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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