Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro

Complimentary Teleseminar - Drive Safe and Talk Safe – Mobile Headset Tips

 

Do you use a mobile phone while driving? How do you stay productive while driving, but avoid the risk of DRIVING DISTRACTED?!?

Join me for a complimentary teleseminar where I will interview Mobile Headset Expert John Waller on tips to use your phone safely (and legally).

Drive Safe and Talk Safe – Mobile Headset Tips
(And Learn about California’s new Hands Free Driving Laws)
(Complimentary Teleseminar)

Thursday, July 3rd
12pm Pacific / 2pm Central / 3pm Eastern

Special Guest: John Waller, Mobile Technology Consultant

Register Now!

Click Here to Register for Complimentary Teleseminar

John Waller

Owner of Mobile Connectivity

John has been involved in technology since 1987. He started out in alpha numeric pagers, cell phones and digital pagers. He has been selling headset for over 13 years. He is a technology consultant and helps people to be more productive with technology and is a sought after speaker and consultant. He is the Founder of the Silicon Valley Palm Users Group and has been hired by Palmsource to train their employees on their devices.  He is currently writing a book on "How to be More Productive in the New Millennium". For more information about Mobile Connectivity, visit http://www.mobileconnectivity.net/

CALIFORNIA HANDS FREE DRIVING LAWS ARE NOW IN EFFECT!

New cellular phone laws went into effect July 1, 2008 in California. The changes are intended to reduce accidents caused by distracted drivers.

VC §23123: Drivers 18 years of age or older are prohibited from driving a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless a hands-free device is used.

SOURCE: California Department Of Motor Vehicles Web Site:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/

 

Amazon Launches a New Wireless Reading Device

Amazon has launched an intriguing new device called the Kindle. It's an ebook reader with wireless access. It not only allows you to read books though. You can also read newspapers and blogs. Given the huge trend toward going green, I think a device like this could catch on.

Free Wireless Access on a Mobile Device!

I'm curious to hear from anyone who has tried the device. What's amazing is that the wireless access seems to be free. They appear to be covering their costs through book sales. It will be interesting to see if this thing takes off. Could a device like this have the same kind of appeal as the iPod when it first came out? I suppose only time will tell!

Navigating with the Magellan Maestro 3100 GPS

Engadget mentions that GPSMagazine reviewed the Magellan Maestro 3100 GPS. This GPS system retails for less than $300. Unfortunately, it lacks Bluetooth support. But, if you spend a lot of time digging through maps, this may be an option for you.

I wrote about GPS options for PDAs back in February.

New GPS Software for Palm Smartphones

I occasionally get questions from people asking about GPS software for PDAs and smartphones. I'm very much a believer in using the right tool for the right job. I think for most people, getting a separate GPS device that will be mounted in their car is probably the best option. For one, safety is your ultimate priority when you're driving. You don't want to do anything that's going to jeopardize your safety or those around you.

A GPS device designed for the car will typically have a larger display. This is important if your eyesight is beginning to deteriorate. You want to be able to easily see maps. The sound quality for turn by turn directions will generally be better.

Another factor is that it's very likely you will want to drive, use the GPS device and make a phone call at the same time. What happens then? I'm not exactly sure, but at the very least, when you begin to make that call, you will no longer be using the GPS software on your smartphone. And some smartphones get a little dicey when you try running multiple applications at once. They have been known to crash from time to time. Usually a soft reset will fix it.

However, in certain circumstances, GPS software for your smartphone may make sense. If you travel a lot, you can cut your rental car costs by using GPS on your smartphone rather than having it in your rental car. If you ride along with someone who doesn't have GPS, it can be handy to help you navigate. In any case, it's important to consider your needs, now and over time. This will help you identify your best options.

Good news for Palm customers, Palm® GPS Navigator Smartphone Edition 3 is now available.  According to Andrew from Treonauts,

"Palm yesterday released its new Palm GPS Navigator Smartphone Edition 3 which includes an updated version of the terrific TomTom Navigator software  (see my review Travelling With A Treo GPS In My Pocket) that is now finally compatible with nearly all Treo smartphones models including the Treo 650, 680, 700p, 700w|wx an Treo 750."

I recommend you do your research first. As with any technology, consider all of your options. Visit retail stores and ask for product demonstrations. View online demonstrations. Identify the pros and cons for each option and rate them. And check out the return policy for the product. Then, you will be able to make an informed decision and not have any regrets. Good luck and happy motoring!

More Hurdles in Efforts to use Mobile Phones In-flight

There is no end in sight to the ban on using cell phones while in-flight on U.S. airlines. According to Engadget,

For once all that crazy government red tape might be working in our favor: sure, the FAA might ease up a bit on the rules banning cellphones from use during flights, but in order to get a waiver airlines would have to go through and test each handset that might be used by passengers to make sure that it doesn’t pose a threat to aircraft navigation or communications systems. And we all know that ain’t gonna happen.

An article in Reteurs explained that in December, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission proposed lifting its ban of in-flight mobile phone use, provided it is technically feasible and does not overwhelm ground-based networks.  The article in Reuters quoted Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio as follows:

Rep. Peter DeFazio wondered if flight attendants would have to put a check mark on a passenger's head to indicate that their phone was compatible. The Oregon Democrat said safety should be guaranteed before restrictions were lifted. "I don't think we want to take the chance that the plane might go down because some idiot is having a trivial conversation," DeFazio said.

So, where does that leave us? Don't expect to be able to use your smartphone in-flight, even for its PDA functions. Some other options are to bring a laptop, a good business book, or a pad of paper to brainstorm. Take notes and then update your PDA at the first opportunity.

So, what's left for us to do? Sales professionals of the the world unite! Power to the people! Or, something like that. Hopefully, the tech wizards out there will come up with a solution. Has anyone tried Skype through a laptop while in-flight? I believe a few airlines are beginning to test internet access while in-flight. Hmmm.