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Google Pixel 3a Review: Google’s Great Camera Without A Huge Pricetag

Marty

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23rd June 2019

Google Pixel 3a Review: Google’s Great Camera Without A Huge Pricetag

Last year, after many years of waiting, the Google Pixel 3 stomped onto the Irish market as a Vodafone exclusive. 2018 was an incredible year for smartphones with the bar being set incredibly high. Still, Google’s first phone to officially launch in Ireland was a stunner. Now, Google wants to bring something new but familiar to the table. This is my Google Pixel 3a review. A review of a mobile phone that brings more to the table than any other phone at a similar price point.

Where Did The Google Pixel 3a Come From?

To be totally honest, the Pixel 3a and 3a XL came right out of left field. Was this always on the roadmap? I’m not so sure. I get the feeling that Google had excess parts and wanted to build another phone. Actually, that’s very unlikely. Regardless, the Pixel 3a is an absolute stroke of genius. From the Pixel 3, Google takes the best feature – the camera – and trims the fat, making a lean mid-range mobile phone. That’s a mobile phone which leaves the other mid-range phones in its wake.

Google takes the best feature – the camera – and trims the fat, making a lean mid-range mobile phone

Yet Another Great Camera In A Pixel

Google has made quite the name for themselves when it comes to cameras. Last year, they were up against stiff opposition in Huawei’s P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro. They all stood toe-to-toe with each other. In the end, there were features on the Pixel cameras which made them stand out and some features on the Huawei range which put them a hair ahead. All in all, the cameras were practically inseparable, visible in the DxO scores:

Huawei P20 Pro: 109
Huawei Mate 20 Pro: 109
Google Pixel 3: 101

Here’s how the Pixel 3a compares to the Huawei P30 Pro.

You can see from these shots that there really isn’t much in it. In fact, the Pixel 3 edged selfies for me, especially outdoors and especially if you wanted to take a wide-angle selfie.

The Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL will take photos that rival those from it’s bigger Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL brother. “Rival” might not even be strong enough. Put it this way, you’d be unlikely to spot the difference between Google’s flagships and these new mid-range value drivers.

Both the Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL pack in the same tech. Your primary single-lens camera on the rear is a 12.2MP shooter capable of shooting 4K video at 30fps or 1080p video at 120fps. Swing the phone around and you have what is probably one of the best selfie cameras on the market. Unfortunately, you do give up wide-angle at this price point, but I genuinely feel like the Pixel 3a still takes lusher selfies than my beloved Huawei P30 Pro. Hurts me to say it.

There are my words on Pixel 3a’s selfies, now for some specs. The phone’s front-facing camera brings an 8MP camera with an 84-degree field of view to the table. When you link all of this hardware with Google Photos, one of the best photo management tools out there, you end up with a dream lineup for content creators. Overlay that with the price you’d have forked out for the Pixel 3a and you’re left with the best pound-for-pound smartphone camera on the market right now.

I’ll chat about the slightly slow processor in a while, but portrait mode facing in both directions remains impressive on the Pixel 3a, competing with the likes of Huawei, Samsung Galaxy S10+, and even both the iPhone XS and iPhone Xr despite the phone costing a fraction of their RRPs.

Night Mode

The Pixel’s ace in the hole is Night Mode. A late release for the bigger brothers of the Pixel 3a, you get this feature right out of the box. It’s bizarre that phones can see things in the dark that we have no idea about. The technology is mind-blowing. Once again, let me remind you that the price is also mind-blowing.

This was shot in my bathroom, in the absolute pitch black. With my bare eyes, I couldn’t even see the plant, but the Pixel 3a was able to see it and shoot it.

It’s not the best shot ever and it’s a bit blurry, but still – if you saw the darkness that I was in shooting this you’d be stunned.

Where Does Google Trim The Fat

Cool, so the pictures that you shoot with these new mid-range Pixel phones are whopper, but where is Google cutting the corners?

Display

I tested out the Google Pixel 3a which comes with a 5.6-inch OLED panel display. Nothing here to knock your socks off, but there is something worthy of mention. If you find flagship smartphones to be far too big these days, the Pixel 3a could very well be your dream phone. It’s a nice size to pop into your pocket without being too small to enjoy using.

There’s also a full on ‘forehead’ and ‘chin’ for at the top and bottom of the display. This cuts the costs for sure and might even be something we see on this year’s Pixel 4 range.

Wireless Charging

A feature that’s not for everyone, but it has to be called out because of another cool feature on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. The Google Pixel 3a and Google Pixel 3a XL give up wireless charging. This means you also cannot use these new Pixel phones with the wireless charging stand. That also means these new phones can’t double up as screened Google Homes. You can still enjoy everything that Google Assistant has to offer including the squeeze to ask functionality.

The battery itself in the Pixel 3a doesn’t disappoint. The phone’s 3000 mAh battery easily lasted me a day and might even get most people through two. In the box you’ll also get a 18W fast charger.

Water Resistance

After so long with phone’s having an IP68 rating, the Pixel 3a comes with no IP rating at all. That means no music in the shower, but also you should be careful if this is in your pocket during a downpour. Just something to bear in mind if you have become used to waterproof flagship phones.

That Processor Though

This is once again more for those of you who might be attracted to the price and size of this semi-flagship. These new Pixel phones have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor on board. I didn’t notice this too much, except in the moment after you’ve taken a picture. You can visibly see the phone processing the images in front of you.

There was no massive issue as a result of this, but with prolonged use, I always wonder if a phone like this would end up getting clogged. Non-expandable 64GB memory says hello.

But there’s more…

That’s how Google trimmed the fat, but there’s one big plus with the Pixel 3a that I’m sure many will adore. It’s only got a bloody headphone jack.

the inclusion of the headphone jack kinda sums up the beauty of this phone

I think the inclusion of the headphone jack kinda sums up the beauty of this phone. It’s everything modern smartphones aren’t.

When every smartphone went expensive, Google has brought out this affordable option.
When every smartphone went big, Google brought out this neat and tidy option.
When every smartphone went wireless, Google brought out an option with a headphone jack.

Is the Google Pixel 3a Worth Buying?

The Google Pixel 3a is not a flagship smartphone, but it’s a bloody brilliant smartphone nonetheless. What Google has achieved here is simply fantastic. No longer do consumers have to make the take a lesser camera because of a limited budget.

The Pixel 3 will set you back €899 right now, direct from Google. The Google Pixel 3a is just €399, also directly from Google. Both are also available from Vodafone.

That price tag is mind-boggling. While I appreciate there are corners cut, when I switched over to this mid-range Pixel 3a for a week, not once was I left feeling like I was using a cheap phone. But for a trip to Metallica where I knew waterproofing would be essential, I wouldn’t have been in any hurry to take my SIM card back out of the Pixel 3a at all.

Google Stadia Ready

If you happen to be a headphone nerd who needs and audio jack, with tiny hands and a love for both photography and gaming, the Google Pixel 3a should be at the very top of your list. Don’t forget, Google Stadia launches in Ireland in November and will be compatible with the Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3XL, Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. It’ll be interesting to see how the processor and battery hold up, but these new Pixels are on the release list.

