September 11, 2003
'Safe' zones blocks picture phones
Companies worried about staff or visitors using camera phones to take unauthorised pictures will soon be able to automatically disable the imaging system inside certain handsets when they enter a designated wireless "privacy zone", according to ZDNet.
"Icebergs Systems is beta-testing Safe Haven, a combination of hardware transmitters and a small piece of control software that is loaded into a camera phone handset. When the handset is taken into a room or building containing the Safe Haven hardware, the phone is instructed to deactivate the imaging systems. The systems are reactivated as soon as the handset is out of range."
The technology could be adapted for blocking ringtones or even disabling text messaging (in school), but for now, the company is focusing solely on disabling the imaging system.
Jamming cell phones is illegal in most countries.
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