Does anyone else have that itch that Love/Hate leaving the TV created? We’re fixing for more fast paced Irish gangland that’s not the RTÉ News. While many were hoping for a Love/Hate movie, Cardboard Gangsters looks like it could deliver far beyond what we’ve seen on the small screen.
The Cardboard Gangsters of Darndale Dublin
Cardboard Gangsters follows a couple of Dubs trying to take control of the drug trade in Darndale. The movie stars John Connors, best known for his appearance in Love/Hate. Connors plays Jay Connolly, a part-time DJ and low-level drug dealer. He’s loving life on the dole until that gets cut. Unlike most people, he saw this as the right time to become a gangster full-time, entering the big leagues. Like a football scout, a local kingpin sports Jay and propels him further down a violent and bloody path.
Cardboard Gangsters is already wowing audiences
The film has been rocking around the festival circuit already. It’s picked up three awards at Manchester Film Festival earlier this year. It’s even landed the Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking at the Newport Beach Film Festival in California. There, parallels were drawn between the movie and the work of Guy Ritchie and Danny Boyle.
From one look at the trailer alone, that experience will pay off. Cardboard Gangsters might be the Love/Hate movie everyone wanted, filled with money, power and sex. This is one we’ll be counting down the days to. The date to mark in your diary is 16 June.
The world’s most popular music streaming service is making music sharing easier than ever. Spotify Codes has just launched in Ireland, so here’s the craic with it.
What are Spotify Codes?
The best part of having a roast chicken for dinner is when you pick the leftovers at night time. Right now, Snapchat is that roast chicken. Facebook, as in the umbrella group for Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, have borrowed features like Stories recently. Spotify has decided they’re a little peckish, coming to see what’s for the pickin’.
One feature Facebook hasn’t ‘borrowed’ from Snapchat yet is Snapcodes. These are unique images that can be scanned using your camera on your phone through Snapchat. Snapcodes add contacts to your Snapchat app and can even bring you to websites. This is the feature Spotify decided they’d like to ‘borrow’, allowing you to find songs and playlists by scanning codes.
How to use Spotify Codes
There are two ways you can use Spotify Codes:
Sharing music
The first thing you’ll need to know is how to create Spotify Codes, but it’s pretty simple. In the app, just tap the three dots in the top-right corner of your screen. Then you’ll see a new code below the cover image of what you’re listening to. This works for songs and playlists, making it super easy to share. One idea here is that a friend could then scan your screen. The other is the huge potential for artists to share the hell out of their codes online and on albums, posters, lampposts etc.
Finding music
When you come across a Spotify Code, it’s really easy to scan it. Open up the Spotify app and go to search. Where you normally type in what you’re looking for, you’ll now also see a camera icon. Tap that and the camera will load allowing you to line up the Spotify Code on-screen. The app will then load up the song, artist or playlist that you scanned. It actually does it in a fraction of a second too.
You can test it out by giving my Motiving Marty playlist a listen.
Full disclosure. I’m a happy Sky customer. It’s not often I get to say I like a service, but I like Sky. It’s a premium service for sure and I pay for it, but I feel it’s good value. Some might not agree and choose not to have Sky. I totally get it. But, doesn’t it suck when something comes up that you’d just love to watch? You know, that one game or one series is on that makes you wish you had Sky? If this is you, Sky Now TV should be music to your ears.
What is Sky Now TV?
Traditionally, to have Sky meant you needed to have a dish installed on your property connected to a box with a 12-month contract. Ugh, right? Sky Now TV is access to Sky TV powered by the internet that you can connect to as you wish. Instead of 12-month contracts, access to Sky Now TV starts from just one day and rocks up to one month.
Why should I use Sky Now TV?
Simply put, Sky Now TV gives you a huge amount of freedom.
Sky Now TV at Christmas
Christmas is a great example of why you would want Sky Now TV. We looked at Google search trends for Sky Now TV in the UK where it’s established. We found that there are sharp increases around Christmas Day because people are fit to kill each other with boredom. Of course, the solution isn’t to sign up to a 12-month contract which is where Sky Now TV comes in. Pay €15 and you’ll get 30-days of full access to Sky Movies. That’s plenty to get you through the Christmas.
Short term access for big sporting occasions
I have all the Sky channels and I’ve found myself getting back into Formula 1 to justify another couple of days to have Sky Sports. However, many will only want Sky Sports infrequently. If you’re a big fan of big Golf or Darts events, you might only want access to Sky Sports every few months. Sky Now TV gives you 24-hour Sky Sports access for €10, one week access for €15 or a month for €50. So if you want to have everyone around to watch a big derby match as a once off, this is a great option.
