North Park store owner Saad Ewdish knows the law on using his cell phone while driving is about to change, but he's a little fuzzy on details, such as when the change takes effect, and unfamiliar with the technologies that would let him continue talking.
“I don't know if my phone does Bluetooth,” Ewdish said. “What's Bluetooth?”
As of July 1, Ewdish and other California drivers who talk behind the wheel risk a ticket unless they use hands-free technology.
Complying with the state's hands-free mandate means using either a speakerphone setup while driving or a headset, which is an earpiece and a microphone. This can be as simple as plugging in a wired headset or learning to use speakerphone settings.
But for many drivers, the new law will mean wading into the pros and cons of Bluetooth, a wireless technology that can connect cell phones to headsets or dashboard speakerphone systems.
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HANDS-FREE TECHNOLOGY
Dozens of manufacturers offer hundreds of Bluetooth hands-free devices. Here are a few of the better-known gadgets at various price levels:
JABRA BT2040
Affordable Bluetooth headset
Uses AAAA battery
Weight: 16 grams
Cost: $14-$19.99
Information: Jabra.com
ALIPH NEW JAWBONE
Stylish, smaller version of the original Jawbone Bluetooth headset with upgraded noise-canceling technology.
Weight: 10 grams
Cost: $129.99
Information: Jawbone.com
PLANTRONICS DISCOVERY 925
Stylish Bluetooth headset with boom microphone to reduce background noise.
Available in assorted colors.
Weight: 8 grams
Cost: $80-$149.99
Information: Plantronics.com
PARROT MINIKIT
Rechargeable sun visor speakerphone system with voice-activated calling.
Cost: $62.95-$84.99
Information: Parrot.com
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Bluetooth is a 10-year-old technology first backed by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba. It was designed to connect gadgets over short distances without draining their batteries and is best known for the tiny – some say ugly – earpieces that often create the impression that their owners are talking to themselves.
Bluetooth headsets and Bluetooth dashboard speakerphones give access to mobile phone calls without wires. The phones can remain in a pocket, purse or briefcase, as calls are answered or ended with a tap of a button on a headset or dashboard.
More advanced Bluetooth dashboard systems integrated into a car stereo will mute the radio when a call comes in and allow voice-activated control of functions such as dialing.
California's hands-free law is expected to boost sales of Bluetooth gadgets. Last year, manufacturers sold 14.5 million Bluetooth headsets, according to New York-based ABI Research. The market research firm expects that number to grow to 18 million this year and pass 20 million next year.
Going hands-free with Bluetooth requires a Bluetooth-enabled phone. Many phones, particularly newer models, are support Bluetooth. Check the specifications in the owner's manual or look for the Bluetooth logo, a flying V intersecting a B.
Bluetooth products range widely in price:
Headsets start at about $20 and go to more than $100 for stylish devices such as the new Jawbone from Aliph or the Nokia BH-803.
Hands-free speakerphone setups cost about $60 for a portable unit that plugs into a vehicle's cigarette lighter or clips onto the sun visor.
Installed units can cost more than $400 and work with a car's radio and built-in speakers.
There are some downsides to the technology.
Using Bluetooth requires establishing a link between two devices, a process too complicated for some, particularly when it entails consulting two owner's manuals. Retailers such as Best Buy are including free pairing of headsets with an owner's phone on select models.
An older Bluetooth phone or accessory paired with a new device might not be capable of using advanced features in the newer device, such as voice-activated dialing or contact-list transfer.
Another drawback of the technology is that voice quality can be disappointing. The headset microphones are notorious for picking up wind and other background sounds. Cell phone sound quality is generally less clear than wired “land line” calls. Using Bluetooth sends the voice signal over a second wireless connection, which tends to increase the degradation.
Bluetooth devices aren't widely viewed as “cool.” College Area resident Alicia Mitchell said she can see herself risking a ticket but can't see herself wearing “one of those little Bluetooth things.”
Increased use could lead to social acceptance of Bluetooth, but some say it's more likely to produce discrete use of the technology in the privacy of owners' cars.
“Just because you have to be hands-free in the car doesn't mean you have to be hands-free everywhere,” said Gloria Barczak, a Northeastern University marketing professor who researches new-product development.
Replacing stigma with style is one of several areas engineers and designers have been working on to improve consumer acceptance of Bluetooth, said Ross Rubin, an analyst with market research firm NPD Group.
The Jawbone headset shows the progress, Rubin said. For starters, it looks more like jewelry than an electronic device.
The headset contains noise-canceling technology that reduces the problem of wind and other background sounds, Rubin said.
Manufacturers continue to simplify the process of pairing two Bluetooth devices. Apple has a headset that pairs itself with the iPhone when the two are placed in a charging cradle for the first time.
Not all drivers will embrace hands-free gadgets. Ewdish, the North Park store owner, plans to cut back on his in-car calls.
“I don't do headsets, and I don't do wireless,” he said. “I'll probably just look to see who's calling. If it's not important, I won't answer it. If it is, I'll just pull over.”
Jonathan Sidener: (619) 293-1239; jonathan.sidener@uniontrib.com