Skyroam Solis 4G Hotspot: WiFi Wherever You Go

Jon

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23rd June 2019

0

Skyroam Solis 4G Hotspot: WiFi Wherever You Go

There’s nothing worse than when you go abroad and have to pay through the nose for internet access. Sure the change in the EU regulations around roaming has made a huge difference. But what if your job means that you need more and what’s the craic when you have to go a bit further abroad? That’s where the Skyroam Solis and the Solis WiFi App comes in. It’s a simple premise. When you’re abroad, pay a single flat fee for 24 hours access and get WiFi in 100+ countries.

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The claim is the @skyroamwifi_id will get you the internet anywhere. Realistically we needed to test that claim the only way we know how…bring it to the middle of nowhere and see how it gets on. #travel #wifi #powerbank #productreview #testing #bankholiday

A post shared by goosed.ie (@goosed_ie) on Jun 1, 2019 at 5:55am PDT

WiFi on the go?

Ah yes, the tinternet, one thing we can’t live without in the modern world, and yet surprisingly it can be such a hassle wherever you go. If you’re like me and you work remotely or travel pretty much all the time, then searching for quality internet access gets old fast.

Sure you can roam but good luck with that. If you end up outside of the EU, you can also buy a local prepaid sim. If your phone isn’t unlocked or you not sure how much data you use, then neither of these are great, to be honest.

Having worked in a phone shop for more years than I would care to admit, this time of the year was always rife with holidaymakers coming back from far-flung destination with outrageous bills. I can’t stress this enough, do not roam outside of the EU it will cost you your first born. Between myself, Martin and Dean we could tell you some horror stories, who knows we might even chat about it in an upcoming podcast.

As we said you can also buy a local sim but before you do, make sure your phone is either sim-free or unlocked. Another problem you are likely to bump into is the fact that data limits in a lot of countries are very low when it comes to pre-paid solutions (believe it or not in the US the vast majority of people are bill pay, wonder why). Then again if you are travelling with a family or just use a load of data yourself again, good luck with that. A lot of countries don’t legally allow visitors to purchase a local sim and, though there are ways around this, researching them is a huge hassle.

We could just say use your holiday to switch off completely, enjoy your break from the day to day and reset. But sure then how else would you post that perfect Insta beach shot.

This is where a product like the Skyroam Solis comes into its own. It’s a 4G LTE mobile WiFi gadget that automatically works off local mobile towers, with no SIM needed. Up to five devices can share WiFi on one Skyroam Solis. Good idea or a family holiday or the business person on the go.

The Design

The Skyroam Solis will fit in the palm of your hand and the orange puck-like design is very minimalistic with a total of three buttons. The main Wi-fi button, battery indicator and the power button. The only other thing is the LED that flashes to let you know that it’s on or charging.

On the back, there is the USB-C port to charge the box and or charge your stuff using the inbuilt power bank. Charging the Solis takes about 8 hours but you do get 14-20 hours of use which is quite decent. I like that the Skyroam is so simple, once you have it on you can drop it back in your bag and do the rest on your phone. Whether that’s registering, activating your plan or just checking things like battery life and usage, it’s all done through the app so you won’t have to pull the thing out every 20 mins.

The user interface has its share of glitches and quirks. It’s optimized for smartphones, so if you open the page on a laptop it’ll give you a mobile-shaped screen in the middle of your browser tab. The main Status dashboard is simple enough. The centre of the screen displays either how much time is left on your current day pass, or a button to activate your next session. Below that is your location, how strong your current signal is, how many devices are connected to the hotspot, and your battery life.

How does it work?

Without getting too techical it uses virtual Sim tech to connect you to a nearby service tower. Doesn’t matter the networks as it will connect with over 300 providers. So basically as long as there is a mobile signal in the area you’re good, it won’t work on a plane or boat but then again that would be pushing our luck for now.

Also because of this, technically, Skyroam gives you unlimited data. Pick your package, pay the money and off you pop.

How the battery life?

According to the team they say 14-20 hours, which by my tests are pretty close. My travel bag consists of my Samsung Galaxy Watch, or the Armani smartwatch, the Mac, Bluetooth headphones, a phone or 3 and to be fair whatever I’m mucking around with at the time, so trust me the poor box got put through its paces.

The power bank within the device itself is 6000mAh and comes as standard with the USB-C to charge most of the latest device, of course until Apple drops the lightning and move over themselves. Heads up though, the Skyroam Solis used the same battery as the charger so you will reduce the battery life if you’re running the Wi-Fi and charging simultaneously.

How do you use it?

The Skyroam Solis is honestly super easy to get up and running. I love opening new toys and I love it even more when set up is stupidly easy. Who needs the instruction manual when the Skyroam itself it literally covered in its own instructions! Watch:

Once you’ve it unboxed, and played with it’s easy to get your package sorted:

To get WiFi, press and hold Power On (the side button).
Connect your Skyroam Solis
On your phone or connected device visit the Skyroam site, register and pick your package.
Press the WiFi button on the top of the unit to start using WiFi.

How much does this orange disk cost?

There are a few ways to use Skyroam. A daily pass, their new monthly data subscription, or the new 1 GB GoData plan.

The box itself costs €150. If you don’t want a plan you can also pay-as-you-go plans with daily 24-hour WiFi access for occasional connectivity for €8 per day or you can get a monthly plan for frequent fliers for €80 per month.

Alternatively, you can also do daily rental of the product for €7.95 per day, so you get the device and the data. Which is grand if you only need it on a once off basis. This can be ordered online or if you are going Stateside, some of the top airports will have kiosks.

The app

This is only a recent addition, the Solis Wi-Fi app. With this users can connect their hotspot and WiFi account, just by scanning the QR code on the bottom of their Skyroam hotspot device. They can also monitor their data usage, check on connection speeds, and buy more data with just a tap. I gave it a shot just to check how much data I was using watching Netflix and it was pretty much exactly what I expected.

This isn’t the first Solis and as with any product, the first generation isn’t always perfect. I’ve been told from themselves that this app was created directly as a result of customer feedback. They have tried to simplify registration and streamline WiFi start-up each time a customer powers on their hotspot, so they can connect faster. Inside the app itself, users can do the following:

Manage their service and package
View status of things like battery, signal strength etc
Offline access to troubleshooting and coverage lists
Step-by-step guide

Who would the Skyroam be useful for?

To be honest, having played around with it for a few weeks now, it’s a very niche market.

Ok so here’s the list:

People going out of the EU with a locked phone
Regular travellers who need something better than crap hotel Wi-Fi
Families going abroad so a parent isn’t trying to hotspot their phone for the small people
Business travellers who need Wi-Fi to work
Prepay customers who only have limited amounts of data
Anyone still afraid of being charged mad money by going over roaming limits

That’s really it if you fall in any of those categories the Skyroam Solis could be just what you need. Otherwise, your phone will do just fine.

The Goosed Verdict

The Skyroam Solis is a pretty cool little device. The battery life is good, it’s well built and it’s reliable. I may have dropped the thing in a stream and low and behold it still works! I honestly can’t say much bad about it. It’s also significantly cheaper than racking up a huge roaming bill. For those that travel a lot, I can see the value. So on that basis, I would recommend it.

