Slashdot Mirror
Cell-Phone Wars
Makarand writes "According to this article in the Houston Chronicle people
fed up with cell phone chatter have declared
war against cell phones.
They are arming themselves with detectors, jammers and other gizmos to defend privacy,
security, sanity and blissful silence. Although jamming cell phones is not
legal in the US, pocket-sized jammers are available online and even on
eBay. Cell-phone jammers typically work by disrupting
the communication between handsets and cellular towers
by flooding an area with interference
or selectively blocking signals by broadcasting on frequencies
used by these phones. The FCC
has received very few complaints about jammed cell phones
and has never taken action against anyone for that violation."
They tried to call and complain, but ...
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
...just wait until someone blocks a 911 call.
The FCC has received very few complaints about jammed cell phones and has never taken action against anyone for that violation.
How could they take action? The people with the jammers keep them in their pockets. And the only reason they're doing it is for the entertainment/proving a point aspect. It's not as if Wal*Mart is mass-installing jammers to stop shoppers talking while shopping, so how would the FCC catch anyone?
Besides, with the way people move around, service would only appear to be patchy, dropping out as you walk past someone with a jammer, then coming back again. Cellphones do this anyway , so how you would you know what to complain about?
This is pretty much a non story because it's hard to tell if you're being jammed or if you're just getting a crappy signal. Sure, you shouldn't be blocking cellphone signals, but I can't see how the FCC is going to catch you doing it.
Wow, they sell jammers? That is terrible, so disruptive and bad, it's just wrong. Where do you buy those by the way?
sig:
See the "..for smart people" banners Wired runs here? Look elsewhere guys.
> As a top IT executive for a fortune 50, I spend a lot of time on global conference calls. I would be extremely annoyed, and would consider it an attack on both me personally, and me professionally (and, by extension, my company) if someone were to jam my cellular during an important conference call.
As a normal person, I consider it an attack on me both personally and professionally, when someone use a cell phone in an inappropriate context.
I recommend you not do this.
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
I'm tired as fuck of all the self-righteous pricks running around who think their one-on-one conversations are more important than my conversation over the phone. If I'm at a restraunt dining alone (traveling for business or just a loser....) unless everyone can't talk then I'll talk on my phone till the cows come home. Ms. Manners can shove it... Never is it acceptable where no one should be talking, movies, churches, etc....but unless it's unacceptable for everyone to talk, then find something else to bitch about.
With a swift kick to the nuts!
What we really need is a jammer that will only effect 13 to 17 year old girls.
The 'Safe Haven' system by Iceberg is not a camera phone jammer.
It's basically a feature that needs to be built into the phone. When it receives a certain signal it disables the camera. Iceberg claim it could be used for laptops and PDA's but neglect to mention that disabling the technology would be trivial for any determined pervert.
The complaints over camera phones are pretty idiotic anyway. The determined pervert could just use a tiny camera if they really wanted to take photo's anywhere.
I'm not paying Nokia et al to integrate technology that selectively disables my phone. It reminds me the recent debacle about printers with built in mechanisms to defeat currency copying. I'd rather Nokia and HP spent their time working on useful new features than trying to nursemaid me.
If you are worried about someone taking your photo in the locker room, that is your problem.
who cares if it's vital or not. If you're sitting there conversing with your mates, then I have every right to talk to my friend/associate/whatever virtually... again, if it's a library, chrurch, theatre, where NO ONE should talk to anyone, fine....but to have a conversation with a person on the phone in a normal tone is no more distracting than listening to your annoying drivel to your table mates.... the logic is total BS: the first paragraph alone where some asshole is jamming conversation at a coffee house????? come the F*&^% on....tell the prick to go to a library...IF I caught someone doing this I wouldn't hesitate to take a swing at him... And you know the only people running around with these devices would be greasy little geeks without friends to bring in person or to call on the phone that you could wipe the floor with one hand..
I'm tired as fuck of all the self-righteous pricks running around who think their one-on-one conversations are more important than my conversation over the phone.
Those are my feelings EXACTLY. The only difference that I've thought of is the tendency for some morons to talk a lot more loudly on a cell call than during a one-on-one conversation. I've found that imitating them puts a stop to that, usually.
To ensure perfect aim, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target
when you have AT&T's GSM: its like having a legal cell phone jammer at all times!
My cell phone is on vibrate 24/7. Why should I get jammed? The only good solution is a bluetooth type technology that silences any phone in the area without disabling them.
Sure some people are inconsiderate jerks. People talk to people sitting next to them in movies all the time. We don't duct tape everyone's mouthes shut on the way in.
Actually they should have screened the line for Return of the King. If you didn't see the first two movies, you should not have been allowed in. There were people all around me having the first 6 hours of film described to them on the fly.
