TECH TIMES

Written and compiled by Kareem LaTouche and Stephanie Lyew

Apps this Week for Android, Apple and Bb

Tech problem of the week

How to set up mobile smartphone with car stereo system

Why you need to know

Not only is it easier to operate a mobile phone when connected to a car's stereo system, or to a car's Bluetooth system (if it is a feature) on a whole, it is safer.

What you will need

The smartphone

Phone mount

Bluetooth headphone

12-volt portable charger

(car charger)

Headphone jack/auxiliary cable (optional)

How to get it done

The way the smartphone and car stereo system sync with one another will depend on the type of phone and Bluetooth connection, as well as the type of vehicle. Nonetheless, there are general steps to follow: first, activating the smartphone's Bluetooth function and making the device discoverable by selecting 'make phone discoverable/identifiable', 'search for devices', 'scan for devices', or 'pair with devices' (as stated, the settings will vary but are similar). Do the same through the vehicles advanced stereo system settings which may be done via auto connect, manual connection or, as observed in more recent models of many Toyota, Honda, BMW, Suzuki, etc, using simple voice recognition commands such as 'pair Bluetooth' or 'turn on Bluetooth'.

Most Bluetooth systems require a passkey, if the vehicle or phone is pre-owned you will have to change to the default passkey or enter an entirely new one, which is usually a four-digit code - choose something simple so that you will not forget it. Since most phones stay visible for a few minutes at a time, you may have to return to the settings and 'make phone discoverable' and 'pair devices' once again. After this is accomplished, connect the Bluetooth headphone in a similar mode or plug in the headphone jack/auxiliary cable, place the phone in the mount,connect the charger and voice commands (this may require placing the phone in 'hands-free' mode as well).

Helpful links

http://cartech.about.com/od/Car-Audio/ss/How-To-Pair-Bluetooth-Phone-Wit...

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