Every so often a game stands out from the crowd. Not because it’s got superior graphics, not because it’s got the longest story line in history and not because it’s got some massive price tag. Sometimes it’s the beautifully simple that takes center stage and that’s absolutely the case with Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. This title is currently free on the PlayStation Network and while it may seem like another Battle Royale game it really isn’t. Think more Takeshi’s Castle. It’s colourful, crazy and a bit of craic.
What’s the Story
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, is bloody mental! Do we all remember that show Takeshi’s Castle? That’s the best description I can use to describe this game.
Since release the game has become so popular that the servers have been struggling to keep up and that’s really the only complaint I have about Fall Guys. Essentially 60 people go into the show and after a series of mini games that filter down the numbers 1 player is left victories. Handily each mini game has a clearly defined goal AKA get to the end of the course in the top 40, gather a pile of eggs for your team or whatever. The game play is also ridiculously simple, you jump, grab and bounce, that’s literally it. The game does a lot of things right, but the true genius of Fall Guys is that it isn’t about winning – it’s about not losing.
Not your Normal Battle Royale
Unlike the Fortnites of the world where you’re constantly trying to win, the main objective of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is to just not be in the bottom group. Well kind of. Of course you’re trying to win but most of the game is spent just trying to get by. Genuinely I’ve tripped, slipped, and stumbled my way to a 30th place finish to qualify for the next round by the skin of my teeth.
This makes for mighty craic, especially if you are playing with your mates online because it matches the funny with ultimate frustration – not gonna lie I watched my niece she’s like 4 get through a round, how I don’t actually know. But it means there is so such thing as a bad game, it’s a level playing field that’s not dependent on you finding better weapons crates than your opponent. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is one of those titles where the line “just one more game” means the exact same as “sure I’ll come for 1 pint” we all know how that ends.
Fun but Frustrating
Getting stuck behind a pile of idiots at a door, falling of a see-saw or getting nailed by a banana at the very end of a sloping run are all sure fire ways to wind you up. Overall Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is all about that quick and simple fun and regardless of your skill level, you will eventually win a game of Fall Guys – well I’ll tell you when I do eventually win one.
Look the game is free and that means there will be bugs. Team games are an annoyance, and they can be so difficult to win if your team is incompetent. Which as with any team game will happen more often than not. You’ve also got some mini games that are brilliant in theory but aren’t so great in play…for example Tail Tag. It may be down to the pressure on the servers but there are times you know you’ve grabbed a tail but nope nothing. But that’s a minor inconvenience when 25 mini games and most are brilliant fun, but there are absolutely some games that you can take or leave.
Other Bits and Bobs
Not unlike Fornite or PUBG, the future of Fall Guys is totally dependent on what they do next. It’s only out a couple of weeks but so far the signs are good with the first mini game update completed about a week ago. Naturally with any of these games it’s all about the skins and more are set to come in the future.
These skins you buy using things called Kudos & Crown currency, something you cant buy with real money so in order to buy the goodies, you gotta put in the work. My avatar is currently dressed like a chicken, simply because I can. Oh and Kudos is easy to gather by just playing the game means you can usually afford everything you want without paying any real money.
The Goosed Verdict
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is a face paced, frantic and fun title that anyone can pickup and play. Games can run for 1-3 minutes and when you get knocked out it’s easy to get back to the main menu and start a new game. While it’s great to play solo, create a party for you and your mates and watch all hell break loose.
Yes sure the servers are a bit iffy at the moment and we presume some more mini games will be released in time to help keep the title fresh but if I’m being very honest Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is one of the most fun games I’ve played in a long time.
The shenanigans and wild visuals give Fall Guys an identity that is entirely unique and the fact that it’s not quite a battle royale makes it, for me the surprise hit of the year
Anker make some really top notch product so it should come as no surprise the company synonymous with battery packs and random phone gadgets is now one of the better audio manufacturers in the game. The new Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro’s are one of the latest models of true wireless earbuds with the company now not just trying to offer good value, they’re aiming to be the best. The Anker Soundcore Libery 2 Pro for sure packs a punch with an impressive 32 hour listening time, but how do they stack up?
Design
Let’s kick off with the design. The earbuds come in white and a slate grey and with the darker colour I’ve been using, personally I think they look great. The matte design is sleek and the charging case is a nice size that easily fits in your pocket. To be fair the Liberty 2 Pro’s are a little on the large size as far as earbuds go but they are comfortable in your ears and they don’t feel that big or weighty, even when worn for a few hours at a time.
On the earbuds themselves the exterior has a nifty cut out for the LEDs to shine beneath a glossy plate containing the Soundcore logo. It’s a minor touch but it really ads a premium feel to the buds. Interestingly despite this large area of real estate this main surface contains no function button, this is store on the top of each earbud and it will perform a variety of controls that you can customise through the Soundcore app.
The bottom of the earbuds is home to the charging contacts which are used to charge the earbuds when placed into the charging case. When it comes to the tips, the Liberty 2 Pro has a rubber tip alongside the ear fins to ensure a tight comfortable fit when you’re wearing them. The fins really help for those long work days when you will be wearing the buds for a few hours and in fairness to the fine folks in Anker, they supply plenty of ear tips and fin sizes in the box so you can make sure you get the right fit. Happily fo me that most comfortable fit came right out of the box.
Charging Case
The charging case has a fairly similar design to the Liberty 2 Pro earbuds in that it’s a matte slate grey finish across the round pebble-like shape. The case itself is comfortable to hold and fits handily in the pocket, even if its a little larger than some of the competitions cases, namely the Google Buds and Apple Airpods come to mind.
I’ve said it before and will say it again, the little details matter. In the case of the Anker Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro, the way the case slides open is in one word… Nom. It’s super sleek how the case slides back to reveal the buds like a little gift every time you open the box and it’s a very different design to the competition. Better still the buds will automatically pair with your device once the lids opened so no waiting for the connection.
On the back we are charging from the USB-C port that sits beside the Bluetooth pairing button while on the front we have 3 small LED indicators to show the charging status of both the buds and case. Overall the Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro case is a lovely design, out of the norm and I do love the sliding feature as silly as that may sound.
