Tag: app

Top 10 apps based on TV shows

When I was growing up (which seems a long time ago now), I was a big fan of Knight Rider. I checked the Google Play store recently and it was great to see so many apps dedicated to it. There’s a Knight Rider Watch simulator, a car creator, …

Fancy a quick game of Pachinko?

Wait, what is pachinko ? Yeah, not many people outside of Japan have heard about it. However, you probably will have heard about pinball, and this is a vertical version. In Japan there’s traditionally been mechanical and noisy machines which use balls which are smaller than Western pinball …

Wait, you’re still using the standard SMS app? Time to change!

Most people, if they haven’t already switched to something like WhatsApp, will still be using the standard text messaging app on their Android phone. This is a bit pants for a number of reasons. First, if you want to send picture messages (MMS) then it’ll cost you a …

AV Android apps are more than just virus blockers

There was a time where there was an air of annoyance if a smartphone entered our office with an anti-virus solution on it. “Oh, that’s pointless. Who’s going to install something outside of Google Play?” Traditionally your Android phone would be infected it you went off and side-loaded …

ParcelBroker – Making it easier to send a parcel

If you need to send a parcel, there’s probably less and less of us actually going to a Post Office. Now there’s a myriad of parcel companies and couriers who can come to your door and pick up. However, there’s a problem. You need to know the dimensions …

6 Smartphone apps to help you learn

Here in the UK you’ll find that students have already been back at school for a month. The new pencil cases and all that posh stationary is already looking worn and, although it’s not always fun, education is an all-important part of your life. With the aid of …

Inbox by Gmail. It’s being killed off.

I quite like Inbox. I’ve got it installed on my phone right now and I appreciate the exciting and additional features. I installed it because Gmail, whether on the t’internet or on your phone, has remained pretty samey for quite a while. Recently though, I’ve noticed that Gmail …

VLC pulls the plug on Huawei / Honor handsets

The battle for battery life isn’t a very complex one. You either leave your GPS, Bluetooth and WiFi on all the time, with background apps ticking along, or you start cleverly shutting stuff down to conserve battery life. A lot of manufacturers have added on board systems to …

Do you really need Anti-Virus Software on your Android smartphone?

“Android Phone” (CC BY 2.0) by microsiervos The connected age has opened up endless possibilities, just as smartphones have put those possibilities into the palm of our hands. And, with every piece of technology hooked up to the internet, there is the opportunity for nefarious hackers to wield their malicious intent. …

The coolest Twitter apps for Bloggers

Despite some recent criticism, Facebook now has more than 900 million users. Twitter has over 500 million, LinkedIn more than 161 million, Google+ almost 400 million, and Instagram with over 80 million. These figures aren’t just numbers, but are concrete proof that social media really is stealing the …

Building a mobile app. Off-the-shelf or tailored?

Everything is “going” mobile at the moment. If you have your own shop or a business, it not only means that you have to be online, but you must have a website which works on mobile devices of all shapes and sizes. If you want to take things …

Build you own Platformer Adventures with MagiCats Builder

Through Mario and Sonic (does anyone else remember the love for Zool) most of us have played our fair share of platform games, and now you can create your own platform game with MagiCats Builder by Dreamz Studio Building games is child’s play In Magicats Builder you can …

How to choose a Kanban app

Have you heard about a Kanban? In Japanese it translates to a “billboard”. Kanban boards come into play to optimise and streamline workflows. I’ve used one of these in the day job so I’ve been interested to find out more about them. Working remotely isn’t uncommon now, and …

Fortnite for Android. Don’t be fooled.

A number of weeks ago we tweeted about the Android version of Fortnite. The game, for the uninitiated, is proving a massive hit with gamers and the console version has seen some huge numbers. Not only that, but the “free” game is also earning a very decent amount …

Snoozle – A social alarm clock

I set my alarm clock last night and this morning I was greeted by some white noise thanks to the terrible FM reception of my bedside alarm clock. A lot of people tend to use their phone instead, and they’ll get a tune waking them up. If, however, …

Solid reasons to use mobile banking

My wife was chatting to me recently about one of our first holidays abroad. I’d started to do some IT contracting and she had got her first full-time job. We treated ourselves and off we went, on the first holiday together. Trouble was, a few days into the …

Do we still need travel agents?

