For many businesses who have the luxury, online trading has become a crucial element of keeping the lights on and businesses afloat. Google has today announced a suite of commitments they will provide to Irish SMEs (small and medium enterprises).
The Alphabet-owned company, which came under fire for an update which impacted Ireland’s COVID tracking app, announced a commitment to help 60,000 Irish SMEs recover by helping them grow online. The online search engine giant will provide free digital skills training to 40,000 people by the end of 2021. An additional €4 million worth of advertising credits and grants will be distributed to small businesses, government agencies and NGOs. These commitments come as businesses across Ireland have been rocked by barriers to trade as a result of sweeping restrictions attempting to tame the spread of COVID-19.
The virus has altered consumer behaviour and led to restrictions when it comes to face to face interactions, particularly those involving large groups. This has posed real challenges for the many businesses who previously relied on face to face interaction. Google is committed to supporting Irish SME’s succeed, and today announces ‘Grow with Google’ supports to enable businesses to adapt and thrive by learning how to operate online. This could mean reaching new customers online, selling online for the first time, expanding to international markets or learning how to run a team virtually.
Through the Grow with Google website, people can access hundreds of training courses for free, learning everything from how to get your business visible online, to how to scale your business internationally and how to collaborate with your team online. 8,000 people in Ireland have already enhanced their digital skills through the program, and Google commits to helping an additional 40,000 people by the end of 2021. Google will also partner with Irish organisations such as The Dublin Chamber of Commerce and The Gaelic Players Association to make additional digital skills training free and easy to access for Irish businesses.
Ever since Fight Night, I’ve been enamored by fighting games, so when UFC 4 landed on my desk, bet your ass I was excited to throw off a few slaps. Anyway UFC 4 recently hit the stores after a 2 year hiatus since UFC 3. Adding big name boxers into the mix in Tyson Fury and Joshua was always going to get people to stand up and take notice. Personally, I thought oh here’s a cash cow that’s going to be so bad they’ve decided to pull in two big name boxers to prop the title up. EA are the kind of company that find a formula that works (like FIFA) and stick to it. UFC 4 is no different. UFC 4 doesn’t shake up the system but it’s a fine update of the previous titles by mixing slick graphic, famous fighters designed with a lot of care and realistic physics to bring together a game that UFC fans are going to love.
Gameplay
Many people who played UFC 3 found the control system difficult to get their head around. I was one of them. UFC 4 doesn’t dramatically revamp any of the systems from the previous iteration. However, it does do some tweaking in order to make its existing mechanics simpler and more approachable. EA have done a full update of the ground game, clinches and virtually all wrestling transitions to make it a far more graspable area of the game.
There have also been changes to the submission system. Once a submission is triggered, you the attacking player will have to try move a small bar around a circle or line in order to cover up the other player’s bar. By covering up the bar the attacker will grow their submission meter, but if the defender can avoid the attacker’s bar they will grow their escape meter. Whoever fills their bar up first wins. Simple enough right?
The striking setup is the same as ever, catch someone with the right timing and watch them drop like a sack o spuds. Not unlike UFC 3, momentum, head movement and blocking are majorly important things to get your head around if you wish to survive in the octagon. Not going to lie it took me some time to get to grips with but on PS4, R2 will protect your head, R2 and L2 together will protect your body from punches, kicks and check kicks to your legs.
All in all, UFC 4 is much the same as UFC 3 with an improved ground game, which if we’re being totally honest was the area of the game play that needed the most TLC.
Career Mode
The biggest part of UFC 4 is the Career Mode. It’s pretty much the focal point unless you prefer fighting online. What’s good here is as a new player you have to learn from the get go with the start of the story line essentially acting as an in game tutorial designed to help you get up to speed before you even start making waves in the UFC.
This extended tutorial brings you in contact with Coach Davis, who teaches you the game and gets you on your way to the UFC via the WFA (World Fighting Alliance) and Dana White’s Contender series.
Once you pass these tests, you can then join the UFC and start on your way to becoming the world champ. To become the champion you have to train, develop your boxing, muay thai, wrestling and Brazilian ju-jitsu. Then when it comes to your actual fights, post on social media to build hype, the more interest you can generate for a fight then the more fans you get and the better contracts you can earn.
As you train, you earn skill points that you can use to improve areas of your game such as stamina, head and body health and attack speed. You also want to avoid injuries as much as you can. A long term injury will see your stats drop and you’ll need these skill points to improve all over again. Which to be fair is not unlike getting a real life injury, you gotta train them skills back up.
