I know some of you will hate the idea of shopping with a massive retailer like Amazon, but let’s face it. There are times when you just need to shop on Amazon and this close to Christmas is absolutely one of them. So if this is you, you’re probably looking at Amazon.co.uk in disbelief right now as you see abnormally long delivery times, even for Prime customers. It appears to be a bug, but here’s what we know.
Update: This is likely not an Amazon-specific issue. Holyhead Port’s closure caused a massive backlog of packages.
Long Amazon Delivery Windows
Right now, I’m looking at a SwitchBot on Amazon.co.uk. I’d normally expect this to be delivered in 2 or 3 days. If I was to order it, Amazon is currently saying it wouldn’t be delivered until 28 December 2024.
Even looking at the likes of an Amazon Echo Pop, on my Amazon Prime account, and I’m getting the “arrives after Christmas warning”.
Yet, I’ve already ordered one or two items which have arrived well inside the initial delivery date. So what gives?
Well, there are potentially several things at play here.
Amazon Prime Promotion
Amazon could be giving priority to Amazon Prime customers. These are the customers paying a premium fee for access to extra services and faster delivery.
But I am a Prime customer and I’m still seeing unusually long delivery times for many items.
Post Black Friday Sales Hangover/Christmas Demand
Amazon has turned Black Friday into a week-long sales event. It’s extremely possible that the Amazon delivery network is completely overwhelmed. Just the other day a delivery driver passed me training a new driver. I’ve never seen this before. While incredibly anecdotal, I could imagine that a shortage of drivers at Christmas combined with extremely high order volumes has left the Amazon delivery network choked.
It’s not unusual to see Amazon delivery times extended around Christmas. But it is unusual to see delivery dates fluctuating wildly. I’ve just ordered something that wasn’t coming for two weeks because I’ve suddenly got next day delivery. After I ordered it, the same item jumped to being delivered next week.
We are also getting dangerously close to Christmas. So while the 10th of December might seem early, it’s not unusual for ecommerce sites to start cutting off orders in the next few days.
Confused Delivery Algorithms
It’s almost certain that this is some sort of “bug” in how Amazon estimates delivery times. Because Amazon Ireland hasn’t launched yet, we piggyback on Amazon UK. All of their delivery time calculations likely aren’t optimised for cross-channel deliveries.
The result? After a busy shopping period and heading into even more last minute Christmas shopping, the calculations have stopped adding up and have become incredibly conservative. Amazon claims to be massively customer-centric, so it would make sense if they are taking an approach of “under-promise, over-deliver”.
I’ve reached out to Amazon for comment and will update this article as soon as I hear back.
13/12/24: Updated article to include Holyhead Port closure information.
Generative AI is a powerful tool. Some will argue that AI is overblown and over-exaggerated. Indeed, I myself would often say that in some ways, even with that name “artificial intelligence” being a bit exaggerated. But then there are bits of “AI” that are truly incredible. You’ll see that we’re testing our own in-house tool to help with creating content these days, streamlining our processes, making our writers work smarter, not less.
At the core of much AI chatter is OpenAI’s Chat GPT, but now much talk is shifting to that same company’s latest venture; generative video and Sora.
What is Sora?
Sora is a generative video model developed by a OpenAI. The model is designed to generate high-quality videos from text prompts. Sora’s capabilities have been showcased in various demos, where it has produced impressive videos that rival those created by human videographers. Minds have been blown by what Sora has created.
None of what you see in the following video is real. It’s all made with Sora.
How does Sora work?
Sora uses a combination of natural language processing (NLP) and computer vision techniques to generate videos. When given a text prompt, Sora’s NLP component analyses the input and generates a sequence of frames that correspond to the desired video. The model then uses its computer vision component to render the frames into a cohesive video.
When you created a video with Sora, you are leaning on billions upon billions of frames that the tool has already processed to understand how they should be pieced together, pretty much the same with text generation works with OpenAI.
Ethical Questions Around Generative Video
Using an AI-generated figure like Sora blurs the line between genuine human creativity and corporate-designed content. Viewers may not be fully aware that Sora is a digital construct, raising questions about honesty and consumer trust. But also employment.
Another issue is what is Sora built on? Sora is built from a mix of many existing images, artworks, and stories, it’s hard to give credit to the people who created those original works. These human artists often don’t get recognised or paid for their contributions. This raises ethical and legal questions: How do we make sure the artists who inspired Sora’s look, style, and personality are treated fairly and acknowledged for their work? Without clear rules on attribution, there’s a risk that companies using AI will benefit from others’ creativity without giving anything back.
Is Sora Available?
Sora has launched, but to limited markets and to a limited number of people. This is very resource heavy and OpenAI have restricted access to the platform. It’s not even available in Ireland at the moment. However, I suspect a VPN will get around hat issue, but it won’t get you past the fact Sora is not letting people create new accounts.
Even if you are an existing Chat GPT paid subscriber, you’ll likely have to wait to play with Sora. Because too many others are trying to do the same thing.
This article was created with the support of Goosed.ie’s in-house AI-assisted writing tool, designed to aid our writers, not replace them. While the tool offers outlines and context, all content is crafted and edited by the Goosed team.
