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Hell's Bells
Electronics | Dec 14, 04
At the moment I only have my cellphone and a couple of other devices that "beep" at me. Yet, between the trouble recognizing just what it is that is beeping, and then finding it, it is already a problem. And with each device I get that uses an andible signal the problem gets worse and worse.
And then there's a variant of this problem that you encounter in a room full of Bluetooth. If you're not careful, one device may talk to another without you intending it---or even thinking about it. Sometimes this produces results that are difficult to manage. It directly suggests that our signal space is filling up with both signals we can hear and signals that our devices hear and process.
For example, I made the mistake of buying a Bluetooth phone unit for my land line. After I had screwed things up while getting it working the first time, I decided that it would be best to simply reset the thing to factory conditions and start over. When I tried, the handset recognized my computer---which has a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse---and wouldn't find the land line base unit. And the base unit needed a handset already talking to it so that it could be reset. I had to call the manufacturer in desperation, and he basically told me to shut down all my computer gear so that the only signal in play was the base unit. I asked (jokingly) if that meant I had to shut down my computer every time my phone rang. The tech I was talking to was not amused. Perhaps he had heard the question before. Several times. Fortunately, once the handset had been linked to the base I was able to restart the computers without any particular difficulty.
But imagine a normal person in this situation. In order to connect a new phone---a task which used to only involve plugging an RJ-11 cable into the wall---one first has to coordinate and make peace with all of my Bluetooth devices present in the environment. Bad enough if there is one such device. If there are two, or more, the task can quickly become so complex that the best thing to do seems to be to return the phone and get one that just plugs in to a regular jack.
So I need to limit my bells and to simplify my world. It's fine if my phone has a different ring for each function and for each person, but it's only fine if I live alone and have only one cel line. Multiple cel lines and multiple people produce a bewildering audible environment. Things are tough, even when they work. And if something goes wrong, and no longer works, forget it. You might as well start over.
Remember the days that the most complicated diagnostic gear that we needed was a battery tester? No longer. What I want for Christmas now is a "beep translator and finder" along with some rather complicated signal tracking and logging devices. I don't think anyone makes these yet, but when they do I'll sure be a customer if the prices are reasonable.
Hear me Santa?
Posted by david.ness (Permalink)
