Category: Accessory Reviews
You’re out. You’ve got your tablet and you want to watch a bit of TV. There’s one fairly straightforward and easy way to do it. You grab an app like iPlayer, NOW TV, Sky Go or something similar and you can watch shows – either live or on-demand. …
We all want to keep our shiny new phones looking as perfect for as long as possible. Lets be honest who wants to see a mark on their £500 new baby? When it comes to keeping devices like new there are thousands and thousands of options. all of …
Car journeys with my family usually follow the same pattern. It goes something like this… Dad can I watch my iPad? Yes son. Dad! The battery’s flat! OK, use the iPad mini then. Dad! The iPad mini is flat! Ok, use mums phone. Dad! Mums phone is flat! Can …
So, we have another Bluetooth speaker. This one is made by Kinivo and it’s called the BTX270. In the box you also get a 3.5mm audio cable, so if your device doesn’t do Bluetooth then you can instead plug it into a 3.5mm output and off you go. …
Let’s face it, your smartphone has got a proper weedy speaker. It’s not going to fill a room and, despite what the “yoof” think, walking around the streets with your phone playing tunes at full volume is nothing when compared to the classic ghetto blaster. When you’re at …
Update – If you are having problems with your iStick on iOS9 please check out this article It doesn’t seem to matter how much storage you have in your smartphone, it never seems to be quite enough. Some smartphones allow you to use memory cards to increase storage, but as …
I’ll admit to jumping in my car and generally throwing my phone onto the passenger seat. There it’ll be, sliding around and then falling off the side of the seat as I go around a corner. After I arrive at my destination I then get to play the …
This thing is pretty straightforward really. It sticks onto the back of any tablet and gives you a kickstand. Not only that, but it’ll rotate around by 360 degrees so you can set it up just how you want. It sticks on using special microsuction technology. Sure, it …
A GoPro camera might be found on the helmet of a cyclist near you but, if we’re honest, these things are quite expensive. This is an alternative – the Kitvision Splash. The price is £69.99 (RRP), but you can get it for less than that on Amazon. This …
I used to review phones. Then I guess people saw those reviews and thought “hey, let’s send him some other stuff to review”. Now I’ve got a pen with a secret camera in it. Why you’d want one of these is a question for you. Perhaps you want …
Getting online these days is more important than it ever was before, in some cases being able to get online for email and browsing is more important than a phone call or text message. There are a few ways to get online if you have a tablet or …
Last summer I camped for the first time in years. It was fun but it got me thinking about going back to basics. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t comprehend leaving my phone aside for anything more than a few hours. Of course we are now …
I always like to put my phones in a case if only to protect them from scratches and keep their re-sale price high. When I first got the iPhone 6 I was amazed at how thin and slippery it was. To my mind it is all but impossible …
My smartphone forms a central part of my life. It helps manage and organise my time, it helps me communicate and is my main entertainment hub. This is why for me smartphones and music are synonymous. Whether you store your music on your device or choose to stream your …
A few weeks ago you may remember that I was able to get hold of the Microsoft Band briefly at its launch event. I have now had some time with the device and thought I would share my thoughts with you. I am not the fittest guy in …
The weather is quite varied these days, you may have noticed! Keeping on top of what the weather is doing is achievable through a variety of methods, be it looking out of the window, actually going outside, using a forecast app or using the Archos Weather Station (other …
Playing a musical instrument can be a fantastic creative activity and a fun pastime, but the level of skill required can make it non-inclusive. Enter Beamz, a smart laser beam driven MIDI device that connects to your PC or iOS device to provide a simple & interactive way …
We heard about this gadget a short while ago. It is, in effect, a really long smartphone holder. Imagine the holder in your car, but with an almost 65cm reach. First of all, don’t try sticking this in your car. It’s far too long at it’d stick out …
Those of you who follow the site ay remember me reviewing the Enerplex Packr Solar Rucksack. It was the bag I took to MWC 2015 with my and it proved to be very useful as it was able to carry a ridiculous amount of gear and was still …
I have a small child and he can be a handful at times. Back when he was younger we were able to pop him into the car and I could guarantee the motion of driving would send him to sleep. Ahh those were magical days…. However now he …
