We've never been big fans of Bluetooth, but the fourth version of the close-range wireless networking technology could be the charm. It uses a fraction of the energy used by its predecessors, opening up the doors to entire new categories of personal electronics.
Here's what Mike Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group says about the benefits of devices using Bluetooth 4.0:
"Some of these new low-energy devices will be able to operate for years on just a tiny, button-sized battery. The ability to run on such a miniscule amount of power — as little as 10% of the energy used by classic Bluetooth devices — will enable a host of new uses for wireless products in everything from sports and fitness to healthcare and home entertainment."Our favorite idea? A Bluetooth 4.0 watch that will give you an energy-efficient way to sound an alarm if you leave your cellphone somewhere, say, in a bar. Expect Apple to issue this technology to all of its employees.
Don't expect to get your hands on products incorporating Bluetooth 4.0 anytime soon, though. You'll have to wait until Fall, 2011 to see if these energy-sipping claims are true. That's more than a year's worth of development, plenty of time to also figure out a way to make it easier to dependably pair up Bluetooth devices in any circumstance.
Source:
Via PC Pro