Beat App for Reading Text Message Over Bluetooth in Car

The only thing worse than a driver distracted by a telephone call is when their eyes aren't on the road and both hands aren't on the wheel.

We see information technology almost every day at present – someone beside you lot on the route is texting, emailing or instant messaging, all the while driving a four,000-pound vehicle.

While safety experts agree the best thing to practice is to only await until you're not behind the wheel, many are turning to technology to remain productive while commuting to and from the office.

In fact, there are a few means yous can hear your messages in a human-like vocalism, and in many cases these tools allow yous to respond using your vocalization.

(Congenital-in infotainment systems are getting more advanced, merely they audio far from homo, nor will most let you verbally answer to a text message).

I've tested many third-party options over the by two weeks, and then the following is a look at a few unlike suggestions, with pros and cons for each.

Again, I want to be articulate: The best matter to do is focus solely on driving and check your messages when you're not. Only for those tempted to selection up their telephone to read and reply to messages, at the very least use one of these safer options instead.

More:'Do Non Disturb While Driving' is really getting people to put down their phones

CarPlay, Android Auto

While automakers all the same offering their own infotainment system, many are assuasive drivers to use what they're already most comfortable with: their smartphone.

With Apple's CarPlay, plug in your iPhone and put it away equally it's charging upward. At present your vehicle's dashboard will resemble your familiar iOS home screen, displaying many supported offset-party apps – such every bit Phone, Messages, Maps and Music – and a growing pick of third-party apps, besides.

When it comes to hearing letters, press the push-to-talk push on the steering wheel to activate Siri, your personal banana that resides on your phone, and give a command such as "Read me my texts" or "Read me my email." With the former, you tin can hear the messages through your car'due south speakers and reply using your voice. You can also initiate a message such equally "Tell Susan Smith I'll be at that place in xx minutes."

But when it comes to email, y'all'll exist notified how many messages you have in your inbox and the subject line for each, but the contents of the electronic mail won't exist read to you, nor tin you dictate your reply through CarPlay.

The process is similar with Android Car: Kickoff connect your Android smartphone, and when you want to access something, press the push on the steering wheel, which activates Google Assistant, and then inquire a question or give a control. You'll have admission to all your contacts, messages, music, maps and other info – while keeping your eyes on the road and hands upon the wheel, equally the belatedly Jim Morrison once famously sang.

Android Auto volition let you hear messages – such as texts and WhatsApp and Facebook messages – and you tin answer with your voice. Google Assistant will read it dorsum to y'all to ensure your dictated bulletin sounds accurate before you send it. You lot can also initiate a message, such as saying "text John Jones what do y'all want for lunch." As with Apple CarPlay, yous need to say punctuation, such as "period," "comma," "exclamation mark" or "question mark," plus you lot can besides say emojis such equally "smiley face."

Exist aware, still, Android Auto will not read your e-mail to you without a third-party app (see below).

Speaking of personal assistants, it's worth noting Toyota and Lexus have just shipped  their outset 2019 vehicles with total support for Amazon Alexa. While other automakers offer some express Alexa functionality – such as bones in-vehicle commands or starting your vehicle remotely – with these new models you can enquire everything from music and audiobooks to directions and recommended destinations to weather and sports scores to even controlling your smart home devices while on the road (such every bit asking Alexa to adjust the air conditioner or turn on the lights).

Prices for the 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback start at merely under $twenty,000, while the 2019 Avalon starts at about $35,000. The 2019 Lexus ES 350 starts at $39,500. Y'all need an Android telephone for this Alexa functionality, but iOS will be supported by year-cease.

More:These hands-free phone tricks tin prevent distracted driving

Third-political party apps

I tested a bunch of gratuitous and paid apps, and here are ii of the best – though both had some shortcomings.

messageLOUD (free for text letters, $0.99/month for all other platforms)

This clever app reads your text messages, emails (Gmail, Yahoo, IMAP, Microsoft Exchange and many others) and instant messages from all major platforms such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Skype, WeChat, Slack, Snapchat and others. The app as well supports multiple languages. After I choose a comfy playback speed, how much of a message to read and desired voice (based on my telephone's speech options, Google or Samsung), I set the app to initiate when it detects my vehicle's Bluetooth connectedness. It worked as promised: messageLOUD volition showtime announce whom the message is from, and what platform, such every bit Facebook Messenger, e-mail or a text message. There are two things I didn't similar, however: You cannot reply using your vocalisation (the app maker claims information technology's non advisable for rubber reasons), and you need to tap the screen to skip letters, which, curiously, is supposed to be safer, messageLOUD says, though vocalization commands volition be added soon. The app works with iPhone but not for reading email.

Speaking Email (free, with in-app purchases)

This is a highly recommended app, specifically designed for reading e-mail messages, on both iPhone and Android devices. Equally the name suggests, Speaking E-mail reads your latest emails out loud from your inbox, one by one, to assist you manage your messages while on the go (to aid get y'all to that elusive "Inbox Naught" by the fourth dimension you lot hitting the office). Using taps, swipes, the "skip" buttons on a steering cycle or your voice, you can play, pause and delete your email – with support for multiple services and servers, including Gmail, Microsoft Outlook/Function 365/Exchange, IAMP, POP, iCloud, Yahoo and others. The basic account is costless, but for $ii a month you can unlock many features, including replying to messages, different voices, skip promotional emails and more than. The downside? The app doesn't handle text messages, then you may want to utilise CarPlay or Android Auto for that.

Both messageLOUD and Speaking Electronic mail take first-class customer support, based on my feel.

More than:Are you lot ready to upgrade your iPhone?

More:12 texting tricks you didn't know the iPhone could do

Contrasted tips

A few added suggestions to remain safety (and productive) while on the road:

• Set your telephone to "motorcar answer" earlier you drive and then if a telephone call comes in y'all don't need to impact anything to accept it. Go into the Settings or Options for your telephone (any brand and model) to enable this.
• iPhone has a "Do Non Disturb" selection. Enabling this in the Settings stops all notifications, alerts and calls from making any noise, vibration or lighting upwards the phone screen when the screen is locked. You can also schedule specific times of the day or night for this manner.
• For when you demand to glance at your smartphone for, say, maps and directions, exist sure to secure the device to your air vent, windshield or dashboard. You can option upwardly a decent mount from your local dollar store, in fact.
• Using your phone for directions or music streaming will consume upwardly battery life, so be certain to plug your phone into the vehicle, which uses the car'southward battery to keep your device topped up. If your car doesn't have a USB port, y'all can use the 12V ("lighter") port.
• Even if it'south at a red light, resist sending even a quick text. It's not worth it. If you demand to type, safely pull over and put the car in park.
• Remember, online services you may utilise on your phone while in the motorcar  could incur information charges, therefore ensure you accept a decent "bucket" of monthly information you can apply from your provider.

Follow Marc on Twitter: @marc_saltzman. Email him at tech@marcsaltzman.com

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Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/saltzman/2018/08/08/how-have-your-emails-texts-read-you-car/926421002/

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