Is there any truth to the Internet virus rumor regarding the Toyota DVD navigation system and Bluetooth wireless interface?
A rumor has surfaced on the Internet indicating that a cell phone virus could be transmitted to the DVD navigation system in certain Toyota models through the Bluetooth wireless interface. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., and its parent company, Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan, have investigated this rumor and have determined it to be without foundation for the following reasons: 1) Navigation and audio systems in Toyota vehicles do utilize an embedded operating system (OS) and some degree of random access memory (RAM) that are used to store several types of information such as recent destinations, names and attributes of saved destinations, and a telephone directory, among other items. The operating system itself is proprietary, however, not Symbian as these reports have alleged; and 2) Although the Bluetooth interface does support the Object Push Protocol for transferring the phone book from a Bluetooth cell phone to the DVD navigation system, this is an operator-controlled event
