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Comment on Belkin Bluetooth Car Hands-Free Kit for Apple iPod touch, iPhone, Blackberry and Android Smartphones Reviews by Beno "Gadget Guy"

Beno "Gadget Guy" — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:37:43 +0000

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

Works Great - Very Nice Product, November 16, 2011

Beno "Gadget Guy" (Naperville, IL USA) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Belkin Bluetooth Car Hands-Free Kit for Apple iPod touch, iPhone, Blackberry and Android Smartphones (Electronics)

First, let me say, this is a happy ending to a long story. I tried multiple solutions and this one worked the best for me. The BlueTooth audio (stereo) from our iPhones is great! The audio for phone calls is not great but works fine, especially for hands free use.

My first attempt was using a cable solution that plugs into the bottom of the iPhone using the 25-pin connector. The cable split into two where one side went to a DC power adapter and the other side went to the AUX input on the GM factory stereo (HHR SS). This was a slick solution but the description for the product left out one detail - you can't use it for hands-free phone calls. Apparently Apple does not pass telephone audio through the 25 pin socket.

I then tried the Griffin BlueTooth Aux for iPhone which was very highly rated on the Apple site but mediocre on Amazon. This product sounded great and worked very well for hands-free conversations but had problems reconnecting with our iPhones. The DC power outlet in GM cars is always on, so the Griffin Bluetooth Aux never reset itself. For whatever reason, we would have to go through the Bluetooth settings on the phone to reconnect every time we got in the car. Note that the two were still paired - just not connected.

Finally, I tried the Belkin CarAudio Connect AUX (Previously called the Belkin AirCast BlueTooth In-Car Adapter). This one worked! A really nice feature is that it powers down after 10 minutes without a connection. Now when we enter the car we press the button the little disc you see in the picture and it turns on, reconnects to you device, and starts playing whatever audio you last listened to. If it does not start playing your music you simply press the disc again as this acts as the PLAY / PAUSE button. Press twice and you skip to the next song. Press and hold for about 5-seconds and you can voice dial.

While the unit sounds great it is not the end-all for hands-free. People on the other end of the phone can hear you but it is not perfect at all. Some of that has to do with where you mount the little disc which contains the microphone and other ambient noise in the car. I had no problem with syncing and there is very little audio loss but keep in mind this is a stock stero and speakers. It was a quick fix to wanting my wife to be able to listen to music from her new iPhone as well as enjoy the benefits of hands-free talking while driving. Oh, you can also answer the phone by pressing the disc while you are listening to music.

This unit was $79.99 at the Apple Store, and between $57 and $80 through Amazon and various sellers. I fortunately hit upon some good luck as Fry's had them on sale for $29.99 which made the whole story even happier. Note that you have to have a stereo with a 3/8" audio input (AUX) jack for this to work.

I hope this help.

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Comment on Belkin Bluetooth Car Hands-Free Kit for Apple iPod touch, iPhone, Blackberry and Android Smartphones Reviews by Shilo

Shilo — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:55:38 +0000

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

First impression - this thing is awesome., November 12, 2011

Shilo (Palm Springs, California) -

This review is from: Belkin Bluetooth Car Hands-Free Kit for Apple iPod touch, iPhone, Blackberry and Android Smartphones (Electronics)

This review is based upon my first day's experience using the Belkin with an iPhone 4S and Siri. I wanted to be able to have my iPhone connect to my car stereo for hands-free phone calls and iTunes. I tried the Motorola Freeway, which looked great in the advertisements (one feature is that it automatically connects with your phone when you get in the car), but in real life it was a big disappointment...mainly because it played via FM signal through a separate portable speaker unit that clips to the visor, rather than playing through my car stereo. Since returning the Freeway, I've been hoping something like this Belkin would come along. With the overwhelmingly positive reviews, I couldn't wait to get one of these. I installed it in the car this afternoon. As others have noted, it couldn't be easier; it only took minutes, and in seconds it paired with my phone.

