kind of agree with because well it helps you make visuals. For a small company or a person starting their new side hustle, the devil is in the detail. The days of just writing blogs are done, now you need images, audio (like The Goosed Podcast), videos and it all has to be consistent. So how do you make consistent graphics that stand above the noise on the internet. Well, Crello say the answer is them.

The platform has been been made by the stock image website Depositphotos, so that means from the start you get a butt-load of stock imagery to use for backgrounds plus there’s a ridiculously large database if you decide to go premium.

Crello tries to make the process of making designs easy, just browse their templates, images etc and when you find a style you like, click and modify everything as you need. Sounds easy right?

What they want to create is a platform you can use on your desktop or phone and not have to be a designer to create something sexy.

The Basics

Once you complete the free sign up which you can do through Facebook, Gmail or with an email address and password you’re ready to rumble. Keeping with their stupidly easy to use idea, the homepage is also the “create a design” page where you will see some of the example formats as well as a gallery of images to give you some inspiration.

Also on this main screen there is a button for all their formats, under this all 40 options are divided among the different sections:

Social media posts
Animated post
Blog imagery
Cover and Header photos
Marketing Material
Adverts

Now under each heading you get your different format types, lets take marketing material as an example, below this you will find templates for:

Posters
A4 printing
Presentations
Postcards
Business Cards
& a few others

Basically whatever you want to do or think you might want to do, chances are, Crello has templates.

You will find a number of formats under each section. For example, in the marketing material section you will find posters, flyers, A4 prints, presentations, gift certificates, postcards, business cards, and more.

After this whatever you choose and work on will be saved under the “My Projects” page, it will also include your work in progress. Handy enough for keeping your work together in one handy place.

Other than that the only other page is the settings, which is the same as anything else, email, billing information yada yada yada.

Creating Sexy Graphics

Find the design you like the looks of? Click and get started without a fear in the world because the interface is very very easy. As you can see from the image above everything you need is in plain sight from downloading to uploading your own imagery of selecting a design.

The main are where you work on the design will let you easily undo a mistake, redo something, zoom and all that good stuff. Once you’re happy with the design hit that download button or share your design. Really it’s that easy.

I can go into more detail if people are interested in learning more about graphics in general but I’ll keep this as minimal as possible. Anything you want to do to an image can be done here. Colours, fonts, gradients, transparency, sizing, photo effect ,crop and blur images.

If you upgrade to Crello Pro you can also get access to animations and HD videos which can be quite cool to bring some life to your designs but again no change to the controls, Crello does exactly what it says on the tin.

Should You Go Premium?

So far I’ve really covered the free package, on this we get over 6,000 designs. Why you would want more is beyond me buy hey some people do and there’s an option for a premium service.

On the free package there are no restrictions to how many designs you can make and the only restriction is that animated posts can only be done as 1080*1080 pixels and will contain the Crello Watermark. Personally I can get over not using the animated posts, even if they are very nice. Crello Pro will cost you €19.99 per month and for that you get:

Animated Posts
Facebook Video Covers
Full HD Videos
Removal of the Crello watermark
12,000 premium templates
Additional templates each month
Upload 1000 of your own images
Upload your own fonts (max 100)
5 Free Depositphotos per month (available nomally for a euro a piece)
Upload of up to 100 custom fonts

I’m conflicted and this may because of my design background but I’d rather do all that with Photoshop but I can see for 20quid per month could be useful for website owners who want to go big on social campaigns or online ads with their own branded touch. I think this would only apply to the top 5-10% of users, I’ve seen quite decent sized companies pay for this service but for you, me and the tree it wouldn’t be worth the money.

Goosed Verdict

Being totally honest, I personally feel learning Photoshop and Indesign should be the priority for anyone looking to make super slick custom graphics. However I know that’s not always possible and I was quite impressed by what Crello offers. It’s an easy to use platform that has very few bugs that I have seen.

I liked the level of access that you get for free so if you’re in the market for a basic solution that will do the job then this will do just fine. As with any software like this they want you to go premium, 90% of people won’t need to. I tried premium for a couple of weeks to see what was what and other than extra backgrounds you can get yourself and removing watermarks from animated posts then most really won’t need it. Essentially Crello is a fine alternative to Canva for simple graphics.

If you want to know more about Crello, check out their website.

