The Best Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headsets

I’ve been working with mobile phones for years now, and I’ve noticed that people really seem to struggle when it comes to choosing a Bluetooth Headset. To someone who isn’t that clued up on mobile technology they all look the same, they all allow you to use your phone safely in the car and can answer & end calls, so why are there so many different ones to choose from and why the big differences in price?

Up until recently my answer would have been that the main differences were size, weight and battery life and that’s still true for most headsets, but advances in headset technology have meant that there is now something else to consider when choosing a Bluetooth Headset – Noise Cancellation.

If you’ve ever looked into bluetooth headsets in the past, you might be thinking that noise cancellation is nothing new and that it’s been around for years, and your right, it has. Over the years noise cancellation has seen many different forms, from simple design changes such as foam covers over the microphone to clever software that makes your voice clearer, but newer Bluetooth headsets go one step further and have 2 microphones built into them, one that picks up your voice and another that picks up background noise. Software in the headset then analyses the sound from both microphones and any sounds picked up by both microphones are removed so that your voice comes through clearly.

Not all Bluetooth Headsets currently have this feature, and trying to find the ones that do out of the hundreds that are available will take you quite some time, so to help you along I’ve listed below what I think are some of the best noise cancelling headsets available. All of these headsets have the dual microphone technology, and a couple of them have some extra clever technology make your voice even clearer.

Most of these headsets are available from mobile fun and I’ve provided a link to the relevant page on their site if you want to find out more about any particular headset. If you’re thinking of ordering one, us the voucher code MFAWAUG9 before the end of August to get 5 off any order over 25.

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Setting up Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo mail on your Samsung Tocco

One of the questions I get asked the most at the moment is “How do I set up email on my Tocco” and although there are suggestions and a settings spread across the web, I thought I’d bring it all together into one post to make setting up your Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo email accounts on your Samsung Tocco F480, Samsung Tocco Lite or Samsung Tocco Ultra quick and easy.

Now, before I start I just want to say that these settings should work on all phones, not just the Tocco’s. You may find that they need a little tweaking depending on your network – particularly the SMTP settings. Without getting too technical on you, the SMTP server is similar to your local sorting office, you send your letters there and they then get sorted and sent on to the person you sent the email to. In an attempt to cut down on the amount of spam being sent, some mobile networks restrict the SMTP servers that you can use and in most cases force you to use their own.

So, if you set your phone up using the same SMTP server as your email provider, but find that you get an error message when you try and send a message, go back to the account settings and change the SMTP server to that of your network. Don’t panic if you don’t know what they are – I’ve listed them all for you at the end of this post.

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The Ultimate Guide to GPS and Mobile Phones

GPS has been around in mobile phones for a few years now, but for a lot of people it’s purpose isn’t all that clear. As well as being a basic requirement for Satellite Navigation, GPS has a number of other really useful applications that you may not be aware of. This guide explains the basics of GPS and runs through the different types of GPS receiver and software available.

So What Is GPS?

GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers use a network of satellites in orbit around the earth to pinpoint your location (longtitude and latitude) to within a few metres. GPS receivers don’t require a signal from a mobile phone company to work, they just need to be able to see the sky. Locking on to GPS Satellites normally takes a couple of minutes, sometimes longer if you’re already on the move.

Over the last couple of years GPS receivers have found their way in to a number of mobile phones. Mobile Phones work slightly differently to stand alone GPS receivers as they can triangulate their location using nearby transmitters. Mobile phones combine the information from nearby transmitters with the information received from the GPS receiver to give them an exact location. A brief internet connection is normally required to find your location.This type of receiver is called A-GPS (Assisted Global Positioning System).

Both GPS and A-GPS have their strengths and weaknesses. External GPS Receivers tend to lock on to more satellites for more stable tracking. They also have better battery life than A-GPS as they don’t need an internet connection and have no screen to run the battery down. Phones with A-GPS tend to lock on to your location a little bit faster and may still be able to track you if you are indoors or under cover.

