I’ve just updated that article with a new product I’ve found, which is perhaps the most comprehensive and elegant package I’ve yet seen. The new addition is reprinted here for your convenience:

A Universal Solution: One Accessory to Rule Them All

Some accessories, instead of choosing one method of doing things and accept the tradeoffs that come with it, you can simply bundle as many options as you can into a single piece. Usually this turns into a rather cumbersome, multi-fangled monstrosity, but sometimes an unusually elegant design results. One instance of this is the Tunelink Auto from New Potato Technologies, which presents many of the same features as the TrailBlazer covered earlier but in a much neater package.

The idea of the TuneLink is to provide all of the options you’d want for an in-car connection with the absolute minimum of physical bulk. The TuneLink’s small chassis has a USB socket, 3.5mm stereo jack and plugs into the auxiliary power point. Instead of relying on physical controls, which necessitate plugging in your transmitter where you can reach it, the TuneLink instead opts for a wholly app-based approach, where you can select the FM transmission channel and access other controls through your phone itself after connecting over Bluetooth.

This means that the entire assembly can be left safely in a glove box or other niche area, oft-times next to the auxiliary power point and auxiliary stereo input. This elegant placement keeps the car clutter free, and built in features like automatic pairing whenever you turn on the engine mean you can keep it there indefinitely, instead of constantly having to plug and re-plug.

The TuneLink also features some other nice features, like a USB socket for charging and RDS capabilities so that the song title can show up on your car’s display. Of all the solutions listed, the TuneLink provides the most features in the most elegant package, making it a good choice particularly if you have a hidden-away auxiliary power supply.

Read More, Or Write Us Back!

Here’s the product page, with more information on TuneLink. If you’d like to read more on this topic, please have a look at the rest of the article.

• TuneLink Auto BlueTooth Transmitter for Android
• How To Stream Music From Your Phone To Your Car

If you have any questions or would like advice, please feel free to send me a message via the usual channels. Thanks for reading!

• Reach us on our Facebook page at Love Your Mobile
• Talk to us on the Mobile Fun Twitter
• Reach me personally on Google Plus

Let’s take a look at what it’s got to offer…

It’s teeny-weeny
Stunningly small and startlingly stylish, the Jawbone ERA weighs just 10.2g and measures a miniscule 51.3 x 24.1 x 14.5 mm, making it small and light enough to use all day without getting earache.

It looks great
The ERA is a marvel of architecture, with a layered exterior and a sleekly textured finish.  It’s available in four elegantly low-key colours: Midnight, Shadowbox, Smokescreen and Silver Lining.

It sounds great
The ERA has the largest and most powerful speaker of any Jawbone headset so far, measuring in at 25% larger than other models.  It also offers high-quality, full-spectrum HD audio, so your caller’s mellifluous tones will be music to your ears!  The ERA is the first Bluetooth headset to feature NoiseAssassin 3.0, a noise-cancelling technology that was originally developed by the military for use by helicopter pilots and tank controllers. So it can certainly handle a bit of background traffic noise!

It’s technologically advanced

This is the first headset to feature a built-in accelerometer and MotionX technology.  Jawbone are in the process of developing a range of exciting motion-based apps for download via their MyTALK platform, and the first two have already been released: ShakeShake, which lets you go into pairing mode just by shaking the headset, and TapTap which lets you answer phone calls with just a tap.

Perfect for the car

Bluetooth headsets are a great way to stay safe whilst chatting on the road, and the Jawbone’s motion apps make it easy to take calls on the go.  Team it with a USB car charger to make sure you stay powered up and in touch no matter where you are.

It’s a great fit for all

No matter what size your lug-holes are, Jawbone cater for you – the ERA comes with eight different size/shape earbuds and an optional binaural earloop, making them the perfect fit.

The Jawbone ERA is available over on the main site, along with many more Bluetooth accessories.

I'm more grateful to this little device than ever.

It has always been good for taking and receiving calls, but this week it came into it’s own. I have now had two different hire cars, and had to use my wife’s car once as well. The handsfree kit is great as I can move from car to car, and just take it with me. It clips onto the visor of whichever car I’m in and away we go. Pairing with my phone is simple and works straight away, and even when my wife was in the car with me, due to the multipoint technology her phone paired to it too, at the same time.

