There’s a really obvious way to open this article. Most kids growing up have heard “get off that computer and do your homework”. Or maybe it was housework. The fundamental idea is simple though. Some parents (me actually excluded) never believed people could make a living sitting at a keyboard or playing games. The rising popularity of Esports has utterly shattered that misconception. Even today’s top F1 drivers like Max Verstappen and Lando Norris participate in Esports. And now, there’s a new competition specifically targeting collegiate Esports in Ireland.
The Irish Esports College Series
Legion Esports, an Irish Esports company, has launched a new competition open to just Irish college students. This is the only third-level Esports competition in the country, welcoming gamers from over twenty Irish universities and colleges. Legion Esports founder, Stuart Dempsey, says “Legion Collegiate is a hugely exciting opportunity for us. The popularity of esports amongst third-level students has been obvious for a number of years now, and we’re looking forward to providing them a platform to showcase their skills and go head to head with other college teams in Ireland and beyond”.
Legion Collegiate – Participating Colleges
University College Dublin
Dublin Business School
University College Cork
Dublin City University
Trinity College Dublin
Dundalk Institute of Technology
University of Limerick
Institute of Technology Carlow
University of Ulster
Institute of Technology Sligo
Letterkenny Institute of Technology
Queen’s University Belfast
Maynooth University
RCSI Dublin
Munster Technical University
Technological University Dublin
National College of Ireland
Waterford Institute of Technology
National University of Ireland Galway
Athlone Institute of Technology
Gamers will be able to enter the competition across a wide range of games, including League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League, Smash Bros. and CS:GO.
The initial Legion Collegiate Winter Series running from October 11th and wrapping in January. This will be followed by the Legion Collegiate Spring Series, kicking off in February 2022 and conclude in May 2022.
I’m a big fan of sparkling water. I’m also a big fan of the idea that my children and grandchildren will have a decent planet to grow up on. So here’s the problem. Sparkling water typically comes in plastic bottles. Simply put, plastic bottles suck. The solution is my beloved Sodastream which injects CO2 into tap water to create sparkling water. Living in Dublin brings another problem to the fore. The water in Dublin tastes horrendous. I’ve found a solution to this problem too. I bought an eco-friendly water jug called Phox and here’s why I love it.
What Is Phox?
Phox is, quite simply, is a water jug. If it were to do nothing else, it would achieve holding and pouring 2.2 litres of water. Now, if it was just that I wouldn’t be talking about it. There’s a bit of eco-friendly science about this water jug that sets it aside from the competition.
If you have a water filtration jug in your home, there’s a massive chance it’s been designed and built by Brita. Brita is a world leader in the production of water filtration jugs. While they’ve made strides to be more eco-friendly, these traditional-style water filters lead to more than 100 million plastic cartridges ending up in landfills every year. Phox estimates that their eco-friendly water jug has a carbon footprint 70% smaller than the Brita style water jugs.
The Phox water jug has been designed with the reduction of waste in mind. Instead of replacing the filter after every usage cycle is complete, you change the contents of the filter.
How Does The Phox Jug Work?
Parts of the Phox jug
Phox, in essence, works the same as all water filtration jugs. You fill the jug from a tap and the tap water passes through minerals. This process removes contaminants from the water making it taste and smell less unpleasant. Phox is different because unlikely many water jugs, you empty the minerals required to filter your water into a reusable container inside the jug from a small package. This process dramatically reduces the waste that ends up in a landfill.
Phox offers two different filtration packs:
Clean Pack
Alkaline Pack
I’ve only tested the clean pack so far. Given the water in Dublin is so horrible straight from the tap, I just wanted to make our tap water taste nicer. The ultimate goal was to make my own sparkling water and stop buying bottled water. The clean pack can also softens water and makes for a better cup of tea or coffee.
I’m going to try out the alkaline pack too. This pack removes the stink from water but also helps with heartburn.
Is Phox Really An Eco-Friendly Water Jug?
Throughout my review, and I will review this in a minute, I struggled with one element of Phox. A lot of the calculations on carbon footprint and manufacturing are based on the product being used in the UK. It’s not great knowing I have to get my filter packs shipped from the UK. Now that I’ve tested the jug out, I’m going to order at least a year’s supply of filtration packs to reduce on shipping.
