CHEAT SHEET
So many gadgets, so little connectivity. That's the problem a personal area network is supposed to fix. Think of a PAN as a bubble that surrounds you, linking your PDA, pager, cell phone, laptop, and MP3 player. Someday it could connect you to cash registers, ATMs, and the PDA of that hottie on the bus. The network runs on the Bluetooth standard for mobile devices. Dream hookup: connecting a laptop to the Web via 3G cell phone, so you can listen to streaming audio with a wireless headset.
Frequencies The network runs on an 83-MHz band of unlicensed radio spectrum between 2.4 and 2.483 GHz - the same as microwave ovens and those new 2.4-GHz cordless phones. Microwave ovens use the bands because water molecules absorb energy particularly well at those frequencies. (Remember that the next time you hold one of those cordless phones to your cranium.)
Interference Conflict between different technologies operating on the same frequency is a significant problem. Because Bluetooth devices use a frequency-hopping signal that steps 1,600 times per second across the entire 2.4-GHz band, they can cause serious interference with nearby 802.11b wireless networks. Some companies that have deployed these networks have banned Bluetooth from the workplace.
Power A power-saving technology, Bluetooth supports three transmitting modes: 1, 2.5, and 100 milliwatts. Lower power means shorter range, but longer battery life.
Availability Under development since 1988 by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia, and Toshiba, Bluetooth is now backed by 1,217 hardware and software makers. Nokia and Ericsson have shipped Bluetooth-enabled cell phones. Compaq, 3Com, IBM, HP, and Xircom have products out.
Price Expect to pay $120 to $150 for a Bluetooth card for your laptop.
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