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Crash Nitro-Fueled: A Blast from the Past!

Jon
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Crash Nitro-Fueled: A Blast from the Past!

There was only ever one karting game that has remotely managed to compete against the legendary Mario Kart series, and that’s Crash Team Racing on the PSOne. Naughty Dog saw what Mario was on Nintendo, followed the formula and bang PlayStation success. It’s one of those games that anyone from the original PlayStation remembers fondly and after the success of their remastered N-Sane trilogy it made sense for Crash Nitro-Fueled to make its PS4 debut.

Crash Nito Fueled gives the older racer a new paint job with a couple of new tricks. Other than that, there is nothing groundbreaking here and if you’re a fan of the genre you know just what to expect since it’s almost exactly the same game. Power-slides, power-ups, slick tracks and frustrating boss missions, Nitro Kart is essentially a juiced-up remake of the original rather than a brand new game but it’s as enjoyable as it was 1999.

Gameplay

Related image

Simple enough, it’s exactly like the original. The Adventure Mode hits 17 different tracks across 5 worlds. You race against 7 other drivers or 1-v-1 against the bosses and once you’ve done all that then the graft begins. Relic and CTR races must also be completed on each track to hit the 100% completion. Relic races can be won by shaving race times down to the bare minimums with fast racing and hitting boxes that temporarily stop the clock. While the CTR races are completed by finding the letters C T and R during a race.
Of course, there was always going to be the power-ups. Missiles, TnT’s, clock stoppers and the dreaded blue ball are all back. Crash through the boxes. hit O and watch the chaos ensure. There’s not really a whole lot to say here if you remember the original then Crash Nitro-Fueled will feel the same now as it did then.

Racing Experience

Another thing that hasn’t changed is the pacing of the game. It’s all about timing though powerslides to perfection to earn boosts. You can link them together into combos to maintain maximum speed. It’s a skill you will need to learn to learn your opponents in the dust.

Sadly the AI is very limited, It’s set up to maintain a certain speed no matter what you do. That means there’s nothing to tell the game to up the competition speed to give you a real race, you can literally burn away and not have a single challenge throughout. Grand if you’re in the mood for a handy win but if you actually want a real challenge, keep looking.
In a way that’s the only flaw, at times you feel you and the other racers are playing very different games. I personally would have enjoyed it if the computer could hit the same speeds and if they see you breaking off for a short cut they will also start to use it rather than sticking to the track and letting you breeze by them.The single-player game boils down to a constant quest to get faster and faster, honing your skills to a fine point. It would have been great if the computer players ramped up their skills as well and gave a good fight, but once I surpassed their abilities it was a battle against myself.

Multi-Player & Online

Image result for crash nitro fueled online
Campaigns over and that’s it, right? Wrong. Crash Nitro-Fueled has multiplayer and a new online game mode to let you test yourself against your friends and random strangers. For the best visual experience stick to one-on-one races, the graphics are just popping but try a 4-player tournament and the graphics engine simply can’t keep up and you lose a lot of detail. Not really a major issue to be fair.
There are 5 different battle modes in multiplayer from standard races to the last man standing free for all and even capture the flag. Which is great fun might I add. Instead of racing, we got to blow each other up. 

Graphics

The graphics are brilliant. In an era where so many games are trying to become as realistic as humanly possible, there is something brilliantly enjoyable about a vivid cartoony world.

As the facelift was the only real difference between Crash Nitro-Fueled and Team Racing, it had to be done well. It is, just see for yourself:

 

My only issue with the graphics come in multiplayer games. With 4 players in the game, the graphics start to kind of chug along, two players is fine but if you play a 4 player tournament, you will just end up with a headache….trust me. Maybe I’m being picky but I feel like they could have pushed the boat out a bit more when it came to power-ups. Back in the day, they did the best they could with what they had but maybe they missed a trick not adding in some effects, something like the screen warping during a speed boost. As it stands, most of the special effects are just repainted entities but they could have added so much more chaos than` this mad cartoon world deserves.

Sound

I always remembered the mad music on Crash being reminiscent of Wacky Racers full of Looney Tunesesque sound effects. Who else remembers Wacky Racers?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWPw0jEIhVw

It’s clear the game was always targeted towards a younger audience and each of the characters gets their own cutesy little phrases they say when the hit you with a rocket or zoom by you on the track. While in some games this can get annoying after awhile here you just zone out to the track music as you’re brought back to Saturday mornings on the couch. It all just works along with the action nicely.