Features
Ok so less about how the things look and more on how they work and what they do. These nifty buds come with a collection of built in features such as Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX which promises not only better connection with new devices but also a better quality sound and overall experience. Seems we’ve all been running our 5km’s since lockdown (we’re not really though right?) the Liberty 2 Pro’s are IPX4 water resistant. Feel free to run in the lovely Irish rain or break a sweat knowing your earbuds will be absolutely grand.
I mentioned earlier that you can change the button settings on the Soundcore App. The app can be used to change the behaviour of the button for a more tailored user experience, provide firmware updates and can also adjust stuff like the EQ profile, or create a custom HeardID profile based on the frequencies your ears can hear.
Audio
Really this is why we are all here, no point the buds looking good if the sound quality is shite, right? Well Anker don’t do crap and the Liberty 2 Pro’s come with a a great sound quality straight from the box, which of course you can tune to your preference in the app.
Again in fairness right out of the box, the sound quality is brilliant with a nice rich bass and clear mids, but again the cool thing here is having an app you can adjust the sound EQ of the earbuds, allowing you to tune the earbuds specifically for you. The app includes a fully customisable EQ graph as well as a wide assortment of presets to get a sound that works for the listener.
Another thing to note is the sound isolation and thanks to the range of tips supplied you can find the right fit to get a perfect seal for perfect audio isolation.
When it comes to the mic then, I was pleasantly surprised as on most earbuds this is a bit of a let down but here the mic picked up my voice clearly and with a good volume. Happy days
Battery
Anker make biiiig claims when it comes to battery life. They say that the Liberty 2 Pro can do up to 8 hours of listening on a single charge with 32 hours of listening available before you will need to charge the case. Big claims for an impressive battery life and well they deliver in spades. For the €100ish price point I haven’t seen another set of earbuds with a lifespan remotely similar.
On the case itself, Anker give us quick charge to make everything a bit more convenient. 10 minutes of charging will give you an extra 2 hours of so of listening time while an hour and half is enough to get the buds fully juiced. The charging case also supports wireless charging, so no cables are needed to top up the battery of your earbuds.
The Goosed Verdict
We like these. We like these a lot and they have become my daily go to earbuds. When it comes to quality these are top notch, and typically well made as Anker do. The sound quality is fantastic, they are very comfortable to wear and the app is a great little addition. Oh and the buds can potentially get better with time as the app will offer firmware updates as they develop. This is all without taking into consideration the price. Competion like Samsung, Sony, Google, Apple, you name it, they all rock in around €170-200 where as the Anker Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro are available on Amazon for about €100-120. Long story short…great product at a great price.
Over the weekend, Google released some sort of update that would have almost certainly gone unnoticed in normal circumstances. But it’s 2020. There are no more normal circumstances. The release and an unusual side effect on the phones of Android users around the country. Basically, the COVID Tracking App would check IDs in a constant loop, quickly draining the battery of the user’s smartphone. Some users reported dramatically decreased battery life and even phones getting really hot.
While it’s a pity, this widespread issue led to 83,000 of the 1.5 million app users in Ireland uninstall the app. That’s 5.5% of users.
The good news is that Google, NearForm and the HSE has worked together to resolve the issue. Initially, it was hoped that all would have been fixed this morning but Google has said it could take up to a day for the fix to reach all effected phones. Steps have also been taken to try and ensure this doesn’t happen again in future.
The even better news is that of the 83,000 that uninstalled the app, over 10,000 people have reinstalled the app since. Hopefully, as the fix gets rolled out to everyone in the next 24 hours that number increases further, although Google did say most phones have already been updated.
Uninstalling the app does not delete any close contacts that were recorded on the phone in the last 14 days
HSE Spokesperson
The good news isn’t stopping there either. If you did uninstall the app you didn’t delete any of the close contacts you’ve had in the past 14 days. The HSE is encouraging anyone who uninstalled the app to reinstall it in the coming days and to rejoin the contract tracing programme, before adding apologies for the issue.
25 May 2018 was one hell of a day for Ireland. We Repealed the Eighth Amendment and paved the way for the women of Ireland to have bodily autonomy. It was a massive stride forward. It was a stride forward from an Ireland where the Catholic church dictated how things are done, though I still read many articles and quotes from religious leaders who claimed I had sinned by voting Yes. Me? Sin? Are ye mad!
Fortunately, on 25 May 2018 the EU also brought into force new data protection laws known as the General Data Protection Regulation which empowers EU citizens with improved rights over their own data. I wonder if GDPR could somehow absolve me of my sins and help me leave the church. First things first, can’t I just leave?
How to Defect from the Catholic Church: Easier Said Than Done
Reforms by Pope John Paul II back in 2006 formalised how to leave the Catholic church. It was a proper method of fully defecting from the church and the reason for it was super simple. In Germany, people who themselves did not relate in any way to the Catholic church were still forced to pay a 1% tax collected by the Government which benefitted the church. Ensure people were no longer forced to pay this tax even when they no longer related to religion, some floodgates opened.
An Irish website was set up called CountMeOut.ie for the sole purpose of encouraging people to leave the Catholic church. Over 12,000 people downloaded a Declaration of Defection from the website, allowing them to leave the Catholic church. However, changes to canon law in 2009 more or less closed this loophole and the site struggled to continue operating.
If you wanted to leave the Catholic church, you had just missed your chance.
GDPR and Leaving the Catholic Church
When you think GDPR, you probably think about emails about those damned privacy policy updates and how every site in the world now asks you about cookies. However, GDPR reaches far beyond the modern and the technical. GDPR is about all data which can be related to an individual. Does GDPR apply to churches? Absolutely, they handle and process data just the same as big brands and companies around the world do. It recently emerged that Facebook actually has more followers than the Catholic church, so why wouldn’t they be bound by the exact same regulations?
Back in 2009, I wasn’t really worried about religion. I knew I wasn’t religious but I also wasn’t too bothered about it in general. I was a student in college and to be quite frank, I wasn’t bothered about a whole lot at all. My reason for defecting from the church comes much more recently.