It’s great if you live in apartments
A lot of apartment blocks actually don’t allow Sky dishes to be installed. Sometimes, this leaves people with only the poverty channels, ewww. More good news if this sounds like your situation. The basic Entertainment package through this streaming service is actually incredibly good value.
For €15 per month, you’ll get access to a load of channels and 250 Sky boxsets. Some of the series included is our beloved Silicon Valley, Prison Break and Game of Thrones.
How do you watch it?
You can stream Sky Now TV to any smart device or through a dedicated Roku box, designed especially for the service. Of course, right now that means you’d also be dodging the TV license unless the government have their say.
Best of all, there’s a 14-day free trial for everything, except sports. Give it a lash.
Right now, there’s a generation trying to work out the limitations of SMS messages. They’re learning that international messages cost a lot of money and as for sending GIFs? Well, let’s just say there’ll be a few hefty bills next month. The cause of all this? There’s a worldwide WhatsApp outage – thems some fairly scary words, aren’t they?
WhatsApp is down? What’s happening?
Just after 9pm this evening, reports that WhatsApp was down in Ireland began to emerge on social media – namely Twitter.
WhatsApp was down there… how odd. Seems to be back up and running again now
And it’s not just us, as reports from Western Europe, Asia and America are also rolling through news feeds. It would be easy to miss too as there is little or no warning in the app when there is an extended lack of connection. Users just see that bloody little clock when they send a message. Using the word unprecedented might seem a bit dramatic, but literally, it’s a suitable term. WhatsApp has been extremely reliable since overtaking SMS messages in recent years, with this being the biggest outage yet. Plus, it’s not Viber.
Why is this such a big deal?
Ah sure, it’s not really a big deal. There’s probably a few people angrily waiting for a reply to a message, but there’s hardly planes falling from the sky. But right now, Sky News have their super dramatic rolling ticker describing the outage. Services going down like this do serve as a warning because we’ve become so dependant on instant messaging. Twitter is lighting up with people almost relieved it’s widespread rather than just their issue. For the love of God though, don’t revert to Viber.
It’s definitely North Korea
Well, we did spot that more people were Googling ‘World War 3’ than usual. Ah no, while WhatsApp has been fairly silent on the issue so far, we’re sure some engineer just tripped over a cable or something. Or, it’s the end of days. How are we supposed to know? Our North Korean WhatsApp group has gone totally silent. And we don’t chat on Viber.
How to survive the Great WhatsApp outage of 2017
There a few simple tips to get you through. Remember, when texting internationally, you need the international dialling code. Also, if you’re messaging two people at once, that’s a MMS message, because texting two people is the same as sending a picture. And MMS needs special settings. Go on, call up your network provider and ask whoever answers for your MMS settings. We’re probably at the stage where that’ll be a first for them. Bless.
Update 11.20pm: Typically, just as I’m about to hit publish, I hear the WhatsApp notification on my phone. Guess we survived the Great 2017 WhatsApp outage.
Update 11.30pm: No, no. Still no WhatsApp. It’s banjaxed.
Us Irish are useless when it comes to some aspects of new technology. We’re often years behind Europe and the UK. Video was, for quite some time, another great example of this reluctance to adopt tech. That was until Instagram launched Boomerang, a fun video looping app. Well now that we’re over the video hump, you should try out 1 Second Everyday.
What is 1 Second Everyday?
There’s a fair chance you’ve pulled together the gist of this app already. The app allows you to capture a 1-second clip every day. It will remind you when you haven’t already captured your clip, ensuring the movie of your life continues. The app has received massive coverage including a TED Talk after being backed on Kickstarter.
Why is this better than Boomerang?
Well, honestly, it’s down to opinion. I feel that Boomerangs, as cool as they are, simply capture a moment. Usually, this moment is pretty goofy because of the looping effect. 1 Second Everyday just feels much more meaningful. It’s not about the instant gratification of capturing a silly moment on Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy those too, but there’s something about the long project that appeals to me.
Granted, there have been updates to the app in recent times that might detract from the idea. GIF looping, unlimited seconds can be added to days, little things like this. Still, the foundations are there and they are brilliant. By downloading the app, you’re committing to a much long term project. By the end of it, you’ll be reward with a movie of your life, packed with memories. Here’s the original clip that started it all:
This isn’t even my movie, but I almost feel an emotional connection to the clips. In this modern age of social media saturation, to enjoy such a connection online is rare. Give it a try, I’ll think you’ll enjoy it.
Download 1 Second Everyday on Android and iOS now.
