On a night of Apple launches, the price tag of the new Apple HomePod Mini caught my eye. If you’re living with an Apple eco-system at home and yet to be convinced by smart assistants, the HomePod Mini makes the leap that bit safer.
Sound
You’d hope that Apple focus on maintaining quality sound despite the mini tag, something Amazon didn’t really mind giving up with the Echo Dot. The HomePod Mini promises to deliver a great audio experience, powered by the Apple S5 chip. Apple is targeting excellent sound quality through their own full-range driver, powered by a neodymium magnet and a pair of force-cancelling passive radiators, enabling a deep bass and crisp high frequencies.
Despite the mini tag, the HomePod Mini is hoping to deliver the same level of sound quality you get from the main HomePod, including an immersive 360-degree audio experience. Better still, assistant wake frustration should be limited with a three microphone-microphone array listening for you to say “Hey Siri”, capable of separating your requests from music playing.
Designed with Privacy and Security in Mind
One of the big things with smart assistants is security. With HomePod mini, only after “Hey Siri” is recognised locally on the device, or the user activates Siri by touch, will any information be sent to Apple servers. Requests are not associated with the user’s Apple ID, and personal information is not sold to advertisers or other organisations. HomePod mini works with iPhone to complete requests for messages and notes on the device without revealing that information to Apple. Hopefully, Apple stays true to the word and there’s no awkwardness like there was with Google and the Covid Tracking App.
HomePod Mini Price in Ireland
At the launch, Apple said the HomePod Mini would be $99 and that it would be £99 in the UK. If I was a gambling man, I would say this will be available in Ireland and it’ll set you back between €109 and €119. I’ll update this article when we get confirmed pricing and availability.
TCL have been making TV’s for years and they’ve been making phones for a long time too but under the Alcatel guise. At around €350 the TCL 10 Pro has entered the market just in time to showcase what they can do and with an OLED screen and some stellar design we reckon it won’t be long until we see some serious flagships from the brand hitting the shelves. The TCL 10 Pro is a fantastic debut, sure it ain’t perfect and it’s up against the Samsung Galaxy A51 and Google Pixel 4a for the pricepoint but if you want something that look far more expensive than it really is then take a good hard look at the TCL 10 Pro. Let’s get stuck into the review.
Pricing
The TCL 10 Pro hit Irish stores in May and at €350-400 its some phone for the price. With some good 128gb expandable storage, two sexy colours in grey and the green (the one I got hold of) and 6GB RAM you will be hard pressed to find something with the bang for the buck that the TCL 10 Pro.
The TCL 10 Pro is available from all Irish networks.
Design
This is the part of the article I’m really going to bang on about and to be honest it’s probably the most sellable aspect of the phone because the TCL 10 Pro is a bloody stunning phone, not even for the price, just in general and its probably the nicest looking phone in the sub €400 category. It’s been a long time since I’ve opened a phone box and been like oh it’s not just another black rectangle but with the colours and curves aplenty it was really a wow moment.
Here’s the thing this is most expensive phone in the TCL range so I guess you could class it as their flagship and you can really tell the care that went into making something that while not priced like a flagship defiantly looks the part. Most phones at this price range are typically watered down versions of the brands flagships so naturally the first thing to go is the design and material quality. Like the Pixel and Galaxy are both plastic shells wheras this is not.
The TCL 10 Pro is a wonderful metal body with this matte glass that is not so disimilar to the OnePlus styling, it’s also got a full screen design and lovely curved edges on said screen, as I said something that really well stands out at this price point. You can quote me on this, the TCL 10 Pro is the best designed and best looking phone for sub €400 bar none.
On the back of the phone we get the quad camera set up with the flash and rather than in a block its a horizontal strip that breaks up the glass spine. Yeah look it’s not perfect I said that before and where it’s let down is the one speaker on this phone, and it’s on the bottom right, meaning sound can get easily muffled as you’re playing games. There’s also no IP-rated water resistance or wireless charging on board here, though those aren’t surprising omissions in this price point.
Camera
For the price point it’s a nice camera. That’s it review done, we can all go home. Of course I jest, but in fairness to the TCL 10 Pro a quad lens setup at this pricing, is very nice indeed.
So the lens are firstly the 64mp primary shooter coupled with a 16mp ultrawide lens, 5mp macro and 2mp low light shot taker. See what I mean that’s some serious firepower for under €400, and then on the front we get a nice 24mp which in fairness is more than what you would normally get for a selfie cam.
Here’s the kicker though, the TCL 10 Pro main lens is set up in such away to allow max light hit the sensor and the result is a pic that shoots more like a 12mp rather than 64mp. Still a decent quality but the likes of the Pixel 4a and the Galaxy just edge things when it comes to quality output.
We do also get a feature called Super Night Mode which as you might have guessed is made to take night time pictures. Again look here’s the thing the shots are more than acceptable but when you compare it to the Google’s Night SIght you will see the difference. Granted the 4 or 4a are glorified flagships or a screamlined midranger rather than an out and out mid price phone so this should come as no major shock.
The TCL 10 Pro’s selfie performance is probably its biggest letdown. Shots from a 24mp camera should come out better and it seems the setup output makes things look more like what you would expect from a midrange phone, even if the specsheet reads better. There are worse on the market, far worse, there are also a few better so it’s really one of them take the good with the bad kind of things.
Performance & Software
Under the hood in the TCL 10 Pro we get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 process and 6gb of RAM. This is probably the next best powered phone in this price range outside of the iPhone SE, which of course being an Apple product is an exception to the rule for pretty much any price range.
The TCL 10 Pro is more than powerful enough to run fluidity as long as you are not a big gamer but another big move from TCL is the introduction to their very own UI that runs over the Android 10 system. Not unlike any other own brand Android skins, TCL does things slightly its own way for both the good and the bad. One half of you will look at it and say right there are some kinda generic icons and it’s not the sharpest design but there are some little tricks in the locker that will make you stay the course. For example, there is this cool little feature that when you press the volume key when watching something you get a playback control system showing below the volume slider icon. Small but cool little feature which id fair handy.
