Author: Holly Brockwell
Editor Holly worked on some of the tech industry's most high-profile smartphone launches before coming to us, and is a self-confessed Android fangirl. She's currently lusting after the Galaxy S6 Edge, and is never seen without her Misfit Shine.
I’m a die-hard Android fan. Here’s what happened when I tried the iPhone 6
With thanks to EE for the handset I'm one of those intensely crappy people who have a passionate alliance to one side of a tech war. In fact, I have several. I'm firmly PC over Mac (though I'll probably go Chrome OS when it's more developed), digital media over physical, and Android over iOS. I…
An army of bloggers and a backpack of tech: ShinyShiny does #AcerLiveblog2014
This weekend, a whole bunch of tech bloggers and me - Shiny Editor Holly - headed to Edinburgh with Acer to take up their liveblogging challenge (#acerliveblog2014). With only a few hints of what was to come, we departed on the sleeper train from London, leaving at a bleary-eyed 11.50pm. Despite the time (and the fact that…
The University of York just sent a rubber duck to space
After a successful campaign on the university's own crowdfunding site, the uni of York's AstroSoc sent a rubber duck to the edge of space on a weather balloon. As well a fun experiment in pushing bath toys to the limit, the stunt was designed to increase interest in astronomy during Science Week. Christened AstroDuck, the GoPro-equipped quacker took off…
Sleepphones review: blocking out my rhino of a neighbour with Bluetooth
My upstairs neighbour is a rhinocerous. This is the only conclusion I can come to, considering the noise he makes tramping around on his wooden floorboards every night. Given the total absence of any kind of soundproofing in rental flats, this has been keeping me awake every night – and I've had it. I've tried earplugs…
Top 12 Christmas gifts for gamers
Buying for gamers can be tricky, especially if you're not one yourself. Whether they play on PC, console or mobile, we've got you covered for presents a whole lot more impressive than the default strategy guide. Even better, they're all available now (or in the next week) and in the UK. Shop away. [nextpage title="Next"]…
Meet Articulate, the security-conscious clutch bag
The amazing-looking Articulate Clutch just closed for funding on Kickstarter, having raised six times its $10,000 goal. Not surprising given that in addition to being a classy, colourful little bag to take out with you, it comes with some pretty smart features for protecting your money. The main one is RFID-blocking, which is becoming popular with the rise of…
Jolla’s Sailfish tablet raises a million dollars in just 2 days
iOS, Android, Sailfish? Jolla's operating system looks like a major contender in the mobile market now that the Jolla Tablet, dubbed "the world's first crowdsourced tablet," has exceeded $1million of crowdfunding in just two days on Indiegogo. Even more impressively, Jolla's original target for the campaign was $380,000, which it achieved in just two hours. Clearly, there's…
‘Shazam for clothes,’ ‘Tinder for fashion’ and more – it’s the year in fashion innovation
It’s been an appy year for fashion-lovers, with some of the biggest digital hits of recent years – Tinder, Shazam, Pinterest, and so on – turned into tools to help us hunt out the best frocks and keep one eye on the sales. This was the year that we were finally spared the embarrassment of chasing…
It’s official: 2014 was the year of the wearable
2014 is likely to be remembered as the year that wearables went from gadgets for geeks to the kind of thing everyone has. And they're going to get even more covetable next year. The catalyst for huge growth is likely to be when the Apple Watch goes head to head with the Samsung Gear S for…
Weather-reactive lights and curtains that close when it’s dark: the internet of things in 2014
Great technology doesn’t have to be in your face. It doesn’t have to be a bold, brash phablet, a brightly coloured smartwatch or a state-of-the-art speaker system. Sometimes, it's something very subtle that quietly changes the world. If the first wave of consumer tech was all about gadgets and the second all about software and apps, then…
