Ask A Geek

Q: How do I know if my cell phone can connect to my computer with Bluetooth to do things like dial-up networking, transferring the phone book, or other tasks?

A: Not all devices that have Bluetooth in them are created equal. Bluetooth uses profiles to figure out exactly what the device can do. You can read more about what types of profiles exist over at Bluetooth.com or at Wikipedia.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Q: I have a Samsung sgh-a437. I am trying to put ring tones on it using Bluetooth on my Macintosh. It says you have to be discoverable to do it but on the Samsung I can’t do it. is their a way to make it discoverable so my mac can find it or do I have to make the phone find the Mac?

Q: I have an HTC mobile that can share internet connection with a laptop. I have an Advent laptop with bluetooth running Windows XP home edition and I would like to connect to the internet via my mobile. The instructions on the mobile say to select the option Network connection and View network bluetooth devices but I don’t have that option. How do I connect my laptop to the internet with my mobile using bluetooth?

Q: I’m hoping that someone here is a bigger geek than I. I purchased a Rocketfish Bluetooth adapter. Coupled with an LG Bluetooth headset I can use the soft client for our IP phone system. However, the Bluetooth adapter randomly drops out. It appears to be something with the device/port though my USB kbd/mse are fine.

After 5-10 seconds the adapter comes back up and the headset (usually) reconnects. When hovering over the Bluetooth icon in the system tray it comes up saying “Device not found” – referring to the bluetooth adapter *not* the headset. It is a minor frustration – though I have had it drop out mid-conversation – an embarrassing situation.

Q: Which bluetooth heatset is a better quality? Motorola H375 or H500, both are at the sale price of $20.

Q: I have been looking for a wireless headset for a lady hard of hearing at our church and was wondering which of these three is more secure and all around the best, a Bluetooth wireless headset/receiver, an Infrared 95khz wireless headset, or just a regular wireless headset. P.S. We wanted something that wouldn’t be picked up by other people outside the building

A: For her needs I would recommend a regular wireless headset. Infrared is good sound quality but it requires line of sight which will limit its placement. Bluetooth is good however since people know how to hack into Bluetooth technology it’s not completely secure, although I doubt there any hackers who will have a need to listen in. Regular wireless is as secure as a cordless phone. The reason I say I would go with that is simply because it is a cheaper option. Blue tooth headsets and transmitters are still quite pricey.