I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, with so much negativity going about the place these days we’ll be taking any chance to show the positive stuff that’s happening around the country in a time like this. PPE is a major issue for the whole healthcare system right now and amazingly it’s not giant corporations or the government stepping in to cover the need, it’s people like you and me that have a little bit of talent and the right tools. What I’m talking about is 3D printing. Up and down the country, people, small business, colleges and more have been sharing open-source designs and all these people are using their newfound time and skillset to 3D print PPE to help front-line staff through the COVID-19 crisis.
Doing the good work
Following the shortage of PPE to fight the current COVID-19 Pandemic many Irish people, companies and institutions have offered their skills to help the cause.
One of these techy heroes is Wexford native Cedric Aucher who plans on producing 100 face shields a week. Cedric will be working alongside his father and sister to create the 3D printed PPE and will be donating these shields to local organisations in need such as nursing homes and other public services.
We also have e-NABLE Volunteers in Dublin have been working around the clock to help supply their health heroes and first responders with much-needed face shields this past week.
“Here in 3DAssist Dublin, we’ve printed and delivered over 150 face masks to our local hospital. We’ve also sent over all our colleges PPE. Our local police force delivered our stock to the hospital, a real community effort. Be safe.”
3D printing is not the only way to make PPE! A good old mate of mine from back in the college days and is a bespoke furniture maker and owner of Studio Luden in Ennis has shelved all current projects and has been putting his handy skills to use, laser printing face shields using lightweight plastic which has been donated to the local nursing home and other public services.
An advanced manufacturing research facility based in University College Dublin has designed a face shield for medical staff working on the COVID-19 frontline in the space of a week and is already scaling up production. Using its expertise in 3D printing, known as additive manufacturing, I-Form is aiming to provide much-needed PPE to Tallaght Hospital.
Nigel Burke, an owner of 3D Printing Dublin, declared: “We want to get the message out that there are Irish businesses producing PPE. We’re here at home – use us.” His 3D Printing workshop in Rathmines is currently producing 120 PPE face shields per day.
Jacqui O’Connor from Med Scan 3 D, who usually make models of body parts, has six 3D printers on the go as nursing homes across the country cannot access the personal protective equipment they need during the health crisis. Jacqui is now 3D printing face shields and set up an online funding page to raise money for the project. She’s raised about €4,500 so far, and each face shield costs €15 to make.
Two students at Kinsale Community School (KCS) in West Cork have started making 3D printed face shields in order to protect front line staff as they go about their duties. Fifth-year student Oisin Coyle and Transition year pupil Shane Collins contacted their principal in recent days about the possibility of making Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for medics in hospitals. An assembly line was set up and the shields will be distributed to doctors, nurses, pharmacists and healthcare workers in the coming days.
So proud of our Students and teachers coming together (never closer than 2 metres though!!) to make PPE for our health care workers. #kcs4lifepic.twitter.com/toVLvySMs3
Back in the good old days I went to UL and did Product Design and Technology, at the time it was a small course hidden in the basement of the concert hall for us to go all mad scientist….things have changed and now the Rapid Innovation Unit at the University of Limerick is living up to its name by designing solutions to three critical challenges facing hospital doctors fighting COVID-19 in less than two weeks! They are currently pumping out intubation boxes for the University Hospital Limerick as well as the face shields.
A collaboration between UL & @ULHospitals Group has seen the design and capacity created to manufacture 100,000 face visors for HSE front-line staff. #MidWestTogether
The first batch of visors were delivered to UHL today. They say ‘The Limerick Visor: Front Line Heroes’ on them. pic.twitter.com/Mot4miT6oq
3D printers have become more affordable, for what a couple of years ago would be north of €1000 you can now get an entry-level machine for about €200. Like these:
XYZprinting da Vinci Mini+
A small 3D printer that costs about €350 and is purchasable on Amazon. It remains one of the most affordable ways to get into 3D printing, and also the easiest, thanks to an easy-to-use interface. Just because it’s a budget model, doesn’t mean it doesn’t produce good results, and the 3D printed objects it creates are very impressive considering the price – and size – of this 3D printer.
AnyCubic Photon
MSLA printers are coming thick and fast but none so far have achieved as low a price as the AnyCubic Photon which is about €300. Photon puts SLA technology into the hands of anyone who wants to give it a go on a budget. The included software is solid enough as is the user interface if all a bit simplistic, but you can’t argue with the quality of the resulting prints. You do however need to ensure everything is kept clean and resin is filtered and the resin bath washed between each print.
TEVO® Tarantula Pro 3D Printer Kit
Another simple and cheap printer that comes in at about €200 that prints 235*235*250. Perfect for home use and it’s upgraded special designed cooling fan shroud for efficient print cooling.
How you can help
If you want to help any of these good folks, luckily there are ways. Cedric Aucher is looking to raise the funds to be able to produce over 100 face shields per week to make the best use of his recently acquired 3D printer. You can reach out to the e-nable team in Dublin or any of the crews mentioned above to see what resources they need. Of course, if you happen to have a 3D printer just laying about at home you can always get the plans and get involved.
You might also be interested in The Galway System which can double the capacity of ventilators in an emergency.
This year we are expecting two new gen consoles, the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5. We previously have taken a look at what we thought we know about the console but luckily and somewhat teasingly, Sony are drip feeding us with new information. This time around it’s the brand spanking new DualSense controller. Sony recently released a statement on their website as they begin sharing the new control with developers to integrate the new features into their games. They claim the features of DualSense, along with PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech, will deliver a new feeling of immersion to players.
To be honest, this new design is getting some very mixed reviews for its look but personally I think it’s quite a slick looking bit of kit. Sony claim they have kept much of what people enjoyed about the DualShock 4 control all the while adding in some new features to go alongside its new look. It seems that touch and audio are going to be the two major developments with the latest control rendition.
When it comes to touch, Sony are redeveloping their haptic feedback, which adds a variety of powerful sensations you’ll feel when you play, such as the slow grittiness of driving a car through mud. They have also incorporated adaptive triggers into the L2 and R2 buttons of DualSense so you can truly feel the tension of your actions, like when drawing a bow to shoot an arrow.
CEO Jim Ryan from Sony had this to say:
“DualSense marks a radical departure from our previous controller offerings and captures just how strongly we feel about making a generational leap with PS5. The new controller, along with the many innovative features in PS5, will be transformative for games – continuing our mission at PlayStation to push the boundaries of play, now and in the future. To the PlayStation community, I truly want to thank you for sharing this exciting journey with us as we head toward PS5’s launch in Holiday 2020. We look forward to sharing more information about PS5, including the console design, in the coming months.”
