Unofficial Mobile Blog » car kit http://unofficialmobileblog.co.uk News & information on Mobile Phones and Accesories Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:00:36 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Nokia Speakerphone HF-310 Review http://unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/2009/08/nokia-speakerphone-hf-310-review/ http://unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/2009/08/nokia-speakerphone-hf-310-review/#comments Sun, 30 Aug 2009 07:41:26 +0000 Dean http://www.unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/?p=2749 Nokia have always produced fantastic fitted car kits but their plug & play car kits have been good, but not really anything to shout about. The Nokia HF-310 and Nokia HF-510 have just been announced as replacements for the HF-200 and HF-300, but are they any better? What have they got that makes them different to the ones they’re replacing? I wasn’t too sure either, as at first glance a bluetooth car kit is just a bluetooth car kit, right?

I grabbed a Nokia HF-310 and tried it out to see how the new Nokia car kit shapes up.

In the Box

With most ‘plug and play’ Bluetooth car kits, you normally get the loud speaker, visor clip and a charger of some description, you get the same with the Nokia HF-310, but you also get a couple of extra items – a windscreen suction holder and a suction pad that you can use anywhere in the car. The HF-310 uses the same Nokia DC-4 that most of the current Nokia handsets use, so you won’t need to buy a seperate charger for your phone.

Nokia HF-310 Box Contents

Nokia HF-310 Box Contents

Mounting Options

Nearly every simple car kit I’ve tried either clips on your sun visor or plugs into your cigarette lighter, now this may seem like convenient places for them to go, but in reality it often means that the built in micorphone is nowhere near you or your mouth which can lead to the person on the other end of the phone really struggling to hear what you’re saying. The Nokia HF-310 has a number of tricks up its sleeve to overcome this problem. The HF-310 is a small kit so you’ll find you can mount it just about anywhere. The HF-310 measures 80mm x 21mm so it’s roughly the same size as your tax disc.

Visor Mount
Unlike most kits, the visor clip on the Hf-310 isn’t just a clip. It clips on to your visor and a velcro strap wraps round the visor and secures the clip in place so there is no chance of it falling off when you pull your visor down. A tip for you when you’re fitting it is to fold your visor down and swing it out if you can – the velcro got stuck to the roof lining on my car and proved a little tricky to pull off again! Now, you’re not going to want to keep undoing this strap each time you want to use the kit, so Nokia have given the HF-310 a twist-lock bracket that makes it quick and easy to remove the kit without having to remove the strap. Just grab the speaker, rotate it 90 degrees and it comes off. Simple.

Nokia HF-310 on Visor

Nokia HF-310 on Visor

The only downside that I found with using the visor mount is that if you pull the visor down, the speaker is then facing the windscreen and there’s not a quick way to turn it round to face you, so you may struggle to hear/be heard while the visor is down.

Suction Mount
Nokia must have realised that using a handsfree on a sun visor can have it’s problems as they’ve also included a suction mount for the HF-310. I can’t think of any other car kits that have this as a mounting option, but its actually a great way to use your HF-310. The suction mount isn’t like some of the budget ones that you may have seen where you have a long bendy arm coming towards you, it’s a compact design that fixes by pressing it against the glass and twisting the base. To remove it twist it back and it pops straight off. It has the same twist-lock fixing as the visor mount so it’s easy enough to switch between holders.

Nokia HF-310

Nokia HF-310

If you don’t want to position the HF-310 on your windscreen or on the visor then you have a third oprion. The kit includes a self adhesive suction pad that you can stick to any flat surface in your car. This pad provides the perfect base to attach the suction mount on to and means that you can position the speaker unit pretty much anywhere you want in the car.

Nokia HF-310 Mounting Options

Nokia HF-310 Mounting Options

Getting Started

Before I could use the kit, I needed to pair it with my phone and this was a quick and simple task. The HF-310 went into pairing mode as soon as I turned it on and my phone found it straight away. Once I’d entered the passkey (0000) the phone was connected and ready to use. The whole process took less than 30 seconds and was probably one of the easiest Bluetooth pairings I’ve ever had to do.

