Mini Stereo Plug Left Right Adapter

Samsung Galaxy S II Official Accessories Review

Given Google Voice Navigation has already replaced many standalone PNDs, it’s no surprise that Samsung offers an official Vehicle Dock Kit for the Galaxy S II. After all, the smartphone’s display is, at 4.3-inches, bigger than many dedicated GPS units offer, and the Super AMOLED Plus panel is bright enough to be visible even in direct sunlight.

The kit itself consists of a suction-cup mount for the windshield, with a sturdy release latch and an adjustable ball joint where the separate phone cradle latches. This holds the GSII in place while still leaving access to the side controls, headphone socket and even the 8-megapixel camera on the back, meaning you could potentially shoot photos and video of where you’re driving. On the bottom, a pull-down microUSB section docks with the GSII to charge it.

Samsung includes a 9v car power adapter which plugs into a standard microUSB port on the side. Right next to it is a 3.5mm audio-out port, which can be used to pipe the GSII’s sound to the input on your car stereo, if it has one. That means you can play music and listen to voice guidance through your car speakers. As soon as you dock the phone, it loads up the Navigation UI with oversized buttons and easy access to the voice recognition system for hands-free control.

The cradle fixes on and detaches reasonably easily, but we’d like to have seen an easier way to rotate it between portrait and landscape orientation. Instead, you have to loosen the ball joint and rotate it that way. Still, priced at £39.99 it’s cheaper than other generic car-kits we’ve seen, and Samsung has obviously thought through the design: there are cut-outs for the GSII’s rear speaker, for instance.

While we’ve seen smartphones with HDMI ports before, the Galaxy S II uses a technology called MHL for its HD output. Rather than a dedicated port, MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) uses the USB connection to simultaneously charge the phone and output up to 1080p Full HD video and up to 7.1-channel surround sound.

Unfortunately MHL adapters have been in short supply, and weren’t on sale back when we reviewed the Galaxy S II. Samsung’s official dongle is a compact affair, a thin black box roughly the size of a few sticks of gum, with a short microUSB cable to hook up to the phone and, on the box itself, a full-sized HDMI port and microUSB port.

Logitech Z-3 Wood Grained 2.1 Speakers Review | Mini Laptops Under 200

Logitech's Z-3 speakers are a quality set of basic stereo-plus-subwoofer speakers for use with a computer, game unit, or small near-field (close-up) audio setup. They are quite pretty, with faux-wood cabinets and brushed metal accents, and despite their small size are quite heavy. While the set is not exceptionally loud for its rated power, the subwoofer provides substantial bass (perhaps too much at higher settings), and the stereo mid- and high-range satellite speakers offer smooth sound, an attractive and functional design, and solid metal bases for stability. The wired remote, with its simple power button, large analog volume knob, and funky blue LED power light, is an especially nice design. I purchased the Z-3 speakers for use with a digital stage piano in our living room. Logitech includes a wired-in male mini-stereo plug (the kind that connects to a computer, portable CD player, or other mini-headphone jack), as well as an adapter that converts the mini plug to two female RCA jacks, which plug into standard left and right RCA cables used by stereo systems. I needed additional adapters (which I had, fortunately) to convert those RCA connectors to 1/4" mono phono plugs on the musical keyboard, but that was to be expected, since the Z-3s aren't aimed at musicians anyway. Wiring up the system was straightforward: the power plug is part of the subwoofer, so you don't have to worry about multiple power cables snaking around-which also means there's no way to run the satellite speakers alone, without the subwoofer. Oddly, you must separate the main cables (which connect the subwoofer to the satellites and remote in a bundle) by peeling the wires away from each other, like licorice strips, to get them to the length you need, which is something the otherwise-good (and very short) manual fails to mention. As shipped, the free cables are too short to reach either side of a computer monitor, never mind a piano. Some might be wary of doing any wire-separating without anything in writing to make clear that it's safe (which it is, since you're just peeling off some rubber). The satellites are very nicely designed, with two stable cast-metal feet and removable soft speaker grilles that protect from poking fingers but don't seem to colour the sound significantly. The volume remote is worth a mention on its own.

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