Bluetooth Got Its Name in a Bar

In the mid-1990s, two engineers walked out of a failed meeting and into a bar. A few rounds later they had a code name for a new wireless radio: the nickname of a 10th-century Danish king who carved his own press release into a stone, lost his kingdom to his son, and was never supposed to end up in your pocket. This is the story of Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson, and of the name that was only ever meant to be temporary. It's told by a Norwegian, so you also get the part most videos skip: did Harald really win Norway? Chapters 0:00 A bar in Toronto 0:59 The king who wrote his own press release 1:48 The view from Norway 2:55 Three names for one idea 3:44 The bar crawl 4:45 Building a brand, in wood and in silicon 5:45 The name that wasn't supposed to survive 7:36 The fall of the king 8:46 The name he never chose Sources (selection) Jim Kardach, "Tech History: How Bluetooth Got Its Name", EE Times Bluetooth SIG, "The Origin of the Bluetooth Name" (bluetooth.com) Bluetooth SIG / ABI Research, Bluetooth Market Update 2025 "Harald Blåtand", Lex, Den Store Danske (lex.dk) "Håkon jarl", Store norske leksikon (snl.no) National Geographic, article on Harald Bluetooth and the Bluetooth name Videnskab.dk, on Harald's ring fortresses and building projects Snopes, "Bluetooth etymology" Wikipedia: Harald Bluetooth, Jelling stones, Bluetooth Map data: Natural Earth (public domain). Uncertain claims are marked in the video ("according to Kardach", "legend", "we can't know"). #Bluetooth #Vikings #History #HaraldBluetooth #Denmark