The Bluetooth wave sweeps the motor industry
According to the latest report published by Strategy Analytics, the Bluetooth technology will be available in 30% of new cars by 2012. Such a penetration rate can be explained by consumers' knowledge of the technology, who are already familiar with using it on their mobile phones, and the fact that legislation prohibits the use of mobile phones at the wheel, which plays in favour of hands-free kits.
Honda and Jaguar deploy Bluetooth in their range
After Honda's Accord, it is now the Legend's turn to adopt the Bluetooth wireless technology. This sports saloon truly showcases the technology used by the Japanese brand. As for Jaguar, it has chosen to fit the Bluetooth technology in the new XJ, unveiled this summer during the London Motor Show. Mobile phones can be controlled via the steering wheel controls, the dashboard-mounted touch screen and even by voice recognition.
Bluetooth checks in at the tollbooth
From 2009, Switzerland is going to renew its electronic toll systems for HGVs. The in-vehicle terminal, supplied by Siemens VDO, will have a Bluetooth connection for sending data to the office or transferring information to a notebook PC from a mobile phone. It will work in several countries.
Instructional videos on Bluetooth.com
If you have just purchased a Parrot 3200 LS-COLOR or a Parrot 3400 LS-GPS, the videos made available on the official Bluetooth SIG website will come in very handy. In just a few seconds, you will learn how to easily connect your mobile phone to your Parrot kit.
11 videos are already available, such as with the Motorola RAZR V3, Samsung SGH-D600, Nokia 6600, Treo 650 and Sony Ericsson z600. See the videos
Mobile - the way to go!
How can you make the Bluetooth® technology even simpler? The answer lies in Plug & Play products, combining both ease of use and high performance at the best possible price. Parrot is offering a complete range of mobile products to coincide with the end of the summer holidays.
Plug & Play is currently the trend in the motor industry. New models make provisions for an audio jack for connecting an iPod or MP3 player. We are even starting to find USB sockets in the glove box… A mobile GPS can also be easily connected in the car. In a similar vein, video is proving to be a tremendous success with consumers. Rather than installing a complete home cinema system, drivers are currently opting for Plug & Play systems with screens that fix on the headrests and a DVD player plugged into the 12V accessory-plug. Thanks to the aftermarket and once more to the range of easy-to-install products, drivers can now receive DTTV (digital terrestrial television) in their car.
Parrot - the pioneer in Plug & Play kits
The same strategy is applied to bring the Bluetooth wireless technology within the reach of a wider public. In just a few seconds, drivers can take advantage of 
a real installation-free hands-free kit, by plugging a device featuring a speaker and a microphone into the 12V accessory-plug. There may be several mobile kits in today's market, but it should not be forgotten that all credit goes to Parrot, which introduced the very first Plug & Play Bluetooth kit on the market back in 2003. The concept has acquired a large following. The success is clear to see with more than 200 000 Parrot DRIVEBLUE and Parrot EASY-DRIVE kits sold to date.
As part of its ongoing quest for innovation, Parrot is launching two new products for September.
Parrot DRIVER HEADSET
The headset for drivers
The first is the Parrot DRIVER HEADSET: the only Bluetooth headset designed for drivers. No need to think about it, recharge it or carry it around… plugged into the 12V accessory-plug, it is always fully charged and ready for use in the car. An incoming call? The cradle rings, so simply press on the headset to release it, and in one smooth motion, bring it to your ear. Unlike a conventional headset, the Parrot DRIVER HEADSET is always on charge. As a result, missed calls are a thing of the past. Furthermore, drivers do not have to constantly wear the headset. A ringtone and an LED signal an incoming call… This technology-crammed marvel weighs a mere 14 g / 0,49 oz and also boasts voice recognition and signal processing for maximum comfort.
Parrot MINIKIT
The other product spearheading the new range is the Parrot MINIKIT, a real phenomenon. Sporting an elegant, sober design, this compact kit barely weighs more than 100 g / 3 ½ oz. The Parrot MINIKIT delivers unrivalled sound quality thanks to a 2W speaker and new signal processing algorithms specially designed for speakerphones. These new algorithms are the result of three years' development work by Parrot's design office.
Parrot's latest product reproduces conversations in hands-free mode with listening quality worthy of a fully fitted kit. Parrot has also equipped the Parrot MINIKIT with voice recognition. Featuring a higher level of quality than that of a phone, it can be used to call contacts via voice tags. Extremely easy to use, it clips to the sun visor. Did you say nomad? This kit will follow you everywhere. You can use this speakerphone alternately in the car, the office and at home. Always ready-to-go, the Parrot MINIKIT's record-breaking battery life (10 hours' talk time, over one week's standby time) is already the hottest subject of discussion in the Plug & Play market.
The new Plug & Play products
Parrot DRIVER HEADSET
-Headset with automatic pick up/hang up
- Bluetooth HSP 1.1 and HFP 1.0 profiles
- NiMH 120 mA battery
- 3 high-intensity LEDs
- Button for call management
- Volume adjustment via two buttons
- Ringtone and LED for incoming calls
- Battery life of 5 hours away from the cradle
- Dimensions: 58 x 130 x 35 mm / 2.28 x 5.12 x 1,38 inches for the cradle,
- 25 x 68 x 23 mm / 0.98 x 2,68 x 0.90 inches for the headset
- Weight: 60 g / 2.12 oz for the cradle, 14 g / 0,49 oz for the headset
Parrot MINIKIT
- High-definition 2W speaker
- Omnidirectional microphone
- Parrot DSP2 signal processing
- Bluetooth HSP 1.1, HFP 1.0 and 1.5 OPP profiles
- 3-button interface
- Built-in voice recognition with voiceprints
- 10 hours' talk time and over one week's standby time
- Updates via Bluetooth
- Mini USB charger
- Weight: 104 g / 3.5 OZ
- Dimensions: 110 x 63 x 28 mm / 4 ¼ X 2 ½ X 1 inches
Jérôme Mathieu,
Jérôme Mathieu, Speakerphones Project Manager at Parrot
Are Plug & Play products just as high tech as the rest of the Parrot range?
"Plug & Play products feature Parrot's latest technologies in terms of signal processing (echo cancellation and noise reduction) to guarantee users an unequalled level of call quality. They also benefit from the work carried out every day at Parrot to ensure that our kits are always compatible with all the Bluetooth phones on the market. Finally, some kits, such as the Parrot MINIKIT, profit from the latest developments in the Bluetooth standard, since they already incorporate the Hands-free 1.5 profile."
How does the Parrot MINIKIT break new ground, compared to other mobile kits?
"The latest technological innovations pioneered by Parrot in the field of signal processing have enabled the company to move clear of the mechanical and acoustic constraints associated with this type of product. With the Parrot MINIKIT, they have allowed us to design a product without any compromise in terms of audio quality, while integrating the microphone and speaker inside the same case. The Parrot MINIKIT's power consumption is carefully managed to provide much longer battery life than that of a mobile phone. Finally, the Parrot MINIKIT features certain innovative characteristics that have played a key role in the success of Parrot's fitted hands-free kits, such as the user interface and the Parrot voice recognition."
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