An End To Smartphone Sneaking?

April 6, 2012
 

For all of their myriad benefits, smartphones have proven to be a security nightmare in the wrong settings—chief among them, college classrooms (think test-taking), courtrooms, corporate boardrooms, and government secure facilities. In an effort to curb illegal and/or unsecure cell phone use, Berkeley Varitronics Systems recently released its PocketHound™ cell phone detector (see photo).

Boasting a 75-ft range, the PocketHound’s receiver is tuned to the RF signature of all second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G), and fourth-generation (4G) cell phones. Designed to scan for all voice, text, and data transmissions, it applies auto-thresholding technology to compare cellular measurements with the RF noise floor of the environment. Thus, the PocketHound will only be triggered by genuine cell phone use.

Once triggered, alerts can be conveyed via a choice of selectable flashing light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and/or vibrating alerts, enabling the PocketHound to be employed covertly. Smaller than a pack of playing cards, PocketHound’s internal lithium polymer battery and Univeral-Serial-Bus (USB) charging system allow for as much as two hours of continuous runtime.

Sponsored Recommendations

Frequency Modulation Fundamentals

March 14, 2024
The development of crystal-clear FM communications was an innovation of genius and toil. Utilized today in applications such as radar, seismology, telemetry and two-way radios...

44 GHz Programmable Signal Generator

March 14, 2024
The Mini-Circuits SSG-44G-RC is a 0.1 to 44 GHz signal source with an RF output range of -40 to +17 dBm with fine resolution. This model supports CW and pulsed (? 0.5 ?s) outputs...

Webinar: Introduction to OTA Measurement for mmWave and Sub-THz

Feb. 19, 2024
Join Jeanmarc Laurent, a leading expert from MilliBox, for an exclusive live webinar showcasing a complete Over-the-Air (OTA) testing system setup. In this immersive session, ...

Using a CMT VNA with Socket Server

Feb. 19, 2024
This application note describes use of a software application CMT Socket Server which is distributed and supported by Aphena Ltd. Please email [email protected] regarding purchase...