World's Most Overrated Gadgets and Technologies 5

I have been using Bluetooth with my car (Prius) and comuter and have never experienced the problems mentioned, actually never had any problems at all like transferring stuff from my phone (Pictures, phone numbers, etc.) to my computer. My Prius phone book was downloaded form my phone using Bluetooth as well. Maybe the author has bad equipment.

My biggest problem with bluetooth, which I use exclusively with my cell phone, is battery life. If I'm lucky I may get 10--20 minutes use before it starts blinking and going dead on me. This obviously SUCKS! I am on my 3rd earpiece, and they all SUCK! And yes--I do regularly fully charge the piece of junk----perhaps I should change from Motorola to a different model, but the guys at Verizon, my mobile carrier, tells me they're the best or tied with the other top providers.

This article is BS....Thwriter must be a dimbulb...perhaps his gramma can show him how to work these 'gadgets'.

While it is true,that the bluetooth technology leaves a lot to be desired,and is somewhat overrated I still prefer to have a bluetooth receiver in my ear when I am driving. How many people do you see driving along,talking on the cell phone and not paying attention to the traffic, usually swaying in and out of lanes,making last minute turns, driving in the fast lane while driving a fraction of the recomended speed,and thereby holding up traffic (mostly young girls and older ladies who have usually the least experience driving ) So please, do not scare people from buying a bluetooth devise, I think they have a very practical function and should be worn by anyone, who insist on talking on the phone while driving. IT MAKES THE ROADS SAFER !

You re wight Bluetooth headsets are dorkey, but in some states it is now against the law to talk on a cell phone and drive. Now you can have both hands free while driving. Just this morning I saw a lady driving down the road, putting on makeup and eating a bowl of cereal.
Thank god she had her bluetooth on.

Ok, so far reading through this article the author has slammed several types of technology calling them overrated, however most of his persuasive arguments are directly related to his own ignorance. If he has a problem connecting to wi-fi maybe he should read an instruction manual rather than call this amazing technology overrated. When he compares Sprint and Verizon to AT&T's 3g network it also rediculous because the speeds vary greatly from CDMA (verizon and sprint) to GSM (AT&T and T-Mobile). Lastly him saying bluetooths are overrated because they are so hard to pair and also dorky just pisses me off. If you do the un-American thing and read your goddamn instruction manual maybe you will find that these "dorky" and "overrated" devices are actually modern technological marvels.

Whoever wrote this is an idiot! I am a SAHM and consider this my lifeline into the adult world. I can talk on it to anyone, by ONE simple push of a button. I consider like any other phone but MUCH, MUCH better, I don't have to hold it. I can put my cell (phome) in my pocket, and go around doing my daily activites. I even go in and out of the car on errands with no problems.
For the person that is having problems with the battery. It sounds like you might have compromised the life of the battery by charging it before it truely needed charging, or you got a bad battery from the start. I have a motorola, and I turn it on when I get up around 7 am, and it stays on till about 4:30 pm. I charge it every other day (if I don't it dies early-mid day and I curse it)

Ok if pairing your bluetooth is too hard maybe you shouldn't even be using a cell phone at all

i love my bluetooth, never had a problem. One of the best inventions ever!

There's one thing I forgot to add. If my 4 yr. old daughter can work it (and she can) how hard can it be?!

I thoroughly enjoy the use of the Bluetooth when driving. I don't have to feel the "brokeneck" syndrome nor do I have to keep one extra hand off the wheel while I'm talking. I don't talk on it while I'm doing errands or shopping. I don't use it unless I'm driving.

Refuse to see them as "dorky" though.

I think this is the dumbest looking thing I have ever seen. It looks like you are trying to pretend you are so important you cannot miss a call. When I have seen and heard people on these they are on personal calls shopping never conducting any kind of business. You look ridiculous.

Talk about having no conception of whats some of the greatest technology ever!!!!!!! Where do you dig up these writers from?

One thing you forgot that is a MAJOR pain in the neck about bluetooth phones. When youhave them in your car and it connects to your phone, it uses a VOX (voice operated) microphone in the car, This means ANY noise in the car can affect how your voice sounds, but worse is when someone is talking to you the VOX is overpowered and there is no way for you to speak unless the caller is done. I don't use it in my car and instead use a wired earpiece...NOT one of thise geek earpieces!

I love my bluetooth. It keeps me away from the cancer causing phone, andit is great for driving and talking. i can reach up push a button say my husband or friends name and it calls them and we chat without me looking away to make a call. at work or at home I can continue on and talk with two hands to get my work done.
I use it far more than my phone.

I use my Bluetooth headset when ever I drive. The writer is correct, sometimes the cell phone does loose the pairing. I have had that occur twice on each of our of two different cell phones over a two year period. I think it is safer to drive with a Bluetooth cell phone than holding the cell phone and driving with one hand. Most people look "dorky" at some point and time...better to look "dorky" and alive than "dumb" and mangled or dead because your are talking on the cell phone and driving with one hand. Of course you could prop the phone between your ear and shoulder and still have both hands on the wheel...who looks "dorky" now!

i never comment but lets set some things straight...as far as bluetooth headsets looking dorky lol. wow, its called advancing technology buddy. why do you think they look dorky? maybe you just dont have the head for it. Fact: a bluetooth headset or a bluetooth enabled vehicle is required in order to talk on the phone in the state of new jersey. OK, you could use a WIRED headset - but aren't wires so '90s? Now isn't that whats really dorky? bluetooth headsets are especially great for older people (such as your grandmom - who i'm sure she doesn't claim you after reading this article) because they can answer their incoming calls at one click of a button thus saving us from tons of car accidents and also less ran over cats. Now if they could only make something to stop grandmom from sitting on her cat - that would be nice. bluetooth also comes in handy for people who like to cook (i.e. chefs or the self proclaimed chef that no insurance company will cover because he burnt down his last house while making a cup of noodles - forgetting to add water will get you everytime). I could go on and on but I'm not getting paid so I lost interest faster than I lost interest in the bailout plan once i found out "arrows" and "rum" were involved...ok maybe not the rum. the point is bluetooth comes in handy. now to the writer: please go apologize to your granny before she puts you over her knee, shoves a bluetooth up your arse and ask you, "can you hear me now?" Good...

YOU'VE GOT TO BE FULL OF IT? RIGHT?
MY BLUE TOOTH JABRA HEADSET IS THE BEST THING GOING. IFYOU CAN READ A MANUAL AND PUSH A BUTTON OR TWO, THAT IS ALL THAT IS REQUIRED. I AM A RETIRED GE TECHNICIAN OF 23 YEARS SERVICE. EVEN AS A 'TECH BOOMER' I SOMETIMES WONDER WHY THIS GENERATION HAS SO MUCH TROUBLE WITH GADGETS THAT WERE SUPPOSEDLY MADE FOR THEM. HEY!! IF THIS GRANDPA CAN WORK BLUE TOOTH SIMPLE, IT SHOULD REALLY BE SIMPLE FOR YOU GUYS. JUST DON'T DIS MY REALLY GOOD BLUE TOOTH HANDS FREE. IT IS A DAMNED SITE BETTER THAN CAUSING AN ACCIDENT BY USING THE SET SCREWED UP AGAINST MY EAR!! THINK ABOUT IT ... THAT WORKS!!

You know just because you're on a bluetooth headset doesn't make the road any safer. It just gives your hands freedom you're still paying more attention to the person on the phone and not the road. And why do you have to talk on it walking down the street? Are you so important you can't pick up a phone? Get off the phone and drive period.