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Turning the Cell Phone into a Lifeline-what can be learned from tragedy of James Kim CNET

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by hb06, Dec 13, 2006.

  1. hb06

    hb06 Member

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    "...if people ever find themselves in a similar situation--lost and having difficulty getting cell phone reception--they should search for the highest ground or area that may be in the line of sight to a tower. They should hold the phone away from their bodies or high so it has no obstructions to a possible tower. It may take up to two or three minutes for it to synchronize or connect with the cell tower and mobile switching center. Even if they can connect for a second or two, it could be long enough to register a voice mail or text message, which could ultimately help wireless engineers track their location."-CNET

    "As has been reported in recent days, CNET Reviews editor James Kim and his family disappeared in Oregon during a Thanksgiving road trip."

    "Authorities conducting the search said at a news conference Monday that a signal the Kims' mobile phone to a tower in the region was key to locating the family."

    http://news.com.com/Turning+cell+phones+in..._3-6140794.html
     
    #1 hb06, Dec 13, 2006
  2. daronspicher

    daronspicher Active Member

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    Turning the Car into a Deathtrap - what else can be learned from the tragedy of James Kim

    Once in the situation, I applaud the efforts of the man to survive and to try to save his family.

    As far as I know, no rescue team members were injured or killed trying to find them.... so... I won't go as far as to ask if JK was thinking of them and their families when he was heading down that logging road completely unprepared.

    As the story unfolds, the guy made such a series of really bad choices to get them into the jam in the first place. There is no good answer once they were stuck, just some choices to make about what you think is the best of a whole bunch of really bad options.

    Not to rail on JK, that's just a bad situation that's finished for now.... I'm wondering why some company hasn't developed a device that is essentially a rescue beacon that everybody America would buy and have with them so if they get in a jam, they are sending up a signal.... That the rescue teams would be looking for if they go on a search like this.
     
    #2 daronspicher, Dec 13, 2006
  3. hb06

    hb06 Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daronspicher @ Dec 13 2006, 10:00 AM) [snapback]361630[/snapback]</div>
    How to turn the Cell Phone into more of a Lifeline-that is what the CNET article is about. Some hi-tech people are working on this very subject, and they have links for people to submit ideas.

    It's easy to say a person made bad choices, but having lived in such country while I was growing up, it is amazing how quickly a beautiful day can instantly turn into a life and death situation, i.e., blizzard conditions that can come upon you at any time at any place when you least expect it, flash floods with no warning, getting lost, etc., and judge the choices made in sheer desperation.

    However, it is because of the extremely brief cell phone connection that was lost as the family sought to call out that the family was even found at all in time by Cingular engineers who were able to target the Zone they were in the roaming area. A good tip for anyone in trouble in a low or seemingly no signal area, at least try to text or connect no matter how brief the connection, it will go into the system's history, and can be tracked. The CNET tip explained how best to do this.

    Your last suggestion is the subject of the CNET article, how to go about and incorporate this "beacon" technology into one unit-the Cell Phone, and converge this life saving option into one ubiquitous device.
     
    #3 hb06, Dec 13, 2006
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