The beloved high street brand, Penneys, has launched a long overdue mobile app in Ireland. Online shopping lovers may still be disappointed as the app does not offer a transactional online store.
While you will still have to go to your nearest shop to actually buy anything, the Penneys app will let you check stock in stores closest to you.
Alongside product listings, the app has a built-in store locator for quick access to opening hours and directions, and a “favourites” feature to save your top picks for your next visit. You can also opt-in for personalised notifications to stay updated on new arrivals and exclusive updates.
Penneys has highlighted that the app’s launch in Ireland meets a growing demand for digital tools to enhance the in-store experience. The lack of online shopping could be a missed opportunity, but I personally find it somewhat understandable knowing just how tight margins are for a brand like Penneys and how expensive shipping has become.
Deflecting from the lack on an online shop, Fintan Costello, Head of Penneys Ireland, said “customers love the buzz of a Penneys store – from discovering the latest trends to picking up everyday essentials for the family” and that “digital channels are driving shoppers into our stores, and so with more people browsing online before they shop, the Penneys app extends that experience, offering a convenient and inspiring way to explore our ranges anytime, anywhere”.
Starting in November, Ryanair passengers will no longer be able to use printed boarding passes. When you travel with Ryanair, you will have to use the mobile app.
Naturally, this doesn’t impact the cast majority of passengers who are already using the app, but when I travel I always see at least a few people with printed boarding passes. And as expected, there’s been a little bit of backlash.
Older travellers, and people with varying levels of physical and mental ability, will often have support from family getting their documents together, but may have to travel alone. Typically, they are much more confident having a printed boarding pass over an app they have to find, navigate through and open.
According to the latest data from Comreg, we can estimate that anywhere from 900k to 1.8M non‑smartphones in use in Ireland. I’m sure a large proportion of these aren’t being used as daily phones and will never travel, but it’s 15% to 30% of active phone subs in Ireland.
All of this data shows this is an issue that might not affect you, but will almost certainly affect someone you know.
Other Scenarios Affected
There’s also the issue of technology breaking down. If your phone gets stolen, broken or the battery dies in the airport, retrieving your boarding pass can be a challenge.
I use quite a few layers of security, including 2FA and password managers. So I’m not sure how I could replace a sim or access my Ryanair account should my phone get stolen, and I didn’t have another personal device with me when travelling.
It’s also important to remember that while this makes the headlines, there are some exclusions. For example, when flying from Moroccan airports, you will still require a printed boarding pass, as per the Ryanair website. The airline says “the change will not apply to passengers travelling from Morocco”.
Onwards to Digital
Ryanair’s move towards digital-only travel isn’t too surprising, and it follows a trend we’ve all seen with banks and similar services moving towards digital. Ryanair says the move will improve airport customer experience and remove airport check-in fees, along with helping the environment by reducing paper waste.
You can make the argument that in today’s world, a smartphone is practically mandatory. And while this might be an unpopular move to some, as always – others will likely follow after Ryanair makes the unpopular move.
I bought myself a Backbone controller not too long ago. It was for my older iPhone with a lightening connection. When I upgraded to iPhone 16 Pro, I needed a USB-C controller. I had the CRKD NEO S Frost Edition controller, but I like the form-factor of a controller with the device in the middle. I also had an iPad Pro and let my imagination run wild.
The result was buying the Gamesir G8 Galileo.
Design
The Gamesir G8 Galileo is one of the most substantial mobile controllers to feel in the hand. Depending on the phone that you slot into it, it can be quite the heavy unit. But I was brought up to take that as being high quality.
The grips are fantastic and feel somewhat like a regular controller, just with the width of a screen in between. I was pleased with everything, including the buttons and the controllers. It’s the first time I found myself getting close to the level of immersion that the couch, PS5 controller and TV delivers.
There are some coo features here for people into modding and customisation. The controllers use Hall effect sticks and has magnetic replaceable plates. In the box, you’ll even get some different caps for your sticks, depending on your preference.
