IP: Ford Talks Up Bluetooth Car

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
>
> [Note:  This item comes from reader Mike Cheponis.  DLH]
>
> > Ford Talks Up Bluetooth Car
> > By Elisa Batista
> > <http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,49090,00.html>
> > 2:00 a.m. Dec. 14, 2001 PST
> >
> > SAN FRANCISCO -- Ford is working to equip its cars and trucks with 
> > Bluetooth technology to let passengers make phone calls, play video 
> > games and browse the Internet without using their hands, a company 
> > engineer said.
> >
> > "I will ensure you your car won't look like a 747 cockpit," joked 
> > Ken Khangura, chief electrical engineer for Ford Motor Company. 
> > "Mobility and an in-car hands-free phone are at the heart of 
> > consumer interests."
> >
> > Speaking at the Bluetooth Developers Conference here, Khangura said 
> > it would take the next car manufacturing cycle -- "three to five 
> > years" -- before Ford implements Bluetooth in its cars and trucks.
> >
> > "It's part of the natural progression of the technology advancing," 
> > said Simon Ellis, marketing chairman of the Bluetooth Special 
> > Interest Group.
> >
> > Bluetooth is a tiny radio that lets devices within 30 feet of each 
> > other communicate wirelessly. The radio is currently embedded in 
> > some high-end cell phones, laptop computers and access points.
> >
> > Next year a wireless company, MobileAria , will become the first to 
> > sell a Bluetooth car kit that enables drivers to make phone calls, 
> > check their schedules and listen to online news. However, 
> > MobileAria, like most companies in the industry, said Bluetooth 
> > will become an essential component of future cars.
> >
> > That is, if car manufacturers overcome some technical difficulties.
> >
> > Khangura admitted drivers won't buy a Bluetooth car unless it's 
> > affordable and easy to operate. Bluetooth backers, he said, must 
> > make sure their products are compatible with one another and don't 
> > interfere with other radio frequencies. Bluetooth can interfere, 
> > for example, with other technology based on the wireless Ethernet 
> > standard 802.11b or Wi-Fi, if two applications run simultaneously.
> >
> > A spokesman for the Federal Communications Commission said the FCC 
> > was considering giving Bluetooth products less spectrum to operate 
> > so that it doesn't interfere with Wi-Fi products that operate in 
> > the same 2.4 gigahertz band of airwaves.
> >
> > "Safety and security enhancements are at the core of consumer 
> > interest," Khangura said. "The car maker wants to make sure that 
> > distractions are minimized."
> >
> > As Khangura illustrated with a cartoon, it's possible for 
> > passengers in a car to play video games, send a fax and monitor 
> > their car's tires, for example, with Bluetooth technology. However, 
> > he says such applications won't drive Bluetooth sales among 
> > drivers. The simple ability to make "hands-free" phones calls will.
> >
> > Citing the growth of legislation banning the use of handheld cell 
> > phones while driving, Khangura said it was clear that drivers 
> > wanted to make phone calls in the car. He also displayed a survey 
> > that showed drivers singling out "dialing a cell phone" as the 
> > biggest distraction on the road today.
> >
> > "We think the need for hands-free systems in the car will 
> > kick-start this market," he said.

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