Bluetooth dreams revisited
by Dean Anthony Gratton
We want to tell you a story ... it might be very familiar to some, whilst to others it may seem to be nothing more than tittle-tattle.
Bluetooth wireless technology has enjoyed a level of success, with over eleven years experience under its belt but, to date, it has struggled to capture mainstream consumerism. Furthermore, its success has pretty much been limited to enabling a variety of headsets, thus ensuring that vehicle drivers around the world have their two hands firmly on the steering wheel. Likewise, a number of vehicle manufacturers have integrated the technology into their mid- to high-end models with enormous success. This, in some respects, is a double edged sword for the technology, as Bluetooth has found itself somewhat ‘un-coolly’ pigeonholed into a niche market of clunky ‘behind the ear’ hands free gadgetry that many of us have found embarrassing to admit using. And yet, there is so much more to the technology than most consumers see. Its capabilities, if sensibly marketed from day one, should have made it a wireless superstar instead of the one trick pony it’s still commonly envisaged as. Many of us might think we know the score but, as a technology writer, the question is still so often asked” ‘What is Bluetooth?’ and ‘What will it do next?’ So let’s tackle those seemingly naïve, but nonetheless vital, consumer questions head on.
What is Bluetooth?
Indeed a contentious subject and feature, but let’s not be inhibited in delving into some core facts and analogies about Bluetooth wireless technology. Whilst avoiding a regurgitation of what we already know about the technology and the manufacturers associated hype about it; namely that it wasn’t ready when they first said it was, let’s instead focus on the notion that Bluetooth needs to shake off its association with cumbersome user experiences and begin embracing a new chapter. This is especially prevalent now, as Wi-Fi Direct is clipping at its heels! Incidentally, many seem to suggest that the Wi-Fi Alliance’s announcement was a knee-jerk reaction, as Bluetooth was rallying advocates of the technology along to steer the direction of the future of the technology. This is an area of some contention that we’ll discuss in greater depth later in the article.
In answering the question, ‘What is Bluetooth’ we have to first refer back to the original marketing touted by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and that is, ‘Bluetooth wireless technology is (first and foremost) a cable replacement technology’. Seems straightforward, right? Bluetooth was conceived, as an alternative to cabled connectivity and was targeted to provide greater flexibility than that offered by Infrared. In other words, enabling a host of consumer electronic products that don’t need a physical connection or aren’t restricted to line-of-sight.
In short, Bluetooth wireless technology is simply a cable replacement technology.
Jack of all trades, master of none?
The Bluetooth SIG in its early days conceived numerous profiles and user scenarios, detailing how Bluetooth wireless technology could be utilised in the real world and how the technology could remedy everyday gripes when using a cable or Infrared. The process of creating new profiles is an ongoing activity within the Bluetooth SIG and, with a recent health device profile being introduced to the profile portfolio, some manufacturers are evidently vying for a new chapter in the technology’s future. Yes, eHealth, along with Bluetooth low energy wireless should pave the way forward for new applications. In particular, a recent announcement (June 2009) from the Continua Health Alliance confirms that Bluetooth wireless technology will enable a new generation of health care products.
But many have accused Bluetooth of being ‘jack of all trades and master of none’. Others have purported that it simply doesn’t have the power to diversify any further. As we’ve already hinted at, consumers seem to associate Bluetooth with headsets, and, oh yeah, you can also interoperate your phone within a vehicle that’s Bluetooth-enabled! Bluetooth has numerous profiles, including: the Headset profile (of course); Dial-up Networking, Personal Area Networking; Basic Imaging/Printing and the Synchronisation Profile to name but a few (a full list can be found on the Bluetooth SIG’s website: bluetooth.com).
The Killer Application that killed Bluetooth’s ‘cool’
So, with numerous applications available why has Bluetooth become pigeonholed into a niche? To be totally controversial here, you could say that what it does it does perhaps a little too well! It seems that its killer application quickly became so intrinsic to safe travel that it effectively ‘killed’ the technology’s potential consumer association with other applications. It’s not that its adopted value isn’t important, but rather, it was perhaps the way its integration was shaped by the manufactures that made many of us associate Bluetooth with the ultimate in ‘un-cool’. Couldn’t they have been a little more imaginative? Where’s Philippe Starck when you need him (Ed. – er, he’s here, Dean) ? But wait a moment! Are things taking a turn? Is Bluetooth finally exfoliating away its pockmarked public complexion and giving itself an airbrushed supermodelesque relaunch? The introduction of glamorous and enticing new headset designs by companies such as Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Jabra would suggest so. And now, with stereo Bluetooth strutting its stuff in the market place, Bluetooth is moving away from just a mono phone audio device and is finally seducing the public with its superior audio streaming, bringing wireless music to the masses in a totally cool way.
