Tag: christmas

So the time has come for us all to take a long earned rest after what has been a manic year. We have had some big changes here at the site and you will have noticed that we have not been as on top of things as we …

Each year I tend to sign off for a couple of days over Christmas to unwind. This year, for all of us, has been one to remember – and perhaps not for the right reasons. Things started off quite well at Coolsmartphone HQ. We’d put the final touches …

Online shopping has positively exploded in recent months. The imposed lockdowns have forced even the tech-newbies to try out online shopping. It’s resulted in a 74.7% growth in online retail sales and has, according to some, killed the High Street’s revival stone dead. According to the November retail …

Christmas Day tends to be a time when we all make lots of calls, and we’ll no doubt be making even more this year as the coronavirus restrictions keep us apart more than ever. Data and text usage will also be on the rise, so it’s good to …

Christmas is round the corner and you need cash fast. What’s the solution? Well, I’ve tried selling my body on the street corner but sadly I couldn’t even give myself away. So, thanks to the MusicMagpie app and some old books that my son doesn’t want anymore, we’ve …

Well, this seems easy enough. If you’re a Vodafone customer, just head into the “My Vodafone” app and then into the “VeryMe” loyalty rewards section. From there, you can claim 30 days of completely unlimited data. Vodafone are pitching this as a gift to keep their customers connected …

Gambling has evolved over the years. Technology has improved mobile sports betting to make it more accessible, more understandable and more obtainable. Now, thousands of sportsbooks such as Betway cover a variety of sports events. The number of punters who place mobile bets has soared of late but, …

Since 2002, when things looked like this, I’ve written about smartphones. I’ve seen the rise and fall of Microsoft and the rise and rise and rise of Android, iPhone, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The biggest driver for me is the tweets and the emails from you guys. The …

I love not spending stacks of cash on Christmas gifts. In our regular “Features” section I’ve previously covered ways to get shiny, and normally quite expensive, gifts for less. There’s lots of ways to do it – trading in old phones, getting cashback and using discount codes if …

This year we’re going to stick all the deals into this one article and update it as new ones pop up. If you see one that’s great and hasn’t been featured here, get in touch or hit us up on Twitter. “But wait!”, I hear you cry, “Black …

Yesterday I received an email entitled “Last minute Christmas Gifts”. I’ve not even started Christmas shopping yet – my head is still firmly stuck in mid-September. The clock is ticking though, so if you want to get a new phone and want to get a free present for …

People of the world, I’ve been doing this for almost 17 years now. Writing about smartphones started as a mad hobby and has slowly taken over my life. I have the privilege of talking to you lovely lot though, and that does tend to keep me going 🙂 …

Looking for gift ideas this Christmas? Yeah you are. Admit it, if you’re anything like me you won’t have even started buying stuff. So, before the panic sets in, here’s a list of stuff that could spark your interest. It’s all part of the Amazon Launchpad gadget range, …

So, it’s that time of year again, and last night I had a bit of a shock. I popped into a friends house as I needed to borrow a drill. We got talking about Christmas and he told me that he’d just finished his Christmas shopping. Yes, finished. …

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Halloween is done. Bonfire Night is done. Now it’s a full-on face-full of funky festive frivolity. EE have unveiled their early bird Christmas offers and, if you get one of the Huawei or Nokia handsets on a 10GB plan or above, …

Long-time readers will no doubt be waiting for this post, as I usually say what a mad year it’s been and how next year is going to be even bigger, faster and better. I usually go on about the best phones of the year and the coverage we’ll …

This weekend I horrified anybody with any electrical knowledge by plugging the Christmas lights into an extension, which was then plugged into an extension … plugged into an extension. I won’t go into the finer details, but there was a minor explosion and I blew three fuses. I …

The guys at Prezzybox have got your back if you’re struggling to come up with gift ideas this festive season. They’ve got a stack of gadgets for almost every taste. They’ve got stocking fillers like this personalised headphone holder plus these gloves which let you use your smartphone …

Yes, it’s Christmas again. Or at least, it seems to have been Christmas for a few months now. So, you probably know what you’re getting here. It’s a gun with a phone holder on top. You plop your smartphone in, start the game and work to become the …

I mentioned earlier that we’re now getting quite a few mails from PR people who want to promote the latest smartphones, gadgets and accessories for the festive period. The Nokia 3310 that Vodafone wanted us to tell you about at least came in an email which was peppered …

