Home Blog Page 72

F1 2021 Review: Braking Point, My Team And More In The Game

Marty
-
0
F1 2021 Review: Braking Point, My Team And More In The Game

Codemasters have been churning out great Formula One games for years now. The biggest endorsement of their work game late last year when the studio was acquired by EA Sports. Yes, the gaming giant behind the FIFA franchise wanted to get their hands on some motorsports games, specifically F1. F1 2021 is EA Sports’ first F1 game since 2003, but how does it fare?

The Highlights Of F1 2021

F1 2021 is difficult to review. I’m a massive F1 fan so I’m probably somewhat biased already. I’ve been playing F1 games from the dawn of time, but still, being totally honest, F1 2021 has made some big strides. Graphically the game is beautiful. Some of the cutscenes are just wildly realistic and they may as well be real-life actors.

The mechanics of the game is a technical wonder. And how you interact with the game based on your knowledge or experience is so customisable that F1 2021 is the Formula One game with something for everyone. And that’s what we need right now given the sport has seen an influx of very welcome fans, with Drive to Survive being a massive catalyst on that front.

As with many of these perrenial updated games, F1 2021 is more about the sum of all parts than any massive or major overhauls. The biggest improvement of all, in my eyes, is load times. Now, this might be reserved for PS5 gamers, but I’ve had a few moments where I sit back on the couch to check Twitter during a load only to realise the game was ready to rock in a matter of seconds. A welcome upgrade from last year’s game.

So if it is more about the sum of all parts instead of the big changes, what is new?

New Game Mode: Braking Point

While I said it’s the little things that matter, Braking point is actually a massive addition. If you’re in the cross-section of motorsport and field sport gaming fans, you’ll recognise that Braking Point is an exciting addition that comes directly from EA Sports. This is modelled on FIFA’s “The Journey” where you live the life of a young footballer. In “Braking Point”, you are a rookie F1 driver by the name of Aiden Jackson, racing for a junior team. In this game mode, the story is the most important feature but it’s a really nice introduction for the less experienced F1 fans out there.

F1® 2021_20210705190521

You’re up against both your veteran teammate and fellow rookie rival driving for another team as you race bits and pieces of gameplay in between cut screens and storyline progression. At times the experience leans too far towards story. For example, I won one race but because that kind of went against the rookie storyline, not much of a big deal was made about it.

You drive partial races at the start, intertwined with cutscenes and simply incredible graphics. The cutscenes may as well be real-life actors.

After this, I thought it would be a good idea to ramp up the difficulty. You can choose from three and as I was racing on the medium, I cranked it up to hardest where it became almost impossible to progress. Sitting in a Williams car, I’d been told to get onto the podium to progress the story.

F1® 2021_20210705192601

So, while immensely entertaining and a fantastic when to learn the controls, Braking Point does feel like it has been scripted by someone who has just a fleeting knowledge of F1. To be honest, it doesn’t detract from the experience too much and if you’re a new age “Drive to Survive” generation of F1 fans, it’ll make little difference.

My Team Returns

Once I completed Braking Point, I moved onto My Team. Unlike Braking Point, My Team is a returning feature from F1 2020. Here, you start out with the bare bones of a Formula One team. Your job is to drive and manage the team, taking points and money for glory and development.

My best effort to recreate Jordan F1

I’ve not gotten as deep into this just yet, but having built my Jordan F1 team and plagarising as much of the Irish F1 team as I could, I’ve been enjoying this mode. Like Braking Point, the real fun comes from when you find your sweet spot in the difficulity settings. This is all about finding a balance between the racing assists, like braking and steering while also tweaking the AI you’re up against to be beatable but only when you’re hitting the apex, getting your braking and acceleration points just right.

Time Trial

One element of the F1 games that I personally really enjoy is Time Trial mode. In the build up to race weekend, I’ll fire up the game and do 20 odd laps of the track F1 is visiting that week. I just find it interesting to get a better feel for the track but also to pit my own ability against other online gamers.

A Departure From Reality

The pandemic has made developing the F1 franchise’s official game a living nightmare for Codemasters. Last year, there were constantly last minute decisions as races were cancelled, while Mercedes’ fantastic gesture of changing to an all-black livery caused further game headaches.

F1 2021 offers a 2021 Championship mode, where you can play alongside the season as it happens. The problem is that it’s already completely different looking to the real schedule.

F1® 2021_20210712161420

Austria appears just once. There’s no Portuguese or Italian Romagne Gran Prix. Perhaps the most unfortunate ommission, while also being the most understandable is Sprint Qualifying. This is a new qualification format being trialled this weekend in Silverstone. It might never seen light of day again, so the developers can be forgiven. Indeed, they can be forgiven for everything given the circumstances they’re releasing this game in.

