Search here...
Subscribe
Home Blog Page 14

How WeBoost AI is Changing eCommerce

Jon
-
0
How WeBoost AI is Changing eCommerce

AI is the buzzword of 2024, everywhere you go, AI is coming in hot, which means there are some cool companies doing mad things and we’ve been lucky enough to have caught up with one such true AI company coming out of Ireland right now. Honestly I’m a lazy git and at Goosed we’re all about making tech work for us, and WeBoost AI is one of those tools that can supercharge a shop’s eCommerce business from “just getting by” to “absolutely flying.”

But as the customer who doesn’t really care about what’s under the hood, imagine online shopping made easier, that’s what WeBoost do, so let’s get stuck into it.

AI in eCommerce and the Growing AI Boom

AI is everywhere right now. It’s not just about robots or self-driving cars anymore—it’s sneaking its way into our shopping experiences, making things smoother, smarter, and way more personalised.

If you’re shopping online, you’re probably wondering if AI is impacting your experience at all. Honestly I have been writing for Goosed now for 10 years and over the years attending events like Dublin Tech Summit, Mobile World Congress and so on, alongside interviewing a couple 100 startups from Ireland and further ashore. It turns out we have a great eye for an up and comer, if I do say so myself. Well, the AI boom is here, and it’s time to see how it can really help you and your store.

WeBoost AI helps online stores predict what you want before you even know it yourself. That’s what AI in eCommerce is all about. It might sound like it’s just companies trying to sell you more stuff. And right enough, it kind of is. But it’s also making sure you get the best products you need when you need them.

Add in uber-personalised recommendations and high quality automated customer support; the potential is enormous, both for the business but you the customer too.

What WeBoost.AI Does

Enter WeBoost AI, the eCommerce Lifesaver. WeBoost AI uses clever algorithms to analyse how customers interact with online shops. It learns their preferences, understands their behaviours, and then tailors their shopping experience to make it as seamless and enjoyable as possible. Think of it like having a superpower that lets you know exactly what your customer is looking for—whether it’s the latest gadgets or their next fashion fix. And if we’re totally honest we all shop online so let’s look at the different use cases:

  • Clothes shopping – Looking for a dress with pockets (the biggest of dreams right?) or a particular fit that that you want for an event but don’t have the time to go through the online stores mad range and variety of products
  • Gadgets – Course I am biased here but like pop into WeBoost tell it you’re looking for a phone with this kinda camera, this kind of price point and get the feedback (of course verify with your favourite tech journo’s here at Goosed)
  • Home Product- Looking for side tables and home good to match you’re ongoing style, don’t mind the scrolling, get to the knowing.

WeBoost AI isn’t just for the big guys, and that’s something I really like here. eCommerce tools aren’t always easy to integrate but they’ve managed it. They’ve started by helping Shopify store owners before moving to other eCommerce platforms. So you could be experiencing this kind of technology whether you are shopping with a small or large business or running one.

If you think about all those times Instagram has served you eerily good ads; this is all similar.

The Benefits of WeBoost and Why We Want to See It Succeed

So why should you care about WeBoost AI? For starters, it’s going to save you a heap of time, where you are shopping or running a shop. You’ll see more personalised messaging and better product recommendations thanks to technology like this.

I hope to see WeBoost AI succeed because I genuinely think it’s the kind of tool that can make a massive difference for any brand with a Shopify website, especially for smaller stores trying to compete in a busy online marketplace.

AI as I have said is here to stay and I want to see an Irish company succeed, showing what can be done from our little part of the world. Having seen the software in action not going to lie I am super excited to see where they go and if you want to find out more either check out the website or keep an eye on the Goosed podcast where I will be catching up with the founders to talk all things AI and online shopping.

Conclusion

If you’re a customer, that’s the low down on how businesses will be making your shopping experience smarter. If you’re a business looking to power a new eCommerce exprience, WeBoost AI could be just what you need.

It’s about working smarter, not harder, and giving your customers the best experience possible. Over the years I’ve grown an ability to spot the next up and coming brands from the country. I think this could be one. It’s exciting, and I’m excited to say we’re giving 3 free trials to help you see exactly what this tool can do.

If you own a Shopify Store or know a brand you want to see level up their online then you can get involved!  Just head over to weboost.ai and fill in the form.