Traditionally you would think when it comes to a game control it would be a case of if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Not this time, a new console means a new challenge and an opportunity to build off of the current generation, while taking into account the new features we were adding. For example, with adaptive triggers, they had to consider how the components would fit into the hardware, without giving it a bulky feel, so they created a design that changes the angle of the triggers, adds subtle updates to the grip and did it all in such a way that maintains a strong battery life for DualSense’s rechargeable battery, and lessens the weight of the controller as much as possible as new features were added.
In other news the “Share” button is gone in place of a new “Create” button which Sony claim is a pioneering new way for players to share their content with the world. But that’s all they have told us for now.
We mentioned audio is going to be a big deal this time around so the DualSense has it’s own built in mic, about time some might say. This will enable users to chat without a headset or use earphones that don’t have a mic in built.
Personally I quite like this two tone white on black design as it’s a big change from the single colour designs of years gone by. As you can see, they went a different direction this time around, and decided on a two-toned design. Additionally, Sony changed the position of the light bar that will give it an extra pop. On DualShock 4, it sat on the top of the controller; now it sits at each side of the touch pad, giving it a slightly larger look and feel. There will also be an all black design but that’s all we know for now.
Sony say they wanted to make a controller that is an extension of the user when they’re playing – so much so that they forget that it’s even in their hands, guess only time will tell.
What was the last meme to trend before COVID-19? Honestly, if you’ve ever played Fallout, I sometimes feel like I’m living it. The life we knew a distant memory. Not trying to be dramatic, instead, I just think it’s so crazy that everything I write now has roots in the completely different world we all find ourselves in. One of those things is Zoom’s growth from a piece workplace video conferencing software to a social network of sorts. But, with Zoom’s explosive growth to comes growing pains, and one such growing pain is Zoom Bombing.
What is Zoom Bombing?
Zoom Bombing is a very simple problem. However, simple problems can have quite large impacts. The good news is you can easily avoid Zoom Bombing and happily continue using Zoom to connect with friends and family. More on that later.
If you’ve hosted or taken part in a Zoom video call, you’ll have joined the call using a link or a meeting ID number. These numbers consist of between 9 and 11 digits. If you join by a link, those ID numbers are in there, at the end of a link that starts with “https://us04web.zoom.us”. I just did a quick Twitter search for “https://us04web.zoom.us” and immediately found people promoting their Zoom meetups. One is for a cycling group of all ages, including the password required to join and the time of the meeting. So it would be nice and handy for anyone to join.
And that’s exactly what Zoom Bombing is. Gatecrashers do quick and simple searches for Zoom links and join the video calls. Sometimes, it’s classic internet trolling, but it can also branch out into sexual content, racism and sexist content
Welp. Today I paid for a @zoom_us account and hosted my first virtual version of #SEObeers and I'm sad to say that after an hour we got bombed with a bunch of penis, racists and sexist pics and messages.
If you’re hosting a public Zoom meeting, you are responsible for taking the steps required to avoid this. Also, it’s in your interest because scammers don’t take long to find ways of using new trends to their advantage.
How To Avoid Zoom Bombing
Here’s how to avoid ZoomBombing, keeping your calls fun and safe, while also keeping us all connected in isolation.
Use Meeting Passwords And Don’t Share Them Publically
Using a secret password is the first step in protecting yourself and the meeting. Recently, Boris Johnson rather foolishly shared his Zoom meeting ID when tweeting about the first digital meeting of The UK Cabinet.
This morning I chaired the first ever digital Cabinet.
— Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) March 31, 2020
The problem with this tweet was that the UK’s top powers were meeting in Zoom and they had publically shown their Zoom meeting ID. It’s in the top left corner of the browser. Zoom has released an update which some are referring to as “The Boris Johnson Update”.
Now, this wasn’t a massive deal because the session was password protected. Chances are even if the whole world tried to guess the password, and I’m sure they tried, no one would have gotten in.
That’s the power of a password.
When you host a Zoom meeting, set a password. This means your guests will not only need the meeting ID but a password too. If hosting a public meeting, don’t put the password in the same tweet as your meeting ID. You’ll need to have some sort of gating process. If you’re hosting a game of poker, WhatsApp the password to everyone. If you’re hosting online beers, maybe you could use a Google Form to get people to submit their emails addresses before you invite them.
A small bit of a barrier will go a long way towards keeping Zoom Bombers at bay.
Use The Waiting Room
The Waiting Room is like a bouncer. It’s the airlock. With the waiting room enabled you can add people one by one to the Zoom meeting. For example, you could request people use their real first name so you recognise them and not allow people in who don’t meet this requirement.
Never Ever Give Up Control Of Your Screen
Zoom has a functionality which allows other people in the meeting to control your computer. Just yesterday while working, I used this. It’s a very handy collaborative tool when you’re confident and sure you know everyone in the Zoom meeting. If you’re hosting a public Zoom meetup, you should never ever give up control of your screen. A Zoom Bombing gatecrasher or even worse a scammer might be waiting for the right moment to request access to your computer and have a look around to see what they can find on your laptop.
Practice A Zoom Call
Find someone you trust and arrange a Zoom call with them. Ask them to try and take control of your screen so you can see how to allow them, but also how to revoke their access later. Zoom is a brilliant platform with tons of functionality. Spend some time playing with everything it can do, but do so when you’re in a meeting with people you trust.
Disable “Join Before Host”
As I said, you’re responsible for ensuring people who enter the meeting are there for the right reasons. This is why you shouldn’t use “Join Before Host” as you don’t have control. If you know for a fact the meeting is locked down, it’s a handy feature but only use it when you’re sure no one else has details to join. Otherwise, you need to be there to police it.
Lock Your Meeting
Everyone in? Lock the doors. You can lock Zoom meetings and stop additional users from joining. Another simple step that can prevent Zoom Bombers from ruining the craic.
Disable Screen Sharing and File Sharing From Guests
Internet trolls love nothing more than sharing their screens full of porn, racism and sexism to name but a few of their favourite things to share. By preventing screen sharing and file sharing, you’ve removed their chance to broadcast this kind of content to your meeting.
To control this, click “Security: on the bottom of your screen. Disable the option allowing participants to share their screens.
You’ll find the options for this by clicking the arrow next to Share Screen and then Advanced Sharing Options. Under “Who can share?”, click on “Only Host” and then you’re done.
