Search here...
Subscribe
Home Blog Page 84

Level Up Arcade Bar is a new retro arcade bar coming Limerick.

Dean
-
0
Level Up Arcade Bar is a new retro arcade bar coming Limerick.

In Limerick, we have absolutely no shortage of bars, restaurants, cafes and cinemas. But a few weeks ago, the missus and I were looking for something different to do on a date night and realised that unless it involves drinking, there’s actually very little to do in this city. Now all that has finally changed, with Level Up Arcade Bar!

“Arcade Machines coming from Ireland, United Kingdom, USA and some even all the way from Japan”

Level Up Arcade Bar is a new experience opening in Limerick which consists of a Bar Kitchen and of course, an Arcade. Two years ago a similar arcade bar opened in Dublin. Now, after months of top secret planning and countless man hours, Level Up have acquired 50+ Arcade Machines coming from Ireland, United Kingdom, USA and some even all the way from Japan. Originally pitched as “Barkade” Level Up ran into some legal issues with an American company in which infringed on their trademark. As a result, they had to change their name to Level Up, which rolls off the tongue a lot better anyway, don’t you think?

Some arcade games that Level Up are offering will include Time Crisis 4, Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat 2 and House of The Dead 4.

Level Up Arcade Bar has a massive range of retro arcade games that you would have seen around the 1970’s, ’80’s and 90’s. Some arcade games that Level Up are offering will include Time Crisis 4, Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat 2 and House of The Dead 4. They will have original cabinets, some custom Jabba Cabinets with the originals games and pinball machines.

As you all know by now, we at Goosed love the newest a shiniest tech on the market. But everybody loves a bit of nostalgia. In todays day and age, we are absolutely spoiled with the standard of games we have. Taken Apex Legends for example. A free download on most games consoles that offers battle royale gaming with amazing graphics. Even Fortnite, a game that has taken the world by storm, which you can also download and play for free. But at the end of the day, nothing beats slotting a coin into Street Fighter cabinet and trying to beat some strangers high score. The graphics may not be up to scratch with todays gaming, but the thrill of heading into an arcade remains as exciting as it has ever been. Which is why there are still arcades all over Ireland.

 

This is only the start of their journey, with the overall plan to expand their machine count to 80+ over the next year.

Level Up are going all out with their venue,  and will offer a truly unique experience while maintaining the highest quality of service in the industry. They hopefully plan to open their doors to the public on November 1st provided they get over all of the legal stuff. This is only the start of their journey, with the overall plan to expand their machine count to 80+ over the next year.

This new arcade bar will be perfect for date nights, a night out with your friends and team building nights. Limerick has been crying out for something like this and is perfectly located. They will provide some great food and a mixture of your standard beers and also some great craft beers. We are sure that Level Up will be an amazing success and we look forward to seeing what else they have in store over the coming months.

You can find a full list of their games that they will have offer on opening here:

Dedicated Original Cabinets

1. Dance Dance Euromix 2

2. Afterburner Climax

3. Vitura Fighter 5

4. Taito Chase Hq

5. Sega Rally 2 Twin

6. Initial D4 Twin

7. Outrun 2 SP Twin

8. House of The Dead 4

9. Time Crisis 4

10. Sega Power Drift

11. Midway Pacman

12. BasketBall twin

13. Grove Coaster 4

14. Mai Mai

15. H20 Overdrive Twin

16. Killer Instinct 2

17. Seawolf (Coastal)

18-30 More TBA!

 

Custom Jamma Cabinets (All original game boards)

1. Street Fighter 2 Champion Edition

2. Ghouls and ghosts

3. Final fight

4. Wonderboy

5. Bobble bobble

6. Turtles 2p

7. Simpsons 2p

8. Mortal Kombat 2

20x Electrocoin Goliaths

1. R-type

2. Vendetta

3. Pacland

4. Bubble Symphony

5. Metal Slug 1

6. Double Dragon

7. Sky Shark

8. Ikari Warriors

9. New Zealand Story

10. Aliens

11 – 20 Community Vote!

page2image66976000Pinballs
page2image669761921. High Speed Getaway 2
page2image669763842. Metillicapage2image669765763. The Beatlespage2image669767684. Star Trek (Stern)
page2image669769605. The Munsterspage2image669771526. Iron Maidenpage2image669773447. Deadpool
page2image669775368. Ghostbusters

 

Netflix Drops New Trailer For The Crown Season Three

Marty
-
0
Netflix Drops New Trailer For The Crown Season Three

The Crown returns to Netflix on Sunday, 17 November. I’m inexplicably excited about it because I was shocked when I found myself hooked on this monarchy-based drama. I thought it wouldn’t be my cup of tea at all, but it’s a great show! The monarchy is a total mess, much like modern-day Britain really.

Season three kicks off with a new guard sweeping into Downing Street as Queen Elizabeth and her royal family struggle to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing Britain.

Season three hits upon cold-war paranoia, through to the jet-set and the space age. All the time, the royals struggle to adapt to a very new world.

Huawei Launches Mate 30 Series: Huawei Mate 30 Pro Specs

Marty
-
0
Huawei Launches Mate 30 Series: Huawei Mate 30 Pro Specs

The Huawei Mate 30 series has been one of the most hotly anticipated smartphone launches in the phone industry for many years. Being honest, not all of it stems from the anticipated technology that will appear in the Chinese manufacturers latest smartphone, but more, what technology won’t appear following on from the whole Google/Huawei United States/China debacle. Anyway, today in Munich, Huawei brought the speculation to an end and launched the latest flagship phones to join their smartphone family; the Mate 30 series.