The Goosed Verdict

Crash Nitro-Fueled is a solid remake of the PSOne Classic. It’s fast, fun and the online team mode is a nice addition The only downside is obvious, it’s a remake. From Mario Kart to the Crash series this type of game has been made a million other times and this title doesn’t bring much new to the genre. Even if I personally would consider the online gameplay a win.

If you loved the original, or consider yourself a fan of kart titles, this will provide the enjoyment you need for some nice light gaming, plus the alternative game modes help give CNK some good bang for the buck. Overall it’s a wonderful game that I personally would highly recommend for old school fans and younger gamers. Fingers crossed this leads to a fresh title in the near future.

Center Parcs Launch: Is Influencer Advertising Going Too Far?

Marty
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Center Parcs Launch: Is Influencer Advertising Going Too Far?

Center Parcs in Longford has opened its brand new €233 million midlands resort. As is often the case with big launches these days, the resort’s launch was accompanied by a small army of journalists and “influencers” getting exclusive access to report back to the public. There’s been some backlash on social media but while I’m sure my own invite to preview the resort got lost in the mail, I’m actually here to defend Center Parcs’ social media influenced launch.

The Perceived Problem of Impartiality

From what I can see online, many people are taking exception to the fact Center Parcs have handed out freebie access to the resort. I’m sure in some circumstances they’ve gone a step further and paid for many journalists and “influencer” types to attend the resort’s launch.

I can understand why many feel a free trip impeeds impartiality but at the same time, it’s unrealistic to expect journalists and even more so “influencers” to generate content from trips they only ever pay for themselves.

Social media “influencers” have gotten to where they are because people like how they create content. That doesn’t mean you need to like them or buy into what they’re doing, but someone, and by someone I mean quite a lot of people, do like what they do and want to hear what they think.

If a social media “influencer” starts to pang of unauthentic paid advertisements, it’s up to followers to stop engaging and unfollow. Once this happens, you can be sure they won’t be influencing anyone for much longer.

Declaring #Ad #Spon

I realise that in this scenario I am a journalistic content creator who receives free gadgets to review on a regular basis. However, I’m also someone who appreciates every set of eyeballs that reads Goosed.ie content and as such ensure everything we write is authentic and genuine. With that in mind, we’ve carefully followed rules set out by the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland when it comes to declaring when a post is sponsored.

Some are taking exception to this online regarding the Center Parcs launch too.

The funny thing here is that it’s quite likely all of the people attending this freebie weekend are not required to mark these posts as sponsored at all.

The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland website outlines when a bloggers content becomes a marketing or advertising communication as “where an advertiser makes a payment (directly or in kind) to the reviewer/blogger and where the advertiser has control over the content that is created”.

“And” is the important word here. By simply receiving a freebie, posts and content aren’t sponsored unless the provider retains editorial control. I’m going to use Goosed.ie as the example here again. For me to buy everything we review, I’d be broke. Sometimes I will mention that a company “sent this over for review” just for transparency sake. Sometimes I get to keep the gadget, sometimes I don’t. To be totally honest, a free gadget doesn’t colour my opinions because there’s a stack of tech in my house that doesn’t get used. The novelty kind of wears off.

I have written sponsored content in the past. For example, we teamed up with Dulux and clearly marked our post and sponsored. Why? Because Dulux wanted to sign off on the content. I wouldn’t have complete editorial control and as such, I wanted us to be transparent.

Ok, So Why The Rant?

Well, I personally think this is all a bit of an overreaction. Center Parcs has spent €233 million in setting up this new venture so surely they should be allowed to promote it however they see fit? It’s a golden age for Longford which now trends 24/7 thanks to Love Island’s Maura and now #CenterParcsIreland.

The backlash seems to be more about people being annoyed that they weren’t invited along for the freebie. Wondering why someone with a social media account deserves a weekend away and why they don’t. I absolutely despise the term “influencer” because it means nothing. There are good content creators and there are terrible content creators. Some are in it for the reader’s benefit (that’s us, I promise) and others are just in it to get free rides. It’s up to us as consumers to ensure we evaluate content online before we use it to help us make decisions.

What do you think yourself? Let me know in the comments below.

How To Stop WhatsApp Saving Photos To Your Gallery

Marty
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0
How To Stop WhatsApp Saving Photos To Your Gallery

A recent conversation with some colleagues threw up one of those annoyances I’ve just lived with. In an age where every single minute task needs a WhatsApp group, our phones have become awash with images that we really don’t want. WhatsApp adds to this problem infinitely, but there’s a really easy way to solve your problem.

