Brodit are the leading manufacturer of in car cradles, making a wide range of holders that are specific to your phone to make sure that it’s held securely in place in your car. You’ll notice from the product listings that there are two types available – Active and Passive, and that there are a couple of mounting options too. This quick guide will explain the difference between the different types of Brodit Holder.
Passive Holders: Passive Holders are a standard straight forward holder for your phone. They are moulded to the shape of your handset and are secured to your car using the self adhesive pads or by screwing into your dashboard.
Active Holders: Active Holders are the same as the Passive Holders, but include a car charger or have one built in. The charger type will vary by phone, but the holder will generally have a moulding to hold the charging tip in place. On most phones you can simply slide your phone into the cradle and the charger should connect straight away, others may need you to manually insert the charging tip into the phone (normally where the charging port is on the side).
Tilt Swivel: Tilt swivel refers to the type of mounting plate fitted to the holder. Brodit holders without the Tilt Swivel will sit flat against the dashboard/ProClip and is not adjustable, so once its in place, its not moving. Tilt Swivel devices give you more flexibilty on how the phone is positioned in the car. They can be rotated through 360 degrees and can be adjusted in all directions to improve visibility and to reduce reflections from bright light. Tilt Swivel mounts are ideal if your phone has a landscape view and is used for Sat Nav & Media playback.
Mobile Phone holders get handled a lot and can become loose over time, especially if they are mounted with the adhesive pads. Although the adhesive pads are quite strong, we’d recommend using a screw fixing to reduce the risk of it falling off your dashboard. If you don’t want to screw into your dashboard, you can purchase a Brodit ProClip.
ProClips:
Brodit ProClips are special brackets that are designed to attach to your dashboard without the need for drilling holes. They normally clip into your dashboard between fascia panels or sit at the side of your stereo. ProClips provide a flat solid surface for you to screw your car holder to and are available for almost all vehicles. We stock a wide range of Brodit ProClips, but if your vehicle isn’t listed, please request it and we’ll order one in for you.
Fed up of cables trailing across your desk? Do you find yourself constantly crawling under your desk to find the end of your charger? Well this Wireless Charging Pad from WildCharge could be the answer that you’re looking for.
Wireless Charging has been floating around for a while, but never really taken off until now. WildCharge is a simple concept. You have a charging pad that is connected to the mains, and a protective skin for your phone that has built in contacts to supply the power to the battery. To charge your phone, simply place it on the pad. It doesn’t matter how your phone is placed on the pad, as long as its facing upwards. The pad is completely safe and can be touched with no risk of getting a shock.
Now, I have to admit I was a bit weary of wireless charging, but was extremely surprised at how well it works. As soon as your phone is placed on the pad it starts charging, and charge times are the about the same as they would be using a standard charger.
The WildCharge is available now for the BlackBerry Pearl and BlackBerry Curve and is priced at £49.95. Replacement charging skins will be available to purchase separately, so when you replace your phone, you’ll only need to replace the skin. Wireless charging for the iPhone and iPod Touch are coming very soon.
Check out the Video below to see the WildCharge in action.
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.
In preparation for the launch of a new iPhone in June/July this year, the solar charging cases for the iPhone 3G have now been discontinued.
I’m sure most iPhone 3G users will agree that the battery life on the iPhone 3G is pretty poor at best. I can just about manage a whole days usage if I turn off 3G, which defeats the whole purpose of having the phone.
To combat this power problem, we have just released a range of Solar Powered cases for the new iPhone 3G. As well as protecting your iPhone 3G from everyday knocks and scrapes these energy saving cases can charge your iPhone. Each case has its own in built 1500 mAh battery, can provide one full charge for your iPhone and will recharge itself through the solar panel mounted to the front of the case, or via Mini USB if you’re in a badly lit area.
The iPhone 3G Solar Cases are available in Black and White and are due into stock mid August 2008.
