No hands with Bluetooth

A major effort is under way to implement the wireless specification in cars and cell phones to reduce driver distraction.

Phone calls made and received in cars may soon sound larger than life, coming over multi-speaker sound systems normally used for the likes of Pavarotti or Jewel. There is a major effort to implement the Bluetooth wireless specification in cars and cell phones so drivers will not have to do anything to make or receive phone calls other than talk. Bluetooth appears to have significant momentum as a solution that lets various types of electronic gear such as phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), and automotive systems communicate with any equipment that is compatible. The wireless link forms what is sometimes called a personal network, providing seamless communication between a person's equipment and environment.

Support is coming from many different fields. Chipmakers and cell-phone suppliers are racing to get a piece of what is potentially a huge market (see sidebar) Microsoft Corp. made Bluetooth a centerpiece when it rolled out Version 4.2 of its Windows Automotive operating system in April. The company's research showed that 85% of U.S. cell-phone owners use their phone in the car, as do 50% of PDA owners.