Category: Google
You know that we love our Chromebooks. Leigh uses one as his one and only computer. I have recently joined the Chromebook fray and, while I enjoy the near instant-on capability of it, one thing has always bugged me. The Chromebook apps are well, to be blunt, rubbish. Well, …
After what feels like an age it appears that Android Pay is finally making the journey across the pond to the UK. The Telegraph is reporting that Google will launch the mobile payments system in the UK at the end of March. Since Apple Pay’s debut in the …
Some of us haven’t bought into this whole paid streaming music malarky for reasons. It may be that you already have a big enough music selection that you don’t get time to listen to the artists you already have, it could be that when people talk about discoverability …
Sure, it’s not exactly a huge amount of storage, but it’s a whole lot better than not having any extra and it takes just seconds to grab. All you need to do is head here and review your Google Account settings. It’ll run through the apps and devices …
A long time ago (in a galaxy far far away… no, not really) in the early days of Android, there was an app called Google Listen. This was one of the earliest podcasts apps. It was really popular and I used to really like it. Why? Because it …
To be honest, Google Now just sits in the background of my phone, and it’s one of those features I forget is even there sometimes. Until I get a notification that is, and realise what a really useful app it is. Well, Google has announced that the company has …
Cast your mind back dear reader to last year. To a time when the pre-release leaks of Google’s next flagship device(s) were hitting the interwebs. Included in those pictures was a Nexus 6P in an awful gold option. Luckily though it wasn’t among the colour options offered when …
Welcome to the Coolsmartphone Award Ceremony and Podcast, coming to you, prerecorded from Coolsmartphone Towers. Our team of experts got together yesterday and decided on the best and worst bits of 2015 in order to entertain you and reward/shame those responsible. As with all good awards ceremonies we’re …
There are some stories doing the rounds at the moment about the Pixel C. They aren’t just reviews and first impressions, but about the origins of the tablet. Let me explain. We know that the Pixel line has long been attributed to Google’s own high-end Chromebook range, and …
It probably hasn’t escaped your attention that there have been multiple events in the last few months. Apple started the rollercoaster unveiling the new iPhones & iPads. This was closely followed by a Google event unveiling its new Nexus phones (Nexii?) Chromecasts etc. There was also an LG …
The rumour train has once again stopped by at Coolsmartphone Towers. It dropped off the usual detritus, however, whilst sifting through the rubbish we found this thread of info about the recently discussed Pixel C Android tablet. Dutch website tweakers.net are stating that Google plans to open the …
Remember Google Play All Access, Mountain Views Competitor to Spotify and Apple Music? Remember that since Google never ever releases just one version of a product, as it always seems to want to compete against itself, that it brought out YouTube Music key? It went one step further …
First it was Bendgate, now it’s Crackgate. More supposed tales of woe to hound the new Nexus 6P flagship. Some users are reporting that the Corning Gorilla Glass 4 panel that sits in front of/protects the camera is spontaneously cracking. It appears that this piece of glass isn’t …
If you were impressed with the Huawei Mate S we reviewed a few weeks ago, then your wait is nearly over. Carphone Warehouse announced today that they are taking preorders for a release next Tuesday. The prices start at £31 per month or £419.99 for a SIM-free unit. …
Android security is once again in the news for all the wrong reasons after the latest round of vulnerabilities have made international press. The background problem is that Android is supported on multiple platforms via a wide range of manufacturers from Samsung to HTC, and all those in-between. …
A new Chromecast you say? One that looks like this? One that supports more apps and streams quicker? One that still costs the same £30? Yes indeed, and the new puppy isn’t a “stick” any more. Now we have a round “puck shape” with a HDMI cable so …
The Chocolate factory went all-in on one of their more interesting annual events. The speakers were tight, and the announcements flew by. We were expecting two Nexuses and boy did Google deliver. First up, there was the Nexus 5X. This was the second 5 inch phone made by …
The eagerly anticipated refinement to the Nexus 5, the (very likely-called) 5X was prematurely listed before being swiftly pulled from the Amazon India website. Naturally, someone managed to grab all the details and there is a Reddit article floating around with the full run down of this devices …
Last years Nexus 6 was the first Nexus handset to have a maximum storage capacity of 64 GB. Before that, the maximum storage space that Google offered in a Nexus device was a measly 32 GB. As apps grow in size, (I remember when I though that 12 …
It looks like the wait is over. Google have sent out invites for their ‘Google Event’ on September 29th, at 9 a.m. PT (Pacific Time – that’s 5 p.m for us folks in Blighty and CSP Towers). We are expected to finally get a good look at the …
