News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

May 30, 2006

software

My Bluetooth adventures

Posted May. 30, ’06, 7:57 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Software

BluePhoneEliteOne of the features my new MacBook has that was new to me is Bluetooth, the wireless protocol of choice for Viking empires. I bought a Bluetooth phone a few months ago, the Motorola E815, but so far my only experience with Bluetooth had been convincing my father to let me borrow his Acura TL, which has a built-in HandsFree system.

Setting up the phone to sync with my MacBook via iSync was simple enough, but at that point I sort of hit the end of the road. For some reason, the E815 isn’t compatible with OS X’s Address Book (it shows up, but I can’t pair it), and my phone has locked out the protocols which allow file exchange. Thank, Verizon. You guys have been great, really.

So I went in search of third party utilities. The first one I found, BluePhoneMenu, had the functionality I wanted (namely, to have a notice pop up onscreen when the phone was ringing; sometimes I miss calls because my phone’s on vibrate or silent), but it was incompatible with my phone. I tried out their new app, BluePhoneElite, but it does a bunch of other things I don’t really need, and it’s $20. Yes, I’m cheap frugal.

What would be really useful is if there was some way of turning the MacBook’s speaker/microphone into a handsfree device. That way I could answer my phone without rifling around trying to find it. I would probably pay $20 for that.


5 Comments

Richard Savage said:

Another good use of Bluetooth on the macbook Pro I have: I picked up a bluetooth headset made for cell phones, and it works GREAT with Skype on the mac.

May 30, 2006 9:39 AM
Dan Author Profile Page said:

I've been in the market for a headset, Richard. Which model did you go with?

May 30, 2006 10:30 AM
kMoney said:

I had the same problems you were with my Verizon E815. Just head over to http://www.howardforums.com/ and read up on how to unlock your phone. You'll need a PC (sucks, I know), a cable to connect your phone to it ($10 on eBay) and some Motorola software the forum will tell you how to get. Follow a couple simple steps and you'll have a fully unlocked phone. File exchange (OBEX) will work along with everything else. Check it out!

May 30, 2006 10:34 AM
Dan Author Profile Page said:

Thanks, kMoney. I did actually have the instructions and equipment for doing that, but I haven't quite gotten around to it out of laziness, and worrying about toasting my phone. But I'll check it out again. :)

May 30, 2006 10:43 AM
Richard Savage said:

I went with the Motorola HS805 - why? Because it was the cheapest one at the local Radio Shack that was going out of business! I don't have a Bluetooth phone, and was only ging to use it for Skype, so went cheap. Works very well though with the macbook (even though the Motorola packaging says for "phones only"). The Mac discovered it, paired with default code, and in Skype I just selected the HS805 as the input and output in the preferences.

May 30, 2006 12:02 PM

Leave a comment

 



Visit other IDG sites: