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Cell Phone Jamming Devices Enjoy an Increase In Popularity
rullywowr writes "A story run by local new NBC10 of Philadelphia last Friday illuminated the fact that this particular rider of the pubilc bus system is packing a cell phone jammer and is not afraid to use it. Going by the name of 'Eric,' whenever he sees someone being 'rude' on the bus and talking loudly on their cell phone, he screws the antenna on and flips the power switch. Regardless of the steep civil penalites levied by the FCC (up to $16,000 USD), many (such as 'Eric') are still interested by these devices which can be bought on the internet for $40 to over $1000. Opponents of these devices say that not only do they interfere with mobile phones, they often can interfere with 'behind the scenes' communication, Wi-Fi, etc. Despite being illegal, TFA points out that they are readily available on the internet (what else is new?). Do you have an instance where you experienced the positive (or negative) effects of a cell phone jammer?"
This guy is my new hero, even though he later backed down and said he wasn't going to use it anymore. I for one am fed up with the constant assault of cell phone conversations from people who have no idea how to be considerate to those around them.
...to jam first posters?
If someone was doing this while I commute to work, and I wasn't able to use my 3g connection, I would be pissed.
I saw designs on Limor fried's Site years ago that she made for her thesis I believe. It's a good read. Either way it's funny how long these things took to become popular http://www.ladyada.net/make/wavebubble/index.html TFL for anyone who can't google
I can tell you with what joy it is to live in a city where listening to B-grade hip hop music on tinny cell phone speakers is the norm. That you can't stop, but when I have to be subjected to a very lengthy screaming match between baby-momma and her baby-daddy, with a push of a button I can cut that nonsense out. If you want to do that nonsense, then get off the train at the next stop and have your bitch fest there.
I can't do much about the panhandlers that pass through the trains hocking bootleg DVDs, scented oils or begging for quarters, but I CAN do something about the chaff of society who can't keep their Jerry Springer drama to themselves, and so I shut them down with a jammer. If an emergency crops up, I turn the device off.
Movie theaters come to mind at first, granted I don't go all that often, but still.
They always have that announcement that everyone ignores to turn off your phone
This way they don't have to ask, they just stop working.
If there's some sort of emergency, I'm sure the theaters have a wired phone somewhere they can use quickly.
What do I know, I'm just an idiot, right?
Do you have an instance where you experienced the positive (or negative) effects of a cell phone jammer?"
Yeah. I was having a stroke and nobody could understand why I was flopping about with half my face looking like it was ready to melt off. I reached for my phone, dialed 911... and nothing happened. Then I died. I had to submit this as a ghost because nobody thinks about what blocking a communications medium does to innocent people, they just want to get at the one asshole amongst the dozens or so in the area abusing it.
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
Audio pollution isn't something you get to have control over. Feel free to tell someone they're being annoying, but sometimes you're just going to have to deal with someone talking on their phone in a way that annoys you. If it's not that, it will be someone talking loudly to the person standing next to them. Or a person honking their horn to much or for no reason. Or someone with their cell phone's speaker turned on as they listen to MP3s. Or jackhammers or machinery or the buzz of a refrigerator. How are you going to jam that?
Long signatures suck.
(Posting from android) For my part I think that this may actually be aW%W$%%#$^&CARRIER LOST
Silence is a state of mime.
It's illegal for private use without a permit from the FCC and law enforcement can only use them in certain circumstances.
I've seen the effect upon drivers talking on their phones while driving. While talking on the phone, their speed is erratic and inconsistent, they wander around their lane. Once in range of such a device, they look at their phone for a second or two, put the phone down, and start to pay attention to the machine that they are controlling. Once their conversation ends, they have become much more responsible drivers, aware of those that are sharing the road with them.
Just an observation. I understand that jammers are illegal for very good reasons, and their abuse can lead to much more harm than good.
In the United States, jammers are illegal for everyone.
Obviously the potential penalties are not high enough. This is naked vigilanteism and should be stopped cold and hard.
YOU don't have RIGHT to interfere in MY liberty. If I'm being an asshole and talking loudly on the bus, then call a cop. That's how law and order works.
What's next, you firing an EMP gun at my house because my lights are interfering with your desire to stargaze?
Are you going to poison my dog because he barks too much or shits too much?
This one's a real slippery slope people.
Problem - I'm slightly annoyed. Solution - Interfere with someone else's right to liberty. Gotcha. I'll have to remember that the next time I see someone wearing a t-shirt in public of a band I don't like. I'll just spray paint over their shirt, and I won't be slightly annoyed any more. Perfect solution to the problem.
Ooh, yeah! All right! We're jammin': I wanna jam it wid you. We're jammin', jammin', And I hope you like jammin', too. Ain't no rules, ain't no vow, we can do it anyhow: I'n'I will see you through, 'Cos everyday we pay the price with a little sacrifice, Jammin' till the jam is through.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
I support removing and barring a person who talks during one of these performances, regardless of how they're doing it.
I haven't run into a cell phone jammer - as far as I know - but I do have a pirate radio station nearby that is pretty annoying. They are some kind of Hatian radio station that moves around the area. Their transmitter is low power, so it only covers a few square miles - but it is extremely noisy, so it stomps all over 3-4 stations when you are in the area. Missing the end of an interesting story on NPR because I'm driving through their broadcast zone is more annoying than I would have thought.
