Oct 16

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology designed to connect devices to each other without the use of a cables or a wireless access point.  It is one way to create a network of computers.
Uses of this technology include but are not limited to:
§    Keyboards
§    Mice
§    Phones
§    PDAs
§    Cord free headsets
§    Global Positioning Systems

The list above keeps growing and the devices keep getting better and cheaper.

Here is some general information that may interest you.

§    This technology was turned into a standard known as 802.15 in 1998 by a consortium of companies.
§    Bluetooth operates at 2.4GHz.  This is the same frequency as some cell phones and WI-FI networks.  This has caused some interference problems.  This is the reason wireless phone started to be manufactured that were over 5GHz.
§    Bluetooth operates at 721Kbps which is slower than WI-FI. It is not designed to carry large amounts of data.  WI-FI is used for that purpose.
§    Because Bluetooth operates at low power it is ideal for cell phones, PDAs and other devices.
§    Bluetooth come in three classes.  Class I is one hundred Megawatts and its range is 300 feet, Class II is ten Megawatts, and has a range of 30 feet and Class III which is only one Megawatt and has a range of less than 30 feet.

How do you add Bluetooth to your computer?

Many computers (especially laptops) now come with this technology.  If not, you only need to purchase a USB Bluetooth adapter.  If your computer has Windows XP with Service Pack 2 operating system or above it should install automatically. If it doesn’t install by itself a driver disk may be included or you may be sent to a web site to download a drive.  It will attempt to connect to any Bluetooth device within range.  Prices vary and change rapidly.