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Kindle Paperwhite Review: Is It Worth Buying?

Keeley
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Kindle Paperwhite Review: Is It Worth Buying?

For years, I was adamant that I would never get an e-reader, mostly because of the fact that I love having the physical book way too much. I just didn’t think that it would be the same, and I couldn’t see myself ever actually using it or at least not enough to actually make buying one worth it. But it turns out that I was really, really wrong. I bought my e-reader a little more than a year ago.

I was getting ready to go on a long trip and, when I realised how painful it would be to bring a dozen books in my carry-on versus an e-reader, I realised that it was time to at least consider it. After a lot of research, I ended up picking the Kindle Paperwhite and it’s totally changed my mind about e-readers.

What Is The Kindle Paperwhite?

The Kindle Paperwhite is the midrange e-reader from Amazon — right between the Kindle and the Kindle Oasis. Amazon claim that the device is their lightest and thinnest e-reader yet, making it the perfect pick if you’re looking for a device to bring with you whether you’re commuting or headed on vacation.

The Kindle Paperwhite

The 2018 version I bought also has twice the storage of the previous version, which is always a good thing — because who could say no to more books?

What’s It Like To Use?

While it may be small in size, the Kindle Paperwhite is jam-packed with features that readers will love. And, thankfully, the lightweight e-reader is really easy to use — which is particularly handy if, like me, you’ve never had one before.

Reading Experience

The software lets you tailor your reading experience, deciding on everything from the font size to the layout of the page. And, if you go to the Accessibility Settings, you can also invert the text, image and page colours on all of the screens. It’s also backlit, which is a nice upgrade if you’ve got an older Kindle.

Swapping it to be white text on a darker background will make it a lot easier to read in the dark without eye strain giving you the perfect solution if you’ve found yourself reading late into the night and don’t want to hurt your eyes.

IPX8 Rated

The Kindle Paperwhite is also waterproof, which means that you can bring it with you to the beach or read in the bath without worrying about whether it’ll get wet. The device can survive in fresh water for up to 60 minutes at depths of up to two metres. While this was one of the selling points for me, I’ll admit that I haven’t tested out this particular feature yet — mostly because I’m nervous I’d still somehow manage to break it.

Audible Ready

One of the surprise features I have enjoyed testing out, though, is the ability to listen to audiobooks through your Kindle. With the Paperwhite, you can upload all of your Audible titles and listen to them on-the-go using Bluetooth headphones or Bluetooth speakers. Rather ingeniously, if you own both the audiobook and the eBook version of the of the same book, you can alternate between the two — all without losing your place. That’s pretty mind-blowing so if you’re buying a Kindle, it’s a good time to use up your Audible trial.

The Paperwhite Battery Life

This was one of the biggest points of interest for me, as I wanted something that I knew would have a really, really long battery life. In the very least I didn’t want to have to charge every single day. The Kindle Paperwhite battery life promises to last up to six weeks, depending on how much you read per day. Other factors that impact the battery life are whether you’ve got the wireless on or off, and what you’ve got the light setting at. But while I’ve never gotten it to last the full six weeks, I’ve found I’m charging it every two to three weeks — sometimes, a little more often depending on my commute.

When the battery life does run out, though, it doesn’t take long for it to full charge. Amazon promises that the Kindle Paperwhite will be at full power in around three hours. If you’re charging it with a USB cable from a computer I’ve found to be pretty spot on.

Kindle Paperwhite: The Verdict

While my love for reading physical books hasn’t changed, I will say that the Kindle Paperwhite has been one of the best pieces of technology I’ve bought over the last few years. I’ve loved having my books with me wherever I am, whether I’m stuck in a long queue or sitting on the bus for my commute. And, since it’s so small and lightweight, it’s super comfortable to read whenever or wherever.

Since I’ve had the device, I’ve also found myself reading a lot more. With the recommendations at the bottom of the home screen, I have discovered some incredible reads that I might not have otherwise heard about. And since it’s so easy and comfortable to use, the Kindle’s also helped me become a faster reader.

You can pick up the Kindle Paperwhite for about €130 or €150 for the ad-free model.

Revolut Web Launches In Ireland

Marty
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Revolut Web Launches In Ireland

I’ve been a massive fan of Revolut for many years. The only-only bank makes splitting bills with friends and family a non-event. Recently, Revolut teamed up with Irish charities for some awesome new fund-raising features. Along with a pretty neat Rewards section in their app too, Revolut never ceases innovating. A welcome change in the banking space given traditional banks like Bank of Ireland and Permanent TSB just released mobile payments recently, with Permanent TSB still yet to adopt Google Pay.

However, one area of Revolut was lacking and that was their singular focus on their app. Today, the online-only bank launched a web app so you can bank on your laptop.

What Can You Do With Revolut Web?

Revolut Web offers you a complete overview of your Revolut account. Here you can top up your account and contact customer care. This is handy if you’ve lost your phone or wallet out and about.

Customers can now safely access their accounts from a browser on desktop or laptop, in addition to the smartphone app.

All of this is now possible as you can securely sign in to the Revolut Web App using secure Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), and then have a complete overview of your Revolut account, transaction history and cards

Nik Storonsky, CEO and Founder at Revolut said that “account access through a browser is highly requested by our customers, so we’re delighted to have built a safe and convenient web app that everyone can use when they need it. Our customers can now access their money anywhere and at any time, even if they don’t have their phone or card, or if they simply prefer checking their account from a computer. It’s great to have the extra convenience and flexibility of an online option.”

How to Access Revolut Web

Accessing Revolut Web is simple. You just need to:

Think it’s a handy new feature? Are there other feature like Stock Market access you’d like to see? Let us know on Twitter! 

Remember, this is the only link you should use for Revolut Web. I’m going to leave it in the open here so you can see it properly.

Revolut Web: https://app.revolut.com/start

Note: We’ve noticed some issues when using the app in Safari and have asked Revolut for an update.

Update: The Revolut techies have fixed the issues in Safari.

Spider-Man Remastered Review: Is It Worth Buying?

Alex
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Spider-Man Remastered Review: Is It Worth Buying?

