Skip to Content

Play PC games on your Mac? TUAW tests CrossOver
AOL Tech

Posts with tag 911

Verizon Wireless 911 Calls Setting Off Alarms



We're more than a little sick of Verizon's "Can you hear me now?" commercials, but a new report from Consumerist puts such an interesting spin on the company's tag-line that we can't help but report it. It seems Verizon is making an effort to ensure that criminals can hear 911 callers from anywhere within earshot. The company is equipping some of its phones with loud alarms that are triggered whenever 911 is dialed.

Recently, a woman in Texas was forced to hang up after dialing 911, thanks to the unexpectedly shrill alarm. She had dialed after noticing her security chain was removed from her property, and was afraid that possible miscreants were still lurking about. Obviously, in this sort of situation, a loud noise pinpointing a 911 caller's location is not exactly ideal.

Verizon claims the alarms are part of an FCC mandate that requires the provider to "offer service that is accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities." However, the FCC itself has said Verizon has misinterpreted the requirement, saying, quite clearly: "The Commission has not implemented any rules pursuant to Section 255 that would require the use of any tones concerning 911 calls."

So, here's hoping these tones go the way of brick-sized handsets soon, even though we're betting Iowa 911 operators wish such an alarm were installed on that mystery phone that won't stop calling them.

From Consumerist

Related Links:

Untraceable Cell Phone Terrorizes Iowa 911 Center

Untraceable Cell Phone Terrorizes Iowa 911 CenterOperators at the Black Hawk County Consolidated Communications Center in Iowa are starting to freak out, as a cell phone has been repeatedly calling in to the center's 911 emergency help line. Almost 400 times last week the phone called in, with no one on the other side. Attempts to call the phone back have been fruitless.

After some investigating they found that the phone number had been deactivated and is not currently associated with any cell phone carrier. Cell phones, even after being disconnected, can still place emergency calls, as required by law.

Investigators haven't thrown in the towel yet, but they are throwing up their hands. "We are pretty helpless," said Judy Flores, a supervisor at the center. We're just wondering if this is another mother passing off her old cell phone on her gadget-obsessed child.

From CNN

Related links:

Cell Providers Face Fines for Not Living Up to 911 Requirements

Cell Providers to be Fined for 911 ViolationsThe U.S. government has said it plans to fine Sprint, U.S. Cellular and Alltel to the tune of $2.8 million for failing to live up to expectations when it comes to emergency 911 service. A government requirement that went into effect in 2005 stipulates that all U.S. cell providers equip 95 percent of their customers with cell phones capable of providing a location in a 911 emergency -- a requirement the aforementioned companies have yet to fulfill. While it's not known what percentage of subscribers do have this enhanced emergency capability, the government has said that the providers have "failed to meet this critical deadline by a significant margin." So, we're guessing it's not a few points.

The problem with the regulation is that it requires customers to upgrade their phones. This is something that providers like Sprint can encourage with incentives and even free phones, but can't necessarily force customers to do. Back in 2005, many cell providers asked for an extension for just this reason, but the government has lost patience and time is finally up.

So, if you're one of those people who hasn't upgraded that ancient, brick-sized analog cell phone from 10 years ago, maybe you should. If not for the good of your cell provider, then at least for your own good during an emergency.

From BetaNews

Related Links:

How to Save a Wet Cell Phone



Whether you've dropped your phone in the toilet (as do 885,000 British citizens per year), or made the mistake of trying to take underwater phone cam portraits of your pet fish, you'll want to find out about a little trick that may save your phone from a water-logged death (or at least keep it on life support long enough to transfer your photos, contacts and other data to a new one).

Remember, though: It's only a phone. Don't ever risk your life chasing a phone that's been dropped in water ... unless you count fishing around in a public toilet a risk to your life, which it might very well be. As we've previously reported, two drowning deaths have recently been linked to cell phones: a boy who tried to fish his out of a lake and a man who went chasing after his in a sewage drain.

Related Links:

Toddler Dials 911 From Cell Phone 287 Times

Cell phones in the U.S. are required by law to still be able to access emergency services even if deactivated. That piece of information could have saved one woman, who gave her 4-year-old daughter her cell phone to play with, a whole lot of hassle. The little girl, not quite understanding what she was doing, dialed 911 over and over again. The 4-year-old did this a grand total of 287 times in the month of June, sometimes as often as 20 times during a shift.

Emergency personnel were only able to track the phone to the apartment complex where the child lived, so they resorted to a simple ruse to find her -- they offered to bring her McDonald's. An operator asked her what she wanted and she replied "McDonald's," so authorities convinced her that if she told them where she lived they would bring her McDonald's.

Needless to say, when the authorities arrived, the mother took the phone away.

From AP

Related links:


    AOL Tech Network



    Latest Reviews from CNET.com

    CNET provides the latest tech news, unbiased reviews, videos, podcasts, software, and downloads, making tech products easy to find, understand and use.

    Top Product Reviews

    Weblogs, Inc. Network

    AOL News

    Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in: