Bluetooth Technology

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Bluetooth Bound for Visor

Acer partners with Widcomm to bring Bluetooth technology to Handspring devices.

By Eileen Smith, PCWorld

Acer NeWeb expects to ship by mid-2000 the Blue-Connect, which provides plug-and-play wireless connectivity to Handspring's Visor, and compliance with the emerging Bluetooth technical standard.

Bluetooth is a low-power and short-range radio link technology that allows up to eight devices, such as portable PCs and mobile phones, to wirelessly communicate with each other. More important, it's affordable.

Blue-Connect could be the first marketed Bluetooth-enabled consumer electronics device to comply with Version 1.0 of the specification. Acer NeWeb, a division of the Acer Group, is making the leap through a partnership with Widcomm, a Bluetooth technology provider of wireless communication solutions. The companies made the announcement at the Comdex trade show here this week.

The Blue-Connect snaps onto the back of the handheld device. It conforms to the Springboard interface on the Visor PDA.

The Blue-Connect "beams" applications from Visor to Visor or from Visor to desktop and notebook using Blue-Share synchronization. You can also beam address-book entries and transfer images from Visor to digital cameras.

"We're going to be an Internet enabler in an Internet era," says Simon Lin, chief executive officer of the Acer Group. Lin called Bluetooth a major investment and said this partnership was a major step.

Hiep Pham, Widcomm's CEO, called Bluetooth technology the "evolution of the cellular system."

Bluetooth Technology: Hype Or A Glimpse Into The Future

By: Christopher Smith

Although the average consumer has only recently begun to discover the joys of Bluetooth technology, it has been around for quite a while now. The fact that it has been around means that there are quite a few products that are now able to support and utilize this technology and those numbers are growing each year. Currently you can find many Bluetooth supported laptops, cell phones, and PDAs.

The recently discovered technology that Bluetooth offers uses short range radio signals in order to replace wires and cables that were once required to transfer information from one device to another. The most hallowed capabilities of this technology is its use friendly lack of complexity, its ability to hold a true connection without constant interruptions, its lower power consumption, and its affordability. Bluetooth was made to operate in areas where 'noisy' frequencies often prevent other wireless connections to flourish. Bluetooth uses a fast acknowledgement and 'frequency hopping' application in order to maintain a smooth connection.

Bluetooth radio frequencies move at 2.4 GHz, which requires no licensing in order to use. Using this particular frequency allows the avoidance of interruptions from other frequencies and signals. Bluetooth radio also moves much more quickly than other similar systems because it utilizes shorter packets.

History of Bluetooth

Bluetooth can be traced to the King of Denmark from 949 to 981. Harold Bluetooth was famous for his ability to help people communicate with one another more effectively. The characters on the Bluetooth logo come from characters in the runic alphabet. The reference to this particular king is somehow appropriate as Bluetooth technology also accomplishes the often-difficult task of keeping people connected and communicating effectively.

Bluetooth.org defines Bluetooth as a worldwide specification low cost radio solution. This small factor enables the communication of mobile devices with one another.

Bluetooth operates by using 2.4 GHz radio signals that are very similar to those used in many cordless home phones and wireless networking systems. Bluetooth has found a manner in which to limit interference while improving the quality of the transmission because of its heavy reliance on this frequency range. Bluetooth version 1.1 has made leaps and bounds in progress and as a result is not backwards compatible with previous versions.

The maximum rate at which Bluetooth can transfer data is 723 kbps and a range of anywhere from 60 to 120 feet. Bluetooth can be used for a wide variety of applications. Some of the more common current applications include laptops, PDAs, headphones, and printer adapters. Many laptops have Bluetooth adapters built in so that the laptop can easily communicate with other Bluetooth enabled devices. You can also use many USB adaptors in order to communicate with devices that are not graced with a Bluetooth adaptor.

Another great benefit of Bluetooth is the fact that it allows PDAs to easily sync wirelessly as well as to transfer data. Bluetooth is useful in headphones for cell phones in particular to allow hands free, wireless cell phone communication while driving, working, or performing any number of tasks that require the use of your hands.

Many new gadgets are wireless through the technologies that Bluetooth has introduced. A Bluetooth mouse and/or keyboard can be used at a distance of up to 30 feet for those who need to be farther ways from the computer. Bluetooth printer adaptors are particularly useful as they allow multiple users in a network to share printer access without a snake pit of wires to really confuse things.

While Bluetooth is inexpensive to use, the main reason it isn't more widely used is the initial costs required to implement this technology. The initial costs of installing a Bluetooth system are somewhat prohibitive and most companies aren't prepared to make this sort of investment in emerging technology.

Making Life Easier With Bluetooth Technology

By: MIKE SELVON

In the last few years, there has been much being mentioned and overheard about a wireless networking solution known as Bluetooth technology. And, even though it seems to have become a pretty common term, many people are still in the dark about what Bluetooth mobile wireless technology is and what it does.

It is a wireless technology networking communication method for short ranges. In the last few years it has been used to replace many different cables that connect either portable electronic devices, such as cell phones, or fixed electronics, such as desktop computers, to other devices. Many people are grateful to be freed from the tangle of wires that previously were needed for their electronic gadgets to communicate with each other.

Three of the greatest benefits of Bluetooth technology enabled devices are: low power usage, robustness and low cost. A Bluetooth mobile wireless technology system will be made up of an RF receiver, a base-band and a protocol stack. This simple setup provides the communication connection of different enabled devices and the exchange of various classes of data among such devices.

The RF (Radio Frequency) is a physical layer that operates on the ISM band, which is unlicensed, at 2.4GHz. There is also a frequency hop transceiver that is employed which helps to limit both interference and fade.

Unlike most of the other wireless standards today, the Bluetooth mobile wireless technology allows product developers both a link layer and an application layer, each with sets of definitions. This enables support for both voice and data applications.

It is the set of specifications that is unique to it, that allows for a definition of uniform structures. This in turn is what makes it possible for such a wide range of wireless devices to connect with each other and to share data and communicate. This level of interactivity between such an array of different types of devices was not feasible, at least not on a level that could be widely used, before the Bluetooth wireless protocol was introduced.

In just a few years, it know-how has gained global acceptance to such a degree that any of its enabled device, operating virtually anywhere in the world, is able to communicate with another Bluetooth device within the correct proximity. All its enabled electronics connect and communicate wirelessly via short-range networks which are called piconets.

Each device in a piconet that is operating with this latest technology specifications, can simultaneously connect and share data with up to seven other devices within an individual piconet. Each Bluetooth wireless device can also be connected to multiple piconets at the same times. Because piconets are dynamic and are established automatically as its enabled devices move into and out of the proximity boundaries, this is a very flexible and powerful feature of the Bluetooth system.

One of the greatest strengths of the Bluetooth knowledge, is that such an enabled device is capable of handling both voice and data transmissions at the same time without interfering with either communication. This feature means that users can enjoy a variety of convenient solutions concurrently such as: using a hands-free headset for voice calls; sending documents to a printer or fax; synchronizing a laptop or PDA; and using various mobile phone applications.

In addition to being able to get away from a myriad of wires to tangle you up, Bluetooth technology has also been designed to be surprisingly easy to setup and implement. Virtually all Bluetooth wireless devices connect with each other automatically and when it's time to share data, that is also a very straightforward task.

Do You Understand The Bluetooth Technology ?

By: MIKE SELVON

With every passing month, it seems that more electronic devices are touted as being Bluetooth enabled. And, while many people are excited about the advent of its new products, others are left scratching their heads wondering, "What is Bluetooth?"

Bluetooth mobile wireless technology has become one of the leading technologies for wireless communication world wide. The reason it has become so popular around the globe, in just a few short years since its introduction, is because it allows phones, computers, PDAs and other electronic devices to easily communicate with the other enabled devices nearby. The range of its networking is limited to a short range of about 30 feet.

