What is Bluetooth and what is it for

bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless technology designed to connect devices that are at a short distance. In 2000 it appeared on the first mobile phones and wireless hands-free headsets. Currently, we can find it in smartphones, tablets, mobiles, laptops, mice, keyboards, printers, digital cameras, headphones, televisions, multichannel receivers, car audio or video game consoles , among other products. Allows mobile phones are within range of a few meters can exchange data , such as photos, songs, videos or contact information. It is also valid to share filesbetween a laptop and a mobile or to print a photo directly from the camera. In addition, the user of a smartphone can listen to music, and answer calls using a compatible hands-free headset.

As there is no cable involved, it is a very easy technology to use. The latest version available is Bluetooth 4.0 which, like the previous ones, is backwards compatible. The effective range depends on the specific application and environmental conditions, such as the material and thickness of the walls indoors. In any case, the range in a 10 meter radius is usually quite common, although there are products capable of operating in a radius of up to 50 meters. In any case, using Bluetooth on any device, such as a smartphone or laptop, is very simple .

bluetooth

The first thing is to activate Bluetooth on the device and then make it " visible ". Afterwards, it is necessary to pair that device with the other with which it wants to communicate to establish a secure link. This operation of pairing or linking devices with each other is necessary for them to be recognized and only has to be done the first time. For this, both must be close within the range and it is necessary to assign a name. Both must have compatible Bluetooth versions so that there are no connection problems. What kinds of products are usually paired via Bluetooth? A mobile phone with a wireless headset. A computer with a wireless keyboard or mouse. A headset with a portable audio player or with a laptop. Or a smartphone and a hands-free car audio system. Now, security experts recommend keeping Bluetooth off when in use and setting the visibility of the mobile phone to hidden.

Bluetooth works by means of short-wave radio transmissions in the 2.4 GHz band creating personal area networks and consumes little power. More than 2.5 billion Bluetooth-enabled devices have already been sold worldwide. The SIG group (Bluetooth Special Interest Group) is responsible for standardizing the specifications of this technology and brings together more than 18,000 companies. On the other hand, the A2DP profile (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) of Bluetooth is the one that allows to transmit stereo audio in streaming, for example between a mobile phone and a wireless headset.