Mobile Media Simplified. Accessible. Relevant.

For west coasters (Washington and California residents), there is only a little over a month until the July 1st laws kick in that legally obligate us to employ hands free devices for cell phone use while driving. Oh, the rigors and obligations of being “safe, law-abiding citizens.”

I’ve already begun practicing for this new law. If you see me driving down the street talking to myself, the odds are now greater that I am actually talking to someone on speakerphone, with my phone in my lap. (We’ll not talk about the singing along to the radio and dancing-while-buckled-in episodes that you might also see.)

While the speakerphone on lap is workable for quick phone conversations, it leaves a lot to be desired for convenience and listening to audio through the phone. If I want to listen to a cellecast or an internet radio station, I know I’d be much better off with a hands free car kit, which I might have to spring for come July 1st.

I’ve found a few good ones that I would consider. The Mr. Handsfree Blue Compact offers an easy, plug & play scenario where you simply plug it into your stereo’s cigarette lighter and you’re ready to go, with phone audio through your car speakers. The Mr. Handsfree Blue Smart saves some green, but has a bit of installation required.

The Fourth Speaker gang is perpetually on the lookout for cool new devices that make it easy and affordable to listen to cell phone radio hands free wherever you are: home, office, on the road or on the go. Check out what we recommend thus far, and as always, let us know if you are aware of other products that we should know about.

(Vancouver, WA – May 8, 2008) - Andrew Deal, founder and CEO of CelleCast Inc. announced today the launch of its social media tools built to enhance the burgeoning user community. CelleCast Listener Central brings the popularity of sites such as MySpace and Facebook to a 490 million phones and the mobile, audio-on-demand environment. The CelleCast Listener Central page features a variety of social media tools including talkbacks, polls, playlists, top shows and user statistics and they’re available to anyone with a phone.

Powered by a robust user profile tool, CelleCast Listener Central displays the most popular shows and topics of the day, and lets users listen to Talkback comments to shows made by others, as well as their own. It provides a pulse for what’s popular on CelleCast, and gives people a chance to express themselves openly in light of their favorite programs and their opinions on various cultural issues.

“The caller download hotlink maxis ringtones | download free ringtones nokia | download free sprint ringtones | cell cingular free phone ringtones | ringtones for alltel cell phone | free sprint cell phone ringtones | tv ringtones | cell free phone ringtones wallpaper | listen mosquito ringtones | ringtones for cingular phone | digi caller ringtones | free verizon wireless ringtones | download free ringtones yahoo | free phone ringtones | cingular free phone ringtones | tv theme ringtones | free phone ringtones verizon wireless | crazy frog ringtones | cell free get phone ringtones | download free real ringtones for tmobile | impact of social media services on today’s culture is undeniable,” commented Deal. “With the CelleCast community, our approach centers around not only connecting users with similar ideologies, but allowing them to share media with those in their real social network – people in their phone address book. Other sites allow you to create networks stuffed with people you’ve never met. Our service enables sharing audio media with your existing contacts, and finding others who have similar tastes. And there are no obstacles to be a part of the action. All it takes is a phone.”

The difference between CelleCast and sites such as Facebook and MySpace is the telephony-based channel, with the user’s phone number rather than email as a hub. Talkback interactions made to programs on CelleCast are displayed on the user’s profile, and some make it to the community page itself where ideas and ideologies are shared freely.

Now that The Dr. Laura Program is coming to CelleCast, many of her listeners that happen to be 9-to-5ers will no doubt seize upon this opportunity to listen during the morning and evening commute, when they have time but she’s not broadcasting.

To make such an opportunity worthwhile and safe, the Fourth Speaker gang has been researching products that provide easy, affordable hands free solutions for listening anywhere. One of the most accessible we’ve found is the Southwing SF505 Bluetooth Hands free device. It can be used at home, work or in the car. It slips into a pocket without being bulky or clips onto a car visor as well. There’s no installation required; just pair it with your phone and go!

There are quite a few other products out there that also make life easier for the cellecast listener on the go. Quality, multi-setting use, affordability and ease of use are the standards we judge product reviews against. If you know of other great products that will improve the ability to listen to cellecasts hands free anywhere, feel free to leave a comment with more information.

Do you like getting the media you want when you want it, or having many barriers to entry?

That may seem like a dumb question, but hear me out.

Today MocoNews reported that the well-known rapper Timbaland will record the first ever mobile album by creating tracks on the go aboard the “Verizon Mobile Recording Studio Bus.” The results of this project will be available “exclusively to Verizon Wireless customers through V CAST Music.”

So, if I was a fan of Timbaland, and wanted to hear his newest mobile album, I would need, according to Verizon:

1. a V CAST Music enabled phone
2. Verizon Wireless Calling Plan
3. and to be within the V CAST coverage area.

