The next generation of Bluetooth is almost ready, as the Bluetooth Special Interest Group said it would unveil the full details of Bluetooth 3.0. Most consumers see Bluetooth as merely a way to wireless pair a cell phone with a headset, but the technology is capable of transferring files, and even can be used by advertisers. The Bluetooth group wants to see the technology used for a variety of purposes, and said the 3.0 version will have dramatically increased speeds to transfer photos, videos, music, and other files within seconds. The move comes as Bluetooth is facing a bit of competition in the wireless transfer market. Near-field communication technology can provide a secure, wireless way to transfer data, and it could be critical for mobile payment.Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has released an NFC-equipped handset that can be tied to a credit card account, and swiped against a specially-designed terminal for contactless payments. Sony (NYSE: SNE) is also trying to bring out a wireless protocol standard, and it said TransferJet can transfer data at 560 Mbps. It is expected to be in multiple Sony laptops, cell phone, and televisions, but it is unclear if it will gain widespread adoption among other manufacturers.
