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Google Pixel 4 is Coming To Ireland: Here’s What We Know

Marty
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Google Pixel 4 is Coming To Ireland: Here’s What We Know

I remember a time where you couldn’t get a Google Pixel phone in Ireland for love nor money. Then there was the time we helped you with workarounds which meant you could buy Pixel phones in the UK and ship them to Ireland. Then last year, it finally happened and Google started selling the Pixel range in Ireland with the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL. With the rumours in the rearview mirror, Google has announced the Pixel 4. So without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about Google’s new flagship smartphone.

What Phones Did Google Launch?

Last year, Google launched the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL together with the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL following earlier this year. Today, Google announced their new flagships but nothing for the midrange. That means this article will be looking at the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL announcement.

Notch to Notchless

Pixel 3XL had the biggest notches I’ve ever seen. It was unsightly, but at the same time, it made me realise you can become blind to notches over time. I really didn’t mind it. But it was ridiculously big.

pixel 4 forehead

It a complete swing, Google has decided to kill off the notch altogether with the Pixel 4 range. This means Google can squeeze in lots of new tech atop their new Pixel. You get the usual selfie camera as you’d expect, but then things get interesting. Google has added a near-infrared flood emitter and dot projector which promises better face-unlocking. They’ve said their tech will allow for improved unlocking in the dark which should make this even better than what Apple brings to the table.

It’s important that face-unlock works well too because the new Pixel phones will have no fingerprint scanners at all.

Also, there’s some real innovation on show here. The front-facing array of the Pixel 4 also houses the first radar chip in a mobile phone. It’s called the Soli sensor and it lets you control your phone with gestures. I’ve seen similar controls on the Huawei Mate 30 Pro and I think this has genuine potential to go beyond being a gimmick.

Two Cameras

These days, smartphones have a seemingly ever-increasing number of cameras on them. Yet, this is the first Pixel smartphone to have more than one primary lens. For many phone manufacturers that would be a concern, but Google’s software combined with some decent hardware brings best-in-market results.

On the rear, you get a 12MP lens and a new 16MP telephoto lens. Combined with Google’s software smarts, the Pixel 4 range promises to have improved zoom, better low-light shots and enhanced portrait (bokeh) shots. I can’t wait to see what the zoom is like on the new Pixel phones. I don’t think it’ll stand up to the likes of the Huawei P30 Pro’s zoom, but Google’s digital zoom blew my mind last year.

There’s also a mode designed for star gazing and you know what? I’m thinking I might actually grab the Pixel 4 and head out of the city with a tripod to give this a real test.

Power

This is a slight area of concern when looking at the Pixel 4 on paper. 2800 mAh of battery, in this day and age, is tiny. It’s even smaller than last year’s Pixel 3. Google assures us that it will give you enough power for a day, but transitioning from Huawei battery power to Google could be the biggest challenge of being switching up to the Pixel 4. Time will tell.

Elsewhere, in terms of power, processing power should be no problem at all as the new Pixel is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor. On top of that, I’m going to slightly shoehorn in one of the top features that people are taking notice of – a 90 Hz screen. OnePlus boast that this is one of the best features of their new phones so again, I’m looking forward to seeing the full day to day use impact of this.

Excited?

The Pixel 4 might not bring as much x-factor to the scene that other uber-flagships but there are plenty of other things which piqued my interest. Stock Android 10 and improved Google Assistant are just two of the things I’m looking forward to checking out so be sure to keep an eye as I’ll be popping my sim into the Pixel 4 tomorrow and giving it a right good test.

When is the Pixel 4 Available in Ireland?

You can pre-order the Google Pixel 4 in Ireland thorugh the Google store. Currently, it says your new phone will ship in two to three weeks, so I’d expect this to land by the end of the month. There’s no sign of an official announcement from Vodafone again this year to stock the Pixel 4, but watch this space.

New Irish Mobile Network GoMo Unveiled

Jon
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New Irish Mobile Network GoMo Unveiled

Earlier today Eir announced a brand new mobile network on our shores. GoMo operating off of Eir’s current mobile network promises customers will have 99% population coverage and over 97% 4G coverage!

They launch with an offer that is sure to have some of the bigger providers shaking in their boots, but of course there’s a catch. GoMo are offering the first 100,000 customers a €10 per month for life deal with unlimited calls and texts coupled with 80gb of data with 10gb roaming. Not bad but if you want to sign up to GoMO then you will be bringing our own phone because this Ryanair of the telecommunications industry is as no frills they come, offering only 30 day sim-only plans at the moment.

Image result for gomo ireland

Eir has recently invested over €150 million to upgrade their masts in preparation to launch their 5G networks. Now we don’t think GoMo will be getting 5G anytime soon but if Eir have put in the work they claim, reception shouldn’t be an issue. Eir will continue to operate as their own brand and GoMo will have nothing to do with them, kind of like Meteor & Eir in the past.

When we said no frills earlier we meant it, GoMo has been pitches as the first “truly digital mobile brand” and that means, no bricks and mortar shops, no phone stock and no messing around with plans. Its the old “what you see is what you get mantra”.

GoMo isn’t Eir, it’s what’s known as an MVNO, a company who offers a mobile service using someones infrastructure. However, what is different about this new Irish network is the fact its owned by Eir so you would think that should avoid the problems of some of Ireland’s other MVNO’s such as Virgin, Tesco, 48 and the forgotten child of years gone past..iD.

