Apple Releases Bluetooth Software

mattvd writes "Keeping with thier promises from a few weeks ago, Apple has released thier Bluetooth software for MacOS X today. More info about the release is in the KnowledgeBase. Apple is also selling a D-Link USB Bluetooth Adapter."

Comments

Get rid of cable clutter?

[PD]

When I think of cable clutter, I think of keyboard cables, mouse cables, monitor cables, and power cables. This doesn't seem to do anything for those cables at all.

Re:Get rid of cable clutter?

[usr122122121]

About "keyboard cables, mouse cables":
If bluetooth is going to serve as wireless USB... Why wouldn't it support mice and keyboards?
In addition, there are many wireless keyboards and mice available out on the market.

About "monitor cables, power cables":
I feel your pain there... I don't dare go behind my system anymore...
The ADC connector, however, replaces the usual USB, power, and video cables from the computer to the monitor with just one wire. Too bad I don't have one of those monitors :-)

Re:Get rid of cable clutter?

[PD]

I just looked up wireless keyboards and mice, and guess what, they still have wires. Short little ones, connecting to the transceiver that plugs into the keyboard or mouse port, but wires nonetheless.

Re:Get rid of cable clutter?

[usr122122121]

i believe we were both picking nits, so to speak :-)

News?

[usr122122121]

I don't mean to sound trollish, but the Apple Bluetooth Technology Preview (version 1.0.0) was released on 4/01/02, a couple days ago.
This isn't really news.

Apple should Jump on Bluettoth!

[zulux]

When installed the new IMac looks like an octopuss. They would do well to ship bletooth keyboards and mice - if they can keep the battery requirements low.

Re:Apple should Jump on Bluettoth!

[Anonymous Coward]

Well a bluetooth mouse atleast ! Then you could put a small scoop on the keyboard, you could sit the mouse on upright on, and charge the mouse batteries!

The real question is...

[Daniel Wood]

When will it be a full implimentation and be able to talk to PCs.

So what *is* Apple thinking?

[droleary]

This topic came up on Slashdot's #MacOSX IRC channel the other day and we couldn't quite figure out what Apple was up to. Why Bluetooth and why now? The idea of cell phone or PDA sync'ing (or wireless keyboards and mice) isn't exactly new and it's not something that people are rushing out to adopt. Since Apple has already said they won't be doing PDAs any time soon, what "digital hub" technology do you think they have in the works that Bluetooth is the killer app for?

The one thing I thought would be potentially cool would be to get a wireless headset normally used for cell phones and have it be my main interface to Speakable Items, which I find myself using more and more under OS X. Anyone else care to speculate?

Re:So what *is* Apple thinking?

[SIGFPE]

Do you work in an office? If you do, how do your neighbours feel about Speakable Items? I've tried it once - too embarassing!

Re:So what *is* Apple thinking?

[Anonymous Coward]

if im not mistaken, this can lead to wireless external drives, wireless printers, or other devices. I think apple has bigger plans than PDA's

Re:So what *is* Apple thinking?

[droleary]

Do you work in an office? If you do, how do your neighbours feel about Speakable Items? I've tried it once - too embarassing!

Then you really shouldn't be saying things like, "Computer, download porn." Wait until you get home to do that kind of stuff. :-)

Seriously, I don't know what you're talking about. If you get strange looks for calling a computer a computer, use a different name. People in the next cube shouldn't be any more disturbed by you talking to the computer than they are with you talking on the phone. Having a Bluetooth headset would further blur the line between human interaction and computer interaction, especially if you could switch back and forth between the two.

"Steve, what time is it?"
"Nancy, can we set up a meeting with the Foo account creative lead for 3:30?"
"Steve, give me a weather report."
"Bill, what say we meet over dinner instead of golf?"

Re:So what *is* Apple thinking?

[shawnce]

Bluetooth would be a VERY slow hard drive interface.

Printers do make sense, as does keyboards, mice, and other low data rate devices... basically BlueTooth will replace IR based links and some USB links.

Re:So what *is* Apple thinking?

[Perdo]

Simple. Apple's hardware is all about style and cables are ugly. Bluetooth is the larval stage of a technology that will replace USB, Firewire, VGA, SCSI, PCI.

Imagine a bucket.

Toss a processor in the bucket.

Throw in some Storage, Video modual, Whatever moduals you can afford and think you need.

Turn on the inductance coil in the bottom of the bucket and your ad-hoc computer boots. All the busses are lightning fast wireless.

Need a cluster's power? Throw more processors in the bucket.

All that computer junk you accumulate would still be usefull just leave it in the bucket. The bucket could be a computer case, water fountain, monitor, grandfather clock, robotic chassis or for the freaks willing to give up their freedom, inide their own bodies.

Give it Ten years...