It’s no secret that Sony and Marvel have a complicated relationship as far as Spider-Man (as well as the Spider-Verse at large) is concerned. But it’s also well known that in recent years their rocky partnership has generated some of the best Spider-Man media we’ve ever seen. Insomniac’s Spider-Man blew us away in 2018 when it made its way to PS4. It truly made us feel like Spider-Man in a way we hadn’t before. It showcased the best of what Sony’s last console had to offer in the graphics department. With it being such an overnight success it’s no surprise that the PS5 would launch alongside a continuation of the web-slinger’s story with Spider-Man: Miles Morales. This new game also gives you the option to include an updated version of the now two-year-old original (with all the episodic “City That Never Sleeps” DLC included). This will set you back an extra €20 and while this seems like a bargain for anyone who missed out on saving New York the first time around, the question remains; is it worth it for those of us who have played the original? Well, that’s what I’m here to find out!

Can I Get A Free Spider-Man Upgrade On PS5?

So, Spider-Man: Remastered is an enhanced version of Marvel’s Spider-Man. It’s included when you buySpider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition on PS5. However, you can’t get it for free if you’ve bought Spider-Man for PS4. Sorry! If you’ve bought the standard edition of Miles Morales, you’ll also need to fork out some cash for the paid-download. One bit of good news is that if you bought Miles Morales on PS4 you can get a free upgrade to PS5. Make sense? Up to speed? Cool.

Now, head’s up because here are some spoilers if you’ve never heard of Doctor Octopus

Spidey Disclosure

Before I get into the meat of this comparison, I should disclose that I am a massive Spider-Fan and have been my whole life. The core aspects of the character resonate with me on an emotional level, I think Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is the best screen adaptation we’ve seen to date and I will still defend Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 to the hilt! With that said I still believe that everyone, fan or not, should play this game, this exact version of this game in fact. Everything about it has been tweaked, refined and in some cases dialled to 11 to create what I can only assume the developers had intended the first time around.

With Great Power, Comes Great Graphical Quality

There’s no denying the fact that this game looks bloody gorgeous

Differences Between Spider-Man and Spider-Man Remastered

The most obvious difference between the old and the new version of the games is how they look next to one another. The web is full of side-by-side comparisons that let you see first-hand just how much better this game can look.

Graphics: 30fps or 60fps?

The PS5’s ray-tracing capabilities (a fancy phrase for tracking the path of light in real-time) really bring the glass skyscrapers of New York to life with reflections of Spidey, as well as the cars and people in the street, being crisp and natural (though the issue around puddle-gate has been left unresolved). All this and the game runs at a consistent 30fps. But what if you want a higher framerate? Insomniac have thought of that and, like most PS5 launch titles, give you the option of a “Performance Mode” which lowers the graphical pzazz just a little to bring you a buttery smooth 60fps experience. I have to say it’s my own preferred way to play.

Gameplay: An Absolute Game-Changer

The gameplay experience has been given a makeover as well. So what exactly does the PS5 offer?

PS5: Adaptive Triggers

One of the highlights of the 2018 game was the way web-swinging through downtown Manhattan was effortless, engaging and a fun experience all around. This time things are a little different, a little more difficult. Now I don’t mean that the experience has been made worse, quite the opposite. Spider-Man: Remastered Edition makes ingenious use of the PS5’s adaptive triggers for both web-swinging and aiming. If Spider-Man is taking his time with how he gets from point-A to point-B, then you’re able to pull R2 with minimal effort. You press the button; Spidey shoots a web as you continue to swing, and your controller gives you a nice sound effect. Life is good.

However, if you’re in a rush to catch the Demon Gang in their helicopter or to stop a stolen car then you really have to work to get there. The triggers will adapt to the speed and position of the web-head and offer much more resistance to give you the feeling of the centripetal force being put through the web. The faster you’re moving, the harder the button is to press. It’s a small change but I cannot overstate how effective it is. Likewise when aiming to shoot your webs or gadgets, the longer you hold down L2 the harder it is to keep it that way, really giving the impression that Spidey is struggling to maintain his focus for an extended period of time. Small touches that completely overhaul the feeling of the game.

PS5: Faster Hardware

Similarly, this new version of the game takes full advantage of the PS5’s brand new internal hardware. Load times are practically non-existent, being more than a cursory “cut to black” that exists for only a second, more as a courtesy to the player so scene transitions aren’t too jarring. All told the time it takes to start the game from the PS5 menu and get to swingin’ is only 12 seconds!

Gone are the dynamic shots of Peter Parker with the hints and tips in the corner, relics of a time now passed. Peter Parker’s literal facelift is a great new addition too, with Ben Jordan now providing the face for Marvel’s iconic character, replacing the face of Yuri Lowenthal. This, along with the other characters really highlight the massive leap forward that facial animations have taken for this new generation. Another small change that makes a huge difference to the overall package.

Just two button presses and you’re straight into your next mission.

PS5: Activities

One of the nicest touches is the integration of the PS5’s Activities feature. This feature will suggest a mission or an objective for you to do from the PS menu instead of from the game itself or via finding it organically on the map. I found this to be a major help in times when Spider-Man suffered from “Open-worlditis”, a common problem in expansive sandboxes with a variety of mission types but not a lot to do in between them or on your way to them. With the Activities button, I was able to select a Demon Warehouse (a horde-mode where you face off against waves of enemies) and immediately start the mission, instead of making my way over there, clearing out the cursory gatekeeping baddies and starting the mission proper. Just one 5 second menu selection and I was straight into the action. I couldn’t help thinking to myself, with a cheesy grin on my face, “This is an absolute game-changer”.

Back to Square One

I think the only drawback to this new version of the 2018 smash hit is that your Trophies from the original may not carry over (although Insomniac has released a patch to fix this). This means that if you still want that Platinum you might have to go through the game with a fine-toothed comb all over again. But, honestly, that’s more of an excuse to relive that wonderful experience all over again!

Is Spider-Man Remastered Worth Buying?

Fans of the Avengers movies will know that Marvel decided to kick off their “Phase 3” with the introduction of Spider-Man to their universe. But not before Tony Stark gave him a “[needed] upgrade. Systemic; top to bottom. A hundred-point restoration”. That’s what this game feels like to me.

Every tiny aspect of the original has been slightly improved to provide a single massive boost and I feel it’s only fitting that Sony follow Marvel’s example and kick off their new generation with 2 Spidey games released side by side. As I said at the top of this review if you haven’t played the original game then spending the extra €20 is a no-brainer. This is not a game to be missed on any generation of console. But is it worth it even if you have played the original? The answer is still an unequivocal yes! All the changes give a whole new experience that you would do well to dive right in to as soon as you can.

