Tracking People Via Cell Phone

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Tracking People Via Cell Phone

Posted by Hemos on Monday October 14, 2002 @02:23AM from the not-how-you-think dept.

An anonymous reader writes "According to the articleat the Guardian the UK Government have been working on a project to use the widely available mobile phone masts as a form of localised radar to track both people and vehicles without their knowledge. Supposedly there is even work on the way to give this project the ability to see through walls! Maybe Philip K. Dick was right to be paranoid about governments."

27 of 392 comments (clear)

Good heavens, through walls? by Adam+Rightmann · 2002-10-14 02:26 · Score: 2, Funny

The UK has discovered that radio waves can go through walls now? You mean I no longer have to go outside to talk on the cellphone? Will wonders never cease.

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A. Rightmann
1. Re:Good heavens, through walls? by Anonvmous+Coward · 2002-10-14 03:55 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  "The UK has discovered that radio waves can go through walls now?"
  
  Actually, there is a fairly old invention that does allow one to see through walls. It's called a 'window'.
2. Re:Good heavens, through walls? by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · 2002-10-14 04:37 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  The UK has discovered that radio waves can go through walls now?
  
  Yep, if you want to stop undesirable signals coming in these days, you need to build your house with one of these new-fangled "fire walls". As a bonus, your heating bills go way down, though you do have to be careful about the roof, since it's only held up by hot air.
  
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3. Re:Good heavens, through walls? by uncoveror · 2002-10-14 06:53 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Don't ever call those see through walls things "windows." Microsoft will sue you.
  
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Next big thing by Burdell · 2002-10-14 02:29 · Score: 5, Funny

Next they'll realize that they can track nerds via /. posts.
1. Re:Next big thing by dubiousmike · 2002-10-14 03:53 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Is THAT why I got a /. free tatoo at the last Slashdot Meetup?!? I was wondering why it kept tingling and glowing in the dark...
Dick? by Tyler+Eaves · 2002-10-14 02:29 · Score: 2, Funny

I tend to favor Orwellian paranoia myself...

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The Ironic Thing Is... by Zech+Harvey · 2002-10-14 02:32 · Score: 2, Funny

The tin-foil hat I wear to keep the government out of my head can help them find my phone.

So how does this interfere with UK's wiretapping laws (if any apply)? I am not up to policies for police across the pond.

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Zech Harvey, MCSE, MCDBA, CCNA
1. Re:The Ironic Thing Is... by walless · 2002-10-14 06:11 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Ahh, but it all depends on how you handle the shiny side of the foil; it's not something that should be attempted by amateurs, only the professionally paranoid.
2. Re:The Ironic Thing Is... by uncoveror · 2002-10-14 07:06 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  The trick is to get real tin foil, not aluminum foil. Many people call aluminum foil "tin foil," but they are not the same. Read More.
  
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Easy to get around.. by onion2k · 2002-10-14 02:36 · Score: 5, Funny

Its easy to avoid.. just stand very, very still.

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1. Re:Easy to get around.. by Anonymous Coward · 2002-10-14 02:50 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  or... chop up your tin foil hat, and throw the bits into the air. That should fool the radar while you make a getaway. I can't wait to buy a stealth car.
2. Re:Easy to get around.. by MoneyT · 2002-10-14 03:08 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  I thought that only worked for large dinosaurs in the middle of a theme park gone haywire
  
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  T Money
  World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
Radar evasion by wolfywolfy · 2002-10-14 02:41 · Score: 3, Funny

The technology 'sees' the shapes made when radio waves emitted by mobile phone masts meet an obstruction. Signals bounced back by immobile objects, such as walls or trees, are filtered out by the receiver
.. couldn't you just stand still and 'disappear'? .. or create some kind of personal radar evasion device, like a big blowup doll that moves around.. or get down on all fours (and get filtered out as "dog")

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*meep*
1. Re:Radar evasion by ljfrench · 2002-10-14 06:21 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  In other news, the federal government of the United States has uncovered their latest secret: Photon detection. Using this revolutionary technology, they can actually track people and objects by analyzing the photonic particles bouncing off of them.
  
  Consequently, the citizens of the United States are now in a panic, realizing they can no longer go out in public for fear of being watched...
Re:Er, isn't this around already? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-10-14 02:48 · Score: 1, Funny

Why do I need to hang so quick? Since I don't intend to blow up any children at a Tel Aviv mall any time soon, I have nothing to worry about as far as Mossad is concerned.

Look, if I was a friend or relative of a Mossad employee and I got a free cell phone from them, I'd be a little wary.

"Hey, I got you a free cell phone!"
"It dosen't have a, uh, bomb in it, does it?"
"No, it's a normal phone."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, lemme call my bank..."
Please enter your PIN, followed by the # key...

BLAMMO!
People can turn off their mobile phones...! by mulhall · 2002-10-14 02:48 · Score: 2, Funny

So now we need legislation to make sure everyone

a) Has a mobile phone
b) Cannot turn it off
c) Leave it at home

Wow, we'll catch all those crooks now...
Re:Tin Foil Hat by Reziac · 2002-10-14 02:51 · Score: 3, Funny

Know why the primary market for consumer-level telescopes is New York City apartment dwellers? Think about it. :)

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Re:three step bank robbery by azzy · 2002-10-14 02:53 · Score: 3, Funny

actually: 3) get arrested by police who were tracking YOU with this technology not your phone.
Re:Philip K. Dick by gowen · 2002-10-14 02:54 · Score: 2, Funny

Yeah, or even Thomas Jefferson
Yeah, but this is slashdot, where more people have heard of Dick than Jefferson. Besides, when've they ever made an Arnold Schwarzenegger blockbuster out of "Notes on The State Of Virginia"

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Re:A typical Slasdottian/geek attitude by DEBEDb · 2002-10-14 02:58 · Score: 3, Funny

You write in short, assertive sentences.
No bullshit digressions, long words or
subordinate clauses. You write like a man.
Even missing a few periouds now and again.

Read a lot of Hemingway lately? :)

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Considered harmful.
Re:That's pointless by Anonymous Coward · 2002-10-14 03:08 · Score: 1, Funny

I can inderstand the police wanting to follow criminals to their secret base, but bingo? do they expect them to spend their loot there or something?
Dear Slashgods by Rogerborg · 2002-10-14 03:27 · Score: 4, Funny

Hear my prayer. Smite down the hordes that posteth about triangulation and about GPRS, for they have not read the linked-to article. Curse them with boils and locusts and bad, bad karma, and banisheth also those that moderate them up, for they do spill their karma upon the stony ground. As in Kuro5hin, so shall it be on Slashdot, for ever and ever, amen.

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Re:Just to help those who don't read the article.. by sco08y · 2002-10-14 03:47 · Score: 2, Funny

Since cops also spend a good amount of time catching people getting a bit of nookie, couldn't it be "to collect and perv"?
Tracking Cell Phone Users by nick_davison · 2002-10-14 05:00 · Score: 3, Funny

Actually, it's been possible to triangulate cell phone users positions for quite some time. It's pretty simple, all you do is listen.
"NO! I CAN'T HEAR YOU! SPEAK UP! I'M IN A CINEMA"
Ah yes. The asshole's over there.
You Are Here by Anonymous Coward · 2002-10-14 05:43 · Score: 1, Funny

Kind of puts a weird twist on those "You are here" maps you see when your on vacation........
Re:You are confusing science with engineering by macdaddy357 · 2002-10-14 05:53 · Score: 2, Funny

They'll never track me. I drive a Dodge Stealth.

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