Steve Litchfield
(Rants, Raves, Reviews)

You'll have seen my previous review of the rather wonderful 140W GaN charger from VOLTME ? This is from the same people but rather than mains-driven, this is a totally mobile, and wireless-focussed solution for iPhones (and Android phones that are, perhaps with case help, MagSafe-compatible). The idea of a MagSafe power bank isn't new, of course. I also have the Apple version, pictured below with the MagPak 5K - the Apple one is very slightly smaller and lighter, but has significantly less capacity (2920mAh at 3.8V compared with 5000mAh, etc.) and features.  Now, this VOLTME accessory doesn't have the Apple magic in terms of inserting its charge status into your iPhone widgets, but aside from this, there's no reason not to consider this a direct replacement for the Apple version.  It's finished in a lovely soft touch plastic, in a variety of colours (I was sent purple because it was the first one off the production line, apparently!) The styling matches the MagSafe

The specifications war in the charging world never ceases to amaze me. And this is the next step, for 2023.  Freed from the shackles of users charging via whatever came in their phone or laptop's box (since they often don't have anything), third party power solutions have prospered in recent years. I hadn't heard of VOLTME before but I'm impressed by this, the highest rated mains charger I've ever owned. Especially with the (bulky) UK three pin plug variant here, this isn't the smallest charger on the block, but given the capability I think some bulk can be excused. It's a shame, mind you, that the mains pins aren't a bolt on for international travelling, i.e. have UK or USA or EU mains pins on adapters which can be snapped on - as this would qualify as a perfect travel companion. Oh well. So we're essentially talking a 'home office' or perhaps domestic travel gadget, one accessory that can charge up to three things at once and with substanti

I have a very peculiar attitude towards protecting my crown jewels. No, not those , but my smartphone, full of my stuff, signed-in sessions, and secrets. Though the exact device isn't critical, it's currently an iPhone 14 Pro Max, which comes with stainless steel chassis and 'Ceramic Shield' glass. So it's pretty damned tough on its own. (If it was an Android flagship, especially from Samsung or Google, then we'd be looking at aluminium and Gorilla Glass Victus, so still reasonably strong.) The traditional holder of one's smartphone is a pocket, but I find this to be both uncomfortable and impractical, especially when sitting down - try getting a phone out of a jeans pocket when in a car etc. (And don't even mention the unmentionable - keeping a phone in a back pocket, at risk of robbery and destruction.)  So, at the risk of seeming horrendously unfashionable (I don't care any more!), I keep my phone in a slimline vertical belt holster (made by PDair

Now this is embarrassing. I've bought and sold and then rebought the same accessory two or three times. And it's this one, from Microsoft, designed originally around the time of Lumia's, so 2012 ish, but with a view to working across all three(!) mobile platforms (now only two, of course). Bluetooth keyboards have gone into and out of fashion over the years, but they're definitely still relevant, thanks to the use of tablets and 'phablet'-style large-screened smartphones, where a wireless full size keyboard can turn the device into a mini-laptop. Microsoft's offering is still ultra-premium, has a few unique features and is worth looking out for, not least having full size keys and yet folding to pocket size without needing hinges and any moving parts. (Well, so there must be a ribbon cable of some kind embedded in the tough textured body, but that's about it...) I'm aware that revisiting this accessory so long after first release means that availab

So. Mum died about eight years ago, aged 75, and then my dad died at the end of 2021, aged 83. A pretty normal timescale for my parents and for that generation. But, amidst a house full of 80 years of mainly err... junk odds and ends (that took months to sort through), was my mum's prized photo collection. It spanned four bookcases and comprised 100 albums, beautifully indexed and numbered, each with roughly 100 photos in. So 10,000 photos in all to do something with. (one of the few of my 'dad on a cliff path' that I actually kept. He's IN the photo, not a dot on the horizon!) There is no way I wanted my own house to inherit 10,000 physical photos, so the big sort out commenced. Despite taking over a man day, the process turned out easier than I'd expected. You see, in this collection, there were a huge number of: landscape shots of the Cornwall and Devon cliffs and coastal path, usually in grainy gloom flower beds from public gardens visited - so many flower be

This is going to sound strange to those reading my camera phone test articles over the last 15 years on various sites, but I contend that phone cameras don't actually need to be capable of more than about 3x zoom . There I said it. Controversial, moi? True, from 2005 through to the present day, even I tested shots at 5x and even 10x zoom sometimes (though I always stayed away from 'silly' zoom factors like 15x and 30x, unlike some YouTubers), where warranted, but only occasionally and with the majority of test subjects at 1x, 2x, and 3x. And with good reason. Here's why. I've been doing some 'rainy day' sorting through my digital photo library, trying to prune out duplicates, test shots, and anything not needed. And in the process, have got a good idea of the gamut of shots that are actually worth keeping - of interest to myself long term or to family in the future. From people to food to pets to nature to landscapes  to transport , and I'll bet th