Receive mobile phone call on your PC via Bluetooth

Receive mobile phone call on your PC via Bluetooth

Would you like to see who is calling your mobile on your PC? Are you in an environment where your phone has to be silent? Do you miss calls?
This walkthrough will show you how to connect your Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone to your Windows XP PC via Bluetooth. This is likely to work for most Bluetooth phones and all operating systems that support Bluetooth though the method will be slightly different on other platforms.
This method also works for Windows Vista. I have not had success in getting caller ID information, but a message does show up on the screen saying that there is an incoming call. Be careful not to attach Vistas voice gateway service as your calls will be answered automatically. To get this going in Vista, follow the steps below as the set up for Vista and XP are almost identical.There are heaps of fun and interesting things you can do with Bluetooth. Check out some of my other How-To’s and have a play.
Bluetooth has many services which you can use. For this How-to I am only going to focus on the hands-free service, although part of this process is the pairing of the devices. Each Bluetooth device offers only a few services but all smartphones I have seen offer the hands-free service.
Not all bluetooth adaptors will allow for the use of the hands-free service. It works with my Belkin adaptor but it has not been possible on some laptops I have come across. To find out if your PC is capable, open up “My computer”, click “My Bluetooth Places”, click “View my Bluetooth Services”. Look for Hands-free or Headset profile and you should be alright. This may also be dependent on your drivers.
One of the drawbacks with Bluetooth is that it drains the battery of your device whilst it is switched on. My batteries lose power twice as fast with it on and connected to another device. This is slightly annoying but if you are willing to charge your phone ever 1-2 days, you will be fine. You probably have these features, so you may as well see if you can use them.
What you need:

• Windows Mobile 5 Bluetooth handset.

I will be using a HP Ipaq rw6828, as companies make changes to WM5, some of the menu’s may look different.

• PC/Laptop running Windows XP

Up to date, Service Pack 2 is probably required

• Bluetooth built-in to your laptop or a Bluetooth USB Adaptor.

These are available in most IT shops and range in price greatly. I use a Belkin Bluetooth USB Adaptor – Model F8T013 I bought at Harvey Norman. No name brand adaptors can be found at local computer shops for around $20, though I have no idea if these will offer the hands-free service.

I am assuming drivers have been installed on the computer for the Bluetooth ready PC or Laptop.
Pairing the Smartphone with your Computer.
In order to use the Hands-free service we first need to pair the Smartphone with your computer. This enables the Bluetooth communication between the two devices.
On your WM5 Smartphone, tap on the following buttons
tap Start


tap Settings


tap Connections


tap Bluetooth



tap Mode,
both boxes should be ticked, this turns Bluetooth on


tap Devices


tap New Partnership

Your Smartphone will now scan the area for Bluetooth devices and list them


tap “Your computer’s name” and press Next



Your Smartphone will now ask you to enter a passkey. This is a code that you put in to allow for a secure connection between your Smartphone and your computer. You make this key up in most cases and if you do forget it in the future, you can re-pair the devices. They are usually 4 characters long and numeric. I usually use 1234 or 9876. Another option is to use the last 4 digits of a phone number associated with the mobile phone. I don’t see there being huge security issues here but if you have sensitive data on your Smartphone you may want to look into Bluetooth security.

Enter your passkey, e.g. 1234 or 2435



tap Next




Your PC will request the Passkey. Click on the bubble popup


Enter your Passkey and Press OK


You should see that your connection is successful. Icon will change to aqua.


Back on your Smartphone: select Hands-Free Service


tap Finish


Setting your Computer as the Hands-free device


You will be sent back to your partnerships list and your device should now see your computer in the list. Tap on “Your Computer Name” for 2 seconds and a menu will pop up. Select “Set as Hands-free”

After communication takes place (around 5 seconds) the headset icon will appear up the top of your Smartphone.



If all has gone to plan you will now be able to accept calls to your mobile through your PC. When the mobile is dialled a popup will appear down the bottom right of the screen displaying the number.

Not only that, if you click on the bubble you will be given the option to Accept or Reject the call.

If you connect your computer to a microphone and headphones you can have your conversation using your computer whilst your phone is in another room. There is a whole world of things that can be done using the hands-free service. Using your PC to record phone calls is easy to achieve and sometimes useful.
Your smartphone should reconnect automatically when you are near the computer, my computer reconnects with my phones automatically saving me from having to manually set hands free.

Email My Public IP and Local IP

Email My IP

TNT SoftWorks Email My IP is an easy to use application made for the user who needs to know his home Ip while he is away. Email My IP will send an email once daily to a specified email address. The email subject line will contain the Public IP and Local IP address the email was sent from. Whether you are using an application to connect remotely to your home pc while you are away, and your home IP is dynamic or if you need toi be able to login to a home router daily to turn off the wireless so the kids do there homework, this easy to use application will make sure you always have the right IP address.

