History of Bluetooth
Bluetooth, like iPhone or Google, is one of those words that would’ve sounded like gibberish 50 years ago. But nowadays, when you say Bluetooth, everyone knows you’re talking about wireless technology that lets you transmit some kind of data over short distances—no strings attached.
Of course, Bluetooth technology is still new. The history of how it came to be may give you a new appreciation for your Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or music player.
Image credit: macworldme.net
According to Gizmodo, Bluetooth named their company after a Danish King who liked eating blueberries and helping different countries to get along. Bluetooth’s idea was to provide a technology that different companies could all use to improve their product.
The Bluetooth SIG (special interest group) started working on technology in September 1998. They intended to be a wire replacement technology, and it worked. By 2000, the first mobile phone with Bluetooth technology was introduced.
The technology took off, as Bluetooth headsets became popular with mobile users. But Bluetooth is now featured on many products other than cell phones. Since 2000, more than 15,000 companies have developed products with Bluetooth. In 2008, Bluetooth celebrated their 10-year anniversary and 2 billion products during those ten years.
A few of the most unique products with Bluetooth include a mobile glove, a Bluetooth toothbrush, and a communication device for your bicycle.
New potential uses for Bluetooth are endless. At Eton, we’re proud to feature Bluetooth technology in our solar-powered sound system, the Rukus Solar. The Rukus Solar lets you play your music wirelessly through Bluetooth and utilizes the sun’s energy for a totally mobile musical experience that travels with you wherever you go. (Note that through May 20, we’re giving away a Rukus Solar every day at http://startarukus.com.)
What’s your favorite piece of Bluetooth-enabled technology? Did you have a Bluetooth headset in the early 2000s?