I can only imagine that getting knocked off of my phone would be even more annoying. Heck, I've considered firing an anti-radiation (HARM) missile at the Hatians, and I only missed out on hearing the end of "This American Life".... Cut off my wife and who knows what might happen?
Do you have an instance where you experienced the positive (or negative) effects of a cell phone jammer?
The problem is bigger than you realize. I'm constantly dropping calls. If anyone is actually able to complete a call, tell AT&T their network is constantly being jammed.
(Maybe tell Blackberry their service is frequently jammed for days on end too)
There's no place like
I agree. That's why it's a jam for the ladies and the superstars.
I agree with the sentiment, but not the extreme response of installing jammers. Far better to publicly humiliate the inconsiderate fuck and toss his ass out the door. That's why I patronize The Alamo Draft House cinemas exclusively now. They don't tolerate rude behavior.
I like the comments at the end of the article. There are people who recognise this may block someone's 911 call and say it's just collateral damage and the people talking on the phone should be blamed. Holy shit - blame the law abiding people, not the law-breaking?
The closest thing I saw to common sense was a comment that said "These things should be banned." I agree. So does the FCC. Which is why they are banned, ie illegal to own, sell or use!
I want the people in my office to shut-up, but I don't get to tell them to. I just put in ear buds. Duh.
I cannot count the number of times I wish that I had a cell jammer. Obnoxious folks who are so self important that they have no regard for those around them are everywhere. They are in line at the airport, the table next to you at dinner, oh and lets not forget in the movies! Some days I would just love to flip that switch and drop that call. On the other hand I would also be disabling the ability of anyone within range to call 911 in case of an emergency. Or to receive a truly important call or text message, maybe somebodies significant other goes into labor. Any number of things could potentially be disrupted. OK, so maybe flipping that switch isn't such a great idea. I mean don't get me wrong, I am a total a-hole myself, I realize that, but I don't think I would feel very good if I were causing a disruption and something legitimately bad happened and nobody could get a call through. Now if I had a jammer with a momentary switch that would only allow jamming for a couple of seconds, just long enough to drop a call, and it was on a timer so I couldn't mash the button....hmmmm Yup still an a-hole.
It shouldn't be illegal to own a jammer- or to use one. It should be illegal to operate without the permission of the owner of the property you are on (or that is affected).
If I run a cinema or entertainment venue- I should be allowed to block cell phone signals. If on my private property I want to block cell signals on my private proerty I should be allowed.
The problem is when such devices are used in public- or on private property of someone who did not give you permission. Yes, people talking loudly in public places is annoying- but everyone should be allowed to communicate in public places.
The guy who hasn't bathed in a week is annoying.
The goth- folk look annoying.
The redneck muffin-top girl showing her flabby belly to the world is annoying.
The couple making out on the sidewalk are annoying
The college girls talking too loud- squealing and being obnoxious are annoying.
Everyone is annoying at some point in their life out in public. Deal with it. YOU, mr signal blocker have no doubt been rude or annoying. By blocking the loud talker on the bus- you may be blocking the daddy on a business trip trying to call his little girl to wish her luck on her recital he is unable to make. He may be blocking someone calling their wife who unexpectedly went into labour three months early while he was out of town. He may be blocking the executive who has to make an important call now.
You do not have the right to not be annoyed by rude people in public- you do not have the right to interfere with their speach or disrupt others pursuit of happiness and possibly work.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
You must take classier buses than some of us...
I generally don't use my cell phone where I think you shouldn't. This includes restaurants, theatres, public transit, etc.
When I'm visiting a relative who doesn't live near a bus stop, I occasionally take the bus halfway and have the relative pick me up and drive me the rest of the way. In order to coordinate this, I need to make a cell phone call: "I have boarded the bus. In fifteen minutes, I will be at the bus stop where we agreed that you can pick me up." The rest of the conversation waits until I'm picked up. Would the majority consider this use of a cell phone impolite, and if so, how should I arrange these rides more politely?
In my opinion, there is little difference between silencing a cell phone conversation using signal jamming and snatching the phone out of someone's hands and terminating the call. Either way, I view this this as socially unacceptable behavior, worse than having to listen to one side of a cell phone conversation. I too have been inconvenienced by people talking loudly in inappropriate places. On public transit, we are free to walk away and sit somewhere else. In a restaurant, the right thing to do is engage a loud-talking patron and let them know that they are behaving inappropriately. There are no guarantees of a positive response, but that's part of the deal with being a social creature. If you can't deal with people, either suck it up and deal with the loud conversation or don't go outside.
-Turkey
My experience is that asking some to tone down their over the top loud I don't care who hears me, gets you a punch in the face
Cell jamming is not OK. People wielding cell jammers just do not have insight to know what is going on that persons life. Someone may be at a point in their life where they have to do what they have to do. No one else has the right to make that decision for someone just because they are offended by loud speech. YES, it is annoying. YES, 99% is unnecessary and pure disregard for others, but people with cell phone jammers simply DO NOT have the authority to make that decision for someone.
GPS on the other hand should be jammable at all times. People should have 100% control at all times over who has access to location sensitive data about them up to and including jamming signal picked up by devices they don't have control of. Rental cars and cell phones for example.
Digital is, by definition, imperfect. Analog is the way to go.
