One of the neglected technology in linux PCs is Bluetooth.
Though most wireless connectivity needs in today’s computing world are addressed by wifi 802.11abg, device to device communications such as bluetooth still has its uses.
The official bluetooth stack for linux is Bluez and every linux distro comes pre-installed with it. A2DP, headset, and various common profiles can be created depending on the client bluetooth devices and the services it supports.
One of the most common use of Bluetooth is to send and browse files between the cellphone and PC. However, beyond that, there are also a few other good uses on bluetooth.
One very good use for bluetooth is for pairing a wireless headset to use with Skype. With bluetooth stereo headsets, music can be streamed wirelessly from the PC/laptop to the headset. No longer restricted by the length of headphone cables, the user doesn’t have to sit near to the monitor/LCD, this is especially crucial when watching a HD movie from a PC that is connected to a large LCD/Plasma panel.
For home theater setups, bluetooth keyboards and mice are also preferred because their range is better than conventional RF dongles.
To manage all the various bluetooth devices with different services and profiles, Blueman is one of the better GUI manager for bluetooth connectivity. Though it does installed with most distros, Ubuntu distros exclude it. Instructions for adding Blueman repository in Ubuntu here.
There are some issues with using bluetooth audio on distros using PulseAudio as the sound system but there are also some known workarounds which work for users of Ubuntu.
Recycle your old cellphone bluetooth headsets today with Blueman!
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Tags: a2dp, blueman, bluetooth, bluez, cellphones, headset, pulseaudio, stack, ubuntu