You know what? I’m pretty sure NASA makes announcements fairly regularly. In fact, I’m pretty sure they always go under my radar because they are simply so regular. Yet, because it’s 2020 and it’s been a burning dumpster fire of a year, I’m just a little but more sensitive to some news. A couple of days ago, NASA announced that the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) had discovered something about the moon. In a week where Nokia won the contract to supply 4G signal on the surface of the moon that’s two bits of news about something usually relegated to special interest magazines and websites in a week. So what’s going on?
What is SOFIA?
SOFIA is actually a modified Boeing 747 jumbo jet. The aircraft is flown by ex-military pilots and manned by scientists who control the on-board 2.7-meter reflecting telescope.
SOFIA can fly into the stratosphere at 38,000-45,000 feet, above 99% of Earth’s infrared-blocking atmosphere, allowing astronomers to study the solar system and beyond in ways that are not possible with ground-based telescopes giving a unique insight into space.
What is NASA’s Announcement About?
NASA has discovered that water is available on a sunlit surface of the moon. This is a big deal given that water was previously believed to be on the dark side of the moon but that it would not survive in more accessible areas. SOFIA’s spectrometer was able to detect the fingerprint of water on the moon and raises questions about the presence of water on the moon.
With the Artemis Mission set to land a man and woman on the moon in 2024, the presence of water on the moon would be massive.
Significance Of Water In Sunlit Areas Of The Moon
SOFIA detected water molecules in the Clavius Crater. That’s one of the big craters you can see when you look at the moon from earth, located in the Moon’s southern hemisphere. Previous observations of the Moon’s surface detected some form of hydrogen but were inconclusive as to how useful it may be. Data from the SOFIA mission reveals about a coke can worth of water trapped in a cubic meter of soil spread across the moon’s surface. In terms of significance, don’t pack your bags just yet. As a comparison, the Sahara desert has 100 times the amount of water than what SOFIA detected in the lunar soil. Despite the small amounts, the discovery raises new questions about how water is created and how it persists on the harsh, airless lunar surface.
Why Is Water On The Moon Important?
During the press conference, NASA reps gave a range of reasons why water on the moon is important. Water can be used to measure our impact on the lunar surface should we successfully man the moon. It also could potentially save on us needing to bring water to the moon, massively reducing the cost of space flight. The moon could potentially be a much more sustainable place for man should water be readily available. I should stress we’re a long way away from that kind of news emerging.
SOFIA’s follow-up flights will look for water in additional sunlit locations and during different lunar phases to learn more about how the water is produced, stored, and moved across the Moon. The data will add to the work of future Moon missions, such as NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), to create the first water resource maps of the Moon for future human space exploration.
Forgive me, but when you’ve seen a can kicked down the road for two years not all progress is good news. It’s emerged today that the Department of Transport plans to legalise electric scooters in 2021 but is that really good news for electric scooter owners?
The problem with Government and Eamon Ryan promising legislation in 2021 is that thousands of electric scooters are on our roads today. Ahead of a busy Christmas period, the likelihood is that, despite their illegality to use in public spaces, electric scooters will be a top seller this Christmas.
Electric Scooter Statistics In Ireland
In a recent Dail Debate, which came to my own attention while being interviewed by RTÉ’s Justin McCarthy, Deputy Darren O’Rourke asked of the Justice Minister, Helen McEntee, what the stats were for Garda interventions with electric scooter riders, sometimes I’ve asked the Garda Press office for several times only to be told they would not be able to acquire such stats easily. The Justice Minister brought the stats to the Dail and they are very interesting.
Stat
Jan-Jun 2018
Jul-Dec 2018
Jan-Jun 2019
Jul-Dec 2019
Jan-Jun 2020
Jul-15th Oct 2020
Traffic Offences
0
0
25
23
25
21
Collisions
1
2
4
18
12
25
Vehicles Seized or Detained
0
0
33
23
37
54
Dangerous or illegal use of e-scooters statistics
The Justice Minister outlined that this were cases of dangerous or illegal use of e-scooters. The sharp uplift during July to October of this year is particularly concerning. People are turning to electric scooters as an alternative to public transport but in turn are also seeing a sharp increase in scooter seizures. The number of reported collisions has also increased which is to be expected with increased usage.
Ryan’s Plan To Legislate
The good news to emerge over the past few days is Eamon Ryan’s plan to legislate for electric scooters in 2021. As I said, it’s nothing to get too excited about given the plan was always to legislate in this space, but Ryan did give us our first look at what his approach would be.
First of all, I refuse to celebrate this progress for a few reasons. It should have been done a long time ago and there still remains plenty of space for Government to continue kicking the can down the road to late 2021 and beyond. Also, my greatest fear is illogical legislation which introduces non-sensical and prohibitive regulations on speed or areas of permitted use.
The good news was Ryan confirming that last week, his Department did commence work on drafting changes to legislation. Exact timelines were not provided but Ryan did mention the process was “complex”, raising my fears again slightly.
Private Ownership Or Scooter Share?
One of the biggest question marks that is rarely talked about is private scooter ownership versus public shared systems. I’ve seen quite a few politicians popping up in support of shared systems suggesting substantial lobbying going on behind the scenes. I wasn’t personally a great supporter of shared systems unless they can be introduced without impacting pedestrians and vulnerable members of the public. However, technology has progressed significantly in position tracking and laws have taken so long that any share company I’ve spoken with has seemed clear that this was a primary concern they shared with plans to overcome.
Ryan cited that “localised trials”, similar to those in the UK, “have not consistently been either successful or useful, particularly in jurisdictions with similar legal frameworks”. Basically this means that until scooters are legalised, nothing changes and when change comes it might be overnight. It also suggests that scooters may just be legalised without specifying a difference between private ownership and shared systems, which could spell trouble.
When Will Electric Scooters Be Legal In Ireland?
How long is a piece of string?
The government doesn’t have a habit of moving quickly on topics which genuinely impacts day to day road users. Ryan did clarify that “until new legislation is in place, the use of electric scooters, whether privately owned or rented as part of a sharing scheme, will remain illegal”. For me that’s a massive issue ahead of Christmas and also with thousands of electric scooter users already on our roads.
