Street-Legal Cell Phones

By Beau Briese

When New York became the first state to outlaw using a handheld cell phone while driving, it gave a boost to new hands-free options for business-minded motorists. Nokia offers an "earbud" headphone with hanging mike ($29.95) and car kits ($119-$199) that let drivers chat hands-free once they've dialed. The Cellport 3000 with Voice Command from Cellport Systems ($249) connects most cell phones to a car's stereo speakers and provides voice-activated phone and e-mail access. Plantronics' boom mike and earbud headphones ($29.95-$64.95) boast superior acoustic seals between your ear and the headphone. By April 2002, Plantronics promises that its Bluetooth M1000 ($149.95; pictured), a wireless earset, will let drivers operate compatible devices, from cell phones to PDAs, with voice alone.

--By Beau Briese