Bluetooth Essentials

Bluetooth was designed to replace the short cables that connect a desktop or laptop computer to peripheral devices such as the keyboard and mouse. If both your computer and your mobile telephone have Bluetooth adapters, it’s possible to establish a Bluetooth link between them and place calls to an Internet service provider (ISP). The maximum range of a Bluetooth connection is about 300 feet (100 meters), at a maximum data transfer rate of about 720 Kbps. In most cases, this kind of Internet connection is not worth the trouble to set it up; it’s mostly useful for uploading ringtones and other data to your phone or downloading text files or voice messages to your computer, rather than connecting the laptop to the Internet.

One possible use of a Bluetooth link between a mobile telephone and a laptop computer might be in a car or truck where a navigator (not the driver!) uses it to obtain directions. However, a self-contained GPS (global positioning system) can do the same job more easily.

More: Bluetooth Essentials for Programmers