TDK Bluetooth USB Adaptor 8th December 2002

Today we will be reviewing the TDK USB Bluetooth Adapter.  To be honest we have had this for over a month now, but when it was shipped to us it did not support Picture Transfer.  We now have the updated software and I can tell you, it was definitely worth the wait. 

In the picture above we can see just what the adapter ships with.  We have the adapter itself, a USB extension cable and two little green circles which you can stick to your monitor/laptop or whatever takes your fancy.  As well as these items the box had a registration card and software CD.

The device itself can be used for wireless networking, up to a distance of 10 meters.  This was not confirmed as we only have one unit at the moment, instead we used our trusty Nokia 7650 cell phone, with its built in camera, it was very easy to install the software after downloading it (17MB file) and the detection of Bluetooth devices was noticeably faster than it was with the drivers on the CD.

When testing the transfer of the pictures from the phone to the PC it was apparent that beyond 2-3 meters the speed at which the transfer took place was significantly reduced.  Although it has a top speed of 30Mb/s it took around 30 seconds to shift a 500KB file this time doubled (1 minute) when I left the 2-3 meter area near the computer.

A good feature is its ability to transfer data through walls and doors.  I have concrete walls that are 6 inches thick and it still managed to transfer files at an acceptable rate.  I would very much like to test the wireless networking capabilities of Bluetooth as it offers an increased speed over conventional wireless networking.  I have also been unable to assess the ability to use voice dictation as  Plantronics were having stock difficulty with their M1000 Bluetooth headset.

Conclusion

This is a highly versatile tool for anyone who is interested in Bluetooth products and their application in everyday life, and with Christmas so near many retailers are now selling this product for under £99 which is about half the price of upgrading to a Bluetooth equipped motherboard.  I will definitely be following any developments in this products features as it is developed.

We would like to thank Derrick Emeka of TDK Systems UK for supplying the review sample. 

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.