Posts Tagged ‘Bluetooth’
Friday, September 26th, 2008
When choosing a Bluetooth Headset, its easy to become overwhelmed by the vast range of headsets available. They all look the same, do the same basic job, so whats the difference and what should you be looking for when choosing a Bluetooth Headset?
Design:
Bluetooth Headsets come in a range of shapes and sizes. They range from the more conventional "over the ear" with a boom microphone, to small "in the ear" headsets that are barely visible. Each style has its advantages – In ear headsets can be more comfortable, especially for those who wear glasses, where as "over the ear" headsets can be a bit more secure, with less risk of them falling off. All headsets can be adjusted to be worn on either the left or right ear.
Weight:
The smaller the headset, the lighter it should be. If you’re going to be wearing your headset for long periods, a lighter headset will be more comfortable, but with less weight and smaller size, you may have to compromise on battery life. The weight of a Bluetooth Headset ranges from around 9g to over 20g.
Battery Life:
Battery times on headsets have improved significantly over the last few years. It’s not unusual to find headsets with upto 12 hours talktime and upto 300 hours standby time. If you’re going to be using your headset more for making regular calls, talktime will be more important to you. If you don’t really make that many calls, but need a headset for when you do get the occasional call, then opt for one with a longer standby time.
Music:
Bluetooth Headsets aren’t just for taking calls. Stereo Bluetooth Headsets allow you to listen to your music in stereo (if supported by your phone). They work in the same way as a normal Bluetooth Headset, and will automatically pause your music when a call comes in. Stereo Bluetooth Headsets aren’t recommended if you’re driving, but are ideal for using at the gym, or during sporting and leisure activities. Most Stereo Bluetooth Headsets have music controls on them, allowing you to control your music without having to touch your phone. In order to stream music to a Stereo Bluetooth Headset you will need to make sure your phone supports the A2DP profile. Read our Bluetooth Guide for more information.
Charging:
How your headset charges can be quite important. A lot of headsets charge using the same connector as mobile phones, so its normally a good idea to opt for a headset that’s made by the same manufacturer as your phone. By using the same charger as you use on your phone, you won’t have to purchase a second charger for in the car, and you will only have to carry one charger around with you when you travel. Some headsets also support USB charging, making it easy to charge using a USB cable connected to your laptop if you’re out and about.
Multipoint:
Multipoint is a relatively new technology in Bluetooth Headsets. Standard Bluetooth Headsets normally allow you to pair with 2 or more phones, but only one can be active at any one time. Multipoint Bluetooth Headsets allow you to connect and use two phones at the same time – ideal if you carry a work mobile and a personal mobile. With Multipoint, both phones are connected, and when a call comes in, the audio is transferred to the headset automatically. If a call comes in on your other phone, you can easily switch between calls, just by pressing a button on the headset.
For more information on Multipoint and how it works, check out our guide to Multipoint.
Call Alert:
There’s nothing worse than leaving your phone on silent in your bag or pocket, it’s very easy to miss calls, especially if you’re in the car. Some Bluetooth Headsets now have vibration alert, so when a call comes in the headset will vibrate gently on your ear to alert you. Some headsets now have a discreet LED light that flashes when you have an incoming call.
Voice Dial:
Most current handsets support voice dialling. Activating voice dialling with a Bluetooth Headset is a case of simply pressing a button and saying the persons name that you want to call. Depending on your phone and the headset, it is possible to answer, end and reject calls all through voice control. For the best compatibility for voice dialling we would recommend a Bluetooth Headset made by the same manufacturer as your handset.
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Friday, September 26th, 2008
Parrot have just announced a fantastic new range of in-car handsfree kits. The MKi range is a unique Bluetooth hands-free car kit that can be fitted to most vehicles. It combines the latest communication technologies with a full set of services dedicated to music and are fully compatible with all iPod’s. There are three versions of the MKi Kit, all based on the same setup. The Parrot MKi kits connect to your car audio system and deliver hi-quality conversations whatever the conditions are. All versions of the MKi offer self-learning voice recognition, contact search and text-to speech and come with a multi-functional remote that you can use to answer calls, adjust the volume and control your music. Parrot are also due to launch a new, optional MultiCAN accessory that will allow you to use steering-mounted controls to handle calls where applicable.
