From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Jan 1 21:10:41 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id EA6FF14EF5; Sun, 1 Jan 2006 21:10:40 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #1 Message-Id: <20060102021040.EA6FF14EF5@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 21:10:40 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.6 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Sun, 1 Jan 2006 21:12:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 1 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Bush Insists Telephone, Email Spying Was Legal (Deb Riechmann) In California, When it Rains, it Pours (Justin M. Norton) Court Approval Sought For Sony Settlement Offer (Larry Neumeister) NSA Gave Other U.S. Agencies Information From Surveillance (Monty Solomon) Totally Wired (Monty Solomon) Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia (Tony P.) Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia (Robert Bonomi) Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia (Wesrock@aol.com) Re: Cell Phone Extenders? (DevilsPGD) Re: Cell Phone Extenders? (Michael D. Sullivan) Re: Secret Court Modified Bush Wiretap Requests (Garrett Wollman) Re: Question About VOIP (Rik) Re: Another Critical Flaw Detected in Windows Metafile (William Warren) Re: No Demarc Point (J Kelly) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Deb Riechmann Subject: In California, When it Rains, it Pours Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 17:52:20 -0600 Flooded California Hit by Second Storm Severe Storm in Two Days By JUSTIN M. NORTON, Associated Press Writer The second major storm in two days washed across Northern California on Sunday, prolonging the threat of flooding as residents tried to clean up thick layers of mud and debris left behind as the first wave of floodwater receded. Hundreds of homes and businesses were inundated on Saturday as heavy rain sent the Napa and Russian rivers spilling over their banks. In many areas, the rivers and creeks were back within banks, though some towns remained flooded or flooded again as the rain, heavy at times, came and went throughout the day Sunday. The Sonoma County town of Guerneville was among those still fighting floodwater amid pouring rain. Many telephone lines were out in the area. At least 2 more inches of rain was forecast across Northern California on Sunday, on top of the 4 to 9 inches that had already swamped the region, the National Weather Service said. Wildfire-damaged areas of Southern California were also under a flash flood watch and a threat of mudslides as heavy rain headed in their direction. In Pasadena, the Rose Parade's floral floats were being prepared for what could be the first rainy Rose Parade in half a century. Massive mudslides kept road crews busy moving rock and debris that shut down Interstate 80 through the Sierra Nevada and other roads across the region. In Guerneville, where the Russian River crested 10 feet above flood stage early Sunday, the downtown was largely spared but low-lying areas and an unknown number of homes flooded, said Linda Eubanks of Sonoma County's Office of Emergency Services. Officials were urging residents who had left to stay out for another day, and those who hadn't to evacuate. About 50 people were in emergency shelters, Eubanks said. In spite of the flooding, Maureen Weinstein hosted a festive New Year's Eve party outside her Guerneville home -- muddy river water lapping just 10 feet away. "We live through (floods) a lot," Weinstein said. "We're not that concerned this time because this year we have power and the Internet. I can monitor the water. It's wonderful." But not everyone had phones. Dialtone was delayed or non-existent in many areas. In San Anselmo, about 20 miles north of San Francisco, streets were coated with mud and business owners sorted through mounds of damaged goods Sunday, a day after floodwater 4 feet deep spread through downtown. "We got hit very hard. It's all pretty soggy and muddy up here," said town administrator Debbie Stutsman. "People are shoveling out." Stutsman said initial assessments put the damage in town at about $10 million. Mud and debris also covered the streets of downtown Napa, where officials estimated about 1,000 homes and an unknown number of businesses had flooded, as well as thousands of acres of rural land in the county. The river had crested 5 feet above flood stage in Napa on Saturday and was continuing to drop Sunday. The storm moved into the Rocky Mountains on Sunday as a blizzard, making rescue efforts challenging after an avalanche near Rocky Mountain National Park that killed two snowmobilers. At least one death in California was blamed on the storm, a man killed by a falling tree in Vacaville, authorities said. The weather service was urging residents to stay alert all day Sunday, in the event further evacuations were needed. Associated Press writers Paul Elias in Napa; Dan Goodin in Guerneville; Martin Griffith in Reno, Nev.; Julia Silverman in Portland, Ore.; and Don Thompson in Sacramento contributed to this report. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more Associated Press News and headlines, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Larry Neumeister Subject: Court Okay Sought for Sony Proposed Settlement Offer Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 17:55:06 -0600 By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press WriterThu Dec 29, 6:02 PM ET A proposed consolidation and settlement of lawsuits against Sony BMG Music Entertainment would let consumers receive free music downloads to compensate them for Sony including flawed software on millions of CDs, lawyers said Thursday. Lawyers said the deal requires the world's second-largest music label to stop manufacturing compact discs with MediaMax software or with extended copy protection or XCP software that could leave computers vulnerable to hackers. The proposed settlement was submitted to U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Wednesday. A judge was expected to decide in January whether to tentatively approve it. According to terms of the settlement, Sony BMG will let consumers who bought the CDs receive replacement discs without the anti-piracy technology and will let them choose one of two incentive packages. The first package allows consumers who bought XCP CDs to obtain a cash payment of $7.50 and a promotion code allowing them to download one additional album from a list of more than 200 titles. The second package permits them to download three additional albums from the list. The court papers said Sony BMG would try to offer Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes as one of the download services available to the consumers. Those who purchased MediaMax CDs would receive additional compensation to allow them to download non-content protected versions of music on their MediaMax CDs and to download one additional album. Elizabeth C. Pritzker, a lawyer for the consumers, said the settlement provides for the compensation to be paid out beginning as early as mid January, even before final approval of the deal is granted by the court. In a statement, Sony BMG said it was pleased to have reached the agreement with the plaintiffs and added that it looked forward to the court approval process. Sony BMG began including MediaMax on some of its discs in August 2003 and introduced XCP last January. Both software programs limited the number of copies of a disc that a user can make. Beginning in November, more than 20 lawsuits were filed after a computer security research specialist a month earlier traced a hidden software program on his computer to an XCP disc he had purchased and installed, the settlement papers said. According to the court papers, the software program made the user's computer more susceptible to unwanted intrusion from third parties and effectively disabled any firewall and anti-spyware protection programs previously installed on a computer. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott also had sued Sony. The company has said it has provided consumers with a one-click "uninstall" application that lets them remove MediaMax from their computers. MediaMax was loaded on 27 Sony BMG titles, including Alicia Keys' "Unplugged" and Cassidy's "I'm a Hustla." Pritzker said as many as 20 million CDs containing MediaMax were sold. The label recalled the discs with XCP in November and released a way to remove the files from users' computers. Some 4.7 million CDs on 52 Sony BMG titles had been made with the technology and 2.1 million had been sold. Sony BMG, a joint venture of Sony Corp. and Bertelsmann AG, has said it did not use the software programs to collect or retain personal data about the consumers without their consent. On the Net Sony BMG: http://www.sonybmg.com Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines and stories from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/Fednewsradio.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 11:56:26 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: NSA Gave Other U.S. Agencies Information From Surveillance NSA Gave Other U.S. Agencies Information From Surveillance Fruit of Eavesdropping Was Processed and Cross-Checked With Databases By Walter Pincus Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, January 1, 2006; Page A08 Information captured by the National Security Agency's secret eavesdropping on communications between the United States and overseas has been passed on to other government agencies, which cross-check the information with tips and information collected in other databases, current and former administration officials said. The NSA has turned such information over to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and to other government entities, said three current and former senior administration officials, although it could not be determined which agencies received what types of information. Information from intercepts -- which typically includes records of telephone or e-mail communications -- would be made available by request to agencies that are allowed to have it, including the FBI, DIA, CIA and Department of Homeland Security, one former official said. At least one of those organizations, the DIA, has used NSA information as the basis for carrying out surveillance of people in the country suspected of posing a threat, according to two sources. A DIA spokesman said the agency does not conduct such domestic surveillance but would not comment further. Spokesmen for the FBI, the CIA and the director of national intelligence, John D. Negroponte, declined to comment on the use of NSA data. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/31/AR2005123100808.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 12:57:31 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Totally Wired By SUSAN WARNER January 1, 2006 HIGHTSTOWN INCH by inch, the black-coated wire rolls off a giant wooden spool, snakes up a string of utility poles and crosses above the traffic island on Main Street. All across this town in Mercer County, Verizon workers are suspended in cherry pickers feeding cable onto poles, or splicing fiber-optic ribbons in mobile trucks. These wires, made up of 144 tiny strands of glass no bigger than a hair, have the power to transport the cultural lifeblood of New Jersey: the "Today" show, "Oprah," "The Sopranos" and MTV. Verizon's plan to wire the state with fiber-optic equipment to carry television in addition to telephone and Internet service, which it already offers, has set off a war of communications behemoths - Verizon vs. Comcast and Cablevision - for control of the state's television sets. Adding video to the telephone company's product line has riled the two major cable television companies operating in the state, even though they fired the first shot by offering telephone service through their Internet connections. At stake are 2.5 million cable subscribers in New Jersey who paid a total of $2.2 billion for television and Internet service in 2004 alone, according to figures provided by the State Board of Public Utility. In Trenton, two similar and controversial bills that would make it easier for Verizon to get the network running -- by awarding a statewide franchise rather than the cumbersome process of going town to town to reach individual agreements -- have been introduced, and although their fate is unclear, both sides are taking their case directly to consumers. For several months, Verizon has been filling mailboxes, newspapers and Web sites with advertisements trumpeting its service as a blow to monopoly pricing by the few cable companies. Returning the salvo, cable television companies have broadcast commercials claiming that the proposed legislation will erode local access to cable channels and eventually increase the cost of cable service despite the introduction of more competition. "This is being run like a political campaign," said William Dressel, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities. "Emotions are running high. I've had executives on both sides yell and scream at me." Since July, when Verizon began building its network in the state, the company -- with the help of 700 technicians that it hired for this very purpose -- has been stringing the fiber-optic system past 25,000 to 30,000 homes a month. By the end of the 2005 the network was capable of reaching 200,000 homes scattered throughout 123 of the state's 566 towns. Nationally, Verizon's fiber-optic network now extends past 3 million homes, and the company plans to add another 3 million in 2006. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/01njcover.html?ex=1293771600&en=528cbff6b6819299&ei=5090 ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2005 21:44:27 -0500 In article , kludge@panix.com replied to TEELCOM Digest Editor: >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Excuses, excuses! My main point was >> _what business does the government have in being in the Rail Road >> business anyway? The trains ran perfectly well by themselves, and when >> the government took over they just got worse and worse. PAT] > You say this, but you are replying to an article about a disaster that > was basically caused by, and then made worse by private companies. > The problem is that Amtrak doesn't own the infrastructure ... that > infrastructure has NOT been taken over by the government, but is owned > by private railroads, and it is falling apart. > There aren't enough parallel tracks to be able to maintain schedules, > because the private railroads aren't building them and are shutting > some tracks down. The existing tracks are not being properly > maintained; trains going into Richmond, VA, for example, have to slow > down to a crawl because of the poor condition of the tracks. But it's > CSX that is responsible for those tracks. Interestingly the Boston to Washington, D.C. corridor is one of the better maintained sections. They recently electrified from Boston through Providence out to New Haven, CT though to D.C. They also replaced a all the trackage, etc. Matter of fact, there were sidings built from Providence to Pawtucket, RI as well as storage faciliates for MBTA trains. In addition they're in the process of building a train station near PVD airport and there are plans to build stations in Wickford, RI and Westerly, RI. The MBTA has already said they will service the additional stops. This is why I think we should regionalize mass transit. MTBA now runs through RI, MA and NH. Why not extend into CT, NY, etc. Run high speed bullet trains for those willing to pay for it. The current high speed trains are a joke. Apparently Bombardier isn't the greatest manufacturer when it comes to building commuter trains. ------------------------------ From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomni.com (Robert Bonomi) Subject: Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia Date: Sun, 01 Jan 2006 14:28:51 -0000 Organization: Widgets, Inc. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Excuses, excuses! My main point was > _what business does the government have in being in the Rail Road > business anyway? The trains ran perfectly well by themselves, and when > the government took over they just got worse and worse. PAT] A "tin foil hat" mentality assumption that is _not_ supported by the facts of history. The Penn Central Railway, just to name one example, ran so well "by itself", that it drove itself into bankruptcy, and liquidation. The vast sums that they lost on passenger rail service were a direct contributing factor. Amtrak came into existence as a _bail-out_ of the private railroad companies. The government had, 'forever', required railroads to provide passenger service, at 'regulated' rates. Unfortunately, the rates they were allowed to charge for seats were _not_ adequate to cover the cost of operating the passenger trains. Thus, passenger rail service became more and more of a 'drag', and 'red ink' source, to the railroads. Other Government programs -- including the Interstate Highway System -- exacerbated the money-losing situation. Yet, a _national_ passenger rail service was 'in the national interest'. Railroads were faced with the dilemma of continuing to run the _required_ money-losing passenger services, and being driven into bankruptcy, *or* of getting the situation changed, somehow. AMTRAK was formed to 'rescue' the railroads from that bankruptcy scenario. In return for letting the railroads 'off the hook' for those 'required' passenger services, the government got the right to run passenger trains 'at cost' over the various railroad's tracks. The railroads had to "buy into" this program. It was *OPTIONAL* -- several railroads _did_, in fact, choose *not* to participate in the AMTRAK program. (The Rock Island RR, for one.) Those who did not 'buy into' the AMTRAK program were required to _continue_ running their required passenger services, themselves. Rock Island's decision not to 'go Amtrak' was a signficant factor in that RRs subsequent bankruptcy and liquidation. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Whatever you say ... all I know is that the few times I have ridden on a long-haul train ride (1948, 1950, 1952, and 1968?) the trains were very nice, _non-government_ operated, etc. In 1948 my mother and maternal grandmother and myself went from Coffeyville, KS to Dearborn Street Station in Chicago. I was too young to remember a lot about that trip but I recall being impressed, perhaps because I was six years old. In 1950 I was sent on the train by myself to visit my paternal grandparents who lived here in Independence (and two weeks later, back to Chicago). I remember more about that trip, since I was 8 years old. I recall I wanted to go exploring on the train and I walked around with the conductor looking in all the cars. The conductor let me ride with him in a car that was full of newspapers and magazines; every now and then the conductor would look at some listing he had and pick up a bundle of newspapers which were tied together with twine. As the train slowed down but did not stop he would tell me to go sit down where I would not get hurt and he would take a bundle of the newspapers (Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Herald-American) and looking out the open door of that car, he would toss a bundle of papers to some man or woman sitting in a truck at the side of the track, who would pick them up, put them in their truck and drive away as we were speeding up and pulling away also. Or maybe that was 1952, I just do not remember that well. In the late 1950's and early 1960's when my maternal grandparents lived in Whiting, Indiana if I had been staying with them I would 'commute' to work each day at the U of C. switchboard/phone room, and I would ride the Chicago, South Shore and South Bend train into Chicago at the 63rd Street Station, and the fare was 75 cents as I recall from Hammond to 63rd Street, a 40 minute ride. We called it the "Orange Train" and it was a very comfortable ride; always on time. In about 1968 I took a friend of mine with me to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and we rode Illinois Central 'City of New Orleans' each way. Two things I distinctly remember about that trip were the train pulled out each day from Chicago at 3:30 PM. About 3:15 or so, in the Central Station in Chicago, they would always begin playing that song "City of New Orleans" on the loud speaker, and the lady in the ticket office would say "Its time to start the show, folks! Please walk out track 3 and meet the staff of employees who will operate the train." And as that music played, we all walked out to the train. _That_ was an especially wonderful trip. My friend and I had drinks and dinner in the club car, then spent the evening alternatly between the observation car and our private suite, with stops in the club car coming and going, of course. We got in at 10 the next morning. We stayed in New Orleans about three or four days. The railroads all did okay without government help, IMO. The only _bad_ experience I had on a train was about 1972, again an Illinois Central Suburban Train. You may have read about it in the newspapers at the time. The train was supposed to stop at 27th Street on the way downtown, he 'overshot' the station by some distance, I think about 150 feet, and decided to back up into the station. That was one of the newer trains they had recently put in service; we wound up getting smacked by another train also coming north on the same track. With a loud 'thud' I saw my coffee spill out of its cup and onto my trousers. As we sat there, I got up to look around; the two cars behind us were flattened like accordions, 200 plus people were killed in our train. _I_ got up and walked off! In fact, on the train platform right there close was one of the old fashioned fire department 'call boxes'. I pulled the lever on it, then just walked away and got a Yellow Cab out on the street nearby, but _they_ (railroad employees) found me later at work; I got subpoened to go to the railroad safety inspector's hearing on the matter a month or so later. My picture was in the paper (Chicago Daily News) and all that, and quite a story about me and how I got up and walked away from the mess. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Wesrock@aol.com Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 09:33:02 EST Subject: Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Sorry Mr. Leatherock, that was not _me_, I think you were quoting Mr. Stewart talking to someone else in that message. PAT] Somehow the lines that you wrote got dropped out and the indication of what was quoted matter got messed up. The only text which should have been shown as quoted matter was a sentence you wrote and to which this was a response. All the rest of the text was my reply to your comment. A corrected version of the post follows. --- [Begin corrected version of message] In a message dated Fri, 30 Dec 2005 21:50:31 -0800, editor@telecom-digest.org writes in reply to Jim Stewart : > Amtrak knew, or should have known what would be imposed on them when they > took over the system. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, originally called Railpax and later adopting the trade name Amtrak, was created out of whole cloth. Many people thought then, and still do today, that it was created to bring an end to railroad passenger service in the U.S.A. within a few years. It was likely as much a surprise to the original managers as to the public and the rest of government, that they made a go of it against all odds. Wes Leatherock wesrock@aol.com wleathus@yahoo.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, here is the corrected copy of your message; sorry I screwed it up yesterday. PAT] ------------------------------ From: DevilsPGD Subject: Re: Cell Phone Extenders? Date: Sat, 31 Dec 2005 20:57:27 -0700 Organization: Disorganized In message John Levine wrote: >> If you buy a cellphone and contract for service for that cellphone >> with a licensed carrier, then that carrier's license covers the >> operation of the phone you activated with that carrier. You can't >> then go out and use other phones under that contract without the >> carrier's consent. > An interesting theory, although clearly nonsensical with GSM phones. Not at all, GSM phones don't transmit without a SIM card, and once there is a SIM card in place, you're licensed under the appropriate carrier. ------------------------------ From: Michael D. Sullivan Subject: Re: Cell Phone Extenders? Date: Sun, 01 Jan 2006 07:12:43 GMT John Levine wrote: >> If you buy a cellphone and contract for service for that cellphone >> with a licensed carrier, then that carrier's license covers the >> operation of the phone you activated with that carrier. You can't >> then go out and use other phones under that contract without the >> carrier's consent. > An interesting theory, although clearly nonsensical with GSM phones. With GSM phones (if not locked), you would be contractually allowed to use any compatible (i.e., proper band for the country at issue) GSM phone with the SIM chip from your carrier. > I do agree that repeaters above 100 mw need a license which you don't > have if you're not a cell carrier. I'd have to look at the Part 15 regs to be be certain what the limits are in the cellular, PCS, and SMR bands, but that sounds like the right ballpark. Michael D. Sullivan Bethesda, MD (USA) (Replace "example.invalid" with "com" in my address.) ------------------------------ From: wollman@csail.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) Subject: Re: Secret Court Modified Bush Wiretap Requests Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 05:47:36 +0000 (UTC) Organization: MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab In article , PAT writes: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I still have my script here to use for > encrypting the 'approved-by' lines: >#!/bin/sh [deleted] A similar mechanism, with rather better cryptographic design, is used today to authenticate control messages (those that create and delete newsgroups); it's called "pgpcontrol". In order for this to work to enforce moderator's privilege, though, every[1] news transit server would need to implement it -- otherwise, Usenet's flooding algorithm would simply route around the blockage. Most news servers do not honor "cancel" messages any more, since they are so easily abused, so your earlier scheme of having a few major transit sites send out cancels for the offending messages no longer buys anything. (It also wouldn't work for self-moderated newsgroups, of which there are a few.) -GAWollman [1] Not entirely true, as a moment's consideration will make clear a few counterexamples. But in the topology of Usenet today, the relative frequency of those situations is quite low. Garrett A. Wollman | As the Constitution endures, persons in every wollman@csail.mit.edu | generation can invoke its principles in their own Opinions not those | search for greater freedom. of MIT or CSAIL. | - A. Kennedy, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003) ------------------------------ From: Rik Subject: Re: Question About VOIP Date: 1 Jan 2006 05:57:46 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com I have been using AT&T CallVantage about three weeks and have not noticed any problem with the phone calls. If there is any degradation of my data speed, it is not enough to be noticeable. I have my phone box hooked up as you mention, between my Linksys hub and the cable modem. We run three pretty active computers through it. Rik ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 01 Jan 2006 10:50:15 -0500 From: William Warren Subject: Re: Another Critical Flaw Detected in Windows Metafile > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: So, start the new year right with a > nasty thing in your computer. If we cannot _even read_ email from > people we do not know (or in many cases, ignorant people we _do_ know > who like to 'pass this along to all your friends'), and there are a > lot of web sites we cannot really trust, then tell me again, what is > the purpose of computers? PAT] > Pat, The purpose of computers running Windows is to demonstrate the danger of a monoculture in any critical infrastructure. Switch to Linux. William Warren (Filter noise from my address for direct replies) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, my one computer here has a dual operation mode. When I turn it on, it will default into Linux _unless_ I press a key and make it go into Windows 2000 instead. I use Linux mostly but sometimes Windows. I also have a (straight) Windows 98 laptop for my weather station mechanicals and associated camera. PAT] ------------------------------ From: J Kelly Subject: Re: No Demarc Point Date: Sun, 01 Jan 2006 15:17:23 -0600 Organization: http://newsguy.com Reply-To: jkelly@newsguy.com On Sat, 31 Dec 2005 21:20:35 GMT, Tom Schmidt wrote: > A NID, Network Interface Device, is required for all new construction, > old construction is grandfathered. Here in Verizon land all you need > to do is call and let them then you need a NID so you are able to > modify inside wiring. > If you cannot get satisfaction from the Telco might want to contact > your state Public Utilities Commission. Explain the situation and see > what they suggest. > /tom Qwest doesn't add them unless the customer pays. I'm under the impression that the telcos are no longer regulated in Iowa. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications topics. 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End of TELECOM Digest V25 #1 **************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Jan 2 21:01:20 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 315AB14DF9; Mon, 2 Jan 2006 21:01:20 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #2 Message-Id: <20060103020120.315AB14DF9@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2006 21:01:20 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.8 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, CELL_PHONE_IMPROVE,MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Mon, 2 Jan 2006 21:03:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 2 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson New Year Begins With Hell and High-Water - Part 1 (Ashley Gibson) New Year Begins With Hell and High-Water - Part 2 (Justin M. Norton) Fraud in Cloning Research Papers Exposed by Netizens (Ronda Hauben) Another Year, Another Volume of the Digest (TELECOM Digest Editor) Annual Gadget Show Is Biggest Ever (Monty Solomon) Cellular-News For Period of 23rd Dec 2005 to 2nd Jan 2006 (Cellular-News) Cat Speech? (Lisa Hancock) Re: Cell Phone Extenders? (John Levine) Re: Cell Phone Extenders? (David Clayton) Re: Cell Phone Extenders? (Michael D. Sullivan) Re: Bush Insists Telephone, Email Spying Was Legal (Michael D. Sullivan) Re: Bush Insists Telephone, Email Spying Was Legal (Thomas Horsley) Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia (Lisa Hancock) Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia (Seth Breidbart) Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia (Scott Dorsey) Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia (Chris Farrar) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Ashley Gibson Subject: Oklahoma-Texas Fires, California Mud Slides-Floods Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 20:20:35 -0600 By ASHLEY GIBSON, Associated Press Writer A rash of wildfires raged Sunday across Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico, including one that burned several homes in northeastern Oklahoma City. Several city residents were evacuated but no injuries were reported, Fire Maj. Brian Stanaland said. Television images showed at least one large structure engulfed in flames. At least a dozen wildfires continued to burn across Oklahoma Sunday evening, urged on by winds up to 50 mph and hot, dry weather. A large blaze near Guthrie threatened several homes, said Michelann Ooten, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. At least 20 fires sprang up in Texas, including an 8,000-acre blaze that threatened up to 200 homes near Carbon, about 125 miles west of Dallas. In Hobbs, N.M., a grass fire forced the evacuation of a casino, community college and neighborhoods. High winds, record-high temperatures and drought-like conditions across much of the region have increased the fire danger to critical levels. Wildfires in Oklahoma and Texas last week ravaged more than 50,000 acres, destroyed nearly 100 homes and businesses and killed four people. At least 15 grass fires burned in the metro area Sunday afternoon, consuming more than 100 acres, Stanaland said. "Today has been extremely intense," he said. "I think it's maybe starting to take its toll on our department." Power lines arced and sparked one grass fire in northeast Oklahoma City. While firefighters battled that blaze, high winds tossed material from a nearby construction site into power lines, causing the debris to burn before it landed on a nearby nursing home, Stanaland said. "You basically had flying, flaming debris," Stanaland said. "Luckily, we were already on the scene putting out the fires when it happened so we were able to put it out." A fire near Wainwright in Muskogee County charred several thousand acres and was at least a mile wide, but no injuries or structure fires were reported, said Bill Beebe, an information officer at a statewide command center established in Shawnee. Oklahoma had called on firefighters from across the South to help battle the blazes, which had been predicted over the weekend. In Carbon, Texas, at least three homes and several barns were destroyed Sunday afternoon and area residents were evacuated, said Texas Forest Service spokeswoman Traci Weaver. Helicopters with the Texas Air National Guard help firefighters battle the blaze. Billowing clouds of light gray smoke hung across the horizon for miles. Carbon is just northeast of Cross Plains, where more than 90 homes and a church were destroyed in a raging grass fire last week. "We just took up money for the folks in Cross Plains at church this morning, never thinking it would be us in just three hours," said Mallory Fagan, who waited in nearby Eastland with her daughter Shana Fuchs and 15 dogs they rounded up from the family's dog rescue. Fires raged along the Texas state line in New Mexico, including one reported at 40,000 to 50,000 acres along 20-mile line, said Dan Ware, a spokesman for the state Forestry Division. Four structures burned in Hobbs, where residents -- including 27 living at a nursing home -- evacuated the western side of the city, Ware said. And, the other extreme -- water, lots of it -- was the story in parts of northern California where the water in some low-lying spots along the Russian River reached _five feet_, forcing the evacuation of homes and attempts to salvage merchandise from stores. Associated Press writer Angela K. Brown in Carbon, Texas, contributed to this report. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news about the fires or the floods (take your pick), please go to http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The situation in Oklahoma is becoming _very critical_. A dozen or so fires are burning out of control through much of the state. Oklahoma Governor (Brad) Henry was on our television and radio throughout the day on Sunday advising Oklahoma residents on what was happening, and what steps the state is taking to deal with the out of control fires. One neighborhood in Oklahoma City burned on Sunday morning; in neighboring Texas two small towns were completely destroyed. Firemen are exhausted but continuing their work. According to Governor Henry, they got some relief on Monday due to cooler temperatures and more humidity. But Tuesday is supposed to be like the weekend, wamer than usual and very dry. Here in Independence on Sunday the temperature reached eighty degrees most of the afternoon. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Storm Turns its Attention to Southern California Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2006 17:29:56 -0600 From: Justin M. Norton By JUSTIN M. NORTON, Associated Press Writer While homes and business places in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico 'went up in smoke' literally over the weekend due to the out of control fires burning in many places -- two small Texas towns were completely detroyed by fire -- California had a different side to the same destuctive coin. Homeowners shoveled away mud and other debris and authorities worked to repair damaged levees Monday after a pair of storms flooded Northern California's wine country. The rain let up over the hard-hit region and moved into Central and Southern California, drenching the Rose Parade for the first time since 1955 and threatening mudslides on hills stripped bare by last summer's wildfires. Initial estimates put the damage throughout Northern California at more than $100 million. The storms were blamed for two deaths, both of them victims of falling trees. The Russian River at Guerneville began receding after cresting at 41 feet -- 9 feet above flood stage -- but officials said it would probably not return to its banks until Tuesday morning, or maybe sometime Wednesday. "When it goes down below its banks, that's when the real cleanup begins," Sonoma County spokesman Dan Levin said. Hundreds of homes were flooded in the scenic community, he said. Live power lines were down throughout the area, and residents were warned to stay away. Telephone service was poor, or non-existent in most of the area. The Marin County town of San Anselmo, north of San Francisco, sustained an estimated $40 million in damage when a creek inundated downtown under 4 feet of water and left a coating of mud on streets. Around 50 businesses were damaged. About two miles west in Fairfax, three homes were nearly wiped out by mudslides. Water also receded in the heart of wine country along the Napa River, which rose out of its banks at the town of Napa and inundated several downtown blocks. Napa officials said some 600 homes and 150 businesses were flooded, and damage was estimated at $50 million. There were no immediate reports of damage to wineries. Grape vines are largely dormant at this time of year, but a Napa official noted that "all this water certainly won't help the crop this year." High water and wind-whipped waves threatened several levees, including at least two in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where water washing over the top of a levee at Collinsville forced 40 people from about 15 homes, Don Strickland of the Department of Water Resources said. In Novato, crews worked to repair a levee breach that flooded about a dozen homes, joined by emergency maintainence crews from the Army Corps of Engineers. The Rose Parade went off on schedule, but a clear poncho covered the white gown of Rose Queen Camille Clark and soggy wind bent spectators' umbrellas and snapped rain slickers. The crowds were thin. "We came all this way, rain or shine, we can't go back now," said Ted Pettyjohn, 43, of Houston. Hundreds of plastic ponchos for musicians and parade volunteers were ordered, horses were fitted with skid-resistant shoes, and float-builders rolled out sheets of plastic to protect orchids and other delicate flowers. The glue that holds decorations to the floats is waterproof and the floats are designed to withstand 50 mph winds. Up to 6 inches of rain was forecast in the Southern California mountains, but authorities said there were no immediate reports of flooding or mudslides in areas where last summer's wildfires stripped vegetation from the hills. Flooding and mudslides were reported throughout Santa Cruz County along the Central Coast. Saturday's storm dumped 4 to 5 inches on much of Northern California, with Napa County getting up to 9 inches in less than 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service. Three inches more fell Sunday on Sonoma County. Highway workers partially reopened Interstate 80 through the Sierra Nevada, where a landslide blocked the major east-west route on Sunday. Elsewhere in the Sierra, however, heavy snow fell Monday and several avalanches closed U.S. 395, the main north-south route along the eastern side of the mountain range. Mammoth Mountain reported 3 feet of new snow overnight, with several more feet expected during the day, and the ski resort was closed. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Associated Press about the floods or the fires, (take your pick) go to http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Ronda Hauben Subject: Fraud in Cloning Research Papers Exposed by Netizens in South Korea Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2006 03:34:50 UTC Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC Interesting developments in South Korea show the power of the Internet once a society has widespread broadband access. The online community of scientists have uncovered scientific fraud in articles in the US scientific journal "Science" by a leading South Korean researcher, Hwang Woo Suk. The story is in the news around the world, but in general the news account leaves out the fact that the online community of scientists in South Korea were responsible for finding the fabrications in the articles and then others in the online community helped to spread knowledge and an understanding of the nature of the scientific fraud South Korea leads the world in broadband access and the result has been this significant event. Below are two articles that give more of the details. "South Korean 'Netizens of the Year': The online scientific community and Internet media challenge old hierarchies" http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?menu=c10400&no=266352&rel_no=1 and "Korean Cloning Hero Deconstructed Online: Online Scientific Community in South Korea Uncovers Fabrication of Data in Acclaimed Stem Cell Research Papers" http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/21/21647/1.html Best wishes for a good New Year and for a New Year where access to the Internet for communication purposes is spread to more and more of the world's population. Ronda ronda(at)ais.org P.S. I have been working on a draft paper "The New Dynamics of Democratization in South Korea: The Internet and the Emergence of the Netizen." I would welcome feedback on it at this stage in its development. I would be willing to send it in return for comments on it. ------------------------------ Subject: Another Year, Another Volume of the Digest Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2006 18:07:57 EST From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) We are now on volume 25 of the Digest (in case you had not noticed) and we are in another year, 2006 (which I am sure you _did_ notice.) We started off yesterday, Sunday, with issue 1 of volume 25. This Digest has been around now for a _quarter-century_, since 1981, and as far as I can tell, Telecom Digest is the _oldest continuously published Digest and newsgroup on the internet. Some have suggested that there may be another Digest/newsgroup which is older (sci-fi) but I do not know if that is true or not. When this digest started, we were a Usenet newsgroup (comp.dcom.telecom) and a newsletter/Digest only; it was strictly in text format. Beginning in 1995, we began a web-based version as well http://telecom-digest.org but still continued mostly in text format. In 2004, in addition to Usenet, the Digest, and the web page, we began syndication of the Digest via RSS format. And with RSS format, the Digest/newsgroup -- still principally a text-based format publication, expanded in scope to being more of a general telecom-based news magazine. The good thing about RSS is the 'share and share alike' concept; you use and print my stuff as you wish, I use and print your stuff as desired, subject to certain rules; we must honor the copyrights others place on their work as they must honor our copyrights, and the choice of articles to use is otherwise wide open. Overall, I would say, RSS has been one of the best things to happen to the internet. I could not begin to pick through everything offered each day on the various RSS feeds made available. Of course, we still have our archives, material dating back into the closing days of the old AT&T/Bell System, along with many technical reports and other stuff. Our 'official' quarter-century mark occurs on August 11. If I think of it about that time, I might prepare a special issue on that day, or maybe not ... but I do hope there will be another 25 years of this publication, whoever is maintaining it at that point in time. Patrick Townson ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2006 15:16:47 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Annual Gadget Show Is Biggest Ever - Jan 1, 2006 08:36 PM (AP Online) By MAY WONG AP Technology Writer Do you want to catch "Saturday Night Live" on Sunday, or "Nightline" in the morning? Would you like to watch the football game in a doctor's waiting room or 2,000 miles from home? Or, what if you're suddenly in the mood for an old episode of "Dragnet" or one of last year's hit films? Technology makes all this "time-shifting" possible now, usually with a few button clicks. There's just a question of who will prevail in delivering the products and services that will win over consumers and their changing couch-potato propensities with new standards of convenience and mobility. That battle for consumer dollars and eyeballs will hit a feverish pitch at the International Consumer Electronics Show, which kicks off Wednesday. The five-day annual event in Las Vegas, the mother of all tech trade shows, is bigger than ever before. It will consume 28 football fields of space as 2,500 exhibitors ranging from Internet powerhouses like Yahoo Inc. to little-known gizmo makers cast their bets on what they hope will be the next big trends in electronics. Judging from the latest jockeying, video is one of them. Yahoo and rival Google Inc. will make their CES debuts with keynote speeches, muscling their way into the high-stakes battle already begun by computing stalwarts, consumer electronics giants and telecommuni- cations companies to push digital media deeper into homes. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54369326 ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Period of 23rd Dec 2005 to 2nd Jan 2006 Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2006 09:58:56 -0600 From: cellular-news Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[3G News]] Thailand Delays 3G - Pending Further Study http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15392.php Thailand won't release criteria for third-generation telecommunciation service licenses this year because a national commission needs more time to study the economic, social and legal aspects of the issue. ... Seychelles To get 3G Services http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15409.php Airtel Seychelles says that it will shortly launch WCDMA mobile services in the country. Telecom Seychelles, which has been providing mobile and basic telephone services in Seychelles for the last 7 years under the Airtel brand, will invest US$8.5 mi... China Using 3G To Drive Down CDMA License Fees http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15410.php Analysys International says that with China Telecom starting off a 3G pilot network of TD-SCDMA, China's negotiation progress on 3G intellectual property rights with overseas owners will speed up. ZTE is currently cooperating with China Telecom, the ... 3G Handsets Donated to Pensioners http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15411.php Croatia's VIPnet donated sixty 3G phones to an old peoples home for Christmas. Some of the retired persons living in the Home have already attended a computer course, some of them are surfing the Internet and sending digital photographs to their rela... 3G Licenses Awarded in The Philippines http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15415.php The Philippines telecoms regulator, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is understood to have awarded four 3G licenses to local companies. Existing GSM operators, Smart, Digitel and Globe have been awarded a license along with new entran... [[Financial News]] Alamosa Holders To Vote On Sprint Merger Jan. 25 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15378.php Alamosa Holdings Inc. said its shareholders will vote on the company's proposed $3.4 billion acquisition by Sprint Nextel Corp. at a special meeting scheduled for Jan. 25. ... Russia's Sistema ups stake in MTS to 52.8% for $275.5 million http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15380.php Major Russian holding AFK Sistema has increased its stake in the country's largest mobile operator Mobile TeleSystems, or MTS, to 52.8% from 50.6% in two deals worth a total of U.S. $275.5 million, Sistema said in a press release late Thursday. ... Russia's MTS to consider merger of subsidiaries at EGM http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15383.php The extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (EGM) of Russia's largest mobile operator Mobile TeleSystems, or MTS, is expected approve the merger of the company's nine wholly owned subsidiaries with MTS, the company said Monday. ... Russia's SMARTS sees 2006 investment at $100 mln, flat on year http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15386.php Russian regional mobile operator SMARTS sees investments at around U.S. $100 million in 2006, unchanged on the year, the company' press service said Monday, citing its Deputy General Director Andrei Girev who was speaking at a press conference in Sam... Ukraine's Kyivstar brd OKs 2006 budget despite holder's suits http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15387.php The board of directors of Ukraine's mobile operator Kyivstar has managed to approve the company's budget for 2006 despite lawsuits filed by one of its major shareholders, the Storm company, seeking to suspend the powers of the board of directors, a... Ukraine's Golden Telecom mobile revenue down 9.7% in Jan-Nov http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15390.php The revenue from mobile services of Ukraine's Golden Telecom decreased 9.7% on the year to 75.1 million hryvnas in January-November, Ukraine's Ministry of Transportation and Communications said Tuesday. ... Malaysia's Maxis, India's Apollo Founder To Buy Aircel http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15404.php Maxis Communications and founders of an Indian hospital company have agreed to buy Indian mobile-phone operator Aircel Ltd. for US$1.08 billion, the companies said Friday. ... Endesa Sells Remaining 5% Amena Stake To Deutsche Bank http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15405.php Spanish electricity company Endesa SA Friday said it has sold its remaining 5% stake in the country's third-largest mobile operator, Amena, to Deutsche Bank for EUR377.9 million. ... VimpelCom acquires 60% in Tajikistan's Tacom http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15406.php Russia's second-largest mobile operator VimpelCom has acquired a 60% stake in Tajik mobile operator Tacom for U.S. $12 million, VimpelCom said late Thursday. ... Russia's MTS ups stake in Rekom regional mobile operator to 100% http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15408.php Russia's largest mobile operator Mobile TeleSystems, or MTS, has increased its stake in regional mobile operator Rekom to 100% by purchasing a 46.1% stake, MTS said in an official disclosure statement Friday. ... Maldives Operator Secures Funding http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15417.php Wataniya Telecom Maldives says that it has completed its long term financing, drawing down on a US$27 million facility, comprised of $20 million from the IFC (International Finance Corporation) and $7 million from the OPEC Fund. Wataniya Telecom Mald... [[Handsets News]] Wireless Companies Keen On Teens As Growth Driver http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15388.php Wireless-phone companies are doing their best to make sure youth is served. Although most adults now own cell phones, perhaps only half of all young people aged 18 or under do. To tap into that burgeoning market, all the major carriers have touted "f... Samsung Tops Handset Sales in Swedish Retailer http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15412.php For the first time this year, a Samsung handset has become the best-selling mobile phone in Telia's retail stores in Sweden. The phone is last month's surprise, the Samsung SGH-X640, which stepped up from second to first place in December. In other r... [[Legal News]] Brazil Court Re-Allows Claro Cell Service In Minas State http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15379.php A Brazilian court late Thursday granted wireless phone operator Claro, a Brazilian unit of Mexico's America Movil, to restart its operations in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, the company said late Thursday. ... InterDigital Seeks Arbitration Award From Nokia http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15389.php Interdigital Communications Corp. disclosed Tuesday it will utilize a dispute settlement process under agreements with cell phone manufacturer Nokia to recover an arbitration award and interest from Nokia. ... PRESS: Rezervspetsmet initiates criminal case vs MTS in Kyrgyzstan http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15394.php Kyrgyz police have started an investigation into alleged asset stripping worth US$10 million at Kyrgyz mobile operator Bitel, in which Russia's largest mobile operator Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) might be implicated, Russian business daily Vedomosti r... Judge Confirms Award For Interdigital In Nokia Dispute http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15397.php A federal judge in Manhattan on Wednesday confirmed an arbitration award of about $250 million for InterDigital Communications in a dispute with cellular phone maker Nokia over royalties. ... Nokia To Evaluate Options In Interdigital Dispute http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15400.php Nokia Corp. (NOK) will evaluate its legal options before it proceeds with talks over royalty payments with Interdigital Communications Corp. (IDCC) on some patents owned by Interdigital, a spokeswoman told Dow Jones Newswires Thursday. ... [[Mobile Content News]] Russian elect committee wants vote results for mobile users http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15384.php Russia's Central Election Commission plans to develop a technology that allows mobile phone users to receive latest results of federal elections, the commission's Chairman Alexander Veshnyakov said at a news conference Monday. ... Monstermob Group buys Russia's Mobicon for about $27 mln http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15393.php The U.K.'s mobile content company Monstermob Group has acquired Mobicon, a leading Russian mobile content business, Monstermob Group said in a press release Wednesday. ... [[Network Contracts News]] Nortel to supply $5.7 mln EDGE equipment to Russia's Baikalvestcom http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15401.php Canadian communications equipment producer Nortel will supply EDGE equipment worth U.S. $5.7 million to Russian mobile operator Baikalvestcom, Nortel said Thursday. ... WiMax Network for 30 Russian Cities http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15413.php GlobeTel Communications says that its GlobeTel Wireless subsidiary has entered into an agreement with the Moscow based, Internafta to install WiMax networks in 30 cities throughout the Russian Federation. GlobeTel Wireless will both manage the comple... [[Network Operators News]] Belarus' MDC launches EDGE technology in country http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15403.php Belarus' Mobile Digital Communications operator, or MDC, has launched EDGE technology in Belarus, the company said in a press release Thursday. ... [[Personnel News]] Lucent CEO Russo Gets $3.55 Million '05 Bonus Vs $2.95 Million For '04 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15377.php Lucent Technologies Chief Executive and Chairwoman Patricia F. Russo received a $3.55 million bonus for 2005, the company said Thursday in its annual proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ... [[Regulatory News]] Russian lower house OKs 2nd reading of caller-pays bill http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15382.php Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, approved Friday the second reading of a bill seeking to introduce the Calling Party Pays (CPP) principle in the country. ... Russian regulator to hear Vimpelcom frequency claim to late Jan http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15385.php A commission of Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service has postponed until late January hearings of a claim filed by Russia's second-largest mobile operator VimpelCom against the State Radio Frequency Commission, Yuliya Ostroukhova, a spokeswoman fo... Russian min sees mobile tariffs up with caller-pays law in place http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15396.php Russian mobile operators may increase their tariffs after the introduction of the Calling Party Pays (CPP) principle in Russia, IT and Communications Minister Leonid Reiman told a news conference Wednesday. ... Azerbaijan's ministry issues licenses to 2 mobile operators http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15398.php Azerbaijan's IT and Communications Ministry has issued licenses to two mobile operators, Azerfon and Catel, the country's IT and Communications Minister Ali Abbasov told reporters Wednesday. ... US Commerce Agency Releases Costs Of Opening Up Spectrum http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15399.php The U.S. Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on Wednesday released costs to move incumbent federal users out of the 1710-1755 MHz band, saying the costs are far less than previous wireless industry ... Ukraine's ITC, CST-Invest get CDMA licenses for number of regions http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15402.php Ukrainian CDMA operators International Telecommunication Company (ITC) and CST-Invest have obtained CDMA licenses for a number of Ukrainian regions from the country's National Commission for Telecommunications Regulation, the commission said Thursd... Serbia Cancels GSM Operator License http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15416.php The Serbian government has decided to revoke Mobtel's GSM licence. The government found out that Mobtel signed a contract with a Kosovo mobile operator Mobikos without the government's consent, which is necessary for the contract to be valid. Mobtel ... [[Statistics News]] Tesco Mobile Tops 1 Million Customers http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15391.php Tesco Mobile said Wednesday that it now has one million customers. ... Minister says Russia's mobile phone penetration rate at 84% http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15395.php The penetration rate of mobile telecommunication services in Russia currently amounts to 84%, the country's IT and Telecommunications Minister Leonid Reiman told a news conference Wednesday. ... Camera-equipped Cellular Phone Shipments to Surge http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15414.php The cellular handset market is expected to be very exciting over the next few years. One part of the handset market that will be a driving force in the future will be the camera phone segment. Historically, Japanese cellular subscribers have been esp... [[Technology News]] INTERNET DAILY: Free Wi-Fi Will Be A Gift For Many In 2006 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15381.php If your New Year's resolution is to not pay for wireless Internet access when you're out and about, you've got a good chance of keeping it. Kevin McKenzie, chief executive officer of JiWire.com, says '06 could turn out to be a year of real freedom. ... CES Show Offers Glimpse Of Future Home Entertainment http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15407.php The Consumer Electronics Show next week will provide a glimpse of the future in home entertainment, but the new offerings aren't likely to solve the industry's age-old problem: making them easy to set up and use. ... ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Cat Speech? Date: 1 Jan 2006 21:24:35 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com I have a cat who is very vocal, that is, he makes a wide variety of sounds. His "meows" are long and short, and go up and down in pitch. If I talk to him, he responds in various sounds (that I can't understand). Anyway, has there ever been serious study to identify cat sounds? [public replies please] [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I have two cats which are like that. I do not know how they communicate either, but I am told it is with a combination of body movement, especially their tails and their 'meow' noises. I know that cats are very intelligent. Mine have learned that to go outside it is _me_ who turns the door knob and opens the door. So ... there is a very small stepstool by my back door (for other reasons) and they have learned to stand up on that tiny little stool where they can _almost_ reach the doorknob. Not completely, but they come close. Normally I do not allow the cats to go outside after dark -- the only way they will come back inside is if I chase after them down the alley and I am not physically in a position to to that. I do not want them going outside particularly in the Neewollah season when there are troublesome guys roaming around late at night. They sure tell me off however (the cats) if they do not get their way. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: 2 Jan 2006 02:29:32 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: Cell Phone Extenders? Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA >>> If you buy a cellphone and contract for service for that cellphone >>> with a licensed carrier, then that carrier's license covers the >>> operation of the phone you activated with that carrier. You can't >>> then go out and use other phones under that contract without the >>> carrier's consent. >> An interesting theory, although clearly nonsensical with GSM phones. > With GSM phones (if not locked), you would be contractually allowed to > use any compatible (i.e., proper band for the country at issue) GSM > phone with the SIM chip from your carrier. Well, as it happens, I have a GSM phone from Cingular, and the contract says only that I am responsible for the installation and operation of my phone, and that they may reprogram the roaming table. It doesn't say anything about being required to use the phone they provided or anything else along those lines. In fact, I've moved the chip from phone to phone lots of times and nobody cares. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies", Information Superhighwayman wanna-be, http://www.johnlevine.com, Mayor "I dropped the toothpaste", said Tom, crestfallenly. PS: Why do people insist on making up "facts" when it's so easy to go and find out what the situation really is? Regards, John R. Levine, IECC, POB 727, Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 330 5711 johnl@iecc.com, Mayor, http://johnlevine.com, Member, Provisional board, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail ------------------------------ From: David Clayton Subject: Re: Cell Phone Extenders? Date: Mon, 02 Jan 2006 18:42:49 +1100 On Sat, 31 Dec 2005 20:57:27 -0700, DevilsPGD wrote: > In message John Levine > wrote: >>> If you buy a cellphone and contract for service for that cellphone with >>> a licensed carrier, then that carrier's license covers the operation of >>> the phone you activated with that carrier. You can't then go out and >>> use other phones under that contract without the carrier's consent. >> An interesting theory, although clearly nonsensical with GSM phones. > Not at all, GSM phones don't transmit without a SIM card, and once there > is a SIM card in place, you're licensed under the appropriate carrier. A GSM phone without a SIM should still be able to make "Emergency" calls in whatever service area it is in. This has been a bit of a problem with idiots making untraceable nuisance calls to emergency operators in Australia. Regards, David Clayton, e-mail: dcstar@XYZ.myrealbox.com Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. (Remove the "XYZ." to reply) Knowledge is a measure of how many answers you have, intelligence is a measure of how many questions you have. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Jan 2006 02:55:18 -0500 From: Michael D. Sullivan Subject: Re: Cell Phone Extenders? John Levine wrote: >> With GSM phones (if not locked), you would be contractually allowed to >> use any compatible (i.e., proper band for the country at issue) GSM >> phone with the SIM chip from your carrier. > Well, as it happens, I have a GSM phone from Cingular, and the > contract says only that I am responsible for the installation and > operation of my phone, and that they may reprogram the roaming table. > It doesn't say anything about being required to use the phone they > provided or anything else along those lines. In fact, I've moved the > chip from phone to phone lots of times and nobody cares. Exactly as I said -- with GSM, use your carrier's SIM chip with any phone you want that's compatible. To get back to the subject, the fact that the carrier lets you use a phone of your choice doesn't mean that the carrier gives you permission to use a base station (cell booster) of your own on their frequencies but not under their control -- regardless of whether you are using their SIM chip in your phone. > PS: Why do people insist on making up "facts" when it's so easy to go and > find out what the situation really is? What facts were made up? You pointed out that GSM is different from other cellular/PCS operations, which I hadn't taken into account when I made a peripheral comment about activated handsets because I was principally trying to address the question of unlicensed base stations being marketed as boosters, and I acknowledged you were correct about GSM, and that the SIM chip and not the physical handset is what the carrier authorizes. Michael D. Sullivan Bethesda, MD (USA) ------------------------------ From: Michael D. Sullivan Subject: Re: Bush Insists Telephone, Email Spying Was Legal Date: Mon, 02 Jan 2006 08:00:04 GMT I thought Bush claimed to be an advocate of strict contruction of the Constitution. That must be only as to the citizens' rights, and not to the powers of the Executive Branch. Michael D. Sullivan Bethesda, MD (USA) (Replace "example.invalid" with "com" in my address.) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You best take care how you speak about Dubya. The last thing I read on it was about three out of ten readers (if overall statistics are correct) approve of the man and his leadership. Next thing you know, I will get one or more pieces of hate mail asking me 'what does this have to do with telecom?' They always say that when a discussion here is not going in the direction they like to have it go. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Bush Insists Telephone, Email Spying Was Legal From: tom.horsley@att.net (Thomas A. Horsley) Organization: AT&T Worldnet Date: Tue, 03 Jan 2006 01:19:00 GMT > President Bush strongly defended his domestic spying program on > Sunday, calling it legal Yea, after all, no controlling legal authority has yet ruled on what the definition of "is" is. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia Date: 1 Jan 2006 21:47:23 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com > As we sat there, I got up to look around; the two cars behind us > were flattened like accordions, 200 plus people were killed in our > train. My employer at that time did an engineering study of the accident. It was a terrible accident, but the death toll was around 40, not 200. Some people said the trains should've been strong enough to withstand the impact without telecscoping into each other. But the civil engineers pointed out that if the trains were that strong, the resulting 'g' shock force would've been strong enough to kill all the passengers on board. IIRC, the problem was that when the first train overshot the platform, it cleared the signal block so that the second train could proceed. Then the first train in backing up re-entered the block. I believe the engineer was supposed to call in for permission before backing up and have the rear-end protected. The Illionis Central ran a very heavy density of service. I was on a subway train that overshot the platform by a considerable distance not long after that. The motorman did call in for permission before backing up, but I was thinking of the IC wreck and was kind of nervous about it. If you look on many subway and trolley cars, you'll see the "bumpers" have ridges on them. They are known as "anti-climbers" and are supposed to protect from trains telescoping into each other if they collide. As to your experiences, as mentioned, the railroads were losing money big time on their trains and most had applied to discontinue them. Some railroads had only one or two trains to run so they didn't mind as much doing a decent job, but they still wanted out. Indeed, the song "City of New Orleans" that you mention is about the decay of the trains. Western Union likewise had a nice operation in 1950. That company went bankrupt and no longer exists, the Western Union today bought the name. Lousy Govt regulation played a role in that demise. Even in 1960 Western Union _seemed_ healthy but it was on the skids. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Did you see that nice picture of me on the front page of the Chicago Daily News? They printed my entire testimony to the safety inspector. The train engineer had admitted he overshot the station platform 'just a little'. In my testimony I said that was nonsense, he overshot sufficiently that looking outside the window of the car I was sitting in, I looked directly at a 'mile marker' sign hanging on a catenary pole; I told them which sign it was and the audience 'gasped' when the distance the train had to go backward was calculated. It was a distance of a couple hundred feet at least. Also, you just now spoke about the 'g-force' of the trains hitting, but where you are wrong about that was the train I was on (which got smacked up pretty good) was one of the newer, more 'light-weight' and more flimsy cars. The train which hit us was one of the older, grey colored very heavy cars from the 1920's genre. I discussed that in my testimony also, saying in effect "if I were to ride downtown on one of the newer cars and take along with me a heavy, large size 'phillips screw-driver' I could take the entire car apart before we got to downtown. Made as they were out of aluminum, the newer cars were no match for the older style cars." One of the railroad executives at that point made an objection to my testimony; told me to shut my trap and keep myself stifled and not talk anymore, but the hearing officer in charge of the testimony over-ruled his objection to my speech and encouraged me to keep talking about my experiences with the new style cars. That same afternoon when the hearing reconvened after lunch they took me down to the trackside to (a) point out the 'mile marker' where _I_ was sitting when we started backing up and (b) they gave me a large, sturdy tool to use to demonstrate how I could unscrew one of the wall panels in the coach. The Daily News article the next day told how the railroad had told me to shut up and not talk so much; they put my picture and my oral testimony in the paper entirely, along with the other reports, etc. The company which had built the new cars for the railroad looked at me with much hatred, to say the least. There were other incidental situations where a 'new' car was bumped by an old car (they did that as part of their testing) and even though the 'old' car just barely bumped the 'new car' there were still dent marks on the 'new' car. The "Chicago Today" newspaper (which we had back then, like the Daily News, but no longer) agreed with the railroad that I was a crazy person, but the Daily News did not think so. My friend (who I said a couple days ago I had taken to New Orleans with me on vacation earlier) called the railroad one day to report (by car number and axle number) a 'flat wheel' on one of the new cars. (A 'flat wheel' is one that is not entirely round, at a certain place in the circumference of the wheel it is a bit out of shape; the result is a person with a good ear or lots of railroad experience [as he had] can hear a certain 'chunk-chunk' noise as the train rapidly moves down the track). The railroad told him off good also, but then a day or two later called him back to say they had investigated it and found it to be as he said it was. Those 'new' cars were no match for the 'older' (1920-ish) cars they abandoned for no good reason. PAT] ------------------------------ From: sethb@panix.com (Seth Breidbart) Subject: Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2006 06:43:34 UTC Organization: Society for the Promulgation of Cruelty to the Clueless In article , Robert Bonomi wrote: > The Penn Central Railway, just to name one example, ran so well "by > itself", that it drove itself into bankruptcy, and liquidation. The > vast sums that they lost on passenger rail service were a direct > contributing factor. Actually, it didn't do so badly until it was looted by corrupt management. Seth ------------------------------ From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia Date: 2 Jan 2006 11:25:01 -0500 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) Tony P. wrote: > In article , kludge@panix.com > wrote: >> There aren't enough parallel tracks to be able to maintain schedules, >> because the private railroads aren't building them and are shutting >> some tracks down. The existing tracks are not being properly >> maintained; trains going into Richmond, VA, for example, have to slow >> down to a crawl because of the poor condition of the tracks. But it's >> CSX that is responsible for those tracks. > Interestingly the Boston to Washington, D.C. corridor is one of the > better maintained sections. They recently electrified from Boston > through Providence out to New Haven, CT though to D.C. Yes, it's pretty amazing taking the train from here in Williamsburg, VA to Boston. The trip to DC takes forever and is basically done at a crawl at several points because of the bad track. Often the train gets stuck behind a freight train which has right of way, and travels at a slow speed for hours on end. Then we get to DC. The lights in the train go out for a half hour or so while they take off the diesel and put on an electric locomotive. We then proceed at a much more reasonable pace to northward. With no interruptions. > This is why I think we should regionalize mass transit. MTBA now runs > through RI, MA and NH. Why not extend into CT, NY, etc. Run high speed > bullet trains for those willing to pay for it. The current high speed > trains are a joke. Apparently Bombardier isn't the greatest > manufacturer when it comes to building commuter trains. This works well in places with high enough population density. Here in Tidewater, Virginia, however, the local governments have been fighting strongly against getting local commuter rail for reasons I don't really understand. And out in the midwest, it's quite impractical. I think having regional commuter rail is an excellent idea in most places (including here in Tidewater), but you still need a wide-area train infrastructure to connect them together. That's what Amtrak is in the northeast corridor and what it's supposed to be everywhere. scott "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 01 Jan 2006 23:25:37 -0500 From: Chris Farrar Subject: Re: Amtrak Passengers Standed in Woods in Georgia Tony P. wrote: > This is why I think we should regionalize mass transit. MTBA now runs > through RI, MA and NH. Why not extend into CT, NY, etc. Run high speed > bullet trains for those willing to pay for it. The current high speed > trains are a joke. Apparently Bombardier isn't the greatest > manufacturer when it comes to building commuter trains. Actually, Bombardier is quite good at building commuter trains, providing that once you decide what you want you don't start ordering changes in the basic design, as Amtrak and government regulators did. They essentially ordered a French TVG train, but then insisted after the contracts were signed that had to meet US crash standards that the TVG wasn't designed to, so instead of building a known component, they were on "clean sheet of paper" for the design, with delivery dates (and penalties for non delivery) that didn't take that into consideration. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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. 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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 V25 #2 **************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Jan 3 18:40:16 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id D143414E82; Tue, 3 Jan 2006 18:40:15 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #3 Message-Id: <20060103234015.D143414E82@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 18:40:15 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) Status: RO TELECOM Digest Tue, 3 Jan 2006 18:43:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 3 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson New Motorola Connected Cordless Phone Systems Simplify (Monty Solomon) Motorola iRadio Service (Monty Solomon) Motorola ROKR E2 (Monty Solomon) Motorola Introduces First All-Digital Set-Top Family (Monty Solomon) Roam Where You Want To! New Motorola Technologies Break (Monty Solomon) HUMAX Portable Media Player (PMP) Platform (Monty Solomon) New Linksys Indoor and Outdoor Wireless Access Points (Monty Solomon) Motorola Unveils New Music Radio Service (Monty Solomon) Sides Chosen in Logan WiFi Battle (Monty Solomon) New Talkabout Two-way Radios (Monty Solomon) Skype CES News (Monty Solomon) Motorola Looks to Get Noticed in India (USTelecom dailyLead) Cellular-News for Tuesday 3rd January 2006 (Cellular-News) Re: Cat Speech? (Lisa Hancock) Re: Mother Decides to Fight Downloading Suit on Her Own (Lisa Hancock) MOAP Mobile Phone Platform by DoCoMo (techBoy) AT&T Manged Internet Service (madman_37412@yahoo.com) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 16:48:45 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: New Motorola Connected Cordless Phone Systems Simplify and New Motorola Connected Cordless Phone Systems Simplify and Personalize Family Communications - Jan 3, 2006 08:00 AM (PR Newswire) The innovative 'Connect To' button on the new Motorola cordless handsets simplifies access to the many communications options families have within their home. LAS VEGAS, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) today introduced a family of connected cordless phone systems that give families one-button access to the many ways they can communicate in and around their homes. Through an innovative "Connect To" button on each handset, the new Motorola C51 and SBV5400 expandable cordless phone systems provides access to landline, Voice-over-IP calling, cellular service, home intercom, live streaming video, shared family phone books, high-speed Internet, and even push-to-talk-over-instant messaging -- right from the palm of your hand! Both cordless phone systems debuted at the 2006 International CES trade show (Las Vegas, NV), where Motorola is showcasing its seamless mobility solutions at Booth #8545, and are expected to be commercially available later this year. Taking Communications Beyond The Cordless Phone A 2006 International CES Innovations in Engineering and Design honoree, the new Motorola C51 is the ultimate expandable cordless phone system. Using Wi-Fi(R) friendly 5.8 GHz technology, the system first and foremost begins with your choice of a base station that enables crystal clear voice phone calls using landline or digital phone service. Yet, the Motorola C51 system can do far more than just make voice calls. Simply tap the "Connect To" button on a color-screen or standard cordless handset and a menu appears, listing the many ways your system can communicate. By adding accessories, sold separately, into the system, you can personalize the capabilities of your cordless system. Motorola's "Connect To" accessories include: -- Bluetooth(R)-enabled wireless phone dock, which instantly adds access to cell plan minutes and a user's cell phone number. Whether cell phone reception in the home is a problem, or users simply want to take advantage of free night and weekend minutes, the docking device for the C51 is a simple solution. -- Camera/Intercom, which delivers streaming video and audio to color handsets, and acts as a two-way communication device. Busy parents can now monitor the baby without disturbing a nap, or keep an eye on the kids while multi-tasking around the home. -- A Voice-over-IP phone adapter, which gives access to your Internet phone service from any handset.(1) -- Push-to-Talk-over-Instant Messaging, which connects the cordless handset to a PC through a USB connector, sold separately. This walkie- talkie like feature sends your digitized voice over the Internet through a supported Instant Messaging program. It's perfect for keeping kids connected to friends without them monopolizing the home computer. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54388061 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 16:55:43 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Motorola iRadio Service Motorola Rocks the House ... and the Car ... and the Mobile Phone ... Rolls Out iRadio(R) Service - Jan 3, 2006 12:00 PM (PR Newswire) Award-Winning Service Incorporates Portability, Acquisition and Discovery of Music, Debuts With 435 Commercial-Free Channels LAS VEGAS, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola, Inc. revolutionizes radio with the public introduction of the award-winning Motorola iRadio(R), a subscription music service that seamlessly moves from home, to car stereo, to wireless headphones -- powered from the one device you're never without: your mobile handset. Motorola iRadio is initially launching with 435 commercial-free radio channels, already one of the widest selections of subscription music entertainment available. The service's unique delivery platform enables it to bring content portability together with acquisition and discovery of music. This creates a powerful new medium for artists and labels to directly connect with fans, and for wireless service providers to deepen relationships with subscribers. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54395993 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 14:10:50 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Motorola ROKR E2 Take Center Stage With Motorola's Next ROKR - Jan 3, 2006 01:35 PM (PR Newswire) Newest Music-Optimized Mobile Delivers More Tunes Much Faster LAS VEGAS, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) today is unveiling the Motorola ROKR E2 -- the newest member of the company's ROKR family of music-optimized mobile handsets. Designed for the music enthusiast who wants to carry one device, ROKR E2 lets you take hundreds of your must-have music selections with you -- and delivers a world-class wireless communications experience. Motorola is showcasing ROKR E2 as part of its rapidly evolving vision of Seamless Mobility for consumers at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show in Central Hall Booth 8545, where visitors can experience innovations that enable enriched wireless communications, home entertainment, and on-the-go productivity. Delivering a powerful mobile music experience, ROKR E2 lets you switch seamlessly between phone calls and music play lists simply by touching a button. Based on a Linux operating system to enhance speed and flexibility, ROKR E2 also features a robust MP3 player compatible with a variety of different audio formats -- making this mobile handset a powerful example of what it means to be "the device formerly known as the cell phone." - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54399693 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 14:08:37 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Motorola Introduces First All-Digital Set-Top Family With Motorola Introduces First All-Digital Set-Top Family With Built-In Home Media Networking Capabilities - Jan 3, 2006 08:00 AM (PR Newswire) Innovative New Set-Tops Simplify Whole-Home DVR, Sharing Music and Photos Around the Home LAS VEGAS, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) today redefined the digital video recorder (DVR) as a multimedia hub that lets consumers access and share video recordings, video-on-demand (VOD) content, pictures and music in and around the home with the introduction of the new Motorola QIP family of products. The new Motorola QIP6416 is a high-definition (HD) capable, dual-tuner DVR with watch-and-record capability; the Motorola QIP6200 is a single-HD tuner set-top; and the Motorola QIP2500 is a single-tuner standard-definition model. These three new Motorola set-tops are the first to include built-in home media networking capabilities. Using a technology known as MoCA (short for Multimedia over Coaxial Alliance), the Motorola QIP set-tops can create a multimedia network using the existing coaxial cable already found in the walls of a consumer's home. This network is capable of transporting high-definition video, high-quality digital voice, and high-speed data to televisions, DVR, game consoles, wireless access points, and home computers. The products are also unique because they support two different network architectures within the same device, providing service providers with a choice in way they can deliver digital video services into the home: The first supported is the traditional quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) method commonly used today by cable operators, which sends video information to the home over radio frequencies. The second is the newer, emerging video-over-IP method, which delivers video to the home using packets of data. Verizon Communications is the first Motorola customer to offer QIP series set-tops, as part of the Verizon FiOS(TM) TV service now available in parts of Texas, Virginia and Florida. In an agreement previously announced, Motorola is providing video network infrastructure and video consumer premises equipment related to Verizon's launch of video services on the company's new fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network. Verizon uses QAM to deliver scheduled programming and IP to deliver on-demand video to FiOS TV customers. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54388131 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 16:49:39 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Roam Where You Want To! New Motorola Technologies Break the Roam Where You Want To! New Motorola Technologies Break the Barrier Between Home and Wireless Phone Services - Jan 3, 2006 08:00 AM (PR Newswire) LAS VEGAS, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) today broke down the barrier between traditional home and wireless phone service. The innovative new Motorola Residential Seamless Mobility Gateway (RSG) lets consumers use the same mobile device -- and the same number -- as they roam in and out of their homes(1). Creating an Innovative Home Communications Experience The Motorola RSG family of products packs powerful communication features for your home. The product includes an 802.11b/g wireless access point, a four-port router, and a built-in Voice-over-IP adapter. This technology allows the RSG to run your home network, power standard telephones, and act as a hotspot for your mobile phone. Further, the Motorola RSG can seamlessly transfer voice calls between the home wireless network (WLAN) and the cellular network without interrupting the call, when paired with a dual-mode handset (DMH) and connected to a network and service that supports this feature. Dual-mode handsets are mobile devices that can access both cellular and in-home wireless networks. Motorola RSG products give consumers freedom for personal communications: The products eliminate the hassle of finding a good reception zone in the home, and of managing separate bills, individual calling plans, or "bonus" minutes. Consumers can simply dial a number, and the intelligence in the gateway will automatically route the call to the best available network or service option. Motorola is showcasing the RSG series of products this week at the 2006 International CES trade show (Las Vegas, NV), Central Hall, Booth #8545. Additional features of the Motorola RSG Series include: -- Single-Number Access - Calls made from a dual-mode mobile handset in the home enable consumers to reduce cellular bills. -- Home Network Connectivity - Access your high-speed data connection from anywhere in the home with an 802.11 b/g wireless access point and a four-port wired router. For mobile voice calls, use your home wireless network to compensate for cellular service "dead-spots" within the home. -- Voice Prioritization - Ensure high-quality voice calls while accessing the Internet. -- Portability - Easily plugs into any broadband connection. -- Rich Digital Phone Features - Caller ID, call waiting, three-way calling, and call forwarding. -- Multiple lines - Allows for a shared "family" number as well as individual mobile and landline numbers. -- Power Management - Optimizes the battery life of users' handset through 802.11e U-APSD, radio resource management, and 802.11k measurement pilot. -- Advanced Security - Protect your voice calls and your data with 802.11i security and pre-authentication, IPSEC/PPTP/L2TP NAT tunneling (for VPN pass-through), storage for X.509 device certificate and operator public key as well as mobile pairing. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54388151 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 16:54:09 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: HUMAX Portable Media Player (PMP) Platform HUMAX USA Poised to Manufacture and Sell New Portable Media Player Platform to Content Providers; Will Design User-Interface Specific to Each Individual Content Provider's Requirements - Jan 3, 2006 10:25 AM (BusinessWire) MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5048147 LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 3, 2006-- First Planned Retail Product Will Target DIRECTV Customers for Its Upcoming DIRECTV 2Go Service HUMAX USA, the "Easy-Digital" company, has developed a new hard drive based hand-held portable media player (PMP) platform ideal for use by content and pay TV providers with plans to deliver content electronically to customers via portable video devices. The first content provider to be supported by this HUMAX PMP platform is DIRECTV - for its upcoming DIRECTV 2Go service. The HUMAX PMP platform has a 4-inch widescreen LCD display screen with navigation controlled via an easy-to-use 5-button design. Additional consumer conveniences include a high capacity hard drive (capacity to be partner specified) and a long-lasting, user-replaceable battery that provides up to 4 hours of video and 10 hours of music. Based on an AMD Alchemy(TM) Au1200(TM) processor, the device natively supports many video formats including MPEG1/2/4, DivX, WMV9 with WMDRM10 support - all at full D1 resolution (720x480). Moreover, the integration of a DDR1/DDR2 memory interface, USB2.0 High Speed Host & Device with On-the-Go, and on-chip AES cryptographic support, provide enabling technology for strenuous media applications and content protection schemes. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54392609 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 16:51:12 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: New Linksys Indoor and Outdoor Wireless Access Points Use Power New Linksys Indoor and Outdoor Wireless Access Points Use Power Over Ethernet for Easy Installation - Jan 3, 2006 08:12 AM (PR Newswire) New Wireless-G Access Points Mount Anywhere, Even Without Ready Access to a Power Plug IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Linksys(R), a Division of Cisco Systems, Inc., the recognized leading provider of voice, wireless and networking hardware for the consumer, Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) and small business markets, today announced two new Power over Ethernet (PoE) Wireless-G access points for small business environments. The new Wireless-G Access Point with PoE (WAP54GP) and the Wireless-G Exterior Access Point with PoE (WAP54GPE) enable high-speed, highly secure wireless access to both indoors and out. When installing Access Points in difficult or hard-to-reach locations, running a new electrical outlet can be time consuming and very expensive. The industry-standard 802.3af Power over Ethernet (PoE) capability enables easy and low-cost installation where power outlets are not readily available such as in ceilings, warehouses, walls or outside patios. The access points are powered via the Ethernet cable which is connected to a PoE-enabled router or switch. The new Wireless-G Access Points let wireless notebook and desktop PCs connect with other Wireless-G or B clients and wired Ethernet networks for sharing files, resources, and high-speed broadband Internet connections. The access points can also be used as a bridge, a kind of "cable-less cable" to connect remote areas together, forming a single network with shared resources. For businesses with both confidential and public access, the Access Points can be configured with multiple SSIDs and VLAN settings, keeping network traffic separated. The access points are ideal for small businesses where there are multiple work areas separated by a short distance, or where new wiring would be difficult to install. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54388547 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 16:58:27 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Motorola Unveils New Music Radio Service By BRUCE MEYERSON AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- Motorola Inc., after nearly a year of vague pronouncements, unveiled Tuesday an ambitious music radio service for cell phones that also plays over car and home stereos. Motorola iRadio, featuring 435 channels, would be sold by wireless service providers to their subscribers for between $7 and $10 per month _ a few dollars cheaper than the satellite radio networks that would be among the phone-based service's immediate rivals. No wireless carriers have signed on yet to carry iRadio, which may also be adapted for non-Motorola phones if carriers request it, company officials said. In some ways, iRadio more closely resembles a vast "podcast" network rather than a traditional radio broadcast. Motorola expects about 90 percent of its content to be loaded on phones from the Internet over a personal computer, rather than broadcast over the air, in this case a cellular network. That would mean less of a strain on the limited capacity wireless operators have for mobile calls, e-mail and Internet services. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54407302 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 01:15:14 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Sides Chosen in Logan WiFi Battle Sides chosen in Logan WiFi battle Wireless and airport lobbies join dispute By Peter Howe, Globe Staff | January 2, 2006 Logan International Airport officials' ongoing quest to ban airline lounges from offering passengers free WiFi Internet services is angering a growing array of powerful Capitol Hill lobbying groups, who say Logan could set a dangerous nationwide precedent for squelching wireless services. Already under fire from the biggest airline lobby, the Air Transport Association, and the manufacturer-backed Consumer Electronics Association, Logan officials are also coming under new criticism from the top US wireless lobby, CTIA-The Wireless Association. All three groups are siding with Continental Airlines Inc., which has asked the Federal Communications Commission to overturn a Logan order last year shutting off Continental's WiFi service in its Presidents Club lounge in Logan's Terminal C. Soon after activating its own $8-a-day WiFi service in the summer of 2004, the Massachusetts Port Authority, which runs Logan, ordered Continental and American Airlines to shut down WiFi services in their Logan lounges. Massport also ordered Delta Air Lines Inc. not to turn on a planned WiFi service in its new $500 million Terminal A that opened last March. http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/01/02/sides_chosen_in_logan_wifi_battle/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 13:54:14 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: New Talkabout Two-way Radios Motorola Showcases 2006 Collection of Talkabout(R) Two-way Radios at CES - Jan 3, 2006 12:00 PM (PR Newswire) T5500, SX700 and New SX500 Series Designed to Provide Practical Communication Solutions for Active Lifestyles LAS VEGAS, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) today announced a new series of Talkabout(R) two-way radios at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas (Motorola Booth #8545). The new SX500 radio series is being demonstrated along with the SX700 and T5500 series as part of Motorola's 2006 portfolio of two-way radio products -- introducing fresh designs, enhanced feature sets and extended range capabilities ideal for active outdoor communications and families on the go. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54395990 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 17:00:15 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Skype CES News Skype Expands Partner Ecosystem with Consumer Electronics Industry Leaders; Alliances with Creative, D-Link, IPEVO, Kodak, Netgear, Panasonic, and VTech Illustrate Skype Market Leadership - Jan 3, 2006 09:00 AM (BusinessWire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54389743 Kodak and Skype Give a New Voice to Online Storytelling with KODAK Photo Voice - Jan 3, 2006 09:00 AM (BusinessWire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54389760 Panasonic and Skype Collaborate on New Family of Internet Calling Products - Jan 3, 2006 09:00 AM (BusinessWire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54389882 D-Link and Skype Enable Internet Calls Using Traditional Phones - Jan 3, 2006 09:02 AM (PR Newswire) - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54389945 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 12:50:45 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Motorola Looks to Get Noticed in India USTelecom dailyLead January 3, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/BbsYatagCGjhldcjcw TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Motorola looks to get noticed in India BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Supreme Court ruling puts squeeze on P2P companies * Three more companies join MoCA * Video-to-PCs to take spotlight * GlobeTel scores major deal in Russia USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * Stay On Top of VoIP Technology with the Telecom Bookstore HOT TOPICS * Predicting the telecom and media mergers of 2006 * AT&T plans to deliver "Your World" campaign, logo * Nortel snaps up Tasman * Breakthrough technology takes home networks to next level * Intel wants to "leap ahead" with new logo TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * Starz to offer mobile downloads of movies REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * Analysis: Muni Wi-Fi poised to grow in 2006 * Illinois takes control of its own data network Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/BbsYatagCGjhldcjcw ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Tuesday 3rd January 2006 Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 07:32:21 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - www.cellular-news.com [[ Handsets ]] RadioShack Completes Migration to Cingular http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15427.php The USA electronics retailer, RadioShack says that it has completed the rollout of Cingular Wireless products and services in more than 5,000 RadioShack stores across the United States. This includes almost 500 RadioShack dealer/franchise outlets tha... [[ Legal ]] Serbian Police Searching For Mobtel's UK-born CEO http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15418.php BELGRADE (AP)--Police issued a search warrant Monday for a former executive of Serbia-Montenegro's main mobile phone provider, Mobtel, after he allegedly ignored an information request on a deal with a Kosovo telecommunications company. ... Saunalahti Settles Dispute with Sonera Mobile http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15421.php Finland's Saunalahti Group says that it has reached an agreement with Sonera Mobile Networks regarding a dispute relating to the termination of its Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) agreement and will cancel its action in the court of arbitratio... [[ Mobile Content ]] GPRS Roaming Launched in Moldova http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15426.php The Moldova based GSM network operator, Moldcell has launched, what it says is the first GPRS Roaming service in Moldova. Moldcell subscribers that have both Roaming and GPRS services activated have the opportunity to enjoy the GPRS Roaming Services.... The Right Handset Can Drive Mobile Content Sales http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15428.php Whether it's downloading a game or ringtone, or browsing news and information, M:Metrics found that Sanyo SCP-8200 and Motorola RAZR owners are out-consuming subscribers of all other devices. The portion of owners of these devices that are used to ac... [[ Network Operators ]] Telenor Expands Pakistan Network Coverage http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15425.php Telenor Pakistan has opened its GSM mobile network for commercial service in 26 more destinations. This new addition has taken Telenor's total score to 200 destinations nationwide. Officially launching Telenor's service in Dera Ghazi Khan, Awais Ahma... [[ Offbeat ]] Jumping From the Top of a Telecoms Tower http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15419.php An Australian base jumper, Gary Cunningham rang in the New Year by "base jumping" from the top of the Menara Kuala Lumpur telecoms tower a total of 133 times in just 24 hours. The previous world record was 57 times in 24 hours. Base jumping is named ... Nepal Telecom Planning Skyscraper HQ http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15423.php Nepal Telecom, the country's incumbent landline and GSM network operator has announced plans to build on of the tallest buildings in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region. The building, to be constructed at the Jawalakhe... [[ Personnel ]] New COO for Orange Israel http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15422.php Israel's Partner Communications, which trades under the Orange brand name has announced that its Deputy CEO, David Avner, will take on the extra role as COO, effective immediately. In his capacity as Deputy CEO and COO, Mr. Avner will oversee the sel... Baumgartl Selected as President and CEO of Siemens Communications http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15424.php Siemens Communications has named Berndt Baumgartl as the new President and CEO of the company. Baumgartl assumes this role as the successor for Andy Mattes and will serve on the Board for Siemens Communications. Mattes has elected to take a position ... [[ Statistics ]] Bulgarian Operator Passes Subscriber Landmark http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15420.php Bulgaria's Vivatel has announced that its subscriber base passed the 100,000 mark the week prior to Christmas. "We are totally overwhelmed with the positive response of the Bulgarian public to vivatel, its fantastic!", said Vivatel CEO Richard Sheare... ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Cat Speech? Date: 3 Jan 2006 14:01:21 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I have two cats which are like that. I > do not know how they communicate either, but I am told it is with > a combination of body movement, especially their tails and their > 'meow' noises. I know that cats are very intelligent. Of course they're intelligent, they have us humans trained to cater to their every whim. What do they do in return compared to say a dog? Here's a news article from 1010 newsradio. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/9/911_CAT_CALL?SITE=1010WINS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Police aren't sure how else to explain it. But when an officer walked into an apartment Thursday night to answer a 911 call, an orange-and-tan striped cat was lying by a telephone on the living room floor. The cat's owner, Gary Rosheisen, was on the ground near his bed having fallen out of his wheelchair. > Normally I do not allow the cats to go outside after dark Wise move. After dark there are a lot of hazards out there from other animals and man made stuff. I didn't like cats originally until one day a cat followed me home after I took out the trash. He jumped into my lap, latched on (ouch!) and purred like a motorboat. He followed me in the house, scoped it out, and climbed onto the head of the bed like he always lived there. I couldn't help but admire such "chutzpah". Turned out he was a neighbor's cat but they just had a baby and were busy with that and didn't mind giving him up. He could be very affectionate, indeed, he was very possessive and if he smelled me touching another cat he was upset. But he also had a strong personality. HIs motto was "feed me or be my feed." In the morning he'd nudge me to wake up and feed him. If I didn't respond after a few pokes he'd bite me. Since he was an outdoor cat when I got home I let him continue to roam. One day he proudly brought a live mouse home to me, and I was proud of him for catching it. He was very upset though when I directed him to let the mouse go (thank goodness he didn't bring it inside). I named him Greystone on account of his mostly dark gray body with white tipped paws and tail and chest. He was a tough cat and I felt a tough name was appropriate, no "Bagel" or "Fluffy" for him as some people do. He reminded me of foundation stonework of gray stones with white mortar. Several manions are named Greystone. The old C&O railroad, (a predecessor of CSX which we're speaking of elsewhere) had a famous kitten symbol named Chessie. They also had a lessor known tomcat called Peake, who was "Chessie's old man". I discovered color images of Peake looked just like my Greystone. I was particularly touched by the ones where Peake became a soldier and went off to WW II. There's a cute book about Chessie's history as an advertising cat for the railroad. When CSX was still the Chessie System, their "C" logo had an outline of a cat. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I had one cat a number of years ago who lived with me for _eighteen years_ (April, 1978 through about that same month in 1996). He was no kitten when I got him, so I assume he was probably 20-21 years old when he died. He was a Russian Blue longhair, and I named him 'Nicholas' after the Russian Czar of the same name. He showed up on a snowy day in April that year, just sitting in the entrance way to the apartment building I lived in. I left him sitting in the lobby area downstairs for a couple hours, thinking someone might come and claim him, but no one did. Two or three hours later he will still sitting right there where I left him so I took him in my house and he stayed for the next 17-18 years. I moved to another house, and took him along; by that time he had a 'brother', a Calico cat I named 'Tarzan' since he had the propensity to try and climb up the floor length curtains in my living room area. Tarzan lived about a dozen years; I woke up one morning and found him laying dead _at my feet_; Nicholas was still around. Since cats cannot speak and tell you about their illnesses or pains, etc I decided then and there that as soon as Nicholas began getting feeble I would not selfishly keep him around; about a year later -- possibly because he missed his friend Tarzan so much -- and possibly because he was also getting so arthritic he got very lethargic; it was very difficult for him to get in and out of my lap. I took him to the vet who expressed much amazement at his age. The vet examined him and said it would be best to allow him to leave now, and be rid of his pain and whatever concerns (a cat might have). Nikkie (as I called him) jumped up into my lap there in the vet's office just purring and 'talking' to me as the vet did what needed to be done and euthanized him. Although I thought about him off and on over the years following, I did not get another cat right away. When I returned here to Independence to live following my brain aneurysm, I was anxious to begin doing some volunteer charitable work (that has always been my thing, as long as I can remember). The lady who runs our animal shelter here (AWOL, or Animals With Our Love) asked me to come and help her. I was there one day and a _Russian Blue Longhair_ cat was there. Right away I thought of little Nikkie from years before and brought him home here to live with me; I named him Nicholas the Second. Trouble is, during his first vet visit at the time of adoption, it turns out Nicholas was diagnosed with FIV (the feline version of HIV in humans.)I think the people who brought him to AWOL knew that when they brought him there and did not bother to tell us. I tried to keep him here in my house all the time, but that was not fair to him or the other cats. After a second vet had confirmed the diagnosis of the first vet (about the FIV condition), he was put down also. PAT] ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Mother Decides to Fight Downloading Suit on Her Own Date: 3 Jan 2006 10:22:10 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com William Warren wrote: > I'll cut to the chase -- the P2P battle is just the trampled grass > surrounding the ring in which the industrial elephants from the old > and the new entertainment worlds are doing battle. > The old world entertainment companies, panicking at the thought of > losing their choke hold on the production and distribution of enter- > ainment media, are waging a FUD campaign to dissuade you and me from > using our computers to bypass their monopoly on the management of > popular culture. Yes and no. The same thing was said about the Internet and 24/7 cable news vs. traditional newspapers. Now newspaper reading has indeed declined a bit but many predicted they'd be gone by now, made obsolete by newer technologies. Indeed, the introduction of television in the 1950s was said to kill off the motion picture studios. The introduction of new technologies usually does cause established industries to make changes. Market share is lost. But old industries do not disappear if they evolve. Television did help kill off some classic magazines like LIFE and the Saturday Evening Post. But the magazine world is still quite busy. Indeed, LIFE magazine is somewhat still with us, only in a different form called People Magazine, same publisher, and doing very well. (We don't like to think of LIFE as being about celebrities, but a big part of it was Hollywood and curiosity "freak/oddball" coverage). Maybe local TV viewing is down, but local TV news is now a profit center, years ago it was done at a loss as a public service. Certainly some new music will be distributed by electronic means outside the traditional channels. But the old-stype distributing complex--the record companies--shouldn't go away. When I was a kid I went to a record hop party and the DJ gave out 45s to every guest. They were demo records prepared by aspiring artists. He had tons of them. They weren't very good. The point is that there are lots of aspiring artists out there, but most just aren't up to high standards to "make it" nationwide. The record companies and radio stations, like book publishers, perform of necessary function of weeding out and polishing up new artists. By the way, there are plenty of artists who become "one hit wonders"; they'll do one song that will popular for years yet they'll never do anything else despite being promoted. Popular music isn't about purity or talent. Music lovers don't like groups like the Backstreet Boys or N Sync because they were artifically "invented". That is irrelevent. Popular music is what the word says, "popular". It's what sells. Frankly, as a listener, I don't care who the Backstreet Boys really are; I happen to enjoy listening to their music. Conversely, I don't care about Eminem's struggle as a poor white kid trying to get into rap music; I don't like the sound and don't listen to it. Radio stations live and die by ratings. The people decide for themselves. ------------------------------ From: techBoy Subject: MOAP Mobile Phone Platform by DoCoMo Date: 3 Jan 2006 00:29:16 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hi, Does anybody know any website link or books that can give information on the MOAP (Mobile Oriented Application Platform) platform of DoCoMo Japan? ------------------------------ From: madman_37412@yahoo.com Subject: AT&T Manged Internet Service Date: 3 Jan 2006 07:15:12 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Our company has started using AT&T Manged Internet Services, about 3 months ago. First problem is they are routing us out of Orlando, FL and we are TN customers. They are using two load balanced T-1s to make our 3mb service request. I requested bonded T-1s and they advise this isn't possible. We previouly had a fractional DS3 with 3mb that worked great. Has anyone else had trouble with thier Internet services? ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V25 #3 **************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Jan 3 21:29:36 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id D13C214F98; Tue, 3 Jan 2006 21:29:35 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #4 Message-Id: <20060104022935.D13C214F98@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 21:29:35 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Tue, 3 Jan 2006 21:32:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 4 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson California Starts to Clean Up (Justin Norton) Oklahoma, Texas Not Yet Out of Trouble (Sheila Flynn) Re: Oklahoma-Texas Fires, California Mud Slides-Floods (Jim Rusling) Chicago 1970s Accident (Lisa Hancock) Penn Central (Lisa Hancock) Schools Make Parents Pay For Computers (William M. Welch) Slammed for 25 Grand (NOTvalid@Queensbridge.us) Re: Cell Phone Extenders? (Bob Goudreau) Re: Payphone Surcharges (was: Unanswered Cellphones) (Seth Breidbart) Re: Another Year, Another Volume of the Digest (Bob Goudreau) Re: Another Year, Another Volume of the Digest (hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Justin Norton Subject: California Starts to Clean Up Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 18:23:40 -0600 By JUSTIN M. NORTON, Associated Press Writer Most rivers and streams throughout California had receded back below flood stage Tuesday following a pair of severe storms, allowing residents and officials to clean up and assess the damage. As soon as the Russian River receded in Guerneville, Dave Roberts began hosing the mud off his bar and sweeping water out the doors. His Wild Jane's Bar and Restaurant was drenched in 2 1/2 feet of water when the storms swamped Northern California's wine country during the weekend, but he took the flooding in stride. "We're used to this," Roberts said Monday. The 20-year resident of this town along the Russian River had survived worse flooding before. "After all, it's just mud and water, easily cleaned." While Northern California recovered from the severe weather, heavy rain followed by snow had turned to ice on highways across northern Nevada, creating hazardous driving conditions and dozens of accidents Tuesday morning. No major accidents or injuries were reported, but traffic going both directions was severely backed up for several miles. "It's a skating rink out there," Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Eddie Bowers said. The weekend storms had dumped up to 8 inches of rain in places, swelling streams and washing mud down hills and onto homes and highways. Levees were breached or weakened, forcing evacuations of dozens of residents. At least three deaths were blamed on the storm -- all from falling trees. On Monday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Napa, Sacramento, Sonoma and Trinity counties. Initial estimates put the damage in two towns alone at more than $100 million. As the second storm moved south Monday, soaking the Rose Parade for the first time in 50 years but causing little damage to the Los Angeles area, officials up north shifted into cleanup mode. "We're continuing to work our way toward the light at the end of that tunnel," said Rob Hartman of the National Weather Service's California-Nevada River Forecast Center in Sacramento. In Napa, where the river had inundated most of the downtown area, Schwarzenegger toured the flood-damaged areas Monday afternoon. A layer of mud and debris still coated city streets, but most flooded roads had been reopened. Initial damage estimates there approached $75 million, with about 1,200 homes, 250 businesses and 150 vehicles damaged, Napa spokesman Peter Dreier said Monday. The storm also flooded thousands of acres of wine country land, but vintners escaped serious damage because grapevines are largely dormant this time of year. The Marin County town of San Anselmo, north of San Francisco, suffered some $40 million in damage when a creek flooded the downtown with 4 feet of water, coating city streets with mud. On Tuesday morning, city workers were out in force, hosing the mud and water into the sewers. The Russian River at Guerneville crested early Sunday at 42 feet -- 10 feet above flood stage -- submerging farms and trailer parks. Hundreds of homes were flooded, and the California Army National Guard used all-terrain vehicles to pick up people stranded by high water. The National Guard found several people waiting in their homes patiently for rescue. Farther inland, about 40 residents of the rural Solano County town of Collinsville began returning home Monday after a weakened levee the day before threatened their homes and forced evacuations, said sheriff's spokeswoman Paula Toynbee. "Thank goodness the levee did hold up," she commented, "only a few small leaks were found it, and repair crews were working on all that Monday afternoon and evening." In Novato, authorities said crews after working a day and a half, completed repairs on a 100-foot section of a levee that was breached Saturday near Highway 101. Associated Press writer Don Thompson in Sacramento and Michelle Locke in Napa contributed to this report. