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The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gifThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Found Footage: The iPhone and the WiiMotehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/10/found-footage-the-iphone-and-the-wiimote/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/10/found-footage-the-iphone-and-the-wiimote/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/10/found-footage-the-iphone-and-the-wiimote/#commentsFiled under: iPod Family, Bluetooth, iPhone, Jailbreak/pwnage

Matthias Ringwald, of iPhone Bluetooth fame, has just released BTstack 0.1 for iPhone. This video demonstrates his group's technology in action, as an iPhone syncs with a WiiMote and then uses the WiiMote for input. Although the system does not yet have OBEX, it is, as Ringwald writes, "better than Apple's nothing."

I haven't had a chance to give the software a spin yet (you can download the source from Google Code) but I'm looking forward to playing. BTstack creates device connections using the L2CAP protocol. The code is currently aimed at jailbroken devices only. It supplies a Bluetooth daemon (BTdaemon) that you access from your apps. Given that the release is still only at version 0.1, expect a certain degree of instability and a lot of further development potential.

Found Footage: The iPhone and the WiiMote originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Found Footage: The iPhone and the WiiMote originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>BetaBluetoothBluetooth StackBluetoothStackiphoneOpen sourceOpenSourceStackwiiErica SadunTue, 10 Nov 2009 15:30:00 ESTApple patent application details simple "Grab and Go" synchttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/apple-patent-application-details-simple-grab-and-go-sync/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/apple-patent-application-details-simple-grab-and-go-sync/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/07/apple-patent-application-details-simple-grab-and-go-sync/#commentsFiled under: Software, Odds and ends, Bluetooth, Apple

Apple, being the innovative corporation that it is, applies for patents many times per year. While many of these items may never make it to market, the company is proactive in making sure that possible patents are filed as soon as possible in order to protect the intellectual property that's been developed.

One such filing from last year describes a fascinating cloud-based, cross-platform sync service referred to as "Grab & Go." The filing showed up earlier this week and demonstrates how synchronization of data over multiple devices could be simplified. Grab & Go creates pre-defined data sets with categories like family, entertainment, or business that a user could literally "grab" and move to a device. The patent document shows how sharing files between devices (whether the device is a smartphone, computer, tablet, or even a game console) could be made easier.

The software is flexible enough to adapt to different connection types (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, to name a few) and can provide different levels of encryption and security. The filing even discusses a possible requirement of having two or more devices within a certain distance of each other in order for synchronization to begin.

If you're up for a long, but interesting read over the weekend, head on over to the US Patent & Trademark Office and check out the details of Grab & Go. It could be a foretaste of things to come, or just another long legal document.

[via AppleInsider and Engadget]

Apple patent application details simple "Grab and Go" sync originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple patent application details simple "Grab and Go" sync originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appleapple tvAppleTvbluetoothiphonemacpatentsyncwi-fiSteven SandeSat, 07 Nov 2009 11:00:00 ESTHands-on with the Magic Mousehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/03/hands-on-with-the-magic-mouse/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/03/hands-on-with-the-magic-mouse/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/03/hands-on-with-the-magic-mouse/#commentsFiled under: Peripherals, Features, Bluetooth, Reviews

Well, I got my Magic Mouse a few days ago, and I've been using it for my everyday tasks for a few days (and I'm still using it), and here are my impressions.

Packaging:

This packaging is clear, showing the actual Magic Mouse, just like the packaging that Apple has been using recently for the iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod touch and accessories.

Downloading the update:

As we posted earlier, you'll want to to download the Wireless Mouse Update to enable the new features of the Magic Mouse, which is available for Snow Leopard and Leopard.

Set Up:

Once you've installed the Wireless Mouse Update, you'll want to go to the Mouse Preference Pane in System Preferences and click the new "Set Up Bluetooth Mouse..." button. You no longer have to use the Bluetooth Setup Assistant to pair, which makes it a little simpler. It will then search for your Magic Mouse, and make sure it's turned on, which is done by a switch on the bottom of the Magic Mouse. Once it's paired, you'll be all ready to use your Magic Mouse.

Read on below to see the how it was using the Magic Mouse....