I don't need a jammer.
I just take Larry David with me on the bus.
Do you or your partner snore? - Visit www.snoring.com.au
The challenge in this case is to convince the transit system that use of cell phones for non-emergencies is a public nuisance like food, liquids, and music.
Is conversation with other passengers likewise a public nuisance? If not, I don't see how a two-minute call at a reasonable volume to let someone know when I'll be home is a public nuisance.
Secondhand smoke is clinically proven to increase the occurrence of lung cancer. A short cell phone call at a reasonable volume is not.
Talking loudly isn't limited to cell phones. Trying to modify behavior by limiting technology isn't the answer. The answer is modifying behavior by establishing consequences.
Example: Loud Cell Phone User in Theater. This actually happened to me a year or so ago, where not only was someone rude and stupid enough to leave their phone on during the movie (which of course got a call), but to actually answer the call, and not only just answer the call and exit to talk, but to sit there in the middle of the movie, talking loudly. I couldn't believe it, I was stunned to the point of not doing anything about it. Fortunately some actually got up, walked down to the guys isle, and actually shouted at him "SHUT YOUR DAMN PHONE OFF", to which got cheers from the crowd.
Anyway, go to Theater manager and demand your money back... for having your viewing entertainment ruined. If the theater has a problem with that, perhaps then they should then try to recoup (sue) the individual who was at fault, and let them pay for the entire crowd.
I am sure one bill of 15$ x 100 people will be enough to stop any individual from doing something like that again. Behavior changed. Also when others hear of this, you can bet that they will be extra careful to turn off their phones, etc...
I mean how hard is it to put it on vibrate, and if it is important call to, go outside to answer it.
I don't have to worry about being jammed by someone else. I already have AT&T for that.
For $1,000 you could build a jammer powerful enough to knock out cell and wi-fi signals in a whole city - even radio signals could be taken out. It's pretty serious stuff, actually. Imagine if airports couldn't communicate with airliners, emergency services couldn't talk over radio. Still, these devices are pretty easy to hone in on - it wouldn't last long.
It's only a matter of time before these start to be used in real crimes. If you want to shut down the ability to call for help quickly this would be a very effective method. There was a time where pay phones where everywhere, but now most if not all have been ripped out in my local area. Land lines are becoming increasingly rare so It'll eventually come to a point where one of these devices would practically grantee no one can communicate with the Police while it's turned on. I don't so much care about someone causing an annoying call to be dropped, but it is the same tech that would help ensure someones getaway.
He's wasting other people's money, and may be interfering with their job, preventing them from dealing with personal crises, or even putting them in danger, all because he insists on holding on to a definition of courtesy that hasn't adapted to the realities of ubiquitous communication. The fact that cell phones are often used for unimportant things doesn't mean that they are unimportant.
of entitled jerks. It ain't to change in ten odd years, if anything it will get worse. Too many people want to have no responsibility for their actions and unless your an authority; in some cases that won't matter; they certainly aren't going to care what you think.
We are living through a generation where people are told its not their fault, its not their responsibility, we will take care of you, we will take of that, and so on. That does beat down one's self worth and you lose your self respect you soon won't respect others
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
Twenty years ago there were coin-operated phones at pretty much every major bus stop. The availability of cell phones on basic voice plans under $10/mo has caused most pay phones to become unprofitable.
I see lots of bad mojo with this device but I for one would like to see this device implemented in cars. Sure its a very small percentage but the numbers are there ( risk of an accident with a cell phone or other distracting devices). If this jammer is used in a car, no more cell phone, no more blackberry. That means your 100% concentrated on the road and not partly on your cell phone. I don't know about cell phone usage everywhere in the world but here in Québec this is getting very problematic, even police officers are using a cell phone in their car.
...problem solved. Low resolution spectrum analyzers can be inexpensive and the jammer signature is easy to identify.
And it takes only a few seconds to triangulate the source of the signal...
Except, you can cause calls to drop with just a momentary burst of jamming goodness. You don't need to actively swamp out any signals whatsoever for the duration, you just need to click the button every time Joe Important tries to make a call. And if you count as a moving target yourself, the odds of getting caught reduce to the same as "oops, guess I shouldn't have brought a dime-bag to the courthouse".
Folks, this is Slashdot, so I expect some more consistency in in your positions. Here we are supposed to be proponents of network neutrality, ardent supporters of anti-censorship methods, and unrepetent voices in support of freedom of information all over the world. We don't like governments mucking with DNS servers, and we hate the publishing companies trying to tell us how we should and shouldn't use our media.
Yet, here is a guy who passes swift judgment on others and renders their expensive cell phones inoperable for the sole reason that a single individual personally annoys him. He does this anonymously in public spaces, and the victims of his jammer have no recourse to repair their device. The loud, obnoxious caller suffers the same fate that the quiet girl chatting to her mother from three seats back does: everyone is silenced indiscriminately.
For some bizarre reason, the hivemind of Slashdot holds this one-man censorship czar in high esteem, but they would probably object to a public school, library, or hospital prohibiting cell phone use via means of a jammer for the same reasons he uses.
Then you punch them back in self defence and/or have them charged with assault.
Rather than placing cellphone-jamming technology into theatres and restaurants (and other places where cellphone use should be discouraged), how about placing microcells and/or nanocells there.
