Perhaps you’re trapped in the days of yesteryear, looking for a way to bring a bit of nostalgia back to your high-tech lifestyle, and besides, you have to sit down once in a while. The KEE Utility Desk Phone Dock for iPhone may just take you back in time enough to enjoy your technology once again.

The KEE Utility Desk Phone Dock for iPhone is simple, and does exactly what you would imagine it would. It’s a very well made, solid, desk phone dock made with Cupertino style using materials that could have been ripped off from Apple’s hardware factory. So yes, it will match the rest of your Apple gadgets.

Design
With an integrated docking station for your iPhone (3G, 3GS and iPhone 4 all supported), you can easily have a safe place to keep your phone while you’re working at the desk. Since landlines are almost all gone these days, some people may just want the traditional look and feel of a desk phone.

A dial underneath lets you adjust the docking cradle to the appropriate height, since the iPhone 4 and 3G are slightly different in thickness, you can get the perfect alignment for your dock connector regardless of which iPhone you have.

It only comes in white right now, but the website says black is coming soon. It’s the Apple white too, so it matches the keys of the Apple Wireless Keyboard to a T.

The handset and main body of the dock phone sit on top of a large block of silver aluminum. This aluminum look is identical to the Apple aluminum of the iMac, Wireless Keyboard and everything else aluminum Apple. It’s an obvious and perfect match and has an ergonomic tilt for an optimal viewing angle.

Performance
Using the docking Desk Phone is super easy. You just slide your iPhone into the cradle, plug in the audio connector and its a done deal. It would be nice if there was someway to not use the 3.5mm audio connector, but in all reality, there’s no point, so this works the best. With it plugged in, your iPhone is now a desk phone.

You would think you could just pickup the handset to answer a call, but no, you still need to slide and swipe to answer a call. This is a bit disappointing, but atleast the Dock Phone knows if you are in handset or speakerphone mode and switches between the two automatically when the receiver is lifted or put down. Magnets in the receiver give it a bit of weight while also letting it sit in the cradle with ease. With that said, it will not hang up your call when you put the receiver down, you still need to do this from the iPhone interface.

A big round recessed knob is easily accessible for adjusting the volume, you can also tap it for mute which will be indicated by an LED light. We were impressed by the speakerphone quality, it does have dual speakers for stereo sound, but does sound a little bit flat. The microphone is great, people can hear directly in front, over top, or across the room without any echos. It seems to have good strong pickup and leans towards a higher quality speakerphone than a cheap one.

The handset itself is in the shape of a rectangle. There are only two things we did not like about it. 1) The cord is a little bit short, but we’re sure this can be stretched out with time, and 2) the speaker for your ear does not have any type of curvature, so it makes it a difficult to know where the optimal position of the handset should be when its against your ear. If there was a little curvature to it we believe you could easily find the sweet spot for optimal sound quality.

Bottom Line
The $150 Desk Phone Dock is a stylish addition to anyones home office, if you’re simply looking for a high-end desktop speakerphone, a bit of nostalgia, or simply want to reduce your radiation exposure, this is a great gadget to do it with. There are a few quirks like no auto answer on pickup which we hope can be worked out in the future with software, but with that said, it’s still well made product.

- $150 from KEE Utility Shop

KEE Slider and Uniter Cases

The KEE Slider and Uniter iPhone 4 cases are the same soft matte texture as the Dock Phone. We have about a half dozen cases on the test bench right now, the KEE Slider is our choice for everyday usage and came in the box with the Dock Phone. Its a convenient two piece system that slides apart giving you easy access to the dock connector when needed, but also protecting it from dust and dirt when you’re on the go. Its so slim you hardly know its there and a good addition to your dock phone.

The post iPhone Desk Phone with Speakerphone Dock Review appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

It is illegal to use a handheld cell phone while driving in California. A similar cell phone ban recently kicked in over in the province of Ontario. While you could certainly partake in a regular Bluetooth headset or even a wired headset, it may be more comfortable in the long run to consider a Bluetooth speakerphone instead.

