Archive for June, 2010
Monday, June 28th, 2010
Like a lot of you, I’ve been waiting quite a while to get my hands on a set of the Nokia BH-505 Bluetooth Headphones, Nokia’s latest Stereo Bluetooth Headset. Stock has been extremely limited and any that did arrive went straight out to customers.
Now that we’ve finally managed secure stock, I grabbed hold of a pair to put them through their paces. Are the Nokia BH-505′s any good? Read on to find out.
In the Box
One of the first things you notice after you’ve struggled to remove them from the packaging, is that they’re actually quite small and extremely thin. The way they’re packaged makes it look like you don’t get much with them, but to be fair you only need a charger and spare ear gels, so that’s exactly what you get.
Box Contents:
Features
Nokia have never really done much with stereo bluetooth accessories. They’ve released a few bluetooth headphones and bluetooth speakers over the years, but they’ve never been anything special compared to those offered by Motorola, Jabra and Sony Ericsson. The Nokia BH-505 look as though that’s set to change. They look fantastic and they’re easy to use. Feature-wise, the BH-505′s have limited multipoint support, track controls, volume controls and NFC (Near Field Communication) for easy pairing.
Multipoint is becoming more and more of a standard feature on bluetooth headphones, so it’s a little surprising to see that Nokia haven’t fully supported it on the BH-505. You can use them with two devices at the same time, but only one device can connect for calls and one for music. Your phone is the obvious choice for calls, but for music, you can connect it to your iPod touch, PC or Mac, PS3 or another phone – although the second phone will be for music only, you won’t be able to answer calls from it
I don’t think this will be too much of an issue though. Nokia are clearly aiming this headset at social/sports users rather than business users that are likely to carry two phones around with them.
Design
The Nokia BH-505 looks to me like a slimmer, cleaner looking version of the Motorola S9 HD. They use a similar headband style that wraps around the back of your head.
The Motorola S9 HD’s are fairly bulky and the controls are quite fiddly to use as they are small and touch sensitive. The Nokia BH-505 has 2 simple buttons that add to the visual appeal of the headset and make using it a pleasure.
The headset is designed to be water/sweatproof so all sensitive parts of the headset are hidden away. The power button, LED lights and charging port are all discretely positioned and unless you know where to look for them you won’t find them.
The only thing that I found annoying was the plastic cover over the charging socket. It only peels back a few millimetres which makes it a little fiddly to get the standard 2.5mm charging pin into. The BH-505 has an IP rating of IP54 for splash and sweat resistance and is the only stereo bluetooth headset that I’ve seen to have an IP rating.
Controls & Set Up
Some people get scared away from Bluetooth Headphones, thinking that they’re difficult to use or set up. While this may have been true for early models, it certainly isn’t the case for the Nokia BH-505. Pairing is painless, the first time the headset is turned on it puts itself into pairing mode, all you do is search for bluetooth devices and enter the passkey 0000, if asked.
When tested with iPhone 4, the phone provided the passkey without asking me for it, completing the whole process in around 20 seconds. If your phone supports NFC (highly unlikely at the moment, but all Nokia smartphones will by next year) pairing is as simple as activating NFC on your phone and tapping the phone against the headband on the headset.
As mentioned, the controls are kept to a minimum on the BH-505. The on/off button is located on the inside of the headband, answer/end is on the right earpiece and play/pause is on the left earpiece. If you forget which way round they are, each button has a raised symbol on them so you can feel which is which. The answer/end button activates voice dialling and last number redial and if you’re an iPhone user you’ll be pleased to know that pressing and holding the answer key will also activate voice control on iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4.
The only other controls on the headset are 2 small sliders – one on each ear. These sliders push up to increase the volume or fast forward, and push down to decrease the volume or skip back a track. They do the job they’re supposed to, but are a little on the small side and it’s easy for your fingers to slip off them.
Audio Quality
Nokia accessories have always been pretty good when it comes to audio quality. The BH-505′s won’t blow you away with crystal clear sound, but for listening to MP3′s off your phone and taking phone calls they are more than adequate. Avid music fans are probably better off sticking with wired headphones, but for casual users that enjoy listening to their music on the bus on the way to work or while you’re down working out at the gym, you’ll find the audio quality is excellent.
