Devices found: Doddmeister, Nokia 6233, Ryan, The Jackie, Riaan, Yiddo, Nj, Secret lemonade drin, Soph's Fone, XxJaZzY dArLiNXx, Paraphilia, LG KE970
I can see the point of Bluetooth per se. It's a brilliant way of transferring data from multimedia device to multimedia device without having to pay for broadband, text messaging or mobile upload charges. It's perfect when you know that someone wants to send you something over a short distance, like a ringtone or a hilarious video snippet. But why leave your phone's Bluetooth switched on permanently, all day long, in the vain hope that someone might send you something? Because they won't.
Devices found: Beaney, Nokia 6233, Blackberry 8100, Nokia 6680, Matts new phone, W850i, Nokia, Caller 2007, short-pocketpc
This wasn't always the case. Four years ago "Bluejacking" was all the rage. Hardcore mobile users revelled in new technology which allowed them to send dodgy messages to other people's phones, just for a laugh, because they could. Oh how they enjoyed their evil digitised prodding. But it's all a bit passé now, and nobody does it any more. I've left my mobile's Bluetooth switched on for the last week, and nothing. Not a poke.
Devices found: ¤¤¤N80, Noel, Blackberry 8800, Chris, Nick mobile, Send 2 This 1, SAMSUNG SGH-D600, Russ, Keith carpet, * ¥ 4rif ¥ *
But there are still huge numbers of people out there with Bluetooth-enabled phones. I know, because I've been using my mobile to "discover" them on the tube this week. There I am rammed into the same carriage as them, elbow to armpit, and there they are broadcasting their witty and amusing phone names to everyone within a 10 metre radius.
Devices found: Sully, Nats, SAMSUNG SGH-D500, Davetherave, Anthony, Nokia 6230i, NOKIA N80, Michelle's phone, Ting Tong, Nokia 6300, Jonboy!
Maybe it's an ego thing. Maybe the joy of mobile Bluetooth is in giving your phone a name (of up to 20 characters) which represents your personality. Bluetoothers strut around in life with a digitised namebadge, readable to anyone who cares to look, in the hope that someone out there will find their electronic alias too witty to resist. I mean, look at these lists of usernames I tracked down on the tube this week. Ha bloody ha. Who wouldn't want to hook up with such raw playful talent?
It makes no sense. Permanently discoverable Bluetooth must surely drain your phone's battery more quickly than necessary. And for no particularly good reason, because nobody's using it to send stuff out of the blue anyway. Because it doesn't work. I know, because I tried Bluetoothing several times on the tube yesterday, and to no avail. I attempted to send a photo of a kitten from my phone to everybody else in the vicinity, working one-by-one down the list of visible devices, but not one potential recipient even noticed. Connection failed. Retry? I think not.
Devices found: W850i, Dude, MISS SARAH C 07, Nokia N95, N91, Macasta, Steph;-)
So if your Bluetooth is permanently enabled, why not save your battery (and save yourself some embarrassment) by switching it off? It's not big and it's not clever, and neither is that RiDiCuLص$ name you're using.
