May 20 2009
Bluetooth Frequently-asked questions
Where did the term Bluetooth originate?
Bluetooth was originally developed by mobile phone company Ericsson in 1994. Looking for a unique name for the technology, they settled on “Bluetooth” after a tenth century viking king called Harald “Bluetooth” Blatand. During his reign, he united Denmark and Norway, and was well known for his ability to help people communicate. Presumably, Ericsson’s hope was that Bluetooth technology could do the same.
What is my passcode?
In order to ‘pair’ one Bluetooth device to another, a passcode has to be exchanged between the two devices. When you first connect, one machine will ask you to enter a passcode… enter any 4 digit number. The other device will then ask you for a passcode. Enter the same 4 digit number. It doesn’t matter what the passcode is, as long as you enter the same number at both ends.
Phone to PC?:If you have a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone, then you can use Bluetooth to beam your photos and other objects from your phone to a PC or laptop. You’ll need to have Bluetooth on your PC. With Bluetooth switched on on both the phone and PC, you need to ‘pair’ the two machines, and then you can use the software on the phone and PC to transfer files.
Bluetooth-enabled phones include the Series 60 range of smartphones (such as the Nokia 6680), as well as Windows Mobile phones such as the o2 XDA Orbit
Bluetooth on a PC : If you want to add Bluetooth functionality to your PC or laptop, the best bet is to buy yourself a Bluetooth USB adapter that plugs into a spare USB port on your PC. We recommend the Belkin USB Bluetooth adapter available for around £12. This comes with the software needed to get a Windows 98 SE, Me, 2000, XP or Vista PC enabled with Bluetooth.
Is Bluetooth the same as Wi-fi?
Bluetooth is not to be mistaken for wi-fi (wireless networking) - Bluetooth runs at a lower speed and power than wi-fi.
Are WiFi and Bluetooth compatible?
Bluetooth and WiFi are both radio technologies, but they differ in the frequencies and protocols that they use. They don’t interfere with each other, but the two don’t talk to each other either - in other words you can’t get a device with Bluetooth to communicate to a device that only supports WiFi.
There seem to be a number of security concerns about Bluetooth - should I be worried?
There have been some security concerns, and you should make your own judgment on the convenience of Bluetooth versus the risk of having someone gaining access. Here’s a summary of the scare types:
Are all Bluetooth devices compatible with each other?
Thanks to Frank Kubanek for contributing the following note: Bluetooth is equivalent to a ‘wireless USB cable’ with the security and limitations. To prevent disappointment and angry buyers, note that Bluetooth is a new technology coming to market, and although the standards are established, implementation depends on the vendor. The hardware will work as advertised, but it’s important to note that the drivers for the devices are not necessarily there to allow all Bluetooth devices to connect to all other Bluetooth devices. The standard exists and the hardware exists, hopefully the vendors of Bluetooth devices don’t destroy the market by promises of compatibility and a failure to deliver.
