Q4’08 | Q3’08 | Q2’08 | Q1’08 | Q4’07 | Q3’07 | Q2’07 |

In case you weren’t aware, we’re living in a virtual web of wireless connectivity. It’s become part and parcel with who we are and how we live. Not convinced? First, consider the more than 2 billion Bluetooth enabled products in the market today, and then take a look at a few statistics.

Worldwide, there are more than 3.3 billion mobile phone users (as of December 2007). That’s roughly half of the world population. In fact, more than 50 countries have mobile phone penetration numbers exceeding 100 percent, with Luxembourg setting the record at 158 percent. By contrast, the United States comes in at a relatively low 85 percent, but even that number is staggering to those of us who recall the early days of mobile phones.

Here’s another way to look at how mobile phones have taken root in our daily lives. More than 2.5 billion text messages are sent in the United States ... every day. In 1995, the average text message rate was 0.4 messages per subscriber per month.

Why the emphasis on mobile phones? Because they have the distinction of being the most common electronic device in the world. When you consider that 55 percent of all mobile phones sold today are Bluetooth enabled, and with the Bluetooth high speed and low energy specifications scheduled for completion in 2009, the technology will quickly move from mobile phone as convenience to mobile phone as a hub for a nearly infinite range of new applications, from health sensors to high speed video streaming.

This issue of SIGnature magazine focuses on Bluetooth technology’s pervasiveness. From the ocean and the classroom to headsets and sports gear, it’s clear that Bluetooth technology is everywhere you are.

That’s the whimsical meaning of our cover photo. But the image is also an analogy. Man landed on the moon in 1969 in response to the stirring vision articulated in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy, who believed the project could “organize and measure the best of our energies and skills.” We at the Bluetooth SIG share a similar vision: that, together, we can make Bluetooth technology a solution for virtually any electronic device that consumers use in their personal space (or outer space). The past 11 years have proven the viability and flexibility of the technology, and we look forward to even more opportunity in the years to come.

Share your thoughts at signature@bluetooth.com.

A Total Solution | By Mike Foley | Bluetooth technology is becoming the wireless gateway to everything.. Experience More Online | More on select stories in this issue. In the News | What's new; what's hot, what's not - get the latest news from the Bluetooth SIG Ask the SIG | Low energy rising | You can do more with less power, thanks to Bluetooth low energy technology. Future in Focus | Find out how established and new Bluetooth technologies are moving ahead. From the Beginning | by Holger Hussmann | Nokia's interest in wireless headsets helped bring a new solution to life. Through Another Lens | by Raghavan Natarajan | In India, Bluetooth technology is contributing to a cultural shift. Find out how. On the Right Track | by Mike Sharsky | Wireless sensors are helping a competitive sailor keep better track of her health. Use the Force | by C. Marble & K. Kim | South Korean high school students fly high in an international competition. Olympic Efforts | by Nicole Lewis | Pioco wins proximity marketing gold in China, and Qwikker hits the mall in Arizona. The Right Stuff | by Jackie Zack | Cool tools on Bluetooth.com can help users select and pair wireless gadgets. Brand Expansion | by David English | Two Bluetooth SIG organizations promote development and consumer awareness Wireless Style | You'll find elegant form and function in these Bluetooth enabled products. It's a Kick | by Mike Sharsky | Bluetooth enabled taekwondo vests allow better scoring for foot and fist. Get in the Game | Now Hear This | by Colleen Marble | Television in public that's audible yet considerate. How Convenient| by Keith Ferrell | From stone tablets to the Rolling Stones on your wireless tablet PC ... living's easier