TCL promises at least one major Android version upgrade for the 10 Pro, which isn’t encouraging but also, unfortunately, is the status quo for cheap Android phones. Google supports all its Pixel devices with three years of updates while Galaxy’s are much the same.
Battery
With the 4,500 mAh battery you should get a full days charge and is completely comparable to any of the other handsets in its competition. The TCL 10 Pro also comes with an 18 Watt fast charger that should get you about 50% juice in 30 minutes. To be honest that’s not lighting fast but its more than enough to give you a quick boost on the go.
The Goosed Verdict
Well, this phone for this sub €400 price point is actually banging! I would say this and the Google Pixel 4a are the two standout contenders at this price range, and to be perfectly honest did anyone ever things a phone made by Alcatel would be able to do that?
Sure for me the Pixel just about edges it because of the integrated camera software but the TCL 10 Pro is sure not to steer you wrong. The device has a bit of everything, camera is good, battery is good and it’s bloody gorgeous with a style that wouldn’t be amiss on some of the big flagship phones on the market. Put it like this if you were looking at the Galaxy A51, I personally would pick this all day long. Some achievement for a brand looking to establish its credentials on the market before the come launching the heavy hitting flagships in the next year or two.
The TCL 10 Pro standout against the competitors with it’s superior design that gives you that bit of wow factor and under the hood you got enough of everything to make you feel like you’re rocking a flagship even though it isn’t. Watch this space I’ve a feeling these guys are here to stay.
I’ve been writing about Huawei products for a few years now. It started out with phones, most recently the Huawei P40 Pro. More recently Huawei has shifted focus to accessories, namely wearables. I’m currently testing the impressive Huawei Watch GT2 Pro smartwatch and FreeBuds Pro earbuds. This particular review is the latter as I seek to determine whether or not you can trust a traditional smartphone manufacturer with creating a pair of earbuds claiming the “Pro” title.
Huawei Audio Products To Date
Naturally, when you think Huawei you think smartphones. They’ve been making best-in-market smartphones for years now, taking the fight to the traditional giants Apple and Samsung. Huawei is also a massive manufacturer of accessories. While their watches are stunning, I personally think their audio equipment is more impressive. Why? Because of how high it punches. You might well be thinking that’s an odd thing to say given Huawei is one of the world’s biggest tech companies, but the audio market is one of the most competitive going. Yet, Huawei genuinely holds their ground here.
Huawei FreeBuds 3i
The FreeBuds 3i was Huawei’s entry-level earbuds. Wireless earbuds, for me, are the technology which has developed quickest in recent years and certainly the technology which has seen retail prices plummet fastest. Now, while earbuds can be bought for as little as €20, entry-level for me is anything under €100. The FreeBuds 3i went right up against the upper limit here, but the return for your money was far beyond anything else in the price range.
From call quality to the expeirence offered for music listeners, they are brilliant.
Huawei FreeBuds 3
The FreeBuds 3 are astonishingly good earbuds. They didn’t sacrifice anything when it came to be a great pair of earbuds. I’ll admit, they more than borrowed a little bit of design from Apple AirPods but the result was somewhat better. The clever design meant incredible call quality and music playback. All of this supported by the impressive Kirin A1 chip. The noise-cancelling was a bit of a letdown, but I would argue if you really wanted noise cancelling you should be wearing over-ear headphones.
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Still, the FreeBuds 3 has been my go-to earbuds for quite some time now. They have been replaced by the latest addition to the Huawei family; the FreeBuds Pro.
Huawei FreeBuds Pro
Huawei announced the FreeBuds Pro a couple of weeks back and I’ve been using them ever since. Despite, or perhaps because of, the world we’re living in at the moment I’ve had a wide range of opportunities to test out these buds and here’s what I think.
Noise Cancelling
The fact I’m starting this review with noise-cancelling is somewhat remarkable. After being underwhelmed by the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) offered by the FreeBuds 3, I didn’t hold much hope for the FreeBuds Pro either. Incredibly, Huawei has managed to produce a pair of in-ear ANC buds which stand toe to toe with my ever-present benchmark in the Bose QC 35 II.
Now, without travel abroad of any sort, I’ve lost my primary way of testing ANC. I usually have a few pairs of audio gadgets in my carry-on luggage when flying to test how they silence jet engines. Fortunately, my kitchen extractor fan is plenty loud and offers a similar noise to test the ANC properties of the FreeBuds Pro. Because these buds have silicon tips versus the FreeBuds 3 hardshell, they are capable of noise cancellation on-par with my over-ear headphones. I was genuinely taken aback by this because I never thought buds would get to this point, let along get there so quickly.
If you’re after ANC audio equipment and prefer in-ear to over-ear gear, the FreeBuds Pro is going to have to be top of the list when it comes to options. With on-board smarts designed to dynamically adjust noise cancellation based on your surroundings, these buds are a true workhorse when it comes to delivering you a high-quality audio experience.
There’s also a neat little feature which is quite the opposite to noise cancelling.
Awareness Mode
Being home in Kilkenny meant I was going for walks daily, walking my Mam’s dog. She’s a rescue dog and has a fair bit of anxiety when cars go by. I like taking calls or listening to podcasts from time to time when I walk but hearing a car or truck coming from behind is fairly important, so I can predict how the dog is about to react.
The FreeBuds Pro has a feature called awareness mode. It’s nothing that unusual and it has featured on earbuds before like the Jabra 65t Elite. But this feature just works really well on these Huawei buds. Sound quality remains impeccable while allowing you to be more aware of your surroundings. I think what impressed me is how it doesn’t sound like you’re listening to the environment around you through a microphone, which did feel unnatural when I tested similar features on other earbuds.
The buds also have Voice Mode which specifically lets you hear others speaking to you or around you.
Call Quality
Like the FreeBuds 3 that went before them, the call quality with the FreeBuds Pro is fantastic. Despite testing them in extremely windy situations, people I called while using the buds said they could hear me clearly. One person did point out that they could tell it wasn’t a normal phone to phone call, but not that this was necessarily negative. Between the smarts provided by the Kirin AI chip and hardware ranging from bone-conductive technology to wind-guards, there’s a lot of clever design packed in here.