Meet the Huawei Mate 30 Pro

Last year, the Huawei P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro blew my mind. These were the ultra flagship phones to be released by the Chinese manufacturer in 2018. With this in mind, I’m going to focus on the Mate 20 Pro model which was launched alongside the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Lite today in Munich.

Huawei Mate 30 Design

Straight off the bat, there’s no denying Huawei has been rather bold with the design of the Mate 30 Pro and wider Mate 30 series. Taking inspiration from the camera industry, the Mate 30 Pro design moves beyond the “looking good” towards shaving corners to create an even more ergonomically friendly phone to hold in your hand. Natrually, it also goes further than that too.

Cameras That Ring a Bell

Echoing looks from the Nokia Lumia 1020, the Mate 30 Pro brings dual 40MP main cameras, combined with an 8MP telephoto camera and a 3D depth-sensing camera. I’ll get back to the camera later, but the centred camera array on the Mate 30 series keeps the phone somewhat balanced when compared to the new iPhone 11 series and the iPhone 11 Pro in particular.

Another Notch

Around the front of the phone, the notch is mighty similar to that from the Mate 20 Pro. A direct comparison shows that the notch is slightly narrower than that of last year’s Mate 20 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max. It’s nowhere near the depth of what’s been seen on phones like the Google Pixel 3XL. With that said, also like the Pixel 3XL, notches tend to fall into a blind spot after some time, so I really wouldn’t let what has become a standard feature on smartphones put you off.

The notch also houses an innovative gesture sensor. Whether this is a gimmick or a truly great practical feature remains to be seen. During a brief hands on I had in Munich, the screenshotting gesture does seem to be fairly cool. You simply grab the air in front of the phone and you’ve taken a screenshot. Potentially, this could be a very practical way to adjust volume when you can’t get a hand free, but I’ll reserve my overall judgement until I get a bit more time hands on with the new phone.

Horizon Screen

Stand out design feature on the Mate 30 Pro is a toss-up between the camera array on the rear or the “full-bleed” Horizon OLED screen. The screen curves right over the edge of the phone and it does look very impressive in person.

My early concerns around potential accidental presses on the side of the screen due to slightly chubby palms appear to have been unfounded as I didn’t spot this happening.

I’ve yet to see the exact spec on the screen, but I’m also intrigued to see if the Mate 30 Pro will see a return of Gorilla Glass to Huawei smartphones, given just how susceptible the P30 Pro screen is to scuffs and scrapes. Patents filed would suggest the answer to this question is no, but I’ll update this article once I know for sure.

The Horizon screen also means you have an invisible button available for extra functionality. The best use for this is a moveable shutter button for taking pictures and selfies.

A Colour Range Largely Unlikely to Reach Ireland

The Mate 30 Pro will also come in a Vegan Leather edition, further increasing the phone’s global appeal. You’ll be able to get the Mate 30 Pro in Vegan Leather Orange and Vegan Leather Forest Green along with standard colours Black, Cosmic Purple, Emerald Green and Space Silver. Of course, I we don’t know what will be available in Ireland yet.

Taking my hesitations and placing them to one side, designwise, the Mate 30 Pro is a gorgeous looking mobile phone. Better still, it goes beyond being pretty and also packs in quite a few features too.

Features of the Mate 30 Pro

So I guess I better mention the elephant in the room and there’s some good news and bad news.

The good news: The Huawei Mate 30 Pro will ship with Android 10 running Huawei’s EMUI 10.

The bad news: The Huawei Mate 30 Pro will ship without Google Apps such as the Play Store, Gmail and YouTube. You should be able to sideload these, but as of right now, they will not be installed when you open your new Mate 30 Pro. There are also some question marks around whether or not more sensitive services like Google Pay can even be sideloaded at all.

This all comes down to that whole China versus the United States trade war thing. Could this be resolved and be released as an OTA update prior to the phone hitting shelves? Yes. But it wouldn’t be fair of me to promise that to you and right now it’s looking unlikely. It’s all up in the air.

Beyond the whole Google thing, the Mate 30 Pro does still pack in plenty of features to whet the appetite of smartphone fans around the globe.

And naturally, I can’t talk about features without talking about the camera, right?

The Huawei Mate 30 Pro Camera

Jeez, where do I start? Huawei’s primary camera rig on the rear of the Mate 30 Pro is iconic, to say the least. The setup includes:

  • 40MP Ultra Wide Cine Lens
  • 40MP SuperSensing Wide lens
  • 8MP Telephoto lens
  • 3D depth-sensing lens

That’s a whole lot of shooting options being made available, enough to keep smartphone photography and film making lovers happy along with casual phone users looking to capture great shots. You won’t get the periscope lens zoom made famous from the P30 Pro, but you will get up to 45 times hybrid zoom and 30 time optical zoom.

Mate 30 Pro Video

Video shooting is another exciting area Huawei has wandered into and dropped some serious specs for the Mate 30 Pro. You can shoot 4K 60fps video with real-time bokeh and 7680 fps Ultra-slow motion video. Feel free to stop and take stock of that number there.

Here’s what that looks like.

At the launch, Huawei CEO Richard Yu claimed that the Mate 30 Pro is targeting big and bulky profession videography rigs. He presented a video comparison of the Mate 30 Pro shooting super slow-motion alongside a $150k cinema-level camera. While I believe most people in the auditorium guess correctly which was the pro-level, the Mate 30 Pro is certainly punching about its weight here.

Combine this with the really powerful demo Huawei provided for what the Kirin 990 chip can achieve at IFA in terms of video editing and you have a beast of a mobile film studio on your hands.