Outside of the first 100,000 customers being able to get a deal of €10 per month for life deal with unlimited calls and texts coupled with 80gb of data, users will also be able to roam like home throughout the EU (and of course post Brexit UK). The only charge upfront is €10 to move your existing number and for delivery of your sim.

Only time will tell if GoMo will be able to compete with the big boys and if their service is any good. Both myself and Martin have already ordered our sims so expect a follow up article in the near future. In the meantime if the offer looks to good to miss then head over to their site and grab it while you can.

PS5 Announcement – What We Think We Know

Jon
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PS5 Announcement – What We Think We Know

It’s happening, the next-gen PlayStation has been announced! It’s due to land in time for Christmas 2020 and will be dubbed the PS5. Since Mark Cerny, Sony’s chief architect announced the company were working on the new console we’ve seen a steady release of information circulating such as an official PS5 release window, name and a few details about features. Alongside this, there was the surprising leak of a Sony patent which seems to hint at the console’s new shape and general design. So what’s the craic with the PS5? well here’s everything we think we know about the new PlayStation 5.

PS5 Release Date

Image result for mark cerny

Probably the best place to start and thankfully the little ones won’t be on the hunt for a new console this Christmas. After the recent announcement of Xbox’s Project Scarlett due for release for Christmas 2020, it looks like Sony are following suit. We’d be surprised if this wasn’t the case, to be honest, and the latest instalment of the console wars could be the best yet.

However, let’s not be surprised if Sony throw a curveball. There has been a rumour floating about in recent days that we could see the PS5 release in February/March to get a jump on the competition. I reckon Black Friday is going to be a pretty decent indicator of Sony’s tactic and if we see the PS4 get crazier discounts than usual this year, don’t be surprised if we see the PS5 by April 2020.

Is 8K video on the menu?

To get technical for a moment the answer is a bit yes and no. The PS4 is by all accounts set to ship with the AMD Ryzen chip and a GPU from Radeon Navi family. Couple this with the SSD Storage and this combination promises great graphics ability, fast as fuck load times and good bandwidth capabilities. However, that on first glance looks like 8k gaming could be possible for simpler titles while the bigger games will employ a new version of upscaling used on the PS4 Pro to make games look slick on 4K.

One idea floating about and I personally don’t like it is that at launch we’ll get a PS5 and PS5 Pro. The Pro version will be a higher spec with much more powerful features including a higher frame rate and 8K video.

What about a 4K Blu-ray drive?

Mark Cerny confirmed that the PS5 will have a 4K Blu-ray player. To be honest the PS4 should have included this feature as both the Xbox One X & S come with the 4K drive. What that means is that if your the home cinema type the Xbox would have been the better choice however with this news the PS5 is ready to bring the Ultra HD Blu-ray fight to Xbox.

The Audio Setup

Image result for xbox project scarlett

Dobly Atmos – we really hope we get it. Right now the Xbox One baits the PS4 in the audio department. The Xbox is already rocking both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio for gaming and 4K Blu-ray playback but Cerny has promised that the PS5 will be the “Gold Standard” in audio. Early reports are stating that we will see a redesigned 3D audio engine to deliver a more immersive experience and better again you won’t require any new hardware.

We hope there will be Dolby Atmos support for movie and gaming content from the offset, sure you will need a proper speaker setup and AV receiver to really maximise this but if you’re a gamer or a movie lover then this small outlay will be worth your time.

PSVR compatibility

So the comments from Mark Cerny points towards VR being apart of the console from the get-go. Now he hasn’t mentioned whether that will mean we will get a PlayStation VR 2, if the current VR will work or will the kit be built in as a standard. In my humble opinion, I reckon it will be a PSVR2 kit as the current version has a weaker resolution than any of the comparable systems on the market, namely the Vive and Oculus Rift.

Another rumour in the mill is that Sony may be looking at some 3D hologram accessory for multiplayer games. This would work by using an eye tracker with a light emitter to project an image giving the impression of a hologram floating in mid-air. Honestly, I reckon that’s a rumour but would love to be proved wrong.

The PS5 Console

I know we’ve gotten this far and still haven’t mentioned the most important part – the actual console. Anyway back in August a patent was registered as a Sony electronic device by the companies technical director. This little piece of paper was leaked to the internet and the rendered images we have been seeing thus far are very similar to the sketch that accompanied said patent. While the console will probably be tweaked a fair bit between now and then it’s definitely interesting to see what’s potentially in store:

Image result for sony playstation 5

It’s a big change that’s for sure and if I was to bet that U shape on the top (if it stays of course) will become the docking station for the controls instead of an area for fans. But that’s just me guessing. Interestingly we can see what looks to be five USB ports at the front for headphones, controllers, hard drives and other accessories. Other than that we have very little else to go off but it’s a funky shape if nothing else. Hit us up if you have ideas of your own.

There will be a more environmentally friendly element to the PS5 with a new energy saving mode which will go through less power than the PS4, what they are saying is if this feature was used by 1million users it would reduce electricity consumption equal to that of 1000 houses.

Updated Dualshock 5 Controllers

Image result for ps5 controller

A new console can’t come to market without a brand new controller. The PS5 is no different and Sony has already confirmed that the Dualshock 5’s will come with some nice new features. Haptic feedback is gone in favour of a new “rumble” system that is set to give more realistic feedback and we will be getting something else called adaptive triggers that will be driven by programmable resistance within the trigger buttons.

