Has this ever happened to you? It doesn’t have to be as dramatic as my incident; just a simple case where you thought someone was talking to you, and they were really on their phone. Maybe I’m crazy, but I run into these misunderstandings all the time working at a supermarket.

These incidents seem to be occurring more and more with the introduction of Bluetooth headsets. Sure, occasional conversation confusion arose long before Bluetooth headsets, but the headsets are making the problem worse. They’re getting smaller and smaller, making it harder to distinguish if the person is talking to you, talking on the phone, or downright crazy and talking to themselves.

I just wish there was someway to identify if a person was talking on their phone without having to hunt for a Bluetooth headset. Maybe a universal signal, or some super-bright LEDs radiating the area around the Bluetooth headset. I know, people can have some manners and stop talking on their phone in front of people. Like that will ever happen!

At the moment there is no clear-cut answer to this phenomenon. There are a couple of theories, though. The first theory is that the .04 firmware is not a full firmware package and is simply an update to Verizon’s interface. If this would be the case, any functionality present in the previous firmware would carry over to the new version, thus leaving OBEX intact. The other theory is that Verizon has readded the file transfer code to this new firmware, possibly to be enabled sometime in the future. If this theory is the case, .02 users are retaining OBEX since a seem, a file on the phone which contains configurable settings, is not being overwritten during the firmware flash, thus allowing file transfer to continue to work.

Regardless of which method is the correct one, this is still significant news for phone hackers. What this means is there is a way to enjoy the latest firmware while still maintaining file transfers. Currently it appears you’ll have to downgrade to .02, then take your phone to Verizon for the firmware flash, but in the near future a simple seem edit may be all that’s required.

If you’re like most people, when you think of Bluetooth you think of syncing devices. Bluetooth is perfect for that. Programs like Palm’s Hotsync or Apple’s iSync allow you to easily keep your mobile devices’ data in sync with your computer. No more messy wires to deal with when doing this. However, that’s not all that Bluetooth can do.

When creating a Bluetooth network you’re creating a Personal Area Network between two devices. That PAN can carry just about any type of data imaginable, making it perfect for a number of uses outside device syncing.

Free Phone Transfers

Bluetooth is not only for ease of use, it can save you some money also. If you have a Bluetooth phone with OBEX enabled, you can browse your phone’s data from your computer. What this will allow you to do is add ringtones, videos, wallpapers, and screen savers to your phone for free. If you have a camera phone, you can also download the pictures that you took to your computer. This can really save you some money because you won’t have to purchase the various items in your carrier’s store. On top of that, you can make custom ringtones, etc.; something you normally can not do.

PDA to Phone Capabilities

All new Palm PDAs come with Bluetooth, and this can be of use to you if you have a Bluetooth phone also. Palm specifically built their PDAs with Bluetooth phones in mind, so many of their applications work wonderfully with a phone connected to your PDA. Take for example Palm’s contact list. You can just click a contact’s dial icon and your phone will automatically start dialing that number. Hate typing on your phone? You can use your Palm to send text messages and emails. Finally, if you subscribe to a mobile web service through your phone carrier, you can take that mobile web interface over to your Palm for easier web browsing.

Use Your PDA or Phone as a Remote

One of my favorite uses of Bluetooth is to control my computer from across the room. A program called Salling Clicker (Shareware, $23.95) allows me to use my PDA or phone to do just that. Salling Clicker can control Apple’s Front Row, iTunes, Powerpoint, or any other program through its powerful scripting interface. Imagine presenting a Powerpoint while walking around the room, having your notes right on your PDA’s screen. Or, sitting back on your couch watching some vidcasts in Front Row. All of that is possible with Salling Clicker and Bluetooth.

Conclusions

The Bluetooth uses listed above are really just the tip of the iceberg for the technology. People are already using Bluetooth for wireless printing, wireless headsets, and downloading pictures off of their digital cameras. In the near future, devices like Apple’s iPod, Sony’s PS3, and Nintendo’s Revolution will all be using Bluetooth, so the uses of Bluetooth still have barely been tapped. If things pan out for Bluetooth, maybe Bill Gates’ vision of all devices talking to each other isn’t too far from reality after all.

Now since this is a tech blog, I’m sure you don’t care about my life and you want to know more about my phone choice. When my dad took me to the Verizon store he told me I could have any phone (under $100 after contract/rebate) that I wanted. I took him up on that offer, and really hunted down a good phone. I spent about a half hour at the Verizon store narrowing down the phone I wanted, and after much debate I finally settled on Motorola’s RAZR V3c.

There are a lot of things I like about the RAZR which led me to my decision. First of all, the RAZR is thin. I already carry a Palm, iPod, and various other gadgets with me, so size is a key factor for me. Second, the interface drew me in. Some phones just have very abstract interfaces that make it a pain to find things. The RAZR’s interface was laid out logically, and just made sense. Finally, the features were plentiful with the RAZR. The RAZR supports Bluetooth, MobileIM, and has a camera among other things, all which make the phone more enjoyable.

Now regarding Bluetooth, when I initially saw Bluetooth I got all excited. I envisioned my phone linking up with my Bluetooth enabled Palm and computer. Unfortunately, Verizon limits Bluetooth immensely. File transfers and computer syncing doesn’t work at all. Just about the only thing Bluetooth is good for on the phone is Bluetooth enabled headsets. While this is a downer, it’s not the end of the world.

Overall, I’m very satisfied with my phone choice. The RAZR is the perfect form factor, has a great interface, and has lots of useful features. Even without Bluetooth, the phone is perfect for me. And, if I get the urge for fully enable Bluetooth someday, I can always hack the phone.