GPS Receivers

Generally speaking most GPS receivers are designed to communicate over a Bluetooth connection. Bluetooth is a way that 2 devices can talk to each other wirelessly and is found in most mobile phones and computers. If your PC doesn’t have Bluetooth built in, you can add this function easily by purchasing a USB Bluetooth Adapter.

If you want to use a GPS receiver with your phone, you just need to make sure that your phone has Bluetooth and you’ll need to pair the GPS receiver with your phone. When you launch an application on your phone that requires GPS data, your phone will automatically make the connection to the GPS receiver as long as your receiver is turned on.

GPS Software

If someone were to say to you “GPS” the first thing that comes to your mind will probably be Satellite Navigation, mainly because of the phenomenal success of TomTom’s Sat Nav products, but GPS is not all about Navigation.

There are 5 main categories of GPS software available and chances are that you’ll be able to find a use for at least one of these in your day to day life. There are applications to help you find the nearest petrol station, can track your route while you’re out walking, jogging or cycling or maybe you want to be able to add your location to photographs that you will be uploading to Flickr.

GPS receivers can be used with a range of tracking, location aware, geo-tagging mapping and directional applications and I’ve spent the last few days looking around at all the different GPS software that’s available and here are a few of the best free applications that I’ve found for each type of application. I’m only going to list a few examples here, but I’ve compiled a list of GPS applications for each of the main mobile phone platforms on a separate post.

Tracking
Whether you’re off trekking in the Lake District, going for a run and want to track your training progress, or maybe you want to track your employees where abouts while they’re out working there are a range of free applications that will let you do all of these things.

Location Aware
Location Awareness is the ‘big thing’ in mobile phone applications at the moment. The way that these work is by looking up your GPS location against a database of shops, bars, banks, cashpoints hotels… the list is almost endless. Once you know where you want to go, some location aware applications will then provide directions on how to get there.

Geo-Tagging
Geo-tagging is a fairly new feature that is making it’s way in to digital cameras. The idea behind it is simple, when you take a photograph the longitude and latitude of where the photograph was taken is added to the meta data of the image. (Meta Data is information about the photo such as time and date it was taken,the camera used and the exposure/aperture settings). As not all camera’s have the ability to connect to GPS receivers, you may not be able to tag your photo’s as they are taken – in which case you would need a GPS receiver that supports GPS logging.

GPS Logging
Some devices will support GPS logging. This is where the GPS receiver records your position at set time intervals. When you get home and transfer this data to your PC, you can then add the location (of where the photo was taken) to the image, by matching the time and date your photos were taken with the coordinates recorded at the same time and date on the GPS Receiver. It might sound complicated but it is an extremely simple process!

Mapping
Mapping applications are different to Sat Nav applications as these will just let you plan routes and work out where to go. They can show you where you are in relation to your planned route, but won’t provide turn by turn instructions. This can be extremely useful if you are out and about on foot, or are looking to find out how far away places are before you set off or plan your journey.

Sat Nav & Turn by Turn
Without doubt this is the main reason that most people will look to get a GPS receiver for their phone. With Sat Nav software on your phone you won’t need to use a separate Navigation device as the phone will be able to guide you from door to door. There are a number of different options available for most phones, some software is free, others you have to pay for, the main difference between them being the additional features they offer and how they look on your phone.

So now you’ve got a better understanding of GPS on mobiles, you’re probably wondering what applications are available for your phone and where can you download them from – take a look at our Ultimate Guide to GPS Applications and I’ll show you what’s available and where you can get it from.

Use your iPhone as a Modem

Along with Stereo Bluetooth, one of the other big new features of iPhone OS 3.0 is the ability to use your iPhone as a modem with your Mac, PC or Laptop.

Tethering your iPhone is as easy as using a Mobile Broadband Dongle. You enable Internet Tethering on your iPhone, connect it to your computer using your USB Cable and away you go.