Some rumours have suggested that the new controller will contain a touchscreen…for what I don’t know. Some are saying could be in place of the central pad and would be used for controlling bits and pieces while others say it could be used for your smartphone notifications (which I hope is a lie)

Automatic charging over Wi-Fi has been discussed by fans as a way of powering such a controller and, while that sounds interesting, that’s going to cost cash moneys.

PS5 Pricing

Speaking of pricing, we haven’t a notion right now but if any of the other consoles are anything to go buy then €500 will be the maximum price. Sony in the past have stated that they will always try to make their consoles as accessible as possible, so over pricing could be a problem. If we look back on previous models the PS1 & 2 launched for about €300, the PS3 & 4 rocked up about €400 at launch. With this in mind, it would be a surprise to see Sony charging any more, after all, they are in a volume game.

That’s all for now, we will have more information in the coming months but for now, all we can do is piece together what we know, what’s rumoured and a few of our own guesses. What do you think we are going to get from the new PS5? Hit us up.

FIFA 20 Review: Is it really as bad as the early reports?

Jon
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FIFA 20 Review: Is it really as bad as the early reports?

Every year we play it and every year people say the same thing, FIFA 2020 is just FIFA 19 with a new hat. We love smartphones and often they might be quite similar but its the subtle nuances that set them apart. The same can be said for FIFA 20. Sure it’s a bit pricey and As you might expect, FIFA 20 doesn’t rewrite the rules but the addition of a completely new mode adds some much-needed excitement to the series.

Back to the Streets

We loved The Journey from games gone by but this year we get the renaissance of FIFA Street in the form of Volta. Volta is the biggest change to the game this year hence why we are starting our review here. If you’ve ever played FIFA Street, Volta is like a grown up version of the same game. Gone are the mad tricks and flicks, power boosts and other mad shite to be replaced with over-the-top celebrations, outrageous flicks and tricks, and quick matches. To be fair playing a 3 on 3 game on top of a car park in Tokyo is a wonderful change of direction to your typical 11 a side game of FIFA.

I liked the environments as I said they are different and boy do they pop. Volta isn’t just nice locations, it can be played in a few different game modes from kick-off to the Volta Season Mode. The season mode lets you create your own player and go through their preset story full of cut scenes. What i’ll say about it is simple, the story is ridiculous, the cut scenes go on way too long and it’s a bit meh but get through all that and the game play itself is some craic.

Speaking of the game play, tricks are difficult to get to grips with but once you figure it out you’ll enjoy making either the computer or friends look stupid. Especially when you can be that guy to play a wall pass just to wind them up. You won’t spend the majority of your time on FIFA 20 playing Volta. It’s a super flashy add on this year but realistically FIFA 20 is all about the actual football.

Overall Gameplay

First things first, when you login to FIFA 20 for the first time you’ll be forgiven for thinking you leeft your FIFA 19 CD in the drive the interface looks that similar. Everything on the face of the game feels like a copy and paste job with opening game scenes and commentary almost a carbon copy from last year, it’s not until a ball is kicked you get to feel the subtle changes.

Image result for fifa 20 gameplay

Remember in previous years when you’d be darting down the wing with lets say Mpabbe but suddenly the slowest full back in the world would be able to catch you? yeah that’s gone for good. The lads in EA took feedback to hear and you need to be aware of slower defends and manavouer yourself accordingly to defend. Players like Salah and Adama Traore (seriously wow) feel every bit as fast as they should be and if you’re unlucky enough to be playing a mate with one of these speed demons without the appropriate defensive tweaks, prepare for smashed controllers. Actually the same can be said for the bigger more powerful players like Zlatan, Maguire or Akinfenwa really feel like big strong units.

Overall FIFA 20 made a few tweaks and changes that really make small difference without completely overhauling the game. The speed is the first one, picking the top teams feels like you’ve ramped the speed settings to the max while a one star team can feel like a watching boys playing in custard. EA also claim to have upgraded ball physics but from what I can tell so far, I’m not buying it so maybe it’s so subtle I don’t notice it or their talking out their hoop. We’ll let you decide on that one.

Another change you can feel though is the ball weighting and by that I mean when you sweep that delicious cross field ball to your pacey winger in games gone past would have just gone out of play whereas now it feels more realistic. For now anyway. I reckon this is one feature they will tone down in the future because perfecting that pass can literally be unstoppable. Plus we all know FIFA comes unfinished at this stage so the game we play on release is normally different by the new year.

Apart from that everything else is FIFA 19 with a new hat…until you look at set pieces.

Set Piece Dynamics

Image result for fifa 20 gameplay

Honestly while I still can’t take a free or peno I’m delighted they finally did something about their god awful set piece system. In FIFA 20 free-kicks are very different and they almost feel like a mini-game in-game in their own right. Looking at the image above you’d think right picked the spot and the shot type I want and that’s that right? Wrong. There’s a few variables that actually differ from player to player and free to free. Take into account things like wind, curl and who is the taker and it really does make a difference. After a bit of practise I reckon hitting the target will be more manageable than last year but those who find that sweet spot can become an online Juninho….For those of you too young to remember that glorious deadball specialist just watch the below.

 

Career & Ultimate Team Modes

Glorious stuff, anyway back to business, Ultimate Team & Career Mode. Does FIFA 20 actually care about the career mode players or have they doubled down on the daily profits on Ultimate Team. Well put it like this we’ve all seen the videos on social media with players receiving their Ultimate Team Card and with that kind of marketing career mode just feels like a a week old banana. Like it’s there, you can have it but the love isn’t there.

