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Working From Home Tips For Non-Techies

I’ve been reading a few guides lately which point out some of the tech and apps that will help you work from home. These guides have grown in popularity following a number of Irish companies telling their employees to work from home. However, while really helpful, these guides are probably more helpful for employers who need to work out what their employees need. So in this guide, I’m going to give you, the employee, some hopefully helpful advice to make working from home a little easier.

Are More People Working From Home?

Generally speaking, tech companies offer working from home or remote working as a draw to bring in additional talent. It’s been increasing in Ireland for years with more traditional companies now jumping on the bandwagon too. Today, 6.5% of workers in Ireland have the option to work from home. While it’s beneficial for companies to attract the best employees, remote working also offers unique protections for employers too.

Working from home has become an important fallback position for companies facing the possibility of a mass requirement for remote working in the event that something should happen in Ireland. Right now, companies like Google, Indeed, Primark and Vodafone are running test scenarios to see how remote-ready they are and I fully expect this to increase. It’s financially responsible for companies to test how ready they are for mass remote working.

The problem with most guides I’ve read so far is that they focus on the tech required to allow people to work from home. It’s up to employers to make sure their staff have things like laptops, WiFi, VPNs and messaging apps. If you’re told to work from home, your employer likely has arranged all of this and started telling you to bring home your laptop every night in case they make the decision overnight that you shouldn’t come to the office.

Employers are missing one massive element – helping staff work efficiently from home

But in concentrating on the physical infrastructure required to enable people to work from home, employers are missing one massive element – helping staff work efficiently from home.

Tips To Help You Work Efficiently From Home

With all that said, here are some tips to help you work more efficiently from home.

Commute To Your Home Office

You’ve heard it said before, but humans are creatures of habit. For me, I wake up at the same time, snooze for the same amount of time and even spend the same amount of time scrolling through Twitter before jumping in the shower and walking to the office. I’ve found the odd time that I work from home that one of the hardest parts is getting started because I’m breaking my morning routine.

I just spotted this tip on Twitter and I love it.

There are so many positives when it comes to commuting to your own home office. It keeps your routine in order, gets you some fresh air and lets you grab a coffee on the way home too if you like. That might even mean a small face to face social interaction with someone.

Now, obviously, if you drive to the office don’t just in the car. Just walk around the block where you live or go for a twenty-minute stroll. Do all of this before you even go near your laptop or check emails.

Actually Use Video Conferencing

All of my webcams are covered. I love tech, but I do hate when a salesperson insists on a Skype call and my webcam kicks in. However, in the event your entire office is suddenly remote working, video conferencing properly can be really important. First of all, you’d be surprised how often a visual cue helps someone understand what you’re saying. It can really help to get a point across.

Arguably, even more important is the social element of keeping in touch with other people. Remote working does bring with it a disconnection with your colleagues. It’s easy for a problem to turn into everyone becoming a keyboard warrior where problems used to be solved with a kind face-to-face desk drop.

Arrange a video lunch with a colleague to catch up

If you find yourself without a reason to video call anyone, why not arrange a video lunch with a colleague to catch up?

Actually, on that point.

Be Sure To Take Your Breaks

Part routine and part avoiding burnout. Personally, I’ve noticed that I remember to take a break around half-past five. Yup, when I should be finishing up! If you work with your feet up and the telly on, you can easily work away for the day without realising time is slipping away.

Add your lunch break to your calendar or, like I mentioned above, arrange a video lunch date with a colleague.

Organise A Work Space

I’m not going to tell you to work from a dedicated room, from your kitchen table, from your couch or your bed. Because there’s no right or wrong place to work from when you’re working from home. I live in a one-bed apartment and space is a premium. Without thinking about it, I initially worked on the couch. After a few hours, I could tell this wasn’t impacting efficiency too much, but the couch wasn’t ergonomic at all.

That’s why I now make the effort to take out the folding dining table. This gives me two options regards my workspace as I can sit at the table to stand while using my Deskmate standup desk.

Have you ever really enjoyed eating lunch at your desk?

Perhaps even more important is the fact that this now means I have the couch to move to for lunch or when I want to take a quick break. Keeping work and break space separate is also of psychological importance. Think about it. Have you ever really enjoyed eating lunch at your desk?

Tidying And Other Chores Are For Your Breaks

Working from home doesn’t mean housework.

If you need to put on a wash or need to do the dishes, this should be done before work, during lunch or after work. Try to treat things like the housework as you would when you’re in the office. Of course, if the dishes are staring at you and impacting your work, prioritise doing them during your lunch break, but not when you’re supposed to be on a conference call with your boss. Remember, particularly if you’re working in a small space, that turning on the washing machine could be rather annoying if you need to sit working near it for the next two hours.

It’s really important that you communicate really clearly with your housemates or family that this is still worktime. Obviously, you’re not a robot, but ensuring everyone knows you have a really important deadline to meet will give you a better chance of focus. If you do expect to share your space, getting some noise cancelling headphones might be an idea too.

Take Advantage Of Being Home

Hitting a slump? Jump in the shower.

Can’t solve a problem? Go for a walk outside.

Hungry, grab a snack from the fridge.

You’re at home! While a lot of what I’ve said so far is about replicating habits to try and trick your brain into thinking it’s in a routine, use your surroundings. The best feeling in the world is knowing you’re feeling that slump vibe that hits you in the office, but also knowing you can take twenty and grab a shower. Trust me, it’s amazing.

The one thing to watch out for is the likes of snacking. With no one else around you’ll probably feel less conscious about grabbing a hape of snacks. Try to keep an eye on going overboard with the no eyes being on you!

Do A Dry Run

I’m going to finish on this point. Talk to your employer and ask them if you can do a dry run working from home. This means working from home when you can still go to the office should you hit any snags.

Alternatively, take your things home on the weekend and set aside ten minutes to test your setup. Take back this time through a quick break when you actually work from home.

Depending on your business, working from home could require quite a few things to align. Particularly fussy are businesses with closed systems where you require a VPN or RSA token to access the corporate network. Ensuring you have all of this in working order is crucial to successful remote working. In the event your entire office is told to work from home, you can be sure a large number of people will have issues. This means increased IT support tickets and longer response times to your problem.

If you can remedy these problems before a mass work from home protocol is enacted, you’ll safe yourself a lot of stress.