If you want to avoid having to rummage around in your bag for your USB Cable you can also connect your phone using Bluetooth – most Mac’s have Bluetooth built in as standard but PC’s don’t so you might need to get yourself a Bluetooth Dongle. The process is just as simple using bluetooth and takes no time at all to set up. All you need is the latest version of iTunes.

Connecting with the USB cable is just a case of enabling tethering on your iPhone and plugging it in to your computer. After a few seconds you’ll be connected and see the blue tethering bar across the top of your screen.

Using Bluetooth is slightly different and the exact process will vary slightly depending on the Bluetooth Dongle that you are using, but this is how to tether your iPhone 3G to Windows using Bluetooth:

1. Turn on Bluetooth & Tethering on your iPhone
2. Search for Bluetooth Devices on your PC
3. Find your iPhone and enter a Passkey of your choice
4. Enter the same Passkey on your iPhone
5. If asked to select services for device, select PAN or Network Access
6. Device will install and connect to your iPhone
7. Blue Band will show at top of iPhone home screen when PC is connected to your phone

The whole process is amazingly simple and I have to admit, this was about the easiest phone I’ve ever set up for use as a modem. There are no drivers to install and no complicated network settings to enter, you just connect using Bluetooth and it works.

Not Got Bluetooth?

If you don’t have a Bluetooth enabled computer then don’t panic, it’s extremely easy to add Bluetooth to any PC. All you need is a USB Bluetooth Dongle.

Adding a Bluetooth Dongle to your PC won’t just help with tethering your iPhone, it will allow friends and family to send files and photo’s to your computer quickly and easily and you will be able to use a Bluetooth headset for making calls over Skype and listening to music.

Installing a dongle is quick and easy and you don’t need any knowledge of PC’s, just plug it in to a spare USB port and wait for Windows to set it up – Easy!

If you do have any problems setting it up, I’ve put a guide together onInstalling your Bluetooth Dongle that will talk you through it step by step.

Don’t forget though, in order to use tethering, you will need to have the service activated by O2 and there is an extra monthly fee for the service.

What are FM Transmitters?

FM Transmitters are an increasingly popular way of listening to your choice of music on your car stereo or at home. As technology is developing, more and more phones are getting FM Transmitters built into them, eliminating the need to buy a separate one. If your phone hasn’t got it built in, then these are the different types of FM Transmitter available.

Essentially these devices are simple, small devices that plug into the headphone socket on your mobile phone, CD or MP3 Player. They send the music using a short range FM signal, all you need to do then is tune your radio into the same frequency as the transmitter is sending and hey presto, your music plays through your home or car stereo. Since their legalisation in 2006, FM Transmitters have developed considerably and broadcasting music from an MP3 player to your stereo is now just a small part of what they can do.

FM Transmitters are now used in some Bluetooth Simple Car Kits. Where as a conventional Bluetooth Simple Car Kit would transfer audio from a telephone call to a loud speaker, the addition of a FM Transmitter allows the audio quality to be greatly improved by broadcasting it to your car stereo speakers.

The addition of Bluetooth to FM Transmitters has opened up even more opportunities for in-car entertainment. As more and more phones become MP3 enabled and are able to stream stereo music using Bluetooth, a range of multimedia Simple Car Kits has started to emerge. These kits allow music to be sent via Bluetooth from your phone to the kits, and then to your car stereo using the FM Transmitter. As soon as a call comes in, your music is paused and the call audio is played through your car stereo. The more advanced kits will even display Caller ID and song information on the display of your stereo.

One of the best things about these kits is that they are easy to install and set up. There are no wires, and usually plug in to your cigarette lighter charger or clip onto your sun visor. All you have to do is set the frequency and tune in your stereo!

How to Boost your 3G Mobile Broadband Signal

One of the great things about Mobile Broadband is that you can go online anywhere you like – but you can almost guarantee that the place you need it the most is the place where signal is at its weakest.

