Every time you connect your AirPods to your phone, or your phone to your speaker etc., you're engaging with a fragment of ancient Viking language — almost certainly without even realising it.
In 1996, three major industry players — Intel, Ericsson and Nokia — came together with a vision: to create a universal standard for short-range radio communication, one that would allow diverse devices across industries to seamlessly connect.It was during this meeting that Intel’s Jim Kardach proposed 'Bluetooth' as a holding title.
As Kardach explained, 'King Harald Bluetooth … was famous for uniting Scandinavia just as we intended to unite the PC and cellular industries with a short-range wireless link.' Who knew that Jim Kardach was a fan of the King of Norway and Denmark from the mid 900s!
And here is the kicker. The Bluetooth Logo was created by merging the ancient Viking text for H (Hagall) (ᚼ) and B (Bjarkan) (ᛒ), Harald’s initials.
The name was never meant to be permanent. It was a placeholder until a more polished, marketable alternative could be found. As history would have it, no better name emerged, and 'Bluetooth' became the lasting legacy of that fateful meeting.
That’s all from me for now. If you'd like more geeky fun, please check out my other newsletters below, or connect with me on LinkedIn and/or X.
Yours in nerdiness,
Adam
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