Advertisers use Bluetooth to upload ads to phones

[Iron-Kurton]

Hey Guys,

Found something I think you might find interesting: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7883

Here's what I find interesting about this article:

- Storing the active connection names, thereby monitoring where each user goes. It's almost like a cookie that's activated just by passing by with your BT on, and it's not even in your possession. That means personalized "content" delivery whereever you go. Usage tracking. Scary stuff.

- The article already points it out, but this doesn't only provide a medium for viruses (and such) to propagate, it provides a very EASY and effective way to do it. How long until someone finds a way to do upload executable code? How fast do you think this could spread? Catching a virus in your local subway can take on an entirely different meaning...

Anyway, I wonder what the AO community thinks.

-ik

[Riot]

Yea this is all we need is more spam, soon they will be broad casting it in to our brains. :brickwall

[Katja]

It could even be worse. You could just take a car, drive it around and use BT so send the advertisement to everyone whom you meet on the road. Drive around London or Amsterdam for a whole day and you will have quite a few hits in a single day.
The next step would of course doing something similar with Wifi. Just search for anything that is interested in a Wifi signal and try to send it your commercial. Again, drive around a bit and you will get quite an audience, probably including everyone who is just at home, in school or at work...

This could become the spam of the future...

What worries me most about it is that mostly teens will have a phone or other device with BT enabled for most of the time. Simply because teens like to chitchat with each other that way. They could become the largest audience of this kind of spam. Most other users tend to turn off BT when they don't need it.

[slinky2004]

whats BT?

[Katja]

BT=Blue-Tooth
A very short-distance wireless connection system, often used by phones and PDA's. (Especially combined with headsets, keyboards and some other fun devices.)

[XTC46]

A very short-distance

with the right equipment (which Im sure anyone attempting this type of broadcast will have) its not such a short range thing... several hundred yards infact.

edit** this one in particular is 100 meters, which is more than your average 802.11b/g/a setup.

[Katja]

Well, you're right. According to this Bluetooth Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth) there are three classes of bluetooth. Class 3 (1 mW) is the rarest and allows transmission of 10 centimetres (3.9 inches), with a maximum of 1 metre (3.2 feet) Class 2 (2.5 mW) is most common and allows a quoted transmission distance of 10 metres (32 ft) Class 1 (100 mW) has the longest range at up to 100 metres. This class of product is readily available.

Most devices are only class 2, though, thus limited to 10 meters or less.

[XTC46]

Most devices are only class 2, though, thus limited to 10 meters or less.

with use of standard bluetooth broadcasters yes. Now use the same transmitter, only add a decent directional antenna, you can extend the range GREATLY.

also, what happens when somone hacks this billboard, introduces their own code to be broadcasted or to be piggy backed on the legit advertisement, that company gets sued...thats what happens.


and as a side note. Using Wikipedia is not a "credible" source. I can change that article to say class 2 has a range of 1 mile. It has good information, but when trying to argue most points (especially in a professional enviroment ie. work, school, etc where the info will be challenged) it sucks as a source.

[Katja]

True, Wiki isn't a credible source but it tends to be pretty clear in many cases. Wiki is a bit like this forum. Very informational but not always correct. :D I tend to use Wiki as a starting point for my searches. I Wiki first and then end up with a few more usable keywords to use with Google.

The information you find through Google isn't always very reliable either, though. But if you need information, you need a good starting point...

[XTC46]

I agree, just wanted to make the point. lol I cant count the times ive had professors have tantrums over that source lol.

[Iron-Kurton]

Katja, I agree with you in that we will start seeing more adware on cellphones now.

But maybe this should serve as a wake-up call to cell-phone manufacturers and phone-OS developers to include malware-blocking capabilities early on. We are still in the infant stages of mobile development, and we cannot afford to make the same mistakes MS has made with regards to malware.

The problem is that these features are not very "visible" in the eyes of management (yet). These features will not help sell the phones early on. Some browsers on the phones are starting to add the "accept/reject cookies" capability, though this is still not enough. Sadly, these features will probably not be included until there is a need for them, by which time it is already too late.

-ik

[Noia]

Solution: Dont bond with unknown hosts (ie, practice safe HEX :p)
Worst case scenario: Turn the damn BT off any how, it eats battery like there is no tomorow and very few people regularly use it anyhow.