Monday, September 23, 2002
Bluetooth, Bluetooth - Wherefore Art Thou Bluetooth?
Posted by Jason Dunn in "ARTICLE" @ 11:01 PM
There’s a great deal of buzz, both positive and negative, around Bluetooth. It’s hard to cut through all the hype and see Bluetooth for what it really is: a technology that is conceptually sound but in practice, still going through some growing pains. I see tremendous potential in Bluetooth as a cable replacement technology, but until it works as easily as plugging in a cable, adoption will be limited. This article was originally written in April 2002, so statements contained within may be somewhat dated.
Un-published PocketPC.com article originally written April 2002.
Bluetooth is a common industry term, but is it a buzzword or a product that really works? Find out for yourself.
A killer concept
So what is Bluetooth exactly? Looking at the official Bluetooth.com web site, I get this definition:
“BluetoothTM wireless technology revolutionizes the personal connectivity market by providing freedom from wired connections - enabling links between mobile computers, mobile phones, portable handheld devices, and connectivity to the Internet. Interface, synchronize, exchange? All of the above, and more. Bluetooth technology redefines the very way we experience connectivity.”
In plain English, Bluetooth allows us to connect devices without cables. Bluetooth operates on a world-wide frequency, something we only wish cell phones could have. That’s the concept – things become clearer when you consider the applications for a technology that does this. The world of technology is full of wires. Looking around my desk at the moment, I see a wire connecting my keyboard to my PC, my mouse to my PC, a cradle for my Pocket PC to connect to the PC, a cable on my phone, my monitor, my fax machine, my scanner…the list goes on and on. People don’t often think about cables until they realize the one they’re using is a few inches too short – then you see the limitations of cables. Cables are also visually cluttering – I’d love to see my desk without cables!
Imagine listening to music on a Pocket PC, using headphones with no wires. Your Pocket PC could stay in your bag, completely out of sight. What about a Bluetooth-enabled Pocket PC cradle? One less wire to worry about. Need to print something from your Bluetooth-enabled Pocket PC? Just walk up to a Bluetooth-enabled printer and you’ll have a hard copy in no time. Bluetooth also enables scenarios that we don’t currently see today because having cables would be too awkward – it wouldn’t be that difficult to have a Bluetooth-enabled vending machine that would accept orders from a Pocket PC. With the right “digital wallet” software, you could make a variety of purchases using Bluetooth.
As a concept, Bluetooth is fascinating – no other technology thus far has come close to what Bluetooth offers with the same balance in price, range, and power consumption. The iPAQ 3875 is the first Pocket PC to ship with integrated Bluetooth, but other companies are following – the Fujitsu-Siemens Pocket LOOX will also ship with Bluetooth support on some models.
Scenarios that work today
Bluetooth is here today, and you can do some of the things I described above. I know several mobile professionals who have found an application for Bluetooth that makes their lives much easier.
Figure 1: The Anycom Bluetooth CompactFlash Card
The Sony Ericsson T68i phone has become very popular with these people for one simple reason: it supports Bluetooth and GPRS. They have Pocket PCs either with built-in Bluetooth or a Bluetooth CompactFlash card (Figure 1), the T68i, and that’s all they need to get their email and access network resources. GPRS is a 2.5G high-speed wireless technology that makes it much easier to send and receive wireless data, so the combination of these products makes for a completely wireless experience. The phone can be in their pocket, and as long as it’s turned on, they can use their Pocket PC to access email, browse the Web, or send instant messages to people who are online.
Figure 2: The Anycom Bluetooth printing module
Other current applications for Bluetooth include printing, where a printer can be equipped with a Bluetooth module (Figure 2) to allow Bluetooth devices to print to it, and Bluetooth access points to allow Bluetooth devices to tap into Internet access easily.
All is not roses for Bluetooth
As good as Bluetooth is as a concept, there are some growing pains. Despite having four years to work out the Bluetooth specifications so all the devices could talk to each other, the first wave of Bluetooth devices had difficulty connecting (known as “peering”). And even modern Bluetooth products can be difficult to use as I found out. I know of several people who are very talented with computers, yet have struggled for hours to get one Bluetooth device to talk to another. Bluetooth problems are notoriously difficult to troubleshoot because you can’t “see” what the problem is – the software simply won’t find the other device, and you won’t know why.
Some Bluetooth devices work very well together as evidenced by the T68i and Pocket PC use – my advice is to find someone else who has already tried the combination of products, and see how easy it was for them to get it all working together.
