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UK Firm To Release 'Screaming' Cell Phone
Posted by
ScuttleMonkey
on Tue Oct 03, 2006 03:32 AM
from the can-you-hear-me-now dept.
from the can-you-hear-me-now dept.
rubberbando writes "Yahoo news is running a story about a plan by a UK cell phone company to help reduce cell theft. Apparently, this new cell phone can be sent a signal after its owner has realized that it has been lost or stolen. The signal tells the phone to wipe all of its data and begin emitting a very loud and obnoxious sound. The sound will only stop if the battery runs out or is removed, but it will begin again as soon as the battery is replaced or charged. Even replacing the sim card will not help."
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Brilliant application of 'planned obsolecence' (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Brilliant application of 'planned obsolecence' (Score:4, Insightful)
Or, even worse, if he found out how to send the signal to the phones sans password - after all, if the company is lazy, then maybe all they'd do is dial up the cell phone and send a general purpose "kill" signal. Figure out how to tell the cellphone that it's stolen while still in the possession of its owner, and you can make somebody very, very mad.
Parent
Re:Brilliant application of 'planned obsolecence' (Score:4, Insightful)
However, I had an app a while back that could 'build' Operator SMS messages and send them out to peoples phones, so yeah, unless the Operator takes serious steps to secure this system, it's gonna be hacked in no time. Once hacked, the concept will be useless, and the manufacturers will stop including the kill-system in the firmware...
-Jar.
Parent
loud and obnoxious (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
So basically... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:So basically... (Score:5, Informative)
If you have the tools to rewrite the NOR flash, then you can indeed turn off the alarm with software. The software will be external to the phone and will have to use some hardware connection to it, though.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
> Also, a pay as you go SIM card normally isn't linked to an identity.
It is very much linked to an identity when the phone spends 6-8 hours per day in the same house and spends workdays at same place of business.
If you carry a cellphone for any length of time, your identity and position at any time are easy to deduce by anyone with access to operator logs.
If you carry it anywhere near security cameras, the position, time and date result in a picture!
Obnoxious? (Score:5, Insightful)
Another deep thought... (Score:4, Funny)
i can only wait (Score:5, Funny)
Isn't this what happens if Paris Hilton calls you?
As Hammurabi said, a blown-up face for a phone. (Score:5, Funny)
As well as the ear and most of the face of the thief? Seems a little harsh.
Re:As Hammurabi said, a blown-up face for a phone. (Score:5, Funny)
Actually it reminded me of something I was talking about just yesterday, a funny scene from the BBC series from the 1980s, 'The New Statesman'. The main star (Rik Mayall) is held up at knifepoint, and quickly hands over his wallet when it's demanded. The theif runs off, at which point the star smiles, pulls out a little remote from his breast pocket, flips a switch and presses the red button. You hear an explosion and a scream in the distance. Great stuff!
Parent
Who cares if the phone becomes unusable (Score:5, Interesting)
IMEI, Re:Who cares if the phone becomes unusable (Score:5, Informative)
First and foremost, you must write down your IMEI number [wikipedia.org]. Simply type *#06# into your cell phone. It may look like: AA-BBBBBB-CCCCCC-D . That is the serial number of the phone, and it will not change if the SIM is changed. Write it down into a safe place.
When your phone is stolen, report that number to the police. They will report it to the providers, that will lock down the cell phone [gsmworld.com] for good; moreover, if the phone is ever turned on, they may be able to track the thief whereabouts, using standard cell tecnology; that, and an identikit, may actually help them arrest the thief.
A friend of mine, (who is in IT business) did all of the above, and she really had the thief arrested and prosecuted.
Parent
awesome! (Score:5, Funny)
Excellent! I am writing the number down right now in the memo pad application on my cell phone!
Parent
It makes me think of... (Score:3, Funny)
How long till... (Score:4, Interesting)
Who do the police arrest? (Score:5, Funny)
Question: who gets taken to court? The phone manufacturer, for creating a noise nuisance? Or the thief, for stealing the phone? Or me, for damaging someone else's property?
I know the answer: it will be me, won't it?
Re:Who do the police arrest? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Too late! (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Well, they used the IMEI [wikipedia.org] number of the phone that is tied to the hardware, although someone with the rights skills might be able to change the flash memory where it's stored. (By the way, you can see the number by typing *#06#). It requires cooperation of the mobile phone providers though, that should have a blacklist of stolen IMEI numbers and take appropriate action as soon as a sto
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
They want their paranoia back.