There are a lot of powerful online apps out there, but not many are as cool as Visual Ping. You might think being able to detect website changes isn’t that sexy, but you’d be wrong.
What is Visual Ping?
Basically, Visual Ping is web service that will detect website changes and notify you. There is a free version you can try out which gives you limited sites and checks. Now, you’d be forgiven for thinking that sounds pretty boring, but trust me, this is a very powerful tool. Simply pop in the site you want to track, how often you want to check it and how severe a change you’re waiting for. Visual Ping will then let you know when that site changes.
Why would I want to detect website changes?
The vast majority of us are totally guilty of not harnessing the power of the internet. Services like IFTTT can make the internet do a lot of heavy lifting for you. If you’re smart about it, Visual Ping can really give you the edge – here’s how.
Cracking deal out of stock? Get notified when it’s back
Online shopping is great craic and there’s nothing better than finding an absolute steal. On the flipside, there’s little worse than missing out. Take this classic Sega Mega Drive for example:
Using Visual Ping, you can track this page for slight changes. The free version of the app will check this page daily for the slightest changes. So when the ‘out of stock’ message changes to ‘available’, you’ll be one of the first to know. It’s that simple.
The eagle-eyed among you will quick spot that you’ll also learn price drops by using this method. This is true, but we prefer PriceSpy for that job.
Track Ticketmaster for availability and Black Friday bargains
Missed out on tickets to your favourite act? Set up Visual Ping to track the right page in Ticketmaster and you’ll get the jump on the masses when extra dates are announced. Actually, when it comes to getting the jump on people, don’t forget Black Friday.
Every year, the people of Ireland lose the plot over Black Friday. Irish online retailers react by changing their sites to reflect the madness. Setting Visual Ping to track websites like Currys and DID in the weeks building up to the big day could bag you some bargains.
These are just two examples of how Visual Ping can be of great benefit. You’ll probably be able to think of some unique uses yourself. Either way, give it a try. It won’t cost you a penny but could save you a packet.
Who doesn’t love Kickstarter project? Well, we sure do and it is always great to see where a successfully funded can go. The harsh reality is that quite a lot of these projects don’t make it even with the backing of the public. So it’s nice to see when a project like ZUtA, mini mobile printer upset the odds.
What is the ZUta?
Although the desktop printer has gotten smaller and easier to use they are no match for smartphone portability. This is precisely where the ZUta, a mini mobile printer, comes in. It’s small enough to be taken anywhere, can print on any size paper and lets you print directly from your smartphone or tablet. It weighs in at a meagre 350 grams, making it light enough to drop into a laptop bag or a school bags. I’m sure if you’re a student or commuting business person this is music to your ears.
Why would I need a mini mobile printer
How many times have you needed to print concert tickets or a boarding pass but didn’t have a printer? Chances are you think having a printer would just take up to much space. Either that or you’re printing in the office – tut tut. Still, emergencies do pop up from time to time. And you’ll be caught out without a printer someday. So why not have one sitting in the drawer. ZUta claims the ink cartridge will last for over 1000 pages and the battery for over an hour when fully charged.It’s the best bit about the ZUta. I just love how portable, yet efficient and actually practical this is. Not to mention it’s bloody cool. It meets all the cool gadget needs. Just look at it:
The ZUta will only launch in two colours and will initially only print in grayscale. You’ll probably have to wait a while longer to get colour. Unfortunately, waiting has become par for the course if you’re backing complicated gadgets like this.
Innovating isn’t easy
Right now, the Kickstarter comments page for the project does have a few angry backers from the very start. The ZUta was supposed to be delivered in January 2015 but none have landed yet. The creators have a new target of later this year. While this will certainly upset a few backers, others will understand that things like this happen. The ZUta will really be pushing technology to the max and that takes time. Plus, there have been some real horror stories of massive projects simply vanishing.
Quite simply the ZUta is a groundbreaking idea and one we are very keen to get hold of.
We’ve in an interesting time in nerd culture at the moment. In 2008, Marvel put forward the ambition plan to creation their cinematic universe. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 of the 15th movie in this universe and to date, it’s been impossible to pick out a ‘dud’.
More movies in a series is bad… right?
Sure, some have been stronger than others, but there’s hasn’t been a ‘bad movie’. Something their rivals in DC can’t say (I’m looking at you, Zack Snyder). Everything Marvel seems to touch turns to molten gold. Usually, movies earn less money when there’s more of them, but not for Marvel. There’s no finer example of that the hyper technicoloured smorgasbord that is the Guardian Of The Galaxy Vol. 2. Not only does the sequel meet the high standards of the first movie, they utterly destroyed expectations. The sequel has totally eclipsed the first movie.
