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Women in Tech Awards – Who Are the Judges?

Jon
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0
Women in Tech Awards – Who Are the Judges?

Recently we wrote a short article about the upcoming Women In Tech Awards that are due to be held in the RDS this November! We are very excited as the event is powered by the Dublin Tech Summit, the biggest tech showcase in Ireland. As we said in our previous article these awards are dedicated to recognizing the innovation, leadership and achievements of women in Ireland’s tech landscape. To pick the best and brightest women in the industry you need the best judges. So who are the people charged with making the tough calls?

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Anne Ravanona, founder & CEO of Global Invest Her

Our first judge up is Anna Ravanona, the Founder & CEO of Global Invest Her a platform and online community for early-stage women entrepreneurs that breaks down the funding process & helps them get investor-ready, to get funded faster. An incredible platform which has already been a proven success helping many female entrepreneurs to get up and running. She is a passionate women’s advocate with over 22 years experience in global business, she spoke at TEDx to inspire everyone to ’Spread Your Talent To The World’. She also advises Fortune 500 companies on Gender Diversity.

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Katia Lang, founder & CEO of the Fintech Times

Katie is the co-founder of Disrupts Media Limited, publishers of The Fintech Times newspaper and Disrupts.com.
Blockchain, Crypto, and startup enthusiast, Katia is one of the Top 100 Women in Fintech 2018 and having someone like this on the judges panel is a huge win for the Women In Tech Awards.

Since launching back in 2016, The Fintech times has grown exponentially. Bringing Fintech to the world, the brand is experiencing steady growth in headcount, readership, and revenue.

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Philip Konopik, Ireland Country Manager of Visa

As the Visa Ireland Country Manager, Philip Konopik is leading Visa’s market and business development activities in the market, working with clients and partners to drive innovation and evolution of the payments ecosystem with the aim of making Ireland the benchmark for digital payments in Europe. Prior to joining Visa he was part of the leadership team at the London-based growth and innovation consultancy Market Gravity. Over five years, he helped grow the business from a team of 10 to over 70 employees across London, Scotland and New York, and in the process working with leading challenger and high-street banks, as well as the payment industry across the UK and Ireland.

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Jules Coleman, Co-founder of Hassle

Jules Coleman is the co-founder and CTO of Resi, a London based startup changing the face of residential architecture.
Prior to Resi, Jules co-founded hassle.com, a domestic cleaning marketplace. Jules and the team grew Hassle.com to 100 employees across 4 countries before selling the company to Helpling in July 2015 for €32m. She is someone who knows how to grow a business from the ground up, successfully. Her eye for the market, knowledge and expertise will be invaluable to the team when picking the winners.

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Gen Ashley, Director of Women Who Code, London

Gen is the Founder of TECH(K)NOW Day – a conference focused on Women in Technology. She is also a Director of Women Who Code London and is a very active leader in the Tech community in London.
Gen is also a Lead for Google Women Techmakers London, NASA Space Apps Challenge London, Twitter Developer Community London and Google Developer Groups London. She is also part of the leadership committee for Ada’s List (a network for women in technology). She is co-organiser of COED:CODE, OpenTechSchool London and London Game Developers.

Image result for Joe Healy, Manager of High-Potential Startup Division, Enterprise Ireland

Joe Healy, Manager of High-Potential Startup Division, Enterprise Ireland

Joe was awarded a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Birmingham and holds a Masters Degree in Technology Management from the National Institute of Technology Management, UCD. More recently, in 2015 he was awarded a Diploma in Company Direction by the Institute of Directors.
Joe joined Enterprise Ireland in 1997. During his time with Enterprise Ireland he has worked in a number of senior roles.

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DR. Binja Dasani, International Award Winning Strategy, Innovation & FS Exec

And last but certainly not least, the final judge is Dr. Binja Dasani. She has a robust track record of delivering strategic, innovation and complex transformation successes for global Financial Services firms, across products, asset classes and markets. Bijna influences to deliver and builds high performing teams. Bijna serves the Boards of CIO Net, the IPQC CDO Exchange Series, and the Inclusive Companies Network. She is a FinTech Mentor and films videos on Mentorship, Leadership & Technology; she’s a co-presenter for the Women in Business TV series.

And that’s it! These are the brilliant people who will be have the deciding votes for the inaugural Women In Tech Awards.If you want to find out more about the event you can check out their website for a full list of categories, partners, speakers and everything else.

Goosed are fully behind the Women In Tech Awards and we hope that in the near future we can also do our bit and have more female contributors. If you want to write for Goosed.ie literally just get in touch via info@goosed.ie and get started straightaway. Even if you don’t think you are much of a writer now, Martin, Jon, Dean, Gary and Neal are ready to help.

Facebook Hack Affects 50 Million Users Including Irish Users

Marty
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Facebook Hack Affects 50 Million Users Including Irish Users

Poor old Facebook. Just when we all started to forget about Cambridge Analytica and all that craic, they’ve gone and done it again. Guy Rosen, VP of Product Management at the social media giant just released a blog post over on the Facebook Newsroom, outlining what the latest Facebook “hack” is all about. I’m here to let you know what it means for you as a Facebook user.

Was Facebook Hacked?

Yes. There’s no denying this is a hack. My first reaction was to categorise these headlines as scaremongering. Rosen’s post doesn’t mention the term hack once; I checked:

facebook hack blog post

Maybe it wasn’t a hack at all, I thought to myself, but then I looked up the definition of hack:

gain unauthorized access to data in a system or computer

Ah yeah, this was a hack alright.

Ironically, as part of Facebook’s privacy features, you can view your Facebook profile as other people on the platform. This means you can review what your boss sees (why did you add them in the first place) or what your mother sees (yeah, she added you, fair enough). The irony kicks in here as hackers used this “View As” feature to simulate actually being other people.

The technical language here is hackers stole “Facebook access tokens”. Let me simplify this to a point where I understand it better!

