Bluetooth Car Kits: Absolutely Hands Free

Bluetooth is now the industry standard when talking about universal wireless connectivity. Universal with its connections, Bluetooth got its name from King Harald Bluetooth, the late tenth century King of Denmark and Norway. King Harald is famous for having united the warring tribes of Denmark, and Bluetooth is poetically named after him because of the technology’s universality when talking about the various gadgets one could connect with each other through Bluetooth.

All sorts of Bluetooth accessories could be found, each giving Bluetooth enabled devices additional “boosts” of features. Bluetooth Car Kits would be among the most popular of Bluetooth Accessories.

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A Look at the Verizon Audiovox XV6600 Bluetooth cell phone

The Verizon Audiovox XV6600 Bluetooth cell phone is hefty in size and features that will sure to attract a business user such as a full-color screen that is 3.5 inches with a complete QWERTY keyboard hiding behind it, plenty of memory (128MB RAM and 64MB ROM), a slot for SDIO/MMC card, a speakerphone and of course, Bluetooth technology.

In addition to all these, the Verizon Audiovox XV6600 Bluetooth cell phone also comes with an organizer as well as applications for e-mail that run on an Intel processor with 400MHz speed and uses the Second Edition of the Windows Mobile 2003 System.

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Plantronics Voyager 855 Auricular Bluetooth Estéreo

Descripción del producto

El nuevo auricular Plantronics Voyager 855 ofrece un diseño convertible y experiencia de sonido envolvente para las llamadas y escuchar música en teléfonos móviles con Bluetooth con A2DP estéreo. El auricular estéreo más ligero disponible hasta la fecha, el nuevo Voyager 855 incluye características inteligentes que ofrecen una claridad de sonido sin precedentes.
Use medida de mono o estéreo de sonido

Personalizables para mono o estéreo, utilice, el Plantronics Voyager 855 dispone de un cable estéreo desmontable para que los consumidores pueden personalizar el modo de sujeción para su comunicación y las preferencias de entretenimiento. Con diseño especial, auriculares de forma ajustada, el Voyager 855 se ajusta cómodamente y con seguridad para sellar las distracciones de fondo no deseados.

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Jabra BT3030 Bluetooth Stereo Headset Revisión

I was rather curious to find out exactly why the new Jabra BT3030 pictured below has so rapidly climbed to become one of the Top 3 bestselling Bluetooth Stereo Headphones in our store.

The answer lies in the fact that the Jabra BT3030 offers a very cool new twist on the idea of wirelessly playing and controlling your music as well as answering calls. It provides you with a small (2” x 1.2” x 0.7”) and ultralight (only 20 grams) Bluetooth Controller that has a high quality built-in microphone and a 3.5mm strereo connector jack (pictured below) which allows you to plug-in literally any wired headset of your choice – ideal to future-proof your listening experience as you’ll be able to upgrade your headset as frequently as you want.

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The BCM1000-BTW for Microsoft Windows

Now a standard when talking about wireless connections, Bluetooth technology is truly an impressive “gateway” for various electronic devices to connect wirelessly. Successfully operating on a low power radio signal frequency, between 2.402 gigahertz to 2.480 gigahertz, it is quite a common integrated feature to many items of different classes, functions and purposes.

Picture transferring pictures from a Bluetooth equipped digital camera to a Bluetooth equipped computer system. Or visualize a Bluetooth equipped printer, printing documents by getting printing information through Bluetooth technology. These practical applications of Bluetooth technology simply define its superiority in the arena of wireless connections. Bluetooth basically works on the concept of Personal Area Networks, or PANs. The frequency it works on is known to have been set aside by international agreements as dedicated for Industrial, Scientific and Medical Devices’ purposes.

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Using Bluetooth for Wireless MP3 & Digital Audio

Bluetooth is a technology that uses radio frequency over a short range. It is designed to provide a way to transmit signals in an inexpensive but reliable way without the use of wires. The Bluetooth technology eliminates the need to use a cable to connect nearby personal gadgets like cell phones, notebooks, headphones, MP3 & digital audio devices. It delivers secure voice and data transmission, creating a host of useful applications.

One such application of the Bluetooth technology is wireless connection between audio systems such as MP3 & digital audio devices. This application is indeed very useful. For instance, if you want to listen to music while you are on the move such as when jogging/running or working out at the fitness gym, using a regular music player and headphone combination would mean constraints to your movement because you need to watch out for the cable connecting the player with the headphone. With a Bluetooth MP3 & digital audio device, you can are free to move while listening to your favorite tunes.

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Motorola Bluetooth Headsets: Motorola, All the Way

Bluetooth Headsets stand to be among the most popular of Bluetooth Accessories made by a number of manufacturers from all over the world. Bluetooth Headsets are basically advanced versions of a mobile phone’s Hands Free Kit, which are basically wired items which enable mobile phone users to take calls without having to physically place the mobile phone to their ears.

Bluetooth Headsets represent the wireless version of these Hands Fee Kits, utilizing the wireless and universality of Bluetooth technology in successfully operating them, truly standing as Unwired Hands Free Kits for mobile phone users.

Motorola, a leading manufacturer of smart mobile phones, boast their own line of Motorola Bluetooth Headsets, which works well with Motorola mobile phones, as well as with other brands of Bluetooth equipped mobile phones.

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Bluetooth Software for Windows Operating Systems

Bluetooth technology has become the now standard when talking about wireless connections between devices. Simple and quite universal, Bluetooth technology has no problems dealing with connections to and with other Bluetooth enabled devices, allowing a defined set of firmware, or software allowed actions to take place between them.