No Rush for Brands to Claim Bluesky Handles; Verify Domains Instead

Marty
-
0
No Rush for Brands to Claim Bluesky Handles; Verify Domains Instead

I was watching the football the other night. I loved following an Irish football fan who had claimed the potential handle for the FAI and was “keeping it warm” for them. They were taking the posts from other socials and reposting, saying they would hand it over once the FAI came looking for it. It’s only a few days later it occurred to me that the FAI won’t need this handle at all once they understand how Bluesky works.

How Bluesky Verification Works

In the past few years, the “blue tick” verification of social media users has been completely undermined. The much sought after “blue tick” is sold to anyone who wants another subscription. While some platforms work harder to protect verification than others, ultimately, it just doesn’t mean as much any more.

The founders of Bluesky spotted this and integrated a whole new verification system for their social media platform. This doesn’t require anyone to confirm who you are or for you to send your passport over to someone in Meta.

Bluesky allows verification through domain verification. The easiest way to explain this is by looking at Goosed.ie on Bluesky.

When I set Goosed up on Bluesky, I took the handle @goosed.bsky.social

As you can see above, this is broken down into

  • Username: goosed
  • Domain: bsky
  • Top Level Domain: .social

The username is unique to Bluesky, but the rest of the handle (@goosed.bsky.social) is just like a regular URL every website has. For example, RTÉ would be:

  • Username: None, because it’s a website
  • Domain: rte
  • Top Level Domain: .ie

All Blue has done is provide a default domain and Top Level Domain for all new users, to make signing up easy.

But for Goosed, we’ve verified that we own the domain, goosed.ie and can now use that to create a unqiue handle for our brand.

That means the “Goosed Brand” posts on @goosed.ie why employees like myself get unique handles from Goosed, like @martinmeany.goosed.ie.

Domains are verified and companies can manage who has verified accounts on their domain. And this is fundamentally how Bluesky verification works. The best part of this is that it really doesn’t matter when your brand comes to Bluesky. All that matters is that you know how to verify your domain and assign the “brand domain” and “employee domains”.

How to Verify Domains with Bluesky?

I know who you are. You either own a small company and run all the social, or are in a marketing team looking at the explosive growth of Bluesky. You might try to sign up and find that the default handle your company uses on other platforms is already gone. But don’t panic. You just need to do this.

Bluesky Domain Validation by DNS

  1. Create the Bluesky account that you want to use. The username doesn’t matter much at this stage.
  2. Go to [Settings] > [Account] > [Handle]
  3. In the pop-up choose “I have my own domain”
  4. Enter the domain you want to use:
  5. Copy the “Value” provided (it will be longer than this)
  6. Now you can send a message to IT which says
    • “I need to add a TXT record to the DNS to verifiy our company Bluesky account. The Host is _atproto and the record value is [Give the value here]
    • For employee accounts, just add the desired username before the domain – alexdoe.brand.com
  7. Once they confirm that’s done, click “Verify DNS Record”

And that’s it! It should work immediately, but DNS can take from 1 hour to 48 hours to update. So you may have to be patient.

You should also share Bluesky’s official documentation on this because it will give your IT or dev team a bit more confidence.

Bluesky Domain Validation Without DNS

If you work in a massive company, getting DNS records updated might be a long process. I maintain that in most cases, you just need to know who to talk to, whether that be IT or the dev team. Someone likely can update DNS records and it’s really fast.

Fortunately, if you do find yourself blocked, you can validate with a file.

  1. Create the Bluesky account that you want to use. The username doesn’t matter much at this stage.
  2. Go to [Settings] > [Account] > [Handle]
  3. In the pop-up choose “I have my own domain”
  4. Enter the domain you want to use
  5. Choose “no DNS Panel”
  6. You’ll need to add the record to a simple txt file and upload it to the location provided
  7. Once that’s done, click “Verify Text File” and you’re done.

I personally prefer the DNS approach. However big companies might block this and even managing who has verified accounts might be easier using the txt file approach. It’s also a good approach if DNS has failed and you don’t like waiting to see if it’s just delayed or wrong.

Now that you’re up and running on Bluesky, you can head over and follow some of the biggest accounts and find some Starter Packs for your brand.

