Author: Mike
The original Microsoft Band was released a year ago in a relatively muted fashion but was greeted enthusiastically by the tech press. The problem was that Microsoft initially only sold it in the United States and could not keep up with the demand it generated. This lesson seems …
Last week we posted a story about how the new flagship Microsoft phones had been reduced in price even before their release. If that wasn’t enough to tempt you, Microsoft are now offering a free Display Dock to anyone purchasing a Lumia 950XL through its website before the …
I confess I’m still slightly uncertain how we’re supposed to refer to this – Windows Mobile 10 sounds like the WM6 of old; Windows Phone 10 is plainly no longer used; and Windows 10 Mobile sounds daft when abbreviated to W10M. Anyway, digression aside, as we get closer …
They’re not even out yet and already the flagship Lumia handsets have been reduced in price. Crisis!! Actually, that comes across as a little unfair, particularly coming from someone chomping at the bit to get their hands on one of these shiny new phones. The 950 had originally …
Like everyone who reads these pages, I’m into gadgets in a big way. Anything that can be digitised or connected to the internet is alright by me, but sometimes there are some gadgets that even push us hardy folk at CSP Towers to the limit. Enter Ember, …
One of the great differences between Apple on the one hand, and Google and Microsoft on the other, is that Apple controls all aspects of its hardware and software. This means it pushes out OS updates quickly and without having to wait for approval from carriers and manufacturers. Android …
The Microsoft launch was a seamless event. The devices look great but watching these launches can often be a frustrating experience: the gap between announcement and availability is sometime months (or longer in the case of the Apple Watch) and frequently a device will never make it to these …
Cases are ten a penny these days so it takes something special to make them stand out. First impressions count, even if we’re always told not to judge a book by its cover! The STM Dux case for the first generation iPad Air is marketed on the basis …
For Windows users today looks to be an exciting day. Starting at 1500 GMT Microsoft will take the wraps off its latest hardware and software developments. Much is already known about the devices themselves (phones, tablets, and wearables) but I’ve got a nagging sense that there’s still a …
Hot on the heels of the new and updated Samsung and Huawei smartwatches, LG has announced the second edition of their Urbane watch. With the majority of smartwatches running Android Wear, there is often little that manufacturers can do to differentiate their wares in terms of software. Much …
Microsoft have scheduled a bumper event on 6 October when they’re expected to take the wraps of Microsoft 10 Mobile, new Lumia handsets and a new Surface Pro tablet. Also thought to be released is the Microsoft Band 2. Although it’s been long rumoured, there have been very few …
Put this one squarely into the ‘First World Issues’ box. Just picture the scene: you’re on the way to work or on your lunch break, you don’t have long to get back to the office but you absolutely, desperately, madly need a skinny mocha choca latte frappe with …
Back in March, we provided details of a smartwatch by a new company called Vector. At the time Vector were suggesting a summer launch, but as usual with such things, the date slipped somewhat (not as bad as the lag between the announcement and launch of the Huawei …
Here at CSP Towers, we’re quite fond of the myriad Chinese manufacturers that sell high-spec, reasonably priced phones. Until now these handsets have been limited to Android, but details of a new Windows 10 Mobile phone have now been released. Here are the specs of the Elephone Vowney: …
There have been a great number of rumours suggesting that Microsoft would take the wraps off the first official Windows 10 Mobile handsets this coming October. Those rumours turned out to be true (who’d have thought it!) and an official invite has just been released. The two phones in question, …
Amazon has had mixed fortunes with its ventures into the tech world. Its Kindles have sold like hot cakes, its Fire phone has bombed, while its tablet range has fared quite well. A story in the Wall Street Journal in the US suggests that Amazon is due to release …
At IFA last week, Acer launched a variety of devices, some of which we’ve already covered. For Windows Phone aficionados, there was some exciting news amidst an otherwise very underwhelming show. At a slightly bizarre launch, at which the two senior Acer representatives spoke over each other and gave the impression …
One of the great things about the big shows like IFA is that it provides the opportunity for OEMs, big and small, to reveal their wares. Announced today were five new handsets from Haier. Not heard of them? Me neither, but that’s because they are new to the …
Seriously, right, if there’s tangible evidence that a gadget is about to be updated, it is a price drop of the current model. The Microsoft Band has seen a number of price reductions recently. Now Amazon has dropped the price again, to £145. The Microsoft Band is one …