Sony Confirms More PlayStation 5 Consoles Coming To Ireland In 2020

Marty
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Sony Confirms More PlayStation 5 Consoles Coming To Ireland In 2020

The launch of Sony PlayStation has been…. let’s say, interesting. On launch day, websites around Ireland collapsed under the pressure of shoppers trying to secure their new PS5. With many still concerned about whether or not they would be able to buy a PS5 before the end of the year, especially for Christmas, some hope has been given.

The official Twitter page of PlayStation for Ireland thanked gamers for making the PS5 launch the biggest yet and promised that more consoles would be available before the end of the year.

Why Are There No PlayStation 5 Consoles?

It’s far from certain that you’ll be able to easily pick up a PS5 before Christmas and I’ve reached out to Sony for clarification on what this all means. Prior to the launch, Sony confirmed that COVID-19 would not impact their supply chain despite reports that the console’s production was delayed because of a chip manufacturing issue, a claim since specifically refuted by Sony.

The PlayStation 5 controller

Realistically, the only alternative is that Sony has deliberately short-stocked the market to generate that “fear of missing out” or FOMO vibe around their new console. The logic behind this is to make the PS5 the “must have” gift of 2020, completely choking Microsoft’s Xbox of oxygen.

I doubt that Sony would have done that to this degree, but certainly a % of the shortage would have been considered. The exceptional circumstances of COVID-19 has of course led to increased demand too, but the gap between supply and demand is far too great, in my opinion, to have been planned to this scale. It’s bordering on harming the brand.

I’ll update this article once I hear back from Sony on PlayStation stock availability in Ireland. Hit the bell in the bottom right corner to receive a notification when that happens. In the meantime, you can check out the PS5 specs and pricing and our very own PS5 review by Alex.

You Can Now Automatically Donate To Irish Charities With Revolut

Marty
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You Can Now Automatically Donate To Irish Charities With Revolut

There are things we’re all saying a lot. One of these is “2020 has been a tough year”. It’s been varying degrees of toughness, even within families. Some experience isolation while others suffer loss. All year round and every year, even before COVID-19, charities have been helping people around Ireland dealing with loss and isolation, among other things. While individuals have had it tough this year, so too have charities. That’s why it’s fantastic to see one of Ireland’ fastest-growing “banks”, Revolut, provide a new way for charities, such as the Irish Cancer Society, to raise funds.

Donating To Charities Through Revolut

I first came the idea of direct donations to charities at Dublin Tech Summit a few year back when I met with Change Donations. The idea was simple but brilliant. You’d connect their platform to your bank account, a new concept that’s going to become more normal with PSD2, and have the platform donate the spare change from your in-store or online shopping to a charity. The concept is the very same with Revolut except it’s all baked into the one app and platform. This would be like Bank of Ireland offering the service, even though they’ve just launched mobile payments so don’t hold your breath.

Within the Revolut app, you can either set up a recurring payment to a charity or round up your loose change. This means if you spend €2.50 on a coffee, you’ll donate 50 cents to your selected charity. Six major Irish Charities have partnered with Revolut with 100% of funds donated via Revolut going straight to the charities involved. Edel Hackett from Safe Ireland highlights this particular benefit as “there is no middleman which is fantastic”.

Charity Fund Crisis

To put the importance of this into perspective, Irish charities expect donations to be down by about 40% this year. Revolut has more than a million customers in Ireland so the power of the platform for charities is huge. Without really promoting the feature, Irish Revolut customers have already donated more than €500,000 to charities using the “Donations” feature.

Rosemary Simmons, Irish Cancer Society’s National Fundraising Lead, said “We are delighted to be partnering with Revolut, to raise much-needed funds to support cancer patients and their families across Ireland. 2020 has been an extremely challenging year for everyone affected by cancer, with coronavirus bringing further anxieties and forcing many to stay apart from family and friends at a time when they badly need emotional support. The vital services provided by the Irish Cancer Society are needed now, more than ever. With thanks to the generosity of our wonderful donors, we can continue to provide crucial services like Night Nursing, Daffodil Centres and our freephone Support Line, to ensure nobody in Ireland has to face cancer alone”.

Rachel Murphy, Fundraising Director at Pieta said “We are delighted to partner with Revolut and benefit from this fund-raising initiative. For all of us, this has been a year like no other and knowing we have the support of Revolut is a huge boost to the Pieta organisation. In practical terms, the funds generated will support Pieta in delivering lifesaving services and raising the awareness of suicide prevention”.

Revolut Donations: Frequently Asked Questions

Which Irish charities can I donate to with Revolut?

Focus Ireland, the Irish Cancer Society, ISPCC Childline, the Jack & Jill Foundation, Pieta, and Safe Ireland have all joined Revolut’s “Donations” feature. Two other Irish charities – Special Olympics Ireland and the Irish Red Cross

How much of my Revolut donation goes to the charity?

100% of your donation goes to the charity.

How do I donate to charities through Revolut?

In the app, visit the “Marketplace” section (the farthest right icon on the bottom). Here you’ll see the “Donations” section which is a heart icon. Here, you can make either a once off donation, donate spare change (with a multiplier if you want) or make a recurring donation.

Black Friday 2020: The Ultimate Guide To Shopping On Amazon.co.uk In Ireland

Marty
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Black Friday 2020: The Ultimate Guide To Shopping On Amazon.co.uk In Ireland

Update: Due to Brexit, from January 1st additional fees for customers and returns on Amazon UK purchases come into place. Also, virtual UK delivery addresses will be impacted by Brexit. Learn more about Brexit and shopping in the UK.

Just a few years ago, ordering from Amazon.co.uk to Ireland was a bit of a pain. Today, there’s still not official Amazon Ireland store online. However, that doesn’t stand in the way of Irish shoppers spending their money on Amazon.co.uk instead. In a survey, we carried out, 34% of respondents said they had made a purchase with the online retailer in the past twelve months. The online shopping giant has renewed focus on Ireland ahead of Brexit and recently opened a permanent Irish delivery centre which now allows you to live to track your packages en-route to your home.

With this in mind and with Black Friday 2020 around the corner I wanted to pull together the ultimate Amazon.co.uk shopping guide for Irish shoppers. This guide will give you some pointers on how to qualify for free delivery, make use of an Amazon Prime free trial, what might happen with Brexit and get items shipped to Ireland which Amazon may say are unavailable for delivery to Ireland.

