Brexit – A quick editorial

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, …

Getting calls from 0300 200 3842 today?

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 …

Over a half of Brits getting disturbed at night by cold-calls

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 …

Skoda testing deliveries direct to your boot

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 …

Coolsmartphone Podcast 240 – Look at my teeth!

This week, in Podcast 240, I experiment with cross-fading. Yes, cross-fading. To be honest I had to Google it to see what it was. It’s where the audio fades nicely between two tracks. It’s because I record the podcast in various chunks, during trips to work, to the …

My gaming history

I remember, when I was a kid, a time before a “console” was even a thing. At Christmas I remember playing records. Proper records. Big vinyl double-albums with pictures of all the bands and singers. It was great. I even had my own record player. Then, one day, …

A fun way to get your kids brushing properly.

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 …

How AI is revolutionizing mobile technology

There’s a bit of a problem with the smartphone market right now. The clever technology that used to set each manufacturer apart is now easier to get, easier to duplicate and cheaper to buy. Because of this, the average smartphone buyer sees many different phones with similar designs …

More time with the Mate X and 5G news

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 …

On-demand VR Theatre – LIVR

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 …

Deal – Vodafone SIM-only 100GB Deal

OK, this one involves you submitting your bills for redemption, but it can all be done online so it’s not that big of a task. You get a massive 100GB of data plus unlimited everything else with Vodafone on this SIM-only deal. It’s normally £20 per month for …

Amazing new Google Walking AR directions heading your way

I’ll be honest, this popped up the internet last month but we were a little busy with Mobile World Congress at the time. This, then, is what you can hopefully expect to see on your Google Maps in a few months time. Right now it’s only available to …

HP recall yet more laptop batteries

Laptop manufacture HP has issued a further recall of laptop batteries. This comes after the company recalled 50,000 batteries, and that came in the wake of a 101,000 battery recall during the previous year. This time it’s because of concerns over “fire and burn hazards.” The company had …

Heading abroad this year? Get a local SIM.. again

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 …

Arrow attack stopped with an iPhone

A 43-year-old man from New South Wales in Australia appears to have dodged a rather painful and possibly fatal attack, all thanks to his iPhone and a lot of luck. Officers from Richmond Police District arrested a 39-year-old man after a bow and arrow was used in the …

Why aren’t more Swiss watchmakers embracing smartwatches?

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, …

Samsung OneUI Impressions

Whilst most people concentrate on the hardware side of a smartphone with their key set of specifications and unique selling points, the software experience fen be just as important as that is the part you use to control everything on your phone. Samsung had a rough couple of …

6 months of Amazon Prime Video on EE… for FREE!

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 …

Deal – Huawei Watch GT

Morning, morning. Welcome to Thursday and another bland, boring day in politics here in the UK. I kinda wish something would happen to spice it up. Right! How about counting down the hours until Brexit eh? Could it be a couple of weeks? Could it be a few …

Bored on your commute?

My journey to work has got longer recently. This, I’ll confess, perhaps wasn’t my best career decision in terms of time away from the family. Luckily, thanks to the mobile tech we now carry around in our pockets, train journeys in particular can pass by quite quickly. I …