Early Verdict

Just like you don’t pick your race winner during Free Practice 1 on a Friday, it’s tough to give F1 2021 a full review this early. The game takes some time to get through for a start. I’ve finished Braking Point and found it entertaining if not a little cheesy and wildly unrealistic in parts. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, online is a massive part of the fun with these games. While I didn’t enjoy F1 2020 all that much online on Xbox, the experience on PS5 was totally different so I’ll update this review once the servers get populated.

But, with the game launching on July 16th, and if you need a quick opinion now, here it is. This is a worthy entry to mark Codemasters and EA Sports teaming up for the first time. Sure, some elements have hardly been reinvented from F1 2020 and the ongoing pandemic means not everything aligns perfectly. But the load times alone is enough to get excited about. On top of that, it’s nice to have the updated teams. Sure enough, if you’ve played F1 2020 to death, the upgrade might not be overwhelming but it’s an upgrade nonetheless.

F1 2021 is fun.

Like the FIFA series, it’s difficult to resist the perennial upgrade and now, with Braking Point and hopefully further online developments, you’ll be getting your money’s worth.

Alternatives To AA Roadwatch: AA To Stop Traffic Reports

Marty
-
0
Alternatives To AA Roadwatch: AA To Stop Traffic Reports

It’s been a while since I’ve driven to work. Still, I’ve heard the traffic reports countless times, all ended with the sign-off line “AA Roadwatch”. The AA, which gathers its name from a former connection to the British Automobile Association, started to broadcast traffic reports across the airwaves 32 years ago. That’s nearly as long as I’ve been on the planet! Owing to a raft of technology now sitting in the hands of the public, the AA is ceasing their radio reports. But what are the alternatives to AA’s traffic reports?

Google Maps

When I first heard the AA was ceasing their reports, my first thought was “what will we do now” followed really quickly by, “oh yeah, Google”.

Despite my recent flip over to loving my iPhone 12, I’m still a massive fan of Google Maps. It’s easily the best mapping system for planning a journey and getting from A to B the fastest. When setting off on a road trip, I shovel my trust into Google Maps. I let the app completely determind the best way to travel.

The reason behind that is simple. Google uses unimaginable amounts of anonymised user data to tell how busy routes are. When you’re in the Maps app, the big red lines are places to avoid. If you’ve used the app’s route planner, you don’t even have to worry about that because Google has already factored that crash on the M50 into your route and sent you the faster way. The bad news is that the M50 might still be the fastest route and there’s a lot of sitting in traffic in your future.

Google Maps will show you the fastest routes, turn by turn navigation and even lane assist where needed along with toll information and live traffic updates on routes.

I spent a few minutes thinking about the fact the AA has had such a massive reduction in the public depending on them because of technology like Google Maps. We’ve transitioned from waiting for the information on the hour, to having tailored information to our peronal needs on-demand. And Google does that fantastically well.

Take this example. You’re going to a hurling match in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork. You need to be there for 3PM and are travelling from Dublin. You can pop the stadium into Google Maps, setup a navigation and even tell the app what time you want to arrive at. Google Maps will then tell you the time you need to leave by to arrive on time and even send you a reminder when it’s time to get going. When you’re nearly there, Maps can help you find parking too. It’s brilliant really and all based on your very specific needs.

Waze

Beyond Google Maps, there are plenty of other map platforms, including Apple Maps. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure why people would use anything but Google’s app for pure efficient route planning. But Waze is another app that offers something slightly different. Like Google Maps, Waze will let you plan and organise everything about your trip, including being able to set an “arrive by” time.

The big difference with Waze is that the app crowd sources information. For a long time, that was just ok in Ireland. Not many people got on board and the app was much more useful in countries with larger populations, namely the US. But today, there are loads more people here using the app.

A Waze app user in Ireland reporting a car stopped on the N7

In this example, someone driving along the N7 has spotted a car pulled in on the hard shoulder. This means that other Waze users will receive a notification when they’re approaching the obstruction.

The drawback is that you are depending on other users to have spotted something and that they have taken the steps to report it. Once there’s enough people using Waze is really is a fantastic app, keeping you posted on everything from speed vans to traffic incidents and even petrol prices.

There are some nice additional features within Waze that make it a lovely travel companion. You can connect your favorite music app and even use voice controls so you can keep your eyes on the road.

Once you start to use apps like Google Maps and Waze, you can see why the AA has decided to step away from traffic reports. We now have user-friendly access to tailored and, perhaps even more importantly, live route planning.

Succession Season 3 Teaser Drops: The Revolution Will Be Televised

Marty
-
0
Succession Season 3 Teaser Drops: The Revolution Will Be Televised

When I say I’ve never clicked on a video as quickly in my life. Succession is one of those shows. You know? You’ve seen chatter online about the first season, but didn’t pay it much heed. About halfway through season two, you happen to start watching it. Then you nervously watch episodes being released as you work your way through. Eventually, you arrive at the end of season two and there are months left to wait for season three. In this case, it’s literally been bloody years.