Amazon Prime

Amazon is a very smart business set up which knows how to squeeze everything from potential customers. Amazon Prime is one of these clever tricks. I say trick, but Amazon Prime really is just a premium and optional service for customers to enjoy. Amazon Prime unlocks a range of exclusive special offers on eligible items and speedier delivery, including unlimited one day delivery on certain items.

Amazon Prime costs just under €90 for the year or €9 per month, but if you’ve never used the service before, there is a free trial.

The Beauty Of An Amazon Prime Trial

I think most of Ireland has probably already used a free Amazon Prime Trial already. So powerful is the free trial to get people shopping, Amazon will, from time to time, offer people who’ve already had their free trial a second bite of the cherry.

The free trial lets you live like a premium Amazon customer for thirty days. That means you get:

  • Free one day delivery on selected items
  • Access to Prime Video, Amazon’s answer to Netflix which has great TV shows like The Boys
  • Free reads on eligible books from the Kindle book store
  • Access to over two million songs on Prime Music, Amazon’s answer to Spotify

Amazon knows that their trial could see you replace a few services and save quite a bit of money, so I always tell people it’s worth giving it a try for 30 days anyway.

With your trial setup, you’re ready to start shopping on Amazon.co.uk; even if you’re in Ireland.

Shopping On Amazon.co.uk While In Ireland

Now that you’re an Amazon Prime member, there are a few more things you need to know before you start shopping.

Amazon Delivery To Ireland

For the vast majority of products, getting Amazon to Ireland delivery isn’t a problem. Getting’s Amazon’s free delivery might prove tricky on some products while other products may not ship to the Republic of Ireland at all. First thing’s first. How to qualify for free delivery to Ireland.

How To Qualify For Free Amazon Delivery To Ireland

While a lot of Amazon’s marketplace sellers will ship to Ireland and ship to Ireland for free, you’ll come across quite a few who’ll either refuse to include shipping to Ireland or free shipping as a delivery option. Often this is because free shipping is an option reserved for UK addresses. That’s where you need to make us of a virtual UK address.

What Is A Virtual UK Address?

Virtual UK addresses are services provided by quite a few delivery companies in Ireland. The two best-known providers are Nightline’s Parcel Motel and An Post’s AddressPal. These services will give you a UK address to use for your shipping and then reroute your package to a collection point.

Parcel Motel by Nightline

My preferred provider of a virtual UK address is Parcel Motel. Parcel Motel has 175 lockers around the country, usually located on a petrol station forecourt. Once you get a notification that Amazon has your items dispatched, they aren’t actually on the way to you. Instead, they are en route to a Nightline depot in Northern Ireland.

Because Northern Ireland is within the UK, your order qualifies for free UK delivery. Nightline then drives your order into the Republic of Ireland and drop it into a locker of your choice.

All of these will cost you just €3.95 per night your package stays in the Parcel Motel. Sure enough, this means you’re not really getting free delivery, but it’s much cheaper than many delivery options to Ireland Amazon sellers offer themselves.

Because of how the system works, Amazon’s next day delivery will always be two days and during peak shipping times like Christmas, it can take longer.

I use Parcel Motel for 80% of my orders, but the option isn’t always available. Some sellers will not ship certain items beyond the Mainland United Kingdom. Often, this comes down to restrictions on Lithium-Ion batteries in gadgets. Straight away, that rules out Northern Ireland and Parcel Motel.

But there’s another option.

AddressPal by An Post

AddressPal is extremely similar to Parcel Motel and it also costs €3.95 per package. The key difference is that instead of lockers, AddressPal will reroute your package from the UK to your local Post Office. For me, the even bigger difference is that AddressPal routes your packages through an address in Manchester.

This is significant if you have added your virtual UK address from Parcel Motel to Amazon.co.uk and it still says delivery is not an option. Pop in your AddressPal virtual UK address and you should once again be able to avail of free UK delivery to Ireland for just €3.95.

It’s worth noting, of course, you won’t have 24/7 pickup options with AddressPal. Instead, you’ll have to visit the post office during opening hours and pay when you’re in there.

Parcel Wizard by DPD

Parcel Wizard, is like the two other services. The big difference is that you can get items delivered through a virtual UK address but then routed to your real address for no extra cost. The service costs €3.85. Because of Covid-19, I’m working from home. I’ve found this service is great because I can get items delivered to my front door. 

Get The Best Price On Amazon.co.uk When Shopping In Ireland

Pardon the pun, but now you’re in a prime position to start shopping on Amazon.co.uk while living in Ireland. There are still some tricks left in my arsenal that will save you some more of your hard-earned money.

Shop In Local Currency With Revolut

A little later, I’ll be looking at Brexit and the impact this might have on Irish shoppers seeking a bargain over on Amazon.co.uk. Right now, Brexit is having the impact of “good lord why aren’t you already shopping on Amazon UK?”.

The arse has effectively fallen out of the Pound which means now is the time to shop on Amazon.co.uk. pound weak against the euro

When you shop on Amazon UK, by default you’ll be paying with Amazon’s own conversion rates.

Let’s look at an example. The brand new Samsung Tab S6 WiFi 128GB.

To buy this version of the Samsung Tab S6 from Samsung Ireland online, would set me back €719. After doing some digging, I can see Amazon.co.uk is the cheapest place to buy.

When I click through and go to Amazon, I can see it’s still showing prices in Pound Sterling and it’s £619. If I continue to check out using my regular Irish card, I’ll pay using Amazon’s own currency converter. The result is me paying €711.83 for the Samsung Tab S6.

If I swap over to Revolut, I can use live exchange rates and pay the Sterling amount from my Euro balance. Suddenly, I’m paying £619 with Euro at a live exchange rate of £1 = €1.10 and the Samsung Tab S6 now costs me just €681.12. That’s a saving of almost €30 by just using a smarter payment method in Revolut.

Using Revolut, not only are you saving money, but you’re also protecting your card details for your primary bank. Sign up to Revolut now and I can almost guarantee you won’t regret it. Last year, I used it constantly in New York where I didn’t once worry about foreign exchange or carrying cash because I always had access to the best rates for Dollars on my card thanks to Revolut. It’ll be the same for me in South Korea later this year.

Brexit And The Future Of Shopping On Amazon UK From Ireland

That’s it for the ultimate guide to shopping on Amazon UK from Ireland, or at least that’s all for what I know right now. Brexit has brought some great short-term opportunities to bag a bargain with the UK e-commerce giant. Longterm, Brexit brings massive problems, especially if there’s a no-deal Brexit.

