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IFA 2018: What to Expect from Europe’s Biggest Consumer Tech Show

Marty
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0
IFA 2018: What to Expect from Europe’s Biggest Consumer Tech Show

Strangely enough, I was out of the country for all of the Pope’s recent visit to Ireland. Before you ask, it wasn’t in part a protest to match my attempts to leave the church through GDPR. No, I was simply on holidays and happened to be flying out moments before he hit the tarmac in Dublin. It was interesting to see people from around the world make the trip to see Il Papa and got me thinking about making a pilgrimage myself. So I’m going to tech paradise and spending a few days in Berlin at IFA 2018. Here’s what you need to know about IFA 2018.

What Does IFA Stand For?

Well, first of all – mega bonus points if you already knew the answer to this one because I think it would even baffle native German speakers which I absolutely am not despite my years of learning. IFA stands for Internationale Funkausstellung which translates to International Radio Exhibition but is also commonly referred to as the Berlin Radio Show. Today, IFA houses the latest from all lines of technology and hosts over a quarter of a million visitors. Not bragging, but my pilgrimage will be bigger than Il Papa’s too.

What to Expect from IFA 2018

Don’t let the radio bit fool you but also don’t dismiss it. There are some radios on show along with the latest in audio, both personal and home. However, on top of that, you also have every other kind of tech imaginable from televisions to drones. Because I’ll actually be trying to work out where everything is, I’ve made a kind of IFA 2018 plan. Here’s what I’m most looking forward to.

Huawei

I’m not quite so sure if Huawei will have a handset launch at IFA but we’re ever so close to the launch of the Mate 20; their answer to Samsung’s Note series. Whatever Huawei has to release to the world, I’ll be front and centre waiting to hear about it on Friday at their scheduled press conference. Given the Chinese manufacturer has just been crowned the second biggest smartphone company in the world, ahead of Apple, I’m really excited to see what they have up their sleeve. Huawei has been mega aggressive in recent months with the P20 Pro arguably being the best smartphone to hit the market in years.

Watch. This. Space.

Sony

You can expect Sony to launch the XZ3 and XZ3 Compact at their 30 August press conference at IFA. The XZ2 was a fairly impressive smartphone even if Sony did sidestep some of the highlights from their range to date – yes I’m still going on about the fingerprint sensor placement.

The XZ3 will physically look just like the XZ2, keeping with Sony’s six-month launch tradition, but the software is still anyone’s guess.

Sony also loves a nice big telly launch so I’ll be checking out what they have to offer in that space too. You can also expect some neat audio launches from them too and I’ll be reviewing some of their existing audio offerings very soon. Lots of Google Assistant activated stuff in there too.

Google

Mach Mal, Google.

There’s a massive sign outside Messe Berlin with the words “Mach Mal, Google”. There’s a hugh bubblegum game machine where people can win Google Home devices. And around every corner of IFA 2018 is a Google Assistant-powered device. Seriously, they are putting it into everything!

Considering at this event I’ll likely be seeing the Siri-powered Apple Home and plenty of Amazon Alexa-powered speakers, including the latest range from Bose, few smart assistants are capturing the imagination quite like Google. Then again, smart assistants do still have this feeling that they’ll just never be completely mainstream but I’m rooting for the underdog here. I hope the hardware can help people see the future is voice controlled.

LG

Alas, one of those brands you’ll probably not see on our shores for another few years. LG tends to rock IFA every year and this year should be no different. Chances are we’ll see two new smartphones launching at the Berlin event along with at least one new Wear OS wearable. Just a shame that anything I see in Germany will unlikely see Ireland for a long time.

Samsung

Samsung doesn’t have anything else left to launch this year after the Note 9 launch last month. Samsung is, instead, going to be all about the TVs. I won’t lie, TVs aren’t really my bag. They’re grand like, but at the same time, they’re all a bit normal, right? Well, Samsung will be blowing that idea out of the water when they launch an 8K monster in Berlin.

