Author: khellan

RHA S500i earbuds – review

These are the S500i earbuds. They’re quite nice actually. Surprisingly nice. My very first foray into using RHA was from the very base version of their earbuds, say about 4 or 5 years back (FYI, they were called MA150’s. To put it in context, they’re no longer sold …

Pebble Health a stone’s throw away from fitter smartwear

Fitbit must be rolling over in some type of fitful unrest. The cross-platform smartwear manufacturer Pebble has just rolled out a new application to bring itself in line with a lot of dual purpose wearables with the new Pebble Health app. The Pebble Health app focuses on three …

Case of the missing Microsoft OneDrive storage

Remember recently when Microsoft announced that it was going to reduce the storage it offered on OneDrive, and that the unlimited tier was going away because some people were treating it as – well, unlimited? I know that some people were using up to 75 TB of that …

Updated Google Hangouts randomly ‘betaing’

Now, I’m a bit of a sucker for beta software. I like it when I find an issue, or see a new feature. It makes the new shiny feel that bit newer, so Google betaing (yes, it’s not a word, but you get the idea) a new version …

ZTE Axon Elite – Review

This is the ZTE Axon Elite. It’s a big phone, with a 5.5” inch screen, and it doesn’t feel small in the hand. It shouldn’t either – there’s a lot packed under the hood of this ‘Ion Gold’ coloured beast. I’ve never had serious hands-on time with a …

Black Friday – Mobile Fun piles up the offers

Wow – where do we start? It feels like there’s at least one of everything on offer over at Mobile Fun for Black Friday… which isn’t surprising, seeing as they cover the whole gamut for your mobile needs. Lessee, we’ve got Names, like Ted Baker, Samsung, Tylt, Olixar, …

Forget Black Friday, meet Vodafone Red Thursday

Those canny folk over at Big Red have stolen a march on Black Friday by coming up with Vodafone Red Thursday… to cut a longish story short, Vodafone Red Thursday – today – is offering some pretty neat deals. They’re starting today, but there are more to come …

Get your HUKD on for Black Friday

While I’m not a firm favourite of the idea of yet another day dedicated to spending money, we’ve got to admit that HotUKDeals (HUKD) has continually saved us some dosh on the things we were already going to have to splash out cash on more than one occasion. …

Google slips YouTube Music app into stores

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 …

When it’s not about the money – RHA is pretty impressive

So here’s how it works. You buy something and you quite like it. then it stops working. You try to get it fixed, and get prepared for a battle royal with a company that doesn’t give a hootenannie about you once the sale’s been made. This isn’t that …

Lollipop, now pounding on a quarter of Androids

The release of a new version of Android always means a good look into how the versions are distributed. The ‘good’ news first: Android Lollipop is now up to 22.9% – almost a quarter of current handsets. Next up is KitKat (which is specifically Android 4.4) at a …

Nexus 6P – Horrible unavailable message for UK

I get it Google. You’re busy creating new software and working with fantastic ideas and getting your current new stock out the door, as well as buying domains that nobody in their right minds will want to say out loud. Oh, you haven’t heard? Google bought abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.com. No, …

Z3 or Z3c owner? Want to test Marshmallow?

I like the Sony Z range. They look like well-designed and distinctive pieces of kit, but I was a little hesitant. I never knew what their upgrade strategy would be from handset to handset, so when I heard about this Concept for Android initiative, where Sony allows you …

Nexus, Nexus… 5X and 6P finally land

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 …

Upcoming tablet 8 coming to the Google estate?

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 …

Huawei-built Nexus appears again, this time with a strange lump

Weird it may appear, but these leaked shots, which include an unfortunate and slightly revealing shot of the cameraman beneath a Chinese sign, are apparently of the new Huawei-built Nexus. The smooth and rounded appearance is here once again, as is a small circle in the middle which …

The name’s Mallow. Marshmallow. Android M finally named.

Whoop, there it is! No longer do we have to call the next version of Android, the M build, or version, or Android M. Android Marshmallow has officially been announced to the world. It even has a fancy boot animation that’s you’ll be able to see for yourself …

Samsung Unpacked – Rumour round-up.

Seeing as the whole point of the Samsung Unpacked event is to announce their new Autumn line up, there hasn’t been anything official announced yet. We know there’s going to be a new Galaxy Note, because there’s always a new Galaxy Note at this time. But there have …

Farewell Ouya, we never really knew ya.

It was meant to be the next cheaper and easy to get into era in gaming. I was the Ouya, based on Android and using the ecosystem that Android provided. It was a lovely dream, but that dream is now fading to black – almost. No, Ouya isn’t quite …

Moto X Play – A compromise? – Opinion.

