4 ms·

This is a hilariously stupid reaction to a stupidly hilarious decision made by a speaker manufacturer. And also a new vector for a ransom-attack on the Bluetoo

by K0balt 5mo ago

This is a hilariously stupid reaction to a stupidly hilarious decision made by a speaker manufacturer. And also a new vector for a ransom-attack on the Bluetooth namespace in certain environments via malicious BLE advertising. The worst thing that could have happened here was for someone to take this seriously.

deleted 5mo ago
[deleted]
chatmasta 5mo ago
I’ve seen multiple comments referencing this was the default device name… did I miss something in the article or is that sourced from elsewhere?
- abejfehr 5mo ago
  I just found the theory referenced on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/KidsAreFuckingStupid/comments/1tstsqn/united_flight_turned_around_over_atlantic_as_a/ https://www.reddit.com/r/KidsAreFuckingStupid/comments/1tsts...
  - dualvariable 5mo ago
    > A redditor who's wife and her friend were on the flight said that the 16yo boy next to wife's friend admitted to naming his speaker "Bomb" long enough ago that he had forgotten he'd named it that. Wife's friend got to hear the questioning That is also stated clearly in the comments. Reddit really wants to run with the default speaker name theory, though.
    - deleted 5mo ago
      [deleted]
    - f_allwein 5mo ago
      Also, who carries a Bluetooth speaker on a plane? And for what purpose?
      - Geof25 5mo ago
        Speaker in carry on luggage to be used in vacation. They were flying to Malaga
        grodriguez100 5mo ago
        Not Malaga according to the article — destination was Palma de Mallorca.
      - al_borland 5mo ago
        Most BT speakers have a battery, which means it has to be in carry-on luggage. Why it would be powered on is the question, but this could have happened inadvertently by getting knocked around in a bag.
        simulator5g 5mo ago
        Sometimes I see my BT speaker broadcasting BLE info when it is turned off. Most things do not really 'turn off' these days.
        lxgr 5mo ago
        Which is actually really useful, in this case – this lets me turn it on from across the room from my phone without having to get up!
        simulator5g 4mo ago
        I also love that feature on your bluetooth speaker because I can turn it on from inside your walls.
      - andix 5mo ago
    - gpm 5mo ago
      > long enough ago that he had forgotten he'd named it that Actually sounds a lot like "that was the default name but now that everyone's making a big deal about it I'm assuming I must have named it that". I wouldn't assume that this "confession" means that reddit's theory is at all incorrect. Witnesses are terribly inaccurate sources of information, unfortunately. (Not to say the alternative also couldn't be the case)
      - elliotec 5mo ago
        Renaming a Bluetooth device like a speaker permanently for everyone (as opposed to a nickname you give it in your phone or whatever) is difficult if possible at all and usually requires firmware or hardware changes, unless the option is given by the device or its companion app (which is very rare). So your assumption seems the most likely. I highly doubt a 16 year old kid is firmware hacking a cheap speaker just to rename it for a "joke"
        whycome 5mo ago
        It seems like some newer speakers allow it. I really wanna know what speaker he actually had.
        layer8 5mo ago
        It’s commonplace for Bluetooth speakers to allow changing their Wi-Fi name (SSID) using the related app. Everyone being able to identify each other’s Bluetooth speakers is exactly one purpose of that.
        K0balt 5mo ago
