Ten years since the introduction of Bluetooth the vastly successful technology is set to get a significant birthday upgrade, with its standard range increasing from roughly 10 to 100m. With new uses being developed on a nearly daily basis things are looking promising for gadget lovers and technophiles who should see the fruits of this upgrade in the coming months.
Bluetooth already boasts a myriad of uses and applications, particularly in relation to handheld devices, enabling everything from free filesharing between mobile phones (or laptops) to cordless photo printing with Polaroid’s PoGo printer, to name but a few. Now that range is set to increase on such a significant scale here is a little personal wish list of potential future Bluetooth applications:
1. Bluetooth in-car handsfree kit - Now, I know there are already plenty of handsfree options out there but surely the best would be if new cars had a built in bluetooth receiver linked to a dashboard speaker and microphone, which became active whenever a call were received. New phones could be equipped with a ‘car mode’ whereby incoming calls are immediately sent to the car’s bluetooth handsfree. This would avoid the awkward situations of plugging a phone into a handsfree set while driving (as happens often when one forgets to do it before setting off).
Furthermore the kit could be linked to the car’s radio/music system so that when an incoming call is received the volume of the radio is automatically lowered - no more fumbling around with volume knobs while driving and talking.
2. Bluetooth equipped desktop computer accessories - this already exists to a point (wireless keyboards for example) but it would be useful to take things a step further. Wireless Blueooth scanners and printers would be a easier to install (and position - they could now be on the other side of the room if preferred, or elsewhere in the house/building) and would no doubt make messy wire tangles a thing of the past.
3. Bluetooth equipped hi-fi systems - would enable playing mp3s from a portable (bluetooth equipped) mp3 player on a home sound system without having to burn mp3s on cd beforehand.
4. Bluetooth equipped digital cameras - easier file transfer and no more problems with forgotten/lost cables when halfway around the world and with not a Dixons in sight…
5. Bluetooth local municipal information networks - Bluetooth information systems that could be used to inform people of services/shop-related info in the area around them; get local cinema listings if in the area without having to go to the actual cinema (or phone) simply by connecting to the cinema’s bluetooth device.
The list could go on (feel free to add any of your own suggestions below) and indeed it seems likely no technological gadget-related whim will be left unindulged now that such easy and cheap wireless connectivity is becoming the norm.
No doubt by the next time Bluetooth celebrates a birthday the technology will be even far more all-pervasive than it is today. The 100m metre range will surely be only a stopgap before a further increase, whether in two or ten more years.
Bluetooth’s success is in part down to a pretty unique aspect of its introduction. The universality of the system, a rare thing in modern technological development (remember blu-ray vs HD DVD?), is what makes it so special and straighforward to harness. There are no compatibility issues with alternate companies’ versions of the system and its versatility stems from this fact. Of course with new added freedom and connectivity there will be spam issues to tackle but all in all the future looks pretty bright and pretty blue…
Dejan Levi