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PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds: Why Everyone Loves PUBG

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It’s been a long time since a new game came onto the market that people flocked too. When Call of Duty first emerged, it quickly became the goto as the must-have multiplayer game. If you were a gamer, you had to have it. Well, this just happened again with a mental but little-known game called PUBG.

What is PUBG?

How do you explain it. PUBG, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds shortened, is a single map fight to the death between 100 gamers. It’s as insane as it sounds too. Every single player starts each round of PUBG without any weapons, ammo or accessories. After a bizarre loading period where everyone just jumps around and unleashes pain on each other, the game starts with all 100 gamers, unarmed in a plane. The first decision you have to make is where you jump out on the 64 square kilometre map.

How Do You Win a PUBG Game Round?

PUBG is a battle royale. The goal is simple. Be the last man standing. Well, it’s simple to define the goal, not so simple to achieve it. In single player, that means you have to see off 99 other gamers. You can also play in Duo or Squad modes if that’s more to your liking. Once you’re the last gamer standing, you’ll get yourself a chicken dinner. This is a long-running quote from the game and something you’ll be familiar with if you like the movie 21.

What’s a PUBG Game Round Like?

Largely, how the round plays out is up to you. With some experience, you’ll learn what areas of the map are quieter at the start of a game round. Depending on your game style, you can parachute into a quiet area and loot buildings for weapons, ammo and accessories or go hell for leather in a busier area of the map. Just remember, you’ll start the round with nothing more than the clothes you picked out. If you bump into someone before you loot some weapons, you’ll be stuck with just your fists.

The weaspons themselves are even hilarious at times. The frying pan has become a fan favourite but it also protects you when holstered. Regardless, frying pan kills are most rewarding.

Now, there are two other pretty major things you need to know.

The Danger Zones

Every now and then red circles appear on the map. Within these circles, a geansai load of bombs will be dropping and killing loads of gamers, so best steer clear.

The Blue Wall

This is the most unique and best part of the game. About five minutes in, the 64 square kilometre map starts shrinking. This appears in the game as a blue wall or circle, closing in on the game area. If you’re caught outside the blue area, you’ll start slowing dying until you get back into the playable game area.

Is PUBG Fun?

This is the critical point. Gaming is about fun. I’ve played so many online games of COD and just felt shite after it because longtime gamers wipe the floor with me. Gaming isn’t my strong point. But one thing I love about PUBG is that the playing ground is level (not literally). Every round starts with equally equipped players. Sure, some are better than others, but there’s no special traits or equipment that puts you at a disadvantage.

Right now, PUBG is available for PC and Xbox, but be warned. PUBG is currently in early access. That means it’s a little buggy but also means it’s great value to nip in and pick up the game for €29.99. It’s currently the top selling game on Steam for PC gamers with just under 21 million players at the time of writing. That’s not even counting the number of Xbox gamers!

Finally, if you want to see how mental and fun PUBG really is, just check out the fan videos that are emerging. It’s fast becoming a phenomenon, so if you’re a gamer, you might want to start getting your Battlegrounds practice in.

Bonus: The PUBG Anthem

 

 

 

Got an iPhone and Some Paper?

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Since Apple went and made augmented reality all cool and mainstream late in 2017, I’ve been a little underwhelmed by what’s become available. Sure, you can measure rooms with without a measuring tape, but isn’t that a little boring? Thanks to an indie app developer by the name of Hart Woolery, we can finally start boasting about how cool AR is.

Hart created the InstaSaber. This is a simple app which lets you live out your childhood fantasies by placing a lightsaber into your hand. Yup, just like Luke Skywalker, you can run around the house waving your lightsaber around. How the app works is absolute genius because it’s completely accessible to everyone; that can afford an iPhone that is.

All you need to live out your Star Wars dreams is an AR compatible Apple device and a piece of paper. Roll up the latter and then view through the InstaSaber app and kablamo, you’re a Jedi. Easier than ever right?

While this is currently limited to Apple right now, we can only hope it’s not too long until this gets launched on Android. Give it a download, have a play and send us your videos. We’d love to see the lightsaber wielding population of Ireland.

Computer Science to Become a Leaving Cert Subject

Yup, you read that right. Computer Science and coding is going to be on the Leaving Cert from next year onwards. The news brought to us by Richard Bruton brought a sigh of relief to all of us here as we think it’s about time we start to teach the next generation these skills which are becoming more and more important in the techno logic world we now live in.

