PS3 Gamepad Support in Mavericks - do I need the cable every time to avoid the flashing lights?

Question

I now have an early 2011 Macbook Pro, 17".    I kind of wanted to play a few games without resorting to the keypad, and had heard that PS3 controllers worked out of the box with Mavericks. 
I followed the instructions found online in various places - basically all the same - plug in the USB cable, it shows up in the bluetooth list - hold the PS button in the center for a couple of seconds and disconnect it, and it connects to the mac.  Sometimes, for whatever reason it asks for a PIN, sometimes not.  Either way, it works perfectly. 
The thing that's throwing me is what to do when I'm done - if I turn off bluetooth, put my computer to sleep, or turn off the controller by holding down the PS button, reconnecting later on is a bit off from what I'd expect. 
I make sure bluetooth is on, and press the PS button in the center of the controller, and the lights in the back start blinking fast (about twice as fast as when charging or during the normal connection process).  The controller shows connected in the bluetooth menu, and appears to work fine (although I haven't tried it out very long like this) but the lights continue to blink quickly the whole time!  The only way I can manage to get the blinking to stop is to disconnect the bluetooth connection, and reconnect via the "connect USB, press button, disconnect USB" method.
It's not a deal breaker for me, but I'd really like to just be able to grab the controller and go without digging up a cable every time, and was curious if any other Mavericks users had this problem or a workaround?  Or do I really need to do the wired setup every time I pair the controller to my mac?   I suppose I could live with the blinking lights, but darn is it annoying! 
I've tried searching online, and a lot of the info I stumble across either mentions older verisons of Mac OS X with a different bluetooth menu and slightly different things than I'm seeing, or simply don't mention reconnecting after pairing the device.  (And is there a difference between "paired" and "connected" in this instance - it shows as "paired" after the time it asked for a PIN, but only "connected" normally. 
The controller is a legit, first-party Sony controller, (as far as I can tell) that was marked "official playstation accessory" (or something along those lines) on the packaging and bought new from a local Gamestop.   I don't think they'd sell me one of the knock-off controllers as a legit one at a brick and mortar. 

Answer 1

Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider. You may have to leave the machine there for several days.
Back up all data on the internal drive(s) before you hand over your computer to anyone. There are ways to back up a computer that isn't fully functional—ask if you need guidance.
If privacy is a concern, erase the data partition(s) with the option to write zeros* (do this only if you have at least two complete, independent backups, and you know how to restore to an empty drive from any of them.) Don’t erase the recovery partition, if present.
Keeping your confidential data secure during hardware repair
Apple also recommends that you deauthorize a device in the iTunes Store before having it serviced.
*An SSD doesn't need to be zeroed.