The program resides in the system tray after pressing hide. At any time you can  hover your mouse over the program icon in the system tray and your public IP address will be displayed.  Thank you. ..........

Making Your PC a DLNA Certified Media Server

You may make your Windows XP or Windows Vista PC a DLNA certified media server simply by activating this capability of Windows Media Player (WMP) 11 or above.  This will allow you to use the Ethernet connection on your DLNA certified media player (PS3, TV, receiver) to connect to the server and view media stored on your PC.

Here is a step-by-step guide:
1.  Open Windows Media Player 11.  The "Windows Media Player" window below appears.



2. Click the "Library" tab and then click "Media Sharing...".  If Media Sharing has not been previously used, a "Media Sharing" pop-up window appears.  Be sure that "Share My Media" is checked and click "OK" to continue.  The "Media Sharing" window below appears.



3. Make sure that "Share my media to:" is checked and then click "Settings...".  The "Media Sharing - Default Settings" window below appears.



4.  Pick the settings that you desire.  It is recommended that you replace the default "Share media as:" name with what ever you would like the server to be named.  If there are multiple users on the PC, media sharing must be configured for each user and there is a server for each user.  Click "OK" to save the settings and return to the "Media Sharing" window.

5.  Click the "Networking..." button.  The "Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center" window below appears.



6.  Make sure that "Password protected sharing" is "Off" and that "Media Sharing" is "On".  Click "OK" to save the settings and return to the "Media Sharing" window.  Click "OK" to save the "Media Sharing" settings.

7. Back on the "Windows Media Player" window, click the "Library" tab and then click "Add to Library...".  The "Add to Library" window below will appear.



8.  Make sure that "My folders and those of others that I can access" is selected.  Recommend un-checking "Add files previously deleted from library" as it will be annoying if this happens.  Click "Add..." to browse folders to add.  The "Add Folder" window below will appear.



9.  Select the desired folder.  In this case, "C:UsersJohnPicturesPoland (10-03-06)" was selected.  Click "OK" to add the selected folder.  The new folder appears in the "Add To Library" window as shown below.



10. Click "OK" to add the files in the folder to the library.  "The Add to Library by Searching Computer" window below appears.



Congratulations!  You have completed making your PC a DLNA certified media server.  DLNA certified media players (PS3, TV, receiver, etc.) on your home network may now view media stored on your PC.

Change Network Settings Of Computer With Click Of Mouse

Change Network Settings Of Laptop With Click Of Mouse

NetSetMan Utility For Network Settings

 First time you launch the utility, you need to set the network card using the refresh button and get the current settings for the first connection. See the snapshots below:

The below screen shot shows how to get the current network settings for IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, DNS servers etc. from existing connection.

You can rename it at your convenience, for simplicity, you can name it in the name of office, home, college etc.

You can click on the other tabs, change the Network settings and you just need to press Activate button on right top of the window to activate the current tab’s settings.

when you go back home, just click on home tab and press activate! Its simple as that 

You can download NetSetMan from here. Let us share the other way of doing it.

 Using Windows Batch File to Change Network Settings (Geeky Way)

  In this method we will use the netsh command provided by windows to change the network settings. Follow the stpes below:

 1. Open Command prompt and type the following command to save the current network settings to a text file, lets name the file as homeNet.txt and save it to c drive of the computer. The command is “netsh -c interface dump > c:\homeNet.txt”

see the snapshot above

This file gets saved in c drive. This is a text file which saves the network settings for home network.

 2. Now open the Network Connections and change the settings of Office settings.

After the settings changed as per office network, press OK to save.

 3.On Command prompt type the following command to save the current network settings to a text file, lets name the file as officeNet.txt and save it to c drive of the computer. The command is “netsh -c interface dump > c:\officeNet.txt”

See the snapshot of the command above

This file saves your office network settings.

 4. Now we will create Windows batch files to apply these saved settings on double click of the mouse. These will be two batch files, one for home, one for office. You can have more if you use more than two networks.

 5. Open Notepad and type the following text

“netsh -f c:\homeNet.txt”

This is the command for applying the home network settings.

Saving the batch file is very important, because if you mistakenly save it as text file, it will not work at all. So go to file menu and choose save as option.

On Save as dialogue window, choose the location (I choose desktop for ease of changing settings), now choose file name as homeNet.bat and file type as All Files. Its very important to save it as All files, because it will otherwise save it as normal text file.

6. Now follow the same procedure in the previous step with the text as:

“netsh -f c:\officeNet.txt”

7. After this you can see these two batch files on the desktop. You just need to double-click on them to change the network settings!