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Shelia Flynn Subject: Oklahoma, Texas Not Yet Out of Trouble Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 18:25:42 -0600 Fires Burn Hundreds of Thousands of Acres By SHEILA FLYNN, Associated Press Writer RINGGOLD, Texas - Firefighters faced windier, warmer weather Tuesday as they battled fast-moving blazes that have virtually destroyed some small towns and charred hundreds of thousands of acres of drought-stricken Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Since Dec. 27, flames racing across grassland and farmland have destroyed more than 250 buildings. Four deaths were reported last week in Texas and Oklahoma. On Monday, authorities went house to house in a search for victims in burned-out Texas towns including Ringgold. A weekend blaze destroyed most of the ranch-and-cattle community of about 100 people near the Oklahoma line. Fifty other homes and 40,000 acres were torched as wind swept the fire 13 miles from Ringgold to Nocona. Coylee Grimsley and her two sons watched their home burn just hours after she had cooked a large meal to celebrate the new year. "We was enjoying it, and here come the flames," she said. "If you'd been there, you'd have thought the world was going to end." One of two major fires near San Angelo in West Texas -- a 40,000-acre blaze in Sterling County -- had been contained, authorities said. Fifteen structures were destroyed and two people suffered minor injuries. The other major blaze in the San Angelo area, a 50,000-acre fire with a 50-mile perimeter in nearby Irion and Reagan counties, was about 70 percent contained Tuesday. No damages or evacuations were reported. A 35,000-acre blaze near the small towns of Carbon, Gorman and Desdemona had been beaten back by late Monday to just a few hundred acres of mostly open ranch land, said Mark Pipkin of the Eastland Fire Department. All major wildfires in Oklahoma were declared under control late Monday thanks to calmer wind and higher humidity, but crews were preparing for the worst. Highs up to 80 were possible Tuesday with only 10 to 20 percent humidity and wind up to 25 mph, the National Weather Service said. "We will make sure that all the hot spots and smoldering areas are put out for the simple fact that if the wind picks up, we'll be in trouble," said Dan Ware, spokesman for New Mexico's state Forestry Division. The weather service issued a "red flag warning" for Texas on Tuesday because of the expected heat, low humidity and wind. Computer models showed no rain soon, said Jesse Moore, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Fort Worth. He said the region's last appreciable rain was about a quarter-inch on Dec. 20. Oklahoma is more than a foot behind its normal rainfall of about 36 inches for this time of year. "We're not out of danger yet," said Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry. "We can't let our guard down. All the fires were put out on Monday, but Tuesday is likely to find some sparks ready to flare up again." Since the rash of wildfires began in Texas, more than 200,000 acres of land has been charred, 250 homes destroyed and three people killed, the Texas Forest Service says. Four fires in southeastern New Mexico had blackened more than 53,000 acres of grassland and burned 11 houses and two businesses near Hobbs. The flames forced the evacuation of 200 to 300 people on the city's fringe -- including about 170 from two Hobbs nursing homes. All but about 50 had returned home by midday Monday, authorities said. Since Nov. 1, Oklahoma wildfires have covered more than 331,000 acres and destroyed 220 homes and businesses, said Albert Ashwood, Oklahoma's emergency management director. One person was killed and a few persons injured, but none severely.. With his grandparents' Oklahoma City home in smoldering ruins, 10-year-old Cameron Batson found something to be thankful for: He pointed out the basketball goal in the driveway that remained intact after the three-level brick home was turned into ashen rubble. "We had some good times here," the boy said Monday, his voice cracking with emotion. "It was a pretty house." Associated Press writers Angela K. Brown in Kokomo, Texas, and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Associated Press please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Jim Rusling Subject: Re: Oklahoma-Texas Fires, California Mud Slides-Floods Organization: Retired Reply-To: usenet@rusling.org Date: Mon, 02 Jan 2006 20:31:57 -0600 Ashley Gibson wrote: > By ASHLEY GIBSON, Associated Press Writer > A rash of wildfires raged Sunday across Oklahoma, Texas and New > Mexico, including one that burned several homes in northeastern > Oklahoma City. We had one here in Mustang, OK (near Oklahoma City). It burned about 25 acres, destroyed 6 homes and many storage/out buildings. I don't know how many homes were damaged. There were 3 minor injuries. We were lucky and only had a little siding damaged. I did lose a 8x16 storage building that was full of stuff and a 10 feet cab over camper. My truck also has an unknown amount of wiring damage. I was at work, but the wife got the sprinkler set up in the front yard and loaded up the dogs. They ended up spending over 4 hours in the car. It was moving very fast. We had fire equipment from 8 different cities fighting the fire. We had at least 6 engines in an 8 square block area and they still could not stop it from jumping the street. Jim Rusling More or Less Retired Mustang, OK http://www.rusling.org [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But the important thing is, your wife, family and dogs are okay, so you did not lose anything that mattered, did you? :) PAT] ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Chicago 1970s Accident Date: 3 Jan 2006 09:48:49 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Did you see that nice picture of me on > the front page of the Chicago Daily News? Don't have access to that. Is it on the web? > Also, you just now spoke about the 'g-force' of the trains hitting, > but where you are wrong about that was the train I was on (which got > smacked up pretty good) was one of the newer, more 'light-weight' and > more flimsy cars. The report I read (back at the time) said the full shock would have killed passengers on both trains, old and new. That's why automobiles today are purposely engineered with "crumble zones" to absorb the impact of energy in collisions. Likewise some abutments have barrels of water or sand in front of them to do the same thing. Some highway sign poles are designed to be 'breakaway' rather than rigid. Of course, sometimes the law works strangely. There was an accident in an intersection of two local streets. One car hit another and pushed it into a utlity pole and the occupant was killed. The power company was sued blamed for having a pole in a dangerous place, even though the pole was on the sidewalk area, not in the roadway, and it was a local street, not a throughway. What was particularly galling was that the intersection and pole placement dated from the 1920s when that neighborhood was built, and many thousands of intersections just like that exist throughout the country. The power company didn't cause the accident, the errant auto did. But the power company had deep pockets which the auto owner didn't, so they got nailed. > the newer cars and take along with me a heavy, large size 'phillips > screw-driver' I could take the entire car apart before we got to > downtown. Odd. The 1960 el cars I rode in Phila used an odd screw head, presumably to thwart that sort of thing. > There were other incidental situations where a 'new' car was bumped > by an old car (they did that as part of their testing) and even though > the 'old' car just barely bumped the 'new car' there were still dent > marks on the 'new' car. For many years there was a federal standard that rail cars had to take 800,000 lbs of compression without deformation, and every car was so tested. I understand recently the Feds have raised that higher, meaning that new cars must be heavier to meet that standard. I am not aware that a heavier car is any safer, there are other factors that kill passengers that are more significant (severe collisions such as yours are relatively rare). Anyway, that's the minimum standard. It's possible, even likely that the older cars could take more of a hit so that's why there was a difference. I believe in your accident the following train didn't stop at that station so it was going at full speed, thus the severity of the collision. In something that high impact there isn't too much that can be done to protect people. More effort is made to prevent collisions in the first place, though I know of two accidents where the engineer deliberately bypassed the safety gear and people were killed. One was a CTA L train where the motorman bypassed the autostop and kept power going (no one knows why) and rear ended another train causing them to fall off the L). Another was a Conrail freight that disregarded a yellow then a red signal and hit an Amtrak train (the engineer was high on pot, and disengaged the safety device). > My friend (who I said a couple days ago I had taken to New Orleans > with me on vacation earlier) called the railroad one day to report > (by car number and axle number) a 'flat wheel' on one of the new cars. > (A 'flat wheel' is one that is not entirely round, at a certain place > in the circumference of the wheel it is a bit out of shape; the result > is a person with a good ear or lots of railroad experience [as he had] > can hear a certain 'chunk-chunk' noise as the train rapidly moves down > the track). The railroad told him off good also, but then a day or two > later called him back to say they had investigated it and found it to > be as he said it was. Flat spots are very common on trains. They make freight trains noisy. Some passenger trains have wheel-slip protection which is essentially anti-lock brakes and they serve to reduce locked wheels which causes the grinding down and flat spots. Severe flat spots are annoying to ride over if your particular car has them. Actually, I don't think unpowered coaches have them, only self-propelled electric cars. RR shops have truing machines that grind the wheel down to eliminate flat spots. After a while the wheel must be replaced, this is standard maintainence, at a train shop you'll see wheels lying around. > Those 'new' cars were no match for the 'older' (1920-ish) cars they > abandoned for no good reason. PAT] I don't know the particulars, but 50 year old equipment, as those were, have some disadvantages to new equipment. One is no air conditioning. Another is heavy weight which comes out to higher power consumption. A third is speed--newer trains can usually accelerate and stop faster which is significant in commuter service. A fourth is maintenance -- parts must be hand manufactured ($$$) for old cars and breakdowns are common. Shortly after Amtrak was created it had a major upgrade of the coaches it inherited. It converted the tough steam powered utility lines to electric which was more reliable. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I do not think Chicago Daily News exists anywhere these days except as fond memories in the minds of its readers. It went out of business in 1976. All afternoon daily newspapers in Chicago were gone about that time. Hearst had the Chicago Herald; eventually merged it with the Chicago American to make the Herald-American, then sold it off to the Chicago Tribune. The Herald-American folded in 1967 and was replaced by a short lived paper called 'Chicago Today', which lasted for seven years and left the scene in 1974-75. The Daily News was edited and printed over on Canal Street near Madison Street and was founded in the late 1800's by Victor Lawson (of Lawson YMCA fame), who then sold it to Mr. Knight who had it until he sold it to the Chicago Sun-Times [itself a combo made up of the Chicago Sun and the Chicago Times which merged as the Sun-Times in 1941], then the Sun-Times closed the Daily News a few years later in 1976. Chicago Public Library has (or had) microfilms of the Daily News from its beginning to its end, but I seriously doubt any of it made it on computer. For three years, when I was 10-13 or thereabouts I had two paper routes: in the morning I delivered the Sun-Times and the Tribune; in the afternoon I delivered the Herald- American, the Daily News, a Polish newspaper called the 'Daily Zygoda' (I think that was it?), the Christian Science Monitor and one or two customers took the Wall Street Journal. I recall the Monitor always came by train from the east coast, and it always arrived two or three days after the publication date. But at the news agency, they always gave me a stack of those each day; also the 'TV Guide' magazine on Thursdays. I do not have any of those newspaper reports of the train crash any longer. I suppose I should have kept a copy of them but whoever thinks they are going to get old and want to go back to look at things in the future? PAT] ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Penn Central Date: 3 Jan 2006 10:02:00 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Seth Breidbart wrote: >> The Penn Central Railway, just to name one example, ran so well "by >> itself", that it drove itself into bankruptcy, and liquidation. The >> vast sums that they lost on passenger rail service were a direct >> contributing factor. > Actually, it didn't do so badly until it was looted by corrupt > management. A close look at the record does not support that. A key book is "The Wreck of the Penn Central". The authors, two newspaper reporters, took a muckraking approach and clearly felt the bankruptcy was totally management's fault. However, they at least included details of other circumstances that were actually the real reasons for bankruptcy. (The authors chose to emphasize different issues). Note that: -- The key PC personnel didn't get rich. The head guy, Saunders, lost a lot of money and prestige. -- The bankruptcy was aggresively investigated and no criminal wrongdoing was found. -- As a result of the bankruptcy laws were changed to eliminate the problems the PC had. Passenger service, both local and long distance, was transferred to govt agencies. (PC lost a tremendous amount of money on psgr service). Abandonments of unprofitable segments and better rate making was deregulated by the Staggers Act. -- Keep in mind there is a big difference between bad decisions and criminal decisions by management. Bad decisions is not "looting". -- Unlike modern corporations where assets are mostly paper and the guts are hidden, the physical plant of the Penn Central was wide open for everyone to see, and it was obvious it was lousy. Everybody was stuck on the legends of the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central and ignored the reality that both railroads were in terrible physical condition and were losing money at the time of the merger. It amazes me how Wall Street ignores--good and bad--the actual condition of a company. (A friend told me a utility was undervalued by Wall Street and to buy it. He was right, the stock doubled soon after I bought it. Too bad I only bought a little so even though I doubled my money my actual gain wasn't that much.) As an aside, the Pennsyslvania Railroad had a sophisticated telephone system, with its own toll test switchboards. I believe railroads were one of the types that were allowed to own their own telephone gear and maintain it themselves and still connect to the Bell System. After Amtrak and Conrail came in the system was replaced with modern stuff. Tiny modern brown 2554 Touch Tone wall sets replaced big old style phones and Teletype 40 series CRTs replaced the old green impact printers. Amtrak used Control Data computers and CRT screens. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Baltimore & Ohio and Santa Fe Railroads each had their own telephone network as well. PAT] ------------------------------ From: William M. Welch Subject: schools Make Parents Pay For Computers Before Kids Log on Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 18:16:50 -0600 By William M. Welch, USA TODAY Heather Sutherland was excited to learn her public school system was using laptop computers to teach elementary students such as her daughter. Until, that is, she found out parents were expected to pay the nearly $1,500 cost. "I said, 'What? You must be joking,' " Sutherland says. "I think it's unfair that the (school district) is requiring us to 'pay to learn.' " The public school system in this quiet city 27 miles southeast of Los Angeles is pushing the frontiers of computer technology in the classroom with a program that puts a laptop computer into the backpacks of children as early as first grade. It is pushing the boundaries of financing, too, by asking parents to pay $500 a year for three years so each of more than 2,000 elementary and middle school children can have their own Apple iBook G4 laptop. But asking parents to pay for it isn't. "I can see where that issue raises concerns," he says. "I'm not aware of anyone else who has tried that." The Fullerton program, at four of 20 district schools, has created a storm of controversy for the school system and its superintendent, Cameron McCune. It also has raised broader questions about how far public schools here and elsewhere can go in using costly technology in the face of tight school budgets and limited funding. Some parents worry that whatever its educational benefits, the program has created an expensive burden for struggling families and has forged new divisions in the public schools. Sutherland, who kept her 11-year-old daughter out of the program, is concerned that it creates "a horrible form of financial segregation." "It's mind-boggling that they would even suggest such a thing," Sutherland says. Some parents say the financial expectations and price tag violate California's constitutional guarantee of a free public education -- a principle also in other state constitutions. The parents are threatening a lawsuit and have enlisted the help of the American Civil Liberties Union. "The California constitution is very, very clear: My children attend a free public school," Sandra Dingess says. Dingess moved three of her four children to another school within the district to avoid the big computer bill and what she says was the embarrassment her children faced from being unable to pay. Her fourth child, an eighth-grader, remained in the program for a final year. McCune, who created the program, acknowledges that his school system is trying something controversial, but he says lower-income families can get help paying for the computers. "In all four schools, nobody has been denied access because of a lack of ability to pay." There are other concerns. Some parents say transferring to another school is not fair. Others object to requests for tax returns and financial records to obtain aid. "We don't think you have the right to ask for that information," Dingess says. "You're not the IRS. You're a public school." Computers now common in class. Schools have come a long way in embracing technology in the past decade. More than 99% of public schools had Internet access by 2002, according to federal statistics. It is commonplace for even elementary classrooms to have one or more computers. In high schools, computer labs with multiple machines allow students to research subjects and type up and print papers. The computers also let kids use Internet-based prep courses for college entrance exams such as the SAT and fill out online college applications, National PTA official Chuck Saylors says. "At the PTA, we would encourage technology in the classroom,' says Saylors, of Greenville, S.C. "Whether you are (going to be) a food server in a restaurant or the CEO of a major corporation, every child that leaves school now, regardless of what they do in adult life, is going to have to have some knowledge of technology." Well-stocked labs lessen pressure on parents to buy computers for their children, Saylors says, but "not every school district and not every family can have the resources to make that happen." He says teachers, in assigning outside work, generally are sensitive to differing computer resources in their students' homes. In Greenville, he says, the school system has invited big employers to donate their used computers to the schools, which in turn lease them to the families of students for as little as $10 a year. "We'd love to see computers in classrooms and in every home, but realistically that's almost impossible," Saylors says. That brings up the issue of disparity in education. Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association union, which represents 2.7 million teachers, says the issue isn't computers but money. "If there was (adequate) funding there, no kid would have to worry about whether or not their parents choose for them to have a computer," Weaver says. Attempts in recent years to start similar programs with parents purchasing laptops were suspended in the face of controversy at a San Diego County school district and in Palo Alto, Calif. In the face of a potential suit, Fullerton's elected school board has halted plans to expand it to all sixth-graders next year and ordered a reassessment. Educational value worth the price? Students seem to like the brave new world, though what they're learning may not be so educational. In Fullerton, computers are used in all subjects and as much as 60% of the class work. Some of what they learn is how to e-mail friends and download music. "It was fun to have around and to use for my own purposes," says Riley Hall, 13, who was in the program last year but transferred to another school for eighth grade. "But it didn't make school any better or more challenging. ... A lot of it at school was to show off what you know about computers." In designing Fullerton's program, McCune points to Henrico County, Va., where 24,000 laptops have been put in the hands of high school and middle school students, and Maine, where 38,000 laptops have been provided to seventh- and eighth-graders. In both cases, the county or state provided the laptops. Parents weren't asked to lease or buy them. Fullerton officials say their system can't afford that. "Our problem here in California is we're underfunded so much, we just don't have the money to pay for it," school board member Minard Duncan says. "I don't blame the parents for objecting to paying for what we call free public education." Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. For daily headlines and stories from USA Today, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/internet-news.html ------------------------------ From: NOTvalid@Queensbridge.us Subject: Slammed for 25 Grand Date: 3 Jan 2006 11:08:15 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com PHONE USER ON HOOK FOR 25G By BILL SANDERSON New York Post 1/3/2006 http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/60856.htm January 3, 2006 -- Bedridden for 17 years, Timmy Secor can't work a computer - he can't even lift his head from his pillow - but Verizon bills him as if he were a millionaire keyboard whiz. He's been overbilled $25,000, a friend said. His monthly tab includes $19.95 for dialup Internet service he's never used and $39.95 for a nonexistent Web page. There's no explanation for the $29.95 Verizon collects for a company called Directory Billing Service or the $21.45 "multiline charge" for "Business Network LD." With other mystery charges and the regular ... TO READ ENTIRE STORY you have to agree to nine pages of privacy policy and fifteen pages of terms of us 24 pages total. I don't have time to study that much legalese. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That's okay, I got it from my RSS feed and have the entire account here for everyone to read: PAT] PHONE USER ON HOOK FOR 25G By BILL SANDERSON Bedridden for 17 years, Timmy Secor can't work a computer - he can't even lift his head from his pillow - but Verizon bills him as if he were a millionaire keyboard whiz. He's been overbilled $25,000, a friend said. His monthly tab includes $19.95 for dialup Internet service he's never used and $39.95 for a nonexistent Web page. There's no explanation for the $29.95 Verizon collects for a company called Directory Billing Service or the $21.45 "multiline charge" for "Business Network LD." With other mystery charges and the regular Verizon charges, fees and taxes, Secor's September phone bill was $575.76. "These phone companies are bankrupting me," said Secor, 63, who runs a modeling agency from his hospital bed in his Upper East Side apartment. The law requires Verizon to bill its customers on other companies' behalf. Consumer advocates call it "cramming." Verizon has refunded $4,950, and an official told The Post that the company was working on Secor's "issues" but declined to comment further. Arnold Martin, a pal helping Secor with the problem, figures he's overpaid around $25,000 over the years. It's a mystery how his phone bill got so bloated. One company, Simple.net, says Secor responded in 2004 to a mail solicitation that contained a check for $3.25. By depositing the check, the company says, Secor signed up for dialup Internet service. by bill.sanderson@nypost.com NEW YORK POST is a registered trademark of NYP Holdings, Inc. NYPOST.COM, NYPOSTONLINE.COM, and NEWYORKPOST.COM are trademarks of NYP Holdings, Inc. Copyright 2005 NYP Holdings, Inc. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I have gotten a lot of those 'checks' for amounts ranging fom fifty cents through several dollars, always on the condition 'cash this check and you authorize us to do whatever.' I always throw them away, which Mr. Secor should learn to do. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Subject: Re: Cell Phone Extenders? Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2006 23:02:12 -0500 [Please foil the spammers by obscuring my email address. Thanks.] John Levine wrote: >>>> If you buy a cellphone and contract for service for that cellphone >>>> with a licensed carrier, then that carrier's license covers the >>>> operation of the phone you activated with that carrier. You can't >>>> then go out and use other phones under that contract without the >>>> carrier's consent. >>> An interesting theory, although clearly nonsensical with GSM phones. >> With GSM phones (if not locked), you would be contractually allowed to >> use any compatible (i.e., proper band for the country at issue) GSM >> phone with the SIM chip from your carrier. > Well, as it happens, I have a GSM phone from Cingular, and the > contract says only that I am responsible for the installation and > operation of my phone, and that they may reprogram the roaming table. > It doesn't say anything about being required to use the phone they > provided or anything else along those lines. But doesn't the very absence of any contractual language requiring you to use a Cingular-provided handset itself constitute Cingular's consent for you to substitute other handsets? The original posters weren't claiming that you could never substitute equipment, only that you could not substitute equipment unless your carrier consented to it. By failing to tie you contractually to a particular handset, it seems that Cingular has thus given you all the consent you need. Bob Goudreau Cary, NC ------------------------------ From: sethb@panix.com (Seth Breidbart) Subject: Re: Payphone Surcharges (was: Unanswered Cellphones) Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 20:51:16 +0000 (UTC) Organization: Society for the Promulgation of Cruelty to the Clueless In article , wrote: > DevilsPGD wrote: >> Unless the owner of the payphone is threatening or inflicting harm >> upon you causing you to make a call, no extortion has been committed. > In terms of the letter of the law you are correct. But when someone > is in a captive situation, such as being in a hospital and needing to > call family (either as a patient or visitor) the person has no > choices. In other words, when I had to take my mother to the > emergency room, I had to notify both my employer and my sister of the > situation. It wasn't the owner of the payphone who forced you to make those notifications, right? Whoever forced you to call your employer and your sister is the one who extorted you. > I was using a calling card and the pay phone used the long distance > carrier I used. But I didn't know I _still_ had to dial a special 800 > number. So the problem was your own ignorance. > After complaining, they took off the $25/minute charges. That's > fraud and deceptive business practice. Taking off the charge is fraud? > (BTW, there were no directions on my calling card number -- which > was merely my phone number with a PIN and I've had it for many > years.) Are you sure you never got directions with it? Can you prove that? > Do you think a supermarket could get away with advertising a big > special but charging you outrageous prices because you didn't dial an > 800 number first? They could get away with advertising Joe's Brand Spaghetti at $0.10/lb and charging you $4.95/lb for Mike's Brand Spaghetti. >> Making a payphone call is not a right. Your "need" to make a call >> does not give you the right to do so at a rate of your choosing. > Interesting how you put it. Let's be clear about something. Until > divesture, making a phone call was indeed a right under the philosophy > of universal telephone service. It was a _goal_, not a _right_. And even then, payphones weren't part of it. Seth [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It is impossible to prove something did _not_ happen. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Bob Goudreau Subject: RE: Another Year, Another Volume of the Digest Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2006 22:49:32 -0500 [As always, please obscure my email address from the spammers. Thanks.] PAT wrote: > We are now on volume 25 of the Digest (in case you had not noticed) and > we are in another year, 2006 (which I am sure you _did_ notice.) We > started off yesterday, Sunday, with issue 1 of volume 25. This Digest > has been around now for a _quarter-century_, since 1981, ... > Our 'official' quarter-century mark occurs on August 11. Pat, how did the Digest manage to misplace a volume somewhere along the way? If the practice ideally is to always start a new volume on January 1 of a new year, then this year's volume should be number 26, not 25. I.e.: Volume 1: August 11, 1981 through December 31, 1981 (a partial year volume) Volume 2: January 1, 1982 through December 31, 1982 ... Volume 25: January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005 Volume 26: January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2006 But I see from the Telecom Digest Archives that the system seemed to break down for a while between 2001 and 2003: [DIR] 1999.volume.19/ (this one is numbered as expected) [DIR] 2000.volume.20/ (so is this one) [DIR] 2001.volume.20/ (wait, it's a new year but we're still in Vol. 20!) [DIR] 2002.volume.20/ (yet another new year, but still Vol. 20!) [DIR] 2002.volume.21/ (a second volume for 2002) [DIR] 2002.volume.22/ (a THIRD volume for 2002!) [DIR] 2003.volume.22/ (Vol. 22 also spans more than one year) [DIR] 2004.volume.23/ (things have stabilized to one volume per year again) I assume that this numbering confusion took place during your absence from the Digest that was caused by your stroke and ensuing convalescence. We're glad we managed to get you back, and happy birthday to the Digest! Bob Goudreau Cary, NC [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Figure it this way: 1981 from 2006 leaves 25 does it not? Originally August 1981 through December 1981 a partial volume. Volume 2 started in January 1982. During all of year 2001 I was in convelesance which was most of volume 20 and all of volume 21. I skipped volume 21 on paper for that reason, if you read the archives at the end of vol 20 I stuck a single issue in there referred to as vol 21, and went on to vol 22. At some point in there I thought about using the actual anniversary date to change volume numbers and went to volume 23 from 22. I think that is how the mix up happened. In any event, August 11 1981 through August 11, 2006 equals 25. I doubt I am going to do anything about the anniversary anyway. Not that many people care either way, but thanks for your kind thoughts. PAT ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Another Year, Another Volume of the Digest Date: 3 Jan 2006 07:03:29 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com TELECOM Digest Editor wrote: > but I do hope there will be another 25 years of this > publication, whoever is maintaining it at that point in time. Congratulations and thanks to Pat for maintaining the Digest for so many years. It's a lot more work than it appears. Probably not, as we will all have implanted chips in our brains by that time making telephones obsolete. Sorry to be such a downer on New Year's eve. Ok, maybe I'm being too paranoid, but the continuing loss of personal privacy in order to "protect us" has me worried. It doesn't seem to concern anyone else. Indeed, the technies of the world appear to love it because it means lucrative employment opportunities. Lockheed Martin, a major defense contractor, has a big contract for "security" devices for the NYC transit system. In the name of "security", we allow BOTH the government and private sector (our employers, our mortgager and landlords, our credit cards and banks) to collect all sorts of personal information. It wasn't bad when this stuff was stuffed away in a filing cabinet on paper or even on an old clunky mainframe. But now the stuff is always available on-line in compatible formats, easily shared. Supposedly this information is for business use only. But sooner or later someone or some other company or govt agency looks eagerly at the mass of data. We don't want terrorists running around, do we? We don't want perverts running around, do we? We don't want drug dealers. We don't want drug users. We don't want deadbeats. We don't want troublemakers. And so on. Verizon (nee Bell Telephone) announced it is reporting payment promptness to credit bureaus. They used to keep that strictly private. Each and every one of us at one point or another made a mistake in our lives. Often we got drunk and did something stupid. Maybe we took the weed or sold it. Or, we lost our temper and got into a fist fight at work. Perhaps we stole something. Somewhere that offense is recorded. Maybe it's still only on paper. But if they can convert the entire New York Times to machine readable form, they can convert anything quickly and easily. That little mishap way back in college or high school really is part of your "permanent record". ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2005-06 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #4 **************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Jan 4 19:38:44 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 2381614FB7; Wed, 4 Jan 2006 19:38:44 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #5 Message-Id: <20060105003844.2381614FB7@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 19:38:44 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Wed, 4 Jan 2006 19:40:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 5 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson BellSouth IPTV Trial Advances With Satellite Deal (Reuters News Wire) UAE Extends Curbs on Child Porn (Richard Dean) Lenovo and Cingular Make High Speed Deal (Reuters News Wire) Double the Power (Michael Desmond) The Hazards of Instant Communication (Lisa Hancock) Cellular-News for Wednesday 4th January 2006 (Cellular-News) Verizon Wins Video Franchise in Maryland County (USTelecom dailyLead) Re: Schools Make Parents Pay For Computers Before Kids Log on (Steve Sobol) Re: Another Year, Another Volume of the Digest (Bob Goudreau) Re: Oklahoma-Texas Fires, California Mud Slides-Floods (Jim Rusling) Re: Cell Phone Extenders? (Paul Coxwell) Re: Cat Speech? (Paul Coxwell) Re: Payphone Surcharges (was: Unanswered Cellphones) (Lisa Hancock) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Reuters News Wire Subject: BellSouth IPTV Trial Advances With Satellite Deal Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 14:55:00 -0600 BellSouth, the No. 3 U.S. local telephone company, said on Wednesday it signed a deal to receive satellite video services from SES Global as it moves ahead with test plans to deliver television over the Internet. The deal with SES Global's U.S. arm, SES Americom, expands on a trial BellSouth began last year with Microsoft Corp to launch a new Internet-based TV system in mid-2006. "SES Americom enables us to make additional content available to BellSouth's IPTV trial participants as we continue our analysis of this technology," said Don Granger, president of BellSouth Entertainment, in a statement. SES Americom, the largest provider of satellite services in the United States, said it would provide BellSouth with video aggregation, encoding, monitoring and transport. Atlanta-based BellSouth has been more cautious than its rivals about embracing IPTV as telecoms providers join a heated battle with cable operators, which have been offering low-cost phone calls over the Internet. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from the daily media, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/news-today.html ------------------------------ From: Richard Dean Subject: UAE Extends Curbs on Child Porn Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 14:56:39 -0600 By Richard Dean The UAE has banned telecoms operators from selling services below cost in a policy overhaul that will also extend curbs on Internet pornography to censorship-free business parks, the chief regulator said. The UAE is preparing the telecoms sector for competition with a second nationwide operator launching mobile, fixed-line and data services this year. The regulator has decided to limit the ability of both operators to cut prices. "We have issued a price regulations policy. No operator will be allowed to sell services at below cost to kill competition, or to offer cross subsidies," said Mohamed Al-Ghanim, director general of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). Cross subsidization is when an operator offers cheap or free services to lure customers, and then charges premium rates for other services, such as international calls. "This is anti-competitive. It will not be allowed," Ghanim told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. The TRA is also considering a move to allow Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), which is currently banned in the UAE -- much to the annoyance of the majority expatriate population, which wants to make cheap calls to families, mostly in Asia and Europe. "I think a decision has to be made in the next quarter whether it is allowed or not," said Ghanim. "Of course, it brings a positive impact in reducing tariffs, but we have to look how it would impact the sector." He said the TRA would consult public opinion before making a decision. State-controlled Etisalat enjoys a monopoly throughout most of the country, blocking cheap VOIP phone calls and enforcing a federal ban on Internet pornography and gambling. At present a few thousand homes and offices in Dubai, served by niche telecoms operator TECOM, are exempt from a national ban on sites considered "unIslamic." Dubai-government owned TECOM enjoys a mini-monopoly in a handful of new developments including Dubai Internet and Media City, which it owns. It also serves homes built by Emaar Properties -- part-owned by the Dubai government. TECOM has a stake in Emirates Integrated Telecom Company, which won the second national license in December. Ghanim warned that it must abide by UAE censors, who last week banned access to the online version of Britain's popular The Sun newspaper. "The Internet will remain censored for cultural reasons. We have to keep our culture protected," he said. TECOM "will have to abide by the rules." Dubai's free zones have lured scores of media brands, including CNN and the BBC, on the promise of freedom from censorship, which is the norm in the Arab world. Some observers fear online censorship within the zones could undermine their reputation as creative hubs. Ghanim confirmed comments made to Reuters in May that a third operator would not be licensed before 2015 in the UAE, a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 1996. "We have submitted the schedule of commitment for the telecoms sector to the WTO," he said. He said the UAE was under some pressure from the United States to open the telecoms sector before 2015, as part of a Free Trade Agreement that the two countries are negotiating. "This is one of the areas we are seriously discussing with the U.S.," said Ghanim, who heads the telecoms negotiating team. He said EITC was building a second GSM mobile phone network across the seven emirates that make up the UAE, which should be ready by mid-2006. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from the daily media, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Tech News Wire Subject: Lenovo to Put Cingular High Speed in Laptops Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 14:57:33 -0600 Cingular Wireless said on Wednesday that computer maker Lenovo Group Ltd. would embed links for its fastest wireless data service in laptop computers that will go on sale in the second quarter. Cingular, a venture of AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp., recently began offering high-speed wireless services based on HSDPA technology in 52 U.S. communities. It has yet to announce mobile phone partners for the service. Lenovo bought the personal computer business of International Business Machines Corp.. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more tech news headlines of interest, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/technews.html ------------------------------ From: Michael Desmond Subject: Double the Power Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 14:59:52 -0600 by Michael Desmond Two heads are better than one. That's the mantra preached by processor makers Intel and Advanced Micro Devices entering 2006. More and more CPUs found in mainstream desktop PCs -- and even notebooks -- are using so-called dual-core designs, which essentially bundle two CPUs into a single square of silicon. But despite the dual-core religion, PC makers aren't necessarily harping on the new technology. You could buy a system today and not even know you were getting a two-headed monster under the hood. So what is it? And why the double dip? Around 2003 or so, the Intels and Dells of the world began to notice a disturbing trend. Ever-faster CPUs were running so hot that they made it difficult to ramp up performance. Industry watchers began talking seriously about water-cooled systems, even as Intel struggled to churn out high-end processors. CPU makers simply could not count on aggressive clock rate increases to produce faster performance. Enter dual-core CPUs such as the AMD Athlon 64 X2 and Intel Pentium D. These processors incorporate two CPU cores to bring more gray matter to bear on computing tasks. More important, they work together to deliver excellent performance at lower clock rates than their single-core counterparts. The result: cooler operation and less stress on minute silicon transistors, which is critical to producing affordable CPUs. You might expect a dual-core CPU to be twice as fast as a single-core model running at the same clock speed, but you'd be wrong. A lot of issues conspire to dilute the performance impact. First, dual-core CPUs can only work their magic when there is more than one discrete set of tasks to work on -- known as a "thread" in computing parlance. A single-threaded application running on a dual-core CPU simply will not benefit from that second core. Second, any time you try to share work between cores, there's overhead involved. Depending on the nature of the task, you can expect that adding a second core will boost performance by up to 70 percent over a single-core CPU. But again, because dual-core CPUs run at lower clock rates, the advantage over competing single-core processors is slim. PC World benchmark tests show that today's top-end single-core CPUs remain competitive with top dual-core CPUs. Software Goes Multicore Still, there are plenty of situations where dual-core CPUs can work their magic, says industry analyst Nathan Brookwood. Business users, for instance, typically have several programs open at once. Dual-core CPUs can help speed things up when you are doing many things at the same time, such as working on a document while loading a page in your Web browser and listening to music on a media player. Most important, more and more software is being tuned with dual-core processors in mind. Brookwood singles out game vendors and graphics-card companies as two groups that have aggressively adopted multithreaded architectures to tap dual-core systems. "Even if the game is single-threaded, all the graphics and 3D [drivers] are multithreaded," says Brookwood. Multithreaded code is already present in many media-creation applications, such as Adobe Photoshop and Premier. You can expect multithreading to become more pervasive as software vendors seek to cater to a large installed base of dual-core CPUs. The result: Buying a dual-core system today will help you take advantage of coming performance improvements tomorrow. But all dual-core processors are not created equal. Chris Connelly, marketing director for PC maker GamePC, says AMD has enjoyed a significant lead in the performance of its dual-core offerings compared to those of the Pentium D. He singles out system offerings like the GamePC Disruptor-SLI series, which incorporates top-end technology for high-end gaming and desktop applications. The Disruptor-SLI family is based on AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors. "The biggest complaints about Intel's dual-core products were that the chip used too much power, creating too much heat in the process, and the chips themselves did not perform as well as many expected, given their high clock rates," says Connelly. All that may be changing. Brookwood says that next-generation desktop chips from Intel will be much more efficient, delivering more performance at lower clock rates than current offerings. "I think the competitive situation between Intel and AMD will grow tighter, and that always benefits buyers," says Brookwood, adding that once Intel rolls out its dual-core desktop processor, code-named Conroe, in the second half of 2006, "that's going to make Intel much more competitive with AMD." The tight competition should help make multicore systems a staple on the market, says Connelly. GamePC expects 90 percent to 95 percent of the systems it sells at the end of the year to be multicore. Future-Proofing Dual-core CPUs may be a no-brainer for all but low-end systems, but tough decisions still await buyers. For instance, 64-bit CPUs are already making their mark in the consumer market, led by AMD's successful Athlon 64 line. And Brookwood says that anyone contemplating the next version of Windows -- called Windows Vista -- should be thinking about a 64-bit CPU. "Vista will certainly take advantage of 64-bit code in ways that Windows XP does not," says Brookwood. "The belief is that 32-bit programs running on Windows Vista won't run as fast as their 64-bit equivalents." There are real implications. A 64-bit version of Adobe Premiere, for instance, might be able to render a large video several hours faster than the 32-bit version of the same program. "You may very well want a 64-bit computer," Brookwood says. What's more, Brookwood says that quad-core processors are in the works. The additional cores will further scale performance, enabling processors to achieve new levels of performance without pushing heat output to untenable levels. Recent Intel road map information, published by Tom's Hardware, shows quad-core and even eight-core CPU platforms emerging in the 2008 time frame. Is the single-core processor finished? Not by a long shot, says Brookwood. "For people who are doing the Web over even a moderate broadband link -- e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, heavy-duty gaming like Solitaire," he jokes, "they don't need a lot of processing power to do that. [Low-end processors] will stay single-core because it's cheaper to make a single-core processor than a dual-core processor." Michael Desmond writes from his home in Vermont. He wonders if CPU makers will take multicore marketing to the silly extremes of companies like Schick, which touts a four-blade men's razor. Copyright 2005 Yahoo/Tech Tuesday ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: The Hazards of Instant Communication Date: 4 Jan 2006 11:02:47 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com By now you've probably heard the sad story that the WV miners, originally thought to be ok, were in fact not. It appears this was a communications misinterpretation. One report, 1010 newsradio said cell phone conversations and relayed to the public before they were confirmed and properly interpreted. In reading this morning's newspaper closely, I note the headline "12 are alive" was quoted from family member statements, not officials. Further, the official comments were pessimistic. I also note that the premise that the men were alive was based simply that they couldn't find them, not that they had any contact with them which is really what would be needed. Not having a body proves nothing. I mention this because of today's passion for "instant" news. In another thread, a poster was glad to be bypassing established companies in getting music out; others are glad to bypass established news organizations. But instant news is not news. It is raw data. Raw data in itself is meaningless, indeed dangerous. News is the _intepretation_ and _compilation_ of raw data. Let's look at a classic example. When FDR ran for election, a telephone poll predicted he'd lose. He won by a landslide. Why was the poll so wrong? Because it was a telephone poll and at that time those who had telephones were not representative Americans; they were more affluent and more likely to vote for Hoover. We all know the famous Truman victory where everyone just "knew" Dewey would win. They "knew" wrong. When breaking news happens, there is tremendous misinformation. Individual witnesses can be notoriously unreliable and possibly biased. (People who didn't see anything will claim that they did just to be on TV and get some attention.) In our discussion about the stranded Amtrak train, my newspaper reported that the train was indeed resupplied with food and sudry, yet others asserted there were no supplies at all. So, who was right? (I believe the train was indeed resupplied). A good news organization takes the reports from various sources and assembles it together. Contradictory information is re-checked. Historical and situational background is checked and matched against the story and contradictions again resolved -- this step is critical toward defining and reporting a story accurately. Individuals at home receiving snippets from the Internet are not getting the full story at all, yet they think they are. Yes, I know news organizations are not perfect, but it is better than no checking at all. [public replies please] [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That report from West Virginia was one of the saddest things I have ever read. WV, one of the poorest states in the union earns much of its living in the coal mines, a dirty job and dangerous by anyone's standards. Wasn't there a popular song several years ago which went (something like this} "Work (some amount) of hours, and what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt; Saint Peter don't you call me cause I can't go; I owe my soul to the company store.". A lot of WV people are grieving today since this incident. The really cruel part of the whole thing was how the folks were at first told that 'their men were all okay', only to find out the sad, bitter truth later on. The hassle though is not in getting the news too fast or too slow, but getting it _accurately_ whenever it arrives. That famous headline "Dewey Wins" in the Chicago Tribune was a good example of rushing things through but getting it wrong. According to Tribune historical accounts of that incident, the newspaper was on strike at the time; some division of the multitude of unions which _used to be involved_ in putting together newspapers (linotype oper- atorss perhaps?) had been on a work stoppage for several days. Management was attempting to do that job function and the reporters had put together _two different_ front pages; one for "Truman Wins" and one for "Dewey Wins" so they could be ready to slide the proper front page into place at the last minute and start the press run. They were under a lot of pressure at the Tribune at that time, due to the strike and the lateness of the election results and the paper's own publishing deadline. When it seemed 'almost certain' that Dewey was going to win, they went to press _but with the wrong front page_. I have seen a photo many times of President Truman holding up a copy of the Tribune front page -- in that early edition -- it was hastily corrected by the time the next edition came out about two hours later -- saying "Dewey Wins". The early edition was supposed to say "(whoever)wins, election results to follow in next edition". Although the story was quite simple and short, just the headline and a few very sketchy details, it has been a source of embarassment for them ever since. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Wednesday 4th January 2006 Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 07:30:51 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ Handsets ]] Samsung Offering HSDPA Handsets to Vodafone http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15436.php Samsung Electronics has announced today introduction of High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) phones for the first time in Europe through cooperation with Vodafone, and Qualcomm. Samsung is currently developing the first commercially available HS... 10GB Hard Drives for Mobile Phones http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15438.php The computer hard drive manufacturer, Cornice has launched a couple of small hard drives that can be fitted into mobile phones, offering 8 and 10 gigabytes of storage space. By narrowing the casing around the disk and by shrinking the "z" height, Cor... [[ Legal ]] Serbia Ministry: Mobtel Subject Of Fraud Probe http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15430.php Serbian authorities have found evidence mobile telephone operator Mobtel committed fraud and failed to pay the state hundreds of millions of euros in dividends it should have received, the interior minister said Tuesday. ... [[ Mobile Content ]] Chinese WAP Usage Declines - report http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15431.php China's overall mobile VAS market maintained a good growth momentum in Q3 2005 to reach US$600 million, nevertheless, WAP service declined substantially due to the recent consolidation move taken by China telecom operators, according to a report from... [[ Network Operators ]] Hungarian Operators Set Up Non-Payment Blacklist http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15432.php Hungary's three mobile network operators, Pannon, T-Mobile and Vodafone are reported to have set up a shared blacklist of customers that they have had to disconnect due to non-payment of their phone bills. The blacklist came into effect from January ... Reliance Launches Nationwide Tariff http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15433.php India's Reliance Infocomm has announced dramatic plans breaking the circle barrier and thus became the first operator in the country to launch 'One-Nation, One Tariff.' Calls from Reliance IndiaMobile prepaid anywhere-to-anywhere across India will co... Palestinian Infrastructure Released http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15434.php Israel's Ministry of Communications has agreed to release telecoms equipment that had been purchased by the Palestinian GSM network operator, Jawwal. The equipement had been impounded by the Israeli authorities citing security concerns. The military ... [[ Personnel ]] New Directors for Linktone? http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15437.php The Chinese mobile content provider, Linktone has announced the appointments of Richard Xu and Liaoyuan Du to the newly created positions of Senior Vice President, Operation and Senior Vice President, Sales, respectively, in order to further strength... [[ Reports ]] Data Services Grow While Smartphone Prices Fall http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15435.php Mobile telephone users in the developed world are adopting wireless data services in large and growing numbers, leading to a rise in sales of smartphones that support these advanced functions. According to ABI Research analyst Shailendra Pandey, "Som... [[ Statistics ]] China 06 Phone Users To Exceed 820 Million Vs 746 Million In 05 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15429.php The number of fixed-line phone users in China is expected to rise by 30 million this year, while mobile-phone users are likely to rise by 48 million, boosting the country's total phone users to more than 820 million, the official Xinhua News Agency r... ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 12:39:21 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Verizon Wins Video Franchise in Maryland County USTelecom dailyLead January 4, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/BfnwatagCGoVlduZqz TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Verizon wins video franchise in Maryland county BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Report: BellSouth, Sprint top wholesale data market * Is Google planning a CES shocker? * Verizon to brand home-networking gear sold at retail stores * Skype inks deal with Kodak * BellSouth boosts IPTV trial with SES Americom pact USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * See the technology of communications and entertainment at TelecomNEXT TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * Chinese researchers unveil high-speed 3G chip * Current eyes BPL VoIP REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * U.K. cities to get Wi-Fi access Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/BfnwatagCGoVlduZqz ------------------------------ From: Steve Sobol Subject: Re: Schools Make Parents Pay For Computers Before Kids Log on Date: Tue, 03 Jan 2006 20:43:10 -0800 Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com William M. Welch wrote: > Some parents say the financial expectations and price tag violate > California's constitutional guarantee of a free public education -- a > principle also in other state constitutions. The parents are > threatening a lawsuit and have enlisted the help of the American Civil > Liberties Union. My wife, her mother, a brother-in-law and two of her sisters all work for the same Southern California school district. Their district has traditionally been a lower-income district, although with the new $200K-$400K homes being built on the southern end of town, that's changing. And they have a lot of "at-risk" students. So they get some funding that other districts don't. But funding for all California school districts has been, and continues to be, cut to the bone. Fullerton's down in Orange County, on the way to Anaheim. I'm not sure what their economic makeup is, but I'm reasonably sure they are better off than my wife's district. I don't know that any part of Orange County can reasonably be considered low-rent -- indeed, much of the O.C. consists of very affluent suburbs and exurbs of Los Angeles. > "The California constitution is very, very clear: My children attend a > free public school," Sandra Dingess says. [snip] > McCune, who created the program, acknowledges that his school system > is trying something controversial, but he says lower-income families > can get help paying for the computers. "In all four schools, nobody > has been denied access because of a lack of ability to pay." > There are other concerns. Some parents say transferring to another > school is not fair. Others object to requests for tax returns and > financial records to obtain aid. "We don't think you have the right to > ask for that information," Dingess says. "You're not the IRS. You're a > public school." I think I have to agree with that sentiment. But to make some kind of educated judgement about whether this program is fair or not, I'd have to have more details ... > "Our problem here in California is we're underfunded so much, we just > don't have the money to pay for it," school board member Minard Duncan > says. "I don't blame the parents for objecting to paying for what we > call free public education." I agree with both of those statements too, and unfortunately I don't believe there are any easy answers. Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED Company website: http://JustThe.net/ Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/ E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307 ------------------------------ From: Bob Goudreau Figure it this way: 1981 from 2006 leaves 25 does it not? Yes, and (Volume) 26 from (Volume) 1 also leaves 25. The Digest started with Volume 1, not Volume 0, after all. > Originally August 1981 through December 1981 a partial volume. > Volume 2 started in January 1982 Yup. Volume 1 = 1981 Volume 2 = 1982 Volume n = 1980 + n, Which is why Volume 26 should = 1980 + 26 = 2006. > During all of year 2001 I was in convelesance which was most of volume 20 > and all of volume 21. I skipped volume 21 on paper for that reason, if > you read the archives at the end of vol 20 I stuck a single issue in there > referrred to as vol 21, and went on to vol 22. At some point in there I > thought about using the actual anniversary date to change volume numbers > and went to volume 23 from 22. I think that is how the mix up happened. > In any event, August 11 1981 through August 11, 2006 equals 25. > I doubt I am going to do anything about it anyway. Not expecting you would, just wondering about the anomaly. Thanks for clearing it up. Bob [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But just as on January 4, if you were born on January 1 you would not say "I am a year old" neither can you claim to be 25 years old if that won't happen until August. In other words, 1/4/2006 less 8/11/1981 results in a difference of 24 years, 7 months and 1 week (more or less, I am too tired to calculate it to the minute right now. We could tighten it up a bit closer if we took the telecom-related messages which appeared in _Human Nets_ during May through July, 1981 and the first two 'test mailings' which went out to the telecom list in August and said those were 'really part of the Digest' as well. But we cannot say that, and I will use the cover date on the first issue as the starting point. A lot of water under the bridge since then, but we have to have some reference point to work with. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Jim Rusling Subject: Re: Oklahoma-Texas Fires, California Mud Slides-Floods Organization: Retired Reply-To: usenet@rusling.org Date: Tue, 03 Jan 2006 21:41:48 -0600 Jim Rusling wrote: > Ashley Gibson wrote: >> By ASHLEY GIBSON, Associated Press Writer >> A rash of wildfires raged Sunday across Oklahoma, Texas and New >> Mexico, including one that burned several homes in northeastern >> Oklahoma City. > We had one here in Mustang, OK (near Oklahoma City). It burned about > 25 acres, destroyed 6 homes and many storage/out buildings. I don't > know how many homes were damaged. There were 3 minor injuries. We > were lucky and only had a little siding damaged. I did lose a 8x16 > storage building that was full of stuff and a 10 feet cab over camper. > My truck also has an unknown amount of wiring damage. > I was at work, but the wife got the sprinkler set up in the front yard > and loaded up the dogs. They ended up spending over 4 hours in the > car. It was moving very fast. We had fire equipment from 8 different > cities fighting the fire. We had at least 6 engines in an 8 square > block area and they still could not stop it from jumping the street. > Jim Rusling > More or Less Retired > Mustang, OK > http://www.rusling.org > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But the important thing is, your wife, > family and dogs are okay, so you did not lose anything that mattered, > did you? :) PAT] Not the main things, but we had to put the older dog, Sampson, down this morning. He had been going down hill for the last 6 months, but the stress did not help any. I also lost some items that were my dad's and granddad's. The rest of the stuff can be replaced. Jim Rusling More or Less Retired Mustang, OK http://www.rusling.org ------------------------------ From: Paul Coxwell Subject: Re: Cell Phone Extenders? Date: Wed, 04 Jan 2006 10:41:08 +0000 > A GSM phone without a SIM should still be able to make "Emergency" calls > in whatever service area it is in. > This has been a bit of a problem with idiots making untraceable nuisance > calls to emergency operators in Australia. In the U.K., no network will accept even an emergency call from a GSM phone without a SIM card. The phone will ATTEMPT to make the call, but it will be rejected. -Paul ------------------------------ From: Paul Coxwell Subject: Re: Cat Speech? Date: Wed, 04 Jan 2006 10:41:20 +0000 > I have a cat who is very vocal, that is, he makes a wide variety of > sounds. His "meows" are long and short, and go up and down in pitch. > If I talk to him, he responds in various sounds (that I can't > understand). > Anyway, has there ever been serious study to identify cat sounds? Just like people, cats seem to vary widely. One cat I had until a few years ago was VERY vocal, especially when I returned home or she came back in the house from a long ramble. I only had to give a little "brrrrp" to her, and she'd set off on a long tale, telling me everything that had been going on. My present cat is very much the silent type. He speaks occasionally, usually when excited over food, but otherwise remains quite quiet. He can still make his wishes known very distinctly though: I know the exact looks and positions he adopts for "I'm hungry" or "I want to sit on your lap." There is a small book titled "How To Talk To Your Cat," by Patricia Moyles which you might find interesting. A local library might be able to get hold of a copy. -Paul ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Payphone Surcharges (was: Unanswered Cellphones) Date: 4 Jan 2006 06:51:07 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Seth Breidbart wrote: > It wasn't the owner of the payphone who forced you to make those > notifications, right? Whoever forced you to call your employer and > your sister is the one who extorted you. That's a rather odd way of looking at the situation, don't you think? Are you saying it is unusual for a person to call other family members when someone gets sick? Are you saying it is unusual to call your employer when you will be delayed reporting to work? > So the problem was your own ignorance. In most other retail services your attitude would grounds for government action. Oh, my ground meat has 75% filler in it? Well, you should've known about it, shouldn't you? Oh, my gasoline is 80 octaine? Well, you should've known about it, shouldn't you? In other retail services the price is on the item or the shelf. Yet in pay phones the price is nowhere to be found. Sorry, but I don't buy your argument that the consumer should already know. >> After complaining, they took off the $25/minute charges. That's >> fraud and deceptive business practice. > Taking off the charge is fraud? How many people just pay the bill? How many people give up after being stonewalled? (I was stonewalled at first but kept persisting, demanding to speak to higher levels of management.) >> Do you think a supermarket could get away with advertising a big >> special but charging you outrageous prices because you didn't dial an >> 800 number first? > They could get away with advertising Joe's Brand Spaghetti at $0.10/lb > and charging you $4.95/lb for Mike's Brand Spaghetti. Two very different things. For one thing, the far higher Mike's Brand price would show up immediately at the cash register, where a consumer could refuse it right then and there. Oh, let's keep our order of magnitude correct here -- Mike's would be $25.00 / pound. >> Interesting how you put it. Let's be clear about something. Until >> divesture, making a phone call was indeed a right under the philosophy >> of universal telephone service. > It was a _goal_, not a _right_. And even then, payphones weren't part > of it. It was indeed a _right_, codified by national policy by rates set by the FCC and local PUCs. Rate averaging and universal service. Some payphones were very costly, some were very profitable, but all payphones in an area charged the exact same rate by law, inter-state calls all paid the same rate. Further, rates were available in advance from an easily reached operator always on duty. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I think Seth was making the unwarranted assumption that everyone is as sophisticated on telecom topics as he is. Despite all the years I have talked telecom, sadly most folks are only (at best) slightly more knowlegeable about telephony than they were pre-divestiture. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2005-06 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #5 **************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Jan 5 15:29:08 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 4C2E514F06; Thu, 5 Jan 2006 15:29:08 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #6 Message-Id: <20060105202908.4C2E514F06@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 15:29:08 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.8 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, CELL_PHONE_IMPROVE,MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Thu, 5 Jan 2006 15:30:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 6 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Netgear to Offer Wireless Phone for Skype Calling (Reuters News Wire) Marketing Mayhem at Consumer Electronics Show (Leslie Walker) EFFector 18.43 (Monty Solomon) EFFector 18.44 (Monty Solomon) EFFector 18.45 (Monty Solomon) Motorola Share - Mobile Service for Image Sharing On the Go (Monty Solomon) Universal High Definition DVD Lineup (Monty Solomon) Toshiba to Sell HD DVD Players in U.S. (Monty Solomon) Panasonic OCAP HD-DVR Set-Top Boxes (Monty Solomon) Cingular Completes First 3.6Mbps Mobile Data Call (Monty Solomon) AT&T Rolls out Internet TV in San Antonio (USTelecom dailyLead Cellular-News for Thursday 5th January 2006 (Cellular-News) Re: Penn Central (Wesrock@aol.com) Re: Penn Central (Al Gillis) Two Things ... (was Re: The Hazards of Instant Communication) (Al Gillis) 16 Tons (was Re: The Hazards of Instant Communications (Danny Burstein) Re: The Hazards of Instant Communication (Michael Quinn) Re: The Hazards of Instant Communication (Lisa Hancock) Re: Payphone Surcharges (Lisa Hancock) Re: Another Year, Another Volume of the Digest (Henry) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Netgear to Offer First Wi-Fi Phone For Skype Calling Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 12:28:55 -0600 Netgear Inc. and Skype, the Web-based calling company which is a unit of eBay Inc. said on Wednesday they plan to introduce the first wireless mobile telephone for Skype. The Netgear Wi-Fi phone is designed to work wherever a consumer is connected to a wireless Internet access point -- at home, in an office, cafe, public hotspot, or in cities where wireless access may be available citywide, the companies said. By contrast, existing Skype phones, including cordless models, must be connected to a computer. A variety of telephone makers including Cisco's Linksys, are seeking to cash in on the Web-based calling craze popularized by Skype, first in Europe and Asia, and increasingly in the United States. Users can make free domestic and international calls and hold conference calls with other Skype users. Calls to regular phones incur a small fee. "Customers can now call anyone on Skype, anywhere in the world for free without using a PC anytime they are connected to Wi-Fi," said Patrick Lo, Netgear's chairman and chief executive in a statement issued ahead of a press conference at the Consumers Electronics Show underway in Las Vegas this week. An October report from Jupiter Research predicted that 20.4 million U.S. households will subscribe to some form of Internet-based broadband phone service by 2010. The Netgear phone is pre-loaded with Skype's software. The user simply needs to turn on the phone and enter a username and password. The software pulls up the user's full contact list of Skype contacts to whom free calls can be made. More information on Netgear's Skype Wi-Fi phone, including pricing and availability, is planned for the first quarter of 2006, the companies said. In addition to the Skype Wi-Fi phone, Netgear and Skype said Netgear's RangeMax wireless network router will be optimized to work with Skype. RangeMax is designed to avoid interference from neighboring wireless networks and to eliminate "dead spots" that can prevent consistent connections around a house. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more Reuters News Headlines, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Leslie Walker Subject: Marketing Mayhem at Consumer Electronics Show Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 12:30:42 -0600 By Leslie Walker LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4 The Big Pitch assaults me here like some rock opera: See me, feel me, touch me . It started months ago, in a trickle of e-mails offering advance briefings; followed by a drumbeat of phone calls, printed invitations and more e-mails; building up to a crescendo here Thursday as the nation's biggest trade show opens with about 2,500 gadget vendors screaming for media attention. The Big Pitch for the annual Consumer Electronics Show starts earlier every year and involves phantom products that may never reach store shelves along with real gadgets being shown for the first time. Over the past two months, I've read more than 400 pitches inviting me to a private showing of some "life-changing" device or offering access to a "highly exclusive" party where such devices will be celebrated. Big companies are flying in celebrities to entice people to attend their product launches and after-hours parties. Thursday night, chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices is presenting the Black Crowes at MGM's Studio 64 club while rival Intel has snared hip-hop stars the Black Eyed Peas. Over at the House of Blues, Motorola is putting the Foo Fighters on stage, as Samsung holds an NFL "Champions Dinner" at the Wynn casino featuring "chalk talk" from Boomer Esiason, Troy Aikman and Steve Young. And the nighttime fun continues Friday with a Monster Cable awards ceremony featuring Stevie Wonder. But because marketers use so much hype, techno-babble and incomprehensible acronyms in their wind-up to the five-day show, I am always torn about how to tackle an exhibit area taking up more space than two dozen football fields. Quick, what should I see first? Do I make a beeline for the S.beat, which creator Swissbit billed in an e-mail as the first Swiss army knife with a built-in music player? Perhaps I should gawk at the "clothes that glow" from Elam USA, which the company assured me contained "the world's first washable lamp designed to be sewn into clothing." Seriously, folks, those were both real pitches. Then again, I might head over to LaserShield's booth, taking that little black fob with a panic button the company mailed me last month, so I can pick up my review copy of what it billed as a "revolutionary wireless Plug 'N Go fully monitored LaserShield Instant Security System." In one of many previews held for the media Wednesday, pitch men and women from about 100 companies set their shiny gadgets on a spotlit table in a ballroom of the Venetian resort and casino and gave one-minute spiels about how you and I might actually use them. There was the latest "digital hotspotter" from Canary Wireless that is supposed to save time by telling you right away if a wireless data signal is nearby. I don't know about you, but I don't waste a lot of time booting up my laptop in search of Wi-Fi signals. Of slightly more interest was a doohickey from Spotwave Wireless that supposedly boosts cell phone signals to extend your phone battery time. Even that didn't get me fired up, considering my phone already has ample juice to match my gab time. Among the cooler gadgets I've seen is the SkyScout, a handheld star-viewing assistant. Point it at any bright object in the sky, and it will identify the object using global-positioning-system technology. A new biometric system from Fujitsu called PalmSecure identifies people by capturing vein patterns in their hands using near-infrared rays. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, the opening speaker Wednesday night, came with a vast marketing army, trumpeting where Microsoft aims to take everyone with its new Windows operating system called Vista, due for release this year. All of its major rivals -- except Apple Computer -- also are here, including Sony, which is hosting one of the biggest booths. There were more news conferences Wednesday than a lone reporter could attend in months. While big companies tried to lure reporters with celebrities, fancy food and highly scripted presentations, the little guys had to work harder. A start-up called MusicGremlin picked me up at my hotel in a white stretch limo and took me to my first appointment -- just so co-founder Robert Khedouri could do a back-seat demo of what he calls his "record store in your pocket." MusicGremlin's software lets its portable music player bypass computers and pull music directly from the Internet. That's a goal big companies here are tackling, too -- streamlining music downloads so you don't need a PC to snag a fresh song -- but only MusicGremlin went to the extreme of giving demos inside limos equipped with traveling Wi-Fi signals. "We're a small company; we don't have a booth on the show floor," said Karen Novak, the PR rep who talked MusicGremlin into hiring five limousines to ferry reporters around Sin City this week. "What is the one thing everybody really needs and can't get here? Transportation." The lines to hail a cab -- and even those to get on the Las Vegas Monorail system -- are a nightmare. Of all the advance pitches, Kodak's paper campaign seemed the slickest -- the film giant mailed a series of glossy photos showing black-suited spies handing off suitcases and sexy, tattooed young folks hanging out in a bar. They accompanied mysteriously worded invitations to Kodak's party at the Ghostbar Wednesday night, where details of its secret "Project Gemini" were to be revealed. Kodak even sent black plastic admission badges hanging from black lanyards, as if to illustrate its claim that the event would be "highly exclusive." But I still have no clue what Project Gemini is about because the Ghostbar hoo-haw was to start at 10 p.m. Vegas time, or 1 a.m. Eastern time, which meant Kodak was winding up its digital gears just as my personal analog clock was set to wind down -- and I needed to conserve energy to wade through the tens of thousands of gadgets that go on display starting Thursday. Oh, did I tell you about Loc8tor, the pocket fob that lets you find anything if you remember to stick a postage-stamp-size tag on it in advance? I just might start with that. If I plaster myself with Loca8tor tags, maybe I can keep track of my senses amid the marketing lunacy engulfing the Consumer Electronics Show. Leslie Walker welcomes e-mail atwalkerl@washpost.com. Copyright 2006 The Washington Post Company 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 08:44:25 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EFFector 18.43 EFFector Vol. 18, No. 43 December 9, 2005 editor@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 In the 359th Issue of EFFector: * Help EFF Fight for Your Digital Rights! * Security Questions Remain in New Sony BMG Security Patch * North Carolina Sued for Illegally Certifying Voting Equipment * Government Still Pushing for Cell Phone Tracking Without Probable Cause * New Canadian Voice in Digital Rights Issues * PATRIOT Reauthorization Slogs On * Help Us Bust the Goldberg Online Gaming Patent * Nominate a Pioneer for EFF's 2006 Pioneer Awards! * Summer Legal Internships at EFF * miniLinks (12): Musicians Against DRM * Administrivia http://www.eff.org/effector/18/43.php ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 08:46:41 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EFFector 18.44 EFFector Vol. 18, No. 44 December 16, 2005 editor@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 In the 360th Issue of EFFector: * PATRIOT Act Renewal Blocked in Senate! * Huge E-voting Victory in Volusia County, Florida * Evidentiary Hearing Set for North Carolina E-Voting Certification * EFF Defends Prisoners' First Amendment Rights * Good News for Music/Lyrics Fans After All? * Help EFF Fight for Your International Digital Rights! * miniLinks (6): Who Owns Your CD/DVD Collection? * Administrivia http://www.eff.org/effector/18/44.php ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 08:47:31 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EFFector 18.45 EFFector Vol. 18, No. 45 December 23, 2005 danny@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 In the 361st Issue of EFFector: * Action Alert: Demand Congress Investigate Illegal Wiretapping! * A Lump of Coal for Consumers: Analog Hole Bill Introduced * After EFF Litigation, Diebold Pulls Out of North Carolina * Five More Weeks to Fight PATRIOT * Bad Ruling on Cell Phone Tracking: What a Difference a G Makes * RSS Feeds at EFF - now with Added Action Alerts * MiniLinks(13): The Security Threat of Unchecked Presidential Power * Administrivia http://www.eff.org/effector/18/45.php ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 08:57:42 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Motorola Share - Mobile Service for Image Sharing On the Go Motorola and Avvenu Announce New Mobile Service for Image Sharing On the Go - Jan 5, 2006 08:00 AM (PR Newswire) With new Motorola Share service, photos stored on your computer can be viewed and shared remotely using your Motorola mobile phone LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today at the Consumer Electronics Show, Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT), a global leader in wireless communications and Avvenu, a Palo Alto, California based start-up specializing in remote access and sharing technology, announced Motorola Share, a free service for mobile users providing on-the-go image access and sharing capabilities from a wide range of Motorola mobile devices -- including the popular RAZR, ROKR, and V557 models. Sharing photos with the new service is easy, requiring only an Internet- connected computer with Motorola Share software and a web-enabled mobile handset.* From a mobile device, users can view images stored on their computer and select a guest to share them with. An email notification with a link grants the guest safe, password-protected access to only the images selected. Users of the service maintain complete control over what pictures are shared, who has access to them and for how long. The Motorola Share service is flexible, allowing for optimized image viewing on the mobile phone screen. An automatic image scaling feature enables users to share even high-resolution photos with ease. Also, because images are stored on the user's Internet-connected computer, the service does not require guests to download the images to their mobile phone or upload to a centralized server, reducing time for image load and preview. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54474788 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 09:03:49 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Universal High Definition DVD Lineup Universal Pictures Unveils Inaugural High Definition DVD Lineup - Jan 4, 2006 11:30 PM (PR Newswire) Feature Films Include Recent Blockbusters 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' and 'The Bourne Supremacy' LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Signaling its continued support of the next generation hi-definition DVD disc format (HD DVD), Universal Pictures today announced its slate of flagship titles to be released in HD DVD. The announcement was made at the Consumer Electronics Show by Craig Kornblau, President, Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Universal will release 10 titles timed to coincide to the format's March launch, with plans to continue issuing new and catalog films throughout the year. The first wave of titles include, "Jarhead," "Doom," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Cinderella Man," "Serenity," "The Bourne Supremacy," "The Chronicles of Riddick," "U-571," "Van Helsing," and "Apollo 13." - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54466582 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 09:01:40 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Toshiba to Sell HD DVD Players in U.S. Toshiba to Sell HD DVD Players in U.S. - Jan 5, 2006 05:03 AM (AP Online) By KOZO MIZOGUCHI Associated Press Writer TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese electronics maker Toshiba Corp. said Thursday it will start selling high-definition players supporting its HD DVD format in the United States in March _ the first commercial launch of the product in the world. The new HD DVD players _ HD-XA1 and HD-A1, priced at $799 and $499 respectively _ will hit the U.S. market about the time major Hollywood studios are expected to unveil HD DVD movie titles, the company said. Toshiba said in a release it will be the first high-definition player sold in the world. The move will heat up the battle in the high-stakes market for the next generation of video discs. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54470022 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 22:12:44 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Panasonic OCAP HD-DVR Set-Top Boxes Panasonic and Comcast Announce Industry-First Agreement for Enhanced OCAP HD-DVR Set-Top Boxes and OCAP Software License - Jan 4, 2006 07:00 PM (PR Newswire) Collaboration to Simplify and Enhance the Home Entertainment Experience With Seamless Integration of Digital Cable Set-Top Boxes and CE Devices LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic, the principal U.S. subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE:MC), and Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSK, CMCSA) today announced the industry's first agreement for the manufacture and deployment of Comcast's new series of digital cable set-top boxes, referred to as "RNG." These set-top boxes will be compliant with the OpenCable(TM) Application Platform (OCAP(TM)) specifications. In another industry first, the companies have agreed to make Panasonic's OCAP middleware available to Comcast, as well as to jointly explore and develop extensions to the OCAP specifications. The new boxes and software will improve and simplify the consumer's home entertainment experience. Under the agreement, Panasonic will supply Comcast with advanced digital cable set-top boxes with the processing power and advanced functionality that enables the kind of performance, flexibility and ease of use that consumers want. The Panasonic digital set-top boxes will have high-definition digital video recording (DVR) capabilities with a minimum of 250 GB storage capacity, which essentially doubles the amount of DVR storage currently available on Comcast DVR set-top boxes. In addition, these boxes will have both MPEG-2 and H.264 decoder capabilities. The H.264 capabilities will offer higher video compression rates and could let consumers use their televisions to enjoy media elements commonly available on the Internet. The new set-top boxes are the result of Comcast's efforts to develop next-generation devices that bring greater efficiencies to today's cable infrastructure, while adding advanced functionality such as USB 2.0 that will let consumers connect other media devices, such as digital cameras or music players, to their televisions. Panasonic will manufacture and supply Comcast with 250,000 HD-DVR set-top boxes. Comcast will have the option to acquire up to a total of one million set-top boxes in the first year, with options for additional boxes in subsequent years. The initial 250,000 set-top boxes will be supplied with Panasonic's OCAP middleware. OCAP is a middleware software standard that enables application developers to create new interactive services that will run on a broad range of advanced digital set top boxes and cable-ready TVs. Among the OCAP software extensions the companies will develop are those that enable Comcast-deployed set-top boxes to easily interact with a wide variety of Panasonic Consumer Electronics (CE) devices -- such as plasma TVs, home theater systems and DVD recorders -- that will be equipped with Panasonic's HDAVI Control capability. HDAVI Control capability will let consumers activate and operate all devices in a home theater, including the digital cable set-top, with a single remote and through a unified user interface. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54461279 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 22:34:53 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Cingular Completes First 3.6Mbps Mobile Data Call Live From Las Vegas: Cingular Completes First 3.6Mbps Mobile Data Call - Jan 4, 2006 06:14 PM (PR Newswire) Commercial 3G Network Used to Showcase HSDPA Evolution LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Cingular didn't need any luck in Vegas today as it became the first wireless carrier in the world to complete a mobile data call using a 3.6Mbps (megabit per second) HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) device on its commercial 3G network. Cingular showcased its Las Vegas HSDPA network by carrying the live call using a laptop computer equipped with an Option Wireless PC Modem Card and QUALCOMM's MSM6280TM chipset. The company said it will showcase the potential of its network technology tonight at this year's Digital Experience event at the Bellagio hotel. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54459394 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 12:14:13 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: AT&T Rolls Out Internet TV in San Antonio USTelecom dailyLead January 5, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/BinwatagCGtUnREdow TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * AT&T rolls out Internet TV in San Antonio BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Microsoft tunes in video * Cincinnati Bell hangs on to its wireless business * France Telecom ends bid for Telindus * Sprint Nextel offers details about cable partnership * Google to offer video downloads, free software bundle * LG hooks up with Cingular to sell 3G phone USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * You're getting USTelecom dailyLead, but are you missing part of the story? TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * Skype teams with Netgear for Wi-Fi phone * Q-and-A: Microsoft's grand IPTV vision * Survey takes an inside look at IMS deployment * T-Mobile to sell its own line of laptops Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/BinwatagCGtUnREdow ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Thursday 5th January 2006 Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 07:40:37 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ 3G ]] Embedded EV-DO Cards in Laptops the Cheapest - report http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15451.php iGillottResearch has published a report studying the total cost of ownership (TCO) models for wireless and mobile devices. Each TCO model focused on different types of deployments. The first modeled a wireless email implementation using new smartphon... [[ Financial ]] Colombia Wireline Cos Face Consolidaton As Mobile Cos Fly http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15439.php Sales reported last year by Colombia's three mobile telephone operators surpassed for the first time revenues from fixed-line companies, a segment under increasing pressure to consolidate. ... NTT DoCoMo: Considering Investing In Philippines PLDT http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15441.php Japan's NTT DoCoMo said Wednesday it is considering investing in Philippine Long Distance Telephone in a move that would strengthen its position in the mobile phone market there. ... Bouygues Telecom Pulls Out Of Tunisie Telecom Bidding http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15442.php Bouygues Telecom, the French telecommunications operator, Wednesday said it has pulled out of bidding for 35% of state-owned Tunisie Telecom. ... Brazil's Wireless Co Shares Rise On Weak Christmas Sales http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15444.php Shares in Brazil's wireless phone operators rose strongly on the Sao Paulo stock exchange, or Bovespa, Wednesday, despite ideas that Christmas sales were much lower than expected. ... Nokia Gets Antitrust Approval For Intellisync Buy http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15445.php Finnish telecommunications equipment maker Nokia Corp. received antitrust clearance from the Federal Trade Commission to buy Intellisync Corp. ... [[ Handsets ]] Nokia Launches 3 New Bluetooth Headsets http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15443.php Finland's Nokia said Wednesday it launches three Bluetooth headsets; the Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-800, the Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-900 and the Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-200. ... US Handsets Sales to Reach US$16 Billion - report http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15448.php Factory sales of consumer electronics will reach a new high of US$135.4 billion in 2006, according to the Consumer Electronics Association's (CEA) annual industry forecast. The 2006 projections, 2005 year-end figures and more are included in CEA's bi... USA Online Sales of Handsets Double Previous Year http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15450.php If the start of the 2005 online holiday shopping season compared to last year is any indication, it should be a lucrative one for the wireless industry. The average carrier site conversion rate more than doubled versus 2004 during the same 10 day tim... [[ Messaging ]] Courts Send SMS Reminders to Criminals to Pay Fines http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15452.php Magistrates' courts across England and Wales could soon send SMS's to fine evaders demanding they pay up, after the initiative was successfully used in one region recently. Courts are also looking at sending automated reminders by text, email or phon... [[ Mobile Content ]] Motorola Unveils New Radio Service For Cell Phones http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15440.php NEW YORK (AP)--Motorola, after nearly a year of vague pronouncements, unveiled Tuesday an ambitious music radio service for cell phones that also plays over car and home stereos. ... Content and Transparency Drive Wireless Connectivity http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15455.php Wireless subscribers want to access advanced services and download content. It started with texting and ringtones, then songs. Now video is beginning to arrive. Where it will end, nobody knows, but one thing is certain... most consumers, except hardc... [[ Network Contracts ]] Azure Deploys Billing Platform in Pakistan http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15447.php Azure Solutions has announced that Telenor Pakistan has implemented it's interconnect billing solution to provide billing and rating for its LDI (Long Distance International) services. Telenor secured a licence to provide mobile and international int... [[ Statistics ]] Finish Operator Sees Shrinking GSM Subscriber Base http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15449.php Finland's Saunalahti has reported that its GSM subscriptions decreased slightly during the fourth quarter of 2005. During October-December, the number of GSM subscriptions decreased by approximately 5,000 and amounted to 478,973 at the end of Decembe... [[ Technology ]] Actix Wins Chinese CDMA Test Contract http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15446.php Actix says that it has reached agreement with China's ZTE for the support of ZTE's CDMA drive test tools. Under the five-year contract, ZTE customers worldwide will be able to use Actix software solutions to streamline the planning, roll-out, trouble... First Single-Chip Mobile TV Solution Shipping http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15453.php Texas Instruments has announced that initial Hollywood DTV single-chip solutions for mobile phones are now being delivered to TI's customers who manufacture handsets worldwide. TI's Hollywood chips are the first in the industry to integrate the mobil... Super-Sized SD memory Cards Due Shortly http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15454.php The SD Card Association (SDA) says that it expects to finalize specifications for a new, high-capacity SD Memory Card -- the SDHC Memory Card -- in early 2006. The new specification will expand SD card capacity beyond 2GB, to meet the memory-hungry r... ------------------------------ From: Wesrock@aol.com Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 20:47:08 EST Subject: Re: Penn Central In a message dated 3 Jan 2006 10:02:00 -0800, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com writes: > As an aside, the Pennsyslvania Railroad had a sophisticated telephone > system, with its own toll test switchboards. I believe railroads were > one of the types that were allowed to own their own telephone gear and > maintain it themselves and still connect to the Bell System. "Right-of-way" companies were able to connect with the Bell System (and other telephone companies) this way. In fact, when the Santa Fe freight station in Oklahoma City burned down they built a new freight station in a location further out in an industrial district (and more accessible to trucks, too). They wanted to keep the same numbers (the new location was not in the same central office area) so they connected with the Bell lines at their old location, extended the loops to the new location over their own facilities, and the Bell phones were connected to them at the new location. "Right-of-way companies" were those that had their own right of way and communications facilities. Railroads and pipeline companies made up most of the "right-of-way" companies, but undoubtedly there were others. Wes Leatherock wesrock@aol.com ------------------------------ From: Al Gillis Subject: Re: Penn Central Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 19:28:28 -0800 Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com (See my note 'way at the bottom!) wrote in message news:telecom25.4.5@telecom-digest.org: > Seth Breidbart wrote: >>> The Penn Central Railway, just to name one example, ran so well "by >>> itself", that it drove itself into bankruptcy, and liquidation. The >>> vast sums that they lost on passenger rail service were a direct >>> contributing factor. >> Actually, it didn't do so badly until it was looted by corrupt >> management. > A close look at the record does not support that. A key book is "The > Wreck of the Penn Central". The authors, two newspaper reporters, > took a muckraking approach and clearly felt the bankruptcy was totally > management's fault. However, they at least included details of other > circumstances that were actually the real reasons for bankruptcy. > (The authors chose to emphasize different issues). > Note that: > -- The key PC personnel didn't get rich. The head guy, Saunders, lost a > lot of money and prestige. > -- The bankruptcy was aggresively investigated and no criminal > wrongdoing was found. > -- As a result of the bankruptcy laws were changed to eliminate the > problems the PC had. Passenger service, both local and long distance, > was transferred to govt agencies. (PC lost a tremendous amount of > money on psgr service). Abandonments of unprofitable segments and > better rate making was deregulated by the Staggers Act. > -- Keep in mind there is a big difference between bad decisions and > criminal decisions by management. Bad decisions is not "looting". > -- Unlike modern corporations where assets are mostly paper and the guts > are hidden, the physical plant of the Penn Central was wide open for > everyone to see, and it was obvious it was lousy. Everybody was stuck > on the legends of the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central and > ignored the reality that both railroads were in terrible physical > condition and were losing money at the time of the merger. It amazes > me how Wall Street ignores--good and bad--the actual condition of a > company. (A friend told me a utility was undervalued by Wall Street > and to buy it. He was right, the stock doubled soon after I bought it. > Too bad I only bought a little so even though I doubled my money my > actual gain wasn't that much.) > As an aside, the Pennsyslvania Railroad had a sophisticated telephone > system, with its own toll test switchboards. I believe railroads were > one of the types that were allowed to own their own telephone gear and > maintain it themselves and still connect to the Bell System. After > Amtrak and Conrail came in the system was replaced with modern stuff. > Tiny modern brown 2554 Touch Tone wall sets replaced big old style > phones and Teletype 40 series CRTs replaced the old green impact > printers. Amtrak used Control Data computers and CRT screens. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Baltimore & Ohio and Santa Fe Railroads > each had their own telephone network as well. PAT] And let's not forget about the Southern Pacific Railroad (or was it the Southern Pacific Railway?)... As the story has it they were the ones who thought up SPRINT! Al [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The outhern

