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There are many different ways that electronics can connect to one another. Electronics such as computers entertainment systems and cordless telephones consist of a number of different parts and pieces which represent a community of devices. These different devices make connections using wires, cables, radio signals, infrared beams, etc. which all have their own types of connectors plugs and protocols. Today’s electronics have become so confusing to set up because of the wide variety of cables and connectors involved that even expert technicians must occasionally make a second attempt to correctly wire a complete system. This confusion has spawned research in new modes of communication amongst the electronic parts of our modern life. The Special Interest Group (SIG), a group of electronics manufacturers including companies like 3Com, Agere, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Toshiba, and hundreds of Associate and Adopter member companies has developed a standard called Bluetooth to eliminate the confusion involved in electronics systems. This standard allows any sort of electronic equipment to establish its own connections without the use of wires, cables and without any direct input from a user. The SIG is determined to have Bluetooth’s radio communications eventually replace the use of wires for connections between peripherals, telephones and computers. There are already two ways to avoid using wires. One alternative is to transfer information between components via light beams in the infrared spectrum. Infrared is used in most television remotes and with a system called IrDA (Infrared Data Association) which is used to connect some computers to peripheral devices and also to send data between some cellular phones.
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