Friday, February 13th, 2009
When choosing a Bluetooth Car Kit, its easy to become overwhelmed by the vast range of Car Kits available. They all look the similar, they do the same basic job, so what’s the difference and what should you be looking for when choosing a Bluetooth Car Kit?
Fitted or Portable:
Bluetooth Car Kits are generally available in two different formats – Fully Fitted or Plug and Play. By Plug and Play I mean they are normally powered by your cigarette lighter and clip onto your sun visor. Fitted Car Kits require professional installation, and have better audio quality and extra features over Plug and Play kits. Having said that, the quality of Plug and Play kits has improved significantly over the last few years and they are now proving to be a good alternative to the Fully Fitted Car Kit. Plug and Play kits can easily be transferred between vehicles and can be used in the home or office.
Caller Display:
I’m sure we’ve all had it happen us, you’re driving along, phone’s in your pocket, starts ringing, you answer it and immediately wish you hadn’t as you’ve been avoiding the caller! With a Bluetooth Car Kit with caller display, the callers name or number will be displayed on screen so you’ll know straight away who it is. If you decide to go for a Bluetooth Car Kit with Caller Display, look out for one that has Phonebook Synchronisation or Text to voice. More on these two below. Fully fitted kits don’t normally have a screen, but it is worth paying a little extra to go for one with a screen. If you can, look for a kit with a removable screen (eg; Parrot MKi9100) this will remove any temptation to thieves as you can take it out of the car when you leave.
Phonebook Synchronisation:
Phonebook Synchronisation is all about making calls easier while you’re driving. When you pair your phone with the kit, your phonebook will be transferred to the Car Kit. It does depend to some extent on your phone as to how well this will work, but it means you can call someone without having to scroll through the contacts on your phone. Bigger buttons and a clearer screen make this a much safer way of looking through your contacts.
Voice Features:
Voice Dialling has been around for a while, but always with varied success, and again depended greatly on the phone that you were using. With most current Bluetooth Car Kits, the voice dialling is controlled by the Car Kit and not the phone. Without getting overly technical, the car kit matches your voiceprint to the name in your phonebook, and then sends the number to the phone – this is great as it means that some phones that don’t support voice dialling can now be controlled by voice in the car.
You no longer need to record "voice tags" for each name in your phone book either. Instead, you just say the name, and the voice recognition software will match your voiceprint to the name in your phone. If the kit supports text to voice, the kit will speak the callers name as well as displaying it on the screen. In most cases, you will still need to make at least one button press to activate the voice recognition.
Multipoint:
Multipoint is a relatively new technology in Bluetooth Car Kits. Standard Bluetooth Car Kits normally allow you to pair with 2 or more phones, but only one can be active at any one time. Multipoint Bluetooth Car Kits 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 Car Kit automatically. If a call comes in on your second phone, you can easily switch between calls, just by pressing a button on the Car Kit.
For more information on Multipoint and how it works, check out our guide to Multipoint.
Power:
Fully fitted Car Kits are wired into the vehicles power supply, so you don’t really need to worry about how the kit is powered, but if you want a kit that will charge your phone while its in the cradle then your options will be limited to the THB Bury range. When Car Kits changed from having cable connections to Bluetooth a few years ago, most manufacturers removed the cradle from the kit. This means that the only way to charge your phone will be to use a car charger, or a Charging Car Cradle.
Plug & Play Car Kits aren’t wired in to the vehicle so will run off their own internal battery. This battery can normally be charged using a car charger. Some will also have a mains or USB charger too. If you want to charge a phone and Bluetooth Car Kit at the same time its probably worth investing in a twin car charger adapter.
Battery Life:
Battery life is an important factor to consider when looking at Plug & Play Bluetooth Car Kits. As you’re likely to have the unit turned on when ever you’re driving, you need a good stand by time. There’s not much point in it having great talk times if the kit runs out of power half way through a journey.
Over the last few months we’ve seen a few Solar Powered Bluetooth Car Kits appear. These use the power from the sun to extend their stand by and talk times. The LG HFB-500 for example has over 1100 hours of stand by time.
