bareBones daily

OnePlus Nord | A Retro Review

2025-11-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

The original OnePlus Nord. The budget version of the first brand to offer the "Flagship killer." This is a long time coming review of the phone which I'd been using for the past 5 years. After all this time it's finally time for an upgrade as the phone has gotten sluggish and battery drains faster than I'd like without using it too much.

Checkout the video to find out more and to see what phone I might be getting.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+

2025-08-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

For a general purpose, casual use, the Samsung Tablet A9+ is your goto. See what it packs in this short video.

Github Pull Request

2025-07-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

Get started with contributing to open-source or group projects by making pull requests. You can watch the video below to get started and view the github repo as well where you can see more information

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G

2024-08-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

A great budget phone from Samsung, the Galaxy A23 5G comes with the Snapdragon 695 5G processor offering great daily usage performance and more than adequate performance for more demanding tasks.

Memory options start at 4 GB with 6GB and 8GB variants being available. There is also an option between 64GB and 128GB internal storage great for storing all your content. This can be expanded to a whopping 1 TB!

Features 5G connectivity for blazing fast internet access and usage. While the FHD+ 120Hz 6.6" display is ample space and offers smooth and flicker free consumption and navigation. The 1080 x 2408 pixel resolution offers sharp visuals with a 400 ppi density.

Together with the

The camera array has a 50MP main camera with built in Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) with a 5MP Ultra Wide, and 2MP Macro and Depth cameras.

Comes with the standard USB C connector for fast charging and data transfer as well as a 3.5 mm audio jack.

Check out the video for a quick unboxing and first impression of the phone.

Is the Osmo Mobile 6 worth getting?

2024-07-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

Now who doesn't love some steady stable footage, whether that'd be just to see that beautiful vista while on holidays, or capturing golden memories which isn't mostly just random choppy clips of the ceiling or

Well that's why I got the DJI OSMO mobile 6 gimbal. And here is my experience of using it.

Joby GorillaPod 1k Tripod

2024-03-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

The Joby GorillaPod 1k tripod is a handy little flexible tripod to shoot from uneven surfaces or even hanging from a ledge or branch.

This little tripod features flexible legs & ball head that rotates and swivels for 360 degree panning and 90 degree tilt control. The ball head can be removed for a more stable surface or attach other heads.

Rubberised rings and feet provide enhanced grip and can hold devices upto 1 kg, hence the 1k, or 2.2 pounds.

Check out the video for a more hands on experience.

Glorious Mechanical Keyboard

2024-02-21T11:09:00.000-08:00

Glorious Mechanical Keyboard is a great offering from Glorious, whose credo is to offer premium quality, affordable gaming hardware.

This is the full size, 104 key, US Ansi layout pre-built white edition with a aluminium silver body. It comes with the gateron brown switches with 16.8 million colour RGB LED backlight with special effects and a 6 ft. braided USB cord.

Check out the video to see more.

Logitech MK 240 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse

2024-01-24T11:54:00.000-08:00

From the popular Logitech brand comes this great value, high quality nano sized wireless keyboard and mouse combo. Check out the video for more details.

Walking through Koratty | Konoor and Junction

2024-01-15T02:49:00.000-08:00

Koratty, a town of many memories. Wanted to capture this place so much throughout the past decade or so, a lot has changed, so many lives passing through.

Not exactly what I hoped to accomplish, but what with little time to record anything, this is better than nothing and hopefully the corner stone of keeping track of a little corner of the globe where my father hails from.

Here's the first bit of footage I've managed to capture and output from the Insta360 X2. Haven't been able to use it much but after some initial hiccups, it's quite a handy device whether you are looking to record smooth action footage or want to capture the places and moments in time. Check out the affiliate links below for offers:

* Insta360 X3

* Insta360 Flow

* Insta360 Go 2

* Insta360 Accessories

First Cola in Space

2023-10-18T14:56:00.001-07:00

Find out what the first cola in space was and what Amazon was originally going to be called in this short but fascinating video.

Casio Resin Strap Watch

2023-06-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats a good old Casio watch when it comes to something sleek and functional. Check out the quick unboxing of the Casio Mens W96H-1AV resin strap digital quartz watch.

Gioteck SC3 Wireless Controller for PC, PS4 and PS5

2023-06-19T14:19:00.003-07:00

Looking for a good value wirless controller that will work on both PC, PS4 and PS5? Well look no further and checkout the video from more details:

Walking Through Dublin

2023-05-28T13:25:00.006-07:00

Decided to do a walk through Dublin to get a feel for the new DJI Osmo 6 Gimbal with my OnePlus Nord phone.

Affiliate Links: Osmo Gimbal 6 Amazon (US): https://amzn.to/45xVfnl Amazon (UK): https://amzn.to/3WG7j1Z OnePlus Nord Amazon (US): https://amzn.to/3OPqNzj Amazon (UK): https://amzn.to/3q9OiZj

Why I can't stand Windows 11 | Don't Get Windows 11

2023-03-22T08:44:00.005-07:00

Just a few things that make me dislike the latest release of the Windows operating system. The topics include:

* Start Menu

* Program Icons

* Explorer Issues

* Zip Files

Watch the video to get more details on these. Let me know if you have come across these or others in the comments.

