The Bluetooth Invasion: You've heard it's going to change your life. Well, here's how.
Fortune, June 12, 2000 v141 i12 p364
By Carnoy, David
In the tenth century, King Harald Bluetooth unified Denmark. Some thousand years later an impressive alliance of electronics companies are counting on a wireless networking technology named for the Viking to unify the electronics world. Bluetooth allows a variety of devices--including mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and computers--to communicate over a short distance (up to 30 feet) via radio waves. World peace? Not exactly. But it's the sort of thing that gets gadget freaks fired up. And it may--if you believe the hype--change the way we conduct everyday business. Here's a look at the many faces of Bluetooth.
Wireless Headsets
Earpieces for cell phones are all the rage. But tomorrow's Bluetooth headsets, like the one pictured from Ericsson (above left), will be wireless. Stick your phone in your pocket, clip on a headset, talk away. Ericsson's first Bluetooth headset will be sold as an accessory for its T28 World Phone (above right); Motorola and Nokia are also rolling out headsets and accessories in the near future. And because Bluetooth requires little power, transmission levels for the headsets are well below those of cellular handsets--a big health bonus. Availability: late summer or early fall 2000.
Web to Go
Combine a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone with a Bluetooth-enabled laptop or handheld computer, and you'll be able to surf the Web and send e-mail from anywhere your cell phone gets service. Initially speeds will be slow (9.6 kbps). But Phil Holden, group product manager for Microsoft's mobile-devices division, says they'll increase as cellular networks are upgraded in the next few years. At the same time, rates won't be outrageous. "With a $70-a-month cell phone plan, you should have virtually unlimited access," says Holden. Availability: as soon as late 2000.
Networked Computers
Wireless computer networking has been expensive, but Intel and 3Com are working on Bluetooth networks that should be cheap to set up, making it an attractive solution for homes, hotels, and small offices. Availability: early to mid-2001.
Smart Cars
In conjunction with several car manufacturers, Motorola is developing Bluetooth-equipped vehicles that interact with a new onboard computer system called a Telematics Control Unit (TCU), which sits in the trunk of your car. Depending on the system you buy, the TCU will provide cellular phone service, Internet access, global positioning satellite (GPS) and mapping functionality, and an address book and calendar that will synchronize with your Palm or Pocket PC. You'll be able to control the TCU from a cordless Bluetooth handset (above, center), which doubles as a phone keypad. Wayne Baer, senior program manager at Motorola, says cars may come equipped with a variety of dashboard display units--from rudimentary screens that display a few lines of text to ones that offer whiz-bang graphics, like those in Mission: Impossible 2. Availability: early 2001.
A Remote Control for Life
Ericsson and other Bluetooth vendors envision a world where Bluetooth receivers and transceivers will be built into myriad devices. That handset in your car will open your garage door, activate your house's alarm system, and turn on the lights before you go inside. Pull your Bluetooth-enabled car into a Bluetooth-enabled gas station, punch in how much gas you want (plus your PIN), and your gas is paid for. Availability: late 2002.
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