While WLAN is not currently implemented in all kinds of devices with wireless connectivity, such as PDAs, mobile phones, printers and so on, Bluetooth seems to be a right solution for present needs. It is tangibly better than infra-red connections not talking about wires. Unfortunately, there are still too few solutions for enabling Bluetooth connectivity between personal computers and various gadgets on the market. As far as I remember, currently only ASUS, MSI and EPoX equip some of their mainboards with Bluetooth capabilities; so, an add-on Bluetooth adapter may be a very useful solution.

Actiontec Electronics this week introduced a $39.95 USB Bluetooth Adapter that enables any PC or notebook computer with a USB port to communicate wirelessly with any Bluetooth v1.1-compatible device, including printers, PDAs, mobile phones, keyboards and mice.  This slim, highlighter-sized accessory fits in a pocket and can communicate with up to seven Bluetooth-enabled devices in a 33 foot range, eliminating cable clutter on the desktop as well as facilitating computing on the road.

Simply by plugging the Actiontec adapter into a USB port, users can send print jobs to any Bluetooth-ready printer wirelessly, hot-sync any Bluetooth-capable handheld computer without fussing with a cable, and access the Internet wherever they are by using a Bluetooth-enabled cellphone as a modem. As manufacturers equip scanners, digital cameras and fax machines with Bluetooth power, those devices can be added to the user’s wireless personal area network as well. 

In addition, the Actiontec adapter can allow multiple users to share computer resources.  Any computer equipped with the adapter can use the same Bluetooth-enabled printer.  Documents, MP3 files and other data can be swapped between computers and PDAs, or between any two computers outfitted with the adapter.  And a Bluetooth-ready PDA can hitch a ride on the same high-speed Internet connection as the user s computer for wireless surfing.

The adapter operates through walls and other non-metal barriers, protects users’ data with 40- to 128-bit WEP encryption, and offers added security through password protection and the ability to set trust levels for remote and local users.

The Actiontec USB Bluetooth Adapter comes with a Quick Start Guide, an installation manual on CD-ROM, and a USB extension cord for easy connection to the user s USB port.  It is compatible with Windows 98SE, ME, 2000 or XP running on a Pentium 90 or faster with 16MB of RAM.  It will be available in July from mass market retailers and from the Actiontec online store for $39.95.