They are all potentially at risk of being stopped by Gardaí, having their scooter seized, receiving a fine and a court date.
Lenovo are releasing a smartphone, yes you heard that right Lenovo with a smartphone. I never thought i’d see the day, but jesus what a phone it looks like it’s going to be. The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel is a revolutionary gaming smartphone that features an innovative architecture, such as dual batteries and dual-liquid cooling system. The device also features a livestream-ready horizontal pop-up camera to truly enhance the gaming experience. This new type of smartphone which is totally designed to be a gamers dream you can choose between six specially customized layout themes to choose from, each with distinctive design details, colors, and icons that resonate with gamers, you can stay in gaming-centric landscape mode or switch to portrait mode. Plus, home mode allows you to cast to or play on a connected external monitor/TV while using either a wireless keyboard and mouse, or your preferred wired accessories via a dock.
Something Different
The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel is built to behave like a console with virtual tools, gaming capabilities, and an optimized battery lasting up to a full day of average phone usage. They use an ergonomic design and the virtual joystick and dual ultrasonic trigger buttons are embedded, and dual vibration engines provide life-like feedback for deeper gameplay immersion. This phone is also going to be the very first to rock the latest top shelf Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 865 Plus 5G Mobile Platform that delivers revved-up performance across the board for incredibly-fast Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gaming™, plus global 5G support. For enhanced power efficiency, get advanced 5th gen memory chips, up to 16GB high capacity RAM or the optional 12GB configuration, and ample storage up to 512GB.
The screen is also made for gamers with a 6.65-inch Full HD AMOLED glass touchscreen display with 144Hz refresh rate for videos and gaming images so colourful and sharp, essentially the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel is made for gamers to create an immersive experience with impressive virtual tools, gaming capabilities, and an optimised battery lasting up to a full day of average phone usage.
Availability & Pricing
The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel is available for preorder now with the official release on October 25th. Starting with just the Black model the Red and Blue will be available later on in the year and the pricing is as follows:
12GB / 256GB: €899
16GB / 512GB: €999
Battery Power
Ok, so the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel very much looks to be a gamers dream and super stylish to boot and they have created advanced methods to better dissipate heat with dual liquid-cooling and copper tubes, plus moving the dual 2500mAh batteries off to the sides where gamers’ hands would rest, Lenovo has made the handset easier to hold while also extending gameplay without the fear of overheating. A design I have never seen before is the side based charging port so that when you are gaming or watching videos in landscape mode your charger wont get in the way of holding the phone like a gaming controller, but there is also a normal base port too meaning you can charge up both, yes both batteries simultaneously for a total of 5000mAh juice. That’s a lot of power and to get a 50% charge only takes 10mins while a full power up takes 30mins thanks to the 90W Turbo Power Charging.
Audio & Video
Again the audio here seems super powerful but as this Lenovo Legion Phone Duel is a specially designed gamers phone of course you can enhance things for clearer situational battle cues in-game, so you can react even faster to the footsteps behind you. It’s made possible with dual front-facing stereo speakers with large 1.4cc acoustics chambers for amazing far-reaching sound quality. This is also combined with a virtual gaming control which means you get near instant, dynamic and surrounding vibrations from the in device engines that will simulate in games hits so you can really feel the game. There is also a built-in gyroscope sensor detects motion and complex orientation changes, like while watching a 360-degree video, or when your screen view autorotates whenever you rotate your phone on its horizontal axis. Although many Android smartphones have one embedded now, the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel leverages its gyro to optimize the gaming experience for the user, for example, its virtual joystick feature works by moving your thumb around on the screen while playing a game, either to aim or to move players in a new direction.
These in-screen touch signals are mapped to gyro sensors which are continually sending data to the display driver resulting in the smooth rotations and execution of commands in-game. The idea is that you can simply tilt and angle your phone to aim or use it as your steering wheel in your favourite racing title. Further enhancing a more tactile gaming experience are the Audio to Vibration (A2V) features, this tool analyses audio directional signals for in-game cues to trigger associated stimulations, allowing you to hear and feel sound and vibration from the right if your race car was hit on that side.
Camera & Software
The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel is actually designed to offer gamers a better grip on the phone and despite it’s look it’s lighter than you would think at 239 grams while the real gamer design comes out in the red or cool blue with programmable RGB lighting effects for Lenovo Legion’s recognizable “Y” icon and the back of its pop-up selfie camera. Lights can also be programmed to dynamically change depending on in-game effects for a more immersive experience.
The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel also comes sporting it’s own software dashboard called Lenovo Legion Realm, wherever gamers are, they can tweak hardware performance settings, scroll through the latest downloadable titles in Google Play, and select the enabled network that gives you the best quality and/or least traffic in that moment, i.e. WLAN, 5G, or Wi-Fi, to help reduce video and in-game latency.
Lenovo also state that you can capture general HD 1080p footage and record in 4K at up to 30 FPS for remarkable clarity with a high-powered 20MP front camera that stays tucked inside bezel when not live streaming for a clean look, also features auto-retract drop protection. Plus, a high resolution 64MP rear camera for 64MP resolution photos, which also has a quad pixel sensor for shooting high-quality, 16MP resolution photos in dark and bright conditions.
To self-record your voice and reactions as you play, simply wake the built-in front camera while gaming to simultaneously record and overlay your image on-screen. This feature is compatible with popular streaming apps. With a multiple video lens, anyone can host a streaming channel. You can remove the background and use AI to auto-enhance your image via our selfie editor featuring several unique retouching filters and correction options for adding a sense of style. At launch, users can auto-enhance images with our programmed adjustments for a more balanced appearance.
With the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel, as soon as a gamer ends a session, you can review all the gaming highlights on-the-fly via a preview screen, so all you need do is select, then merge recorded clips together if desired, before easily sharing with others.
And if you’ve just knocked out a tough enemy in a game but forgot to hit record— fear not, just use a finger to slide your right ultrasonic trigger key to the left to go back in time to relive hero moments and instantly reversely-record what just happened to share proof of your victory with battle mates, fans and friends.
