The future is blue

Bluetooth, the short-range wireless communication standard, is beginning to make its presence felt. The first products incorporating this capability are due out next year, and within a few years after that it may well be universal.

Bluetooth, originally devised by telecoms company Ericsson, uses low power radio links to send and receive data at high speeds across distances up to about 10 metres. A working group, comprising Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba, has defined the standard and is now making it widely available for application.

Initial interest is in linking handheld devices - palmtops and mobile phones, for example - to PCs, but many other possibilities are also being looked at, from cameras through music systems to medical equipment.

The Bluetooth microchip automatically makes contact whenever it comes within range of another. An unobstructed path is not essential, but no data will be transferred without a specific OK. In addition, security features, including encrypting procedures, are built in to protect information.

The name comes from a 10th century Scandinavian king who successfully quelled warring factions to deliver peace.

Elliott Chase