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Blog: June Archive
iPod Bikini: 2nd Sexiest Bluetooth App Ever
I never imagined I would have the word "bikini" in the the title of a post on this blog, much less in the same sentence with "Bluetooth". However, Korean company JWin has developed a bikini top with Bluetooth controls sewn in to operate an iPod (suitably Bluetooth-equipped of course), allowing the wearer to perform all the usual options, from adjusting the volume to selecting tracks. The ergonomics may not be the best, but the conversational value will likely more than make up for it.
A picture is included in the post, as I thought it best not to leave it to your imagination.
Link courtesy of The Register.
Oh, the #1 sexiest Bluetooth app? Here.
TI Announces Ultra Low Power Bluetooth
Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) will develop chips for low-power devices based on a new short-range wireless Bluetooth specification, the company said Tuesday.
Ultra Low Power (ULP) Bluetooth will have a range up to 10 meters--similar to Class 2 Bluetooth but using less power. According to the article, a ULP device powered by a button-cell battery will have an average operating life of one year!
link courtesy of Washing Post.
MTV Italy Partners With Waymedia
Waymedia was chosen as technical partner by MTV Italy and Comedy Central for the Comicittà event in Milan. Ten of their WLP40 Bluetooth access points have been installed in strategic locations for distributing premium content.
Introduction To Bluetooth Profiles
One of the goals of Bluetooth was to create a standard technology that worked the same across a wide variety of consumer devices, likely coming from a wide variety of manufacturers. Furthermore, it is important that a device from one manufacturer is able to interoperate—that is, connect and communicate--with another Bluetooth device from another unrelated manufacturer. Without such standardization, companies would start developing and promoting their own Bluetooth standards which would create connection problems, delay or prevent adoption of Bluetooth, and generally cause confusion. To help ensure standardization and interoperability, the Bluetooth consortium not only defined the wireless radio standard, but also carefully defined standards for different applications of Bluetooth, which they named “profiles”.
Like most new technologies, the Bluetooth specification has gone through a few revisions already, including 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, and the currently available version, 2.0. Version 1.1 is still common on devices that are readily available, and is a good reference version for discussing the major Bluetooth profiles. (Version 1.2 is also relatively common and has similar functions as 1.1),. Version 1.1 has 13 profiles defined as follows:
Generic Access Profile (GAP): This profile which defines how two Bluetooth devices discover and establish communications with each other. The GAP profile does not define specific application functions for the user, but rather it is a base profile that defines the modes and procedures that all the other profiles use.
Service Discovery Application Profile (SDAP): As the name implies, this profiles allows Bluetooth devices to query the services available on other Bluetooth devices.
Cordless Telephony Profile (CTP): Defines how a Bluetooth device can be used as a cordless phone.
Intercom Profile: Defines how two Bluetooth phones can connect with each other directly without the use of the public telephone network.
Serial Port Profile (SPP): Defines how two Bluetooth devices can communicate with each other by using virtual serial ports. Using this profile, Bluetooth communication can be treated as just another serial communication.
Headset Profile (HS or HSP): The HSP describes how a Bluetooth wireless headset should communicate with another device, typically a Bluetooth phone but it could also be a PC or Personal Digital Assistance (PDA).
Dial-Up Networking Profile (DNP or DUN): Defines how a Bluetooth device can connect to a Bluetooth-enabled modem or mobile phone. The most common scenario is accessing the Internet from a laptop by dialing up on a mobile phone, wirelessly instead of through a cable from the laptop to the phone. It is based on the SPP.
Fax Profile (FP): Defines how a Bluetooth device can connect to a Bluetooth-enabled fax device, such as a fax machine or a fax-enabled mobile phone.
LAN Access Profile (LAP): Defines how a Bluetooth-enabled device can connect to a computer network.
Generic Object Exchange Profile (GOEP): Defines a set of protocols that applications use for exchanging objects.
Object Push Profile (OPP): OPP is used to send and receive objects and files between Bluetooth devices. OPP typically only supports certain types of objects—commonly this includes electronic business cards and media like photos, wallpaper and ringtones. It is called “Push” because the sender initiates the communication with the intention of “pushing” a file to the receiver. This is different a “pull” system like a Web browser where the receiver (you and the browser) “pull” or request a file from the sender (Web server).
File Transfer Profile (FTP): This profile works together with the GOEP and is another way to transfer files between two Bluetooth devices.