Image result for dog on computer

Hows it going to work?

The new subject will be taught from September 2018 and initially 40 schools around Ireland have been selected to trail run this initiative with the first Leaving Cert exam to take place in 2020. The exam itself will be 30% project work and 70% final exam, which doesn’t sound too bad to me personally. Look, we all had that one subject we hated in school and for me Computer Science on the Leaving Cert would have been far more beneficial versus oh I don’t know Irish or Religion (personal pet peeve subjects because I was awful).

Anyway, I digress, here is what Richard Bruton had to say:

“There is a digital revolution taking place, which is having a transformative effect on our economy, workplace, and lifestyle. In order to be the best in Europe, our education system must respond to these changes,” Mr Bruton said.

“The introduction of this new subject will teach our young people flexible, solution-oriented thinking. It will teach them to be creative, adaptable learners,” he said.

The announcement is only one of a range of actions the Minister hopes to make in this area as he aims to create the best eduction service in Europe by 2026. A big part of this plan will be practical subjects that enhance problem solving skills as well as developing real world skills sets. In comparison to the Leaving Certs of my day which was essentially a memory test. Seriously remember the booklet of pre written English and Irish essays we all had stashed away in the hope the theme of Romeo and Juliet came up on the exam. Ah the good ole days….. making way for better days we think.

A generation of computer genius’

Maybe, hopefully, well more thank likely but to be honest they will all probably be better in a year or two than any of us could hope to be. This current crop of students will learn about programming languages and how to read, write, test and modify computer programs. Interestingly Computer Science in the Leaving Cert will include being thought computational thinking, creative design and how to analyse problems in computational terms. Now that’s a big change for any one who has ever sat the exams, creativity and thinking in the one place? Tis a long way from the shut up and listen approach we all had.

 Image result for angry teacher

Students will also be learning how to design computational artefacts such as web pages, digital animations, simulations, games, apps and robotics. Ya, Robotics in school!

The reason for all of this is to teach the next generation a vital set of skills as well as understanding how computational thinking can be used to solve problems. How technology has had an impact on human life will also be covered, but sure we got that pretty much down, God forbid the day something Dean or I writes ending up on a Leaving Cert exam.

As I said the first round of exams will be sat in 2020 with next years fifth year students taking the plunge.The main end-of-course exam will be computer-based and worth 70% of the marks. The other 30% will be course work or project similiar to TCG, Wordwork or any of them subject but the difference here is it could be a web page, digital animation, game, simulation, app or robotic system. Please please please let me see some teenager created robots, that I want to see.

What does this mean going forward?

It means that getting kids involved in programs such as CoderDojo is now more relevant than ever as skill is more important than memory we can give the next generation a headstart and develop computer skills from an early age. In the past we even mentioned a few toys and gadgets that could help teach coding from an early age. For now we just hope the current batch of transition years have been getting some coding practise. Who knows one of these young guns may fancy joining team Goos3D in a couple years. After their Leaving Cert of course.

By the way here are the list of 40 schools that have been selected to test out the new Computer Science Leaving Cert program. If you know anyone in these schools who will be doing the subject next year we would love to hear from them.

The selected schools are:

Abbey Vocational School, Donegal

Adamstown Community College, Dublin

Breifne College, Cavan

Bush Post Primary School, Dundalk

Carrigaline Community School, Cork

Castleblayney College, Monaghan

Christ King Girls Secondary School, Cork

Clongowes Wood College, Kildare

Coláiste an Chraoibhin, Fermoy

Coláiste Bríde, Dublin 22

Coláiste Chiaráin, Croom

Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig

Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar

Coláiste na Ríochta, Listowel

Coláiste Phadraig, Lucan, Co Dublin

Coláiste Pobail Setanta, Dublin 15

Creagh College, Gorey

Dominican College Sion Hill, Dublin

Ennistymon Vocational School, Co Clare

Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG, North Monastery, Cork

Le Chéile Secondary School, Dublin 15

Loreto College, Swords

Luttrellstown Community College, Dublin 15

Mayfield Community School, Cork

Moate Community School, Co Westmeath

Mount Sion CBS, Waterford

Mount Temple Comprehensive, Dublin

Presentation Secondary School, Clonmel

Rice College, Westport

Sacred Heart, Clonakilty

St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny

St Aidan’s Comprehensive, Cootehill

St Brigid’s Mercy, Tuam

St Joseph’s, Rush, Co Dublin

St Mary’s CBS, Enniscorthy

St Vincent’s, Dundalk

St Finian’s Community College, Swords

Stratford College, Dublin 6

Synge Street CBS, Dublin; Terenure College, Dublin.

