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What is a Selfie?

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You might read the title “what is a selfie” and think, this is going to be some deep psychological journey into the mind of someone who takes a picture of themselves. Don’t worry it’s not. We’re keeping things a little more simple to start.

What is a selfie?

With the dawn of the smartphone, came a dramatic increase in media creation. We just recently watched a pre-smartphone documentary on the 9/11 attacks called 102 Minutes that Changed America. The documentary had rare and never before seen footage from multiple angles. Could you imagine the amount of footage that would be available should this have happened today?

Your face when your front facing camera is on

Well pointing your camera phone at landmarks, dinner and events quickly became boring for the people of earth, who demanded a front facing camera on their smartphones. Born was the age of the selfie. People have never been so aware of their own faces. Once upon a time, when your brushed your teeth in the morning was one of the few times you’d see your face. Now when ever you load your camera on the phone, chances are you are shocked at your own face appearing – example left.

Eventually man went on to further develop the selfie to include such abnormalities as the “duck face” selfie, the “slightly famous person behind me” selfie and  the “I’m on the toilet, I better WhatsApp the guys” selfie.

The front facing camera wasn’t enough though. Our arms weren’t long enough for the perfect selfie, so we constructed one of the most recognisable smart phone accessories – the selfie stick.

The selfie stick looks ridiculous, but it’s very practical for an impractical act. However, just this week a selfie stick was used to save a young girl’s life. Erynn Johns, 16, was pulled out to sea by a riptide. She was carrying a GoPro attached to a selfie stick, which her quick thinking Dad was able to grab and pull her back into shore.

Selfie sticks save lives.

What’s not a selfie?

Yes, this is pedantic and it’s minute and it’s nitpicking, but it’s also correct. A selfie, as obvious as it seems, should be taken by one’s self – not someone else. Getting this wrong were UniLad, covering the great news that WWE and TNA start Kurt Angle has had a tumor successfully removed. While it’s fantastic news, it’s not a selfie.

Every day, photographs are incorrectly identified as selfies. This is a growing epidemic, already brought to public attention by John Oliver. The media does indeed to be one of the main perpetrators in titling images incorrectly as selfies.

Next time you see a picture defined incorrect as a selfie, do the right thing. Briefly mutter to yourself “but that’s not even a selfie” and go on about your day.

App of the Week: Boast

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Ever fancied yourself as a bit of a Ian Dempsey, Joe Brolly or Vogue Williams but just don’t have the platform to be heard? Boast just may be the app you’ve been waiting for.

Boast is an Android and iPhone app which provides you with a platform to have your voice heard, quite literally. Speaking recently at the Irish Pavillion of Expo in Milan, Edward Wallace of Boast described the app as being an “audio driven social network that’s been compared to Twitter“. You’re given 20 seconds to record your audio before it’s broadcast on your stream.

Your voice will then be heard by others on Boast. Your face when you listen back to your voice…

When hearing your own voice back

Prefer to stream video and audio to the masses rather than just audio? Try Periscope

Boast currently has some interesting streams, such as the celeb gossip focused “The Grapevine”, but also has a huge sporting following. As an Irish App, there is also a massive GAA following being encouraged by Eircom. So for the time you can’t make the pub to shite talk about the GAA, you can still get your fix over on the eircomGAA stream in Boast.

So do you feel like your opinions aren’t heard? Or maybe just that you need to get a rant off your chest that the Summer transfers for your club are crap.

Download Boast for iOS or Android now.

WhatsApp Web Receives Updates

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We recently introduced you to WhatsApp Web, an app you can use in your computer browser to send and receive WhatsApp messages. The world’s favorite messaging app have made a few tweaks to their web interface.

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Chances are if you play weekly 5-a-side or have had a family event, you’ve been involved PTSD inducing rally of WhatsApp notifications.

what it feels like to get whats app group notifications

Much like typing on your phone can be a little head wrecking, the new WhatsApp Web improvements allow you to control the little annoyances from your computers browser. Yup, you can now abandon ship from WhatsApp groups using WhatsApp Web. If abandoning ship is a little extreme, you can also simply mute the chat.

Other improvements include updating your profile pictures and status bar. While this are all small improvements, the really exciting bit is that WhatsApp Web is undergoing constant change. It’s genuinely a great service for Android and Windows Phone users, so if you haven’t tried it yet, get on it!

What’s New on Netflix this Month

After scrolling through Netflix a few days in a row you could be forgiven for wondering if it’s ever updated. The good news is that a load of new stuff has made available on Netflix. Unfortunately, it’s really hit and miss.