Now, the funny thing about getting excited for an 8K TV is that the vast majority of homes have yet to adopt 4K TVs. I won’t be getting to excited about the TV side of IFA if I’m being totally honest, unless I see something really special for the everyday consumer.

Samsung may provide some more insight into the most underwhelming smart assistant of them all; Bixby. I recently gave up my beloved Note8 for the Huawei P20 Pro and I’ll admit that was tough. I love the Note8 and it’s now the second best phone I’ve ever owned or, in fact, used. However, it had Bixby, quite simply the worst smart assistant on the market. Yes, worse than Cortana. Samsung is bringing out a smart home speaker which will rival the Google Homepod for “most unpopular” status.

Everything Else

There’s going to be plenty more to enjoy at IFA 2018. I’m looking forward to some of the more edge-case tech manufacturers and what they have to offer. With Asian brands like Huawei growing in Ireland and Xiaomi finally popping their head in the door too, I’m interested to see what ZTE has to offer.

Audio is something I’ve spent a lot of time studying recently and I’m going to be writing up some earphone, headphone and wireless bud reviews in the coming weeks. Natrually, I’ll be keeping an eye out for the very latest audio experiences at IFA too, but I’ve got to be humble for a moment.

It’s my first year at IFA Berlin and as such, I don’t really know what to expect. I’ve been forewarned of bread maker black holes and to wear comfy shoes, but beyond that I’ve no idea what to expect. There’ll be a rake of tech on show, likely more than I can take in in a few short days. But I’ve been to big conferences and trade shows in the past so I also know that whatever about predicting what’s going to be on show, it’s all about letting the event show me the future.

Come Monday, I hope to be much wiser about the world of smartphones, TVs, drones, smart assistants and, unfortunately, bread makers. Be sure to follow Goosed.ie and myself on Twitter for the latest craic.

Speaking Puppy: Snapchat Filters For Your Dog

Marty
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Speaking Puppy: Snapchat Filters For Your Dog

One of my favourite tech things has to be augmented reality. My reason for loving augmented reality is simple; a lot of people are using it every day and have no idea. How is that? AR is the technology behind Snapchat filters and so is the reason you can morph your head into a puppy. As is often the case, tech has now come full circle as thanks to the Speaking Puppy app, you can now use Snapchat-like filters with your dog.

Speaking Puppy: The Animal Filter App

Speaking Puppy is the latest app from 2020CV, a company that makes some insane ideas possible. In the past, they’ve helped people turn rolls of paper into AR lightsabers so it’s pretty clear why they caught my attention. Tech and lightsabers, in the one place. Brilliant. Now they’ve only gone and added puppies into the mix.

Speaking Puppy lets you apply a Snapchat-like filter to your pupper. Going a step further, the app also animates your dog’s mouth so you can make it look like they are saying stuff.

Yup, this is the latest tech that I felt you needed to know about and I have no regrets about that at all.

Will we get a similar app to make Snapchat-like filters that work on birds? Can you look forward to a world where face-swapping with a cat is the highlight of your day? Look forward to the future people.

Download Speaking Puppy for iPhone now.

Eir’s Data Breach Explained and What You Need to Do to Protect Yourself

Neal
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0
Eir’s Data Breach Explained and What You Need to Do to Protect Yourself

Eir announced yesterday, 21st Aug that it had suffered a serious data breach when one of it Laptops was stolen outside the company office on the 12th August. Eir reported the breach to the Data Protection Commissioner and the Gardai. Eir say that there is no evidence at this time that the data concerned has been used by a third party. By the way for what it’s worth you can find out if any of your data has been leaked by any company with this handy tool.

Eir have begun sending letters to all customers affected by the data breach today. Why it took 10 days to inform customers is surprising.

Image result for eir building

How did it happen?

The Laptop was unencrypted and contained files of a PID nature (Personable Identifiable Data) i.e. customer names, email addresses and Eir customer numbers of 37,000 customers. The Laptop is still password protected to gain access, but this is not a difficult step to overcome for an even inexperienced cyber criminal.