Around the front, the Mate 30 Pro has a 32MP and 24MP selfie camera which the Chinese CEO described as delivering “professional selfies”.

Power to the People

One under-loved element of the Huawei smartphone range in recent years has been charging. Why under-loved? Well, Huwaei includes with the new Mate 30 Pro, a 40w SuperCharge charger capable of bringing a dead battery to 70% in 30 minutes. Huawei deserves some credit here when you consider this has been almost standard for Huawei flagships in recent years.

If you’re buying the new iPhone 11 Pro, you’ll be an 18w fast charger in the box, capable to bringing a 0% battery to 50% in 30 mins through a USB-C to lightning cable. However, if you buy an iPhone 11, you just get a crummy 5w charger that charges your phone eventually. Sometime in the future. All the while using a USB-A to lightning cable.

Other Mate 30 Pro Bits and Bobs

That’s a lot of the good stuff, but by no means, everything Huawei announced for the Mate 30 Pro in Munich.

Biometrics

The Mate 30 Pro will have Face id 2.0, be capable of measuring your heart rate and breathing rate and also allow you to unlock your phone through the in-screen fingerprint reader.

Mate 30 Pro 5G

Huawei announced the Kirin 990 chip at IFA last month and true to their word, the Mate 30 Pro will bring the power of that chip to the Mate 30 Pro. This also allows the Mate 30 Pro to be the world’s first 5G smartphone to be powered by a specifically designed 5G chip. There will be two versions of the Mate 30 Pro; standard and Mate 30 5G.

Huawei Watch GT 2

Huawei went one further and also launched an updated watch to their range. I tested out the Huawei Watch GT and was surprised by how appealing it was as a watch and fitness tracker despite losing quite a bit of core functionality after Huawei opted for their own LiteOS, moving away from Wear OS.

The Huawei Watch GT 2 will also be powered by the Kirin A1 chip which will power the Huawei FreeBuds 3 coming later this year.

I’ll be getting hands-on with the new Huawei Watch GT 2 in the coming days to let you know if this is a worthy upgrade.

The 46mm Huawei Watch GT 2 will set you back €249 and launches next month. The really good news is that this will be coming to Ireland too.

DJI Osmo Mobile 3 Compatible

I love a good gimble as you all know. Huawei has also teamed up with DJI and built their software into the Mate 30 series. This isn’t something everyone will get excited about but it’s a really cool idea from Huawei who would appear to be targeting amateur movie makers more than ever.

Huawei Vision

Right out of left field in Munich was Huawei Vision. Richard Yu says this is more than a TV and that it’s more of a giant smartphone. Available in three sizes, Huawei Vision also comes with professional 5.1 sound effect, giving a surround sound feel.

When Will The Huawei Mate 30 Pro Be On Sale in Ireland?

Unfortunately, this is one thing that wasn’t confirmed in Munich. However, it would appear that rumours the Mate 30 series might skip Europe altogether are unfounded.

The Huawei Mate 30 Pro will be €1099 with 8GB RAM and

Huawei Mate 30 Pro Specs

Brand Huawei
Name Mate 30 Pro
Release Date TBC
Colours Black, Cosmic Purple, Emerald Green, Space Silver, Vegan Leather Orange and Vegan Leather Forest Green
Memory Options 128GB and 256GB
RAM 8GB/12GB
Screen Size 6.53-inch Flex OLED Horizon Screen
Primary Camera
40MP Ultra Wide Cine Lens, 40MP SuperSensing Wide lens, 8MP Telephoto lens and 3D depth-sensing lens
Secondary Camera 32MP and 24MP Selfie Lens
3.5mm jack No
Operating System Android 10 with Huawei EMUI 10
Processor Huawei Kirin 990
Battery 4500 mAh
Charging 40w SuperCharge fast charge, 27W Wireless SuperCharge
Dimensions TBC
Weight 198g

 

First Look At The Ninebot MAX G30 Electric Scooter

Marty
-
0
First Look At The Ninebot MAX G30 Electric Scooter

Despite the legal grey areas that exist in Ireland today, as an electric scooter rider, I can tell you one thing. Electric scooters in Ireland are more popular than ever before. Not a day goes by where I don’t see several other riders on our roads. The vast majority of these scooters are the same as mine – the Xiaomi m365. However, now that public consultation is underway which would appear the be the beginning of scooters being legalised in Ireland, there’s a big appetite out there for people to upgrade to a more heavy-duty kickscooter. At IFA in Berlin, I got a quick first look at the new Ninebot MAX G30 electric kickscooter.

Who Is Ninebot?

Ninebot is a massive Chinese manufacturer of personal electric vehicles, also now known as electric transporters.

Ninebot is the parent company for the extremely well-known Segway company after a take over back in 2015. Also entwined in this corporate structure is Xiaomi which, if you’ve seen the m365 and Ninebot series of scooters, comes as no surprise at all.

At IFA in Berlin, Ninebot had a massive stand showing off their latest tech which included the very exciting MAX G30 electric scooter.

First Look At The Ninebot MAX G30

There I am now, giving the Ninebot MAX G30 a very limited test drive, but a test drive which gave me a quick feel for this latest electric scooter to hit the market. Here are some of the key features and specs to look out for.

MAX G30 Delivers Big Range

On paper, one of the standout specs of the MAX G30 is the fairly hefty weight. At 18kgs, the MAX G30 is almost 6kgs heavier than the Xiaomi m365. This comes as a result of a few upgrades in the build but also a massive upgrade in the battery. The Xiaomi m365 is capable of bringing you from A to B up to a distance of 30kms. The Ninebot MAX G30 is over double that with an advertised range of 65kms.

