It’s often said that Friday evening is where you get exciting news because more companies think the people who publish the news are in the pub. Well, considering Nigeria has just banned Twitter and Facebook has confirmed Donald Trump will be banned for two years, there might just be some truth to it.
Facebook Bans Trump
Earlier today, Facebook announced that they would no longer turn a blind eye to politicians posting deceptive or abusive content simply because these individuals were considered “newsworthy”.
Now, the social media giant has confirmed that Donald Trump will serve a two-year ban from the platform. This comes as a result of a review conducted by Facebook into the former-US President’s “following his praise for people engaged in violence at the Capitol” earlier this year”.
The ban will apply to Trump’s Facebook and Instagram profiles.
New Penalties For Public Figures
Facebook has also created a new framework for punishing the accounts of public figures, learning from the influence these accounts have.
At the end of this period, we will look to experts to assess whether the risk to public safety has receded. We will evaluate external factors, including instances of violence, restrictions on peaceful assembly and other markers of civil unrest. If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded.
When the suspension is eventually lifted, there will be a strict set of rapidly escalating sanctions that will be triggered if Mr. Trump commits further violations in future, up to and including permanent removal of his pages and accounts.
Impact Of Facebook Ban On Trump
The ban is backdated from January of this year which means the former President’s accounts will be reinstated from January 2023, preventing Trump from using these platforms to communicate with his followers using Facebook or Instagram until after the 2022 U.S. mid-term elections.
It’s also important to note that this ban means Trump will regain access to these audiences in time for a potential run in the next presidential campaign.
Facebook stated that at the end of the ban, they “will look to experts to assess whether the risk to public safety has receded. We will evaluate external factors, including instances of violence, restrictions on peaceful assembly and other markers of civil unrest. If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded”.
Social media has had to negotiate some tricky water lately. While claiming to no be a publisher, platforms like Facebook and Twitter have had to step in when world leaders make inflammatory claims. This often irritates the leaders and their governments. Yesterday, Twitter deleted a post by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari stating it violated Twitter rules.
Today, the Nigerian Government struck back by suspending the use of Twitter in Nigeria completely for an undetermined period of time.
The Tweet By Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari
The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, posted a tweet from his account on Tuesday. It stated that “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand”.
Twitter responded by saying this Tweet “was in violation of the Twitter Rules. The account owner will be required to delete the violative Tweet and spend 12 hours with their account in read-only mode”.
On Wednesday, Twitter intervened and removed the tweet in question, replacing it with a “no longer available” placeholder.
Nigeria Suspends Twitter
Today, a press release, somewhat ironically released on Twitter via the official Twitter account of The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in Nigeria suspended Twitter from operating in Nigeria. Prior to the suspension, Nigerian Information Minister Lai Mohammed said that “Twitter may have its own rules; it’s not the universal rule” and that if the President is “concerned about a situation, he is free to express such views”.
Today’s press release states:
The Federal Government has suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced the suspension in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, citing the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.
The Minister said the Federal Government has also directed the National Broadcasting l Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.
— Fed Min of Info & Cu (@FMICNigeria) June 4, 2021
The tweet is also interesting if you’re into Twitter Ratios.
It’s unclear how such a suspension will operate in reality. In tests conducted locally by Reuters today, Twitter continues to function normally both online and in-app.
This is a developing news story that will continue to be updated…
A quick article just to ask a question. It’s Pride Month. You’d be forgiven for forgetting that this isn’t a month for large companies to celebrate rainbows. Pride Month is of course a celebration of our LGBTQI+ community. It’s shining a light on society’s failure to accept members of the LGBTQI+ community, the struggles they faced in the past, and to act as a reminder that those days aren’t in the past. Today, friends, family and colleagues in this community still face oppression. Last year, Bethesda has made that nice and clear.
Bethesda And Pride 2020
As I mentioned, during Pride Month, companies often change their logos to show they support inclusiveness. We’ve done it for Goosed.ie in the past while also raising money for Pride charities.
The game studio, Bethesda, which was recently bought by Microsoft, did this for their Twitter profiles in lots of countries last year, including their primary corporate account. However, as highlighted by Jessica (@bananapixelsuk) on Twitter, they missed some accounts.
super excited for brands to support Pride but only in places where it's popular with their customers !! pic.twitter.com/nvkd7byoB1
Now while it appears that some people are getting mixed up by the timelines here, there’s something worthy of note.
