Her father is the father of Bluetooth, but she’s just a normal kid

February 9, 2018 — by Daniel Bessonov and Muthu Palaniappan
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When junior Elizabeth Kardach turns on her phone and plays on Spotify on her car’s speakers, she has a special connection to this miraculous technology: Her father invented it.

 

When junior Elizabeth Kardach turns on her phone and plays on Spotify on her car’s speakers, she has a special connection to this miraculous technology: Her father invented it.

Bluetooth, which allows for wireless connections between devices, is used in most everyday devices, including iPhones, laptops and certain headphones.

The technology works by sending short-range communications back and forth from the device on which it is being used to the device it is connected to, creating a “personal channel.”

Working for Intel, Kardach’s father, Jim, initially came up with the concept of Bluetooth a few years before Kardach was born in the mid-’90s. He even coined the term based on a book he was reading at the time.

Her family is traveling to Sweden this summer to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her dad’s invention.

Kardach recognizes that she uses products with Bluetooth products daily, but she doesn’t think too much about it as she’s using them.

“I’ll remember every once in a while and think to myself ‘oh yeah, my dad made this,’” Kardach said.

Though both of Kardach’s parents work in the tech industry, she has never felt pressured to work in the field in her future.

“Though my parents strongly recommended a job in the field, they ultimately want my siblings and me to follow our own paths,” Kardach said.

Kardach admits that hearing about the tech world from her parents minimized her interest in the field, but now that she is older, she is reconsidering it as a potential career.

Her life at school is mostly unaffected by her dad’s claim to fame

“My friends know about it; they think it’s cool and they realize they use Bluetooth every day,” Kardach said. “But after a few minutes they forget about it.”

 

 

 

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