Japanese Bluetooth

[Xiphias]

My friend and I got into this discussion, where the point of contention was that bluetooth in his Japanese phone (Docomo) was incompatible with bluetooth standards here - he then presented the argument that the Japanese were four hundred years ahead in technology. While he makes a valid point, I was under the impression that bluetooth was pretty much universal, and that he was just an idiot and can't set his bluetooth properly.

But obviously I was not certain. So are bluetooth standards universal? Would a headset purchased here work with a cell phone purchased there?

[murdoc2k]

My friend and I got into this discussion, where the point of contention was that bluetooth in his Japanese phone (Docomo) was incompatible with bluetooth standards here - he then presented the argument that the Japanese were four hundred years ahead in technology. While he makes a valid point, I was under the impression that bluetooth was pretty much universal, and that he was just an idiot and can't set his bluetooth properly.

But obviously I was not certain. So are bluetooth standards universal? Would a headset purchased here work with a cell phone purchased there?


Your friend must be drunk. I owned a Docomo Panasonic P905 and I used a Motorola bluetooth headset with it. Bluetooth is made by Toshiba and is a universal format. Your friend is right about consumer technology. Japan is far superior but when it comes to data transfers among phones, they're the worst at it. They use something called "simpleIR" which is just infrared. Why infrared? Distance is limited and you have to make sure both cell phones are facing each other with nothing obstructing the way. Bluetooth is far better!
They also crippled their wireless technology on cell phones to force people to use their data packages which we in North America expect phones to have out of the box. The only phone that they have which escapes this problem is the iPhone.

[Homer88]

My friend and I got into this discussion, where the point of contention was that bluetooth in his Japanese phone (Docomo) was incompatible with bluetooth standards here - he then presented the argument that the Japanese were four hundred years ahead in technology. While he makes a valid point, I was under the impression that bluetooth was pretty much universal, and that he was just an idiot and can't set his bluetooth properly.

But obviously I was not certain. So are bluetooth standards universal? Would a headset purchased here work with a cell phone purchased there?

You're right. Didn't you know the Japanese have secretly developed the Bluetooth V.9001 standard that can reach up to 100km and can transmit at 20Gbps? They're secretly laughing at our crappy Class 1 that only goes up to 100m.

[Xiphias]

You're right. Didn't you know the Japanese have secretly developed the Bluetooth V.9001 standard that can reach up to 100km and can transmit at 20Gbps? They're secretly laughing at our crappy Class 1 that only goes up to 100m.

I heard of rumors of such tech, but never witnessed it myself. It was short-lived though, since being hit by an earthquake set some Japanese advancements back 400 years.

Apparently, there is a good chance that Bluetooth may have been one of them. http://www.theonion.com/content/news/earthquake_sets_japan_back_to_2147

Thanks Murdoc.

[Ninjai]

I heard of rumors of such tech, but never witnessed it myself. It was short-lived though, since being hit by an earthquake set some Japanese advancements back 400 years.

Apparently, there is a good chance that Bluetooth may have been one of them. http://www.theonion.com/content/news/earthquake_sets_japan_back_to_2147

Thanks Murdoc.

Theonion is a joke news site..

[Xiphias]

Theonion is a joke news site..

I know. You didn't think I was serious?

[Ninjai]

I didn't really read your post but I did see the onion link :p

[hoon]

Your friend must be drunk. I owned a Docomo Panasonic P905 and I used a Motorola bluetooth headset with it. Bluetooth is made by Toshiba and is a universal format. Your friend is right about consumer technology. Japan is far superior but when it comes to data transfers among phones, they're the worst at it. They use something called "simpleIR" which is just infrared. Why infrared? Distance is limited and you have to make sure both cell phones are facing each other with nothing obstructing the way. Bluetooth is far better!
They also crippled their wireless technology on cell phones to force people to use their data packages which we in North America expect phones to have out of the box. The only phone that they have which escapes this problem is the iPhone.

You may be wrong here. Most, if not all, phones in Japan have bluetooth. The "simpleIR" you mention is to exchange phone numbers, email addy, etc. between two phones. Like, when you are at a bar, you meet a girl, and want to exchange numbers. You do it by IR, instead of writing it down on a piece of paper. I currently live in Japan, so I found what you said (including your last statement) may be incorrect or it's just me that's confused.