Please don’t do it Snapchat

As our avid readers will already know, we here at Goos3D don’t do ads. We don’t like them, we think they ruin the enjoyable experience of reading our lovely stories. Shame isn’t it that most other companies don’t feel as passionately about this as we do. Recently my favorite app, Snapchat could be getting unstoppable ads. Ya i’m not happy about this either.

NOOOOOOOOoooooo

Snapchat has been so revolutionary in terms of social media in recent years that plenty of companies have copied them. Think stories! Since Snapchat had great success letting people share their day to day lives with all their contacts live and in the moment, other platforms such as Faceboook and Instagram have “borrowed” this idea. As a result Snapchat have had a few issues keeping their users.

More and more people are sharing their moments on Instagram and Facebook over Snapchat. That god dam Boomerang has ruined everything! Maybe the already existing ads have contributed to Snapchats downfall and things are about to get worse, much worse indeed.

 

At the moment we can all skip the ads, so they aren’t too noticeable or intrusive but as ever money trumps experience and the fine idiots at Snapchat are rumored to be making a few changes in their next update.

Yup, unskippable ads… already the bane of many a YouTube binges or general online video content. We all hate them so why force us to watch them?

Well the answer is simple, money. Just check out this quote from Ad Age:

“Advertisers are not spending as much as they have previously with Snapchat.

“They have to do something that draws more interest from advertisers, and they are getting more aggressive to address the market’s needs.”

So basically because we as the users don’t want or like ads we are going to be forced to watch at least 3 seconds of an ad before we can skip, if we will be allowed skip at all. Whatever about me and you but the younger generation are even less likely to deal with the BS of in-bedded advertising hence this idea of forcing engagement to keep their attention for as long as possible. That’s if they don’t switch off the app completely.

Good Bye Snapchat?

This bothers me because surely innovation, customer feedback and creating an app that increased interaction through choice rather than force is more beneficial to both Snapchat and its users. Try telling that to the bean counters I guess.

Well I for one will not bother my arse watching that crap and if I feel this way I can only imagine plenty of you feel the same. At least on Facebook and Twitter we can scroll past the ads right?

Probably better off following us on them then. 😉

Twas The Night Before Goos3Dmas…

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Twas the night before Christmas, and all through Goos3D tower,

Everyone was ready, all shaved and showered.

Christmas party night, we could wait no more,

5pm came and we skipped out the door!

“Lets party!” shouted Dean, his excitement a-plenty,

He booked us an Uber, and pulled out a twenty.

We headed for town, 12 pubs was the plan,

All paid for by Marty, he’s some man for one man.

Dublin Pub Finder was installed on his phone,

And Google Maps too, so we could find our way home.

The first pub was quiet, no Christmas fun…

One very quick drink, and then we were done.

The second pub beckoned, we checked out our app,

Down the street, turn left, and straight through the gap.

Gary was eager, he ordered his beer,

And checked in on Facebook, so we all knew he’s here.

But then Dean turn around, someone was gone…

Marty looked up and said, “Where the fuck is Jon??”

Jon was outside with a lady in blue,

And he was besotted, so he left the Goos3D crew.

But now she had gone, there was no more chat,

He’d not got her number. He thought, “Well, that’s that”.

He waited outside on the cold winter night,

All of a sudden, in the sky, shining bright.

The jolly laughter, sleigh bells a ringing,

“Let it snow! Let it snow!”, someone was singing.

Jon rubbed his eyes, gave a gasp and paused.

Standing in front of him, was THE Santa Claus!

“How’s the form Santa? You out on the rip?”

“I’m working!” said Santa, and gave his ear a clip!

Dean, Gary and Martin, all rushed outside,

When they looked up and seen Santa, they all nearly died!

Jon Knew that Santa was in a bit of a panic.

“My sleighs broken down, do you know a mechanic?”

