Rob wrote:
So I read this /. article:
"We already knew the FBI can secretly listen in to car conversations by activating microphones of systems like OnStar. A new Mafia court case suggests that the FBI can do the same thing to cell phones. The judge's opinion and some background information [pdf] are available for reading online. The most disturbing thing? According to the judge, the bug worked even if the phone appeared to be 'powered off.' Anyone up for an open-source handset already?"

Now, the idea that a cell phone could easily be turned into an open mic with a little software mod is not a new idea. But now that people are known to actually be doing it, that just fuels my existing paranoia. So my thought is this:

Is there a way I can lawfully monitor the emissions from MY cell phone to determine if it is transmitting audio when I'm not using it? That sure would be handy.

Rob

You just need an RFID Wallet / portable Faraday cage to put the phone in when you know you have it off. Alternatively, one could probably come up with a RF detector to slip around or near the antenna and pick up radiated RF from the antenna and alert you that the phone is transmitting.

RF detectors are incredibly simple devices, from an electronic perspective. Usually just a diode and a capacitor and some form of electronic switch (a few transistors for voltage/current gain). For WiFi, these detectors have to operate at in excess of 11 MHz, but since we have transistors and diodes that work into the gigahertz, that is also a non-issue.

RE: Is it ok if I spy on myself?