Continue reading Hands-on with the Magic Mouse

Hands-on with the Magic Mouse originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hands-on with the Magic Mouse originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>BluetoothHands onHandsOnMagic MouseMagicMousemouseMulti-TouchJoachim BeanTue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 ESTMagic Mouse lands at many local Apple storeshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/29/magic-mouse-lands-at-many-local-apple-stores/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/29/magic-mouse-lands-at-many-local-apple-stores/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/29/magic-mouse-lands-at-many-local-apple-stores/#commentsFiled under: Accessories, Hardware, Peripherals, Bluetooth

I stopped by my local Apple Store (Tucson) today for a quick look around and saw many people playing with the new Magic Mouse. I tried a few 'moves' with in and it seemed a bit nicer and more responsive than I expected. My old Apple wired mouse was starting to wear out so I asked one of the Apple guys when they were coming in. He said "20 minutes ago," so I was snared.

My first 'thrill' was opening the damned box. Like most Apple designed products, the plastic container is very pretty, but was a bit of a struggle to open. I needed a sharp knife, and then had to find the hidden tape that keeps the Magic Mouse attached to a little plastic base.

Since this is a Bluetooth mouse, I paired it to my Mac. It worked out of the box, but I knew there was a software update with new drivers, so I checked and downloaded the new software.

After a reboot, all was well. I have to say that the Magic Mouse has the fanciest control panel in system preferences I've ever seen. There is a little video illustrating how it works. I left the settings to the default, and started mousing away.

There were really no surprises. I have a 30 inch monitor, and can't get all the way across it with a single swipe because I have limited desk real estate. None of the settings would make it better.

The top surface is smooth and comfortable. The mouse does sit lower than a standard rodent, but I wasn't bothered by it. Clicking on the right side of the surface gives you the second mouse button with no pain or problem. You can switch the left and right 'buttons' if you are so inclined.

Scrolling was smooth, and you can adjust the momentum of the scroll. I especially like the 2 finger swipe for going backward and forward in web pages and iPhoto.

The only thing I think was missing is that I'd like the surface of the mouse to mimic the iPhone gesture of pinching and spreading for zoom in / zoom out. You have to use the control key to enable zooming, and I'd rather not have to go to the keyboard for that.

Otherwise, everything was good. I'll get used to the different feel. The mouse comes with batteries already installed so you're ready to go -- once you get the damned package open...

Some of my colleagues here at TUAW will be sharing their thoughts shortly. So far, even though this was a bit of an impulse purchase, the Magic Mouse seems fine.

Magic Mouse lands at many local Apple stores originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Magic Mouse lands at many local Apple stores originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bluetoothMagic MouseMagicMouseMel MartinThu, 29 Oct 2009 17:30:00 ESTAsk TUAW: Backing up photos, remove Boot Camp partitions, Snow Leopard and Windows 7 and morehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/10/ask-tuaw-backing-up-photos-remove-boot-camp-partitions-snow-l/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/10/ask-tuaw-backing-up-photos-remove-boot-camp-partitions-snow-l/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/10/ask-tuaw-backing-up-photos-remove-boot-camp-partitions-snow-l/#commentsFiled under: Features, Bluetooth, Ask TUAW, iPhone, Snow Leopard

Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly Mac troubleshooting Q&A column. This week we've got questions about backing up photos, removing a Boot Camp partition, Snow Leopard and Windows 7, Bluetooth menus, iPhone search results and more.

As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you're running and which version of Mac OS X (we'll assume you're running Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions.

Han asks:

What is the best way to archive photos without using iPhoto? I have about 100 GB of original photos and I have been saving them on my NetGear ReadyNAS Duo. Sometimes I leave the photos in the folder and just copy it to the NAS or sometimes zip them before I put it in the NAS. What I am worried about is if I zip the folder and somehow the zip file itself gets corrupted, is it harder to recover them? Is it better to just not zip and leave it as a folder then copy it to the NAS?

Because photos are pretty important and almost impossible to recreate I take my photo workflow and backup seriously. First, I never import photos directly into iPhoto and instead, using a card reader, copy the files to a folder I have labeled specifically for these photos which resides in my main "Photography" folder.