The patron still has cellphone service, but to a limited number of targets (courtesy of the filtering that you can institute within the micro/nano cell site) like 911. The micro/nano cell could block incoming calls except for calls from a limited number of sources (think police, theatre management, etc)
So, the FCC should be satisfied, as there's no "jamming" going on. Patrons should be happy; most cell calls would be disconnected/disrupted. And there's no security/public safety issue.
In no particular order:
Churches, Court Rooms, Hospitals ( in certain parts.), Doctor's offices, Movie Theaters, Concerts, Funerals, Weddings, Restaurants, any packed mass transportation (if sparse populace, I think quiet conversations are OK), any Shopping Store, Classrooms, Conferences
Any meal with a family regardless of location, any family conversation.
I'm sure that there are lots of other places and times, feel free to add.
If you're in one of those places or time situations, graciously excuse yourself and step outside, or just don't take / make the call. It's simple courtesy to our fellow man. Same thing with music headsets, turn them down so they don't make that tiny music noise, show some respect to others, it sometimes only takes a small act of kindness for people to be forgiving and more flexible.
Life takes interesting turns, but the most interest is when you're off the beaten path.
I for one am fed up with the constant assault of cell phone conversations from people who have no idea how to be considerate to those around them.
While you're sitting there like a fat little smug antisocial nerd who thinks the world revolves around him and reading his Ayn Rand in peace and quiet, the psychologist three seats in front of you is desperately hoping that none of his patients are feeling suicidal at that particular moment.
I have friends who are doctors, some of them psychologists. They're on call a great deal of the time, and people don't call their psychologist to talk about the weather. They call with things like "I'm having suicidal thoughts."
I have a friend who is an eye surgeon. When she's on-call, she sometimes gets patients who have hours or less before they could permanently lose their eyesight from an injury or complications from an earlier surgery.
I'm not saying THEY are more important. I'm saying their PATIENTS are. You have not seen panic until you've seen a psychologist who has a private practice and discovers her cell phone ran out of battery at some point, and she's an hour from a charger...
I've actually seen a psych emergency unfold, too - the psychologist-friend working with 911 operators and the police and EMS to find the patient and get them to a hospital. That can't happen unless they can reach their doctor to ask for help. Too bad for them some fat asshole nerd is sitting there giggling with his cell phone jammer.
Please help metamoderate.
If there was an obvious emergency, the guy *should* just switch his jammer off.
FTFY. I don't trust that someone with that level of a superiority complex would be that considerate of others. Sure there might be some that will, but there will also be those that won't and it's those people that cause me concern.
/rant off
Besides, being annoying on a cell call is *not* a crime. Deciding what is law and what is not, passing judgement of guilt, then applying a sentence is not the job of one person alone. When did people start getting such thin skin? "OMG, this person is annoying/offending me - they must be silenced!". Seriously... people need to learn some toleration.
I was at a conference in Vegas last August for a certain industry leading virtualization vendor. While in one of the keynotes, I was happily using my corporate IM and citrix on my tablet. As soon as they got to the 'future products' section of the CEO's presentation, I lost wi-fi on the tablet. As it had been flaky all day, I tried to tether to my phone. I tethered to it just fine, but then found I had no cell signal. As soon as that section of the talk was over my cell and wi-fi signal magically came back to full signal.
Seemed rather coincidental, and also rather irresponsible. Large room with several thousand people in it... and depending on how large and/or directional this 'outage' was, could have been hitting a good chunk of the highway out back of the hotel too.
----- - The beatings will continue until morale improves
In his quest for peace and quiet (in a public location no less) he is going to knock out all the QUIET data connections going on around him to punish one person.
This guy is a dick, and I hope the FCC and law enforcement catches him.
-ted
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/09/16/why-are-cell-phone-conversations-so-distracting/
Perhaps cell providers should have their towers log and report any sudden signal losses. This could help find where jammers were used and lead to the apprehension of the asshats using them.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Seriously think that through. What happens if the tables are turned and the abuser is the one with the cellphone jammer? What happens if a person delusionally believes that they are entitled to extreme revenge over a minor slight? If you are going into a situation and want to prevent your target calling the police for any reason, you are on very, very dangerous ground.
Supporter of the +1 Over Dramatic mod option. In memory of apk.
That's why I not only set my phone to silent in a theater, I set the brightness to minimum, so that if I do want to look at the screen it won't light the whole place up.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
You're also jamming the receipt of said important calls, which the jammer has no knowledge of. For instance, what if there's a doctor on the bus who doesn't get the call saying he's needed in emergency surgery, or there's an undercover cop on the bus watching for trouble (we have undercover cops in Boston for instance) who doesn't get a call saying that he's needed for something.
Why is the right answer to jam them and everyone around them? Why not walk up to them and ask them to bring the volume down? Why must we resort to under-handed/passive aggressive techniques that affect others that aren't violating the social rules?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFRbZJXjWIA
You were mistaken. Which is odd, since memory shouldn't be a problem for you
Star Trek IV scene in S.F. bus
if an Implanted Medical Device can't handle cell phone signals then it is defective. Now having it unable to be "updated" is a different matter entirely but then again 95% of the time you should be in a Doctors Office anyway (and they could have a Faraday Cage setup for use in these cases)
Any person using FTFY or editing my postings agrees to a US$50.00 charge
I understand to motive is self-righteous vigilantism and not logic, but lets give it a go. Person A is annoying by talking on their phone. Person B does not like it, so therefore they decide that all people within X radius of them are screwed if they happen to be using a wireless or Wi-Fi device. Perhaps I would rather ignore Person A and use my wireless/Wi-Fi device for something important, but hey Person B could care less. So, Person A is wrapped up in their issue and could care less about how it affects other people, Person B is wrapped up in their issue and could care less about how it affects other people. How is Person B any different from Person A (sans the loud mouth)?
