Bluetooth Memory Stick Gets SIG Approval
Long-time readers will remember that Sony talked about a Bluetooth card that used the Memory Stick slot almost a year ago. Despite plans to release the Infostick in June of last year, it has yet to see the light of day. That may soon change as the company recently received notice from the Bluetooth SIG that a product called the PEGA-MSB1 is Bluetooth 1.1 qualified.
Bluetooth qualification is a necessary precondition of the intellectual property license for Bluetooth wireless technology. Qualification is also necessary to apply a Bluetooth trademark to a product. Sony received it for this adapter on February 28.
Though almost no details were given, a great deal can be learned from just the product name. Only the peripherals for the Clié line begin with "PEGA". In addition, only Clié peripherals that use the Memory Stick slot begin with "PEGA-MS". For example, PEGA-MSC1 almost certainly stands for Memory Stick Camera One. Following that logic, PEGA-MSB1 means this will be Memory Stick Bluetooth adapter One.
Of course, there is no hint of when Sony will officially announce this adapter, though it has a press conference scheduled for Monday to talk about a new handheld and CeBIT, the world's largest trade show, begins Tuesday. Either one would be an excellent opportunity.
There is also no suggestion of a price. The Palm Bluetooth SD card has recently gone into limited sale for $130 and is expected to be widely available by the end of this month. The PEGA-MSB1 will probably be competitively priced.
Thanks to Dan Royea for the tip. -Ed
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RE: InfoStick
RE: InfoStick
it can have BT card.
I have wanted T615. I am not sure if I should return
the M515.
RE: InfoStick
Of course, I could just be insanely optimistic about Sony. Who in their right mind would really believe that Sony does anything predictable?
Besides, if you sing in french while hopping on one foot, the evil birds won't come out of your bathroom mirror.
RE: InfoStick
I tried that in English , the evil bird also didn't come out of my bathroom mirror .. :P
Gotta wait and see, probably Sony will do the announcement on Monyday.
RE: InfoStick
RE: InfoStick
The infostick was only approved recently. Although they were probably ready to release months ago they had to wait for approval.
RE: InfoStick
That's the whole purpose of palm, the carry data while traveling. Now you want to add another thing so you can hold even more data while traveling ?? O well ..
Anyways I think you posted on the wrong place, the post kinda doesnt make sense while we are talking about bluetooth.
RE: InfoStick
The pdf mentions Palm
In the annex section, prequalified components include a bluetooth stack (Palm Inc) which is basically an add-on for Palm OS 4.0
RE: The pdf mentions Palm
---
russ@russb.fsnet.co.uk
RE: The pdf mentions Palm
AT&T Wireless
RE: AT&T Wireless
RE: AT&T Wireless
RE: AT&T Wireless
RE: AT&T Wireless
Anyway, you can use the Moto 270c with Verizon. But this is very pricey -- I think the BT kit for the 270c itself is like $200.
Things that make you go hummmm
RE: Things that make you go hummmm
Bluetooth is not an 802.11b replacement, and it will some time before I give up my wifi card. However I am finding Bluetooth really useful.
My phone (which has Bluetooth built in) talks to the Palm (using the TDK unit) the laptop (MC bluetooth PCMCIA card) and the Headset with no problems. In fact none of the devices have a problem talking to each other.
Finding a number in the address book and in 2 taps have the phone dial the person and connect to the headset is great.
Having a wireless headset for Viavoice is also useful, and is hotsyncing upto 40 feet from your desk.
When more people start to use BT and see how useful it can be - having the benifits of all the devices around you in a PAN - then maybe more useful ideas will surface.
Anyone want to swap their T68 for a T39?
RE: Things that make you go hummmm
Is the bluetooth link between your palm and phone that useful? With my current phone, using IR is an absolute pain in the ass if I want to dial a number... I have to press just as many buttons just to activate the IR in my phone. Is Bluetooth always on on the devices?
