On Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:03:18 -0500, I no more wrote:

> On Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:01:22 -0500, Searching_____ wrote:
>
>> It is possible for a phones GPS to be self powered, no battery needed,
>> by the energy available from the environment. Most probably deriven
>> from angels.
>>
>> The technology was demonstrated in a cell phone that could charge it's
>> own battery from the ambient energy in the environment. Expect every
>> cell phone to do this in a couple of months.
>>
>> A GPS chip requires less energy than charging a battery. Isn't Nikola
>> Tesla cool or what?
>>
>> Cell phones are another tool that helps "them" (bad guys) to pinpoint
>> who or where you and I (good guys) are, if you are "their" (bads
>> guys) target. Being able to open a cell phone account with a false
>> name has a few advantages, like preventing someone with access to a
>> companies DB of customers targeting you or calling your neighbor's
>> wow-wow daughter and talking love-smack to her.
>
> Yes, I've heard that. I don't put any stock into it though. My
> understanding is that it takes a lot of power to make contact with the
> cell towers. The chip would run down quickly if they were putting out
> that much power when the phone's off. I'm guessing though, I don't
> really know.
>
> There are rumors of a "roving bug" but I believe they have to download
> something to your phone when it's on that will then cause the phone to
> not fully shut off (i.e. the microphone might keep recording). But
> this should cause the battery to run down much faster. A normal
> "unbugged" phone shouldn't be trackable when it's off. I'm guessing
> though, I don't really know.
>
> But if you have any links to credible sources that claim tracking of
> an unmodified phone can occur with the phone off, I'd be happy to
> change my mind. I'm guessing though, I don't really know.

A bit confused, Confucius?

The phones have to be tracked...otherwise, how do you plan on making
and taking calls? They locate you by the strength/weakness of the
signal relative to a set number of towers. And, by all accounts, you
can be tracked with the phone off..but not if the battery is taken
out. Also, no, this is far from the biggest privacy threat in the
history of Usenet. Though to be honest, some of the "threats"
mentioned in this place have been waaaaaaaaay far out there.

You can disable GPS on most phones, but it differs by manufacturer
and, to turn it completely off, you're crippling the phones
capabilities and apps pretty harshly. Folks are going to have to learn
that if they want to play with the newest toys in our security and
marketing-obsessed world, there will be some ugly realities to deal
with.
--
hierophant
heremypants@hushmail.com
http://heremypants.weebly.com/