        Bluetooth speakers don’t typically have WiFi or SSIDs. The Bluetooth advertising name is changeable on some newer higher end devices, but the vast majority of cheap speakers do not implement this from a practical standpoint. Changing the name on your device only changes the alias that you see, at least on most devices, but it might be possible to hook that on some OSs ?
    - andix 5mo ago
      It's not extremely far fetched that someone would call a speaker "bomb". Especially if it's loud and has a lot of bass. We used to call such devices "boomboxes". And a bomb makes "boom". Wiktionary also has this meaning listed for bomb: "9. Something highly effective or attractive."
    - mvdtnz 5mo ago
      Don't believe anything on Reddit, ever.
  - schmookeeg 5mo ago
    I can't explain why, but the top comment is the funniest thing in this whole episode to me: Removed for violating Rule #6: Must be a kid and must be stupid. Common reasons for this remove include but not limited to: Teens are not considered kids as its a different kind of stupid.
- prmoustache 5mo ago
  I own a bluetooth speaker from the Boom brand and it has obviously the model name as bluetooth ID. Changing it would require installing an app that I don't really want to for obvious reasons. Additionally some bluetooth device never really turn down completely and still advertize their bluetooth ID via BLE so the teenager in question may not even have realized he could change anything and the commands given (turn off bluetooth) were completely stupid as it wouldn't change anything if people turned down their smartphone bluetooth.
- K0balt 5mo ago
  For the vast majority of “dumb” devices, it is not possible to rename the Bluetooth advertising name. You can assign a local alias to the MAC of the device so that it shows up to -you- as a custom name, but with the exception of host devices like phones or laptops, it is unusual to be able to change the advertising name.
- tuumi 5mo ago
  I'm so confused. We're all commenting on an article that explicitly says it was verified by multiple sources to be a Fitbit. The kid named his Fitbit Bomb. Why are so many people saying it was a speaker? Did they change the article?
  - chatmasta 5mo ago
    It didn’t mention anything about Fitbit when I read it yesterday. Looks like it was updated: > This article was updated on Monday, June 1, 2026, to include an official statement from United Airlines and additional context on the incident. It was originally published on Sunday, May 31, 2026. > … > It has now been reported by various outlets, including the New York Post [0], that the device responsible for the threatening Bluetooth name was a Fitbit. This is a wearable smartwatch and fitness tracker that comes with Bluetooth capability to sync with other devices, such as phones or computers. The 16-year-old owner and the device were not deemed a threat by authorities. [0] https://nypost.com/2026/05/31/us-news/united-airlines-flight-diverts-back-to-newark-after-bluetooth-devices-name-sparks-security-scare/ https://nypost.com/2026/05/31/us-news/united-airlines-flight...
deleted 5mo ago
[deleted]
1970-01-01 5mo ago
You forgot to add the cherry: they refuse to publish the "four-letter-word" as if we're stupider than they are and will never precisely figure out the puzzle. This story is equally as stupid as it is frustrating.
tuumi 5mo ago
I'm confused why people keep calling it a speaker when the article states it was verified by multiple sources as a Fitbit that the kid gave the name bomb. Nowhere in the article was a speaker mentioned.
- semiquaver 5mo ago
  People are wont to stick to their pet theories even after they’ve been contradicted by facts. The idea of a Bluetooth speaker named “boom” filled the initial vacuum and became a meme that won’t die.
K0balt 5mo ago
Removed because someone will probably actually do it.