I did find that most phones I used needed the case to come off, which is a little annoying, but it’s a classic example of me scraping the barrel looking for some criticism if I’m honest.
I’ve played several games and streaming setups on iPhone with the Gamesir G8 Galileo, but I’ve also used it with my 11-inch M4 iPad. Let’s chat about that.
Gamesir G8: The 11-inch M4 iPad controller
In a bizarre moment of Googling, I had begun to wonder if there were any USB-C controllers on the market that fit my 11-inch M4 iPad. The PlayStation Portal had just come out, and I was tempted by it. But realising it had more things to annoy me than impress me, glancing at my iPad I thought surely there’s a better choice. Particularly when you can stream your PS5 library.
In my search frenzy, I found a tutorial that mentioned the Gamesir G8, ultimately the reason I bought it. You could basically “break” the controller so it would open far wider that it was intended to. By opening it so much, you could actually wrap it around the 11-inch M4 iPad and make the most amazing mobile gaming tablet.
11-inch M4 iPad with the Gamesir G8. Image: Marty Meany
Just look at that absolute beast!
A friend 3D-printed a piece to keep the controller at full stretch to fit an 11-inch iPad
A massive shout-out to Noel Campion who is a 3D printing wizard and created this amazing piece to make the controller much easier to use with an 11-inch iPad.
If you’re interested in the mod, there are two. You want to follow the one that has no mention of unscrewing parts. It’s just getting creative with a knife, similar to this one. But obviously, mod at your own risk.
Other Features
The Gamesir G8 Galileo doesn’t use Bluetooth, which largely is a good thing. As I mentioned, getting the USB-C port lined up with a controller can be tricky, but at least you get reduced compatibility issues.
Also, because it’s not Bluetooth you don’t have to worry about battery life. The controller simply runs off your phones power, but also doesn’t need a lot of power anyway. If you are worried about battery power, the Gamesir G8 features pass-through charging. So while your phone, or iPad’s, port is busy being plugged into the controller, you have another USB-C port on the bottom where you can charge. You even get a 3.5mm headphone jack – a true treat for modern phone owners.
Finally, there’s no fiddly app needed or attempts to upsell you to a subscription service (glares at Backbone).
Gamesir G8 Galileo Long-term Review: Verdict
The Gamesir G8 Galileo is a great piece of kit. I’ve found myself going nowhere without it in my bag. Weekends away, long trips, overnight trips, trips back home – it’s always in my bag. Because its just such a great portal to gaming.
I found that the biggest challenge, generally speaking, is finding the best mobile games to play, instead of the controller itself being a barrier. Subnautica mobile came out and stole many hours away from me already.
I really can’t fault this controller. It’s made me game a lot more on the got with both phones and my iPad. It’s a handy little peripheral to have in the back on a trip for those times you end up with an hour or two to yourself.
If you have a Fire Stick or regularly pop into Prime Video you’ll have spotted that there’s a decent looking film on; War of the Worlds. The movie has been reimagined for 2025. Well, really it’s been reimagined for 2020 and it’s awful.
What is War of the Worlds?
War of the Worlds is one of the most famous pieces of entertainment ever made. A radio adaption rose to fame in 1938 for all the wrong reasons. Based on the 1898 H.G. Wells novel of the same name, the 1938 radio adaption caused mass hysteria. Many tuned in and missed the intro, stating the show was just that, a show. Instead, many listeners believed the bulletin to be true. It took 30 minutes for someone to clarify to listeners who believed earth had been invaded.
Officially titled War of the Worlds: Revival, is the 2025 entry into the War of the Worlds series. It follows Will Radford (played by Ice Cube), a cynical cyber‑security analyst for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. His day job is monitoring digital threats, while spending most of that time monitoring his kids. That is until an alien invasion begins.
Production on this movie began in late 2020, right in the heart of the pandemic. The producer wanted to make a movie that was all based on screens, in the zeitgeist of the time.
I’ve seen this done once before with Searching, a film I quite liked.
