Category: General
As a techy geek, whenever I hear the word “Giga”, I think of “Gigabit”. Indeed, the word itself actually denotes a billion, and it’s got Vodafone into a spot of bother as they roll out their direct fibre solution – Gigafast. The offering is a FTTP (Fibre to …
Normally when we get a phone to review, one of the first things that we do is an unboxing. However, with the P30 Pro we decided to mix things up a bit. Dan was able to use the phone for a short period of time before he departed …
We published our first ever podcast, unbelievably, way back in 2012. On Tuesday we’ll be publishing Episode 244. The number 244, as you may be aware, is the dialling code for Angola. It’s also the year that Philip the Arab became the new Roman Emperor. So… ermm.. to …
Using your phone whilst driving? Perhaps you have a cheeky look at it when you’re stuck in traffic or in a long tail-back? Well, beware, because the police are now starting to roll out automatic systems which will attempt to spot your phone usage and then flash a …
Way back in the day, a new network called “Three” appeared on the scene. They were the first 3G network at the time and, if you had a rather bulky 3G video phone, you could do video calls and browse the internet on the move. At the time …
It goes without saying that, right now, you’re using your phone. After all, you’re reading this. I’ll be honest, it doesn’t seem that long ago that people used laptops and – yes – desktop PCs. Web designers only spent a small amount of time actually creating a “mobile …
You know Sonos? Right? Yeah. They’re the go-to people if you want some serious sound in your home. Now IKEA have release Sonos speakers which are integrated with their furniture. Called “SYMFONISK”, it includes a table lamp with sound and light in one place, plus a book-shelf speaker …
Afternoon. Hope you’re well. I’ve just been charged £100 for a parking fine. Nice huh? Thanks Euro Car Parks! 🙁 I’m going to eat chocolate to try and feel better. Plus, right now, if you’re a Vodafone or VOXI customer, you can join me. Let’s start with Voda, …
OK, sitrep. Vodafone launched a virtual network called VOXI but you had to be younger than 26 to get one of their SIMs. Then, a little while later, you could get a SIM if you were under 30. They then added a stack of freebies and started selling …
Each month Vodafone dish out cash to a worthy local charity. The Community Connection Awards are a way to give back to the local communities in and around the towns, cities and villages where Vodafone stores operate. Often in partnership with local newspapers, they invite clubs, causes and …
Keeping your phone in good condition usually involves a case or cover and a screen protector. Situation normal there, but Invisible Shield have now come up with some foundation for your phone instead. Yes, foundation. It’s basically a liquid protector for your smartphone, smart watch or tablet with …
On 30th April this year, Google is planning to close down the “Artist Hub” of the Google Play Music service. “What’s the Artist Hub?” I hear those of you who use Google Play Music ask. The Artist Hub is a tool that allows smaller/independent artists to stream and …
The PR peeps from Virgin have been in touch and tell me that you can either grab the iPhone 8, the iPhone X or the Samsung Galaxy S10 with a stonking 100GB of data for a mere £4 more than their 1GB pricing. Pretty cool eh? And that’s …
Trying out 5G is a little tricky because, put simply, none of us have 5G phones just yet. Now though, if you’re in and around Birmingham, you can try out 5G at Grand Central. Vodafone have invited people travellers to test 5G speeds as part of live trial …
This is a post I was holding off for a while, but feel today is the right day to make it official. After an incredible 9 years at CoolSmartPhone, today is the final post by me and it seems only fitting that it be a thank you and …
Intro So it’s been just over a week now since I got back from Paris, and more importantly the Huawei P30 Pro launch I was invited along too with Huawei and some other journalists/bloggers. Having been using a Mate 20 Pro since the launch event at the end …
If you are hankering after last year’s Google flagship from official channels i.e. Google’s own page, well it appears this can longer be done. If you pop over to the Google Store and search for either the Pixel 2 or the Pixel 2 XL, the devices are no …
Every now and again I take a look at the rather brilliant robots that are created by the teams at Boston Dynamics. This time they have some interesting industrial robots that counterbalance using a weight between their two wheeled legs. This is just a test of the automated …
I’m perhaps a bit “old-school” because I still have a wallet. In recent years I’ve seen more and more people using a flip cases which has their debit and credit cards on the inside. With people using real cash less, they’re now just merrily tapping away with either …
Want to get your floor tiled? Or your bedroom wallpapered? Perhaps you want to have some other work done around the house? If so, you can look out for a local trader. There’s plenty advertised online, in local leaflets and – if you see van outside a neighbour’s …