Have some tips that have worked for you? Let us know in the comments below and we might add them to this article.

 

Gamerfest Gaming Festival is coming to Limerick March 7-8

GamerFest returns to Limerick City this March 7th & 8th, with 2,000 gamers and YouTuber fans descending on Limerick’s iconic Thomond Park Stadium! This year’s festival promises even more gaming action and live entertainment than last year’s hugely succesful event.

This is a festival for anyone who loves huge games like Fortnite and FIFA 20, YouTubers, Live Stage Entertainment, Virtual Reality, Cosplay and the massively popular Retro Gaming craze! The event welcomes visitors of all ages and skill levels, from casual enthusiasts to the most dedicated gamers! We’re delighted to have been asked to come back and cover the event last year, especially as the scene has grown since last years event and the Insomnia Festival being a success in Dublin.

Fortnite will be a huge part of GamerFest Limerick, including a Fortnite competition taking place on each day of the festival with loads of prizes and giveaways. YouTuber special guests will also be playing Fortnite on the GamerFest Live Stage with some lucky visitors invited on stage to show off their skills!

GamerFest also brings other major esports competition to Limerick including FIFA 20 and Tekken 7 with loads of prizes for the ultimate winners.

Live Stage

Our CeX Live Stage is going to be packed with awesome entertainment and live gaming action, YouTuber appearances and competition giveaways. Join All Cast Irish Gamers, Antitinkerbell, Nintendo Impact Gaming, Guild of Nerds and more as they take to the stage and afterward meet their fans.

We’ll have some awesome Cosplay entertainment throughout the festival, with the much anticipated Cosplay Competition taking place on the Sunday of the festival. So get your costumes out and come along for a great weekend’s entertainment!

GamerFest also brings you back to where it all started, with the inclusion of an awesome RetroZone, where you can play all the classic consoles and arcade machines. Retro gaming will blow your mind and show you those timeless consoles like Mega Drive and Super Nintendo that have truly stood the test of time!

And finally, our Merch Market will bring you all the latest in gaming gear, including head sets, brand new titles and exclusive GamerFest deals. Speak with our experts for the best advice and the best deals!

FAQs

Are there tickets available for children?

*Children 3 and under go free. Discounted U16s tickets are available for €14.95 plus ticket fees.

What are the opening times?

Saturday & Sunday: Doors open at 10.00am for VIP tickets and 11.00am for General Admission tickets.

Doors close at 5.00pm on Saturday and 5.00pm on Sunday

Are there weekend tickets?

No, single tickets are available for each day of the event.

What are my transport/parking options for getting to and from the event?

GamerFest Limerick is held in Thomond Park Stadium, Limerick City. The venue is a 10 minute walk from Colbert St. bus and train stations offering excellent access to the event, with complimentary parking available at the stadium. For a full breakdown of directions and parking options please visit http://thomondpark.ie/limerick-conference-facility/location-directions/

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

Yes, you must print your ticket and bring your print out with you for scanning. If you have your ticket available to scan on your smartphone this is also acceptable.

Is my registration fee or ticket transferrable?

No, we are afraid not.

Is it ok if the name on my ticket or registration doesn’t match the person who attends?

The name on the ticket does not matter (ie if you have done a group purchase and your name is on all tickets, that will not cause any issues to entry)

For more information and to purchase tickets see Eventbrite.

We’ve teamed up with Gamerfest to give one lucky person the two VIP tickets to the show, as long as you’re over 18, just fill in the form below and we will announce the winner on March 6th.

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It’s Time To Reframe The “Huawei Without Google Discussion”

In recent years, the smartphone industry had grown a little stale. Apple seemed to be holding back their best tech to launch slightly upgraded phones every year. Samsung was pushing the envelope a little further but they only ever really needed to offer enough to be ahead of Apple’s iPhone. Sony was the next in line without ever really challenging before the likes of Nokia, HTC and even Google entering the market left us all feeling underwhelmed.

Huawei brought something new to the table. Their hardware was market leading with the Huawei P20 Pro revolutionising smartphone photography and this phone’s success shone new light on the Chinese manufacturer as a world-leading phone maker as the company became the second-biggest shipper of phones.

Involuntarily, Huawei has also made discussion about smartphones exciting again, a result of the U.S. trade war with China and the knock-on effect this has had on Huawei’s ability to utilise Google Apps.

However, following the Barcelona launch of the Huawei Mate Xs and with the P40 Series launching in March this year, Huawei has started to control the narrative and tell the story they want to tell. That story is one of ambition, enthusiasm and desire to shake up the mobile telecoms industry. And it seems to be working.

The Proxy War: Huawei versus Google

Few could have predicted Donald Trump’s election to the presidency of the United States. Even fewer could see this eventually impacting the sales of smartphones in the way Trump’s time in office has. While Google is often singled out as being the villain in Huawei’s tale, the truth is they are another bystander being caught in the crossfire. Whether it be personal or founded in some sort of intelligence, Trump doesn’t trust China. Or, maybe he does and this is all just a business play. Regardless, Trump has decided that he would publically display his stance on China through his treatment of Huawei.

The U.S. President passed an executive order which forbids U.S-based companies from supplying Huawei with products and services unless they were granted a special licence. Without this licence, Google was no longer able to provide Huawei with access to Google Mobile Services. As a result, Huawei could no longer sell phones with GMS installed. For consumers this meant no Gmail, Google Maps or Google Play Store, to name but a few. The Huawei P30 Series launched without a hitch, but the Mate 30 Series and Huawei’s first folding phone, the Mate X, were stalled because of the inability to sell these phones with Google Mobile Services.

That’s the long and the short of the debate to date. Google and Huawei have become proxies for the United States and China. The result is consumer confidence in Huawei was shaken as people were uncertain as to when they would be able to buy a Huawei phone with Google Mobile Services again.

With this comes the lens this entire debate has been looked at through since the very start. Many believed the secret to Huawei’s future success was intertwined with their ability to, somehow, get Google Mobile Services back on Huawei phones. We were all looking at this from the wrong angle.

The Best Form of Defense is Attack

I’m from Kilkenny. In Kilkenny we love hurling. From a young age, you learn that the best form of defence is attack. Rather than sitting back to see what your opposition will do next, you take back control and decide for yourself. This is the approach Huawei has adopted.