Yeah, but...

[bdesham]

I don't have any Bluetooth-using appliances. The closest thing is my Palm m100, which doesn't (AFAIK) support expansion like this. The wires and clutter- on my desk or anyone else's- aren't going to go away for at least another year, while companies update their stuff so it works with Bluetooth. When they all do, though, it'll be sweet!

Hurrah for new standards!

[TwitchCHNO]

It's nice to see a company adopt new standards.

I am seeing alot of "But I don't have anything that uses bluetooth" posts.

The same comments were posted when apple introduced USB & ESPECIALLY Firewire.

The answer is: you will.

I don't know if apple will eventually integrate bluetooth into its products - it might. Apple has a history of adopting new standards & making them sucessful (USB/Fire Wire/ 802.11b). I don't know if they will adopt USB 2.0 before they release IEE 1394b - hopefully support for those standards will be along soon.

Re:Hurrah for new standards!

[sg3000]

> I don't know if apple will eventually integrate
> bluetooth into its products - it might.

As of late, Apple's been doing a good job about not just introducing technologies for its own sake, but when they have something definite in mind.

With the "old Apple", they'd introduce a bunch of technologies, let them sit in your Apple Extras folder where they would get old and stale, and then kind of go away (or have minimal usage). Think OpenDoc (Cyberdog was way too slow to be useful), IrDA, the Geoport (except for that sorry modem-like thing), and other stuff.

With the "new Apple", I can think of hardly anything that is introduced that doesn't pay back some short-term dividends. Apple bought SoundJam, and then came out with the cool iTunes. They starting sticking FireWire on their computer, and then quickly came out with the iPod. We get 802.11 capabilities, and they immediately come out with the AirPort base station and Mac OS X support. Well, maybe Sherlock's kind of dying, but I think on the whole Apple's doing a good job with this. That shows some improved discipline for introducing new products, and it's a good sign of strong leadership in product management.

The fact that Apple recently added support for BlueTooth probably means that we can expect something cool, perhaps next year.

Q for an owner

[laertes]

I have a question for someone who is familliar with this software

If I have a iMac connected to the internet full time, and I also have a iBook, could I use bluetooth to access the internet wirelessly from my iBook?

Thanks.

Re:Q for an owner

[Xenex]

"If I have a iMac connected to the internet full time, and I also have a iBook, could I use bluetooth to access the internet wirelessly from my iBook?"

No.

As mentioned on their Bluetooth page, Apple have said that Bluetooth is for wireless peripheral connection, and list it next to USB/FireWire. For wireless networking applications, such as what you're asking, Apple is AirPort/802.11b all the way.

So, basically, go buy two AirPort cards and wait for software Base Station support in OS X, or buy an AirPort Base Station. Once you've had a wireless notebook you'll never go back.

Re:Q for an owner

[Anonymous Coward]

Software Base Station support is available in OS X.
You don't have to use an Apple branded Wireless Access Point - a $125 Linksys or Buffalotech works just as well.

Re:Q for an owner

[Tug3]

In theory: yes.
In reality: no!

It could be done, providing someone would be idiot enough to build appropriate software to do it. I use the word idiot here for a purpose! This because Bluetooth protocol was never designed to handle network trafic. Although it can easily handle a small 2-5 computer network, but still I would definately recommend using WLAN (AirPort) for this. It was built for this purpose! Secondly there is the signal strenght issue. Bluetooth was never designed to cover such a wide are as WLAN, so these small USB-dongle-adapters do not have the power to penetrate walls as well as AirPort network. With Airport you can easily cover your whole appartment with one base station.

And I can recommend from experience the AirPort, It's great just lying down with my laptop and reading my eMail...
As for Bluetooth in general, I can't wait to get my hands on it! I can finally sync my PDA without cables...
...if someone would just figure out a way to distribute power without cables...

Re:Q for an owner

[Anonymous Coward]

Are both Bluetooth and 802.11b on the same part of the spectrum? Are there any interference problems?

Re:Q for an owner

[DavidRavenMoon]

...if someone would just figure out a way to distribute power without cables...

Tesla did that already!

Re:Q for an owner

[pesi]

Yeah! And they did it in G.I.Joe The Movie as well. The B.E.T. Broadcast Energy Transmitter. Boy howdy, was it ever scary when they turned Cobra Commander into a snake.

Re:Q for an owner

[DavidRavenMoon]

I guess you went to see that movie huh? Did you wear your G.I. Joe costume? ;-)

Regardless, Tesla demonstrated floresent light tubes lit by induction powered from one of his big towers, like the one he was building in NY.

Re:Q for an owner

[yooniks]

Use gNAT on Mac OS X. It's the equivalent of the old Software Base Station:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/networking_s ecurity/gnat.html