Only Allow Authenticated Users
You can also set your meeting up so that only users who have confirmed email addresses with Zoom access can join. Generally speaking, scammers and trolls avoid doing things like this but it’s not a fool-proof way to avoid Zoom Bombers either.
None of these methods are fool-proof. Some aren’t easy and others alone won’t protect you. You need to practice some commonsense with Zoom access. But if you take all of these things and put them into practice, then you won’t go too far wrong. And once that’s all done, the good news is you can have fun!
Have Fun On Zoom
One of the most incredible things to emerge from COVID-19 isolation is how we’re all staying connected. Through various video calling platforms and whatnot, I know I’m seeing some people more than ever. It’s brilliant to see technology when used correctly, bringing people together.
I’ve already shown you how to turn yourself into a potato on Zoom but Zoom is a lot more than that. It’s bringing people together and breaking down social distancing. Just do your best to avoid Zoom Bombers and we’ll all be just fine.
Things are gone mad and we’re probably living in the most uncertain times in recent history, so when we get any good news we have to shout about it. With social distancing and facing a long Easter Weekend on your couch rather than the beach the fine folks of Google have given us that good news we need! Video games can be a valuable way to socialize with friends and family when you’re stuck at home, so Google are giving us all free access to Stadia Pro for 2 months..Nice one.
Anyone who signs up will get two free months of Stadia Pro with instant access to nine games, including GRID, Destiny 2: The Collection, and Thumper. You can purchase even more games on the store, which will remain yours to play even if you cancel your Stadia Pro subscription or when the trial finishes. Now some may be sitting there saying to themselves, “I’m already a Pro subscriber, so what’s the story for me?”. There’s more good news from Google here and if you’re already a paid Stadia Pro subscriber, Google will give you the next two months for free.
How to get started
If you’re new to Google Stadia, getting started is surprisingly simple:
In recent times we’ve seen the likes of Netflix and Disney+ have had to throttle things to relieve pressure on internet services. Naturally that means the responsible thing is for Google to do the same.
To reduce load on the internet further, Google are reducing default screen resolution is being lowered from 4k to 1080p and the vast majority of people on a desktop or laptop won’t notice a significant drop in gameplay quality, but you can choose your data usage options in the Stadia app.
Finally, as you give Stadia a try, check out these helpful tips for setting up your home environment and as Google know many are going to be totally new to their platform they’ve also posted a Getting Started Walkthrough.
It’s one of the most talked-about smartphone launches for quite some time. For that alone, I’m delighted the Huawei P40 Pro is ready to launch. I’ve been using Huawei phones for the past few years and I personally believe they’ve been a breath of fresh air in a very stale market. It really all began with the P20 Pro, before moving through a few quite remarkable phones and landing on today. Today, I’m using the P40 Pro and I’m here to tell you all about it.
Huawei Launch P40 Series
Obviously, because of the way the world is today, Huawei restricted the launch of the P40 Series to an online only broadcast. Prior to the event, Huawei had already launched the P40 Lite so this event would focus on the P40, P40 Pro and the new member of the family, the P40 Pro+. Huawei had sent me a P40 Pro to test out the day before the launch and I’ve been using it since. So without further ado, here’s what I think of it.
Does The Huawei P40 Pro Have A Good Display?
I always say that so many features on phones are totally down to individual preference. For example, some of you will insist on nerding out over the numbers and specs like screen pixel density. Others will fire more from the hip, looking out for design and what it’s like to watch a movie on. I’m not even sure what it is that I look for in a screen but what will say is that the P40 Pro has a brilliant screen.
On paper, it doesn’t have the 4K screen of some Sony phones or the pixel density of the Galaxy S20 Ultra or event the Galaxy S20+. However, in terms of innovation and experience, the P40 Pro screen really is something else. First of all, let’s chat about that overflow screen. When Samsung released the Galaxy S20+ with a 90.5% screen-to-body ratio, few believed we’d see better so quickly. Yet, thanks to a quad-corner overflow display the Huawei P40 Pro boasts an incredible 91.6% screen-to-body ratio. That tiny percentage has a massive impact on your experience when using the Huwaei P40 Pro.
Check out how much more screen is on show here, especially around the chin.
One of the key things that Huawei CEO, Richard Yu, alluded to during the launch of the P40 Pro was that this wouldn’t be a phone of “no compromise”. That phrase, “no compromise” has been a marketing rallying call for many products. But not for Huawei has decided to embrace compromise where it needs to in order to improve the overall user experience.
For example, many smartphone manufacturers are rushing to adopt 120Hz refresh-rate screens when the reality is 90Hz is plenty. If you’ve never through about your screen refresh rate, I can promise you this spec will make zero difference to you. If you’re a hardcore mobile gamer, it will make a difference. The key point here is that Huawei would rather go with 90Hz because they know 120Hz has a significant impact on your battery life. For me it’s compromise for the greater good.
Overall, the P40 Pro display is unique and allows you to be immersed in whatever it is you’re watching.
Huawei P40 Design
I wanted to bring the P40 Pro’s design in here next. It’s unavoidably linked to the display.
P40 Pro Is A Design Masterpiece
Indeed, I really like the display. The design is remarkable. For me, the dual cutout in the display for the front-facing camera isn’t a distraction at all. My first time using a phone with a display cutout for the front-facing camera was the Samsung Galaxy S10+ so I’m not surprised that it didn’t distract. The move to having a cutout front-facing camera means that Huawei once again relied on an in-screen speaker. The good news is this is much improved from last year’s P30 Pro and sound quality has massively improved too.
You could actually take this in-screen speaker quality improvement as a measuring stick for Huawei’s development over the years. I remember back when I was working in a phone shop selling the old P8 and P9 that the major issue with Huawei’s flagship phone was the plastic feel. The build quality meant the phone would rattle and vibrate when on a call. They weren’t bad phones at all, they were just missing something.
Broadly speaking, what impressed me about the P40 Pro design is that Huawei has managed to make a more premium feeling P Series phone. In the past, I’ve always felt the extra-premium feel was reserved for the Mate Series. After getting to grips with the Mate 30 Pro to test out Huawei’s Mobile Services and Huawei AppGallery, I’m glad to report the P Series is right up there in terms of premium build and design.
Now, the Huawei P40 boasts a brilliant innovative screen housed in an aluminum frame with a gorgeous matte material back. I’m very pleased with the back of the phone because, for once, whatever they’ve made this from isn’t an absolute fingerprint magnet. It might not be what everyone looks for but that’s a bugbear for me.
