The Creation of Bluetooth

Bluetooth was created by Dr. Jaap Haartsen in 1994. He was a Dutch Engineer at Ericsson Communications in Sweden. It was called Bluetooth after the Viking King Harald "Blaatand" Gormsson because he had a "blue tooth". He is known for uniting Denmark and Norway in the 10th century. This fact is almost as interesting as the technology itself. Bluetooth was originally created for computers as a form of short-range communication as an alternative to wires for data transfers. In 1998 a group of companies called the Bluetooth Special Interest Group or SIG was formed to help advance the technology. Over 33,000 companies are members of the SIG and help quickly develop new versions of Bluetooth which is why the technology is rapidly evolving. Bluetooth has had a massive impact on society and technology as a whole. It has transformed how we consume music, how we drive, and even how some people live each day with advancements in the medical field. 

Firstly Bluetooth impacts the way almost everyone listens to music whether through Bluetooth speakers, headphones, or a hands-free car connection. Not only does Bluetooth make listening to music easier than ever but it also improves the audio quality drastically over wired connection. Wireless headphones allow so much more freedom than wired headphones because they are easier to use while working out, jogging, playing basketball, or taking a nap without getting tangled in a cord. 

Bluetooth also impacts anyone with a car made in the last 10 years because they will have the ability to turn on navigation, and music or take phone calls if their phone is connected to their car via Bluetooth. This has made driving safer because people do not have to have one hand on the phone while driving. Altogether Bluetooth makes the modern driving experience smooth and easy.

Bluetooth has also affected how some people's homes function with Bluetooth home devices controlling security in homes while regulating temperature and turning off lights. This might seem like a less useful application of Bluetooth but the creation of smart homes has made it harder to break into someone's home even if they are not there. 

Lastly, Bluetooth has also impacted Health and Fitness with smartwatches that track cardio and medical devices that monitor glucose levels. This technology allows people with diabetes or who want to track their cardiovascular activity easy access to their phones thanks to Bluetooth. Bluetooth is also commonly used in hearing aids which my mother desperately needs. 

The many different applications of Bluetooth are why it is one of the most important developments in technology ever. It has made short-range between devices almost unlimited while making the lives of everyone in the Western world much easier. The only negative to Bluetooth technology is there are low levels of radiation emitted by headphones that could in theory cause health issues, but because Bluetooth headphones are more recent there is no evidence yet. As the SIG continues to develop new Bluetooth technology I look forward to seeing what other areas of life it might be utilized, but even if no more advancements are made Bluetooth is still one of the most important technologies we use every day in America.