The notion is very attractive:  You’ve got a PDA.  Wouldn’t it be great to have a way to use it as a GPS in your car?  There are a number of devices out there that clip on, transmit by Bluetooth, plug in by USB or card slot - surely something works. 

If you could find something that could hold your PDA, charge it up and add GPS functionality as well, wouldn’t that be just cool?

I thought it would, and so when I got an opportunity to try out an Arkon Powered GPS Docking cradle and their MobiNavigator software for my Axim V50x, I jumped at the chance. 

Read our full review of the Arkon Powered GPS Docking Cradle and MobiNavigator Software

We see a lot of Bluetooth headsets come our way for review here at PDAToday. Most are not very sexy and with the proliferation of these types of headsets recently they can tend to be a ho-hum accessory that gets ignored by the larger gadget websites who focus on trendy MP3 players and the like. We gladly pick up the slack to cover even daily use consumer electronics because when you spend that hard earned money it’s nice to know what’s of value and what’s not; besides who likes to sit in the return line at (insert favorite shopping place) all day.

In this review we will look at the Bluetake BT400 G5, their new flagship offering Bluetooth headset. Bluetake has managed to package a headset that borders on exciting and creative in the world of boring Bluetooth headsets. The BT400 G5 Bluetooth headset is stylish and is finished in a very nice tactile rubber coating surrounded with a snazzy plastic shell. They have opted to go with a marine theme to this line of products...mmm fish. The front is adorned by rubber ridges that disguise the two front buttons to create a scaled look. Weighing in at a scant minnow like 20 grams its light on the ear and features a moldable turntable ear hook. Bluetake uses a hard molded ear bud that rests in your ear canal. If you have abnormally small or large ear canals this may pose a potential problem. I found the unit to fit comfortably and to be easily adjustable. Volume was never a problem.

Read our full review of the Bluetake BT500 G5 Bluetooth Headset...

Bluetooth headset are great for giving a wireless, hands-free connection to your mobile phone, but when I am in the car or office I want a speakerphone.  I want the ability to talk without something in my ear.  I want to talk comfortably without any physical obstruction to my work or driving.  A few mobile phones offer a speakerphone feature, but they almost always have poor performance, weak speaker volume, and poor microphones.  Jabra’s latest SP500 Bluetooth Speakerphone brings true hands-free functionality to your car, office, or home.

The SP500 is the latest update of the original SP100 product.  The SP500 is a 6 ounce, 4.9” x 2.9” x 1.3”, rechargeable Bluetooth speakerphone with a pivoting microphone that gives excellent audio quality and voice pickup.  Most people that I have talked to with the SP500 said that they could hear me clearly.  A couple of people complained about not hearing me clearly or hearing static.  Moving the microphone seemed to fix the problem.  The SP500 now features a noise canceling microphone, which was not available in the original model.  The volume levels from the 2 Watt, 96 db speaker are good, but I wish it had more amplification since I drive a noisy sports car.  The volume levels should be fine for most cars and environments.  The microphone pivots on a soft, flexible arm for optimum voice pickup.

Read our full review of the Jabra SP500 Bluetooth Speakerphone

When Bluetooth (short range, radio frequency communication standard for wireless connectivity) first became available, one of the first devices to take advantage of this new protocol was the cellular phone.  The protocol was perfect for short range use such as synchronizing the phone to your computer, using the phone as a modem, or wireless, hands-free headsets.  I have always been a fan of hands-free headsets.  You could talk on the phone while keeping both hands on the car steering wheel and the earpiece made it easier to hear the person you were talking with.  Not to mention reducing the radiation dangers from holding the phone to your head.

However, I hated the design of the older wired headsets.  I would have to wrap it up after using it, unwrap it while a call is waiting, and it would get tangled up with the keys in my pocket.  When Jabra released their EarGel products, I immediately bought one.  The comfortable EarGels made the headset easier to use for long periods of time, but there was still the issue of keeping it untangled in my pocket.  When they released the EarBoom Winder, I bought it and it became my standard headset.  It was small, compact and the cord auto-winds when I am not using it.  But it still had a cord.

Bluetooth headsets promised to be the ultimate answer to the hassle of using a wired headset with a cellular phone.  But would it be everything that we could hope for?  One of the first companies to produce a Bluetooth headset was Jabra.  By combining a sleek headset design with their comfortable EarGel technology, Jabra introduced the FreeSpeak Bluetooth headset.  Now Jabra has updated the former “FreeSpeak” product line with the new BT500, the latest model in their original line of Bluetooth headsets.

Read our full review of the Jabra BT500 Bluetooth Headset...

With the wide array of mobile device that can play MP3 music and / or video, the one thing that almost every one of them lacks is good sound output. From MP3 / MP4 players to PDAs and mobile phones, most devices have a tiny mono speaker at best. Even many notebook computers have a very basic pair of small speakers that are incapable of producing quality, high-fidelity sound. All of these devices are design to use a pair of stereo headphones for listening to music or watching videos, but what if you want to enjoy quality sound without being tied to a set of headphones?