P40 Pro Design Flaws
As wonderful as the P40 Pro is, I’m going to call out the two design quirks I noticed. First of all, try not to leave your phone face down on surfaces. As was the case with the P30 Pro, the P40 Pro does not have Gorilla Glass. While the screen is supposed to be durable enough, I personally just believe screens not using Gorilla Glass are more susceptible to scratches. Sure enough, even in isolation and barely leaving the house, I managed to get a little nick on the screen. So my advice to you is, from day one, get yourself a screen protector, preferably a tempered glass protector.
Scratches can come about from your pocket, day to day life, or as I said above, leaving your phone face down. Leaving your phone face down becomes more likely because of the second design flaw in the P40 Pro. The camera array on the back of the P40 Pro is huge. Like, it’s obnoxiously big. For me, it’s not a problem but it’s a design quirk which might leave some users annoyed every time their phone is left on a table. It’s such a silly thing but how your phone rests on a table can bother some people.
Now, the reason the size of the camera array doesn’t bother me is that the P stands for photography and that camera array is packing some essential hardware that gives the P40 Pro its main selling point. Its camera.
P40 Pro Camera
There have been a lot of question marks looming over the P40 Series. With many questions being asked, few questioned the P40 Pro would have a brilliant question. That’s simply because Huawei has form here. For as long as I can remember, even in those early days with the P8, Huawei flagship phones have had fantastic cameras. That was brought to the next level with the P20 Series. Here we are, two iterations later and, to be honest, on paper the P40 Pro hardware is underwhelming. When compared to the P30 Series there aren’t that many dramatic departures.
Here’s a comparison between the P30 Pro and P40 Pro camera features:
32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 0.8µm, AF IR TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Seflie Features
HDR
HDR
Selfie Video
1080p@30fps
2160p@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps
The big jumps come in the selfie camera and the video ability of the phone. Video capture was a big focus of the Mate 30 Pro launch and it looks like this is the next evolution for Huawei. While this won’t be much of a big deal for casual weekend filmmakers, this will be music to vloggers’ ears. The big jump here is being able to shoot 4K front-facing video at 2160p@30/60fps. The reason that awesome is because you usually have to make a trade-off. If you want the highest quality from your phone video you can’t see the screen. Not any more as your selfie camera can shoot video just as well (ish) as your primary camera.
All of the video features aside, you’re really here for the photography – or at least most people will be. Not only am I mighty impressed with the P40 Pro camera, but so too are people who rate cameras for a living. The P40 Pro has once again been crowned the best smartphone camera on the market by DXOMARK.
The funny thing about this rating for me is that this isn’t just down to brilliant hardware. The P40 Pro is home to the Kirin 990 5G processor. I rarely nerd out over processors because I generally don’t believe it to be very consumer-friendly review material. However, the power of this processor is very important to get across. This processor allows your P40 Pro to quickly determine what you’re shooting, define edges and subjects while also choosing various settings like colour balance and white balance. The result is incredibly vivid shots and stunning bokeh Portrait images.
Here are some comparative shots between the two phones. Remember, for me the big difference here is the AI running on the Kirin 990 5G chip. While the P30 Pro is still impressive, the P40 Pro just outperforms it.
St. Patrick’s Park Flowers, Shot on the Huawei P30 Pro
St. Patrick’s Park Flowers, Shot on the Huawei P40 Pro
Still impressive shooting from the P30 Pro, St. Patrick’s Park, DublinSlightly superior shot and object identification leading to sharper shots, St. Patrick’s Park, Dublin
The usual question I get asked is “I have a P30 Pro, do I need a P40 Pro?”. As a rule of thumb, when there’s a year between smartphone launches, the answer is no. While there are some nice AI-assisted features like Remove Passersby from your shots and the remarkable ability to remove reflections, I’m not convinced the camera offers enough to make the jump from the P30 Pro. But if you are running any other smartphone or even a P20 Pro, and you’re in the market for a photography-based smartphone, the P40 Pro has got to be top of the list.
Now, while it’s top of the list, there’s another massive question mark hanging over the P40 Pro, especially if you have something like a P30 Pro. What’s it like moving from a phone with Google Mobile Services to Huawei Mobile Services.
I’m looking forward to the day where I can stop writing this line and maybe the P40 Pro helps with it. Google can no-longer officially support Huawei smartphones. This means new launches like the P40 Pro won’t have Google Play Services and apps like YouTube and the Google Play Store. While many have seen this issue as being Huawei without Google, I can really see the tables turning over time. I have already tested the Huawei Mate 30 Pro, purely to focus on the Huawei Mobile Services side of things. While I stumbled through some app installations and just couldn’t install some services, overall it wasn’t too bad an experience given the pace Huawei has had to try and get into position to compete with Google and Apple.
There are certain aspects of using HMS which are well underplayed too. While some might scoff at the thought of promoting privacy considering some of the headlines Huawei has endured, the truth of the matter is if you think Huawei should be a concern, Google absolutely is too. What I realised while trialling HMS is just how deeply Google has buried itself in my life. Also, what shocked me is how relatively easily I removed it too. It still pop up as an issue every now and then, and I’m conscious that in isolation my need for Google Maps is lowered, but it’s somewhat liberating moving away from Google.
Instead of Google Assistant, I’ve installed Alexa as my personal assistant. One for the privacy people. You can’t wake Alexa as an assistant on your smartphone by saying the wake word. You have to bring the assistant to life using screen gestures so there’s no accidentally over-hearing your conversations because of a misheard wake word.
There’s been another funny side-effect of my switch to HMS and whether or not this is positive is up to you. Because my apps rely on Google Mobile Services for push notifications, I’m being annoyed by my phone less. For example, my Twitter feed doesn’t buzz at me every five minutes yet my WhatsApp notifies me every-time I have a message. I’m sure this is down to the fact I’ve installed WhatsApp thorugh the official WhatsApp website while Twitter was carried over by Huawei’s Phone Clone.
The truth of the matter for the P40 Pro is that some of you will buy it and adore it. Because of Huawei’s VIP setup service, you’ll be up and running with most of your favourite apps and you’ll enjoy this phone like people enjoyed their new P20 Pros and P30 Pros. As time goes on and the Huawei AppGallery continues to add new apps the focus will shift further and further away from what Huawei doesn’t support, instead shifting back towards the comparison between Huawei, Samsung and Apple.