Think you might be addicted to Netflix? Check out these telltale signs

Let’s start with the positives. Riding the wave of popularity that is the Minions movie, Netflix have brought Despicable Me 2 on board. Needless to say, this makes us happy.

Despicable Me Netflix

Netflix does have a few Irish movies on board now, with Castletown’s finest now joining the billing. Yup, The Hardy Bucks Movie is now on Netflix, trekking across Europe to following the Republic of Ireland’s European Championship exploits. The Hardy Bucks Movie is a far cry from being a blockbuster, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s a good flick to pass a few hours.

Things take a slow turn for the worst with Pain & Gain, starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. A true, but mad, story that’ll deliver one or two laughs. Equally middling is Liam Neeson’s A Walk Among the Tombstones. Both movies rank around 6.5 on IMDB, are are unlikely to set the world alight. Ranking much higher, but in truth not reaching the quality of it’s compatriot movies is The World’s End. One thing we will ever do is put people off watching a Simon Pegg and Nick Frost movie though, so it’s worth a go.

worldsend9

There are some more great Irish flicks new on Netlfix. Calvary is an unusual movie that will most likely take a few views to fully appreciate. Calvary is the story of a anonymous man vowing to kill a priest (Brendan Gleeson) in confession, simply because the priest is a good man.

A more strange, but no less brilliant, entry is Frank. Michael Fassbender, one of the planet’s most recognisable stars, so of course this movie sees him wearing a giant paper mache  head while making music. Yes, it’s that weird, but genuinely enjoyable.

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Finally, back on the international stage, Johnny Depp gets into a jangling costume and runs around playing a crazy character. Unfortunately, this character and film are awful. On the other hand, a brief search will return Pirates of the Caribbean, so even if you have seen it a hundred times you’re better off going back in for seconds.

Gaggle Giggle – Bad driving and bad timing

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The Germans have a word for pretty much everything, but this word and this video just go hand in hand.

Owing largely to the exploits on the roads of Russia, dashcams have grown in popularity. The great byproduct for us is that there has also been a sharp increase in the documentation of piss poor or stupid driving. We’ve all been there. You see someone driving like a gobshite, and you just wish to the high heavens that they’d be caught out.

Let us introduce you to Dublin’s stupid Audi driver. This lad/lady couldn’t handle the waiting behind a truck and tried to overtake on a narrow road within oncoming traffic. That oncoming traffic just happened to be an unmarked Garda car. Lovely.

https://youtu.be/56VZ5iGhIuw

Satisfying isn’t it.

Ireland’s newest mobile operator – iD

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Ireland’s latest network iD was announced today bringing with it that feeling you have felt when UTV Ireland or TV3 launched.

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id mobile irelandIt’s impossible not to share a certain curiosity with a new service launching, as one half of Ireland’s brand new MVNOs announced their name. iD , powered by Carphone Warehouse, has been created as part of the Three and O2 merger, which required Three to support two new MVNO operators in the market place. iD will be followed by UPC’s MVNO, which has yet to be announced.

The design of iD Ireland  follows 18 months of market research to bring what the people really want in a network to life. General Manager of iD Ireland, Hamish White stated “over 65% of the market are pre-pay mobile customers who have not committed to a mobile operator. We’re planning to fill the gap.”

No further details have been announced, but launch is expected in the coming weeks. You can register to receive the latest updates on the iD Ireland website, like them on facebook, or follow @iDMobileIreland on Twitter.

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Which Music Streaming App Suits You?

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Thanks to publicity from Tidal, Taylor Swift and now Apple Music, choosing a music streaming app has become the top priority for a lot of people. The market is now swarming with apps which seem to offer the same thing. We take a closer look to see if there’s a music streaming app that suits you best.

Why Choose a Music Streaming App?

It all began with the humble iPod. People liked having loads of CDs in their pocket. Then they got greedy. iPods were limited to around 7000 songs and the people wanted more. Music streaming apps now bring over 30 million songs to every device they are installed on.

How much does this all cost?

For less than the price of a ‘traditional’ album a month, you can get access to a music steaming app. You’re looking at around €9.99 for premium access to most apps, though many provide a free version where you just have to listen to some ads or pay a little more for additional access or quality.

I’m interested…what are my options?

Thought you’d never ask. There’s plenty.

