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How a Viking King Inspired Your Wireless Tech.

How a Viking King Inspired Your Wireless Tech.

September 27, 2024

You made it to Friday - nice work. To celebrate, grab yourself a beer, overpriced coffee, or your favorite appetizer (we’re going with the Chili’s Triple Dipper).

Let’s dig into today’s edition.

Dude of the Week

Josh Hazelwood and his Grandfather

A relationship between a grandfather and his grandson is timeless - especially when SEC football is involved.

Meet Josh Hazelwood and his grandfather (Papaw). Josh’s tribute to his Papaw, shared on X, is a heartfelt nod to the deep connection they shared over their love for Tennessee college football. In decorating his grandfather’s grave with the iconic orange and white, Josh isn’t just celebrating a team—they’re celebrating the bond that SEC football built between them.

Now, even in his absence, Josh’s gesture speaks to something far deeper than just fandom. It’s a reminder of the lasting relationship between a kid and his grandfather. Through college football, Josh has found a way to keep their shared tradition alive, weaving his grandfather’s memory into every touchdown, every cheer, and every season to come. It’s a quiet but powerful way of saying: the game goes on, and so does the love.

Check out the original post here.

Tech Stuff

The Tale of Bluetooth: Viking Kings and Wireless Magic

First off, let’s talk about the name "Bluetooth." It’s not a high-tech code word or some futuristic label dreamt up in a sleek Silicon Valley office. Nope, the origins are far more Viking. The technology is named after Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson, a 10th-century Danish king who had a knack for uniting feuding factions. His nickname, Bluetooth, reportedly came from—get this—his dead, possibly decayed, dark blue tooth. Kind of an odd flex for a king, but it stuck.

So why is your wireless tech named after a Viking monarch with questionable dental hygiene? Well, much like Harald united Denmark and Norway, Bluetooth tech was designed to unite devices—phones, computers, speakers—under one wireless banner. So next time you connect your earbuds, you’re basically channeling the spirit of a toothy Viking king.

So, How Does Bluetooth Actually Work?

Now that we’ve got Harald’s ghost out of the way, let’s talk about what Bluetooth is doing when your phone connects to your speaker. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless communication technology that allows devices to talk to each other—without the messy entanglement of wires.

At its core, Bluetooth uses radio waves (specifically in the 2.4 GHz frequency) to send information between devices. Think of it as a mini-radio station that broadcasts your data. But instead of cranking out chart-topping hits, it’s transmitting things like audio files, photos, or even your workout data to your smartwatch.

When two Bluetooth devices connect, they form what's called a piconet—which sounds like a tiny, adorable network of devices holding hands and skipping through the airwaves together. In reality, it's a master-slave setup, where one device controls the communication while the other plays along. They don’t interfere with other wireless signals around them, thanks to a method called frequency hopping spread spectrum. This fancy term just means Bluetooth rapidly jumps between frequencies, making it hard for signals to clash and ensuring your phone doesn’t accidentally try to sync up with your neighbor’s smart fridge.

Range? More Like Short Leash

Bluetooth has its limits, though. It’s great for close-quarter communication, like between your phone and your earbuds or car. But try wandering too far, and the connection goes out like an old Walkman. The standard Bluetooth range is around 30 feet, though newer versions (Bluetooth 5.0 and beyond) can stretch that to 100 feet or more. Just don’t expect it to beam tunes to your speakers from across the house unless your phone and speaker are powered by Bluetooth wizardry.

In essence, Bluetooth works because it’s efficient, low-power, and can handle short-range connections with minimal fuss—kind of like that one dependable friend who always shows up on time, doesn’t ask for much, and never drops out of the group chat.

Frames

The Iron Giant (1999)

Director: Brad Bird
Cinematography: Steven Wilzbach
Did you know: The film’s director, Brad Bird, was inspired to make The Iron Giant after the tragic death of his sister, who was killed by gun violence. He wanted to create a story that explored the idea that “you are who you choose to be,” focusing on how even something designed for destruction (the Giant) can choose a different path.