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Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Proud_Infidel who wrote (50590)	8/15/2001 1:36:33 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

Can Bluetooth Deliver? Bluetooth technology, which holds the promise of a universal radio interface that allows short-range wireless connectivity for mobile devices, seems to have a long way to go to reach its creators' goals. Although the official Bluetooth Special Interest Group claims that the technology will be built into "hundreds of millions of electronic devices" by 2002, doubts have been growing about the realism of that timeframe. Bluetooth does have the open-standard support of nine of the world's leading electronics companies (3Com, Ericsson, Intel, IBM, Lucent, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and Toshiba), and some 1,300 other manufacturers around the world have signed on as associate members. Yet in the midst of an economic malaise in the electronics industry, and as corporations are cutting back on capital expenses and manpower, it is doubtful that corporations and consumers will be flocking to buy Bluetooth-enabled gadgets. Designed for Handhelds There are also problems on the technology side. The Bluetooth specifications include a gross data rate transfer of 1 Mbit/s on a 2.4GHz frequency band. The normal range of transmission is 10 meters, with 100 metres set as the optimal range. The packet switching protocol is based on a frequency hopping scheme, with 1,600 hops/s. The technology supports both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connections. The topology is basically a multiple piconet structure. The full duplex rate within a multiple piconet structure with 10 fully loaded, independent piconets is above 6 Mbits/s. These specifications mean that Bluetooth is designed to work with handheld devices, such as mobile phones or personal digital assistants (PDA), when they come within range of an appropriate network. For many designers, however, adding Bluetooth to a portable product design may involve venturing into new territory. Developers claim that the technology works, despite the likelihood of massive radio interference. The radio output is limited so that a transmitter can modify its signal strength to the distance of the receiving device. It also shifts to lower power when traffic volume decreases. A Bluetooth radio is designed to use only about 3% of the power used in today's mobile phones. Security is also an issue that has yet to be tested, especially in the light of growing concerns about industrial espionage. And if data can be exchanged between a PDA and a network, it may be worth wondering whether someone isn't figuring out how to electronically pick your pocket, or PDA, or notebook computer. Lack of Integration "The main reasons that there aren't many access point devices on the market today are the scarcity of economic designs, lack of integration of Bluetooth and networking technologies, and the constantly changing nature of the Bluetooth standard," said Bulent Celebi, president and CEO of Ubicom Inc, a Mountain View-based supplier of Internet processors (see Fig) and networking software for Bluetooth devices. Perhaps the most likely arena for Bluetooth applications will be on the road: everything from luggage tracking systems to hotels will be applications hotspots. BlueTags is working on luggage tracking devices. Red-M, the Wexford Springs, UK-based startup company that supplied the network for the June 2001 Bluetooth Congress, is also involved with "on-the-road" applications. In homes and offices, Bluetooth also faces competition from two other technologies: the IEEE802.11b, also called Wi-Fi, and the HomeRF technologies both had strong showings last fall at Comdex. Wi-Fi is generally considered to have the upper hand in corporate applications, while HomeRF is making a stand in the home market. These conflicts will undoubtedly be resolved in both the meeting rooms of standards committees and the bloodbath of competitive sales as all three technologies fight over the 2.4GHz band. Standards wars are never uneventful; and let's not forget IrDA, the Infrared Data Association that promotes interoperable standards for infrared data connections for point-to-point applications. There will be many that want to have a voice in the evolution of wireless computing connectivity. Through the end of this year, and in 2002, the Bluetooth race is primarily between silicon suppliers that need to win crucial designs to gain acceptance. by Teri Sprackland Websites: Bluetooth Special Interest Group: bluetooth.com HomeRF: homerf.org Infrared Data Association: irda.org Red-M: red-m.com Ubicom: ubicom.com (August 2001 Issue, Nikkei Electronics Asia)