Last year, the accounts for Bethesda Russia, Bethesda Middle East and Bethesda Turkey remained with the standard logos. Why? Well, these countries and regions remain largely oppressive of the LGBTQI+ community. I’ve spoken to friends on this who enlightened me to the fact when they book holidays they must check local laws. While Ireland has become somewhat accepting of the community, outside of our borders may not be so welcoming.
Bethesda And Pride 2021
Have they learned from their mistake? Well, no. The idea of Pride is to show support for those members of the LGBTQI+ community who need it most. To insist on change for tolerance. I use the word “tolerance” reluctantly because that’s the lowest possible bar for what should be expected.
Russia has laws against the publication of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationship” and that’s exactly what Pride Month should be seeking to challenge. If you’re not willing to support Pride in Russia or other conservative countries, the minimum you should do is just stay out of it.
Bethesda remains in the “we’d like to show our support of Pride where it suits us” camp.
2020 vs 2021 Bethesda during Pride Month.
I guess they learned their lesson… of only changing the main account to rainbow colors lol pic.twitter.com/po0zbrH56A
Mandatory starting of an article about Huawei with “they’ve had a tough time of it”. With that out of the way, Huawei is continuing to press on in the fallout of the Google Play Services ban. Their answer is to plough on with their own eco-system that is getting better and better with time. Today at a virtual launch event, the Chinese tech manufacturer announced the new Huawei Freebuds 4 and, arguably even more importantly, the Huawei Watch 3 which is running HarmonyOS, their own operating system.
Here’s everything we learned from today’s virtual launch event.
HarmonyOS
Today also marked the global launch of HarmonyOS. However, HarmonyOS has been in development since 2016, long before the US restrictions. Speaking at the launch Huawei Managing Director in Ireland, Byron Ma, said “HarmonyOS is not simply our response to the US”. Instead, HarmonyOS is being positioned by Huawei as the missing link between Huawei devices to complete a closed-loop eco-system. The biggest benefit of this is seamless transitioning between different devices.
The “closed-loop” bit might sound like a bad thing, but I’ve been testing lots of Apple products and their fairly closed eco-system is incredible. If Huawei can achieve something similar there’s a real challenge to the fractured world of Android. Whether or not this was kicked off or sped up by the US ban is somewhat irrelevant. Now, the focus will be on how quickly Huawei can develop HarmonyOS and the Huawei AppGallery.
Obviously, the biggest benefit here is if you are using a Huawei phone, watch, tablet and laptop. The big drawback is that Huawei AppGallery is still very much a work in progress so time will tell just how much of a challenge Huawei can present in this space.
Huawei Watch 3
The Huawei Watch has been around since 2015. I bought the first one which ran Android Wear at the time. It was great because it looked like a watch before a piece of tech. It’s developed quite a bit since and had multiple variations.
Still, the watch launched today is just the third new complete redesign and of course is the first watch featuring HarmonyOS. Key new features include a rotating crown control and a very intuitive looking Grid Launcher which makes access to apps much easier.
It is also the first Huawei Watch to feature eSIM. While there has yet to be an Irish network to provide this service, the potential is massive. It means you’ll be able to go for a run and leave your phone at home but have full access to your phone number.
There are loads of other features from fitness to general wellbeing, including skin temperature monitoring which in a pandemic-focused world will be of massive interest to many.
Right now, I’m only unboxed the Huawei Watch 3 Pro and had a quick look at it. It’s gorgeous but you’ll have to wait for the full review coming in a few days.
Huawei Watch 3 Pro Unboxing
Huawei Freebuds 4
Like many, I’ve had my fair share of conference calls over the past year and a bit. My goto audio accessory of choice has been the Huawei Freebuds 3. Naturally, I’m excited to test out the Freebuds 4 which Huawei has launched today and sent over for review.
While the Freebuds 4 look largely similar to the Freebuds 3, some subtle improvements have been made with these buds. Weighing in at 4.1g Huawei has focused on comfort with these new buds. They call this Air-like comfort and I have to say after popping them into my ear you do feel the difference.