Samuel L. Jackson is coming to Amazon Alexa

Jon

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26th September 2019

0

Samuel L. Jackson is coming to Amazon Alexa

Amazon is on a bit of a rampage at the minute. Whether it’s applying for a job in Maccy D’s, the launch of the new Echo Buds or any of their kit, Alexa got you covered! Well Samuel L. Jackson has just inked a deal to become the first celeb to become a voice option for Alexa.

Amazing right! Well according to Amazon, they will be adding more celebrity voices to their arsenal starting in 2020. At the moment of writing the Samuel L. Jackson “voice pack” will be available by the end of the year for about €1…and better again you get to choose between the clean or explicit. We know which one we will be getting.

Text to Speech Technology

Thanks to Amazons new Neural Text-to-Speech technology will be bringing this voice to the ever-impressive voice assistant. In the past, Alexa has featured celeb voice such as Ed Sheeran but these were pre-recorded audio. This Text-to-Speech technology was developed to make Alexa’s voice more human-sounding, it also allows Alexa replicate speech inflexions of real people, too — meaning Jackson’s voice on Alexa will be synthesized, rather than delivered as pre-recorded words or phrases.

Once you install the Jackson voice pack getting started is easy. “Alexa, introduce me to Samuel L. Jackson.” choose whether you want the clean or explicit version and off you pop. Here’s some cool little phrases you can use when the time comes:

“Alexa, ask Samuel L. Jackson where he is from”
“Alexa, ask Sam to wake me up at 7 a.m.”
“Alexa, ask Sam Jackson to sing happy birthday.”

Unfortunately, the company said the celebrity voice packs will not be able to help with shopping, lists, reminders or skills. We’ll be sure to keep you in the loop when it comes to an official launch date.

Amazon also announced a multilingual mode for Alexa, aimed at households with bilingual speakers. Initially, in the U.S., it will support both English and Spanish, while Canadian customers can choose both English and French and in India you can select English and Hindi. We wait with bated breath to see if Irish ever makes the cut…until then let us know what Irish celebs you would like to see make the cut

As Dean so eloquently put it “Alexa, ring Martin” “Do it yourself mother f***er!”.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint Beta First Impressions

Jon

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26th September 2019

0

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint Beta First Impressions

Over the last year to 18 months I have somewhat accidentally become our resident gamer guy reviewing everything from The Amazing Spider-Man to Assassins Creed:Odyssey. Tell you what, I bloody love it. This time around I got the opportunity to check out Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint closed beta. While I’m normally not the biggest fan of military style shooters, there are a few that stand out. Ghost Recon is one such game.

Background

If you’re a fan of the Ghost Recon series, rejoice because Breakpoint put you back in the boots of the Ghosts, an Elite US Special Operations Unit. However, this time you’re stranded behind enemy lines playing in an entirely playable open world, either solo or as part of a co-op up to four players. Breakpoint lets you enjoy complete freedom to complete missions how you like with a number of new features and tactical options at your fingertips.

When you start, players get to customize their very own Ghost who will be their playable character throughout the game both online and in the main campaign. Speaking of the main campaign, you face off against The Wolves a lethal ex–US Military unit of former Ghosts who have taken over the Auroa an island where next level tech facilities are hidden among unforgiving woodland terrain.

This tech filled island is home to Skell, the big tech company and inventor of the humble drone….but Lt. Colonel Cole D (Played by The Punisher himself, Jon Bernthal) has taken over, reprogramming the drones for mass casualties. Your job is to survive, regain control of the island and take out the Wolves. Fun.

Initial Thoughts

As I mentioned I wouldn’t be the biggest fan of military shooters so you can imagine me sitting down going here we go again it’s just another Call Of Duty. Oh how wrong I was. Despite the limited timeframe we had to play there was plenty to sink the teeth in to. Ubisoft are changing and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint is probably one of the companies biggest properties. That’s why this close up was fun for me, it gave us plenty of cues as to what not only the full game is going to be but also what Ghost Recon is going to become going forward. Graphically the game is nice, bar a few minor elements which we just presumed were beta bugs.

Tactics Over Tech 9’s

With Ghost Recon Breakpoint, the strategy you use with your mates or team is more important than it has ever been. Unlike many games in this genre where its dive in and pop shots off till you drop, brute force won’t work here thanks to Ubisofts clever game design. You actually really need to keep an eye on the map, check the markers and know exactly how you are going to approach a mission or end up dead.

