This device, sold only to VIPs, would alert them that someone is constantly hovering nearby, by noticing that the same cellphone is quite often within a pre-defined distance of the VIP.
-- theircompetitor, Mar 26 2004

Abuse of power. Fishbone.

(I'm quite happy with a regulated police force having the court-ordered power to track people by cell phone, but I'm very unhappy with granting people to power to invade privacy just because they designate themselves VIPs.)
-- DrCurry, Mar 26 2004


The VIP's cell phone should also have an auto-scan camera built in. With the auto-scan feature enabled the camera would continuously take pictures while it innocently dangles from the belt clip. Pictures would be transmitted to Verizon whenever the local cell tower is not too busy (not real time, but reasonably close to it). Verizon's computer would compare any faces and car plates to a database of known stalkers, child molesters, terrorists and other evil doers.
-- kbecker, Mar 26 2004


tsuka -- I don't think so. I'm saying that since location info on cellphones is available, you could, in theory, know that strangely, 555-5555 is always within 250 feet of you.

DrCurry, not sure there's an abuse of power here. The VIP does not even need to know who it is, only that it's someone. It's really not all that different from E911.

And what's with the abuse of "abuse"?
-- theircompetitor, Mar 26 2004


tsuka -- I guess I don't know enough about how RF detectors would work -- if you say so -- I was relying on the GPS enabled trackable cellphones.
-- theircompetitor, Mar 27 2004


VIP: This madman is on my back 24-7. You gotta do something!
Police: We arrested the suspect Madam. It was your minder.
-- gnomethang, Mar 27 2004


[tsuka] The frequencies are allocated on-the-fly when a call is initiated. They can even be reallocated rapidly during a call (frequency hopping) to improve signal to noise ratio. Even the ID of the caller is encrypted during transmission over the air interface. There is no way to identify the originator of a signal without the cooperation of the cellphone operator.

Interestingly enough GSM phones DO have a VIP mode. This can be used by the operator to ensure that some phones get priority when resources are tight.
-- k9island, Mar 27 2004



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