I reviewed the Google Cardboard some time ago. It was £2 and is (obviously) made from cardboard. It’s a virtual reality headset which uses your phone as the screen. This one, which isn’t made of cardboard but has a similar design, is £29.95. You buy this, slap your …
Here’s another Bluetooth speaker that I’ve had the pleasure of using. The JBL Flip 2. JBL have been around in the audio industry for a very long time. Some of the first subwoofers I bought way back in the day for my car were 12″ JBL’s… that’s like …
Many of the higher-end phones now have IR blasters. It’s not a new thing though, as IR ports were actually found in phones many years ago. Back then there wasn’t such a thing as “Bluetooth” and you’d never find WiFi in your handset, so data was transferred over …
The Kitsound Evoke is a Bluetooth speaker, but this one is a little different. It needs to be plugged in. Not totally wireless, but it can easily be relocated to another place provided there’s a plug socket within reach. It looks absolutely fantastic. A sleek modern black glossy …
A few years ago I was a big online gamer (ooooohh yes, I remember the days of online gaming with a 56k modem. Quake and Unreal Tournament come to mind..). Anyway, my gaming came to a halt about 6 years ago, which funnily coincides with the birth of …
Battery cases and portable chargers are becoming ever more popular. Just look at EE, who had a million requests for their Power Bar scheme. I’ve been a fan of the Mophie Juice Packs since I bought my first one for the iPhone 4S. I’m a heavy user of …
The Phone Buddy is a simple idea that caught my eye recently at The Gadget Show Live 2015 event. One of the problems I frequently encounter is horrendously tangled headphone wires. Whenever I put (ok throw) my headphones into my bag they always come out in a knotted mess, …
Following last year’s Gadget Show (2014), I was sent a Qi wireless charging car kit and charging pad from Mobile Solar Chargers, which really impressed me. The review can be read here. A short while ago, Tim from the site contacted me again with a multitude of goodies …
This light and portable bluetooth speaker is ideal for travel. It’s stylish small size doesn’t mean it’s not powerful. With a 6W output level it’s loud enough to provide ample sound in a variety of places. Surprisingly the 2 little 3W speakers can provide good bass thanks to …
The people at Kinivo were going to send us a Bluetooth speaker to look at. It was meant to be the Kinivo BTX270 Wireless Bluetooth speaker. I’m sure it’s very good and that, but what we actually received was this, the BTH240. It is, as you can see, …
I think I have a fetish for cases, either that or I have just never managed to find the right one. I’m always swapping and changing. Now this is my next victim, the Tech21 Patriot Case. This is a rugged case for my iPhone 6 Plus. Tech21 assure me …
There are times in life when you want to actually hear things the way they were intended. Be it a piece of music that brings back memories of a momentous event or you want to immerse yourself in a horror film or really loose yourself in a game. …
If you want to keep your Samsung Galaxy S5 in good condition, this Viva Window cover is worth a look. We’ve been using it on a Galaxy S5 and it sits over the battery cover – not replacing it as some do. This adds a small amount of …
This is a small and very portable Bluetooth speaker which will fit fairly easily into your pocket and very easily into the likes of a handbag or small bag. First up, the design makes it look like one large black paracetamol caplet but (in the case of this …
Ian is our go-to guy for the Bluetooth speakers, but recently I’ve had a few to play with and one of them is the ECOXGEAR ECOROX Rugged Bluetooth Speaker. The ruggedness of the speaker appealed to me, and I like to have things protected. The first thing you …
Taking a pair of headphones out with me running is quite an undertaking, controlling my music whilst I’m out running is also fiddly. The fit is usually not quite right, the volume not quite right, the cables flap around and catch on stuff, the Bluetooth connection to my …
Battery life on a phone is something we all wish we had more of, whether it be for more gaming time or for more camera shots whilst on holiday. For a while now many companies have made portable charger packs which charge your phone via USB and then …
The quality of camera phones is generally very good, especially on high end models. However, with a few exceptions, significant changes in magnification normally requires software-based image manipulation when on a smartphone. There are a few options available for altering lenses on phones, and one that impressed me …
The fitness wearable market is quite a varied one. With many manufacturers creating all different shapes and sizes of wrist bands or watches. A few weeks ago Hannspree announced the Sport Watch which seemed to have the ideal combination of features. They’ve sent me one which I’ve been …
This is not an April Fool Those of you who were following our MWC coverage will already be familiar with Valedo. for those of you who wern’t following our exploits at MWC here is a recap1, Valedo is a wearable that will help you improve your back health …