Imagine Facebook is a massive building where we all go on a regular basis. There are two options when you get to the front desk. The first is that you sign into a guest book every single time before you are allowed to enter the building. This is the equivalent of entering your password every time you want to use Facebook. The second way in is scanning a card which verifies you are who you say you are before entering the building. This is much easier and faster, right? Well, having a card to scan is the same as having an access token. It’s faster, but if someone else has it, they can pose as you, enter the building and reek havoc.

This is what happened with Facebook. Hackers were able to take people’s access tokens, pose as these people and change their passwords. As a result, people have had their Facebook accounts hijacked. This has also possibly spread to Instagram too.

So, What Did the Hackers Do?

It’s down to some really shitty coding from Facebook. By the sounds of what Facebook has done to fix the vulnerability, hackers were able to lookup accounts using the “View As” privacy option and steal access tokens from here. It’s so simple and stupid a mistake for Facebook to make, seriously.

How Many People Are Affected by the Hack?

This is a big one. The vulnerability was discovered last Tuesday and dates back to a video update the company made to their platform in July 2017. That’s bloody ages ago and Facebook estimates this cock up affects almost 50 million Facebook users.

Have Irish Accounts Been Hacked?

No official breakdown of nationalities affected has be provided, but it’s clear Irish accounts have indeed been affected. I’ve seen social lighting up with people saying they were randomly signed out of their accounts meaning they are within the pool of 90 million logged out either as a direct involvement or from precautionary steps being taken by Facebook.

What is Facebook Doing About the Hack?

First of all, indulge me in some tinfoil hat conspiracy. The timing of this announcement seems to be very convenient. This news broke in Europe on a Friday evening. Considering we just introduced my beloved GDPR and that Facebook knew about this since Tuesday, I can’t help but feel they sat on this until some European media had gone home for the weekend. It feels like damage limitation from Facebook, but anyway…

As the time of writing this article, Facebook has reset the access tokens for over 50 million users known to have been affected and a further 40 million accounts who have been looked up through this “View As” functionality, as an additional precaution. They’ve also disabled the “View As” option altogether for the time being.

Most importantly, Facebook has apologised. Frankly, they can shove that up their arse.

What Should You Do Next?

It’s time for precaution. At least 50 million Facebook users have been affected, but their numbers swelled in the weeks after the Cambridge Analytics scandal so I wouldn’t be surprised to see that number go north too.

Go to the “security and login” section of Facebook settings and log out of all devices. I would strongly recommend doing this for Instagram too. The true horror of these kinds of events means technically you should track down any website you use “Log in with Facebook” and reset that password too. You can find these in the app section of your security and privacy settings.

I’d also recommend you stop using “Log in with Facebook” and either use Google, who do seem to have their privacy in order or just using your email and create a unique password for every website. The best thing you could ever do is move to LastPass which is something I’ll be writing about very soon. I don’t know any of my passwords, except for LastPass itself and I just let them manage everything for me. Seriously, look into it, it’s great.

You should also use two-step verification. This means logging in requires more than just a password. You’ll either need an app to verify it’s you trying to get in or you can receive a code to your phone.

I’ll be following this story over the weekend so keep an eye here and on my Twitter for the latest as it breaks.

Update

Update 12.55am – 2 October 2018

We reached out to the Data Protection Commission, but have yet to hear back directly from them. However, they have been updating their Twitter with their take on the Facebook hack as information becomes available.

Much like my thinking about how unusual the length of time to report the issue was, the DPC seem less than impressed that it broke late on Friday after being discovered on Tuesday:

Why is the Irish Data Protection Commission So Important for Facebook?

We all know Ireland is a tax haven right? Well, because of that the company is partially based in Ireland and naturally within the European Union. As a result, it’s the Irish Data Protection Commission which will be investigating this on behalf of Europe. This is why there have been calls from the Commissioner for EU Justice for Facebook to cooperate and disclose how many EU citizens have been involved in the hack:

How Many EU Citizens Have Been Affected by the Facebook Hack?

According to some digging done by the Irish Data Protection Commission, in or around 10% of those accounts involved belong to European citizens. Given the figures we’ve seen so far, that would suggest five million EU citizens are involved; no small figure. That’s more than the entire population of Ireland!

Here’s hoping there’s more clarity soon.

Update 8.05am – 4 October 2018

The DPC has commenced their official investigation into the Facebook hack:

Sitting Is the New Smoking? Let’s Fix That…

Jon
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Sitting Is the New Smoking? Let’s Fix That…

Recently the first HouseTalks event held in the House Bar in Limerick went down. We’re very lucky to be a part of the amazing team organizing these events where interesting speakers are given the opportunity to speak in a TedTalks style evening in a great location. The first event was based around the theme of sports and one speaker, Phalem from LimerickSportsPartnership said something that really resonated with us. Sitting is the new smoking! Yup, spending 8,10,12 hours a day sitting in front of the laptop at work isn’t good for you. Who would have guessed…

Is sitting really the new smoking?

As a smoker and a sitter I can honestly say that neither activity is doing me much good. Modern working life has made many of us adapt to a sedentary lifestyle. If you are desk-bound at work and sit on your journey to and from it, you likely fall into this category. Think about it, how much of your day from the moment you get up to the moment you go to sleep are you actually on your feet?

If you’re a desk monkey like me, sitting for 8-10 hours a day can create it’s own problems.

It increases load on the spine and discs resulting in slouching or pain and over time this can cause changes in muscle length and affect the strength and performance of the postural muscles. In turn, this can result in pain and predisposition to injury. When it comes to muscle, the body operates on a use it or loose it basis. Being more mobile at your desk gig could make a huge difference.

This many hours sitting down at a time can also increase risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and depression but the fix is simple. Get moving. It’s simple and while we love technology and love what we do it’s very easy to get caught up in your work and forget that so many hours sitting down is not a good thing. So without further adieu here are the Goosed.ie Top 10 Tips for being a bit healthier when at the office.

