Ontario Might Ban Cell Phones in Cars...and Every Other Gadget!

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty says he's considering following suit with many other cities in requiring that people use Bluetooth headsets or speakerphones when chatting on a cell phone in the car. This move makes perfect sense, and is really only for the benefit of everyone's safety. But then he continued on to discuss banning any electronic device one might use in the car, like portable navigation units or smartphones that can be used for e-mailing and web surfing. While I understand the need to make our roads safer, fining someone because he was hitting the "home" button on his GPS device, or reading an e-mail at a red light, isn't going to solve anything.

You can pick and choose devices to ban or not to ban, but then where do you draw the line? I have a satellite radio receiver in my car: can I be ticketed for pushing a pre-set button to change the station? After all, how is this any different from selecting a radio station on the car's factory stereo system? Or rifling through a book of CDs or audio tapes, which people have been doing while driving for decades! Many of these devices are just replacing the old methods of yesteryear. Instead of grabbing an audio tape out of the case to pop it into the cassette deck, we're connecting our iPods or surfing through satellite radio channels. Instead of holding up a poster-sized map to check for directions, we're punching in addresses on a portable navigation device.

It's important to note that I am not encouraging multi-tasking while you're driving on a 400-series highway in the GTA, or anywhere, for that matter. If a guy is swerving from lane to lane because he's in the midst of a heated discussion with cell phone in hand, or a young gal runs a red light because she's texting her girlfriends while driving, by all means, charge them with unsafe driving as you would charge anyone that's driving in an unsafe manner. What I am saying is that a complete "ban" could result in bogus tickets being handed out to people who are driving safely. Are we going to ticket people who sing in the car as well because it's distracting? Moms that are diffusing a back seat fight between the kids? Or dads enjoying quick sips of morning coffee while on the way to work? I think it's more important to target unsafe drivers as a whole, but leave the reasons to each, individual instance.

Frankly, I think if I was coerced into having my hands at 2 and 10 and my eyes focused on the road 100% of the time while driving, I'd space out from sheer boredom and stiffness, and be more likely to drive erratically, or fail to react quickly in the event of a potential accident. But maybe I'm just fooling myself...

Using handheld cell phones in the car is already banned in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Manitoba, as well as in U.S. cities like New York and, most recently, California.

[Photo: As cell phone bans continue to come into effect around the world, will we see huge leaps in the sale of Bluetooth headsets and speakerphone devices like the one depicted here?]

Tech Gift Ideas for Mom

Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 11, and my inbox has been flooded with mom-themed pitches of all kinds. You'd be surprised at how many technology-related items could put a smile on mom's face, whether she's your own mother, your wife, sister, family member, or friend. Here are some gift ideas, and suggestions on how to make them mom-friendly:

Digital photo frames: To make a gift like this more personal (and easier) for the mom on your list, buy a memory card with the frame and load it up with photos that she'll love. This way, the frame is ready to go and show off to all of her guests. This also leaves room for gift ideas going forward: imagine giving her a new memory card loaded with recent pix at every occasion (with another gift, of course!) A 64 MB card costs peanuts these days, and you can fill that up with tons of images to be displayed electronically through a digital frame. If she has her own digital camera, she'll also appreciate being able to display her own photos quickly and easily.

Portable photo printer: If the mom on your list owns a digital camera and knows how to download photos from it, a portable photo printer would make a great idea. Imagine being able to take photos at a family event, then print out copies right on the spot to give away to guests. Kids get loot bags, so why shouldn't adults get them, too? There are plenty of these on the market from manufacturers like Epson, HP, and Sony.

Universal Remote Control: A universal remote control is a convenience that anyone can appreciate. Although dad might like this gift more than mom, it's a neat idea to help simplify her day when she wants to watch TV, movies, or just listen to music while doing chores around the house. One of my favourites is the Harmony One, but even as easy as this remote is to program, no one wants a gift that requires work. Program it for her, and have it ready to go immediately out of the box, and she'll love you for it.

Nintendo Wii: Lots of moms are looking to get fit, and a Nintendo Wii gaming console can help make this arduous task more fun. Out of the box, the unit comes with the Wii Sports game that can occupy you for hours on end. It includes activities like bowling, tennis, golf, and baseball, as well as a fitness "test" that tells you your "Wii age", giving some great motivation to improve. With the upcoming launch of the Wii Fit game, this console is an even more attractive for mom. Keep in mind, however, that if the mom on your mind has young kids, they'll likely benefit from this gift just as much as she will!