After 17 years of anticipation, the wait is finally over. The trailer for 28 Years Later, the highly anticipated sequel to Danny Boyle’s 2002 horror classic 28 Days Later, has dropped. The movie, set to hit theatres on July 20, 2025, reunites Boyle with Academy Award-nominated writer Alex Garland, promising a terrifying new story that explores the world created by the original.
A Haunting Trailer that Sets the Tone
The trailer, which has already racked up millions of views, is a masterclass in building tension and suspense. Set to a haunting reading of Rudyard Kipling’s 1915 poem “Boots,” the trailer takes us on a journey into the dark heart of a post-apocalyptic world. The increasingly manic voice, which some thought was created specifically for the trailer, is actually taken straight from the original 1915 reading, adding to the sense of unease and foreboding.
A New Story, a New World
The movie takes place almost three decades after the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, unleashing a deadly pandemic that decimated humanity. The story follows a group of survivors living on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the mainland, they discover secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.
The immediate feel the trailer gave me is very much The Walking Dead. Perhaps the bearded lead looking like a bit like Rick did that though to be honest. But we are at the “next phase of life on earth” part after the virus from 28 Day Later spread. Now, living in gated communities, some seemingly with new faiths, the world has found a new way to live.
A Return to Form for the Franchise
Fans of the original will be thrilled to see the franchise return to its horror roots. While 28 Weeks Later, the 2007 sequel, received mixed reviews, 28 Years Later promises to deliver the same level of tension and suspense that made the first movie a classic. The trailer’s use of eerie landscapes, creepy sound design, and a sense of claustrophobia all hint at a movie that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
28 Year Later won’t be pulling punches either if the blood-splattered television with the Teletubbies on it is anything to go by. The trailer for 28 Years Later is a promising start to what looks set to be a thrilling new chapter in the franchise. With Boyle and Garland at the helm, fans can expect a movie that will deliver on its promise of terror, suspense, and emotional depth.
28 Years Later is in Cinemas from 20 July 2025.
28 Years Later Trailer
Is Cillian Murphy in 28 Years Later?
Cillian Murphy returns to the franchise as an executive producer with some reports stating that he would return as Jim. However, Murphy doesn’t appear in the trailer. At least, not as the Jim we know.
One zombie in the trailer (below) bears more than a passing resemblance to the Cork-native. While I find the ultimate demise of Jim to be sad, if not expected, this could also be a red herring. Right at the start of the trailer to get chatter going while it’s just “another zombie”.
Could this be Jim, after succumbing to the Rage Virus?
This article was created with the support of Goosed.ie’s in-house AI-assisted writing tool, designed to aid our writers, not replace them. While the tool offers outlines and context, all content is crafted and edited by the Goosed team.
Bluesky has experienced the explosive growth that many of us hoped it would. There’s been a massive desire for a life raft for those mourning the loss of what Twitter was before Elon Musk took over. Perhaps even a little before too. When Musk announced his plans to monetise Twitter, I cringed a lot. Now that the same, and by that I mean monetisation, is happening with Bluesky, I don’t feel so concerned.
Here’s why.
Bluesky’s Early Monetisation Strategy
Before I continue, we need to remember that as much as Bluesky is a life raft, it’s a business. And it does need to make enough money to survive. But the hope is that now we’ve seen how not to run a social media platform, we can learn the best and most cost efficient way to do it.
On the Bluesky GitHub, which is a public view of things in the works for the platform, a mockup has appeared. Now, Bluesky has stated this could be a million miles from any reality if what’s coming, but it could also be a hint for what Bluesky’s monetisation plans are.
One of the most interesting features is a Bluesky+ profile badge. The company has mentioned that it is working on better ways of verifying profile ownership beyond domain verifications.
I highly doubt this is what the final verification process will look like given the more open nature of Bluesky. I’d be shocked if verification was pay to play, but again, we can’t confirm or rule it out from these screen shots.
Another screenshot on GitHub showed potential pricing, again to be taken with a pinch of salt given this was all placeholder possibly only added to confirm designs.
Bluesky software engineer Dan Abramov says “Some of these are likely to make it, but please don’t take this as an actual list of planned features”.
just flagging that this is a UI mockup and the list of features doesn’t necessarily match what will be released. we need to get better at avoiding setting expectations via mockups since it’s open source so people poke at every branch
In a post on Bluesky Abramov added that “we need to get better at avoiding setting expectation
Sentiment the Difference
For me, what I find fascinating is how differently I feel towards Bluesky monetising versus how I felt when Twitter/X did. There’s a feeling of backing the future with Bluesky and a feeling that their pricing is fair. The hope is that models like this preseve the ad-free experience.
Here’s hoping that the outcome of Bluesky’s monetisation is sensible and user-friendly.
A couple of years ago I bought my first SwitchBot, a small button-pressing robot that I can control from anywhere in the world. I bought it to do one job, a job it turned out it couldn’t do. Now, I have 3 SwitchBots in my home doing daily tasks that make little aspects of my life, much easier.
