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http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=1349
12 Days of X-Mas: Wireless Bluetooth USB Adapter
By Michael Flaminio, Insanely Great Mac
December 5th 2002
Take the "wireless USB" Bluetooth technology for a spin
A couple months ago I took a look at using Apple's iSync with Bluetooth and the
Sony/Ericsson T68i phone. Since then I've been very pleased with the setup. I can keep
my address and appointments current on my computers and my cell phone. I've yet,
however, it pick up a new PDA, probably because I've yet to miss my old Palm III
that's collecting dust somewhere.
But if you have a PDA that Bluetooth-ready, this little thingy is worth checking out.
(Note, you'll likely also need a Bluetooth PDA expansion device) The adapter everyone
uses is the D-Link product, which sells for $49. There's actually two models out,
DBT-120 and DWB-120M. The 120M is designated as a Macintosh product, although both
work fine on a Mac. I picked up a DBT-120 and all is well. The Bluetooth adapter is
about as long as a paperclip and plugs into any open USB port, even on a keyboard. Mac
OS X has built-in support for it, so when it's plugged in, a Bluetooth option becomes
available in the preferences.
What I like about the D-Link Bluetooth is it's bulletproof. Pairing up your devices is
the only speed bump, but once set up, it works every time. Just plug it it and go. The
best part is you can just slip it into your keyboard when you need it. Bluetooth
operates on the same frequency (2.4 GHz) as Airport and many new cordless phones, and
like many Mac users, I have both. So the ability to just pop it in when you need it is
attractive in terms of both interference and security.
If you're in the market for a new cell phone, be sure to at least check out the T68i.
There are also printers out there too, and I suspect my next printer purchase will
have a Bluetooth option. On that note, I've heard of adapters to turn a regular
printer into a Bluetooth printer, but I don't know much about them, or any Mac
compatibility.
Throughout the month of December, Insanely Great Mac is posting gift ideas for the Mac
head on your Christmas list, or for yourself. We'll pick out hardware and software
items that hopefully will not be too obvious. All gift ideas will be priced below or
around $100. Feel free to comment on the items and offer your own suggestions in the
comments section below.
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