Disqus
To follow on from my earlier story on the change of law in the UK for using Mobiles whilst driving, I wanted to suggest my preferred solution i.e. the one I am running currently. Of course, there are a ton of answers out there, from wired headsets to wireless, from cigarette lighter plug-in speakers to installed solutions.
Me personally, I like the idea of an installed (by professionals) solution, and to my mind, Parrot are one of the leaders in this field. So I am running a CK3000 Evolution, which is a good combination of cost versus function:
As you can see from the pic, you have answer/end-call buttons, and also a knob for volume control. Pairing is simple, by just pressing both answer/end-call, you are voice-prompted to pair your handset via bluetooth.
Obviously the devil is in the detail, and in this case it’s the installation. The controller is linked via cable to the main unit, which is fitted in series with your car stereo – so all audio is piped through your car speakers. Another satellite unit to the main hub (which hides in the space behind your stereo), is the mic unit – and that typically goes near your sun visor.
So, that’s how I am doing things – and I can appreciate lots of you will have your own solutions too – but one thing is for sure, being able to pick up an incoming call (without being distracted from the road) whilst you are driving is great, and really useful. Because my unit has no display, I’m not tempted to look at it, and I don’t make outgoing calls as a rule, again because of distraction.
That only leaves the question of whether you attention is diverted if you are talking on the phone when driving – some studies say it is, but then again it’s not vastly different from if a passenger is talking to then, surely?
Right now, the focus seems to be on keeping drivers attention and vision focused on the road ahead – and seamless installed units do this very well. How are you, the IntoMobile readers, doing things?
Ben
About The Author
Ben Robinson
Ben is a 10+ year veteran of the Mobile industry – starting his career when SMS was a still a relatively new concept for most people (!), he has now consulted on everything from bleeding-edge Mobile content, to the next-gen accessories you might view it on. As a result he has a broad and deep knowledge in numerous areas of Mobile – from network operators to device vendors, to infrastructure and middleware vendors (not to mention content delivery) – and has worked for companies in all of these areas! He is based in the UK, a hotbed of activity for mobile, and recently became a father for the second time – as oppose to in his younger years when he was happy spend time tweaking all manner of mobile devices to 'nth' degree, he now looks for services and hardware that provide the most efficient, compact, and reliable improvements to his already manic life! It’s his opinion that Mobile solutions should be there to help to make your life better – if a particular solution (be it service or device) isn’t doing this, he believes you need to ask the very important question of why you continue to use it... His focus at IntoMobile is mainly on Mobile content, services, and infrastructure, particularly as regards the UK market – and with the occasional look at devices. Additionally, using his extensive experience in the industry, he will provide commentary on the industry at large, with regular (and hopefully thought-provoking) articles.
