Category: Gadgets & Tech

First look – The EBox T8 V Streaming TV Box – Version 5

We’ve received another Android TV box to test today so I thought I’d give you a quick overview as it’s an improved version of an already very popular box. This is from EntertainmentBox – it’s the EBox T8 V and is powered by an Amlogic S912 64bit octa-core …

Lenovo Yoga Book – Unboxing

It’s not that often that a device comes along that is truly a game changer. That is until now.  Today I had the pleasure of unboxing an item that in my opinion is truly groundbreaking, and could potentially change the game in its field. I am, of course, …

Using your phone whilst driving? Points and fines to double

Despite it being law for a number of years, people are still continuing to use their phone whilst driving. The RAC has released some rather worrying statistics from a recently commissioned survey. There’s been an increase in drivers owning up to using a handheld mobile phone – from …

Netflix now allows content to be saved to SD Card.

Remember some time ago we brought you the news that finally, Netflix was allowing customers to download some of their content and store it to the device?  The good news is that the latest update to the media streaming app allows content to be stored on the SD …

BeeLine – Cycle navigation made easy

I like the sound of this little doo-hickey. Just strap it to your bike and it’ll provide a simple guide to your destination. An arrow shows you the direction you need to be heading and below it’ll show how many miles remain. You can then make the best …

The paper aeroplane gun. I want one!

My brain works in strange ways. Last night, as is usual, I put my phone into “Airplane mode” before going to sleep. It’s a little habit I’ve fallen into because, deep down, I don’t trust that “silent mode” won’t silent my morning alarm too. So, I put it …

Who needs a drone? Get your packages delivered on this!

At Christmas my nephew had a drone. Just a few days later it seemingly latched onto another signal and, whilst he was flying it across a large local park, it decided to fly in one particular direction – never to be seen again. Part of me can understand …

Poweradd USB Rechargeable LED Bike Lights – Review

Yes, bike lights. Welcome to the never-ending list of stuff that we’re reviewing here on Coolsmartphone. I’m hoping that we’ll have some sports cars in next. These are LED lights. Back when I was a kid I’d have a huge battery in each of my bike lights and …

Huawei Mate 9 to get Alexa. Let’s test it.

Over the last few days I’ve been faffing about with the voice-controlled Amazon Echo Dot. It’s got an invisible lady inside called “Alexa” which will do your bidding. The device itself is a magical disc-shaped unit which will wake up and then answer your questions. It’ll also play …

Put your shades on and get some POV action – Sunnycam Activ

Over three years ago now we reviewed these Hyundai sunglasses. They had a “hidden” camera up front which meant that you could secretly record “stuff”. I tried it on a summers evening whilst cycling and the results were a little low-quality and bumpy. However, fast forward to CES …

SanDisk launch a super-speed 256GB microSD card

Think your microSD card is big enough? Think again. Over in Las Vegas, SanDisk have just revealed their new 256GB Ultra microSD card. It boasts transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s and you can have the additional storage it provides presented as preferred or adoptable storage on Android. …

Video meeting at work? Use your phone.

Christmas is over for yet another year but, over the New Year too, you’ll probably be keeping in touch with friends and relatives. The modern way to do this, even for those who aren’t technically familiar, is via a video call. On Android you’ll probably be using Skype …

Gamevice – Making gaming on iPads fun!

Back in March at the Gadget Show Live event, I got to meet the Gamevice team where they introduced me to their Gamevice Live adapter for the iPad. At the time, they didn’t have an adapter for the iPad Air until the past couple of months. The adapter …

Spy Lantern Surveillance Camera – Review

Having a security camera on your house can be a good and bad thing. Sure, you can keep an eye on things, but it’s also a sign that you want to keep something protected, and thieves might target your house because it’s got cameras hanging off it. So …

Three Home-Fi routers – More detail

Yesterday we mentioned the new high-speed internet which has arrived in Hebron, courtesy of Three UK. The network gave away free “Home-Fi” routers to residents so that they could at last get the fast broadband they’ve long needed. We didn’t know at the time what make the routers …

Excuse me, but my dog is calling

So. I’m not totally sure where to begin with this one. I’ll sum it up in one sentence if I can. It’s a camera that you stick fairly low down on your wall that will let you video call your dog. Yeah. Not only that, but if you …

V88 Plus TV Box – Review

Back in the “old days” we used to have photos on film. We then sent them off to get processed and we’d get them back on nice paper and we’d put them into albums. Now, we have smartphones and we have our photos stored either in a “cloud” …

Pay at the Pump, and get drunk!

Unless you’re trying to use the M6 Toll, a lot of places will now let you pay for stuff using your phone. With 1 in 5 payments now made via contactless, it seems to be the future. Transactions of up to £30 can be “tapped” and won’t need …

Amazon completes first drone delivery.