I’m often asked, of all the gadgets I have at home, which would I recommend. So let me introduce you to the answer; SwitchBot and the three ways I’m using it in my home (including the one way I’m not, unfortunately).
What is SwitchBot?
SwitchBot is a Japanese company which gained momentum in 2016 as a Kickstarter campaign. The sole product of the company at that time was the SwitchBot bot itself. The SwitchBot bot is a small box which you can remotely control from anywhere in the world, once you have the SwitchBot Hub.
I often refer to my SwitchBot bot as a “little pokey bot” because effectively, that’s all it does. You give the command and your little robot bots it’s finger out and pops it back in.
Once I show you how I’ve used it, that will all make a lot more sense.
Why Buy a SwitchBot?
Funnily enough, the reason I bought a SwitchBot didn’t work, but I’ve since found loads of uses for it. Except for growing up in my parent’s home, I’ve lived in rental accommodation all my life. That gives me, a confessed gadget nerd, a challenge. I’ve got to retrofit and hack tech into my life that can be easily removed, leaving no trace. SwitchBot is incredible in this space.
One problem I wanted to overcome was heating. It costs a fortune when it’s on and it’s cold if it comes on too late. Old thermostats are useless at solving this problem and I couldn’t get a smart one fitted, nor did I think it would solve my problem.
So I bought my “little pokey bot” to flick on and off the switch on the wall of my heater. The only problem was that heaters use stiffer switches which the SwitchBot just wasn’t able to move. Heater switches it turns out are tougher to shift.
I’m left with a smart SwitchBot bot but nothing to do. So I started getting hacky.
3 Ways I Used SwitchBot to Make My Home Smarter
With the way I don’t use my SwitchBot out of the way, here are 3 ways I do use my SwitchBot, and absolutely love it.
Smart Controller for Immersion Boost
Ah, the immersion. Our most feared of all foes. Now, from the get-go, I have to clarify here that immersion wall switches are often as stiff as heaters. I’m using my SwitchBot bot on the heating control panel unit.
The layout of my home is a bit odd and my heating panel is miles away along with being hard to reach. Plus, it’s old enough so there is no smart integration, say if I want to have the water boosted in the evening while I’m out and about.
To overcome this, I fitted a SwitchBot to the control panel, just over the boost button. One press will boost my water for 30 minutes. If I press again, it will boost for 60 minutes. Once more will cancel the boost.
The SwitchBot app also lets me set up extra “scenes” so I can have a single tap on my phone turn into two SwitchBot switch presses.
Here it is in action.
My SwitchBot controlling the water boost
Through the SwitchBot app you can also automate how the bot operates. For example, I can have this boost the water every day at 6pm, or just 6pm on Wednesdays because I play football and need a later shower. Of course, you can just jump on your phone and heat the water when your in the dressing room too.
Remote controlling from outside the home will need a SwitchBot Hub – more on that later. Now, onto the second way I’m using SwitchBot in my home.
Making an Old Apartment Intercom Smart
This one I was super proud of. Year ago I had the Nello. This was a somewhat universal, if not a little buggy, black box that plugged into your intercom to make it smart. It kind of sort of worked, sometimes but I loved the idea and was chasing another solution since the company, unfortunately, went under.
In steps SwitchBot.
SwitchBot makes my existing apartment intercom smart
As you can see, I’ve jerry-rigged a SwitchBot onto my intercom. The top of a pen is keeping the button pressed in that would normally be pressed down by a received “on the hook”. This ensures people outside can’t hear in, and I don’t hear noise from the street.
The button this SwitchBot bot presses is for the front door of my apartment block. This is extremely cool for a couple of reasons.
First, for myself, if I’ve come home from a day at work or from doing my shopping, with hands full of stuff and keys buried in a bag, all I need is to tap a button on my phone. I’ve combined SwitchBot, IFTTT and Apple Shortcuts for the ideal solution, though you really just need the SwitchBot app.
My solution means I have a shortcut on my phone which asks me if I’m sure I want to unlock the apartment block, avoiding accidental unlocks.
The shortcuts I have include the Open Apartment Block shortcut with accidental unlock avoidance.
Second of all, it’s really handy for deliveries. If I’m on the way home, five minutes away, and get a call that there is a delivery driver at the door, I can buzz him in and say “leave the package at my door”. Obviously, I’d only do this if I was nearly home and knew the package was safe. Your mileage may vary with this based on your apartment block’s layout and how much you trust your neighbours (I’m lucky in this sense).
While I’m showing you this second, this is probably my favourite use for my SwitchBot. It overcomes a lot of problems, more than you might think until you have it solved and adds massive convenience.
I also have a SwitchBot Pro lock which is fitted to my apartment door. While I always carry keys, because not doing so is just too risky, I theoretically have full keyless entry to my apartment with all of this technology combined. SwitchBot bot for getting in to the apartment block and fingerprint or code access at my apartment door with SwitchBot Pro lock.
Now, for the final SwitchBot bot in my home.
Powering On My PC Remotely From Anywhere in the World
You might read this solution and think to yourself “who would ever need this”. Well, the answer is me. I travel quite a bit and also work remotely a lot. My home PC, which I’ve lovingly named PinkyBoi, is my base for work, coding, reading, researching, writing and gaming. So it has a lot of stuff I love installed on it.
