Add Bluetooth to V Series with Blue5

Posted By: Ed on Monday, June 11, 2001 7:09:56 AM

Tactel AB in Sweden demonstrated a new Bluetooth device at a recent conference. Blue5 is an add-on for the Palm V and Vx that lets the handheld communicate with other devices such as mobile phones, access points, or laptops. When a Bluetooth link is established to a mobile phone such as Ericsson R520, the Palm V will be connected to the Internet at a maximum speed of 44kBit (fixed connection).

It isn't clear yet what these are going to cost. The module will mainly be sold by OEM partners; the first official partner is Omnisky.

A Blue5 equipped Palm, once combined with a Bluetooth equipped mobile phone, gives the user a connection to the Internet at any time. In combination with a Bluetooth LAN Access Point, a fixed line Internet connection will also be possible. Tactel AB will soon be releasing software running on the Palm that enables it to control almost all the functions of a mobile phone over the Bluetooth link.

The Blue5 has a range of up to 30 feet, free sight. It weighs .91 ounces (tdb) and is 1.94 by 3.48 by 0.46 inches.

Added features of Blue5
The Button - When pressed, the button will HotSync the Palm. However it can also be programmed to do other things, such as launch a preferred application.

The replicated port - This allows the Palm to fit in the cradle with the Blue5 attached to it. So even during recharging the user can keep the Bluetooth connection open.

Software specifications
Blue5 can be used by a Palm V or Vx that has Palm OS 3.3 or later. The Palm uses software from Tactel AB called the "Bluetooth Preference Screen" that enables the user to locate other Bluetooth devices so it can team up to another chosen Bluetooth unit. The virtual drivers concept enables existing applications like the HotSync to work over Bluetooth without modifications. The Blue5 has an embedded software solution provided by Tactel AB based on the embedded Bluetooth stack from Ericsson Mobile Communications using the Ericsson Bluetooth chip.

On the Web:

Bluetooth Special Interest Group

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Article Comments
16 total comments

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Great idea

TechAID @ 6/11/2001 8:23:24 AM #

If the price was right. I would buy this in an instant.

RE: Great idea

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/26/2001 1:01:10 PM #

TDK Systems is going to supply the Blue Tooth Clip-on for Palm V & Vx series.
Suggested List price is 235 Euro.

well well

uvdude @ 6/11/2001 9:16:02 AM #

I must say that with the recent release of a bluetooth SD card and a soon to come bluetooth MemStick - bluetooth technology is really catching on

does anyone know how exactly the technology works?

RE: well well

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/11/2001 11:49:17 AM #

check out the bluetooth story over here:
http://www.bluetooth.com/

RE: well well

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/11/2001 12:07:00 PM #

Wel well well,
Bluetooth is NOT catching on yet. The BT devices operate in the same 2.4 GHz band as
IEEE 802.11b (wirelss LAN), 2.4 GHz cordless phones. Interference between all of these products
in the unlicensed band will cause degraded if not inoperability for all devices in the vicinity. Microsoft had dropped
support for BT in Windows XP in favor of IEEE 802.11b due to lack of products and marketplace
support. WLAN (802.11b or Wi-Fi) is already ramping in volume sales, access points at airports, Starbucks,
hotels, corporate and college campuses and showing in home use as well. Microsoft is simply
validating the trend by putting in internal support for Wi-Fi now instead of BT.

BT devices costs too much; the industry goal of $5/radio is years away. Palm's BT SD module is
expected to cost ~ $150. The orginal goal was to replace cables for keyboards, mices, PDAs
to PCs. This won't happen until "single-chip radios" are actually in volume production in
the 2005 to 2007 timeframe.

On the brighter side, there is an effort to work out the interoperability issue under IEEE 802.15.
A IEEE Bluetooth std may emerge. But under the clould of changing standards, vendors may be hesitant
to release products, knowing a that a new IEEE standard may be out in 8 to 12 months.

Check out http://www.ieee802.org/15 and http://www.bluetooth.com.

RE: well well

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/12/2001 3:48:31 AM #

You are missing the point. Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 are designed to do different jobs... IEEE 802.11 is a wireless Local Area Network.. Bluetooth is a wireless Personal area network.
Bluetooth will eventually link your PDA, Phone, headset, etc together as you go about your day to day business.

Microsft's decision not to implement Bluetooth comes as a lack of imagination rather than anything else. Remember how long they took to support USB?

Anyway, look at what the two systems are trying to do before you start writing one off in favour of the other.

Regads

Nick

bluetooth catching on

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/11/2001 10:16:12 AM #

bluetooth is catching on, i am a believer, but there is still a huge lack of other bluetooth devices to connect to.

I love the idea of using my cell phone as a digital IP gateway to the internet. It is interesting that omnisky is the first reseller of this product. The omnisky sled has to have the electronics and the battery power of a cell phone. since 99% (im guessing) of palm owners own a cell phone, bluetooth is making use of hardward that is already on your person.

i hope this product really takes off and makes existing palm models easy to upgrade to bluetooth connectivity. I wonder if the formfactor of the sled, which seems large, will be an advantge over the teeny-tiny secure digital format that the M500s will have to use for bluetooth. If bluetooth is a significant power draw, then the Blue V can hide a rechargable battery in the sled.

Ive always loved Ericsson cell phones and Im glad to see they are leading the way with bluetooth enabled phones - check out http://www.gsmarena.com and look at the T39 and (drool) T68 phones coming down the pipe - bluetooth, WAP, and an integrated cell phone modem in an awesome form factor.

RE: bluetooth catching on

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/11/2001 12:11:25 PM #

Give Bluettoh a little more patience. It is still a very young technology.

Bluetooth to III series?

strredwolf @ 6/11/2001 5:28:44 PM #

Nice. Now how about the III series for us who get older mid-range Palms?

There is a round-about solution, though: They make a Sword, which is a BlueTooth to Serial Port adapter. I can't wait for them to do a retail version of it.

Palm Bluetooth API

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/11/2001 5:55:57 PM #

For anyone interested in buying these product, make sure the software can emulate Palm Bluetooth API. Otherwise, all the 3rd party Bluetooth software will not work.

Coupled with the Ericsson R520 and....

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/12/2001 7:35:08 AM #

http://www.ericsson.com/r520/

IIIIc

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/12/2001 9:44:10 AM #

to the person who called the III series midrange,!

my IIIc is the top of line Palm brand PDA as far as I am concerned, the m505 would be a step down, not up. The IIIc can run all the programs and has more expansion options than the m505 does.

-phenisher

RE: IIIIc

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/12/2001 10:07:00 AM #

right . . .
top of the line . . .

AHHH HAHAHAHAHA

Hey how about

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/12/2001 10:01:25 AM #

A blue tooth adaptor for compact flash cards ?

RE: Hey how about

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/12/2001 1:09:10 PM #

these are under development - who knows when they'll be out

bluetooth portable Printer