14 DAY TRIAL // For months, the iPhone Bluetooth Project has been quietly working to develop a Bluetooth solution for the iPhone. While readers can express their discontent on the lack of built-in bluetooth in the iPhone, command-line-savvy users can actually give this tool a go right now.
A post on the official iBluetooth Project forum reveals that BlueSn0w is a small tool that works strictly via command line. The team of developers promises to come up with an update soon, that will unlock the possibility of file transfer. Yes, unfortunately the tool is only capable of displaying discoverable devices so far, but it's a heck of a start for adding a crucial cell-specific feature left out by Apple.
“This pre-release is a Bluetooth Stumbler that will find the MAC address of any discoverable Bluetooth device within the area,” MattMac of the iBluetooth Project says. “This is the first stage of development at www.iBluetoothProject.tk, as we continue to work to create the ultimate Bluetooth solution for the iPhone,” the post reads. The BlueSn0w tool is, of course, available for free download over at the forum.
Upon downloading and unpacking the zip file, users will find a readme txt file that includes a few important notes (complete with the installation instructions). We figured we'd let you in on some of them before going forth with any actions you may regret later on.
- BlueSn0w doesn't have an icon; - BlueSn0w doesn't have a GUI; - You can only run it through Terminal; - You cannot run the app via remote SSH; - When using Bluetooth on the iPhone, it uses the same channel as the phone's WiFi; - The app will scan for 10 seconds and print the MAC address any devices in close range. Your device must be set to Discoverable.
IMPORTANT: When running the application, the iPhone's WiFi is disabled. “Because of this, the app will not show expected results over remote SSH, and must be done locally,” the developers reveal.
Softpedia doesn't condone hacking the iPhone / iPod touch or any other device. Using hacks may render your device unusable, or may considerably reduce the quality of your experience using the respective device. If you choose to download and install BlueSn0w, you do it at your own risk. Using BlueSn0w may violate your warranty or the EULA with Apple and/or your cellular service provider.