From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Jul 21 14:22:27 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.3) id i6LIMRc14458; Wed, 21 Jul 2004 14:22:27 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 14:22:27 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200407211822.i6LIMRc14458@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 #343 TELECOM Digest Wed, 21 Jul 2004 14:22:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 343 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Motorola, Nextel Say GPS Hampered on Some Phones (Monty Solomon) Motorola and Nextel Joint Statement Regarding A-GPS Services (M Solomon) Reviewing the GN 6110 Bluetooth Headset (John R. Covert) Voice Addition for Conferencing (hitesh) Wireless Tower Suppliers (Tristan Hunt) Re: NYS AG Spitzer Settles With optinrealbig.com Spammer (Scott Dorsey) Re: DSL Steel or Copper (Paul A Lee) Re: Verizon Fios - Fiber-to-the-Premises Network (Tony P.) Re: Lingo v. Packet8 (Mark Atwood) Re: NorVergence and the California Public Utilities Commission (Frank) Re: Power of the Net in Next Election (John David Galt) Re: Power of the Net in Next Election (Paul Vader) Re: TelePort Platinum Fax/Modem, and Converting ADB to USB? (Paul Vader) 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: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 00:58:25 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Motorola, Nextel Say GPS Hampered on Some Phones Motorola, Nextel say GPS hampered on some phones - Jul 20, 2004 08:29 PM (Reuters) NEW YORK, July 20 (Reuters) - A software glitch is hampering the use of global positioning satellite services in some Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT) cellular phone models using Nextel Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTL) service, the companies said on Tuesday. In a joint statement, cell-phone maker Motorola and wireless service provider Nextel said eight phone models are affected by the glitch, and that engineers are working to fix the problem. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42616627 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 00:59:43 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Motorola and Nextel Joint Statement Regarding A-GPS Services PLANTATION, Fla. & RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 20, 2004--Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT) and Nextel Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTL) issued a statement today announcing they are aware of a software issue affecting assisted global positioning satellite location (A-GPS) services for the Motorola i205, i305, i530, i710, i730, i733, i736 and i830 iDEN(R) phones. Engineers from Motorola and Nextel are working to determine the root cause and design a permanent fix to remedy the situation. For customers using the Motorola i58 and i88 iDEN phones, the A-GPS commercial location services capabilities are fully functional. A-GPS utilizes a combination of satellite, network and software technology to identify the approximate latitude and longitude of the wireless phone. Nextel's customers use A-GPS for such purposes as locating fleets of vehicles as they travel or downloading real time weather updates. Additionally, Nextel's Motorola iDEN phones continue to be fully operational with regard to other services -- cellular phone calls, Nextel Direct Connect(R) calls, wireless data such as text messaging and SMS, voice mail, Caller ID, etc. Nextel's 911 service continues to be available throughout the country, transmitting the caller's callback number and nearest cell site to those Public Safety Answering Points -- or 911 -- call centers. Nextel has temporarily disabled the transmission of the A-GPS enabled location information for E911 Phase II location services until a permanent solution to the software issue is available. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42615842 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 03:45:31 EDT From: John R. Covert Subject: Reviewing the GN 6110 Bluetooth Headset Theoretically nice, terrible in practice. I received my 6110 Monday. Tuesday I tried very hard to convince myself to keep it. I even drove with it to GN Netcom's HQ and talked in person to their customer service people and repair department. Sadly, the unit does not perform well at all in my home environment, or in GN Netcom's lobby, or in my office. Its first problem is low volume when connected to a standard WECo 2500 phone. Even with all the controls cranked to their maximum settings, the volume is marginal at best, and not usable if the person at the other end is not very loud. GN Netcom's reply was that the unit was not designed to operate with standard phones, but only with "modern" electronic phones "all of which have a volume control". The claim was that the FCC(!) limits the dB level they can put into your ear, and since you can't turn the volume up on a standard 2500 set, it's just not going to be very loud. I really liked the device, and still considered keeping it, but the other problem prevented that. There is a significant buzz on transmit, which bothers some people more than others. Some might just think it's background noise, but of course it's not. This noise was present when paired with the base station through my 2500 phone, when the base station was connected to an electronic phone we tried in Netcom's lobby, and is also present when using it with a D-Link Bluetooth DBT-120 and both a PowerMac