Mike's Blog

August 31, 2010

Building a better remote

Sometimes a new device comes along that just makes sense the first time you see it, like a Bluetooth enabled remote control with a slide-out keyboard. Vizio announced the first one at the Consumer Electronics Show last winter, and TiVo just followed with its new TiVoSlide remote control for newer model TiVo DVRs (digital video recorders).

Using a Bluetooth enabled keyboard with a TV or DVR isn't new, but integrating a slide-out QUERTY keyboard into a remote control is novel. A lot of people use wireless keyboards to type the names of TV programs they want to search for, since that’s way easier on a real keyboard than using a remote control to select letters on an onscreen keyboard.

But it can be inconvenient to reach for a keyboard when you’re watching TV. And there’s often no good place to stash a wireless keyboard next to your couch or easy chair. Most people already have enough remotes lying around without adding a keyboard. TiVo solves both problems with the peanut-shaped TiVoSlide, which can also be programmed to control TVs and A/V receivers.

Mobile phones with slide-out keyboards have been around for years, so why didn’t anyone think to include a slide-out keyboard on a TV remote control until now? Maybe some clever inventor did, but it took major manufacturers such as TiVo and Vizio to bring the invention to market. Whatever the case, the TivoSlide is getting good early reviews, in part because of its easy Bluetooth connectivity. The remote comes with a matching Bluetooth dongle. You can even pair it with a Bluetooth enabled computer if you want. With Bluetooth, there’s no line of sight required between the remote and the DVR as there is with standard infrared (IR) remotes, and the signal travels further. Worth checking out if you’re one of the millions of TiVo users.


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August 17, 2010

Tracking traffic with BlueTOAD

A BlueTOAD sensor along a Chicago freeway

TrafficCast photo

Everyone knows about the use of Bluetooth technology in cars, but how about products that detect Bluetooth signals in passing cars? Not cell towers that carry the signal from your mobile phone, but devices that measure the signals emanating from Bluetooth enabled devices in your car and then use that information to monitor traffic jams and predict travel times. That’s what a Wisconsin company named TrafficCast is doing with its new BlueTOAD system.

The BlueTOAD name is catchy, but what really caught our attention is when the Illinois and Wisconsin media started reporting on how those states have begun using the company’s technology to measure traffic on congested freeway sections. TrafficCast uses a system of sensor boxes mounted on light poles along the freeway. The sensors pick up the media access control, or MAC address, from cell phones, navigation systems and laptops in passing vehicles and the signals from Bluetooth enabled vehicles themselves.

TrafficCast CEO Neal Campbell explained how the system works. "We simply detect the Bluetooth signal that might be going by a passing antenna, we time stamp that, we look for that same Bluetooth signal some miles down the road, we do another time stamp, and we take all that information back to our data center and do a simple compute of the travel time," he told Chicago station WLS-TV. The system is sophisticated enough that it can filter out signals from passing commuter trains that could have passengers with dozens of Bluetooth enabled devices onboard.

BlueTOAD stands for Bluetooth Travel-time Origination And Destination. Transportation officials say motorists using Bluetooth enabled devices need not worry about being watched by the government, since the address information on each Bluetooth enabled device is erased after a short time, and only the travel time is recorded.


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August 06, 2010

Special Report on the future of BLUETOOTH enabled health and fitness apps

The latest edition of SIGnature magazine takes a close look at how Bluetooth low energy technology will enhance consumers’ ability to manage their health and fitness .

The timing for this topic is good – it’s summer here in the Seattle area, and from our office, which overlooks Lake Washington, we can see all kinds of sports and fitness enthusiasts enjoying the beautiful weather. I wonder how many of them are currently using Bluetooth technology to monitor their heart rate, location or distance, or to listen to their favorite tunes? Whatever the number is, you can be sure it will only go up in the years to come.

Speaking of numbers, the SIG has been busy wrapping up the Bluetooth Core Specification Version 4.0, which includes the hallmark feature of Bluetooth low energy technology. Qualification for Version 4.0 was opened in early July and the new, low energy feature is sure to open up new markets for Bluetooth enabled health and fitness devices.

In Part 1 of our SIGnature Magazine Special Report, writer Eric Schoeniger explains how Bluetooth low energy technology will drive new markets for sensors that can communicate with the next generation of Bluetooth enabled fitness devices.

Part 2, by Karen D. Schwartz, takes a look at how Bluetooth enabled medical devices give patients greater control of their own health and more freedom in their daily lives.

In Part 3, John Lamb explains how, for people living with disabilities, Bluetooth technology enables greater freedom and independence.

Part 4 looks to the future, as writer Alan Joch explores how today’s changes in health and fitness technology are paving the way for tomorrow’s innovation.

How are you using Bluetooth technology to live a healthier life?


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July 28, 2010

First-ever all-digital SIGnature magazine is now available

It’s always a thrill when we release a new edition of SIGnature magazine, and the new Q3 ’10 issue is no exception. But I’m especially pleased to announce that this issue is the first fully digital version of SIGnature, available online within Bluetooth.com and also for iPhone, iPad, Amazon Kindle or digital flipbook.

As you can imagine, I get pretty excited when new gadgets hit the market, so it’s no surprise that I was an early adopter of both the Kindle and the iPad. While we were creating this issue, I developed an even greater appreciation for the many ways we can bring the great content in SIGnature to life on those devices as well as other digital platforms.

This digital issue of SIGnature includes such features as:

Full-replica format that looks just like the print edition you know and love.
Video, audio and animation that help illustrate article concepts.
Platform-specific features let you customize the display to read the issue the way you want to read it.
Text-formatted articles that are designed for maximum mobile readability.

While the platform may have changed, the magazine still delivers the same high-quality, award-winning content it always has. This issue focuses on how Bluetooth low energy technology, the hallmark feature of the new Bluetooth Core Specification Version 4.0, will make it easier than ever for consumers to become – and stay – fit and healthy. We also cover some fascinating new use cases and take a look at the ongoing development of Bluetooth technology.

Go ahead and download the new edition on the platform of your choice, and be sure to let us know what you think about the experience. I’ll be interested to see which of the digital platforms readers prefer.


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July 21, 2010

Time for some good old-fashioned competition

Golfer at U.S. Senior Open

USGA photo

Maybe it’s the upcoming U.S. Senior Open golf championship that I’m excited to watch next week here in the Seattle area, but I’m in the mood for some competition. In that spirit, the Bluetooth SIG has decided to foster some rivalry of its own. We’re launching a contest for developers, to see who can create the best application utilizing Bluetooth technology.

The rules are simple: Applications must utilize Bluetooth technology. That’s it. Let your imagine run wild. To get you started, there are links to popular development kits on the contest web page.

To help motivate you, we’re offering the following prizes:

· 1st place: $15,000 cash and a one-year lease of Frontline FTS4BT protocol analyzer.

· 2nd place: $5,000 cash and a one-year lease of Frontline FTS4BT protocol analyzer.

· 3rd place: $2,500 cash.

· Honorable Mention(s): $1,000 cash.

The Frontline test software will help the winners create even more Bluetooth enabled apps after the contest is over. The contest will last until the end of the year, with all entries due Dec. 10, 2010. Finalists will be selected by the Bluetooth SIG, which will judge applications based on creativity, overall functionality, and user appeal.

We hope the contest leads to new and improved uses for mobile phones and PCs, with help from Bluetooth wireless technology.


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