-B
While cell phone jamming in public spaces is illegal, my research suggests that jamming on private property is not illegal. It appears this has never been challenged in court. The big question though is, whether or not it's a good practice.
I finally relented and got a cell phone vary recently. I (like almsot every other slashdot reader) work in the tech sector 8 hours a day 5 days a week and have revused until recently to bring some of this technology into my home. I don't have cable TV, I don't have an answering machine and until a few weeks ago I didn't have a cell phone.
I for one, would be in favor of movie theaters jamming cell phones inside the theaters themselves, and any other private institution (museums perhaps) who wish to, being able to legally jam cell frequencies at their discression, within their own premisis. It should be considered no different than banning smoking in facilities on private property. The owners should have discression here, And if cell phone users don't like it they can take their business elsewhere. This will cause the business owners to carefully consider the practice before enguaging in it.
I do believe that signage should be requires when such jamming is in effect, so patrons would be aware they will be incomunicado while they are within the given facility, such that they can make an informed choice.
--CTh
--Got Lists? | Top 95 Star Wars Line
The first day I there with them, one of the hardware engineers pulled this thing that looks like a cell phone out of his pocket. He looked at me at said, "Watch this," and pointed toward a guy crossing the street, talking on a cell phone.
My coworker then pressed a button on his "cell phone" and a second or two later, the man on the street took the phone away from his ear and looked at the display as if to see if the call had been dropped. He put it back to his ear, appeared to say something, and then repeated this sequence a couple of times before giving up.
The device was a jammer that my coworker had built into a cell phone case to make it inconspicuous.
It was pretty funny to see hordes of people rushing around, all looking at their phones trying to figure out what's going on.
I could only imagine what they were saying: "Hello? Can you hear me now?"
Dr Superlove 300ml. I use my powers for awesome
Because people on cell phones invariably talk much louder than people having a face to face conversation (where you can accurately gauge an appropriate volume level for conversation based on your partners volume level). That's why.
--
RumorsDaily
In the theatre industry we have to think of other creative ways of stopping cellphones even from being switched on (even on silent - as most tech people know, digital cellphones can badly interfere with electronic equipment). Thus, a company does produce a "cellphone detector", picking up cellphone radiation. An automated message can inform people to turn their phones off - failing that, in cases where phones MUST be turned off (live recordings etc) you can refuse to start until all phones are off.
For most people on mobile phones (cell phones) they're used properly, no shouting and no louder than if you're talking with someone who's next to you. I use my mobile regularly and always try to make sure I'm not being disruptive, not in the wrong places (eg libraries) and no shouting. Just because a few people abuse them, does not mean most people do.
Someone carrying a jammer is being deliberately and obnoxiously selfish. They're worse than the ignorant fools who talk to loudly.
then this would not be a problem. Society has functioned for many years without cellular technology. If you have an area such as a movie theatre or a classy restaraunt you should be expected to use some judgement and turn it to vibrate or off to go to VM. This is the ideal, but people have shown time and again that this is not in line with reality. I am all for business owners jamming these devices. I think that there ought to be a large sign stating that the devices will not work and to use a land line if you need to make emergency calls. I have seen so many times that people will take calls anywhere and talk completely disregarding your feelings to have a peaceful dinner or watch a movie without hearing about somebodys personal crap. This could be a great niche market for people that want have a peaceful shopping or viewing experience that is uninterupted. I pay money to get away from pagers, cellphones and others screaming kids and I expect that this will not be a problem. If I want the noise of everyday life I will go home or to work. There ought to be a place to get away from this stuff.
Got hosting
It's not legal to activly jam Cell phones because your not supposed to be broadcasting on that piece of spectrum. Now anybody that has ever had eletronics 101 should remember a faraday cage and how easy they are to build but let me elaborate:
Your a Movie Theater and you dont want cell phones or other wireless devices to work so as to not have people gabbing on them during the movie.
When you build or do any extensive renovation your prbably going to use a lot of drywall if you install a few layers of chicken fence or other suitable fine grid or wire. Make sure the doors are metal (fire code I would think) and that they maintain a good contact to the grid etc etc etc. When the doors are closed yours not going to see an increadable ammount of attenuation to any RF signals with a wavelength longer than the mesh pitch and a good attenuation to most everything else.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage Gives and overview and a link to tempest the DOD's solution to RF leakeage.
Now you have a movie theater that cell phones dont work in. It would be nice if we could clasify transmision types say via bluetooth since thats a hot new thing on cell phones and have the possibility to ask the phone to switch to silent mode while not affecting paging functions for doctors and other on call critical people that can be assumed to be more responcible than a 15 year old with and "emergency" call.
No sir I dont like it.
