As promised a couple weeks ago, Bluetooth 3.0 was officially revealed today. Like we reported before, Bluetooth now includes an 802.11 radio, which you might recognize from Wi-Fi devices. The standard Bluetooth 802.11 radio is able to transfer data like photos and music at 24 Mbps, about eight times faster than the previous Bluetooth protocol, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR. This is fast enough not just to toss contact lists from cell phone to cell phone, but to stream high definition video from one device to another, like in the mockup promo image above.

Bluetooth 3.0 devices are expected on store shelves within the next nine to 12 months, and they'll include everything from the stuff you normally think of when you think of Bluetooth (mice, cell phones,  and headsets) to new devices that take advantage of the faster transfer speeds, including camcorders and portable media players. There will also be USB dongles for laptops and other devices that don't have the hardware built in, of course.

The best part of this news: Bluetooth executive director Mike Foley said on his blog "Like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights, this latest version was 'born to go fast." Yep, that's a Will Farrell movie reference. Maybe Bluetooth 3.0 will do well with the frat boy demographic!

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