I’ve started dabbling with remote gaming with Moonlight, which lets me stream my PC game library to my iPad wherever I am in the world. I also have a lot of media that I’ve ripped from my own sources over the years. This could be TV shows or box sets that I’ve gathered and digitised. With Plex, I can stream these from my PC to my mobile devices anywhere in the world. Yes, it’s just like having your own personalised Netflix service.
Unlike GeForce Now for game steaming or Netflix for media, I’m responsible for making sure the system is switched on when I need it. If PinkyBoi is turned off, well then I simply can’t stream any of my media.
And this is where my SwitchBot bot comes in beautifully. There are other solutions that achieve what I achieved, best known perhaps is a “Wake on Lan” solution, but I found these to be massively unreliable. With SwitchBot I can physically press the power button my PinkyBoi from anywhere in the world. Combined with Team Viewer, I can remotely control the entire machine from anywhere too, ensuring the complete remote access to my home terminal.
Remote power control over my home gaming PC
And yes, the eagle-eyed amongst you will have spotted that I have a shortcut on my phone for PinkyBoi too. This shortcut activates the PC and sets the LIFX Beam lights I have to gaming mode too. Just for the craic.
I’ve configured the SwitchBot to long press on the PC power button. This turns it on like normal, but if I press it again, it’ll shut everything down in that “nothing else works, hold down the power button” way.
With all of this excellent (if not slightly extravagant) usage of SwitchBot bots around the home, I’m sure you’ve been left ready to buy. Well, here are a few more tips to get even more out of your SwitchBots.
Yes, the SwitchBot Hub Worth Buying
In fact, I’d say the SwitchBot bots are nowhere near as awesome without buying the SwitchBot Hub. Treat yourself! Without the Hub, you won’t be able to connect to your bots away from the home. This is crucial for nearly all of the use cases that I have. In fact, to ensure full coverage, I have two SwitchBot Hubs in my apartment owning to the weird layout to make sure I have enough coverage for everything to work flawlessly.
SwitchBot Remote is Also Great
One thing I’ve recently added to my setup is the SwitchBot Remote; a Black Friday addition to my smart home. As the name suggests, this is a remote that connects to everything locally using Bluetooth.
My SwitchBot Remote in it’s cradle
This comes with a handy cradle to mount it on the wall, but the remote is free for you to take with you anywhere in the home – if that’s what you need. I don’t, so it pretty much stays there.
The top button, boosts my water once. It’s handy for that simple task and extremely reliable. I do have voice commands to “boost the water” using Google Assistant, but I’ve found it hit and miss. The SwitchBot Remote, never misses.
The bottom button is setup to unlock the apartment block. When I’m upstairs, this means I can immediately let delivery drivers in. In Dublin, while determined, they are super impatient and will drive away at 8am while I’m still putting my pants on. Being able to let them in quickly is the difference between getting a package delivered on the spot and spending an hour travelling to the depot to get my package.
If in Doubt, Get One
What I’ve learned from having my SwitchBots is that they solve problems in the moment of need. What I mean by that is that you’ll be sitting there wondering “how the hell am I supposed to do this when I’m not here” and boom! The SwitchBot is the solution. By having one at home, you can play around with a few different ideas and make your SwitchBot work for you.
I’d love to play with the idea of having a SwitchBot on my coffee machine, ready to pour coffee in the morning. It could be cheaper than smart bulbs where you have multiple ceiling lights controlled off a single switch. Important to remember than SwitchBot bots can turn most switches both on and off.
It’s also nice to know that you are buying into an ever-growing ecosystem of smart home technology. I now use SwitchBot bots, the SwitchBot Pro Lock, SwitchBot Remote, SwitchBot Wallet Finder Card and am hoping to expand to some other devices in the future. The SwitchBot Hub also has an infrared beamer in it for controlling devices like your TV at home.
It’s a clever ecosystem and one I’m thoroughly enjoying playing with.
Apple is stepping up its game—literally—with plans to make the Vision Pro headset more appealing to gamers. It appears that Apple to soon introduce support for third-party hand controllers, namely Sony’s PlayStation VR2 controllers, through a VisionOS update. This could be a game-changer for both gamers and developers.
A Potential Partnership with Sony
Apple is reportedly collaborating with Sony to make the PlayStation VR2 hand controllers compatible with the Vision Pro. While the partnership has been in the works for months, an official announcement has yet to happen. One possible reason for the delay? PlayStation VR2 controllers aren’t currently sold as standalone accessories.
For this partnership to work, Sony would need to tweak its controllers so they can function independently of the PlayStation VR2 system. If everything falls into place, the controllers will reportedly be sold through Apple’s retail channels, giving Vision Pro users a powerful gaming accessory.
This is good news for all 5 of Apple Vision Pro owners, but even better news for PSVR2 owners who have faulty of broken controllers and no way to replace them.
