From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri May 14 16:00:39 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i4EK0c628175; Fri, 14 May 2004 16:00:39 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 16:00:39 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200405142000.i4EK0c628175@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 #240 TELECOM Digest Fri, 14 May 2004 16:01:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 240 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson EFFector 17.17: Action Alert - DMCA Reform Gains Momentum (Monty Solomon) EPIC Alert 11.09 (Monty Solomon) EPIC Alert 11.07 (Monty Solomon) AA-2004.02 -- Denial of Service Vulnerability in IEEE 802.11 (M Solomon) ICANN Dispute Tests New Internet Services (Monty Solomon) Will Souping Up TiVo Save It? (Monty Solomon) PalmOne Updates Software For Treo 600 Smart Phone (Monty Solomon) Verizon Applying For Cable Franchises - Report (Monty Solomon) FCC Proposes Using Empty TV Slots For Wireless (Monty Solomon) MergerTalk: Adelphia Auction Could Unleash Flurry of Cable (Monty Solomon) T-Mobile USA Reports First Quarter 2004 Results (Monty Solomon) Symantec Multiple Firewall Remote DNS KERNEL Overflow (Monty Solomon) Re: Getting Your Number Listed Deliberately (Fred Atkinson) Transoceanic Data Communication Cables (Claire Schatz) Florida Sues AT&T For Billing Errors (Paul Robinson) Re: NANP Numbering (Paul Robinson) New Way to Read USENET (jmayson@nyx.net) 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 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 21:49:51 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EFFector 17.17: Action Alert - DMCA Reform Gains Momentum EFFector Vol. 17, No. 17 May 11, 2004 donna@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 In the 289th Issue of EFFector: * Action Alert: DMCA Reform Gains Momentum - Stand Up for the Public's Rights in Digital Media! * WANTED: EFF Seeks Writing Intern * MiniLinks (10): Japanese Professor Arrested for Writing P2P Application * Staff Calendar: 05.13.04 - 05.15.04 - Lawrence Lessig speaks at the Berkman Center's Internet Law Program, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA; 05.14.04 - 05.16.04 - Brad Templeton speaks at the Foresight Institute, Palo Alto, CA * Administrivia http://www.eff.org/Misc/EFF/Newsletters/EFFector/17/17.php ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 21:41:22 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EPIC Alert 11.09 ======================================================================= E P I C A l e r t ======================================================================= Volume 11.09 May 13, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Published by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Washington, D.C. http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_11.09.html ====================================================================== Table of Contents ====================================================================== [1] FOIA Doc Shows Massive Disclosure of Passenger Data to FBI [2] Wiretap Reports Released; Secret Warrants Exceed Standard Warrants [3] Groups Ask California to Investigate Google's Gmail [4] EPIC Urges Opt-In Privacy for Wireless Devices [5] Commission Holds Hearing on E-Voting Technology [6] News in Brief [7] EPIC Bookstore: All The Laws But One [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_11.09.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 21:42:58 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EPIC Alert 11.07 ======================================================================= E P I C A l e r t ======================================================================= Volume 11.07 April 8, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Published by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Washington, D.C. http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_11.07.html ====================================================================== Table of Contents ====================================================================== [1] Homeland Security Dept. Expands Visitor Tracking System [2] European Parliament Slams EU-US Agreement on Passenger Data [3] EPIC Comments on Short Notices, Spam, Biometrics [4] Canadian Court OKs Peer-to-Peer Sharing [5] Bill Criminalizing Inaccurate Domain Info Advances In House [6] News in Brief [7] EPIC Bookstore: Overruling Democracy [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_11.07.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 23:17:32 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: AA-2004.02 -- Denial of Service Vulnerability in IEEE 802.11 AA-2004.02 -- Denial of Service Vulnerability in IEEE 802.11 Wireless Devices A vulnerability exists in hardware implementations of the IEEE 802.11 wireless protocol that allows for a trivial but effective attack against the availability of wireless local area network (WLAN) devices. http://www.auscert.org.au/render.html?it=4091 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 09:40:56 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: ICANN Dispute Tests New Internet Services By ANICK JESDANUN AP Internet Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- When the company under contract to run much of the Internet's core decided last fall to launch a new online search service, it saw an opportunity to help lost Web surfers find their way. But critics saw it as a bald grab for dollars and worried that the Site Finder search system could cause Internet instability. The Internet's key oversight agency responded by pressuring the company, VeriSign Inc., to pull it. That dispute has turned into a key test of whether financial or public interest ultimately drives decisions on how Internet users worldwide visit Web sites and send e-mail. A federal lawsuit that grew partly from that dispute has a hearing Tuesday in Los Angeles. The lawsuit, filed by VeriSign, is the latest threat to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which was selected by the U.S. Commerce Department in 1998 to oversee key aspects of cyberspace. