dangerous Bluetooth

[BoBraxton]

A friend who also owns and drives a 2005 or 2006 Prius would like to use PDA connecting via Bluetooth to mobile phone device and service while on travel in the Prius but has read that Bluetooth is "dangerous" and is concerned about any damages that Bluetooth might inflict on any part of the Prius electronics, including the thought of stopping the car while driving. What is the reality about interaction between Bluetooth and the Prius? Is this friend safe in connecting PDA via Bluetooth to Mobile telephone (as a modem) while riding in the Prius?

[walt]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BoBraxton @ Jun 4 2006, 05:02 PM) [snapback]265690[/snapback]</div>

A friend who also owns and drives a 2005 or 2006 Prius would like to use PDA connecting via Bluetooth to mobile phone device and service while on travel in the Prius but has read that Bluetooth is "dangerous" and is concerned about any damages that Bluetooth might inflict on any part of the Prius electronics, including the thought of stopping the car while driving. What is the reality about interaction between Bluetooth and the Prius? Is this friend safe in connecting PDA via Bluetooth to Mobile telephone (as a modem) while riding in the Prius?
[/b]

any danger is caused by the driver being distracted from their driving.

the bluetooth technology, frequencies, etc pose no danger to the prius.

[AnOldHouse]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BoBraxton @ Jun 4 2006, 05:02 PM) [snapback]265690[/snapback]</div>

A friend who also owns and drives a 2005 or 2006 Prius would like to use PDA connecting via Bluetooth to mobile phone device and service while on travel in the Prius but has read that Bluetooth is "dangerous" and is concerned about any damages that Bluetooth might inflict on any part of the Prius electronics, including the thought of stopping the car while driving. What is the reality about interaction between Bluetooth and the Prius? Is this friend safe in connecting PDA via Bluetooth to Mobile telephone (as a modem) while riding in the Prius?[/b]

The Bluetooth functionality of the Prius is that of a wireless handsfree headset only. You cannot connect a PDA to the Prius via Bluetooth (unless it's also a cell phone device and you're using the Prius as a headset only). There would be no other purpose, other than possibly to upload a phonebook to the Prius, but that's a whole other can of worms in and of itself.

The use of the Bluetooth headset feature in the Pruis presents no more or less "danger" than talking on the phone while driving a car with any other handsfree device. It is arguable that any telephone conversation, hands free or not may be distracting to the driver, but it is still entirely legal even where using a hand-held cell phone now is not, such as in Connecticut.

[Manksgloob]

The bluetooth connection is not sophisticated enough to allow the uploading of viruses or other malicious code that could cause your friend's Prius to shut down/crash/do strange things.

In fact, f-secure performed some of their own tests on the Prius' bluetooth capabilties/vulnerabilities and determined that it "performed admirably."
Their findings are available here: http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/ar...5.html#00000553

The Prius really just acts as a hands-free headset device for your bluetooth cell phone that supports contacts/phone book. It doesn't have an "infectable" operating system. At least not via bluetooth.

Plus, from the sound of your post your friend isn't even thinking of using the Prius' bluetooth capabilities, and rather just another bluetooth device (connecting his cell phone to his PDA.)
With this route, there is an even more unlikely chance that any malicious code will "hijack" or force its way into the Prius to cause problems.

Tell your friend not to worry.

[berylrb]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AnOldHouse @ Jun 4 2006, 04:38 PM) [snapback]265705[/snapback]</div>

The Bluetooth functionality of the Prius is that of a wireless handsfree headset only. You cannot connect a PDA to the Prius via Bluetooth (unless it's also a cell phone device and you're using the Prius as a headset only). There would be no other purpose, other than possibly to upload a phonebook to the Prius, but that's a whole other can of worms in and of itself.
[/b]

The other reason that I wanted to use was to push dialing a number through my Palm TX through my phone. This functionality allows me the greater memory capacity and display of a PDA, but full phone functionality when paired with a bluetooth phone. Alas, but as you said this is not a possibility, unless I'm using a smartphone but then I would lose all the cool capacity of a bluetooth/wifi PDA like the TX.

Like manksgloob said the Prius' telephony is indeed a headset on sterioids, with regard to the simple bluetooth pairing, however, why must it hog all bluetooth connectivity? What is the technicall necessity for this 'hogging'?

b

[Vagabond]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(berylrb @ Jun 4 2006, 06:52 PM) [snapback]265776[/snapback]</div>

The other reason that I wanted to use was to push dialing a number through my Palm TX through my phone. This functionality allows me the greater memory capacity and display of a PDA, but full phone functionality when paired with a bluetooth phone. Alas, but as you said this is not a possibility, unless I'm using a smartphone but then I would lose all the cool capacity of a bluetooth/wifi PDA like the TX.