This success makes us wonder whether the dark clouds of the past have finally begun to clear for Bluetooth. Marketers can finally hype to their hearts content about the new look designs in a way that won’t have them blushing when they put their names to a campaign. Consumers will invest in the technology with a new found confidence that it won’t make them look geeky and will even consider trying out new forms of Bluetooth applications. The one trick pony can now think about entering the wireless technology race with pride.
The high-speed accolade
But are we getting carried away with the gloss of it all? Perhaps the success of Bluetooth dominating the short-range arena really rests upon its conquering the high-speed accolade, which the Bluetooth SIG initially attempted with the Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) offering, but clearly still fell fall short of Wi-Fi’s greater data throughput. All is not lost however, and it seems that Bluetooth is still very much in the running for long-tem success, as CSR recently announced that it has partnered with Taiwan’s leading wireless IC design houses, including Realtek, to deliver a family of Bluetooth V2.0 + High Speed (HS) and 802.11n module designs for the PC and netbook markets. The BlueCore based designs will support the latest Bluetooth SIG specifications to enable high data transfer speeds by integrating the 802.11 radio to cope with larger file sizes. Furthermore, the partnership will mean that the new technology will be able to shift seamlessly between one wireless technology and the other, thereby ensuring maximum speed and power efficiency whilst presenting a unified interface to the all-important user. This union will no doubt ensure that Bluetooth has a promising future with previously unimaginable opportunities for integration into applications.
The Wi-Fi Direct threat
Wi-Fi Direct has however been viewed by many as a threat. The Wi-Fi Alliance is moving forward with the protocol that is set to challenge the Bluetooth market head on. Theoretically capable of transferring data at 250Mbits/sec, significantly better than Bluetooth, which has yet to extend up its 11Mbits/sec range, Wi-Fi Direct should have Bluetooth trembling at its knees and yet the King seems to be standing firm and resolute, eager to prove that alliance is always better than war and focussing on the fact that Wi-Fi’s trade off for its purported increased throughput will be a much larger power draw, making it less attractive to today’s environmentally aware consumers.
Dreams revisited
We mustn’t forget that when we first heard about Bluetooth we were all blown away. It was only the premature hype of the industry marketers, coupled with poor early design integration that publically shattered the consumer dream. But it seems that finally now, in light of the new design focus adopted by manufacturers, the public embracing of stereo Bluetooth as a chic and effective way of listening to audio and the increasing reality that Bluetooth High Speed will make it and make it big, the time may well have come for Bluetooth to dream again.
We want to tell you a story ... it might be very familiar to some, whilst to others it may seem to be nothing more than tittle-tattle.
Bluetooth wireless technology has enjoyed a level of success, with over eleven years experience under its belt but, to date, it has struggled to capture mainstream consumerism. Furthermore, its success has pretty much been limited to enabling a variety of headsets, thus ensuring that vehicle drivers around the world have their two hands firmly on the steering wheel. Likewise, a number of vehicle manufacturers have integrated the technology into their mid- to high-end models with enormous success. This, in some respects, is a double edged sword for the technology, as Bluetooth has found itself somewhat ‘un-coolly’ pigeonholed into a niche market of clunky ‘behind the ear’ hands free gadgetry that many of us have found embarrassing to admit using. And yet, there is so much more to the technology than most consumers see. Its capabilities, if sensibly marketed from day one, should have made it a wireless superstar instead of the one trick pony it’s still commonly envisaged as. Many of us might think we know the score but, as a technology writer, the question is still so often asked” ‘What is Bluetooth?’ and ‘What will it do next?’ So let’s tackle those seemingly naïve, but nonetheless vital, consumer questions head on.
What is Bluetooth?
Indeed a contentious subject and feature, but let’s not be inhibited in delving into some core facts and analogies about Bluetooth wireless technology. Whilst avoiding a regurgitation of what we already know about the technology and the manufacturers associated hype about it; namely that it wasn’t ready when they first said it was, let’s instead focus on the notion that Bluetooth needs to shake off its association with cumbersome user experiences and begin embracing a new chapter. This is especially prevalent now, as Wi-Fi Direct is clipping at its heels! Incidentally, many seem to suggest that the Wi-Fi Alliance’s announcement was a knee-jerk reaction, as Bluetooth was rallying advocates of the technology along to steer the direction of the future of the technology. This is an area of some contention that we’ll discuss in greater depth later in the article.
In answering the question, ‘What is Bluetooth’ we have to first refer back to the original marketing touted by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and that is, ‘Bluetooth wireless technology is (first and foremost) a cable replacement technology’. Seems straightforward, right? Bluetooth was conceived, as an alternative to cabled connectivity and was targeted to provide greater flexibility than that offered by Infrared. In other words, enabling a host of consumer electronic products that don’t need a physical connection or aren’t restricted to line-of-sight.
In short, Bluetooth wireless technology is simply a cable replacement technology.