Again, these just landed in so I’ve only got to unbox them and do one or two calls. No review just yet, so you’ll have to follow our social channels to make sure you don’t miss that.
The key features I’ll be keeping an eye on are the improved Active Noise Cancelling, sound quality, and, perhaps today most importantly, the call quality provided by the buds.
Huawei Freebuds 4 Unboxing
Huawei Lauching Monitors In Ireland
An interesting development at the Huawei launch today was the inclusion of the Huawei Mateview. It’s hard to look at tech these days without seeing how it can benefit a work-from-home mentality. Huawei has spotted that there are a lot of people with home office setups.
Huawei Mateview Monitor
The Huawei Mateview is an impressive 34-inch 4K+ true colour monitor retailing for €699. With a single cable you can connect and charge your laptop. It will of course work with most professional setups but remains but the idea here is to provide you with a monitor that seamlessly lets you turn your phone into a desktop or to give you the perfect monitor for your Huawei laptop. You can even project your mobile screen to enjoy a more wireless life.
Huawei Mateview GT Gaming Monitor
Huawei hasn’t just waded into monitors but has also slotted into gaming monitors with the Mateview GT. While it’s aimed at PC gamers it will even work with all modern games consoles too. This monitor is a 2K ultra-wide curved monitor with 165Hz refresh rate. Included is a wee soundbar to meet in all the entertainment, but specifically gaming, needs you might have. This one will retail for €569.
I first found out about the two of these a few weeks back and wasn’t too optimistic about them hitting the Irish market. It’s amazing news to see them in the Irish launch event today and I’ll be sure to monitor (sorry) these for launch dates.
Ok. Three days in a row now I’ve spent the evening having a wee tipple outside. I think we could be heading into a run of decent weather. I’ve ruined it haven’t I? Well, in the event that the weather returns (or hell even keeps going) here are some of the best gadgets to get you through the great outdoors. Despite the mixed messages from Government, the outdoors really is the only place we have left!
Meater BBQ Heat Probe
First thing’s first people. If we are outside grilling the last thing we need to do is:
burn the meat
poison everyone
This is why I love Meater. I met the guys behind this smart meat thermometer at IFA a couple of years ago. I’ve used it a couple of times since and love it. It totally changed how I cook meat because it helped me understand how meat itself cooks over time.
Meater+ helping roast a chicken
Stick the probe into a steak, lash it onto the BBQ and keep an eye on your phone to see how cooking is progressing. The Meater will even suggest cook times based on what you’ve cooked and how you like your meat.
The Meater, or more specifically the Meater+, is a sure way to wow anyone who pops round for a BBQ. It’s available on their website for €109.
Harman Kardon Citation 200
I’ve had this a while and never really got to put it through its paces because of lockdown. The Harmon Kardon Citation 200 is a brilliant speaker. It can connect to your WiFi or be used more simply as a Bluetooth speaker.
The beauty of it all is that this can then be used for casting music. If you’ve got some friends over, build a Spotify playlist and queue up some music without having to pass a single phone around. Better still, it’s got Google Assitant built in so you can just holler your requests at the speaker.
See, social distancing at its very best.
The sound quality out of this speaker is extremely impressive and with a battery life of 8 hours, it will outlast most summer get-togethers. It’s a classy-looking piece of kit and the best part is that it’s currently available on the Harvey Norman website at the reduced price of €289.
It’s not waterproof. This is one glaring issue. If you want to overcome that, keep reading.
Google Nest WiFi
If you’re lucky enough to have a garden to bate out some tunes on a speaker like that, you’re going to need to make sure there’s WiFi. The first solution to a WiFi shortfall at home or in the garden is to slap on a hotspot. Most networks allow this and if you’ve got properly unlimited data then just go for that.
If this isn’t an option and you want to make your WiFi stretch just that little bit further, then a WiFi mesh system, also known as a WiFi extender, can save the day.
WiFi extenders come in a range of sizes and price ranges. You can pick up fairly respectable systems on Amazon for under €100 that will absolutely do the job. I’ve actually used this mesh system in my Mam’s house and have to say they are incredibly good at what we needed them to do.
