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FIFA 21 – Another Year Of Same Old Same Old

Jon
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FIFA 21 – Another Year Of Same Old Same Old

Normally I am much better at getting an auld Fifa review together, but this year it’s a little different, mainly because I didn’t really know what to say. That’s because FIFA21 is literally FIFA20 with a new hat and it’s a shame because during this whole Covid era people are at home playing games, so jesus give us something new and exciting. But no it’s more same shit different day from EA and it’s starting to feel that the cash cow of the brand is going to limp meekly into semi retirement despite it’s huge paycheck ala Mesut Ozil. Actually ya this is an analogy I’m going to use a lot in this article. This year EA’s biggest competitor in PES decided to not release a full new game and merely an update, which is what FIFA is despite being a whole new title. There are some new modes and some good things but with the focus once again on the PR exercise and microtransactions at every opportunity, FIFA 21 is a bust. But we are still all going to buy it aren’t we? Goddam it!

It Feels “Unfinished”

Glitches are quite common, more so than the usual and the home screen looks and feels the same as the last two years just with a colour change, it’s no shock that this year’s instalment has the lowest metacritic score any edition of the game has ever received. What bothers me most, and it’s not just me I checked other reviews to make sure I wasn’t talking out of my hoop but for a brand that prides themselves on that little bit of gloss, that style that makes the game stick out, is really lacking this year.

Wierd little things like goalposts loading in the middle of the cut scenes and stuff like that keeps happening and if you play the career mode, while the cut scenes are really nice they have a tendancy to loose the run of themselves and get stuck or just go all jittery.

It’s All About Ultimate Team

Unsurprisingly the only part of the game that gets a real update is FIFA Ultimate Team. It’s a fun game mode where you’re balancing players and chemistry to make your personal football team but it’s so heavily concentrated of driving them delicious micro transactions that EA love.

There are a few little changes that FIFA have made, namely removing the training cards to boost stats for a single game and the fitness cards. These two were cards the the real money buyers would stack up on meaning games could be so unbalanced with chaps with full fitness and boosted stats playing a standard player. It’s also a great time saver so now you aren’t wasting time hunting for and applying fitness cards to keep your players alive. Either way you should know that the packs are rigged.

Another tidy little feature in FUT this year has to be the stadium creator. Essentially by levelling up your XP, beating challenges and pulling the right cards you build your own home ground for your own special little tea. Choose your ground, gear, seat colours and all the good stuff you might want to have in your own stadium. Mungret Junior B’s Cement Factory has never looked so slick let me tell you that for a fact. It was probably the only thing that got be back into FUT as normally my mentality has been nope I’ll stick to standard online but I really wanted to give this a craic and it was a bit of fun.

Pro clubs is still your best bet for creating a team with mates, it’s mental and frantic and is mighty fun but again because it’s not a money spinner then it gets ignored, give us tournaments, online leagues something to get our pro clubs showing the love it deserves.

The Actual Game Play

FIFA 21 plays like FIFA, yes that’s a very vague term but for any long term players we all know what that means. It’s all about speed, cut backs and highly frustrating defending and equally unrealistic goals. FIFA is less like PES which feels more like a real football game whereas FIFA is more arcadey in a way, which is great and annoying in equal measure and has caused more than one controller to be destroyed by a Roy Keane special tackle down the years.

Passing is pretty much as you are for the last few years and with semi assist activated you can play super quick tika taka football which most people thoroughly enjoy, unless you are on the receiving end. Also with semi assist more often than not your sweeping cross field Pirloesque pass is a dinger pretty much every time even when being performed by the biggest clogger of a defender. But then again FIFA 21 doesn’t claim to be a realistic football simulator in the sense of the gameplay. Pacey players are so annoyingly overpowered and the mobility and agility is off the charts with right analog dribbling skills basically physics defying but why let reality get in the way of an in your face goal.

What’s more annoying is that while you’re on the ball being prime Cristiano or Lionel while playing as Anthony Knockaert you find yourself bewildered by the total lack of off-the-ball movement, which is fine if your game plan means you won’t be passing anyway. You get left with threading balls out from your fullback directly down the line or humping a big ball over the far side of the pitch to get in behind with a speed merchant winger, the subtleties of a midfielder dropping into a pocket to receive a pass or a forward angling across defenders is unfortunately lost but I think these are only things you would notice if you played PES and then skipped over.

Don’t get me started on the defences, sweet lord above its shocking and the statistical average for a game of FIFA is 5 goals per game. Not very realistic is it? Look FIFA is about fun but when you can see your centre back just walking away from his forward is like watching Man Utd defend these days, ok maybe it is realistic after all.

Any Changes to Game Modes?

Nothing new here, just little tweaks to the game modes already on offer. With Career mode the main piece that gets a little love, and it needed it to be fair. There is a totally new training system which is built to help you feel more like the gaffer, developing stats and training player positions as you see fit.

Cut scenes are still painfully slow but with the minor changes you won’t pay as much attention as your focus if your like me will be on building your squad and sorting out the team and individual training to have things the way you want. Obviously when I’m talking player training it’s never going to be FM style or level but to be honest it’s highly enjoyable and growing your young players to phase into your team is a lovely little sense of accomplishment.

The Goosed Verdict

Ok so there are some improvements, the usual detail and updated team rosters and stadiums, there are some nice tidy little improvements to career mode, stadium builder in FUT is a nice touch. Having said that this year feels like more of a money making activity from EA, when PES release a cut price update yet with FIFA we get the same title with a new hat and as ever a huge focus on micro transactions it feels very much like they want to pick up a paycheck without putting in the work, just like Mesut Ozil. Knew I’d get that in there one more time.

I’m a massive fan of the series and maybe that’s why I’m being so critical but EA and FIFA have let their players down in a time when more people than ever are gaming with the new work from home lifestyle we lead. Missed a trick, unfinished, same old, same old, it might be time for FIFA to reinvest itself or retire with grace before the players turn away. And yet I say all this full in the knowledge that I still bought the game and will still play it. DAMMIT!

Joe Biden Victory Speech Had A Drone Light Show

Marty
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Joe Biden Victory Speech Had A Drone Light Show

After four years of metaphorical fireworks under Donald Trump, it’s nice to celebrate some actual fireworks after Joe Biden was confirmed as President-Elect in a close run U.S. Presidential battle. During his drive-in victory speech in Delaware the President-Elect said “the whole world is watching America” and I don’t think he was wrong. While I’m delighted with Biden’s election and ecstatic with the appointment of Kamala Harris as Vice President-Elect, it was the fireworks and drone-show which caught my eye at the end.

What Is A Drone Show?