Remember about three years ago when retail giant Amazon announced that it was going to deliver your parcels by air,  using drones? Oh how we giggled. Well, that day has just drawn a step closer.  Following a trial in Cambridge, the company has  completed the first Amazon Prime …

Why is wireless charging not more popular?

Our smartphones are like our own personal assistants. They help remind us of the things we usually forget. They help us record beautiful memories we experience every single day. And of course, they help us get in touch and stay connected with our loved ones. Your smartphone helps …

Wireless Urbanista Seattles!

Every now and again, a press release will be sent to Coolsmartphone Towers and we will all cheer! Well, today I was the one cheering with the launch of Wireless versions of the Seattle on-ear headphones from Urbanista. We covered the wired version earlier this year, and they …

So, you’re going abroad and want to stay in touch huh?

It’s the season to be jolly, but not everyone gets to be at home with their family. If you’re in a different country, whether it be because of work, holiday or you just don’t like your family very much, you’ll probably be huddled around a WiFi access point …

OneAdaptr FlipDuo & FlipPower Review

Traveling with bulky power adaptors and chargers is a complete nightmare. Each company wants to use it’s own connection, Micro USB, Mini USB, Lighting Adaptor etc etc. The only thing that seems to follow any form is the fact they all require a USB plug. In the UK …

Festive Feature – LOPOO Christmas Decoration Kit

About 14 years ago I started reviewing phones. Now I’m reviewing Christmas tree decorations and, if I’m honest, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not. Either way, it’s the time to get festive. If you’ve just been up to the loft and grabbed your decorations …

Goodbye Pebble – it’s all over

Of all the smartwatches on the market, Pebble is my favourite. I backed the original pebble on Kickstarter and have bought every one since, including the latest Pebble 2 with heart rate. You can have a look at my review here. I have backed the newest Pebble Time 2 …

Capture and clone contactless cards easily. Dodgy as.

I saw this particular item appear on a promoted tweet this morning and had to check I wasn’t going mad. For just over £126, it’ll capture your tap-to-pay card information and will then clone it. The result, after just a few minutes carrying the thing on the tube, …

Coffee-powered pictures

Fancy a coffee mug that can display pictures on the side? No batteries required? Well, that’s what you’ve got here and they’ve decided to call it a “Muki”. They even pronounce it “mucky” too. Available online from PauligShop.com, this has an e-ink which lets you “communicate with your …

How to be an idiot

Another day and yet another driver being a complete melon with a smartphone. This time it’s a full lesson on what not to do at the wheel. Holding a phone, filming yourself, speeding at around 116mph and switching between the front and back camera for added effect. Not …

Smanos launch ‘UFO Panoramic Wi-Fi HD’ Camera in the UK

A while ago, I carried a review of the Smanos Wireless home alarm which you can view here. Well smart home security experts, Smanos, launched their quirky UFO Panoramic Wi-Fi HD Camera today as a new addition to its comprehensive range of easy-to-use smart home security products. The …

Explore a Marriott hotel, before you get there

Traditional shops have a bit of a problem, and it was brought into sharp focus during the Black Friday sales. People are, unfortunately, a bit lazy and a bit time poor. Shopping online, via a smartphone, is an easy solution. There’s cash-back deals and vouchers which help to …

Urbanista launch Wireless Earphones range – Berlin

Urbanista, the very popular Swedish brand here at Coolsmartphone towers are at it again. Their latest series which was launched in October called the Berlin, is coming to Coolsmartphone for video review. In the meantime, they are available in white, black, rose gold and blue petroleum, the Berlin …

flic – The Smart Button

Who needs a fancy home gadget with flashy lights when some folk like the simplicity of a button! Not any old button, but a smart button! Let me introduce you to flic, the world’s smartest portable button which can connect to pretty much anything in a smart connected …

Even these would make Clark Kent look cool – Vue Smart Glasses

Hurrah! Not a Cyber Monday / Black Friday / Super Sale post! Instead, a Kickstarter project which I recently stumbled across. Real smart glasses! Not weird looking Google Glass ones, but practical glasses with built-in benefits. The glasses case is even a wireless charging unit! These glasses can …

The mobile entertainment and gaming box, now less than £90

The GEM Box we mentioned earlier is now appearing in stores and you can go and buy your family a festive gift which will benefit everyone in the household. At less than £100, it’ll give you instant access to YouTube, Netflix and you can mirror your Android screen …

Black Friday … Flippin’ ‘eck

Right. We’ve just about to explode with the amount of Black Friday deals that have been dropped into our mailbox. Black Friday apparently lasts for well over a week now, but as we actually get close to the actual day we’re seeing some of the best ones. First …