Week 7- continuation of Wireless Technology

Today, Dr Dayang continue her lecture on Wireless Technology- that is Bluetooth , Broadband and Infrared. Firstly, what is Bluetooth?  Of coarse it is not tooth of blue color ^^

Bluetooth is a wireless radio technology, based on an industry open standards set of specifications.The name Bluetooth is borrowed from Harald Bluetooth, a king in Denmark more than 1,000 years ago .The Bluetooth wireless protocol was designed to exchange data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, to create personal area networks (PANs) – also called piconets. Up to seven Bluetooth devices can be used to create a piconet.

The key features of Bluetooth technology are robustness, low power, and low cost, and the fact that it has become a universal standard for exchanging data amongst a range of fixed and mobile devices. In addition, Bluetooth wireless technology has the ability to simultaneously handle both data and voice transmissions. This means that users can use a variety of applications such as a hands-free headset for voice calls, printing and fax capabilities, and synchronizing PDAs, laptop, and mobile phone applications.

The future of Bluetooth looks strong, with initiatives underway for higher throughput, more ubiquitous usage and links with Wifi and Ultra Wideband (UWB) broadcast technology.Operating systems such as the Mac OS and Windows continue to have native support for Bluetooth.The Bluetooth SIG partners are working on enabling Bluetooth information points, to enable advertising models based around users pulling information from ‘information points’, rather than having to ‘push’ information out.Other emerging features include Bluetooth in cars; automatic configuration of piconets; and quality of service (QoS) improvements, for example enabling audio and video data to be transmitted at a higher quality.

 Next up is broadband. My definition to broadband is that it is an easy way to surf the internet as it is portable to any computer device such as notebooks and laptop as long as the device got a USB cable in it. In fact, I am one of the user of broadband ^^.

My beloved gadget - digi broadband ^^

The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device (and the broader the band, the greater the capacity for traffic).  Broadband refers to telecommunication that provides multiple channels of data over a single communications medium, typically using some form of frequency or wave division multiplexing. 

 Next, Dr Dayang also discuss with us about the infrared technology ^^

Infrared technology allows computing devices to communicate via short-range wireless signals. With infrared, computers can transfer files and other digital data bidirectionally. The infrared transmission technology used in computers is similar to that used in consumer product remote control units.

Computer infrared network adapters both transmit and receive data through ports on the rear or side of a device. Infrared adapters are installed in many laptops and handheld personal devices. In Microsoft Windows, infrared connections can be created through the same method as other local area network connections. Infrared networks were designed to suppport direct two-computer connections only, created temporarily as the need arises. However, extensions to infrared technology also support more than two computers and semi-permanent networks.


Infrared communications span very short distances. Place two infrared devices within a few feet (no more than 5 meters) of each other when networking them. Unlike Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies, infrared network signals cannot penetrate walls or other obstructions and work only in the direct "line of sight."

Ok, that's all from me this week. Until then, we will meet again ^^.