A Born Sinner: Repeal the Eighth
I think we can all agree that the recent referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment from the Constitution of Ireland was a pretty emotional time for our wee island. Back before I rattled out articles on gadgets, I was studying the history of Ireland’s national identity and how it was firmly built upon women and them holding a certain position in the country. Personally, I feel that repealing the eight was Ireland moving on and away from women being second-class citizens in Ireland.
Amid the emotional fallout of the referendum, I was rather disgusted to see some comments from religious leaders within the Catholic church. This article will remain respectful and I promise that’ll likely be as harsh as my wording gets from here on in.
The Bishop of Elphin, Kevin Doran, stated that practising Catholics should who voted yes in the referendum should seek confession.
Right, I’m not a practising Catholic, but even having my name recorded somewhere that I’m Catholic made me a little bit too close to sin for my liking. Rather than absolve myself of sin through a confession, I decided to absolve myself of religion through GDPR.
No, I’m Not an Atheist
I just wanted to make a small point here. I’m not an atheist. Like Neil deGrasse Tyson, I’d rather be considered nothing at all, but if I was to related to something, I’d be Agnostic. The mother of all “on the fence” stances.
I do think there’s a chance something amazing happens after death, but also accept there’s a chance nothing happens. Ultimately, I believe there’s no way anyone on this planet can understand what happens after we die, because we’re all alive. Duh.
How Can GDPR Help You Leave the Church?
Because I’m a nerd with some free time, I found myself perusing the EU’s GDPR documentation. Seriously, leave it beside the toilet, you’ll get through it in no time. Anyway, when reading through it I couldn’t find any reason the church should be allowed to hold my records without my consent. I actually found reasons I considered to be more compelling towards these records being destroyed altogether.
Why Was the Data Collected?
The second principle of GDPR states data should be,
collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner that is incompatible with those purposes
Considering I no longer want anything to be Catholic or have anything to do with the Catholic church, what reason would they have for holding my data? Now, without giving anything away, there is more to this principle regarding holding data for archival and historical reasons; more on that later.
Minimise Data Storage Where Possible
If a company or organisation holds your data, they should only hold the absolute minimum they require in order to achieve the reason the data was collected in the first place. That might be confusing, but generally speaking, if I don’t want to be in the Catholic church, there’s no reason for them to have my data. Minimisation means they shouldn’t keep it.
Data Should Be Kept Accurate and Up To Date
This one is a doozy in my eyes. GDPR states quite clearly that any stored data should be kept up to date and accurate. Efforts to highlight inaccuracies should be taken seriously and be acted upon without delay. Honestly, here’s the actual wording from GDPR. Data should be kept,
accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date; every reasonable step must be taken to ensure that personal data that are inaccurate, having regard to the purposes for which they are processed, are erased or rectified without delay
Sounds like a slam dunk right? I no longer consider myself to be Catholic but church records say otherwise. That’s inaccurate and should be updated. Right, let’s keep moving.
When is Processing Allowed?
Processing can mean a whole range of things. Modern-day processing means handling email addresses and the likes, but it can also relate to the storage of information. The Catholic church is processing my personal data without my permission. Actually, they are processing my data in opposition to my expressed wishes that I have nothing to do with them. Oops, I’m getting ahead of myself. More on that in a bit.
The Right to Be Forgotten
This one is really simple. First of all, there are two terms to need to know:
Data Controller
Data Subject
When it comes to me and the Catholic church, they are the Data Controller and I’m the Data Subject.
GDPR states the Data Subject has to right to have all personal data the held by a Data Controller deleted and the Data Controller should delete immediately when one of several conditions apply. Here are the ones I found most interesting:
personal data is no longer required to achieve the original reason the data was collected for in the first place
the Data Subject withdraws their consent and there is no other legal grounds for processing
With everything I had learned about GDPR, I felt I had a pretty decent case which could have me removed from the Catholic church. They held baptismal records which stated I was Catholic. I could no longer defect from the church as the canon laws were changed, but maybe GDPR could help me out.
Attempt 1: Data Access and Deletion Request
It all seemed straightforward. I just needed to contact the Bishop where I was baptised, the Diocese of Ossory and request he removes my records from the Parish record.
I’ll be completely honest – the Diocese were fantastic communicators and handled everything promptly. While the ultimate goal was not achieved, progress has been made.
Remember when I tried to use #GDPR to leave the Catholic church? I got my reply. I think we can go better, right? #dataprotection redacted because sigs are personal data 😎 pic.twitter.com/e4NzaQU9nO
— Marty Meany | Tech And Stuff | Goosed.ie (@martinmeany) July 3, 2018
Dermot Farrell, the Bishop of Ossory, wrote to me stating he respected my desire to no longer be associated with the Catholic church. He made a note on register held at the Diocesan office but conceded he could not delete or alter the original records as they are of historical and archival significance.
I’m a trained historian who loves nothing more than good historical records. But I’m also a modernist embracing technology
These left me feeling extremely divided. I’m a somewhat trained historian who loves nothing more than good historical records. You know, books and all that good stuff.
But I’m also a modernist embracing technology in an ever-adapting world where people should have the right to control their own own records and data; within reason.
My own personal conclusion on this matter is that my data relating to my person is being held within a private club against my wishes. Worse still, this data is not accurate and doesn’t describe who I am. In fact, that data was acquired without baby me’s consent!
Should the Church Be Allowed to Hold Records Without Consent?
Church records, in my eyes, are not records akin to the census or local government records like birth and death certs. While GDPR does allow for processing of data considered to be of historical or archival significance, why should the Catholic church, an organisation which is my eyes is no different to a brand I no longer choose to interact with, be allowed to maintain records on me without my consent?
this is no different to that lapsed gym membership I no longer use
To me, this is no different to that lapsed gym membership I no longer use. I’m not going every week, I’m not taking part and there’s no reason for the Catholic church to have a record of me being here in the past.
Attempt 2: Sure, Let’s Ask the Data Protection Commissioner
There’s a chance that there’s some law which does consider church records to be of historical significance. And that’s fine. I’ll have to gear up for a different battle on that front. However, if there’s no such law that the Catholic church is not above GDPR and my request has not been handled correctly.
