The Advantages of Bluetooth Technology - Essay Example

Bluetooth Introduction It would not be wrong to term the current times as the ‘Era of Communication’. The advancement in communication has leaped man to a new level where people can connect with other people; send messages or files, from anywhere at any time. The modern man is always equipped with gadgets, even when he is on the move. These gadgets may range from laptops to cell phones to PDAs etc. These devices interact with each other and form a kind of a community. Some of the most common technologies for connectivity between devices are: Bluetooth ­WiFi Infrared signals Bluetooth technology is among the most famous ones and is used by people all over the world. Franklin and Layton (2010) describe Bluetooth as an automatic and wireless technology; these features do not hinder in the mobility of the individual. It has many features which make our lives convenient in many ways. Main Body History of Bluetooth Bluetooth can be termed as an innovative wireless technology; Bluetooth SIG (2010) states that it was developed in the late 1990s. ADCOMBHS highlights the historical developments of Bluetooth and states that nine major companies that dealt with communication and computers decided to join hands to support this technology so that their devices would be able to communicate with each other. The names that initially got together for this purpose were; Ericsson, Nokia, Intel, IBM, 3Com, Microsoft, Motorola, Toshiba and Lucent. It was after this collaboration that this technology was made available to the public. Not many people know about the origin of the word ‘Bluetooth’. GsmFavorites.com (2003) explains in one of their articles that it is named after a Viking king in the 10th century C.E who lived in the country of Denmark. His name was Harald Bluetooth; he was the son of King Gorm the Old. He ruled Denmark approximately from 958 for a few years. Lycos Inc (2008) further explains that he was known to unify Denmark and some parts of Norway into one empire. He also brought about awareness about the religion of Christianity and encouraged people to embrace it. With the advent of Bluetooth technology, Ericsson decided to honour King Harald and named the technology after him. Bluetooth technology united the communication companies just like King Harald was responsible for uniting Denmark and Norway. Due to this reason, the technology was named after him. Bluetooth – what is it? Erin (2010) explains in his article that Bluetooth is a short range wireless technology that helps the user to communicate with other devices to transmit voice and data. It helps in connecting various devices together when they are in the required range, to transmit files and establish a personal area network or in other words PAN. Mitchell (2009) states that there is another word used for PAN which is ‘piconet’. Piconets usually contain a minimum of two devices or a maximum of 8 devices in the network. PCMag.com defined Bluetooth as a wireless technology that perform at the same rate in the presence of walls and other non-metallic barriers. Bluetooth technology was originally considered as a short range technology that would only replace the need to connect to computer devices with cables, for example with printers, scanners, mouse etc. But Bluetooth has proved to perform much more than this expectation. PCSleek.com (2006) states the maximum range in one of their articles, at which Bluetooth works effectively and recognizes the presence of other Bluetooth devices- around 30 feet. m-Indya (2009) highlights the components of Bluetooth in one of their articles, which are; antenna/RF component, Bluetooth software protocol stack, Bluetooth hardware and firmware and lastly the application which is running on the device . How does it Work? Oak (2008) states that Bluetooth devices and thus their networks send data through low-power radio waves and it interacts on a frequency which ranges from 2.402 to 2.480 GHz. He further stated that when devices come in contact with each other, their link managers discover each other and establish connections. One might wonder if different PAN will interfere with each other and how Bluetooth devices avoid talking to the existing devices in the environment. Franklin and Layton (2010) state that it makes use of a technique called spread-spectrum frequency hopping to avoid such happenings. Some people might not understand the difference between WLAN and Bluetooth; therefore it is important to highlight some of the differences here. Mitchell (2009) explains that WLAN can be considered as a LAN without cables, whereas Bluetooth is a way to connect short portable devices to facilitate transfer of data. WLAN is usually meant for resident equipments and implemented to get rid of cables but Bluetooth not only provides connectivity without cables, it also gives a medium to instantly connect personally carried gadgets like cell phones, PDAs etc. Bluetooth has a certain number of devices with which it can work i.e. it can connect maximum 8 devices together, whereas WLAN has no such limitation. Advantages of Bluetooth There are many advantages of using Bluetooth technology that have been witnessed over the years. Slivka (2009) describes the foremost advantage of Bluetooth technology as its feature of connecting devices together without the need of any cables or wires. Also, that the connection is very conveniently established between the devices. Using Bluetooth proves to be very cost effective as well, as the individual does not need to go through any expense of any cables or wires to setup a network. Another positive aspect of using Bluetooth is that it provides great ease to the user and enables him to make his calls while performing work that requires the use of both hands, for example; using Bluetooth to talk on the phone while driving has become very common and is preferred by many. Bluetooth is automatic and it doesn’t require the user to push any buttons or configure settings to establish a network. The devices tend to connect automatically when they come in each other’s range and start communicating. Slivka (2009) explains that Bluetooth requires low amount of energy as a result, it consumes less battery. This is very advantageous for cell phones as it does not drain their batteries. It is an upgradeable technology and new versions keep coming to give the user more features and advantages. This technology is based on standard protocol which makes it compatible with many devices. An innovative advantage that has recently become public is to incorporate Facebook with Bluetooth. BBC News (2007) reports that Bath University has developed an application that utilizes the unique identity of Bluetooth devices, for example cell phones, PDAs and make new friendship networks. Conclusion The advent of Bluetooth technology has provided mankind with a convenient and fast way of communication with different devices, ceasing the need for cables or wires. It has proven to assist individuals in different ways and different scenarios therefore it can be termed as multi-featured technology. Slivka (2009) states that Bluetooth technology can be considered as a world-wide universal standard that can be used by many devices. References ADCOMBHS, History of Bluetooth [Online], Available from: , [Accessed 18 Feb, 2010] Bluetooth SIG, Inc., 2010, History of Bluetooth Technology [Online], Available from: , [Accessed 20 Feb, 2010] BBC News, 2007, Bluetooth helps Facebook friends [Online], Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6949473.stm, [Accessed 19 Feb 2010] Erin, 2010, History of Bluetooth [Online], World Start.com, Available from: , [Accessed 18 Feb, 2010] Franklin, C., Layton, J., 2010, How Bluetooth Works [Online], How stuff Works, Available from: , [Accessed 18 Feb, 2010] GsmFavorites.com, 2003, The History of Bluetooth [Online], Available from: http://www.gsmfavorites.com/documents/bluetooth/history/, [Accessed 18 Feb, 2010] Lycos Inc, 2008, Bluetooth: Harald Bluetooth [Online], Available from: , [Accessed 18 Feb, 2010] m-Indya, 2009, Bluetooth -> Components [Online], Available from: , [Accessed 19 Feb, 2010] Mitchell, B., 2009, Bluetooth [Online], About.com, 2009, Available from: , [Accessed 19 Feb, 2010] Oak, M., 2008, How does Bluetooth Work? [Online], Buzzle.com, Available from: , [Accessed 20 Feb, 2010] PCMag.com, Definition of: Bluetooth [Online], Available from: , [Accessed 18 Feb, 2010] PCSleek.com, 2006, Bluetooth Definition [Online], Available from: , [Accessed 19 Feb, 2010] Slivka, J., 2009, Advantages of Bluetooth [Online], Article Alley, Available from: , [Accessed 20 Feb, 2010] Read More