Still, even though the jug had to be shipped to Ireland, its manufacturing doesn’t change. To reduce their carbon footprint, Phox found UK companies to supply as many raw materials as possible. All of this second generation Phox jug’s manufacturing, packaging, design and distribution are completed within an 80-kilometre radius of Phox HQ in Glasgow.
At the end of the day, I’m confident that this approach is better than relying on store-bought water in plastic bottles.
I’m just about to replace my second filter. Each filter lasts for 45 days so I’ve been using the Phox for nearly three months. The first glass of water left me shocked at how effective the Phox is at making Dublin water completely drinkable. I don’t think twice about drinking it. We no longer buy bottled water and are keeping the Sodastream busy.
One massive positive of the jug is just how fast it filters a full reservoir of water. In just 5 minutes you’ll have lovely clean tap water to drink. The Phox team have cleverly created an app that reminds you to change your filter contents. They even send you an email to remind you too. I need things like this in my life.
When it came to ordering my replacement filtration packs, there was some snag with customs. Now that I think of it, the jug itself was slow to arrive because it was coming from the UK, but it did arrive. I’ve since spotted that Amazon stocks the Phox filtration packs. Considering Amazon is about to open a fulfilment centre in Ireland next year, this should make this whole process a lot easier than buying directly from Phox.
I, again, have to call the people of Phox very clever. Once your filtration pack does land, it’ll arrive in a letterbox friendly package. This means your postie is a lot less likely to have a failed delivery, further reducing carbon footprints.
Flaws Of The Phox Jug
While ordering from the UK isn’t ideal, the jug itself isn’t perfect either. Perhaps the biggest flaw of the design is the large circumference of the glass container. It’s so large that it doesn’t fit in my fridge door, something Brita has always been sure to think of. If you overfill the reservoir it won’t filter down into the glass container. I’ve had many occasions where this happens and then when pouring water, unfiltered water leaks from the reservoir.
It’s also a very tall jug. This means anything at all in the sink can make the jug tough to refill. Typically, I use a small kitchen jug to refill it. An easy solution really.
Despite these little snags, I have nothing but positive recommendations if you’re thinking of buying yourself a Phox.
Phox Eco-friendly Water Jug: The Verdict
Let’s recap. I bought this jug from the UK, had various delays in getting it through customs and hit further snags getting my refils. There are some little annoyances about its design too, so how do I feel about the Phox in general? Well, to be honest, I love it. I can’t quite put my finger on why I love it but despite the flaws, it’s a great solution to the problems I was having. Also, during the buying process when I hit snags, their customer care was great.
The Phox nails the two most important things I was after in a water jug. I wanted an eco-friendly alternative to a Brita water jug and I wanted tastier water. Is it the perfect solution? Maybe not, but it solved my problems perfectly.
After many years of resistance to Apple, I’ve found myself sitting slap bang in the middle of their ecosystem. I’m writing this on my MacBook, with experience of using my iPhone 12 and iPad. But I continue to resist Apple Watch, opting instead for the Google-owned Fitbit Sense. I say Google-owned because that means the tracker is firmly competing with Apple which leads to some problems. I like Apple Health, but my Sense doesn’t play nicely with it. I’ve learned how to beat it into shape, forcing it to sync and even getting my steps into a widget for some of my favourite iOS 15 home screen layouts. Here’s how.
How To Sync Fitbit To Apple Health
There is no direct way to sync your Fitbit step data to Apple Health. That’s a real shame because Apple Health is a lovely app. It’s so lovely, I didn’t want to give up on finding a way to sync the data, bridging a gap between Apple and Google. The solution lies in using a third-party app. I found two apps that can do this but both have pros and cons.
I should pop a wee disclaimer here. Neither of these apps has been developed by Apple or Google. You’re trusting a third party to connect your data.
Fitbit to Apple Health Sync
This is the first app I have used for quite some time. I liked it because it was free to get started and it worked, even if it is a bit manual. Fitbit to Apple Health Sync can link your steps to Apple Health but will only do so when you manually open the app and tap sync. Automatic sync is a premium extra and extremely pricey so I never paid for it. You can pay monthly for €6.49, annually for €43.99 or get a lifetime pass for €59.99.