Goosed.ie Top 10 Tips for being healthier in the workplace

  1. Nutrition is key – as any personal trainer worth their salt will tell you, diet is 90% of the fitness battle. Swap the Snickers for an apple or if you are in the Dublin area you can use Bamboo to order delicious and nutrition food from local establishments and skip the queue. They have also expanded to Cork so it shouldn’t be long until we see them nationwide.
  2. Get a Fitbit –  any smart watch, fitbit or other wearable that tracks your steps can let you know that you aren’t getting in enough steps throughout the day. Just having that reminder can help you decide to take the stairs instead of the lift. Remember every step counts.
  3. Move your phone away from the desk – realistically how many phone calls do you get on your office phone per day? Where possible, why not move the phone slightly out of reach so when it rings you have to actually get up.
  4. Start an office fitness challenge – many offices do free cake Fridays and other things like this so how about starting a little challenge so you earn that cream cake. Get everyone to commit to hitting a certain amount of steps per day to earn your Friday treat. It might incentivize you all to go for a lunchtime walk.
  5. Drink plenty of water – staying hydrated is a challenge for most people but in an office environment with the coffee flowing, this can be more difficult. Download an app like Aqualert and get regular notifications to keep on top of your water intake.
  6. Standing meetings – we all know many meetings are hours of just sitting around the table talking cobble. Before your meeting pull all chairs out of the room, stand up and see how it can help you be healthier and help improve meeting engagement at the same time. Double win.
  7. Get a hobby outside of work – fine this isn’t something you can do inside the office, but get the lads inside the office to play 6-a side once a week, group book a yoga class or talk to a gym about group rates. Doing something like this will not only help you be fitter and healthier but team moral gets a boost – those chats in the changing room after a game of kickball are always craic. If the people from work don’t want to get involved, download Meetup and find activities in your local area.
  8. Try a toilet workout – this isn’t as mad as it sounds, seriously – everyone has to answer natures call sometime so make the most of the time. Take the scenic route to the jacks and once you get there drop in 10 squats and 10 basin press ups. Do that every time you go and see those booty and biceps gaaaaiiiinz! Note – between bathroom lighting and that little extra pump, those Insta toilet selfies are going to be as the kids say these days “on fleek”.
  9. Be weird and stretch – if you are like me and your body is essentially a creaking mess do some stretches at the desk and help yourself. If you have a dodgy back, knee, neck, shoulder you name it, sitting at a desk all day can cause serious strain. That 2 minutes you spend checking SkySports could be well used giving yourself a little stretch to loosen out those sore joints.
  10. Rest your brain – although we are saying less sitting is good, sometimes you need to do something for your mental well being. Fitness and health is as much about mind as it is about body. By taking the 9 steps above you will automatically be more mobile in work. Instead of listening to some tunes during your walk/drive to work, throw on a motivational talk or guided meditation on YouTube. Not only will you be more pumped for the day but your brain will be more focused helping you be more productive throughout the day. I’ve been listening to Gary Vee’s Crushin it audio book on Audible of late so just pick something that gets you going and see the difference.

Make the change

We all know smoking kills, but it turns out the hours we are spending sitting down on laptops, PlayStations or whatever is an equally big problem. Instead of using technology as an excuse for laziness, make it work for you. Whether that’s tracking calories, counting your steps or helping you make better food choices, the apps exist to help you be more active, healthy and fit while at work. So let’s set a little challenge, October is on our doorstep and many people take this time to complete “Sober October”. Instead why not bring “Healthy Halloween” to your workplace and commit to doing our 10 step plan for the month and let us know how you get on.

By the way the next HouseTalk event will be held in the House Bar in Limerick on the last Tuesday of the month. The next event is going to be on the topic of education with our good mates at CyberSmarties taking the stage. If you want to come down, see what it’s all about and learn something new please get in touch, we will fix you up with a ticket.

FIFA 19 Review: Gameplay and a Feast of Modes in the Best FIFA Yet

Marty
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FIFA 19 Review: Gameplay and a Feast of Modes in the Best FIFA Yet

It’s one of those perennial classics. Without fail, I get my hands on the latest edition of FIFA every year and as someone who loves smartphones, they can often feel quite similar. Every year, a new version is released, it’s a bit pricey and you’re left wondering if it’s money well spent or not. Well, FIFA 19 is well worth you shelling out a few shillings for. I’ve been giving it a lash for the past week and I’m falling in love with the football sim all over again.

When Does FIFA 19 Come Out?

Let’s not beat around the bush here. I’ll talk about the game itself, but first up when can you play it? FIFA 19 will be available from 28 September. Now, you can either go buy it or read on to see what I thought about it.

FIFA 19 Gameplay

I’m a really average FIFA player and an awfully boring Twitch streamer. In fact, I think I’ve only streamed my games a handful of times. Still, if you’re into that kind of thing, you can watch my first fifty minutes playing FIFA 19 last weekend over on Twitch:

Watch Goosed.ie FIFA 19 First Look from goosed_ie on www.twitch.tv

There’s a lot to digest this year in terms of gameplay. Some subtle in-game changes such as active first touch and timed finishing, not a million miles away from the Gears of War reload technique, add to FIFA 19 feeling like the most rounded game in the series to date. The cherry on top is the refreshed in-game tactics. Instead of being able to choose one tactical approach, you can mesh together several ideas to suit your gameplay style. Layered on top of this is improved pre-game strategy options too which means you can really get you team playing your style of football.

One thing which has been added to the gameplay that I love is the non-compete timeout. If you’re playing online and your opponent gives up and leaves down the controller hoping you’ll quit, they’ll be timed out in a matter of seconds. That’s a serious first world problem given the axe.

FIFA 19 Game Modes

Champions League

While FIFA 18 released an update to introduce the World Cup, FIFA 19 is packing more depth right from the get-go. Your pre-install preview game brings you through a Juventus versus PSG Champions League final. You can’t skip much of the cutscenes but to be honest, that’s part of the craic. The experience perfectly mimics proper Champions League coverage and, I should have mentioned this earlier, but the Premier League coverage is impeccable, all its missing is a gambling ad, just after Martin Tyler growls “and it’s live”.

Fifa Ultimate Team 2019

So we’ve got Champions League on top of the regular favourites like FIFA Ultimate Team, which itself deserves a quick mention. Some people dislike FUT because there are too many player performance variables left to the FUT Skill/Chemistry algorithm. But my inner child can’t resist opening packets of players to see who you’ve got. FUT 19 has also been given a lick of paint. Division Rivals pits you against other players of similar skill levels. The higher your division, the greater the rewards.