Rear-wheel Drive

The MAX G30 also puts the motor for this electric scooter in the rear wheel. The result is what initially feels like better weight distribution, but I’ve got to emphasis how small the test track I was on in Berlin was. The choice for rear-wheel drive also means you have regenerative braking on the rear of the scooter. On the front wheel, you have a drum brake. While ride comfort is likely improved thanks to weight distribution, my only concern is that heavy braking may shift too much weight forward, but further tests will be needed to see how the scooter performs under braking.

Addressing Known Issues in Tyres

I think this might be my favourite feature on the MAX G30 simply because flat tyres have almost reduced me to tears. Ninebot has opted to pop a set of 10-inch pneumatic tyres on both the front and back of the MAX G30, but the real genius comes with what’s inside. They’ve also added a special layer of gel to the tyre which provides additional protection from dreaded flats.

Ninebot has also added IP ratings which will be music to the ears of nervous electric scooter riders in Ireland. The scooter itself is IPX5 for the whole body and IPX7 rated for its core components. They’ve also included a hinged flap over the two charge ports of this scooter for a double win. First of all, there are two charge options built-in; a 3A port and a 5A port. For me, it’s the fact that the charge-ports have a proper hinged flap. The rubber one on the m365 is incredibly annoying.

Genuinely. Thank you Ninebot. These are some great improvements which seem simple but are making a big difference.

Other Specs From The Ninebot MAX G30

While there are some key specs that stood out from my first look at the Ninebot MAX G30, there are some less groundbreaking specs that you might like to know too. The MAX G30 can achieve a top speed of 25kmph, unlike the MAX G30D which is just for the German market and speed limited to 20kmph.

The MAX G30 runs in one of three power modes which is indicated on the colour handlebar display which also lets you know how much power you have remaining along with your current speed.

Buying the Ninebot MAX G30

As I mentioned, I wouldn’t consider my few laps of the track at IFA to be a hands-on review of any kind. It was, however, a great first introduction to a mid-price electric scooter which looks to be delivering just a little bit more than its price tag suggests.

If you’re already sold on what seems to be a very solid electric scooter for those with an above-average distance to commute, you can already pre-order the Ninebot MAX G30 on directly from Ninebot. They’ve confirmed to me they will deliver to Ireland, so there’s some good news.

Also on the good news front is the fact there’s a reduced pre-order price. Normally priced at €799, the MAX G30 can be pre-ordered with a €120 saving for €679.

It’s interesting to note that despite the MAX G30 required a kickstart, Ninebot has included a disclaimer on their website which states this scooter is not suitable for legal use on Irish roads. This is Ninebot cleverly protecting themselves legally, but I guess, you know…buyer beware. Until the law gets clarified it would appear that you can get into trouble on Irish roads with one of these things.

Ninebot MAX G30 Specs

max g30 kick scooter

Feature Specification
Model Ninebot MAX G30
Description
The Ninebot MAX G30 is a mid-priced electric scooter which packs in the most impressive specs at this price range, particularly when it comes to range.
Max Speed 25km/h
Max. climb angle 20%
Battery 551Wh
Optional extra battery No
Water resistant IPX5 IPX7 core components
Tyre sizes 25.4cm / 10 inch
Bell Yes
Brake Electronic brake (back) and drum brake (front)
Light Front & rear & brake light & Side/rear reflectors
Folding Easy folding (Require hands)
Riding mode 3 Modes: Eco, Drive, Sport
Range Up to 65km (Tested under optimum riding conditions)
Motor 350W
Weight 18kg
Drive Rear-wheel drive
Tyre Tubeless Pneumatic
Charging time Approx. 6hr (3A internal fast charger)
Charger Internal & External
Cruise mode Yes
Cable External
Display Colour LED (speed, remaining power, modes, maintenance, bluetooth connection)
Energy recycle Yes KERs
Price €799

Skullcandy Indy True Wireless Review

Jon
-
0
Skullcandy Indy True Wireless Review

Apple AirPods have set the market for wireless earbuds onto a different level. Everyone is trying to replicate, replace or improve on what the AirPods have achieved. Now Skullcandy have entered the race to bring out an alternative at a much cheaper price. You might have noticed Martin rocking the aptly named Sesh Earbuds but I have been testing out their even cheaper €70 model the Skullcandy Indy True Wireless to see how they stack up. Let’s jump in.

Design

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it seems to be Skullcandy’s model here. The Indy Earbuds look pretty much like blacked out AirPods. The charging case is fairly similar and the tube like design of the earbud itself just screams Apple. Unlike their fruity friends the Indy’s touch controls will let you adjust volume and control playback.

It’s a simple in-design so you have to insert the buds into your ears. The advantage of this bud approach is to provide the best sound quality and noise isolation. The downside with this design means you might need to try a combination of the ear tips that are included in the box to get the best fit for you. The Indy earbuds also come with these stability ear gels which help combat this problem, improving the grip and comfort, great if you want to wear these in the gym.

When it comes to the charging case, again it screams Apple, even if it does feel a bit plasticky. Within the case there are a couple of magnets to hold the earbuds in place and provide the contact for charging. There is no magnetic lock to seal the case. Three LED lights have been provided as battery indicator on the case.

Comfort

As we mentioned above, the design of the Indy True Wireless earbuds is created for maximum comfort. Sure you have to find the right set of tips for you but that’s the same with any product like this and once you have this done it’s plain sailing. The removable stability gels are great for traveling and workout sessions. When you are more mobile earbuds can get loose and this little bit of rubber will help you get a tighter seal and will also increase the sound quality as a result. I wear these both in the gym and the office and to be honest I haven’t found any issues with ear fatigue despite the fact they can be worn for hours at a time.

