Visual QuickStart Guide [Electronic resources] : Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger نسخه متنی

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a very short-range30 feet or lesswireless networking technology. It enables you to connect Bluetooth-enabled computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and mobile phones to each other and to the Internet. It also lets you connect Bluetooth-enabled input devices, such as a mouse or keyboard, to your Mac.

Mac OS X 10.4 includes two tools for working with Bluetooth:

The

Bluetooth preferences pane , which is available if your computer is Bluetooth enabled, allows you to configure Bluetooth and set up Bluetooth devices with the Bluetooth Setup Assistant.

Bluetooth File Exchange enables you to send files from one Bluetooth device to another or browse files on another Bluetooth-enabled computer.

This part of the chapter explains how to configure and use Bluetooth to exchange files between two computers. Although this chapter does not go into specifics about using other devices, it should be enough to get you started using your Bluetooth device with Mac OS X.

Tips

Don't confuse Bluetooth with AirPort. These are two similar yet different technologies. AirPort enables an AirPort-enabled computer to connect to and exchange information with computers and devices on an entire network. Bluetooth, however, enables your computer to connect to and exchange information with a single Bluetooth-enabled device.

To use Bluetooth with Mac OS X, your computer must have built-in Bluetooth or a Bluetooth adapter. Bluetooth adapters are available from the Apple Store (www.apple.com/store/) and other sources. You must also have a Bluetooth-enabled device to connect to.

You can find a complete list of currently available devices on the official Bluetooth Web site, www.bluetooth.com.

For detailed information about using your Bluetooth-enabled device with Mac OS X, consult the documentation that came with the device or its manufacturer's Web site.

To set Bluetooth preferences

Choose Apple > System Preferences (Figure 2 ), or click the System Preferences icon in the Dock.

In the System Preferences window that appears (Figure 1 ), click the Bluetooth icon.

Click the Settings button in the Bluetooth preferences pane that appears (Figure 69 ) and set options as desired:

Discoverable enables other Bluetooth devices to easily find your computer.

Open Bluetooth Setup Assistant at startup when no input device is present tells your computer to launch the Bluetooth Setup Assistant if no keyboard or mouse is connected; this assumes that you're going to set up a Bluetooth input device.

Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer makes it possible for a Bluetooth device to wake the computer. This option is not supported by all computer models.

Show Bluetooth status in the menu bar displays the Bluetooth status menu (Figure 86 ).

Figure 86. The Bluetooth status menu offers commands for working with Bluetooth devices.

Figure 69. The Settings pane of the Bluetooth preferences pane.

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Click the sharing button (Figure 70 ) and set options to enable and configure Bluetooth services:

Bluetooth File Transfer (Figure 70 ) enables other Bluetooth devices to browse files on your computer. With this service enabled, you can use the pop-up menu to choose a folder that can be browsed.

Bluetooth File Exchange (Figure 71 ) enables you to send and receive files via Bluetooth. With this service enabled, you can use the pop-up menus to set configuration options.

Figure 71. Options for configuring the Bluetooth File Exchange service.

Bluetooth-PDA-Sync (Figure 72 ) enables you to use Bluetooth to sync a Bluetooth-enabled PDA with your computer. With this service enabled, you can set configuration options for the PDA.

Figure 72. Options for configuring the Bluetooth-PDA-Sync service.

Figure 70. Options for configuring the Bluetooth File Transfer service.

Click the Devices button to view a list of Bluetooth devices you have set up. Select one of the devices in the list to learn about it (Figure 82 ). Use buttons on the right side of the window to work with the list.

Figure 82. Select the device you want to send the file to.

Choose System Preferences > Quit System Preferences or press .

Tips

The Bluetooth icon only appears in System Preferences if a Bluetooth adapter is connected to your computer.

In step 4, if you turn on the Require pairing for security check box for any service, the other device must be added to your list of paired device before communication between the two devices can take place.

I explain how to set up paired devices on the next page.

To pair devices with the Bluetooth Setup Assistant

Choose Apple > System Preferences (Figure 2 ), or click the System Preferences icon in the Dock.

