BW Communities

Blue-Eyed Toys For Big Boys

Rajeev Dubey Nov 08, 2014

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[Bluetooth gadgets, peripherals and devices have entered our lives with such remarkable ease that this wireless technology is fast becoming the gold standard in short-haul data transfers. Its latest rival — near field communication (NFC) — is only now getting incorporated into gadgets, but Bluetooth is already an omnipotent technology. It has come a long way since it was invented by Ericsson, as recently as 1994, as an alternative to cables for computer serial ports to connect peripheral devices such as printers, modems and mouse. Today, those are some of the least used gadgets on this protocol. Instead, Bluetooth enables medical equipment such as heart rate monitors, GPS receivers, bar code scanners, game consoles and even traffic monitoring and control devices. There's even a Bluetooth cradle phone for the iPhone, from Native Union. At $150, it may be too much of a price to pay for the feel of a landline phone while talking on your iPhone, but even this caters to a select audience that would rather cradle the iPhone at home or at work and take calls with this tethered device. Here's how Bluetooth is transforming our lives at work, at ease, on the go and in a combination of those: At Work It's only fitting that I tethered the 3G connection on my iPhone to my Dell Vostro laptop — via Bluetooth — to report this piece. The surfing is as good as it is in 3G, if, and in whichever pockets of the city, 3G works. Thanks to the Bluetooth v2.0 protocol that most new gadgets sport, which enables them to transmit data at up to 3 mbps as opposed to the highest 1 mbps the previous standard was capable of. <table style="width: 500px;" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="10"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img src="/businessworld/system/files/Jabra-Halo-stereo-lrg.jpg" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 10px;" width="500" height="300"></td> </tr> <tr> <td>UNPLUGGED Jabra Halo stereo headset and Philips mobile headset stream music directly from Bluetooth-compatible hands</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Every new generation laptop is Bluetooth-enabled. And attaching a wired mouse is so passé. Yet, despite the vastly improving quality of the inbuilt trackpads, there's no substitute to the click-and-scroll feel of a mouse. So lately, peripherals makers such as Belkin, Amkette, Logitech and iBall, besides others, have flooded the market with Bluetooth mice. They are 4-5 times more expensive than the wired one, but convenient. Of course, there's the additional hassle of batteries but these are frugal devices. If you are careful to switch it off at the end of the day, batteries last for a year or more. Setting them up is a breeze. break-page-break Just pair the two devices by searching one with the other in ‘listen' mode. Feed in the numeric password when prompted, and you are on. The mouse transmits the drivers to the laptop by itself. It takes a few minutes to set up, but once you restart the computer, the drivers kick in. Each time the two are turned on, and within range, they connect automatically. FYI: the default password for all Bluetooth devices is ‘0000'. The biggest negative of wireless mice is also their biggest plus. Their power-saving feature turns off after a minute, but the mouse wakes up tardily, which is often frustrating. Equally, the big draw now are Bluetooth keyboards. Logitech has a full range of them, some customised for the iPad. Most Bluetooth device makers claim the connection between devices wouldn't drop up to 10 metres from the source (phone/laptop/tablet/music player). But, trust me, often the link drops at less than 10 ft. Frankly, Bluetooth devices are at their best within 5-8 ft. Which is why, there is a limit to how far you can surf on your 40 inch LCD with a Bluetooth keyboard on your lap. On The Go When you are on the go, the go-to devices are those that spare your neck a sprain from holding your phone against the shoulder. The Jabra Freeway Bluetooth In-car and the Jabra Cruiser in-car speakerphones are two that can save you the trouble. There's also the Jabra Journey and Jabra Drive. Freeway is particularly unique for its hands-free calling and receiving and music capability. Importantly, it clips on to your visor. It announces the name of the caller so you don't need to look at your phone when receiving a call and takes voice commands to receive or reject the call. It turns on by itself when you enter the car and turns off when you exit. Plantronics' Bluetooth K-100 has similar features, but without the stereo. It has a pre-installed FM transmitter so you can stream the music on your phone to the car's stereo system via K-100. At Ease The next time you see a gentleman strutting around like an FBI agent with that one-eared device with blue blinking light, consider him out of date. Those are falling rapidly from the chic list, even though companies continue to launch them. When you can listen to stereo, why go mono, whether it is music or your phone? After all, even your boss's yelling would sound like music to your ears if you sport stereo devices such as the Nokia BS-505, the Sennheiser Bluetooth stereo headset, the Philips Mobile Bluetooth Headset SHB7110 or the Jabra Halo Stereo Headset. Seriously. <table style="width: 500px;" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="10"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img src="/businessworld/system/files/Jabra-Cruiser-lrg.jpg" style="margin: 10px; vertical-align: middle;" width="500" height="300"></td> </tr> <tr> <td>ON TRACK Jabra Cruiser in-car speakerphone helps to enjoy a clear and hands-free conversation on the go</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Now, if you are one of those value drivers, go for the multi-utility Bluetooth receivers such as the Belkin, the Nokia BH-501 and the Nokia BH-214. Their 3.5 mm audio jack is agnostic to what you plug into it. Plug in those earphones to listen to music streamed from your phone or laptop, with the boss's yelling... or, use an auxiliary cable to convert that old music system into a Bluetooth-enabled device capable of playing music from your laptop or phone. In the app world, there are many apps on the iOS, Android and BlackBerry platforms that use your phone's Bluetooth to let you chat, call, exchange SMSes, even use your phone as a walkie-talkie among all those who have installed the app on their phones.  From the Apple Store you could try the ‘Bluetooth IM' from Chris-Software.com or the ‘Bluetooth Phone' from nathanpeterson.com both of which create personal networks between users for free calls or instant messaging. Of course, sharing contact lists, video, photos and music has been the hallmark of all Bluetooth standards, though speeds have improved with every new version. But if you'd rather wait for your first Bluetooth experience, hang around for the extremely energy efficient Bluetooth v4.0 that got approved only last year. Before those products hit the market, you will have the mass-proliferation of Bluetooth v3.0 + HS devices capable of data transfers up to 24 mbps. <table style="width: 500px;" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="10"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img src="/businessworld/system/files/Belkin-Bluetooth-receiver-l.jpg" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 10px;" width="500" height="223"></td> </tr> <tr> <td>IN HARMONY Play your iPod touch or iPhone music through home stereo or stand-alone speakers, wirelessly, using Belkin Bluetooth receiver (right)</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 19-12-2011)