Like manksgloob said the Prius' telephony is indeed a headset on sterioids, with regard to the simple bluetooth pairing, however, why must it hog all bluetooth connectivity? What is the technicall necessity for this 'hogging'?

b
[/b]

Actually folks what the original posters was getting at was that his friend wanted to 'Tether' his PDA to his phone so the phone can go online via the cell phone carrier. This is also called DUN (Dial Up Networking) There would be no interaction between the PDA/Phone to the Prius at this time.

Anyway, No.
Nothing bad can happen. The bluetooth signals from the phone to pda would be ignored by the car because it's not connected to the car. And even if the car was paying attention it wouldn't know what to do with the type of connection.

PS. Distracted Driver BAD. Uncrashed Prius good.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AnOldHouse @ Jun 4 2006, 02:38 PM) [snapback]265705[/snapback]</div>

The Bluetooth functionality of the Prius is that of a wireless handsfree headset only. You cannot connect a PDA to the Prius via Bluetooth (unless it's also a cell phone device and you're using the Prius as a headset only). There would be no other purpose, other than possibly to upload a phonebook to the Prius, but that's a whole other can of worms in and of itself.

The use of the Bluetooth headset feature in the Pruis presents no more or less "danger" than talking on the phone while driving a car with any other handsfree device. It is arguable that any telephone conversation, hands free or not may be distracting to the driver, but it is still entirely legal even where using a hand-held cell phone now is not, such as in Connecticut.
[/b]

The Prius uses the Hands-free profile, not the Headset.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(berylrb @ Jun 4 2006, 06:52 PM) [snapback]265776[/snapback]</div>

The other reason that I wanted to use was to push dialing a number through my Palm TX through my phone. This functionality allows me the greater memory capacity and display of a PDA, but full phone functionality when paired with a bluetooth phone. Alas, but as you said this is not a possibility, unless I'm using a smartphone but then I would lose all the cool capacity of a bluetooth/wifi PDA like the TX.

Like manksgloob said the Prius' telephony is indeed a headset on sterioids, with regard to the simple bluetooth pairing, however, why must it hog all bluetooth connectivity? What is the technicall necessity for this 'hogging'?

b
[/b]

There are plenty of Cell PDA's with wifi and bluetooth. Who's your phone provider and I'll rattle off a few.

Bluetooth only supports one connection at a time. The Prius' works no different in this respect than any other bluetooth device.

[berylrb]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Vagabond @ Jun 5 2006, 12:57 AM) [snapback]265857[/snapback]</div>

There are plenty of Cell PDA's with wifi and bluetooth. Who's your phone provider and I'll rattle off a few.

Bluetooth only supports one connection at a time. The Prius' works no different in this respect than any other bluetooth device.
[/b]

thanks vagabond,

I actually wanted two devices a bluetooth phone and a PDA, primarily for the larger display, memory (2G on a SD card), and graffiti, that's why I bought the Palm TX and simply pair it with my SE t616. The only time I can't use this pairing to dial and leave my phone in my pocket is in the Prius. I found wifi painful on a smart phone! Certainly my TX isn't much bigger but size does matter in this case.

Someone did mention that the 2006 has the ability to with a button disconnect the Prius-phone pairing while driving? This is interesting, can it be cone with a 2004? EDIT: and then reconnected after the TX dials the number, BTW this is a thumb only operation on the TX 5-way button.

The other reason is because every two years I can trade in my phone, if desired, and get a better camera usually for $50 with rebates. For instance, I'll be buying the SE Walkman 600i in a couple of months, $49.99 with rebates. I can't do that with a smartphone $300 or more!

[ceric]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(berylrb @ Jun 5 2006, 09:30 AM) [snapback]265946[/snapback]</div>

I'll be buying the SE Walkman 600i in a couple of months, $49.99 with rebates. [/b]

I have W600i. Be sure to turn "Power Save" to ON under Bluetooth. Otherwise, you will have lots of dropped connections. Factory setting for it is OFF (can you believe that?). The Bluetooth (connection strength) is not as good as my old Motorola V551. Slight blocking (in a pouch) of cell phones could cause the connection to drop. Once dropped, the W600i sometimes (I should say lots of times) cannot re-establish the connection with Prius. On the contrary, my old V551 never disappointed me as far as connection is concerned. Just FYI.