Drones are probably the biggest thing you need for success. As you are now the hunter rather than the hunter, you have to strategise so using the drones wisely is a big deal. Remember there are no checkpoints, die mid-mission and it’s back to the start with you. Some might find this a pain in the hoop but not this guy, barreling through enemies is fun sure but I’d rather something a bit more detailed.

The idea for Breakpoint is this, do your drone recon, and use your teams mix of abilities from sniping to close range fire to come up with the best way to succeed. No more pushing through missions without some form of co-ordination between you and your mates. Essentially it’s a bit more real world because lets be real future warfare is going to be heavily influenced by advanced technologies and less jar-head gun totting.

A Mixed Bag

Remember this is just my impressions on the Beta we got to test, not the full game. In general I was quietly impressed by Tom Clancy’s Breakpoint. It’s a well put together game and the strategy driven game play is a welcome change from the usual shoot em up mentality of so many of these modern warfare games. It just added that little extra layer of je ne sais quoi to make the game feel more intense and less one dimensional. Also when your character gets hurt you can’t simply hit the med pack mid battle and go about your business. You need to hide and sort yourself out and if you get spotted by a ground drone during this process god forbid because the cavalry will be coming for you.The controls are also simple and streamlined so all in all happy Jon.

On the flipside there are one or two things I didn’t like. I know it’s the Beta and missions were limited but it did feel a bit easy at times. I’d like to presume that when the full game launches on October 4th there will be a bit more difficulty in the missions. Finally as you can’t talk about a game without mentioning the all important graphics, Ghost Recon Breakpoint is simply meh. Like graphically it’s good but not stunning, terrains and the world around you isn’t in that sexy detail we’ve become accustomed too since titles like Red Dead hit the shelves. Now the beta might have been just waiting on a lick of paint as a finishing touch so don’t be surprised if the graphics are improved on launch.

Verdict

Personally I enjoyed the Ghost Recon Breakpoint Beta. It offers a cool insight into what we should expect when the game launches on October 4. You can tell from the outset that the future for the series means you will have to coordinate with your teammates better due to the co-op open world style mission system and tactical controls. There’s plenty to like for fans and newbies alike, so if you’re looking for a fun, fast and brilliant shooter game to play in the middle of FIFA season then Ghost Recon Breakpoint we think should be well worth a look.

Amazon Announces Bose Echo Buds And More Echo Device Updates

Marty

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25th September 2019

0

Amazon Announces Bose Echo Buds And More Echo Device Updates

By Jove, I love a good product launch. Unrelated, I always thought that phrase was “by Joe”, but here we are. Today, at an event in Luxembourg, Amazon announced a healthy rake of new products into its Echo range. Amongst the usual, more expected upgrades, were some surprises right out of left field, including Alexa-powered earbuds with Bose active noise reduction. Here’s the full rundown on what the Bezos brigade has coming to the market soon.

Amazon Echo Buds

Ok, so it might seem like every Tom, Dick and Harry is throwing their hat at earbuds lately. Personally, I love it because it just means brands are going to start challenging each other more and more, resulting in better products for you, the tech consumer. I love my Soundcore Liberty Air buds and am very excited about both the Huawei FreeBuds 3 and something Amazon announced today.

New to Amazon’s Echo range are the Echo Buds. Perhaps most exciting about this new in-ear buds is not, in fact, the Alexa integration at all but more so the fact they have Bose-powered Active Noise reduction. I adore my Bose QC35 II and to hear that Amazon is teaming up with these audio beasts just gets me all kinds of excited. Pricewise, they wouldn’t appear to be going too bonkers either, as is the case for much of what Amazon launches these days.

The two Echo Buds each have two outer microphones and one inner microphone that work together to reduce ambient noise so Alexa can hear you regardless of the environment you find yourself in. The quality of audio, as you might expect from something related to Bose, promises to be pretty good, taking inspiration from in-ear monitors used by professional musicians.

While not waterproof, the Echo Buds are sweat-resistant, meaning you can use them for your workouts. The IPX-4 rating means light splashes and getting caught in a shower of light rain shouldn’t lead to any sort of panic.

The Echo Buds have also committed to above-average battery life. You’ll get five hours of music playback or four hours of call time. Naturally as is standard these days, the case will also hold up to three additional charges meaning a total of 15 hours of music playback.