Unlike some bluetooth headphones, the BH-505′s have volume control built in. This means that when you turn the volume up, it’s the headphones doing the work and not the phone. This may not seem like a big deal, but it’s the only way to change the volume level if you’re listening to your music from an iPhone or iPod touch as the bluetooth restrictions on these devices prevents volume control from working.
Why Choose
The Nokia BH-505 is a great headset for anyone who takes part in physical activities or that just enjoys listening to music without the hassle of wires. It’s not overly expensive and the sound quality is impressive for something so slim. It’s easy to use and set up and will work brilliantly with just about every bluetooth enabled phone out there – even the iPhone.
Also Consider
If the Nokia BH-505 aren’t quite what you’re looking for you might want to take a look at these other Bluetooth Headphones.
My Rating
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Friday, June 25th, 2010
Well, Apple have almost acknowledged that there is a problem with the signal on the new iPhone 4, but they’re saying that the problem is actually caused by you holding the phone incorrectly. I think that’s a strange thing to say when users that are having the problem (myself included) are holding the phone in the exact same way that it’s being held in the promotional videos on the Apple website.
We don’t really think that holding your phone differently is the answer, so we’ve carried out our own testing and have come up with four ingenious ways that you can stop your iPhone 4 from losing signal.
1. Use a Bluetooth Headset
It might seem obvious, but if you’re using a Bluetooth Headset you can leave the phone on your desk, in your pocket or on the seat next to you. No contact with the phone means that there’s no chance of losing signal and dropping the call!
Using Bluetooth removes the need to touch your phone
2. Get an iPhone 4 case
As mentioned yesterday, the most effective way to resolve this problem is to fit a case to your phone. We’ve got almost 200 iPhone cases to choose from and all of them will stop the phone from losing signal.
Fitting a case will prevent signal loss
3. Wear Gloves
I know, you can’t use the iPhone if you’re wearing gloves. Well, technically that’s not true. Fingerless gloves work a treat. They cover the palm of your phone, preventing the antenna from touching your skin and detuning, while still allowing you to use the touch screen. It’s the perfect solution for anyone who doesn’t want to spoil the look of their new iPhone 4 with a case.
Use fingerless gloves to fix signal problems
4. Sellotape
I bet by now you’re thinking we’ve really lost the plot, but trust me. This works. Cut yourself about 1cm of sellotape and place it on the antenna on the left hand side of the phone over the black plastic joining strip. Fold it round so that it covers the back of the antenna and job done.
Use Sellotape to cover the Antenna Join
What do you think? Got any other suggestions for us? How have you fixed the signal problems on your iPhone 4?
Let us know using the comments below.
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Thursday, June 24th, 2010
Like a lot of people, I was up very early this morning to secure my place in line for an iPhone 4. After 5 hours of waiting I finally got my hands on one, but after the sim had been activated, I began to notice the same unusual signal problems that have been widely reported online.
Bizarrely, when you’re holding the iPhone 4 (particularly in your left hand,) the signal drops down one bar at a time until there’s nothing left, resulting in dropped calls.
iPhone 4 - Out Now
It turns out that it’s caused by your palm bridging the two antennas on the phone, causing the 3G antenna to ‘detune’ and lose signal.
Fortunately, there is a really quick and simple fix that requires no technical knowledge at all. All you need to do is get yourself an iPhone 4 Case!
It doesn’t matter too much which style you go for, as long as it’s non-conductive and puts a barrier between your hand and the stainless steel band that runs around the sides of your iPhone 4.
There are 4 cases that I’d recommend to solve this problem, an iPhone 4 FlexiShield, an iPhone 4 Bumper, an iPhone 4 Silicone Case or a Cygnett iPhone 4 Snaps Duo. Here’s why:
iPhone 4 FlexiShield
FlexiShield Skins are by far our most popular case. They’re made from a tough, thin gel and cover the back and sides of the iPhone, leaving the screen and buttons fully accessible. As they wrap around to the front of the phone, they completely cover the metal sides of the phone, eliminating any chance of you touching the antenna.
iPhone 4 FlexiShield Skin
Cygnett iPhone 4 Snaps Duo
These covers from Cygnett are similar to the iPhone 4 Bumpers from Apple, but cost less and come in a twin pack. They completely cover the sides of the phone and give it a little more bounced when dropped, but most importantly prevent you from catching the antenna. Another nice touch is that they also include 2 iPhone 4 screen protectors – one for the front and one for the back of the phone.