Finally, you can create rivalries via social media with other fighters, you can invite fighters into your camps to teach you a move and there are some in game decisions that help this from becoming a tedious slug from fight to fight.
The Goosed Verdict
To be honest I’m not the biggest UFC fan in the world but I can see this as a title that will delight fans of the sport. If EA are listening, please bring back Fight Night because that was one of the best fighting titles that I’ve ever seen. But look we’re here to talk UFC 4 and to be fair in typical EA fashion it does improve on the previous titles weak points without making any major overhauls to the game.
If you are a UFC fan you’ll be able to get hours of fun out of the Career Mode and fighting with your mates online. If you aren’t a fan of the sport getting to grips with the in game mechanics might not be for everyone. The Career Mode is the big win in my book and would keep me playing a bit longer but once you have it complete the only thing left to do is change styles or change weight classes and do it all over again. being totally honest are most people going to do that?
In fairness UFC 4 is the best MMA title on the market. Which isn’t hard considering I think it’s the only MMA title on the market and for fans of the sport get on it. UFC 4 is an enjoyable run out but if MMA ain’t your thing find something else to play.
There’s a whopper volume of headphones hitting the market these days. It’s well-timed too. Not all office workplaces encourage headphones, but with more people working from home and seeking the ability to “get in the zone” with noisy surroundings, people want good audio equipment. The Kygo A11/800 headphones are one of the latest pairs of noise-cancelling headphones to land on my desk. I’ve given them a test drive and here’s what I think about them.
Who Is Kygo?
Truth be told, these are the reviews I hate. I hate them because they make me realise I’m getting on in years. I’d never heard of DJ Kygo, a Norwegian DJ and music producer, real name Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll. Let’s face it, I’m pretty sure I won’t like his music. And even though he bounded to fame back in 2013 for remixing an Ed Sheeran song, I was going to be judging his headphones purely based on their audio quality and not his clout. So, after getting that rant off my chest, I realise I’m going to enjoy this review because it all comes back to the tech!
X by Kygo is a range of headphones which the Norwegian producer is happy to put his name to. I doubt he was in his bedroom with a soldering iron making them, but he was heavily involved in their creation process. More specifically, his input really shaped the app. More on that later.
In a spiel on the box, the creator says the headphones are an extension of his approach to everything, “always driven to improve”. I won’t lie. The whole thing struck me as a modern-day product with lots of talk and nothing to back it up. That fear was largely instiled with one look at the perfectly crafted Instagram page that supports the brand. It’s all very pretty and Insta-friendly. But is it all very good?
Sound
Let’s not mess about and get straight into the sound. The A11/800 sound great out of the box, while not as crisp as some other headphones I’ve tested with a bit of bleed between treble, mid and bass. Still, nothing that would make most users fire the headphones off in disgust. I listen to a diverse range of music, from Queens of the Stone Age to The Scratch and I found the headphones to deliver everything I would expect from this price range. I got a bit adventurous in the app which allows you to tweak sound preferences. Not an unusual addition and usually quite welcome, but Kygo’s input here is obvious.
Changing Sounds In The App
The app allows you to customise the sounds to four locations: Bergen, Los Angeles, New York and Ibiza. Why you might ask? I know I did. The four locations are places which influenced Kygo the most. The Bergen setting represents his hometown and is stripped back and best suited to chilling with some acoustic sets. If you’re getting more into dance, flick over to Ibiza.
At first I thought this a novel idea but also a bit gimmicking. I found it outright awful when it came to listening to Irish music like The Scratch and just left the headphones in default mode where they were best suited for this. However, when you play music from the genres Kygo has tailored these equaliser settings the headphones come alive. Again, showing my age, when you say electro-house, I can only think of things like Wolfgang Gartner and Anthem by Miles Dyson. These were tracks I would mess around with on a set of decks I bought with the money from my 21st before I started DJing the birthdays of others.
For The Few Not The Many
When you get into tracks like these, the audio quality is excellent. Take my ever-trustworthy benchmark for audio, the Bose QC35 II. These are incredible and I, to this day, cannot fault them. Every song I listen to them sounds great. I thought those classic electro tracks sounded great on them too, but when I set the Kygo A11/800 to Ibiza and cranked out Anthem I experienced something special. These cans are not for the audiophiles but for the dance music and hip-hop lovers. They are for a niche, to please the few not the many and that’s a very good thing.
