The Bluetooth Sig

Bluetooth is the most talked about and fastest growing wireless technology developing today. Bluetooth is being use in various parts of life everyday. Although Bluetooth is growing fast it also has its flaws. I will be discussing the purpose, use, strength, and weakness of Bluetooth technology.

The Bluetooth SIG is a privately held trade association and is not publicly traded. The Special Interest Group, whose name was inspired by the Danish King Harald Bluetooth, known for unifying Denmark and Norway in the 10th century, was founded in September 1998. Now, in the 21st century, unification is a guiding principle of Bluetooth wireless technology, as it connects innovative products and companies to consumer aspirations (www.bluetooth.com)

Bluetooth provides a wireless solution for reducing the cable clutter of peripherals. It is also a replacement for IrDA, and is a complimentary technology to Apple's AirPort (802.11b) solution for wireless networks, but not a replacement for networking. On a technical level, Bluetooth is an open specification for a cutting-edge technology that enables short-range wireless connections between desktop and laptop computers and a host of other peripheral devices. Furthermore, the Bluetooth technology enables a vast number of new usage models for portable devices. For notebook computer manufacturers, the development of a short-range radio frequency (RF) solution enables the notebook computer to connect to different varieties of cellular phones and other notebook computers. For cellular handset manufacturers, the RF solution removes many of the wires required for audio and data exchange. Wireless hands-free kits operate even while the cellular phone is stored in a purse. As an example for new usage models, we use connection from a mobile computer to the Internet using a cellular phone as a bridge. For example, when the cellular phone is stored out of plain sight inside briefcase, the connection to the Internet is automatically established and auto-configured without requiring a conscious effort on the user's part to connect the mobile computer to the cellular phone and configuring these two devices to communicate. This is referring to this as a hidden computing or an unconscious connectivity model that is a powerful paradigm for new and exciting applications. A very key characteristic of Bluetooth that differentiates from other wireless technologies is that it enables combined usability models based on functions provided by different devices (developer.apple.com).

Bluetooth's also has its flaws. Security professionals demonstrated vulnerabilities in the wireless technology by downloading contact information and reading text messages on the devices of unsuspecting bystanders. "Bluetooth is a silent killer," said Stan Schatt, a vice president and research director with Cambridge,