Author Topic: iPhone used as police scanner (Read 6861 times)

dolphin · « **on:** May 21, 2009, 06:30:05 AM »

I can not find the link, but there was a story on the news a couple of nights ago about iPhones. It seems that there is an app on iPhones that can be used as a police scanner. Thieves are using them to keep track of where the cops are while they commit crimes. Police have said that if a criminal is caught commiting a crime while using their iPhone to track where police are, they will be charged with possession of criminal tools. It seems that the iPhone scanner is better than most scanners on the market.

sandbox · « **Reply #1 on:** May 21, 2009, 07:21:36 AM »

if you go here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnmmEl_EEC4 and start about 2minutes 45 seconds you can see a demo.

Xairbusdriver · « **Reply #2 on:** May 21, 2009, 06:41:33 PM »

At the risk of sounding like an iPhone fanboi...
Anyone with $99, a little free time and, of course, some programming skills, can create a program that will run on an iPhone. But that is not the only source of applications around. So an app such as this may be possible and even available. Logically, I would think the freqs would need to be in the range normally used by cell phones, but that may not be as big a problem as I suspect.

Secondly, "police radio scanners," per se, are not illegal, as far as I know. Certainly using one to aid in a crime will not gain you any positive respect from the prosecutors office, much less the police, but I doubt most criminals are too concerned about their reputations among any kind of law enforcement officer.

Al · « **Reply #3 on:** May 24, 2009, 01:00:05 AM »

There is an iPhone app called Emergency Radio that has over 900 feeds from across the nation. It is the same feed that we all can listen to on our Macs at scanamerica.us

It is very interesting to hear what goes on in other peoples neighborhoods. Unfortunately, here in Honolulu, we have to have some sort of elaborate system that people have not wanted to invest in a proper scanner and broadcast here. But, the other cities again is still way cool.

Another app, that you may have already, is Radio. It also has the scanamerica feeds.

There is also an app called "Police Scanner" that is the most expensive of them at $3.00.

All are feeds that someone in their local neighborhood is catching on a real scanner and broadcasting it to a server which is then streamed to you from the app to listen to.

Other than that, the iphone is wonderful, but, it in itself can not become a scanner.

jcarter · « **Reply #4 on:** May 24, 2009, 07:33:13 AM »

Hi Dolphin,
Gee, Thank you!!! This is cool! Im not interested in the police as much as the Coast Guard, as we are right close to the Cape Cod Canal, and there is a lot of boat traffic there. And there is always something going on in Woods Hole too.

Though the police are interesting, Im listening to the staties right now.
This is fun!

Now Im listening to the harbor master bringing some people in whose boat engine quit on them.
Back to the cops again, a rescue run for an 'overdose'.
But the Coast Guard is my favourite for now.
Thanks again,
Jane

edit/add. Thanks, Al, for the link, as I dont have an iPhone yet, so Im listening on one of my Macs.

sandbox · « **Reply #5 on:** May 28, 2009, 01:18:07 AM »

jane, this might be something you could use at home.
http://www.scanamerica.us/index.php

jcarter · « **Reply #6 on:** May 28, 2009, 06:04:24 AM »

Hi Sandbox,
Yes, this is the one that I got earlier, great link, you can find any town you want in any state.
I havent listened recently, but it will be interesting later when we get fog and the Coast Guard will be talking to some of the oil barges going thru the CCCanal to our electric generating plant. The pleasure-boat people in the middle of summer can be pretty crazy, so its fun to listen to them too.
Lots of the time, they ignore the weather forecasts and end up in trouble. Even once in a while a fishing trawler gets in trouble, like the one which sunk going thru Woods Hole. That was scary.
It will be interesting to listen when the weather is bad, or when we see the GC 'copters circling nearby. Recently its kayakers who have not a clue of tide and wind, and they end up calling for help on their cell phones. Quite a few have drowned in the last couple years.
Jane

sandbox · « **Reply #7 on:** May 29, 2009, 01:22:48 AM »

I remember folks trying to swim the CCCanal and not making it. I can also remember the rough waters in the canal when I kept me boat in Orleans and used the canal from time to time to go back and forth from Newport. i don't know if the site picks up Coast Guard radio up there? It doesn't down here, but i can pick them up on the scanner. Friends with open routers on the beach will get a lot of WiFi activity from the water. Cellphone....It depends which provider you use ...if your phone will work out in tampa bay and of course some phones have better reception than others, so it's a coin toss. CB still has a strong signal on the water, so if you know the right channels you can certainly get service, CB is also the most entertaining.

