5: Bluetooth Car Stereos
Just because a vehicle didn’t come straight from the dealer ready to connect to Bluetooth doesn’t need to deter you from upgrading. There are stereos on the market that can have you hooked up and ready to go in no time. These devices help sync everything together and provide you with a smoother ride.
Take JVC’s El Kameleon KD-AVX40, for example. Touch-screen controls — which are activated when your hand draws near — allow you to make calls and listen to music in a variety of formats. Volume is automatically lowered while a call is being placed and resumes to its initial volume when the call is complete.
You can also view videos on the stereo’s display screen. But since it’s not such a hot idea to watch anything but the road while you’re driving, videos will show only when the car is stopped and the parking brake is applied. To settle down any backseat drivers you might have along for the ride, the stereo comes with the hookups for alternative screens to be installed elsewhere in the car and works with a wide variety of media formats that can be played at any time during the drive.
4: Bluetooth iPod Transmitters
Cell-phone synchronization can be a snap with Bluetooth, but what about iPods? Some systems still require manual hookup for iPod integration — a hassle you can get around using an iPod transmitter.
These devices, like the JVC AAT100BT, pop directly into the iPod’s port and broadcast your media — whether it’s music, podcast, video, et cetera — straight to the stereo. And you don’t need to worry about charging your device, because the power it needs is pulled directly from the iPod and should ideally last about six hours if charged fully.
Now let’s forget the music for a moment and free up our hands for the task at hand: driving.
3: Bluetooth Hands-free Car Kits
Laws prohibiting text messaging and cell-phone calls while driving are popping up all over the place, leaving many constant communicators in a lurch. Enter Bluetooth to save the day. Hands-free kits allow drivers to continue their conversations but keep their hands on the wheel and (hopefully) their attention on the road.
These devices, such as the Parrot MKi9200, take care of almost everything — with the touch of a few buttons, the phone is ringing and you’re on your way. But if you want truly hands-free, then the Parrot has the capacity for voice recognition. You can leave your phone in your pocket, purse, backpack or briefcase and speak normally as if the person were with you in the car. It’ll also sync up your cell phone’s address book with what it has on file — so that phone number you scored last night is safe and sound.
Phone call completed, you might want to put on some music — if only traffic weren’t such a swamp. The hands-free car kit has your back again. A remote control allows you to get the song you want all geared up to play easily.
Now that we’re listening to some tunes, let’s get a better look at the Bluetooth speaker options out there.
For more detail: 5 Bluetooth Car Accessories