I can see what it may be tempting to pay for this given it solves a specific problem, but the value just didn’t seem right for me given all it will take is an agreement between Google and Apple to rule this app dead in the water. That’s why I went back looking again and found a better solution.
Sync Solver
And that better solution was Sync Solver. Now, this still isn’t free but the price is more reasonable at €4.99. You pay for this app up-front and then there are no additional fees to worry about. Sync Solver continues to link my Fitbit step data with Apple Health. One drawback is that it doesn’t sync very regularly. Typically, you’ll get an automatic sync two or three times a day. You can change the settings to be more aggressive but remember that more aggressive means more impact on battery life.
If you want, you can still open the app and manually sync throughout the day.
Sync Solver costs €4.99 up-front and then you’re done. Compared to the previous app I looked at, I’m much happier with Sync Solver.
Keeping Fitbit To Apple Health Syncs Clean
One final thing you need to be wary of is keeping your sync data clean. By default, Apple Health uses your phone’s hardware to track your steps on a daily basis. It assumes you don’t have a tracker at all but that means if you use an app to sync, you will likely end up with duplicate data and double step counts.
To avoid this from happening, go to the Steps section of the Apple Health app. At the very bottom, tap “Data Sources and Access”. Tap “Edit” at the stop of the screen and go to the “Data Sources” section. Drag “Sync Solver” to the top of the list. This will now be the singular source of your step data.
Fitbit Step Data As iOS 15 Widget
Because I’ve been playing with Focus Mode and home screen layouts, I wanted to get my step data into a home screen widget. I was surprised that Fitbit doesn’t have a widget. I was completely shocked to find Apple Health doesn’t seem to feature as an option either. Yet again, I was seeking a workaround that came in the form of Widgetsmith.
Widgetsmith lets you design your own widget. I’ve not made anything too fancy yet but nor have I spent a penny on getting this app to do what I needed.
Straight away, Widgetsmith supports pulling activity logged in the Apple Health app into a widget. Combined with my Fitbit sync trick from above, creating an iPhone widget to display steps tracked with my Fitbit was easy.
I went for a new small widget and added “Step Counting” from the Widgetsmith app. I started out with a simple basic step counter but now have moved to a step goal layout instead.
That’s it. I can effectively have a Fitbit step counting widget in iOS 15. I’ve also added the Sync Solver app in case I do want to give it a quick manual sync too.
I would have preferred if everything here just worked, but it might be a while before Apple and Fitbit sort their differences out. I also would have preferred being able to do this for free. While the first third-party app worked for free, investing in option two seemed like decent value for money.
In my eyes, there are two kinds of people. Those who actively use TikTok and those who are too embarrassed to say they do. I’m exaggerating for humour of course, but TikTok has experienced explosive growth around the world. The social media platform was a massive escape from reality during lockdown so it’s no wonder it was a winner. But if you’re living in Ireland and loving the creation side of TikTok, the Creator Fund isn’t available for you just yet.
What Is The TikTok Creator Fund?
People creating content is the lifeblood of social media platforms. That’s the simple reason why TikTok encourages people to go live in order to continue getting followers. It’s also baked into the foundations of the Tiktok Creator Fund.
TikTok launched the Creator Fund to repay content creators based on the number of views and the authenticity of those views along with the level of engagement on the content. Basically, the better the quality the more money creators can make.
The Creator Fund total varies daily and is based on the number of videos published by TikTokers that day. For the next three years, the new social media giant has committed £231 million in funding.
Who Is Eligible For TikTok’s Creator Fund?
Much like going live, the Creator Fund is only for those who have done enough to show they mean business. Right now, you must be a creator based in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain or Italy. You must be over 18 with at least 10,000 followers. Your videos will need to have generated at least 100,000 views in the past 30 days and you can’t have breached any TikTok guidelines in getting to where you are now.
Can I Join The Creator Fund In Ireland?
I’m afraid not. Despite the fact TikTok is investing heavily in their Irish offices, we’re not allowed to join the Creator Fund. Even if your account meets all the requirements, you must be based in France, Germany, Spain or Italy to avail of the European Fund. The fund has proven popular in Europe, with tens of thousands of creators already signed up. Over half of all eligible creators have signed up.
Will The Creator Fund Launch In Ireland?
