The Wireless Future: Bluetooth and HomeRF in depth

Bluetooth Continued

The second use that Intel sees for Bluetooth is for the formation of a personal area network (PAN) or an ad hoc network. In this instance, Bluetooth would allow for many devices within a room or set area to communicate with one another wirelessly Not only would the Bluetooth technology allow two computers to communicate, but it would also allow for wireless internet access via a DSL or cable connection located at another location in a given room. Cellular telephones could also play a part in this PAN, with a cell phone communicating with a laptop to not only provide internet access to the laptop but also allowing the laptop to send contact information to the cellular phone. Personal data assistants and other devices could be a part of this network, making a truly wireless environment almost possible.

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Although all of this may sound promising, wireless communication is only as good as its receiver and transmitter. What good would such a system be if it costs $200 to produce and required quite a hefty retail space? Well, luckily with Intel behind this project, you will have nothing to worry about. Enter Ambler, Intel's mobile solution to Bluetooth technology. Roughly about the size of a dime and a half and about as thick as two dimes stacked on top of one another, Ambler is just what OEMs are looking for in notebook Bluetooth integration. The projected cost of Ambler right now is about $30, meaning that it will likely only find its way into higher end laptops upon its release. Intel expects this price to drop drastically when the manufacturing process improves, with prices falling below $10 in the not too distant future. On top of the Ambler laptop solution, companies such as 3com, Motorola, and TDK are working on PC Cards and PCI cards that will allow for Bluetooth connectivity, meaning that finding hardware support for Bluetooth technology should be no problem at all.

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