Devices Enforce Cellular Silence, Sweet but Illegal

DEVICES ENFORCE CELLULAR SILENCE, SWEET BUT ILLEGAL
[SOURCE: New York Times 11/4, AUTHOR: Matt Richtel]
As cellphone use has skyrocketed, making it hard to avoid hearing half a conversation in many public places, a small but growing band of rebels is turning to a blunt countermeasure: the cellphone jammer, a gadget that renders nearby mobile devices impotent. The technology is not new, but overseas exporters of jammers say demand is rising and they are sending hundreds of them a month into the United States -- prompting scrutiny from federal regulators and new concern last week from the cellphone industry. The buyers include owners of cafes and hair salons, hoteliers, public speakers, theater operators, bus drivers and, increasingly, commuters on public transportation. The development is creating a battle for control of the airspace within earshot. And the damage is collateral. Insensitive talkers impose their racket on the defenseless, while jammers punish not just the offender, but also more discreet chatterers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/technology/04jammer.html?ref=todayspap...
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