Again, I want to reiterate that my request was handled promptly and with nothing but respect from all parties and I do wish for this continue, especially from my side. But I will be raising this with the Data Protection Commissioner to check why I cannot fully have all records of my past membership to the Catholic church deleted completely.
Update #1: The Data Protection Commission is Taking This Seriously
Okay, I’m not trying to be dramatic as I’m sure the Data Protection Commission takes everything seriously. However, I haven’t been laughed out the door and they’ve even requested additional information in order to assess my case in more detail. The most recent update has been that I’ve been assigned a case officer and that’ll I’ll hear back within the next few months. It might take some time, but stay tuned.
Update #2: I’m Not Alone
The Data Protection Commission is bound to a commitment to update me on progress every sixty days or so. As this is the case, I’ve received two fairly generic updates from the assigned DPC Case Officer. While somewhat generic, the responses do outline how seriously they are taking this.
this raises a number of very important and complex issues under data protection law
In their update, the DPC emphasises that “the matter at the heart of [my] complaint raises a number of very important and complex issues under data protection law”. The email also informed me that I’m not alone and that the DPC has received a number of similar complaints.
the Data Protection Commission has sought external legal advice
As a result, the Data Protection Commission has sought external legal advice and is undertaking a wider analysis of the issue to clarify a number of points under both national and EU law.
They’ve promised I’ll be kept up to date on the matter too so I’ll keep you posted too. Thanks to everyone who has sent me messages to date! I’ve been inundated with direct messages regarding this and have done my best to respond to everyone. Thanks for your support – fingers crossed this ends in a result.
Update #3: The Complexities
The DPC are brilliant communicators and have once again updated me on my request to have my data deleted from church records. This time, I’ve received some additional info around why this is such a complicated issue.
Right now, the DPC is trying to identify who the Data Controller is in this situation. My guess is this could be anyone from the Diocese of Ossory to the Vatican. From the local parish priest to the pope himself. Who knows?
Once that’s cleared up the DPC will start their own inquiry. Now, this won’t be based purely on my case, but will instead take an eagle’s view look at all the cases involving the church. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not alone in this one.
This inquiry is where things will get very interesting as it will be this inquiry which seeks to find out if there is an obligation on the data controller to erase personal data contained in church records when requested, or whether any exemptions may apply.
Update #4: One Year In – The End is Nigh
It’s been a year since I submitted my request to the Data Protection Commissioner regards how the church is handling my personal data. While a conclusion has yet to be reached, it would appear that we’re at the final step before a grand finale.
As mentioned in a previous update, the DPC was seeking external legal advice to consider their next steps. That legal advice has landed. Praise the…..whatever it that agnostic people like myself praise. The DPC is currently considering this legal advice and now I await another update which will be issued within the next three months. I’m hopeful it won’t be the full of the three months and I’m hopeful the next update is the resolution I was seeking.
Update #5: The DPC Steps Up The Game
Ok, so my update of “the end is nigh” was way premature. However, there have been some exciting updates. First of all, my journey to leave the church has become front-page news in the Sunday Times. This comes following the most recent update sent to me from the DPC. Basically, they have confirmed that they are proceeding with an investigation into how the church handles records on an “own volition” basis. This means the investigation is linked to my case, but it’s not purely because of my case. The DPC is examining “the circumstances of the storage and retention of church records of data subjects who no longer wish to have their personal data processed in any or all church registers”.
Their goal with this investigation is to “ascertain whether an infringement has occurred or is occurring of the GDPR or a provision of the Act”. Interestingly, even though my original complaint relates to the Diocese of Ossory, the DPC is targeting the Archdiocese of Dublin.
While I won’t be privy to the outcome of this specific investigation, the DPC believes the results of this investigation will “substantially overlap with, and influence the outcome of, [my] complaint”.
Update #6: Questions To The Archdiocese of Dublin
Generally speaking, the DPC offers some kind of update every three months. After counting on my fingers an embarrassing number of times I worked out I was due an update. It’s no secret that the DPC in Ireland is snowed under. As the base of operations for the entire EU they have to deal with Facebook’s carry on, on top of everything else.
Anyway, I emailed saying surely it’s time for another update. I was right. While it was nothing exciting, it’s at least another date to mark in the calendar.
I was reminded that “the DPC’s own volition Inquiry into the Archdiocese of Dublin was ongoing”. While my own complaint is technically against the Diocese of Ossory, what happens in Dublin will set a precedent. The DPC then confirmed that “as part of this ongoing Inquiry, [the DPC] has raised further questions with the Archdiocese; to which a response is expected on or before 15th October 2020.
I’m taking a brief break from hitting my head off a wall to give you the latest update I received this morning (7th May 2021).
“Further to my correspondence of the 04 February 2021, I can confirm that the Data Protection Commission has put a further series of questions to the Archbishop; the response to which will help inform the outcome of this Inquiry. The DPC, will, handle your complaint based on the outcome of the Inquiry”.
I’m having visions of the Commissioner and the Archbishop sitting back together sipping cocktails and having a right old laugh at their handling of personal data. It truly feels like minimal effort is being made here by both parties. The fact I’m getting updates from the DPC almost to the day of the three-monthly commitment shows that progress in the complaint isn’t a priority. Ticking boxes is.
The church’s Canon Law is not above Civil Law. This should have been a slam duck mistreatment of personal data. But the DPC is just kicking the can down the road and avoiding dealing with the problem. After watching the Oireachtas Committee Meeting on this topic many share that belief.
Today, Android users around Ireland have reported that their phones are running hot and their batteries draining. It’s easy to find out why as modern smartphones report on battery usage. Unfortunately, the culprit appears to be the COVID Tracking App which has been downloaded by over 1.5 million people in Ireland.
COVID Tracking App Battery Issues
One of my biggest concerns when the COVID Tracking App launched was that impact on battery life would ruin user adoption. I was blown away by the fact that within 24 hours, just 3% of all battery life went to the contact tracing app. The HSE, app developers and even Google and Apple, who worked on the Exposure API, deserve massive credit for this feat. Bluetooth was made to work in a way it was never designed for.
Today, Android phone users who also have the COVID Tracking App installed reported they were starting to see massive drops in their phone’s battery life.
The Irish Covid tracker app is amazing but damn does it drain your battery so fast #CovidTrackerApp
You know, “don’t be evil” used to be a Google motto until it was removed in 2018. You’d often wonder why a company would do that. Like, “don’t be evil” is pretty sound advice for a tech company handling reams of data. When assisting the HSE with launching a COVID tracking app, Google came under fire when it was revealed that some sensitive data was being shared with Google servers.
While the company maintained they do “not receive information about the end user, location data, or information about any other devices the user has been in proximity of”, many, myself included were miffed. This was the one time there could be no doubt that this app was only for good. Yet immediately, it appeared that Google was trying to learn something new on the sly.
Once again, this battery life issue isn’t down to the app. Speaking to the Journal, an HSE spokesperson said: “Google are releasing an update to Play services in the next 24 hours that will resolve the issue for people that are experiencing this problem”. That statement would appear to lay the blame at the feet of Google who once again have made a hames of the Exposure API configuration.
What Should You Do?
Right now, do nothing. Carry a cable and a power bank with you and try to keep your phone out of your pocket on a nice safe tabletop. Also, keep it away from other objects. This is being overcautious, but remember the Samsung Galaxy Note 7? We don’t want a repeat of that.
Some people online have cited that clearing your cache will solved the issue. I’ve reached out to the HSE for comment on this as my concern is that this may remove your recent contact records and as a result you may not be notified if you’ve been in contact with someone infected with COVID. As the HSE has stated, Google will release an update within 24 hours to solve this issue so please sit tight.
If you’re an iPhone user, this is one of those times you get to hold the bragging rights about your superior software. Lap it up.
Should I Uninstall The COVID Tracking App?
This is obviously a personal decision. If you uninstall the COVID Tracking App and you have been in contact with someone who is soon told they have COVID-19, you’ll not find out about it. Personally, I would live with crappy battery life until this issue gets resolved.
If you feel your phone is getting dangerously hot, turn it off and turn it back on again to see if this resolved the issue. If not you may feel more comfortable deleting the app. But just remember you will no longer me aided or be aided by a contact tracing app.
Latest Update
While it’s all disappointing that this has happened, it’s important to acknowledge how quickly Google and the HSE has moved to find a solution here.
Google has pushed out a fix which will start landing on smartphones this evening and be completed throughout tomorrow morning. Additional measures have also been implemented to reduce the risk of something similar happening again in future. A HSE spokesperson also stated that they would confirm when the fix rollout is complete, so follow us on Twitter where we’ll confirm this. We’ll also update this post.
The HSE spokesperson signed off by saying they “apologise to anyone that experienced any problems over the weekend” and once the fix has been fully released, they “would encourage people that might have uninstalled the app over the weekend to reinstall it”.
Over the past few days, you may have noticed a new video editing section within your Instagram app called “Reels”. This can be found via your Instagram camera. But what is it I hear you say? Well, it seems that Instagram is attempting to capitalise on Tik Tok’s current misfortune globally and offer the world an alternative.
“Reels” is Instagram’s answer to Til Tok. This isn’t the first time Instagram has been inspired by another social media platform’s idea. In 2016, Instagram introduced their Instagram “Story” function, which was created from the template of the booming new social media platform of the time, Snapchat. Since then, Instagram’s Story function has twice the users of Snapchat. This doesn’t come as a surprise seeing as Instagram has far more option to express your creativity, and Snapchat has essentially become a massive billboard/online magazine.
So back to Reel, how does it work? And how does it compare to Til Tok.
How to use Instagram Reels.
Create a “Reel” works similarly to how you you create a story. You combine videos with AR effects, music, a timer and countdown. You can also take more than one video and stitch them together to create a more creative video. When stitching the videos together, you can use the “Align” option, which allows for a seamless transition between videos. The videos can be up to 15 seconds long can saved as drafts to be edited later or can be posted right away.
What is better? Til Tok or Instagram Reels?
Currently, we haven’t gotten to do much testing on Instagram Reels as it’s so new, but from what we have seen, it seems great. Til Tok is still the king when it comes to this kind of content creation, but Instagram Reels is only a few days old. If you are feeling a bit sketchy about using Til Tok and want to come off of it, Reels seems like your best option. In this day and age, software developers are able to churn out new features that we can use on our social media on almost a daily basis, so you will see constant improvements coming to Reels.
If you want to see Reels’ potential, head on over to Instagram and search for #Reels and see what some users have already created. And don’t forget to tag @goosed_ie if you want to be featured on our story.
Nokia, the name just brings back memories of sturdy, sexy, simple phones from yesteryear. They still make phones for those of you know and if you are in the market for a cheap, like seriously cheap smartphone that’s under €100 then the Nokia 1.3 might be just what you’re looking for. Not long ago it would be crazy to think that a smartphone under €100 would be worth buying but with a better than expected screen, compact design and a decent battery the Nokia 1.3 is quite possibly the best value budget phone in the market. So if you’re hunting for a second phone, something for holidays & festivals or it’s someone’s first smartphone the Nokia 1.3 may just be the perfect pick. Let’s dive right in and see what we are working with….
Design & Build
What do Nokia do best? Build a simple and sturdy product, we all know this. The Nokia 1.3 is no different, with a simple design, robust plastic chassis and basic, symmetrical layout to the front and back. The Nokia 1.3 even includes the 3.5mm headphone jack as well as a removable back case which excuse my French, which is a bastard to remove, which hides the battery, something we haven’t seen in smartphones for a while.
Speaking about the back of the phone, there is a little instruction manual in the box that shows you how to take off the back, but if like me you have short nails, best of luck with that. I considered giving the brick a boot to get it off before logic dictated and I used a short flat head screwdriver to remove the back. Judging by other reviews I’ve seen online, I feel a bit relieved that it wasn’t just me with the issue.
The Nokia 1.3 also has a 5.7″ glass coated display with slim bezels and rounded corners with a neat semi circle notch at the top that houses the front facing camera.