House Rules

This. Is. The. Craic.

House Rules. If you’re thinking of buying FIFA 19 for the college gaff, just do it. Seriously. House Rules adds a whole new layer of banter to FIFA 19 with new game modes including:

  • No Rules
  • Headers and Volleys
  • First To
  • Survival
  • Long Range

Some of these might be self-explanatory, but here goes nothing.

No Rules

I recorded myself playing a game of No Rules versus the computer and I’ll be honest, it was a little bit boring. Now, you change that to one of your mates and this becomes mayhem. This mode means the ref does little more than blow for kick off and when you should take a corner. I got a few sweet and creamy tackles in during that game but I’ll tell you this much; watch out for offsides. With offside disabled, it’s much, much easier to score off the long ball. Wait an extra second and give your attacker the yard. That’s my tip for winning a No Rules game.

Headers and Volleys

It’s a classic. You can score an absolute peach of a curler from the edge of the box, much like Salah’s surprise Puskás winner and it’ll count for nothing. In this game mode you’re back to the playground where goals only count if they come from a header or a volley. Penalties and free kicks also count and don’t forget you can also pop the ball up to yourself for the volley.

First To

It’s rare your local five-a-side game will end without this rule being enforced. The lads haven’t turned up for the 8pm slot after your group. One team is probably five up but someone shouts “first to three”. Your team is given a fresh chance to take something home from the night’s footy. Well now, you and your mates can play up to a predetermined number of goals. The games are also timed like usual so the leader at ninety minutes takes the glory.

Survival

This is probably my favourite mode. You start with eleven players but if you score, you lose one random lad off the team. Keepers are exempt and it’s the same rules for your opponent. It keeps the game balanced so if you do have a friend who’s fairly useless at FIFA, this might give them a fighting chance.

It’s worth noting that you can only get two red cards in Survival mode before you forfeit the game. Careful now.

Long Range

Piledrivers. Piledrivers everywhere. Your goals will only count if they are absolute screamers from outside the box.

I want to say a massive well done to EA Sports for introducing these game modes. I remember a few years back, This is Football introduced diving and people loved it. It was a bit of craic and that’s what we shouldn’t forget. These games should be realistic for people who want a sim, but also be loads of fun for people who want a bit of craic. FIFA 19 has absolutely nailed this balance.

FIFA 19 Career Mode: The Journey

I’m an absolute sucker for The Journey. I feel like I’ve been following the career of a real young talent when I see Alex Hunter. Now in its third and final season, The Journey follows young Alex Hunter as he makes his dream switch to Real Madrid following his real world PR stunt transfer when the Galácticos launched their third strip made from plastic recovered from the sea. What a sentence:

That actually annoyed quite a few Real Madrid fans, peeved at their club being involved in a virtual transfer so soon after losing Ronaldo to Juventus. The real world and gaming are really in conflict lately. Just last weekend, FC Basel and Young Boys had a game paused because of fans protesting club investment in eSports.
Right, back in track.

The Journey is like leaving Coronation Street or Home and Away on. It’s cheesy goodness and really hard to turn off. This year you not only guide Alex on his journey but also his best mate, Danny Williams and half-sister, Kim Hunter. Dip in and out of each story but also enjoy being mentored by one of Real’s superstars when playing as Alex.

I’ve heard this is the last year we’ll have The Journey which is a real pity, unless they bring out a new player next year?

FIFA 19 Review: The Verdict

While streaming I said something I regret. While it’s more craic than ever before, FIFA 19 isn’t that much better graphically. The more I’ve played it the more I’ve regretted that statement. The graphics are slightly better, but I regret it because this game doesn’t deserve a black mark against it. FIFA 19 is the best FIFA to date, is easily the best football sim on the market is could arguably be the best sim full stop. It’s simply fantastic. I had been looking forward to this release quite a bit, but it’s far surpassed expectations.

FIFA Bonus Fact

Do you know David Meyler? The Irish international footballer who plays for Reading in the Championship. Well, he’s a big-time FIFA player. Seriously! Meyler even streams his games on Twitch and everything. David, if you wanna stream a game with Goosed.ie, come find us.

Get Fujifilm Instax Film Cheaper Online Than Urban Outfitters

Marty
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Get Fujifilm Instax Film Cheaper Online Than Urban Outfitters

I was wandering around Dublin there today and found myself in Urban Outfitters in Temple Bar. Straight up, I love that shop. It feeds the senses as they really stock some amazing stuff. At the same time, if you don’t come to your senses quickly in there, you’re likely wasting money. It’s not because they sell crap, but they sell stuff that’s way overpriced. Sure, if you need to get something quick, you’ll probably be willing to pay the extra, but if you can wait for delivery, you could save a fortune, picking up items like Fujifilm Instax film on the cheap along with lots of stuff that Urban Outfitters stock. I rummaged around and found just a few items that you can save a packet on by shopping around.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Camera

Fujifilm released their Instax camera a few years ago and this thing is damn cool. We live in a world of unlimited photos thanks to our smartphones, but this also means our snaps men less. Like, how often do you look back through your pics? Fujifilm’s Instax camera means you do have limited shots, but they’re instantly printed out and you can pop them on the fridge or lob them into a frame to be enjoyed forever. Isn’t that better?

Well, it’s at least better in some circumstances so if you’re interested in getting one of these Instax Cameras, don’t pick it up in Urban Outfitters as the Instax Mini 9 will set you back €105 while you could pick it up for just €89 on Amazon.co.uk – delivery is free. Actually, you can quite possibly find it cheaper in other stores on the high street too. A quick Google and I found the very same camera going for €89 in Conns Cameras, just a six minute walk away. Of course, I know not everyone reading this will be shopping in Dublin, but I just want to show how valuable shopping around is. You can save money by either shopping online or taking a short walk, but don’t be afraid to look around before you hand over your money.

Now, you’re going to need some film for that camera; I know, film. Crazy, right?

