Category: Gadgets & Tech

Still using a fax machine?

In today’s digital era, the majority of our world and work is online. I, until recently, hadn’t used a paper document in my line of work. Sure, we print things off from time to time, but I don’t fill in a form or anything like that. Now w’eve  …

Google Play to start auto-playing videos.

Following the white redesign of the Google Play Store another, and what I deem more annoying update, is due pretty soon. Yes, the Play Store will start playing promo videos in the app listings automatically. According to Google the videos in the app listings will “help more users …

4 Things you didn’t know drones could do

Drones have come a long way since when they were first invented. You can use them for a whole number of purposes and they come in a range of styles and sizes. You can even get a drone that fits in your pocket! Keep reading to discover more …

Mobile phone delivery scams on the increase.

So you’re sitting at home and there’s a knock on the door. A brand new top-of-the-range phone has been delivered to your house. The package has your name on it, but you don’t remember ordering it. Then there is another knock at the door and a courier asks …

Mobile payments are up, but the pace of growth continues to slow

While the total number of payments made by customers through mobile apps continues to rise, it’s at a rate that’s considerably lower than in past years. US consumers are continuing to spend billions through mobile wallet apps, but the amount of growth is beginning to level off as …

Introducting: RevoNext dual-driver NEX202

RevoNext has launched the dual-driver NEX202, which are available from Amazon UK and Amazon US for just £55.99/$49.99 in black and gunmetal grey. RevoNext have used their patented design with an aviation aluminium alloy in order to look good and give a good quality sound to the listener. …

Winston – A Kickstarter gadget to protect your online life

Right. I’ve tried. Believe me, I’ve tried, but every time I mention a “VPN” people just lose interest. Getting a VPN is great. It protects you, it can also anonymize you, preventing tracking and spying etc. Trouble is, it can be a bit of a faff, even if …

Gaming – When a touchscreen isn’t enough

If you’re a into gaming but still haven’t taken the jump to mobile gaming, there’s usually one very good reason. Touchscreen controls. Let’s face it, the traditional PS4 or Xbox controller sits in the hand beautifully and feels both familiar and “right”. Your thumbs fall onto the analogue …

Fancy a colourful laptop for a change ?

Let’s be honest, most laptops are either Aluminium or Black. If you want to stray from this then it normally means putting a skin on your device. I try this but have to buy two as I always manage to bugger the first one up. Well, we have …

Note 10 prices leaked

It’s not too long now until the latest device in Samsung’s Note series, the Note 10 will be announced at an Unpacked Event on 7th August. I for one am eagerly awaiting to see this new device, with a view to upgrading my current Note 9. The internet …

Lanmodo Night Vision System now getting even better

This is the LANMODO Night Vision camera. It’s been available for a while now and sits rather nicely on your dashboard, offering up a wide-angle video of your surroundings. Ideal for driving safety but especially good for those instances where there’s poor visibility or darkness. The 8.2″ IPS …

Groov-e Soundbuds Review

Specs: Earbud 2 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm ; 5g Case 7.5 x 2.5 x 4cm ; 45g. Up to 4 hours music playback and up to an additional 10 hours using the changing case Music controls and answer/reject calls Long press for your relevant assistant. Bluetooth V5 …

Ezviz CTQ6C Wireless Security Camera – Review

Have a look at most UK homes and there is normally an alarm box situated at the front with the blinking LED. Let’s be honest though, how many of us actually go and investigate if the alarm starts blaring? Truth be told, not many. “Well my alarm sends …

Alexa will now make calls for you

If you’ve got yourself an Amazon Echo and you’re a Vodafone customer, this is definitely for you. Customers can now make or receive hands-free calls through Amazon Echo with your existing mobile plan. All you need to do is link your mobile number to your Alexa account. This …

Hyundai testing the transmission of injury information after collisions

We’ve seen cars which auto-dial emergency services when they’re in accidents, but now Hyundai is working on a system which will send across details of the injuries sustained in road traffic accident. All within just within seven seconds of a crash happening. They’re working with a company called …

More Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Leaks Emerge.

Yet more leaked images have emerged of the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Note 10, and these latest renders have come from Steve Hemmerstoffer and 91Mobiles. Looking like a change in direction for Samsung’s Galaxy Note lineup, the upcoming flagship ditches the horizontal camera setup found on previous devices …

Groov-e Launch Wireless SoundBuds With Assistant.