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Backing up photos, remove Boot Camp partitions, Snow Leopard and Windows 7 and more

Ask TUAW: Backing up photos, remove Boot Camp partitions, Snow Leopard and Windows 7 and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ask TUAW: Backing up photos, remove Boot Camp partitions, Snow Leopard and Windows 7 and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>BackupBluetoothBoot CampBootCampiPhotoSuperDuperWindows 7Windows7Chris UllrichThu, 10 Sep 2009 08:00:00 ESTSun-powered Scosche solCHAT Bluetooth speaker phone is a bright ideahttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/27/sun-powered-scosche-solchat-bluetooth-speaker-phone-is-a-bright/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/27/sun-powered-scosche-solchat-bluetooth-speaker-phone-is-a-bright/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/27/sun-powered-scosche-solchat-bluetooth-speaker-phone-is-a-bright/#commentsFiled under: Accessories, Bluetooth, iPhone

And now for something completely different -- a post about something other than Snow Leopard.

Accessory manufacturer Scosche today announced the solCHAT solar Bluetooth speaker phone. Designed to work with Bluetooth phones like the iPhone, the solCHAT attaches to either the front windshield of your car or to the driver's visor. When sitting in direct sunlight, a small solar panel charges up the solCHAT, although the manufacturer recommends giving the device an initial full charge through the included USB adapter.

When you're ready to drive, you simply punch the big button to power up and connect to your iPhone. When a call comes in, a verbal caller ID speaks the number that is calling. A Scosche spokesperson noted that a future version may sync contact information from the iPhone to allow the caller's name to be announced.

The solCHAT retails for US$99 and is available through the Scosche website or Best Buy.

Sun-powered Scosche solCHAT Bluetooth speaker phone is a bright idea originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sun-powered Scosche solCHAT Bluetooth speaker phone is a bright idea originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>accessoriesbluetoothhandsfreeiphonephotovoltaicsolarspeakerphoneSteven SandeThu, 27 Aug 2009 15:45:00 ESTApple releases fixes for Bluetooth and MacBook Pro hard driveshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/19/apple-releases-fixes-for-bluetooth-and-macbook-pro-hard-drives/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/19/apple-releases-fixes-for-bluetooth-and-macbook-pro-hard-drives/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/19/apple-releases-fixes-for-bluetooth-and-macbook-pro-hard-drives/#commentsFiled under: Bluetooth, Software Update, Macbook Pro

Apple has just released two firmware updates, one fixing issues with Bluetooth and the the other fixing the MacBook Pro hard drive noise issue.

The first, Bluetooth Firmware Update 2.0.1, fixes bugs and improves compatibility with the Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse and Apple Wireless Keyboard. It's available for all Macs with Broadcom Bluetooth chipsets, which include all unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs, and all other Macs introduced in 2009.

The other one, Hard Drive Firmware Update 2.0, which has been promised by Apple for some time now, fixes the widely reported issue with hard drive noise. This issue only affects MacBook Pros with 7200 RPM hard drives introduced in June 2009 or later, so this update is only available for those Macs.

Both of these updates are available through Software Update, or they can also be downloaded on Apple's support downloads page.

Apple releases fixes for Bluetooth and MacBook Pro hard drives originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple releases fixes for Bluetooth and MacBook Pro hard drives originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Bluetoothhard driveHardDriveMacBook ProMacbookProupdatewirelessJoachim BeanWed, 19 Aug 2009 18:15:00 ESTiPhone 101: Safe driving with iPhonehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/22/iphone-101-safe-driving-with-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/22/iphone-101-safe-driving-with-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/22/iphone-101-safe-driving-with-iphone/#commentsFiled under: Bluetooth, TUAW Tips, iPhone

Let's face it, the less distractions you have while driving the better, even if the government can't decide whether or not to tell you how dangerous phones + cars can be. Last week I was happy to see Penn Jillette (a magician whose work I've admired since I was too young to say the name of his current show) on Twitter proudly announce he was going to quit calling and texting in the car. Bravo!

Penn happens to sport an iPhone, and like any modern cell phone, it has "airplane mode." I'm going to show you how to set the iPhone to this "no call" mode, and explain why you probably don't have to while driving. Plus, if you absolutely must talk while driving I'll explain a helpful trick with the 3GS. You should never under any circumstances try to type while driving -- pull over, already.

To turn off your iPhone's cell radio, thus preventing distracting text messages, push messages and phone calls, go to Settings > Airplane Mode and turn the switch ON. Pretty easy, yes, I know. But unless you are going to use the iPhone's audio in your car (and there's like a zillion apps for that), you could just as easily turn off the ringer. The switch above the volume buttons on the left of the screen controls the mute for external sounds. When you arrive at your destination, check your phone for missed calls, etc.

If you have a 3GS, you can use the Apple headphones that came with it to activate Voice Control, giving you a relatively safe method of interacting with your iPhone while driving (except for a proper, Bluetooth speaker/mic or in-car solution, I guess). Plug in the headphones and put the headphone directly connected to the microphone in your ear. Press and hold the "middle" button (in-between the volume buttons) for about 3 seconds, until you hear the beeps. Voice Control is now on! You can control the iPod functions and make calls, but I recommend you try Voice Control before you start driving. Note that there are voice dialing apps for previous iPhones, but I feel having to see the screen to push even one button is an unacceptable distraction.

The New York Times and many other news outlets have reported on the unreleased government study showing that even talking on the phone increased the likelihood of having an accident -- whether you are hands-free calling or not. Driving and chatting with a disembodied voice can be distracting, apparently. So, again, the only truly safe thing to do is to switch off your cell radio entirely (Airplane mode). This won't allow you to play streaming radio stations, but it may save your life. Otherwise, use your willpower to ignore the chimes, rings and buzzes, and if you absolutely must talk or text, pull over.

iPhone 101: Safe driving with iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone 101: Safe driving with iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bluetoothcardrivingiphonepenn jillettePennJillettesafetytipvoice controlVoiceControlVictor Agreda, Jr.Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:45:00 ESTBluetooth: Another Wi-Fi killer for the iPhone?http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/15/bluetooth-another-wi-fi-killer/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/15/bluetooth-another-wi-fi-killer/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/15/bluetooth-another-wi-fi-killer/#commentsFiled under: Bluetooth, iPhone, iPod touch

More coverage of the ongoing Wi-Fi struggles of iPhone 3.0 users: In a discussion comment, Liam noted that he got full bars but no Internet using his iPhone 3GS until he turned off Bluetooth. After reading that, I wondered if Bluetooth is another suspect in the widening catalog of speed and signal problems reported with the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 3G / iPod touch combination.

I ran the DSLReport speed test on my iPhone 3GS and found that with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth both enabled, latency increased a bit, and download speed decreased by over a third when compared to running the test with Bluetooth disabled. Upload speed didn't seem to be affected.

A possible reason was proposed by Doug Hogg of Toy Kite Software, creators of the Bluetooth-enabled two person game iSamurai: Real Life Sword Fight. Doug discovered problems in playing the game after updating to iPhone 3.0 software, but found that turning off either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi solved everything. It seems that both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi share the same antenna, so when Bluetooth was made active in the 3.0 software, conflicts arose.

On the Toy Kite Software site, Doug was a bit more specific. The iPhone 3.0 software brought with it a service discovery process that switches between looking for another device on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth using the single antenna. While searching, problems can occur with already established connections that can cause lags and loss of data packets sent between devices. Apple is working with Toy Kite Software to correct all this, but I wonder how much speed and even signal strength loss can be regained by turning off Bluetooth when it's not being used. In my case the difference was substantial.

It's also interesting to note that the iPhone 3GS uses a combination Wi-Fi / Bluetooth Broadcom chip that handles 802.11a/b/g as well as Bluetooth 2.1. Previously separate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips were used.

If you are having any speed or signal problems, try turning off Bluetooth and see what happens. I don't think that this will solve everything, but until Apple gets its act together on fixing all of this, what we're left with is a rag-tag assortment of tricks that may or may not help.

Let us know if this one works for you.

