The Car Tech blog

Check out our full review of the BlackBerry VM-605 Visor Mount Speakerphone.

(Credit: Josh P. Miller/CNET)

"If you have a third-party Bluetooth-enabled device, you might be able to pair it with the BlackBerry Visor Mount Speakerphone VM-605."

That is Research In Motion's official line about the VM-605's compatibility. In English, this means that while RIM would rather you use this first-party accessory with its BlackBerry smartphones, there's nothing proprietary about it to prevent you from using it with your iPhone, Android phone, or Windows Mobile phone.

But why would someone without a BlackBerry even want a BlackBerry branded accessory in the first place? Well, the VM-605 has a feature set similar to our Editors' Choice-winning Motorokr T505 (including the nifty FM transmitter) and its MSRP is about $30 cheaper. Unfortunately, some of the design choices that make the VM-605 a more beautiful device than the T505 also make it a more fragile one.

Check out the full review of the BlackBerry VM-605 Visor Mount Speakerphone for more details.

One of the Garmin Nuvi 765T's coolest features is its capability to connect with a Bluetooth-compatible phone for hands-free calling, but did you know that this Nuvi also supports A2DP audio streaming?

In this Quick View video, I'll show you how to pair your Garmin Nuvi 765T to a Bluetooth compatible car stereo (in this case, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid) to hear your turn-by-turn directions, MP3s, or Audible.com audiobooks via your car's speakers, instead of the Garmin's tiny speaker.

iSuppli correlates tech availabality with the top 10 Cash for Clunkers cars.

(Credit: iSuppli Corporation)

A study by iSuppli Corporation shows that the top 10 cars being bought with Cash for Clunkers vouchers offer tech features such as GPS navigation, Bluetooth phone systems, satellite radio, and iPod integration. However, in iSuppli's automotive tech rating system, the average score for these 10 cars, 14.6, falls below the tech average for all cars available, 17.8 according to iSuppli. The Ford Focus tops the list, and sets the tone for the rest, which are all relatively inexpensive and economical vehicles.

The Ford Focus is the best-selling car under Cash for Clunkers.

(Credit: CNET)

The iSuppli report notes that none of these cars offer driver assistance technologies, such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, and lane departure warning. Automakers are still reserving those options for higher-end cars. The report also notes that three of the cars in the top 10 offer Bluetooth audio streaming, while only two offer a telematics service.

There seem to be a few discrepancies with iSuppli's numbers, such as the Ford Focus only scoring a 10 for its infotainment rating, while the Chevy Cobalt scores a 14. Neither car offers a navigation option, and the Focus includes a USB interface, lacking in the Cobalt. However, the Cobalt's OnStar system gives it a significant edge in the iSuppli rating.

On a positive note for the environmental impact of Cash for Clunkers, iSuppli quotes U.S. Department of Transportation statistics that show cars bought under the program have an average fuel efficiency of 25.3 mpg, while the clunkers traded in had an average of 15.8 mpg. That's a 60 percent improvement in fuel economy, and probably much more, considering that these older cars probably no longer get their EPA mileage.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

The Yada YD-V1 is a smartly designed little Bluetooth headset. Packaged as part of two hands-free calling bundles, one that has 12-volt and USB direct chargers and another that adds a mobile phone cradle to the mix, the YD-V1 is billed as a "car-centric" headset.

Its design and control scheme all but eliminate button presses beyond the initial pairing, so we can see how the YD-V1 could be easy to use in a vehicle in motion. Simply lift the headset from the cradle to take a call and replace it to end the call.

However, none of that matters if the device doesn't sound good when making those calls. Audio is plagued with static and hissing at its best. At worst, the weak Bluetooth signal makes for choppy sound when obstructions block the signal, even if that obstruction is you between headset and the phone in a pocket on the opposite side of the body.

As much as we like the understated looks, simple controls, and clever charging solution that the YD-V1 brings, we can't help but feel that it somehow misses the point. A Bluetooth headset is supposed to make good sounding, clear calls. Everything else is secondary.

