Cell phone tracking

[rgl]

Oh my - take a look at this story. I had no idea they could track cell calls to this degree. Very interesting.

FOX news story on arson fires

Check out where it says:

quote:

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Speed came under suspicion after allegedly failing a polygraph and telling investigators he was home in bed when a colleague phoned to tell him of the fires, although phone records showed the call went through a cell phone tower closer to the scene, according to court documents.

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[Bob Woods]

Since all phone system are computer operated there is a record of all calls made, for years your local phone company has been able to track al phone calls, Its going to get easier to track cell phone use as it gets intergrated with GPS. There is a drive in many areas to use pinpoint locating for 911 calls made from cell phones.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by Bob Woods:
Since all phone system are computer operated there is a record of all calls made, for years your local phone company has been able to track al phone calls, Its going to get easier to track cell phone use as it gets intergrated with GPS. There is a drive in many areas to use pinpoint locating for 911 calls made from cell phones.

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I predict an emerging market for very limited range (about a foot) GPS jammers that can be attached to your cell phone.

 

[Bret Chase]

quote:

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Originally posted by XS650:
I predict an emerging market for very limited range (about a foot) GPS jammers that can be attached to your cell phone.

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All the more reason to keep my old but trusty and rugged Nokia 5165.

-Bret

 

[Shannow]

A few years ago, there was a report in New Scientist about two brits who were booked for talking on mobile phones while moving.

Problem wasn't that they were caught by a Police officer witnessing it, it was a trial of using phone records to prove where they were, and how fast they were going.

Got too big brotherish, and they decided not to impliment it.

 

[Shannow]

In this week's New Scientist, there is a much nicer use for this technology.

They are looking at installing radiation monitors in hpnes used by Police, Ambulance, Fire etc.

The phone will transmit back the background radiation intensity, and the location.

Using this, they will be able to build a background map.

Sudden changes will alert authorities to potential dirty bombs, or sites at which they are being manufactured.

 

[Shannow]

Last post in this series.

In August, my Uncle decided to suicide...planned it out to a T.

Shortly before hanging himself in a remote public toilet, he turned on his mobile phone.

The Police were able to find his body, using the phone.

 

[Pablo]

I don't even trust my cell phone when it's turned OFF!

 

[rgl]

quote:

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I don't even trust my cell phone when it's turned OFF!

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Now that you say that, it reminded me of something. In Orwell's 1984, you will recall that the "telescreen" (it is not actually described very well in the book, as it seems to be more of a radio than a tv - no images are described) can be turned down volume-wise, but cannot be turned off. And it is apparently 2 way. And - this is the instrument that appears to be spying on poor Winston when he is caught. And the thing that appears to be glossed over, is that the telescreen is NOT a government requirement in the book, but appears to have been insidiously provided with presumed public acceptance and payment (Winston thinks his secret hiding place has no telescreen because it is so old and out of the way) So Big Brother indeed. . . we shall buy the rope with which we will be hanged!

 

[rgl]

And another thing about Orwell, a bit OT - I was looking through Animal Farm the other day, and remember reading it in high school (during the cold war) and thinking the ending where the pigs and the men are the same is not really historically accurate, if he based the book on Soviet experience - it seemed kind of a LSD trip of some kind. Then I hit upon where it says that the pigs decide to name the farm back to the original name Manor Farm from Animal Farm (the revolutionary name). And it struck me - what is the Soviet Union's name now? And what flag flies over the Kremlin? And what was Putin's job before being a "democratic" leader? Orwell was a genius indeed.

 

[rmw]

You will remember last year when Pres. Bush secretly went to Iraq to eat turkey with the troops, that the press who accompanied him were required to remove the batteries from their cell phones.

If you think your cell phone is not talking to someone out there, try setting the time wrong, and set it up to automatically correct the time. Your cell phone will have the correct time within minutes.

rmw

 

[JohnBrowning]

The lastest version of Onstar allows access to ECM/PCM via cellular conection. They can shut the engine down with a few key strokes. A officer out in California told me of some tests they were doing along with Onstar!

Once OBDIII comes on board look out!! It will basicly make your cars ECM/PCM a reporting device. I think it might also give them control of the engine remotely! I am not sure on the remoe control of drive train. Nothing like haveing your car tell the police how fast you were going and how often etc.......

You guys would be amazed what common items in a house can be used as a passive transmitter.

The FBI has been lobbying for digital wire taping from a centralized location for years. They would basicly have the same ability as the NSA but for domestic matters only and only for telephones.

 

[medic]

quote:

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Originally posted by Shannow:
A few years ago, there was a report in New Scientist about two brits who were booked for talking on mobile phones while moving.

Problem wasn't that they were caught by a Police officer witnessing it, it was a trial of using phone records to prove where they were, and how fast they were going.

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How could they rule out the fact that these people may have been passengers in a vehicle and not the operators?

I work with two guys who are very technically impaired. Niether one owns a cell phone or wants to own a cell phone. They have never experienced the internet and fortunatly, they do not have to use a computer at work (this will be chnaging shortly). One of these guys doesn't even have an ATM card.

While I laugh at these two guys, I also fear that if something bad was to happen to our civilization technically, they would be able to cope better than those of us who have become dependant on technology.

Just imagine if there was a sudden loss of internet, pagers, cell phones, GPS, etc... I can see many industies in this country and around the world coming to a complete hault. The industies that don't use these technologies rely on other industries that do. It would create a huge domino effect.

 

[drive it forever]

In the year 2000, I was a murder suspect for a short while. A friend of mine was murdered. The investigator asked me if I had a cell phone because he might need to get ahold of me, from watching t.v. shows like law&order, I dident fall for it. Even the old cell phones would track what cell tower you were nearest to when turned on. The murderer was caught, he broke into the same house to attempt a second go-around of the place.

 

[Shannow]

quote:

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Originally posted by medic:
How could they rule out the fact that these people may have been passengers in a vehicle and not the operators?

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exactly what I thought when I read the article.

Down here, if your car passes through a speed camera, you, the owner are guilty until you prove yourself innocent.

You must provide a statutory declaration that someone else was at the wheel, AND provide those details to the Government.

 

[medic]

quote:

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Originally posted by Shannow:

quote:

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Originally posted by medic:
How could they rule out the fact that these people may have been passengers in a vehicle and not the operators?

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exactly what I thought when I read the article.

Down here, if your car passes through a speed camera, you, the owner are guilty until you prove yourself innocent.

You must provide a statutory declaration that someone else was at the wheel, AND provide those details to the Government.

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Ah, guilty until proven innocent. It works similar here in the US, we just won't admit to it.