Part of running a website like this is understanding how search engines like Google works. That makes you notice things. One thing I’ve noticed in the past week is that some webpages now highlight text yellow when you click a Google search result. It’s a good thing for you as an internet user but it does look a bit odd. Here’s the explanation anyway.
SERP: The Search Engine Results Page
Google is a search engine, but searches engines are not Google. There are loads of search engines, but Google is by far the best known and most used in most regions. That’s why I’m using Google from here on out.
When you search for something on Google, you are shown a wide range of results. Out in the online world, this is referred to as a Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Here’s what I get when I look for “best .
Let’s break down what you’re seeing here.
1. Featured Snippets
Featured snippets aim to provide you with a nice and short but detailed result to match your search query. Featured snippets are scraped from websites, so Google doesn’t create this content. It takes the content from websites and adds it to the SERP. These can be lists, instructions or just copy.
The images you see might not necessarily be from the same website.
2. People Also Ask Boxes
These are similar to Featured Snippets in that they take content from websites and bring it into the SERP. The difference is that Google takes related questions to your query and answers them. When you click a related query, you’ll see even more queries appear.
3. Organic Search Results
Back in the day, these would have been the first thing you see after Googling something. These are the websites and pages which Google believe are the second-best answer your query. Just a few months ago, Google stopped repeating a website here if it was used as a featured snippet above.
Google Now Highlights Content From Featured Snippets
With that brief introduction to search engine results pages completed, I can explain why some webpages are highlighted yellow when you visit them. Google us all about user experience. They want to find you the information you want as quickly as possible. That’s why so much content now appears in the SERP. Google believes it’s faster if they just give you the answer and you don’t need to visit the website at all.
To make things even faster when you do have to visit a website, Google has introduced featured snippet highlighting. This is something they’ve been playing with for a long time but it’s just now apparently gone mainstream.
This means when you click that top featured snippet result, Google will bring you to the website from which they’ve taken the content. The difference now is that Google will highlight the content they’ve used in the featured snippet in yellow on the website and scroll straight to it. Also, If you were to click any of the People Also Ask boxes and click through to a website from there, the yellow highlighting doesn’t happen. That’s reserved purely for featured snippet clicks.
Here’s this whole thing in action using Goosed.ie as an example. First, I Google looking for the price of Huawei FreeBuds 3i in Ireland which returns our site. Notice that this is still a featured snippet even though it looks quite different from the first example I gave above.
If you click on that featured snippet featuring our content, you’ll then be brought to Goosed.ie. It’ll be the full review but the browser will automatically bring you straight to the part of the article which discusses price. It’ll be highlighted in yellow too, just like this:
Not very exciting, but there you have it. That’s why some websites have their text highlighted yellow when you visit them.
I was a driven anti-AirPod guy. I was against everything they stood for. The death of the headphone jack, the commercial monster that is Apple and the style of them. Everything irked me. Then, I realised it was time to say goodbye to the headphone jack. Apple actually builds some pretty great products. And the design of AirPods means pretty damn good call quality. By now I’m sure you’ll know I’m starting to live within the Huawei eco-system and have been testing out the Huawei Watch GT 2e and the Huawei FreeBud 3i. This review is the second half of this combo.
Design
My absolute favourite earbuds right now are the Huawei FreeBuds 3. I adore them and they’ve set the bar for earbuds really high for me. They’re lightweight, comfortable, sound great but also offer fantastic call quality. This last point has become more important than ever as I work from home and have a lot of meetings I use these for. In terms of design, I can’t deny that it looks like Huawei has taken the lead from Apple here. I mean, look at them.
Side by side comparison of the Apple Airpods (left) and Huawei FreeBuds 3 (right)
So the natural comparison for the Huawei FreeBuds 3i is their bigger brother. The FreeBuds 3i to depart considerably from the earlier model. The FreeBuds 3i move away from the hardshell plastic earbud and adopt a silicon bud to fit your ear more snugly. The result is even more comfort and less noise leaking in from your surroundings. The silicon earbud also gives you a bit more confidence when running with the FreeBuds 3i. It just feels more secure.
FreeBuds 3i (left) and FreeBuds 3 (right)
For those of you who absolutely don’t want to be seen wearing AirPods, these new buds from Huawei are far enough removed to ensure you don’t get mistaken as an Apple fan. Honestly Apple fans, that’s a thing.
Also deserving of a mention is the charging case. Instead of the Babybel style case of the FreeBuds 3 you now get a coffin case for your buds. This means the buds are easier to grab from the case and it fits a little easier in the pocket. It’s a bit more standard if that’s a good thing.
One element of the design that gets lost with these new buds is the mic cover. The FreeBuds 3 have stunning call quality even in some pretty hefty winds. This is largely down to a clever little cover on the end of the bud. While this doesn’t feature on the FreeBuds 3i, call quality is still brilliant in windy situations.
Functionality
I can’t really fault the Huawei FreeBuds 3i anywhere when it comes to functionality. They’ve worked brilliantly for as long as I’ve had them. I’ve paired them with several devices from the Huawei P40 Pro and Google Pixel 4 to my MacBook and they’ve performed perfectly fine. What changes between devices is how much functionality you get to enjoy. For example, the auto-pause functionality doesn’t work unless you have an EMUI 10 device. As is the case with most devices of this nature, you get the most out of them when you use them within their eco-system.
I experienced some connectivity issues, but all is resolved with a firmware update. We’re in the realm of really pay attention to updates here people.