Microsoft Flight Simulator Stuck on Loading Screen

Marty
-
0
Microsoft Flight Simulator Stuck on Loading Screen

The latest installment of Microsoft Flight Simulator launches today, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. But without even leaving the comfort of their own home, enthusiastic simulator pilots have been left with flights delayed after a turbulent launch day for the community.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Launch Chaos

I’m a massive fan of Microsoft Flight Simulator having flow with it since I got a copy of Flight Simulator for Windows 95. I’ve always felt Microsoft underestimated the passion behind this franchise’s community, sometimes leaving massive gaps between releases. Today at 4.30pm the four year wait, which wasn’t too bad, for the latest edition came to an end. Or at least that was the plan.

Microsoft haven’t been able to cope with the demand (back to my point on underestimating the passion of the flight sim community). I could tell that this launch felt different. I could tell there was going to be a massive pent up desire to take to the skies in a version of Flight Simulator that promised to be biggest, better and faster that the 2020 version.

Unfortunately, Microsoft hasn’t gotten this right at launch. The game launched on Microsoft’s Gamepass, which means millions of subscribed customers were looking forward to a “day one” release. It had also been purchased directly by sim fans through Microsoft and Steam, with some paying up to €219.99 for Flight Simulator 2024 – Aviator Edition.

Understandably, on Steam, the game has an “Overwhelmingly Negative” rating from, at the time of writing, 1,577 reviews posted.

Microsoft took to social media to explain the situation, stating, “with so many users initializing the sim concurrently, we have a large number of server requests. We are working to help resolve the issues as soon as possible”.

The image shows a tweet from the official Microsoft Flight Simulator Support account (@MSFS_Support). Here's the content: MSFS Support (@MSFS_Support): "We are aware of user reports of long initial loading times into Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. With so many users initializing the sim concurrently, we have a large number of server requests. We are working to help resolve the issues as soon as possible. For users whose initial load is past 90% and no longer progressing, we recommend a reboot. Otherwise, we advise waiting to allow the loading to proceed as normal."

Microsoft’s Embarrassment

At the end of the day, this isn’t a big deal. Microsoft will scale up the servers once they fix the fact they are being choked out by demand. However, it’s embarrassing for the company who championed its new approach to Flight Simulator as being revolutionary for the simulator.

The developers celebrated the install size being minimised and a move to cloud-based streaming as a victory for simmers. And I’m sure it will be, but only once we finally get to trundle down the runway and take off into simulator glory.

For now, simmers around the world are basking in the joy of hilarious memes which you can check out over on the Flight Simulator SubReddit. Or, you can use this time to consider the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight Stick instead which, alongside VR, is my goto way to fly.

Aqara Launches Smart Smoke Detector and Smart Water Valve

Marty
-
0
Aqara Launches Smart Smoke Detector and Smart Water Valve

Aqara is one of my favourite smart home brands, making smart tech solutions to various problems. I use Aqara sensors to circulate air when windows are open, to open and close curtains automatically and have some cameras and lights from them too. Today, Aqara announced that there are two more products, a smart smoke alarm and smart water valve, entering their eco-system which will be available in the Irish market via Amazon.co.uk.

I haven’t got to test these just yet, but wanted to let you know they’re available in case you seem them going for a good price somewhere!

This article contains links to Amazon. If you purchase from Amazon after clicking this link, it won’t cost you anything extra but we might get a small commission for sending you over there. Thanks for supporting us! The author has a mix of other Aqara products he has bought himself and some have been sent by Aqara for testing.

Aqara Smoke Alarm

When it comes to home safety, few devices are as important as the humble smoke alarm. I’ve always looked at them as being something that’s so simple; maybe too simple. Yet nearly 40% of fatal house fires in Ireland take place in homes without any smoke alarm. A smoke alarm can save lives and connecting smoke alarms to smart home technology seemed such a logical step forward to even better safety. Yet it hadn’t happened. That was until now.

Aqara has announced their smart Smoke Detector, compatible with the Zigbee 3.0 Protocol. This is a battery powered smart device capable of alerting you to the presence of smoke in your home. As with traditional smoke alarms, you’ll hear the alert from the device itself through a 85dB siren. There’s also a visual indicator thanks to an onboard LED.

