The first week back in work and there’s one thing every call will mention at some stage; “Did you do today’s Wordle”. Wordle is a simple viral word game taking the internet by storm. It’s a love note as the creator made it for his other half before releasing it into the wild. The beauty of the game is that you can only play once, but that one puzzle is enjoyed by the world at the same time. But despite the creator keeping Wordle pure, a knock-off version of the game appeared in the iOS store and caused quite a stir.
Is There A Wordle App?
The easiest way to remember which app you should be using for Wordle is to know there is no app. The creator developed Wordle as a web app. That means you have to navigate to the website to play it. You’re progress and everything is saved here. There’s no need for an app which is why there isn’t one.
But an app did appear in the iOS store. Another developer saw the opportunity to flip the concept into an app and strip out some of the features likely making Wordle enjoyable to many such as the limitation of Wordle to a puzzle a day, the fact it’s clean and free with no ads. But when opportunity strikes…
The Wordle Ripoff
There have been a few clones of Wordle to appear since the app grew in popularity. Katherine Peterson created a version of the app because her brother was enjoying the original so much he just couldn’t live with one puzzle a day.
My brother's been playing Wordle every day, and he asked me to build him a version that he could play more than once a day.
This flipped version of the app didn’t cause any stir at all beyond a few people, myself included, highlighting how the scarcity of Wordle puzzles is part of the attraction. Twitter reacted very differently to Zach Shakked’s story.
Shakked launched “Wordle – The App” into Apple’s App Store on Monday. His version of the game let players play more than one puzzle per day and even let them choose between four, five, six, and seven-letter words. Going a step further, and perhaps breaking the camel’s back, Shakked monetised the game too, adding a €30 annual subscription for unlimited play.
Twitter, where the original Wordle has really grown quite the following with shares upon shares being sent daily, wasn’t happy with Shakked’s efforts.
This guy shamelessly cloned Wordle (name and all) as an F2P iOS game with in-app purchases and is bragging about how well it's doing and how he'll get away with it because Josh Wardle didn't trademark it. So gross. pic.twitter.com/kIs8BypuRA
The story raises loads of questions about tech in general. On the surface, it’s hard not to feel like Shakked ripped off the Wardle Wordle. But Wordle itself isn’t a unique name nor is it, more importantly, a new concept. If you tune into ITV you’ll find a very familiar-looking game called Lingo, based on the same idea that’s been running since 1988.
It also highlights how vicious Twitter can be. I do somewhat feel for Shakked here. He got an idea, had the skills to do something with it, and went for it.
Here were my calculations: a) Wordle is a ripoff of another game b) Wordle the word isn't trademarked and there's a bunch of other unrelated word apps named the same thing c) Wow, I'll hack together something on the weekend and see if I can make a buck
Shakked had previously founded an app generating $5 million per year. Once you’re the kind of person who sees money-making ventures, it’s easy to get stuck in the idea before really considering right or wrong. Also, right or wrong simply wasn’t as black and white here as Twitter’s outrage would have you believe.
The biggest mistake Shakked made was trying to make a buck off something wholesome that many people are enjoying on a daily basis. But going by the short-lived success of his launch, people were more than happy to part with their money for more Wordle. That’s hardly his fault, is it?
I’m a touch obsessed with Wordle, the online daily word game taking the world by storm. I know I’m in love with the game because I’m already focused on strategies and approaches to improve my overall win percentage. From which word I pick first to a strategy my other half has deployed, here’s how I take on Wordle every day.
You could say there are some spoilers ahead. If you just love Wordle, keep playing without caring about others and don’t read how I do it.
Picking Your First Wordle Word
The first time I played Wordle, I was amazed at how tough it can be to pick a five-letter word from my brain. As a result, every game since has started the same way. I always start with “mouse”. This might not be statistically the best word to kick things off with, but I prefer to get a guess in and learn what I don’t know. Other’s suggest words like “weird” are good to start with but I’m a numbers man and that “w” just puts me off. Here’s why.
Think Scrabble Scores
As soon as the Wordle screen opened on my phone for the first time, I had Scrabble scores in my head. Scrabble, the best-known word game in the world, gives you points based on words created. The longer the word and the tougher the letters to use, the more points you score. Here’s how much each “tile” gets you in Scrabble:
Tiles/Letters
Points
A, E, I, O, U, N, L, S, T, R
1
D, G
2
B, C, M, P
3
F, H, V, W, Y
4
K
5
J, X
8
Q, Z
10
Scrabble’s letter scoring system
Why does this matter? Well, before Wordle becomes a test of your word knowledge, it’s really a numbers game. There are only about five five-letter words in English without vowels so your Wordle word is going to have some of these. But your early guesses should then shift towards words with “d” or “g” because statistically, they are the next most popular letters to appear in words. You guessed it, next is “b”, “c”, “m” and “p” and so on and so forth.
