After my recent rant about Bluetooth, it appears as though some help may be on the way. In the latest issue of their excellent Technology Quarterly, the Economist writes (subscription required) that near-field communication technology -- think Mobile Speedpass, or the Suica cards used on the subways in Tokyo -- are likely to be used as an easier way to pair various devices, which could then communicate at a higher rate.
In other words, hold the two devices within a couple centimeters; let them work out the pairing process; then, they can communicate using a higher power technology with more bandwidth.
In contexts like this, physical gestures can be a vast improvement over typical general purpose screen-and-menus interfaces.
Posted by dreeves at December 15, 2005 4:47 PM