Blog #4

 BLOG POST#4

The advent of Bluetooth Technology

Introduction

Various technologies have emerged and made our life easier, especially in communication. Initially, people relied on cables to transmit data from one place to another. However, technologies have made it possible to send data from one place to another through wireless means. An example of such transformative technology is the use of Bluetooth. Bluetooth technology connects portable or stationary electronic devices and helps share specific data. The devices must be within a specified range for seamless movement of data. Therefore, understanding Bluetooth technology will help us know how it has greatly benefited our lives. 

Bluetooth History

Bluetooth technology has not existed for long but has gained wider use in the 21st century. The technology became a substitute for cables and wires to create a network. The invention is used for short-range wireless communications and transmissions (Wu, 2017). The devices that support Bluetooth technology allow networks with a similar purpose to share or broadcast information. The technology has not eliminated the use of cables because devices can only connect within a specific range. Bluetooth is mainly used because it creates a Personal Area Network (PAN) (Wu, 2017). Therefore, if two devices are not within the same area, they automatically disconnect. 

 

Bluetooth Functionality

Bluetooth makes use of established systems for it to function. It operates either as Basic Rate (BR) or Low Energy (LE), but the operation may switch from one system to another (Wu, 2017). BR has an Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) and other functionalities, making it possible to transfer a large amount of data with difficulty and at an increased cost. The discovery process is Bluetooth devices is seamless and not complicated. It involves one device intending to make a connection and sending a request to another device. The second device then starts scanning the request, and upon receiving an inquiry packet, it responds with a Frequency Hopping Synchronization (FHS) packet (Wu, 2017). The packet has the information needed to establish a connection, after which data is freely transferred. 

 

Pros and Cons of Using Bluetooth Technology

Using Bluetooth technology comes with several benefits. The first benefit is the elimination of the use of wires which makes the environment safer. The technology is also cheaper for developers to implement into their devices, which makes the process cheaper, and the consumers enjoy the same. The technology also enjoys easy automation as two or more Bluetooth-enabled devices can easily communicate within a considerable range (LiGo Electronics Ltd, 2022). The technology is also energy efficient as it uses low-power signals. Bluetooth only needs less energy to function, meaning less power use. Technology is also universal, meaning one can use it anywhere in the world. 

However, technology is associated with several negative issues. First, the overreliance on Bluetooth technology sometimes leads to malicious attacks such as MAC spoofing (Tsira & Nandi, 2014). The technology has not offered any solution to such types of attacks. Moreover, malicious software such as Cabir worm uses the technology to find existing Bluetooth devices and implant itself in them (Tsira & Nandi, 2014). Therefore, the technology is liable to malicious attacks. 

 

Conclusion

Bluetooth technology has helped reduce the use of cables in sharing data. The technology has several benefits, such as eliminating the use of wires, a cheaper process of its adoption, and efficient energy use. However, the technology is liable to various malicious attacks that may compromise shared information. Therefore, new improvements may be needed to ensure the safe sharing of information.

References

LiGo Electronics Ltd. (2022). Enjoy the top 10 benefits of Bluetooth. https://ligo.co.uk/blog/enjoy-top-10-benefits-bluetooth/.

Tsira, V., & Nandi, G. (2014). Bluetooth technology: Security issues and its prevention. IJCTA, 1833-1837.

Wu, J. (2017). How Bluetooth works. ECE Senior Capstone Project, 1-2. https://sites.tufts.edu/eeseniordesignhandbook/files/2017/05/Wu_SHP2.pdf.