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Bell Labs Demos Cell Phone Location Software

Posted by timothy on from the peekaboo-for-adults dept.

mateub writes "AP via Yahoo reports that Bell Labs will soon announce cell phone software to reveal the owner's location to interested parties. To alleviate privacy concerns they say the software will 'let cell users be as picky as they choose about disclosing their whereabouts' but the article goes on to mention 'the ability for restaurants and other businesses to send a solicitation by text message to a cell phone when its owner wanders within range of those merchants.' Oh, wonderful, cellular popups..."

4 of 341 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm.... by SilentT · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sounds like a very good reason for me to remain cell-phone-free.

  2. No need to transmit at all, most of the time by HiKarma · · Score: 5, Insightful
    It's possible to produce compelling location-aware network applications without requiring the device to tell the outside world where it is. Instead, have the network provide information about the general area, and let the device decide what to do about it.


    Only in an emergency need you tell the outsiders where you are. You don't even want to always tell trusted people where you are. That's like being lojacked. Given the ability, how can you say to your wife, "Honey, I don't want you to see my location every minute of every day?"


    Unless she's a good, understanding privacy advocate.


    For an example of a nice location aware app that doesn't have to tell the network where you are, check out this blog entry about The Big Yellow Button

  3. Enough by savagedome · · Score: 5, Insightful

    enabling users to specify what location information is shared, when, with whom, how and under what circumstances

    They told us that navigation system is for navigation. And then, its tracking the cars, speeding tickets.

    They told us cookies is just to make the stateless HTTP protocol have some states. And then, its Double Click and all the tracking.

    They told us at the grocery store that the card will be used to get discounts. And then, you start getting those annoying mail related to products you bought.

    Hello marketing fellas out there, PLEASE stop. Consumer is getting upset.

    --


    Free XBox, PS2
  4. Not so great for kids by HiKarma · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Many have pointed out how ineffective lojacking kids would be if the kidnappers (who 99% of the time are relatives, the press just makes a big deal when there is a stranger kidnapping) are aware of the technology.

    It can be worse, it can be used to mislead. Of course they can just turn the phone off (you going to trigger an alert on every dead battery or out of range cell phone?) but they can also plant it at the home or the home of some red herring.

    But here's the real question. Kids have rights. At what age will parents finally let their kids be free of the surveillance anklet we're calling a cell phone?

    I can tell you it will be later than it should be for almost all parents, that is their nature, and it's understandable.

    But I think if we are going to have readily available child-lojack, there may need to be a law to protect the children from their parents, and forbid doing it after the age of 12. The kids can still have a phone, can still call 911 and transmit their location, but no parent query.

    Otherwise we destroy the freedom of all kids to catch one stupid criminal out of 100,000 who doesn't know to turn off the phone. All the other times it will be used to say, "I told you not to associate with that Jimmy kid."