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Chapter 3: Bluetooth and Other Wireless Networks
in this car, you can “pair” your mobile phone and then use the steering wheel
controls, navigation system screen and controller, and the car’s audio system
to control and make phone calls. Very cool. Other manufacturers such as
BMW, MINI, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Toyota, and Lexus have followed suit —
those that haven’t will soon, you can be sure. We talk about this topic more
in Chapter 15.
The current versions of Microsoft Windows Mobile, Windows XP (Service
Pack 2), and Windows Vista offer built-in support for Bluetooth devices. All
versions of Mac OS (from 10.2 Jaguar on) also have integrated support for
Bluetooth.
Bluetoothing your phones
As we write in late 2007, 75 percent of all new mobile phones ship with builtin
Bluetooth capabilities. That’s a lot of phones — and a lot of Bluetooth
chips. The most common use of Bluetooth in phones is providing hands-free
operation, either using a Bluetooth headset or a hands-free Bluetooth system
inside a car. Hands-free operation of mobile phones can be handy (pun
intended) whenever you’re talking on your phone, but when you’re in a car it
can be not only convenient but legally mandated. A number of cities and
states in the U.S. (and beyond) ban cell phone use in a car unless a handsfree
system is in place.
If your car doesn’t have built-in Bluetooth capabilities and you just can’t
imagine seeing yourself in the rear-view mirror with a Bluetooth headset
jutting off your ear, you can install a hands-free kit in most cars without too
much work. An even easier option is to consider a GPS navigation system;
many aftermarket GPS systems now include Bluetooth and can use the
speaker built into the GPS or connect to your car’s stereo system for handsfree
calling.
There’s more to Bluetooth and your phone than just hands-free operation.
Bluetooth can also be used to synchronize your phone with your PC or Mac.
Most smartphones and many regular mobile phones (those in the industry
call these feature phones) can use their Bluetooth connections to synchronize
your phone book, calendar, photos, music, and more with a Bluetooth
PC — no cables required. All you need is a Bluetooth adapter, like the one
shown in Figure 3-3, for your PC (if it doesn’t have Bluetooth built in already),
some software from your phone manufacturer, and a few minutes of configuration
(we talk about this in Chapter 15).
A final use of Bluetooth and mobile phones comes into play when your mobile
phone includes a fast data plan (usually called 3G networking, such as EV-DO,
EDGE, or HSDPA, discussed in Chapter 16). Most of these services can be
used on your laptop computer when it is tethered to your mobile phone using
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