The wait is over.

Succession Season 3 Release Date

Yes indeedy. Succession, an HBO Original Series is coming and we’ve officially been treated to a teaser. The series, loosely based on the media empire of the Murdoch family, picks up where season two finished way back in October 2019. While it’s great to have a teaser, rather painfully we don’t have a date yet. The show is still in production and with the pandemic still being fairly rampant, despite what some would have you believe, there are precautions and delays aplenty.

For now, you’ll just have to sit back and drink in the teaser which you can find atop this very page.

One good thing is that at the end of the trailer, we at least get confirmation that it’s coming “this fall”, so expect to get episode in 2021.

Where Can You Watch Succession?

If you’re in the lucky batch of people who’ve yet to watch Succession, you might need to get a little creative. Unless you’re a Sky customer. Sky and HBO have a budding relationship and that means you can watch it all on Sky Boxsets.

Will HBO Release All Succession Episodes Together?

I’m afraid not. They drip feed us. Most subscription services will do this with their biggest series to ensure they get you subscribed for a few months. Don’t forget, you can’t get HBO in Ireland, at least not without a VPN. So you’re at Sky’s mercy.

Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Gaming Headset Review

Marty
-
0
Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Gaming Headset Review

The ever expanding world of audio accessories isn’t just for music lovers. Gamers are arguably just as picky about their headsets, but they’re just looking for different specs. If you’re a streamer, you also have to keep one eye on looks of course. Turtle Beach is a market-leader when it comes to gaming headsets and their new Stealth 600 Gen 2 is attemping to corner “perfect all-rounder” market. Let’s see how they fare.

Sound

I had been in the market for a gaming headset since nabbing myself a PlayStation 5. The draw of 3D Audio promised by Sony’s own official Pulse Headset opened the door. Naturally, Sony’s own headset is going to work really well if you’re after an awesome 3D Audio experience. But I wasn’t expecting Turtle Beach to be able to compete, but compete they do.

The Stealth 600 Gen 2 headset taps into Sony’s 3D Audio tech, delivering an expansive soundstage. While the natural noise cancellation leaves a bit to be desired, this headset makes up for it with power. Turtle Beach also has a trick up its sleeve in the shape of Superhuman Hearing. This is the gaming equivalent of being able to hear a pin drop, pulling in incredible an virtual soundstage allowing you to pinpoint the enemy’s location.

I did find that from time to time, particularly if the game and my surroundings were in complete silence, I may hear a slight hiss through the headphones. But it’s a minor concern to flag given than any other surrounding or in-game noise was drowing that out.

…and the mic?

It’s not all about hearing when it comes to gaming either. The mic is also critical and this mic is crystal clear. Personally, I also really like the fact the mic is muted or unmuted by folding the boom away neatly into the headset.

Design

This headset focuses on the most important design features to ensure you’re comfortable during a marathon gaming session. They weigh in at just 290 grams making it very easy to forget you’re even wearing them. The light material around the earcups means air can circulate around your ears. Trust me, this is welcome.

soft ear cups on gaming headset

The Stealth 600 Gen 2 isn’t the most flexible gaming headset on the market, but this isn’t so much a sacrifice as it is ensuring a secure fit. The combination of breathable material, a faux-leather cushion on the headband, and an overall snug fit make these the most comfortable gaming headset I’ve ever tested. You can adjust the headband too with a satisfying click. There’s even a numbered track so if there’s more than just you using these, you can all remember your preferred setting.

How Durable Is The Turtle Beach Stealth 600?

One drawback of the Stealth 600 Gen 2 is one which features across most gaming headsets. They feel considerably cheaper than they are. It’s a total plastic fest. If you have a tendency to rage-quit and fling your headset across the room, I’m not convinced these will survive much.When you tap the plastic you can hear it and it’s

loud. Along with the breathable materials on the ear cups, you do lose some natural material noise cancellation, but the headset makes up for that when it comes to pure volume and general sound quality. Finally, if I had to be really picky, I’d also say there’s a lot of knobs and buttons on the left headphone. If you need to change something in the heat of battle, it’s almost certainly going to annoy you at some stage.

A Great Working From Home Headset

One final note on design. This headset is glasses-friendly which immediately shouts “working from home” headset to me. Being glasses friendly isn’t a gimmick either, it makes a real difference you have a headset and glasses combined for any extended period of time. If you’re in the market for a new headset for Zoom or Teams calls and you’re a gamer, look no further.

Connectivity And Battery

One big plus for the Stealth 600 Gen 2 is the fact they are completely wireless. If that game of FIFA just got “standing up” levels of intense, you don’t have to worry about tripping over a cable. It’s important you take note that these aren’t your regular connect through Bluetooth headphones either. In the box, you’ll find a dongle that you plug into your PC or console. Sidenote: Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 comes in two different models depending on what you plan to game on.

