Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

1 Kilometer Bluetooth Link to Cell Phone

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the long-distance-wireless dept.

carbolic writes "WiFi-Toys.com has posted an article (with pics) about performing a Bluetooth connection over a distance of 1 kilometer. They claim it is a new world record. They used a Class 1 USB adapter modded using a kit from Bluedriving.com. The over-the-air connection went to an unmodified Sony Ericsson T610 at a distance of 'about 3,300 feet' and they transferred a few pictures. This test was to a paired device pre-configured for the built-in ObexFTP access, but the implication is that now it's easy to Bluesnarf without even being near the target phone."

28 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. Beautiful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny
    Now, where's my little bluetooth remote controlled helicopter.

    *Rubs hands together in malicious glee*

    Now I can take pictures of people 1 kilometer away, and transfer them to my laptop....

    Eeeexcelleent..

  2. But.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    why? Doesn't bluetooth have its place, and 802.11x have a separate one?

    I guess it has a "cool" factor, but not quite high enough to overcome the redundancy factor in this case.

  3. Imperial conversion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    1 kilometer = 4.97096954 furlongs

  4. Oh the possibilities by f8ejf · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Since bluetooth is in the 2.4GHz band, hams can probably use boosters of up to 200W legally, just like with WiFi.

    We here at the radioclub were able to cover considerable distances with decent directional WiFi waveguides and 10W amplifiers. I wonder if bluetooth would fare as well... Hmmm, something to play with during the holidays :-)

    1. Re:Oh the possibilities by LostCluster · · Score: 3, Insightful

      2.4 GHz is 2.4 GHz... the radio waves don't really know or care which protocol's being used. I'd be very surprised if Bluetooth can do anything WiFi can't or vice versa given the same power and directional constraints.

    2. Re:Oh the possibilities by niktesla · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually, Bluetooth is not explicitly 2.4GHz. It frequency hops a band around 2.4GHz. It only keeps the same frequency for a few ms, before switching to another, which makes it rather noise immune: if a frequency is noisy, it just skips over to the next clear one. It's run by a special interest group (SIG) made up of several leading technology companies. More information on Bluetooth specifications.

      --
      I've discovered a remarkable proof, but this margin is too small to contain it...
  5. The perfect Friday night story by FunWithHeadlines · · Score: 4, Funny

    So what do geeks do on a Friday night? They discuss extending bluetooth ranges in experiments and speculate on all the ways it could be used, both useful and silly. Now if they could just figure out a way to use bluetooth to get dates...

    1. Re:The perfect Friday night story by John+Jorsett · · Score: 4, Funny
      So what do geeks do on a Friday night? They discuss extending bluetooth ranges in experiments and speculate on all the ways it could be used, both useful and silly. Now if they could just figure out a way to use bluetooth to get dates...

      Actually, geeks spend their Thursday nights talking about how to use Bluetooth to get dates. I guess when their shortrange schemes fall flat, they spend Friday figuring out how to up the distance.

    2. Re:The perfect Friday night story by dracvl · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Now if they could just figure out a way to use bluetooth to get dates...

      I believe you're looking for this.

  6. $12 Walkie Talkies by aklix · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I used 2 $12 walkie talkies to control an RC car. Never tested it a mile because i wouldnt be able to see it (suposedly goes 2 miles) but it kept in great range, even when we used binoculars. Simple task too.

    1. Re:$12 Walkie Talkies by Solosoft · · Score: 2, Informative

      FRS FRS Radios are like CB kinda but digital and cheap :)

      I have 2 at home and they work well for long distance talking and are very cheap. PLus you need no license

      --
      Solosoft.org - Your Online Resource to Nothing
  7. Re:Imperial conversion that makes SENSE by zeux · · Score: 2, Informative

    4.97096954 1/8s of a mile = 1 kilometer = 3 280.8399 feet.

    --
    Iraq: war to save the U
  8. Re:fantastic.. by jrockway · · Score: 5, Insightful

    > I hate mobile phones so I may be biased

    I hear you. I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't want to replace my computer with a phone. People were suggesting that in 3 years there would be no computers, just phones (in yesterday's article). That, to me, is rediculous.

    I personally quite like my PDA and Desktop and Laptop. I want a phone to make phone calls. I want my Desktop to run emacs and make. I want my Laptop to run iCal. Is there a problem with this?

    Do one thing and do it well.

    --
    My other car is first.
  9. Not very exciting by SuperBanana · · Score: 2, Interesting
    WiFi-Toys.com has posted an article (with pics)

    And they're pretty lame pictures, at that. One is of a guy holding something AWAY from the camera that looks like it might be a box. Or a piece of cardboard. We have no idea. Another pic shows a picture of a hill, with a GIANT red hand-drawn arrow pointing to where the phone is. Picture #3 is the boot screen for the phone, courtesy T-Mobile. Then we get a blurry pic of the linksys bluetooth adapter with a giant cable coming off it...and last but not least...a picture of the bluetooth-raped cellphone..so traumatized, it has switched itself off.