One of the troubles that you’ll encounter, however, is how to keep this speakerphone charged up when you are constantly on the road. The car charger cable can be cumbersome and you don’t want to uninstall it every time you want to bring it home for charging. Overcoming this very concern is the Scosche solCHAT Bluetooth speakerphone. Harnessing the power of the sun, you may never need to plug it into a power outlet.

Features and Box Contents

In terms of raw functionality, the solCHAT doesn’t really break the mold. It’s there to accept your phone calls, letting you chat without having to hold anything up to your head. There’s a powerful speaker and a built-in microphone.

Easily the biggest selling point here, of course, is the integrated solar panel. Using the provided mounting equipment, you can attach the solCHAT to your windshield with suction cups. This way, the solar panel is constantly facing the world around you and it’s getting power all day long.

Aside from the suction cup mount, there is also a metal clip that can be used to attach the Scosche solCHAT to your car visor. This isn’t quite as good for solar power, but it may be more convenient for some. There’s also a USB cable and car adapter if the solar panel isn’t keeping up with your power needs.

Easy to Use with Voice Guidance Too

To get your way through the functions of the Scosche solCHAT solar-powered handsfree speakerphone, you are only using three buttons on the face.

The biggest button does just about everything. You hold it to turn it on, turn it off, and start the pairing process. Shorter presses are there to answer and hang up on calls. For the purposes of handsfree utility, it may have been better to include a larger button, but this one works just fine. The other two face buttons are to adjust the volume. You probably won’t be using these nearly as much, since you’ll find your desired volume level and stick with it.

To further add to the ease of use, the solCHAT offers all sorts of voice responses. When you enter pairing mode, a somewhat robotic female voice will tell you that you are doing so. When you turn it off, the voice will tell you that it is disconnecting and shutting off.

These voiced directions are incredibly pervasive. Instead of having to stare down at the smaller display of your cell phone when you get an incoming call, the solCHAT will announce the caller ID with the incoming call’s digits. Pretty handy, but it would have been even better if it could use text-to-speech to announce the caller’s name instead.

Voice Quality During Calls

As mentioned, the speaker on this device is very strong and I was able to hear everything loud and clear whenever I had a call.

Asking the person on the other side of the line, it seems that the microphone on the solCHAT is about on par with other handsfree speakerphones. The voice quality on that end is reasonably clear, but you may sound a little “distant” compared to when you are using a regular headset or the phone’s microphone itself.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for something positively revolutionary in its approach to handsfree phone calls, you may want to look somewhere else. However, the Scosche solCHAT does offer two important features that make it a better option that most other Bluetooth speakerphones.

First, the integrated solar panel is a definite plus, since you will never need to worry about charging this device. The suction cup-based mount is perfect for this purpose. Second, the voiced announcement for caller ID and other functions aid in the user-friendliness, but I would have preferred a text-to-speech solution for caller ID.

The Scosche solCHAT is a great Bluetooth speakerphone. It’s compact, easy to use, and offers good voice quality. Just make sure that you don’t park in shadier neighborhoods with this attached to your windshield.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

The post REVIEW – Scosche solCHAT Solar-Powered Bluetooth Speakerphone appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Now that the iPhone can do the stereo Bluetooth thing, I have a burning suspicion that the market for stereo Bluetooth products could be on the rise in the months to follow. You could certainly invest in a set of stereo Bluetooth headphones to enjoy your music, but what if you want to share those tunes with the people around you? The new Yubz Magnum could be just the ticket.

The barrel-shaped device is meant to be an easy way to get “music blasts” without having to mess with ugly wires and cables. It also functions as a Bluetooth speakerphone, handling incoming (and outgoing) calls with the best of them. It also has a handy carrying pouch for the traveling techie.

