Your cell phone may be one of the last spots around that's relatively free of advertising , but not for long. my friends.Media and advertising companies have found a way of latching on to people's handsets by beaming ads to them via Bluetooth, the same technology used in some hands-free headsets.Here's how it works: When you're standing less than 10 meters away from a Bluetooth interactive billboard, window display or concert hall booth, you'll be asked if you want to switch on your Bluetooth function and accept a file. That file could be a video, a song or an offer of rebate coupons.As you are strolling down the Champs Elysees, for instance, don't be surprised if one day Lancome, using the technology, invites you to test its newest perfume in a nearby shop. You may also find yourself on the receiving end of ad clips from Coca-Cola or a Warner Bros. preview of its "Happy Feet" animated film.
But cellular phone operators aren't showing much enthusiasm for Bluetooth marketing since it's free for the consumer and often does not generate extra revenues for them.
Instead, mobile operators such as Orange favor a rival technology to Bluetooth called Code 2D - or QR.
These bar codes, already used in Japan, are read by camera phones and send the user directly to a Web page. Accessing a Web site requires a subscription to a wireless Internet connection for which users usually have to pay.