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=41428174 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 09:49:49 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Will Souping Up TiVo Save It? INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Why investors, spooked by the competition, may be fleeing its stock too soon Michael Ramsay, chief executive of TiVo Inc., has heard the eulogies for his pioneering company many times before. Yes, digital video recorders, which let viewers pause live TV, zip through commercials, and automatically record their favorite programs, are suddenly hot. And yes, TiVo's name has become virtually synonymous with the technology. But the five-year-old company faces an onslaught of competition, and its strategic position seems hopeless. Most of its customers buy stand-alone boxes, then pay $12.95 a month for TiVo's "time-shifting" service. Now, cable companies are beginning to offer similar services for lower subscription rates with no up-front cost. Worse, Rupert Murdoch's DirecTV, TiVo's biggest customer, is considering using technology from another Murdoch company to replace TiVo in at least some of its satellite boxes. Investors certainly are spooked. TiVo's stock is down 50% since last July, to less than $7. "People are assuming the worst," says analyst David Farina of investment bank William Blair & Co. But tap that pause button for a moment. A close look at Ramsay's new plans for the company suggests that any requiem for TiVo may be premature. He's pushing to make TiVo less dependent on stand-alone boxes by striking alliances to have TiVo's software incorporated into hot-selling consumer electronics such as DVD recorders. He's aiming to get more revenue from subscribers by offering them cool new features, including satellite radio, digital photo editing, and the ability to surf the Web from TiVo boxes. And although many of his customers get TiVo to avoid advertising, he expects to build a significant business from selling opt-in ads specially crafted for his much-coveted audience. "TiVo has a lot of irons in the fire. I wouldn't write them off just yet," says analyst Michael Paxton of researcher In-Stat/MDR. http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_20/b3883087_mz063.htm ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 10:16:36 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: PalmOne Updates Software For Treo 600 Smart Phone By Ina Fried Staff Writer, CNET News.com Handheld maker PalmOne released a software update for its Treo 600 smart phone on Thursday that's designed to make the device more reliable. The update is initially only for those who own a Sprint version of the phone, with other carriers still in the process of testing the update on their networks. http://news.com.com/2100-1041-5212258.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 11:12:48 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Applying for Cable Franchises - Report WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) has applied to offer cable television service to customers in nine states as part of a new high-speed fiber-optic network, Business Week magazine reported on Thursday. The U.S.'s largest telephone company has said it would spend $1 billion on extending fiber-optic cables to homes this year with a target of connecting 1 million homes. Such fiber-optic connections are capable of handling video, data and voice signals at far higher speeds than cable connections. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=41425811 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 11:24:27 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: FCC Proposes Using Empty TV Slots For Wireless By Jeremy Pelofsky WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - New wireless communications services could be deployed using vacant television airwaves in cities and rural areas, under a proposal issued by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Thursday. Despite objections by television broadcasters, the FCC voted to propose using empty spaces protecting television channels from interference as long as the new services like high-speed Internet do not cause problems themselves. The additional airwaves could help meet growing demand and spur innovations like the Wi-Fi wireless Internet services that now connect consumers to the Web in airports and coffee shops. The FCC has been looking for ways to deploy high-speed Internet services, known as broadband, to hard-to-reach areas. The issue has garnered attention on the campaign trail with candidates calling for broader access to boost the economy. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=41417468 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 11:28:17 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: MergerTalk: Adelphia Auction Could Unleash Flurry of Cable M&A By Julie MacIntosh and Michael Learmonth NEW YORK, May 13 (Reuters) - The frequent wheeling and dealing among U.S. cable companies has ground to a halt now that the potential sale of bankrupt Adelphia Communications Corp. (PK:ADELQ) threatens to redraw the industry's borders. Pockmarked maps showing which companies serve which subscribers aren't likely to change much until a victor emerges in the bid for Adelphia's 5.4 million subscribers. But when the gavel drops on the No. 5 cable operator, a flurry of system-swapping could erupt among major players aiming to consolidate certain markets, analysts and investment bankers said. So could other acquisitions -- particularly on the content-providing side. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=41408932 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 11:34:33 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: T-Mobile USA Reports First Quarter 2004 Results BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 13, 2004--T-Mobile USA, Inc. (NYSE:DT): -- Record 1.174 million new net customers added in Q1 2004 -- Customer base up 9% in Q1 from Q4 2003 -- $492 million in Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization (OIBDA) in Q1 2004, up 60% from Q1 2003 T-Mobile USA, Inc. ("T-Mobile USA") the U.S. operation of T-Mobile International AG & Co. KG ("T-Mobile International"), the mobile communications subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG ("Deutsche Telekom") (NYSE:DT), today announced first quarter 2004 results. All financial figures are in USD and are based on accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") in order to provide comparability with the results of other U.S. wireless carriers. T-Mobile USA results will also be included in the consolidated results of Deutsche Telekom, but are not consistent as the information provided by Deutsche Telekom is in accordance with German accounting principles. In the first quarter of 2004, T-Mobile USA added 1,174,000 net customers, compared to 1,015,000 net customers added in the fourth quarter of 2003 and 921,000 in the first quarter of 2003. Most of the growth in 2004 was from new postpay customers, which now comprise 89% of the customer base. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=41397654 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 13:53:31 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Symantec Multiple Firewall Remote DNS KERNEL Overflow Release Date: May 12, 2004 Date Reported: April 19, 2004 Severity: High (Remote Kernel Access) Vendor:no, w Symantec Systems Affected: Symantec Norton Internet Security 2002 Symantec Norton Internet Security 2003 Symantec Norton Internet Security 2004 Symantec Norton Internet Security Professional 2002 Symantec Norton Internet Security Professional 2003 Symantec Norton Internet Security Professional 2004 Symantec Norton Personal Firewall 2002 Symantec Norton Personal Firewall 2003 Symantec Norton Personal Firewall 2004 Symantec Client Firewall 5.01, 5.1.1 Symantec Client Security 1.0, 1.1, 2.0(SCF 7.1) Symantec Norton AntiSpam 2004 Description: eEye Digital Security has discovered a critical remote vulnerability within the Symantec firewall product line. A buffer overflow exists within a core driver component that handles the processing of DNS (Domain Name Service) requests and responses. By sending a DNS Resource Record with an overly long canonical name, a traditional stack-based buffer overflow is triggered. Successful exploitation of this flaw yields remote KERNEL access to the system. With the ability to freely execute code at the Ring 0 privilege level, there are literally no boundaries for an attacker. It should also be noted, that due to a separate design flaw in the firewalls handling of incoming packets, this attack can be successfully performed with all ports filtered, and all intrusion rules set. http://www.eeye.com/html/Research/Advisories/AD20040512D.html ------------------------------ From: Fred Atkinson Subject: Re: Getting Your Number Listed Deliberately Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 10:36:39 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net Well, folks, I called their triple-eight number to list my Vonage number. I got bounced everywhere. When I demanded to speak to a supervisor, I was transfered back into the queue. I threatened to call the PSC and it didn't do me any good (to threaten). So, I *did*. Believe it or not, the SC PSC told me that they weren't required to list me. Can you believe that? They hold a monopoly on directory assistance and they aren't required to list you. The woman I spoke to at PSC said she could call them and *ask* that they list me, but could make no requirement for them to actually do it. She told me she'd make the call for me. Well, it took a couple of more days, but I got a phone call from someone who was responding to a request from the president's office (not Bush, the company president). She told me she was getting the matter resolved for me and that an appropriate person would be contacting me shortly to make the listing. I thanked her. A couple of days later, I got an email from her designee who told me she had been instructed to make my listing for me. She asked me to send her (on email) my listing exactly as I wanted it to appear. I gave my full name as the listing and told her I wanted it listed as Columbia, SC (without my street address). Then I gave the billing address and told them to send the bill to me. I quoted the rate I had been previously told (two dollars per month plus tax on an annual bill). I also told her to code the account so that my number wouldn't be given to telemarketers. She responded with my account number and told me I'd be listed by the weekend. She said it would take a few more days than that before it trickles down to all of the directory assistance services. I asked her for her phone number so I could ask her a few questions in person. She gave it to me and I'll probably call her today. I'm hoping that she can tell me an easy way to get this done without having to get an act of Congress passed. If so, I'll pass this information along to all of you. Now that competition in residential service is so prevalent, I'd like to see some kind of solidarity among residential users [that use other than the standard local provider] to address the problems encountered by (I'm coining a term here) 'Special Residential Service Users'. Regards, Fred Atkinson On Thu, 29 Apr 2004 23:36:30 -0400, Fred Atkinson wrote: > I followed up on getting information about