Crucially no financial data was contained on the laptop. Eir say company policy is that all Laptops should be encrypted and password protected. However in this case the Laptop in question was at the time un-encrypted due a faulty security update the previous day de-encrypting the Laptop. Questions should be asked to the level of testing that was performed on the security updates prior to being rolled out.

Additionally, it should be asked why the files were stored on the Laptop itself and not left on a secure company network folder. Most companies have a policy stating that files containing sensitive data should not be downloaded and stored onto local drives.

What do I need to do to protect myself?

Even though no financial information was present on the stolen Laptop, criminals can still use the data to build up a full profile of you, filling gaps from other data breaches or sources.

So Firstly, you should change your online Eir account password. If the old password was used for other websites and apps, change those also. Good practise is to have different passwords for all your web sites and apps where you have registered. Remembering them all is practically impossible of course, so use a good password manager tool to store all your passwords e.g. 1Password.

Secondly, read closely the communication sent to you by EIR and act on its recommendations.

Thirdly, keep a close eye on your bank accounts for any suspicious activity over the coming weeks and months. Anything unusual inform your bank and Eir.

We will be keeping an eye on the story as it develops so watch this space.

Netflix Ads Might Become a Reality: Here’s How to Stop Them

Dean
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Netflix Ads Might Become a Reality: Here’s How to Stop Them

There has been uproar online over the past few days after Netflix ads started appearing for viewers as the streaming giant confirmed they’re testing a new feature on their platform. They will now start integrating ads between episodes of some series such as Rick and Marty and Bob’s Burgers for other shows on Netflix such as Better Call Saul. Now I don’t know about you but ads on Netflix just seems kind of wrong; isn’t this why we’re all chord-cutting in the first place?

Does This Mean My Netflix Binge Will Be Interrupted by Ads?

Related image

The short answer here is yes. This new feature has caused uproar because the main reason people love Netflix is the wide variety of content, full seasons becoming available at once, and, of course, no ads! See that’s important to us and Netflix just aren’t getting that now. Consumers pay a monthly subscription for these services and even at that some shows don’t even have full seasons uploaded at once anymore, such as the new season of Better Call Saul, Power or the short docuseries like Explained. Even their new BuzzFeed series, Follow This, will be released in three bursts.

In the near future we will be expected to watch ads during the loading period between episodes but like YouTube we should be able to skip them after a couple of seconds.

Is It a Recommendation or an Ad?

Image result for netflix recommendations

Netflix describes the ads as “recommendations” and explained that they were to help viewers choose what else to watch.

“We are testing whether surfacing recommendations between episodes helps members discover stories they will enjoy faster”.

As a result of this ‘helpful’ new feature, a lot of users are now threatening to unsubscribe from Netflix. We are a big fan of the if it ain’t broke don’t fix it method. However, Netflix has already stated they are not going to listen to feedback from their customers and will go by data collected from interactions with the feature. A user on Reddit even reported that when they rang Netflix customer care and questioned them about it, Netflix reportedly hung up on both occasions, so it seems they are point blank refusing to discuss this new feature with users.

How to Stop Netflix Ads Appearing

  1. Go to your account settings
  2. Select ‘Test participation’
  3. Toggle this option off

Luckily there is a way to block this feature if you are one of the select few that have been assigned to the testing pool. If you hit the drop-down menu and go to ‘Account’ there should be an option that says ‘Test Participation’. Simply go into this and toggle it off and you’re done. It’s possible if you are on the Netflix app it will bring you to Netflix in the internet browser, however, once it’s done, you shouldn’t be concerned about those pesky ads popping up anymore.

Unless this feature is fully rolled out then you will have no choice but to put up with these potentially annoying ads for your next Netflix recommendations. Personally, I’m not a fan. Netflix works because it allows us the freedom to watch what a full series like Afflicted in a single sitting the way we want when we want without being bothered by ads or breaks like standard TV. Sure, now it’s only Netflix recommendations but what’s next? Toothpaste ads while I’m 6 hours into a Netflix and food binge? Say it ain’t so!

Upcoming Games in 2018: Has the Best Yet to Come?