Bluetooth utilizes radio waves, in the non-licensed range of 2.4 Gigahertz. This system has been designed with the intention of providing a secure and an inexpensive way to connect with and exchange information between other devices alike, all without the need of wires.

What is Bluetooth technology mainly used for? The Bluetooth mobile wireless technology has quickly become the standard for all wireless methods of communication. It can now be found integrated into the latest and most popular models of handheld computers, laptops, PDAs, printers and headsets, not to mention cellular phones. Manufacturers are finding more and more products to add the technology to, as the demand for this enhancement increases.

In addition to the Bluetooth wireless phone models, which are probably the most prevalent type of devices on the market, you can now also find its headphones and speakers. It is expected that other Bluetooth wireless audio and video products will continue to be brought to the marketplace.

With this type of advancement, it is conceivable that some day the only wires you will need to tame, will be the power cords that some of these devices will need for their power supply. That would be a welcomed change from the tangles of cords and wires that are common in home offices and entertainment areas.

One of the best features, is that all its enabled devices function on a standard protocol. This means that all transmission of data and voice signals between two of its devices, even if they are produced by different manufacturers, is straightforward and simple to implement.

It was the need for a standardized communication convention that prompted the development of Bluetooth technology. Rather than the need for each manufacturer to establish their own standards, and thereby limit the connectivity to other devices made by the same company, they can simply implement the Bluetooth wireless technology networking standard. This simple approach has made it a global solution used by all manufacturers and benefiting the end-user significantly.

Some of the other advantages of Bluetooth are: data transfers that are fast; communication with other devices alike that are not in a direct line of sight (as required by the infra-red protocol); inexpensive circuitry and components; the ability to transmit both data and voice concurrently.

This technology has been on the market for almost a decade. One of the reasons it is relatively inexpensive and widely used is because the original developer, Ericsson, has made the specifications royalty-free so manufacturers do not have to pay to implement the technology in their devices. Because of this, the use of Bluetooth technology is expected to expand and soon no one will be left asking the question, "What is Bluetooth?"

Top Ten Bluetooth Headset Models

By: David H Urmann

There is a wide range of available Bluetooth technology headsets. It is advisable to consult a list of choices before purchasing. The ten best headsets in the market are described to guide a potential buyer.

Headsets utilizing bluetooth technology are the most popular accessories of mobile communication gadgets. These pieces of electronic devices are attractive and designed fashionably. Manufacturers make sure that users dont look clumsy and silly when using these headsets.

Bluetooth headsets are greatly varied, coming in many models. Do not just look at the design but also the functionality relative to your kind of work.

Top ten bluetooth headsets in alphabetical order:
1.Aliph Jawbone is the smallest headset available in the market. It has an attractive minimalist look with high quality audio. The controls are in the actual unit itself. The NoiseAssasin feature makes clear sound quality during calls.

2.Jabra JX 20 Pura Titanium Edition is on luxurious and expensive. The headset is made of lightweight titanium, making it useable without ear hooks. The earpiece is rotated to turn the unit on and off. The headset comes with a handy desktop dock charger.

3.LG HBM-310 is a perfect match for the stylish LG handsets. Its cheap cost is attractive to consumers. Sound quality is just adequate.

4.Logitech Cordless Headset for PC and Mobile Phone is considered the most stylish headset. The ear hook of the headset sets the unit comfortably in place.

5.NextLink Invisio G5 is claimed to be the smallest Bluetooth headset, just 3.3 centimeters. The ear hook folds inside the ear instead of hooking outside the lobe. Because of the small size, the sound quality is a bit compromised.
6.Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-902 has a little LCD display. Displayed are the volume level and caller ID. Displays are useless when attached to the ears.

7.Plantronics Discovery 925 is a slim Bluetooth headset, light and stylish. Audio quality good, particularly to cell phones. The microphone is picking up voice clearly. The molded rubber holds the earpiece comfortably without the need for ear hook.

8.Samsung WEP700 is a headset with two microphones. The design reduces background noise. Unit could not be recharged from the USB port of a computer.