Bluetooth: Another Wi-Fi killer for the iPhone? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bluetooth: Another Wi-Fi killer for the iPhone? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bluetoothbugsiphoneiphone3giphone3gswifiDavid WinogradWed, 15 Jul 2009 20:30:00 ESTRoad Tested: Ecamm BT-1 Bluetooth webcam (& we're giving one away!)http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/07/road-tested-ecamm-bt-1-bluetooth-webcam-were-giving-one-away/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/07/road-tested-ecamm-bt-1-bluetooth-webcam-were-giving-one-away/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/07/road-tested-ecamm-bt-1-bluetooth-webcam-were-giving-one-away/#commentsFiled under: Accessories, Hardware, Peripherals, Video, Odds and ends, Bluetooth, Road Tested

Webcams are great, but when they're built into your display or laptop, they are usually good for only a couple of things -- video chats of your talking head or taking goofy pictures with Photo Booth. Ecamm, the development firm that makes the Call Recorder software we use to record the weekly TUAW Talkcast, demoed a tiny Bluetooth webcam at Macworld Expo in January. That webcam, the Ecamm BT-1, is now shipping and TUAW recently had an opportunity to test-drive one.

The US$149.00 BT-1 comes in a small box with a USB charging cable and one other useful accessory; a diminutive tripod to hold the webcam steady. The tripod is no slouch, as it has extendable legs and a tilt/pan head. For something that you can stick in your pocket, the BT-1 tripod is surprisingly sturdy.

Once charged, the BT-1 works for about 4 hours beaming 640 x 480 H.264-encoded video with stereo sound to your computer. Charging the BT-1 is as simple as plugging one end of the cable into a Mac's USB port or an iPhone charging brick, then plugging the other end into the BT-1's mini-USB port. While it's charging, a small LED glows, and when the BT-1 is fully charged the light goes off.

Continue reading Road Tested: Ecamm BT-1 Bluetooth webcam (& we're giving one away!)

Road Tested: Ecamm BT-1 Bluetooth webcam (& we're giving one away!) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Road Tested: Ecamm BT-1 Bluetooth webcam (& we're giving one away!) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bluetoothcameracontestgiveawaymacvideowirelessSteven SandeTue, 07 Jul 2009 13:00:00 ESTStreaming iPhone via bluetooth in the carhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/04/02/streaming-iphone-via-bluetooth-in-the-car/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/04/02/streaming-iphone-via-bluetooth-in-the-car/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/04/02/streaming-iphone-via-bluetooth-in-the-car/#commentsFiled under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Odds and ends, Bluetooth, Apple, iPhone, iPod touch

When all of those iPhone 3.0 features were first announced, one of the features that stuck out most to me was the incoming A2DP ability -- the new iPhone OS will let you stream out music to a Bluetooth source, like headphones... or your car. And over at Cars.com, the guys got their hands on a Toyota Venza with Bluetooth capability, and did just that, as you can see in the video above. It's pretty slick -- no wires, no annoying pairing, just hit the Bluetooth button on the iPod, choose the car's Bluetooth source, and press play. We're not sure about audio quality (it should be at least listenable), but it looks super cool.

There are, as usual, some catches. I for one was disappointed to hear that this A2DP ability won't work with first-gen iPhones like mine -- you'll need to have a 3G to do something like this. And of course, this will require the iPhone OS 3.0, which isn't technically out yet (though devs in Apple's development program are playing with it right now, which is why you can see it in the video above). And finally, you'll need a car with the Bluetooth capability, which (though I haven't owned or shopped for a car for a few years, so maybe things have changed a bit) is still kind of hard to find.

But hey, even if you're not there yet, here's a look at the future. Where we're going, you won't need wires to get your iPod playing music on the car stereo.

Streaming iPhone via bluetooth in the car originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Streaming iPhone via bluetooth in the car originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>a2dpbluetoothcarcars.comcooliphone-3.0iphone-osmusicosstreamingvideowirelesswirelesslyMike SchrammThu, 02 Apr 2009 20:30:00 ESTTUAW Macworld Video: Kensington new product demoshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/06/tuaw-macworld-video-kensington-new-product-demos/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/06/tuaw-macworld-video-kensington-new-product-demos/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/06/tuaw-macworld-video-kensington-new-product-demos/#commentsFiled under: Macworld, Accessories, Hardware, Peripherals, Bluetooth, Interviews, iPhone

Kensington is well-known in the Mac and iPhone space as a provider of peripherals. At Macworld Expo 2009, they've introduced a ton of new products, many designed to help you (in the words of Jim Morrison) keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel.

I visited with Olantha Boeker of Kensington on Tuesday to see what's new from Kensington. There's the beautiful SlimBlade Trackball for those who prefer using trackballs, the new Bluetooth Hands-Free Visor Car Kit, some new wireless mice, power peripherals, and more.

