Bluetooth Printer

In the last decade, the Bluetooth technology has grown tremendously. This growth has led the companies to develop more and more Bluetooth enabled devices. These Bluetooth devices started with the Bluetooth mobiles, the Bluetooth enabled computers, followed by various accessories like speakers, headsets, mouse, keyboard and then the printer.

The Bluetooth printer is developed mainly to make the life easier. There is no geographical restriction for you with these printers. You can place your printer in the next room or next floor or even in the next building according to your wish. Only thing you need to do is that you should buy the Bluetooth printer with such a power range to suit you.

If you already own an old printer, you need not buy a new Bluetooth enabled printer. You can simply add a Bluetooth adapter to make your printer Bluetooth enabled. With these printers, you can share a single printer for the whole office premises without using wires. So it saves the money that are usually spent on the extra printers or complicated LAN connection.

Bluetooth printer adapters are best suited for the small businesses as they do not use more computers. These printers also possess some limitations with the coverage area. Usually the coverage area ranges between 30 feet to 300 feet depending on the type of hardware used. So you need to place the printer with this distance to ensure proper functioning of your printer.

Another advantage of the Bluetooth enabled printer is that you can use even your Bluetooth enabled mobile phone to print the documents and images without connecting to a computer. On the other side, if multiple users access the printer at the same instant, the printer gets hampered and gets slow. So you need to allocate time for the users to access the printer independently or should follow some other system to ensure proper functioning.

Also, if the printer is set in the discoverable mode, there is a possibility of hackers to hack the system and also to get access to your confidential data. So it is your own risk to use the Bluetooth printer.

The author is an expert in the field of electronics. He feels that the Bluetooth printer is a great accessory to save your money but still you should consider the data security before buying.

Bluetooth Basics - Bluetooth Technology Tutorial

Bluetooth Basics

Bluetooth technology is nothing new, but in many respects it still seems to be more of a buzz word rather than a well understood, commonly accepted technology. You see advertisements for Bluetooth enabled cell phones, PDAs, and laptops, and a search of the Geeks.com website shows all sorts of different devices taking advantage of this wireless standard. But, what is it?

History

Before getting into the technology, the word Bluetooth is intriguing all on its own, and deserves a look. The term is far less high tech than you might imagine, and finds its roots in European history. The King of Denmark from 940 to 981 was renowned for his ability to help people communicate, his name (in English)... Harald Bluetooth. Perhaps a bit obscure, but the reference is appropriate for a wireless communications standard.

Another item worth investigating is the Bluetooth logo. Based on characters from the runic alphabet (used in ancient Denmark), it was chosen as it appears to be the combination of the English letter B and an asterisk.

Capabilities

The FAQ on the Bluetooth.org (https://www.bluetooth.org/) website offers a basic definition: "Bluetooth wireless technology is a worldwide specification for a small-form factor, low-cost radio solution that provides links between mobile computers, mobile phones, other portable handheld devices, and connectivity to the Internet."

Just like 802.11 b/g wireless networking systems and many cordless telephones, Bluetooth devices operate on 2.4 GHz radio signals. That band seems to be getting a bit crowded, and interference between devices may be difficult to avoid. Telephones are now being offered on the 5.8 GHz band to help remedy this, and Bluetooth has taken its own steps to reduce interference and improve transmission quality. Version 1.1 of the Bluetooth standard greatly reduces interference issues, but requires completely different hardware from the original 1.0C standard, thus eliminating any chance of backwards compatibility.

The typical specifications of Bluetooth indicate a maximum transfer rate of 723 kbps and a range of 20-100 meters (65 to 328 feet - depending on the class of the device). This speed is a fraction of that offered by 802.11 b or g wireless standards, so it is obvious that Bluetooth doesn't pose a threat to replace your wireless network. Although it is very similar to 802.11 in many ways, Bluetooth was never intended to be a networking standard, but does have many practical applications.

Practical Applications

There are a variety of products that take advantage of Bluetooth's capabilities, from laptops and PDAs, to headphones and input devices, and even wireless printer adapters.