I think it was a bargain when I first bought it, and I love it all the more now. I am a big supporter of the law regarding driving whilst talking on the phone, and owning this car kit has allowed me to stay legal whilst changing from car to car, thank you Clip and Talk.

See what 621 of our customers think by reading the Clip and Talk  reviews and why they awarded it 4.5/5 stars

I’ve put this guide together to run through each of the Clip and Talk Car Kits to help you choose the one that’s right for you.

Clip and Talk Bluetooth Car Kit – V3

Now in it’s 3rd generation, this is the original Clip and Talk car kit. It offers extremely simple controls and can be used by anyone. Once you’ve paired the kit with your phone, it’s just one button press to answer/end calls and activate voice dialling (if your phone supports it). There are two large buttons for adjusting the volume, and a discreet mute button for times when you don’t want to be heard.

Clip and Talk Bluetooth Car Kit - V3

If you’re not technically minded, don’t worry, the Clip and Talk V3 doesn’t need any installation. Setting it up involves inserting the battery, clipping the kit to your sun visor and pairing it to your phone. You’ll be up and running in less than a minute.

Battery life on the Clip and Talk is excellent, it has up to 1080 hours of stand by (that’s 45 days!) and 16 hours of talk time. This means that unlike some kits, you’re not going to have to keep it plugged in to your cigarette lighter and have cables trailing across your dashboard.

The Clip and Talk V3 can be paired with up to 8 handsets, this means that if the car is used by several people each driver can use the kit without having to pair their phone with it each time they get in the car. You can only use one phone at a time with the kit though.

This kit is best suited to those who are using a car kit for the first time or that want a simple, straight forward way to answer calls safely and legally in the car.

Clip and Talk Bluetooth Car Kit – Slim And Lite

The Clip and Talk Slim & Lite is, as the name suggests, a slimmer, lighter version of the Clip and Talk. As well as the obvious size difference, the Slim & Lite also supports Multipoint. If you’ve not come across Multipoint before, it’s a way that a bluetooth device, such as a car kit, can communicate with two other devices (such as mobile phones) at the same time.

Clip and Talk Bluetooth Car Kit - Slim And Lite

Uses for Multipoint vary from device to device, but in a nutshell it means that you can have 2 phones connected to the same car kit at the same time. This way, it doesn’t matter which phone rings, the call can be answered quickly and easily on the car kit.

Battery life on the Slim & Lite is almost as good, with 1000 hours stand by and 5 hours talk time. (The talk time is reduced slightly because the kit is monitoring two phones instead of one.)

Controls are similar to, and just as easy to use as the ones on the standard Clip and Talk, with one button to answer/end calls and activate voice dialling.

The Clip and Talk Slim & Lite is the perfect choice for any one who carries two phones around with them – one for work, one for personal.

Clip and Talk Bluetooth Car Kit – Solar Edition

With everyone doing their bit to bring down emissions and reduce their power consumption, accessory manufacturers are looking for greener ways to power devices such as car kits.  Solar power has been making an appearance in more and more mobile phone accessories over the last year or so and car kits are the most logical accessory to make use of it – especially as they spend most of their time in your windscreen.

Clip and Talk Bluetooth Car Kit - Solar Edition

The Clip and Talk Solar Edition is a very similar kit to the Slim & Lite, but with one big difference – a built in solar charging panel. Unlike the previous two kits that clip on to your visor, the Solar edition sticks to the inside of your windscreen and uses the power of the sun to recharge it’s battery – completely eliminating the need for a regular charger.

The kit takes 18 hours to charge using sunlight, but does come with a Micro USB car charger if you want a faster charge or are using it at night. Using solar power you get unlimited standby time and up to 13 hours talk time. Unlike the other two kits here, it doesn’t fit on your sun visor, instead uses a suction mount to place it in your windscreen.

Controls are as easy as the other two Clip and Talk car kits, and as with the Slim & Lite it supports Mulitpoint, allowing you to use two phones at the same time.

We recently reviewed this kit on the blog, if you want to see well it performed, read the Clip and Talk Solar Edition review.

Summary

In terms of call quality and usability, there isn’t much between the three kits. Personally I’d opt for the Clip and Talk Solar. Multipoint is worthwhile feature and the fact that you never need to charge it is extremely appealing as it means that the cigarette lighter is free to charge my phone or iPod. Not being mounted on the sun visor is a bonus too as it means that you can continue to use the kit (and be heard) even with the visor down.