Spotify

Spotify was the first widely popular music streaming app and still arguably the most popular with over 75 million users and 20 million of those are premium. Spotify boasts, the now market average for music streaming apps, over 30 million tracks in its database. Spotify also comes in at the market average of €9.99 per month, but rather brilliantly allows you to have more than one user per account. You do have to pay for extra users (€5 per user up to 4 extra users), but this is hugely convenient.

Spotify’s real charm is in the playlist sharing ethos amongst its users. You’ll also find pre-made playlists for almost every situation and be able to share or embed them on most social media platforms.

Finally, Spotify is compatible with most devices, whether it be Android, iOSWindows Phone or most Smart TVs. You can also enjoy Spotify offline by downloading tracks or through your laptop which is great for work or college.

Google Play Music

Google Play Music LogoConsidering Android users already have the Google Play store and a Gmail account, Google decided to capitalise on this by creating a music streaming service to take on Spotify. They largely achieved this.

Google Play Music matches the market average of 30 million tracks for €9.99 per month. You can also get the app for iOS and it comes installed on all new Android devices. No Windows Phone version is available as of yet. One of the main benefits of Google Play Music is the offering of ad-free YouTube music videos of many tracks, but you are limited here to one user per account regardless of how willing you are to pay more. You can download a vast number of albums to listen to offline, listen to ‘radio’ selections based on certain tracks or playlists created by other users.

Google Play Music is no shining light when it comes to music streaming apps, but it’s also a safe and decent provider unlikely to disappoint. Currently you can try out an extended 60 day free trial.

Microsoft Groove

Xbox Music LogoAs far as music streaming apps go, Google Play Music and Spotify have rather nice user interfaces. Microsoft Groove really isn’t as intuitive as the others mentioned so far, but it’s still rather effective. Ticking the boxes mentioned earlier in terms of price and available songs, Microsoft Groove has the added benefit of being the primary music streaming app that comes installed on Xbox One. In terms of being a full home entertainment system, having a central music database like this for parties can be priceless.

As we mentioned, Microsoft Groove really falls down in the user experience, as discovering more music based on what you’ve listened to or picked, isn’t great. You can, however, enjoy Microsoft Groove on iOS, Android and of course is installed on Windows Phone. Also, as with all apps on this list, you can download music and listen later (should be appealing to those with low data limits).

Tidal

Tidal Music LogoYes, you are seeing a trend emerging here. Tidal costs €9.99 a month and offers a database of over 30 million songs. Tidal’s real niche as a music streaming app is the attention to detail and quality you can get. First of all the app experience with Tidal is unrivaled with smooth apps on both Android and iOS (Windows Phone being left on the long finger. If you like Shazam, you’ll love the audio search feature built into the app which will find you a song you hear in passing and let you listen as you continue on your way.

Tidal goes further to offer users FLAC quality tunes for an extra tenner a month. While this is a cool feature to have, for the vast majority of users, the €9.99 package will be more than enough.

Apple Music

With the saloon doors swinging wide open, the surprisingly late addition to this western is Apple. As the iPod seems to be coming to a halt, Apple seek to replace the device that started it all with an app. There are no big surprises to be had, as the usual €9.99 a month gets you access, along with 30,000,013 tracks when you include Taylor Swift’s much debated ‘1989’ album).

The real win here though will be the three month free trial you get. The vast majority or Apple users who have not already tried a music streaming app but like music, are likely to dive in and keep paying the monthly fee for the service. Apple are going further and almost as surprising as allowing Google Play Music into iTunes, they will be creating their first ever Android App in the coming months. No such plans have been announced for Windows Phone.

While Apple Music is a great addition to the world of music streaming apps, Apple have strayed from the one thing that makes them brilliant; simplicity. With the integration of your existing music tastes and tracks, Beats 1 (a radio station) and many other features, it’s a little overwhelming for new users.

Like Spotify though, Apple had the foresight to include a family option for €15 per month. Unlike Spotify this is an amazing feature allowing up to 6 users to share one account. Apple Music is certainly a strong contender, but where do they rank overall?

The Verdict

While many of the apps share the same features for the same cost and offer more or less the same output, unless you are a die-hard Taylor Swift fan, Spotify is the winner; and by quite a large distance. The reason Spotify is the clear victor is simply because it’s the most rounded experience for users. Providing a music streaming app, available across all platforms, with a huge database while remaining user friendly and good value to boot.

But to be fair, don’t just take our word for it, all of these providers have some sort of free trial that allows you to test them out. You’ll have to supply debit or credit card details, but just remember to cancel if you don’t like it.

