Chapter 10. Using Bluetooth for Short-range Wireless Networking

IN THIS CHAPTER:

63 About Bluetooth

64 Turn Bluetooth On and Off

65 Pair Up with a Bluetooth Headset or Car Kit

66 Tweak Bluetooth Options

67 About Bluetooth Security

I remember five or six years ago when technology experts first started talking about the wireless revolution. For several years in a row, the revolution was predicted to take place, but for one reason or another it never seemed to materialize. It's a few years late, but I think it's now safe to say that the wireless revolution is officially underway. Although you can certainly point to long-range wireless phone networks and mid-range Wi-Fi networks as playing large roles in the wireless revolution, a significant piece of the puzzle is now being revealed in short-range wireless networking. A technology called Bluetooth is solving the problem of unwiring devices for up-close communication.

Your BlackBerry 7100 device takes a fairly conservative approach to supporting Bluetooth in that it allows you to use Bluetooth only to wirelessly connect a headset or hands-free car kit. To fully exploit Bluetooth, the folks at Research In Motion (RIM) might have included Bluetooth support for sharing files with other devices and synchronizing with a desktop PC. But these types of Bluetooth connections bring with them added security concerns that simply aren't present with headsets and hands-free kits. So, in the name of security, you are stuck with limited Bluetooth support in your BlackBerry device. Even so, you'll likely find that using a Bluetooth headset or hands-free car kit is incredibly handy.