DU cell phone users

[serryjw]

I remember that congress was working with the tell com companies to track your location if you use 911. What happened to this? I am see many PSA's on TV that appears this never happened.

[Mythsaje]

1. From what I understand

they can triangulate someone's position by using the cell phone even if you're not currently using it...if you simply have it on.

[fiveleafclover]

2. I don't know about all phones, but for mine

there's an option. I can limit it to just 911 as far as tracking goes, or I can let just anybody track me. Guess which option I use.

[Mythsaje]

3. I'm not certain the option isn't there

for them to just use the local cell towers to triangulate your position anyway, whether you like it or not.

[fiveleafclover]

7. You're probably right

I think it's really just to block stores and businesses from sending ads to your phone as you walk past their buildings. Probably wouldn't help there either. Oh well, the illusion of safety, right?

[Mythsaje]

9. It's probably safer

than having OnStar in your vehicle, at least.

[fiveleafclover]

10. Agreed!

I hate the way they hype that shit. That's the quickest way to get to the soccer moms though, by appealing to their fears.

[Mythsaje]

12. Flat gives me the creeps...

My wife and I just look at each other every time we hear one of their commercials. When we bought our new car it was actually an option we could've gotten--not on-star, but some GPS thing, and we both kinda laughed. My wife told the guy "I don't need GPS, I've got him," referring to me.

[hopein08]

4. That's what the booklet for my Virgin Mobile said...

as long as it is on, they can triangulate.

[serryjw]

5. All you guys must have new phones

quote.....
Cell phone tracking was propelled by the Federal Communications Commission, which adopted enhanced 911 rules to cover wireless services. For E911's first phase, cellular carriers must be able to pinpoint, to the nearest cell tower, the location of someone calling 911. For Phase II, carriers must be able to pinpoint a 911 caller's location to within 50 to 300 meters.

FCC requirements mandate that the first phones equipped with Phase II capabilities appear this October; nearly all cell phones are supposed to comply by 2005. Thus far, Sprint PCS is the only major carrier that claims to be on schedule to ship some location-enabled phones this fall.

end quote.......
http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/1909p034id55986.htm

I found this after I posted the question. On my PSA the fireman is saying TELL US WHERE YOU ARE!!! Well, sometimes when you dial 911, you can't!

[hopein08]

6. I got my Virgin Mobile in Feburary of 2004...

It's one of the pay-as-you-go...not a plan...phones. I was quite upset that three months after I bought it, the price went down by $30 and then another $30 and now I don't even think they sell them anymore because the price dropped so low!

[fiveleafclover]

8. I'm on pre-pay too, with Virgin Mobile

That's just the way they do it. And the phones you get with prepay are crap too. You know what they say though...how can they call it Virgin Mobile if they're always screwing you?

[LiberalPartisan]

11. All wireless phones have GPS tracking

which means any phone can be tracked anywhere, whether the phone is on or not.

[serryjw]

13. Does not appear that way

quote......
"It's a very difficult problem given the wireless infrastructure," Gold said. "Don't count on being rescued with your wireless phone unless you know exactly where you are" and can tell an emergency operator clearly.
Colleen Boothby, an attorney at Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP in Washington who regularly appears before the Federal Communications Commission, said wireless E911 is "a lot better than it was five years ago," but she agrees that the service is not where public officials want it to be because of some “very technical issues."

end quote.......

http://www.computerworld.com/mobiletopics/mobile/story/0,10801,102998,00.html

[pitohui]

14. your phone tracks your location, yep

some time ago actually for our family cells

i think in a real emergency, such as katrina, we discovered that the cell phones didn't work at all, for weeks in many cases, but maybe if you're the only one having the emergency it will work ok

i still keep the cell near the bed if i'm home alone at night in case osama bin laden breaks in and tries to hide under my bed but it ain't happened yet :-)

now that i've read the whole thread i guess i'll have to practice screaming out my address in the middle of a heart attack, since apparently this much vaunted technology hardly works at all despite the claims, who knew