The Spec Sheet & Key Features
Optimal linear motor area
Dual batteries and dual turbo charging, with side-mounted charging port
Dual liquid, mid-thermal floating cooling system
World’s first Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 865 Plus processor
Ultrasonic dual shoulder keys
4D motion-sensing control
33ms touch latency with 240Hz touch sampling rate
1ms response time and 144Hz refresh rate
FHD AMOLED display with Dolby Vision™
Dual front-facing 3X louder than traditional stereo speakers with Dirac Audio
Customisable LED lighting
Desktop gameplay mode (keyboard and mouse keymapping enabled)
Dedicated game launchpad (Legion Realm) and assistant (Legion Assistant)
The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel will be available with up to 16GB LPDDR5 high capacity RAM and ample storage up to 512GB UFS 3.1.Customers ordering from the 1st October will also benefit from a pre-order bundle, choosing either:
Irish businesses are heading into an exceptionally tough time right now. Not only have retailers and restaurants battled to reopen in some way, shape or form over the past few months, but tonight they learned they would have to close under level 5 restrictions. Now, I’m very aware that just recently, I wrote about how to shop on Amazon.co.uk for Prime Day. I did caveat that with a note that “given the year businesses have had, please do try and shop local when you can”. Prime Day has come and gone and now if you have purchases left to do ahead of Christmas, it’s time to get online and buy Irish. To save you digging through Google to find local Irish businesses, here are some of my favourites. If I’ve missed some, drop me an email and I’ll get your business added.
I’m going to break this down by category in the hope it makes it a little easier to find what you’re after.
Clothing
Food and drink
Design and home improvement
Technology
Clothing
Clothing is usually right down the middle. Some of this will be shopping for yourself while other bits will be gifting. Either way, shop with these online stores safe in the knowledge you’ll be supporting Irish businesses.
Carpe Omnia
For Irish businesses this Christmas there could be no better message than Carpe Omnia. Seize it All. Carpe Omnia was founded in 2018 by two Irish brothers who were trying to find the perfect fitting pair of jeans.
If, after one look at the site, you think it’s not for you, give it a second thought for your teenage nephew or student son. This is more than likely exactly the kind of clothing he’s after.
Polly and Andy
This is a real family business. Polly and Andy are mother and son, who live together with Tom Waterford. Andy wasn’t always fully able to communicate how he felt and what he needed. After some teamwork, Andy started to communicate until one day, as Andy was getting dressed, he pulled on his trousers and happily declared “these don’t hurt” before running off to play.
Polly had a moment where she realised how important the first layer of clothes on our kid’s skin is. After a lot of research Polly found the perfect solution, bamboo fibre clothing. Bamboo is super soft and smooth and feels great against the skin. It naturally wicks moisture away from the body where it can evaporate more easily and keeps skin cool and dry. I personally love this because Bamboo is sustainably grown and long-lasting.
Polly and Andy offer free shipping within Ireland with you spend €20 or more. This won’t be a problem given the gorgeous designs on show.
Food and Drink
Craft Central
Craft Central can be a bit of a double or triple whammy. By order your beer online while safely at home from the Craft Central team, you’re supporting an Irish business ad keeping a courier in work. Also, if you order Irish beer from Craft Central it’s all the better.
Must say, it is somehow very satisfying to stand in front of these fridges. This picture comes from well over a year ago, but some things will never change…we promise to keep packing them with the best selection of brews out there! 🍻 pic.twitter.com/s5vWBv7POc
This online off-license is run from a newsagents near Stephen’s Green. The mind boggles at where they are keeping all the beer because the shop is small, but the online selection is vast. With a range of great offers and an amazing selection of beers, Craft Central will keep you liquored up during lockdown.
If you order before 3PM Monday to Friday, you generally get your beer next day. I can confirm this from lots of experience.
Donegal Farmhouse Cheddar
Screw it. I think it is now completely acceptable to eat your own body weight in cheese. Hell, it might even be expected.
the perfect indulgence or a cracking gift
Marty, he likes cheese.
Founded in 2018, Donegal Farmhouse Cheddar hails from Kilcar in Southwest Donegal. With a small farm of cattle and sheep, the team has perfected traditional techniques to product semi-hard cheese in the style of cheddar. Noreen and James launched their cheese website back in May and have seen steady growth in online sales since. I’m not sure there’s a human on this planet who can resist good cheese so this is both the perfect indulgence or a cracking gift.
Frank Hederman
Beer and food. I could go on all day here, I really could. Frank Hederman has over 35 years smoking salmon. Preferring traditional methods over automation, there’s a real craft to getting your salmon here. Widely considered one of the best in his field, you can get this incredible fish, once reserved for the English Market in Cork, delivered to your home.
The White Hag
Over the past 12-months, I’ve grown quite fond of craft beer. One of those reasons is The White Hag. These guys could see the dangers that lay ahead last March. Just before Paddy’s Day, their biggest time of year, they had to act quick to save lots of beer from seeing the drain. They moved to online beer launches and even an online beer festival to not only survive, but to offer their loyal customers a new way of enjoying what is, to my humble tastebuds, one of Ireland’s finest craft beer selections. Master brewer Joe has yet to product a drink that I don’t love.
Design And Home Improvement
With so many of us all fortunate enough to be working from home and earning uninterrupted income, home improvement is top of the list for plenty of people around the country. Here is a list of some great Irish online shops to spend some of your hard earned cash.
April and the Bear
April and the Bear is one of Ireland’s leading lifestyle and interior stores. Their website is filled to the brim with unique homeware and exclusive art prints. This Dublin-based company was founded by Siobhan Lam and stocks some incredible items to make your home warmer, more homely and definitely quirkier. April and the Bear offer free shipping on orders over €100 in Ireland with orders taking two to three working days within the Republic.
Online, you’ll find anything and everything from UV-light phone sanitisers, a fitting gift at this time of year, to this amazing Grá poster which, as you might imagine, sells out regularly.
