Hands on the wheel

As I drive around town I am amazed at how many people still hold a cell phone to their ear. Oh I know we have all done it before. But within time, there will be State laws requiring us to use hands free devices for using our mobile phones in our cars. Those laws already exist in Washington DC, New York and there are several more States reviewing this legislation. Look, having a phone conversation in the car is a distraction, with or without a hands free device. But I would rather have 2 hands than 1 to drive or react to a potential situation on the road, that I know.

I have tried Bluetooth headsets but have always found them to be uncomfortable for my ear. Plus I do not know if I like the Dr. Spok look! So I have been using a device built by Motorola called the ROKR T505. It is a Bluetooth device that clips to my visor in the car. This device is perfect if you do not have Bluetooth technology built in to your car. When I get into my car, I pair up my Sprint Blackberry (or any other cellular phone with Bluetooth in it) to the ROKR. Once they are connected my conversations can be sent either through the speakers in my car or through the ROKR's speaker itself. I love the conversation going through the car speakers because I can really turn up the volume. Both hands stay on the wheel, my drivers ed teacher would be so proud!

In terms of how I sound on the other side, most of the feedback I have got has been very positive. There are cheap Bluetooth devices and there are quality devices like the ROKR. It retails for $150 and is very easy to set up. Try to stay away from the cheap Bluetooth headsets that you see in places like Office Max. They are up next to the candy for crying out loud, how good do you think the quality is going to be?

Welcome to the future.

Mike

I already have wireless built in

As I speak to customers from day to day about their laptops I quite often hear this comment, "I already have wireless built into my laptop so I do not need an aircard" This can be a confusing topic for folks and I would like to shed some light on it.

Just about all laptops today have Wi-fi built into them. This means that the end user can connect to a hotspot. A hotspot is a small area like an office or coffee shop or a residence that has an Internet connection and a router. The router takes the high speed Internet connection and splits it so other laptops can share the connection. Sometimes you may pay a fee to access this connection, other times it is free.

But once you leave that hotspot you will lose connection to the Internet. That is where an aircard from a wireless provider comes in handy. A wireless card from a domestic carrier like Sprint allows you to jump on the Internet anywhere that you can connect to the Sprint network. Essentially anywhere your phone works, the card works. So there is much more coverage and far less restriction than connecting through hotspots. Most of these carriers charge $60 per month for unlimited data plans. The actual cards actually cost next to nothing with a new 2 year service agreement.

I have to say next to a smartphone, the wireless aircard is the greatest current product that our major carriers have been able to offer. The applications are endless for individuals and businesses to utilize these cards. So remember just because you have wireless "built in" to your laptop, that does not guarantee convenience in using Internet connections on your laptop like a wireless aircard does. Surfs up!!!

Welcome to the Future.

Mike