Noise Cancelling
The FreeBuds 3i, like their bigger brother, offers Active Noise Cancelling. The great news is that while this was ok on the earlier earbuds, the silicon buds make improves the noise-cancelling even more. I’ve devised a test at home in isolation which I’m so proud of for judging just how good headphones and earbuds are when it comes to noise cancelling. The extractor fan over the cooker makes a decent substitute for a jet engine.
Out and about with the Huawei FreeBuds 3i
In my test, I stood with my back to the cooker and turned on the extractor fan. Using the Bose 35 QCII as my noise-cancelling base, I cycled through the three sets of head and earphones. To my surprise, the FreeBuds 3i wasn’t just better than the FreeBuds 3, but they were actually just a fraction shy of being on par with the much bigger and much pricer Bose cans. That’s some serious noise cancelling from a pair of €99 earbuds. Yeah, I know. I’ll come back to that price later.
Buttons
The touch controls on the FreeBuds 3i is more important for me because my main use for these buds is listening to music while running. The controls work, but they are a little finicky. Long press to enable or disable ANC, double-tap to pause or play. Straight forward, but I feel some additional functionality could be included with a single tap. Left to go back and right to go forward a track perhaps?
Battery
I was a little disappointed to see the Kirin A1 chip doesn’t feature in these buds. That’s because everything that chip has touched has been amazing. The Kirin A1 chip is awesome for battery life and noise cancelling processing. However, both of these features remain brilliant on the FreeBuds 3i. That means leaving the chip out saves money but apparently has had little or no impact on quality. The battery on these buds is definitely better than the FreeBuds 3 which struggle to hit their advertised 3 hours.
The FreeBuds 3i advertise 3.5 hours and I’ve had them running 3 hours pretty comfortably. Always take advertised battery lives with a pinch of salt. This is because they test them in perfect circumstances.
No Wireless Charging
Flagship Huawei phones like the P40 Pro support reverse wireless charging. The Huawei FreeBuds 3i do not have a wireless charging case. I’m telling you this so you don’t have the awkward three minutes I had trying to position the case to charge on the back of my phone.
By comparison: The FreeBuds 3 in the wild.
Sound
Why do I always leave this until last? It’s honestly not a suspense thing. I just find the audio the most boring part of this. Sorry.
Huawei FreeBuds 3i
Huawei FreeBuds 3
It’s hard to not compare the FreeBuds 3i to my own buds that I love. On their own, the FreeBuds 3i are mighty. They’re not quite as loud as the bigger brother, largely down to the smaller driver. They FreeBuds 3i also give off a little bit more false bass to me. This could be down to the lack of a bass tube with software trying to overcome hardware all the while overcompensating for the lack of the Kirin A1 too.
You should normally expect to pay a lot more for this quality.
At €99 these are great value
Being totally honest, I’m more fawning over the incredible quality of the FreeBud 3 than I am any shortcomings of the new FreeBuds 3i. I need to point out that price again. For the price, these are remarkable buds. Heck, forget the price. You should normally expect to pay a lot more for this quality.
Huawei FreeBuds 3i: The Verdict
Let’s face it. If you’re a complete audiophile, you’re going to be picking a brand dedicated to audio. If you’re an iPhone user, I’d wager you’re more likely to fork out the extra dough for Apple AirPods to stay in the Apple eco-system. But if you’re an Android phone owner, and especially if you’re a Huawei phone owner, in the market for buds, these are a no brainer.
For just €99 from Three, these buds are really punching above their weight.
Should I buy the Huawei FreeBuds 3 or the Huawei FreeBuds 3i?
If you are looking for the real heavy-hitting alternative to Apple AirPods and love pristine sound quality, you might see the value in shelling out for a pair of Huawei FreeBuds 3. But, at just €99, the FreeBuds 3i will tick nearly every box and far exceed expectations for many.
Do the Huawei FreeBuds 3i have Active Noise Cancellation?
Yes. Not only do the FreeBuds 3i have ANC but we’ve tested it against some of the best in the business and it’s extremely impressive for an in-ear bud.
I’ve been lucky enough to have every Huawei Watch on my wrist. I remember buying the original Huawei Watch because it was the most watch-like smartwatch on the market. It was a thing of beauty. Since then, a few things have changed. Huawei now uses their own operating system instead of Wear OS and designs have evolved too. But at their core, Huawei Watches are amongst some of the best wearables on the market. They’ve just released the Huawei Watch GT 2e and I’ve been testing it out. Here’s what I think.
Huawei Building An Eco-System
As I said, I’ve had every Huawei Watch. The early watches were powered by Android’s wearable operating system. It wasn’t bad, but to be honest, the watches looked better than they performed. I say that with the benefit of hindsight because at the time I was smitten with them. With the Huawei Watch GT, the Chinese phone manufacturer made the decision to use their own wearable operating system called LiteOS. Now, this switch was Huawei’s choice, unlike their move to HMS because of Trump’s ban.
At the time, I found the move odd. It took certain core functionality from my wrist. Google Pay or Android Pay was no more. Syncing Spotify with my watch a thing of the past.
It’s only now I realise what’s really happening with Huawei. They’re building the eco-system. Think of Apple. If you have a MacBook, iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch and Apple TV, everything works together seamlessly. And when I say seamlessly, it’s something special altogether. Huawei has their eyes set upon building the same eco-system. Their logic would appear to be if that can’t have Google, they’ll build something better. A whole new alternative with the freedoms of Android phones, but the eco-system akin to that of Apple.
The Huawei eco-system will feature everything that Apple does. Earlier this year, I got to head over to Barcelona to see Huawei launch phones, tablets and laptops. I’ve seen the eco-system and it’s mighty. The Huawei Watch GT 2 is probably the lesser-known of the lot but one of my favourites. And now there’s a sporty sequel.
