Bluetooth: Technologies Unsung Hero
Living in a generation that grew up with technology and had iPhones by the time we were in middle school, it’s easy to take incredible technology for granted because we haven’t experienced life without it. Bluetooth technology, specifically, is now engrained into our way of life from our mobile devices to our cars, to our speakers; and, occasionally even to our own front doors.
The idea for Bluetooth originated in 1998 when a special interest group (SIG) was formed by 5 companies (Ericsson, Nokia, Intel, Toshiba, and IBM) to, “Collaborate on the technology and agree on how they could harness its tremendous capability.” The very next year Bluetooth version 1.0 earned the SIG “best in show” by COMDEX. Soon thereafter, the group’s technology had been integrated into technology available to the general population; these products ranged from phones to laptops to printers.
Just like any other technology, Bluetooth has since updated and upgraded relentlessly in order to keep up with our ever-evolving society. Every new version released is that much smarter, faster and easier to operate than the last. This being said, creating the original product itself was no easy feat. Perhaps the most daunting challenge engineers faced during early development was finding a way to make the signal strong enough to connect with the intended device but also weak enough that it will not interfere with any other surrounding technology. To do this Bluetooth uses something called short-link radio technology, “[Bluetooth] operates at the unlicensed (but regulated) 2.4 to 2.485 GHz band and it uses radios to communicate and establish connections between two or more devices.”
By having this radio frequency more or less dedicated to Bluetooth the process of connecting two Bluetooth-enabled devices together is greatly simplified.The waves emitted from a Bluetooth device go out in a circle about 10 meters (32 feet) in every direction. While you will get the best signal close to the device with no obstructions, the signal is still strong enough to travel through a wall.
Every device capable of connecting to Bluetooth has a tiny chip in it with all the necessary information and technology needed to operate correctly. From our consumer standpoint, the process of connecting our phone to a wireless speaker via Bluetooth is nothing more than turning on the speaker and selecting to connect to that device with our phones. However, much more goes on that the eye (literally) cannot see. One of the two Bluetooth devices (typically the non-phone) will be “discoverable,” once you select that device, your phone will “Know how to send audio files and information in a format that the speaker understands, while the speaker can interpret these signals–as well as other indicators such as volume and track controls–from the phone.” Essentially, once the two devices are communicating properly through radio frequency, you send commands in a layout that is familiar to you and the device receives them in a layout that is familiar to it, i.e. ones and zeros.
Bluetooth technology has improved the fluidity of people’s lives. Not having wires mess up your stride or pace when running with earbuds is a luxury that many people all across the globe know and enjoy today because of Bluetooth. Also, if your hosting a party and you’re the one they trust to play the music may have previously meant a night confined to behind a table watching everyone else have the time of their lives listening to your playlist; however, with Bluetooth you can enjoy the party and control the music all at once. Selfish problems, undoubtedly, but problems nonetheless.
Bluetooth recently released its latest version, 5.0, and it came with a few pretty major developments. “The big improvements with Bluetooth 5.0 amount to its speed and range. Supported devices can transfer data up to 2 Mbps, which is twice the speed as Bluetooth 4.2. This means that you’ll be able to send and receive data, whether that’s music files, documents or photos, in half the time. This transfer speed is also more than enough to support lossless CD-quality audio, provided that the same high-bit-rate codecs are present in both your smartphone and Bluetooth headphones.” This explains that if both devices involved in the pairing support Bluetooth 5.0, everything will be twice as fast. If it’s a speaker the song will change faster with less/no delay. If it’s a printer it will receive the document faster and therefore print faster. If it’s a car there will be a cleaner connection so no missing a turn because there was poor connection/communication between your phone and car. Bluetooth is also backwards compatible, so you can continue using your existing Bluetooth 4.2 and older devices with a Bluetooth 5.0 phone. And, when you buy new Bluetooth 5.0-enabled peripherals, they’ll work better thanks to your Bluetooth 5.0 phone.
One last valuable asset to Bluetooth technology that needs to be touched on is mesh networking. Mesh networking is, in essence, the name given to the idea of technology being intertwined and communicating with each other. The possibilities this provides looking towards the future are seemingly endless. This could mean anything from turning on the lights inside when a sensor at your front door goes off to running the most efficient hospital because your technology and doctors work in perfect harmony, neither getting in the others way. This also makes it possible for technology to keep itself in check; rather than an IT guy coming to fix your broken speaker the connected technology will be able to diagnose the problem right then and there.
Bluetooth technology has advanced our society in many ways already but what the future holds could be game changing. The infinite possibilities for advancement and updates this technology holds will keep it at the top for many, many years to come.