Hey! Who flushed my toilet?

If you hear someone complaining like this, don't write him off as a gone nutty case. This may actually happen, if a prankster is around with the latest Japanese Innovation; a luxury toilet seat or a commode controlled by a smartphone app. This toilet, manufactured by a Japanese firm 'Lixil' has the facility to control all its functions like automatic flushing, bidet spray, music and fragrance release controlled by an android app available on Goggle play store. It is also possible to have functions like opening/closing the lid, activate bidet or air-dry functions controlled remotely with app. This luxury toilet now retails for US$ 5,686 in Japan. The company also says that people can also store records of their bowel movements and other details on the 'My Satis' Android App.

All this sounds very high tech and nice but there is a hitch. The toilet uses bluetooth technology to receive instructions via the App, but the Pin code for every model is hardwired to be four zeros (0000), meaning that it cannot be reset and can be activated by any phone with the 'My Satis' App. This means that an attacker could simply download the My Satis application and use it to cause the toilet to repeatedly flush, raising the water usage and therefore utility cost to its owner. He can also cause distress or discomfort to a user by unexpectedly causing the unit to open/close the lid, activate bidet or air-dry functions, even when someone else is using it.

Luckily, since the operation works on bluetooth technology, it is limited only over a close range. This means that anyone wishing to carry out such an attack would need to be fairly close to the toilet itself. Even then a practical joker still might be able to trick his neighbours into thinking that their toilet is possessed as it squirts water and blows warm air unexpectedly on them.

So if you decide to indulge and get this toilet, don't get alarmed and start shouting, if it starts squirting water and blows warm air unexpectedly or the lid closes all of a sudden! (HaHa!)

I had a look at the Android App on the Google play. Description of the App is unfortunately in Japanese. I asked Google translator to translate it. The translation has come out so hilarious that I want to share it with all readers.

Description

To record on the calendar defecation situation daily, it is possible to health care is "toilet diary".

You can see at a glance enjoyable health state of each month by recording the bowel movement. Defecation record is a simple operation to choose from on the screen shape, color, and health status.

It can also be used as a remote control of the smartphone toilet.

Personalization and shower toilet that could not be achieved, (display only the buttons you can use to match the state of use of the toilet) operation navigation, is calculated by taken up in smartphone usage history that is stored in the internal parts of the toilet on the remote control until now By, you can see the aim of the water bill, electric bill.

Toshimashite operating environment of smart phones,

It is Bluetooth and 4.0 or Android 2.3, (R) ver2.1 or more and need SPP profile.

However, it does not constitute a certified for all models.

Depending on the model, and that the operation may become unstable, there are times when it does not work.

[Operation confirmed model]

Galaxy S Ⅱ (docomo SC-02C)

Galaxy SIII (docomo SC-06D)

GALAXY Note (docomo SC-05D)

ARROWS Me (docomo F11D)

GALAPAGOS (softbank 005SH)

Enjoy and have fun!

8^th August 2013