The result is clear call quality and near-perfect communication. If you’re after a pair of earbuds that double up for phone calls, once again these are going to be at the top of the list.
With working from home they also have another ace up their sleeve for you.
Dual Device Connection
I’m often sitting at my desk listening to music on my phone through my FreeBuds Pro earbuds while they’re also connected to my MacBook from a call on Zoom earlier. If I get another call on Zoom, the buds are clever enough to switch back to where they’re needed most. This is thanks to the buds’ ability to be simultaneously connected to two devices at once. What’s perhaps most surprising is that Huawei pointed out at launch that this feature will not only work with Huawei or Android devices but supports all major operating systems across a variety of device types.
Sound Quality
It amuses me that this is one of the last things I get to in a review of earbuds. Maybe it’s silly so please do let me know if it is! One of the reasons I’m leaving it to last is because the FreeBuds 3 were so good for audio that I felt this would be awesome too. Sure enough, they are.
Tradition in tech reviews here is to harp on about bass, mids and treble but I steer clear and simply say the audio quality is even better than last years buds and I was mighty impressed by those. You’ll not want for much in listening to anything with these buds, from podcasts to rock music. They offer oomph where it’s needed but also crisp clarity. The only thing I think I can mention here that’s a negative is the lack of EQ control but I usually look at this, give it a few tweaks, don’t like what I’ve done and reset everything to default anyway.
The Negatives
While I can’t store the EQ thing under a column of negatives, there are a few things which trigger the old issue klaxxon.
First up is the plastic design. This doesn’t impact anything in terms of build or sound quality but it does, yet again, make the buds quite tough to get out of their charging case. This exact same issue occurred with the FreeBuds 3. Now, it doesn’t appear to be as bad this time around but I’ve managed to stop biting my nails in the past six months which I honestly think is making it easier!
While there’s not much else to say is “wrong” with the buds, the lack of an IP-rating would seem to be a natural evolution that Huawei can’t avoid much longer. It’s not something I particularly miss or worry about, but it does mean you can’t truly recommend the FreeBuds Pro as fitness earbuds.
Other Specs
To tie up some loose ends, I just want to look at the last few specs I’ve not mentioned yet. In terms of battery life, Huawei advertises that the FreeBuds Pro will hit 3.5 hours with ANC or 4.5 hours without. That’s actually on the money. Usually, these advertised values are inflated a bit but it’s pretty bang on. The battery case gives you an additional 15 hours of battery and also supports wireless charging. This is a handy addition when travelling if your phone has reverse wireless charging as supported by many phones these days.
Huawei FreeBuds Pro: The Verdict
These are a remarkable pair of earbuds and another indicator that Huawei is taking the non-phone products very seriously indeed. The FreeBuds Pro tick a variety of crucial boxes for me. While they miss a few “nice to have” bits, the overwhelming conclusion I reach with these buds is positive. They are easily one of the best audio products to hit the market in 2020.
Yep! You won’t get every single feature available you do when paired with Huawei phones but they will generally work just fine. You can even connect them to two devices at once at they’ll automatically switch to where they’re needed.
Are the Huawei FreeBuds Pro good?
Absolutely. These could be one of the best audio accessories to hit the market in 2020. While they miss out on some features which would have easily handed them the title of “best in class” they certainly can stand toe to toe with the audio market leaders.
Not gonna lie, I fucking love 3D printing! It’s one of those things that we have all seen down the years, whether it be on tv shows like Big Bang Theory or have randomly seen some bits on Facebook clips. But 3D printing is about much more than just making whistles or models. It’s one of them technologies that is used for high performance manufacturing, being researched in biomedical circles and in this case can make some lovely custom gifts. Recently we hooked up with the folks from 3D Printing Moments to discuss their business and how they make magic memories in 3D, so here’s the scoop!
3D Moments is a brand new Irish company that specialises in creating one off 3D printed gifts, these printed designs are perfect presents for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, christenings, graduations and many many more.
Put it like this, 3D printing has been about since the 80’s but it’s still a technology that is in it’s infancy and it couldn’t be further away from standard printing! This type of printing works by pulling melted material through a nozzle, not unlike icing a cake. The nozzle moves up and down the plate created layer over layer controlled by the computer, raising each layer one after the other until your print is complete.
For 3D Moments a single print can contain over 1500 layers to ensure that each piece prints clearly and can create the fine detail to make your printing pop. Oh and they can take up to 26 hours per piece to create.
To get a 3D Moment created, just send these guys the picture you want printed, pick the product you want and let them do the rest…. well pretty much. They will do any touchups required to your pic to get it print ready, but before you go full steam ahead to get something made do note a few things:
1. The photo should be of good quality and not blurry
2. Close up photos and selfies look best in 3D
3. There should not be any strong shadows on the photo, especially on faces.
4. People should not be wearing sunglasses
5. Faces should not be cropped or half missing
Pricing & Products
Cool, so now we know a little bit about how these pretty little keepsakes are made you need to know what you can get done and how much right? Well here ya go:
3D Moments also ship internationally so if you are looking for a thoughtful gift for someone near or far, give them a shout and see what they can do because for us we love to see tech and thoughtfulness merge to create something unique and meaningful.
On many popular social media platforms these days you might have seen reference to OnlyFans. In this brief article, I’ll give you a quick insight into what this social media platform is all about.
What Is OnlyFans?
OnlyFans is a video content app. It’s quite similar to other social media platforms that you’re familiar with. Creators create and the public consumes. The big difference with OnlyFans is that creators can also offer one-to-one chats with viewers in exchange for money. The big thing with OnlyFans is that it’s grown popular with people because of the one-to-one chats combined with policies which allow creators to upload and stream any video content.
Who Is On OnlyFans?
While the platform has been around since 2016, it’s grown in popularity during COVID-19 as people are at home and often out of work, seeking new forms of income. Daily, the platform was seeing over 200k new users daily and between 6,000 and 8,000 creators joining. Even famous artists like Cardi B and Bella Thorne use the platform as a channel of income.
Basically, you’ll get a mix of harmless content and highly sexualised content on OnlyFans. But come on people, it’s 2020. That’s the internet.