Neal
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0
Upcoming Games in 2018: Has the Best Yet to Come?

We’ve already seen some fantastic games this year as our precious gaming allotted hours fade away with Far Cry 5 and God of War topping that list. However, the second half of the year is expected to be blockbuster time, with major studios releasing long awaited games. All of this, of course, is assuming anyone can tear themselves away long enough from the gaming phenomenon’s that are Fortnite’s Battle Royale and PUBG. It will be worth it, so to help you plan ahead and choose where to spend your hard earned money, we have collated the top five games still to come this year.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

The game publishers are calling this “the end of the beginning” as it’s the third instalment in a reboot trilogy, even though it’s the twelfth game in the tomb raider series.

Anyway, if you ignore the marketing blurb and load the game from the beginning not the end, expect the endless caves, forests and puzzles that we know and love from tomb raider games. Trailers for the game indicate the game has taken a darker turn and our protagonist Lara Croft will be tested in different ways this time around i.e. both physically and metaphysically. Either way, this should be up to the usual triple AAA standard with a cinematic style play through, so stock up on the popcorn and turn the lights way down.

Due September 14, 2018

Platform PC, PS4, Xbox One

Battlefield V

Battlefield FPS shooters are known for their cutting-edge graphics, varied weapon choice, satisfying headshots, building demolishing and most of all, general online multiplayer craziness. All of these ingredients means Battlefield games boast impressive daily gamer counts even years after initial release. The recent Battlefield 1, set in World War 1 is probably the finest to date. For the first time in the series, the developers introduced a single player campaign mode for those who don’t like getting shot within two seconds by some kid called Crazyhorse1996.

Battlefield V (or 5) will be set during World War Two and will also have a single player campaign mode. The online multiplayer mode will, of course, be the main draw for most gamers, offering plenty of maps, different player classes and game modes. New game modes this time include a Battle Royale and Grand Operations modes. Expect to be blown away, figuratively and literally with an immersion knob turned up to eleven.

Due October 11, 2018

Platform PC, PS4, Xbox One

Call of Duty Black Ops 4

Let’s be honest, the ongoing debate between Battlefield & Call of Duty fans over whose game is the best FPS, is frankly boring. All we know is that both games rock, in different ways, thus we gamers get to enjoy the benefits. This latest instalment downplays some of the gameplay features from previous games to a more “gritty, grounded, fluid” multiplayer style. There is no single player campaign this time around, so the developers have gone all in on the multiplayer online mode and added a new Battle Royale mode called Blackout. Trailers released so far look pretty good indeed, with positive YouTube gamer feedback on the first beta release. This game is released the day after Battlefield 5, so a tough choice will likely need to be made.

Due October 12, 2018

Platform PC, PS4, Xbox One

Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar Games follow up to the hugely popular original released in 2010 has hardcore fans of the game salivating at the incredible trailers released for the game so far. All the rest of us know this is going to be a brilliant game, period. Originally due to be released earlier this year but delayed to add presumably more spit n’ polish, this will, without doubt, be one of the stand out games of recent years. We get to dust off our cowboy hat, don our finest leather long chaps, and slip into comfy boots one more time as Arthur Morgan, joined by his fellow Van Der Linde gang members in lots of good, bad and very ugly missions in a sprawling wild west open world.

Due October 26, 2018

Platform PS4, Xbox One

Fallout 76

Bethesda do RPG games like no other and the Fallout series is one of their very best. Fallout 76 is a prequel to the previous game Fallout 4 and is set in post-nuclear apocalyptic West Virginia 2102. Along with the usual RPG elements of character progression and open world sandbox, this time the game is an online multiplayer environment. Fans of the series are a little nervous about this but expectations are that this add to the fun and for the first time allow you to team up and play with friends online.

No doubt some online players may not be so friendly, so you will need to get your base built and up to standard quickly. Oh and don’t forget the power armour. Avoiding deadly radiation exposure and death by mutant creatures/fellow players will be more fun than ever.