Naturally, because it’s smart, you’ll also receive alerts on your smart phone whether you’re at home or away from home. Armed with just this alert or coupled with the smart cameras and temperature sensors, you can know what’s going on in your home where ever you are in the world.

As important as smoke alarms are, thankfully most of the time we are aware of them is when they start chirping because the battery is dying. The Aqara Smoke Alarm promises to have introduced plenty of power saving technology and but better still, you shouldn’t have to change the battery for around 10-years according to the manufacturer.

Now, it’s not your average smoke alarm so it’s not your average smoke alarm cost. The Aqara Smoke Detector costs about €50, give or take a fiver and is available on Amazon.co.uk.

Aqara Valve Controller

Successful smart home gadget makers know looking after renters is just as important as home-owners. Aqara gets this. That’s why they created the valve controller. Now, this is a very niche solution that I’d argue most renters also wouldn’t bother with. But lets take a look anyway.

The Valve controller is designed to easily retrofit all plumbing fitting with either a lever or butterfly knob. The first thing to be careful of here in Ireland is making sure you don’t have a good old fashioned circular knob valve.

Once fitted, this is connected to your smart home again with Zigbee while also supporting Matter too. This battery powered controller has a few uses. The big example Aqara offers is that you can connect this to your outdoor water sources to control garden watering systems. Not so useful in Ireland.

More useful is if you combine with this a Aqara Leak Sensor. The idea is that you can connect both to your water systems at home. If your water tank leaks and the sensor detects it, you can now automatically shut off the water. It’s a genius and relatively cheap solution to a very expensive problem.

The Valve controller is a lot more expensive at about €85 from Amazon. And to get the most value from this kind of accessory, you will likely need more than one (for different water pipes) and a leak sensor. But, while it’s never happened to me I bet a quick questions to anyone who’s ever had a major leak while on holidays, that could be money well spent.

The Valve Controller T1 is available on Amazon.co.uk right now and may be available at reduced prices.

Which Candidate? Who to Vote For in GE24

Marty
-
0
Which Candidate? Who to Vote For in GE24

Back in 2014, the Which Candidate? website launched in Ireland. It’s a fantastic resource which springs up around big election times, including the 2020 General Election. Whether you’re undecided, decided or “general election curious”, I strongly recommend spending some time on the platform to familiarise yourself with who you should vote for.

What is Which Candidate?

Which Candidate? was launched in 2014 by Dr. Rory Costello and John Costello to improve awareness amongst voters about who they are voting for and what policies they stand for. Much of Ireland, and formerly myself, had spent years voting in-line with family history, but increasing desire from the public to understand their vote better has led to a hunger for policy knowledge.

Which Candidate contacts or allows each candidate running in the election to provide comments on various policy questions. The same questions are then presented on the Which Candidate? website for voters. You answer the 32 questions and can view each candidates views after you do so.

In the end, you are presented with the candidate you are most closely aligned with.

Why is Which Candidate Important?

Most elections are hotly contested and covers a wide variety of topics and issues. Which Candidate? is the easiest way to compare and digest the opinions of most candidates across the full 2024 General Election.

It’s particularly important for GE24 because there’s both an ever-growing number of candidates and the electoral maps have changed quite a bit too. My own has shifted slightly which I only learned of when researching this very article, with 4 new constituencies and 14 more seats. You can check your constituency on The Electoral Commission website.

A very practical benefit of the platform is the final scorecards and mock ballot paper you can bookmark or screenshot. I’m a grown adult and I still find this incredibly useful at the polls. I take out my phone and jot down my preferences for as far as I’m largely aligned with a candidate. GE24 looks like 7 candidates in total will get a preference from me and then it’s up to the STV gods to see where they go.

The Pitfalls of Which Candidate

While helpful, Which Candidate? isn’t a perfect solution. Many policies and answers are sourced from the parties and not the candidates. Patrick Costello comes to mind when I think of TD’s who’ve gone against the grain of their own party.

In some cases, the candidates have not provided any answers whatsoever. But I’d argue if a candidate hasn’t taken the time to fill this in, they are unlikely to be that hard working for my vote.

Finally, it’s one thing to answer a question politically and a completely other thing to follow through with action.

