It described its WiVision cellphone and Wi-Fi detector as "an affordable and efficient solution to address the growing threat that mobile and Wi-Fi devices pose in environments where they can be used to carry out fraud, crime and terrorist activities."

However, AirPatrol thinks it won't just be government agencies that will want to enforce "no wireless" zones. The company claimed that mobile phones may also be used to circumvent IT policies, such as call recording requirements, or for industrial/financial espionage.

It added: "In fact, reports point to the illicit use of a cell phone - used to circumvent monitored phone lines and carry out bogus trades - as the main cause of the recent Société Générale breach which cost the bank a reported $7B in losses."

(Well, up to a point, Lord Copper. It may be a fact that someone has reported this, but that doesn't make the story any more than a rumour or allegation.)

Be warned though - AirPatrol acknowledges that it can't actually stop phones from transmitting. Sure, you can buy jammers, but their use is illegal in most countries.

And it can only detect a phone that has its radio turned on, when it periodically checks in with the network, so you might not know it's there until it makes a call.

To be fair though, AirPatrol definitely is onto something here. If you're running an environment where all calls are supposed to be monitored, then mobile phones probably are a no-no. And this could be quite a bit cheaper than building a Faraday cage into your office...

What do you think - would you have a use for a mobile phone detector? And how cheap, lightweight and easy to use does it need to be?