Increased Prices And Delivery Times Because Of Brexit

European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee recently warned that in the event of a no-deal Brexit, online purchases from the UK may be subject to VAT and import duties depending on their value. Delivery times may also increase due to more checks being required.

However, Head of Parcel Services with An Post, Garret Bridgeman, doesn’t believe there’s anything to be concerned about. “We’ve put the operational arrangements in place. We’ve worked very closely with our colleagues in customs who are on-site in all our facilities and also with our colleagues and friends in Royal Mail and large customers, the likes of Amazon”, Bridgeman said.

Reduced Consumer Protections For UK Purchases In Ireland

With a no-deal Brexit also comes a potential reduction in consumer rights should something go wrong with a product purchased online from the UK. Speaking to the Irish Times, Feargal O’Leary, from the consumer watchdog the Consumer and Competition Protection Commission, depicted what shopping online with UK retailers will look like in the very near future.

According to O’Leary, over the past number of decades, consumer rights within the European Union have grown massively and as a result, consumers are heavily protected when they shop both online and offline. Consumer rights in the EU have been built up over the last number of decades and they’re very strong for consumers.

Consumer rights in the EU have been built up over the last number of decades and they’re very strong for consumers

However, he also went on to say, “if the UK is not part of the EU in the next six-seven-eight weeks, that means that consumers will be relying on terms and conditions as opposed to statutory instruments. So if people are buying from the UK, just take that extra bit of time to check the website – what is the location, and what terms and conditions are you signing up to before you buy? And in that case, you’ll protect yourself no matter where you’re buying from”.

Should You Shop On Amazon.co.uk From Ireland?

All in all, after all of what I’ve written here, Brexit may very well leave you on the fence. I’d say, for smaller purchases make hay while the sun shines. There are some real bargains to bag if you shop right now. Then again, if I take the example of the Samsung tablet I used earlier, even if you purchase that from Amazon, Samsung themselves do have a certain duty of care to enforce their usual 24-month warranty.

There is a new ethical challenge too. Should we all be shopping on Amazon during COVID-19 instead of supporting local businesses. I personally still do shop on Amazon but also shop locally when possible and when it makes sense. 2020 saw a massive jump in interest for Amazon Prime Day in Ireland partially due to Amazon running TV ads with Irish voiceovers, again showing the companies increased focus on the Irish market.

You shouldn’t feel like you’re doing wrong by buying things on Amazon but if you do have the chance to spend locally, your local businesses would appreciate it I’m sure!

With Brexit comes uncertainty and as a result, I guess, shopping online needs to be a calculated risk. Here’s hoping the UK sorts out a deal and we can all get back to shopping online sooner rather than later.

FAQs: Shopping On Amazon UK From Ireland

Can people in Ireland shop on Amazon.co.uk? 

The short answer is yes. It might not always be straight forward and some returns processes might be tricky, but there’s nearly always a way.

Will Amazon deliver to Ireland?

Generally speaking, yes. Items bought on Amazon.co.uk will be delivered to Ireland. Some sellers on Amazon will only ship to UK addresses. Others will online ship to mainland UK addresses. For these sellers, you may need to use Virtual UK addresses or An Post’s Virtual UK address. An Post uses a mainland UK address. This might be handy if you need something with a battery in it.

Can people in Ireland join Amazon Prime?

Yes. If you’re living in Ireland you can still join Amazon Prime.

Are there benefits to being a Prime member if you live in Ireland?

Yes. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can avail of many of the benefits that UK Prime members get. This includes faster delivery along with access to Prime Video and some two million songs on Prime Music.

Is there Amazon Ireland customer service?

Irish customers can contact UK customer service teams. They can often even resolve Ireland-specific issues such as issues with orders and returns going through virtual address services.

Can Irish customers get next day delivery?

Given the logistics involved, it’s unlikely you’ll get next day delivery, but you do get faster delivery when you’re a Prime member. When completing your purchase, you’ll see a fairly good estimate of when your package will arrive.

Who delivers for Amazon Ireland?

This is often determined by the seller. Previously Amazon primarily used An Post and DPD but they’ve since opened their Irish distribution centre and now have Zeus delivering “as Amazon”.

Will Ireland lose access to Amazon.co.uk after Brexit?

Since Brexit has happened, nothing seems to have changed for people in Ireland shopping on Amazon.co.uk.

Is there an Irish Amazon Shopping App?

There is no specific app for shopping with Amazon UK in Ireland. You can use the regular Amazon Shopping app, available from the Google Play Store, Apple App Store and Huawei AppGallery.

What’s the best Irish comedy on Amazon Prime?

When you get Prime you also have access to Prime Video. This includes the entire back catalogue of RTÉ’s Bridget and Eamon, Dylan Moran in Black Books, classic Waking Ned and The War of the Buttons. That last one might not be a comedy but it is brilliant.

Can I buy garden furniture on Amazon UK?

Some items can be shipped to Ireland. Mostly, these are flat-packs that you’ll need to assemble yourself.

Can I buy a hair clippers on Amazon UK and get it delivered to Ireland?

You can indeed and in isolation, this has become a massive seller on Amazon.co.uk. Amazon stocks a huge range of hair clippers for you to choose from. Just make sure they deliver to Ireland or you’ll need to use a virtual shipping address.

Can I pay in Euro on Amazon.co.uk?

Yes, but we don’t recommend it. Amazon has a currency converter which offers pretty poor rates. If you have a Revolut card, you can pay in Sterling using Revolut’s Interbank Exchange Rate. This usually saves you a tidy sum.

F1 2020 Game Review: Strap In For One Hell Of A Ride

Marty
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F1 2020 Game Review: Strap In For One Hell Of A Ride

I’ve always been a fan of Formula One games. From the original racers to EA’s F1 Manager game, there’s a scratch that comes with being an F1 fan that these games scratch. The F1 2020 game is out and the latest instalment from Codemasters is by far the most comprehensive F1 game to date. If you want to see Ferarri make a good start to the 2020 season, this game might be the only way you’ll do it.

F1 2020: What’s New?

A good question to ask when it comes to reviewing an F1 game is “how much better can you make driving in circles every year?”. I think, in the past at least, it’s a very valid question. Sure enough, you’ll get updated liveries for the cars and driver rosters, but what else can a game like this actually do?

Remembering It’s A Game

Back in 2010, Codemasters picked up the rights to create F1 games and ever since they’ve been on a mission to create F1 simulators. That comes as a bit of a double-edged sword. One the one hand, F1-simming has led to esports being serious business in the motorsport world.