Donegal Copper Craft
Perhaps a bit of an outlier, Donegal Copper Craft never actually had a physical store. To date, Neil Ferry, the copper craftsman, has solely focused on selling online. Neil, originally from Ballyfermot, always loved working with his hands. Starting out purely as a hobby, today Donegal Copper Craft is one of the best-known creators of copper gifts.
Donegal Copper Craft specialise in some of the classic pieces you’d expect to see. The likes of family crests, coats of arms and the crests of sporting teams. But Neil also does some incredible bespoke pieces too. Check out this sign, made by the children of a healthcare worker-working during COVID-19 and transformed into a piece of art by Neil.
As long as I’ve lived in Dublin, I’ve woken to look out at the Jam Art Factory. I love this place and love it even more since, at the start of the first lockdown, they painted their shutters and encouraged people to shop online. The Jam Art Factory first opened on Patrick Street in Dublin back in 2011. Ever since it has been the home to and a gallery for some of the most striking and quirky contemporary Irish art.
When it comes to gifting something uniquely Irish while also having the range to capture someones personality, it doesn’t come better than the Jam Art shop. Honestly, I find it very unlikely that you’ll be able to browse the gallery without finding the perfect gift for someone.
While I’m not a religious man, one of my favourite prints they have right now is this Sacred Heart Statue print from Grey Street. One you’ll recognise if you’re familiar with the Liberties.
How does giving someone a greeting card that’s so unique and nice that the card itself could be considered a gift? Honestly, I’m not just trying to cheap out here. Paper Bear makes simply amazing laser cut pop-up cards. I’ve been going on about them for years and always pick up a few throughout the year. These are a must buy gift ahead of birthdays and all other major celebrations.
Plant a Ring
I stumbled upon Plant a Ring while flicking through TikTok of all places! Created by Dean Gannon, Plant a Ring is a Westmeath-based wooden jewellery brand. Woodwork always played a bit part in Dean’s life with his father being a carpenter. Dean’s own business salvages wood and turns them into amazing pieces of jewellery.
I picked myself up a black Bog Oak ring and I adore it. It’s stylish but also plays a role in the environment. For every piece that Dean sells he also plants a tree. Not sure what size ring you would need? Order a free sizer. Rings not your thing? Order another piece of wooden jewellery.
Technology
I guess I kind of have to mention some technology right?
InvizBox
InvizBox is an Irish privacy company which has designed a piece of kit that sits between you and public internet connections to protect your personal data. While it might be a while until we travel again, heading out to the coffee shop might not be that far away again. If you’re doing that for a while and trying to get some work done too, this is a great piece of kit.
Conns Cameras
Ok, so Canon and Nikon aren’t exactly Irish. You got me. I’ve been to Conns Cameras in Dublin a rake of times and it’s like a toy store. They have it all when it comes to hardware but you’ll also find the answer to nearly every imaginable question you can think of. By shopping in this piece of Irish photography retail history you’re helping to support an Irish business and many Irish jobs.
There is a new Google Chromecast TV out and while the previous renditions of the Chromecast were nearly perfect, this years model improves across the board, mainly due to the new snazzy control and the brand new Google TV software. This year like the Amazon Fire Stick we see a new dedicated TV interface alongside your usual casting options, this way you have instant access to all major streaming services like Netflix or Disney+ On top of that, there are a number of apps that have been carried over from Android TV, Google TV’s predecessor, that bring games and productivity apps to the streamer.
The result is a new and improved streaming device that might resemble its predecessors, but which offers a whole new experience that’s more user-friendly than ever before.
Pricing and Release
The Chromecast with Google TV is available right now in White, Sunrise Peach (basically pink) and Sky Blue, and its going to be rocking the shelves at €70 a pop which is about €20-30 more expensive than the previous model. I think that means the Amazon Fire Stick is currently a little cheaper at €65 and a bit cheaper than most Android Tv solutions.
That means that the new Chromecast with Google Tv can stream in 4k HDR making it better than the base Chromecast but the lack of Stadia support means it’s probably not as good as an all rounder as the Chromecast Ultra…yet. Stadia support will be coming in time so if the only thing stopping you upgrading your cast is the inability to play games, I wouldn’t be too worried about it.
Design
The Google Chromecast’s have had a very similar design for the last 3-4 years and this year is no different. In the Chromecast with Google Tv we get the now standard design albeit in a more ovular design. As ever you hook the Chromecast up to your tv set with the attached HDMI cable and it get powered either by the wall outlet or a Tv USB port if you have it and sometimes that won’t even work if the USB cable can’t get enough power from the TV.
Also unlike the Chromecast Ultra there is no Ethernet port on the new device meaning this device will only ever work of Wi-Fi, again fine if you have a semi decent internet connection. Now according to Google you will be able to get a USB-c to ethernet adaptor if you need it. But you do get a really really nice remote.
The control is a lovely Bluetooth IR setup, with its circular keypad area, volume control and a bunch of tidy buttons, you can set the remote up to work the TV as well as just your Chromecast with Google TV and of course it comes with an inbuilt Google Assistant. The voice remote can be set up to control your TV, receiver or sound bar. You’ll be guided when you set up your Chromecast. By default, the TV Input button will turn on your TV and switch active input to Chromecast. You can set up the TV controls later if you skip it during setup or modify settings by following the steps below.. 1. Go to Settings > Remotes & Accessories > Set up remote buttons. Setting up Chromecast is incredibly easy:
Plug your Chromecast into a power outlet and an HDMI port on your TV.
Turn on your TV and switch to the input/source your Chromecast is plugged into.
Put batteries in your voice remote.
Get the Google Home app and follow the steps on your TV and in the app.
Add your streaming accounts
To use Chromecast’s new personalisation features, you should set up your streaming apps.
To use Chromecast’s whole home audio and connected home features, you need compatible devices set up in the Google Home app.
The New Features
Well if you haven’t guessed by now the Chromecast with Google TV is all about the Tv experience and this is all about catering to that Android audience. You need to login to your Google account on the device which gives you access to YouTube, YouTube Tv, Playstore, Photos, Nest products and the Nest range of products. The Google Assistant just works with the setup to be honest and if you’re the type that’s a bit concerned about privacy when it comes to voice products, rest assured the Google Chromecast with TV only turns on when the button on the remote is pressed, and you can outright disable the service when logging in with your Google account at startup.