Cheap Film for the Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Camera

If you find yourself in Urban Outfitters thinking about buying film for your camera, again, please stop yourself. I’ve noticed that I’m, at least, part hipster, but I hate the thought of how many people willingly pay the hipster tax in this place. It reminds me of CEX and their scandalous prices for used gadgets. If the Instax Camera pricing didn’t convince you, surely the film will. If you think about it, there are probably people who only buy their film in Urban Outfitters and every time they do, they are losing money.

Let’s take this Fujifilm Instax Mini Rainbow film which gives you ten pictures:

cheap instax mini film

This pack will cost you €20 in Urban Outfitters, or €2 per picture assuming you don’t make a mess of any shots! The same pack costs just shy of €11 on Amazon – delivery is free. The same on the high street in a shop like Conns, costs you just €11.50. That’s between €1.10 and €1.15 per picture instead of €2. That’s about a 42% saving just by shopping around but also a massive saving every single time you need to buy more film.

Slightly irked by how expensive their gadgetry was, I went on the offensive and dug out some more rip offs on show in Urban Outfitters.

Grab a Much Cheaper Rose Gold iPhone Charging Cable

Yup, this place belongs in Temple Bar where the price of a pint will make a grown Irish man cry. Urban Outfitters is selling non-Apple branded rose gold iPhone charge cables for €14. You’ll get a very similar cable on Amazon for €8.

Where to Buy Cheap and Cool PopSockets

Straight up: Urban Outfitters has some really cool PopSockets. Perhaps nothing sums up the shop better than an avocado Popsocket which I actually really like.

avacado popsocket

I couldn’t find that on Amazon either, but if you want to grab a Popsocket on Amazon and pineapples are more your thing you could save €2. I’m actually gonna give this one to Urban Outfitters. They’re a good spot to visit for PopSockets. Unfortunately, this is a rare win for the shop.

Smartphone Fisheye Lens, Wide-Angle Lens and Macro Lens

First of all, be careful buying these things from anywhere. Depending on your phone, they simply might not work. For example, I’ve got the Huawei P20 Pro which uses a triple lens so a single add-on lens is of no use to me. Also be careful where you buy these things. Urban Outfitters will charge you a whopping €35 for a simple lens kit with a fisheye, wide-angle and macro lens:

cheap fisheye lens

Head on over to Amazon.co.uk and you’ll pick up a very similar lens kit for just €10. You can save €25 by just ordering online. I know a lot of people give out about how online is killing good old retail stores, but Urban Outfitters is praying on people unwilling to shop around. This gadget is one of the most incredible examples of that.

Is Urban Outfitters Good Value?

No. You seem to be paying some kind of tax in that shop for the privilege of shopping there. They stock some cool gear but you can buy nearly all of it online for a fraction of the cost. Be sensible, don’t impulse buy and check out online options along with other high street stores. Sorry, but some of the prices in their literally made me angry.

Self Driving Bus on Dublin’s North Quay

Jon
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Self Driving Bus on Dublin’s North Quay

Anyone who has walked down the by the Docklands in Dublin would have noticed something a little odd. As part of the Dublin Smart Docklands initiative, Dublin City Council has a self-driving bus on the North Quays.

No joke, have a look:

Looks mad doesn’t it? Sadly it isn’t here to stay just yet as the the EZ10 bus created by EasyMile is only here as part of the “Future of Mobility” being held in Dublin as part of European Mobility Week.

Why is this being tested?

The EZ10 driverless bus as we said is being showcased as part of the long-term “Smart Docklands” project that aims to give us a look at the future of smart travel in Dublin.

“Dublin City Council through its ‘Smart City’ programme and the ‘Smart Docklands’ testbed district is encouraging a debate on the future of transport and mobility in the city,” says Owen Keegan, Chief Executive, Dublin City Council.

The frankly odd looking EZ10 is the first driverless, electric shuttle bus, which can carry up to 15 people. The bus also comes equipped with some state of the art gadgetry including advanced cameras, processors and all the other bits and pieces needed to ensure a smooth and safe journey. The bus also comes fully equipped with a built-in access ramp for passengers with reduced mobility and there is no need for additional road infrastructure to operate the vehicle.

So it doesn’t take up any extra room, it’s environmentally friendly and it’s already in daily operation at locations in the US, Holland, China and Estonia! With Dublin, being the giant European tech hub that it is, surely it’s only a matter of time before we see these flooting down the streets of the city.

Image result for ez10 in the US

Can I have a go?

Well, probably not quite yet with the first test drives scheduled for today and tomorrow. The bus can only carry 15 people but rumour has it that there are still a few tickets available for the Saturday test spin. The shuttle route will run for nearly one kilometre with four stops in place from the Dublin Convention Centre to the 3Arena.

By the way if you are in the area for the weekend why not go and have a look for yourself as Dublin City Council and its partners will host the ‘Future Mobility Showcase’ on North Wall Quay on Saturday, September 22. There will be electric scooters, bikes and family friendly events going on throughout the day.

Would you trust a driverless bus on the streets of Dublin? Well someday soon you might not have a choice.

jumpAgrade: Bringing Leaving Cert Grinds into the 21st Century

Jon
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0
jumpAgrade: Bringing Leaving Cert Grinds into the 21st Century

Ah the Leaving Cert, the state exam billed as the most important written test any of us will take. The one that will decide our futures, what college we will go to and what jobs we will work until the day we retire, well so we are told anyway. For me the Leaving Cert was a complete and utter mess. I tanked the exams in epic style ending up with my tenth choice on my CAO form. For what it’s worth I wanted to do Human Genetics but ended up doing Product Design…a bit different but all’s well that ends well. Anyway, you can imagine my excitement when I flicked through this years companies picked up by the Google Adopt a Startup and I see a Limerick based, tech solution who aim to improve the grinds system for Junior & Leaving Cert students. For those of you who don’t know Limerick is a hotbed for startup companies right now and jumpAgrade are just another example of an amazing solution to a problem we didn’t even know existed.