Battery

The Skullcandy Indy earbuds will give you about 4 hours of juice with the ability to get 3 full charges out of the case. 16 hours of total usage before charging the case is pretty good going, especially when you take the similarly priced Enod Earbuds into consideration. Also it takes about 45-60 minutes for the Indy earbuds to get a full charge, while for the case you can double that.

Better again the fine folks at Skullcandy claim their rapid charge tech will get you over a hour or airtime for under 10 minutes of charging. Naturally I had to test this and I can confirm they ain’t pulling the wool over our eyes with this claim….ideal if you want to catch a quick episode of our podcast.

If I have to say anything negative about the battery it’s the simple fact we get a micro-USB charging port instead of the modern standard Type-C. Seriously I don’t get it, pretty much everything else has moved on, let it go lads.

Sound Quality

Now let’s talk sound. The Skullcandy Indy True Wireless has fairly decent sound quality with solid bass and punchy trebles. I reckon if you’re a bass lover those higher priced Sesh buds might be more of a runner.

From what I have seen from my own experience and researching other articles, Skullcandy are known for having a warmer sound. Grand when you’re a hip hop fan but if you’re the more instrumental type then you loose a little bit of pop. Skullcandy are a solid audio brand but they aren’t known in the same vein as Sennheiser or any of the heavy hitters so the quality is exactly what you would expect.

In other sound related news, the onboard mic is also just fine in noise-free environments but in noisy environments the receiver sometimes complained about the sound quality.

Connectivity

Setting up the Indy earbuds initially is a bit of a balls. The master earbud will pair then you have to pair the other bud to this to get two ear audio. Once you get your head around this confusing set up the first time you’re grand.

Again I’ve been reading online many people have had some issues with connectivity. Despite using Bluetooth 5.0, Indy suffers from connection drops that last for a few microseconds. It rarely happens and you barely notice it but still I just think they could have done a better job with this. On the upside, the touch controls work a charm and I think they are one of few brands to offer comprehensive touch controls at this price point

Spec Sheet

Image result for skullcandy indy box

  • Price €70-80 depending on retailers
  • IP55 Rating
  • Touch controls
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • Up to 16 hours of total battery life
  • Noise reduction for calls
  • Removable stability ear gels

Pros

  • Compact charging case
  • Impressive battery performance
  • Decent Pricing
  • Comfortable

Cons

  • Micro-USB charging slot
  • Sub par microphone

The Goosed Verdict

The Skullcandy Indy is a decent choice especially given the price point versus the competition. These have become my daily go to’s for the office and gym. Let’s be realistic they do the job for half the price of most of the competition. If like me you value battery, comfort and the convenient charging case, then €70 for the Indy True Wireless is a good deal.

However there are issues. The sound can be a bit warm and unless you’re lucky enough to get a solid fit then you’ll loose some of that sexy bassy sound and noise isolation. As ever with Skullcandy there are better earbuds on the market, such as the Galaxy AirPods, Jabra Elite 65t and the Huawei Freebuds.

Long story short as a cheaper alternative to the big boys, Skullcandy do what they do best, the job.

Apple Launches the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max

Marty
-
0
Apple Launches the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max

After months of rumours, Apple has launched its range of iPhones for 2019/2020. On an evening which saw the launch of a new Apple Watch, iPad and Apple Arcade, it was, as always, the new iPhones which stole the show. Here’s what to expect from the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

The Apple iPhone 11

The iPhone 11 is Apple’s new base model iPhone, but it packs in a little more punch than some of their previous base models did on launch day.

iphone 11 colours

iPhone 11 Camera

The iPhone 11 camera receives the biggest upgrade. In fact, our very own Dean has dubbed this a camera upgrade more and an iPhone upgrade.

The most obvious change for Apple here is the base level iPhone now has a dual-lens camera. The new camera rig consists of two 12MP lenses. One wide and one ultra-wide angle lens.

Ignoring the popularity of Huawei’s zoom lenses, iPhone 11 offers a 2x optical zoom out and digital zoom up to 5x. However, taking a leaf out of Google and Huawei’s book, Apple did decide it was time to introduce Night Mode which will allow iPhone users to take photos in low-light.

iphone 11 night mode

Beyond stills, Apple has already given a lot of thought to the video shooting capability of the iPhone 11.

You’ll now be able to shoot 4K video at either 24 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps. You’ll also be able to shot video on both the wide and ultra-wide angle lenses. While shooting video you can also capture 8MP stills.

I always take on-stage demos with a pinch of salt, but Apple’s first look at video shooting was mighty impressive. Most impressive is the video stabilisation, which if as good as was demoed, will be a key feature for those of you looking to shoot video.

Other iPhone 11 Upgrades

Many specs will be carried over from the iPhone Xr. Specs like a 6.1-inch display and FaceID phone unlocking. However, the iPhone 11 does make significant strides in certain areas.

The iPhone 11 is IP68 rated and the TrueDepth camera increases from 7MP to 12MP.

The iPhone 11 will come in a wide range of colours, similar to that of the iPhone Xr. You’ll be able to pick it up in black, green, yellow, purple,

Also Launched: iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max

Apple wasn’t done there of course. They also announced the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. The latter of which I still think is a little too close to prolapse, but anyway.