When you login to your Google account the home screen will pull up the Chromecast UI with a bunch of relevant and recommended content based on your information. What I mean is that in the one bar you will have your suggestions from Netflix, Disney, Amazon or whatever streaming services you use, all in the one place.
If you keep scrolling past the recommended content you will find the content broken up like any streaming service with bits and pieces broken up by genre, trending content, movies and tv shows as per the usual. Then under the for you tab you will find your full app library and beyond that you will have a live tv area which you only get if you’re a YouTube Tv subscriber, which you can get a free trial for on the Chromecast for TV.
The interface isn’t revolutionary and can feel a bit basic, but those are really our biggest complaints about it so far, otherwise Google TV seems easy-to-use and with 6,500 apps available you should be able to find what you’re looking for. Unless of course that’s Apple Tv which is unsurprisingly not supported.
Performance
Like everything by Google these days the Chromecast with Tv just simply works, and it’s more than a rival for your Fire Sticks of the word. So even if you’re in a place with low bandwidth your streaming should still work a charm. There’s literally nothing about the performance on the Chromecast that I can knock. The only slow part of the process is actually the initial software installation but it wasn’t half bad at all.
Speaking of not half bad, Google TV can stream in both 1080 and 4K HDr with added support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision which is class and when it comes to sound the Chromecast supports DTS, Dolby Audio, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos format as long as you have a capable television setup. While to get your streams in the most high end format you should use the inbuilt tv apps rather than stream from your phone and casting but if you want high speed you can still hop the screen from your browser, Android or iOS devices as per usual.
The Goosed Verdict
The Google Chromecast with Tv is a complete new addition to the whole Tv streaming game and for €70 it great value for money, especially if like me you have a few other Google Home devices. The remote is slick and just works, the interface is simple and sexy and the audio being able to follow you around the gaff with your other Google Nest Audio devices is a real added bonus.
If you’re in the market for an easy to use streaming device, the added remote makes it so that the least techy person in the world can figure it out. Trust me I got that exact person to give it a test drive. You’ve always had options for 4K HDR streaming but many of them cost far more than the Chromecast with Google TV. If your wallet is already exhausted from buying a 4K TV, Chromecast with Google TV is a great way to recoup some of your spending.
The only downside is at the moment if you are a Google Stadia gamer, you won’t be able to hook up with this device for the time being but that is expected to come next year. So stick with your Chromecast Ultra for now if that’s the case.
The Amazon Alexa range, Siri, Google Home, people have rather mixed thoughts when it comes to Voice Assistant Speakers. “They’re always listening”, “The CIA/FBI wanna know what I’m at” etc etc, first off all, really? and second off all I am 1000% sure that Google, Amazon and Apple have better things to be doing than knowing that you asked how big a whale’s junk is. Anyway recently the new and improved Google Nest Audio Voice Assistant Speaker landed on our desks for review. Using a Google Pixel 5, The Nest Mini in the bedroom and this new Nest Audio down in the office, Alexa has been boxed away and sent to a new home, meaning right now all my devices at home are Google, a total contrast of Martin’s Huawei without Google experiment. Anyway there’s something beautifully simple about what Google are making these days let’s see what the Nest Audio is all about.
All about that Audio
The Nest Audio is one of two new devices in the Google Home range alongside thew new Chromcast and TV. The Nest Audio is a whopper of a device and the extra size means extra sound with this coming in at 75% louder than the original Google Home. It’s got a two piece speaker setup with a 19mm tweeter and a 75mm mid-woofer that gives a nice blend of high frequency coverage, clear vocals and a banging base. Really the sound is incredible and at a price of €100 its well worth the money. The Nest Audio is designed with sound quality in mind, the grill, fabric and materials are designed so that you can enjoy the audio without distortion.
What’s pretty cool is the connectivity. While the sound quality is very good you can link it up with a bunch of other devices which in my case means my Nest Audio and Chromecast are connected with this so my audio now follows me around the gaff. While it might sound pointless, I think it’s really cool if I’m watching something on tv the sound can come follow me up to my bedroom.
Home Experience
As I was saying the Google Home range is all about connectivity, you can easily move your tunes, podcasts and the likes between the Google devices in your home. So for example with me the Chromecast in the living room, connects with the Nest Audio in the ‘office’ and the Mini in my bedroom and I can move the music either through the Google Home app or using the Google Assistant by saying “Hey Google, move the music to the living room speaker.”
Now it gets better if you have other connected devices at home you can really get a proper connected home going. The Nest Audio as with the rest of the Google Home range will link up with pretty much all smart home devices from Tp-Link to Philips Hue and all major brands in between. With the Google Assistant you can control thinks like lights, the kettle, your tv and even things like sprinklers if you’re very fancy. You can also link up with other Google Nest products, like the Nest therostat and Google Tv and door camera. The feature I’ve really enjoyed is called Family Bell and it’s fair handy during this whole work from home lifestyle. You can add little reminders throughout the day that will remind you when its time for a break, to finish work, go for a walk or start a class etc.
Basically we have a really good speaker, shit that connects simply and a voice assistant that just works. Not unlike the Pixel 5, Google are making things that are about doing the job and doing it well. With the voice assistant alongside everything you can do the usuals like playing the radio, your Spotify account and for Spotify Premium and YT music subscribers can have Google recommend tunes based on your previous activity. Nest Audio adapts to your home to ensure that you’re getting the best sound experience possible. The Media EQ feature enables Nest Audio to automatically adapt to the content that you’re listening to: music, podcasts, audiobooks or Assistant. Nest Audio also adjusts based on the background noise in the home, raising the volume so you can hear Google Assistant.
Privacy
Like all of these products, privacy is important. You can turn off the mic on the Nest Audio using the switch on the back of the device. It will shine orange on the indicator lights to show that the microphone is completely off. Also you can view all of data and history of your interactions with the Google Assistant, which can be found in the Google Home App under My Activity. Handy know that you have the control over your own data. In the app you can delete your history and control your privacy settings and if you want to be sure that Google aren’t listening to you all the time you can check out the their privacy settings.
