Half a world away as I write this in Kirkland, Wash., 289 engineers from 63 companies are busy testing away in Seoul, Korea, at one of the three big test events the Bluetooth SIG puts on every year, each in a different region of the world ( Europe, North America, and Asia). The 5-day event in Korea, UPF 39, is our 39th “UnPlugFest.”

UnPlugFests are designed to help our SIG members test their latest Bluetooth wireless products before they’re released. The UPF format gives them a great environment to make sure their latest products are bug-free and interoperate smoothly with Bluetooth products from other companies – a key element in the success of Bluetooth technology. UPF participants get access to a lot of sophisticated test equipment, different types of devices, and other test resources.

I wish I could tell you about the cool new wireless products our SIG members are testing in Korea – everything from new mobile phones and medical devices to the latest cars and computers. (Not the entire car, usually just test the head unit with the Bluetooth hands-free system.) But since these products aren't released and many not yet announced, there’s a veil of confidentiality and secrecy at every UnPlugFest. Many companies that compete with each other are at these events, testing products they don’t want their competitors to know about, so there’s a lot of secrecy even within an UnPlugFest.

I can tell you that many of the devices being tested in Korea this week include some of the first products to use Bluetooth v4.0 and low energy technology.

UnPlugFests are open to any of the more than 14,000 companies that belong to the Bluetooth SIG. If you want to take part in a UPF, the next event will be in Budapest, Hungary, this fall, followed by Vancouver, British Columbia, in early 2012. Find out more about UPF and other testing events.