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.
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Thursday, September 18th, 2008
Want to use less energy and get more battery life out of your mobile phone? Here are our top 5 tips on how to reduce your mobile phones carbon footprint.
Turn your phone off!
It may sound silly, but how many times do you turn your phone off when you go to bed at night? Chances are you’ve not had many phone calls in the middle of the night, so by turning your phone off when you go to bed, and back on again in the morning, you’re saving 8 hours a day of battery life and could extend your battery life by a few days.
Turn off Bluetooth.
Bluetooth only needs to be turned on when you need it – by leaving it turned on all day your phone is constantly looking for other Bluetooth devices and draining your battery.
Turn off GPRS, 3G & WiFi.
If you never use the internet on your mobile, you won’t notice any difference by turning GPRS and 3G off – other than having to charge your phone less! If you do use Internet on your phone through either 3G or WiFi, turn them on as and when you need them, other wise they’ll be consuming power searching for networks when there is no need.
Adjust the display.
Manufacturers normally set the screen to its brightest setting to make it look clearer. This only drains power, adjust the settings and dim the screen to a level that you can still see, but is no brighter than it needs to be. Change the screen saver settings too, set it to come on sooner – reducing the time the screen is lit up for.
Leave it alone!
We’re all guilty of it, we get bored, nervous, need to look busy, so we pick up our phones and start fiddling with them. We’re not doing anything on them, only draining the battery. Put it down and find something else to play with!
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Thursday, September 18th, 2008
These days we’re all trying to reduce our carbon footprint. Turning things off when they’re not needed, getting more efficient cars, recycling waste, but what can you do to reduce the footprint of your mobile phone?
The one source of power that is all around us, completely free and has no damaging effects on the environment is the sun, and thanks to a new range of accessories, you can now harness the power of the sun to help reduce the power your mobile phone uses.
Solar Powered Bluetooth Car Kits
LG and Iqua have both released a Solar powered Bluetooth Car Kit.
The LG HFB-500 sits on the inside of your car windscreen and charges itself using energy from the sun. While its in sunlight it will charge constantly, and can provide upto 16 hours of talktime, and 1100 hours stand by time from a full charge! LG also provide a car charger, just in case the battery does run out, but as you’ll no doubt be leaving this in your windscreen all day, everyday you’ll probably never need it! If you have an LG handset, you can use the HFB-500 as an emergency charger and charge your phone from it.
The Iqua Vizor Sun is a slightly different concept and is designed to be mounted on your sunvisor. You’ll need to have your sunvisor down in order for it to charge, but its clear keypad makes answering calls easy. Talk time is even more impressive than the LG Handsfree, and it has unlimited standby times when in sunlight.
Solar Powered Bluetooth headset
Iqua are certainly leading the field with environmentally friendly mobile accessories – In addition to their Solar Powered Bluetooth Car Kit, they also offer the worlds first Solar Powered Bluetooth Headset – the Iqua Sun BH-603. Despite having a solar panel built in, the headset weighs just 14g and provides upto 9 hours of talktime in darkness, even more in daylight. As the Iqua Sun draws its energy directly from the sun, it gives you complete freedom from wires.
Solar Chargers:
These are a must have accessory for anyone with an MP3 player, Mobile Phone, Handheld games console, or any other gadget that can be charged using a USB Charging Cable. The Solar Chargers have an inbuilt battery that draws its power from the sun. A range of charging tips are included for most devices. Solar Chargers are ideal for trips away, days out or down on the beach!
Using the Sun to charge your mobile phone and accessories may not be the biggest change you can make, but its certainly a step in the right direction. To help you save more energy, read our post on How to extend your Mobile Phone’s battery life.