Others will buy the P40 Pro and will immediately discover there’s a specific app they need that’s not available. One issue I discovered, was restoring purchased apps I’d paid for in the Google Play Store. Right now, it’s a no go though some app developers may honour refunds. For these reasons, the P40 Pro will just not be for everyone. If you’re really tempted but nervous, I’d recommend you buy online for the simple reason being you’ll have 14 days distance selling protection. As a consumer, this is EU law and it protects you when you shop online as you have the right to cancel and return your order within 14 days, for any reason and without the seller requiring a justification.
Huawei P40 Pro: The Verdict
It’s really tough to evaluate the Huawei P40 Pro purely because there are new variables in play. For the techies out there, there are fewer problems, but would I buy the P40 Pro for my mother? Huawei is going through a massive period of change. I’ve said myself that the benchmark I’m holding them to is Huawei Pay’s expansion. Yet, for many mobile payments doesn’t really matter that much. And that’s the problem.
The Huawei P40 Pro is the best phone on the market once again, once there’s not a really important app or service in your life that you simply cannot live without. Once the latter comes true, there’s an element of risk that sneaks into the equation. This is one of the most subjective smartphones on the market. One customer will brag about the camera to their friends while another will lament that they couldn’t control their LIFX lights.
So, without trying to be objective, what do I think?
What shocked me is that my SIM didn’t go back into my P30 Pro. A few months back, I thought I’d give up on the P40 Pro after testing. Instead, I’m fascinated by ditching Google and seeing how Huawei grows. The camera is stunning and, for me, is worth any smaller sacrifices in dropping some apps here and there. To be totally transparent, I am using my phone less whether that be because of the reduced push notifications or me not installing a few apps of lesser importance. I’m not sure that’s going to be a selling point for many but for me, it’s turned out to be a massive positive.
Somethings Remain Untested
As isolation eventually lifts, I think I’ll revisit this review again as I test some more camera features. I also want to test out life without Google Maps and whether or not I can still fly my drone. Also, I’ve not mentioned the battery at all in this review. My reason being that while it seems to be as impressive as previous Huawei smartphones, my lifestyle is just so different right now. I feel like I’m using my phone more than ever, yet the battery life is lasting longer than ever too. I’m just wary of testing some elements with isolation going on so I’ll update this article once further testing in normal life takes place.
If you’re thinking of buying but are still not sure about a certain app, drop us a message below or on social and we’ll test it out for you.
Huawei P40 Pro Launch Offer
The final thing I’ll mention for now is that Huawei is rightly sweetening the deal when it comes to the P40 Pro launch. The phone launches on Tuesday 07.04.2020 and will be available from all major Irish networks. While I’m waiting for pricing, Huawei is throwing in some nice freebies with your P40 Pro. You’ll get:
Not to long ago, we made a commitment to not promoting gambling. However, during the week a lost a few bob while playing poker with some friends. It absolutely wasn’t about the gambling. We had all played poker together before, though we hadn’t played in a few months. With everyone in isolation, we realised everyone wanted a bit of a break with the lads. Organising an online poker game together would tick that box.
What You Need To Organise An Online Poker Party
To play a game of poker online with your friends really doesn’t need a whole lot. You will need:
A laptop
Pokerstars
Video calling software/apps
Smartphone optional
Revolut optional
Cans
I’m sure there are countless variants on the way we played our game, but I’m just going to discuss that one because it worked well. It worked so well that I lost money in not one, but two games. More importantly, I can’t blame the software. It was all my terrible poker skills, but still, the craic was had.
Anyway, here’s how you get your game of poker going with friends.
Laptop
For the setup we had, I’m afraid this one is unavoidable. I’ll chat about Pokerstars in a second, but long story short, the Pokerstars platform a laptop. There is a mobile app, but it won’t allow for private parties.
Pokerstars
As I said, I’m sure other platforms offer the same things we were looking for but Pokerstars was where we ended up. The essential things for us were:
Private table
Free
Actually I think that’s it. Event the free bit was optional really but why pay for something when you don’t have to. Keep all your cash for the pot!
You will need to download and install Pokerstars either for PC or Mac depending on what laptop you have. Sign up for a Pokerstars account online and then, once you’ve downloaded and installed the software, log into your account.
Once the Pokerstars program opens, look for the “Home Game” option on the right-hand-side menu. If you’re the organiser, you’ll need to create a club to click that option. Give your club a name and a unique code which you’ll then send to your friends.
Once you’ve done this you’ll now be able to manage your poker club. Click “Manage Games” and “Create a Tournament”. Next, you’ll need to create the usual rules of your game. Give this some thought because unlike a game of poker in your mate’s gaff, things here are going to be military precision. There’s no forgetting blind increases or starting at 8.30 pm even though you all agreed 8 pm. The most important thing you need to change here is currency. This should be “play money”. Leave it at the lowest amount. Players don’t have infinite amounts of play money so keeping this low meant we could play a second game.
With that done, it was time to work on the more social side of the game.
Best Video Calling App For Poker
We opted to use Zoom for our game. I’ve bought a month’s subscription to Zoom Premium for €17 given how much I expect to be using it. It worked perfectly for us given we could switch to gallery mode and see every player. That’s great if you’re looking for some online tells!
Our first game of poker just after I got knocked out.
Now, of course you could play without video but the whole idea here is to hang out with your friends and get some social time in isolation.
You don’t have to use Zoom Premium either. Zoom has a free option which works brilliantly. The only catch is that you’ll need to restart the call after 40 minutes. I’d recommend getting everyone to chip in for Premium but really, you don’t have to. Also, there are alternatives. You can also use Skype, Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts to get the same effect.
Smartphone Optional
I say smartphone optional because it really depends. I’m lucky enough to be using a 15-inch MacBook so I have a lot of screen. Having poker on one half and the video conference on the other half. If you have a smaller screen or just prefer to focus on the poker, I’d recommend using your video conferencing app on your phone. Regardless of which platform you and your friends choose it’ll likely work on mobile or a tablet too.
Revolut Optional
Again this is optional, but Revolut makes all of this so much easier. Once you have your winner, you transfer your buy in to their account. It just makes for easier transfers and faster confirmation that everyone has paid up. Naturally, this wasn’t a problem for our group, but if everyone is using Revolut you can even transfer to the organisers account before everyone plays and they can divvy the cash our afterwards.