G3 and a Titanium G4. As much as I like the look and feel, I'll be returning it to Amazon in the morning. John Covert ------------------------------ From: hitesh@ossi.co.in (hitesh) Subject: Voice Addition For Conferencing Date: 21 Jul 2004 03:17:04 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hi, I want to add voice signals for the purpose of conferencing any device perfoming that? I also wanted to know how conferencing is achieved over local lines of PBX or over the telephone lines distant apart. Thanks in advance. Regards, hitesh ------------------------------ From: tristanhunt777@hotmail.com (Tristan Hunt) Subject: Wireless Tower Suppliers Date: 20 Jul 2004 20:44:37 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Can anyone point me in the direction of any manufacturers/suppliers of mobile phone / wireless telecommunications towers (of the galvanized steel variety) located in China or another Far East country? I figured with all the towers that have sprung up across China in the past 10 years, someone has to be achieving economies of scale there. The project is physically located in the Eastern Hemisphere, and reliability with respect to timing & quality as well as low costs are our primary concern. Thanks. ------------------------------ From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: NYS AG Spitzer Settles With "optinrealbig.com" Spammer Date: 20 Jul 2004 15:13:23 -0400 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) A correction in something I wrote here: in article , Scott Dorsey wrote: > In article , Danny Burstein > wrote: >> I'm not elated about the low cost to the spammer, but at least it's >> something: >> "State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer today announced the settlement >> of a lawsuit against email marketer Scott Richter and his company, >> OptInRealBig.com, LLC. The suit alleged that unsolicited emails, or >> spam, sent on defendants' behalf contained falsified headers, >> falsified routing information, and deceptive subject lines, and were >> illegally routed through a worldwide network of more than 500 >> vulnerable computers." >> http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2004/jul/jul19a_04.html > Something? This is nothing. Why is this man not being locked in jail > for God's sake? Between he and Richter, they are probably responsible > for 50% of the total incoming mail I see on my servers. Err ... between he and RALSKY, sorry. Brain jammed. --scott "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." ------------------------------ Organization: Rite Aid Corporation From: Paul A Lee Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 16:55:43 -0400 Subject: Re: DSL Steel or Copper Reply-To: telecom-news@yahoogroups.com In TELECOM Digest V23 #338, ruddager99@hotmail.com (rud) wrote (in part): > Does anyone know if you can use steel communication wire to > run a DSL line? The cable is Belden LL7874/E108998/9504. I've > got a brand new 500' spool of the stuff ... Not likely it's steel. About the only places you'll find steel wire in communication, control, or electronic cables are as a messenger (supporting) wire or cable, or as a copper-clad center conductor in some coaxial constructions. The Belden part number appears to be 9504. That's a 4-pair computer communications cable with tinned copper conductors. Could you be mistaking the tinned, stranded copper conductors for steel wires? If it is Belden 9504, it would probably serve your purpose for inside wiring. It's vinyl insulated and jacketed, so I wouldn't use it outside, either above ground or buried. The jacket won't stand up to ultraviolet exposure or underground moisture. The conductors are stranded, so you may not get consistent and reliable results in insulation displacement connections [IDC], such as 66 or 110 type IDC terminations. If you're going to be using standard telecommunications wiring components with IDC terminations, you may save yourself some problems down the line by using compatible cable. You can get 500 feet of CAT 5E 4-pair at Home Depot or Lowes for about $40. You really only need CAT 3 for DSL -- that should be even cheaper. Paul A Lee Sr Telecom Engineer Rite Aid Corporation HL-IS-COM (Telecomm) V: +1 717 730-8355 30 Hunter Lane, Camp Hill, PA 17011-2410 F: +1 717 975-3789 P.O. Box 3165, Harrisburg, PA 17105-3165 W: +1 717 805-6208 ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Verizon Fios - Fiber-to-the-Premises Network Organization: ATCC Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 21:41:46 GMT In article , letters@softhome.net says: > Monty Solomon wrote in message > news:: >> Verizon Poised to Deliver First Set of Services to Customers Over >> Its Fiber-to-the-Premises Network >> 'Verizon Fios' Initially Will Offer Three High-Speed Data Options >> Including Speeds 10 Times Faster Than Current Consumer Broadband >> Services and Prices as Low as $34.95 >> Additional Fiber Deployments Under Way in California and Florida >> NEW YORK, July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon customers in Keller, Texas, >> soon will be the first to receive groundbreaking high-speed Internet >> services over Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network. The >> company is raising the bar on consumer broadband today by introducing >> data speeds of up to 30 megabits-per-second (Mbps) in Keller later >> this summer and in other markets later this year. Prices start at >> $34.95 per month. >> The company also announced