If you’ve used any of the Clip and Talk Car Kit’s let us know what you think using the comments form below.

]]> http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/blog/2010/02/choosing-the-best-clip-and-talk-car-kit/feed/ 0 http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/blog/2009/09/a-guide-to-the-best-professionally-installed-car-kits/ http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/blog/2009/09/a-guide-to-the-best-professionally-installed-car-kits/#comments Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:51:24 +0000 Andy Simpson http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/blog/?p=4001 If you spend a reasonable amount of time in the car use your phone for calls, listening to music or for GPS Navigation while you’re driving, then a hands free car kit is essential.  Over recent years, the number of ‘self install’ or ‘plug and play’ car kits available has increased considerably, but while they may be a great low cost, portable solution, they can’t compete with the audio quality, ease of use and reliability of a fully installed car kit that is integrated with your vehicle.

In the earlier days of mobile phones, the King of the Car Kits was the Nokia CARK-91, almost every fleet car had one fitted but then along came Bluetooth, changing Car Kits forever. You no longer needed bulky cradles or holders attached to your dashboards, external aerials and speakers became unnecessary  and car kits started to get smarter.

Modern Bluetooth car kits can do much more than just play your calls through a speaker. Car kits can now route audio from your calls through your car stereo without the need for adapters or extra cables, play music from your phone through the stereo, store your phonebook, add voice dialling capabilities, connect to MP3 players and Sat Nav units and much more. Bluetooth car kits are more flexible too, they work with any make of handset, where as older car kits with cradles generally only work with just one manufacturer – THB car kits being the only exception to this.

To help make choosing the right professionally installed car kit a bit easier for you, I’ve been through our range of car kits and listed 5 of the best below.

Nokia CK-300

The Nokia CK-300 is a mid-range Bluetooth car kit from Nokia and with the right phone can be a very powerful accessory. All you see on your dashboard is a small remote control that has a rotating dial and 4 well spaced buttons which make it extremely easy to use. The CK-300 is designed to work best with Nokia S60 handsets (N-Series and E-Series). On it’s own, it can connect to your phone to answer and end calls, stream music in stereo over bluetooth and can also be connected to any music player that has a 3.5mm headphone socket.

Nokia CK-300 Bluetooth Car Kit

To really make the most of the kit though, you can download and install the Nokia Car Menu Application which will then make your phone an integral part of the car kit. You can use the remote control on the car kit to access pretty most of the main applications on your phone, including the phone book, email inbox, music library, Nokia Maps, call logs and settings. If your phone supports it, you can then get the car kit to read out text messages and emails while you’re driving using text to speech technology.

Installation of the car kit has been improved too. It no longer needs to be wired into the ignition of your car as a built in motion sensor will turn the kit on when the car is moving.  It’s a neater installation too as there is no external speaker on the CK-300 – it connects directly to the back of your car stereo and plays all audio through your existing speakers (Non ISO car stereos may require an extra cable). Nokia handsets with a 2mm charging port can be charged from the car kit as it has a 2mm charging cable, other handsets will need a separate car charger. If you want to know more about the CK-300 I covered this kit in detail on my post a couple of weeks ago when I wrote my guide to Nokia Car Kits.

Parrot MKi 9000

Parrot have always made great car kits, and as they aren’t tied to any handset manufacturers, they tend to offer the best compatibility with phones. The MKi car kits work brilliantly for calls and music and are the only car kits that have been designed with MP3 player compatibility in mind. Other car kits will support music playback, but on some kits this appears to be an afterthought rather than an intended feature. As a user of a touchscreen phone with a large display I’ve found that the Mki9000 does a great job, although if you have a phone with a small screen you may be better suited to the Mki9100 or Mki9200.

Parrot MKi9000 Bluetooth Car Kit

The MKi 9000 is usually installed behind your dashboard making it almost invisible and connects to your stereo using an ISO connection (Non ISO stereo’s may require an extra cable). It has a small wireless remote control that can be mounted on your dashboard or steering wheel and can be removed quickly and easily when you leave the car. The MKi9000 supports stereo music streaming over Bluetooth, is licensed to work with iPods and iPhones, and can be connected to almost any music player using a 3.5mm line in or USB connection. If you have an iPhone, it will charge it while it’s connected, but for other handsets you’ll need to purchase a separate car charger.