One additional tick in the box of good vibes is that these headphones support Qualcomm’s aptX.
Design
Let’s step away from the important stuff and focus on what Kygo probably thought to be equally as important as sound; design. As I said, these are very Instagram friendly in terms of their branding. The black headphones I tested were quite subtle but they do come in a much more, visually, loud white colour too.
They’re a bit plasticky if I’m honest considering you’re paying a premium price for these headphones. Now, no more plastic than the Bose cans but the aforementioned JBL Club One headphones do give you a bit more premium for your buck. The headband is a slim profile and offers generous cushioning which makes them comfy. In fact, they’re very comfy. They sit snugly on your head and while I didn’t run test these myself they would be a somewhat acceptable headphone for a quick morning job. Especially if you’re a good looking Scandanavian. You may hear the joints creaking a little the more you move but overall, you’re not buying these as a running headset. You just might go for a jaunt with them.
The ear-cups, while nice and soft aren’t the biggest. I don’t think I have particulary big ears, but if you know you do these might not be the comfiest.
Functionality
The last port of call for these headphones is functionality. I’ve already discussed the app and don’t really have anything else to say about it. It’s a unique way of helping you improve your sounds and once you’re looking to enjoy the music that aligns it’s excellent. Otherwise, you can just keep it middle of the road and you’ve still got a great pair of headphones. Some other features.
Active Noise Cancelling
Normally, I’d be throwing this into my backpack along with my Bose cans and on a flight to somewhere giving them a quick noise-cancelling test. For obvious reasons, the ability to do flight tests has been dramatically curtailed these days. But I found a way when reviewing the excellent Huawei FreeBuds 3i. The extractor fan in my kitchen is ancient and very noisy. Hello there jet-engine substitute.
The active noise cancelling is ok. The “MacGuyver jet engine test” is very fair because it’s a droll monotonous sound. Exactly the kind of sound active noise cancelling should be able to wipe out. It does a decent job of this but it doesn’t compare to the likes of the Bose or the surprisingly brilliant JBL Club One ANC headphones, more on them soon.
On-Headphone Controls
I usually look at a pair of headphones and prefer to see more buttons. Less buttons means a gesture pad and gesture pads are typically horrible to use. The Kygo A11/800 has a gesture pad and sure enough, it’s not that intuitive at the start. The good news is after you figure it out or read the manual (not my strength) it’s quite a good gesture pad. Swipe up from the centre to increase volume. Down to decrease, left to skip back and right to skip forward. Tap in the centra to pause and play.
In addition, there’s a power button and buttons to control active noise cancelling and awareness mode. The latter is great if you’re walking through the city or going for a jog as you can still hear bits of the world around you. A nice feature that.
Finally, you have two additional ports. One for USB-C charging and ther other for an options 3.5mm headphone jack.
Battery Life
The headphones are advertised with a 40 hours battery life or 19 hour playtime battery life. As with all battery ratings, I didn’t that from them but the reality is that you’ll rarely feel a battery life which really only achieves 14 to 16 hours. These will get you through most long-haul flights and their noise cancelling will do enough to take the edge off those engines. Whenever we’re allowed do all of that again.
Everything Else
Final few bits to mention. As you’d expect at this price point, you do get a nice carry case with a carabiner to clip onto your backpack. In the case, you’ll find a USB-C charge cable and 3.5mm cable with an in-line mic for calls. The last feature I didn’t really call out was the auto-pause feature.
There’s a proximity sensor which detects if the headphones are on your head. Take them off and auto-pause kicks in. These a similar feature on the Sennheiser Momentum 3 which is awful but I do think the Kygo A11/800 actually pulls this feature off a little better. My concern is that if you do have smaller ears or wear glasses and have issues with the sensor, there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to disable this feature. On the Sennheisers, I could turn it off but if you have trouble with it here, you’re stuck with it. Thankfully, I didn’t have any issues so hopefully it’s the same for you.
Kygo A11/800: The Verdict
At €249 these are not aiming to be a quick cash-in on Kygo’s fame. I say fame there assuming he’s fairly well known. Instead, these are a very real attempt at a premium pair of headphones. They deliver on quite a few areas and are a great pair of headphones in their own right. However, when you look at the market – it’s vicious. Right now you can get the stupendous Sony WH-1000XM3 for the same price. If you’re an all-round music lover, they’ve still got to be your first choice but if you’re big into your electro-house and want a bit more style than substance (and I say that with no disrespect intended), the Kygo A11/800 are not a bad pair of headphones at all.
