Are you still playing CDs? May I ask why? If you are an audiophile, you could have as many as 500 CDs on your shelf and another 200 that don't even fit on that shelf. Your CD/DVD player probably holds a maximum of 5 discs at a time. If you have the jukebox style player, it may even hold a 100 CDs or more. That's great, but it probably doesn't hold every disc in your extensive library. Do you really enjoy replacing discs all the time? Do you ever waste several minutes due to indecision of trying to pick which 5 (out a 1000 CDs) you want to hear today?
If yes, than your just like me.
I just tested the Bluetooth technology using my Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. I got a Bluetooth 2.0 USB dongle for Christmas, and paired my cell phone to my MacBook Pro laptop. My laptop is connected via RCA cables to my home stereo. Connection and pairing via Bluetooth was a snap. Once you pair the devices and have a stable connection, you're ready for some serious entertainment convenience.
Next, I found a program called Salling Clicker (latest version is 3.5) and installed it on my laptop. Salling Clicker will detect your cell phone and ask you to select the make/model of your phone for compatibility (ex. Sony Ericsson w580i). You will then be prompted to install the Salling client onto your phone via Bluetooth. Once this is installed, open Salling from your phone and click "connect". Your phone will find your laptop and ask if you want to connect. Once the connection between Salling (cell) and Salling (laptop) is made, I can launch iTunes from the phone which is totally synced with the iTunes library on the laptop.
Now, you can select any mp3 from your iTunes library using your cell phone via Bluetooth! My particular model phone (Sony Ericsson w580) has a remote control HID (Human Interface Device) feature built-in which enables mouse-control mode as well. No CDs! Your whole library is available at the touch of a finger! And yes, the album artwork displays on your phone display as well.
The range depends on the type of Bluetooth dongle you have. Class two Bluetooth supports a range of up to 10m or 33ft. Class 1 supports a range of up to 100m, or over 300ft.
USB Bluetooth Dongle: $17.99 (from Amazon)
Salling Clicker software: $23.99 (one time charge)
TOTAL COST: $41.98
Sunday, January 4, 2009
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