Bluetooth has become so commonplace you probably used it today without even thinking. But it’s a technology worthy of deeper consideration. For a start, it’s unique. Similar to Wi-Fi in some ways but with a different topology and a shorter range, intended for “personal-area networking” (PAN) rather than a whole-home LAN.
In case you’d wondered, “Bluetooth” was originally the colourful nickname of Harald Gormsson, king of Denmark in the 10th century. The connection between short-range networking and the Danish monarchy isn’t obvious, but the ostensible explanation is that Gormsson united the tribes of Denmark into a single kingdom, and Bluetooth similarly brings a whole range of networking protocols into one standard.
If that sounds like a stretch, it may also have helped that Gormsson’s initials
