Mobile Fun Blog » phone

Brodit Active Holders Vs Passive Holders

Andy Simpson — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 09:53:22 +0000

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.

Which iPod have I got?

Andy Simpson — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:00:37 +0000

Since Apple launched their original iPod back in October 2001, the range has grown and evolved. Although iPod’s look fairly similar, each one is individual, and has its own range of accessories. Here you can determine which iPod you have, and find out what accessories are available for it.

What does the “G” mean?
When Apple launched the early iPod’s, they weren’t given names like they are today. The original iPod was replaced by a newer model also called iPod. As the newer model had several advanced features over its predecessor, it was dubbed the new generation of iPod, this over time change to 2nd Generation, which in turn got shortened to 2G.

The number preceding the “G” just determines where that particular model sits in the range of iPods. Even now with the Nano iPod, we are seeing 2nd and 3rd Generation models. The original style of iPod is now called the iPod Classic, and no doubt as time goes on, more generations will follow. The only exception to this is the iPhone 3G, where the 3G refers to the technology within the phone, and not the generation of iPhone.

So which iPod have I got?
The list below shows the dates that the different generations of iPod were released, along with the available storage capacity.

iPod Shuffle 3G
Available from March 2009 and available only in 4GB models holding upto 1000 songs. The iPod Shuffle 3G is even smaller than the second generation model, and has no buttons to press to control your music. Instead the iPod Shuffle 3G has a new remote headset that controls volume and play back and a new voice menu system that talks you through your menu’s

iPod Nano 4G
Available from September 2008 and available in 8GB and 16GB models. The iPod Nano returns to its earlier, slimmer design, but with a 2" widescreen display. Slimmer than previous versions, the iPod Nano 4G has an inbuilt motion sensor which allows you to change track just by shaking it. The iPod Nano 4G is available in 9 new vibrant colours.

iPod Touch 2G
Available from September 2008 and available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models. The the black beveled edges and back cover on the original iPod Touch gets replaced with stainless steel. Physical volume keys and a speaker are introduced into the slimmer design. Support for Nike+ is added with software version 2.1, along with "Genius" playlists.

iPhone 3G
Available from July 2008 and available in 8GB and 16GB models. The iPhone 3G is essentially the same as the original iPhone, but with improved battery life and 3G connectivity. Some minor cosmetic changes and the introduction of a white 16GB model. iPhone 3G shipped with software version 2.0 which added the App store and support for Microsoft Exchange.

iPhone
Available from November 2007 and available in 8GB and 16GB models. The iPhone is a revolutionary Phone, iPod and Internet Device. The iPhone combines all the features of the iPod Touch with a mobile phone.

iPod Classic
Available from September 2007 and available in 80GB and 160GB models. Re-named the iPod Classic, the iPod Video sees an increase in capacity. In September 2008 The iPod Classic 80GB sees an increase in capacity to 120GB and the 160GB model is discontinued. The iPod Classic continues in Silver and Black

iPod Nano 3G
Available from September 2007 and available in 4GB and 8GB models. The iPod Nano now lets you enjoy TV shows, music videos, video podcasts and more.

iPod Touch
Available from September 2007 and available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models. iPod moves to a whole new level with the introduction of the iPod Touch. The click wheel is replaced with a wide screen, touch sensitive display. Wi-Fi is introduced to the iPod range to give internet and email access.

iPod Shuffle 2G
Available from September 2006 and available in 512MB, 1GB & 2GB models. The second-generation Shuffle comes in only one capacity in a clip-on case that’s roughly half the size of its predecessor. In September 2008 the iPod Shuffle recieves a minor make over, with the introduction of 5 new colours.

iPod Nano 2G
Available from September 2006 and available in 2GB, 4GB & 8GB models. The second-generation Nano come in a variety of scratch-resistant colours.

iPod Video 5G
Available from October 2005 and available in 30GB & 60GB models. The fifth-generation iPod Video plays video on a 2.5-inch, 320-by-240, 260,000 colour TFT display.

iPod Nano 1G
Available from September 2005 and available in 1GB, 2GB & 4GB models. Available in glossy black or white, the Nano features a colour display and a Click Wheel.

iPod Colour
Available from June 2005 and available in 20GB & 60GB models. The iPod and iPod photo lines are merged into the iPod Colour, ending the availability of monochrome-screen music players.

iPod Mini 2G
Available from February 2005 and available in 4GB, 6GB models. The iPod Mini gets an increase in storage to 4GB and 6GB.

iPod Shuffle
Available from January 2005. Apple gets into the flash-based music player business, introducing the iPod Shuffle. About the size of a stick of gum, the shuffle comes in 512MB and 1GB capacities.

iPod Photo
Available from October 2004 and available in 20GB, 40GB or 60GB models. The iPod Photo plays music as well as displays photos on a 220-by-176-pixel resolution screen.

iPod 4G
Available from July 2004 and available in 20GB & 40GB models. A fourth generation iPod incorporating the Click Wheel interface that was introduced six months earlier with the iPod mini.