acific ailroad nternal etwork elecommunications Department of that railroad -- or S.P.R.I.N.T. for short -- did a major re-build of their trackside telephone system in the late 1960's. They did such a good job of it, they had a huge anount of left-over capacity and decided to lease it out to other businesses and companies. That was the original Sprint, which a few years later got into residential telecom service as well, and has now -- 2005 -- gone through many changes in ownership and management. About 1998 or so, Sprint bought the United Telephone Company which serves a lot of northern Kansas among other territories. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Al Gillis Subject: Two Things ... (was Re: The Hazards of Instant Communication) Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 17:57:34 -0800 Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com wrote in message news:telecom25.5.5@telecom-digest.org: > By now you've probably heard the sad story that the WV miners, > originally thought to be ok, were in fact not. It appears this was a > communications misinterpretation. One report, 1010 newsradio said > cell phone conversations and relayed to the public before they were > confirmed and properly interpreted. > In reading this morning's newspaper closely, I note the headline "12 > are alive" was quoted from family member statements, not officials. > Further, the official comments were pessimistic. I also note that the > premise that the men were alive was based simply that they couldn't > find them, not that they had any contact with them which is really > what would be needed. Not having a body proves nothing. > I mention this because of today's passion for "instant" news. In > another thread, a poster was glad to be bypassing established > companies in getting music out; others are glad to bypass established > news organizations. > But instant news is not news. It is raw data. Raw data in itself is > meaningless, indeed dangerous. News is the _intepretation_ and > _compilation_ of raw data. Let's look at a classic example. > When FDR ran for election, a telephone poll predicted he'd lose. He > won by a landslide. Why was the poll so wrong? Because it was a > telephone poll and at that time those who had telephones were not > representative Americans; they were more affluent and more likely to > vote for Hoover. > We all know the famous Truman victory where everyone just "knew" Dewey > would win. They "knew" wrong. > When breaking news happens, there is tremendous misinformation. > Individual witnesses can be notoriously unreliable and possibly > biased. (People who didn't see anything will claim that they did just > to be on TV and get some attention.) In our discussion about the > stranded Amtrak train, my newspaper reported that the train was indeed > resupplied with food and sudry, yet others asserted there were no > supplies at all. So, who was right? (I believe the train was indeed > resupplied). > A good news organization takes the reports from various sources and > assembles it together. Contradictory information is re-checked. > Historical and situational background is checked and matched against > the story and contradictions again resolved -- this step is critical > toward defining and reporting a story accurately. Individuals at home > receiving snippets from the Internet are not getting the full story at > all, yet they think they are. Yes, I know news organizations are not > perfect, but it is better than no checking at all. > [public replies please] > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That report from West Virginia was one > of the saddest things I have ever read. WV, one of the poorest states > in the union earns much of its living in the coal mines, a dirty job > and dangerous by anyone's standards. Wasn't there a popular song > several years ago which went (something like this} "Work (some amount) > of hours, and what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt; > Saint Peter don't you call me cause I can't go; I owe my soul to the > company store.". A lot of WV people are grieving today since this > incident. The really cruel part of the whole thing was how the folks > were at first told that 'their men were all okay', only to find out > the sad, bitter truth later on. The hassle though is not in getting > the news too fast or too slow, but getting it _accurately_ whenever > it arrives. > That famous headline "Dewey Wins" in the Chicago Tribune was a good > example of rushing things through but getting it wrong. According to > Tribune historical accounts of that incident, the newspaper was on > strike at the time; some division of the multitude of unions which > _used to be involved_ in putting together newspapers (linotype oper- > atorss perhaps?) had been on a work stoppage for several days. > Management was attempting to do that job function and the reporters > had put together _two different_ front pages; one for "Truman Wins" > and one for "Dewey Wins" so they could be ready to slide the proper > front page into place at the last minute and start the press run. They > were under a lot of pressure at the Tribune at that time, due to the > strike and the lateness of the election results and the paper's own > publishing deadline. When it seemed 'almost certain' that Dewey was > going to win, they went to press _but with the wrong front page_. I > have seen a photo many times of President Truman holding up a copy > of the Tribune front page -- in that early edition -- it was hastily > corrected by the time the next edition came out about two hours > later -- saying "Dewey Wins". The early edition was supposed to say > "(whoever)wins, election results to follow in next edition". Although > the story was quite simple and short, just the headline and a few very > sketchy details, it has been a source of embarassment for them ever > since. PAT] Thing One ... Thinking of the Truman "Dewey Wins" photo mentioned above I took a photo of the two newspaper boxes outside our employee entrance this morning. On one paper, the USA Today, the headline says 12 miners were alive. Just to it's left the Portland Oregonian headline says 12 were dead. Although the event itself was sad and horrifying I thought the juxtaposition of the two headlines was interesting. (And I'm feeling badly for those the miners left behind). Thing Two... The song Pat recalled for us was Tennessee Ernie Ford singing "Sixteen Tons". Want to memorize the lyrics? Check this: http://www.qlyrics.com/tennessee_ernie_ford/sixteen_tons/. Al ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 22:56:14 EST From: Danny Burstein Subject: Sixteen Tons ... (was Re: the Hazards of Instant Communications) > and dangerous by anyone's standards. Wasn't there a popular song > several years ago which went (something like this} "Work (some amount) > of hours, and what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt; > Saint Peter don't you call me cause I can't go; I owe my soul to the > company store.".... The song is "Sixteen Tons" by Tennesee Ernie Ford. For a modern video takeoff on it, used by General Electic in an advertisment, check out: http://www.panix.com/~dannyb/video/16-tons-cdr.mov _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: The Hazards of Instant Communication Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 07:25:14 -0500 From: Michael Quinn My comments are below PAT's. TELECOM Digest Editor noted: > That report from West Virginia was one of the saddest things I have > ever read. WV, one of the poorest states in the union earns much of > its living in the coal mines, a dirty job and dangerous by anyone's > standards. Wasn't there a popular song several years ago which went > (something like this} "Work (some amount) of hours, and what do you > get, another day older and deeper in debt; Saint Peter don't you > call me cause I can't go; I owe my soul to the company store. Our thoughts and prayers are with the community and families of Sago WV; an undeniable tragedy. The song to which PAT alludes above is "Sixteen Tons" and was written by Merle Travis, and subsequently popularized by Tennessee Ernie Ford in the 50s. The words are worth reading and reflecting on to this day: "Some people say a man is made outta mud A poor man's made outta muscle and blood Muscle and blood and skin and bones A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong You load sixteen tons, what do you get Another day older and deeper in debt Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go I owe my soul to the company store I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal And the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul" You load sixteen tons, what do you get Another day older and deeper in debt Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go I owe my soul to the company store" The balance of the lyrics and an interesting history of the song is at: http://www.ernieford.com/Sixteen Tons.htm The poignancy of unofficial word reaching familiy members by news, cell phone, email, text messages, etc before official notification is played out every day in our military, be it peacetime or wartime casualties, and our cities and highways. There's no going back that I can see though. No one with a relative in potential harm's way answers a phone these days without at least slight trepidation. Hope the rest of the New Year gets better. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Its really hard to say about the rest of this new year, when you consider how rough the last two years have been right at the very start at least: 2004/05 at New Year's brought us the tsuami in Asia and all kinds of violence in Iraq which continued throughout the year. In the new year now going on, we started with (a) California mudslides and flooding [although apparently 'typical' for parts of California, still a bit extreme, IMO] and (b) lots of fires raging in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico and (c)the coal mine disaster in West Virginia; additionally (d) continued violence in Iraq with over a hundred American troops killed; all that between the first and the fourth of January. On a more local note (you would not have seen it in your newspapers, although it was in the Independence Reporter) a young, 23 year old man committed suicide here in our town on December 31. Apparently his 'farewell note' said simply that "things in the world are just to screwed up for me." I did not know him -- never met him but how I wish that _someone_ had been able to reach him in time. Just anyone, someone who could have made an emergency interven- tion. The newspaper said Independence EMS had found him at his home southwest side of town, a young man named Christopher Bates, originally from Bartlesville, OK. PAT] ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: The Hazards of Instant Communication Date: 5 Jan 2006 10:57:43 -0800 > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That report from West Virginia was one > of the saddest things I have ever read. WV, one of the poorest states > in the union earns much of its living in the coal mines, a dirty job > and dangerous by anyone's standards. The papers reported that coal mining is far safer than it once was through many inspections and safety procedures. It is still dangerous work. Old-line coal mining towns (like in Penna and WV) are quite poor because of the low demand for coal. Coal is dirty stuff compared to other fuels, coal even is slightly radioactive and spews radon in the air. Other reports mention that there are other very dangerous occupations than coal mining. They are late night convenience store, fast food, and gas station attendants, who are frequent victims of robbery/murder. We don't hear about them as much as they happen one at a time scattered throughout the country, but their frequency is alarming. In Camden NJ, one of the nation's poorer cities, there is a highway lined with gas stations, porn stores, and sleazy motels. The gas station attendants working overnight are frequently robbed and killed. My local convenience store used to give the cops free coffee and I saw no problem with it; it was good to have the cops around being very visible and available to people, esp late at night. (As a patron, I felt better). But someone made a stink about it, and now the cops pay for their stuff and take their breaks elsewhere more discretely. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Same thing happened in Chicago. Police officers were allowed to ride CTA busses and trains for free. Someone one day, with their head in the clouds made a stink about it, and police were told they had to start paying fares, so most of them quit riding busses/trains and taking their own cars instead. Criminals saw that and said "it is now safe for _us_ to ride the trains again". Talk about dumb. we definitly _needed_ police riding on the trains. PAT] ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Payphone Surcharges (was: Unanswered Cellphones) Date: 5 Jan 2006 10:48:03 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I think Seth was making the unwarranted > assumption that everyone is as sophisticated on telecom topics as he > is. Despite all the years I have talked telecom, sadly most folks are > only (at best) slightly more knowlegeable about telephony than they > were pre-divestiture. PAT] Most people have lives to live and can't be bothered with pricing nuances. Unscruplus businesses take full advantage of that fact to defraud people. Apparently the other poster thinks it is perfectly reasonable for purchasers to study, understand, and memorize the fine print so many businesses put nowadays. I think that's an insult to people. What's particular galling is that this is a change from traditional service. My mother tended to prefer shopping with large, established organizations even if they cost more. If she dealt with smaller or newer outfits, she was very careful. She grew up in a time before government regulation of labels when a merchant could claim anything he wanted about a product's composition or weights and measures could be suspect (the old "thumb on the butcher's scale" trick). She never brought ground beef, but rather had the butcher do it for her. This way she got less fat. (Unfortunately, her lean hamburgers, while healthier, weren't very tasty). Anyway, in today's mega merger world we've seen a return of sleazy business practices once performed in my mother's day but ended by law. That is sad. It's bad enough they charge us $25 for a pay phone LD call, it's worse they hide it from us. Frankly I have no use for anyone who would defend that practice. As to pay phones, like other divesture services the new players want the candle lit on both ends. They want the freedom to charge whatever they want (no regulation), yet they want forced inclusion (continue regulation) into existing services. So, some sleazy pay phone operator -- who otherwise would never be dealt with -- is mandated to be included. One solution is very simple -- mandate every pay phone have a mounted rate card for LD calls from that phone. Every other retail business does it. (And make the LD carrier serving that phone be the responsible party). I can hear the screaming now. Pay phones historically didn't need long distance price lists because all rates were strictly regulated and were modest. Even in the early years after divesture, when AT&T began to raise operator handling charges, they weren't too bad. The initial period cost might be high, but subsequent time was still at a low rate. A dollar for three minutes is not $25 for one minute. A basic premise of technology is to make things _easier_ for humans. A Touch Tone pad is easier than a rotary dial. A CD player is easier than a phonograph. BUT, dialing an extra 11 digits before making a phone call is NOT easier. It is harder. Adding to the confusion is the original plan of labeling the long distance carrier on the phone (this is what tripped me up). I presumed, quite naturally, that if the LD carrier was the default on the payphone, it wouldn't be necessary to dial a separate access number. Further, originally, LD carrier access numbers were the 10+ code, which I used to use and presumed was adequate. It's not. I found out the hard way that one had to dial the 800 number as well as other considerations. I also was misquoted rates numerous times. I also want to note that my Bell issued calling card number remained unchanged long after disvesture (until I disconnected the phone it was tied to two years ago). Until things got out of hand, I would get charged a surcharge for a calling card call -- which I expected -- but this surcharge was modest. Frankly, I didn't know who had my calling card -- local Bell or AT&T -- but I didn't care since it worked fine on either type of call. I had used standard Bell payphones with AT&T LD service only. ------------------------------ From: henry999@eircom.net (Henry) Subject: Re: Another Year, Another Volume of the Digest Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 14:16:23 +0200 Organization: Elisa Internet customer > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But just as on January 4, if you were > born on January 1 you would not say "I am a year old" neither can > you claim to be 25 years old if that won't happen until August. In > other words, 1/4/2006 less 8/11/1981 results in a difference of 24 > years, 7 months and 1 week (more or less, I am too tired to calculate > it to the minute right now. We could tighten it up a bit closer if > we took the telecom-related messages which appeared in _Human Nets_ > during May through July, 1981 and the first two 'test mailings' which > went out to the telecom list in August and said those were 'really > part of the Digest' as well. But we cannot say that, and I will use > the cover date on the first issue as the starting point. A lot of > water under the bridge since then, but we have to have some reference > point to work with. PAT] But Bob's point (I think) is that from _volume_ 1 to _volume_ 26 is not a measurement of elapsed time but a cumulative _count_. 'How many days are there in January?' 'Well, let's see. The first day is the 1st and the last day is the 31st. So, if we subtract...one from 31...right, here we are: there are 30 days in January!' Cheers, Henry [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, Henry, when you subtract like that you are _always_ going to come out one short. And when you take a cumulative count you are _always_ going to come out ahead a little, the problem being you cannot make _assumptions_ about what is laying ahead, nor short-cut some portion of what happened in the past. Although I _expect_ three hours from now to be volunteering at the Thursday night community 'free' dinner at Epiphany Church here in Independence as I always do, there is no _guarentee_ of it as we know. 'Terrorists' may blow us all up sometime in the next couple hours, ending everything including this Digest. (Dubya, are you monitoring this email closely?) or I may have another heart attack or stroke. I will say it is 25 years if/when we get to that point. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2005-06 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #6 **************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Jan 6 13:55:59 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 4221414EDA; Fri, 6 Jan 2006 13:55:59 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #7 Message-Id: <20060106185559.4221414EDA@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 13:55:59 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Thu, 5 Jan 2006 23:26:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 7 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Verizon Wireless Unveils Wireless Music Store (Sinead Carew) Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (Bob Alan) Butt-Set Recommendation (Jason Brault) Re: Payphone Surcharges (was: Unanswered Cellphones) (Seth Breidbart) Re: Unanswered Calls to Cell Phones? (Seth Breidbart) Re: Penn Central (Tony P.) Sprint (was Re: Penn Central) (Al Gillis) Difficulty With Issue 6 (GarsDuBell@aol.com) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Sinead Carew Subject: Verizon Wireless Unveils Wireless Music Store Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 20:45:10 -0600 By Sinead Carew Verizon Wireless on Thursday announced a music download service for its subscribers with a catalog of 1 million songs, going head to head with its biggest rival, Sprint Nextel Corp., which launched a similar service last year. Verizon Wireless, the No. 2 U.S. cell phone provider, said it would charge $1.99 a song for wireless downloads and 99 cents a song if the customer downloads the song on a personal computer first. Sprint Nextel, which launched its music service late last year, charges about $2.50 per song. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc . Verizon Wireless Chief Operating Officer Lowell McAdam said music would be the company's most important source of revenue growth for data services. Data services represents about 8 percent of revenue. "I think this will double data as a percentage of revenue in the next two to three years," McAdam told Reuters. Verizon Chief Executive Officer Denny Strigl cited analyst estimates for music to represent about $3 billion of revenue for the wireless industry in about four years -- marking a huge opportunity for the company. McAdam also said he believes Verizon's current pricing models for music would be appropriate for the next 12 months but could change after that. He said possible changes for the service that runs on Microsoft's Media Player software could include a subscription model or charging different rates for different phones, depending on agreements with its music partners. Verizon Wireless and its rivals are trying to get subscribers to use their phones for everything from watching video clips to surfing the Web, with the aim of growing revenue even as the price of phone calls falls. Verizon Wireless said it would kick off the music download service, which will work on its high-speed network covering about half the population, on January 16. Consumers will be able to search or browse for music on their personal computers or on their phones through the new service, which also offers the option of providing text message alerts when a favorite performer has released a new album. Verizon Wireless said it expects to have a music catalog of about 1 million songs from the major music labels. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more headlines and stories from the daily media, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ Reply-To: Bob Alan From: Bob Alan Subject: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 15:08:04 -0500 Organization: Cox Communications Hello, I recently switched to VOIP but kept my old POTS line for back-up. I use the VOIP for all my LD calls. Am I correct that even though I'm not using my 3rd party LD provider that I had with my POTS service that I'm still paying some form of a month connection fee to the POTS provider? Any idea what the fee is called. Thanks for any advice. Bob [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: What does the monthly bill from your local telco say about it? If you are getting some sort of monthly recurring minimum charge, then that third-party LD carrier _is_ charging you. But there are many who do not charge unless you actually use them. Now, there is a 'network connection fee' your local telco charges, or a 'universal access fee' but those things are purely your local telco gouging you, under cover of the law, for extra fees. If you go a month or two and do not see any sort of 'minimum use charge' on your long distance bill then I guess they are not charging anything. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 14:43:38 -0600 From: Jason Brault Subject: Butt-Set Recommendation Hi Telecom Gurus! Forgive my asking what appears to be a somewhat frequently asked question, but I need some direction in choosing a test set (Butt-Set) for work, and all the previous info I've found hasn't helped. To give you an idea of what I do, I'm a telco administrator (HAHA, that's the title, I'm really a telco trainee at the moment) for my company, which makes open die steel forgings. So, first off I'm not working for any kind of telecommunications company. However, we do do a lot (virtually all) of our in house wiring and troubleshooting ourselves. So far, in my time in this position, I've worked on loop and ground start COs, T1s (PRIs), as well as our phone system, which is ISDN to each desk phone (a TDM PBX). Seemingly here in Verizon land, our ground start COs are always having some kind of an issue ... I swear cross with battery is haunting my dreams. My question is this, what kind of a test set should I get in order to reasonably perform all the testing I need. I'm sure a basic, entry level set like the TS19 from Harris would do what I need, but where I get confused is all of the data protection and data lockout features that the more advanced sets offer (everything from the TS20's to the TS44DLX). Are these features something I could really use, or perhapse are they not enough? Or are they for a telco technician who will be using it all the time, and coul= d potentially tie into some serious voltage on a lie that would make T1s look like child's play? What have you run into in your jobs that have turned out indispensable, or something you wish you'd gotten originally? Any direction would be much appreciate, and thanks for your time! Best Regards, -Jason Brault ------------------------------ From: sethb@panix.com (Seth Breidbart) Subject: Re: Payphone Surcharges (was Unanswered Cellphones) Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 01:17:30 UTC Organization: Society for the Promulgation of Cruelty to the Clueless In article , wrote: > Seth Breidbart wrote: >> It wasn't the owner of the payphone who forced you to make those >> notifications, right? Whoever forced you to call your employer and >> your sister is the one who extorted you. > That's a rather odd way of looking at the situation, don't you think? Nope. You claimed extortion, which involves force. I suggest that whoever _forced_ you to do something is the one who performed the extortion. > Are you saying it is unusual for a person to call other family members > when someone gets sick? Are you saying it is unusual to call your > employer when you will be delayed reporting to work? No, I'm not saying that those things are _unusual_. What does usualness have to do with _extortion_? >> So the problem was your own ignorance. > In most other retail services your attitude would grounds for > government action. Oh, my ground meat has 75% filler in it? Well, > you should've known about it, shouldn't you? Contents of ground meat are specified by law (including maximum amount of fat). > Oh, my gasoline is 80 octaine? Well, you should've known about it, > shouldn't you? The sign at the pump says so. Why didn't you read it? > In other retail services the price is on the item or the shelf. Yet > in pay phones the price is nowhere to be found. You must use a different kind of payphone than all the ones I've seen. Those list their prices (for local calls, and tell you how to get the prices for other calls). > Sorry, but I don't buy your argument that the consumer should > already know. I thought your complaint was about the price your calling card charged, not the phone. >>> Interesting how you put it. Let's be clear about something. Until >>> divesture, making a phone call was indeed a right under the philosophy >>> of universal telephone service. >> It was a _goal_, not a _right_. And even then, payphones weren't part >> of it. > It was indeed a _right_, codified by national policy by rates set by > the FCC and local PUCs. And if you couldn't make a phone call, did somebody go to jail for violating your rights? Policy is a _goal_. > Rate averaging and universal service. Some > payphones were very costly, some were very profitable, but all > payphones in an area charged the exact same rate by law, Which law? Actually, the rates were set by filed _tariff_. I believe that the phone company didn't try to file tariffs specifying different rates for different locations. > inter-state calls all paid the same rate. Further, rates were > available in advance from an easily reached operator always on duty. Did you ask for the rate you'd get using your calling card? Seth [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I think Lisa may have used the word 'extorted' in a loose, general way. You need to understand, Seth, that we do not all speak the Queen's English in everything we say. Part of the fun in our conversations is that we do not need to measure-every- single-word-before-we-use-it. I think almost everyone knows the 'general, everyday casual' use of the word 'extort'. But for those of you who do not, or who wish to make an issue out of the words we use rather than deal with the concept/opinion presented, in this ouvre you are reading now, most readers would generally take 'extort' to mean not only physical force used, or a gun to your head (the most severe forms of extortion, I grant you) but additionally the simple act of arranging things so that if the customer does not 'follow along' with a plan presented, i.e. use _my_ telephone for ten dollars because I do not permit cell phones in my establishment or because I do not permit (by virtue of re-routing the call) the use of _your_ calling card or _your_ toll free number, it simply becomes very inconvenient for the customer to do otherwise. Its not that we could not walk some distance on a cold, snowy night to find a telephone which would respond as we desired, nor do we have any _legal_ right to have a phone wired to our pleasure at our beck and call. And realistically Seth, people do not read; they approach certain situations in life pre-conditioned, to 'know what to expect'. I hope you can deal with that lack of perfection in many people around you. PAT] ------------------------------ From: sethb@panix.com (Seth Breidbart) Subject: Re: Unanswered Calls to Cell Phones? Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 01:23:11 UTC Organization: Society for the Promulgation of Cruelty to the Clueless In article , wrote: > John Levine wrote: >> No extortion involved. If someone held a gun to your head or >> otherwise forced you to use the payphone, it would be extortion. >> Since you choose to use a payphone, you choose to absorb that cost. A >> cost, which is regulated, and which helps telcos continue to run pay >> phones at all, since they're not generally considered profitable >> anymore, at least around here. > Utter nonsense. It IS extortion. > When you are in an emergency situation (ie in a hospital) and they > don't allow cellphone use or you don't have one, you indeed are forced > to use their phone and pay their charges. No, you are not forced to use their phone. I've been in a hospital where they didn't allow cellphone use. I wasn't forced to use their phone. If you want Chinese food at 3 AM, and the only Chinese restaurant in your neighborhood that's open at 3 AM charges a lot, is that extortion? Nobody is _forcing_ you to buy their food. > As others pointed out, all charges the customer pays on a pay phone > are UNREGULATED. The pay phone provider can charge you whatever you > wish. Just like almost every other business. > Unlike normal businesses, pay phone providers do not have to tell you > their prices; They don't? Did you ask? > you only find out a month later when you get the bill. When I use a pay phone, I put money in. I know the price at the time I put the money in, it's the amount of money I put in. If I want to charge the call to something else (a calling card or credit card), I find out the charge first. I've never had difficulty doing that. Seth [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: No, I am sure you have not, because you try to read and study up on the circumstances around you. But you are one of the few members of the public which go to that effort, particularly when in a personal emotional crises (a relative rushed to the hospital, DOA for example, or someone runs out of gas on the highway and rushes into a highway convenience store trying to find help. You know, it sounds to me like you are just _too perfect_ for the rest of us. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Penn Central Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 19:00:37 -0500 In article , alg@aracnet.com says: > (See my note 'way at the bottom!) > wrote in message > news:telecom25.4.5@telecom-digest.org: >> Seth Breidbart wrote: >>>> The Penn Central Railway, just to name one example, ran so well "by >>>> itself", that it drove itself into bankruptcy, and liquidation. The >>>> vast sums that they lost on passenger rail service were a direct >>>> contributing factor. >>> Actually, it didn't do so badly until it was looted by corrupt >>> management. >> A close look at the record does not support that. A key book is "The >> Wreck of the Penn Central". The authors, two newspaper reporters, >> took a muckraking approach and clearly felt the bankruptcy was totally >> management's fault. However, they at least included details of other >> circumstances that were actually the real reasons for bankruptcy. >> (The authors chose to emphasize different issues). >> Note that: >> -- The key PC personnel didn't get rich. The head guy, Saunders, lost a >> lot of money and prestige. >> -- The bankruptcy was aggresively investigated and no criminal >> wrongdoing was found. >> -- As a result of the bankruptcy laws were changed to eliminate the >> problems the PC had. Passenger service, both local and long distance, >> was transferred to govt agencies. (PC lost a tremendous amount of >> money on psgr service). Abandonments of unprofitable segments and >> better rate making was deregulated by the Staggers Act. >> -- Keep in mind there is a big difference between bad decisions and >> criminal decisions by management. Bad decisions is not "looting". >> -- Unlike modern corporations where assets are mostly paper and the >> guts are hidden, the physical plant of the Penn Central was wide >> open for everyone to see, and it was obvious it was lousy. >> Everybody was stuck on the legends of the Pennsylvania Railroad and >> New York Central and ignored the reality that both railroads were >> in terrible physical condition and were losing money at the time of >> the merger. It amazes me how Wall Street ignores -- good and bad >> -- the actual condition of a company. (A friend told me a utility >> was undervalued by Wall Street and to buy it. He was right, the >> stock doubled soon after I bought it. >> Too bad I only bought a little so even though I doubled my money my >> actual gain wasn't that much.) >> As an aside, the Pennsyslvania Railroad had a sophisticated telephone >> system, with its own toll test switchboards. I believe railroads were >> one of the types that were allowed to own their own telephone gear and >> maintain it themselves and still connect to the Bell System. After >> Amtrak and Conrail came in the system was replaced with modern stuff. >> Tiny modern brown 2554 Touch Tone wall sets replaced big old style >> phones and Teletype 40 series CRTs replaced the old green impact >> printers. Amtrak used Control Data computers and CRT screens. >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Baltimore & Ohio and Santa Fe Railroads >> each had their own telephone network as well. PAT] > And let's not forget about the Southern Pacific Railroad (or was it > the Southern Pacific Railway?)... As the story has it they were the > ones who thought up SPRINT! > Al > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The *S*outhern *P*acific *R*ailroad > *I*nternal *N*etwork *T*elecommunications Department of that railroad > -- or S.P.R.I.N.T. for short -- did a major re-build of their > trackside telephone system in the late 1960's. They did such a good > job of it, they had a huge anount of left-over capacity and decided > to lease it out to other businesses and companies. That was the > original Sprint, which a few years later got into residential telecom > service as well, and has now -- 2005 -- gone through many changes in > ownership and management. About 1998 or so, Sprint bought the United > Telephone Company which serves a lot of northern Kansas among other > territories. PAT] They also serve a good chunk of central Florida too. ------------------------------ From: Al Gillis Subject: Sprint was: Penn Central) Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 18:22:51 -0800 Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com Al Gillis wrote in message news:telecom25.6.14@telecom-digest.org: > (See my note 'way at the bottom!) > wrote in message > news:telecom25.4.5@telecom-digest.org: >> Seth Breidbart wrote: >>>> The Penn Central Railway, just to name one example, ran so well "by >>>> itself", that it drove itself into bankruptcy, and liquidation. The >>>> vast sums that they lost on passenger rail service were a direct >>>> contributing factor. >>> Actually, it didn't do so badly until it was looted by corrupt >>> management. >> A close look at the record does not support that. A key book is "The >> Wreck of the Penn Central". The authors, two newspaper reporters, >> took a muckraking approach and clearly felt the bankruptcy was totally >> management's fault. However, they at least included details of other >> circumstances that were actually the real reasons for bankruptcy. >> (The authors chose to emphasize different issues). >> Note that: >> -- The key PC personnel didn't get rich. The head guy, Saunders, lost a >> lot of money and prestige. >> -- The bankruptcy was aggresively investigated and no criminal >> wrongdoing was found. >> -- As a result of the bankruptcy laws were changed to eliminate the >> problems the PC had. Passenger service, both local and long distance, >> was transferred to govt agencies. (PC lost a tremendous amount of >> money on psgr service). Abandonments of unprofitable segments and >> better rate making was deregulated by the Staggers Act. >> -- Keep in mind there is a big difference between bad decisions and >> criminal decisions by management. Bad decisions is not "looting". >> -- Unlike modern corporations where assets are mostly paper and the guts >> are hidden, the physical plant of the Penn Central was wide open for >> everyone to see, and it was obvious it was lousy. Everybody was stuck >> on the legends of the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central and >> ignored the reality that both railroads were in terrible physical >> condition and were losing money at the time of the merger. It amazes >> me how Wall Street ignores--good and bad--the actual condition of a >> company. (A friend told me a utility was undervalued by Wall Street >> and to buy it. He was right, the stock doubled soon after I bought it. >> Too bad I only bought a little so even though I doubled my money my >> actual gain wasn't that much.) >> As an aside, the Pennsyslvania Railroad had a sophisticated telephone >> system, with its own toll test switchboards. I believe railroads were >> one of the types that were allowed to own their own telephone gear and >> maintain it themselves and still connect to the Bell System. After >> Amtrak and Conrail came in the system was replaced with modern stuff. >> Tiny modern brown 2554 Touch Tone wall sets replaced big old style >> phones and Teletype 40 series CRTs replaced the old green impact >> printers. Amtrak used Control Data computers and CRT screens. >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Baltimore & Ohio and Santa Fe Railroads >> each had their own telephone network as well. PAT] > And let's not forget about the Southern Pacific Railroad (or was it > the Southern Pacific Railway?)... As the story has it they were the > ones who thought up SPRINT! > Al > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The (S)outhern (P)acific (R)ailroad > (I)nternal (N)etwork (T)elecommunications Department of that railroad > -- or S.P.R.I.N.T. for short -- did a major re-build of their > trackside telephone system in the late 1960's. They did such a good > job of it, they had a huge anount of left-over capacity and decided > to lease it out to other businesses and companies. That was the > original Sprint, which a few years later got into residential telecom > service as well, and has now -- 2005 -- gone through many changes in > ownership and management. About 1998 or so, Sprint bought the United > Telephone Company which serves a lot of northern Kansas among other > territories. PAT] BZZZZZT! Sorry, Pat, it was the other way around! United Telephone, based in the Kanasa City, KS area (maybe Overland Park) bought SPRINT and then assumed the name, much like the recent changes at SBC/AT&T. United Telephone owned numerous local operating telephone companys around the US of A. In my area it was United Telephone of the Northwest. There was a United Telephone of Ohio, United Telephone of Florida, and others with the "United Telephone of..." name. There were still others as well, like Carolina Telephone, which operated in North and South Carolina. Possibly the largest city in SPRINT's stable in Las Vegas, NV. Al ------------------------------ From: GarsDuBell@aol.com Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 19:40:01 EST Subject: Errors in Issue 6 Pat, The second half of V25 #6 is in a different font with a line through the text. See below: Can you resend it? Thanks. David Willingham In a message dated 1/5/2006 3:32:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, editor@telecom-digest.org writes: > And let's not forget about the Southern Pacific Railroad (or was it > the Southern Pacific Railway?)... As the story has it they were the > ones who thought up SPRINT! > Al > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: 'The outhern acific Railroad nternal' > Network Telecommunications Department of that railroad -- or > S.P.R.I.N.T. for short -- did a major re-build of their trackside > telephone system in the late 1960's. They did such a good job of it, > they had a huge anount of left-over capacity and decided to lease it > out to other businesses and companies. That was the original Sprint, > which a few years later got into residential telecom service as well, > and has now -- 2005 -- gone through many changes in ownership and > management. About 1998 or so, Sprint bought the United Telephone > Company which serves a lot of northern Kansas among other territories. > PAT] [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well! The absence of the _S_ and _P_ in 'Southern Pacific' and the absence of the _I_ in 'Internal' tells me what I did wrong. To make the first letters of each word to stand out demonstrating the meaning of 'SPRINT' I encased each of those first letters in greater-than/lesser-than symbols which is a no-no if some of the readers use an HTML reader. Those three letters, when encased in braces serve to make them 'control' characters or instruction for use in hypertext markup language. The _P_ when encased like that means to start a new paragraph, the _I_ when encased in those brackets means to change to italics and the _S_ I suspect means to 'strike out' what has been written. The _I_ and the _S_ conditions get cancelled when a forward slash is inserted before them, that is , the forward slash '/'causes the condition to be 'closed'. _P_ requires no closure. That is the reason (I think) why David Willingham's (and Lord only knows who else) copy of the last issue of the Digest went sour. It may have just been his copy of a browser which did it, or the version of AOL he has on his account, or maybe its because back in 1995 when I started a hypertext (.html) edition the Digest, I should have remembered that _never again_ would I be able to use '<' and '>' around letters by themselves in my ouvre each day, text-version be damned or whatever audience I was writing to as long as there was also an .html version of the ouvre going out. I have remailed a text-based version of issue 6 to David and if _your_ copy also went sour like that, let me know and I will remail a copy to you as well. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2005-06 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #7 **************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Jan 6 15:10:25 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 49ECA14E4B; Fri, 6 Jan 2006 15:10:25 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #8 Message-Id: <20060106201025.49ECA14E4B@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 15:10:25 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.6 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, NO_COST autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Fri, 6 Jan 2006 15:10:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 8 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Yahoo Launches Content Search (May Wong) Review: Video News Services on the Web are Plentiful (Anick Jesdanun) EchoStar's Dish Network Launches Nation's Largest HD Lineup (Monty Solomon) Cellular-News for Friday 6th January 2006 (Cellular-News) Verizon Completes $8.5B Merger With MCI (USTelecom dailyLead) Canadian Telecom Update #511 (John Riddle Angus Communications) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (John Stahl) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (BobT) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (John Levine) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (Mark Crispin) Re: Payphone Surcharges (was Unanswered Cellphones) (John Levine) Re: Slammed for 25 Grand (heyarnoldusa@yahoo.com) Re: Sprint (was Re: Penn Central) (Steven Lichter) Re: Bringing Prime Time to Video iPod (c901rg@hotmail.com) Re: Butt-Set Recommendation (Scott Dorsey) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: May Wong Subject: Yahoo Launches Content Search Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 01:40:35 -0600 By MAY WONG, AP Technology Writer Yahoo Inc. is expanding its presence beyond the PC, moving onto Web-enabled cell phones and other mobile devices so users can access their customized content while untethered. Yahoo Go Mobile, a new service set to be launched Friday at the International Consumer Electronics Show, is the latest example of the growing trend of get-your-information-anytime-anywhere. Many of the features and services that Yahoo has been amassing in recent years, beyond the e-mail already available on many so-called smartphones, can now follow its 400 million users wherever they go. Anyone with a Yahoo account can have their customized data they now get through the Web portal load itself into whichever device they carry. The information -- from news to restaurant reviews to personal contacts and appointments -- will be synchronized through whatever data network they may be using -- cellular or Wi-Fi, for example. Yahoo Go Mobile will work on any cellular network, but for now, only on Nokia's Series 60 line of smartphones. Support for additional mobile devices is planned. The product encompasses a new user interface designed to fit on the small screen of a smartphone. Instead of the plethora of links now viewable at once on a user's personalized Yahoo home page, Yahoo Go streamlines the main menu content into major categories such as search, mail, news and calendar, which users could then scroll through. Yahoo's music and video services is not yet available through Yahoo Go Mobile but may be added later, company officials said. The Yahoo Go application is downloadable for free at Yahoo's Web site. However, the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Internet giant says it has also signed a deal with Nokia Corp. so the cell phone maker will be pre-installing the Yahoo Go program on select mobile devices. Cingular Wireless also plans to promote Yahoo Go. Yahoo is also working with Motorola Inc. to bring Yahoo Go to those phones, said Marco Boerries, senior vice president of Yahoo's "Connected Life" division. Bringing the service to Java-based phones will come later, but Boerries could not specify when. Another version of Yahoo Go for PC-connected televisions, called Yahoo Go TV, will be launched in coming months, the company said. It will similarly let Yahoo users access much of their personalized Web data as long as the TV is connected to the Internet. Unlike Yahoo Go Mobile, the TV version of the service will also include music and video content from Yahoo. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news and headlines from Associated Press please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Anick Jesdanun Subject: Review: Online News Video is Plentiful Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 01:42:43 -0600 By ANICK JESDANUN, AP Internet Writer Online news video is plentiful: NBC, ABC and CBS all have Web editions of their evening news, and CNN recently launched a four-channel broadband network carrying feeds not available on its U.S. cable channels. Best of all, most of it is free. ABC and CNN offer more through subscription packages, but unless you're a news junkie you'll do fine with the free offerings from both networks, along with CBS, NBC and Fox News Channel. The bigger question is whether you have the time and patience to watch. Laurels go to ABC for offering a Web edition of the evening news hours BEFORE the TV newscast. CBS's version appears shortly after the East Coast broadcast while NBC, through MSNBC.com, simply runs the TV version minus commercials hours later. All three also break the news shows into segments available on-demand. Beyond the newscasts, free original video is rather limited. MSNBC updates news and business highlights all day, while CBS correspondents appear online long before their dispatches air on television. CBS also sometimes offers longer versions of interviews shown on TV. Fox has clips on lifestyle, travel and fitness as part of iMag, its Internet magazine. And you can often find live webcasts of press conferences and other breaking events for free throughout the day. In recent days, I got plenty on the coal mine tragedy. But for around-the-clock feeds, you have to pay. CNN's $25-a-year Pipeline offers four live feeds exclusive to the Web (considering that CNN International, one of those feeds evenings and weekends, isn't available on U.S. cable systems). One feed is anchored, the other three generally raw footage. Following a seaplane crash off Miami Beach last month, I got two or three simultaneous feeds of local television coverage, all of which differed from CNN cable. At the same time, another feed came from the Senate floor. But more isn't always better and some feeds came across as fillers. The other day, I got lengthy live video on Pipeline -- no audio -- from one spot overlooking New York's Central Park. The news peg? Preparations for New Year's Eve celebrations at Times Square about a mile away. ABC charges more -- $40 a year -- for ABC News Now, the network's digital answer to cable channels like CNN and Fox News. (It's free for paid subscribers of America Online, Comcast, SBC Yahoo or a number of other services). The ABC offering feels much more like television, with scheduled programming interrupted now and then by breaking news as well as commercials. The subscription also gets you previously broadcast "Nightline" and "World News Tonight" (the Web preview edition is free) and additional on-demand clips. CNN's subscription gets you its archived, ad-free versions of the free video and longer interviews shown only briefly for free or on TV. I'd go with CNN if you enjoy raw footage, ABC if you prefer news in a package. For all sites, video quality was tolerable, but television it is not. The screen is small, clips can take long to load and video stutters -- the picture freezes, and the sound cuts in and out. My office Internet connection could be at fault; video performed better at home, though that was during the low-traffic late evening period. I couldn't get MSNBC video to work on Apple Computer Inc.'s Macintosh computers. Error messages direct me to version 6 of the Internet Explorer browser, even though Microsoft Corp. never developed a version past 5.2.3 for the Mac. And on Microsoft's Windows computers, MSNBC's video generally fails on the competing Firefox browser. Microsoft happens to jointly own MSNBC.com with NBC. Hmmmm. (I should note that Microsoft and The Associated Press are planning an advertising-supported online video news network early this year, using Microsoft's technology.) Video from the other four networks worked on the Mac and on Firefox, but only CBS made its video explicitly available for both Microsoft's Windows Media Player and RealNetworks Inc.' RealPlayer. CBS and MSNBC both let you build your own newscast by adding any number of clips to a "to play" list. CBS's was slightly better, particularly on IE. CBS also lets you watch some clips from within the Web page, without opening a separate window for the video player. The featured clip changes as you move from section to section, story to story. ABC, CBS and Fox were best in sorting items by both category and news program; CBS, CNN and MSNBC let you search by keyword. Overall, CBS's offerings were the easiest to find and use. That said, I thought CBS promoted too much entertainment-related news segments within its player -- namely, the "Early Show" concerts and interviews with reality show castoffs. And CBS, along with Fox and ABC, also weren't as good about labeling their clips. MSNBC and CNN both stamped items with dates -- time of day would have been nice, too. Overall, I ran across many interesting clips, and it's good to know the video is available when I want it. But I didn't find any of it compelling enough to set aside time from my already busy day. Nor do I see any clear-cut winner among the free offerings. The beauty is you don't have to stick with one. The Internet is all about personal choice -- including the choice to tune out if you lack the attention span for online news video. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It is _not_ true that you have to pay for audio or video or printed news. Many times it is _totally free_ on the internet. For example, here at Telecom Digest, we have _many_ news feeds available with no charge, no registration, and no login require- ments. Whatever news you desire to read, hear or view, it is all available. Just go to http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra and look at all the various categories, ranging from Associated Press' news feed along with news feeds from New York Times, National Public Radio, The Christian Science Monitor, NASA television, Reuters, tech news from two or three categories, United Press International and many more. We also have the Associated Press News Radio audio 24/7, BBC World Service audio, AP five minute news every hour, a BBC five minute news summary and my very own Telecom Digest News Radio audio 24/7. It is all _totally free_ to users, it is paid for by Google advertising. I am attempting now to add Associated Press's "One Minute World" television program as well, again, paid for through your clicks on the Google advertisers. Please try it all out, and let me know if you would like new additions. Just go to http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/ and check out our features. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 09:48:55 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EchoStar's Dish Network Launches Nation's Largest HD Lineup EchoStar's Dish Network Launches Nation's Largest HD Lineup by Adding Expanded Suite of Rainbow Media's VOOM HD Networks; New 15-channel Offering Reinforces VOOM's Role as the Leading Provider of Niche HD Content - Jan 5, 2006 02:30 PM (BusinessWire) LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 5, 2006--EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:DISH) and Rainbow Media Holdings announced today that EchoStar's DISH Network will expand its offering of Rainbow's VOOM HD Networks from 10 to 15 channels. VOOM HD Networks provides the largest and most diverse suite of HD content in the nation, and today's announcement reinforces its commitment to fill the HD content void and to create programming that maximizes the HD experience. As part of its strategy to be the nation's leading provider of HD programming, DISH Network started distributing an initial lineup of 10 VOOM HD Networks in the spring of 2005. Telecast in 1080i with Dolby 5.1 surround sound, VOOM HD Networks provide 24 hours of high-definition, commercial-free, programming. The new suite of 15 VOOM HD channels will be available to consumers on February 1, as part of DISH Network's new DishHD package, which was also introduced today at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54490464 ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Friday 6th January 2006 Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 07:35:52 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - www.cellular-news.com [[ 3G ]] Ericsson To Supply Network To Indonesian Operator http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15457.php Sweden's Telefon AB LM Ericsson Thursday said it received an order from Indonesian mobile operator Natrindo Telepon Selular to build, operate and manage its new 3G/WCDMA network in Jakarta and surrounding areas. ... Make 3G Videocalls from a Normal PC http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15468.php Vodafone Portugal has launched a service, designed for computer users which will enable any Vodafone customer (whether or not they have a 3G phone) to associate their mobile phone number with their PC and to receive or make videocalls from their comp... [[ Financial ]] Vietnam Post & Telecom Corp. 2005 Revenue Up 9% To $2.12 Billion http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15458.php Vietnam's state-run Post & Telecommunications Corp., or VNPT, reported revenue of $2.12 billion for last year, up 9% on year, a company statement said Thursday. ... [[ Handsets ]] Nokia Adds Bluetooth To Two Popular Phone Models http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15459.php Nokia Corp. Thursday announced the Nokia 6102i and Nokia 6103 phones, both of which adds Bluetooth technology to the feature sets found on the mid-range fold-style Nokia 6101 and Nokia 6102 phones. ... EDGE Capable Walkman Phone from SonyEricsson http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15465.php Sony Ericsson has announced a new Quad-band EDGE Walkman-branded mobile music phone. The latest Walkman phone comes with a 512MB removable Memory Stick (approximately 150 music tracks), which can be upgraded to 2GB currently available in retail outle... [[ Interviews ]] Microsoft Chairman Gates Says Digital World Taking Hold http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15456.php Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates unveiled an array of new products and services Wednesday night as he claimed the age of digital entertainment is taking hold among consumers around the world. ... [[ Mobile Content ]] Verizon Wireless Plans To Launch Music Service http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15460.php Verizon Wireless plans to launch on Jan. 16 a music service that lets users download music over the air. ... [[ Network Contracts ]] New Billing and Media Platform for Indonesian Operator http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15462.php LogicaCMG has won a contract with PT Natrindo Telepon Seluler (NTS), a 3G and GSM1800 operator in Indonesia, to provide an extensive suite of telecoms products and solutions to enable mobile data and charging services for NTS' mobile networks. The co... [[ Network Operators ]] Latvian Indoor Coverage Improves http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15467.php The GSM network operator, BITE Latvija says that it? is extensively improving in-door coverage in Riga by increasing the density of its base stations and is also rapidly developing geographical network coverage. The company now covered five new towns... [[ Regulatory ]] Mexico's Telmex Cuts Rates Again For Calls To Mobiles http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15461.php MEXICO CITY (DOW JONES)--Mexican telecommunications regulator Cofetel said Thursday that the country's main phone company, Telefonos de Mexico, has reduced rates for calls to cell phones for the second year in a row. ... TeliaSonera Appeals Against Spectrum Removal http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15466.php TeliaSonera Finland says that it is appealing against the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority's (FICORA) GSM 900 radio license decision and has requested that the enforcement of the decision should be suspended for the duration of the appeal ... [[ Reports ]] Mobile Operators Not-so-Secret Weapon: Managed Services http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15463.php Managed services provide a large and growing opportunity for mobile communications service providers to offload network operation tasks to third parties, and for infrastructure vendors to secure new revenue streams, according to a new study from ABI ... Motorola Will Challenge Nokia for Top Spot http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15464.php Motorola, which was widely predicted to be overtaken by Samsung to second place in 2004/05, has turned the corner and is setting its sights on challenging Nokia to become the handset market leader. That is the finding from a new study, "Motorola: Inn... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 13:04:02 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Verizon completes $8.5B merger with MCI USTelecom dailyLead January 6, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cOhsfDtutaciuBnMLM TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Verizon completes $8.5B merger with MCI BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Rumor mill: AT&T eyes EchoStar * Verizon Wireless unveils music service * Intel has coming-out party for Viiv at CES * Verizon captures 20% of first TV market * Internet content providers may face charges for fast access USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * 2005 USTelecom Industry Directory TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * Google, Yahoo! move into TV services * Motorola, Google to work jointly on searches, photos * Cable industry ready for OCAP VOIP DOWNLOAD * Survey: VoIP awareness on the rise * Google sued over VoIP service * Vonage taps Sonus to bolster network REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * Germany at odds with EU over telecom regulation * Wireless carriers work toward E911 target Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cOhsfDtutaciuBnMLM ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 11:06:11 -0800 Subject: Telecom Update #511, January 6, 2006 From: Angus TeleManagement Group Reply-To: Angus TeleManagement Group ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 511: January 6, 2006 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/ ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/ ** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca ** MICROSOFT CANADA: www.microsoft.com/canada/telecom/ ** MITEL NETWORKS: www.mitel.com/ ** NEC UNIFIED SOLUTIONS: www.necunifiedsolutions.com ** ROGERS TELECOM: www.rogers.com/solutions ** VONAGE CANADA: www.vonage.ca ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** We're Back ** Wireless Number Portability Schedule Shortened ** Bell Cuts One-Third of Enterprise Team ** Videotron Leads IP Phone Race ** RIM Wins Another Patent Ruling ** Bell Told to Reduce "Naked DSL" Rates ** Bell Canada Plans Business-Line Rate Hikes ** Nortel Chooses Toronto HQ ** Telus Charged Over Cellphone Records ** BC Firm to Make Phones for Skype ** CRTC Holds Off on VoIP 9-1-1 Service Ruling ** Nortel Buys Router Maker ** Amtelecom Boosts Offer for People's ** NW Ontario Cellcos in Roaming Dispute ** U.S. Cellcos Miss E9-1-1 Deadline ** Exfo Buys Testing Firms ** Cygnal Names New CFO ** CIRA Meeting to Revise Bylaws ============================================================ WE'RE BACK! We've had a two-week break, we're relaxed and invigorated, and we're pleased to resume our weekly reports on changes in the ever-changing telecom industry. The rate of change shows no signs of slowing in 2006! WIRELESS NUMBER PORTABILITY SCHEDULE SHORTENED: In Telecom Decision 2005-72, the CRTC orders Bell, Rogers, and Telus to implement full wireless number portability by March 14, 2007, in all areas of BC, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec where wireline Local Number Portability is currently in place. This is six months earlier than the implementation date previously proposed by the cellcos. (See Telecom Update #497, 500) ** In other provinces where wireline LNP is already available, as well as in Regina and Saskatoon, these carriers must implement "porting-out" of wireless numbers by March 14, and "porting-in" by September 12, 2007. The same deadlines apply to other wireless carriers, including resellers, wherever wireline LNP is available. ** Wireless-to-wireless ports must be completed in 2.5 hours; wireless-to-wireline and wireline-to-wireless ports can take two business days. ** Wireless carriers (but not resellers) will have direct access to Canada's LNP systems without having to meet CLEC obligations. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2005/dt2005-72.htm BELL CUTS ONE-THIRD OF ENTERPRISE TEAM: Bell Canada laid off about one-third of the employees in its Enterprise Marketing organization in December. The company eliminated 65 full-time positions and 10 contract jobs, mostly lower level-managers who worked on video broadcast, international, and program management and on custom deals for large customers. ** These layoffs are in addition to September's cuts, which eliminated 5% of Enterprise Marketing positions, including three directors. ** According to CRTC figures, large and very large businesses make up 1.8% of incumbent telco business accounts, but generate 68% of their business revenues. VIDEOTRON LEADS IP PHONE RACE: Videotron says it now has nearly 163,000 cable phone customers. The cableco's total year-end customer base of 1.51 million is 4% higher than a year ago. ** Videotron Telecom has been merged into Videotron Ltee as part of a new division, Videotron Business Solutions. The division includes business cable services and offers expanded small-office services. RIM WINS ANOTHER PATENT RULING: The U.S. patent office has issued non-final rejections of two more patents involved in NTP's suit against Research In Motion. The agency has assigned a special "dispatch team" to fast-track the review of the NTP patents. (See Telecom Update #508, 510) ** RIM reports revenue of $561 million for the three months ended November 26, an increase of 53% on the year and 14% on the quarter. Net income of $120 million was a third higher than a year ago. BELL TOLD TO REDUCE "NAKED DSL" RATES: CRTC Telecom Order 2005-415 orders Bell Canada to lower its unbundled loop rate by 50% when a "dry loop" is leased by an ISP in conjunction with Bell's Gateway Access or High Speed Access service. The Commission said Bell recovers the other half of the cost through the Gateway Access and HSA charges. ** A coalition of Quebec ISPs calls this a "landmark decision" that allows them to offer VoIP on "naked" DSL across Quebec and Ontario. The Commission has not yet ruled on the coalition's complaint that Bell is subjecting them to a margin squeeze (see Telecom Update #507). http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2005/o2005-415.htm BELL CANADA PLANS BUSINESS-LINE RATE HIKES: Bell Canada has asked the CRTC to approve monthly rate increases of between 2.9% and 3.7% for Business Primary Exchange service (local telephone lines) and for Local Link service, in most of its operating territory, effective March 1. The telco also wants to increase the minimum charge for Centrex changes from $60 to $100 per request, effective January 23. ** Primary Exchange: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/8740/eng/2005/B2.htm#200515447 ** Local Link: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/8740/eng/2005/B2.htm#200515455 ** Centrex: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/8740/eng/2005/B2.htm#200515413 NORTEL CHOOSES TORONTO HQ: Nortel Networks has chosen an 11-storey, 160,000 square foot building in west Toronto as the site of its new global headquarters. ** Nortel's Chief Marketing Officer, Clent Richardson, will leave the company March 1 after only 18 months on the job. TELUS CHARGED OVER CELLPHONE RECORDS: The RCMP received Telus cellphone records related to an Edmonton serial-killer investigation on December 23, nearly five months after requesting them. Telus will appear in court next week to answer charges related to the delay, which it says was due to "misunderstanding and miscommunication." BC FIRM TO MAKE PHONES FOR SKYPE: Ascalade Communications, based in Richmond BC, has signed a development deal to develop telephones and other devices for Skype's VoIP service. The first product is a DECT-based cordless phone. ** At the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas this week, Skype announced a Netgear-developed phone that allows users to place Skype calls over Wi-Fi connections, and a D-Link adapter that enables Skype calls from a customer's traditional telephone. CRTC HOLDS OFF ON VoIP 9-1-1 SERVICE RULING: In Telecom Decision 2005-73, the CRTC agrees to wait until after April 2006 to rule on CISC proposals to improve VoIP 9-1-1/E9-1-1 service. CISC reported on fixed/non-native VoIP 9-1-1 options in November, but says its proposals for nomadic VoIP services, due in April, may provide better options for both types. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2005/dt2005-73.htm http://www.crtc.gc.ca/cisc/COMMITTE/E-docs/ESRE0041.doc NORTEL BUYS ROUTER MAKER: Nortel Networks has agreed to buy San Jose-based Tasman Networks, which makes wide-area network routers for small- and medium-office deployments, for US$99.5 million. AMTELECOM BOOSTS OFFER FOR PEOPLE'S: Faced with a rival bid for People's Communications, the independent telco in Forest, Ontario, Amtelecom has raised its offer by 6% to about $22.6 million. The People's board is recommending acceptance. (See Telecom Update #509) NW ONTARIO CELLCOS IN ROAMING DISPUTE: Superior Wireless, a cellco in northwestern Ontario, has asked the CRTC to order Thunder Bay Telephone to reinstate roaming on its digital wireless network for Superior Wireless customers, stating that TBT deactivated such roaming without notice on December 12. (See Telecom Update #318) http://www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8622/s72_200515752.htm U.S. CELLCOS MISS E9-1-1 DEADLINE: Under a Federal Communications Commission order, U.S. cellular carriers were supposed to ensure that 95% of their customers were using digital GPS-equipped cellphones that can transmit location information when calling 9-1-1. Five of the largest cellcos have asked for an extension, saying that seven million customers have refused to give up their old phones. EXFO BUYS TESTING FIRMS: Exfo Electro-Optical Engineering, based in Quebec City, has agreed to buy the assets of Toronto-based Consultronics, which makes broadband access testing equipment. Exfo will pay about $20 million. CYGNAL NAMES NEW CFO: Cygnal Technologies has appointed James Shannon, who formerly headed finance for a hardware distributor, as its Chief Financial Officer. (See Telecom Update #500) CIRA MEETING TO REVISE BYLAWS: The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), the group that manages the dot-ca Internet domain, will meet in Toronto on February 1, to vote on bylaw amendments. The changes, it says, will provide more diverse representation on the Board of Directors and allow the group to broaden its operations. See http://www.cira.ca/en/special-meeting/documents.html for details. ** All dot-ca domain owners are members of CIRA. Members who attend the February 1 meeting in person will receive a 128 MB memory key. ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-mail ianangus@angustel.ca and jriddell@angustel.ca =========================================================== 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 late Friday afternoon each 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. 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If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2006 06:49:09 -0500 From: John Stahl Subject: Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance On 5 Jan 2006, in Telecom Digest there appeared a query from Bob Alan regards Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance: > Hello, > I recently switched to VOIP but kept my old POTS line for back-up. > I use the VOIP for all my LD calls. Am I correct that even though I'm > not using my 3rd party LD provider that I had with my POTS service > that I'm still paying some form of a month connection fee to the POTS > provider? When cell phones became a low cost alternative to land-lines, I decided to make my land-line primarily a "receive only" device except for outbound FAX's and to use my cell phone for LD (and regional calls) and many of the local calls I make (I am looking into VoIP but that will tie me down into a land-line type application again - cell phones are so nice that you can take your communications with you in your pocket or on your belt!) So I contacted Verizon to get the cheapest rate for the land-line. I ended up with a real POTs service where I pay $0.09 for each outbound local call (free inbound) and have no LD carrier or regional tool carrier "attached" to the line. According to my last monthly statement here is a break down of costs as indicated on the statement: Monthly Charge for Dial tone $8.61 Surcharges and Taxes: 9.78 FCC Line Charge $6.40 Federal USF Surcharge .66 Surcharge(s) .51 911 Surcharge .35 Federal Tax .51 NY State/Local Sales Tax 1.35 Total $18.39 So as you can see, there doesn't seem to be any charges for any LD or regional carrier (I would assume this because I have none) as shown on the bill unless it is hidden in the "Surcharge(s)" portion. Of course you will note that I pay more in taxes and surcharges than for basic service, but that situation can be discussed at another time! Hope this helps with your query. John Stahl Telecom and Data Consultant Aljon Enterprises ------------------------------ From: BobT Subject: Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance Organization: EasyNews, UseNet made Easy! Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2006 15:33:41 GMT On Thu, 5 Jan 2006 15:08:04 -0500, Bob Alan wrote: > Hello, > I recently switched to VOIP but kept my old POTS line for back-up. > I use the VOIP for all my LD calls. Am I correct that even though I'm > not using my 3rd party LD provider that I had with my POTS service > that I'm still paying some form of a month connection fee to the POTS > provider? Many (most?) LD providers do not have a recurring periodic minimum fee for their most basic service, although they often do for more advanced types of service. You can contact your local ILEC and remove any LD preferred carrier arrangement, if you wish. This should prevent any recurring fee, if there was one in the first place, but the disadvantage is that if a LD call should, even by accident, be placed from your phone, you may find yourself assigned to a random carrier for that call, and this carrier will bill you at an unbelievably high per minute rate. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Jan 2006 05:08:18 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA > Am I correct that even though I'm not using my 3rd party LD provider > that I had with my POTS service that I'm still paying some form of a > month connection fee to the POTS provider? Yes. > Any idea what the fee is called. I believe the usual term is a "phone bill". If you're refering to a line called something like: FCC MANDATED ACCESS CHARGE which is probably $6.50, its correct label should be: EXTRA MONEY THE FCC LETS US COLLECT since it is simply part of your monthly phone rate. Back at the time of the Bell breakup, the access charge was a temporary band-aid the FCC added to make up for part of the previous subsidy from deliberately overpriced interstate long distance rates. It should have gone away in a few years once the telcos went to the states to adjust their rates to include it, but that never happened. Some people think that they shouldn't have to pay it if they never make toll calls but they are wrong. The niggly reason is that even if you never call anyone long distance, other people can call you so your phone is still connected to the long distance network. The real reason is the one above, it's just part of your phone rate. R's, John ------------------------------ From: Mark Crispin Subject: Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 22:30:46 -0800 Organization: University of Washington With Qwest in Washington State, the only way of getting out of having to pay a monthly fee for long-distance access is to sign up for something called "Managed Long Distance", which prohibits you from using 10xxx and 10xxxxx numbers and international dialing. You're allowed to make domestic long-distance calls, for which you are charged $.18/minute(!) and are cut off when it reaches $20. I got fed up with paying $5+ in fees in order to make less than $1 worth of long-distance calls a month. I either use my cell phone or Skype for long distance calls (my residence is in a weak/dead zone for all the cell phone carriers) and Skype for international calls. -- Mark -- http://panda.com/mrc Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Jan 2006 05:16:18 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: Payphone Surcharges (was Unanswered Cellphones) Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA wrote: > snarl >> Seth Breidbart wrote: >> snarl back, etc. Lisa has one reasonable point -- ever since the Bell breakup, the cost of making a payphone call by dialing 0+number and then entering your LEC calling card number has been set by the operator of the payphone, and is utterly unpredictable and more often than not completely absurd. I agree that stinks, but my solution wouldn't be to regulate it but rather to get rid of it since it's now a quaint historical artifact from the monopoly era. The vast majority of calling cards, whether from big companies like AT&T and Sprint or small companies that sell cards at newsstands, use an 800 number and the price you pay is set by the calling card company and is the same regardless of whose pay phone you use. Seth: she's right to the extent that the price for 0+ calls is a ripoff. Lisa: get with the program and use an 800 number to make your calling card calls like everyone else does. R's, John ------------------------------ From: heyarnoldusa@yahoo.com Subject: Re: Slammed for 25 Grand Date: 5 Jan 2006 20:44:49 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com NOTvalid@Queensbridge.us wrote: > PHONE USER ON HOOK FOR 25G > By BILL SANDERSON > New York Post 1/3/2006 > http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/60856.htm > January 3, 2006 -- Bedridden for 17 years, Timmy Secor can't work a > computer - he can't even lift his head from his pillow - but > Verizon bills him as if he were a millionaire keyboard whiz. > He's been overbilled $25,000, a friend said. > His monthly tab includes $19.95 for dialup Internet service he's never > used and $39.95 for a nonexistent Web page. > There's no explanation for the $29.95 Verizon collects for a company > called Directory Billing Service or the $21.45 "multiline charge" for > "Business Network LD." > With other mystery charges and the regular ... > TO READ ENTIRE STORY you have to agree to nine pages of privacy policy > and fifteen pages of terms of us 24 pages total. I don't have time to > study that much legalese. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That's okay, I got it from my RSS feed > and have the entire account here for everyone to read: PAT] > PHONE USER ON HOOK FOR 25G > By BILL SANDERSON > Bedridden for 17 years, Timmy Secor can't work a computer - he > can't even lift his head from his pillow - but Verizon bills him as if he > were a millionaire keyboard whiz. > He's been overbilled $25,000, a friend said. > His monthly tab includes $19.95 for dialup Internet service he's never > used and $39.95 for a nonexistent Web page. > There's no explanation for the $29.95 Verizon collects for a company > called Directory Billing Service or the $21.45 "multiline charge" for > "Business Network LD." > With other mystery charges and the regular Verizon charges, fees > and taxes, Secor's September phone bill was $575.76. > "These phone companies are bankrupting me," said Secor, 63, who runs a > modeling agency from his hospital bed in his Upper East Side apartment. > The law requires Verizon to bill its customers on other companies' > behalf. Consumer advocates call it "cramming." > Verizon has refunded $4,950, and an official told The Post that the > company was working on Secor's "issues" but declined to comment > further. > Arnold Martin, a pal helping Secor with the problem, figures he's > overpaid around $25,000 over the years. > It's a mystery how his phone bill got so bloated. > One company, Simple.net, says Secor responded in 2004 to a mail > solicitation that contained a check for $3.25. By depositing the > check, the company says, Secor signed up for dialup Internet service. > by bill.sanderson@nypost.com > NEW YORK POST is a registered trademark of NYP Holdings, Inc. > NYPOST.COM, NYPOSTONLINE.COM, and NEWYORKPOST.COM are trademarks of > NYP Holdings, Inc. > Copyright 2005 NYP Holdings, Inc. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I have gotten a lot of those 'checks' > for amounts ranging fom fifty cents through several dollars, always on > the condition 'cash this check and you authorize us to do whatever.' > I always throw them away, which Mr. Secor should learn to do. PAT] It's easy for the average able bodied person to read the fine print on those phony checks and discard them. However, Timmy is a quadriplegic and can't hold the check and read the tiny 1 point size fine print. Timmy told his assistant to deposit the $3.25 check which has cost him over $25000.00 in fraudulent charges billed by Verizon. ------------------------------ From: Steven Lichter Reply-To: Die@spammers.com Organization: I Kill Spammers, Inc. (c) 2005 A Rot in Hell Co. Subject: Re: Sprint was: Penn Central) Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2006 04:56:17 GMT > BZZZZZT! Sorry, Pat, it was the other way around! > United Telephone, based in the Kanasa City, KS area (maybe Overland Park) > bought SPRINT and then assumed the name, much like the recent changes at > SBC/AT&T. > United Telephone owned numerous local operating telephone companys > around the US of A. In my area it was United Telephone of the > Northwest. There was a United Telephone of Ohio, United Telephone of > Florida, and others with the "United Telephone of..." name. There > were still others as well, like Carolina Telephone, which operated in > North and South Carolina. Possibly the largest city in SPRINT's > stable in Las Vegas, NV. > Al GTE bought Sprint from Southern Pacific Railroad, then went into a deal with United to form SprintNet, which really was the first form of real communications on what is now the Internet. They operated E-mail systems for companies over their network, links to banking and other sites, a system allowed you to dial a local number or 800 number, then make long distance calls, and allowed computer users to call into the network and go out to a distant system, say a BBS across the country. What the SprintNet did for Sprint was test and refine their system for what it is used today, then then dumped all of their users, I believe Pat used the system. I seem to remember a comment on it years ago. GTE sold its holdings to United. As to Sprints local company, Las Vegas would be the largest of their companies, it was bought by United some years ago. But that might change soon, if the what they say about selling the local wireline companies and just keeping the Cellular and Long distance end of the business. I did a lot of contract work for them in Las Vegas and found it to be an interesting company to work with, but they had too many bean counters at their HQ. The only good spammer is a dead one!! Have you hunted one down today? (c) 2005 I Kill Spammers, Inc. A Rot in Hell Co. ------------------------------ From: c901rg@hotmail.com Subject: Re: Bringing Prime Time to Video iPod Date: 5 Jan 2006 23:24:25 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com See Best Buy video to iPod Converter Software from http://www.best-seller-reviews.com/videoipodconverter/ http://www.best-seller-reviews.com/videoipodconverter/ ------------------------------ From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: Butt-Set Recommendation Date: 6 Jan 2006 11:49:15 -0500 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) Jason Brault wrote: > My question is this, what kind of a test set should I get in order to > reasonably perform all the testing I need. I'm sure a basic, entry > level set like the TS19 from Harris would do what I need, but where I > get confused is all of the data protection and data lockout features > that the more advanced sets offer (everything from the TS20's to the > TS44DLX). Are these features something I could really use, or > perhapse are they not enough? Or are they for a telco technician who > will be using it all the time, and coul= d potentially tie into some > serious voltage on a lie that would make T1s look like child's play? I use a 1950s vintage butt set with a rotary dial for most things. The telco techs usually make fun of it, but I have yet to find anything critical that I have needed to do where it wouldn't function. It's just fine for listening to T-1 circuits and trying to hear resynch issues. The data lockout stuff will help you not screw up a data circuit if you accidentally come across one with the TALK switch on. Is that important to you? Don't forget that you will also need a Fox and Hound set. If you work on T-1 circuits, you really need a T-1 BERT at least, and a full protocol analyzer is a nice thing to have. No reason not to just get a cheap butt set, though. > What have you run into in your jobs that have turned out > indispensable, or something you wish you'd gotten originally? The Stanley push drill. scott "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2005-06 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #8 **************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Jan 7 02:14:10 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 96AA714EC7; Sat, 7 Jan 2006 02:14:09 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #9 Message-Id: <20060107071409.96AA714EC7@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Sat, 7 Jan 2006 02:14:09 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.8 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Sat, 7 Jan 2006 02:15:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 9 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson A Marriage Not Made in Heaven (Monty Solomon) A New Palm Treo Uses Microsoft's Software; Doesn't Beat 650 (Monty Solomon) Motorola and Google Align for Mobile Search (Monty Solomon) Google Unwraps the Google Pack (Monty Solomon) Google to Launch Video Marketplace (Monty Solomon) Intel Launches Viiv Entertainment PC (Monty Solomon) Intel CEO: Latest Platforms, Processors Form New Foundations (M Solomon) Google Ups Ante in Online Video Gold Rush (Monty Solomon) Judge Tentatively OKs Sony BMG Settlement (Monty Solomon) Yahoo! Go (Monty Solomon) Yahoo! Go Mobile to Launch with AT&T, Cingular and Nokia (Monty Solomon) GTE, Sprint, United, Centel, Contel, Nextel, etc. (Anthony Bellanga) Re: Payphone Surcharges (was Unanswered Cellphones) (Lisa Hancock) Long Distance Dialarounds (Anthony Bellanga) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (Bob Alan) Re: The Hazards of Instant Communication (Thomas Lapp) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 15:50:11 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: A Marriage Not Made in Heaven David Pogue YOU thought the apocalypse was upon us when Apple switched to processor chips from Intel, which Mac fans had considered the Dark Side for more than 20 years? Well, try this on for size: Palm's new Treo 700W cellphone-organizer runs on software from Microsoft. Yes, that Microsoft, whose palmtop software was mocked by Palm employees for years as bloated and inefficient. What's next -- a new radio show with Rush Limbaugh and Al Franken as co-hosts? The first question, in Palm's case, is: why? The answer is: corporate sales. For years, Palm has stood by, gnashing its teeth and losing market share, as corporate tech buyers lived and breathed the credo, "Nobody ever got fired for buying Microsoft." So maybe, thought Palm, it could join that party by offering its much-admired Treo phone with Microsoft inside. The second question is: how? From the beginning, Palm's and Microsoft's design philosophies were miles apart. Microsoft lived for long lists of features and 65 different ways to get at them, while Palm strove for simplicity and directness. (At one point, Palm actually employed a tap counter - a guy whose job it was to make sure no task required more than three taps on the PalmPilot's touch screen.) How on earth can these two approaches be reconciled? As it turns out, not very easily. The Treo 700W ($400 with a two-year Verizon commitment) is a Frankensteinian mishmash. Some of its features are so inspired and well executed, you can't help grinning, while others are so clumsy, you smack your forehead. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/05/technology/circuits/05pogue.html?ex=1294117200&en=118d7d1a62c22b03&ei=5090 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 15:50:07 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: A New Palm Treo Uses Microsoft's Software, But It Doesn't Beat 650 By WALTER S. MOSSBERG Palm's Treo smart phones have been the best high-end cellphones on the market, with the finest combination of voice, email and Web-browsing capabilities in a hand-held device. But many corporate information-technology departments have refused to buy the phone. Why? Because the Treo is powered by the Palm operating system and not by software from Microsoft, the only company whose software is supported by many IT departments. So Palm this week introduced a Treo model that uses the latest version of Microsoft's Windows Mobile software (formerly known as Pocket PC). On the outside, the new Treo 700w looks very much like the current Palm-based model, the Treo 650, which will remain on sale and will continue to be developed on a parallel track. On the inside, though, the new Treo's key software functions -- phone, email, Web, multimedia -- are all different. [Palm] I have been testing the Treo 700w, which will be sold by Verizon Wireless, to see how it stacks up against the Treo 650, the phone I carry every day. My verdict: Despite some nice new features, the Windows Mobile software is still inferior to the Palm software for one-handed use on the go. Its crucial email and phone functions are also weaker. And there's a serious bug in its email software that affects individuals, though not corporate users. So the Treo 700w is neither as easy to use nor as powerful as the Treo 650. In addition, the screen on the 700w offers significantly lower resolution than the screen on the 650, and the new model costs twice as much -- $400 versus $200. http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20060105.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 22:22:13 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Motorola and Google Align for Mobile Search Motorola Enables Users Immediate Access to Google on Millions of Motorola Handsets Worldwide LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT), a global leader in wireless communications, and Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) today announced a global alliance to enable users easy access to Google on Motorola handsets. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060105/CGTH084 ) Motorola will integrate a Google icon onto select devices so that users can connect directly to Google anytime, anywhere at the click of a button. These mass-market, Internet-optimized handsets will be distributed from early 2006 to select Motorola customers worldwide. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54509803 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 22:23:54 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Google Unwraps the Google Pack Free Software Package Offers Users One Stop to Discover, Install and Maintain a Wide Range of Essential PC Programs CES, LAS VEGAS, Nev., January 6, 2005 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) today announced Google Pack beta, a free collection of safe, useful software from Google and other companies that improves the user experience online and on the desktop. In just a few clicks, users can easily discover, install and maintain software to surf the web faster and safer, communicate better, and effectively manage information. "We've heard from countless new computer owners that it can take days or weeks to install all the software they need to make their computer useful," said Marissa Mayer, VP of search products and user experience at Google. "We developed Google Pack to give users a way to painlessly install all the essential software they need - pre-configured in a sensible way - in a matter of minutes. Better yet, users don't have to keep track of software updates or new programs - we maintain and update all the software for them." Google Pack offers programs that meets Google's high software standards and are considered best in their class, including: * Adobe Reader 7 * Ad-Aware SE Personal * GalleryPlayer HD Images * Google Desktop * Google Earth * Google Pack Screensaver * Google Talk * Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer * Mozilla Firefox with Google Toolbar * Norton AntiVirus 2005 Special Edition * Picasa * RealPlayer * Trillian Google Pack also includes Google Updater, a new tool that intelligently downloads, installs and maintains all the software in the Google Pack. Google Updater alerts users when updates and new programs become available and ensures each program is always up-to-date. Google Updater can also be used to monitor the status of installation, run software that's been installed, or easily uninstall software. http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/pack.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 22:24:50 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Google to Launch Video Marketplace CBS Leads List of Video Providers with CSI, Survivor, NCIS, Amazing Race and Classics Including I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, Twilight Zone and Many Others NBA Introduces Current Season Games for the First-Time on the Web Google Video Store To Show News and Historical Videos from ITN, Charlie Rose Interviews; New Titles Will Be Added Everyday LAS VEGAS, NV - Jan. 6, 2006 - Live from the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced the planned opening of the Google Video Store, the first open video marketplace enabling consumers to buy and rent a wide range of video content from a major television network, a professional sports league, cable programmers, independent producers and film makers. This fast growing collection of videos will include prime-time and classic hits from CBS, a full slate of NBA games from this season and outstanding performances from the past, music videos from SONY BMG, Charlie Rose interviews as well as news and historical content from ITN and new titles being added everyday. http://www.google.com/press/pressrel/video_marketplace.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 22:45:39 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Intel Launches Viiv Entertainment PC LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Chip-maker Intel Corp. launched its Viiv entertainment PC platform Thursday and announced a slew of deals with entertainment and other tech companies to provide content for the new systems. Viiv PC owners will be able to watch video that's stored in Google Inc.'s video service, high-definition highlights from NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics and classic TV shows from America Online. In all, Intel has signed dozens of content deals. Viiv computers will be capable of replacing the array of standalone boxes that surround the television _ such as a digital video recorder, DVD player or cable box. Intel also says it's working to ensure a Viiv PC works seamlessly with other equipment. By focusing on more than chips, Intel hopes its technical and marketing muscle will help make entertainment PCs easier to use _ and more appealing. The approach is similar to the strategy Intel followed when it launched its Centrino technology for wireless notebook computers in 2003. It not only supplied the chips but also marketing support and a quality-assurance program to ensure the technology worked. Also Thursday, Intel launched its Core Duo chip, which the company claims has lower power requirements and higher performance. The processor, which has two computing engines built into a single chip, is expected to enable smaller, living-room friendly Viiv systems and will power the next-generation mobile platform, the Centrino Duo. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54509935 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 22:47:29 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Intel CEO: Latest Platforms, Processors Form New Foundations Intel CEO: Latest Platforms, Processors Form New Foundations for Digital Entertainment and Wireless Computing - Jan 5, 2006 08:00 PM (BusinessWire) LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 5, 2006--Intel Corporation: -- Otellini Introduces Intel(R) Viiv(TM) Technology -- AOL, ClickStar, DIRECTV, NBC Universal Alliances -- Launches Next-Generation Intel(R) Centrino(R) Duo Mobile Technology to Advance Laptops -- New Intel(R) Core(TM) Duo Processor Redefines Performance-Per-Watt Intel Corporation President and CEO Paul Otellini today unveiled two platforms and several content alliances that provide the foundation for new experiences from digital entertainment and wireless laptops -- and include the new high-performance, low-power Intel(R) Core(TM) Duo processor. Noting the transformation now underway in entertainment, Otellini introduced the company's new home platform -- Intel(R) Viiv(TM) technology -- and several commitments from top U.S. and international entertainment companies including AOL, DIRECTV, NBC Universal, Turner Broadcasting's GameTap, ESPN, Televisa and Eros. ClickStar announced its first feature film, "10 Items or Less," with a plan for an Internet premiere within weeks of its theatrical release, an industry first. These and other developments will bring millions of songs, movies, programs and games to the PC in 2006. Intel Viiv technology-based entertainment PCs will help make it easier for families to download, store, view, manage and share all kinds of digital entertainment and information on a choice of TV, PC, laptop and hand-held viewing screens. Intel(R) Centrino(R) Duo mobile technology improves performance and battery life for the fast-growing wireless laptop market segment. Otellini also introduced the ground-breaking Intel(R) Core(TM) Duo processor -- powerful dual core silicon supporting the Intel Centrino Duo and certain Intel Viiv technology models. The processor is well equipped to deliver performance-per-watt efficiency and sleek designs for entertainment PCs, notebooks and CE-like devices. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54507105 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 22:52:09 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Google Ups Ante in Online Video Gold Rush By MAY WONG AP Technology Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Google Inc. is upping the ante in the online video gold rush, allowing content owners to set their own prices in a bid to create a more flexible alternative to Apple Computer Inc.'s pioneering iTunes store. Google's planned video expansion, announced Friday at the Consumer Electronics Show, already has lined up commitments to sell thousands of downloads, including recent television broadcasts of popular CBS shows and professional basketball games, as well as vintage episodes from series that went off the air decades ago. A launch date for the expansion has not been released. "It's the biggest marketplace of content that was previously offline and is now brought online," said Jennifer Feikin, director of Google Video. Since Apple began selling video downloads for its iconic iPod in October, a flurry of companies have joined forces to distribute TV programming or other video content. The company says it currently offers more than 3,000 music videos and 300 television shows for sale. Google's flexible pricing model sets its service apart. Apple dictates all the pricing in its iTunes store, charging $1.99 for each video download and 99 cents for each song downloaded. The restrictions already have caused considerable consternation in the music recording industry and eventually could trigger a backlash on the video side. With Google's marketplace, content suppliers can name their own price, from zero on up. The content owners who charge for video downloads must share 30 percent of the revenue with Google. The video providers have the option of offering content on a download-to-own or download-to-rent basis. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54541172 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 23:01:38 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Judge Tentatively OKs Sony BMG Settlement NEW YORK (AP) -- A judge Friday tentatively approved a proposed settlement of lawsuits against Sony BMG Music Entertainment that would give millions of consumers free music downloads to compensate them for flawed software on CDs. U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald gave her approval after a hearing in which lawyers explained the deal that requires the world's second-largest music label to stop manufacturing compact discs software that can leave computers vulnerable to hackers. The settlement pertained to lawsuits alleging that the vulnerabilities were created by MediaMax software or with extended copy protection or XCP software. According to terms of the settlement, Sony BMG will let consumers who bought the CDs receive replacement discs without the anti-piracy technology and will let them choose one of two incentive packages. The first package lets consumers who bought XCP CDs to obtain a cash payment of $7.50 and a promotion code allowing them to download one additional album from a list of more than 200 titles. The second package permits them to download three additional albums from the list. The court papers said Sony BMG would try to offer Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes as one of the download services available to the consumers. Those who purchased MediaMax CDs would receive additional compensation to allow them to download non-content protected versions of music on their MediaMax CDs and to download one additional album. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54533786 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 23:03:07 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Yahoo! Go Yahoo! Expands Reach Beyond the Browser with Launch of Yahoo! Go; Yahoo! Go Brings Seamless and Personalized Communications, Entertainment and Information Services to Mobile Devices, Televisions and Desktops - Jan 6, 2006 12:00 PM (BusinessWire) LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 2006--Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company, today announced the launch of Yahoo! Go, a new suite of innovative products designed to extend the company's reach beyond the Web browser. Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel featured the new Yahoo! Go products in his keynote today at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Yahoo! Go Mobile, TV and Desktop will enable consumers to quickly and easily access the Internet information and services they want across the various devices they use every day. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54523862 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 23:09:10 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Yahoo! Go Mobile to Launch with AT&T, Cingular and Nokia; Yahoo! Go Mobile to Launch with AT&T, Cingular and Nokia; New Service Seamlessly Integrates the Internet into the Mobile Device Functionality to Create a New Connected Experience for Consumers - Jan 6, 2006 12:02 PM (BusinessWire) LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 2006--Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO), a leading global Internet company, today announced Yahoo! Go Mobile, a new service designed to let consumers take their favorite Internet content and services with them on their mobile devices. Yahoo! Go Mobile will be launching with AT&T and Cingular Wireless in the United States and with Nokia in multiple international markets in the coming months. Yahoo! Go Mobile integrates the power of the Internet into consumers' mobile device experiences by combining real-time connectivity with access to their community, information and content services from across the web. This new service will be the first time Yahoo! has brought a comprehensive set of the company's industry-leading products and full access to services across the Web into a single mobile application. Yahoo! Go Mobile ( http://go.yahoo.com ) will also connect the company's familiar communications services to the mobile device's built-in e-mail, messaging, address book and calendar applications, giving consumers one reliable source for the information they find most vital. For example, if a user loses their mobile device, their saved contact information will still be available to them on the web, and easily synched with a new mobile device. In the United States, Yahoo! will launch Yahoo! Go Mobile with AT&T companies and Cingular Wireless in three markets and with AT&T and Cingular within the traditional AT&T 13-state local service footprint. The companies also plan a co-branded AT&T Yahoo! Go Mobile service designed to allow new and existing AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet subscribers to take their personalized Internet experience with them on their Cingular Wireless mobile device. Following the launch, consumers will be able to purchase the service pre-installed on new Nokia 6682 devices from select Cingular Wireless stores in the Austin, TX, Columbus, OH and Los Angeles markets and through some AT&T sales channels within the company's 13-state ILEC local service areas. Internationally, Nokia and Yahoo! will launch Yahoo! Go Mobile to consumers in 10 countries across Europe and Asia. Consumers purchasing select Nokia 6630, Nokia 6680, Nokia 6681 and Nokia N70 devices will receive Yahoo! Go Mobile pre-installed. Today consumers can download the Yahoo! Go Mobile application directly onto these devices from http://go.yahoo.com . - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54524006 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2006 14:13:40 -0700 From: Anthony Bellanga TELECOM Digest Editor wrote: >> The (S)outhern (P)acific (R)ailroad (I)nternal (N)etwork >> (T)elecommunications Department of that railroad -- or S.P.R.I.N.T. >> for short -- did a major re-build of their trackside telephone >> system in the late 1960's. They did such a good job of it, they had >> a huge anount of left-over capacity and decided to lease it out to >> other businesses and companies. That was the original Sprint, which >> a few years later got into residential telecom service as well, and >> has now -- 2005 -- gone through many changes in ownership and >> management. About 1998 or so, Sprint bought the United Telephone >> Company which serves a lot of northern Kansas among other >> territories. PAT] > BZZZZZT! Sorry, Pat, it was the other way around! > United Telephone, based in the Kansas City, KS area (maybe Overland > Park) bought SPRINT and then assumed the name, much like the recent > changes at SBC/AT&T. > United Telephone owned numerous local operating telephone companies > around the US of A. In my area it was United Telephone of the > Northwest. There was a United Telephone of Ohio, United Telephone of > Florida, and others with the "United Telephone of..." name. There > were still others as well, like Carolina Telephone, which operated in > North and South Carolina. Possibly the largest city in SPRINT's > stable in Las Vegas, NV. Southern Pacific Railways began to offer "common carrier" telecom services (SPRINT) during the 1970s era, paralleling what MCI had also begun doing. At first, it was private line services, but over time, combinations of private line with switched long haul services emerged, and finally "fully switched" OCC (Other Common Carrier) services. In the early 1980s, GTE bought out SPRINT from Southern Pacific Railways. In the early 1980s, their 950-xxxx feature group 'B' dial-up access number was 950-0777, the '777' for 'SPR', and their initial post-divestiture feature group 'D' equal-access dial-around code was 10-777. Also happening during the early 1980s was that the independent telco group owner United (which was one of about four or five or six of the larger ones, the others being GTE, Contel, Centel, and also Alltel, CenturyTel, PTI, etc) was developing their own 'OCC' long-distance network called "US Telecom". Their access number was (is) 950-1033, and their dial-around was 10-333 (now 101-0333). In 1986, GTE and United decided to "join forces" and merge their OCC long-distance networks. The new joint-venture would be called "US Sprint", owned 50/50 by GTE and United. It would take some time for the networks and billing departments of "US Sprint" to be properly merged and operating "seamlessly". In the first couple of years of "US Sprint", there were numerous billing errors! (Not that they didn't have significant billing errors or broken promises throughout the 1990s as well!). After a year or two of the "US Sprint" joint-venture of GTE and United, GTE suddenly announced that they "wanted out" of Sprint. It was decided that over the next five or so years, that United would slowly buy out GTE's ownership of "US Sprint". So, every year, if you read the reports of who owned what, United would have larger shares of Sprint, and GTE would have less. By 1992 or so, GTE had completely exited Sprint, with United owning all of Sprint. Also about the same time, GTE and Continental Telephone (Contel) merged, with the GTE name surviving. There were long time Contel service areas sold off, as well as some long-time GTE service areas sold off too, to comply with antitrust laws. Alltel and Citizens Tel bought up these one-time GTE and Contel service areas. There were also a few Alltel areas that were sold to GTE at the same time, sort of a "swap" of some GTE/Contel and Alltel areas! Also during the 1992/93 time period, United also bought out Central Telephone (Centel). Some legacy Centel areas included Tallahassee FL, large areas of Virginia, parts of Illinois (including the one-time Step-by-Step Chicago suburbs of Park Ridge and Des Plaines, later sold in 1996 to Illinois Bell/Ameritech now SBC/AT&T), and the Las Vegas NV Metro area. The combined United (which now owned 100% of Sprint) with Centel, changed its name to Sprint around 1993. The Sprint Local Telco areas of southern, central, and also scattered in parts of northern Florida is mostly all legacy United. Tallahassee FL and a few other areas of northwestern (panhandle) FL are legacy Centel. Sprint has also become involved in Cellular. Sprint-Canada was a marketing name of Call-Net (Canada), a CLEC and Canadian-based OCC (competitive Long Distance carrier). More recently, Rogers (which at one time was in a venture with the old Unitel, also once known as AT&T-Canada), has bought out Call-Net in Canada. I think that the Rogers name will replace the Sprint-Canada and the Call-Net names. Earlier in 2005, Sprint bought out Nextel wireless. It's going to take some time before the Nextel name is completely replaced with the Sprint name, but Sprint did announce that it was retaining wireless and long distance. The legacy incumbent local telco operation (once known as United and Centel) is going to be spun-off to a new entity altogather but the name of this entity is still TBA. At the time that Sprint tookover Nextel, the red/white "diamond" logo (in use since 1986 with the GTE and United joint-venture of US-Sprint) was abandoned (although it will take time for embedded advertizing signage, etc. to be completely replaced), the new Sprint-Nextel logo being black, with black text, on a yellow background (similar to pre-merger Nextel), the black logo itself now being something that looks like bird-feathers fuffling or book-pages being rifled. So, Sprint has had quite a colorful history dating back over 30 years. And I'm defining Sprint by the OCC long distance aspect of the company and name. Its one time owner United has a history that does indeed go back over 100 years, as an independent local telephone company that seems to have begun in the Kansas area in the 1890s or early 1900s. And it was around 1992/93 (NOT 1998), that United changed its name to Sprint, since United now owned all 100% of Sprint, in the transition completely from GTE ownership over to United ownership. - anthony bellanga ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Payphone Surcharges (was Unanswered Cellphones) Date: 6 Jan 2006 13:41:08 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Seth Breidbart wrote: > The sign at the pump says so. Why didn't you read it? >> In other retail services the price is on the item or the shelf. Yet >> in pay phones the price is nowhere to be found. > You must use a different kind of payphone than all the ones I've > seen. Those list their prices (for local calls, and tell you how to > get the prices for other calls). The only charge I've seen posted on pay phones is the initial deposit for a "local" call. I have NOT seen signage how many minutes that charge covers, nor how far the "local" calling area covers. It's easy to get burned on over time charges -- is it 50 cents per each minute or for ten minutes? That can add up quickly and be a nuisance. I have rarely seen long distance charges posted on pay phones, and generally only for cash calls if the phone accepts such calls. For rates of other calls one must call "customer service". Ha Ha Ha. I've tried that numerous times and have never gotten any answer. MCI was great on handling assistance calls -- anyone who wanted help was told to call AT&T, which meant MCI was dumping difficult customers on its competition. So, to answer your question, toll charges ARE NOT POSTED on pay phones. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I think Lisa may have used the word > 'extorted' in a loose, general way. Pat makes an excellent point. Please allow me to elaborate. I was in a convention center and wanted something to eat. In the hallway they had stands with hot dogs and soda. The prices were enormous. Now, I knew the area and knew I could get other food about a block away by foot, but I was tired, in a rush, and chose to pay the higher price rather than make the effort to walk around for something cheaper. The point is that here I had a choice to pay double or not. What I call "extortion" was when I (and many other people) were in situations where finding another pay phone wasn't so simple, indeed, rather difficult. I was in a building surrounded by a large parking lot, so I'd need to get my car and drive somewhere else, park, and hope there's a phone that is cheaper (presuming I'd even know since there's no toll rate card). More significantly, my presence was required in the immediate area and I could not leave it. So while perhaps nobody was holding a gun to my head, I was effectively detained in that location. I did not have a choice. I also note the charge was more than double. > Seth, people do not read; they approach certain situations in life > pre-conditioned, to 'know what to expect'. I hope you can deal with > that lack of perfection in many people around you. PAT] Good point. I emphasize the issue of "pre conditioned" because we do have constant CHANGES in the way pay phone service is offered and price to us members of the general public. IMHO unscruplus businesses are taking advtg of that and our "lack of perfection" to overcharge us. Some businesses do so deliberately knowing they'll get calls of complaint that they'll have to adjust, but figure the downward adjustments still will be less that the total big profits received by the high prices. I used to remember a major long distance company always being in the paper for FCC /FTC violations for which they'd get some fine. I think the company was doing the above, knowing all along their practices were wrong but figured the fine, if it came, would be less than the profits. Some cities, to protect the public, regulate tow truck charges knowing the people needing a tow are in a very vulnerable situation to price gouging. Still tow truck operators come up with schemes to fleece the public, such as simply charging more than the ceiling price and figuring the customer won't bother fighting it. (Some taxicabs do likewise.) When that sort of thing happens, some posters here seem to take a very obssessive approach to the problem and stand on paperwork and procedure, utterly ignorant of the predicament of the victim. These posters must realize that not all of us have unlimited time nor desire to study in detail every procedure from every business we might possibly deal with in the far distant future. That they enjoy reading these things is fine for them, but not for the rest of us. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2006 15:19:04 -0700 From: Anthony Bellanga Reply-To: no-spam@no-spam.no-spam Subject: Long Distance Dialarounds PAT: Please do NOT display my email address where ever it might appear! On Thursday 5 Jan 2006, Mark Crispin wrote in "Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance": > With Qwest in Washington State, the only way of getting out of having > to pay a monthly fee for long-distance access is to sign up for > something called "Managed Long Distance", which prohibits you from > using 10xxx and 10xxxxx numbers and international dialing. The old 10-XXX+ Long Distance Dialaround code format is totally obsolete now. It was replaced by the expanded 101-XXXX+ code format over a phased period in the 1990s. Those previously assigned 10-XXX codes were permissively dialable as 101-0XXX, or the "so-called" 10-10-XXX or "ten-ten". However, that is a misnomer, since there were also 101-5XXX and 101-6XXX codes in use during the transition, since it turned out that under the shorter, older format, there had never been any 10-10X codes, nor 10-15X or 10-16X codes. Thus, permissive use of 101-0XXX and new 101-5XXX and 101-6XXX codes didn't conflict. By 1998 in the US, and 2000 in Canada, the expanded 101-0XXX+ format was mandatory for calling the previous 10-XXX+ codes. And since 2001, in addition to 101-0XXX and the "new" 101-5XXX and 101-6XXX codes, there have been codes from the entire "generic" range of 101-XXXX. However, it might be a long time before the four-digit -xxxx format would run out. I don't know if the plans are to really expand to 10-xxxxx, i.e., '1', '0', and then five posssible 'x' digits, i.e., where the third digit in the full dial-around code could be digits other than just '1'. ------------------------------ Reply-To: Bob Alan From: Bob Alan Subject: Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 22:48:50 -0500 Organization: Cox Communications > you may find yourself assigned to a random carrier Wow did you just open my eyes, cause I can see my wife doing that ... BobT wrote in message news:telecom25.8.8@telecom-digest.org: On Thu, 5 Jan 2006 15:08:04 -0500, Bob Alan wrote: > Hello, > I recently switched to VOIP but kept my old POTS line for back-up. > I use the VOIP for all my LD calls. Am I correct that even though I'm > not using my 3rd party LD provider that I had with my POTS service > that I'm still paying some form of a month connection fee to the POTS > provider? Many (most?) LD providers do not have a recurring periodic minimum fee for their most basic service, although they often do for more advanced types of service. You can contact your local ILEC and remove any LD preferred carrier arrangement, if you wish. This should prevent any recurring fee, if there was one in the first place, but the disadvantage is that if a LD call should, even by accident, be placed from your phone, you may find yourself assigned to a random carrier for that call, and this carrier will bill you at an unbelievably high per minute rate. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 14:33:27 -0500 From: Thomas Lapp Subject: Re: The Hazards of Instant Communication > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That report from West Virginia was one > of the saddest things I have ever read. WV, one of the poorest states > in the union earns much of its living in the coal mines, a dirty job > and dangerous by anyone's standards. Wasn't there a popular song As one who grew up in West Virginia, I find it still common belief that the image of WV in the 1940s is what people think of when they think of WV. Fortunately, time and West Virginia have marched on. While WV is still a producer of coal, and there are counties in which unemployment is at very high levels, West Virginia has a lot more going for it. West Virginia is the home of a large IRS processing center. It is the home of a large FBI facility. Even NASA does significant business in the state. I should also mention that WV was one of the first states to provide a computer network statewide connecting all of its state educational institutions. The eastern panhandle of the state is quickly becoming a bedroom community for commuters to Washington DC. West Virginia University has long waiting lists for its programs in criminal forensics (think: CSI) and Physical Therapy. There was a very good reason that Randy was taken to Ruby Memorial hospital for initial treatment. It is one of the premier teaching and trauma centers in the region. And for those who are sports fans, you already know that West Virginia University's football team is ranked in the top five in the nation. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You _are_ correct; many people still think of WV in the 'olden days' rather than as it is becoming now. Thank you very much for helping to educate us. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V25 #9 **************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Jan 8 00:51:34 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 54C0614EBE; Sun, 8 Jan 2006 00:51:34 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #10 Message-Id: <20060108055134.54C0614EBE@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 00:51:34 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_REMOVE autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Sun, 8 Jan 2006 00:54:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 10 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Katherine Shrader) Phone Problems and Question (Eli Tomlinson) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (John Stahl) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (Ken Abrams) Re: GTE, Sprint, United, Centel, Contel, Nextel, etc. (Al Gillis) History Web Site Now Open! (TELECOM Digest Editor) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Katherine Shrader Subject: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: Sat, 7 Jan 2006 23:20:21 -0600 By KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writer A majority of Americans want the Bush administration to get court approval before eavesdropping on people inside the United States, even if those calls might involve suspected terrorists, an AP-Ipsos poll shows. Over the past three weeks, President Bush and top aides have defended the electronic monitoring program they secretly launched shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, as a vital tool to protect the nation from al-Qaida and its affiliates. Yet 56 percent of respondents in an AP-Ipsos poll said the government should be required to first get a court warrant to eavesdrop on the overseas calls and e-mails of U.S. citizens when those communications are believed to be tied to terrorism. Agreeing with the White House, some 42 percent of those surveyed do not believe the court approval is necessary. "We're at war," Bush said during a New Year's Day visit to San Antonio. "And as commander in chief, I've got to use the resources at my disposal, within the law, to protect the American people. ... It's a vital, necessary program." According to the poll, age matters in how people view the monitoring. Nearly two-thirds of those between age 18 to 29 believe warrants should be required, while people 65 and older are evenly divided. Party affiliation is a factor, too. Almost three-fourths of Democrats and one-third of Republicans want to require court warrants. Cynthia Ice-Bones, 32, a Republican from Sacramento, Calif., said knowing about the program made her feel a bit safer. "I think our security is so important that we don't need warrants. If you're doing something we shouldn't be doing, then you ought to be caught," she said. But Peter Ahr of Caldwell, N.J., a religious studies professor at Seton Hall University, said he could not find a justification for skipping judicial approvals. Nor did he believe the administration's argument that such a step would impair terrorism investigations. "We're a nation of laws. ... That means that everybody has to live by the law, including the administration," said Ahr, 64, a Democrat who argues for checks and balances. "For the administration to simply go after wiretaps on their own without anyone else's say-so is a violation of that principle." The eavesdropping is run by the secretive National Security Agency, the government's code-makers and code-breakers. Charles Franklin, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said most people think that the eavesdropping is aimed at foreign terrorists, even when the surveillance is conducted inside the country. "They are willing to give the president quite a lot of leeway on this when it comes to the war on terror," said Franklin, who closely follows public opinion. Some members of Congress have raised concerns about the president's actions, but none of those lawmakers who have been briefed on the program has called for its immediate halt. The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, GOP Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, has promised hearings this year. Five members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, including GOP Sens. Olympia Snowe of Maine and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, have called for immediate inquiries. On top of that, a memorandum circulated Friday from two legal analysts at the Congressional Research Service concluded that the justification for the monitoring may not be as strong as the administration has argued. The NSA's activity "may present an exercise of presidential power at its lowest ebb," the 44-page memo said. Bush based his eavesdropping orders on his presidential powers under the Constitution and a September 2001 congressional resolution authorizing him to use military force in the fight against terrorism. The administration says the program is reviewed every 45 days and that Bush personally reauthorizes it. His top legal advisers argue its justification is sound. The issue is full of grays for some people interviewed for the poll, including homebuilder Harlon Bennett, 21, a political independent from Wellston, Okla. He does not think the government should need warrants for suspected terrorists. "Of course," he added, "we all could be suspected terrorists." Associated Press writers Will Lester and Elizabeth White contributed to this report. On the Net: Ipsos: http://www.ap-ipsosresults.com Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more stories and headlines from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Eli Tomlinson Subject: Phone Problems and Question Date: Sat, 7 Jan 2006 10:18:06 -0500 I have been suffering for quite some time with a PRI problem. The short version is: I never lose the signal, but sporadically I lose the line because of 'bad data' or 'garbage' on the line. This can happen once a day or thirty times a day. I am using Verizon as my PRI provider and a Nortel BCM 400 as the phone equipment. Verizon's position is that there is nothing wrong. Nortel's position is that I am occassionally getting bad layer 2 data that their system can't handle. Both companies claim they do not have the resources or expertise to help me ... Do you know of anyone in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York area that is an independent telco engineer that can come in with a protocol analyzer and give me definitive evidence of what my problem is? I need someone with the ability to authoritatively prove my issue so I can end the finger-pointing. Any help or references would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, - Eli Eli Tomlinson Wayne Bank 717 Main Street Honesdale, PA 18431 (570) 253-8566 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Maybe you should advise both companies that you 'do not have the resources to pay for their non-help. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 07 Jan 2006 09:45:26 -0500 From: John Stahl Subject: Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance Bob Alan asked about Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance on Fri, 6 Jan 2006 22:48:50 -0500 > You can contact your local ILEC and remove any LD > preferred carrier arrangement, if you wish. One thing I failed to mention in my original answer, but the latest response reminded me, was about the high costs the incumbents charge to make simple (non-hardware) changes to your Teleco lines. In the bill I mentioned in my response, there appeared a note (in the FYI section) below the billing section regarding an increase in the charge to change/modify LD carrier on the line. Verizon indicated that effective the effective Jan 1, 2006, new rates apply when you change your LD carrier but ... there were options in how much the charge. If one calls the Verizon business office the charge is now $5.50. However, if one were to establish an account on-line and use the Internet (see, there are advantages -- at least for now -- in using the Internet!), the charge to change LD carriers is only $1.25. AND if you change both regional toll and LD carrier at the same time the charge will be discounted an additional 50%. Isn't that nice. Cost of doing business: one more reason to go to VoIP (or even a cell) service. John Stahl Telecom and Data Consultant Aljon Enterprises ------------------------------ From: Ken Abrams Subject: Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Sat, 07 Jan 2006 16:27:09 GMT Bob Alan wrote >> you may find yourself assigned to a random carrier > You can contact your local ILEC and remove any LD preferred carrier > arrangement, if you wish. This should prevent any recurring fee, if > there was one in the first place, but the disadvantage is that if a > LD call should, even by accident, be placed from your phone, you may > find yourself assigned to a random carrier for that call, and this > carrier will bill you at an unbelievably high per minute rate. I don't think this is true. If you have specified that you don't want an assigned (preferred) LD carrier, then a LD call DIALED "by accident" would not complete. Random carrier assignments are only made for those customers who state that they DO want LD service but don't have a preference for which carrier is used. This usually only happens when a new line is activated (installed, connected, turned on ... whatever). If you have specific information about a LEC that will do what you claim, please provide the details. ------------------------------ From: Al Gillis Subject: Re: GTE, Sprint, United, Centel, Contel, Nextel, etc. Date: Sat, 7 Jan 2006 07:15:03 -0800 Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com Anthony -- That's a great history! Thanks for taking time to "shine a light" onto that part of our past! Pat -- I think posting Anthony's article in the History section of the TELECOM Digest Archives would be a great idea! Al Anthony Bellanga wrote in message news:telecom25.9.12@telecom-digest.org: > PAT -- please suppress my email address in the "from" line, and any > other place it might appear! > Al Gillis wrote: >> TELECOM Digest Editor wrote: >>> The (S)outhern (P)acific (R)ailroad (I)nternal (N)etwork >>> (T)elecommunications Department of that railroad -- or S.P.R.I.N.T. >>> for short -- did a major re-build of their trackside telephone >>> system in the late 1960's. They did such a good job of it, they had >>> a huge anount of left-over capacity and decided to lease it out to >>> other businesses and companies. That was the original Sprint, which >>> a few years later got into residential telecom service as well, and >>> has now -- 2005 -- gone through many changes in ownership and >>> management. About 1998 or so, Sprint bought the United Telephone >>> Company which serves a lot of northern Kansas among other >>> territories. PAT] >> BZZZZZT! Sorry, Pat, it was the other way around! >> United Telephone, based in the Kansas City, KS area (maybe Overland >> Park) bought SPRINT and then assumed the name, much like the recent >> changes at SBC/AT&T. >> United Telephone owned numerous local operating telephone companies >> around the US of A. In my area it was United Telephone of the >> Northwest. There was a United Telephone of Ohio, United Telephone of >> Florida, and others with the "United Telephone of..." name. There >> were still others as well, like Carolina Telephone, which operated in >> North and South Carolina. Possibly the largest city in SPRINT's >> stable in Las Vegas, NV. > Southern Pacific Railways began to offer "common carrier" telecom > services (SPRINT) during the 1970s era, paralleling what MCI had also > begun doing. At first, it was private line services, but over time, > combinations of private line with switched long haul services emerged, > and finally "fully switched" OCC (Other Common Carrier) services. > In the early 1980s, GTE bought out SPRINT from Southern Pacific > Railways. In the early 1980s, their 950-xxxx feature group 'B' dial-up > access number was 950-0777, the '777' for 'SPR', and their initial > post-divestiture feature group 'D' equal-access dial-around code was > 10-777. > Also happening during the early 1980s was that the independent telco > group owner United (which was one of about four or five or six of the > larger ones, the others being GTE, Contel, Centel, and also Alltel, > CenturyTel, PTI, etc) was developing their own 'OCC' long-distance > network called "US Telecom". Their access number was (is) 950-1033, > and their dial-around was 10-333 (now 101-0333). > In 1986, GTE and United decided to "join forces" and merge their OCC > long-distance networks. The new joint-venture would be called "US > Sprint", owned 50/50 by GTE and United. It would take some time for > the networks and billing departments of "US Sprint" to be properly > merged and operating "seamlessly". In the first couple of years of "US > Sprint", there were numerous billing errors! (Not that they didn't > have significant billing errors or broken promises throughout the > 1990s as well!). > After a year or two of the "US Sprint" joint-venture of GTE and > United, GTE suddenly announced that they "wanted out" of Sprint. It > was decided that over the next five or so years, that United would > slowly buy out GTE's ownership of "US Sprint". So, every year, if you > read the reports of who owned what, United would have larger shares of > Sprint, and GTE would have less. > By 1992 or so, GTE had completely exited Sprint, with United owning > all of Sprint. Also about the same time, GTE and Continental Telephone > (Contel) merged, with the GTE name surviving. There were long time > Contel service areas sold off, as well as some long-time GTE service > areas sold off too, to comply with antitrust laws. Alltel and Citizens > Tel bought up these one-time GTE and Contel service areas. There were > also a few Alltel areas that were sold to GTE at the same time, sort > of a "swap" of some GTE/Contel and Alltel areas! Also during the > 1992/93 time period, United also bought out Central Telephone > (Centel). Some legacy Centel areas included Tallahassee FL, large > areas of Virginia, parts of Illinois (including the one-time > Step-by-Step Chicago suburbs of Park Ridge and Des Plaines, later sold > in 1996 to Illinois Bell/Ameritech now SBC/AT&T), and the Las Vegas NV > Metro area. The combined United (which now owned 100% of Sprint) with > Centel, changed its name to Sprint around 1993. > The Sprint Local Telco areas of southern, central, and also scattered > in parts of northern Florida is mostly all legacy United. Tallahassee > FL and a few other areas of northwestern (panhandle) FL are legacy > Centel. > Sprint has also become involved in Cellular. > Sprint-Canada was a marketing name of Call-Net (Canada), a CLEC and > Canadian-based OCC (competitive Long Distance carrier). More recently, > Rogers (which at one time was in a venture with the old Unitel, also > once known as AT&T-Canada), has bought out Call-Net in Canada. I think > that the Rogers name will replace the Sprint-Canada and the Call-Net > names. > Earlier in 2005, Sprint bought out Nextel wireless. It's going to take > some time before the Nextel name is completely replaced with the > Sprint name, but Sprint did announce that it was retaining wireless > and long distance. The legacy incumbent local telco operation (once > known as United and Centel) is going to be spun-off to a new entity > altogather but the name of this entity is still TBA. > At the time that Sprint tookover Nextel, the red/white "diamond" logo > (in use since 1986 with the GTE and United joint-venture of US-Sprint) > was abandoned (although it will take time for embedded advertizing > signage, etc. to be completely replaced), the new Sprint-Nextel logo > being black, with black text, on a yellow background (similar to > pre-merger Nextel), the black logo itself now being something that > looks like bird-feathers fuffling or book-pages being rifled. > So, Sprint has had quite a colorful history dating back over 30 years. > And I'm defining Sprint by the OCC long distance aspect of the company > and name. Its one time owner United has a history that does indeed go > back over 100 years, as an independent local telephone company that > seems to have begun in the Kansas area in the 1890s or early 1900s. > And it was around 1992/93 (NOT 1998), that United changed its name to > Sprint, since United now owned all 100% of Sprint, in the transition > completely from GTE ownership over to United ownership. > - anthony bellanga [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I think so also, and did that earlier on Saturday. His message (and another one about the 'ten-ten' access code numbers) is in the History section of the Telecom Archives as of now. Thanks for the mention however; I might have otherwise overlooked it. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: History Web Site Now Open! Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 00:29:19 EST From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) I am pleased to announce that after spending most of the day today working on the matter, I finally have the Internet Historical Society web site open for viewing at http://history-internet.org . There are still some broken links to be investigated (all of YOUR help will be appreciated with that) and I will get to those over the next couple days. There still has to be added a user bulletin board for open posting as I had on the earlier version. You can start looking it over now, however, at http://history-internet.org and thank you all for your patience with me on this project. PAT ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #10 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Jan 8 19:27:41 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id B854D14F20; Sun, 8 Jan 2006 19:27:40 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #11 Message-Id: <20060109002740.B854D14F20@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 19:27:40 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.6 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, DIET_1,MAILTO_TO_REMOVE autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Sun, 8 Jan 2006 19:30:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 11 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old (Sam Diaz) Google to Launch Online Video Store (Eric Auchard) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Mark Crispin) Re: GTE, Sprint, United, Centel, Contel, Nextel, etc. (Geoffrey Welsh) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (GarsDuBell@aol.com) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (BobT) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (Wesrock@aol.com) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (Rich Greenberg) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Sam Diaz Subject: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 14:27:04 -0600 By Sam Diaz Washington Post Staff Writer It's only been a week since the calendar turned the corner into 2006, and I'm slowly making progress on one of my New Year's resolutions: organizing my digital life. The digital music and digital photo files were fairly easy -- photo album software has made it simple to organize my pictures by dates or events while music software allows me to create playlists or find duplicate tracks with just a few clicks. And I've been pretty good at keeping it organized month after month. The biggest challenge, the one that I'm finding is taking a lot of time, patience and commitment, is tackling the e-mail mess that I've created. Part of the problem, I think, is that I have too many e-mail accounts. There's the mail that comes into the office, as well as the personal account I use through Yahoo. And of course, I couldn't refuse an invitation to Google's GMail when a friend lured me in. And, to intensify the flood of mail, I subscribe to a half-dozen or so e-newsletters and have set up my mail to receive daily news alerts. Add to that the jokes that some friends just won't stop sending and the Spam that seems to regularly sneak past the filters, and you get an idea of how quickly things can get cluttered. How cluttered? I have more than 6,200 e-mails in my Yahoo inbox alone. Now I find myself wrestling with two impulses: The need for some sort of order in my e-mail versus my pack-rat instinct to save everything. So I came up with a no-budget plan to not only do some cleanup but also ensure that I never get back to this cluttered place again. DELETE OR ARCHIVE. It sounds simple enough, but just sorting through the hundreds (or thousands) of mails is a job within itself. No matter if you read mail over Yahoo, GMail or Hotmail, or if you access it through programs such as Outlook, Lotus Notes or Eudora, you have the capability to sort the mail by sender or subject line. That's where I started. Click on the heading and start searching for stuff that has to go. In my case, the automatic news alerts that date back to last summer can probably go first. If you're using Outlook, select a group of similar e-mails and press the delete key once. If you're using a Web-based program, the best bet may be to perform a search on the e-mails from a sender or those who use the same subject line. When your search results appear, select them all and hit delete. I have cleared hundreds of e-mails in one shot by doing this. If you really can't fathom the idea of deleting hundreds of e-mails, do yourself a favor and archive them to get them out of the inbox. Archiving, also known as exporting in some programs, really isn't that hard. You're basically saving a select group of e-mails, usually those within a range of dates, to another place on your computer, though I suggest saving them to a USB drive or CD. Whenever you need to search for a particular e-mail from 2004, for example, you can just plug in that drive or pop in that CD and retrieve them. FILTERS AND FOLDERS. Regardless of what program you use to get e-mail, you probably have the ability to create custom filters and new subfolders. I made a new folder called Alerts and set up a filter that automatically puts any e-mail sent by "alerts@yahoo-inc.com," the address that sends those daily bulletins, directly into the Alerts folder. I've done the same for newsletters and other regular e-mail that's not necessarily critical. My inbox will no longer be cluttered by them, they'll be easy to find and even easier to delete in bulk when the time comes. Sure, now I have more folders to sort through during the day, but the important stuff, the e-mail that needs to be in my face, will pop into the primary inbox. FORWARD THOSE E-MAILS. I realize that the last thing you need is another e-mail account, but I have started putting that GMail account to good use. Every e-mail that comes into my inbox, or filtered subfolders, is automatically forwarded to my GMail account, which has a mailbox capacity of two gigabytes and keeps growing as you continue to feed it. Here's the trick: Set up your primary account to forward a copy of the e-mail, not the original, to a different account, one that you don't check regularly. Read, reply and delete as you normally would with the peace of mind that somewhere out in cyberspace there's a copy for you. It's worth noting that none of these tricks is new, but none will cost you a penny. Filters and folders have been around for years, but like backing up important data or updating anti-virus software, we don't use them until things go crazy. Like losing weight or quitting smoking, this e-mail organization resolution can be overwhelming. Just remember, like the weight and smoking, this didn't happen overnight. It took a while to get here. Getting out of it will take plenty of time, as well -- and a commitment. Copyright 2006 The Washington Post Company 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines, go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/internet-news.html ------------------------------ From: Eric Auchard Subject: Google to Launch Online Video Store Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 14:24:26 -0600 By Eric Auchard Google Inc. said on Friday the company is expanding into two new fields with an online video store and a computer maintenance service, moves that mark stepped-up challenges to its biggest computer and media rivals, including Apple, Microsoft and Yahoo. Google Co-founder and President Larry Page said the video marketplace would offer free programming, low-cost rentals and outright purchases of premium entertainment and sports shows ranging from episodes of Star Trek to every National Basketball Association league game online, for the first time ever. Page also introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas a plan to offer any user of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP-powered PCs basic software, security and Web features on both new and existing machines. With the product, called Google Pack, the company is promising to help most users set up and maintain their machines in a matter of minutes rather than the hours that many computer users require to get going on a new PC. "Google Pack is quite exciting," said Page during his keynote address at the show, "It's as easy as going to the Google home page." Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates used his own keynote speech here earlier this week to take the covers off many new consumer features of the next upgrade of the Windows desktop, known as Vista, due out later this year. "This is a direct action to challenge Microsoft: Google is saying we can manage the browser and other elements of the computer desktop experience better than what you get now," Forrester media and Internet analyst Josh Bernoff said. Specifically, Google said it will rent and sell television programs from CBS Corp. and the NBA. CBS plans to offer three current programs, including "Crime Scene Investigation," for rental a day after they originally air, priced at $1.99. 'STAR TREK' DOWNLOADS Another 300 "classic" CBS shows such as "I Love Lucy," "The Brady Bunch" and "Star Trek" will be offered for download and outright ownership for the same $1.99 fee. Other partners include the historical video archive of Britain's ITN and selected Sony BMG videos. Time Warner is expected to eventually participate in the video store as part of a recently expanded search and advertising deal, Google CEO Eric Schmidt added. The significance of the video store is that it marks one of the first moves by Google to begin charging users of its services beyond search-based advertising sales, which drives 99 percent of company revenues. Executives said the company would not announce plans to enter the computer business, denying rumors that Google would launch at the show a machine costing as little as $100. In its most overt slap at Microsoft, Google has named a set of preferred software, security and Web service providers that will be part of its recommended PC set-up. Preferred software vendors include Symantec Corp., Adobe Systems Inc. and RealNetworks Inc. Highlighting the potential greater scope of Google's plan, Page told reporters after this speech that Google considered including OpenOffice, a free suite of applications supported by Sun Microsystems Inc. that would compete directly with Microsoft's Office software suite. Instead, Google elected to keep the first package of software small, Page said. Invoking parallels to a decade-old battle that pitted Microsoft versus Web browser pioneer Netscape Communications, Google plans to automatically install for customers who accept its offer the Mozilla/Firefox browser, a challenge to Microsoft's far more widely used Internet Explorer browser. The most basic measure of the Google-Microsoft competition is the growing percentage of time computer users spend on Google products rather than Microsoft, Bernoff said. Initially, Google offered only Web search. That has expanded to include desktop search, communications, video and an ever broader array of software offerings, he said. A version of new Google video store for Apple Computer Inc.'s Mac line of computers is coming, Page said. "We have a version of video for Mac that is not downloadable yet," Page said. "Hopefully that will come out soon." Roughly four-fifths of U.S. households in a survey of consumer Internet trends released this week by brokerage SG Cowen use Microsoft Windows XP as their operating system software. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more headlines and news from Reuters, pleasr go to: http://telecom-digest.otg/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Mark Crispin Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: Sat, 7 Jan 2006 22:36:48 -0800 Organization: University of Washington On Sat, 7 Jan 2006, Katherine Shrader wrote: > Yet 56 percent of respondents in an AP-Ipsos poll said the government > should be required to first get a court warrant to eavesdrop on the > overseas calls and e-mails of U.S. citizens when those communications > are believed to be tied to terrorism. This is something that confuses me. Were the calls that were eavesdropped of US citizens? Or were they of non-citizens who happened to be in the US? The reports that I heard indicated that it was the latter. Most foreign countries substantially abridge the rights of American citizens in their countries compared to their citizens. I have direct first-hand experience on this count. I see no reason for the US not to do the same. In fact, we already do. Non-citizens in the US are generally denied the rights, enjoyed by citizens, to: . reside . employment . possess a firearm . public assistance . vote, etc. There are means by which a non-citizen can get these rights (green card, alien firearms license, etc.); but normally visitors to the US are very much limited compared to citizens and green card holders. I don't see why a non-citizen should expect the right to privacy of communications in the US if that non-citizen falls under suspicion of terrorism. You can bet that outside the US, the phones of anyone suspected of terrorist ties are tapped, EU regulations or not. In some cases, the bureaucracy conceals it, and it's a crime for the press to reveal what the bureaucracy has concealed. In other cases (e.g., Canada), the very document that states all these wonderful rights gives the government the power to abridge them whenever it thinks it's necessary. Don't believe me? Read Canada's "Charter of Rights and Freedoms", and note the "notwithstanding" clauses (in particular section 33): http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/charter/ -- Mark -- http://panda.com/mrc Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote. ------------------------------ From: Geoffrey Welsh Subject: Re: GTE, Sprint, United, Centel, Contel, Nextel, etc. Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 15:05:22 -0500 Organization: UseNetServer.com Anthony Bellanga wrote: > Sprint-Canada was a marketing name of Call-Net (Canada), a CLEC and > Canadian-based OCC (competitive Long Distance carrier). More recently, > Rogers (which at one time was in a venture with the old Unitel, also > once known as AT&T-Canada), has bought out Call-Net in Canada. I think > that the Rogers name will replace the Sprint-Canada and the Call-Net > names. I do business with the former Sprint Canada, and Rogers has already replaced all Sprint Canada logos on stationery and sent replacement calling cards, etc. The new cards, unfortunately, are ugly and amateurish-looking. The history of Canadian telecom companies is just as complicated as that of Sprint, plus has the added element of on-again, off-again partnerships with U.S. companies. AT&T Canada -- as you point out, the former Rogers partner -- became Allstream and was promptly acquired by MTS, the ILEC for the province of Manitoba and a former Bell Canada partner in the Stentor alliance, who were looking for a way to compete in their former partners' territories against ILECs such as Bell Canada and Telus as well as CLECs and cablecos with internet operations ... like Sprint/Rogers, who only recently dropped "AT&T" from their wireless brand. Geoffrey Welsh Never leave until tomorrow what can wait until next week. ------------------------------ From: GarsDuBell@aol.com Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 09:33:00 EST Subject: Re: Cost of POTS, w/o Long Distance Ken, On a BellSouth POTS line, if no long distance carrier is assigned, a long distance call cannot be dialed accidentally using 1 + 10 digits, but you can dial long distance by dialing 101 + the carrier code + 10 digits. The only way to avoid this is to pay for a restricted line, which is several dollars more per month. In a message dated 1/8/2006 12:52:29 AM Eastern Standard Time, Ken Abrams wrote: > You can contact your local ILEC and remove any LD preferred carrier > arrangement, if you wish. This should prevent any recurring fee, if > there was one in the first place, but the disadvantage is that if a > LD call should, even by accident, be placed from your phone, you may > find yourself assigned to a random carrier for that call, and this > carrier will bill you at an unbelievably high per minute rate. I don't think this is true. If you have specified that you don't want an assigned (preferred) LD carrier, then a LD call DIALED "by accident" would not complete. ------------------------------ From: BobT Subject: Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance Organization: EasyNews, UseNet made Easy! Date: Sun, 08 Jan 2006 14:56:53 GMT On Sat, 07 Jan 2006 16:27:09 GMT, Ken Abrams wrote: > I don't think this is true. > If you have specified that you don't want an assigned (preferred) LD > carrier, then a LD call DIALED "by accident" would not complete. > Random carrier assignments are only made for those customers who state > that they DO want LD service but don't have a preference for which > carrier is used. This usually only happens when a new line is > activated (installed, connected, turned on ... whatever). > If you have specific information about a LEC that will do what you > claim, please provide the details. I suspect you are correct, but I have insufficient data to tell, conclusively, from my experience. Brief summary follows. Location, SBC, former Ameritech, specifically Chicago. Incident involved intrastate local toll rather than interstate LD. I had switched interstate LD carriers, and during the transaction, without my knowledge, local toll carrier on one of my two lines apparently was listed as unassigned, as you speculate. I rarely use that line for outbound, but one month I had two local toll calls. Both were assigned (randomly?) to Sprint, which charged me $1.19 a minute (!) for a call from Chicago to Wilmette, a Chicago suburb. After a bit of argument, it was agreed that SBC made the error, and charges were reversed. ------------------------------ From: Wesrock@aol.com Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 10:00:24 EST Subject: Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance In a message dated 6 Jan 2006 05:08:18 -0000, John Levine writes: > Back at the time of the Bell breakup, the access charge was a > temporary band-aid the FCC added to make up for part of the previous > subsidy from deliberately overpriced interstate long distance rates. > It should have gone away in a few years once the telcos went to the > states to adjust their rates to include it, but that never happened. It was intrastate long distance that was overpriced. State commissions required this intentionally to make POTS less expensive to their local constituencies. The FCC, which dealt only with interstate L.D., called for low interstate rates, since the FCC were not involved in the rates for POTS. If you lived in a large state, it was particularly noticeable. It cost a lot more to call from Dallas to El Paso (or v.v.) than it did to call from Dallas to Phoenix. Wes Leatherock wesrock@aol.com wleathus@yahoo.com ------------------------------ From: richgr@panix.com (Rich Greenberg) Subject: Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 18:46:40 UTC Organization: Organized? Me? In article , John Stahl wrote: > If one calls the Verizon business office the charge is now > $5.50. However, if one were to establish an account on-line and use > the Internet (see, there are advantages -- at least for now -- in > using the Internet!), the charge to change LD carriers is only > $1.25. AND if you change both regional toll and LD carrier at the same > time the charge will be discounted an additional 50%. This actually makes sense. If you call the office, a human droid must take the info from you and enter it into some system that will make the change. If you do it online, it gets done "untouched by human hands" and costs VZ considerably less. Rich Greenberg Marietta, GA, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507 Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67 Canines:Val, Red & Shasta (RIP),Red, husky Owner:Chinook-L Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/ Asst Owner:Sibernet-L ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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 V25 #11 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Jan 9 17:11:30 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 6C22314FAB; Mon, 9 Jan 2006 17:11:30 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #12 Message-Id: <20060109221130.6C22314FAB@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 17:11:30 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.9 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, CELL_PHONE_IMPROVE,MAILTO_TO_REMOVE autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Mon, 9 Jan 2006 17:15:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 12 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson History of Hayes Modem (The Great Idea Finder) Era of the BBS (Jason Scott) Your Phone Records For Sale (Frank Main) Blogger (john in dc) Responds to Sun-Times Article on Number Selling (john) Create an E-Annoyance, Go to Jail (Monty Solomon) Cellular-News for Monday 9th January 2006 (Cellular-News) Shift to IPTV Gains Momentum (USTelecom dailyLead) Re: Cost of POTS, w/o Long Distance (Ken Abrams) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (Tony P.) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Phil Earnhardt) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: The Great Idea Finder Subject: History of Hayes Modem Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 20:56:30 -0600 Fascinating facts about the invention of the PC Modem by Dennis Hayes in 1977 From PC MODEM Modem, device that converts between analog and digital signals. Digital signals, which are used by computers, are made up of separate units, usually represented by a series of 1's and 0's. Analog signals vary continuously; an example of an analog signal is a sound wave. Modems are often used to enable computers to communicate with each other across telephone lines. A modem converts the digital signals of the sending computer to analog signals that can be transmitted through telephone lines. When the signal reaches its destination, another modem reconstructs the original digital signal, which is processed by the receiving computer. If both modems can transmit data to each other simultaneously, the modems are operating in full duplex mode; if only one modem can transmit at a time, the modems are operating in half duplex mode. To convert a digital signal to an analog one, the modem generates a carrier wave and modulates it according to the digital signal. The kind of modulation used depends on the application and the speed of operation for which the modem is designed. For example, many high-speed modems use a combination of amplitude modulation, where the amplitude of the carrier wave is changed to encode the digital information, and phase modulation, where the phase of the carrier wave is changed to encode the digital information. The process of receiving the analog signal and converting it back to a digital signal is called demodulation. The word "modem" is a contraction of its two basic functions: modulation and demodulation. Dennis C. Hayes invented the PC modem in 1977, establishing the critical technology that allowed today's online and Internet industries to emerge and grow. He sold the first Hayes modem products to computer hobbyists in April of 1977 and founded D.C. Hayes Associates, Inc., the company known today as Hayes Corp., in January of 1978. Hayes quality and innovation resulted in performance enhancements and cost reductions that led the industry in the conversion from leased line modems to intelligent dial modems -- the PC Modem. Hayes-Compatible, in computer science, an adjective used to describe a modem that responds to the same set of commands as a modem manufactured by Hayes Microcomputer Products, originators of the de facto standard for microcomputer modems. TO LEARN MORE: RELATED INFORMATION: Dennis C Hayes, Inventor Profile from The Great Idea Finder History of Computing from The Great Idea Finder ON THE WEB: Zoom Telephonics, Inc. This company acquired most of the modem assets of Hayes Corporation. (URL http:// www.zoom.com/news.shtml ) The Rise and Fall of the Modem King Dennis C. Hayes begins selling personal computer modem products to computer hobbyists. Initially, the modems are boards for the S-100 bus, and later for the Apple II. International Herald Tribune. Article by Victoria Shannon. (URL http:// timeline.textfiles.com/1977/ ) Hayes Compatible There was a time when Hayes compatible meant something. (URL http:// www.pcwebopaedia.com/TERM/H/Hayes_compatible.html ) Modem Standards The organization that now sets modem standards is the International Telecommunication Union. (URL: http://www.itu.int/home/index.html ) Computer History Timeline of computer history from BC to the present. Presented by Computer Hope, free help for computer users.History for 1960 - 1980 (URL http://www.computerhope.com/history/196080.htm ) Buzz Words A Glossary of Modem Terms (URL http://www.v90.com/glossary.htm ) Modems (This site has closed.) The latest, and last, analog modem standard is called v.90, and everything you ever wanted to know about modems. (URL http://www.modemshop.com/mdic210.txt ) Modem pioneer struggles for survival (Article removed.) The company is offering a new product -- a limited-edition, 56K 20th anniversary modem, signed by Dennis Hayess. Article from USA TODAY, by The Associated Press. (URL http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/ctd913.htm ) HOW IT WORKS: How Modems Work From the popular How Stuff Works Web site by Marshall Brain. Lots of COOKIES and POP-UP ADS at this site. DID YOU KNOW?: a.. 1978 -- Dennis C. Hayes and partner Dale Heatherington, working on Hayes' dining room table, develop first personal-computer modem and formed a company. b.. 1985 -- Hayes annual sales hit $120 million as popularity of home computers grows. Reference Sources in BOLD Type This page revised March, 2005. Copyright 1997 - 2006 The Great Idea Finder. All rights resereved. 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Great Idea Finder. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: Jason Scott Subject: Era of the BBS Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 20:57:30 -0600 The TEXTFILES.COM Historical BBS List: An introduction by Jason Scott As the age of the Dial-Up BBS draws to a close, I thought it necessary to ensure a way to keep some understanding of the role of BBSes in the growth of the Internet. More importantly, I thought it might be fun to collect the phone numbers of every known dial-up BBS and find a way to enshrine them in one easy-to-browse list. This way, people could look back at the area codes and exchanges of their youth and remember all these electronic places, these meeting houses and hangouts that formed a part of so many people's youth. A Very Short History The first modem for microcomputers was invented by Dennis Hayes in 1977. This device (short for MOdulator-DEModulator) allowed two computers to connect to each other over the existing telephone network. Previously, dedicated phone lines were used between permanent computer installations. He soon founded D. C. Hayes Associates, later Hayes Corporation, which was a leader in PC Modems for most of the 1980's. While the idea of being able to use the existing phone network for computer communication was still new (and gaining interest by hobbyists and others to transfer information) it was two people, Ward Christensen and Randy Suess, who created the first "Bulletin Board System" and put it online in February, 1978. The concept behind "Ward and Randy's CBBS" was to provide a way for others to dial into their computer, and leave messages for other users. They described it as a natural extension of an actual physical Bulletin Board they were using for their local computer club. They published an article in Byte Magazine describing their software, and the era of the Dial-Up BBS had begun. There are many histories of the BBS and I hope to write a comprehensive one myself at some point in the future, but a number of links are provided below for you to research by yourself. The BBS List As more and more people purchased modems to go with their home computers and wanted to sign up with all these "BBSes" they'd been hearing about, a fundamental problem presented itself: How to find out what the numbers of the BBSes were. Since anyone could set up a BBS (if they had an extra phone line or were willing to give up human calls) the issue was more one of publicity than opportunity. Word-of- mouth was effective, with BBS numbers showing up at computer club meetings and passed around schools. Some people advertised on other BBSes, so that if you got one phone number to a BBS, you would soon know others. Eventually, however, some folks took it upon themselves to maintain BBS Lists, where they would keep track of all the BBSes of a given subject matter or type, or even an area code, and others would let them know if they had put up a new BBS. Over time, these BBS lists could be found everywhere, and gave people an easy way to know what numbers to call to log on. This was the age of the BBS List; you would download the month's list to see what new places there were to call. If a site didn't get on enough BBSes, they wouldn't get enough calls, and would eventually close down. Of course, the administrators of these lists had policies of who they would let on, focusing on one kind of computer hardware, or location, or what the subject matter of the BBS was. Some also refused to list "underground" BBSes, making them even more "underground" than they might have been. An Idea Is Hatched While doing work on textfiles.com, I started to think about the many thousands of BBSes that had come and gone, and the effect they'd had on myself and many others. I remembered the days when I would go up and down BBS lists calling every last board seeing what was new or what was being offered, ignoring what the board called itself or what others claimed it did or didn't have, wanting to see for myself. I remember running into boards with brilliance behind the wheel and BBSes that had been left to die and were inhabited by a bunch of squatters and power players. Many of these places are lost in my memory, but seeing their names or numbers brings it all back. I figured that since TEXTFILES.COM had all these BBS Lists from that period of time, I might consider compiling a list. Several bourne and Perl scripts later, the list is now up into the many thousands (although always in need of pruning and verification) and the project is well underway. The way I see this project is as a lark, and a fun thing to do in my spare time. I will work to always make my efforts reproducible, and the data files that are generated by my scripts will hopefully come of use to people in other projects, related or not. I would hope that some people will browse these lists and really enjoy looking back at their favorite area codes, and remember that part of their lives. So welcome to the world's largest BBS list. I hope you enjoy browsing it as much as I did compiling it. Bibliography Information was taken from the following sources: Ideafinder: The PC Modem http://www.jps.net/foxnhare/cbbs.html (link dead) Interview with Ward Christensen and Randy Seuss [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: These two articles, on Dennis Hayes and the 'Era of BBS-ing' are going to go in my newly revised web site http://history-internet.org among the links for your review. Regards very old BBS systems, I ran a couple of them during the early 1980's: I had Lakeshore Modem Magazine, a social issues BBS in Rogers Park in Chicago, from 1981-85. I was also the volunteer 'Sysop' (or System Operator) for the Chicago Public Library BBS in 1981-82 and I worked with Jerry Ablan, a Chicago southwest side (Beverly) resident with a discussion forum on his 'THINK! BBS' in 1982-83. The BBS was named after the old IBM-slogan in those years, which was 'Think!', and I began mousing around a lot on Usenet at more or less the same time. My computer in those days was an Apple ][+, as was the one used at the Library. Jerry Ablan had a Tandy Model 4 for his thing. Also, in the middle 1980's I worked with a guy in Oak Park, Illinois who was maintaining a FIDO node on a Tandy 4. My first experience with (what are called 'newsgroups' on Usenet), or 'echogroups' on FIDO came on his node. 'Nodes' were the numerical assignments given to everyone who maintained a FIDO system. I have thought some about expanding this Digest as it stands today, through a 'gateway' to FIDO. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Frank Main Subject: Your Phone Records Are For Sale Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 23:17:28 -0600 http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-privacy05.html BY FRANK MAIN Chicago Sun-Times Crime Reporter The Chicago Police Department is warning officers their cell phone records are available to anyone -- for a price. Dozens of online services are selling lists of cell phone calls, raising security concerns among law enforcement and privacy experts. Criminals can use such records to expose a government informant who regularly calls a law enforcement official. Suspicious spouses can see if their husband or wife is calling a certain someone a bit too often. And employers can check whether a worker is regularly calling a psychologist -- or a competing company. Some online services might be skirting the law to obtain these phone lists, according to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has called for legislation to criminalize phone record theft and use. In some cases, telephone company insiders secretly sell customers' phone-call lists to online brokers, despite strict telephone company rules against such deals, according to Schumer. And some online brokers have used deception to get the lists from the phone companies, he said. "Though this problem is all too common, federal law is too narrow to include this type of crime," Schumer said last year in a prepared statement. The Chicago Police Department is looking into the sale of phone records, a source said. Late last month, the department sent a warning to officers about http://Locatecell.com , which sells lists of calls made on cell phones and land lines. "Officers should be aware of this information when giving out their personal cell phone numbers to the general public," the bulletin said. "Undercover officers should also be aware of this information if they occasionally call personal numbers such as home or the office, from their [undercover] ones." Test got FBI's calls in 3 hours To test the service, the FBI paid http://Locatecell.com $160 to buy the records for an agent's cell phone and received the list within three hours, the police bulletin said. Representatives of Data Find Solutions Inc., the Tennessee-based operator of http://Locatecell.com , could not be reached for comment. Frank Bochte, a spokesman for the FBI in Chicago, said he was aware of the Web site. "Not only in Chicago, but nationwide, the FBI notified its field offices of this potential threat to the security of our agents, and especially our undercover agents," Bochte said. "We need to educate our personnel about the dangers posed by individuals using this site and others like it. We are stressing that they should be careful in their cellular use." How well do the services work? The Chicago Sun-Times paid $110 to http://Locatecell.com to purchase a one-month record of calls for this reporter's company cell phone. It was as simple as e-mailing the telephone number to the service along with a credit card number. The request was made Friday after the service was closed for the New Year's holiday. 'Most powerful investigative tool' On Tuesday, when it reopened, http://Locatecell.com e-mailed a list of 78 telephone numbers this reporter called on his cell phone between Nov. 19 and Dec. 17. The list included calls to law enforcement sources, story subjects and other Sun-Times reporters and editors. Ernie Rizzo, a Chicago private investigator, said he uses a similar cell phone record service to conduct research for his clients. On Friday, for instance, Rizzo said he ordered the cell phone records of a suburban police chief whose wife suspects he is cheating on her. "I would say the most powerful investigative tool right now is cell records," Rizzo said. "I use it a couple times a week. A few hundred bucks a week is well worth the money." Only financial info protected? In July, the Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission seeking an end to the sale of telephone records. "We're very concerned about Locatecell," said Chris Jay Hoofnagle, senior counsel for the center. "This is the company that sold the phone records of a Canadian official to a reporter 'no questions asked.' " Schumer has called for legislation to criminalize the "stealing and selling" of cell phone logs. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set up a unit to stop it. He said a common method for obtaining cell phone records is "pretexting," involving a data broker pretending to be a phone's owner and duping the phone company into providing the information. "Pretexting for financial data is illegal, but it does not include phone records," Schumer said. "We already have protections for our financial information. We ought to have it for the very personal information that can be gleaned from telephone records." Contact Frank Main at fmain@suntimes.com Copyright The Sun-Times Company 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: Blogger Response Subject: Blogger (John in DC) Responds to Selling Phone Records Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 23:35:10 -0600 Cingular Wireless says 3rd parties buying your phone records is "an infinitesimally small problem" by John in DC - 1/08/2006 12:10:00 PM "Mark Siegel, a spokesman for Cingular Wireless, said his company constantly is on guard against people trying to get at customer information. But he called the acquisition of call records 'an infinitesimally small problem' at his firm." - Washington Post, July 8, 2005 Really? Cingular thinks the fact that I was able to go online and with $110 and a click of a button get every single phone call made by my cell phone in the month of November in just a few hours "'an infinitesimally small problem' at his firm." Well Cingular, your problem just got bigger. It was cake for me to get Cingular phone records, as I reported yesterday. Took no effort whatsoever. So what part of the fact that anybody anywhere can get Cingular phone records with no effort whatsoever is "an infinitesimally small problem"? And as for Cingular being "constantly on guard," well, I clicked my mouse and got the private phone records of one of your customers within hours, and with no effort. Also, the Washington Post article alerted Cingular last July to the company from which I got my records, and they're still up and running. So I'm not sure who at Cingular is "constantly only guard," but they need to be fired. According to the Washington Post article, the phone companies claim they have no part in your information being shared. Experts say these resellers are probably use one of three methods to get your phone records: They might have someone on the inside at the carrier who sells the data. Spokesmen for the telephone companies said strict rules prohibiting such activity make this unlikely. But Joel Winston, associate director of the Federal Trade Commission's Financial Practices Division, said other types of data-theft investigations have shown that "finding someone on the inside to bribe is not that difficult." Another method is "pretexting," in which the data broker or investiga- tor pretends to be the cell phone account holder and persuades the carrier's employees to release the information. The availability of Social Security numbers makes it easier to convince a customer service agent that the caller is the account holder. Finally, someone seeking call data can try to get access to consumer accounts online. Telephone companies, like other service firms, are encouraging their customers to manage their accounts over the Internet. Typically, the online capability is set up in advance, waiting to be activated by the customer. But many customers never do. If the person seeking the records can figure out how to activate online account management in the name of a real customer before that customer does, the call records are there for the taking. The article goes on to note that "phone companies view all these tactics as illegal." See, now that's funny. Because Cingular didn't have any interest in me passing along my evidence of the crime. They didn't want a copy of my records I'd received, nothing. If they really thought this was a crime, and actually cared, don't you think they'd want the proof? Then again, perhaps Cingular considered my phone call "an infinitesimally small problem." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 13:12:43 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail By Declan McCullagh Story last modified Mon Jan 09 04:00:00 PST 2006 Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime. It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity. In other words, it's OK to flame someone on a mailing list or in a blog as long as you do it under your real name. Thank Congress for small favors, I guess. This ridiculous prohibition, which would likely imperil much of Usenet, is buried in the so-called Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act. Criminal penalties include stiff fines and two years in prison. "The use of the word 'annoy' is particularly problematic," says Marv Johnson, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "What's annoying to one person may not be annoying to someone else." Buried deep in the new law is Sec. 113, an innocuously titled bit called "Preventing Cyberstalking." It rewrites existing telephone harassment law to prohibit anyone from using the Internet "without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy." http://news.com.com/2010-1028-6022491.html ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Monday 9th January 2006 Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 06:01:38 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com Improvements to cellular-news We are pleased to announce three changes to cellular-news that will enhance the service we offer you. Statistics We are pleased to announce an agreement with The Mobile World which enable us to provide value added information and analysis to our readers, complimenting our daily news stories and providing extra insight into the global wireless telecoms market. The Mobile World Database is a comprehensive online information resource detailing the shape and structure of every mobile market in the world. The Database provides accurate and detailed market data on subscriber numbers, KPIs (operational & financial metrics), ownership and technologies covering 220 countries over a 15 year archive. For more information and to request a trial, visit the web site at http://www.themobileworld.com Recruitment Center The web sites recruitment center has been upgraded to provide more services that reflect the services offered on much larger job boards. You can now create an account on the job board and set up email alerts for jobs which match your interests and also upload your CV for potential recruiters to search. More News We have signed an agreement with Business News Americas to offer selected news from their services to cellular-news readers. BNAmericas is one of the leading news publications covering Latin Amercia, and their addition to cellular-news will significantly improve our coverage of the South Americas. [[3G News]] China's Homegrown 3G Standard Ready For Network http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15469.php China's homegrown third-generation mobile standard is sufficiently advanced to begin developing a domestic 3G network, the Communist Party newspaper reported Friday. ... [[Financial News]] Endwave In Long-Term Purchase Pact With Nokia http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15472.php Endwave Corp. disclosed Friday that it signed a long-term purchase agreement with its largest customer, Nokia Corp., last week. ... China State Asset Official Suggests Stock Plan For Government Cos http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15475.php A senior Chinese government official Saturday proposed a shareholding structure for reforming the large state-owned enterprises. ... [[Handsets News]] Motorola Signs Deals with Google & Kodak http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15470.php Motorola Inc. and Eastman Kodak unveiled a partnership late Thursday to share their respective technologies and to jointly develop mobile camera phones. ... Next Generation Of Wireless Handsets Goes Beyond Phones http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15471.php Mobile handsets, what Motorola calls the "device formerly known as the cell phone," can do a lot more these days than just let people talk to each other. ... Samsung Expands Distribution in Latin America http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15480.php InfoSonics, one of the largest distributors of wireless handsets in the United States and Latin America, says that it has expanded its distribution agreement with Samsung Electronics Argentina to add Paraguay and Uruguay to the territory it is allowe... Desktop Speakers for Sony Ericsson Walkman Handsets http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15484.php Sony Ericsson has announced two new music accessories, the Portable Speakers MPS-60 and the Music Desk Stand MDS-60. The Walkman-branded Music Desk Stand MDS-60 allows owners to share the music on their mobile phone and charge their phone at the same... [[Legal News]] Legal Problems Slow Network Deployment in Israel http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15481.php Israel's National Planning and Construction Council has issued a regulation that will require all cellular network operators to offer a 100% indemnity to local authorities for any possible lawsuits over impacts on the value of properties in the vicin... [[Mobile Content News]] Yahoo Launches Services To Bring Content To Cellphones, TVs http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15474.php Yahoo unveiled a number of new products and services that will bring its content to televisions and cellphones and other mobile devices. ... [[Network Contracts News]] Venture to Build Phone Network in Somaliland http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15476.php Aquentium says that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Faaco Telecom to provide a telecommunication mobile phone system for the Republic of Somaliland. Under terms of the agreement, Aquentium Hong Kong is agreeing to install, serv... [[Network Operators News]] Number Portability Ready in Guam http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15479.php GTA, the incumbent local exchange carrier arm of TeleGuam Holdings, says that it has successfully upgraded its network to support wireless number porting for its wireless operations as well as for other unaffiliated cellular carriers on Guam. The Fed... [[Offbeat News]] Remote Control Car From Motorola http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15483.php Motorola has shown off a remote control toy car controlled by select Motorola iDEN handsets. Based on the Freescale Semiconductor wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) technology which utilizes the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, the 1/16 scale replica is the... [[Personnel News]] Portugal Telecom CFO Bava To Run Domestic Mobile Unit TMN http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15473.php Portugal Telecom said Friday that its Chief Financial Officer, Zeinal Bava, would also become head of TMN, the company's domestic mobile unit. ... [[Reports News]] Mid-East Mobile Penetration to Overtake Asia-Pacific - report http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15477.php BIS Shrapnel has launched the latest editions of its Regional Mobile Communication studies, and forecast that the Middle East will surpass the Asia-Pacific in terms of the mobile penetration rate, by the end of 2006. Mr Joe Leong, Asia-Pacific analys... [[Statistics News]] Orascom Passes 30 Million Subscriber Mark http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15478.php Egypt's Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH) has announced its subscriber base exceeded the 30 million benchmark on December 31, 2005. OTH recorded over 30 million total subscribers on its networks operating in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. This i... DoCoMo Secures 20 Million 3G Customers http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15482.php Japan's DoCoMo has announced that the number of subscribers to it's 3G FOMA service surpassed the 20 million mark on December 29, 2005, a little over four years since the service's launch on October 1, 2001.... Lithuania Expected to Pass 150% Market Penetration This Year http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15485.php The Lithuanian GSM network operator, Bite has put out a statement commenting on the local market conditions and made the rather surprising conclusion that mobile penetration at the end of 2006 will reach 155 percent. According to data from TheMobileW... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 11:51:31 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Shift to IPTV gains momentum USTelecom dailyLead January 9, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cOpUfDtutadftRFEQn TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Shift to IPTV gains momentum BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * TDC takeover unclear after pension fund rejects deal * AT&T rolls out Internet ad blitz * Comcast added 200K digital phone subscribers in 2005 * BellSouth trims price for 3 Mbps DSL tier * As AT&T merger talks fade, EchoStar becomes target USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * Telecom Crash Course -- The must-have book for telecom professionals HOT TOPICS * Verizon completes $8.5B merger with MCI * AT&T rolls out Internet TV in San Antonio * Rumor mill: AT&T eyes EchoStar * Is Google planning a CES shocker? * Report: BellSouth, Sprint top wholesale data market TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * Yahoo!, Google move deeper into TV business * The wired living room * Broadband video arrives * Qualcomm, Crown Castle TV networks could boost mobile video Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cOpUfDtutadftRFEQn ------------------------------ From: Ken Abrams Subject: Re: Cost of POTS, w/o Long Distance Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Mon, 09 Jan 2006 14:45:50 GMT wrote: > On a BellSouth POTS line, if no long distance carrier is assigned, a > long distance call cannot be dialed accidentally using 1 + 10 digits, > but you can dial long distance by dialing 101 + the carrier code + 10 > digits. The only way to avoid this is to pay for a restricted line, > which is several dollars more per month. I think this is pretty much the norm but is somewhat different than what I was commenting on. The situation you describe would certainly NOT result in the call being assigned to a "random carrier". >> LD call should, even by accident, be placed from your phone, you may >> find yourself assigned to a random carrier for that call, and this >> carrier will bill you at an unbelievably high per minute rate. As was pointed out in another reply, the only way I see this happening is if the LEC screws up and actually assigns you to a "random" carrier when you really wanted none. ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 21:09:49 -0500 In article , richgr@panix.com says... > In article , John Stahl > wrote: >> If one calls the Verizon business office the charge is now >> $5.50. However, if one were to establish an account on-line and use >> the Internet (see, there are advantages -- at least for now -- in >> using the Internet!), the charge to change LD carriers is only >> $1.25. AND if you change both regional toll and LD carrier at the same >> time the charge will be discounted an additional 50%. > This actually makes sense. If you call the office, a human droid must > take the info from you and enter it into some system that will make > the change. > If you do it online, it gets done "untouched by human hands" and costs > VZ considerably less. Do you mean to tell me that when I had Verizon I could turn features on and off via their web interface and the switch would actually make the changes sans human contact? That isn't the Verizon that I know. For example -- on the Business/Government side in order to get a Verizon screw up fixed takes a minimum of four people at Verizon including a VP, and account exec, one of that account execs flunkies and a switch technician. That might be why the average cost of a line in this area is $35 a month. ------------------------------ From: Phil Earnhardt Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: 8 Jan 2006 23:25:55 -0800 Organization: Newsguy News Service [http://newsguy.com] On Sat, 7 Jan 2006 23:20:21 -0600, Katherine Shrader wrote: > By KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writer > A majority of Americans want the Bush administration to get court > approval before eavesdropping on people inside the United States, even > if those calls might involve suspected terrorists, an AP-Ipsos poll > shows. And how many citizens polled replied that they had failed to inform themselves sufficiently in order to opine on the question? Most of the media articles I've read about this speak little about the fact and precedent. Two that did speak of such things are: http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007703 Which was published 4 days after the NYT article/excerpts from the book and http://www.opinionjournal.com/weekend/hottopic/?id=110007783 Which explains why warrants are often problematic. The ACLU did their damndest to muddle the issue with the full-page ad they took out in the 12/29/2005 issue of the New York Times: http://www.aclu.org/images/bushnixonwiretappingnytadsmall122905.jpg There is no comparison between Nixon's wiretaps and the NSA wiretaps being discussed here. Shame on that organization to try to make such a link. I fondly wish that more Americans would take the time to educate themselves on this issue. --phil ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V25 #12 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Jan 9 23:46:49 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id B7BB414FFF; Mon, 9 Jan 2006 23:46:48 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #13 Message-Id: <20060110044648.B7BB414FFF@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 23:46:48 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.6 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, BIZ_TLD autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Mon, 9 Jan 2006 23:49:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 13 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Fiber Optics Cut Causes Sprint Service Interupption (AP NewsWire) Letter to the Internet Community: IOIC - "For an Open Internet" (Weinstein) Sheraton Hotels and Yahoo Strike a Broadband Deal (Reuters NewsWire) Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail (David Horvath) Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail (Tony P.) Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail (Steve Sobol) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Michael Chance) Re: Era of the BBS (burris) Re: Era of the BBS (Tony P.) Re: Era of the BBS (Steven Lichter) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Associated Press News Wire Subject: Fiber Optics Cut Causes Sprint Service Interuption Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 22:07:25 -0600 Sprint Nextel Corp.'s wireless, long-distance and Internet customers along the West Coast were without service for several hours Monday after a fiber-optic cable was cut west of Phoenix. The problem was compounded by network repairs near Reno, Nev., that had forced the company to route calls from that region through the Phoenix lines, spokesman John Taylor said. Taylor said both cables were repaired by 7 p.m. EST, and that service had been restored in the affected areas. He said he didn't know how many customers nationwide had lost service. The cable cut, between Phoenix and Palm Springs, Calif., happened about 3:30 p.m. EST, Taylor said, but he said company officials didn't know yet what caused it. "It affected (network) traffic going to and coming from the West Coast and other Western parts of the U.S.," Taylor said. But some internet service providers such as cableone.net reported that customers were affected in other parts of the country as well. The emergency work near Reno was in response to cable that was cut after heavy rains washed out a railroad where the cable was buried, he said. "Where the cut happened was inaccessible by car," Taylor said. "Crews went in on the railroad. They carried cable in, stringing it through the trees." He said the outage, which lasted about 3 1/2 hours, affected customers of the both the Sprint PCS and the Nextel cell phone services. Residential and business wireline customers lost service in the affected areas as well. Though the bulk of the outages were in the West, Taylor said isolated outages also were reported in other parts of the country, including in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Sprint Nextel is based in Reston, Va., and has an operational headquarters in Overland Park, Kan. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. For more news and headlines from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Lauren Weinstein Subject: Letter to the Internet Community: IOIC - "For an Open Internet" Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 17:09:32 -0600 David J. Farber Peter G. Neumann Lauren Weinstein January 8, 2006 A Letter to the Internet Community IOIC - International Open Internet Coalition "For an Open Internet" http://www.ioic.net The marvel that is the Internet is under an increasing barrage of policy, regulatory, and related technologically-enabled attacks against its fundamental open-access, "end-to-end" operational model. Under the auspices of PFIR (People For Internet Responsibility), we have established a new organization -- the International Open Internet Coalition (IOIC) -- dedicated to the proposition that the Internet should remain an open and neutral resource, free from unreasonable interference or restrictions on the actions of businesses, organizations, individuals, or others related to their access or use of the Internet. IOIC has been created as an entity to serve the common interests of everyone concerned about the increasing levels of restrictions being planned or implemented relating to the Internet and its users. Such parties and stakeholders are likely to include all manner of Web/Internet-based and other businesses, educational and non-profit organizations, regulatory and government entities, individual Internet users, and many others. We cordially invite your participation in what will be a major, ongoing effort for establishing, preserving, and promoting the critical concepts of an Open Internet. The attacks on the Open Internet model -- now seeming to spring forth daily from a variety of powerful entities -- threaten to permanently cripple or destroy the very aspects of the Internet that have turned it into an indispensable utility for all manner of commerce, speech, education, communication, entertainment, and many other major aspects of people's lives. Around the world, both domestic governments and increasingly large and consolidated Internet Service Providers (ISPs) -- including ILECS, cable companies, and other telecommunications firms engaging in ISP activities -- restrict or threaten to restrict their citizens and Internet users from access to outside Web services of all sorts. The list of affected services includes search engines, e-commerce sites, databases, e-mail, VoIP, audio and video streaming/downloading, P2P and other legitimate file sharing applications, discussion forums, and a wide range of others. These have become the targets of controls and censorship directed against the free flow of commerce, communications, free speech, and other activities, implemented via throttling and limiting bandwidth to subscribers and/or by totally blocking or disrupting specific services and communication types. In some cases, these moves are part of restrictive regulatory or political agendas. In other cases, these actions or threats of restrictions are key to carefully calculated plans by ISPs to give "walled garden" preferential treatment to their own service offerings, and to extract "premium access" fees from remote Web services and other Internet services who are not their subscribers. The range of issues that are of concern is vast, but the common thread is clear. An Internet that is increasingly biased away from being a neutral and open resource is at risk for serious degradation of its commercial and social values and usefulness, and is ripe for massive and dangerous abuses. Our hope and expectation is that IOIC, by providing a focal point for education, information, discussion, brainstorming, and strategic planning relating to these issues, will be an effective force for helping to assure the best possible Internet not only for its services and users today, but for the future as well. To participate in this effort or for more information, please send an appropriate note (which will be read by a human!) to: info@ioic.net or feel free to contact Lauren by phone (09:30-17:30 PST) via: +1 (818) 225-2800 Thank you very much for your consideration. Sincerely, David Farber dave@farber.net http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~farber/ Distinguished Career Professor of Computer Science and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University Tel: +1 (412) 726-9889 Peter G. Neumann neumann@csl.sri.com http://www.csl.sri.com/users/neumann/ Principal Scientist - Computer Science Lab,=20 SRI International Co-Founder, People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org Chairman, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Tel: +1 (650) 859-2375 Lauren Weinstein lauren@vortex.com http://www.pfir.org/lauren Co-Founder, People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org Moderator, PRIVACY Forum Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 (Affiliations shown for identification purposes only.) ------------------------------ From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Sheraton Hotels, Yahoo Offer Free Lobby Internet Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 22:04:16 -0600 Travelers can stay connected without lugging a laptop at certain Sheraton hotels offering free Yahoo-sponsored Internet access at lobby computers, the companies said on Monday. "This is an opportunity to bring Yahoo beyond the desktop," said Murray Gaylord, vice president of brand marketing at Yahoo Inc., the world's largest Internet media site. The companies are conducting pilot projects at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina and Sheraton Boston, where a section of lobby has been reconfigured with work stations at round conference-type tables as well as sofas and other comfortable seating. The Wi-Fi and broadband Internet service can also be accessed without charge from the hotels' guest rooms. Sheraton is the largest and most global hotel brand operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. "The idea is to reinforce our themes of warm, welcome and connected," said Javier Benito, Starwood's chief marketing officer. At hotels in New York City and Stamford, Connecticut, the pilot is described as "virtual" because it is limited free in-room access to the same services. These include special pages of online information like local weather reports and restaurant listings as well as a 30-day free trial to Yahoo services such as expanded e-mail and computer games. "As the Internet is evolving, people want to have access to it wherever they are," Gaylord said. He said the companies will gauge over the next couple of months which model works best at which hotels. The two companies are sharing the cost of the project as well as any potential revenue from sales of Yahoo services, Benito said. Driven in part by the need to justify higher room rates, hotel operators have been adding amenities. Many offer free high-speed Internet access for laptops, but Sheraton and Yahoo say they are the first to offer a co-branded product. Starwood itself kicked off the hotel industry's renewed focus on VIP amenities with its 1999 "Heavenly Bed" concept. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html To read other news headlines and stories from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 17:21:30 -0500 Subject: Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail From: David B. Horvath, CCP Reply-To: dhorvath@notchur.bix PLEASE MUNG my email address PAT. On Mon, 9 Jan 2006 13:12:43 -0500, Monty Solomon wrote: > By Declan McCullagh > Story last modified Mon Jan 09 04:00:00 PST 2006 > Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime. > It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a > prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying > e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity. Does this mean I can get the FBI to prosecute someone who sends me SPAM? I find that forging my email address in SPAM is very annoying and certainly can't be taking place in an attempt to please me. Hmmmm ... - David ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 19:16:25 -0500 In article , monty@roscom.com says: > By Declan McCullagh > Story last modified Mon Jan 09 04:00:00 PST 2006 > Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime. > It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a > prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying > e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity. > In other words, it's OK to flame someone on a mailing list or in a > blog as long as you do it under your real name. Thank Congress for > small favors, I guess. > This ridiculous prohibition, which would likely imperil much of > Usenet, is buried in the so-called Violence Against Women and > Department of Justice Reauthorization Act. Criminal penalties include > stiff fines and two years in prison. > "The use of the word 'annoy' is particularly problematic," says Marv > Johnson, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. > "What's annoying to one person may not be annoying to someone else." > Buried deep in the new law is Sec. 113, an innocuously titled bit > called "Preventing Cyberstalking." It rewrites existing telephone > harassment law to prohibit anyone from using the Internet "without > disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy." > http://news.com.com/2010-1028-6022491.html Typical mis-step by our esteemed legislators. Look, I have so many email addresses for various purposes. My blog only tells you my first name. And I'm extremely critical of Bush & Co. on that blog. Welcome to the new police state. But there's hope. Anyone who has any idea about the net knows to proxy half way around the world before doing ones dirty work. ------------------------------ From: Steve Sobol Subject: Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail Date: Mon, 09 Jan 2006 18:36:56 -0800 Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com Monty Solomon wrote: > By Declan McCullagh > Story last modified Mon Jan 09 04:00:00 PST 2006 > Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime. > It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a > prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying > e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity. > In other words, it's OK to flame someone on a mailing list or in a > blog as long as you do it under your real name. Thank Congress for > small favors, I guess. Of course, the flaming idiots in our government may not have realized that anonymous posters can frame innocent people *really* quickly this way. So can the government. Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED Company website: http://JustThe.net/ Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/ E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307 ------------------------------ From: Michael Chance Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 00:39:29 GMT In article , pae@dim.com says: > On Sat, 7 Jan 2006 23:20:21 -0600, Katherine Shrader > wrote: >> By KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writer >> A majority of Americans want the Bush administration to get court >> approval before eavesdropping on people inside the United States, even >> if those calls might involve suspected terrorists, an AP-Ipsos poll >> shows. > And how many citizens polled replied that they had failed to inform > themselves sufficiently in order to opine on the question? Plus, it turns out that Ipsos, the polling firm who conducted the poll, over-sampled Democrats (52%) and under-sampled Republicans (40%), which dramatically skewed the results: http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/client/act_dsp_pdf.cfm?name=mr060106-3topline.pdf&id=2928 > Most of the media articles I've read about this speak little about the > fact and precedent. Two that did speak of such things are: > http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007703 > Which was published 4 days after the NYT article/excerpts from the > book and > http://www.opinionjournal.com/weekend/hottopic/?id=110007783 > Which explains why warrants are often problematic. And the NY Times own ombudsman has been unable to get answers from either the editor or the publisher about the timing of the publishing of the article. > The ACLU did their damndest to muddle the issue with the full-page ad > they took out in the 12/29/2005 issue of the New York Times: > http://www.aclu.org/images/bushnixonwiretappingnytadsmall122905.jpg > There is no comparison between Nixon's wiretaps and the NSA wiretaps > being discussed here. Shame on that organization to try to make such a > link. And no mention that Hoover's FBI, with the approval of JFK, RFK and LBJ committed far worse violations of the wiretapping laws in going after the various leaders and organizations of the civil rights movement. > I fondly wish that more Americans would take the time to educate > themselves on this issue. Here, here! > --phil Michael Chance ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 09 Jan 2006 17:44:14 -0500 From: burris Subject: Re: Era of the BBS Jason Scott wrote: > The TEXTFILES.COM Historical BBS List: An introduction by Jason Scott > As the age of the Dial-Up BBS draws to a close, I thought it > necessary to ensure a way to keep some understanding of the role of > BBSes in the growth of the Internet. More importantly, I thought it > might be fun to collect the phone numbers of every known dial-up BBS > and find a way to enshrine them in one easy-to-browse list. This way, > people could look back at the area codes and exchanges of their youth > and remember all these electronic places, these meeting houses and > hangouts that formed a part of so many people's youth. > A Very Short History > The first modem for microcomputers was invented by Dennis Hayes in > 1977. This device (short for MOdulator-DEModulator) allowed two > computers to connect to each other over the existing telephone > network. Previously, dedicated phone lines were used between > permanent computer installations. He soon founded D. C. Hayes > Associates, later Hayes Corporation, which was a leader in PC Modems > for most of the 1980's. > While the idea of being able to use the existing phone network for > computer communication was still new (and gaining interest by > hobbyists and others to transfer information) it was two people, Ward > Christensen and Randy Suess, who created the first "Bulletin Board > System" and put it online in February, 1978. > The concept behind "Ward and Randy's CBBS" was to provide a way for > others to dial into their computer, and leave messages for other > users. They described it as a natural extension of an actual physical > Bulletin Board they were using for their local computer club. They > published an article in Byte Magazine describing their software, and > the era of the Dial-Up BBS had begun. > There are many histories of the BBS and I hope to write a > comprehensive one myself at some point in the future, but a number of > links are provided below for you to research by yourself. > The BBS List > As more and more people purchased modems to go with their home > computers and wanted to sign up with all these "BBSes" they'd been > hearing about, a fundamental problem presented itself: How to find > out what the numbers of the BBSes were. Since anyone could set up a > BBS (if they had an extra phone line or were willing to give up human > calls) the issue was more one of publicity than opportunity. > Word-of- mouth was effective, with BBS numbers showing up at computer > club meetings and passed around schools. Some people advertised on > other BBSes, so that if you got one phone number to a BBS, you would > soon know others. Eventually, however, some folks took it upon > themselves to maintain BBS Lists, where they would keep track of all > the BBSes of a given subject matter or type, or even an area code, > and others would let them know if they had put up a new BBS. Over > time, these BBS lists could be found everywhere, and gave people an > easy way to know what numbers to call to log on. > This was the age of the BBS List; you would download the month's list > to see what new places there were to call. If a site didn't get on > enough BBSes, they wouldn't get enough calls, and would eventually > close down. Of course, the administrators of these lists had policies > of who they would let on, focusing on one kind of computer hardware, > or location, or what the subject matter of the BBS was. Some also > refused to list "underground" BBSes, making them even more > "underground" than they might have been. > An Idea Is Hatched > While doing work on textfiles.com, I started to think about the many > thousands of BBSes that had come and gone, and the effect they'd had > on myself and many others. I remembered the days when I would go up > and down BBS lists calling every last board seeing what was new or > what was being offered, ignoring what the board called itself or what > others claimed it did or didn't have, wanting to see for myself. I > remember running into boards with brilliance behind the wheel and > BBSes that had been left to die and were inhabited by a bunch of > squatters and power players. Many of these places are lost in my > memory, but seeing their names or numbers brings it all back. > I figured that since TEXTFILES.COM had all these BBS Lists from that > period of time, I might consider compiling a list. Several bourne and > Perl scripts later, the list is now up into the many thousands > (although always in need of pruning and verification) and the project > is well underway. > The way I see this project is as a lark, and a fun thing to do in my > spare time. I will work to always make my efforts reproducible, and > the data files that are generated by my scripts will hopefully come > of use to people in other projects, related or not. I would hope that > some people will browse these lists and really enjoy looking back at > their favorite area codes, and remember that part of their lives. > So welcome to the world's largest BBS list. I hope you enjoy browsing > it as much as I did compiling it. > Bibliography > Information was taken from the following sources: > Ideafinder: The PC Modem http://www.jps.net/foxnhare/cbbs.html (link > dead) Interview with Ward Christensen and Randy Seuss > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: These two articles, on Dennis Hayes > and the 'Era of BBS-ing' are going to go in my newly revised web site > http://history-internet.org among the links for your review. > Regards very old BBS systems, I ran a couple of them during the early > 1980's: I had Lakeshore Modem Magazine, a social issues BBS in > Rogers Park in Chicago, from 1981-85. I was also the volunteer > 'Sysop' (or System Operator) for the Chicago Public Library BBS in > 1981-82 and I worked with Jerry Ablan, a Chicago southwest side > (Beverly) resident with a discussion forum on his 'THINK! BBS' in > 1982-83. The BBS was named after the old IBM-slogan in those years, > which was 'Think!', and I began mousing around a lot on Usenet at > more or less the same time. My computer in those days was an Apple > ][+, as was the one used at the Library. Jerry Ablan had a Tandy > Model 4 for his thing. Also, in the middle 1980's I worked with a guy > in Oak Park, Illinois who was maintaining a FIDO node on a Tandy 4. > My first experience with (what are called 'newsgroups' on Usenet), or > 'echogroups' on FIDO came on his node. 'Nodes' were the numerical > assignments given to everyone who maintained a FIDO system. I have > thought some about expanding this Digest as it stands today, through > a 'gateway' to FIDO. PAT] Wow! -- did you bring back some really good memories of those days. We didn't have the idiots who express themselves in strange ways in today's NGs and forums. People came on board to offer help in the areas where they had expertise and interestingly, manufacturers of both hardware and software were always there to help. Even at 300 baud, the experience was pleasant ... burris [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: And I hate to say "I told you so", but back in 1994 as the web was first getting underway, in an Editor's Note here I commented (on some user's stupidity) by saying "wait until ten or fifteen years goes by; right now only a small percentage of Americans are hooked up to the net; check again in ten years or so." PAT] ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Era of the BBS Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 19:07:31 -0500 In article , Jason Scott says: > The TEXTFILES.COM Historical BBS List: > An introduction by Jason Scott > As the age of the Dial-Up BBS draws to a close, I thought it necessary > to ensure a way to keep some understanding of the role of BBSes in the > growth of the Internet. More importantly, I thought it might be fun to > collect the phone numbers of every known dial-up BBS and find a way to > enshrine them in one easy-to-browse list. This way, people could look > back at the area codes and exchanges of their youth and remember all > these electronic places, these meeting houses and hangouts that formed > a part of so many people's youth. I assume you've done it already. I've been forwarded that list several times in my history on the net. I used to administer Syslink at 401-272-1138 And now for some history. You see, in 1982 I'd just gotten a sum of money and decided to buy a Radio Shack DC-1 modem. No automated features, but it was direct connect. The only BBS in town at the time was NYBBLINK. Two months after I got my modem NYBBLINK ceased to exist. So with some pressure on the friend that convinced me to buy the modem, Syslink was born. Originally written by Don Lambert with serious debugging by me it ran on a modified TRS-80 Model III. This machine had multiple serial ports, an ISAM disk operating system, etc. Syslink begat PowerCor and PowerNet developed and run by Andy Green. PowerCor begat Andy Green's dream -- Intelecom Data Systems (IDS) IDS was sold by Andy Green and became Conversent Communications. All because I bought a modem to connect to a bbs that disappeared soon after. Tony ------------------------------ From: Steven Lichter Reply-To: Die@spammers.com Organization: I Kill Spammers, Inc. (c) 2005 A Rot in Hell Co. Subject: Re: Era of the BBS Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 03:49:00 GMT Jason Scott wrote: > The TEXTFILES.COM Historical BBS List: > An introduction by Jason Scott > As the age of the Dial-Up BBS draws to a close, I thought it necessary > to ensure a way to keep some understanding of the role of BBSes in the > growth of the Internet. More importantly, I thought it might be fun to > collect the phone numbers of every known dial-up BBS and find a way to > enshrine them in one easy-to-browse list. This way, people could look > back at the area codes and exchanges of their youth and remember all > these electronic places, these meeting houses and hangouts that formed > a part of so many people's youth. > A Very Short History > The first modem for microcomputers was invented by Dennis Hayes in > 1977. This device (short for MOdulator-DEModulator) allowed two > computers to connect to each other over the existing telephone > network. Previously, dedicated phone lines were used between permanent > computer installations. He soon founded D. C. Hayes Associates, later > Hayes Corporation, which was a leader in PC Modems for most of the > 1980's. > While the idea of being able to use the existing phone network for > computer communication was still new (and gaining interest by > hobbyists and others to transfer information) it was two people, Ward > Christensen and Randy Suess, who created the first "Bulletin Board > System" and put it online in February, 1978. > The concept behind "Ward and Randy's CBBS" was to provide a way for > others to dial into their computer, and leave messages for other > users. They described it as a natural extension of an actual physical > Bulletin Board they were using for their local computer club. They > published an article in Byte Magazine describing their software, and > the era of the Dial-Up BBS had begun. > There are many histories of the BBS and I hope to write a comprehensive > one myself at some point in the future, but a number of links are > provided below for you to research by yourself. > The BBS List > As more and more people purchased modems to go with their home > computers and wanted to sign up with all these "BBSes" they'd been > hearing about, a fundamental problem presented itself: How to find out > what the numbers of the BBSes were. Since anyone could set up a BBS > (if they had an extra phone line or were willing to give up human > calls) the issue was more one of publicity than opportunity. Word-of- > mouth was effective, with BBS numbers showing up at computer club > meetings and passed around schools. Some people advertised on other > BBSes, so that if you got one phone number to a BBS, you would soon > know others. Eventually, however, some folks took it upon themselves > to maintain BBS Lists, where they would keep track of all the BBSes of > a given subject matter or type, or even an area code, and others would > let them know if they had put up a new BBS. Over time, these BBS lists > could be found everywhere, and gave people an easy way to know what > numbers to call to log on. > This was the age of the BBS List; you would download the month's list > to see what new places there were to call. If a site didn't get on > enough BBSes, they wouldn't get enough calls, and would eventually > close down. Of course, the administrators of these lists had policies > of who they would let on, focusing on one kind of computer hardware, > or location, or what the subject matter of the BBS was. Some also > refused to list "underground" BBSes, making them even more > "underground" than they might have been. > An Idea Is Hatched > While doing work on textfiles.com, I started to think about the many > thousands of BBSes that had come and gone, and the effect they'd had > on myself and many others. I remembered the days when I would go up > and down BBS lists calling every last board seeing what was new or > what was being offered, ignoring what the board called itself or what > others claimed it did or didn't have, wanting to see for myself. I > remember running into boards with brilliance behind the wheel and > BBSes that had been left to die and were inhabited by a bunch of > squatters and power players. Many of these places are lost in my > memory, but seeing their names or numbers brings it all back. > I figured that since TEXTFILES.COM had all these BBS Lists from that > period of time, I might consider compiling a list. Several bourne and > Perl scripts later, the list is now up into the many thousands > (although always in need of pruning and verification) and the project > is well underway. > The way I see this project is as a lark, and a fun thing to do in my > spare time. I will work to always make my efforts reproducible, and > the data files that are generated by my scripts will hopefully come of > use to people in other projects, related or not. I would hope that > some people will browse these lists and really enjoy looking back at > their favorite area codes, and remember that part of their lives. > So welcome to the world's largest BBS list. I hope you enjoy browsing > it as much as I did compiling it. > Bibliography > Information was taken from the following sources: > Ideafinder: The PC Modem > http://www.jps.net/foxnhare/cbbs.html (link dead) Interview with Ward > Christensen and Randy Seuss > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: These two articles, on Dennis Hayes and > the 'Era of BBS-ing' are going to go in my newly revised web site > http://history-internet.org among the links for your review. > Regards very old BBS systems, I ran a couple of them during the early > 1980's: I had Lakeshore Modem Magazine, a social issues BBS in > Rogers Park in Chicago, from 1981-85. I was also the volunteer 'Sysop' > (or System Operator) for the Chicago Public Library BBS in 1981-82 and > I worked with Jerry Ablan, a Chicago southwest side (Beverly) resident > with a discussion forum on his 'THINK! BBS' in 1982-83. The BBS was > named after the old IBM-slogan in those years, which was 'Think!', and > I began mousing around a lot on Usenet at more or less the same time. > My computer in those days was an Apple ][+, as was the one used at > the Library. Jerry Ablan had a Tandy Model 4 for his thing. Also, in > the middle 1980's I worked with a guy in Oak Park, Illinois who was > maintaining a FIDO node on a Tandy 4. My first experience with (what > are called 'newsgroups' on Usenet), or 'echogroups' on FIDO came on > his node. 'Nodes' were the numerical assignments given to everyone who > maintained a FIDO system. I have thought some about expanding this > Digest as it stands today, through a 'gateway' to FIDO. PAT] There are still a few up, many moved over to the net using Telnet. Mine, which was up for some years on an old Apple II is getting rewritten and updated for the clock and be able to be linked with the net using an Apple II GS. This takes time. So for now mine is down. The only good spammer is a dead one!! Have you hunted one down today? (c) 2005 I Kill Spammers, Inc. A Rot in Hell Co. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #13 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Jan 10 15:02:03 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id EE18B14EB7; Tue, 10 Jan 2006 15:02:02 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #14 Message-Id: <20060110200202.EE18B14EB7@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 15:02:02 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.5 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, BIZ_TLD,MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Tue, 10 Jan 2006 15:05:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 14 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Time Warner Gets $300 Million Google Promotional Credit (Reuters NewsWire) Indian States Monitoring Cybercafe Users (S. Srinvisan) Fiber-Optics Cut Affects Sprint Service (Monty Solomon) Verizon's Music Service Hampers MP3 Ability (Monty Solomon) Registering Multiple DIDs on the "Do-Not-Call" List (Jason Brault) "Good News" from Virgin Mobile (Tom Horsley) Cellular-News for Tuesday 10th January 2006 (Cellular-News) Re: Era of the BBS (Steve Sobol) Re: Era of the BBS (David B. Horvath, CCP) How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto (gladman911@gmail.com) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Scott Dorsey) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (davidesan@gmail.com) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Herb Stein) Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail (Barry Margolin) Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail (Matt Simpson) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Scott Dorsey) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Time Warner Gets $300 Million Google Promotion Credits Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 12:23:38 -0600 Time Warner Inc. has received about $300 million in promotion credits from Google Inc. as part of its previously announced deal, a top executive said on Tuesday. "Google has given us promotional dollar credits to drive traffic to the tune of about $300 million," Jeffrey Bewkes, Time Warner chief operating officer, told investors on Tuesday at an investors conference. AOL can use the credits to bid for advertising search terms on Google. The two companies in December expanded their partnership, which included Google purchasing a 5 percent stake, worth $1 billion, in AOL. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more Reuters News headlines and stories, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: S. Srinivasan Subject: Indian States Monitoring Cybercafe Users Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 12:28:08 -0600 By S. SRINIVASAN, Associated Press Writer The southern Indian state of Kerala will join two other states in requiring cybercafes to record the names and addresses of their customers in an effort to combat online fraud, virus attacks and terrorism, an official said Tuesday. The new rules would require cybercafes to verify the identities of Internet surfers and record their home addresses and visiting times, said M. Vijayanunni, the top administrator of Kerala's government. "Our police are trying to learn from the experience of our neighboring states and monitor cybercafes better," he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. Two Indian states -- Karnataka and Gujarat -- have imposed similar rules, hoping such records would help trace threatening e-mails or unauthorized credit-card transactions. Two other states, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, do some monitoring of cybercafes without having specific laws. Several other Asian countries and cities, most prominently China, require registration at cybercafes. Italy is the only European Union country to require Internet cafes to record ID information, but nonmember Switzerland does require that customers show ID. All Internet surfing leaves an electronic trail that can be traced to the computer it came from. But police need other records to trace the person that used the computer at a specified time. In December, an unidentified Internet user sent a hoax e-mail to a U.S. diplomatic mission claiming a bomb would go off in India's Parliament. The building was evacuated amid panic. The mail was later traced to a cybercafe in the town of Palayamkottai in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, but the sender has not been caught yet. Privacy advocates question the effectiveness of record keeping -- which they say is hard to enforce. "Such rules have proved to be ineffective and enjoy little support on the ground," said cyberlaw expert Pavan Duggal. "It is also very difficult to implement them." Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 02:32:44 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Fiber-Optics Cut Affects Sprint Service KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Sprint Nextel Corp.'s wireless, long-distance and Internet customers along the West Coast were without service for several hours Monday after a fiber-optic cable was cut west of Phoenix. The problem was compounded by network repairs near Reno, Nev., that had forced the company to route calls from that region through the Phoenix lines, spokesman John Taylor said. Taylor said both cables were repaired by 7 p.m. EST, and that service had been restored in the affected areas. He said he didn't know how many customers nationwide had lost service. The cable cut, between Phoenix and Palm Springs, Calif., happened about 3:30 p.m. EST, Taylor said, but he said company officials didn't know yet what caused it. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54597805 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 02:34:22 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon's Music Service Hampers MP3 Ability By BRUCE MEYERSON AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- The first edition of a new music service from Verizon Wireless hampers a cell phone's ability to play MP3 songs acquired elsewhere, a handicap the company says is purely temporary and unrelated to larger battles over digital copyright restrictions. The new V Cast Music store does, however, weigh in definitively on one side of the music download industry by employing the newest version of the Windows Media Player from Microsoft Corp., which doesn't work with Apple Computer Inc.'s Macintosh operating system or iTunes software. Verizon Wireless spoke out Monday after criticisms began appearing on Web logs including PCS Intel and Techdirt regarding the new service, which the company launched last week at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Customers wanting V Cast Music who already own one of the two compatible handsets need to visit one of the company's retail locations for a software upgrade. The two phones, one from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and one from LG Electronics Inc., come with slots for removable storage disks and an application to play MP3 digital songs on those disks. The V Cast upgrade disables that capability for now, though users still can convert music copied from CDs and other non-digitally protected MP3 files into a Windows Media format and then transfer them to the phone with a USB cable. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54594636 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 11:32:12 -0600 From: Jason Brault Subject: Registering Multiple DIDs on the "Do-Not-Call" List Hi All, Has anyone tried to register multiple numbers (and by multiple I mean lots, whole ranges of DIDs) on the "Do-Not-Call" list? Is there a quick and efficient way to do this? Or, is there another way to deal with automated telemarketing issues of this kind? Thanks! -Jason ------------------------------ From: Tom Horsley Subject: "Good News" From Virgin Mobile Organization: AT&T Worldnet Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 17:52:02 GMT Just got this Virgin alert message: "Starting 3/15/06, text messages will cost just 5 cents per message to send & receive. Thumbs up!" Of course, prior to 3/15/06, text messages cost *nothing* to receive, so naturally this is terrific news for those of us who have things like traffic alerts forwarded to our phones. Maybe instead of calling them "Virgin Alert" messages, they should call them "Virgin Spin" :-). [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Have you tried calling Virgin customer service to ask if they meant 'receive' as well as 'send'? Is that one transaction (send & recieve [elsewhere]) or two transactions (send) and receive alsewhere? In other words 5 cents to send and 5 cents to recieve or just 5 cents total. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Tuesday 10th January 2006 Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 07:35:40 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ 3G ]] Vivendi's SFR Seeks To Add 1.5 Million 3G Users In 2006 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15491.php Vivendi Universal's mobile-phone unit, SFR, said Monday it seeks to add 1.5 million new subscribers to high-speed Internet mobile phone services this year. ... GSA Survey Reports 150% Jump in WCDMA Devices http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15495.php According to a new survey by GSA -- the Global mobile Suppliers Association, dozens of manufacturers globally are launching new 3G/WCDMA devices to market in record numbers. The GSA survey confirms that 272 WCDMA user devices (handsets, PC datacards, ... Chinese Vendor Licenses OS for 3G Products http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15496.php China's Datang Mobile has licensed an operating system (RTOS) from Express Logic for use in its TD-SCDMA Chinese 3G products. Datang and Express Logic also are entering into extensive discussions intended to enable Datang Mobile to distribute Express... [[ Financial ]] Bouygues Says Mobile Telecom Unit Not For Sale http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15488.php Bouygues Telecom, France's third-biggest mobile telecommunications operator, isn't for sale a spokeswoman for the company's parent, Bouygues SA, told Dow Jones Newswires Monday. ... Danish Telecom TDC Still Backs Private-equity Bid http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15489.php Danish telecom TDC said Monday that it continues to recommend shareholders accept a $12 billion tender offer received last year from a consortium of private-equity investors, even after a major holder rejected the offer. ... Tigo halves international calling rates http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15492.php Honduran mobile operator Tigo, operated by Millicom International Cellular, has halved international calling rates just 11 days after incumbent fixed line operator Hondutel lost its monopoly of the international long distance market, local daily La! ... Centennial posts 7% in Caribbean revenues http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15493.php US and Caribbean wireless and broadband provider Centennial posted a 7% boost in revenue in its Caribbean operations for the second quarter of fiscal year 2006 (ended November 30) compared to the same quarter in 2005, the company said in a statement.... [[ Handsets ]] Renewed Focus on Power Management in Mobile Phones http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15499.php The topic of power management in a mobile phone would have drawn yawns from most people in the industry a few years ago. Handset power management circuitry lacked the glamour of such components as the DSP and the applications processor. But according... [[ Mobile Content ]] Vodafone Launches Radio DJ Service With Sony http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15487.php Vodafone and Sony NetServices announced Monday a partnership for the global roll-out of a fully convergent music service -- Vodafone Radio DJ -- offering interactive, personalised radio channels streamed to both 3G mobile phones and personal computers.... Virgin Mobile Extends MTV Agreeement http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15500.php Virgin Mobile USA and MTV Networks say that they are extending their existing mobile content relationship in a move that provides Virgin Mobile users with access to music and entertainment programming from both MTV and Comedy Central. Under the agree... [[ Regulatory ]] Perus Telecoms Sector Bills US$1.8bn in 2005 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15494.php Peru's telecommunications industry brought in revenue of US$1.8bn in 2005, in large part due to new business ventures and greater activity in existing fields, assistant communications minister Juan Pacheco was quoted as saying by news service Agencia... [[ Statistics ]] Rogers Communications Adds 582,600 Wireless Subscribers In 4Q http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15490.php Canadas Rogers Communications added 582,600 gross subscribers in the fourth quarter, compared with 593,900 such additions in the year-earlier quarter. ... [[ Technology ]] Consumer Electronic Cos Focus On Mobility At Trade Show http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15486.php As companies show off their latest and greatest devices at the Consumer Electronic Show, each brimming with new features, one trend remains clear: the products are becoming more mobile. ... STMicroelectronics Offers Turnkey Solution for Mobile WiMAX Base Stations http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15497.php Shortly after the IEEE ratified the new 'mobile WiMAX' standard (802.16e), STMicroelectronics has announced its turnkey solution for 802.16e base-station modems. WiMAX/IEEE 802.16 (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a global standard... Agreement Signed to Develop WiBro/OFDMA Products http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15498.php SK Telecom and Wavesat have announced an agreement to cooperate in the development of WiBro/OFDMA technology for next generation mobile devices. As part of this multi-million dollar agreement, Wavesat will work closely with SK Telecom (SKT) to develo... ------------------------------ From: Steve Sobol Subject: Re: Era of the BBS Date: Mon, 09 Jan 2006 20:57:18 -0800 Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com burris wrote: > We didn't have the idiots who express themselves in strange ways in > today's NGs and forums. I enjoyed the BBS scene too, but you make it sound like the BBS scene had no idiots. That's simply not true. Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED Company website: http://JustThe.net/ Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/ E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 08:31:04 -0500 Subject: Re: Era of the BBS From: David B. Horvath, CCP Reply-To: dhorvath@notchur.biz Please mung the return address as usual PAT. On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 17:44:14 -0500, burris posted: > Wow! -- did you bring back some really good memories of those days. > We didn't have the idiots who express themselves in strange ways in > today's NGs and forums. > People came on board to offer help in the areas where they had > expertise and interestingly, manufacturers of both hardware and > software were always there to help. > Even at 300 baud, the experience was pleasant ... > burris Ahhh, but there were still flame wars and various factions of users/members thrashing out issues. It seemed to be cyclical -- increasing around the start of the school year and Christmas holidays. The thoughts at the time were that students got to school (high school or college) where they found terminals and modems -- or got a modem as a Christmas gift. Of course, I have fond memories of spending an entire day printing (terminal, no way to download to a file) a manual at 300 baud on a DECWriter LA36. When the school got in 1200 baud LA120's we thought we had died and gone to heaven (until we realized how few 1200 baud modems were out there). > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: And I hate to say "I told you so", but > back in 1994 as the web was first getting underway, in an Editor's > Note here I commented (on some user's stupidity) by saying "wait until > ten or fifteen years goes by; right now only a small percentage of > Americans are hooked up to the net; check again in ten years or so." > PAT] Don't you remember the September crazinesses PAT? When all the new college students (and later high school students) got on the ARPAnet and discovered the weirdness ^w [that's UNIX for delete the previous word] wide variety of viewpoints including those in complete opposition to what they learned from their parents and church? - David [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Yes I do, very well. And in the big thing _before_ modems/computers which was Citizens Band Radio, I also seem to recall that Christmas Day brought a lot of new CB radios to guys everywhere, many of whom had never seen such an instrument and did not have the slightest idea how to use it in the proper community spirit, just "BREAKER, BREAKER, CAN ANYONE HEAR ME? WHAT IS YOUR TWENTY OUT THERE, GOOD BUDDY?" all day long. When CB radio got to the point it was solid heterodyne day and night, and people had given up increasing their power output and modulation to 'break through all that noise' they gave up on CB radios and moved onto the next craze at that point, which were 110/300 baud modems. And regards malfeasance on the internet, it is nothing new, not really. There was all the spam and scam you could ever want both on the earlier BBS things, and way before that, on CB radios. Anytime there was a new [fill in the blank] CB radio, 110/300/1200 baud modem, or more recently, broadband connection, there were always new, young, curious guys wanting to learn about their new toys. You open a new part of the commons for the general public, expect them to gravitate to it. PAT] ------------------------------ From: gladman911@gmail.com Subject: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto Date: 10 Jan 2006 07:08:02 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Can someone tell me how to dial 800 and 888 numbers in the US from Toronto? [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A good question. This is mostly up to the recipient of the call, if he wants to receive a call from an international point or not. Since Toronto is part of the same dialing plan as here in USA, the call completes if the owner of the number wants to recieve it. If not, then the call bounces somewhere along the way with a message saying "call not permitted from your area code", or words to that effect. You can get around that by asking the owner if he wishes to accept international calls to his toll-free number and if so, to ask his telco to arrange it, or ask him what is his 'regular' number. Some companies publish their regular number and tell international callers to call them on it collect. The other thing you can do is use the 'USA Direct' number from the country you are in, and on that, _you_ pay for a call to the USA border and then the 800 owner pays for a call from there to his point. There are also 'privately maintained gateways' doing the same thing. Dial direct into them then on fresh dialtone dial the USA toll-free number. You cannot force someone to pay for a collect call (automated, via 800 or otherwise) unless they wish to do so. I admit this can be a problem when so many USA-based advertisements appear in Canadian (or European) media. They give as the only way to contact them a USA-based 800 number; its almost as if they are saying there is no where else in the world besides the USA, so live with it. Some companies have an 'international-style 800 number' as opposed to a purely 'domestic 800 number', but those are not in common useage. PAT] ------------------------------ From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: 10 Jan 2006 09:54:02 -0500 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) Mark Crispin wrote: > Were the calls that were eavesdropped of US citizens? Or were they of > non-citizens who happened to be in the US? The reports that I heard > indicated that it was the latter. And, how can the person eavesdropping tell? An old friend of mine retains his British citizenship even though he's been in the US since the mid-sixties. However, his children have American citizenship and they use his phone sometimes. Sometimes I'll be with a friend and he'll be talking on the phone, and hand it to me to say a few words. He may not be a citizen, but I am. You can't always be assured that the person using a given line is a non-citizen. And the constitution protects people, not telephone lines. > I don't see why a non-citizen should expect the right to privacy of > communications in the US if that non-citizen falls under suspicion of > terrorism. Because first of all, there is a nonzero chance of a citizen's right to privacy being infringed inadvertently in the process, and secondly the difficulty in going through proper procedure to get court approval is minimal. > You can bet that outside the US, the phones of anyone suspected of > terrorist ties are tapped, EU regulations or not. In some cases, the > bureaucracy conceals it, and it's a crime for the press to reveal what > the bureaucracy has concealed. There are many countries where this would be a huge scandal. If you think Americans are protective of privacy, you should see the Swedes. On the other hand, there are other countries where nobody would think twice about it. Because all countries are different and people have different cultural expectations and different perceptions of rights, we can't necessarily use them as examples. > In other cases (e.g., Canada), the very document that states all these > wonderful rights gives the government the power to abridge them > whenever it thinks it's necessary. Don't believe me? Read Canada's >" Charter of Rights and Freedoms", and note the "notwithstanding" > clauses (in particular section 33): Yes, I think this is a bad thing. But I'm not Canadian. --scott "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." ------------------------------ From: davidesan@gmail.com Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: 10 Jan 2006 07:43:29 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com > And no mention that Hoover's FBI, with the approval of JFK, RFK and LBJ > committed far worse violations of the wiretapping laws in going after > the various leaders and organizations of the civil rights movement. Dad, its not so bad that I broke the window. Billy broke a bigger window last year! Bad behavior is bad behavior. It should not be condoned because someone else did it. It should be condemned because its WRONG! We don't need to rehash Democratic wrongs when discussing Republican wrongs, or Republican wrongs when discussing Democratics wrongs. They are all bad. Any reason that you didn't include the gross abuses of power by Richard Nixon in your list? ------------------------------ From: Herb Stein Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 05:42:00 GMT Phil Earnhardt wrote in message news:telecom25.12.10@telecom-digest.org: > On Sat, 7 Jan 2006 23:20:21 -0600, Katherine Shrader > wrote: >> By KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writer >> A majority of Americans want the Bush administration to get court >> approval before eavesdropping on people inside the United States, even >> if those calls might involve suspected terrorists, an AP-Ipsos poll >> shows. > And how many citizens polled replied that they had failed to inform > themselves sufficiently in order to opine on the question? > Most of the media articles I've read about this speak little about the > fact and precedent. Two that did speak of such things are: > http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007703 > Which was published 4 days after the NYT article/excerpts from the > book and > http://www.opinionjournal.com/weekend/hottopic/?id=110007783 > Which explains why warrants are often problematic. > The ACLU did their damndest to muddle the issue with the full-page ad > they took out in the 12/29/2005 issue of the New York Times: > http://www.aclu.org/images/bushnixonwiretappingnytadsmall122905.jpg > There is no comparison between Nixon's wiretaps and the NSA wiretaps > being discussed here. Shame on that organization to try to make such a > link. > I fondly wish that more Americans would take the time to educate > themselves on this issue. > --phil Good luck! The average "man on the street" thinks only about himself. ------------------------------ From: Barry Margolin Subject: Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail Organization: Symantec Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 08:58:24 -0500 In article , David B. Horvath, CCP wrote: > Does this mean I can get the FBI to prosecute someone who sends me > SPAM? I find that forging my email address in SPAM is very annoying > and certainly can't be taking place in an attempt to please me. > Hmmmm ... The law says "with INTENT to annoy". So it's OK to annoy someone if that wasn't your intent. I think the spammers' intent is to get your money, the annoyance is just an unintended side effect. If this were a civil issue, perhaps a class action lawsuit against all spammers would be appropriate, since as a group they clearly know they're annoying us due to the combined volume. Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu Arlington, MA *** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me *** *** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group *** ------------------------------ From: Matt Simpson Subject: Re: Create an E-Annoyance, Go To Jail Organization: Yeah Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 09:50:19 -0500 In article , Tony P. wrote: > Typical mis-step by our esteemed legislators. Look, I have so many > email addresses for various purposes. My blog only tells you my first > name. And I'm extremely critical of Bush & Co. on that blog. But I'm sure your criticism of Bush & Co. is intended strictly to helpfully suggest ways in which they might improve, and is not written with the "intent to annoy". I think the "intent" clause makes the law a little less bad. Otherwise, it would criminalize all those poor clueless dolts out there who are annoying without even trying (On the other hand, I'm annoyed by top-posting; maybe a law making it illegal would be a good thing). Still, it is a pretty stupid law. "Preventing cyberstalking", as the amendment is titled, might be a good motivation. But as written, it doesn't seem to distinguish between targeting an individual with threatening or malicious email, and simply posting "annoying" messages on a website or bulletin board. ------------------------------ From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: 10 Jan 2006 09:56:10 -0500 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) The Great Idea Finder wrote: > Dennis C. Hayes invented the PC modem in 1977, establishing the > critical technology that allowed today's online and Internet > industries to emerge and grow. Well, THERE is some pretty impressive revisionism. Hey, by 1977 there were even kits like the Pennywhistle aimed directly at the microcomputer community. --scott "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I know that the very first computer I owned (Ohio Scientific OSI-C-1-P) did not have any modem with it originally. I had people in those days ask me if I thought it would be 'worth their time or expense to invest in a modem.' I told people that buying a modem would increase the overall value of their computer ten-fold. And I cannot imagine today a computer without a modem connection of some kind, but I guess there are still some out there. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25_#14 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Jan 10 23:21:51 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id C7A4914F0E; Tue, 10 Jan 2006 23:21:50 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #15 Message-Id: <20060111042150.C7A4914F0E@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 23:21:50 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.6 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, BIZ_TLD autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Tue, 10 Jan 2006 23:25:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 15 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Time Warner Plans to Build AOL Subscriber Business (Kenneth Li) Britain Weighs in on New Media Rights Debate (Reuters News Wire) Microsoft Releases Two New Patches (Associated Press News Wire) Instant Messaging Attacks Increase During 2005 (Tom Espiner) Re: Registering Multiple DIDs on the "Do-Not-Call" List (John Levine) Re: Registering Multiple DIDs on the "Do-Not-Call" List (Robert Bonomi) Re: Phone Problems and Question (Paul A Lee) Re: Era of the BBS (Tony P.) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Tony P.) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Justa Lurker) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Phil Earnhardt) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Kenneth Li Subject: Time Warner Plans to Build AOL Subscriber Business Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 21:17:26 -0600 By Kenneth Li AOL is planning moves this year to improve its cash-generating, but shrinking subscriber business, a top executive at parent company Time Warner Inc. said on Tuesday. The online division of the world's largest media conglomerate has watched its once thriving dial-up Internet access business lose millions of subscribers over the past five years. It currently has about 20.1 million U.S. subscribers, down from nearly 27 million at its high point in 2002. But Jeffrey Bewkes, chief operating officer of Time Warner, said its AOL division planned to make improvements to its subscription business this year, particularly in attracting more customers to purchase services that include high speed Internet access through partnerships with access providers. "Growing the subscriber base is not something we should all give up on. We haven't," Jeffrey Bewkes, chief operating officer of Time Warner told investor at a Citigroup media, entertainment and telecommunications conference in Phoenix, Arizona. AOL currently has deals to sell its service together with broadband service through Time Warner Cable and Verizon Communications Inc. "We're going to be working on broadband subscriptions of every kind and every level of premium service," Bewkes added. Last year, AOL focused on transforming its business to boost its online advertising revenue by offering for free more features for which it once charged. Although plans to bolster its free Internet properties continue, including a deal announced on Tuesday to purchase online video search company Truveo Inc., Bewkes said the two businesses complement each other. Subscribers to AOL services provide a captive audience for ads. "You can get a lot of benefits in the audience business if you have an appropriate subscriber business," Bewkes said. Bewkes said AOL ranked as the second most highly visited Web property by unique visitors. But he added: "We're not second in the monetization of that." Asked if the company considered splitting the subscription business from its "audience" or free Internet business, Bewkes said it was, "possible (but) I don't think at this point it's desirable." ONE-STOP VIDEO SHOP AOL's purchase of Truveo, which provides them with "Visual Crawling" technology that searches the Web for video files, precedes the launch of a more robust video service this year, AOL executives said. Truveo's technology is able to better distinguish videos on a Web site that are often missed by other software, executives said. Web crawlers automate the copying and searching of sites that process the data for search engines. The company, which will debut In2TV, a free service offering vintage Warner Brothers television episodes over the Internet this month, also plans to begin charging for programing this year, Kevin Conroy, an AOL executive vice president told Reuters in an interview. "2006 is the year we deliver a video search experience that is as good as what people expect with text search," Conroy said. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Britain Weighs in on New Media Rights Debate Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 21:18:54 -0600 Britain weighs in on new media rights debate UK regulators moved on Tuesday to broker a compromise in the debate over new media rights, in which television networks have been sparring with producers over who will control downloaded TV shows. Content providers in the United States are quickly moving to sell shows online, beginning last year with Disney's deal to sell "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" on Apple's iTunes Music Store and continuing last week with a new deal between CBS and Google. Britain has been slow to follow, largely due to conflicts between TV broadcasters and producers over whether, for example, "Lost" downloads would be controlled by Channel 4, which airs the show in Britain, or Disney, which produces it. Under a proposal from UK media regulator Ofcom, broadcasters would control distribution across all platforms for a set amount of time, known as the "primary window." During a subsequent "holdback window," broadcasters would be able to restrict how producers exploit a show. The regulator is asking for comments on its proposals by March 21. In the absence of a way to legally buy TV downloads online, Britain is the world's biggest market for illegal TV downloads, according to research last year from Web tracking firm Envisional. Britain's publicly-funded broadcaster, the BBC, is testing a free download service for much of its TV and radio content. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/internet-news.html ------------------------------ From: Associated Press News Wire Subject: Microsoft Releases Two New Patches Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 21:19:57 -0600 Microsoft Releases Two Security Patches Tue Jan 10, 5:08 PM ET Microsoft Corp. released two patches Tuesday that carry its maximum rating of critical, to fix software problems that could allow an attacker to take control of another person's computer. Microsoft said one patch is to fix a flaw in Windows desktop and server software that could let an attacker gain control of an Internet-connected computer if a user were tricked into visiting a malicious Web site. The fix is for operating systems dating back to Windows 2000. The other patch is to fix a flaw in the part of Microsoft's Office business software and Exchange Server software that lets users change and manage language preferences. The fix is for versions of the software dating back to Office 2000. The patches, released Tuesday as part of Microsoft's regular monthly security update, follow the release last week of another critical fix for a flaw in an element of Windows that is used to view images. On the Net: http://www.microsoft.com/security Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news reports from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Tom Espiner Subject: Instant-Messaging Attacks Increase in 2005 Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 21:21:33 -0600 http://www.news.com/ By Tom Espiner http://news.com.com/Study+Instant-messaging+attacks+rose+in+2005/2100-7349_3-6025226.html Security attacks over instant-messaging networks became more prevalent in 2005, according to a new study. Microsoft's MSN network experienced the largest number of IM security incidents in both 2004 and 2005, while year-on-year incident growth rates were largest on America Online's AIM network, according to the report, published Monday by IM security vendor FaceTime Communications. In 2005, MSN had a 57 percent share of the attacks, AOL had 37 percent and Yahoo had 6 percent, FaceTime said in its "Impact report: Analysis of IM & P2P Threats in 2005." While the incidence rate of attacks over IM is still low compared with e-mail-borne attacks, the rate appears to be increasing rapidly. There were 778 incidents recorded in the fourth quarter of last year compared with 59 in the first quarter, according to the report. "IM threats are extremely challenging for corporate IT staff because they utilize real-time communications channels and proven social engineering techniques over worldwide IM networks to propagate significantly faster than e-mail-based attacks," FaceTime said in a statement. Worms and rootkits were at the heart of the main incidents in 2005, said Chris Boyd, security research manager at FaceTime who also warned of the growing danger of cross-network attacks. "Hacker groups are getting more sophisticated and are beginning to attack across multiple networks. In 2004, AOL experienced the most attacks. But in 2005 there were more crossovers from AOL to the MSN network, as MSN became more popular with users," Boyd said. "There's some really nasty stuff coming through the AOL network, and it's AOL that's being used as a jump-off for other networks." FaceTime said that exploits can jump networks through IM "consolidation" applications, such as Trillian or Gaim, which let people combine contacts from multiple IM networks on one list. Boyd also warned that the hackers are working on new exploits. "Hacker groups have large (compromised) server farms to experiment with propagating exploits. They hide Trojans and viruses, and control these botnets via IRC," he said. MSN declined to comment specifically on the FaceTime statistics, but agreed that the threat risk via IM networks was increasing. "Unfortunately, over the last year, the industry has seen viruses and other online threats spread through IM systems, often via Web site links," an MSN representative said. "We recommend that customers do not click on attachments or links in IM without confirming their validity with the person who sent them." AOL had not commented on FaceTime's statistics at the time of writing. FaceTime claimed last November that one hacker group had taken control of 17,000 PCs using an IM worm, and Boyd said this area was still causing problems. "The main and nastiest infections come from the Middle East. We've found a viper nest of hacker dens there," he said. "We've found that lots of hardcore Middle Eastern hacker groups have embraced IM as a launchpad for attacks." The motivation for these attacks isn't financial, he claimed: "For these gangs, financial gain is less important than making serious political statements. They engage in Web page defacement, and some claim the war as motivation," said Boyd. "The FBI is involved--they've looked at the data we've collected and have used it as a basis for investigation." The FBI would not confirm or deny whether the data had been passed to them. "We encourage individuals and organizations to come forward to report any suspected crime, but provide confidentiality for them," an FBI official said. Tom Espiner reported for ZDNet UK. Copyright 1995-2006 CNET Networks, Inc. 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html Also see more tech reports at: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/technews.html ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 2006 20:01:22 -0000 From: johnl@simone.iecc.com Subject: Re: Registering Multiple DIDs on the "Do-Not-Call" List > Has anyone tried to register multiple numbers (and by multiple I mean > lots, whole ranges of DIDs) on the "Do-Not-Call" list? I suppose you could script their web site, but before you try, remember that it's for residential numbers, not businesses. R's, John ------------------------------ From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomni.com (Robert Bonomi) Subject: Re: Registering Multiple DIDs on the "Do-Not-Call" List Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 20:42:07 -0000 Organization: Widgets, Inc. In article , Jason Brault wrote: > Hi All, > Has anyone tried to register multiple numbers (and by multiple I mean > lots, whole ranges of DIDs) on the "Do-Not-Call" list? Is there a *NOT* applicable. By law, the DNC list applies to _residential_ numbers =only=. > Is there a > quick and efficient way to do this? Or, is there another way to deal > with automated telemarketing issues of this kind? Understand the law, _first_. Businesses must 'opt out' from each telemarketer, -individually-. ------------------------------ From: Paul A Lee Subject: Re: Phone Problems and Question Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 18:21:37 -0500 Organization: Rite Aid Corporation In TELECOM Digest V25 #10, Eli Tomlinson wrote (in part): > I never lose the signal, but sporadically I lose the line > because of 'bad data' or 'garbage' on the line. This can > happen once a day or thirty times a day. I am using Verizon > as my PRI provider and a Nortel BCM 400 as the phone equipment. > Verizon's position is that there is nothing wrong. Nortel's > position is that I am occassionally getting bad layer 2 data > that their system can't handle. I suggest that you first check all of the fundamental signal fault sources: cable and connection problems, radiated/induced interference, CSU settings and performance, and synchronization settings are the ones I would check for intermittent problems. Make sure you don't have any loose or contaminated connections. Bounce plugs, check for foreign material (water, oil, spilled beverage, etc.), check cable integrity and dress, and recheck crimp and solder connections if necessary. Make sure cables and equipment are adequately separated from RFI/EMI sources (radio equipment, electric motors, contactors, HID lighting ballasts, static charge producers) and are properly grounded and bonded. Verify that CSU settings are correct, including buffer characteristics and verify that signal compensation or "line build-out" [LBO] settings are correct for cable lengths and equipment placement. Swap out the CSU, if possible, to see if that corrects the problem. Make sure the BCM is set up to accept clocking from Verizon via the PRI, and make sure the CSU passes this clocking through, rather than conforming the signal to its own internal clocking. > Both companies claim they do not have the resources or > expertise to help me ... Offer them enough money, and they'll find the resources. They won't put much effort into it until they understand that you'll be willing to pay for it -- if you are indeed willing. > Do you know of anyone in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York area > that is an independent telco engineer that can come in with a > protocol analyzer and give me definitive evidence of what my problem > is? I need someone with the ability to authoritatively prove my > issue so I can end the finger-pointing. I can probably put you in touch with someone who can help you, but you'll be looking at a minimum cost of $700 to $1000. Why don't you check the items I've suggested and see if you still need a consultant. If you do, you can contact me directly, and I'll find a match for you. Paul A Lee Sr Telecom Engineer Rite Aid Corporation WP-IS-COM (Telecomm) V: +1 717 791-6408 5280 Simpson Ferry Rd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 F: +1 717 791-6406 P.O. Box 3165, Harrisburg, PA 17105-3165 C: +1 717 805-6208 ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Era of the BBS Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 18:49:35 -0500 In article , dhorvath@notchur.biz says: > Please mung the return address as usual PAT. > On Mon, 09 Jan 2006 17:44:14 -0500, burris > posted: >> Wow! -- did you bring back some really good memories of those days. >> We didn't have the idiots who express themselves in strange ways in >> today's NGs and forums. >> People came on board to offer help in the areas where they had >> expertise and interestingly, manufacturers of both hardware and >> software were always there to help. >> Even at 300 baud, the experience was pleasant ... >> burris > Ahhh, but there were still flame wars and various factions of > users/members thrashing out issues. It seemed to be cyclical -- > increasing around the start of the school year and Christmas holidays. > The thoughts at the time were that students got to school (high school > or college) where they found terminals and modems -- or got a modem as > a Christmas gift. > Of course, I have fond memories of spending an entire day printing > (terminal, no way to download to a file) a manual at 300 baud on a > DECWriter LA36. When the school got in 1200 baud LA120's we thought > we had died and gone to heaven (until we realized how few 1200 baud > modems were out there). >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: And I hate to say "I told you so", but >> back in 1994 as the web was first getting underway, in an Editor's >> Note here I commented (on some user's stupidity) by saying "wait until >> ten or fifteen years goes by; right now only a small percentage of >> Americans are hooked up to the net; check again in ten years or so." >> PAT] > Don't you remember the September crazinesses PAT? When all the new > college students (and later high school students) got on the ARPAnet > and discovered the weirdness ^w [that's UNIX for delete the previous > word] wide variety of viewpoints including those in complete opposition > to what they learned from their parents and church? > - David > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Yes I do, very well. And in the big > thing _before_ modems/computers which was Citizens Band Radio, I also > seem to recall that Christmas Day brought a lot of new CB radios to > guys everywhere, many of whom had never seen such an instrument and > did not have the slightest idea how to use it in the proper community > spirit, just "BREAKER, BREAKER, CAN ANYONE HEAR ME? WHAT IS YOUR > TWENTY OUT THERE, GOOD BUDDY?" all day long. When CB radio got to the > point it was solid heterodyne day and night, and people had given up > increasing their power output and modulation to 'break through all > that noise' they gave up on CB radios and moved onto the next craze > at that point, which were 110/300 baud modems. Some of us moved on to the longer and shorter wavelengths. The BS on the 11m band is pretty much what got me into amateur radio. Of course the 2m amateur band at one point was probably closest to the content of 11m. But FCC rules did at least stop the foul language and the carrier chuckers. > And regards malfeasance on the internet, it is nothing new, not > really. There was all the spam and scam you could ever want both on > the earlier BBS things, and way before that, on CB radios. Anytime > there was a new [fill in the blank] CB radio, 110/300/1200 baud modem, > or more recently, broadband connection, there were always new, young, > curious guys wanting to learn about their new toys. You open a new > part of the commons for the general public, expect them to gravitate > to it. PAT] I came from the 'listen first' school. So I never went through those phases. In article , responder@comcast.net says: > Jason Scott wrote: >> The TEXTFILES.COM Historical BBS List: An introduction by Jason Scott >> As the age of the Dial-Up BBS draws to a close, I thought it >> necessary to ensure a way to keep some understanding of the role of >> BBSes in the growth of the Internet. More importantly, I thought it >> might be fun to collect the phone numbers of every known dial-up BBS >> and find a way to enshrine them in one easy-to-browse list. This way, >> people could look back at the area codes and exchanges of their youth >> and remember all these electronic places, these meeting houses and >> hangouts that formed a part of so many people's youth. >> A Very Short History >> The first modem for microcomputers was invented by Dennis Hayes in >> 1977. This device (short for MOdulator-DEModulator) allowed two >> computers to connect to each other over the existing telephone >> network. Previously, dedicated phone lines were used between >> permanent computer installations. He soon founded D. C. Hayes >> Associates, later Hayes Corporation, which was a leader in PC Modems >> for most of the 1980's. >> While the idea of being able to use the existing phone network for >> computer communication was still new (and gaining interest by >> hobbyists and others to transfer information) it was two people, Ward >> Christensen and Randy Suess, who created the first "Bulletin Board >> System" and put it online in February, 1978. >> The concept behind "Ward and Randy's CBBS" was to provide a way for >> others to dial into their computer, and leave messages for other >> users. They described it as a natural extension of an actual physical >> Bulletin Board they were using for their local computer club. They >> published an article in Byte Magazine describing their software, and >> the era of the Dial-Up BBS had begun. >> There are many histories of the BBS and I hope to write a >> comprehensive one myself at some point in the future, but a number of >> links are provided below for you to research by yourself. >> The BBS List >> As more and more people purchased modems to go with their home >> computers and wanted to sign up with all these "BBSes" they'd been >> hearing about, a fundamental problem presented itself: How to find >> out what the numbers of the BBSes were. Since anyone could set up a >> BBS (if they had an extra phone line or were willing to give up human >> calls) the issue was more one of publicity than opportunity. >> Word-of- mouth was effective, with BBS numbers showing up at computer >> club meetings and passed around schools. Some people advertised on >> other BBSes, so that if you got one phone number to a BBS, you would >> soon know others. Eventually, however, some folks took it upon >> themselves to maintain BBS Lists, where they would keep track of all >> the BBSes of a given subject matter or type, or even an area code, >> and others would let them know if they had put up a new BBS. Over >> time, these BBS lists could be found everywhere, and gave people an >> easy way to know what numbers to call to log on. >> This was the age of the BBS List; you would download the month's list >> to see what new places there were to call. If a site didn't get on >> enough BBSes, they wouldn't get enough calls, and would eventually >> close down. Of course, the administrators of these lists had policies >> of who they would let on, focusing on one kind of computer hardware, >> or location, or what the subject matter of the BBS was. Some also >> refused to list "underground" BBSes, making them even more >> "underground" than they might have been. >> An Idea Is Hatched >> While doing work on textfiles.com, I started to think about the many >> thousands of BBSes that had come and gone, and the effect they'd had >> on myself and many others. I remembered the days when I would go up >> and down BBS lists calling every last board seeing what was new or >> what was being offered, ignoring what the board called itself or what >> others claimed it did or didn't have, wanting to see for myself. I >> remember running into boards with brilliance behind the wheel and >> BBSes that had been left to die and were inhabited by a bunch of >> squatters and power players. Many of these places are lost in my >> memory, but seeing their names or numbers brings it all back. >> I figured that since TEXTFILES.COM had all these BBS Lists from that >> period of time, I might consider compiling a list. Several bourne and >> Perl scripts later, the list is now up into the many thousands >> (although always in need of pruning and verification) and the project >> is well underway. >> The way I see this project is as a lark, and a fun thing to do in my >> spare time. I will work to always make my efforts reproducible, and >> the data files that are generated by my scripts will hopefully come >> of use to people in other projects, related or not. I would hope that >> some people will browse these lists and really enjoy looking back at >> their favorite area codes, and remember that part of their lives. >> So welcome to the world's largest BBS list. I hope you enjoy browsing >> it as much as I did compiling it. >> Bibliography >> Information was taken from the following sources: >> Ideafinder: The PC Modem http://www.jps.net/foxnhare/cbbs.html (link >> dead) Interview with Ward Christensen and Randy Seuss >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: These two articles, on Dennis Hayes >> and the 'Era of BBS-ing' are going to go in my newly revised web site >> http://history-internet.org among the links for your review. >> Regards very old BBS systems, I ran a couple of them during the early >> 1980's: I had Lakeshore Modem Magazine, a social issues BBS in >> Rogers Park in Chicago, from 1981-85. I was also the volunteer >> 'Sysop' (or System Operator) for the Chicago Public Library BBS in >> 1981-82 and I worked with Jerry Ablan, a Chicago southwest side >> (Beverly) resident with a discussion forum on his 'THINK! BBS' in >> 1982-83. The BBS was named after the old IBM-slogan in those years, >> which was 'Think!', and I began mousing around a lot on Usenet at >> more or less the same time. My computer in those days was an Apple >> ][+, as was the one used at the Library. Jerry Ablan had a Tandy >> Model 4 for his thing. Also, in the middle 1980's I worked with a guy >> in Oak Park, Illinois who was maintaining a FIDO node on a Tandy 4. >> My first experience with (what are called 'newsgroups' on Usenet), or >> 'echogroups' on FIDO came on his node. 'Nodes' were the numerical >> assignments given to everyone who maintained a FIDO system. I have >> thought some about expanding this Digest as it stands today, through >> a 'gateway' to FIDO. PAT] > Wow! -- did you bring back some really good memories of those days. > We didn't have the idiots who express themselves in strange ways in > today's NGs and forums. > People came on board to offer help in the areas where they had > expertise and interestingly, manufacturers of both hardware and > software were always there to help. > Even at 300 baud, the experience was pleasant ... Apparently you never had a full flame war erupt on the BBS's you visited. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: And I hate to say "I told you so", but > back in 1994 as the web was first getting underway, in an Editor's > Note here I commented (on some user's stupidity) by saying "wait until > ten or fifteen years goes by; right now only a small percentage of > Americans are hooked up to the net; check again in ten years or so." > PAT] I too lament the day when the unwashed were allowed to use the net. I can recall running an application called Waffle on my DOS computer -- it let me UUCP Usenet feeds from a friends machine. He had a feed from a local university so it worked out well. I used to own the cdp.org domain but let it lapse when they started charging. The machine I used was garlic.cdp.org Back then it was the Church of the Dead Presidents -- now it's the Center for Democracry Project. ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 00:00:00 CDT In article , kludge@panix.com says: > The Great Idea Finder wrote: >> Dennis C. Hayes invented the PC modem in 1977, establishing the >> critical technology that allowed today's online and Internet >> industries to emerge and grow. > Well, THERE is some pretty impressive revisionism. Hey, by 1977 there > were even kits like the Pennywhistle aimed directly at the > microcomputer community. --scott > "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I know that the very first computer I > owned (Ohio Scientific OSI-C-1-P) did not have any modem with it > originally. I had people in those days ask me if I thought it would > be 'worth their time or expense to invest in a modem.' I told people > that buying a modem would increase the overall value of their computer > ten-fold. And I cannot imagine today a computer without a modem > connection of some kind, but I guess there are still some out there. > PAT] Most computers these days come with a NIC and not a modem. Laptops tend to come with both. ------------------------------ From: Justa Lurker Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Organization: AT&T Worldnet Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 01:20:01 GMT Scott Dorsey wrote: > The Great Idea Finder wrote: >> Dennis C. Hayes invented the PC modem in 1977, establishing the >> critical technology that allowed today's online and Internet >> industries to emerge and grow. > Well, THERE is some pretty impressive revisionism. Hey, by 1977 there > were even kits like the Pennywhistle aimed directly at the > microcomputer community. --scott Yes, but wasn't a key difference between the two that the early modems like the Pennywhistle, etc. were more or less totally transparent to the data stream and the connection had to be manually dialed on a separate phone's keypad, the user had to listen for an answer tone before hitting "connect", manually disconnected at the end of the call, etc. while the Hayes modem was the first popular mass-market modem which also featured the escape sequence (+++), AT commands, call progress tone detection, etc.? The latter capabilities would put all modem operations truly under program control without need for any "hands-on" manual operation or intervention. ------------------------------ From: Phil Earnhardt Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: 10 Jan 2006 17:01:22 -0800 Organization: Newsguy News Service [http://newsguy.com] On 10 Jan 2006 07:43:29 -0800, davidesan@gmail.com wrote: >> And no mention that Hoover's FBI, with the approval of JFK, RFK and LBJ >> committed far worse violations of the wiretapping laws in going after >> the various leaders and organizations of the civil rights movement. > Dad, its not so bad that I broke the window. Billy broke a bigger > window last year! > Bad behavior is bad behavior. A conjecture is a conjecture. > It should not be condoned because someone else did it. The "it" in that sentence doesn't antecede very well! You shouted below; I'll shout here: there is NO COMPARISON between those historical wiretappings and what is happening now. > It should be condemned because its WRONG! Actually, it should be condemned IF it is wrong. AFAICT, this is more of a balance of power issue than a question of legality. > We don't need to rehash Democratic wrongs when discussing Republican > wrongs, or Republican wrongs when discussing Democratics wrongs. They > are all bad. > Any reason that you didn't include the gross abuses of power by > Richard Nixon in your list? As already noted, the ACLU has already attempted to paint this issue exactly that way. Is there any reason that there's almost no public debate about this issue? Instead of creating "news" -- contracting for self-serving polls that are providing essentially zero information -- why can't the Katherine Shraders of the world write some articles about the Executive's constitutional role in protecting us from foreign enemies? Why is there no mention in AP articles of the history of FISA: what it was designed to do and why it is a flawed mechanism for dealing with the current threat? --phil ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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 V25 #15 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Jan 11 13:42:47 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 72C5A14E44; Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:42:47 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #16 Message-Id: <20060111184247.72C5A14E44@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:42:47 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.1 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, BIZ_TLD,HOT_NASTY autolearn=no version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:44:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 16 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Canadian Auditor Concerned About Citizen Info Leaking to USA (News Wire) e! Swings Vine Online (Carly Mayberry) Boeing Starts New Pricing for Internet (Associated Press News Wire) Cellular-News for Wednesday 11th January 2006 (Cellular-News) Visionary Telecom Books (Fred Atkinson) Worldwide Telephone Numbers (Re: Dial US Toll Free) (Anthony Bellanga) Re: Era of the BBS (Koos van den Hout) Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old (tanstafl) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Robert Bonomi) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Scott Dorsey) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (davidesan@gmail.com) Re: Registering Multiple DIDs on the "Do-Not-Call" List (Danny Burstein) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Canadian Press News Wire Subject: Canadian Auditor Concerned Citizens' Information Leaked to U.S. Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 11:33:37 -0600 N.S. auditor concerned citizens information could be leaked to U.S. agencies HALIFAX (CP) - Nova Scotia's auditor general says he has concerns that personal information about the province's citizens could be sent to the American government under provisions of the U.S. Patriot Act. In the final report of his 14-year tenure, Roy Salmon says a company used to store backup tapes of Nova Scotia government information is a wholly owned Canadian subsidiary of a U.S. corporation. Under provisions of the U.S. Patriot Act, the American government can require that information held by a U.S. company be delivered to U.S. security agencies. Salmon says the province refused to provide a full copy of an intergovernmental review that assesses the risks of information leaking to American security agencies. He says he was told by the province that it is satisfied that won't occur. But Salmon says he's "still concerned; given the USA's reputation in recent years for torture, which they call by the fancy name 'extraordinary rendition', do we want to risk Canadians getting swept up in something like that? I fear it will happen." Copyright 2006 Canadian 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Canadian Press. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: Carly Mayberry Subject: e! Swings Vine Online Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 11:36:30 -0600 By Carly Mayberry E! Networks is launching a broadband channel that will deliver streaming video and original content exclusively for the Web, the channel said Tuesday at the Television Critics Assn. winter press tour in Pasadena. Dubbed "The Vine @ E! Online," the channel will raise its virtual curtain during E!'s "Live From the Red Carpet: Golden Globe Awards" preshow broadcast Monday and will showcase the simulcast in addition to the ceremony's postshow highlights packaged to be seen by online viewers. The initiative follows such other models as MTV's " Overdrive," VH1's "V Spot" and Comedy Central's "MotherLoad" into the growing trend for using broadband as an extension of a network's traditional programming. "Our programming style and presentation are a natural fit in terms of attaching the E! brand to the new media platforms that seem to swell in number by the week," E! Networks president and CEO Ted Harbert said. Offering original content as well as streamed video from the upcoming unscripted series "#1 Single," starring singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb, "Vine" also will include celebrity interviews, movie trailers, outtakes and sneak peeks from other E! shows. The channel will be organized into six categories, including "E! News & Gossip," "What's Hot," "Red Carpet," "Wild Zone," "Movies" and "E!TV Bonus." To lure online viewers to its initial broadcast, a 20-minute package of choice moments compiled from the evening's preshow will be made available exclusively to those online and will remain available for several days. The original content also will be distributed for mobile devices and to subscribers of Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio. Also announced at the E! session of the TCA tour was the hiring of Debbie Matenopoulos ("The View") as the fourth member of the new cable team that will cover the red carpet before award ceremonies. She joins Ryan Seacrest -- a lead anchor and managing editor at "E! News" -- Isaac Mizrahi and Giuliana DePandi, also a lead anchor at "E! News." Reuters/Hollywood Reporter Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Associated Press News Wire Subject: Boeing Starts New Pricing For Internet Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 11:38:37 -0600 Connexion by Boeing, a division of the aerospace company that offers in-flight Internet and entertainment services on several foreign airlines, says it will start charging people slightly less for online access -- or slightly more, depending on how long they stay connected. Beginning Jan. 31, Connexion will charge $26.95 for up to 24 hours of unlimited Internet access. It currently charges $29.95 for six hours or more. One hour of Internet access will cost $9.95, compared to $14.95 Connexion now charges for three hours or less. Two hours will cost $14.95 under the new price structure. And three hours will cost $17.95. Connexion said the new pricing scheme followed extensive consumer research. Travelers "have told us they want simplified pricing based on the time they are connected and more options for how to pay for it," David Friedman, Connexion's vice president of sales and marketing, said in a statement. Connexion also announced that customers on all airlines equipped with its service will be able to watch several channels of live global television through their laptops beginning Jan. 23. That service, which will broadcast BBC World, EuroNews, Eurosportnews, CNBC and MSNBC, will be available to any passengers who buy blocks of Internet access. They will not have to pay extra for it. Connexion offers high-speed Internet and other services on nine foreign airlines: including Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, All Nippon Airways, China Airlines, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and El Al Israel Airlines. To get the service, customers have to have wireless-capable laptops. On the Net: Connexion by Boeing: http://www.connexionbyboeing.com Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news reports and headlines from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Wednesday 11th January 2006 Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 07:45:50 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ Financial ]] Sprint: Integration Six To Nine Months Ahead Of Schedule http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15505.php The post-merger integration of Sprint PCS and Nextel Communications Inc. is running six to nine months ahead of schedule, said Gary Forsee, president and chief executive officer of Sprint Nextel Corp., the name of the merged company. ... PKN Orlen CEO: To Sell Polkomtel If Needed For Invest http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15506.php Poland's PKN Orlen would sell its 19.6% stake in mobile operator Polkomtel if required to fund new acquisitions or investments in upstream oil production projects, Orlen Chief Executive Igor Chalupec said Tuesday. ... Telefonica Plans To Restore Strong Financial Position http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15507.php Telefonica, the largest telecommunications company in Spain and Latin America, Tuesday said it's looking to re-establish a strong financial position, following a slew of acquisitions last year. ... Russian telecom companies' revenue up 15% on year in Jan-Sep http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15512.php The revenue of Russian telecommunication companies rose 15% on the year to 428.4 billion rubles in January-September 2005, the Federal State Statistics Agency said Tuesday. ... ANALYSIS: Uncertain future for Hondutel http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15513.php Honduras' state telecom company Hondutel is going to have to seek a strategic partner and compete in the internet and mobile telephony segments if it is to survive competition after losing its monopoly on the international long distance market on Dec... Motorola sees Brazil as key export platform http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15514.php US manufacturer Motorola sees Brazil as a key export platform for mobile phones, local newspaper Estado de S.Paulo quoted Motorola country manager Enrique Ussher as saying . ... Telefonica Says It Will Exit FreeMove Alliance http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15517.php Telefonica, the largest telecommunications company in Spain and Latin America, said Tuesday it will leave the FreeMove Alliance in accordance with conditions set by the European Union Commission's authorizing its acquisition of U.K. mobile operator O... Ceragon Networks and Nokia Sign OEM Agreement http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15521.php Israel's Ceragon Networks has signed an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement with Nokia. Under the agreement, Nokia will include Ceragon's high-capacity FibeAir family with its microwave radio product portfolio as Nokia PowerHopper Vario t... [[ Handsets ]] Russia's Euroset enters Kyrgyzstan, opens 5 outlets http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15511.php Russia's largest mobile handset retailer Euroset has opened its first five outlets in Kyrgyzstan's capital, Bishkek, Euroset said in a press release Tuesday. ... Brazilian mobile phone exports double in 2005 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15516.php Brazilian mobile phone exports almost doubled in 2005, according to data from the ministry of development, industry and foreign trade. ... [[ Legal ]] Nokia, Kyocera End Patent Dispute http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15504.php Finnish telecommunications equipment maker Nokia Oyj Tuesday said it has resolved its patent dispute with Kyocera Corp. by entering into a patent license agreement. ... [[ Mobile Content ]] ABC To Distribute BBC News Reports For Broadband, Wireless http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15501.php NEW YORK (AP)--The British Broadcasting Corp. will make about 40 video news clips available daily in the United States and Canada for Internet and cellphone subscribers through a deal with ABC News. ... Verizon Wireless Answers Critics Of New Music Service http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15503.php NEW YORK (AP)--The first edition of a new music service from Verizon Wireless hampers a cell phone's ability to play MP3 songs acquired elsewhere, a handicap the company says is purely temporary and unrelated to larger battles over digital copyright ... [[ Network Operators ]] Outage Hits Sprint Nextel Network, Co. Says http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15502.php KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)--Sprint Nextel Corp.'s wireless, long-distance and Internet customers along the West Coast USA were without service for several hours Monday after a fiber-optic cable was cut west of Phoenix. ... Outage Hits Sprint Nextel Network, Co. Says http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15502.php KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)--Sprint Nextel Corp.'s wireless, long-distance and Internet customers along the West Coast USA were without service for several hours Monday after a fiber-optic cable was cut west of Phoenix. ... [[ Offbeat ]] Lost a Cellphone - or the keys to a Ferrari ? http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15523.php Where would you find Ferrari car keys, a laptop, a false leg and a pairof edible knickers? Where else but the Travelodge lost property office. Following a 'lost and found' inventory check of its 290 hotels, Travelodge,a UK based hotel chain has announ... [[ Personnel ]] Vodafone Taps British Ambassador for New Job http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15522.php Vodafone Group has announced that Matthew Kirk has been appointed as the companys Director of External Relationships. In this new role he will lead Vodafone Group's public policy activities and represent the Company with Governments and key political... [[ Regulatory ]] EU OKs Telefonica To Buy UK's O2, With Conditions http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15509.php The European Commission Tuesday cleared Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica SA's plan to buy U.K. mobile operator O2 PLC, on condition Telefonica leave the FreeMove international roaming alliance. ... Mobile liberalization most likely behind schedule in 2007 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15515.php Bureaucracy could hold up the proposed liberalization of Costa Rica's mobile phone market in 2007, according to a member of the team drawing up the liberalization bill, local daily Capital Financiero reported. ... [[ Reports ]] FMC Will Become the Star of Fixed-line Communication Market http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15518.php Analysys International has issued a report which concludes that FMC (Fixed- Mobile Convergence) will become the new star of the fixed-line communication industry, replacing Qbox. According to the research, FMC has obvious phase features. In the initi... BlackBerry Loyalty Study Shows Opportunities for Competitors http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15520.php iGillottResearch has carried out a study detailing the loyalty of RIM BlackBerry users in North America. Fielded in November 2005, the basis for the study was a survey of 803 BlackBerry users in the US and Canada. The survey identified the type of Bl... [[ Statistics ]] MTS Belarus' subscriber base up to 2.11 mln people as of Jan 1 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15508.php The subscriber base of Belarusian-Russian joint venture Mobile TeleSystems, or MTS Belarus, increased 5.5% in December 2005 to 2.11 million subscribers as of January 1, a spokesperson with the company told Prime-Tass Tuesday. ... Russia's MTS user base in Chuvash Republic up to 250,000 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15510.php The subscriber base of Russia's largest mobile operator Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) in the Chuvash Republic increased to 250,000 people as of January 1 from 16,000 people as of January 1, 2006, MTS' branch in the republic said in a press release Tuesd... [[ Technology ]] DMB Offers Promise for Telecom and Broadcasting Operators http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15519.php As the border between broadcasting and telecommunications blurs, DMB will become a key part of global broadcasters' strategies for future business diversification, and will provide tactical momentum driven by bundling of services.... ------------------------------ From: Fred Atkinson Subject: Visionary Telecom Books Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 07:24:22 -0500 I am attempting to find some additional books that were written by telecom visionaries. I am aware of George Gilder's books as well as Bill Gates' 'The Road Ahead'. I was wondering if any of you could direct mail me with some other suggestions. Regards, Fred ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 02:01:22 -0700 From: Anthony Bellanga Reply-To: no-spam@no-spam.no-spam Subject: Worldwide Telephone Numbers (Re: How to Dial US Toll Free) PAT: PLEASE suppress my email address where-ever it might appear in the headers, in order to try to reduce $pam. Thanks. > Subject: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto > Can someone tell me how to dial 800 and 888 numbers in the US from > Toronto? > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A good question. This is mostly up > to the recipient of the call, if he wants to receive a call from > an international point or not. Since Toronto is part of the same > dialing plan as here in USA, the call completes if the owner of > the number wants to recieve it. If not, then the call bounces > somewhere along the way with a message saying "call not permitted > from your area code", or words to that effect. You can get around > that by asking the owner if he wishes to accept international calls > to his toll-free number and if so, to ask his telco to arrange it, > or ask him what is his 'regular' number. Some companies publish their > regular number and tell international callers to call them on it > collect. The other thing you can do is use the 'USA Direct' number > from the country you are in, and on that, _you_ pay for a call to > the USA border and then the 800 owner pays for a call from there to > his point. There are also 'privately maintained gateways' doing the > same thing. Dial direct into them then on fresh dialtone dial the > USA toll-free number. You cannot force someone to pay for a collect > call (automated, via 800 or otherwise) unless they wish to do so. > I admit this can be a problem when so many USA-based advertisements > appear in Canadian (or European) media. They give as the only way to > contact them a USA-based 800 number; its almost as if they are saying > there is no where else in the world besides the USA, so live with it. > Some companies have an 'international-style 800 number' as opposed to > a purely 'domestic 800 number', but those are not in common useage. > PAT] What gets me is how many US (and possibly Canadian) companies who advertize their contact numbers, both toll-free 800, 888, 877, 866, etc, as well as POTS numbers on TV, which is just as worldwide as the Internet is these days, as follows: Call Toll Free: 1-8YY-NXX-XXXX within the US (and Canada) Outside the US and Canada: NPA-NXX-XXXX Note that they use the 1+ access prefix for toll-free calls within the US (and Canada), but when they display their POTS number for access from outside North America, they don't show any "leading '1'" digit. However, that leading '1' should really be maintained especially for a full international format! While a leading '1' wouldn't necessarily be an "access prefix" for calls from outside of North America, a "leading '1'" digit on the POTS number would indicate to callers from outside North America that the call is indeed an international or overseas call to *country code '1'*, aka "world zone '1'", which is the North American Numbering Plan of the US, Canada, and many Caribbean Islands. These days, more and more businesses outside of the US and Canada are listing their full international number in adverts and such. You are seeing more numbers displayed on the Internet and elsewhere (if you see non-US/Canadian ads and such), as +44 etc (for the UK) or +81 etc (for Japan), +33 etc (for France) etc. Even if a US (or Canadian) POTS number is displayed in (worldwide) ads without a '+' sign, as long as a leading '1' is shown, i.e., 1.311.555.2368 or 1 311 555 2368 or 1-311-555-2368 or 1+ 311 555-2368 or something like that, callers elsewhere in the world from outside North America should have no difficulty in realizing that the call is intended for the US (or Canada). While in the US or Canada, we know that 416-NXX-XXXX is Toronto, some callers from outside the US or Canada might mis-dial the call to Switzerland (country code +41). Thus a Toronto business displaying their number really should show it as 1-416-NXX-XXXX. Thus a caller from elsewhere in the world would know that this is a number in North America. Businesses in Birmingham AL should really add a leading '1' in some way to 205-NXX-XXXX, as 1-205-NXX-XXXX, so that callers elsewhere in the world won't mis-dial or mis-think the number as in Egypt, country code +20. Businesses in Fort Worth TX who display their number simply as 817-NXX-XXXX, might be misconceived by callers from elsewhere in the world, who might mis-dial the call to Japan, country code +81. While I do live in North America, and the vast majority of my telephone calling and business is strictly within the US and Canada, I do realize that there is the rest of the world, outside of the North American Numbering Plan, and that we are now truly in a global economy and global communications network, telephone, internet, media, etc. The "leading '1'" in front of a ten-digit North American number is NOT irrelevant, but also conveys the *country code* of the NANP, particularly for those who live outside of the US/Canada and are trying to call that US/Canadian telephone number. ------------------------------ From: Koos van den Hout Subject: Re: Era of the BBS Date: 11 Jan 2006 09:51:54 GMT Organization: http://idefix.net/~koos/ David B. Horvath, CCP wrote in : > Ahhh, but there were still flame wars and various factions of > users/members thrashing out issues. It seemed to be cyclical -- > increasing around the start of the school year and Christmas holidays. > The thoughts at the time were that students got to school (high school > or college) where they found terminals and modems -- or got a modem as > a Christmas gift. There is a great bit in the bbs documentary (made by Jason Scott, starter of this thread, and I really think he did awesome work on it!!!) on 'the time after christmas'. One sysop tells in the documentary that he blocked the new user registration for three months after christmas, just so the newbies could learn the ropes on other boards before they infected his board. I can recommend the bbs documentary to anyone who was involved in the bbs age and wants to look back at those days (and as usual: I am just a happy customer). Koos The Virtual Bookcase, the site about books, book | Koos van den Hout news and reviews http://www.virtualbookcase.com/ | http://idefix.net/~koos/ PGP keyid DSS/1024 0xF0D7C263 or RSA/1024 0xCA845CB5| Fax +31-30-2817051 ------------------------------ From: tanstafl Subject: Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old Organization: EasyNews, UseNet made Easy! Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:04:28 GMT On Sun, 8 Jan 2006 14:27:04 -0600, Sam Diaz wrote: > By Sam Diaz > Washington Post Staff Writer > It's only been a week since the calendar turned the corner into 2006, > and I'm slowly making progress on one of my New Year's resolutions: > organizing my digital life. snip > FORWARD THOSE E-MAILS. I realize that the last thing you need is > another e-mail account, but I have started putting that GMail account > to good use. > Every e-mail that comes into my inbox, or filtered subfolders, is > automatically forwarded to my GMail account, which has a mailbox > capacity of two gigabytes and keeps growing as you continue to feed > it. snip > Copyright 2006 The Washington Post Company Hmmm ... sounds like you've discovered the perfect free lunch Sam. You might want to familiarize yourself with a fellow writer -- Robert Heinlein. TANSTAAFL (The Moon is a Harsh Mistress). Be aware that your gigs of Gmail is subject to general purpose data mining and/or any other use they deem lucrative upon a simple unilateral change in their terms of service. By using the service, you've already agreed to be bound by any changes they make. Caveat to any wannabe 'Deep Throats' -- search out Bernstein or Woodard if you have any juicy tidbits and want confidentiality -- they at least have a track record. I fear Sam is clueless when it comes to guarding sensitive information. Grok it Sam? (Stranger in a Strange Land). ------------------------------ From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomni.com (Robert Bonomi) Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 15:41:47 -0000 Organization: Widgets, Inc. In article , Justa Lurker wrote: > Scott Dorsey wrote: >> The Great Idea Finder wrote: >>> Dennis C. Hayes invented the PC modem in 1977, establishing the >>> critical technology that allowed today's online and Internet >>> industries to emerge and grow. >> Well, THERE is some pretty impressive revisionism. Hey, by 1977 there >> were even kits like the Pennywhistle aimed directly at the >> microcomputer community. --scott > Yes, but wasn't a key difference between the two that the early modems > like the Pennywhistle, etc. were more or less totally transparent to > the data stream and the connection had to be manually dialed on a > separate phone's keypad, the user had to listen for an answer tone > before hitting "connect", manually disconnected at the end of the > call, etc. while the Hayes modem was the first popular mass-market > modem which also featured the escape sequence (+++), AT commands, call > progress tone detection, etc.? The latter capabilities would put all > modem operations truly under program control without need for any > "hands-on" manual operation or intervention. Modems had been in existance for around TWENTY YEARS, when Hayes built their first 'smartmodem'. "Autodial" and limited 'call progress' detection had been available for more than a decade, as well. There was even a 'Bell Standard' for the interface for the autodialer. (the Bell 801 automatic calling unit) Hayes _did_ invent the "AT" command set, and the '+++' escape sequence. In fact, they own the *patent* on the guard-time-protected excape sequence. There _were_ other modem manufacturers who used 'in band' signalling (as distinct from the out-of-band signaling used by a Bell 801 ACU) for dialing commands, etc., prior to Hayes -- RACAL-VADIC was one. The Hayes 'better moustrap' consisted of: (1) using pure 'plain ASCII' for all operations, (2) being able to exert complete control over the modem, *without* having to manipulate the RS-232 'control' signals/pins. (3) being able to 'escape' from data-transfer mode to modem control mode (and return to data mode) *without* interrupting the modem-modem connection. They were not 'there first'. They were not 'best'. They were not 'fastest'. They were not 'least expensive'. Hayes modems sold for all the 'typical' reasons -- they delivered more features (and/or 'easier to use' features) at a lower price-point than the competition. ------------------------------ From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: 11 Jan 2006 10:50:34 -0500 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) Justa Lurker wrote: > Scott Dorsey wrote: >> The Great Idea Finder wrote: >>> Dennis C. Hayes invented the PC modem in 1977, establishing the >>> critical technology that allowed today's online and Internet >>> industries to emerge and grow. >> Well, THERE is some pretty impressive revisionism. Hey, by 1977 there >> were even kits like the Pennywhistle aimed directly at the >> microcomputer community. --scott > Yes, but wasn't a key difference between the two that the early modems > like the Pennywhistle, etc. were more or less totally transparent to > the data stream and the connection had to be manually dialed on a > separate phone's keypad, the user had to listen for an answer tone > before hitting "connect", manually disconnected at the end of the > call, etc. while the Hayes modem was the first popular mass-market > modem which also featured the escape sequence (+++), AT commands, call > progress tone detection, etc.? The latter capabilities would put all > modem operations truly under program control without need for any > "hands-on" manual operation or intervention. Right. That's a LOT different than "inventing the PC modem." In fact, there were a lot of autodialers out there before the Hayes as well. What made the Hayes significant is that it used only a single serial port instead of two. I think the HoneyDanBer uucp code still has stuff in there for dealing with the pre-Hayes autodialers, even. --scott "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My question would be, _who_ was the inventor of the MO(dulate)DEM(modulate) in that case? If Hayes only 'refined' it somewhat, with 'smart stuff' in it such as 'AT' and '+++' then whose idea was it to ship data over the phone wire originally? PAT] ------------------------------ From: davidesan@gmail.com Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: 11 Jan 2006 09:34:34 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Phil Earnhardt wrote: > On 10 Jan 2006 07:43:29 -0800, davidesan@gmail.com wrote: >> Bad behavior is bad behavior. > A conjecture is a conjecture. Not a conjecture. A statement. I don't believe in situational ethics. Wiretapping without a search warrant is wrong. The situation doesn't matter. The politics of the president doesn't matter. If we are not a society of law then those that hate America have won by destroying us. >> It should be condemned because its WRONG! > Actually, it should be condemned IF it is wrong. AFAICT, this is more > of a balance of power issue than a question of legality. There was a court set up to issue warrants. That court was bypassed. To me that is not a balance of power issue, but a legal issue. The constitution guarantees certain rights. By not going to the court to get the search warrant then the Executive Branch bypassed the Constitution that they have sworn to uphold. > Is there any reason that there's almost no public debate about this issue? The public is being fed garbage from most news sources. There are doctors who are willing to testify in court that smoking will not cause cancer. Now the public has to decide if these doctors lie, or if the other side lies, or if the truth lies someplace in the middle. But the technical detail is so difficult for a layman to understand that they give up, and just let those in the know handle it. > Instead of creating "news" -- contracting for self-serving polls that > are providing essentially zero information -- why can't the Katherine > Shraders of the world write some articles about the Executive's > constitutional role in protecting us from foreign enemies? This is a good suggestion. Most polls are commisioned by someone, and are designed to return the answer that was wanted, rather than to gather information. A good study on what the Executive Branch can and can not do in protecting us from foreign and domestic enemies is important. ------------------------------ From: danny burstein Subject: Re: Registering Multiple DIDs on the "Do-Not-Call" List Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 04:23:25 UTC Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC In johnl@simone.iecc.com writes: >> Has anyone tried to register multiple numbers (and by multiple I mean >> lots, whole ranges of DIDs) on the "Do-Not-Call" list? > I suppose you could script their web site, but before you try, > remember that it's for residential numbers, not businesses. There's no downside to a business entering numbers. Unless things have changed, neither the Feds nor the contracter (is it still AT&T given the owership changes ...) strips out business numbers, and I'd doubt that many, if any ... of the telesleazers doing list lookups bother either. (Especially since any such split would use databases that aren't anywhere near 100% reliable). In other words, if a business number is on the list, that number will probably get fewer marketers. Maybe not as dramatic a decrease (maybe ...) as a residential one, but there's no increase. So go for it. Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #16 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Jan 12 16:31:25 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id BC0B815025; Thu, 12 Jan 2006 16:31:24 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #17 Message-Id: <20060112213124.BC0B815025@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 16:31:24 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, URI_REDIRECTOR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Thu, 12 Jan 2006 16:33:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 17 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson FTC Lauches Site to Fight Cybercrime (Byron Acohido & Jon Swartz) New Breed of Cybercrime (Jon Swartz) January 11, 2006 - Report: IPTV Holds Promise (USTelecom dailyLead) Will This Setup Work With CallVantage (76steelers@bellsouth.net) Create an E-Annoyance, Go to Jail (Marcus Didius Falco) Is GNU Radio Open to Public Now? (zhushenli@gmail.com) Cellular-News For Thursday 12th January 2006 (Cellular-News) Canada: Telecommunications Declaration from Consumer Groups (Nigel Allen) So, was Venona Wrong? (Lisa Hancock) Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years and Today (L Hancock) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Phil Earnhardt) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Steve Schefter) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (Lisa Hancock) Re: Payphone Surcharges (was Unanswered Cellphones) (Seth Breidbart) Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old (Lena) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Joe Morris) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Robert Bonomi) Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto (John McHarry) Re: Worldwide Telephone Numbers (Re: How to Dial US Toll Free) (J McHarry) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Lisa Hancock) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Byron Acohido & Jon Swartz Subject: FTC Lauches Site to Fight Cybercrime Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 18:20:46 -0600 By Byron Acohido and Jon Swartz, USA TODAY Responding to the rising cybercrime threat, the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday unveiled an online tool designed to help consumers avoid becoming victims of Internet scams. At the website, http://www.onguardonline.gov, consumers can take interactive quizzes designed to enlighten them about ID theft, phishing, spam and online-shopping scams. If the user selects a wrong answer, the program explains why that particular misconception about Internet security can lead to trouble. Elsewhere on the site, consumers can find detailed guidance on how to monitor their credit histories, use effective passwords and recover from identity theft. "We're trying to make the information as accessible as possible, with tips so people can take action," said Nat Wood, the FTC's assistant director for consumer and business education. The education push comes as the tide of cybercrime continues to rise. Special reports by USA TODAY have detailed how online thieves are sidestepping computer firewalls, anti-virus and anti-spyware programs to conduct elaborate scams centered around use of the Internet. Inherently difficult to track, evidence of cybercrime nonetheless continues to mount: Malicious software. During the first half of 2005, 74% of the top 50 malicious attacks contained code to steal account logons, passwords and other sensitive data, compared with 54% the previous six months, according to security firm Symantec. Keystroke loggers. The number of programs designed to directly swipe logons and passwords, as a computer user types them on a keyboard, soared to about 6,191 last year, up from 3,753 in 2004, says iDefense, a division of VeriSign. Hijacked online accounts. Computers in an estimated 9.9 million U.S. households that engage in online banking transactions have been infected by keystroke loggers, giving cybercrooks potential access to an estimated $24 billion in deposits, says the tech security think tank The Sans Institute. "The threat to a consumers' data is everywhere," says George Waller, executive vice president at computer-security firm StrikeForce Technologies. "There are worms and viruses on instant messages, web links, shared files." Five federal agencies and 13 private organizations partnered to sponsor the OnGuard Online website. Information on the site is not copyrighted, and the FTC encourages companies and other organizations to download and widely disseminate the information. "The increasing concern about online threats is one of the reasons we could put together such a blue-chip coalition for a program like this," says the FTC's Wood. "E-commerce is great, but we just want people to have the tools to use it safely." Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more stories and headlines from USA Today, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/internet-news.html ------------------------------ From: Jon Swartz Subject: New Breed of Cybercrime Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 18:24:17 -0600 New breed of cyberattack takes aim at sensitive data By Jon Swartz, USA TODAY SAN FRANCISCO - A new breed of targeted digital attack designed to filch sensitive data from computers at businesses and government agencies has emerged as the latest cyberthreat, tech security experts say. Organized crime groups in Eastern Europe and Asia are behind the attacks, which spy on the PCs of employees with access to highly sensitive data so they can rip off bank account numbers, credit card numbers and other information, says Phillip Zakas, CEO of computer-security firm Intelli7. The targeted e-mails -- launched through e-mail attachments containing malicious code -- often appear to come from business associates and are hard to spot, he says. When opened, the attachment installs a small program on the victim's PC that downloads more malicious code and copies sensitive data. "These new attacks are corporate espionage," says Patrick Hinojosa, chief technology officer at Panda Software, which is releasing products next month designed to detect targeted attacks. Symantec and McAfee also are incorporating new features in their security products to spot targeted attacks. In Israel, corporate spies this year implanted malicious code on the PCs of executives to swipe information. I.M.C., a high-tech company that supplies the military, and Hot, a major cable-television concern, were among the victims, Israeli prosecutors say. Meanwhile, in November and December, e-mail containing suspicious code was sent to seven research-and-development employees at a U.S. transportation company, says e-mail security firm MessageLabs, which discovered the attempted attacks. The twist in attacks illustrates efforts by crooks to get at information through key insiders rather than scattershot with thousands of e-mails, says Neil MacDonald, security analyst at Gartner. Cybercrooks have narrowed their targets because of the effectiveness of computer-security software and hardware in tracing broader virus attacks. There have been 12 significant virus attacks in 2005, compared with 46 in 2004, according to McAfee. "People are a lot more aware about computer security," says Joe Telafici, director of malware research at McAfee. "There is less of an opportunity for the bad guys." Larger attacks are typically designed to spread spam and viruses across large numbers of people. "Most companies think they're OK because their security systems block large-scale attacks," says Alex Shipp, who designs e-mail security products at MessageLabs. "But they may have already been hit by narrow attacks and don't know it." Hard data are hard to come by, but MessageLabs says it came across 15 targeted attacks in November, compared with 15 the previous two months. "Tracking this stuff is like counting icebergs: The bulk are underwater," MacDonald says. He estimates the potential financial damage caused by targeted attacks will grow five times faster than a typical, widespread virus attack. Find this article at: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2005-12-26-cyber-attack-usat_x.htm?csp=N009 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from USA Today, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/internet-news.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 14:13:12 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: IPTV Holds Promise USTelecom dailyLead January 11, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cPawfDtutadDzFaWyJ TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Report: IPTV holds promise BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * AT&T says it has solid asset base * Private-equity group may buy TDC stock * PCCW jumps back into wireless fray * In-Stat: Business wireless voice spending to rise * Report projects higher shipments, lower prices for handset makers USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * USTelecom's VoIP Webinar Series: Now Available On Demand! TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * Survey: Carriers focus on broadband data services * New Ethernet group formed * Google Video Store opens EDITOR'S NOTE * Editor's note Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cPawfDtutadDzFaWyJ ------------------------------ From: 76steelers@bellsouth.net Subject: Will This Setup Work With CallVantage Date: 11 Jan 2006 13:07:26 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com I have one line coming into my house from the dmark. This one line runs through the house connecting all of the phone jacks. My question is, if I get call CallVantage, can I take that one line that is going to the dmark, and run it to the TA? So, basically, I would have one phone line running to the adapter. Thanks. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Yes, you can; I do that same thing here with my Vonage service. But just make absolutely certain CallVantage _does not see or come in contact with your existing dial tone._ If the two of them meet anywhere on your system it is very likely the TA box will get blown up. I have my local phone service on a pair coming in through a mini-PBX type arrangement (dial '9') and the Vonage coming in on a second pair (dial '8'). PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 03:44:59 -0500 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: Create an e-Annoyance, go to Jail http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance,+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.html Create an e-annoyance, go to jail By Declan McCullagh http://news.com.com/create+an+e-annoyance%2c+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022491.html Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime. It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush http://dw.com.com/redir?destUrl=http%3A%2F%www.whitehouse.gov%2Fnews%releases%2006%01%20060105-3.html&siteId=3&oId2102-1028_3-6022491&ontId=1023&lop=nl.ex> signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity. In other words, it's OK to flame someone on a mailing list or in a blog as long as you do it under your real name. Thank Congress for small favors, I guess. This ridiculous prohibition, which would likely imperil much of Usenet, is buried in the so-called http://dw.com.com/redir?destUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fthomas.loc.gov%2Fcgi-bin%2Fbquery%2Fz%3Fd109%3Ah.r.03402%3A&siteId=3&oId=2102-1028_3-6022491&ontId=1023&lop=nl.ex Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Think about it: A woman fired by a manager who demanded sexual favors wants to blog about it without divulging her full name. An aspiring pundit hopes to set up the next Suck.com. A frustrated citizen wants to send e-mail describing corruption in local government without worrying about reprisals. In each of those cases, someone's probably going to be annoyed. That's enough to make the action a crime. (The Justice Department won't file charges in every case, of course, but trusting prosecutorial discretion is hardly reassuring.) Clinton Fein, a San Francisco resident who runs the Annoy.com site, says a feature permitting visitors to send obnoxious=20 and profane postcards through e-mail could be imperiled. "Who decides what's annoying? That's the ultimate question," Fein said. He added: "If you send an annoying message via the United States Post Office, do you have to reveal your identity?" Fein once sued to overturn part of the Communications Decency Act that outlawed transmitting indecent material "with intent to annoy." But the courts ruled the law applied only to obscene material, so Annoy.com didn't have to worry. "I'm certainly not going to close the site down," Fein said on Friday. "I would fight it on First Amendment grounds." He's right. Our esteemed politicians can't seem to grasp this simple point, but the First Amendment protects our right to write something that annoys someone else. It even shields our right to do it anonymously. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas http://dw.com.com/redir?destUrl=3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fstraylight.law.cornell.edu%2= Fsupcthtml%2F93-986.ZC1.html&siteId=3D3&oId=3D/Annoy.com+free+to+bother+N= etizens/2100-1023_3-215949.html&ontId=3D1023&lop=3Dnl.ex>=20 defended this principle magnificently in a 1995 case involving an Ohio woman who was punished for distributing anonymous political pamphlets. If President Bush truly believed in the principle of limited government (it is in his official bio), he'd realize that the law he signed cannot be squared with the Constitution= he swore to uphold. And then he'd repeat what President Clinton did a decade ago when he felt compelled to sign a massive telecommunications law. Clinton realized that the section of the law punishing abortion-related material on the Internet was unconstitutional, and he directed the Justice Department not to enforce it. Bush has the chance to show his respect for what he calls Americans' http://dw.com.com/redir?destUrl=3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.whitehouse.gov%2Fnews%2F releases%2F2001%2F02%2F20010228.html&siteId=3D3&oId=3D/Suit+vs.+CDA+clause+dismissed/2100-1023_3-278315.html&ontId=3D1023&lop=3Dnl.ex personal freedoms. Now we'll see if the president rises to the occasion. http://www.cnet.com/aboutcnet/0-13611-7-811029.html?tag=f Copyright =A91995-2006 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, CNET Networks. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below: falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ------------------------------ From: zhushenli@gmail.com Subject: Is GNU Radio Open to Public Now? Date: 12 Jan 2006 01:27:31 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hi all, I found a software defined radio project named "GNU radio". http://www.gnu.org/software/gnuradio/ But it seems the main site comsec.com/software-radio.html cannot be accessed? And the document and source code cannot be downloaded. Why? Is GNU radio open to public now? Best regards, Davy ------------------------------ Subject: cellular-news for Thursday 12th January 2006 Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 07:35:37 -0600 From: cellular-news Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com ====================================================================== [[ Financial ]] SingTel Says Optus Buys Virgin Mobile Australia http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15524.php Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. Wednesday said its Australian unit Optus has acquired a 74.15% stake in Virgin Mobile Australia Ltd., raising its shareholding to 100%. ... State fund to auction 4.64% in Russia’s Uralsvyazinform http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15527.php The Russian Federal Property Fund plans to auction its 4.64% stake in Russian fixed-line and mobile operator Uralsvyazinform on April 28, the fund said Wednesday. ... Evolving Systems sees LatAm representing 5% of revs http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15531.php US telecoms software solutions provider Evolving Systems (Nasdaq: EVOL) expects to see 5% of its global revenue coming from Latin America within the next year, Evolving Systems' CEO Stephen Gartside told BNamericas. ... Corporate Wireless Voice to Exceed Landline Expenditure http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15536.php For the first time, in 2006 U.S. businesses of all sizes will spend more on wireless voice services than on wireline, reports In-Stat. And wireless data services will make significant gains as well over the next several years, the high-tech market re... [[ Handsets ]] Mobile-Phone Revenue Set to Decline in 2006 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15535.php Due to slowing growth and falling prices, worldwide mobile-phone market revenue is expected to decline in 2006, and will not recover to the peak level of 2005 until 2009, iSuppli Corp. predicts. Worldwide factory revenue from production of mobile pho... [[ Legal ]] German Prosecutor Wants To Continue Mannesmann Trial http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15526.php German prosecutors Wednesday said they will continue to pursue the so-called Mannesmann trial. ... [[ Mobile Content ]] Universal Order Mobile Content Platform http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15534.php Adamind has announced a three-year contract with Universal Music Mobile US (UMM-US) to manage content conversion of media files to formats compatible with mobile phones. Adamind's Spire Production Suite will be deployed within Universal Music Mobile ... Traffic Cameras On A Cellphone http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15540.php The UK's Highways Agency is launching a service to broadcast CCTV images to mobile phones Video footage from Highways Agency CCTV cameras will be brought direct to mobile phones, in a trial agreed by the Highways Agency. For the first time, images pr... [[ Network Contracts ]] Maxis Trialing New Wireless Backhaul Platform http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15538.php Malaysian cellular operator Maxis is trialling Cambridge Broadband's VectaStar fixed wireless transmission platform in its 2G and 3G cellular networks. The VectaStar equipment is being used to backhaul traffic from Maxis cellular base stations to its... WiMAX provider moves into GSM Backhaul Market http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15541.php The WiMAX kit provider, Aperto Networks has announced the availability and deployment of a Time Domain Multiplexed (TDM) wireless backhaul for cellular networks, offering enterprise access at distances up to 15 miles.... [[ Network Operators ]] Belarus BeST attracts more users, targets low-end users http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15529.php State-controlled Belarus Telecommunications Network, or BeST, which started commercial operations in the capital city of Minsk on December 21, 2005, attracted its first 1,000 subscribers through its program that envisages preferential tariffs for som... Digicel prepares for WiMax deployments in 2006 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15532.php Caribbean mobile operator Digicel plans to roll out WiMax in many of the markets where it has operations, as part of its 2006 development plan, the company said in a statement. ... [[ Personnel ]] Cingular Wireless CTO Re-Elected as 3G Americas' Chairperson http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15537.php Kristin Rinne, Chief Technology Officer for Cingular Wireless, is returning for a second term as 3G Americas' chairperson in 2006 after re-election by the organization's Board of Governors. Alan Pritchard, Nortel Vice President of GSM/UMTS Global Pro... Communications Union Continue Inroads at Cingular http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15539.php The Communications Workers of America (CWA) trade union has notched up more sucesses in its campaign to get representation at former AT&T Wireless facilities which have been purchased by Cingular Wireless. A further 1,302 employees in New Mexico and ... [[ Regulatory ]] Comcel free to issue US$220mn in bonds http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15533.php Colombia's financial regulator has authorized mobile operator Comcel to issue 500bn pesos (US$220mn) in bonds, reported local daily Portafolio Tuesday. ... [[ Reports ]] Poll: 46% Of Singapore Mobile Users Won't Switch Operator http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15525.php Nearly half of Singapore mobile phone users won't switch service providers even if they aren't tied to a contract with the mobile operator, according to a survey by ACNielsen published on Wednesday. ... [[ Statistics ]] Russian Megafon's user base in Samara region up 10% Sep-Dec 2005 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15528.php The subscriber base of Russia's third-largest national GSM cellular operator MegaFon in the Samara Region increased 10% to 1.1 million people in September-December 2005, MSS-Povolzhye said in a press release Wednesday. ... Russia's Motiv subscriber base up to 835,000 users in 2005 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15530.php The subscriber base of Russia's regional mobile operator Yekaterinburg-2000, which operates under the Motiv brand name, more than doubled to 835,000 users in 2005, the company's press service said Wednesday. ... Continuing Decline in Base Station TAM and ASP http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15542.php Wireless base station equipment prices continue to decline, according to the latest information from ABI Research. Lance Wilson, the company's director of wireless research, says that the downward pressure on base station TAM and ASP is the result of... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 14:45:23 -0500 From: Nigel Allen Subject: Canada: Telecommunications Declaration from Consumer Groups The following press release was issued by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in Ottawa. I do not work for PIAC, but I thought that the press release might be of interest to TELECOM Digest's readers. PIAC's web site at http://www.piac.ca/ contains a lot of information about telecommunications and other regulated industries in Canada. OTTAWA, Jan. 12 /CNW/ - Thirty-three national organizations today released a two-page declaration calling on the Federal government to preserve and promote basic telecommunications goals. "Telecommunications performs an essential role in the maintenance of Canada's identity, sovereignty, social cohesion and economic health," thedeclaration reads. The Declaration identifies specific principles and protections in the Telecommunications Act to be defended and promoted by the government, including consumer protection and improved access for rural communities and persons with disabilities. "Regulating the telecommunications industry in Canada is essential to the economic health of many communities including rural communities which companies may feel are too expensive to service and to lower income people who can't afford access," says Michael Janigan, Executive Director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC). "The Declaration affirms grassroots support for these principles - which are under direct attack by large telecommunications companies. The Declaration is a direct response to the government's Telecommunications Policy Review presently underway," adds John Lawford, Counsel for PIAC. "Canadians want to defend and strengthen the public interest in telecommunications, not weaken it." The Declaration has been submitted to Hon. David Emerson, Minister of Industry and to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). A pdf copy of the Declaration is at: http://www.piac.ca/TPRP_Declaration_Signed.pdf For further information: John Lawford, Counsel, Public Interest Advocacy Centre, (613) 562-4002 x25; Michael Janigan, Executive Director and General Counsel, Public Interest Advocacy Centre, (613) 562-4002 x26 ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: So, was Venona wrong? Date: 12 Jan 2006 08:13:36 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com During WW II the government began to monitor and decode Soviet cables to/from the U.S. in a project known as "Venona" (sp?). From it they learned the Soviets had spies all over the U.S. Now during the war the Soviet Union was our ally. In the context of the current controversy, was it wrong for the U.S. to be reading those cables? Frankly I am of mixed feeling of the current controversy. This country was attacked and is in a state of war, so special procedures different than normal peacetime are appropriate. Some restrictions and surveillance make me uncomfortable (such as restricting domestic photography of infrastructure, e.g. taking pictures of buildings from the sidewalk), but others seem ok. If the recipient on the foreign end of a phone call is a possible enemy, then it seems proper for the govt military to monitor such communications. However, I would restrict any information gained for military purposes only. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years and Today Date: 12 Jan 2006 10:04:48 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com As we know, the Nixon Administration made use of illegal techniques to secure information it felt was necessary to protect national security. This was the essence of Watergate. Note that "Watergate" really wasn't about the break in at the Watergate Apartments, but a larger picture of operations "The Plumbers" and subsequent cover up. Most people think Nixon and his administration were dead wrong in what they did. Congress subsequently passed strict laws limiting the FBI and CIA. Although most people have a knee-jerk anti-Nixon reaction, the reality was that the situation was not that simple. Nixon was not paranoid -- his Administration really did very determined enemies out to destroy it by any means possible, as well as disrupt the affairs of the country as much as possible. Many young people of the time--those who were in the forefront of the protest movement--really didn't understand the economic and social harm they were doing to everyday life of the country by the disruptions. Nor did the appreciate the evil enemy we were fighting in Vietnam. (Yes, contrary to Jane Fonda, they were pretty ruthless; remember the boat people fleeing the country afterwards.) I know personally from those days radicals were coming to college campuses and spewing propaganda to recruit people to disrupt everyday life and succeeding in some ways. This is not, contrary to belief of some, legitimate political discourse. These were criminal acts and a violation of the rights of other people. It was Nixon's responsibility as President to protect this country. Where Nixon erred is _how_ he went about it. The law enforcement agencies of the time had existing various police powers. One problem was that J. Edgar Hoover refused to cooperate with anything; he was still fighting ancient battles that no longer were relevant. Moving on to today, the reality is there are evil enemies out there who want to destroy the U.S. Critics of the Bush Administration have turned this into a political issue which is wrong. Just as critics hated Nixon because he was Nixon, today's critics hate Bush because he is Bush. Both groups focused on the person, not the issues. Anyway, the Patriot Act and other surevillance techniques is a tough issue. I personally object to some elements because (1) I don't think they'll do any good and (2) I think they could be misused; for example as a backdoor way to enforce drug or tax laws. As to the specific issue of monitoring overseas phone calls, as mentioned, there are historic precedents to that. If the target of such monitoring is potential terrorist activity and the information gathered is limited to such (can't be shared for other agencies outside of defense), it would appear to be legitimate defense measures. In a prior thread someone else mentioned that what happened in the past is irrelevent. Not true. Precedents, for good and bad, are a part of our culture. To nail one politician for doing the same thing that other politicians were known to have done is selective enforcement and wrong. We honor FDR greatly today, but he did do many of the same things Nixon did. ------------------------------ From: Phil Earnhardt Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: 11 Jan 2006 12:27:28 -0800 Organization: Newsguy News Service [http://newsguy.com] On 11 Jan 2006 09:34:34 -0800, davidesan@gmail.com wrote: >> On 10 Jan 2006 07:43:29 -0800, davidesan@gmail.com wrote: >>> Bad behavior is bad behavior. >> A conjecture is a conjecture. > Not a conjecture. A statement. I don't believe in situational > ethics. Wiretapping without a search warrant is wrong. That is a conjecture. "Bad" and "wrong" are the tell-tales. Have you tested your beliefs? In the writings I've read about these wiretaps, warrants are often problematic. Did you read the pieces that I provided URLs to? Do you have any specific comments about those writings? >>> It should be condemned because its WRONG! >> Actually, it should be condemned IF it is wrong. AFAICT, this is more >> of a balance of power issue than a question of legality. > There was a court set up to issue warrants. There were courts set up by the Carter Administration to deal with very specific conditions of the Cold War. And the Carter Administration was very clear -- FISA did not supersede ANY executive powers to defend against foreign enemies that are specified in the constitution. > That court was bypassed. "Bypassed" implies that the constitutional powers of the executive were somehow subjugated by FISA. That is pure conjecture. No court -- especially the supremes -- has ever rendered such an opinion. > To me that is not a balance of power issue, but a legal issue. Interesting. Do you acknowledge that the Executive is indeed given broad powers to protect the United States of America from foreign enemies? > The constitution guarantees certain rights. By not going to the > court to get the search warrant then the Executive Branch bypassed > the Constitution that they have sworn to uphold. But FISA is not part of the Constitution! >> Is there any reason that there's almost no public debate about this issue? > The public is being fed garbage from most news sources. Agreed. And, with all due respect, the information you present here is somewhat misleading. Someone reading your posting would presume that FISA is the only way that the president is legally -- constitutionally -- allowed to use these wiretaps to protect our country. That was never the intent of FISA -- as was explicitly explained at the time by Carter's AG. The Wall Street Journal is the only national newspaper I know of in the country who is publicly discussing such issues. > There are doctors who are willing to testify in court that smoking > will not cause cancer. Now the public has to decide if these > doctors lie, or if the other side lies, or if the truth lies > someplace in the middle. But the technical detail is so difficult > for a layman to understand that they give up, and just let those in > the know handle it. Agreed. Did you follow the Silicosis cases in the legal system last year? Again, the WSJ was the only American national who gave any substantial coverage to these dubious class-action lawsuits. >> Instead of creating "news" -- contracting for self-serving polls that >> are providing essentially zero information -- why can't the Katherine >> Shraders of the world write some articles about the Executive's >> constitutional role in protecting us from foreign enemies? > This is a good suggestion. Most polls are commisioned by someone, and > are designed to return the answer that was wanted, rather than to > gather information. A good study on what the Executive Branch can and > can not do in protecting us from foreign and domestic enemies is > important. Hear, hear! Aren't we supposed to be in the information age? --phil ------------------------------ From: steve_schefter@hotmail.com Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: 12 Jan 2006 13:07:48 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Mark Crispin wrote: > In fact, we already do. Non-citizens in the US are generally denied > the rights, enjoyed by citizens, to: > . reside > . employment > . possess a firearm > . public assistance > . vote, etc. It goes a little further than that. Lawyers for the US government, in response to being sued by a Canadian (Maher Arar), indicated that they couldn't have trampled his rights while he was in the US (eg, he had no access to a lawyer). He doesn't _have_ any rights. They stated that the US Constitution doesn't apply to non-citizens while they are in the US. Makes a non-US person want to vacation there, huh? > In other cases (e.g., Canada), the very document that states all these > wonderful rights gives the government the power to abridge them > whenever it thinks it's necessary. Don't believe me? Read Canada's > "Charter of Rights and Freedoms", and note the "notwithstanding" > clauses (in particular section 33): > http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/charter/ Seems a little out of scale with the eavesdropping. The notwithstanding clause in the Charter allows Parliament (either federal or provincial) to pass a law which it deems necessary but which violate someone's rights. It may deem it necessary to pass a law which violates someone's rights because the effect on society as a whole is so great. The notwithstanding clause has never been used. Should it's use get proposed, it would have to be passed through Parliament and the Senate and the law would have to be renewed by Parliament every five years. One of the parties in the current Canadian election campaign is proposing a Charter amendment to drop the notwithstanding clause. All of these hurtles and sober thought by society. And this is brought into discussion in reference to Bush not even wanting to need a judge to approve the wiretaps? Regards, Steve ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance Date: 12 Jan 2006 12:12:39 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com BobT wrote: > Brief summary follows. Location, SBC, former Ameritech, specifically > Chicago. Incident involved intrastate local toll rather than > interstate LD. I had switched interstate LD carriers, and during the > transaction, without my knowledge, local toll carrier on one of my two > lines apparently was listed as unassigned, as you speculate. ... A common problem. Telephone providers, both local and long distance, have to spend time and money resolving such issues. Sometimes the dollar amounts are significant and the dispute makes the newspapers. It's tough to say who is at fault -- customer, base telephone provider, or long distance carrier, or combination. We all have to pay for this through higher rates and aggravation. I noticed some respondents said this was a reason they're switching to VOIP, but I it seems most VOIP are keeping one POTS line as a backup. I suspect getting VOIP to reach that "last mile" of service reliability to equal or exceed classic POTS will take some time in coming and be considerably expensive. (Can VOIP handle faxes transparently?) As an example, the 911 requirement was repeatedly extended; that was something the VOIP people should've had all set up and included from day one. In other words, down the road VOIP will cost much more than it does now. ------------------------------ From: sethb@panix.com (Seth Breidbart) Subject: Re: Payphone Surcharges (was Unanswered Cellphones) Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 22:19:09 +0000 (UTC) Organization: Society for the Promulgation of Cruelty to the Clueless In article , wrote: > The only charge I've seen posted on pay phones is the initial deposit > for a "local" call. I have NOT seen signage how many minutes that > charge covers, nor how far the "local" calling area covers. It's easy > to get burned on over time charges -- is it 50 cents per each minute > or for ten minutes? I just checked the payphones in the lobby where I work. It's 50 cents for 5 minutes. > Please allow me to elaborate. > I was in a convention center and wanted something to eat. In the > hallway they had stands with hot dogs and soda. The prices were > enormous. Now, I knew the area and knew I could get other food about a > block away by foot, but I was tired, in a rush, and chose to pay the > higher price rather than make the effort to walk around for something > cheaper. The point is that here I had a choice to pay double or not. For someone at the same convention who didn't know the neighborhood, was the same vendor charging the same price "extortion"? Seth ------------------------------ From: Lena Subject: Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old Date: 11 Jan 2006 14:52:36 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com tanstafl wrote: > Be aware that your gigs of Gmail is subject to general purpose data > mining and/or any other use they deem lucrative upon a simple > unilateral change in their terms of service. I feel SO threatened. Guess I'll make sure not to use gmail for any of my illegal activities. They DO have a DELETE button, don't they? Lena ------------------------------ From: Joe Morris Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 23:49:49 UTC Organization: The MITRE Organization Justa Lurker writes: > Scott Dorsey wrote: >> The Great Idea Finder wrote: >>> Dennis C. Hayes invented the PC modem in 1977, establishing the >>> critical technology that allowed today's online and Internet >>> industries to emerge and grow. >> Well, THERE is some pretty impressive revisionism. Hey, by 1977 there >> were even kits like the Pennywhistle aimed directly at the >> microcomputer community. --scott > Yes, but wasn't a key difference between the two that the early modems > like the Pennywhistle, etc. were more or less totally transparent to > the data stream and the connection had to be manually dialed on a > separate phone's keypad, the user had to listen for an answer tone > before hitting "connect", manually disconnected at the end of the > call, etc. ... which is not too far from the description of the old Bell offering: you got (for $25/month rental) a (huge!) 103A2 with a separate key instrument; if you wanted to originate a call you either dialed it manually or paid $BIGBUCKS per month for an autodialer (the model number of which I've forgotten). Perhaps it's an artifact of excessive age, but every time someone refers to a PNG file I have to restrain myself from "correcting" it to PND (Present Next Digit -- the line from the autodialer to the computer telling it that the autodialer is ready to receive the next digit of the telephone number to be called). Joe Morris ------------------------------ From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomni.com (Robert Bonomi) Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 00:32:27 -0000 Organization: Widgets, Inc. In article , > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My question would be, _who_ was the > inventor of the MO(dulate)DEM(modulate) in that case? Department of nits department: modulatOR/demodulatOR > If Hayes only 'refined' it somewhat, with 'smart stuff' in it such > as 'AT' and '+++' then whose idea was it to ship data over the phone > wire originally? PAT] AT&T Bell labs, all the way back in the 1950s (!!) TELECOM Digest, within the last 6 months or so, referenced a web-page with a picture of one of the first-generation modems. ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 02:12:11 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net On Tue, 10 Jan 2006 07:08:02 -0800, gladman911 wrote: > Can someone tell me how to dial 800 and 888 numbers in the US from > Toronto? > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A good question. This is mostly up to > the recipient of the call, if he wants to receive a call from an > international point or not.... The other thing you > can do is use the 'USA Direct' number from the country you are in, and > on that, _you_ pay for a call to the USA border and then the 800 owner > pays for a call from there to his point. There are also 'privately > maintained gateways' doing the same thing. Dial direct into them then > on fresh dialtone dial the USA toll-free number. You cannot force > someone to pay for a collect call (automated, via 800 or otherwise) > unless they wish to do so. When BT started doing something like this, I looked into how it worked. Since I worked for another carrier at the time, I had a friend in London dial one of our 800 numbers and dumped the ANI. If I recall correctly, the call was made to appear to come from Phoenix, which is rather poetic. It was a pretty neat hack on the one side, but might have been theft from the 800 subscriber on the other, who might not even be capable of doing business overseas. I guess it was never a big enough issue for anyone to raise Cain about. For what national 800 costs these days, if I got enough overseas calls to be irritated, I would probably be paying more attention to the interest in my offerings from as yet unserved markets. ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: Worldwide Telephone Numbers (Re: How to Dial US Toll Free) Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 02:25:33 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 02:01:22 -0700, Anthony Bellanga wrote: > These days, more and more businesses outside of the US and Canada are > listing their full international number in adverts and such. You are > seeing more numbers displayed on the Internet and elsewhere (if you > see non-US/Canadian ads and such), as +44 etc (for the UK) or +81 etc > (for Japan), +33 etc (for France) etc. I pretty much agree with your comments, and would add another bit, mainly for NANP readers. The access code for domestic long distance in Europe, and a number of other areas, is 0. This isn't part of the international number, so if you see a number like +44 (0)20 ..., the zero in parentheses should be dropped. Similarly, where a national number is referenced, the leading zero should be dropped before prepending the international access code and country code. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: 12 Jan 2006 08:05:08 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My question would be, _who_ was the > inventor of the MO(dulate)DEM(modulate) in that case? If Hayes only > 'refined' it somewhat, with 'smart stuff' in it such as 'AT' and '+++' > then whose idea was it to ship data over the phone wire originally? PAT] The IBM history "IBM's Early Computers" by Bashe et al talks about early transmission efforts in the 1950s using modulation over voice lines. I believe this had to be done over private lines only since it was their gear, not Bell's. IIRC, IBM didn't push too hard in this area since they didn't want to anger Bell which was a major IBM customer. IBM was experimenting with various things in the 1950s, using including Western Union telegraph lines. Earlier, IBM also developed a radio teletype which presumably had to modulate and encode key characters. Bell came out with the Dataset in the 1960s. I suspect Bell may have had experimental installations for customers and itself before that. How much cooperation there was between Bell and IBM on data communications in the 1950s I don't know. Their respective histories don't seem to talk about it much. IBM's Watson Jr says the company was a bit insular and missed a 1950s opportunity to jointly develop xerographic printers in cooperation with Haloid-Xerox. As to other comments in this thread: 1) Dial up modems were available well before 1973, at least as earlier as 1968 as part of Teletype time sharing terminals. These were automatic in the sense they would answer a ringing phone line and connect up and disconnect and power down upon completition. They could remotely start/stop different tasks, like the paper tape punch and reader. One thing hasn't changed in all these years -- the high pitched answer tone we all hear and the responding tone. The subsequent handshaking may have evolved, but that original irrtating sound remains the same. The automatic teletypes had a speaker built in so one could hear it. 2) BBS: They were a lot like Usenet groups. The quality varied greatly from BBS to BBS and from poster to poster. Flame wars, which got way out of hand, were common. So were "bullies" and self-appointed "police". There was useful information as well plenty of garbage masquerading as useful information. I noted that there were very passionate techie advocates of BBSing as the "wave of the future". In truth, a very small percentage of the general population were involved in it. Around that time commercial services were attempting to provide features that the Internet would later give. Prodigy was an early one, designed for easy home access. Compuserve was the big boy. (I was a Compuserve subscriber but hardly ever used it because anything of interest cost extra.) ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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 V25 #17 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Jan 13 14:38:48 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 5A19414F56; Fri, 13 Jan 2006 14:38:48 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #18 Message-Id: <20060113193848.5A19414F56@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 14:38:48 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.6 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAD_CREDIT, BAYES_00,BIZ_TLD,HOT_NASTY,MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=no version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Fri, 13 Jan 2006 14:40:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 18 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Disposable Cell Phones and Terrorism (Marcus Didius Falco) BlackBerry Devices to Offer Mac Support (Monty Solomon) Cellular-News for Friday 13th January 2006 (Cellular-News) TelecomDirect Starting Here Next Week (telecom_direct_editor) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Tony P.) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Lisa Hancock) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Marcus Didius Falco) Re: Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years (John Reiser) Re: Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years (John McHarry) Re: Worldwide Telephone Numbers (Anthony Bellanga) Re: Worldwide Telephone Numbers (Re: How to Dial US Toll Free) (johnl) Re: Worldwide Telephone Numbers (Re: How to Dial US Toll Free) (Tony P.) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Mark Crispin) Re: Is GNU Radio Open to Public Now? (jmeissen@aracnet.com) Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance (Tony P.) Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto (Bruce) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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, 12 Jan 2006 23:52:25 -0500 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: Disposable Cell Phones and Terrorism The link might be to terrorism, but there are a lot more illegal immigrants than terrorists in Texas and California. http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1499905 Surge in Sale of Disposable Cell Phones May Have Terror Link Phones Can Be Difficult or Impossible to Track; Large Quantities Purchased in California, Texas By BRIAN ROSS and RICHARD ESPOSITO Jan. 12, 2006 Federal agents have launched an investigation into a surge in the purchase of large quantities of disposable cell phones by individuals from the Middle East and Pakistan, ABC News has learned. The phones which do not require purchasers to sign a contract or have a credit card have many legitimate uses, and are popular with people who have bad credit or for use as emergency phones tucked away in glove compartments or tackle boxes. But since they can be difficult or impossible to track, law enforcement officials say the phones are widely used by criminal gangs and terrorists. "There's very little audit trail assigned to this phone. One can walk in, purchase it in cash, you don't have to put down a credit card, buy any amount of minutes to it, and you don't, frankly, know who bought this," said Jack Cloonan, a former FBI official who is now an ABC News consultant. Law enforcement officials say the phones were used to detonate the bombs terrorists used in the Madrid train attacks in March 2004. "The application of prepaid phones for nefarious reasons, is really widespread. For example, the terrorists in Madrid used prepaid phones to detonate the bombs in the subway trains that killed more than 200 people," said Roger Entner, a communications consultant. 150 Phones in One Sale, 60 Phones in Another The FBI is closely monitoring the potentially dangerous development, which came to light following recent large-quantity purchases in California and Texas, officials confirmed. In one New Year's Eve transaction at a Target store in Hemet, Calif., 150 disposable tracfones were purchased. Suspicious store employees notified police, who called in the FBI, law enforcement sources said. In an earlier incident, at a Wal-mart store in Midland, Texas, on December 18, six individuals attempted to buy about 60 of the phones until store clerks became suspicious and notified the police. A Wal-mart spokesperson confirmed the incident. The Midland, Texas, police report dated December 18 and obtained by ABC News states: "Information obtained by MPD [Midland Police Department] dispatch personnel indicated that approximately six individuals of Middle-Eastern origin were attempting to purchase an unusually large quantity of tracfones (disposable cell phones with prepaid minutes attached)." At least one of the suspects was identified as being from Iraq and another from Pakistan, officials said. "Upon the arrival of officers, suspects were observed moving away from the registers appearing to evade detection while ridding themselves of the merchandise." Other reports have come in from other cities, including Dallas, and from authorities in other states. Authorities in Pennsylvania, New York and other parts of Texas confirmed that they were alerted to the cases, and sources say other jurisdictions were also notified. The growing use of the throwaway cell phones has been cited by President Bush as an important justification for expanding the wiretap laws under the Patriot Act. "Law enforcement officials can now use what's now called roving wiretaps, which will prevent a terrorist from switching cell phones to get a message out to one of his buddies," Bush said on April 20, 2004. Legitimate Uses May Have Spurred Sales, Too Law enforcement sources say it is possible some large purchases that have been identified as being sent to the Middle East could have been sent for resale in a sellers' market for handsets, or simply given to friends and relatives. Officials are also investigating these possibilities. Managing the complex balancing of these two issues significant and legitimate uses and their potential for misuse has been an ongoing dilemma for law enforcement. For now, both intelligence officers and bomb technicians have been monitoring reports of large-quantity purchases. Some such purchases may have innocent explanations, but even law enforcement officials themselves say disposable phones are sometimes their own phones of choice when operating in hostile environments. The CIA recently used them in a kidnapping in Milan, Italy. Italian authorities were able to track the telephones. But they mostly tracked them to a dead end the false identities in which they were purchased. Possible purchasers of disposable cellular phones could also include political extremists, terrorist supporters, sympathizers or others simply shaken by the recent revelations of the spy agency's widespread monitoring of calls, including calls to and from the United States to foreign countries. Police Report Identifies Terror Links The Midland, Texas, arrest report police also identified the individuals as linked to a terror cell: "Evasive responses provided by the subjects, coupled with actions observed by officers at the onset of the contact prompted the notification of local FBI officials to assist in the investigation," the report said. "Upon the arrival of special agents, and as a result of subsequent interviews, it was discovered that members of the group were linked to suspected terrorist cells stationed within the Metroplex. Law enforcement officials have not elaborated on the information in the report or specified which terrorist group the individuals were allegedly linked to. In addition, special agents reported that similar incidents centering on the large-scale purchases of tracfones had been reported throughout the nation identifying individuals of Middle-Eastern descent as the purchasers." ABC News is working to confirm the details in the police report. "Upon conclusion of the initial investigation, three of the suspects were taken into custody on immigration violations, with one individual arrested for possession of marijuana the drug having been discovered during the search of the group's vehicle. Also found within the green 2002 Kia van were additional cell phones, the total believed to be approximately 60." FBI officials told ABC News that while the cases may wind up in the hands of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the FBI would benefit from any intelligence gleaned and would take the lead if a solid terrorist connection emerged. ABC News' Jill Rackmill contributed to this report. 