Conclusion
As a technology, Bluetooth is tremendously powerful in concept – but until all Bluetooth products work together seamlessly, and without struggles from users, it will not grow to have wide-spread adoption. The companies who make Bluetooth products need to take a hard look at the way their products work and not only improve the way they communicate with other Bluetooth devices, but also how complex they are to set up and get functioning.
Un-published PocketPC.com article originally written April 2002.
Bluetooth is a common industry term, but is it a buzzword or a product that really works? Find out for yourself.
A killer concept
So what is Bluetooth exactly? Looking at the official Bluetooth.com web site, I get this definition:
“BluetoothTM wireless technology revolutionizes the personal connectivity market by providing freedom from wired connections - enabling links between mobile computers, mobile phones, portable handheld devices, and connectivity to the Internet. Interface, synchronize, exchange? All of the above, and more. Bluetooth technology redefines the very way we experience connectivity.”
In plain English, Bluetooth allows us to connect devices without cables. Bluetooth operates on a world-wide frequency, something we only wish cell phones could have. That’s the concept – things become clearer when you consider the applications for a technology that does this. The world of technology is full of wires. Looking around my desk at the moment, I see a wire connecting my keyboard to my PC, my mouse to my PC, a cradle for my Pocket PC to connect to the PC, a cable on my phone, my monitor, my fax machine, my scanner…the list goes on and on. People don’t often think about cables until they realize the one they’re using is a few inches too short – then you see the limitations of cables. Cables are also visually cluttering – I’d love to see my desk without cables!
Imagine listening to music on a Pocket PC, using headphones with no wires. Your Pocket PC could stay in your bag, completely out of sight. What about a Bluetooth-enabled Pocket PC cradle? One less wire to worry about. Need to print something from your Bluetooth-enabled Pocket PC? Just walk up to a Bluetooth-enabled printer and you’ll have a hard copy in no time. Bluetooth also enables scenarios that we don’t currently see today because having cables would be too awkward – it wouldn’t be that difficult to have a Bluetooth-enabled vending machine that would accept orders from a Pocket PC. With the right “digital wallet” software, you could make a variety of purchases using Bluetooth.
As a concept, Bluetooth is fascinating – no other technology thus far has come close to what Bluetooth offers with the same balance in price, range, and power consumption. The iPAQ 3875 is the first Pocket PC to ship with integrated Bluetooth, but other companies are following – the Fujitsu-Siemens Pocket LOOX will also ship with Bluetooth support on some models.
Scenarios that work today
Bluetooth is here today, and you can do some of the things I described above. I know several mobile professionals who have found an application for Bluetooth that makes their lives much easier.
Figure 1: The Anycom Bluetooth CompactFlash Card
The Sony Ericsson T68i phone has become very popular with these people for one simple reason: it supports Bluetooth and GPRS. They have Pocket PCs either with built-in Bluetooth or a Bluetooth CompactFlash card (Figure 1), the T68i, and that’s all they need to get their email and access network resources. GPRS is a 2.5G high-speed wireless technology that makes it much easier to send and receive wireless data, so the combination of these products makes for a completely wireless experience. The phone can be in their pocket, and as long as it’s turned on, they can use their Pocket PC to access email, browse the Web, or send instant messages to people who are online.
Figure 2: The Anycom Bluetooth printing module
Other current applications for Bluetooth include printing, where a printer can be equipped with a Bluetooth module (Figure 2) to allow Bluetooth devices to print to it, and Bluetooth access points to allow Bluetooth devices to tap into Internet access easily.
All is not roses for Bluetooth
As good as Bluetooth is as a concept, there are some growing pains. Despite having four years to work out the Bluetooth specifications so all the devices could talk to each other, the first wave of Bluetooth devices had difficulty connecting (known as “peering”). And even modern Bluetooth products can be difficult to use as I found out. I know of several people who are very talented with computers, yet have struggled for hours to get one Bluetooth device to talk to another. Bluetooth problems are notoriously difficult to troubleshoot because you can’t “see” what the problem is – the software simply won’t find the other device, and you won’t know why.
Some Bluetooth devices work very well together as evidenced by the T68i and Pocket PC use – my advice is to find someone else who has already tried the combination of products, and see how easy it was for them to get it all working together.
Conclusion
As a technology, Bluetooth is tremendously powerful in concept – but until all Bluetooth products work together seamlessly, and without struggles from users, it will not grow to have wide-spread adoption. The companies who make Bluetooth products need to take a hard look at the way their products work and not only improve the way they communicate with other Bluetooth devices, but also how complex they are to set up and get functioning.