Once you've decided where to mount the microphone/activation button, plugged in the power (to your cigarette lighter) and plugged into the AUX jack, you're good to go. I installed the microphone/selector button on the vertical plane of the dashboard just behind and to the right of the steering wheel (my Scion xB dashboard is PERFECT!) The length of wiring between the cigarette plug and the AUX plug is fairly short, but they do provide you with an extension cable if you need it (I did). Hiding the wires was easy...in my car, I just tucked them up inside under the console. A nice feature: the piece that slides into the cigarette lighter socket is about half as long as most car chargers, so it's almost flush with the panel, rather than sticking way out like most car charger plugs. Also nice: you can plug your phone's USB charger cable directly into the front of the charger plug if you wish to charge your phone as you drive.

The microphone/activation button is easy to reach on the dash, the ring's blue glow is not overwhelming, even at night, and I didn't consider mounting it anywhere else (e.g., on the side of the console as some others noted). The music sound is impeccable. The Belkin gets along beautifully with Siri (she helped make and receive phone calls, play music by playlist, artist, and song title, and even turned on shuffle for my playlist, and it all worked seamlessly). You can click the button twice (about a second apart) to advance to the next song.

So now, each time I start the car, the activate button ring is orange. Touch it once and it turns blue, connects with my phone, and starts playing music. Hold the button down for a few seconds and the music fades down and Siri activates. Tell her to do the things she likes to do: make a phone call; she will. Ask for a song or playlist, and she confirms; the music fades back in. When a call comes in, the music fades out; touch the button to answer the call. when the call ends...music fades back in. Beautiful sound (and why not? It's your car stereo!) I do notice a very low hum between songs; this may be the interference others have mentioned, and apparently there is a filter you can install to reduce this. I'll look into that, but it really isn't a problem for me. Incoming phone calls: clear, lots of volume, and great quality. At the other end? I'm told there is a bit of a hum but all in all, clear, loud and distortion-free.

Things to note:

1. You definitely need an AUX input, which looks just like the little jack you might plug a set of headphones into, but your AUX jack will take the signal coming out of the Belkin and feed it into your car stereo, where it gets amplified and played through the car's speakers. (AUX is short for 'auxiliary input'...you're feeding a signal into your car stereo from an outside source.) If your car stereo has an AUX jack, it will be clearly labeled as such. On my Scion, the AUX jack is in the console right next to the optional iPod jack; your AUX may be in your glovebox, on the side of your console, or even on the front panel of your car stereo. If you don't find one, this Belkin isn't for you (at least not right out of the box).

2. When I turn off the car, the Belkin shuts off, and my iPhone stops playing music. When I get back in the car and reconnect with the Belkin, the music picks up where it left off. I'm glad it works this way; I was worried that the iPhone might continue to play music even when I got out of the car, which would just run the phone battery down.

3. To listen to the radio in your car, go ahead and click the Microphone/Activate button as usual, but instead of selecting 'AUX' on your car sound system, select FM or AM. Your phone won't ring through the car stereo, but when you hear (or feel) your phone ring, just hit the AUX button on your car stereo, wait a second for it to switch over, then hit the Microphone/Activate button. When you're finished with the phone call, just reselect the AM or FM button.

4. (Added 11/19): I just... Read more

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Comment on Belkin Bluetooth Car Hands-Free Kit for Apple iPod touch, iPhone, Blackberry and Android Smartphones Reviews by D. Shanske

D. Shanske — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:44:17 +0000

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

Exactly What I wanted, January 23, 2011

D. Shanske (New York, NY) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Belkin Bluetooth Car Hands-Free Kit for Apple iPod touch, iPhone, Blackberry and Android Smartphones (Electronics)

I just bought this item after having a lot of trouble finding something that fit my needs. I wanted a bluetooth adapter for calls and music from my Android based phone that would output to the aux on my car stereo, and could be moved between cars.

This item consists of a cigarette adapter with a USB port(for charging the phone), and two wires. One is wired to a big glowing button that can end calls, start music, etc and contains the microphone. The other wire is the audio output to the stereo.

The item does everything I want it to. The only downside is that the button is magnetic, and they provide a magnetic strip to attach the button to your dash. I do not have a good flat surface on my car to mount it, so I hung it with a clip from one of the air vents. But that is more a reflection on my car design than the item.

