Mobile Home adds a Siri button to any car

I love using Siri in my car, but sometimes trying to find the Home button so that I can press it and talk to Siri is a real bother, especially if I just tossed my iPhone onto the passenger seat. So wouldn't it be nice to have a Home button that you lock into one place in your car to make invoking Siri fast and safe? That's the idea behind Mobile Home (US$79) from Beanco Technology.

Here's how it works:

In reality, the device is a 2.95 x 1.46 x .39 inch (75 x 37 x 10 mm), 1.2 ounce (34 gram) box with a very large 16mm "Home button" on the lower end. That's about twice the diameter of the home button on an iPhone, so it's a much easier target to hit with a finger, especially when you're not looking. Mobile Home comes with a big metal clip for installing it onto a car visor, as well as two small Velcro patches for placing it elsewhere, like on the dashboard. There's one CR2450 battery installed, and another is included with Mobile Home as a spare.

Pairing with your iPhone is very simple. There's a combo LED/button near the top front of the Mobile Home box that you press and hold. Tap the Mobile Home device when it appears in the Bluetooth settings on your iPhone, and you're paired.

Now pressing and holding the big Home button on the Mobile Home works just like doing the same thing directly on your iPhone. Wherever the phone is in your car, talking to Siri is going to be possible without fumbling for the Home button.

My only beef with Mobile Home is the price tag, which seems a little high for such a simple device. However, it is well-executed and -- if you live in a state that prohibits you from holding your phone while you're driving -- could save you the cost of a traffic ticket.

Conclusion

If you want the convenience of using Siri "hands-free" with just a touch of a button, Mobile Home will definitely do the job for you.

Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible

Giveaway

TUAW and Beanco Technology want you to be safe while driving, so we're giving away a Mobile Home. Here are the rules for the giveaway:

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.

• To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.

• The entry must be made before August 6, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.

• You may enter only once.

• One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a Beanco Technology Mobile Home valued at $79

• Click Here for complete Official Rules.