So what is jumpAgrade?

jumpAgrade is an online grinds platform aimed at second level students over the age of 13. The goal is to give students practice questions and personalised feedback to help improve their grades. They have a team of hand selected tutors across every topic ready to help with any subject at Higher or Ordinary level. As a company they are aware that each student learns differently and it’s difficult for teachers to tailor a plan specifically for each student. That’s where jumpAgrade comes in.
 
Remember the grinds you did back in the day? 5,10,15 of ye sat in a classroom with a young teacher looking to earn a couple extra pounds doing the same coursework. Even if that’s not the area you are having problems with. It’s exactly this scenario that jumpAgrade are going up against.

How does it work?

When a student starts their study journey they will complete a “needs analysis”. Using the results from this, the team of handpicked tutors assess the specific challenges facing a student (example if someone is weak on Geometry) and create personalised worksheets for each individual student on a weekly basis.
 
When a student completes the worksheets all they need to do is take a picture on their phone, upload it and wait two days for feedback. Again which is personalised to cater for each student. Speaking from experience Irish and German weren’t my thing in school, it was boring and because I was at the lower end of the class, teachers generally ignored me. There was a day in fifth year I was told ” You should probably drop to pass, I can’t help you” to which the response from a cheeky git came “Well you never really tried”. I can see why someone who might be at the lower to mid end of a class would see a benefit from having help that it built to help them on an individual level. God knows some of us need it.
Speaking on that Irish class story and I remember doing a grind or two and I noticed that there is always one person in the class looking to make sure they get that A1 so it’s not like jumpAgrade couldn’t help these kids hit their maximum potential too.

The personal touch

It is that personal touch and attention that makes a difference to students. Studies have shown this extra attention can make a student feel more confident in their ability to take exams. Couple this with learning in a manner tailored to suit that students needs and you have something with a real benefit to anyone sitting exams. As we all know it’s near on impossible for teacher to give this level of attention to 30+ students in each class, jumpAgrade are filling that gap.

“By applying cutting-edge machine learning, we can observe trends in students’ learning patterns to provide insights to educators about how to tailor teaching methods to suit different learning styles. It’s 21st-century learning for 21st-century students.” Ethan O’Brien -CoFouder

The platform also offers parents a dashboard which lets them see how the feedback is helping their child progress. It works in all web browsers and on all devices so no installations are necessary.

Pricing

The pricing to be fair is very reasonable and comparable to traditional grinds with each subject costing €25 per week for the core service but they also offer a 20% discount to anyone doing multiple subjects. Any parent reading this will want to know, what bang do I get for my buck? well here is what the core service gives:

  • Detailed personalised feedback
  • Free one week trial
  • Maximum convenince online, meaning no more scheduling and no more travelling to grinds
  • Expert tutors across all subjects
  • SMS and email notifications
  • Parents CC’d in emails so they can see the progress too
  • Pause your subscription anytime
  • Exam focused worksheets which lead to reduced stress in the real exam

A new generation of students

Image result for tech savvy students

I’ve said it before and will say it again, the education system today is out of tune with the students it’s trying to help. We have seen in recent times calls to ban smartphones from schools. We still use expensive paper books that need to be replaced annually rather than simply using a tablet and online learning resources or downloadable PDF’s and other not so modern technologies. jumpAgrade is challenging the tradition a bit by tapping into how the generation actually behave. As they said themselves it’s 21st Century learning for 21st Century students. We forget this might be the first generation who have had access to Google at their fingertips at all times. Things like Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, smartphones and the internet in general are underused resources in our education system and these are the exact tools that we can use, like jumpAgrade help each student on an individual basis. Technological disruption is set to fundamentally change the way we look at our educational system and now with the brilliant backing from the Google Adopt a Startup program, jumpAgrade could well be at the forefront.

We’re really excited about working with Google on the Adopt a Startup programme. It’s great for us as a Limerick company to be recognised at this level – it’s a real testament to our ambitions but also the growing number of exciting startups coming out of Limerick.” – David Neville Co-Founder

We know there is a lot of pressure to get the results you want in the Leaving and Junior Certs. If you or anyone you know is sitting the state exams this year and could do with a helping hand, then get onto the lads in jumpAgrade. Why not give the one week trial a shot…. it might just be the difference you need.

The Dulux Visualizer App: Simple Inspiration

Marty
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0
The Dulux Visualizer App: Simple Inspiration

Disclaimer: This article has been sponsored by Dulux, but I didn’t let that sponsorship colour my review. The app is cool, check it out. It’s free!

Have you ever heard of the man-drawer? It’s that drawer in your house that’s got an old Nokia 3310, a charger for a phone that’s definitely not a fat Nokia charger for the 3310, some batteries that may or may not be dead, some instruction manuals for an IKEA table you built sans-instructions along with a dozen Allen keys there too. There’s probably a couple of sampler paint pots too, but the first step in picking a new paint colour for your home could now be augmented reality.

What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented reality has been on the increase in recent years and it got a massive boost in 2017 when Apple announced they were getting involved with AR at the iPhone 8 launch. Simply put, AR adds a layer of digital information to the world around you using the screen and camera from your smartphone. There are lots of fun applications for augmented reality, including the ability to make your dog talk, but it’s the practical uses which are most exciting.

Home improvement has been one area where AR is really excelling, from previewing how a new chair would look in your living room to helping you measure the size of rooms with a virtual AR measuring tape. Dulux decided to get in on this action, but rather than making the famous Dulux dog talk, Ireland’s most-popular paint provider has developed an app to show paint colours on your walls without the risk of spilling a drop.

The Dulux Visualizer App

Typically, the first step in painting a room was a combination of paint colour cards and those little mini paint pots. Usually, it took a few trips to the hardware store to find the shade you liked while your wall became very slowly covered in little sample squares and your man drawer filled with cards and pots. You still need those mini paint pots, but you should be able to dramatically reduce the number of trips it takes to find the perfect colour for your gaff.

The Dulux Visualizer app lets you visualise the walls of your home painted in any colour from the Dulux range. One quick picture and a colour selection later is all it takes to have a clear idea of what that wall will look like in a colour from the Dulux paint range. I’m pretty sure this will lead to you having a much better idea of which colours work and, more importantly, which colours don’t work. This all means the chances of that first mini paint pot you pick up being the colour of your dreams are much greater.