While gaming is a clear focus, Apple’s ambitions for the Vision Pro extend far beyond. Reports suggest that the PlayStation VR2 controllers could also be used to navigate the VisionOS interface. This opens the door to new possibilities for productivity tools and entertainment apps, potentially transforming the Vision Pro into a more versatile device.
However, Apple has an uphill battle. In June, Apple had yet to sell 100,000 units, so the Vision Pro hasn’t met sales expectations. Natural concerns such as the $3,500 price tag added to limited battery life, and front-heavy design. and of course a lack of peripherals for gaming.
A Boost for Gamers and Developers
By enhancing the Vision Pro’s gaming capabilities, Apple hopes to reignite interest in the headset and pave the way for a new headset in 2025 at a lower price point.
If the Sony partnership comes to fruition, gamers could look forward to using premium controllers designed for immersive experiences. Developers, in turn, would gain new tools to create captivating content, potentially turning the Vision Pro into a must-have device for gaming enthusiasts.
The elephant in the room for me is what does this mean for PlayStation 5 compatibility? Once Sony launched PC support for the PSVR2, I felt they were effectively stepping away from VR as a core strategy for themselves. Perhaps towards someone else making the headsets. Perhaps Apple? It’s certainly not beyond the realms of possibility in a world that sees Microsoft moving away from consoles too.
YesMadam, a startup that became famous in India after being featured on the country’s edition of Shark Tank (like Dragon’s Den), has gone viral today after a leaked screenshot, reportedly of a company email. The supposed leaked email outlines that employees experiencing “significant stress”, would be leaving the company.
What is YesMadam?
Yes Madam is an Indian company that provides at-home salon and personal care services, including waxing, facials, manicures, pedicures, and spa treatments, delivered by trained professionals. Founded in 2016 by brothers Aditya and Mayank Arya, along with Akanksha Vishnoi, the company aims to offer convenient and affordable beauty services directly to customers’ homes.
The company featured on Shark Tank India earlier this year, expanding services across multiple cities in India, including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.
YesMadam’s Stress Survey
Employee burnout is a significant concern in India, with up to 59% of the nation’s work force experiencing it. It wouldn’t have been a massive surprise to see a company take an interest in how staff are doing with a survey. This is what YesMadam did, according to the supposed leaked email, from the company’s Human Resources Manager, surfacing on the internet today.
Shared by an Associate Director at IndiGo, Shitiz Dogra, the leaked screenshot states, “recently, we conducted a survey to understand your feelings about stress at work. Many of you shared your concerns, which we deeply value and respect”.
From here the email takes a most unusual twist.
The message continues to say “to ensure that no one remains stressed at work, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with employees who indicated significant stress” and that YesMadam is “committed to fostering a healthy and supportive work environment”.
The affected staff would then be contacted directly but action would be taken immediately.
Goosed.ie has reached out to YesMadam to verify the email is real and whether this is an operational error, and if not, what is the rational behind the move.
Yesterday, a United States federal appeals court panel upheld the US government’s decision to ban TikTok. But why has the U.S. federal government taken this step, and what does this mean for both users and creators of TikTok in Ireland?
Why is the U.S. Trying to Ban TikTok?
At the heart of the controversy is the concern that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is accountable to the Chinese government. U.S. lawmakers have said this could potentially lead to the app gathering sensitive information on American citizens. The U.S. government has cited the risk of data theft and manipulation by a foreign adversary as the primary reason for the ban.
Others argue that this concern is overstated, pointing out that American companies like Meta and Google also collect vast amounts of user data, which can be used for nefarious purposes.
The situation greatly echoes the situation Huawei found itself in when Donald Trump banned the Chinese-owned smartphone maker in 2019. That decision was partly rooted in legitimate concerns of an opposing world power potentially using Huawei to spy, but also more than a little xenophobia.
The impact of that Huawei ban was massive, effectively wiping the phone maker out of the Irish market and leaving little trace behind, at least for consumers. I don’t expect the same level of devastation for TikTok, even if we stay on this path.
When Will Tiktok Be Banned in the U.S.?
Should everything remain on track, TikTok will be removed from app stores in the U.S. from 19th January 2025. Whether or not this does stay on track has a massive question mark hanging over it.
In a massive swing of irony, President-elect Donald Trump is set to return for a second term just one day after this ban comes into effect—a ban signed in by Trump’s adversary, Joe Biden. On the campaign trail, Trump claimed he would work to “save” TikTok should he be reelected, though this could very well just have been an attempt to save the young vote.
TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said unless the ban is stopped somehow, it “will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world”.
Will TikTok Be Banned in January?
There are a few outcomes in January for this story, and one of them is that everything remains on track and the platform is banned in the U.S.
However, I would wager that one of many other eventualities also plays out.
TikTok Appeals
TikTok plans to challenge the ban by appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court and seeking an injunction to halt the ban’s implementation. The company argues that the law infringes upon First Amendment rights and lacks substantial evidence of national security threats.
Should an appeal to buy time be successful, the platform at least moves into Trump’s second time in office and that of a President who said he would “save” the platform.
Political Intervention
President-elect Donald Trump has expressed intentions to “save” TikTok, suggesting he might seek to reverse the ban upon taking office. This could involve urging Congress to repeal the law or determining that TikTok is no longer under Chinese control, thereby nullifying the ban.
