Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 72

Does anyone know much about the Bluetooth technology? Can Handspring use this technology to give the Visor wireless internet? Will this technology be limited to short distances? Is it limited to only 40 feet?

http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19990930S0028

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Mississauga, ON, CAN
Posts: 11

Besides the fact that the article confirms shipping in two weeks, did anyone else notice, bluetooth with these visors can suddenly make these things banned in schools.

Oh well

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Rio Rancho, NM, USA
Posts: 129

Does the inclusion of Blue Tooth mean it comes bundled with the Visor or that Blue Tooth is a partner?

Also, I don't believe Palms are banned in schools, are they? I have coworkers who love to beam to each other during meetings, so the Palm must already have that tech.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Austin TX, USA
Posts: 79

What is the range on Bluetooth? Isn't it 2.4 gHz band? That would give it a fairly substantial range.... My 900 mHz cordless phone goes quite far - 2.4 gigahertz......?
Anyone know the approx. range here?

-Achilles

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 72

A description will come up when you click on the Bluetooth hyperlink from the article posted above. It says the approximate range is 40ft. I read the Handspring Springboard press release. It had a wireless springboard and a bluetooth springboard. I guess the bluetooth will be used for short distances and the wireless will incorporate RF for longer distances.

hmmm...

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 72

In the Handspring Springboard press release there are pictures of future Springboards. There is a cool picture of a wireless springboard. The article also addresses the radio wireless technology...

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: US Military in Germany
Posts: 46

Bluetooth is a wireles RF lan technology that is indeed in the 2.4Ghz range. It is meant to be a spontaneous connection protocol and has a range of 40 ft. but up to 100 ft. depending on circumstances. There are currently no devices commercially available that I am aware of. The Bluetooth ideas are also being discussed in the Airport springboard section of VisorCentral. Bluetooth would allow communication with many devices, cell phones, printers, PC's, other organizers, pagers, even data watches. Motorola has been playing with a Bluetooth like device called the Piano. I have some links and will post them when I find them again. Also, with Ericcson being a primary contributor to bluetooth, look for cell phones to be high on the list of connections which should suit most Visor users fine.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 81

What I'd like to know is whether they're talking about Bluetooth being an inherent part of the Visor, or whether Handspring (or whoever) is working on a Bluetooth module.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: US Military in Germany
Posts: 46

It is not part of the Visor Deluxe so at least initially it will have to be in the form of a springboard. Later products may (should) make it an integral part.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 81

Gene:

I don't see mention of a Bluetooth module in the press releases Handspring has on their web site. (That does seem like the most likely way that they'd handle it, though. It seems a bit close to shipping date for it to have been recently added to the basic Visor design.)

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 72

Bearpaw,

Bluetooth technology does not come with the Visor. Handspring is working to use it as a Springboard. He announced the technology according to the article I posted earlier in this thread.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 179

Well, if you read the whole article it states :

-----

Next week, at Internet World in New York, Hawkins said the company will announce the addition of Bluetooth technology, a communications protocol for small devices communicating over short distances.

"This will allow Visors to talk to Visors," he said.

-----

Read that last line again. So, it doesn't sound like this is intended for any sort of wireless Internet or Network connectivity. Now, if you've ever read anything about Hawkins you would know that he likes to promise a little and then over deliver. So its hard to say whether this "bluetooth" capability will be built in or an add on springboard. Guess we'll have to wait and see...


[This message has been edited by handsprung (edited 10-01-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 81

Gene:

I did read the article, and it doesn't say how Bluetooth will work with the Visor. It's not worded in a way to make that clear. For various reasons, I suspect that you're right and it will be a module -- at least for this gen of Visors. Can't say for sure, though. Presumably we'll find out next week, when more details come out via Internet World.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 72

Yup, there is no way that Bluetooth will be incorporated in the Visor shipping soon. I think I read in the press release that it will be incorporated in a Springboard in q4.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 81

Gene:

The Springboard press release on the Handspring web site makes no mention of Bluetooth. Neither do the other press releases there.

Are you confusing "press release" with "article"?

IIRC, I have seen an Visor *article* written by someone somewhere mention the possibility of a Bluetooth module, but it wasn't in any *press release* that I've seen. The *article* I remember seeing was prior to the ZDNet article and the comments Hawkins made yesterday, and therefore may or may not be relevant.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 72

Nope...

Go to the press area on the Handspring web site. There will be a 2 meg zip file of press release stuff. 4 pictures, and about 8 or so pdf's... One of the pdf's talks about the future springboards....
http://216.35.16.11/press_area.html



[This message has been edited by gene (edited 10-01-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 81

Oh, you must mean the Press kit. Ok, but I don't find anything about Bluetooth there, either.

Ah, wait ... in Developers.PDF there's a reference:

"Widcomm, Inc. Bluetooth Communications Module Fall 2000 <A HREF="http://www.widcomm.com"" TARGET=_blank>www.widcomm.com"</A>

I guess that could be what Hawkins was referring to. But if this is it, it seems odd to talk about "annouc{ing} the addition of Bluetooth" next week in the context of a module that has been known about for two weeks and won't be available for a year.

&lt;shrug&gt; On the other hand, product launches are inherently odd, so who knows? (I mean, the TechWeb article also said that the Visor "will ship sooner than announced" despite the fact that it won't. The 9/14/99 Handspring press release said "delivery in October". Sooner than that would've been yesterday!)

We'll find out more next week, I guess.


[This message has been edited by bearpaw (edited 10-01-1999).]