Genuine Curiosity

Author Dwayne Melancon is always on the lookout for new things to learn. An ecclectic collection of postings on personal productivity, travel, good books, gadgets, leadership & management, and many other things.

 

BlueAnt Supertooth 3

An increasing number of locales are beginning to require drivers to use hands-free devices while driving, which prompted me to look for a good in-car Bluetooth solution. I tried a few that didn't work very well, and have settled on the BlueAnt Supertooth 3.


This is a compact, Bluetooth-based handsfree device that attaches to your visor. It comes with two visor clips (to which it attaches magnetically) making it easy to move it between a couple of cars. It is also small enough that you can tuck it in your bag and take it along when you travel. I've even taken it out of the car and used it as a speakerphone for a conference call, and it worked great.


Here are some highlights:



  • The sound quality of this device is very good (you can hear a sample of the BlueAnt's voice quality here), and I've been happy with how well it deals with background noise.

  • The pairing process is very simple and, once you've paired it, you simply get in the car and hear the confirming "Connected to phone" statement from the phone so you know you're good to go.

  • You can upload your phone book into the device and it will announce callers in your address book by name when they call (if the caller isn't in the address book, it recites their phone number to you.). If you want to take the call, you can either press the green button to answer or say "Answer" and it will connect the call.

  • The Supertooth 3 has great battery life -- I've had it for a bit over a month and have had to recharge it once after quite a bit of use.


    • There is a nice power-saving feature built into the unit. When it isn't connected to a phone for a while it will go to sleep and save power; it contains some vibration sensors to wake it up when you get into your car, slam a door, etc. I think this contributes to the battery longevity.

  • It integrates with phone voice dialing on many phones. For example, on my phone (Blackberry Curve), there is a convenience key on the side that I have programmed to initiate voice dialing. When I press this, the voice dial prompts are redirected to the BlueAnt and I can conduct voice dialing from there.

  • In addition to the two visor clips, it comes with a car charger.

If you're looking for a good handsfree device for using your Bluetooth phone in your car, I recommend the BlueAnt Supertooth 3.


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