Do you own an iPad? You might want to look into protecting your investment with invisibleSHIELD screen protectors. If you need any help or have questions please post them below.

Note: When you are done using the keyboard and wish to use the on-screen keyboard on the iPad, make sure to disable the Bluetooth connection on the iPad or turn off the keyboard, otherwise you will be wondering where the on-screen keyboard went…trust me, this has happened several times already.

Are you looking for more iPad how-to’s, tips, and help? Visit our iPad page.

Image source – appleinsider.com

1. Turn on Apple Wireless Keyboard.

Now head over to the iPad…

(Click on the images to enlarge)

2. Tap on Settings in the Home Screen.

3. Tap on General if you are not already there.

4. Tap on Bluetooth.

5. Turn on the Bluetooth radio by tapping the Bluetooth toggle switch to the ON position.

The Apple Wireless Keyboard should appear on listed under Devices…wait a second while it connects. Once it displays Connected you can use the keyboard.

Note: While the Wireless Keyboard is connected to the iPad you will not be able to use the on-screen keyboard.

Typing away in Pages.

Do you own an iPad? You might want to look into protecting your investment with invisibleSHIELD screen protectors. If you need any help or have questions please post them below.

Are you looking for more iPad how-to’s, tips, and help? Visit our iPad page.

1. Tap on Settings

2. Tap on General in the Settings pane.

3. Tap on Bluetooth

4. Tap on OFF to toggle the switch to ON

Your Bluetooth radio is now ON and discoverable.

This how-to is a follow up to Monday’s post which described the process used to pair up your Bluetooth devices, if you haven’t done so already make sure to follow the instructions in How to Pair Bluetooth Devices in Windows Vista before proceeding with this tutorial. The ability to synchronize your BlackBerry wirelessly (via Bluetooth) is a plus, the only downsides to this feature is that you cannot synchronize media or install programs and that you must have a Bluetooth radio installed in the host machine. The guide below will walk you through the configuration settings necessary to synchronize your BlackBerry to your computer via Bluetooth. If you have any comments or questions, please post them below.

Note: I used BlackBerry Desktop Manager 4.3 (1107) on Windows Vista 64bit, BlackBerry 8830 Version 4.2.2 with Sprint, make sure to accept connections from your computer so that the sync process works, you will not be able to use Media Manager or Application loader via Bluetooth, you must be connected via USB to use these two features

Before proceeding make sure to follow the instructions provided in How to Pair Bluetooth Devices in Windows Vista

Configuring BlackBerry Device Manager to Connect Via Bluetooth

There are two ways that you can reach the BlackBerry Device Manager on your computer.

Method 1 Double-click on the small BlackBerry Device Manager icon located in the notification area to the right.

Method 2 Click on Orb > All Programs > BlackBerry > BlackBerry Device Manager

1. Click on the Device Connection tab and add a checkmark to the Enable Bluetooth Support checkbox, click on the Configure Bluetooth… button.

2. In the Bluetooth Configuration window, click on the Add… button

3. You will be prompted with the dialog box above, make sure that you meet all of those criteria. Click OK

4. Your device should be listed in the Add a Bluetooth enabled device prompt, select your device by clicking on it and click OK to proceed.

5. Click OK again.

6. Your phone should now be listed in the Connection Settings list, click OK to close window.

Note: If your device is not listed, allow some time (about 3 min) for the changes made to be reflected, if nothing occurs, repeat steps 1-4.

Syncing Your BlackBerry Phone with Desktop Manager

1. Click on Orb > All Programs > BlackBerry > Desktop Manager

2. Your phone’s PIN should appear next to the DEVICE CONNECTED (PIN): area, assuming it is listed click on the Synchronize button and you are done!

Note: If your phone is not listed, follow the instructions below

3. Click on the None link that appears where the PIN number should appear (see screenshot above)

4. The Connection Settings window should open, click on the Connection drop-down and select Bluetooth-PIN: YOURPIN#, click OK

5. Click OK to proceed

6. Your device should have been found, click OK to proceed.

Now you may Synchronize your BlackBerry with your computer via Bluetooth.

If you own a Bluetooth enabled device or BlackBerry as is my case, you have the ability of syncing your phone wirelessly via a Bluetooth connection, but before you can sync your phone or device, you must first pair that device with your computer. The how-to below will show you how to pair a Bluetooth enabled device to your computer, the guide will walk you through the pairing process for a BlackBerry 8830 and a Lenovo laptop. The pairing process is pretty much the same for any Bluetooth device, but it is a great reference for BlackBerry users as well. If you have any comments or questions, please post them below.

Note: I used BlackBerry Desktop Manager 4.3 (1107) on Windows Vista 64bit, BlackBerry 8830 Version 4.2.2 with Sprint. Make sure to accept connections from your computer so that the sync process works, you will not be able to use Media Manager or Application loader via Bluetooth, you must be connected via USB to use these two features. You must have a Bluetooth radio installed in your computer for this to work.

BlackBerry Setup (Pairing with Computer)

Unfortunately I don’t have the capability to take screenshots on BlackBerry (yet)

1. In the device Options , click Bluetooth

2. Press the Menu key

3. Click Options

4. Set the Discoverable field to Yes

5. Press the Menu key

6. Click Save

Computer Setup

There are two ways that you can reach the Bluetooth menu on your computer.

Method 1 Double-click on the small Bluetooth icon located in the notification area to the right.

Method 2.A Click on Orb > Control Panel

Method 2.B When the Control Panel window opens locate and double-click the Bluetooth Devices icon.

Either method will get you to the step below…

1. To add your device (phone) click on the Add… button.

2. The Add Bluetooth Device Wizard will open. Add a checkmark to the My device is set up and ready to be found checkbox, click Next

Note:Each Bluetooth device is different, follow the instructions provided by your device manufacturer. If you are pairing a BlackBerry make sure to follow the instructions located at the beginning of this guide.

3. The wizard will search for Bluetooth devices in your vicinity.

4. When the search is complete the wizard will prompt you to select the device you wish to add (in my case it was the BlackBerry 8830), click on the device and click Next.

Note: If your device does not appear, ensure that device is set to be discovered and click on the Search Again button.

5. Some devices require a Passkey in order to be connected to your computer, the Passkey prevents unauthorized users from accessing your devices and/or your computer. In my case Windows chose a Passkey so I entered the provided Passkey into my phone for validation.

Note: Some devices like mice or keyboards do not require a Passkey, however one can be automatically generated or specified.

6. Once Passkey has been validated your Bluetooth device will be installed.

7. If you have not installed the appropriate software prior to hardware installation you may be prompted for manufacturer drivers to your device. Insert the disc that was included with your device to install the drivers. Click on the Locate and install driver software button to proceed.

8. When installation is complete you should see the message above, click Finish to exit the wizard.

9. When you return to the Bluetooth Devices window you will notice that your device has been added.

BlackBerry Users

You can verify Bluetooth Connection by opening the BlackBerry Device Manager under the Device Connection Tab.