F1 2020 is all about being fun rather than being a sim

Realism is what makes all of that happen, but for me it led to me buying a game I played for a few minutes and them didn’t go back to. F1 2020 is very much aimed at making the sport fun to play on a console again. Now, the settings to do this were always there but F1 2020 is just more geared towards fun instead of being a simulator and that’s what makes this more appealing to casual gamers.

This matches the brief of F1 as an organisation too who have been trying to be more inclusive for fans with things like Fan Zones at tracks for race weekends.

For me, this game was summed up in Bahrain. I’m fuming I left the game without saving the video but I zig zagged my car, threading the needle and narrowly avoiding a crash. All the while, I wasn’t worried about too many penalties or breaking points. I was just here to have fun. I did still clip the wing and ended up nearly crying later. More on that in a bit.

The Many Modes Of F1 2020

I bought the Michael Schumacher Special Edition version of F1 2020. Why? Well, first of all, I adore Michael Schumacher. While I fell out of love with F1 for a few years, I was a die hard fan a few years back. You know, back when Eddie Jordan, Eddie Irvine and Michael Schumacher were giants in the world. The other reason I bought it was because it game me a few days to get a review done before the regular edition launched. So much for that plan. The game is so jam-packed with features I just couldn’t get it all reviewed in time. Anyway, here’s what you get.

Build Your Own Team

I don’t think I’ll have my mind changed that the ease of play is the biggest change to come to F1 2020. That’s mainly because the main mode people play in a game is very personal. If you want to simulate real-life, adding the 11th team to the grid isn’t going to look very appealing. I’m a big child, so say hello to Goosed Racing.

build your own team in F1 2020

You get to build your own F1 racing team from the ground up. At the start, your team is in startup mode. Instead of big expensive wind tunnels, you have a lad with smoke coming out of a pipe in front of a fan. As you develop and earn more money you not only invest in your car and your drivers but you also invest in the factory. F1 fans know that a good factory is the big driving force behind a successful team.

Now, when it comes to building a team, most owners do it from the outside in. You get to live the Jack Brabham life of owning the team and the car you drive in. You’ll need to pick your teammate. For me, being all sentimental, I went for Michael Schumacher’s son, Mick. After that, you’ll need to pick sponsors and plot how your engineers will develop parts on the car to outpace the competition.

The hack of the Goosed Racing MK1

Theres a certain sense of ownership that comes with this mode that gets you super invested. For example, on race weekends, you have the choice of simulating any of the sessions. A typical weekend has Free Practice 1, Free Practice 2, Free Practice 3 and Qualification before the race on Sunday. I didn’t want to simulate any of them, purely because by completely sessions and achieving goals, I was unlocking more resource points to fast track part development of the car.

I was left nearly in tears at the end of one 14 lap race because my tyres wore out and earlier I had clipped my wing. Together, I was left with no downforce, no grip and a car trundling along while slipping through the field. But I learned from that and understood that a new team is aiming for the places further down the table and to manage the car better.

What I hope you take away from that is just how much fun owning every aspect of the team can really be. It’s also a bit of craic working on your car’s look. Even more so to make it look good as I learned from public reaction the Goosed Racing Mk 1.

Career Mode

The regular career mode hasn’t been replaced and will still appeal to those looking for an experience closer to the real thing. The beauty of career mode is that you can choose where you kick off your life as a racing driver. Build yourself up with a full F2 season, dip your toe is or, take the Lance Stroll approach and inexplicably get a seat in an F1 team from the get-go.

F1 2020 career modes. Battle it out in F2 or Lance Stroll into an F1 seat.

It’s important to note one massive feature that’s not new to F1 2020 but might get you interested. A season and even a race weekend is an investment of your time. One of my favourite features is that you can save mid-weekend, mid-session and even mid-race. So if someone calls you for dinner you can call a halt to the whole game and come back tomorrow.

You hear that? You can pause the horror and walk away. Or run….Seb…

Online

Online also feels like more fun. Because I was testing during the early launch days, getting a game was taking quite some time. Codemasters has also had to upgrade their online service already because demand is greater than usual. I can understand that. Being locked up at home with F1 being delayed has left the F1-itch more in need of scratching than ever.

I’m actually going to reserve judgement for the time being when it comes to online mode. I want to play it over the next month or so and see what it’s like with a bigger population of gamers on better servers.

F1 2020: The Verdict

Earlier I said F1 2020 is all about being fun rather than being a sim. I’m not sure there’s a better summary I can give the game. The graphics are stunning. I’ve gone the extra mile with the Thrustmaster F1 Wheel and EKSA E900 gaming headset and can confirm this to be the icing on the cake in terms of immersion, but it’s not a requirement. Simply put, this game isn’t about Lando Norris dominating laps on Twitch without assists turned on. This game is about you being able to turn on your console and having a bit of craic.

Unless you’re Sebastian Vettel, in which case we recommend Ozarks on Netflix. It’s a good show.

If like me, you’ve taken some time out from F1 games, it’s time to play it Sam.

F1 2020 Trial Now Available

Before you buy, you can now test drive F1 2020 for yourself. Starting today, players on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 can download a free trial of F1 2020. Get a taster for the game yourself whether you’re a race weekend fan or hardcore sim racer.

Updated 23/11/2020: Article updated to include information on the F1 2020 free trial.

PSD2 And Shopping Online From January: What You Need To Know

Marty
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0
PSD2 And Shopping Online From January: What You Need To Know

You might have seen an ad on TV lately talking about PSD2. I took a step back when I saw it because it feels like years we’ve been talking about PSD2. The Second Payment Services Directive was devised back in 2015 and a year later I was actually working in the online team of a bank. That made this bunch of letters something I had to kind of understand. But five years later and it’s only really dribbled into our lives. Here’s what it’s all about and what that ad on the telly is about along with some plain English talk about PSD2.

What Is PSD2?

PSD2 was devised to benefit consumers. Yep, people like you. The idea was to remove the mysteries and dangers of using payment cards and bank details in modern ways. Basically, online and with online services. One recent development was Revolut announcing you could manage other bank accounts within their app. A nice development considering many banking apps are muck.

The future of PSD2 should mean additional services like budging apps will let you plug your banking details in. For example, if there is a mortgage comparison website, you should be able to link your details and have the website notify you of better rates and when you should swap banks.

However, the TV right now is about something else. Something rather important in the world of COVID-19. It’s about shopping online.

