Bluetooth

I have been getting more used to using my Bluetooth for my phone while driving recently.  I find it so much easier to manage and keep both hands on the wheel.  The Bluetooth device I have is an older model that doesn’t exhibit the battery strength so that I have to manually remember when I charged it last.  I have found that when the power is very low that people can’t hear me over the device.  I may want to get a newer model eventually but for now the device suits my needs.

Bluetooth technology has become the de facto standard for exchanging data over short distances.  It was created by Ericsson in 1994 and since that time has taken off and used as a way to connect practically anything.  I wondered how the name became to be used for this technology and turned to Wikipedia for that answer:

The word "Bluetooth" is an anglicized version of the Scandinavian Blåtand/Blåtann, the epithet of the tenth-century king Harald I of Denmark and parts of Norway who united dissonant Danish tribes into a single kingdom. The implication is that Bluetooth does the same with communications protocols, uniting them into one universal standard.

I don’t use it for voice activated text messages, although I can.  But now that the texting law has finally passed in Pennsylvania that could be something I try soon.  I don’t text that much, but it might be a cool thing to try. 

I expect this technology to become more and more ubiquitous.  One really interesting application I found on Wikipedia is as a personal security application for mobile phones. The protected item uses the Bluetooth unit to establish a constant communication with the phone. If the connection is broken then it raises an alarm.   As with anything, the more people use it, the more people are going to find it useful and incorporate it.  I just hope that the battery strength indicator will show.  At my age, remembering things is not my strong suit.  Now where did I put my Bluetooth?