The internet has come a long long way. I still remember sitting in my bedroom on a DELL desktop running through a phone line and using Limewire to download music for hours, if not days. Back then, the internet was the trickle of water coming through a teeny tiny pin-sized hole in a bucket full of water. Today, the hole in the bucket is the size of a Pringles can. Internet speeds have gone crazy fast for people living in built-up areas. Standard 4G speeds are stronger than ever and, while it’s early days, the other day I tested Vodafone 5G on my Huawei P40 Pro and got speeds as fast as the fibre in my house! Even in this landscape of internet leaps into the future, Virgin Media has launched one of the most significant leaps forward in modern broadband with 1 Gigabit speeds being rolled out to nearly one million homes nationwide.
Gigabit Broadband In Ireland
Gigabit broadband is all about speed, specifically speeds up to 1,000 megabits a second. That means you can download an Xbox One game or 4K movie in about three minutes. I’m a Virgin Media customer myself and I’ve been checking up on my data usage since COVID hit the nation. My internet usage has nearly doubled, between video conferencing and staying in to watch things like The Fall on Netflix or downloading games like Fall Guys to beat the boredom. Two strangely related titles there. Paul Higgins, Vice President of Commercial at Virgin Media, said, “we know our customers are using their broadband more than ever before with data usage increasing by 40% since March”.
Customers are using their broadband more than ever before with data usage increasing by 40% since March
Gigabit broadband means more people in the home can do even more with better quality. It enables things like 4K video streaming to be as normal as HD streaming. While your internet might be fast enough for you today, our world is ever-evolving and what you want to do online tomorrow could very well need Gigabit broadband.
Gigabit broadband isn’t new to Ireland. SIRO, a joint effort between Vodafone and the ESB, was launched in 2015. It’s a clever solution which saw fibre lines being laid alongside electricity wires instead of burying them. The end goal was a rollout of Gigabit broadband to homes which, traditionally, were unable to avail of fast internet speeds. SIRO, by its direct nature, takes time to reach individual homes and so there are still many left wondering when either the National Broadband Plan or SIRO will reach them.
Virgin Media’s launch today, unfortunately, won’t address the issue of rural areas with poor broadband. At the same time, the reach of Virgin Media’s network shouldn’t be underestimated. According to the CSO, over 50% of all occupied premises in Ireland are capable of connecting to the Virgin Media network and can access speeds of to 1Gb. Of the entire network, 1Gb speeds will be available to 97.5% of installation points.
However, it does mean that nearly one million homes now have the choice of Gigabit broadband and that’s simply got to be one of the biggest network leaps in the past few years.
Virgin Media Gigabit Broadband
You can now sign up for Virgin Media’s Gigabit broadband, over on their website. When you order, you’ll need to be sent your new modem, the V2. Generally speaking, the Virgin Media systems simply plug and play and rarely require a technician visit. The package will set you back €85 per month which gives you access to 1Gb download speeds and 50Mb upload speeds.
There is also a launch offer in place which reduces the package to €60 per month for the first six months giving you a saving of €150, but this is an online-only offer. Buy in a Virgin Media retail space and you’ll be paying full whack.
Every once in a while a gadget lands on our desks here in Goosed Tower where every single one of us does a double take and says “What are we meant to do here” and of course a wonderful part of being Irish is the squimishness and awkwardness people feel when the topic of sex is brought up. Luckily this is changing and now onto my second Sextech review I feel obliged to say, chill out and enjoy the ride…literally. Anyway the toy that recently got us all going full Catholic guilt was the Hot Octopuss Pulse Duo lux, a couples’ vibrator that claims to do it all.
I can hear it already, you’re a tech website why are you talking about a sex toy? Bear with me this has a bit more tech going on than you might think, and that includes it’s double motor pulse plate technology.
Pulse Plate Technology
Right straight in no kissing here. The key bit of kit involved here is the Hot Octopuss’s PulsePlate. This means that instead of the toy using traditional vibrations, it actually uses oscillations that are located on a raised plate designed to hit a key spot for maximum pleasure while the flip side contains a second plate for her enjoyment. As I said this is a couple’s toy primarily but if you don’t have a partner you can still use it alone or save some money and buy one of the brands solo model’s like the appropriately named PULSE III SOLO which is essentially just the guybrator version of the Duo Lux.
