HOW BLUETOOTH WORKS
Inspired by a Nordic king and harnessing the power of radio, here’s how wireless connectivity reshaped our electronic ecosystems
WORDS MARK SMITH
DID YOU KNOW?
The technology was named for Harald Bluetooth, the 10th-century Danish king who unified Denmark and Norway
Wireless headphones are just one of the technologies which have been revolutionised by Bluetooth
If you look around the room you’re in right now, chances are you can spot at least half a dozen electrical devices. But imagine if they all had to be joined together by wires? Picture the wire snaking along the floor from your smartphone to your speaker, or connecting your console to your game controller, meaning you could never sit more than a couple of metres away from the screen. A world of electronics connected by wires wouldn’t just be untidy, but a potential health-andsafety nightmare, too. That’s where Bluetooth comes in. We’ve all heard of it – but what exactly is it?