Apple and Nordic take top spots in Bluetooth SIG

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group on Tuesday marked unusual additions as it brought both Apple and Nordic Semiconductor to its board of directors. The move gave the two greater control over how the short-range wireless standard works. Apple would be there to help with "platform development" for technologies like Bluetooth 4.0 while Nordic would help refine sensor chips.

Both new board members will have at least a two-year term starting on July 1.

The addition would be particularly significant for Apple. It will be joining companies that have normally been competitors, such as Lenovo, Microsoft, Nokia, and Toshiba. A board spot also gives more say over the direction of companies like Intel and Ericsson that produce the needed chips.

Apple was one of the first to adopt Bluetooth as a mainstream feature on computers and has used it for everything from syncing phones through iSync to its now commonplace wireless mice and keyboards. In other areas, however, it has lagged behind rivals. Macs and iOS devices were late to getting A2DP stereo audio as well as related code like AVRCP, and no currently shipping hardware uses the potentially faster Bluetooth 3.0 or 4.0 standards.

By Electronista Staff

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Intel, iPhone, computers, industry, Microsoft, Nokia, Toshiba, networking, Bluetooth, Lenovo, Ericsson, mobile phones, Apple, Nordic Semiconductor