Drone ownership has increased dramatically in recent years. The main reason for this is simple. The technology is improving exponentially every year which means it’s getting cheaper. This is very important for drones because consumers fear nothing more than the thoughts of forking out two grand on a drone and landing it in a lake. Today, you can buy a DJI Mavic Mini for less than €500 and the flight controls are ridiculously simple.

While the consumer technology side of drones has improved so too has the business side of drones. Look at any Netflix documentary and nearly every cut-away transition shot will have been shot on a Hollywood-grade drone. Irish company, Manna Aero are actually delivering takeaways and groceries in Ireland with drones already.

Another growing space is drone entertainment also known as the drone show.

The first drone show I’d witnessed (online, not first hand) was choreographed for the Winter Olympics in Korea back in 2018. Unfortunately, due to a tech issue compounded by poor weather the Intel-powered drone show was cancelled but not before lots of dry run footage was captured.

This stunning light show is made possible by specialist drones fitted with lights and then programmed and synchronised to fly in choreographed formations. The result is honestly breathtaking and that’s coming from a man who sees mind-blowing technology on a regular basis.

Verge Aero X1 – Image courtesy of Verge Aero, drone light show specialists

The standout benefit of drone shows for me is how they could become a very sustainable alternative to fireworks while delivering an even bigger and more memorable impact.

Incredible Guinness World Record Drone Show

I’m not over exaggerating with the level of impact these shows can deliver. Just last month, Shenzhen Damoda Intelligent Control Technology set the world record for most unmanned aerial vehicles in a centrally controlled light show. Check it out:

I read one comment on another video which exclaimed “imaging if people from one thousand years ago saw this. They would thing it was the gods”. I really don’t think you’d have to go back that far at all to find people left shook by these.

Biden Victory Drone Show

Actually, you only have to look at President-Elect, Joe Biden at his victory speech.

That is someone having their breath taken away by his surname being spelt out in mid-air with hundreds of drones. During the ten minute show, fireworks and drones teamed to provide the backdrop to a meaningful soundtrack including Biden’s late son’s favourite Coldplay song.

You can re-live the full original broadcast of this hybrid drone and firework show celebrating the new Biden/Harris administration.

Alternatively, you can watch the Trump campaign’s press conference which was held outside a landscaping office called Four Seasons Landscaping, reportedly because of a mistake in booking the Four Seasons Hotel.

What Does A Biden Win Mean For Huawei And TikTok?

Marty
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0
What Does A Biden Win Mean For Huawei And TikTok?

I partially don’t want to tempt fate too much writing this as it’s still not definite that Biden will win the United States Presidential Election. But I also want to look at the issues America has had with Chinese companies like Huawei and TikTok and, more importantly, how a Biden win will impact these relationships. To be honest, going by Trump’s rants it would appear that he’s goosed so I’m going to go ahead and start digging, fully aware Biden could be confirmed the winner at any moment now. What does a Biden win mean fo these Chinese companies?

What’s The Issue With Chinese Companies In America?

Frankly, it feels like this was always blown out of proportion but the reality is substantial damage was done. Technology companies, namely Huawei and Bytedance’s TikTok served as the proxies in a trade war between the United States and China. After being elected President, Donald Trump set off about implementing his America first approach to managing the US economy. I remember thinking some of Trump’s actions were a bit off the wall, but given what we’ve seen in the past few days some of the things seem tame.

Under Trump, the US left the Paris climate pact, exited the UN Human Rights Council and UNESCO. Shockingly, under the Trump administration, the US quit the Iran nuclear deal and despite the ongoing global pandemic, they announced plans to withdraw from the World Health Organization in 2021.

The Trump administration also took exception to Chinese tech giants Huawei and breakout social media platform TikTok. The main “concern” flagged by the US was security issues. For example, Trump’s National Security Advisor believes that Huawei and ZTE undercut competitors with support of the Chinese Government to install cores in mobile networks with backdoors to access public and government data. As CNN’s John King as said plenty of times over the past few days, it’s not unusual for Trump to have a casual relationship with the truth.

The Consumer Impact

The consumer impact has been real and it had been felt hard in Europe. Huawei was never really popular in the States but they had become a dominant smartphone manufacturer in Europe. That was until Google was no longer allowed to officially support Huawei phones. The result was Huawei launching their own core package for their smartphones to run on, removing the dependency on Google altogether. The result was the Huawei P40 Pro, a smartphone running the Android-based EMUI 10 but not having access to Google Mobile Service-based apps like Gmail, the Google Play Store and YouTube. The fact this was all turned around so quickly tells us two thing.

First of all, Huawei actually managed to produce a very good user experience and the P40 Pro was still a mighty impressive phone with a great camera. There were some bits and pieces that just didn’t work as well as a phone like the Pixel 5 does but it was a good effort.

Second is the assumption that things happened so quickly that it’s very possible Huawei was heading towards this plan anyway. Huawei offering a real alternative to Google and iPhone would be great for the mobile industry even if it does need some more time to be perfected.

The impact on TikTok was felt a lot less by users of the platform because that was more or less resolved while the saga was no less dramatic.

However, with Trump’s days or maybe ever hours numbered in power, is there a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel for relations between China and the United States and does this mean there’s a path back to Google for Huawei? Well, there are two questions here and I’m just going to focus on Huawei.

Will America Let Huawei And Google Work Together Again?

It’s looking like Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States and with that comes the possibility of a President making logical decisions. However, the US’s hardline stance on China might not be so easy to row back from. Biden himself has rightly made a clear point of calling the oppression of the Uighurs “genocide”. At the same time, he has referred to Trump’s approach to trade with China as “damaging” and generally speaking some reason may make its way to the fore instead of Trump’s nonsensicle ranting.

This would suggest that unless the new security advisors can provide good reason, it would be unlikely blocks on Google supporting Huawei with Google Mobile Services would continue. Frankly, there’s just no knowing what kind of stance Biden will take but all that can be said is there’s hope and it’ll hardly get worse. I’m keeping this section short because I personally think it’ll be redundant.

Will Huawei Want To Work With Google Again?

I’ve been to several events where Huawei promoted the Huawei AppGallery and Huawei Mobile Services. I can tell you that it really looks like there’s no going back. While Huawei is one of the world’s biggest tech companies with plenty of cash, they’ve invested huge sums into rushing Huawei Mobile Services to market and on-boarding apps into the Huawei App Gallery and finding workarounds with services like Petal Search. As I said earlier, the market needs a credible alternative to Apple and Google core services and Huawei has made in-roads in this space.

I find it extremely unlikely that after all this work and investment Huawei would go back to using Google Play Services but that’s my personal opinion.

