Bluetooth may make digital wallets mainstream

Digital wallets and mobile payment solutions are now a dime a dozen, but hardly anyone uses them in place of credit cards or old-fashioned cash.That could soon change with a little help from of an old, familiar technology: Bluetooth. The latest iteration, Bluetooth 4.0, comes with a low power variant called Bluetooth LE, which allows two nearby devices - like a cash register and smartphone - to connect when they're in range of one another. It's so low-powered, in fact, that a Bluetooth LE device could potentially last years on a single cell battery.Like the geofencing technology that Square uses, you don't even need to take your phone out of your pocket to make a purchase. But unlike Square, Bluetooth LE promises to be much easier on your smartphone battery.Now that Bluetooth LE has finally made it into a critical mass of smartphones, computers, and other devices, it could dethrone the once-promising Near Field Communication (NFC) as the standard for mobile payments. The problem with NFC is that wireless carriers won't support any solution other than their own, and a single standard hasn't risen to prominence. So digital wallet companies weren't able to persuade consumers that taking your phone out of your front pocket to make a payment was more convenient than taking your wallet out of your back pocket.With its ultra-low power and convenience, Bluetooth LE might actually be something consumers want to use. (CNN)ANN.Az