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Spawn and Silent Bob: Twitch and Sam’s Spawn spin-off

Kevin Smith will reportedly write, direct and be executive producer for a new Spawn spin-off series. The announcement follows a successful run on The CW network for both The Flash and Supergirl.

Kevin Smith set to direct Spawn spin off

Kevin Smith’s on a roll

You’re forgiven for not recognising Smith’s name straight away. His face on the other hand. Smith is most likely best known for his role as Silent Bob in the Jay and Silent Bob franchise. He’s stumbled through a lot of acting and writing work to date. Recently he has managed to make waves as a director for hit series The Flash.

The Spawn Universe

Smith dives into the Spawn universe with a new spin-off series based on the Sam and Twitch books written by Todd McFarland. Spawn, renowned as the anti-hero from hell, provides an interesting universe. Smith could build on the momentum generated off the back of last year’s hit anti-hero Deadpool.

Meet Sam and Twitch

This time we follow Sam and Twitch, two homicide detectives as they try to uphold the law in Spawn’s world. In the comic books, the duo primarily dealt with crimes relating to the occult. You can expect to see them faced with grizzly murders to solve and some seriously bad mojo in the form of paranormal badasses.

Smith has gained some praise for his turns on the CW shows Supergirl and Flash. His personal projects haven’t followed suit. Smith announced Clerks III last year, but for various reasons the film was cancelled. His planned Mallrats series also failed to pick up traction with networks. Netflix US did add Smiths most recent work, Yoga Hosers to their collection, despite being a critical and commercial flop.

Here’s hoping that this Spawn series works out better than the cheesy as all hell cult classic film (I must admit I have quite the soft spot for the 90’s film).

 

The King of Lions has returned

So, today I find myself stuck between two positions. One, the enviable position of writing my first article for Goos3D. The second, which I can emphatically say is my less enviable, getting a tattoo finished off. Thankfully, the latter gives me plenty of time to write, in between bouts of wincing and moaning.

I find it odd, doing the first of anything is the most difficult, this article being no different, is leading me to quite a lot of head scratching and beard stroking. I will, however, persevere.

My first quandary, what exactly should I write about. Martin briefed me to write about something I’m passionate about.  For me, that’s a million and one things. I suppose, for now, the biggest thing that piqued my interest for the day was the early casting of the live action Lion King movie. If you haven’t seen or heard yet, it’s big, it’s amazing and it involves an old face making a return.

Mufasa is back and Darth Vader is once again a Lion

In other words, James Earl Jones has signed on for the movie. For me, that means a lot. For anyone of my age bracket, hell, anyone’s age bracket, it’s going to be a huge nostalgia boost. You know, not that a Lion King live action film isn’t anyway. Even the cast are excited about it.

The film that, personally I remember best as a kid is coming back. Having seen the musical last year and been blown away by it, I can only be excited for another visit the Serengeti. Beautiful rolling lands inhabited by magical creatures and singing sunsets.

I apologise, I  lost the run of myself there a little. But it is exciting to know that one of the biggest parts of my childhood is coming back.

New buck on the street

Of course, there was the second announcement too. A young buck, a new gazelle to the Lion King world, the one, the only Donald Glover. Best known for his role as Troy Barnes in Community and by his rapper pseudonym Childish Gambino, Glover has also signed on as Simba.

This is an exciting addition as Glover was also cast as the second most charismatic man in the Galaxy Lando Calrissian in the upcoming movie Hands Solo… do I have to say it? Fine… solo film.

These two castings have me nearly wetting myself with excitement for the newest addition to the Lion King franchise.

Lydia is a free and easy PayPal alternative

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Ever go to the pub with mates and have a bundle of coins tossed at you while you get in rounds? Have you ever tried to collect money from your roommate so you can pay rent on time? Or have you ever got lost in a foreign country that you had to ring the Bank Of Mam to wire you some cash for a flight home? Well if you have answered yes to any of the above we have found the app for you.

