Mobile Radio Simplified. Accessible. Relevant.

Using your cell phone while driving is a natural part of life. Using your cell phone to access talk radio on demand, while driving or while doing anything else, is on its way to becoming part of life. In either scenario, having access to equipment for hands free use of the cell phone is essential.

As providers of the on demand talk radio content you consume while driving, we’re also in the business of making sure you can conveniently and safely listen — hands free. From wireless headsets to hands free kits for the home or car stereo, we have something that will meet your needs. We also choose to deliver value to CelleCast listeners, so we price competitively and seek out items that will give you the most for your money.

In the way of value, I stumbled upon the FoneFree Anywhere, which is a hands free cell phone car speaker device priced at only $19.95. If anyone has used it, we’d love to get your feedback on its quality of sound, ease of use, and manufacturing. Leave us a comment if you have tried it or own it.

Happy hands free cellecasting!

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.

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.

California and Washington are the next two states on the list where having a cell phone in your hand while driving will soon be a ticketable offense. Granted, it is a secondary offense, meaning you have to also be in violation for a primary offense in order to be pulled over. So if you’re speeding and talking on your cell phone in one of these states come July, be prepared to give Uncle Sam a big bonus.

These new laws cause an uproar on both sides of the argument, but the bottom line is safety trumps all. Having both hands available to drive allows one to respond more quickly to avoid accidents. With radio programming now available on cell phones, the instances of listening to time-shifted audio in the car will greatly increase as well. The issue then becomes convenience in addition to safety. Who would want to listen to their favorite radio program on demand, holding the phone up to his ear? (Insert sound of crickets chirping.)

Indeed, there is no need to sacrifice convenience when there are so many great inexpensive products out there to make in-car cell phone and cellecast listening a breeze. With a nicely priced wireless headset, your listening can happen anywhere!

We strive to make sure consumers have quality, affordable options for hands free cell phone usage.

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 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.

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 good people over at about.com, specifically Brett Larson, gives us this view into the needed transition we all.. I mean all will be taking within the next couple of years:

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!

This is the kind of package we think will make our users really enjoy mobile radio.

http://www.daydeal.com/product.php?productid=16074

Tell us what you think about this product. We are not selling it here. For now, the profile alone is enough to get us excited.

Review coming as soon as it arrives. For now you can read this review first. If you own one, let us know your own story here.