Wait, what’s the problem?

We all have that one group that plays fast and loose with x-rated gifs or adult jokes. You know the group I’m on about. Someone sends a gif of something inappropriate buy hilarious so you giggle and forget about it. You forget about it until someone is looking at your holiday snaps and they swipe left to see that gif you received in WhatsApp. Come on, you remember the gif. The one snipped from that famous video of hilariously censored porn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xck4Bo1gCo

Hilarious, but not something you want your colleague seeing, right?

The problem is that WhatsApp assumes you want all of these photos and gifs downloaded to your phone. It’s a setting that’s turned on by default, but it’s remarkably easy to switch this off and spare yourself some blushes. Here’s the how.

Stop WhatsApp Downloading Images: Android

Follow these simple steps and the jobs done:

Stop Downloading Images Altogether

  1. Open WhatsApp
  2. Tap More Options – that’s the three dots button
  3. Tap Settings
  4. Tap Chats
  5. Turn off Media Visibility

You’ll need to manually delete all images downloaded to date, but going forward you’ll need to manually save images to your gallery.

Stop Downloading Images for a Particular Group

Sometimes, it’s just that one group that’s landing you in it. For them you can:

  1. Open WhatsApp
  2. Open the Group giving you problems
  3. Tap More Options – that’s the three dots button
  4. Tap Group Info
  5. Tap Media Visibility
  6. Select No

Again, you’ll need to manually delete all images downloaded to date, but going forward you’ll need to manually save images to your gallery – no more auto-downloads from this group.

Stop WhatsApp Downloading Images: iOS

Would you believe, for once, it’s exactly the same process!

 

Google Maps Now Has Real-time DublinBikes Station Updates

Marty
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0
Google Maps Now Has Real-time DublinBikes Station Updates

I’m pretty sure this is a very common bugbear for shared bike commuters in Dublin. Either you go to take a bike from a service like JustEat’s DublinBikes or you try to return one only to find the station is either empty of jammers. As a result, you’re either left on your todd or have to park the bike on the street which costs you more money. Google Maps has just released an update which lets you see real-time availability at DublinBikes stations in Dublin.

What is DublinBikes?

I’ve previously talked about how ownership could very well be a thing of the past. We don’t buy CDs anymore because we have Spotify. We don’t really need cars anymore because in cities like Dublin we have GoCar. You don’t really need to own a bike either because of services like DublinBikes and Bleeper Bikes which let you borrow from a public pool of bikes for a small charge.

Why is this Update Important?

Like I said in my intro, I’ve been caught out a few times in the past when using DublinBikes. I’ve cycled to the office only to find there’s no space at a station to park. I’ve left the office only to find there’s no bike at the station. DublinBikes, to the best of my knowledge, never had an official app, nor was their website very good. This made finding real-time info on bike stations really hard to find when you’re in a hurry.

Google integrating DublinBikes real-time data into the Google Maps app finally makes this info accessible and useful. When planning your trip in Google Maps, you’ll now be able to see if there are bikes near you and if you’ll actually have somewhere to park at your destination.

Other Google Maps Features

In a city like Dublin, getting around can be complicated. Google Maps now does more than ever to try and keep the city moving. Real-time traffic data can keep you up to date on the best routes to get from A to B. You can use services like H̶a̶i̶l̶o̶,̶ ̶M̶y̶T̶a̶x̶i̶, Free Now and Uber within Google Maps and hail a taxi as part of your journey planning while also benefitting from a fare estimation.

Now, adding share bike functionality means we can continue to take big vehicles off of our incredibly congested roads. Something I’m quite passionate about as you might have spotted from my support for electric scooters.

You can check out this update in Google Maps right now and is available on both desktop and mobile.

Amazon Prime Day 2019: A Guide For Irish Shoppers

Marty
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0
Amazon Prime Day 2019: A Guide For Irish Shoppers

This is a guide for Amazon Prime Day 2019. We also have an updated guide for 2020 but read both! They’re slightly different.

Read Prime Day 2020 Guide

The consumerism is strong with this one! Amazon has literally made up a new shopping season akin to Black Friday. Amazon Prime Day was created back in 2015 by the online shopping giant. It’s one of those simple but genius moves by a company as in the first year Amazon saw their sales grow by 60% above the daily average. While Amazon’s operational ethics are questionable and many opt-out from shopping with them for moral reasons if you do want to bag a bargain this Prime Day, here’s what you need to know.

