TELECOM Digest     Thu, 30 Jun 2005 17:33:00 EDT    Volume 24 : Issue 302

Inside This Issue:                             Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Protecting Your Good Name from Identity Theft (Lisa Minter)
    Use of IP Telephony Surged in Sweden in 2004 (Lisa Minter)
    Michigan and Utah Launch Email Registries (Lisa Minter)
    Digital Move Will Blank 80 Million TV Sets (Lisa Minter)
    Vodafone, Microsoft Forge Wireless Message Deal (Telecom dailyLead USTA)
    Re: Cellular Jamming?  Think Again. (mc)
    Re: Western Union History (Jim Haynes)
    Re: Using Comcast to Host Web Site (Rob Stampfli)

Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
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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 are 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.  

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Lisa Minter <lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com>
Subject: Protecting Your Good Name From Identity Theft 
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 23:29:35 -0500


By Linda Stern

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - By now you know that 40 million credit card
account numbers are flying around the underground economy.

They were set free when hackers implanted a virus in the computers
operated by CardSystems, a Tucson-based credit card processing firm,
and they were actually let loose way before consumers were let in on
the breach recently.

It was the latest in a series of security flubs from companies
including ChoicePoint, which collects and supplies financial data, DSW
Shoe Warehouse and others. It revealed that consumers could not only
lose their financial identities, they could be in the dark about it.

It took almost a month from the time CardSystems said they discovered
the breach until the public was made aware. Somebody could be using
your credit card right now, and how would you know it?

"This news is just the tip of the iceberg," said Beth Givens, director
of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a California-based consumer
information and advocacy organization.

Yet Givens and others do not believe consumers should panic. Instead,
they should seek to maintain that careful balance between recognizing
the possibility of identity theft without overreacting and denying
themselves the convenience of credit card shopping.

"Consumers should not at this time be canceling card accounts as a
preventive measure," said Givens.

Here's how to protect yourself without going back to a cash-only
lifestyle:

 -- Don't panic and don't stop using your credit card or shopping
online.  Credit cards come with two levels of protection: Federal law
prohibits consumers from losing more than $50 to theft or fraud, and
the card issuers step in and cover that $50. If your card number does
get stolen, you won't be out any money. Your issuer can give you a new
number.

 -- Don't wait to get your statement to see if your card is being
used. If you haven't already set your credit card accounts up for
online and phone access, do so. Then you can go online between
statement dates and check to make sure nobody else is posting charges
to your account.

 -- Look for small, inconsequential charges. Most credit card thieves
test the card with a small purchase to see if it works.

 -- Control your own paperwork. Most credit card thefts do not occur
when techies figure out how to hack your card company. They occur when
retail employees or shoppers pull carbons out of trash cans or find
payment stubs and the like. Keep control of your receipts and keep
control of your cards.

If you lose the actual plastic card, check to make sure that you
aren't being charged for gasoline you didn't buy. Many card thieves
make their first purchase a pay-at-the-pump gasoline buy; that way if
the card gets rejected they can hop in their car and leave without
talking to a cashier.

 -- Consider giving up your debit card. Those debit cards which look
like VISAs and MasterCards and do not require a pin number, can be
dangerous.  That's because they draw directly from your checking
account. And while the banks that issue them tend to guarantee that
they will indemnify you from fraud and will replace any lost money
within hours, it can still take some time to clear up the
account. While it does, you can be bouncing rent checks, car payments
and anything else that comes out of your checking account.

"I've talked to people where the institution doesn't believe them and
the funds take a month," says Givens. "Frankly, I don't advise using
debit cards."

If you have good credit and financial discipline, you can just use a
credit card for your everyday purchases and then pay that off once a
month from your checking account.

 -- Check your credit report. Unless you live in the Northeast, you can
already get one free credit report a year. On September 1, even
Northeasterners will be eligible. Find it at
http://www.annualcreditreport.com. If someone has used your card, it
might show up in extra inquiries or mistakes in your credit report.