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Tags: accessories, battery, Bluetooth, case, cases, charger, charging, headset, phone, power, release, solar,
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Friday, August 22nd, 2008
In recent times Jabra have released many different headsets, and most are still in the shadow of the all conquering BT250V. Amongst all the recent releases is a little gem – the Jabra BT4010.
It is really small, measuring a mere 5.1 x 1.7 x D 2.8cm. It has the auto pairing feature meaning it is really fast and simple to connect to a phone. The final standout feature is a Smart Display, which is a really useful feature which shows battery life, Bluetooth connection status and call status.
All this plus a really competitive price point makes the Jabra BT4010 my new favourite Jabra headset.
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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
We just heard that Huawei, the company behind the ever popular USB Mobile Broadband Dongle and some of Vodafone’s own handsets, (710, 716 and 810) are set to announce the Huawei U5800 as the Vodafone 730. Details are sketchy, but the handset is thought to be a “WCDMA/GPRS/GSM Mobile Phone with Bluetooth.” The handset is expected to be a simple candybar design as with the current 700 series.
Also in the pipeline are a Vodafone 830 and Vodafone 625. The Vodafone 830 will support HSDPA/UMTS/GPRS/GSM and Bluetooth and is thought to be of a sliding design.
The Vodafone 625 (aka Huawei U1100)is a WCDMA/GPRS/GSM/EDGE Mobile Phone with Bluetooth. This phone can operate in virtually all countries, automatically switching between WCDMA 2100 and GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 networks.
Watch this space!
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Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
Installing a Bluetooth Dongle to a PC Running Windows XP SP2:
Windows XP Service Pack 2 has generic Bluetooth drivers built into the operating system. While these drivers will provide you with basic Bluetooth functionality, you will only get the most out of your Dongle by installing the drivers that are supplied with it.
Installing generic Windows drivers:
Before beginning installation we would recommend that you visit the Microsoft Windows Update web site, to make sure your PC is up to date with the latest driver and security updates. Bluetooth drivers are built into Windows XP Service Pack 2 so an installation CD is not necessarily required.
To begin installation, insert the Bluetooth Dongle to a free USB port on your computer.
After a few seconds, you should see a yellow notification bubble by the clock. Windows will automatically begin to search for the necessary drivers and after a few minutes, the hardware will be installed and ready for use.
If Windows doesn’t have the necessary drivers, the add new hardware wizard will prompt you to insert the disc.
If this happens;
- Place the disk into the CD drive.
- Click next.
- Follow the on screen prompts to install the drivers.
- Restart the computer.
Your new Bluetooth Dongle is ready for use.
Installing specific drivers using supplied disc:
To install the drivers that are supplied with your new Dongle, follow these steps.
It is very important that you do not plug the Dongle into your computer until prompted to do so.
- Insert the CD into your CD drive.
- Disc should run automatically.
- Follow the on screen prompts.
- Insert the Dongle when prompted.
A series of yellow notification bubbles will appear by the clock as the drivers are installed. When installation is complete you will get a notification to say that the hardware has been successfully installed and is ready for use.
Installing Specific Drivers using downloaded drivers:
If you don’t have the software disc anymore or it has been damaged, you can download the drivers from the internet. The drivers needed vary from device to device. Download Bluetooth Dongle drivers. Once you have downloaded the file. Double click the Icon to begin the setup process. Follow the on screen prompts, and only insert the Dongle when prompted to do so. A series of yellow notification bubbles will appear by the clock as the drivers are installed. When installation is complete you will get a notification to say that the hardware has been successfully installed and is ready for use.
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Tags: Bluetooth, Click, computer, dongle, Downloads, Driver, drivers, install, installation, screen, setup, software, update, USB,
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Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
If you are experiencing issues while trying to listen to your music on your Jabra BT320s, this troubleshooting guide should point you in the right direction.
