Using Bluetooth For a Personal Area Network

The latest technology of Bluetooth has allowed brought about a fair amount of revolution in the way devices communicate with each other. It is a technology that has been in use since 1999 but now is being put to widespread use. This amazing piece of technology allows the user to connect the PDA, mobile phone, MP3 player and just about any digital device, that supports the function, to communicate with each other. This concept of having all your devices Bluetooth enabled so that they can exchange information is being called PAN or Personal Area Network.

Like the 802.11 wireless technology, Bluetooth also uses radio signals to create bandwidth but it does not require a receiver to be plugged in the USB port of the computer. The range of Bluetooth is much better than this erstwhile technology and is allowing people to go further into a world devoid of entangled wires.

Developed and designed to be a low cost, secure and easy to use technology, Bluetooth is available in two classes: class 1 and class 2. Class 1 is relatively uncommon one and can detect other Bluetooth devices in the range of 100 meters. Class 2 is the more used and common one and enables access up to a range of 10 meters only.

A Bluetooth enabled computer has a receiver installed inside and can connect simultaneously with a maximum of 7 other devices. Though most of the computers being manufactured today (and definitely all the Apple Macs) have a Bluetooth receiver installed, if your older computer needs does not have one, it can easily be made to accept and send Bluetooth messages. This can be done by using a USB to Bluetooth adaptor or installing it internally. Also if it is a notebook that needs to be Bluetooth enabled and you have a spare PCMCIA slot, you could use a Bluetooth card to get going with Bluetooth.

The ease of use, affordability and instant compatibility one can now download all the data on addresses, contacts, things to do and notes on to the computer in a jiffy. Downloading pictures from digital cameras, saving mp3 audio files from the mp3 player and sending a print command to the printer have now become much easier without the need for long twisted and messy looking cables. It is also being used in areas other than that of computers. Hands free headsets for mobiles phones are today hands free and wire free. Car phones can use the same concept to enable speaking on the phone and driving a seamless affair. The list of devices that Bluetooth can be used with includes cordless phones, faxes, headsets and video.

As always people have discovered new applications for the latest technology. One of such uses is called Bluejacking. In Bluejacking people can send messages from their mobile phones to other mobile phones in the vicinity without accessing the mobile service providers network. The first ever message that was sent using Bluejacking was Buy Ericsson. Though it seems to have limited use it can be a fun thing to do among friends. Bluecasting is another such use which has captured the interest of advertisers. In this process, Bluetooth enabled billboards and signposts can be used to send relevant and appropriate messages to all Bluetooth devices in the area. This method of advertising is extremely relevant for location specific businesses like food service restaurants, malls and the like.