Though not perfect, Which Candidate? is a unique solution to the suffocating amount of information going around in GE24.

In the past, I’ve referring to Which Candidate? as Tinder for politics, with my tongue firmly lodged in my cheek. But it truly is a great idea for those who want a one-stop-shop for finding a candidate that closely aligns with their own personal beliefs.

Which Candidate? is now live and ready to help you choose your GE24 Ballot Paper.

EVNTZ App to Help Concert Goers in Ireland

Marty
-
0
EVNTZ App to Help Concert Goers in Ireland

I swore off going to gigs in Marley Park. It’s simply a nightmare getting out there and getting back. Despite giving myself plenty of time, I still missed the start of Weezer back in 2022 at the Hella Mega Tour – I’m not over it. So I’m somewhat hopeful that the launch of EVNTZ app might take the sting out of getting to gigs.

What is EVNTZ?

EVNTZ is an official partner of MCD offering a one-stop-shop platform for tickets, transport, accommodation, and merchandise for people attending gigs.

For example, if you’re living in Sligo and hoping to see Alanis Morissette in Malahide Castle next year, the EVNTZ app will give you handy links to Booking.com, bus info from suitable services like Irish Concert Travel, on-site parking and a link through to Ticketmaster to see if there are any tickets left.

The app is designed to take the leg work out of researching everything you’d need for a night out at a gig.

EVNTZ After You’ve Planned Your Gig

Once you’ve sorted out your gig accommodation, transport and the likes, it’s time to prep for the big day. The EVNTS app will give you venue maps and FAQs. Again, these are usually available elsewhere but the idea here is that it’s all in one nice and simple app.

One feature I’m interested to see in-person is merch pre-orders. EVNTS has promised that you’ll be able to beat the queue and pre-order official tour merchandise with a quick smooth pick-up. This is, however, only available at selected shows.

Finally, there is a rewards programme incorporated into the app too. You’ll be able to use your points for in-app bookings, and special events with artists through unlocking exclusive competitions for merchandise bundles and even concert tickets, and more.

EVNTZ Verdict

To be fully transparent, I haven’t had a chance to test out EVNTZ yet, but I like the concept. But I can’t call this a review, yet, and so the verdict is withheld for now.

The first point many will make is the first question I asked. Why book through EVNTZ when I can just book all of these services elsewhere? Well, the rewards programme is a nice inclusion and EVNTZ has confirmed to me that there is no extra fee for booking anything through the app versus direct with in-app partners.

In theory, this should all be pure convenience, especially if you’re getting reward points and convenient quick collection of gig merch added in too.

So why not give it a go? Learn more and download the app over at evntz.ie.

Who to Follow on Bluesky

Marty
-
0
Who to Follow on Bluesky

I get to say I left Twitter before “leaving Twitter” was cool. So I’ve been trying platforms like Mastodon, Threads and even Bluesky for the past year or so. However, it’s clear that Bluesky is having a “moment” right now, the data makes that undeniable.

The biggest question I have when I join new platforms like this, is how do I find my clique? Bluesky has the perfect answer which I’ll explain along with recommending some accounts for you to follow.

Bluesky Starter Packs

The early stages of any digital experience will make or break the path of a new users’ relationship. If you join a social media platform and either don’t follow anyone or don’t get follows, you’ll leave. Not because those numbers stroke your ego, but there’s a point you need to reach for engagement to get going.

Realising this, in June 2024 Bluesky introduced Starter Packs. A Starter Pack is a curated collection of Bluesky accounts and custom feeds designed to help new and existing users discover and connect with specific communities or topics on the platform.

Looking at Ireland alone, a sort of cottage industry of people creating and sharing Starter Packs has lead to massive growth in posts and general engagement across the platform.

Best Bluesky Starter Packs in Ireland

From just a few days Bluesky growing in Ireland, there have been some fantastic starter packs. Many of these have focused on the news given we’re coming up to a General Election.

Dr. Tríona Cunnane has created two Starter Packs dedicated to Irish Media Personalities.

Anna Pringle has created three Bluesky Starter Packs, more focused on general posters from Ireland but also including key figures.

More broadly, outside of Ireland, you can search for the best starter packs through the Bluesky Directory. This is a collection of Starter Packs your can browse through to find Bluesky posters in various niches. Everything from “It’s called Soccer“, dedicated to North American football to a Starter Packs dedicated to Postcard collectors.

