Gossip

Is Bluetooth Bluejackq more fun than texting ... ?

Is nothing sacred - not even Bluetooth? Apparently, not: even as worthy a Bluetooth SIG luminary as TDK's boss, Nick Hunn, is a devotee of the practice. He does it on boring train journeys.

"You just send your business card," is how he sums it up. Yes, Nick, but the catch is, you're sending it to someone who isn't expecting it.

"Yes, that's rather the point. For example, if someone's got a particularly loud voice on the train, and is shouting down the phone at his broker, it's quite fun to send a business card."

Why would that be fun?

"Well, instead of saying who you are, it says: 'There's a fine of £50 for excessive use of mobile phones.' That usually makes them think!"

The BBC caught up with the "rapidly growing cult" of Bluejackq earlier this week, but the real devotees have collected around a special "bluejack you" web site, which features the daring BluejackQ exploits of "Jellyellie" a young lady who claims she bullied her father into making this hobby possible.

"Oh, nonsense, I've been doing this for two years!" scoffed Hunn. "I was just sitting on the train, particularly bored, and though: 'I bet I could discover another Bluetooth device ... ' and then I thought 'I wonder what would happen if ... ' and it's saved me from tedium many times since."

And, as the BBC pointed out in its news story, it works on the London Underground, too!