Qui Custodes

911 Alarm

I'm indebted to one of my readers, Greg Broiles, who called the following to my attention:

Apparently the new cell phones make a loud (very loud) alarm sound if 911 is dialed.  There's a story about this about Verizon phones but it may cover other phones as well.  For more details about this you can visit a cell phone users discussion board.  Apparently, the cell phone companies are claiming that this alarm is required by the government.  I don't know. 

But I do know that this can be the biggest idiocy I've heard in quite a while.  What if there's a home invasion?  Do you really want your cell phone to send out an alarm revealing exactly where you are hiding?  Of what if you are being forced into the trunk of your car?  There are many cases of the police tracking you by cell after being called on "911".  The alarm just tells the bad guys you have a phone and begs them to throw it away. 

There may be a way to deactivate this "feature" but I don't know it.  If someone has it, please post it or tell me where it is and I'll post it for you.  In the meantime, you should complain to the carrier and to the FCC about this absolute idiocy. 

Cell phones as tracking devices

For those parents who want to know what their children are up too, the cell phone companies will let you do it for a fee: Sprint Nextel and Verizon has "ehanced 911" which you can subscribe to.  Although slightly different, both provide tracking services so you know where your child is.

Be careful what you wish for--you might get it

The Washington Post today ran a Front Page Story about how the government is using cell phones as tracking devices.  Sometimes this is done with warrants, sometimes without.  Sometimes with probable cause, sometimes without.  Privacy advocates object to the government using this technology without appropriate constitutional safeguards.  What caught my eye is was that the story says "federal agents tell a carrier they need real-time tracking data in an emergency but fail to follow up with the required court approval. Justice Department officials said to the best of their knowledge, agents are obtaining court approval unless the carriersprovide the data voluntarily."  So first they ask, telling the carrier it's an emergency and promising court documents, then the carrier voluntarily turns over your data obviating the need for the court documents.  Catch-22!  I love it!

Seriously, you might recall my earlier post about the benefits of speed-dialing "911" and how it can help police find  you in an emergency.  Well, this is the flip side of the technology.

Passwords

We all have passwords, PINs, and other identifying numbers.  They are for bank accounts, computers, phones, and everything else you can think of.  I *think* I have 12 or 13 of them but it could be more.

And most of us do 1 of 2 things:  we either use the same password for *everything* or we make a list.  And then we put the list where we can find it when we need it--like in our wallet, or on the PDA under "Password" or on a yellow sticky tab on the computer.  Then, when we lose the wallet or PDA etc. we lose everything!  and the access codes too.

Instead of doing that, try this:  make your list of different passwords and put *it* on the computer or PDA.  Then use a password you cannot possibly forget hide the list.  Other lists have suggestions for for a password that is both memorable and hard to crack. I really don't care what you use provided that it uses letters, numbers and "special" characters.  So if your name is "Elizabeth" you might use the password "31iz@b3th" or you might use "E1*z@b3th" or any other variations you might wish to use.   Similarly, dates can be written "YYYYMMDD" or "ddmmyyyy" and numbers can be written using Roman Numerals.  Anything can be used as long as you don't forget it.

If you do this, when (not if) you lose your PDA or phone or laptop you won't lose *everything* --at least as long as you have been backing up *everything* like you are supposed to.  (You have been backing up your data haven't you?) ;-}

Speed Dial

I love the speed dial feature of modern phones.  They are so convenient.  You can use them as a protective tool too:  just program "9" on the speed dial to dial "911".  You can do this on your home phone, your work phone and on your cell phone.  Then, whenever there is a phone, you can get help quickly and easily just by pressing a single button.  And by using speed dial "9" you won't forget which button to press. 

Cell Phones can be useful

Did you know that new cell phones use GSM technology?  Yes, they do.  That let's the police track you through your cell phone.  This has been useful to several people in my metropolitan area over the past year or so when they were carjacked and stuffed in the trunk.  They contacted the police to report the situation and the police tracked them.  I understand the technology is so good they can trace you to within about 2-3 meters (6-10 feet).  Interesting no? 

Cell phone rant ON

Cell phone companies love camera phones. But many places I go (and probably many of you readers) don’t let you carry cameras. Some of the Courts I appear in check and prohibit cameras and camera phones under any and all circumstances. So I need a phone without a camera built in. Just try and get one. Specifically, try and order a PalmOne Treo without a camera. It’s almost impossible. Now, this is *not* PalmOne’s fault--they offer the Treo models without cameras, but the cell phone companies either don’t tell their people about this or they don’t want to sell you one. So if you want a multi-purpose phone without a camera it’s a hassle--you need to ask for a supervisor and then special order one. Pfui!

Cell phones with cameras

If your teen has a camera phone and you want to check on them, call & ask them to take pictures of who they are with *right then* and send them to you.  only if you have a teenager can you imagine the consternation that greeted this idea.  Hee Hee Hee.