What I Learned From My First Game Of Isolation Poker
What stood out to me was just how much like a regular game it was. As always, the poker didn’t take centre stage at all. As always, the focus of the evening was chatting, ripping the piss out of each other and finding out how everyone is getting along in isolation.
While it doesn’t match the face-to-face game, there are some big benefits too. You don’t need to worry about counting your chips, shuffling cards or being the dealer. However, as I mentioned earlier, you play by the rules to a tee. We struggled to get everyone into the first game on time. For example, I was still making dinner and there was no option to pause. So get people to join early.
At the outset, I reminded you that Goosed.ie took at the stance not to support gambling websites any more and we’re still standing by that. However, this was such a social thing it’s impossible to see it as gambling. I’ve been asked by a few people since “how to set up a game of poker in isolation” so I felt compelled to write this.
Planning your own game? Give us a shout on Instagram and tag us along with your mates. Enjoy! Any don’t lose the house. Only play for fun and amounts you can afford to lose.
Working from home. We’ve heard a lot of this in the past few weeks. There have been articles galore online including some bits from us too. Working from home means a seemingly endless stream of video calls with colleagues. Video calls aren’t all that bad. Personally, I’ve been astonished by how far video calling technology has come in recent years, even if webcams themselves have left people working out how to use an iPhone as a webcam. However, it’s not always the most creative or fun way of interacting with your workmates. Do you know what is fun and creative? Snapchat. And you can marry the filters of Snapchat with boring video conference software.
Having Fun With Video Conferencing Software
If your company is using Zoom, you can already have a little bit of fun. Zoom lets you have a virtual background. Now, while these things are great craic, they’re also great if you don’t have time to clean your kitchen before you have a video call. You don’t need a green screen or anything either. Basically, the software uses AI to determine what you are and then lets you replace your background with videos or beaches, still images from around the world or an image you upload yourself.
When you’re in your meeting select the video options in the bottom left corner. When that menu pops up, select Virtual Background.
This will open a new menu where you simply pick the background you want. Some are videos. You’ll also have the option of adding your own picture by hitting the plus in the top right corner.
And there you have it. You can now swap out your backgrounds, hide the mess and have a bit of craic. Unfortunately, similar features haven’t found their way into Microsoft Teams which just lets you blur the background.
So, now for the real fun.
Use Snapchat Filters With Zoom And Teams
Snapchat’s popularity has been up and down over the past few years. But they’ve been working hard to branch out into many different businesses and models to try and secure a future. One of these is Snap Camera. The people behind Snapchat hit gold when it came to using AR in their filters and “lenses”. Content became more enjoyable and incredibly shareable. Snap Camera brings the best of Snapchat’s filters and AR lenses to video streams hosted through PC and Mac. Here’s how you get up and running.
What You’ll Need To Get Snapchat Filters On Zoom And Teams
First thing’s first. You’ll need a laptop. This won’t work on iPhone, iPad or on Android phones or tablets. Next, you’ll need to download Snap Camera. Finally, you need to be able to install the software on your laptop. This may be a problem.
If you work in a company who takes security in any way seriously, you won’t be allowed to install software on your laptop. But, you can easily install Zoom or Teams on a personal laptop and dial into a call for the craic. And more and more Teams and Zoom are being used for pints given the current scenario in Ireland and indeed the wider world.
Once installed, you can open Snap Camera and pick from a load of Snapchat filters and lenses and whatnot.
Marty as a potato using Snap Camera.
My go-to favourite filter is the potato. However, Snap Camera lets you do so much more and even lets you make your own. But that’s for you to explore. Next, I’m going to show you how to make all of this work with Zoom and Teams.
Getting Snapchat Filters Into Teams and Zoom
Once you understand what’s happening here, it makes things much easier. Normally, Zoom and Teams connect to your webcam. But when you start Snap Camera, it creates a virtual webcam. Basically, your laptop webcam still works but Snap Camera acts as a middle man between your webcam and your video conferencing software. All you need to do now to get things working is select Snap Camera as your webcam within Teams or Zoom.
Setting Webcam In Zoom
In Zoom, you need to hit the arrow beside the video camera icon in the bottom left corner. Once you click this, you’ll see a menu popup with your laptops default webcam and Snap Camera.
Boom. You’re a potato.
Setting Webcam In Teams
It’s the same logic for teams. With teams open on your laptop, click your profile picture in the top right corner. From the menu that appears, select “Settings”. Once settings opens up, you’ll see an option for devices on the left-hand side.
Finally, look towards the bottom for Camera and the dropdown menu. Here, you’ll be able to pick Snap Camera.
Once you have that done, you can start your video conference. If something serious comes up or the CEO jumps into the call, just repeat these steps and select your default camera. Don’t forget you can also open the Snap Camera program on your laptop and cycle through filters and lenses while on the video call too!
Have you done this and had a laugh? Tag Goosed.ie in your Instagram stories and we’ll share the love. We can all do with the little lifts, however silly, that tech can give us.
My phone beeped quite a few times yesterday. Text messages with people asking me if Houseparty, the popular isolation communication app, has been hacked. My response was simple. Maybe. The app was fairly rushed to market and there may have been some corners cut. My advice was to uninstall it and I’d look into it. Little did I know that the furore online far surpassed the somewhat calm text messages I was getting. This thing should be a documentary that beats the madness of Tiger King.
Age Of Misinformation
I don’t know why this happens. Maybe it’s the Illuminati or something like that. But every time something winds up as part of a trend it seems to follow a consistent pattern. It goes something like:
Early adopters try it out
Burst in popularity (virality)
Widespread adoption
Sudden distrust
Meh usage
Now, there’s not a whole lot of science in my findings. Some might say they’re a touch on the side of anecdotal. However, Houseparty certain fits this path. First of all, let’s look at the accusations.
Houseparty Users Claim They’ve Been Hacked
Users are finding a correlation between their downloading of the Houseparty app and the consequent hacking of their Spotify accounts.
Downloaded Houseparty n someone’s hacked my Spotify from Russia!! Delete ur account & then the app. (Would also like to ask that the hacker not reveal my Disney music obsession thank u x) pic.twitter.com/Y6MhUCq66B
This user is not alone with many others claiming they’ve had logins from Russia appearing on the account. The Houseparty creators deny that any data has been compromised.
All Houseparty accounts are safe – the service is secure, has never been compromised, and doesn’t collect passwords for other sites.
Now, I don’t have the technical know-how to tell you if this app has been hacked or not, but my gut reaction would be to say it’s unlikely. Here’s my logic.
Who Is Behind Houseparty?
