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After
playing with all other cool features of my new
LG
VX8100 mobile phone, I decided to test the Bluetooth capability. I
already had my
HP Pavilion ZT3280US which has Bluetooth built-in and I also bought
my coolest new headset, the
Motorola HS850. But I was not satisfied just
yet; I wanted to be able to connect my phone to my desktop computer and backup
the data on my phone for emergencies (which happened once already; I had
accidentally reset my phone while playing with it). So I went to BestBuy and
purchased this tiny Kensington USB Bluetooth adapter.
DESIGN :
First of all let me point out that the picture you see for this product is the
incorrect picture but the specifications are correct. So let me describe the
design of this unit.
It is about 2 inches in length, about 3/4 of an inch in width, and just a little
less than 1/2 an inch in depth; so it is very small. It will not disturb any
thing else plugged in to your other USB ports. If you have some USB ports in the
front of your computer (like me), it would even be easier to use. It weighs
between 5 and 6 ounces.
There is a very small FastLink button that allows you to connect you keyboard
and mouse devices quickly. But I do not have a Bluetooth compatible keyboard or
mouse so I will just not use it.
It comes with a protective cap to cover the USB connector so no harm will come
to it. This cap comes off easily but it does not fit on the back of the adapter
like the pens we use or like the
SanDisk Cruzer Mini 256MB flash drive.
INSTALLATION :
Well it does not take much to install this thing and get it working. The
instruction booklet says to remove any existing (Bluetooth) drivers from you
computer and then install the drivers from the included CD. After the drivers
are installed, just take the cap off and plug it in to one of your computers
available USB port. If the drivers are install properly, you computer will
automatically recognize the adapter. And if you have not noticed already, this
is not a plug-n-play (pnp) device so you will definitely need the driver CD that
is included in the package.
To install the drivers, just insert the CD in your CD-Rom drive and the driver
installation program should start automatically (but if it does not, you can
always browse to your CD drive and run it from there). Just follow the
instruction on the setup program and complete the installation. If it requires
you to restart your computer then do so without question.
CONFIGURATION & USAGE :
The first time is always the hardest because you are not sure what you are doing
(Hmmm?). No… seriously, once you have it setup properly the first time you will
be all set there after. Since I wanted to connect to my mobile phone, it took me
about 20 minutes to figure out how the whole thing worked. I also found a
software program that downloads all data from my phone to my computer via
Bluetooth.
If I wanted to connect to my mouse or keyboard then I would just use the
FastLink button on the adapter itself to find, pair, and connect to the devices.
But since I was connecting to my phone, I needed to use the Bluetooth Serial
Port and configure the software to work with that port (COM3, COM4, etc).
Once everything is configured (found, paired, and connected), all you need to do
is use whatever software you have to transfer, synchronize, and use the
connected devices. When I am not using the Bluetooth, I unplug the adapter and
store it. When I want to use it I just plug it in and the computer automatically
detects and turns the service on.
RANGE, SPEED, & COMPATIBILITY :
The specifications say that this device has a range of up to 65 feet (20
meters), but it all depends on how much interference you have in the area
between the adapter and the device you want to connect to. I get good connection
and speed when my phone is in the same room as my computer, but if I plug it in
to charge in the next room (bedroom), I get half the strength and speed. I mean
if I left my phone on the other side of the house, I would still get a
connection but it would not be as strong. So for best performance I would
suggest keeping the device and adapter in the same vicinity.
The maximum transmission speed for this device is 723 Kbps (Kilo Bits per
Second); that is faster than any dialup, or some DSL connections. But I would
not count on achieving this maximum speed because it all depends on the signal
strength and the device you are connecting to (the device must be able to handle
this speed too).
This adapter uses Bluetooth version 1.2 and it is also backwards compatible with
version 1.1 devices too. It can link up to 7 devices at once within its range.
You can also do wireless networking with this adapter but I have not figured
that out yet. I am in the process of trying to use my DSL connection (on my
desktop) via Bluetooth from my laptop. I am pretty sure it is achievable; I just
have to play around with it and figure it out. This requires time which I do
lack.
WARRANTY :
Kensington provides a 1 year limited warranty on this product. To obtain
warranty service or more information, you can call their technical support at
1-800-535-4242 or 650-572-2700, or visit their website
at
www.kensington.com.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE :
I have been using this for about a month now and I have so far saved all my
contacts from my mobile phones memory to my computer. I can also download my
pictures, video clips, and sounds too. Best of all, I can upload ring tones from
my computer to the cell phone (I downloaded these from the Internet for free…
don’t ask me how).
I have not tried to use more than one device simultaneously because I just got
too lazy. At one point I got my Motorola HS850 to work on my desktop to dictate
an essay I wanted to write for my class.
As of now, I am waiting for a Bluetooth iPod; just imagine the possibilities.
That is a good idea; maybe I should patent this idea and make a lot of money.
Well let me finish this review while I work on that getting the patent.
FINAL THOUGHTS :
I know that a lot of people do not know how Bluetooth works, but I did not know
either until I tried it. I was skeptical at first too, but I tried it anyway. It
beats plugging in wires to transfer files and data. So get yourself a Bluetooth
compatible device and this adapter, and explore the endless possibilities. |
