Category: iOS

Nexus 7 and iPad get dropped in the name of science

Don’t ask me. We get PR companies sending us emails and sometimes I think, “Are they alright? Did they have too much to drink last night?” This time we’ve received a video from SquareTrade. They sell warranties or something, and if you watch this video to the end …

Shortage Continues – Qualcomm

The chip designer Qualcomm has confirmed that they are still struggling to meet demand. Back in April they reported that they under estimated the need. The chips, 28 nanometre ones, are used in the most popular Android handsets including the Samsung Galaxy S3, HTC One X. This shortage, …

Samsung backhanded compliment, now not so backhanded

Ten days ago Samsung won a High Court battle here in the UK against Apple. It should have been a great day, but the judge soured it a little by saying that the Galaxy Tab had obviously not copied the iPad because… They do not have the same …

Coolsmartphone recommended iOS app: Defense Zone HD

The tower defense genre is a well established one in gaming, and there are plenty to choose from on the App Store. But a star in the field is Defense Zone HD, from developer Artem Kotov. While the gameplay follows the standard method of defending against increasingly tough …

New Day, New iPhone Leak

Speculation has been mounting regarding a possible date for the launch of the new iPhone and as the days go by more and more leaks are springing. Today’s comes thanks to a picture from Apple.pro and reportedly shows the front plate of the new iPhone which shows a newly …

Rumour alert – iPhone snaps removed

A website called KitGuru picked up some shots of the iPhone 5 recently and we ran a story a few days ago and you can see them below. These shots have since been pulled off-line, with the website blaming … Due to external pressures, which we are unable …

New iPhone to be announced on 7th August?

A few websites have been throwing around a possible launch date of the new iPhone – August 7th. If true this gives us less than a month away. There have been leaked photos (like the one below) of what we are expecting the new flagship phone from Apple …

BBC Olympic Apps Launch

The British summer (if we actually get one) of sport goes on, we’ve still not won anything but probably our best chance of glory is nigh. The Olympics are but days away, the M4 has re-opened, the Army are doing the security and the best of all, the …

New iPhone Photos Leak

Leak season is upon us once again and from here on in its all about the new iPhone. These photos come from Kitguru who have indicated that the photos are of a test assembly unit and were taken somewhere in the “Far East”. Pictured side by side with …

Rovio’s New Amazing Alex Now On Android and iOS

Fresh today from Rovio Mobile comes a brand new game, Amazing Alex. This whiz kid has a boundless imagination and a houseful of fun toys that can turn anything into an adventure! From cleaning up his room to battling cardboard robots in his backyard, Alex creates amazing chain …

Do you say “no” to upgrades?

Something strange seems to have happened in our house recently. My wife has the HTC Desire S. She loves it, and she’s broken it more times than I can remember (insurance is a must). A few months ago she came to the end of her contract, but she’s …

Google+ Comes To The iPad

Yes folks, now you can Hangout with your friends and catch up on your streams on the iPad. Google have released an update for the iOS Google+ app which is now optimised for the popular Apple tablet and it includes Retina Support. With Full iPad support, you can …

Opinion: Apple, Beauty or the Beast?

I listened with interest to Jamie’s self confessed rant on the Coolsmartphone podcast number 4 where he describes in great detail his thoughts on Apples actions around the patent lawsuits. It is really worth a listen, not only does his passion come across but so does the complexity …

Mobile security – You never know you need it, until you need it

Earlier in the week I received a mobile phone to review. This isn’t unusual, but what I found on it was. There was a definite “pre-owned” feel to it. No, it wasn’t scratched. It wasn’t damaged in any way. Instead it had stacks of data on it. Someone …

Patent Wars: Now Galaxy Nexus Sales Ban Overturned

In what could be seen as a surprise move the ban on the sales of Google’s flagship Galaxy Nexus handset has been overturned by the appeals court. No reason has been given for the overturning however Apple have until Thursday to appeal.  The full trial is due to …

Gear4 IceBox Edge iPad Case Review

I’ve been on the lookout for a case for my iPad 2 that looked good, didn’t add too much bulk or weight and would stop the back from getting scratched when I put it down on my wooden table. I’ve been using the Gear4 IceBox Edge for the …

How online music should be done. 7Digital Review

Over the last few years I have been looking for a solution to my music storage problem. Recently whilst playing about with Windows Phone I have come close to finding my ideal solution. That solution was 7Digital. First of all I should let you know what the problem …

Opinion: Patents

When you listen to Episode 4 of our podcast later, you’ll hear me rant solidly for about 5 minutes on patents and how they are reported. Today brings a perfect example to illustrate my point. On Tuesday Apple was granted a patent for “wearable displays” and many people …

Apple defeated in the UK

The high court has ruled that HTC have not infringed four Apple patents after a dispute between the two companies. The judge rules that the Apple “slide to unlock” feature, which has been used as ammo against other firms, was an “obvious” development and had actually been seen …

Samsung & Google Join Forces To Combat Patent Ban.