However, this would face significant legal and political challenges, while also being somewhat off-brand for President-elect Trump.
Sale of TikTok
One solution which already reached the advanced stages and failed was ByteDance selling TikTok’s U.S. operations to a non-Chinese entity. Efforts have restarted again as a potential solution to stop the ban of TikTok, but these efforts are complicated due to China’s export control laws, which could hinder the transfer of TikTok’s technology.
Operational Adjustments
ByteDance is reportedly developing a U.S.-based version of TikTok’s core recommendation algorithm. This move aims to address data security concerns and facilitate a smoother transition if a sale occurs.
I’d wager that sale is still a priority given anything developed by a Chinese-owned company will do little to allay concerns.
Will TikTok Still Work After the Ban?
These are the most important details which often don’t get much attention in a situation like this. TikTok being removed from app stores will do little to stop the app from working on phones with it already installed. However, if you buy a new phone, installing on an iPhone would be much more difficult.
Android users wouldn’t face the same challenges, with sideloading a relatively easy operation to carry out yourself. Sideloading is technically possible for some iPhone users, but this is a Europe-only feature.
The ban does include other provisions to stop TikTok from working in the U.S., including web-hosting services stopping TikTok and potentially forcing internet providers to block all TikTok traffic. This final step is the one I imagine will have to happen to truly stop the app from working, but even so VPN providers will offer a sidestep option here.
However, stopping it from working completely and making it so un-userfriendly it slowly dies off are two different things. The latter could be enough.
Some creators on TikTok are already preparing for an all-out ban, directing followers to other channels where they can still get content, such as the U.S.-based Meta Instagram or Alphabet (Google) YouTube.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Friday sided with the Justice Department, which argued that the U.S. government has the authority to ban TikTok based on the national security risk that the Chinese government could pressure TikTok to expose Americans’ data or influence what they see. TikTok’s parent, ByteDance, is based in China.
Ok, over to my personal opinion for a second. I’m a little torn on this because I don’t think anyone has the right intentions with any actions being taken.
First of all, I see the merits of banning TikTok. Some research has found that TikTok actively suppresses content critical of the Chinese Government.
My personal experience on the platform is mixed. As a brand, it’s a great way to reach people and countless creators around the world and here in Ireland make a living based on their followership on TikTok.
But the content moderation is wholly unfit for purpose. I’ve spent a lot of time reporting racist, misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic content with clear reference to TikTok’s own community policies, only for the vast majority of these reports to be ignored.
I have suspicions that the platform surfaces comments designed to stoke flames of hate and question what our own Irish Government is doing to ensure the people have the tools needed to handle this.
Obviously, I have no idea what goes on in the background of TikTok’s operations, but I do see pros and cons of a TikTok ban. And that ban will have mixed impacts here in Ireland.
Impact of U.S. Ban on Irish TikTok Creators and Users
Unlike the Huawei ban, I don’t see the U.S. going ahead with a ban on TikTok as a massive cause for concern if you are an Irish TikTok creator that mainly targets people living here in Ireland, the United Kingdom or mainland Europe. The app will continue to function perfectly for us as if nothing has happened.
I would expect to see some opportunities arise for Irish creators as a massive gulf in content appears from the slow departure of U.S.-based creators.
Which is where the biggest impact would be seen. Every day TikTok users will, over time, cease to see U.S.-based creators and brands on TikTok. Again, this is hard to predict in terms of how quickly that will happen. Many creators will likely try to continue working on the app with VPNs and similar, while brands could move their content posting to international bases in an extremely sustainable move.
But I expect, over time, most indie TikTok creators from the U.S. would vanish from the platform over time, leading to that gulf in content I mentioned.
The good news for Irish creators is that this is a moment of opportunity. The bad news is that there is a risk that Irish users level the platform too, missing their U.S. content creators. And let’s not forget there could at some stage be similar sanctions on TikTok from the European Union.
What Happens Next With TikTok Ban?
For now, we sit tight and see what happens. I don’t see this as being a clear-cut ban. Not in the slightest. But it has travelled much further down the road than man expected and doesn’t show any signs of letting up. TikTok could very well cease U.S. operations in early 2025, or indeed later in the year.
But for now, just keep dancing and enjoying trends. And give Goosed a follow over there while you’re at it, just in case it sticks around for a while.
This article was created with the support of Goosed.ie’s in-house AI-assisted writing tool, designed to aid our writers, not replace them. While the tool offers outlines and context, all content is crafted and edited by the Goosed team.
Unfortunately, over 400,000 home around Ireland have been left without power today. The ESB outage map looks absolutely stark today as a result of the extreme weather. Now, we should be able to relax and read a book for a few hours, but it’s a reminder of just how frail our connection to the grid is.
A few weeks back Energizer sent me a portable power station to test out, which today I’m left thinking more Irish homes should have.
What are Portable Power Stations?
Most of us have used a power bank at some stage to charge our phones on the go. It’s a relatively small secondary battery that gives your phone some juice when you’re stuck short on charge. Portable power stations are effectively the same idea, but with much larger capacity to story energy.