Ideally, I'd like to have my cell phone in my bag or suitcase, and just decide to start reading e-mail on my Palm, and never have to even touch my phone once to activate Bluetooth or anything like that.
Is that possible?
Howabout the other way around? If I have my phone in my hand, and want to grab a phone number in my palm?
RE: Things that make you go hummmm
You do, however have to do some setup just once. Obviously you don't want anyone to be able to connect to your phone and start surfing on your phone bill, or tryig to connect to your palm without your permission! So, you have to 'pair' the 2 bluetooth devices with each other so they know they're allowed to use each others services. Once this is done once, you don't have to do it again.
As for grabbing a phone number from the Palm - I don't think so. Unless the phone has software to allow it to pull contacts from a Palm and the Palm has software to grab it - it's not something bluetooth itself offers. Doubtless in the future phones and palms will get applications like this - but I don't know of any releasd yet.
However - what you can do is synchronize your contacts from your Palm with your phone - there's lots of software out there to do this (but I dunno if any use BT yet). For example, I use GSMtool over IR to sync my contacts between my palm and phone.
RE: Things that make you go hummmm
I'm definitely waiting for Bluetooth anxiously... My only dilemna now is my choice of Bluetooth phone. Cost is probably going to start to be a factor pretty soon, the way I'm blowing money on tech toys. :)
I proud of my CLIÉ, but I'm too embarassed to pronounce it like anything but "KLEE"
RE: Things that make you go hummmm
RE: Things that make you go hummmm
I have the GSM data service from Cingular. While very slow (9.6kbps), it is still very very useful when I'm on the road with only my 505 (got the SD card already - its at Fry's). And also very useful when I have my PC (got the 3Com bt usb dongle) when at the airport.
March 4, 2002 (TOKYO) -- Bluetooth Communication Technology
Qualified Product Notice:
1.Reference to Bluetooth Specification
2.Pre-Qualified Components
-B00497 *Infostick (Sony Corporation) 2002-01-30
-B00352 *Bluetooth Stack (Palm, Inc) 2001-09-04
3.Revision History
First open
http://qualweb.opengroup.org/Template2.cfm?LinkQualified=QualifiedProducts&Details=Yes&ProductID=624
Then open 12600320-QPLN-rev_0.0.pdf 'Qualified Product Notice'
*Infostick Sony Corporation Components Comp-HW-Integrated 2002-01-30 :
Small Bluetooth module containing RF, Baseband and Link Manager
http://qualweb.opengroup.org/Template2.cfm?LinkQualified=QualifiedProducts&Details=Yes&ProductID=603
*Bluetooth stack for Palm OS Palm, Inc; Bluetooth stack add-on for Palm OS 4.0
http://qualweb.opengroup.org/Template2.cfm?LinkQualified=QualifiedProducts&Details=Yes&ProductID=455
Sony Bluetooth stick soon here?
http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_Story.asp?ID=3101&MODE=FLAT#40229 (posted awhile ago)
March 4, 2002 (TOKYO) -- Bluetooth Communication Technology Rises Again
http://www.nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com/wcs/leaf?CID=onair/asabt/fw/172746
Waste of Time
Though I don't know why I'm bothering. You won't read this. You won't be back until you've found another bunch of Bluetooth links and are posting them on every site you can find.
If you are going to continue this Bluetooth obsession, START A BLUETOOTH PAGE!! If people care, they will read it.
RE: March 4, 2002 (TOKYO) -- Bluetooth Communication Technology
Peace Out
Alan
RE: March 4, 2002 (TOKYO) -- Bluetooth Communication Technology
MAYBE BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT BLUETOOTH (a lot of people still think that 802.11 and bluetooth are competing and don't know the differences) AND APPRECIATE THE INFO (Are you talking for them?).
Post it on every message board? Oh, is that so? Are you stalking me or what? lol. Since when is posting informative info forbidden?.
So posting the following article is "....AN ARTICLE THAT SAYS THE EXACT SAME THING YOUR COMMENT DOES" ???????? Oh? Is that so?