Check out the video on the next page for more details, and visit the Kensington website to see what's new for '09.

Continue reading TUAW Macworld Video: Kensington new product demos

TUAW Macworld Video: Kensington new product demos originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW Macworld Video: Kensington new product demos originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>accessorieskensingtonmacworld09Macworld2009mwsfperipheralsvideoSteven SandeTue, 06 Jan 2009 14:00:00 ESTMac 101: Bluetooth basicshttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/02/mac-101-bluetooth-basics/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/02/mac-101-bluetooth-basics/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/09/02/mac-101-bluetooth-basics/#commentsFiled under: Tips and tricks, Bluetooth, Mac 101

Leopard's Bluetooth feature is one of those things that's easy to forget about until you need it, then you're glad you have it. Let's take a look at some ways to get the most out of this under-utilized tool.

In order to use your Mac with another Bluetooth gadget like a mobile phone or headset, you'll need to pair it with that specific device. Locate the Bluetooth settings under System Preferences and turn the Bluetooth power on. Then also check the box marked "Discoverable." This will allow other devices in range to see your Mac.

Make sure the device you want to pair with the Mac is powered on and also discoverable (check the owner's manual for specifics on how to manage the Bluetooth settings on your mobile phone or headset). Next, click the Bluetooth icon found near your clock on the toolbar at the top of your screen and select "Set Up Bluetooth Device." Follow the Mac's onscreen steps that explain how to add the eight-digit passcode that will allow your two devices to talk to each other.

Once you've established a connection between your Mac and another gadget, your computer stores the info until you delete it -- there's no need to add a new passcode each time. When you're done using a Bluetooth device with your Mac, be sure to uncheck the "Discoverable" option to prevent anyone else from pairing a device with your computer. When you're ready to re-pair a device, just click on the Bluetooth icon, and select the gadget from the dropdown list.

One last thing: If you're not using Bluetooth on your laptop, make sure it's turned off to preserve battery life.

Mac 101: Bluetooth basics originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mac 101: Bluetooth basics originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bluetoothimacleopardLisa HooverTue, 02 Sep 2008 16:00:00 ESTLeopard, Bluetooth and my new Pantech Breezehttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/26/leopard-bluetooth-and-my-new-pantech-breeze/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/26/leopard-bluetooth-and-my-new-pantech-breeze/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/26/leopard-bluetooth-and-my-new-pantech-breeze/#commentsFiled under: Wireless, Bluetooth, Leopard

It may be a personal preference, but I try not to use or abuse phones that can't survive a 3-foot drop onto concrete. That's why last week I ordered myself a sweet little Pantech Breeze.

It offers one killer feature that I refuse to live without: a dedicated speakerphone button. I have this on my beloved Kyocera Slider and I demanded it on any new phone that I would buy. The Breeze brings that to the table along with a video camera and full Bluetooth support. After rebates, the phone cost about $70 and works perfectly with my iPhone SIM.

So after unboxing my new toy, I enabled Bluetooth on the phone and opened Leopard's Bluetooth File Exchange.

BFE isn't some super-spiffy CoverFlow all-dancing all-singing phone interface. It's a simple little utility program (with the emphasis on "utility") that allows you to browse your BT connected devices and use its drag-and-drop interface to transfer data to and from the unit.

Leopard recognized my phone without incident and opened the browsing window shown here. It took just a few clicks to offload my latest pictures from the phone and drag them into iPhoto. Going the other direction, I threw a few mp3 files into my Download > Audio folder and they instantly appeared onboard, ready to play.

Obviously the Pantech Breeze isn't the iPhone (even as I end up tapping its screen and wondering why it's not responding) but in some ways, it should have been. Why does Leopard offer this fantastic Bluetooth interaction between phone and Macintosh for an also-ran third party phone, while balking at any iPhone interactions? This is the interaction that should have been on my iPhone, using functionality already built into Leopard. I wonder why it wasn't baked into the flagship Apple product of the century.

