Kensington's iPhone car cradle

Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 21 October 2009 05:30

Your IT - Entertainment

With in-car phone use becoming increasingly regulated, the arrival of Kensington's iPhone car mount is timely.

As previously reported, the Australian state of Victoria is tightening the rules about drivers using mobile phones. In particular, the use of a phone's GPS navigation functionality will only be permitted when the handset is mounted in a commercially-designed cradle. Other jurisdictions have also clamped down on phone use by drivers.

So it is timely that Kensington has launched the (pause for breath) Windshield/Vent Car Mount with Sound Amplified Cradle for the iPhone in Australia.

The $49.95 cradle has flexible arms to hold an iPhone whether or not it is in a case, and swappable inserts to suit the original iPhone, the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS.

Company officials claim the cradle doubles the volume of the iPhone's speaker with no additional battery drain, making it easier to hear turn-by-turn directions.

The cradle pivots for portrait or landscape orientation, and can be attached to the windscreen or air vents.

"With more drivers using mobile-phone GPS systems, the Kensington Windshield/Vent Car Mount with Sound Amplified Cradle for the iPhone offers a simple, affordable and safe solution allowing users to turn their iPhone into a navigation device," said Kensington Australia product manager Sam Goldstein.