Simple Controls

Handsfree car kits need to be really simple to use and that’s exactly what this is. There is just one button on the front of the speaker that answers/ends calls, can redial the last dialled number and activates voice dialling (if your phone supports it). I had this paired up with my Nokia N82 and it worked perfectly. At higher speeds road noise did affect voice dialling, but moving the HF-310 closer to me improved it.

The only other control on the HF-310 is the volume control, and at first glance you might not see it. The volume control is actually the outer dial and it works in the same way as it does on the Nokia CK-7W fitted car kit. Turn the dial clockwise to increase the volume anti-clockwise to decrease it.

Call Quality

The HF-310 has technology built into it that reduces background noise and echoes so using the kit while you’re driving should be a pleasant experience for both parties on a call, and to be honest it was. For town driving I didn’t experience any problems at all. I could hear the caller perfectly well, and the caller could hear me. Neither of us had to ask the other to repeat ourselves. Motorway driving was slightly different, there was the occasional missed word during a call, but this was in frequent and barely noticeable. At 70mph on the motorway, road and wind noise meant I had to increase the volume, but I was still able to hear the other person pretty clearly. Passing lorries and trucks did make it a little more difficult to hear but it was still possible.

Battery Life

Battery life in car kits is really important. The last thing you need is for the kit to run out of power while you’re on a call. The battery in the HF-310 will give you upto a massive 30 hours talktime and 960 hours (40 days!) stand by time from a full charge. The kit will power off automatically after around 10 minutes if there is no phone connected to it.

Nokia HF-310 Vs Nokia HF-510

At the time of writing this, the HF-510 hasn’t arrived in to stock, but it’s essentially the same kit with the addittion of Caller ID. It has a small LCD screen above the answer key that will show you the name of the person that is calling you. In order for this to work properly, you’ll need to send the contacts of your address book to the car kit using bluetooth, but this is a simple process that takes only a couple of minutes. If a number calls you that isn’t in the phonebook on the car kit, it will just display the number. The only other difference is that the screen uses more power so the standby time drops to 180 hours (7 days). To be honest, if you’ve got a car holder for your phone, you’ll see who’s calling on that, so I’d say that the HF-310 is a better option because of the massive increase in stand by time.

Summary

Overall, I’m impressed with the HF-310. Audio quality is great and it’s extremely simple to set up and use and I think by far its best feature is the flexibility you have when it comes to mounting the HF-310 in the car. For the price, there are couple of extra features that would have been nice – Multipoint, Text to Speech, A2DP or FM transmitter, but that would then make it a much more advanced and complicated car kit and that’s not what the HF-310 is all about. The HF-310 is simple, effective and the build quality means you’ll be using this for years, not throwing it away after 6 months.

Rating: 8/10

For more images of the Nokia HF-310 in use head over to Page 2.

]]> http://unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/2009/08/nokia-speakerphone-hf-310-review/feed/ 0 Hands on Review of the Jabra SP700 Bluetooth Speakerphone http://unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/2009/07/jabra-bluetooth-speakerphone-sp700-review/ http://unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/2009/07/jabra-bluetooth-speakerphone-sp700-review/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:38:26 +0000 Dean http://www.unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/?p=3038 I have used a few Bluetooth Visor Car Kits in the past only to find sooner or later (more sooner), I retire them to the Bluetooth graveyard located in a dark corner in the spare room at home. It always begins on a high with a promise to provide a Hands-free but safe, convenient , compact, foolproof and law abiding way to receive and make calls while sitting in the comfort of a stationary or moving vehicle… However, eventually the honeymoon gloss fades and cracks appear to what first seemed a win, win situation.