by K0balt 5mo ago

deleted 5mo ago

[deleted]

chatmasta 5mo ago

I’ve seen multiple comments referencing this was the default device name… did I miss something in the article or is that sourced from elsewhere?

abejfehr 5mo ago
I just found the theory referenced on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/KidsAreFuckingStupid/comments/1tstsqn/united_flight_turned_around_over_atlantic_as_a/ https://www.reddit.com/r/KidsAreFuckingStupid/comments/1tsts...
- dualvariable 5mo ago
  > A redditor who's wife and her friend were on the flight said that the 16yo boy next to wife's friend admitted to naming his speaker "Bomb" long enough ago that he had forgotten he'd named it that. Wife's friend got to hear the questioning That is also stated clearly in the comments. Reddit really wants to run with the default speaker name theory, though.
  - deleted 5mo ago
    [deleted]
  - f_allwein 5mo ago
    Also, who carries a Bluetooth speaker on a plane? And for what purpose?
    - Geof25 5mo ago
      Speaker in carry on luggage to be used in vacation. They were flying to Malaga
      - grodriguez100 5mo ago
        Not Malaga according to the article — destination was Palma de Mallorca.
    - al_borland 5mo ago
      Most BT speakers have a battery, which means it has to be in carry-on luggage. Why it would be powered on is the question, but this could have happened inadvertently by getting knocked around in a bag.
      - simulator5g 5mo ago
        Sometimes I see my BT speaker broadcasting BLE info when it is turned off. Most things do not really 'turn off' these days.
        lxgr 5mo ago
        Which is actually really useful, in this case – this lets me turn it on from across the room from my phone without having to get up!
        simulator5g 4mo ago
        I also love that feature on your bluetooth speaker because I can turn it on from inside your walls.
    - andix 5mo ago
  - gpm 5mo ago
    > long enough ago that he had forgotten he'd named it that Actually sounds a lot like "that was the default name but now that everyone's making a big deal about it I'm assuming I must have named it that". I wouldn't assume that this "confession" means that reddit's theory is at all incorrect. Witnesses are terribly inaccurate sources of information, unfortunately. (Not to say the alternative also couldn't be the case)
    - elliotec 5mo ago
      Renaming a Bluetooth device like a speaker permanently for everyone (as opposed to a nickname you give it in your phone or whatever) is difficult if possible at all and usually requires firmware or hardware changes, unless the option is given by the device or its companion app (which is very rare). So your assumption seems the most likely. I highly doubt a 16 year old kid is firmware hacking a cheap speaker just to rename it for a "joke"
      - whycome 5mo ago
        It seems like some newer speakers allow it. I really wanna know what speaker he actually had.
      - layer8 5mo ago
        It’s commonplace for Bluetooth speakers to allow changing their Wi-Fi name (SSID) using the related app. Everyone being able to identify each other’s Bluetooth speakers is exactly one purpose of that.
        K0balt 5mo ago
        Bluetooth speakers don’t typically have WiFi or SSIDs. The Bluetooth advertising name is changeable on some newer higher end devices, but the vast majority of cheap speakers do not implement this from a practical standpoint. Changing the name on your device only changes the alias that you see, at least on most devices, but it might be possible to hook that on some OSs ?
  - andix 5mo ago
    It's not extremely far fetched that someone would call a speaker "bomb". Especially if it's loud and has a lot of bass. We used to call such devices "boomboxes". And a bomb makes "boom". Wiktionary also has this meaning listed for bomb: "9. Something highly effective or attractive."
  - mvdtnz 5mo ago
    Don't believe anything on Reddit, ever.
- schmookeeg 5mo ago
  I can't explain why, but the top comment is the funniest thing in this whole episode to me: Removed for violating Rule #6: Must be a kid and must be stupid. Common reasons for this remove include but not limited to: Teens are not considered kids as its a different kind of stupid.
prmoustache 5mo ago
I own a bluetooth speaker from the Boom brand and it has obviously the model name as bluetooth ID. Changing it would require installing an app that I don't really want to for obvious reasons. Additionally some bluetooth device never really turn down completely and still advertize their bluetooth ID via BLE so the teenager in question may not even have realized he could change anything and the commands given (turn off bluetooth) were completely stupid as it wouldn't change anything if people turned down their smartphone bluetooth.
K0balt 5mo ago
For the vast majority of “dumb” devices, it is not possible to rename the Bluetooth advertising name. You can assign a local alias to the MAC of the device so that it shows up to -you- as a custom name, but with the exception of host devices like phones or laptops, it is unusual to be able to change the advertising name.
tuumi 5mo ago
I'm so confused. We're all commenting on an article that explicitly says it was verified by multiple sources to be a Fitbit. The kid named his Fitbit Bomb. Why are so many people saying it was a speaker? Did they change the article?
- chatmasta 5mo ago
  It didn’t mention anything about Fitbit when I read it yesterday. Looks like it was updated: > This article was updated on Monday, June 1, 2026, to include an official statement from United Airlines and additional context on the incident. It was originally published on Sunday, May 31, 2026. > … > It has now been reported by various outlets, including the New York Post [0], that the device responsible for the threatening Bluetooth name was a Fitbit. This is a wearable smartwatch and fitness tracker that comes with Bluetooth capability to sync with other devices, such as phones or computers. The 16-year-old owner and the device were not deemed a threat by authorities. [0] https://nypost.com/2026/05/31/us-news/united-airlines-flight-diverts-back-to-newark-after-bluetooth-devices-name-sparks-security-scare/ https://nypost.com/2026/05/31/us-news/united-airlines-flight...

deleted 5mo ago

[deleted]

1970-01-01 5mo ago

You forgot to add the cherry: they refuse to publish the "four-letter-word" as if we're stupider than they are and will never precisely figure out the puzzle. This story is equally as stupid as it is frustrating.

tuumi 5mo ago

I'm confused why people keep calling it a speaker when the article states it was verified by multiple sources as a Fitbit that the kid gave the name bomb. Nowhere in the article was a speaker mentioned.

semiquaver 5mo ago
People are wont to stick to their pet theories even after they’ve been contradicted by facts. The idea of a Bluetooth speaker named “boom” filled the initial vacuum and became a meme that won’t die.

K0balt 5mo ago

Removed because someone will probably actually do it.