Bluetooth
September 23rd, 2007 by 
bkmarcus
I was reviewing a list of the kings of England today and stumbled on this interesting mix of history and technology:
Origin of the name and the logo
Bluetooth was named after a late tenth century king, Harald Bluetooth King of Denmark and Norway. He is known for his unification of previously warring tribes from Denmark (including now Swedish Scania, where the Bluetooth technology was invented), and Norway. Bluetooth likewise was intended to unify different technologies, such as computers and mobile phones.
The name may have been inspired less by the historical Harald than the loose interpretation of him in The Long Ships by Frans Gunnar Bengtsson, a Swedish Viking-inspired novel.
The Bluetooth logo merges the Nordic runes analogous to the modern Latin H and B:
hagall and
bjarkan from the Younger Futhark runes forming a bind rune.
Posted in history, technology | 
September 23rd, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Since you have an interest in this period and geographical region, I'm hoping you can help me recall a tidbit I've read years ago, and can't seem to confirm.
It's in regard to a viking who was granted to rule over all the land that he could circumnavigate by boat in the Norwegian region, and because it is a peninsula, he had his men carry him over land while he sat in the boat, thereby fulfilling the condition. I seem to recall it was the very same Harald Bluetooth, but I believe that I'm mistaken.
Have you any knowledge of this tale that you can perhaps shed some light on?
September 23rd, 2007 at 10:33 pm
I don't know that story, but I'll keep my eye out for it and let you know.
September 24th, 2007 at 11:16 am
[...] Bluetooth I was reviewing a list of the kings of England today and stumbled on this interesting mix of history and technology: Origin of the name and the logo Bluetooth was named after a late tenth century king, Harald Bluetooth King of Denmark and Norway. He is known for his unification of previously warring tribes from Denmark (including now Swedish Scania, where the Bluetooth technology was invented), and Norway. Bluetooth likewise was intended to unify different technologies, such as computers [...]