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Comment on HTC 7 Trophy T8686 Windows Phone 7 Unlocked GSM Smartphone with 5 MP Camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, Touchscreen – Unlocked Phone – No Warranty – Black Reviews by techno

techno — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:14:08 +0000

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

Best Smartphone Available, November 15, 2011

techno -

This review is from: HTC 7 Trophy T8686 Windows Phone 7 Unlocked GSM Smartphone with 5 MP Camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, Touchscreen - Unlocked Phone - No Warranty - Black (Electronics)

The Trophy with Windows Phone 7.5 has everything that you would need on a Smartphone. I use it mostly for business connected to Exchange 2010 which makes it the best dual capabilities smartphone for business and leisure. The sound system is amazing and the pictures are sharp and clean. Having native Lync and SharePoint is a HUGE advantage over the clunky droid and iphone. Calls on Trophy are crisp and clear and never dropped calls. Battery last a reasonable time for Smartphones and browsing the internet with IE9 is lightning fast. The People hub is amazing and easy to add contacts or groups. Local Scout is really a nice feature. It quickly finds ALL the restaurants, shops and other places of interest in our city and when we travel. There are so many other nice features with this phone. We liked the phone so much that my wife bought a Trophy as well. She loves it and uses it also as a dual purpose Smartphone. We would highly recommend the Trophy to anyone that wants to replace their droid or iphone. Or even as a first time Smartphone buyer.

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Comment on HTC 7 Trophy T8686 Windows Phone 7 Unlocked GSM Smartphone with 5 MP Camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, Touchscreen – Unlocked Phone – No Warranty – Black Reviews by I. Ahaotu "MEGA Memory"

I. Ahaotu "MEGA Memory" — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:15:13 +0000

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

say NEVER to iPhone, April 25, 2011

I. Ahaotu "MEGA Memory" (Los Angeles, Sydney, USA) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: HTC 7 Trophy T8686 Windows Phone 7 Unlocked GSM Smartphone with 5 MP Camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, Touchscreen - Unlocked Phone - No Warranty - Black (Electronics)

Got this phone for my gf whose been using iphone for the last 3 years. She loves this phone, graphics is very good and she can easily install apps and games.

my biggest problem now is that she spends more time on the phone that she spends with me.

But, since she's happy, I don't have any complaint.

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Comments (2)

Comment on HP Palm Veer 4G GSM SmartPhone, Black, with QWERTY Keyboard, WebOS, Touchscreen, WiFi, GPS, Locked to AT&T, NO CONTRACT Required by rpv

rpv — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:35:14 +0000

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

This is an awesome phone, September 21, 2011

rpv (CA) -

This review is from: HP Palm Veer 4G GSM SmartPhone, Black, with QWERTY Keyboard, WebOS, Touchscreen, WiFi, GPS, Locked to AT&T, NO CONTRACT Required (Wireless Phone Accessory)

This is such an awesome phone. It catches people's attention, browsing is fast and snappy. 8GB memory and GPS built in. wifi, 4G what more one can ask.

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Comment on HP Palm Veer 4G GSM SmartPhone, Black, with QWERTY Keyboard, WebOS, Touchscreen, WiFi, GPS, Locked to AT&T, NO CONTRACT Required by vsarda "vishnu"

vsarda "vishnu" — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 08:38:53 +0000

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Sweeeeeeeeeettttt., November 10, 2011

vsarda "vishnu" (ct, usa) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: HP Palm Veer 4G GSM SmartPhone, Black, with QWERTY Keyboard, WebOS, Touchscreen, WiFi, GPS, Locked to AT&T, NO CONTRACT Required (Wireless Phone Accessory)

HP veer is a very sweet phone, with size so small. I loved webos and I love it even more on my small phone. The ability to do so much with such a tiny size blows me up. I kinda used impostah to force activate my HP veer and bypassed data plan from at&t thereof since I never wanted data plan on any of my phone. That was the whole reason of not buying phone from AT&T.

Anyways, regarding phone, it is very sweet phone with ability to do a lot. I just wanted a phone, which functions like a normal phone does, but along can do small small things for me (like email checking etc.). I don't want phone to do everything for me as I have so many other things (laptop, desktop, tablets etc etc) to do it from. I wanted my phone to be sweet looking, easy to hold, stylish, and in budget. I bought it from amazon for around 85 bucks and without activating any data plan, it is a steal now. If I had to get a data plan, I would better buy expensive phones (galaxy, BB etc) from att. But this phone is for those who don't want to get into smartphone hassle, but still kind of want something fancy looking and in line with what is nowadays standard touch screen phone.