“Help me out lads”, Santa was pleading

“I’m already late, and was done for speeding!”

Dean was excited, like a happy young boy,

He’d seen Santa’s sack, overflowing with toys

“I’ll help you out, for a modest fee,

You’ve loads of toys there, you can spare one for me”

“Whatever you want, just say it, it’s yours!”

By now Santa was begging, down on all fours.

“What’s the problem” asked Martin, showing concern,

“My sat nav is dodgy, and I made a wrong turn”

“Now it’s not working, and I’m no good with tech!”

Gary knew he could help, and said “Hang on a sec”

They all checked the sat nav, it had an error displayed.

“Easy!” they said, “you just need an upgrade!”

Jon tethered the sat nav to his Samsung S8,

And within a flash, it was working great!

“Thank you so much!”, Santa said with a smirk,

“You’ve been ever so helpful, where do you work?”

“We’re all from Goos3D, empowering the nation!”

“And Goos3D tower could use a brand new Playstation”

“No problem at all, I have one right here!”

“Now back to the pub, for more Christmas cheer!”

“Thanks Santa” they shouted, “We’re just happy it’s fixed”,

And as Santa left, they were all transfixed.

“He’s gone” said Gary, “but what happens now?”

Martin said thoughtfully, “We tell people…. Somehow”

Jon said, “If only we’d caught it all on the phone,

We could tell everyone, their minds would be blown!!”

Dean looked at Jon, “It’s a bit late for that!”

“Nope”, said Jon, “I’ve it all on Snapchat!”

Who knew that Jon could be oh so clever??

This would be a night they’re remember forever.

And as they looked up and seen the stars shining bright,

They heard “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!!!!”

Wishing everyone a very Merry Goos3Dmas!!!

WTF is Going on with the Dealz Ireland Facebook Page

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We’ve all seen brands killing it on social media over that past few years. The likes of Paddy Power have successfully turned their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds into incredible marketing tools. This has left many other brands seeking the same success, which I can only imagine is what the Dealz Ireland Facebook page right now.

What’s Happening on the Dealz Ireland Facebook Page?

We’ve all heard of Elf on the Shelf right? The slightly creepy, always watching toy for children. Well, Elves Behavin’ Badly is another brand to enter the space with a slightly darker view on Christmas. A darker view the Dealz Ireland Facebook page has been making the most of. It’s best I just show you the posts.

The Elf Appeared in November

What an innocent post this was. I won’t dwell on it because the innocence didn’t last long with the birth of the ElfBehavingBad hashtag.

Elves Getting Nookie

Yep, that’s a Christmas elf having a threesome thanks to some Nooky Blue Pills, obviously a bargain version of viagra. That’s certainly one way to advertise your product range as Nooky is a huge selection of sex products in Dealz. The discount shop really started December as they planned to go on.

Elf Came in Like a Wrecking Ball

A naked elf swinging on a Christmas bauble held up with some tinsel. The Dealz Facebook page has gone so far, this is completely mild.

What a Bunch of Cocks

Watch this video clip to the end. It feels like this is the moment that Dealz turned a corner. The pun on the mugs is hilarious. The connection to the elf, seemingly unlikely but watch the clip to the end and it all becomes apparent.

Scratch that Itch

Now, I doubt that Dealz sells great toothbrushes. A recent trip to the dentist taught me that it’s hard to get bad toothpaste but very easy to get crap toothbrushes. Even so, Dealz toothbrushes are probably too good to buy if you just plan to scratch your arse with them. No talking to that elf though.

Star Wars: Use the Force

That’s a vibrator. That’s a vibrator from Dealz, that costs something like €1.50 being used as a lightsaber. In their defence, it’s one hell of a way to be topical.

Free Moustache Rides

Some comments called this one more subtle but in my opinion, this is the filthiest of the lot! I did enjoy the comment which pulled Dealz up because everything in Dealz costs €1.50. By now, if you haven’t worked it out, the Dealz Christmas Facebook campaign is not child-friendly.

Elves Love Teabagging

This post seems to have been the ignition point. This was the moment people really started paying attention to this campaign. That elf is teabagging a woman. Well, it’s a doll really but elves aren’t real either and you’re still reading this so let’s get passed that. Is this going too far? Possibly. Is it hilarious? Definitely. Is it controversial? Not as much as it previously was.

