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What is the best bluetooth home phone device?

Small Inexpensive Bluetooth Device?

  • Looking for a small battery-powered bluetooth device that does... nothing in particular. I'd like to use http://http://metaquark.de/blog/archive/Home-Zone-Beta-6/ to automatically lock my computer when I step away, and unlock it when I return. It can do this by sensing bluetooth pairings. However, I don't have a phone that actually pairs correctly with my MacBook Pro, nor do I have any other bluetooth device. I'd like something that can fit on a keyring, that's small enough to attach to a lanyard, that will provide pairing. It doesn't have to do anything but pair with my laptop, and it should be as inexpensive as possible. Any ideas?

  • Answer:

    I have a Samsung WEP 200 bluetooth earpiece - I know you can pair it to a Mac, because I have done so in the past. It is very http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000GM8QI0/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/... Since I traded up to a stereo Motorola H820, it is sitting in my drawer. If you are interested, paying for postage will get it to San Fran for you... (email in my profile).

aberrant at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

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You can find some particularly cheap bluetooth headsets. Would that work for you? They are pretty small too. I don't have one to recommend though sorry.

gergtreble

Depending on how adept you are at electronics, I'm sure you could sample a bluetooth module at zero cost, buy a little battery, figure out a way for it to all go together and be on your way. If you're lucky, you'll even be able to find a bluetooth module that has enough other stuff that it turns itself on automatically ;)

devilsbrigade

Depending on how brave you are, you can get a headset, as gregtreble suggested, and repackage it. Take it entirely apart and you might be able to put the guts into a thinner protective case (making sure you can still access the charger port) and then out the whole thing into the pocket of http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000GATNUC/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/

The Deej

It'd probably be easier and cheaper to use a 1st generation Apple BT mouse (the no-button one).

rhizome

Some GPS systems work with bluetooth keyrings. I found http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/31/freedom-inputs-bluetooth-gps-receiver-hangs-on-your-keychain/ but it costs $99.99. It is exactly what you want, though...I think...

Eringatang

I searched "bluetooth receiver" on Amazon and http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0009FBTCY/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/is $58 and got good reviews. Also fits in your pocket and reviewers say it connects to anything easily. You'll have to make your own keyring, though.

Eringatang

http://ask.metafilter.com/59094/Can-you-sense-me-now. Hey, I finally got to do a "previously"! Yippee! I have no life.

WCityMike

Grr, WCityMike, I was hoping to do that! Anyway, yeah, a headset is probably your cheapest/easiest bet. Make sure you get one without the power-saving feature. So it doesn't turn itself off after 15 minutes, you see.

bkudria

OK - followup time. First off, thank you, birdsquared, for the generous offer. I borrowed a friend's bluetooth headset and discovered that homezone doesn't work properly with it - the pairing doesn't seem to be recognized, even though it's paired (and usable) in OSX, so I think I'm gonna give up until the program gets a bit more stable.

aberrant

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