MetaFilter posts tagged with cellphone

Hello? Can you hear me now?

kaibutsu — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:14:56 -0800

Karsten Nohl and a team of fellow researchers has cracked the 64-bit encryption used in 80% of the world's GSM phones. Nohl had previously cracked the encryption in the MIFARE smartcard system, demonstrating that the encryption on that device can be cracked in approximately no time whatsoever. These, of course, aren't the first gaping holes in cellphone security to come to light; indeed, lack of security seems to be part of the design spec. Perhaps all new cellphones should be just be distributed with a deck of cards.

Cellphone users and clowns

needled — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:06:22 -0800

"Using a cell phone while walking is so distracting that people are likely to miss a clown riding a unicycle."

Damn, there's too much static.

flatluigi — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:03:58 -0800

No Signal - A montage of cellphones in horror movies. _{(link via waxy, who has an archive of more montages like these here)}

Near Space Photography Under $150

mccarty.tim — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:20:05 -0800

With the integration of cameras, GPS receivers, and more into cellphones, many people take for granted the lightweight, energy efficient technology in their pockets. MIT ties all that tech together to a weather balloon in Project Icarus, where for $150 a prepaid cellphone becomes a high-altitude near-space camera.

Lower Your Exposure to Cell Phone Radiation

amro — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:27:30 -0800

So, cell phones emit radiation. But how much does yours emit? Compare over 1,000 different cell phones and smartphones.

it's got a good ringtone and you can dance to it

needled — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:49:25 -0800

Korean cell phone ads blur the line between music videos and ads. "Lollipop" from popular idol group Big Bang and newcomers 2NE1 was created to advertise LG cell phones and topped various Korean music charts in the process, even while government-owned broadcaster KBS refused to feature the song in its music countdown show because it was a jingle and not an actual single or album release. "Amoled", from Son Dambi and After School, was created to advertise Samsung's Amoled touchscreen phone. Samsung has a long-running series of long-form music videos for their Anycall brand phones: Anymotion, Anyclub, Anystar. all featuring Lee Hyori. In 2007, Samsung formed a group called Anyband, composed of BoA, Xiah Junsu of TVXQ, Tablo from Epik High, and jazz pianist Jin Bora, which yielded several concerts and this long-form music video. Cyon, LG's Korean mobile phone brand, got in the act with the aforementioned "Lollipop" and Oz Generation campaign featuring Clazziquai's "Wizard of OZ" (coincidentally, the English-language version of the song was used in Korea to promote Japanese animated film Summer Wars, which features an online virtual world called Oz). Bonus: ad from Anycall's latest line, Magic Hole, with the unforgettable catchphrase "Anycall? Magic Hole!"

Cell time for cellphone drivers?

storybored — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:33:00 -0800

“We’ve spent billions on air bags, antilock brakes, better steering, safer cars and roads, but the number of fatalities has remained constant,” said David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah and a leading researcher in the field of distracted driving. “Our return on investment for those billions is zero,” he added. “And that’s because we’re using [cellphone and messaging] devices in our cars.” Despite an estimated death toll of up to 2600 each year, attempts to ban device use has made little headway. Regardless of how you feel about cellphone bans, Dutch traffic engineer Hans Monderman had this insightful comment : “There are so many things that can be forbidden. The stranger thing is that we believe everything that isn’t forbidden is allowed.”

Lex Nokia

keijo — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:41:29 -0800

There's been quite a stir in Finland about the world's biggest cell phone maker, Nokia, after it was alleged yesterday that politicians had been pressured by the company in order for a law on electronic surveillance of its employees would to be passed. The company denies threats to leave the country if email monitoring laws are not introduced. Electric Frontier Finland is considering taking the case into the ECHR.

Don't be micro-bored

divabat — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:13:40 -0800

Ever spend a few moments during the day idly mucking about with your cellphone? You're part of a new trend known as micro-boredom - which now presents "a significant opportunity for a publisher to exploit readership and advertising consumption". Get away from the bombardment of advertising and find some sacred space, or just turn off the phone.

OCR for your blood

orthogonality — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 04:30:14 -0800

A modified cellphone will revolutionize medicine in the Third World, improve your health, and maybe even make your one-night stands much less nerve-wracking.

Tiny Concerts

1f2frfbf — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:47:34 -0800

Composer Max Richter's newest work, 24 Postcards in Full Colour, is a series of ringtones.