While 3G coverage is getting stronger with all networks, there will still be blackspots where it drops out, or you can only pick up a 2G signal. Thankfully, a couple of solutions are now available to try and get round these signal issues. If you don’t have a dongle yet and are looking for the network with the strongest 3G signal, then the OFCOM website has just published updated coverage maps (as of 31/12/08) that allow you to view the 3G coverage by network.

There are now two different types of antenna available:

• Clip Antenna: This Antenna is designed to be a portable solution that clips onto the screen on your laptop or sits on your desk. It is omni-directional, which means that it will pick up signals from all directions.
• High Gain 3G Directional Antenna: This is a much more powerful signal booster than the clip antenna and is ideal for people who have real problems with 3G reception. They are directional, which means that you will need to point this towards your network’s transmitter in order for it to improve the signal. The High Gain antenna when positioned correctly will make a significant difference to the signal you receive and can be wall mounted as a permanent fixture.

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What is DLNA?

DLNA is all about the Digital Home and getting the devices you use everyday to work together. Chances are you’ve got a digital camera, but are restricted to watching your photos back on the screen of your PC, or you’ve got video footage on your camcorder that you have to stop and burn to disc, and then hope it will play on your DVD player. You’ve got a big screen TV in the lounge, but can only use it for TV and DVD’s. Getting them all to work now normally involves lots of cables, lots of patience and a fair bit of time too, but DLNA is hoping to change all that.

DLNA stands for Digital Living Network Alliance, and is basically a set of rules that electronics companies are all following in order for devices to talk to each other. I struggled to get to grips with it to start with, but if you look less at what it is and look more at what it does, you’ll soon see how its going to change how we use our devices.

What is DLNA?
The first thing to remember is DLNA is not a product itself (you can’t buy DLNA adapters for existing devices) the support for DLNA needs to be built into the software of the device you’re using, so for most of us its not gong to be something we can all use straight away – but the next time you buy a digital device its worth looking for one with DLNA support built in, just look out for the DLNA logo (shown above).

In order to use DLNA features there are a few things you’ll need:

• A home network (wired or wireless)
  Most of us by now already have networks in place at home for accessing the internet, so you should easily be able to expand your network to incorporate more devices with minimal hassle. Some devices will only be able to connect wirelessly, and others will need to connect to your network using a cable.
• Home media server software
  It sounds scary, but its not. There are several different media servers available, but these are becoming a standard part of PC operating systems, and most new PC’s should have one built in.
• DLNA Certified products
  Certified products include mobile phones, PC’s, TV’s, Network Storage Devices, Digital Video Recorders, Audio Systems, Printers, Games Consoles & Digital Media Players. You’ll need more than one obviously in order to really do anything, but no doubt over time most devices in your house will support DLNA.

What does DLNA do?
In a nutshell, DLNA allows digital devices to talk to each other over a wired or wireless network. It lets you access content from your PC on your TV, play music from your phone through your Hi-Fi, all with out having to plug anything in!

What does it allow me do?

There are loads of different ways that DLNA devices can help make your life a little bit easier, here’s a couple of examples.

You’ve been on a day out, you get home and want to look back at the photos on your phone. With DLNA devices, you can play your photo slideshow back on your widescreen TV, and when you’re finished you can send all your photos to your network storage device for safe keeping. Without DLNA, you’d have been restriced to watching them back on your phone screen or messing around with cables to transfer them to your PC to watch on your computer screen.

You’ve filmed your recent holiday and downloaded it to your PC, and you sent it to your networked storage device for safe keeping. When the family come round, you can all sit and watch it together, watching it back on your TV using just your TV remote to play it back – its that simple. Without DLNA, you’d have been restriced to watching them back on your computer screen, burning the film to DVD or messing around with cables to connect the camcorder to your TV.

For more possibilities have a look at the DLNA website.

In reality:

I’m sure you’re probably thinking this all sounds good, but does it really work? Honestly, Yes. To give you a better idea of what a simple DLNA network set-up would be, this is my current set up at home:

• Windows PC running Home Media Server, connected to Wi-Fi network,
• Sony Bravia TV connected to my wireless router using an ethernet cable,
• Nokia N97 connected to Wi-Fi network.

