Nokia turns celphones into traffic sensors

[Xavier Lang]

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9868169-7.html?tag=newsmap

[Varaj]

That's pretty cool.

[Space Cadet B^3]

Wow, cell phones really can do anything!

I want my tricorder, damn it! :)

[Black Angel]

Interesting concept. It does make me wonder how many people will really trust it enough to use it though, as in whether people really believe that their individual data is removed to make it anonymous. With all the different conspiracy theories out there, I can see the 'Big Brother watching you' argument as pretty persuasive for a lot of folks to not use it...

[Pigs in Space]

I question whether you will even be able to "opt out".

And surely the police/govt will WANT the ability to track individual phones built into the system. So that is goint to be right there for abuse.

[Space Cadet B^3]

Can I get it implanted?

[Varaj]

I question whether you will even be able to "opt out".

And surely the police/govt will WANT the ability to track individual phones built into the system. So that is goint to be right there for abuse.

I hope you don't think they need this. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_phone_tracking

[Freedom Canadian]

I hope you don't think they need this. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_phone_tracking

Well, knowing which cell tower one's cell phone is nearest to is not as good as knowing exactly where a cell phone is.

It always amazes me though that whenever technology appears that will let a private company gather tons of personal information, people's first reaction is nearly always "OMG, what if the police gets their hands on that info !?!"

Give me the requirement for a warrant and a legitimate law enforcement need over private companies who sell your personal info to the highest bidder any day. :)

[Bagpuss]

"When the information is sent to Nokia, Bayen says all of the personal identifying information is stripped from the data, and encryption methods on the level of what banks use is employed to keep information private." From the article.

You could read that as when the information arrives Nokia, personal identifying information is still attached. Or you could read that when it is sent from the phone it is stripped from the data.

If it's still attached when it leaves the phone, encrypted or not that means someone at the other end can track you.

[Varaj]

If you have a cell phone, the assumption should be, you are trackable.

[Bagpuss]

There is a big difference between real time tracking (as is currently possible via the methods mentioned in the wiki link you mentioned) and a constant tracking with archive data which is what they are talking about in the first article.

[Varaj]

There is a big difference between real time tracking (as is currently possible via the methods mentioned in the wiki link you mentioned) and a constant tracking with archive data which is what they are talking about in the first article.

There is a archive of the constant tracking of a cell phones position via tower triangulation. The only difference is accuracy and ease of getting the data. Instead of 100's of feet accurate it would now be a few feet accurate. Instead of having to specifically hunt for the data it would be designed to be right available.
If you think you are important enough to be tracked by a cell phone it can already be done, even historically.

[Space Cadet B^3]

I'm not worried about it, I'm not a target they would use those resources upon even if they were after me.

Come on QSR!

[Eliezer]

Heck, I was told that I'd be photographed, name taken and a file on me would be created by foreign governments and potentially tracked if I looked promising for becoming a double agent.

I doubt my own government has had such interest in me. I feel so left alone. Other governments love me more than my own :(

[Black Angel]

Doesn't that mean you DO have potential to become a double agent then? Maybe they really are tracking you & you just don't know....

[Name Lips]

If you have a cell phone, the assumption should be, you are trackable.

There is a reason cell phones are not allowed in classified areas. Even if they're off. Even if they're at the bottom of you briefcase.

A good hacker can send a "maintenance" signal to a phone, essentially activating it as a one-way radio, transmitting all the sounds in the room. They can record that info, and then terminate the signal. And the cell phone user will be completely unaware this has ever occurred. All the hacker needs is the cell phone number and the appropriate software.

And if you don't think the NSA knows how to do this if they think they need to... well, you're probably better off not thinking about it.

[Varaj]

There is a reason cell phones are not allowed in classified areas. Even if they're off. Even if they're at the bottom of you briefcase.

A good hacker can send a "maintenance" signal to a phone, essentially activating it as a one-way radio, transmitting all the sounds in the room. They can record that info, and then terminate the signal. And the cell phone user will be completely unaware this has ever occurred. All the hacker needs is the cell phone number and the appropriate software.

And if you don't think the NSA knows how to do this if they think they need to... well, you're probably better off not thinking about it.

The FBI has used it and gotten convictions from the recordings. The courts have upheld, with a warrant, it is allowed. (I agree with the courts on this one)