CeBIT: Bluetooth gaining momentum

Motorola, which has a strong focus on wireless communications demonstrated Piano -- available for both Java and C -- and showed users what Bluetooth facilities are available. Motorola demonstrated a number of Java applications running over a Bluetooth link -- including several games. Another Motorola demo showed a prototype Bluetooth device enabling a 3Com Palm V to `hot-sync' with a notebook PC.

Not to be outdone, Nokia showed off a modified 6110 handset communicating with a Toshiba notebook PC using Bluetooth. Next to the Nokia handset, two portables were fitted with Ericsson PC Cards to demonstrate how a video file could be transferred via Bluetooth.

Other heavyweights demonstrating Bluetooth included IBM and Toshiba. GN Netcom also matched a previous Ericsson product demo by showing a Bluetooth cordless headset communicating with a PC. However, although the Bluetooth logo (resplendent on Nokia's handset) was unveiled yesterday Wednesday the industry is still waiting for version 1.0 of the Bluetooth specifications to be published, expected April.

Bluetooth compatible products still aren't expected to reach the market until Christmas.

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