I’m sure it will, but who knows when. As TikTok have said themselves, “the Creator Fund is in its early stages, and we’re continuously exploring new ways to improve the experience for our creator community and the way creators are rewarded”. This means they’re still trying to work out the markets it’s currently live in.
The TikTok Creator Fund is a great idea but Ireland is a relatively small market. Right now, keep creating content and hopefully, your time will come.
It’s hard to tell if Squid Game is being recommended to all Netflix customers or it just got fired up by my own recommendation algorithm. I’ve watched the first few episodes and I’ve seen enough to recommend it. For me, it’s the movie Hostel meeting TV show Takeshi’s Castle. If you find yourself looking for an interesting whacky series to watch, this is it.
What Is Squid Game About?
I think my description of Hostel meets Takeshi’s Castle is so damn on the money here. Squid Game is a South Korean TV series about a mysterious survival competition. 456 degenerates who’ve worked themselves into massive debt are invited to play a series of games to win 45.6 billion Won – about €33 million.
The games are based on traditional South Korean children’s games, but they all have a deadly twist.
Mild spoiler ahead for episode one.
For example, the first episode has a game called “red light, green light”. Normally in this game, someone says “green light”, allowing players to move. They can continue to move until the words “red light” are said. Anyone who moves after this point is eliminated. In the kid’s game, that means knocked out. In Squid Game, it means death.
Is Squid Game Worth Watching?
Absolutely. Squid Game is another fine example of how impressive the South Korean entertainment industry is these days. The series threads the needle of humour, entertainment and gore while also offering up a complex commentary on real life. Be warned, while the story is a bit wild and funny at times, the gore is intense. But it’s not just gore for gore sake. There’s some great story underneath all of this.
I’d recommend watching the original in Korean with English subs, but the dubbed version is also great.
Amazon customers living in Ireland have wondered for a long time just how valuable a service Jeff Bezos offers us outside the UK. It might come as a surprise, but immediately after Brexit, Irish shopping on Amazon.co.uk remained steady. I shop with the UK website and have noticed their delivery times to Ireland are stunningly fast and offer great value even with extra Brexit related fees. For this reason, I’m an Amazon Prime customer and I see the value in that. If you think you might too, here’s everything you need to know.
Update: Amazon.ie is now live, giving shoppers in Ireland access to 200 million products from the Irish distribution centre with faster deliveries and easier returns
How Much Does Amazon Prime Cost In Ireland?
Amazon Prime costs £7.99 per month. I pay monthly through Revolut to make sure I’m always getting the best exchange rate on that along with not worrying about conversion fees. Last month, that worked out to be €9.45 for my Prime membership.
You can also pay for your Prime membership annually. To go down this route will set you back £79 per year. If you pay annually, you’re looking at a bill of about €92. Depending on the exchange rate when you buy annually, you could be saving €20 by paying for the year upfront.
Finally, if you just want to watch Amazon Prime Video there’s a specific membership for that too. That’ll set you back £5.99 per month, or €6.99 per month in Ireland, give or take a few cents.
Here’s a recap.
Amazon Prime Membership Costs In Ireland
Cost (Sterling)
Approximate Cost (Euro)
£5.99
€6.99
£7.99
€9.45
£79
€92
Is Amazon Prime Worth It In Ireland?
Personally, I find Amazon Prime worth it. The least value for me is from Prime Video. I just don’t find myself scrolling through Prime Video looking for something to watch very often. But I do order somewhat regularly from Amazon.co.uk and get decent savings along with free and quick delivery. It amazes me that Amazon can deliver to my front door quicker from the UK and passing through customers, faster than most Irish companies based here.
Amazon delivery vans now operating in Ireland
Still, Amazon Prime really is only good value if you use it somewhat regularly. I’d probably order something every week or at least every second week so maybe that’s the sweet spot.
What Amazon Prime Customers Get In Ireland
Along with the improved delivery experience, you get some extra sweeteners as a Prime customer.
Amazon Prime Video included
Unlimited Premium delivery
Unlimited music streaming
Unlimited photo storage
Prime Reading
I don’t use much of this myself beyond the Premium Delivery. Ordering on Amazon can cost up £4.99 or more per delivery if you’re not a Prime customer. From time to time I might spot something on Prime Video, but the rest are nice to have features that I don’t use regularly.