But my personal system of choice is the Google Nest WiFi. Yes, for just the router and an access point, you’ll need to fork out €259 but from there on out adding new Google products is super simple through the Home App. More importantly, the quality of your WiFi signal will be vastly improved. You also get a Google Assistant built into the second access point. Which is neat.
WiFi extenders are the quiet hero of lockdown both for work and play at home.
Nebula Projector
One of my favourite questions to ask my better half is, “from all the gadgets that get sent over to review, what’s your favourite?”. It’s usually a clash ball between one or two different items, but this projector from Nebula, which is more or less Anker, is always up there.
We use this on a regular basis. It’s effectively the TV in our bedroom. It’s a fully functioning Android TV setup which means I can install Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and pretty much all major apps, though SkyGo still doesn’t work for me.
The one thing I will point out is that the projector, as great as it is, really excels in the dark. If you have street lights nearby or can’t wait until passing dusk to throw on a movie against the gable end of the house, this might not be the best purchase in the world.
But in the dark of night and probably with a Bluetooth speaker connected up as well to get a more cinematic experience going, this is an awesome piece of kit to have for warm summer nights. Rare as they may be in Ireland.
It’s also got enough of a battery to get you through most movies. Maybe not The Snyder Cut, but most movies.
Google Lens
It’s not all about eating, drinking, chilling, and raving this summer. I’ve already found myself out and about on quite a few walks and one app that I love is Google Lens. I think what impresses me most about this is the fact it’s free and after publishing a video about it on TikTok, I got quite a few messages from people loving what the app does.
A good friend of mine got in touch to say he had identified a tree that was in his garden for 15 years thanks to the app.
This is another scenario where my other half says she actually really likes a bit of tech too and I listen. She’s a great barometer for apps and gadgets so if she likes this, which she does, it’s a sure thing. Next time you’re on a walk check out the Google Lens app which is available on both iOS and Android.
Fitbit Sense
I am by no means a typically active person. As a tech reviewer, I feel there’s some level of laziness required in my life. But even I have been feeling the urge to get out and walk, particularly now that the weather is getting better. But if you don’t track all that activity, did it even really happen?
The Fitbit Sense slots neatly into the category of slightly pricey tech, but tech that I adore. It’s also handy because I like using Fitbit Pay in shops so I don’t have to fumble around with my phone codes because Face ID doesn’t work when wearing a mask.
This mega fitness tracker from Fitbit really is one of the best on the market and I guess that’s to be expected from a company that has cornered the market and made Fitbit a household name to the point where most fitness trackers are referred to as being “a fitbit” regardless of the manufacturer.
JBL Pulse 4
This is hot off the presses. Landed on the desk for review just yesterday but I’ve got to include it. I did say the speaker mentioned earlier is a classy little number, but the JBL Pulse 4 just bangs. I would love to see this speaker, full whack in a dark garden. If you’re leaning more towards mini-rave with a small, restriction-abiding, group of friends, then keep reading.
The JBL Pulse 4 not only packs in some awesome sounds, but it’s a full 360-degree disco light too. The lights can be adjusted and move to the music. It’s whopper. As I said, I’m not going all in to say it’s a slam dunk purchase given it just landed in, but it’s mighty impressive so far. When it comes to topping the list of cool garden gadgets this summer, this is it. It’s also waterproof which I excellent news. Because, you know. Ireland.
Smartphones, access to the world of information in our pockets. But we use them for cat videos and scrolling social media and that’s possibly why the smartphone isn’t for everyone. Some people like simple, some feel less is more and some want their phone to do what a phone should do, call, text and in modern times even WhatsApp. For those of the older school who want a simple phone with a modern twist, enter Emporia with their new Smart 4. Targeted at the older demographic with a simpler styling to your more traditional smartphones, the Emporia Smart 4 sports Android 10 in a phone that tries to find the balance between smart and simple. Something they do to great effect.
The Emporia Smart 4
Right, this phone is really for your Ma or Da or those who are absolutely tech allergic. Running that Android 10, with its 5″ display and large icons, this is a device built with simplicity in mind. As ever with the Emporio range the Smart 4 is compatible with hearing aids and has an emergency assistance button. Basically they know their audience.