Under the bonnet we have our sim slot and microSD slot, and nicely you don’t have to remove the battery to pop in the sim, you don’t even need a pin with a sim drawer that feels like something from 5 years ago. Only downside is, best of luck getting the sim back because and trust me on this you will need patience to remove it from the Nokia 1.3 without causing any damage.
Finally we are running with microUSB rather than Type-C which seems a bit odd but it really just means there is no fast charging option and you also get a 3.5mm headphone jack which you just don’t see anymore.
Display
With a screen size of 5.7″ is a grand handheld size and smaller than what’s almost become the now standard 6″ displays. I really think the display is the best part of the Nokia 1.3 that performs way above what one would expect from a phone of this price. The screen is great under sunlight but will take a moment to register the brightens when outside before the display sets the brightness accordingly and it got an IPS panel which means good viewing angles. Also the HD+ resolution on a screen this size has a pixel density of 300ppi which is about the same as a Kindle, AKA not bad, not bad at all/
Battery & Performance
We like the battery on the Nokia 1.3. It’s rocking a 3,000mAh battery which is more than acceptable at this price point. Given that someone who uses this phone would be considered a light user, chances are they won’t be as punishing as I am on the old battery that I needed to charge about midway through each day….Spotify and test running bluetooth headphones will do that to be fair. With that in mind it got me through the work day alright but would need a juicing if I had anywhere to be in the evening as the Nokia 1.3 would finish the work day hanging on for dear life.
Again to put this in context, the phone is never out of my hand and most people will get the day or at least most of the day out of the phone before it needs a charge. Based on standby time alone, the battery was able to last just over two days. All in all impressive, especially with the price in mind.
Under the hood the Nokia 1.3 hosts a Qualcomm QM215, quad-core 1.3 GHz chipset, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, which realistically you will need to expand with a memory card. Its the base of what one would expect from a smartphone these days and it means that the phone a tad on the slow side. Not so bad mind you that you will want to hop the phone out a window but just don’t expect to jump quickly between screens or the apps you’ve got open. With that in mind, the phone comes loaded with lightweight ‘Go’ versions of apps such as Gmail and Google Maps, designed to reduce the load.
Camera
As you may expect from a sub €100 phone, there ain’t a whole lot to write home about in the camera department. For me I keep reminding myself of the price rather than trying to compare this to a big flagship product like the Samsung S20. The main camera on the Nokia 1.3 is a single 8mp camera with flash and auto focus while the front facing camera is a simple 5mp. To be fair that’s as good as anyone can expect and both the front and back can record in 720p at 30fps but without image stabilisation you gotta keep that handy steady and try not record something after your 4th can of Monster in a day.
The Nokia 1.3 also has an 8x zoom but the results are a little grainy and the portrait mode can add a fake bokeh effect. The shutter speed is a bit on the slow side so have some patience but I got a couple decent shots using the portrait mode. As I said nothing ground breaking but definitely as you would expect at this price point.
Audio
The acoustic performance is pretty much grand. It won’t blow you away by any stretch of the imagination. Both hands free and the loudspeaker pack enough punch that you won’t have too much issue with the audio and the addition of the now retro 3.5mm jack is a big plus, especially at this price point.
The Other bits
The Nokia 1.3 has a hardware button located on the left side. This will launch the Google Assistant which can answer questions, save notes and all that good stuff and it’s a feature normally reserved for a slightly more expensive phone.
Of course any extra bells and whistles are kept down to a minimum on a phone at this price: there’s no wireless charging, no fast charging, and no waterproofing.
The Goosed Verdict
To be real, you won’t need me to tell you that something like a Huawei P40 Pro is an infinitely better phone than the Nokia 1.3 but it’s also 10-15 times the price. When it comes to a phone like this we need to take the fact that its a smartphone for under a 100quid. The Nokia 1.3 pretty much beats expectations for a phone so cheap.
It’s got a screen much better than you might expect at this price, solid battery life and a compact design but the occasional lag can be a bit of a nuisance and it’s the phones major let down. If you plan on messaging, browsing and that’s really it save your money on the iPhone and spend the savings on a staycation. Seriously though the Nokia 1.3 is about as cheap and basic as you can get in a smartphone and it delivers everything that can be expected and it’s sturdy build which is just typical Nokia should help is last the test of time.
Granted it may lack a little performance wise but the wee little Nokia 1.3 will send messages, take photos and browse the web for you, and run most apps satisfactorily. You can definitely tell you’re using a budget phone with the Nokia 1.3, but in terms of value for money, the Nokia 1.3 is a winner in my books.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again it feels like everyone these days has a side hustle. That sometimes means learning a skill or finding a tool that will help you get your point across. Lucky for me I have a background in design but for many finding something that will take the pain out of design is kind of important. In the past, we’ve taken a look at Canva and Crello some of the stupidly easy design tools on the market and recently we another contender, DesignCap. DesignCap is an online poster and flyer maker to help you turn creativity into striking posters and flyers with great ease so that to save your time and energy. It provides you with a platform to make your own snazzy posters, social posts, infographics and flyers with various themes and templates to make your life easier. So what’s the story?
What is DesignCap?
In short DesignCap is a simple drag and drop style tool that offers loads of professional style editing tools for creating and customising designs to suit your goals. Looking for cool infographics for a presentation, a flyer or invitation for an event or making some new snazzy content, there is a template for all of it in DesignCap. You can do a pile of stuff such as adjusting size, position, rotation, changing text font, colour, effect, alignment, applying the specific background and managing layers. Really handy especially if design isn’t traditionally your forte. Just check out this simple little flier I did using a pic I stole from Martys Instagram:
That took me all of 5 minutes and it’s a fairly good example in the sense that we have multiple fonts going on, we’ve got gradients, logos, images, the works and plus to me it looks like he’s staring into the future so yeah why not.
There are three simple and easy steps to create your poster.
Choose Template
Add Elements
Customize It.
