Bluetooth move to spread litter message
LATE night revellers in Torquay will have anti-litter messages beamed to their mobile phone in a bid to keep the town tidy.
The messages will be sent via Bluetooth using special pods located around the harbourside.
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The trial scheme aims to stop party-goers dropping cigarette buts and take-away food containers.
The pods can detect a Bluetooth enabled mobile phones up to 100 meters away and will send out one of three anti-litter messages.
Torbay mayor Nick Bye welcomed the use of new technology.
He said: "Getting the anti-litter message across to people who are out enjoying themselves is a challenge for the council, which is why we are delighted to be trialing such technology in Torbay.
"The Bluetooth pods are an environmentally friendly and modern way of communicating with people.
"We would encourage anyone out and about in Torbay this Saturday night to activate their Bluetooth system and judge for themselves."
Devon-based Bluetooth marketing company Connections are providing the pods free of charge for the council's trial scheme.
Simon Boyce, director of Connections, said: "Good businesses should always look at new and exciting way to promote themselves, their services and their products. The technology provides a cost effective and exciting way to reach media savvy customers.
"We are please to be working with Torbay Council to convey a positive environmental message in a new and exciting way, and hope that people remember to activate their Bluetooth this Saturday night."
Each Bluetooth pod can identify between 21 and 56 Bluetooth devices such as phones and laptops every 40 seconds.
The pods can then issue promotional information such as special offers, vouchers and advertisements to each device.
Mr Boyce said Connections sends a message asking for Bluetooth users to agree or decline receiving the advertisement before it is delivered. If users decline, the advert will not be delivered. If they agree it will.
He said neither Connections nor Torbay Council would be gathering any personal information during today's trial.
13 Comments
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by Trend Setter, Torquay
Tuesday, October 28 2008, 9:18PM
“To set the record straight for any techno-phobes out there...Bluetooth is not constituted as any form of spam. Spam is something that you get without any warning, ie- LIKE THE VENUE AND VALBONNE NIGHTCLUBS SENDING TEXTS NONE OF US WANT WITHOUT CHOICE. Bluetooth gives you an option, and if you don't like it, turn it off! problem solved! Bluetooth is the future whether we like it or not, this may not be the best use of it but i think it's probably the best alternative to paper flyers we've ever had. What the council need to do is stop all the clubs and bars flyering, namely 2 big culprits! They are the people they should be targetting.”
by simon, paignton
Tuesday, October 28 2008, 4:43PM
“I think its a innovative idea and it certainly has people talking both negatively and possitively and i agree its not new but its there to be used. What we have to look at that around 90% people have mobiles and 30% have bluetooth activated and many dont even know its on so this is still a massive potential audience. I dont think its meant just for people at the end of the night drunk, its actually to make people aware which has certainly worked last week and i am sure if they were sending out 50% off vouchers you would turn your bluetooth on and accept?”
by bored, N/A
Tuesday, October 28 2008, 1:51PM
“What a waste of time and money most people don't leave their bluetooth on as it drains the phone battery and even if they did what notice would they take. I know what my reaction to a message like that would be if i had been on a boozy night out. What the .... then promptly press the delete button!!!”
by Giorgos Saslis, Heraklion
Tuesday, October 21 2008, 5:36PM
“I completely agree that this is not the best use of the technology I have seen so far. There is little chance a message sent via bluetooth will be able to influence people leaving a club at 3 or 4 am in the morning.
On the other hand there are much more creative uses for the technology, and ones that would certainly not render it as spam.
(btw, there is a small but key difference with Bluetooth technology that differentiates it from SMS and e-mail SPAM : users are always asked if they want to accept an incoming message, so they can simply reject or ignore an incoming connection request -- with e-mail or SMS they don't get this kind of option and that's why that is illegal, and sending messages over Bluetooth isn't. In fact it's the very reason they incorporated the confirmation step into the process)
There are wonderful interactive services you can run via Bluetooth such as wireless and free access to the latest sports/politics/fashion news, for example.
My point is don't blaim bluetooth if there's some people who don't put it to good use. Some people used to say the same thing about the Internet, and look where that's at today.”
by maverick, torbay
Sunday, October 19 2008, 10:13PM
“The Council have to much time to make a real impact.Then the pettycoats in charge are Wearing the trousers in Torbay today.Still its their own fault anyway for being wimps.(the men that is).”
by IW, Oblivion
Sunday, October 19 2008, 11:20AM
“This is illegal unless the council gets permission from the phone holder first. This falls into the same category of e-mail spam, fax spam and telephone marketing without permission and a fine of £5000 is payable if you get caught.
Wouldn't it be a better idea to get the night club, pub and fast food bars to clean the mess?”
by Julian, Torquay
Saturday, October 18 2008, 9:51PM
“maybe they should try emptying the recycle skip in paignton car park. theyve been over flowing for months now. get your act together council!”
by steve, paignton
Saturday, October 18 2008, 8:49PM
“some people leave there bluetoooth turned on all the time, this technology can then use the signal to send you spam, and it is spam, you didnt ask for it. it could potentionaly keep track of your blue tooth username for future use ?
as for saving money, i think we all know that torbay council and mister lord almighty only have them selves to think of.
and stupidity reigns...
where we live road sweepers come round every thursday morning and cleans the street - nice you might think... then an hour later the dustbin come and empty the rubbish bags into piles along the street making twice as much mess as before ??????”
by Richard, Torquay
Saturday, October 18 2008, 8:17PM
“Littering is an offence, arrest the offender and make them clean the streets in the morning, have seen the state of the Harbour area at 5am, cleaning the streets in the middle of winter might deter them in the future and same us poor tax payers some money.”
by mike, torbay
Saturday, October 18 2008, 6:46PM
“mobile phones dont have blue tooth enabled unless they are using it for specific purphouse. These people don't care and thats why torquay is always a mess at weekends. theres not enough trash cans either. if the councill can't organize emptying trash cans and having them in adequate numbers what the hell is going on in this area”