Music & Stereo Integration :
More and more of us now use our phones as MP3 players and want to be able to enjoy our music in the car. Until recently this wasn’t really all that possible, but things are starting to improve.
Fully Fitted Bluetooth Car Kits:
If you want to stream your music over a Bluetooth connection, you’ll need to make sure that your phone and the Car Kit supports the A2DP Bluetooth Profile – without it, you won’t be able to send/receive music. If you don’t want to listen to it over Bluetooth, kits such as the Parrot MKi range, give you the option of plugging in your iPod, USB MP3 Player or any other music device (including your phone) using a 3.5mm Jack Plug fitting – the same as you’d find on your headphones. You’ll also need to make sure that the Car Kit is connected to your car stereo. Generally speaking if the Car Kit has "ISO Connections" (most of the newer kits do) it will plug straight into the back of your Car stereo – All Parrot Car kits, IO Play and the CK-300 from Nokia have ISO connections. If it hasn’t got ISO, its not really designed for music. You may need an adapter cable for your stereo as not all stereos have ISO connections.
Plug & Play Bluetooth Car Kits:
Plug & Play kits don’t have the ability to connect to the back of stereos, so instead they use an FM Transmitter to send music to your stereo. Kits such as the Venturi Mini let you stream your music over Bluetooth to the kit, and then over FM from the kit to the radio. You can use a 3.5mm line in jack if you prefer or you don’t have Bluetooth.
If you don’t necessarily want music to play back through your car stereo, but you do want your call audio routing through the car speakers then this is still an option. The Venturi and the Motorola T505 both have the ability to route your call audio through your stereo speakers. Perfect if you spend a lot of time on the motorway or drive a van!
Remote Control:
Not really so relevant for Plug & Play Bluetooth Car Kits, as they are essentially remote controls for your phone anyway, but if you’re looking at a fully fitted Bluetooth Car Kit, remote controls make using it a lot simpler. Basic kits will have a simple answer/end button, but if you want more control, look for a kit with a full remote. The Parrot MKi range and the Nokia CK-300 both feature remotes that can be used to control music playback, phonebook access, call/music volume and more.
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Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Quite a few big brands are trying to get in on the mobile phone market. Tag Heuer have already tried once with the launch of their Meridiist Mobile phone, and they’re about to follow it up with a Bluetooth headset.
The headset will come with its own compact and stylish portable charger, that also doubles up as a portable storage device with 4GB of internal memory. Charging of the headset will be done using a USB port, and can be charged in the car or from the mains using a USB mains adapter. The charger has its own built in battery that will allow it to charge the headset even when not connected to a power source.
The Tag Heuer Headset features:
- voice dialling
- call answer/end/reject
- volume up/down/mute
- call hold
- call waiting
- last number redial
- 4GB Memory (In portable charger)
No information has been released yet on when we’re likely to see this headset released, but I’d say we’re looking at early 2009.
More photos below.
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Tuesday, October 7th, 2008
Our friends over at the Gadget Show on Channel 5 recently reviewed 20 of the most popular Bluetooth Headsets on the market. Suzi tested them all out, and then ranked them based on comfort, fit, style and most importantly, call quality.
After putting the headsets to the test, this is how they ranked:
1) Aliph Jawbone 2 – The clearest of the range with advanced noise cancellation.
2) Invisio G5 – The worlds smallest Bluetooth headset.
3) Celleden Micro – Compact and simple Bluetooth headset.
4) Jabra JX20 Pura – Made from Titanium.
5) Bluetrek Metal – Ultra Slim at just 4mm thick.
Check out the video on the Gadget Show website where you will also be able to read the full reviews.
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Tags: aliph, Bluetooth, bluetrek metal, celleden micro, headset, invisio g5, Jabra, jawbone, jx10 pura, review, test, Video,
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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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Tags: Bluetooth, bluetooth car kit, car, car kit, connect ipod to car, connect ipod to car stereo, connecting ipod to car, in car ipod connectors, iPod, ipod touch car connector, parrot, parrot car kit, screen, USB,
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