You can also take some statements from people in Huawei at face value too if you like. Austrian country manager Fred Wangfei is reported to have said Huawei has no intention of going back to Google Play Services. However, when published on the Android Central website Huawei sought to clarify that “an open Android ecosystem is still our first choice, but if we are not able to continue to use it, we have the ability to develop our own”.

What do you think yourself? I’m writing this to spark the conversation so jump onto our Twitter and let us know what you think. Would you rather see Huawei continue to develop the alternative to Google and iOS or would you rather see amazing Huawei phones powered by Google?

Virgin Media Gigabit Broadband Review: Now Available For 1.4 Million Homes

Marty
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Virgin Media Gigabit Broadband Review: Now Available For 1.4 Million Homes

I usually start these articles with a big-eyes trip down memory lane. Plugging my PC into the phone-line and not even knowing that Limewire was illegal. Great times. You can read all about those times from my article back in August when Virgin Media launched the availability of Gigabit broadband to the vast majority of their customer base. I live in Dublin and have been a Virgin Media customer for many years. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing and, generally, I think their customer care could do with some improvements. But at the end of the day, there is no broadband provider in Ireland who can offer the same speeds to the same number of homes. It’s pretty remarkable. To test out their new Gigabit offering the guys at Virgin Media bumped up my account for a few months and here’s what I think.

Virgin Media Gigabit Broadband Review

As I’ve said, I’ve been a paying Virgin Media customer for years. Broadband has become a utility in the home like water and electricity So much so that you really don’t think much of it until something goes wrong. I’ve given out about Virgin Media’s service levels from time to time but I have to be realistic here. I use the internet a lot. Whether it’s gaming or streaming, should the broadband go down, I’ll notice and I’ll notice quickly but the vast vast vast majority of the time, Virgin Media broadband is up and running smoothly. Since my new modem landed and got hooked up, it’s run without issue. Actually, let’s start there.

Getting Set Up

As I was an existing Virgin Media customer, I thought the process here would all be done behind the scenes but the first thing you’ll need to know is that Gigabit broadband requires a new modem. It does make sense given the fairly impressive speeds we’re talking about here.

The good news is that because of Virgin Media having a plug-in point in homes, it’s just plug the wires in and away you go. The new modem looks pretty nice and neat which does have a real benefit. Ugly modems get hidden and this is why Google spent a log of time designing their Nest WiFi product.

Is It Really That Fast?

Prior to this test, my broadband speeds were capped at about 240Mb. I can’t stress enough how damn fast that is. I was working from my “home home” place in Kilkenny for a few weeks and was using 10Mb broadband. You’d think that would be heartbreaking but that’s a very manageable speed to live with for day to day tasks and ever sustainable working from home.

My point is that getting bumped up to 1Gb broadband isn’t as dramatic as it might seem on the surface. After the initial speed tests, the highest of which I could hit was 970Mb, you kind of stop thinking about it.

The other thing you have to be aware of is that 1Gb speeds are the max theoretical speeds. Due to a plethora of reasons you’re unlikely to hit or get near that 1Gb speed regularly. Things that can affect your speeds are the number of people in the area, channel congestion, general demand and even demand in your own home if you have lots of devices.

Over the past few months I’ve run lots of tests and generally I see download speeds between 350Mb and 450Mb. Upload speeds are usually under 100Mb.

I’m in a bit of a nightmare space given I’m in Dublin City centre and am surrounded by other apartments during a period where record numbers of people are working from home. I can only assume all of these factors are why I’m not reguarly hitting higher speeds.

Virgin Media 1Gb Broadband: The Verdict

I’m really happy I got to test out broadband at this kind of speed. Given the increased access to 5G in Ireland these days, broadband in built-up areas is getting bloody fast. Have I noticed the faster downloads in general? To be honest, yes I have. I consume massive amounts of data through streaming and gaming. As soon as I got access to this speed I hooked a hard drive up to my Xbox and downloaded loads of games at record speed. During regular work hours, downloading big files and multiple files at the same time has been noticeably faster.

But I’m not the average user.

Most users wouldn’t even nearly need 1Gb broadband. But it’s important that I come back to another fact. I’ve been a Virgin Media customer for years and even though there were a few hiccups, I’ve never considered changing to another provider. You may or may not see the value in 1Gb broadband but Virgin Media also offer 500Mb and 250Mb broadband too. You can even get 250Mb broadband on a flexible 30-day contract. The important thing with Virgin Media is that they offer some of the fastest internet in Ireland and if you’re in the market they’re one of the most consistent.

GoMo Launches Special Revolut Offer: How Does It Weigh Up?

Marty
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GoMo Launches Special Revolut Offer: How Does It Weigh Up?

Not that long ago, Revolut launched a rewards section in their online banking app. Personally I didn’t expect much from it. Even though the online-only bank has well over one million customers in Ireland, it’s not unusual to see apps like this ignore the Irish market. I got this one totally wrong. Revolut has released several offers specifically for the Irish market, the latest one being with the Eir-powered network GoMo.

Update: This offer is no longer available. But if you’re a prepay customer, check this out. Top-up online or using the Ding app and the next day you get a surprise gift! Just make sure you’ve opted in to receive emails from Ding.

What Is The GoMo Revolut Offer?

GoMo is offering Revolut customers a free month on their network. That means a free month of calls, texts and data and after that month you’ll be paying €12.99 per month, which is GoMo’s general lead offer right now. If you’re wondering what the catch is with this deal, you can take a look at our in-depth review of a previous offer GoMo launched with. While the offers aren’t the same, much of the fine print is.

Naturally, because this offer is through Revolut you’ll have to pay for your plan with your Revolut card. Then your first month will be free and the following months will be taken from your Revolut account. Here, along with your GoMo payments, you’ll be able to track recurring monthly subscriptions that’s the Revolut’s handy functionality.

How Does The GoMo Offer Weigh Up?

The value mobile plan space has gone crazy in Ireland over the past few months so how does this offering from GoMo weigh up?

What Are The Value Networks?

The first thing you need to check out is just who are the value networks. The most important thing you need to know is which network is behind the network. This is important because there’s is often little or no difference between the day to day experience you’ll get from picking one over the other. For example, GoMo runs on Eir and from my own testing the network quality seems to be the same on both. The only difference really is that Eir offers 5G and GoMo does not, but let’s stay away from that level of detail.

The value networks in Ireland, and the network that powers them are:

NetworkPowered By
48Three
GoMoEir
LycamobileThree
An Post MobileVodafone
Tesco MobileThree
Virgin MobileThree
A list of Irish MVNOs and the physical network behind them

This is significant because you can enjoy the same network coverage on 48 as you can Three, again without access to Three’s 5G network. This is the same for all operators and with that knowledge, we can compare GoMo, 48 and An Post Mobile to find the best deal on the big networks through a virtual operator.

