Do You Need Bluetooth GPS?

Bluetooth GPS is a combination that allows you to have a wireless GPS unit display on a Bluetooth-enabled device such as a PDA or Pocket PC.

Bluetooth® is a worldwide standard by which portable handheld devices, mobile phones, mobile computers and other accessories can work with each other without wires. The standard was developed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). If you're wondering, the name was inspired by the 10th century Danish King Harald Bluetooth, known for unifying Denmark and Norway.

An example of a
Bluetooth GPS receiver

Bluetooth GPS receivers became available in late 2002. They can be used in an automobile or for hiking, among other uses. Because they are wireless, they are powered by their own batteries. This is an advantage for PDA users due to the GPS receiver not being an additional load on an already power-hungry PDA.

Bluetooth technology can be used for many applications. Pairing Bluetooth enabled keyboards and mice with personal computers allows for greater flexibility and efficiency. A Bluetooth-
enabled personal computer can communicate with a printer as long as they're within 10 meters of each other.

Pairing a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone and headset means hands-free mobile communications without wires. Your phone doesn't even need to be within your reach. With your Bluetooth enabled headset the phone can be in your bag or in another room. Combining a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone and a handheld PC means you can use your phone as a wireless modem. You can also share a calendar, a "to-do" list and a single address book between your desktop PC, handheld PC, and mobile phone.

Eliminating the need for wired connections between electronic products and accessories allows for transfer and synchronization of files between devices and devices can be used as remote controls, keys, and tickets.

A large advantage of a Bluetooth GPS system is the ability to place the receiver in a location where it has a better "view" of the satellites. This is one of the reasons Bluetooth GPS systems perform so well. For an example of the details of the use of a Bluetooth GPS, see this thorough Bluetooth GPS review.

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