Catching up with Lydia

We bumped into French whizz Cyril Chiche to speak about his app Lydia at the Dublin Tech Summit. A quick chat, demo and a euro into the bank account (result), we have a better idea of what Lydia is about. Lydia is set to be one of the first real PayPal alternatives on the market. It’s a great way to pay back mates, move some money about or to use as a PayPal alternative. Check out our interview with Lydia’s Cyril:

Under the hood of Lydia

So, it’s a new payment method, simple. Using existing technologies in a different format, for free (we like free). The team behind Lydia have also looked at their competition when building a PayPal alternative.

As you may see from the demo, making or receiving payment really couldn’t be any simpler. To make a payment select a card that you want to use, enter how much you want to send and your passcode. Once that’s done, hop off into your contact book and select who you’re sending money too. Lydia will then text or email them taking your cash to let them know it’s now in the app for them. At that point, it’s no longer your problem.

Lydia is fast, convenient and frictionless once setup

Lydia PayPal alternativeYou don’t even have to worry about your mates having the app downloaded. If they don’t have it and have no interest in it, they can go to a secure page and transfer the cash to their bank account. Also, after deciding how much money your sending, you can get your mate to scan a QR code and bang – instant payment. If you don’t want to keep any money in the app, you can withdraw it to your bank account — it’s free. Lydia doesn’t have any incentive to keep your money because it can’t make the money work due to regulations. Music to my ears.

How are they doing so far?

So the company started in 2011 but the app was only released in 2013. Since then the payment method app has shot up in its native France rocking out with over 700,000 users. Today, roughly a 1500 new people downloading every day. The recent Dublin Tech Summit of the app in Ireland is only the second country to get Lydia. Available on the Google Play Store and iOS.

What is Trash Dove and why has it taken over Facebook?

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Trash Dove. What is it? Where did it come from? We all spend a lot of time on Facebook. Checking in, updating statuses, posting soppy pictures for Valentines Day – guilty on all counts your Honor. So, we’ve all have seen the purple headbanging pigeon across our newsfeed at some point right? Just what exactly is this all about?

How Trash Dove began and went viral

trash dove stickers on facebookTrash Dove was created by artist Syd Weiler, based out of Florida and an Adobe Creative resident. And while the animated gif is what we are seeing across Facebook, Trash Dove is actually a full set of stickers.

Designed for the Apple Store, the full set made its Facebook debut on 31 January 2017. It then gained fame in Asia, by going viral in Thailand by 7 February. The GIF was used in a music video which and has received over 3 million views within the space of five days.

Why is it all over Facebook?

Eventually, the video made its’ way over to Europe. Since then, Trash Dove is being used on Facebook as a reply to pretty much any comment thread. For no real clear reason, it has become an overnight social media sensation. And it’s showing no sign of letting up. Weiler is working on more “Trash” stickers to capitalise on the success of Trash Dove.

Well don internet, you’ve done it again. Something completely random but strangely captivating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DwellDown: Reduce your risk when searching for rental properties

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Tenants face into countless pitfalls when looking through Ireland’s rental properties. Launched at Dublin Tech Summit 2017, DwellDown has these risks firmly in their sights.

The current state of renting in Ireland

Ireland is in the middle of a rental crisis. A recent Daft.ie report showed there are fewer than 4,000 rental properties on the market for tenants. To make things worse, the average cost of rent is soaring by 13.5% annually. This is a recipe for a disaster where tenants are overpaying ever month and have little in the way of choice to move. Those who brave moving enter a minefield of low standard accommodation. Such was the experience of DwellDown’s Chris Lynch.

The inspiration behind DwellDown

Chris and his wife Helen lived within walking distance of Dublin City Centre. With a new arrival in the family, moving to a bigger place was on the cards. Liking the area they lived in, Chris and his family were delighted to find a bigger apartment around the corner. Given the low number of rental properties on the market, they had to queue to view the place. After a few weeks, they got the news that they got the apartment.
 