As you can see, the reason “w” wouldn’t typically feature in my first, or maybe even second, guess is because there are plenty of more regularly occurring letters to cover off.
The creator of Wordle should really get onto the Scrabble creators because I’ve already bought the board game purely based on how much I’m enjoying Wordle.
Back to the game. What do you do if you just get stuck or draw a total blank?
The Haymaker
My other half is also loving Wordle. It’s fast becoming a daily ritual that we play our game together in the morning over a coffee. The genuine joys of working from home with your partner. She has come up with one of my favourite strategies that just didn’t make sense to me initially; I’m calling it The Haymaker.
Early in your Wordle game, when you feel like you’ve got guesses to burn, don’t be too worried about sticking to the letters you know are in the solution for sure. If your first guess gives you one right letter in the correct or wrong position, guessing a new word with none of the letters from your first guess will teach you something new about five new letters.
Remember what I said earlier; before Wordle is a word game, it’s a numbers game.
Grab A Pen And Paper
Another approach I’ve picked up from my better half. Around guess three or four, particularly if you’ve learned a few letters and their positions, pick up and pen and paper. Once you jot down your five dashes and what you know for sure, you can start writing down possible variations. If you have a more visual brain this can be really helpful and even trigger some inspiration. On more than one Wordle, this has been the difference between being lost and getting an answer for me.
It also really reminds me of playing hangman back in school!
How are you approaching the game? What strategies work for you? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook or TikTok.
Ok, I’m reluctantly ready to admit that VR is about to have its big moment. It’s impossible to ignore that Meta (formerly Facebook) and Mark Zuckerberg’s ploughing forward with VR is dragging the entire industry with it. Even I’m reluctantly thinking about grabbing an Oculus, my only hang-up being that I deleted Facebook and WhatsApp last year. So much more palatable for me is PSVR, the virtual reality headset for Sony’s PlayStation. The Japanese games console giant has just announced PSVR 2 and here’s what you need to know.
What Is PSVR?
PSVR stands for PlayStation Virtual Reality. PSVR refers to both the physical headset you wear to immerse yourself in virtual reality games and the eco-system of games and controllers that go with it. It was back in 2016 when Sony launched PSVR here in Ireland and now nearly six years later it’s getting a refresh.
What Is PSVR 2?
PSVR 2 is the second generation of PlayStation Virtual Reality. More importantly, it’s the first that will be built especially for the PlayStation 5. In a blog post published today, Hideaki Nishino, Senior Vice President at Sony for Platform Experience, announced the new name, PlayStation VR2, a new VR controller and confirmed some new games too.
The New PlayStation VR 2 Headset
I came close to buying a PSVR headset a few times but kept telling myself I should wait for the PSVR 2. The original PSVR was built for the older PlayStation, so what’s the point I feel that’s going to pay off as the new specs are impressive.
More Immersive
Nothing destroys a VR experience more than low-grade and laggy visuals. Not something the previous PSVR suffered from, but if it happens it can literally make you feel sick. The flip side is that great graphics and display setups can be insanely immersive. PSVR 2 will offer 4K HDR viewing on an OLED display with a resolution of 2000 x 2040 per eye at either a 90Hz or 120Hz refresh rate.
From a standing position, you’ll have a 110-degree field of view with eye-tracking technology promising a mega smooth experience. The eye-tracking also doubles up as a game controller to a certain extent. With a glance, you’ll be able to move your in-game character slightly.
Adding to your immersive experience is 3D audio too. So just start thinking Resident Evil but you’re really there. Terrifying.
Single Cable Connection And No External Camera Needed
PSVR 2 will remove two of the annoying factors from the original PSVR. You’ll now be able to connect with just one USB-C cable. Also, no longer will there be a need for an external camera sitting atop your TV. PSVR 2 will have headset-based cameras tracking the room around you to calculate your movements.
This is a clever bit of progress, showing Sony understands that removing barriers to regular use is important for PSVR 2 to gain momentum.
