A handsfree for your car?

A handsfree for your car?

Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and dozens of
other countries around the world have prohibited the use of a
mobile phone while driving.

Indonesia, unfortunately, has not come around to introducing
the same regulation. That is why we still see slow moving cars on
the road with a long line of impatient drivers on their trail.

The insouciant drivers, as one would expect, are immersed in
their phone conversation, with only one hand on the wheel. By the
way, did I tell you about a friend who even read and sent SMS
messages while negotiating the busy roads of Jakarta?

Anyway, does it mean that in those other countries a driver is
not allowed to communicate with other people while operating his
vehicle? Not entirely. In most places-certainly not in Delhi-you
may still talk on the phone as long as you use some kind of
handsfree kit.

Handsfree kits have also been available for many years. If you
see HF in front of a product number from cellphone makers,
chances are it is a handsfree accessory.

Now, what would you do if suddenly the Indonesian government
wises up and follows the example of our ASEAN neighbors?

There are cellphones that you can install in your car. Some
can be integrated with the car's security system, allowing you to
monitor your car-and disable the engine and keep the thief locked
in-remotely. Others are cellphones that just add the cellular
communication function to your car.

An example is Nokia 810, which has been around for some time.
This rather expensive cellphone comes complete with a separate
LCD screen with backlit and large fonts that you can fix on your
dashboard. The screen displays the caller's name or number and
the incoming SMS message. A handset with a large navigation knob
and other buttons can be placed anywhere in your car where you
can easily reach it.

The set also comes with an HF microphone and an HF speaker.
The caller's voice will be heard from the speaker. If you would
like some privacy, you can press the audio mode button and the
voice will be transferred to your earphone instead. The phone has
Bluetooth and voice command features, of course.

The main downside of the two solutions is that you will have
to have a separate SIM card with a separate number. Now, what if
one day you really have to rush to a meeting while you are not
done talking? An integrated handsfree system has just been
introduced by Motorola, and it is scheduled to become available
in the second half of this year.

Motorola's solution relies on Bluetooth and can work with most
Bluetooth mobile phones from any vendor. When you enter your car,
the handsfree system will automatically connect to your phone.
Your voice will be routed to the car's audio system. If you were
already talking before you entered, the call would not be
interrupted.

The beauty is that no cord will have to be plugged or
unplugged. Motorola says that up to four different cellphones can
be "paired" with the system using voice-menu, as long as they all
support Bluetooth. So, even the passengers in your back seats can
use the system. By the way, the car's audio system will be
automatically muted when one of the phones is active. Private
conversation is also as easy as pushing one button, and dialing
can be done using voice commands.

When you arrive at your destination and have to exit the car,
you can do it at any time. Just switch off the car's engine, and
the system will return the communication to your cellphone. You
can continue talking while rushing to your meeting. Do not forget
to lock your car, though.

The best thing about Motorola's handsfree wireless solution is
that it does not require its own SIM card. It is also very
flexible, as the link with your cellphone is completely wireless
and automatic. Unlike the N810, unfortunately, it does not have
any support for texting.

One possible solution is to add text-to-voice and voice-to-
text functionality to the solution. Now, let us see which of
these mobile communication giants will be the first to add this
feature to their HF products. -- Zatni Arbi

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