Thursday, July 9th, 2009
Over the course of the next 12 months, all the big names in mobile phones will be moving over to just one type of charger – a Micro USB connection. The main reason behind the change is to reduce the amount of chargers that are being thrown away. Long term, I can see mobile phones not coming with a mains charger as manufacturers will assume you’ve already got one. Great if you live in a house where everyone has a different phone – you can now share chargers, and if you go on holiday and forget your charger, finding someone with a charger for your phone will be a whole lot easier!
There are already a lot of phones available that use a Micro USB charger; Both the BlackBerry Storm & Black Berry 8900 Curve, Nokia have the 6500 Classic and the recently released Nokia N97, and Samsung use Micro USB charging on the Samsung Omnia HD and the Samsung Jet.
Fed up of tangled cables?
This is of course great news, but you’re still going to need seperate chargers for any other accessories that you might have, your Bluetooth Headset for example. You’re still going to need a different charger for each device, and there is still a risk of leaving one behind when you pack for your travels.
Fortunately, there is a solution on its way. Micro USB chargers are also being adopted by accessory manufacturers, so you’ll be able to use the same charger on your headset as you use on your mobile phone.
Jabra, Nokia and Plantronics are all starting to introduce Micro USB charging to their range of Bluetooth Headsets and Stereo Bluetooth Headsets so I’ve put together a list of our top micro USB Bluetooth Headsets
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Tags: Jabra, jabra bt2050, jabra bt4010, jabra jx20 pura, micro usb, micro usb bluetooth headset, micro usb bluetooth headsets, micro usb charger, Multipoint, Nokia, nokia bh-703, nokia bh-803, nokia bh-804, plantronics, plantronics discovery 925, plantronics voyager 510 pro, plantronics voyager 835,
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Friday, February 20th, 2009
Before you can start to use your Plantronics Bluetooth Headset 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 Bluetooth Headset to your phone, Plantronics have created a pairing guide.
Now, I do have to warn you, it is a little bit cheesy and is designed for use in America, but it still tells you what you need to know to get your phone and headset to talk to each other.
Service Provider:
As I mentioned before, this pairing guide is aimed at the American market, so the Service Providers/Networks listed here are USA networks. Its not a problem though, just select “Other” from the bottom of the list.
Phone Manufacturer:
This guide will help set up headsets with standard mobiles and smartphones. If your device is a Smartphone, choose “Other PDAs”, if its a normal mobile phone, choose “Other Phones”
Phone Model:
You’ll only have the option here for other phone, and an image of a Motorola V3 will be displayed. Don’t worry too much about this, the steps for pairing are similar for all phones. If you want to try and find specific instructions for your phone, you can try selecting a network at step one and browsing through the handsets, but the USA seems to be a little bit behind us at the moment, and the handsets listed are a little old now.
Plantronics Headset:
You’ll now be presented with a list of all the Plantronics headsets. Select your headset from the list and you’ll then be shown and talked through the steps needed to pair the headset to your phone. If you want to start again at any point, just hit start over at the top of the screen.
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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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