On some handsets, users may find that although they can make and receive calls perfectly fine, they may not be able to hear music in stereo if at all. In order to resolve this there are 2 possible fixes:
Fix 1: Hard reset of BT320
- Delete the pairing from your phone. If you are not sure how to do this, please consult your phones user manual.
- Turn off the headset.
- Plug the charger into the headset 3 times, keeping it plugged in for 4 seconds each time before unplugging it.
- Pair the headset to your phone.
Fix 2: Software Update
If the Hard reset hasn’t solved your problem you may need to update the software in your headset. The cable required to update the headset is not included with the headset and is not currently available from Mobile Fun. The cable is the same as a Sony DSC-S650 Digital Camera.
- Download and install the Jabra Software Update Tool.
- Follow any on screen prompts.
- When the update is finished, pair the headset to your phone.
It is extremely important that you do not turn off your computer or unplug the headset during the update process as this could cause irreversible damage to your headset. Mobile Fun will not accept any responsibility for any damage caused to your headset during a software upgrade.
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Tags: Bluetooth, charger, computer, headset, install, installation, Jabra, pair, Pairing, phone, screen, software, Sony, update,
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Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
Before you can start to use your Jabra Bluetooth Headset or Bluetooth Car Kit you will need to pair it with your phone. Pairing is the name of the process that allows your phone to find and connect with another Bluetooth device. In order to pair your devices you will need to put your headset into pairing mode and enter a passkey.
For detailed instructions on how to pair your Jabra Bluetooth Headset or Car Kit, select your device from the list below.
This will take you to the Jabra 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.
Stereo Bluetooth Headsets:
The headsets listed below are now discontinued, but pairing instructions are still available.
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Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
To set up your Windows Mobile device to work with most Satellite Navigation applications you will first need to configure your Bluetooth GPS Receiver.
Windows Mobile 5.0
- To start the set up, launch the "Bluetooth Manager" on your device. To do this tap Settings > Connections > Bluetooth on the start menu
- On the Bluetooth options screen you need to turn on bluetooth and make sure that your device is discoverable.
- Click on the devices tab at the bottom of the screen and then select new partnership. Your device will now search for your GPS receiver.
- Once the search has completed, select the GPS device you wish to use, You will then be prompted to enter the passkey. This is usually 0000, but varies from device to device, so keep your instruction manual for your GPS receiver close to hand.
- The next screen will ask you to select the services you wish to use with this device.
- Tick the box next to serial port and then click on finish.
- Now click on the "com ports" tab at the bottom of the screen, you will have two options here, new incoming port and new outgoing port. You need to select new outgoing port.
- On the next screen you will need to select the GPS device that you have just added and press next.
- You now need to choose a com port from the drop down list and press finish. Make a note of the com port number that you have assigned to the GPS receiver as you may need this later on in the set up process.
Your GPS is now set up to talk to your handheld device. You may need to change a few more settings depending on the software you are using. If you are unsure consult your user guide.
Tom Tom Navigator
To use TomTom Navigator you will need to tell the software which GPS receiver to use.
- Launch the application and then go to the preferences screen. Click on the Show GPS Status screen.
- Click on configure and scroll through to select "Other Bluetooth GPS", this brings up a list of all the available connections on your device.
- You need to select the com port you assigned to the GPS receiver earlier on in the set up process. If you can’t see the full name of the port, tap and hold the name to reveal it.
- You will know that your GPS is correctly configured when you see the UTC time in the top right corner and you get a black and yellow spinning icon.
If for any reason the icon isn’t spinning and you can’t pick up a GPS signal, there is an alternative set up option you can try:
- Click again on the configure button, and this time scroll through and select "Other Cable NMEA GPS" (Don’t worry about the name, we’ll tell it to use Bluetooth later on)
- Select the baud rate, if you are unsure set the rate to 4800.
- You should now see the same list of available ports that we saw earlier on. Select the appropriate one for your GPS receiver, remember you can tap and hold the name of the port to see its name in full.
- You should now see the yellow and black icon spinning on the screen.
If this still hasn’t worked then you may need to contact TomTom technical support for more advanced help.
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