The new Bluetooth 3.0 specification has been released. The biggest change from Bluetooth 2.0 appears to be the addition of high speed capabilities borrowed from WiFi networking. Bluetooth 3.0 devices will be designed to use a low speed connection, like that used by v2.0 devices, except when added speed can be utilized. At that point the connection will switch to use 802.11 (wireless ethernet) until its no longer than needed.
The additional speed could be used for streaming media or file transfers.
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group, which is responsible for developing the standard, would like to see the technology's role expand beyond mobile phone/headset or mobile phone/headphone connections to be more of a standard computer/peripheral connection - sort of like a wireless USB.
"The Bluetooth SIG is taking a logical step by applying Bluetooth protocols over an existing 802.11 radio to achieve efficient transfers of high data throughput applications," said Flint Pulskamp, wireless and mobile analyst at IDC. "Since Bluetooth and 802.11 already have significant traction in mobile devices, this coupled solution could prove to be an efficient interim solution, as the Bluetooth SIG continues to develop UWB for the future."