For Huawei, there was only one thing worse than losing access to Google Mobile Services and that’s the uncertainty that brought with it. Question marks surrounded the future of Huawei in Europe, would we see a P40 Series launch here at all or would Huawei simply focus on the Chinese market which never required Google Mobile Services anyway.

Instead of sitting back and waiting for Trump’s mercy to allow them access to Google’s Mobile Services platform, Huawei gave their own platform, Huawei Mobile Services, a gentle nudge out into the water.

It floated.

Huawei would need to develop this idea further. I sat in Barcelona at Huawei’s latest launch event and watched their CEO, Richard Yu, launch the latest suite of products Huawei would bring to market. I’m a gadget nerd, so this is normally my favourite part of the show. Not this time as one very different slide stood out to me as being a definite line in the sand being drawn.

Huawei presents a slide in Barcelona showing their new position as an alternative for iOS and GMS Core.

This image showed Huawei’s plans had far surpassed using Huawei Mobile Services as a backup plan. No longer was the strategy to develop a safety net for Google not being available on Huawei phones. Instead, the strategy was, in Richard Yu’s words, to offer consumers an alternative to Apple and Google. The plan was now to defend Huawei’s position in the market by attacking and creating a genuine alternative to the American options of Apple and Google.

But, can they really do it?

Huawei Mobile Services: Can It Work?

The natural comparison many draws here is Microsoft’s Windows Phone. Ultimately, despite a few reasonably impressive phones, Windows Phone was a failure. You could argue that it set the scene for a continued duopoly between Applen and Google when it came to smartphone operating systems. While not necessarily by choice, Huawei has now found itself as challenging more than just manufacturers for market share, but challenging operating systems and their app platforms for dominance.

In a relatively short period of time, Huawei Mobile Services has gathered momentum. While clearly in the early stages of rollout, it became quite clear that the Chinese tech giant was going to back HMS with the funds needed to push beyond simply floating. Incentives to developers and increased efficiency in getting apps ported for the new Huawei AppGallery has seen the Huawei platform swell considerably in a very short period of time. It’s impossible to ignore that plenty of apps are still missing but Huawei is targeting the top 100 apps in every region and incentivising them to move onto HMS.

While many have discussed the option of sideloading Google Mobile Services, officially speaking, Google has denounced this and recommended against sideloading for what it’s calling security reasons. It’s also hardly a consumer-friendly process but the truth of the matter is that Huawei doesn’t envisage a future where you need to sideload Google Mobile Services either. The plan is now to develop Huawei Mobile Services to the point where it matches or betters the Google equivalent.

Huawei will likely depend on consumers geared more towards early adopters in the short term, but in one to two years, HMS could rival GMS to the point where users really aren’t all that bothered. These consumers can once again return to focusing on hardware.

What advantage does Huawei have when it comes to challenging this tech duopoly of Google and Apple?

It comes down to China.

Success With China at the Core

Many believe Huawei burst onto the scene with the P20 Pro a few years back, but the truth is that the company has been around for quite some time. The P20 Series was the first major success in markets like the EU but Huawei has been huge in China for a long time. In fact, in China, Huawei holds a grasp over 36% of the Chinese market which doesn’t need Google Mobile Services. This is the key to Huawei’s potential success. Microsoft was learning too much when it came to hardware and software in a market they were far from familiar with.

huawei still dominant

Huawei, on the other hand, is working towards building an eco-system which could potentially rival Apple’s. At the centre of this eco-system is the smartphone and at the heart of that smartphone is Huawei Mobile Services.

Will users need to be patient? Almost certainly. For example, I love Google Pay but despite confirming to me in Barcelona that Huawei Pay would be expanded beyond China, Hong Kong and Russia, Richard Yu also stated he couldn’t be sure if this would happen in 2020 or 2021. The big point here is that Huawei owns a large proportion of a market which doesn’t or can’t have Google. Now they need to port that to wider markets. This is much lesser of a challenge than what Microsoft faced.

Huawei and Ireland: It Means Even More

Now, if you think I’m biased for whatever reason, I can tell you I’m not. But I won’t shy away from saying I like Huawei. Their hardware is fantastic and in recent years I believe Samsung has started to up their game to try and keep up with the Chinese smartphone maker. Also, Huawei is laying it on thick when it comes to local markets. Speaking at a press conference in Barcelona, Richard Yu explained that becoming a part of local society where Huawei existed as an option for consumers was key.

In Ireland, Huawei has founded a research and development centre and now even runs its entire cloud business out of Dublin. Last year, the StorySign campaign saw localised engagement with hearing-impaired children. This campaign brought the power of mobile processing, Irish Sign Language and Irish children’s books together to help give children with hearing impairments a better reading experience.

Huawei’s further commitment to HMS suggests their going nowhere and as a result, there could be exciting times ahead for the Irish market hosting a Chinese tech giant who is moving quickly to not only survive but to excel.

Is Google Worried?

I’ve been reading plenty of headlines and articles which suggest Google may regret what’s happened here. It’s a touch harsh because I don’t believe much blame lies at the feet of Google at all. However, this could have very serious implications for Google. Let’s not forget, that Huawei will use the Android system and shows no sign of bringing forward their own operating system – but they probably could.

huawei without google

Huawei’s advances with HMS to replace GMS is a massive shot across the bow of Google. No doubt, it’s shown that Huawei will no longer take a back seat in this journey and see what happens. They’re in the driving seat now and Google seems to be a little bit worried.

In what looks like a reactive move from Google following the Barcelona slide showing Huawei AppGallery as competition, Google has resubmitted a request a license from the U.S government to be allowed to do business with Huawei again. Huawei has already received similar licenses such as those granted to Microsoft last year which allowed the continued production and expansion of the MateBook series.

The result of this request from Google is still absolutely up in the air, but it’s left me wondering if this has already gone too far to come back from?

Will Huawei Use Google Mobile Services Again?

There’s a phrase I heard years ago and it’s stuck with me. “Never build your house on rented land”.

Never build your house on rented land

This can absolutely be applied to Huawei. In the past, they focused on the hardware while allowing Google to worry about the vast majority of the software. Effectively, Huawei had built their house on rented land. As a result, the land was sold from underneath them when the U.S. government insisted Google stop working with the Chinese phone maker.

