Signature Q1 2009 - (Page 25) Experience More@bluetooth.com/signature Bluetooth Technology 101 | By Jackie Zack | Illustration by Jason Greenberg | Q1 ’09 Whether at work, at home or at play, Bluetooth technology makes life easier. And whatever you want to do, chances are there’s a Bluetooth enabled product available to let you do it wirelessly. But how do you find the device that best suits your needs? And once you do, how do you find another product (or two) to match it? The answers can be found at Bluetooth.com. “People are going to Bluetooth.com in search of the latest Bluetooth enabled devices and to find ways to mix and match devices, like headsets with mobile phones or MP3 players that stream music to a stereo headset,” says Sean Meckley, marketing program manager for the Bluetooth SIG. “The Product Directory and our Bluetooth Gadget Guide application on Bluetooth. com make the Web site a one-stop marketplace for doing that.” Get in the Product Zone With more than 11,000 member companies in the Bluetooth SIG, there are thousands of Bluetooth enabled products available worldwide. The Product Directory on Bluetooth.com can help consumers find the perfect device to meet their needs – and then find its perfect match by searching products by category (e.g. audio/visual), use case (e.g. print), brand name or manufacturer. The directory uses Experience Icons to help identify compatible products. Up to five icons (print, headset, music, input and transfer) are linked to each product so consumers can easily understand what the device can do and how it will work with other devices. For example, if both a printer and a mobile phone have a transfer icon, you know you can send pictures directly from that phone to that printer via Bluetooth technology. Make Me a Match Previously called The Assembler, the Bluetooth Gadget Guide is another online tool that helps consumers select devices and find companion products. “Bluetooth Gadget Guide is head and shoulders above The Assembler,” says Meckley. “It includes better and faster ways to search and find Bluetooth enabled products, images, pairing instructions, Experience Icons and other details that help showcase Bluetooth enabled products to consumers.” Users can find a product match based on a device they already have by selecting the appropriate model and then choosing a product to pair with it. Bluetooth Gadget Guide then displays the compatible device along with the combined capabilities of the paired products and profile information for both devices. Consumers can also search for specific Bluetooth enabled experiences, such as listening to music or controlling a PowerPoint presentation via a mobile phone, or access online videos and instructions for pairing devices. The Product Directory and Bluetooth Gadget Guide are valuable tools for finding Bluetooth enabled products and exploring what’s possible when they’re paired. “These free tools are wonderful for consumers, and they present great marketing opportunities for member companies. Together, they will help identify Bluetooth.com as the place to find qualified Bluetooth enabled devices and information on what can be done with these products,” Meckley says. Visit Bluetooth.com to experience the Product Directory and Bluetooth Gadget Guide for yourself. Jackie Zack is a Michigan-based business and technical writer. The Right Stuff With thousands of Bluetooth enabled products currently on the market, and more to come every month, selecting the right product to meet your needs can be a daunting task. Now there are not one but two handy online tools designed to make the process easy and, dare we say it, a lot of fun. Visit Bluetooth.com and start the search for product pairing perfection. Experience More Bluetooth Special Interest Group | 25 http://www.bluetooth.com/signature
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