When is Amazon Prime Day 2019?

Amazon Prime Day 2019 starts on Monday, July 15 and will run right the way through Tuesday, July 16. You might be feeling slightly put out by the fact it’s a 48 hour shopping event during the week. I have a few ideas as to why this might be. A lot of people will be using Amazon Prime for the first time during Prime Day and Amazon wants them to experience the speedy shipping that they offer. Offers also change throughout the day, so Amazon probably wants their best people on the job and in the office.

What is Amazon Prime?

Pretty much everyone can shop on Amazon. Our own research carried out in Ireland shows that 34% of people in Ireland shop on Amazon.co.uk.
Amazon Prime is a paid membership that gets you access to special offers and faster shipping. Next questions is usually around what this means for Irish shoppers. Largely, having an Amazon Prime Membership comes with some great benefits even when shopping in Ireland. I pay for a Prime Membership and I’m using it nearly every week. It’s still a bit of a mystery why Amazon doesn’t offer a website specifically for Ireland yet, so to get the most out of Prime you might need to route your orders through a service like Parcel Motel.
Anyway, if you’re thinking of bagging a good deal in this year’s Prime Day sale and you’re new to all of this, you can benefit from a free trial of Prime membership. This is a 30-day trial that won’t cost you a penny. Just sign up for free over on the Amazon.co.uk website and you’ll also be able to access Amazon Prime Music and Prime Video.

What Are the Best Prime Day Deals for 2019?

This is pretty hard to tell right now because we’re still a few days away from things kicking off. Amazon has teased with a few launch offers and hinted at what else might be getting reduced come Monday, July 15.

Amazon Echo Special Offer

amazon prime offer ireland
If you’ve yet to grab yourself an Amazon Echo, you’ll be able to bag one of these during the Prime Day sale for just €80. This is a first-generation Echo, but it’s still an incredible piece of kit with a cracking speaker. Amazon appears to be positioning this as one of their flagship offers for Prime Day 2019.

20% Off Amazon Own Brand

Amazon has also taken 20% off their own brand everyday essentials. This covers a wide range or products, but naturally, I’m most interested in electronics and accessories.

Amazon Fire TV Stick

This was Amazon’s top seller last year and it’s the one product I’m really after this year too. At little more than €22, the Fire TV Stick is great if you’re a Prime Video subscriber, but you can also install third party apps for additional streaming. Not that I’d be into that craic now at all.

Prime Day Launches

This is a more unusual one this year. For Prime Day 2019, Amazon Prime members will be able to buy brand new products from the Prime Launches range. This is a really impressive range of products too. I’ve had a chance to test out some of the items on show like the:

That’s just three of the products on show, all from the Anker range of companies. I’ve tried out all of these products and absolutely loved them. Is there a better time than Prime Day to buy yourself a robotic vacuum?

We can also take a hint from last year as to what’ll sell well this year. As always, even beyond the first-generation Echo being on special offer, all other Echo products are fair game. If you were to ask me what the one product I’m thinking about buying this year is, I’d have to say the Amazon Fire TV stick. This was also the top product worldwide last year, but this year, keep an eye out for bundle deals. You might even spot a bargain that includes the impressive new Echo Show.

fire stick prime day
In the UK and Ireland, an electric Bosch drill topped the product listings, but from around the rest of the world, there was a lot of different products in demand from water filters to cans of Coca-Cola.

Did you Know you Can Share Your Prime Membership?

This I just learned about. You can add one other adult and up to four kids to your Prime membership. This means if you can’t watch the offers changing, someone else will be able to look for themselves and grab their own favourite deals on Prime. You can also share digital content around the household too.
If you’re a Prime member, read more about how to create an Amazon Household.

Will Amazon Deliver to Ireland?

Delivery to Ireland can be straight forward or quite complicated, depending on what you’re buying. For most products, you’ll get Prime member benefits like free and fast delivery without any hassle. But then, from time to time, you’ll find a seller that won’t ship to the Republic of Ireland. Hell, sometimes they won’t even deliver to Northern Ireland despite the fact that’s in the United Kingdom.
The problem is often related to lithium-ion batteries in electronics not being permitted in the hold of cargo aeroplanes. As a result, the old Parcel Motel trick won’t work either because the virtual UK address they give you is located in Northern Ireland. The workaround here is to use An Post’s AddressPal service instead. Back when this service launched, the big benefit of using this service was their virtual US addresses. They now also offer virtual UK addresses and theirs is based on mainland UK. So if needs be, that should get you nearly everything that you want delivered to your local post office.
That should be nearly everything you need to know about surviving Prime Day in Ireland. While Amazon Ireland might never happen officially, we can still cash in on some bargains this Prime Day. Have a question I’ve not answered? Pop it in the comments below and we’ll come back to you.