A lot is going to happen in 2020. Huawei will launch the Mate Xs and the P40 Series. These phones will be launched without Google Mobile Services, instead opting for Huawei Mobile Services.

launch of mate xs

Huawei has also teamed up with the Dutch mapping company TomTom so it can offer a credible alternative to the much loved Google Maps. We could see the first Huawei Maps app being launched with the Huawei P40 Series. Actually, the P40 Series could see a lot of Huawei announcements. The very fact Huawei is now knuckling down and preparing to launch their popular flagship with just HMS on-board certainly suggests one thing. There’s no going back to the uncertainty of Google Mobile Services.

If Huawei is successful in building a credible alternative to Google, the telecoms market will see the greatest seismic shift, arguably, since the touchscreen smartphone appeared on shelves. I said it’s time to reframe this discussion and that could be that we’re looking at a future where Google doesn’t have Huawei and not Huawei without Google.

Whatever happens, we’re going to be in for one hell of a ride. Smartphone news just got fun again.

Sony announces new flagship Xperia 1 II, with 5G connectivity

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year, well for us anyway because the latest and greatest smartphones of the year have just been announced. Martin was recently in Barcelona for the launch of the new Huawei range,Samsung have just announced the Ultra 20 range and now Sony have entered the fray with the upcoming release of of its first flagship 5G enabled handset. With the 21:9 ratio and pumped up camera the Sony Xperia 1 II (Mark 2) is set to be their best handset to date, built for speed so you can create or just enjoy quality imagery and video in style.

A Quick SnapShot

Lets take a quick look at the top lying specs we are set to see: 

  • Triple lens camera incorporating industry leading Sony Alpha technology
  • Industry-leading autofocus camera technology offers up to 20 fps burst shooting with 60 times per second
  • Cinematography Pro “powered by CineAlta” can record in multiple frame rates and offer more manual controls such as touch auto focus and custom white balance to enhance cinematographic shooting experiences
  • 21:9 CinemaWide 6.5” 4K HDR OLED display
  • Dolby Atmos® sound, tuned in collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment
  • New 360 Reality Audiowith unique hardware decoding to optimise sound quality
  • Next Generation 5G connectivity and Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 865 5G Mobile Platform, with high capacity
  • 4000mAh battery with wireless charging for optimal speed and performance
  • X1™ for mobile based on technology from BRAVIA® TV

“Sony is uniquely positioned with our wide portfolio in the era of 5G,” said Mitsuya Kishida, President of Sony Mobile Communications. “Xperia with 5G takes your mobile experience to the next level.”

High Speed Shooting

Image result for sony xperia 1 ii camera

The Sony Xperia 1 II has been designed to get the biggest bang for their buck from the camera. Huawei have revolutionized the photography space in recent years but Sony have always been solid performers, do they have something this year to compete? Maybe.

Designed with Sony’s Alpha industry-leading AF technology, the newly developed triple lens camera supports advanced photo technologies using ZEISS optics, calibrated specifically for Xperia 1 II. They’re also looking to leverage tech designed for their Alpha interchangable lens cameras to offer continuous AF that performs AF / AE calculations at 60 times per second. Essentially this means it’s a world first for high-speed shooting at a maximum of 20 fps which is especially useful for shooting moving objects, like cars or kids. Focus on the subject and follow their movements with high precision, it sounds good and this is one feature I’m looking forward to testing out during the hands on review.

Low Lighting

Getting pics in low lighting conditions is another area we have seem massive leaps in the last number of years. Whether you’re getting that lovely shot of the moon or trying to take the club selfie, getting out of the dark is a big deal. The Xperia 1 II is set to deliver quality images in challenging circumstances thanks to four technologies working together: Dual photo diode sensor, an auto-focus system that covers approximately 70 percent of the sensor, the 3D iToF sensor and a new large 1/1.7” Exmor RS™ for mobile sensor makes it 1.5x more sensitive than the previous model, resulting in faster and accurate AF in low light shooting.

Image result for sony xperia 1 ii camera

This Triple lens system is to offer versatility with three focal lengths: 16mm/24mm/70mm. The new Photography Pro “technology from Alpha” brings a user interface that is aligned to Alpha photographers, with manual controls to set ISO, shutter speed and more. Basically here the camera is going to be much more than a snap and go, this level of felxibility could be a real game changer for smartphone photographers or videomakers.

There’s also the cool Imaging Edge for Mobile feature which allows the phone link to a Sony Alpha camera to let you use the phone as a remote, controlling composition, focus mode and ISO sensitivity among other settings. This also allows the user to transfer photos taken on Alpha to Xperia 1 II to review colours and hues with professional grade accuracy.

Battery Power

The Xperia 1 II is powered by a whopping 4,000mAh battery with fast charge capability that is said to give you about 50% battery in under 30 minutes. That’s pretty sweet but this year we also get Qi fast wireless charging for a fast battery boost on the move. Sony continues to develop battery technologies to improve the lifespan and keep the battery healthier for longer including AI-powered ‘Battery Care’ that adapts to your personal routine. To be fair I’ve never found Sony to be bad on the battery but any and all improvements are always going to be well received.

All about the entertainment

In fairness Sony finally seem to have a plan. They are doubling down on the entertainment, with the 21:9 display and Dolby Atmos sound system it’s all about the movie magic.

Whether you’re listening to music or watching movies, the Xperia 1 II is finely tuned for an immaculate entertainment experience. Motion blur reduction technology is equivalent to that of a 90Hz display and reduces frame lag for a clearer image quality and with Dolby Atmos® sound, tuned in collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment, the result is a multi-dimensional surround sound experience.

The aural experience is taken even further with the world’s first smartphone with 360 Reality Audio hardware decoding to optimise sound quality and high-quality music can be enjoyed through the front stereo speakers or in combination with wired headphones with the 3.5mm jack or wireless headphones. We do appreciate when companies continue to rock the 3.5mm, don’t get me wrong it’s a dying breed but for most when you’ve got old headphones you like to use or like me a mic that only plugs via 3.5, then this is a good thing.

Get Gamed

Image result for xperia 1 ii ps4

Connecting to the PS4 is nothing new for Sony but with the new 21:9 display, gaming experience combined with direct connection to the PS4 Control makes gaming on the go more fun and is now compatible with Call of Duty which has been optimised as a result of Sony’s collaboration with Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gaming.

