Mon Nov 08, 2010 2:50 pm by ByteSlinger
*TIMEOUT*
An explanation of "Bluetooth" to our fine comrade who lives in the land that time forgot:
Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows devices to directly communicate with eachother over short (up to a few yards) distance. It is similar to Wifi, but has it's own simpler protocol over different frequencies. For example, where I live we cannot hold the cell phone to our ear when we drive - we must use either a headset (with a microphone) or a two-way speaker system. Both of these types of devices can be attached to any phone via a thin wire - but those wires can get in the way while you drive.
My hands-free speaker system in my car is Bluetooth enabled, as well as my cell phone. When they get within a yard of eachother, they automatically create a secure wireless connection between themselves (after a one-time programming of the PIN numbers and access information). When my cell phone rings, it passes all of what I would hear to the hands-free speaker system via the bluetooth wireless link; in turn, everything I say gets passed from the speaker box back to my cell phone via bluetooth as well.
If you have a bluetooth-enabled PC (usually an add-on for a tower, but generally available on a laptop) you can use bluetooth wireless keyboards and mice, and also (in most cases) link up and even synchronize your phone with your computer - all wirelessly. If you've ever seen those "Star-Trek-looking-headsets" sitting in someone's ear, well, that's a bluetooth earpiece - his phone is most likely in his shirt pocket or on his belt in a holster.
Hope this clears things up!
*Salute*
*TIME IN*