48

48 recently relaunched and they relaunched aggressively. If you join 48 before November 10th, you get all your calls and texts along with a fairly decent 100GB of data. All of this will set you back just €7.99 once you’re signed up before November 10th. Not too shabby and it is in fact the best deal in the market right now.

An Post Mobile

An Post Mobile is the value path to Vodafone. Right now you can join An Post Mobile for €15 per month and, like this new GoMo offer, you’ll get your first month free if you switch your number to the network. If you’re getting a new number, the price stays the same but you’ll be paying for your first month. For your money, you’ll have unlimited calls, texts and 4G data.

They rank third of these three big offers.

GoMo

So how does GoMo’s Revolut offer weigh up in the current market? Well, the important thing to remember is that after that first free month, you’ll be paying €12.99 per month which is second only to 48 offer. The big difference between the two, beyond price, is 48’s 100GB data limit versus GoMo’s unlimited data. Well, GoMo has a fair usage policy of 80GB. While that’s still fairly generous it means you’ll still have access to more mobile data on 48.

OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G Review: A New Challenger Brand Enters Irish Market

Marty
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OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G Review: A New Challenger Brand Enters Irish Market

Over the years there’s no denying smartphones have gotten a little bit boring. Samsung and Apple were sucking the fun out of new phones until Huawei entered the market. After years of wild innovation from the Chinese manufacturer, Trump’s America called a halt to the craic. While Huawei has impressively launched several phones and developed the Huawei AppGallery at an impressive pace, the move from the sleek world offered by Google-supported Android isn’t for everyone. When testing out the Google Pixel 5 recently I realised that the Google eco-system is a beauty to behold when it works well. That’s why I was excited to get my hands on the brand new OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G. I’ve been using it for a few weeks and here’s what I think.

Who Is OPPO?

I’m not going to go into the deep detail on this again as I’ve already written about who OPPO is and what they stand for. The top level is that they are a Chinese smartphone manufacturer offering impressive specs at competitive prices. In short, they’ve waited for a long time to enter the Irish market and you can’t really argue with right now being the perfect time to do so.

The OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G

OPPO has entered the market with two phones all falling under the OPPO Reno 4 Series umbrella. Three Ireland and Eir are selling two the two 5G models:

  • OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G
  • OPPO Reno 4 Z 5G

Both are also selling the the OPPO A53 outside of the Reno 4 Series.

I’ve had my sim in the OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G for the past few weeks, since testing the Google Pixel 5, and I’m ready to tell you it’s a great piece of kit. Here’s why.

OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G Specs

Ok, so I don’t normal get so obsessed with the phone prior to a review but the Pixel 5 really impressed me. That’s why I’m going to start out with the specs of the OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G and line them up with the Pixel 5.

OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5GGoogle Pixel 5
ConnectivityGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
Phone Size159.6 x 72.5 x 7.6 mm144.7 x 70.4 x 8 mm
Weight172g151g
IP RatingNoneIP68
SIMDual SimNano + eSim
Display Size6.55-inch6-inch
Refresh90Hz90Hz
Resolution1080×2400 pixels1080×2340 pixels
OSColor OS 7.2 based on Android 10Android 11
ChipsetQualcomm SDM765 Snapdragon 765GQualcomm SDM765 Snapdragon 765G
CPUOcta-core (1×2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1×2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver)Octa-core (1×2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1×2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver)
GPUAdreno 620Adreno 620
Storage128GB128GB
RAM8GB8GB
Main Camera48MP + 13MP + 12MP12.2MP + 16MP
Selfie Camera32MP8MP
Charge PortUSB-CUSB-C
Headphone PortNoneNone
Battery4000 mAh4080 mAh
Wireless ChargingNone12W
Reverse Wireless ChargingNone5W
Fast Charging65W SuperVOOC 2.018W Fast Charge
Price€790 on Three Prepay€618.77 SIM-free from Google

The reason I’m obsessed with this spec comparison is because in your hand, these two phones seem worlds apart.

The Google Pixel 5 and OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G

However, on paper the two are well matched and stand toe-to-toe. Just look at the chipsets, GPU, storage and RAM. It’s literally the same. My reason for emphasising this point is simple. If you’ve not heard of OPPO this is the point you start taking them very seriously. The phones they make are top-of-the-range. With that point made, I want to dig down into these specs a little further.

Battery

I’m going to have to be totally open here and admit it’s become really tough to test battery life. Various kinds of COVID restrictions means massive swings in how much I’m using my phone. I’m never that far away from my charger or sometimes charge when I’m sitting at my desk. You don’t feel the pain poor battery life brings quite as much because we’re all at home all the time. That said, the Pixel 5 battery disappointed me but here is one area the Reno 4 Pro 5G absolutely excelled. Now, the battery isn’t as impressive as the likes of the Huawei P40 Pro which, in my opinion, remains the only current flagship which offers a genuine two-day battery. But I’m going to bed and charging my Reno4 Pro 5G with about 35% power left.

The funny thing is that because of OPPO’s remarkable charging technology the battery capacity really doesn’t even have to be that good.

that’s just madness on par with how long Nokia 3310 batteries lasted

I know, that sounds like a ridiculous thing to say but OPPO’s SuperVOOC 2.0 charging is perhaps the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in a smartphone. This is a 65W fast charger that can shove 60% of charge into your battery, from 0%, in just 15 minutes. This phone’s battery goes from nothing to full in just 36 minutes. I’m sorry but that’s just madness on par with how long Nokia 3310 batteries lasted. It’s a different level of impressive.

One feature missing from the Reno 4 Pro 5G and which I personally do miss is wireless charging. For this price of a smartphone you would expect to get this and it makes the wireless charging alarm clock beside my bed a bit redundant. Apple is making strides to normalise wireless charging and next year may even release a portless smartphone, so while it’s not a big deal right now for many, omitting wireless charging might not be so forgivable in future.

Battery life might be considered mundane by the many so I better move onto something sexier.

Camera

The Reno 4 Pro 5G makes an honest fist of being a great photography phone. While the phone can’t match the likes of Huawei’s Leica-powered cameras, the on-board Sony sensor is impressive. After feeling a little restricted by the lack of optical zoom on the Pixel 5, the Reno 4 Pro 5G did put more options into my hand. I was left missing the power of Google’s Portrait software, though again OPPO’s isn’t’ bad. There were a few shots taken which disappointed. A slight move when shooting with Portrait mode or a selfie being randomly overexposed, but the vast majority of shots were impressive. I would expect this phone to leave most people looking disdainfully at their old phone.

