From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Feb 17 15:35:00 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p2/8.11.3) id i1HKZ0W25439; Tue, 17 Feb 2004 15:35:00 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 15:35:00 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200402172035.i1HKZ0W25439@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #76 TELECOM Digest Tue, 17 Feb 2004 15:32:00 EST Volume 23 : Issue 76 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Telecom Update (Canada) #420, February 16, 2004 (John Riddell) Cardinal/Candella Phone Systems (Daryl R. Gibson) Re: The Virus Underground (William Robison) Re: World-Wide Cellular Coverage (Joe of Seattle) Re: A Suspicious Netscape Icon on my Desktop (jbl) SMS Security (Bright) Re: What Happened to the Telecom IRC Chat Room? (McWebber) For Sale: TMC SOHO 2-Line Phone System on Ebay (Kristi M.) Re: Telephones With Intercom Capability? (Carl Navarro) New Reports (Petter Lundkvist) SBC "Unlimited" Calling Plan Fine Print - Chicago Trib Article (Paul) Re: Rack Mount Cellular Phone (Dale Farmer) Re: Monty Solomon Postings (was: My New Blog (Web log)) (AES/newspost) Cingular to Acquire AT&T Wireless, Create Premier Carrier (M. Solomon) Cingular, SBC, BellSouth Discuss AT&T Wireless Acquisition (M. Solomon) Bagle.B Virus (Monty Solomon) ATI Delivers HDTV Reception On The PC (Monty Solomon) TiVo Gets Huge Horsepower Boost (Monty Solomon) All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk is definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 08:59:32 -0500 From: John Riddell Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #420, February 16, 2004 ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 420: February 16, 2004 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca ** CYGCOM INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES: www.cygcom.com ** GROUP TELECOM: www.360.net ** JUNIPER NETWORKS: www.juniper.net ** PRIMUS CANADA: www.primustel.ca ** SPRINT CANADA: www.sprint.ca ** TELUS: www.telus.com ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Rogers Reveals Telephony Plans ** Spectrum Auction Practically Over ** CRTC to Speed Competitive Dispute Resolution ** More Security Problems with Windows ** Juniper Buys Net Security Company ** Telus Wireline Down, Wireless Up ** Microcell Revenue Down, Subscribers Up ** Canadian Text Messages Double in 2003 ** Bell Refunded 98% of Party-Line Overcharges ** Wireless Broadband Launched in Yellowknife ** FCC Won't Regulate Computer-to-Computer Calls ** Citel Intros Mitel Gateway ** Mitec Raises $30 Million ** Cabletel Seeks Buyer ** CATA Creates Security Centre ** College Offers Call Centre Certification ** ITU to Hold Internet Governance Workshop ** IP Telephony for Branch Offices ============================================================ ROGERS REVEALS TELEPHONY PLANS: Rogers Communications and Rogers Cable say they will deploy "an advanced broadband IP multimedia network to support digital voice-over-cable telephone and other new voice and data services." Service will be offered to about 1.8 million households in mid-2005, and extended to most of the company's service area in 2006. ** Rogers says the deployment plan is "conditional upon supportive regulatory conditions." SPECTRUM AUCTION PRACTICALLY OVER: The 2.3/3.5 GHz spectrum auction opened last Monday and, with only minor bidding since Wednesday, looks likely to end today. The auction has raised only $11.2 million, less than a tenth of what some analysts had predicted. Nearly 60% of available licences--including several in major cities--have received no bids. ** Rogers Wireless was high bidder, paying nearly $6 million for 33 licences, including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, and Ottawa. ** Bell Canada acquired the most licences, paying $1.5 million for 138 licences spread across the country but bypassing all the large cities except Vancouver. http://agora.ic.gc.ca/ CRTC TO SPEED COMPETITIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION: On February 10, the CRTC announced an "expedited procedure for resolving competitive issues." In disputes that involve only two parties, and hinge on the interpretation and application of Commission decisions to specific situations, the Commission will conduct a brief, accelerated public hearing, and issue a brief written decision either at the hearing or within a few days. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Circulars/2004/ct2004-2.htm MORE SECURITY PROBLEMS WITH WINDOWS: Microsoft has announced yet another critical security flaw in Windows NT, 2000, XP, and Server 2003, and in Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac. Free updates are available for downloading at www.microsoft.com. JUNIPER BUYS NET SECURITY COMPANY: Juniper Networks has agreed to acquire Netscreen Technologies, a developer of network security and access products. The all-stock deal is valued at US$4 billion. TELUS WIRELINE DOWN, WIRELESS UP: Telus Communications' 4Q 2003 revenue was down 5% from 2002, while Telus Mobility's revenues increased 17%. The company's net income for the quarter was $49.6 million compared to a loss of $139.2 million in the same period a year ago. ** Telus says it will spend $72.8 million to redeem all of its outstanding preferred shares. MICROCELL REVENUE DOWN, SUBSCRIBERS UP: Microcell Telecommunications' total revenue in 2003 was $570.8 million, down from $591.1 million in 2002, but net income was $50.5 million, compared to a net loss of $570.5 million. The company's retail customer base grew by 107,422 in the fourth quarter, compared with a loss of 30,212 in 4Q 2002. ** The company describes City Fido, launched in Vancouver as a competitor for wireline local service, as an "overwhelming success." There's a full report on City Fido's first three months in the latest issue of Telemanagement, available to online subscribers tomorrow. CANADIAN TEXT MESSAGES DOUBLE IN 2003: The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association says that Canadians sent 350 million wireless text messages in 2003, compared to 174 million in 2002. BELL REFUNDED 98% OF PARTY-LINE OVERCHARGES: In 2002, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre informed the CRTC that Bell had been overcharging party-line customers for telephone sets (see Telecom Update #346). Bell has refunded $1.1 Million to the overcharged customers, but can't locate 2,948 inactive customers to whom $16,900 is owed. The CRTC says the remaining amount is to be put in Bell's deferral account, and no further action is necessary. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/dt2004-8.htm WIRELESS BROADBAND LAUNCHED IN YELLOWKNIFE: Internet Service Provider SSI Micro has begun offering high-speed wireless Internet access in Yellowknife, using a network operated by Inukshuk Internet, a subsidiary of Microcell. Basic residential SSI Micro Skyline service is $59.95/month. FCC WON'T REGULATE COMPUTER-TO-COMPUTER CALLS: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has ruled that the Free World Dialup, an IP service that provides computer-to- computer voice calls, "will remain a minimally regulated competitive option for consumers." This means it won't have to pay many of the fees that apply to other telephony providers. ** The CRTC exempted computer-to-computer voice calls ("PC Voice") from paying contribution fees in 1998, in Telecom Order 98-929. (See Telecom Update #150) CITEL INTROS MITEL GATEWAY: Citel Technologies has announced a Gateway product, co-branded with Mitel, that will allow Nortel Norstar telephones to be used with a Mitel Networks 3300 IP-PBX. MITEC RAISES $30 MILLION: Mitec Telecom, a Montreal manufacturer of products for wireless telecommunications, has received $30 million in equity financing from a syndicate led by Desjardins Securities. The money will be used for debt reduction, working capital, and acquisitions. CABLETEL SEEKS BUYER: Cabletel Communications Corp, a Markham Ontario-based distributor of broadband gear for TV and telecom, says it does not have adequate working capital to meet its current obligations. It is exploring various options including selling all or part of the company. CATA CREATES SECURITY CENTRE: The Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance has created a Cyber Security Resource Centre to track and report threats to Canada's information infrastructure, including viruses, worms, trojans, and focused attacks. COLLEGE OFFERS CALL CENTRE CERTIFICATION: Toronto's Seneca College has launched a Customer Contact Centre Management program. Graduates of the four three-day workshops receive certification by the Call Centre Industry Advisory Council. ITU TO HOLD INTERNET GOVERNANCE WORKSHOP: The International Telecommunications Union will hold a Workshop on Internet Governance at the ITU headquarters in Switzerland, February 26-27. The workshop, involving ITU members and invited experts will examine legal, technological, administration, and commercial issues. IP TELEPHONY FOR BRANCH OFFICES: The March issue of Telemanagement, available to online subscribers tomorrow, includes Part 2 of our in-depth report on IP telephony systems for branch offices, plus a hands-on comparison review of six network management software packages, a report on new developments in wireless asset tracking, and proposals for speeding CRTC decision-making. ** Telemanagement Online subscribers can access this issue, and an extensive library of past issues, columns, editorials, and feature reports, at the Online Home Page. ** To subscribe, or to add online access to your existing subscription, go to the Online Subscription Page. Charter Subscriber Discounts are available for a limited time. www.angustel.ca/teleman/tm-sub-online.html ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week at www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add or remove the sender's e-mail address from the list. Leave subject line and message area blank. We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail addresses to any third party. For more information, see www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2004 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail rosita@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 500. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ------------------------------ From: Daryl R Gibson Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 11:39:00 -0700 Subject: Cardinal/Candela Phone Systems A friend of mine has purchased a small motel that is equipped with a Cardinal (some parts are Candella) phone system. The system appears to be 20 years old, and a recent power bump goofed up some of the programming; among other things, it means one of the units is now unable to call out, others try for local calls and get other rooms, etc. My question is threefold: 1. Is there anyone who specializes in this system? 2. Does anyone on this list have any experience with them? 3. Could someone recommend a suitable replacement (25-50 lines) system for future use? Thanks. Daryl ---------------------------------------------------------------- "As you ramble through life, brother, no matter what your goal, keep your eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole" --Dr. Murray Banks, quoting a menu ---------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.drgibson.com http://www.salesstar.com Personal Motivation and Positive Attitude ------------------------------ From: William Robison Subject: Re: The Virus Underground Organization: University of Iowa Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 19:04:47 GMT Pat: Are we all asking the wrong question about virus software? Why do we all keep using IE and Outlook? (kinda like hitting your thumbe with a hammer, over and over). -or- How many times do we have to be explotied before we realize there has to be a better way (and there are, certainly, many alternatives to IE/Outlook). -Willy [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Very good point! When I now and then use the Linux partition (on my otherwise Windows 2000 machine) I use 'mail' to read stuff. Or I use 'ssh' to login here to massis (where I also use 'mail' as a matter of course) and none of those virus things seem to have any effect. But don't you think that if the whole world started using *nix to the extent they now use Windows the virus writers (like that snotty teenage kid discussed about here in the Digest a couple weeks ago) wouldn't shift gears and start writing things to mess with *nix like they do Windows now? I suspect the only reason some mail programs are relatively 'immune' at the present time is just a question of where to get the biggest bang for the buck where the virus writers are concerned. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: World-Wide Cellular Coverage Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 11:32:14 -0800 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com On 16 Feb 2004 09:58:38 EST, Charles.B.Wilber@Dartmouth.EDU (Charles B. Wilber) wrote: > What are the best answers to an administrator who asks for a cell > phone that can be used "all over the world?" I am not aware of any > service (GSM or otherwise) that will work reliably all over the > world. I have also read that it is often best to get cell service > locally when traveling to other countries, at least from a cost point > of view. Are there any alternatives besides satellite phones? Do even > those provide reliable world-wide coverage? > All suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Please reply directly to > me as well as to the listserv. Thank you. AFAIK the only "global" solution (not very elegant) is to use a GSM "world" phone for 90% of the world. It will work in the Americas, Europe, (most of) Asia, and Oceania. It will not work in Korea or Japan. Korea uses a special kind of CDMA and Japan uses their own standard that isn't used anywhere else in the world. I understand that in Korea you can rent a CDMA2000 handset that also accepts a GSM SIM card so it's possible for you to use your home carrier in Korea. AFAIK there's no such combination handset available for Japan. So, the bottom line is that for over 90% of the world a GSM "world" phone will work for you. In a very small number of countries such as Japan and Korea you have to make other arrangements. Even GSM isn't always the right choice to make for North America as the GSM networks are not as well-developed as they are in Europe and in Asia, but if you are going to be in the major metopolitan areas or the highways connecting those areas it should work for you. The major GSM networks in the US would be T-Mobile, AT&T Wireless and cingular. With the recent news that cingular has made a bid that will probably be accepted by AT&T Wireless there's a good chance that GSM will eventually be a good choice to have for service in the US. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - remove NONO from .NONOcom to reply ------------------------------ From: jbl Subject: Re: A Suspicious Netscape Icon on my DeskTop Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 13:00:38 -0700 Organization: On the desert Reply-To: jbl@spamblocked.com In , tech@xxcopy.com (Kan Yabumoto) wrote: > BTW, the Netscape icon that mysteriously appered on my Desktop is a > link to the following sign-up form: > https://register.isp.netscape.com/default.jsp?promo=NS_2_6_2_2003_12_6 > The brief description of the service can be viewed from: > http://www.getnetscape.com/index.adp?promo=NS_2_7_7_2003_10_2 These sound like "legitimate" netscape pointers, as opposed to some phisher or malware supplier. Do you have automatic netscape updating turned on? (Or might you have accidentally clicked 'yes' when it put up a box asking you if you wanted to update your netscape?[1]) /JBL [1]I have a problem with software that does this kind of thing. If I'm clicking and/or typing fast, some box will pop up, intercept my next "enter" keypress and disappear before I get a chance to realize that something is there, much less read what it says. Most such boxes are in response to something I did, so I expect them; but clock driven activities (like automatic update reminders, if you don't turn them off) are generally a complete surprise. ------------------------------ From: brightwell_151@yahoo.co.uk (Bright) Subject: SMS Security Date: 17 Feb 2004 04:44:38 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Dear All, I'm looked through various archives and I seem to have come up with a mixed bag when it comes to SMS. Some people have stated that there is no encryption on SMS messages when broadcast (and no authentication of the originating number) while others have stated that the same authentication is used as for voice (i.e. A3 to authenticate the connection and A5 to encrypt the session) Now ... I reckon there must be some form of accurate authentication to facilitate billing. Can I assume that the connection to the SMS repository is authenticated in the same way as a voice connection (A3, Comp128)? But does the data in the SMS get encrypted, and does this include the CallerID (i.e. is the CallerID seperate to whatever is used for billing). 1. I want to know how difficult it is to snoop the text in the SMS (I realise that the GSM implementation A5/1 isn't highly regarded) 2. I want to know how difficult it is to spoof an SMS (not to defraud the billing operator but to confuse or misdirect the recipient of the SMS) Can anyone point me to security papers about SMS (there are plenty about GSM in general, but SMS barely gets a mention). I am given to understand that the SMS messages aren't encrypted while stored on the service providers server and there's no way of working out whether they are encrypted in transit across the providers network (so maybe this is where the confusion about encryption has come in) Any comments gratefully received. John ------------------------------ From: McWebber Subject: Re: What Happened to the Telecom IRC Chat Room? Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 08:48:46 -0500 Scott Wilson wrote in message news:telecom23.75.16@telecom-digest.org: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: **Would YOU -- or anyone knowlegeable > about java-scripting and web page interlinks to IRC** be willing to > start it up again? ] Any Yahoo Groups site has a "Chat" link. Easy enough to start a Yahoo Group if you wanted a chat. McWebber "Richter points to the lack of legal action against his company as proof that he's operating appropriately." Information Week, November 10, 2003 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: So I discovered by looking closely at the web site I helped Lisa Minter set up for telecom. But its sort of a mixed bag. Yes, you just say so, and press a few keys and there it is, but it appears to be limited to simply Yahoo Messenger subscribers, (and the Yahoo 'Chat Room' system rather than IRC as such. But it looks easier in general to use than IRC does. So anyone who wants realtime interactive telecom-related chat is invited to use it at Yahoo Groups. I do not know the URL off hand (I think you have to go in the front door of Groups, then to telecom-news.) PAT] ------------------------------ From: prairillon@prodigy.net (Kristi M.) Subject: For Sale: TMC SOHO 2-Line Phone System on Ebay Date: 17 Feb 2004 05:56:44 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Four TMC m2210 telephones with LCD displays make a great "KSU-less" full-featured system for a small office or home. TMC SOHO 2-Line Phone System Item number: 3078702090 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3078702090&ssPageName=ADME:B:LC:US:1 Thank you. --Kristi ------------------------------ From: Carl Navarro Subject: Re: Telephones With Intercom Capability? Reply-To: cnavarro@wcnet.org Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 14:45:24 GMT Organization: Road Runner High Speed Online http://www.rr.com On 15 Feb 2004 16:50:34 -0800, nospam_timur@tabi.org (Timur Tabi) wrote: > Do telephones with intercom capabilities exist? What I would like to > do is replace all of the phones in my house with new phones that have > an intercom capability. For example, I press the "intercom" button on > my phone, and my voice is broadcast too all other phones in the house. Telephone(s) with