Game Enhancer, a feature that was first introduced on Xperia 1 to enhance the mobile gaming experience, has been improved with additional functionality on Xperia 1 II. It will now support Competition Set which pins the game App to the screen and turns Xperia to a gaming-focused device, suitable for even competitive E-sports.

First for 5G

With Built for Speed being their big sales line, it’s no surprise that this years Xperia is their first 5G enabled handset.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 865 5G Mobile Platform and the Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF system lets you to game, capture, cross-task and connect like never thought possible with staggering multi-gigabit 5G speeds and improved performance with 25% faster CPU and GPU than the previous model.

The Xperia 1 II comes with IP65/68 water resistance[xix] and Corning® Gorilla® Glass 6 on both sides, making it sturdy as well as beautifully designed.

Accesorize

Image result for Xperia 1 II Style Cover View

And last but not least, cases! I’ve always found that due to Sony’s release schedule getting cases can prove to be a bitch. Now thankfully to compliment what’s a stunning phone in hand you can also get a matching cover direct from the source. The Style Cover as it’s being called will offer protection while allowing you see time, date, and notifications, even when it’s closed. Not unlike the Samsung S-View cases in that sense. However there is also a model with an integrated kickstand so you can comfortably view the screen, watch movies, and play games. Both cases are available in Black and Purple to effortlessly blend with the colours of Xperia 1 II.

So far this looks like a really interesting phone and it’s going to be interesting to see how it compares to the efforts from Sony and Huawei, keep an eye out for our hands on reviews and a podcast where we will rank this years latest smartphones from best to worst.

First Look: Huawei Launch Mate Xs in Barcelona

You wouldn’t think Huawei’s Barcelona launch event was hastily organised in the follow up to Mobile World Congress being cancelled. The event had everything from phones to tablets and laptops with some insights into what the future holds. Even if, to get a good look at those, you do need to read between the lines a little.

The Huawei Mate Xs

Last year’s the Huawei Mate X was a unique take on the future of smartphones. Even when launched alongside Samsung’s best efforts. If the folding phone is to define the future of smartphones, Huawei hardware took the first round with the Mate X versus a very disappointing Samsung Galaxy Fold.

Unfortunately for Huawei, the fiasco with Google being forbidden from directly supplying the Chinese manufacturer brought plans of an EU launch to a halt. While they were winning the hardware battle, suddenly they found themselves with a massive software availability problem.

Speaking at the Barcelona launch, Huawei CEO Richard Yu, confirmed that the Mate X never launched in Europe because of the Google ban. Because the Mate Xs uses Huawei Mobile Services, the Chinese tech giant has no reason to hold back.

Now, let’s take a look at the phone itself.

The Mate Xs Price

I never start with the price, but this time the price brings with it lots of interesting insight from Huawei. Now, it’s not “wow, it only costs that much” interesting because the Mate Xs, at €2499, is bloody expensive. Richard Yu himself admits the phones are pricey but also claims Huawei are losing money on every phone they sell. This is down to manufacturing processes along with the research and development that’s involved too.

the phone is really good but the cost is very expensive

“To be honest, the phone is really good but the cost is very expensive” said Richard Yu speaking at a press conference after the launch event. But he’s not just talking about the cost to consumers as Yu also claimed Huawei is losing money on every Mate Xs handset they sell.

The Mate Xs will certainly have a market but that market is niche affluent early adopters, but don’t scoff at this fact. The early adopters effectively fund the future development of these phones. This phase of seemingly over-priced tech is a necessary evil in order for folding phones to become eventually affordable.

The Mate Xs Specs

So price aside, what will you actually get for your money.

Display

The primary draw of the Mate Xs is the screen. I’m not sure if I would yet go so far as to say it’s worth the admission fee itself but it’s close. Unfolded, the display spans 8-inches making the most of Huawei’s FullView display.

huawei mate xs folded

Folded, the phone offers you a 6.6-inch outward display and a 6.38-inch secondary display.

huawei mate xs unfolded

From the brief hands-on I got at the very crowded demo area organised by Huawei, the display didn’t disappoint.

huawei mate xs star of the show
Even with reduced media numbers, it was a struggle to get time with the Huawei Mate Xs – the star of the show.

While it’s often hard to really get a grasp for what these phone screens are like due to event room lighting, the Mate Xs appears to be nailing a folding display which remains sharp while delivering vivid colours.

One thing I was keeping an eye out for was the crease where the screen folds. In the past this has appeared to be quiet obvious on folding phones, I can’t say it distracted me at all during my first date with the Mate.

Build

Build isn’t something I can remember really talking about when it comes to phones. The primary reason being they’re all more or less the same. With the era of the folding phone, this is once again a very relevant area to investigate. The Samsung Galaxy Fold shows us why, as the Fold’s design left an odd gap when the phone was closed. At the launch event, this bizarre gap was subject to a brief joke comparison on screen, using a similar graphic to last year when Richard Yu mocked the Fold’s gap.

Effectively, this is the Mate X from last year but with an upgraded processer in the Kirin 990 chip and some upgrading elements in the folding mechanism. I don’t believe I ever got hands-on with the Mate X so I can’t compare, but the Mate Xs feels great in your hand. Even while filming some footage and manoeuvring the phone from folded to unfolded with one hand, the Mate Xs was surprisingly manageable.

I was testing the phone like a a junior-b hurler hurl before sledging a sideline

The first time you collapse the screen and fold it over, it feels wrong. But after a few minutes, I was testing the phone like a junior-b hurler hurl before sledging a sideline. After the simple press of a button, the phone springs into life and starts to open. You finish the job as the screen locks into place, perfectly flat at 180-degrees.

It’s wildly fun to pop open, unfold and then fold up again. I’m sure the novelty does wear off but I was at it for a good ten minutes and it was only because there was a queue behind me that I moved on.

Camera

Huawei has really dominated the camera space in recent years. Right now, Samsung is trying to dethrone Huawei while the iPhone 11 Pro has brought Apple on leaps and bounds. The Mate Xs isn’t a play from Huawei to land the best camera on the market with this phone’s camera being more akin to that of the Mate 30 Pro, the phone I’m currently testing. In fact, it’s practically identical in terms of camera specs. The Mate Xs puts a 40MP primary lens, 16MP ultra-wide lens and an 8MP telephoto lens (the only difference where the Mate 30 Pro has a 40MP) into your hands, allowing you to take shots with up to 30x hybrid zoom.