Left: Ultra Wide Angle | Right: 5X Zoom

The funny thing about cameras on smartphones is the fact that different people will have very different take-aways so I’m going to try leaving some of my personal preferences at the door and say the vast majority of people will take pictures with this phone and share them only to be asked what phone they used because they’re excellent.

If you’re into videography, then it appears you’ve discovered what OPPO is chasing down. The Reno 4 Pro 5G is capable of shooting 4K video and can even shoot great video in dark settings thanks to an ultra-wide sensor. There’s also Ultra Steady mode which works on front and rear cameras. This is a nifty little feature if you fancy yourself to be a bit of a vlogger.

Any good smartphone needs to have slo-mo and the OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G nails it. Twitter won’t maintain all the quality here but hopefully it gives you a sense of the phone’s ability.

Operating System

When it comes to the operating system, Color OS is impressive in its own way but this is the older version of OPPO’s own take on Android. Their new operating system is called ColorOS 11, the naming conventions jumping from 7.2 to catch up with Huawei’s EMUI 11. This is one area of the review I was holding everything up for simply because the Pixel 5’s Android 11 is incredible. I can’t wait to see what ColorOS 11 delivers. Unfortunately, while the BETA is rolling out to limited markets, I won’t be getting ColorOS 11 until early in 2021.

When OPPO launched ColorOS 11 they lifted the wraps on a few features to whet the appetite of on lookers. OPPO Relax 2.0 lets users create their own white noise mix while also offering an extensive and immersive collection of sounds from cities around the world. Might be a nice feature for city dwellers who’ve moved home during COVID-19 restrictions. OPPO also teamed up with Google for Three-Finger Translate. This feature captures and translates text through a simple screenshot taken with a three-finger gesture.

There are buckets of other features but I’ve not tested any of them nor do I really see the point of me reviewing ColorOS 7.2 features. What I will say is that using the OPPO phone was just like any other Android phone without any nasty surprises.

Design

The OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G doesn’t reinvent any wheels when it comes to design but it also delivers solid design all-round. The bezels are fairly thin but there is a slight chin and forehead, with the forehead providing a physical speaker instead of the increasingly popular under-screen speaker. There is a slight overflow edge on the screen providing just short of a 90% screen-to-body ratio.

For me, the most important thing here is that design isn’t an area OPPO skimped on to save costs. This is a premium-feeling phone like every other flagship on the market but remember, this phone instead targets the upper-mid tiered smartphone market. Again, like the surprise omission of wireless charging, OPPO has not put this phone through an official IP-rating process. While they claim some waterproofing is in place, the lack of a genuine IP-rating will do little to build confidence in using this phone in the rain, or as I do myself, listening to music in the shower.

It’s Got 5G

One thing that stands out here is the price-tag. When I first discovered OPPO they were a bit like early days Huawei or Xiaomi. Impressive specs but price-tags that really appeal to users. The OPPO Reno 4 5G is pricy at €790 on prepay. It’s still not too cheap on bill pay either. On Eir’s Mobile Essentials plan which costs €40 per month, the phone will set you back €150. That’s not all that cheap for what is essentially an upper-mid tier smartphone. Remember when I was fawning over the Pixel 5? That phone, while it has a smaller screen and less impressive battery life, would set you back just €620 and it would be SIM-free.

The Pixel is a tough comparison because both phones are 5G which means you can’t use the usual excuse of 5G chips costing more. However, that lumbered segue aside, I’m now talking about 5G and here’s an overview of how much 5G phones will set you back these days.

Three – €60pmEir – €60pmVodafone – €60
OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G€49FREEN/A
iPhone 12 5G€249€249€249
Huawei P40 Pro 5GFREE€199€100
Samsung S20 5G€249€299€199
Comparison of 5G Phone Prices In Ireland

Suddenly, if you’re a bill pay shopper with a keen interest in 5G, the OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G starts to make a lot of sense.

OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G: The Verdict

The OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G is a great piece of kit. Now, being honest, it’s not the mind-blowing phone that solve every problem imaginable. If you want the best camera, then pick up a Huawei. If you want simplicity, iPhone is probably still the best choice for you. Want a pure Android experience, the Google Pixel 5 is the phone for you.

But if you want a phone which gives you a well-rounded experience and 5G at a reasonable price compared to its competitors, then the OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G does have some unique pulls. While it’s a tad pricey and not even OPPO’s lead flagship smartphone (which isn’t available in Ireland), few will be left with buyers remorse here.

The OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G and the wider Reno 4 series along with the OPPO A53 are now available from Three and Eir.

Dirt 5 Review: Lots Of Mucky Fun

Marty
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0
Dirt 5 Review: Lots Of Mucky Fun

You learn a lot about a racing game when you’re halfway through the first corner. With F1 2020 it was realising I didn’t get the tyres warm enough while the other AI cars stuck to the racing line and braking points significantly better than I did. Forza was something similar and you know what, it makes sense when you understand that “car games” is really the umbrella term for a wider gaming niche. Dig deeper one more layer and you’ll find “racing sims” and “racing games”. While F1 2020 and Forza fall into racing sims the new Dirt 5 title from Codemaster is absolutely a racing game.

Dirt 5: The First Corner

Dirt 5 is, rather deceptively, the eighth game in the Dirt series. It all started back in 2007 with the late great Colin McRae lending his name to the first Dirt game. The name McRae means everything when it comes to rally and rally gaming and knowing well that the lineage of Dirt 5 was founded alongside the legend of McRae, my expections were coloured fairly heavily. While I do understand where the game has come from, I’ve not played many of the Dirt series except for a few which were available on Xbox Game Pass and even at that, I dipped in and out as you do when you get free access to a game.

Ultimately, I thought I was about to step into a rally simulator. So much so, in fact, I was about to get out my Thrustmaster Racing Wheel and frame to go the whole hog. Now, I probably still will because that will 100% improve the craic but my point is that Dirt 5 absolutely is not a simulator. As I said, you learn a lot about a racing game halfway through the first corner and what that first corner in Dirt 5 taught me was I shouldn’t have braked.

In trying to attain the perfect controlled drift all my competitors drove off into the distance. I immediately got Tony Hawk vibes from the game. I wasn’t here to carefully drift my driver’s tyre over crests, I was here to gun it and never stop gunning it. A couple of races in and I’m going full Dukes of Hazzard over a canyon. Dirt 5 is not a simulator, it’s a game with a touch of arcade.

Is This The Real Life? Is This Just Fantasy?

Sorry, I’ve been playing excessive amounts of Lets Sing Queen Edition and it’s starting to influence everything.