Jack of all trades, master of none?
The Bluetooth SIG in its early days conceived numerous profiles and user scenarios, detailing how Bluetooth wireless technology could be utilised in the real world and how the technology could remedy everyday gripes when using a cable or Infrared. The process of creating new profiles is an ongoing activity within the Bluetooth SIG and, with a recent health device profile being introduced to the profile portfolio, some manufacturers are evidently vying for a new chapter in the technology’s future. Yes, eHealth, along with Bluetooth low energy wireless should pave the way forward for new applications. In particular, a recent announcement (June 2009) from the Continua Health Alliance confirms that Bluetooth wireless technology will enable a new generation of health care products.
But many have accused Bluetooth of being ‘jack of all trades and master of none’. Others have purported that it simply doesn’t have the power to diversify any further. As we’ve already hinted at, consumers seem to associate Bluetooth with headsets, and, oh yeah, you can also interoperate your phone within a vehicle that’s Bluetooth-enabled! Bluetooth has numerous profiles, including: the Headset profile (of course); Dial-up Networking, Personal Area Networking; Basic Imaging/Printing and the Synchronisation Profile to name but a few (a full list can be found on the Bluetooth SIG’s website: bluetooth.com).
The Killer Application that killed Bluetooth’s ‘cool’
So, with numerous applications available why has Bluetooth become pigeonholed into a niche? To be totally controversial here, you could say that what it does it does perhaps a little too well! It seems that its killer application quickly became so intrinsic to safe travel that it effectively ‘killed’ the technology’s potential consumer association with other applications. It’s not that its adopted value isn’t important, but rather, it was perhaps the way its integration was shaped by the manufactures that made many of us associate Bluetooth with the ultimate in ‘un-cool’. Couldn’t they have been a little more imaginative? Where’s Philippe Starck when you need him (Ed. – er, he’s here, Dean) ? But wait a moment! Are things taking a turn? Is Bluetooth finally exfoliating away its pockmarked public complexion and giving itself an airbrushed supermodelesque relaunch? The introduction of glamorous and enticing new headset designs by companies such as Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Jabra would suggest so. And now, with stereo Bluetooth strutting its stuff in the market place, Bluetooth is moving away from just a mono phone audio device and is finally seducing the public with its superior audio streaming, bringing wireless music to the masses in a totally cool way.
This success makes us wonder whether the dark clouds of the past have finally begun to clear for Bluetooth. Marketers can finally hype to their hearts content about the new look designs in a way that won’t have them blushing when they put their names to a campaign. Consumers will invest in the technology with a new found confidence that it won’t make them look geeky and will even consider trying out new forms of Bluetooth applications. The one trick pony can now think about entering the wireless technology race with pride.
The high-speed accolade
But are we getting carried away with the gloss of it all? Perhaps the success of Bluetooth dominating the short-range arena really rests upon its conquering the high-speed accolade, which the Bluetooth SIG initially attempted with the Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) offering, but clearly still fell fall short of Wi-Fi’s greater data throughput. All is not lost however, and it seems that Bluetooth is still very much in the running for long-tem success, as CSR recently announced that it has partnered with Taiwan’s leading wireless IC design houses, including Realtek, to deliver a family of Bluetooth V2.0 + High Speed (HS) and 802.11n module designs for the PC and netbook markets. The BlueCore based designs will support the latest Bluetooth SIG specifications to enable high data transfer speeds by integrating the 802.11 radio to cope with larger file sizes. Furthermore, the partnership will mean that the new technology will be able to shift seamlessly between one wireless technology and the other, thereby ensuring maximum speed and power efficiency whilst presenting a unified interface to the all-important user. This union will no doubt ensure that Bluetooth has a promising future with previously unimaginable opportunities for integration into applications.
The Wi-Fi Direct threat
Wi-Fi Direct has however been viewed by many as a threat. The Wi-Fi Alliance is moving forward with the protocol that is set to challenge the Bluetooth market head on. Theoretically capable of transferring data at 250Mbits/sec, significantly better than Bluetooth, which has yet to extend up its 11Mbits/sec range, Wi-Fi Direct should have Bluetooth trembling at its knees and yet the King seems to be standing firm and resolute, eager to prove that alliance is always better than war and focussing on the fact that Wi-Fi’s trade off for its purported increased throughput will be a much larger power draw, making it less attractive to today’s environmentally aware consumers.
Dreams revisited
We mustn’t forget that when we first heard about Bluetooth we were all blown away. It was only the premature hype of the industry marketers, coupled with poor early design integration that publically shattered the consumer dream. But it seems that finally now, in light of the new design focus adopted by manufacturers, the public embracing of stereo Bluetooth as a chic and effective way of listening to audio and the increasing reality that Bluetooth High Speed will make it and make it big, the time may well have come for Bluetooth to dream again.
posted by Vince Holton at
5:14 AM
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