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Bell Labs Demos Cell Phone Location Software
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..."
It would be interesting if there were some software switch that could be triggered by the provider if they were forced to do so by eg FBI or some other form of law enforcment. If you have committed a crime flick of a swtich your position is lit up like a christmas tree. I would prefer telling people where I am rather than having the phone tell them my exact location. Some of the newer technology is interesting and good, But some will bring in a new era of Big Brother. Just my thought..
If I get spammed by someone identifiable because I happen to be in their vicinity, I'll be demanding to see the manager and collect my dime refund, just to be a PITA. If enough people do it, that will be end of that kind of spam in the US.
In the past, the only way to tell where a person was located while talking on the phone was to detect which cell tower they were connected to. Considering that coverage was several square miles, it wasn't a very good way of tracking someone. However, this method of location has been used by police to solve murders where a person said they were somewhere when they called home after they murdered their spouse.
There have been times when I've been wondering where the nearest {insert favorite exotic food} restaurant is.
- Grab Mobile
- set "restaurants only"=true
- turn on location announcing thingy
- wait 5
- turn off location announcing thingy
- read ads from local restaurants
Wire them up with an electronic compass and it should even be able to give you (updated in realtime, even) directions from where you are.Visit CryptoGnome in his home.
An answer to 911 problem? I also read an article about cell phone companies in Japan having a "personals" system on the phone. e.g it gives you a list of "singles" next to you on sidewalk.
Saying Java is nice because it works on all OS's is like saying that anal sex is nice because it works on all genders.
In particular, I don't want the restaurants (or other stores) to even know I'm nearby until I ask the phone to poll for that information.
" somehow see the phone in the dumpster as a big clue that something is up."
So would not phoning home from a friend's house, or not coming home at all.
The cell phone in a dumpster is useless as an indicator, Q.E.D. So that "use" is a farce.
So what is the real use?
1. Selling ads.
2. Tracking law abiding citizens.
3. Locator service for the user. A selling point, but 1. and 2. are the winners here.
"...as it will undoubtedly
improve children's safety."
how so? Are you saying the kidnapper won't through the cell phone out the window?
How about this, the kidnapper tosses the childs phone into a different vehical going in another direction?
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
The way I see it, always-on tracking means using your receiver to find today's victim.
Sure, having a phone that knows where it is is a good thing. Telling everyone in the world that 555-1212 has been standing at the bus stop for 15 minutes, and that all the other cell phones in the area have moved on to somewhere else is most certainly not good. Not even close. And if they're going to let the restaurant down the street know where 555-1212 is, they're most certainly not aiming at the privacy I'd want for MY kids whereabouts. (I suppose I could teach my kid to say "no" to the cell phone tracking message when it comes up for everyone but me, if they really do implement that feature of letting people choose)
No, if I was going to give this to my kid, it would have to be on demand, with a password. I call 1800findkid, enter the cellphone number, enter my pin, and then it contacts the cellphone, some form of challenge authentication against the pin I had entered directly into the cellphone and the cellphone responds with its location.
If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
.. using handset independent cell method in Australia using national Carrier.
Our applications gave total control to user with global on/off and selective sharing of generated PIN with friends on list.
Even now in 2004 network based positioning systems not precise enough to beep door-by-door for that available single right next to you so can stop worrying about that.
Also here in Australia there must be a different assumption as to marketing and ads fears expressed - everyone from telco to providers to businesses here realise big time spamming will kill such services cold.
We did 80 categories of content too and they were really popular to pull up relevant locations at any time, near you or somewhere else.
Our latest generation services allows for free text searches as well so users are again in total control in roaming through our content with or without positioning.
Alex.
www.findmap.com.au
And it ain't "us".
Repeat after me.
"We are not the consumers. We are the product. Advertisers are the consumers."