Simple isn’t it? Please share your views and suggestions.

How to Extend Your Wireless Network without Replacing It

The top three connection issues and how to fix them

By

Aug 12, 2011 11:46 AM

What’s the biggest difference between a wired and a wireless network? A wireless network is only as robust as its signal. In other words, setting up a Wireless-N network doesn’t always mean you’re going to get Wireless-N speeds. Poor signal strength and range, interference from non-network wireless devices, and the way your router broadcasts Wi-Fi signals can cause network slowdowns. If you’re ready to improve your wireless network but you’d rather not start from scratch with a new router, read on. We’ll show you exactly how to deal with the three biggest challenges.

Overcoming poor signal strength and range

Amplifi Wi-Fi Booster

You can easily extend your existing network into hard-to-reach locations by installing an access point, which connects directly to your existing router and improves its wireless signal. Access points like D-Link’s DAP-1525 Amplifi Wi-Fi Booster require no additional setup or passwords to distribute a wireless signal to areas that need it most. What’s more, if you have a router that uses the older Wireless G standard, the Wi-Fi Booster automatically upgrades the signal to Wireless N. The MIMO (Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) technology built into Wireless-N routers gives you greater speeds and wider ranges than a Wireless-G router can.

Targeting your Wi-Fi signal

Most wireless routers create a signal “bubble” that radiates out from the device’s antennas like a giant donut. The farther away from the router, the worse the signal quality becomes. Special antenna technology can pinpoint this signal like a laser beam in a specific direction to give you increased strength at a longer range, but up to now, this technology has only been available on expensive, professional-grade equipment designed for businesses and large buildings.

But now, you can take advantage of both approaches affordably. D-Link’s SmartBeam technology, built into the Wi-Fi Booster, combines these two transmission types. Six internal antennas automatically track the whereabouts of connected devices and target a wireless signal directly to their locations for increased range and signal strength. It’s the best of both transmission worlds.

Coping with interference

What do baby monitors, cordless phones, and garage door openers have in common? Their wireless transmissions all operate within the 2.4GHz spectrum, which can interfere with your router’s wireless network signal.

Here again, D-Link’s Wi-Fi Booster offers a solution. This amazing device allows you to broadcast a network signal on either the 2.4GHz spectrum (for Wireless-B, -G, and -N devices) or the 5 GHz spectrum (Wireless-N only). This allows high-speed devices that need an uninterrupted connection to connect to the 5GHz signal, which offers better bandwidth and is ideal for streaming high-def video and games.

New Technologies Work for You

For all three issues, D-Link offers a ready fix. Wireless-N is the best technology for obtaining top speeds and good range using your current router. The Amplifi Wi-Fi Booster with SmartBeam technology can help you patch any dead zones you encounter. And dual-band technology frees you from the interference caused by non-network wireless devices. With these solutions, you’ll have the best wireless network on the block.

Petrol vs Diesel: And the Economies of Scale

With the prices of petrol skyrocketing, car buyers seem to be lining up to book diesel variants as they are highly economical and easy on the pocket compared to their gasoline counterparts. Well, that is only if you discount everything else and consider the running cost. We at ZigWheels take a look at the bigger picture and bring it down to simple numbers to find the cost-effective option between petrol and diesel fueled variant

The acceptance of diesel vehicles has witnessed a rapid rise in the last decade in India. With the advent of new technologies such as common rail direct injection, EGR systems and exhaust treatment systems, diesels today offer great performance, excellent mileage and on many accounts it is the cleaner fuel! The inherent ability of diesel engines to produce excellent low end torque makes for great driving; however these factors basically aided diesel engines to gain an acceptance in the passenger car market as they didn't spew black smoke like in the past. The icing on the cake however has to do with the pricing of fuel. Diesel is priced at around Rs. 50/litre and petrol is approximately Rs. 70/litre. The rates change in different parts of the country; however the ratio of difference between the two is more or less the same. It is the cumulative knowledge of all these facts that make diesel engined passenger vehicles the number one choice for many customers, however there is a kink in the diesel armour and that has to do with the pricing of the vehicle as compared to its petrol counterpart.

New Maruti Suzuki Swift VVT

A deeper insight is required while trying to decipher the cost benefit between diesel and petrol vehicle variants. Elements such as the timeline of usage, cost difference between the two models, fuel price disparity, maintenance expenses and service charges, parts wear and tear and depreciation costs sum up the major list to assist in calculating the actual benefit. It is a line of thought that most customers overlook, however our cost-benefit study should shed some light on the topic and hopefully help customers make a more informed decision, rather than just going with gut instinct or following the claims of manufacturers.