The phone’s design means these primary lens and all the features they bring to the party are also available for selfies. This is down to the folded phone’s secondary screen allowing you to take selfies and preview your shots on a 6.38-inch screen. That’s a primary camera shot previewed on a secondary screen which would rival many leading smartphone specs.

Software

Another area which I’ve often left untouched simply because it’s usually always the same. Now, the Huawei Mate Xs leaves us with plenty to talk about when it comes to software. First up is the firm arrival of the Huawei App Gallery. I say firm because, during the launch event, Richard Yu presented one slide which stood out to me from the rest.

huawei app gallery

This was the image of the Google Play Store logo, the iOS App Store log sitting alongside the Huawei App Gallery logo. For me, this was the line in the sand we’ve all been expecting for quite some time. This was the moment where it no longer looks like there is a route back towards Huawei leaning on the Google Play Store.

Huawei is All In

The Chinese manufacturer doesn’t have answers for everything just yet with many popular apps and services still missing off the Huawei App Gallery. I managed to install WhatsApp directly from the WhatsApp website without much fuss and many apps do offer similar options.

But many is not all and there are many also not available. The big test for Huawei is avoiding becoming Microsoft. They tried to battle Google and Apple but failed. There’s a saying that you should fail early, fail fast and fail cheap. Microsoft certainly didn’t but from chatting to fellow tech-heads at the Huawei launch event, there’s a feeling of “maybe they can do it” about Huawei.

For me, Google Pay is a massive service missing from new Huawei devices and going forward, I see the expansion of Huawei Pay as being a kind of litmus test for how Huawei is progressing without the Google Play Store.

Multi-tasking

The Huawei Mate Xs is a member of the Mate family and that means it’s aimed at business people. You know, people who need more screen and functionality like screen sharing and presentation mode. This is why Huawei doesn’t just put the best camera possible into these phones and call it a day.

Instead, they focus on business functionality and with an 8-inch screen sitting in your pocket the Mate Xs natively supports really handy multi-tasking. This means you can have two apps sitting side by side on the unfolded screen and even have the two apps interact with each other. This means you can drag and drop text or images from one screen to another.

Right now, I’m typing this review on an Aer Lingus flight using my 15-inch MacBook Pro and I can tell you I’d rather be using a wee keyboard and an 8-inch screen with press releases on one side and my writing screen on the other.

So, How Do Things Look For Huawei?

It’s way too early to pass a verdict on the Mate Xs, but I’ll be getting by hands on one in the next few weeks to write a much more in-depth review. However, I can’t comment on how things are looking for Huawei.

During the post-event press conference, another tech writer asked Richard Yu where his optimism is coming from. It was a fair question because not once has the Huawei CEO looked under pressure about the whole “Google question”. Sure, the primary part of his business is the Chinese market, but Huawei’s explosive growth outside of China coming to a grinding halt over politics would keep most CEOs in search of a bit of sleep.

Whatever about the tough times and the controversies, Huawei’s strength would appear to be Richard Yu. He’s calm and collected while remaining able to crack a joke about the darkest areas of the Huawei brand as easily as he can a competitor.

When that slide of the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store came on screen, displaying the Huawei App Gallery as a firm competitor to the two, Richard Yu said consumers deserve a choice which is why Huawei would now press on with building their own app store. The Huawei CEO has been incredibly decisive here and decided that there’s no route back to Huawei using Google Mobile Services. While the journey towards this point certainly wasn’t started by Huawei, they would appear keen on being the ones to finish it.

Now, whether or not this actually works absolutely remains to be seen. Huawei could be another Microsoft, but at this early stage in that journey, it does feel like player three has entered the game.

The Huawei Mate Xs will launch in Ireland in April with an RRP of €2499. Network availability has yet to be confirmed.

Huawei also launched the MateBook X Pro laptop, the MateBook D and the MatePad Pro. More on those to come.

Huawei’s Barcelona Launch Event Live Blog

We were live at the event from Fira Montjuïc in Barcelona. Here’s everything as it happened.

Huawei Plans To Expand Huawei Pay To Fill Google Pay Gap

With Mobile World Congress cancelled, Huawei held their own launch event for a suite of devices. Afterwards I was able to catch a question with Richard Yu, CEO of the Chinese tech giant. “Are there plans to expand Huawei Pay beyond existing markets”. The answer was yes.

The Google Problem

In the interview between a room full of tech reviewers and the Huawei CEO, there was an audible sigh for slight variations of questions relating to “the Google problem”. This left me in a pickle because I had one too.

I’ve been test driving the Huawei Mate 30 Pro for a few days now and I’m impressed. It does help, that despite Google’s best efforts, I’ve sideloaded nearly every app imaginable with very few giving me trouble.

One simply won’t work and it never will. It’s Google Pay.

Google Pay On Non-GMS Phones

My phone is a non-Google Mobile Services device. Officially at least, but I have sideloaded everything I need. I even installed Google Pay through my sideloaded app store but when I go to use Google Pay for in-store use, the security element of the app kicks in and blocks me. I’m not going into the known or unknown technical reasons for this but ultimately Google Pay will never work on non-certified Huawei smartphones for in-store payments.

The bigger problem here is purely personal. I love Google Pay particularly on the odd occasion I get to tap for something expensive like a €500 gym membership. People’s reactions are brilliant because many don’t know the €50 limit doesn’t apply here.

But what does this mean for mobile payments?

Huawei Pay Expansion

The solution is kind of staring Huawei in the face. They already have Huawei Pay in China, Hong Kong and Russia. So, I asked Richard Yu if there were plans to expand the service beyond these markets.

Richard Yu, CEO Huawei, speaking about Huawei Pay in Barcelona

The response was yes. A definite yes before I even had finished my question! The CEO confirmed they are planning to expand but remains unsure whether expansion plans can land this year or if we’ll have to wait until next year.

We are preparing for this year, but I’m not sure whether we can launch this year or next year.

Richard Yu speaking to Goosed.ie in Barcelona

After confirming expansion plans, Yu turned the tables and asked me if I like Google Pay. After confirming it’s my preferred way to pay, he thanked me for my advice.

There you go everyone. I’m helping steer Huawei!

Payments: A Litmus Test

All joking aside, while few will see payments by phone as a make or break part of choosing a phone, Huawei Pay will be a real test for Huawei’s progression without Google apps. Samsung has expanded their own payments service but this never landed in Ireland.

