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DIY Bluetooth Headset And Other Inventions

Posted by timothy on from the frobnabulator dept.

NETHED writes "Circuit Cellar has an blurb about a guy who obviously got sick of waiting for a cheap solution to the BlueTooth cellphone headset. So in true geek tradition, he rolled his own. Here is the description of the toy (which looks bulky as-is, but could be fixed w/ some refining). It actually didn't win any prizes in the PSoC contest, but you have to admit, its pretty cool. There are other honorable mentions like a poor man's O-scope to something that seems to attach to a moth and check its muscle movements. Neat and nerdy stuff for the circuit etching crowd."

11 of 80 comments (clear)

  1. DIY by Omkar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    And SciAm just ran an editorial lamenting the demise of DIY. I guess that these innovations need a higher profile if we are to encourage science and technology as interests for youth.

    1. Re:DIY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      DIY pretty much died with BGA-packaging. None of the currently interesting integrated circuits come in DIY friendly "dual-inline packages" anymore. If you're lucky you can get SMD-chips with tiny contact distances, but chips aimed at mobile devices like Bluetooth controllers are only available as BGA (ball grid array) packages, which means you need either quite expensive tools or a great deal of luck, an oven and some spares of your board and the chip to experiment with. The DIY Bluetooth headset is built around a developer board for the Bluetooth controller for that reason. The chips may be cheap, but combining them to useful gadgets is now prohibitively expensive unless you want to produce thousands.

  2. Re:Why not simple RF? by Suicide · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Does going digital add any advantage to this kind of application?

    Just going digital, probably not. However, I can run to the local cell phone store and buy a phone with BT. Anyone know where I can buy a cell phone with a "simple RF" interface, that is standard enough to either build or buy a headset for it?

  3. Wierd Results by mritunjai · · Score: 5, Interesting
    OT: But is it just me who finds it wierd that a simple Ultrasonic Distance meter won first prize whereas other more useful devices were dumped ?

    eg. See this Ultra sonic mapper which does all what the No. 1 does plus MUCH more, and Geeky Keep-in-touch device.

    May be their stress was on purely pSoC based systems (No. 1 doesn't have any other semiconductor device than pSoC). Even if it was this, they should have mentioned this in their competition.
    I all my impression is that creativity and effort has been brushed aside in this competition.

    Regards
    - Mritunjai

    --
    - mritunjai
  4. Re:Why not simple RF? by matthew.thompson · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Bluetooth also includes encryption and authentication. Do you really want the guy in the seat next to you to answer your phone call before you because he has quicker reflexes and a "simple RF" interface headset?

    Bluetooth is the ideal interface as it interoperates with other devices in the the area. I use bluetooth between an iBook and Nokia handset and I've never had any problems with the devices not connecting to each other.

    --
    Matt Thompson - Actuality - Insert product here.
  5. WOW! by ctar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This entry won 2nd place, and for good reason...Here's the gist of it:

    This device sits in between your TV and your cable or antenna source. It strips out the close captioning information, and replaces it with custom information from your PC and/or caller ID, and prints it as a headline on your TV using the close captioning feature.

    He says the box itself can decode caller ID info from your phone, and has a wireless link to get IM or 'You've Got Mail' type updates from your PC...Pretty sneaky. er...Geeky

  6. The problem with headsets is the battery life! by seamustheshark · · Score: 4, Interesting


    I have a dinky-little SonyEricsson headset for my Nokia 6310, and even after being fully charged, the battery in the thing only lasts around four-to-five hours in its 'standby' mode.

    If actually used to make/receive a call, the battery life is even worse!

    So, in all, a nice gimmick, looks lovely, but almost completely useless as it won't last the duration of a working day.

    (And, of course, there's no 'in-car' charger available!!)

    --
    -- Seamus
    1. Re:The problem with headsets is the battery life! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Take the the battery out of the phone and drop it on a hard wood or concrete floor from a about 2ft to 3 ft. This will should shatter the crystals that have formed around the terminals in the battary. This only goes for Nickel-Cadmium and Nickel-Metel-Hydride if I remember correctly. This should counter act the memory effect of this batterys.

  7. bluetooth module by MenAtWork · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I tried to stake out digikey to see if i can buy some bluetooth module, doesn't seem like, does any one know where to buy bluetooth modules. Also I find it surprising that the part number for the bluetooth module was the only thing not mentioned in the project details.

  8. Re:Great Idea by cosyne · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'd like to have a headset that switches to the best avalable carrier, be that my cell phone, the landline in the lab (where my cell phone doesn't work), 802.11 VoIP, or maybe directly to the headset of the person i'm talking to, if they happen to be in range. Actually, i'd rather that my cell handset did this, but since Cingular covered $200 of it, i don't see it switching to landline or 802.11 VoIP anytime soon.

  9. Some bluetooth stuff I want by rosewood · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Sure, I want my cellphone and PDA bluetooth'd so that when I come near the two of them sync with my PC so all my shit is together, so to speak.

    I also really want the bluetooth earpiece so I look like even more of a loon then I do with my hands free.

    I also want bluetooth locks on my door and my car. Oh you say wait until your 1337s hit me and break in ... make the encryption key strong enough (can be generated on my box and just sent to phone so the phone doesnt have to gen it) so its not possible. The point of these is so whenever I get to my door, the house unlocks or when I get to my car, its unlocked.

    I also want the ATMs and Vending Machines Bluetooth enabled. I just worry about the Vending Machines getting used more by me when I dont have to watch moneys go into it.

    Yes, bluetooth enabled TV/Receivers. Truely universal remotes.

    Bluetooth enabled appliances. Control the hot and cold from my PDA, start the oven, etc. (Again, like all of these, you just need strong encryption. ALso, bluetooth is short range so I war chalking shouldnt be much of a problem?)

    Please, someone start this REVOLUTION already ):

    --
    The ultimate network admin tool needs HELP!