Who to Follow on Bluesky Ireland?

I’m stilling settling into Bluesky myself, but I’m seeing a few people from as far back as my Twitter days on there. So if you were to ask me who my absolute top five, must-follow accounts are, it’s likely these people I’ve been following for a long time.

I’ll expand this out to ten after I spend some more time!

Taoiseach Simon Harris Joins Bluesky

Taoiseach of Ireland, Simon Harris, joined Bluesky, making it one of the first major political accounts in Ireland to be started. Just how active he will be remains to be seen and it is a personal account. Not one representing the Department of An Taoiseach. So we’ll see how long it is before he has to update his bio.

Enroute to Tipperary to launch the Fine Gael manifesto and plan for the 5 years ahead. This is a great country and working together we can make it even better. Enjoy your Sunday

— Simon Harris (@simonharrisireland.bsky.social) 2024-11-17T09:06:39.483Z

I’m not counting him as one of the top five to follow. It just seemed newsworthy including him.

Lisa Grimm

Lisa is one of those follows that I understand why I followed more and more with every post. She posts about beer, history, books and general goings on. I highly recommend giving her a follow to keep up with the latest weird pubs and often spooky reads. Honestly, the Weirdo Pubs alone is worth the follow to find some absolute gems.

And as I only got this up late yesterday…the latest #WeirdoDublinPub is The Oval Bar:www.weirdodublinpubs.com/weirdo-guide…

— Lisa Grimm (@lisagrimm.bsky.social) 2024-11-08T12:41:50.434Z

Ciaraíoch

Ciara, aka Ciaraíoch, is an social media poster I’ve followed for a long time. While an incredible illustrator, I’ve always enjoyed her general take on daily Irish life. Give her a follow if you want a laugh.

I can’t embed her posts here for privacy reasons, so you’ll just have to go give her a follow.

Séamas O’Reilly

Séamas is an author and avid social media user (because I’m not sure anyone is actually a social media fan). He bought into Bluesky early and is a fairly regular poster.

If you feel like you recognise his name, he’s the author of “Did Ye Hear Mammy Died” which was brought to “Ten Siblings?” fame by Tommy Bowe.

sex is good but have you ever finished a task and closed every single tab you had open for it and now know that you will never have to think about any of them ever again for the rest of your life?

— The Author, Séamas O'Reilly (@seamas.bsky.social) 2024-11-15T14:56:08.508Z

Blindboy Boatclub

Limerick’s favourite son is also on Bluesky. Blindboy has also been using the platform for a long time. He’s not quite as regular a poster on here given he’s busy with countless other ventures, but he’s worth a follow regardless.

If you haven’t checked out his short, Did You Read About Erskine Fogarty? on RTÉ yet, it’s a great watch.

I wrote a song about showing Ice Cube how to swing a Hurley, and then he heard it and I got to show him how to swing a Hurley in real life

— Blindboyboatclub (@blindboyboatclub.bsky.social) 2024-11-16T12:47:19.007Z

James Kelleher

James is a designer with an incredible sense of humour. I’m not going to try and pidgeon-hole him into a category because he posts about a lot of different things. The vast majority of which make me say either “wow” or makes me laugh.

An erotic short story in three acts

— James Kelleher (@jameskelleher.pilcrow.ie) 2024-08-14T11:50:49.498Z

Myself and the Goosed Team

What’s this? A trojan horse? You came for general information and here you find a shill. Yeah, well sorry about that. Feel free to ignore this bit because Goosed and the writing team is also on Bluesky. You’ll find us with our shiny @goosed handles which verifies us (Jon is WIP).

If you entrust us with your follow, we promise to…try not be boring. We’ll be posting about the latest tech news and reviews, same as we have since 2014, but now on Bluesky.

Bluesky Counter Shows Realtime Platform Growth

Marty
-
0
Bluesky Counter Shows Realtime Platform Growth

You can now follow Bluesky’s explosive growth in real time thanks to several online counters being made available. Bluesky is a new take on social media deeply rooted in transparency. It’s proving extremely popular here in Ireland with plenty of people to follow already. As a result we get to see this kind of juicy data.

