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Bluetooth is a wireless technology that lets you connect devices over short distances. For instance, you can use Bluetooth to connect a headset to your phone without wires, or link a wireless mouse to a computer. You can also transmit other forms of data, such as sharing an internet connection between two devices.

The problem is that Bluetooth, like WiFi, can be a serious energy hog which drains the batteries of your mobile devices. But the folks behind the Bluetooth standard have come up with new low energy mode as part of Bluetooth 4.0. The new technology has just been formally adopted, which means it might not be too long before we start to see the first Bluetooth 4.0 devices hit the streets.

The key advantage to Bluetooth 4.0 over earlier versions is power reduction, which will allow devices with coin-cell batteries to “run for a year” without replacing the battery. Seriously, that’s what the Bluetooth Special Interest Group is claiming. At launch the technology will be aimed at healthcare, fitness, security, and home entertainment uses. Eventually we’ll probably start to see Bluetooth 4.0 technology integrated into laptops and smartphones as well.

via Softpedia