Texting when driving is a Big No-No however if you use DriveSafe.ly, then you can cruise the streets and stay connected. The application automatically reads incoming text messages and emails out loud and if you like the application can also optionally auto-respond for you. The application is free but users can also opt for the Pro version which adds the ability to use additional voices and eliminates those pesky little sponsor messages.
When I opened the DriveSafe.ly application, I was expecting some complicated mumbo jumbo. Boy was I wrong. The application had an “On” and “Off” tab and a “Settings” tab. I clicked “On” and then proceeded to play around with the settings.
The settings had options like “Max Word”, “Changed Voice”, “Voice Speed”, “Volume”, “Audio Output”, “Play Email” and so on. The “Max Word” option is limited to 500; so don’t expect the application to read entire pages of your emails.
Then I went to my Inbox and clicked on the “Read with DriveSafe.ly” option. To my surprise, it worked flawlessly. What impressed me was that the application also pronounced non-anglicized names correctly.
However when it comes to popular abbreviations or acronyms, the application just reads the letters out and doesn’t attempt to pronounce it.
As soon as I got a new email on my BlackBerry, the application alerted me instantly and gave details like “Sender”, “Subject” etc. It then proceeded to read out the email aloud without any pause, scoring additional brownie points from me.
However one thing I must mention is that the free version has a tendency to occasionally send emails to your senders with a subject heading of “I heard your email read out loud”. This can be quite annoying and some may see this as email spamming!
The DriveSafe.ly application is a brilliant application and its hard not to recommend it. While the free version does send sponsor messages, I still believe it’s a small price to pay.
However personally I have downloaded the pro version and now going for a long drive with my Bluetooth headset and my new DriveSafe.ly application!