Satechi Bluetooth Media Button Review ( Model SP-01M )

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a Satechi Bluetooth Media Button ( Model SP-01M ) for a product review. The package included the following:

• Bluetooth button
• Button mount for steering wheel
• Keychain attachment
• 3M sticker
• CR2016 battery (it may be installed already as it was on mine)

3M sticker, Bluetooth button and keychain attachment

Size comparison with business card

The button itself looks nice, and is very light and a good size ( small but still usable ).  Pairing to my Nexus 7 tablet was very simple, you just need something small to press the button on the back.

Front

Back

Another picture - it is a nice looking button

As for mounting/using the device you have a few options:

• Use the keychain attachment to carry it around.  If you are going to use the steering wheel mount, having the little keychain loop could be an issue if it catches your hand as you are steering - I wouldn’t use it personally.  If you are going to just hold it and use it, there isn’t really anything on the surface that lets you know which way is “up” so you would have to look down which isn’t safe while driving.
• Use the steering wheel mount.  You will bump it by accident from time to time, but I never felt like it was in an unsafe position.
• Use the 3M sticker to mount it.  I don’t know if I would use this option -- in theory you have to remove it to change battery or pair with a different device.

Keychain attachment

My setup ( Bluetooth button on the steering wheel, Nexus 7 mounted )

Button on the steering wheel

I would recommend using the steering wheel mount.  If you aren’t going to ever use it, and are willing to damage it, you can cut off the little parts that grip around the steering wheel and just stick the mount (using the 3M sticker) to your dash that way you can still remove the button if needed.

The button worked great with Google Play Music, all the functions work as expected.  I tried it with Pandora, but when I would hit controls they would seem to go to the Google Play Music instead.  I think this because it uses a Bluetooth Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) instead of just emulating a keyboard.  So Android seems to send the commands to the default music player instead of the one up front.  I only use Google Play Music so this wasn’t an issue for me.

There is no power button on the device, I am assuming it goes into a low power mode automatically.  After being away from it, when I use it again I just have to press a button once or twice and the Nexus 7 connects quickly.

One other thing to consider -- when you are connected to the button, at least during my tests, I wasn’t able to use the software keyboard on the screen.  This is probably because Android considers this a hardware keyboard.  In theory, while driving you shouldn’t be typing, but I figured I would mention that fact.

If you need to know if a specific program works, I would suggest using the Amazon feature to ask questions to existing owners that way someone can give you a response or check with Satechi support.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Easy to Setup and Use: Pairing was super simple, and after that you just press the button for the function you want.

Versatile Mount Options: The package includes various mounting options so you can pick the option that works best for your setup.

Drive Safer: A device like this helps keep your eyes on the road, and off your tablet / smartphone.  Of course doing anything while driving is technically a distraction, this is similar to fiddling with the volume/controls of your car radio.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a way to control music on your device, especially while in a vehicle, this is a great option to consider.

Satechi Product Page: http://www.satechi.net/index.php/satechi-bluetooth-button-series-media-button
Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00RM75NL0

Satechi Bluetooth Multi-Media Remote Control Review

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a Satechi Bluetooth Multi-Media Remote Control for a product review. In addition to the remote itself, it also came with two CR2025 batteries which was nice since I didn’t have to worry about buying / finding them.

Remote - Notice the sliding cover is closed

For my first test, I paired the remote with my Samsung Galaxy S5.  The pairing completed without any issues, the remote has tiny keys so you can enter in a multiple digit PIN during the pairing process.  I was able to control music volume, track selection and play/pause using the remote.

Under the sliding cover - close up of keys used to enter pairing code

Next, I tried to pair with my Nexus 7 tablet and again it paired without any problems and I was able to control the music.  I also tested using the remote to trigger the camera, and that worked without any problems.

The directions do not mention Windows compatibility, but I did test it with a Windows 7 system.  The volume controls worked, and hitting the “Home” button at the desktop would open Internet Explorer and hitting the same button in Chrome would make the current tab go to whatever was defined as your home page.  I did test Google Slides, and during presentation mode the forward/back keys did nothing but pressing the “Enter” button did make the slide advance so you could use it for presentations.

As for actually using the remote, the first chance I had was when I was outside.  I used my phone, the Satechi remote and a Bluetooth speaker to play music.  Instead of having to use the phone to switch tracks, I just used the remote.  This was very useful since we were outside grilling.

For my next real world test, I used the remote in my car.  I use my Nexus 7 tablet for music, but of course trying to mess with a touch screen while driving isn’t smart or safe.  The remote worked perfectly, changing volume / tracks and pausing was very easy and you don’t have to worry about looking at the remote to see which key you are pressing because it is fairly easy to feel the layout of the buttons.

Remote next to a business card for size comparison

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Easy to Setup: All you have to do is hit one button to put it into pairing mode, use your device (smartphone / tablet / computer) to connect then use the tiny keys to enter in the pairing code.

Versatile: For a smartphone / tablet, you can use the remote to control music and the camera.  On a computer, you can even use the remote during presentations.  These are just the ideas I came up with, I am sure there are other neat things you can do with this remote.

Easy to Use: The buttons you use often are clearly labeled, and once you learn the layout you don’t even have to look at the remote to use them.  The keys you use less often just for pairing are under a sliding cover, and I like the fact there is a on/off switch.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a Bluetooth remote to control music on your smartphone or tablet, this is a great option to consider.  It also can do other tricks, but for me the music control is the main feature I plan to use.

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00DY9UFB8
Satechi Product Page: http://www.satechi.net/index.php/smartphones-and-tablets/accessories/remotes/satechi-bluetooth-multi-media-remote-control-white-for-bluetooth-enabled-android-devices