Chris and his family didn’t have long to enjoy that “new apartment” feeling. In fact, after just one week they realised they’d made a big mistake. They discovered mould, broken appliances and that the landlord was a terrible communicator. Chris did manage to find the contact details of the apartment’s previous tenants. He took the opportunity to ask them why they moved. Turns out they were expecting a child and didn’t want to raise them in that apartment.
This led to DwellDown.

How does DwellDown help tenants searching for rental properties?

After his terrible experience, Chris realised the power of feedback. Of course, peer-to-peer feedback as grown as fast as the internet itself. We have sites like Trip Advisor for travel and Glassdoor for workplaces. Until now, no-one has offered a space to share rental experiences. This is the space DwellDown is looking to fill.

Irish tenants spend up to 60% of their income on rent

Speaking with Chris at Dublin Tech Summit, we learned the average Irish renter spends between 30% and 60% of their income on rent. A lack of transparency in the private rental market forces tenants to make poor decisions. Renters can now visit DwellDown and anonymously review their current or past rental property. Movers can access the feedback of a rental property’s previous tenants.
 

What you’ll learn from DwellDown’s feedback

Finding feedback for your next apartment is easy. DwellDown is completely compatible with Eircodes. Your search then brings up feedback on the property you’re interested in. The feedback is based on comfort, the landlord’s communication, amenities and the neighbourhood, each scored out of 10. Feedback provided to DwellDown will also tell you if previous tenants felt the property was family or student friendly
 
You’ll now have a DwellDown Score for your property and whether it’s a recommended rental or not. Keeping things simple, the feedback also presents a quick good and bad bits. You’ll also be presented with the reported rent previous tenants have paid and the average rental prices in the area.
 
Traditionally, people in Ireland sometimes feel awkward about asking certain questions. DwellDown will provide you with answers so you don’t have to ask your potential landlord. Having just launched, the service needs to grow its database of feedback. Given the benefits of this new, transparency driven, platform, I don’t think that’ll take very long.

Bonus: DwellDown at Dublin Tech Summit

We were streaming live interviews from the floor of Dublin Tech Summit. We met with Chris from DwellDown for a quick chat about his vision.

 

WarOnCancer: An online space to learn and heal

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Cancer is likely to have affected you at some stage in your life. Whether it was your own diagnosis or that of a family member, it’s become an unfortunate fact of life. WarOnCancer provides an online space for people dealing with cancer to share their stories.

What’s the idea behind WarOnCancer?

Swedish-Brazilian actor Fabian Bolin had just moved to America after landing two big roles. He began to feel exhausted but put this tiredness down to his hectic lifestyle. After near passing out on his way to Stansted he decided it was time to visit a doctor. This visit led to a diagnosis of Leukemia, a form of blood cancer. As is typical these days, Fabian turned to the internet for answers, answers he struggled to find.

Feeling frustrated, Fabian vented in a  Facebook post, a post shared over 27,000 times.

Supported by his friend Sebastian Hermelin, Fabian began work on the concept behind WarOnCancer.

What is WarOnCancer?

WarOnCancer started out with bracelets. The aim was simply to raise money to fund cancer research. Fabian and Sebastian quickly realised cancer patients needed both information and an outlet. In early 2016, discussions began about creating an online storytelling space.

Within this space, cancer patients vent, heal and discuss their own personal journeys. Family members can also share their real life journey. Intricate detail on specific journey comes to the fore, pushing overwhelming medical jargon to the side. WarOnCancer itself lets users find stories based on a range of queries they can relate to. You can discover stories based on gender, relation to the patient and cancer type, to name but a few.

How does WarOnCancer help?

Fabian Bolin speaking at Dublin Tech SummitEach story is personal and individual. Titles range from “Fuck Cancer” to “My Fight” and provide insight from a human point of view. You can still read Fabian’s own story, which is a great example of the detail provided by firsthand experience.

