Since Bluetooth has become one of (if not THE) most popular wireless data transfer and communication technologies, the number of devices that include Bluetooth chips has also skyrocketed over the past few years, ranging from mobile phones and PDAs to various peripherals (headphones, mice, keyboards, etc.). However, since there are quite a few computing systems that come with built-in Bluetooth chipsets, the people over at Synchrotech have launched the USB to Bluetooth Adapter Dongle, a device that turns any system into a Bluetooth-enabled one.



Thus, the device can quickly add Bluetooth capabilities to any USB 1.1/2.0 equipped laptop or desktop PC, thus allowing it to communicate wirelessly with Bluetooth enabled PDAs, mobile phones, printers, digital cameras and other devices. Actually, the device supports up to 7 such devices, arranged in a Piconet configuration.



The device can be described as a 4dBm Class 2 Bluetooth radio, which means that it operates up to 15-20 meters in range at up to 721Kbps, and works on the 2.4-2.4835GHz unlicensed ISM band. Furthermore, it supports a wide range of Bluetooth profiles, including here GAP, SPP, SDAP, GOEP, OPP, FTP, DUN, LAP, FAX, and ActiveSync and provides up to four power modes: Park, Sniff, Hold and Deep Sleep. And since we're on the subject of power, it's also worth mentioning the fact that the Bluetooth dongle draws all its necessary power from the USB port.



The USB to Bluetooth Adapter Dongle from Synchrotech works with the most common operating systems on the market, namely Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP and retails for around 25 US dollars, which is not exactly a very small price, taking into account the fact that there are quite a lot of similar devices available on the market for significantly lower price tags.