The iPhone 11 Pro range comes in two sizes, the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max, with screens sized 5.8-inches and 6.5-inches respectively. Both phones will range with 128GB, 256GB and 518GB memory variants and be available in four colours; gold, space grey, silver, midnight green.

iPhone 11 pro colours

For the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, the big jump up is the camera rig. These Pro iPhones will have three camera lenses including a triple 12MP Ultra-wide lens, a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens.

On paper, there’s really not a huge amount else different between the Pro and non-Pro version of these phones. Apple does assert the Pro versions have longer battery lives but don’t specify an actual mAh value for comparison.

One final noteworthy point is that despite strong rumours in the build-up and the adoption of the Pro moniker, the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max will not support the Apple pencil.

When Are iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max On Sale?

Unlike last year, Apple won’t stagger the launches of their 2019 flagship smartphones. You can pre-order the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max from 1pm this Friday, 13th September.

There’s not much movement from the Irish networks either with just Three launching a register your interest page for the iPhone 11. Of course, the Apple Ireland online store also has pricing information across the board.

What Else Did Apple Launch At The 2019 Apple Event?

Apple likes to make their events a big song and dance about a few things and announced some other products and services too. On the same night, Apple announced:

  • Apple Arcade
  • Apple Watch
  • Apple TV+
  • 10.2-inch 7th Generation iPad

Apple Arcade

Apple Arcade will showcase some of the coolest games on the market with exclusive titles for Apple powered devices after the California phone maker teamed up with some top game developers.

Apple Arcade will be available for one month free, and then be €4.99 per month after that. The service is due to launch on September 19th.

Apple Watch

One moment during the launch of the Apple Watch made me giggle. “It’s got a compass”. Top feature.

But then, Apple rolled out some pretty cool features which build on the Apple Watch as a health device. Women can now track their menstrual cycle using Apple Watch, and the wearable will also warn you if you’re in an area that’s too noisy. Something I realised the importance of at a recent Element X gig in Fibber McGees.

The Apple Watch should be available now, but the Apple site seems to be having a problem. Expect to pay €499 for the latest Apple Watch.

Apple TV+

We’ve been waiting a while to find out more about Apple’s TV service and tonight Tim Cook spilt the beans. Apple TV+ will cost €4.99 after a seven-day trial but will be free for one year if you buy an Apple device. Apple has promised new content every month and account access can be shared amongst six people.

It also looks like Apple TV+ will be available to stream on non-Apple devices too, so nearly everyone should be able to start streaming Apple content from November 1st when the service launches.

10.2-inch 7th Generation iPad

I would say the announcement of a new iPad was the surprise of the night. Priced at €399, the new 10.2-inch iPad is aimed at the budget end of the market. It supports Apple Pencil and Apple’s official connected keyboards which means it’s a great solution for students looking to get a reliable, laptop-esque machine, without worrying about big budgets.

7th gen 10.2 ipad

If your course requires word-processing and no special applications, this could we be a great solution.

Talking Points from the iPhone 11 Launch

So with the new range of iPhones now known to the world, what are the key talking points?

Should we just accept Apple doesn’t care about Android innovation?

For me, it’s the fact that these are some of the most ambitious iPhones to launch in quite some time, yet they still pale in comparison to many of their Android competitors. An annual complaint, which just doesn’t seem to harm Apple’s sales performance. So maybe we should just stop rambling on about it?

Not a 5G to be seen

Apple didn’t mention 5G at all at their Cupertino address. Why? Because we’re not going to have a 5G iPhone until next year. But is this a big deal?

Here in Ireland, only Vodafone has rolled out any kind of 5G service. While we know there is to be a 5G version of the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Note 10 ranges, along with 5G variants of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro likely to be announced later this month, 5G is still in it’s infancy. As such, Apple has arguably taken a wise step to allow their competitors to experiment and allow the mobile networks to sort out teething problems before subjecting iPhone users to the same.

Farewell, iPhone 6s and iPhone 7

While the iPhone 6s being killed off was absolutely expected, I wasn’t convinced Apple would be digging a grave for the iPhone 7 too. These phones are now heading towards the pearly gates of phone heaven. The iPhone 6s was possibly one of the most popular iPhones of all time.

The Price of iPhone in the US versus Ireland

This is one of the most shocking things to emerge from the iPhone 11 launch. Taking just the iPhone 11 itself as a pricing example, people in the States will be able to pick this phone up for about €630. The same phone in Ireland will set you back €829. That’s a nearly €200 swing in pricing. It’s like the good old days of sending someone to the States to pick up your new iPhone for you.

I had hoped buying through the UK might prove profitable and I was right. Unfortunately, you only save about €15 on the Irish price.

Will Apple ever adopt USB-C?

This is a personal thing that really annoys me. I feel that Apple not adopting USB-C is just them being stubborn at this stage. It’s become the new universal standard in phone connectivity, yet Apple refuses to adopt it. I really don’t get it.

Apple iPhone 11 Specs in Ireland

Brand Apple
Name iPhone 11
Release Date 20.09.2019
Colours Black, Green, Yellow, Purple, (PRODUCT)RED, White
Memory Options 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
Screen Size 6.1-inch
Primary Camera Dual 12MP
Secondary Camera 12MP
3.5mm jack No
Operating System iOS 13
Processor Apple A13 Bionic
Battery 3110mAh
Charging 18w fast charge (charger sold separately)
Dimensions 150.9mm x 75.7mm x 8.3mm
Weight 194g

 

 

Speck Presidio Stay Clear Review

Jon
-
0
Speck Presidio Stay Clear Review

Who lives without a phone case these days? There’s not many of those brave souls around, especially when modern smartphones can cost €1000 at the top end. At Goosed we are always on the lookout for the perfect case that can give you both protection and style. I personally have been rocking the Google Pixel 3XL as my daily rider and I always find it such a shame when my case covers such a stunning bit of kit. Recently, Speck sent me the Presidio Stay Clear case that offers OtterBox level of protection while still letting me see the phone beneath. Happy days.