I don’t want to take from Dirt 5 here either. As the game loads, you’ll see that there’s plenty of real automotive manufacturers who are properly licensed. Ten minutes into the game and I was a giddy kid buy my number two dream car, the Ford Escort Cosworth (number one was the Ford Capri which I bought in Forza). This isn’t total fantasy like you get with the racing modes of GTA 5 Online. It does borrow some of the madness that comes with not taking yourself too seriously but Dirt 5 doesn’t lose touch with reality either. Forza Horizon does that with loads of fake NPCs and a beach party-like atmosphere. There’s not of that here. When you place in the top three, it’s your car on the podium taking the plaudits. Because it’s you and the car, no-nonsense. Well, no excessive nonsense.

Dirt 5 Gamemodes

Dirt 5 doesn’t reinvent the wheel here. Your gamemodes are pretty expected. You get:

  • Career
  • Online
  • Arcade
  • Playgrounds

Career brings you through a series of races spanning Ultra Cross, Rally Raid, Land Rush and Stampede modes. There are some more unlocked later too but I didn’t get that far into the review. From the races I’ve raced all I can really say is that I drove them all with a smile on my face. At least I did after I realised braking points wasn’t something to worry myself about. What you will bother yourself with is trying to drift and overtake at the same time. Damn, it seems much easier than it is.

Online lets you pair up with friends or strangers in either races or party games. Races are races but party games is more along the lines of Rocket League. What online did make me realise is that while there’s plenty here because of different modes, each mode itself is a little on the light side with not much to sink your teeth into. While there’s buckets of fun to be had, there’s just a little innovation lacking.

Again, nothing too mad with arcade but then we get to Playgrounds. Playgrounds unlocked some serious nostalgia for me. It reminded me of when Tony Hawk Pro Skater introduced the park building feature or when Stuntman games let you build your own stunts. I played around in here for quite some time trying to achieve the impossible jumps in a Skoda.

Dirt 5: The Verdict

What did you come here for? If you’re thinking of buying this game you really only have to ask yourself one question. Do you like a bit of craic and drifting the tyres off some cars. If the answer is yes, Dirt 5 is for you. While they’ve not really injected anything insanely innovative here, they’ve made a joyful mucky romp of a game. If it’s a sim you’re after and you miss the navigating voice of Nicky Grist, well maybe there’s something else out there for you in the land of the sims.

Black Friday 2020: The Deals Start Earlier Than Ever

Marty
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0
Black Friday 2020: The Deals Start Earlier Than Ever

You know what? It’s been that kind of a year. Normally, I’d be giving out about the Christmas trees going up the morning after Halloween but screw it. Go on and enjoy yourselves. Leave it up until the middle of March if you want an all. 2020 has been proof that time is just a construct we all agree to live within so let’s break all the rules. One thing that’s appearing nice and early this year is the Black Friday sales. It’s welcome news for people who have lost jobs, lost wages or maybe even just need a little treat. Here’s our guide to shopping during Ireland’s Black Friday sales in 2020.

What Is Black Friday?

There are a few yarns going around as to where the term “Black Friday” came from. One of the nicest ideas is that retailers make so much money from dropping prices during this period that their sales reports go from being “in the red” to being “in the black”. Alas, that’s absolutely not true. Black Friday sales often see retailers trading at a loss. Retailers see record numbers of returns from people who panic buy and other retailers refuse to partake in the sales promotion at all.

The real origins of “Black Friday” go back to 1869 when two investors played the markets and drove the price of gold so high it caused a crash. Foreign trade stopped and farmers suffered from a 50% drop in their crop values. In more recent times, the term “Black Friday” was used to describe a thanksgiving day game of American football which was followed by large droves of people going shopping afterward.

Come the late eighties “Black Friday” simply referred to the last day of November where shoppers sought bargains and retailers fought for their attention and money. Today, it’s the biggest shopping day of the year even though personally, I don’t remember hearing much about it for most of my own life. In fact, if you look at the Google Trends data you can see steady growth since the turn of the 21st century.

That’s just looking at data from the US. Looking at Ireland shows an even later rise in public interest for “Black Friday”.

I’m not sure if it’s the case for America or not, but in Ireland the last day of November isn’t the only day we’re seeking out bargains. “Black Friday” has in fact turned into a month-long sales event for many retailers, but with a global pandemic taking place, will there even be a Black Friday sale this year?

Will There Be A Black Friday Sale In 2020?

In 2020, not even a global pandemic can see the public interest in Black Friday quietened. In fact, given the year people have had it could be the busiest yet with the bigger difference being a shift towards buying online instead of visiting stores. Some retailers have already appeared with their Black Friday offerings and I’ll run through those a little later.

Is Black Friday Dangerous?

This really comes down to what do you mean by “dangerous”. You could joke and say the furore is “dangerous”. As in, I bought a drill on Black Friday that I didn’t use for a year. Physically, Black Friday can be very dangerous. I normal times, people have been injured or gotten into brawls in stores during stampedes to grab bargains. This year shopping in person would bring a new danger because of the COVID-19 pandemic though most retailers in Ireland will be very limited in how they can sell during this period. Then there’s the retailers themselves.

Black Friday sales have divided retailers in the past. Many look through rose tinted glasses and believe the sales event is a god send for retailers but the truth is that it’s a race to the bottom. Customers aren’t generally spending more but instead shifting their Christmas shopping spend from December to November and retailers, in a race to meet sales expectations, are killing their own margins. Getting the balance wrong between sales and profits poses a unique danger to retailers too.

To a certain extent, as a shopper, this isn’t your problem. I wouldn’t lose too much sleep over nabbing a bargain online this year if you spot it. What I would recommend is, where possible, shop local and support your local businesses. All you can do is trust that your local retailers are selling at a price which will keep them afloat.

2020 Black Friday Sales In Ireland

And not we get to the actual bargains to be had in the 2020 Black Friday sales in Ireland. I’ve done some research to find the below but if you are or know of an Irish retailer I’ve missed then drop me a DM on Twitter and I’ll add more retailers as we go.

Harvey Norman Black Friday Sale

Every year without fail, Harvey Norman swaps their website over to the dark vibes of that Black Friday sale. The exciting thing about the Harvey Norman sale is the simple fact they have so much cool stuff. Right now, Harvey Norman is in Christmas mode. This is another trend of 2020 where Christmas shopping has been pulled dramatically forward due to the pandemic. People are shopping earlier than ever because of shortages in fund and fear that stores will close completely.

One thing that Harvey Norman does which I absolutely despise is engendering gifts. I’ll admit we used to do this with our Christmas guide a few years back but it really is ridiculous. Basically, Harvey Norman is categorising gift ideas into groups like “Gifts for Him” and “Gifts for Her“. In their defense, people do search like this and their gifts are somewhat neutral. At the same time, they do classify the Dyson Supersonic hairdryer as a “Gift for Her” which I personally would love.

