TRUMBULL, CT—Saying it’s the only time of day when everyone can be together in one place, the Gleason family confirmed Thursday that it strictly forbids smartphones to be used while eating dinner in front of the television. “Dinner is a chance for us to sit down as a whole family—is it really so much to ask that everyone puts down their phone for just one hour while we eat and watch some TV?” said mother Diane Gleason, adding that the rule gives the busy family of four a chance to enjoy shows stored on DVR without getting sidetracked by checking Facebook, playing games, or reading text messages. “We’re all so attached to our devices that we sometimes forget about taking time to come together for a little while, set aside our technological distractions, and watch The Big Bang Theory as a family. The kids may groan about it, but if it wasn’t for dinner, none of us might be caught up on any shows at all.” Gleason went on to say that even she had days when she’d rather be on her phone than watching The Voice, but knew it was important for the family that she follow the household rule at all times.
Not a funny topic, but this article from the WSJ outlines further the issue of government snooping via cellphones:
Americans’ Cellphones Targeted in Secret U.S. Spy Program
Devices on Planes that Mimic Cellphone Towers Used to Target Criminals, but Also Sift Through Thousands of Other Phones
By Devlin Barrett
WASHINGTON—The Justice Department is scooping up data from thousands of mobile phones through devices deployed on airplanes that mimic cellphone towers, a high-tech hunt for criminal suspects that is snagging a large number of innocent Americans, according to people familiar with the operations.
The U.S. Marshals Service program, which became fully functional around 2007, operates Cessna aircraft from at least five metropolitan-area airports, with a flying range covering most of the U.S. population, according to people familiar with the program.
The Wall Street Journal has learned of a new federal law enforcement program that uses planes and cell signals to track criminal suspects.
Planes are equipped with devices—some known as “dirtboxes” to law-enforcement officials because of the initials of the Boeing Co. unit that produces them—which mimic cell towers of large telecommunications firms and trick cellphones into reporting their unique registration information.
The technology in the two-foot-square device enables investigators to scoop data from tens of thousands of cellphones in a single flight, collecting their identifying information and general location, these people said.
People with knowledge of the program wouldn’t discuss the frequency or duration of such flights, but said they take place on a regular basis.
A Justice Department official would neither confirm nor deny the existence of such a program. The official said discussion of such matters would allow criminal suspects or foreign powers to determine U.S. surveillance capabilities. Justice Department agencies comply with federal law, including by seeking court approval, the official said.
More: http://online.wsj.com/articles/americans-cellphones-targeted-in-secret-u-s-spy-program-1415917533