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Life After Windows Phone: What Phone to Move To

Marty
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Life After Windows Phone: What Phone to Move To

I decided to abstain from my Friday evening off from writing to pay my respects to Windows Phone. Born back in 2010, Microsoft’s champion to take on the might of Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS has finally fallen. Today, Microsoft announced that Windows Phone, now referred to as Windows 10 Mobile, will no longer be receiving security updates from 10 December 2019.

I’m going to go through what this all means for you if you’re a Windows Phone user and also give you some suggestions on which phone to pick up next.

What’s Happening to Windows Phone?

For many years, Microsoft has struggled to get their mobile operating system off the ground. In the most genuine way possible, I want to say this was a real shame. Windows phones were really nice to use. I actually quite liked Microsoft’s mobile operating system. For me, it was like a cross between the simplistic iOS operating system Apple created, but with the customisation and power that Google’s Android system brought to the table.

Unfortunately, the general public didn’t agree with me. Microsoft simply couldn’t sell enough Windows Phones which brought a massive issue along with it beyond the lack of sales revenue. Without users, app developers had little reason to port their apps onto the Windows Phone operating system. Typically, iOS is the priority with Android running a close second, but then few would bother with Windows Phone due to the small pool of users.

The crackers were showing as early as 2017 when one of the team leads tweeted this message:

After struggling on for many years, Microsoft is finally pulling the plug. From 10 December 2019, Windows 10 Mobile will no longer be receiving security updates.

What If I Have A Windows Phone?

Microsoft’s announcement that they would no longer be releasing security updates for Windows 10 Mobile (Windows Phone to me and you). Technically, that means you’ll be able to use your phone after 10 December 2019. The big change is that it’s massively recommended you stop using it. 

The security updates Microsoft issue, patch gaps in their operating system which can be used to compromise your data. 

Microsoft themselves are actually advising that you move to Android or iOS where they will continue to develop their own apps. This is by no means a bad thing. Remember the incredible Seeing Eye app they’re developing? Windows Phone dying out is far from the end for Microsoft on mobile.

The Best Phone for Windows Phone Users

Right. You’ve got plenty of time until you need to make the big move from your Windows Phone, but there’s no harm in starting to think about it already. Here are the best options for Windows Phone users looking to change to Android or iOS.

Huawei P smart 2019

You won’t have to wait too long to make this move if it tickles your fancy. I’ve yet to get hands-on with the P smart 2019, but after Huawei’s impressive year last year, I expect this year’s rendition of the P smart to be one of the best in its price range.

Huawei is also the most iOS-influenced operating system in the Android ecosphere. That means if you liked the simplicity of having a Windows Phone, the P smart 2019 should appeal here. Also, Windows Phones were often a little lower down the price range, so here’s hoping the price helps too.

Be sure to give us a follow to learn more about the Huawei P smart 2019 when it launches later this year.

Apple iPhone 8

As much as Huawei does adopt iOS styling, if that’s what you’re after, you’ve got to consider an Apple original. After suffering the pain of seeing your beloved Windows Phone losing support, you should probably steer clear of some older iPhones, perhaps even the iPhone 7.

For that reason, I feel most comfortable suggesting you give the iPhone 8 a lash. That should be supported until at least October 2020 and even then, when iPhones no longer receive support it’s not as “end of the line” as Windows Phone is going in December.

Doro Smartphone

I’m going out on a limb here, but I know I previously gave my auld lad a Windows Phone. It was a HTC built Windows Phone. Really nice piece of kit and it was actually his first smartphone. It was great because it was relatively simple and because of that I’d imagine that quite a few people might have been using these phones as first smartphones. 

Transitioning away from such a simple operating system, especially if it was a first smartphone, could be very tough indeed. Enter Doro.

Doro is a Swedish mobile phone manufacturer, specialising in smartphones for the elderly. The interface is nice and simple, along with being incredibly intuitive. One could easily argue that the Doro smartphone range is even better for older generations getting to grips with smartphones so keep them in mind. 

You can pick up Doro from your local Post Office and the usual phone retailers.

So how do you feel about Microsoft finally pulling the plug on their mobile platform? Are you a Windows Phone user? Join the conversation on Twitter and let us know.

FeiyuTech Vimble 2 Review: The Perfect Gimbal for Most

Marty
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FeiyuTech Vimble 2 Review: The Perfect Gimbal for Most

I’m a massive fan of gimbals. These little gadgets hold your phone steady when recording video shots. I’d argue they are fast becoming a holiday essential. The videos you record with a gimbal look stunning. So ahead of the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival, I got to thinking. If there was one accessory that could up your movie making game, it would probably be a gimbal like the FeiyuTech Vimble 2.

What is a 3-Axis Gimbal?

A 3-axis gimbal, often just referred to a camera stabiliser or simply just a gimbal, removes shakiness from the hand of a camera operator. Gimbals have become really popular in recent years, largely down to the growth of smartphones and mobile video capturing. With a lot of gimbals on the market, there’s a lot of choice out there. DJI developed the OSMO Pocket which has a camera built in, but can also be connected to a smartphone and a range of accessories.