Cygnett Snaps Duo for iPhone 4
iPhone 4 Silicone Case
Silicone Cases are great value for money. They’re similar in many ways to FlexiShield skins, but are thinner and more flexible. They don’t offer quite as much protection as a FlexisShield, but will still cover up the antenna and prevent you from touching it.
iPhone 4 Silicone Case
iPhone 4 Bumper
Apple’s first case for the iPhone caught people by surprise at the Keynote presentation earlier this month, but having now played with iPhone 4, I can see why Apple thought it necessary to develop these cases – to prevent the signal loss. The bumpers are made from a combination of plastic and rubber and completely cover the edges of your phone.
Apple's new iPhone 4 Bumpers
Apple iPhone Bumpers aren’t the cheapest iPhone 4 Case, but they are made to Apple’s usual high standard and have ‘push through’ metal buttons to control volume control and to turn the phone on/off.
Most of these iPhone 4 Cases are available now, but as it’s launch day, you may find that some of these sell out quite quickly. We’re expecting more iPhone 4 Cases to arrive daily over the course of the next few weeks, so keep an eye on the Mobile Fun Blog for updates.
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Tags: deathgrip, iphone 4 case, iphone 4 Cases, iphone 4 Cover, iphone 4 Covers, iphone 4 Pouch, iphone 4 Pouches, iphone 4 Skin, iphone 4 Skins, iphone4 Case, iphone4 Cases, iphone4 Cover, iphone4 Covers, iphone4 Pouch, iphone4 Pouches, iphone4 Skin, iphone4 Skins,
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Thursday, June 24th, 2010
Now England have ‘safely’ made the second round of the World Cup and set up yet another meeting with the old enemy, Germany, we thought it was the ideal time to reveal the Krusell Luna England Pouch, the must have phone accessory for any discerning England fan.
- Krusell Luna England Pouch
Co-designed by Kenzo and Yves Saint Laurent, this slim designed mobile case not only spotlights the famous England St George cross so prevalent at all England matches, (and many a car window too) but as it is handmade in exclusive and durable Nappa leather, will give great protection when you throw your phone at the TV screen as a result of any dodgy refereeing decisions, open goal misses and of course the odd missed penalty.
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Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
I’ve posted a couple of times in the last week or two about iPad cases, but when our shiny new iPad arrived this morning, I couldn’t resist the chance to get my hands on it and try some of these cases for myself.
As everyone in the team was keen to have a play with the iPad I thought I’d make the most of it and get several opinions on each of the cases. We tested several different iPad cases – everything from the ridiculously named foofbag, right through to well known brands such as Speck and Hard Candy.
Everyone looks for something different in a case, so it was no surprise that each case got a different response from each person in the team, but the overall opinion on them was the pretty similar.
All of the iPad cases listed here are available from our sister site GearZap.com, so don’t be surprised when the website changes after you click on a link.
Of all of the cases that we tried out these are our favourite 5 iPad cases – and just in case you’re wondering, the stand that we’re using isn’t included with any of the cases listed below – it’s the one that’s included with the SwitchEasy Nude iPad Case.
1. Speck Candy Shell for iPad
We love this case! Of all the ones we tried, we all agreed that this did a great job of looking after the iPad. It’s made in two parts – a solid plastic outer shell and a soft, impact absorbing rubber lining. Instead of having cut outs for the volume and sleep buttons, the Candy Shell has ‘press through’ buttons built in. This makes them much easier to use. The only exception is the orientation lock switch, which has to be left exposed in order to use it.
Speck Candy Shell for iPad
The plastic back cover isn’t as slippery as some of the other cases which makes it a little easier to hold and reduces the chance of it slipping through your fingers. The rubber lining is visible around the edges of your screen and tends to sit where your thumbs are which again helps to keep the device in your hand.
