A trade exhibitor shows a portable pocket-sized cell phone jammer CPB-2000P . See more cell phone pictures.

Cell phones are everywhere these days. According to the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, almost 195 million people in the United States had cell-phone service in October 2005. And cell phones are even more ubiquitous in Europe.

It's great to be able to call anyone at anytime. Unfortunately, restaurants, movie theaters, concerts, shopping malls and churches all suffer from the spread of cell phones because not all cell-phone users know when to stop talking. Who hasn't seethed through one side of a conversation about an incredibly personal situation as the talker shares intimate details with his friend as well as everyone else in the area?

­While most of us just grumble and move on, some people are actually going to extremes to retaliate. Cell phones are basically handheld two-way radios. And like any radio, the signal can be disrupted, or jammed.

In this article, you'll see how cell-phone jammers work and learn about the legality of their use.