 | September 1, 2000 |
Nothing but potential
TRENDWATCH: Will the Viking king deliver?
Bluetooth (the wireless interface, not its namesake Viking king—see www.bluetooth.com) has unlimited potential to deliver compelling portable applications. But when?
For example, Socket Communications and ZIO Interactive just announced a partnership that will yield multiplayer games on Microsoft-compatible PocketPCs. The first product, ZIOGolf, will allow two players within 10 meters of one another to go head-to-head, a la Tiger Woods and David Duval, albeit using small 3D color screens. Still, the multiplayer angle takes what is already popular—handheld games—and adds the compelling interactivity that most handhelds lack.
Socket Communications will supply the Bluetooth technology in the form of CompactFlash-style interfaces for the Pocket PC. The company had promised to deliver during "the second half of the year." Hey, that's now.
—Maury Wright
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