Section Editor Joni Blecher, a.k.a. the Cell Phone Diva, wants to answer all your questions about cell phones, service plans, and wireless connectivity.
Send her a question!
A triple threat
Q:
My ex-girlfriend tracked my cell phone using GPS or something, even though I had a basic digital phone at the time. She called me up and was talking to me, then asked me where I was. I said, "Guess," and she told me! It kind of freaked me out, and I was wondering
how she did it. Is there something on the Internet that you can track phones with or a compatible GPS unit?
--Levi
A:
I'd say that your girlfriend's homing device is good, old-fashioned female intuition; even if she worked for the phone company, she'd be able to track you within only a quarter mile. Like the old
Bionic Man opening phrase, "We have the technology...we can rebuild him," we have the GPS technology available for this, but it hasn't been implemented in phones--yet. The idea is to roll out location-based services that are designed with convenience in mind. However, as your scenario suggests, there are serious privacy issues at stake, so the consumer will need the power to turn the handset's location-indicating feature on and off. Still, most cell phones won't have this capability for another couple of years. Until then, try going to new places that your ex-girlfriend doesn't know about; it'll be harder for her to find you.
Messaging mayhem
Q:
My ex-girlfriend checks my cell phone messages, yet I never gave her my security code. How can she do it?
--Chandler
A:
Chances are you're still typing your security access code on your cell phone each time you retrieve your messages. If that's the case, all she would need is about a minute with your mobile to scroll through the call history and see the recent numbers you dialed. Considering that you'd typically punch in the security access code after you dialed your own cell phone number to check your messages, it probably wasn't too hard for her to figure it out. Armed with the code, she could then retrieve your messages by calling from another phone, figuring out the buttons needed to access messages from your voicemail (usually some variation of the # and * keys), and inputting the code.
I know it's pretty freaky, but there is something you can do. First, change the security pass code on your voicemail. In your voicemail service, go through the setup menus and
select the feature that has the system save the code so that you don't have to input it every time you dial in from your cell phone. The only time your phone would then be vulnerable is if someone got hold of it and dialed voicemail from there. In that case, you'd know a lot quicker since it would be listed in your phone's call log memory (assuming you ever get the phone back).
Can you see me now?
Q:
I'm a single guy in New York, and on the weekends, I'm sick of having to find out--after a 35-minute conversation--that the girl I've been talking to is either almost 40 or hates puppies and babies. When is a cell phone company going to incorporate dating software where you could read someone's bio from across the room (Bluetooth) and build up enough info to decide whether you want to talk to them?
--cap
A:
Believe it or not, there is such a service. It's called DateTrak from Landmat; it allows users with a Bluetooth phone to locate other users in a local area and initiate conversations with them according to predefined criteria. In your scenario, it would be based on a profile that you would set up. While this is available abroad, it hasn't arrived in the United States yet. I suspect that's because there aren't all that many Bluetooth phones available here.
You have two choices: hop across the pond to try out your theory, or try asking a woman up front about your deal breakers (the puppies and babies). She'll appreciate the honesty, and you'll both cut to the chase a lot quicker.
