Getting Online On The Road With Bluetooth

Getting Online On The Road With Bluetooth

Vishnu K. Mahmud
Contributor
Jakarta
vmahmud@yahoo.com

Life as a road warrior in Jakarta is getting easier. As more and
more people go online, businesses are beginning to see the
benefits of information technology and the Internet. Proposals,
orders or invoices that were once submitted via post or telefax
can now be electronically submitted online via the World Wide
Web. But what happens if you are out on the road and can't get
back to your office?

Short of going to a warnet, or an Internet Kiosk as they are
known here, the proper road warrior should always come prepared
to send and receive documents whenever and wherever they find
themselves.

Although wireless fidelity (WiFi) is the latest communications
technology breakthrough in the region, Jakarta does not have as
many "hotspots" compared to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore for
connecting to the Internet wirelessly. What's more, older
notebook users without the new Centrino chips from Intel or a
built-in wireless feature would have to purchase a rather
expensive WiFi card to plug into their PC-card slot.

But what if you're stuck in traffic, far away from the warnets
or hotspots in malls, and that tender has to be submitted in five
minutes? Have you considered connecting with your cellular phone?
Via Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is perhaps the forgotten technology during the
current hype of WiFi and Third Generation (3G) cellular services.
It allows devices, usually computers to peripherals, to securely
communicate with each other, bypassing the need for the
traditional wires or cables. Although it has a much smaller
bandwidth compared to WiFi, Bluetooth does have its advantages.

For example, you can securely store your phone in a bag or
purse and talk with a Bluetooth hands-free headset. You can
transfer data to digital cameras, personal digital assistants,
and others across the room. Wireless keyboards and mouses can be
connected via Bluetooth instead of infrared or lengthy cables.

There were even plans to use Bluetooth as a biometrics
security device. Clip the chip onto your necktie, watch or
wallet, and the computer will automatically log you on and
remember the last program you used even before you sit down at
your desk.

Major handset and laptop manufacturers are now releasing
hardware with built-in Bluetooth connectivity. Nowadays the
latest Sony Ericsson (www.sonyericsson.com/id) and Nokia
(www.nokia.com) cell phone models come equipped with it.

The latest computer models from IBM and Apple are just a few
hardware manufacturers that also offer built-in Bluetooth. If
your laptop lacks this facility, you can always go out and
purchase an inexpensive USB Bluetooth dongle, which retails for
about Rp 400,000, by D-Link (www.d-link.com) or Billionton
(www.billionton.com) just to name a few.

IM3 (www.m3-access.com) and Telkomsel (www.telkomsel.com) are
two providers that offer General Packet Radio System (GPRS)
connectivity. With this 2.5G (generation) medium, users can
access the Internet using their mobile phone browser to check for
e-mails or breaking news. And with Bluetooth, certain cell phone
models can even be connected to a computer to surf the Web.

To connect two devices to Bluetooth, they must first be
"paired". This is to prevent the unauthorized access of a device
by external parties. Both devices must agree to be paired or
connected to each other by entering the same password; for
example, "1234" on both the computer and the cell phone when
prompted. Once paired, the two devices will communicate with each
other whenever they are in close proximity or turned on.

With the helpful instructions from the IM3 website, I was able
to connect my Apple iBook to the Web using my trusty Ericsson
T39. With the help of Apple's iSync software, I could even
synchronize my address book to the handset, thus allowing me to
enter and edit phone numbers from the computer, completely
bypassing the cell phone's small keypad.

This setup allows people to make use of existing technology to
connect to the Internet. Although the 3G and wider hotspots are
just around the corner, for those who need to get online wherever
and whenever they need to can do so with this existing
technology.

However, road warriors be warned, the cost for using GPRS with
a laptop is charged by the kilobyte, ranging from Rp 20 to Rp 30
per kilobyte, depending on your service provider. Downloading a
multi-megabyte file -- 1 megabyte=1,000 kilobytes -- can be a
rather expensive proposition, so use your bandwidth wisely, such
as checking and sending important e-mail.

For more information about Bluetooth, check out
www.bluetooth.com