Cancer doesn’t have to be the end of a life. It can be the start of a new one – Fabian Bolin

For patients and their families early in the journey WarOnCancer is a great learning resource. For those telling the stories, sharing experiences acts as a form of therapy.

Currently, there are two Irish WarOnCancer stories. As a nation, we are slow to speak out and express ourselves when we have problems. Hopefully, as WarOnCancer grows, more Irish people share their stories. In doing so, they will be helping others and themselves.

Rumuki: Keep making a sex tape private

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If you’re looking to add a little spice to your love life, little will hit the spot like making a sex tape. And sure come on, everyone has an HD camera on their smartphone these days. In truth, smartphones are the problem as anything you create is extremely shareable. Rumuki is a new app that makes recording intimate moments more private.

Why would you need Rumuki when making a sex tape?

There are a few well-known people who would answer this question for you fairly quickly. Among the best known are Kim Kardashian, Hulk Hogan and most recently Amir Khan. They’ve all had some sort of sex tape leaked online. None of them thought their steamy intimate moments would be seen by the world. Unfortunately, loads of us have now seen Hulk Hogan’s arse involved in a very different type of wrestling.

hulk hogan rips off shirtFor most, the fear surrounds experimenting with video. Sure, when you’re with someone you think it’ll last forever. One bad breakup later and you’re left in fear knowing they have a video of you in the nip.

How does Rumuki make things any better?

keep making a sextape privateRumuki is a simple app with some genius features. First, record your night of passion using the app. As your partner lies back and sparks up, you can pair your phone to theirs using a QR code. Each phone stores the video locally and protects it with a unique secure key.

you need permission from your partner in crime

To watch the video back, you need permission from your partner in crime. One of you can’t watch it without the other granting permission. This means that should you break up or simply decide you don’t want that video to exist anymore, you just need to delete your key.

I don’t want team Rumuki looking at my arse

Don’t worry, they don’t want that either. Everything you record is saved locally to your phone and never sits on Rumuki servers. Even if they were hacked, your intimate moments will remain private. And if you’re worried about some sort of Ashley Madison style hack, fear not. You don’t need to sign up with social media accounts or emails.

Download Rumuki for iOS to get peace of mind while spicing up your sex life. Now you only have to deal with the more traditional objections to making a sex tape like “no we’ll look ridiculous”.

Hater: A Tinder alternative for miserable sods

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As the only single member of the Goos3D team and with the big V-Day just around the corner, the search for a date is well and truly on the way. If you’ve swiped your dating app dry, Hater offers a great Tinder alternative. Instead of being impressed by a glance at a profile, Hater users get matched by common hates. Perfect for all your single and cynical mates.

Unrealistic expectations

Those horrible, horrible rom-com flicks would have us think that relationships are built on things like happiness, respect and trust. But what they always forget is a mutual hatred of the same things. In fact, in my humble opinion, it’s totally fine to fall in love with someone based on a shared disinterest or hatred of the same things. It could be movies, TV shows or people, the list is endless.

Image result for hater dating app

Give in to your inner-grump and download Hater. Finally, there’s a dating app that doesn’t encourage charm, sunshine and happiness. You can now sidestep being matched with someone based on a quick physical attraction, all thanks to Hater.

A Tinder alternative with more than just swiping right

Once you’ve downloaded the app you are asked to give your opinion on a range of topics. You select how you feel by swiping in different directions, not just right. The app will then create a profile of all the users and begin matching you with people with similar mindsets. A simple app which aims to go beyond the physical and match people on something far more important than getting the right selfie angle.

If you’re looking for a date this Valentines Day why not give Hater a shot. Available on iOS now with Android to follow soon.

Quick side note: I’m also available this Valentines to see the Lego Batman movie if anyone’s interested.

Best travel apps for surviving your journey around the world

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In December, I took a big step that a lot of young people in Ireland have been doing in the past few years. I quit my job, packed up, a went to Australia for a year. For those of you who are thinking about it, I can tell you that yes, it is scary but so worth it. After 3 months, I’ve been to some awesome places. I’ve found a decent paying job, and most importantly, made some great friends.
 