Google have declared that they are joining forces with Samsung in the patent wars.  Within hours of their appeal against the sales ban of the Galaxy Nexus handset in the US being turned down, Google have said that they, together with Samsung, are ready to release an OTA patch …

Samsungs appeal against Galaxy Nexus ban denied

The battle between Apple and Samsung is heating up. A few days ago Apple managed to get sales of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus blocked in the US. It was all down to a patent regarding the persistent search box on the screen of the Nexus. This ban was …

3CX Mobile Device Manager Review

In recent years we’ve seen a shift in the way that mobile devices are used in the workplace. Previously you may have had a Blackberry or Microsoft Pocket PC dropped on your desk. Things were locked down, secure and managed. Now, with the advent of “Bring Your Own …

Bored? Hazardous Balloon Will Help!

Do you find that you get bored during your commute, in the evenings or those wet weekends waiting for the new week to start. Hazard Creation have come up with a neat little game that can kill a few hours here and there. The app is simple. My …

Patent Wars: Now Samsung Galaxy Nexus is Banned in US

We reported a few days ago that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has been banned from sale in the US pending the outcome of a patent trial bought by Apple. Well, it would seem that Judge Lucy Koh is a bit of an Apple fan as she has now …

Chrome for iPad – first impressions

As reported yesterday, Google Chrome is finally available for iOS now and I’ve had a quick look to let you know what I think. I use Chrome on Windows, Mac and Android so this for me has been a great way to finish off browser convergence across all …

Endomondo hits 10 million users and celebrates with a sale

If you, like me, are a pure example of a pure athlete, you’ll have probably tried Endomondo. It’s an app which uses GPS to track your exercise and reports how many calories you’ve burned. OK, I’ll be honest, I sit on my backside for most of the day …

Be the Amazing Spider-Man

Spider Man, Spider Man, does whatever a Spider can. Now the movie spin-off-app “The Amazing Spider-Man” is now available for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android for just £4.99. You get 25 missions to fight your way through. Spider-Man has to keep the city free of rampaging gangs …

Google Chrome + Drive Coming To iOS

Google have announced at Google I/O that they are releasing Google Chrome Today, the 28th June for iOS. Not only are we getting the long awaited browser but we will also be getting the long anticipated Google Drive app. Some iOS users have been waiting for the Google …

Patent Wars: US Bans Sales of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

We have reported many times on the ongoing wars between Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and a plethora of other mobile companies so it comes as no surprise to be writing once again about a Samsung product that has had an injunction upheld against it following an application by Apple. …

App review: SyncMate

I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of iTunes. I don’t know why, functionality wise it’s actually pretty good. I moved from an iPhone 4 to the wonderful Samsung Galaxy Nexus back at launch in November 2011. Soon after, I started to miss iTunes… No longer did …

Apple Launches Standalone Podcast App

There have been rumours for a while that Apple was going to be launching a standalone podcast app, fuelled by the removal of the podcasts section of the music app in iOS 6 betas. Well that day has now arrived and the podcasts app has hit the app …

Calling all app developers – We want YOU!

If you are involved in the development of apps or games then we want to hear from you. Regardless of platform, be it Android, Blackberry, iOS, Symbian or Windows Phone. We’d like you the developers to come to our forums and post details about your products. We can …

Wimbledon App Now Available on iTunes and Google Play

The football may be over for England but the great British summer of sport rolls on with the Wimbledon Tennis Championships starting today and we bring you news of the official Wimbledon app!! Follow all the action LIVE during the fortnight with the official Wimbledon app. The All …

Opinion: Apple And The New Connector

As regular readers will probably be aware I am an Android fan.  I don’t particularly dislike Apple but I have no love for them either.  For me iOS is a bland piece of software that is only bought to life by the plethora of apps that is available …

Gear4 StreetParty Size 0 Portable Speaker Review

The Gear4 StreetParty Size 0 is a small, thin and light speaker designed for ad hoc music listening. I’ve been using it over the last few days but is it any good? Read on to find out… The first thing I noticed when taking the Size 0 out …

OS Updates and Fragmentation

While Android OEMs have continually shown a tendency to not support their handsets with updates, either promptly or at all, Apple have just announced that the 3GS will receive its 3rd major update with iOS 6. The fact that only 7% of devices accessing the Play Store are …

London 2012 – Android and iPhone Game Review

As Olympic fever reaches new heights in the UK, what better time to launch the Official London 2012 game for Android. There are two versions of the game, free and paid (paid version gives you 3000 points and 5 max stamina points) , and an initial small download. The full …