Gizmo

3Com Bluetooth USB Adapter

Bluetooth may finally become useful thanks to the 3Com USB adapter. Bluetooth technology allows devices – cellphones, handheld computers and PCs to swap data wirelessly.

The idea is that any Bluetooth device – and one day that could include toys or kitchen appliances - can talk to any other Bluetooth device across radio waves when they get within 30 feet of each other. So your computer can share a phone book contact with a cell phone, for example.

3Com’s adapter plugs into a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector found on most computers build since 1998. It enables a PC to communicate with any other Bluetooth device.

It’s about the size of a kitchen fork and plugs into the back of a PC. Software that comes with it automatically detects the presence of any Bluetooth device in the area and initiates contact with it.

This will make life much easier if you are considering the new Bluetooth enabled printer from Hewlett Packard. Imagine, no printer cables! Much applause to 3Com for creating such an affordable and easy-to-configure device.

Price: $225 Canadian, $149 US
More info: www.3com.com
Buy it: On-line at MicroWarehouse or PC Connection. To find a retailer in Canada and the US, call 1 877-949-3266.

-Andy Walker, Cyberwalker Media Syndicate

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