Reception of this FPP will be better if you move closer to the window.

not_on_display — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:24:43 -0800

Cell Phone Reception and Tower Search: "...searchable databases of over 130,000 cell phone tower locations registered with the FCC, and over 43,000 cell phone carrier comments submitted voluntarily from real customers using their service all over the U.S. ...and with our graphical tower location search, users can pinpoint nearby tower locations. Even to the exact rooftop with satellite imagery and the help of Google Maps!"[e.g. Casper, Wyoming] You can also search for dead spots, and see how your neighbors really, truly feel about their reception.

Seriously, don't try this at home.

empath — Wed, 28 May 2008 03:29:25 -0800

Microwave vs Cell phone.

Technological Darwinism

desjardins — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:15:19 -0800

The Evolution of Computer & Video Games (Google video) The Evolution of Computer Commercials (video) The evolution of mobile phones (video)

Now where are my black jewelled battle shorts?

adamdschneider — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:04:04 -0800

Poor localization causes a simple, if slightly inflammatory, text message to go awry.

The World's Smallest Cell Phone!

Fuzzy Skinner — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:32:53 -0800

The world's smallest cell phone! The world's smallest cell phone! The world's smallest cell phone! The world's smallest cell phone! The world's smallest cell phone! The world's smallest cell phone! The world's smallest cell phone! The world's smallest cell phone!

Phone Porn

chuckdarwin — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 06:56:15 -0800

The Nokia Morph concept phone is currently featured in The Museum of Modern Art “Design and The Elastic Mind” exhibition (warning: flash interface). This 'self-cleaning' shape-shifting mobile follows Nokia's other recent phone concept, the environmentally-friendly Remade, unveiled at Mobile World Congress earlier this month.

Voices of Africa

infini — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 11:37:55 -0800

"Thanks to tremendous progress achieved by the General Packet Radio System (GPRS), the wireless communication protocol, it is now possible for Africans to send articles and images (still and moving) about events taking place in their countries without using a computer and without having internet connection. Under those circumstances, the bigger the number of people expressing their opinions through that technology, the stronger becomes democracy, and the more valuable is the contribution to good governance efforts in Africa" - Voices of Africa, Mobile stories and videos from Africa. Quote above from article Mobile Reporters in Africa.

If the iPhone had been made in the 80s

Blazecock Pileon — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:53:38 -0800

The son of industrial designer Hartmut Esslinger (creator of the distinct styling of the Apple IIc and subsequent products, as well as founder of frog design) shares memories and photographs (auf Deutsch; Google cache) of Apple's early attempts at an iPhone.

Molly Walker Need Not Apply

chuckdarwin — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:42:39 -0800

WIRED: A ~~cell~~ mobile phone helped police find the body of missing student Kelly Nolan. "The average citizen is not aware that they are carrying a location-tracking device in their pocket..."

A horror movie come to life

daninnj — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 19:06:08 -0800

For four months, the Kuykendalls, the Prices and the McKays say they’ve been harassed and threatened by mysterious cell phone stalkers who track their every move and occasionally lurk by their homes late at night, screaming and banging on walls. Police can’t seem to stop them. The late-night visitors vanish before officers arrive. The families say investigators have a hard time believing the stalkers can control cell phones without touching them and suspect an elaborate hoax. Complaints to their phone companies do no good – the families say they’ve been told what the stalkers are doing is impossible.

The latest in tinfoil hat fashion.

scblackman — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:29:28 -0800

"Is Wi-Fi going to turn out to be the tobacco, asbestos or Thalidomide of the 21st century? It's looking that way." Woman choses to live in a Faraday cage to ameliorate the symptoms caused by electrosmog. It's funny that she looks so much like a beekeeper in her fancy hat, given the recent kerfuffle (from another UK paper) about mobile phones wiping out the bees. Coming soon: faraday undies. [via]

Is there anybody out there...

infini — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 21:05:10 -0800

Bridging the digital divide - The ubiquitious cellphone has been recognized as a key tool for the social and economic development for many at the bottom of the pyramid - Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Yunus' GrameenPhone received an award in a category that didn't exist last year - "Best Use of Mobile for Social & Economic Development" for their Healthline project at the recently concluded 3GSM Congress in Barcelona last week. Another winner was the ultra low cost Motofone which was designed after two years of research into the needs of the rural and urban poor in India. We need many more such applications available for the "other 4 billion" if this bridge is to be built across the divide.

Having your mobile content and eating it too!

Samuel Farrow — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 14:42:27 -0800

The mobile content market is big but the mobile service companies control the bottleneck of data to your phone and may well be holding the industry back. A NZ site has launched offering a platform for mobile content producers to sell direct to mobile content consumers globally: Voeveo.

Can anyone still hide?

bmpetow — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:54:50 -0800

We previously discussed your cell phone as a roving bug, but what about your ipod?