If you’ve got yourself an Android handset then I can safely bet that it’s silently tracking your movements. Even if GPS is off, the network location will be logging your position. We’ve covered the fact that you can access this stored data before, but after logging in last …
Google, it seems, is having a big overhaul. First they split their company up to sit under the new Alphabet name, and now they’ve updated their logo. Since it’s launch in 1998, the company logo has been in constant evolution. You’d even be forgiven for not remembering exactly …
If It wasn’t such a possibility from the Chocolate Factory, I’d dismiss it as yet another rumour, but it makes a weird type of sense. Whilst we have absolutely no confirmation yet that there is any truth to this, some photos have come online from China that purport …
I’ll be quite honest, I’ve got very little I can say about this because it’s either a bland rename or a monumental shift in direction… I’m not sure which. Google, as a company, is no longer going to be a single company. Instead there’s a new kid on …
I have now had this tablet for a few weeks now and I was holding back on the review until a few software updates had been delivered. Since I did the unboxing video back in April it has been a very busy time for the Remix as it …
Last month Google began its rollout of the latest update to Android Wear – version 5.1. This update enabled features like Wi-Fi support, new gestures, hand drawn emojis and more. However, the update also came with a major unwanted feature – severe battery drain. It is present for …
Last week Google I/O happened and Google announced Android M to the world. This week I have been testing Android M on the Nexus 5 and I am actually using it as my daily driver (brave/stupid time will tell). Here is a brief overview of the big changes …
I like mobile photography and for me it’s one of the most important purposes of a Smartphone, so I’m always looking for new ways in which to manage my photos. Last week at I/O 2015, Google announced Google Photos for both Android and iOS platforms. It caught me …
There for me was one feature of Android M that stood out above and beyond the rest – Now on Tap. Why is it so amazing? Well, let’s have a look. We all know that Android can support Google Now which is all well and good, but is …
Here is a brief overview of what went down in the Moscone Centre last night at Google I/O 2015. The conference started with a massive Pong game stretching across the panoramic screen around the venue. Some guy won a giant fluffy Android toy! Last year 8 out of …
Remember this interesting Google Maps “addition” ? What initially appeared to be a dig at Apple actually turned out to be a prank by someone using the Map Maker system. It allows users to add extra detail to Google Maps, such as rivers or parks etc. Trouble is, …
Before we start I should put in a slight caveat that this is just in America at the moment, but it is still an interesting development, especially given the network rivalry over the pond. Google are going to rent network capacity for voice, texts and data from Sprint …
Remember that new Chromebook Pixel we talked about recently? The one with the updated processor and also 2 x USB C ports? Well if the techlust takes ahold of you and you decide you can’t live without having that 3:2 ratio, 12.85” screen, 2560 x 1700 pixel at …
Oh Amazon, what are you up to? Why do you want so much from us? If we say yes, what are we letting ourselves in for? These are some of the thoughts that flew across my mind when my phone wanted to update the Amazon app. Granted, I …
A number of us here at CoolSmartPhone towers use Chromebooks. I for one am currently writing this post from my HP 11 Chromebook which I absolutely love. Chromebooks are usually inexpensive, with a good battery life, but not that highly specced in terms of RAM or onboard storage, …
There aren’t many smart watches compatible with iOS. Pebble is the major player at the moment and when the Apple watch comes that’ll probably be the winner for some, but I’m unsure. With the announcement of the stunning Huawei smart watch, that’s caught my attention and it’s …
It seems that, despite their best efforts to stop things leaking, Sony have slipped and overnight an image popped up on their Xperia Lounge app about the soon-to-be-released Xperia Z4 Tablet Ultra. Silly name conventions aside, what do we know about this tablet? Well, it is going to …
Following its launch in the US, the “Send Money” feature in Gmail is finally on the way over here too. To be honest this does exactly what the name suggests and will let people to sign into their Gmail account and send money from right there in the …
Who out there uses their Android tablet for Work? Not that many I guess, and there is one huge reason for this and until very recently the this would be the case if you were to ask iPad users the same question. Finally Microsoft have stopped suing Google for …
HTC have not really been in the tablet business, with the exception to their quite old HTC Flyer. At the time a great piece of hardware let down by a poor software experience. The main reason behind this was tablets running Android were still very new and had very …
