All US cellphones to get "government" chip?

[whoaru99]

First I heard about it the other day.

Apparently it's government-mandated chip in cellphones, some already have it, by which the goverment can overide other communication channels to send you a text message. Appears there are a few different levels of messages that you can block or opt out of, except the "Presidential Alert" messages from the top.

Wonder what else the special chip might do? Probably nothing they can't already do, just makes it easier to do it, what ever "it" is.

[merrylander]

Not owning a cellphone I guess they won't be sending me any messages.

[Eliterg]

I don't have one either

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Eliterg

I don't have one either

Your doctor can fix that.

Chas

[Twodogs]

I saw a Tesla on the highway last week, and that my friends (and bitter enemies) is an electric vehicle. Holy Smoly, if I had an extra couple hundred K sitting around. (245 miles per charge)
http://www.teslamotors.com/roadster

[Twodogs]

Back OT, all the pipefitter shops in KC have been waffling about putting GPS on our work trucks. The shop I'm at doesn't have it, because when they did it, the whole service crew walked. I got to thinking though, and I bet they can tell where we are just by looking at our company issued cell phones, and now we are supposed to get some sort of internet "pad"? I'm not worried though, because I work hard and make the man money best as I know how. I don't expect he would bust my balls for being at the quicky mart too long.

[whoaru99]

Ahhhh, yes. The ultimate opt out...for now, until the mandate comes down that everyone must have a cellphone so they can receive the Presidential Alerts.

I wonder if it will come in the form of a DTV converter box-like program?

[Mr. Lin]

Originally Posted by whoaru99

Ahhhh, yes. The ultimate opt out...for now, until the mandate comes down that everyone must have a cellphone so they can receive the Presidential Alerts.

I'm sure we'll end up with chips in our brains before that happens.

[finnbow]

For better or worse, I think this comes as a result of very few people listening to radio anymore and nearly everyone having a cell phone. I understand the arguments on both sides as to whether this is a good idea. FWIW, in our new digital age I've nearly discarded the notion of privacy anymore.

[whoaru99]

Originally Posted by finnbow

For better or worse, I think this comes as a result of very few people listening to radio anymore and nearly everyone having a cell phone. I understand the arguments on both sides as to whether this is a good idea. FWIW, in our new digital age I've nearly discarded the notion of privacy anymore.

Heard some guy talking on the radio, not sure who it was, that this allegedly stems from 9/11 when communication by cell phone was essentially log-jammed in some areas. This chip apparently, allows some form of override/shutdown, so that these text messages can get through...or something like that.