For the Luddites remaining in today’s society, Bluetooth can be easily defined as a wireless technology that enables personal communications within a small area. In reality, what does this really mean? This has been the decade for Bluetooth and personal area networks (PAN), offering us a host of conveniences for day-to-day life. Some of these include wireless headsets for your mobile phone, hands—free communications for your automobile, and streaming audio from your laptop to your wireless headphones. The typical range for Bluetooth devices is 30ft, however there are other Bluetooth enabled devices capable of communicating up to 300ft.
Now that you have a basic idea that Bluetooth enabled many of today’s conveniences in personal wireless communications, let’s explore some of the conveniences in more detail, including Bluetooth’s history.
Interestingly enough, the Bluetooth specification was actually developed in 1994 by a pair ofineers working for Ericsson Mobile Technologies, in Sweden. Their project, which originally focused on frequency-hopping spread spectrum radio transmissions, became known as IEEE 802.15.1 within the technology industry. Over the years, Bluetooth has adapted to newer capabilities and applications, producing improved revisions of Bluetooth in the marketplace. If shopping for a Bluetooth device today, you’d probably note that it says it conforms to Bluetooth 2.0; the 2.0 represents the revision number. Bluetooth originally started at revision 1.0 then progressed to 1.0B, 1.1, 1.2, and 2.0. In August 2007, the standards bodies voted and approved Bluetooth 2.1, the newest revision to the Bluetooth core specification. Each revision has several marked improvements, such as increased bandwidth, interference avoidance, and lower power consumption. Bluetooth 3.0 is currently in development. Version 3.0 is adopting ultra-wide band radio technology, allowing high-speed data transfer rates. It will also include ultra low power Bluetooth technology, which offers increased energy efficiency and several exciting applications for the medical device industry.
Bluetooth wireless headsets for mobile phones are very popular these days, and you’ve probably seen people wearing them for years. Bluetooth headsets have cut the wires from the traditional wired headsets of the 90’s. The voice quality, reception, battery life, and range have drastically improved over the years. Additionally, the earpieces have become increasingly smaller, assisting in the adoption of these by the public.
Most mobile phones offered by today’s wireless carriers have Bluetooth radios integrated with the phone. Typically, the mobile phone manufacturer (i.e. Nokia, Motorola, etc) will offer Bluetooth headsets that complement their mobile phones. For the most part, you can purchase any Bluetooth headset to use with your Bluetooth enabled phone.
In addition to wireless headsets for mobile phones, you can also buy Bluetooth headsets for home and enterprise desk phones. This allows more freedom for the user, letting him move around away from their desk phone while on calls. The user can typically walk from 20 to 30 feet way from the desk phone. For those in the corporate world—like me— this means that I can walk to get coffee, pick up a print job, or move into a conference room without losing the call to my desk phone.
This has quickly become a killer application for many including the younger crowd. One feature of Bluetooth that’s been enabled on most devices is OBEX (OBject EXchange). OBEX facilitates the transfer of data files between Bluetooth devices. Outside of the technical lingo, this enables people to share http://www.webnetfusion.com). WebNet Fusion is a technology enabler offering technology consulting to enterprises and service providers.