PSVR 2 Headset Specs
Display method
OLED
Panel resolution
2000 x 2040 per eye
Panel refresh rate
90Hz, 120Hz
Lens separation
Adjustable
Field of View
Approx. 110 degrees
Sensors
Motion Sensor: Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer) Attachment Sensor: IR Proximity sensor
Cameras
4 cameras for headset and controller trackingIR camera for eye tracking per eye
Feedback
Vibration on headset
Communication with PS5
USB Type-C®
Audio
Input: Built-in microphoneOutput: Stereo headphone jack
The New PlayStation VR 2 Controller
Alongside additional control from eye-tracking, Sony confirmed there will be an all-new PSVR 2 controller too. This will be called the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller. This isn’t particularly breaking news given Sony announced quite a lot about the controllers already last year.
The confirmed PSVR 2 Sense Controllers
Adaptive Triggers
One of the best features of the PS5 controller is the Adaptive Triggers. This technology translates push pressure into your game while also adding resistance based on the task. While they add plenty to games like Spider-man, they promise to bring next-level immersion to PSVR 2. In theory, you could play a VR shooting game where guns or different weapon categories have different resistances.
Haptic Feedback
As you explore the word or take hits in combat, the action you’re seeing will be translated into vibrations on the controller. Again, this is all about adding to the immersive nature of PSVR 2.
Finger Touch Detection
How popular this grows will depend on the gaming developers, but it’s potentially powerful. The new PSVR 2 controllers will be able to detect where your digits are without contact. This paves the way for more natural, gesture-based, control.
The controller will also be directly tracked by the PSVR 2 headset.
Buttons And Sticks
On the left controller, you’ll find one analogue stick, triangle and square buttons, a “grip” button, also known as “L1” button, trigger button, or “L2” button and Create button. The right controller contains one analogue stick, the cross or “X” button along with the circle buttons, a “grip” or “R1” button, trigger or “R2” and an Options button. The “grip” buttons can be used to pick up in-game objects and take on an important role in VR.
Motion Sensor: Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope + three-axis accelerometer) Capacitive Sensor: Finger Touch DetectionIR LED: Position Tracking
Feedback
Trigger Effect (on R2/L2 button), Haptic Feedback (by single actuator per unit)
Port
USB Type-C® Port
Communication
Bluetooth® Ver5.1
Battery
Type: Built-in Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery
PSVR 2 Games
It’s still quite early in the release news rollout of PSVR 2 but Sony has confirmed some games that will feature first on next-gen console VR. The much anticipated February release of “Horizon: Call of the Mountain” will also be getting a full PSVR 2 rebuild. That’s the entire game, reimagined for the world of VR.
A quick glance at Horizon’s VR world.
The brief demo at the end of this clip might just suggest how early we are in the release cycle of PSVR 2.
PSVR 2 Release Date In Ireland
And now for the sad bit. PSVR 2 still doesn’t have an official release date. It does, however, become increasingly apparent PSVR 2 will launch in 2022, likely before Christmas. As I said at the outset, VR is just about to have its moment and I don’t think Sony will want to miss the wave.
I’d hope that this means a 2022 launch date for PSVR 2 in Ireland too along with being hopeful that PSVR 2 won’t hit the same supply chain issues as the PS5 console.
For now, that’s all we know. I have loads of questions. I’m particularly interested to see if Meta/Facebook will cross into Sony’s realm and vice versa. Meta has no interest in selling hardware but it needs people with VR headsets. It would make sense for there to be some sort of cross over. I could see people doing some work in VR in the next few years and there’s no reason your PS5 can’t help be a work tool as well as your place to destress afterwards!
I love when this happens. I see something random on Twitter but I keep scrolling. Moments later I feel deja vu as the same thing appears again, but from a different account. Ah! Something has gone viral. This time around it’s a word game called Wordle. Here’s everything you need to know to get up to speed.
What Is Wordle?
Wordle is a word game. You start the game with six guesses to work out a random five-letter word called the “Wordle”. Each time you guess a word, you’ll learn which letters are not in the secret word and which letters are. For the letters that are in the “Wordle” you’ll also learn which are in the correct place and which are in the word but in the incorrect position.
With all of this information, you have six guesses to work out the puzzle.
That’s what Wordle is in a nutshell, but there’s more to the story than that.
Who Created Wordle?
This is where the story gets awesome. I like the game. It’s one puzzle per day and it stretches the brain without you losing hours to it. But the background to the game is even more impressive. Wordle was created by Josh Wardle, a US-based software engineer. His partner loves word puzzles so he created this game for her, the name being a play on his own surname. Isn’t that romantic?
After a while of playing the game, it was expanded to the family WhatsApp group before it grew and grew and grew. According to an interview with the creator, Wordle had 90 players in November but last Sunday had over 300,000 players. I’m certain that number has been dwarfed now.
How Do You Make A Wordle?
