BLUE TOOTH
Bluetooth is a technology for wireless
communication between devices. It's based on a low-cost short-range radio link.
Why
Bluetooth is good for you
Every decorator knows that cables and wires
are unsightly and confusing. Bluetooth connections allow wireless communication
between devices within a range of about 30 feet (10 meters). Unlike infrared,
you don't have to point devices directly at each other, or even have both
devices in the same room. Bluetooth can initiate connections automatically with
paired devices, so you don't even have to think about it. And no, you don't
have to pay for a Bluetooth connection, no matter how much data you transfer.
When two devices share information, there
are a few things that have to be worked out: firstly, how they will physically
connect - through how many wires? Or none at all? - and then, what are the
agreed commands that will make sense to both devices (the protocol)? Bluetooth
is an industry standard that solves both of these issues cheaply, and using
very little battery power
Benefits- Need to check your email or a web page on your
laptop? Start a GPRS connection to the Internet with your phone, then
connect your phone and PC using Bluetooth. Your laptop is now online
- Synchronize your calendar and contacts wirelessly
Entertainment
Wireless multiplayer gaming (check out the N-Gage™
game deck) - With a Bluetooth-enabled headset, you can listen to
MP3s or FM radio on your phone without wires getting in the way - and the
music stops automatically if you get an incoming call
Audio
Use a headset supporting Bluetooth and lose the
wires - Nokia wireless headsets also allow you to handle
calls from the earpiece (answer/reject and end calls, adjust volume, last
number redial, and so on)
Less clutter in your car
- Get in your car and your phone and Blutooth enabled
Nokia car kit automatically initiate a network using Bluetooth technology
- Send pictures to another phone or PC
- Print images directly from your phone
Since Bluetooth chips are tiny and consume
very little power, we're now seeing the widespread deployment of Bluetooth
throughout mobile phones and other digital devices. The popularity of Bluetooth
technology then encourages developers and manufacturers to produce new products
supporting Bluetooth, so who knows what you'll be using it for in the future!
How secure is Bluetooth? How fast can I
transfer data?
A Nokia phone supporting Bluetooth contains
a tiny, inexpensive radio chip, which is designed to send data over a specific
radio frequency to another Bluetooth chip. The receiver chip, whether it's in a
PC, phone, or other device, then transmits the data to the receiving device.
The chips are easy to make and the entire process is very low on power
consumption, so it's no surprise that Bluetooth has become a wireless industry
standard.
Bluetooth communicates over radio waves on
a frequency of about 2.45 gigahertz. This is the same band used by many
industrial and medical devices as well as some household ones, such as garage
door openers and baby monitors.
Electronic
conversations
When two devices running Bluetooth come
into range of each other, a little electronic conversation happens. They decide
whether or not the devices need to share data and if they do, they form a
little network - usually you don't have to do anything. This is what happens
when you use a Bluetooth-enabled Nokia headset or car kit.
When you send data from one phone to
another, however, it's a bit different. The person on the receiving end has to
accept the transfer, and there may be a password involved. These measures are
for privacy and security reasons.
Voice,
data, and audio
It's not just little packets of data that
can be sent between two Bluetooth devices. Bluetooth also supports voice and
audio connections (it is a radio wave, after all).
Avoiding
interference
So in one room of your house you have a
stereo system that uses Bluetooth technology instead of cables, a new cordless
phone model, a baby monitor, your phone, and a PC. Why don't they interfere
with each other?
This is one of the neater things about the
Bluetooth design. When we said it operates over a frequency of 2.45 GHz, we
actually meant from about 2.40 to 2.48 gigahertz. In this range there are 79
radio frequency channels, and a Bluetooth device skips randomly between these
79 channels 1600 times per second! When two or more devices are connected, they
jump around in sync. If two different "conversations" land on the
same RF channel at the same time, the interference time is so short that it
doesn't cause any problems.
1.
Who
makes/owns Bluetooth?
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) isn't a company per se - it's a community of more than 2500 companies, including Nokia. Nokia designs and builds Bluetooth capability into its products, but they are then tested and qualified by standards set by the SIG. When you buy a product that uses Bluetooth technology, you're not buying it from a company or manufacturer called "Bluetooth."
2. Why is it called Bluetooth?
Here's one for trivia buffs: in 10th centuryDenmark ,
the Viking king Harald Blatand (literally Bluetooth) united Norway and Denmark
3. How fast is data transferred?
The maximum rate is currently 723 kbps. While this is already fast enough to complete most data transfers within a few seconds, it's not the limit. Developers hope to double or triple the speed in subsequent releases of Bluetooth technology.
4. Can I control more than one device at a time?
Yes. With Bluetooth you can have point-to-point communication between two device, or point-to-multipoint communication, with a master and several slaves (when one device controls another, it's called a "master", and the devices it controls are "slaves"). In a Bluetooth network (a very small local network sometimes called a "piconet"), one master can have up to seven slaves - but keep in mind that the total transfer speed will be divided up between them because all traffic goes through master device (think of the master as traffic control central). You could, for example, be talking on the phone using a wireless headset and sending an image to your printer at the same time.
5. What's the difference between Bluetooth and Infrared?
The main difference is that Bluetooth operates using radio waves, and infrared uses very fast pulses of light. With infrared, both devices' sensors must be in each others' line of sight (you've experienced this if you've ever tried to use your DVD remote control and there's someone standing in the way). Bluetooth isn't limited to this; it even works between walls. Infrared also only works between two devices at a time.
