Gaari Means Car. Car Reviews & Car News

Review by E. Cook for 8 in 1 Wireless Automobile FM Transmitter + Car Charger + Holder/Dock + REMOTE for iPod Touch Classic Nano 3G Compatible with iPhone 3G
Rating:
I have three complaints regarding this device:

(1) The part of the device that plugs into the car’s cigarette lighters (i.e. outlets) is a rigid plug extending from the back of the device. This means that if your cigarette lighters are tucked into corners, gloveboxes, etc., the device cannot be plugged into your car. You need a wide, unobstructed approach coming into your outlet. Check out the pictures I added to the product description – you’ll see what I mean.

(2) I live in an urban area where MANY radio stations broadcast FM signals. There is only one spot on the dial that is essentially unused, and therefore available to the device. The sound quality in this one open spot is not that great – some static carries through. Perhaps we will get better transmission on our drives into rural areas of the country.

(3) While the device claims to be compatible with iPhone 3G, it is not an Apple supported device. Consequences? (a) Your iPhone gets forced into Airplane Mode when you connect to the device. (b) You get warnings about it being an unsupported device, and (c) The battery charging icon does not indicate that charging is actually occurring. (No giant green battery on the front screen.) All this gives me the heebie-jeebies, but perhaps that’s just what Apple wants me to feel. We paid a lot for our iPhones 3G, and using unsupported gear makes me nervous.

A redesign of the plug on the back would solve the fit problem, but not the issue of it being an unsupported product.

Be sure to check the vendor’s return policy before choosing this for your car. You may need to send the device back!

Review by Melissa A. Richards for 8 in 1 Wireless Automobile FM Transmitter + Car Charger + Holder/Dock + REMOTE for iPod Touch Classic Nano 3G Compatible with iPhone 3G
Rating:
Ah, why doesn’t Amazon offer a 0 star option? Because that’s what I would give this product.

The price. That may be the only redeeming quality of this product. But, that’s even not valid! Let’s compare:

Price of product: (What, like, $12? I can’t see it from this screen.)

Price of a normal iPod/phone adapter that actually would work: $80.

Price I paid to have repairs done to my car’s cigarette lighter/power adapter when the product blew up inside of it: $100

So, I could have gotten a really nice, maybe Belkin iPod transmitter for about $80…instead, I paid $112 or so for shoddy sound quality that worked for under two weeks, and car repairs afterwords.

But oh, the story goes back even further…let me clarify:

Around January 2010 I was looking for an iPod transmitter for my car. Didn’t want to spend to much, being a broke college student, so I went with the cheap one. Big mistake. After about 1 1/2 week of use, I lightly went to tug it out of the lighter unit so I could plug in my GPS. Big mistake. It blew parts everywhere in my car, not very fun to vacuum up.

So, I contacted CrazyonDigital, and they did send me a new unit promptly for free. I do give them credit for that.

So, the next unit came, and I set it up in my car. Surprise, surprise, after about another 2 weeks of use, I heard a popping sound when my car started, with mini sparks coming out of the lighter adapter. So, freaking out, I yanked the iPod transmitter out of there. Little plastic and metal pieces were stuck inside the cigarette lighter, and I could not get them out.

I had to go to a car repair shop and have someone suck the pieces out for $100, as I couldn’t do it myself and simple car vacuum didn’t get all the pieces out. I had to do this, because I couldn’t plug anything into the lighter unit! (GPS, phone charger, etc.)

Once again I contacted CrazyOnDigital, telling them that yet again another unit had blown up in my car, and I would please like a refund. I didn’t want another unit, because I didn’t want to have to pay $100 to get my car fixed!

They said that since I had ordered it so long ago, they could do nothing. Cool, $125 that I’ll never get back. No biggie, or anything…

Just consider before you buy the crap that can go wrong with this product. Take your money, and buy something nice. Even for this price, even if it DOESN’T blow up in your car, the sound quality still sucks. Just a thought.

Review by S. Fountain for Kensington Power Port Car Mount for iPhone and iPod
Rating:
Let me start by saying I broke this thing not 30 seconds after opening the box. Lesson learned – do not try to position the arm while the holding bracket is attached. Rather than send it back, I super-glued the holding bracket back on to the arm. The only disadvantage is that I cannot rotate it. Other than that, it has served its purpose with no issue. I like the pass-through as I have many devices that need charging and I can rotate them easily while still having my iPhone accessible. Many reviewers have had issue with the position of their outlet – works fine in the Nissan Maxima (just have to watch fingers when putting the car in park). Overall, I like my Bracketron cup holder mount better, but sometimes I need that second cup holder…

Review by Evan Moore for Kensington Power Port Car Mount for iPhone and iPod
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**I’ve included 2 pictures with this review. See the main profile image and scroll to them**

I’m using the “Kensington Power Port Car” in conjunction with the “Kensington LiquidAUX Auxiliary Car Kit w/ Remote” and it’s the best solution I have ever found. I decided to use the combination of both units instead of the all in one unit “Kensington LiquidAUX Deluxe Auxiliary Car Kit with Remote”, because the 8-pin dock connector wouldn’t allow for the flexibility of a thick case to be connected to it.

The goose neck on the Kensington Power Port Car is sturdy enough to support the weight of the iPhone even with the “Defender Series” by OtterBox case I have attached, weighing in at 6.7 ounces, as it sits in the dock and also when I turn the vehicle. I needed a solution that I can quickly plug and dock my iPhone with its case intact into a unit that can support the weight and the recessed power port location of my car. The dock I used previously was the “TuneFlex AUX SmartClick” and it would always fall out of the power port when I turned the vehicle, which was always so frustrating.

I’m using the power port pass-through to connect a Vector 3-N-1 Socket System so I can get back the flexibility of multiple sockets. One of the sockets is powering the auxiliary car kit.

The adjustable side clamps that expand and collapse to fit the iPhone is perfect, because with mine I have it adjusted so the iPhone can slip into it and out of it with very little effort.

I have no complaints with this device and highly recommend it.

Review by HNS for Kensington Power Port Car Mount for iPhone and iPod
Rating:
The negative comments about this unit are true. It’s flimsy. Does not stay secure in the plug. Falls over when making turns. Sags under the weight of the ipod. I’m using it now but will replace it when I can find something better.