There are a few strategies you can deploy to try and beat your round of Wordle. Starting with a letter-rich word is a great way to kick off. Avoid words with duplicate letters like “motor”, instead, try “urban”. This will let you check the max number of letters in your first go. From there, it’s really important you pay attention to the coloured blocks. The only thing you need to remember is that you can only guess words. You can’t just fire in random letters and every guess is checked against a dictionary.
Green means you’ve nailed a letter. Not only is it in the word, but it’s in the correct position too.
Yellow means the letter is in the word, but you’ve got it in the wrong position.
Grey means you’ve found a dud. Forget about it. Stop trying out words containing this letter at all.
Here’s the guide from the game itself:
The instructions from the Wordle game.
How To Save A Wordle
You can’t really save your progress in a round of Wordle. However, your browser will remember you. Once you don’t clear cookies, don’t use private browsing, change browser or device you’ll be able to pick up where you left off should you need to go get some inspiration.
Once you keep the same device and browser, the game will also track your stats including total games played, game won, your current win streak and best win streak.
How To Share A Wordle
And here’s the clever viral part that’s made Wordle blow up on Twitter. The creator noticed that once the game started to spread, people were sharing their daily progress in a grid of emojis. So he updated the app in December. To share, tap the gear icon in the top right and click share. This will copy your grid to your clipboard so you can paste it on your social feed.
The paste will include the Wordle game number, the number of guesses you needed and your progress grid showing your process.
Describing it as a “letter based fight club” is just perfect.
How Do I Get A New Wordle?
The beauty of it all. We live in a world where people like Mark Zuckerberg is spending billions on virtual reality in order to increase platform engagement. Wordle is very much designed to get you in, puzzle you briefly and let you along your way. You have one puzzle per day. That’s it. Once completed, you have to wait for the clock to reset and the next day’s word to load.
I’ve started a few articles like this. It’s been a horrid two years. The past few days have been social media feeds of antigen tests and isolations. Some glimmers of hope and humour from time to time, but lots of reasons to be down too. I noticed my mood was lifted quite a bit lately and couldn’t put my finger on why until I remembered the embargo of Queer Eye 6 lifts today. I’ve watched the entire season six already and man oh man is it the healing we all need right now.
When Does Queer Eye 6 Come Out On Netflix?
The bad news is that I’ve binged Queer Eye because I had screener access. The good news is that your wait is nearly over. Queer Eye Season Six launches on Netflix on December 31st, also known as New Year’s Eve.
Is Queer Eye Season 6 Worth Watching?
With every fibre of my being, I say yes. I beg you to watch it. I felt every episode heal me. I’m not going to lie, I got emotional watching about 50% of the episodes. There’s just no badness in any of the “Fab Five”. Instead, they emanate pure goodness. The news and social media is nothing but doom and gloom these days. Queer Eye Season Six is the break from it all you need. It’s ten hour-long episodes of people catching a much-needed break in life.
Season Six is based solely in Texas. This of course adds to the impact of this season given that American is still wrestling with Trump’s legacy and Texas remains a Republican (read conservative) stronghold. This new season covers a lot but does make time specifically for an Asian-owned business whose owner experienced increased racism following the Covid outbreak and a member of the trans community who has lost touch with her father following a coming out. These two episodes alone show how Queer Eye keeps a finger on the pulse of today’s biggest problems and the real impacts which may fly under your radar.
After watching the ten episodes of Season Six, I was sad, but it was a happy kind of sad. I felt fulfilled. Reminded there’s good in the world. Reminded that despite the problems everywhere in the world has, there are beams of light to be found.
What Is Queer Eye Season Six About?
Much like previous seasons of Queer Eye, Series Six follows the “Fab Five” as they give people in need a leg up in life. The “Fab Five” is Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness (who I think is my favourite), Tan France, and Karamo Brown. Each has a speciality. For example, Antoni helps people learn how to cook, while JVN helps their clients with skin, hair and general beauty. Queer Eye is not about just making people look great (though they do). It’s about helping people feel comfortable in their own skin and being more confident in their day to day lives.
Yeah, JVN is my fave.
I remember, not too long ago, I’d never watched a single episode of Queer Eye. I didn’t think it would be for me. Fast forward to last week when a tear dangled beneath my eye watching a Texan woman absolutely glow up with newfound confidence to wear her natural hair. I think this may have been the moment of the series for me. Let’s give that a quick countdown.
Moments To Watch Out For In Queer Eye Season Six
Spoilers ahoy. I recommend watching the series without reading these bits though I’m not going to go into great detail.