Maybe that’s a harsh description but all the good stuff is the same as last year:

  • Big Leagues are licensed and branded
  • European competitions from the start
  • Nice commentary
  • Simple navigation

You can play in a selection of pre-season tournaments to get your team up to scratch, plus there’s a couple of training options if you want to try to boost the stats of some of your players. Player and Team Morale becomes a little more important this year signified by a red sad face shows a player’s morale is poor, while a smiley green face represents they’re happy. This is a simple dynamic that doesn’t really add anything to the game because those that won’t be happy are exactly the players you want to sell in the next window.

Image result for fifa 20 manager cutscene

You manage the morale in things like post match interviews where you answer questions with an obvious right answer to improve or decrease player moral. Honestly these cut scenes that play out when you’re negotiating either to buy a player or give them a new contract are pointless. Your avatar has no voice, he sits and nods while the game slowly reels of your responses. Pointless and shouldn’t have been included, get rid of these and give us something like if this then that tactics or creating my own set piece routines any day.

Of course, Ultimate Team is back for another season. The biggest improvements here appears to be many more iconic players to build into your team, season objectives and deeper customization options. If you’re a FUT veteran then you’ll likely dive straight in here without even taking a second glance at the other modes. There’s not much here for those who weren’t convinced before, though because EA are happy to sit back and watch the money roll in.

FIFA 20 The Goosed Verdict

I may have had a moment on our recent podcast with The Sun’s Gaming/Technology Journo Vinny Fanneran.

Having taken a step back for a week or so to delve into the depths of the game I have slightly changed my tune. I still feel like this game doesn’t feel fully finished with updates waiting on lineups, bugs in the Career Mode and a general feel that it’s FIFA 19 with a new hat. Buuuuut FIFA 20 does have an awful lot going for it. The slight changes to player movement and ball physics are a welcome addition and the sheer volume of gaming option in Kick-Off Mode means that it’s still the absolute best game to play when you’ve a few mates over.

While we may have been disappointed to see the end of the enjoyable Journey Mode, the new street football ball game Volta offers enough light-hearted fun for couch co-op and some clever, nuanced game play tweaks that coax out a more fair and rewarding game of soccer. Probably enough to warrant a full game in it’s own right ah la FIFA Street from back in the day. Look it’s not perfect but FIFA 20 picks up right where FIFA 19 left off as a glossy, slick title ideal for playing with the lads for a few pick up games.

Google Launches Website With Data to Support Dublin Climate Action Plan

Marty
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Google Launches Website With Data to Support Dublin Climate Action Plan

The environment is a bit of a hot topic right now. If it wasn’t so serious, I’d smugly reflect on that pun for another few minutes. It’s hard to know if any government-led plan will help tip the scales towards us all doing this planet some good for a change, but the most important thing we need to hold them to account is data. We need to know what the score is so we can know who’s winning. Today, Google launched its Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE) website after partnering with Dublin City Council’s Smart City program and UCD.

How Bad is the Air in Dublin?

Dublin City Council is aiming to be a leader when it comes to climate action and is seeking to improve air quality within the nation’s capital. I’m sure that raises the eyebrows of many, including at least one eyebrow myself, considering the hardship cyclists and electric scooters go through with little support, but you could argue that’s a problem higher up the chain.

Anyway, as I said, if change is to happen, we need to know the score. Google’s new website lets us check in on that.

Google’s EIE website for Dublin shows us that the city is generating a total of 2,130,000 tCO2e per year. That stands for metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. That figure is arrived at by looking at the buildings which generate greenhouse gas emissions from direct combustion of fossil fuels (like for heating, and indirectly by the electricity the residents and equipment consume.

When it comes to transport, the city generates 1,310,000 tCO2e per year. This figure not only includes the likes of petrol and diesel engines but the electricity required to charge electric cars.

Recommendations: Going A Step Further

In the hope that common sense can be achieved by Google telling Dublin City Council what is needed, they’ve done just that. The EIE website also outlines suggestions which will directly impact the big air quality numbers. For example, if we want to reduce transportation emissions, Dublin City Council should look to promote electric vehicles, in particular, expanding the city’s charging infrastructure. I can’t help but feel it’s a shame this comes a day after the budget which announced a paltry €3 million for electric vehicle infrastructure in transport while also abolishing the electric car grant.

Google’s suggestions also include a car-free downtown. I’m not sure where that would be, but College Green would surely make sense? The plan here would be to eliminate cars from high-density districts while also creating car-free pedestrian zones, limiting vehicles on certain days of the week and implementing congestion pricing. This are rules applied in many big German cities.

Dublin, I’m sorry, but we’ve all got to stop worshipping the car.

Solar Panel Potential

Why wouldn’t we just do this? It’s not like it’s the White House solar panel debacle!

Google is spelling out what we need to do to help improve the air in Dublin, so now you can start asking what’s actually been done about it. It’s kind of like when you’re wondering why you’re never losing weight but then you realise it’s because you finally wear a FitBit and realise it’s down to the fact you do 2,000 steps per day! The data matters.

If you want to gain a better understanding of what’s going on here with the data, get on over to Google’s EIE website and have a play yourself. It’s publically available and is crammed with interesting bits of data. According to Google, Dublin City roofs can help us avoid generating 206,000 tCO2e per year. Empty space that just needs a few panels lads. Couldn’t be simpler. 