That is all
To be fair it was really easy to use and if you have ever used the likes of Crello or Canva there is literally no learning curve and if it’s your first time using a platform like this it’s easy to get started. I have found over the last year there are a number of design apps popping up, such is the market and yes it can be hard to sort through the nonsense and pick the one that’s worthy of your hard-earned cash. At this moment in time, I’m using a premium membership on both Canva and DesignCap and if I’m honest it’s going to be tough to choose the victor. Canva has some nice little video templates that are fairly handy if you’re trying to make interactive social designs but DesignCap has something that non of the competition has and that’s infographics!
None of the tools that I have used over the years none of them does info-graphics, let alone making them as easy to create as DesignCap. To most this sounds like it’s not a big deal but if you are in the hunt for a tool to help with the design for business then info-graphics are going to be used more than you would like to think.
Features of DesignCap:
Here are the features of DesignCap in brief, so that you get an idea about what you can do with it:
Design Posters and Flyers
100% Free-To-Use
Hundreds of Ready-made Templates
Thousands of Royalty-Free Stock Photos
Upload your photos or Import from Facebook
Save your pictures as JPG or PNG with Transparent Background (Optional)
Save your Project to Work Later on
Much is it?
As with any of these platforms there is a free and premium version. Luckily even the paid packages of DesignCap are reasonable priced.
So let’s start with the free package, well it’s obviously free so that’s good news and with it you get access to a selection of the templates and the stock photo library. Naturally you’re limited and in DesignCap’s case that 5 photo uploads and 5 designs. No biggy, export and delete when you’re done and if there are photos you want and can’t find then a free online resource like Unsplash is the job. The main downside with the free version is the fact you can only download your graphics in JPG, not ideal, manageable but not ideal.
I didn’t stick with the free version for long, the folks at DesignCap were sound enough to give us a month trial on the Plus plan but from what I could see the free version, much like any of the competition gives you enough to be getting on with.
Speaking of the paid plans, there are two…Basic and Plus. Basic will set you back $4.99 per month or about €4.50 to you and me and that’s when you pay for the year in one go. If you want to go for the month to month rolling subscription DesignCap will set you back $8.99 or about €7.50 per month. To be honest I’ve never liked that pay by month versus pay for the year type model but pretty much every brand in the market does it so I can’t really blame them. Anyway for the Basic plan you get access to the complete set of templates and stock photos available and you can export in PDF and PNG. You can also add 100 images and save 100 designs.
Then there is the Plus plan which costs $5.99 per month on an annual subscription which only adds up to about a tenner more expensive annually versus the package package making it well worth the investment and it will set you back $12.99 a month on the monthly rolling option. The plus plan gives you pretty much everything the basic package does but instead you can save up to 1,000 images and designs. So for the sake of the tenner it’s handy to not have to worry about storage space.
The Main Designs
Outside of the standard bits and pieces, DesignCap has a load of templates and options to help you create anything you want from a SWOT analysis to a Facebook cover photo and everything in between. You can even make a sexy looking CV using the resume templates and they do look super slick and professional. Essentially no matter the job there is a template to help you out.
The good thing is that the UI is straightforward and looks similar to the FotoJet UI, if you have used the following software, you can easily recognize it. The flipside is that the poster sizes are predetermined, and cannot be modified. It’s 297 x 210 mm, or roughly 29cm (width) by 21 cm (height). However, depending on your need, you can download it in your desired resolution. The available resolutions are:
Small: 793 x 1122 px Medium: 1239 x 1753 px Large: 1652 x 2337 px Extra Large: 2478 x 3506 px
While this size is the standard size for making posters, I feel they might not suit everyone and should have been flexible so that a user can customize it according to the size they want. I searched around a lot in a hope to find a way to change the sizes, but couldn’t find. Having said that there are a couple of template types that the competition don’t have so let’s look at them.
Customised modules
On the off chance you don’t like any of the templates on offer you can use a feature called Module which will let you piece together your own using drag and drop features. In the 9 categories, you can add stats, options, timelines, text, icons, imagery and more with each giving you complete control to customise as you see fit, neither Crello or Canva offer this flexibility.
Make your own chart
This is a pretty cool feature that helps you make your own charts. Not everyone likes charts but me, I do but they are painful to make. Well, they were before I used this and for the day job I’ve made a few charts for PowerPoint presentations over the last few weeks. It’s so simple it’s not even funny, pick your template, enter the data and tada you got a pretty chart ready for any presentation. If I was back in college and needed to make my work look slick I would honestly pay the money for this alone while I’m very much considering getting the boss to pay an annual subscription just so I can use DesignCap for charts alone.
Infographics
On Pinterest you always see really nice infographics and I always find myself sitting there asking how the hell did they make something so nice….maybe it was done on a platform like DesignCap because in all my years of design I never made something as nice as the infographic above or in as little time. It’s also helpful they have over 100 templates to choose from and if you are a complete novice I promise it won’t take you more then 10 minutes to figure your way around. Oh and they also break it down into categories so if you’re looking for something specific to fashion or food, there are options for you.
The Goosed Verdict
If you’re already using Crello or Canva and need something that’s a bit more suited to business then yes go for it. The modules, graph features and infographics are brilliant, but if you’re going on the social media front maybe Crello just about edges it right now due to the video features and higher volume of templates available.
On a personal level, I’m all for learning Photoshop and going that old school route but we know that’s not always possible and I was very happy with what DesignCap offers and the premium package is reasonable value for money, especially given what access you get for free. Most people won’t feel the need to go for the paid packages and that’s alright because you’ve more than enough to keep you going. Essentially if you’re looking to design for business then DesignCap is well worth a shot.
I’m a big fan of Revolut. While KBC is probably Ireland’s best digital bank, Revolut has made an incredible impact here. Earlier this year in May, the company announced they had reached over 1 million customers in Ireland. My favourite thing about Revolut as a business is that they have a startup mentality and are on the leading edge of banking technology, offering great experiences like the ability to view all your bank accounts within the Revolut app. Today, the online-only bank announced they would be launching Revolut Rewards to Premium users of the app in Ireland with all customers getting it in the coming weeks.
What Is Revolut Rewards?