Episode One: Natural Hair Reveal
A honky tonk dancing teacher reveals her natural hair after refusing to allow JVN to see her without her wig. It took me forever to even realise she was wearing a hairpiece (though naturally, JVN noticed almost immediately). The series had to stop filming because of Covid but when they return to see the woman again, she’s wearing her natural hair. Honestly, my mind was blown. It’s a season, if not series, highlight.
Episode Two: Love During Transition
Can love conquer all? What your partner comes out as trans? This was Angel’s story, whose girlfriend stuck with her throughout. Is she pansexual now? I don’t know, nor do I think these labels really matter beyond love winning out.
Episode Three: Not All Republicans
Not all Americans, nor even Republicans are bad. I’ve been reminded of that a lot lately. This entire episode surrounds a man you’d never expect to see get along with the Fab Five. It’s a must-watch episode because it challenges a lot of the preconceived notions we have developed following Trump’s reign.
Episode Nine: All The Food
Dublin is full of amazing Asian eateries that took me way too long to find. I’m guessing there are plenty of others around who’ve not tried them yet. This episode showcases some stunning Asian deserts which is just one small part of the culinary delights from my fave part of the world.
Queer Eye Season Six is streaming exclusively on Netflix from New Year’s Eve, December 31st, 2021.
Electric cars seem to be the future right? Even though hydrogen power might very well be the idea; alternative fuel, electric cars just seem to be the ever-growing unavoidable choice right now. Unfortunately, electric cars are far from perfect for quite a few reasons, not least of which is range and charge time. But another issue is making quite a lot of noise right now, quite literally. Finnish Tesla owner, Tuomas Katainen, has blown his Tesla up with explosives after hearing his battery needed to be replaced and it wouldn’t be covered by warranty at a cost of over €20,000.
Tuomas Katainen And His Tesla
Here’s the story in full. Katainen bought his Tesla back in 2013. He enjoyed a short honeymoon period of about 1500km before the error notifications started to ping in the cockpit. Tesla cars ain’t cheap. To buy one in Ireland right now, even a demo, will set you back over €60,000. It’s no surprise that a Tesla owner would be left fairly irate with an unfixable problem after just eight years.
But that’s what happened to Katainen. After loads of errors and issues, he was told that his Tesla Model S would require a new battery.
Tesla Battery Warranty
The good news is that Tesla does offer a battery warranty. The bad news is that you’re only covered for eight years or 150,000km. And that’s why the next year is going to be a bit louder for angry Tesla owners. The 2013 Model S will be widely coming out of its first warranties. Owners, like Katainen, will be hearing they need new batteries and that they need to foot the bill to the tune of €20,000.
And here we have the Achilles heel of electric cars. A couple of years ago I made shite of the engine in my first car; a Nissan Micra. That’s a sizeable part of your car to break but still, it was back on the road within a month for under €1,000. Electric car batteries costing €20,000 after eight years will put a lot of people off buying a car whether they plan to have it in eight years or not. The hit on resale value for the second-hand market here is massive.
Blowing Up A Tesla
And this is why Tuomas Katainen decided to blow his Tesla Model S into smithereens. Sure enough, it’s a bit of a waste but still, I kind of get it. Why pay €20,000 to fix a €90,000 car? Ok, it’s better than blowing it up perhaps, but I feel Katainen had a point to make here and he has done that, with a bang.
Tuomas Katainen’s Tesla moments before being destroyed by 30kg of explosives
It’s a clever move too. Katainen’s video now has over 3.5 million views on YouTube which could already have raked in around €35,000 in ad revenue.
Agree or disagree with his approach, Katainen will undoubtedly have done damage to more than just his own Tesla here. Knowing an eight-year-old car can have dire issues that fall out of warranty will almost certainly put people off dipping their toe into the second-hand Tesla market.
2021 has produced some great phones. I’ve had my hands on the cumbersome but impressive Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and loved it. I was converted from the Pixel 5 to the iPhone 12 in a big swing that was somewhat unexpected. But now, after a prolonged period of testing the new Google Pixel 6, I’m happy to put pen to paper on a review that says this is one of the best phones of 2021, pending one final review of the iPhone 13 Pro series, coming soon. The Pixel 6 Pro isn’t perfect, no phone is, but it’s absolutely fantastic.
The Latest Addition To The Google Pixel Family
Google has had an identity crisis when it comes to its flagship smartphones. Ever since moving away from Nexus and coming in-house, they’ve thrown their hat at various styles and iterations of Pixel. Shapes and designs changed dramatically along with core philosophies that drive Google’s smartphone product. This year, the company announced both the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Both phones are similar but with one just slightly more premium. That’s the one in this review.