Synchronization Profile (SP): This works like Microsoft ActiveSync—it is used together with GOEP to synchronize calendar and address information between two Bluetooth devices, such as a laptop and mobile phone.
There are a couple of other commonly used profiles:
- Hands-Free Profile (HFP): HFP allows you to talk on your Bluetooth mobile from inside your car, leaving your hands free to operate the car (where it is legal to do so, of course). HFP requires a hands-free kit or cradle inside the car to provide a different speaker and microphone to conduct the conversation through instead of using the phones speaker and microphone. It is also possible to get specialized car stereos that have this built in.
- Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) and Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP): These profiles usually work together in Bluetooth wireless stereo headphones. The A2DP profile provides higher quality sound than the Headset Profile as well as providing stereo sound instead of mono sound.
New profiles have been developed and others are in the works, but the above list covers the major profiles. Actually, at this point in time, the average consumer will get by with awareness of only a few of them: Headset, Object Push, and Hands-Free. As more Bluetooth products and applications are released, other profiles will come into popular use as driven by the consumer market.
European vs. American mobile usage
Michael Mace has written an extensive post talking about the differences in wireless culture between Americans and Europeans.
The blipvert* version: "In the US, a cellphone is a tool. In Europe, a mobile phone is a lifestyle."
I will let you proceed to reading Michael words rather than rehashing them here, but one insight I liked was: "People in the US can be just as enthusiastic about mobilizing technology, but they often think in terms of shrinking and mobilizing the PC and Internet, rather than growing the cellphone."
*Term loosely borrowed from 80's futuristic movie: Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future to refer to a highly compressed, neural blitz of information.
First Proximity Marketing Campaign In Turkey
Ford Motor Co. has selected technology from Hypertag to promote its new Mondeo model in the first interactive campaign of its kind to take place in Turkey.
According to Sourcewire: "Proximity marketing technology company Hypertag (www.hypertag.com) today announces a first-of-its-kind advertising campaign in Turkey. The latest in a string of international deals, the campaign, for Ford, will run over the next month in cafes and clubs around Istanbul. To raise awareness of the new model Ford Mondeo, ten fixed Hypertags have been installed across the capital allowing consumers to download mini brochures and wallpapers straight to their mobile."
Hypertag's implementation uses an infrared plus bluetooth server embedded inside poster advertising to push (on-demand) content such as vouchers, business cards, ringtones or games.
courtesy of sourcewire
Bluetooth For Ungeeks
What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a technology for wirelessly connecting devices over short distances, including cell phones, headsets, computers, handheld computers (PDAs like a Palm Pilot), keyboards, mice, cameras, and a list of other devices which is growing all the time. Bluetooth is commonly used to connect two device to communicate with each other, such as a cell phone and wireless headset. But it also allows communication between several devices in a small wireless network.
No introduction on Bluetooth would be complete without the obligatory mention of how it got its name, so here goes: Bluetooth was named after King Harald Blatand who ruled Denmark in the 10th century. My Norwegian is not very good, but apparently Blatand means "bluetooth" in English. Blatand was famous (at least in Scandinavia) for bringing together warring tribes in the areas of what is now Denmark, Sweden and Norway. In a similar way, Bluetooth the technology was created to bring together or unite many different device technologies. And maybe to bring together warring "mobile phone" companies since the primary members of the Bluetooth consortium included the big cell phone companies such as Ericsson, Nokia and Motorola as well as computer companies such as IBM, Intel, Microsoft and Toshiba. Curiously, no-one seems to want to mention how Harald got the name "Bluetooth" in the first place, leaving me to speculate on dental hygiene issues best left unsaid after all.
In order to use Bluetooth for its various applications I will discuss shortly, a device such as your cell phone must have a special Bluetooth chip inside. Fortunately, because Bluetooth is a low-cost technology we are seeing more products being released which support Bluetooth. Your Bluetooth-enabled coffee pot cannot be far off in the future. (Actually, maybe that's not so crazy--I could check the level of coffee in the coffee pot from my desk). Bluetooth supports a number of different services, also called "profiles". For example, the service that is used to make a phone call using a Bluetooth wireless headset and a cell phone is called the "Hands Free Profile". Some devices like the headset are special purpose and only support one or two profiles, because that's all that makes sense. Currently, even cell phones don't support all the available services, but that will change over time and all phones will be expected to support the common services.