But this new War of the World’s movie literally made my skin crawl. I had to turn it off.
Why is War of the Worlds: Revival So Bad?
War of the Worlds: Revival doesn’t just get one or two things wrong. It seems to get everything wrong.
First, is the ridiculous character played by Ice Cube. Frantically running through networks to find the coffee shop his daughter frequents to take control of cameras in fridges and see if she’s getting her daily intake of protein.
Utterly stupid, and not even a semi-decent ensemble of other actors, including Eva Longoria and Clark Gregg, can help this recover.
Next up is the format. It literally made me feel like I could have a panic attack. The “all on screens” format never had this impact on me before, but War of the Worlds: Revival felt claustrophobic. I could feel the Teams calls and cursor movements giving me anxiety. I really can’t explain it, but after just 23 minutes, I turned it off.
Conveniently, at about 22 minutes, we see the first of the aliens on screen. Terribly animated CGI aliens. That was the end of the road for me.
War of the Worlds: Revival might have been groundbreaking if it came out in the entertainment vacuum of 2021, but in 2025 it’s triggering something terrible in my brain. Something I hope I can save you all from.
War of the Worlds: Revival is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video, but don’t do it to yourself.
Quite some time ago, Meta sent me over a pair of Ray-Ban Headliner sunglasses. My understanding is that this particular model could possible be discontinued, or at least very hard to get, but I wanted to give a broader review of smart glasses in general as of 2025. Why? Because frankly, they are surging in popularity. Just the other night I watched some of WWE’s Summerslam and saw Jake Paul flying through the air recording with a pair. Given his considerable wealth, the question I want to answer for you is this: are Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses worth it in 2025?
Disclosure: This product was gifted to the author. This means it was provided free of charge to be reviewed but the brand supplying it did not insist on a review, nor do they have any control over the content within this review.
Design & Build Quality
Ray-Ban is probably one of the best known sunglasses brands in the world. So first and foremost, I expected a great pair of sunnies. Sure enough, the Headliners are. The design is probably a personal preference because the frames, in order to house the technology, are a little chunkier than most glasses. Despite this, they remain nice and light.
Now, it’s probably over 12-months since I got these, and I use them regularly. Mainly just as sunglasses. But the odd time I’ll have them on for filming, and at times they get passed around because they interest people.
I can’t tell you when, but they did get cracked at some stage. The crack isn’t massive, but I can tell you that it wouldn’t have happened because of extremely rough handling. One massive positive is that despite that crack, which isn’t all that visible, the glasses still function perfectly, look more or less perfect and even survived me changing the lenses.
Which does bring me onto an important point. The lenses.
My lenses scratched nearly immediately. Right in the middle of my line of sight. It irritated the hell out of me. I also found having such a useful point of view (POV – more on this later) camera limited to a bright environment irritating too. So I went onto Amazon and found myself some after market reactive lenses.
I don’t fully understand why this isn’t just the standard default choice for smart glasses because it totally changed them. The new lenses were stronger, not quite as dark in the sun, but also fantastic for filming clips indoors when needed. I spotted a few months after getting these that you could at least opt for reactive lenses, but again – for the price these things cost, it should be the standard.
The good news is that the reactive lenses I got are grand, not expensive and rather easy to swap in even with a cracked frame.
Technology Performance
While the sunglasses were always going to be a decent pair of sunglasses, the smart side of things that Meta brought to the table was a much more mixed bag.
Camera
It’s a positive start for the camera on the Meta Ray-Ban Headliners. The camera is absolutely stunning. From the quality, to the form factor of having a camera that leaves both hands free, I loved every second of creating videos with these glasses.