Google Pixel 6 Pro Design
Nothing says back to the drawing board quite like the bold design of the Google Pixel 6 family. A single straight bar across the back of the phone is the first thing you can’t help but notice. Did I like it at first? No. However, it makes sense. The phone doesn’t rock when it’s on your desk and it lets Google fit in some impressive camera hardware so desperately sought after for years. More on that later.
The design of the Pixel 6 Pro screams “we’re doing things differently”. Not from other brands, but from what Google has done to date. In fact, more than ever, with exception of the phone’s back, the Pixel 6 Pro is the most “like everyone else” phone Google has ever designed. I mean that in terms of physically to look at.
Gone is the playful colour power button, which I miss along with the odd decision to flip the volume rocker and power button. Also, the “power button” isn’t even a power button, requiring a two-button press to access power options, a trend that needs to stop in my eyes.
The Pixel’s display flows over the edges of the 6.7-inch display where you’ll find a pinhole selfie camera. The display is ok. It pales in comparison to the iPhone 13 Pro Max display when it comes to pure clarity, but it’s still ok. Rather surprisingly, despite the size of the phone, it’s substantially lighter (210g) than both the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (227g) and the iPhone 13 Pro Max (240g).
Despite the rather bold and exciting design on the back, Google has conformed to wider design trends on the front. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s a remarkably unremarkable phone to look at. Until you turn it on.
Google Pixel 6 Pro Software
When I reviewed the Pixel 5 you could read my obvious delight at Google’s stock Android running on a phone designed by Google was just art. This year, I’m less impressed by Android 12 but I’m blown away with how smart Google’s broader intelligent software is on the Pixel 6 Pro. My better half is German and my German isn’t great which has left me leaning on Google Translate more than once in my life. The Pixel 6 Pro can proactively translate German messages I’ve been sent in Signal and is also able to more accurately translate live diction.
Indeed, dictation and voice typing on the Pixel 6 Pro is an absolute highlight of using this phone. Even with my “paddy bog man” accent, the Pixel is able to pick up on what I’m saying. This is excellent for messaging people but really came into its own during a customer care issue I was having over webchat. No fiddly typing out the details. Instead, I could just speak as my phone perfectly transcribed what I said into a typed message.
The Pixel 6 Pro is simply packed full of smarts. Another excellent feature, which I did write about already our of pure excitement, is Call Screening. Don’t know who’s calling? No problem, Google can handle that for you whether it’s a potential scam or just an unknown number while you’re in a meeting.
Camera On The Pixel 6 Pro
Welcome to the main event. Google hasn’t upgraded their camera hardware in some time, but the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro finally gave us some fresh hardware to assess. Google’s camera software was the driving force in recent years but now we get the physical improvements to go with that.
The Pixel 6 Pro camera is the best smartphone camera I’ve ever used. That statement does run a little more ragged in low light or if you want to zoom, but for general photography, every shot slams.
I’m addicted to portrait mode. I use it both for product shots for reviews, here on Goosed, and for beer tasting. The camera just never fails to deliver a stunning shot.
Some edges get blurred, but the sheer clarity of the rest of the shot keeps your attention
It’s still not perfect, but the clarity of the rest of your shot tends to grab your attention more than any imperfections. If it’s video you’re more into, you’re covered too. It’s mad to think that just a few years ago gimbals were an essential piece of kit but now smartphone’s have incredible shot stability built-in. I love Google’s Cinematic Pan which slows your video, removes audio but gives stunning stability. It’s really handy if you’re a creator.
Magic Eraser
But let’s say you haven’t taken the best shot ever. Someone has photobombed you or there’s just some sort of blemish in the background. Again, Google’s smarts come into play. Magic Eraser lets you wipe out things from your photo. It can be a person, a thing or even just a smudge. Google’s AI kicks in and cleverly tries to work out what would have been in the background. It’s more hit than miss and works most times I need it.
Just check out these shots I grabbed in Portobello.
The original shot is on the left, with Google’s Magic Eraser doctored shot on the right. Slide to compare.
Just look at how smoothly you can remove people and even light poles from photos. As I said, it doesn’t always work but usually does.
Things I Don’t Like About The Pixel 6 Pro
There are so many great things to say, but I’m not going to lie; it’s not a perfect phone. There are a few things I didn’t like.
Battery
It’s impossible for me to avoid reviews considering how widely covered the Pixel 6 series has been. I’ve noted many reviewers saying the battery life is much improved for Google’s flagship. To be fair, it has. The downside of that statement is that it’s only measuring against Google. There are plenty of better batteries on the market and charging just isn’t that fast despite Google saying it is. Adaptive Battery is clever, powering your phone more when you need it and slowing charge to 100% based on your alarm, but it’s still just an ok battery.
