Simon Hendery: How to navigate rules on cellphones in cars

Sony Ericsson's HCB-105 Bluetooth device. Photo / Supplied

A month before a clampdown on drivers using mobile phones comes into force, Transport Minister Steven Joyce says he will rewrite the rules so motorists can continue to use the satellite navigation functions on their phones while behind the wheel.

From November 1, drivers caught talking on mobiles that are not connected to a hands-free kit, or mounted to the vehicle, face a fine of $80 and 20 demerit points.

The Land Transport (Road User) Amendment Rule 2009 also outlaws checking and sending texts and emails while driving.

A newspaper report this week suggested the rule change would also make it illegal to use the sat-nav services that are part of the capabilities in a growing number of mobiles.

The report was based on a Transport Ministry spokesman's interpretation of the rule, which has been signed off by the minister, and which, when read literally, does appear to ban the use of in-phone sat-nav technology while driving.

Responding to the article, Joyce said it was not the Government's intention to ban drivers from using the navigation or music functions of their phones, provided the devices are mounted on the vehicle and "are manipulated infrequently".

He says the rule will be amended to clarify the point.

GOING HANDS-FREE

So what's a cellphone-toting driver to do to stay legal from next month? The simplest solution (apart from turning the device off while in the car) is to buy a wireless connection device.

The Government's ban on clutching the phone while behind the wheel has provided a business bonanza for retailers of Bluetooth wireless car kit devices as drivers look for ways to stay legal while staying connected on the road. The kits are often a cheaper and easier option than installing a cradle for mounting a phone.

I've been testing Sony Ericsson's HCB-105 which, at about $115, is priced in the mid-range of Bluetooth devices. It clips to the driver's sun visor where it is a simple matter to press a button to connect a call when the mobile rings.

Linking my two-year-old BlackBerry Pearl to the device was quick and painless, and audio quality is good through its reasonably sized speaker.

The biggest hassle with these types of devices is remembering to switch them on - with your phone's Bluetooth connection - before embarking on your journey.

Failure to do so can create more of a driving hazard than talking on the phone, because when it rings, and you realise you're not linked up, scrambling to grab the phone obviously defeats the purpose.

A simple answer is to leave the unit switched on and your phone's Bluetooth connection active even when you're not in the car, but this drains the battery on both devices. Better to embrace the Government's drive towards safer vehicular phone use by getting into the switch-on, switch-off habit as quickly as possible.

Stick a Post-it note reminder on your steering wheel for a couple of weeks if that helps.

FLIPPING GOOD

Another tech toy I've been playing with is a cellphone-sized high-definition video recorder called the Flip.

More than two million Flips have been sold in the United States and manufacturer Cisco Systems says it aims to have the device on New Zealand shop shelves by Christmas.

The company handed out Flips to New Zealand and Australian journalists at its annual customer get-together, Cisco Networkers, held in Brisbane this week.

The Flip's selling point is it makes shooting, editing and sharing high-resolution video simple. Cisco says the device is so good its own executives use it regularly to make and distribute internal corporate video messages.

The device links to a computer via a USB connection that flips out at the press of a button - hence the name.

When connected to a PC for the first time it installs software to download, edit and share video clips recorded on the device.

The editing functions are basic but effective, allowing simple video cutting and splicing, and the addition of captions and credits to your hand-recorded cinematic masterpieces. The software also enables direct uploading of video to MySpace and YouTube.

Cisco raised eyebrows in March when it paid US$590 million ($817.8 million) to buy Pure Digital Technologies, the company that developed the Flip. Cisco's core business is selling internet connectivity equipment, particularly for the business market, so buying a company focused on a consumer device was seen as something of a departure.

But Cisco says video applications are a growing focus for the company as consumers and businesses increasingly use video over the internet to communicate.

In the US, various models of the Flip sell for between US$150 and US$200.

The national manager for Cisco Systems New Zealand, Geoff Lawrie, says the company is still working through pricing for the local market and the channels it will use to sell the device locally, but has high hopes that it will be a big seller in the lead up to Christmas.

* Simon Hendery attended Cisco Networkers in Brisbane as a guest of Cisco Systems.