Bluetooth The Unusual History of a Name

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İngilizce Öğren LingoVivo News

Bluetooth, the wireless technology that has made connecting our devices so convenient, has an unusual origin. The name traces back to King Harald Gormsson, a Danish ruler from over a millennium ago, who earned the moniker "Bluetooth" due to a blue-tinged dead tooth. His historical significance includes introducing Christianity to Denmark, unifying the country, and extending his conquests into Norway.

Fast forward to 1996, a time when experts from Ericsson, Intel, and Nokia were collaborating to establish a universal standard for connecting diverse products using this emerging wireless technology. Jim Kardach, representing Intel, proposed the name "Bluetooth." He drew a parallel between King Harald's unifying efforts in Scandinavia (specifically Denmark) and the technology's goal of connecting various products across industries.

While the historical accuracy of King Harald's unification of all of Scandinavia is debatable, the name "Bluetooth" gained global recognition for the wireless technology. Even the Bluetooth symbol incorporates a historical touch, derived from King Harald's initials.

In the runic alphabet used during King Harald's time, the Bluetooth symbol combines the runes for "H" and "B," representing Harald Bluetooth's initials. This historical connection is tucked away behind the simplicity of the name and symbol, adding an intriguing layer to the technology's identity.

Questions

1- What historical significance is attributed to King Harald Gormsson?

2- In the 1990s, which companies were collaborating to establish a universal standard for wireless technology?

3- What does the Bluetooth symbol represent, according to the text?

Congratulations!

You have completed the comprehension questions. 

Parts of this lesson are based on: An article Engoo Daily News..