If you plan to shop on Amazon.co.uk in and sort of regular fashion, Amazon Prime is worth it. With Amazon confirming a full Irish fulfilment centre for 2022, the shopping experience will only get better for Irish-based customers. You can sign up to Amazon and try out a month of Prime for free to see if it’s for you.
I’ve already written about Focus Mode being the best feature of iOS 15. I had been testing the Beta for a few weeks and really liked the control Focus Mode gave me over my phone. Now that the new iPhone 13 has been launched and iOS 15 is publically available, you can try out Focus Mode for yourself. Here are a few iOS 15 home screen ideas to get you started from the layouts I’ve been using.
Focus Mode At A Glance
I’d recommend reading that article above if you have no idea what Focus Mode is, but let’s have a quick overview. Basically, Apple introduced this feature to give you greater control over your smartphone. Once set up, you can control which apps can send you notifications and when. My favourite feature is setting up the dynamic home screens based on parameters I’ve set.
While there are plenty of guides out there that centre on an aesthetically pleasing look for your home screen, I much prefer functionality. I’ve often used the term “UXing my life”. When I say this, I mean I’m making the tasks I do regularly easier to do by looking at things like workflows and reducing the amount of effort to complete recurring elements of a task. That’s at the core of how I use Focus Mode. Here are some examples. Remember, you build these up yourself in the Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
Home Focus
My Home Focus Mode
Home Focus is the mode active most of the time on my iPhone 12. It activates based on location, so as soon as I come home, my phone knows to juggled my screens into Home Focus.
I’ve divided my Home Focus into three sections.
Entertainment
Wellbeing
Smart Home
Sitting on the couch, I can stream the latest Netflix series to my TV, track meals in MyFitnessPal or control my Dyson Air Purifier. Before I had this feature in iOS 15 I was constantly digging through folders looking for apps or forgetting I even had some.
The widgets let me grab quick info as I need it too. The bottom one is usually where I see how many visitors came to this website and above that I see my steps. For this I have to use a custom widget builder called Widgetsmith.
This Focus Mode is triggered by entering a short radius around my home location.
Work Focus
Work Focus keeps my social media out of sight
Probably taking up the second slot of things I see the most is my Work Focus Mode. At the top is a widget from one of my favourite productivity apps called Sorted3. I can jot down and categorise tasks, seeing my work load at a glance. Note, this screen grab was taken on a Saturday, hence it’s pretty clear.
My calendar widget keeps me up to date with other events I’ve booked in and totally forgot along with meetings during the week. I can book a hotdesk for the day and access all my data needed for a days work. I use Dublin Bikes a lot too when traveling to the office so having that app and the Leap Card readily available helps me getting from A to B.
My Work Focus Mode kicks in every week day from 9am to 5.30pm.
Sleep Focus Mode
Getting ready for bed including an iPhone Shortcut
I’m particularly proud of this Focus Mode designed specifically for bedtime. The reason I love this one is because it was my first time using Apple’s Shortcut app. This lets me take a workflow and trigger the whole thing automatically with just one tap of a widget.
“Play to Locker”, confirms my Bluetooth is turned on, waits two seconds, connects to the Bluetooth speaker beside my bed and opens the Headspace app. I love listening to Sleep Casts in Headspace as falling asleep in silence is always a challenge for me.
I kept the Headspace app on the homescreen for other meditation options and have a few different ways to jump into a podcast if I’m feeling it.
MyFitnessPal appears again just in case I need to log a final meal or close out my day.
Another great iPhone feature is the Sleep Widget. I usually get up at 7.15am and the widget tells me when I should be in bed. One tap into the widget and I can tweak my wake time for a lie in and go to bed a bit later. I also like having tomorrows weather at a glance. This helps me decide on working from home or popping in and grabbing a hot desk for the day.
This Focus Mode activates every night at 10.30pm.
Out And About Focus Mode
Not all my screens are balanced or aesthetically pleasing because I just see what I need
My Out and About Focus Mode is a great example of making a pretty home screen versus a really functional one. It’s not balanced with even numbers of apps and widgets. Instead, it’s just what I need when I’m out walking around the city.
