October 28, 2005

Your Cell Phone's Power: Release It

Your lowly cell phone can do a lot more than let you "talk, talk, talk, talk, talk". But with the right know how can be a true communications tool.

The NY Times writes Second, my state just passed a new hands-free cellphone driving law. I should have been all set, since our Toyota Prius has built-in Bluetooth, a microphone in the rear-view mirror, and Send and End buttons right on the steering wheel. If you have a Bluetooth-compatible phone, you can make calls in the car without even taking the phone out of your pocket. I had a wish list: Long battery life. A speakerphone, for use when I'm on hold, or when I'm driving in a non-Bluetooth car. A built-in camera; when you've got two kids and a baby, photo opportunities crop up on virtually every outing.

The car recognized the phone and "paired" itself in seconds. Cool! I called my wife without even opening the phone on the seat next to me: crystal-clear sound through the car's speaker system. She called me back: the phone rang, I answered by pressing the Send button on the steering wheel. Cooler! But then I ran into trouble. You're supposed to be able to export your phone's address book to the car's computer. After that, you can make calls by touching names on the dashboard screen.[end post]

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