Leopard, Bluetooth and my new Pantech Breeze originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Leopard, Bluetooth and my new Pantech Breeze originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bluetoothleopardpantechPhoneswirelessErica SadunTue, 26 Aug 2008 20:00:00 ESTJawbone: Get ticketed, get a discounthttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/03/jawbone-get-ticketed-get-a-discount/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/03/jawbone-get-ticketed-get-a-discount/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/03/jawbone-get-ticketed-get-a-discount/#commentsFiled under: Hardware, Peripherals, Bluetooth, iPhone

Who says crime doesn't pay?

Aliph, makers of the ultra-cool noise-reducing Jawbone Bluetooth headset, have come up with a great marketing scheme. If you live in California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, or Washington -- all states with laws requiring hands-free use of mobile phones -- and receive a ticket for yapping with your iPhone plastered to your ear, Jawbone will deduct $20 off the purchase price of one of their headsets.

You can't get a discount on the Silver Tongue model, but the prices for the Goldy Lips and Blah Blah Black versions end up at $129.99 and $109.99 respectively. All you need to do is go to the Jawbone website, look for the Hands Free Ticket Processor, and enter your state and ticket number. $20 is taken off the original purchase price, and you're ready to go.

This is one case where I wish I did live in a nanny state that was forcing me to use a hands-free kit!

Jawbone: Get ticketed, get a discount originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jawbone: Get ticketed, get a discount originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 03 Aug 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bluetoothbluetooth headsetBluetoothHeadsetheadsetiphonejawboneSteven SandeSun, 03 Aug 2008 09:00:00 ESTBrando offers A2DP adapter for iPhone & iPod touchhttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/18/brando-offers-a2dp-adapter-for-iphone-and-ipod-touch/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/18/brando-offers-a2dp-adapter-for-iphone-and-ipod-touch/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/18/brando-offers-a2dp-adapter-for-iphone-and-ipod-touch/#commentsFiled under: iPod Family, Bluetooth, iPhone

A lot of folks had been hoping for support for the A2DP Bluetooth audio stack in the 3G iPhone. (A2DP allows for stereo music over Bluetooth in addition to the standard mono Bluetooth headset audio.) Unfortunately, Apple did not gratify this particular wish, but now Hong Kong-based accessory maker Brando is stepping to the gap with the INFINXX AP23.

Basically, it's a small dongle that plugs into the iPhone or iPod touch Dock port. You can then sync a pair of Bluetooth headphones (with microphone) to both the dongle and the iPhone allowing for phone as well as music support. While the INFINIXX is far from the first A2DP Bluetooth dongle, it is one of the smallest (~5 grams) and clearly takes its design cues from the iPhone.

The Brando INFINXX AP23 is $62. Standard shipping is $3 (7-20 working days) while express shipping (2-7 working days) is $39.

[via Gizmodo]

Brando offers A2DP adapter for iPhone & iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Brando offers A2DP adapter for iPhone & iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Mat LuFri, 18 Jul 2008 08:00:00 ESTGet Address Book Bluetooth dialing back with Nova Media Phone pluginshttp://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/18/get-address-book-bluetooth-dialing-back-with-nova-media-phone-pl/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/18/get-address-book-bluetooth-dialing-back-with-nova-media-phone-pl/http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/18/get-address-book-bluetooth-dialing-back-with-nova-media-phone-pl/#commentsFiled under: Productivity, Bluetooth, Leopard

One of the the stranger changes in Leopard was the loss of the ability to dial (and send text messages) from the Address Book to a Bluetooth paired cell phone. Fortunately, however, Nova Media has released its Phone plugins to return this functionality to the Leopard Address Book and other applications through a system-wide Service.

When installed it allows you to call a number or send a text message just by right-clicking on the number in the Address Book (or selecting it elsewhere and invoking Phone plugins from the Services menu). It works with a number of phones from Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson; check the compatibility list for details. Annoyingly the iPhone is not compatible.

Nova Media Phone plugins is $9.95 and a demo is available.