Check PriceSpy.ie

My final tip is one that actually stands 365 days a year. You should always check PriceSpy.ie before you make a gadget purchase. PriceSpy basically scans popular websites for a wide range of products and lets you compare prices. So that great deal you’ve spotted on Amazon for Prime Day, take a second and check it’s not cheaper in D.I.D. I always check the site before I buy to make sure I’m getting the best deal for myself!

Channing Tatum’s Weird Rant: What is The Pattern App All About?

Marty
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Channing Tatum’s Weird Rant: What is The Pattern App All About?

It’s happening again. Something gets said on Twitter by a celebrity and now the world is scrambling to find out what The Pattern App is. Is it evil? Is it a scam? Is it the must-see trend for July 2019? Well, fear not. I’ve installed the app so you don’t have to. Unless of course, you want to.

Why Are People Talking About The Pattern App?

Channing Tatum is the reason I’ve heard about The Pattern App. It’s one of those Tweets that just grew legs and seems to be blowing up online since it was posted. In just a couple of hours, this video has been seen nearly half a million times.

Tatum appeals to his followers for someone to explain how The Pattern App works. His reaction kind of echoes everyone once something new like this blows up online.

I don’t know if I’m late to this or if I’m early to this

Tatum explains that the app asks for your birthday and time of birth, before wondering how the hell someone should know that. Then he just asks, “how the hell do you know what you know about me Pattern?”.

Tatum lets us know that he’s currently in therapy and that the app was able to use very similar language to what he and his therapist were discussing. Naturally, this leaves the 21 Jump Street actor wondering if the phone is spying on him.

What the jaysus has left poor auld Channing like this? Is the app creepy? Or is Channing just being paid a fortune for a cryptic video to drive a rake of app downloads?

I Downloaded The Pattern App

Ok, so I downloaded the app. First thing’s first. Sorry Android users. This is an iOS-only thing. I have my trusty iPhone 7 on standby for just such an eventuality.

I’ve started the app and it just came up saying “it’s very nice to meet you”. The app continues to explain that The Pattern gives insight into the person you are and the relationships that you have. How you ask? Well, it’s all based on when you came into this world.

That’s where the app onboarding begins.

What Information Does The Pattern Need?

The app states that the info you provide is critical for it to work and that it has to be accurate. My biggest fear here is that the app is just harvesting my data for untoward use by someone halfway around the world. But this is Goosed.ie. I take these risks so you don’t have to.

First up is my first and last name, then it’s my date of birth and then it gets a little weird.

The next thing the app looks for is the time of day you were born at. The app claims it needs to be down to the minute and not an estimation. If you know, great. If you don’t you have the option to text someone. You can also skip this and remove some of the insights that The Pattern App provides.

A quick text to the mother and I’m ready to go again.

Of course, gender is an important factor here. You can choose between male, female or non-binary.

Next up, the app wants to know where I was born. Once you start typing, the app will suggest the best match.

Finally, you pick how you’d like to log into The Pattern. I’m going to go with an email address so I can block any spam easily should this go pear-shaped – one of my favourite Gmail tricks that one.

Once you create a password, a unique password never used before for security reasons, I  decided not to add any other login methods. Mainly, this was because I was starting to get really suspicious about this app.

A quick selfie later and the app confirms some details before getting started on my Pattern.

The app is currently running the facts.

Results from The Pattern App

As I start this paragraph, The Pattern App is still running the numbers. A part of me wonders if this is going to be the moment AI blows my mind completely, or if instead, this is the moment I realise I’ve spent a half an hour looking at the equivalent of a Facebook app telling me when I’m going to die.

I’m going along with the people saying Channing Tatum is making money here somehow. The app itself is absolute nonsense. Don’t waste your time. It’s all astrology and the app just talks shite about vague things that will likely do more harm than good.

I’m not angry Channing, I’m disappointed.