FeiyuTech is another company specialising in video making accessories and I’ve been taking a look at their brilliant Vimble 2. To kick things off, here’s a video I made using the Vimble 2 at IFA last year.

The Selfie Stick With a Gimbal

While there are plenty of gimbals on the market, the Vimble 2 really stood out to me and at IFA last year It certainly didn’t disappoint.

Most impressive to me were the amount of extra features FeiyuTech crammed into the Vimble 2. On top of delivering great footage, the Vimble 2 also let me capture shots I’d usually have to let go. This is largely down to two great features:

  1. It’s a gimbal with a selfie stick
  2. It comes with a tripod

Yup, where the phone is held can be extended by up to 18 cm, meaning you can do some nice ground or aerial style shots. It’s also nice if you’re capturing some footage of yourself, meaning you don’t need the camera to be too close to you.

The tripod is also great for solo work. Mobile journalists and smartphone movie makers can rejoice with the flexibility this gimbal gives you. With Instagram Stories on the up and up, you can even use this gimbal to shoot vertical video. Neat, right?

Feiyu ON: The Vimble 2 App

Being brutally honest, for a long time now, FeiyuTech were being let down by their apps. The original Vimble 2 app was called Vicool and it was terribly disappointing. When I had my first FeiyuTech gimbal, the SPG, I wasn’t very impressed by the Feiyu ON app either. It was grand for iPhone users, but terrible for Android. 

Recently, they updated the Feiyu ON app and it is immeasurably better.  The connectivity is more reliable, the app looks better and functions better too.

The one disappointment that carries over from the older apps is a lack of 60fps video shooting. My Huawei Mate 20 Pro shoots gorgeous 4k at 30fps or 1080p at 60 fps. The Feiyu ON app will limit you to 4k at 30 fps or 1080p at 30fps. Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from using your phone’s native video app while using the Vimble 2 but you will lose some functionality, like the hardware buttons on the gimbal.

Vimble 2: Specs and Compatibility

With the major callouts covered, there are some other specs worth noting on the Vimble 2.

If your phone is over 210g, it’s likely too heavy for the Vimble 2. I’d go out on a limb here to say it’s unlikely you’ll have a phone too heavy, but I’ve pulled together a list of phones that weigh over 210g. That weight limit drops to 200g if you’re shooting Instagram Story-style video, so here’s a list of phones that weight more than 200g too.

This gimbal is fitting with a non-removable battery that will give you about five hours of use and can get back to full charge in two hours. It’s also cleverly added a charge port near when the phone is held. This means, using a micro USB to micro USB cable, you can charge the phone while using the gimbal.

Just remember, if you are going on holidays, this can’t go into your checked luggage. It’s got to come on board with you.

It’s worth noting the camera placement on your phone might have an impact on how compatible this gimbal is for you. For example, I tried testing this out with a Sony Xperia XZ3 but this has a very low positioned camera. When sitting in the gimbal, the video captures the gimbal itself. The same actually happened while using the Mate 20 Pro, but only when using it’s ultra-wide angle lens. 

Just something to be conscious of.

Vimble 2 Price and Availability

Now that you’re totally convinced you need one of these in your life, you’ll need to know where to pick one up. Most good camera shops around Ireland now recognise the popularity of smartphone filmmaking and stock items like this. For example, Conns Cameras in Dublin will get you set up and give you the rundown on how to get the most out of it. You can also pick one up for less than €90 on Amazon.co.uk.

If you really want to test drive one of these before you buy, come along to the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival where FeiyuTech will be on hand to demo their full range, including the Vimble 2.

The Verdict: FeiyuTech Vimble 2

I’m not going to oversell this. The Vimble 2 does a fairly simple task and does it very well. It removes the natural shakiness that your hand normally has when shooting video. I guess, what’s worth knowing is this is the best gimbal I’ve ever used. I remember at IFA people asking me about it and saying they were going to buy one because I wouldn’t stop going on about how much I love it.

Review: Vice – A Portrait of the Real 43rd President

Marty
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Review: Vice – A Portrait of the Real 43rd President

With The Big Short, the incredible depiction of the international banking crisis, in the rearview mirror, Adam McKay is back with another look into a dark and murky world. This time is the life and career of Dick Chaney, best known as George W. Bush’s Vice President. 

Who is Dick Chaney?

Did I know a whole lot about Dick Chaney before watching Vice? No. I knew the name but I’m not even sure I knew he was a Vice President – granted my American politics knowledge isn’t the best. I certainly didn’t know he was a businessman who pulled the strings of the 43rd President when George W. Bush rose to power, seemingly all to benefit himself.

What is Vice About?

In short, you’d be forgiven for thinking Vice is all about Dick Chaney. Much of the movie focuses on his rise from practically nothing to being one of the most powerful men in the world. Vice shows how he played people, how his wife drove him and the great, often evil, lengths Chaney went through to rise to power.