The connection running through a dongle is a bit of a double edged sword. It really simplifies the connection process and during my testing I didn’t one experience any drops in audio. I did feel that the connection could start up faster and, when looking to game without the headset, if the dongle was plugged in the TV would appear muted because the default output remained the dongle. These are all really small problems, the latter being fixed with a quick switch in the menus in a matter of seconds.

I’m guessing that another benefit of the dongle is the incredible battery life that the Stealth 600 Gen 2 headset churns out. Turtle Beach advertise a 15-hour run time. I didn’t track it, but I’m almost certain I’ve gone over that and don’t recall charging the headset at all. I could be right or wrong, but the important take away there is that you won’t be plugging these in every two minutes to get some juice back into them.

Verdict: Is The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Worth It?

If you’re in the market for a typical pair of headphones, you should expect €100 to buy you a more premium feel than what the Stealth 600 Gen 2 has to offer. But these are not typical headphones for everyday use. These are a gaming headset, designed for marathon sessions.

You can see Turtle Beach has nailed designing a gaming headset for gamers. For every job, there’s a right tool and these are the perfect audio tool for gamers. The one additional callout, as I’ve already mentioned, is that these would be a nice option for working from home too. If either of those sound like you, here’s your new headset.

This specific headset is available in Smyths Toys along with a wide range of other gaming headsets. They’re also on Amazon.co.uk but right now Smyths is cheaper.

iPhone 12 Review: Android User Tries Out iPhone

Marty
-
0
iPhone 12 Review: Android User Tries Out iPhone

My first ever smartphone was a Samsung Galaxy Europa i5500. From there, I graduated to the iPhone 3GS before the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. I had a brief stint with an iPhone 5c as a work phone but other than that, my daily rider has been Android. I’ve been massively critical of iPhone for years. Their underwhelming launches are repackaged features from five-year-old Android phones. So when I got my hands on the iPhone 12, I expected to be testing it for a few weeks before returning to my Google Pixel 5. It’s been a few months and I’m still using the iPhone. Here’s why.

iPhone 12 Design

The iPhone 12 is a very neat and tidy phone.

Display

I might be alone or perhaps in the minority here, but during lockdown I’ve seen myself gravitate towards smaller smartphone screens. This had become clear by the October of last year when I was loving my pure Android Pixel 5 experience. This meant I was already kind of conditioned for the smaller screen of the iPhone 12 which measures in at 6.1-inches, actually a shade bigger than the Pixel. Apple’s Super Retina display is nice and crisp, clear in dark settings but also in direct light, which we’ve had a surprising amount of this summer.

edge of iPhone 12
Apple has accepted that they’re not going to hide bezels on the iPhone 12

No Fingerprint Sensor

Apple doesn’t try to engineer slim bezels. Instead, they seem to embrace a black bar around the screen that leads your eye to the notch in the forehead. As is so often the case, the notch ends up being totally unnoticeable despite being somewhat sizeable.

One of the benefits of that large notch is the sensors required to power Apple’s FaceID unlocking. I’ve been impressed by FaceID and, more importantly, how it integrates seamlessly with so many apps including my banking apps and password manager. I totally get why Apple has gone “all in” with FaceID. It’s because it’s such a great way to unlock your phone. Unless you’re unlucky enough to find yourself in a pandemic where everyone needs to wear a mask.

Oh.

Yes. Apple went all-in on FaceID right around the same time that we all had to start covering our faces. This now means that every time you want to use Apple Pay in a shop or something similar, you have to type in your pin. A mild convenience but still a by-product of Apple’s obsession with what perfect design looks like, despite tech not always being in the perfect situation. Just look at Apple’s Magic Mouse that can’t be used while charging because Apple only wants you to use it wirelessly.

You can unlock your phone while wearing a mask if you have an Apple Watch but this won’t work for other wearables like Fitbit Sense etc. One thing I’ve not mentioned is a fingerprint sensor and that’s because Apple just doesn’t use them anymore. Unless you’re in the market for an iPhone SE.

Build

More broadly, I have to say the build quality of the iPhone 12 has really surprised me. What I mean by that, more specifically, is that I’ve dropped my naked iPhone a few times and it survived. My past experience and the experiences I’ve often heard from friends are to the contrary. But today, iPhone seems to be a little bit more robust. I still recommend a case to protect your phone and to reduce all the mucky fingerprints on the glass back. Quick note on this bit.

black iPhone 12 in hand
The iPhone 12 is a dust and fingerprint magnet. Buy a case.