Getting Started

The Dulux Visualizer app has a massive benefit. If you’re a commitment-phobe when it comes to colours and decision making, it allows you to dip your toe into what a colour might look like on your actual walls. My advice is to take as many pictures as you can of the rooms you’re hoping to paint. Better still, you can even take panoramic style videos of a room and then save this to a project to test out colours later.

This is a good approach because you can create projects dedicated to a few different rooms and once you have all the pictures or videos taken, you don’t have to wander around the house to keep testing out new colours. Instead, you can browse through the massive range of Dulux paints and colours from the comfort of your own couch; that’s my kind of DIY.

Don’t know which colours to go with? Not a problem as the app has you covered for that too.

Getting Inspiration

If you have no idea what colour you think would look great, you can just flick through their options and get a steer on the latest home interior trends. But if you have a colour that’s taken your fancy, they’ve got an option for that with the colour picker option.

Think that red from a packet of crisps would look divine on the wall? Using the app, you can also scan real-world items to find out which Dulux paint colour is the nearest match, preview it on the wall and then find out where the nearest stockist is.

Genius! Here’s a lovely Mighty Munch red on my living room wall.

Right, fair enough. I shouldn’t be left in charge of the styling given there’s a fair chance the room would end up being packet of Meanies green. No, maybe it’s best we leave it to the professionals.

Fortunately, the Visualizer app also provides you with access to colours picked by some real professionals who actually know what they’re at. Colour of the Year for 2018 is Heart Wood, but not only can using the Visualizer app help you pick a colour that’s on trend, it can also help you pick complimentary colours too.

Back in my college days, the bed sheets never matched curtains and the walls, well I can’t even remember what colours they were, but style was not my strong point. I’ve come a long way from those days and even I now appreciate a colourful cushion on the couch or a nice lampshade that fits in with the colour of a room. Complimentary colours; learn this and impress people. Within the Dulux app, the Let’s Colour section shows you a massive range of the hottest colours while also showing you extended palettes to match the primary colour that appealed to you.

Actually, the app makes impressing your mates along with getting their opinions pretty easy too. Or if there’s a someone special in your life that’s also involved in the decision-making process you can WhatsApp them the latest idea you have for the bedroom walls. It’s even possible to share that panoramic video you created. Think of all the arguments you’ll avoid!

The Verdict

As you can probably see from the example I’ve given, the app isn’t perfect. There are some imperfections in the preview, but the starting point this app provides is incredible. In the past, you would have had one tiny patch with the colour you thought you wanted and then made several trips, trying loads of different paints and holding up little cards to the wall.

Now, you can get a much wider preview of how thousands of colours might look like on your walls. I have it on good authority that this is a great indicator of how well the room looks in a new colour – I asked my other half.

Try It Out For Free

The Dulux Visualizer app ticks two of the most important boxes for us here at Goosed.ie

  • It’s a genuinely smart use of technology to do something just that little bit smarter and a lot better
  • It’s completely free to download

Go ahead and give this creative app a try, even if you aren’t looking to change the colours of your walls. You never know, you might be inspired. Download the Dulux Visualizer app for iOS and Android now – it works on both smartphones and tablets.

Google Adopt a Startup 2018: Wages, Snoring and Living Memory

Marty
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0
Google Adopt a Startup 2018: Wages, Snoring and Living Memory

Every year, Google runs their now famous Adopt a Startup program. Startups from around Ireland and further afield are mentored by Google but also compete for a range of prizes, including Google Ads credit worth €10,000 and hot desking for three months at Dogpatch Labs. Over the past few years, some of my own personal favourite Irish startups have passed through the program, including Bamboo and Invizbox. Google has just announced the new intake of startups for 2018 and here’s who I’m excited to learn more about.

FlexiWage: For People Who Can’t Be Trusted With Their Own Money

By “people”, I, of course, mean me. FlexiWage is one of those ideas where you just think to yourself “well, duh! Why have we been doing this the wrong way for so long?”

Right, first thing’s first. You won’t be able to sign up and use FlexiWage yourself but you can pressure the hell out of your employer and beg them to adopt it. FlexiWage hands over the power of payday to the employee. We’re all used to jobs saying you’ll be paid on a certain date, the last day of the month or upon a full red moon rising on the Sabbath. Regardless of when you get paid, it just doesn’t seem to come at the right time. You know? Like, when you really need money!

FlexiWage lets employees dictate how their monthly wage is given to them. For example, you can have 50% delivered in week one to pay the bills and to do the “big shop”. Then you can have 16%(ish) paid out for the remaining three weeks to be spent on pints and the likes.

For the employee, the benefits are clear but there is also a geansaí load of reasons employers should be excited by this system too. This is a unique selling point to attract talent with and when used right, will lead to a happier workforce. It’s not the sexiest thing I’ve ever written about, but I can see employees, and as a result, employers, loving FlexiWage.

Nasal Medical: Snoring Aid and Flight Air Filter

Genuinely, I don’t snore. At least, I’m pretty sure I don’t snore, but loads of people do. It’s normal, but it can be annoying. Nasal Medical is a Dublin-based company who has successfully engineered a small device, designed to combat snoring. Cool huh?

As awesome as that is though, my eye was caught by something else they make. I travel a fair bit and I’ve always noticed that I seem to get sick after a flight. Years ago, when smoking was permitted on flights, fresh air was regularly pumped in to replace the tobacco filled air. With smoking bans came a lessened need to regularly purge air and as a result, more frequently recycled air circulated the cabin. It’s not much of a reach to then assumed this dirtier air could lead to flying being bad for your health.

Nasal Medical has also designed a special filter for just this scenario. Their Travel Filter is proven to block 98% of particle matter above 2.5 microns in size getting in through the nose. Now, I don’t really know what that means but it sure does sound like this thing is going to be a must-have for frequent fliers.

