Probably one of the worst things about our high-tech culture is the fact that it is difficult to talk to someone in almost any situation without them reaching for their blinking smartphone at least once. If you’re a dictatorial boss or someone who just likes to deprive others of what they want most, you can now do so for just about $100, if you don’t get caught. The Yapper Zapper mini cell phone jammer ($109) will block cell phone signals (GSM, CDMA, DCS, PHS, 3G) in up to a 10-meter (30 feet) radius, meaning that your subjects will be rendered essentially smartphone-less for up to two hours on a single charge of the device.
The product’s Website boasts that this little pocket-sized device is perfect for silencing “those pesky annoying yappers,” so we’re sensing a little anger here. They suggest using it on your commute (bad idea), in movie theaters, classrooms, museums or meetings rooms to give yourself a “quiet zone,” which kind of makes it sound like the invention of your crabby 85 year-old neighbor who can’t stand to hear your TV on next door, but hey, to each their own. Besides being rude and inconsiderate towards tech-lovers (unless it’s an office prank), this thing is also very illegal. We’re not sure about every other country, but at least in the US, being caught blocking cell signals could garner a $11,000 fine, which ups the price tag of this gadget quite a bit.
The technology and original price tag of the Yapper Zapper is impressive, but we can really only see this thing being used for evil. Besides, we like being connected at all time.
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