IDG News Service - The Bluetooth 4.0 low-power wireless networking specification has been approved, which means the technology may start appearing in devices such as smart meters and laptops later this year, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group reported earlier this month.
The new standard adds a low-power option for transmitting small bursts of data over short ranges.
The technology could first make its way to watches, smart meters, pedometers and other gadgets that run on coin-cell batteries, said Mike Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, the standards-setting organization.
Eventually, laptops and smartphones could include Bluetooth 4.0 and be able to collect data from other devices, for applications such as monitoring energy usage and health, Foley said.
The industry continues to add wireless capabilities to gadgets like cameras to help them communicate with other devices. Technologies like Wi-Fi maintain continuous connections, which can drain battery life, but Bluetooth 4.0 could let devices exchange low-level information over short distances without using much energy, Foley said.
This version of this story was originally published in Computerworld's print edition. It was adapted from an article that appeared earlier on Computerworld.com.
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