If you use a dock with your iPad, you’ll love the fact that you can still use it, even with the case fitted. It has a flap on the rear that is wide enough to accommodate most docks, including both the standard and keyboard docks from Apple.
2. Macally MetroL Pad for iPad
The Macally MetroL-Pad is a similar style case to the Speck Candy Shell, but is different in a couple of ways. What we all liked about this case is that it doesn’t detract from the original look of the iPad as it has a clear back cover, but the edges are in a black rubber so as to absorb bumps and cover up any scuffs.
Macally iPad MetroL-Pad
The one feature with this case that stood out was the four plastic ‘feet’ that are moulded into the cover. It’s a really simple idea, but these feet lift the iPad off your desk or table just enough for it to not get scratched when you’re moving it about. It’s a shame that other cases don’t have them built in, particularly the Chrome Shell, as it would keep them looking better for longer.
3. Hard Candy Bubble Sleeve
The Hard Candy Bubble Sleeve is a protective case for iPad, but in a completely different way to the two above. It’s designed to be used to transport your iPad, rather than provide protection while you’re using it. The case is tough, really tough. It can withstand some pretty heavy knocks and drops and has plenty of padding to protect the screen making it perfect for anyone carries their iPad around in their bag or backpack.
Hard Candy Bubble Sleeve for iPad
Your iPad is secured by 4 rubber corners that are held in place using velcro. When I first saw that they were removable, I was a bit puzzled as to why, but then I realised that it’s so that you can adjust the case to hold your iPad even if you’ve fitted a case like the Macally or Speck.
4. Macally MetroM-Pad Chrome iPad Case
This cover received mixed reviews, some love it, some hated it. It’s a decorative cover that clips on to the corners of your iPad, which makes fitting it really easy, but at the same time it makes it quite fragile – drop your iPad on one of the corners and they’re likely to break off.
iPad Macally Chrome Cover
Once it’s on though, it looks great – apart from the fingerprints! If you’ve already got an iPad, you’ll know from using it that it’s really bad for fingerprints on the screen. This case makes the back cover just as bad, so a cleaning cloth and an anti-glare iPad screen protector is a must!
Despite the couple of niggles, the cover looks great. It only really protects the back of your iPad against scratches though, so it’s probably worth looking at getting another case to carry it around in – a Foof maybe?
5. Leather Stand Case for iPad
When Apple revealed the iPad back in January, they also unveiled a range of accessories for it. The most interesting was a leather folio case that doubled up as a stand for watching videos and photo slideshows and could also be used to position the iPad for more comfortable typing.
Folding Leather Case for iPad
Well, 6 months on and Apple are still struggling to supply them, but that doesn’t mean you have to go with out. This case is styled in a similar way to the Apple case. It has a compartment for you to zip your iPad into and can be used in two positions, just like the Apple one.
The home button is still accessible, but all other ports are covered by the zips, but as it’s a twin zip system you can just unzip it in the one corner if you need access to the volume keys, headphone port or sleep switch. The insides of the case are microfibre lined so as to keep your device clean and fingerprint free. Oh, and the best news is, it’s half the price of the Apple case.
Special Mention: foofbag
I tried to not include it, but I just can’t resist it! We’ve had such a laugh this afternoon playing with a Foof Bag that it just had to be included in this post. Innuendo aside, the Foof is a Corduroy carry pouch for the iPad. It’s fleece lined and heavily padded, so if you carry your iPad around in your bag and want to protect it, this is a good option – especially if you’re using a cover like the Macally Chrome cover as it will wipe away fingerprints when you insert and remove the iPad.
It’s a bit different, and I’m sure you’ll be keen to show off your new foof to all your friends. Here’s a photo of my foof.
foofbag for iPad
There we go then, that’s 5 of our favourite iPad cases. If you want us to go hands on with a case that’s not listed here let us know using the comments form at the bottom of this post.
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Tags: best ipad case, best ipad cover, iPad, iPad Case, iPad Cases, iPad Cover, iPad Covers, iPad Pouch, iPad Pouches, iPad Skin, iPad Skins,
1 Comment
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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