There are moments where you see the family man, immediately followed by some of the most heinous acts known to man. Vice shows how Chaney was capable of being a fantastic father, willing to make sacrifices for his family while ordering the bombing of families in Cambodia. 

a failed democracy where one man can have as much power as any dictator

Ultimately though, Vice is not about Dick Chaney. It’s a devastating assessment of American politics, a failed democracy where one man can have as much power as any dictator.

Is Vice Any Use?

I left this screening angry at how one man could pull the strings of the world, much to his own benefit at the cost of millions of lies. Throughout Vice we see the damage that Chaney inflicted on the people of America, from helping Fox News come to fruition as a conservative spam outlet to using focus groups to pinpoint terminology people could get on board with to support horrible moments in history.

I left angry, but I left delighted I had watched it. I studied history and love a good documentary, but I also see social media rising and understand that the attention of younger generations is very hard to grab.

Adam McKay’s style is distinctive. Actors constantly breaking the fourth wall as the director uses enough artistic license to splice the facts with entertaining uses of pop culture and a few memes too. Vice is one of those movies where you learn something without even knowing it. Actually, you learn something while having a few laughs along the way, because Vice does dish out some proper belly laughs too.

Sorry, but learning and laughing is a great thing.

We Need To Mention Christian Bale

Christian Bale should go down as one of the greatest actors we’ve ever been lucky enough to see on this planet. First of all, yes he did gain a shedload of weight to portray Chaney.

That’s just the start of it though. He’s captivating. Any actor who can bring me to feeling sorry for someone who, in my opinion, is a monster, has done incredibly well. While there are impressive performances across the board from the likes of Steve Carrell and Amy Adams, Bale just steals the show. 

I’m not surprised because he is amazing.

If you’re looking for a movie that’ll actually make you a little smarter about how the world works, go see Vice. Just be prepared to be a little angry when you leave. Vice is in Irish cinemas from January 25.

Vice Trailer

First Phone of 2019: Huawei Announce the New P smart

Marty
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First Phone of 2019: Huawei Announce the New P smart
Over the past few years, I’ve made no secret of how annoying it is to see smartphones being rolled out for the sake of it. Without major upgrades or innovation, many of the world’s phone makers were just going through the motions. Then last year happened. Google entered the Irish market with the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL, Xiaomi also entered the Irish market and Huawei launched the two best phones we’ve seen in a long time. But they were flagship smartphones for people looking for the best of the best, most likely on contract. 
 
Huawei was straight out of the blocks on New Year’s Eve, announcing the Huawei P smart 2019. Considering you can expect to see the P smart 2019 launch in the sub-€200 price range and given that 2018 was the year of Huawei, I think this could be a very exciting phone for the price. Here’s what to expect.

Key Features of the Huawei P smart 2019

Between the info Huawei has already sent over to me and some of the news coming out of CES 2019 in Las Vegas, we already know quite a bit about the 2019 version of the P smart. Here we go….

The P smart 2019 Looks Great

Straight off the bat, the Huawei P smart 2019 looks stunning. To maximise screen size, Huawei has opted for the dewdrop style camera placement on the front of their mid-level. Along with the wee-bezels that surround the 6.2-inch screen, the P smart 2019 looks gorgeous.

Huawei has not only crafted the P smart to be aesthetically pleasing physically, but they’ve cleverly added some software smarts to make looking at this phone much more pleasant. Thanks to a new TÜV Rheinland-certified Eye Comfort Mode, the P smart 2019 will be grand for those of you who spend extended periods of time binging on Netflix or YouTube on your phone.

The Camera Should Be A Treat

The quality of smartphone cameras has started to blow my mind. I think we’re heading towards a day where those big DSLRs are a thing of the past, honestly. I could never say how good the camera is going to be until I’ve actually seen it, but on paper the P smart 2019 is looking good. Why?

Well, everyone is mad for this bokeh shots. They’re those photos where the subject is clear and the background is all blurry. Super stylish stuff. The P smart 2019 will have dual-primary lenses comprising of a 13MP and 2MP camera. It’s one of the more unusual setups given the 2MP secondary lens in the setup, but fingers crossed Huawei continue their new tradition of incredible shooters. 

Flip the phone over and you get a wide-angle 8MP. For both sides of this phone’s camera rig I’ll reserve judgement until I have a proper look.

Plenty of Power Under the Hood

The days of value mid-range phones being sluggish and laggy are gone. The P smart 2019 will be powered by a brand new Kirin 710 chipset. I won’t bore you with the details behind this chip, but trust me when I say Huawei has also made a habit of landing incredible chips to power their smartphones lately.

But the best chipset in the world will do nothing without actual power. Keeping in line with Huawei packing some of the best spec in without swelling the price, the P smart 2019 boats a 3400 mAh battery. That should be more than enough for fairly heavy users to still get a full day out of their new phone and maybe even two days for light users.

All in all, it’s a long time since a mid-range phone has gotten me excited. Ok, maybe some of the Xiaomi phones have shaken up that part of the market, but the P smart 2019 could be one of the first mid-range phones that starts to move the price of great smartphones down a few pegs.