Logitech M720 Triathlon Mouse

2022-12-24T15:19:00.003-08:00

A perfect little mouse for yourself or as a gift? Check out the video to find out more about this hard working, multi switching M720 mouse from Logitech.

Amazon Prime Day is here!

2022-07-12T03:09:00.006-07:00

Amazon Prime Sales!

It also just happens that today is the 15th anniversary of this blog. Thought I'd share some great offers from Amazon** around some great products and services.

50% off Amazon Prime

If you are student then saving every penny counts. Even if you don't then surely everybody loves a discount. Get 50% off Amazon Prime when you sign up for a Amazon Prime Student 6-month Trial.

This means FREE two-day shipping with no minimum order size as well as exclusive deals and promotions for college students!

Consumer Electronics

Who doesn't want to get some savvy smart and stylish electronics devices for themselves and homes. Well today you can save upto 70% on speakers, smart TVs, smart watches and more on Amazon Prime!

**As an amazon affiliate I do earn commission on qualifying orders.

PlayStation 5 Unboxing

2022-06-28T10:49:00.004-07:00

Finally got the PlayStation 5. After the spate of chip shortages and fishing for a lucky chance at a purchase, finally got it through Gamestop.ie. There was a forced buy of the new Horizon Forbidden West game, among two others. At around € 79, not too happy for that aspect.

And also GameStop uses An Post for delivery who are atrocious for delivering anything larger than an envelope. They had made at least 2 attempts at delivery, according to the online tracking portal, first at 8 am and then again at 5 pm. I was home all day and right after the 5 pm attempt, it reached the depot at the same timestamp. A journey of zero seconds which would typically take 40 minutes by foot, and probably equally long during traffic in a car.

Watch the video for just a barebones view of the product minus the whinging why don't ya.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (No Spoilers)

2022-05-07T08:12:00.008-07:00

What can you expect from one of the top tier titles of the ~~Marvel~~ Disney cinematic universe? Not much as it turns out.

A note which could account for my disdain for this movie:

* The version I seen was the no frills, traditional screen - almost 4:3. So although the format did appear to be widescreen, there were black bars on the top and bottom, it seemed to have been somewhat cropped and zoomed in. Could this be a limitation of the hardware display or a ploy to usher more people into the much more technologically superior and larger IMAX, and what have you, screens?

Notwithstanding that, this movie seems half baked from the get go with what seems to be a redeeming up-tilt a quarter ways in, which then surely ebbs back into a dull doldrum. At times the footage seemed to be pre-production quality. Unnervingly realistic looking, no post-processing overlays or effects, every little lighting or color correction, just raw footage straight from the camera.

You'd often see this type of material on DVD/Blu-ray features which include previously cut scenes, which for obvious reasons would not have the polish and post processing done as that's just a waste of time and resources.

The overall cinematic imagery is woeful. The scenes seem to be almost first run throughs to probably get the lighting and sounding rigs set up properly. With cramped, zoomed in shots and awkward angles, composition seems to have not even been given an afterthought. This is especially perturbing when dramatic scenes have a tight, closed in focus on the actors face which only draws attention to the tepid dialogue. Mired into this is the equally dismal visual effects which was flat, poorly choreographed, lacked any dynamism and seemed gratuitously added to lengthen the run time.

The peppering of apropos jokes and jibs that Marvel uses to great effect in its other movies falls flat in this screeching, slow train car of a movie. The comedic timing, if any, is off and seems to be arbitrarily interspersed within the lackluster dialogue. Another movie which had this same issue was Captain Marvel.

The narrative has a tenuous, bumpy flow, with a plot that seems to have been strung together and improvised on the spot. This has all the makings of a made for TV movie by an outsourced, off-shore firm who've never worked with the intellectual property, nor the genre. Or even a made for TV show with all it's episodes glued together to make a full length feature film - Chimerascope if you will.

The movie is barely one dimensional in terms of its narrative, story and character development as well as, visuals and imagery. Ironic as the core theme is about the multiverse.

Cons - Weak script, poor, editing, mediocre character and plot development at best, C grade cinematics and direction.

Pros - Got me out of the house, when it ended.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (No Spoilers)

2022-02-26T07:18:00.003-08:00

Between the latest release of Marvel Spider-Man movies, for some odd reason I got the notion of Spider-

Man being in a some far away world or dimension. And at the time I assumed it was due to the snap that happens in Avengers: Infinity War.

Spider-Man: Far From Home seemed to be the ideal candidate, but no. It was just a trip to Europe, a rite of passage for any middle class, and higher, North American college student. The premise was meagre at best and didn't seem to offer anything except a side quest far far from anything worthwhile.

