What's The Buzz About Bluetooth?

I recently purchased a new car. It was not one of the new models that comes with integrated Bluteooth wireless technology, but because I am an such an avid supporter of safer hands-free driving, this is a feature that I just had to have. So I added it by purchasing a car stereo system that has Bluetooth built in. Once I got my stereo to communicate with my phone, which took about 1 minute, I was in business. It didn't cost me a lot either. The stereo system was just under $200, and is from a maker of high quality products. Now I have just what I need- great sounding music for my drive and hands-free phone use so I can focus on my surroundings while on the road. Bluetooth technology is very simple in how it works: a low frequency radio signal that simply allows us to connect devices within a short range, without the use of cables. With Bluetooth you can easily:

• Connect your cell phone to a Bluetooth headset for hands-free talk
• Send photos from your digital camera to your PC
• Free your keyboard and mouse from cables on your PC
• Sync and update your PDA or smartphone to your computer
• Use your wireless phone hands-free whle driving through your car stereo
• Print documents from your PDA or smartphone to your printer

The list of uses for this technology is growing rapidly, as it is secure, reliable, and cheap. By no means does it replace Wifi as a means of running your wireless network, but it does allow you to avoid having to connect a nest of cables to your computers in order to use peripherals.

Bluetooth is rapidly being adopted in industry as well. Trucking and delivery companies that capture signatures electronically can have the date, time and delivery confirmation emailed to a customer within minutes of delivery, as when the driver enters the truck, the onnboard Bluetooth receiver gets the conformation from the drivers signature pad. Soon we will begin to see Bluetooth technology in the home, changing the way we control our HVAC, home theater systems, garage doors and more.

For your own purposes, I'm here to give you a short course in Bluetooth, without all the technical jargon that won't matter to you anyway. Many of us use Bluetooth headsets with our cell phones. I see people out there, decked out with a space-aged communicator on their ears, as if they'll request to beamed up to the Starship Enterprise at any moment. With that in mind, why is it that I can't listen in on someone else's phone conversation if they are using Bluetooth as well? The phone and the headset are "paired" to one another, meaning that before they can communicate they both receive and accept a secure radio frequency. A matching security code must be entered on one or both devices before they will pair. Most headsets use 4 zeroes as the security code, but even if someone else knows that code they cannot pair with your phone without your approval.

Why should you adopt Bluetooth? Simply stated, it will make life easier for you, at least from the technology standpoint. Once you actually start using the Bluetooth features in your devices, you will discover all types of possibilities. If you are at a networking function, for example, and you have photos of a product or service you want to offer, most PDAs and smartphones will accept pictures transferred by Bluetooth from your device. In short, you are always carrying your sales catalog or inventory list for that moment you meet a prospect, which often happens after business hours. Contacts, calendar events, documents, even software can be shared with others using Bluetooth.

Bluetooth technology is already being improved upon, with the development of UWB, or Ultra Wide Band. This enhancement will offer more features, more security at a greater range of distance for your "PAN", or Personal Area Network. We are well entrenched in a wireless world. The people who will benefit the most are those who will embrace the technologies and find innovative ways to adopt them into their personal and professional lives.

Until Next Time, G