Can You Hear Me Now?

There's a minor buzz in the blogosphere over an article on the RedFerret Journal about the CX 200 Portable Director II Cell Phone Jammer, which does what it says: block cell phone signals in a 10-foot radius for 70 seconds.

We all get irritated at obnoxious cell phone users, especially the ones who insist on providing their friends with sordid details (or, worse, mind-numbingly dull details) at ear-shattering volume. But the jammer's potential for abuse is staggering. Unlike the National Association of Theater Owners' petition to allow cell-phone blocking in cinemas, the Jammer's very design -- it's smaller than the phones it jams -- encourages covert use. (Such a device is illegal in the US, and hopefully here in Canada as well. But it's so small I'm not sure that matters.) The last thing I need is for some smart-aleck to determine that my conversation isn't important enough to continue.