Best Case For iPhone 12

I bought myself the Pink Citrus iPhone 12 case direct from Apple. It’s a perfect fit and offers a nice gap between your screen and the ground in the event of a slip. If you have MagSafe accessories they are all fully compatible with this too. While I liked the design of the iPhone 12, I just never felt comfortable with it naked. It’s also a fingerprint and dust magnet. This case is just the perfect solution

iPhone 12 Camera

I’ve been lucky enough to test some of the best smartphone cameras on the market with the likes of the Huawei P40 Pro still topping the list. Again, the Pixel 5 had made me look differently at smartphone cameras. If you want simply incredible mobile shooting or massive zoom, the iPhone 12 isn’t for you. Perhaps the iPhone 12 Pro would do the business, but the leading smartphone cameras are still in Android smartphones. But that’s only if you really intend to squeeze everything from those cameras.

I would say the vast majority of the pictures I snap with my phone these days are simple shots of friends, products, food or random things throughout the day. Perhaps this is a byproduct of being locked down, but I don’t need a camera with 50x zoom most of the time or that shoots perfect pictures of the moon. I need a solid camera that’s in my pocket and ready to go. The iPhone 12 does just that. It’s solid.

It’s also capable of shooting fantastic video quality. I’ve been using the iPhone 12 connected to my iPad using Filmic Remote to shoot videos recently and love this set up. Despite being the “entry” iPhone 12 model, it can shoot 60fps 4K video. More than most people would ever need.

iPhone 12 Battery

If there was one area I expected to be slating, it’s battery. For me, Apple battery life in the past has been the biggest driver of power bank sales globally. Today, they’ve just about cracked a full day battery with average usage. Now, I do have to add that I’m pleasantly surprised with just how long the iPhone 12 battery was lasting. But at the same time, it’s just not en par with the some of the Android power beasts out there.

There’s also Apple’s frustrating continued insistence to use Lightning charge ports. In a world of USB-C where even MacBook and some iPads use USB-C, Apple continues to use their own proprietary charging technology. The result is a greater chance than when out and about, you won’t be able to find an iPhone charger. It’s been rumoured that Apple is going to go big on wireless, to the point where iPhones of the future won’t even have charge ports.

Seemingly, that’s how much Apple doesn’t want to adopt USB-C.

This Is One Fast iPhone

Apple claims this is their fastest ever iPhone. This is for two reasons.

Say Hello To 5G

While 5G technology is arguably quite well established in Ireland now, this is still the first iPhone to support 5G. Now, while the big three networks in Ireland offer 5G plans, it’s far from being the norm. It’s also not as groundbreaking a technology as the move from 3G to 4G. Despite all of that, the iPhone 12 has set some blistering speed tests for me.

I have 5G and regularly run speed tests because, let’s face it, that’s the main thing people do on 5G. While out and about in Dublin City, I’ve had the iPhone 12 hit speeds twice as fast as my home fibre broadband. On one humorous occasion, one of my friends nearly spit their lunch out.

These kinds of speeds don’t always impress people. It’s one of those “if you know you know” things. But the iPhone 12 is lightning fast.

A14 Bionic

Years of reviewing Huawei devices has really made me appreciate chipsets. Reason being that I’ve been shown how the world’s best camera hardware needs incredible processor power to finish the job. Apple’s A14 Bionic chip is fantastic, acting as the driving force behind several key features of the iPhone 12, from the camera to power management.

This all makes sense given that Apple has started to shift a lot of their resources towards research and development in this area. The “Apple Silicon” MacBook range has been greeted very warmly by the tech industry indeed, and the iPhone 12 is another chip gem in Apple’s crown.

Moving From Android To iPhone

I’m going to give you my overall verdict on the iPhone 12 in a bit, but first I want to touch upon how big a change this was for me. To many, it might seem a long overdue move. I’ve had a MacBook for years and last year bought myself an iPad. What I never really noticed was that I was slipping into Apple’s famous, or infamous, eco-system. I love the power and flexibility of Android phones which is why I never took the leap with iPhone.

I was missing out on so much.

The iPhone 12 has slotted so nicely into my life that I can’t see myself going back. I shoot a video then AirDrop it to my MacBook for editing. All of my apps work so well on iPhone. Why? Because developers always focus on perfecting their apps for the small range of Apple smartphones before looking at the seemingly endless list of Android phones, coming in all shapes and sizes.

I’ve even gone and bought myself an Apple AirTag because I can feel myself committing to Apple for the near future.

After years of slagging Apple and not understanding why people love iPhone, I now love iPhone. I now see that the whole Apple versus Android thing is about personal preference and, even more critical, personal needs. Would I like a big powerful sports car? Yes, but I can get around Dublin faster on a Dublin Bike.

The greatest shock of all is that I’m weighing up the iPhone 13 Pro as my next phone. This is wild for me to accept!

iPhone 12: The Verdict

I cannot stress enough just how big a critic of iPhone I’ve been over the years. Apple hasn’t necessarily changed, but I have. The iPhone battery still isn’t incredible. The speakers are sub-standard and the camera isn’t the best in the market. But it’s not all about having the worlds best specs and features. It’s about creating a phone that’s simply brilliant. That’s the iPhone 12.

