Bluetooth SIG Unleashes the Bluetooth Experience Icon Program

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=6361' target='_blank'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.a...?ContentId=6361</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has launched the Bluetooth Experience Icon Program to guide and help consumers purchase interoperable products implementing Bluetooth wireless technology. The icons will, at a glance, tell consumers and retailers about the products' functionalities enhanced by Bluetooth technology and aid the purchase and sales process... The current icons available to illustrate five functions of Bluetooth wireless technology are... Print, Input (for keyboard, mouse), Headset, Transfer (indicates the device can wirelessly send and receive data...) and Music..."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/ekkie_bluetooth_icons_200606.jpg" /><br /><br />Leave it to the Bluetooth SIG to really take our breath away, eh? I suppose if you're shopping for devices that support multiple profiles (e.g. Pocket PC or SmartPhone), you can know at a single glance which profiles are actually supported with Bluetooth. So this could potentially be kind of helpful... in some limited fashion... maybe.

[inteller]

so will verizon need to put a big asterisk beside the Transfer Icon? Since they are in the habit of disabling OBEX, allowing them to put this icon on their phones would be very wrong.

[gibson042]

The idea may not be original (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=73931#73931), but I'm still happy to see it becoming a reality. Hopefully this will eliminate the trickery that Verizon and some other mobile network operators like to pull with their "Bluetooth-capable" units, and also make electronics packaging a little simpler. Kudos to the Bluetooth SIG for actually listening to suggestions.

[inteller]

no actaully the icons do nothing to eliminate the verizon trickery. They will just use the Transfer icon for modem tethering, but when people try to beam a file they will be greatly disappointed. Thats why there should be a detailed icon for every profile.

[gibson042]

no actaully the icons do nothing to eliminate the verizon trickery. They will just use the Transfer icon for modem tethering, but when people try to beam a file they will be greatly disappointed. Thats why there should be a detailed icon for every profile.
To qualify for the transfer icon, a product must support both client and server roles for the Object Push profile AND the server role for File Transfer profile (plus PCs, PDAs, and cars must support the client role for FTP).

https://www.bluetooth.org/iconprogram/icon_program_doc.pdf

[k1darkknight]

Honestly, I think this could be a HUGE boost for bluetooth phones, if the wireless phone manufacturers actually take to implementing these icons on their packaging. For that matter, the carriers could even use the icons as a marketing tool, to upsell a customer to a more expensive phone that actually meets their needs (/wants). (nudge, nudge) If nothing else, it'll make it MUCH easier for the (wonderfully educated *cough*) salespeople to be informed about their own products.

"And this phone has..." (shuffles through 17 different pamphlets) "...Bluetooth...I think..."
- versus -
(quick glance at placard under phone) "And with this phone you can transfer data, use a headset, or listen to music..." (you get the idea)

Although...I can't see printing from a cell phone, unless it's something like the Motorola Q...and anything that you'd use a BT Keyboard, would (or SHOULD) include a built-in QWERTY.
The only reason I haven't mentioned anything about non-phone type PPCs is that, from what I've seen, most PPCs support most, if not all of these functions. Granted, the support for BT audio varies, but data...duh. Printing, I would think has pretty widespread support, except for the fact that most low-to-midrange printers don't have bluetooth. And who hasn't seen the eleventeen BT keyboards at a CompUSA or Best Buy...
All in all, though, I could see these little guys becoming as omnipresent at cell phone kiosks as those little "green and red" universal buttons on cell phones themselves.