A while back, I wrote a news article regarding a rumor about Bluetooth's latest reincarnation and the fact that its specifications might be released this month. Well, the time has come for me to officially present to you the latest, the greatest and definitely the fastest short-range communication protocol around: Bluetooth 3.0.

Yes, indeedy, ladies and gents, from now on, manufacturers and consumers alike will be able to send data between different devices at Wi-Fi-like speeds thanks to the inclusion of the 802.11 Protocol Adaptation Layer that increases data transfers at well... about 24MBps. But that's not all the news. I for one have always been a fan of corporate phones since those tend to offer the best options. The problem is that for some of the best applications, you need Bluetooth enabled constantly. That meant cutting the battery's life span to an extremely short period.

Well not anymore, because its enhanced, intelligent, power control promises to alleviate some of the stress that you'll put your battery under. Worried that your Bluetooth 2.1-enabled device won't be compatible with the newest technology? Worry not, my friends, for the guys behind Bluetooth have built it to be backwards compatible. Just imagine sending a large video file to another phone and not having to wait a day or 10 hours because of Bluetooth’s small transfer rate.

Just think about the level of interaction between devices, about the possibilities that this new piece of technology offers us. Think about the ways companies could exploit Bluetooth to make identical netbooks that feature Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity. Because, unfortunately, that's what it will be used for in the beginning.

I really liked what Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of Bluetooth SIG, had to say, “Like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights, this latest version was ‘born to go fast’ [...] Utilizing the 802.11 radio was a natural choice as it provides efficiencies for both our members and consumers – members get more function out of the two radios they are already including in devices, and consumers with Bluetooth v3.0 HS products will get faster exchange of information without changing how they connect. We are excited to expand the possibilities of the PAN.”

They're excited, I'm excited, everyone's excited. Now, start rolling out Bluetooth 3.0 devices!


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