As I said, you’ll often find OnlyFans creators on several other social media platforms, especially TikTok. They use these platforms to gather interest and drum up new subscribers.
Is OnlyFans Safe?
Is the internet safe? OnlyFans does have a share of regular content and sexual content. It also has an interactive element which always warrants special care online. We do need to challenge a lot of what we immediately think when we hear of a platform like OnlyFans. While the relationship between creator and viewer is somewhat artificial, it might be positive.
In South Korea, many people live alone but despise dining alone. This is where Mukbang comes in. While the origins of Mukbang are in a creator streaming themselves eating massive quantities of food, there’s a very social aspect. Dining with a Mukbang streamer removes the dining alone from people’s evening ritual.
Facebook is a powerful platform. If you’ve watched The Social Dilemma, you know how it works despite Facebook disagreeing. But for along time, a debate has raged and a question has been left unanswered. Is Facebook a publisher? You might wonder why it matters, but this is huge. If Facebook is considered a publisher, they are responsible for what appears on the platform. If someone says something racist or threatens to murder someone, is Facebook responsible? Tonight, Facebook has banned QAnon from all of the companies platforms: Facebook Pages, Facebook Groups and Instagram accounts. So why is this important, who or what is QAnon and what will the fallout of this all be?
What Is QAnon?
How do you even answer that question? Is QAnon a person? Is it a thing? Perhaps the best way to describe QAnon is a collection of outlandish conspiracy theories. Personally, I love conspiracy theories. I find them fascinating. I also find them fictional, but I’ve always loved the train of thought that sits behind a good conspiracy theory. Was 9/11 an inside job? No. But I do find it fascinating that there was a rogue flight training exercise set to take place just after two planes hit the World Trade Centre.
The important thing is I’m capable of separating a conspiracy theory from reality. Do I think Hal from Malcom in the Middle went on to be Walter White in Breaking Bad? No, but just as I love conspiracy theories, I love fan theory too! Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.
But that’s all this is. A story.
QAnon, while a collection of conspiracy theories, is also something else at its core. It’s a tool for Trump and he’s even retweeted some QAnon theories. Now, I’m unsure how much Trump was involved in the foundations of QAnon, but it does have a bit of a Cambridge Analytica vibe off it. I feel like we’ll be looking back at a documentary in a few years about how Trump activated the often forgotten outcasts with an all-encompassing conspiracy called QAnon.
At it’s core, QAnon purports that America is run by a load of Satan-worshipping paedophiles. We’re talking the media, Hollywood and politicians. The only person that can stop them is Donald Trump. If you’re into staying up until 3AM digging through Wiki Pages and YouTube videos, then QAnon is the rabbit hole you’ve been looking for. For all the frankly ludicrous theories and tales spun by QAnon, very real harm has come into the world from QAnon. Simply put, the whole movement is all very far-right, white supremacist and very Trump. You know the way all these things tend to go hand in hand these days.
Does QAnon Impact Ireland?
Now, while these things might all seem to be very much “America’s problems”, I’m afraid the stupidity has reached Ireland too. Being a collection of outlandish conspiracy theories means you’ve seen any number of people influenced by QAnon in the news lately. This whole thing is the force behind anit-mask Covid-denial, extreme media-scepticism, 5G conspiracies and believing movements like Black Lives Matter are all government constructs. Given recent form, our government’s ability to organise a piss up in a brewery, such complexity should be a punchline in a comedy club and not a belief anyone gives a second thought to.
Think back to recent “protests” on Grafton Street, outside RTÉ and by the Custom House in Dublin. When you look closely at the signs, the calling cards of the QAnon movement are all there.
Anti-mask rally in Dublin on Saturday featured QAnon "Follow the White Rabbit” sign and others reading: "Vaccine Injured Lives Matter," "Covid19 = Control" and "Paedophilia [sic] Is the Real Pandemic Not the Virus." Promoted by Irish musician Jim Corr, noted cov-eejit. https://t.co/hY1jR4xgOvpic.twitter.com/bcCo0yKA6H
There are lots of fringe minority beliefs in Ireland and QAnon brings them all together. Anti-mask protests, anti-5G mast attacks and protests outside RTÉ are smokescreens for racism, misogyny and other general far-rightery. QAnon makes those who felt excluded feel a part of something. And those who lead movements that tap into these “outcasts” know they can profit from gaining them as a follower.
All of these people who have been brought together under one umbrella are not simply peaceful protesters out for a quiet chat. They are dangerous and even violent. Granted, the far-right in Ireland is fairly weak and it’s important to point that out, it only takes one member of it to do real harm to an innocent bystander.
This is why, Facebook banning QAnon pages and accounts across their platforms is huge. QAnon is quiet simply, the reason many of us end up getting really angry at really stupid people.
Facebook Banning QAnon
Facebook banning QAnon is somewhat confirming they are a publisher. They are choosing what shows on their platform and even kind of taking responsibility for it. I’m not sure of the legal side of things, but for me, the fact that Facebook has an algorithm which dictates the content shown to you while browsing the social media network, made it a publisher already. It curates content, news and events for you much like a journalist would.
Facebook choosing to ban QAnon is significant because it’s another tick in the box that the social media platform is starting to realise their true publisher status. Semantics aside, it also means an online movement perpetrating massive harm in the real world has lost a massive stage to speak from.
The social media giant stated that this ban is an update to a policy which previously removed QAnon accounts specifically discussing violence. This resulted in 1,500 pages, groups and profiles being shut down. It will be interesting to see just how far Facebook will go here. Given QAnon is so far-reaching and broad in definition, it’s difficult to see what kind of pages will be cracked down on. A Facebook spokesperson said they were “not going after individual posts” but instead focusing on the accounts that spread the theory.
Will this new policy include the “Irish” Facebook group behind last weekend’s Grafton Street protest? This group is anti-mask and anti-lockdown. Dig a little below the surface and you’ll find a plethora of followers sharing QAnon theories. This specific group has over 8,500 members, with over 1,200 joining in the past week. While some will be there purely for morbid curiosity others will be exposed to the group’s ranting and raving over other fringe beliefs. In fact, just yesterday saw 189 new posts in the group.