Yu laid on the company’s dedication to security and privacy pretty thick in Barcelona, insisting Huawei would never install back doors or let authorities access private data. For payments to land, Huawei must both drive the service and built user confidence. In truth, I couldn’t think of a better litmus test for their progression.

Huawei To Launch Mate Xs In Barcelona

A couple of weeks back, the phone rang. “Marty, Huawei would like to bring you along to Mobile World Congress for a product launch”. Unfortunately, a few weeks later, the phone buzzed again with news that, to be fair, seemed inevitable.

Mobile World Congress was cancelled.

While that ended up being somewhat expected, the third phone call inviting me to Barcelona again was more surprising than the first. Without Mobile World Congress and, it looking more likely than ever, without Google, Huawei was going to have a product launch.

What can you expect from tomorrow’s Barcelona event?

Huawei Mate Xs

The biggest giveaway that companies are launching new gadgets is the event guides they send out. Huawei’s Barcelona event has a big ol’ demo area for media to play with new toys and this could be the best of the lot.

Huawei Mate Xs unveiled in China

Last year, Huawei told us that they usually begin and end the year with processor launches. Tomorrow looks like it’ll be a different story. Word on grapevine is that Huawei will launch some very exciting hardware, upgrading the Mate X with the latest Kirin 990 chip.

Last year, Samsung unveiled their first folding phone which ended up a disaster thanks to plastic peeling off of screens. As that unfolded, pun intended, Huawei “launched” the Mate X. The inverted commas there represent the hesitation that Huawei must have felt after Samsung’s damp squib which led to Huawei never really pushing the Mate X far beyond being a concept phone. All of this has led to tomorrow’s event likely seeing the launch of the Huawei Mate Xs. For all intensive purposes, this is the Mate X but now it’s packing the Kirin 990 chip. It should also be 5G as standard but time will tell.

This is exciting because in a post-Google world where Huawei now heavily depends on HMS (Huawei Mobile Services) replacing GMS (Google Mobile Services), hardware could be what sets them apart and helps users transition from Google to the Huawei app gallery.

Huawei P40 Series

It won’t happen. It never happens at MWC and it’s not going to happen in Barcelona this year either. Just wait a month.

Laptops and Tablets

What Huawei does normally launch at MWC is tablets and laptops and that’s to be expected tomorrow too. On the list for announcement in Barcelona is the Mate Pad Pro 5G and Matebook X Pro. Again, with the knock on effects of a Google-less future still being assessed by the Chinese manufacturer, I personally could see them ploughing extra focus into tablets and laptops in the Irish market.

While these might see similar issues with Android on tablets and Windows on laptops, diversifying their gadget portfolio seems to be the way forward with an own-OS wearable in the Huawei Watch GT 2 and the AirPod beating FreeBuds 3 impressing more than just myself.

Speculation aside it’s just one more sleep until we see what the next card on the table for Huawei is. It does feel like Texas Hold Em as they’re waiting on cards on the table to appear rather than playing the cards in their hand.

Be sure to follow Goosed.ie on Twitter tomorrow for the latest news as it breaks from Barcelona.

FeiyuTech Vlog Pocket: Compact Gimble Refusing To Compromise

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I’ve been a big fan of both gimbles in general and those specifically made by FeiyuTech. While you could argue DJI lead the market, FeiyuTech is one of those challenger brands that never fails to impress. I got my hands on the new FeiyuTech Vlog Pocket just before Christmas and took some shots around the Berlin Christmas markets to see how this new smaller gimble held up to some of the bigger models I’ve used.

A gimble at the Christmas market

Genuinely pocket-sized

The FeiyuTech Vlog Pocket is compact and tiny. While you’ll often see pocket-sized bandied about in product descriptions I was shocked when I took the Vlog Pocket out of my bag, shot some video but then folded it up and popped it in my pocket. I’ve used a few gimbles over the years and it is a bit of a pain when you have to keep stopping and putting your gimble away when you’ve finished shooting. Considering FeiyuTech are pushing the “pocket” element of this gimble, it seems only fair I confirm this is a massive plus for the Vlog Pocket.

Despite being pocket-sized, there’s no let-up when it comes to features and power. Here are some of the most impressive features on the FeiyuTech Vlog Pocket.

No manual levelling

Just like putting your gimble away when shooting, levelling is quite an annoying part of owning a gimble. Every now and then, you need to stand your device up on a flat surface and reset the centre point of your gimble to ensure you’re getting a level shot. It’s called levelling and somehow, despite being pocket-sized, the Vlog Pocket doesn’t require you to level at all. Considering they’ve gone all-in on convenience with this gimble, not requiring levelling is actually a brilliant feature and not one I thought such a compact device would be able to avoid.

There’s an even more impressive feature the Vlog Pocket packs beyond not requiring levelling.

Weight capacity

My daily rider is the Huawei P30 Pro and I previously used the Huawei Mate 30 Pro. These two phones are surprisingly heavy weighing in at 192g and 189g respectively. This left my early gimbles struggling to keep up, including my beloved Vimble 2. Despite being much smaller, the Vlog Pocket can handle phones weighing up to an incredible 240g. From my own digging around, that’s more than the heaviest smartphones on the market.

In addition to the increased weight capacity, the Vlog Pocket can shoot both landscape and portrait with just a double-tap of a button. If you are a content creator you’ll instantly appreciate the usefulness of this as the gimble allows you to quickly swap from YouTube-style landscape shooting to Instagram Story style portrait shooting.

Built-in smarts

The FeiyuTech Pocket brings plenty of additional specs to the table including up to 14-hours worth of battery life. But for me, the greatest improvement the Vlog Pocket brings to the party is the smarts. The Feiyu ON app has been greatly improved from some of the earlier iterations. I had actually given up using that app because I really didn’t rate it, but now it’s brilliant. Connectivity through the app has been greatly improved however, there’s still no native support for Filmic Pro which is a pity.

While many features of the Feiyu GO app have been massively improved including some fantastic facial recognition and tracking software, the Hitchcock dolly zoom effect just didn’t work for me. To be honest, this is such a niche feature I wouldn’t lose sleep over it and I’m going to finish this section by once again emphasising how much improved the Feiyu ON app is. FeiyuTech also sorted another bug bearer of mine in finally improving connectivity between the gimble and your smartphone’s native camera. You can now control features like starting and stopping recording using the buttons on the gimble.