While both power banks and portable power stations are designed to provide portable power, they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics. A power bank is essentially a battery pack with capacity usually ranging from 5,000 to 20,000mAh.
A portable power station is a more comprehensive solution that can power a wider range of devices, including laptops, lights, fans, and even small appliances. They often have a higher capacity, typically measured in watt-hours (Wh), and may include additional features like AC outlets, USB ports, and DC outputs.
Portable power stations typically bought for camping, but used in emergencies too
Typically, people will buy a portable power station for lifestyle reasons. By this I mean they go camping and want to power a small travel fridge or something similar for a few hours. But portable power stations, once charged, provide a brilliant source of backup power in emergencies too.
What can a portable power station run?
At the time of writing, Energizer’s PPS240W2 72,000mAh portable power station is the only one I’ve gotten my hands on (full review coming later). This is a relatively small capacity in the world of portable power stations, but still incredible useful in Ireland should you find yourself without power.
The Energizer PPS240W2
One of the main things making this power station useful is the single 220v AC output or typical Irish plug socket connection, powering up to 150w. This means this power station can not only charge multiple devices through USB-A and USB-C connection, but power small appliances too.
The PPS240W2 Irish-style output socket
Now, you’re not going to be running washing machines and driers on this, nor will in power a fan heater for very long. It just doesn’t have the capacity. You can buy bigger power stations for bigger jobs, something I’ll be covering int he coming months.
But one of the most impressive things the PPS240W2 portable power station can power, is your WiFi. In the event that your electricity is gone, it’s likely the only thing taking down your WiFi is a lack of power. If you can plug your router into a portable power station, you’ll get WiFi again just over 3 hours (assuming your router uses about 60w).
If you instead opt for a TV (which uses about 75w of power), you’ll get a little under 3 hours of entertainment before the power station is drained.
And, arguably most important for a lot of you, you’ll be able to boil the kettle (though I don’t drink tea).
It would be remiss of me not to mention charging smart devices here too. You can expect to charge the likes of an iPhone from a portable power station like the PPS240W2 at least 10 times. So if you have multiple devices trying to keep the kids entertained on a day like today with no power, the PPS240W2 is a blessing to have.
Just remember; it’s only useful once you keep it charged!
Buying a Portable Power Station
These portable power stations have become more affordable and more available in the Irish market in recent years. After some of the chats that I’ve had with Energizer, we can expect even more of these to enter the market too. Brexit was a massive setback to getting these kinds of products into Ireland, and Amazon UK can’t ship most things with a battery to Ireland either. Plus, while popular on mainland Europe, our Irish style plug which is based on the UK design, is harder to get built in too.
But Irish retailers themselves will be selling more products like this in the near future. You can already find these in Harvey Norman and DID. I hope to test out more of these in the coming months too.
Portable power stations are a versatile and convenient solution for anyone who needs reliable and portable power. But in truth, while these can be used for camping, having a portable power station charged at home gives you the peace of mind (and possible peace and quiet if you have kids) of knowing you can keep devices powered at home during a power outage.
This article was created with the support of Goosed.ie’s in-house AI-assisted writing tool, designed to aid our writers, not replace them. While the tool offers outlines and context, all content is crafted and edited by the Goosed team.
I love sparkling water. My setup at home is a filter jug to clean up my tap water and a carbonator from “another brand” (which I’ll get into later), to make sparkling water. I’ve been looking for an alternative to my existing carbonator and stumbled upon Aarke. Thanks to Aarke and the Irish sustainability-focused shop Faerly, I’ve gotten my hands on an Aarke Carbonator 3 (C3) to test out.
What Are Water Carbonators?
Water carbonators are devices designed to infuse water with carbon dioxide (CO₂), creating carbonated or sparkling water. These devices cater to people who enjoy fizzy drinks and are a popular alternative to purchasing pre-bottled sparkling water. By carbonating tap or filtered water at home, users can reduce waste, save money, and customise carbonation levels.
Needless to say, these are popular these days. I wanted to stop buying bottled sparking water for sustainability reasons. Now, with the Re-turn scheme, buying bottled water would absolutely wreck my head (though I support the scheme).
How Do You Buy CO₂ Canisters?
This is the most important point to have locked down before buying a water carbonator. You have to buy CO₂ canisters regularly. Each canister will make about 60 litres of carbonated water. I buy my CO₂ canisters through Faerly.ie and their exchange programme. It costs a little to get set up because I have 4 canisters at any given time to increase my value when returning them. But since Argos closed, this is the easiest and most reliable way to have CO₂ canisters in stock at home.
The Sodastream Problem
At the time, Sodastream was the solution. I had reviewed a couple of their devices and they were really the only company available in the Irish market. Harvey Norman and Argos offered me a route to replace my CO₂ canisters too. I even had lots of warm memories of this brand being in my Granny’s house and didn’t think much of promoting a brand like this.
Flash forward a few years and the thought of promoting Sodasteam is reprehensible to me. SodaStream, an Israeli company which has faced boycotts primarily due to its operations in Israeli settlements located in the occupied West Bank. These settlements are considered illegal under international law, and companies operating within them are often viewed as complicit in the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories.