Due November 14, 2018

Platform PC, PS4, Xbox One

Follow This: The New BuzzFeed Netflix Series

Marty
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0
Follow This: The New BuzzFeed Netflix Series

Netflix has definitely spotted something. They’ve spotted that the people want documentaries. Typically, these come in two formats. The first is a feature-length documentary like The Bleeding Edge with the second being docu-series like Afflicted. Now a new format is set to emerge as news publisher BuzzFeed, team up with Netflix to create an original mini docu-series; Follow This.

What is BuzzFeed’s Follow This All About?

You may be familiar with BuzzFeed as being the modern take on news outlets. BuzzFeed rose to online infamy through quizzes, ‘listicles’ and that damn dress that no one could decide the colour of. While it all sounds fairly light-hearted, Follow This demonstrates BuzzFeed’s coming of age, or perhaps more accurately their audience’s coming of age.

Follow This goes further than simply bringing viewers behind the scenes of BuzzFeed’s biggest stories over the past few years. The docu-series dives deep into sexuality, race, science, internet subcultures, politics and cultural issues which affect society today. Some episodes, like the first on ASMR, lean towards the lighthearted while others like ‘Intersex’ are heavier hitting.

Rather than being big chunks of information to consume, Follow This is a collection of twenty 15-minute episodes. Perhaps Netflix is trying to target people with a short commute or attention span, but I really enjoyed these short episodes. With just a half an hour of watching, you’ll have plenty of fodder to chat about in work the next day and isn’t this why we watch documentaries?

Follow This: What to Expect

To give you a better idea of what to expect from BuzzFeed’s Follow This Netflix series, I’ve watched a few episodes.

The Internet Whisperers

I discovered ASMR myself earlier this year and it’s a weird phenomenon. It stands for autonomous sensory meridian response and simply put, it’s people on YouTube making weird noises or whispering to stimulate a response from the listener. That response is usually goosebumps and the hair standing up on the back of your neck. Check it out with this lady who appears in the docu-series:

BuzzFeed’s Scaachi Koul looks into this phenomenon in the first Follow This episode and even goes looking for an expert to discuss it. Interestingly, the expert points out that ASMR is one of the first times internet users discovered a phenomenon before scientists. Personally, after watching the episode I struggled to separate the sexual and sensual elements of ASMR but some of those in the episode describe how they find these videos therapeutic. You’ll have to watch it yourself to make up your own mind on it.

Men’s Rights

Another episode with Scaachi Koul, this time looks at the contentious issue of Men’s rights. These are groups of men and, unbelievably, women, who believe the feminist movement is out to destroy the lives of men. There’s an incredible moment where Koul meets a woman who supports men’s rights along who previously called her a see you next Tuesday.

Intersex

In one of the heavier hitting episodes of Follow This, Juliane Löffler from BuzzFeed Germany speaks with the intersex community. These are people born with two sets of reproductive organs but who have had surgery in their youth to make them a single gender. Löffler meets with people affected, doctors who performed these surgeries and those involved in changing the laws relating to intersex people.

Black Survivalist

I loved this episode. I’m a bit obsessed with prepper culture as it is but this provided a new insight into the prepper community far beyond the American redneck stereotype. The Black Survivalist episode is led by Bim Adewunmi and as the name suggests, it focuses on black people with an interest in prepping.

I found this episode enjoyable but also rather upsetting as members of the black community describe how they already feel like they are living in a world which needs them to prep for being alone thanks to a government that’s already forgotten them.

Follow This: The Verdict

Follow This gives you bite-sized chunks of knowledge which are genuinely interesting. This show will make leave you brimming with stuff to talk about next time you’re trying to think of something to chat about over lunch.

Follow This is streaming on Netflix from Thursday.

Follow This: Trailer

 

No More Waiting in Line at the Atm as Electric Picnic Announce Contactless Pay

Jon
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No More Waiting in Line at the Atm as Electric Picnic Announce Contactless Pay

Since taking over a field in Loais way back in 2004, Electric Picnic has grown into possibly the biggest music festival in Ireland. However, the main downside throughout the years has been obvious, the queue for the ATM is painful. These days are finally behind us as the festival has decided to enter the modern era by announcing contactless payment. This makes us very happy.