Verdict: The FeiyuTech Vlog Pocket

It’s brilliant. While built-in stabilisation is getting better and better on smartphones, I can always tell when someone has gone the extra mile and shot with a gimble. Actually, it’s totally obvious when people aren’t using a gimble and if you want to shoot what’s known at “buttery smooth” video you’re going to need a gimble. For less than €100 this is one of the most impressive videos shooting gadgets you can pair up with your smartphone. It’s truly pocket-sized but doesn’t give up an inch when it comes to quality or functionality.

The FeiyuTech Vlog Pocket is available from plenty of online stores but personally, I’d pick up something like this from Conn’s Cameras in Dublin. They’ll even deliver for you.

 

Sony’s New Xperia L4 joins the party!

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It’s that time of the year again where all the heavy hitters start announcing their latest range of smartphones and even though Mobile World Congress was cancelled this year, the announcements are still coming thick and fast. Today Sony announced the new Xperia L4, adding another layer to their entry level porfolio to whet our whistle while we wait on the show stopping Xperia 2 announcement. The new XperiaL4 is set to bring the 21:9 viewing and capturing experiences in a sleek design not unlike last years model.

Go Wide!

The Xperia L4 is long (or wide for tv viewing) and to be fair it looks slick for the price point. New for Sony’s L series, Xperia L4 benefits from a sleek 6.2” 21:9 Wide display that delivers a slender style and fits perfectly in your hand. The 21:9 ratio allows you to see more at once and scroll less, plus together with Sony’s multi-window UI you can launch and enjoy using two apps simultaneously in easy-viewing sizes for both windows. We are also going to see the Side Sense function again and when it works properly it provides very easy access to your favourite apps, hopefully this year they have worked out the kinks.

Photo magic on a budget

The Sony Xperia L4 is going to be the first ever L series phone to feature the now standard triple camera! This budget buster is going to house a 13MP main lens, 5MP ultra-wide lens and 2MP depth camera, so you can channel your inner creativity and capture high quality, artistic photos and benefits from the bokeh effect.

You can also switch between to angles wide and ultra-wide, offering you the option to capture beautiful landscapes, as well as effortless portraits and everything-in-between.

Camera creativity is also enhanced by the 21:9 display, allowing you to capture videos and images in the dramatic 21:9 aspect ratio.

BIG Battery

Last year the Xperia L3 was rocking a 3,300mAh battery and again this year we are getting an upgrade. For phones in the below €200 price range having a battery of that power is something to shout about. So you better believe it that Sony are well chuffed with themselves as the Xperia L4 is going to be running a high-capacity 3,580mAh battery with fast charging will easily see you through a busy day, so you can do more of what you love.

Sony’s Xperia Adaptive Charging is also in play which monitors your phone as it charges, ensuring that the battery isn’t overworked and stays healthy for longer.

When’s it coming?

The Xperia L4 is due out this spring, probably late March early April and it going to be available in Black and Blue. Right now we have no idea what networks are going to carry it or what the price will be but if history is anything to go buy expect the L4 to hit the stores under €200 and most likely available in Eir and Vodafone as well as standard online retailers like Littlewoods and the usual Amazon. We should be getting our hands on one soon, so check back before the release for a more detailed review.

DPC Publish Annual Report Including Mention Of Catholic Church Investigation

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Personally, I’ve had quite the week in terms of data protection. Two years ago, shortly after the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force, I decided to try and leave the Catholic church through data protection law. Just last week, it was national news and I even got a spin out on Kildare FM too. Naturally, I was rather excited to see the Data Protection Commission’s Annual Report for 2019 land in my inbox today. Here’s what it has to say.

Own Volition Investigation Into The Catholic Church

In what was the first full year of GDPR, the DPCs 2019 report highlights some of the higher-profile cases they are investigating. Sure enough, they’ve also included their digging into how the Catholic church handles personal data. In case you’ve missed me ranting about this, the “inquiry relates to the lawful basis for processing the personal data of individuals who no longer want to have
their personal data so processed”.

It comes as absolutely no surprise that I’m not alone in this, as “the DPC received a number of complaints from individuals who were members of the Catholic Church and many of whom no longer wish to remain as members”. Rather strangely, considering my complaint surrounds the Diocese of Ossory, as per communications sent to myself, the DPC further stated they had “opened an own-volition inquiry pursuant to section 110(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018, directed to the Archdiocese of Dublin”.

The goal of this inquiry is to decide whether or not there “is a lawful basis for the processing of the personal data of individuals who no longer want to have their personal data so processed” by the church.

Public Services Card Inquiry

Another area of public attention the DPC assisted with was the Public Services Card controversy. The card was introduced in 2011 with the goal of making services like social welfare easier to access through a single card. For the government, the PSC card would become quite the headache, eventually becoming the focus of a DPC investigation.

On 15 August 2019, the DPC delivered its report in relation to the first part of its investigation into the processing of personal data carried out by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. Ultimately, the Data Protection Commissioner ruled that there was no lawful basis for anyone to be required to get the card for anything other than social welfare payments and benefits.

More Highlights From The DPC’s 2019 Annual Report

So it’s not all about the church I guess and the sexy headlines. The DPC has been very busy indeed over the past year. 7,215 complaints were received by the DPC in 2019. That’s a 75% increase in the total number of complaints of 4,113 received in 2018.

There were almost 48,500 contacts were made through the DPC’s Information and Assessment Unit, including 22,200 telephone calls and 22,300 emails. On 31 December 2019, the DPC had 70 statutory inquiries on hand, including 49 domestic inquiries. Six statutory inquiries were opened in relation to multinational technology companies’ compliance with the GDPR, bringing the total number of cross-border inquiries to 21.

increased awareness on the part of individuals and organisations alike as to the importance of protecting personal data

The Commissioner for Data Protection, Helen Dixon, commented: “2019 has been the first full calendar year of the GDPR. There have been many positive changes, including organisations across Ireland appointing Data Protection Officers who can assist the public in exercising their data protection rights and also increased awareness on the part of individuals and organisations alike as to the importance of protecting personal data”.

2019 Data Protection Commission Report: Facts and Figures

ANNUAL REPORT STAT SHEET-page-001