The Huawei Watch GT 2e
Why has Huawei launched another wearable? My money would be on the fact that they need to pad out their portfolio of non-cellular products given the who Google thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m using the Huawei P40 Pro which runs Huawei Mobile Services without Google, and it’s brilliant. Though, full transparency, I have managed to put Google on it. But it’s going to take time for Huawei to assure people their eco-system and more importantly, their app store meets everyone’s needs.
While that’s all happening, every product helps. The Huawei Watch GT 2e enters the market to give people a new Huawei Watch at a lower price. But there’s more to it. The Huawei Watch GT 2 and Watch GT 2e are for slightly different users. The latter being more focused on sports.
Design
The Huawei Watch GT 2e is minimalist in it’s design. The model I’ve been testing out is the black watch with a black strap. The watch face isn’t recessed at all which might cause a little anxiety if you tend to tip watches off walls and the likes. I’ve given mine a few nervy smacks already but I seem to be getting away with it. The 1.39 inch 454 x 454 HD AMOLED is crisp and clear but does get a little washed out in sunlight. Believe it or not, a problem I’ve experienced in Ireland but a wee tilt of the watch and it’s clear as day again.
Around the side are two buttons which keep a low profile. I think I prefer this to the buttons of the Watch GT 2 which stick out a little further. The lower profile buttons certain lend themselves to fewer accidental presses while you work out. Another tick in the box of the Watch GT 2e targeting fitness buffs.
Comparison of the Huawei Watch GT 2 and Watch GT 2e
With that aside, it’s the usual. The Watch GT 2e is really comfy to wear, largely down to its lightweight design and curved design which sees the strap flow into the watch and match the curve of your wrist. Also, swapping straps is rather simple with the always present quick release strap pins. The catch is that while other 22mm straps will fit the watch, the curve means they’ll look silly. That curve also causes a bigger problem when you need to charge your watch.
The curve means it can’t sit flush on a bedside locker while charging. It has to lie on its side. An unusual design oddity from Huawei who’s been pretty on fleek to date.
Curved strap brings comfort but awkward charging
Huawei has also been busy adding new watch faces and I love some of the new ones. It’s important you keep things fresh you know?
Functionality
When it comes to functionality, many focus on the lack of support for third-party apps. I know I used to. Things have just started to get really exciting. Just like I’ve been calling for patience with the Huawei AppGallery, Huawei Watch is starting to deliver functionality within its own eco-system.
Music on Watch GT 2e
Music is the prime example. Many dislike the idea of a watch incapable of syncing with Spotify. Again, this was something that bothered me. This year, Huawei launched their own music service, creatively called Huawei Music. Now, it’s not Spotify or Apple Music, but like everything else Huawei does it’s improving fast. Because I’ve got Huawei Music I can sync music from that service to my watch. It does have a certain “work around” feel to it with music being downloaded and converted for your watch. But it’s a start and it’s works, even if the transfers are a little slow.
The watch makes one sacrifice from the Watch GT 2 which I actually did use. There’s no speaker now. I used this when running with my partner and we wanted to both hear the watch fitness instructor. You can still link your Bluetooth earbuds with your wrist for when you’re out breaking a sweat though.
And now that we’re talking about fitness, it’s the perfect time for a segue.
Watch GT 2e Fitness
Huawei has one massive angle with the Watch GT 2 Series. Fitness is amazing on both. Both watches feature more or less the same fitness tracking, but the GT 2e just has more of a fitness look and feel. I’ve been out for a few runs with the Watch GT 2e and love some of the fitness functionality, which I’ll admit I’ve spent more time playing with. Why? Because this feels like a fitness watch.
Going for a run, I can choose from set workouts or build my own. I prefer to set my own. Saying I want to hit 5km and even pop in a target pace. The watch then sets up a virtual running companion who keeps me on my toes. I really found this useful. I haven’t run in ages and set myself the goal of achieving 5km in less that 40 minutes on my first night back. I needed a lot of breaks, but because of virtual companion I was able to keep on pace. I treated the companion like a knife-wielding murderer who I needed to stay at least 10 meters ahead of.
Lads, it actually worked.
So, first attempt at a 5km. Didn't go to plan but did manage my sub-40 minute goal. My prep was a huge chipper last night so there's room to improve. pic.twitter.com/aJVzkTB4uT
And just like that, I have a method. I can try shave thirty seconds off every night by staying ahead of the data. And data really is key. I get live feedback on things like my heart rate and to top it off, the Huawei Health app has a nice map of my route with all the usual info like calories burned ready for me to review. The Watch GT 2e is up there with the best of the best when it comes to Fitness Trackers.
There’s a whole wealth of workouts the Watch GT 2e can help you out with too. The watch is also water-resistant and works well in water, even supporting triathlon mode. Because the watch is GPS enabled, even without a phone connected, it’s clever enough to change modes as you change discipline. Here’s a small selection of the most popular workout modes featured.
The entire experience of working out with this watch was nice. This is in no small part to being able to run untethered. All I need is my watch and my earbuds for fitness tracking and music.
Watch GT 2e Battery Life
This is once again the Huawei Watch party piece. Since the first Watch GT, Huawei has blown minds with their battery life. Instead of a wearable that needs to be charged every night, with the Watch GT 2e you’ll only need to charge every two weeks. This is down to a few factors. Dark colour schemes and defaulting to screen off when not in use, shows that Huawei is boxing clever and reducing strain on the battery where it’s least noticed. But it is more than that. I’ve been harping on about the Kirin A1 chip for quite some time now but anything that little chip touches seem to be awesome. This chip is specially designed for wearables and has featured in earlier watches and the Huawei FreeBuds 3.