March 4, 2002 (TOKYO) -- Bluetooth Communication Technology Rises Again
http://www.nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com/wcs/leaf?CID=onair/asabt/fw/172746
People who state things like 'stupid' are not interesting to me.
Like the other poster says "what's it to you"...if you don't want to read the message skip it. Is that 2 difficult for ya?
"to add something NEW to the mix." You surely did.....very informative. Posting related info to an article or message isn't that bad won't you think?
"Do you READ the articles you attach these comments to? I don't think you do." That's YOUR problem....you are THINKING 'FOR' me. Don't do that. I read EVERY article i post and i post it when it is interesting.
May you should START A "AM EASY P-OFF" page?
There are other REAL PROBLEMS in the world to be p-off about.
The thread below shows the real WIRELESS interest.
ciao
RE: March 4, 2002 (TOKYO) -- Bluetooth Communication Technology
RE: March 4, 2002 (TOKYO) -- Bluetooth Communication Technology
Get lost mister p-off.
Coolio
I would be more interested in 802.11b (WiFi) Memory Stick
RE: I would be more interested in 802.11b (WiFi) Memory Stick
Palm Bluetooth whitepaper (PDF, 881kb)
http://www.palmos.com/dev/tech/bluetooth/palm_bluetooth_mwp_r1.pdf
Bluetooth can perform a number of automatic functions:
• A PC and Palm can be set up so that when they are in proximity, an auto-sync takes place. So instead of putting the Palm in the cradle and hitting the HotSync button, just walk within a few feet of the PC and the two will automatically synchronize.
• One Bluetooth-enabled phone can do three tasks. At home, the phone functions as a portable phone, using a landline. When the user is on the move, it functions as a mobile phone, and when the phone comes within range of another Bluetooth mobile phone, it functions as a walkie-talkie.
• A user can compose e-mail on a Bluetooth-enabled laptop while flying on an airplane and queue up the e-mails to be sent. In her briefcase is a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, switched off. After she lands, she switches on the cell phone, which connects to the Internet and transmits the mail while she waits for her luggage.
• A field rep has a sales meeting noted in her PalmPilot, and the meeting time changes. Someone calls the rep's cell phone, transmits the new data and the phone routes the new information to the PalmPilot, which beeps to let her know her schedule has changed.
• Products and accounts can be assigned a scanning code. With a swipe of a mobile phone, a sales rep can transmit on-hand inventory status and order information back to the main office.
Slip a Palm Bluetooth™ Card into the Palm™ expansion slot, and you can begin enjoying the advantages of Bluetooth wireless communications. Your can send and receive SMS and e-mail messages - and browse Web content - on your Palm™ handheld via a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone in your pocket or briefcase. You can also synchronise to a Bluetooth-enabled laptop computer or print to a Bluetooth-enabled printer. Finally, Bluetooth network access points let you stay connected with your corporate network from anywhere in the building. You can even collaborate with remote colleagues using chat and virtual whiteboards.
Little Bluetooth Review:
-No battery-sapping: Low power
-Robust wireless connection method with a small footprint that makes it very well suited for millions of handheld devices
(A Bluetooth chip, designed to communicate in the 10m range, consumes only 1mW of power, compared to an 802.11b chip, which consumes more than 1W. A single Bluetooth chipset is also fairly small, with a size of 8x8mm, compared to the smallest 802.11b at 30x14mm.)
-Chips will be cheap (volume)
-Bluetooth does not need a base radio station because every device can create a local network.
-Another advantage of Bluetooth as a cable replacement technology are the applications (*e.g http://www.bluetags.com ). Retail kiosks, pay phones, and other public access points will support proximity services.
-Bluetooth also holds an advantage concerning voice communication. Here, Bluetooth can be used in a cordless phone within a 10m range, in an office environment or home, without the need for handoffs. Other WLAN technologies need voice-over-IP to support voice communication
ciao
RE: I would be more interested in 802.11b (WiFi) Memory Stick
Jim
RE: I would be more interested in 802.11b (WiFi) Memory Stick
I have a 802.11b network at home and find that now many public places offer also free 802.11b access. I have several Macs and Powerbooks equiped with Airport, and enjoy high-speed internet access at every room in our house.
