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Card or connector: Some of the first Bluetooth-based technology includes a PC Card, left, from 3Com that slides into a laptop expansion slot and a USB device, right, that connects directly into the ubiquitous communications link found on virtually all modern computers. |
Bluetooth promises to bring
a world without laptop cables
The days of traveling reporters breaking out in a cold sweat when the dongle breaks off of the modem card in their notebook computer, or for a photojournalist having to rummage for the right cable to hook up his or her digital camera are almost gone. An era of complete wirelessness is upon us. The time has come to throw out the cables. Well, almost time.
A relative new kid on the technology block, Bluetooth, has some pretty big promises for users of multiple electronic devices. It's a standards-based technology that allows handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones and laptops -- to mention a few -- to communicate with one another without the use of wires. It works from an integrated radio microchip built into the devices. The microchip allows devices to communicate via a radio frequency (RF).
Sound similar to infrared's standard IrDA? Well, companies working on Bluetooth technology say that Bluetooth is everything infrared was supposed to be. The Infrared Data Association's standard IrDA is faster than Bluetooth, but it is only point-to-point and line-of-sight), while Bluetooth is both a point-to-point and point-to-multipoint technology. However, Bluetooth takes things a few steps further: It doesn't require line of sight and it's easy to set up and use.
Bluetooth's technology employs radio frequency, at the 2.4-gigahertz band. In order to prevent conflicting signals, the "spread-spectrum" mode changes its frequency more than 1600 times a second. Its hop frequency is 1600 megahertz. The wireless LAN (local area network) technology standard 802.11b -- most familiar to publishing people as it is implemented in Apple's AirPort system -- uses the same theory. However, Bluetooth is not intended for LAN usage, but more for PAN (personal area network) usage.
Its range is somewhat limited to 30 feet. But when you are trying to access the Internet with your mobile phone and laptop, you don't need long ranges.
On the OSI model, Bluetooth exists on the Session, Transport, Network, Data and Physical layers.
"Bluetooth will let you create an individual domain," said Ron Sperano, program director for IBM mobile market development. "It allows an individual to have a domain of peripherals."
Bluetooth's origin as a technology dates back to 1994, actually earlier, but gained the most attention with the formation of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group in 1998. The group was formed by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Toshiba and Nokia. According to Sperano, there are now more than 2000 adopter companies promoting and developing with the use of Bluetooth technology.
While Bluetooth is not original, it does incorporate earlier technologies, such as Motorola's Piano and 802.11b, but it enhances them and provides them in usable, almost affordable means.
Gaggle of devices
The name comes from a 10th-century Viking king: Harald Blaatand (Bluetooth), who was known for unifying Scandinavia. His benevolent ability to get people to agree and communicate must have made him the perfect historical icon for launching a new technology promising to unify your gaggle of handheld devices into what is now being called a piconet.
A piconet is defined as a "group of devices with at least one master and one slave." A master can have up to seven slaves. A group of piconets is a scatternet.
"Bluetooth was developed out of the labs at the Ericsson Corp.," Sperano said.
In 1994, Ericsson began working on a way for small mobile devices to communicate. The special interest group (SIG) is charged with continuing to fulfill that goal. They work to ensure that interoperability remains at the forefront of the development of Bluetooth. The SIG has worked to make Bluetooth a global standard that will work despite who designed the product containing the Bluetooth-enabled microchip. The Bluetooth specification is currently at 1.0. The SIG and tons of information about Bluetooth can be found at http://www.bluetooth.com/.
The SIG defines three main areas of development and usage: "Internet Bridge," "Ultimate Headset" and "Automatic Synchronization."
Where the ultimate headset feature has the most immediate benefits, automatic synchronization offers the most potential.
Automatic synchronization can be very helpful or very invasive. By default, Bluetooth-enabled devices are in a constant state of paging and scanning. This feature allows users to enter a Bluetooth "zone" and have their devices automatically synch up. The potential for retailers is incredible.
The ultimate headset is a feature that allows you to use your mobile phone to make a call, but you can then leave the phone in your briefcase, on the table or stashed in your pocket.
The Internet bridge is designed to provide constant access to the Internet for your PDA or notebook computer.
"You could be walking through the shopping mall with your PDA and have a Bluetooth-enabled store interrogate your PDA and inform you of sales that match your preferences," Sperano said. "You could also have airline ticket gates enabled with Bluetooth and have a completely ticketless environment."
Bluetooth's power consumption, at 0.1 watts of power, makes it very cost effective for developers and devices. With low-power requirements it adds no extra burden to a notebook computer, mobile phone or PDA. The transfer rates are currently at 1 megabits-per-second. Low-power usage is another major difference between 802.11b and Bluetooth. According to IBM, other differences include the "hop rate." Bluetooth's hop rate is at 1600 hertz while 802.11b is at 2.5 hertz.