Benefits Of Bluetooth
- Eliminate cables: The most obvious benefit of Bluetooth is to eliminate the one or more set of wires that seem to come with every consumer device or gadget you might think of connecting to a computer. Bluetooth allows you to free yourself from headset and headphones wires, as well as eliminate tangling and unsightly cables on your desktop which connect devices like your mouse and keyboard to your computer.
- Low cost: The cost is lower than for other wireless technologies, and similar to the cost for wired connections (you may have noticed: computer cables are not all that cheap). So for about the same cost it is often better to have the convenience of having no wires.
- Low power: Bluetooth can be "always on", but uses a variety of geeky electronic tricks to keep power consumption very low. I can go at least a week without charging my Bluetooth headset.
- Convenient and standard: For example, if you want to connect to a different device, you won't need a different cable or adapter. A Bluetooth-equipped device can talk to any other Bluetooth device as long as it supports the service you want to use. And these services will become more standard and common as time goes on.
- Security: Since wireless communication goes out over the air, there is always the possibility of someone "snooping" on your private (or perhaps then, not-so-private) communication. Bluetooth has security built into to its core to make it extremely difficult to listen in on your communication. For one thing, the radio signal hops around on 79 different frequencies, 1600 times a second making it very hard to track. Devices can also be "paired", where a user must enter a secret passkey, typically a 4-digit number like a pin number for your ATM card. Without the proper pin code, the connection is refused.
- Communicate through walls: Bluetooth operates at radio frequencies that can pass through walls and other obstructions. This is similar to WiFi, but infrared beaming, for example, cannot pass through walls. This could useful in your home, but is also important for places which may want to use Bluetooth for business applications.
Bluetooth Applications
I have already touched on some of the common applications, but here is a list of some of the many ways Bluetooth can be used:
- As mentioned previously, one of the most common application applications currently is using a Bluetooth heaset to talk through your cellphone, allowing very comfortable phone conversation without dangling wires or tangles, talking with your phones pressed against your heard cradled on your neck.
- Transfering pictures form your camera phone to your computer. This is more convenient than plugging into your computer and without the cost or hassle of sending pictures to your email account over your cell phone provider's netork.
- You can exchange also exchange pictures, as well as ringtones, wallpaper and songs with friends or family who have a bluetooth phone. You don't need a computer or even a cell phone connection to do this. Let's say you are a government agent being held prisoner in a secret fortress on a Carribbean island that doesn't have cell phone coverage, not even that Verizon guy who's almost everywhere. You could use Bluetooth to exchange ringtones with the prisoner in the room next to you. Although in that case they would probably take away your phone and maybe exchanging the latest ringtone is not your biggest concern in that case. Ok, so my analogy was not that great--maybe instead we should imagine that it's just you and your friend passing time on the subway by exchanging ringtones and wallpaper from the latest popular artists.
- Wirelessly connecting peripherals to your computer or laptop. Peripherals is the name for all those things you are obligated to connect to your computer to actually be able to do anything useful. A number of those devices now support wireless connection to your computer using our friend Bluetooth, including mice keyboards and printers. It may seem like no big deal at first to worry about removing the few feet or inches of cable to your computer, but once you've tried it, removing the clutter, tangles, and unsightliness oc cables makes for a more enjoyable user experience.
- Wireless stereo headphones. This one alone is enough to sell me on Bluetooth. I hate wrestling with headphone wires, especially when traveling. Also, when I want to listen to music at my desk, I have to hope the wires are long enough to reach from my chair to the back of the computer, and I get tired of explaining to my coworkers why I am sitting under my desk. I won't even go into those moments of physical comedy when you forget you have headphones on and try to move away from your desk.
- Wireless gaming. Bluetooth is now being used for wireless game system controllers such as the Nintendo Wii or to rock out wireless on Guitar Hero. Because if you are serious about pretending you are a rock star with a fake, plastic guitar, you may as well pretend you are a rock star with a wireless (fake, plastic) guitar.
- There are more applications for connecting devices wirelessly, and more coming in the future, including:
- Digital cameras, to download photos to your personal computer or even directly to a photo printer.
- Connecting to a Bluetooth enabled car for safer hands-free talking or listening.
- Connection to GPS devices.
- MP3 players. You should be able to download songs from all kinds of places and things, maybe even your refrigerator. Don't laugh--it may be coming.
Hopefully I've given you a good introduction on what Bluetooth is all about. In the near future, it is likely that Bluetooth usage for connecting wireless devices will be so common that people will wonder why we ever used wires.