Whether you are a phone user or a gadget lover, one of the most annoying things about getting a new device is having to replace all of your chargers. For my current phone I’ve got a car charger, a spare mains charger at work and a USB charging cable that I carry around in my laptop bag. But what if I carried my iPod and PSP with me, or if my Bluetooth Headset takes a different charging connector to my phone – thats another charger I’d need to carry around with me! Thankfully PowerBloks make it easier to charge multiple devices with just one charger.
PowerBloks are simple adapters that convert any standard Mini USB cable into a USB charging cable, and can also be used to convert Mini USB Mains and Car chargers to work with your device. This is great news, as it completely removes the need to have a seperate charger for each device you own. I’m pretty sure that you will already have a spare Mini USB cable lying around at home that you can use to charge your phone, MP3 Player or games console – they even work on the new iPhone 3G. If you want to use this cable in the car or at work, just connect your cable to a USB Mains Adapter or USB Car Charger Adapter and you’ve got a fully functional charger that you can update as often as you like for a fraction of the cost!
When you’re in the car you can now use the same charger on your TomTom, your phone, your iPod and your Bluetooth Headset, just change the PowerBlok adapter to switch between devices.
PowerBloks are available now for Classic Nokia, Nokia 2mm, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Sony PSP, iPod and iPhone, with other manufacturers due shortly. We’re looking at putting together some bundle packs on the tips – which ones do you think we should do? What other devices should we offer adapters for? Feel free to add your suggestions below!
Mobile Fun have put together a simple guide to help you to determine which type of Nokia Charger you need for your phone. This simple guide lets you know exactly which charger you will need and shows you all the different charging options available. Check out our full guide to Nokia Chargers.
Everybody knows that a Nokia Charger is a general household item and can be found lying around in most homes. Great if you’re often out and about visiting friends or family and running out of power, but as the phones have become more advanced, Nokia have changed and improved their charging connections.
Classic Nokia Charger
This is the original Nokia Charger connector, the one that everyone will have lying around at home. No longer used on any of their current handsets, this is a 3.5mm connection used on handsets from the original Nokia 5110, right through to the Nokia 6230i.
2mm Nokia Charger This is the current Nokia Charger, used on most of their handsets. With phones getting smaller in size, Nokia reduced the size of the charging pin down to 2mm. If you have the classic Nokia mains or car charger, you can use the Nokia CA-44 Charging Adapter to reduce the size of the charging tip from 3.5mm to 2mm.
Micro USB Nokia Charger Starting to appear on the higher end Nokia phones, the Micro USB Charger uses the same port as some handsfree kits and data cables (not at the same time!) These ports provide a faster transfer rate, which is why they can normally be found on the latest Multimedia handsets.
Charge Anywhere
Historically you could only ever get chargers to use at home or in the car. Now you can charge your phone just about anywhere. You can now use a USB Charging Cable connected to a spare port on your PC or Laptop, an Emergency Charger that uses a standard AA Battery, a wind-up charger or even Solar power.
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.
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.
One of the biggest accessory purchases you can make for your mobile phone is to buy and install a fitted Car Kit. While each kit has its own features and benefits, there are a number of extras that you can purchase to help you get the most out of your Car Kit.
Elan Intelli-Mutes: What are they and why do I need one?
The Intelli-Mute from Elan is designed to install your Car Kit quickly and hassle free. Instead of hardwiring your Car Kit into the vehicle’s power supply, the Intelli-Mute allows your Car Kit to be powered using your car stereo. All call audio is routed through the car stereo speakers, taking away the need to install a separate speaker in the passenger foot well, which can often lead to muffled or distorted sounds – especially at higher speeds. The volume of the call can be adjusted through your stereo controls or steering wheel audio controls (if fitted to your vehicle). The Intelli-Mute is a three way lead, one end connects to your existing vehicle wiring, one to the Intelli-Mute control box and the third connects to the back of your car stereo. You will need to make sure that the Intelli-Mute that you order is the correct one for your stereo.
