Stuff for mobile devices
Rather like suave stealthy superheroes, there are devices around which pretend to be that which they’re not. Like, for instance, this lens which is clearly of no use to anyone at all for low light photography.
Who says that big is the only beautiful in town? We’re used to seeing big chunky battery chargers for cars in our local repair shops and online, and they’re typically a lot of money too. Not that they don’t work, but carrying them around for an emergency can be rather a hassle.
The goal of delivering real remote wireless charging to the world’s gadgets seems to be cracked with the demonstration this month of a new system which can charge a smartphone in a user’s pocket from 40 feet away, through two walls and closed doors.
One of the nice things about living in a digital connected world is the fact that we don’t have to put up with boring any more. We also have the choice of using our own creative skills to customize our world, which is nice.
So exactly how do you tell the world that you’re completely immune to all this smartphone status rubbish, and demonstrate just how little you rate your expensive communication tool? Well you definitely don’t buy a Swarovski encrusted leather case, that’s for certain. Nope, you swing completely the other way.
If you carry around a smartphone, you need to keep it charged. But just as importantly, you’ll often want to move stuff to and from the handset, whether it’s photos, music or just plain old data files. The choice of tools to get this done are legion, but for our money, one of the coolest and most effective gadgets you can have with you is this ChargeKey, a two-in-one data and charge cablette.
So you’ve got your shiny new bauble, eh? Enjoying it? The new Samsung Galaxy S5 is definitely making waves as you’d expect, with the usual kind of sales figures in the millions over launch weekend. Of course now the first sales rush is over, we’re expecting some add-on feeding frenzy, and one of the first out of the blocks is this puppy.
True Android geeks love their platform in ways that iOS users can only dream about. Unlike soft bellied iPhone users, ‘droids have a need, an almost primordial urge in fact, to tinker, tweak and optimize their device of choice. And now the perfect free tool has arrived to let them do just that.
![Android Tuner Free – the ultimate swiss army knife utility for your smartphone or tablet [Freeware]](https://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/androidtuner.jpg)
How would you really like to annoy your Apple fan friends or family? Well one top tip is to say that Steve Jobs would never have had the idea for the iPod if it wasn’t for Sony’s Akio Morita, which should start an interesting and energetic debate.
Everyone needs a good night’s sleep, but it’s increasingly difficult to guarantee. It’s not just the caffeine, booze and late night game playing that does the damage, but also the high octane lifestyle that comes from living in the fast lane, you hipsters you.
![Sleep Sounds – fall asleep fast, with 500 soothing recorded sounds from around the world [+ Giveaway]](https://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/sleepsounds2.jpg)
Need a quick read of the temperature of your surroundings? Or maybe you just want to see how hot or cold your coffee is? Carrying around a thermometer is not really practical, but it makes more sense if it happens to be attached to something you do have in your pocket anyway.
It’s all very well and good carrying around large amounts of data on our mobile phones, but the problem comes when we want to transfer it easily and quickly between phones, computers and other devices. Small files are fine, but when it comes to huge video files, or even lots of images or music tracks, it can be a real pain. And don’t even start us off about the slow speed of Bluetooth.
![Kingston Data Traveler Micro Duo 16GB – the perfect keychain data mover for phones [Review]](https://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/kingstondtmicroduo5.jpg)
We’ve heard of some crazy ideas in our time, but whoever came up with the concept of creating a smartphone dock out of 570g of pure concrete definitely needs help. For one thing, everyone knows that concrete and phones don’t mix. If you’ve ever tried dropping your handset on some, you’ll know what we mean.
In a landmark ruling, the European parliament has today voted to scrap mobile phone roaming fees across the EU from December 2015, and also stop service providers from crippling 3rd party services such as Skype which are used for data calls on the move.
All eyes are on Cupertino as we wait with bated…er…baited breath for the launch of the next iteration of the iPhone. Rumors are it will be the first time we see a large screen model from Apple, overturning years of the company’s stubborn refusal to bow to market demand. But perhaps it’s already too late?