That’s a Twinings teabag and when this post first appeared, there was a box of Twinings in the background; hence the “spot the difference”. Twinings were less than happy to see their brand being connected with a Christmas elf teabagging a woman and took to Twitter before the original post was removed.

Dealz Ireland Facebook Page Makes a Mistake

Now, it’s probably not a mistake to them but this is a massive mistake around these parts. Dealz is known as Poundland in the UK. Obviously, they knew the Poundland brand wouldn’t be too popular in Ireland given our currency differences, but their social media team is still in the UK. They are clearly just duplicating their UK Poundland feed for Ireland. While hilarious, a little bit of extra effort in the localisation would have made such a big difference.

What do you make of all this madness anyway? Let us know in the comments below or our relatively tame Facebook page.

Black Mirror Season 4: What We Know and Launch Date

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Black Mirror is a funny old show. It originally aired on Channel 4 and received a muted response. Muted by comparison to the reaction it got since Netflix picked it up. Collectively, everyone has watched Black Mirror’s take on human progression within the context of technology and, so far, the show has been getting things frightfully accurate. Perhaps a little too close to the bone in some episodes.

With a new season right around the corner, just how much do we know about Season 4?

Warning: Mildest of spoilers ahead

What to Expect in Black Mirror Season 4

So far, we only really have a two-minute trailer to tell us what’s going on with season 4 of Black Mirror. This trailer in fact:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ELQ6u_5YYM

The words “everything happens for a reason” are quite prominent throughout the trailer. This definitely suggests that we’re in for another six episodes of Black Mirror showing humanity’s self-destructive side.

Online Dating

We all know that dating has changed dramatically since Tinder entered the market. Thanks to a simple swiping app, people can feel the joy of rejection from the comfort of their own home. In all honesty though, many now ignore the life of going on the pull in nightclubs, opting instead for a quick Tinder surf. There’s even a Belgian guy travelling around Europe right now using only Tinder for accommodation!

But a lot of this online dating malarky has left us slightly in fear of real-world connections. From the Black Mirror trailer, it looks like this is certainly one of the themes season 4 will hit upon going by the Edna and Mike scene.

It also looks like smart assistants will cameo in this too, but it looks unlikely that Google or Amazon will have agreed to sponsor this episode.

Escaping Reality to Virtual Worlds

Virtual reality and augmented reality don’t seem to be going away. Why exactly we’re so obsessed with leaving the mundaneness of our own reality might not be a massive mystery to some, but Black Mirror believes it can have a massive impact on the mind. Season 3 had one episode dedicated to this, but it looks like this theme will appear at least once again in season 4.

Recognising What We’re Doing to the Real World

In an interesting twist for Black Mirror, it looks like the show will tackle global warming too. It’s unclear whether some clips are all from one episode or not, but it certainly looks like global warming and how humans are destroying the planet will featuring in season 4.

ArkAngel

You know the way iPhones and Android phones can be found remotely? For the former, it’s the well know “Find my iPhone”. Well, is using that to see where you’re kids are a little creepy? In an episode titled “ArkAngel”, this is the topic tackled by a slightly more modern, implantable, kind of technology.

When is Black Mirror Season 4 Out?

You’ll be able to stream season 4 of Black Mirror, on Netflix, from 29 December. Then curl up into a ball and fear the world.

Apple (finally) Admit to Slowing Down Older iPhones

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We have all long suspected this to be the case, and yesterday, Apple came clean and admitted they do indeed purposely slow down older iPhones via software updates.

This came to light after various reports in the tech media recently noticed that battery life on older iPhones can have a significant performance impact on the phone. Then earlier this week, a developer shared test results on Reddit which pointed to recent software changes in iOS to prevent older iPhones shutting down, was resolved by artificially maxing out performance on older iPhones to prevent too much power draw on degraded batteries.

Apple released a statement yesterday in response to these reports –

Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices. Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components. 

Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions. We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future”

So, in essence, Apple is saying they had to do this otherwise your older iPhone with a degraded battery would keep shutting down. It’s for your own benefit, we promise! There is logic to this argument from Apple, but the manner in which it has come to light will mean many people will be slightly bemused and not entirely convinced with Apple’s reasoning.