With this set up I can view photos from my phone and PC on the TV using my TV remote. I can play music from my phone through my PC or TV, and can control the music playback from my phone or my TV remote. My Dad has a DLNA enabled laptop, and when he visits, he simply logs onto my wireless network and he is able to show pictures and music on my TV straight away with out having to set anything up.

The Playstation 3 is DLNA enabled and is more and more people have one, people are starting to use DLNA without even realising. The PS3 allows to you stream music, photos and video from any pc in your home to your TV – as long as you’re running media software (see below).
Current DLNA certified Mobile Phones:

Currently there aren’t many handsets in the UK that are DLNA Certified, I’ve listed some of the more recent of these are listed here:

To see what other devices are available have a look at the DLNA certified Product Range.

If you don’t have a Media Server installed on your PC, take a look at these solutions.

• Twonky
• Home Media Server (included free with Nokia NSeries)
• Orb

These aren’t the only options out there, but the one’s I’ve found easiest to use, although Orb is slightly different in as much as it allows you to stream your content over the internet to any device. Twonky and Home Media Server are simpler to set up and use.

If you have any questions or comments, or need anything clarifying – leave your comments below!

Which 3G Antenna do I need?

The table below shows the current 3G Broadband Dongles and the Antennas that are available. If you aren’t sure which dongle you have, my post on how to boost your 3G signal will show you where to find this information.

There are two different types of antenna available. The standard Clip Antenna is designed to be a portable solution that clips onto the screen on your laptop or sits on your desk. It is omni-directional, which means that it will pick up signals from all directions. The High Gain 3G Directional Antenna is a more powerful signal booster. It is directional, which means that you will need to point this towards your networks transmitter in order for it to improve the signal. The High Gain antenna when positioned correctly will make a significant difference to the signal you receive, and can be wall mounted as a permanent fixture.

To find your dongle quickly, press “ctrl” and “f” on your keyboard, and then type in the model number of your dongle excluding the manufacturer or network eg: E160G to search this page. If your dongle is not listed here, don’t worry, this is only a snapshot of the most popular dongles.

If you still can’t find your dongle, please add a comment with the network, dongle make and model number and I’ll find out which antenna you need and add it to the list alternatively the Universal antenna will work with all USB modems.
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What is Multipoint?

Multipoint is a new development in Bluetooth technology that allows your Bluetooth Headset to be connected to two Bluetooth devices at the same time. When a call comes in, the headset knows which handset is ringing and will connect to the phone automatically.

Multipoint can benefit most Bluetooth Headset users. It is ideal if you have to carry around a work phone and a personal phone but don’t want the hassle of having two separate headsets. If you use VOIP telephony at home, but don’t want to be tied down to sitting in front of your PC, Multipoint means you can pair your compatible Bluetooth Headset to your PC and your mobile and no matter which phone rings, the call will come through to your headset.

It’s not just business user that can benefit though, with more MP3 and music systems streaming music via Bluetooth, Multipoint means you can be listening to music on your Stereo Bluetooth Headset or Bluetooth Headphones from your stereo or MP3 player, and when a call comes in, the music will pause/mute allowing you to answer the call on your mobile phone. Music playback will automatically resume once you end your call.

What Multipoint Devices are available?
The range of Multipoint enabled devices is growing quickly, with most new Bluetooth Headsets now supporting multipoint. More recently we’ve seen Multipoint technology find its way into Bluetooth Simple Car Kits, great if both driver and passenger need to go handsfree in the car.

Listed below are some of the latest Multipoint devices.

Multipoint Bluetooth Headsets

The i-Tech Arrow X is an in-ear type Bluetooth headset. It is the perfect combination of function and form. It’s super light weight at 9.4 grams lets you wear comfortably for the duration of the day. Comes with the latest Bluetooth technology v2.0 and noise reduction microphone. Arrow X offers you a stable connection and exceptional clarity at an unbeatable price.