If you are not sure what connection type your stereo has, please contact your local dealership or stereo manufacturer. To complete the installation, you will also need an Accessory Harness specific to your Car Kit. The only exception is the Nokia CK-7W Car Kit as the harness for this kit is included with all Intelli-Mutes as standard.
Elan Accessory Harness: What are they and why do I need one?
The Accessory Harness is the lead that connects your Intelli-Mute control box to your Car Kit. As each type of Car Kit is different, they have harnesses specific to each type and have to be ordered separately.
The Accessory Harness is simple to fit, one end connects to the Intelli-Mute control box, and the other end to the power and speaker connections of your Car Kit. Depending on your vehicle and the amount of space in your dashboard, the Intelli-Mute and harness are designed to sit behind your car stereo.
If there isn’t room, the cables are long enough for you to be able to feed from behind the dashboard where there is more space. All you will need to do then is position the microphone (and display screen if present) and feed the cables through to the Car Kit control box.
What else might I need?
Brodit produce a range of in car accessories to help make using your phone in the car easy and safe.
ProClips are brackets that clip securely to your dashboard, giving you a firm, flat surface that you can screw your chosen phone holder on to. When it comes time to change your car or remove the kit, the bracket can be removed easily, leaving no damage to your dashboard.
Brodit also make two types of in car holder, Active and Passive. Active holders have a charger built in to them which plugs in to your cigarette lighter. Passive holders will hold your phone securely and allow you to use your own charger. Both holders are normally available with a fixed or tilt/swivel base.
Using Bluetooth car kits and headsets can sometimes increase the drain on the battery, and as most modern Car Kits don’t have a physical connection to your phone, its always a good idea to have a car charger.
If you don’t want the hassle of installing the Car Kit and all extra accessories, Mobile Fun now offer a fitting service for your car kit. Standard Installation includes a fully trained engineer installing the kit at your home or work address. Premium Installation includes the home visit, but also includes an Intelli-mute and Brodit ProClip for your vehicle (Car Kit dependant).
Got the latest must have phone? Then you’ll need the latest must have accessories to go with it!
Here are Mobile Fun’s top five accessories for your Apple iPhone:
InvisibleSHIELD Full Body Protector – Apple iPhone
The last thing you’ll want to do to your new phone is scratch it. Not only does it look bad, but can spoil your enjoyment while looking at photo’s, movies and coverflow. InvisibleShield full Body Protectors provide exceptionally clear protection that helps prevent impact damage from keys, coins & pens to both the front and back of your iPhone.
Jawbone 2 Bluetooth Headset
If you have used Bluetooth Headsets in the past, I’m sure you will have experienced times where people can’t hear a word you’re saying because of what’s going on around you, whether you’re in a Pub or Club, cruising down the motorway or in a noisy environment at work. Jawbone Bluetooth headsets incorporate the latest technology in noise cancellation meaning you will be heard no matter what is going on around you.
i-Power iPhone Mains Charger
Charging your phone through the USB cable connected to your PC or Mac isn’t always possible – especially if you’re away on holiday, or frequently away with work. This Mains Charger allows you to charge your iPhone without the need to dock it.
Apple iPhone Krusell Orbit Premium Leather Case
The Apple iPhone is a stylish phone, it needs a stylish case to go with it. The Krusell Leather case is extremely stylish and practical. Krusell have a range of connectors available too, so you can mount it on your belt, in the car or even on your bike, without having to remove it from its case. The Orbit Premium Leather Case features a built in stand to make reading your emails and accessing the Internet even easier.
Apple iPhone Stereo Handsfree Adapter
Listen to your MP3 music in full stereo with your own headphones on your iPhone. This adapter allows you to connect any headset with a 3.5 mm jack plug fitting to your iPhone. Built in controls also let you answer and end calls, as well as adjust volume levels and play/pause your music.
Passive Holders:
Active Holders:
Tilt Swivel:
ProClips:
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Elan Intelli-Mutes: What are they and why do I need one?
Elan Accessory Harness: What are they and why do I need one?
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