Category: General

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 …

Vodafone bargains. Watch out! The sales have started already.

Yes, the crazy festive season hasn’t even finished and already the next crazy festive season is already gearing up, with Boxing Day sales kicking off online and on emails already. Vodafone have mailed to tell us about their biggest-ever winter sale, which starts today and finishes at the …

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 …

More exploding batteries come to light

My wife currently works as a customer service assistant in a local town. While she was working last week, she could hear a commotion outside in the street. A member of the public came running into to her office, screaming for help and requesting a fire extinguisher stating …

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 …

Tablet shipments slide as the smartphone continues to rein supreme

When I first started writing about smartphones, I never dreamt that they would change our lives in quite the manner that they have. Yes, the smartphone. It’s now become the device of choice. Smartwatches aren’t proving to be as popular as thought, PC’s and laptops are appearing in …

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 …

Vodafone flick the switch on Pay As You Go Data Rollovers

If you’re on a Pay As You Go deal and have a certain slice of data per month, you kinda need to use it. It’s a little like those old-fashioned cameras that used to take film – you’d take 30 shots of your holiday and then you’d have …

Android Pay – Pull a cracker this Christmas

Using Android Pay could result in a nice gift this festive season. Just use your phone to pay for something and you’ll be in with a chance of winning one of 100,000 prizes. Get a cracker every time you use Android Pay “through Dec 31”,  which apparently is how …

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 …

A foldable dual-USB charger, for a bit less

Following my post just yesterday on the OneAdaptr FLIP devices, I did receive a comment about an alternative accessory which is a lot cheaper so, in the interests of balance, here it is. This is the Sinbury dual-USB charging plug. At least, that’s what we think it’s called. …

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 …

Amazon to open a store without a checkout

Online retail giant Amazon has decided to do away with any kind of checkout process in a new store. Customers will instead show their phone when they walk in, pick up their goods and just walk off. Grabbing anything off the shelves, stuffing it in your bag and walking out. …

Urbanista Berlin – Review

You may recall a recent article about the latest earphones by Urbanista, called Berlin. Well, I managed to get my hands on a set for review! Watch the video to see what I thought of them!

Newton Mail App – Review

Remember all those years ago when you’ve got your first email account and you couldn’t wait to set it up with a stupid account name? Now, many years later, it’s quite embarrassing having to pass those details to any prospective employers, hospitals or friends.  So what do you …

Apple reveals intentions to build self-driving car

It’s only a few weeks that reports suggested that Apple’s ambitions to enter into the car market had pretty much ground to a halt. Despite lay-offs and hints to suggest priorities have changed, Apple is very much back in the self-driving car game according to recent letters. A recent letter from …

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 …

Euro Data Pass ditched, Travel Data Pass appears instead

Using your phone abroad is still something we have to think about ahead of our flight. Operators like Three have their Feel At Home service and other networks have packages and bolt-ons or a certain amount of roaming minutes and data included. EE have today unveiled the Travel …

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 …

OnePlus 3T now available in the UK and Europe 

OnePlus today opened up orders of the updated OnePlus 3 – the OnePlus 3T. It’s now available unlocked in the UK and across Europe. Priced at £399 for 64GB and £439 for new larger storage option at 128GB, it’s also available in the new “Gunmetal” colour. No news on the …

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 …