Editorial

Front Page - Friday, September 10, 2010

What’ll they dream up next?

Jupiter Jack

Misty S. Brown

With all the new laws effecting cell phone use in motor vehicles, the Jupiter Jack is a great hands-free solution because it is relatively easy to use and comes with several adapters for various phone models. Just be sure to familiarize yourself with it before heading out on the road since it can take some finagling for optimal use. - Steve Heaton

I grew up watching shows like “Saved By The Bell.” Although A.C. Slater had the nice muscles and tan, it was always Zach Morris who was the heartthrob. And who could forget the brick-sized cell phone he’d carry around with him? They, along with Kelly, Jessie, Lisa, Mr. Belding, Miss Bliss and Screech were the epitome of culture in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Nowadays, laws are cracking down more and more on cell phone use. I believe it was just last year when Arkansas made text messaging a primary offense and said that drivers younger than 18 cannot use a cell phone at all (secondary offense). (To see cell phone and texting laws for drivers in various states, visit http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html ) With all the traffic data to back up the need for such laws, I am sure it will not be long before we will need to go completely hands-free or ban cell phones altogether behind the wheel.
To prepare for such an occasion, I bought a Jupiter Jack to use while I’m on my daily commute to and from work.
What it is
The Jupiter Jack is a hands-free adapter that turns your car’s radio into a speakerphone.
How it works
The Jupiter Jack plugs into the headphone jack in your cell phone and sends a signal through your car’s radio while it is tuned to either 99.3 FM or 101.3 FM. The volume can be adjusted on the radio and cell phone until it can be heard clearly on both ends. The Jupiter Jack operates on CR2032 battery. It has a 2.5 mm universal headphone jack and comes with six adapters for different phones. A red light on the Jupiter Jack indicates the device is on and the battery is working properly.
Pros and cons
In the instruction manual, the company warns that the Jupiter Jack should be initiated and first used while parked to eliminate distractions on the road, especially if you are unfamiliar with the device.
The adapter can be a little bulky and has a loose fitting with the adapter. It took a little bit of finagling with the position of my phone relative to the radio to get good reception. The primary channel to use is 99.3 FM and the secondary channel is 101.3 FM. Although mine did not operate on the primary channel, I did not have any problem on the secondary channel.
The device can be used on an MP3 player or iPod to listen to music stored on your device through your radio.
One bad thing about the device is it must be turned off by hand to conserve battery life. It has a red light to indicate whether it is on or off, but it is easy to forget to switch it off when you’re finished using it.
Some models of BlackBerry cell phones may have a little more trouble getting started and users may need to consult their cell phone manual to determine how to activate their headsets.
Where to buy
I purchased the Jupiter Jack for $9.99 at Walgreen’s. You can find them at Target, Sears, Best Buy and Radio Shack for the same price.
Submissions
Send gadget ideas to misty@dailydata.com.

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