Newly Declassified Window Film Keeps Out Snoops

An anonymous reader writes to describe a newly declassified window film from CPFilms Inc. that could give war drivers fits. Scientific American has the story, which includes a rather dismissive comment by Bruce Schneier. "Once manufactured under an exclusive contract with the US government, this recently declassified window film is now available to the public. But don't expect to see it on store shelves anytime soon. Currently, it's only available directly from the manufacturer, and at prices that will likely make it prohibitive for all but the wealthiest home owners. The two-millimeter-thick coating can block Wi-Fi signals, cell phone transmissions, even the near-infrared, yet is almost transparent... It can keep signals in (preventing attempts to spy on electronic communications) or out, minimizing radio interference and even the fabled electronics-destroying electromagnetic pulse generated by a nuclear blast."

Comments

yeah, but....

[Raptoer]

"minimizing radio interference and even the fabled electronics-destroying electromagnetic pulse generated by a nuclear blast."

yeah, but what about the walls? will the walls block it? if not then this stuff is not useless, but not as effective as one would imagine. not to mention that if a nuke went off I think we would have more problems than some EM pulse coming in through the windows...

Just make your house into one big Faraday cage, but what about the chimneys?

what I'm trying (and probably saying) is that you plug a hole, the waves will go through another. (not saying that we shouldn't plug them, just that we can't really stop until it is all sealed, in which case you live in a bubble.)

Re:yeah, but....

[posterlogo]

that and the fact that nothing practical is really bullet proof (pardon the pun). a strong enough EMP will get through this window coating.

Re:yeah, but....

[AP2k]

Even Faraday cages have their limits. Presumably, you would already have aluminum insulation or a faraday cage within the walls.

However, there is no conceivable way that a plastic film embedded with any sort of thin, transparent conductor will be able to hold back a nuclear EMP blast. I'd hate to be standing next to it and then suddenly be covered with molten, burning plastic. Although I do suppose a nuke going off within a few hundred miles is a tad more important than immoliated.

Lazy, none physics-knowing editors...

Re:What about the walls?

[phatvw]

Walls tend to attenuate EM radiation much more than windows. If a building has a metal frame, which any secure building should, then it is already reasonably secure everywhere except the windows.

Incidentally, the original article is down - slashdotted, already?. Does this tech work via the Faraday cage principle similar to the mesh on your Microwave oven view window?

yay you can safely remove the foil!

[Anonymous Coward]

The two-millimeter-thick coating can block Wi-Fi signals, cell phone transmissions, even the near-infrared, yet is almost transparent... It can keep signals in (preventing attempts to spy on electronic communications) or out, minimizing radio interference and even the fabled electronics-destroying electromagnetic pulse generated by a nuclear blast."

also make sure you insulate the walls since most walls don't act like a faraday cage unless there is enough electrically conductive material in them. it also means that you obviously wont be using your cell phone inside the house, you'll still need to go outside [for the paranoid it is a lot easier to snoop] or use your land-line [phone tap?].

old news

[weighn]

I mean, I submitted this in an entirely different month:
"Tinfoil hat" for your home blocks comms; Wednesday June 27, @01:06PM; Rejected

If you want to keep up with news like this (recall that "news" comes from Middle English for "new thing") just drop New Scientist and Scientific American into your RSS reader.

Say goodbye to using your cellphone indoors!!!

[VidEdit]

If signals can't get out, they can't get in either so no using your cell phone inside or taking the cordless landline into the back yard. As for AM and FM radio, well who listens to that at home? (Well, me, since low bitrate music streams suck...)

Anyways, you need to shield your walls and doors for this window film to be effective. Or you could just use grounded window screens instead... Somehow, I doubt anyone is Van Eck Phreaking your home at the moment

if it were effective, it would still be classified

[Anonymous Coward]

If it were effective, it would still be classified. Just another distraction to give people a false sense of security - the most valuable thing that'll come of ths is the list of purchasers, who "omg must be up to no good!!"

A few months back..

[Enderandrew]

A few months back a friend introduced me to this. He isn't big into technology. He runs a window tinting company and wanted to know how legit this was, so we got some samples and tested it. I'm going to have to send him the link. This could be really big money for him, as he is getting in on the ground floor.

It appears to work exactly as promised, and honestly, in certain applications it is the only real way to secure wireless data.

The government declassifies technology all the time, usually after they've developed something better.

Re:Cinema Wallpaper

[Opportunist]

That's what noisemakers are for. A cute little handy device that fills the relevant frequencies with static. Sure, they're illegal here, but they are near impossible to find and provide you with a full film without any cellphone based interruption.

Re:Tin foil hat == government conspiracy

[siyavash]

Try wrapping tinfoil around your cellphone, just one layer is enough. Then try your best to call it. The cell phone is not only unreachable but also "disappeared" and can't be found. Works in regular cordless phones as well.

Re:Cinema Wallpaper

[Opportunist]

First, the "wallpaper" would too. And second, there's nothing wrong with using the payphones in the lobby for an emergency call. They do work without money for emergency calls. Not to mention that it's certainly a no-brainer to turn the screamer off when someone needs to make an emergency call.