Just tell me what the best deals are on phone and GPS jammers.
I don't see why that jerk should be having all the fun, when I can potentially worsen the fates of people in emergencies.
Look at this article: http://www.philebrity.com/2012/03/06/we-be-cell-phone-jamming-mon/, It seems that he bough the jammer from this website: http://www.jammer-store.com/
I know, I'm surprised at how many people on here support this selfish, disruptive asshole behavior that dwarfs the act of talking loudly on a cell phone.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
It may be just my impression, but it seemed that people on public transportation in this state got a little bit more considerate of each other when it was ruled that Concealed Carry Permit holders could carry on public transportation. You just never know anymore.
Most of these jammers can easily interfere 40 ft or more. There are cars around, they could be trying to call 911.
Police cars use cellular data connection all the time.
I use my phone GPS which is using a data connection too. I would break a guys head myself if he jams my cell phone while i am trying to navigate.
Where I live, one suburbs even has buses equipped with GPS enabled cellular data devices and you can track a bus while waiting on a bus stop.
I don't like people using cell phone either, but using a jammer is just as or more selfish than the person talking on the phone.
At the end of the day, get a car and pay for it if cell phones are annoying enough. Stay at home, don't go screwing around and justifying it.
If someone is being annoying, confront them. This is nothing but an easy way out with far more potential negatives than positives.
If the transit system thought cell phone usage was inappropriate, they would ban it themselves.
Hell, there's another project for all those stallwart full capitalists on /.
I love how all the cell phone addicts are all up-in-arms about how they may be out of contact for a short period of time while near someone's jammer. HAHAHA! Jezuz people. Cell phones suck and so do the people who are on them all the time. Some of you may be surprised to know that people lived for CENTURIES without cell phone access. Surely you can go for a few moments. I can't wait to get a jammer. Been thinking about it for a long time - this article has convinced me to put out the money and just do it.
A CMOS 555 timer running about 1 Mhz with a high pass filter to get the upper harmonics, and a small antenna. It works only up to about 50 though.
Spend billions? All they have to do is write a script for their cell towers, or maybe the central log server already in place.
I hope they do it.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Its all fun and games until someone needs to make an emergency call or take an emergency call.
Often if you dial 911 on a cell phone you get routed all over the place before they can either talk to you to determine where you are (sometimes state patrol in a far off county). If you dial 911 from a land line, you get the nearest dispatch center.
Just the other day at my office, some was having a seizure. Several people immediatly dialed 911 on their cell phones, but most got no connection, and the only one that got through rerouted to Sacramento (we were in Santa clara about 120 miles away). Someone ran over to an cube, picked up a land line dialed 911 and immediatly got emergency dispatch w/o any delay.
Most of the people that tried to dial 911 on their cell phones also had the latest phones w/ GPS and other location devices, but even the supposed e911 network didn't know what to do with them. That incident convinced me to not give up my land line at home until they fix this situation.
875
Where I live, there are doctors who get contacted in case of emergencies. I understand that some of these doctors frequent theaters for "films", concerts, and live performances.
Since the talker CLEARLY wishes to include everyone on the bus in the conversation, throw your two cents in. The dirty looks are priceless!
I've noticed that with the popularity and availability of mobile devices that people tend to forget that they are talking out in a public place where other people can hear their conversation. One case in point (and I over heard conversations like these on multiple occasions.) I was on a train back from Boston and te person next to me decided that it would be the perfect time to call his Credit card company to dispute a charge. giving a little deduction I could of easily pwn'ed this guy. Here is how the one sided conversation that I heard went (editied of course) "Hi This is John Doe, I have a fraudulent chage on my Visa card" "Yes its XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX" ( The credit card number) "XX-XX" The expiration date "XXX" (Most likely the 3 digit code on the back of the card for "Additional" security) "XXXX" (Probably the last 4 digits of his soc #) Then he went into details of the charge which turned out to be an annual fee (I know because he said "Oh so I'll get charged that fee every year") No wonder Identity theft is on the rise. You don't have to have killer Computer skills to hack someones identity. You just need to pay attention to cell conversations.
That happened in my neighborhood, so they added speed bumps in the road.
Japan has developed a speech jammer. So instead of zapping all the cell phone threads in range (what is the typical effective radius?), just stop the person from talking for a bit. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/309140/20120305/japanese-speech-jammer-ways-used.htm
I have a 92 year old parent that lives alone and needs to call often - she's also hard of hearing. I'm as conscious of others need for space as my own and don't wan't to disturb it, but in some situations I have to.
Don't like people talking on their cellphones? Deal with it, the person beside you probably doesn't appreciate your snoring either.
Stop being an asshat and thinking you're more deserving than everyone else, you aren't.
I think the punishment for being found to use one of these devices should be sterilization, get that ignorance out of the gene pool.