Censorship vs Right to Protest
Banning QAnon is an interesting topic. There’s a fine line Facebook needs to tread here, along with what I personally want to see too. I was furious to see the “protests” last weekend. The nation is now in Level 3 COVID-19 restrictions and most of us are doing our bit to save lives. These “protestors” do nothing but put more people at risk. As Neil deGrasse Tyson said, “the good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it”. Sure, people have a right to protest and one of the more divisive protests in recent times was the Black Lives Matter march. The cause is absolutely worthy, but should it have taken place during COVID-19 restrictions?
But people sitting in on Grafton Street because an online group told them some fanciful lies is just dangerous. Government and Gardai can really only do so much when things end up in reality like that. The truth of the matter is that Facebook must do more and maybe, just maybe, banning QAnon is the start of it.
Celebrating 5 years in existence and being right up there with Arthur’s Day when it comes to made-up holidays, it’s nearly time for Amazon Prime Day 2020. It’s a day to bag a bargain and buy that thing you’ve been thinking about for quite some time. I once bought a drill that took me well over a year to find a use for, but I’m still glad I got it! I’m after taking a look at the 2019 Prime Day Guide and feel it needs some sprucing up before you go shopping.
Does Amazon Prime Day Matter In Ireland?
For many reasons, this is a valid question. Amazon never setup an Irish website so we’ve had to run of their UK. Now with Brexit and COVID-19 it’s fair to wonder if Prime Day is even something that Irish shoppers can benefit from. The good news is that it absolutely is! Some delivery times are slightly longer and you might need to use a virtual UK address for some things but there will be bargains to be had for shoppers in Ireland.
When Is Amazon Prime Day?
Calling it a day is a bit of a lie. Amazon Prime Day 2020 takes place on 13 and 14 October 2020. More specifically, the Prime Day sales kick off at 00.01 on Tuesday, 13 October and runs through to 23.59 on Wednesday, 14 October. If you’re at a loose end, the good news is that some of the best Prime Day Deals are already live and available to buy over on Amazon.co.uk.
Is It OK To Shop On Amazon?
You can only answer this question for yourself. I’ve personally been trying to shop locally whenever possible but I do still buy some things on Amazon.co.uk. Sometimes it’s the price, sometimes it’s a choice and sometimes it’s just convenience. Given the year businesses have had, please do try and shop local when you can. At the same time, Prime Day means massive discounts and can often mean buying something being a lot more affordable. Don’t feel bad about buying something you really want or need and saving substantially.
Before you can bag a bargain, there are a few things that are nice to have and things you’ll absolutely need.
Amazon Prime Membership
This is essential. Amazon Prime Day discounts are reserved exclusively for Prime members. Along with the discounts, a Prime Membership brings various other benefits.
Benefits Of Amazon Prime
Next Day Delivery
To Ireland this will usually take two days when using a virtual UK address
Still really quick
Amazon Prime Video access
Limited Amazon Prime Music access
Limited Amazon Prime Reading Access
Amazon Photo storage
New Amazon Prime Customers
If you’ve not had an Amazon Prime Membership before, there’s a free trial you can make use of. You can sign up for this, enjoy Prime Day discounts and then cancel your membership if you don’t think you’ll continue to get value from it.
If you’re already an Amazon Prime customers you’re good to go. The membership costs £79 per year or £7.99 a month which means there’s a wee saving to be had by paying annually if you think it’s a sound investment. I’ll touch on this later, but pay with Revolut and you’ll save even more versus Amazon’s exchange rate. That should work out at about €90 per year or €9 per month.
There are benefits for existing customers too. Until 14 October existing Prime members can get four months of Amazon Music Unlimited for £0.99.
What Are The Best Prime Day Deals To Look Out For?
There will be some deals that spring up on the day but there are also annual favourites, some of which I’m repeating from last year’s guide but others are very much new for 2020.
Echo Devices
Amazon has announced a new suite of Amazon Echo devices and you can be sure they’ll all be discounted for Prime Day. These voice assistants are great for helping with little jobs around the house. I use timers and reminders a lot but you can also download various skills and even use them for video and voice calls. There’s never a better time than Prime Day to pick up a new Echo device or your first one.
Another Amazon device that tends to be really popular during the Prime Day sales in the Fire TV stick. I use mine probably more than my Chromecast. The Fire TV stick is powered by Android and can have loads apps installed on it like Netflix, Prime Video and even Apple TV. It’s a handy little thing to have.
We’ve spent more time than ever at home this year and not all of it was for fun. Loads of us are working from home these days are that’s left us needing some things we’ve never thought of before. One of these things is a WiFi mesh system. A mesh system can also be referred to as a WiFi extender or WiFi booster. Basically, the modem you get from your internet provider is usually pretty crap. Mesh systems let you spread your WiFi to more of your house and even property. That means you can get WiFi in the garden if you link enough mesh modules together.
I’ve reviewed a few of these and the lies of the Google Nest Wifi is fantastic but pricy. You’ll find plenty of these systems on sale for Prime Day, including this Tenda Nova mesh system I’ve used in my mother’s house which works brilliantly.
The key thing to look out for is the area the mesh system covers and the are you’re trying to cover too.
I tipped this last year and I have to do the same this year. I have a Eufy Robovac and I love it. There are loads of robotic vacuums on the market but Eufy seems to get the balance of quality and value just right versus the industry leaders like Roomba. Again, spending more than at home than ever means we’re probably making more of a mess so this is a great way to get some of your time back. Automate that task you really hate with a Robovac.
I’ll be checking out other offers on the day so follow me on Twitter to get updates on the day. There is two other big things you should know about making sure you get good value on Prime Day.
Using Revolut
I was shocked recently when shopping on the ASOS website in the UK. I was shopping with the site set to Euro. I knew you can sometimes get a better rate if you pay in Sterling so I swapped it over. What I couldn’t believe was that I saved nearly €67 on €330 order by doing so.
