[LINK] FBI taps cell phone mic as eavesdropping tool

[Rick Welykochy]

Kim Holburn wrote:

>> The U.S. Commerce Department's security office warns that "a  cellular 
>> telephone can be turned into a microphone and transmitter  for the 
>> purpose of listening to conversations in the vicinity of  the phone." 
>> An article in the Financial Times last year said mobile  providers can 
>> "remotely install a piece of software on to any  handset, without the 
>> owner's knowledge, which will activate the  microphone even when its 
>> owner is not making a call."

Sounds like it's high time for an open source mobile phone
software system. I'm sure Linux would make a great embedded O/S
on a phone. It'll even run Java ... but then again, that's what
we don't want to see anymore of.

'Tis sad indeed that there is no social contract to accompany
new technologies.

Tinfoil mobile phone cases anyone? Better yet, chuck out the damn
things and go back to landlines.


cheers
rickw




-- 
_________________________________
Rick Welykochy || Praxis Services

Something is wrong.
This is something.
Therefore this is wrong.
    - Politician's Syllogism