Jabra SP700 Bluetooth Speakerphone

Jabra SP700 Bluetooth Speakerphone

So when presented with the opportunity to try yet another Handsfree Bluetooth in-car visor product I did not climb over the office furniture or rugby tackle fellow colleagues to be first in the queue. However on this occasion a particular feature of the Jabra SP700 caught my imagination – it claimed to offer both voice and stereo music streaming direct from my Bluetooth enabled mobile phone to my in-car entertainment unit.

In the Box

The compact and stylish Bluetooth speakerphone also comes supplied with a visor clip that is already fitted, a USB charger cable, USB car charger and plain English and compact user guide.

Jabra SP700 Bluetooth Speakerphone

Jabra SP700 Bluetooth Speakerphone Box Contents

Getting Started

Just connect the USB charger cable to a spare USB port on your computer and up pops an illuminated red battery icon to indicated that it is charging. When fully charged this icon then changes to green. If you do not have easy or regular access to a computer then think about purchasing a USB Mains Charger and use the USB charger cable provided in the box when not in the car. On the front of the unit are a range of icons that illuminate to indicate what status the speakerphone is in. I will discuss these in detail later.

There is no dedicated off/on button, and although not immediately obvious, this function is activated by pressing and holding the front of the speakerphone; 2 seconds to switch it on and 4 seconds to switch it off. If like me, you tend to exit your vehicle and forget to switch the speakerphone off then do not worry, the SP700 has an auto-power off when the phone is out of its Bluetooth range.

Pairing the SP700 to your mobile phone couldnt be easier; when you switch it on for the first time it automatically enters its pairing mode which is clearly indicated by an illuminated Bluetooth Status icon appearing. Next, just activate the Bluetooth function on your phone and set the phone to discover the SP700, enter the pin code (0000), mount it to your car visor and youre good to go!

Jabra SP700 Bluetooth Visor Car Kit

The Jabra SP700 clips neatly to your sun visor in the car

Controls

Now the SP700 is not big on controls, I have already mentioned the lack of an on/off button and it does not have any audio adjustment controls aside of a volume up & down button on one side of the unit, and there is also a FM transmitter button located on the opposite side.


Features

Now the SP700 provides the basic functions like any other like handsfree kit, as well as supporting extended features of some phone models like voice dialling which as you may have already experienced is a potential Olympic Linguistic event in its own right. Also the SP700 features advanced noise reduction and echo cancellation that insures excellent sound quality on both sides of the call.

When using the SP700 the current status is clarified by a clear voice announcement available in 10 languages a treat no doubt for those multi lingual potential users out there or those wanting to practice some basic phrases before arriving at their international holiday destination this summer!

The voice announcer switches from a female to a male voice for different status alerts. However the announcement that caught me by surprise was the one that announced the caller ID of an incoming call brilliant and by pressing the front of the speakerphone I could answer or end the call. The announcer also confirms when the speakerphone is switched off and also when it has made connection with your mobile phone.

I found the clarity of the incoming call to be excellent by comparison to other Bluetooth visor speaker phones that I have used in the past, and I can confidently say that my voice was clearly received by my caller. I must admit that my vehicle suffers from very little cabin noise generally – however I also tested it in my wifes 1.4 about town vehicle which isn’t a tractor by any means – but with mischievous and noisy kids in tow I still found the SP700s speakerphone to be equally as impressive.

The Jabra SP700 has a classic, slim line design

The Jabra SP700 has a classic, slim line design

The best feature is the FM transmission – A simple press of the FM transmission button illuminates the FM transmission icon and speakerphone mute icon, then kicks the voice announcer into action as she clearly tells you the FM frequency to tune your car radio to. If this frequency is congested by existing radio stations then you can make adjustments by 0.1MHz at a time using the volume keys, the announcer will recite the new frequency selected each time you make a change. My radios RDS function displayed the word JABRA to indicate that I had sourced the correct frequency and I promptly saved it to a spare preset number. This remains the fixed FM frequency unless you make a change as previously mentioned or reset the unit to factory settings. The only thing I did not have time to test was how the selected FM frequency would stand up to long journeys whereby you may drift into localised radio stations sharing the same frequency; however, the ease I found in changing frequencies leaves me quite confident that such an event occurring would not be a major problem to resolve.

