jammer
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Ultrasonic bracelet jams the microphones around you
Smart speakers and other microphone-equipped devices aren't supposed to listen all the time, but there might be a solution if you aren't willing to take any chances. University of Chicago researchers have built an experimental bracelet that uses ultrasonic broadcasts from 24 speakers to jam most microphones, no matter what direction they're in. The gadget takes advantage of non-linearities in its built-in amplifier to 'leak' ultrasonic noise into the audible range and render recordings useless.
Small island prison first to install anti-drone 'forcefield'
Prisons have a drone problem, in that they're being used to fly drugs and other contraband over walls and into the hands of inmates. Dealing with these airborne mules is tricky because you either need to hope they crash or catch their operators in the act, but one prison is taking a more proactive approach to stopping undesirable deliveries. Alongside other security upgrades, the small, 139-capacity Les Nicolles Prison in Guernsey, Channel Islands, is said to be the first in the world to receive an anti-drone fence. It's not a physical barrier, but an invisible wall that jams pilot signals and stops drones from passing beyond its threshold.
Anti-drone gun takes down targets from 1.2 miles away
There are numerous systems built to take down wayward or dangerous drones, but they tend to have one big catch: you need to be relatively close to the drone, which could be scary if the robotic aircraft is packing explosives. DroneShield thinks it can help. It's introducing the DroneGun, a jammer that disables drone signals (including GPS and GLONASS positioning) from as far as 1.2 miles away. Like most rivals, it doesn't destroy the target drone -- it just forces the vehicle to land or return to its starting point. Anti-drone teams can not only disable threats from a safe distance, but potentially locate their pilots.
Drones can defend themselves with an anti-laser jammer
There are plenty of efforts to make drone-destroying lasers. But what about protecting those drones? Adsys Controls thinks it can help. It's making Helios, a passive jammer that confuses laser weapons. If it detects an incoming laser beam, it detects the traits of that beam (such as its pulse and wavelength) and interferes with them to prevent the laser from locking on and toasting the drone. The company won't say exactly how this interference works, although it may be a counter laser. The one certainty is that it's reliable -- this is "permanent protection" against subsequent lock-on attempts, not just a momentary break.
Marriott settles complaint that it forced convention goers to use hotel WiFi
Ever suspected that a hotel was forcing you to use its paid WiFi by making your mobile hotspot unusable? Apparently, your hunch has some grounding in reality. Marriott has paid a $600,000 fine to settle a complaint that it blocked third-party hotspots at a Nashville hotel to make convention attendees and exhibitors pay for the venue's commercial WiFi access -- not exactly cheap at $250 to $1,000 a pop. As the FCC explains, the hotel was effectively asking users to either pay twice for internet access or else risk going offline whenever they approached the convention center.
Safety zealot hid a phone jammer in his SUV to stop other drivers taking calls
If you happen to notice a second-hand Toyota Highlander being offered for a quick sale in Seffner, Florida, you'll know exactly who it belongs to. A local man, Jason Humphreys, has been given 30 days to pay a $48,000 fine after being caught radio-handed with a high-powered phone jammer hidden under his SUV's front passenger seat. When he was pulled over by a squad of FCC agents and police officers, who had spent days tracking the source of the wideband interference emanating from his vehicle, he reportedly told them that he was "fed up with watching cell phone usage while people were driving." Unfortunately for Humphreys, the state of Florida deems it legal for motorists to engage in phone conversations while they're on the move, whereas it severely frowns on the use of unlicensed jamming equipment that can disrupt vital communications between emergency services. The only glimmer of hope for this grumpy vigilante is if he can write to the FCC and somehow stall the fine, but even then he'll likely still face a separate case raised by an even grumpier Sheriff's office. [Image credit: ABC Action News]
Phone-jamming cloak lets you be seen and not tracked
We've covered invisibility cloaks, thermal cloaks and acoustic cloaks. But none of those were actual, you know, cloaks. The voluminous CHBL Jammer Coat really is. Created by Austrian designers, apparently with the help of Zoolander and some bedouin tribesmen, it uses metallic fabric to stop radiowaves going to or from any mobile devices carried in its many pockets. It further flummoxes onlookers and CCTV cameras by giving the illusion of "extra limbs," so that your real body parts remain hidden behind a mass of folds, wave circle patterns and pleased-to-see-me jokes. Alas, you can't actually buy a CHBL Jammer Coat, because it's a statement-making one-off, so genuine escape artists will need to shop for their portable Faraday cages elsewhere.