This is going to be quite the short article, but if you’ve turned to Google to ask this question, you’re not alone. Twitter does indeed appear to be down right now. You can’t post or reload your feed to see new content.
I’m sure it’ll be back soon. Sit back, relax and enjoy these short period knowing that Trump can’t tweet anything.
The iPhone 12 has officially been announced and it looks pretty neat. While we learned about all the specs of the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, there was also a quiet update on what you get in the box of your new phone. When you open up your new iPhone, you’ll notice a few things missing. While you’ll have a charging cable, there’s no “charging brick” (plug) for the wall. Also, Apple will no longer supply the earphones which fit iPhones. So, what’s the logic behind this decision and what’s the issue with it?
What Comes In The iPhone 12 Box?
When you open up your new iPhone 12 phone, you’ll get these items in the box:
your new iPhone 12 with iOS 14
a USB-C to Lightning connector charging cable
documentation
More important here is what won’t be in the box anymore. You’ll no longer get the wall plug needed to charge your phone or Lightning earphones, needed if you don’t have wireless headphones.
What has really gone under the radar is the fact that all Apple products will ship like this now. By that I mean, even if you’re buying an old iPhone 11 now, your new phone will also just ship with the USB-C to Lightning cable in the box and it’ll ship without wired EarPods.
What Is Apple Removing Charging Bricks And Earphones?
Apple claims that they are no longer providing these items in the boxes of new phones as part of their environmental commitments. The Apple website states “As part of our efforts to reach our environmental goals, iPhone 11 no longer includes a power adapter or EarPods. Please use your existing Apple power adapter and headphones or buy these accessories separately”.
It’s a genuinely noble cause. I remember a few years back I was at an Anker launch in New York where they promoted this concept citing the huge wastage caused by phones shipping with chargers.
If I allow myself to enter a world of speculation for a moment. I can’t imagine a world where there wasn’t a conversation in Cupertino about this move saving Apple an absolute fortune too. Do I think this was the main motivator? That I don’t know. Maybe Apple really is just out to help the environment, but I do know there are two massive impacts of this.
Decreased Charger Safety
By doing something nearly every day, it’s easy for potential danger to go unappreciated. That absolutely happens with phone chargers. We trust that a piece of tech has been designed and tested to do what seems a simple job safely. Yet, a couple of years ago, Samsung had to recall the Galaxy Note 7 because of fire dangers. A popular Irish product by the name of Firemole flew off the shelves because it addressed the reality that cheap chargers catch fire.
Charging phones can be a deadly dangerous business but this risk skyrockets when you buy a knock-off charger. Apple deciding to no longer supply a charging brick or plug for you to charge your phone with greatly increases the chance that people will buy the cheapest brick they can find.
The Apple website says that you can use your existing iPhone charger or buy a new one, but there’s a really important note here. The new USB-C to Lightning charger is very new. This is the first time Apple shipped this as standard. So they’ve effectively flooded the market with older USB chargers and moved onto USB-C without ever providing this to customers.
All of this adds up to a scenario where there is a great risk of fires because people have bought a low-quality charger.
How To Buy A Safe iPhone Charger
With an increase in fires caused by cheap phone chargers, Dublin Fire Brigade made a plea, asking people to only use chargers bearing the EC mark signifying the charger has been through a stringent testing process. They also recommend looking out for “red flags” like misspellings on the charger and not using damaged accessories.
Apple Has Never Provided USB-C Chargers Before
I’ve already touched upon this above but the other massive impact here is that Apple has never provided USB-C port chargers before. They’ve packaged the idea of USB-C as an environmental and performance benefits. Performance coming in the guise of 20W fast charging. Older iPhone chargers that shipped with the phone were typically 5W chargers and you’d have to buy faster chargers.
While Apple is playing this out as an environmental and performance story, we really need to ask if it is or not? If you’ve never had an iPhone before, you likely don’t have very many Lightning chargers lying around at home. This means you’ll need to buy one. The only winner in that scenario is Apple unless they are specifically removing the price of these accessories from the retail price you pay. If you had an iPhone in the past, your new USB-C cable will be of no use to you because the port on the charging brick is different. Also, that charger will just get you 5W charging and not 20W fast charging.
Apple Ignoring The USB-C Standard
I’m going to wrap this up by first of all complimenting Apple on an effort to reduce the waste associated with smartphone sales. But I’m also going to caveat that with some healthy scepticism. There have been calls on technology manufacturers to adopt a single charging standard, with an EU vote being one of the driving forces behind Apple’s shift towards USB-C technology. That sorts out the plug part but the cable still has Apple’s own Lightning connector.
Apple has resisted this change for years despite nearly every other personal smart device on the planet, including Apple’s MacBook range, moving to a USB-C standard.
Will this move benefit the planet? It’s genuinely difficult to know because people still need to buy chargers. Will this benefit Apple financially? Almost certainly.
Apple Charging FAQs
What do I get in the box with my new iPhone?
Apple no longer includes wired earphones or a charging brick when you buy a new iPhone. This means you’ll get your new iPhone with iOS 14, a USB-C to Lightning connector charging cable and documentation. This is for all iPhones including older models.
What is the different between old and new iPhone chargers?
Old iPhone chargers use USB-A to Lightning and let you charge your iPhone with 5W power. This is quite slow. New charging cables are USB-C to Lightning and these let you charge your phone with 20W fast charge.
Where can I buy a USB-C charging brick for iPhone 12?
All iPhones will now need a USB-C charging brick unless you have older charging accessories. You can buy these from a range of retailers including Apple. You don’t have to buy official Apple chargers but it’s very important you ensure you buy a tested charger with the EC marking to show it’s been tested. Another popular brand providing USB-C charging bricks is Anker.
I’ve put myself into a bit of a technological experiment for the last few months. I tested out the Huawei P40 Pro and went all-in on the experience. Because the phone doesn’t support Google Apps, I started to live without Google. I really mean it, right down to the search engine I use daily. I thought it went quite well and even felt liberating after watching The Social Dilemma. Without thinking much about it, another kind of social experiment started. The Google Pixel 5 landed on my desk to review and I swapped over without really thinking about it. I think I love the Pixel 5 and I don’t know how to feel about it.