If talking into a smartwatch feels a little too much like Star Trek, then stop reading now. The next fashion item to be smartified is the…wait for it, a ring. Really. Apparently, there are lots of us who complain about our sleep but a company called Oura have the …
We’re just snout to board a plane ahead of IFA. The event will showcase a lot of upcoming mobile tech, but Huawei are announcing their new device even earlier – tomorrow in fact. We’re all signed up for the launch, but it looks like @evleaks has already blown …
There have been a great many reviews and opinion pieces about the Apple Watch, but one of the more frequent complaints concerns the limited number of watch faces that can be chosen. WatchOS 1 has a choice of 8 faces, and although there is a certain amount of customisation available for …
iPlayer is one of the most popular apps out there. The BBC has had great success with it, with a staggering number of downloads per month. To its credit, the BBC routinely updates the app (albeit not the Windows Phone variant). The most recent version brings a series …
When Windows Phone 10 will be released later this year we have been promised a slurry of new phones, designed to cater to every different type of audience. One of Microsoft’s recent announcements was that it would focus on a number of areas, one of which was the …
Customers of BT broadband have a great advantage over anyone else when they’re out and about given that the media giant has most of the country covered with WiFi. Now Virgin Media are getting into the game too. From next month it will offer its customers free wifi …
There are a million and one phone cases out there, so it’s always nice to review one that is slightly out of the ordinary. The Rock Dr V Protective Case offers something different, I’m just not convinced what the point is. What is novel I hear you ask? …
Hot on the heels of Apple, Amazon has just launched its own streaming music service in the UK. This is certainly a crowded market place these days, and Amazon’s mission is not helped by the fact that it has significantly less music than its rivals. It claims to have …
I’m an iPhone user and very much like it. That doesn’t stop me believing that Apple products are generally over-priced compared to similarly specced hardware. Given this, the recent introduction of Apple Pay made me chuckle. You can use your Apple Watch instead of an Oyster card for …
I was hugely excited when this case arrived at CoolSmartPhone Towers. I normally go for wallet cases and having recently used a variety of cheap ones from eBay, the idea of reviewing a high quality case was appealing. The case itself is well-packaged and made of durable material. …
A few days Microsoft revealed that it was writing off a colossal amount of money and sacking small football stadium’s worth of staff. The tech websites were split in how this move was viewed: for some it was a sensible streamlining whilst for others it suggested that Microsoft …
The Apple Watch has been with us for several months now and although reviews are, on the whole, positive that hasn’t stopped it coming under fire, particularly over its battery life and price. Initial sales figures were exceptionally high but a new survey has suggested that these have …
Microsoft’s strategy for Windows 10 is an exciting one – that you can utilise the same apps, documents, files etc across a range of devices. One of the most eagerly anticipated aspects of this is Continuum – the ability to use your Windows Phone 10 essentially as a …
On Wednesday 15 July Amazon will celebrate 20 years of existence. The online giant is now so ubiquitous it is actually quite hard to remember a time before it. To celebrate its birthday Amazon is having a special one-day sale for Prime members only. It claims that there …
Amazon have launched a new service. For those with Amazon Prime membership (£79.99 per year), you can now order selected Amazon products and have them delivered to specified locations within central London within … one hour. Prime is an increasingly attractive option: not only do you get free …
Prologue If you’ve ever taken a class on ancient literature, mythology, or even anthropology, you’ve probably run across “the oral tradition”, mankind’s earliest form of storytelling. Perhaps I’m getting to heavy here, but I’m basically saying that listening to stories rather than reading them was the norm at …
Everyone loves a bargain. Admittedly this one isn’t that exciting, but free is free so we shouldn’t complain. Anyone with an Amazon Fire can get £30 worth of free apps, games and utilities provided that you download them before 11.59pm on 1 July. There are 17 titles in total. …
Ever since the demise of Steve Jobs, Apple has become something of a leaky sieve. One of Jobs’ great triumphs was to keep the tech industry guessing as to what he would reveal on the stage. Rumours were rife of course, but the eventual announcement was always something …
One of my favourite things about the mobile industry and sites such as ours is the way that leaked blurry and unrecognisable images keep us guessing at the great new phone around the corner. The Lumia 1020 was released in July 2013 to great fanfare, primarily because of its …
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 …