Ahhhhh lads. First of all, fuck the skort. Ridiculous that it’s even a question. If players say its uncomfortable and they all train in shorts anyway, layve them on. Some antiquated tradition monkeys holding on to the past. Second. It’s some day for a few pucks if you can find your local ball alley empty. Nothing like going on a bit of a solo run down Capel Street. This is my first time getting the eye in a long time. Felt it 😂 #hurling#wallball#gaa Shot on @raybanmeta
One flaw was when wearing a peaked hat, the shooting could often fail. Which seems utterly stupid to me. I’d rather have a shot where my hat is in the way than losing the footage of a moment completely. There were also shots where, I think because of direct sunlight, the glasses would again ditch footage because it didn’t deem the capture of high enough quality. Sorry, but I’d rather be the one making the call on that.
Regardless of these flaws, the glasses just bring so much to the table. Having that POV shot is so valuable for unboxing stuff or similar ideas. You can see some of that type of footage in this video.
Review of the Eufy 3-in-1 E20 coming soon too! This robovac has a hand vac built in. Solution for daily automated cleaning AND a robovac that means you can still vacuum the stairs or car! #techtips#gifted smarthome@eufyUK
I also found being able to take pictures or videos without pulling out my phone fantastic. I’ve been to gigs where I could capture the moment while still looking at it and, more important, not having my phone out blocking everyone else.
I’ve taken countless calls on my Meta Ray-Ban sunglasses and had no issue whatsoever. They use open-ear technology, not bone-conduction. So in loud environments, it can be difficult to make out the call. Others have never had an issue hearing me either.
The issue is much more practical. These look like a normal pair of glasses. That simply means when you take a call, people first assume you have earbuds in. When they see you don’t, they think you’re a can short of a six-pack.
I’ve also been using the Headliners for listening to music and even watching movies or TV. Fantastic for when herself is in the changing rooms and I find myself a nice wee seat for a few minutes.
AI Technology
Unfortunately, the “very good” stops at the camera and audio. Once we’re into the AI features, I’ve found them lacking in experience.
The idea is that you can, for example, sit in a German restaurant without a lick of German and have your glasses take a picture of a menu and translate everything for you. The AI is slow, far to talkative and half the time it simply doesn’t achieve the task. I found myself still reaching for my phone in these kinds of scenarios because the AI-element simply wasn’t reliable.
Even connecting services like Spotify requires AI to be enabled. But when I followed the instructions to call up music via my glasses, it failed. The result was me again just typically going to my phone instead of interfacing through an unreliable glasses interface.
Early days, the battery life suffered terrible from AI-usage. So I arrived at the conclusion that no matter how much Mark Zuckerberg want’s me to use his AI technology, I wasn’t bothered with it. The AI switch is set to off, and it’s staying there (except for the odd test to see if it’s any use yet).
Battery life is a really important point too.
Battery Life
The battery life on these glasses is horrendous. I’ve had scenarios where I’ve shot maybe 4 or 5 3-minute videos only to find the glasses dying. The situation is made every-so-slightly better by the fact that the case does charge the glasses.
The advertising for the glasses claim up to 36 hours battery life with the case and 4 hours on a single charge without. I’ve no idea what kind of lab conditions brought those numbers, but they’re wildly at odds with my experience. Of course, video capture is going to burn through battery, but surely that is one of the primary reasons you buy a product like this.
I’m not going to say it ruins them. Because not every shot needs to be a POV shot. However, it is a massive caveat when buying a fairly expensive product.
Which leads me onto the killer question.
Are Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses Worth It?
At the time of writing, the cheapest pair of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses cost €329. The lenses I bought for mine were an absolute game-changer, so I’d recommend factoring in the extra €40 they cost too, particularly if you want POV smart glasses that can shoot indoors and be sunglasses outdoors. I have to say, throwing them on the groom at a friend’s wedding as he ran around the dance floor is a cool shot to get.
This leaves me with one of the hardest review conclusions I’ve ever had. Because the price of these things is, frankly, ridiculous. I can’t justify the price.
But, if you are a content creator, or just like getting a unique shot on your holidays, I could just as easily make a case for these being a great purchase. This shot could have never been captured without my smart glasses.
Unfortunately someone ahead of us didn’t really get how to use their toboggan. But regardless. Seeing The Great Wall of China was absolutely bucket list stuff.