Remember that scene in Dumb & Dumber.. "wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?". Sit within earshot of the offending cell phone gabber, and fire away until they're no longer able to continue their call. Sure, there's going to be some collateral damage, but still...
My wife has been looking for one these to use at the university library. People hang out there talking loudly on their phones and since the 'librarians' are just other students they won't stop it, and the real ones don't care.
no
Plan A: Do something very illegal, make some jerk with a cellphone annoyed because his technology isn't working.
Plan B: Simply ask him to talk quieter, and have him possibly learn that he's being annoying to people around him, and stop doing it even when you're not around to jam him. Costs less, more effective, not illegal.
I get the impression that most of the anti-jamming sentiment here is founded on anger at the idea of personally being forcibly denied cell service. Or, more plainly, just being coerced. And I can certainly understand that. The idea of being denied something what was normally in my power because someone else just decided I shouldn't have it brings out my bully-hating reflex.
But one couldn't really argue the issue on just "don't jam me" because that would sound weak and whiny and selfish. And I think as people respond to this topic they either know this intellectually or they have the realization on a subconscious level, and so they employ less personal and more persuasive arguments, like claiming that 911 and other emergency calls are endangered, and they attack the pro-jammers' character.
Would a properly formatted burst at the right frequency make the call drop? There might be no need for extended jam sessions.
Live in a big, public transportation, friendly cities. I was born and raised in one, and now live in another. You would be shocked by the people you meet on the bus.
What do you know I wrote a novel
Instead of being passive aggressive with a jammer, just tell the person they're being really loud, and if really necessary to turn it down a bit. Sometimes they'll be total dicks in return, but other times they simply don't realize they're being that way and will change their behavior, and not be so loud next time they use the phone. If everyone did this, without fear and within reason, the problem would solve itself.
OTOH - If people are too afraid to speak up like that, then alternatives that have much worse side effects (like these jammers) will take their place. Just jamming everyone is the lazy, potentially dangerous - and quite frankly, the bush league - way to deal with the problem.
If you punch them back, you'll go to jail for assault. Or, the cops will say "it's a fair fight" and refuse to do anything (speaking from personal experience).
Do they have bouncers there? That's the only way you're going to effectively deal with people like that. But bouncers cost extra money, and most companies don't want to pay to have big burly guys sitting around waiting to bodily throw people out of a place.
I've had two emergency texts from my daughter in the five years she's owned a cell phone, both involving a firearm on campus. (Two different schools.) Both times I found through local law enforcement that someone inside the school had called 911 just seconds before I did. On a cell phone.
If someone thinks its clever to jam cell phones because he finds them annoying, he will find himself in a heap of trouble the first time he blocks the transmission or reception of an emergency call. Then he can enjoy a different kind of cell while the people involved take away everything he owns in civil court. This is not civil disobedience, it's a criminal act.
I totally understand that people often misuse their cell phones, and I get just as pissed off as the next guy. But the first time a disgruntled geek jams an emergency call, his life will effectively be over. Is it worth it?
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
In my office, I notice two kinds of phone calls (on both cell phones and land lines). Type 1: People are just as LOUD and obnoxious as they could possibly be, and then some. These are business calls, and I swear to god, it is as if they want everyone in the cube farm to know who they are talking to and what they are talking about. Type 2: People are whisper quiet, so much so that it is as if they are abused spouses, trying to call 9-1-1 before their abuser finds them, and doing everything they can do to avoid detection. These are personal calls. It is very clear that people can choose to talk on the phone quietly when it suits them. If they choose not to, they bring whatever response from others that may result completely on themselves. As for the "innocent third parties" that get jammed - well, hey, like the military says, "collateral damage." Maybe if THEY took the risk of asking the loud-talkers to be quiet (and possibly getting beat up, or stabbed or shot or whatever), the jamming wouldn't be necessary.
or, "I'm not a loser who yacks endlessly about nothing in a loud and obnoxious manner. . Now you are not either."
Theatres, restaurants, and other such buildings could easily solve this problem without jammers, simply by incorporating wire mesh into the walls of the theatre when they are built. This will block all radio signals in and out of that area without being illegal and without any jammers.
Add a well-marked emergency wired phone on the wall, and you are all set.
I want one that works well at a decent price and most importantly won't give me testicular torsion.
For every benefit you receive a tax is levied. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
No one goes around spraying smokers with water because we find their smoke offensive. We've simply established places where it's okay to smoke and politely ask that smokers do their smoking in those designated areas. If it bothers you so much that some people are yelling into their cell phones, find some like-minded individuals who feel the same way and go through the proper channels to have rules established regarding areas where voice calls aren't allowed (except in emergencies).
The fact remains, it's presently perfectly legal to have a shouting match with your cell phone in a public place and if you have a problem with that - you need to bring up the issue the same way you would if you felt the speed limit in your residential neighborhood was too high. If you feel the problem is one of enforcement of existing laws (perhaps you believe it falls under "disturbing the peace"), feel free to pursue a career in law enforcement - chances are you might even learn why vigilante justice is wrong.
---
DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
If you cut off the other, innocent people, you're a bigger asshole than the one you targeted, and you deserve to have your stupid little toy jammed violently up your self-righteous ass.
