far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Friday, October 11, 2002

Bluetooth is to USB what 802.11b is to Ethernet or more simply put, Bluetooth is wireless USB. Perfect for short-range connection between computers, cell phones and other peripherals, Bluetooth needs a great OS to take the next step. Enter Jaguar, with it's world-class Bluetooth stack and a host of features to work with Bluetooth enabled devices. Here are the features in Jaguar, specifically designed to work with Bluetooth: Bluetooth File Exchange can transfer files peer-to-peer between two blue tooth devices. For example, I use it to copy desktop pictures to my T68i cell phone. Bluetooth System Preference controls discoverability, encryption settings, serial port mapping and control over paired devices. AddressBook can send a vCard to a Bluetooth cell phone, can place calls and display incoming call details. Bluetooth Modem support in Network preferences that lets you use a GPRS data connection to access the Internet (with required support from the carrier). iSync will sync the contents of your AddressBook contacts and iCal calendars with a supported Bluetooth phone or Palm. More information about Bluetooth at Apple can be found at the Bluetooth website. Developer information can be found at the Apple Developer Connection site.   [Ken Bereskin's Radio Weblog] [dws.] 12:41:27 AM    comment []

The Macintosh News Network: Ultra-compact USB Bluetooth adapter released "The D-Link PersonalAir DBT-120 is an ultra-compact Bluetooth USB wireless adapter for connecting different Bluetooth-enabled devices. The $60 device, which is compatible with Macs and PCs, is compliant with Bluetooth 1.1 specs, provides speeds up to 723Kbps with a range of 33 feet and 128-bit encryption. The adapter requires Mac OS X 10.1.4 or higher and Apple's Bluetooth Technology Preview 2 or just Mac OS X 10.2." Ordered mine! [dws.] 12:41:15 AM    comment []

Borders and T-Mobile to put hot spots in 400 stores by early 2003: T-Mobile and Borders Books announced today that T-Mobile would create hot spots in 400 Borders store by early next year. This begs several questions: Starbucks is the exclusive national partner for cafes for Barnes and Noble -- did B and N blink?; do we really need a hot spot in tiny cafes with small tables attached to a bookstore? (that begs a lot of questions); and, why can't Borders and T-Mobile actually post a press release on their respective sites when at least two media outlets have the information? Alan Reiter beats me to the link, once again, and offers a variety of analysis on the topic. [80211b News] [dws.] 12:40:58 AM    comment []

Increase airport reception range on TiBooks [Mac OS X Hints] WebDIVA says, "...to eject the battery and look at the right side wall of the battery compartment where I was supposed to find an approximately 5 cm long plastic strip. (My particular powerbook doesn't have this visible -- instead, there is a plate with the serial number, etc...) Still, he told me to firmly press the side wall of the powerbook against the frame, just slowly and firmly pressing along its length several times for about 10 seconds." [dws.] 12:39:14 AM    comment []