Intelligent, versatile, and elegant. The Nokia BH-904 is an ideal handsfree solution for those who demand quality, style, and clarity. With the latest technology, including digital signal processing (DSP) and a sliding boom microphone, this headset delivers superior performance. A longer lasting battery enables you to talk up to 5 hours with only 15 minutes of charging.

The new Motopure H15 features an exclusive flip design, with an open to talk and a close to save battery function, and has a dual-microphone design. It will automatically enhance frequencies to improve call clarity in both loud and quiet environments. Motopure H15 converts 15 minutes of charging time to over an hour of talk time.

Multipoint Stereo Bluetooth Headsets

The Jabra Halo supports Noise Blackout technology that removes ambient sound. The headset also features dual microphones, which ensure premium quality sound while intelligently filtering background clutter. It also sports advanced DSP technology and Audio Shock Protection to provide balanced sound removing background noise. Read my Jabra Halo hands on review.

The Sony Ericsson HBH-DS980 allows you to wirelessly connect to your phone, PDA or laptop wherever youve saved the music you want to hear. You still wont miss a call, unless you want to. High quality components, technology and design make for high quality sound. Pop in the headphones and enjoy music and conversations in superb clarity.

Bluetooth just got cool thanks to the Jabra BT3030. Not only does it look good, it sounds great. Finally a product that lets you listen to music from your mobile – without damaging your style! Plus the ability to use your own 3.5mm headphones too. The BT3030 plays music from any enabled device such as mobile phone and Mp3 player. Play, pause, skip – remote control your music without touching your mobile.

Multipoint Bluetooth Simple Carkits

Youre in control at all times with the Supertooth Visor One. Its vocal recognition system means you only have to say “OK” to answer the call. The Supertooth One is portable and easy to install, simply attach it with the magnetic clip to any vehicles sun visor and its ready to use. Supports voice dialing and music streaming from compatible mobile phones.

The new slim and stylish Movon MK30 requires no installation, it simply clips to the sun visor. It features superior sound quality and noise reduction, with and excellent standby time and up to 12 hours talk time. The Movon MK30 features a high definition OLED screen for caller ID and text to speech technology that reads out the name of the caller.

At the moment, fully fitted car kits are lagging behind – there are none that can be fully integrated into your car and work with two phones at the same time. As soon as this changes I’ll update the post.

What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is a way of wirelessly transferring data from one device to another. Bluetooth first appeared around ten years ago as a quicker and easier method of data transfer than infra-red. With infra-red you had to point two devices together in order for it to work (the same way as you have to point your television remote at your TV.) There were a number of problems with this kind of connection; it was unstable, slow and limited in its uses.

With Bluetooth, you no longer have to line up two devices, you just simply turn on Bluetooth and send to the device you want. Bluetooth technology was initially used for personal hands free kits. The lack of wires made it much more convenient especially when driving. Over the last few years as prices have fallen and phones have advanced, Bluetooths increasing range and even faster speeds has meant it could be used for far more than just hands free kits.

Bluetooth Classes
There are different Bluetooth Classes which give an indication of the range over which data can be transferred:

• Class 1 up to 100m
• Class 2 up to 10m
• Class 3 – less than 10m

In order to achieve data communication at these distances you will need both devices to be from the same class.

So what can it do?
Bluetooth is most commonly used for transferring pictures, music and ringtones between phones and connecting to Bluetooth headsets, personal hands free kits and car kits. As more and more phones become multimedia handsets, Bluetooth can also be used to stream music in stereo to wireless speakers and car kits using A2DP technology. With the introduction of Internet Telephony, Bluetooth headsets are now being used with Home PCs to enable wireless calling.

What Bluetooth Devices are available?

Listed below are some of the most popular types of Bluetooth devices available.

