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UK Firm To Release 'Screaming' Cell Phone

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the can-you-hear-me-now dept.

rubberbando writes "Yahoo news is running a story about a plan by a UK cell phone company to help reduce cell theft. Apparently, this new cell phone can be sent a signal after its owner has realized that it has been lost or stolen. The signal tells the phone to wipe all of its data and begin emitting a very loud and obnoxious sound. The sound will only stop if the battery runs out or is removed, but it will begin again as soon as the battery is replaced or charged. Even replacing the sim card will not help."

5 of 230 comments (clear)

  1. Brilliant application of 'planned obsolecence' by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It sounds from the description that these phones will become functionally useless once you do this to them. What a fun prank to pull on your friends!

    1. Re:Brilliant application of 'planned obsolecence' by RsG · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Even better, imagine what will happen if their system is less than secure. Try and think about the damage a script kiddie could do if he got ahold of a list of people's passwords and phone numbers.

      Or, even worse, if he found out how to send the signal to the phones sans password - after all, if the company is lazy, then maybe all they'd do is dial up the cell phone and send a general purpose "kill" signal. Figure out how to tell the cellphone that it's stolen while still in the possession of its owner, and you can make somebody very, very mad.

      --
      Erotic is when you use a feather. Exotic is when you use the whole chicken.
    2. Re:Brilliant application of 'planned obsolecence' by Jaruzel · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The kill signal will probably be in the format of a special (Operator) SMS text message. Much in the same way your Internet settings can be sent by your provider over the air (OTA) to your phone.

      However, I had an app a while back that could 'build' Operator SMS messages and send them out to peoples phones, so yeah, unless the Operator takes serious steps to secure this system, it's gonna be hacked in no time. Once hacked, the concept will be useless, and the manufacturers will stop including the kill-system in the firmware...

      -Jar.

      --
      Together, We Can Make Slashdot Better. I Do NOT Mod ACs. - Check Me Out
  2. Obnoxious? by Fembot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The thing I don't get is how exactly they expect this to be any more loud and obnoxious than all these damn ringtones are already!

  3. Re:Phones already have a GUID !! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Hi,

    > Also, a pay as you go SIM card normally isn't linked to an identity.

    It is very much linked to an identity when the phone spends 6-8 hours per day in the same house and spends workdays at same place of business.

    If you carry a cellphone for any length of time, your identity and position at any time are easy to deduce by anyone with access to operator logs.

    If you carry it anywhere near security cameras, the position, time and date result in a picture!