I am going to enjoy my phone for next couple of years and will only look for new phone thereafter. Thanks HP for making so sweet phone, and special thanks to Preware/precentral guys for helping me bypass the regular activation process. Don't forget to donate few bucks to those guys as you are already paying dirt cheap to own such a beautiful phone (without data plan)... Read more about Impostah and force activation by googling how to actiavte HP veer without data plan, enjoy....

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Comments (8)

Comment on Phone Booth by "baronlover"

"baronlover" — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:38:16 +0000

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

Easily the best film of 2003, so far..., April 6, 2003

"baronlover" (LADYLAKE, FLORIDA United States) -

...Well, I guess that isn't saying too much. Phone Booth is a suspense genre movie that is actually suspenseful! In only 88 minutes, Phone Booth managed to get me to the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. Colin Farrel really displayed his ability to act. His character may not have been the perfect guy, but he still managed to make the viewer feel for him. With this movie, Kiefer Sutherland also managed to regain the top position as the scariest actor in Hollywood...with his voice alone! Joel Schumacher's directing was great. One might think having the whole movie take place in mostly a phone booth would be boring, but Joel managed to make the movie compelling and visually stimulating. The other actors were also great; although if you're a fan of Katie Holmes, she's in about two minutes of it. I would defintely recommend anyone to see, especially if the person has been hesitant about seeing thrillers due to the blatantly bad ones that have already come out, because Phone Booth delivers.

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Comment on Phone Booth by Vlad

Vlad — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:06:53 +0000

28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

The art of listening., September 26, 2003

Vlad (russianwriter.net) -

This review is from: Phone Booth (DVD)

Before I watched this film, I read several reviews on it. Most of them was negative. Than I checked out the director: Joel Schumacher. I found few mediocre films by him but at the same time I found few of my favorites: The Lost Boys (1987), Flatliners (1990), Falling Down (1993), The Client (1994). Based on this research I had no choice but to watch this film.
Main character Stu (Colin Farrell at his best performance) is one of this fake New Yorkers: some publicist, dressed in a fake coat of bogus fame and unexciting BIG contacts. He stops by at the phone booth to make his regular call to another women, the one which doesn't know that he is married... As soon as he hangs up? A phone call... A phone call for him... A phone call by a sniper. He has to play by the sniper's rules, or someone will die.
A thriller? An action? A psychological drama? I would say all of it at the same time... but much more. Did I want to know what will happen next? Yes! Did this film make me think? Yes!

From my point of view, this film mostly about art of listening. We often prejudge situations and people. But we forget to listen, to understand and hear the meaning of simple clues which might save our own life. And Forest Whitaker as Captain Ramey did this part very well.
On the other hand it gives us a slight idea how one second can change our life forever. And it does every single day.
The ending made me disappointed but I can't give this film less than A- grade. I've seen better, but not as many as you might think.
Reviewed by "russianwriter.net"

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Comment on Phone Booth by Brian Reaves

Brian Reaves — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 08:49:19 +0000

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

Very suspenseful!, April 1, 2003

Brian Reaves (Anniston, AL USA) -

In what seems like the most unlikely premise of all, we are treated to one of the most suspenseful movies so far this year. Not many people could take a film that has 90% of it taking place in a phone booth and still make it good, but Schumaker pulls it off here. Colin Farrell really shines in this movie, and as the suspense mounts toward the film's resolution, you really feel sorry for him. The sense of hopelessness he's feeling becomes your own as you realize there's no easy way out of the situation. The only thing I have against this film is that it could have easily been made into a PG-13 film for a wider audience range with just the loss of profanity. The violence is not as full as Lord of the Rings, but every third word is profanity and that's what earned it the R rating. I understand that you're trying to show Farrell's character's mounting desperation, but it could have been toned down a bit. Still, Keifer Sutherland's calm and even-tempered tone of voice is just psychotic enough to make you cringe when your own phone rings. He's definitely on a roll with his series "24" and now this great movie.

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