Saturday, December 29, 2007

The Eyes And Ears Of Big Brother Are All In Place...

...and are known as the national cell phone network. Several days ago a Hindu woman from Chicago disappeared from along the banks of the Des Plaines river while discarding a broken idol in accordance with tradition. Police and search and rescue personnel scoured the area, looking for the woman's body.

The police also did some investigating. Like, had she used her cell phone recently?

She had, all throughout the day she had gone missing. Most of the calls were to a single number. The police tracked down the owner of that number. It was a young man, who had the woman with him. Seems the woman simply wanted to get away from it all, and staged her own disappearance. She did not contact any member of her family while she was away, including her husband.

In days gone by, she'd simply be another missing person. After a couple of weeks, the police would declare her body unrecoverable. After a year, the state would declare her dead. She would have a chance at an anonymous new life, which she clearly sought.

Not anymore, kiddies. That little cell phone you carry with you everywhere you go is actually a tracking device. Using triangulation, you can be located at any moment to within a quarter mile, and your movements within that area can be monitored. They'd be waiting for you at the county line.

You don't even have to use the phone. It responds to pings from cell towers, which then log the connection.

Did you know any of that? So, here's the lesson: before you embark on a mission which you wish to keep secret like, forever, ditch the cell phone. Buy one of those paygo deals - with cash - and don't use your freaking ATM or credit card.

Do you even realize how plugged in you are?

ChiTrib rundown on the Hindu woman:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-solanki_29_bothdec29,0,2273284.story?coll=chi_tab01_layout

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