 

Meater: Possibly the World’s Best Smart Meat Thermometer

Marty
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Meater: Possibly the World’s Best Smart Meat Thermometer

I enjoy cooking. I enjoy eating even more. I also love tech, as you could probably guess by the fact I created Goosed.ie all those years ago. When all of these things come together, I get really excited. At IFA Berlin this year, I met the guys from Meater and I’ve just had a chance to get into the kitchen and test out what could be the world’s best smart thermometer.

What is Meater?

Meater is a wireless temperature probe which takes the guesswork out of cooking meat. I tested out the Meater+ model which promises improved connectivity when monitoring your meat while cooking. For this test, I cooked a lovely spatchcock Piri-Piri chicken.

Why have a cooking probe?

I’m fairly confident in my cooking abilities, but even so, I sometimes overcook food because I’m being overly cautious. For others, cooking can be a nightmare because they’re afraid of undercooking. Cooking with a temperature probe removes the guesswork and ensures that your meat is not just cooked thoroughly and safely, but also cooked to perfection.

How does Meater work?

The Meater is a has a surprisingly sharp pointed end which you can push into the meat before you cook it. The pointed end measures the internal temperature of the meat that you’re cooking. The exposed part of the probe measures ambient temperature.

Because I was testing the Meater+, the prob actually speaks to the stylish charging dock. The benefit here is that extended range you get versus the original Meater which needs the phone to be closer to the probe itself. I was roasting a chicken which meant I could take a seat and let the oven do the work, monitoring the Meater+ probe from afar.

Monitoring like this was made possible by the Meater app. The Meater app and my Amazon Alexa too would you believe. More on that later.

Cooking with Meater

First of all, you open the Meater app, available for iOS and Google Play. Once you’re up and running, you tell the app what you’re cooking and how you like it. Typically, this is handier for steaks as you really shouldn’t be cooking a chicken or many other types of meat medium-rare.

With my spatchcock chicken placed onto a roasting dish, the next step was to push the Meater probe into the meat. It’s important you push it in right up to the line on the probe, as this ensures the probe doesn’t get damaged in the heat.

I will admit that popping a gadget into the oven feels totally weird, but trust the process.

With your Meater in place, it’s time to put your bird in the oven. Now, you can sit back and let your oven do the work. Through the app, you can check the internal temperature of the meat you’re cooking, the ambient temperature (in this case the heat in the oven) and the target temperature for your cook.

When the meat is ready, the app will send you a notification. One thing I always forget about is letting the meat rest. I’m usually too hungry for that to be honest. Again, I trusted the process. The data coming from the probe was enlightening. With the chicken out, resting on the counter, the internal temperature continued to rise. The chicken continued to cook for a few minutes after it left the oven. This is why meat is so easy to overcook and ruin.

Once the resting period is complete, you’ll receive a notification that it’s time to tuck in;.

Can you trust Meater enough to cook with it?

This is a resounding yes. Meater might event take the mantel of my favourite kitchen gadget, slipping in ahead of Drop. Setting the system up really couldn’t be easier. Considering there’s a fair chance you’re not cooking with a smart thermometer at all, I would fully recommend the Meater. From my own test, I could see, by comparing the oven and ambient temperatures, that the probe was accurately measuring the heat in the oven.

Meater also totally changed my understanding of how the meat cooks. Seeing the internal temperature slowly rise, reaching a peak just in time for the app to tell me the chicken was ready kind of blew my mind. Maybe everyone knows some of this stuff, but it was just something I’d never really thought about before. I had a fair idea that meat continued to cook when leaving the oven, but seeing the temperature continue to rise emphasised how important that resting phase is.

Other bits

That would have been enough to sell me on this smart meat thermometer, but there’s more. If you have a spare smartphone lying around, you can connect this to your Meater and monitor the temperature from anywhere in the world. Hardly handy for an Irish BBQ while you sit in Oz, but if you did have to pop to the shop while there’s a roast on, you’d find out if you had to hurry home fairly quick.

The Meater team has also developed an Alexa Skill. This means you can simply ask your smart assistant to check your cook and it will read out the key stats for your dinner.

Meater: The Verdict

When I saw Meater, I just knew it was a great idea. In fact, days before I met the team at IFA I had wondered why this didn’t exist. Not only does it exist, the guys at Meater have created a truly brilliant kitchen gadget. It’s not just about safety either. It’s about making sure that meat you invested in is cooked to perfection so you can really enjoy it.

Meater comes in a couple of models. The base model Meater will do pretty much everything I’ve mentioned here. What you lose out on is a little range. If I had to pull the Meater+ up on anything it’s that the range still isn’t great as it cut out a few times and needed me to move the charging base into a better position a few times. With that in mind, I can only imagine that the base Meater really is best for frying where you have the phone very close to the probe.

Check out the Goosed.ie Instagram story for Meater.

Buy Meater

Meater is available from their website, starting at €89 for the base Meater. I would recommend stretching a small bit and picking up the Meater+ with extended range for €109. If you prefer, you can also buy Meater on Amazon.co.uk.

 

Track Storm Lorenzo Live With Google Maps

Marty
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Track Storm Lorenzo Live With Google Maps

One of the most impressive things that Google has developed over the years isn’t there search engine. At least, for me it’s not. To me, it’s Google Maps. With Google Maps, we have a tool which can quite accurately estimate journey times based on live data from real users and even offer you an alternative, faster route. It can find places of interest nearby and even help you remember the route home you took after a few pints the night before. Live location sharing is one of the top tips I’ll give anyone who’s looking for a safe trip home alone on a night out.