I don't understand why more people don't do this. If I am at a restaurant or something and get a support call, I just put the phone to my mouth, and cover the entire talking area with my other hand. I can speak low and the soundwaves from my vocal chords get funneled to the phone receiver, my user can hear me loud and clear, and the people at my own table can't even hear what I am saying. I put cell phone jammer people in the same category as the people who turn off the TVs in the airport with their universal remotes, and the people who buy the little device to disable the seat recline of the person in front of them: Cowardly self-important weasel scumbags pieces of shit. :-D
One of the three high schools in my home school district (of which I graduated) called Central Bucks School District, located 30-50 miles north-ish of Philadelphia, purchased a whole buttload of these jammers a few year back. Central Bucks South, the school in question, is relatively new and spent a huge portion of it's budget on cell phone jammers. Their hopes were to employ them in a per-classroom basis, or even permanently across the whole building.
After receiving the products, they realized how screwed they'd be if they actually used them. Now they sit in a storage closet.
Seems to me it wouldn't be too hard to put a directional antenna on one of these jammers with a really narrow beam. Then you could just blast the obnoxious social retard, and leave the Doctors and the Undercover cops okay to make and receive calls just fine. Short side here is that it might be a little obvious when you stand up and point a ray gun at the jerk...
- Holy crap, I've got MOD points! Who thought that was a good idea.
Since before there were cell phones, a subset of people have generally been rude and uncaring about their behavior in regards to those around them. As I now have an infant to care for, I am acutely aware of those around me and do not wish my child to disrupt anyone's dinner at the local sit down eatery, or wherever. There are people who don't care how loud their child screams and/or causes a scene, and this was the case before mobile phone were ubiquitous. I usually pick up the child and move him away from those enjoying their dinner or activity if there is a period of fussiness and/or noisiness. I treat my mobile as gingerly as a child, apologizing for any noise or disruption and excusing myself if something is pressing. However, the use of a jamming device is an even higher level of rudeness, and I see it as the equivalent of someone else attempting to discipline my child for me. Regardless of how poor I may be at it, it's still my responsibility. It's difficult to go around smacking everyone in this world that you may find rude or insulting without recourse. And there's still such a thing as asking someone politely to knock it off.
the bus I ride in goes through the main part of town. that's 25-30 blocks of highrise office buildings, stores, restaurants and pedestrians. One of these jammers would disrupt anyone trying to use their phone when our bus went by.
I like ancient history.
that you do not have any right no not be bothered, offended, etc. Despite delusions to the contrary.
sounds much easier and more convenient than pressing a button on a cell phone jammer to make their call drop!
I will always regret that day that I caused a nuclear holocaust because my cell phone jammer cut off the President's phone while he was assuring Russia we were not attacked them, it was only meteors. I will have the deaths of 50 million people on my head forever. However, at least I still don't have to listen to assholes shouting in my ear while I'm stuck on this bus. It was worth it.
SpeechJammer interferes with your target's ability to speak by playing back their speech with a ~200ms delay, enough to be really distracting. The hack that's described in that article uses a reasonably directional speaker and mike, so it can use less power and mainly bother the speaker. It's still rude, but less dangerous, and doesn't interfere with people you're not aiming at, like the person making the 911 call or using a headset with a good mike so they don't need to yell.)
(Or you could just yell at the person that you think using a cellphone is rude, if you like that sort of thing.)
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
Why not 112?
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
Congratulations, you just justified cell phone jamming too.
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
Only takes a few seconds to drop a call. It would take much longer to narrow down the source of a jamming signal. You'd probably notice someone moving around with a device used to detect jammers on top of that.
If they keep it running, yes. But I don't think your prediction will have much effect if it does happen.
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
If the jammer is operating too close to a cellphone tower installation, there is a chance--though small--that it could take down the operation of the tower itself.
In fact, active jamming of cellphones is EXTREMELY illegal, and according to what I've read, the fines is actually over US$100,000 _per_ incident. The guy who built that portable jammer faces not only prison time, but also a huge fine.
With all of the talk of the Police shutting down everyone's phones and internet over half of Chicago for the G8 summit... I figured someone would get pissed off and return fire, taking down all of the tac-comms for everyone in retaliation.
I'm glad it doesn't have to come to that now.
So why did they pull out of Chicago all the sudden, anyhow? Did the dates conflict with the surprise invasion of Pakistan?
I bought it about 6 months ago and keep in it a fanny pack (yes, one of those ultra-non-cool mini-backpacks). The device weights about 2 or 3 pounds (fairly heavy), pumps out 2 mW of interference, and usually jams phones within about 20 feet (more on this later). Cell phone jammers are just too big to constantly lug around in a pants pocket and certainly are noticeable with the antennas sticking out.
That was the problem of the person on the bus. First he was keeping it in plain view. Second he did not hide the fact that he was jamming (in the video he looks at the cameraman he is jamming). The third mistake is that he was constantly keeping it on rather that on-wait 5 secs to burst-kill everything-off.
I'm very careful. I don't look at the person. I reach into my bag, turn it on, and then take out a package of tic-tacs candy and take one, chomp on it for about 5 or 10 seconds while listening to people say WTF around me and then put the tic-tacs back in the bag and shut off the jammer. Anyone looking at me (which is often) sees that I'm sneaking a snack.