All Clear

Image result for speck products

We’ve been playing with a few Speck products of late and to be fair I’ve been quitely impressed. After using their Popsocket alternative, the GrabTab, I was interested in seeing what the Presidio Stay Clear would offer.

When it comes to the Presidio Stay Clear, as the name suggests it’s simply a clear case. As a result the pretty flat white of the Pixel 3XL can be shown in all it’s glory. Ideal when the body of the phone is rather prone to scratches.

The Presidio Stay Clear offers a tight and strong fit to the body, even if it is a bit of a balls to install and remove. When testing a case like this you want to conduct a few drop tests and sometimes it was impossible to both install and remove the case. Basically when you put this on, leave it on.

A common misconception about clear cases is that they lack grip. When it comes to the Stay Clear I found it provides a really strong grip, with a nicely textured surface enabling a good balance when you hold your phone.

The downside comes when we talk about the buttons. The main problem with high-end cases can be sticky buttons and to be perfectly honest the buttons on this case are so bloody firm that you really need to press that button hard to get a reaction. I failed more times that I can count unlocking the phone or controlling the volume without pressing harder than normal.

Dropping

Presidio Stay Clear Google Pixel 3 Cases

Speck promises drop protection up to 8 feet, so obviously I had to test this out. The Presidio Stay Clear is very similar in style to the Otterbox in the sense it offers protection all around – sides, corners and even on the front with raised bezels protecting the screen.

I tested this alongside the standard Google Pixel 3XL case, just to see how they stacked up. Having put my poor Pixel through the ringer by conducting three different drop tests. The first a standard pocket drop, the second pushing of a counter and the third and a staircase drop. I can honestly stand over the Speck case as my phone came through without a scratch, something which wasn’t the case when doing the same test with the fabric Pixel cases.

The Goosed Verdict

Overall I think the Presidio Stay Clear offers protection on par with most modern high-end cases at a comparible price.

Personally, I think you could do much worse in terms of a case but to be perfectly honest when you can buy the Otterbox in your local phone shop at a cheaper price ($40 & €30 respectively) , then it becomes much harder to recommend. Unless like me you are using a phone not commonly found in store. If you are solely worried about protecting your phone, then this clear case might be an option, otherwise, there are plenty of other options to choose from.

Pros & Cons

Cons:

  • Hard to install and remove the case
  • Buttons are too hard to press
  • Back surface gets scratched easily
  • Similar price to locally sourced competition

Pros:

  • Strong fit
  • Good protection overall
  • Nice feel and design
  • Great grip

2019 Apple Event Live Blog: iPhone 11 Launch

Marty
-
0
2019 Apple Event Live Blog: iPhone 11 Launch

Another year, another iPhone launch. Apple is set to announce three new phones into the market at its annual handset keynote at Cupertino. Codenamed N104, D43 and D43, there have been a few leaks to date already. I even spotted a case company at IFA Berlin this year showing off their new iPhone 11 range of cases, along with showing off the mock-up version of the phone they use to cast cases with. You can find my tweet about that case in our 2019 Apple Event Live Blog below.

2019 Apple Event Live Blog

Huawei Officially Announces the Kirin 990 and More at IFA 2019

Marty
-
0
Huawei Officially Announces the Kirin 990 and More at IFA 2019

Huawei was busy at IFA Berlin this year. Straight up,  the Huawei FreeBuds was the most interesting consumer announcement from Huawei at IFA 2019. However, the long term win for consumers is going to be what chip improvements let them do with their phones. Huawei also announced the Kirin 990 chip which will feature in the Mate 30 series launching in Munich later this month on 19 September.

Meet the Huawei Kirin 990

The chip itself was hardly a massive surprise given that a gigantic banner has been sitting in the foyer of the Messe Berlin conference centre showing the Kirin 990 itself.

Even as a tech reviewer, sometimes chip launches are a little underwhelming. The Kirin 990, however, would appear to be delivering some exceptional power into your hands.

There’s lots of functionality that this chip delivers that I won’t bore you with, but if you’re in to shooting video, the Huawei Mate 30 powered by the Kirin 990 would appear to be pulling out all the stops. In fact, movie making has become a bit of a trend in the mobile phone world. We’ve teamed up with the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival for the past few years and have been blown away by the quality on an annual basis. Sony is also focusing on this space with their Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 which boast the incredible Cinema Pro app, simulating qualities normally found in cameras used in Hollywood.

In the demo delivered at IFA 2019, Huawei showed off the Kirin 990’s processing power by taking a single video clip and showing how it could be editing using only the phone. Green screening is a technique you likely know best from watching the weather. When Martin King is delivering the birthday wishes to Bridey down in Cork, he’s actually standing in front of a green screen, with the maps and charts added in later.

Powered by the Kirin 990 chip, the Huawei Mate 30 Pro will be able to pick up the subjects of a video, remove the background and then help you change backgrounds. You’ll be able to remove people from videos and even move people around while applying the Bokeh effect to the background.

The Kirin 990 delivers a plethora of over benefits to phone users. With great power comes great artificial intelligence which not only delivers cool video processing but helps manage your battery usage more efficiently too. It’s also the most efficient 5G chip on the market

Huawei WiFi Q2 Pro: Huawei’s Powerline System

Strangely enough, I predicted that mesh systems would be one of the big things to keep an eye out for at IFA 2019. Sure enough, as I walked the halls of Europe’s biggest trade technology show, there were plenty of mesh solutions to hand. In case your not familiar with WiFi mesh systems, they are probably the one gadget nearly every Irish home needs but doesn’t know about.