If I want to grab a Dublin Bike, navigate from A to B, check a shopping list from Google Keep which we add items to using the Google Nest Hub, or accessing loyalty programs like Lidl Plus or Squid, I have everything I need ready to go.
Out and About Focus Mode starts when I leave my home radius and no other modes are active.
Gym Focus Mode
Everything you need to break a sweat
Anyone talking to me lately has told me to shut up about the gym. It’s even sneaking into my reviews, like this smart padlock. But my Gym Focus Mode is really handy too. I have easy access to my Bluetooth headphone controls, my fitness apps including My PT Hub where my trainer puts my work outs and Spotify.
This mode activates based on location, similar to my Home Focus Mode. As soon as I’m near the gym, I get all of this stuff.
I’m constantly tweaking these Focus Modes with new apps or widgets as they become available. Remember, it’s not just the layouts that help with focus. You can limit which contacts are able to reach you during certain times, like cutting your boss off outside work hours. Better still, you can limit which apps can send you notifications and when. This is particularly helpful if you have one phone for work and personal life. All those work emails and Teams notifications can be muted until your work hours come back around.
My recommendation, is go have a play with some of these modes. These are just my own iOS 15 home screen ideas. You’ll want different apps and layouts. Make them your own and constantly tweak them until you feel like you’re back in control of your phone again.
You can also sync modes on iPad but have different layouts for both devices, so if you have the full eco-system, be sure to make the most of it.
I’m not entirely sure what my lockdown would have been like without TikTok. I do know that now we’re going back to the office, a lot of people will need to fight the urge to watch TikToks on full volume during their toilet breaks. For those who don’t just creep on the platform, you might be wondering how do you go live as a content creator. Not everyone can do it but here’s the “how to”.
Who Can Go Live On TikTok?
Going live isn’t for everyone. It’s very possible that if you’ve just started your account, you won’t see the “go live” option. In order to get live streaming up and running you need to be:
Over 16
Have at least 1000 followers
My own TikTok has over 1000 users but once that first thousand was hit, the growth slowed dramatically. This seems to be how TikTok gets people in. They hook you with 1000 followers and then lure you into live streaming. You should always remember, social media platforms are highly engineered to influence your behaviour.
Anyway, if you’re looking to keep on growing your TikTok account, going live is the next step. Here’s how you do it.
How To Go Live On TikTok
Now that we’ve confirmed you have at least 1000 followers and are over 16, you can go live. Here’s more detail on how you do that.
Step 1: Open TikTok
Ugh. Yes, this is an obvious step, but where else should I start?
Step 2: Tap The Create Button
At the bottom of your screen, you’ll see the Create Button. You might refer to this as a “new post” or “plus” button.
This is the Create or “plus” button in TikTok for new posts and live streaming
Step 3: Swipe To “Live”
Once TikTok launches into create mode, you’ll see a swipeable menu at the bottom. You need to head on over to “Live”.
Step 4: Prepare Your Stream
Before you go live, you’ll need to give your live stream a title and you can also upload a thumbnail image. If you want to support a charity, you can pick there here too.
Step 5: Go Live
Take a deep breath. Hit the “Go Live” button and start your broadcast.
Just like that. You’re ready to go live.
Once you go live, you’ll have access to some tools. Just tap the three dots and away you go.
When you’re live, keep an eye on your comments and chat with people who leave messages. Sometimes it might be a good idea to have some music playing at the start while people are joining. Give people a reason to stay. Play around with some ideas and see what works for you and your followers.
TikTok Live FAQs
How many followers to go live on TikTok?
You need to have at least 1000 followers before the option to go live appears on TikTok.
How to go live with someone on TikTok?
Once you’re live, you’ll have the option to invite another person onto your stream. After you go live a button will appear in the bottom left–hand corner. Once you click this you’ll see a list of people that can join you live. Once invited, they’ll have 20 seconds to accept.
This is good news. Despite what Apple would have you believe, this is good news. The EU Commission is now putting forward legislation to establish a common charging solution for all relevant devices. It’s going to be USB-C which has left Apple fuming. Here’s everything you need to know about the EU going USB-C and what Apple will likely do next.
The EU Is Going USB-C Only
Back in 2009, phone manufacturers arrived at an agreement together that they should all adopt a common standard for chargers. This was when we lost the fat and skinny Nokia chargers as manufacturers moved towards micro-USB and more recently USB-C.
