The news that Fivay High School teacher (and former professional wrestler!) Dean Liptak is in trouble for blocking cell phone signals in his classroom is completely the wrong reaction from the school administration (and let’s be honest, the government).
Of course, what he was doing was technically illegal. The FCC says: "The use of 'cell phone jammers' or similar devices (signal blockers, GPS jammers or text message blockers, etc.) designed to intentionally block, interfere with, or disrupt authorized radio communications is a violation of federal law." Oops, It's not even illegal to sell jammers in the United States, but they're easy to buy overseas (as long as the retailer doesn't get caught). The only legal purchasers of such equipment are government employees.
Liptak is getting off light (five-day suspension without pay); a Florida man with a jammer in his car for months got fined $48,000. At least one priest has used a jammer after calls happened during sermons and even a funeral—and he supposedly got the go-ahead from the police.
Sure, the driver, and the priest, and the teacher may have used some questionable judgment since the signal blocker blocked more than just their limited locations. But they all jammed with the best of intentions, and perhaps Liptak had the best reason of all: to get the little brats we call our future to pay attention for once.
Back in the days of yore, in-class distractions were limited to things like seeing something out the window (SQUIRREL!), passing folded notes, or maybe sneaking in a comic book. Now, a student can do all that and a 1,000 other things on one screen. How does a teacher of any quality compete with YouTube, Snapchat, Trivia Crack, or even PornHub? Putting a filter on the local school Wi-Fi network doesn't mean squat to a kid with unlimited data from mommy and daddy's family plan.
Rather than condemn Liptak, society should look into ways to empower teachers who need this assist. The FCC and Congress should be creating exceptions to the Communications Act of 1934 upon which many of the cellphone jammers limitations are based. Businesses should be allowed to find new ways to make easily controlled jamming devices.
Parents can try parental control and monitoring software all they like, but once a kid (or even the spouse or grandparents) gets the freedom of the smartphone with data plan, good luck trying to get them to talk during family dinner.
Just as a parent has the ability and right to cut off the Wi-Fi at home, they should have the option to cut the cellular signal if desired. Grabbing phones from hands to put them in airplane mode probably won't work, and making the house into a Faraday cage is an extreme only the tin-foil hat crowd should try. But an in-home cell jammer should be an option whenever desired or necessary. (Just keep that landline, folks.)
All of these examples are predicated on other lines being available for emergencies, or at the least someone having the expectation of mobility enough to get outside the jammer's range. For now, there's no way that even those with the best intentions could utilize the limited tech available in a way that wouldn't disrupt services well beyond the scope of their classroom, theater, office, or home, unfortunately. If you think there's an illegal jammer in use around you, visit the FCC online complaint portal or call 1-888-CALL-FCC (or 1-888-225-5322).
But before you do, consider if you really were harmed, or if maybe, just maybe, that hour without the cell signal was the best hour of your day. Besides, if your signal is jammed, you probably can't make the call anyway.
There's no question that in most offices, email and the Internet are absolute necessities. But are cell phones? In a survey by Pew Research, only 24 percent of adults with full- or part-time jobs listed a cell or smartphone as "very important" to getting their work done. In other research, 50 percent of bosses think a cell phone is a negative to workplace productivity.
There are plenty of places where it's actively dangerous to be using a cell phone—but the devices are probably snuck on to warehouse or assembly line floors all the time. If employers could jam signals but allow for emergency calls, no harm, no foul.
The sign should read: No short, No shoes, Using Phone, NO Service. Customers who can't bother to place an order with a server because they're in the middle of a call should get a 35 percent tip forced on their bill. Better yet, the bistro's jammer should cut this so-called customer off—if the call is so damn important, they can go outside.
I've been on the wrong end of a couple of cell phone calls at movie theaters in the last few years. Namely, in the middle of a movie, people's phones not only went off, but the idiot in question answered, then proceeded to have a conversation, at normal volume, as if that's perfectly okay, and not grounds for justifiable homicide. (At one of those films—the execrable Land of the Lost, so perhaps I should have been grateful for the distraction—I actually stood up and said to the offender, "Are you kidding me?" I like to think the rest of the audience applauded, but I couldn't hear anything over the hate-blood pounding in my ears.)