Amnesty International has declared the actions of Israel a genocide and I truly believe people should act with their wallets alongside anything else they do. Brands like Starbucks, McDonalds and Sodastream do feel these impacts, so it’s worth paying attention to where you spend your money.
Which is where we start to talk about Aarke.
Who is Aarke?
Aarke is a Swedish company founded in 2013, focuses on premium kitchen appliances. So from the get go I have to highlight that you shouldn’t expect Aarke and Sodastream to land in the same price brackets. You could consider Aarke to be the Apple or Kitchen Aid style product of the kitchen.
Aarke products are designed to be user-friendly but also sustainable. I am not going to preach from my soapbox about low-lifespan products and plastics, but basically, if you can afford high-quality, long-lasting machines – this is what Aarke aims to produce.
The Aarke Carbonator 3
To fully understand the Aarke design principle, it’s best I just start focusing on the Carbonator 3. You can check out my intro to the product on TikTok too.
The Aarke Carbonator 3 offers up a alternative to Sodastream and a sustainable solution if Re-turn is annoying you. You can buy these directly from @Faerly – an Irish online shop dedicated to Irish and sustainability (Aarke is Swedish though!). They even have some flavours to add to thr water and this C3 model is currently on sale! #Gifted by Faerly and @Aarke #water#hydrate#carbonate#carbonatedwater#susainability#ireland#irish#fyp#gadget#lifestyle#home
My old carbonator was plastic. Very plastic. The Aarke C3 is the ultimate aesthetic addition to a kitchen. The build quality is incredible, crafted from high-quality stainless steel with clever design features.
For example, the machine’s design cleverly hides away the CO₂ canisters in the primary pillar with a minimalist design. I know many will read this as being pretentious, and I apologise for that. But I really like this design style and sometimes do pay a premium for it (I use iPhone sure!).
The C3 is operated with a single lever and below where the bottle hangs is a drip tray. A thoughtful inclusion which always irritated me about my old carbonator.
However, I did find some flaws. The old machine I had included a quick grasp for bottles which I confess was nice to have. I struggle sometimes screwing the bottle into the C3, but it’s getting better over time. Also, the bottles included with the machine are not dishwasher safe.
Thankfully, from a sustainability point of view, if you have old Sodastream bottles, they should be compatible with the C3 too and some of these are dishwasher safe. But use these at your own risk. Aarke recommends you only use Aarke bottles as they have extra safety features including pressure release. Expect Aarke to address this in 2025 with new bottles.
One possible annoyance I avoided. I’m grateful for getting the matte black C3 as there is a purely stainless steel version. I’m guessing that one is a fingerprint magnet and the real reason you get a cloth in the box.
In general, the design of the Aarke is that of a premium kitchen accessory that will elevate the look of any kitchen counter.
Functionality and Performance
The Aarke C3 is incredibly simple. You fill your water bottle to the line, screw it onto the machine and give the lever 3 pumps. This gives me the level of carbonation I like, but you can give more or less to your own personal taste.
My Sodastream machine was powered, meaning it took up a socket in the kitchen and could only sit in one area. The Aarke C3 requires no power, making it easy to place wherever you like.
Using a lever instead of a button is a small thing which I’m finding quite satisfying. That might be the beer drinker in my enjoying taps though.
One final note I want to add, which is going to make you judge me, is the consistency of the sparkling water is excellent. This is likely down to the bottle having it’s own built-in release valve giving consistent carbonation levels. I say you’ll judge me because if you don’t drink sparkling water, you’ll never know how sweet that right amount of bubbles is!
Aarke also offer a wide range of flavours you can add to your water. As part of this review, they sent me Tropical Mango. It was nice and not overly artificial. I’m not going to dwell here though because I really just drink straight sparkling water and flavours is going to be really subjective.
If you’re still with me, thanks. Let’s keep going.
Value
Right, we’re into the most challenging aspect of this review and I think I know how to address it. If you are just looking for a water carbonator and want cheap and cheerful, the C3 isn’t the product for you. There are cheaper products on the market that will give you sparkling water.
The Aarke C3, however, is the best-designed and best-performing water carbonator I’ve ever tested. I like the look of it, the sparkling water it produces and the minimal footprint it takes up in the kitchen.
The biggest argument I can make for this product is that I wager in 5 years, this carbonator is still operating without any issues. That’s down to build quality and the quality of parts used.
Is a water carbonator, in general, a good value purchase? Absolutely. If you drink sparkling water and are buying bottled water regularly, you really should be considering a water carbonator. The long-term value comes back to you, admittedly after a long time, which is another point for the C3 thanks to the likely long lifespan.
Aarke Carbonator 3: The Goosed Verdict
The Aarke C3 is a great water carbonator. Just how good a purchase it is will come down to:
How much do you love sparkling water
What is your buying power
How much do you value aesthetic
If all of these are being answered on the higher end, the Aarke C3 might well be the best carbonator for you to buy. The Aarke C3 is available today from Faerly.ie.
