Andy Whiteford
08-27-2003, 06:30 PM
Those of you who have been fortunate enough to pick up one of HP's latest Pocket PCs will have a wireless capability built in under the guise of Bluetooth. There are other manufacturers who also have built this capability into some of their handhelds but if you have a device which lacks this technology but has a compact flash slot, help is at hand. Socket's Bluetooth Connection kit is one viable solution and a very good one at that.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/andyw-aug03-bluetooth-1.jpg" /><br /><!><br /><i>The Bluetooth connection kit from Socket includes a CD ROM, manual and PCMIA sled to go along with the card itself. Speaking of the main hardware, it's as small a card as you can expect in Compact Flash format, the same size as Compact Flash memory and because it's compatible with Type I, will be usable in any device with a Compact Flash slot. Due to the small nature of this card, there have been misleading reports that the antenna is actually internal and that this will impact on performance. On the contrary, the antenna runs along the top of the card which will be the outer most edge when installed in your Pocket PC meaning it has a good window to your Bluetooth partners. It also means there are no protruding parts to this card making it ideal to leave installed when using a case for example.</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/andyw-aug03-bluetooth-2.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 1: Contents of the package</i><br /><br /><span><b>Software</b></span><br />Installation of the Socket Bluetooth driver is straight forward. Once installation is complete, the standard Bluetooth icon will appear in the task tray in the lower right corner of the screen. This icon is your link to turning the card on or off as well as accessing the available Bluetooth services. This icon also lets you know the current state of the card i.e. blue for on or greyed out for off. As with any plug-in peripherals, it's important to ensure they are turned off when not in use to conserve precious battery power so this icon colour change is a welcome indicator. Tapping this icon pulls up a menu which provides access to the various services and properties.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/andyw-aug03-bluetooth-3.gif" /><br /><i>Figure 2: The Bluetooth icon and resultant menu</i><br /><br />The Bluetooth connection kit for Pocket PC offers the following services:<br /><li>General Access<br /><li>Service Discovery<br /><li>Serial Port<br /><li>Dial-up Networking<br /><li>LAN (via PPP)<br /><li>Fax<br /><li>Generic Object Exchange<br /><li>Object Push<br /><li>File TransferSetting up a connection with another Bluetooth-enabled device is simple and intuitive thanks to the use of wizards that guide you through the process step by step. It's also possible to connect to a Bluetooth enabled printer using third party printing software such as PrintPocketCE.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/andyw-aug03-bluetooth-4.gif" /><br /><i>Figure 3: Retrieving a list of services from a device is simple</i><br /><br /><span><b>Using the services</b></span><br />I never had the chance to try out every service on offer but had no issues with the ones I tested. Pairing my Pocket PC with my Sony Ericsson T68i is as simple as selecting the mobile phone option, selecting the phone from the list and completing the steps in the wizard. I was literally dialing out using my mobile phone over Bluetooth in a about a minute. ActiveSync follows a similar process using its own wizard to have me syncing with my desktop via a USB dongle in no time. LAN access including my shared Internet connection and transferring files were equally as simple to set up and this is a good sign of the strength of Socket's software package.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/andyw-aug03-bluetooth-5.gif" /><br /><i>Figure 4: The wizard guiding you through setting up a mobile phone connection</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/andyw-aug03-bluetooth-6.gif" /><br /><i>Figure 5: Searching out local Bluetooth devices</i><br /><br />All previously discovered devices are stored which saves time when looking to find and connect to a new service. If you have more than one device of a particular type, say a PC at home and one at work to Sync with, you can set one as a favourite which makes connections a little easier when working with multiple devices. Usually Bluetooth options such as making your Pocket PC discoverable or whether authentication is required are on offer. Socket Dialer software is also included which allows you to select a contact on your device and dial their number via your connected mobile phone.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/andyw-aug03-bluetooth-7.gif" /><br /><i>Figure 6: And getting a list of all the services a device offers</i><br /><br /><span><b>Performance</b></span><br />I never had any issues with connecting and using the services I mentioned above. For the connections to my PC, I used a Mitsumi USB class 2 Bluetooth dongle and was able to sync or use LAN facilities from anywhere in my house. For the cable replacement technology that Bluetooth is, this is quite impressive and bodes well as a form of short distance networking. Certainly distances of up to eight or nine metres through walls is achievable and possibly more depending on the equipment you are connecting to. Connections remained solid and robust through testing and I used LAN access for approximately 45 minutes without any connection loss. Using this card from Socket does have a noticeable impact on battery life but this is entirely expected from a form of plug in wireless card and never gave me any cause for concern.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/andyw-aug03-bluetooth-8.gif" /><br /><i>Figure 7: Select how your device appears to others</i><br /><br /><span><b>Gotchas</b></span><br />The Bluetooth connection kit from Socket is an expensive option compared to similar solutions on the market and this is the only real issue I can find that may put any potential buyers off.<br /><br /><span><b>Where to buy</b></span><br />Socket's Bluetooth Connection Kit for Windows CE is available from <A HREF = "http://www.mobileplanet.com/private/pocketpcthoughts/product.asp?dept%5Fid=5120&pf%5Fid=MP580203&listing=1" target = "blank">Mobile Planet</A> for $129.95 USD. [Affiliate]<br /><br /><span><b>Specifications</b></span><li>Max Power Output 90mA (Idle 16mA / Typical 40 mA)<br /><li>Pocket PC 2000 or higher<br /><li>Up to 30 ft (10 m)<span><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />Bluetooth is technology that many people love to hate or have issues with and I wasn't sure what to expect with this being my first foray into its use. I'm glad to report that Socket made this an uneventful and straightforward introduction with the services that I tried being a short hand held (no pun intended), wizard driven ride away! With the card remaining safely tucked away during use, easy to use software and a more than acceptable operating range, I can wholly recommend this connection kit to anyone looking for a compact flash based Bluetooth solution.