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Your Cell Phone Is Tracking You
PollGuy writes "I had never heard until this article in the New York Times (sacrifice of first born required) about services that let regular people track the locations of other regular people via their cell phones. Nor this: 'A federal mandate that wireless carriers be able to locate callers who dial 911 automatically by late 2005 means that millions of phones already keep track of their owners' whereabouts.'"
Its possible to track the location of people who have landlines too. It's called a phone book.
You're right, I wouldn't steal a car. But if it were possible, I sure as hell would download one!
We're about to hit comment #7777777 (seven sevens). That's got to be lucky!
Jerold Surdahl, 40, an administrator in a building management office in Centerville, Ohio, said he started using the uLocate service to communicate with colleagues. Now, he is intrigued by the possibility of stashing a location-tracking phone in the trunk of his wife's car.
"I'm not expecting or hoping or wanting to find something, but I would just like to explore the possibilities," Mr. Surdahl said. "I'd tell her about it later."
Umm.. can you say BUSTED? Having your name and your intentions printed in the NYT pretty much ensures your secret is out.
BTW, whats with all these controlling people? Relationships are about trust. If you can't trust someone to tell you where they were, then something more serious is wrong.
-molo
Using your sig line to advertise for friends is lame.
NAYAAAT - (Nor Are You An Accurate Acronym Transcriber)
I'd be sure to remove the battery if a I didn't want to be tracked. I wouldn't trust the on/off switch for one second. Personally, if I was going to a tin-foil hat clan meeting, I would leave the phone at home. I'd be paranoid that even with the battery removed, there might still be some tracking mechanism. I think that the recent story about the FBI being ordered by a court not to use a certain method of monitoring computers in cars because they interfered with the use of the machines by the users just goes to show how the FBI has an attitude that it is their absolute right to snoop on anything and everything and use anything possible for surveilance.
/me dons tin-foil hat.
Wh47 d1d j00 541, 31337 15n't t3h r0xor5 ne m0r3???
It's incredibly informative that I bought a phone. How would you have known otherwise?
Good thing I have AT&T! I get so little coverage I bet they have no idea where I'm at.
Time to make a mini hat for my cell phone..
(if I had one -- a phone that is)
--
"I'm not bright. Big words confuse me. But Wanda loves me and that should be enough for you." - Cosmo
We should make cell phones really small.. kinda triangular shaped.. and pin them to our chest! We can have a speakerphone system and voice recognition, you can just tap it and speak!
And now people can go "Computer, locate Liutenant Worf."
Err.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
Instead of paying for LoJack for my new car, I'll just sign up for the family plan and leave a cheap Nokia in the trunk.
Phone companies should just make it optional to use 911 with tracking or no 911 at all, they can market it as the 'Do or Die' service.
"Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door." - Emily Dickinson
Those who sacrifice security to condemn liberty deserve to repeat history or something. - Benjamin Santayana
If you're really worried, select "OFF" from the main menu, then remove the battery for good measure :>
Freaking pervert... I've gotten mad at my phone, but I never wanted to rape it...