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How To Tell If Your Cell Phone Is Bugged
Lauren Weinstein writes to point us to his essay on the realities of using an idle cell phone as a bug, as a recent story indicated the FBI may have done in a Mafia case. From the essay: "There is no magic in cell phones. From a transmitting standpoint, they are either on or off... It is also true that some phones can be remotely programmed by the carrier to mask or otherwise change their display and other behaviors in ways that could be used to fool the unwary user. However, this level of remote programmability is another feature that is not universal... But remember — no magic! When cell phones are transmitting — even as bugs — certain things are going to happen every time that the alert phone user can often notice."
You could check the old fashioned way - slide off the back cover if an insect falls out you can be sure it is bugged.
liqbase
It's not a bug, it's a feature!
When cell phones are transmitting -- even as bugs -- certain things are going to happen every time that the alert phone user can often notice.
For example, when using a Palm Treo 650, the phone will crash and reset often, and without notice.
Push Button, Receive Bacon
Them: "Is Mark there?" Me: "I'm sorry, there's no Mark here, you must have a wrong number." Them: "I'm sorry, are you sure you're not mark" Me: "you have a wrong number" Them: "Oh my mistake, thanks again erm Mr erm...." Me: "Bond, James Bond"
Syllable 0.62 is here at last!!!
Yes, I recommend everyone to do this. I also recommend everyone to change the apperance of their face with plastic surgery once a year, just in case. Also, only use rental cars, and change these just as often. Only pay by cash, change what appartment you're living in as often as you can. Sleep with a gun underneath your pillow, have few friends, and don't tell them much about yourself. It's all about protecting yourself from the government, we're all suspects until proven guilty after all.
Life is Reality
What happens when you answer "Yes, this is Mark, what do you want?"?
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Gangster 1. OK, so I'll just phone [insert non-ethnocentric name here] to confirm the date of the shipment. How many kilos again?
Gangster 2. NO! Shh! Keep your voice down until you dial out — that thing could be bugged.
Phone. "This phone is not being used as a covert surveillance device. Please continue to arrange your morally and/or legally questionable activities as normal."
Gangster 1. Muh?!
Phone. "Please ignore this message."
It's easier said than done. There aren't as many payphones about as there used to be*, and a lot of those that are left require phone cards.
Then, when you do find a suitable one, how do you know it isn't bugged already?
Lastly, getting a roll of dimes from the just isn't that easy in most of the countries in the world. Of course, most of the world's payphones don't accept dimes either...
-- Steve
* The UK has a unique situation: while the number of payphones in the UK may have decreased, the number of British Telephone Boxes has remained about the same - they've just moved to more exotic locations in other countries. The same goes for British Police Boxes, except that their movements appear not to be limited to the first three dimensions.
You mean you can't string 10 millions LEDs around a phone and light up a whole city for free while you talk on your phone? Stupid physics laws!
I'm sorry, is this a 5 minute call, or the full half hour?
Sometimes when I'm working on projects things disappear, I suspect gremlins.
If your phone is warm to the touch even when not in use, is that an indication of bugging or a battery designed by Sony?
There is another approach - take off the cover which protects the battery. Underneath the battery, you will see how two wires are connected. If the color of the wires is green, then you're bugged. Otherwise, if the wires are red - it's a bomb.
Other colors are not defined by the standards, so if your phone has wires which are not green, nor red - you have a counterfeit phone.
The saddest poem
Just phone your own land-line and then say, "Binladenbinladenbinladen" 10 times.
Wait 30 minutes.
If there are no black helicopters after 30 minutes then you probably aren't being bugged.
This is all just my personal opinion.
thats why you need to keep the telemarketer counter script handy... http://www.xs4all.nl/~egbg/counterscript.html
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