This is because the ASOS website uses its own currency conversion. The Amazon.co.uk website is the very same and you can save a couple of Euro by paying in Sterling and not Euro. The reason for this, at least for me, is that I’m paying with Revolut. When paying with Revolut, I can pay in Sterling and use their exchange rate not Amazon’s. Being a kind of a bank, Revolut has access to the interbank exchange rate and always gives you the best rate in that instant. So if you can, pay in Sterling on UK sites and save yourself some money.
Virtual UK Addresses
Another favourite of mine is using a virtual UK address. These allow you to get your package delivered to a UK address of a courier company like Nightline, DPD or even An Post. They’ll then bring your package to Ireland and deliver either to a locker, to your address or the local post office.
The benefit of using a virtual UK address is manifold! They let you get faster shipping, sometimes cheaper shipping and even let you order some products which aren’t shipped to Ireland at all.
That’s it for now, but we’ll be updating this article in the countdown to Amazon Prime Day 2020, so hit that wee bell in the bottom left corner for push notifications. We normally only send them for new articles but will include push notifications for updates here too.
Amazon Prime Day: Frequently Asked Questions
Will there be an Amazon Prime Day in 2020?
Yes, there is. Amazon’s annual Prime Day event is taking place on 13 and 14 October, 2020.
Does Amazon Prime Day work in Ireland?
It does indeed. Amazon Prime works all year round in Ireland. Sometimes you might need to use a virtual UK address but you can nearly always benefit from Amazon Prime in Ireland. For that reason, you can also bag a bargain during the Prime Day Event.
Is it bad to shop on Amazon instead of supporting local business?
There’s no easy answer to this question. It’s tough to justify paying more money locally if you can save money on Amazon.co.uk. If the prices are similar, we recommend shopping local as much as possible, especially given the year businesses in Ireland have had. But if you are saving significantly and can’t afford to spend more, you should take advantage of the discounts and enjoy your purchases.
How much does Amazon Prime cost?
Amazon Prime £79 per year or £7.99 a month. That means you’ll save a bit by paying the lot upfront. Pay with Revolut and save even more on the exchange rate. That should work out at about €90 per year or €9 per month.
The item I want to buy says it does not ship to Ireland. What can I do?
Most of the time, in order to buy these products you’ll need to use a virtual UK address from someone like Parcel Motel, DPD or An Post. If it still doesn’t work, make sure you’ve tried An Post. They have a mainland UK address which nearly always works versus the Northern Ireland addresses.
Note: When you click a link on this page, head over to Amazon.co.uk and make a purchase, we may get a small percentage of the sale. It doesn’t cost you anything extra but it’s one of the ways you can support us in continuing to bring the latest tech news to the masses. Thanks in advance!
Sony…when you hear about the company nowadays the first questions people ask is about the PS5 and that means their phone range is currently going under the radar. Well it turns out Sony have a few new phones in their arsenal and we are lucky enough right now to be working our way through the range, starting with the affordable Sony L4. The L4 is the Xperia device coming in at about €150 a fair bit cheaper than the Xperia 10 or 5II for example. Here’s the thing up until this year the entry level pricepoint has been a bit light on competition with only really Sony, Alcatel and Huawei servicing this market but now Nokia and Oppo are back in the mix. So the big question is, how does the Sony L4 stack up.
Design
Sony phones have always been a lovely design, hard edges, black and just clean. The Xperia L4 is no different in that it takes elements from the upper tiers of Sony’s range, even have the same 21:9 display. On the rear of the phone we see the 3 tier camera setup in the top corner, again following the same layout to the brands flagship phones.
As ever we have to take the price point into consideration and while the plastic body doesn’t scream premium, that’s not uncommon for €150, for that price the matte finish is slick and overall it is a very neat and tidy design. Here’s a mad one, no longer do I own a set of 3.5mm headphones but guess what the headphone jack lives on. The time is probably at an end for the humble headphone port but by god I do love to see it.
As is Sony’s prerogative we get the fingerprint scanner on the side of the L4, to be honest it works fine but I did find myself still reverting to using the Pin since becoming accustomed to the Pixel 4a’s rear side scanner.
Camera
Sony always do a bang up job with their camera. Their digital camera range is some of the best gear on the market and traditionally their smartphone camera’s hold their own despite some serious work by competitors on the market. At this budget you aren’t likely to find something like the Xperia L4 rocking a triple cam, with 13mp, wide-angle 5mp and a depth 2mp lens. On the front we are also using an 8mp so overall that’s some good stats for €150.
As I mentioned on the rear there is the triple camera setup, really it’s only two and the third ( the 2mp) is there just to be used with the software-derived bokeh system for blurred backgrounds in shots. Oddly enough the Xperia L4 is missing HDR that seems to be given in pretty much all phones these days, yes there is and auto HDR system of sorts but the L4 really struggles with high contrast photography as a result.
The wide angle lens is very good I must admit and it gives a lovely expansive view, you just need to make sure you have your lighting on point as the phone doesn’t handle very bright or very dark well at all. Couple this lens with the 4x digital zoom you can get some pretty nifty pics but again at €150 I shouldn’t expect to be blown away, I just expected a little better.
Display
Sony love a good display and this for me is the best part of the Sony design. On the L4 we get the now standard 21:9 aspect ratio on the 6.2″ LCD display. This means the Xperia L4 is rather tall and narrow, great for holding and watching clips on the full screen. The display itself is a nice 720p HD display which for this price is actually pretty decent in terms of detail in this format.
I did find it was a little dark at times and the setup wasn’t too well able to handle darker videos to bring through that quality viewing experience but that’s not too uncommon for the money, so that’s just me expecting more from Sony displays.
Hardware & Performance
So far what I’m experiencing from the Sony L4 is that for the price it’s grand but there’s an element of we all Sony can do better and again I think we get that feeling when we look under the hood. The Xperia L4 is running with 3GB Ram with MediaTek MT6762 processor hardware, again grand but there is something that says the Snapdragon processors at the same price point will edge the power battle.
We do get some decent storage space with 64GB Internal with a micro SD expansion available. We also get USB-C charging for the 3,580mAh which again for €150 is more than acceptable and should get you through the day no bother. The only downside is that the Realme 5 and Samsung Galaxy A21 both offer nearly 5,000mAh batteries at the same value. See what I mean, the Sony Xperia L4 is good, nothing wrong with it but it could be better.