15M people on Bluesky!!! 💫The Verge beat us to our own announcement — that's the beauty of an open network with public stats!

— Bluesky (@bsky.app) 2024-11-13T15:43:47.612Z

Theo’s Bluesky Counter

Built by Theo Sanderson, this simple counter shows the real-time user count of Bluesky. It also calculates how my users are coming to or leaving the platform per second. It’s been increasing for days.

If this site stops working a similar one has been created by Natalie called Bluesky Counter.

Theo’s counter is powered by data prepared by another Bluesky user, Jaz.

Jaz’s Stats

Jaz’s stats isn’t quite real-time. It still does update every couple of seconds. The real value here it lets you dive deeper into Bluesky’s explosive growth and recent history.

The full view of daily posters on Bluesky through Jaz’s Stats

Jaz’s stats shows total users, posts, follows and likes while also providing graphical ways to interact with the data as far back as the start of 2023. This stat-pack is the most incredible visualisation of a new platform growing exponentially on a daily basis.

The growth of Bluesky doesn’t seem to be slowing as engagement is growing thanks to a burning desire to leave Twitter (X if you’re weird) and Bluesky’s Starter Packs. I’ll be following this growth and posting on Bluesky through both my personal account and the Goosed account, so feel free to give us a follow!

KUXIU X36 Pro MAX: The Ultimate 11-Inch M4 iPad Stand with Charging

Marty
-
0
KUXIU X36 Pro MAX: The Ultimate 11-Inch M4 iPad Stand with Charging

I picked up the new 11-inch M4 iPad on my travels earlier this year and I adore it. Within a few weeks, I was being lambasted by Instagram ads for the KUXIU X36 Pro MAX desk stand for my iPad. I was looking into buying one when the folks over a Kuxiu got in touch and actually sent one over to me for testing.

The Kuxiu 11-inch iPad Pro magnetic charging stand

Is around the €100 mark for an iPad stand a bit much? I’ve been using this for a few weeks now and I love it. I was going to buy it, and if I had to go back, I would buy it.

Why Do You Need an iPad Stand?

Need is a strong word. But I like my desk to be clean. Despite how it often looks, I do honestly like it being clean. My iPad Pro was going to be a core part of my set up, but positioning it perfectly in the folio case was next to impossible. It would be too low and blocked by a keyboard or just at an awkward angle.

Having an adjustable arm like the Kuxiu X36 means total flexibility. Even when using the Apple Pencil. I can just swing the arm over from the left side where I watch stuff to the right side for writing or drawing. It also has charging bits and pieces built in, but more on that later.

Ultimately, the main reason you should be considering buying this stand is for full flexible positioning for your iPad on your desk.

Key Features of the Kuxiu iPad Stand

Let’s get into the key design and features of this stand. The KUXIU magnetic stand’s smart dock charging feature is worth the admission fee alone.

Kuxiu’s system means when I get in in the evening, I can easily clip my iPad to the stand and then grab it to head out without worrying about complicated systems. It’s just magnetic. Quick and simple. Those three dots to the right are charging connectors on my specific model. This means I even get an iPad Pro that’s always charged and ready to go.

In the box came a really high quality braided cable which runs to the back of the stand. There are some extra clips for cable management to keep things neat and tidy.

Not having to worry about charging or complicated docking makes such a difference to my workflow. This might seem like overkill, but for me, workflows are so important. I like efficiencies and the Kuxiu stand nails that.

The only issue I’ve see is that sometimes the charge points don’t align perfectly. I need to nudge the iPad left on the stand to initiate charging. It’s a little annoying, but not a deal breaker. Another small annoyance is that sometimes the stand registers as a hardware keyboard, disabling the software keyboard on the iPad. This can be frustrating, especially if you rely on the on-screen keyboard for typing, but is also easily fixed.

Build Quality and Design

The Kuxiu magnetic stand is well-built and sturdy, with a weighty design that inspires confidence. The magnets are strong, ensuring that your iPad is securely held in place. The stand’s hinges, both for tilting and rotating, are stiff, which can make it difficult to adjust the stand with one hand. However, this stiffness also provides stability, preventing the stand from toppling over. It’s a double-edged sword.

