Jammers are not new - they have been around for many years, but their use is rapidly increasing.
I think mobile phone jammers are used as Adhesive bandage, as a wrong solution to three social problems, which should be solved by better technology.
A Chicago man named Dennis Nicholl was recently arrested on suspicion of using a cell phone jammer on a commuter train. When the photo of the man wearing a jammer began to circulate online, the police received a notification. After other commuters started talking with their smart phones, Nicorps took out a jammer and pressed a switch, all phones were muted. Nicholl's lawyer said that his client just wants some peace and tranquility.
Comedian Dave Chappelle recently used a product from a company called Yondr to reduce his calls for 13 comedy performances in Chicago. Yondr made a lockable anti radiation bag - a Faraday cage. After entering the venue, as a condition of entry, Chappelle fans must place their smartphones in Yondr bags and lock them. They are allowed to keep their bags, but those who want to use their phones must leave the area without a phone and have someone unlock the Yondr bag when they leave.
The problem that Nicholl and Chappelle are trying to solve is that using smartphones by others is annoying and distracting, respectively.
Muting all calls is not the correct solution. The best solution is the upcoming era of audible computing, which I wrote last year. This new generation of wearable devices will first process all sounds that enter your ears before they can be heard. With a smartphone application, you can adjust and customize what you hear and what you don't hear. When these smart headphones are truly launched, Nicholl will be able to create his own peace and tranquility, while Chappelle and his audience will be able to choose to only hear his own exciting humor, as well as laughter and applause, with some of them chatting rudely on the phone.