The Kirin A1 chip also means you get high performance with lower power consumption.
To be frank, as brilliant as the battery life is on the Watch GT 2e, it’s almost the minimum that the entire industry should meet. For me, that’s the frustration with the whole Google scenario. It feels like we’re keeping the most innovative markets shackled.
Huawei Watch GT 2e: The Verdict
If you’re an Android or Huawei phone owner, in the market for a smartwatch and are into fitness, this purchase is a no-brainer. It’s between this or the Huawei Watch GT 2. Both will work with iOS, but I struggle to see why you’d not buy yourself an Apple Watch if that’s your eco-system.
The perfect setup for me, and I’m fortunate enough to live it, is the Huawei Watch GT 2 with a leather strap for when I need to look fancy and the Watch GT 2e for workouts. I’ve been won over by non-Android operating systems and can see the Huawei eco-system challenging that of Apple. Right now, if you buy a watch likes this I do wonder if it will meet your every expectation or what they may be. But with an incredible battery, ability to let you run untethered and impressive suite of workouts, I can’t see it disappointing.
Huawei Watch GT 2 versus Huawei Watch GT 2e
Huawei Watch GT 2e
Huawei Watch GT 2
Weight
43g without the strap
41g without the strap
Display
1.39 inch AMOLED 454 x 454 HD
1.39 inch AMOLED 454 x 454 HD
GPS
Supported
Supported
Memory
4GB
4GB
Sensors
Accelerometer sensor
Accelerometer sensor
Gyroscope sensor
Gyroscope sensor
Geomagnetic sensor
Geomagnetic sensor
Optical heart rate sensor
Optical heart rate sensor
Ambient light sensor
Ambient light sensor
Air pressure sensor
Capacitive sensor
Water Proof Rating
5 ATM water-resistant
5 ATM water-resistant
Android Support
Android 4.4 or later
Android 4.4 or later
iOS Support
iOS 9.0 or later
iOS 9.0 or later
Battery
Typically 14 days
Typically 14 days
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.1，BLE / BR / EDR
Bluetooth 5.1，BLE / BR / EDR
Huawei Watch GT 2e FAQ
Does the Huawei Watch GT 2e work with iPhone?
Yes. While not all features are compatible, generally the watch will work with iOS devices.
Ireland has a fair share of phone manufacturers come and go. Some, I watch from afar, wondering if they’ll ever come here in force. I’ve noticed some movements in Ireland which suggests we’re going to get another soon. Their name is OPPO and here’s everything you need to know about them.
The Irish Smartphone Landscape
For a long time, your selection of phones here was quite limited. Phone manufacturers have gone through several waves of dominance. The early days were Motorola, followed by Nokia until the dawn of the smartphone. That brought the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy. More recently Huawei was the disrupted until the controversy with the United States meant Huawei phones could no longer ship with Google support. While some other great brands like Xiaomi are available, they’ve ultimately been a bit of a damp squib in the Irish market. However, there’s a new brand in town and they’re called OPPO.
Who Is OPPO?
OPPO is a Chinese technology manufacturer. They specialise in smartphones but also have produced the OPPO Enco W31 wireless earbuds. While relatively new in Europe, the company was founded way back in 2001 and is a subsidiary of the much lesser-known BBK Electronics Corporation. While I say they are lesser-known, you’ll likely have heard of some other brands under this parent company, including Vivo and OnePlus.
Can You Buy OPPO In Ireland?
OPPO is not available to buy from any of the big phone shops in Ireland. By “big phones shops” I mean the network shops and Carphone Warehouse. However, you can buy OPPO phones from Currys/PC World, with a smaller selection available from Littlewoods Ireland. However, I don’t believe it’s going to be too much longer until we see OPPO in Irish shops. Where exactly, I have no idea. It would make sense if Three stores began to stock them given that they are the only place in Ireland you can buy OnePlus and Xiaomi. The first of course being a sister company of OPPO.
What Phones Do OPPO Sell?
OPPO stocks three primary ranges of phone. They are the:
X Series
Reno Series
A Series
OPPO has the potential to disrupt the market in a similar manner to how Huawei did a few years back. They offer great spec at extremely competitive pricing. Here are some of the best they have to offer
OPPO Find X2 Pro
It’s like the Samsung Galaxy S20+ and Huawei P40 Pro.
The OPPO Find X2 Pro is the Chinese phone company’s heaving hitting flagship smartphone. On paper (because I’ve yet to really play with an OPPO phone) the Find X2 Pro is a mighty impressive smartphone. It’s capable of largely holding it’s own when compared with the likes of a Samsung Galaxy S20+.
In fact, if you compare the Find X2 Pro DXOMARK camera ratings, the only phone that beats it is the brilliant Huawei P40 Pro.
Currently, it’s only available to pre-order in the UK. While you get a cracking pair of Band & Olufsen headphones included, the phone itself is a spicy €1200+ SIM-free from the UK. While good on paper, I can’t say go buy one until I test it. But early signs are good.
OPPO Reno 2
It’s like the Samsung Galaxy S10 and OnePlus 7
The OPPO Reno 2 is one of those cool phones that, despite a reasonable price point, packs in specs and a bit of wow-factor. The wow-factor comes with the clever bit of engineering that hides the phone’s selfie camera. To allow users to enjoy a completely unobstructed view, the selfie camera folds out of and into the top of the phone.