There has been some success, as years of working with the industry on a voluntary approach did manage to bring down the number of mobile phone chargers from 30 to just 3 within the last decade. Still, the EU believes they’ve fallen short of where they need to be, most likely because of Apple’s refusal to adopt USB-C, instead opting for their proprietary Lightning port and cables.
As a result of this, the EU is mandating that all phones must feature a common charging port and that’s going to be a USB-C port. And it’s not just smartphones in scope here. USB-C will become the standard port for all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers, and handheld gaming consoles.
Fast Charging Standard And No More Bundling
The same legislation will introduce standardised fast charging too. Again, Apple wasn’t exactly sound in this space. For years, they bundled a 5W charging brick with their new products, leaving it up to you if you wanted to go buy a faster charger from Apple. Now, when you visit a mates house, their charger will fit and work just as well as the charger you have at home. After a few years of the older stuff dwindling away.
I mentioned bundling there and this is another thing that’s important to note is changing. You’ll now have the choice, where possible, to buy your new phone without a charger. Samsung and Apple is already selling phones without power bricks, though as I’ve written before, I’m not so sure it’s for environmental reasons.
Why Is The EU Doing This?
The reason for all of this is simple. Annoy Apple. No, I’m joking. This is an important step towards reducing the production and disposal of new phone chargers, more particularly the amount of waste generated by them. Disposed of and unused chargers are estimated to pile up to 11,000 tonnes of e-waste every year.
Commissioner Thierry Breton, responsible for the Internal Market
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe fit for the Digital Age, said: “European consumers were frustrated long enough about incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers. We gave industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, now time is ripe for legislative action for a common charger. This is an important win for our consumers and environment and in line with our green and digital ambitions”.
Why Is This A Big Deal For Apple?
Apple has resisted this from the word go, opting instead for their proprietary Lightning charger on iPhone and some iPads. This is despite moving some iPads and all MacBooks to USB-C. Apple is claiming foul, stating that the new rules will lead to more waste being generated whilst also stifling innovation.
The truth of the matter is that Apple knows lots of customers have bought accessories designed with Lightning ports. Think of those old speakers you could dock your iPhone into and play music while also charging your phone. Apple is concerned that these products becoming obsolete is going to lead to more waste than ever. Of course, there are also all the cables headphones that are out there today.
While there is some truth to this, I don’t for a second believe what Apple is saying here on the surface to be the real reason they’re apprehensive. Lightning is another factor that keeps people within the Apple ecosystem. I love the Apple ecosystem and it works so bloody well that I’d now hate to leave it. If people have Lightning accessories, they can’t really swap over to Samsung or OPPO because the accessories just won’t fit.
I’m not buying the whole “stifling innovation” thing either. Apple is a company famed for innovative design. The amount of tech they cram into smartphones is incredible. They’ve been working with massive constraints for years and knocking it out of the park. As Orson Welles once said, “the enemy of art is the absence of limitations”.
The reality is that Apple has stubbornly been dragging this on for years and the EU is now taking a stance. The entire legislation is effectively aimed at Apple’s refusal to adopt USB-C and giving people low-ball chargers.
What Will Apple Do Next?
Well, there are three things they can do. You might be surprised to hear there even are three options.
The first thing, and most likely thing Apple will do, is to adopt USB-C. Apple already has significant experience with USB-C on the Apple laptop range but more importantly for mobile design, lots of iPads too.
Next up, is the most unlikely option. Apple could release a phone with two ports, Lightning and USB-C. The ROG Phone 3 actually does have two ports, both USB-C. So it can be done. However, the amount of design work required to make that a reality is massive.
The third option, which I would say is pretty much inevitable, is the portless iPhone. Apple is pushing MagSafe and wireless charging big time. Everyone thought it was lunacy when they killed the headphone jack, but here we all are with wireless earbuds or headphones. There’s nothing stopping Apple from releasing an iPhone that can only be charged wirelessly. It’s been confirmed that this wireless approach would be exempt from requiring a USB-C port. Ironically, the wireless charger could even have a Lightning port as it falls outside of the scope of the EU legislation.
Will The iPhone 14 Be USB-C?
