Bluetooth is a technology first proposed by Ericsson — later joined by the likes of IBM, Sony, Toshiba, Nokia, Intel, and others — to allow short-range wireless communication between devices such as laptops and printers, digital cameras and desktop computers, or in fact any gadgets equipped with the appropriate chips. Bluetooth lets many devices communicate with each other simultaneously at the respectable rate of 2.1 megabits per second (Mbps); a network of eight such devices is called a "piconet." One of the most common simple uses is connecting a wireless headset to your cell phone, but the tech can undertake tasks as complex as transferring data between a PC, printer, scanner, and whatever other Bluetooth-equipped devices you might have — all without any unsightly and inconvenient cables.

The name comes from Harald Blue-Tooth (910-985), king of Denmark, whose diplomatic skills were said to have induced warring factions to talk to each other, just as Bluetooth technology lets some typically hostile digital devices communicate easily with one another. — Ian G. Masters

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