Shark Fin Pop-up Camera on the Reno 2
OPPO A Series
Within the A Series you have both the OPPO A9 and OPPO A5. With these, you’re into the entry level phones.
OPPO A5
It’s like the Huawei P Smart Z and Nokia 5.3
The battery. Lord above. They’ve squashed a 5000 mAh battery into this thing. There’s also a quad-lens primary camera. This kind of spec for sub €160 is just madness.
OPPO A9
It’s like the Samsung Galaxy A10 and Huawei P Smart 2019
Again, with the 5000 mAh battery. For this price range it’s genuinely stunning. I do need to repeat, I’ve not gotten hands on with any of these phones but the specs and prices versus what’s in the market right now is very interesting indeed.
Watch this space because I believe we’ll be seeing OPPO in Irish phone shops much sooner rather than later.
OPPO: Frequently Asked Questions
Where do OPPO phones come from?
Oppo is a Chinese smartphone manufacturer. They are based in Dongguan, Guangdong, China.
What does OPPO stand for?
There’s nothing to deep about it! OPPO is a Chinese company and in Mandarin their name is Guǎngdōng Ōupò Yídòng Tōngxìn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī. This translates to Guangdong Opper Mobile Communication Co., Ltd. So you can see where OPPO comes from in the middle there.
Are OPPO phones good?
I have to hold my hand up here and say I’ve had VERY limited time with an OPPO phone in my hand. However, on paper and from what I’ve seen from other reviewers I trust, OPPO make very good phones. They are packed full of specs and wrap it all up in a neat packages for a very reasonable price.
Are OPPO and OnePlus the same?
Actually, yes. Kind of. OPPO’s parent company is BBK Electronics. They’re the same parent company of OnePlus.
On a high level, there’s no reason Fortnight wouldn’t work with an OPPO smartphone. However, the game itself does have some specific requirements. So make sure you check out what specs your phone has and that it is supported.
What OPPO phone is the best?
Currently available for pre-order, OPPO’s flagship smartphone is the Find X2 Pro.
Which OPPO phone has the best camera?
The OPPO Find X2 Pro promises to not only be the best OPPO smartphone camera, but it will also be one of the best smartphones on the market full stop. According to DXOMARK, the only smartphone camera in the Irish market that’s better is the Huawei P40 Pro.
Will OPPO be affected by a similar ban to the Huawei ban?
It’s hard to know what’s around the corner and the US and Trump are quite unpredictable. However, for now, OPPO is fully supported by Google and will be for the foreseeable future. If that is to change, existing phones which have already been approved by Google will likely continue to be supported regardless.
One of the great things about gaming these days is free Playstation games! Yes, you read that correctly. Free. Well, not completely free. In order to avail of these free games, you need to sign up for Playstation gaming subscription service, “PlayStation Plus“.
What is PlayStation Plus?
For a very reasonable monthly fee of 9.99 a month, you gain access to a library of over 500 Playstation games which can be downloaded directly to your PS4. This saves you the hassle of buying individual discs in-store and allows you to start gaming instantly.
gguy/Shutterstock.com
Now, back to free things. Every month, the library is updated and includes games a discounted prices and also some FREE games. And once you download the game, it’s yours! So let’s take a look at what games are free to download this month, shall we?
Star Wars Battlefront 2
In a galaxy not so far, far away, EA absolutely bottled Star Wars Battlefront 2 when it was launched. When gamers got their hands on one of the most highly anticipated games of 2018, they found that EA had inserted loot crates which acted as the game’s main form of progression. In other gaming titles, loot crates mainly offer cosmetic upgrades and do not hinder you from progressing.
Also, in order to play as some of the main characters, such as Luke and Darth Vader, you had to pay money! When this happened, the gaming community lost their minds. EA’s reputation over the years has been dwindling and this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Eventually, EA upgraded to the game so that this wasn’t the case.
Now? The graphics in the game are great, and who doesn’t love to hear the “pew pew pew” of blasters? The space battles alone are worth downloading it. And you’ve got the campaign. Some of the multiplayer game modes include Starlight Assault, Heroes and Villains, and Galactic Assault.
You can play online co-op with your friends and also enjoy offline space battles, similar to the original Star Wars Battlefront game. And hey, if it doesn’t tickle your fancy, remember, it’s FREE. So you can just uninstall it and try out…
Call of Duty: WWII
Hell. Yes. Who doesn’t love Call of Duty? It’s one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world and its online mode is one of the best out there. Along with the great campaign beginning on the beaches of Normandy, you also get 9 maps to play on in multiplayer. Within the campaign are different game modes such as Free for all, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and Domination.
You also get War Mode, which you don’t get in other COD’s. War Mode is a multiplayer game that requires you to complete specific operations against an opposing team which takes place over multiple stages. The variety of game modes honestly makes the game so much fun and I’ve found getting on the headset with the lads to be one of my favourite things to do during the lockdown.
You also get a choice of 31 guns which you can customise yourself in order to inflict maximum damage on your opponents and pick up those vital W’s. If you are into your shooter games, this free download is not to be missed.
So there you have it, 2 AWESOME titles that can be yours for free this month. Give them a go and join next month for our July edition of what can be yours for free on Playstation.
We’ve been following the upcoming PS5 for a while now and since the announcement of the Dualsense controller, excitement has been at peak levels. Thankfully the wait to know more is almost at an end, and for us, there are few things as exciting as the launch of a new console. Now as a result of Corona and all events being cancelled, this Sony event is going to be online via Twitch or YouTube, June 4 at 9 p.m. BST.
