A new Bluetooth specification improves the wireless technology"s ease of use and connection quality, while shipments continue their ascent. Bluetooth, the short-range wireless technology, has passed another landmark in its goal of becoming ubiquitous. Amid continued criticism of its usefulness, total Bluetooth shipments for the first time surpassed one million units per week in the third quarter of this year, according to IMS Research"s Bluetooth semiconductor tracking service.
Meanwhile, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the industry body which looks after the technology, has officially adopted a new standard that adds user-friendly features and improves connection quality. Bluetooth has been surrounded by controversy since Ericsson created it with the aim of eliminating the wires that connect PCs, mobile phones, PDAs, computer peripherals and other devices. Critics say that despite the rapid growth in Bluetooth shipments, the technology is of limited usefulness because it is too hard to set up.
In response, the SIG launched its "Five Minute Ready" programme last December, with the goal of ensuring consumers can use Bluetooth devices within five minutes of taking them out of the box. The Bluetooth 1.2 specification, which the SIG adopted on Wednesday, includes features to speed up connection setup