Bluetooth me up Scotty!
Q: My cell phone has Bluetooth and I have no idea what that means. How do I use the Bluetooth?
A: Bluetooth is a wireless specification that devices can use to “talk” to one another. It is very common in cell phones and computers although it is available in many other devices as well.
The most common application for Bluetooth on a cell phone is to communicate with a hands free, Bluetooth-enabled ear piece. I’m referring to those little wireless Star Trek looking devices you see in people’s ears.
Bluetooth allows your cell phone to transmit your conversation from your cell phone to your ear piece without any wires. It also allows you to communicate with your phone with features such as tapping a button on the ear piece to initiate a voice-activated phone call or to terminate a call.
Another common application of a Bluetooth-enabled phone is to transfer files to and from a personal computer. This is an easy way to keep a contact list updated or to transfer digital pictures taken on your cell phone to your computer without having to connect a cable between your cell phone and your computer.
Lastly, if you are lucky enough, your car may be integrated with Bluetooth which offers several advantages when using your cell phone in your car. For example, some cars allow you to view your cell phone’s contact list on a video screen in the car or dial a phone number for a local restaurant showing up as a point of interest on your GPS navigation system.
If you plan on using any of the Bluetooth features I just described, make sure you have the manuals for each Bluetooth device handy as one of the first steps to setting up two Bluetooth devices is to perform an action called “pairing”. This process can be a little cumbersome for noobies but rest assured that once your devices are paired, you will be well on your way down the Bluetooth highway.
This post was originally broadcast Friday, March 2, 2007 on “Tech Talk with Noobie”, a weekly radio show on WCBK 102.3 FM in Martinsville, Indiana. Tech Talk with Noobie airs every Friday at 11:30 a.m. If you have a question you would like Noobie to answer on the air, simply e-mail your question to [email protected].