My initial thoughts on Houseparty were that it was developed by some developer in their bedroom. While it’s not obvious from the Houseparty website, this app is actually owned by Epic Games. Epic Games are no hacks (pun not really intended).
Founded in 1991, Epic Games is today perhaps best known as being the creator of Fortnite and Gears of War. I do know that this isn’t a free pass out of “we fucked up ville”, but it’s important we know who’s being accused of creating an app which is being hacked, leading to users’ Spotify being taken over. It’s not just a wee company somewhere. It’s one of the biggest gaming and development companies in the world.
What Have The Houseparty App Creators Said?
The app creators have absolutely come out swinging. They believe this is all part of a smear campaign to encourage people to delete the app and the stop installing it. This makes sense to me. Not only did people report of “hacks as a result of having Houseparty installed” but they also reported difficulty uninstalling the app. This second point could be a clear indicator that a potential smear campaign is targeting the reduction in new users to the platform.
When I say they came out swinging, I mean they really came out swinging. On Twitter the app creators confirmed they are offering a $1 million reward for anyone bringing them proof of a smear campaign.
We are investigating indications that the recent hacking rumors were spread by a paid commercial smear campaign to harm Houseparty. We are offering a $1,000,000 bounty for the first individual to provide proof of such a campaign to bounty@houseparty.com.
Sophos is a British security software and hardware company specialising in products for communication, encryption and network security. John Shier, the senior security advisor at Sophos, believes the “hack” is “puzzling” because “there’s no evidence to suggest that Houseparty has been hacked and credentials stolen”.
The Houseparty app has naturally seen a massive increase because people are stuck at home. I don’t have official numbers but I can estimate a gazillion people have downloaded the app to beat isolation blues. Shier believes this has compounded the fear of a hack has spread so quickly stating “one likely scenario is that the Houseparty app is the last app many users may have installed and registered using the same credentials as other apps, such as Netflix, Spotify and countless others. Criminals are constantly using old, compromised credentials to access online services in credential stuffing attacks. Correlating these two events seems to be what’s causing all the fuss”.
A Naked Security article, Houseparty – is it really trying to hack into your digital life? also offers some additional advice. You should “visit the Houseparty settings and decide how open you want to be. Do you want your rooms to be “locked” so you meet new people by invitation only? If not, or if you are scared of the app because trolls have been wandering into your online life, consider dialling back your openness rather than deleting the app, but not changing your (user) behaviour. Go through the same exercise for all your social media accounts.”
What Do I Think?
There’s been a lot of this craic lately. My initial reaction would be the fact you found this article means you could be doing more to protect your online privacy. How many websites have you reused the same password over and over again for? A while back, I adopted password managers because through no fault of my own my data had been leaked in a few breaches.
How much news like this real or fake hack impacts you is really down to you. Own your own online security because no one cares about your privacy more than you.
Use a password manager. Previously I used Lastpass and I’m not using 1Password. Both are brilliant and can generate strong passwords for every website and app you use. You don’t need to remember them, the app does it all for you.
For me, I think this is likely a smear campaign. I was on the fence until I read that news was also spreading about the app is difficult to delete. This sounded like it was a step too far in terms of realism and definitely ticked the box of reducing new users.
Who’s Behind The Houseparty Smear Campaign?
I’ve seen a lot of shady stuff on Twitter these days. Take Simon Harris’s Twitter posts. There are compliments and criticisms coming from obvious bot accounts. Do I think Harris is behind this? No. It’s likely someone else trying to make it look like Harris has deployed bots to his comment section. Yup. I’ve gone full tinfoil hat on this one.
For Houseparty, it could be any number of companies involved in the video streaming space. Or, perhaps, it’s another competitor trying to make a company look like they would engage in nefarious activity. It’s a mess and the big loser here is the public who are having their trust in technology rattled. At least, to me, that’s what it looks like.
Agree or disagree? Drop a comment below and let me know.
With smartphone cameras, I love taking a quality picture. But I know I lack a certain eye for a great shot. It’s just not my forte. I consider myself to be a bit of a nerd. I love tech specs as much as the next guy. But again, I’ll hold my hands up and say there are people who can run the specs of a phone better than I can. This specific duty falls to DXOMARK and they’ve just released their DXOMARK score for the new Huawei P40 Pro.
Who Is DXO? What is DXOMARK?
DXO is a French company dedicated to photography. The company was founded in 2006 and originally focused on image quality ratings for standalone cameras and lenses. In 2008 they founded DXOMARK. This is an independent benchmark that scientifically assesses smartphones, lenses and cameras. In recent years, there’s been growing interest in the DXOMARK awarded to smartphones.
The old saying is that the best camera for a photo is simply the one you have on you. By focusing on DXOMARK when buying a smartphone, you can ensure that you always have a quality camera on you.
DXO carries out rigorous testing before they grant a DXOMARK and the P40 Pro has already been through the testing process. I’m not ashamed to be leaning on DXO for their opinion on the camera. While I’m currently putting the P40 Pro through its paces, DXO are next-level camera testers.
P40 Pro Primary Camera
Camera arrays on smartphones have started to get quite big. They’re packing more punch than ever. The P40 Pro is certainly following suit. Remember, the P stands for photography.
P40 Pro Camera Hardware
In terms of hardware, the P40 Pro’s quad-camera setup is mighty. Onboard you have:
Between high-resolution shots, the clever periscope lens and AI-assisted shooting, the P40 Pro is all about the camera from the ground up.
DXO picks up on some of the elements that caught my eye already. One of my favourites is the image stabilisation which makes the 50x zoom much more usable.
Fairly limited in being able to test the P40 Pro zoom, but here ya go. Wide angle to regular to 5x and 10x zoom. Nom nom nom. pic.twitter.com/MPrGlwiOvo
To those of you who are into your nerdy specs, you might be looking at the hardware and be feeling there’s no real rafts of change from last year’s P30 Pro. I agree with you. However, the big changes come with Huawei’s software improvements.
DXO focus on the P40 Pro’s tele-camera set up to demonstrate this fact. While the P40 Pro uses similar tech to last year’s tele-camera, Huwaei has vastly improved the processing and software. According to DXO, Huawei is now “blowing the rest of the competition pretty much out of the water” when it comes to smartphone zooming. Check out these comparisons.
Another area DXO highlights as a massive area of improvement driven by software is the P40 Pro’s ability to create great Boken shots. Sometimes referred to as Portrait shots, Bokeh photos leave the subject of your photo clear and then blurs the background.