The iPhone 12 is the very definition of an all-rounder smartphone. It’s neat and tidy but plenty powerful. If you need a small screen, the iPhone 12 mini is there. Better camera? Pick up the iPhone 12 Pro. Want that big screen? Then Apple has the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

It’s a clever range of phones from Apple, with something for everyone. However, the iPhone 12 is probably one of the best phones I’ve ever used and it’s just so unlikely to disappoint.

Should You Buy A Refurbished iPhone 12?

Regular readers will know that this phone I tested wasn’t brand new. It was an immaculately refurbished iPhone 12 from Refurbed.ie. As I mentioned, I’m giving the iPhone 13 Pro some serious consideration later this year and buying refurbished will absolutely be on my mind. My MacBook is an refurbished machine and now so is my iPhone 12.

You can save a small fortune and still get the iPhone you love by going down this route. Right now, the iPhone 12 will set you back €929 from Apple. That same iPhone 12 refurbished by Refurbed.ie will cost you just €720. Prices vary a lot based on supply and demand, but it’s definitely worth a thought if you’re in the market for a new iPhone.

The Tomorrow War: Is Amazon’s Sci-fi Blockbuster Worth Watching?

Marty
-
0
The Tomorrow War: Is Amazon’s Sci-fi Blockbuster Worth Watching?

Right. You’ve lost the run of your self during the Prime Day Sale and you want to get the very most out of that Prime membership. You scroll through the Prime Video listings and see a sci-fi blockbuster looking movie starring Chris Pratt by the name of The Tomorrow War. Do you watch it? Well, I’ve watched it so you don’t have to.

What Is The Tomorrow War About?

In the very near future, we’re talking World Cup 2022 in Qatar near future, a World Cup game is interrupted. Beaming onto the pitch are people from the future. 2051 to be more specific. Aliens known as Whitespikes have invaded earth and they are well able to fight. After sending military forces from around the world, just 20% return from battle. It’s not looking good so a worldwide draft kicks off sending citizens of earth to fight.

Chris Pratt plays Dan Forester a former green beret and current school biology teacher. He gets drafted and sent into the future to fight.

This movie is all about that fight and the wider fight for humanity’s survival.

What Are They Fighting In The Tomorrow War?

There are so many timelines criss-crossing in The Tomorrow War that telling you much about the story without spoiling it is really bloody hard! I can, however, touch upon what Chris Pratt and his fellow rat-tag bunch of soldiers find themselves up against. Humanity is ad war with aliens called Whitespikes. These blighters can fire spikes from a tentacle and I guess that’s where the name comes from.

Is The Tomorrow War A Sequel To Edge Of Tomorrow?

Some have drawn similarities between the Whitespikes and the aliens Tom Cruise fights in Edge of Tomorrow. They’re not related and the two movies don’t exist in the same universe.

Is The Tomorrow War Good? Is It Worth Watching?

I’m going to say skip this one. While The Tomorrow War tries to touch upon some clever themes like global warming and the general idea of how we should be trying to leave a better planet for our kids, overall it just drags on. The film keeps getting confused between being a more serious Alien-type movie and leaning into Pratt’s more humorous side.

The story has the potential to weave a really clever time-travelling timeline but it all ends up being a bit silly and rushed. The Tomorrow Runs for 138 minutes, yet amazingly parts of the story feel rushed. It’s one of those films where you have to leave all grasps of reality at the door but even still this sci-fi romp pushes its luck once too many times.

CHRIS PRATT, EDWIN HODGE, and SAM RICHARDSON stars in THE TOMORROW WAR

The whole way throughout the movie we learn of random skillsets and resources that fringe characters have that come back to be critical in the resolution of the story. For example, such a pivotal “end of days” moment in human history can partially come down to one of Forester’s student’s odd obsession with volcanos.

It’s all just a bit much.

There are some funny moments to generate a giggle, but the groan I let out realising there was thirty minutes left told me everything I needed to know about reviewing this movie.

Where To Watch The Tomorrow War

The Tomorrow War was originally produced for cinema release until Amazon waded in and bought the lot. That means you can only stream The Tomorrow War on Prime Video.

Watch The Tomorrow War Trailer

F1 Game Driver Ratings: Drivers Guess Their Teammate’s Rating

Marty
-
0
F1 Game Driver Ratings: Drivers Guess Their Teammate’s Rating

It’s very nearly time to celebrate this year’s F1 2021 game release which is coming really soon! This is the first year where the Codemasters release will come under the EA Sports umbrella. There’s already something creeping in from the EA Sports way of doing things – ratings.