When Google Builds Phones
Something special happens when Google builds a phone. I don’t mean those old Nexus phones either, I mean the Pixel range. When Google builds these Pixel phones, they have full control. The release of the latest version of Android as it was intended to be used in its purest form. Google Pixel phones bring this fantastic marriage of hardware and software together and the result really is something special. When the Pixel range started, it wasn’t really available in Ireland.
The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL were the first Google phones to become available in Ireland and they were remarkable. The Pixel 4 was a bit underwhelming and had some highly questionable design choices. The result was an OK, but rather forgettable phone. To me, it looked like Google was struggling to find the market for their own-brand phones. Were they flagships? High-powered mid-range? Market-leading flagships? Google didn’t seem sure what the sweet spot was.
The Google Pixel 5 Review
Naturally, all of this left me somewhat hesitant with the Pixel 5, especially given my Google-free life was going just fine. But, like I said, I love the Pixel 5 and here’s why.
Pixel 5 Camera
Google has always done something special with their Pixel cameras. As you might expect from the world’s biggest search engine and company who would have gladly never sold hardware, the Pixel camera is mainly focused on software. When I look at the likes of the Huawei P40 Pro, now the second-highest ranked smartphone camera, there’s a rather stunning array of hardware on show, including Leica lenses.
The Google Pixel 5 has a, spec-wise, rather underwhelming dual-lens 12.2MP camera array and hardly remarkable 8MP selfie camera. The difference is that Google never wanted to wow you with numbers on a page. They wanted to impress you with a simple and great smartphone camera. I can’t quite explain it, but the portrait shots on the Pixel 5 are probably the best I’ve ever seen on a smartphone and they looks stunning. Back in the day, this bokeh style effect was reserved for photos of people because the phone would need to recognise a face. Now, you an take pro-looking photos of anything.
My Mam’s dog, Goldie
Just a can of beer
These shots weren’t carefully set up or anything, I just hit portrait and job done. The photo is taken and then you can see that it’s immediately being processed. It’s a giveaway that Google doesn’t try to hide. These great shots aren’t down to hardware, it’s software doing the heavy lifting.
It was a surprise that Google omitted a wide-angle lens on the Pixel 4 but finally, Google has caved. There’s now a great wide-angle lens too which means you have a great range of shot options at your fingertips.
All in all, what shocked me here is how much I’ve enjoyed using the Pixel 5 camera. I’ve not only been using the P40 Pro, but I’ve been testing the P40 Pro+ which is better still. These smartphone cameras are incredible and their zoom ability second to almost none. The Pixel simply can’t compete and doesn’t want to compete, on zoom. But fun shooting from the hip, man it’s great.
Pixel 5 Design
I’d consider what Google has done this year pretty brave. We live in an era of choice. Apple just launched the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Google is keeping things much simpler with two phones which are more to be considered cousins than brother and sister. The Pixel 4a continues the recent Google tradition of putting a great camera into an affordable frame without trying to tread on the toes of the Pixel 5. There’s no seemingly endless list of variations of the Pixel 5 available either.
No. Instead, Google brings you the Pixel 5 and that’s it. One screen size, one memory variant, one camera arrangement and two colours. That’s it. That’s your lot. Instead of you worrying about choice, you just need to know if Pixel is a good fit for you or not. In the same week where the OPPO Reno4 Pro landed on my desk to review with a massive 6.55-inch screen, so too did the Pixel 5 with a 6-inch display. It’s not a small display at all and is just a shade smaller than the iPhone 11 display. But I was sure the screen size would irk me given I’ve been using a phone with a 6.58-inch display for months.
Again, I love it. Unlike last year, Google is making the most out of the front real estate on the Pixel 5. The “forehead” on the Pixel 4 was massive, but this year the Pixel has a simple in-screen hole-punch camera. The body of the phone is made from one of the most satisfying materials I’ve ever held and it all comes together to be a very nice to hold and light smartphone. The design is somewhat faultless, to be honest.
Pixel Battery Life
The hardest thing to test in this Covid-19 world right now is battery life. The reason being that phones just aren’t going through the same usage patterns any more. With that said, I can tell that I’m not very impressed by the Pixel 5 battery. Even though Google has crammed in an additional 1000 mAh into this year’s phone, getting a full day feels like an achievement.
Now, to be honest here, I’m used to the batteries of Huawei phones which are simply incredible. I’m also testing the OPPO Reno4 Pro which has some of the fastest charging I’ve ever seen. Google doesn’t have wow factor in either of these areas. If you’re an iPhone user, I would imagine that the Pixel 5 battery will either be familiar or better than what you’re used to. If you’re used to venturing away from your charger overnight, the Pixel 5 will leave you an anxious mess.
Battery Extras
Now there is more to see here, beyond battery life. The Pixel 5 has wireless charging and even has battery sharing. This is great if you’ve got the Google Pixel Buds because you can charge them on the go. While the power in the phone isn’t that stunning, it’s a handy feature should you stay in a hotel for example. You plug in your phone overnight, turn on reverse wireless charging and pop your Buds on the back. One plug, two devices charging.
There are some added extras which claim to help make your battery last longer, but I just didn’t see the benefits I’m afraid. If battery life is key for you, you might need to look elsewhere. If you don’t mind the odd charge to get to the end of your day, at least the Pixel 5 supports 18W fast charging.
Android 11
While the software-managed power levels are underwhelming, the rest of the Android 11 experience is exceptional. I love that when I tap the power button, I get a menu with all my Google Pay info and my Google Home devices. The layout of apps including the app drawer and even the design behind app folders is just so slick.
It’s hard to quite put my finger on what seems to great about the Pixel 5 software experience, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my return to the Google eco-system. Maybe I even need to eat some humble pie on this one and admit the gap between what Google has built and what Huawei needs to build is a little bigger than I first thought.