Picture a Bluetooth equipped digital camera. This selfsame camera could easily transfer pictures to a Bluetooth enabled personal computer, which is running with a Bluetooth management software installed in its base operating system. Bluetooth enabled printers have the ability to successfully print documents easily, without the hassle of wires, through the use of Bluetooth technology. Bluetooth equipped headsets stand to be more convenient to use, as there are no wires with them, yet they still successfully operate on the same level as their wired counterparts would.

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Bluetooth GPS Receiver Review

This is a tiny bluetooth GPS receiver which I bought from Mobile Fun Ltd, I bought this to connect to my O2 XDA 2i PDA and it cost around £40. I was intially looking on google for cheap GPS receivers and this came up as the cheapest. I thought at that price they'll be a catch, and the catch usually being poor performance, but I was pleasantly surprised! This thing really does work, and works well!

After searching for initial reviews on this device I came up with very little other than the reviews from Mobile Fun Ltd, which I was reluctant to trust for fear of them being somewhat biased. I thought for £40 I'll take a chance and so bought it, all credit to Mobile Fun the receiver arrived the very next morning. Upon opening the box I was a little disappointed, all the there was by means of instructions was a small sheet of paper that had been loosely translated from Japanese to English by a dyslexic toddler. You can download the user manual from here and the Tomtom pairing manual from here. After following these instructions you will have it set up in no time. Another thing I noticed was that there is no manufaturer's name or marks anywhere on the device or the packaging, which makes searching for support quite difficult.

A nice touch with this little device is that it is supplied with a battery that is common to a lot of Nokia phones (3.7V 850mAh Li-polymer battery, BL-5C), a quick search on ebay means that you can get replacement batteries for these receivers for about £4 which is good to know should you need one.

What's In The Box?
Bluetooth GPS Receiver x1
12v In Car Adapter (USB) x1
Basic Instructions x1
Battery x1
USB Charging Cable x1

Installation
Provided you follow the limited instructions for pairing with your device, and the Tomtom setup instructions, you should be up and running in less than 5 minutes. I have only charged the receiver once since I bought it about 2 months ago, the battery just seems to last forever! The supplied in car charger and USB cable means that the receiver can be charged on the move from a 12v source and can also be charged from any PC or laptop. From cold start up the receiver aquires a usuable GPS signal exremely quickly, quicker than most of the really expensive GPS receivers that I've come in contact with. The device is extremely small and can easily fit into any space in your car, or even your pocket if you're using it for walking or cycling.

One small problem I did have is that when using it with my XDA 2i the Tomtom software would often freeze and cause me to stop the car, reboot my phone, then carry on my journey. At first I thought this was the result of the XDA losing its connection with the bluetooth receiver and hence confirming my fears about the price of this product. It quickly became apparent that this was not the case and it was in fact an issue with my PDA and the Tomtom software.

I quickly discovered a workaround for this issue between the Tomtom software and my XDA that enables the whole system to work flawlessly. I shall write a 'how to' on this workaround shortly as I'm sure many other XDA 2i users share the same problem.

I do know that there is a known issue when using any bluetooth GPS receivers with the O2 XDA 2 (note not XDA 2i) due to the bluetooth stack settings that are shipped with the phone, please be aware of this before buying this device as you are sure to encounter problems.

Key Features
Compatible with TomTom, Navicore, and all major GPS software packages.
12 parallel satellite-tracking channels for fast acquisition and reacquisition.
Provides superior navigation performance in city environments.
Built-in rechargeable Lithium-polymer battery provides more than 10 hours of constant use.
Unit can be charged with the included car charger while still in use.
Mini-USB charger compatiblty, charge not only the Bluetooth GPS Receiver but also compatible PDAs & Smart Phones with the same charger.
3 colours LED to show the status of Bluetooth/GPS/Power activities of this device.

Specifications
GPS receiver: L1, C/A code, 12 channels
Tracking sensitivity: –152dBm (average) or better
Acquisition sensitivity: –139dBm (average) or better
TTFF (Time to First Fix): Cold Start: 50s (average) / 60s (95 possibility)
Hot Start: 2s (minimum) / 6s (95% possibility)
Positioning accuracy: Standard Positioning Service (SPS), WAAS (optional) 2DRMS: approx. 5m
Measurement data output: Update time: 1 second
NMEA output protocol: V.3.01
Baud rate: 38400 bps (8-N-1)
Datum: WGS-84
Type: GGA, GSA, GSV, RMC
Power consumption: 75mA (average)
Bluetooth: Bluetooth version 1.2 compliant
Class 2 operation (up to 10 metre range)
Serial Port Profile (SPP)
Output terminal: Type B Mini-USB (TTL Level)
Antenna Type: Built in Patch Antenna
Battery: 3.7V 850mAh Li-polymer battery, built-in charger
LED: Power (red), GPS (green), Bluetooth (blue)
Dimension: 64(L) x 39(W) x18.5(H) mm
Operating temperature: -20°C ~ +60°C
Storage temperature: -20°C ~ +60°C; Battery: -20°C ~ +45°C

Conclusion
A great little device that performs well beyond its price range. Check if there is any known issues with your device and bluetooth GPS receivers before purchase as this will save you a lot of headaches. The only thing that lets this product down is a lack of documentation and online support, other than this well worth the buy!

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It’s A Sony Car Stereo

It’s a Sony.

We all know their slogan and yes, they need not say anymore. Sony is a dominating and well respected name in world consumer electronics. From the Aibo to the PlayStation to the Vaio, Sony has created, innovated and excelled in the production of almost anything electronic under the sun.

The Sony Corporation, based in Tokyo is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, communications, and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Their music, motion picture, television, computer entertainment, and online businesses also make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world.

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