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A Bigger Bite for Bluetooth

Techstination feature for Friday, December 3, 2004

Bluetooth takes a bigger bite. Bloomberg Boot Camp, a report on today's technology. Bluetooth technology is designed to eliminate wires. Between PDAs and computers, PCs and printers….and most commonly between cell phones and headsets. Bluetooth enabled cell phones are finally being sold by CDMA carriers such as Sprint and Verizon Wireless. At leading Bluetooth headset maker Jabra, VP David Hogan is expecting that to have a big impact on sales…

"In North America, where I'm more responsible, we'll see that absolutely double within the next year."

Pricing starts at under 70 dollars…for the BT110, which gives users up to three months of use on a single triple A battery. The Jabra 250…with its distinctive curved design …sells for 99 dollars. Coming soon…the BT800…which will feature a longer wireless range, noise cancellation…and an LCD screen for caller ID…

"So you could have it in your shirt pocket, your phone could be in your briefcase, your overcoat where it's not always easily accessible. You can hear the ringer on your headset or feel the vibration, identify who is calling on the headset."

And decide whether to take the call. Pricing will be under 120 dollars. Jabra and other makers of Bluetooth headsets for cell phones are looking to use the technology for digital music players as well. Wireless stereo earbuds for devices like Apple's iPod should start arriving in 2005. Bloomberg Boot Camp, I'm Fred Fishkin.