iPod Mini 1G
Available from: January 2004. Half-an-inch thin and about the size of a business card, the iPod Mini comes in gold, blue, pink, and green anodised aluminium with 4GB of storage.

iPod 3G Available from April 2003 and available in 10GB, 15GB, 20GB, 40GB models. The third generation iPod interface adds a solid-state scroll wheel with four buttons rewind, menu, play/pause, and fast-forward on top. Replacing the FireWire port is a thin connector that let the device hook up to a Mac or PC with either FireWire or USB 2.0.

iPod 2G
Available from July 2002 and available in either 10GB or 20GB models. Instead of a scroll wheel, the second generation iPod featured a touch wheel and a door for protecting the iPod’s FireWire port.

iPod 1G
Available from October 2001. The first generation iPod was a simple 5GB hard-drive-based music player.

BlackBerry Cases Guide

Andy Simpson — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:20:09 +0000

BlackBerry devices normally take a fair few knocks in their day to day use, and in order to look after yours and keep it working as hard as you do, a case is a worthwhile investment. Leading manufacturers such as Krusell, PDair, Piel Frama and BlackBerry themselves make cases specifically for the BlackBerry devices, but which case is right for you?

Genuine BlackBerry Cases

Genuine BlackBerry
Genuine BlackBerry cases are designed to compliment your BlackBerry, while keeping your phone as accessible as possible. BlackBerry are one of the only manufacturers who offer phone specific cases in a range of styles and colours – and the only manufacturer that offer silicone cases. Genuine BlackBerry cases range from Protective Skins to Executive Leather Pouches. BlackBerry Skins protect your device from knocks and scrapes, without adding any extra bulk to your phone while the leather cases add style to your BlackBerry and normally cover the whole device. Your BlackBerry can still be charged and synchronised with out having to be removed from the case thanks to cut outs in the case for chargers and data cables. The BlackBerry pouches are similar in design to the original pouch provided with the BlackBerry Curve. They protect the phone from everyday knocks and some some also feature the magnet that puts your BlackBerry into quiet mode when insterted into the case.

Piel Frama BlackBerry Cases

Piel Frama
The Piel Frama range of BlackBerry cases are hand made, with meticulous attention to detail. Every Piel Frama case is assembled by hand, to create designs that perfectly complement your BlackBerry. As with the Genuine BlackBerry cases, your BlackBerry can be charged and synchronised without having to be removed from the case thanks to cut outs in the leather. Each case has space for storing credit cards or business cards. All Piel Frama cases are a vertical flip design and have a removable belt clip.

PDair BlackBerry Cases

PDair
PDair BlackBerry cases are Executive Leather cases that protect your phone and keep it looking stylish. PDair BlackBerry cases are available in a range of styles, including; Book Case, Sleeve Case and Flip Case. Most of the PDair BlackBerry cases have a magnetic sensor built in that activates the “In-Holster” profile settings. They have a secure belt clip that can be easily removed if not required and have cut outs in the leather to allow your BlackBerry to be charged or connected to your PC with out having to be taken out of the case.

Krusell BlackBerry Cases

Krusell
Krusell BlackBerry cases are designed for the everyday user. Krusell’s “cabriolet” design leaves the keyboard open, making typing much easier, and the open top allows for quick removal of your BlackBerry device. Krusell cases are also compatible with the Multidapt range of holders – a unique interchangeable clip stystem. Learn more about Multidapt.

Extend your Mobile Phone’s battery life

Andy Simpson — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:10:23 +0000

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!

Solar Powered Bluetooth Carkit

Andy Simpson — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:08:37 +0000

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.

LG HFB-500 Solar 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.

Iqua Vizor Sun Solar Car Kit

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.

Iqua Sun BH-603 Solar Headset

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

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.

BlackBerry Curve 8310 Pouches

Jazz — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:31:50 +0000

As an 8310 owner one of the biggest difficulties I faced was getting a case for my phone. I’m not joking, I see a lot of cases listed in various sites but they all have 8300 in the name. Do all 8300 cases fit the 8310? Do only some cases fit? Is it just me??

So after hours (well actually minutes) of pain staking work, I can confirm the cases below not only fit, but where appropriate leave charging points accessible. So despite the names these will definitely work with the 8310.

PDair Pouch for the BlackBerry 8300 Curve

Genuine BlackBerry 8300 Curve Vinyl Pouch

Genuine BlackBerry 8300 Curve Skin Pouch

PowerBlok Charging Adapters

Andy Simpson — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:11:47 +0000

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.

PowerBlok Charging Adapters

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!

One Charger for your TomTom, Bluetooth Headset, Mobile Phone and iPod

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!

New Vodafone Handsets coming – 625, 730, 830 rumoured

Andy Simpson — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:49:06 +0000

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!

Having problems with your Nokia Charger?

Andy Simpson — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:43:18 +0000

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.

A Guide to Nokia Chargers

Andy Simpson — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:37:43 +0000

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

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

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

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

Alternative Chargers

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.