Image result for electric picnic

It’s not hard to picture the scene because we have all been there. You packed what you thought would be enough moola to get you through the weekend but after a drink too many you end up buying rounds for strangers, having a ball of a time and end up broke. The next step is generally waiting in the 100 people deep queue to use the ATM before you can rejoin the festivities. But no more!

Pics, Pints and Payments!

Image result for electric picnic atm line

The other day Electric Picnic announced that contactless payments will be available at this years festival so you can simply swipe or tap your card at pretty much any of the stalls, bars or food stands. Oh, and that also means that Google and Apple pay will also be supported so you if you’re like me and you have a Secrid wallet you don’t want to bring your phone is available to post all your festival pics and pay for pints.

Electric Picnic Festival’s Melvin Benn added: “We are delighted to be working with AIB and Visa to drive contactless payments across Electric Picnic for the first time.

“We constantly strive to improve the experience and convenience of our festival goers, and we think this is the perfect partnership to encompass that ethos.”

Basically all you need is your contactless card or mobile pay-enabled smartphone, and you can spend less time worrying about cash and more time enjoying the festival. Just be careful you don’t want to do a Dean and spend a months wages one weekend of madness.

AIB bringing the game to life

Image result for aib contactless

AIB are the bank behind the push and they will have a number of different bits and bobs going on in the run up to the event to promote the new era of festival spending. Their campaign #EPonTap campaign will be revealed on AIB’s social channels during the build up to the big weekend.

In the meantime we know that AIB will bring the contactless theme to life via interactive ticket giveaways pre-festival, and Contactless Dating – a unique experience that’ll make finding romance as quick and easy as making a contactless payment… yes find “romance” at a festival, whatever you say AIB.

Anyway, we will be keeping an eye out to see what else AIB and Electric Picnic have in the pipeline so watch this space.

How Real is the “Magic” in Magic for Humans?

Marty
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How Real is the “Magic” in Magic for Humans?

There are two ways to watch TV shows about street magic. You either switch your brain off and enjoy or sit there in a paranoid state trying to work out every single trick. I’m the latter because before I watched David Blaine and Dynamo, I watched Val Valentino revealing magician secrets on RTÉ 2.

So that’s why I watched the new Netflix magician reality show, Magic for Humans, with healthy scepticism.

What is Magic for Humans?

Magic for Humans is a light-hearted magician reality show hosted by Justin Willman, an American magician who was previously better known as the host of Cupcake Wars. Magic for Humans has the tagline ‘real people, real magic, no camera tricks’ and I think that might very well be true. Well, it’s as true as magic can be considered real I guess. What I mean is, I do believe the show has real people and technically uses no camera tricks per se.

How Real is Magic for Humans?

Spoiler alert: Magic isn’t real, so I immediately have a problem with the tagline. The show is built around some pretty impressive illusions and trickery. That means you shouldn’t trust anything.

The Trickery Behind Magic for Humans

I’ll give Justin the benefit of the doubt in that there are no camera tricks after he said “all the illusions in the show were accomplished without any camera tricks and all of the reactions are 100 per cent real”.

all the illusions in the show were accomplished without any camera tricks and all of the reactions are 100 per cent real

That last bit triggered all my suspicions – “all of the reactions are 100 per cent real”. I remember seeing a few years ago that magicians show people a trick which is pretty cool, record the reaction but then use that reaction for a completely different trick filmed separately. I feel like that happens a lot in Magic for Humans and, of course, this means Justin can say the reactions are real without lying.

And All Without Camera Tricks

So, what about there being no camera tricks? Well, like I showed there, the greatest trick of all in Magic for Humans is using the English language in a very clever way to tell the truth without giving the game away. At the end of episode one, Justin and the show editors push their luck just a little bit too much when he makes his wife “appear” from inside a gear bag.