Personally, another highlight is that Amazon has not forced you down the Alexa route here. Just tap and hold your bud and you’ll be able to control your native personal assistant, whether that be Google Assistant or Siri.

It’s not all good though. Unfortunately, the charge case doesn’t support any wireless charging but even worse is the fact these are rocking a micro-USB charge port, not USB-C. Amazon, you’re better than this.

Echo Buds will launch later this year and will cost in or around €135. You can register your interest in these and be notified when they launch over on Amazon.co.uk.

Amazon Echo Flex

One thing I’ve found in my own gaff is that you do get Alexa blackspots. Like, I’m in a one-bed apartment and the hallway isn’t a great spot to try and control devices through Alexa. The reason being, my Echo Dot is in the sitting room and my Echo Spot is in the bedroom. The Amazon Echo Flex is a grand and handy, not to mention cheap, way of popping an Alexa device into an awkward spot in the home.

There are countless locations in the home where I could imagine the Echo Flex being handy. While the likes of an Echo Show is perfect for the kitchen, if you really just want timers and music, there’s no harm having a Flex instead. The Flex also has a USB port for charging other devices or adding optional accessories like a light. That means you can add a kids bedroom as a nice addition to the list of places the Flex fits. A nice night light capable of playing a bedtime audiobook or story.

The Echo Flex will cost less than €30 and can be pre-ordered now for delivery in November.

Other Amazon Devices

While the Echo Buds and Echo Flex were the newest ideas to enter the Alexa family of devices, Amazon also launched upgraded devices.

The New Echo and Echo Dot

As you might expect, Amazon launched a new Echo too. There’s nothing mind-blowing here, but the new Echo claims to have better sound than ever before along with a refreshed look. I don’t see too much when it comes to the design, but I’m looking forward to hearing the quality improvements.

The Echo Dot, Amazon’s most popular Alexa device, also gets a refresh. It’s the simple addition of an LED clock that adjusts to the brightness of the room that tops the upgrades list for the Echo Dot.

The 3rd Generation Echo and Echo Dot with clock are available to pre-order on Amazon launching later this year, with the Echo coming in around €100 and the Echo Dot being closer to €70.

Being honest, the latter looks great but it’s a bit pricier than Echo Dots from the past, so don’t forget about the older models, still available for €55.

Echo Show 8

The Amazon Echo Show 8, confused me for a moment. I’m currently reviewing the Echo Show 5 and was wondering how they skipped a few. Turns out, it’s based on the screen size. As such, the Echo Show 8 has an 8-inch screen. I’d imagine the functionality is much the same as the Echo Show 5, but obviously watching the likes of Prime Video on the 8-inch screen would be much easier.

The Echo Show will set you back in or around €135.

Echo Studio

This one is for the audio nerds out there. The Echo Studio is all about sound. Packing in a 5.25-inch woofer and 330w of power, this smart speaker has been designed to blow minds. If you are an Amazon Music Premium subscriber, you’ll also be able to stream HD music in 3D. I’ve no idea what that sounds like, but on paper it sounds fun.

The only other big call out is that this is one of the most unique looking Amazon Alexa devices on the market too.

Of course, with the quality comes price. This is one of the most expensive Amazon-made Alexa devices. You can pre-order the Echo Studio today for November delivery.

Improved Alexa Features

Beyond the hardware, Amazon also announced improvements to the Alexa assistant itself. Alexa can now recommend routines to users, making complicated smart home commands much easier. She can tell you about her responses and how she understood you and even let you delete recordings automatically. However, my favourite update deserves it’s own section,

Make Your Alexa Sound Like Samuel L. Jackson

As part of the launch today, Amazon also announced advancements in its text-to-speech technology that powers Alexa means it can now mimic celebrities. Kicking things off is the one celebrity I think we can all agree deserves the accolade.

You’ll soon be able to make your Alexa device sound like Samuel L. Jackson,

This will be a “premium access only” perk and you’ll need to pay a nominal fee for the privilege – around €1 or so. Jackson will be available on your Alexa device later this year and will come with both a family-friendly version and 100% Snakes on a Plane Jackson.

I quite adore the idea of my Echo Dot not hearing me clearly only ro respond, “English mother fucker! Do you speak it?”.

Be sure to give us a follow for the latest Amazon news and launch dates over the coming months. We’ll be getting hands on with lots of these devices and giving you a feel for them before you part with your hard earned cash.

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