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Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology that eliminates the cables and wires associated with fixed and portal communicating devices. Bluetooth first became popular with automobiles and cell phones. A car’s audio system was able to be controlled through buttons on the steering wheel while cell phones became fully functional through the use of a hands-free earpiece. Not only is Bluetooth able to manage  automobiles and cell phones, but now it is capable of handling a variety of data and voice transmissions such as PDA and laptop synchronization, printing and fax capabilities and high-level security maintenance.

The term “Bluetooth” was derived from King Harold Blatand (Bluetooth), who Christianized Danish in the 10^th century. Committed to this same concept of transformation and unification, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group formed “Bluetooth – a wireless personal area network (WPAN) technology.” The Bluetooth Special Interest Group was founded in 1998 by Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba. Later members included Agere, Ienovo, Microsoft and Motorola.

As far as Bluetooth technology, there are numerous versions. It all began with Bluetooth 1.0. Although this version had high hopes of accomplishment, unfortunately it was regarded as a commercial failure due to the fact that manufacturers had difficulties making products that would “connect” properly. The next version, 1.1 seemed to be the answer to the connective issues of 1.0. The biggest difference between 1.0 and 1.1 is that Bluetooth 1.0 users were only able to establish a connection using one device at a time while 1.1 allowed users to communicate using up to 8 devices at once. Bluetooth 1.1 made it possible to create a Personal Area Network (PAN) that allowed the user to link close-range data and digital voice peripherals such as PCs and phones to handheld and wireless devices. Bluetooth 1.2 was released in November 2003. This version maintained the same capabilities as 1.1 minus the complications. It featured a faster connection and higher transmission speeds.

Compared to versions 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2, Bluetooth 2.0 featured an Enhanced Data Rate (EDR). This allowed more bandwidth, which also resulted in transmission speeds up to ten times faster than its predecessors. It even simplified multi-task scenarios and further improved bit error rate performances. Shortly after its November 2004 release, version 2.0 was upgraded to 2.1. Bluetooth 2.1 was specifically designed to be fully compatible with high-level security procedures. The security features that gained the most were Human Interface devices (HIDS), encryption keys and filtering devices. By this time Bluetooth had made advancements in wireless keyboards, mice and home appliances through the use of infrared sensors. Even the utilization of satellite has improved the use of In-car kits and GPS navigation receivers.

Bluetooth 3.0 is expected to be the latest version to be released. The specifics of version 3.0 are limited, but it is sure to feature faster communication speeds, easier access routes and other improved applications.