Unlocking
The fingerprint sensor is slow. Noticeably slow. Google claims this is deliberate and in the name of security, but I have my doubts. I’ve come from the iPhone 12 and became quite accustomed to FaceID. Still, I was looking forward to a fingerprint sensor again given the whole mask thing, but alas it let me down.
I’m going to lump buttons in here too. The lack of a dedicated power button is irritating and even more so that Google killed the lovely accented colour that the single button used to have. Also, they flipped the volume rocker and “power” button. All annoying, but you get used to it.
Availability
I’m going to actually have to add “traditional availability” to this. If you want to buy your new phone on the high street you can only buy the Google Pixel 6 directly from Vodafone, not the Pixel 6 Pro. You’ll have to buy directly from Google if you want the Pixel 6 Pro, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Buying directly combined with clever shopping for a great SIM-only plan usually means you’ll spend less over a usual 24-month contract period while retaining your flexibility.
Google Pixel 6 Pro: The Verdict
Right now, this is my phone of the year. But I’ll be getting my hands on the iPhone 13 Pro shortly to put that through its paces. That said, I thought I’d never move back from the world of iPhone until the Pixel 6 Pro landed in, and here’s the kicker. Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are stunning phones but only cost €649 and €899. That means Google’s flagships are significantly less than most competitors.
Between value and the sheer joy the Pixel 6 Pro brought me, it’s an easy-to-recommend phone to anyone. It’s just so solid, takes the best photos I’ve ever seen in a smartphone and is great value.
It’s not controversial to say that YouTube’s copyright claim system is not fit for purpose. In theory, it’s there to protect content from creators such as musicians, artists, and animators. If someone was to upload something you made and make money off it, you’d be furious, wouldn’t you? Of course, you would! However, YouTube’s current model for making sure this doesn’t happen goes too far in the opposite direction. That’s how an Irish Youtuber by the name of Mark Fitzpartick (TotallyNotMark to you and me) got 150 of his videos effectively deleted overnight.
The Situation
Mark’s channel is largely an anime and manga review channel. He makes top-notch content that’s gotten me, and many others, through lockdown. On top of that, he’s a talented artist in his own right with many videos of him and his staff drawing fan-favourite characters in styles of different comics or manga. He’s reviewed some of the top series from Japan over the last couple of years. The likes of Dragon Ball and One-Piece make up the bulk of his content, but he’s also got videos on Hunter X Hunter, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Berserk to name but a few.
Now, the Dragon Ball and One-Piece anime are owned by a company called Toei animation, one of the biggest animation studios in Japan. These are the shows that are at the center of all this. In the space of a few hours, Toei Animation had gone through Mark’s channel and claimed that 150 of his videos were in breach of copyright as they “contained content owned by Toei”. I’ll explain those inverted commas later. In what must have been total shock, Mark took to Twitter and YouTube with a video explaining his current situation. I would urge you to watch it as he outlines where he stands excellently.
What’s the process?
If a YouTube video gets claimed by a third party for copyright the uploader has the right to challenge this. The party that claimed the content, in this case, Toei, can then decide if the challenge is legitimate. This essentially gives the claimant all the power. This process can go back and forth twice until the uploader gets issued a strike by YouTube. The strike will be removed if the content is successfully reuploaded either by the say-so of the claimant or after a certain amount of time has elapsed. But here’s the kicker, too many strikes and your channel will get deleted permanently. This is why it would take so long to claim all 150 videos. Toei can just ignore the challenges seeing as they lose nothing either way meaning Mark can only challenge so many claims at once.
As Mark says in the video he and his company are in dire straits. He cannot monetise nearly three years’ worth of his work and he essentially cannot get all the videos back any time soon. Again, as he says in the video, he would be nearly seventy years old by the time his channel was restored if he followed through and jumped through the myriad bureaucratic hoops. Mark started his channel after a shitty day at work and now he has just had a shitty couple of days at his dream job. You’d have to have a heart of stone not to feel for the guy.
And here’s the thing; Mark has done nothing wrong. Every one of the videos is covered under practically any definition of “Fair Use”. He’s using short amounts of animation to highlight points he’s making in video essays. That’s it, if even. Remember when I said that Mark was a talented artist? Those videos I mentioned where he’s just drawing the characters have been claimed as well, even though they contain no animation owned by Toei. Remember those inverted commas earlier? Yeah.
How do things stand right now?