Despite the screen being setup for mobile gaming, you will want more power and better graphics, so if you are looking for the gamer phone go to the next model up in the Sony range.
Software
Normally I won’t even bang on about software unless it’s something new or really bad but this one took me by surprise. The Sony Xperia L4 is running Android 9 rather than 10, which for me gives the impression that this was either meant to be out much earlier than it is or the company really don’t care about the price point in the market and just wanted something to fill the gap. Like Android 10 is out since what about March?
But that’s only minor right? Well yes and no. It’s minor in the sense it’s still Android and it can be updated but on the flipside it means you don’t get the new gesture controls from Android and a few other bits which you presume should just be standard by now. On the upside Sony are finally reducing the amount of bloatware on their phones and Sony still changes a lot of the Android experience, with a makeover to the launcher and other areas, which is always a good look.
The Goosed Verdict
The thing with the Sony Xperia L4 is that it really is an entry level phone, it’s not exactly dripping in cool extras or fancy bits. What the L4 is simply is a good value for money smartphone and it would be ideal for someone’s first phone this Christmas or as a tie over when you’ve mangled your expensive flagship. I’m very happy with the overall design which is very Sony and the price point.
Sadly that’s about it, there is no wow factor with the L4 bar the 21:9 screen, but all features you can find on any phone in this range now and that means things like the running the old version of Android out of the box is all the more noticeable while there is nothing that makes me go hmmm I’ll buy this over that, if you get me. Personally I believe the Xperia L4 is going to struggle for sales, there are other phones on the market that are a touch more expensive that offer much bigger batteries, processors and are running the new software (which you can upgrade to but still). Having said that as per the norm Sony won’t let you down so if you’ve got a youngun who loves watching Youtube on your phone and you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful smartphone that is build for video viewing the L4 is well worth the look.
I’ll be the first to admit that 2020 has indeed been a bit of a rollercoaster. I’m also fairly patient. I’ve been waiting over two years for the Data Protection Commission of Ireland to actually address the Church believing they’re above GDPR. Another area I’ve been really patient is the legalisation of electric scooters in Ireland. My patience is wearing thin, especially now that we have a pandemic, crowded buses and a Green Minister for Transport doing less for electric scooters than Shane Ross did. I honestly, cannot believe I just wrote that.
Electric Scooters In Ireland: The Story So Far
I’m an electric scooter owner myself. I have the Xiaomi m365 scooter and got great usage out of it for about 12 months or so. See, electric scooters used to operate in this neat little grey area.
The Early Scooter Grey Area
The Xiaomi m365 can go nowhere unless you push it to start. For this reason, it was believed that it could not be classified as a mechanically propelled vehicle (MPV). In fact, the website of An Garda Siochana even had a document from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) stating this very mechanism exempt certain electric scooters from being classed as an MPV.
The Garda Website
Then, essentially overnight and very quietly, the Garda website was updated with new information contradicting this understanding. I submitted a Freedom of Information request to the RSA to uncover how all of that came to be. The problem now was thousands of electric scooters had already been bought in Ireland and people were using them for their commutes. Others saw scooters and thought they were a handy way to get around cities with some even using them in conjunction with public transport for “last mile” trips. This started an adoption cycle and popularity of electric scooters boomed, particularly in Dublin. Sensing their popularity increasing, Gardai began to crack down on these newly clarified MPVs.
Cracking Down On Electric Scooters
I was going down Nassau Street on my scooter one morning when Garda Traffic stopped me. It was because my electric scooter was an MPV that required tax and insurance to be paid. I was let off with a warning and rather cheekily, was back scooting for a few days as soon as the Garda left. Because I thought it was nonsense. The Garda in question that day said he thought the scooters were great but that a memo was circulated from the base in Dublin Castle to start seizing electric scooters. A few days later the seizures started as electric scooter owners were stopped and had their scooters loaded onto flatbed trucks. To get them back, they would need to drive to the Garda storage area for seized vehicles. Amongst all the illegally parked cars you would find a few electric scooters. You’d be able to get it back once you pay the €125 fee for light vehicles (the same as a car).
Electric Scooter Rider Gets Penalty Points
Many of the scooter riders thought that was the end of their woes. Unfortunately not. In the eyes of the law, these scooter riders had been driving a motor vehicle uninsured and that’s a pretty serious law to break. A few months later they received their summons to go to court. One scooter riders court date ended in 5 penalty points and a €300 fine. On the same day, an electric unicycle rider received no penalty points and a €200 fine. A bizarre outcome for many reasons but either way it was the final straw for me personally. I put my electric scooter into storage and started contacting the relevant legislators to try and get electric scooters legalised.
Shane Ross and Noel Rock
Two big names from the Government at the time that are central to the early days of this discussion are Shane Ross and Noel Rock.
Noel Rock was a Fine Gael TD at the time and actually an electric scooter rider. He voiced concerns several times in Dáil Éireann. Unfortunately, his questions were inadequately handled by the then Minister for Transport Shane Ross. Now, anyone who follows me on Twitter knows I’m not the biggest fan of Shane Ross. I personally believe he’s more interested in photo ops than actually getting the job done. At the same time, he did actually get a bit of work done on electric scooters, even if that was kind of just kicking the can down the road.
The biggest piece of work was getting the RSA and the Department of Transport to commission a report into micromobility solutions. That came back and after reading it I can’t disagree with much of what it said and suggested. Next up was a public consultation on electric scooters and other similar vehicles. That’s all long done and dusted, so now we’re just left with the action of the back of it.
It was at this point the Irish political system fell apart, we went into a general election just because COVID-19 landed. Limbo commenced.
Eamon Ryan: A Green Minister For Transport
And then there was hope. Out of the many months of no Government came an unlikely three-party coalition. Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party. The real hope came from Eamon Ryan getting the big one for electric scooter riders. He was made Minister for Transport. I was celebrating, naively thinking I’d be back on my scooter in no time. With COVID-19 hitting hard, public transport was less appealing than ever. People wanted public transport alternatives and I’d seen more scooters on the roads than ever.
