ParrotBot Squawks Out Emails, Keeps Mateys And Scallywags Safer

The matter of cellphones' effects on vehicular safety has sparked many debates, with some US states banning handset use altogether for those behind the wheel. However, as texting has become more popular, it has also proved the biggest hurdle yet in the struggle against distracted driving. Now, with smartphones as ubiquitous as ever, emailing while driving is proving just as deadly. Distraction.gov defines "distracted driving" as "any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing." Such distractions are broken down into three categories (from the website):

Visual -- taking your eyes off the road

Manual -- taking your hands off the wheel

Cognitive -- taking your mind off what you're doing

So, taking a call on speakerphone violates one criterion only. Holding a phone to your ear and talking violates two of the criteria. Texting and emailing, however, violate all three. There are a few iPhone apps out there addressing these issues, like Text'nDrive and Email'nDrive (both with free and paid versions); but for some folks, even the act of opening an app on the road is too great a distraction to risk. That's where ParrotBot comes in. This remote service (still in beta) allows you to link an existing Gmail account to your mobile's number and assign a four-digit PIN to access all your new messages with a phone call. These are then read aloud by an automated male voice, providing you with keypad control options to skip, archive, or star any correspondence. Keep in mind that the software will not read out already-read entries, nor will it mark entries it does read as "read" in your inbox. Unfortunately, it's not 100% safe. Unless you have a Bluetooth headset or in-car device that can recognize and submit spoken numerical commands to your phone, you will be in summary violation of all three aforementioned no-nos. Granted, you'll be distracted for a shorter period of time; but a distraction is still a distraction, and accidents happen in the blink of an eye. That said, the free program does work, and that's certainly something. Also, you don't need an iPhone to use it, so it'll add some cool functionality to your backup clamshell or work-issued junker. Try it out for yourself, and let us know what you think.