Bluejacking

[pynchonoid]

...yet another occasion for paranoia:


[...]Turns of Phrase: Bluejacking

One thing we've learned about modern technology is
that there's no
limit to the inventive ways ordinary people can
subvert or take
advantage of it. Take the Bluetooth radio
communication system (see
<http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-blu1.htm>)
used in
many current mobile phones; this is designed to allow
you, for
example, to use a wireless, hands-free headset while
the phone is
safely in your pocket. But any Bluetooth device is
capable of
talking to any other device over a range of a few
metres. A phone
with Bluetooth enabled will tell you about any devices
nearby that
you can communicate with. Mischievous people have
started to
exploit this by sending cheeky messages to some
stranger they see
in a public place, usually personalised ones such as
"I like your
tie". Most victims will have no idea how the message
arrived on
their phones, and their startled expressions are
reward enough.
Fears that the technique might represent a security
flaw seem to be
unsubstantiated.

>>> From the International Herald Tribune, 17 Nov.
2003: A lanky
young woman with long brown hair was waiting to take a
train at
London's Waterloo Station when she got a surprising
message on her
mobile phone from a complete stranger. "I like your
pink stripey
top." The woman – who looked around in confusion – had
just been
'bluejacked' by a 13-year-old British girl named Ellie
who goes by
the nickname jellyellie.

>> From Znet UK, 6 Nov 2003: But why would somebody
bluejack a
stranger's phone? The motive behind the craze is to
freak out other
Bluetooth users that you might encounter in public -
for example, a
bluejacker will check out other Bluetooth users on the
tube and
drop them a message that only someone in the same
place will
appreciate, for example, their choice of newspaper or
colour of
their top or just a message to let them know that
they've been
bluejacked.

[...]

WORLD WIDE WORDS
ISSUE 373
Saturday 27 December 2003


World Wide Words is copyright (c) Michael Quinion
2003.  All rights
reserved. The Words Web site is at
<http://www.worldwidewords.org>.

You may reproduce this newsletter in whole or part in
free online
newsletters, newsgroups or mailing lists provided that
you include
this note and the copyright notice above. Reproduction
in printed
publications or on Web sites requires prior
permission, for which
you should contact TheEditor at worldwidewords.org .


__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing.
http://photos.yahoo.com/