PVR/DVD Recorder: Let's face it: every mom on the planet is busy, whether she works full-time, part-time, or as a stay-at-home mom. Given this, it's often tough to catch all of her favourite shows on TV. I've had a PVR for years, and don't know how I ever lived without it! Using one of these devices, whether from a cable/satellite provider, or third-party company like TiVo, moms can record all of her shows, then catch up on them when she has the time.

Portable GPS Unit: These litte gadgets are hot, hot, hot these days, and the latest models employ neat features like traffic updates, text-to-speech that dictates actual street names, and Bluetooth so they can be paired with your phone and used as an in-car speakerphone device. They're also pretty affordable, and would be a welcome addition to anyone that drives to city streets.

Vehicle Security/Remote Starter: Moms can always use extra security for the car, and a remote starter is always appreciated, especially during the cold winter months. Viper has a limited edition model that comes in pink: yes, to appeal to women, but also because proceeds from the sale of each one will go toward breast cancer research. Any mom will appreciate a useful device, especially if she knows that part of what you paid for it will go toward a worthwhile cause.

Movies that Mom Will Like: Plenty of mom-friendly movies have just been released on DVD, including 27 Dresses and P.S. I Love You. If mom likes movies, scan the new releases for ones she might like.

If you have your own ideas, please leave them in the comments section here. I'm sure there are plenty of shoppers out there looking for the perfect gift for mom, and will appreciate the suggestions!

CTIA WIRELESS: This Show is HUGE!

Today was the first official day of CTIA WIRELESS, which takes place until April 3. Attending for the first time, my initial expectation was that I'd see a moderate selection of booths, many of which would be at the enterprise and developer level rather than the consumer and retail area. Boy, was I wrong on both accounts. CTIA WIRELESS occupies both North and Central halls in the Las Vegas Convention Centre, making it bigger than even the annual PMA photo industry show, which typically just fills South hall. In terms of applicability, a quick run through of the show floor brought forth the realization that there are a lot more companies that fit the consumer and retail audience than we thought. And a trip up 180-feet in the air to demo a new product (nope, I'm not kidding) put the icing on the cake that proved to me that the wireless folks really mean business.

I felt pretty patriotic when, immediately upon entering North hall, I was stopped in my tracks by an oversized red-and-white display with signage that read: "Canada". Hmm, I guess I should take a look! There I found, among many other companies, Ancaster, ON-based Solutions in Motion (SIM), which makes the neat BlackBerry Digital Pen, which we covered on our sister Websites when it originally launched late last year. This neat pen lets you handwrite notes on a special pad of paper, then converts them into digital text that's sent as an SMS to your BlackBerry. From there, you can do things like e-mail the note to a friend or colleague, or save it to the device. I had never tried out the Digital Pen live, so it was neat to get the opportunity to do that. Although it's accuracy on my one try wasn't 100%, you can edit notes on the phone once they've arrived; and it really is a neat way to jot down information, and create an automatic digital copy of it.

Moving on and throughout the show, it was apparent that tracking software, asset management, and RFID via mobile devices is a burgeoning market. Basically, such technologies help companies better manage inventory, installation professionals, delivery trucks, and such by being able to track, and keep a live log of data. Stay tuned to the next issue of Marketnews Magazine for more information on some neat companies offering such services in Canada.

Bluetooth headsets are, of course, all over the place. The trend seems to be toward designs like Jabra's BT8040 (reviewed in the February 2008 issue of here's how! magazine) that fit in your ear, and forego a hook altogether. This sounds like it might be uncomfortable or unsecure, but many companies use advanced rubber pieces in varying sizes that make the fit perfect. And, of course small, sleek, and sexy devices are all the rage. I haven't yet seen as many Bluetooth speakerphones as I expected to see, even though I think this category makes so much sense. "Sales guys often times don't understand Bluetooth speakerphones, and so they have a hard time explaining their benefits to customers," said a rep from Jabra. He also noted that California and Washington would be implementing new laws this summer that will require a Bluetooth device be used at all times when driving. Once these laws come into effect (not to mention that similar laws have already come into effect in Quebec and Nova Scotia), sales of Bluetooth speakerphones (and Bluetooth devices, period) will likely skyrocket.