Realistically it depends on what you do and where you go. Right now if you travel mainly in Europe you already get free roaming, within reason. For most this is enough, there’s no need to purchase another device and pay a daily charge for internet.

It won’t be long until mobile providers start offering inclusive international roaming as part of their plans as standard. Put simply this will mean the offer of unlimited international data won’t be as enticing as it used to be. Until then we have the Skyroam Solis.

The main announcements from E3 2019

Gaming

Jon

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19th June 2019

0

That’s it E3, the worlds biggest gaming show, is over for another year. The 3-day expo came to a close with some of the world’s biggest publishers and console manufacturers showing the titles that will be coming out later in 2019 and beyond. Some games are announced for the very first time during the show, and many are available to go hands-on with. There has been a lot of focus on the next gen of gaming after the announcement of the Google Stadia. So what did we get at this year’s event?

Xbox Project Scarlet

As we expected, Microsoft announced their latest console at E3 2019. Dubbed the Xbox Project Scarlett, the next-gen console news was announced with all the pomp and ceremony we have come to expect from the US giants. After Keanu Reeves made an appearance, we finally got a look at the hardware and the preview for Halo Infinite.

Microsoft unsurprisingly has dubbed this the future of gaming, a title Google is also hoping to claim with their Stadia “console”.

Anyway Project Scarlett is built around some solid hardware, including a new Navi graphics architecture and a Zen 2 CPU. The console aims to eliminate or at least minimize loading times to get you into the game as soon as possible. Just to put this into context, Microsoft has been claiming Project Scarlett is four times more powerful than the current most powerful console on the planet, the Xbox One X, four times better performance than the current generation in terms of load times, and the most significant generational leap in Microsoft’s console history. Big claims, indeed.

At the moment we haven’t any base pricing to work off but here’s hoping Microsoft learn from the past and lead with a price comparable to their main competition, Sony’s PS5. We expect to see this hit the shelves in time for Christmas 2020, the same time we hope to see Sony’s latest console.

Sony the no show

Speaking of Sony, this is the big one. Sony confirmed in late 2018 that it would not attend E3 2019 because it was looking for other “inventive opportunities” to connect with its community.

“PlayStation fans mean the world to us and we always want to innovate, think differently and experiment with new ways to delight gamers. As a result, we have decided not to participate in E3 in 2019,”

Since this announcement, they have released a series of State of Play videos with trailers, release dates, and the like. To be honest with the news coming leaking out that a PS5 is on the way it’s no surprise they decided to give it a miss this year. The main downside with their lack of attendance meant smaller games weren’t given a chance to flourish at the Sony booth. A partnership with Sony means smaller indie titles were likely unable to afford a space on the floor. Games like these were sorely missed, and we eagerly await the next State of Play for more news. With its focus also now turned to its next-generation console, a lack of new games is one of the main reasons why Sony decided to skip E3. Here’s a rumoured image that we found on the internet, which means it’s probably miles away, but it’s a beautiful looking joypad all the same.

Nintendo

Sadly we didn’t get a new cheaper or upgraded Switch 2 at E3 2019 and to be fair they did say they wouldn’t be releasing any hardware this year. Still, we hoped they might have cheekily given us a little teaser to excite us. It wasn’t to be, but we did get a major surprise or two.

Most interestingly for Nintendo fans was the teaser trailer for the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Right now we don’t know a whole lot about it, but it’s going to be good. Other games to get a lot of airtime in Nintendo Direct broadcast included the likes of Luigi’s Mansion 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening remaster.

There was also the showcasing of Pokemon Sword and Shield, the two upcoming Switch titles. It looks to be a serious upgrade to previous title’s, the open world plain and roaming Pokemon visible more openly (unlike in our day where you spent hours wandering through random patches of grass) coupled with a brand new environment is contributing to the excitement around Game Freak’s Switch title. Also, the starter Pokemon are super cute; one’s an electric corgi….just saying.

Square Enix

The guys at Square Enix were always going to be busy at E3 with a lot of focus on the Final Fantasy lineup. We had the Final Fantasy VII remake, and they also revealed a 20th anniversary remaster of Final Fantasy VIII. This is alongside the remaster of the Final Fantasy Chronicles, so yeah lots of upgrading here.

It wasn’t just remaking the old stuff for Square Enix. They also unveiled two eagerly awaited titles such in Outriders, a new co-op shooter developed by People Can Fly, and Marvel’s Avengers created by Tomb Raider’s Crystal Dynamics. It looks fantastic to be fair

Complete E3 2019 games list

Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 (new game and trailer)
Luigi’s Mansion 3 (new trailer and release window)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (new trailer, but delayed)
Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield (new release date)
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (new release date)
Super Mario Maker 2 (new trailer)
Astral Chain (new trailer)
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (new trailer)
Cadence of Hyrule ~ Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition
Dragon Quest Builders 2 (coming to North America via Nintendo)
No More Heroes 3 (announced for a 2020 release date window)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6

Microsoft

Halo Infinite (release window, coming to Xbox Project Scarlett)
Gears 5
Blair Witch
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Xbox One and PC)
Bleeding Edge
Battletoads
Age of Empire II: Definitive Edition (PC)
Wasteland 3
Microsoft Flight Simulator (PC first, Xbox One later)
Minecraft Dungeons
Spiritfarer (coming to Xbox Game Pass)
12 Minutes (Xbox One and PC)
Forza Horizon 4: Lego Speed Champions Expansion
Crossfire X
Gears Pop!

Take-Two Interactive/2K Games

Borderlands 3
The Outer Worlds

Electronic Arts and EA Sports

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PC, Xbox One, PS4)
Apex Legends Season 2 (PC)
Battlefield 5: Chapter 4 (PC, Xbox One, PS4)
The Sims 4 Island Living (PC)
FIFA 20 (PS4, Xbox One, and PC)
FIFA 20 Legacy Edition (Nintendo Switch)
Madden 20 (PS4, Xbox One, and PC)

CD Projekt Red

Cyberpunk 2077
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition

Konami

Contra Rogue Corps (Xbox One PS4, PC and Switch)
Contra Anniversary Collection

Bethesda

Deathloop (Platforms unknown) (Trailer)
Doom Eternal (Xbox One PlayStation 4, PC and Nintendo Switch)
The Elder Scrolls: Blades (debuting on Nintendo Switch; iOS, Android updates)
Fallout 76: Nuclear Winter (Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC sneak peek)
Ghostwire: Tokyo (Platforms unknown)
Wolfenstein: Youngblood (PS4, Xbox One and PC)
Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot (VR)
Commander Keen (iOS and Android)

Square Enix

Final Fantasy 7 Remake (PS4)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (PS4, Nintendo Switch and mobile)
Final Fantasy 8 Remastered
Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers (PC)
Circuit Superstars (Square Enix Collective, developer Original Fire)
War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
Romancing Saga 3
Scarlett Grace
Dragon Quest Builders 2
The Last Remnant Remastered (coming to Nintendo Switch)
Trials of Mana: Collection of Mana (coming to Switch)

Ubisoft

Ghost Recon Breakpoint (Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC)
The Division 2 (Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC)
For Honor (Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC)
Watch Dogs Legion (Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Stadia) (game play available)
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (game update)
Roller Champions (PC download available now, other platforms unknown)
Gods & Monsters (Xbox One,PlayStation 4, PC, Stadia and Switch)

Sega

Panzer Dragoon: Remake (Nintendo Switch)
Phantasy Star Online 2 (Xbox One)
SEGA Genesis mini console coming September 2019 with mini games like Mega Man:The Wily Wars, Earthworm Jim, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2, Ecco the Dolphin and 35 more classic games.