I remember seeing Huawei’s ability to draw on the power of the Kirin 990 chip to differentiate between subject and background of shots down to the pixel. Here’s DXO’s own testing which demonstrates the P40 Pro’s Bokeh effect compared to Huawei’s big competitors.
I’m not going to rattle on about every single feature of the DXO grading system, but video is a worthwhile call out.
P40 Pro Video Ability
The team at DXO was also impressed by the P40 Pro’s video ability. For me, the highlights are the incredible super slo-mo, but that’s just because I have a soft spot for slo-mo. For DXO, stabilisation again was a massive winner. This is something I’m very interested in testing out given the roads iPhone made last year with their stabilisation.
Also featuring on the pros list for the video camera of the Huwaei P40 Pro are vivid colours, fast and accurate autofocus with great tracking.
Here’s a like for like comparison with the P40 Pro and its biggest competitors.
So with all this positivity, what’s the craic with the P40 Pro’s DXOMARK?
P40 Pro DXOMARK
Last year, the P30 Pro scored a 116 DXOMARK. The Mate 30 Pro surprisingly scored a 123 DXOMARK. I say surprisingly because I personally preferred the P30 Pro showing the benefit of independent testing!
Topping the polls until now is the Oppo Find X2 Pro (which I’ve not got to test I’m afraid), the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro (also untested I’m afraid) and the Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G (I’ve played with the non-5G version).
This year, the P40 Pro once again tops the polls with a DXOMARK of 128. That’s 4 points ahead of the previous poll topper in the Oppo Find X2 Pro. The P40 Pro scores a 140 for photography and 105 for video.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the DXOMARK scoring:
That’s the experts view on the P40 Pro. Keep an eye out for my full review in the coming days which looks at living without Google and reviewing all the other features of the Huawei P40 Pro.
Most people who know me know I’m a bit odd. You know, like that kid in school whose favourite colour is black and his lucky number is 13. Well, as soon as this Covid-19 outbreak started hitting the headlines, I’ve had an urge to watch movies about outbreaks and pandemics. What surprised me is how some of these went beyond entertainment and helped me grasp what’s going on out there behind the scenes.
Contagion
I really believe RTÉ should air this movie right now. Released in 2011, this movie about a lethal fictional virus spreading around the world is strangely prophetic. Fortunately, I’m not talking about the lethality of the virus which is far worse than Covid-19 and more akin to the 1918 flu.
On the surface, you could see watching a movie like this as being an unnecessary way to raise your own anxiety levels. However, Contagion, which is nine years old, also predicted a lot of what’s happening right now. The movie did lean on specialists and scientists. Since the movie came out professionals also credit the movie for its accuracy. The devil is in the details with Contagion with specialists noting the inclusion of things like R0, pronounced “R nought” showing the movie involved experts.
In terms of being true to life, especially with regard to Covid-19, some of the things I spotted were people online suggesting random medicines help with no evidence, panic buying in supermarkets and contact tracing once someone is diagnosed as sick. The scientists in the movie also advise people to stop touching their faces and that no level of care in washing and cleaning is over the top.
There’s a lot of science behind the movie and I’ll admit that can add to it’s scariness. But if you find yourself looking for a great movie to look beneath the skin of reality today, this isn’t going to leave you wanting for much more. Personally, I found it really helpful and insightful.
Contagion is available to rent on YouTube for €3.99
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMYrk20BnFk
The Train To Busan
South Korean cinema is having a bit of a moment right now. Many will know of and likely have seen the Oscar-winning Parasite. However, The Train to Busan is a 2016 movie and it’s brilliant. As is the case with a lot of these virus movies, there’s a zombie angle.
I loved this movie because it was telling a fantastic story throughout and let nothing get in the way of it. There are some political elements and metaphors too which reminded me a lot of Parasite. So, this isn’t a brain-dead zombie movie like so many that have gone before it.
I rented The Train to Busan on YouTube for €2.99
Outbreak
Now, this is a classic. Outbreak is about a small town that is entirely quarantined when it becomes ground zero for an Ebola-like outbreak. It defined the medical-emergency movie genre (that’s a thing) and for me was the start of quite a few catastrophe movies to emerge in the mid-nineties.
You can rent Outbreak on YouTube for €2.99
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FclnFj_EXTw
World War Z
I didn’t like World War Z at all when I watched it first. I was going through a zombie phase having read the original book the movie was based on. It took too much license for me. However, I recently re-watched it and actually enjoyed it a bit more. Maybe it’s because of the reality we all live in now.
For me, the biggest problem is that World War Z isn’t a zombie movie at all. I have this bone to pick with lots of “zombie movies”. Instead, this is a pandemic movie. It’s the classic race against time movie and it’s packed full of action. It all gets a little silly in parts but this might be a better movie to ease into these kinds of movies because there’s enough of a gap between you and reality.
World War Z is available to rent on YouTube for €2.99
I Am Legend
It’s not a zombie movie. This is much more of a pandemic movie again. Will Smith is brilliant is this film as for the majority it’s just him and his dog Sam. Smith plays the last healthy man in New York desperately trying to find a cure for the aggressive beings that now roam the city during the night. The movie shows how authorities shut down Manhattan completely with a huge show of force.
You can rent I Am Legend on YouTube for €3.99
28 Days Later
Not sure how many times I have to say this but 28 Days Later is not a zombie movie. The first sign of a non-zombie movie is how fast the “zombies” move. If they’re running, it’s unlikely they’re zombies at all. Just a rule of thumb.
28 Days Later is absolutely a pandemic movie. It’s all about the Rage Virus spreading from animals in a testing facility to humans. Right now, our cities resemble those of 28 Days Later as guidance from many countries is to stay indoors. I myself live in Dublin City centre and the view from my gaff is that of eerie silence.
28 Days Later is a goto classic movie. I’d watch it at least once a year regardless of what’s going on.
You can rent 28 Days Later on YouTube for €3.49.
Renting Movies On YouTube
This article absolutely did not start out with the intention of recommending you rent videos on YouTube. With that said, my own movie collection and streaming services have been left with a bit of a gap. Looks like no one wants to be seen to be streaming pandemic movies. YouTube offers a fairly decently priced rental offering for nearly every movie imaginable.
Spreading Covid-19 Facts
While the likes of Contagion are full of facts, the movies themselves are fiction. If you’re looking for facts on Covid-19 take them only from trusted sources. You can check out the WHO WhatsApp information service or check out the HSE website.
