Bluetooth technology is one of the leading technologies for wireless communication worldwide.

It allows phones, computers, PDAs and other electronic devices to easily communicate with the other Bluetooth enabled devices nearby. According to the official Bluetooth site, "Bluetooth wireless technology is a short-range communications technology intended to replace the cables connecting portable and/or fixed devices while maintaining high levels of security. The key features of Bluetooth technology are robustness, low power, and low cost. The Bluetooth specification defines a uniform structure for a wide range of devices to connect and communicate with each other." In plain English, Bluetooth is a protocol that allows you to remotely access and use devices on a computer or phone without the use of wires. The name Bluetooth: The name Bluetooth pays homage to the Scandinavian birthplace of the protocol. At the end of the first millennium AD, Scandinavia was torn by warring tribes. The Danish king Harald Bltand was the first man able to unite these tribes- and his own blue tooth earned him the nickname Bluetooth. As the new wireless protocol was also intended to unite separate devices and allow them to communicate and network with each other in a simple interrupted way, Harold's nickname was used as an early codename for the project. However, the name proved so popular that it was made permanent. Evolution of Bluetooth: Bluetooth was initially developed by Swedish mobile phone maker Ericsson in 1994 as a way to let laptop computers make calls over a mobile phone. Since then, several thousand companies have signed on to make Bluetooth the low-power short-range wireless standard for a wide range of devices. The specifications were formalized by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The SIG was formally announced on May 20, 1998. Today it has a membership of over 14,000 companies worldwide. It was established by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Toshiba and Nokia, and later joined by many other companies. Bluetooth standards: For a manufacturer to use Bluetooth technology in their products they must first sign a Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) membership agreement, this is subject to an intellectual

property license (which includes qualification). The purpose of the qualification process is to enable interoperability of Bluetooth equipment between different manufacturers. Bluetooth Qualification allows members to make sure their product complies with the Bluetooth specification. There are standard protocols by which Bluetooth devices communicate with each other. These protocols are part of the Bluetooth Specification. Definitions for multiple versions of the Bluetooth specification exist including versions 1.1, 1.2 and 2.0. The latest standard is the Bluetooth Core Specification version 4.0, adopted as of June 30, 2010. Enabling devices with bluetooth: These days, many electronic products are Bluetooth enabled, such as cell-phones, PDAs, laptops, printers, headsets, computer keyboards and some high definition modems, and watches. This technology achieves its goal by embedding tiny, inexpensive, short-range transceiver microchips into the electronic devices that are available today. One of the defining points of Bluetooth is interoperability between manufacturers; Bluetooth devices made by any company are, in theory, 100% compatible with devices made by another company. The Bluetooth modules can be either built into electronic devices or used as an adaptor. For instance in a PC they can be built in as a PC card or externally attached via the USB port. How Bluetooth devices communicate: All Bluetooth enabled devices function on a standard protocol. Bluetooth utilizes low-power radio waves, in the non-licensed range of 2.4 Gigahertz. When Bluetooth-capable devices come within range of one another, an electronic conversation takes place to determine whether they have data to share or whether one needs to control the other. The user doesn't have to press a button or give a command -- the electronic conversation happens automatically. Once the conversation has occurred, the devices -- whether they're part of a computer system or a stereo -- form a network, called the Personal Area Network (PAN) or piconet. A Piconet can be a simple connection between two devices or more than two devices. Any of the devices in a piconet can also be a member of another piconet by suitably sharing the time. Once the networks are established, the systems begin talking among themselves. Each piconet hops randomly through the available frequencies, so all of the piconets are completely separated from one another.

The Bluetooth system supports both point-to-point and point-to-multi-point connections. When a device is connected to another device it is a point to point connection. If it is connected to more than one, it is a point to multipoint connection. A piconet starts with two connected devices, such as a portable PC and cellular phone, and may grow to eight connected devices. As Bluetooth is a wireless technology, there are chances of interference with other bluetooth devices as well as with other wireless devices operating in the same frequency. However, Bluetooth devices maintain low interference with other devices, by : sending out very weak signals of about 1 milliwatt- this avoids interference with other high power wireless devices such as garage door openers, cordless phones; spread-spectrum frequency hopping -this makes it rare for more than one Bluetooth device to be transmitting on the same frequency at the same time.

Range of Bluetooth: The low power limits the range of a Bluetooth device to about 10 meters (32 feet). Even with the low power, Bluetooth doesn't require line of sight between communicating devices. Bluetooth signals travel through walls, windows, doors and can get great reach depending on what is in their way. Bluetooth security: Bluetooth technology is wireless and therefore susceptible to spying and remote access, more so because of the automatic nature of the connection. Bluetooth offers several security modes, and device manufacturers determine which mode to include in a Bluetooth-enabled gadget. In almost all cases, Bluetooth users can establish "trusted devices" that can exchange data without asking permission. When any other device tries to establish a connection to the user's gadget, the user has to decide to allow it. Service-level security and device-level security work together to protect Bluetooth devices from unauthorized data transmission. Security methods include authorization and identification procedures that limit the use of Bluetooth services to the registered user and require that users make a conscious decision to open a file or accept a data transfer. As long as these measures are enabled on the user's phone or other device, unauthorized access is unlikely. A user can also simply switch his Bluetooth mode to "non-discoverable" and avoid connecting with other Bluetooth devices entirely.

Bluetooth applications: The Bluetooth technology is used in a variety of devices to support various applications. The chief aspects of the use of Bluetooth in communication pertain to the following applications:

File transfer- It supports the transfer of directories, files, documents, images, and streaming media formats and also includes the capability to browse folders on a remote device. Internet bridge- A PC can be wirelessly connected to a mobile phone or cordless modem to provide dial-up networking and fax capabilities LAN access- It enables devices on a piconet to access a LAN. Once connected, a device functions as if it were directly connected (wired) to the LAN. Synchronization- Bluetooth provides a device-to-device synchronization of PIM (personal information management) information, such as phone book, calendar, message, and note information Three-in-one phone. Telephone handsets may act as a cordless phone connecting to a voice base station, as an intercom device for connecting to other telephones, and as a cellular phone. Headset. The headset can act as a remote device's audio input and output interface.

In addition to these, Bluetooth is also widely used in video gaming consoles, GPS receivers, digital cameras, and more for various practical functions. Ever since its introduction in 1994, Bluetooth technology has served as a welcome alternative to the tangle of cords and wires in work and entertainment areas. It continues to thrill its users with its ever-increasing application in various aspects of day-to-day life.