Today, Google announced that you can also track Storm Lorenzo with Google Maps. See, it’s the talk of the town and I just found a tech angle!

What is Storm Lorenzo?

This is not our area of expertise at all, but Storm Lorenzo is a big gust of wind heading towards Ireland later this week. Being a little more serious, Storm Lorenzo is currently a category 1 hurricane set for landfall in Ireland over Thursday and Friday. Lorenzo was previously a category 5 hurricane, which initially meant nothing to me. However, when you realise that there’s only ever been 36 recorded category five hurricanes in history, it becomes clear why Storm Lorenzo is a bit more newsworthy than most lashings of rain that we get over here.

It’s also the reason why Met Éireann has issued orange wind warnings for six counties and a nationwide yellow warning. So, now that you’re regretting all those times you laughed at Doomsday Preppers on the telly, here’s how you can track Storm Lorenzo with the incredible technology of Google.

Track Storm Lorenzo With Google Maps

Enter Google Maps.

Google has started tracking Storm Lorenzo in Google Maps. That means you can now nip into that link and follow how Lorenzo is getting on. It also shows projected areas of the storm’s landfall in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

track storm lorenzo google maps

Will I Get Off Work Because of Storm Lorenzo?

I’d say there’s a chance. Now, I’m no meteorologist, but looking at Google Maps, the bulk of the country is going to get lifted out of it. Buy a load of snacks and white bread, just-in-case. If you can, bring the laptop home from work and take the “I better work from home” option while binging on Netflix.

Knuckle down lads and keep an  eye on Google!

Skullcandy Sesh Review: Quality Budget Truly Wireless Buds

Marty
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0
Skullcandy Sesh Review: Quality Budget Truly Wireless Buds

I think it’s audio that best shows off how fast technology is moving these days. It felt like only yesterday that earbuds were a new idea as we laughed off Apple’s AirPod hitting the market. Less than three years later, and truly wireless audio is a massive revenue driver for tech’s heavy hitters. Skullcandy, a favourite brand here at Goosed Tower recently launched the Skullcandy Sesh truly wireless earbuds and we picked up a pair at IFA Berlin to test out.

Truly Wireless Buds on a Budget

Truly wireless earbuds really are all the rage these days. So far, I’ve tested out the Soundcore Liberty Air, Jabra 65t Elite and an interesting budget pair of buds from Enod. Jon has test-driven the Skullcandy Indy buds and even Amazon is moving into the buds space and closer to home, just around the corner are the new Huawei FreeBuds 3 which should be on shelves in Ireland before Christmas.

The Huawei buds will likely be next-level quality, coming at a next level price. This is what blew me away when I got to test out the Skullcandy Sesh. For €59.99 in Irish shops, you get a pair of buds which, even without noise cancelling of any kind, offer great ambient sound suppression and decent playback audio quality too. Sure, if you’re watching some videos, you may notice the slightest lag, but I’ve tested much more expensive earbuds with lag which rendered watching video nigh on impossible.

The Skullcandy Sesh performed admirably for me across several testing environments, including an aeroplane and busy office environment.

Audio Quality

If the audio quality isn’t there, they’d be dead in the water. Thankfully, the Skullcandy Sesh deliver an above-average audio experience.

Music Quality

I really don’t want that to sound like a negative, because for me, Skullcandy has achieved something incredible with their truly wireless Sesh earbuds. Why? Because I keep coming back to the price.

Skullcandy Sesh Lifestyle

I was left wanting for very little when testing out the Sesh earbuds. The buds were never going to blow me away with a best-in-class audiological experience, but they far outperformed what I’d expected when I saw how much these were worth. If you’re an audiophile, I’m sure you could pick these apart much more than I could. If you’re a casual Spotify streamer looking for a decent set of buds, look no further.

Call Quality

This is one area which the Sesh, like many truly wireless buds, falls down. Call quality is pretty poor. For me, buds should cater to my need for seamlessly picking up a call when I’m listening to a few tunes. Buds, because of their design in general, result in the mic being quite a distance from your mouth. This is why calls are generally hard anyway.

I’m afraid, Skullcandy didn’t do anything to nail improving the situation here with the Sesh as call quality was a letdown. If calls are your thing, it might be best if you check out the, admittedly more expensive, Jabra 65t Elite.

Design and Build

In terms of design, the most important thing for earbuds is comfort. Comfort means many things, but ear fatigue and likelihood to have an earbud slip out of your ear are the two most important comfort factors for me.

I will admit, an earbud popped out on me once. The situation was so funny, I refuse to consider it a negative:

That is honestly a true story. Awkward.

Again, I feel, as funny as that story is, that it paints a negative picture. The Skullcandy Sesh do feel comfortable and secure in my ear, even when being fairly active.

On the note of ear fatigue, I had no issues at all. The Sesh buds are quite light which helps. Another thing lending to ear fatigue not being a problem, is the battery life.

Battery

The battery in these buds will not suit your needs if you want a pair of buds to run for hours and hours. You’ll get just three hours from the buds themselves and a further eight hours from the carry case. I’ve never found myself in a situation where I leave in my buds that long. For me, buds are for working out or short stints in the office. Anything longer than two hours, especially long trips, will see my pull out something like my Bose QC35 II noise-cancelling cans.

Design and Build Quality

The Skullcandy Sesh do generally look their pricetag. I’m not going to rip into them too much for that because I care more about sound than looks, but it’s important to manage your expectations here.