intercoms do exist. It's a function of $$$ and cabling as to what you can do. If you're talking three or four phones, you can get any of the low line count intercom/paging phones from Panasonic, Avaya, TMC, and others that require a wall wart and use common pairs to superimpose intercom over one of the phone lines. Expect to pay between $150-250 per phone. The other option, if you truly have home runs to all the locations or need larger amounts of phoes, is to search eBay for used Comdial, Panasonic, Lucent/Avaya for key systems that have modern phones. You can get a system with phones for less than $500. Carl Navarro > Each phone jack in my house is wired with Cat5 cable, so I can support > up to four phone lines at each jack. I would expect this "intercom > phone" to use one of the extra pairs for the intercom capability. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Yes, and in fact you can make your own > intercom from a telephone pair quite easily. Radio Shack has the kind > of phone you need as well as many other suppliers. PAT] ------------------------------ From: petter.lundkvist@spintrack.com (Petter Lundkvist) Subject: New Reports Date: 17 Feb 2004 07:36:46 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Check Spintrack's homepage for our latest updated reports on the African IT and Telecom sector. http://www.spintrack.com/itadvice/reports_docs.htm ------------------------------ From: Paul Subject: SBC Unlimited Calling Plan Fine Print - Chicago Tribune Article Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 10:58:09 -0500 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Stealth phone charges rile customers By Jon Van Tribune staff reporter Looking back, Judy Leach realizes that her mistake was thinking that SBC's unlimited calling plan meant just that. "They have limits, but they don't tell you about them," the Marengo resident says.n Leach's phone line was cut off after she rang up a monthly bill of more than $2,500. She had signed up for a flat-rate long-distance plan advertised for less than $50 a month. She never saw the fine print that said Internet use was not part of the deal. Nor did she anticipate such a rule since she had been dialing her Internet service provider through SBC's local service for four years. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0402170333feb17,1,4331943.story?coll=chi-news-hed ------------------------------ From: Dale Farmer Organization: Furry green fuzz in the back of the refrigerator Subject: Re: Rack Mount Cellular Phone Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 15:51:29 GMT Ken Neely wrote: > My client needs to acquire a number of rack mount cellular (1xrtt - > Verizon) phones for emergency ops use. Are any quality devices of this > type available ? > kenneth.neely@sce.com Check the burglar and fire alarm market. Cellular phones as backup alarm links are fairly common in the commercial alarm market. All the ones I've seen are anonymous beige boxes with a coax connector for the remote antenna. Mounting is usually meant to be screwed to a wall up high out of easy reach. --Dale ------------------------------ From: AES/newspost Subject: Re: Monty Solomon Postings (was: My New Blog (Web log)) Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 09:36:39 -0800 In article , Peter G. Neumann wrote: > Good comments. I use relatively little of Monty's stuff, and > often put the real author's name in the subject line. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Mr. Neumann is the moderator of RISKS, > a prominent journal on internet. PAT] I'll say again: I appreciate the Solomon postings, but would love to see them "digest-ified" into a single weekly or ??? digest, in the same manner as Peter Neuman's superb comp.risk digests (though I think an earlier reply from MS gave some reasons why he didn't want to do this). ------------------------------ From: Monty Solomon Subject: Cingular to Acquire AT&T Wireless, Create Nation's Premier Carrier Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 10:34:26 -0500 $41 billion deal to create number one wireless carrier, bring greater network coverage, improved service quality, new advanced data services to customers ATLANTA, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cingular Wireless LLC, a joint venture between SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) and BellSouth Corp. (NYSE:BLS), announced today an agreement to acquire AT&T Wireless (NYSE:AWE), creating the premier wireless carrier in the United States. Today, the combined company would have 46 million customers and one of the most advanced digital networks in the U.S., with spectrum in 49 states and coverage in 97 of the top 100 markets. The combined 2003 annual revenues of the two companies would have exceeded $32 billion. Under the terms of the agreement approved by the boards of directors of Cingular and AT&T Wireless, shareholders of AT&T Wireless will receive $15 cash per common share or approximately $41 billion. The acquisition, which is subject to the approvals of AT&T Wireless shareholders and federal regulatory authorities, and to other customary closing conditions, is expected to be completed as soon as late 2004. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=40612728 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 10:38:54 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Cingular, SBC and BellSouth to Discuss AT&T Wireless Acquisition Analyst Conference Call at 11:30 a.m. EST Tuesday ATLANTA, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cingular Wireless LLC and its parent companies, SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) and BellSouth Corp. (NYSE:BLS), will discuss Cingular's planned acquisition of AT&T Wireless during an analyst conference call and webcast set for 11:30 a.m. EST today. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=40615325 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 13:00:40 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Bagle.B virus http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/bagle_b.shtml ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 13:16:10 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: ATI Delivers HDTV Reception On The PC MARKHAM, ONTARIO-- ATI combines Consumer Electronics and PC multimedia expertise for an unrivaled solution. Crystal clear HDTV broadcasts can be enjoyed on the PC with the new HDTV WONDER(TM) announced today by ATI Technologies Inc. (TSX:ATY, NASDAQ:ATYT). North American customers will be able to tune in and watch high-definition television (HDTV) programs on the PC without having to purchase an expensive TV that could cost more than $2,000. HDTV in North America offers up to 5.5 times the pixels (dots that comprise the screen) as standard TV resolution resulting in amazing picture quality. In addition to supporting analog NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) cable, the HDTV WONDER add-in video card allows consumers to experience the new ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) digital, free-to-air HDTV broadcasts without having to subscribe to cable or satellite subscription services. HDTV WONDER offers the best advanced personal video recorder (PVR) on the PC today enabling consumers to watch, pause and record both analog and HDTV programs -- powerful features beyond the capabilities of most current consumer and PC-based appliances. Additionally, HDTV WONDER leverages the PC's capabilities by offering the ability to archive content directly to DVD for personal use. HDTV WONDER complements ATI's RADEON(TM) line of video cards that deliver the industry's only full HDTV decoder and display capabilities. http://finance.lycos.com/qc/news/story.aspx?story=200402171001_CCN_0217009n http://www.atitech.ca/companyinfo/press/2004/4732.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 13:23:06 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: TiVo Gets Huge Horsepower Boost By Katie Dean TiVo and other digital video recorders will get a serious boost in horsepower later this year as manufacturers start selling DVRs that can record high-definition television programming. Several of the new, more robust high-definition DVRs will sport 250-GB hard drives -- enough room to store 30 hours of high-definition programming or about 200 hours of standard broadcast. The beefier hard drives are necessary because signals for high-definition TV, or HDTV, carry far more information per frame than standard TV. For example, one HDTV standard in the United States (1080i) calls for images that are 1,920 pixels by 1,080 pixels, refreshed 60 times a second. By comparison, standard analog TV in the United States is 500 dots by 525 dots. But while the huge storage will please consumers, another "feature" of the new generation of machines may not: Under pressure from Hollywood, the manufacturers will include copy-protection schemes that will prevent users from sharing recorded programs or playing them on other devices, like a PC. The content will be protected by two mechanisms. The first is Digital Visual Interface (or DVI), which shuttles digital signals from the DVR to the display. DVI works with High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (or HDCP), which encrypts that signal and ensures that only an authorized device can display the content. http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,61988,00.html ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-330-6774 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/ mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system for archives files. You can get desired files in email. ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2003 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. --------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of fifty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. If you donate at least fifty dollars per year we will send you our two-CD set of the entire Telecom Archives; this is every word published in this Digest since our beginning in 1981. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V23 #76 *****************************