Think twice before wearing that bluetooth headset at these malls

Hey bluetooth users. There is some innovative marketing -- or invasive Big Brother tactics -- coming to shopping malls in West L.A., Lakewood, Cerritos, Downey and Thousand Oaks. Details from Alana Semuels at the Times' Technology blog:

People who wear Bluetooth devices when they're not actually using said devices are cool, important and, in California, law-abiding. Now they'll also be a special target for advertisers at malls.

Intera Group, a Pleasanton, Calif., company, said today that it had launched a proximity marketing network at five Macerich malls in Los Angeles. That means mall visitors who have their cellphones' Bluetooth capabilities turned on will receive coupons and special offers from advertisers when they visit the mall -- if they decide to opt in. The program begins in five malls: the Westside Pavilion, the Oaks in Thousand Oaks, Los Cerritos Center, Lakewood Center and Stonewood Center.

-- Shelby Grad

Comments

[Floyd]

Sorry, I'm not going to the mall to be solicited. It's bad enough that I get that occasional call on my cell phone from advertisers, I surely don't want more soliciting going on. Give us a break, this whole concept that is being thrown at us in a fashion that is going to inturrupt our relaxing affairs, is uttlery rediculis

[Floyd]

I think that this whole concept that is beeing thrown at us is uttlery rediculis. It's bad enough that I get those unwanted soliciting calls on my cell phone, I surely don't want any while I'm out enjoying time out.