Namco Bandai

Tales of Arise
Dragonball Z: Kakarot
Code Vein
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
RAD

Various

Elden Ring (via FromSoftware)
Dying Light 2 (from Techland)
Way to the Woods (Team 17)
Dauntless (coming to Nintendo Switch via Phoenix Labs)
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics (En Masse Entertainment)
Dead by Daylight (coming to Nintendo Switch via Koch Media)
New Super Lucky’s Tale (coming to Nintendo Switch via Playful Corp.)
Empire of Sin (John Romero multi-console game)
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (Playtonic)
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (via Edelweiss and XSEED Games)

Dinner Drone Delivery in Dublin Coming Later This Year

Marty

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19th June 2019

0

Dinner Drone Delivery in Dublin Coming Later This Year

Last year, An Post scored some PR points by delivering a package to an island off the Mayo coast by drone. It was cool, but it did feel like a bit of a PR stunt. Like, we haven’t seen An Post deliver anything else by drone since have we? Drone delivery as a gimmick is about to make a dramatic departure from Ireland. Later this year, Flipdish and Manna.aero are teaming up to deliver your dinner to you by drone in Dublin.

No seriously. By the end of the year, you’ll be able to order a takeaway and have it delivered by air. You can’t spell doner without drone.

How Drone Delivery Will Work In Dublin

The idea is actually quite simple. You visit the website or app of your favourite local takeaway. You order online as you would normally, but when selecting delivery options, the choice of ‘drone delivery’ will appear. A drone that’s been parked up at the restaurant is loaded up with your order and starts it’s automated journey.

The service promised three-minute delivery time, made possible because drones don’t get caught in traffic. Instead, your dinner will whizz across Dublin City at 80kmph between a height between 100ft and 300 ft. Flying as the crow flies, your food will arrive piping hot, within three minutes of being loaded onto the Manna.aero drone.

When the food arrives, the drone will begin to hover over an open space at 100ft and notify you that your order is waiting outside. Once you accept, the drone will begin to descend, using lidar technology, similar to that used by Tesla, to measure how far from the ground the drone is. At about twenty-feet, the drone will lower your delivery using a biodegradable string before flying back to base to take on the next job.

Strict Legislation Is Helping Make This Happen

My first reaction here was along the likes of what your’s likely is. “Sure. Yeah, right. I’ll believe this when pigs fly”. Well, pulled pork is closer to flying that you might think and after speaking with Bobby Healy, CEO at drone company Manna.aero, I’ve been completely won over by just how real this is getting.

You can’t buy a DJI drone off the shelf and attach a bag of chips

“You can’t buy a DJI drone off the shelf and attach a bag of chips”, Bobby whipped before describing the two-year journey he’s been on overseeing the making of science fiction into a 2019 reality. Owing to events like the Gatwick drone incident, drone legislation has become ironclad which means companies like Manna.aero know the exact rules they need to play in, and create their business accordingly. Google’s parent company Alphabet has skin in this game too, launching Wing in Helsinki later this month. A lot of this seemingly futuristic stuff is happening because of very strict laws.

The Irish Aviation Authority and wider European Union Aviation Safety Agency have made it very clear that airspace is open for commercialisation and is encouraging the creation of services like drone food delivery. But there are very high standards that companies must live up to. That’s why, right now, there are only Manna.aero and Wing playing in this space.

Manna.aero has created a drone which Bobby describes as “beautiful in its ugliness”. Their drones are not designed to win beauty contests but instead are designed to be safe. Designed by a team of engineers hailing from Airbus and the military, Manna.aero’s drones are built with one primary function – never hurt anyone. The secondary function is to deliver you piping hot dinner.

Safety Is Key For Drone Food Delivery

Food safety means one thing but drone food delivery safety is a different kettle of fish. Once Manna.aero and Flipdish restaurants start delivering dinners in Ireland, they’ll only be doing so to those in locations which are safe enough. For example, I’m on Patrick Street in Dublin. High buildings and very little open space, means I, like many city centre locations, won’t be able to avail of drone delivery. Instead, it’s home with gardens that have a takeaway within two kilometres that will be able to enjoy dinner by drone.

While environmental obstacles are one thing, these food delivery drones will also feature a raft of additional safety features. Should an engine fail, the drone would be fine to continue flying. In the event that all engines fail because someone pucked a hape of hurling balls at a drone, it would deploy one, or if needed two, parachutes before safely landing back down to the ground.

Bobby also pointed out that beyond safety, operations like this can only succeed once the public is happy that there’s no invasion of privacy taking place either. Manna.aero and Flipdish has set high standards in both areas to ensure the public can only see the benefits of drone delivery.

Benefits of Drone Food Delivery

So why bother with all of this? Why should dinner by drone be anything more than a gimmick? There’s an almost endless list of reasons why delivering food by drone makes sense, but I’m going to pick out my favourites.

Piping Hot Food

Delivering your dinner as the crow flies means Flipdish and Manna.aero can promise three-minute delivery. It’s a whopper promise to make, but it does make sense. Drones can fly above congestion at 80kmph, drawing a straight line between your local chipper and your home.

Delivering your dinner as the crow flies means Flipdish and Manna.aero can promise three-minute delivery

Environmentally Friendly and Safe

You either get your takeaway delivered by cyclists, motorcyclist or someone in a three-tonne car powered by petrol or diesel. For the cyclists; they’re pretty green although they can be putting their lives on the line from time to time depending on where they’re delivering to.

The others are destroying the environment by being on the road all night. Drones are electrically powered and are extremely green. Even the string they use to lower your food will be biodegradable!

Think Beyond The Pale

The really exciting bit is when you think big. Bigger than Dublin. I many rural towns, delivery simply isn’t an option. It wouldn’t pay a restaurant owner to have a delivery driver on standby. A drone is happy out to sit there and wait all night for just one order. This opens up food delivery to a whole range of locations that wouldn’t have had it in the past. In fact, Bobby of Manna.aero believes this will be the biggest long-term area of demand for this venture with Flipdish, claiming they’ll be able to cover delivery to 90% of the population outside of Dublin.

Rural areas will also have much more space to accept deliveries. Double win.

No. Seriously, this is really happening…

It’s a bit mad to think that chicken wings have one final flight left in them before they get eaten. It’s even more off the wall to write this article knowing that this partnership between Flipdish and Manna.aero plan to deliver between 1000 and 10,000 dinners in Dublin before the end of the year. It’s not a gimmick. It’s not flash in the pan. Dinner delivery by drone is coming and it’ll be happening later this year.

