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Comment by kibwen | Hacker News Reader

For the security aspect, they could offer to lock your phone inside a pocket-sized faraday cage so that you can keep it on your person while rendering it useless.

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It doesn't even need that really, just wrap it in tissue paper or put a sticker on the screen - enough of a reminder that if you use it you'll be kicked out. (But allows you to keep it on you, and to go to look at something before remembering.

Or, you know, just turn it off and put it in your pocket?

Might be oncall.

Does the cage allow escalation phonecalls?

In that case you can't enter the site which needs your phone turned off.

It is a cost of being on call like not being able to drink alcohol. But you are being recompensed for being on call.

Or, you know, just leave it turned on and don't take it of your pocket every 5 seconds?

Based on what participants said afterwards, some people would reach into pocket forgetting that their phone wasn't in it. I'm guessing people would also forget they aren't supposed to be playing with their phone if there weren't some hindrance.

Nope. It would have to be a sound-proof, EMF shielded cage. Otherwise it transmits just later what it learns while unable to connect upstream.

I've been to places where I had to hand over my phone not long ago, the German consulate in S.F. being one. I don't think it's uncalled for. Generally I rather not carry such a device at all.

I don’t think they meant security as in taking it into a secure location, they meant security of your own data and software on the phone by not leaving it where strangers could have physical access for hours.

The security of the even isn't in question. It's the security of the phone.

If you have your phone in your pocket in a locked Faraday cage, it prevents compulsive checking and any network notifications. It also means coat-check folks don't have access to it. The fact it can record other attendees doesn't matter. They may have their phone just in their pocket.

Typing that out, it makes me realize the Faraday cage is unnecessary. Just turn it off, lock it in a reinforced sleeve, people at the front hold onto the key for you.

Surprised I didn't realize this immediately. I sometimes lock my phone in a bag and put the key in another room. If I'm really serious I put the key in an envelope and write on the outside why I'm doing this. Tearing the envelope makes a nice barrier.

Had to do this recently at a show for a headliner comedian.

I did expose a flaw in their system though: they only bagged one phone (I have a second one for work).

It’s not a system that holds up to an adversary. It’s at most a semi-voluntary restriction.

But this fails if someone forgets the second phone.

A friend was at a show recently (big comedian, I'm thinking Dave Chappelle?) and they did exactly this to each and every person.

Chappelle does this, as does musician Lane 8.

Mulaney too. Maybe something Netflix asks the comedians to do? Since the shows get officially filmed for a later streaming release.

They did this a Chappelle show I went too in NYC. You could keep bring your phone into the show but it had to be locked I a thick neoprene pouch they gave you. When you left the show there were people there it open them (they were locked magnetically somehow)

I think it was this one https://www.overyondr.com/howitworks

They have these, yondr pouches, but they don't need the Faraday cage, they just lock your phone up

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