Well, I guess I would be out of luck, along with all his other fans that don’t subscribe to Verizon Wireless. What seems on the surface to be a cool exclusive deal is really a missed opportunity to include many more people in on what is truly a musical innovation. Content deals that are carrier and handset exclusive really aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

A universally accessible option for delivering audio media content to any phone, any time, anywhere, is here.

Effective tomorrow in the state of Washington, text messaging while driving will no longer be legal. A similar law hits New Jersey in March. In the spirit of ensuring safety for oneself and other drivers, laws such as these will be coming to many more states in 2008. You can find a state by state law roll out here. For a broader, international view of hands free cell phone usage restrictions, this page is a good reference.

As many of us have adapted to using the cell phone while driving, and may even consider ourselves to do it reasonably safely, the coming laws must be adhered to to avoid unnecessary fines. There are many cost-effective ways to set up your cell phone so that you can still enjoy it hands free while driving.

One such way is through devices such as the AudioBUG ATB 350 FM Transmitter. Simply plug it into your car’s cigarette lighter, plug the other end into your cell phone, and enjoy your cell phone audio piped through your car’s stereo speakers at any FM frequency. It’s pretty slick.

We’ll continue to provide you with other hands free solutions for safe driving while using your cell phone and keep you updated on new laws that will impact your in car cell phone usage.

Happy New Year!

We’ve been asked, “Why should I subscribe to CelleCast when I could get a Slingbox?” To that I answer, “Why should I have a hot fudge sundae, when I could have potato chips?” Or better yet, why choose at all between two services that are completely different? It needn’t be an either-or situation.

Slingbox, is a great device that allows you to essentially connect your TV programming to any internet connected computer or phone. From their website:

The Slingbox turns any Internet-connected PC or laptop, Mac, or smartphone into your home television. That means you can watch TV virtually anywhere in the world.

You can even set it up to access your DVR programming, watching your favorite television shows on demand anywhere you go.

CelleCast, on the other hand, lets you take your favorite radio shows wherever you take your phone, time shifting to play when you want them. Every program always starts at the beginning with a cellecast, and you listen with full file control to skip, browse, rewind, pause etc. The services are fundamentally different in their offerings, each meeting a unique need to access media content on a portable device.

Slingbox is a hot Christmas gift item for that television nut in your life. CelleCast brings radio and all things audio firmly within the grasp of your schedule, and it works on any phone, any time, anywhere. Both increase user-empowerment and enjoyment of media consumption. Three cheers for innovation!

We’ve all seen those oh-so-tactful bumper stickers that say “Hang Up and Drive” (or some more salty variations) with a picture of a cell phone with a circle slash. We’ve probably all been the subject of a near-collision with a driver yapping on his phone, not paying attention. Heck, most of us have even been those people at which the bumper stickers are targeted.

Regardless of your stance on the issue, laws are changing to minimize the danger posed by inattentive drivers. That means there is a good chance you live in a state where using your handset while driving is, or will be, a ticketable offense. Check here to find out the pending legislation in your state.

Being hands free is not only wise and safe, it also makes consuming audio media on your cell while driving (or doing anything) more enjoyable. And since Washington State, headquarters of Fourth Speaker, is among the first on the block to enact a statewide law, we’ll be definitely be enjoying our cellecasts with headsets.

I spent a little time checking out Buzzwire, one of our new competitors who recently beta launched. They have a decent selection of repurposed podcasts and streaming radio and video. If you have a compatible phone, a data plan (it’s all data based), and like podcasts it might interest you.

I found that the some of the media files hung in the otherwise fast connection speed on my phone. It also wasn’t immediately clear if the mobile version has all the same capabilities as the main site (namely, if you can manage all your content independently from the mobile screen). I additionally had a little confusion over the difference between “add to phone” and “playlist.”

It’s definitely not as easy as just dialing a number to hear audio, but it has some merits. We’ll see how they do, in the crowded mobile media marketplace.

Fourth Speaker is committed to reporting on relevant, consumer-friendly hands-free solutions. This of course within the context of empowering people to safely maximize their use of mobile radio whether at home, in the car, or on the go. Reviews of some popular headsets can be found here: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6448_7-5144869-1.html. They provide good information on usability and comfort when considering a headset to purchase.

Another good resource is http://freeheadset.org which, as the name implies, provides a free headset to anyone to promote safety on the road. The consumer is only responsible for the shipping charges.

The CNet round up of headsets is a great place to start. From that, we see that the Plantronics music set stands out as the one that will cover both ears. Having a headset that plays to both ears is a necessity for enjoyment. We don’t see too many loving tele-media if it is going into only one ear for more than a couple minutes. Ever heard the saying, “In one ear and out the other”? Well that applies quasi-literally in this case.

In our journeys, there was quite a gem to be found!
Getting a basic headset free just for the sake of safety if nothing else, is now easy with FreeHeadSet.org. I ordered one and we’ll do our best to make these free sets available with our services as well. This is great stuff.

BONUS:
cordless charging is on it’s way!