Still have questions about having your dinner slowly lowered into your garden from a height? Drop your questions in the comments section and we’ll grab you answers.

Google Pixel 4: Early Leaks and Rumours Appearing Already

Marty

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16th June 2019

0

Google Pixel 4: Early Leaks and Rumours Appearing Already

Last year, the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL finally launched in Ireland as a Vodafone exclusive. I’m currently testing out Google’s midrange phone, the Pixel 3a, and early signs are this is an impressive piece of kit for the price. For gamers, it’s good to know because all of these phones will support Google Stadia gaming which launches in November. The Google Pixel 4 is expected to launch a month earlier in October and in a bizarre move, Google has already tipped their hat towards the Pixel 4’s existence. Here’s what we know about Google’s new flagship phone so far.

Google Announce The Google Pixel 4

Normally, there’s massive secrecy around the look and feel of flagship mobile phones. They are closely guarded secrets right down to the fine details. That’s why it’s quite unusual that Google has already released images of what the Pixel 4 will look like.

Well, since there seems to be some interest, here you go! Wait 'til you see what it can do. #Pixel4 pic.twitter.com/RnpTNZXEI1

— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) June 12, 2019

Why Did Google Announce The Pixel Early?

It’s really hard to know why Google has gone early here. Maybe they’re planning to release the phone before October? It could be that Google’s big reveal will be on the front of the phone and remains a secret. Or perhaps, after last year’s Pixels were the leakiest phones in history, Google just doesn’t care about secrets anymore. A ridiculous sentence I know.

So you think you know… Tune in tomorrow to see for yourself. https://t.co/4zTwRXcn1x #madebygoogle pic.twitter.com/3IO3xaMaP8

— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) October 8, 2018

There’s also the potential crossover between the incoming iPhone flagships and Google’s phone. The two would appear to have similar camera arrays which resemble that of the Mate 20 Pro. Perhaps Google wanted to beat Apple to the punch?

Regardless of the reason, we have something to work off and can start piecing together what to expect from the Pixel 4.

What We Know About The Google Pixel 4

Looking at the leaks that we’ve seen so far, here’s what we know.

Google Pixel 4 Camera

The standout feature that we can see from Google’s tweet is the square camera array. This is really similar to what we saw on the Mate 20 Pro last year. This is exciting because it means Google is starting to match incredible hardware with its extremely impressive camera software.

The new Google Pixel 4 will have three camera lenses on the rear with the fourth spot being taken up by a flash. If I was a gambling man, I’d wager that we’re looking at a standard lens, and ultra-wide angle lens and a lens similar to the time-of-flight lens seen on the Huawei P30 Pro. This lens would mean you can set up your Pixel like a Google Home but it would have hand gestures built in. This would be a development on the Pixel 3 which came with a stand turning your phone into a Google Home with a screen.

Pixel 4 Will Have An In-screen Fingerprint Reader

The Pixel range has usually gone for a recessed fingerprint scanner on the rear of the phone. The image Google released shows there’ll be no fingerprint scanner on the rear this year. We can also see there’s a protruding power button on the side of the phone. Power button-based fingerprint readers require a recessed button, so that only leaves two options.

Facial recognition
An in-screen fingerprint reader

Google’s front-facing cameras are usually very impressive. As much as I love my P30 Pro, even the front-facing camera of the Pixel 3a right now delivers better selfies. In theory, they could go for facial recognition security.

Option two is an in-screen fingerprint reader. This has quickly become the new expected norm in the industry, featuring on Samsung, OnePlus and Huawei flagship smartphones.

More Pixel 4 Rumours

Because Google released these images, they also kind of validated something else we saw this week. Unbox Therapy showed off a cast version of the Pixel 4. These cast versions are used by case manufacturers in advance of new phones becoming available on the market. It’s why we have new Otterbox cases on the same day a phone launches.

Looking at the cast model, key things line up. The camera array, the power button and the top of the volume button, all match up between this and Google’s tweet.

So with that said, what else do we learn?

Google’s Pixel 4 Is Going Notchless

The Pixel 4 will be notchless. This is a double-edged sword because there is a speaker on the forehead of the phone. The Pixel 4 will just have a full-width forehead, similar to the Pixel 3 but not the Pixel 3XL which had a massive notch. This could also be a massive clue as to how you’ll be unlocking your new Google Pixel 4.

Will Google Pixel 4 Have Just Facial Recognition?

If Google is blocking off the whole forehead of the Pixel 4 for technology, they will likely add in a flood illuminator sensor. This first appeared on the Apple iPhone X when they moved away from fingerprint readers altogether. Perhaps Google will go down the route taken by Huawei with the Mate 20 Pro and have both face-unlock and an in-screen fingerprint reader. We’ll need to wait and see, but this cast leak would suggest face-unlock will be a big feature on the Pixel 4.

Ultra-wide Selfie Should Remain

When I took my sim back out of the Pixel 3XL, it was tough. One of the main reasons for this was the wide-angle selfie. It’s a great feature to get more of your mates or more of your surroundings into your shots. With the extra real estate for technology on the front, I fully expect this to remain.

Two Sized Pixels

No surprises here, but Unbox Therapy’s leak also shows that there will, once again, be two Pixels. I’d imagine there’ll be no major naming convention departures either so expect there to be a Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL. If there is to be a Pixel 4a, it’ll likely follow suit with the Pixel 3a and launch in 2020.

There’ll Be No Headphone Jack

When it comes to new normal, this is one of the biggest ones. From the cast models, it looks like there’s no headphone jack. Strangely, Google did bring this tech back for the Pixel 3a but it won’t feature on the Pixel 4 or Pixel 4XL. When it comes to sounds, both models will have dual cutout speaker grilles on the bottom of the phone, either side of the USB-C charge port.

Google Pixel 4 Release Date

So when does it launch? Right now, that’s an unknown. In previous years, Google has launched its Pixel range in October. Will the Pixel 4 follow suit? It’s really hard to know especially now that Google has tweeted so early about the new phone.

Sign up to the Goosed.ie Newsletter or follow us on the usual social channels to stay in touch. Have a feature you’re hoping for? Let us know in the comments below.

Simply the Best Racing Wheel: Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Review

Marty

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15th June 2019

0

Simply the Best Racing Wheel: Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Review

There are three kinds of gamer:

Gamers who game for fun and the story
Gamers who prefer real-life simulation
Gamers who land somewhere in the middle

I’m the third kind. I like to enjoy my games, but given the right scenario, I love nothing more than a good simulator. Flight simulator with a flight control joystick was my game of choice when I was younger, but now I love motorsports. It’s another great genre to simulate but you need the best racing wheel to really enjoy it. I got my hands, quite literally, on the Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel for Xbox One and PC. More specifically, I got the Ferrari 458 Italia Edition with the additional Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On. I’m spoilt sometimes. Here’s what I thought.

What does the Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel Offer?

When I was younger, I used to play a range of racing games. The likes of Gran Turismo and Colin McRae Rally were my favourites. I had a Ferrari racing wheel back then too for my PlayStation and I absolutely loved it. It just changed how you looked at these games. Once you switch to the in-car camera and have the wheel in your hands, you really feel like you’re there. I should had, that wheel didn’t have force feedback and the Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel does.