Bluetooth Dongles
Bluetooth dongles vary in size, range, and specification. When choosing your dongle its important to consider that not all dongles support all bluetooth functions. Bluetooth Dongles have a range of up to 10 metres or up to 100 metres. If you are looking to connect a Bluetooth headset to make and receive voice calls you will need to make sure it supports the Headset and Handsfree profiles. See the Bluetooth glossary for information on Bluetooth Profiles.

Personal Handsfree
The Conventional Bluetooth Headset. These come in a range of shapes and sizes, but what should you look out for when choosing one? Most headsets have the same features; they will answer and end calls, dial the last number you called and activate voice dialling on your phone, as well as adjust the volume of the speaker. The main differences are battery stand by times, weight and call quality.

Stereo Handsfree
A fairly new device in terms of Bluetooth headsets. With a stereo Bluetooth headset you can connect it to a compatible Bluetooth device and have your music play in stereo the same as it would through normal stereo headphones but without the wires. When a call comes in your music is paused while you take the call and resumes when the call is over. You get all the same features as a standard Bluetooth headset, but depending on the model you may get music control features too. For stereo streaming your phone will need to support the A2DP profile. To control your phones music playback your phone will need the AVRCP profile. See the Bluetooth glossary for information on Bluetooth Profiles.

Simple Car Kits
Simple Car Kits are becoming an extremely popular way of safely using your phone whilst driving. With no complicated installation needed, simple Bluetooth Simple Car Kits are battery powered and are normally clipped to your sunvisor or sit in you cars cigarette lighter socket. These give you the same control over your calls as a personal handsfree but instead of sitting on your ear, they act as a loud speaker in your car. More advanced models will have an LCD screen so you can see the name or number of who is calling you.

Multimedia Simple Car Kit
A lot more simple than the name suggests, these have exactly the same functionality as a standard Simple Car Kit, but with a built-in FM Transmitter so you can attach your MP3 player by cable or stream music via Bluetooth from your phone through to your car stereo for high quality sound. Depending on the kit you chose, you can have the callers ID or song information shown on your car stereo display. For stereo streaming your phone will need to support the A2DP profile. To control your phones music playback your phone will need the AVRCP profile. See the Bluetooth glossary for information on Bluetooth Profiles.

Professionally Installed Car Kit
Professionally installed car kits will give you the best possible experience while using your phone hands free in the car. They have a separate speaker and microphone, and with some extra adapters can be routed through your car stereo. Most Bluetooth kits have an LCD screen so you can see who is calling before you answer. Some kits will also allow you to transfer your phonebook contents to the car kit so you can make calls with out having to touch your phone at all.

Professionally Installed Multimedia Car Kits
As the name suggests, these have exactly the same functionality as a professionally installed car kit but as they are connected to your car stereo you can stream music from your phone or MP3 player for high quality sound. Multimedia Kits will normally give you full control over your music and some will have the option to connect non-Bluetooth MP3 players. For stereo streaming your phone will need to support the A2DP profile. To control your phones music playback your phone will need the AVRCP profile. See the Bluetooth glossary for information on Bluetooth Profiles.

Bluetooth GPS Receiver
Sat Nav is the latest must have device on your mobile. Bluetooth GPS receivers can add Sat Nav functionality to your phone. The features on a GPS receiver are pretty standard and the only things you would need to bear in mind are size, weight and most importantly compatibility with your phone. Not all handsets will support the required GPS software.

Bluetooth Speakers
Bluetooth speakers offer the same kind of functionality as Simple Car Kits but are designed to be used in the home. Some models have LCD displays that can display album art and keys to answer – end calls. For stereo streaming your phone will need to support the A2DP profile. To control your phones music playback your phone will need the AVRCP profile. See the Bluetooth glossary for information on Bluetooth Profiles.
Other Devices
The list of Bluetooth enabled devices is growing all the time. Other devices that now come with Bluetooth technology include cameras, camcorders, keyboards, mice and photo frames to name a few.
Bluetooth Glossary

This Bluetooth Glossary will explain more about the different profile types and help you to understand bluetooth compatibility.

Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)
The A2DP profile describes how stereo quality audio can be streamed from a media source. A typical usage scenario can be considered as the walkman class of media player. The audio source would be the music player and the audio output is the wireless headset. A2DP defines the protocols and procedures that allow the distribution of high quality audio content in mono or stereo.

Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)
AVRCP is designed to provide a standard interface to control TVs, Hifi equipment, etc This profile is used to allow a single remote control (or other device) to control all the A/V equipment that a user has access to. AVRCP defines how to control characteristics of streaming media. This includes pausing, stopping, starting playback and volume control as well as other types of remote control operations.

Bluetooth Profiles
Bluetooth profiles are general behaviours through which Bluetooth enabled devices communicate with other devices. Bluetooth technology defines a wide range of profiles that describe many different types of use cases. In order to use Bluetooth technology, a device must be able to interpret certain Bluetooth profiles. The profiles define the possible applications.

Dial-up Networking Profile (DUN)
DUN provides a standard to access the Internet and other dial-up services via Bluetooth wireless technology. The most common scenario is accessing the Internet from a laptop by dialling up on a mobile phone, wirelessly.

Generic Object Exchange Profile (GOEP)
GOEP is used to transfer an object from one device to another. The object may be any object such as a picture, document, business card, etc. The profile defines two roles, a server that provides the location from which an object is pulled or pushed, as well as a client that initiates the action. GOEP provides a generic blueprint for other profiles using the OBEX protocol.

Hands-Free Profile (HFP)
HFP describes how a gateway device can be used to place and receive calls for a handsfree device. A typical configuration is a car using a mobile phone as a gateway device. In the car, the stereo is used for the phone audio and a microphone is installed in the car for sending outgoing audio of the conversation. HFP is also used for a personal computer to act as a speakerphone for a mobile phone in a home or office environment.

Headset Profile (HSP)
The HSP describes how a Bluetooth enabled headset should communicate with a mobile phone or other Bluetooth enabled device such as a computer. When connected and configured, the headset can act as the remote devices audio input and output interface.

Human Interface Device Profile (HID)
The HID profile defines the protocols, procedures and features to be used by Bluetooth enabled HID, such as keyboards, pointing devices, gaming devices, and remote monitoring devices. Sony Ericsson handsets support the HID profile.

Object Exchange (OBEX) Protocol
OBEX is a transfer protocol that allows devices to exchange files, such as Images, Videos and Music Files

Pairing
The process of establishing a new relationship between two Bluetooth enabled devices. During this process a passkey is exchanged either before connection establishment was requested or during connecting phase. Some devices will need to be put into pairing mode before pairing can begin.

Passcode
When pairing devices, it is strongly recommended to use a pass code to authenticate incoming connections. Also, in certain connection situations you may desire additional assurance that you are connecting to the device or person you expect. A pass code can normally be any combination of keys (letters or numbers). Do use caution as some devices do not map characters similarly. Passkeys are valid only for the connection and may be different for other devices or users.

Personal Area Networking Profile (PAN)
PAN describes how two or more Bluetooth enabled devices can form an ad-hoc network and how the same mechanism can be used to access a remote network through a network access point. The profile roles include the network access point, group ad-hoc network and personal area network user.

SIM Access Profile (SAP)
SAP allows devices such as car phones with built in GSM transceivers to connect to a SIM card in a Bluetooth enabled phone. Therefore the car phone itself does not require a separate SIM card.

Synchronization Profile (SYNC)
The SYNC profile is used in conjunction with GOEP to enable synchronization of calendar and address information (personal information manager (PIM) items) between Bluetooth enabled devices. A common application of this profile is the exchange of data between a PDA and computer.

Pairing Mode
Most Bluetooth devices will need to be put into pairing mode before it can be linked to another device. During pairing mode the device will send out a signal that will allow it to be found by the device that is trying to link to it. By having a pairing mode it prevents unauthorised users from accessing a device.