Thankfully Mark’s video and Tweets have gained a good bit of traction online with content creators rowing in behind him. Philip DeFranco and PweDiePie have discussed the situation on their channels while animators like Rubber Ross have made their feelings known on Twitter. The aim of all of this is of course to get the videos reinstated and have Toei make some kind of statement apologising for their actions. However, this needs to also trigger a deeper review of YouTube’s copyright claims system in general. There’s no perfect system for sure, but this is about as far from perfect as it gets.
If you want to help out there are a few things you can do. Sharing this article or Mark’s tweets would be an easy starter for ten. Sharing Mark’s video would be another great way to get the word out. Check out the content he still has on YouTube as well, it’s brilliant. He’s just started a three-part review of all the live-action Spider-Man movies for something he calls Spideycember. Some of his claimed videos are even on his Patreon so if you want to chuck him a few euro I’m sure that would go a long way. I’ve been a patron of his for a while now and I’ve upped my contribution since this has come out. Finally, Mark is calling for a boycott of all Toei animations until something is done. This means no streaming, buying, or other legitimate viewings of their content. This includes the new Dragon-Ball Super movie coming out next year. This is a boycott that I’ll be taking part in despite Dragon Ball being my absolute favourite show. What has happened to Mark is absolutely shameful and we cannot continue to support companies that carry on like this and we need to stick up for independent creators who have done nothing wrong.
UPDATE
Through working with a YouTube rep some of the videos have been released by Toei, with more going up as I type. However, the majority remain blocked and Mark’s contacts with YouTube have resulted in him being directed to Google’s FAQ page (not exactly a huge help). Mark has also said that he has been bowled over by the support the community has shown him and that he will be donating his portion of Patron earnings to a charity that he will reveal later. He has also made a video letter in spoken Japanese with the help of a friend so that it may more easily reach Toei and the Japanese public. More details can be found in his video below.
The Dublin Smartphone Film Festival has just announced a partnership with the Irish Film Institute, adding to an already brilliant list of new partners this year, including RTÉ.
A couple of years back, I was delighted to have Goosed.ie join The Dublin Smartphone Film Festival as a media partner. The festival embodies everything I love about technology and that general concept of “creativity coming from constraint”. In a recent post, the festival highlighted how it all began “in the basement of a hostel five years ago”. The 2022 festival is the ultimate sign of how far the festival has come, not least because the Irish Film Institute has just been confirmed as a partner to the event.
The Irish Film Institute And Dublin Smartphone Film Festival
It’s a bit mad to see how far the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival has come in the five years, but that’s what people always say. The truth is that it’s absolutely no surprise that the festival, under the leadership of director Robert Fitzhugh, has grown from strength to strength. This year RTÉ joined as a media partner too giving the festival a massive boost and the elevated status that it deserved.
Mobile movie making gets big validation for 2022
The Irish Film Institute partnering with the event further validates that the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival truly is a world-leading film festival. It’s almost a cyclical thing to happen. Mainstream cinema has adopted smartphones into their filming. iPhone’s now have cinematic style cameras for filmmakers to use and create with and both the form and price of smartphones versus traditional equipment lend themselves to the creative process.
Now, the IFI joining with the festival closes the loop with mainstream recognition for the mobile moviemaking craft.
The 2022 Dublin Smartphone Film Festival
The festival returns in 2022 and that is very good news, indeed. Earlier, I said it’s not surprising the festival has been a success and that’s down to the quality of film I’ve seen from that very first event in Smithfield. The tools don’t matter when you are a great storyteller and that’s why I’m already looking forward to next years event, for which submissions are currently open and extended until February 1st 2022 following the announcement of the new partnership with the IFI. The festival will now also accept feature-length films.
The Festival will also now take place on the slightly later date of April 30th 2022. Fitzhugh says that while “the festival is a little further away” it’s going to be “the best it’s ever been.
This December, Virgin Media will offer up two free movie weekends to TV customers. During both this weekend and the weekend commencing 17th December, customers will be able to choose from a catalogue of movies that usually cost €2.99, €3.99, €4.99 or €5.99. Just don’t watch more than ten and it’s all free.
How To Watch Free Virgin Media Movies
It’s nice and handy for Virgin Media TV customers to get a movie on, put the feet up and distract the kids for a bit. All you have to do is:
Click the On Demand button on their remote control, browse the movie catalogue in Virgin Movies, select their movie and click “Rent”.
Input your PIN code (Every Virgin TV customer has one) If you haven’t change it, the default PIN will be 0000. Your rental will not show up on your next bill (once you have booked it during the promotion period and you keep their viewing to less than 10 movies)