Nothing. Actually, less than nothing. Back in 2019, electric scooters were on Eamon’s mind. He even asked Shane Ross about scooters in the Dail. But when he himself was asked about them as the new Minister for Transport he didn’t have anything to say much different to what Shane Ross was at. Fianna Fail’s Marc MacSharry asked the Eamon Ryan for an update on the “steps taken to legislate for e-scooters in accordance with the Programme for Government”. He also wanted the Minister for Transport to outline “his plans to recognise the role e-scooters play as part of Ireland’s sustainable transport mix”. Minister Ryan replied with effectively the same delay tactic response that Shane Ross deployed. He gave the usual line on “any changes to the legal status of e-scooters require primary legislation” which of course takes time. He continued by asserting that “the work must be carried out in such a way that it does not undermine the overall framework of Road Traffic Law or Road Safety in general”.
While I believe that to be absolute bureaucratic nonsense, the more worrying part is that Minister Ryan then said “the Government’s current legislative priorities are the necessary measures to manage the COVID-19 crisis and to address its social and economic consequences”. To me, that means he’s totally missing the potential benefits scooters offer here. People are crammed into LUAS trams because getting around Dublin is a nightmare.
Just had to get off a @luas once again due to it being rammed with no social distancing.
Ticket inspectors looked in at Sandyford but didn't request anyone get off etc.
The transport system simply doesn’t work and the fact that thousands of people are on scooters already suggests the solution is there staring us in the face. But the solution, being electric scooters and other modes of transport like e-bikes, isn’t that clear cut. Some e-bikes have their own grey areas and electric scooters are straight-up illegal. Gardai did seem to be turning a blind eye but just last week, an electric scooter rider confirmed my worst fears.
Have just received a message from a scooter rider. Stopped by Garda traffic, scooter seized and issued a fine. Potentially heading to court to face 5 penalty points. In a world where we're suppose to stay off public transport, how friggin ridiculous is this?
It left me angry. Angry because another scooter rider is facing into paying a fine, potentially going to court and getting penalty points. Technically, if they don’t have a license, they’re facing into a huge fine for driving without one. The laws simply don’t cater for modern modes of transport at all. Which led me to a thought. Are the laws really as bloody hard to update as Eamon Ryan is making them out to be?
The Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill
It turns out, the answer to my question is no and much to my shock, it looks like Shane Ross once again might have paved the way. Back in 2019 a proposal for The Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill was put forward by the then Minister for Transport Shane Ross. This piece of legislation was to allow for the testing of self-driving vehicles on Irish roads. Now that’s a significant change to laws in Ireland considering we’re talking about cars driving themselves here.
At the time, Shane Ross said the priority is always going to be safety, but also adding that this was a developing sector. Yet, thousands of people adopting illegal electric scooters has been left on the back burner for years, leading to several people ending up in court facing penalty points and fines.
No Reason For Inaction
I can’t for the life of me understand why something cannot be done as quickly to legislate for electric scooters. On another occasion in September, Minister Ryan stated that “it is not possible to provide a detailed timeframe for legislation at this time” and frankly that’s just not good enough.
This isn’t a small issue. It affects thousands and is a ticking time bomb. The scooters are already on roads and footpaths. We need laws to dictate where these things can and cannot go and remove all grey areas once and for all. Depending on a flakey interpretation of what an MPV is just doesn’t cut it. Why? Because treating the rider of an electric scooter the same as someone who is driving a 2-tonne plus car without insurance or a driving license is nothing short of ridiculous.
The Hospital Pass
I’ve been emailing the Minister for Transport’s office for some time and last week I got a response. Unbelievably, the Minister has chucked this out the window and onto to the desk of Hildegarde Naughton. Naughton is Minister of State for International and Road Transport and Logistics and in writing this article I’ve reached out to her for comment and will update if I hear back.
It’s hard to know what level of priority electric scooters will be given. Despite the massive benefits they bring in a pandemic world, many are still focused on perceived negatives which I’ve mythbusted already.
With The Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill set to be prioritised for finalisation this Autumn I’m left wondering why this has to roll on any longer. According to Fianna Fail Chief Whip Jack Chambers, “the programme is an exciting and ambitious legislative agenda which will deliver on many of the commitments outlined in the Programme for Government”. It makes sense that this is the time to introduce the legalisation fo electric scooters once and for all.
I love it when something really exciting happens in the Irish smartphone market. A few months back, I introduced you to OPPO after spotting some people being hired for the Irish market. OPPO is a Chinese smartphone manufacturer and today they have confirmed they’re launching in Ireland with the Reno 4 Series.
Who Is OPPO?
Oppo is very much a flagship-making challenger brand to enter the smartphone industry. Expect to get top specs at very reasonable prices. I’ve already run through OPPO in more detail so take a look at that when you can.
Is The Reno 4 A Good Phone?
I’ve yet to get to play with any OPPO phones but they launched in the UK a while back and received a great response. I’m hopeful they’ll be a big shake up to the market. My gut tells me they’ll also hit the market running unlike Xiaomi, which was a bit of a damp squib.
OPPO positions the Reno 4 as a phone for “young trend-setters and future creatives in mind”. The truth is that the Reno 4 series is going to bring some of Ireland’s best value 5G smartphones to the market, interesting given that Three’s recent launch means every county has 5G, along with every major operator.
Reno 4 Series Specs
The specs are might impressive, even on the mid-range Reno 4 Z. It even comes with a 120Hz refresh rate, making it the perfect mobile gaming phone.
The Reno 4 Pro is genuinely a best in class smartphone featuring incredible specs. The camera is an exciting prospect and I’m looking forward to matching it up against the likes of the Leica-powered the P40 Pro.
A confirmed list of operators supplying OPPO has not yet been made public. They have said that all handsets will be available on bill pay, and I would imagine prepay, through local operator partners in November. We’ll need to wait and see who confirms they’re teaming up with OPPO but hopefully the big three in Eir, Three and Vodafone pick them up. You’ll be able to take your pick of the Reno 4 Pro in Space Black and Galactic Blue, while the Reno 4 Z will arrive in the Ink Black colour from November.
