A Guide to Bluetooth Technology

We have seen them everywhere, their mouths move, their hands swing in wild patterns, but no one seems to be near them, not even a cell phone pressed to their head. What could possibly be going on? What could account for this mystery? The answer, as we all know quite well by now, is that those people are using Bluetooth technology to talk through their phones with only a small piece connected to their ears. Although this use of the technology may seem somewhat ridiculous at times, we must be careful not to judge Bluetooth only in that light alone. The technology allows us to do some truly incredibly things when it comes to communications. However, in order to truly appreciate what Bluetooth means and some of the great uses we can attain from it, we first have to understand a little bit about it.

First of all, Bluetooth technology is not brand new, although it has become more and more common as of late. The technology was actually introduced around the year 2000, although recent drops in prices have made it more accepting to consumers. Bluetooth, when it comes down to it, is nothing more than the repackaging of a very common idea. That idea, of course, is that if we want electronic devices to function, they have to have a way to connect to each other. Anyone who has ever used an Ethernet cable to connect to the internet should be fully aware of this idea. Electronic devices can also communicate to one another through simpler cables, such as a television cable, or communication can be achieved wirelessly (such as a wireless network), and some devices can even communicate with each other by using infrared signals. However, what makes Bluetooth technology so special is the fact that it is both an automatic (meaning that it does not require a separate prompt) and wireless and immediate network free (much like a cellular phone).