Here's a phone made for Bihar police

Here's a phone made for Bihar police

NEW YORK: Nokia has devised a new camera cell phone that can help nab kidnappers by sending emergency alerts, complete with pictures, sound and GPS location even if it pretends to be off.

A recessed panic button triggers a pre-recorded emergency message when pressed, according to the online edition of New Scientist.

The phone camera then takes and sends a series of time-stamped snapshots or video clips to a service centre or trusted friend, along with any sound picked up by the microphone.

If the phone has a GPS receiver it also stamps the message with location.

If reception is lost, for instance if an abductor drives into an underground car park, the phone stores images and audio in memory and automatically transmits them as soon a signal is regained.

Transmission can be discreet, with the phone apparently off, or obvious to warn an abductor that a call for help has been sent.

Once triggered, the emergency call can only be halted by entering a personal code, so accidental false alarms can be averted.

Although the patent applied by the company recently tactfully does not mention it, the phone sounds like an excellent covert surveillance tool, too, the report said.