SlashPhone » Bluetooth SIG

Motorola Bei Hai and Goldfinch Make it Through Bluetooth Gauntlet

Evan Selleck — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:02:23 +0000

We really, really want the Motorola Bei Hai to make an appearance in the United States. Too many devices are named thing like “Extreme,” and “Incredible.” It’s time we changed things up! Alas, it probably won’t happen, and if the Bei Hai ends up on these shores any time in the distant future, it will get a name change. Oh well. In Motorola’s endeavor to release 20 new handsets this year, we’ve got wind of two new ones as they cross through the Bluetooth SIG.

Meet the Motorola Goldfinch. It’s rocking a 3.2-inch display (which is probably a touchscreen), support for Bluetooth 2.1, an integrated FM radio, and a 3MP camera on the back. It also has a ISDB-T receiver on the inside of it as well, which means that it will get digital TV in Latin America and Japan. No, not here in the States.

And as for the Bei Hai, which rocks WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, a 5MP camera, the ability to record video at 720p, and it also has an HDMI port for HDMI out. Rumor has it that at least one of these devices will run on Android, and considering Motorola’s love for Google’s mobile Operating System (OS), we can see that happening. Rumors are leaning towards the Bei Hai, which is probably heading to China before too long.

[via Unwiredview]

Samsung Wave Could Hit North and South America Soon

Evan Selleck — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:02:53 +0000

You’ll have to consider the word soon to be pretty relative in this case, because we still don’t have any idea when the Samsung Wave is going to be released in the United States, let alone anywhere else (not including the UK). At least, not by any official means, anyway. But, if some recent Bluetooth SIG paperwork is any indicator, then it looks like Samsung’s first (and only, at the moment) Bada mobile Operating System-based handset could be coming to the shores of North and South America soon. Ah, there’s that word again…

Thanks to the Bluetooth Group and their SIG certification, we’ve caught wind of the Samsung Wave GT-S8500R and the GT-S8500M, with both of these devices heading to North America, supposedly. Now, that could mean that, considering the Samsung Wave is a GSM-based device, that both AT&T and T-Mobile USA could be getting their own variations.

And then there’s the Samsung Wave S8500L, which is the variation heading to South America. Now, unfortunately, there’s a far more important word in the title above, other than “soon.” And that would be “could.” Why? Because, frankly, this doesn’t mean that the Samsung Wave is going to officially hit the Americas in the coming months. Yes, it is a good sign, but not a definitive voice of good news. So, we’ll have to keep our ear to the ground for this one, and hopefully we hear some good news. Soon. Now the really big question is: can you stand Yahoo! mobile services?

[via unwired view]

New Bluetooth version 3.0 High Speed Coming Soon

Kim Poh Liaw — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:41:24 +0000

Bluetooth SIG today has revealed its next generation of Bluetooth standard, called Version 3.0 High Speed (HS) or Bluetooth 3.0. Bluetooth 3.0 gets its speed from the 802.11 radio protocol. The inclusion of the 802.11 Protocol Adaptation Layer (PAL) provides increased throughput of data transfers at the approximate rate of 24 Mbps. This newest version of Bluetooth technology builds on the inherent qualities of the current 2.1 EDR version, including Simple Secure Pairing and built-in, automatic security. End products for consumers are expected to be in the market in 9 to 12 months

With the availability of Bluetooth version 3.0 HS, consumers can expect to move large data files of videos, music and photos between their own devices and the trusted devices of others, without the need for cables and wires. Some applications consumers will experience include:

Wirelessly bulk synchronize music libraries between PC and music player or phone
Bulk download photos to a printer or PC
Send video files from camera or phone to computer or television

[via slashgear]