listing a number [not > provided by the local telephone company] with the local telephone > company's directory assistance. > I sent a request for this information over their Web site with a > local number where I could be contacted. I explained that I would be > getting a number provided by a VOIP company and wanted to know what it > would cost and how I would go about getting it listed as a residence. > They replied that they couldn't discuss this account with me > because I was not the contact listed for the telephone number I gave > them to contact me at. When I replied and pointed out that this > wasn't about the account of the telephone number where I could be > reached, they responded and told me it couldn't be done. > I responded telling them I knew this wasn't true and if they > didn't get me the correct information, I would first contact the state > Public Service Commission and if that didn't get me any relief that I > would call the Federal Communications Commission (I really thought I > was going to have to resort to this, too). > The response was a surprise. They gave me a triple-eight toll > free number I would have to call to place the order and told me that > it would cost two dollars per month (billed annually) plus applicable > taxes. They said I could even get a yellow pages listing (if I wanted > it) for a little more money. The service is called a "Foreign > Listing". I was told to ask for that when I called the triple-eight > number. > Why doesn't the telephone company just do it the right way the first > time? If they'd just told me this up front there wouldn't have been a > confrontation. Oh, well. > So the answer is, it *can* be done in South Carolina and I know it > can be done in Maryland. The likelihood is that it can be done > anywhere in the U. S. you want to list a residential VOIP number. > If anyone has additional information on this especially with > another state or telco, please pass it on. > Fred ------------------------------ From: Claire Schatz Subject: Transoceanic Data Communication Cables Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 09:01:53 -0700 Hello Mr. Townson, My name is Claire Schatz, and I'm a college student. I'm currently doing a reseach paper on "Transoceanic data communication cables: the technology, history and future" for my data communication concepts class. I was reading a narrative history about submarine cables written by Donald E. Kimberlin and it led me to the Telecom Digest. From what I can make out on the page, I might be able to find a lot of material and resources for my research. But I'm quite lost as to where to begin or how to search for archives and history. I was hoping that you might be able to steer me in the right direction. Your reply would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Claire Schatz [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Could any reader please give Claire some help; a point in the right direction? Thanks. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Paul Robinson Subject: Florida Sues AT&T For Billing Errors Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 17:14:10 GMT On Sat, 1 May 2004 19:52:31 EDT, Frank Carey writes in (comp.Risks 23.35) Florida Attorney General Charlie Christ is suing AT&T, accusing the giant of overcharging [ ] and billing people who are not even AT&T customers. A week ago Christ issued a consumer alert urging all telephone customers to check their bills carefully for possible billing errors by AT&T. Since the alert was issued, more than 600 Florida residents have contacted Christ's office. Christ is seeking up to $10,000 restitution for each allegation of wrong billing. He also said the company violated the state's unfair and deceptive business law. This report brought two puns to mind. First, the Attorney General's serious interest in this issue immediately made me think it could have been titled "The Passion of the Christ." Also, based on the huge fines he wants to collect, it could be said he wants to "crucify" AT&T after having "nailed" them for their overcharges! Paul Robinson "Above all else... We shall go on..." "...And continue!" "If the lessons of history teach us anything it is that nobody learns the lessons that history teaches us." ------------------------------ From: Paul Robinson Subject: Re: NANP Numbering Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 18:28:28 GMT Mark J Cuccia wrote in message ... > Earle Robinson (no email address indicated), from France, claims: > And most all of us are *QUITE WELL AWARE* that there are the overlay > areas with *mandatory* (1+)ten-digit local/same-NPA dialing, such as > the entire state of Maryland (301/240, 410/443), New York City > (212/646, 718/347, 917) [] the VA suburbs of DC (703/571), [ ] > I THINK that I've covered all of the overlay areas (which all have > mandatory (1+)ten-digit local/same-NPA dialing). All area codes in Virginia are shared on an overlay, so the entire Commonwealth of Virginia is mandatory 10 digit dialing for all calls, not just the DC suburbs. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 13:28:34 -0500 From: jmayson@nyx.net Subject: New Way to Read USENET Organization: Nyx Net, The Spirit of the Night Google has launched Google Groups 2. This is a service to compete with YahooGroups. While nosing around that I discovered I could follow USENET postings using an RSS aggregator. My personal favorite is http://www.bloglines.com since I can view RSS feeds at work or at home without having to keep to two in sync. Here's a screenshot of c.d.t.: http://www.nyx.net/~jmayson/cdt.html Here's more on Google Groups 2: http://groups-beta.google.com/ John ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. 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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 #240 ******************************