September 9, 2004
Using Bluetooth To Disable Camera Phones
Jeremy Wagstaff for Loose Wire describes a possible solution to the problem of camera-phone voyeurs - thanks to three Temasek Polytechnic students who have come up with software that will disable camera functions on some cellphones, using Bluetooth.
"What I think happens", writes Wagstaff, "is that software is loaded into the cellphone (presumably with the user's permission and knowledge) and then once the cellphone comes into range of the Bluetooth device, its camera functions are disabled."
"Obviously this is limited by the fact that you can only load the software with the user's cooperation." And the software has only been tested on a few models.
"On the other hand, as the inventors say, this might be useful in places where, instead of banning all phones, owners could submit their phone for modification and then be allowed to keep it, the camera disabled. That would make sense in military installations, factories, gyms or other places of sensitivity or virtue. "
The Permanent Link to this page is: http://www.textually.org/picturephoning/archives/2004/09/005266.htm