What do we know?
PlayStation has always been about more than just gaming so what is the is PS5 ging to offer at launch? Much is it going to cost? What’s the expected release date and will this year’s model be an 8K Machine? We’ve looked into our crystal ball and we think we have some of the answers.
We have learned a lot from Mark Cerny, PlayStations lead architect and over the last year both himself and Sony have confirmed some details, so let’s have a look at what we think we know.
Price
This is a tricky one, mainly due to Covid-19, will Sony stick to past form or will they price gouge knowing that people are gaming more than ever? With that in mind the price is likely to be kept under wraps until closer to release.
We’re guessing that they will stick to form, the PS1 & 2 rocked up at launch at approx €300, while the PS3 & 4 came in at about €500, so if we were to place a bet right now we presume the PS5 will hit the shelves for between €500-€600.
The thing is you shouldn’t take this as fact as there are a number of contributing factors in play right now, the ongoing trade war between the US & China has all console developers worried and according to Bloomberg Sony is having significant troubles in keeping the cost of the PS5 down. It’s due to the cost of the components inside with DRAM and NAND flash memory, in particular, proving expensive what with smartphone manufacturers gearing up for their own next-gen devices. Basically the price difference could be anything up to €150. Fingers crossed any extra development cost isn’t landed right onto the consumer.
Release date
The official line is before the Holiday Season 2020, which means we are ramping up for the latest edition of console wars with the Xbox Series X due in time for Christmas 2020.
As for an official launch, Sony had flagged E3 as the event for the big reveal but then the world fell apart, hence this new virtual event. Thankfully, the corona hasn’t affected the release date as of yet but there is potential that certain developers may struggle to release games on time. The latest rumour we hear is that in order to avoid a console war and relieve the pressure the PS5 will be reverse compatible, meaning PS4 games will work fine and will let them release for late August/September instead of October.
4K Blu-ray
Quite simply, yes. Mark Cerny has confirmed the PS5 will have an optical disc drive and will also has a 4K Blu-ray player inbuilt. To be honest the PS4 could and probably should have been running this technology so we’re glad they’ve decided to run this good stuff this time around because it’s one of the few areas where the Xbox Series has ultimately dominated.
Basically the PS5 will bring the Ultra HD Blu-ray fight to Xbox
Will the PS5 run 8K Video?
From what we know the PS5 is going to run 8K video…somewhat. The PS5 will run an AMD Ryzen Chip and a GPU from the Radeon Navi suite, combine this with SSD storage and we are set for fast load times, large bandwidth capabilities and serious graphics.
But is it enough for 8K? Possibly for the more simple titles but the big blockbuster not so much but we expect these to run a version of the upscaling tech Sony use to make games look sexy in 4K for the PS4 Pro.
Will we see a more advanced version of HDR, such as HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, also employed? We certainly wouldn’t rule it out, particularly as the current Xboxes already support the latter, but nothing has so far been announced on that front…until June 4th!
Will the PS5 support Dolby Atmos?
Hmmm we do hope so because again Xbox has beaten the PS4 for audio as their machines come with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio for gaming and for 4K Blu-ray playback. But Cerny has gone on record as saying the PS5 will bring in a new ‘gold standard’ in audio.
Like everything we think we know at the moment, the answers will be revealed very very soon. But in March there was a train of thought that Dolby Atmos will not be happening. Instead the PS5 could run a native 3D audio output, which could work as many more TV sound devices will be able to leverage the PS5’s surround virtualisation and not just Atmos-certified ones.
Story with the Console
Way back in August there was a patent doing the rounds registered to Sony technical director Yusuhiro Ootori. Using the patent some designers graphically rendered the image above. It’s a bit of a move from the PS4 with it’s mad vented design, loads of USB ports and a pile of buttons.
To be perfectly honest, we don’t think this is the final design, we reckon elements of this and the PS4 design will combine to make something much sleeker than the render above. Maybe a PS4 with the flying V ventilation system but let’s wait and see.
One thing we do know for sure is that the PS5 will be a more environmentally-friendly games console than the PS4. The Head of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Jim Ryan, revealed a feature called “suspended gameplay” which gets through less power than the current console. If it was used by one million PS5 owners, that would represent a reduction in electricity consumption equivalent to 1000 US households.
DualSense Controller
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 claims 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. But we have already done a full article on the new control which you can check out here.
The Accessories & VR
In November another patent was released, hinting at some new accessories. For example, we have seen sketches of a mystery cartridge turned up for what many believe are going to be expandable SSD storage modules. Or modern-day memory cards, because why not.
Having easy slot-in, slot-out external hardware could be a game-changer when talking units of 500GB or more. Rather than just saved game data and other media, it could well offer the storage for game libraries instead. That will free up the PS5 from needing an enormous hard drive at launch, helping the price.
When it comes to VR, the current PSVR will be completely compatible. Cerny has hinted at a bigger push for the technology with VR set to be designed into the build of the GPU. No mention of a PSVR2 headset but I wouldn’t be shocked given the fact their resolution is way below the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, so it would make sense to bring out a new high powered kit to coincide with the launch.
One interesting twist is Sony may be working on a 3D hologram accessory for the PS5 for multiplayer games. A light emitter with an eye tracker could project an image directly to the user’s retina to give the impression of a hologram floating in mid-air.
What games can we expect?