How to Check the Status of Your Battery

You can download a free app called Battery Life which displays various data about the health of your iPhone. If the results show your battery performance is degraded then replacing the battery with a new one will dramatically improve performance according to the various reports. First check with your phone provider if your phone is still under warranty, as this will mean a new battery can be fitted free of charge.

Is There a Silver Lining to this?

The good news with all of this is that if you do own an older iPhone which has slowed down significantly lately, then replacing the battery could well solve this problem. So no need to spend all that hard earned cash on a new iPhone after all!

How to Setup Your Echo Dot: Getting Started With Your Smart Assistant

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I’m fairly sure half of Ireland now has an Amazon Echo Dot if not the full-on Echo itself. Which means most of the country is now looking at this odd little hockey puck device and wondering what the hell they need to do with it. Here’s how to setup your Echo Dot (and yes, it’s the exact same for the Echo).

Download the Amazon Alexa App

It’s with great pleasure I can tell you that this app is now available in Ireland. For an absolute age, Android users had to sideload the app and iPhone users could only access their Echo and Echo Dot through the mobile website. Easy updates and full access to all of the Alexa smart assistant features; what a time to be alive.

amazon alexa app

You can download the Alexa App for Android and iOS.

Create an Amazon Account

Setting up an Amazon account is nice and straightforward While the Alexa App and Amazon’s hardware is now supported here in Ireland, we’re still heavily dependent on Amazon.co.uk as there’s no Irish website available. So to create your Amazon account, either go through the Alexa App or head on over to Amazon.co.uk.

Once you’ve got the account set up, you can log in to the Alexa App. From here, follow the pairing instructions.

Pick Out Some Alexa Skills

Right, so your Echo Dot is setup and connected to your app. Now you’ll need to get some Skills.

What Are Alexa Skills?

Brands and companies create Alexa Skills to let you access their services. In the UK, Echo Dot owners can book taxis and order their takeaways through Skills like Uber and Just Eat. Skills will open up a world of opportunity but right now they are somewhat limited in Ireland, mainly down to the fact the Alexa App has just been made officially available in Ireland.

Flash News Briefings, which are like Skills but purely dedicated to news, sports and weather updates, are a little more prominent in Ireland. RTÉ have a news and weather Flash News Briefing, while we even have our very own tech Flash News Briefing.

Skills will certainly become more available in Ireland over the coming months as brands and companies get to grips with the sheer number of Echo Dots which are now in Ireland.

Connect Spotify

This is a no-brainer. If you’re a Spotify Premium subscriber, add your account to Alexa. You’ll then be able to play millions of tracks through either your Echo or Echo Dot.

Connect Your Smart Home Devices

Now, this is where the real fun starts. The Alexa App has a one-touch feature to find smart devices on your network. So, if you have WeMo Smart Plugs or Energenie MiHome Smart Plugs, your Echo Dot will find them automatically and you can easily control them with your voice. For optimal effect, plug your sitting room lamp into one of these smart plugs to control the room lighting.

Setup Routines

I can personally recommend Energenie Smart Plugs. We’ve been using both WeMo and Energenie for well over a year and both are great. The main difference is that Energenie is much more affordable so you can buy more and automate more areas of your home. Once you have a few places automated, you’ll really start to have fun by setting up Routines.

Routines let you have several things happen by issuing just one voice command. For example, in the morning, I’ll say “Alexa, good morning”. My Echo Dot will then:

  1. Turn on the lamp
  2. Say good morning back to me
  3. Give me a weather update for my locality
  4. Give me live estimated commute time to a set location

The idea behind routines is that you can effectively turn on and off you’re entire home with one voice command or at least anything that’s got a smart connection.

Play Around With It

Don’t be afraid to try some new things with your Alexa. There are some great games on there and even some easter eggs to enjoy. Here are my favourite hidden gags.

Best Echo Dot Easter Eggs

“Alexa, more cowbell.”

“Alexa, are you Skynet?”

“Alexa, supercalifragilisticexpialodocious.”

“Alexa, who loves orange soda?”

“Alexa, volume 11.” (caution: very loud if you’ve got the Echo or Echo Dot connected to external speaker)

2018 is the year of the smart speaker and is going to be the first year in which Amazon’s Echo and Echo Dot can be fully taken seriously in Ireland now that they have official support here. Expect to see plenty of Amazon Apps appearing from Irish businesses towards the middle of the year.

