Bluetooth Can't Bite

GRAHAM TROTT for TIME

HALL WAITING: Red-M can't roll out its plan to let workers take calls far from their desks

Remember when bluetooth was going to change your life? Named after Harald Bltand, a Viking King who united Norway and Denmark in the 10th century, Bluetooth (English for Bltand) is a wire-free way to unite electronic devices — and it promised to eliminate cabling for good. Originally dreamed up by Ericsson and released as an international standard in 1998, Bluetooth has been the subject of the wildest predictions; one report issued last year said that by 2006, Bluetooth-enabled devices would generate an astounding $333 billion in revenue.

So far, Bluetooth has failed to live up to its hype....

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