6. What's the difference between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi?
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are complementary technologies. While Wi-Fi is wireless Ethernet, extending or replacing wired networks for dozens of computing devices, Bluetooth is designed to replace cables between a few devices within a 10-meter range, providing data, voice, and audio connections. Bluetooth is also ideal for battery-powered devices as it is low on power consumption.
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) isn't a company per se - it's a community of more than 2500 companies, including Nokia. Nokia designs and builds Bluetooth capability into its products, but they are then tested and qualified by standards set by the SIG. When you buy a product that uses Bluetooth technology, you're not buying it from a company or manufacturer called "Bluetooth."
2. Why is it called Bluetooth?
Here's one for trivia buffs: in 10th century
3. How fast is data transferred?
The maximum rate is currently 723 kbps. While this is already fast enough to complete most data transfers within a few seconds, it's not the limit. Developers hope to double or triple the speed in subsequent releases of Bluetooth technology.
4. Can I control more than one device at a time?
Yes. With Bluetooth you can have point-to-point communication between two device, or point-to-multipoint communication, with a master and several slaves (when one device controls another, it's called a "master", and the devices it controls are "slaves"). In a Bluetooth network (a very small local network sometimes called a "piconet"), one master can have up to seven slaves - but keep in mind that the total transfer speed will be divided up between them because all traffic goes through master device (think of the master as traffic control central). You could, for example, be talking on the phone using a wireless headset and sending an image to your printer at the same time.
5. What's the difference between Bluetooth and Infrared?
The main difference is that Bluetooth operates using radio waves, and infrared uses very fast pulses of light. With infrared, both devices' sensors must be in each others' line of sight (you've experienced this if you've ever tried to use your DVD remote control and there's someone standing in the way). Bluetooth isn't limited to this; it even works between walls. Infrared also only works between two devices at a time.
6. What's the difference between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi?
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are complementary technologies. While Wi-Fi is wireless Ethernet, extending or replacing wired networks for dozens of computing devices, Bluetooth is designed to replace cables between a few devices within a 10-meter range, providing data, voice, and audio connections. Bluetooth is also ideal for battery-powered devices as it is low on power consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions: Bluetooth and
Security
1.
What is
bluejacking?
Bluejacking involves one user sending a business card anonymously to another user in range; it does NOT involve any changes to your phone's data. Usually the business card consists of some message or joke, and bluejackers are just looking for a reaction from the recipient. To discourage bluejackers, simply refuse the business card, or to avoid it altogether, set your phone to non-discoverable mode.
2. What is bluesnarfing?
Bluesnarfing involves a skilled hacker gaining access to data on a mobile phone, including the phonebook and associated images, calendar, and IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), without the user's knowledge or consent. This requires specialized equipment and know-how, and also that the attacking and target device are within 10 meters of each other (without using very high-end equipment). If your device is in non-discoverable mode, it becomes significantly more difficult for a would-be hacker.
3. What is bluebugging?
Bluebugging involves a skilled person accessing a mobile phone's commands without the owner's consent or knowledge. This would allow the hacker to make calls or send messages, read and write contacts and calendar, eavesdrop on phone conversations, and connect to the Internet. Again, the hacker must be within a 10-meter range. Bluebugging and bluesnarfing are different, and devices that may be vulnerable to one are not necessarily vulnerable to both.
4. How worried should I be? What can I do to protect my data?
Because of the equipment, knowledge, software, and physical proximity involved, the risk is actually very low that the average phone user would be bluesnarfed.
To minimize the risk, you can set your phone to non-discoverable mode when not using Bluetooth. Never pair with an unknown device: if you receive an invitation to pair with another device and are asked to enter a PIN code but you are not sure why you would need to pair, do not pair.
For the greatest security, simply turn Bluetooth off in your phone when you're not using it.
Bluejacking involves one user sending a business card anonymously to another user in range; it does NOT involve any changes to your phone's data. Usually the business card consists of some message or joke, and bluejackers are just looking for a reaction from the recipient. To discourage bluejackers, simply refuse the business card, or to avoid it altogether, set your phone to non-discoverable mode.
2. What is bluesnarfing?
Bluesnarfing involves a skilled hacker gaining access to data on a mobile phone, including the phonebook and associated images, calendar, and IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), without the user's knowledge or consent. This requires specialized equipment and know-how, and also that the attacking and target device are within 10 meters of each other (without using very high-end equipment). If your device is in non-discoverable mode, it becomes significantly more difficult for a would-be hacker.
3. What is bluebugging?
Bluebugging involves a skilled person accessing a mobile phone's commands without the owner's consent or knowledge. This would allow the hacker to make calls or send messages, read and write contacts and calendar, eavesdrop on phone conversations, and connect to the Internet. Again, the hacker must be within a 10-meter range. Bluebugging and bluesnarfing are different, and devices that may be vulnerable to one are not necessarily vulnerable to both.
4. How worried should I be? What can I do to protect my data?
Because of the equipment, knowledge, software, and physical proximity involved, the risk is actually very low that the average phone user would be bluesnarfed.
To minimize the risk, you can set your phone to non-discoverable mode when not using Bluetooth. Never pair with an unknown device: if you receive an invitation to pair with another device and are asked to enter a PIN code but you are not sure why you would need to pair, do not pair.
For the greatest security, simply turn Bluetooth off in your phone when you're not using it.
No comments:
Post a Comment