Remember, there was a time where the most advanced phone on the market was the Nokia 3310. Adjusting for inflation, that phone cost about €230 back in the day. I hope we’re working towards that being the most anyone should ever need to pay for a smartphone.

Review: The Upside – Uplifting and Enjoyable

Marty
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Review: The Upside – Uplifting and Enjoyable

When I saw the trailer for The Upside, there was something very familiar about it. After a few minutes, I worked it out. The Upside is based on a true story which has already been adapted into a movie, a French movie which I’ve already actually watched. Even though I knew the story, I went along to a screening of The Upside and I’m glad to say it’s definitely worth your time.

What is the True Story Behind The Upside

The Upside is far from an original take on the true story behind the life of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo. In fact, The Upside is the third movie based on the story of how di Borgo, a wealthy French businessman, who following a paragliding accident, was left a diabetic quadriplegic. At the heart of the story which has now hit the big screen as The Intouchables in France, The Inseparables in Spain and now The Upside in Hollywood is the unlikely relationship between di Borgo and Abdel Sellou.

While di Borgo was the son of a French duke and born into great wealth, Abdel was a career criminal from Algeria. He crossed paths with di Borgo because he applied for the job of being his carer purely to meet the requirements to keep claiming his income support.

What is The Upside About?

If I was to keep things really simple, I’d describe The Upside as your classic buddy movie. Kevin Hart plays as Dell Scott (Sellou in this story) and Bryan Cranston plays as Phillip Lacasse (di Borgo). True to their real lives, the two cross paths as Scott, desperate to collect his unemployment benefit, seeks out work and stumbles upon the position of life auxiliary for Lacasse. Lacasse, tired of the usually clean-cut experts takes to Scott’s more direct, street style.

Naturally, from here, it’s all about their adventures together as they also battle with their own personal demons and problems.

Is It Any Good?

If you’re to ask me – yes, absolutely. I battled with the knowledge that there was a very good version of this movie out there already in the original French version. My biggest fear with the remake would be that it went all Hollywood. But The Upside largely stays honest to the true story at the core of the tale and rejects the temptation to go “big Hollywood”.

Cranston is his usual brilliant self and arguably, Nicole Kidman who plays Lacasse’s assistant could have been used to deliver something more. But of everyone in this movie, it’s Kevin Hart who delivers some of the deepest moments along with some of the best laughs. To be honest, the three of them together gel perfectly and make this a buddy movie that will lift your spirits. It’s a good old fashioned uplifting buddy movie.

Critics are largely slating the movie and I really don’t get it. Now, it could be down to the fact it’s a remake that doesn’t change much beyond the language being spoken, but I don’t think that’s a good enough reason to not pop into the cinema and check this out,

The Upside is in cinemas nationwide now.

Xiaomi M365 Review: First Impressions of this Electric Scooter

Marty
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Xiaomi M365 Review: First Impressions of this Electric Scooter

As soon as the Xiaomi M365 electric scooter went on sale in Ireland, I kind of knew I’d be buying one. Last week, I finally acted and bought one. I’m going to do a much more in-depth review now that I’m using it every day but after a few spins so far, I just want to let you know what my first impressions are.

Electric scooters which require human power to get them started, like the Xiaomi M365 does, are not classified as mechanically propelled vehicles. As a result, they are perfectly legal to use just like a bicycle and do not require tax or insurance. You can read more about electric scooters and the law in Ireland by reading my other article.

Things I Love About the Xiaomi M365

To get the ball rolling, I’m going to talk about why I love the Xiaomi M365 electric scooter.

I’m Not Clammy Arriving in Work

A very practical one to start. Kicking off your day with a 35-minute walk to the office means you start your day feeling a little clammy. Don’t get me wrong – I appreciate the walk and know that it’s keeping me healthy, but it’s not nice to sit in the office after that walk feeling meh. Using an electric scooter means you stroll into the office, fresh as a daisy. For me, I also arrive with a smile on my face. Which brings me to my next point.

It’s. So. Much. Fun!

It’s Monday morning. The weekend is over. You have to go to work. While I’m sure the novelty could wear off, right now I look forward to jumping on my scooter and zipping my way to the office. There’s just something very fun about the Xiaomi scooter. It’s not rip-roaringly fast and I definitely don’t think it’s any kind of cool. But all of that doesn’t stop it putting a smile on my face.

It’s Faster

While it’s no Tesla…

…the Xiaomi scooter can zip along comfortably at 25kmph. Because you can also use bike lanes, you can slice your way through a busy city like Dublin without much hassle. The scooter has the added benefit of being super easy to hop on and off of, so if you rock up to a red light, it’s really easy to jump off and stroll across a street as a pedestrian before jumping back on again.

With the Xiaomi M365, I’ve turned a 35-minute walk into a 13-minute scoot. My goal is to get sub-ten minutes.

It’s So Simple

While I’m quick to point out the M365 is far from a toy and requires a lot of concentration to take a spin on, the beauty of it all is its simplicity. I’ll come onto this in a second, but maybe the lack of a display is a good thing? 