In the box itself we get a physical manual so a user can read and learn the usability of a smartphone in their own time, full with walk throughs and step by step instructions and through partnering with An Post, this is a smartphone whose goal is about making technology more accessible to that older demographic.
Partnering with An Post
“We’re delighted to announce our first Irish network relationship with An Post Mobile. To have such a credible and respected network partner on board to help us introduce the S4 to the Irish market is key to boost our visibility in front of senior citizens. Working with An Post Mobile will enable us to reach a large proportion of seniors in Ireland and introduce them to the world of simple and easy technology and access a whole new world of communication, confidently and independently,”
The Emporia Smart 4 is available through an post for €140 with a pre paid sim plan that contains unlimited calls and texts and even data for a very reasonable €15 per month. Currently if you are with another provider, An Post will let you keep your phone number and you will get your first month free, fair handy if you ask me.
Michael Ahern, An Post Mobile Manager, comments: “2020 has shown just how important mobile communications are to the community and An Post is especially aware that many of our older citizens have gone for long periods without close contact with family, friends and neighbours. We see the introduction of the emporia S4 smartphone to the An Post Mobile phone range as another opportunity to make life just that little bit easier and safer for the older generation and their families.”
Features and Specs
Simple Layout
As a standard, the main nav menu contains big text and big icons for an easy to read display. Unlike standard Android, the Smart 4 uses a simple design that gives you an easy to read menu and your favourite apps are pinned to the main home screen. These can be changed to suit your needs but as a standard your homescreen contains:
Camera
Alarms
Calendar
Weather
Browser
With simplicity in mind, as this is a touch screen phone which may be outside the comfort zone of some of their users, they include what’s called a touch trainer to help you learn the basics of touch screen navigation. Things like tappings, swiping and generally stuff most common smartphone users take for granted are all accounted for and tbh having seen this in the hands of someone in their target age group, it makes a world of difference.
Removable battery
It kind of reminds me of the old Nokia phones as the removable battery returns for the first time in ages. In modern phones replacing a battery is a task I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, the Emporia Smart 4 does the right thing and allows the user to swap out the battery if they wish.
Emergency Button
It’s a nice to see feature, the emergecy call button on the rear of the phone can be activated by clicking three times. When the button is triggers, the phone will call your emergency contacts one by one until someone answers and will even change to loud speaker to make things a little easier. Now if you don’t need that feature you get a second back for the phone in the box which will cover the button and negates any accidental calls.
13mp Camera
The Emporia Smart 4 sports a very tidy 13mp main camera and even offers selfie capability with a 5mp front facing camera. To be honest it’s not something to write home about but for what the phone is, it’s a lovely and welcome addition. “Nana, show me the garden there will ya”
QR scanner & NFC
Honestly the Emporia Smart 4 surprised me. Looking at the phone you wouldn’t expect some of the features that are included. The latest model includes a QR scanner, yes a QR scanner! This will allow our elderly relatives use the likes of the Covid track & trace app with east.
“We know that mobile phone banking and contactless payments are increasingly on the rise across the UK and Ireland; even more so this year with a focus on contact-free due to Covid concerns. But this doesn’t make it automatically trusted. We want to challenge this misconception, and NFC and Google Pay in a mobile phone addresses this concern for seniors head-on.”
The NFC tech then allows contactless payments, not something new but definitely new to the 60+ age demographic. There is a 16 page, extremely simple step by step setup guide, or someone a bit more tech savvy can set up Google Pay in a couple of minutes and off you go, contactless payment is now an option.
Magnifying App
As with basically everything to do with the Smart 4, they have really thought about their target users and created features that are totally relevant and required. We have all someone in our family who cannot see anything on their phone if they have forgotten their glasses. The Emporia Smart 4 goes a step further, as our eye sight degrades, we need glasses to read, without them, simple things like menus or signs can be more difficult. That’s why we get the magnifier app, which does exactly what it says on the tin, magnifies what you’re trying to read to make it easier. Simples.
The Goosed Verdict
Due to the Covid Life, technology has become a greater part of our day to day lives. Whether that be for work, shopping or staying in contact, the times do be a changing. The market has been screaming out for a simple smartphone for seniors who wish to keep in contact with their loved ones.
