Now we are sure Bluetooth is something you are all comfortable with using but do you know what it actually is or the interesting story behind the name?
Bluetooth is a way of wirelessly communicating between two connected devices at short range. If you have a FitBit for example your device will be connected to your phone through a Bluetooth connection.
Bluetooth technology replaced infrared which was a way of transmitting information between devices through a light signal. This technology had lots of limitations, the main one being that if the signal was interrupted or obstructed by another object the information couldn’t be transmitted. A great example of this is when you try and use your TV remote and something is in the way of the signal receptor on the TV.
Rather than using light signal, Bluetooth transmits a signal through radio waves. This means that objects in between the devices don’t interfere with the signal. The signal can travel through walls and can connect two devices up to 30 feet away from each other.
And now for the fun part, did you know that Bluetooth was actually named after a Scandinavian King called Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson. The King was said to have been nicknamed ‘Bluetooth’, there are conflicting reports as to whether this was because of his complexion, which was said to be dark and unusual for Vikings at the time, or more commonly, because he had a tooth that had a blueish/black tint to it. The team at Ericson, who developed Bluetooth technology, chose the name Bluetooth as King Harald Christianised and united the countries of Denmark and Norway and allowed for greater communication between people, which is what Bluetooth technology does too!