Bluetooth
From Applepedia
Bluetooth is a wireless equivalent to USB - a low speed local area connection protocol. It's useful for such things as mice, keyboards, printers and mobile phones. Of course, MacOS X supports all these things.
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Bluetooth hardware
Built-in
Many Macs are shipped with Bluetooth built-in. If you don't have bluetooth built-in, you have to add it yourself (it's not possible to install it afterwards).
USB dongles
MacOS X 10.3 supports many Bluetooth USB dongles set-up free. One of those is the D-Link DBT-120, which is a tiny plug, and it just works (you plug it in, and it works. no drivers needed, no setup wizards, nothing).
Bluetooth 2.0
The PowerBook G4 was the first to support Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate). Bluetooth 2.0+EDR allows for 3Mbps data rates. Bluetooth 2.0 is completely backwards compatable with Bluetooth 1.x standards. Bluetooth 2.0+EDR is available on all Macs sold today.
Bluetooth devices
Mobile phones
Most modern cell phones these days have Bluetooth. So what can you use it for?
Built-in to OS X
- Sync contacts (Address Book) and appointments (iCal).
- Transferring ringtones, pictures, themes, games, etc.
- Using the phone as a wireless modem.
- Sending/Recieving SMS text messages
With third-party utilites
- Get alerts on your mac when you get a call
- Use your phone as a remote control
- Chat via SMS
Mice
- This bluetooth mouse comes with a reciever of it's own. My Mac has built-in Bluetooth, do I still have to use the reciever?
- No, of course not. Bluetooth is Bluetooth is Bluetooth, as a wise man once said.
- What's a good Bluetooth mouse?
- One button: Apple Wireless Mouse
- Two buttons/wheel: http://www.macally.com/new/new_btmouse.html
- Many buttons: Logitech MX900
Keyboards
Apple's Apple Wireless Keyboard is very sexy, and works very well.
Bluetooth software
MacOS X
iSync
See iSync
Address Book
When Address Book detects Bluetooth support, it shows a small bluetooth button. Click it to connect to a cell phone. Now, whenever you recieve an SMS, it'll show up on your Mac. You can also send SMSes from your Mac. Open a contact, click on one of their phone numbers, and select "Send SMS"
Internet Connect
When you've paired a cell phone, it should show up in the network preference pane as "Bluetooth".
Easy setup
To use your phone as a modem, try this: Open the Bluetooth page in the Network prefpane, and enter *99# as the phone number on the PPP tab. Then try to dial up (using the Internet Connect application). This has worked for me on my Sony Ericsson T610 with both my Swedish cell operators.
If that didn't work, use mroach's method and enter *99***(CID)#, where (CID) is the index of the GPRS connection on your phone. In most cases this will be 1, so your phone number to dial would be *99***1#.
If you're on Verizon in the US and have a data plan enabled, the access number is #777.
Ross Barkman's GPRS scripts
If that didn't work, you need Ross Barkman's GPRS scripts and setup guide [1].
Bluetooth File Exchange
BFE lets you upload and download files from a cell phone or other storage device.
Salling Clicker
Salling Clicker lets you use your cell phone as a remote control for your Mac, and alerts you when you get a phone call. It also supports events - you can bind AppleScripts to when your phone goes out of/in range, and when you get a call. (so you can mute iTunes for example, or pause a DVD)
BluePhoneElite
BluePhoneElite manages SMSes - you can use it to chat via SMS, and much more. It also alerts you when you get a phone call. It also has event support, but more limited than Salling Clicker.
Romeo
Romeo lets you use your cell phone as a remote control.