The charge case is proper cheap plastic. Just a few weeks into owning a set of these buds and mine have seen better days; the first days. The buds themselves, while comfortable, aren’t anything special at all to look at. I’m sure for many, that’s grand. Unless you like wearing Apple AirPods just because you want the world to know you’re wearing an Apple product.

One thing worth noting is the on-bud controls for volume, playback and smart assistants is brilliant. Having an actual physical button instead of a capacitive touch area is rather reassuring when you need to control your playback.

If I really had to find a negative, it would be the fact Skullcandy seem to be clearing out the last of their micro-USB ports. I’ve noticed that nearly all of my gadgets are USB-C these days but I do still need to carry an old cable with me for one or two items. The sooner everything is USB-C the better!

Connectivity

Poor connectivity can drive just as much negativity as poor sound quality. The Sesh were largely delivering a consistent connection, largely down to the Bluetooth 5.0 technology. I did have a few hairy moments when surrounded by large crowds, particularly if the battery in my buds was a little to close to being empty.

Skullcandy Sesh: The Big Selling Point

If you’re after a decent pair of buds for casual listening and don’t want to break the bank, look no further than the Skullcandy Sesh. They’ve got form when it comes to making great audio accessories that don’t break the bank.

We’ve found the cheapest price for the Skullcandy Sesh truly wireless buds using PriceSpy, who’ve pointed towards €59.99 in Argos. You could save about €3 if you shop on Amazon.co.uk but maybe wait and see what happens with the Pound to see if it is more worth your while later this month!

Skullcandy Sesh Specs

Brand Skullcandy
Model Sesh
Headphone Type True Wireless In-Ear
Connection Type Bluetooth 5.0
Impedance 16 Ohms ±15%
Driver Diameter 6mm
THD <3% at 1KHz
Sound Pressure Level 99-105dB
Frequency Response 20Hz – 20KHz
Weight 59.5g (earbuds); 106g (case)
Smart Assistant Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa compatible
Water Resistance IP55 Sweat, Water, and Dust Resistant
Features Microphone, Call, Track and Volume Control
Price €59.99 with Argos.ie

Goosed Stats: 32% of Irish Consumers Shopped On Amazon.co.uk in the Past 12 Months

Marty
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Goosed Stats: 32% of Irish Consumers Shopped On Amazon.co.uk in the Past 12 Months

We’re, unfortunately, counting down the days to Brexit. Personally, this is kind of like the whole Google/Huawei app thing. Surely, something is going to happen at the death and make all the panic obsolete, right? Unfortunately, things are ramping up for Brexit to happen and one of the knock-on effects will be increased friction when trying to order from UK online stores like Amazon.co.uk.

How Many People in Ireland Shop on Amazon.co.uk?

Last year, we carried out some of our very own research to find that 34% of shoppers in Ireland had purchased from Amazon.co.uk in the past twelve months. It’s time for us to refresh our figures and see if Brexit on the horizon is making shoppers slow their habits or start panic shopping.

We surveyed online shoppers if they shopped on Amazon.co.uk in the past 12 months. This time around, slighted fewer responded positively with 32% saying they had bought something on the UK retailers website over the past 12 months. When we extrapolate that data, it equates to approximately 1.6 million members of the 4.9 million population of Ireland has shopped on Amazon.co.uk in the past 12 months.

That means almost 100,000 fewer people shopped with the UK online retail giant last year. While it’s a reach to assume that drop comes from Brexit fears, increased taxes and delayed deliveries will almost certainly lead to a drop in interest amongst Irish shoppers to buy from the UK.

Who are the Amazon.co.uk Shoppers of Ireland?

Diving into the numbers a little further we can also see who it is that typically shops on Amazon.co.uk and gets items delivered to Ireland. 30% of Ireland’s Amazon.co.uk shoppers are aged between 25 and 34. That’s a 30% increase for this age group since last year’s research.

Last year, our research found that 64% of Ireland’s Amazon.co.uk shoppers were men. This year, that number has swung dramatically in the other direction. Now, 54% of Ireland’s Amazon shoppers are female. That’s a dramatic increase of 50% in female shoppers.

What Lies Ahead With Brexit?

Right now, Brexit remains a big unknown. It looks like taxes and delivery delays on items imported to Ireland will be the primary issues for online shoppers. Of course, also impacted will be shopper rights.

When you purchase goods or gadgets from online stores within the EU, you are protected by some great EU consumer laws. Distance selling is one of the best rights, allowing you to cancel most online orders within 14 days of delivery. According to the CCPC, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal specifically saying otherwise, Irish shoppers will no longer be protected by these rights.

This section is short because this is a whole pile of unknowns. Over the next month or so, we’ll learn a lot more about what Brexit means for online shoppers.

Brexit Winners

Now, this isn’t all doom and gloom. Should a no-deal Brexit become reality and online shopping with Amazon.co.uk become a reality, where will 1.6 million online shoppers go? Some will persevere and shop online with Amazon. Others will turn to their German sister Amazon.de. Naturally, other sales will remain in Ireland with Irish retailers, whether that be online or in-store.

Things are changing and we’ll be here to help you navigate every step of the way.