 

Go Outside And Play: Six Things To See In Ireland

Marty
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Go Outside And Play: Six Things To See In Ireland

Over the past few years, I’ve spent a handful of weekends touring Ireland. It’s really not enough because every single time I do take the time, I say “it’s the most amazing country to explore”. Do I though? Do I f…. That’s why RTÉ’s new mini docuseries really peaked my interest. I’ve watched Go Outside and Play on RTÉ player. Here’s what you need to know.

What is Go Outside and Play About?

Go Outside and Play is all about finding Ireland’s peak Instagram spots. Those places that you just need to visit and pop a selfie at. The best part is that these locations are unlikely to have been popped into your Google Maps any time recently. They’re somewhat off the beaten track with even popular places like Glendalough hiding some of its most spectacular views from most people.

In this series, host, online-content creator and 2FM DJ Carl Mullan, visits some of Ireland’s most Instagrammable locations. These six places to see in Ireland include:

  • Coumshingaun Lake, Co. Waterford
  • Sliabh Liag, Co.Donegal
  • Three Castle Head, Co. Cork
  • The Spinc, Glendalough, Co. Wicklow
  • Gougane Barra Forest Park, Co. Cork
  • Cuilcagh Mountain Boardwalk, Co. Fermanagh

Each location gets a five minute episode jam-packed with handheld YouTube-creator style video and some of the most beautiful drone footage of areas possibly seeing a drone for the first time. Go Outside and Play is bite-sized chunks about what you should do next weekend.

Most importantly, it’s an enjoyable watch too. Carl has been creating content online for the past few years and can turn anything into a gas story. From his car frequently breaking down to his ongoing attempts to land a Berocca in a glass of water from across the kitchen.

If you follow Carl on Instagram, you’ll get what I’m on about.

Watching Go Outside and Play, you’ll laugh at Carl being gas, but also discover some hidden gems from around the country that you usually stumble upon.

Away from this specific series, Go Outside and Play symbolises an exciting direction for RTÉ to head in.

Could This Be The Future of RTÉ?

Carl is someone who just gets creating content for modern audiences. It was watching a Casey Neistat video just last year that he decided he needed to grab a camera and start telling stories. Actually, it was this video:

So from watching that video, within 12 months, Carl was using all the skills he’d honed from just going and creating videos to create video for RTÉ Player.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

This is my excited/nervous face. Now before I start, this is a probably come across as a totally obnoxious/self congratulatory post but tomorrow is a big day and I’m SO DAMN EXCITED – so please bear with me. First some context… So just over a year ago I watched a video on Youtube by @caseyneistat. It’s called ‘Do What You Can’t’ and basically it’s a video about how lucky we are to live in an age where you can come up with an idea, shoot it on your phone, and share it with the world with the click of a button. I had always enjoyed making videos as a kid, but had only really dabbled in it and had been saying to myself for years “I should really try make more videos”. There’s lots of inspiring videos online, but this one in particular inspired me to the point where I decided there and then that 2018 was the year where I’d really make this my focus. A few weeks later and I was clicking upload on my first vlog for YouTube. It kicked off a year of creating stuff for my own Youtube channel and @rte2fm as well. Some of it was good, some not so much, but looking back it was a year where I got to upskill massively in ideation, shooting, editing, and presenting on camera….and really enjoy myself in the process. So fast forward to tomorrow and why it’s a big deal. By pure coincidence, 1 year to the day since I uploaded my first video to YouTube, I’m starting a 2 week shoot on my first ever commissioned series for the @rteplayer. In short, I’m travelling around some of the most incredible spots in Ireland you might not realise are right on your doorstep, and will be shooting/presenting it along with a super talented Cameraman @garrcleary. From watching a 4 minute video on Youtube to shooting my own series for RTE in the space of a year. Absolutely mental! I am so unbelievably excited. GO ONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN. #Rteplayer #creator #caseyneistat #dowhatyoucant #gooutsideandplay

A post shared by Carl Mullan (@carlmullan) on

It’s totally the Casey Neistat style too. Handheld cameras with secondary cameras and drones for cutaway and context. Without going too deep into it, it’s everything that you need to tell a great story.

I find this really interested. We’ve moved away from traditional TV content and instead moved towards blogger content, for want of a better title. Carl and a few lads armed with little more than DSLRs, a GoPro and a drone were able to shoot a video that would leave Failte Ireland feeling proud. All shot on a shoestring compared to more traditional travel shows.

This is a proof of concept by RTÉ. A test. That you can take someone who is really passionate about creating quality content, armed with consumer products and let them loose on the world to entertain the masses.

In parts, it’s slightly rough around the edges. You know that when that GoPro in episode one falls off the car, that was a genuine balls up. But it gets left in because life isn’t a perfect take. The episodes take on a level of authenticity because of it, an authenticity that often gets left on the cutting room floor.

Go Outside and Play: The Verdict

First of all, you’ve nearly spent longer reading this than you would have watching the whole series. I meant it when I said bite-sized. The whole lot is thirty minutes, but it’s thirty minutes where you’ll have a laugh and likely plan your next trip. I also didn’t spot any ads on this, a small thing that makes a difference for me.

this show will inspire you to either travel or shoot

It’s also an exciting indicator from RTÉ as to where they go next. The gag in the final episode about one of the attractions rolling out the red carpet because they heard RTÉ was coming but would be surprised to see it’s not the Nationwide team is so on the money. Content creation doesn’t need a heap of expensive tech and a massive crew. It needs some personality, a story and a camera with a decent mic. The rest is up to you. It embodies everything I love about things like the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival. Content creation is uber accessible these days. No matter what happens, this show will inspire you to either travel or shoot.

Watch all six episodes of Go Outside and Play, now on RTÉ Player.

Huawei P30 Review: Huawei’s Own David Takes on Goliath

Marty
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Huawei P30 Review: Huawei’s Own David Takes on Goliath

What is a daily rider? Well, my current daily rider is the Huawei P30 Pro. In the world of tech reviews, quite a few phones come across my desk. The daily rider is the one that gets my sim. The one I actually use day today. It’s the phone I’ve put all my faith in. When Huawei sent me out the P30, the little sister of the P30 Pro, I said screw it and popped my sim in for two weeks. How would I fair using the cheaper Huawei option after using their flagship for months? This is my Huawei P30 review.

Huawei P30 Camera

Considering the Huawei P30 Pro boasts the best camera system on the market according to DxO Mark, there’s no point in starting anywhere other than this phone’s snapper. The P30 opts for a slightly different camera setup to its bigger brother. Removing the “Time of Flight” lens, the P30 should lose out some quality when it comes to bokeh style portrait shots. However, thanks to some really clever use of software, the gap here is tiny. In reality, the P30 and P30 Pro cameras are really tough to separate. 

p30 camera setup

In terms of hardware, you get the same 40MP wide lens and 8MP telephoto lens on both phones. The P30 does have a 16MP Ultra-wide angle lens versus the P30 Pro’s 20MP Ultra-wide angle lens, but in practice, I couldn’t spot a quality difference between the two cameras. Let’s not forget, by the time you share most of your shots on your favourite social media platform, the images will be so compressed into equality.

Both phones also share identical 32MP front-facing cameras which are truly stunning.

There is one area the P30 simply can’t match the P30 Pro; zoom. The P30 Pro maxes out at 10x optical zoom and 50x digital hybrid while the P30’s Leica lens tops out at 5x optical zoom and 30x digital hybrid. 



It’s easy for me to dissect these two stunning Leica cameras on paper, but I want to cut out the nonsense. Both of these cameras are stunning. Perhaps the P30 Pro is beyond stunning, but the P30 will, as we discussed on The Goosed Podcast, will also leave you eager to go for a walk, phone in hand, to snap some photos. There were even some shots I convinced myself were better on the P30 altogether. You also get some of the new standards in smartphone photography, including optical image stabilisation for video shooting, 960fps super slo-mo and low light photography through Huawei’s incredible night mode.

But what about benchmarking against Samsung? Well, the good news is that there’ll be a Samsung Galaxy S10 on my desk really soon to review and I’ll be comparing with Huawei’s flagship range.

Huawei P30 Design

For me, this is where things get really interesting. I haven’t used a smaller smartphone in ages. Yet, in a short space of time, I got to take a run with the Google Pixel 3a and the Huawei P30. What surprised me was now how little the smaller screens annoyed me but even how much I liked having a smaller phone. I accept these are just small by modern standards, but even so, it’s nice to have a little tip of the hat to the smaller phone days.

huawei p30 breathing crystal

The Huawei P30 feels incredibly comfortable in the hand. It’s a little chunkier on the sides perhaps in some way thanks to the fact Huawei has decided to include a 3.5mm headphone jack, something that doesn’t feature on the P30 Pro. On the subject of sound, both phones still seem to carry through Huawei’s slightly underwhelming speakers for listening to music, but the P30 does bring back an earpiece, overcoming one of the pain points I had with the P30 Pro.