StoryTracks: Real Guided Tours Powered by Your Location

This appeals to me as a historian, and Irish man and as someone who enjoys a good yarn down the pub. StoryTracks provides you with access to authentic insights into an area through stories told by those who know the area best. When you attend a museum or a gallary, it’s common to pick up an audio guide which walks you around and explains what’s on show. StoryTracks is just like this, but instead of being a commissioned piece of work, it’s full of stories told by regular people.

“So what?” says you.

Living memory is one of the most beautiful things on the planet, but every single day that passes we lose the living memories of people who pass away. StoryTracks makes capturing the stories and yarns of these people, who’ve witnessed historic events or lived in historically significant areas, much easier. In fact, anyone can provide a story relating to an area so I would encourage you to sit down with your parents and grandparents, ask them what stories to they have to tell and get them involved in the StoryTracks project.

The Google Adopt a Startup program is now underway for 2018, with thirty startups vying to become the top dog in the eyes of Google. These are just my favourite three from the list, but there’s plenty more brilliance on show within this years line-up. Check them out at your leisure and bask in the glory of Ireland’s startup scene.

The 2018 Google Adopt a Startup Program Participants

Company Region Website
Madaster European https://www.madaster.com/nl
TWINO European https://www.twino.eu/en/
CornerJob European https://www.cornerjob.com/en/company/
Dashmote European https://www.dashmote.com/
Access Earth Kildare https://access.earth/
WeBringg Dublin https://webringg.com/
Accessible Mojo Dublin https://www.accessiblemojo.com/
BeautyBuddy Kildare http://www.thebeautybuddy.com/
BidRecruit Dublin https://www.bidrecruit.io/
BookGolf Dublin https://www.bookgolf365.com/
CableFlag Dublin http://cableflag.com/
Cx Moments Dublin https://www.cxmoments.com/
DroneSAR Donegal https://dronesarpilot.com/
EmployMum Cork https://www.employmum.ie/
FlexiWage Waterford https://www.flexiwage.com/
FreebirdClub Dublin https://www.thefreebirdclub.com/
Ireland Luxury Travel Cork https://irelandluxurytravel.com/
jumpAgrade Limerick https://jumpagrade.com/
KnowHowDo Dublin https://www.knowhowdo.com/
Nasal medical Dublin https://nasalmedical.com/
NoPlaceLike Limerick https://www.noplacelike.co/
Zoom Courier Software Dublin https://www.zoomcouriersoftware.com/
Ringotel Cork https://ringotel.co/
ShowHouz Galway https://showhouz.com/
Siren Dublin https://siren.io/
StoryTracks Sligo https://www.storytracks.ie/
TixServe Kildare https://www.tixserve.com/
Trustap Cork https://trustap.com/
UrbanVolt Dublin https://urbanvolt.com/
Wellola Dublin https://www.wellola.com/

 

New on Netflix: American Vandal Season Two Is Complete Shit – Five Stars

Marty
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0
New on Netflix: American Vandal Season Two Is Complete Shit – Five Stars

Netflix is well known for hard-hitting documentaries and thought-provoking series with the likes of Making a Murderer and Afflicted. These successful series are one part fantastic writing and one part driven by the data generated by millions of people watching shows on demand. A fantastic example of this formula in action was American Vandal which has just returned for a second season.

What is American Vandal All About?

The first season of American Vandal focuses in on Dylan Maxwell and the accusations pointed at him where 27 cars belonging to teachers were vandalised. The costly prank left all 27 cars defaced with spray-painted penises; yes, that is the plural of penis, though the Latin “penes” is also acceptable. Season one surrounded two student moviemakers Peter Maldonado and Sam Ecklund investigating the story to find who really did it.

Season two follows a similar concept with the two filmmakers investigating a different case in another school. This time, American Vandal investigates a series of poop-related pranks starting with a tainted lemonade source which left the majority of the students at St. Bernardine’s school unable to control their bowel movements. Posing as The Turd Burglar, the prankster posted videos of the incidents to Instagram and tagged students, even going so far as to leave calling cards at the scene of the crime.

American Vandal follows the journey of two student filmmakers unravelling a deep web of dark secrets behind The Turd Burglar and the events within the school but also provides a very real commentary on the dark side of the relationship between teenagers and social media.

Is American Vandal Real?

Apologies, I should have cleared this up at the start. When the first season of American Vandal came out, it actually left many people confused, wondering if this story about a student spraying penises onto 27 teachers’ cars could be real. A lot of this was down to some fantastic acting from little-known actors like Jimmy Tatro and Tyler Alvarez, the latter carrying into the second season.

Spoiler alert, but American Vandal is not real. It falls into the mockumentary category, but it’s very well done. Netflix managed to put together a fantastic piece of entertainment here because they know the formula behind great documentaries. The same formula is what made you binge watch Making a Murderer but now it’s purely entertainment based on fictional events.

If you look up The Turd Burglar on Instagram, you’ll even find the account used by the filmmakers

I can honestly see how some people might sit down and, without even thinking, might believe this is a real documentary. If you look up The Turd Burglar on Instagram, you’ll even find the account used by the filmmakers to post videos and grab screenshots. Warning, semi-graphic stuff after you hit play:

Poor boys ☹️

A post shared by Turd Burglar (@theturdburglar) on

So, Is American Vandal Based on a True Story

No. Look, I know Netflix did a really convincing job and the cast of American Vandal is great, but it’s complete fiction. American Vandal is not based on a true story, nor is it inspired by real events. Sorry.

American Vandal Review: Season Two Is Worth a View

I binged season two and I’m not ashamed of that. It’s so silly in parts but Netflix has mastered grabbing your attention. Regardless of this being fake, it’s a really entertaining series. Just like Making a Murderer, I found myself tapping to start the next episode, hungry to see how things panned out. It’s gripping but also complete nonsense, the latter does not matter one iota.

There’s also a more serious overtone throughout the second season of American Vandal that picks apart how we all behave on social media. Much of the filming cuts away to smartphone footage and shakey recordings and much of the detective work focuses in on the use of emojis and even looks back at the infamous iPhone glitch. So even amongst all the fiction, there’s plenty of reality for you to digest.

All in all, I fully recommend you hit play on this, seriously. It’s brilliant and full of shit.

American Vandal Season Two Trailer

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