The Emporia Smart 4 is a tidy phone, built to be easy to use but with a tidy 13mp camera, video calling capability and the ability to do Google Pay, this is a phone that is more than what you see.
Essentially the Emporia Smart 4 is a good option for those who value simplicity or those who find modern smartphones a bit too tricky, see anpost.com/mobile for more info.
I’m a big fan of Dublin Bikes. Bike ownership in Dublin is a risky business given that thefts are rampant and the state of our roads and road cleaning cycles means punctures are regular occurrences. This is why bike-sharing, and many forms of shared ownership, are welcome in the capital. But it’s not without risks too. Dublin Bikes recently launched their eBikes, which I’ve had trouble with already. Today, JCDecaux, the operator of Dublin Bikes, as issued a recall of batteries after three cases where the batteries short-circuited and damaged the battery casing.
The Dublin Bikes Battery Recall
In an email to customers, Dublin Bikes and JCDecaux said that due “to a defect being identified by the battery manufacturer” which can lead to “batteries overheating and slight material damage”. JCDecaux estimates that of 900,000 charges to date, “the incident occurrence rate is 0.003 per thousand”.
As a result, they have initiated a recall of all Dublin Bikes batteries in Dublin. It’s important to note that all of the recorded incidents were in other markets and none have been reported in Ireland.
How Popular Are The Dublin Ebikes?
From the recall notice, one number stands out to me. Just 396 batteries are being recalled. I’m one of those customers. Last week, I received my battery and took my first spin on my Dublin Ebike only to learn they don’t have temporary locks, unlike their regular Dublin Bike counterparts. It’s an unusual decision that cost me the price of a lock because I was in a hurry.
But just 396 batteries sold is a very small number, demonstrating that either the public isn’t interested or the €60 extra per year for ebike power on top of the regular €35 annual fee and what ever ride rates you pay is putting people off. I feel it’s the latter.
I posted the video above on TikTok and the service got mixed reviews. One trend to emerge from the comments is that Dublin Bikes “upgrading” 50% of their fleet to electric hybrids meant that regular non-ebike cyclists now often had to rent much heavier bikes. This is due to the motor and batteries on board for the ebikes that won’t have a battery to power them unless you’re an ebikes member.
50% of the Dublin Bikes fleet means that there are 1600 electric Dublin Bikes out there but this recall shows us that there are just 396 customers with batteries to make use of the service. This recall is likely to undermine this even further which begs the question of whether or not this service will require a price review.
How To Send Your Dublin Bikes Battery Back For The Recall
You can now book the return of your Dublin bikes battery online and, of course, JCDecaux will be covering all the costs. Once you get to the website select DublinBikes as the retailer. I popped down “other” as my reason for return and then use either your Dublin Bikes email or subscriber number in the order reference section.
You will need to send back the battery and the charger. The email to customers states that “batteries will be returned to users as soon as possible once the battery manufacturer in France, has inspected and made the necessary technical and firmware updates and the updated batteries are independently certified to EU standards”.
You can continue to use Dublin Bikes without batteries for now but rather surprisingly, there is no mention of complete or partial refunds for customers affected during this period of lost service. I’ve reached out to Dublin Bikes on this for further clarification.
You can also contact Dublin Bikes if you have any queries about this recall on the following details:
Phone: 1850 777 070 Monday to Friday (9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) If calling from abroad: +353 1 424 7605 email: contactus@dublinbikes.ie
I’m sorry. That headline reads like a Groupon or something, but please do stay with me if you’re involved in an SME, struggling with the online world of today. Goosed.ie is a consumer website. That means we look after people going out and shopping. However, during the pandemic, the lines between consumer and business owner have become more blurred than ever (looking at you, person who put a coffee machine into a horsebox). That’s why I’m covering this.
A group of marketers are trading their time for a £25 donation to the refugee charity Barnardos in Northern Ireland. This is open to everyone, including SMEs in Ireland which comes at about €30 for a 45-minute meeting. If you don’t do the marketing for an SME, I’ll share a secret. That’s outrageously cheap to get access to people like this and you get to help a very worthy cause.
There are seven marketing experts available to discuss their business in-depth and get real, actionable tips to improve marketing efforts. While these are usually held in person, the clinics will now be held virtually meaning anyone seeking help can now tap into this resource. 100% of the money you are spending goes to the charity while 100% of the advice you get is yours to take away.