Here at Coolsmartphone Towers, we have reviewed Groov-e headphones on a few occasions, and have always been impressed with the sound quality at their competitive price point. Today Groov-e has announced their latest product; the SoundBuds. The SoundBuds feature a ” push to talk feature” which give users …

TicWatch Pro – Unboxing

I have been testing the TicWatch S2 for the past few days whilst I have been away on holiday and I have been mightily impressed with it in general. There has however been one thing that has been slightly annoying me and that was the battery life of …

PuroQuiet™ active noise cancelling children’s headphones

As a father of two and as someone who has listened to far too much rock ‘n’ roll over the years, finding headphones suitable for my kids is not as easy as you might think. Before World Hearing Day in March this year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) …

The Vodafone Connected motorhome

Over the years we’ve had a couple of mobile HQ’s. In Barcelona we’ve reported from a boat and also from this rather epic camper. Now Vodafone are getting in on the act, adding lots of the their clever connected technology into a motorhome. Vodafone employee Dirk Ellenbeck created …

Start your DJ career with a DJ Mini Mixer

In my head I’m a talented DJ like Fatboy Slim. Sometimes I try the djay 2 app on my phone and the results are, well.. mixed. Now, however, you can get the app running on two phones and use this Mini Mixer to switch between the two devices. …

Sitting down? Why? Work standing up!

I sit in an office for the best part of the day. Let’s face it, being parked on your posterior isn’t healthy. However, if you drive a computer all day you can choose to stand up instead. So, you just need to buy an entire new desk right? …

Remote control homes. Getting more clever by the day.

Long-time readers may be familiar with our love of home heating control systems. Back in 2014 we looked at the Nest thermostat, however since then we’ve seen competitors entering the marketplace and more people getting in on the programmable thermostat fun. It doesn’t matter too much about how …

I hope your password is better than 123456

If you stop and think about your online presence, just think how many different sites and apps you log into on a daily basis – each needing a unique username and password. Let’s be honest, most of us use a username that’s also our email address, so for …

The TicWatch S2 and now the AI-powered TicPods. Dive in!

You may have heard of Mobvoi and their TicWatch S2. It’s powered by Wear OS and has a 1.39″ AMOLED 400 x 400 display. Inside, it’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 CPU and comes with 4GB of storage with 512MB of RAM. Plus, it looks bloody …

IKEA releases Sonos-integrated furniture

You know Sonos? Right? Yeah. They’re the go-to people if you want some serious sound in your home. Now IKEA have release Sonos speakers which are integrated with their furniture. Called “SYMFONISK”, it includes a table lamp with sound and light in one place, plus a book-shelf speaker …

More scarily good robots

Every now and again I take a look at the rather brilliant robots that are created by the teams at Boston Dynamics. This time they have some interesting industrial robots that counterbalance using a weight between their two wheeled legs. This is just a test of the automated …

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 …

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 …

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, …

Mixcder E9 active noise cancelling headphones

We have covered Mixcder’s excellent headphones before, especially for their noise cancelling features. Today, they have launched the E9 headphones in their range. The next generation headphones feature the latest advancement in ANC technology. The Mixcder E9 headphones are available now for £59.99/$69.99 from Amazon UK and Amazon.com. Mixcder has increased …

Kitvision Observer DashCam – Review

This review has been a long time in the making. I have never really been one for using a dashcam, however when the opportunity to review one came up I figured I would give it a shot. Here we have the Kitvision Observer 1080p Dashcam with GPS and Wifi. …

OnePlus 6T – Review

  Review device specs Price: £529 Mirror Black 8GB RAM 128 GB Storage Snapdragon 845 chipset 16 and 20-megapixel dual cameras Android 9 pie running oxygen OS 9.0.11 December 2018 security patch Good Points: Lightening fast Great battery life Oxygen OS close to stock Android Gorgeous screen Specs …

Oaxis Timepiece – The Review

Back in November, we told you about the Oaxis Timepiece Kickstarter campaign, well, I was sent the black edition to have a play with! The package gave the impression of quality and the unboxing commenced with earnest, inside the thin box I could see the watch peaking through a …

Epic Air Elite

Possible the most EPIC title I have ever written for a review – get it? ok – moving swiftly on. As someone who runs and goes to the gym, I end up wearing a lot of sweaty headphones and earbuds for Coolsmartphone, so introducing the Epic Air Elite …

Audeara’s A-01 full-fidelity headphone raising awareness

With the issue of hearing loss & deafness taking centre stage on the 3rd March with World Hearing Day, the Auderara’s A-01 headphones will be reduced to £199 in time for the World Hearing Day. Audeara is the world’s first headphone offering an in-built hearing test to protect users’ …

Now even vaping has an app

Back when I used to hit the nightclubs, the smell of smoke was just part of the scene. There was rarely a smoking area, and there weren’t any laws which stopped you smoking inside. Enter a bar or a pub and it would be just the same. Smoke …