After years of promises, and backing by some of the technology industry's biggest companies, the wireless 2.4-GHz radio communications technology dubbed Bluetooth looks like it's coming to fruition. Several Bluetooth-enabled devices--ranging from PC Cards to USB adapters and more--were shown at the Comdex trade show this week in Las Vegas. Bluetooth is a radio-based specification for wireless communications between various kinds of devices, such as hand-held and notebook computers. It was initially developed by Intel, IBM, Nokia, Toshiba, and Ericsson, and is now backed by several other companies as well. There was a dedicated pavilion for Bluetooth products at Comdex, and it looks like the year 2000 may bring many Bluetooth products to market.

The Products
Digianswer and TDK are both working on PC Card and USB adapters to Bluetooth-enable notebook computers. With TDK's USB adapter, for example, a user can plug one Bluetooth-enabled device into a USB port and synchronize data with other Bluetooth-enabled devices. TDK's Bluetooth PC Card facilitates a radio connection between the card and other Bluetooth devices. It also has what TDK calls "Wake On Bluetooth" connection technology. So, for example, a user might put the PC Card in a hand-held device, point it at a Bluetooth-enabled notebook computer whose power is off, and deliver e-mail to the notebook computer even though the notebook is not running.

Motorola also has ambitious Bluetooth plans. The company is pushing the idea of personal area networks, or PANs, based on Bluetooth radio communications. Motorola's Bluetooth booth at Comdex included demonstrations of notebook computers communicating wirelessly with cell phones; hand-held computers communicating with cell phones; and automobile-based docking stations for Bluetooth devices, designed to let, say, a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone communicate with Bluetooth-enabled car.

RTX Telecom, Silicon Wave, and Ericsson were among other companies showing Bluetooth wares at Comdex. Silicon Wave is working on a small, Bluetooth transceiver designed to be built into portable devices.

Bluetooth Hurdles
Wireless technologies have exploded in popularity recently, and one of the problems that Bluetooth technology faces is that the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is looking at expanding the range of devices that use the same radio frequencies as Bluetooth devices. That could create interference in communications between Bluetooth-enabled devices.

Another concern about Bluetooth technology is that users may be restricted to having their Bluetooth devices communicate from short distances only. While most analysts have said that Bluetooth devices will communicate from 6.6 to 26.2feet apart, some of the companies showing Bluetooth wares at Comdex claimed the devices can communicate from much greater distances. TDK, for example, claims that wireless Bluetooth connections it is working on will work even when the two devices are up to 328 feet apart.

Although we have yet to see such claims borne out in real products, this year's Comdex show made clear that what was once only talk about Bluetooth has been transformed into real products.