Anyway, you can browse their Christmas section right now and it looks like their Black Friday pages are just place holder for now. Even though they are lovely wine glasses.

Black Friday At D.I.D Electrical

D.I.D’s sale is underway and promises up to 70% off appliances, TV’s, laptops, tablets, audio, smart home and more. Like Harvey Norman, D.I.D’s website is currently showing the signs of Christmas more than anything else with Black Friday pages seemingly more place holder than anything else.

There are some deals to be found on their Weekly Deals pages. D.I.D rather frustratingly also has sections dedicated to “Gifts for Him” and “Gifts for Her”. I have a pro shopping tip for all our readers out there who are shopping for a “Gift for Her”. A 1.6-litre Soup Maker isn’t always the worst choice. But it nearly always is. I’ll come to D.I.D’s defense here and hold them up as a hero of equality as they’ve also included this simply awful gift idea in the “Gifts for Him” section too.

Don’t let my jibes and jokes get in the way. D.I.D does have some great deals to splurge on so take a look.

Boots Black Friday Deals

Boots loves a good sales event and Black Friday of 2020 seems to be no different. I believe that has a pharmacy Boots will be completely open like normal and offering buckets of deals on a range of products. You can check them out already and if you need an electric toothbrush, Boots might be the very place to get one.

Virgin Media Black Friday Deals

Starting this Thursday, November 12 until November 30, customers signing up to a new TV and broadband bundle will get themselves a free Philips TAPB400 Bluetooth Sound Bar with Google assistant which would usually set you back €179.

Virgin Mobile is also going on offer with a 6-month offer on Unlimited Mobile for just €5 a month. It rises to €25 a month thereafter. Be sure to check out how that stacks up versus the rest of the market as things are getting pretty competitive out there.

Amazon’s Irish Black Friday Deals

Right, so I get that some people are literally feeling a kind of shame when the courier outside your gaff hands you the box for an Amazon order. I’ve said it numerous times than if you can please shop local. But also shop sensible. Check Amazon.co.uk when you’re shopping online this year because you could save a fortune and spend your savings with Irish retailers. You can support local business while also looking after your own wallet you know.

Amazon.co.uk is looking at Ireland very differently lately. Their Black Friday sale ad on TV used an Irish voice-over artist, at least for the Irish market. Amazon has opened a Dublin distribution centre and confirmed to Goosed.ie that this isn’t a test but instead is part of a long-term strategy to expand in Ireland.

Amazon stocks nearly everything imaginable and they’ll be running one of the longest Black Friday sales you’ll find.

Araya Beauty

I hear you. What’s this got to do with tech? Well, I used to work in an office that had Araya and her team regularly come in for back rubs. I call them back rubs but really it felt like a back realignment and it was the most amazing stress relief you could have during your workday. As many of us work from home and are slowly getting home offices put together, I bet there’s plenty of you feeling like you could do with a back massage. And just like that, I’ve made this Black Friday deal super relevant!

Araya’s Leopardstown-based beauty salon specialises in lots of stuff like micro-blading and eyelash extensions, but like I said it’s all about the traditional massage treatments for me.

You can imagine that businesses like this have had a tough time of it and this is one I can give a first-hand recommendation for as being deserving of your support. To give something back to their clients while the salon is closed throughout the pandemic, the Araya Beauty crew are offering 15% extra free on top of all gift card purchases between now and Friday, November 27th.

When you think about it, this is a perfect Christmas gift idea. Buy someone a massage. Buy yourself a massage!

Active Iron

Kind of similar to Araya Beauty, this isn’t something you’d often find on a tech site. Active Iron are an Irish-owned supplement company that offer a number of products such as their easily absorbed Iron Supplement, B Vitamin Complex, Pregnancy Range and Immune Supplements. Two things why I’m recommending these guys.

  1. They’re Irish-owned
  2. We should all give energy levels and health a thought

Active Iron’s Black Friday Special is buy one get one month free on all products across their website. You just need to add the code AIMONDAY when going through the checkout and they’ll add an extra month’s supply to your order for free!

Campsited

Uncertainty remains, but with news of vaccines and general hope, some of you might be plotting what lies down the road. Irish-based European camping booking specialists Campsited are offering up to 72% off their French camping holidays starting today with special offers and discounts running right through to Summer 2021.

Book your stay at top campsites throughout Vendée, Provence, Bretagne and the whole of France and save when you book online.

Smyths Toys Superstores

Smyths was getting queues in early this year but if you can shop safely online this year and save a few bob, why not go for it. The popular retailer has offers on a huge range of toys, from L.O.L. Surprise! dolls to Marvel action figures though it is unlikely the elusive Playstation 5 will appear this side of Christmas.

The Smyths Black Friday special offers include action figures and dolls, arts and crafts, fun-filled playsets and more. Shop preschool toys for tots, gadgets for gamers and everything in between. As Smyths will be rammed from the day stores re-open till Christmas, now’s your chance to get in online ahead of the rush and find the perfect gifts.

Rashr

This is the kind of thing I love. I’ve reviewed some sustainable masks already and some super comfy masks too. Rashr is on a mission to reclaim our oceans by removing as much plastic waste as we can and recycling it into something new. In response to COVID-19, they’re producing face masks made out of recycled ocean plastic. The face masks come in adult and children’s sizes with a range of ocean themes.

Rashr’s Black Friday deal is sitewide with 20% off all masks and activewear. Use the discount code Rashr20 at checkout to receive 20% off your purchase.

The Sweater Shop

If I had to find a tech tangent here it would be the amazing story of how Paddy Cosgrave thought the prices of his Web Summit jumpers were in any way justified. The Sweater Shop is another great gift idea coming into Christmas or a nice treat for yourself. Nothing beats working from home in cosy clothes as my new sweatpant collection suggests.

The Sweater Shop is offering up to 50% off across selected stock on their website, including premium-quality Irish Fisherman Jumpers, Cardigans, Aran Knitwear and generally perfect gifts from Ireland at a great price. Buying Irish is pretty popular too right now so this is win-win.

Apps And Services On Sales For Black Friday

There’s more to Black Friday than getting physically items shipping to your gaff. Plenty of online services will offer massive discounts on annual memberships. I’m still waiting to see who drops their price but here are some of the online services I’d be keeping a particularly close eye on:

  • 1Password: Whether it’s mobile or a new laptop, this is the first thing I install
  • Babel: Want to learn a language? This is the kind of subscription that goes cheap on Black Friday
  • Blinkist: Consume entire books in 15 minute audio shorts
  • Grammarly: This is usually the second or third thing I install on laptops because it stops me sounding like a two year old
  • LastPass: I used to use this but now opt for 1Password
  • VPN: NordVPN, Windscribe et al. There’s countless VPNs out there and I’m sure there’s going to be loads on sale this Black Friday

Here are some that I’ve confirmed already.