Bonus Video

If you haven’t picked up a smart assistant yet, here’s my verdict on which one to go for:

 

What Disney Buying Fox Actually Means

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Image result for DeadpoolDeadpool’s face just says it all for me really. After months of discussion, Disney has finally purchased 21st Century Fox for an eye-watering $52 billion. However, as part of this buy out the House of Mouse also gets all assets of the 20th Century Fox film studios and a 39 percent stake in Sky. Time to invest in Disney Life, things are about to get interesting.

What has Disney Gotten from this Deal?

Look I’m a big Disney fan but this Fox buyout means that Mickey and his mates now own roughly 27% of the film industry. Think about it they already own pretty much everything Pixar, they have the outrageous success that is Marvel and Star Wars. Now add all of this:

  • Avatar
  • Star Wars
  • Die Hard
  • X-Men
  • Fantastic Four
  • Kingsman
  • Planet of the Apes
  • Alien
  • Predator
  • Independence Day
  • Fight Club
  • Home Alone
  • Night at the Museum
  • The Maze Runner
  • Ice Age
  • Red Sparrow
  • The Martian
  • Artemis
  • Alvin and the Chipmunks
  • Doctor Dolittle
  • Percy Jackson
  • The Chronicles of Narnia

Image result for disney buy fox simpsons

Essentially all properties that were owned by Fox are now Disney’s. The way they have rebuilt the Star Wars and Marvel franchises should really excite movie fans as we might now actually get a decent Fantastic 4, while the Simpsons also might return to its glory days. The only downside I can see is the amount of power Disney have now as a result when you think about Fox News, Espn and Sky all now apart of the group, essentially they are now the majority shareholders of mainstream media.

Why Did this Happen?

That’s easy. Disney is really looking at making a huge leap into the streaming world. Since the launch of Disney Life, we hear this deal will also incorporate two streaming services. One will be powered by ESPN and the other to be built around movies and Tv shows.

I guess this means the Fox arsenal will be used to charge this ambition and lead a full-on assault on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Along with the already strong catalogue of shows available, we can only assume there will be a push for producing a range of original series as Fox have also contributed it’s stake in Hulu, aka the streaming service showcasing ABC content such as “The Handmaid’s Tale”.

Think a quarter of everything you watch on all platforms now being controlled by a Mouse, that’s what is coming.

At least the MCU will be bitchin’

If you’re a Marvel fan this news will have you doing your best Churchill the dog impression.

Since the deal was but a mere rumour, Marvel fans excitement has been ramping up at the prospect of what this could mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Remember before the global success’ of The Avengers and the Netflix collaboration, Marvel sold off a number of famous heroes such as The Fantastic Four, X-Men and Spiderman, oh and Deadpool.
Now as we all know Spiderman has been given a new lease of life after a couple of mishits and fans are hopeful that the Disney magic can bring these other titles back from the dead. While also bringing them into the MCU. Imagine Captain America and Deadpool together, or Wolverine and Starlord or my personal favourite Hulk and the Thing.
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Although the sold off characters got their own films of varying success – the less said about the Fantastic Four reboot the better – Marvel fans have been desperate to see them fight villains alongside the likes of heroes The Hulk, Thor and Spider-Man.

To be honest, this one excites me as I was really disappointed in The Fantastic Four and X-Men was so close but so far away, the idea of seeing the rebooted characters coming into the universe alongside Iron Man and Co is just enough to make me sit up and take notice.

It’s no wonder why that Disney did not wait long to make the official announcement that yes, the X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool will be joining the MCU.

We have the opportunity to expand iconic franchises for new generations of fans.

We’re also looking forward to expanding the Marvel cinematic universe to include X-MenFantastic Four and Deadpool.

Image result for deadpool spiderman movie

How they plan on feeding these into the MCU is anyone’s guess but hey who cares as long as I can see Tony Stark, Stephen Strange alongside Professor X.

Our Verdict

Look, Disney now own way too much of the market and that’s coming from a self-professed fan of all things Disney. This move pushes them way ahead of their competition in terms of the sheer volume of content and brands that they own. However, with a huge drive towards online streaming services, this shouldn’t surprise anyone as now Netflix will have to keep pushing towards original content while Disney and their new Fox counterparts push all the well known into their own streaming services.