Many Laptops include an onboard Bluetooth adaptor to allow the system to connect to any Bluetooth device right out of the box. For laptop or desktop systems that do not have an adaptor built in, there are many USB Bluetooth adaptors available.

Bluetooth enabled PDAs allow for convenient wireless synchronization and data transfer.

Headphones can take advantage of Bluetooth for two purposes... audio playback and mobile phone communications. Using something a mobile headset with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone allows anyone to go hands free, as well as wire free.

Logitech, and other manufacturers, also produce input devices that eliminate wires thanks to Bluetooth. You can add a Bluetooth mouse to your system, or both a mouse and keyboard. One advantage that Bluetooth wireless keyboard/mouse combinations have over the standard RF wireless keyboard/mouse combinations is range. Where most standard RF keyboard/mouse combinations have a range up to 6 feet; a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse combination will usually have a range of up to 30 feet.

Bluetooth printer adaptors make sharing a printer extremely convenient by eliminating the need for any wires or special configurations on a typical network. Printing to any compatible HP printer from a PC, PDA or mobile phone can now be done easily from anywhere in the office.

Final Words

At this point the popularity of Bluetooth might not be as large as some proponents would have hoped, but many devices are available for those interested. The cost and competition from other standards have hindered the widespread acceptance, but Bluetooth does offer a viable solution to many devices that might not have wireless connectivity without it.

Computer Geeks tech tips and computer advice

A Brief Introduction To Bluetooth

Bluetooth was designed to allow low bandwidth wireless

connections to become easy to use so even those who

are new to wireless can use them. Version one.One of

Bluetooth describes a low power, short range wireless

networking technology that uses radio waves to send

data at rates up to 720 kilobits a second.

Bluetooth Spec

The specification for Bluetooth supplies for different

classes of radio that allow transmission ranges of

up to 100 meters by boosting the radio power. The

technology of Bluetooth isn't limited to line of

sight transmission since it uses directional waves

that are capable of transmitting through many

obstructions.

Industry Standard

Bluetooth is an industry standard communication of

wireless, meaning that it enables the connection

of other devices as well, such as cell phones,

computers, digital cameras, & other types of

electronic devices. The specification of Bluetooth

defines a radio system and a "stack" of protocol

layers and profiles. The highest layer is the

application layer, while the lowest layer is the

radio.

The wireless technology of Bluetooth is positioned

to revolutionize the personal connectivity market

by providing freedom from inconvenient fixed type

lines.

The specification for Bluetooth eliminates the need

for cables by providing a small form factor, low

cost wireless solution that will link computers,

cell phones, and other electronics. Bluetooth

also allows users to connect many ranges of devices

fast and easily and expands communications

capabilities as well.

The size of the Bluetooth radio is remarkable, as a

Bluetooth radio can be built into 1 or two very

small microchips then integrated into any electronic

device where wireless operations would be an

advantage.

Bluetooth also offers a robust link, which ensures

that normal operating circumstances are not

interrupted by interference from other signals

that are operating in the same frequency band.

Also known for its worldwide operation, Bluetooth

radio operates in the 2.four GHz frequency band, which

is license free and reachable to any type of

radio system in the world. No matter where you

are in the world, you count on Bluetooth to work.

Security is also important. Offering advanced

security mechanisms, Bluetooth ensures a high level

of security. Therefore, authentification will

prevent unauthorized acess to important data and

make it very difficult to listen in.

Bluetooth also boasts power optimization. The radio

is power friendly and the software for Bluetooth

is very configurable, limiting the power consumption

of equipment. The radio itself only consumes a

small amount of power from a cellular phone.

Oliver Dvorak has worked with Bluetooth technology since it's inception, and is an expert in many kinds of Bluetooth devices [http://www.littletips.net/bluetooth/]. He runs a small information site about the subject at bluetooth.littletips.net [http://www.littletips.net/bluetooth/]. It includes a Bluetooth glossary [http://www.littletips.net/bluetooth/bluetooth-glossary.php]