Bitdefender

Protect your laptops, mobiles and tablets from viruses and malware with Bitdefender. This software will also let you track stolen or lost devices. I’ve been personally using this for a few months now and I love it. It’s among the first apps I install on new machines.

I’m going to keep an eye on things appearing over the coming weeks and update this article. When it’s particularly juicy I’ll hit the push notification so if you’re into the offers and the shopping hit that little bell button on the bottom right of the page.

Express VPN

Between hiding your online behaviour and accessing geo-restricted content, having a VPN is always handy. It’s even better if you grab it during Black Friday at a great price. Express VPN is offering 49% off their service when you buy

Black Friday: Frequently Asked Questions

When is Black Friday 2020?

Black Friday 2020 will fall on Friday 27 November.

Is Black Friday 2020 cancelled?

While lots of events have been cancelled by COVID-19 nothing can stop Black Friday. In fact, if you look around online you’ll already find retailers selling with massive discounts. The big change this year will be online shopping taking over from physical retail.

Does Ireland have Black Friday?

While Black Friday started out in America today it’s truly global. Using Google Trends data we can see that Black Friday has grown massively in popularity in Ireland since 2014 and continues to do so.

When will Black Friday sales start?

Once upon a time, the answer was 9am on the last Friday of November. Then midnight openings started and retailers started to creep earlier and earlier with their Black Friday sales. Today, the Black Friday sale can start as early as November 1st.

What is Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday is the Monday which immediately follows Black Friday. With many couriers not shipping on Fridays, retailers use their online channels to clear through excess stock which they couldn’t shift on Black Friday. Because shipping returns to normal on Mondays, retailers tend to reduce products even further and sell them off on Cyber Monday.

Should I wait for Cyber Monday?

It’s impossible to know. Some really popular items won’t last that long and when they come back into stock they could be full price again. The best thing to do is ask yourself what you’re willing to pay for something instead of constantly chasing the cheapest price.

Is it okay to shop with Amazon?

Yes, of course it is ok to shop with Amazon. With COVID-19 we do encourage you to shop local and if you do shop online try to shop with local Irish websites. If you can’t find what you’re looking for it’s always ok to turn to Amazon.co.uk.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – Everything We Know

Dean
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Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – Everything We Know

In what has been a hectic year, November is finally upon us, meaning Christmas is right around the corner. But for the gaming community, November is their Christmas as it is the month when the most anticipated games of the year are usually released. Last year, Activision released arguably their best Call of Duty game to date, the re-release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. This year, it looks to make an even bigger release, with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. It will be the sixth Black Ops instalment and the seventeenth instalment in the overall COD franchise.

When is COD: Black Ops Cold War out?

The most pressing question of all. Cold War will be released on November 13.

What will the campaign be?

In this years release, we are taken back to the early 1980’s. President Ronald Reagan has received intel of a secret Soviet spy, Perseus, who’s mission is to try and tilt the balance of power in the Soviet Union’s favour. In response, Reagan launches a counter mission in order to stop Perseus.

Some of the new locations where the gameplay takes place includes Berlin, Vietnam and Turkey. There will also be multiple endings to the campaign based on decisions made by the player throughout the game.

What’s the craic with Multiplayer?

On 8 October, Treyarch released a beta version of the multiplayer for players who pre-ordered Black Ops Cold War. Having played it myself, we were able to play in some of the new maps available. Some locations were based on Miami Beach, a desert in Angola and the North Atlantic. The maps vary from small and compact to large open spaces where you can also use vehicles.

Now, let’s talk game modes. Of course, we’ll be seeing the return of the usual Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint, Free-for-All, Kill Confirmed, and Search & Destroy. Those who remember Black Ops 4 will be glad to see the return of Control. Some of the new game modes coming are VIP Escord, Combined Arms and Fireteams and Treyarch also announced that they will be adding plenty of other game modes in seasons post launch.

For the first time in multiplayer, we will also be getting a new ping system, which was initially introduced in Warzone. Ping systems allow players to point out enemies, weapons, vehicles and locations where enemies have been, such as an open door in a house. The ping system will be a very big upgrade in multiplayer and will create more team based gameplay within the different game modes.

Is Zombies coming back?

Yes! Zombies is back. One of the most popular game modes in the COD franchise. Black Ops Cold War Zombies introduces players to a new game mode: Dark Aether.

“Everything that happened in the Aether Story actually happened. At the end of Black Ops 4, our heroes – in their various incarnations – sacrificed themselves in order to collapse the multiverse and banish the evil they bravely fought to the Dark Aether. They hoped their actions would create a new world… a singular reality. One free from the forces of darkness that had plagued their existence.

They were half right.” – Craig Houston, Lead Writer

The first episode of Dark Aether is called “Die Maschine” (pronounced dee mah-sheen-eh). The story goes that, following the discovery of a WWII experiment called “Projekt Endstation”, a new arms race threatens the world as each side attempt to harness the power at the heart of the experiment. Going back to classic Zombies, players will have to fight off waves of the undead in a round based survival game mode. If that hasn’t got you licking your lips, take a look at the trailer below.

Will Warzone be integrated?

Treyarch have confirmed that they will be implementing gameplay between Black Ops Cold War and Warzone in December. However, details of how it will be integrated and what changes will be made to Warzone have yet to be revealed.

Is there a trailer for Black Ops Cold War?

Hell yeah there is!

What consoles will Black Ops Cold War be available on?

Black Ops Cold War will be available to buy on the Xbox One, PS4 along with the new PS5 and Xbox Series X. Both of these new consoles are also backwards compatible, so if you buy it on the Xbox One of PS4 and buy one of the newer consoles down the line, you won’t have to buy it again.

Revolut Is Down For Android Users: Online Bank Confirms Outages

Marty
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0
Revolut Is Down For Android Users: Online Bank Confirms Outages

Revolut has become to be one of Ireland’s fastest growing digital services. The online-only bank has over one million user in Ireland and continues to grow its user base and features. However, last night the company confirmed an issue for Android users where accessing the app was impossible.

Revolut Outage

It’s not clear why exactly the app stopped working for Android users but it may be related to a release within the app which introduced a Halloween greeting on the log in page.

The issue didn’t impact card payments but you may still be experiencing issues in accessing the app.

Fixing The Revolut Issue

Revolut confirmed the issue and within 24-hours had also confirmed the issue was resolved. During this time I shifted my usage to my iPad confirming it was an isolated Android issue. To resolve the issue for yourself, you will need to update the Revolut app by visiting the Google Play Store.

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