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Android’s emergency call shortcut is flooding dispatchers with false calls

arstechnica.com

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Re: Android’s emergency call shortcut is flooding dispatchers with false calls

#111

Post by janalsncm »

This is one of many reasons we need an FDA for major software suppliers. The idea that a bug can be pushed to billions of devices with essentially no preventative oversight is bonkers to me. The only check (other than internal controls which may or may not work in a move fast and break things environment) is litigation years after the fact which may not be a deterrent anyways.

Imagine if pharmaceuticals worked the same way. Instead of requiring medical studies on small groups, any drug could just be released on the public. Who cares if it causes birth defects. Move fast and break things! Buyer beware. Once in a while you’d get a check for $20 in the mail after you find out you have some horrible incurable neurodegenerative disease.

This is quickly moving from annoyance to public nuisance to public safety emergency. Self-driving vehicle companies can push updates over the air that not only brick the vehicles, but endanger 3rd parties who never signed 95 page Terms and Conditions contracts. Obviously not all software needs to be subject to this regulation but some of it does.

Re: Android’s emergency call shortcut is flooding dispatchers with false calls

#112

Post by nickt »

piinbinary wrote: post #105
labster wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just put it in a Faraday cage. Problem solved.

I wonder if a microwave is a sufficient Faraday cage to kill cell reception

Usually. You can check by putting your phone in and closing the door while looking at the signal strength meter. It should go without saying don’t turn the microwave oven on with your expensive electronics inside. If you get decent reception in the closed oven, you need a new one.

Definitely works to kill reception forever if you power up the microwave for a couple of minutes…

Re: Android’s emergency call shortcut is flooding dispatchers with false calls

#113

Post by kurthr »

piinbinary wrote: post #105
labster wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just put it in a Faraday cage. Problem solved.

I wonder if a microwave is a sufficient Faraday cage to kill cell reception

They did quite well for 3G and even 4G which didn't have as many above 2.4GHz , but after 4GLTE, 5G has added a lot of mid-bands between 2.6-6GHz. Those tend to leak more since they have shorter wavelengths than microwaves are built around 2.4GHz. Some of them are only used in a few countries, but n2 & n77 are widely used by ATT.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_frequency_bands

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5G_NR_frequency_bands

You gotta take that phone out sometime though to heat up your ramen.

Re: Android’s emergency call shortcut is flooding dispatchers with false calls

#114

Post by modeless »

notmyuserlogin wrote: post #42

It isn't just a problem with Android. I volunteer for a small fire department. We respond to about 500 calls a year. Since January I can think of three times the automatic crash detection on iOS devices has called us out by mistake. 1) A person left their phone on their car and it fell off. Being a small town one of the volunteers was able to find the owner and bring them the phone. 2) A gps location in the middle of…

I'm happy to foot a bill for false positives if the true positive rate is 1/4. Seems like money well spent.

Re: Android’s emergency call shortcut is flooding dispatchers with false calls

#115

Post by kneebonian »

janalsncm wrote: post #111

This is one of many reasons we need an FDA for major software suppliers. The idea that a bug can be pushed to billions of devices with essentially no preventative oversight is bonkers to me. The only check (other than internal controls which may or may not work in a move fast and break things environment) is litigation years after the fact which may not be a deterrent anyways. Imagine if pharmaceuticals worked the sa…

If software had to go through the process of the FDA we'd be at the stage where VI was considered groundbreaking, and MS was considered a scrappy startup because IBM convinced regulators that anything but their business was dangerous.

Re: Android’s emergency call shortcut is flooding dispatchers with false calls

#116

Post by andsoitis »

labster wrote: post #101
peanut-walrus wrote: post #88

I dropped my Pixel in water and since it had previously cracked, it had lost the waterproofing. The water apparently shorted the power button and the screen. That was a fun night when the dead phone woke up and started dialling 112 repeatedly and there was nothing I could do short of smashing the damn thing with a hammer to stop it. Every electronic device needs to have a physical disconnect for the power supply. It…

Just put it in a Faraday cage. Problem solved.

>> That was a fun night when the dead phone woke up and started dialling 112 repeatedly and there was nothing I could do short of smashing the damn thing with a hammer to stop it.

> Just put it in a Faraday cage. Problem solved.

Even if I don't have a hammer handy, I could probably find something in the middle of the night to smash the thing. A Faraday cage on the other hand...

Re: Android’s emergency call shortcut is flooding dispatchers with false calls

#117

Post by janalsncm »

kneebonian wrote: post #115
janalsncm wrote: post #111

This is one of many reasons we need an FDA for major software suppliers. The idea that a bug can be pushed to billions of devices with essentially no preventative oversight is bonkers to me. The only check (other than internal controls which may or may not work in a move fast and break things environment) is litigation years after the fact which may not be a deterrent anyways. Imagine if pharmaceuticals worked the sa…

If software had to go through the process of the FDA we'd be at the stage where VI was considered groundbreaking, and MS was considered a scrappy startup because IBM convinced regulators that anything but their business was dangerous.

The point is to have independent review. Drug review is notoriously slow and expensive because of the nature of the industry: bodies can take a long time to show results and cost money to recruit. Software testing can be done quickly and safely. We can run tests on software that would be considered unethical on humans.

The alternative is to move fast and break things which is maybe acceptable if that thing is a production database but far less charming if that thing is our emergency communications systems.

Re: Android’s emergency call shortcut is flooding dispatchers with false calls

#118

Post by kotaKat »

Marsymars wrote: post #77
projektfu wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have to register my building's alarm with the county and pay a fine after 3 false alarms, or not register and the police won't respond. I also pay an annual registration fee. I wonder if too many "smart" false alarms will lead to similar regulation.

In my city, monitored alarms aren't worthwhile for non-commercial properties. For the police to respond, your alarm has to be registered, and registration requires authorized first responders with keys to confirm that an alarm is false or valid before police are called/dispatched.

Some alarm vendors will offer "video verification" which typically satisfies that requirement in most markets that require it. Many Alarm.com-based vendors (like Surety Home) can enable it on your system.

Re: Android’s emergency call shortcut is flooding dispatchers with false calls

#119

Post by gerdesj »

DanHulton wrote: post #100
tazjin wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a nice, handmade mechanical watch and it's never tried to spam-call any emergency services. Also shows the time fairly reliably.

These are not the same category of product in the same way that a smartphone and a rotary phone are not the same category of product, despite have words in their name in common.

You seem to have ignored the /s in your parent's comment.

(EDIT: grammar)

Re: Android’s emergency call shortcut is flooding dispatchers with false calls

#120

Post by puzzledobserver »

nickt wrote: post #112
piinbinary wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if a microwave is a sufficient Faraday cage to kill cell reception

Usually. You can check by putting your phone in and closing the door while looking at the signal strength meter. It should go without saying don’t turn the microwave oven on with your expensive electronics inside. If you get decent reception in the closed oven, you need a new one. Definitely works to kill reception forever if you power up the microwave for a couple of minutes…

"you need a new one." <-- New microwave, I presume?
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