Beyond that this toy contains all the usual bits of tech you would assume in a gadget, like USB charging (although C-Type would make a faster charge), it’s totally waterproof (which is always a good thing) and there are 3 touch buttons to operate speed controls and at the base there is the magnetic charging plate.
Charging the Duo Lux is simple, attach the magnet and the toy lights will come up red until it’s fully charged at which point the lights will turn to green. Charging time takes about 3 hours for an hour of usage.
Finally with the Duo Lux there are also two wearable remotes for independent control. So basically control your own vibes or your partners through the watches.
Controls
Controlling the Duo Lux is very very simple. On the device we have three buttons, the plus and minus for vibration control and a single button on the other side called the function button. To turn on the device simply hold down the button on the vibe with just a single dot for two seconds. Once the device is firing you can then use the buttons or the remotes to increase oscillation speed, and for the external lady vibe you’ll need the controller.
There are 9 different oscillation levels and 6 different patterns modes that respond to the oscillation speeds and if you’re feeling real ballsy hold down the plus button for about 3 seconds which will put the Duo Lux into Turbo mode.
The buttons on the device and watches are:
Lightning or crown logo – TURBO MODE!
Circle – long press to turn on/off or short press to cycle through speeds.
Plus – increase speed
Minus or wavy line – decrease speed and intensity
When it comes to getting into the action, adjusting the pace is easy peasy. Use the on device buttons or fiddle the remotes until you find your ideal setting. Oh and it packs a punch, the Pulse Solo has 3950 RPM whereas this Duo Lux is rocking 4,450 RPM.
The Wearables
I’m calling it a watch even though it doesn’t tell the time, and this little bit of kit is what runs the show. Wear your own and control your own vibes or swap with your partner and control each others speed.
The Duo Lux straps are made from silicone and the central ‘coin’ is a hard piece of plastic you can remove to change out the batteries, which is a simple watch battery, if and when the time comes. Maybe don’t bring this into your local jewelers for a new battery and just buy them yourself but hey whatever you’re having.
The strap itself is designed to fit pretty much anyone, ranging from 7″ to 10″ but do take not, the device itself is fully submersible (yano incase shared bathtub time is on the menu) but the remotes are only splashproof aka don’t drop that in the tub it won’t be coming back.
How does it feel?
K, now to the meaty stuff and I’m honestly very happy I’ve got this far sticking to the tech and not mentioning boners. But that’s where we are at now. When it comes to the Duo Lux, one partner can use it as a masterbator while herself mounts and grinds on the reverse side.
Essentially here the penis is inserted into the toy while the woman rests their clitoris against the back so both can be stimulated simultaneously, and when the woman is on top they can shift their weight across the plate to increase clitoral pressure. Ride it like you stole it, but it’s 100% not made for penetrative sex, its a little too bulky for that.
When it comes to sex, everyone is different so when it comes to the Duo Lux there is going to be some learning as to what works for you. Having said that some when will come by stroking, others with the stationary vibe oscillations and others by grinding within the device while she is on top.
When it comes to partner play, you need the remote to activate the pulse plate on the “bulb” side and once you’re up and running cycle through the vibration strengths to find what works best for both parties.
As I mentioned earlier the Duo Lux packs a punch. The noise is quite deep and well buzzy (yes not very technical but that’s all I got) and this gives you and idea of the difference between the vibration and oscillation patterns. The fact one side is oscillating and the other vibrating does mean this is quite loud as far as vibrators go. Having said that, the male pulse plate is really the loud part and almost drowns out all the smaller vibrator’s movement.
Women can also use this alone, but it’s very much a straddling product, so either press it against the clit or find out where on the curve is the sweetspot for you and again everyone is different so depending on where you are sensitive and what gets you off is where the testing and learning comes into play.
The Goosed Verdict
Are we all over our Irishness yet? If you’ve got this far then fair play. For about $150 this ain’t exactly cheap so if you’re in the market for a guybator maybe check out one of the brands solo products.
Overall this is a pretty cool product both for the single and the couple, albeit if you live with housemates and thin walls, the noise level is fierce enough to give them a bit of a surprise. Also battery life isn’t amazing but then again would you really be using just this for over an hour at a time?
The Duo Lux is absolutely a gadget designed to improve foreplay and I can only assume it would be a game changer for couples where there are issues with penetrative sex or erectile dysfunction. In short, get rid of that wonderful Catholic guilt, get your sexy on and try something new.
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”.
