Stephen's Untold Stories

I’ve been a big fan of bluetooth technology for several years, and I’ve even done presentations on it at conferences. Here is something that I will be sure to add!

Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua Bleill lost both his legs above the knees when a bomb exploded under his Humvee while on patrol in Iraq on October 15, 2006. He has 32 pins in his hip and a 6-inch screw holding his pelvis together.

Now, he’s starting to walk again with the help of prosthetic legs outfitted with Bluetooth technology more commonly associated with hands-free cell phones.

“They’re the latest and greatest,” Bleill said, referring to his groundbreaking artificial legs.

Bleill, 30, is one of two Iraq war veterans, both double leg amputees, to use the Bluetooth prosthetics. Computer chips in each leg send signals to motors in the artificial joints so the knees and ankles move in a coordinated fashion.

Bleill’s set of prosthetics have Bluetooth receivers strapped to the ankle area. The Bluetooth device on each leg tells the other leg what it’s doing, how it’s moving, whether walking, standing or climbing steps, for example.

“They mimic each other, so for stride length, for amount of force coming up, going uphill, downhill and such, they can vary speed and then to stop them again,” Bleill told CNN from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he’s undergoing rehab.

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I’ve gotten a lot of questions lately about Bluetooth technology. I am a big fan, and I use it to sync my Palm now. Here is a great overview of this wireless technology.

Like infrared, Bluetooth is a cable replacement technology for passing information between devices. However, devices using Bluetooth do not have to be pointed at one another, the distance between devices can be much greater, the speed of transmission is much higher, and the data passed can be encrypted and secure. Despite these powerful features, the battery consumption is relatively low, and the target price per Bluetooth radio makes it possible to Bluetooth-enable virtually any type of device or peripheral.

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I got a Palm TX back in January, and I can see how schools could make great use of them. They are equipped with both WiFi and Bluetooth, and they have a slot for a secure digital card. I think the TX is Palm’s best handheld computer.

“The Palm TX is a super learning tool,” says Eldon L. Chlumsky, coordinator of technology education for Wichita Public Schools. “We are very excited about the wireless capabilities. Now students can access information and communicate from anywhere in the building and on field trips.”

The district will begin implementing the handhelds into the seventh-grade technology curriculum next year. The handhelds will be used in the district’s 14 middle schools and two alternative schools.

Instructional Technology Specialist Jim Clark says, “Handhelds can facilitate new learning experiences. We have used them successfully at the elementary school level and found that students are more productive. They want to get their hands on the devices the minute they enter the building. At the middle school level, we expect some students to become in-house experts. These student technology leaders can help drive instruction, aid learning and even help teachers try new things.”

Sixth-graders start with a nine-week course learning graphic and presentation technologies, keyboarding and software methodology. Students do research, create multimedia presentations and use technology tools, such as Palm handhelds, to present their projects.

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Can I plug my Palm TX into my car? Where’s the port?? Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to wait.

Bluetooth is finally catching on as the hands-free connector of choice, but it’s in just a handful of cars. Its acceptance should climb, though, with the new Bluetooth Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) just announced by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. This will help shepherd Bluetooth technology to market, and it may be a future path to linking your iPod or other music player to the car. It’s possible some existing Bluetooth cars may be able to be upgraded, but that depends on each automaker’s design.

Right now, Bluetooth connectivity — when it works — is pretty much limited to hands-free communication, meaning you use the car’s radio speakers and an in-dash microphone to talk and listen. Also, you can answer and end calls, and if you’ve got voice input in the car, you can speak the number you want to call. The same holds for Bluetooth accessory kits sold for $100 to $200 from vendors such as Motorola, Nokia, Parrot, and Sony Ericsson. Automakers offering Bluetooth in cars include Acura, Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler (both Chrysler vehicles and Mercedes-Benz), Honda, Saab, Toyota, and VW.

One big drawback Bluetooth users discover: If you want to store your phonebook in the car, you may have to key in the numbers, even if you’ve already done so on your cell phone. And that’s where PBAP comes in. It gives a common standard for phone makers, automakers, and Bluetooth kit makers to follow to ensure — hopefully — that stored cell phone phonebooks can be transferred to cars or car kits. Phones and phone kits meeting the spec should be here before year’s end. Because of cars’ traditionally longer lead times, they probably won’t have the capability until model year 2007 or later.

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It was just a matter of time!

“Blip Systems said in a statement that it has developed a Bluetooth-mesh system in which sensors are placed on cows. That enables farmers to monitor the location and health of each animal, the company said in a statement.”

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