But all this wouldn’t have been possible without technology. How people back in the day did this without it amazes me. So I’ve put together a list of travel apps that won’t only help you travel Australia, but most of the world.

Google Maps

This one is arguably the most obvious and essential of travel apps. Yes, it comes pre-installed on Android, but you can delete it if you need a bit of extra space. You will use this almost every day on your travels. It shows the quickest routes to get to places whether it’s on foot, by car, or by public transport. Recent updates added taxi services like Hailo and Uber in certain countries. Google Maps also gives you times for trains and buses so you get to your destination when you intend to.
maps and the best travel apps
The best feature is WiFi downloads. In the hotel, you can download the map data for a massive area so a lack of data can’t stop you. If you need a bit of extra space, delete a couple of other apps you don’t need. First head on the block might be Play Newsstand, Play Games or Play Movies and TV. But do not touch your precious maps, the most essential of travel apps.

WiFi Finder

If you’re like me and go travelling with a locked phone and can’t get a SIM card, this app is a God send. It is extremely difficult to find free WiFi in Australia. The restaurants don’t give you WiFi. The bars don’t give you WiFi. My own job with a company who sells WiFi doesn’t give you WiFi. Having WiFi is the only way I can contact people right now, generally through Facebook. So this is a handy app to have, especially if you’re travelling alone. It is also is compatible in 144 countries. Some iPhone users might have spotted this appearing in the Facebook app.

Zomato

Again, I can’t speak for all countries, but Australia is a very, very expensive place. If you’re going out for dinner, for a main course alone you’re looking at over $30. A full meal for 2 it’s easily over $100. For a pint in most places, you’re looking at $12 give or take. So let me introduce you to Zomato, another God send, particularly for us Irish. Zomato gives you a list of BYOB restaurants in Oz. That’s right, you can bring your own beer to restaurants. Land in, order your food and crack open your bottle of beer or wine you bought in you local offie. The savings are obvious as the offie is usually half the price you’d pay at most restaurants. Zomato offers different cuisines, indoor, outdoor and price range. And it also gives you rating system and reviews. If you like dining out, Zomato is your best friend.

Tripadvisor/AirBnB

Two similar apps here which can be particularly handy for the backpackers out there. These apps give you a selection of accommodation available at your destination. You’ll also have prices, ratings and reviews at hand. Even if you are coming over for a year, it’s still nice to have these handy if you plan on a few weekends away in Australia. Or if you decide to get a flight to Vietnam and do a Top Gear job on a couple of bikes through the country. Which brings me to my next app.

Skyscanner

There are some decent deals out there for flights if you’re willing to look hard enough. Skyscanner does all the work for you. If you’re travelling Europe, you could get from one country to another for under €100. Same goes for Asia. And if you’re in Australia, getting from Perth to Brisbane can cost you almost $300. Booking a few weeks ahead could save you a decent few quid. Travel apps that save money are great

Instagram

If you are going to go to all these places, you might as well make a few people jealous while you’re at it. You can put up your pics, daily stories and even live stream on your feed. Throw in a few hashtags and who knows? You might become one of those people who starts getting paid to travel the world. My username is Deanahern92 if you want to see what you’re missing out on.

Mobile banking app

The last thing you need is to run out of money from reckless spending while seeing the world. All those landmarks, new restaurants and buying $12 pints add up. This is handy to keep track of your funds and apply for emergency loans if it gets to that point.

drunk ATM usageSpotify

This one I can’t stress enough. Getting to Australia is no walk in the park. I had an hour long flight to a Heathrow, a 13-hour flight to Hong Kong and a 7-hour flight to Perth. I didn’t think I’d make it there alive knowing I had a 7-hour flight ahead of me after a 13 hour one. Granted, there are films on the flights. But a lot of travelling involves long bus journeys that don’t give you the luxury of movies. Also, if you plan on interrailing or backpacking, music can be a release from the loneliness you can feel. Spotify is a game changer. Which brings me to my next and final app.

