Supertooth speaker does everything you tell it to do

We all know about the unsafe (and illegal) use of cellphones in cars. While my preference is for the intuitive helper in Android 4.4, there is a lower-cost alternative. Supertooth HD is a Bluetooth speaker that mounts on your visor and allows you to safely drive and converse on the phone. Its voice recognition will even allow you to accept or reject a call without touching a thing except your steering wheel.

It really does everything I want. The quality of the speakers is clear, and you can really crank up the volume. It also markedly cuts down background noise — which is always present in a car. It was a snap to pair with the phone, and loading the contacts (over 1,000!) was done in just a few minutes.

Other good things: Battery life is up to 1,000 hours on standby, and the phone (usually) connects automatically to the unit as soon as you get in the car. It also (always) shuts off automatically if you’re out of range or you deactivate your phone’s Bluetooth. This goes a long way to extending battery life.

The only control you really need is the volume dial, which doubles as a voice command activation button. This dial is large, and easy to turn while driving.

Like Android KitKat, Supertooth HD has the capability to respond to voice commands. Just press the button and tell the phone what you want to do. For example, you can tell it to answer, reject or ignore an incoming call, redial the last number, etc. You can also preset up to five contacts, for example, call Betty, Sue, Bob, etc. It comes in handy.

The main drawback is that customer service, which is solely via email, is in France. Yes, France. They are, however, excellent about getting back to you in a timely manner. I unequivocally recommend this unit. Price is a very reasonable: $61 on Amazon.

Expanding your Wi-Fi Reach

Nowadays every home has its own Wi-Fi network. With mobile devices ubiquitous and Wi-Fi-enabled calls obligatory, having dependable bandwidth is crucial. However, each home is configured differently, which makes connectivity problematic. If you have more than one floor or like to work out on the lanai, your router may not provide a big enough footprint.

I recently reviewed a Netgear Nighthawk router that had terrific coverage, but not every corner of our house — or the garden, where my wife spends a lot time —had bandwidth. So what’s the solution? Enter the Zyxel WAP3205 V2, a powerful Wi-Fi booster that offers functionality at a low price (around $50). Essentially it takes the existing signal from any router and rebroadcasts it. That means you don’t need to string more Ethernet cable in different rooms.

So how did it work?

Quite well, actually. There were a few hiccups getting started, but that had more to do with me than the Zyxel technology. Zyxel’s in-house tech support team was first class.

After you set it up, it’s pretty much plug and play. You need to figure out the best place in your house to make the coverage work. What is the range? It really depends on the device and the configuration of your house, but figure on extending your footprint another 50 to 100-plus feet. If you already own a good router like the Netgear Nighthawk but need to expand your network’s range, this is an inexpensive way to do it.

Mike Meyer, formerly Internet general manager at Oceanic Time Warner Cable, is now chief information officer at Honolulu Community College. Reach him at mmeyer@hawaii.edu.