Are they perfect? Absolutely not. Some of the headline features (pardon the pun) are outright useless. But the core creator uses for glasses like these can be invaluable in your toolkit. I think I’ll file these away under “considered purchase” or “really nice to get as a gift”.
The average score for this particular product might seem low, but it’s really down to how much you want and use these, also suffering because the AI-features and battery are quite poor. That said, I love them.
I noticed the Aer Lingus app had some updates recently and now I know why! Ireland’s flag-carrying airline has been working on a significant app update, with some getting early access. Now, it’s available to everyone.
New Features in the Aer Lingus App
Travelling has become very tech-heavy. When was the last time you printed out a boarding pass? Your phone is a portal to the world of travel, and Aer Lingus knows that. The airline worked with a research panel of 1,300 regular flyers to guide the redesign, and here’s what they’ve come up with.
Live Flight Status
iPhone users get to enjoy live flight status on your lock screen. No need to dig through your emails or unlock your phone every five minutes. iPhone users get Live Activities updates, which is perfect for nervously checking if your flight’s still on time. Some data is also available through iPhone’s Dynamic Island and should work if your Android phone supports similar features. I’ve seen this appear on Android phones, but will be double checking next time I travel with Aer Lingus.
Airport Wayfinding
Currently available in Dublin and New York JFK, this gives you step-by-step directions to your gate and should also include some additional information on key amenties. Most importantly, if you’re less familiar with the airport, this is a great way to cut the doubt if you’re a nervous traveller.
Revamped User Experience
Aer Lingus has also updated the home screen. It now gives you quicker access to boarding passes, flight details and check-in when you need it. Along with this, the My Trips section has also received an overhaul.
Overall, the results to date have been positive with Aer Lingus stating they’ve seen review scores in app stores jump from just 3 stars to 4.8 on Android and 4.7 on iOS.
A part of me does believe this is Aer Lingus catching up in a mobile world, but I want to celebrate their work purely because so many institutions simply ignore customers when it comes to these redesigns. I want to celebrate both the outcome and approach here.
“Aer Lingus’ app upgrade is much more than just a facelift, it’s a major step forward in delivering a smarter, more personalised travel experience for our customers”, said Susanne Carberry, Chief Customer Officer at Aer Lingus. “From real-time updates to in-airport navigation, we’re committed to improving every touchpoint of our customers’ journey. These improvements reflect our ongoing investment in digital innovation and our belief that technology plays a central role in creating the best possible travel experience”.
I’m travelling with Aer Lingus again soon, so will keep an eye for improved app experience and some more specific features.
It’s a little bit over a week since the Food Safety Authority of Ireland reported on an outbreak of listeria which resulted in the death of one adult. In that short period of time, I’ve already begun to see media outlets scrambling to ramp up coverage of food recalls in an effort to gain the public’s attention and, more importantly for those behind these outlets, their clicks.
These recalls are not new. The FSAI website has reports going back to 2022 on food recall alerts. Listeria is a surprisingly common occurrence, with a recall occurring for Burren Smokehouse Smoked Irish Organic Salmon on 10 February 2022.
To be fair, that 2022 recall, and many since, make local news, with Dublin Live picking up that particular story. But there has been an increased interest in food safety amongst media.
Now, food safety is obviously important and anything that’s keeping people safe should be reported. But the fact that the increase has come as a result of someone’s passing tells me that there’s a risk of hysteria, which media can very much be a part of and cause of.
Historical Coverage of Food Recalls
I’ve built a tool that’s run through the FSAI website to extract food reports since 2023 between January and July. I’ve done this to see if there’s an increase in actual food recalls that aligns with my perceived increase in media interest in these stories.
Historical Number of FSAI Food Recalls
Year
Number of FSAI Food Recalls
2023
45
2024
40
2025
43
Here is the data I gathered. There are some limitations. This reports on instances of food recalls and doesn’t consider one recall involving multiple brands. However, given that the recent listeria outbreak on multiple products can be traced back to a single source, this is the best way to look at the data anyway.