Other Pixel 5 Features
5G is getting serious this year. All major Irish networks now offer 5G and Apple unveiled their first 5G phone, the iPhone 12. The Pixel 5 is Google’s first 5G phone too but I’ve yet to give this a proper test as I’m currently down the country. Bare with me and I’ll update this once I get back to a 5G area. The exciting combination here is Google Stadia gaming and 5G coming together to make something really special.
The last thing I want to mention is the slightly pricey but bloody lovely case that was sent out with my Pixel 5. It’s a fabric case which might be a little questionable given the new paranoia we’re all developing over surfaces but I love the case too. The phone itself, without the case, might even feel a little small to some people with the case adding just the right amount of bulk.
If in-screen fingerprint readers aren’t your thing, the Pixel 5 keeps it simple with a rear placed sensor. One other thing I’ve gotten quite used to which I kind of miss is face unlock, but I can live without it. There’s no headphone jack and there are no USB-C earbuds in the box.
Finally, the Google Pixel 5 is IPX8 rated. This means the phone can technically be submerged underwater below 1m but that the maximum depth is not specified. You should be good to shower with the Pixel 5 though and isn’t that all we care about?
Google Pixel 5: The Verdict
I’m going to start with the one negative. That battery life really isn’t something to be signing and dancing about. But with that out of the way, we have a simply remarkable smartphone in our hands here. This is Android 11 as Google wanted it to be used. Maybe some more manufacturers need to learn to leave it alone because it’s fantastic.
The Pixel 5 camera might not offer the zoom or the pro features you get with the likes of the P40 Pro, but it makes taking a great shot really simple. Everything about the Pixel 5, right down to the narrow range of variants, screams simplicity here. This is a phone that’s designed to work. This really is a fantastic phone and if ever there was a time for the Google Pixel smartphone to move from the shadows into being a mainstream flagship, the Pixel 5 should be the one.
5G just got real. While 5G is now available in every county and on every network thanks to Three’s recent 5G launch, 5G is now going mainstream. The big moment for many was always going to be Apple launching a 5G phone and that’s happened. At an impressive online-only launch, which was genuinely an impressive videographic experience, Apple announced the iPhone 12.
What iPhones Were Announced?
Apple announced the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. I’m going to focus on the first launch which will be the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini.
This is obviously the press releases sent by Apple as you can see from the really happy language being used. I’ll be updating this as we go along, but if you really want to know first about iPhone, here’s what Apple wants you to know.
The First 5G iPhone
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini promise to deliver an advanced 5G experience. 5G on iPhone means 5G is going mainstream on the annually best selling smartphone. This year’s iPhone boasts improved speeds for faster downloads and uploads, higher quality video streaming, more responsive gaming, real-time interactivity in apps, FaceTime in high definition, and more. Apple highlighted security as s big benefit too, including reducing the need to connect to public Wi-Fi hotspots.
Featuring the most 5G bands on any smartphone, iPhone 12 models offer the broadest 5G coverage worldwide.
New Advanced Dual-Camera System
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini deliver powerful computational photography features enabled by A14 Bionic and a new dual-camera system. The camera features the Ultra-Wide camera and a new Wide camera with an ƒ/1.6 aperture, the fastest yet on iPhone, providing 27% more light for even more amazing low-light photos and videos.
Computational photography is taken to the next level on iPhone 12 models with Night mode and faster-performing Deep Fusion now on all cameras — TrueDepth, Wide, and Ultra Wide — for improved photos in any environment. Customers will experience brighter pictures and better contrast for photos shot in low-light settings with Night mode, and more texture and less noise in Deep Fusion photos. Smart HDR 3 uses ML to intelligently adjust the white balance, contrast, texture, and saturation of a photo for remarkably natural-looking images.
iPhone 12 features the first camera to shoot HDR video with Dolby Vision and is the first and only device in the world to enable an end-to-end Dolby Vision experience, allowing customers to easily capture, edit, and share cinema-grade videos natively on iPhone. Dolby Vision grading is processed live while recording, and sustained during editing, whether in the Photos app or iMovie. And playback on iPhone 12 is more realistic than ever on the industry-leading Super Retina XDR display. Both models also now feature improved cinematic video stabilisation, even more true-to-life selfie videos with Dolby Vision, and Night mode Time-Lapse, offering longer exposure times for sharper videos, better light trails, and smoother exposure in low-light scenarios when used with a tripod.
iPhone 12 Accessories
MagSafe improves wireless charging for a better, more efficient experience, and introduces an ecosystem of easy-to-attach accessories that beautifully complement iPhone 12 mode. It overcomes a common issue with wireless charging. MagSafe delivers a unique experience to iPhone, featuring an array of magnets around the wireless charging coil, optimised for alignment and efficiency, that perfectly connects to iPhone every time.
MagSafe chargers efficiently provide up to 15W of power, while still accommodating existing Qi-enabled devices. Charging solutions include the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger for use with iPhone and Apple Watch, as well as new silicone, leather, and clear cases that easily snap onto the back of iPhone, and a leather wallet. Customers can also expect innovative MagSafe accessories from third-party manufacturers.
Featuring iOS 14
iOS 14 delivers a reimagined iPhone experience with new ways to customise the Home Screen. Beautifully redesigned widgets present timely information at a glance and can be pinned in different sizes on any Home Screen page. The App Library is a new space that automatically organises all of a user’s apps into one simple, easy-to-navigate view. iOS 14 also brings new ways to discover and use apps with App Clips, powerful updates for staying connected in Messages, greener ways to explore cities with Maps, and enhanced privacy features for even more transparency and control.
A14 Bionic: Undisputed Leadership in Innovation and Performance
Generations ahead of the competition, A14 Bionic is the first chip in the smartphone industry built on 5-nanometer process. Faster and more efficient than ever, A14 Bionic has the fastest CPU and GPU by up to 50 percent compared to the fastest competing smartphone chips, enabling console-quality gaming experiences, powerful computational photography, and more, while delivering great battery life. Pushing the limits of machine learning (ML), A14 Bionic features a 16-core Neural Engine — for an 80 percent increase in performance — that is capable of completing 11 trillion operations per second, enabling improved performance on even the most intense ML models.