Force Feedback And The Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel

Force feedback is usually just a controller shaking in your hand, but with this racing wheel it’s way more than that. The wheel fights you into corners and it’s damn strong. I’m halfway through a Canadian Grand Prix playing F1 2018 and when I last saved, I was sweating from fighting the wheel around the track.

Incredible Realism

As you might expect with force feedback comes awesome realism. The stock wheel comes with a standard looking car steering wheel. That’s standard if you usually drive a Ferrari of course.

To add to the narrative of being spoilt but also how much Thrustmaster cares about creating realism, I also got my mits on the Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On.

Look at that beauty.

I suffer from a few scenarios that make me want to do things. After I see a gig, I always crave playing drums. After I watch a race, I crave playing a racing game. F1 Manager offers some relief if I’m not at home, but nothing scratches that itch like loading up F1 2018 along with the F1 wheel. It’s just an incredible feeling.

Having a button dedicated to DRS, my team radio and both paddles and peddle controls all ads to the experience. Its really no wonder that the lines between gaming and real-life racing are getting more and more blurred by drivers like Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

Here’s me having the craic on a hotlap of F1 2018 in Russia.

It’s Not All Good

Unfortunately, it’s not all good. Linking the controller to F1 2018 wasn’t straight forward. Some of the key mappings aren’t great despite the game recognising the wheel. Customising the mapping isn’t a massive deal, but I’ve never gotten it working perfectly. That means in the heat of the moment you press a button that doesn’t do what it’s supposed to and your race is over.

I also live in a one bedroom apartment. Having a wheel like this setup permanently, unfortunately, isn’t an option. If you’re tight on space, owning a wheel like this isn’t a walk in the park. You need to unpack it, set it up, race and then put it away again. In a perfect world, I’d have a man cave with a dedicated racing seat for this thing. I also have to admit, this isn’t going to be a problem for everyone.

What will be a problem for everyone is the price. The Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel doesn’t come cheap. And you’ll have to pay for every additional extra that makes the experience better and better. For example, the wheel itself which comes with the standard Ferrari wheel and pedals will set you back €250. If you want the Ferarri F1 add-on, that’s another €170. That’s all you need if you’re an F1 sim enthusiast, but if you’re a rally fan looking for a gear stick and three peddle footplate, you can add on €180 for the gear stick and €170 for the pedals.

Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel: The Verdict

Okay, so let’s try and forget that price. The Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel completely changes how you look at racing games. Hell, it totally changes how I look at both my own console and Google Stadia coming down the line. Will server-side gaming ever be compatible with somewhat niche controllers like this?

While it’s pricy, if your a big racing fan and you have space for a gamers den, this is kind of a must-have. You can pick up your new whip on Amazon below. As per usual, if you do buy through our links, we’ll get a wee kick back so thanks for that.

Buy The Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel

Thrustmaster TX Racing Wheel

Thrustmaster Ferarri F1 Wheel Add-on

Huawei P30 Pro Review: Looking At My Latest Daily Rider

Marty

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15th June 2019

0

Huawei P30 Pro Review: Looking At My Latest Daily Rider

Well, tech is never boring, is it? I ride my Xiaomi scooter wondering if I’ll be stopped by police. Then I find out it could fall apart at any moment (being overly dramatic there), all the while knowing in the back of my mind, my Huawei P30 Pro is having a rough time in the media because Google might pull support in the next few months. More drama than Maura is bringing to Love Island. Yes, I’m on that bandwagon too.

Leaving all the drama aside, I’ve been using the P30 Pro for the past few months so it’s only fair I tell you what the phone is actually like right?

P30 Pro Design

The Huawei P30 Pro is a gorgeous phone to look at. While I half expected a notch along the lines of the Mate 20 Pro, Huawei instead went for the tear-drop design featured on OnePlus. The result is even more screen for your viewing pleasure.

p30 and p30 pro — The Black P30 Pro alongside the Breathing Crystal P30

There’s one call out I just can’t ignore on the screen though. It’s not Gorilla Glass. This baffles me, with Huawei did opt for aluminosilicate glass, but just not Gorilla Glass. I know I sometimes buy into brand too much, but Gorilla Glass really is excellent, which is why I did add a screen protector to my P30 Pro – but that had its own problems.

Moving on from the screen, we get back into lots of good news. The feel of the phone’s aluminium body is ultra-premium and the plastic back on the phone doesn’t feel cheap in the slightest. It does attract quite a lot of fingerprints though, so a case, as always, is a must.

Despite the tear-drop design, Huawei still managed to ram a 32MP front-facing camera into the screen. They also did something very new hear, removing a physical speaker from above the camera and placing it behind the screen. While unusual, it’s fine and just takes a little getting used to when you start making and taking calls. For playing tunes, it’s slighter louder than the Mate 20 Pro, the only major flaw I could find with that phone. The P30 Pro is louder thanks to the bottom speaker moving out of the charge port.

The P30 Pro Camera

I’ve already said too much without talking about the P30 Pro camera. It’s absolutely stunning. Huawei tends to bring something new to the table every time with their Leica-powered lenses. For example, in the past they brought Ultra-wide angle. Sounds simple, but it genuinely changes the way you shoot photos. This time, they brought out super-zoom, or as I call it “creepy zoom”.

The P30 Pro is capable of 10x optical zoom and upto 50x hybrid zoom. The result is astonishing. Here’s a shot I grabbed down in Dublin’s Docklands.

View this post on Instagram

Wanna see the zoom power of the #HuaweiP30Pro? Scroll to the end! That’s the: Wide angle lens Normal lens 10x zoom 50x zoom #shotonhuawei #tech #smartphonephotography

A post shared by goosed.ie (@goosed_ie) on Mar 28, 2019 at 9:04am PDT

Obviously, the more you zoom the less quality you get, but it’s still astonishing what this phone is able to capture from far away. The quality of shots using the optical lenses is even more remarkable. The optical lenses include a 0.6 Ultra-wide angle Lens, a regular lens, and then both 5x and 10x zoom.

I’ve said to a few people that the P30 Pro is capable of taking a shot and making it look even better than what your shooting in real life looks like. This is down to Huawei’s AI-powered software that aids you in taking photos. The phone can now recommend over one thousand scenarios and optimise your settings for your subject.

The P30 Pro makes you feel more like a photographer than a smartphone user

There are three members of the Goosed team who now have P30 Pros, and we had a chat about them recently. We all said we found ourselves heading out for a walk or constantly being on the lookout for a great photo. The P30 Pro makes you feel more like a photographer than a smartphone user.

Finally, the DXO Mark score of 112 officially makes this the best smartphone camera on the market. They’ve really dived into the detail over there, so that’s worth a read for sure.

P30 Pro Hardware

Huawei continues to excel here. I’m going to include battery here too, even though the truth is Huawei’s incredible battery is down to software as much as anything. I regularly get two full days out of the P30 Pro. By that I mean, charge overnight, use my phone all day, sleep, use my phone all day and charge at night. Two full days of usage. That’s nothing short of remarkable. Also, if you’re ever caught rapid without power, the fast-charging on this thing is ridiculously fast, bringing you from 0% to 70% in about half an hour.