You jump on the scooter, give it two quick pushes, lash the throttle down and you’re flying along. It’s really comfy to stand on, more comfy than sitting on any bike seat and doesn’t take a genius to operate – I can attest to that.

It Makes Dublin Very Small

I live in Dublin City Center and I have a car. The car is great for when you need to collection someone from the airport or if you want to fly out to somewhere like Liffey Valley and do a spot of shopping. But inner-city public transport is only ok. For example, if I wanted to walk to the office, it takes me 35 minutes. To get the Luas, it also takes 35 minutes, depending on how long I have to wait for a tram to come along.

Having my own scooter negates this all together and opens up other parts of the city which aren’t connected with public transport at all. I know many people will read that and be like – “walk you lazy bastard”, but having a scooter just changes your mentality to nipping across town.

It’s Not Really A Heard Turner

I guess this isn’t going to be a positive for some people, but the Xiaomi M365, I think, is the most popular electric mode of personal transport in Dublin. I pass another scooter nearly every day if not two or three. After just a few days, I’ve noticed people say “there’s that scooter I was on about”. That’s the most common thing I overhear. 

Electric scooters are almost commonplace already. Most people still haven’t tried one though, so if you do want to grab the attention of your friends, offer them a shot.

Noone will turn it down.

Thinks I Dislike About the Xiaomi M365

As much as I adore the Xiaomi M365 and, dare I say it’s my favourite gadget purchase in a long long time, there are a few frustrations I can’t ignore.

Hand Signals

Telling people where you’re going is so important when you travel. Regardless of whether you’re a cyclist or a motorist, indicators and hand signals are crucial. I’ve noticed that hand signals are bloody hard to nail when you’re on this scooter. I’d imagine it’s like this on all scooters. Right turns have the added difficulty of you needing to take your right hand off the throttle.

I’m looking into a few solutions to this problem, from testing out the onboard cruise control to a helmet with indicators built in. There’s no shortage of Xiaomi M365 accessories out there, so watch this space as I make my way through the best.

It’s a Bumpy Ride

The M365 doesn’t offer any kind of suspension or shock absorbers. What you hit, you feel. In the dark, this is particularly noticeable as it becomes harder to avoid bumps and divots that regularly appear in Irish roads. I’ve already hit a hole so hard the bell on my handlebars dinged.

How I Am Supposed To Lock This, Xiaomi?

I’m being a little facetious here because there is one easy way to lock the M365. Using a U-Lock through the back wheel, you can secure your scooter to the usual bike stands. Still, I just don’t feel this is very secure and technically you can remove the back wheel somewhat easily.

I’m looking into a few other options to make locking my scooter a little easier and more secure, but I really hope Xiaomi didn’t think the software lock would stop some lad on the Quays making off with me scooter.

No Display

It’s a real shame there’s no built-in display on the scooter. To know how fast you’re going, you’ll need to get a phone holder and fit it to your handlebars. Real estate here is really limited, so you can only pick on accessory to have.

First world problem alert, I know.

Now I did find a Wear OS app which lets me link my Android Watch to the scooter which works really well. Again, given how I’ve struggled to scoot with one hand (seriously don’t even try it) the watch still isn’t the perfect solution. I’ll be testing out another scooter soon that does have a display, so I’ll let you know if I really need it or not. As I mentioned earlier, maybe this just feeds into the simplicity.

So, for now, that’s it. I’m doing a scoot commute every day so I’ll be powering through this review. I do have a few other things to look at, but for now, the Xiaomi M365 electric scooter looks like a lot of fun. Be sure to sign up to the newsletter below and give Goosed a follow on Twitter for the full review when it’s done.

Dublin Smartphone Film Festival: Five Movies to Look Forward To

Marty
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Dublin Smartphone Film Festival: Five Movies to Look Forward To

I’m already quite excited about the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival, as you may have already read. That excitement was based on the fact whiskey and tech was coming together again. Then the guys over at the festival released the programme for the day and excitement levels went through the roof! Here are the five movies, all shot using a smartphone I might add, that I’m most looking forward to at the festival.

Upend | Directed by Blake Worrell

Smartphone filmmaking is remarkable for one simple reason. Until you watch movies and footage with the knowledge it’s for a smartphone film festival, you’d have no idea mobile phones were used at all. Upend is a visual treat in that sense, shot completely on an iPhone 6s.
 
From the United States and directed by Blake Worrell, Upend is a science-fiction/fantasy movie about a father who falls into an adventure in search of his son. It deals with the mental anguish of loss and the resultant impact on relationships all through a short journey that ends up in the most unexpected places. Can anyone believe him?
 
This is probably the most visually pleasing movie on show at the 2019 Dublin Smartphone Film Festival so be sure to catch it.

Dulcinea | Directed by Francisco Lidón Plaza

I’m gonna call it. I think this will be a crowd favourite at the festival this year.  There’s something charming and madcap, in some ways literally, about Dulcinea.

Directed by Francisco Lidón Plaza, Dulcinea tells the tale of a young knight and his shield bearer. They travel the country in search of adventures pretending to be in a classic novel. But these are very hard times and it won´t be easy to become Don Quixote and find the lady he loves.