    Cute the Visene guy- "Wooooooow".

    --
    Please help metamoderate.
  10. Does this mean... by eieken · · Score: 2, Funny

    Soon we will see people walking around screaming at their phone because someone hacked it? I think that would be amusing.

    --
    Meet new people, and kill them.
    1. Re:Does this mean... by beswicks · · Score: 2, Funny

      Shouldn't that be

      1) Hack phone to play "give me you underpants"

      2) Take Underpants

      3) ???

      4) Profit

  11. Apparently promote their own online stores by SuperBanana · · Score: 2, Informative
    So what do geeks do on a Friday night?

    Apparently promote their online store...

    --
    Please help metamoderate.
  12. Re:fantastic.. by Atmchicago · · Score: 3, Funny

    I want my Desktop to run emacs and make.

    Well, actually, I use emacs to run my cell phone. But that's just me.

    --

    You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it dissolve.

  13. Toothing by baka_vic · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Well, toothing seems to be all the rage in the EU. Here's a definition by Wikipedia:
    Toothing describes the use of a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone or PDA to arrange sexual encounters. Linky

  14. Pfffft by Billobob · · Score: 3, Funny

    My tesla coil has a range of blowing up every light bulb within 5 miles MINIMUM...

    --
    If you have to ask, you'll never know.
    1. Re:Pfffft by The+Evil+Couch · · Score: 2, Funny
      bah. I can use smoke signals to transmit at a range of over a 100 miles.

      put that in my pipe and smoke it!

      --
      The World's Worst Webcomic!
  15. Pringles cans... by mikael · · Score: 3, Funny

    The over-the-air connection went to an unmodified Sony Ericsson T610 at a distance of 'about 3,300 feet' and they transferred a few pictures. This test was to a paired device pre-configured for the built-in ObexFTP access, but the implication is that now it's easy to Bluesnarf without even being near the target phone."

    And they haven't even started using Pringles cans yet.

    --
    Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
    1. Re:Pringles cans... by beswicks · · Score: 2, Funny

      You mean the scary pringles can shaped wireless sniffer boxes like the ones the us army has been developing to drop over battles fields, which each have a range of 1Km and form an ad hock network to report/jam 'the badguys' traffic.

      OR

      Do you mean 2 pringles cans and a piece of string, like the ones the us army will have to use when 'the badguys' pick them all up and drop them back over the us army?

    2. Re:Pringles cans... by mikael · · Score: 2, Funny

      I meant the low budget wireless booster cans, with the extra spicy cajun flavour. Our research team spent a weekend determining which cans were more efficient (the original flavor, sour cream and onion, sweet mesquite BBQ, or cheese and onion). So far, there seems to be no difference due to flavor. However, we may have to repeat the experiments, just to make sure weather conditions didn't have any influence on the results.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
  16. Another ADVERTISEMENT by gnuber · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I hate it when /. posts blatant product advertisements as stories. This story was submitted by "Carbolic", whose given URL (mouse-over his name) is Wifi-toys.com. He talks about a wifi-toys.com story (in the third person), and links to the "kit from bluedriving.com". The small print on that page notes that Bluedriving.com is a member site of wifi-toys.com . The $99 "kit" linked to is just a $45 Linksys adaptor and a CD of freeware and drivers (you'd be better off downloading the newest versions from the net). A fool and his money are soon parted, I guess. This is the second time this week that Carbolic has posted a story linking to his site.

    I won't fault Carbolic for pimping his site, particularly since he isn't hiding his affiliation. But the /. editors should filter this spam out.

  17. The flip side by macemoneta · · Score: 2, Interesting

    With a good sized dish, you can probably monitor anyone in your neighborhood typing on a BT keyboard. Encryption doesn't do any good, if the clear text data is compromised.

    --

    Can You Say Linux? I Knew That You Could.

  18. Wasted effort ? by m4k3r · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wouldn't it have been easier to just take the phone with you ? Surely, that's why they're designed small enough to fit in your hand ?

    Oh, yeah, I forgot this was /.

  19. Re:fantastic.. by MooCows · · Score: 2, Interesting

    To me the advantage of a mobile phone with bluetooth (and GPRS) is I can connect to it with my PDA and my Laptop.

    Result: GPRS/UMTS on my PDA and Laptop.

    Which means internet access everywhere there's mobile phone coverage.

    Result: Slashdot everywhere :)

    --
    The path I walk alone is endlessly long.
    30 minutes by bike, 15 by bus.