You do have reverse charging too, which we first saw on the Mate 20 Pro and this year saw on the Samsung S10 and S10+. To be honest, this is still in the land of the gimmicks when it comes to phone power sharing. However, if you have wirelessly chargeable accessories, it’s a fantastic feature to have when you travel.

The display brings a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels to the table. This had me worried, but having seen this alongside the likes of Samsung’s 1440 x 3040-pixel S10+ display, the difference is negligible.

If you’re an adventurer, or just in Ireland, there’s more good news. The P30 Pro wraps all the tech onboard in IP68 water and dust resistance. Almost par for the course nowadays in flagships, but important to call it out nonetheless.

The American Sized Elephant in the Room

The P30 Pro landed and everyone was happy. It’s a great phone. The world has been turned upside down in recent years by Trump in the States, but you’d think the phone in your pocket would be safe. Think again. America and China appear to be in a trade war and Huawei has been caught slap bang in the middle of it all. As a result, America temporarily banned U.S. companies from dealing with the Chinese smartphone maker.

It’s all very odd, but it resulted in fears that Google might no longer provide updates or allow Huawei phones to access the Play Store or YouTube. A short stay of all suspensions has been granted until October, but it’s very likely that consumer confidence in Huawei has generally been rocked. It’s an absolute shame considering how much I love the phones Huawei makes and how much I love the P30 Pro.

My honest opinion is that all of this will blow over, but I can totally understand why some people might not be too happy with locking themselves into a two-year contract or forking out €900. There’s quite a bit of uncertainty which only time will clear up. I would point out there was a time when I thought Samsung and their Note 7 had done irreparable damage, but look at them now. The odd joke about the Note 7 is all you hear!

With all of that said, this review focused on the phone as it is today. I just want you to be totally aware of what’s going on.

Is The Huawei P30 Pro a Good Phone? The Verdict

Yes. I’d argue the P30 Pro is the best phone on the market right now. I’ll caveat that with the fact I’ve had very limited time to look at the Samsung S10+, but if it’s the camera that attracts you most to a smartphone, there’s no question. If it’s the battery that matters most, the P30 Pro is the best in the business. All other areas, you could probably take any other phone and compare them to have a debate, but on these two key areas the Huawei P30 Pro reigns supreme

For battery and camera the Huawei P30 Pro reigns supreme

The difficulty here comes with recommending the phone. I have no idea what’s going to happen over in the States. My guy says it’ll all blow over, go buy yourself a Huawei. The most important thing to remember is that any potential impacts appear to be for future Huawei phones, not existing ones. However, you could lose out on getting the latest Android updates on time. It’s a massive unknown.

All I know is that there’s a P30 Pro in my pocket and it’s a cracking piece of kit.

The Goosed Podcast: Huawei and the States

One of the most recent episodes of The Goosed Podcast is all about the U.S. ban on Huawei and what it means for consumers like you.

Whitestone Dome Tempered Glass Screen Protector Review

Marty

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15th June 2019

0

Whitestone Dome Tempered Glass Screen Protector Review

Schrödinger’s Glass. When you drop your mobile phone and it lands butter side down, your screen is both perfect and shattered until you look at it. To reduce the risk of a smashed screen, many of us will choose to grab a screen protector. Tempered glass screen protectors have become really popular in recent years. I was really excited to try out Whitestone Dome after seeing Unbox Therapy review their wares. Installation promised to be bubble free and requires a blue light to seal the screen protector and glue to the phone. It’s a serious setup, but is it worth nearly €50 price tag (before delivery costs are added)?

Why Use Tempered Glass Screen Protectors?

I’m a massive believer in the power of Gorilla Glass. Gorilla Glass is a particularly strong form of glass used by many smartphone manufacturers. The reason is simple; it’s bloody strong stuff. If your phone has Gorilla Glass, it’s much less likely to have a broken screen or even a scratched screen. If you have Gorilla Glass, I’d argue that your requirement for a glass screen protector is greatly reduced; but never removed.

Typically, the best smartphones on the market have this Gorilla Glass, but believe it or not, the Huawei P30 Pro does not. I was pretty shocked to hear this, but in hindsight, it adds up. A friend of mine has been lamenting a scratch on the screen of his new P30 Pro for the past few weeks. I apparently dodged that bullet until a Whitestone Dome tempered glass screen protector landed on my desk.

What Is Whitestone Dome?

Whitestone Dome has pretty much just roared onto the scene. I say roared because in the past few months they’ve been featured and loved by Unbox Therapy which means everyone recognises your brand.

Ok, after watching that, it’s quite obviously a paid advertisement. Lewis isn’t even hosting this video on his own channel anymore from what I can see so let’s take all of that with a pinch of salt.

The video does still lay out the basics. Whitestone Dome is a tempered glass screen protector. It comes with an impressive installation rig which allows you to apply the protector to your phone with a sealant goo before completing the process by using a UV lamp. Very high-tech looking and very cool.

Whitestone Dome didn’t pay me to do a review, but they did send me a screen protector to test out. Here’s what I thought of it.

Whitestone Dome Screen Protector Review

First of all, the process isn’t super simple. I’d actually say it’s a little intimidating. Whitestone Dome does offer a load of videos online which will help you get started with fitting one of these screen protectors. Here’s an example:

Unfortunately, there was no instruction video for the P30 Pro, so I followed this video. All the steps were more or less the same for both phones, so no problems here.

Once you get over the intimidating look of the whole setup, the installation is actually pretty straight forward. Pop the phone into the rig, follow the instructions really closely and most importantly, make sure your screen is immaculately clean. I used to fit screen protectors as part of my day job, so I spent a lot of time on this bit knowing one stray spec of dust could ruin the whole process. There are even some sticky pads in the pack which you can use to dab and grab specs of dust from your screen. They’ve thought of everything.

Once you drop the liquid sealant stuff onto the screen, it’s game time. Tilt the rig as per instructions and drop the screen protector.

Next up is the UV light.

Using the UV lights to move up and down the phone, the rays will bond the screen to the phone.

One Month Later Using Whitestone Dome

Shortly after I installed the screen I sat back to relax. Then I noticed an air bubble.

Now, let’s be realistic here. When the screen is off, you can spot the air bubble under the screen protector. But when there’s something on the screen, it’s barely noticeable. I know it’s there but nearly never see it.

More annoyingly, there are some weird streaks which have appeared along the edge of the phone’s screen. Again, the light needs to hit the screen a certain way for me to notice these, but it was disappointing to see all the same. Now there are some extra factors to consider.

air bubbles whitestone dome screen protector — Air bubble visible just over the 22 and glue streaks along the curved edge of the screen.

As I said, I used to fit these things on a regular basis. I’m not saying I’m the world’s best screen protector fitter, but I have experience and it still went wrong. I can only imagine what could happy to people doing this for the first time. Then there’s the price tag. €50 is a lot of moola for something that could result in less than satisfactory results.

