In a further sign that Bluetooth is finally starting to gain some traction, D-Link Thursday entered the market by launching the
D-Link DWB-120M, a compact Bluetooth USB wireless network adapter for the Apple Macintosh.
Bluetooth is a short-range packet radio networking technology first proposed by Ericsson engineers in 1998. An industry consortium
known as the Bluetooth SIG — whose members include firms like Ericsson, Nokia, Intel, IBM, Microsoft, Toshiba, 3Com and Motorola —
coordinates the specification for the technology. Bluetooth enables the ad hoc creation of wireless networks which can
bi-directionally link up to eight devices (line-of-sight is not necessary) and transmit data and voice packets.
D-Link said its DWB-120M allows any Apple computer with a USB port and running Mac OS X to create connections to other
Bluetooth-enabled PDAs, printers, cellular phones, digital cameras and other emerging electronic devices.
“This new D-Link Bluetooth adapter is excellent for short-range connectivity between Apple computers and peripheral devices,
essentially doing away with the need for cables,” said Steven Joe, president of D-Link. “It enables synchronization and downloads at
data rates of up to 1 Megabit per second between Bluetooth-enabled devices.”
D-Link said the adapter is strictly compliant with the Bluetooth 1.1 specification and achieves connection speeds of up to 1 Mbps at
up to 33 feet of range. The company is making it available in early April for $49, exclusively through the Apple Store.