I’ve got around 24 emails in my inbox from PR agencies wanting me to pimp their stuff. If you want to buy stuff, they basically have .. stuff to sell you. That’s the deal. It’s because Christmas is round the corner. Christmas, as we all know, is about …

Have a quick look on the “Whois” for this site and you’ll see the following … Creation Date: 2003-02-14 08:44:29 Yes, in February it’ll have been 14 years since I bought the coolsmartphone.com domain name. Now, while I’m having a quick trip down memory lane, does anyone remember …

So, we were going to do a really big feature about the top tech toys for this festive season. We ended up adding lots of festive features for you over the last few weeks instead. Anyhow, the guys from Mobile Phones Direct have put together a Top 50 …

About 14 years ago I started reviewing phones. Now I’m reviewing Christmas tree decorations and, if I’m honest, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not. Either way, it’s the time to get festive. If you’ve just been up to the loft and grabbed your decorations …

Minecraft is a very popular game. I’m sure a lot of you have played it and you may even have a child or two who’s addicted to it. So how do you get them away from the screens? Well, you could try this creative gift from www.boxheadcraft.co.uk. It’s …

Phone cases are something that are a fact of life. We don’t really want to hide the fantastic style and shape of our shiny expensive phone, but we have to. This FLAVR case adds a bit of a twist, and they’re really only useful for the next few …

If you want a phone with a nice LED screen on one side and an e-Ink low-power screen on the other, the YotaPhone 2 should be on your shopping list. It’s a phone we reviewed and it’ll let you read books for an absolute age. Anyhow, the people …

Just in case you weren’t aware, there are only 8 weeks to go until Christmas. This year, the same as previous years, electronic gadgetry will be the top of many a Christmas list. But let’s be honest, the latest technology isn’t the cheapest, so how about a device …

KooPower have been in touch again and, following on from the wireless doorbell we reviewed, we now have 12 metres of LED fairy lights. Now, I’ve had these in the back garden for quite a while as I honestly thought that they wouldn’t work. Why? Well, solar powered …

It’s Christmas, so that will probably mean that you’re heading off to see relatives. Amongst the gifts, the food and the TV, there’s definitely going to be a period where everyone will sit down and generally fall asleep on the sofa. Although we do tend to concentrate on …

Yes, it’s that time of year again and we’re all a little bit short on cash right now. I think this year I’ve been a little too sensible and I’ve actually bought all my gifts already, meaning that my bank balance – and any cash set aside for …

Christmas time is upon us once again and Three have come out with a cracker of an advertisement campaign (excuse the pun). The new video shows someone who is born on Christmas day and who feels let down that you only get one set of presents instead of …

I get a LOT of emails about new apps. I mean, A LOT. This one actually looks quite interesting. It’ll let you send gifts to people, and all you need is their mobile phone number. No, we’re not talking about those “virtual presents”. You know, those ones where …

Last year I wore spandex, took pictures and reviewed the experience. This was the Halloween Morphsuit from Morphsuits.co.uk. These are quite cool because they can also add special effects with the aid of your phone. Just slot your mobile into the suit and it brings the whole outfit …

It’s coming up to Christmas – apparently there are only seven weeks left until the day. Because of this, here at Coolsmartphone Towers, we are getting lots of emails about Christmas gifts. This one stuck out for me as it looked pretty cool (I posted a story about …

As we get towards the festive season you’ll see us cranking up the number of reviews and gift ideas, all ready for those presents around the Christmas tree. Also, as you may have noticed this last week, we’ve had more traffic than usual and it’s resulted in the …

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 …

It’s Christmas Eve. Can you believe it? At this festive time of year we should stop and give thanks. Thanks to all the dedicated writers for keeping this site going, thanks to you guys for coming every day and thanks to all the press agencies, mobile makers and …

OK, it’s that time of year already. Your bank account looks like a wasteland, there’s pine needles everywhere and that roll of sticky tape has mysteriously disappeared just when you need it. What apps do you need to ensure things go smoothly? Well, the Google Santa Tracker is …

The festive season is definitely a good time to “people watch”. On Christmas Day you’ll see tablets and smartphones getting unwrapped and, as the new owners get online, you’ll see a surge of traffic onto major websites around the internet. This year and last I have witnessed a …