It’s very unlikely the iPhone 14 will now support USB-C. Even though the iPhone 13 has just launched, design for next year’s phone would be well underway. Unless Apple knew about this or had plans to go for USB-C anyway, it’ll more likely be the iPhone 15 that first bears the USB-C port. That’s assuming Apple doesn’t just go wireless.
From the EU, there will be a transition period of 24 months from the date of adoption to give manufacturers ample time to adapt USB-C and the other new rules.
As anyone who’s been around me lately will testify to, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the gym lately. All I can talk about is protein this and bench press that. Now, it’s even creeping into my tech reviews. I bought a smart padlock (yes I do actually buy gadgets) and have found it perfect for my locker in the gym. It will work in loads of other places too so you might find a use for one yourself.
What Is A Smart Padlock?
To state the obvious, padlocks are typically used to secure things. You’re probably familiar with locks that require a key or combination to unlock them. I was using a combination lock myself for years but when I stopped going to the gym during the lockdown closures, I forgot the pin number. I riffled through some old photos on my phone and found it again, but I couldn’t change the combination and settled on buying a new lock.
Naturally, because I’m a nerd, I found myself looking at the Lexon Nomaday Smart Lock. Instead of relying on a key or a combination to unlock it, this padlock has a fingerprint reader built into it. The only way to open it is by scanning your fingerprint or thumbprint. Because this is an electronic padlock it has a USB-C port in the base where you can recharge it. But that’s it. Once set up, all you need is your hands to unlock your locker.
Are Smart Padlocks Worth It?
For me, this padlock solved some problems. I couldn’t change the combination and I was afraid I’d forget the pin. I was particularly worried about coming back from my shower without my phone and being stuck in the changing rooms with nowhere to go and just a towel to my name.
The digital padlock means I don’t need to worry about losing a key or forgetting a combination. Unless there’s a tragic accident with a benchpress machine, I’ll be able to unlock my locker with the tap of my finger.
There are additional benefits too. For example, if you have a lock with a key, you need to carry your key around from machine to machine. I had one before but the key was on my house keys which were awkward to keep in my pocket or lug around the gym. Finding little uses like this for tech is what I love and it made this smart padlock a genuinely clever solution to a problem I, and many other people have.
Additional Features Of Lexon’s Lock
Ok, so it locks stuff and that really is about it. But there are a few other specs that you might like to know about.
The lock is a neat solution if your office is moving to a hotdesking model and giving people lockers. It might even be the perfect solution for your kids in school if they have lockers to store their books between classes. But it doesn’t have to be used indoors as Lexon’s padlock is IP65 rated. Feel free to lock things up outside with it.
Once charged, Lexon claims the battery will last up to one year or for 3000 unlocks. Obviously, I haven’t been able to put it through its paces to that extent so we’ll have to take their word for it.
The lock can store up to ten different fingerprints too so you can register a finger or two from both hands, an approach I strongly recommend. But you can also have multiple users registered too. Handy if it’s being used in a shared space.
The Lexon Nomaday Smart Lock Review Verdict
I’ve been using the padlock for about a month now. It does solve the specific problem I have but it comes with the “but”. There’s still a bit of anxiety that creeps in after a shower or jacuzzi has left your fingers wrinkly and the lock doesn’t open on the first attempt. After a quick rub of a towel, it’s always fine. Both your finger and the lock need to be bone dry to work so just be aware of that.
It isn’t the toughest looking lock in the world either. Personally, I wouldn’t let it secure much more than my gear bag in a locker for an hour or so. I haven’t tried, but I sense you’d be able to force the lock if you really wanted to. Thankfully, it doesn’t have the dramatic weakness a similar smart lock on the market did that cost double the price.
JimmyRigEverything finds a big weakness in a different smart lock
But while there are negatives to be seen here, I’m delighted with my purchase. This smart padlock does everything I need it to do.
I do understand that sometimes it feels like we’re making everything smart without really wondering if it needs to be smart. I have a Bluetooth toothbrush that simply doesn’t need to have Bluetooth. But there are some unusual smart items that genuinely are helpful, like my Bluetooth sunglasses or Ember coffee cup. The Lexon smart padlock slots nicely into this category of useful tech for me, a decision made easier by the reasonable price of €49 too.
