Once again, CeBIT is helping new technology get off the ground.

Bluetooth has been languishing in a two-year “permanent demonstration phase”, but now this wireless data transmission solution is ready to take off. The world’s largest technology tradeshow is preparing to lead by example. This year’s CeBIT tradeshow will feature the largest-ever Bluetooth network, according to show organizers. As a special first, anyone attending the world business fair with their own Bluetooth-compatible PDA will be able to use a wireless navigation and information system called “LocalNavigator FairGuide”, covering some 25,000 square meters of display space in Hall 13. Bluetooth has been described as an ultra-compact, lightweight and — soon, also — economical radio-frequency data transmission solution, designed to replace all short-range communication cables. It links up small IT and telecom devices and works in any office environment where notebooks, desktop PCs, printers, scanners, digital cameras and external hard drives need to be linked. Car manufacturer BMW will be presenting its “Infoeye” glasses. They are designed to help drivers of cars and motorbikes concentrate fully on the road. “Secondary functions”, such as information supplied by a radio channel or navigational advice, is conveyed by Bluetooth technology to the glasses and then projected onto the lenses. This means drivers can keep their eyes on the road at all times. It goes without saying that Bluetooth inventor Ericsson will have a few innovations of its own to offer. For example, the hands-free solution, HBH-10, which is currently only available as part of a T20s package. Its new mobile phone R520m will also be on show. This phone has a built-in Bluetooth chip and plenty of other great features as well, such as GPRS, HSCSD, WAP 1.2.1, Bluetooth, triple band for 900, 1,800 and 1,900 MHz GSM networks. Ericsson competitor Nokia is also investing in Bluetooth technology. Its “Connectivity Pack” (around DM 400) contains a battery with a Bluetooth chip for its Nokia 6210 and a Bluetooth PCMCIA card for notebooks. Special software is available for Nokia 6210 owners to enable the use of these connectivity packs.