Demonstrating the next step in the ongoing evolution of wireless Personal Area Networking (PAN) functionality, Alereon hosted the industry's first public demonstration of Bluetooth+WiMedia ultrawideband (UWB) operating smoothly together under an existing Bluetooth software stack. The demonstration was held in the WiMedia TechZone at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Bluetooth Version 2.0 devices operate at data rates that can be frustratingly slow for large files and inadequate for video streaming. Open Interface's BLUEtusk application combines the interoperability and ease of use of Bluetooth with the bandwidth of WiMedia UWB to transfer data at speeds that enable audio and video streaming.

The combination of a WiMedia UWB solution from Alereon and Bluetooth software from Open Interface enables Bluetooth applications that run 500 times the speed of regular Bluetooth and use less than 2% of the battery energy of Bluetooth.

Consumers now can share images, phone books, videos and the other Bluetooth content at up to 480 Mbps, enabling devices such as megapixel camera phones to download in seconds rather than minutes.