I laughed out loud just watching this so you’re in for a treat.

Missing Things | Directed by Jason van Genderen

Anyone who has lived through a loved one experiencing dementia will know how horrible it is. Dementia takes away the person you love in small pieces. In this Australian documentary, the director chronicles what it’s like to live with his mother who has dementia. 

Because of the smartphone filmmaking revolution, more people can capture stories that mean something incredible to them. You might have heard of people losing loved ones fearing they’ll forget the sound of their voice or struggle to remember their face. I lost my father last year and recently found some videos. It triggers a powerful memory and now these are some of my most treasured things in the world.

Missing Things, shot entirely on an iPhone 8, might just inspire people to capture more meaning moments. Your smartphone is for a lot more than just taking pictures of dinner.

Sonatina | Directed by Wong Hoi

It’s safe to say you’ll have a fair few chuckles at the festival this year. This Chinese movie, directed by Wong Hoi, looks absolutely gas.

Chow, a new bodyguard, is puzzled by a strange woman who shrugs her shoulders, shakes her head and smiles at him. He asks his colleague Mak, but both cannot figure out why. Mak finally knows the real meanings of her act when he was shot at an accident.

Catch the trailer here, but catch the full show at the festival.

Happiness | Directed by Dimitar Dimitrov

This movie is beautiful. From last year’s winner, Dimitar Dimitrov, Happiness looks at the dark we all experience. The crushing power of the ordinary, everyday life, which inevitably devours the dreams, the love and the belief in the extraordinary. 

This is almost guaranteed to be a highlight from the festival this year.

 

 
With all that on offer and loads more too, what are you waiting for? Check out the full programme or buy yourself a ticket to the 2019 Dublin Smartphone Film Festival now for just €15.

The Luas Website Hack: What Actually Happened?

Marty
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The Luas Website Hack: What Actually Happened?

Whenever I see something hit the headlines with the velocity that today’s Luas hack did, my first reaction is not to jump on it. Following the Luas strikes and knowing people are generally apprehensive about online security, it all… well it all makes for beautiful clickbait. You’ll have seen many news sources were really quick to jump out with “Luas site hacked” articles that don’t really offer much substance. I’m hoping I can take a slightly different approach.

What Happened With the Luas Website?

On December 3 2019, it was noticed that the Luas website was defaced. This means the website familiar to us all was removed and in its place was this message:

This is known as a ransom attack where the “hacker” expects payment in return for data they’ve stolen. In this case, the ransom was 1 Bitcoin. At the time of the hack, this 1 Bitcoin demand was around €3300

Generally speaking, defacements are a nuisance for website owners, but skilled teams can quickly revert everything. 

Looking purely at the facts that emerged early on this story, I believed that was being blown out of proportion. Here’s why…

Defacement < Hack

Defacements are often the calling card of a failed hack. Let me explain. If a hacker really got in and downloaded huge quantities of data, their biggest chance of getting money from a company like Transdev who runs the Luas website is to keep quiet. Defacement is a public attack, made in the hope that the owners of the website panic and react without thinking straight.

Also, data is rarely taken because monetising this data isn’t very easy.

The Luas Website Doesn’t Handle Much Data

Thankfully, the Luas website also doesn’t handle very much personal data. At first, I didn’t think they handled any at all. Immediately after the news broke, many jumped on the hack and didn’t stop to point out there was no connection between the compromised website and the likes of Leap Card. 

A Luas spokesperson even came out and said themselves that their website was “static” which means it doesn’t store data, but instead offers people information like maps and timetables.

Unfortunately, that’s not entirely true.

The Luas Hack Might Be a Data Breach

While the Luas website was down, I did some digging and using the WayBack Machine found that there is one weakness where a hacker may have gotten in.

Websites with open forms like the Luas contact form might be an area of weakness. Hackers can use one of the most popular forms of breaking into a site, know as an SQL injection. In short, my theory is that hackers submitted code through the form which was then stored on Luas.ie servers, opening a backdoor for the hackers to get in.

I have to emphasise, this is my own personal theory as to what might have happened. I reached out to online security company Sophos to see if I could validate this theory, but it’s too early to know for sure.

Anyway, the important thing here is that this made me realise that there is indeed personal data stored on Luas.ie servers. Why? Because people can submit queries. To submit a query, people can hand over their name, email and phone number. In a statement which came later today, Luas confirmed that 3226 user records may have been compromised.

Do You Have a Website?

If you have a website yourself or are involved in one at all, I’m sure today gave you a fright. Well, I don’t think this will help, but you’re not in any more danger today than you were yesterday, as Brian Honan clarified to me in a tweet today.

These hacks happen all the time, however, I can offer you some tips from the guys over in Sophos.

Paul Ducklin, Senior Technologist with the company says his two top tips for stopping online crooks are “patching and passwords”. Simply put: patch early, patch often; pick proper passwords; and prefer 2FA wherever you can use it.”

Basically, that means when your website has a message saying you need to update, update it. Don’t use your dog’s name as a password, try passphrases and use two-factor authentication where you can.

