I think manufacturers should start putting infrared capabilities back into mobile phones. “But infrared is crap, you have to keep both the devices pointing at each other in order to transfer data!”. Exactly. So maybe just swap Bluetooth IDs over infrared, then automatically offer your business card to anyone you successfully connect with. Because at the moment nobody actually uses Bluetooth to swap contact details – it takes much longer to scan for the device (if they’ve even got Bluetooth enabled), accept the transfer, etc. than to just tell them your number and get them to give you a dropped call. Which is a shame, because I include almost all my contact details (website, MSN, etc.) in my business card, which makes in much easier for them to get in touch – and hopefully makes it more likely that they will. Okay, so maybe girls never call me for other reasons, but you take my point.
Attaching a name (or even better, image) to a Bluetooth ID is also useful, as your phone could provide a useful alert when they are in the vicinity.
Oh, and if somebody from Nokia is reading, I’d love to work for you.
Another related idea… Take all the devices that traditionally receive infrared (TV, hifi, etc.) and make them transmit an infrared identifier as well. Then you could point your mobile at a device in order to load an application on your phone that controls your device or provides you some information about it – even if subsequent communication takes place over Bluetooth. Obviously, it would be necessary to distinguish between direct and reflected signals, but I’m sure this ought to be possible somehow.