additional fiber deployments that are under >> way in California and Florida. >> The new suite of fiber-optic services will be called Verizon Fios(sm) >> (FYE-ose). FTTP technology utilizes fiber-optic connections -- >> instead of copper wire -- directly into homes and businesses to enable >> a broad array of voice, data and video applications. >> Fios consists of three consumer Internet access services. At 30 Mbps, >> the fastest data service is ten times faster than consumer broadband >> speeds typically available today. Entry and mid-level services at >> speeds of 5 Mbps and 15 Mbps also beat the speeds and prices of >> today's consumer broadband. >> - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42575405 > Wow! Cheap too. Watch out, P2P applications. Who knows when we'll ever see it here in the northeast. We got all digital switching in the 80's. I guess that was Bell's gift to us. The product is a cable killer though. It will be anywhere from 5 to 10 times faster than what cable purports to offer. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Lingo v. Packet8 From: Mark Atwood Organization: EasyNews, UseNet made Easy! Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 21:39:27 GMT Wolfgang S. Rupprecht writes: >> My experience with Packet8 was good. I would grade the voice quality >> as better than cellular, not quite toll quality. > Are there any VOIP termination services that will simply pass on your > PCM-ulaw without screwing with it? Broadvoice Mark Atwood | When you do things right, people won't be sure mra@pobox.com | you've done anything at all. http://www.pobox.com/~mra | http://www.livejournal.com/users/fallenpegasus ------------------------------ From: Frank@Nospam.com Subject: Re: NorVergence and the California Public Utilities Commission Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 18:23:35 -0700 Organization: Cox Communications The California PUC has a mandate far, far beyond its resources, as is typical with California State Government. So, the liberal Commission members and staff pick and choose their pets to persue. ------------------------------ From: John David Galt Subject: Re: Power of the Net in Next Election Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 22:25:06 -0700 Organization: Diogenes the Cynic Hot-Tubbing Society Dave Close wrote: > No where that I know actually lists the electors on the ballot. That > lists the persons those electors are committed to support, leading > many to believe erroneously that there is such a thing as a popular > vote. What that means is that there *is* a popular vote -- but a deceptive one, since the winning candidate of those listed on a state's popular-vote ballots may not actually receive the electoral votes the majority thought they were giving him. (Even if state legislators do not tamper with the appointment of electors, the electors are free to vote for whom they please. State laws requiring them to vote as pledged were struck down in 1972 when one Republican elector voted for the Libertarians.) ------------------------------ From: pv+usenet@pobox.com (Paul Vader) Subject: Re: Power of the Net in Next Election Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 16:16:38 -0000 Organization: Inline Software Creations telecom-news@yahoogroups.com writes: > Let's suppose Smith is elected as President and Jones as Vice > President. Two years and one day into his term, Smith resigns, dies, > or is otherwise removed from office. Jones succeeds Smith as > President. A further clarification in that amendment states that no person ineligible for the presidency is eligible to be vice-president either, for exactly this reason. * * PV something like badgers--something like lizards--and something like corkscrews. ------------------------------ From: pv+usenet@pobox.com (Paul Vader) Subject: Re: TelePort Platinum Fax/Modem, and Converting ADB to USB? Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 16:50:11 -0000 Organization: Inline Software Creations AES/newspost writes: > The problem is, it connects to the Mac via an ADB cable, which we > don't got no more. So: Are you sure the modem goes through ADB? A serial port (also absent by default from modern macs) is FAR more likely. Geethree.com sells a conversion kit that turns the built-in modem port on a mac into an old-school serial port, including the necessary extension so that comm programs will handle it correctly. > 2) Anyone know if this unit is likely to work using an ADB/USB adaptor > (if such exists) with currently available fax software? Belkin and Griffin both sell ADB/USB adapters, to my complete startlement. To think that with a heavy sigh, I threw out a couple of beloved old Saratoga keyboards just last week. I'm going to have to check out one of those Matias keyboards that uses the wonderful old keyswitches. > 3) Lacking satisfaction on any of the above, anyone want to make a > modest bid on this gadget, with manual and (maybe) software diskette > (which I haven't found yet)? I can't imagine you're going to get more than it costs to ship. Faxing is built into modern macs, and while the passthrough is indeed nice, needing an external box and an adapter to make it work doesn't seem worth it. * * PV something like badgers--something like lizards--and something like corkscrews. ------------------------------ 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. 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End of TELECOM Digest V23 #343 ******************************