Whitestone Dome: The Verdict

A broken screen can ruin your experience when using a mobile phone. Hell, even a scratch can be enough to make you feel like your brand new phone is five years old. I was shocked when I saw the P30 Pro doesn’t use Gorilla Glass and was delighted to be able to add an extra layer of protection. Unfortunately, the Whitestone Dome screen protector, despite quite the epic installation process, ended up with air bubbles. While not distracting, it’s a little disappointing from something that costs €50.

At the same time, broken screens are even more annoying. I guess my verdict here is to always consider getting a screen protector, but keep an eye on the price. I feel the Whitestone Dome installation process is a little bit more gimmick than function.

There is one positive that I’ll end on. It’s pretty cool that the fingerprint sensor still works with this screen protector. It makes sense given this feature on the P30 Pro is driven by light, but it also works on the Ultrasonic sensor of the S10 and S10+.

I do recommend buying a tempered glass screen protector and who knows, maybe you can pick up one of this on sale and it might be worth it.

How To Support The LGBTI+ Community

Marty

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9th June 2019

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When I start playing a new game, there’s usually a stage where you’re asked what difficulty you’d like to play on. Typically, I pick in the middle somewhere. In real life, I didn’t have to make that choice. I’m a straight, white, male. My life has been set to easy. On a daily basis I come across some challenges, but in the big scheme of things they’re not that tough. Some other people have their lives set to medium, but I truly believe that members of the LGBTI+ are living in a world where the difficulty is set to that level you can only unlock after you’ve completed the game. It’s incredibly difficult.

June is Pride Month. As part of Pride Month, I wanted to show that Goosed.ie takes a position that supports people to live life whatever way makes them comfortable. Changing our logo to a pride flag is grand, but I wanted to do something more. That’s why we’re raising money for BeLonG To.

LGBTI+ Life Is Easier: The Bar Was Very Low

I’m proud when I think of Ireland legalising gay marriage among some other great referendums in recent years. It’s easy to look at the world through rose-tinted glasses as a result of all these changes, but the LGBTI+ community certainly doesn’t have it easy yet. Just this week in London, a couple were attacked on a London bus. The two women were attacked by a group of young men who taunted them and asked them to kiss.

I was recently in a pub where a group on a birthday bash passed me with printed shirts covered in marker. One had written, “fuck LGBTQ”. To be honest, I’m embarrassed right now to say I didn’t stop the guy and call him out. My silence, I fear, is typical the support that the LGBTI+ gets. I’m totally supportive, but I don’t go that extra mile to stamp out bigotry.

Simply put, members of the LGBTI+ community still face challenges on a daily basis that I can’t even imagine. When I think of that and then think about how difficult being a teenager can be in general. That’s why we’re supporting BeLong To this Pride Month.

Supporting LGBTI+ This Pride Month

As I was updating the Goosed.ie logo, I felt it was a bit superficial and wanted to do something just a little bit bigger. A few Google searched later and I found BeLonG To who had actually written about the young people within the LGBTI+ community need more than “token gestures” of support. BeLonG To is a national organisation supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI+) young people in Ireland since 2003.

With 90% of Irish LGBTI+ youths struggling with their mental health and 76% of LGBTI+ youths finding school bullying as a source of anxiety, it becomes clear how difficult life can be for young people in a world that’s not always accepting.

So in short, that’s it. I feel it’s a great cause for us to throw our support behind. I do ask that if you can at all please support BeLonG To. By donating you will be supporting an organisation that makes a massive positive impact on young people’s lives.

Also, we’re offering advice and support to anyone from the LGBTI+ community who would like experience in writing, reviewing, managing social media, email marketing or SEO. Get in touch with us if it’s something you’d like to try out.

Donate to BeLonG To

We’ve pinned a post on our Facebook page where you can donate to BeLonG To. It’s also available below. If you have any hassle or questions about donating, drop me a mail.

Xiaomi Recall: Xiaomi Recalling Some m365 Electric Scooters in Ireland

Marty

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7th June 2019

0

Xiaomi Recall: Xiaomi Recalling Some m365 Electric Scooters in Ireland

I think it’s safe to say I’ve been a big promoter of electric scooters in Ireland. Legal battles aside, these are great green modes of transport to beat the congestion of cities like Dublin. I love my scooter. It’s a Xiaomi m365. But unfortunately, today I found out Xiaomi is conducting a recall of around 10,000 electric scooters globally. While Ireland is not listed as a country involved, unfortunately, we are. Mine is being recalled.

Why is Xiaomi Recalling Scooters?

In a statement issued by Xiaomi today, the affecting my scooter and over 10,000 others surrounds a screw where the scooter folds. The full issue reads:

“We recently became aware of a potential safety issue with the Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter (Model: M365), as it was determined that in a limited number of production units, a screw in the folding apparatus has the potential to come loose, causing the vertical component to break from the main body while in use.”

Xiaomi advises that should you be affected by this issue, you should “immediately stop using the Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter (M365) until you have determined whether their scooter is part of the recall.”

Affected countries include:

Germany (613pcs)
Spain (509pcs)
Denmark (258pcs)
Kazakhstan (200pcs)
Myanmar (175pcs)
Colombia (97pcs)
Turkey (80pcs)
Laos (79pcs)
Italy (37pcs)
Hungary (34pcs)
Greece (31pcs)
Korea (30pcs)
Macau (25pc)
United Arab Emirates (22pcs)
Belgium (17pc)
Portugal (16pcs)
Singapore (14pcs)
Russia (1pc)
Thailand (1pc)
unidentified (169pcs)

Ireland is not listed here and could fall under either the UK or unidentified. I bought mine through Three Ireland and have reached out to other retailers to ask if they are also involved.

Is Your Scooter Being Recalled?

Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to find out if you’re scooter has been affected. It’s all down to the serial number. The affected ranges are:

21074/00000316 – 21074/00015107
16133/00541209 – 16133/00544518

You can also check this online using Xiaomi’s website.

Here’s where you’ll find your scooter’s serial number.

What if my scooter has been recalled?

If you’re affected, you can provide your contact details to Xiaomi and receive next steps within 72 hours. It looks like Xiaomi won’t be replacing scooters, but instead repairing them. The statement on their site also states that all of this will be conducted, “repairs of Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter [will be carried out] at no cost to you”.

Xiaomi Email Update

Xiaomi promised an email update within 72 hours and have delivered on that. Kind of. Unfortunately, the email had nothing new beyond what was said on the recall page. It also has no info specifically on Ireland. I’m going to reach out to Xiaomi and find out what the story is. Here’s their update:

As you know, it was determined that your Mi Electric Scooter (M365) is part of the product safety recall program. The recall will begin on June 26th for United Kingdom or July 1st for other markets. Several days prior, you will receive an email with additional information and instructions on how to have your Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter (M365) repaired at no cost to you.

We thank you for your patience as we work to resolve this issue.

If you have any questions, pop them in the comments below and I’ll try get you some answers.

Three Ireland Sending Letters to Xiaomi Scooter Customers

On 12.06.2019, Three Ireland sent a letter to customers who purchased an electric scooter from them.

Nothing really new in the letter that we didn’t already know from Xiaomi’s communications.

I did see another scooter rider receive a communication this week which seemed to suggest all Xiaomi m365 riders should stop using their scooter regardless of the serial number. I’ve reached out to Xiaomi for further communication.