QUOTE(jcarter @ May 28 2009, 07:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Sandbox,
Yes, this is the one that I got earlier, great link, you can find any town you want in any state.
I havent listened recently, but it will be interesting later when we get fog and the Coast Guard will be talking to some of the oil barges going thru the CCCanal to our electric generating plant. The pleasure-boat people in the middle of summer can be pretty crazy, so its fun to listen to them too.
Lots of the time, they ignore the weather forecasts and end up in trouble. Even once in a while a fishing trawler gets in trouble, like the one which sunk going thru Woods Hole. That was scary.
It will be interesting to listen when the weather is bad, or when we see the GC 'copters circling nearby. Recently its kayakers who have not a clue of tide and wind, and they end up calling for help on their cell phones. Quite a few have drowned in the last couple years.
Jane

jcarter · « **Reply #8 on:** May 29, 2009, 05:54:11 AM »

Trying to swim the CCCanal! Thats not a great idea. Though once when we were either biking the Army Engineer access road, or fishing,,,,I saw a squirrel or a rat swimming across, I think the tide was slack. Most of the time the tide is pretty swift. They say that this is how the first rabid coon got across, as we were part of the group who applied the vaccine laced baits along both sides of the canal.

I think it varies who we can pick up on that site, I went back later on to see if I could pick up the same group, couldnt find them? But Im not experianced at this, and perhaps wasnt listening long enuf to find what I was searching for.
My brother just put his sailboat in(a bit late, engine troubles), so we will be out there once this horrid cold icky misty foggy typical Cape Cod spring weather breaks.
jane

PS, Newport is fun, I love to go there if the weather isnt rough.

sandbox · « **Reply #9 on:** May 30, 2009, 12:55:00 AM »

I had a V8 in that boat and at times I would have to keep the RPM's at 2200 just to stand still.

It's a cold fast current with a deadly undertow.

I hope the weather breaks too, I could be up there (Hyannis) in two weeks. Last year I went up there with the motorhome, and the temp never rose above 58º. Wet, windy, nasty cold N.E. summer weather. I snuggled up to my favorite bar and ordered a double Clam Chowder.

This year someone sent me a box of Chowder from the Vermont Country Store.

krissel · « **Reply #10 on:** May 30, 2009, 03:22:44 AM »

Dang you, SB. I just spent the last few minutes drooling over my keyboard looking at some of the food and desserts on that site.

jcarter · « **Reply #11 on:** May 30, 2009, 07:40:47 AM »

Ohhhh,my goodness, looks delicious!
I do make a mean clam chowder, but I put fried salt pork cubes on the top of it,,,,,, actually we are going clamming today. Getting steamers though, but if we get a few quahogs, I will bring them back too.

Ive got a cool picture somewhere of us going thru the CCCanal on our son-in-laws powerboat following a fuel barge towed by a big tug. Cant find the picture, darn, I forgot to label it so I can search iPhoto. Do have pictures looking up under the bridges and off them too.
Ive got so many pictures that its so difficult to find them, so I sometimes end up going thru the whole darn library.
Jane

sandbox · « **Reply #12 on:** May 30, 2009, 03:35:59 PM »

We seemed to have high jacked this thread, like the old days, you'd start on one subject and end on three more.
The store is pretty old, and in Weston Vt. A brother lives near Rutland, just to the North, which is how I found it. I received the chowder because i told the Cape Cod story to folks who love the cold and they sent it as a joke. It's a good base, I to add my own bacon and stuff. The store is like Trader Joe's out in Ca. lots of local stock and home made items. When I'm in that neck of the woods i like to visit the store and also L.L. Beans. I still have a wardrobe full of Bean winter stuff, that I'll probably never wear.

Back to the scanner. I just tried in on a friends iPhone and it is very limited. I haven't figured out why yet, but I'm sure to get an answer in time.

jcarter · « **Reply #13 on:** May 30, 2009, 03:46:11 PM »

Oh, we do too, we love LLBean stuff. Every Thursday morning, go to their site and look for daily markdowns. Sometimes they have stuff for less than half price.
Jane

sandbox · « **Reply #14 on:** May 31, 2009, 11:33:22 PM »

Kris, we go here on Saturdays to restock tangibles and join with friends for brunch. The bakery drives you nuts with aromas that all seem to tackle you at once. Even if you don't buy the stuff, just putting your nose in the same room is delightful.

I like the cheese room and look forward to getting my pound of the Big Cheese every year. they have a great wine cellar and a Beer&Cheese room.

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Author Topic: iPhone used as police scanner (Read 6861 times)