A few years ago you’d walk into a travel agents, grab some super-slippy brochure and you’d have to decide – based on just a few professional photographs – where you’d like to go on holiday. The orange-faced travel agent would perhaps tell you how she’d been to that …

Hitman Sniper now free on Google Play

Right, quick one this because I’ve not had a cup of tea yet and I’m not really firing on all cylinders. If you’re looking for an 18-rated shooting game that’s free, try Hitman Sniper. It was 79p (which wasn’t really a lot in the first place), but it …

Pal – A new way to make and find friends around you

So, we’ve got Facebook for keeping in touch with people that you rarely see. We’ve got LinkedIn for telling people how good we are at work and we’ve got various other apps for dating / picture sharing and messaging. However, Pal is a fresh new idea which lets …

Vodafone gets Google Assistant support

No one wants to go over their allowances and run up a large bill. Even with the most generous allowances, it’s still a good idea to check regularly. Vodafone UK have tried coming up with more interactive ways of doing just that. The network made an Alexa skill …

Get an Honor 7X, grab yourself some in-game credit and a free case

Back in November last year we took a good look at the Honor 7X. It comes equipped with a 5.93″ (2160 X 1080) edge-to-edge “FullView” screem (at the 18:9 ratio). For £269.99 you get 4GB of memory, 64GB storage, a dual-lens 16 and 2 megapixel camera arrangement, microSD …

Senior Safety App – Review

If you have an elderly friend or relative, you’re naturally going to worry about them. However, that friend or relative may not necessarily worry. They might be too proud to have alarms or monitoring systems installed in their home and it could be tricky to even approach the …

Sega take a slightly different direction..

Think of a name like Sega and you’re instantly transported into a world of Sonic the Hedgehog, Outrun and Earthworm Jim. They’ve long been associated with classic video games but now Sega Games are going in a slightly different direction. Sega Networks, who are a division of Sega …

Facebook for your furry friends – PetScene

Say what you want about Nicole Appleton, she has some lovely puppies. The All Saints star is here to promote a social network for you pet. Yes, a social network for your pet. Now sure, you’re probably thinking that this is all a bit bonkers, but stay with …

Easy Logger – A hidden mobile tracking app

There’s plenty of monitoring apps out there but, if you want to pay absolutely nothing, the new Easy Logger app might be of interest. It’s for Android and you will need to side-load an APK, but for precisely nothing per month you’ll get full logging of all phone …

Are we doing just a bit too much online?

I’ve been meaning to write this for a while but it kept slipping off my radar. On Saturday, whilst at the local Tesco, it popped up in my head again as I spotted a lengthy queue at the lottery counter. There’s still a fair amount of people who, …

Bug bounty on offer as Google goes for a big clean-up

It’s pretty simple logic when you think about it. If there’s apps and manufacturers out there developing ways to disinfect and clean up your Android phone, then there’s obviously some apps out there that are misbehaving. Just this week, Google started pushing to get this fixed, with a …

Thinkware F800 Dash Cam – Review

Back in August last year (oh how time flies) I reviewed the amazing Thinkware F770 Dashcam. Since then I’ve been contacted and asked to review the latest iteration – the Thinkware F800 Pro. Good Points: This is a feature-packed device (see main body of the review) 140 degree …

Distracted by your phone, but still need to use it? Try this.

If you constantly get distracted by your smartphone, there’s a simple fix. Just turn the thing off. Leave it in a cupboard. However, if you need to actually do work on your phone then… well, it’s easy to get distracted by Facebook messages and tweets appearing on the …

The Tamagotchi returns!

Every once in a while there seems to be a game, gadget or accessory that captures the imagination with kids and becomes a “fad”. Fidget spinners, remember them? Well, many, many years prior to those there was something called a Tamagotchi. It was basically a small digital pet …

When you’re the IT guy in the family..

At the weekend I had “that call”. I’m sure many of you will have had a similar call from a friend or relative. It happens when you somehow become the “computer guy” and you seemingly have the ability to fix anything relating to tech. In this case, it …

Want to launch your own tech start-up? Get some tips from these companies.

Although tech can sometimes be a little imposing, it can supply the tools and the solutions for endless business opportunities. Some of the UK’s greatest start-ups have technology to thank, and this is especially true with companies like Uber and Swifkey. The mobile app industry has grown to …

Head back to the 80’s – Golden Axe

Anyone remember Golden Axe? Well, me neither, but this new / old SEGA game is now available for both Android and iOS. It’s free to download and play but you’ll obviously get a few ads to pay for the thing. You can though, if you wish, remove all …

O, O, O. It’s Magic. You know. Never believe it’s not so.

I’ve just got back from the Coolsmartphone canteen, where I’ve high-fived almost everyone because I’ve crow-barred the this song into the title of this article. For the uninitiated, head to the bottom for “Magic” by Pilot, and re-live the 1970’s, baby. But wait, before all that, we’ve had …