Quick Compare

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Periscope or Meerkat – What’s the difference?

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You may have already heard of Periscope and Meerkat, but just what is the difference between the two live video streaming apps?

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Back up. What’s Periscope and Meerkat?

Simply put, Periscope and Meerkat are two apps that more or less do the same thing. They allow users to stream live video broadcasts from their smartphone. The link to these streams is shared though social media so others can view.

Is Periscope better than Meerkat?

The two apps rose to prominence as they were pitted against each other as rivals earlier this year. Both used Twitter to allow users to log in. Twitter then bought Periscope and kicked Meerkat out. While both offer a similar experience and it’s great to root for the underdog, Periscope offers the much cleaner and polished user experience. Periscope also links flawlessly into Twitter, so it’s the clear winner from the two.

So why would I want to stream video through Periscope?

The exciting thing about Periscope is the unrivaled images you can receive from anywhere in the world. Sometimes it’ll be funny individuals or randomers trying out the app for the first time, but the app offers unique insight into current events. For example, during the recent race riots in Baltimore, users could view live feeds from the local population rather than the snippets the media provide. This allows the public to absorb a much wider picture of what’s actually happening on the ground.

How do I start Periscoping?

In order to start broadcasting video, simply download the Periscope app to either your Android or Apple device, sign in with your Twitter account. Then just title your broadcast and start (remember to share the link when it’s up and running. You can view streams by finding links on Twitter through either your phone app or laptop.

Can I get Windows 10 for free?

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There have been plenty of rumors and misunderstandings surrounding the impending launch of Windows 10, as Microsoft confirmed that it will be available for free for certain users. We’re going to clarify who can get Windows 10 for free, and what you need to do to get it.

Straight to it. Can I get Windows 10 for free?

If you are currently running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you can indeed upgrade for free! Simply follow the instructions from the Microsoft site.

Is there any rush on me?

It would appear that this offer will remain in place after launch day, which is next Monday, 29th June. As always, best to get in early should this change.

Will this be a massive job?

Updating an operating system is relatively straight forward compared to the old days. Still, the process could take over 1 hour to complete, depending on your machine/internet connection.

I tried to follow those instructions, but I can’t even see the little Windows logo to get started.

Chances are, Windows update is turned off. Pop into control panel to turn it on, or visit the Windows support forums, they’ve experienced a few problems.

What’s the catch?

There really doesn’t seem to be one. Microsoft seem very willing and eager to have their base of customers upgraded to Windows 10. Pop on your tinfoil hat, and give it a got. As always, we do recommend you backup everything before installing.

Airbnb: All you need to know

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You’ve probably heard of Airbnb, but are also likely to have little idea what it’s actually all about. Simply put, you can save on your holiday accommodation and even rent out your own place when you’re away. Sounds good? Let’s delve deeper.

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Sum up Airbnb in one sentence

Through Airbnb, you can rent someone else’s apartment or house from them when they aren’t at home, or you can rent our your own.

Well that sounds dodgy…

Approaching crowd-powered accommodation can be a little intimidating, particularly if you are thinking of renting out your place when your away. The good news is that, while there are plenty of horror stories to come out of Airbnb, there is also substantial protection put in place for you. One glaring omission from this protection is theft. Generally speaking, if you rent out your place and your TV is stolen, chances are you’ll be out of pocket.

Right, so what are the benefits?

While the dependence on strangers being decent is a fairly big downside, Airbnb is not without a huge amount of benefits. First of all, you can stay in some unique places which far surpass standard hotel accommodation. To the left, you’ll see a beautiful modern Dublin City center house available for just €75 per night. Bearing in mind, this allows you full access to a kitchen to allow further savings.

On certain occasions, you’ll be staying in accommodation while the owner of the house is also there. This sometimes means cooked meals or you might never see them. Chances are you’ll at least meet them at the start of your visit to get the keys, at which point they can give you some of the local knowledge. Reviews on the Airbnb site ensure you’ll have an idea what kind of host you’ll be visiting.

When and where can I use Airbnb?

Pretty much wherever or whenever you want, in over 190 countries. If you are going to be away, you can rent out your own place to cover the costs of you renting a place elsewhere. Of course, Airbnb will take a cut, but chances are you’ll at least break even on your venture.

Before getting involved, be sure to properly read all terms and conditions on the Airbnb site, contact your own insurer to make sure everything is covered (should there be no visible sign of breakin) and download the iOS or Android Airbnb app.