Naturally, given that we are only in August, I’ve also limited this data to between January and July.
The data shows is that 2025 is 3 reports higher than 2024, but 2 fewer than 2023. My take away from this data is that despite increased coverage of food recalls, over the past three years the numbers haven’t moved by much.
Media Coverage of FSAI Food Recalls
Year
Number of FSAI Food Recalls
Google News Results
2023
45
2,430
2024
40
5,180
2025
43
11,300
Despite the actual food recall numbers not varying much between 2023 and 2025, the number of Google News results relating to “fsai food recall” has grown over five times during that period.
To explain that in detail, this is the number of results where Google has found something relating to an FSAI food recall but excluding the FSAI website itself and specifically from the Google News index, meaning it’s media coverage. Even more shocking is that this is the full year of 2023 and 2024 compared to just half of 2025.
Ultimately, this means that while the number of FSAI food recalls isn’t varying dramatically, news coverage in 2025, just up until July, has already dwarfed the previous two years. Which leads me to want to answer, “why”?.
A Changing Media Landscape
The first, and most obvious, thing to consider here is that someone died. It should never be ignored that someone has passed away from something, food safety related, that in this day and age should not happen. And that’s tragic.
This alone can cause a significant increase in news coverage. However, what I’m seeing in the media is disproportionate. It’s disproportionate and bordering on hysteria. The giveaway for me is that other FSAI recalls are now getting coverage when they normally wouldn’t.
Take that listeria recall back in 2022. It was only reported on by Dublin Live. Yet just yesterday, the Irish Mirror and another “red top” reported on a Lidl recall. Naturally, given the increased coverage of listeria food recalls, I had assumed this was another, but this just proved to me the importance of clicking and not assuming what headlines are covering.
It turns out that this recall was for something completely unrelated. This recall was due to the product containing milk and this not being listed on the label. It’s important for me to highlight here that this is a serious issue. Milk is an allergen and listening it on the product is a requirement. When missed, a recall is the correct procedure.
What I take issue with is that media haven’t reported on these recalls. Taking just one example, 3 weeks ago the FSAI recalled Bao Long Soup Seasonings, stating “batches of Bao Long Soup Seasonings contain some allergens that are not declared on the label”.
The FSAI website is the only item in Google relating to this recall.
Chasing Clicks
Truth be told, that news outlets are often shaping the story instead of telling it. They are chasing clicks, which, as a website owner, I do understand. We live in a world of information, and how we find and consume that information has changed dramatically.
Think of how many times you’ve discovered news from Twitter or TikTok. Today, even if you do get your news from Google searches, Google AI Overviews now means you might not click through to a website at all. By not clicking through to a website, your eyes are never seeing all the ads that fund that news website.
This means, a lot of media outlets have to create content that they know is irresistible to click. And when someone has just passed away from listeria, people on the news desk know that those article will drive clicks.
My question is, “at what point does media shift from telling the story, to shaping the story”. But it was clear to me that somewhere here, that shift had happened.
People Need to be More Media Savvy
That media landscape has changed a lot in recent years. What people have learned in their youth from life experience and schooling, isn’t always all that relevant any more. Because everything is moving that quickly.
Media awareness is certainly one of those areas. Social media makes information travel faster than ever, and AI is making that information both accessible but also incredibly easy to fake. Fake information doesn’t even have to be high fidelity. You don’t have to think too far back to the “fake Halloween parade” in Dublin causing havoc.
That was largely down to many people simply not being critical of the media they were consuming, and I’d argue the same occurs today when we believe there’s been a massive increase in food recalls, when in fact the increase is really just in media coverage of the same.
I want to close this out by reiterating, the FSAI recalls are important information and can protect us all. Coverage of them is equally important to ensure everyone is aware of dangerous products. For example, I’m highly critical of The Happy Pear who’s social media and website, to my knowledge, have not talked about their products being recalled. But I also don’t want to see hysteria spreading, because misinformation is bad for everyone. We need to trust news and food, but it’s up to us to be crticial too.
