Attempting BT4.0 upgrade for mid-2010 MBP . . .

[webcrush]

As the title suggests, I've sacrificed a few dollars to purchase a PCIe enabled BT/wifi chipset board that Apple uses on the new Mac models, along with a harness to allow me to convert the signals to a USB interface.

Yeah, I know, completely long shot as they're likely blocking at the system id level anyway, but I'm hoping some software hack is found that will spoof that.

If anyone has any experience, feel free to chime in here.

We all know its a sham that a fairly recent model of hardware doesn't support Continuity features.

 

[simonsi]

Isnt continuity delivered via iCloud???

 

[webcrush]

I believe many people are confusing terms. Seems Continuity is an umbrella term for many different services - HandOff, Hotspot, Audio calls, SMS over iMessage, etc. Some seem to require the BLE 4.0, some don't.

 

[simonsi]

I believe many people are confusing terms. Seems Continuity is an umbrella term for many different services - HandOff, Hotspot, Audio calls, SMS over iMessage, etc. Some seem to require the BLE 4.0, some don't.

As far as I can tell none of those run over BT specifically.

The closest is Hotspot as you <can> tether over BT but the Instant Hotspot references I have seen on Apple websites refer to it over WiFi, not BT.

"Continuity" is not an umbrella term, it specifically refers to the ability to start a Pages/Numbers/Mail type doc on one device, and continue it on another - again this is delivered over iCloud which is not BT-dependant.

Audio calls I am trying out and guess what? It works with BT turned off on my MBP so again, it is delivered over WiFi/iCloud and not BT-dependant.

IOS8.1 comes Monday which brings SMS via cellular but again I'd be very surprised if it is dependant on BT, unlike iMessage and Audio Calls.

 

[webcrush]

Please stop spread this non-factual info.

This is from Apple themself: https://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/continuity/

Continuity is the amalgamation of all the services.

What you refer to, sharing/edit/finishing docs on different devices is part of it and called 'Handoff'.

Nobody has claimed that any of the services USE BLE 4.0, but there is zero doubt that they REQUIRE it, either for pairing/security/etc details.

I can make/receive calls without BT enabled, but things like AirDrop do require it.

 

[simonsi]

Please stop spread this non-factual info.

This is from Apple themself: https://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/continuity/

Continuity is the amalgamation of all the services.

What you refer to, sharing/edit/finishing docs on different devices is part of it and called 'Handoff'.

Nobody has claimed that any of the services USE BLE 4.0, but there is zero doubt that they REQUIRE it, either for pairing/security/etc details.

I can make/receive calls without BT enabled, but things like AirDrop do require it.

I can't see continuity referred to in anything other than the link. But no worries, I'm sure this thread won't single-handedly cause that amount of confusion.

Bigger confusion is I still can't see any dependency on BT at all to get these services working, they all (except those requiring 8.1), seem to work without BT turned on, no BT pairing was necessary, the only setup required was to ensure the correct iCloud and AppleIDs etc are setup on both devices.

That appears to be the security, no local BT presence of the iPhone for audio calls seems to be required and which BT could enforce...which I must admit I was expecting.

Do you have this working and it required BT? Did the setup require a BT pairing setup? Does any Apple documentation refer to it? All I am saying is I have it working and it appears no BT required, of any kind.

 

[webcrush]

The only thing I have managed to have work are placing/receiving calls. SMS requires 8.1 as does hotspot.

But considering the BT info page explicitly refers to HandOff and Hotspot, it only makes sense that they are relevant.

And as I mentioned earlier, AirDrop requires BLE.

 

[simonsi]

I can't get Airdrop working to ios8 - works fine Mac-to-Mac but that uses WiFi AFAIK.

TBH I'll probably continue to use Deskconnect as that does the same job already...but across WiFi