Cheating In Exams Just Got More Difficult Because Of 'PocketHound'

Kaustubh Katdare

Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk Oct 9, 2024
Gone are the days (well, we hope) when the cheaters used the 'traditional' paper-based chits to write down formulae, important answers, hints et al to secure passing marks in exams. With the world going totally 'paperless', the cheaters have adopted cell phones as a way communicating during exams. But looks like that too will soon become obsolete. United States based researchers have developed a tiny gadget that can detect cell phones and the transmissions from them. That means, when your invigilator asks you to turn-off your mobile phones and keep them away - you better follow the instructions.

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The gadget is called 'PocketHound' and it's capable of determining the presence of cellular phone in its vicinity. It uses its multi-band antenna to determine the cellular phone transmissions and alerts the user if it detects any. The invigilators can quickly figure out whether there's any cell phone operational during the exam time.

pockethound

PocketHound has two hours of battery life and capable of scanning all the cell phone bands. It uses sophisticated algorithms to figure out RF noise to distinguish between real phone activity and ambient RF noise. The gadget costs $500.

Do let us know your thoughts on PocketHound.

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  • Nayan Goenka

    Nayan Goenka

    @nayan-Dhpt4N Aug 26, 2013

    Maybe it will detect signals nearby but I dont think it can show the data transmitted. Those connections are secure. Detectors won't catch them.
  • Abhishek Rawal

    Abhishek Rawal

    @abhishek-fg9tRh Aug 26, 2013

    Nice invention, won't be successful in India as still most Indian students uses old-school methods of cheating & one of them is -->
    'Passing entire goddamn supplementary' 😛
  • Sarathkumar Chandrasekaran

    Sarathkumar Chandrasekaran

    @sarathkumar-FEGRPw Aug 26, 2013

    Could you please clear my doubt?
    If a student uses a ansroid phone and use quickoffice to answers and added to it he turns tge flight mode on.What will happen¿can this device still track the phone¿
  • prahu mac

    prahu mac

    @prahu-NGsuBH Aug 26, 2013

    what ever the gadget may be we indians will invent some other unconventional methods of cheating !!!!!!!!
  • Nayan Goenka

    Nayan Goenka

    @nayan-Dhpt4N Aug 27, 2013

    Both these methods are fool proof. They cannot be corrected using technology. This invention is however focused to prevent Texting(watsapp) or Munnabhai type of cheating on phone.
  • Sarathkumar Chandrasekaran

    Sarathkumar Chandrasekaran

    @sarathkumar-FEGRPw Aug 27, 2013

    Nayan Goenka
    Both these methods are fool proof. They cannot be corrected using technology. This invention is however focused to prevent Texting(watsapp) or Munnabhai type of cheating on phone.
    So its a waste of money and time for the test organisers.No man with common iq will go for such crapy methods in todays scenario for copying.
    As many notes and books are available in pdf formwt he or she can use that to copy.
  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Kaustubh Katdare

    @thebigk Aug 27, 2013

    Well, the real benefit of this device is when the invigilators ask the test takers to keep their cell phones in completely off mode and maybe away from them. If someone manages to keep the phone with themselves, the PocketHound gadget will find it out. Of course, these are the problems of the developed nations. In India, you'll still have to make sure that the candidates don't bring in paper chits or write the formule on the desks.

    I personally firmly believe that students shouldn't be asked to mug up all the formulae. I don't remember even a single damn formula (be it physics, math, chemistry) I had mugged up in my school / college days. I can always use a reference book and perform all the calculations I need.
  • SHEETALPANGARKAR

    SHEETALPANGARKAR

    @sheetalpangarkar-LKZWGF Sep 4, 2013

    wat if sum1 uses bluetooth
  • Harshad Italiya

    Harshad Italiya

    @harshad-ukH5ww Sep 4, 2013

    SHEETALPANGARKAR
    wat if sum1 uses bluetooth
    I think because of small range of bluetooth it's not that much useful.