BELLEVUE, Wash.—The Bluetooth Special Interest Group launched what it’s calling the “Bluetooth Experience Icon Program,” which the group said will help inform consumers about various Bluetooth technologies.
The Bluetooth SIG said the icons will tell consumers and retailers which products use which Bluetooth “profiles.” Bluetooth technology transmits different types information based on which profiles are used. For example, Bluetooth supports a specific profile for streaming music, and only products with that particular profile will support streaming music.
“New applications utilizing Bluetooth wireless technology have gained momentum in the last year,” said Michael Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. “We found it beneficial to simplify the way member companies illustrate their products’ capabilities which in turn will simplify the way consumers understand functionalities of their devices, making the Bluetooth technology experience an even easier one for everyone.”
The new icons include:
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Print, which supports printing directly from users’ devices.
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Input, which allows users to control as well as input data wirelessly to a device.
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Headset, which allows users to use “hands-free” devices to talk.
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Transfer, which allows users to wirelessly send and receive data, text, pictures, music or other files with other devices.
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Music, which allows users to listen to stereo music wirelessly.
The group said it will release other icons later this year, such as an icon for dial-up networking.
The Bluetooth SIG’s move is partly in response to actions by Verizon Wireless, which has forced its handset suppliers to remove certain Bluetooth profiles from their products. The carrier has said it doesn’t want to allow its customers to share purchased content like ringtones with other users via Bluetooth.