As ever, as long as the console is up to scratch nobody cares as long as the games are good. From teasers and expected release dates doing the rounds on the internet we can expect most if not all of the following to be around for launch:
Assasin’s Creed Valhalla
Cyberpunk 2077
GTA 6
Godfall
The Last of Us: Part 2, Starfield
The Elder Scrolls 6
Death Stranding
Ghost of Tsushima
Gran Turismo 7
We’re expecting to get a closer look at some of the big titles launching on PS5 during a special YouTube livestream event scheduled for Thursday 4th June. Keep an eye on our social channels for more info.
It’s been a day to recapture the imagination when it comes to space exploration. SpaceX and Nasa have together put humans into space on a new vehicle. The SpaceX designed and Nasa crewed Crew Dragon is currently undergoing a demonstration flight. This flight will involve docking with the International Space Station (ISS) and you can test your own ability to complete part of the mission.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon
One thing stands out about this entire SpaceX mission. It’s very consumer-friendly. The obvious goal of it all is to normalise space travel and that is blatantly obvious. The Crew Dragon, with Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on-board, is the first manned SpaceX mission. While these two men are fully qualified astronauts, technically, this mission could be flown by anyone.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft has been designed with regular users in mind. Just look at it.
Capable of carrying 7 passengers, the simple touch-screen controls and bucket-seats are more akin to a Tesla Model X than a spacecraft. And that’s very deliberate. Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, is very much planning for Crew Dragon to ferry somewhat regular people to space.
The most amazing part of this is how Crew Dragon is controlled.
Crew Dragon Touchscreen Controls
This blew my mind. The Crew Dragon is designed to be fully automated. While the crew on-board this mission headed for the ISS are astronauts, there’s nothing stopping Musk slapping me into Crew Dragon and sending me airborne. Well, except for the limitations of how much arse those seats can take.
The whole flight is designed to be automated. This includes the docking manoeuvres with the ISS. However, Crew Dragon also has manual controls which the crew aboard can use to take control and fly themselves. Now, if you’ve seen the movie Apollo 13, you probably assumed these flight controls involve taking a stick in the hand. Not on this ship.
SpaceX crew inputing commands via touchscreens
When the crew go to manual controls, they just use a touchscreen to input signals and steer the Crew Dragon spacecraft. To see something so technical be controlled by a touchscreen which could as easily be sitting on a Tesla Model 3 is simply mind-boggling.
SpaceX is going through great pains to make space exploration feel rather normal. In fact, they believe it’s so normal that they’ve treated an ISS Docking Simulator which is based on the very controls you can see the Crew Dragon crew using.
ISS Docking Simulator
Over on the SpaceX website you can test out your own docking skills and take control of a virtual Crew Dragon simulator. This simulator lets you test your skills at piloting the Crew Dragon and docking with the ISS. Looking over the crews’ shoulders to see the touch screen manual controls and testing out the simulator, it’s quite remarkable how like for like it all is. Now, piloting in space isn’t all that easy, but still it’s a really cool idea from SpaceX who are really trying to make all of this more normal, fun and exciting.
The SpaceX ISS docking simulator uses the same interface as the Crew Dragon
For some bonus reality, try it out on your phone or tablet so you can get the full touchscreen experience of piloting that Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are getting.
What is the SpaceX ISS docking sim?
This simulator is based on the actual interface used by NASA Astronauts to manually pilot the SpaceX Dragon 2 vehicle to the International Space Station.
How do I control the Crew Dragon using the simulator?
You can pilot the Crew Dragon using a laptop, tablet or smartphone. To get the full real-life experience, you should try to use a tablet or smartphone because the real crew are using a touchscreen too!
How do I dock with the ISS using the SpaceX simulator?
To successfully doc with the ISS you must get all green numbers in the centre of the interface below 0.2. It’s important you keep an eye on your rotation too.
I keep crashing using the ISS docking simulator. Any tips?
Take your time. Movement is space is slow and you need to take your time and use delicate inputs.
Did SpaceX create this ISS docking simulator to recruit pilots?
Maybe Elon is watching so if you get it right, you might be a pilot yourself some day!
When will the Crew Dragon be docking with the ISS?
The Crew Dragon will be attempting their real docking manoeuvre with the International Space Station at 15.29 Irish time or 14.29 UTC.
How can I simulate the ISS Crew Dragon docking process?
SpaceX has a simulator available on their website. It bares as uncanny resemblance to the real Crew Dragon controls in terms of looks, but in terms of handling you’d need to ask he real crew.
Today marks another attempt by SpaceX to launch their first manned space flight.
What Time Is The SpaceX Launch Irish Time?
Weather permitting, the SpaceX launch will take place from Pad 39-A at 20.22 Irish time or 19.22 UTC. If it’s another no-fly day, the launch will be attempted again on Sunday, 31st May at 20.00 Irish time.
Can I See The SpaceX Launch From Ireland?
While you can stream the launch in Ireland, you’ll also be able to see the Crew Dragon vehicle too. With the launch taking place at about 20.22 Irish time, 15 minutes later Crew Dragon should be visible in Irish skies. It should be visible again at around 22.15.
What Are The Chances Of A Launch?
It’s estimated that there’s a 50% chance of launch today.
Proceeding with countdown today, weather cancellation risk ~50%
Over the last three years, Dublin Tech Summit has steadily grown into a leading tech conference with over 10,000 global attendees, throughout this time we have met some amazing companies from KeepAppy to Newsadoo and everything in between. This years event which was meant to be happening in April was already shaping up to be a world-class event to make DTS one of Europe’s most attended events. But as a result of Covid-19 this years event had to be postponed. Thankfully a new date and a new format has been decided for Ireland biggest tech event!
