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For six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Tiger Feature of the Day: Bluetooth File Transfer

Apple's support of Bluetooth has always been top-notch. In Tiger, Mac OS X gets a number of Bluetooth-related enhancements, including support for the Bluetooth 1.2 specification and the ability to use Bluetooth-enabled headsets for iChat AV audio conferences. But my favorite new Bluetooth feature in Tiger is Bluetooth file transfer, which lets you exchange files and folders with other compatible Bluetooth devices, including PDAs, smartphones, and PCs.

Before you can send or receive files via Bluetooth, you'll want to configure the other Bluetooth-enabled device for use with your Mac. Then, you'll need to enable the Bluetooth File Transfer service in the Sharing section of the Bluetooth system preference panel.

To send a file via Bluetooth, select Send File from the Bluetooth menu extra in the Tiger system menu bar. A dialog will open, letting you choose the file (or folder) you wish to send. Then, you'll be prompted to select the Bluetooth device to which you'd like to send the file. When you click Send, the other device will be alerted of the transfer.

Assuming the other device accepts the file, Tiger will send it along.

If another device attempts to send a file to a Tiger-based Mac via Bluetooth, a dialog will pop-up, giving you the chance to accept or decline the transfer. If you accept the transfer, the file will be copied to your Documents folder.

The Bluetooth file transfer feature works very similarly to the same feature in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), which is how I tested it: The other device used in this example was an SP2-based notebook computer. In other words, it works very well.

[ Posted at 9:39 PM | Permalink ]