There are a lot of bluetooth car kits on the market at the moment, and with the exception of a few they are all virtually the same product. Not technically, mechanically or visually but in terms of functionality a lot operate in a similar fashion. This is both and advantage and disadvantage to the end user. The main advantage is that the products that you purchase all perform to a certain standard and operate with minimum effort. However the disadvantage is the kits range in price starting in the cheaper end of the market through to the mid-range and its difficult to tell which product is best for you. Especially when you might purchase a kit that is out performed by a cheaper.

Choosing a kit can be as easy or as difficult as you make it. There are a lot of brands and products to choose from, and this can be a little daunting at first but its important to remember what you want the kit for. What functions you would like it to have, How it looks and what your prepared to pay for it. Bearing in mind which ever product you choose you will be able to use it for the main function you want it in the first place, to use your phone while driving. Everything else is a secondary function that you will either pay more to have or live without.

So what are the more advanced features and are they worth paying more to have?

New and improved technology is being developed all the time, and the chances are as you are reading this now some of the current functions and features are already old news. however everything has a starting point and developing these features to form something totally different is a continual process. Take music for example, first vinyl, then tape cassette, then CD and now MP3 (you can fit mini-disc in there somewhere too). Now think of all of the applications created for these different music types and what’s been developed from them into something totally different.

The most advanced technology in use at the moment is being developed by the likes of Parrot and Bury. Both manufacturers are well know for producing well rounded and functional products at the cutting edge of technology and the new kits being produced now are no exception. Parrot and Bury have aimed to develop slightly different areas within the industry.

Parrot main focus has been the integration of external products to work in great harmony with the parrot car kits. The MKI range from parrot is the latest to be produced and hit the shops. The MKI range all have iPod connectivity as standard and the iPod can be controlled via the parrot remote. In the case of the MKI9200 the playlist and artwork appears on the screen making it much easier to control what music you want to play. The MKI range also uses text to voice technology and is capable of reading out text messages to the driver.

Bury have mainly focused on the bluetooth handsfree side of things and produced a product that will help revolutionise the world (in a small way). The development of the Bury voice command protocol is exceptional. The CC9060 can be controlled by voice commands for just about every option in the Bury and phone menu. Once you are in the car you can fully operate the car kit by you voice alone, further more you dont need to train the kit to learn your accent. Just get in and go. I can explain how impressed i was when i first had a play with the technology. Simple easy to use and excellent quality.

At this point in time you have to pay a little extra for newer technology and advanced bluetooth features, but you would expect that in every walk of life. The fact is that alot of effort has been put into the development of these new advanced bluetooth car kits, and that effort has certainly paid off for the end user.Modern bluetooth kits don’t just offer bluetooth functionality, these kits are becoming more like multimedia centre’s. You can have your favourite music playing through you stereo, video stored on your iPod playing on the screen, messages read out as soon as received and access to your phone contacts at the touch of a button or in some cases by simply requesting it.

The advanced features in the new kits are impressive to use and do make a big difference to the functionally, however its important to remember why we need to use bluetooth car kits rather than engaging in a manual phone conversation while driving. The facts and figures are plain to see, if you use a hand held phone while driving your 4 x more likely to be involved in an accident and your reactions speed is reduced by 50%. In fact a lot of experts now liken the effects of phone-driving to that of drink-driving, and how many of us drink drive???  

Put simply for every second you spend operating the phone while you drive you run the risk of killing somebody. Be sensible and safe on our roads, they are already dangerous enough

Everybody that thinks of bluetooth car kits automatically think of the brand Parrot, its a brand that’s not only been around from the start of the technology’s but also continually redefined concepts and how the user can interact with the system. The standards that parrot set early on now define how good current kits are. However just as other technology’s evolve, so does the bluetooth market. The real question is are Parrot still number ONE?

The Bluetooth car kit market is now more competitive than ever. New brands with updated functions are being released regularly, most of which perform in exactly the same manor as each other. However one of the main areas which the brands are currently focusing on improving is the design. Since the development of the iPod, much more emphasis has been put on stylish designs in general, which ever market any product has been released into. The world now expects contemporary looks and visually excellent style, basically the product has to be a cool stylish accessory as well as a fully functional product.

Many brands are releasing updated bluetooth kits, these kits now offer the visual aesthetics that you would expect of any newly styled products. The new Ego bluetooth car kits for example look absolutely stunning, and would integrate very well into any vehicle. The New bury range combines visual aesthetics and performance to raise the bar for the next lot of challengers. But where does this leave the Parrot Kits? 

Well the Older parrot kits including the once very popular CK range are not declining in sales just yet and the functionality of the kits are still fairly competitive across the board however its the styling of the kits that are now starting age in comparison with virtually all the newer kits available on the market. Parrot have responded by releasing the new Parrot MKI Range of bluetooth car kits. A new range with new features as standard including iPod compatibility, with text and track display on the screen.

In short the combination of use-ability, sleek designs and a wide compatibility with vehicle manufacturers is a winning formula that has pushed the parrot brand right to the top of the bluetooth car kit food chain. The reputation is well deserved as parrot are continually trying to push the boundary’s of taste, compatibility and functionally, and above all they continue to keep us safe on the roads. However, any bluetooth kit is better than no bluetooth kit. Keep yourself and other road users safe by using a bluetooth handsfree kit or don’t use your phone at all.

Parrot have just finished the design of three new kits that will be their flagship products. These have been added to their range of Bluetooth Kits with immediate effect. The range includes the top of the range MKi9200,  the MKI9100 and the MKi9000. All models are fully iPod comptible including the new iPods and iPhone 3G.

The entry level MKi9000 doesnt include a screen but the KIi9100 offers a 2-lin Blue LED screen and the MKi9200 offers a cracking 2.4" Full Colour LCD display. All three models have full voice dialing.

The MKi9100 will display your phones status along with your phonebook and a playlist. The MKi9200 will offer the same PLUS a wallpaper that you can design yourself, Caller Pictures and even iPod Track Cover Pictures.

These kits are set to take the market by storm so grab one while you can!

New laws banning the use of mobile phones while driving in the UK have spurred Bluetooth Car Kit manufacturers onto bigger and better things. Due to the sales increasing, the manufacturers have been able to invest serious amounts of money and time into new technology to help make the kits easier to use.

Bury have taken advantage of this more than other brands like Parrot and Mr Handsfree along with Motorola, Nokia etc. Bury have designed a system that is seemless with voice. Older systems use your phones voice dialing to use voice control over the kits. The new Bury kits have a built in voice control system which is not only super fast but can recognise almost any language and accent. This makes using a phone in your car very safe indeed.

The staff at Bluetooth Car Kit Direct have been testing this new technology all week and are very impressed. The first product to benefit from this technology is the new Bury THD CC-9060. This is an outstanding product which should take the UK market by storm.