It's about respect for your fellow person...starting with the one in front of you!!! I can understand the shopkeeper who deals with this 50 times a day. people come to your shop and you can't give good service because they interrupt your transaction with them for the phone....and OFTEN have the nerve to get mad at YOU "because you're taking too long!" Not to mention disrupting other customers patiently standing in line with loud disagreements, or lack of attention to what's going on around them. It's a menace!!!
That said, jamming or blocking phones isn't the answer, it just makes people ruder! Cell phones have spread the general problem of computers to the masses...computers have allowed businesses to micromanage and interrupt business plans on moment's notice...cell phones allow thoses same types of people to deal with everything NOW...instead of budgeting their time and attention to allow their responsibilites to be properly performed...And THAT is the bigger problem with "instant everything"!!
The main tool to fight this would be better voicemail/sms messages...allowing people to be notified of messages, but keep the phone off until they can give proper attention, those tools are available, but still don't work that well for every minute use. Businesses with "quiet, private places" for phone conversations would help too...they wiped out most phone booths about 10 years ago and didn't replace the "space" to make communications in.
Soccer mom can't figure out voice mail? I guess soccer mom can't go to the theater or to class because her kids are in school.
God help her if she works in a hospital! Or in this enlightened age, if she is a flagger on a construction crew. Her cellphone is off in blasting areas!
What happens to all those doctors who must turn off their phones when they are on the ward, or spending hours in the operating room?
I do some consulting at a university medical center, everyone has phones and everyone turns them off in certain areas. I carry a phone and a pager. I turn them both off - when I turn them on, I get alerted to missed calls and missed pages. It doesn't curtail my productivity, how can it hamper soccer-mom's?
There is no excuse for antisocial behavior, unless you are an immigrant from Elbonia
First of all, I should say that I don't actually use my cell phone in restaurants or close to other people just because it is so disapproved of.
But, frankly, I think this dislike of cell phones is irrational and itself annoying. People talk to other people everywhere, often in loud or annoying voices. It makes no difference to me whether someone talks into a cell phone or to someone across from them; at least, when they talk into a cell phone, I don't need to hear the responses.
I'm beginning to suspect that what really annoys people about public cell phone usage is that they are missing out on half of conversation that they would really like to listen in on in its entirety.
The problem is not talking on the phone. It's that most people talk WAY TOO LOUD on a cellphone, way above the appropriate level. Personally, I keep my voice down, but most people don't.
So, yes you have a right to talk where talking is appropriate. No, you don't have a right to SHOUT FOR AN HOUR because you're too stupid to realize that people naturally talk louder on the phone.
People survived before medicine too, that doesn't mean its unnecessary.
I'm a firm believer in the philosophy of a ruling class. Especially since I rule. -Randal, Clerks
A couple of years ago I was visiting the North rim of the Grand Canyon, when I encountered some prick sitting on a bench in one of the little tourist areas. He was telling some poor gullible woman on the other end of the conversation that he was sitting alone on top of one of those spires in the canyon which he had just finished climbing (not remotely true.)
He proceeded to tell the woman (I assume it was a woman from his lothario manner, tone, etc,) that the view of the canyon was so beautiful from where he had climbed, that he just had to call and share the experience with her.
Myself , and others around me heard this bald-faced lie, and we all looked at him and then each other - keep in mind that none of us there knew each other, then we all spontaniously started making background sounds to illustrate to the woman on the other end that this loser was not where he claimed he was. I said something like: "Sir, you're gonna haveta move your car!" Others made similar noise.
The look he gave us was wonderful. Then he started to explain to the woman that there must be cellphone interference happening.
Two weeks ago a private EMS service got off the elevator with a gurney in tow, walked through our office, grabbed one of our employees, and wheeled her out. Their explanation: "she is having a heart attack, although she doesn't know it yet". Pretty weird experience.
Sounds pretty scary to me. So did they arrive in black helicopters?
I do really not see the point with jamming or materials for damping the signal - this is a social problem!
In Norway, as in most of Europe, cell-phones is very common. You would need to look hard to find anyone beyond the age 13 that does not have one. In the beginning there was some problems with people talking everywere, kids sending SMS to each other in class and stuff, but this has been solved by other means then jamming!
Nobody would ever recive, and take the call in a theater. Kids are not allowed to use cells at school. Trains have "Quiet-wagons", where you are not allowed to use your cell-phone. On the Subway, there are no quiet-wagons, but people would seldom take long conversations here - cells are usaually used for quick calls or SMS/WAP.
Don't like cell phones? Don't own one.
However, in free countries, other people are allowed (within certain broad arenas) to do things you don't like.
I don't like cell phones because I think the service is priced by collusion, not competition. However, that does not lead me to say that other people should not be allowed to use them.
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!