Bluetooth For Java [Paperback]

Bruce Hopkins (Author), Ranjith Antony (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1590590783 | ISBN-13: 978-1590590782 | Publication Date: March 26, 2003 | Edition: 1

Bluetooth is a standard for wireless integration of small devices. "Bluetooth for Java" is specifically about using Java to program Bluetooth-enabled devices. The specification for Java and Bluetooth was released in February. However, vendors are implementing the specification now and most won't be ready/available until Fall 2002. Bluetooth is a technology for wireless communication. It is similar in functionality to the way laptops connect to the Internet from home/office, but is typically used for short burst communications instead of a continuous connection. Because of this difference, Bluetooth is more typically found supported in wireless phones and personal devices. What "Bluetooth for Java" offers is not an overview of what Bluetooth is. Instead, Bruce Hopkins and Ranjith Antony describe how to develop wireless Java applications using Bluetooth for a variety of platforms. This includes an API overview of the Java library, development of Bluetooth-based services, highlights of security concerns, and walkthroughs for development with some of the different tools available. Programs will not be just J2ME (micro devices) based, but will also be for J2SE (client/desktop).

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bruce Hopkins is a senior Java consultant at Great Lakes Technologies Group, a Web services firm in Southfield, Michigan. He currently works at his client-site, Ford Motor Company.

Ranjith Antony is the technical lead for Atinav, an early Bluetooth "provider"/adopter.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (March 26, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590590783
• ISBN-13: 978-1590590782
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,228,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for the Bluetooth API, July 23, 2003

By 

Thomas Paul (Plainview, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bluetooth For Java (Paperback)

Bluetooth is a short range (max range of 30-300 feet) wireless communications protocol. JSR-82 is a Bluetooth API for Java that allows Bluetooth enabled devices talk to each other using the Java programs. Using Bluetooth, a PDA could talk to a printer and ask for a document to be printed or two Bluetooth enabled PDAs could exchange Java objects. Even if you know nothing about Bluetooth or wireless communications, this book will give you enough information to get started.

The book starts with an examination of Bluetooth and the terminology you need to know to understand Bluetooth enabled devices. It then gets into the basics of the Bluetooth API for Java and developing programs using J2ME MIDP. Chapters cover creating a Bluetooth print server, passing objects between Bluetooth devices, and securing messages between devices. The authors discuss the PC software available to simulate two Bluetooth devices talking to each other so that you can develop an application without having two Bluetooth devices sitting on your desk. The final chapters covers topics such as Jini and Ericsson BlipNet. The book contains many well commented code samples demonstrating how to use the Bluetooth API.

The book is very clear and concise. The book reads as if it was written by a couple of enthusiastic Bluetooth developers anxious to share the technology. And they do an excellent job of doing exactly that. The book is well written and interesting. I started the book knowing almost nothing about Bluetooth but now I feel confident that I can develop Bluetooth applications. If you have any interest in Bluetooth then I can recommend this book as an excellent resource.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A rush job, April 4, 2005

By 

Lars Westergren (Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bluetooth For Java (Paperback)

A book I was looking forward to, but was very disappointed by. The theoretical parts are ok, but it is nothing you can't find online. The real meat for me was the example code. And oh boy, is it terrible. The chapter on J2ME (the most important one) has two code examples that the author claims are working.

These examples won't start, they won't even compile! They are half finished programs written by a Java amateur. I can only hope it is not the author himself, because if it is it casts considerable doubt on the rest of the book.

I find it amazing that the publishing company includes this in a published book, they really must have rushed it out. Even more shamefully is the fact that this code is available to download online unchanged at the book site. No errata at all.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Only First Half Of The Book Is Useful!!!, April 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Bluetooth For Java (Paperback)

The first half of this book deserves 4 stars. It makes bluetooth easy to understand by not including too much technical info like timing, etc. I have read other books on bluetooth, but they are too technical. It's like the author just copied the info directly from the RFC. If you are just working on high level application, then the first half of this book is for you. It explains the commonly used Java bluetooth API in simple fashion, and I like the source codes in the book. It is all you need to get start with.

The second half of the book is disappointing. It talks about programming with specific bluetooth simulator and other embredded devices. The info on the simulator is out-dated, because the company no longer offer free trial. So it is useless unless you buy it which I think should be very expensive. Same thing applies to the embredded hardwares. Those chapters are useless for me because they applies only to those devices, and I don't have them. So, I ended up skipping 1/2 of the book.

This is one of the few tech books that has a lot of blank spaces and photos. If you remove those blank spaces and photos, the thickness of the book may be reduced by at least 1/4. So there are not as much info as you think based on the number of pages of this book. But the first half of this book does deserve 4 stars.