Unfortunately, it’s quite clear, to me anyway, that her appearance has been achieved through CGI editing. There’s something about her face when she appears that just looks fake for a moment and it gives the trick away. Again, it’s not technically a camera trick, it’s an editing trick. See what I mean and language being the biggest trick in the show?

Magic for Humans Goes Too Far

No, he doesn’t kill a pigeon or accidentally slice a woman in half. What I mean by the show going too far is the tricks being too unrealistic. This might be harsh, but knowing where to stop with a trick is what gets people buying in. Just before making his wife appear in a poorly edited trick, I was genuinely impressed by him pulling a blender and coffee machine from a ‘magic bag’. But then he went a step further and that’s what triggered me going off and pulling some of his tricks apart. And he goes too far a few times.

In a tattoo parlour, he meets some body modifiers who have stretched their ear piercings to be 3-inch holes. He gets two of them to stand beside each other before looping their ears together. A neat looking trick, but a trick so insanely impossible that the only conclusion is that they’re stooges (actors). Well actors are real people too aren’t they?

Later in the series, he shows people a VR levitation experience but actually makes them float a couple of feet in the air. Again, it looks like a cool trick and I’ve no idea how it’s done unless the people in the shots are stooges. They also say convenient lines like “it would be better if I actually levitated” which makes me feel the show is going for entertainment above intelligent trickery.

Magic for Humans: The Verdict

It’s a real pity that Magic for Humans goes too far on so many occasions because Justin Willman does land some incredible illusions and tricks. In one episode he convinces two guys they are invisible in a genuinely impressive feat of trickery. Unfortunately, because I’ve seen to show crossover from trickery into deceit too often, it kind of ruins the bit as I’m left wondering if the guys are either actors or genuinely fooled members of the pity. And that’s why not going too far in these shows is really important.

If you’re able to switch off and just enjoy what you see at face value, Magic for Humans is pretty entertaining. If you’re the other kind of viewer, you’ll find the show infuriating.

Magic for Humans Trailer

Secrid Wallet Review: A Beautiful Careslide Wallet

Marty
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Secrid Wallet Review: A Beautiful Careslide Wallet

Tapping your card for small payments has become second nature rather quickly. In fact, it’s become so popular one UK bank is overhauling what we bank cards look like all together. Of course, some of us might not even be using cards any more considering we can use smartphones and wearables to pay for purchases. Typing a pin number gets added to the list of first world problems we’ve finally solved but with added convenience often comes added risk.

Where’s there’s risk there’s opportunity which inspired Dutch gadget makers to create the RFID blocking Secrid cardslide wallet.

Are Contactless Payment Cards Safe?

Tapping your card is generally pretty safe. Not many know this, but using your smartphone is actually safer, which is why you can tap your smartphone for payments over the €30 payment limit. In fact, I’ve tapped my smartphone for payments in excess of €500. But that’s smartphones, cards are a little less secure.

It is great to be able to tap and go when picking up small bits and pieces, I think everyone can agree with that. Such a convenience doesn’t require a pin number or authentication.  There are security measures in place along with some policies that protect you from scammers, but still, there’s a risk when convenience starts to enter the picture.

Thieves have developed a method of exploiting the nature of RFID, the technology which makes fast and convenient contactless payments possible. Imagine you’re on a packed Luas. In theory, a scammer can come alongside you and discreetly tap a device against your wallet without you even noticing. In that moment, they’ll have swiped the maximum €30 from your card. This is why Secrid wallets are a fantastic idea.

What is the Secrid Cardprotector Wallet?

secrid wallet launching cards gifSecrid is a simple and stylish Dutch solution to the problem. I’m in a good position to write the Secrid wallet review given I’ve been using mine for nearly two years now. The Secrid wallet utilises titanium design to protect your cards from would-be thieves with RFID scanners. The wallets also protect your cards from you, encasing them in a hard shell, stopping you bending and breaking them when you sit on them.

Then there’s the cardslide feature of the wallet. One flick of a button on the bottom of the cardslide wallet and all your cards shoot out ready for you to pick what you need. Don’t worry, they stay cascaded in the wallet for you to pick and don’t get ejected across the room.