[via Hawk Wings]

Get Address Book Bluetooth dialing back with Nova Media Phone plugins originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Get Address Book Bluetooth dialing back with Nova Media Phone plugins originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Address BookAddressBookBluetoothSMStext messageTextMessageMat LuWed, 18 Jun 2008 14:30:00 ESTA2DP Bluetooth support confirmed in Leopardhttp://www.tuaw.com/2007/11/07/a2dp-bluetooth-support-confirmed-in-leopard/http://www.tuaw.com/2007/11/07/a2dp-bluetooth-support-confirmed-in-leopard/http://www.tuaw.com/2007/11/07/a2dp-bluetooth-support-confirmed-in-leopard/#commentsFiled under: Audio, Bluetooth, Leopard

I've always found it surprising that Apple did not have support for the A2DP Bluetooth audio profile in Tiger. A2DP is the profile for stereo music, as opposed to the lower quality mono profile for standard phone headsets. It was rumored, but not confirmed by Apple, that Leopard would fill this hole, and now it appears that's exactly what has happened. Ryan at Thoughts Abound has successfully set up Leopard with his Motorola S805 Bluetooth stereo headset to stream music wirelessly from iTunes. Not only that, he notes that "AVRCP is included as well so you can control your music from the controls on your headphones or stereo."

Unfortunately, A2DP compresses the audio, so it's not exactly a high-fidelity solution. But if you really want to listen to your tunes from your Mac without wires, this is probably the way to go.

A2DP Bluetooth support confirmed in Leopard originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A2DP Bluetooth support confirmed in Leopard originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>a2dpbluetoothMat LuWed, 07 Nov 2007 14:00:00 ESTBlueFlash: Bluetooth for the Apple IIhttp://www.tuaw.com/2007/08/13/blueflash-bluetooth-for-the-apple-ii/http://www.tuaw.com/2007/08/13/blueflash-bluetooth-for-the-apple-ii/http://www.tuaw.com/2007/08/13/blueflash-bluetooth-for-the-apple-ii/#commentsFiled under: Hardware, Hacks, Odds and ends, Bluetooth, Retro Mac

Never say die to the old Apple II. A hacker named Vinchysky has melded a Disk ][ controller card with a Xilinx FPGA, which in normal-person-speak means he's enabled you to plug a Bluetooth dongle into an Apple II.

The hookup itself is basically just a USB connection, so you could conceivably transfer in any files you wanted from either a USB drive or a Bluetooth connection to any PC (or any Mac, or any iPhone... or anything with Bluetooth at all... Mind boggled yet?). The writeup of how Vinchysky created it is interesting, while a little on the technical side. Then again, the guy is working technical magic, so we'll let him have his jargon.

And the best part is that we're told this thing will be offered for sale-- he's planning to send them out at a tidy $160, within the next few weeks. If you've got an Apple II sitting around that you're just jonesing to get hooked up to a Bluetooth device, this is what you've been waiting for.

[via MacBytes]

BlueFlash: Bluetooth for the Apple II originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Aug 2007 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

BlueFlash: Bluetooth for the Apple II originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Aug 2007 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appleiiappleiicardblueflashbluetoothdisk ii controller cardDiskIiControllerCarddiskimagedonglewozxilinxMike SchrammMon, 13 Aug 2007 21:00:00 ESTAsk TUAW: Bluetooth, 5.1 Audio, VNC, Adium with QS, and morehttp://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/04/ask-tuaw-bluetooth-5-1-audio-vnc-adium-with-qs-and-more/http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/04/ask-tuaw-bluetooth-5-1-audio-vnc-adium-with-qs-and-more/http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/04/ask-tuaw-bluetooth-5-1-audio-vnc-adium-with-qs-and-more/#commentsFiled under: Audio, Features, Hacks, How-tos, Productivity, Tips and tricks, Bluetooth, Troubleshooting, Terminal Tips, Ask TUAW

This week's Ask TUAW takes us into questions about Bluetooth File Exchange, 5.1 audio, VNC, getting Adium and Quicksilver working together, EVDO, automated file management based on label color, and more. As always, please leave your own comments, and ask more questions for next week either in the comments to this post or using the tip form. Now let's get to it

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Bluetooth, 5.1 Audio, VNC, Adium with QS, and more

Ask TUAW: Bluetooth, 5.1 Audio, VNC, Adium with QS, and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Apr 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ask TUAW: Bluetooth, 5.1 Audio, VNC, Adium with QS, and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Apr 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AdiumbluetoothEVDOFireWaveGeekToolHazelUSB720VNCMat LuWed, 04 Apr 2007 11:00:00 EST