Before we covered the news of the Motorola announcement, all I thought I wanted was the equivalent of a 2014 Moto X with a better battery and camera. Then the Moto X Play came along. I thought I’d hit the jackpot. I didn’t need to go up to …

WhatsApp wangs welly of updates your way

Not content with just updating their app once, WhatsApp has decided to slam in eight – yep, you heard right – eight updates in the last couple of days since 21st July. Most of which should have started winging their way to your handsets by now. If you …

Windows Phone (as we know it)… dead? – opinion

The team working at CSP towers are great people. They’re passionate, dedicated, and most of all, opinionated. Although we get along, we don’t always agree. This is one of those times. A couple of days ago, Mike posted an article which basically said that Windows Phone isn’t dead, and …

Tylt Vu Wireless Charging Car Mount – Review

Although I don’t spend all day in my car, like a lot of mobile aficionado’s I’ve moved over to using my handset as the source of my In Car Entertainment (do people even use the phrase ICE any more?). Between using it for navigation and listening to music etc, …

Neon Alarm revisited – review

I’m a bit of a fiend for alarm applications. I don’t know why… That isn’t true. I’m one of those people who would be late for their own funeral if I didn’t have something to remind me I need to get there on time. And then remind me …

YotaPhone 3 on the horizon

The dual-sided YotaPhone series made a big splash at MWC, but it wasn’t picked up by the major networks over in Blighty. However, we quite liked it all in all, so when news of the YotaPhone 3 leaked, colour us excited. The e-ink screen is a great idea …

OnePlus One, touch screen problems… sound familiar?

The OnePlus One is a good phone. Heck, it’s a great phone for the price. In fact, it’s kind of like the Nexus line when you think about it. Don’t get me wrong, there are some things that were missing that could have made it an even better …

Skype.. on web, in the browser.. in a Chromebook. Almost.

You may have noticed that the one of the things that people say stop them from trying out a Chromebook is that they have no ability to use Skype on there to call and talk to their friends and family. Sure you can use Hangouts, but that’s dependant …

Apple Watch – Day one orders hit 1 million

That’s right. A million. On day one. There are always going to be some people who aren’t into wearables, and there will be others who can’t quite buy into the Apple way of doing things, but there are enough people who think differently. In a report from Sllice …

Chromebook Pixel (2015) available in the UK from April 21st

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 …

New tariffs for Vodafone

As one of the few remaining networks to still offer a 12 month contract, it always pays to keep an eye on Vodafone. So when they announced that new tariffs were being announced, I was intrigued to see what the new propositions were. And all in all, it …

Amazon – permission much? – opinion

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 …

OnePlus announces…actually we don’t quite know.

Hot on the heels of OnePlus letting us know that they’d had to raise the Euro price of the OnePlus One, comes another announcement that some of us at CSP towers have been waiting for. Yep, the New OnePlus. Just kidding. We know that OnePlus has wanted to …

MWC – Xperia M4 Aqua announced

We did mention it in passing, but Sony also announced a mid-range phone called the Xperia M4 Aqua. The Aqua moniker is because not only is it waterproof (IP65/8 rated, but it also doesn’t need a cap to be put on the MicroUSB charger. Before you rush off …

MWC – Alcatel Onetouch announce the Idol 3

Alcatel are one of those funny manufacturers that just do not get the recognition they should have over the years, so when they popped up again at MWC, the guys were interested. This year they’re introducing the next in line of their Idol series, the Idol 3. The …

EE WiFi calling delayed?

Ever been stuck in an area with little to no signal at all but needed to make that all important phone call? Lets face it, we have all had this one time or another, and with WiFI being more widely available with even faster speeds than before wouldn’t …

Google maps getting two slick updates

We gotta hand it to them Mountain View folk, and the way both the ecosystem and the apps keep evolving. Google Maps never used to be my go-to application for turn-by-turn directions (telmap M8 was my personal favourite), but the way they have been iterating has been phenomenal. …

WhatsApp on top of your lap – or just on your laptop?

Heck its been a long time coming – and it’s been wanted for a very long time. Who knows why it has taken so long, but we’re finally starting to see indications that WhatsApp may be coming to our desktops. So these hardcore guys over in the WhatsAPI-Official …

Browse and travel at high speed with EE

There are some of us who get to travel through the channel tunnel on a jaunt, whether it be a full-on holiday or just a day trip. Others have to pass through on a business trip, but whatever your reason for needing to be inside the tunnel, it …

Moto X 24 hour flash sale

Ever since the Nexus 6 announcement, some of the Android faithful over here in the UK have been holding their breath as they waited for the UK pricing of the $649 phablet to be announced. At today’s exchange rates, that would equate to the £400 region which would …