There is a wide range of Secrid wallets to choose from, with designs that can hold over 10 cards, coins keys and loads more. To be hypercritical, they don’t hold many coins unless you opt for their new Cardslide range. This comes with a much larger compartment for coins and notes.

How much does a Secrid wallet cost?

You are looking at around €60 for a Secrid wallet, but they are gorgeous, premium feeling wallets which you can expect to impress others and last for a very long time.

Disenchantment: Slow Starting Animated Fantasy Gets Better

Marty
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0
Disenchantment: Slow Starting Animated Fantasy Gets Better

Matt Groening has a pretty respectable track record. He created, The Simpsons is a record-breaking hit, though many argue it’s past its best for quite a few years now. Groening is also the mastermind behind Futurama, a show which I personally believe has even more staying power than The Simpsons. With many years of network TV animation success under his belt, Groening has made the next logical step with his fantasy cartoon, Disenchantment which is now streaming on Netflix.

What is Disenchantment All About?

I guess it’s not that much of a surprise that Disenchantment is an animated medieval fantasy. The Simpsons is a comical take on the average American family of the present while Futurama is based in the distant future. Groening needed to complete his trifecta by travelling back in time to a land of castles and fantasy. The medium of Netflix means this is the most adult series Groening has made to date.
You’ll spot Groening’s trademark overbite and big-eyed animation style, though many characters do have five fingers, an unusual feature for fans of The Simpsons and Futurama. It’s actually the first time he’s animated with five finger characters, perhaps because the animation is outsourced as removing a finger in his previous work was to save on workload.
Disenchantment follows a reluctant princess and her companions in the kingdom of Dreamland. To better understand the show, let’s meet the characters.

The Characters of Disenchantment

Princess Tiabeanie, nicknamed Bean, is the main character of Disenchantment. She’s a trouble-making teenager who begins the series avoiding an unwanted arranged marriage. She enjoys taking the odd drink and defying all those tropes you’d expect from a fairytale princess.

Elfo is working in an elf assembly line where he pops chocolates into boxes. Unhappy in his role, disliking constant happiness as the norm and with his love to Kissy Elf forbidden, he leaves the elf world, Elf Wood. Elfo is the first to do this in centuries and as luck would have it, he crosses path with Bean and becomes her companion while also harbouring a secret crush for the princess.

Luci is Bean’s personal demon, a gift to her from two wizards. He’s dark, both in his physical appearance and in his actions. Luci is regularly mistaken to be a talking cat.

King Zog possibly inspired somewhat by the Albanian King Zog who has countless blood feuds and over fifty assassination attempts on his life, King Zog is Bean’s father. He’s a loud and brash, in fact, many Futurama fans might just be reminded of Bender.
There are several other recurring characters throughout the show and if you’re a fan of The Simpsons, you’ll know how important these guys are. One of my favourites so far is the painfully accurate town crier who has clearly been inspired by Monty Python.

Is Disenchantment Any Good?

The series gets off to a really rocky start. It’s been a while since Groening had to introduce new characters and develop relationships and this really shows. The first episode is hectic and feels really rushed. I was left using a word made famous by Lisa Simpson; meh.
The second episode doesn’t do much to turn a corner but there’s a moment in the third episode involving police donkeys and sirens which made me laugh out loud, the first time this happened while watching Disenchantment. Turns out, you really need one of these moments to start appreciating a show. While I haven’t watched it all, I’ve started to enjoy it a bit more.

Disenchantment: The Verdict

While it starts slow, Disenchantment does pick up the pace with some more regular laughs once we get to know all the characters. Some jokes are hit and miss while others are proper belly laughs. It may pick up but right now it’s like watching that time The Simpsons wasn’t great but also wasn’t terrible. You know, around season fourteen.
Disenchantment has joined a busy calendar of August releases alongside Afflicted, The Package and Insatiable, streaming its first ten episodes on Netflix now with more to come next year.

Disenchantment Trailer

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