 

 

 

Crello: A Free & Easy To Use Graphic Design Tool

Jon
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Crello: A Free & Easy To Use Graphic Design Tool

Probably a bit out of the usual for us but over the last year or so I’ve noticed something amazing. Almost everyone has a side hustle! With a second job or prospering business many people are left scratching their heads when it comes to designing cover photos, invites, social media posts and all that jazz. Hence this review. I’ll be honest, I’m a bit of a graphic designer, in fact my undergrad degree is in Design & Technology so while I know my way around Photoshop, I’m lazy. With both those points in mind I went on a hunt for a free and easy design tool that anyone could use. Most of you would have heard of Canva but recently I found Crello, a free and stupidly easy to use graphic design tool.

What Is Crello?

Crello is essentially a cloud based design tool, similar to Canva. Giving you thousands of free templates to work from, they can be used to create graphics for print, social media, ads, websites and anything else you can think of. It’s available on Apple, Desktop and now Android. As with any of these types of platforms, it’s free and you can get started straight away but of course there are premium plans that add extra functionality if you want even more templates and some extras.

Crello lets you do animated short GIF imagery as well as standard static images. The large library and range of templates available makeit ideal for 1st time designers or those like me who just want a quick and easy solution.

What Can Crello Do?

Crello have dubbed themselves a “visual editor” which I kind of agree with because well it helps you make visuals. For a small company or a person starting their new side hustle, the devil is in the detail. The days of just writing blogs are done, now you need images, audio (like The Goosed Podcast), videos and it all has to be consistent. So how do you make consistent graphics that stand above the noise on the internet. Well, Crello say the answer is them.

The platform has been been made by the stock image website Depositphotos, so that means from the start you get a butt-load of stock imagery to use for backgrounds plus there’s a ridiculously large database if you decide to go premium.

Crello tries to make the process of making designs easy, just browse their templates, images etc and when you find a style you like, click and modify everything as you need. Sounds easy right?

What they want to create is a platform you can use on your desktop or phone and not have to be a designer to create something sexy.

The Basics

Once you complete the free sign up which you can do through Facebook, Gmail or with an email address and password you’re ready to rumble. Keeping with their stupidly easy to use idea, the homepage is also the “create a design” page where you will see some of the example formats as well as a gallery of images to give you some inspiration.

Also on this main screen there is a button for all their formats, under this all 40 options are divided among the different sections:

  • Social media posts
  • Animated post
  • Blog imagery
  • Cover and Header photos
  • Marketing Material
  • Adverts

Now under each heading you get your different format types, lets take marketing material as an example, below this you will find templates for:

  • Posters
  • A4 printing
  • Presentations
  • Postcards
  • Business Cards
  • & a few others

Basically whatever you want to do or think you might want to do, chances are, Crello has templates.

You will find a number of formats under each section. For example, in the marketing material section you will find posters, flyers, A4 prints, presentations, gift certificates, postcards, business cards, and more.

After this whatever you choose and work on will be saved under the “My Projects” page, it will also include your work in progress. Handy enough for keeping your work together in one handy place.

Other than that the only other page is the settings, which is the same as anything else, email, billing information yada yada yada.

Creating Sexy Graphics

Find the design you like the looks of? Click and get started without a fear in the world because the interface is very very easy. As you can see from the image above everything you need is in plain sight from downloading to uploading your own imagery of selecting a design.

The main are where you work on the design will let you easily undo a mistake, redo something, zoom and all that good stuff. Once you’re happy with the design hit that download button or share your design. Really it’s that easy.

I can go into more detail if people are interested in learning more about graphics in general but I’ll keep this as minimal as possible. Anything you want to do to an image can be done here. Colours, fonts, gradients, transparency, sizing, photo effect ,crop and blur images.

If you upgrade to Crello Pro you can also get access to animations and HD videos which can be quite cool to bring some life to your designs but again no change to the controls, Crello does exactly what it says on the tin.

Should You Go Premium?

So far I’ve really covered the free package, on this we get over 6,000 designs. Why you would want more is beyond me buy hey some people do and there’s an option for a premium service.

On the free package there are no restrictions to how many designs you can make and the only restriction is that animated posts can only be done as 1080*1080 pixels and will contain the Crello Watermark. Personally I can get over not using the animated posts, even if they are very nice. Crello Pro will cost you €19.99 per month and for that you get:

  • Animated Posts
  • Facebook Video Covers
  • Full HD Videos
  • Removal of the Crello watermark
  • 12,000 premium templates
  • Additional templates each month
  • Upload 1000 of your own images
  • Upload your own fonts (max 100)
  • 5 Free Depositphotos per month (available nomally for a euro a piece)
  • Upload of up to 100 custom fonts

I’m conflicted and this may because of my design background but I’d rather do all that with Photoshop but I can see for 20quid per month could be useful for website owners who want to go big on social campaigns or online ads with their own branded touch. I think this would only apply to the top 5-10% of users, I’ve seen quite decent sized companies pay for this service but for you, me and the tree it wouldn’t be worth the money.

Goosed Verdict

Being totally honest, I personally feel learning Photoshop and Indesign should be the priority for anyone looking to make super slick custom graphics. However I know that’s not always possible and I was quite impressed by what Crello offers. It’s an easy to use platform that has very few bugs that I have seen.

I liked the level of access that you get for free so if you’re in the market for a basic solution that will do the job then this will do just fine. As with any software like this they want you to go premium, 90% of people won’t need to. I tried premium for a couple of weeks to see what was what and other than extra backgrounds you can get yourself and removing watermarks from animated posts then most really won’t need it. Essentially Crello is a fine alternative to Canva for simple graphics.

If you want to know more about Crello, check out their website.

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