9.Sennheiser VMX 100 has a large ear hook looking like a hearing aid. The headset is firmly in place even on the move. Sound quality is very okay. There is a twin microphone set-up to filter background noise. The unit is turned off when it is folded.

10.Sony Ericsson HBH-IV840 is a mobile phone headset that is similar to a tie-pin because of the slim built. It does not need an ear hook. A neck strap secures the headset from accidental falls. Two buttons serve as control panel of the headset. The phone controls the volume. Audio quality is acceptable.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

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For more information on Bluetooth in your car and Best Bluetooth Headsets please visit our website.

6 Benefits Of Bluetooth Headsets For Cell Phones

By: JR Lang

Bluetooth technology makes mobile phones more functional, with handy little earbud headsets that are completely wireless and allow for hands-free answering and talking on the cell phone. In fact, Bluetooth wireless technology has made many electronic components wireless and far surpasses infrared in its usefulness and practicality.

Bluetooth is a high-speed, low powered wireless link technology that is designed to connect phones or other portable equipment together with little to no work required by the user. Unlike infrared, Bluetooth technology does not require line of site positioning to work. From a technical standpoint, Bluetooth is very different indeed. It is the best wireless method in the world, surpassing even infrared. For communication on the go, Bluetooth is indeed very hard to compete with.

Benefits of Bluetooth For Cell Phones

1. Hands-Free Cell Phone Use

For cell phones using wireless Bluetooth cell phone headsets allows you to use your mobile phone completely hands-free for driving safety, especially since many states, like California, now have mandatory hands-free cell phone use law while driving.

2. Bluetooth is Inexpensive

Bluetooth technology is cheap for companies to implement, which results in lower costs for the consumer on Bluetooth products and especially Bluetooth cell phone headsets. The average price for a Bluetooth cell phone headset is about $35 and even less when avoiding retail stores and shopping online.

3. Bluetooth is Automatic and User Friendly

Bluetooth does not have set up a connection or push any buttons. When two or more devices enter a range of up to 30 feet of each other, they will automatically begin to communicate. For cell phones, the user need not touch the phone, but instead can leave it in their pocket and perform most of the cell phone tasks by using the in-ear Bluetooth headset. Those functions include, completely wireless, hands-free answering and talking on the cell phone.

4. Bluetooth Provides Very Low Interference

Bluetooth devices usually avoid interference from other wireless devices by using frequency hopping and also low power wireless signals.

5. Bluetooth is Reliable and Universal

Bluetooth technology is a world wide, universal wireless standard. As more and more devices started to use the Bluetooth technology, more manufacturers are making make their products compatible with it making it a standard for wireless.

6. Bluetooth Consumes Little Energy

Because Bluetooth uses low power signals, it requires very little energy and will use less battery power as a result. This is an excellent benefit for ell phones because Bluetooth will not drain the battery juice.

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Browse cheap Bluetooth cell phone headsets at: Cheap Mobile Phones and shop cheap cell phones, including, Blackberry, unlocked iphones and more at: Cheap Cell Phones. .

Bluetooth Technology Benefits

Why Choose Bluetooth wireless technology?
Bluetooth wireless technology is the simple choice for convenient, wire-free, short-range communication between devices. It is a globally available standard that wirelessly connects mobile phones, portable computers, cars, stereo headsets, MP3 players, and more. Thanks to the unique concept of "profiles," Bluetooth enabled products do not need to install driver software. The technology is now available in its fourth version of the specification and continues to develop, building on its inherent strengths small-form factor radio, low power, low cost, built-in security, robustness, ease-of-use, and ad hoc networking abilities. Bluetooth wireless technology is the leading and only proven short-range wireless technology on the market today with over 500,000,000 users. The latest Bluetooth headset the Plantronics Voyager 510 goes from car to office without changing devices.

