GPS CELL PHONE: SO they know where you are, safe and sound

Discussion in 'Freedom and Liberty' started by Clyde, Nov 27, 2007.


  1. Clyde

    Clyde Jet Set Tourer Administrator Founding Member

    Montclair State Unveils Mandatory 'School Phone'

    Students Must Carry And Pay For GPS-Based Cell Device

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    [​IMG] Reporting
    Jay Dow
    MONTCLAIR, N.J. (CBS) ― College students at Montclair State University are all talking about a new requirement that will require students to have a cell phone.

    CBS 2 HD has learned more on this required feature that is forcing students to dig into their wallets.

    At Montclair State, there is no excuse for being out of touch.

    "'School Phone' I use for campus e-mail, different things like that," freshman Angela Vuocolo said.

    That's right.

    First-year student Vuocolo said 'School Phone' -- as in a Sprint-operated cell phone -- is now mandatory for all students. It's the first program of its kind in the country.

    The cost: $420 a year for a base plan which is bundled into the tuition bill.

    It includes just 50 peak voice minutes a month, but unlimited text messaging to any carrier, unlimited campus-based data usage, and student activated emergency GPS tracking.

    "What it does is allow students to have an extra pair or group of people watching over them when they're going from one location to another," Montclair Police Department Chief Paul Cell said.

    The positive impact is already being felt across campus.

    "It makes me feel comfortable," MSU freshman Ricky Bodtmann said. "I guess if people want to feel safe."

    Added student Vanessa Adames: "It's very helpful. I have the train schedule on there. I can check my e-mail."

    There are various phone and call plan options, but the bottom line is you have to pick one. That could be a problem for someone with their own cell phone and their own monthly bill.

    "I don't see why they should be adding unnecessary fees to the students who have a hard time paying for college like I do," freshman Sury Lopez said.

    One mother agrees.

    "It's very expensive and quite honestly for the protection of the kids on campus the school should be giving that for free," Patty Carragh said.

    University officials say the school doesn't profit from the deal.

    "If you're mobile accessing the campus from anywhere with some device that's attached to your hip, the truth of the matter is, you're also avoiding a lot of costs," said Ed Chapel, Montclair State vice president of information technology.

    The program has another benefit -- students now have another way to call home and ask for money.

    This year Farleigh Dickinson University also began a mandatory cell phone program, but the school picked up the cost for all of its on-campus student residents.
     
  2. kckndrgn

    kckndrgn Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Re: GPS CELL PHONE: SO they know where you are, safe and so

    dunno why, but an 80's song just popped into my head:
    "somebodies watching youuuu, who could it be now..."


    Somehow I'd forget my phone at home or in the car, I just know it
     
  3. Tracy

    Tracy Insatiably Curious Moderator Founding Member

    Re: GPS CELL PHONE: SO they know where you are, safe and so

    Whew! That's a load off my mind.

    :rolleyes:
     
  4. hartage

    hartage Monkey+++

    Re: GPS CELL PHONE: SO they know where you are, safe and so

    All new phones by federal law have to be E911 compatible. That means ALL new phones have gps already.

    Now they are requiring students to have cell phones ? Wow... might as well just implant a universal locator chip in everyone. Outcome is the same anyways.


    Heh, my cell is still the old non-E911 startac. They want to track me they're gonna have to jump through the cell tower signal analysis hoop.
     
  5. Tango3

    Tango3 Aimless wanderer

    Re: GPS CELL PHONE: SO they know where you are, safe and so

    "I guess if people want to feel safe".
    baaaahhhh
    "nuff said...
     
  6. sheen_estevez

    sheen_estevez Monkey+++

    Re: GPS CELL PHONE: SO they know where you are, safe and so

    Brainwash them now let them think this is a good thing[patr]
     
  7. hartage

    hartage Monkey+++

    Re: GPS CELL PHONE: SO they know where you are, safe and so

    Speaking of cell phones and gps..... I wouldn't be surprised if EVERY call made has location information about the cell caller in it. Kind of like when we found out that EVERY microsoft office document has buried in it unique identifiers like the mac id of your computer's network card. Or the vast majority of color printers embed invisible or near invisible unique serial in every print they make.

    It is disturbing how so many things are traceable without people knowing that they are.
     
  8. Evenglischatiest

    Evenglischatiest Monkey+++

    Re: GPS CELL PHONE: SO they know where you are, safe and so

    Sorry Hartage. E911 isn't dependant on your phone. It's not the same as GPS. It works on the principal that you can triangulate the source of the cell signal, if you can pick it up on multiple receivers. The whole thing is based in the network, so it makes no difference how old your phone is.

    There are newer ones with actual GPS trancievers, but they're not mandated yet.

    And yes, cell calls can be traced retroactively. Police do it all the time.
     
  9. hartage

    hartage Monkey+++

    Re: GPS CELL PHONE: SO they know where you are, safe and so

    Well tell that to verizon. They won't let me replace my old startac with another "because it is not E911 compatible" so apparantly from that it is dependant on my phone. I am aware that gps is not the only method of locating but the verizon person said "every E911 phone is gps capable, that is what makes it E911 capable". So, I'm just telling you what came from my carrier.
     
  10. Evenglischatiest

    Evenglischatiest Monkey+++

    Re: GPS CELL PHONE: SO they know where you are, safe and so

    Perhaps there is more to E911 than just the tracking abilities. But it's basic physics that you can triangulate the origin of any radio signal if you have multiple receivers, and the ability to determine the direction from which each signal came. All of that is fixed infrastructure, completely independent of anyone's phone.
     
  11. hartage

    hartage Monkey+++

    Re: GPS CELL PHONE: SO they know where you are, safe and so


    I don't need convincing of this, I used to do the fox/hound thing with yagi antennas and driving around.

    It's verizon that is insisting it is phone dependent. I would love to keep using my startac and just find replacment units. Verizon has said no, if your phone breaks you cannot replace with an identical model. Must be E911 capable. They cite some federal law. Just tellin you my frustrations with verizon.


    Makes me want to switch to cash paid anonymous pay first cell phones.
     
  12. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Re: GPS CELL PHONE: SO they know where you are, safe and so

    From my understanding the main difference between the older ones without the GPS and the new ones with the GPS (still dont nesicarily show the user GPS capabilities) is that the ones without can be triangulated and they basicly know within a block or 2 in most cases of where you are but with the GPS they know which room of which house on that block you are in.
     
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