Finally, while this did end up being a serious enough hack because people’s data may have been compromised, please do stay frosty when it comes to clickbait articles around stories like this. My personal opinion is that they often air on the side of exaggeration rather than fact.

Everything You Need to Know About the 2019 Dublin Smartphone Film Festival

Marty
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0
Everything You Need to Know About the 2019 Dublin Smartphone Film Festival

There are two things I really love in this world.

  1. Whiskey
  2. Technology

You’d think it’s quite rare to be able to cross these two passions of mine, but I’ve done it once before and I just found another way to do it too. The 2019 Dublin Smartphone Film Festival takes place in the Teeling Whiskey Distillery, New Market on January 26. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

What is the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival?

First of all, on a personal level, I’m delighted to have Goosed.ie team up with the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival as a media partner for a second year. The festival sums up quite a lot of the reasons I founded Goosed. We love empowering people to do more with technology and the shooting Hollywood movies no-longer require dozens of expensive cameras is incredibly exciting. Just look at Unsane by Stephen Soderbergh, shot in 4K using an iPhone 7 Plus. Incredible! Anyway, back to the game at hand.

The Dublin Smartphone Film Festival, as you might have guessed, is a global showcase of short films shot using only smartphones and/or tablets. I went along to the inaugural festival last year and was blown away by the quality of flicks on show. 

This year, straight off the back of an impressive first year, the festival returns, and it’s even bigger. There have been over 100 submissions of 15-minute movies show on smartphones from 25 countries. These films include a selection of short films, documentaries, animations and music videos and the festival will also feature an educational workshop.

Why Come Along?

I honestly cannot wait to go along to the festival again this year. Not only do you get to see some incredibly creative short movies shot on mobile devices, but you get to play with some awesome tech. I’ll be there with some of my favourite smartphones to shoot with, including the Google Pixel 3XL, Huawei P20 Pro and the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, our 2018 Phone of the Year. Feel free to ask me any questions at all you might have about them.

FeiyuTech will be on hand too with their remarkable gimbal range. If you don’t know what a gimbal is, prepare to have your mind blown by these things! Here’s a video I shot last year using a FeiyuTech gimbal to get an awesome steady-cam shot:

Alight Motion is a South Korean video editing app. To be totally honest, I’ve been shocked at how hard it can be to get a decent mobile editing app, but Alight Motion is incredible.

Other sponsors include Shoulderpod and LumaTouch but who knows what will appear on the day. I know I’ll be trying to sneak a whiskey at some stage anyway.

Beyond enjoying all that good stuff, there’s also some awards to be won. This is the Oscars of the smartphone filmmaking world and these categories will be crowned on the night:

  • Best Fiction
  • Best Music video
  • Best Documentary
  • Best Animation
  • Best 360/VR film

Finally, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with the founder of the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival, Robert Fitzhugh, a few times and he really knows his stuff. With experience working on the Reel World Film Festival in Canada and more recently as part of the PR and marketing team for the Fingal Film Festival, he’s also sound out. Any questions you have about smartphone filmmaking, Rob will love to answer.

On running the second year of the festival, Rob had this to say:

“We just could not believe the success of the festival in its first year. We sold out before the doors even opened.  It really demonstrated to us just how popular the notion of Smartphone Filmmaking has become. This year its been even bigger.”

On the growth of the festival, Rob stated: “We doubled our submissions and the quality in just one year has moved forward at a phenomenal rate. With Smartphone films like Stephen Soderbergh’s UNSANE (now part of mainstream cinema) there has never been a more interesting time to explore smartphone filmmaking. This is what the Dublin Smartphone Film Festival is here to do; to encourage the next generation of filmmakers to create their stories using their phones and to provide them with a platform to present these stories to a wider audience”.

I’ve Convinced You, Right?

It’s a lovely way to spend an evening, trust me. Now all you need to do is grab yourself a ticket for just €15.

The Dublin Smartphone Film Festival will take place in the Teeling Whiskey Distillery in New Market on January 26. It all kicks off at 19:30 (7:30pm) and runs till late!

Give Goosed.ie a follow on Twitter and you’ll see our run through of the flicks we’re most looking forward too before the big day.

Dash Cams and Their Legality in Europe: Being GDPR Compliant

Marty
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0
Dash Cams and Their Legality in Europe: Being GDPR Compliant

You know the way car insurance is skyrocketing these days? That’s down to both bad drivers and bogey claims. The former is also the driver, pun wholeheartedly intended, behind the widespread adoption of dash cams. Terrible drivers are bashing into people left, right and centre, so people are arming themselves with dash cams. However, what many owners of dash cams have yet to consider is the legality of this video recording equipment in Europe since the introduction of GDPR in May 2018. 

Here’s what you need to know.

What Is A Dash Cam?

Best start here! Dash cams are usually mounted on the windscreen with a camera facing out, seeing what the driver sees, and sometimes with a camera facing in. The latter is popular with taxi drivers for obvious reasons.

