Bluetooth expands your smartphone's capabilities.
Taken from the name of a 10th century Danish king, Bluetooth technology first appeared in 1998. The purpose of the Scandinavian developers was to provide a low cost wireless communications solution to a burgeoning cell phone market. They achieved this by mating a very low power consumption design with a universally available communications frequency of 2.4 GHz. As a result, as of 2011, Bluetooth devices are used in over a half of a billion individual machines worldwide.
Hands Free Mobile Communications
The most observable use of Bluetooth technology fits in your ear. These ubiquitous ear buds first appeared in the late 1990s as headsets and rapidly shrank to sizes that in some cases are nearly invisible to the casual observer. In many states drivers are not allowed to hold their cell phone while operating their vehicle. The most widely used solution to this problem is the Bluetooth ear piece. As of the 2012 model year, most automobile manufacturers offer built in Bluetooth either as standard equipment or as an option on many of their vehicles.
Other Mobile Phone Bluetooth Applications
As mobile phones evolved into more and more sophisticated platforms, Bluetooth utility grew well beyond the wireless ear microphone. When cell phones got "smart," Bluetooth began transferring music from PCs to smartphone MP3 players. Bluetooth became useful in transferring images from phone to computer and phone to phone when cellphone cameras arrived. With the introduction of keyboards on mobile phones, Bluetooth connected them to printers and fax machines. As of 2011, Bluetooth technology is being used by brick and mortar retailers in malls and city centers to send coupons to mobile phones with open connectivity. In Japan, Bluetooth equipped mobile phones are even used as credit cards to wirelessly purchase all sorts of goods and services.
Mobile Phones and Bluetooth: Past and Future
You may even see the Bluetooth icon in the lower right hand corner of your monitor as you read this article. The blue double triangle design is a combination of the ancient Scandinavian letters, H and B, standing for the technology's namesake, King Harald Bluetooth. Just as mobile phones have progressed over the past decade, as of 2011, Bluetooth is in its fourth iteration. The latest 4.0 version will be introducing a wristwatch link between selected watches and smartphones that will notify the watch when a call or text message arrives on the phone and even warn the user if the cell phone is left behind and help to find a lost phone.
Security Considerations
Bluetooth operates on a universally available frequency of 2.4 GHz, the same as many cordless phones, garage doors and even some TV remote controls. Anyone with a police scanner and a reasonably good knowledge of electronic communication can hack into your mobile phone conversation and even download your SIM memory if you leave your Bluetooth setting to "Allow All" and keep it turned on. Furthermore, a sophisticated hacker with the right equipment can actually "clone" your cell phone from up to 100 yards away using a Bluetooth "backdoor." Care should always be taken when setting mobile phone Bluetooth connectivity.
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