DTS Goes Virtual
Recently DTS officially announced a change to this years event, instead of rescheduling their event in the RDS they have decided to go online with Dublin Tech Summit Virtual which will take place on 14th October.
The event that has grown so much over the past 3 years which include sell-out live summits of over 10,000 attendees and a roster of globally renowned speakers including Werner Vogels, Commander Chris Hadfield, Sofie Lindblom, Gary Vaynerchuk and Amanda Gutterman amongst others. While it’s a shame that we can’t be there in person for the first year since it’s inception it is great to see that DTS will be bringing us a whole host of new speakers fo this snazzy new online event in October.
Introducing Dublin Tech Summit Virtual! We are delighted to announce that the team behind Dublin Tech Summit, one of the world’s leading global tech conferences, is launching Dublin Tech Summit Virtual, which will take place on 14th October. https://t.co/lVOyATzBn0#DTSVirtualpic.twitter.com/LMq5G2rSbJ
— Dublin Tech Summit (@DubTechSummit) May 28, 2020
A New Normal?
With the way the world is right now, it’s hard to tell when and if events like this will be commonplace in the future. With the global landscape changing so much, virtual conferences are in demand and that means innovation is key.
Thank fook for technology we say, as DTS see the demand for a world-class virtual event offering unique content, inspired insight and respected voices. As a result, we are going to get a new one-day event with international speakers being set across two “stages” as well as one-to-one networking opportunities with influential thought-leaders, an active virtual exhibition hall and fully interactive options for engagement with both speakers and other attendees throughout the day.
The virtual technology aims to give us an unforgettable experience where we will get to engage with an exciting lineup of experts to discuss, debate, exchange knowledge and network effectively, all without the need to travel.
Still to Come
DTS Virtual is going to be an interesting experience and it’s only going to get more fascinating as we await the list of speakers, due to be released over the next few weeks. The upside of a virtual event is simple, the speakers can be anyone from anywhere so with travel issues out of the equation it’s going to be intriguing to see just who they can get a hold of.
While this year is going to be a virtual event, next years event is already in the pipeline. DTS Live event which will now take place on 20-21April 2021.
How it’s going to work
On the day, attendees like ourselves will log into an online portal with credentials provided upon registration and enter the DTS Virtual lobby which is designed to have the look and feel of physical space. From there, attendees can visit the Virtual Auditorium, the Exhibition Hall, the Networking Lounge and the Information Desk, with unlimited access to all areas.
It’s going to be very very interesting to see how this is going to work, so watch this space and as we get more info we’ll be sure to keep you posted.
Everybody, listen up. There’s a fairly unfit tech reviewer about to give you all fitness tips. Many home fitness fans seek the perfect plank, but how do you know you’ve achieved it? A new iOS app from a company called Exer has the solution.
Why Is The Perfect Plank So Important?
I don’t do enough planks. I don’t do enough because they’re damn tough. When it comes to staying in one place, I would say the plank must be the toughest way to do it. It’s tough, but it’s worth it. When you practice your planks your training your core strength. This means you can improve overall body strength, reduce the likelihood of injuries and more. Planks can improve your posture, your balance, increase your metabolism and even have a positive impact on your mental health too.
All of this only happens if you get it right. Get the plank wrong and you’ll get nothing. If you can achieve the perfect plank you’ll get results even faster.
What Is A Plank?
While there are variations of the plank, I’m going to focus on the basic plank.
To achieve this you support all your weight two points of contact with your toes and your forearms on the ground. You should be fairly straight and this whole move works best when you feel you’ve engaged your core. You want to hold your plank for at least 20 seconds but you will build stamina over time.
Now, all of that came from some Googles. Don’t be listening to me. Download this app for your iPhone or iPad and let some people who know what they’re talking about help you avoid the most common plank mistakes.
What Does Perfect Plank From Exer Do?
Exer is an always free platform, which offers premium content. The platform uses your iPhone or iPad camera combined with AI and thousands of hours of athletic analysis to provide you with realtime feedback on your workout. You don’t need any additional hardware, but it is currently limited to iPhone and iPad.
With plans to release a range of AI-powered personal trainers, they’ve launched with Perfect Plank. Launching Exer on Product Hunt, the company founder Zaw Thet outlines why he created the app, and more importantly, pushed to launch part of it early. With Covid-19, remains unclear “how long people will be forced to either stay home or will not feel comfortable going into a gym, studio, or clinic”.
Does Perfect Plank Work?
Well, it felt like it did! I set my iPad up and moved six feet back, got into position and felt the burn. One thing I’ve got to say is that in a small apartment it’s tough to get your phone back far enough. You’ve got to have your full body in the frame for the AI-trainer to tell you how you’re doing.
Once I was set up though, it worked really well. My virtual trainer gave me encouragement and feedback throughout my first plank attempt.
I made the mistake of starting with 1 minute 30 seconds and realised I’m going to need to build myself up. I couldn’t perform a plank for as long as I had hoped at all. When you’ve finished your plank workout, you can watch your session back. You’ll be able to see if you managed to reach a straight line, were your shoulders and arms in the right position and overall did you perform a forearm plank that activated your glutes and quads right through to your core to make this a great ab exercise?
The good news is (I hope) is that over time you can learn from the feedback, continue to train my core and increase the amount of time I can hold a plank. Who knows, maybe I’ll even upgrade to some new plank variations too.
In his Product Hunt launch post, the founder of Exer said an Android version is coming soon along with additional virtual trainers. So don’t listen to me when it comes to fitness, but in terms of tech I think this is pretty cool and a great way to learn how to perform the perfect plank at home.
