Has Bluetooth finally started biting?

JAKARTA (JP): Bluetooth has become a common term in the world of wireless telecommunications.

It is not a replacement of the underlying technology for the cell phone that you use, it is a technology that allows devices -- such as notebook computers, cell phones and PDAs -- to talk to each other without using any direct cable-based connection.

The Bluetooth specifications were the result of a joint effort of a consortium led by IBM, Intel Corporation and Toshiba.

The Special Interest Group has been joined by both computer and cell phone vendors such as Compaq, Dell, Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola and even Microsoft (www.bluetooth.org).

Unfortunately, Microsoft has announced it will not support Bluetooth in its upcoming Windows XP operating system, and this will certainly slow down the technology's proliferation into the market.

To make it even worse, Microsoft has decided to include support for a competing technology called 802.11b, aka Wi-FI, in the new operating system instead.

To make it easier for us to understand what it does, the name itself might help. Bluetooth was taken from the name of King Harald Blaatand ("Bluetooth") of Denmark (940-981). He united Denmark and Norway, making it possible for people in the two countries to "communicate" with each other. Thus, the name Bluetooth befits the technology perfectly.

If your notebook already has the 2.4 MHz Bluetooth transceiver and the LAN in your office also has a Bluetooth access point, i.e. a transceiver that is directly wired to the LAN, you can connect the notebook to the network.

If your LAN already has an Internet link, you may be able to access the Internet without having to plug in any cable. And, because it uses radio frequency, there is no need to put the devices together within the same line of sight, as is the case with Infrared connection.

However, Bluetooth use is not limited to wireless connection to the LAN.

At the global parcel delivery company UPS, for example, the plan is to spend US$100 million over a period of three years to install Bluetooth-based LANs and scanners.

The company said that it would be providing its employees with 50,000 Bluetooth scanners to scan labels and feed the data directly into the database without any wire.

As it is actually a cable replacement, we have a wide range of possible applications for Bluetooth. Keep in mind that it is a short-range radio system, so the distance between the two devices would be as short as between Denmark and Norway -- 30 feet at the most, to be more specific.

What Bluetooth enabled devices are available at the moment?

Owners of Palm Vx PDAs, for instance, can buy a $199 clip-on companion called Red-M Blade from Red-M Communications. The PDA itself already has a built-in infrared connection capability, but the Bluetooth addition expands its communication flexibility further. Now, imagine a classroom full of teenagers who are sending messages all over the place with their Palm Vxes.

Owners of Palm's m500 and m505, unfortunately, will have to be a little more patient. Palm has announced that the $150 Palm Bluetooth Card will be available later this year.

Unlike the Red-M Blade, which is a clip-on module, the Palm Bluetooth Card is an expansion slot that can be inserted into the expansion slot of a Palm m500 or m505.

Compaq is also working on adding Bluetooth capability into its immensely popular iPaq. In many cases, however, Bluetooth is not yet available as an already integrated built-in feature.

Vendors are still promising to make their Bluetooth devices available sometime toward the end of this year. These include headsets, wireless phones, computer cameras, microphones and many other devices.

On the other hand, consumers are still taking a wait-and-see attitude, and the great majority, as found out by a worldwide survey of 120 companies conducted by Frost & Sullivan recently, have no plans like UPS' to adopt Bluetooth technology. While some people in the industry still regard Bluetooth as hype, it does seem, though, that using Bluetooth devices will be one of the best ways to cut the cord in the next couple of years.

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