What's Bluetooth?

What does the name tell you about the technology? Not much, but it's easier to remember and more user-friendly than 802.15.1 or some of the other geeky IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) naming conventions.

The bigger question: what is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is basically a wireless connection between devices. It's not a wireless Internet connection like Wi-Fi. It's a fast way to hook up devices without cords, such as headsets connected to cell phones, computers connected to wireless printers or keyboards, or PDAs syncing with computers.

Benefits
The benefits of Bluetooth are that it's wireless, it can connect up to eight devices at a time, and it's fast. When I say fast, I'm talking 721 Kilobits to 3 Megabits per second. At the low end, that's two to three times faster than broadband Internet and at the top end—that's technically described as "wicked fast."

Range
Bluetooth has a range of about 10 meters. But that's not a line-of-sight connection, meaning that the walls in your house won't block the connection.

Why Bluetooth?
Some marketing guy went a little nuts with the historical symbolism here. In the 900's, the king of Denmark united the country. His name? Harald Bluetooth. Slightly obscure? Yes, but it's a fun factoid for what is basically a radio signal technology. 

Keep in mind that King Bluetooth was killed by his son in a battle, so that may mean that an offshoot of Bluetooth technology will eventually make the standard obsolete. Maybe I'm taking the symbolism a little too far now?

Do you need Bluetooth?
I personally don't own a Bluetooth device. I'm not a big cell phone headset person and I have accepted the Gordian knot of cables that hides behind my computer. For many, the Bluetooth headset that resides permanently on their ear is a status symbol. To me, it just makes them look like crazy people talking to themselves.

Despite my indifference to the technology, lots of people swear by Bluetooth and anything that creates fewer tangles in life is probably a good thing.

For more technical info on Bluetooth check out this HowStuffWorks article. And keep in mind, though Bluetooth is convenient, it is not without its own set of security issues.