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What is BlueJacking?
In order to understand BlueJacking you need to understand Bluetooth.
Being an 'open specification' means that any manufacturer can make a Bluetooth device and it will talk to any other Bluetooth device from any other manufacturer. Due to the very high frequency (2.4 Ghz) and very low power used, Bluetooth devices are only designed to operate over short ranges - typically less than 10m (30 feet). BlueJacking is a new term used to define the activity of sending anonymous messages to other Bluetooth equipped devices (typically PDAs and Mobile Phones) in range of the senders device. Whilst the ability to receive such messages can be disabled or the Bluetooth functionality of the device can be switched off, the fun nature of BlueJacking is likely to encourage people to paticipate and to enjoy the new phenomenen. It is important to point out at this point that it is virtually impossible to catch a 'virus' from BlueJacking and no damage can occur to your phone or PDA (they cannot read your email or access your data via BlueJacking). However please read the Etiquette page and remember that if you send abusive or dafamatory messages you leave yourself liable to prosecution! Can I BlueJack? Firstly you need to have a BlueTooth enabled Mobile Phone or PDA - if you have then great, if not then you will not be able to enjoy the world of BlueJacking - sorry. Assuming you have a Bluetooth enabled device then read the How To page to discover how to start BlueJacking. So, how do I BlueJack someone? Assuming that you now have a Bluetooth phone in your hands, the first thing to do is to make sure that Bluetooth is enabled. You will need to read the handbook of the particular phone (or PDA etc) that you have but somewhere in the Menu item you will find the item that enables and disabled Bluetooth. Now, remember that Bluetooth only works over short distances, so if you are in the middle of Dartmoor then BlueJacking isn't going to work for you (unless the sheep have mobile phones these days!) so you need to find a crowd. BlueJacking is very new so not everyone will have a Bluetooth phone or PDA so the bigger the crowd the more likely you will have of finding a 'victim'. The Tube (yes, Bluetooth works underground), on the train, in a Cafe or standing in line are all good places to start. You will now need to create a new Contact in your Phone Book - however rather than putting someones name in the Name field you write your short message instead - so for example rather than creating a contact called Alan Philips you would write - "Hey, you have been BlueJacked!" instead (or whatever message you want to send) Now select the new contact and from the Menu of the phone choose "Send via Bluetooth". This is a facility available within the Mobile Phone that was designed to send a Contact to someone else - useful in Business when trading names and addresses, however we are now going to use it to send our message that was contained in the Name field of the contact - clever eh? Your phone or PDA will start to search the airwaves for other devices that within range. If you are lucky you will see a list of them appear, or it will say that it cannot find any. If the latter happens then relocate to another crowd or wait a while and try again. If you have a list of found devices then let the fun begin. Unfortunately, almost every Bluetooth enabled device will not yet be configured with a useful name - so you are going to have to guess. Some devices will be called by their Phone manufacturer (e.g Nokia, Sony) or maybe a random string. Try one at random and look around to see who grabs their phone and then looks perplexed when they read your message. If you want to name your Phone so it appears as a name in the list on a BlueJackers phone. Don't abuse the service or people as they can simply disable Bluetooth plus if you send abusive or defamatory messages you are liable to prosecution. What if I don't want to be BlueJacked? That's quite simple - just disable Bluetooth when you don't need it and no-one can BlueJack you. How to Name your Phone If you want to play with the BlueJackers then consider naming your phone - for example "Friendly Ghost" might be appropriate and would ensure a steady stream of flirtatious messages all day long. By default, most of the Nokia range simply call their Bluetooth connection Nokia XXXX where XXXX refers to the model number. To change it follow these simple instructions (other phones will probably be similar but if not then email us via the Contact page with the info and we will add it to the site. Click the following Menu buttons in turn (Nokia 6310 example)
When someone know finds your phone they will see whatever name you chose in their list of Bluetooth contacts. |
Bluetooth technology is an open specification that enables short-range wireless connections between devices (a device can be almost anything such as a desktop or laptop computers, PDAs, mobile phones, camera phones, printers, digital cameras, keyboards and even a computer mouse). Bluetooth wireless technology uses a globally available frequency band (2.4GHz) for worldwide compatibility. In a nutshell, Bluetooth technology enables your digital peripherals to talk to each other without needing wires and cables.