Hi-tech: Parrot Hands-free Kit

For many of us travelling to our holiday destination involves getting in the car. Thanks to the invention of hands-free kits, our beloved phones can now stay with us for the ride. However, the usual hands-free kits fall short of the mark when it comes to safety and are often a grave distraction for the person at the wheel.

The CK3100 Advanced Bluetooth hands-free kit, created by the French company Parrot who are incidentally the world leaders in wireless devices, avoids all the pitfalls of its predecessors. This console connects to the car kit control unit underneath the dashboard and its wireless connection hooks up to your Bluetooth phone, leaving your hands completely free. The key: it operates smartly on the basis of voice recognition. Moreover, once successfully installed the kit synchronises to up to two phones at once thanks to the 'switch' function. The invaluable feature is that minimal manipulation is needed; the kit turns on automatically as soon as you settle into the driver's seat and simply awaits the keyword 'minikit' to kick-start the voice recognition function.

To make a call all you need to do is announce the name of your contact and the device does the rest! The gadget even has signal processing technology that reduces surrounding noise and entirely wipes out any of those annoying echoes. When you have an incoming call the kit announces the caller's name and gives you the option to reject or accept. Caller ID equally appears on the compact and well-contrasted display screen, along with signal strength and call history. It doesn't stop there; say the word and the kit will access your phone's SMS, email, music and navigation features.

Compatible with all phone brands, Parrot's invention is one of the best on the market and promises to keep you connected peacefully and safely as you hit the road. For maximum effectiveness, the device also comes with a microphone and cable, radio mute cable, power supply cable and a user guide in seven languages.

Price : £129.98