Andi Jarvis, Founder at Friends Of, says “these consultations give small businesses the chance to access excellent advice at an affordable price. The team of Friends Of consultants are some of the best marketers in [Northern Ireland] and have already helped a number of local companies through these sessions. We’re proud to partner with Barnardo’s [Northern Ireland] to help raise money for their work with young refugees. Every penny we raise is donated to Barnardo’s and stays in Northern Ireland to fund their essential services”.
Look up “win win” in the business-owner dictionary and you’ll find this.
I’m currently reviewing an iPhone 12 from Refurbed.ie. It’s an important thing to review in my eyes given that mobile phones are having a massive negative impact on our world. While refurbished phones will play a role in this future, so too will ensuring our brand new phones are as eco friendly as possible when we purchase them. From June, a new system will be rolled out and used by Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, Telia Company and Vodafone to help shoppers understand how sustainable their phone options are.
The Eco Rating System
The idea of the Eco Rating labelling system is to help you assess the environmental impact of your new smartphone. This information will be available at point of sale. We’ve reached out to clarify what this means as for the system to be effective, it would need to be online and on the shop floor, given that phone boxes are stored securely “out the back”.
Phones from 12 mobile phone brands will be assessed by the Eco Rating system, with others expected to join later. For launch, you can expect to see the likes of Huawei, Nokia, OnePlus and Samsung amongst others, but no Apple as if yet I’m afraid.
The system itself is based on five stages of a phone’s life.
Raw Materials
Manufacturing
Transport
Usage and Spare Parts
End of life
Focusing on these points covers key areas from how gold is sourced for phone connectors to how easily a phone can be safely disposed of. Using information provided by device manufacturers, Eco Rating applies a consistent evaluation methodology equally and objectively across 19 different criteria, culminating in a rating spread across these points:
Durability: The robustness of the device, the battery life and the guarantee period for the device and its components.
Repairability: Covers the ease with which the device can be repaired, including mobile phone design and supporting activities that could increase the useful life of the product by improving its reparability, reusability and upgradability potential. A higher the score indicates how these aspects are supported.
Recyclability: How well the device components can be recovered and disassembled, the provided information to allow it, and how well materials can be recycled.
Climate efficiency: The greenhouse gas emissions of the device during its whole lifecycle. The better the score here, the lower the climate impact is.
Resource efficiency: Assesses the impact caused by the amount of scarce raw materials required by the device (e.g. gold for the manufacturing of electronic components) towards the resources depletion; the better the score here, the lower the impact is towards the availability of materials.
Will The Eco Rating System Work?
It’s really hard to know if a system like this will work or not. For now, in Ireland anyway, just Vodafone will present this information. It may require someone like ComReg to drive it into being an industry standard. One thing is for sure. If the eco-rating system is presented properly in a Vodafone store to shoppers who care about environment, it could very well be the difference between picking a Samsung over another phone.
The door is open for other operators, with the launch operators stating “We look forward to welcoming more manufacturers and telecoms operators to the Eco Rating initiative in the future, and we hope it will inspire the whole industry to accelerate its transition towards a more circular model for mobile phones”.
I’m on a big thing at the minute. I’m trying to adjust things in my life with a massive focus on user experience. Things like keeping the sink clear, so when I dirty a dish I can actually wash it. Yeah, believe it or not I don’t have a dishwasher! I love my Eufy robovac, but I do find it a little awkward from time to time in my small apartment. I didn’t really think about this until Dyson sent the Omni Glide over to review. When you get your hands on something like this you really see what you’ve been missing out on. Like all of this.
Meet The Dyson Omni Glide Vacuum
Dyson revealed the Dyson Omni Glide earlier this year and after being on sale in the United States for some time already, is now available in Ireland too. I’ve been testing it out and here’s what you need to know.
Design: A Vacuum Designed For Hard Floors
The Omni Glide has been designed for use on hard floors and that’s where it absolutely excels. The secret to Dyson vacuums success goes beyond their suction with motorised heads also ensuring maximum pickup. The star of the show for the Omni Glide is the motorised double soft roller motorised head. With two rollers running in opposite directions, this head gobbles up lots of different dirt and debris without hesitancy.