Getting a mast put up is relatively easy if you’re in a major town or city. The biggest problem, as always, is planning consent and getting the land to build on. However, once you’ve done that it’s just a matter of getting some power, some clever kit and …
When 5G really starts rolling, you’re going to see a growth in smaller masts which cover high-usage areas. Because of this, and the need to also remove the not-spots of existing 4G coverage, BT want operators to have access to council-owned “street furniture”, such as lamp posts and …
I was very lucky today that, thanks to David Wildman of Btekt, I was able to spend the afternoon with a Tesla Model X in stunning blue. The car is a true technological marvel, and it’s fair to say that I was very impressed with all the gadgetry and …
Wanna get fit? Well, you could join a gym, but that can be pricey (I’m looking at you David Lloyd Leisure.. £100 a month!? Waahh??). So today marks the launch of, according to Kaia Health the “world’s first virtual personal trainer”. It uses unique motion tracking technology to …
With the epic clusterfudge that is Brexit continuing to develop, we’ve now got a date for Inbox to be killed off too. As we mentioned before, it was destined to the dustbin, but it’s now due to disappear on April 2nd. Google+ is going too, and your posts, …
Things are moving uncomfortably quickly here in Britain. It doesn’t matter whether you voted to Leave or to Remain, this mess is not what anybody was promised or expected. The situation, as I type, is that the “Theresa May Deal” is to come back, for a third time, …
It really wasn’t that long ago that we posted an article about scammers and how easily they can trick you into parting with your money. Last time it was a London number masquerading as HMRC, and in June last year we captured the recording of the call in …
Having trouble sleeping? Well, I’ve recently had a few calls at night. It does tend to make you jump out of your skin at first. A call, in the middle of the night, is usually a sign that something is wrong – perhaps a member of the family …
OK, this one sounds a little weird, but let’s have a look anyway. Getting deliveries can always be a bit of a hit-and-miss affair, especially if you’re at work or on the toilet. Despite you waiting around, you’ll probably find that the delivery driver turns up just when …
Kids love sweets, so ensuring that they’re brushing their teeth regularly is key. You can’t always monitor this, so PlayBrush is a great way to create a solid dental cleaning routine. Instead of making brushing teeth a chore, the 2 minutes task can now be made fun thanks …
I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to get a little bit more hands-on time with the Huawei Mate X. I thought I would take some time to give you my initial thoughts. Before I dive into that first thoughts I must remind you that …
Watching a theatre performance is always best when you’re actually there, but – despite shows now being on TV – a lot of people find that they have to travel to the West End to get the proper theatre experience. Now a London-startup has launch LIVR, the world’s …
I think it’s fair to say that, if you can afford it, you’ll have a bit more confidence travelling to the USA for your holiday this year. With a Hard Brexit, Soft Brexit or No Brexit still being discussed, there’s a huge amount of confusion over whether flights …
On a daily basis you’ll find that, like many people, I’m wearing a fitness band. It doubles as a watch / notification device and the battery lasts for quite some time. You’ll no doubt be familiar with devices like this – they’ll keep track of your step count, …
It’s OK, I’ve just popped into the local pub. There’s a guy in there who started drinking at 7AM and he’s pretty far gone, but he said he’ll run the country for a bit and, in all honesty, I’ve got more confidence in him that any MP right …
OOoohh… bit dangerous this. Driving a bus round with promises written on the side. How much do we believe that ? 🙂 So, whilst Parliament goes into a full-on meltdown about a Brexit which nobody can agree on, Three have driven up and down the road outside to …
It’s true. With Tim Berners-Lee recently stating that the world-wide web is in a “downward plunge to a dysfunctional future”, there’s doubts about how much we can trust what we read. Data can be manipulated, misinformation can spread easily and it’s skewing the results of elections and referendums. …
The “youth” Vodafone network, called VOXI, is now dishing out some goodies to customers. These range from food, fashion to music, entertainment and festivals. They’re called a VOXI “Drop” and the first one is a free Time Out More card worth £29.99. The card means that you can …
It’s that time of year again when the Cheltenham Festival comes to town. This, like the Grand National, marks the time when people will be tempted to take a cheeky flutter on the horses. Indeed, if you’re using an Android phone, you’ll have no doubt seen an uptick …
Do you use Sky Go? Or Sky Sports? Perhaps Sky Cinema or Sky Kids? If you do, then you’ll know that streaming all the great football and TV content can impact your data allowance. However, if you’re a Sky Mobile customer then you can use the new “Watch” …
