Small Inexpensive Bluetooth Device?

June 27, 2007 4:20 PM

Looking for a small battery-powered bluetooth device that does... nothing in particular.

I'd like to use Home Zone to automatically lock my computer when I step away, and unlock it when I return. It can do this by sensing bluetooth pairings. However, I don't have a phone that actually pairs correctly with my MacBook Pro, nor do I have any other bluetooth device.

I'd like something that can fit on a keyring, that's small enough to attach to a lanyard, that will provide pairing. It doesn't have to do anything but pair with my laptop, and it should be as inexpensive as possible. Any ideas?

posted by aberrant to technology (10 comments total)

You can find some particularly cheap bluetooth headsets. Would that work for you? They are pretty small too.

I don't have one to recommend though sorry.
posted by gergtreble at 4:31 PM on June 27, 2007

Depending on how adept you are at electronics, I'm sure you could sample a bluetooth module at zero cost, buy a little battery, figure out a way for it to all go together and be on your way. If you're lucky, you'll even be able to find a bluetooth module that has enough other stuff that it turns itself on automatically ;)
posted by devilsbrigade at 4:48 PM on June 27, 2007

Depending on how brave you are, you can get a headset, as gregtreble suggested, and repackage it. Take it entirely apart and you might be able to put the guts into a thinner protective case (making sure you can still access the charger port) and then out the whole thing into the pocket of this kind of key case.
posted by The Deej at 4:50 PM on June 27, 2007

It'd probably be easier and cheaper to use a 1st generation Apple BT mouse (the no-button one).
posted by rhizome at 5:33 PM on June 27, 2007

Some GPS systems work with bluetooth keyrings. I found this one but it costs $99.99. It is exactly what you want, though...I think...
posted by Eringatang at 6:22 PM on June 27, 2007

I searched "bluetooth receiver" on Amazon and this one is $58 and got good reviews. Also fits in your pocket and reviewers say it connects to anything easily. You'll have to make your own keyring, though.
posted by Eringatang at 6:30 PM on June 27, 2007

Previously. Hey, I finally got to do a "previously"! Yippee! I have no life.
posted by WCityMike at 6:52 PM on June 27, 2007

I have a Samsung WEP 200 bluetooth earpiece - I know you can pair it to a Mac, because I have done so in the past. It is very small... Since I traded up to a stereo Motorola H820, it is sitting in my drawer. If you are interested, paying for postage will get it to San Fran for you... (email in my profile).
posted by birdsquared at 10:30 PM on June 27, 2007

Grr, WCityMike, I was hoping to do that!

Anyway, yeah, a headset is probably your cheapest/easiest bet. Make sure you get one without the power-saving feature. So it doesn't turn itself off after 15 minutes, you see.
posted by bkudria at 3:45 PM on June 28, 2007

OK - followup time. First off, thank you, birdsquared, for the generous offer. I borrowed a friend's bluetooth headset and discovered that homezone doesn't work properly with it - the pairing doesn't seem to be recognized, even though it's paired (and usable) in OSX, so I think I'm gonna give up until the program gets a bit more stable.
posted by aberrant at 10:22 PM on July 1, 2007