Since its development by Ericsson in 1994, Bluetooth technology has been the go-to standard for connecting stationary or mobile devices over short distances by way of short range, short wavelength radio transmissions. The most recognizable example to consumers are Bluetooth headsets, those small devices you see connected to people's ears when it looks almost as if they're talking to themselves on the sidewalk. However, the technology has far more applications than just Bluetooth headsets.
Bluetooth borrows its name from the nickname given to the Danish king Harald Gormsson, who ruled as king of Denmark from around 958 AD, and later also as King of Norway from about 970 until he was driven out by Germans some time later. His nickname, "Blatand", meaning Blue Tooth in English, is rumored to have come from many sources, two of the most popular being: His love of blue berries, which was so intense that his teeth were stained blue (fanciful and unlikely), or that he had some kind of gum disease which turned his teeth and gums a bluish color (more likely for a tenth century Viking ruler).
Part of Harald's legacy as a ruler was efforts to unite many dissident tribes throughout Norway, Sweden and Denmark until a single king. These efforts at unification are the reason Bluetooth borrows its name from Harald: just as he'd united the tribes into a solitary working society, Bluetooth technology so unites electronic devices. In fact, logo for Bluetooth technology is a combination of runes representing the first two letters of his name: H and B.
Technologies like Bluetooth headsets work by chopping up data into fragments and then projecting that data in loads through up to 79 different channels. These packets of date are then sent out via short wavelength radio signals, which are then received by other Bluetooth compatible devices. The idea is that two, or even a number of Bluetooth devices can be synced up to work in cooperation with each other. Bluetooth headsets are actually among the best examples.
A Bluetooth headset can be used to wirelessly communicate with any Bluetooth enabled phone, so that speaking and listening can be handled through the small, discrete headset, while the phone itself (still inside your pocket or purse) handles all of its own capabilities - like sending and receiving the actual call. Similarly, Bluetooth can also be used as a means to communicate with video game consoles, like the Playstation 3. Headsets can be used to communicate with the console, which in turn forwards the voice data received from the headset to servers for distribution to other players in an online game - and their voices are similarly received by the PS3 and forwarded via Bluetooth to your headset.
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Article by Paul Wise. When it comes to bluetooth headsets, Paul recommends Bluetoothtronics.com for more about bluetooth headsets
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