Getting Online On The Road With Bluetooth<\/p>\n
Vishnu K. Mahmud
\nContributor
\nJakarta
\nvmahmud@yahoo.com<\/p>\n
Life as a road warrior in Jakarta is getting easier. As more and
\nmore people go online, businesses are beginning to see the
\nbenefits of information technology and the Internet. Proposals,
\norders or invoices that were once submitted via post or telefax
\ncan now be electronically submitted online via the World Wide
\nWeb. But what happens if you are out on the road and can't get
\nback to your office?<\/p>\n
Short of going to a warnet, or an Internet Kiosk as they are
\nknown here, the proper road warrior should always come prepared
\nto send and receive documents whenever and wherever they find
\nthemselves.<\/p>\n
Although wireless fidelity (WiFi) is the latest communications
\ntechnology breakthrough in the region, Jakarta does not have as
\nmany \"hotspots\" compared to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore for
\nconnecting to the Internet wirelessly. What's more, older
\nnotebook users without the new Centrino chips from Intel or a
\nbuilt-in wireless feature would have to purchase a rather
\nexpensive WiFi card to plug into their PC-card slot.<\/p>\n
But what if you're stuck in traffic, far away from the warnets
\nor hotspots in malls, and that tender has to be submitted in five
\nminutes? Have you considered connecting with your cellular phone?
\nVia Bluetooth?<\/p>\n
Bluetooth is perhaps the forgotten technology during the
\ncurrent hype of WiFi and Third Generation (3G) cellular services.
\nIt allows devices, usually computers to peripherals, to securely
\ncommunicate with each other, bypassing the need for the
\ntraditional wires or cables. Although it has a much smaller
\nbandwidth compared to WiFi, Bluetooth does have its advantages.<\/p>\n
For example, you can securely store your phone in a bag or
\npurse and talk with a Bluetooth hands-free headset. You can
\ntransfer data to digital cameras, personal digital assistants,
\nand others across the room. Wireless keyboards and mouses can be
\nconnected via Bluetooth instead of infrared or lengthy cables.<\/p>\n
There were even plans to use Bluetooth as a biometrics
\nsecurity device. Clip the chip onto your necktie, watch or
\nwallet, and the computer will automatically log you on and
\nremember the last program you used even before you sit down at
\nyour desk.<\/p>\n
Major handset and laptop manufacturers are now releasing
\nhardware with built-in Bluetooth connectivity. Nowadays the
\nlatest Sony Ericsson (www.sonyericsson.com\/id) and Nokia
\n(www.nokia.com) cell phone models come equipped with it.<\/p>\n
The latest computer models from IBM and Apple are just a few
\nhardware manufacturers that also offer built-in Bluetooth. If
\nyour laptop lacks this facility, you can always go out and
\npurchase an inexpensive USB Bluetooth dongle, which retails for
\nabout Rp 400,000, by D-Link (www.d-link.com) or Billionton
\n(www.billionton.com) just to name a few.<\/p>\n
IM3 (www.m3-access.com) and Telkomsel (www.telkomsel.com) are
\ntwo providers that offer General Packet Radio System (GPRS)
\nconnectivity. With this 2.5G (generation) medium, users can
\naccess the Internet using their mobile phone browser to check for
\ne-mails or breaking news. And with Bluetooth, certain cell phone
\nmodels can even be connected to a computer to surf the Web.<\/p>\n
To connect two devices to Bluetooth, they must first be
\n\"paired\". This is to prevent the unauthorized access of a device
\nby external parties. Both devices must agree to be paired or
\nconnected to each other by entering the same password; for
\nexample, \"1234\" on both the computer and the cell phone when
\nprompted. Once paired, the two devices will communicate with each
\nother whenever they are in close proximity or turned on.<\/p>\n
With the helpful instructions from the IM3 website, I was able
\nto connect my Apple iBook to the Web using my trusty Ericsson
\nT39. With the help of Apple's iSync software, I could even
\nsynchronize my address book to the handset, thus allowing me to
\nenter and edit phone numbers from the computer, completely
\nbypassing the cell phone's small keypad.<\/p>\n
This setup allows people to make use of existing technology to
\nconnect to the Internet. Although the 3G and wider hotspots are
\njust around the corner, for those who need to get online wherever
\nand whenever they need to can do so with this existing
\ntechnology.<\/p>\n
However, road warriors be warned, the cost for using GPRS with
\na laptop is charged by the kilobyte, ranging from Rp 20 to Rp 30
\nper kilobyte, depending on your service provider. Downloading a
\nmulti-megabyte file -- 1 megabyte=1,000 kilobytes -- can be a
\nrather expensive proposition, so use your bandwidth wisely, such
\nas checking and sending important e-mail.<\/p>\n
For more information about Bluetooth, check out
\nwww.bluetooth.com<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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