If you play FIFA, you’ll know that player ratings are a big reveal every year. This year, we get to enjoy driver ratings. To kick things off, we’ve got to see ratings for drivers from Williams, Alfa Romeo and Alpha Tauri. As a bonus, F1 organised the drivers to reveal their ratings by guessing their teammates’ scores. Drivers are rated on Experience, Race Craft, Pace and Awareness to generate an average rating.

Check out the video at the top of this page and you’ll get to enjoy Kimi taking things seriously. As always.

Having trouble viewing? You can check the video out on YouTube too.

JBL Pulse 4 Review: Is It Worth Buying?

Marty
-
0
JBL Pulse 4 Review: Is It Worth Buying?

I’ve been diving into a lot of JBL produce reviews lately and I’m not even nearly done yet! Next up on the list is the JBL Pulse 4. It’s a visually stunning Bluetooth speaker with a spicy enough price tag. Is it worth spending your hard-earned cash on? Let’s find out.

Design

The JBL Pulse 4 is all about design. Well, sound too obviously, but while there are many great speakers on the market and even other great JBL speakers, the design is the specific reason many people are considering the Pulse 4.

The speaker doubles as a fantastic light show with the transparent body also being home to a 360-degree LED light system. It looks stunning when up and running. The LEDs are bright and seamlessly blend into each other. It’s like a HD screen of colour, dancing in sync with your tunes. JBL promises that you’ll get 12 hours of tuneage from the Pulse 4 but turning it up to 11 with the lights on full blast will whittle that price down. You can run the speaker lights off too to save battery. If you just don’t like the lights, maybe check out the JBL Link instead.

One draw back of the design is that the plastic housing is an absolute fingerprint trap. Now, given the speaker weighs in at 1.27kg, it’s hardly to be considered a portable party speaker. Instead, bring it and leave it and one to be carried around the town. So maybe you won’t be pawing it all that much anyway.

For every step back, the JBL Pulse 4 takes several steps forward. While those in warmer climates might be wondering if you can use this pool-side, here in Ireland we’re likely to be more concerned about the speaker getting caught in the rain. Either way, the good news is that the Pulse 4 is rated IPX7 waterproof. That means it can sit up to one meter deep in fresh water for thirty minutes.

Two finally points of note in the design department. As has become the norm for everything, this is powered by a USB-C port. A more unusual decision by JBL was to omit and AUX in port. The only way you’re playing tunes through this speaker is Bluetooth. An important point if you thought this would be a nice addition to your RBG gaming light setup.

Sound

Sorry. I’ve a terrible habit of not addressing sound first when it comes to speakers, particularly when there’s something fun and sexy like this LED light show to talk about. But don’t let that distract from the fact that this speaker is whopper when it comes to quality and packing a punch. The only complaints you’ll likely have in the sound department will be coming from your neighbours.

Most impressive is the bass delivery. Flip the speaker over when playing to the end with a big exclamation mark and you’ll see the speaker bouncing in tune to the music.

If you have a few of these speakers lying about, or as is the more likely scenario, two friends rock up to the same barbeque with the Pulse 4, you can daisy-chain the speakers. Now, you have a speaker for left and right audio.

For the price, you might be surprised to find that there’s no Chromecast Audio or AirPlay, nor is there any smart assistant support of any kind. This is a pure Bluetooth speaker, designed for you to hook your phone up to for playing tunes. I should probably call out that there’s no call-handling functionality either, but I’m not so sure that’s a big deal.

The JBL Connect App

The JBL Connect App is one final trick up JBL’s sleeve. Surprisingly, there’s no EQ options here. Perhaps a sign that this speaker, despite being very good audio wise, isn’t aimed at audiophiles. Fair, given the main draw is the light show. And within the app you can control and customise that light show.

The JBL Connect App showing light controls for the Pulse 4

Here you can also connect a second Pulse 4 speaker for PartyBoost and, on a more boring note, update your speaker. There’s likely to be an update waiting when you but that will improve connectivity with a variety of devices.

The Verdict: Is the JBL Pulse 4 Worth Buying?

This is a really tough call. Is the speaker great? Absolutely. The light show is something else and in terms of sound quality, the Pulse 4 is solid with plenty of pumping bass to get your party going, regardless of whether you’re in the kitchen or the garden.

However, all of this costs in the ballpark of €185 if you buy on Amazon.co.uk or €229 if you pick it up in Harvey Norman (they may also price match based on Amazon so chance your arm).

With no additional smarts built-in, it’s a tough sell, but once you take the plunge with an informed decision it’s unlikely this speaker will let you down. Similarly, if you look at this and think “that’s the perfect birthday present for little Timmy or Tricia”, I can’t imagine they’ll be disappointed with a speaker they can show off to others.

Feel like we’ve not answered an important question? We will answer all your questions on Twitter or on our TikTok page.