My greatest fear is cell-jammer-detectors/trackers which are surprisingly cheap. However I doubt that someone with a tracker can isolate me in 10 second of surprise use. Given that the tracker have to move around holding the device looking at the signal indicators means that I doubt that one can sneak up to me.
I most often have to use it while waiting to check out in shopping centers. People talk talk talk on their phone and never consider the people around them, erupting to gales of laughter. Second most often is in traffic seeing the driver in the car beside me yakking away and not paying attention. Jamming in a car is more difficult and less range but it does still work well. Third most common is at work seeing people that should be WORKING aren't. All these people find that suddenly they don't have phone reception anymore. It usually takes a few applications of jamming but eventually people give up and get back to what they should be doing.
The devise I use says 5-20 meters, but my real-world estimate is 20-30 feet (6-10 meters). In my local wall-to-wall mega-store using the device at the checkout lines causes WTF's from about 5 lines away, and occasionally all the way to the entryway / cart-storage with people stopped dead in their tracks looking with puzzled looks at their phones.
Yes I do know that the legality of the device is problematic and I'm prepared to fight it in court if need be. I only once came close when I was speeding and got pulled over by the police. The officer looked my car over and while talking to me asked what was in the black bag on the passenger seat. I replied that I respectfully refuse to answer any further questions and will exercise my constitutional right to remain silent. The cop dropped being friendly and became all business (not hostile but very imposing). He then wanted to search my car. "No". He goes back to his car for a long time with my license. A second police car shows up and while one is talking to me, the other is looking at my car through every window with special attention to the zipped fanny pack. They walk off a bit to talk it over and eventually after about 30 minutes from being stopped they let me go with a large speeding ticket (no traffic warning for me). Probable cause and fruit of the poison tree for the win.
I'd like to get a car-powered one that is supposed to jam 3G, 4G, GPS up to 50m away but there is no way that could be concealed. I have little fear that I will be caught short of becoming over-confident and careless. In short I am going to continue using my device to thwart the terrible talkers and telephone abusers.
In Italy there is the new SIS system that controls the bus routes and scheduling. http://www.tramditorino.it/sis_apparati_nuovi.htm The newer version uses a GPS, and a GPRS modem to report the bus position and problems and of course to permit the driver to make and receive emergency or service phone calls. A cell phone jammer will make the bus invisible to the system, so if the bus is going late the driver doesn't see the "hurry up" icon or if it's early the "slow down" icon does not appear. If the bus breaks the engines no replacement bus will arrive. If you're on some high speed train that are using ects level2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETCS a disruption of the GSM-R signal will make the train slow down to 60 km/h, and disrupting the rail service is a criminal offense.
Regular cell phone chatter don't really annoy me, except for those morons that YELLS into their phone. Quite often this also happens to be foreigners or immigrants speaking an annoying and not understandable language, adding to the annoyance factor. One should think they would know that with all the yelling they could save the call and just yell back and forth from tall buildings or similar... :)
What really annoys me are those morons with super-loud 'music' in crappy headphones. I quote 'music' here because it always seems to be the worst no-talent hip-hop they play (you can hear it clearly far away) and that doesn't qualify as music in my humble opinion... Now if someone sold a small portable EMP-generator that could kill the players of those morons, I'd line up to buy one...
"For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong." -- H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) --
I'm pretty sure if they catch you doing that you'll get more than a punch in the face. Personally I'd be quite happy to hold you until the cops get there to administer your $16,000 fine.
But yes, inconsiderate people frequently value their own convenience over everything else. Loud talkers on cell phones, people with jammers who block them. Same bird, different feathers.
If he died that quickly it wouldn't have made a difference.. or are you really expecting us to believe that all the people in the theater just stared at their phones and not one thought to get the AED or alert the theater which could use a landline (or be outside the jammed area)?
I know, I know.. IHBT.
They're not innocent. They're meekly sitting there and allowing the asshole to continue being an asshole, and it's quite obvious that they would also meekly sit there and watch you get beaten to a bloody pulp if you actually tried confronting the asshole and found that he's not only a loud asshole but a violent asshole too. Therefore, it's justifiable collateral damage if a few of their calls drop.
I'm the real Vorokrytin P. Winterbuttocks.
Responses proportional to behavior?
Come on -- they are following in our government's footsteps who charge $250K/song downloaded or more years behind bars for, not exploiting, but pointing out a security flaw, than someone would get for rape? (15-25 v. 5) or... (too many examples to think about)...
Sadly government sets the example for society to follow... and you expect people to be reasonable or 'nice', or polite...?? It was worse when you had an openly mean, hostile and uncaring president in office...(not to mention the accurate comparisons of his sidekick to a characterization of evil: Darth Vader)...
Bumper stickers went from 'Mean people suck' to 'Mean people rule, get over it'
I don't **like** what the silencer does -- as he's become judge, jury and executioner - and he __could__ cost lives, but at the same time, I *somewhat*, laud people who take action in this time when government is not only, NOT protecting us from corporate misdeed, but is often a 'co-perp'.
This guy is my new hero, even though he later backed down and said he wasn't going to use it anymore. I for one am fed up with the constant assault of cell phone conversations from people who have no idea how to be considerate to those around them.
Yeah, it's just wonderful that there are narcissistic bastards out there who will interfere with others' right to communicate and may compromise public safety because it inconveniences them just a little bit.