Why Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is better than the original
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 feels a lot more compacted than the first film which pinged around between worlds. Don’t worry, Vol.2 is just as much of a spectacle as the first and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more colourful film all year. Still, much of the movie takes place in just a few key locations. While this would hold back a lot of movies, but they’ve made such good use of these locations along with the characters you might not even care.
It should go without saying, but just to be safe. It goes without saying that the entire returning cast members all knock it out of the park. Chris Pratt is the only one to stand out as giving a more emotional and surprisingly vulnerable performance. Former pro wrestler Dave Bautista was the surprise breakout performance the last time. He’s surprisingly hit and miss this time with some of his humour feeling out of place and forced.
But that’s only a small hitch in an otherwise awesome movie. It’s just a wonderful fun movie with an intriguing story and great performances throughout. Kurt Russell is great as always as Ego the Living Planet. Newcomers Pom Klementieff and Elizabeth Debicki are also holding their own.
And then there’s the soundtrack
In terms of the overarching plot it’s a little lighter than some of the other Marvel movies but when there’s just so much going on that can be forgiven. The themes of a family are all throughout the movie and it leads to unsuspected directions special effects are wonderful while the soundtrack is of course perfect. Better than the original though?
Just about a month ago, I kicked off ‘Motivating Marty‘. All in all, it’s a bit of a mad notion where I share as much information publically about my efforts as possible. With one month complete, I wanted to give a quick update on my progress and offer some tips on how to lose weight using tech.
How has the first month of Motivating Marty been?
I picked a really interesting month to kick off a fitness kick. There was a lot going on, not to mention two Bank Holiday weekends. Still, I can’t argue with the results I’ve seen so far. Over the past week or so, my drive has waned a little. That’s left me fairly worried about the next weigh in – but that’s future-Martin’s problem.
Standing on the scales for day one, I was 107kg. Over the past few years, I’ve been in or around this weight. In the month since starting Motivating Marty, I’ve lost 5.9kg.
Typically, this is where I should say what else weighs that much. Well, it’s nearly 6 bags of sugar.
What tech will help you lose weight?
Just a month in, I’ve far from exhausted every piece of helpful tech. This first check in will just look at some of the tech and services I’ve been using.
Withings Smart Scales
Withings was recently acquired by Nokia and will be churning out great fitness gear in the coming months. It’s strange having such a cool gadget that you use so rarely. That’s just the nature of weighing scales. The Withings Smart Scales I’m using is a full Smart Body Analyser packed full of features. It obviously tells you your weight, but then it goes even further. The scales also measures body mass index, heart rate and air quality. Every time you step onto the scales, your data syncs up to the Withings app. You can then access this through an app or through their website.
This will surely sound fairly gimmicky to most people, but there are genuine benefits to having a scales like this. Take my fears about the next weigh in. If things don’t go well, I’ll see the weeks of progress that I did have. The trend map is also a constant reminder of where I started from. There’s also the ability to then connect your scales to other services. This is one of the most interesting aspects of Motivating Marty.
I’ve been rattling on about IFTTT for ages now, a service that connects loads of smart tech. IFTTT lets me connect my Withings Smart Scales to other services. Now many will use this to upload weights to Google Sheets or something, but not me. I decided to connect the bloody thing to Twitter. Yup, every time I weight myself, that weight get’s tweeted out from a dedicated account I’ve set up. I’m not joking, look:
Now I’ve wondered for years, asking myself “how to lose weight in a way I’ll enjoy”. I’ve failed a rake of times. This time, I figured the public humiliation of failing might drive me on. The funny thing is that there’s also the public support of my efforts driving me on. There have been comments, both public and private, supporting my efforts. Sure enough, most also say they couldn’t imagine something worse than tweeting out your weight. Which leads me to social media.
Social media
I’ve been fairly critical of those lads in the gym that Instagram themselves working out, but I totally get it now. I’m motivated to hit the gym because the world is watching (to a certain extent). While I feel silly posting some of the stuff and still totally think some people are over the top, I get it now. Even still, with some people over doing it, what’s the harm really? Don’t follow them or don’t tap those hashtags. It’s that simple. If something as simple as a gym post gets me off my arse, then I’ll be posting it, trust me.
How to lose weight with tech: Top tips
Over the month, I’ve learned these few bits and piece.
You will forget to use MyFitnessPal more than you remember
Instagram is addictive
Smart scales are not a gimmick
IFTTT is one of the most flexible things on the internet
That’s it for the first update. There will definitely be more of these as there’s are so many other tips I can now give on how to lose weight with tech. I haven’t even touched upon some of the best apps I’ve used in the first month, so be sure to follow Motivating Marty. You can keep up on Twitter and Instagram.