The Boomtube H2O1 from Think Outside, creators of the Stowaway Keyboard, is a portable speaker system designed to be easily stored and transported, but still able to deliver a quality, audio experience. Whether in your home, office, hotel room, boat, or any location, you can have great sound from your mobile device.

Read our full review of the Think Outside Boomtube H2O1 Portable Speakers with bass tube

A large variety of Bluetooth headsets are now available for almost any mobile phone.  But as features become more advanced and “style” creates large, obtrusive models, it is nice to find a Bluetooth headset that is lightweight, easy to use, and comfortable.

The VIM is very lightweight and easy to wear.  The reversible ear hook makes it adaptable to left or right ears.  A small, rubber tip protrudes a little into the ear to project the sound and is comfortable for most users.  The sound quality is good, but would have been better with more amplification.  Good for most situations, I found the maximum volume to be a little low in noisy environments.

The VIM features:

Full review: Seecode VIM Bluetooth Headset Review

A number of portable, Bluetooth speakerphones are now on the market.  Offering hands-free convenience, ease of use, and portability, these products are a great accessory for the mobile phone user.  Especially a mobile phone user in the car.  With all the new laws concerning use of mobile phones while driving, many companies are bringing new products to the market to meet the demands of these new laws.  While using an earphone does help, a wired earphone can still be distracting and a Bluetooth earphone can be uncomfortable on a long trip.  Some law enforcement officers still discourage the use of any earphone or headphone while driving.  By using Bluetooth, the Speakerphone can be wirelessly connected to the mobile phone and allow the driver to keep both hands on the wheel and eyes focused on the road.

The VISOR Bluetooth Speakerphone is the latest product from the Korea-based Seecode Company.  With its rechargeable battery, compact size, LCD display, built-in dialing, and excellent speaker and microphone performance, it is a great accessory for your mobile phone, both in and out of the car.

Read the full review of the Seecode Visor Bluetooth Speakerphone with Dialer

Bluetooth devices are quite common on many platforms now and Bluetooth keyboards have become a popular option for many computer users.  This year saw the launch of many new Bluetooth options for the mobile user and keyboards were a natural choice.

With the popularity of Bluetooth accessories, it was only natural for Think Outside, the creators of the original foldable keyboard for Palm, to create a Bluetooth model.  The Stowaway Universal Bluetooth Keyboard is a stylish, easy to use keyboard for almost any Bluetooth compatible mobile platform.

Read the full Think Outside Stowaway Bluetooth Keyboard review...

Bluetooth headsets for mobile phones are great. They let you talk and communicate without having to hold the phone to your head or have a wire hanging from your ear. More and more mobile phones are featuring Bluetooth as a standard feature. This is all great for your mobile phone, but what about at your home or office. Wouldn't it be great if you could have one headset for all your telephone needs? You would not have to change headsets when you get to your home or office and back again when you leave. There would be one headset that you would use all the time and not have to change. Would you like that? Well now you can have all the features and ease of use that one Bluetooth headset can give you.

There are many case manufacturers for PDA’s, cell phones and handheld devices. Many of these cases are mass produced in developing countries or simply stamped out in high production OEM facilities. We typically don’t even give those cases a second look. Every once in a while a manufacturer will come along whom painstakingly produces a truly fine crafted leather case; a couple of names immediately come to mind like Vaja Cases and Piel Frama. 

When we think of ruggedized PDA’s we think of PDA’s that are big and heavy not to mention costly. What if you could ruggedize your existing PDA with all of your custom apps and settings, your preferred peripherals already installed and ready to go?

The PDA is a great tool to take along with you when you leave the office, home or class. You can do many things with your PDA from checking your schedule, your email, to just listening to music or playing a game.

What’s wrong with the above statement? Fundamentally nothing, expect when you are going from place to place where do you put your PDA? I toss my iPAQ in the seat next to me when driving but it tends to slide around and on occasion end up under the seat after quick turn or stop.

GPS relies on a series of satellites that circle the earth and allow GPS devices to triangulate its location on the earth.  The system, created by the U.S. Military and paid for by the U.S. taxpayers, can allow anyone with the appropriate hardware and software to plot their position on a map.  With a set of maps and navigation software, the system will even give you directions to reach a location defined in the map database.  Maps are available for most parts of the world.  The first thing you need is the GPS hardware for your PocketPC.

The Proporta aluminum case for Dell’s Axim is over-all a great investment for any Axim owner.  It is stylish and sleek, provides great protection for the device, and still gives adequate access to the unit.

Finding a case for your PDA…. Easy. Finding a nice case for your PDA…. A little harder. Finding a beautiful case for your PDA…. Well, you know where this is going. So as not to rip off a certain credit card companies ad campaign I’ll stop right there.