The range consists of 3 kits, each offering the same functionality, but with different screen options. The only real difference with the 9100 and 9200 are the screens. The MKi9100 has a small, 2 line OLED screen that shows you caller and song information whereas the MKi9200 has a larger colour screen that also displays album art, photo caller ID and has an SD card reader built in. The MKi9200 can handle SD cards upto 32GB in size, so depending on how much music you have, you could have your entire music library in the car with you.

THB Bury System 8

Bluetooth might have meant the end of car kits with cradles by Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Motorola, but that hasn’t stopped THB Bury from producing one. The THB System 8 has been around for years and is still incredibly popular. One of the biggest benefits of having a cradled car kit is that it will charge your phone while it’s in the holder and without the need to use a car charger – on the downside though, often when you change your phone, it won’t fit into the old cradle and it means ripping the kit out and buying a new one. Fortunately you don’t need to do that with the THB System 8 as it is made up of two components – the car kit and interchangeable cradles – whenever you change your phone, you just buy a new cradle, unclip the old one and attach the new one.  No secondary installation fees and no hassle.

THB Bury System 8 Interchangable Car Kit

Most cradles will charge your phone while it’s connected and an external antenna can be connected if required. As standard the kit will connect to your ISO car stereo to route the audio through your existing speakers (Non ISO stereos may require an extra cable).

New cradles are normally available within a few weeks of a handset being released, but if you find that there isn’t a cradle available for your new phone, THB have also produced a Bluetooth adapter that will work with any Bluetooth enabled phone, but as with most Bluetooth car kits, it won’t charge your phone. THB System 8 kits are designed for calls only and don’t support music or satellite navigation.

Motorola HF-850

The HF-850 has made it into this list mainly because of it’s price. While it’s not as advanced as the Nokia CK-300 or Parrot MKi range and doesn’t support music or sat nav, it does a great job of handling your calls while you’re in the car. As standard the HF-850 will route your calls through an external speaker which is normally mounted in the passenger foot well, but can be routed through your car stereo with the appropriate adapter.

Motorola HF-850 Bluetooth Car Kit

The HF-850 has a small remote that is mounted on your dash and provides quick and simple controls for answering and ending calls and adjusting the volume. The HF-850 will work with any Bluetooth enabled phone.

Parrot RKi8400

The RKi8400 is new from Parrot this month and has all the features of the MKi9200, but instead of plugging into your car stereo, the RKi8400 is a replacement head unit for your car that sits in your dash like a standard radio would.

It has a removable front that reveals a storage area for your phone or MP3 player, a colour display screen that provides information on who’s calling and what song is playing, along with a numbered keypad for quick, easy dialling as well as access to radio station presets. As with the MKi9200, the stereo has an SD card reader that can handle 32GB memory cards, potentially allowing you to store your entire music library in your car.

Parrot RKi8400 Bluetooth Car Stereo

Installation should be quick as it’s just a case of removing your old stereo and replacing it with this one – having said that, we still recommend professional installation as you’ll need to route the microphone to the roof and if you don’t have an ISO stereo you’ll need some extra cables. If you don’t have a standard size stereo fitted in your car already, you’ll also need an adapter plate in order for this to fit properly.

What else might you need?

Bluetooth Car kits generally don’t come with holders, so it’s worth investing in a holder to keep your phone safe and close to hand whenever you’re in the car. For the most secure fix I’d recommend using a Brodit Holder, and if you want to see the different options available there are a couple of posts that you should take a look at:

• Guide to Nokia Car Holders
• Brodit Active Holders Vs Brodit Passive Holders

Installation

A lot of people are put off professionally fitted kits as they think that installation is expensive or difficult to arrange, but this isn’t the case. Over recent months, the prices for installation have fallen, making them more affordable than ever. Arranging installation couldn’t be simpler either. It can all be arranged with just one phone call, and the installation engineer will bring any additional parts with them.  Mobile Fun currently offer 2 levels of installation – Standard Installation and Premium Installation.

Premium Installation is available on all car kits and includes fitting the kit at an address of your choice anywhere in the UK. It also includes connecting the car kit to your stereo for improved audio quality. There are no hidden costs as all cables and adapters are included in the price.

Standard Installation is only available on car kits that use an external speaker such as the Motorola HF-850. If the car kit you are buying uses ISO connections, you’ll need to opt for Premium Installation.