In the System Preferences window that appears (Figure 1 ), click the Bluetooth icon.

Click the Devices button to display its options (Figure 73 ).

Figure 73. The Devices pane of the Bluetooth preferences pane before any devices have been paired.

Click the Set up new device button.

The Bluetooth Setup Assistant Introduction screen appears (Figure 74 ). Click Continue.

Figure 74. The Introduction screen for the Bluetooth Setup Assistant.

In the Select Device Type screen (Figure 75 ), select the type of device you will be using and click Continue.

Figure 75. Select the device you want to set up.

The Bluetooth Device Set Up screen appears next. The Assistant locates all Bluetooth devices within range and displays them in a list (Figure 76 ). Select the device you want to work with and click Continue.

Figure 76. The Bluetooth Setup Assistant prompts you to select a type of device.

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The next screen displays a random passkey and provides instructions (Figure 77 ). Look at the device you want to configure. It should display a message prompting you to enter the passkey (Figure 78 ). Enter the passkey and click Pair.

Figure 77. Your computer displays a passkey in big numbers (so you can see it from 30 feet away, I guess).

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Figure 78. On the device, you'll see a prompt like this one. In this example, I'm setting up my eMac to exchange files via Bluetooth with my G5. This is what I see on the G5.

A Conclusion screen appears next (Figure 79 ). To set up another device, click the Set up another device button and follow steps 6 though 9 above. Otherwise, click Quit.

Figure 79. When you've successfully entered the passkey, the devices are paired.

The paired device appears in the Devices list in the Bluetooth preferences pane (Figure 80 ).

Figure 80. The device appears in the Devices list.

Tips

This process may differ, depending on the device you want to configure. But the Assistant makes the process easy to complete, so you should be able to figure it out.

You can modify or delete device pairings in the Devices pane of the Bluetooth preferences pane (Figure 80 ).

To send a file from one Bluetooth device to another

Open the Bluetooth File Exchange icon in the Utilities folder (Figure 41 ) inside the Applications folder.

If necessary, choose File > Send File to display the Select File to Send dialog (Figure 81 ).

Figure 81. Use this dialog to select the file you want to send.

Locate and select the file you want to send. Then click Send.

A Send File dialog appears (Figure 82 ). In the Device list, select the device you want to send the file to and click Send.

A dialog like the one in

Figure 83 appears while your computer waits for the device to accept the file. On the device, you'll see an Incoming File Transfer message (Figure 84 ). Click Accept.

Figure 83. Your computer waits for a response.

Figure 84. Tell the device to accept the file.

When the file has been transferred, the device displays a dialog with information about it (Figure 85 ).

Figure 85. The device displays information about the received file.

Tips

In step 3, you can select multiple files by holding down while clicking each one.

In step 4, you can narrow down the list of devices in the Device list (Figure 82 ) by choosing options from the Device Type and Device Category pop-up menus.

In step 5, you can turn on the Accept all without warning check box to receive all files without giving you an opportunity to accept or decline.

You can click the magnifying glass button in the Incoming File Transfer window (Figure 85 ) to open the folder where the file has been saved.

To use the Bluetooth status menu

Choose commands on the Bluetooth status menu (Figure 86 ) to perform the following tasks:

Turn Bluetooth Off disables Bluetooth on your computer.

Discoverable enables other Bluetooth devices to easily find your computer.

Set up Bluetooth Device launches the Bluetooth Setup Assistant, which I discuss earlier in this section, so you can set up a Bluetooth Device.

Send File launches Bluetooth File Exchange, which I discuss earlier in this section, so you can send a file to a Bluetooth device.

Browse Device launches Bluetooth File Exchange so you can browse the contents of a Bluetooth device.

Open Bluetooth Preferences opens the Bluetooth preferences pane (Figure 69 ).

Tip

The Bluetooth status menu only appears if the Show Bluetooth status in the menu bar option is turned on in the Settings pane of Bluetooth preferences (Figure 69 ).