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Bluetooth Basics

Bluetooth technology is nothing new, but in many respects it still seems to be more of a buzz word rather than a well understood, commonly accepted technology. You see advertisements for Bluetooth enabled cell phones, PDAs, and laptops, and a search of the Computer Geeks website shows all sorts of different devices taking advantage of this wireless standard. But, what is it?

History
Before getting into the technology, the word Bluetooth is intriguing all on its own, and deserves a look. The term is far less high tech than you might imagine, and finds its roots in European history. The King of Denmark from 940 to 981 was renowned for his ability to help people communicate, his name (in English)... Harald Bluetooth. Perhaps a bit obscure, but the reference is appropriate for a wireless communications standard.
Another item worth investigating is the Bluetooth logo, shown above. Based on characters from the runic alphabet (used in ancient Denmark), it was chosen as it appears to be the combination of the English letter B and an asterisk.

Capabilities
The FAQ on the Bluetooth.org website offers a basic definition: "Bluetooth wireless technology is a worldwide specification for a small-form factor, low-cost radio solution that provides links between mobile computers, mobile phones, other portable handheld devices, and connectivity to the Internet."

Just like 802.11 b/g wireless networking systems and many cordless telephones, Bluetooth devices operate on 2.4 GHz radio signals. That band seems to be getting a bit crowded, and interference between devices may be difficult to avoid. Telephones are now being offered on the 5.8 GHz band to help remedy this, and Bluetooth has taken its own steps to reduce interference and improve transmission quality. Version 1.1 of the Bluetooth standard greatly reduces interference issues, but requires completely different hardware from the original 1.0C standard, thus eliminating any chance of backwards compatibility.

The typical specifications of Bluetooth indicate a maximum transfer rate of 723 kbps and a range of 20-100 meters (65 to 328 feet - depending on the class of the device). This speed is a fraction of that offered by 802.11 b or g wireless standards, so it is obvious that Bluetooth doesn't pose a threat to replace your wireless network. Although it is very similar to 802.11 in many ways, Bluetooth was never intended to be a networking standard, but does have many practical applications.

Practical Applications
Browsing the Computer Geeks website shows a variety of products that take advantage of Bluetooth's capabilities, from laptops and PDAs, to headphones and input devices, and even wireless printer adapters.

Laptops, such as the Toshiba Tecra 9000, include an onboard Bluetooth adapter to allow the system to connect to any Bluetooth device right out of the box. For laptop or desktop systems that do not have an adapter built in, there are USB Bluetooth adapters, such as the Belkin F8T001.

Bluetooth enabled PDAs, such as the HP iPAQ hx4700 , allow for convenient wireless synchronization and data transfer.

Headphones can take advantage of Bluetooth for two purposes… audio playback and mobile phone communications. Using something like the Logitech Mobile Headset with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone allows anyone to go hands free, as well as wire free.

Logitech, and other manufacturers, also produce input devices that eliminate wires thanks to Bluetooth. You can add a Bluetooth mouse to your system, such as the Logitech MX900, or both a mouse and keyboard using something like the Logitech diNovo Media Desktop. One advantage that Bluetooth wireless keyboard/mouse combinations have over the standard RF wireless keyboard/mouse combinations is range. Where most standard RF keyboard/mouse combinations have a range up to 6 feet; a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse combination will usually have a range of up to 30 feet.

The HP JetDirect BT1300 Bluetooth printer adapter makes sharing a printer extremely convenient by eliminating the need for any wires or special configurations on a typical network. Printing to any compatible HP printer from a PC, PDA or mobile phone can now be done easily from anywhere in the office.

Final Words
At this point the popularity of Bluetooth might not be as large as some proponents would have hoped, but many devices are available for those interested. The cost and competition from other standards have hindered the widespread acceptance, but Bluetooth does offer a viable solution to many devices that might not have wireless connectivity without it.


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Comment:
I really felt reading it was worth while. For the past 4 years I have not really kept up with the "techs" info on what was happening with computers and other types of electronic devices commonly used today. Your article on Bluetooth was very informative and to the point.
Thanks
Dan McMahon
San Antonio, TX

Question:
I´m looking for a bluetooth phone for house line phone -maybe with voice dialer and auto-answer system. Do you know if there is something on the market?
Thank you
Guillermo Cuevas
Mexico City

Answer:
Yes, there are gadgets that adapt a house phone to bluetooth.


Question:
I've thoroughly enjoyed your tech tips which are written in a language the average computer user can understand. One of your articles involving cooling turned on my light bulb with a large warning sign. One of my cooling fans recently cratered and after losing a previous computer to insufficient cooling, I replaced them all quickly. Your article spoke of exhaust and intake and I suddenly realized I hadn't paid attention to how I installed them since they could be installed in either direction. Nor did I pay attention to exactly how they operated before replacement. I have a case with fan directly on the power supply at the back, a fan on the case directly below that, a fan over the processor and a fan on the side. I believe I installed the side fan backwards since lint buildup appeared quickly where it didn't before (should have been exhaust). The processor fan seemed to only have one direction since the wires may have interfered which leaves the rear two. Suggestions on the rear power supply fan and the one below it…or anything else?
Thanks ...for the excellent job you're doing.
Kert Bradford

Answer:
Generally the air flow is from front to rear (front fans being intake; rear fans being exhaust). AMD has some excellent white papers on system cooling, though they tend to be on the technical side:
http://www.amd.com - white_papers_and_tech_docs
http://www.amd.com - cooling_guide
(more of a summary of the above document)


Question:
Have been a customer of geeks.com for over a year now, but somehow Tech Tips slipped under my radar until two weeks ago. I learned something by reading the items on a quieter PC and Bluetooth.

Answer:
All previous Tech Tips are archived on our website - so it you've missed previous editions of Tech Tips, or would like to review an older tip, please feel free to visit our site at: techtips

Comment:
I have been reading your tech tips since the first one. Does anyone remember "KISS"(keep it simple stupid)? Not too simple but not too tecky either. Good job--keep up the Good Work!!!
Don