All car kits installed by Mobile Fun include a 12 month warranty for total peace of mind.

]]> http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/blog/2009/09/a-guide-to-the-best-professionally-installed-car-kits/feed/ 0 http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/blog/2009/05/pairing-guide-parrot-bluetooth-car-kits/ http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/blog/2009/05/pairing-guide-parrot-bluetooth-car-kits/#comments Mon, 11 May 2009 12:03:16 +0000 Andy Simpson http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/blog/?page_id=1198 If you’ve ever had a car kit fitted, chances are that the engineer who fitted it paired your phone to it for you and it ‘just worked’ without you having to do anything to set it up. The only downside to this of course, is when you upgrade your phone you’re left with a car kit thats looking for an old phone, and a new phone that can’t find the car kit.

If you’re anything like me, user manuals get thrown in the back of a drawer, never to be seen again, so figuring out how to get your new phone to work with your Parrot car kit could be quite a challenge. To help you out, I’ve put a quick guide together on how to pair your phone with Parrot’s most recent car kits. So as long as you know how to search for Bluetooth devices on your phone you should get connected again in no time at all.

Parrot CK3000:

1. Start the car and ensure the car kit is on.
2. Activate Bluetooth on your phone, and search for Bluetooth devices.
3. Select "Parrot CK" from the list.
4. Enter 1234 on your phone when prompted.
5. The Parrot CK3000 will sound a beep when connected to your phone.

Your phone has now been paired with the Car Kit and is ready for use.

Parrot CK3000 Evolution:

1. Start the car and ensure the car kit is on.
2. Activate Bluetooth on your phone, and search for Bluetooth devices.
3. Select Parrot EVOL from the list.
4. Enter 1234 on your phone when prompted.
5. The Parrot CK3000 Evolution says "Pairing successful" when both devices are paired and will sound a beep when connected to your phone.

Your phone has now been paired with the Car Kit and is ready for use.

Parrot CK3100, CK3300 & CK3500:

1. Start the car and ensure the car kit is on.
2. Activate Bluetooth on your phone, and search for Bluetooth devices.
3. Select Parrot CK from the list.
4. Enter 1234 on your phone when prompted.
5. The Parrot CK3000 Series will say"Pairing successful" when both devices are paired and will sound a beep when connected to your phone.

Your phone has now been paired with the Car Kit and is ready for use.

Parrot CK3200 & CK3400:

1. Start the car and ensure the car kit is on.
2. Press then turn the scroll wheel of the remote controls until the Settings menu is displayed and then press the scroll wheel.
3. Select "Pair with…" and select your mobile phone’s model and confirm. If your phone’s model is not displayed, select Other Phones.
4. Activate Bluetooth on your phone, and search for Bluetooth devices.
5. Select the Parrot 3200LS / Parrot 3400LS from the list and enter the pin number shown on the car kit display.

Your phone has now been paired with the Car Kit and is ready for use. The phone book will be synchronised automatically if supported by your phone and car kit.

This will take you to the Motorola Pairing website and guide you through how to get your devices working. If you can’t see your phone listed on the second stage, select the closest available model.

The Parrot MKi9000 features an external double microphone and new software which eliminates environmental and in-car noises with full-duplex and zero-echo crystal clear conversations. It includes an independent RF remote control which enables you to take complete control at the touch of a button. The MKi system is supplied with a music cable which enables you to connect your music player via USB or using a 3.5mm cable. The MKi9000 also supports streaming music over Bluetooth from any A2DP enabled device.
Order the Parrot MKi9000.

The Parrot MKi9100 has the same specifications as the MKi9000, but with the addition of a blue OLED display screen that lets you see the callers name and number when receiving a call. When you connect your music player to the MKi9100 using USB or Bluetooth and the MKi9100 will display the track title and artist on the screen. The Display screen can be removed easily for added security.
Order the Parrot MKi9100.

The Parrot MKi9200 supports all the features on the MKi9000, with the addition of a 2.4 inch colour screen. With the colour screen you can assign photos to contacts, set a background wallpaper, see playlists and album covers. The display screen also has a built in SDHC Memory Card reader, supporting memory cards upto 32GB – completely eliminating the need for a seperate music player. Simply store all the music you want on your memory card, and play it directly from the MKi9200.
Order the Parrot MKi9200.

If you’re looking at getting a car kit, don’t forget to check out our guide on Car Kit accessories.