Check out our full review of the Yada YD-V1 Bluetooth headset with direct charger and the Yada YD-V1 with phone holder.

The Cobra BT 200 is a bit of a blunt instrument, but sometimes that's just what you need.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

The Cobra BT 200 is a heavy-duty Bluetooth handset that features a fairly limited list of features. It connects to your phone to make calls, and that's about it. During our time with the BT 200, we encountered a few inconveniences, such no automatic contact-list importing and an unintuitive interface for advanced features like inputting numbers into the phone book.

However, when you're using a device in an outdoor environment, sometimes the strongest feature can be rugged simplicity, which the BT 200 has in spades. With its water, UV, dust, and everything else-proof design, the BT200 can take a beating from Mother Nature without blinking. That way you can keep your precious iPhone dry while you make calls from the wild.

Check out our full review of the Cobra BT 200 heavy-duty Bluetooth handset.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

We're big fans of Alpine's line of car audio receivers, particularly the mech-less media receivers like the iDA-X305 that we recently reviewed. These receivers have great interfaces and work extremely well with iPods and removable drives, but they don't really offer very many features out of the box. This is where Alpine's line of add-on modules comes in, such as the Alpine KCE-400BT Bluetooth Interface Module.

The KCE-400BT is a hideaway black box that connects to your Alpine headunit via a high-speed, proprietary Ai-NET connection to add Bluetooth connectivity. Powered by Parrot--makers of the excellent sounding Minikit Slim--the KCE-400BT features an external microphone and Active Echo Cancellation technology for clear voice transmission. The additional benefit of using your vehicle's speakers and amplifiers for audio output means that callers' voices come through loud and clear.

Alpine has taken advantage of the addition of Bluetooth connectivity to a car stereo by also including support for the A2DP audio streaming protocol, effectively giving users a bonus audio source for connecting music phones and Bluetooth-enabled MP3 players.

Check out the full review of the Alpine KCE-400BT Bluetooth Interface Module. To add even more functionality to your Alpine receiver take a look at the Alpine TUA-T550HD HD Radio add-on module.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

A Bluetooth speakerphone with no juice won't let you make hands-free calls, so Scosche equipped its SolChat device with a solar panel. When your car is parked in the sun, the SolChat keeps itself charged and ready. For winter months and enclosed garages, the SolChat also has a 12-volt charging cord.

Read our review of the Scosche SolChat solar-powered Bluetooth speakerphone.

The SolChat retails for $100.

(Credit: Scosche)

Hot on the heels of announcing that it would be making accessories for the third-generation Shuffle, Scosche has "gone green" with a $100 solar-powered Bluetooth speakerphone for cars.

SolChat's backside.

(Credit: Scosche)

If you haven't seen one before, these types of speakerphones represent one of the better applications of solar-charging in a consumer device. The device adheres to your windshield and collects sunlight to charge the internal lithium ion rechargeable battery. A USB charging cable and car adapter ships with the device so you can charge at night and on days with insufficient sunlight. A windshield suction-cup mount and sun visor clip are also included.

What's nice about the Bluetooth is that once you set up a pairing between your cell phone and SolChat, they will automatically connect once you enter your car and turn on the speakerphone (the SolChat automatically turns off once the pairing is broken). The speakerphone also has voice-announce technology that enables it to announce calls as they come in "so users can keep their eyes on the road while driving."

Vodafone employees show their remote control car application for the BlackBerry Storm.

(Credit: YouTube.com)

Vodafone teamed up with Formula 1 team Mercedes McLaren to develop an application that kicks the pants off of any iPhone application on the market.

In a video circulating on YouTube.com, engineers Simon and Steve show off an accelerometer/gyroscope application they built for their BlackBerry Storm that uses Bluetooth technology to steer a modified remote control car.

After achieving victory in their Remote Control Office Grand Prix, they apply their technology to a McLaren Formula 1 car for world champion Lewis Hamilton to test drive, but not behind the wheel.

This application raises the question, if you're using your cell phone to drive your car, are you breaking the law?