Cell Phone Signal Responsible for Rescue

Combing through cell phone records Edge Wireless engineer Eric Fuqua and Noah Pugsley were able to deduce where the Kim's were located and later rescued. Edge Wireless serves rural areas for Cingular. Two momentary blips on the cell phone radar 4 seconds apart led Eric to determine where they were located. Using this data and his knowledge of the area, he was able to help direct rescuers to the "z" sector on the west side of the cell phone tower.

While lost in the mountains, the family's phones were out of range most of the time. But one briefly caught cell tower reception at 1:30 a.m. Nov. 26.

The phone ``pinged'' -- or registered -- two quick blips on the tower. The first lasted one second and then was gone. Four seconds later, the phone registered again just long enough for the network to send the phone a notice that there were voice or text messages waiting, Fuqua said.

The signal quickly faded, and didn't last long enough for the family to check the message. It was also too weak for the family to make a call, he said.

The signal did indicate that the family was in sector ``z'' on the west side of the cell tower's 26 mile radius. Fuqua, an avid fisherman and dirt bike rider, said he knew the family must have been lost in the Bear Camp area after leaving Denny's.

``It was more gut instinct and knowing the area,'' Fuqua said, adding that he'd been in the same area with his children many times.

The search continues for James Kim who set out a few days before his family was found to search for help.
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All Your Garage Doors Belong to US(AF)

The Air Force tested a radio frequency to be used in communication that overlaps with garage door openers. Luckily this frequency would only be used for first responders in a homeland security threat.

A secretive Air Force facility in Colorado Springs tested a radio frequency this past week that it would use to communicate with first responders in the event of a homeland security threat. But the frequency also controls an estimated 50 million garage door openers, and hundreds of residents in the area found that theirs had suddenly stopped working.
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In general, effects from the transmissions would be felt only within 10 miles, but the Colorado Springs signal is beamed from atop 6,184-foot Cheyenne Mountain, which likely(my emphasis) extends the range.
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David McGuire, whose Overhead Door Co. received more than 400 calls for help, said the Air Force may be able to slightly adjust the transmission frequency to solve the problem. If not, it will cost homeowners about $250 to have new units installed.

"The military has the right to use that frequency. It is a sign of the times," he said.

Further evidence that the spectrum is a bit tight. The wireless spectrum is incredibly delicate if you have a powerful enough transmitter. WiFi users are limited to a measly 4 Watts but licensed radio HAM operators have every right to blast WiFi out of the air with power levels up to 1.5 Kilowatts.

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Senator Calls for Higher Encryption Standards for No Swipe Cards

Senator Schumer from New York held a press conference today calling for higher encryption standards for new no swipe credit cards being introduced. I'm relieved to see that some of our elected officials are technically informed and looking out for the consumer.

No-swipe credit cards that use radio waves to relay their data put consumers at increased risk of identity theft, Sen. Charles Schumer said Sunday.

"These cards may be convenient, but they're a double-edged sword," said Schumer, D-N.Y.

Tens of millions of no-swipe credit cards have been issued in the past year.

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