Signature Q3 2008

Perspectives | Illustration by Arthur Mount | Q3 ’08 Time Will Tell An Interview with Satomi Michitsuta Views from APAC For this ‘Perspectives’ we spoke with key figures in two Asian nations. In Japan, Satomi Michitsuta explains how Casio plans to use Bluetooth low energy technology in innovative watch applications. And Dr. Song Qi Zhu discusses why the group that oversees all wireless communications in China recently became its first Bluetooth Qualification Testing Facility. Today’s Bluetooth enabled watches run on rechargeable batteries with a life of ﬁve to seven days. But when Bluetooth low energy technology is standardized within the next year or so, it may be possible to go as long as six months without having to recharge. Satomi Michitsuta, Casio’s chief of strategic product planning and co-chair of the Bluetooth SIG Remote Display Working Group, predicts an even brighter power scenario. “In the future, I think it’s possible that we will not even need a rechargeable battery system,” he says. “That’s the reason why Casio is focused on Bluetooth low energy technology for watches.” So how exactly will Bluetooth low energy technology change the watch industry? Michitsuta envisions being able to use a Casio watch as a remote control for MP3 players and headphones equipped with the Bluetooth A2DP stereo audio proﬁle. The watch of the future may also “talk” with a PC using a Bluetooth wireless connection to log on and access schedules. Bluetooth low energy technology is even poised to replace current closedcircuit technologies used in watch-based pedometers and heart-rate monitors, allowing data to be sent to a PC or posted online via a Web-enabled cell phone. This wrist-to-pocket pairing could prove to be the most signiﬁcant. “Last year, over 1 billion cell phones were sold worldwide,” notes Michitsuta. “I hope cell phone manufacturers will quickly adopt Bluetooth low energy technology, so as to enable new devices and new usage models and expand the market.” Bluetooth technology will prove useful beyond just enabling watches to receive data streams from cell phones. For example, some watches currently use radio technology to synchronize with Coordinated Universal Time (the international time standard), but that system is not a global standard and does not automatically adjust to time-zone changes. Bluetooth technology will solve both of those issues by allowing the watch to update its time using a Bluetooth enabled cell phone as a bridge to the Internet. Michitsuta also predicts it will be possible to receive news feeds, read incoming SMS messages and screen calls as easily as one can tell the time. “The wrist top is a very good place to view information,” says Michitsuta, who thinks it a shame that such information is currently limited to time and date. Casio, which joined the Bluetooth SIG as an Associate member in May 2007, is working to ﬁnalize the Bluetooth low energy technology speciﬁcation as part of the Remote Display Working Group. The speciﬁcation (v1.0) is currently scheduled for a mid-2009 release. Of Casio’s several timepiece lines, the ﬁrst to feature Bluetooth low energy technology will likely be the popular G-Shock and Baby-G series, which have digital displays and are popular among younger, tech-savvy consumers. Eventually, Michitsuta says, most – if not all – Casio timepieces will be Bluetooth enabled. Look for the ﬁrst products in early 2010. Satomi Michitsuta is chief of strategic product planning at Casio and co-chair of the Bluetooth SIG Remote Display Working Group. He spoke with Beau Miller, who lives and writes in Tokyo. 10 | SIGnature | Bluetooth.org http://bluetooth.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Signature Q3 2008

Signature Q3 2008 Contents Connect: Growing Markets Inbox: Spread the Word Ask the SIG: The Fast Lane In the News Perspectives: Views From APAC Bluetooth Technology in Retrospect: Headset History Bluetooth Technology in Retrospect: Headset History Bluetooth Technology @ Play: Unplug Your Fun Bluetooth Technology Interactive: Wireless Tourism Checkout: Groovy Gadgets Bluetooth Wireless Explorer: Mind Games Bluetooth Technology 101: Ads You Like It Bluetooth Technology 501: Group Efforts Wacky Apps: What’s NXT? Get in the Game: If The Glove Fits ... Revolution: The Space Age

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