Globally Available
The Bluetooth wireless technology specification is available free-of-charge to our member companies around the globe. Manufacturers from many industries are busy implementing the technology in their products to reduce the clutter of wires, make seamless connections, stream stereo audio, transfer data or carry voice communications. Bluetooth technology operates in the 2.4 GHz, one of the unlicensed industrial, scientific, medical (ISM) radio bands. As such, there is no cost for the use of Bluetooth technology. While you must subscribe to a cellular provider to use GSM or CDMA, with Bluetooth technology there is no cost associated with the use beyond the cost of your device.

Range of Devices
Bluetooth technology is available in an unprecedented range of applications from mobile phones to automobiles to medical devices for use by consumers, industrial markets, enterprises, and more. The low power consumption, small size and low cost of the chipset solution enables Bluetooth technology to be used in the tiniest of devices. Have a look at the wide range products made available at this leading provider site.

Ease of Use
Bluetooth technology is an ad hoc technology that requires no fixed infrastructure and is simple to install and set up. You don't need wires to get connected. The process for a new user is easy you get a Bluetooth branded product, check the profiles available and connect it to another Bluetooth device with the same profiles. The subsequent PIN code process is as easy as when you identify yourself at the ATM machine. When out-and-about, you carry your personal area network (PAN) with you and can even connect to others.

Globally Accepted Specification
Bluetooth wireless technology is the most widely supported, versatile, and secure wireless standard on the market today. The globally available qualification program tests member products as to their accordance with the standard. Since the first release of the Bluetooth specification in 1999, over 4000 companies have become members in the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). Meanwhile, the number of Bluetooth products on the market is multiplying rapidly. Volumes have doubled for the fourth consecutive year and are likely to reach an installed base of 500 million units by the close of 2005.

Secure Connections
From the start, Bluetooth technology was designed with security needs in mind. Since it is globally available in the open 2.4 GHz ISM band, robustness was built in from the beginning. With adaptive frequency hopping (AFH), the signal "hops" and thus limits interference from other signals. Further, Bluetooth technology has built-in security such as 128bit encryption and PIN code authentication. When Bluetooth products identify themselves, they use the PIN code the first time they connect. Once connected, always securely connected.

Bluetooth Technical Operations

Bluetooth is a high speed, low powered wireless link technology that's designed to connect phones or other portable equipment together with little to no work required by the user.Unlike infrared, Bluetooth doesn't require line of site positioning to work.

Current prototype circuits are contained on a board that is 0.9 cm square, with a much smaller circuit board being developed.

When one Bluetooth device comes in contact with another, they will automatically exchange addresses and details of capability.Then, they can establish a 1 MB link with security that they will use as required.The protocols involved with handle both data and voice, with a very flexible topography.

The technology achieves its goal by embedding tiny, non expensive short range tranceivers into the devices available today.The radio operates on the 2.45 GHz frequency band, and supports up to 721 KBps, along with three voice channels.

Each devices offers a unique 48 bit address from the IEEE 802 standard, with the connections being point to point or multipoint. The max range is 10 meters,although it can be extended to 100 meters by increasing the power. The devices are also protected from radio interference by changing their frequencies, also known as frequency hopping.

What's important, is the fact that Bluetooth devices won't drain battery life.The specification targets power consumption of the device, limiting the drain on the battery.The radio chip will consume only 0.3mA in stand by mode, which is less
than 5% of the power that standard phones use.

Bluetooth will also guarantee security at the bit level.The authentification is controlled by the user via a 128 bit key.The radio signals can be coded with anything up to 128 bit.With the frequency hopping, Bluetooth is already very
hard to listen into.

The baseband protocol is a combination of both circuit and packet switches. Slots can be reserved for synchronous packets as well.Each packet will be transmitted in a different hop frequency.Normally, a packet covers a single slot although
it can be extended to cover up to five slots.

Bluetooth can also support data channels of up to three simultaneous voice channels.Therefore,it's possible to transfer the data while you talk at the same time. Each individual voice channel will support 64 KB.

From a technical standpoint, Bluetooth is very different indeed.It's the best wireless method in the world, surpassing even infrared.For communication on the go, Bluetooth is indeed very hard to compete with.