LTE: fast, global, silenced by a $650 radio jammer
Oh gosh, we haven't been so panicked since our phones were hypothetically possessed by demons. And come to think of it, this is theoretically far, far worse. A research group at Virginia Tech is claiming that, due to the particular way 4G data is transmitted, an LTE base station can be sabotaged using lightweight equipment that costs as little as $650. Such a thing is possible because, unlike 2G and 3G, LTE depends on control instructions that occupy only a tiny fraction of the total signal -- and details of those specific frequencies have been openly published. According to the research group's director, Jeff Reed, a single malicious operative with a hot briefcase and a bit of know-how could take down "miles of LTE signals." If the attacker splashed out on an amplifier, they could cut off reception for thousands of people across a whole city or region. Reed stresses that there are no known instances of this happening yet, but also warns that he can see no "mitigation strategies" that can "cover it all." Let us pray that humanity's characteristic inability to agree on anything -- including a universal LTE standard -- will be our salvation.
FCC going after cellphone jammers, could land users in the slammer
The FCC has put a bounty on the heads of all the cellphone-hating vigilantes out there. These GPS and signal jammers are particularly popular amongst theaters, quiet restaurants and in many school systems fighting the good fight against sexting during class. The FCC is calling on folks to stop and to report their neighbors for using these devices -- reason being that they pose serious health and safety risks by interfering with 911 calls and other emergencies in the vicinity. So if you know a so-called 'jammer,' don't hesitate to file a complaint about them to the FCC -- the info can be found at the source link below.
DARPA awards BAE $8.4 million for BLADE wireless jamming initiative
DARPA's new BLADE initiative doesn't involve a blood sucking Wesley Snipes in a black leather trench coat, but we still think it's pretty awesome. This BLADE stands for Behavioral Learning for Adaptive Electronic Warfare, and is focused on developing a system of algorithms that will automatically jam threatening wireless communications on the battlefield. DARPA gave $8.4 million to BAE Systems to implement the project, which will detect, analyze, and counter wireless communications, without human involvement. BLADE would also allow troops to overcome enemy counter-jamming measures and prevent the use of remotely controlled IEDs. The system is broken up into three central components: detection and characterization, jam waveform optimization, and battle damage assessment. DARPA expects BLADE software to be easily integrated into existing electronic warfare equipment, and should be ready for use in 2012 -- still no word on a comeback for Mr. Snipes.
'Managed access' trial screens prison phone calls without jamming the airwaves
Yeah, we've been to this rodeo before... kind of. If you'll recall, prisons have had one heck of a time getting the Feds to sign off on a new law that would allow cellphone jamming equipment to be installed on their premises, and due to a 1934 law that allows only federal agencies to jam public airways, they've had little choice but to sit and wait. A bill is resting in the House right now that would allow pilot jamming programs to commence, but given that it's unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon, South Carolina's prison director (Jon Ozmint) is eying something else. In fact, he's already trying something else. A "managed access" trial has begun in the Palmetto State (as well as Mississippi), which routes mobile calls originating in the prison to a third-party provider that check's each number to see if it's on a whitelist; if it doesn't make the cut, the call is blocked. Jon's still pushing for jamming, but it looks as if this second-rate system may just be good enough to convince most criminals to stop trying to reach the outside world. Or at least add yet another level of frustration to their lives. [Image courtesy of Wired]
TxTStopper announces cellphone jammer for your car, Microsoft too busy texting and driving to notice
Texting while driving is some pretty dangerous bloodsport. Knowing that still isn't going to change the behavior of an insolent teen. So why not take matters into your own hands, parents, and install a mini cellphone jammer in the family car? TxtStopper, a professionally installed 12 volt device, will apparently shut down all communications on any US cellphones operating in the car -- yes, including the non-driving passengers -- when the car is on and in gear. Unfortunately, TxtStopper's site chooses to prey on consumer fears rather than offer up any real technical details so we'll just trust them that it works as advertised, ok? For $200, maybe not. As an aside, the image above was grabbed from Microsoft's promotional video for its new Windows Live Messenger beta. A touch irresponsible to be promoting its mobile Messaging app for smartphones in this way don't you think? Skip ahead to the 1 minute 55 second mark of the embedded video if you need an outlet for your Monday morning angst. [Thanks, Max]
Prison cellphone jamming gets its first test in Maryland
As we wait for the Safe Prisons Communication Act to pass the House, word comes out of Maryland that FCI Cumberland will begin testing cellphone jamming technology this week. As you well know, critics of the plan have voiced concerns that the technology could interfere with emergency response and legitimate cell phone use near prisons, but the state is determined to put those criticisms to rest -- and to keep inmates from using contraband cellphones for prank calling the warden's wife, sexting folks on the outside, ordering brutal execution-style "hits" on people, and quite frankly bedeviling the law-abiding citizens that prisons are meant to protect. We can't help but wonder how HBO's Oz would have turned out differently if this had happened ten years ago.