I got to live out a life long dream of vacuuming up a deliberately spilled mess, just like an infomercial
The head also has castors which make help justify the vacuum’s “Omni Glide” name. Dyson has incorporated a flexible neck too which combined with everything else means you can clean your floors with an effortless ballet of movement, nimbly moving between the legs of chairs and tables for a deep clean.
Other aspects of the design worth noting is that this vacuum is quite short. I’m 5 foot 10 inches tall and it’s fine for me but much more than that and you might start to feel your hunching over a bit. The reason behind this being quite short is that on hard floors you’re less likely to need to put elbow grease into your cleaning. That means if you do want to take on a carpet or rug, which it’s not designed for, it can be a bit of a challenge. More on that later.
More important is the fact that the Omni Glide is nice and light with a tiny footprint. Weighing in at 1.5kg and always being in reach without being in the way means this vacuum meets all my requirements for UX-ing my life. Coming from a man who believed a robot was the ultimate cleaning solution, I really like using this Dyson vac.
Functionality: A Perfect Vacuum In The Right Scenario
One thing became immediately apparent when using the Omni Glide. Straying from what the Omni Glide is designed for means you really feel some of the limitations. Fortunately, the list of non-ideal scenarios to use this particular Dyson is short. Basically, if you live in a home with just hard floors, this is perfect. If you have carpets this isn’t the vacuum for you.
I do have a sizeable rug and one of the heads that comes with the Omni Glide is able to handle this area but it takes a long time and time isn’t something you get a lot of with the Dyson given it offers about 20-minute battery life. That’s plenty of battery for all the hard floors in my apartment, but I’d have to skip the rug or if I’m doing the rug, I’ll have to recharge before doing the hard floors and a full recharge does take a sizeable chunk of time at 3.5 hours.
Even with the rug, I still think the Omni Glide is the perfect choice for my apartment. Using my Sage Bambino I spill coffee on the floor every single day and having this vacuum clipped to the way means in just a few seconds I’ve cleaned the mess up effortlessly. There are other massive benefits to the small size of the Omni Glide. While it’s a vacuum for my floors, it quickly doubles as a really powerful handheld for finding all that popcorn between the cushions on the couch. The 20-minute battery is also loads of time to give the car a quick clean and dusting too. Extremely handy given our parking spot is away from the apartment and free from and power outlets. Not an issue my robovac offered a solution for.
Other Omni Glide Features
That’s the key points of this new Dyson vac covered off, but there is more.
The Bin
The bin is where all the dirt is stored. It’s quite low capacity so you’ll have to empty it after every two cleaning runs or so. To make your life a little easier, there’s some classic Dyson design on show. You get to unleash your inner child a bit too because emptying the Omni Glide feels a bit like using a pump-action shotgun. This means you can dump the dirt without having to used your hands.
Bits And Bobs Included
The pack you when you buy the Omni Glide includes a few bits and bobs. You’ll get a great fitting for the wall which helps keep the vacuum in reach but out of the way. It’s nice and easy to fix too with everything you need, even a pencil, included.
You also get multiple fittings to transform your vacuum for different scenarios. These fittings turn the Omni Glide into a handheld, perfect for the car or getting into those hard to reach nooks and crannies. My kit included a second mini motorised head which is specifically designed for couches and stairs. This is the one I used on the rug which, while wasn’t ideal, did the job.
The accessories are super easy to swap around and change with the quick press of a button.
The Verdict: Dyson Omni Glide
We need to accept that there’s not a Dyson review that goes by where I don’t say “oo’er, that’s a bit spicy on the pricey” and at €400 the Omni Glide is no different. But it’s the perfect vacuum for a small home like mine. If you only have hard floors and believe you can cover your square footage in just twenty minutes, this is a worthwhile investment. If you have a rug or carpets, suddenly, it’s a less perfect solution. It’s still manageable, but some marks get lost.
I love the flexibility, both in terms of the Omni Glide head and the fact I can clean the car away from a power outlet. It’s always to hand for quick clean up jobs which means the relatively short battery life and long charge time aren’t an issue.
The Dyson Omni Glide is now available in Ireland for €399.