Concert goers, Broadway aficionados, film buffs, and many more would not need to worry about such rudeness if theaters utilized jammers that kicked in the second the lights dim. Sure, there's always emergencies, or doctors on call, or parents who must be sure the baby-sitter can reach them, etc. But those people should find a different way to spend their night out.
A signal jammer is a device that suppresses, interferes with or blocks radio frequencies, the use of which is generally illegal under the Communications Act 1934. This is primarily due to their ability to interfere with critical communications such as emergency communications, disrupt first responder communications, or interfere with maritime or aviation communications.
Under the law, it is unlawful for any person to "willfully or maliciously interfere with or disrupt the radio communications of any station licensed or authorized under this chapter or operated by the United States Government." Additionally, the bill prohibits the manufacture, importation, sale, offer for sale, transportation, or use of equipment that does not comply with the provisions of the bill.
Therefore, it is often impossible to authenticate or use jamming device because their real purpose is to disrupt the communications of authorized devices. Therefore, these devices do not comply with FCC standards and are illegal for use in the United States with few exceptions.
In this case, the FFC received an outage complaint from a telecommunications provider. In response, the agency's law enforcement division launched an investigation into the possible use of wifi signal jammer at a warehouse in Texas. The business owner admitted using such devices to prevent employees from using mobile phones in the workplace.
The company's owners said a telecommunications provider had previously warned their son that such devices were illegal, the FCC reported. Additionally, the owner of the device claimed that he had disposed of the device and would not retrieve it for agents or determine where it went. However, the owner reportedly offered to sell the unit to a broker, who rejected the offer.
The FCC Bureau of Enforcement has since issued $22,000 in fines, including $10,000 for operating an unauthorized device, $7,000 for interfering with authorized communications, and $5,000 for misconduct. The storage company appealed the decision, and in response, the FCC has now upheld the fine.
A Seffner man faced a $48,000 fine from the Federal Communications Commission Wednesday for using a cell phone jamming device during his daily commute to and from Tampa.
"This case highlights the threat to public safety posed by the use of a single signal jamming device that could disrupt all wireless and public communications in the area," FCC Enforcement Bureau Director Travis LeBlanc said in a statement. Communications.” Secure Communications. "
In 2013, MetroPCS contacted the FCC saying its cell towers were experiencing interference between Seffna and Tampa in the morning and evening. Police monitored the route and determined Humphrey's sport utility vehicle was the source.
Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies stopped Humphries and discovered that as they approached Humphries' car, their communications with the police dispatch center were lost. They found a cell phone jammer behind his passenger seat cover.
The FCC proposed a $48,000 fine and gave Humphreys 30 days to respond, including paying in full, requesting payment in installments, or requesting a reduction or cancellation. The FCC said on Monday it had not yet responded and would now "identify and implement" the penalties.
The use or sale of mini gps jammer is against federal law. Jammers block radio communications by preventing devices such as cell phones from establishing and maintaining connections. They can also impact communications for first responders, police and other law enforcement agencies, as well as Wi-Fi and GPS devices, according to the FCC.
Bluelinx President Jeff Griffin said he is trying to sign up wireless providers as well as venues such as cafes and theaters. He says he hopes to start using the devices in the next few years. Unlike blocker device, he said, his call-blocking system is optional for cell phone users, who can turn it on or off.
Others have the same idea, including companies and researchers who develop or already sell devices that make phones unusable in certain places. Methods include drone jammer that interfere with cell phone frequencies, routing systems that mute cell phone ringtones at specific locations, sensors that detect active phones, and building materials that block cell phone waves.
Mr. Larson of the cellular industry group said that while the industry opposes controls on cell phone ringing, it is not opposed to measures that are left to the discretion of customers. "They're certainly less annoying than wifi blocker," he said.
Netline, an Israeli company, makes a detector called the Cell Activity Analyzer, a handheld device that monitors and detects cell communication activity within a given area. ($2,500 at www.netline.co.il or www.perfectjammer.com.) Other smaller detector models include Suresafe Technology's RF signal detector, which is about the size of a buzzer and costs less than $100. As with gps blocker, the larger the detector, the greater its range.
The site says it has sold thousands of devices to theaters, businesses, military users and individuals. Jammers range in price from $200 for basic handheld models to nearly $10,000 for suitcase-sized devices sold to governments and the military, with prices often depending on signal range and the potential to interfere with cellular activity.