Mesh systems allow you to connect several boxes to your home WiFi and extend the signal. If you have a room which is too far from your router, you can connect as many mesh boxes as needed to improve signal and eliminate WiFi blackspots in your home.

Now, I’ve gone off on a bit of a tanget there because Huawei didn’t exactly launch a mesh system today. Huawei launched the WiFi Q2 Pro which is, in fact, a powerline system. The difference with these systems is subtle but important. Mesh is usually achieved via WiFi connections, but powerline systems use the cables in your home to pass broadband from one area to another. You plug one powerline into the wall beside your modem, and another elsewhere in the house and Bob’s your uncle. Internet will magically appear in that area, using the same WiFi name and credentials. At least if you’re using Huawei’s latest tech.

This is key, because the system allows for seaming transitioning between powerline boxes. You won’t notice any differece yourself, except for the fact you’ve got WiFi in that old black spot of yours.

I’m not going to dwell on this for too long, because like the AI cube launched at IFA last year, as cool as this is, we may not get to see this in Ireland.

Two New Colours for the P30 Pro

Speaking of things were unlikely to see in Ireland. Huawei also announced two new colours for the impressive P30 Pro. The designs are gorgeous and they even let the Huawei CEO take a great pop at Samsung for their Galaxy Note 10 designs following that of the P30 Pro. It’s unlikely these colours will hit the Irish market, but if you’re really interested, you should be able to pick up a SIM-free version of the P30 Pro on Amazon.co.uk in the colour of your choice when available.

Finally, as part of the P30 Pro refresh, Huawei also showed off the latest features of EMUI 10 which comes to the P30 Series later this month. It’s still up in the air as to whether or not Android 10 will be available on the Mate 30 Series next month and indeed whether or not we’ll get Google apps. While my gut says this will all blow over by then, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in Munich later this month.

 

Lidl Is Trending After Taking A Stance Against Racist Abuse

Marty
-
0
Lidl Is Trending After Taking A Stance Against Racist Abuse

I’m going to try and write this article without referencing one of the involved individuals because, quite simply, she’s not worth the pixels. You may have noticed that Lidl is trending on Twitter today. When Lidl starts trending, memories of a snowy March last year come flooding back, but the supermarket chain is trending on social media for a much better reason today.

A former journalist who recently ran a failed campaign for European. There’s very little good to say about this woman. She’s leading regular protests outside locations in Dublin like Google and Twitter and her followers have been seen giving Nazi salutes. What am I talking about? There’s nothing good to say about her expect, perhaps, that she’s garnering nothing more than a minority of followers.

This weekend, she took on the Irish leg of the German supermarket chain Lidl. Lidl had recently added a new family to their “The Big Save” campaign.

To any normal human being, the Ryan family are like every other Irish family. The only exception is that they happened to star in the latest Lidl ad which shows the savings they enjoyed.

Unlike all of us normal people, the former journalist took exception to the Ryan family being depicted by their daughter, her black partner and mixed-race son. Here’s what she tweeted out – note I’ve cropped her Twitter account because I really don’t want to spread her around the place at all.

lidl ryan family tweet

While the family depicted here, of course, could be named Ryan, the surname refers to the woman’s parents. It’s actually their shop that’s been analysed as part of the campaign.

Thankfully, the vast majority of the Irish public see right through this stuff. Many have reported her on a regular basis. During the summer, Twitter acknowledged these ban attempts and temporarily suspended her account.

However, Lidl Ireland has taken a stance and directly taken action to ensure her account can do no more damage.

Lidl Takes Stance Against Racism

Following the tweet from the journalist, Lidl posted a tweet on their own account stating they have blocked her account and reported her to Twitter. The supermarket’s Twitter account continued to state, “we are proud of our multicultural & diverse team and our customers. We are proud to work with, and serve, each and every one of them. Everyone is welcome in our store”.

Additionally, Lidl also confirmed they were in touch with the family involved and are providing support. They also thanked the public for their support, which has been visible on Twitter this evening.

Why Are We Writing About This?

The main reason I’m writing about this is that I’m sick and tired of small-time accounts on Twitter and Facebook being given the same respect as publishers. This woman is extremely harmful to the public. She regularly shares messages of hate which do have direct consequences in the real world, while she’s tucked up safe and sound at home.

Not enough companies call out this kind of shit. So good on you Lidl for actually taking a stance against her and cutting her off.

How we consume news and information has changed dramatically in recent years. Trolling online has evolved into dangerous hate messages and I thoroughly believe this has become to biggest danger to the future of our society. I recently suggested that all social media profiles should require validation from a government ID or something similar.

Tech has started to ramp up innovations in recent years, which is really exciting. But, our laws need to keep up and our governments need to start policing social media more closely instead of waiting for private businesses picking up the slack.

1...838485...179Page 84 of 179

About Goosed

Welcome to Goosed.ie! We test the latest consumer electronics and tech from around the world to help you find gadgets that make your life just a little bit easier.

Must Read

Does FlyKitt Work? Buying to Beat Jet Lag

Gadgets 0
I'm just home from a lovely trip to China....

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Long-term Review: Can My iPhone Survive This?

Reviews 0
I didn't think my review of the Samsung Galaxy...

Lyft Entering Irish Market Doesn’t Bring Needed Change

News 0
Today it has been announced that American ride-sharing company...

Subscribe

© 2024 Goosed. All Rights Reserved.