Aside from that little nudge issue, this product is perfectly designed. It’s machined from really high quality materials and suits the aesthetic of any setup that contains an Apple product.

The design lets you fully flex and pivot your iPad from viewing positions into writing and drawing, while it remains very firm thanks to those hinges. The desk mount is solid and hasn’t given me any issues.

The arm which comes out of the desk mount doesn’t have as much range as I expected, but that does make sense given if the arm goes too low it’ll make the positioning less solid.

Goosed Verdict

The Kuxiu magnetic stand is a well-built product that offers convenient smart dock charging and a sturdy design. However, it’s not without its flaws, as I’ve mentioned. But none of these are deal-breakers. I find this to be an essential part of my setup now that I would really miss.

It’s available for a wide range of iPads and will also be reduced for Black Friday this year. You can buy it directly from Kuxiu or from Amazon.co.uk.

Maser Augmented Reality Experience Launches in Dublin

Marty
-
0
Maser Augmented Reality Experience Launches in Dublin

Dublin Artist Maser has launched the augmented experience “Hexahedron” in Charlemont Square in Dublin. Organised by Dublin City Council (DCC) as part of Dublin’s EU Capital of Smart Tourism programme, this promises to be Ireland’s biggest AR experience. A beautiful marriage between street art and modern technology means this is something both techies and art lovers will get a kick out of.

What is “Hexahedron” by Maser?

‘Hexahedron’ is the creation of Maser (real name Al Hester), the internationally renowned Dublin-born artist known for his vibrant murals and thought-provoking public art. This time, he’s teamed up with AR innovators Imvizar to take his creativity to a whole new level—one that blends the physical world with digital art. The result? An immersive AR experience that transforms Charlemont Square into a dynamic gallery.

Both indoors and out, you’ll be able to use your phone to watch as Maser’s artwork springs to life, painting the space in vivid colors and shapes that shift as you move.

@goosed_ie

📣 Dublin’s Digital Glow-Up Immerse yourself in ‘Hexahedron’, Ireland’s largest AR art installation, now live at Charlemont Square! 🎨✨ Created by Dublin-born artist Maser and AR innovators Imvizar, this groundbreaking project blends vibrant physical art with cutting-edge tech, transforming how we experience public spaces. Part of Dublin’s EU Capital of Smart Tourism initiative, ‘Hexahedron’ invites you to explore a new dimension of art using just your smartphone. Whether you’re walking through Charlemont Square or lounging nearby, you’ll experience a stunning interplay of reality and digital magic. 📍 Charlemont Square, Dublin 🕚 From 6pm 14 November #AugmentedReality #MaserArt #DublinArtScene #SmartTourism #Hexahedron #CharlemontSquare #Imvizar #PublicArt #ARExperience DublinLife@Dublin City Council @Imvizar @Carr Communications

♬ Make It Better (Instrumental) – Anderson .Paak

It’s an interesting experience when some know what’s going on and others don’t. I had several delivery drivers, perplexed as to what I was filming in the area with such amazement.

Personally, my favourite part of the experience is the external arch. This is the starting point for the outdoor experience where you literally walk through a portal into Maser’s imagined world. Imvizar co-founder, Michael Guerin says one of the highlights with this types of installations is “you arrive on site and see what you have to play with”.

Speaking to Goosed.ie, Maser said parts of the artwork have been inspired by the area surrounding Ringsend and continues to be an ever evolving and iterative view of the world around him.

“Hexahedron” takes place at Charlemont Square and is open to the public from 6pm 14th November 2024. The outdoor experience will run for 12 months. I recommend you download the Imvizar App before you head over to make sure you don’t hit any issues.

1...131415...183Page 14 of 183

About Goosed

Welcome to Goosed.ie! We test the latest consumer electronics and tech from around the world to help you find gadgets that make your life just a little bit easier.

Must Read

Pete the Irish Pilot Teams Up With Carl Mullan to Land a Plane

Entertainment News 0
I blew the minds of a few lads recently...

Oasis Drone Show Kicks Off Music Weekend at Croke Park

Irish Tech News 0
It's become somewhat of a tradition before Oasis even...

Football Manager 2026 Release Date: When to Expect the New Game

Gaming News 0
I think it's fair to say we're counting down...

Subscribe

© 2024 Goosed. All Rights Reserved.