Other methods are also being developed, from devices that simply detect phone usage (and prompt the user to stop) to construction methods that render the phone unusable.
But not everyone sees the trend as encouraging. Cell phone industry experts and federal regulators in particular have derided cell phone blocker as illegal, unethical and even dangerous.
With all those smartphone notifications, it's no wonder you lose focus on whatever you're trying to do.
Your phone doesn't even need to ping to distract you. It's well-documented that just the presence of your phone, silent or not, is enough to distract you.
what happens? More importantly, how can you refocus your attention without missing out on what’s important?
While estimates vary, the average person checks their phone about 85 times a day, about once every 15 minutes.
In other words, every 15 minutes or so, your attention may drift away from what you're doing. The problem is, it can take a few minutes to fully regain your focus after being interrupted by your phone.
If you're watching TV, getting distracted (and refocused) is no big deal. But if you're driving, trying to study, work, or spend time with loved ones, it can cause some pretty serious problems.
Cellphone Jammer, a DIY endeavor for the darker crowd. I'm pretty sure we've all considered having one at some point: whether the obnoxiously loud woman next to you is announcing private bedroom stories to a crowd on the subway, or your kids are grounded from using the phone (and consequently snagged a hidden prepaid phone), sometimes having a cell phone signal jammer comes in handy.
There is growing evidence that push notifications are associated with reduced productivity, poor concentration, and distraction at work and school.
But is there evidence that our brains are working harder to handle the frequent switches of attention?
A study of people's brainwaves found that those who described themselves as heavy smartphone users were more sensitive to push notifications than those who described themselves as light users.
Heavy users were significantly worse than light users at regaining focus on the task after hearing a push notification. Although push notifications interrupted the concentration of both groups, heavy users took longer to refocus.
Frequent interruptions from your phone can also make you feel stressed out by the need to respond. Frequent smartphone interruptions have also been linked to increased FOMO (fear of missing out).
If you get distracted by your phone after responding to a notification, any subsequent delays in getting back to the task can also make you feel guilty or frustrated.
There is certainly evidence that the longer you use your phone in an unproductive way, the lower your rating of your own happiness is.
Mr. Larson of the cellular industry group said that while the industry objected to imposed controls on cellphone ringing, it did not oppose measures left to the customers' discretion. ''They are certainly less odious than gps blocker,'' he said.
We know that turning your phone to silent won't magically solve the problem, especially if you're already checking it frequently.
What is needed is behavior change, but it is difficult. It may take several attempts to see lasting changes. If you've ever tried to quit smoking, lose weight, or start an exercise program, you know what I mean.
An company Perfectjammer, makes a detector called Wireless Signal Detector Prevents Monitoring, a hand-held device that is used to monitor and detect cellular communication activity in a given area. (It is offered at www.perfectjammer.com for $100-$380.) Other smaller detector models include the RF Signal Detector from TG-007B, about the size of a beeper, which costs less than $100. As with wifi jammers, the larger the detector, the greater its range.
Start by turning off all unnecessary notifications. If you want to check your phone less often, here are some things you can try:
In that moment, interrupt the urge to check and actively decide whether it will work in your favor. For example, when you turn to reach for your phone, stop and ask yourself if this action serves a purpose other than to distract.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Wisconsin recently seized a slot jammer device while inspecting a shipment from Hong Kong.
CBP officers made the discovery at the Milwaukee port of entry on Feb. 4, CBP said in a press release.
Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) devices are banned by the Federal Communications Commission and are used to "interfere" with the inner workings of slot machines.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an EMP generator generates an electromagnetic pulse that can disrupt electronic devices at a range of about one meter. These devices typically send an electric current through a magnetic field via a magnetic copper wire.
CBP said the shipment was a car adapter from an electronics supplier in Hong Kong and was headed to a home in Mossini, about 175 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
"There are a variety of ways these tools can be used," LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Chicago's director of field operations, said in a statement. "Federal law prohibits such cellphone jammer because they can be used to interfere with radio communications, cellular phones, GPS and other communications devices."
CBP officers at the Port of Milwaukee Express Consignment Operations facility examined the shipment and sent it to the Mechanical Engineering Division at FBI Headquarters for further analysis.