TECH SPOTLIGHT

Customizable MP3 doorbell easy to use, adds entertainment despite playlist glitch

The Swann MP3 DJ Doorbell doesn't chime like most doorbells. It can be customized to play your favorite song.


MELISSA JONES
The Swann MP3 DJ Doorbell doesn't chime like most doorbells. It can be customized to play your favorite song. MELISSA JONES

Things have been a bit too serious lately, so it’s time to have some fun.

What could be more fun than a wireless doorbell?

I know what you’re thinking, but hang with me. This one is pretty cool.

You’ve probably seen those wireless doorbells. Users stick a little button outside and when pushed, it wirelessly transmits a signal to the box mounted in a hallway or wherever convenient. Usually, those doorbells have a few preset sounds, like Big Ben’s chimes, a foghorn or, well, a doorbell.

This wireless doorbell is very, very different.

The Swann MP3 DJ Doorbell doesn’t come with preset sounds.

Users add them, in the form of MP3s, or standard digital music files. Just about any MP3 works with this,though the better the quality, the better it works. The files load easily. An included USB wire connects the doorbell to a computer, where it shows up as a portable drive. Users just drag the MP3 files to the doorbell, then eject the doorbell icon on the screen when finished.

Instead of hearing a doorbell, a favorite song plays or even a sound effect. The possibilities are endless. With the right software, users can make their own MP3s. Imagine, as a joke, having someone ring your doorbell and hearing, “Hey! Yo! Someone’s at the door! Would you get the door, please?” Not that I would ever do that. Oh, nooooo. (Sorry, FedEx guy.)

The doorbell uses 3 AA batteries, which aren’t included. The outdoor switch uses an A23 battery, which is included. The doorbell also has a power switch in the battery compartment, if you want to conserve power.

There is one thing to keep in mind with the doorbell: It will play the entire MP3 file and won’t stop until it’s finished or until you press the center button to turn it off. Given that most popular songs are at least three minutes long, that could get very annoying, very quickly.

Swann solves this problem for Windows users by including a disc with a small software program that will edit MP3s. (Mac users can use Garageband or a free converter like Audacity. Mac software isn’t included with the doorbell.) The disc is usable, provided users don’t have a slot-loading disc player on their computer. The included disc is a mini CD, half the size of a normal one. They’re fine sitting in a disc tray, but if a user tries to load it into a slot-loading player, it may not be ejected. Trust me on this, I’ve been there. It wouldn’t kill Swann to spring for a fullsize CD.

I have a confession to make: This little gadget got my geek meter spiking. I had fun playing with this thing. The only problem is remembering that the awesome song that just started playing is your doorbell, not your phone’s ringtone, so you don’t leave the poor deliveryman standing on the patio. (What? It was an honest mistake. Again, sorry FedEx guy.)

The doorbell has plenty of room for your favorites.It comes with a 2 GB built-in memory. Control buttons encircling the sound on/off button allow you to move forward and backward through your playlist and adjust the volume. So you could change your doorbell’s sound daily with the press of a button.

Unfortunately, the gadget isn’t without a few issues.

If you forward through the songs to the end of the playlist, the doorbell stops working properly past the last song. It won’t play anything. The only solution is to connect the doorbell to the computer, delete the last song, then add it back. The doorbell will start at the beginning of the playlist.

My suggestion is to put a song at the very end that reminds you it’s the last song, something you don’t like perhaps, so you will remember to move back to another song.It’s a glitch that hopefully can be fixed with a firmware update.

Glitch aside, I love this product. It’s easy to customize and use. It also works well and it’s fun.

It doesn’t hurt to have a little fun once in a while.

Melissa L. Jones can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].Where it’s @

The Swann MP3 DJ Doorbell requires a computer with a USB connection and files in MP3 format. The software included requires a Windows-based computer (Mac software is not included). The product retails for $49.99. More information is available at swann.com.

Business, Pages 19 on 06/24/2013

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