Back in the early days of Goosed.ie, I waxed lyrical about an app called Nexar which negates the need for a dedicated dash cam. Pretty cool idea that’s still going and working better than ever.

The better dash cams have more advanced features, including high-quality video recording and automatic recording based on motion. The reason people have a dash cam is pretty simple. In the event of a car crash, they have evidence of what happened, hopefully clearing the owner of any blame. There are other benefits starting to emerge too including discounted insurance premiums for dash cam users. Or, more indirectly, the chance that a dash cam may capture a crime. you’ll often see Gardai now appeal for people who may have been in an area with dash cam footage around the time a crime took place.

Simples. Dash cams seem to be a good thing, right?

Dash Cams And Their Legality Under GDPR

You’d be forgiven for thinking GDPR, the EU data protection legislation that passed in May 2018, was just for big businesses. At the time, I struggled to imagine a scenario where individuals would need to pay attention to GDPR, unless they had security cameras on their property.

Dash cams, however, have massive GDPR implications for drivers who want this extra piece of mind on the road. In many ways, the expectation on dash cam users are the same as a shop owner with security cameras.

Yup, believe it or not, if you own a dash cam and are recording people inside or outside your car, you need to adhere to GDPR rules and regulations.

GDPR Requirements For Dash Cam Owners

So, now you know that using a dash cam means you have some rules to follow, let’s dive into them:

  1. Handling Personal data must be done in a transparent manner
  2. Personal data should only be kept for as long as it’s needed
  3. You need to keep personal data secure and private
  4. People you record have a right to request their data

Handling Personal Data Must Be Done in a Transparent Manner

Transparent handling of personal data is a cornerstone of GDPR that companies now must adhere to when using your data. I should clarify here that an image of your face constitutes personal data which is why you need to play along with GDPR rules in the first place.

To tick step one off your list, things are going to get pretty damn nerdy, so sorry in advance.

First up, you need to display a sticker on your vehicle, in a prominent position, which informs people you have a dash cam recording them. If you thought that was bad…

Next up, you need to put together a policy sheet. This details why you have the dash cam, how long you keep footage and who you plan to share footage with. You’ll need to have a copy of this to hand should someone request it. According to the DPC, you can ream this off verbally too. They also state that in the event of an accident, you are required to inform the other party you recorded the event.

Personal Data Should Only Be Kept for as Long as It’s Needed

Dash cams starting to sound like less craic, right? “Here’s the perfect birthday pressie and a phone number for a lawyer to get you up and running!”. Only joking. Bad as things may seem, most of this GDPR stuff is logical enough. 

Next up when it comes to staying compliant is a bit of housekeeping. This won’t be an issue for many dash cam users as they have limited memory anyway, but you need to give consideration to how long you’re going to store footage for.

If you were in an accident, it makes sense you’d keep that footage longer than most videos. But that video of you at the McDonalds Drive Thru is probably less important.

You Need to Keep Personal Data Secure and Private

This is a no-brainer from start to finish. Your dash cam and the footage it captures must be kept safe an sound. This might be removed from view when parked, taking it out of the car altogether and being conscious of where you save footage to.

Take note of who can access the footage. If you’re lending your car to someone, you may want to take the camera out altogether. Finally, if you’re posting videos through platforms like YouTube, pay attention to the video to see if others are personally identifiable. 

People You Record Have a Right to Request Their Data

Say you’re cruising down the high street and you see an arm shoot out asking you to stop. Someone just saw your sticker saying your filming through a dash cam. Maybe they just had a “man slips on ice” moment and are concerned that you’re now the proud owner of a potentially viral video.

They are completely within their rights to request a copy of the video footage from you. This does get quite complicated because should anyone else be visible in the video, they need to be removed. Fun fun! If you have a friend who’s a video editor your laughing, if not, this could become a headache.

All Of That? Seriously?

By the letter of the law, according to the Data Protection Commissioner of Ireland, that’s the craic with dash cams. It might feel like overkill, but imagine you were in that pre-viral video. Wouldn’t you like to know you could legally request the footage?

Do I really think dash cam users are doing all of this? No. They’re not. But like many GDPR things, this will slowly become the new normal where dash cams are sold with disclaimer stickers and people like yourself know this is legally required.

CCTV and The AXA Example

A really interesting nugget came out soon after GDPR dropped in May 2018. A key principle of GDPR is data must only be captured and kept for a defined purpose. For shop owners, this proved to be quite a headache. Security cameras in stores capture personal data (images of people) for the purpose of aiding in the capture of would-be thieves. However, many CCTV systems in Ireland are terrible, capturing low-quality video and, as such, cannot achieve the defined purpose for which they are in place for. This means the CCTV owner is in breach of GDPR.

This is where the AXA thing is really interesting. They offer insurance discounts for people who purchase, but not necessarily use, a dash cam. However, from a GDPR point of view, the dash cam is in place for the purpose of capturing car crashes and accidents. Many are purchasing these AXA dash cams for the discount and never using them. Yup, mad as it sounds, that’s a breach of GDPR too, in a similar vein to that of the CCTV example I gave earlier!

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