iPhone + handsfree Bluetooth with your Mac?
I’m one of those people that’s completely on the iPhone pill, without having even touched one, because I know that it looks incredible from all of the demos.
I’ve figured out how to do some cool stuff with my Treo, and even figured out Bluetooth and my Treo (syncing on Bluetooth is slow, but kind of nifty). The handsfree abilities of Bluetooth are even better, but I’m thinking, if you can use a Moto or Jabra headset with your cell phone or Mac via Bluetooth, why not both?
Even better, this is what I’m really thinking would be awesome with the iPhone: you’re working away at your office desk, with your iPhone resting on your desk next to the keyboard, in or out of its dock. You’re listening to iTunes through your Mac, with your amazing Sony/Yamaha/Bose/Other-overrated-brand speaker system.
A call comes in, and the following things happen:
1. iTunes pauses/drops the volume…
2. The iPhone ring tone plays through your Mac and speaker system, and a user interface appears on-screen, with the option of answering and whatnot, as it appears on the iPhone screen.
3. You can click “answer” on-screen, or tap “answer” on the iPhone. Doing so would route the output audio to your Mac, via Bluetooth or the sync cable. (I’m sure that Bluetooth can work either way, and the sync cable would have more than enough bandwidth to handle higher-fidelity audio than Bluetooth, provided it paused all other sync operations.)
4. You could choose between the iPhone’s microphone or the Mac microphone for input audio to talk to your friend. I’m sure that Apple could develop some sort of software gate, if they haven’t already, in order to prevent feedback/echo/audio loopback.
5. Do all of your awesome iPhone-ish call awesomeness with the onscreen UI on your Mac, or on the iPhone.
6. When the call is complete, audio input/output would return to normal computer actions, and iTunes would resume normal activity. The iPhone could also return to syncing, sleeping, or whatever it was doing before the call came in.
If set up correctly, this would be an amazing way to handsfree with an iPhone while at your desk. If Apple could build this into the OS/iTunes for free, I’d be sold.
Talk about GTD, huh?
Matt Hoult on May 5th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
This is almost exactly what I have been looking for for a long time. To take it one stage further they could add the ability for auto-skype/AIM relay when connected to any wireless network using the same number/interface. This would allow for cheap calls either way and work much as described in your article.
This is the holy grail.
wishr on May 5th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
a certain app already does tht.
even though its in Beta.
works with my sony ericsson.
for a whole list of supported phones u cn find here:
http://mirasoftware.com/BPE2/compatibility.html
and has some features of iSync too.
hope these folks support the iphone when its comes out.
Rod on May 5th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
“…without having even touched one…what I’m really thinking would be awesome…If Apple could build this…”In other words, “I’m blogging pure speculation without any actual concrete evidence that this is how an unreleased product that I’ve never touched might, in theory, if only Apple could build it this way, behave? Because, you know, I have to post SOMETHING for page hits regardless of whether or not it’s factual…”I expect this kind of drivel more from TUAW, not TAB.
Matt Hoult on May 5th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
The point of the article is not ever to be factual. Nor is it really speculation but rather a theory about how compatibility could benefit us in the future. I took it as being a generalised topic made in context of an audience which also uses an example which actually could happen.
I for one like thought provoking articles and am sick of the same things being copied and pasted between every blog, rumour and “news” site related to Apple.
Phil Bowell on May 5th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
I agree with you there Matt. It’s just a theory of how the iPhone could work in conjunction with your Mac to boost productivity. IT’s the kind of idea that I can see Apple having in mind for a 2nd or 3rd generation iPhone, something that really pushes the integration of computing and mobile technology. Heck all the info you need in address book should already be there on your Mac if it’s in your iPhone!
Kyle Pike on May 5th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
“1. iTunes pauses/drops the volume…”
I would be happy with just this. An on screen visualization would be acceptable too. As a “headphones on” worker, either of these would help me avoid missing calls.
secundat on May 5th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
I think I would rather just pick up the phone and answer it. Do you make all calls in your life a speakerphone party?
Mark on May 5th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
That kind of integration would be awesome! You get back, dock the iPhone or just plonk it down on the desk, and it syncs up automatically and routes it’s controls to the Mac, brilliant!
Even if it’s just as simple as pausing iTunes and giving notifications on the Mac with growl, maybe playing the ringtone through it’s speakers. No more missing calls because you left your phone in your bag in vibrate mode.
It could definitely sync the messaging with Mail and Address Book when it’s next to a paired Mac so you could reply using it’s keyboard and search your message history with spotlight… drool…
TTim on May 5th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Sailing clicker does a bit of that already, depends on your phone though.
iPhone on May 6th, 2007 at 1:39 am
do somebody knows when we get iPhone in europe? What is the basic charges for AT&T per month? Can i buy the iPhone in usa without domicile in America? Thanks for answer. bye
Ben Seven on May 6th, 2007 at 3:46 am
I’ve got an app that words with my Sony Ericsson W810i – Bluephoneelite. When I get an incoming call it pauses my iTunes and displays the name and number large on the screen. It unpauses iTunes when the call is over.
When I get an SMS, It pops up on the screen and I can reply from the machine, via Bluetooth. Send and receiving texts without even taking your phone out of your pocket is damned cool.
There’s also proximity detection meaning when I leave bluetooth range (which is pretty far in a small apartment, so if I pop out is a good example) it can pause iTunes and start a screensaver.
Enjoy!
Tristan on May 6th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
I will vouch for BluePhoneElite… Just purchased it, after finally getting a phone that works with it (SE W880i). I am only using v1 as v2 has a few bugs (but alot of promising features) Messaging in SO easy on a keyboard, Call Alerts are GREAT for when you forget to take your phone off silent and Proximity opens up alot of Wow! features (Welcome Greetings and Screen Sleeps) – I am really hoping that BPE will work with the iPhone OR Leopard offers similiar functionality built-in, even if only for the iPhone!
Jenny on May 7th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Wow, didn’t know the Sony Ericsson W810i could do that. Going to look into getting one. Thanks Ben!
Kendall Tawes on May 15th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
When I have money I will totally be rocking an iPhone and MacBook Pro Bluetooth setup. I can only dream.
(I’ll take Leopard for now.)
Bluetooth Headset on June 11th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
The bluetooth Headset you will be love.
Chris on October 18th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Why DOESN’T it already do this? My HTC 8125 Windows Mobile 5 phone did all of this with Salling Clicker… but Apple’s own phone is too crippled to work as well with OS X as a Windows Mobile phone… Pretty amazing.
Jesse on November 6th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
I’d like a way to add text to the iPhone/Touch with Apple’s new bluetooth keyboard.It’s small and light enough to fit in a standard binder.
I imagine setting the iPhone on it’s side, and then whip out the keyboard and start typing.
Morgan on February 20th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
The iPhone works fine with various bluetooth headsets, but for whatever reason (don’t ask me) it doesn’t keep up a connection with the computer – I’ve been playing with Proximity (a bluetooth proximity detector, nice and light) but can’t maintain the connection long enough for it to matter.