Jason Dunn
12-17-2003, 12:00 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20031215S0021' target='_blank'>http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20031215S0021</a><br /><br /></div>"Computer and consumer engineers are taking separate paths to delivering audio over Bluetooth, raising the possibility of incompatible wireless MP3 players, headsets and speakers. The split comes as Bluetooth gains traction in its core market of cellular handsets and as it marshals forces for a next-generation spec that could deliver megabit data rates along with multimedia.<br /><br />A handful of top consumer companies — including Matsu****a, Philips, Sony and Toshiba — have defined a low-cost means for streaming audio to Bluetooth headsets, with plans to roll out products in 2004. At the same time, Microsoft and a group of unnamed OEMs are hammering out a different approach, based on the Internet Protocol (IP), to implement on the PC."<br /><br />Not good news for Bluetooth, or consumers who want an easy Bluetooth experience - I wonder how the Bluetooth SIG could let this happen?