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Shake a Secure Bluetooth Connection

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the trembling-with-anticipation dept.

heilbron writes "The Austrian researcher Rene Mayrhofer of the British Lancaster university and his colleague Hans Gellersen developed a technology to simplify a secured wireless connection of mobile devices. With the so-called shake-to-connect technology an authenticated Bluetooth connection between two mobile phones is established by rhythmic shaking. Integrated oscillation sensors, contained in some mobile phone models, form the basis. The two researchers sketched out a prototype, which is intended for Nokia mobile phones. An example is documented in this YouTube video clip. If two mobile phones are shaken together, the software in both devices registers the same shaking frequency and authenticates the radio link. The principle is summed up in a four page PDF document."

7 of 107 comments (clear)

  1. Because entering a PIN is sooooo difficult by Coward+Anonymous · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is a solution looking for a problem...

  2. Shake to Authenticate is a bad idea by nahdude812 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The idea of the authentication system being two devices being shaken together seems like a weak idea. There are plenty of times when multiple devices will undergo the same accelerations as each other, and the owners of the respective devices do not necessarily intend for them to be paired. For example, sit next to someone on a bus.

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    Slay a dragon... over lunch!
    1. Re:Shake to Authenticate is a bad idea by the_lesser_gatsby · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why not just use the button to skip to the next song?

    2. Re:Shake to Authenticate is a bad idea by marcello_dl · · Score: 4, Insightful

      > The idea of the authentication system being two devices being shaken together seems like a weak idea.

      Yep, why not provide a contact area for devices so you simply have to put them together? It could be used to exchange a key, or act with usb2 speed for data transfer with less effort than implementing accelerometers and software.

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      ---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
  3. Re:Not just Cell phones use bluetooth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You're absolutely right! I mean, since this idea can't be used for everything, then it's totally worthless!

  4. Completely flipping pointless by mlk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Thinking about my use of Bluetooth:
    a) Headset to phone auth - Done once when I bought the device, why would I want to make the headset heaver and more expenive.
    b) Computer/phone auth - Done twice once with my home computer (a desktop-replacement laptop) and works desktop computer (not likely to pick that up and shake it)
    c) Snyc with friends phone (share numbers) - I think I have done this once, normally I just send them a text message or quickly call them etc, but if I were to do it again I'd have to either let a friend shake my phone (top of the range smart phone) or a friend will let me shake his/hers (jokes abound). Mostly also top of the range smart phones. That is not likely to go down well.

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    Wow, I should not post when knackered.
  5. Connection by hey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How about plugging them into each other with USB, etc.
    They could exchange tokens.
    Then future Bluetooth communication would be pretty secure.
    Oh wait, that's too sane.