For Liars and Loafers, Cellphones Offer an Alibi

[bgt]

On Jun 26, 2004, at 23:56, J.A. Terranson wrote:
>
> On Sat, 26 Jun 2004, Major Variola (ret) wrote:
>
>> Do any models let YOU decide to send your location to ANOTHER
>> phone?
>
> Mine, an Samsung I330 PDA/Phone (actually a rebranded Handspring) 
> allows
> you to selectively *disable* non-lea queries.  Based upon this, I do 
> not
> believe that the system is broadcast-based, but rather operates solely
> upon a query-response model.
>
>>  Do any models even let YOU know your OWN approx location
>> (to within that 100m Fedfascist standard)?
>
> Mine does not, but I understand that there are models now coming into 
> the
> market which do.

I'm a little late to this thread, sorry...

AT&T m-mode models have had this kind of functionality for quite awhile.

http://www.mobileinfo.com/news_2002/Issue25/ATT_Finder.htm

"With a few keystrokes on a wireless phone, a m-mode subscriber is  
given the approximate geographic location of his friend, such as a  
street intersection. The two friends can then exchange messages,  call 
the other, or choose a place to meet from a directory of nearby  
restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and bookstores."

I'm pretty sure they don't use GPS for this... I think they do some 
form of triangulation from the cell towers.

--bgt