Oh Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. How do I love thee. Let me count the ways.
Last year, Samsung had one of the worst PR disasters ever seen in the mobile phone industry. Exploding batteries = recalls = massive brand damage. Sad faces in Samsung HQ? No. Recovery was on their minds. And oh boy, have they come back with a bang.
Introducing the “Infinity” Display
Samsung S8 and S8 Plus side by side
One look at the Samsung Galxay S8 and S8 Plus, and you will see the major change. The Infinity Display is the thing of dreams. A full edge to edge display.
The screen has increased from 5.1″ on the Samsung S7, to a massive 6.2″ on the Samsung S8 Plus. A little less on the S8, where the screen measures in at 5.8″ and is thinner than its older brother.
Yet the handsets themselves hasn’t increased much in size by comparison. The Samsung S8 Plus is roughly half an inch longer, and less than a tenth of an inch wider. The result? You have a phone where 86% of the front is the screen. If words will not do it justice, this video will.
You see what I mean? The Infinity Display is unlike anything you’ve ever seen on a smartphone before. A game changer. Something that you expect to see in Tony Starks basement.
Military-Grade Security
Information Security is a massive buzz with everyone these days. We’ve written some articles on how to keep your data safe. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus take security to Trump levels of security.
Fingerprint scanners are the norm nowadays on high-end smartphones. Samsung has gone that bit further. Both the S8 and S8 Plus come with facial recognition and an iris
Fingerprint scanner is conveniently located on the back of the phone
scanner. Facial recognition is nothing new, it was a key feature of the Samsung S4. Iris scanning is a new innovation. Every person is born with a unique iris in their eyes, more so than a fingerprint. This can now be used to unlock both handsets.
Sceptical? So was I. Using iris scanner alone, you need to position your eyes correctly for the device to recognise you. The trick is to use fingerprint and iris scanner in tandem. Using both at the same time, and your phone unlocks straight away. Magic!
Iris scanner also unlocks the secure folder functionality. It’s like having a mini vault on your phone for all your ‘personal’ apps and files. You can even have a second WhatsApp number tucked away, but don’t let your significant other find out. That could be a very awkward conversation.
Other Key Features
There are so many features on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus,
that we could write a novel. Some more of the good features include the camera. This is the same award-winning camera that came with the S7. For any Snapchat fans out there, both come with some built-in smart filters that can be used through the camera app.
Great fun was had testing some of the new camera features on the Samsung S8
The front facing lens now has autofocus, for anyone who has serious notions about themselves! Some nice tweaks to what came with the Samsung S7, but nothing revolutionary.
Multitasking has been enhanced as well. While basic functionality remains the same, Samsung has introduced something called “snap window”. This allows you to keep a specific area from an app at the top of the screen, while you use another app at the same time. Think of it as having your own football ticker tape across the top of the screen, and you get the idea.
Football scores while reviewing tech? Heaven!
Samsung also released its own virtual assistant on the S8 and S8 Plus. Bixby is not designed to compete with Siri or Google Allo. It’s is more designed to work in tandem with everyday functions that you use on your smartphone. Unfortunately, it has the same level of useful as a chocolate teapot. At least for now. We live in hope that Samsung develops it further.
As an added sweetener, both the Samsung S8 and S8 Plus come with headphones tuned by AKG in the box. Samsung recently purchased Harman Kardon, including the AKG and JBL audio brands. The headphones are worth approx €99, so not a bad gift to get with your new phone.
Final Thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus?
Samsung is on to a massive winner here. Both phones are exceptional. Everything you have on the Samsung S8 comes on the S8 Plus. The differences are the obvious ones. Bigger screen, and a bigger battery life. Other manufacturers in the Android space will need to deliver something special to compete. HTC may have some tricks up their sleeve with their latest flagship. We’ll be interested to see what comes out, but for now, the Samsung S8 and S8 Plus represent the best that is available.
The biggest challenge may yet come from Tim Cook and the lads at Apple. This year is the 10th anniversary for iPhone. This may have motivated Samsung even more, to produce a near perfect device. And they have as I even prefer it to my Nokia N95.
The best part of having a roast chicken for dinner is when you pick the leftovers at night time. Right now, Snapchat is that roast chicken. Facebook, as in the umbrella group for Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, have borrowed features like Stories recently. Spotify has decided they’re a little peckish, coming to see what’s for the pickin’.
For €15 per month, you’ll get access to a load of channels and 250 Sky boxsets. Some of the series included is our beloved Silicon Valley, Prison Break and Game of Thrones.
