Bluetooth is an industry standard that wirelessly connects cell phones and other devices over distances of about 30 feet. Acell phone from Ericssonwill be the first model to be Bluetooth-equipped.
"Tomorrow with Bluetooth, you don't need the wire. You'll just have the ear piece," says IBM representative Jon Prial. "It'll do all the telephoning for me."
Bluetooth-equipped laptop computers allow users to work without wires. Information can be transferred, or synchronized, from a laptop or workpad to perform a variety of tasks. Bluetooth transceiver chips will soon be built into all kinds of electronic devices.
"Walking past a kiosk in a shopping mall and you're got a Bluetooth device, it'll recognize you and perhaps even give you a sale flyer for the store down the hall," Prial says.
More than 2,000 companies are working on Bluetooth-enabled hardware and software. Analysts predict Bluetooth-equipped devices will be shipped by next year.
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