Worry Over VZW, Sprint Phones' 911 Alarm

[TheBORG] writes "An Austin woman who dialed 911 recently discovered what she said could be a fatal flaw in some new cell phones. She called for help when she arrived at some vacant property she owns in east Austin and found her security chain gone. She grabbed her new Verizon Wireless Casio G'zOne phone, which to her horror made an audible alarm when she called 911. Fearing vandals were still on the property, she hung up and hid, then put her hand over the earpiece and dialed again to muffle the sounds. A Verizon Wireless spokesperson says it's mandatory according to Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act. The FCC says Section 255 of the Telecommunications Code requires that phones let a caller know a 911 call is underway, but does not require an audible alarm. This thread on Howardforums.com mentions that the alarm is present on new Sprint phones too."

Comments

Thanksgiving wishes for our UK slashdotters

[Anonymous Coward]

Thanks for giving us our own country.

Now get the fuck off our lawn. Righty-oh, good chaps.

Wearing red uniforms during a highly forested war: considered harmful

911 Abuse

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe the first thing she should do is put the non-emergency police number on her phone so she doesn't have to tie up an emergency line with this bs. Does she call 911 when her house creaks at night? Sheesh.

Were they illegal wetbacks?

[Anonymous Coward]

Austin has a terrible problem with illegal alien mexicans. The average mexican is mixed race tribal mongrel known as a mestizo. These primitive tribal people have no cultural tradition of respect for law or respect for property, or in general respect for others.

Not surprisingly, these tribesmen have little concept of the future or of consequences for their actions. They will kill a human being over the most trivial matters, such as a preceived slight. Despite the fact that they will be put in a cage with other animals of their kind for the rest of their lives, it matters not.

These throwbacks to a prehistoric way of life do not understand that actions have consquences. Thus they are more dangerous than most criminals. There is little logic involved in the way these primitive tribesmen behave. Give them wide berth. If you feel your life is endangered, shoot them; shoot to kill.

Re:WTF?

[thejuggler]

Yeah, but if someone breaks in my home when I'm home, the alarm on the phone won't matter because the last thing the intruder just heard was the shot being fired by my .357!

Re:Well, duh.

[boriquajake]

Americans are stupid and so are there movies. Wow, you really are sophisticated and cosmopolitan. Screw you and the irrelevant crap-hole you hale from. If it were not for American economic and military might you would have nothing and be nothing, you ungrateful douche.