Not networking technology, but it is
The practical functionality of using Bluetooth-enabled products revolves around managing multiple small devices. This is the strength of the technology.
"Bluetooth is not a networking technology," said Troy Holtby, product manager for 3Com. "But at the same time, it is a network technology. It's not a network technology in the traditional sense. It is a cable replacement designed to be truly wireless."
IBM's Sperano adds, "Wireless application protocol (WAP) is a protocol standard for a wide area network [WAN]. Bluetooth is the connection point between your cell phone and laptop."
In fact, it replaces more than just cables. It replaces infrared; it replaces dongles for modem cards or any PC cards.
Implementation of Bluetooth technology resolves many issues faced by remote workers who sometimes have to come into the office to work or attend meetings.
Reporters are such animals.
Coming into the paper usually requires plugging into the network. With Bluetooth-enabled laptops and a base station, docking stations become obsolete. The Bluetooth hubs would exist to allow the reporter to set up shop without ever having to plug in a cable -- except for a power cable.
In addition, on the road, with a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone and Bluetooth PC card, the cell phone stays in the reporter's pocket or briefcase or backpack and his or her laptop connects to the paper without the reporter ever having to fiddle with wires, dongles or phone lines.
There is some speculation that RF-enabled devices will begin chattering away and become confused. But with the hop rate and software engineering, turning on your microwave instead of synching with your PDA will be less likely.
"You will have [a] list of devices from which to choose," said Holtby. "Similar to how you select which printer to use when you are on your WAN."
Choosing from a list of devices is similar to what users do now. It's using existing workflows that add to the strength of Bluetooth.
"You can use Bluetooth without learning anything new," Holtby said. "3Com is developing Bluetooth to use its existing procedures. Drag-and-drop transfer. Just like people are already doing today."
Holtby said there are three obstacles to Bluetooth right now.
"Ease of use, coexistence with other technologies such as 802.11b and hype," he said. "Currently there is a lot of hype about Bluetooth. Living up to the hype is a problem."
But he said most of these are being worked out quickly. Overcoming the hype is about delivering the goods. 3Com's products will be coming out later this year including a base station, PC card and USB adapter. Costs will be around $119 for the PC card and $109 for the USB adapter. Holtby said combo cards will be available, but "modem and Bluetooth less than LAN [local area network] and Bluetooth." He said, "LAN is quickly moving to the motherboard."
Cost main obstacle
Sperano said that mobile phones are a major factor in driving down the cost of Bluetooth.
"Cost is the main obstacle to deploy Bluetooth," he said. "IBM has also announced Bluetooth PC cards."
Aside from the convenience of a wireless connection, Sperano points to other benefits for the road warrior that include the age-old weight bother.
"We could eliminate the ports off of a laptop and install Bluetooth," he said. "By doing it, I decrease the weight, the price and increase the reliability. We can build smaller, thinner and cheaper devices."
Paul Ostergaard, chief executive of Norwood Systems, a communications technology company based in both the United Kingdom and Australia, sees great potential in Bluetooth.
"With Bluetooth-enabled devices we can use them to connect users in a way they haven't been connected," he said. "We saw the emergence of laptops and cell phones as half way to becoming liberated from your desk. We provide the other half of the solution by keeping you connected. We provide the infrastructure to bridge the communication."
Norwood Systems offers EnterpriseMobility, a software package based on server platforms. It works off of a base station, or access point. It's designed for an office environment where wires no longer play a role. It provides both data and voice services. Currently it's in beta testing and Ostergaard said it should be available mid-year.
Ostergaard also cites the cost of Bluetooth. He said that right now it's about an additional $5 per component. But, he sees that price dropping very soon.
Price combined with low-power needs makes Bluetooth very attractive. But the technology is not without bugs. Interoperability remains a major issue and concern. Those developing it say this is being worked out through software and frequency hops. Because it's a technology that is always on, there are some concerns about security. Again, software options are suggested to resolve security-breaching issues.
With more than 2000 companies dedicating some level of resources to the development, research or implementation of Bluetooth, it appears to be a technology that will succeed.
Even Microsoft plans to add it in such ways as device discovery and the software giant's not joining in earlier had many people worried.
But full use of Bluetooth-enabled products is still a few years out. Mobile phones will be more likely to enter the market first, followed by notebook computers.
Bluetooth moves users further away from wires and that is a good thing. The next step will be Bluetooth on the motherboard, forever resolving the issue of attachments. Since most remote workers and hi-tech users want their PDAs, mobile phones and notebook computers, Bluetooth will succeed.
"Some people only want the smallest of those tech devices. But people don't want to manage multiple PINs [personal information numbers]," Sperano said. "Bluetooth allows multiple devices to synchronize."
-- Jason Zappe, jzappe@colepapers.net
3Com Inc.,
(408) 326-5000;
IBM,
(914) 499-1900;
Norwood Systems,
{011} (44) 208-334-8065,
e-mail:info@norwoodsystems.com.
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