Bluetooth

If Bluetooth headsets aren’t your thing, but, you still need to go hands free while in the car, you definitely will want to check out the BlueAnt S4 Bluetooth Car Speaker Phone. It is being touted as the world’s first truly hands free car speaker phone, and, if the S4 is any where as good as this commercial promoting it, probably a pretty darn good one as well…

BlueAnt S4 Features:

  • True handsfree voice controlled car speakerphone.
  • Make and answer calls using just your voice.
  • Use your voice to access information services on the go.
  • Text to Speech technology reads out the name of the incoming caller. Stores up to 2,000 phonebook entries per paired device.
  • Embedded audio help talks you through setup and operation.
  • Multipoint: connect to 2 phones and answer the one that rings.
  • A2DP streaming for playback of music, podcasts and directions from a GPS application on your phone.
  • Full duplex, high volume speaker for rich booming audio.
  • Outstanding wind, road, and background noise reduction for clear calls no matter how noisy it is.
  • Sleek design with touch sensitive volume controls.
  • Zero installation costs (fixes to the car sun visor).
  • Hardware on/off switch.
  • Firmware upgradeable.
  • Up to 20 hours talk time; 700 hours standby.
  • 2 year replacement warranty (excludes clip and charger).

Check out the BlueAnt S4 Bluetooth Car Speaker Phone on Amazon.com

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BMW iDrive BlackBerry  Integration

Research in Motion and BMW have been working on technology that essentially turns your BMW’s iDrive into a remote control of your BlackBerry.  Using a new Bluetooth protocol called MAP, the BMW and BlackBerry can pair allowing iDrive to ingest all the contacts from the BlackBerry and sync email.  Once paired, Drives can scan through and read headers of emails through their iDrive console (probably not the safest act while driving) and selected messages can read to the driver using iDrive’s text-to-voice transcription.

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I know that a lot of people reading this post couldn’t imagine paying someone to $10 for the 45 second process of pairing a Bluetooth headset to ones BlackBerry. Trust me when I tell you, however, that for most people, pairing a bluetooth headset is as difficult as, well…, pairing a bluetooth headset.

I literally do this for someone in the office every other week, and I can imagine that a couple of iPhone users will stop by my desk before lunch today.

Best Buy has decided to capitalize on the new California Hands Free Calling law by charging $10 to pair a Bluetooth headset to a mobile device. Is pairing a Bluetooth headset to your mobile phone worth $10? I am sure that many Californians that shop at Best Buy will think so.

[Via engadget mobile]

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