Archive for the ‘Bluetooth’ Category

It's about time that another automaker took on Ford's Sync hands-free communication and entertainment interface. One of the best rival systems—at least in affordable vehicles—comes from an unlikely source: Mitsubishi. The new 2010 Outlander is the first vehicle to get the handy interface.

In a way, it figures. Mitsubishi used to have a geeky reputation in the U.S. and elsewhere; many years ago now, the Japanese automaker stood out from the rest with features like all-wheel-drive, active yaw control, speed-sensitive four-wheel power steering, and high-end audio with steering-wheel controls. With recent features on offer like the excellent...

This week, as we've sifted through TheCarConnection.com's email for your questions, we've found an interesting one concerning Bluetooth connectivity. We're big users of the hands-free frequency, though we do advocate that you make all calls from a parked car, not a moving one.

We're also experienced in setting up difficult and easy Bluetooth connections, from the simple-as-pie 2010 Kia Soul to the occasionally cranky Ford SYNC system. From our hands-on testing of nearly 300 cars a year, we can confirm what a reader from Virginia's found out--that Bluetooth isn't the universal connection it's cracked up to be.

Harris Miller writes:

My wife...

A new study finds that state laws banning driving while texting doesn't actually correspond to lower confessed rates of the activity in that state—especially among the youngest drivers.

Part of it looks due to misinformation. Nearly 36 percent of respondents didn't know whether or not driving while texting was banned or restricted in their state.

The study on consumer mobile messaging habits was conducted earlier this year with more than 4,800 subjects—about 100 from each 48 contiguous states—commissioned by Vlingo Corporation, a maker of voice-to-text software, and conducted by the research firm Toluna in the first quarter of 2009. It...