 -- Read your mail. At least one California lawyer, Ira Rothken, is
trying to make a class-action suit out of the recent security
breach. If you are a member of a class that has been wronged, you
should receive notification.  Even if you're not in a position to join
a suit, you might get notification from your bank about security
breaches or new procedures. 

Linda Stern is a freelance writer. Any opinions in the column are
solely those of Ms. Stern.  You can e-mail her at lindastern@aol.com

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

------------------------------

From: Lisa Minter <lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com>
Subject: Use of IP Telephony Surged in Sweden in 2004 
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 23:31:00 -0500


The number of people making phone calls via the Internet more than
doubled in Sweden in 2004, the country's telecoms regulator said on
Wednesday.

Its report on the telecommunications market for last year said 80,800
people had Internet Protocol phone call subscriptions, compared with
38,400 in 2003.

"Not all telephone clients are linked to networks which offer IP-based
calling, but the potential client base is rising as more operators are
starting to offer IP-based phoning," the PTS regulator said.

It said broadband operator Bredbandsbolaget, recently bought by
Norway's Telenor (TEL.OL), had most IP telephony clients.

At the end of 2004, there were 25 operators offering IP calls, versus
10 to 15 at the end of the previous year.

Nordic giant TeliaSonera (TLSN.ST) has said that IP telephony is one
of the challenges it has to deal with in its home markets.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

------------------------------

From: Lisa Minter <lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com>
Subject: Michigan and Utah Launch Email Registries
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 23:34:16 -0500


By DAVID EGGERT, Associated Press Writer

Two states are on the verge of trying to block porn and other
inappropriate messages sent to children through e-mail, but critics
question how the laws will be enforced and predict they could have
unintended consequences.

Michigan and Utah have until Friday to create and operate registries
of e-mail addresses similar to "do-not-call" lists. Businesses will
have to buy copies of the registries and face prison time and fines if
they send e-mail to any addresses that parents submit. The registries
also can include instant-message addresses, cell phones and pager
numbers.

Parry Aftab, an Internet safety expert with WiredSafety.org, said the
laws were well-intentioned but flawed.

"Anytime anyone starts collecting lists of children, it's subject to
hacking and misuse," Aftab said. "The last thing I want is anyone to
have a large database of children."

As with other Internet laws, critics say the registries probably won't
have much effect -- largely because anti-spam laws have been difficult
to enforce.  Spam often originates from outside the country and from
other states.

The Institute for Spam and Internet Public Safety, which runs
conferences and other programs on e-mail marketing, is concerned that
commercial e-mailers don't know about the laws.

"We've talked with several top-tier e-mail marketing firms and e-mail
service providers and they were all just stunned to learn that they
need to start scrubbing their mailing lists against these registries
next month or face criminal sanctions," said Anne Mitchell, the
group's president.


Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. 

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

------------------------------

From: Lisa Minter <lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com>
Subject: Digital Move Will Blank up to 80 Million TV Sets
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 23:36:43 -0500


Consumer advocates on Wednesday warned that up to 80 million
television sets could go dark after a transition to digital broadcast
signals and said the government should help owners get special
converter boxes.

About 15 percent of U.S. households rely on over-the-air television
signals, and about 39 percent of households have at least one
television that is not connected to satellite or cable television
service, according to a survey by Consumers Union and the Consumer
Federation of America.

Congress and the Federal Communications Commission are trying to speed
the broadcast industry's transition from analog signals to digital
ones to free up valuable spectrum. Lawmakers are considering
legislation that would set Jan. 1, 2009, as the deadline for finishing
the switch.

"The first rule Congress must abide by is do no harm to consumers,"
said Gene Kimmelman, public policy director for Consumers Union. "We
can only support a hard date transition if the costs are not borne by
consumers who have done nothing wrong and just want their TVs to
work."

He suggested that the government should subsidize converter boxes for
most of those television sets, potentially costing more than $3.5
billion.  Industry estimates put the cost of converter boxes at about
$50 each.

The Consumer Electronics Association has projected a smaller number of
television sets -- 33.6 million -- would be affected by the switch.

"The (consumer groups') survey appears to assume that any TV not
connected to cable or satellite is connected to a broadcast antenna,"
said Michael Petricone, CEA vice president for technology policy. He
said millions of sets are used only for video games and movies.

Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives put off a hearing until
later this summer to consider digital television legislation, in part
because of a dispute over a subsidy plan for aiding homes that rely
only on over-the-air broadcasts.

Most expect a subsidy program would be funded with the proceeds of
auctioning off the old analog broadcast airwaves.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 13:29:01 EDT
From: Telecom dailyLead from USTA <usta@dailylead.com>
Subject: Vodafone, Microsoft forge wireless messaging deal


Telecom dailyLead from USTA
June 30, 2005
http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=22761&l=2017006

		TODAY'S HEADLINES
	
NEWS OF THE DAY
* Vodafone, Microsoft forge wireless messaging deal
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH
* Motorola sets sights on Japan
* Nortel shareholders express frustration at meeting
* Report: Today's customers want control over communications experience
* Phone, cable company spots spur ad growth
USTA SPOTLIGHT 
* Order Today! Newton's Telecom Dictionary -- 21st Edition
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
* Nextel tests wireless broadband
REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE
* Transition to new Internet protocol lags
* Lawrence Lessig: Grokster decision "a pretty significant defeat"

Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others.
http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=22761&l=2017006

Legal and Privacy information at
http://www.dailylead.com/about/privacy_legal.jsp

SmartBrief, Inc.
1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005

------------------------------

From: mc <mc_no_spam@uga.edu>
Subject: Re: Cellular Jamming?  Think Again.
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 01:08:03 -0400
Organization: Speed Factory (http://www.speedfactory.net)


> The law should be modestly amended to declare those using cellphones
> in theaters, churches, and other places of public assembly outlaws
> subject to pummeling by the inconvenienced other inmates of such
> assembly. Exception might be made for surviving, on duty, emergency
> personnel. ;^)

Here I think there is a market for cell phone *detectors*.  Cell
phones transmit every few minutes even when you're not making or
receiving a call, in order to keep the tower apprised of where they
are.  "Turn off your cell phone" could have more teeth if equipment
were in use to detect cell phones that were still turned on.

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Western Union History
Reply-To: jhaynes@alumni.uark.edu
Organization: University of Arkansas Alumni
From: haynes@alumni.uark.edu (Jim Haynes)
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 19:17:36 GMT


In article <telecom24.300.14@telecom-digest.org>,
<hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:

> hard.  But I wish I knew more about their microwave system -- what it
> did for them and what it didn't.

The Telecom archives contain Western Union Technical Review, which
gives pretty good coverage of their microwave system, its beginnings,
and its eventual expanse.

jhhaynes at earthlink dot net


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: And readers can also check out the 23
year run of Western Union Technical Review. The entire collection is
on file in our archives  http://telecom-digest.org/archives  PAT]

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Using Comcast to Host Web Site
From: restamp@hotmail.com (Rob Stampfli)
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 21:07:44 GMT
Organization: Road Runner High Speed Online http://www.rr.com


In article <telecom24.300.15@telecom-digest.org>, William Warren
<william_warren_nonoise@comcast.net> wrote:

> Comcast has been blocking port 80 (HTTP) for a while now, and they've
> recently started blocking port 25 (SMTP) as well. IMNSHO, it's only a
> matter of time before they start blocking all syn packets and charging
> extra for ANY incoming connection, but for now you can do it with some
> workarounds.

With cable's relatively limited upload speed, I can readily understand
blocking inbound port 80, where the traffic distribution is highly
skewed towards outbound packets.  But why inbound port 25?  It can't
be to prevent spam from infected PCs since they don't use it.  Inbound
port 25 can only be used to receive mail and one could argue that
whether you receive your mail via SMTP (port 25), or POP or IMAP or
otherwise, the bits have to eventually flow in one way or another.

So, why block port 25?  The only answer I can come up with is "just
for spite".

For that matter, the whole concept of "no servers" has always seemed
flawed to me: Technically, sshd and telnetd are servers.  Does Comcast
really desire to have a policy of preventing one from contacting a
home machine when they are travelling?

Rob Stampfli

------------------------------


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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #302
******************************