Rewards in banking isn’t a new idea. Even Permanent TSB who is exceptionally slow to get new things to market has a cashback reward with VISA. Revolut Rewards is a combination of this cashback model and also discount loyalty programmes like to 3Plus. Revolut is partnering with loads of your favourite brands who are involved in travel, apparel, food and drink, health and beauty, fitness, and many more. There is no additional cost to pay to use Revolut Rewards but you do have to be a Revolut customer based in Ireland.
It’s worth noting that it is only currently available for paying Revolut customers but will be available to all in the coming weeks.
How Does Revolut Cashback Work?
With cashback rewards, when you buy something using your Revolut card in a participating shop, you’ll get a certain percentage of your purchase back into your Revolut account.
How Do The Discounts Work?
Discounts will work online or in-store, the latter by way of redeeming a promo-code in the Revolut app. In-store, you can get your discount by simply using your Revolut account to pay by card, Google Pay, Apple Pay or FitBit Pay.
Where Can I Get These Revolut Offers?
If you are a Revolut Premium customer, you’ll be able to get this discounts already. Otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a few weeks.
You’ll be able to get cashback on purchases from ASOS, Udemy, Life Style Sports, Nike.com, Easons School Shop, Easons.com, Booking.com, Nasty Gal, Dr Martens, Taylor Morris Eyewear, Molton Brown, American Golf, JoJo Baby Mom IE, Brooks Running, Hotel Chocolat, M&M Direct.
The big call outs there for me are up to 10% cashback from ASOS and 6% from Lifestyle Sports.
In terms of discounts, you’ll be able to make use of this in Kildare Village, lookfantastic, MUBI, Busuu, Myprotein, Hotels.com.
Kildare Village is an extra 10% on any discount already in place.
If you’re not a customer already, you’ve probably had that moment where you’re out with friends and been the one who couldn’t split the bill on Revolut. So sort it out. Sign up for Revolut today and if you do it through that link there I might even get a wee kickback or a free card or maybe nothing at all. They change referral rewards a lot!
I’m going to start this article in a very important manner. The COVID tracking app developed by Near Form on behalf of the HSE is working as expected and not doing anything dodgy with your data. This one is on Google. Professor Douglas Leith and Dr Stephen Farrell of Trinity College Dublin have discovered that Google Play Services is sending personal data to Google servers every twenty minutes. Here’s what you need to know, but I also want to add, that you should absolutely keep the app on your phone if you wish to continue helping a society battling COVID.
What Data Is Google Harvesting?
It’s funny. Not so long ago, we didn’t really speak about Google Play Services. Now, it’s a regular feature following US restrictions leading to Huawei no longer having access to the Google Mobile Services ecosystem. Just a few days ago I wrote about how many are asking the question “should I delete TikTok?”, and here we are with Google at the middle of a very similar controversy to those TikTok has experienced.
Google is currently sending sensitive personal data including your IP address, your phone’s IMEI, your phone number, serial number and even your email address. According to the Trinity research paper, Google is polling this data every 20 minutes before sending this to their own servers. If these servers are outside of the European Union and possibly regardless of where they are, the Alphabet-owned tech giant could be in violation of Europe’s GDPR.
Despite these claims, a Google spokesperson has said to Newstalk’s Jess Kelly, that in keeping with Google’s “privacy commitments for the Exposure Notification API, Apple and Google do no receive information about the end-user, location data, or information about other devices the user has been in proximity of”.
Why Is The COVID App Sharing My Personal Data?
I cannot stress this point enough. As far as we can tell, the COVID tracking app is not sharing any data with anyone it’s not supposed to. This is a Google Play Services issue.
In fact, calling this out as a new issue is a bit unfair of me too. This has been a known issue for some time. Such an issue has privacy been that as early as May both Google and Apple pledged to protect user’s personal data.
The exact in’s and out’s of these findings remain somewhat unclear, but in a project which has called for impeccable privacy practice from day one, it’s remarkable that this issue has still come to light.
The COVID tracking app has genuinely potential to save lives and it should be considered a remarkable achievement. So successful is the app that “COVID Green” as it’s known has now been donated by the HSE to The Linux Foundation Public Health. This is why I was quite quick to say, and repeat, that the issue here isn’t the COVID tracking app. It’s Google Play Services and there is certainly a question to be answered here regarding how personal data is being handled by the tech giant.
What’s The Problem With Google Taking Personal Data?
You should look at personal data as being personal property. If you give it away, it’s very hard to get it back and it does have a value. With that in mind, Google taking your personal data without your permission or you fully understanding what’s happening with it is a massive deal. It could be outright illegal what Google is doing here.
The other thing to consider here is GDPR. From Google and Apple to the HSE, we’ve helped understand how the COVID tracking app works. By understanding how it works, we can also understand the data Google does not need to access in order to have an operational tracking app. It would appear that Google is taking excessive personal data and that’s a big no no under GDPR.
As you know, much to my social life’s detriment, I’m a big fan of GDPR and am using it to try and leave the catholic church. One key principle of GDPR is data minimisation. This means that a company should only take and process personal data which is required to achieve the agreed purpose for why the data was shared in the first place. Google would appear to be taking more data than is needed here and go also be storing this data outside of the EU.
We requested comment from Google, the HSE and the DPC. Google repeated “in keeping with our privacy commitments for the Exposure Notification API, Google does not receive information about the end user, location data, or information about any other devices the user has been in proximity of”.
The HSE stated that they “welcome any evidence based research and opportunities to improve the app and Science Foundation Ireland has conducted significant independent research into all aspects of the app. It is also very important not to conflate issues noted by researchers with how Google or Apple enable all their users’ apps through their stores, with the functionality of the HSE’s COVID Tracker app, which puts user’s privacy and security first and foremost”.
I’m still waiting to hear back from the DPC, however, the HSE did mention that they have “been guided by feedback from the Data Protection Commission on Data Protection throughout development of the app” to “ensure the app is compliant with European data protection legislation”.
The HSE also stated that “Google and Apple have provided assurances to governments and health services around the world that they do not have access to personal data through the Exposure Notification System that they co-developed. They have further committed to decommission this functionality once the pandemic is over”.
Updated to include response from Google and the HSE.