Shopping Online From January 1st 2021

While PSD2 was to make boring banking easier, it’s also designed to make your money safer online. This is for shopping in Ireland and also when shopping cross-border in Europe. With Brexit and all that jazz, this is another nod towards a seismic shift in where Irish money gets spent. Naturally, Irish e-commerce will continue to grow but the EU expects to see the Digital Single Market develop too. This is the reason data roaming has become genuinely quite good and why you can stream SkyGo and RTÉ Player when you travel. Well, that’s if RTÉ Player works in general.

From January 1st 2021 there will be additional security when checking out online. This is called Strong Customer Authentication (SCA).

What Is Strong Customer Authentication?

SCA has a simple goal. Increase the security of online shopping by requiring an additional layer of verification. This is also known as two-factor authentication. When checking out after January 2021, you will need to verify yourself in two ways to confirm you are authorised to use the payment details. SCA will be required when you want to access online payment accounts or when buying something online.

You’ll be able to verify your ownership of the account with:

  • something you know: for example a pin number
  • something you have: a card reader or mobile phone
  • something you are: a fingerprint

You might not recognise these but for “something you have”, many banks are already using “One Time Passwords”. This is when you receive a text message while checking out. Revolut has a really nice way of doing this where you open their app to confirm you are the one making the payment.

Other banks will be setting up ways of verifying you another way too. For example, KBC will need you to set up an ecommerce pin and without this paying online from January 2021 might not be possible.

So whoever your bank is, look into what you need to do. With online shopping more important than ever, you want to make sure you stay connected in 2021.

Electric Scooters To Be Legalised In Ireland Before Christmas

Marty
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0
Electric Scooters To Be Legalised In Ireland Before Christmas

I’m so reluctant to write that title. There have been a silly number of false dawns when it comes to the legalisation of electric scooters in Ireland. However, speaking to the Sunday Times today, the Green Minister for Transport has outlined plans to legalise the use of electric scooters on public roads before Christmas.

Electric Scooters And The Law In Ireland

I’m not sure quite how many times I’ve run through this, but just in case this is your first time digging into it, let me give you an overview of the problematic history between electric scooters and the law in Ireland. If you already know everything you can skip to today’s news.

The RSA And The Website Of An Garda Siochana

For quite some time, electric scooters operated in a legal grey area in Ireland. Many models on the market require some human power to push them forward before the motor will kick in. For this reason, many deemed electric scooters to fall outside the category of “mechanically propelled vehicle” (MPV). Even the website of An Garda Siochana published a document stating the same from the RSA. However, under a Freedom of Information request I submitted to the RSA, I found communication between the two organisations stating this would need to be updated.

xiaomi m365 electric scooter

COVID-19 And Increased Demand For Public Transport Alternatives

The damage had already been done and Irish roads had been flooded by electric scooters. Fast forward a few months and COVID-19 left members of the public looking for public transport alternatives with bikes, e-bikes and electric scooters proving popular. I live in Dublin and work facing out onto a busy street. There’s a massive number of electric scooters I see every day despite their illegality on public roads.

Riders Go To Court

Because electric scooters are deemed MPVs, to use on a public road they require insurance, tax and a driver’s license. It’s impossible to get insurance or tax for an electric scooter. Trust me, I’ve tried.

This means all those electric scooters we see on the roads every day are breaking the law and some Gardaí are applying that law vigorously.

I’ve spoken with several electric scooter riders who have been stopped by Garda Traffic while getting from A to B on a scooter and was actually stopped myself too. While I was sent on my way, other riders were not so lucky. One rider has their scooter taken leading to them paying a €125 fine to get it back. A few months later they received a court summons where a day in court would eventually lead to five penalty points and a €300 fine. This rider was not alone with one owner telling me when they had their day in court, a member of Garda Traffic had another 13 electric scooters in court that day. This certainly tallies with increased seizure numbers released last month in the Dail.

The Scooter Trap

All of this was happening while most electric scooter owners and regular users had no idea they were breaking the law. I’ve been receiving more press releases than ever about electric scooters to which I always have the same response: “What are you doing to inform consumers about the illegality of electric scooters being used in public spaces?”.

Halfords was claiming the title of “Ireland’s biggest electric scooter retailer” but after a quick phone call as an interested commuter, I was never informed about the fact this would be illegal.

As we head into Christmas, electric scooters were absolutely expected to be one of the top gifts despite their illegality to be used in public spaces. I’ve used the term “shooting fish in a barrel” when it came to how Gardaí were viewing electric scooters and January would have simply been shooting season. It’s important to highlight that Gardaí are not in the wrong here as they’re just applying the national law and that’s been very slow to accommodate what is an obviously popular mode of transport, despite a Green Minister for Transport coming into play a few months ago.

So that’s the history of “scooter gate” to date. I don’t think I missed anything but now I can line up the hopeful future of electric scooters.

Eamon Ryan Set To Legalise Electric Scooters

Initially, as Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan was having a slow impact on how we, as a nation, get around. Even on the topic of scooters which was in the programme for government, progress was slow. Initially, 2021 was touted as the timeframe we could expect legalisation but now it’s expected to be a done deal prior to Christmas. This is a welcome development given the likelihood there will be thousands more on the road in January.

Minister Ryan has said that laws to permit the legal use of electric scooters on Irish roads should be passed by the Oireachtas before Christmas. This will take a logical approach of first clarifying the legal status of scooters, removing the risk of being pulled over for existing users. The use of scooters on footpaths will be prohibited and a logical enough speed limit of 25kmph will be imposed. It’s expected that helmets will not be mandatory but instead be recommended. Personally, I recommend the Livall smart helmet.

Effectively this will become a trial period for electric scooters and next year progress will be reviewed and regulations on speed limits and lighting requirements agreed.

This is the approach outlined in the report commissioned by the RSA and Government which stated sensible legislation should not be overly-prohibitive for the adoption of this modern mode of transport.

Electric Scooter Share Systems

I’m actually, for once, optimistic that may actually happen and my scooter can go back on the road in the near future. We’re having a particularly mild winter with plenty of sun and I’d only love to go for a spin within my 5km limit. My situation is an example of private scooter ownership however there remains some massive questions lingering over shared scooter systems similar to Dublin Bikes of Bleeper Bikes.

Whether or not Minister Ryan plans to allow shared systems remains unknown and I’ve reached out to the Minister for clarity.