The Nokia E71 phone was used to test the SP700 for streaming music to my car stereo, on hitting the play button on the phone, music came belting out almost immediately through the car speakers. The quality was fairly good, however I found that the SP700s lack of audio controls came to haunt it as the volume controls previous used to adjust the FM frequency remain set to this function while in FM transmission mode, so you have to rely on your in-car audio controls to equalize the sound and adjust the volume. This sometimes is a problem when you switch back to the radio or CD mode as the volume can sometimes be far too high for those built in sources.

Taking calls using the FM transmission mode was a delight, however be aware that your calls may be picked up by a stranger who is tuned to the same FM frequency and in close proximity to your vehicle, so keep this feature just for music or calls that are not of a private or sensitive nature. On a final point if you turn off your radio or forget to change the status of the SP700 back to its own speakers, then the SP700 automatically disconnects from its FM transmission status following a period of non-use.

The SP700 boasts up to14 hours talk time & up to 255 hours standby however after a week of testing I am yet to re-charge.

Conclusion

I must admit the SP700 has not changed my preference which is to avoid taking calls while driving if I can, however when circumstances dictate that this is unavoidable or for those of you or where this is a day to day necessity then the SP700 does not disappoint, mainly because of its ease of use, functionality, portability and quality. The Ace up its sleeve however is the FM transmission that adds a more practical and up to date feature for all music lovers who have migrated their favourite playlists into the fashionable multi-media Bluetooth mobile phones that are currently available a smart move by Jabra.

]]> http://unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/2009/07/jabra-bluetooth-speakerphone-sp700-review/feed/ 0 What are FM Transmitters? http://unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/2009/06/what-are-fm-transmitters/ http://unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/2009/06/what-are-fm-transmitters/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:32:56 +0000 Dean http://www.mobilefun.wip/blog/?page_id=96 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.

FM Transmitters 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.
Bluetooth Simple Car Kits 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.
Multimedia Simple Car Kits 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!
]]> http://unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/2009/06/what-are-fm-transmitters/feed/ 0 Software Updates – Parrot http://unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/2008/06/software-updates-parrot/ http://unofficialmobileblog.co.uk/2008/06/software-updates-parrot/#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:24:41 +0000 Dean http://www.mobilefun.wip/blog/?page_id=94 Parrot Software Update Tool

In order to keep their products up to date, Parrot have developed a Software Update Tool, a quick and easy way to update your Parrot product with all the latest software updates.

DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE FROM PARROT.COM
 NB: The Parrot Software Update Tool is currently only available for Microsoft Windows .

Before starting your upgrade, please read the following guides:

PARROT DONGLE USB
PARROT PHOTO VIEWER
PARROT SOUND SYSTEM
Parrot Party
PARROT MINIKIT
PARROT MK6000
Parrot MK6100
PARROT 3200 LS-COLOR
PARROT CK3100 LCD
PARROT CK3000 EVOLUTION
PARROT RHYTHM'N'BLUE
PARROT EASY DRIVE

Change Your Language

Parrot hands-free car kits softwares are available in 19 languages.

AVAILABLE IN 19 LANGUAGES
Before starting the update, you can select your preferred language in the configuration menu of the Parrot Software Update Tool.

You can change the language on the following Parrot Kits:

  • Minikit
  • Photo Viewer ( available in 16 languages )
  • 3200 LS-COLOR
  • 3400 LS-GPS
  • CK3100 LCD
  • CK3000 Evolution
  • Easydrive

Latest available versions

Check the software version currently installed in your kit (“Preferences” menu, “Information” sub-menu) and compare it with this list:

(Correct as of 11/02/2008)

To know the specifications, read the “release notes.”

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