Neither that nor this latest release - Spider-Man: No Way Home - has our titular hero far from anything in the standalone series. Just far from unambiguous and inspiring titling.

Also with the recent Disney imbued Marvel releases being completely lackluster and insipid 2nd tier movies - I'm looking at you Shang-Chi and Eternals - I wondered if this would be good.

Being the first movie I've seen in a cinema (or cinema in the thee-yatre if yer British arrr matey) since Thanos' Snap, er I mean Covid-19 took the world stage, this still carries the traits of Marvel movies from the golden era. By golden ear I mean just the last decade or so since the first Iron Man.

It's not bombastic, instead has beautifully choreographed, visually gorgeous action scenes, mixed with a the subtle and well spliced comedic interludes that only Marvel seems to be able to execute flawlessly. Except for Captain Marvel, that was a train running on asphalt.

And to top it all off, it pays homage to the originals. A magnanimous tribute, a reconciliation of iterations, an existentialist untangling. Emotionally provoking, this movie (Britsh: film-picture with sound) signals that Marvel franchise is still cable of producing stellar movies, not just in terms of box office numbers but also of pure entertainment. Mostly because Sony owns the rights and somewhat allowed Marvel to step away from the white glove clutches of the House of Mouse from dropping another dud.

"GO WATCH IT"

- Martin Scorsese

Don't worry, Spider-Man: No Way Home did the thing with the Spider-Man Meme

Kirsten Dunst Teases Possible Spider-Man Return After Tobey Maguire's Comeback

Andrew Garfield Reveals Only People He Felt Bad Lying About No Way Home To

MacBook Air (M1 2020) Unboxing

2022-02-20T07:19:00.000-08:00

I was starting to wonder why I still have this blog up and running, apart from the fact it doesn't cost anything. It was supposed to be a low maintenance, and almost consistently update repo from my thoughts and musings. It's devolved from that somewhat in the last year or two and I also missed blogging for one year entirely - 2015. So with that it's kinda fallen by the wayside of a long standing blog. If it hadn't been for that one year lapse (I'd like to thank the academy, my non value adding job, part-time college I signed up for due that the aforementioned job and life for that one).

But anyway here is something I suppose is a short update - I got a Macbook Air, yes that's right, probably the No.1 hater of almost anything Apple has gotten a MacBook Air. In no short part due to the amazing M1 chips that were released about a year ago and also the fact that I needed something lightweight (which it's not quite) and powerful on the go. This one has that power and a battery life to drool over in spades.

So with much further ado, cue the unboxing video while I play and learn with this coy beast:

Making Games in Unity3D for 21 days

2021-04-14T04:29:00.004-07:00

So what do you do when you want to try and learn something? Everyone who's ever tried to learn anything in the modern world of instant information can probably relate to tutorial hell or half baked attempts to get off the ground, let alone finish something.

What is often disgregarded in the modern world is that unlike instant access to anything and everything online, acquiring skills and building something worthwhile is not instant - by any stretch of the imagination.

Sure through technologies such as game engines, more people are able to create things which previously would've required degrees in computing and/or physics, maths etcetera. But even so there requires a certain personal discipline and culmination of skills in various facets which are needed to craft something worthwhile.

What's required is always what's been required for anything that's built that's worthwhile - focus, persistence and dedication. The 99% perspiration that will produce the 1% nugget of inspired, fruitful, well polished art.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege | Can I Play?

2020-10-27T10:07:00.002-07:00

Always wanted to get back into the fps gaming sphere. Well this isn't precisely a fps, it's more of a military, strategic shooter? Go figs. Here's me trying it out for the first time. Not as bad in hindsight when looking at the video mind you. Actually felt entirely out of place while trying it out and the controls and felt heavy and laboured.

Text based incremental browser games

2020-09-27T04:15:00.002-07:00

Text based incremental browser games. Incremental games are genre of games which are purely text driven which requires input and constant action from the player to survive and plot the course of the narrative.

This is a collection of incremental games which are purely text based. No filler, minimalist yet atmospherically involving game at its finest.

Here are the games if you want to try them out:
Chickens - http://gamehelp16.github.io/chickens/
Swarmsim - https://www.swarmsim.com/#/tab/larva
Kittens Game - https://bloodrizer.ru/games/kittens/
A Dark Room - http://adarkroom.doublespeakgames.com/
Drowning - http://game.notch.net/drowning/#

So I tried restoring a water damaged MDF table

2020-08-27T11:50:00.002-07:00

Check out what happens on my attempt at a MDF table that has water damage.

Free training from Pluralsight this weekend

2020-08-14T01:46:00.009-07:00

That's right, one of the best online portals for learning is opening up their entire catalog this weekend.

All access pass to Pluralsight

Pluralsight Free Weekend Aug 14th - 16th

Pluralsight offer over 6,500 video courses authored by experts. They also offer 30+ interactive courses and 20+ projects. Try it free for three days starting this Friday the 14th of August.