Features and Contents

The Yubz Magnum Bluetooth Speaker measures 210mm across and has a diameter of 65mm. It’s certainly small enough to toss into a backpack, but it’s probably a little too big to shove into your pants pocket.

Looking at the feature list, it is not at all surprising to find the A2DP Bluetooth profile supported, since that’s how you do the stereo Bluetooth thing. Unfortunately, it’s only doing this with Bluetooth 1.2, so the speed and range may leave a little to be desired. It would have better if Yubz invested in Bluetooth 2.0 instead.

The two 3W speakers shoot out of either end of the cylinder, offering a frequency response of 150 Hz – 20kHz. Power comes by way of either four AA batteries (not included) or the USB/AC adapter cable.

Inside the fashionably designed box, there is the Yubz Magnum itself, a carrying bag, instruction manual, 3.5mm stereo mini cable, USB cable, shoulder strap for the carrying bag, and a USB-to-AC adapter.

The “Hidden” Buttons, Jacks, and Lights

The faux leather surface gives the Yubz Magnum Bluetooth speaker a certain air of style and prestige, but more importantly, it adds some grip. The textured surface also hides the buttons very well, which can be perceived as a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your preferences.

Personally, I don’t mind the idea of buttons that blend into the surface, but they should light up when in use. Otherwise, you really have to stare at the device to tell what you are pressing. Further still, the button for going to the previous track points to the right and the button for going to the next track points to the left. That’s backwards, Yubz.

Similarly, the indicator light can be quite difficult to see. There are two LEDs (one red and one blue) hidden behind the YUBZ logo and these light up, ever so faintly, to indicate power, connection, incoming calls, and so forth.

To make matters even more confusing, you’ll find two small jacks in the Magnum as well. One of these is for the 3.5mm stereo mini cable and the other is for the power cable, but they look very similar.

I understand that the Yubz Magnum is largely meant to be trendy and fashionable, but I need it to also be user-friendly. Everything could be laid out more clearly and easier to see.

Sound Quality for Music Blaster

Using the stereo mini cable is simple enough, but the Bluetooth pairing process is relatively straightforward as well. You hold the power button until you see alternating red and blue lights, set up your Bluetooth-enabled music phone, enter the default passcode (0000), and then you’re good to go.

Considering that you only get a pair of three-watt speakers, you really shouldn’t expect all that much in terms of sound output. And your expectations would be accurate. I’d say that the Yubz Magnum sounds about as good as a conventional clock radio. Prepare to be underwhelmed.

The range, largely thanks to the BT 1.2 standard, is also disappointing. I got about 15 feet away and the sound started to break up. Any walls at all will also have very adverse effects.

Usability as Bluetooth Speakerphone

The Yubz Magnum can also be used as a Bluetooth speakerphone and incoming calls will automatically interrupt your music. Answering an incoming call is done by quickly pressing the power button. When the call is done, hit the power button again and you’ll hang up. The music will automatically resume.

The voice from the incoming call comes in loud and clear through the stereo speakers, but the built-in microphone on the Magnum isn’t up to snuff. My voice was filled with echoes and background noise on the other end of the line.

Conclusion

On paper, it seems that the Yubz Magnum Bluetooth Speakerphone and Music Blaster is a good idea. The barrel shape with faux leather surface certainly makes it look like a premium device. The “hidden” controls add to the svelte appearance and the ability to use this both as a speakerphone and Bluetooth music speaker is a definite plus.

However, the performance and usability isn’t quite up to par. The Bluetooth range is far from the best (you won’t get the claimed “up to 30 feet” range) and the sound quality is about as good as a $10 clock radio. Yes, I know it’s small, but I wanted more.

Listed at US$109.95, the Yubz Magnum isn’t the cheapest solution on the block either. I think it’s a good first effort, but Yubz needs to make some improvements to Magnum 2.0.

Overall, I give it a 6.5/10.

The post REVIEW – Yubz Magnum Stereo Bluetooth Speaker appeared first on Mobile Magazine.