Netflix

Since Netflix has now given us downloadable movies, this is possibly the very best travel app out there. Netflix can be a life saver on those long bus trips. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury of this on my way over. But if you plan on taking a trip anytime soon, make sure you load up on a few films and series. Don’t get me wrong, travelling is fun, but it can be boring. Having shows to watch could be the difference between you going home or keeping the party going.
 
So there you have it. The best travel apps to make sure you don’t end up in the fetal position on a side street in Indonesia asking for your mommy to send you funds to stay in a bug ridden hotel for a night.
 
But in all seriousness, coming to Australia is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. If you’re stuck in a job that you hate, finished college and want to find yourself, or need a break from the same old clubs and pubs you’ve been going to since you were 18, just do it. Don’t think about it. Save some cash, quit your job or take some time off and pack up your things and go. As I said before, I’ve made some great friends. I’ve been on secluded beaches on islands I didn’t even know existed and snorkelled with clown fish. I can go to a different beach every weekend within an hours drive. And I’ve a freakin’ pool in my back garden.
 
I can finally say, ‘I’m living the life.’

The Dublin Tech Summit speakers you won’t want to miss

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Dublin Tech Summit (DTS) is kicking off it’s first year, filling the gap that was left by Web Summit’s move to Lisbon. Off the bat, it’s not in the RDS, so you’ll have to plan a little differently. To help you get prepped, we’re take a look at the Dublin Tech Summit speakers you won’t want to miss.

Gary Vaynerchuk

Wine and tech have plenty of connections. A lot more than DTS attendees will be downing during the After Hours “networking” events. Back in 1999, Gary Vaynerchuk took over his father’s off licence. Combining innovative digital marketing with aggressive pricing, Vaynerchuck was making $50 million a year selling cans by 2005. By cans I mean nice wine. Today, Vaynerchuk has made a fortune as a serial entrepenuer. He’s invested in Uber, Twitter and Facebook to name but a few. Not one to be found idle, he also heads up VaynerMedia with his brother.

Vaynerchuk is a polarising speaker. He makes a ton of video content online, is in your face and downright agressive. Still, a man with DNA like Vaynerchuk probably deserves to be listened to.

Vaynerchuk takes to the stage on 15 February at 15:00 and again at 15:30

Cindy Gallop

CEO of makelovenotporn.com, Cindy Gallop is guarenteed to be one of the most interesting speakers at DTS. The self-proclaimed “Michael Bay of business” because she “likes to blow shit up”, she’s a TED Talks vetern. Gallop will be speaking at DTS about distrupting sex in tech. makelovenotporn.com sets out to despunk debunk myths about sex that have been generated by porn.

speaker at Dublin Tech SummitHer “pro-sex, pro-porn and pro-knowing the difference” approach has even led to makelovenotporn.tv being created. That’s a site where every day people can turn a profit and become MakeLoveNotPornstars. This is really one of DTS’s speakers you won’t want to miss.

Gallop takes to the stage on 16 February at 14:10 and again 14:40

Till Faida

AdBlock software is always considered to be something that the techie types care about. Believe it or not, this couldn’t be further from the truth. A recent study by Page Fair shows that Irish users are among the highest AdBlock users in Europe. A stunning 39% of Irish internet users are blocking ads online. This is why AdBlock CEO Till Faida makes the cut for speakers you don’t want to miss. Sure, a rake of digital marketers will be there but it’s a facinating insight into what’s being done to serve you with ads. Expect Faida to detail alternatives to outright blocking of ads too.

Faida takes to the stage on 16 Feburary 11:30 and again at 11:50

There are plenty of others you won’t want to miss. Of course, you could just follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook. We’ll be covering the best bits live from DTS 2017 on 15 and 16 February.