'Safe Prisons Communication Act' passes Senate, inmates won't be able to hear you soon
Inmates certainly are industrious folk, relying on pigeons and helicopters and surely the odd baked good or body cavity to smuggle cell phones into prisons. Soon it'll be all for naught, with the Senate unanimously passing the Safe Prisons Communications Act of 2009, allowing prisons to use cellphone jammers. Now the Act will be run over to the House, where we presume it'll flow through with equal expediency. Mind you, cellphone jammer usage outside of jails will continue to be decidedly illegal, meaning activating one could result in your going to jail. Now that would be tragic. [Via textually.org]
Prison phone jamming demo canceled, inmates promptly order more pizza
There's been a little bit of drama brewing out in DC lately, and for good reason: prisoners' ability to order pizza, drugs, and hits from the comfort of their cells is at risk. After ordering an in-prison signal blocking demo using equipment provided by infrastructure firm CellAntenna, the Washington DC Department of Corrections promptly earned the wrath of the CTIA which took its complaint to the FCC, arguing that such a demo violates the law. The FCC twiddled its thumbs (as federal agencies tend to do), so the association went to court where it sued to block CellAntenna from doing its thing. Before it had a chance to respond, though, the jail canceled its demo -- problem solved. The CTIA agrees that prisoners aren't the type of folks you want toting phones, but suggests that blocking signals from prisons altogether isn't the right way to solve the problem; if we were a guard, we'd probably agree.
Cellphone jammer crammed into key fob, ends texting / talking while driving
Face it, kids. You missed the best time to be a teenager by around five or so years. As it stands now, technology is cutting into that adolescent fun, with device like Ford's MyKey and this one here ensuring that you're actually safe behind the wheel. In all seriousness, the terribly named Key2SafeDriving is a fine concept (at least in the parent's eye), as it fuses a cellphone jammer (of sorts) into a key fob in order to put the kibosh on freeway conversations. Essentially, the signal blocking kicks into action anytime the "key" portion is flicked out, connecting to a handset via Bluetooth or RFID and forcing it into "driving mode." No actual jamming, per se, is going on; it's more like a manual override of the ringer. Anyone who phones / texts you while you're safely driving will receive an automated response informing them of such, though we are told that handsfree devices can be utilized. Researchers at the University of Utah are hoping to see it on the market within six months via a private company "at a cost of less than $50 per key plus a yet-undetermined monthly service fee."[Via Gadgets-Weblog]
Japan installs cellphone jammers near ATMs to prevent fraud
If you're tired of being scammed at ATMs by kind, gentle-hearted con artists (and then forgetting it ever happened), you'll be stoked to know that Japan is looking out for you. Chiba Bank has installed phone signal jammers at four unnamed ATMs at bank branches in the Tokyo region, and while it has gone down as the first institution to go to such lengths, we highly doubt it'll be the last. It's not entirely clear what exactly the criminals were able to convince people to do via mobile, but it's probably something like "psst... get me out some cheddar and meet around back." Not that we have any experience in the field or anything...[Via textually]
C2C coats windows of "quiet" train cabins to block cellphone rings
For UK citizens willing to have their privacy infringed upon in the name of peace and quiet, C2C is the train company for you. The outfit has introduced a special "quiet" carriage in its trains in order to nix conversations and unexpected cellphone noises for those who would prefer. The cabin in question sports a special coating on the windows that allows light in but rejects WiFi and cellular signals. In order to keep the lawyers at bay, folks who sit in this jammed-up area are asked to agree to those terms beforehand, and just in case you sign while inebriated, there are a number of signs and announcements (um, defeating the purpose much?) informing them that no calls will be allowed. Happy trails![Image courtesy of quetzy, thanks ugotamesij]
DIY TV remote jammer: you can never have too much control
Have control issues do ya? Good, then go ahead and revel in your caffeine-fueled angst with this DIY TV Remote Jammer. The hack inserts an IR blocking circuit into a standard, working remote. The hacked remote blocks the original remote used by the unsuspecting spouse or kid while still giving you your entitled reign over the home entertainment center. Mind you, this hack isn't for sissies or anyone who thinks a breadboard is for slicing up the Wonder. Still, in the end, we're sure it'll be worth it.[Via Make:]
Brando's Palm Phone Jammer kills GSM calls dead
We've seen all manners of jammers before, including one or two that shut down cellphone calls, but now even Brando's joining the fun with its diminutive Portable Palm Phone Jammer. Yep, the same company known for cranking out obscure USB-related peripherals and objects that heat and / or cool most anything you need is now giving you the opportunity to scramble GSM 850-, 900-, 1,800- and 1,900MHz cellphone calls "within a 30-foot radius." Granted, these aren't exactly legal in America, but for those looking for a little revelry elsewhere, you can pick one up as we speak for $166.[Via The Raw Feed]