After hours of walking the show, it was time to head off to the second intimate press event (the first was last night), which was held in the Bellagio Hotel. Here, navigation seemed to be a big focus. One stand-out product was the Garmin nuvifone. Set for Canadian availability in Q3, this device, which was kept under wraps in a glass dome, is sort of like a portable navigation device first, and a 3G mobile phone second. Using HSDPA data connectivity (which means it will likely be available through Rogers Wireless, although this hasn't actually been confirmed), the nuvifone acts as a phone, navigation unit, and Internet browser. The device has a generous touch-screen, and can also play back music and videos, and even take 3 MP images. In my eyes, the nuvifone clearly represents where the industry is going: if your portable device isn't a phone, you'd better add phone functionality. And if your phone is just a phone, you need to start looking at some advanced secondary functions, like navigation and music playback.

Another company that stood out was Miami, Fl-based BlueDasher Technologies, who introduced themselves to us by announcing that it was their "birthday". The brand spanking new company is adding a new twist to navigation by providing street-level photography of streets all across the U.S. (Canada and Europe coming in future) so that mobile phone and PC users can not only find out how to get to a destination and navigate to it via a map, but also see the roads as they actually look in full 360-degree rotation, complete with surroundings, road signs, trees, etc. How do they do it? The company sends vehicles out on the road to capture photos every 10 feet. The technology could be especially useful for those in the real estate market, but there are other viable situations as well. For example, a company rep noted that one could consult the images to find out exactly where a restaurant's parking lot is; or a couple with kids could easily look for housing close to a school. To demonstrate the way it works, BlueDasher typed in the address of my vacation spot in their hometown of Miami, and instantly, there it was. Neat!

Flash memory leader SanDisk really summed up the essence of the show by explaining why the company views the wireless industry as one of its primary drivers going forward. SanDisk's current campaign centres around the idea that we need to "wake up" our phones and use them to the max of their capabilities. So much content can be placed onto a mobile device, and with 8 GB microSD cards already on the market, SanDisk is making sure that, as more and more functionality becomes available, it can in turn be supported by flash (and even embedded) memory. As more and more people bring their phones out of perpetual slumber, we'll only see advancements in the category become greater.

After today, I see that there's more ground to be covered at CTIA than I could ever have imagined. It will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings. As for my comment earlier about being 180-feet up in the air, well, you'll have to stay tuned for our video footage to find out more! Visit www.marketnews.ca/videos.asp or www.hereshow.ca/videos.asp to see what went down. You'll also find video demonstrations of various products introduced at the show, including those mentioned here.

CTIA WIRELESS: Viva Las Vegas!

Although it’s my third time in this city this year, Vegas never gets old to me. There’s something about the air that rejuvenates you the second you arrive, even considering the three-hour time difference between Toronto and here. The weather is gorgeous, and the city is full of talk about the CTIA WIRELESS show, which officially begins tomorrow. Tonight is a big “pre” show event where a group of companies will exhibit in a smaller, more intimate venue (which is often times much more appealing than the crowded and loud show floor). I’ll have tons of great information from that show tomorrow. But before the event has even begun, I’ve already seen my first demo!

Nokia cleverly arranged a car service that gave the company the opportunity to show off its new Nokia Maps 2.0 software (now in beta version) by actually navigating us to the hotel. Although the functions the software offers aren’t new in the portable navigation category, per se, it’s amazing to see how quickly the mobile phone category is ramping up its offerings. Powered by Nokia, the service offers the standard address searches and favourites, but adds a new walking mode that does things like avoid one-way streets, and displays little “bread crumbs”, described the rep, as you walk along your route. The mapping software itself is more robust, with over 15 million Points of Interest (POI), and various viewing modes. It’s worth noting that Nokia showed off the software on the U.S. version of its new N95 handset, which is quite a nifty looking device; not to mention that it includes a whopping 8 GB of internal memory! And the screen itself showed off the vibrant colours of the map in all their glory. The device navigated us to our hotel safe and sound. Hopefully we’ll see this phone in Canada some time soon!

So there you have it. Before I even reached the hotel, I was one step closer to seeing what neat gadgets and technologies are in store at the show. Now it’s time to enjoy 20-degree weather!