Note: The study is based under the following assumptions: 

• The difference in price of petrol and diesel remains constant throughout the five years.
• Cost of repairs and maintenance on both the variants remains nil or equal.
• Both the variants will bring in 50% of the cost at the time of resale
• Average driving is 15,000kms/year for both the variants. (in case 2)
• The car model under consideration is the new Maruti Suzuki Swift (entry level variants for both diesel and petrol). This is only indicative, and gives a good idea since the difference of cost between petrol and diesel variants of other cars also hovers around the same figure.

We did the math to compare the cost of operation for an entry level Maruti Suzuki Swift petrol with the diesel variant. The difference in the cost of the two variants is Rs. 90,000 with diesel being the more expensive of the two; add to that the interest one would gain on the excess amount at 10% p.a if the petrol variant was purchased. The diesel variant being more efficient and the cost of diesel being Rs. 20/litre lesser than that of petrol, it saves a lot of expenses on fuel (See Case 1), but the cost of regular maintenance of the diesel variant is higher than that of its petrol equivalent. Taking all these dynamics into account, the running cost of a petrol car comes to approximately Rs. 4.93/km in comparison to Rs. 9.5/km for the diesel if both the vehicles are run for 15000kms annually. Increasing the annual mileage put on the odometer, the diesel is at par with the petrol variant if and only if a person does a minimum of 45,000kms annually.

 

New Maruti Suzuki Swift Ddis

Low running? Wait for longer to recover costs

Now, it is understandable that an average Indian cannot put 45,000kms on the odometer annually considering the average run of an Indian being around 15,000kms per year. So does that totally rule out the diesel option? Well, no. Reverse calculating the amount of money saved on fuel (See: Case 2) by using a diesel car amounts to Rs. 30,500 annually after deduction of service costs for both the vehicles. Even so, after adding interest on the additional amount paid by a buyer at the time of purchase the diesel would be at par with the petrol variant mid-way through the third year. At the end of the fourth year with an annual running of 15,000kms, the money you would have saved in terms of running costs in a diesel would cover up the extra price you have paid, and you would have saved an extra Rs 9,700 as well. Only at the end of the fifth year do things begin to look rosy for diesels, with around Rs 40,000 saved in running costs over these five years.

What about depreciation?

Alright, so you finally made up the extra amount you spent in the initial invest of a diesel car, but what about depreciation? Assuming that both the variants have been reduced to half their cost after 5 years, you will still be losing more money in depreciation for the diesel, since it was a more expensive buy to start with.

The value of a Rs 4.95 lakh petrol car will be reduced by Rs 2.47 lakh at the end of five years. The value of a Rs 5.85 lakh diesel car on the other hand will be reduced by Rs 2.92 lakh – that’s Rs 45,000 lost straight in depreciation for a diesel.

This is an extreme scenario, we accept. The market dynamics for more-in-demand second hand diesel car space may result in lesser depreciation, and a better resale price. Either ways, the Rs 40,000 that a diesel user may gain after using the car for five years starts looking less rosy once you factor in depreciation as well.

Although, with the price of petrol is as high as Rs. 70/litre, the diesel may seem like a more affordable option, it may not necessarily be so. The diesel starts making economic sense for users who either have a run of 45,000kms annually or those who plan to retain the car for atleast five years or till the time they hit 50,000 kms on the odometer. And for those who have much less travelling to do in a car, the petrol still makes for a better buy.

What about the feel factor?

Although mathematics seem to be in favour of a petrol car unless you plan to retain a diesel for a prolonged period or drive seriously long distances within the first year itself, it is clear that the choice between petrols and diesels also has other angles that must be considered before making that final call.

 
Psychological satisfaction is of utmost importance to an Indian customer; and along with it comes the mental peace of not having to refuel a diesel car every few days unlike the petrol equal which is pretty much perpetually thirsty. But, simply the fact that the diesel needn’t be refueled very frequently doesn’t make it a more economical option. A diesel starts making sense only when you have a run of at least 15,000kms anything less than that and diesel will smartly fool you into feeling richer just because you end up filling fuel less frequently. 

It is not just the thirst for fuel of petrol cars that brings diesel vehicles into the lime light. The numbers before you clearly state, that you should consider buying a diesel only if your monthly run exceeds a 1000 kilometres. In fact our thesis was endorsed by Toyota at the recent launch of the Etios and Liva diesels, where they made it very clear that for a diesel to start looking rosy; one has to run it for nearly 2000kms a month. The numbers are before you, so remember that with a diesel, you would still be paying that extra cash for the first three-four years of running for the satisfaction of driving a diesel. It still is a case of different strokes for different folks, and choice still remains in the hands of the buyer. Hope this article helps you make a more informed one.