The issues posed by shared systems are manifold but the greatest of all is how they’re parked when not in use. Vunerable pedestrians and disabled pedestrians could, and likely will, have issues getting around should shared scooters ends up strewn around our nation’s footpaths.

Technology Has An Answer

First of all, private scooter ownership does not bring this problem. I either lock my scooter up or have it charging in the apartment. A shared system must somehow ensure the public use the scooters responsibly and leave them back where there is space and where they don’t impede pedestrians.

Irish micro-mobility startup Luna has developed technology currently being tested with Voi electric scooters which can govern electric scooter usage with incredible accuracy. With this tech built-in, Voi scooters can “sense” pedestrians, recognise when the scooter is being driven on footpaths and take actions to correct behaviour. The technology can also detect, to within one centimetre, the location of the scooter. This means Dublin City Council could pre-determine shared parking spots for scooters and fine riders who do not park in designated areas.

Race To Share Scooters

This technology is crucial because once the legal question marks are lifted, we’re going to see a lot more of these vehicles on our roads and should share systems be permitted, they will likely flood into position overnight. Here’s a few of them.

Bolt

Bolt is a European mobility platform that’s focused on making urban travel more affordable, convenient and responsible. With over 30 million users in over 35 counties across Europe and Africa, you may well be wondering how you’ve not heard of them. Bolt has just recently started to build their presence in Ireland and they truly do have the potential to change how we get around our big cities whether it be with ride-hailing alternatives or electric scooters. In fact the company plans to deploy 130,000 electric scooters and e-bikes across Europe in 2021.

I caught up with Irish country manager, Luke Mackey, recently and he also informed me that Bolt would be launching their Irish taxi-hailing service soon to take on the likes of Free Now and Uber while also working with the Irish Government to pass electric scooter legislation.

Zipp Mobility

Backed by investors including Brian O’Driscoll, Zipp Mobility is an exciting Irish startup looking to claim their piece of the micro-mobility pie. With the legality questions over scooters in Ireland, Zipp Mobility turned their attention to the UK who had already fast-tracked trials during the summer to take the pressure off public transport during COVID-19. To date, they’ve already have had over 1,000 journeys during these trials. The trials also include the use of anti-viral handlebar wraps that kill 99.98% of viruses and can help eliminate COVID-19 transmission.

Voi

Like Zipp Mobility, Voi is trialling their shared scooters in the UK. The Swedish startup is already in other EU countries like Germany and has told me they are “are eagerly looking forward to commencing operations in Ireland but will only do so when the legal and regulatory framework is clear.

Along with these companies, there are long-standing almost house-hold names like Bird and Lime Scooters, the latter of which I’ve flown around Germany on and had plenty of craic with. The important thing is that these shared schemes are introduced responsibly while not impacting vulnerable pedestrians or road users while also not impacting the public perception of privately owned scooters.

It feels like we’re on the cusp of this new way of getting around being legalised and we can finally move into the next phase of learning how to live with them.

R̶e̶v̶e̶n̶g̶e̶ ̶P̶o̶r̶n̶ Image Sharing Abuse: More Than You Think It Is

Marty
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0
R̶e̶v̶e̶n̶g̶e̶ ̶P̶o̶r̶n̶ Image Sharing Abuse: More Than You Think It Is

There’s no denying that our phones connected to services like WhatsApp have made us all super connected. But it’s also opened up a world of problems that we struggle to keep up with. “Revenge porn” is one such symptom of a society that doesn’t truly grasp the sheer power of this technology. You might feel my wording is soft here for someone who films a sexual act and shares it without permission and you’re right. But that’s because I’m talking about a lot more than what might come to mind when you hear the term “revenge porn”.

What Is “Revenge Porn”?

The term “revenge porn” is a commonly used term to refer to sexual abuse carried out through the sharing of videos and images. It’s an extremely problematic terminology to use because it gives a completely different sense of the issue at hand. The assumed first impression is that of a consensually filmed intimate act which, generally due to a breakdown in a relationship, was shared by one of those involved in the act.

What this assumed definition omits is media shared between people who are “sexting” being passed onto another person not involved in the act. If you’re unfamiliar, “sexting” is people messaging each other erotic messages and possibly media too. In this case, it’s very difficult to see how anything created here was “porn” or how the sharing was “revenge”.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Hazel Chu, has called on a change of language around the topic.

Is Image Sharing Abuse A Real Problem?

Image sharing abuse is a very real problem and it’s a massive problem here in Ireland too. Forwarding on apps like WhatsApp have made such media spreading like wildfire easier than ever. While this, of course, is not gender or sexual orientation-specific, it does have a specifically large impact on the female population of Ireland.

Linda Hayden, a co-founder of The Victims Alliance, has brought to light that the fact there are hundreds of thousands of sexual images of women in Ireland online without their consent. Hayden believes the likelihood is that women in Ireland are being targeted in a systemic way, not just through casual leaks because there is no law in Ireland.

In April 2017, Dara Quigley had what her mother described as a “psychotic episode”. She was found naked, walking down Harcourt Street in Dublin. Gardaí detained her after spotting her on street-level CCTV. Afterwards, a Garda rewound the footage, recorded it on their smartphone and shared it to a WhatsApp group with other Gardaí. The video ended up being shared outside of this group and was eventually found on a website, viewed over 120,000 times by members of the public. Dara Quigley learned of the leak and on April 12th 2017 she killed herself. Because of Irish law, or lack thereof, the Garda in question faced no criminal penalties and to this day the Quigley family is in an ongoing battle with Garda HQ and the state.

Petition To Criminalise Image Sharing Abuse In Ireland

The conditions in Ireland have brought us to this position. Technology has left both the survivors of image sharing abuse and, in some circumstances, the perpetrators of the abuse, with no idea of how quickly an image or video can spread like wild fire. School curriculums need to teach people from a young age more advanced media studies classes.

But all the education in the world won’t stop a perpetrator who knows exactly what they are doing and don’t care. That’s why there have been calls on the government to criminalise image sharing abuse.

You, your mother, your brother, your sister or your children could end up devastated by image sharing abuse, also known as “revenge porn”. It takes just two seconds for an image to be shared without consent, ruining someone’s life. It also just takes two seconds to sign the petition calling for this to be made illegal. It takes just two seconds to delete an incoming WhatsApp in your friends group and call people out on the sharing of such images. Challenge yourself and others on what image sharing abuse is because it’s a lot more common than you think.

If you have been affected by this article or have has images shared without your consent you can contact the Women’s Aid helpline on 1800 341 900.

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