The small notch at the top like all notches, in reality, is practically unnoticeable. More noticeable is the ridge surrounding the camera which does affect the phone when left on a flat surface. I also noticed that whatever material this phone is made from, it will slip of nearly any surface you leave it on, so be careful.

p30 notch

But I can’t finish the design section without talking about colour. When Huawei announced that one of the colours would be called Breathing Crystal, I know I laughed. Notions. But then I got my hands on this P30 in Breathing Crystal. First of all, I personally love it. Secondly, so does bloody everyone else. So many people that I didn’t even know stopped me to ask about the colour. It is stunning and it’s nice to see something as common as a smartphone can finally turn heads again.

Huawei P30 Hardware

There’s a significant price difference between these two Huawei phones and the hardware section is perhaps where this is most noticeable. Naturally, the P30 has the slightly smaller battery at 3650 mAh, though like its bigger brother, it’s the software and smart battery assistance that makes this phone purr for hours, hours longer than most. While you also get to keep Huawei’s whopper fast charging, you do have to sacrifice wireless charging.

I don’t feel like this is a deal-breaker, but I really do like having wireless charging. If you have wireless buds that need charging, this also means you can’t use your P30 like Samsung S10 and S10 Plus users can, of course also alongside P30 Pro and Mate 20 Pro users. Wireless charging likely fell victim to the logistics of fitting bits and pieces in to the phone and as a result, the extra space means you do get a proper 3.5mm headphone jack.

Maintained is the in-screen fingerprint sensor, a feature widely becoming commonplace on smartphones.

There are two further important call-outs. Once again, there’s no Gorilla Glass, so I would recommend picking up a screen protector of some sort. Also, quite surprisingly, the P30 is only IP53 rated versus the P30 Pro’s IP68. This means getting caught in a shower with the P30 shouldn’t be a problem, just don’t bring your phone into the shower with you.

Other P30 Specs

The model I reviewed had 6GB RAM and 128GB memory. Loads on both fronts there, delivering a lightning-fast phone that doesn’t swallow up battery for sport. The phone will likely ship with Huawei’s EMUi 9.0 but is updatable to EMUi 9.1 out of the box. Also, despite current goings-on in the world of international trade, Huawei has committed to ensuring people buying these phones will continue to receive updates while also being able to access Google and Facebook apps.

Huawei P30: The Verdict

I was shocked by how much I enjoyed using the Huawei P30. I was sure the smaller phone would annoy me. I was sure the slightly lesser specs would leave me feeling that I had an inferior phone in my hand. But no. The Huawei P30 feels like a smaller version of the P30 Pro. A smaller version that does cut some corners but doesn’t skimp on quality anywhere. While you’ll save a fair whack by buying a P30 over the P30 Pro, you’re unlikely to be left wanting for much.

For example, the Huawei P30 Pro is €179 on Three’s 24 month, €60 per month plan. Right now, the P30 is free on the same plan with Three giving you a saving of €179. 

Ultimately, if you want the big flash flagship with the best of the best spec, the P30 Pro is arguably the best phone on the market today. If you want a smaller phone. If you want a headphone jack. If you want a slightly cheaper phone. The Huawei P30 just might tick all the right boxes for you.

 

 

Smoke Clears: Huawei’s U.S. Exile Set To End

Marty
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Smoke Clears: Huawei’s U.S. Exile Set To End

I don’t want to say it, but I told you so slash I called it.

Speaking on The Goosed Podcast, I predicted this whole saga between the U.S. and China which saw Huawei get caught in the crossfire of an international trade war, seems to be drawing to a close.

Speaking at the G20, U.S. president Donald Trump said U.S. can sell goods to Huawei once again. The move will bring an end to a month of uncertainty following Trump’s previous ban on the same.

While nothing has legally changed again yet this is great news for Huawei who has been rocked in global markets with losses over the next two years predicted to amount to $30 billion.

Huawei Ireland this week moved to restore some consumer confidence, guaranteeing existing devices, like this year’s P30 Pro flagship, would continue to receive Android operating system updates and maintain access to key apps like Facebook, YouTube and the Google Play Store.

Now we just have to hope everything gets resolved legally so we can move on and enjoy one of the best phones on the market again. Be sure to give us as follow as our P30 review is due going to drop any day now!

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

Marty
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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.

pixel 3a night mode

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.

google pixel 3a ireland

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.

 

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