Last week I bought the new Palm m130 and a Bluetooth card, which I connected to my Bluetooth enabled Ericsson T39, which uses a fast GPRS connection to my phone company.
Good news: It works, but sloooowllyyyy.
Better news: It does not affect my Airport setup :-)
Bluetooth is just a replacement for IrDA, but not for 802.11b !! Its range is only a fraction of my Airport setup. Of course it is nice to have your e-mail on your palm, but surfing the net needs a much faster net access, which cannot be provided by BT on its own, you still need a mobile phone, and just dream of broadband access using your mobile ;-)
WiFi is here, ready and working. I small WiFi-Card for my Palm would let me use it at many places and enjoy the great Blazer 2.0 browser much more than now. I really hope we see such SD cards soon...
RE: I would be more interested in 802.11b (WiFi) Memory Stick
Compare this to a BT card which, in the case of the InfoStick, fits completely inside the device and requires no additional power supply.
RE: 802.11b (WiFi) Memory Stick or SD Card
I know, someone will say "Why not just use Bluetooth?" Because there are already offices, campuses, coffee shops, airports, etc with 802.11 networks up and running. Users would have to sit close to the access ports but that isn't an unbearable hassle. Also, Bluetooth wasn't really designed for full networking. It can be used for it but it lacks some features that 802.11 has.
I don't know if this is practical; I just wanted to throw the idea out there.
---
News Editor
RE: I would be more interested in 802.11b (WiFi) Memory Stick
RE: I would be more interested in 802.11b (WiFi) Memory Stick
> that is short-range and low-speed and therefore small and
> low-power but still use the 802.11 standard?
I think there are 802.11 specifications in the works for lower power devices. My understanding though is that it is probably not possible to make much lower-powered 802.11b devices that fit the standard. *note: 802.11 vs. 802.11b
RE: I would be more interested in 802.11b (WiFi) Memory Stick
However, would it be possible for someone to make an 802.11 adapter that is short-range and low-speed and therefore small and low-power but still use the 802.11 standard? I believe there would still be a market for an 802.11 adapter that has only a 30 foot range and 1 Mbps transfer speed because there are people who already want to use Bluetooth adapters, with the same specs, for wireless networking.
I know, someone will say "Why not just use Bluetooth?" Because there are already offices, campuses, coffee shops, airports, etc with 802.11 networks up and running. Users would have to sit close to the access ports but that isn't an unbearable hassle. Also, Bluetooth wasn't really designed for full networking. It can be used for it but it lacks some features that 802.11 has.
I don't know if this is practical; I just wanted to throw the idea out there.
-------------------------------------------------
Ed,
I am currently designing chipsets for 802.11.
The quick answer is, unfortunately, a NO. The 802.11b spec has three types -- Direct Sequence (1/2/5.5/11Mbps), Frequency Hopping (1/2Mbps) and IrDa. The Frequency Hopping one is very similar to what Bluetooth is using and has the advantage of being low power and low cost while the speed is slow. The Direct Sequence one can be much faster but needs more power. The current one used worldwide is the Direct Sequence which is not compatible with Frequency Hopping one. The Frequency Hopping one is an almost obsolete technology and most of the people are using Direct Sequence (my old WLAN card was Frequency Hopping)
Even you want a Frequency Hopping WLAN, the problem is that 802.11 was designed for use in more severe environments, the requirement for 802.11 is higher than Bluetooth which was designed for low cost and operate in a much less severe enviroment (such like short range). So the cost and power consumption will be still higher than Bluetooth.
Therefore the reasons for using Bluetooth but not Frequency Hopping 802.11b WLAN are that it won't be conpatible with the currently widely deployed 802.11b network and the cost and power consumption will be still higher than Bluetooth.
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InfoStick