Not everyone loves AI like I do, with love being a strong word I guess. Whether it be environmental or ethical reasons, AI isn’t for everyone. In fact, there are times it annoys the hell out of me. One of those times is Google’s AI overviews. The good news is that there are a range of ways to stop Google AI overviews from appearing. Here are my three favourites, with the last one being the most technical.
Add “-ai” to Your Search
I have two similar options for you here, and this is the less fun one. It also feels like one that won’t work forever. What ever you are searching for, simply at -ai to the end of your search, and voilà. AI overviews vanish from your results.
Searching without doing anything specialSearching with the -ai added
Here you can see how much that little addition changes the results you get. Most importantly, there’s no AI overview either.
But there’s a much more fun way to do this too.
Start Cursing in Your Searches
Yes. Let your anger out. Let it out. All of it. Because if you curse when you’re searching, Google decides to protect its AI’s “little eyes” from your terrible language.
No AI overviews when you curse
One word is added to the above search, and yet again you can see there’s no more AI overviews. And you might feel ever better about yourself knowing you just let fly with some profanity at your computer.
Add Your Own Search Engine on Mobile
This one is actually quite important for your phone and works on both iPhone and Android. Effectively it involves you making your own custom search engine, but thankfully it’s much easier than it seems. Not as easy as cursing, to be honest, but pretty easy.
First you’ll need any mobile browser that supports custom search engines; like Chrome or Firefox.
Assuming Google is your current search engine, open a new tab and search for anything. You can even just search for Goosed.
Tap the “three dot” menu button wherever that is on your phone.
Now select “Settings” and “Search engine”.
“Google Web” should appear in the Recently Visited results.
Once you’ve selected Google Web, AI-overviews is gone. But this might not always work. So I have another wee trick.
I use Firefox as my mobile browser which also lets me hide AI overviews.
Open the Firefox app and select the “three dot” menu again.
Tap “Settings” and then select “Search”.
A new window opens and you should see an option to “Add Search Engine”.
Call this something like “No Overviews” add the following as a search string: google.com/search?udm=14&q=%s
Yet again, you’ve beaten Google. Congrats. And, if you’re using option 2 you have the bonus of de-Googling your life a little by adopting Firefox.
Block AI-overviews With uBlock Origin
The most technical solution is to use uBlock Origin. I absolutely adore this extension, which is a permanent installation in my desktop and laptop Firefox browser.
uBlock Origin is an ad-blocker, but you can also add custom rules and filters to block pretty much anything in your browsing experience.
Install uBlock Origin extension.
Click the icon and the gears for settings on what pops up
Ensure the tick beside “Enable my custom filters” is ticked
Paste the following two rules into text field.
google.com##.GcKpu
google.com##.hdzaWe
Now you’ll see there’s no more AI overviews appearing when you search for a query that previously did present them.
I’ve recently found myself building up my smart home accessories. It’s become a bit of an obsession. You see, I installed a home server which opened up the world of Home Assistant and boy oh boy is it fun. Thanks to AI support from ChatGPT (ideation and infrastructure) and Cursor (for coding), the barriers to entry have been absolutely eradicated. But not all the answers or ideas come from AI.
KeenOnTech is a new YouTube channel dedicated to developing your smart home. Bonus points because it’s run by an Irish guy!
What is Home Assistant?
Home Assistant is an open-source platform to manage your smart home devices. If you’ve ever used the likes of the Google Home or Apple Home apps to control your smart home devices, you might have felt the frustration that they bring to the table. For example, maybe Google couldn’t reach an agreement with some company and as a result, you can’t use that product with their control app.
Home Assistant takes all of that and removes the vast majority of integration problems. Now, I have a single app that controls nearly everything in my home. I don’t need to open the Tapo, Aqara, Switchbot, Eufy or Dyson app to control devices. Instead, I open Home Assistant.