Unboxing The JBL Pulse 4

Windows 11 To Run Android Apps Natively

Marty
-
0
Windows 11 To Run Android Apps Natively

This is a feature that social media marketing managers and specialists will be very happy about. In their big launch today, Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 will allow users to run Android apps within Windows.

Until now, if you wanted to run Android apps on a computer you would need something like Bluestacks, an Android emulator. But Windows 11, with the help of Amazon’s App Store, will let you download and run apps like TikTok and more on your PC or Laptop.

There are plenty of practical reasons this is pretty neat. Top of the list for me is that this means people working in social media will be able to manage social accounts on platforms like Instagram and TikTok much easier.

JBL Bar 5.0 Multibeam Soundbar Review: Just Excellent

Marty
-
0
JBL Bar 5.0 Multibeam Soundbar Review: Just Excellent

This week JBL celebrate their 75th birthday. They creeped into the frame for me as one of my favourite audio brands. I still use the JBL Club One headphones regularly along with a few other bits and pieces that will be reviewed soon. The German audio specialists sent me over the JBL Bar 5.0 Multibeam Soundbar to review so I’ve swapped it into my setup and put it through its paces. It’s brilliant!

Here’s everything you need to know.

JBL Bar 5.0 Design

I’m going to start with one of the more underwhelming parts of this soundbar. The design. Now, this new soundbar replaces is the Harman Kardon Citation 700 in my setup and these two companies are related because Harman is JBL’s parent company. The two soundbars play in similar price brackets but are worlds apart. The Citation 700 is beautifully designed with grey fabric and a fancy touchscreen. The JBL Bar 5.0 is a much more functional, plain black design. It’s a hybrid approach of metal, metal grilles and plastic.

Just to look at, there’s nothing all that special about it. It’s not head-turning, but it doesn’t look out of place.

It is weighty enough, which plenty will say is a sign of quality when it comes to audio equipment. I’ll never make big conclusions based on weight since I bought a microphone years ago that was full of concrete.

But the speaker’s design is solid. It actually fits by home setup better given I have a dark TV unit. In case the measurements matter for you, they are 5.8 x 71 x 10cm while weighing in at 2.8kg. I’d wager that most entertainment setups are focused more on audio than looks and I’m glad to say the JBL Bar 5.0 delivers where it matters most.

JBL Bar 5.0 Sound

JBL uses a technology called Multibeam which reduces the need to have multiple speakers dotted around your room to create a surround sound experience. Speaking at their recent anniversary gig, one of JBL’s lead engineers said he believes sound direction is the next big thing in personal and home audio. I found that moving the soundbar around a bit allowed the sound to reach around the room so don’t be afraid to play with position to get a more immersive sound experience. While I didn’t need to do this, there are brackets in the kit to help you fix the soundbar to the wall too if needed.

Combined with JBL’s proprietary smarts, this soundbar also packs in Dolby Atmos technology. I’ve been watching Euro 2020, streaming the latest Netflix series and testing out some new Playstation 5 games with my audio hooked up to the JBL Bar 5.0 and have been both literally and figuratively blown away by it.

What’s surprised me most is that there really is no need for a secondary speaker, specifically a subwoofer, to give base boost. The soundbar alone, while slim and discreet, packs a real punch. There’s enough sound immersion here for cinephiles or gaming addicts.

Extra Features

As this would be a reasonably significant investment for any home, there is some good news in the additional features section here to justify the outlay.

For example, the soundbar doubles as a speaker. Let me expand on that before you think it’s a really silly statement. The soundbar has Chromecast and AirPlay built in. This means streaming your favourite playlists to your entertainment centre during dinner or when reading with the TV off is super simple.

It’s important to note that this is just Chromecast audio. While there are a plethora of HDMI ports on the rear of the soundbar, you cannot cast video via the Bar 5.0.

This particular soundbar also support HDMI eARC. I used to believe that optical offered the best audio experience, but I found the Citation 700 disappointing and buggy while watching spoken word shows like Last Week Tonight. I’ve had no problems at all now that I’m using the JBL soundbar routed with HDMI. In fact, the sound is, to me at least, better and I have increased control over the entertainment centre through a single remote.

Sure, this could have been something I’ve set up incorrectly in the past, but the important thing to note here is that I plugged everything in, nice and straight forward, and everything just worked. Well done JBL. As simple as it sounds, lots of companies fall down here, leaving customers to use products with imperfect settings.

JBL Bar 5.0 Soundbar: The Verdict

Over the past few years, I’ve gone through a few soundbars. They were all either underwhelming or overly complicated. It’s really hard for me to review things like that because I could be recommending something people simply won’t like. To top it off, audio enjoyment is so subjective.

But I’m here, reviewing the JBL Bar 5.0 because it’s just so solid. I can’t really find fault with it and am fairly confident this will improve just about anyone’s home entertainment setup.

The JBL Bar 5.0 will set you back about €350 on Amazon.co.uk.

1...717273...211Page 72 of 211