Thanks to it being open-source, you have all the control. Now, that means there’s a bigger learning curve. Installing most products is a single click, but some that aren’t directly supported need to be manually coded in.
I can’t code, but emerging AI-powered platforms like Cursor mean I don’t really have to. I’m a “vibe coder” and sorry if that offends you.
I can’t code. But I’ve built apps, servers, and smart homes – with AI. This is Vibe Coding. No degree. No gatekeeping. Just vibes and curiosity. I adore Cursor too. If you’ve got ideas, it’s your turn now. VibeCoding AItools nocode startuplife chatgpt techhumour buildinpublic howmanyunderpants fyp code coding AI cursor
While I can’t code, there are plenty out there that can. The internet is full of great projects that people have completed with Home Assistant. You can make some incredible home automations. And now, there’s an Irishman adding to that content – which is always nice.
KeenOnTech: Smart Home YouTube Channel
Cian Gallagher is a Dublin-based software engineer with a love for open-source software and home hackery. He’s just launched a YouTube channel where he promises to post “step-by-step tutorials on ESPHome, Home Assistant, DIY smart devices, coding projects, and electronics builds — all explained in a way that anyone can follow”. Right up the Goosed alley with democratising tech!
I personally like following Irish channels like this because they are rare and typically work on projects where I’ll be able to get parts (because we’re shopping in the same market!).
The first KeenOnTech project really struck a chord with me because it sums up why I love smart home hacking. A couple of years ago I bought a Logitech Harmony. It was to be the solution to my remote control woes. The Harmony let you program all of your remotes into a single box which also had internet access. This meant my 3 or 4 remotes became 1 and I could control them from anywhere in the world.
Unfortunately, not everyone was as excited by this tech as me. Resulting in poor sales and Logitech discontinuing the product completely. There might be other solutions out there, but I’m not ready to be hurt again. Plus I’m in the “why not just build it myself” phase of life realising all of this stuff is quite doable with the right instruction. Sure, that instruction comes from AI, but also creators like KeenOnTech.
Create Home Assistant IR Smart Remote
This is KeenOnTech’s first video tutorial showing how to create your own alternative to Logitech’s Harmony system. Cian brings you through everything needed to get the unit built, including parts, wiring diagrams, 3D printing models and code.
The purpose and approach are perfectly paced, clear and easy to follow. To show his chops he even busts out the Flipper Zero but you won’t need one for the project to work.
Ireland is shockingly light on hobbyist YouTube creators. So please do support them when you can and give KeenOnTech and auld follow.
Give me a list of things the traditional Irish banks don’t do. A couple of years ago, it was as simple as mobile payments, but to be fair they caught up there to neo-banks like Revolut. But Revolut likes to stay a step ahead in doing the unexpected from your bank. Today, Revolut announced that they are a title partner to one of the new F1 teams joining the grid in 2026; Audi F1.
Audi Joins the 2026 Grid
Audi will become a works Formula 1 team in 2026, taking over the existing Sauber outfit, which currently races under then sponsorship name Stake Kick. “Works” is a really important word there because this means this is a proper Audi team, not a team sponsored by Audi. The German manufacturer will enter with its own factory team and a hybrid drive system (“power unit”) developed in Germany.
Revolut Partners With Audi F1
Revolut, is a title sponsor or partner. This means the team will appear on TV and at races as Revolut Audi F1.
Revolut is a massive brand with over 60 million customers worldwide. Here in Ireland, the bank has a massive base of over 3 million customers. Considering our population, that’s simply massive. But still, sponsoring a F1 team is a privilege reserved for only the world’s biggest brands. For me, this sponsorship is a big moment for Revolut on the world stage.
With around 820 million fans and 1.6 billion TV viewers during 2024, Formula 1 is the world’s most popular sports series. I can still remember a time in the past few years where family in Germany had never heard of Revolut and now they’ll sponsor one of only two German F1 teams.
As part of the partnership, Revolut Business will be integrated into the team’s financial operations. Practically, this means fans will be able to buy Audi F1 merch and checkout with Revolut.