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, ABC News / JohnsMac Group. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below: falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 00:10:14 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: BlackBerry Devices to Offer Mac Support SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Research in Motion Ltd. said Thursday it will offer for the first time a Macintosh-based e-mail and calendar application for its BlackBerry handheld devices. RIM has signed a licensing deal with Information Appliance Associates to offer free downloads of the PocketMac program for BlackBerries, and to later integrate the software with the handhelds, officials with the companies said. The move deepens RIM's rivalry against Palm Inc., which for years has provided synchronization software for users of Apple Computer Inc.'s Mac computers with its line of handhelds and Treo smartphones. The Mac OS X operating system even includes a free program called iSync that lets users synch their address and calendar information from their Macs to Palm handhelds. By comparison, BlackBerry users with Macs had to resort to third-party providers. For instance, they would have to find PocketMac, a program for synching e-mail, contacts, and calendar information from a desktop to handhelds, on their own and pay $29.95 to get the program installed. Now with the licensing agreement, Mac users will be able to get the PocketMac program directly from RIM _ for free, starting in February. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54694294 ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Friday 13th January 2006 Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 07:57:33 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ 3G ]] Chinese 3G Handset Using Japanese Software http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15563.php As China prepares to roll-out its third-generation digital phone service, Japan's ACCESS Co. has announced that Hisense Communication, a major handset manufacturer in China has selected ACCESS' NetFront Mobile Client Suite for deployment in its Hisen... TTPCom Announces First 3G Chipset Customer http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15566.php TTPCom has signed a contract for its cellular baseband chipset design, CBEmacro 3G. Semiconductor vendors adopting CBEmacro can expect to sample silicon within nine months of project start. The customer details remain confidential at this stage.... [[ Financial ]] France Telecom Stung By Sales Growth Warning http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15547.php France Telecom dropped as much as 9% on Thursday after the company warned sales growth next year won't be as strong as hoped, leading it to roll out new services more quickly than it originally wanted. ... Brazil Telcos Seen As More Attractive Investments In '06 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15552.php PREMIUM - Brazil's telecom industry has been risky for investors since the state-run behemoth Telebras was dismantled in 1998, ushering in a period of complicated cross ownership deals and a restrictive regulatory environment. ... Russia's Altimo says won't sell its stake in VimpelCom http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15557.php Altimo, a subsidiary of Russia's Alfa Group does not plan to sell its stake in Russia's second-largest mobile operator VimpelCom, Altimo said in a statement Thursday. ... [[ Handsets ]] Carphone Warehouse Xmas Sales To Boost Profit http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15546.php Carphone Warehouse Group, the UK mobile phone retailer and telecommunications services company, Thursday said it anticipates stronger-than-expected full-year profit after a bumper Christmas trading period. ... Blackberry To Support Google's Mapping,IM Progs http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15556.php NEW YORK (AP)--BlackBerry e-mail devices will soon support the Google Talk instant-messaging and Google Local mapping programs, the handheld maker said Thursday, extending the Internet titan's push to put its services on mobile devices. ... [[ Legal ]] Telenor top exec says work with Alfa in VimpelCom impossible http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15550.php It is no longer possible for Norway's telecommunication company Telenor and Russia's Alfa Group to work together in Russia's second-largest mobile operator VimpelCom, Goran Olson, director of Telenor's representative office in Russia, said in an in... [[ Messaging ]] Teens View Text Messaging Plans as Restrictive http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15562.php According to a new survey conducted by the US based cellular operator, MetroPCS Communications, nearly a third of today's teens and young adults believe their current text messaging plan is restrictive, with over 40% saying it led to a higher cell ph... [[ Mobile Content ]] BT Names Live Mobile TV/Radio Wholesale Service BT Movio http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15548.php BT Group PLC, the UK telecommunications and IT services company, Thursday said it has renamed its live mobile television and radio wholesale service BT Movio after completing a large user trial of the fledgling service. ... [[ MVNO ]] Spain Regulator To Release Report On MVNO Soon http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15549.php Spanish telecommunications regulator CMT said Thursday it will shortly release a report to include measures that favor the launch of mobile virtual network operators, or MVNO. ... Besen Group Announces its MVNO Portfolio http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15565.php The Besen Group, an international management consulting practice to the mobile data industry headquartered in the Washington DC area, with representatives in Paris and Tokyo, announced its Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) service portfolio. The... [[ Network Contracts ]] Nokia To Supply Push To Talk To Fujian MCC In China http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15545.php Finland's Nokia, Thursday said it will supply a platform for push to talk over cellular, or PoC, to Fujian Mobile Communications of China. ... [[ Network Operators ]] Colombia Mobile fees jump 5-7% http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15558.php New mobile telephony rates have come into effect in Colombia, increasing user fees by 5-7%, reported local daily La Republica. ... TIM launches client retention campaign http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15560.php Brazil's second largest operator TIM has launched a promotional campaign in a bid to focus on client retention in 2006, reported local news service Agencia Estado. ... [[ Offbeat ]] A Cellphone Powered by Urine http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15564.php Physicists in Singapore have developed a battery that can be powered by human urine. Aimed at disposable health-care kits for use in rural areas, we naturally couldn't pass up the opportunity to comment on such a product being used for those "emergen... [[ Personnel ]] Schwarzenegger Appoints Telecom Expert To California PUC http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15544.php Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday appointed Rachelle Chong, an expert in the regulation of the telecommunications industry, to the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC). ... Sony Ericsson Hires New Staff, Cuts Consultants http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15551.php Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications plans to hire 150 to 200 new engineers in Sweden to replace approximately the same number of consultants, a spokesman said Thursday. ... [[ Regulatory ]] Brazil's Anatel OKs Mobile Co Vivo Restructuring Plan http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15543.php Directors of Brazil's telecommunications regulator, Anatel, on Wednesday approved the proposed restructuring of Vivo, the country's largest mobile telephony group. ... Mexico Regulator Tells Cell Cos To Swap SMS With Nextel http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15555.php Mexico's telecommunications regulator said Thursday it has ordered mobile-phone operators in the country to let their customers exchange text messages with those of trunking operator Nextel Mexico, the local unit of NII Holdings Inc. ... USTR calls for telecom reform before implementing Cafta http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15559.php US authorities have called on the Guatemalan government to reform several laws, including intellectual property and telecoms laws, to meet requirements of the Cafta free trade agreement, local newspaper Telediario reported. ... NGOs study telecoms privatizations, abusive practices http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15561.php Two Central American NGOs are carrying out a study of the effects of privatization on the telecoms and electricity industries in the region, investigating abusive practices allegedly carried out by some of the companies involved, Rubiel Cajar, presid... [[ Statistics ]] Telecom revenue in Kazakhstan up 27.7% on yr in 2005 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15553.php Kazakhstan's telecommunication companies provided services worth 216.7 billion tenge in 2005, up 27.7% on the year, the national statistics agency said Thursday. ... Uzbekistan's telecom revenue rises 32% on year in 2005 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15554.php Revenue from telecommunications services in Uzbekistan rose 32% on the year to 374.1 billion sum in 2005, Uzbekistan's national telecommunications company Uzbektelecom said Thursday. ... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 13:31:18 -0500 Subject: TelecomDirect: New Feature Coming Soon to the Digest From: telecom_direct_editor@us.pwc.com TelecomDirect will start appearing here on a regular basis within a few days, compliments of that publication. Your subscriptions: telecomdirect_daily Your interest profile: Regions Europe United States & Canada Channels Wireless Wireline Internet & Data Business & Management Policy & Regulations Networks & Operation Hardware, Software & Technology Watch for headlines from these areas of interest in telecomdirect_daily starting in the next few days here. ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 18:07:15 -0500 In article , hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com says... >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My question would be, _who_ was the >> inventor of the MO(dulate)DEM(modulate) in that case? If Hayes only >> 'refined' it somewhat, with 'smart stuff' in it such as 'AT' and '+++' >> then whose idea was it to ship data over the phone wire originally? PAT] > The IBM history "IBM's Early Computers" by Bashe et al talks about > early transmission efforts in the 1950s using modulation over voice > lines. I believe this had to be done over private lines only since it > was their gear, not Bell's. IIRC, IBM didn't push too hard in this > area since they didn't want to anger Bell which was a major IBM > customer. IBM was experimenting with various things in the 1950s, > using including Western Union telegraph lines. > Earlier, IBM also developed a radio teletype which presumably had to > modulate and encode key characters. > Bell came out with the Dataset in the 1960s. I suspect Bell may have > had experimental installations for customers and itself before that. > How much cooperation there was between Bell and IBM on data > communications in the 1950s I don't know. Their respective histories > don't seem to talk about it much. > IBM's Watson Jr says the company was a bit insular and missed a 1950s > opportunity to jointly develop xerographic printers in cooperation with > Haloid-Xerox. > As to other comments in this thread: > 1) Dial up modems were available well before 1973, at least as earlier > as 1968 as part of Teletype time sharing terminals. These were > automatic in the sense they would answer a ringing phone line and > connect up and disconnect and power down upon completition. They > could remotely start/stop different tasks, like the paper tape punch > and reader. > One thing hasn't changed in all these years -- the high pitched answer > tone we all hear and the responding tone. The subsequent handshaking > may have evolved, but that original irrtating sound remains the same. > The automatic teletypes had a speaker built in so one could hear it. > 2) BBS: They were a lot like Usenet groups. The quality varied > greatly from BBS to BBS and from poster to poster. Flame wars, which > got way out of hand, were common. So were "bullies" and > self-appointed "police". There was useful information as well plenty > of garbage masquerading as useful information. > I noted that there were very passionate techie advocates of BBSing as > the "wave of the future". In truth, a very small percentage of the > general population were involved in it. > Around that time commercial services were attempting to provide > features that the Internet would later give. Prodigy was an early > one, designed for easy home access. Compuserve was the big boy. (I > was a Compuserve subscriber but hardly ever used it because anything > of interest cost extra.) Back in the day a friend of mine worked for Radio Shack which at the time was peddling CompuServe accounts. Each store had its own demo account but you could configure boodles of email addresses on that one account. So every time a new one came out it'd be shared around. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: 13 Jan 2006 07:47:20 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com > The IBM history "IBM's Early Computers" by Bashe et al talks about > early transmission efforts in the 1950s using modulation over voice > lines. I pulled up the book to get the specific details. ("IBM's Early Computers by Charles Bashe, (c) 1986 by MIT Press.) From the book: The government and industry needed a fast way to transmit data from field offices to headquarters. In 1941 IBM introduced the 40 Card punch which read telegraph tape and converted the characters into punched cards. The 57 tape punch read cards and punched telegraph tape. Telegraph interface was used instead of phones because of the urgency of the government's request for the gear and the widespread availability of telegraph facilities using paper tape facilities. In 1954 IBM announced the 66 Data Transceiver which used 4000 Hz voice grade phone lines and allowed transmission of eleven cards per minute, up to 16 characters per second. IBM developed its own self checking 8 bit code. The unit had what was later called a modem. The 66 was initially restricted to leased and private lines. In those days, the vast majority of data was processed on card tabulating machines, not electronic computers. "Real Time" meant a clerk looked up an account in a tub file. In 1960 IBM announced the 7701 Magnetic Tape Transmission unit which utilized the full 1200 bps data rate of voice grade lines. This used synchronous transmission which meant individual characters didn't need their own start/stop control characters. So, to answer Pat's question, IBM had a working modem on the market by 1954. How many were sold I don't know. I don't know what AT&T was doing, though obviously they were aware of this need. AT&T was developing dialble private telephone networks for very large organizations in those days. Perhaps if someone has Bell Labs Record magazine for the 1950s there would be more information. I suspect that in 1954 the cost of a voice grade line, whether dial up or private, was much higher than telegraph lines, so the demand for modems for voice grade usage was probably low. Large organizations had couriers going between remote plants; it may have been cheaper to simply ship documents to HQ for processing rather than key them in remotely. In those days businesses had to make do with delayed information; the cost of speeding it up was just too high. Things moved a bit slower in those days; purchase orders took a few days to be confirmed and there was a longer lead time between order and delivery due to processing. I believe private teletype networks were widely employed in large organizations and orders and status were transmitted via that mode. As Pat described in the credit card bureau, large companies had armies of clerks to prepare and then process this information. In other words, I don't think machine-to-machine data transmission was used much in the 1950s. I sit here at my PC and realize how far we've come. At the click of my mouse in literally seconds I can be on a business website and order virtually anything I want and it will be shipped out tonight. If this were the 1950s I'd have to use a catalog, printed once a year and obviously not amendable to changes during the year. I'd likely write my order and mail it, hoping I calculated shipping, etc., correctly; if there was a mistake I wouldn't learn about it for a week or so. The catalog center had its armies of clerks and pickers. Sears had a huge building in Philadelphia as a regional center and employed many people. The people was blown up to become a strip shopping center. I feel bad for the loss of so many jobs, but I realize I'd rather use faster methods. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 00:35:42 -0500 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem The Great Idea Finder was quoted on the History of Hayes Modem on Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 20:56:30 -0600: > Fascinating facts about the invention of the PC Modem by Dennis Hayes in 1977 The earliest Hayes modems were knock-offs on the Bell Standard 103 modems, 300 baud full duplex. Hayes did innovate the escape sequence (+++) and the command set (the AT commands). Similarly, the 1200 Baud Hayes modem was a knock off of the Bell 212 standard modem, adding the escape sequence and the command set. I believe that the early 2400 bps modems may have involved a Hayes standard protocol. But from 9600 bps, the standards all came from industry bodies, such as the ITU. "Baud" is correct for the slowest modems, but "Baud" actually refers to changes of state. The 2400 bit per second modems were 4 bits per baud IIRC, and all later modems send multiple bits per baud Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below: falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ------------------------------ From: John Reiser Subject: Re: Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years and Today Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 19:17:49 -0800 > We honor FDR greatly today, ... Perhaps you do. I and many others do not. Executive Order 1066 was evil of the highest degree, inexcusable even during wartime, an indelible stain that will never be forgotten, and never forgiven. ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years and Today Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 03:49:43 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 10:04:48 -0800, hancock4 wrote: > Although most people have a knee-jerk anti-Nixon reaction, the reality > was that the situation was not that simple. Nixon was not paranoid -- > his Administration really did very determined enemies out to destroy > it by any means possible, as well as disrupt the affairs of the > country as much as possible. Many young people of the time--those who > were in the forefront of the protest movement--really didn't > understand the economic and social harm they were doing to everyday > life of the country by the disruptions. Nor did the appreciate the > evil enemy we were fighting in Vietnam. (Yes, contrary to Jane Fonda, > they were pretty ruthless; remember the boat people fleeing the > country afterwards.) That there were a few people willing to resort to violence can't be denied, but Nixon and his henchmen went after all opposition, legitimate or otherwise. You don't understand to this day the economic and social harm inflicted by Nixon's continuation of a war he went into office pledged to end. Yes, the VC and NVA were pretty ruthless, but we committed the My Lai massacre and turned our prisoners, the ones we didn't kill ourselves, over to the ARVN, who were not much different from the opposition. > I know personally from those days radicals were coming to college > campuses and spewing propaganda to recruit people to disrupt everyday > life and succeeding in some ways. This is not, contrary to belief of > some, legitimate political discourse. These were criminal acts and a > violation of the rights of other people. I suppose there was some of that, but the majority of what went on at least started as civil disobedience modeled after that evil radical Gandhi. Governmental over-reaction tended to escalate that into riots at times, culminating in the Kent State massacre. > It was Nixon's responsibility as President to protect this country. > Where Nixon erred is _how_ he went about it. The law enforcement > agencies of the time had existing various police powers. One problem > was that J. Edgar Hoover refused to cooperate with anything; he was > still fighting ancient battles that no longer were relevant. That, and against whom he used those powers. Remember some of the legitimate critics who were under surveillance, and that the Watergate burglary and cover-up were targeted at the loyal opposition. I won't contest that J. Edgar was out of control, but he served at the pleasure of the president. Of course, he probably had the goods on Nixon as well as everyone else who could touch him. > Moving on to today, the reality is there are evil enemies out there > who want to destroy the U.S. Critics of the Bush Administration have > turned this into a political issue which is wrong. Just as critics > hated Nixon because he was Nixon, today's critics hate Bush because he > is Bush. Both groups focused on the person, not the issues. Bush is a bit of a snot, but the issue isn't that. It is the evil he is inflicting on the country. He has destroyed much of our foreign credibility through what is widely seen as a war of aggression and torture. He has reduced FEMA to an incompetent wreck. He has failed to implement anti-terrorist protections acceptable to the 911 commission, although congress can share the blame on that one. And he has run roughshod over statute law, even law signed by the then president, claiming the right to ignore it at will. > In a prior thread someone else mentioned that what happened in the > past is irrelevent. Not true. Precedents, for good and bad, are a > part of our culture. To nail one politician for doing the same thing > that other politicians were known to have done is selective > enforcement and wrong. We honor FDR greatly today, but he did do many > of the same things Nixon did. Precedent is respected by courts. This is necessary to make law a stable reference. It doesn't apply to executive misbehavior. Other- wise, Bill would have been justified in reopening the White House swimming pool and stocking it with stewardesses. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 20:36:59 -0700 From: Anthony Bellanga Reply-To: no-spam@no-spam.no-spam Subject: Re: Worldwide Telephone Numbers PAT: Please suppress my email address where ever it might appear in the headers. Thanks! John McHarry > Anthony Bellanga wrote: >> These days, more and more businesses outside of the US and Canada are >> listing their full international number in adverts and such. You are >> seeing more numbers displayed on the Internet and elsewhere (if you >> see non-US/Canadian ads and such), as +44 etc (for the UK) or +81 etc >> (for Japan), +33 etc (for France) etc. > I pretty much agree with your comments, and would add another bit, > mainly for NANP readers. The access code for domestic long distance > in Europe, and a number of other areas, is 0. This isn't part of the > international number, so if you see a number like +44 (0)20 ..., the > zero in parentheses should be dropped. Similarly, where a national > number is referenced, the leading zero should be dropped before > prepending the international access code and country code. This is true for most "other countries" in the world who use '0' as their domestic long distance access code, that they actually write it "as if" it were a part of the national number, when in reality it isn't, and is to be omitted on calls to that country dialed from outside (overseas). But there are some countries in the world where you MUST dial any leading zero's of their domestic number. Which countries require a leading zero from outside and which countries don't want outside inbound calls to be dialed with a leading '1' has varied over time. And there are "inconsistancies" to be aware of as well. Prior to their national re-numbering of the later 1990s, the island of Tasmania in Australia (but ONLY that island, not the rest of Australia) had area codes that actually began with a significant initial digit of '0'. Domestically, they were printed as 00X-etc. You had to drop the leading '0' on calls from outside. Other parts of Austrailia had significant first digits other than '0', but they did display their number with the leading '0' access code. It might be confusing to know whether or not an Australian number being displayed was a number in Tasmania written with only one '0', i.e., the true "significant" part of the domestic number, or if it was some other number in Australia that was displaying the access digit of '0' "as if" it wwre a significant part of the domestic telephone number. I don't know if this still applies today, but there were some countries in the world who had other domestic access code digits, usually '9' or '8'. And these access code digits might even be displayed as if it were a significant leading digit of the domestic number, when it really is not. I don't know if these countries have since changed their domestic toll access digit to '0', or if they have "reformatted" the display of domestic numbers to "separate" the leading access digit from the rest of the area code and domestic number though. Some countries probably changed over from '9' or '8', to '0', when they went through major domestic re-numbering in the 1995-2000 time period. (During the second half of the 1990s, most of the world was being renumbered or having reformatting of their numbering, especially the US and Canada with scores of new area codes! Today this has slowed down to almost a trickle, in the US/Canada, as well as elsewhere throughout the world). ------------------------------ Date: 13 Jan 2006 06:17:35 -0000 From: johnl@simone.iecc.com Subject: Re: Worldwide Telephone Numbers (Re: How to Dial US Toll Free) > The access code for domestic long distance in Europe, and a number > of other areas, is 0. This isn't part of the international number, > so if you see a number like +44 (0)20 ..., the zero in parentheses > should be dropped. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I discovered last month that when you call a number in Italy, you must dial the zero or the call will not go through. Also Luxembourg and several other European countries. R's, John ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Worldwide Telephone Numbers (Re: How to Dial US Toll Free) Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 18:09:46 -0500 In article , jmcharry@comcast.net says: > On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 02:01:22 -0700, Anthony Bellanga wrote: >> These days, more and more businesses outside of the US and Canada are >> listing their full international number in adverts and such. You are >> seeing more numbers displayed on the Internet and elsewhere (if you >> see non-US/Canadian ads and such), as +44 etc (for the UK) or +81 etc >> (for Japan), +33 etc (for France) etc. > I pretty much agree with your comments, and would add another bit, mainly > for NANP readers. The access code for domestic long distance in Europe, > and a number of other areas, is 0. This isn't part of the international > number, so if you see a number like +44 (0)20 ..., the zero in parentheses > should be dropped. Similarly, where a national number is referenced, the > leading zero should be dropped before prepending the international access > code and country code. The other day one of the guys in my office had to fax something to the U.S. Embassy in Katmandu, Nepal. He kept keying in country/city/number and it would get refused until I told him that international access code for the U.S. was 011. ------------------------------ From: Mark Crispin Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 14:35:15 -0800 Organization: University of Washington On Thu, 12 Jan 2006, steve_schefter@hotmail.com wrote: > It goes a little further than that. Lawyers for the US government, in > response to being sued by a Canadian (Maher Arar), indicated that they > couldn't have trampled his rights while he was in the US (eg, he had > no access to a lawyer). He doesn't _have_ any rights. They stated > that the US Constitution doesn't apply to non-citizens while they are > in the US. Every country in the world has a similar policy. Non-citizens don't have the "rights" of citizens, they have "privileges" which are defined by the government. The Charter also uses "reasonable" as a discriminate quite a bit more than than the US Constitution; and guess who definites "reasonable". The same applies to foreigners visiting Canada. The Charter makes careful distinctions between citizens and "everyone"; and there are additional limitations on how non-citizens can exercise those "everyone" rights. > Makes a non-US person want to vacation there, huh? The US is generally quite a bit more liberal about giving out privileges to foreigners than most other countries, including Canada (although Canada is relatively liberal). > The notwithstanding clause in the Charter allows Parliament (either > federal or provincial) to pass a law which it deems necessary but > which violate someone's rights. > The notwithstanding clause has never been used. The Canadian Supreme Court has ruled that because the notwithstanding clause exists, an Act of Parliament can not be seen as violating the Charter. What's more, although technically Canadian courts can declare a law unconstitutional, Canada's constitution gives the federal (or any provincial!) government the power to overrule that decision. Parliamentary systems are pure democracies; they have nothing like the US checks and balances. What the majority in parliament wants, they get. That's how the dictatorships were established in Zimbabwe and Singapore; there's no need for a coup as long as the ruling party can pass laws to guarantee that it remains the ruling party. If you're Canadian, you might want to take a closer look at what your government is doing before commenting on domestic US issues. > All of these hurtles and sober thought by society. And this is > brought into discussion in reference to Bush not even wanting > to need a judge to approve the wiretaps? Reasonable people would recognize that there is a vast difference between wiretaps on suspected domestic criminals and wiretaps on suspected international terrorists. The latter is, in effect, a form of espionage. No country requires that espionage activities go through a judge. It is doubtful that data obtained from espionage would be admissible in court for a criminal prosecution. For example, it would be a bad idea to use them for eco-terrorists since that would deprive the prosecution of much of their evidence. -- Mark -- http://panda.com/mrc Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote. ------------------------------ From: jmeissen@aracnet.com Subject: Re: Is GNU Radio Open to Public Now? Date: 12 Jan 2006 23:40:22 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com In article , wrote: > Hi all, > I found a software defined radio project named "GNU radio". > http://www.gnu.org/software/gnuradio/ > But it seems the main site comsec.com/software-radio.html cannot be > accessed? > And the document and source code cannot be downloaded. > Why? Is GNU radio open to public now? It's there. The comsec.com site is just REALLY slow. It took upwards of a minute or more to respond to my browser request. The source files are all available via CVS from the gnu.org site. It looks like nothing has been done with the project for several years. John Meissen jmeissen@aracnet.com ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Cost of POTS w/o Long Distance Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 18:11:57 -0500 In article , hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com says: > BobT wrote: >> Brief summary follows. Location, SBC, former Ameritech, specifically >> Chicago. Incident involved intrastate local toll rather than >> interstate LD. I had switched interstate LD carriers, and during the >> transaction, without my knowledge, local toll carrier on one of my two >> lines apparently was listed as unassigned, as you speculate. ... > A common problem. Telephone providers, both local and long distance, > have to spend time and money resolving such issues. Sometimes the > dollar amounts are significant and the dispute makes the newspapers. > It's tough to say who is at fault -- customer, base telephone provider, > or long distance carrier, or combination. > We all have to pay for this through higher rates and aggravation. > I noticed some respondents said this was a reason they're switching to > VOIP, but I it seems most VOIP are keeping one POTS line as a backup. > I suspect getting VOIP to reach that "last mile" of service > reliability to equal or exceed classic POTS will take some time in > coming and be considerably expensive. (Can VOIP handle faxes > transparently?) As an example, the 911 requirement was repeatedly > extended; that was something the VOIP people should've had all set up > and included from day one. In other words, down the road VOIP will > cost much more than it does now. The whole E-911 issue is a red herring. It is not that the VoIP carriers can't connect to it, it's that incumbent companies are playing #*%@# hardball. I want to see the incumbents die by their tariffs. ------------------------------ From: Bruce Subject: Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto Organization: Department of Redundancy Department Reply-To: news06@bac.mailshell.com Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 01:47:27 GMT On 10 Jan 2006 07:08:02 -0800, gladman911@gmail.com wrote: > Can someone tell me how to dial 800 and 888 numbers in the US from > Toronto? I've never heard of these codes being used in actual practice, but the following info might be worth a shot. Bruce > From http://www.lincmad.com/nongeographic.html : 880 Paid international calls to +1 800 ("replace" code) 881 Paid international calls to +1 888 ("replace" code) 882 Paid international calls to +1 877 ("replace" code) "Toll-free services are essentially automated collect calls. The recipient of the call pays the cost. However, many toll-free numbers only work within a limited subset of the North American Numbering Plan countries (for example, only the U.S.A., or only the U.S. and Canada), so "replace" codes have been implemented for the first three toll-free codes: 800, 888, and 877. To dial a U.S.-only 877 number from another NANP country, a caller might dial 1-882-nxx-xxxx. The caller pays the same international call charge as for a standard call to the United States. These codes may also be used for calls originating outside the NANP. However, the assignment of further 88X codes corresponding to additional toll-free codes is not guaranteed. In particular, 866 was activated 2000-07-29, but no replace code was issued (883 being the obvious candidate). Furthermore, the three existing 88X replace codes may be recaptured at some future date. If additional toll-free numbers are needed, 855, 844, 833, and 822 will be activated in that order, but replace codes will not be issued." ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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 V25 #18 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Jan 13 22:46:58 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id A5C231503A; Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:46:57 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #19 Message-Id: <20060114034657.A5C231503A@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:46:57 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.1 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAD_CREDIT, BAYES_00,BIZ_TLD,MAILTO_TO_REMOVE autolearn=no version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:50:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 19 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Telecom Update #512, January 13, 2006 (Angus TeleManagement Group) FCC to Sell Airwaves For Airline Internet Access (USTelecom dailyLead) Re: Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years (John Reiser) Re: Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years (AES) Re: Disposable Cell Phones and Terrorism (Telephoneman) Re: Disposable Cell Phones and Terrorism (Jim Burks) Re: How to Call NANP Toll Free from Outside (Anthony Bellanga) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (steve_schefter@hotmail.com) Re: History of Hayes Modem (AES) Re: Is GNU Radio Open to Public Now? (Bob Vaughan) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 11:04:03 -0800 Subject: Telecom Update #512, January 13, 2006 From: Angus TeleManagement Group Reply-To: Angus TeleManagement Group ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 512: January 13, 2006 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/ ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/ ** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca ** MICROSOFT CANADA: www.microsoft.com/canada/telecom/ ** MITEL NETWORKS: www.mitel.com/ ** NEC UNIFIED SOLUTIONS: www.necunifiedsolutions.com ** ROGERS TELECOM: www.rogers.com/solutions ** VONAGE CANADA: www.vonage.ca ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Big Gains for Cable Telephony ** RBC Shifts to Managed IP Telephony ** Rogers Reorganizes Telephony Holdings ** Consumer Groups Say Telecom Regulation Still Needed ** Telus Prepares TV Launch ** Bell 3-1-1 Tariff Approved with Amendments ** Execulink Joins Bidding for People's ** Cogeco, Shaw Post Profit Gains ** Northwestel to Pay Excess Revenue to Central Fund ** Another GE Exec Moves to Nortel ** Mitel Adds to Marketing Team ** Consultants to Hold Vancouver Meeting ** Website Honours Angus Mentor ============================================================ BIG GAINS FOR CABLE TELEPHONY: Shaw Communications began offering local phone service in Vancouver and surrounding areas this week, the latest move in a growing cablecos-vs-telcos battle for the residential telephone market. ** Cogeco launched cable phone service in June. Subscribers on November 30: 6,900. ** Rogers launched cable phone service in July. Subscribers on December 31: 47,900. ** Shaw launched cable phone service in February. Subscribers on November 30: 90,651. ** Videotron launched cable phone service in January 2005. Subscribers on December 31: 163,000. RBC SHIFTS TO MANAGED IP TELEPHONY: The Royal Bank of Canada will switch 8,400 of its Toronto-area Centrex lines to Bell Canada's Managed IP Telephony service between February and November this year. The hardware and software comes from Cisco; Bell and IBM will provide IP Telephony support, network monitoring, and infrastructure management. ROGERS REORGANIZES TELEPHONY HOLDINGS: Rogers Communications has transferred its residential phone service and its wholesale Third Party Internet Access service from Rogers Cable to a newly named subsidiary, Rogers Home Phone Inc. (formerly Call-Net Communications Inc). RHPI is headed by VP Phil Hartling, who reports to Edward Rogers. CONSUMER GROUPS SAY TELECOM REGULATION STILL NEEDED: The Public Interest Advocacy Centre and 32 other national organizations have submitted a joint declaration to the CRTC, to Industry Minister Emerson, and to the Telecom Policy Review panel. They call on the federal government to defend and promote Telecommunications Act principles, including consumer protection and improved access for rural communities and persons with disabilities. http://www.piac.ca/TPRP_Declaration_Signed.pdf TELUS PREPARES TV LAUNCH: Telus is building a $15 million satellite reception and distribution centre near Vancouver. When launched this summer, it is to provide more than 200 TV channels. Telus now provides TV service in Calgary and Edmonton, and plans to launch in the Vancouver area sometime this year. ** Telus has signed a long-term deal with Twentieth Century Fox to offer its films as video on demand. BELL 3-1-1 TARIFF APPROVED WITH AMENDMENTS: The CRTC has given final approval to Bell's tariff for 3-1-1 service, which allows municipalities to provide a central number for non-emergency government services (see Telecom Update #456, 483). Fees apply when municipal boundaries do not line up with exchange boundaries, but the Commission ordered Bell to charge per-call routing fees only for calls that originate in exchanges shared by more than one municipality. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2006/o2006-8.htm EXECULINK JOINS BIDDING FOR PEOPLE'S: Execulink Group of Thedford, Ontario, an independent telco providing about 6,000 phone lines in the province's rural southwest, is the second bidder for People's Communications of Forest, Ontario. Execulink's January 12 bid of $57 a share topped a $56 bid by Amtelecom two days earlier. (See Telecom Update #511) COGECO, SHAW POST PROFIT GAINS: For the quarter ended November 30: ** Cogeco Cable reports net income of $9.0 million, up from $3.8 million a year earlier. Revenue increased 5.6% to $143 million. The number of basic service customers rose 1.3% in the quarter. ** Shaw Communications reports net income of $75.7 million, up from $44.7 million a year earlier. Revenue increased 9.8% to $589.5 million. The number of basic service customers rose 1.4% in the quarter. NORTHWESTEL TO PAY EXCESS REVENUE TO CENTRAL FUND: The CRTC has directed Northwestel to pay $150,000 to the Central Fund from which it receives a subsidy to support affordable services in the North. This is the amount by which the northern telco exceeded its forecast long distance revenue in 2004. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2006/dt2006-2.htm ANOTHER GE EXEC MOVES TO NORTEL: Nortel Networks has hired a former General Electric vice-president, Don McKenna, as its new Vice-President of Global Manufacturing Services. Last month, Nortel hired another GE veteran, Joel Hackney, as Vice-President of Global Supply Chain and Quality. ** Mike Zafirovski, named CEO of Nortel in October, held various senior executive posts at General Electric between 1975 and 2000. MITEL ADDS TO MARKETING TEAM: Mitel has named Doug Michaelides, formerly with Allstream and Nortel, as Global Vice-President of Marketing. Mitel veteran Gilles Rousso is now Regional Vice-President for Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America. CONSULTANTS TO HOLD VANCOUVER MEETING: The Canadian Telecommunications Consultants Association will hold a one-day educational event on IP telephony in Vancouver, February 24. The meeting is open to consultants, equipment and service providers, and end users from western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. For more information, or to register, go to http://www.ctca.ca/EventDetails.asp?R=5&EV=56 WEBSITE HONOURS ANGUS MENTOR: Ian Angus, co-editor of Telecom Update, is editor and webmaster of a new website devoted to the writings of Lee Goeller, one of North America's most-respected independent experts on business telecommunications. LeeGoeller.com is jointly sponsored by Angus TeleManagement Group and Business Communications Review. ** Ian says: "In my entire career, no one taught me more about how business telecom systems work -- and, more important, how they ought to work -- than Lee Goeller. It's been an honour to know and work with him for 25 years, and I'm very pleased to play a role in making his works available on the net." http://www.leegoeller.com ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-mail ianangus@angustel.ca and jriddell@angustel.ca =========================================================== 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 late Friday afternoon each week at http://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 http://www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2005 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail jriddell@angustel.ca. 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. ============================================================ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 13:18:10 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: FCC to Sell Airwaves For Airline Internet Access USTelecom dailyLead January 13, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cPykfDtutaeCmVADWn TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * FCC to sell airwaves for airline Internet access BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * OEN signs carriage deal with Starz * Lucent pares revenue projections * Apple seeks trademark for phrase "Mobile Me" * Midwest Fiber wins Milwaukee deal USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * Learn how to implement IP video TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * Google unveils home page for mobile phones * Analysis: DRM and online video VOIP DOWNLOAD * Pac-West teams with VeriSign * Companies pair up to sell VoIP in Mexico REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * NYC subway plan raises doubts EDITOR'S NOTE * The dailyLead will not be published Monday Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cPykfDtutaeCmVADWn ------------------------------ From: John Reiser Subject: Re: Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years and Today Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 13:06:47 -0800 >> We honor FDR greatly today, ... > Executive Order 1066 ... The correct reference is Executive Order No. 9066 (February 19, 1942): Authorizing the Secretary of War to Prescribe Military Areas. http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/aasc/ex9066/ Despite the uneqivocal language of the Constitution of the United States that the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, and despite the Fifth Amendment's command that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, both of these constitutional safeguards were denied by military action under Executive Order 9066. http://bss.sfsu.edu/internment/executiorder9066.html http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/history/eo9066.html ------------------------------ From: AES Subject: Re: Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years and Today Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 16:18:24 -0800 Organization: Stanford University In article , John McHarry wrote: > legitimate or otherwise. You don't understand to this day the economic > and social harm inflicted by Nixon's continuation of a war he went > into office pledged to end. Yes, the VC and NVA were pretty ruthless, Not to argue with this (or anything else in your message), but to ask a question (to which I've never, in many decades, gotten a straight answer): At the time of the Vietnam War, that whole area had a complex, messy history involving lots of colonial and foreign involvement, as a result of which Vietnam ended up divided. Vietnam had once been and should have again become a single country; but it was in fact divided into two de facto countries, each with de facto but more or less functioning and more or less legitimate (and more or, generally, less admirable) governments. The Vietnam War then resulted, not because the North Vietnam government was threatened with invasion by the U.S., but because the NV government was simply determined to obtain sovereignty and control over South Vietnam, and to do so initiated an aggressive (and quite vicious) war to do this -- right? (And were willing to commit genocide on their own citizenry to accomplish this, not so?) The U.S. of course then got involved on the South Vietnam side, which it perhaps should and more likely should not have done. The initial aggression by North Vietnam was, however, in *either* case, clearly illegal -- right? It may not have justified our involvement, or our conduct once involved, but it *was* illegal on their part and deserved international condemnation, not so? ------------------------------ From: Telephoneman Subject: Re: Disposable Cell Phones and Terrorism Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:36:19 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Given the quantities being purchased I suspect it's more likely that the phones are being purchased for some international premium rate "arbitrage" scam. This happened widely in the past with phonecards - some telecom operators have inadvertently allowed international calls through to premium rate (900 type) services. Thus a call of a few cents can generate a healthy revenue at the other end. Here in the UK many Telcos have software that flag up if one CLID makes a large percentage of calls -- thus having lots of different handsets can be beneficial. Liam Marcus Didius Falco wrote in message news:telecom25.18.1@telecom-digest.org: > The link might be to terrorism, but there are a lot more illegal > immigrants than terrorists in Texas and California. > http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1499905 > Surge in Sale of Disposable Cell Phones May Have Terror Link > Phones Can Be Difficult or Impossible to Track; Large Quantities Purchased > in California, Texas > By BRIAN ROSS and RICHARD ESPOSITO > Jan. 12, 2006 Federal agents have launched an investigation into a surge > in the purchase of large quantities of disposable cell phones by > individuals from the Middle East and Pakistan, ABC News has learned. > The phones which do not require purchasers to sign a contract or have > a credit card have many legitimate uses, and are popular with > people who have bad credit or for use as emergency phones tucked away > in glove compartments or tackle boxes. But since they can be difficult > or impossible to track, law enforcement officials say the phones are > widely used by criminal gangs and terrorists. > "There's very little audit trail assigned to this phone. One can walk > in, purchase it in cash, you don't have to put down a credit card, buy > any amount of minutes to it, and you don't, frankly, know who bought > this," said Jack Cloonan, a former FBI official who is now an ABC News > consultant. > Law enforcement officials say the phones were used to detonate the > bombs terrorists used in the Madrid train attacks in March 2004. > "The application of prepaid phones for nefarious reasons, is really > widespread. For example, the terrorists in Madrid used prepaid phones > to detonate the bombs in the subway trains that killed more than 200 > people," said Roger Entner, a communications consultant. > 150 Phones in One Sale, 60 Phones in Another > The FBI is closely monitoring the potentially dangerous development, > which came to light following recent large-quantity purchases in > California and Texas, officials confirmed. > In one New Year's Eve transaction at a Target store in Hemet, Calif., > 150 disposable tracfones were purchased. Suspicious store employees > notified police, who called in the FBI, law enforcement sources said. > In an earlier incident, at a Wal-mart store in Midland, Texas, on > December 18, six individuals attempted to buy about 60 of the phones > until store clerks became suspicious and notified the police. A > Wal-mart spokesperson confirmed the incident. > The Midland, Texas, police report dated December 18 and obtained by > ABC News states: "Information obtained by MPD [Midland Police > Department] dispatch personnel indicated that approximately six > individuals of Middle-Eastern origin were attempting to purchase an > unusually large quantity of tracfones (disposable cell phones with > prepaid minutes attached)." At least one of the suspects was > identified as being from Iraq and another from Pakistan, officials > said. > "Upon the arrival of officers, suspects were observed moving away from > the registers appearing to evade detection while ridding themselves of > the merchandise." > Other reports have come in from other cities, including Dallas, and > from authorities in other states. Authorities in Pennsylvania, New > York and other parts of Texas confirmed that they were alerted to the > cases, and sources say other jurisdictions were also notified. > The growing use of the throwaway cell phones has been cited by > President Bush as an important justification for expanding the wiretap > laws under the Patriot Act. > "Law enforcement officials can now use what's now called roving > wiretaps, which will prevent a terrorist from switching cell phones to > get a message out to one of his buddies," Bush said on April 20, 2004. > Legitimate Uses May Have Spurred Sales, Too > Law enforcement sources say it is possible some large purchases that > have been identified as being sent to the Middle East could have been > sent for resale in a sellers' market for handsets, or simply given to > friends and relatives. Officials are also investigating these > possibilities. > Managing the complex balancing of these two issues significant and > legitimate uses and their potential for misuse has been an ongoing > dilemma for law enforcement. > For now, both intelligence officers and bomb technicians have been > monitoring reports of large-quantity purchases. > Some such purchases may have innocent explanations, but even law > enforcement officials themselves say disposable phones are sometimes > their own phones of choice when operating in hostile environments. The > CIA recently used them in a kidnapping in Milan, Italy. Italian > authorities were able to track the telephones. But they mostly tracked > them to a dead end the false identities in which they were purchased. > Possible purchasers of disposable cellular phones could also include > political extremists, terrorist supporters, sympathizers or others > simply shaken by the recent revelations of the spy agency's widespread > monitoring of calls, including calls to and from the United States to > foreign countries. > Police Report Identifies Terror Links > The Midland, Texas, arrest report police also identified the > individuals as linked to a terror cell: > "Evasive responses provided by the subjects, coupled with actions observed > by officers at the onset of the contact prompted the notification of local > FBI officials to assist in the investigation," the report said. "Upon > the arrival of special agents, and as a result of subsequent > interviews, it was discovered that members of the group were linked to > suspected terrorist cells stationed within the Metroplex. > Law enforcement officials have not elaborated on the information in > the report or specified which terrorist group the individuals were > allegedly linked to. > In addition, special agents reported that similar incidents centering > on the large-scale purchases of tracfones had been reported throughout > the nation identifying individuals of Middle-Eastern descent as the > purchasers." > ABC News is working to confirm the details in the police report. > "Upon conclusion of the initial investigation, three of the suspects > were taken into custody on immigration violations, with one individual > arrested for possession of marijuana the drug having been discovered > during the search of the group's vehicle. Also found within the green > 2002 Kia van were additional cell phones, the total believed to be > approximately 60." > FBI officials told ABC News that while the cases may wind up in the > hands of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the FBI would benefit > from any intelligence gleaned and would take the lead if a solid > terrorist connection emerged. > ABC News' Jill Rackmill contributed to this report. ------------------------------ From: Jim Burks Subject: Re: Disposable Cell Phones and Terrorism Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 01:01:39 GMT Organization: Road Runner High Speed Online http://www.rr.com Marcus Didius Falco wrote in message news:telecom25.18.1@telecom-digest.org: > The link might be to terrorism, but there are a lot more illegal > immigrants than terrorists in Texas and California. It may be terrorism, or it may be immigrants (Hispanic or Arab) trying to make an honest buck. I bought a Virgin Mobile USA cellphone (uses Sprint PCS network) prepaid phone for my wife over Christmas at WalMart. The phone cost $19. No activation required for purchase (phone locked to Virgin Mobile). It is a Nokia 2115i. It uses the BL-6C Nokia battery. That battery sells for $49 on the Nokia website. I thought about buying more of the phones and selling the new batteries on eBay and disposing of the phone units, but decided it was too much hassle, and not doing ViMo well. Jim Burks ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 13:34:19 -0700 From: Anthony Bellanga Reply-To: no-spam@no-spam.no-spam Subject: Re: How to Call NANP Toll Free from Outside Bruce wrote: > gladman wrote: >> Can someone tell me how to dial 800 and 888 numbers in the US from >> Toronto? > I've never heard of these codes being used in actual practice, > but the following info might be worth a shot. > From http://www.lincmad.com/nongeographic.html >> 880 Paid international calls to +1 800 ("replace" code) >> 881 Paid international calls to +1 888 ("replace" code) >> 882 Paid international calls to +1 877 ("replace" code) >> Toll-free services are essentially automated collect calls. The >> recipient of the call pays the cost. However, many toll-free numbers >> only work within a limited subset of the North American Numbering >> Plan countries (for example, only the U.S.A., or only the U.S. and >> Canada), so "replace" codes have been implemented for the first >> three toll-free codes: 800, 888, and 877. To dial a U.S.-only 877 >> number from another NANP country, a caller might dial 1-882-nxx-xxxx. >> The caller pays the same international call charge as for a standard >> call to the United States. These codes may also be used for calls >> originating outside the NANP. However, the assignment of further 88X >> codes corresponding to additional toll-free codes is not guaranteed. >> In particular, 866 was activated 2000-07-29, but no replace code was >> issued (883 being the obvious candidate). Furthermore, the three >> existing 88X replace codes may be recaptured at some future date. >> If additional toll-free numbers are needed, 855, 844, 833, and 822 >> will be activated in that order, but replace codes will not be >> issued. The use of 88X "replace" codes has officially been "reclaimed" by Neustar NANPA and the ATIS INC. See NANPA Planning Letter #331 dated June 2, 2003, "Recovery of NPA Codes 880, 881, 882 (Paid Toll-Free Service) Scheduled for April 1, 2004", http://www.nanpa.com/pdf/PL_331_v2.pdf Even though the use of 880 (for 800), 881 (for 888), 882 (for 877) have been officially eliminated, it is quite possible that some overseas telecom admins still allow their customers to dial such codes for "paid" access to US or NANP based toll-free (800, 888, 877) numbers -- afterall, Neustar NANPA has not yet actively re-assigned 880, 881, 882, for "real" intra NANP toll-free numbers. And before there will be any (real) toll-free 880, 881, 882 numbers, the North American telco industry must use up all (most) 866 numbers, which has to happen before 855, then 844, then 833, and then 822 numbers can be used for real toll-free numbers -- and then, and only then, will you probably begin to see (real) toll-free numbers with the toll-free area codes 88x (of course 888 was already assigned and put into use). It was thought that 855 would be needed simultaneously with 866 when 866 was planned to open up for assignments in April 2000. However the FCC delayed the opening up of 866 for real toll-free number assignments until Novmeber 2000, and the FCC also put an indefinite "hold" on the opening up of 855 for real toll-free numbers as well, back in 2000. At the rate things are going, it might be years before we even get to 833 or 822, much less any (non-888) 88x toll-free codes. ------------------------------ From: steve_schefter@hotmail.com Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: 13 Jan 2006 12:58:13 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Mark Crispin wrote: >> They stated that the US Constitution doesn't apply to >> non-citizens while they are in the US. > Every country in the world has a similar policy. Non-citizens don't > have the "rights" of citizens, they have "privileges" which are > defined by the government. Not the same thing. The Charter of rights of Freedoms applies to both citizens and foreign nationals alike. It just contains the certain rights (like the right to vote) which are limited to citizens. The US government lawyers on the other hand have stated that _the whole_ of the US Constitution (including the right to a lawyer if arrested) doesn't apply to foreign nationals. And they didn't seem to be offering up what, in its place, _does_ give them any rights. > The Charter also uses "reasonable" as a > discriminate quite a bit more than than the US Constitution; and guess > who definites "reasonable". The Supreme Court. Personally, I have no problem with that. >> Makes a non-US person want to vacation there, huh? > The US is generally quite a bit more liberal about giving out > privileges to foreigners than most other countries, including Canada > (although Canada is relatively liberal). I don't call the withholding of the right of access to a lawyer (for one thing) particularly "liberal". > The Canadian Supreme Court has ruled that because the notwithstanding > clause exists, an Act of Parliament can not be seen as violating the > Charter. Only if they invoke the notwithstanding clause (with the issues related to that which I mentioned on my last post). Day-to-day Acts of Parliament can (and do) get overturned by the Supreme Court on account of the fact that they violate the Charter. > Parliamentary systems are pure democracies; they have nothing like the > US checks and balances. You mean the checks and balances that are protecting the non-citizens who apparently have no rights? > If you're Canadian, you might want to take a closer look at what your > government is doing before commenting on domestic US issues. I follow it quite closely, thank you. I'm a regular listener to CBC Radio One, for example. That includes a lot of discussion of both domestic and foreign (incl US) goings on. But one doesn't need to be a legal expert to believe that the withholding of basic rights from non-citizens is wrong. Steve ------------------------------ From: AES Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 16:22:58 -0800 Organization: Stanford University In article , Tony P. wrote: >>> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My question would be, _who_ was the >>> inventor of the MO(dulate)DEM(modulate) in that case? Didn't have to be "invented" by anyone: --telegraph had existed forever. --capabilities of computers were obvious early on. No "invention" needed; just implementation by someone clever enough to recognize these facts (and the potential need and utility); competent enough (and motivated enough) to do the job; and access to the minimal resources required to do the implementation. ------------------------------ From: techie@tantivy.tantivy.net (Bob Vaughan) Subject: Re: Is GNU Radio Open to Public Now? Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 01:05:58 UTC Organization: Tantivy Associates In article , wrote: > In article , > wrote: >> Hi all, >> I found a software defined radio project named "GNU radio". >> http://www.gnu.org/software/gnuradio/ >> But it seems the main site comsec.com/software-radio.html cannot be >> accessed? >> And the document and source code cannot be downloaded. >> Why? Is GNU radio open to public now? > It's there. The comsec.com site is just REALLY slow. It took upwards > of a minute or more to respond to my browser request. > The source files are all available via CVS from the gnu.org site. It > looks like nothing has been done with the project for several years. You're not looking in the right places. I see CVS activity within the last couple of weeks. On the gnu.org site, there is an announcement of a new release (2.6) as of december 9th 2005, following previous releases on 3/30/05, 2/2/05, 11/4/04, and 10/11/04. -- Welcome My Son, Welcome To The Machine -- Bob Vaughan | techie @ tantivy.net | | P.O. Box 19792, Stanford, -- Ca 94309 | -- I am Me, I am only Me, And no one else is Me, What could be simpler? -- ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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. 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End of TELECOM Digest V25 #19 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Jan 14 18:03:05 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 58AB914DC2; Sat, 14 Jan 2006 18:03:05 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #20 Message-Id: <20060114230305.58AB914DC2@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 18:03:05 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Sat, 14 Jan 2006 18:05:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 20 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Criminal Charges Filed Against Telus in Canada (Katherine Harding) Agencies Probing Sales of Cellphone Data (Pelofsky & Carew) Microsoft to Stop Developing Media Software (Allison Linn) Microsoft Plans Launch of Search Ad (Allison Linn) Re: History of Hayes Modem (John Levine) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Al Gillis) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Justa Lurker) Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto (Spyros Bartsocas) Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto (Mark Crispin) Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto (John Levine) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Thor Lancelot Simon) Re: Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years (John McHarry) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. 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Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Katherine Harding Subject: Criminal Charges Filed Against Telus Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 16:13:27 -0600 Telus won't get break on criminal charges By KATHERINE HARDING Criminal charges alleging that Telus Corp. ignored a court order are going ahead, despite the telecommunications company's recent assertion that the matter is a misunderstanding. "It's in the public interest to proceed with charges," prosecutor Clifton Purvis said yesterday. "It's not like we are on a crusade against Telus. Once the criminal process is evoked ... it's been done." Telus landed into trouble last month after it allegedly failed to produce cellphone records requested by the RCMP. The company has since given the RCMP the information, but nearly five months after police first asked for them, 17 days after it received a court summons and three days after it first appeared in court. Telus and the RCMP have said they are not aware of any other case in which a company has been accused of failing to supply information. Canadian telecommunications companies get thousands of requests every year from police forces for telephone records. The queries are so common, a standard fee schedule has been established. In this particular case, the RCMP were requesting information that relates to Project Kare, one of the highest-profile criminal investigations in Alberta's history. The task force is hunting for the killer, or killers, of more than a dozen Edmonton prostitutes. Many of the bodies have been dumped in fields surrounding the city. The RCMP aren't saying what information they are looking for by requesting the cellphone records, but Telus has said investigators want archived records from cell towers in and around Edmonton. Telus spokesman Jim Johannsson declined comment about the matter yesterday because it is before the courts. However, last month, he said the company's failure to provide the information swiftly was because of a "misunderstanding and miscommunication." Telus's next court date is Feb. 7. With files from reporter Patrick Brethour Copyright 2006 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Bell Globemedia Publishing, Inc. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: Jeremy Pelofsky & Sinead Carew Subject: Agencies Probing Sales of Cellphone Data Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 15:38:12 -0600 By Jeremy Pelofsky and Sinead Carew A U.S. Congressman said on Friday that federal agencies were looking into whether telephone companies were sufficiently protecting consumers' records amid concerns that Internet sites were selling cellphone call information. Rep. Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) told him the agency was investigating whether phone companies were adequately protecting consumer records. He said in a statement "the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission were coordinating efforts to combat this rising fraud." In November, Markey asked the FTC and the FCC to investigate what he said was a violation of private consumer information and to take steps to protect consumers. The biggest U.S. mobile service, Cingular Wireless, owned by AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp., said late on Friday that it received a temporary restraining order against Data Find Solutions and 1st Source Information Specialists Inc. It said it had sued the companies alleging they "unlawfully obtained and disseminated Cingular customer records." Earlier on Friday, CTIA, an industry group representing U.S. mobile telephone services, called for federal and state authorities to investigate Web sites that it says fraudulently obtain and sell consumers' cellphone call information. CTIA spokesman Joe Farren said call record sales plans were brought to the group's attention by member companies, including Verizon Wireless, which last year sued companies it said were trying to wrongfully obtain private customer information. "We very much believe that laws are being broken and people are profiting from it," Farren said. "Without prosecution there will continue to be this fraud and subscribers and wireless companies will continue to be the victims." Company spokesman Tom Pica said Verizon Wireless believes state attorneys general "are the right people to get involved and there is a need for criminal laws to protect customers." Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, plans to propose legislation next week to make it a crime for someone to obtain call information under false pretenses or for a wireless company employee to sell customer information, his spokeswoman Risa Heller said on Friday. Heller said current customer network information laws apply to phone companies but not to the general public. An FTC spokeswoman could not be reached for comment. The Electronic Privacy Information Center, a consumer watchdog, has petitioned the FCC to improve rules protecting consumers' call records. The FCC has sought public comment on that request. Web sites offering call records for a price include http://locatecell.com, http://datatraceusa.com and http://reverserecords.org. These sites claim that if given certain information, such as cellphone numbers, they can provide data such as call records and the name and billing address associated with a cellphone number in exchange for fees. Farren said he believes such information is obtained fraudulently. "There's only a couple of ways this can happen. One is impersonation and the other is having somebody inside (cell-phone) companies," he said. It was not possible to leave a message at the number provided on http://locatecell.com and the site operators did not immediately reply to an e-mail. http://Datatraceusa.com was not immediately contactable. The Web site said its searches were intended for research purposes only and if users needed the data for legal purposes they would have to subpoena the records from the telephone operator. http://Reverserecords.org was not immediately contactable. The site said consumers could use its database links to obtain information such as itemized phone bills. California and New York state prosecutors have been among the most active in protecting consumer rights. "On its face it seems like an outrageous invasion of people's privacy," said Tom Dresslar, a spokesman for California Attorney General Bill Lockyer's office. Dresslar declined further comment. Verizon Wireless, a venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc, said last year it received a court order to stop a Tennessee company from illegally obtaining and selling private customer records. (Additional reporting by Jim Finkle in Boston) Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines and stories from Reuters each day, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Allison Linn Subject: Microsoft to Stop Developing Media Software Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 15:41:06 -0600 By ALLISON LINN, AP Business Writer Microsoft Corp. will stop developing a version of its Windows Media Player for Apple Computer Inc.'s Macs, and will instead offer free technology that lets people play Windows Media files using Apple's own software. The company decided to stop developing the Mac version so it could focus on efforts for Vista, the new version of Microsoft's Windows operating system that is due out later this year, said Tim Harader, a senior business development manager with Microsoft's Windows digital media division. "We've been so focused on Vista and we've been so focused on creating an incredible media experience on the PC," Harader said Friday. "We just did not have the resources to do a good job on (the Mac version)." Apple computers represent about 4 percent of the U.S. market. PCs running Microsoft's Windows operating system comprise the vast majority. Microsoft said it would continue to offer the current version but won't make any more improvements to it. The software maker has signed a deal with Nevada City, Calif.-based Telestream Inc. to offer a free plug-in that will let people play Windows Media video and audio files using Apple's QuickTime player. Because Microsoft's media player for Macs has not been updated for quite some time, Harader said the quality of some Windows Media files could be better if people used the plug-in and QuickTime. In 2004, Microsoft also said it would stop making a version of its Internet Explorer browser for Macs. But just days ago, Microsoft said it had signed a five-year pact with Apple to continue to develop versions of its Office business software for Macs. The company said the deal was partly to show customers that it has a long-term commitment to the Mac market. Unlike the free Web browser and media player, Microsoft's Office software for Mac sells for between $149 and $499. Apple declined to comment. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news reports and headlines from Associated Press please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Allison Linn Subject: Microsoft Plans Launch of Search Ad System Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 15:39:24 -0600 By ALLISON LINN, AP Business Writer Microsoft Corp. plans to launch its system for selling advertising alongside regular search results by June in the United States, giving the company its next piece of ammunition in the battle with rivals including Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. Microsoft has been testing its ambitious new platform for selling all kinds of online advertising, called adCenter, since last spring. Right now, the company said about 25 percent of the sponsored links that accompany regular search results on its MSN Search site are from adCenter, but that will grow to 100 percent by the time the company's fiscal year ends in June. Redmond-based Microsoft currently outsources the job of providing such sponsored links to a Yahoo Inc. subsidiary, Overture Services, although the contract between the two expires in June. The move to bring that job in-house is important because competitors such as Google make most of their money selling ads placed next to search results. The launch is also a major step toward Microsoft's broader adCenter ambitions, which executives say will eventually be a system for offering companies ways to buy online advertising space on multiple platforms, ranging from its blogging sites to its newly launched Office Live system for offering business software and services online. For that broader effort, Microsoft's adCenter researchers and developers are finishing up a series of tools that aim to provide extremely detailed demographic information, so advertisers can more accurately target their ads to the right audience. Many of those tools are expected to be available in the next six to 12 months, said Tarek Najm, adCenter's general manager. Much of the work is being done by Microsoft's adCenter Incubation Lab, or adLab, which was also announced Thursday. AdLab is a joint effort between Microsoft's Redmond-based adCenter and experts in its Chinese research lab. Najm said it marks the first time that a Microsoft product group is working so closely with one of Microsoft's research labs, which are typically staffed by researchers who study far-flung, futuristic or just plain quirky technology. Najm said his group wanted to partner with the Chinese researchers because of their expertise in fields that will provide the technical and computational backbone for getting advertising to the right viewers. The Chinese and U.S. researchers on Thursday previewed a multitude of those tools at its Redmond campus. Overall, they aim to give advertisers a better sense of the age, gender and other traits of people who are viewing certain information online. For example, the technology could give a car advertiser the best shot at reaching women over 45, or men under 25. A movie company, in turn, could be given a better chance of reaching people who are or have recently visited sites related to entertainment. Microsoft said it is not using personally identifiable information to target the ads. Forrester analyst Charlene Li said Microsoft's platform has definite potential to go head-to-head with competitors such as Google and Yahoo because of the detailed demographic information it can provide to advertisers -- even though people might be more familiar with the other two brand names. "The thing about search is that it's all about performance, not about the brand name," Li said. "As long as it performs, people are going to buy it." Still, Li said that Microsoft and the companies who sell ads will have to be subtle in their advertising, so people don't start to feel like the advertising is so targeted that Big Brother must be watching. "You can't bang people over the head," she said. Microsoft has admitted that it originally missed the boat on the hot field of Internet search, preferring instead to outsource the job to others. The company, whose search engine is the third most popular after Google's and Yahoo's, is now rushing to catch up. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more headline news and stories from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/Fednewsradio.html ------------------------------ Date: 14 Jan 2006 05:07:45 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem >>>> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My question would be, _who_ was the >>>> inventor of the MO(dulate)DEM(modulate) in that case? > Didn't have to be "invented" by anyone: The idea of using different tones to encode telegraph signals goes back well into the 1800s. Didn't Bell tell his backers he was working on a harmonic telegraph? ------------------------------ From: Al Gillis Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 05:25:51 -0800 Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com (Snipped much excellent discussion of the early years of our crazy hobby.) > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My question would be, _who_ was the > inventor of the MO(dulate)DEM(modulate) in that case? If Hayes only > 'refined' it somewhat, with 'smart stuff' in it such as 'AT' and '+++' > then whose idea was it to ship data over the phone wire originally? PAT] Let's not forget about the "Acoustic Coupler" which was sort of an accessory to a modem. I don't remember exactly, but I suspect the heyday of the acoustic coupler was before Tom Carter won the right to connect privately owned equipment to the telephone network in CarterPhone -vs- AT&T. Anyway, in the days when many computers connected to the telephone network through fixed facilities (also remember the DAA - "Data Access Arrangement" which allowed privately owned modems to be connected to the telephone network) there was sometimes a need for portability. You could get a hand truck and move your terminal equipment from place to place. Maybe you had a Teletype machine or, if you were really modern you had a "glass Teletype" which was a CRT based terminal. But when you got where you were going you needed to make a connection to the service you used. If there were no DAA available ( it needed to be previously ordered from and installed by the telephone company) you were S.O.L. as it were. This is where the Acoustic Coupler entered the picture. The meat of the acoustic coupler was a pair of "cups" into which you placed the handset of a telephone. One cup had a speaker in it; the other cup had a microphone. The microphone and speaker were connected to the modem portion of the thing (which had an RS-232 connection for your terminal or computer). When a telephone handset was placed in the cups properly the coupler's microphone "heard" the signal coming from the handset's receiver and the coupler's speaker "talked" to the handset's transmitter. So the modem was coupled acoustically to the telephone line. This got around the issue of needing a DAA to make an electrical connection to the telephone network and nearly any telephone would work. So with the modem connected to the Teletype and the acoustic coupler "connected" to the telephone you established a connection and got your work done or browsed through the latest messages on your favotire BBS. Acoustic Couplers pretty much topped out at 300 bits per second. The first one I used was part of a Teletype network and was a 110bps device (that was slow!). Later I got one of those Texas Instruments thermal printer terminals with an acoustic coupler built in; it would go 300 bps and I could carry it with one hand! I thought nothing would be able to stop me then! ------------------------------ From: Justa Lurker Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Organization: AT&T Worldnet Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 13:32:14 GMT >>>> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My question would be, _who_ was the >>>> inventor of the MO(dulate)DEM(modulate) in that case? I'd suggest investigating the history of: "voice frequency telegraph" (a-k-a "voice frequency carrier telegraph") technology which is officially defined in various standard glosaries as 'A method of multiplexing one or more dc telegraph channels onto a nominal 4-kHz voice frequency channel.' Sounds like a modem to me :-) In fact, I would contend that the earliest practical 'modems' were to be found in the context of the "harmonic telegraph" ... see this brief interesting article [for example] http://www.telegraph-office.com/pages/harmonic.html dating back to early 1880s. The previous work of Elisha Gray and his 'electro-harmonic' (or 'electro acoustic multiplex telegraph') is referenced there. Also, it appears that Gray's competitor Alexander Graham Bell did some seminal work in this area too based upon http://repo-nt.tcc.virginia.edu/book/chap3/chapter3sec4.html ------------------------------ From: Spyros Bartsocas Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 14:59:01 +0200 Subject: Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto >> Can someone tell me how to dial 800 and 888 numbers in the US from >> Toronto? > I've never heard of these codes being used in actual practice, but the > following info might be worth a shot. > Bruce >> From nongeographic.html : > 880 Paid international calls to +1 800 ("replace" code) I can confirm that at least the 880 replace code works. Last month I dialed a US 800 number this way from Europe. After completing the number and waiting a few seconds a heard a US recording: "This toll-free number is not toll-free when dialed outside the United States. You will be charged direct dial charges" (or something similar). After two seconds the call was connected. Spyros ------------------------------ From: Mark Crispin Subject: Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 10:41:32 -0800 Organization: Networks & Distributed Computing On Tue, 10 Jan 2006, gladman911@gmail.com wrote: > Can someone tell me how to dial 800 and 888 numbers in the US from > Toronto? Use Skype. Skype's calls enter +1 land as USA domestic calls, and thus can access US-accessible toll-free numbers. What's more, Skype won't charge you for them. Skype can NOT, however, access Canada-only toll-free numbers. -- Mark -- http://staff.washington.edu/mrc Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate. Si vis pacem, para bellum. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Jan 2006 05:03:44 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto > Can someone tell me how to dial 800 and 888 numbers in the US from > Toronto? Basically, if they don't want calls from Canada, you're out of luck. When you sign up for an 800 number in the US, one of the options is calls from Canada. Some take it, some don't. I turned off Canada calls on my main 800 number because I was getting a lot of expensive wrong numbers due to my number having been handed out to half the insurance agents in Toronto as the claims department of a large insurer. R's, John ------------------------------ From: tls@panix.com (Thor Lancelot Simon) Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 05:44:49 UTC Organization: Public Access Networks Corp. Reply-To: tls@rek.tjls.com In article , wrote: > You mean the checks and balances that are protecting the non-citizens > who apparently have no rights? What a strange, if thoroughly modern, point of view. What, exactly, makes you think that non-citizens of a given polity are entitled to respect for any "rights" its own citizens enjoy when they choose, without the same obligations of those citizens, to reside within it? Careful if you decide to haul in some kind of hoary civics-book "natural rights" theory; earlier in your own message you made it _very_ clear that you believe that it's perfectly legitimate to extend some "rights" (you cited voting rights as an example) to some people but not to others. What will you do next, I wonder, tell us that God gives certain rights -- rights that it's obvious to _you_ that God gives in this way, and we ought to all trust you about it -- to all, and that none can legitimately take them away? A fine answer for the seventeenth century; a rather worse one, I fear, for the twenty-first. Thor Lancelot Simon tls@rek.tjls.com "We cannot usually in social life pursue a single value or a single moral aim, untroubled by the need to compromise with others." - H.L.A. Hart [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Leaving God out of the discussion, I would answer by saying human decency requires that certain liberties and rights be granted to everyone. We _are_ supposed to be a better place to live than Iraq, are we not? I thought it was very odd how after all the complaints many Americans -- or rather United States residents -- made about complaints in Iraq at that one infamous prison that as soon as _they_ (the USA people) took control over there, things stayed as they were or even got worse. And on this side of the water, in Guantanomo, Cuba the USA administration set up their prison here based on the same concepts as the infamous one in Iraq. I used to believe that America was a free country, but no longer. PAT] ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years and Today Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 19:43:56 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net On Fri, 13 Jan 2006 16:18:24 -0800, AES wrote: > The Vietnam War then resulted, not because the North Vietnam > government was threatened with invasion by the U.S., but because the > NV government was simply determined to obtain sovereignty and control > over South Vietnam, and to do so initiated an aggressive (and quite > vicious) war to do this -- right? Not really. There is a rather compact summary of how that got started in the Wikipedia article on the history of Vietnam. The origins were fairly complex, involving not just the two governments, but groups in the south that had not been suppressed and foreign involvement from the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V25 #20 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Jan 15 18:41:49 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 12ECE14F24; Sun, 15 Jan 2006 18:41:49 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #21 Message-Id: <20060115234149.12ECE14F24@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 18:41:49 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Sun, 15 Jan 2006 18:45:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 21 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson New Orleans Colleges in Dire Condition After Katrina (Justin Pope) Specter Skeptical of Domestic Spying Program (Associated Press News Wire) Polls Now Bolster Bush on Domestic Spying (Julie Mason) Court Rules Against Yahoo in Nazi Speech Case (Reuters News Wire) Enron's Lay Takes Case to the 'Internet Jury' (Anna Driver) Sovereignty in Cyberspace / Two Legal Scholars Puncture Myth (M Solomon) Iraqi Telecom Chief Seeks to Build From Scratch (Marcus Didius Falco) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Robert Bonomi) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Mark Crispin) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Michael Chance) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Justin Pope Subject: New Orleans Colleges in Dire Condition Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 15:20:07 -0600 New Orleans Colleges Face Huge Obstacles By JUSTIN POPE, AP Education Writer By tradition, every Friday the sisters of Delta Sigma Theta circle around a campus flagpole and join hands to pray and sing, celebrating their closest friendships at Dillard University. This semester, the ritual will have to take place outside the downtown Hilton Hotel, their beloved school's home through at least July, where the conference rooms are doubling as lecture halls. The Dillard campus suffered perhaps the worst damage of the half-dozen or so major New Orleans colleges hit by Hurricane Katrina, and it is the only one not reopening on its own grounds this month. But all the New Orleans colleges face the same challenge: preserving the spirit and essence of their institutions while their battered buildings and finances are rebuilt. The hurdles are enormous. The combined damage to the college campuses may approach $1 billion. They have laid off hundreds of faculty and cut dozens of programs and sports teams. At a recent faculty and staff meeting, Loyola University's president implored tenured faculty, who were not laid off, to consider retiring. The public Southern University of New Orleans has had three chancellors since June. Still, the return of students to New Orleans in recent days -- in greater numbers than expected at some schools -- seemed to inject everyone with a dose of optimism. Loyola and Dillard began classes last week; Xavier and Tulane universities start Tuesday. "Everything happens for a reason, and Katrina was a horrible thing, but I think the school is going to be better for it," said Ashley Bell, a Dillard junior. Her sorority sister, Joy Calloway, said the experience of temporarily attending other, more impersonal colleges made Dillard students appreciate their own. "The students who came back are the students who really love Dillard and want to be a part of it," Calloway said. The best-case scenario is that the New Orleans colleges will emerge stronger, with new buildings and sharper missions. They will cooperate more, and attract a crop of civic-minded students drawn to New Orleans to participate in the city's rebuilding. The rebuilding effort offers them a unique laboratory for courses ranging from sociology to architecture to engineering. Tulane is instituting a public service requirement, and Dillard, which already required students to perform 120 hours of community service, will now require each to complete some kind of Katrina-related academic project. Katrina "almost destroyed Tulane University," President Scott Cowen told freshmen and their parents at the university's convocation Thursday, but now, "We have the opportunity of a lifetime ahead of us, and you know, we are going to come out of this better than ever." About 88 percent of Tulane's 12,500 students before the storm returned. Xavier says about 3,100 reregistered -- roughly three-quarters the previous figure but higher than the school expected. Dillard, with 1,100 students back, is about half its former size. The University of New Orleans -- a public school attracting mostly local students -- is aiming for 12,500, compared to 17,000 before the storm. "For most colleges and universities, tuition is the largest share of revenue," said Terry Hartle, senior vice president of the American Council on Education. "If you're getting 80 percent of your revenue from tuition and you lose half your students, you're facing enormous difficulties." For now, housing is a challenge, even with fewer students. Tulane has rented a cruise ship, and several other housing facilities. Off-campus housing in the neighborhood around Dillard may be scarce for years, and if the college reopens next fall it will be down at least six dorms -- three that burned during the flood and three unusable because of water damage. At Xavier, President Norman Francis says hundreds more have registered than he has beds for, and he isn't sure where they'll live. Xavier's damage is estimated at $35 million (money from FEMA could eventually cut Xavier's bill to $12 million). Francis, president here for 38 years, announced even before he saw the damage that Xavier must and would return. "We have to," insisted Francis, "the kids are depending on us." The country's only historically black, Roman Catholic college, Xavier sends more black students to medical school than any other college, and alumni account for nearly one-quarter of all black pharmacists in the United States. "We have moved mountains to be where we are," Francis said. A recent campus tour revealed the scope and expense of reconstruction at Xavier. A quarter-million-dollar electron microscope lay ruined in a first-floor science room. Water damaged it severely, then attempts to move it to 'safety' did further damage. Gone are the theater seats and Internet connections of the main lecture hall of the pharmacy school, replaced for now by high-school style desks. But 95 percent of the students in the highly competitive pharmacy program will be back. Xavier is "not coming back just to recover," Francis said. "We're coming back to do better." Some fear such predictions are wishful thinking, given the scope of budget cuts. Xavier laid off more than one-third of its faculty, though it has rehired some. Even relatively wealthy Tulane, with an $800 million endowment, cut more than 200 faculty (most in the medical school) and hundreds of staff, from various departments including the medical school, the library, and various 'support' functions. Eliminating graduate programs will let faculty focus more on undergraduate teaching, Cowen said. And by eliminating adjunct faculty, colleges may indeed give students more exposure to full-time professors. Between the cuts and makeup courses, however, those full-timers may be too busy to pay students much personal attention. Weakened individually, the New Orleans colleges could find strength in each other. Many credit Tulane -- traditionally viewed as more concerned with national research prestige than community development -- with reaching out aggressively, offering classrooms and other facilities to help the other colleges. Tulane is now leasing some of its facilties to the other schools, essentially giving away space as needed to community organizations on an 'as needed' temporary basis. They also could benefit from the national attention on New Orleans, which may help explain why Tulane's applications are up 15 percent. And there are stronger ties to other universities; Brown and Princeton, for instance, provided extensive aid to Dillard, and are working on an exchange program. Inevitably, the New Orleans colleges will be different. But their supporters insist they can be strong again -- and that they are poised to take advantage of the unique opportunities created by the hurricane. "Today we think about the state-of-the-art climbing wall and about the facilities that are so much a part of a modern university," said Brown President Ruth Simmons, a Dillard alumna. "It's true that many of those things we take for granted, they will not have. But that is not to suggest that learning won't take place in a powerful way." Touring Dillard's campus for the first time since the storm Friday, junior Ciara Jeffrey shook her head at the state of the campus, even four months into the repairs. The elegant buildings still gleamed white, and all the pillars of the "Avenue of Oaks" remained. But the lawns were a muddy mess, and the buildings shells of what she remembered. In what she recalled as a vibrant student union, she stared through the gutted walls of what resembled a dark, unfinished basement. "There has been a major crisis," she said. But she insisted Dillard was still there, and recognizable. "It's still the spirit," she said. "It's still the campus." Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Associated Press please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Associated Press News Wire Subject: Specter Skeptical of Domestic Spy Program Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 15:21:42 -0600 The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee expressed skepticism Sunday over President Bush's domestic eavesdropping program, joining a chorus of Republicans and Democrats who are questioning its legal justification. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who will hold hearings next month on the decision to allow the National Security Agency program without court approval, said he has told Bush administration officials that he believes they are on shaky legal ground. Specter noted, "if 'enough people around here' push hard enough, it will be hard to keep President Bush out of the fire." Bush has pointed to a congressional resolution passed after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that authorized him to use force in the fight against terrorism as allowing him to order the program. The program authorized eavesdropping of international phone calls and e-mails of people deemed a terror risk. "I thought they were wrong," Specter said on ABC's "This Week." "There still may be different collateral powers under wartime situations. That is a knotty question." A number of members of Specter's committee, including GOP Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, have expressed doubt about the administration's legal basis. The hearings, planned for early February, will feature Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Specter, speaking in general terms, noted that impeachment and criminal prosecution are possibilities in the event a president acted unconstitutionally. But Specter added: "Although there have been talks about possible impeachment, I don't hear as much talk about it recently here. I don't think anyone doubts the president is making a good-faith effort. He's acting in a way that he feels he must, even though a few members of congress are looking rather askance at the whole thing. If anyone brings up the subject of impeachment again, people will listen, and some members are very divided on their opinions about it." Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A good impeachment! That would surely warm my heart, seeing Dubya getting hustled for dear life three or four months from now, but unlike Nixon, where even the Republican members of Congress were unable to save him, I suspect this time Bush would manage to pull through -- even if just barely. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Julie Mason Subject: Polls Now Bolster Bush on Domestic Spying Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 15:24:07 -0600 HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com Jan. 14, 2006, 9:16PM WHITE HOUSE WATCH Polls bolster Bush on domestic spying Position reversal on hearings could be linked to public ambivalence on wiretapping issue By JULIE MASON Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - In a noteworthy reversal, President Bush last week said he would welcome congressional hearings on whether he was legally in bounds to allow spying on Americans without obtaining search warrants first. At a forum in Kentucky, Bush was asked by a member of the audience about "that National Security Agency thing," a reference to the super-secret agency's domestic eavesdropping program, which has roiled Washington since it was disclosed last month. "There will be a lot of hearings and talk about that, but that's good for democracy," Bush said. "I invite patriotic Americans to discuss what I did and continue to do," he urged. As a rule, the White House does not invite congressional meddling on any subject. But Bush's about-face can be traced to at least two strategic considerations. First, polls have shown that the public doesn't care all that much about the program, which permits domestic wiretapping of phone calls and e-mail without first obtaining a court order. An ABC News/Washington Post poll found that about 50 percent consider wiretapping an acceptable way for the federal government to investigate terrorism, and 65 percent said it's more important to investigate threats than safeguard privacy. The same poll found that 32 percent believe personal privacy rights trump the need to investigate possible threats. Another key factor in Bush's thinking was the performance last week of prominent Democratic senators in Samuel Alito's Supreme Court nomination hearings. In the days leading up to the hearings, White House spokesman Scott McClellan repeatedly issued warnings that Bush was expecting dignified proceedings. But whatever the occasion, the Senate Judiciary Committee is a hotbed for partisan speechifying. Alito came under tough questioning by Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Sen. Charles Schumer of New York. The White House expressed outrage at what it considered a lack of dignity and propriety shown by Democrats. Cheney gives Fox his take on Alito hearings When the Alito hearings started looking dicey, the White House got Vice President Dick Cheney on the horn -- to Fox News. Cheney, who remains popular within the Republican Party, is often deployed to rally the grass-roots on behalf of the administration. Checking in with host Tony Snow by telephone, Cheney took issue with a line of questioning Kennedy put to Alito about whether the administration has the right to skirt a ban on torture when it comes to investigating terrorism, a position the vice president supports. "Sometimes I think people get caught up in trying to make a political argument so that they don't spend a lot of time on the facts with respect to any particular situation," he said. A few hours later, Cheney rang up commentator Sean Hannity, sounding even more upset about the hearings. "I think Judge Alito has acquitted himself very well, and I can't say the same for some of the senators," he said. No, he's not quitting, and he's not running Cheney was briefly hospitalized after experiencing shortness of breath, which was later attributed to a reaction to anti-inflammatory drugs he was taking for a foot condition. The recurring health woes of the 64-year-old renewed speculation that he could step down and allow Bush to appoint a replacement who could run for president in 2008. One problem: The White House has no heir apparent for Bush's right-hand man. Cheney, who has had four heart attacks, also sought to dispel any notions that he's flagging -- or that he's going to run himself in 2008. "I'm doing fine," Cheney told Snow. "I'm back at work." As to 2008, Cheney said, "No, when I finish this tour, that's going to be it." Short take "You took an oath to defend our flag and our freedom, and you kept that oath, underseas and under fire," Bush on Tuesday told the Veterans of Foreign Wars. julie.mason@chron.com Copyright 2006 HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com This article is: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/3586930.html ------------------------------ From: Eric Auchard Subject: Court Rules Against Yahoo in Nazi Speech Case Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:51:13 -0600 By Eric Auchard A U.S. appeals court declined to intervene on Thursday on behalf of Yahoo Inc. , the world's largest Internet media company, saying U.S. courts have no jurisdiction in a case pitting free speech against a French law barring the sale of Nazi memorabilia. In a case that pitted U.S. freedom of speech rights against European anti-hate group statutes, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling that had rejected French plaintiffs attempts to enforce French laws against U.S. companies in U.S. courts. In a mixed decision, an 11-judge panel said that because Yahoo had voluntarily complied "in large measure" with the French court's orders and barred the sale of Nazi memorabilia from its site in France, Yahoo's free speech petition has become a moot issue. "Unless and until Yahoo changes its policy again, and thereby more clearly violates the French court's orders, it is unclear how much is now actually in dispute," the court's majority said. A Yahoo attorney said the Sunnyvale, California-based company was aware of the decision and formulating a response. "The only precedent is that when foreign plaintiffs try to impose censorship on U.S.-based Web sites, U.S. courts have jurisdiction," said Mary Catherine Wirth, Yahoo's former senior international legal counsel, now director of data protection. The lower U.S. court previously had declared as unenforceable a French court action against Yahoo by two French anti-Nazi groups, La Ligue Contre Le Racisme et L'Antisemitisme (LICRA) and L'Union des Etuidiants Juifs de France (UEJF). A U.S. district court initially sided with Yahoo in arguing that the French court's decision to require Yahoo to restrict access to hate group Web pages on Yahoo's global auctions site violated U.S. free speech principles. When a three-judge panel of the higher-ranking 9th Circuit looked at the case in 2004, the decision was reversed. The legal fight kicked off when a French court ruled in 2000 that Yahoo must remove pages that contained links to Adolph Hitler's autobiography Mein Kampf, the fabricated anti-Jewish tract "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" and to Web sites that denied the existence of Hitler's Holocaust. The French court said Yahoo was liable to pay daily fines, which, if enforced over the five years since the ruling, would amount to $15 million for displaying hate-group memorabilia. In the latest ruling, the 9th Circuit said that because Yahoo had largely complied with the French court's order by limiting the sale of some hate-group memorabilia on its auction site, "It is extremely unlikely that any penalty, if assessed, could ever be enforced against Yahoo! in the United States. "Further, First Amendment harm may not exist at all," the court's majority opinion stated, referring to the basic U.S. law protecting free speech rights. A concurring opinion written by a minority of the appeals court noted that "criminal statutes of most nations do not comport with the U.S. Constitution. That does not give judges in this country the unfettered authority to pass critical judgment on their validity," even in cases deemed to involve "morally reprehensible speech of the worst order." Susan Crawford, a law professor who teaches a course on cyberlaw at Cardozo School of Law in New York, labeled the decision a "missed opportunity" to decide whether "it is appropriate for one country to assert extraterritorial jurisdiction over (Web) servers located in another country." "The facts in this case allowed the court to avoid the difficult diplomatic issues raised by the dispute," she said. (Additional reporting by Jim Christie in San Francisco) Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more headline news from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/TDNewsradio.html ------------------------------ From: Anna Driver Subject: Enron's Lay Takes Case to the 'Internet Jury' Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:52:54 -0600 By Anna Driver People sell everything from antique china to chihuahuas on the Internet, but former Enron Corp. chief executive Kenneth Lay's legal defense team wants Web surfers to buy his credibility. Like media-savvy Martha Stewart and HealthSouth Corp.'s Richard Scrushy before him, Lay has set up a Web site designed to bolster his image as his trial is set to begin in Houston on conspiracy and fraud charges. In a trial set to start on January 30, government lawyers are expected to paint Lay and former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling as liars and con-men who lied to cover up a massive fraud that led to the collapse of the power trading giant. But a check of his Web site, http://www.kenlayinfo.com, reveals an extensive list of community awards and service. For example, Lay was named "Father of the Year" by local community group and the then-mayor of Houston once declared a "Kenneth Lay Day." His association with local churches is mentioned as well as links to various political organizations, including a stint as Houston finance committee chairman for George Bush for President in 1988. "We're proud of him," Michael Ramsey, Lay's attorney told Reuters. "He's got a long record of civic responsibility and charitable work." Attorneys for Lay and Skilling have asked that the trial be moved to Phoenix or Denver because of strong bias against the defendants in the company's home town of Houston. About 80 percent of the potential jury members indicated in questionnaires they held negative views of the defendants. Many indicated an extremely strong bias against the two men. The bankruptcy filing of Enron in 2001 was the largest ever at the time, and came after it was revealed that the company's bookkeeping hid billions of dollars in debt, claiming that it was only 'on paper' and 'did not really mean anything'. The decision to put up a Web site in July 2004 was made by Lay's legal defense team as part of their strategy to "get everything in the public as soon as possible" in an effort to combat media spin, Ramsey said. Also posted on the site are court filings made by Lay's lawyers, footage from press conferences and the text of speeches that Lay has made since his arrest. But unlike similar sites, it has no link to an e-mail address for Lay. Using the Internet as part of an accused corporate criminal's public relations strategy is relatively new. Ramsey has been practicing law for 40 years and said this was the first time he had used a Web site for a client. "It appears that the rules of defending high-profile business persons accused in white-collar crimes are being rewritten," Ross Albert, a partner at Morris, Manning & Martin in Atlanta, who worked as an attorney at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, said. "Under the old rules, you didn't say anything publicly." He added that putting up a Web site is also a cost-effective means of communicating with the public. "Web sites cost almost next to nothing when you are talking about a $20 million defense effort," Albert said. Martha Stewart, the former chief executive of media company Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. who served five months in federal prison for lying about a suspicious stock sale, used now-defunct Web site marthatalks.com during her trial to post letters, and receive e-mail feedback from supporters or detractors. While in jail, Stewart sent dispatches from Alderson Federal Prison camp that were posted on her site. The site received millions of hits, and is credited with helping soften her image. Former HealthSouth chief executive Richard Scrushy also took his case to the public on the Internet on his still functioning site called "Setting the record straight" at http://www.richardmscrushy.com. A jury in Birmingham, Ala. acquitted Scrushy in June 2005 of all criminal charges in connection with a $2.7 billion accounting fraud he was accused of directing at the company that runs rehabilitation hospitals and surgical centers. But some legal experts question the effectiveness of Web sites in a white-collar defense and said Scrushy's victory had little to do with his publicity campaign on the Web. "It's a scatter-shot strategy," said Pamela Bucy, a law professor at the University of Alabama, who specializes in white-collar crime. "You don't know if you are reaching potential jurors or even generically altering public opinion." Bucy said that Scrushy's acquittal had nothing to do with his high profile outside the courthouse but with the way the case was tried. "The government has a very high burden of proof," Bucy said. "If it meets that burden, none of this stuff will matter." Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 14:20:30 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Sovereignty in Cyberspace / Two Legal scholars Puncture Myth CRITICAL FACULTIES Sovereignty in cyberspace Two legal scholars puncture the myth of the borderless, lawless Internet By Christopher Shea LESS THAN a decade ago, in his famous "Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace," the Internet theorist John Perry Barlow wrote, "Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel ... You have no sovereignty where we gather." How quickly things change. In a 2000 case, a French court ruled that Yahoo, an American company, had to follow French law and make sure that no Nazi memorabilia could be purchased online in France via Yahoo auction sites. Yahoo first decried the effort as censorship, then claimed it was impossible to identify French Web surfers. Now, just as French judges demanded, Yahoo uses geographic-filtering software to make sure websites viewable in France comply with French standards. (It uses that same software to give French viewers French-language ads.) China, another flesh-and-steel giant, has also proved itself surprisingly agile. Chinese officials use Cisco hardware to keep any website with an 'offensive' message from getting through its borders and Microsoft products to screen words like 'democracy' and 'multiparty elections' from blogs. Last fall, Chinese officials demanded that Yahoo trace the identity of a journalist who had leaked information about a Communist Party meeting to an American website. Yahoo complied, and the man is now serving a 10-year sentence. In other words, forget all that talk about a borderless utopia and about blogs dissolving dictatorships-or at least tamp it down. When it comes to the Internet, "The story of the next 10 years will be one of rising government power," says Tim Wu, a former marketing executive for a Silicon Valley company who now teaches law at Columbia. While some countries are committed to a fundamentally 'closed' Internet, others want it open. Since technology permits both approaches, Wu adds, "I wouldn't be surprised if we saw an Internet version of the Cold War." Wu is coauthor, with Harvard law professor Jack L. Goldsmith, of the iconoclastic forthcoming book, 'Who Controls the Internet?' (an excerpt of which appears this month in Legal Affairs magazine). The book, to be published in March, could be called an example of 'cyberrealism' in two ways. It grafts the hard-nosed 'realist' school of foreign policy-states and state interests are what matters-onto an analysis of what's going on with the Web today. It also tries to deflate hype by arguing that most of the supposedly unprecedented issues raised by the Internet can be handled by existing concepts in international law. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2006/01/15/sovereignty_in_cyberspace/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 01:25:45 -0500 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: Iraqi Telecom Chief Seeks to Build From Scratch http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/13/AR2006011301= 747.html Iraqi Telecom Chief Seeks to Build From Scratch Cell Phone Network Is Top Priority By Arshad Mohammed Washington Post Staff Writer U.S. telecom regulation is not so different from Iraq's except for one fundamental thing. "As I was telling the FCC, if you refuse somebody a license, at least they don't come and shoot at you," Siyamend Z. Othman, Iraq's top telecommunications regulator, said in an interview in Washington this week. "It comes with the job." The European-educated Iraqi brings a wry sense of humor to the task of building a phone system after years of insurgency, conflict and neglect. The Iraqi telecom system was one of the most rudimentary in the Middle East under Saddam Hussein, with roughly 1 million land lines for a population of about 26 million and no mobile-phone networks. Today, the Iraqis are trying to leapfrog generations of technology by going straight to an advanced wireless phone system under what might seem the harshest possible conditions. Already, by Othman's estimate, there are between 4 million and 4.5 million mobile-phone subscribers, up from zero when the U.S.-led invasion began nearly three years ago. According to U.S. estimates, the number of land lines, which fell by several hundred thousand because of U.S. bombing, now slightly exceeds the prewar level. Setting up cell towers is cheaper and easier than rolling phone lines to every home in Iraq, which has three main mobile providers -- all regional, rather than Western, companies -- working overtime. One saving grace that the new telecom infrastructure has largely been spared insurgent attacks for a simple reason: The terrorists want phone service, too. "Everybody needs a mobile phone, whether you are a terrorist, whether you are a government official, or whether you are a member of the public," Othman said in an interview at the Watergate Hotel. "In fact, we know of a number of anecdotes where mobile operators were threatened by terrorists for not extending their network to their [the terrorists'] villages." Othman was in Washington this week for talks with officials from the Federal Communications Commission and the State and Commerce departments. He also met with U.S. executives -- chiefly makers of communications equipment, such as Motorola Corp. -- eager to do business in what Othman called "one of the most lucrative markets" in the Middle East. Unlike many foreign visitors, the chief executive of the Iraq National Communications and Media Commission is not looking for money. His agency expects to raise millions for the Iraqi treasury when it awards three long-term mobile-phone licenses later this year, making money the least of his worries. Othman said that what he needs most are trained professionals as the government works to provide service to a population starved of communications under Hussein. In a line that drew laughter from American executives this week, he ruefully said that "if you search the length and breadth of Iraq, you can't find one telecom lawyer." Recruiting workers was even harder when his agency was inside the Green Zone, which houses top government officials and the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Othman said, saying half his staff quit after a suicide bombing outside the compound. Since moving out of the Green Zone last year, his new building has been shot at twice and his chief of security has been kidnapped. The violence aside, Iraq's telecom industry bears striking similarities to the U.S. model, with fierce lobbying, government turf battles and entrenched players who resist competition in a business that can bring huge profits. Othman said that one of his biggest challenges is maintaining the independence of his agency against political interference, particularly when it comes time to award the mobile-phone licenses this year. "It's a big issue, and there is going to be interference -- I am under no illusions -- from the political establishment," he said. Asked if the politicians had ties to companies bidding for the licenses, he replied: "It's not for me to say. But why else would they interfere? You make your own deduction." Othman said the interim Iraqi government that took over after the June 2004 handover of sovereignty adopted a "belligerent" stance toward his agency, refusing to hand over vital radio-spectrum data. Provincial governments also have resisted central control. In one case, a small mobile-phone operator refused to acknowledge his agency's authority and, with local officials' support, now operates as a monopoly in parts of Northern Iraq, he said. Othman said his approach has been to pursue gentle suasion, rather than outright confrontation, with telecom companies -- something he described as a necessity given the lack of state control in Iraq. "In Iraq, we have serious enforcement problems. The state is weak," he said. In one case -- reminiscent of the U.S. telephone industry in the early 20th century -- Iraqi mobile networks refused to connect to each other. As a result, people could call each other only if they had service from the same company. Othman brought the companies in and persuaded them to connect, at least in theory, though calls do not always go through in practice. "Let's say we made them an offer they couldn't refuse," he said, without elaborating. Copyright 2006 The Washington Post Company *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Washington Post Company. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below: falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ------------------------------ From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomni.com (Robert Bonomi) Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 23:24:11 -0000 Organization: Widgets, Inc. In article , Al Gillis wrote: [[.. munch ..]] > Acoustic Couplers pretty much topped out at 300 bits per second. The Don't tell Racal-Vadic about that! They had a 1200-bps ACOUSTIC-COUPLED modem on the market in the 70's. Anderson-Jacobsen even licensed it, and made similiar units under their own label. No, it was *not* "bell-212" compatible. It used the propietary Vadic 3400 tones/encoding scheme. Worked *way* better than Bell 212, which suffered from the fact that the Tx and Rx frequencies were exactly one octave apart. $DIETY only knows what Bell labs was thinking when they did _that_. ------------------------------ From: Mark Crispin Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 17:01:02 -0800 Organization: University of Washington On Fri, 13 Jan 2006, steve_schefter@hotmail.com wrote: > The Charter of rights of Freedoms applies to both citizens and > foreign nationals alike. It just contains the certain rights (like > the right to vote) which are limited to citizens. Except that the "everyone" clauses of the Canadian Charter do not mean the same thing for non-Canadians. If an American attempts to exercise certain of those "everyone" rights in Canada to the extent that a Canadian citizen may, the RCMP will promptly kick his ass south of the 49th parallel. What's more, certain clauses of the Charter have exceptions that are NOT in the Charter. For example, an Act of Parliament states that the provisions against warrantless searches and compulsion to testify against oneself do NOT apply to a substantial number of law-abiding Canadians. It went to the Supreme Court, which found that it violated the Constitution and the Charter, but they decided not to overturn it because Parliament wanted it. > The US government lawyers on the other hand have stated that _the > whole_ of the US Constitution (including the right to a lawyer if > arrested) doesn't apply to foreign nationals. And they didn't seem > to be offering up what, in its place, _does_ give them any rights. All governments, throughout the world, claim that power. >> The Charter also uses "reasonable" as a discriminate quite a bit >> more than than the US Constitution; and guess who definites >> "reasonable". The Supreme Court. Personally, I have no problem >> with that. The Canadian Supreme Court lacks both power and much independence from Parliament. Remember, Canada's Constitution gives the federal (or any provincial government) the power to overrule a decision by the Supreme Court that declares a law unconstitutional. >> The US is generally quite a bit more liberal about giving out >> privileges to foreigners than most other countries, including Canada >> (although Canada is relatively liberal). > I don't call the withholding of the right of access to a lawyer (for > one thing) particularly "liberal". Prisoners of war are not entitled to lawyers. If they were military combatants, then the Geneva Convention would apply. However, Geneva only provides protection to uniformed combatants; even if Geneva did apply, they still could be held until the cessation of hostilities without access to lawyers. The terrorists in question are lucky they weren't shot immediately upon capture. That *is* the normal fate throughout history of captured non-uniformed combatants; a category which includes partisans, spies, saboteurs, and terrorists. >> The Canadian Supreme Court has ruled that because the notwithstanding >> clause exists, an Act of Parliament can not be seen as violating the >> Charter. > Only if they invoke the notwithstanding clause (with the issues > related to that which I mentioned on my last post). Not always. > Day-to-day Acts of Parliament can (and do) get overturned by the > Supreme Court on account of the fact that they violate the Charter. That's only if Parliament says that they aren't Really Important Laws; since otherwise the Supreme Court won't overturn it even if it does violate the Charter (and yes, without using the "notwithstanding" clauses). What's more, even if the Supreme Court overturns it, the federal and provincial governments can overturn the overturning. >> Parliamentary systems are pure democracies; they have nothing like the >> US checks and balances. > You mean the checks and balances that are protecting the non-citizens > who apparently have no rights? The checks and balances in the US do a better job of protecting the rights of non-citizens in the US than Canada's Charter does of protecting the rights of Canadian citizens. The Canadian Charter talks about "[everyone has | citizen have] the right to such-and-such" ... all granted by government and thus subject to government's "reasonable" control. The US Constitution talks about "Congress shall make no law", "the right of such-and-such shall not be infringed", "no such-and-such shall be done"...all prohibiting acts of government ("reasonable" or otherwise). That's a big difference. > I'm a regular listener to CBC Radio One, for example. It would be helpful for you to use more diverse sources of information. CBC is not an unbiased (or particularly independent) source. I've caught them presenting unfounded speculation, or even outright falsehood, as proven fact. They're not particularly good on broadcasting corrections or retractions either; they just stop talking about the matter when they are proven wrong. That isn't to say that the US media is much better. Hence the requirement for *diverse* sources of information. > But one doesn't need to be a legal expert to believe that the > withholding of basic rights from non-citizens is wrong. That depends upon the definition of "basic rights". -- Mark -- http://panda.com/mrc Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote. ------------------------------ From: Michael Chance Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 01:48:06 GMT In article , davidesan@gmail.com says: > There was a court set up to issue warrants. That court was bypassed. > To me that is not a balance of power issue, but a legal issue. The > constitution guarantees certain rights. By not going to the court to > get the search warrant then the Executive Branch bypassed the > Constitution that they have sworn to uphold. The FISA courts were set up during the Cold War era, when there was no immediate threat of attack upon the U.S., and there was the general opinion that any such attacks would be preceded by sufficient warning signs that the need for an "instant warrant" to record a conversation, which would be used in a court case of some sort, was not deemed necessary. The U.S. is now in a state of war, albeit against an extra-national para-military organization instead of a recognized, geographically based government. Let me pose the problem: We have a recognized leader of such an extra- national group, which has publically declared "war" against the U. S. using (among other methods) terror attacks against civilian targets -- let's call him Jafar al-Vizier -- who is currently residing in a foreign country, say, the Sultanate of Agrabah. The NSA is monitoring, legally, all of his conversations -- landline, wireless, satellite, Internet, etc. One day, al-Vizier makes a phone call from Agrabah to a previously unknown associate -- let's call him Iago Parrot -- who is located in the U. S. Under your "no wiretaps without a court order" view of the world, the NSA would have to immediately stop monitoring the call, and initiate proceedings for a FISA warrant, which will take days to obtain, if not weeks. Now the call from al-Vizier to Parrot may have been perfectly innocent ("hi, how's the kids, etc.") -- or it could have been a triggering call to a "sleeper" cell to initiate an attack plan on a U. S. target, potentially killing or injuring hundreds or thousands. In either situation, since the conversation may have lasted only a few minutes, and it's likely that al-Vizier may never call Parrot again, the opportunity to determine the nature of the call is lost, and the need for a wiretap warrant is moot. However, since this is a MILITARY situation, not a civil one, this isn't a 4th Amendment "unreasonable search and seizure" sitation, but an Article II, section 2 situation, with the President acting as commander in chief of the military, authorizing a military operation to prevent an attack on the country. In that capacity, the NSA *can* continue to monitor al-Vizier's call to Parrot, and, if it's determined to be of no military value, discard the recordings, or, if it IS of military value, pass the information to the appropriate military commanders and/or domestic defense organizations (FBI, local law enforcement, etc.) to take the appropriate defensive actions. There is no intent to use the information gathered for legal proceedings, only to guide military operations. While I've posed what seems like a hypothetical, it's not. It's actually happened at least twice. Once since 9/11 (the Brooklyn Bridge bomb plot), and once during WW II (foiling a German commando raid on the East coast). In either case, I doubt that the vast majority of Americans would consider the monitoring of the conversations of persons intent on attacking the U. S., whether they happen to be inside or outside of the country, to be "unreasonable". And there is historical precedence for the U. S. engaging in military action against an extra-national para-military organization: The Barbary "pirates", during the years 1801-1815. As a side note, it is the 1796 treaty with these "pirates" that supposedly contains the phrase "the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion", which is often used to justify all manner of elimination of religion from the public sphere. In fact, that phrase does not appear in the original Arabic version of the treaty, but was inserted in a translation by Joel Barlow, the U. S. Consul General at Algiers. A discussion of the problems with the Barlow transalation is available from the Avalon Project of the Yale Law School, at http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/barbary/bar1796n.htm Michael Chance ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #21 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Jan 16 00:46:36 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 1CFF314ED4; Mon, 16 Jan 2006 00:46:36 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #22 Message-Id: <20060116054636.1CFF314ED4@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 00:46:36 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Mon, 16 Jan 2006 00:50:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 22 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Digest May Become Multilinqual (TELECOM Digest Editor) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Fred Goldstein) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (John Levine) Re: History of Hayes Modem (hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com) Re: Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years (Lisa Hancock) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Digest May Become Multilinqual Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 00:16:44 EST From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) I have always been inspired by my competitor _Readers Digest_ which claims to publish in 100 different languages each month, and the _Christian Science Monitor_ which publishes in almost as many. I know in the case of Readers Digest at least, they occupy one large printing machine at Lakeside Press (R.R. Donnelly and Sons) in Chicago some _28_ days per month, 22-plus hours per day putting their magazine together. Millions of issues, in god-knows how many languages; get one issue finished and start on the next one. I have been there and seen the apparatus they print with, it is quite huge. And the Monitor, for several years now, satellite-transmitted to various printing shops around the world, went for several years with Bruce Sagan in Chicago, publisher of several small publications including _Hyde Park Herald_, the _Southtown Economist_ and a few other small, daily/weekly newspapers in that town. And, he printed the Monitor each day also, but I understand the Chicago Tribune at their 'Freedom Center' on the north side gave the Monitor better terms and could handle more press runs than Bruce Sagan was giving them, so they switched over to Freedom Center; and they (Tribune/Freedom Center) also grabbed the contract for USA Today, so the excess machinery at Freedom Center now does (in addition to Chicago Tribune) the USA Today paper and the Christian Science Monitor. With that thought in mind, that those guys print in various languages each day, I decided so should TELECOM Digest. I experimented a few years ago (late 1990's) with the Internet Pioneers web site (now it is at http://history-internet.org ) with multiple languages using the BabelFish translation system but I was not all that impressed with it. Some of you who tested the foreign language translations of those pages using BabelFish said the words generally translated okay, but the _context_ of the words/phrases sometimes left something to be desired. Plus, when using BabelFish I had to put the code on each page and users had to specifically request translation on each page, then it was translation on the fly, not always the best, and it made me look a bit like an idiot also. But now I think I have a better translation system. It _is_ a machine translation, but it tends to look over an entire page and try to make some sense out of it. It is a system called PROMT, version 7.0. It comes from a company in St. Petersburg, Russia, and although I still do not speak any languages except English and Pig-Latin, what I can make of it is it seems to do a good job. At least if taking away a URL web site page, looking it over for a couple minutes then returning it in the desired language is any indication. The PROMT company is quite interested in teaching people how to read Russian, so Russian is the default language given when you make a selection from the drop down FORM on the top page at http://telecom-digest.org. But you are free to choose Russian, French, Portugese, Spanish or German as the language of choice when you make the selection. When you make your alternate language choice, PROMT 'takes the page away', spends anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute or so (depending on the size of the URL) looking it over then returns it back to you supposedly properly translated. It has a hard time (but can sometimes handle) .jpg files. It cannot handle javascript, _but_ whatever language you choose, that language remains in effect on all new pages within the root URL from that point on. For example, I brought up http://telecom-digest.org and converted it to the various languages, one at a time, sucessfully. Then using the links on that (translated) page, I moved around to various pages of my own -- and as long as I linked elsewhere from a (translated) page, PROMT kept on translating each of those new pages as well. It was a bit slow; each page had to be taken away, examined, and returned a few seconds later translated into my language of choice, without me having to ask it each time to translate something else. To get it to go back to your native tongue, just close the browser and start over. I would appreciate all of you (who can speak other languages) to please look over the PROMT template at our home page and test it out by moving around to various other pages on our root URL which is http://telecom-digest.org and let me know your findings. I would like to be able to accomodate readers who speak other than English, or who are more comfortable speaking other languages. Oh ... 'words' we use in English which have no translation (or an otherwise out of context translation such as 'Re:') are ignored, and offset in red. And pages which are 'too long' (for example, some of the newspapers I put in 'td-extra') it just gives up on, and reports that they 'timed out before getting translated'. But some of the pages which seem quite large do make it okay. Play around with it and let me know. Look in the right hand (sponsors) column at the top on the digest web site to find the PROMT box for language translation. PAT ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 19:56:44 -0500 From: Fred Goldstein Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps On Sun, 15 Jan 2006 01:48:06 GMT, Michael Chance wrote, > Let me pose the problem: We have a recognized leader of such an extra- > national group, which has publically declared "war" against the U. S. > using (among other methods) terror attacks against civilian targets -- > let's call him Jafar al-Vizier -- who is currently residing in a foreign > country, say, the Sultanate of Agrabah. The NSA is monitoring, legally, > all of his conversations -- landline, wireless, satellite, Internet, etc. > One day, al-Vizier makes a phone call from Agrabah to a previously > unknown associate -- let's call him Iago Parrot -- who is located in the > U. S. Under your "no wiretaps without a court order" view of the world, > the NSA would have to immediately stop monitoring the call, and initiate > proceedings for a FISA warrant, which will take days to obtain, if not > weeks. I don't know whose "no wiretaps without a court order" you're talking about, but it's not the FISA law. First off, the NSA is not violating US law when it monitors foreign conversations. Second, when there is a need for FISA warrants, they are obtained *after* the fact. FISA allows the warrant to be obtained up to 72 hours after wiretapping begins. The FISA court is not exactly tough on requests, either. It has rejected *six* out of about 16,000 requests in 26 years of existence. Less than one in two thousand. And it's after the fact, so there is no imminent-risk issue. Now let's say that the rubber-stamp FISA court said "no". In that case the wiretap would have to end. But they certainly give a lot of leeway. If Bush, Cheney, Libby and Rove were so wary of going to *that* court, just *what* were they doing? It sounds awfully Nixonian to me. Without supervision, they could be wiretapping political opponents. That's the obvious answer. > However, since this is a MILITARY situation, not a civil one, this > isn't a 4th Amendment "unreasonable search and seizure" sitation, but > an Article II, section 2 situation, with the President acting as > commander in chief of the military, authorizing a military operation > to prevent an attack on the country. Uh, no. The point of Article II section 2 is to put the military under civilian control, not to impose martial law on the country and suspend the rest of the constition whenever the president feels like it. > And there is historical precedence for the U. S. engaging in military > action against an extra-national para-military organization: The > Barbary "pirates", during the years 1801-1815. Nobody said that there was no legal basis for acting against para-military organizations. Again, you are doing the Fox routine again, bringing up straw horses in order to knock them down. WAR ON CHRISTMAS! > As a side note, it is the 1796 treaty with these "pirates" that > supposedly contains the phrase "the government of the United States of > America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion", which > is often used to justify all manner of elimination of religion from > the public sphere. In fact, that phrase does not appear in the > original Arabic version of the treaty, but was inserted in a > translation by Joel Barlow, the U. S. Consul General at Algiers. Actually, I thought it was the First Amendment that was meant to keep the country from becoming an ecclesiocracy. Silly me. But I guess the O'Reilly Factor, or whatever, can come up with these comforting factoids to distract the faithful when reality goes so clearly against them. Fred Goldstein k1io fgoldstein "at" ionary.com ionary Consulting http://www.ionary.com/ ------------------------------ Date: 16 Jan 2006 01:12:20 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps > The FISA courts were set up during the Cold War era, when there was no > immediate threat of attack upon the U.S., and there was the general > opinion that any such attacks would be preceded by sufficient warning > signs that the need for an "instant warrant" to record a conversation, > which would be used in a court case of some sort, was not deemed > necessary. It is true that FISA was passed in 1978, but other than that, this is nonsense. 50 USC 1805(f) specifically provides for "instant warrants" where the Attorney General can authorize surveillance immediately and then has three days to go and apply for a retroactive warrant from the FISA court. Since the FISA court grants upwards of 99% of all warrants requested, this is hardly an unduly onerous requirement. > The U.S. is now in a state of war, albeit against an extra-national > para-military organization instead of a recognized, geographically > based government. This claim is often made by the Bush administration and its apologists, but it is equally nonsense. The Constitution reserves to Congress the right to declare war, which they have not done. They passed the AUMF which is not a declaration of war. Had they wanted to declare war, the Congress could have done so and could do so at any time, but they haven't. > As a side note, it is the 1796 treaty with these "pirates" that > supposedly contains the phrase "the government of the United States > of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion", > which is often used to justify all manner of elimination of religion > from the public sphere. Wow. Your tin-foil hat definitely needs adjusting. R's, John ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: 15 Jan 2006 18:00:16 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com AES wrote: > No "invention" needed; just implementation by someone clever enough to > recognize these facts (and the potential need and > utility); competent enough (and motivated enough) to do the job; and > access to the minimal resources required to do the implementation. Most inventions are not something brand new, but rather a new or improved use or mfr of existing materials or products. The telegraph used electricity which was known and distant communication which was known. Who invented smoke or flag signals? I don't know the cut off, but at some point an improvement to an existing product ("an implementation") becomes a new patentable invention. For example, the early IBM punched card contained 45 columns of round holes. They improved the design to be 80 columns of rectangular holes on the same size card, this got them a patent. The transmission of telegraph signals over phone lines wasn't new, but they were sent over a special reserved segment of the lines. The use of the voice line to send signals, without any special modification of the line, allowed for much higher speed. To me, the development of the "modem" and transmission code and protocol was a significant improvement and did constitute an invention. IBM announced this as a product in 1954. I don't know what AT&T had, if anything, at that time. Note that in 1954 the primary use of such data transmission was not for computers (too few of them at that point), but rather card tabulating machines. Regarding acoustic couplers on modems, they existed prior to connect other devices to the telephone network. Of course, one could lease Bell provided Dataphones for your own terminals, or a Bell provided terminal. Teletype began to make CRTs in its last years. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Surveillance and National Security During Nixon Years and Today Date: 15 Jan 2006 19:29:38 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com JMcH wrote: > You don't understand to this day the economic and social harm > inflicted by Nixon's continuation of a war he went into office > pledged to end. Aside from hindsight being 20/20, the incremental impact of the war to U.S., lasting a year or so longer than perhaps it should have, was not that great. The US was winding down its efforts in the last few years. It would've been bad policy to just walk away and capitulate; the North Vietnamese took advtg of the opposition to the war to hold out. In any event, your statement implies "the end justifies the means". That is dangerous, because a great many anti-social activities could be justified on those terms. The actions of southern segregationists in the past and anti-abortion clinic blockaders of today, to give some examples. > I know personally from those days radicals were coming to college > campuses and spewing propaganda to recruit people to disrupt > everyday life and succeeding in some ways. This is not, contrary to > belief of some, legitimate political discourse. These were criminal > acts and a violation of the rights of other people. I suppose there was some of that, but the majority of what went on at least started as civil disobedience modeled after that evil radical Gandhi. "Civil disobediance" is criminal activity. It is a violation of the rights of others. It is NOT protected free speech. Nixon was under considerable pressure by people in the country to stop violations of their rights -- people wanted to go about their daily business without suffering disruptions by illegal protest sit-ins in the streets or at colleges. The end intent of those "protests" was indeed disruption of commerce and education. Nixon had a duty to put a stop to it. As to Gandhi, I'm not sure exactly what he accomplished, but there was terrible bloodshed when India and Pakistan gained independence. Doesn't sound like much of a record of success. > Governmental over-reaction tended to escalate that into riots > at times, culminating in the Kent State massacre. We know now that protesters were deliberately and specially trained to provacate in such a way to draw a reaction. The protest leaders were a safe distance away while their pawns did their dirty work. Take a look at "The Ungovernable City/Lindsay" which talks about the intentional abuses against the police by the rioters at Columbia University. That, and against whom he used those powers. Remember some of the legitimate critics who were under surveillance, and that the Watergate burglary and cover-up were targeted at the loyal opposition. Those who released secret documents were not "loyal". In the case of Vietnam, it gave aid to the enemy since they therefore knew the US had no resolve to keep the war going; they had no motivation to make peace. This was not about peaceful innocent protesters, but, as mentioned above, those out to disrupt the country. I won't contest that J. Edgar was out of control, but he served at the pleasure of the president. Of course, he probably had the goods on Nixon as well as everyone else who could touch him. Hoover was a powerful spin doctor in his day and he created a powerful myth about him. Nixon tried very hard to squeeze him out, but Hoover would not retire. If Nixon fired him, there'd be a huge outcry. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications topics. 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End of TELECOM Digest V25 #22 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Jan 16 17:28:37 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 82AF214EE0; Mon, 16 Jan 2006 17:28:36 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #23 Message-Id: <20060116222836.82AF214EE0@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 17:28:36 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.1 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR,NIGERIAN_BODY1 autolearn=unavailable version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Mon, 16 Jan 2006 17:30:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 23 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Remembering Martin Luther King (TELECOM Digest Editor) World's Leading Internet Standards Body Celebrates 20th (Peter Godwin) Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage (Call From Cell Phones) (pattyjamas) Cellular-News for Monday 16th January 2006 (Cellular-News) TelecomDirect News Daily Update (telecomdirect_daily) Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old (tanstafl) Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia (DLR) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (steve_schefter@hotmail.com) Re: Modems -- Hayes -- Instant Communications (wesrock) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Remembering Martin Luther King Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 15:17:49 EST From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) For an Ancient Old, Brain-Diseased man, in my younger pre-BA days (it is even getting hard now for me to remember, but there _was_ a time I was a whole, healthy person, prior to November 25, 1999 which is known by me as Black Thursday, the evening of my (B)rain (A)neurysm and the end of my life as I remember it). In those days, at least until the middle-late 1980's I was, while not 'well-to-do' wealthy, I was at least 'comfortable', associated with the 'proper' kind of people, did the 'proper' kind of activities, was well-known, at least by my group of people, and over the course of a half-century had the distinct honor of meeting at least two relatively famous persons in real life. One of these famous persons was Ms. Ayn Rand, an author whom I met in high school, and had the opportunity to have dinner with in a small intimate group (three of us). The other 'famous person' in my life was Dr. Martin Luther King, and by extension, his wife Coretta Scott King. Again, it was a small dinner party, in this instance there were eight of us, as I recall, present. We can discuss Ms. Rand another time, but today is the commemoration of Dr. King, so I will mention that for now. In 1963-67, Dr. King frequently came around Chicago. I recall his visits _always_ included meetings with Civil Rights activists in the town and he would always speak to civic and religious groups. One weekend marked the fortieth anniversary of the employment of the first black person the Chicago Public Library. Although *her* name escapes me at the moment, it was on that date in the 1920's she had been hired by the Library as the first black (anything) at CPL, in the children's book department as a librarian. Prior to that, they only had white people employed there (librarians, clerks, custodians, etc). On that Saturday afternoon, Dr. and Mrs. King had an appearance at CPL to read at one of the children's story hour programs the Library always had in those days. Prior to that lady, the Library just did not have any black people employed by them in any capacity. Sadly, in those days, it was something that just 'was not done'. Some of you older people will probably know what I am referring to. In those days the Library occupied the block on Michigan Avenue between Washington and Randolph Streets. Actually, I got to meet Dr. King three times that weekend although to have personal, private conversation only once. Then on Sunday morning, he had been invited by the Trustees of the Chicago Temple to preach at their Sunday morning service. I saw him there also, but only in passing. Later that same day, my roomate (I lived in Hyde Park at the time) told me the exciting news that Dr. King was going to be preaching at Chicago Sunday Evening Club that evening, and he asked me why didn't I go along with him? My roomate, Roy Anderson was organist for the Sunday Evening Club in their weekly religious meetings at Orchestra Hall. I do recall that while normally the Hall had several hundred people most weeks for the Sunday Evening Club program, this week the place was absolutely packed with over 2500 people in the audience. Another person present in the audience that Sunday evening was a teen- age girl named Hillary Rodham, from Park Ridge, Illinois. That evening she was there with the youth group from her church; she was no one special then; nor would she be until later she married Bill Clinton. Dr. King gave one of his usually eloquent sermons, but the real treat was yet to come. After the service, Roy came to me and mentioned that _he_ had been invited by Dr. Hansen (President of CSEC and chairman of its Board of Trustees) to go to dinner. It was the custom at CSEC for one or more of the Trustees to take the speaker of the evening out for dinner afterward and since Joe (Dr. Hansen) had invited him and told him to bring along _one_ guest, he was inviting me. We all retired over to Miller's Pub, a rather famous eatery a block away from Orchestra Hall, on Adams Street near Michigan Avenue. The group of eight of us included Dr. King and his wife Coretta Scott King, Dr. Hansen and his wife, one of the other trustees; also Francis Gregory (office/business administrator for the CSEC), Roy Anderson and myself. Actually, Roy and I (the commoners in the group) had our 'inside connection' through Fran Gregory who had his 'inside connection' through his employment in the CSEC office. Roy, Fran and myself were all of the same pursuasion if you follow my drift. Following a delicious dinner and enough drinks (before, during and after the meal) to make me a little bit woozy, Dr. King gave us all another impromptu sermon there on the spot at Millers. Although as a Young Man, assured of myself and already writing my occassional Editor's Notes, it seemed most appropriate this time to simply stifle myself and listen. Finally, well after midnight, it was time to depart. Joe (Dr. Hansen) suggested that Roy and I go outside and fetch a cab to take Dr. and Mrs. King back to their hotel (he usually stayed at the Palmer House when visiting Chicago); the others split for their own cars, Roy and I came back with a Yellow Cab for the Kings, rode with them to the Palmer House, then we retained the cab to take us back to our own apartment in Hyde Park. I do not think I will ever forget what a grand evening (entire weekend, actually) that was. It apparently was not a bad weekend for King either. He always got _good money_ for speaking to white liberals; Sunday Evening Club paid him a five hundred dollar honorarium, and Chicago Temple paid him the same amount (1960's money, of course), and we were not the only ones: the evening's program had an announcement that "Dr. and Mrs. King's personal expenses during this trip to Chicago have been underwritten with a gift from the Illinois Bell Telephone Company." But all I know is I was _thrilled_ to meet him in person. About a month or two later, I was downtown on business and stopped in to see Fran Gregory in his office at CSEC to say hello. Their offices were at Van Buren and Michigan in the McCormick Building. I inquired about Dr. King, and asked if he was scheduled to return the next season to speak again. Fran got sort of a sour look on his face and said, "The Trustees decided against it; they said he was just 'too controversial'". Always very eloquent, and never one to speak against his employer, the Trustees, Fran sort of hinted that they had been visited by the Chicago Police 'Red Squad' with a 'suggestion' that Dr. King was not welcome in Chicago again. Either one or two years later (in April, 1968) King was assassinated in Memphis, TN. In those days, I had a part time job as a tutor for the teenage son of a very wealthy black surgeon, named Dr. Barnes. I went to their home three evenings per week to help his son with his school work. Mrs. Barnes had the television set on in her room when the news bulletin came over the air that King had been gunned down in his motel room in Memphis. She came rushing into her son's room (where he and I were working) to tell us about it. She instructed me, "wait until Dr. Barnes gets home from the hospital, I will have him drive you back home." Her fifteen year old son, as naive and innocent and apolitical as he could be, like many rich kids in those days, asked his mother, "But why should he wait? He usually just walks down 47th Street to the el station." Mrs. Barnes just looked at her son and said, "I think Mister Townson knows why he should remain in safety with us." Dr. Barnes arrived home shortly after that and took me home. The same night and the following two nights, riots broke out all over Chicago. The United States Fifth Army (which was headquartered in Chicago) had tanks in our street, waiting in the parking lot of the Museum of Science and Industry, across the steet from my house, and National Guard troops everywhere. Much of the west side of Chicago was in flames. By that point, I guess even the rich fifteen year old black son of a wealthy surgeon knew what was going on. Between all that unrest in 1968, the riots in April regards King and again in August, when the Democrats had their riot -- err, convention in Chicago -- I do think the Chicago Police were in their glory, cracking open heads, spying on peaceful citizen groups, etc. How fortuitous it is that the discussion on 'domestic spying' is in the Digest right now. There is nothing new about police (my generic term for much of government) getting into things they have no business getting involved in. We need more Dr. King-like people and Ayn Rand-like people in government. PAT ------------------------------ From: Peter Godwin Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 18:03:00 +0100 Subject: World's Leading Internet Standards Body Celebrates 20th Anniversary Reston, VA - 16th January 2006 - Today, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Internet Society (ISOC) celebrate the 20th anniversary of the IETF, the world's leading Internet standards development body. The IETF is a large open international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers concerned with the evolution of the Internet architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet. Its principal task today is the development and publication of technical specifications and standards for basic Internet protocols. It is open to any interested individual. The first IETF meeting was held on the afternoon of January 16, 1986, in San Diego, California. As a community-driven activity the IETF went on to pioneer a unique, open process for standards development. Open to all, and based on principles such as "rough consensus and running code", the IETF has enabled the development of standards that have supported every aspect of the Internet's phenomenal growth. "The IETF is unique," said Brian Carpenter, IETF Chair. "Unlike other standards bodies, there is very little in the way of formal hierarchy and there are no membership requirements or fees. The IETF welcomes broad participation by anyone interested in the future technical evolution and stability of the Internet - and IETF standards are available to all, without charge." "There is global recognition of the achievements of the IETF in its support of the development of Internet technology. As the demands on the Internet increase, the IETF clearly has a vital role to play in ensuring that Internet technologies continue to evolve in a coherent and coordinated manner," said Leslie Daigle, chair of the Internet Architecture Board which provides architectural oversight of IETF activities. "The success of the IETF has largely been due to a pragmatic, consensus-based approach to technology standards development," noted Lynn St.Amour, President and CEO of the Internet Society (ISOC). "Many of the principles of cooperation and collaboration that were developed in the IETF are now being successfully applied in other global forums. ISOC is proud to be associated with the IETF - we value its members' accomplishments over the last 20 years and look forward to celebrating these achievements over the course of 2006." ISOC has declared 2006 "The Year of the IETF" and will be running several activities during the year in celebration of the IETF's 20th anniversary. ABOUT THE IETF The IETF ( http://www.ietf.org ) is a large open international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers concerned with the evolution of the Internet architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet. It is open to any interested individual. ABOUT ISOC The Internet Society ( http://www.isoc.org ) is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and policy. With offices in Washington, DC, and Geneva, Switzerland, it is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world. ISOC is the organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and other Internet-related bodies who together play a critical role in ensuring that the Internet develops in a stable and open manner. For over 13 years ISOC has run international network training programs for developing countries and these have played a vital role in setting up the Internet connections and networks in virtually every country connecting to the Internet during this time. FOR FURTHER DETAILS Peter Godwin Communications Manager, Internet Society E-mail: godwin@isoc.org 4, rue des Falaises 1205 Geneva Switzerland ------------------------------ From: pattyjamas@hotmail.com Subject: Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage Originating From Cell Phones Date: 16 Jan 2006 11:44:16 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com I have Vonage. This is a newbie question. I have caller ID on a new set of phones I bought at home (Uniden CLX-485). When someone calls me from their home or business phone it displays the name and the number perfectly. When they call me from their cell phone it only displays the number and the name defaults to "Wireless Caller". While I have them in my phonebook on my home phone, it does not use that to look up the name. Is this somewhat normal? No name displayed on home callerid from a cell phone caller? Most people in my area use Verizon Wireless. Thanks, Patty [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Do not be embarassed about being a 'newbie'; all of us were at one time or another. The behavior you describe is quite common with cell phones. My one cell phone here faithfully tells everyone that "Cell Phone, Illinois" is calling when I ring them but it does give the correct number. My other cell phone gives the correct name and number. It depends on the type of arrangements the cellular carrier makes with the wireline company. It also depends on how the landline telco deals with inter-lata (or between telephone company areas) calls whether or not the name is available. It does not matter if home or business; caller ID does its own thing. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Monday 16th January 2006 Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:41:46 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com ====================================================================== [[Financial News]] Hong Kong Peoples Telephone Holders OK China Mobile Buyout Offer http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15568.php Independent shareholders of China Resources Peoples Telephone accepted a buyout offer from China Mobile (Hong Kong) Ltd., the companies said Friday. ... Samsung Elec: Sees Solid Momentum Heading Into 2006 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15569.php Samsung Electronics, the world's largest memory-chip maker, said Friday it expects company-wide sales to rise 11% this year to KRW63.60 trillion from KRW57.46 trillion in 2005. ... Lucent Lowers FY06 Revenue View http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15572.php Shares of Lucent Technologies slumped early Friday after the company lowered its revenue outlook for fiscal 2006, citing lower sales in the U.S. and China that will put its first-quarter total well below Wall Street's consensus view. ... Virgin Mobile In Talks With NTL After Revised Approach http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15585.php The independent board of Virgin Mobile Holdings PLC is in preliminary discussions with bidder NTL Inc. after receiving a revised approach, the mobile company said late Friday. ... [[Handsets News]] InfoSonics begins distributing i-mate cellular handsets http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15578.php US wireless handsets and accessories distributor InfoSonics (AMEX: IFO) has agreed to begin distributing i-mate cellular handsets in North and Latin America, the company said in a statement. ... Disposable Cell Phone Purchases Under FBI Scrutiny - ABC http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15580.php One recent large-scale purchase of disposable cell phones in California and an attempted purchase in Texas have caught the FBI's attention, ABC News reported on its Web site Friday. ... Mobile phone manufacturers expect slowdown http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15582.php Despite strong results in 2005, Brazil's mobile phone manufacturers are seeing signs of a slow down in 2006, reported local news service AE-Setorial. ... [[Legal News]] Alamosa Signs Pact To Settle Suit Tied To Sprint Merger http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15571.php Alamosa Holdings said Friday it signed a memorandum of understanding to settle a purported shareholder derivative action brought in connection with the company's planned merger with Sprint Nextel. ... TSTT exempted from declaring assets http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15584.php State-owned Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) telco TSTT has been exempted from having to declare their assets to the country's integrity commission, the Trinidad Guardian quoted a senior TSTT executive as saying. ... [[Messaging News]] MMS Prices Hold Down Volumes http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15589.php The average price of a 30KB MMS was US$0.37 in December 2005, just over 4 times as high as a standard SMS, according to the December 2005 edition of Informa Telecoms & Media's World Cellular Data Metrics, based on data recorded for 234 operators worl... [[Mobile Content News]] Men Do Not Dominate Mobile Games Usage - report http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15590.php The mobile games supplier, Glu Mobile has conducted a survey into consumers. preferences for downloading and using mobile entertainment content. The survey found that the youth market is the fastest growing sector of the mobile entertainment industry... Mobile Phone Media Downloads Are Difficult For Consumers http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15592.php The Usable Products Company has compiled a report into which handsets are deemed to be easiest to use - and naturally, the hardest to use. The study highlights Cingular's Motorola RAZR, T-Mobile's Nokia 6101, and Virgin Mobile's Audiovox Flasher, in ... [[MVNO News]] Fastweb Mulls MVNO Opportunities http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15570.php Italian broadband communications company Fastweb is considering opportunities to become a mobile-virtual-network operator, a Fastweb spokeswoman said Friday. ... [[Network Operators News]] Ola to spend US$115mn on expanding coverage http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15577.php Colombian mobile operator Colombia Mvil (Ola) intends to invest US$115mn this year, primarily to expand coverage and improve customer service, company president Len Daro Osorio was quoted as saying by local paper La Republica. ... Telefonica plans to invest US$150mn-180mn in 2006 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15579.php Spain's Telefonica plans on investing US$150mn-180mn in Peru during 2006, Telefonica del Per president Carlos Antonio Valente da Silva was quoted as saying in local business daily Gestin. ... Recycling Service Helps Orange Cut Costs http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15586.php A hardware recycling service from Greenwoods Communications is helping Orange UK reduce waste by re-using redundant transmission equipment. With recycled equipment saving more than half the costs of acquiring new equipment and disposing of obsolete h... Network Problems in Antigua Repaired http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15587.php Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) says that it has resolved the problems on its network which had disrupted SMS services over last weekend. The company said in a statement that there had been hardware problems with the SMSC and that these hav... O2 To Sponsor Formula 1 Racing Team http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15588.php O2's German business has announced that it is to become an official partner of the BMW Sauber F1 Team from the start of the new motor racing season in March, this year. The O2 brand will appear on the BMW Sauber F1 cars as well as the helmet and suit... [[Offbeat News]] Psst - Wanna Buy Some Conflict Coltan ? http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15593.php We get a lot of emails at cellular-news. A lot of them generic spam mails -- quite a few trying to buy large quantities of cellphones for shipment to less than trustworthy parts of the world -- but this weekend I think it is fair to say that a new line... [[Personnel News]] Qualcomm CEO Got 1.4 Million Options, $1.2 Million Salary, Bonus In FY05 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15567.php Wireless communications company Qualcomm disclosed Thursday that it paid Chief Executive Paul E. Jacobs 1.4 million options, and $1.15 million in salary and bonus in its 2005 fiscal year ended Dec. 25. ... [[Regulatory News]] Anatel approves Vivo restructuring http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15576.php Brazil's telecoms regulator Anatel has authorized the country's largest mobile operator Vivo to restructure its five units into a single operation, Anatel said in a statement. ... Rural public telephony to be expanded through Fitel fund http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15581.php Nicaragua's telecoms and postal service regulator Telcor plans to expand fixed line and mobile service coverage to an additional 500,000 people in rural communities using the country's universal access fund Fitel, Telcor said, as reported by local pr... Call For Roaming Solution in Northern Ireland http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15591.php The Northern Ireland political party, the SDLP is calling for an all-Ireland tariff system to avoid what they call "excessive" roaming charges between Northern Ireland and Ireland. SDLP Trade and Enterprise Spokesperson Sean Farren said: "I welcome t... [[Statistics News]] German Telecoms Sales Rose 2.3% To EUR68.3 Billion In 05 -Agency http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15573.php Germany's telecommunications market outperformed the economy as a whole, with sales rising by an estimated 2.3% compared with an 0.9% rise in the country's gross domestic product, a parliamentary committee said Friday. ... Russia's Akos mobile subscriber base up to 102,000 as of Jan 1 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15574.php The subscriber base of Akos mobile operator, a subsidiary of Russian regional fixed-line and mobile operator Dalsvyaz, rose to about 102,000 people as of January 1 from 70,000 people as of June 15, 2005, Dalsvyaz' press office said Friday. ... Colombia's Mobile Phones Doubled In '05 To 21.9 Million http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15575.php The number of mobile telephones lines in Colombia more than doubled to 21.9 million in 2005 as operators competed to get more users by reducing fees, the Superintendence of Commerce and Industry said Friday in a statement. ... Mobile phones increase 110% http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15583.php The number of mobile phones in use in Colombia grew by 11.5 million users, or 110%, during 2005, from 10.4 million to 21.9 million, the largest increase in the system's decade-long history in the country, according to a report by industry and commerc... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 12:12:54 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - Monday, January 16, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This report from PricewaterhouseCoopers is a new daily feature here in the Digest. PAT] ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For January 16, 2006 ******************************** HP's Dual-Mode Laptop http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16231?11228 WiFi capabilities are now a standard feature on just about every new laptop computer. The only problem is, unless you're inside an office, coffee shop, airport departure lounge, hotel room or other hotspot-covered place, you're not going to access the Internet. On the other hand, the users of laptops equipped with both WiFi and EV-DO... Content Guidelines Take Hold http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/130/16230?11228 WASHINGTON -- Weeks after CTIA introduced a set of content guidelines for wireless services, carriers are moving to implement the plans in varying degrees. The association unveiled the guidelines in November after months of development and brewing concern about inappropriate wireless content making it into the hands of minors. CTIA's... Regional Strategies for Global Leadership http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16228?11228 The leaders of such global powerhouses as GE, Wal-Mart, and Toyota seem to have grasped two crucial truths: First, far from becoming submerged by the rising tide of globalization, geographic and other regional distinctions may in fact be increasing in importance. Second, regionally focused strategies, used in conjunction with local and... Magyar Telekom Plans to Invest US$230 mil. in Broadband Expansion http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16227?11228 Magyar Telekom expects to double its number of ADSL customers this year to 600,000, compared to its previous estimate of 400,000 by end-2006. The broadband expansion project will be financed through a deal with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for a long-term loan of up to 47.4 billion forints (US$229 million). The variable-rate loan... Motorola Deploys Wireless Broadband Platform http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/110/16222?11228 The U.S. wireless telecoms equipment vendor Motorola has deployed a nationwide high-speed wireless broadband network in Macedonia. The Motorola Canopy network is based on the WiFi technology and WiFi repeaters have already been installed in 531 locations at schools, universities and local government offices in order to facilitate... Verizon Launches GlobalEmail http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16219?11228 If you've got Samsung's new mobile device, you've got Verizon Wireless' new GlobalEmail. Verizon today announced the availability of its new service, which will give business customers access to e-mail in more than 50 countries. The catch is that you'll need the recently unveiled Samsung SCH i830, which is available for about $600 and... Vonage Claims 'Breakneck' 911 Progress http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/130/16217?11228 In tracking its nationwide progress to meet the Federal Communications Commission order that Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers handle 911 emergency services, Vonage says, as of yesterday, it's turned up enhanced 911 services in more than 1,900 official public-safety answering points (PSAPs) that field the public's... Copyright (C) 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ From: tanstafl Subject: Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old Organization: EasyNews, UseNet made Easy! Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 06:19:03 GMT On 11 Jan 2006 14:52:36 -0800, Lena wrote: > tanstafl wrote: >> Be aware that your gigs of Gmail is subject to general purpose data >> mining and/or any other use they deem lucrative upon a simple >> unilateral change in their terms of service. > I feel SO threatened. Guess I'll make sure not to use gmail for any > of my illegal activities. They DO have a DELETE button, don't they? > Lena Indeed they do. And when you press it: POOF it's gone - from your view :-( However, your mail is still on their backup servers. Their announced practice (circa 2004) is to allow the data to purge over time as the generational media expire. As long as that practice remains in effect you can chill out and not feel 'so' threatened -- some but not 'so'. The problem with a business practice is that it can be changed at any time without notice -- you and I can assume they still have that same practice, but we don't know. If that practice were to change, 'so' would be quite appropriate since the only reason for change would be the onset of data mining (in point of fact, mining could commence without permanently storing your mail). This isn't a diatribe against Google. One of their guiding mottos is 'don't be evil'. I've not seen a case where Google has been caught with their hand in the cookie jar -- so they have the benefit of the doubt. Real Networks is evil, Doubleclick is evil, but not Google -- yet. Data mining, enriched by the contents of person mail, can build personal dossiers that have enormous economic value. The business case is compelling. When they do, will that be evil? To me, certainly. To a corporate executive, the driving ethic is to maximize value and revenue -- failure to do so is evil. Viewpoint is everything -- and we need to guide our decisions and practices accordingly. An interesting observation is those who do not value their privacy -- tend to treat those who do derisively. Your attempt at sarcasm, exemplified by 'illegal activities' betrays your failure to grasp that many non-criminals simply value their privacy. Back to Sam. As a professional journalist, I'm sure he would walk the plank to jail rather than betray the confidence of a source. Yet, he sees nothing wrong with using his 2GB Gmail account as archival storage for his (your) email. After all it's free ... right? TANSTAAFL. Sam doesn't understand. You don't understand (apparently). -- Pete Gebel pfgebel(deletethis)@crisperiodcom Have the best day possible -- all things considered ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 08:35:15 -0500 From: DLR Subject: Re: Amtrak Passengers Stranded in Woods in Georgia > Would you be upset if there was no way for you to get from place to > place just because your town isn't big enough to justify an airport? Once you leave the NE and Eastern Seaboard, you find if you dig deep that many moderately sized towns are where they are and space to allow a farmer to get up early and ride his horse and wagon into town and back in one day. For a lot of reasons these towns survived for 100 or more years. (Not all though.) Now things have changed. Upgrading phone switches, finding someone to run a grocery store, putting in a cable TV network, running train service, to these places just doesn't pay. Especially if you are forced to charge state wide flat rates. Your high prices make you lose customers in larger cities and the huge capital requirements to update non profitable areas tie up your ability to move forward. It's a mess but we have a Midwestern economy based on 1900 economics. For many areas the only thing keeping them afloat is riverboat gambling. If I like an area and want to live there, I'll live with what it has. If not I'll move. I've done it before. I'll likely do it again. > We subsidize the airlines with horribly expensive airports, we > subsidize buses and cars with horribly expensive highways. We provide > financial bailouts to bankrupt airlines, and yet we complain about a > relatively small amount of money necessary to subsidize passanger rail > operations, over a mostly privately owned rail infrastructure. No argument here, the airline industry and how the government and bankruptcy courts have worked since 9/11 is a real mess. Too many seats, too few cheeks to reverse a saying at the reservations center where my wife works. As to who's subsidizing who, it gets real complicated. Amtrak got a hug influx of money out of the treasury and the treasury wrote 1000 year bonds to keep if off the books. The airlines have been paying into a trust fund for decades from a ticket tax that congress would spend everywhere else and write SS trust fund like IOUs back to the fund. If you want to have some real fund dig through that fund and see where it's money is today. ------------------------------ From: steve_schefter@hotmail.com Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: 16 Jan 2006 10:50:11 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Thor Lancelot Simon wrote: > In article , > wrote: >> You mean the checks and balances that are protecting the non-citizens >> who apparently have no rights? > What a strange, if thoroughly modern, point of view. What, exactly, > makes you think that non-citizens of a given polity are entitled to > respect for any "rights" its own citizens enjoy when they choose, > without the same obligations of those citizens, to reside within it? Wow. Better not go outside the borders of your own country. You should have no claim against having _anything_ done to you if you don't believe in rights for non-citizens. I don't say that the rights of non-citizens come without obligations. As a visitor to a foreign country, I have, for example, the obligation to observe their laws even if I disagree with them. Just as the rights of non-citizens are not as extensive as those of the non-citizen, neither are the obligations (for example, I don't get mandatory military service by visiting a country). But neither the rights nor the obligations should be zero. My belief that this should be so is based on the same reason that laws and rights should apply to citizens: The opposite would be disorder. The only difference is whether that disorder is intra- or inter-national. Steve ------------------------------ From: Wesrock@aol.com Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 16:38:06 EST Subject: Re: Modems - Hayes - Instant Communications All the discussion about rapid communication depending on modems on telephone circuits seems to miss the point. The Civil War/War Between the States (1861-1865) provided the first example of war more or less commanded from a central point and with knowledge of what was happening in the field timely enough to exercise such control. We read repeatedly that Lincoln spent a good deal of time in the adjacent War Department telegraph office to follow the war. (Some think he got proficient enough to read the dispatches by sound, just like the telegraph operators.) Whole armies could be and were moved over large distances -- "redeployed" we would call it now -- based on the exigencies of war. This centralized control depended on the telegraph, a form of communication not previously available in war. The telegraph is a form of digital communication, a concept not previously in use. Multiplexing of telegraph circuits, attained in various ways, was an active field for R&D to reduce the cost of physical circuits. Alexander Graham Bell was working at developing a frequency division multiplex system when he first heard recognizable sounds -- twangs -- and made the leap to the idea that electric currents could be directly modulated by sound by use of a suitable device (transmitter) and demodulated by a suitable receiver. For telegraphy, there was the disadvantage, of course, for commercial use in the need for an operator at each end. Only such enterprises as government, railroads, newspapers, news services and stockbrokers generally could afford the labor costs. The printing telegraph machine (Teletype and others) changed all that. But that was an economic effect -- until into the 1950s, at least, teletypewriters were no faster than skilled telegraph operators. The transmission of images by modulating an electric current was in practical use by the 1930s, with Wirephoto (Associated Press), Telephoto (United Press) and Soundphoto (Inter- national News Service). These were high quality halftone facsimile transmitters and receivers, again requiring a technician at each end. The first use I remember for the suction cups was in early business facsimile machines, which laboriously used thermal imaging to write a pretty poor line image only (no halftones) at the destination end. Someone mentioned the demise of the Sears, Roebuck warehouse and catalog center in Philadelphia as being due to the slowness of the communication. Certainly by 1950, and perhaps earlier, you could place an order in person or by telephone at your local Sears store, it would be transmitted immediately by telegraph to the Sears catalog warehouse, and in many large cities available for pickup at the local store the next day. A speed that has not been bettered yet, even though you place your order on the Internet. It still will get there the next day if you place your order with J.C. Penney, the only retailer still offering this service. The demise of the Sears and Wards catalog operations was due to their inefficiencies in the warehousing housing, picking and shipping systems of those two companies, not to the slowness of communication with their customers. (J.C. Penney's system was built essentially from scratch and the warehousing, picking, packaging and shipping is pretty much all automated.) Wes Leatherock wesrock@aol.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Actually, J.C. Penny isn't the only one still offering the service. At our J.C. Penny store here you can get it as you note, but also at the Radio Shack store here. If an item is on the Radio Shack computer as 'available' and you purchase it, they will have it in the store for your pickup (or they also deliver to your home) either the next day or two days later. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V25 #23 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Jan 17 16:07:34 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id A643B14FDD; Tue, 17 Jan 2006 16:07:33 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #24 Message-Id: <20060117210733.A643B14FDD@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 16:07:33 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Tue, 17 Jan 2006 16:10:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 24 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Cisco to Launch Consumer Electronics Products (USTelecom dailyLead) TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 17, 2006 (telecomdirect_daily) Cellular-News for Tuesday 17th January 2006 (Cellular-News) AT&T Billing us for MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago (removethis) Voip Learning and Translating Tutorial (kimi) Early Digital Comms, was: Modems - Hayes - Instant Comm (Danny Burstein) Re: Modems - Hayes - Instant Communications (hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com) Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old (Matt Simpson) Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old (Lena) Re: Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage From Cell Phones (Steven Lichter) Re: Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage From Cell Phones (Robert Bonomi) Re: Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage From Cell Phones (Jason Brault) Re: Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage From Cell Phones (pattyjamas) Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps (Phil Earnhardt) Re: Remembering Martin Luther King (Tony P.) Re: Remembering Martin Luther King (Lisa Hancock) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 12:21:22 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Cisco to Launch Consumer Electronics Products USTelecom dailyLead January 17, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cQdUfDtutafDrZCBiY TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Cisco to launch consumer electronics products BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Huawei sizzles in 2005 * AT&T offers TV service in California town * European telecoms battle local providers for emerging markets * Report: VoIP to grow at a fast clip * Murdoch wants DirecTV to offer triple play USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * Do You Want to Know What Verizon is Planning? HOT TOPICS * Report: IPTV holds promise * VeriSign buys CallVision * FCC to sell airwaves for airline Internet access * AT&T says it has solid asset base * Google Video Store opens TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * TI's PIQUA system targets QoS for IP services * Startups offer service to share broadband * Motorola unwires Macedonia * The future of mobile marketing REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * RIM's case hinges in part on timing Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cQdUfDtutafDrZCBiY ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 12:36:52 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - Tuesday, January 17, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For January 17, 2006 ******************************** Customers' Needs -- Transformation: Essential for Survival http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16248?11228 As the primary touch point with every customer every month, the billing function is one of the cornerstones of customer-centricity. Most existing billing systems, however, are built on complex vertical and product-centric... Customer Retention, or Customer Detention? Mobile Customer Care and the Art of Building Loyalty http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16246?11228 There may not be a mobile subscriber anywhere who doesn't have some horror story about a mobile operator's customer care practices. Typically, the complaints speak to a lack of knowledge about the subscriber's services and ongoing service problems; an unwillingness to help with equipment problems; penalties and mandatory contract... Next-Gen VoD Technology Goes Mainstream Just in Time http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16244?11228 It's a good bet new technology has entered the mainstream when service providers start replacing working parts in the field with next-generation options. This is what is beginning to happen in the cable VoD world, in the process setting the stage for a vastly changed technical environment for VoD deployments by telephone companies now... Golden Telecom Completes Long-Distance Network http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/130/16240?11228 Golden Telecom Inc, the alternative CIS fixed-line operator, has announced that the construction of its own Federal Transit Network (FTN) has been completed. The FTN has been constructed in compliance with Russian telecommunications rules and regulations that came into force on 1 January 2006 and with Golden Telecom's Russian... RBOC IPTV: The Quiet Ones http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16232?11228 Being North America's IPTV poster children has been a bittersweet experience for AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T - message board) (SBC) and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ - message board), as their plans have been under intense scrutiny in the past 12 to 18 months. (See AT&T, Verizon Tout Telco TV .) But while the glare of publicity... Copyright (C) 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Tuesday 17th January 2006 Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 07:33:03 -0600 From: cellular-news Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ 3G ]] Orange Has 300,000 UK 3G Users - Expects Progress In 2006 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15595.php Orange, the mobile telecommunications arm of France Telecom, Monday said it expects adoption of third generation, or 3G, services to rapidly increase in 2006 after reporting it has 300,000 users on its 3G network within the UK. ... GSM to TD-SCDMA handover Achieved http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15600.php Analog Devices has announced that dual-mode 3G TD-SCDMA/GSM operation has been achieved on it's SoftFone-LCR chipset. Recent testing completed on networks from two operators in China demonstrated that Datang Mobile's DTivy A2000 Dual-mode Handset Sol... DoCoMo Orders 3G/GSM SIM cards http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15601.php Axalto says that it has been selected by Japan's DoCoMo to supply USIM cards for DoCoMo's 3G services. With this card, subscribers of DoCoMo will be able to use PDC network when in Japan, as well as internationally with W-CDMA and GSM networks when o... Amercian 3G Contract Awarded http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15604.php Israel's Baran Telecom says that it has received an approximated US$11 million worth of orders for the execution of works in the field of communication infrastructure construction and services in the USA. The works will be executed for two of BTI's m... European Operators Aim to Connect 50 Million Laptops to 3G http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15609.php Wireless broadband services will be in focus for the mobile industry during 2006, according to a new report from the telecom analyst firm Berg Insight. 3G networks upgraded with HSDPA technology are going to enable peak data speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps ... [[ Financial ]] Nokia Replaces GE Atop Fidelity Magellan Fund http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15594.php Nokia Corp. ranked as Fidelity Magellan Fund's top holding as of Dec. 31, replacing General Electric Co., which fell to fifth place, according to Fidelity Investments. ... NTL Fleshes Out New Virgin Mobile Offer Terms http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15596.php NTL, the UK cable company, Monday outlined the details of an increased offer for telecoms operator Virgin Mobile Holdings to 372 pence per share, that will value the company at around GBP900 million. ... [[ Handsets ]] Nokia Launches New Clamshell Handset http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15606.php Nokia has expanded its porfolio of mid-range mobile phones with the Nokia 6125 fold phone. The Nokia 6125 offers a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth wireless technology and digital music player. The quadband Nokia 6125 (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) is expect... Lamborghini Branded Mobile Phones http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15607.php The Taiwan based electronics manufacturer, ASUSTeK Computer has signed a brand license agreement with Italy's Lamborghini motor cars. The initial result is the Lamborghini Notebook Series of computers. However, in a report from the local DigiTimes, t... [[ Legal ]] More Legal Action to Prevent Information Theft http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15602.php Cingular Wireless says that it has succeeded in the first round of a court fight against websites that offer cell phone records for sale. Cingular has obtained a Temporary Restraining Order from the US District Court in Atlanta, against two companies... [[ Network Operators ]] Belarus mobile operator MDC plans to up investment 30% this year http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15598.php Belarus GSM operator Mobile Digital Communications (MDC) which provides its services under the Velcom brand plans to increase its investments 30% on the year to over U.S. $100 million this year, the company said Monday. ... [[ Offbeat ]] GSM Operator Gets Strong Approval With TV Adverts http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15605.php Less than a month after the start of its commercial campaign, television adverts from Bulgaria's vivatel have rated as among the top two most memorable and the brand was voted 'most liked' in the results of the Alpha Research national survey from Nov... [[ Personnel ]] Braginsky leaves IR director position in Russia's MTS http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15599.php Andrei Braginsky, investor relations director of Russia’s largest mobile operator Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), has left the company, Kommersant business daily reported Monday. ... [[ Regulatory ]] Russia's MGTS denies rumors of payable fixed-to-mobile calls http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15597.php Russia's main fixed-line operator Moscow City Telephone Network, or MGTS, has denied media reports that calls from fixed-line numbers to mobile numbers with "federal numbers" should carry an extra fee, the company said in a statement Monday. ... Mobile Termination Rates to Fall in Ireland http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15603.php Ireland's three GSM network operators, Vodafone, O2 and Meteor have recently published reductions in the prices that they charge for Mobile Termination and have committed to a further reduction a year from now. The telecoms regulator, ComReg says tha... [[ Reports ]] Vodafone Gets High "Corporate Responsibility" Score http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15608.php Vodafone has been ranked in the top 3 global companies with regard to putting responsible practices at the heart of their business. Oil and gas (BP, Shell and Chevron) and automotive companies (Ford, Peugeot), whose businesses are often criticised as... ------------------------------ From: Bill Mayhew Subject: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 19:17:16 -0500 Dear telecom readers, I am looking for assistance in dealing with AT&T over an MDNS (Managed Data Network Services) account that our company closed in approximately September 2002. I've been with our company for about 16 months, and I know that none of the DLCIs, PVCs or any physical equipment associated with the un-killable MDNS account have ever existed at the company's current address. The company actually moved to a new city in January 2004. Our bookkeeper tells me the MDNS account should have been terminated in June of 2002, with an AT&T technician collecting the Cisco router and CSU/DSU from the company's former address in September 2002. We've tried repeatedly contacting various billing departments, a dispute resolution department, dispute escalation officer and assorted white collar workers at AT&T without having any luck at getting the billing stopped. The charges are mounting to multiple tens of thousands of dollars. I have called the AT&T customer support center and they agree that there is currently no LMI signal and no live PVC. They know the assists have been picked up, but they don't know they were returned to AT&T. What I'm hoping is that a reader of this digest might know what office inside AT&T would have issued a work order for the decommissioning of the MDNS circuit and/or retrieval of the physical assets such as the router. It be great to know by what name AT&T calls such a work order, so that we know what to ask them to find in their archives related to the MDNS account. Hopefully we can make the point that if they dispatched a technician to pick up their equipment on such and such a date, there is no way they could have been rendering service past that date ... and dare I say it, rescind the bills to that point in time. I am not too hopeful, however, as AT&T seems to be very capable of ignoring obvious facts. The SBC merger hasn't helped any either. I tried calling many of the contact numbers on the AT&T web site. They seem to have all been absorbed into SBC, and any customer-facing contact points sound like they are being relayed to off-shore call centers by low quality voice-over-IP. I'm wondering just how low they can lower the bar for customer service! Thanks for any assistance, Bill [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Are you using AT&T for anything at all these days, or at least anything which cannot be swapped out to some other carrier? Unless your company is in a position to toss 'multiple tens of thousands of dollars' (your wording) at AT&T every year or so, my suggestion would be to drop them entirely; calculate a final billing due as you can best estimate it; send them a final payment marked 'payment in full' and let it go at that. Believe me, they will contact you soon enough. At the very least, quit paying the disputed charges once and for all; let _them_ get after you when they eventually decide they want their money. PAT] ------------------------------ From: kimi Subject: Voip Learning and Translating Tutorial Date: 17 Jan 2006 07:47:32 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Voip Learning and Translating Tutorial Voice Over IP is a new communication means that let you telephone with Internet at almost null cost. How this is possible, what systems are used, what is the standard, all that is covered by this Howto. http://www.freewebs.com/voipformula/VoIP-HOWTO.html ------------------------------ From: Danny Burstein Subject: Early Digital Comms, was: Modems - Hayes - Instant Communications Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 22:44:34 UTC Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC In Wesrock@aol.com writes: [ good discussion of how the telegraph allowed (almost) real time central/remote control of armies snipped for space ] > This centralized control depended on the telegraph, a form of > communication not previously available in war. The telegraph is a > form of digital communication, a concept not previously in use. " One if by land, two if by sea And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm. . . In other words, digital communications were in use a lot earlier than the telegraph. Much, much, slower throughput, though. (For that matter, you can go back to fires on mountaintops and to smoke signals). _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Modems - Hayes - Instant Communications Date: 17 Jan 2006 10:08:04 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Wesrock@aol.com wrote: > The Civil War/War Between the States (1861-1865) provided the first > example of war more or less commanded from a central point and with > knowledge of what was happening in the field timely enough to exercise > such control. The nation's telegraph network was still relatively crude. While messaging was a big improvement over hand/horse delivery, it was still limited, especially given mobile armies. One had to find a working wire. The concept of central messaging command and control was not totally new; the telegraph was just an improvement over prior methods. Hilltop light mirrors, semaphore flags, and smoke signals were used throughout history. Keep in mind that any telegraph messages sent probably had to be manually received and resent several times between the battlefield and Washington by relay centers. Having information and being able to make good use of it are two different things. It was a problem for Lincoln and a problem today. Nearly 100 years later, in WW II, communications were still crude by today's standards. We theoretically had worldwide voice and record (telegraph) communications capability but having and useability were two different things. We know on D-Day radio communications had a lot of trouble and it took a long time to get information back. Many radios were inoperative. One book reprinted the actual teletype log of a critical conversation. It was pages of "can you read me now?" "not exactly, still garbled" "Are you still there?" > The telegraph is a form of digital communication, a concept not > previously in use. I think it's more accurate to say the telegraph is a form of _electrical_ communication > For telegraphy, there was the disadvantage, of course, for commercial > use in the need for an operator at each end. Only such enterprises as > government, railroads, newspapers, news services and stockbrokers > generally could afford the labor costs. Receiving and sending the message to the last mile was and remained a problem. > The printing telegraph machine (Teletype and others) changed all > that. But that was an economic effect -- until into the 1950s, at > least, teletypewriters were no faster than skilled telegraph > operators. While a select set of operators were indeed very fast, they also needed skilled operators at the other end able to copy down the information at typewritten speed. Humans do need rest breaks. An advtg of Teletypes is that messages could be prepared offline and then transmitted at full speed, one right after the other. I think in actuality very few human operators could meet the speed of Teletype machines. By 1940, most telegraph work was done by printing, not Morse code. > The first use I remember for the suction cups was in early business > facsimile machines, which laboriously used thermal imaging to write a > pretty poor line image only (no halftones) at the destination end. Facsimile transmission over wire has been around a long time, but used special lines. The phone cup machines were a big improvement since they could use any phone line and were easier to use than their predecessors. For some reason, very few people today use the "fine" setting on fax machines which makes a much clearer transmission at very little increase in time. They still use "regular" which comes out so fuzzy. A fax of a fax is almost unreadable. > Certainly by 1950, and perhaps earlier, you could place an order in > person or by telephone at your local Sears store, it would be > transmitted immediately by telegraph to the Sears catalog warehouse, > and in many large cities available for pickup at the local store the > next day. If you had a local Sears store, you probably didn't need the catalog. The Sears catalog and mail order was developed to serve remote towns. After WW II Sears chose to expand and build stores in the suburbs which was a wise move. The catalog served for specialty items With the malling of America once isolated small towns had full service department stores with vast selections, as opposed to a relatively small local dry goods store. Mail order catalogs ceased to be of value. > The demise of the Sears and Wards catalog operations was due to their > inefficiencies in the warehousing housing, picking and shipping > systems of those two companies, not to the slowness of communication > with their customers. I can't comment on the internal workings of Sears. My point was that the traditional method of communication -- mailing in an order and receiving the goods by return mail -- was slow and cumbersome. I think the Sears catalog was but a shadow of itself by the time 800 numbers _and_ pass-along credit card numbers became practical. (toll-free numbers have been around for 75 years, but remotely providing a credit card number without a signature is more recent. I think local city stores would accept charges billed to their store charge for some customers. Further, UPS and Fed Ex handling national traffic is more relatively recent compared to all goods going through the post office as parcel post. I do agree the Sears chain has had serious problems in the last decade. What and why I don't understand, but their stores became dingy and service declined. I was just in a Sears and it was horrible. The building, part of a 35 year old mall, needs a clean up. For example, all the ceiling tiles are curled at the edges and many are stained from leaks. The floor is irregular with carpet in some spots and tile in others, with grooves where dividers once stood. There are empty spaces. It basically looks like a K-Mart, which is sad. I was surprised K-Mart came out of bankruptcy and able to buy Sears since their stores are dumpy as well. A department store is not a discount store nor should look like one. ------------------------------ From: Matt Simpson Subject: Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old Organization: Yeah Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 09:53:28 -0500 In article , Lena wrote: > I feel SO threatened. Guess I'll make sure not to use gmail for any > of my illegal activities. Those who don't care about being monitored because they "have nothing to hide" should consider the cases of those who have been arrested on little or no evidence, and held indefinitely with no charges. > They DO have a DELETE button, don't they? Actually, they don't. Gmail reserves the right to keep your mail in their system indefinitely. Even if you "delete" it so that it's no longer available to you, they still have it. ------------------------------ From: Lena Subject: Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old Date: 16 Jan 2006 18:58:24 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com tanstafl wrote: > On 11 Jan .. Lena wrote: > They DO have a DELETE button, don't they? > Indeed they do. And when you press it: POOF it's gone - from your > view :-( However, your mail is still on their backup servers... > The problem with a business practice is that it can be changed at any > time without notice ..... Thank you very much for the warning and your long dissertation on the pitfalls of using gmail. I guess I better stop using gmail now before someone digs up some dirt on me. I guess I ought to stop buying things on the Internet, because, as so many have warned, someone could scoff up my credit card and start charging. I ought to stop online banking and billpaying before someone breaks into my bank account and steals all my money. I shouldn't even be ON the Internet, or someone could plant a virus in my computer and steal all my personal information that way. I shouldn't be using my credit cards out in public, because someone could steal my account numbers and my ID. I shouldn't even go out in public, because I could be the victim of a robbery, or get killed in an automobile accident. But if I stay in this house, the house could catch on fire and I'd get burned. There's no place to go. No place to hide. What should I do? I think the sky is falling in. Lena ------------------------------ From: Steven Lichter Reply-To: Die@spammers.com Organization: I Kill Spammers, Inc. (c) 2005 A Rot in Hell Co. Subject: Re: Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage Originating From Cell Phones Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 01:34:37 GMT pattyjamas@hotmail.com wrote: > I have Vonage. This is a newbie question. I have caller ID on a new > set of phones I bought at home (Uniden CLX-485). When someone calls me > from their home or business phone it displays the name and the number > perfectly. > When they call me from their cell phone it only displays the number > and the name defaults to "Wireless Caller". While I have them in my > phonebook on my home phone, it does not use that to look up the name. > Is this somewhat normal? No name displayed on home callerid from a > cell phone caller? Most people in my area use Verizon Wireless. > Thanks, > Patty > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Do not be embarassed about being a > 'newbie'; all of us were at one time or another. The behavior you > describe is quite common with cell phones. My one cell phone here > faithfully tells everyone that "Cell Phone, Illinois" is calling > when I ring them but it does give the correct number. My other cell > phone gives the correct name and number. It depends on the type of > arrangements the cellular carrier makes with the wireline company. > It also depends on how the landline telco deals with inter-lata (or > between telephone company areas) calls whether or not the name is > available. It does not matter if home or business; caller ID does > its own thing. PAT] Many of the wireless carriers don't send the full data over their SS7 network, the same can go for callers on a landline from other areas. The Sprint PCS network sends it all, but unless the number is in my phone book it only shows the number. The only good spammer is a dead one!! Have you hunted one down today? (c) 2005 I Kill Spammers, Inc. A Rot in Hell Co. ------------------------------ From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomni.com (Robert Bonomi) Subject: Re: Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage Originating From Cell Phones Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 03:16:40 -0000 Organization: Widgets, Inc. In article , wrote: > I have Vonage. This is a newbie question. I have caller ID on a new > set of phones I bought at home (Uniden CLX-485). When someone calls me > from their home or business phone it displays the name and the number > perfectly. > When they call me from their cell phone it only displays the number > and the name defaults to "Wireless Caller". While I have them in my > phonebook on my home phone, it does not use that to look up the name. > Is this somewhat normal? No name displayed on home callerid from a > cell phone caller? Most people in my area use Verizon Wireless. This has nothing to do with the fact that you have Vonage for phone service. :) What you see when a cellular customer calls you depends totally on the cellular company. Some companies only provide a 'generic' id that is the same for all their customers, others provide name info for the specific customer. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 09:28:42 -0600 From: Jason Brault Subject: Re: Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage Originating From Cell Phones Hi Patty, I'm not familiar with your home phone setup specifically, but, you may be able to turn on the feature where it checks it's local address book. Now, if its displaying your address book information when a call comes in from a terrestrial caller (someone not on a cell phone), then my idea here won't work, but its a thought at least. Can anyone set me straight on this? -Jason ------------------------------ From: pattyjamas@hotmail.com Subject: Re: Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage Originating From Cell Phones Date: 16 Jan 2006 14:30:23 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Found out that on cell phones to home calls that it is normal sometimes to not show the caller name. And that on the Uniden cordless phone at home, it will look up the phone number for the right ring to play but will not display the name. Thanks anyway. Hopefully this might help someone. Patty [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But, please remember, it is not just 'cell phones to _home_ calls'. Home or business has nothing to do with it, nor cell phones (as such) nor Uniden phones (as such). If _any_ telephone (home or business) is equipped to give caller ID and it is a _newer_ style caller ID device, and the sending telco is equipped for it, then the caller ID will come through. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Phil Earnhardt Subject: Re: Public Wants Court to Okay Wiretaps Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 19:42:24 -0700 Organization: http://newsguy.com On 16 Jan 2006 01:12:20 -0000, John Levine wrote: >> The FISA courts were set up during the Cold War era, when there was no >> immediate threat of attack upon the U.S., and there was the general >> opinion that any such attacks would be preceded by sufficient warning >> signs that the need for an "instant warrant" to record a conversation, >> which would be used in a court case of some sort, was not deemed >> necessary. > It is true that FISA was passed in 1978, but other than that, this is > nonsense. 50 USC 1805(f) specifically provides for "instant warrants" > where the Attorney General can authorize surveillance immediately and > then has three days to go and apply for a retroactive warrant from the > FISA court. Since the FISA court grants upwards of 99% of all > warrants requested, this is hardly an unduly onerous requirement. That's somewhat circular reasoning; this oft-repeated talking point doesn't really mean anything. Perhaps the reason so few warrants were not granted is because the people applying know the exact conditions under which warrants would and would not be granted. After all, the exact same judges have been doing that a long time. As noted in http://www.opinionjournal.com/weekend/hottopic/?id=110007783 , there are indeed reasons why warrants are not always possible. Did you read that article? > John --phil ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Remembering Martin Luther King Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 20:14:16 -0500 In article , ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu says: > For an Ancient Old, Brain-Diseased man, in my younger pre-BA days (it > is even getting hard now for me to remember, but there _was_ a time I > was a whole, healthy person, prior to November 25, 1999 which is known > by me as Black Thursday, the evening of my (B)rain (A)neurysm and the end > of my life as I remember it). In those days, at least until the > middle-late 1980's I was, while not 'well-to-do' wealthy, I was at > least 'comfortable', associated with the 'proper' kind of people, did > the 'proper' kind of activities, was well-known, at least by my group > of people, and over the course of a half-century had the distinct > honor of meeting at least two relatively famous persons in real > life. > One of these famous persons was Ms. Ayn Rand, an author whom I met in > high school, and had the opportunity to have dinner with in a small > intimate group (three of us). The other 'famous person' in my life was > Dr. Martin Luther King, and by extension, his wife Coretta Scott > King. Again, it was a small dinner party, in this instance there were > eight of us, as I recall, present. We can discuss Ms. Rand another > time, but today is the commemoration of Dr. King, so I will mention > that for now. > In 1963-67, Dr. King frequently came around Chicago. I recall his > visits _always_ included meetings with Civil Rights activists in the > town and he would always speak to civic and religious groups. One > weekend marked the fortieth anniversary of the employment of the first > black person the Chicago Public Library. Although *her* name escapes > me at the moment, it was on that date in the 1920's she had been hired > by the Library as the first black (anything) at CPL, in the children's > book department as a librarian. Prior to that, they only had white > people employed there (librarians, clerks, custodians, etc). Pat, Thanks for sharing that with us. I really wish we'd see dynamic characters on the national stage again. As an ultra-liberal I think we're staring into the abyss unless someone steps up to the plate and does something about it. Tony [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: IMO, do not expect it anytime soon. PAT] ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Remembering Martin Luther King Date: 17 Jan 2006 10:45:16 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com TELECOM Digest Editor wrote: > We can discuss Ms. Rand another time We should. She has a heck of a lot of good ideas, but she, like other famous political/social commentators/writers, forget about some critical aspects of human nature that will prevent their theories from working. This applies to both liberals and conservatives. (The "Kennedy wing" of the Democrats is just as clueless as the "DeLay wing" of the Republicans). > In 1963-67, Dr. King frequently came around Chicago. I recall his > visits _always_ included meetings with Civil Rights activists in the > town and he would always speak to civic and religious groups. Chicago turned out to be a very tough nut crack. The problems and challenges were different than the South and not as easily dealt with. > Prior to that, they only had white > people employed there (librarians, clerks, custodians, etc). In northern cities, African Americans usually got service jobs, such as janitors, housekeepers, cooks, laborers, etc., though there were black teachers, police officers and firemen, at least in Phila. In WW II, in response to a labor shortage, the Philadelphia Transportation Company wanted to promote blacks from cleaners to streetcar motormen. The rest of the motormen vehemently objected and went out on strike shutting down the city and vital war production plants, causing a big mess that required Federal troops to clean up. In the 1950s blacks very slowly were permitted into better jobs, such as a judge, school principal, TV newscaster, etc. This accelerated in the 1960s. > Between all that unrest in 1968, the riots in April regards King and > again in August, when the Democrats had their riot -- err, convention > in Chicago -- I do think the Chicago Police were in their glory, > cracking open heads, spying on peaceful citizen groups, etc. How > fortuitous it is that the discussion on 'domestic spying' is in the > Digest right now FWIW, according to Peter Jennings book, the aggressive actions of the Chicago Police were supported by the majority of the citizenry. It is also known now that the "demonstration" planners specifically trained their people to provoke the cops. Up to that time, liberal use of the nightstick was accepted by most of the public as legitimate police technique. In the 1950s, the criminal justice system was much smaller because a lot of petty activity was dealt with directly by the local cops on the beat. It is popular to demonize the cops of those days, but records show that in their own way they were trying to make their neighborhoods safe and teach kids proper behavior. Yes, if some kid was out of hand he was in for a beating; today he'd be another statistic in the juve system where he'll get beaten in the juve hall. (Great improvement, huh?) For instance, there were some highly controversial vice squads raids on coffeehouses. Parents and civic groups demanded those raids because they feared youth were being corrupted by gays. The cops did NOT go in and beat heads as is popularly suggested. Rather, the kids present were taken to the police station and given a serious and candid lecture about morality and how what they were doing was dangerous. Again, this isn't what today's standards call for at all, but this is what people felt back in those years. As to the spying on "peaceful citizen groups", again police efforts were supported, indeed, demanded by parents and civic leaders. We know today that many such groups were in reality not "peaceful" but planning disruptive activities for the sole purpose of disruptiing commerce or education. Some former radicals of the past have written memoirs admitting this. Parents did not appreciate the college education of their kids being disrupted. Small business people didn't appreciate their little stores being targeted as "part of the man" and disrupted. A great many college students of those days participating in their "civil disobediance" were blissfully unaware of the collateral damge they did to innocent people caught in the middle. I know a lot of people proudly defend "civil disobediance" and the 1960s. But they forget that that sort of thing works both ways. Today we have "civil disobediance" in the blockades of abortion clinics, for example, and aggressive actions to block to stop marijuanna for legitimate medical purposes. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I remember all the commotion downtown the day of the 1968 Democratic convention riots and the next day as well. Almost all the offices downtown closed early that day, urging people to go home _and stay home the next day_ unless things got different. On the Sunday before (the start of the convention week) police went through the south end of Lincoln Park gassing everyone who dared to sit in the park. In a couple cases, they went into a restaurant at North Avenue and Clark Street and smashed up the whole restaurant as they dragged some of what they percieved to be 'war protestors' out of the place. It was like that mess in New York last summer during the convention at Madison Square Garden. Thousands of people just swept up off the street and put in jail. But in Chicago, in 1968, the main event was the Battle of Michigan Avenue on the Wednesday of convention week. Two friends and I were having a meal in the dining room at the Conrad Hilton Hotel when that large plate glass window got broken out and police swarmed through the place. It was like one of those 'throw a pie at someone' as we would see in those old Three Stooges movies. People there in the Hilton Hotel were getting attacked, assaulted with plates of food, etc. My friend had a plate of mashed potatoes and gravy hit him, gravy and potatoes running down his shirt and trousers, etc. Other patrons settled for cream pies, etc. About two years ago I received a letter here from someone who said he had been "a long time supporter here but because of the way I had been talking in print about police, he was withdrawing his support." I asked him if he was aware that even the Illinois governor had declared police behavior that week to be a 'police riot'. Police objected to that characterization, of course. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #24 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Jan 18 02:33:37 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 192D914F2D; Wed, 18 Jan 2006 02:33:34 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #25 Message-Id: <20060118073334.192D914F2D@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 02:33:34 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.8 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Wed, 18 Jan 2006 02:26:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 25 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson China Internet Users Hit 111 Million in 2005 (Reuters News Wire) Internet Users Quickly Judge Sites (Kamakshi Tandon) Google Buys Radio Advertising Company (Associated Press News Wire) Largest Video over DSL Deployment in North America (Monty Solomon) Re: Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage Originating From Cell (Tony P.) Re: Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage Originating From Cell (pattyjama) Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago (Dan burstein) Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old (tanstafl) The Time I Met Ayn Rand (TELECOM Digest Editor) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Reuters News Wire Subject: China Internet Users Hit 111 Million in 2005 Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 21:23:47 -0600 The number of Web users in China, the world's second largest Internet market, grew by 18 percent in 2005 to 111 million, the Economic Daily reported on Wednesday. Some 8.5 percent of the country's 1.3 billion people now had access to the Internet, the newspaper reported, citing a survey released by the China Internet Network Information Center. State media previously predicted 120 Chinese million would be surfing the Web by the end of 2005 as computers find their way into more homes and domestic telecoms networks grow. The 2005 gains represented an acceleration from 2004, when the number of Internet users grew 16 percent to 94 million. More than half of China's Web population -- or about 64 million people -- accessed the Web via broadband connections, suggesting a 50 percent increase versus 2004 as China strongly promotes the development of its broadband networks. The Internet's explosive growth in China has come despite the government's stepped-up efforts to control of the medium, in which occasional pockets of free speech have appeared in chat sites and blogs. China is the world's No. 2 PC market, with nearly 16 million units shipped in 2004 and the number expected to have grown another 13 percent last year, according to data tracking firm International Data Corp. PC makers, such as industry leaders Lenovo Group Ltd., Founder Group and Dell Inc., shipped 5.2 million units in the third quarter of 2005, according to IDC. The growth of the Internet has also spawned a growing number of local online players, including Yahoo-invested e-commerce firm Alibaba.com, Web portal Sina Corp., online game firm Shanda Interactive Entertainment and online search firm Baidu.com Inc.. Major mutlinationals attracted by the market's big growth potential have also set up shop in China, including online auctioneer eBay Inc., online retailer Amazon.com Inc. and online search leader Google Inc. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Kamakshi Tandon Subject: Internet Users Judge Web Sites Quickly Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 21:25:32 -0600 Internet users judge Web sites in less than a blink By Kamakshi Tandon Internet users can give Web sites a thumbs up or thumbs down in less than the blink of an eye, according to a study by Canadian researchers. In just a brief one-twentieth of a second -- less than half the time it takes to blink -- people make aesthetic judgments that influence the rest of their experience with an Internet site. The study was published in the latest issue of the Behavior and Information Technology journal. The author said the findings had powerful implications for the field of Web site design. "It really is just a physiological response," Gitte Lindgaard told Reuters on Tuesday. "So Web designers have to make sure they're not offending users visually. "If the first impression is negative, you'll probably drive people off." In the study, researchers discovered that people could rate the visual appeal of sites after seeing them for just one-twentieth of a second. These judgments were not random, the researchers found -- sites that were flashed up twice were given similar ratings both times. They also matched the responses given by subjects who were shown the sites for longer. But the results did not show how to win a positive reaction from users, said Lindgaard, a psychology professor at Carleton University in Ottawa. "When we looked at the Web sites that we tested, there is really nothing there that tells us what leads to dislike or to like." And while further research may offer more clues, she said the vagaries of personal taste would always be a limiting factor. "If design were reducible to a set of principles, wouldn't we find an awful lot of similar houses, gardens, cars, rooms?" said Lindgaard. "You'd have no variety." Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/BBC.html ------------------------------ From: Associated Press News Wire Subject: Google Agrees to Buy Radio Advertising Company Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 21:27:36 -0600 Google Inc. is continuing to expand its advertising capabilities beyond the online world, agreeing to buy a company that automatically connects advertisers with radio stations. The price could top $1.2 billion. The company, dMarc Broadcasting Inc. of Newport Beach, Calif., creates an automated platform that lets advertisers more easily schedule and deliver ads over radio and keep track of when they air. On the broadcaster side, the dMarc technology automatically schedules and places such advertising, helping stations minimize costs. Under the deal, announced Tuesday, Google would pay dMarc at least $102 million in cash. If performance targets are met, Google would make additional payments of up to $1.14 billion over three years. The up-front cash payment will make only a small dent in Google's reserves. Through September, Google had $7.6 billion in cash and marketable securities, though it has since committed to making a $1 billion investment in Time Warner Inc.'s America Online unit. Google said it plans to integrate the dMarc technology with its highly successful Google AdWords platform, in which third-party Web sites share revenues with Google for carrying the Mountain View., Calif., company's highly profitable search ads. "Google is committed to exploring new ways to extend targeted, measurable advertising to other forms of media," said Tim Armstrong, Google's vice president for advertising sales. Already, Google has bought advertising in print publications such as tech magazines and resold chunks of the space to its online advertisers. Google shares rose 86 cents to close at $467.11 Tuesday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 22:47:37 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Largest Video over DSL Deployment in North America Motorola Supports Largest Video over DSL Deployment in North America MTS Leverages Motorola's Experience in Designing and Deploying Advanced Entertainment Systems to Grow MTS TV Service to Over 50,000 Subscribers ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) customer Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. (MTS) has implemented the largest single video over DSL deployment in North America. MTS, one of Canada's leading communication providers, welcomed its 50,000th customer to its MTS TV service in November 2005. Since deploying Motorola's Multi-Service Access Platform in 2003 to support the delivery of advanced triple-play services such as multi-stream digital television, broadband Internet, and integrated on-screen telephony, MTS has been able to easily scale its service to provide a wide array of digital entertainment offerings to a subscriber base that's now grown to over 50,000 customers. Leveraging nearly a decade of successful wireline carrier triple-play deployments, Motorola also assisted MTS with a variety of support services that create greater efficiencies and competitiveness that assist with the design and deployment of highly complex solutions ready to serve scalable broadcast, interactive and on-demand services. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54781852 ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage Originating From Cell Phones Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 17:10:39 -0500 In article , pattyjamas@hotmail.com says: > Found out that on cell phones to home calls that it is normal > sometimes to not show the caller name. And that on the Uniden cordless > phone at home, it will look up the phone number for the right ring to > play but will not display the name. > Thanks anyway. Hopefully this might help someone. > Patty > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But, please remember, it is not just > 'cell phones to _home_ calls'. Home or business has nothing to do > with it, nor cell phones (as such) nor Uniden phones (as such). If > _any_ telephone (home or business) is equipped to give caller ID and > it is a _newer_ style caller ID device, and the sending telco is > equipped for it, then the caller ID will come through. PAT] Some cell carriers transmit name/number, some don't. Verizon doesn't, but Nextel does. Go figure. Those are the only two I'm familiar with. ------------------------------ From: pattyjamas@hotmail.com Subject: Re: Caller ID on Home Phones Using Vonage Originating From Cell Phones Date: 17 Jan 2006 13:58:16 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Thank you all ... learned quite a bit. Have a nice day. Patty ------------------------------ From: Danny Burstein Subject: Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 21:17:04 UTC Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC In Bill Mayhew writes: > Dear telecom readers, > I am looking for assistance in dealing with AT&T over an MDNS (Managed > Data Network Services) account that our company closed in > approximately September 2002. [ rest of all too typical story snipped ] Stop wasting your time trying to reach them. Send off two notes: One to your State's Public Service Commission, and one to your State's Attorney General. Make it short and sweet. Depending on which state you're in, the reaction will range from them simply attaching (the equivalent of) a Post It note and forwarding it over to AT&T/SBC, and forgetting about any further action, up to .... some extreme nastiness. Even if it's just the former, though, it _will_ get the attention of someone useful at AT&T/SBC. Oh, for good measure, you can also send a similar letter to the FCC and the FTC. (There is _plenty_ of ugly history regarding improper billing by telcos, and the AGs - at least in the states that care ... - are well aware of it). _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] ------------------------------ From: tanstafl Subject: Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old Organization: EasyNews, UseNet made Easy! Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 22:17:03 GMT On 16 Jan 2006 18:58:24 -0800, Lena wrote: > tanstafl wrote: >> On 11 Jan .. Lena wrote: >> They DO have a DELETE button, don't they? >> Indeed they do. And when you press it: POOF it's gone - from your >> view :-( However, your mail is still on their backup servers... >> The problem with a business practice is that it can be changed at any >> time without notice ..... > Thank you very much for the warning and your long dissertation on the > pitfalls of using gmail. I guess I better stop using gmail now before > someone digs up some dirt on me. > I guess I ought to stop buying things on the Internet, because, as so > many have warned, someone could scoff up my credit card and start > charging. > I ought to stop online banking and billpaying before someone breaks > into my bank account and steals all my money. > I shouldn't even be ON the Internet, or someone could plant a virus in > my computer and steal all my personal information that way. > I shouldn't be using my credit cards out in public, because someone > could steal my account numbers and my ID. > I shouldn't even go out in public, because I could be the victim of a > robbery, or get killed in an automobile accident. > But if I stay in this house, the house could catch on fire and I'd get > burned. > There's no place to go. No place to hide. What should I do? I think > the sky is falling in. > Lena Gee golly ... you've transitioned from sarcastic to absurd. When it comes to valuing privacy, the world breaks into two groups -- them that do and them that don't. I do. You don't. Have a nice life Lena. Pete Gebel pfgebel(deletethis)@crisperiodcom Have the best day possible - all things considered [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I can sort of see Lena's point; there are risks in everything these days, and with the direction our government is going, some of the risks are more severe than others, where possible breaches of our privacy are concerned. But, Lena, there has to be a cut off point; a spot at which we simply quit worrying about it any longer. We attempt to rank the various risks we face, and choose those we consider the most severe (for whatever reason) in our own lives. Someone once said to me, "when I am looking for some good comedy to read, I always choose RISKS Digest." His point was, I think, that over the years, some of the worst-case scenarios presented there are _so_ obscure, _so_ mathematically improbable as to hardly be worth a second thought. I would not have used his exact phraseology or choice of words, but many or most of the incidents described in RISKS have happened to _someone_, who might as well be you or me, but through God's grace have not been my problem or yours, still, they could have been, and the more we press our luck or 'work the margins' the more likely it will happen to us. I have a Google Mail account, but do not use it, except rarely, and then only for the most bland of conversations, for the very reasons Pete mentions, among others. Yet here I sit with a quarter-century of Editor's Notes under my belt stored away on more computers than just massis.lcs.mit.edu to be sure ... I think most all long-time (like ten, fifteen or twenty or more year) netters would die of mortification if every last word they had placed on line since, oh, 1985-1990 or so suddenly popped up on everyone else's screen. I am reminded of William (push the buttons, pull the crank) Burroughs' novel many years ago, 'Naked Lunch', where as he describes it, "everyone knows instantly what is on the fork of everyone else." PAT] ------------------------------ From: Patrick Townson Subject: The Time I Met Ayn Rand Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:45:00 EST Originally, I had said, >> We can discuss Ms. Rand another time ... Liss Hancock responded: > We should. She has a heck of a lot of good ideas, but she, like > other famous political/social commentators/writers, forget about > somecritical aspec ts of human nature that will prevent their > theories from working. This applies to both liberals and > conservatives. (The "Kennedy wing" of the Democrats is just as > clueless as the "DeLay wing" of the Republicans). Since I was only a freshman in high school I had no idea what things were about either. The year was 1957; I was the captain of the Debating Team in our high school. Our coach also doubled as our "Social Studies" teacher; Arthur Erickson was also responsible for planning all the school-wide assemblies, the usually weekly convocations where everyone would gather in the auditorium for special programs of one kind or another. He was also the teacher in high school who encouraged, and occasionally required students to read the Christian Science Monitor from time to time. In those days, CSM was _not_ the tabloid size paper with lots of colorful pictures it is today; it was printed on larger sheets of paper like New York Times, with _very few_ pictures and graphics, normally fifty or sixty pages each day. He paid for my first subscription and I have read the paper almost daily since that time. Our debating class one day was discussing who would be good for an assembly program, and the name of Ayn Rand came up, primarily because she was at that time in the process of getting her latest book 'Atlas Shrugged' into print. Well, we decided to send her a letter inviting her to come, since her earlier book 'The Fountainhead' had been an interesting movie. We had seen the movie in an assembly program the year before. She was on the book store 'tour' hawking her new book and signing copies, etc. I had an original copy of 'Atlas Shrugged' autographed by her in cloth or hard copy for many years. At one point it got stolen (or borrowed and never returned, I do not know which.) Now I just have a couple paperback copies of it and Fountainhead. Well, she wrote back and agreed to come! For free mind you, since she was promoting her new book. But we had to agree to get her back to Ohare Airport afterward, since she had still another stop that night and another one the next day. Of course we agreed and waited eagerly for her arrival. She came, brought a box full of her books already autographed, and gave a very interesting speech. As the President of the Debate Team I even got to introduce her. Afterward, we had to get her back to Ohare, but with a bit of time to kill, so Arthur asked her to join the two of us for dinner, at a place on 95th Street in Chicago. We get there, Arthur orders cocktails for the two of them (martinis I think) and a Coke or Pepsi for me, and puts in our dinner order. I had brought with me a copy of the book review which had appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, and she was quite eager to read it all. The book reviews the Monitor used to print in the old days were frequently more like essays in terms of their length and editorial content. So there she sits in our booth, martini in one hand, her well known cigarette holder in the other hand, dragging on her cigarette and sipping her cocktail reading quietly what that days' Monitor had to say about her work. Now and again she would stop reading and stare sort of intently at me. Her real name was Mrs. Frank Connor (I think), by virtue of her marriage to that guy. But she preferred to write and be known by her original name, Ayn Rand. She said, "I will trade you a signed copy of my book for this newspaper to take with me." I said okay, and then, as she stared at me intently, she said, "Your name is Patrick? Such a smart Young Man! Too smart to believe in Gott! Why do you believe in Gott, Patrick?" I had no good answer for that, nor would Arthur help me out with it. He preferred to sit there, face hidden behind the newspaper he was reading while he smirked and tried to avoid laughing, not at her so much as at her question addressed to me. We finished our dinners, and got her to Ohare and on to her next destination. That was my entire aquaintence with her. Later that year, in the summer of 1957, Arthur had a mission in New York City, at Columbia University for two or three days, and he asked my mother and dad if they would allow me to go along mainly to see the city, since at that point I never had been there before. They said I could go, and when we got to NYC and established at Columbia U. where he was in some seminar program, I got the bright idea that I would go find Ms. Rand and visit with her. I found her in the Manhattan phone book and set out, but she was not around, still on her book store tour I guess. When I got back later that day, Arthur had been looking for me and gave me hell for my bright idea, but he did not tell my parents anything about it. That's all I know about the lady other than reading her books, and feeling as you noted, that her ideas were excellent but very unrealistic in real life. >> In 1963-67, Dr. King frequently came around Chicago. I recall his >> visits _always_ included meetings with Civil Rights activists in the >> town and he would always speak to civic and religious groups. > Chicago turned out to be a very tough nut crack. The problems and > challenges were different than the South and not as easily dealt with. Tell me about it! King Daley the First kept a very tight finger on everything. Daley the Second is only a wee bit better. >> Prior to that, they only had white people employed there >> (librarians, clerks, custodians, etc). > In northern cities, African Americans usually got service jobs, such > as janitors, housekeepers, cooks, laborers, etc., though there were > black teachers, police officers and firemen, at least in Phila. In WW > II, in response to a labor shortage, the Philadelphia Transportation > Company wanted to promote blacks from cleaners to streetcar motormen. > The rest of the motormen vehemently objected and went out on strike > shutting down the city and vital war production plants, causing a big > mess that required Federal troops to clean up. Not before the Second War, they didn't. But help was so hard to come by in WW-2 'they' had to use them. > In the 1950s blacks very slowly were permitted into better jobs, such > as a judge, school principal, TV newscaster, etc. This accelerated in > the 1960s. There were no black kids in the high school I went to. There was a "gentlemen's agreement" against it. Ditto with the movies; there was a section where black people sat. That's just how it was done. It did accelerate in the 1960's but not that much around Chicago until after the riots in 1968. In the hotel I lived in on 56th Street in Hyde Park (yes, a liberal bastion and all that) in 1970 they had a WHITE manager, WHITE desk clerks, WHITE telephone operators, a WHITE Building Engineer, a WHITE housekeeper (maid supervisor), but nine BLACK maids to clean the rooms and a BLACK janitor, supervised by the WHITE Building Engineer. The manager said to me "but the guests would be offended if a 'colored person' was working the front desk". Even all of her maids were white ladies through about 1942 or so, until the owner of the building at that point in time told her she could get black ladies 'if absolutely necessary' due to the trouble of finding 'white cleaning ladies' during the war. (Mrs. Brown managed the building [high rise, 15 stories, hundred plus apartments] from about 1939 or so until she passed away in 1980.) The first anniversary of King's assassination, in 1969, all her maids 'called in sick' in protest. When I saw her later that day she told me about it, and said, "but of course, all the guests expected to have their beds made and their bathtubs cleaned out ... who do you suppose had to do it all today?" (with a sarcastic look on her face.) Why, Mrs. Brown, I guess you did ... PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #25 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Jan 18 15:55:22 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 465BE15011; Wed, 18 Jan 2006 15:55:22 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #26 Message-Id: <20060118205522.465BE15011@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 15:55:22 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Wed, 18 Jan 2006 15:57:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 26 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Suicide Broadcast Live on Internet With Webcam (AFP News Wire) Court Bars Man From Making Complaints on Own Web Site (AP News Wire) Teenage Businessman (Jon Swartz) Internet Explorer 7 Will Flush Its History (Jeremy Kirk) Motorola Snaps up IPTV Set-Top Company (USTelecom dailyLead) Cellular-News for Wednesday 18th January 2006 (Cellular-News) TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 18, 2006 (telecomdirect_daily) CFP: The 2006 IAENG International Workshop on Data Mining (imecs2006@iaeng) Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old (Seth Breidbart) Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago (removethis) Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago (DevilsPGD) Re: Last Laugh! Police Had to Convince Lottery Winner (radiodude) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: AFP News Wire Subject: Suicide Broadcast Live on Internet Using Webcam Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 13:53:37 -0600 American commits suicide in Bulgarian internet forum A 21-year-old American online gaming fan broadcast his suicide on a Bulgarian Internet forum. Named as Mitchell S., the gamer switched on his web cam and swallowed a large amount of motor antifreeze and pills after complaining about family problems and a lack of money, forum administrator Boyan Georgiev told Bulgaria's BGNES news agency on Wednesday. Other forum members thought the man nicknamed "Kudjo" was joking even though he rambled for six hours about the effects of the substances and disappeared from view several times. After he failed to appear at regular meeting spots, gamers went to his home and learnt he died in hospital on January 7. The gaming Web site www.metalgearsolid.org has closed pending an investigation. "Our company has not in any way provoked this suicide. We are not responsible for material published on the site," Georgiev told BGNES. He said about 5,000 online game fans visited the forum every day. Copyright 2006 Agence France Presse. 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines of interest, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Associated Press News Wire Subject: Court Bars Man From Making Complaints on His Own Web Site Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 13:55:30 -0600 Court Bars Tirade on Malaysian Web Site A court told a disgruntled car owner he cannot chronicle the alleged defects of his Malaysian-made Perodua and his tirade against the car maker on a personal Web site. In the first case of its kind in Malaysia, the Appeals Court on Tuesday upheld a High Court order against Richard Fong Khee Choong. The High Court had ordered Fong on Sept. 17, 2003 to dismantle a personal Web site he had set up in October 2002 after purchasing an allegedly defective Kelisa car from Perodua. The Appeals Court judges said they agreed with the High Court that the allegations in Fong's Web site, which contained one article about his grievances, "attacked the reputation and integrity of the company." Fong had purchased a Perodua Kelisa car in August 2002 and contacted the company by email with several allegations about defects in the vehicle. He subsequently set up the Web site, alleging corruption in the company. In response, Perodua sued him for defamation, and obtained an interim order from the High Court to have the Web site shut pending a resolution of the defamation suit. The company, the second national car company after Proton, said Fong's allegations implied that Perodua practiced deception and fraud for its own interest instead of the customer's needs. It also claimed that Fong's allegations meant that the car maker was betraying the public trust and was involved in a conspiracy to cheat the people. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more headline news from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Jon Swartz Subject: Teenage Businessman Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 13:50:34 -0600 Being a teen is hard work for this entrepreneur By Jon Swartz, USA TODAY While most of his high school classmates bask in the glory of senior year, Ben Casnocha schmoozes with powerful high-tech executives, venture capitalists and real estate moguls in Silicon Valley. Just 17, his typical day is a swirl of adult responsibility and teenage folly. On a recent weekday, Ben attended an angel-investor group meeting in the morning and high school classes in the afternoon. The previous evening, he had dinner with a venture capitalist. A few days later, he had breakfast with Marc Benioff, CEO of highflying software maker Salesforce.com, and lunch with a real estate mogul. "It gets pretty crazy," says Ben, who carves out breaks during school to help run Comcate, the San Francisco-based software company he started in his bedroom when he was 12. When he isn't doing that, he's captain of the basketball team and editor of the school newspaper. "Sometimes I have to pause to make the distinction between Ben the teenager and Ben the businessman," says Ben, who also stands out because he's 6-foot-4. "It's not every day you get to sit with a 13-year-old and hear about his plans to change the world," says Greg Prow, a VC who met Ben in September 2001. Figures are elusive on just how many teens start or run businesses, but Ben is one of an estimated tens of thousands in the USA, according to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a non-profit organization that works with entrepreneurs. Advances in technology, such as the Internet, and wider acceptance of entrepreneurship have made it easier for teens to start businesses, says Steve Mariotti, president of the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, which works exclusively with teens. At a Starbucks last week, Ben looks like any clean-cut teen grabbing a latte on the way to school. Dressed in a striped T-shirt, jeans and sneakers, he lugs an iPod, BlackBerry and PowerBook in his backpack. Not your typical start-up But not every teenager rubs shoulders with Motorola CEO Ed Zander and Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy, as Ben did at a soiree last year. They don't call city managers to pitch the merits of their company's software, which helps public agencies improve customer service, as Ben does. And they certainly aren't speakers at tech and education conferences, as Ben has been. Last year, Ben trekked to Zermatt, Switzerland, and tried to crash a young global leaders' conference. He was tossed out, but it got the attention of Salesforce.com CEO Benioff, who was attending, and the two soon struck up a friendship. "He's an exceptional person with a lot of potential," says Benioff, 41, who started as a games maker when he was 15. "I want to help him, and have as many breakfasts as he wants." Comcate has carved a profitable niche, with annual revenue of about $750,000 and a few dozen customers in small and midsize cities in California, Florida, Indiana and elsewhere. Ben began selling gumballs to his older twin brothers when he was 7 and briefly ran a Web-design company when he was 11, says his dad, David, an attorney on Comcate's board. Comcate started as a project for Ben's sixth-grade tech class at Town School for Boys, a private prep school here. It was hatched from his bedroom, which is stuffed with books and athletic trophies. As Ben quizzed city agencies on how they resolved residents' complaints, he realized many needed software. The project blossomed into a start-up. "These guys were serious," says Comcate President Dave Richmond, recalling when Ben and David Casnocha interviewed him for a job. Richmond, 41, was surprised to learn that the boyish executive asking probing questions, was only 14. The former VC, hired as the company's first full-time employee, was later named president. The company employs several salespeople and programmers in the Bay Area and overseas. Though he considers himself a mentor to Ben, Richmond calls their relationship "focused." Busy schedules dictate a steady stream of e-mails and occasional phone calls each day to discuss strategic planning, marketing and sales. "We don't spend much time shooting the breeze," says Richmond, the father of two children. "Clients assume he's older, based on his presence and demeanor." One of those clients -- Silvia Vonderlinden, city clerk of nearby Menlo Park, Calif. -- says age "makes no difference" working with Comcate. "I just think they're extremely customer-oriented, and the product is very good," she says. The city uses Comcate software to field questions from city residents via e-mail. During the school year, Ben's day starts at 6:30 a.m. He reads dozens of business-related e-mails, and monitors websites and blogs for news. In his spare time, Ben has jotted down 50,000 words for a prospective book on his business career. His blog (bigben.blogs.com) muses on topics as diverse as author Joan Didion and the CIA's involvement in Afghanistan. And he says he has found time to read 120 books the past 16 months. He wants to read 4,200 over the next 60 years. Striking a balance Such an ambitious lifestyle can be gratifying -- and confusing, admits Ben, who has applied to 15 colleges, including University of Chicago and Cornell University. For a while, he says, he adopted a "dual identity": There was the professional Ben, who answered calls with a deep, raspy "Hello, Ben Casnocha," and the happy-go-lucky teen who picked up the phone with a "Hey, what's up?" He admits things got hairy his freshman and sophomore years in high school, when his schedule overwhelmed him at times. As a sophomore, Ben had a C- in two classes, and his grade-point average is an ordinary 3.0. But he logged a 3.8 in the last semester. Since then, he's become more comfortable with his teen alter ego, crediting a sojourn into Buddhism and meditation. For 15 minutes a day, Ben plops into a seat, spine erect, and relaxes. He controls his breathing and concentrates on the word focus. His journey to self discovery has taught him the importance of the big picture, and he cringes when he is called a whiz. "I'm just the smallest dot in a big map of human history," he says. He's also a keen observer of others' behavior. "One of his favorite things to analyze is the social scene at high school," says classmate Danielle Robin, 18, a senior who has known Ben for four years. "Ben once told me that high school is a plethora of superficial bull - - -t. We call him Ben the Businessman." His son's insatiable curiosity, however, has convinced David Casnocha that Ben will end up in journalism. "He loves to read and write too much," his father says. "I often tell him, 'Dude, if your worst offense is being different than everyone else, you're going to have a great life,' " adds Tim Taylor, 37, a former angel investor who sits on the board of several tech companies and advises Ben. "Where he's grown is in exploring life beyond his company." Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from the daily media including USA Today, go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/internet-news.html ------------------------------ From: Jeremy Kirk Subject: Internet Explorer 7 Will Flush Its History Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 13:51:52 -0600 Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service Microsoft's forthcoming Internet Explorer (IE) 7 browser will have a thorough flush feature that clears its history and all associated files stored after a Web site is accessed. In IE 6, a user has to spend lots of time trying to expunge the information stored after a Web site has been visited, wrote Uche Enuha, a program manager on the IE user experience team, on the company's browser blog. The new "delete browsing history" feature under the "tools" menu will be able to wipe out five major data categories, including temporary Internet files, cookies, history, form data, and passwords, Enuha wrote. A user can delete all of those at once or can individually choose which ones to wipe through the "delete browsing history" panel, Enuha wrote. Deeper Cleaning The feature goes deeper than a novice user would likely pursue. For example, deleting files from the temporary Internet files folder will also clean out attachments stored by the Outlook e-mail program in that folder, Enuha wrote. A beta version of IE 7 has been out for Windows XP Service Pack 2 and an enhanced beta version is available for the beta 1 version of Windows Vista, according to Microsoft's Web site. Copyright 2006 PC World Communications, Inc. 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more tech news on the web, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/tech-news.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 12:52:03 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Motorola Snaps up IPTV Set-Top Company USTelecom dailyLead January 18, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cQoYfDtutagjgJxlNV TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Motorola snaps up IPTV set-top company BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Verizon to sell FiOS in housing communities * Report: FTTP systems revenue to pass $2B in 2008 * France Telecom rolls out FTTH pilot * Sprint Nextel opens lifestyle stores USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * Is your business prepared for IPTV? TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * WiMAX still sits in Wi-Fi's shadow * Disney launches broadband channel for preschoolers REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * FCC opens investigation into sale of phone records Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cQoYfDtutagjgJxlNV ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Wednesday 18th January 2006 Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 07:39:58 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ Financial ]] Telecom Italia Denies Rumor Of Imminent Profit Warning http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15610.php Telecom Italia, Tuesday denied market rumors that it was preparing to lower its earnings guidance. ... World Bank to finance 2nd phase of rural telecoms plan http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15618.php Nicaragua is negotiating a loan with the World Bank to help finance a US$10mn second phase of a program for fixed line and mobile coverage in rural communities, telecoms and postal service regulator Telcor spokeswoman Sapjha Hamad told BNamericas. ... Consultant says mobile services revenue in Russia up 33% in 2005 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15622.php The revenue of Russian companies from mobile services increased 33% on the year to U.S. $10.5 billion in 2005, Russia's iKS-Consulting agency said Tuesday. ... Hutchison Completes Indian Acquisition http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15624.php Hutchison Telecom has announced that Hutchison Essar, its joint venture in India with Essar Teleholdings Limited, has completed the acquisition of BPL Mobile Cellular. BPL Cellular operates in three licence areas -- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala... [[ Handsets ]] Alcatel unit plans to sell up to 400,000 mobile handsets in Chile http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15617.php The Chilean unit of French telecoms equipment supplier Alcatel expects to sell 350,000-400,000 mobile phones during 2006, a year when the company plans to consolidate its mobile offering in the market, country manager Matas Olavarrieta told BNameri... First Three Handsets from BenQ Mobile http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15623.php BenQ Mobile has launched its first three handsets under the BenQ-Siemens brand name. Supporting the repositioning of the company, BenQ Mobile has adopted an aggressive branding strategy and is committed to building a powerful, global consumer brand. ... [[ Legal ]] PRESS: Prosecutors challenge Alfa's unit frequencies in Ukraine http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15612.php Ukraine's General Prosecutor's Office has initiated a case against officials who issued radio frequencies to Ukrainian High Technologies, or Ukrainskiye Noveishiye Tekhnology, an affiliate of Russia's Alfa Group holding, in 2000, Ukraine's Interior... Kostunica, Gorbach To Discuss Mobtel Tuesday -CEEMarketWatch http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15613.php BELGRADE (Dow Jones Newswires)--Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and Hubert Gorbach, Austrian vice chancellor and federal minister for transport, innovation and technology, will meet Tuesday in Belgrade, CEEMarketWatch reported citing the Se... New York Firefighters' Families Lose Bid To Sue Motorola http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15615.php WASHINGTON (AP)--Families of New York firefighters killed at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, failed Tuesday to persuade the Supreme Court to allow them to go forward with a lawsuit against New York City and Motorola for supplying the rescue... IPOC warns potential buyers to stay away from MegaFon's 25.1% http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15621.php Bermuda Islands-based IPOC International Growth Fund plans to regain control of a disputed 25.1% stake in Russia's third largest mobile operator MegaFon and has warned all potential buyers of its intentions, IPOC said in a press release Tuesday. ... [[ Messaging ]] Improved SMS for Indian Operator http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15626.php NMS Communications has announced that one of India's largest GSM operators has deployed a Short Messaging Service (SMS) centre based on technology from solutions provider TeleDNA and powered by NMS's media processing technology. India-based TeleDNA p... [[ Mobile Content ]] O2, Arqiva Mobile TV Service Proves Popular In Trial http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15614.php O2, the UK mobile telecommunications company, and broadcasting company Arqiva Tuesday said their mobile television trial has shown clear consumer demand for the service. ... [[ Network Contracts ]] Auto-Setup for Indonesian Handsets http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15625.php Indonesia's PT Excelcomindo Pratama (XL) has selected Insignia's Device Management Server (DMS) solutions for over-the-air management of mobile devices on their growing network. Insignia's DMS is an extensible platform that can support all industry s... [[ Regulatory ]] Fifth mobile band auction set for 1Q06 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15619.php Peru's fifth mobile band is slated to be auctioned off during the first quarter of 2006, local business daily Gestión reported Monday. ... [[ Statistics ]] Vivo Maintains Lead In Brazil's Mobile Phone Market http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15611.php Brazilian mobile phone company Vivo maintained its market leadership in December with a 34.54% share of the industry, but its advantage against the competition fell, according to figures released by the telecommunications regulator Anatel Friday. ... AC&M says Russia's mobile user base up to 125.76 mln on Dec 31 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15616.php The number of mobile phone service subscribers in Russia increased to 125.76 million people as of December 31 from 119.54 million people as of November 30, Advanced Communications & Media (AC&M) said in a report released Tuesday. ... Movistar takes first place in mobile market http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15620.php Mobile operator Movistar Venezuela has pulled into first place in the country's mobile telephony market, according to a statement by the company. ... African-Americans and Hispanics Dominate Cellphone Use http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15627.php Telephia, the leading provider of performance measurement information to the mobile industry, reports that African-American and Hispanic mobile consumers were heavy cell phone users in Q3. The latest data from Telephia's Customer Value Metrics report... Turkcell Publishes Subscriber Update http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15628.php Turkey's Turkcell says that it recorded a 19% increase in its overall customer base to 27.9 million as of December 31, 2005 from 23.4 million subscribers as of December 31, 2004. Turkcell added approximately 1,157,000 net new subscribers in the last ... ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 11:50:15 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - Wednesday, January 18, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For January 18, 2006 ******************************** Regulator Supports Opening of Deutsche Telekom's Fibre-Optic Network to Rivals http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16269?11228 Germany's telecoms regulator, RegTP, has decided to grant access to Deutsche Telekom's new fibre-optic network to the incumbent operator's rivals. RegTP expects Deutsche Telekom to open its planned 3 billion-euro (US$3.6 billion) network up to alternative operators. Significance: The regulator's long-awaited decision brings an end... FastWeb Mulls MVNO Roll-Out, Plans Quadruple-Play Services http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16262?11228 FastWeb has confirmed that it is in talks with existing Italian mobile operators to launch MVNO operations. A company spokesperson acknowledged that FastWeb was negotiating with Vodafone's Italian unit on the technological feasibility of operating a combined fixed and mobile service, but insisted that a commercial deal was not on the... Taking VoIP to the Next Level http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/105/16259?11228 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) companies are rapidly maturing, adding data interactivity features to their formerly voice-only product and service lines. IP PBX specialist ShoreTel, for example, is moving aggressively into the online meeting market with its ShoreTel Converged Conferencing 5.6 product. The offering is an... Survey Tracks Ethnic Mobile Usage http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16256?11228 A new study shows that in the third quarter of 2005, African Americans and Hispanics were the heaviest users of cell phones, and their rate of growth was faster than other ethnic groups. The study, done by Telephia, shows that African American cell phone owners used an average of 1,200 minutes, and their use was growing at a rate of... States Could Face Regulatory Pre-Emption From The Feds http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/130/16254?11228 One Washington, D.C.-based researcher believes individual states will be seeing more legislative action on three communications fronts this year: telecom deregulation, franchise changes, and Internet and e-commerce-oriented bills. According to Kent Lassman, research fellow and director of the digital policy network program at the... WiMAX Equipment Market May Top $3 Billion in 2010 http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16253?11228 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. --WiMAX has an excellent opportunity to expand the market for fixed, portable and mobile broadband access, reports In-Stat. WiMAX's advantages in cost, flexibility and portability will also allow its providers to take market share from operators using proprietary wireless or wireline technologies, the high-tech... Ubiquity Moves Closer to AT&T http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16251?11228 The SIP application maker Ubiquity Software Corp. announced Tuesday it is moving into lab trials with AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T - message board) as part of a three-year agreement. Under the agreement, Ubiquity will sell its SIP (Session Initiated Protocol) Application Servers "for testing and use in delivering new, enhanced broadband... Copyright (C) 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ From: imecs2006@iaeng.org Subject: CFP: The 2006 IAENG International Workshop on Data Mining Date: 18 Jan 2006 07:02:33 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Call for Papers From: International Association of Engineers (http://www.iaeng.org) Journal Engineering Letters (http://www.engineeringletters.com) Call for Papers: The 2006 IAENG International Workshop on Wireless Networks (IWWN'06) (Part of The International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists IMECS 2006) 20-22 June, 2006, Hong Kong http://www.iaeng.org/IMECS2006/IWWN2006.html The IWWN'06 has the focus on some specific issues for wireless LAN, PAN, sensor networks and ad hoc networks such as efficient management of energy, the security, the behaviour of different protocols over these networks, the theoretical and applied study of these networks in a disconnected and weakly connected operation and middlewares/agents/proxies based solutions. This workshop is held as part of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2006. The IMECS 2006 is organized by the International Association of Engineers (IAENG), and serves as good platforms for the engineering community members to meet with each other and to exchange ideas. Extended version of the papers under this workshop can be included in the special issue of our journal Engineering Letters. And, further extended version can also be included in a book called "Current Trends in Wireless Networks" to be published by IAENG. The IMECS 2006 multiconference has the focus on the frontier topics in the theoretical and applied engineering and computer science subjects. It consists of 14 workshops (see the details at IMECS website: www.iaeng.org/IMECS2006). The multiconference serves as good platforms for the engineering community members of different disciplines to meet with each other and to exchange ideas. The current conference committee of the IMECS 2006 includes over 140 workshop co-chairs and committee members of mainly research center heads, department heads, professors, research scientists from over 20 countries, while a few of the committee members are also experienced software development directors and engineers. All submitted papers will be under peer review and accepted papers will be published in the conference proceeding (ISBN: 988-98671-3-3). The abstracts will be indexed and available at major academic databases. The Technology Research Databases (TRD) of CSA (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts), DBLP and Computer Science Bibliographies have promised to index the print proceeding in advance of its publication. And after the publication of the proceeding, print copies will also be sent to databases like IEE INSPEC, Engineering Index (EI) and ISI Thomson Scientific for indexing. The accepted papers will also be considered for publication in the special issues of the journal Engineering Letters. Some participants may also be invited to submit extended version of their conference papers for considering as book chapters (soon after the conference). Workshop Co-Chairs: Chin-Chen Chang IEEE Fellow, IEE Fellow Chair Professor in Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science, Feng Chia University, Taiwan Chung Shue Chen Assistant Professor, Department of Information Engineering The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Joy Iong-Zong Chen Associate professor of Dep. of Communication Engineering Da Yeh University, Taiwan Yuh-Shyan Chen Associate Professor, Co-Editors-in-Chief of International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing (IJAHUC) Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan I-Shyan Hwang Associate professor in the Department of Computer Engineering & Science Yuan-Ze University, Taiwan Rajgopal Kannan Assistant Professor, Dept. of Computer Science, Louisiana State University, USA Phone Lin Associate Professor, Department Computer Science & Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Dr. Elsa M. Macias Lopez (Chair) Dept. of Telematic Engineering, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria University, Spain Ali Nazari Research staff member Fraunhofer IGD, Germany Ai-Chun Pang Assistant Professor, Dept. of Computer Science and Information Engineering National Taiwan University, Taiwan Prof. Vaidy Sunderam (co-chair) Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Computer Science, Dept. of Math & Computer Science, Emory University, USA Chia-Sheng Tsai Assistant Professor, EE & CSE College Tatung University, Taiwan G=2EC. Yang Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering National ChungHsing University, Taiwan Wei Yen Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering Director of Industrial Cooperation Section Tatung University, Taiwan Technical papers describing original, previously unpublished research results are solicited. Specific topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: Location-based Services and Positioning Wireless Ad-hoc Networks, MANET Wireless Broadband Mobile Access Wireless LAN/PAN Sensor Network Planning and Deployment Wireless/mobile networked applications Interworking heterogeneous wireless/wireline networks Disconnected and weakly connected operation Mobile agents Multimedia QoS support & middleware Proxies and middleware for wireless networks Performance of end-to-end protocols over wireless networks Wireless multicasting T ransport Layer Issues in Mobile and Wireless Networks Routing in multihop, ad hoc and sensor networks Congestion and admission control Wireless network security and privacy System-level energy management for wireless devices Submission: Prospective authors are invited to submit their draft paper in abstract format (one page) or in full paper format to imecs@iaeng.org by 12 March, 2006. The submitted file can be in MS Word format, PS format, or PDF formats. The first page of the draft paper should include: = Title of the paper; = Name, affiliation and e-mail address for each author; = A maximum of 5 keywords of the paper; Also, the name of the workshop session that the paper is being submitted to should be stated in the email. Important Dates: Draft Manuscript / Abstract submission deadline: 12 March, 2006 Camera-Ready papers & Pre-registration due: 2 April, 2006 IMECS 2006: 20-22 June, 2006 More details about the IWFE 2006 can be found at: http://www.iaeng.org/IMECS2006/IWWN2006.html It will be highly appreciated if you can circulate these calls for papers to your colleagues. ------------------------------ From: sethb@panix.com (Seth Breidbart) Subject: Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 19:06:43 +0000 (UTC) Organization: Society for the Promulgation of Cruelty to the Clueless In article , Matt Simpson wrote: > In article , Lena > wrote: >> They DO have a DELETE button, don't they? > Actually, they don't. Gmail reserves the right to keep your mail in > their system indefinitely. Even if you "delete" it so that it's no > longer available to you, they still have it. So on other sites, when you hit delete, you expect a magic spell to erase all copies of your message that are stored on their offsite backups instantaneously? Or are you just happier because they don't bother to mention it? Seth ------------------------------ From: Bill Mayhew Subject: Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:37:44 -0500 Indeed, AT&T's attitude of, "the customer is always wrong," would certainly sway any recommendations I would make regarding from whom our company should purchase datacom services. This fact, of course, has been expressed to AT&T's sales representatives, but they to date have been unable and/or unwilling to leverage any back office departments to assist with our spurious billing problem. I have asked for records, billing tapes, or whatever they would be called, from the Frame-Relay switch that show frame counts for the circuit in question and also whether LMI (Local Management Interface) data were being returned back from the router supposedly connected at our end of the virtual circuit [that had been disconnected and removed years ago]. I called the AT&T customer support center and asked for the information, but was told that it was not available. This seems odd, since this was a, "Managed Network Data Services," Frame-Relay facility, thus this information would have been required for AT&T to prove it was meeting its service level agreement for the facility. I am a technical person, not a book keeper, but as far as I know, we have had no success in getting AT&T to stop sending bills for the non existent service. What I am looking for is the magic phrase to say, office inside AT&T for their billing dispute people to contact, or whatever can explain the situation to them in terms they can understand. I am flabbergasted how clueless, unhelpful and unfriendly AT&T treats its customers. The absorption of AT&T into SBC has only aggravated the situation, as what's left of AT&T is able to hide behind SBC. The re-merger of AT&T and SBC proves the validity of Judge Green's 1984 MFJ breaking them up in the first place. It is like some sort of evil hydra re-assembling itself. As a separate company, AT&T as an inter exchange carrier was vulnerable if it provided lousy service -- MCI or whomever could swoop in and get business. SBC is lobbying hard to get rid of equal access rules, and force out other local exchange carriers so they'll be the only game in town if you want a local loop -- and who doesn't (unless you have a satellite downlink). So it looks like we're headed back to the bad old days all over again. The only other infrastructure alternative where we are located is Adelphia cable, and they aren't able to provision business grade datacom service over the cable plant in this area. Where it stands right now is that we've explained the situation to the Ohio PUC, and they're investigating. With no current contract or evidence that AT&T was delivering any tangible service, hopefully the situation is obvious to the people investigating at the PUC and they hold a big enough stick to get a resolution. Bill Mayhew wrote in message news:telecom25.24.4@telecom-digest.org: > Dear telecom readers, > The SBC merger hasn't helped any either. I tried calling many of the > contact numbers on the AT&T web site. They seem to have all been > absorbed into SBC, and any customer-facing contact points sound like > they are being relayed to off-shore call centers by low quality > voice-over-IP. I'm wondering just how low they can lower the bar for > customer service! > Thanks for any assistance, > Bill > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Are you using AT&T for anything at all > these days, or at least anything which cannot be swapped out to some > other carrier? Unless your company is in a position to toss 'multiple > tens of thousands of dollars' (your wording) at AT&T every year or > so, my suggestion would be to drop them entirely; calculate a final > billing due as you can best estimate it; send them a final payment > marked 'payment in full' and let it go at that. Believe me, they will > contact you soon enough. At the very least, quit paying the disputed > charges once and for all; let _them_ get after you when they > eventually decide they want their money. PAT] ------------------------------ From: DevilsPGD Subject: Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2006 22:45:02 -0700 Organization: Disorganized In message Bill Mayhew wrote: > What I'm hoping is that a reader of this digest might know what office > inside AT&T would have issued a work order for the decommissioning of > the MDNS circuit and/or retrieval of the physical assets such as the > router. It be great to know by what name AT&T calls such a work > order, so that we know what to ask them to find in their archives > related to the MDNS account. Hopefully we can make the point that if > they dispatched a technician to pick up their equipment on such and > such a date, there is no way they could have been rendering service > past that date ... and dare I say it, rescind the bills to that point > in time. I am not too hopeful, however, as AT&T seems to be very > capable of ignoring obvious facts. I would suspect that either not paying the bills, or hiring a lawyer would get their attention rather promptly. "Gee, Bill what do you want to do tonight?" "The same thing we do every night Steve. Try to take over the world!" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 15:38:15 -0500 From: radiodude Subject: Re: Last Laugh! Police Had to Convince Lottery Winner it was Real Reuters News Wire wrote: > "After all, " he noted, "the Americans send us so much spam garbage > in email each day, who knows what to believe on the internet any > more." Except that, far and away, the majority of spam comes from eastern Europe, Russian republics, China, and the rest of Asia. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #26 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Jan 18 23:53:13 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 87FA51501A; Wed, 18 Jan 2006 23:53:13 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #27 Message-Id: <20060119045313.87FA51501A@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 23:53:13 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.3 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, STRONG_BUY autolearn=no version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Wed, 18 Jan 2006 23:55:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 27 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Hackers Attack Student Web Site (Associated Press News Wire) EBay Plans INstant Buying (Eric Auchard) Need Help With a Telephone Mystery (Jim Haynes) Re: Cell Phone Extenders? (radiodude) Re: Modems - Hayes - Instant Communications (Robert Bonomi) Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago (Steve Sobol) Coder of C-64 Games? (Thomas Steiding) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Associated Press News Wire Subject: Hackers Attack Student's Web Site Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 22:13:18 -0600 A Web site that earned an enterprising British student $1 million suffered a crippling attack by ransom-seeking hackers. Alex Tew, 21, said Wednesday that his Million Dollar Homepage was targeted after he publicized how it had helped him raise money for his university studies. Tew had sold 10,000 small squares of advertising space on the Web site for $100 each, achieving his target in four months. His initiative spawned several copycat sites. But Tew said that on Jan. 7, he received a threat from an organization calling itself "The Dark Group," demanding that he pay them $50,000 within 72 hours or face having his site taken down. "It was written in poor English, but the hackers asked for $50,000, saying that it was just 5 percent of what I had made," Tew said. "I did not reply to the e-mail. I had no intention of paying." Tew ignored the threat. Hackers then initiated a so-called distributed denial of service, in which attackers take command of third-party computers, through a virus or other security vulnerability, and instruct them to send junk data to the target site, overwhelming servers and causing the site to crash or perform poorly. Tew said the site now works normally. Tew, from Wiltshire, a county in southern England, said he informed the FBI because his site is hosted in the United States. FBI spokesman Paul Bresson said the agency was investigating. Such extortion cases targeting Web sites are occurring with greater frequency. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Associated Press please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Eric Auchard Subject: EBay Plans Instant-Buying Service Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 22:11:50 -0600 By Eric Auchard EBay Inc. on Wednesday said it planned to offer an instant-purchase service to supplement its bid-and-wait online auctions, pitting the company directly against conventional e-commerce retailers. Bill Cobb, president of eBay North America, said in a memo to eBay users on Wednesday that the new service -- to be called eBay Express when launched this spring -- aims to broaden the range of products shoppers can expect to buy on eBay. EBay also disclosed changes to the fees it charges in the United States for listing items on ebay.com, raising by 9 percent the percentage transaction fee that it charges on the value of goods between $25 and $975 in value. It said it would cut prices on low-priced items and other seller features. A year ago, broad changes in pricing for eBay auctions provoked a rebellion among a vocal minority of sellers. But eBay officials stressed that last year's increases were steeper and that U.S. business growth had nonetheless accelerated. Overall, the changes are likely to add to earnings, Chief Financial Officer Rajiv Dutta told investors on a conference call following the company's 2005 year-end financial report. EBay spokesman Hani Durzy said that eBay now charges 5.25 percent of the first $25 of the final sale price of an item; 2.75 percent of the next incremental $975 of value, and 1.5 percent of the incremental value above $1000 of the item. The middle tier of prices -- from $25 to $975 -- will now be charged transaction fees of 3 percent, up from 2.75 percent. "It feels like we are hearing the same record again from last year," said David Edwards, an analyst with American Technology Research in San Francisco, who rates eBay shares a "hold" in terms of their investment potential. SHOPPING BASKET EBay Express will feature an online shopping cart that allows buyers to select multiple items and pay for them all at once, as Amazon.com Inc. shoppers are used to doing. EBay already offers a "Buy It Now" feature that allows bidders to short circuit the eBay auction process and pay a set price specified by a seller. But the feature is designed to attract buyers and disappears once bidders join an auction. By contrast, Express will be a full-service shopping site that only offers goods or services at fixed prices. Sellers will be able to list items both for auction and for outright purchase, eBay said. EBay Express is described as a "specialty site" that will be part of the broader eBay marketplace, alongside its exiting eBay Stores and "Fixed Price" listings. EBay sellers with strong buyer ratings will qualify to sell their items on both eBay Express and traditional ebay.com sites. Initially, eBay Express will only be available to U.S. sellers, but plans are to extend the service internationally. EBay price increases initially apply only to U.S. listings. International price changes will be announced later this quarter, eBay executives said. EBay also said it was waiving all final sale fees in its EachNet China business. Last February, eBay compromised over the price increases by offering price decreases under certain conditions. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ Subject: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery Reply-To: jhaynes@alumni.uark.edu Organization: University of Arkansas Alumni From: haynes@alumni.uark.edu (Jim Haynes) Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 21:18:51 GMT I have an elderly friend in rural Arkansas who tells me that about a week ago he started getting a lot of phone calls. He has been able to learn that the number they are calling is 1-888-565-8361 and that it has something to do with prescription drugs. I assume that somewhere in the vast web of the telephone network the toll-free numbers get translated into real phone number and that's how the calls get forwarded to a real phone. And I assume that somehow his own phone number has been incorrectly been put into one of those translations. But I don't know how to track down where the translation is taking place and how to get it fixed. Turns out the man's wife some years ago had an 888 number -- she had forgotten all about it -- and the number she had was off in one digit from the number people are calling. So it's a simple misdialing. Altho I would have thought that her old 888 number would no longer work. jhhaynes at earthlink dot net [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I would be careful saying that it is a 'simple misdialing' if there are _many_ people calling it. That might be the case, or it may be that the 'prescription drug company' (?) somehow has misprinted literature out with the wrong number printed on it. Ask your elderly friend to inquire of the callers the name of the company they are trying to reach, then see if you can reach that company and (a) get some of their literature to look at or (b) just ask one of their representatives 'what number should I call if I wish to use your service?' Also ask your friend to check his phone bill closely and see if there is a monthly charge for a toll free number or if his next phone bill has charges on it for collect calls, etc. If the toll free number is provided by some other carrier, then unless he specifically tells _that carrier_ he does not want the toll free service it will never be removed from an association with his 'real' number. Even if he moves away or changes his number and someone else gets his old number, those toll free calls will continue to ring into the (old) number, even if some other innocent party gets the number assigned to them, or no one gets assigned to the number and calls ring to intercept. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 16:02:32 -0500 From: radiodude Subject: Re: Cell Phone Extenders? Organization: We > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But if you buy a cell phone and obtain > service from some carrier, aren't you granted a license (on the > carrier's master license) to use the phone as a transmitter? PAT] No! And the BDA is a SEPARATE tranmitter from your cell phone, therefore you NEED permission from the carrier, and all carriers that will pass through it. Besides, virtually NONE of these devices is good enough to pass only cellular and NOT pass the public safety/SMR/etc frequencies as well. And as has been mentioned, the ones designed for Nextel CAN'T because their frequencies are interspersed with PS/SMR. John Levine wrote: >> If you buy a cellphone and contract for service for that cellphone >> with a licensed carrier, then that carrier's license covers the >> operation of the phone you activated with that carrier. You can't >> then go out and use other phones under that contract without the >> carrier's consent. > An interesting theory, although clearly nonsensical with GSM phones. Not theory. Cloning other phones onto your account is theft of service. Besides, the cell system keeps track of not only the phone number, but also the ESN of the phone. The ESN CANNOT be changed without destroying the phone. (Speaking as a former switch tech for a cell company.) niallgal@yahoo.com wrote: > A quick web search comes up with: > http://www.digitalantenna.com/cellamprep_DA4000SBR.html which makes the > following claims: > Q: Does the owner of this equipment (installed location) require an FCC > license to operate the repeater? > A: No, neither the user nor the installer needs an FCC license. All of > our products are FCC approved. In the instruction manual, you will > find guidelines to follow to comply with all FCC requirements, such as > proper separation between antennas, and persons must be 6 meters > horizontally away from outside antenna. > Maybe worth a try. > N That person is lying through his teeth, and has been told so many times by several communications lawyers across the country. DO NOT BELIEVE HIM! You _MUST_ have permission of ALL licensees in the affected area which can be passed by the unit!!!! Jim Barbour ------------------------------ From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomni.com (Robert Bonomi) Subject: Re: Modems - Hayes - Instant Communications Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 23:07:54 -0000 Organization: Widgets, Inc. In article , wrote: [[.. sneck ..]] > For some reason, very few people today use the "fine" setting on > fax machines which makes a much clearer transmission at very little > increase in time. They still use "regular" which comes out so fuzzy. > A fax of a fax is almost unreadable. In point of fact, 'fine' mode requires *double* the transmission time of 'standard' mode. 'Standard' mode is 100 scan-lines/inch, with 1728 dots per line, employing RLL encoding on the data in a single line. "Fine" mode is _200_ scan-lines/inch, with the same 1728 dots/line, again with RLL encoding of the data in a single line. Unfortunately, in neither setting is there any compression in the 'vertical' direction. ------------------------------ From: Steve Sobol Subject: Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 18:19:17 -0800 Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com DevilsPGD wrote: > I would suspect that either not paying the bills, or hiring a lawyer > would get their attention rather promptly. IMHO hiring a lawyer is the better idea. Pursue the issue with your state regulatory agency too, if possible. Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED Company website: http://JustThe.net/ Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/ E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 02:46:34 +0100 From: Thomas Steiding Reply-To: Thomas Steiding Subject: Coder of C-64 Games? Dear Mr. Trotter, I'm looking for Mark Trotter who programmed games for the Commodore C-64 computer a long time ago. Could you please tell me if you are the person I'm looking for? Thank you very much in advance and have a nice day. Kind Regards / Mit freundlichen Grüssen Thomas Steiding mailto:ts@magnussoft.de ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #27 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Jan 19 15:45:35 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 1458615008; Thu, 19 Jan 2006 15:45:35 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #28 Message-Id: <20060119204535.1458615008@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 15:45:35 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.2 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, CELL_PHONE_IMPROVE,HOT_NASTY,NA_DOLLARS autolearn=no version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Thu, 19 Jan 2006 15:50:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 28 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Bush Demanding Google Search Records in Porn Probe (Associated Press) Google's Shadow Payroll no Longer a Secret (Bob Tedeschi) Make it a Google Night (Alyce Lomax) Book Review: "Ending Spam", Jonathan A. Zdziarski (Rob Slade) Cellular-News for Thursday 19th January 2006 (Cellular-News) TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 19, 2006 (telecomdirect_daily) Microsoft Rolls Out Customer Care Solution (USTelecom dailyLead) Re: Cell Phone Extenders? (John Levine) Re: Hackers Attack Student's Web Site (Lisa Hancock) Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old (Lisa Hancock) Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago (Lisa Hancock) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Associated Press News Wire Subject: Bush Demanding Google Search Records in Porn Probe Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 13:22:04 -0600 The Bush administration, seeking to revive an online pornography law struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, has subpoenaed Google Inc. for details on what its users have been looking for through its popular search engine. Google has refused to comply with the subpoena, issued last year, for a broad range of material from its databases, including a request for 1 million random Web addresses and records of all Google searches from any one-week period, lawyers for the U.S. Justice Department said in papers filed Wednesday in federal court in San Jose. Privacy advocates have been increasingly scrutinizing Google's practices as the company expands its offerings to include e-mail, driving directions, photo-sharing, instant messaging and Web journals. Although Google pledges to protect personal information, the company's privacy policy says it complies with legal and government requests. Google also has no stated guidelines on how long it keeps data, leading critics to warn that retention is potentially forever given cheap storage costs. The government contends it needs the data to determine how often pornography shows up in online searches as part of an effort to revive an Internet child protection law that was struck down two years ago by the U.S. Supreme Court on free-speech grounds, "and we believe many men are also sneaking in looks at this material at their places of employment each day; we want that to stop," said a spokesperson for for the Attorney General's office. The 1998 Child Online Protection Act would have required adults to use access codes or other ways of registering before they could see objectionable material online, and it would have punished violators with fines up to $50,000 and jail time. The high court ruled that technology such as filtering software may better protect children. The matter is now before a federal court in Pennsylvania, and the government wants the Google data to help argue that the law is more effective than software in protecting children from porn. The Mountain View-based company told The San Jose Mercury News that it opposes releasing the information because it would violate the privacy rights of its users and would reveal company trade secrets. Nicole Wong, an associate general counsel for Google, said the company will fight the government's efforts "vigorously ... it is no one's business how often consenting adults view this material or think about it." "Google is not a party to this lawsuit, and the demand for the information is overreaching," Wong said. "We are not going to cooperate voluntarily." Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Bob Tedeschi Subject: Google's Shadow Payroll no Longer a Secret Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 13:24:10 -0600 By BOB TEDESCHI FEELING depressed because you missed out on Google's stock bonanza? Not to worry. Just get on the company's shadow payroll. Hundreds of thousands of people have essentially done just that by starting blogs, forums or other informational sites and getting paid for posting ads on Google's behalf. And while the money they earn might not be enough for them to buy, say, a share of Google's stock, such revenues are growing. The trickle-down effect from Google does not stop at fledgling entrepreneurs. A growing number of rank-and-file contributors to Web sites are also profiting. Consider Digital Point Solutions, a software company in San Diego, which publishes an online forum http://forums.digitalpoint.com frequented by about 15,000 users. Any one of them who starts a new forum discussion topic receives half of the advertising revenue paid to the site by Google for ads on the front page of that topic section. (The discussion's creator then splits his share with others who post messages.) Google does not actually advertise on the Digital Point site. Rather, through Google's AdSense program, it places ads on the forum, similar to the ads that appear next to search results on Google.com. Google scans the information on the forum's pages, then posts related ads. If the discussion is about computer hardware, for instance, ads for DVD drives might appear. Google pays Digital Point about $10,000 a month, depending on how many people view or click on those ads, said Shawn D. Hogan, the owner and chief technology officer of Digital Point. Mr. Hogan said he started the revenue-sharing approach in 2004 "as kind of a marketing gimmick." (A picture with the NY Times story shows Mr. Hogan at his computer, helping new guys get started with their groups and blogs, etc.) "But everyone seemed to think it was a cool idea," he said. "I saw a lot of other sites doing the same thing maybe six months later." Mr. Hogan said it was difficult to say whether the financial incentives had made the forum's participants more active, because its growth rate was about the same before and after it started paying users. Either way, the payoff is meager. "In the best-case scenario, someone might make $50 a month, so they're definitely not quitting their jobs to do this," he said. "But it might be enough to buy a nice dinner." One area of concern, Mr. Hogan said, was whether the forum's participants would skew their postings to earn more money. For instance, since advertisers in certain categories, like sexual- performance drugs, pay much more to place their ads on Google and its affiliated sites, you might expect technology discussions to randomly veer in that direction. "But that hasn't happened, thankfully," Mr. Hogan said. "Probably because there isn't that much revenue in it for them." That could change, as more marketers adopt this approach, which Yahoo also offers. Google's advertising network sales, which come largely from its AdSense advertisers, reached $675 million in the third quarter of 2005, the last period for which Google reported results. That figure was up 76 percent from a year earlier. AdSense generates slightly less revenue than Google's primary revenue engine, its search Web sites, which sold about $885 million worth of ads in the third quarter of 2005, a 115 percent jump from the previous year. Google.com and the company's foreign search sites contribute more to Google's bottom line than AdSense, because for every dollar the company brings in through AdSense and other places that distribute its ads, it pays roughly 78.5 cents back to sites like Digital Point that display the ads. But in some ways, search advertising has a more limited horizon, since the number of advertisements a company can display is limited by the number of searches its users conduct. Internet users continue to increase their reliance on search sites, and Google in particular, but the rate of growth is in the single digits. By contrast, millions of small sites have not yet signed up for Google's AdSense program, which was introduced in 2002. AdSense quickly gained a following among bigger companies with an online presence, like the Weather Channel, as a way to supplement their advertising deals and populate more obscure pages with paid ads. But as more small sites use the Internet to post photos, journals and other material, the number of pages that can carry new Google ads is growing quickly. That's what makes AdSense one of Google's most compelling long-term bets, said Charlene Li, an online media analyst with Forrester Research. "I've called Google the one-trick pony for a long time, and for the most part they still are," Ms. Li said. "But they really see AdSense as the next frontier." To that end, the company has refined the program significantly, with For instance, as of late last year anyone who created a blog with Google's Blogger service was automatically enrolled in the AdSense program. "Before that, it was quite painful to figure out," said Gokul Rajaram, the business product manager for AdSense, "so over the last few months we've seen a sharp uptick in bloggers using AdSense." For AdSense advertisers, some of the more significant improvements began last June, when Google started allowing marketers to select vast groups of sites on which to advertise, as Paramount Pictures did last year when it chose 100 small sites with hip-hop-oriented content to promote its movie "Hustle & Flow." Late last year, Google also gave advertisers the ability to display graphical ads on sites within the AdSense network of publishers, as well as the ability to pay different (typically lower) prices for AdSense ads than those available on Google.com. The company will not disclose how many advertisers have joined the program -- "thousands" is all it says -- but analysts said marketers were quickly warming to it, thanks in part to the recent upgrades. More advertisers, of course, mean more money for publishers, many of whom would simply not publish if it were not for AdSense, Ms. Li of Forrester said. "Before, if I wanted to put advertising on my site, I'd have to hire ad salespeople, process orders -- there's no way," she said. "This has taken away a huge barrier in publishing and made it viable for people to make a couple dollars, or thousands of dollars." Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news reports and headlines from New York Times, National Public Radio and http://csmonitor.com please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/nytimes.html no login nor registration requirements. Just read and enjoy! ------------------------------ From: Alyce Lomax Subject: Make it a Google Night? Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 13:27:15 -0600 By Alyce Lomax On Monday night, Google launched its online video store -- in beta form, of course. But the high-priced search giant that can supposedly do no wrong might have fallen a little short on this one. Despite the interesting aspects to Google's video offering, the major takeaway may simply be that mainstream Internet users are ready to consume video through their PCs. The buzz around the Web has emphasized that there isn't much there there at the moment. Some pundits say the most interesting element of Google Video is that amateurs can distribute or even sell their video content there -- and thus benefit from the democratization of content on the Internet. I agree, but that certainly doesn't mean there isn't a lot of Googley video garbage right now. Trust me, there are definitely some video clips that appeared to teeter on the edge of very poor taste, or that simply looked too stupid for words. (I had better luck doing some specific searches for video that I was familiar with, as opposed to clicking on the "most popular" clips.) When it comes to the widespread accessibility of Internet video distribution, though, I can't help thinking of a site out there that's already scoring points with young people -- a video-swapping site called YouTube. It was there that I recently accessed the Saturday Night Live "Lazy Sunday" skit -- a good old-fashioned viral Internet phenomenon. It turns out that YouTube -- which has venture capital backing from Sequoia Capital, which also backed Google in the old days -- is actually the fastest-growing provider of video downloads. Visitors to that site have doubled in less than a year of operation. (The "Lazy Sunday" video gave the site a spike of 2.3 million visitors for the week ended Dec. 18.) Oh, yeah, and YouTube is free. But back to Google. A search for movies for sale at Google Video yielded a lot of results that I frankly have never heard of. And there were some rather eye-popping price tags for obscure downloads to boot, although Google does offer an interesting "day pass," through which a user buys just one day's access to a video selection for a far cheaper price. When it comes to television shows, there are a few tried-and-true favorites, including some episodes from the Star Trek franchise (Voyager and Deep Space Nine), Twilight Zone, and I Love Lucy, as well as some newer names, such as Survivor and CSI. For a fee, Google Video also offers sports games. Don't worry -- I'm not going to forget about the elephant in the room that is Apple, with its increasing distribution of hot video content through iTunes and ready for download to the video-enabled iPod, one of the holiday season's most popular consumer gadgets. (Google includes instructions for iPod junkies to download video to their iPods, of course.) Meanwhile, the whole video downloading concept is far too new to give video giants such as Netflix or Blockbuster anything to worry about just yet. Granted, Google's video content selection likely won't be scarce for long. And while I think it's an idea with potential, given the inevitability of video-over-broadband, I don't see that there's much of a moat protecting Google's offering from competitors. After all, the Web has been awash with stories of Internet companies that are posturing about video downloads as well, and many companies are also distributing content via video-on-demand options too. In this regard, Google may be able to do no wrong in the eyes of investors, but one has to wonder whether, in this case, it will do no better. Regardless, put your feet up and grab your microwave popcorn, because online video's definitely going to get more interesting. Netflix is a Motley Fool Stock Advisor selection. Alyce Lomax does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned. Copyright 2006 Motley Fool 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Motley Fool. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 08:16:23 -0800 From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "Ending Spam", Jonathan A. Zdziarski Reply-To: rMslade@shaw.ca Organization: Vancouver Institute for Research into User BKENDSPM.RVW 20051029 "Ending Spam", Jonathan A. Zdziarski, 2005, 1-59327-052-6, U$39.95/C$53.95 %A Jonathan A. Zdziarski %C 555 De Haro Street, Suite 250, San Francisco, CA 94107 %D 2005 %G 1-59327-052-6 %I No Starch Press %O U$39.95/C$53.95 415-863-9900 fax 415-863-9950 info@nostarch.com %O http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1593270526/robsladesinterne http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1593270526/robsladesinte-21 %O http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/1593270526/robsladesin03-20 %O Audience s+ Tech 3 Writing 2 (see revfaq.htm for explanation) %P 287 p. %T "Ending Spam" The preface states that the book is for those seriously interested in spam identification technologies, and concentrates on Bayesian and related statistical filtering. Part one is an introduction to spam filtering. Chapter one reviews the history of spam, although many of the early entries are simply annoyances or chain letters rather than the commercial or fraudulent items considered under the banner today, and the author does not seem to realize that 419 scams predated email by a considerable margin. A look at the development of spam filtering (excluding Bayesian) is presented in chapter two, along with some non-filtering. Bayesian analysis is explained in chapter three, and the statistical filtering basis is outlined in chapter four. The fundamental actuarial core is expanded in part two. Chapter five covers message coding. Tokenization, chunking characters into identifiable items, is examined in chapter six. Tricks spammers use to evade filters, and the solutions finding spam despite the deceptions, are outlined in chapter seven. Storage and performance issues raised by the data rules required by statistical filters are addressed in chapter eight. Chapter nine looks at aspects of scaling to systems supporting large numbers of users. Part three deals with advanced concepts in statistical filtering. Chapter ten delves into testing which, because of the individual and adaptive nature of Bayesian filtering, presents unique challenges. Tokenization is revisited in chapter eleven, in more advanced forms. Markovian discrimination, with its examination of stateful entities, is explained in chapter twelve. Having noted many kinds of features in the book, chapter thirteen explores ways to reduce the items used (and data required) while maintaining accuracy. Collaborative rule- building with other users, groups, or systems is reviewed in chapter fourteen. As the preface implies, this is *not* a book for users who just want to install POPFile (although that and other programs are explored in an appendix). For those who are seriously involved in managing and developing spam filtering, however, the book does provide very useful advice, pointers, and research. copyright Robert M. Slade, 2005 BKENDSPM.RVW 20051029 ====================== (quote inserted randomly by Pegasus Mailer) rslade@vcn.bc.ca slade@victoria.tc.ca rslade@sun.soci.niu.edu I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forgo their use - Galileo http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev or http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Thursday 19th January 2006 Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 07:56:12 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ 3G ]] Irish 3G Coverage Expands http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15653.php Ireland's Hutchison 3G says that it now has the widest 3G coverage in Ireland. 3 now has 72% of the population, and is well ahead of schedule with its network roll-out and is set to comfortably beat the regulatory requirement of having 85% population... 3G Will Become The Dominant Technology, But Not Until 2010 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15656.php While 2004 saw the widespread emergence of commercial 3G services in Europe, Forrester Research predicts that 3G will not become the dominant technology for mobile phones until 2010. GSM-only phones will fade out quickly within the next two years, an... [[ Financial ]] Sony Ericsson 4Q Profit Buoyed By Walkman Phones http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15632.php Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson Wednesday said fourth-quarter net profit nearly tripled from the same period a year earlier, as the launch of Walkman-branded music phones boosted sales. ... Germanos To Sell Its 20% Stake In Uzbekistan's Unitel http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15633.php Mobile telephone retailer Germanos Wednesday said it has agreed to sell its 20% stake in Uzebekistan mobile operator Unitel to Russia's Vimpel Communications. Germanos said VimpelCom is buying 100% of Unitel for a total $200 million. ... Russia's VimpelCom buys 2 mobile operators in Uzbekistan http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15636.php Russia's second-largest mobile operator VimpelCom has purchased two mobile operators in Uzbekistan, VimpelCom said in a press release Wednesday. ... Orascom Chm: Weather Investments IPO Not Before 2Q 06 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15639.php Orascom Telecom founder and Chairman Naguib Sawiris said Wednesday that an initial public offering of Weather Investments "won't happen before the second quarter of 2006," according to Italian newswire MF-Dow Jones. ... America Movil eyes market debut http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15643.php Mexican mobile giant America Movil is interested in entering the Costa Rican and Panamanian telecoms markets in the light of the Central American free trade agreement (Cafta), Spanish news service EFE reported. ... [[ Handsets ]] Sony Ericsson: Mobile Phone Market 780 Million Units In 2005 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15634.php Sony Ericsson estimates the global phone market reached 780 million units sold in 2005, Chief Executive Miles Flint said Wednesday on a conference call. ... Motorola's RAZR Seen Sparking Solid 4Q Earnings http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15641.php Motorola should post solid fourth-quarter results Thursday as its trendy RAZR phones continues to propel sales in an already hot handset market. ... China's ZTE wants to build mobile telephone plant in Belarus http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15642.php Chinese telecommunications equipment company Zhongxing Telecom Equipment Corporation (ZTE) plans to build a plant in Belarus to produce mobile telephones, Chinese Ambassador to Belarus Wu Hongbin told a news conference Wednesday. ... Camera Phones Account for 87% of Mobile Phone Shipments in 2010 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15652.php InfoTrends projects that worldwide camera phone shipments will grow from 233 million units in 2004 to 903 million units in 2010. By 2010, camera phones are expected to account for 87% of all mobile phone handsets shipped. The primary drivers behind t... SIM That Stores 1000 Phone Numbers http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15654.php Singapore's SingTel has launched a new 3G SIM card that allows customers to store up to 1,000 phone contacts. Most new phone models today can store up to 500 contacts. But a typical SIM card with 64 kilobytes of memory can store up to 250 phone conta... [[ Legal ]] FCC Probes Sale of Personal Phone Records http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15629.php The Federal Communications Commission has begun an investigation into the sale of personal phone records without the consent of customers amid reports that the records have been poached by a number of private data brokers. ... [[ Messaging ]] Costs of Switching Away From BlackBerry http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15648.php A report released today by J.Gold Associates analyses the cost of switching from one wireless email system to another, based on users' fears that the RIM BlackBerry service may be shut down. It finds that an organization with 1000 users would have to... [[ Mobile Content ]] BSkyB: Mobile TV Service Provides 5 Million Live Transmissions http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15640.php British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC's mobile television service tie-up with Vodafone Group PLC has supplied more than 5 million live-TV transmissions since its November launch, BSkyB Chief Executive James Murdoch said Wednesday. ... Russian Mobile Content Market Slows in 2005, to Boom Again in 2006 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15647.php The Russian value added services (VAS) market slowed down in 2005 after growing on average by 176% annually in 2001-2004. While analysts believe that the failure of mobile content providers to meet user demand was the main reason for the slowdown in ... Improved Mobile Networks to Increase Music Sales in Europe http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15650.php Advances in technology have enabled participants in the music industry to participate in a parallel market for audio equipment and thus create the mobile music markets. Innovations ranging from Sony's Walkman to the 'it' gadget of the hour - Apple's ... Qpass Claims US$1 Billion of Mobile Content Sales http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15655.php The mobile content company, Qpass says that its digital commerce software solution has processed more than US$1 billion worth of premium content transactions, making Qpass the first company ever to achieve such a record. This value represents more th... [[ Network Contracts ]] Sprint Nextel To Switch Billing Platforms http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15630.php Convergys reaffirmed its 2006 earnings guidance after saying Sprint Nextel plans to end its billing relationship with the company. ... Nokia To Deliver 3G Network To Smart Communications http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15631.php Finnish telecommunication equipment firm Nokia, Wednesday said it will deliver a third-generation WCDMA network, to Philippine wireless service provider Smart Communications Inc. ... Siemens Gets Order For Cellular Networks In Indonesia http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15635.php German technology company Siemens AG, Wednesday said it has received an order from mobile phone operator PT Hutchison CP Telecommunications, or Hutchison Telecom Indonesia. ... EDS Extends IT Services Pact With Sprint Nextel http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15638.php Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS) reached a multi-year contract extension to continue to provide information technology services to communications company Sprint Nextel. ... [[ Network Operators ]] Movistar goes after lower classes with new plans http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15645.php Telefonica Moviles' unit Movistar is going after Colombia's lower socioeconomic strata with two new plans, local daily El Tiempo reported. ... [[ Regulatory ]] Subtel, FNE criticize Movistar program to return spectrum http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15646.php Chile's fair trade authority FNE and telecoms regulator Subtel have criticized the program put forward by mobile operator Movistar to return 25MHz of spectrum, local newspaper Diario Financiero reported. ... [[ Reports ]] IDC's 2006 Top 10 Telecommunications Predictions http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15649.php According to IDC's latest research and insights on the top 10 trends in the Asia/Pacific Telecommunications Industry, 2006 will be a year where several game-changing technologies and services will enter the marketplace and redefine the rules of the g... [[ Statistics ]] Source says Ukraine's URS subscriber base up to 260,000 Jan 1 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15637.php The subscriber base of Ukraine's mobile operator Ukrainian Radiosystems, or URS, rose to 260,000 people as of January 1 from 69,000 people as of January 1, 2005, a source in the company told Prime-Tass Tuesday. ... Report: Mobile rates high, traffic less http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15644.php Brazilian mobile phone users are subject to higher rates than in comparable markets and therefore generate less traffic, local financial newspaper Gazeta Mercantil reported, citing an international study by US investment bank Merrill Lynch. ... Everyone in Europe now has a mobile phone - or do they? http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15651.php At the end of last year, the western European mobile market hit a major milestone -- it officially became 100% penetrated. That should mean that everyone in the region, including every pensioner and new-born baby, has signed up to a mobile phone packa... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 11:25:54 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - Thursday, January 19, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For January 19, 2006 ******************************** Location Services Gain Curb Appeal http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/100/16291?11228 The growing appeal of location-based services (LBS) as a revenue play, value-add and competitive tool is prompting a number of wireless carriers and their technology-developing partners to push LBS beyond the initial OnStar navigational stage. Gaming, entertainment, new media, precise location and tracking services and more are becoming... Romanian Regulator Sets Goals for 2006 http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/130/16289?11228 Romanian telecoms regulator ANRC has set out goals for the current year in its 2006 Action Plan, which is now available for consultation with the telecoms industry and the public. The ANRC intends to introduce cost-oriented tariffs for call termination on MobiFon and Orange Romania's mobile networks during the first half of 2006, as well... Slovak Telecom Fined US$28 mil. for Obstructing Competition http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/105/16287?11228 Slovakia's Competition Commission (PMU) has hit fixed-line incumbent Slovak Telecom with a fine of 885 million Slovak koruna (US$28.4 million) for abuse of its dominant market position in the provision of local access lines. Slovak Telecom has 30 days to pay the fine. However, it expects to appeal the anti-monopoly office's decision. ... Calling Records Sales Face New Scrutiny http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/130/16284?11228 Phone companies and federal lawmakers are demanding it be halted. The Federal Communications Commission is launching an investigation. The business of buying and selling private phone calling records is suddenly under considerable scrutiny. The Internet, it turns out, has taken something old -- a tool for monitoring cheating... Bidders Submit Plans To Wire NYC Subway Stations http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16282?11228 NEW YORK -- Some of the best-known companies in the world submitted bids Wednesday to wire 277 New York City subway stations for cell phone use, including one proposal that involves America's cellular carriers forming an alliance. The bids mark a significant step in a long-running effort to make cell phone service available to the... Music Sales Are Booming on Internet http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16279?11228 LONDON -- Sales of music via the Internet and mobile phones continued to boom in 2005, the recording industry reported Thursday, reaching 6 percent of global record company revenues. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, or IFPI, also called on Internet Service Providers, or ISPs, to join the fight against... Sony Ericsson Reports Record Sales http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16275?11228 Largely on the strength of robust sales for its Walkman phones, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB is reporting record sales and shipments. Since the device was launched in August, 3 million units have been shipped. Across the board, Sony says it has shipped 28 percent more units than last year. European sales rose 15 percent over... BellSouth Predicts 2007 IPTV Launch http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16272?11228 Incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) BellSouth likely will introduce full IPTV services a year from now. Don Granger, BellSouth's president of entertainment, told sister publication Inside Digital TV, "We will be expanding our current technical trial into a market trial in the middle of this year, where we will step it up to 1,000... Copyright (C) 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 12:22:28 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Microsoft Rolls Out Customer Care Solution USTelecom dailyLead January 19, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cQzgfDtutagRodUWhz TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Microsoft rolls out customer care solution BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Verizon, Yahoo! to offer co-branded FiOS service * Tesco to launch Internet phone service * Rhetoric heats up in BlackBerry dispute * Four bids submitted for NYC subway project * Icahn wants to merge AOL with smaller portal USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * VoIP at TelecomNEXT and the Telecom Bookstore TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * Amazon.com to debut first series * ABC News offers ad-sponsored "day-pass" for online channel REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * Connecticut investigates sale of mobile phone records * U.S. to open WiMAX spectrum soon * Russia's telecommunications czar in hot water over fund Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cQzgfDtutagRodUWhz ------------------------------ Date: 19 Jan 2006 15:14:47 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: Cell Phone Extenders? >> An interesting theory, although clearly nonsensical with GSM phones. > Not theory. Cloning other phones onto your account is theft of > service. Besides, the cell system keeps track of not only the phone > number, but also the ESN of the phone. The ESN CANNOT be changed > without destroying the phone. Who said anything about cloning phones? I said GSM, you put your SIM into any phone you want and it works. The carrier doesn't care. In my case, I have a GAIT multi-mode AMPS/TDMA/GSM phone, so Cingular knows what my ESN is, but if I stick my SIM into another GSM phone, it works fine. Indeed, they tell me to do that if I want to roam in a 900/1800 country. R's, John ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Hackers Attack Student's Web Site Date: 19 Jan 2006 08:13:07 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Associated Press News Wire wrote: > Tew ignored the threat. Hackers then initiated a so-called distributed > denial of service, in which attackers take command of third-party > computers, through a virus or other security vulnerability, and > instruct them to send junk data to the target site, overwhelming > servers and causing the site to crash or perform poorly. I think most lay (non-techie) compuer users are aware of viruses and the need for virus protection. (Whether or not they have sufficient protection is another issue.) However, I suspect most lay users are NOT aware of the third-party hijacking, especially when they semi-permanently connect their computer to a broadband network as so many people are doing. In the 60 year history of computing, technies have a very poor track record of communicating with lay people. Computer technies just have a natural affinity to deal with "green on glass", command strings, or other technical issues but lay people do not. A great many technies are rather arrogant and impatient with lay people. (We see that with some of the correspondants to this newsgroup). Peter Norton deserves much credit; he translated hairy tech stuff into lay terms for the rest of us and developed literature and products to make it easier for lay people. But the computer industry has to do a lot more. "Education" does not mean throwing a lot of Unix command protocols at people. The result is that end users don't even know they're being tracked by spy-ware or hijacked by other networks. Why isn't anyone warning those "third party" machine owners of the problem? The business people in the computer industry deserve much blame too. They're so focused on selling stuff they monopolize the customer's time in sales pitches and options rather than an understanding of the basic components. That software provided to people would provide the capability for "pop up" ads is inexcusable, as an example. In this topic, I compare the computer industry to the automotive industry of the 1950s. Automakers wanted to sell cars and kept making them bigger and faster and flashier. As more cars came on the road, deaths and injuries from accidents skyrocketed but the auto industry did very little. Adverse publicity, like Ralph Nader's book and compulsary government regulation to have seatbelts and other safety features. Highway departments learned how to build safer roads. I do see that AOL is advertising that it protects its users, but I don't see that protection in actual practice among AOL users I know. They're still bombarded with spam and the like. I don't see any hardware or software makers advertising computer safety. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old Date: 19 Jan 2006 10:14:08 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Lena wrote: > I guess I ought to stop buying things on the Internet, because, as > so many have warned, someone could scoff up my credit card and start > charging. ... I shouldn't even be ON the Internet, or someone could > plant a virus in my computer and steal all my personal information > that way. > I shouldn't even go out in public, because I could be the victim of > a robbery, or get killed in an automobile accident. But if I stay > in this house, the house could catch on fire and I'd get burned. > There's no place to go. No place to hide. What should I do? I think > the sky is falling in. There of course is an element of risk in everything we do. But the element of risk varies significantly from one act to another. Getting sarcastic about it is not the answer. The reality is that Internet commerce is relatively new and the risk of fraud is higher. Computer networks DO make it easy for thieves for a variety of reasons. The necessary protection features aren't as strong as they need to be, and the criminals are working very hard to defeat them. (Thieves steal in traditional ways, too, but the computer gives many advantages in using stolen stuff.) Personal privacy is not something to take lightly either. We used to joke about threats our school teachers made about our "permanent record", knowing that record would be buried in file cabinet never ever to see the light of day. Not true today. We ALL have very long and detailed "permanent records" we are not aware of stored and processed by people we don't know. The information and secret processing of these records will impact whether we can get a job or not or how much we'll pay for things like insurance, rent, and mortgages. This is just the _legal_ side of it. The illegal side of it can go much worse. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago Date: 19 Jan 2006 12:23:06 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Bill Mayhew (removethis) wrote: > I am a technical person, not a book keeper, but as far as I know, we > have had no success in getting AT&T to stop sending bills for the non > existent service. What I am looking for is the magic phrase to say, > office inside AT&T for their billing dispute people to contact, or > whatever can explain the situation to them in terms they can > understand. I am confused by the whole situation, however. Is your company still paying the bll for services not received? If they are, there's little incentive for anyone to remove the charge. If not, the account would quickly become delinquent and come to the attention of someone. But your description doesn't sound like AT&T is disputing you and claiming the equipment/ service is still in place; rather, nobody is even talking to you. Also, this sounds more like a accounting issue rather than technical, and thus would be more appropriately handled by the accounts receivable unit of your company. They have more experience dealing with this sort of thing. In every organization I know of the technical people do not get involved in accounting issues other than to merely advise the start and stop dates of vendor services. Anyway, presumably their billing statement contains an address for inquiries, not just a payment return. I would send a Certified Letter to that address explaining the situation and advising your company will not pay for the improperly billed service. I would not pay for that service. Because Certified Letters must be signed for, they tend to attract more attention by the recipient. It also provides you with a written record. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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 V25 #28 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Jan 20 14:49:16 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 884AC15050; Fri, 20 Jan 2006 14:49:16 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #29 Message-Id: <20060120194916.884AC15050@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 14:49:16 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.1 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, INITIAL_INVEST,NO_COST autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Fri, 20 Jan 2006 14:45:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 29 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Advocates of Wi-Fi in Cities Learn Art of Politics (Marcus Didius Falco) Fingerprint Checking, Biometric Scanning Coming to Your Bank (Steve Slater) Cellular-News for Friday 20th January 2006 (Cellular-News) TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 20, 2006 (telecomdirect_daily) Telecom Update #513 - Canadian News (Angus Telemanagement) Swisscom Names New CEO (USTA Daily Lead) Re: Cell Phone Extenders? (Seth Breidbart) Re: Cell Phone Extenders? (CharlesH) Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery (hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com) Re: Internet Explorer 7 Will Flush Its History (Julian Thomas) Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Year Ago (Seth Breidbart) Re: Bush Demanding Google Search Records in Porn Probe (Dave Garland) Re: BlackBerry Devices to Offer Mac Support (chopcat) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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, 19 Jan 2006 22:08:08 -0500 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: Advocates of Wi-Fi in Cities Learn Art of Politics (johnmac) -- Dana Spiegel, quoted in the article, spoke to my Monroe College Wireless Technology class, last Saturday. he is, to my understanding, the Executive Director of NYC Wireless (nycwireless.net -- an organization that I recommend to everyone.) From the New York Times -- http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/19/technology/circuits/19wifi.html Advocates of Wi-Fi in Cities Learn Art of Politics By GLENN FLEISHMAN SEATTLE, Jan. 18 - The idea of building citywide wireless networks from the community level was suspiciously simple back in 2000, although the plans sounded like the work of underground revolutionaries. "All of us were very idealistic, and all quite strongly opinionated," said Adam Shand, founder of Personal Telco, which had visions of such a network in Portland, Ore. There as elsewhere, it was seen as a three-step process. First, build home-brew Wi-Fi antennas and develop software to make outdoor wireless networks affordable and practical. Second, persuade thousands of people in each city to stick Wi-Fi antennas out their windows, on their roofs or in their places of business to serve collectively as the nodes of a network. (Some groups sought to share existing commercial broadband Internet access -- often regardless of whether an Internet service provider allowed that kind of sharing -- while others wanted to build a separate community network.) Third, link those thousands of nodes into neighborhood networks that would themselves connect into a cloud of free citywide Wi-Fi coverage. That's free as in free beer as well as free as in freedom: most advocates envisioned no restrictions on content or participation, and no access charges. In contrast, almost all early Wi-Fi hot spots were pinpoints of service, had fees attached and restricted use. Step 2 was never completed, which is why victory speeches seem, at first glance, out of place. Nonetheless, "community wireless accomplished spectacularly well what it set out to do," said Dana Spiegel, president of NYCwireless, a volunteer wireless advocacy group in Manhattan. While attendance at some community networking groups has plummeted and some smaller groups have disappeared, their technical and political impact has never been higher. Wireless advocates no longer dangle dangerously from rooftops mounting antennas built inside potato-chip cans, although some still provide technical help to business owners and nonprofit groups in creating free Wi-Fi hot spots. "The problems that were hard in 2001 were technical ones," Mr. Spiegel said. "Now, they're personal and relationship and political ones. The technology, we almost don't even think about it anymore." Greg Richardson, president of Civitium, a consulting firm, says that movement was the impetus for government-run citywide wireless Internet plans. Mr. Richardson has been a consultant on municipal wireless policy and technical issues for Philadelphia, San Francisco and other cities. Community wireless gave municipal planners "the validation that a lot of those ideas could work," Mr. Richardson said. Early and continuing municipal efforts to provide small areas of free access in parks and downtown districts were and still are often created in conjunction with these community groups. The move from building physical networks to building political influence, many advocates say, stems in part from an August 2004 forum organized by the Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Network in Illinois. At the event, many community wireless leaders met for the first time. Sessions were conducted with politicians and members of nonprofit groups interested in diversifying media ownership. Sascha D. Meinrath, the network's project coordinator, said he saw a political awakening hit the technically focused participants. "We could develop all of these technologies, we could come up with the holy grail of wireless technologies, and then it would be illegal to deploy it," he said. After they returned from the conference, several wireless advocates became involved in the political debates over municipal broadband. These debates intensified after Philadelphia announced in late 2004 that it would build a citywide Wi-Fi network. In quick succession, other cities announced their own plans, including Minneapolis; San Francisco; Anaheim, Calif.; and Tempe, Ariz. Much of the advocates' involvement has centered on stressing network neutrality, in which a network operator has little say over what devices are used on a network and for what purpose. The issue became more prominent after recent statements by the chief executive of AT&T (the former SBC) suggesting that content providers like Google might be required to pay fees to reach AT&T's Internet access customers. Scattered reports also indicate that some access providers may be blocking or interrupting Internet phone services. Michael Oh of NewburyOpen.net, a commercially sponsored free Wi-Fi zone on Newbury Street in Boston, said, "I don't think anyone in the SBC world or the policy-making world would have anticipated that there would have been anyone at the table like us when it came to municipal wireless." Many wireless advocates said they already had relationships with local politicians, and now were stepping up to the state level; some were contacted by officials trying to make sense of broadband policy. Richard MacKinnon, founder of the Austin Wireless City Project, testified at state hearings in Texas and joined in a successful fight against a bill to restrict municipal broadband service. Wireless advocates "have done more to bring forward the concerns of network neutrality as well as open access" than anyone else in the political process, Mr. Richardson said. "They have a very loud voice in an advocacy role." A policy statement by NYCwireless lists several principles that define network neutrality: a city or network builder must resell service to other Internet service providers, avoid restrictions on content or types of service (like Internet phone service) and allow all legal devices to be connected to the network -- meaning that Internet telephone adapters and wireless cameras would be as legitimate as laptop Wi-Fi cards. Because of concerns over neutrality, many community groups have focused on how to create independent networks that require neither government support nor an Internet connection to be useful. The Champaign-Urbana network is developing software that allows computers and Wi-Fi gateways to organize into a larger network as they find other nodes. The approach is called mesh networking; the software would be open sourced and distributed at no cost. (Mesh networks are to be the basis of all the municipal Wi-Fi networks currently planned, but are to use commercial equipment and proprietary software.) Seattle Wireless is taking a different approach to creating fixed networks using wireless equipment. Since 2000, its founder, Matt Westervelt, and other members have planned to create a central point that would act as a relay medium for local groups seeking to connect their offices, create temporary networks for events or offer Internet connections to others. His organization raised $2,500 for a climber to place network equipment on a cellular tower on Capitol Hill, one of the highest spots in Seattle. The cost of upkeep is to be donated by a private company. Community advocates want to use both these independent networks and municipal broadband to carry new kinds of locally focused services and data. Mr. Oh and The Boston Globe (a division of The New York Times Company) are experimenting in locations around Boston with what they call Pulse Points: freestanding Wi-Fi nodes with no Internet connections. These nodes carry only local discussion boards and information. At a Pulse Point in the South Station train terminal, every other board posting in the early days "was a flame about why there was no free Internet access," Mr. Oh said. Now, the spot is routinely used to exchange information and personal stories. Mr. Spiegel said that the transition from hardware and networks to the higher level of programs and politics was inevitable as networks spread. "In the end, what all of us were trying to do was to change the way people thought about communications," he said. "The Internet wasn't something that you sat down at the computer to use, but that it was something that permeated our lives - it just didn't have the distribution to permeate our lives." Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company John F. McMullen BLOG: http://johnmacrants.blogspot.com/ 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Johnsmac and New York Times. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml For more news headlines from New York Times and other newspapers, go to http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/nytimes.html Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below: falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ------------------------------ From: Steve Slater Subject: Fingerprint Checking, Biometric Scanning Coming to Your Bank Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 15:12:08 -0600 By Steve Slater Imagine a personalised welcome, few queues and fingerprint checks. This could be your bank branch in the future, thanks to cutting-edge technology such as radio frequency identification and biometric scanning. In five years' time major banks across the globe could be using these time-saving and customer-personalised devices to revolutionise branch banking, consultancy firm Accenture said on Wednesday in a presentation on the bank branch of the future. "Banks are trying to differentiate themselves and branches are still fundamental to this, so they are trialling lots of this new technology," said Simon Jenkins, retail banking partner for Accenture in the UK. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a technology being developed by retailers that should migrate to banks. Customers would be automatically identified by the RFID-encrypted card in their wallet as they pass through the door, prompting a personalised welcome to flash up on a computer screen. By the time the customer reaches the counter all his or her details are on the screen of the teller, who can discuss specific requirements without asking a lot of redundant questions. "The bank wants to be able to identify the customer the minute they walk in and understand why they are there," said Mike Redding, head of development for Accenture Technology Labs. "The most innovative banks will then combine the data they already have and the new information they get and simplify it and make it usable." RFID is also likely to feature in bank cards, key rings or mobile phones as a payment option. The process is already under way in many countries and oil major Exxon Mobil has issued six million SpeedPasses to allow users to pay for gasoline easily at the pump, Redding said. Demand for anti-fraud measures should see advances in biometrics -- fingerprint or eye, facial, palm, voice, vein or even ear shape recognition software operated by bank staff or included in an automated teller machine. Redding said that, with banks keener than ever to get an edge over rivals, other technology set to appear in branches includes digital pen and paper or camera-based tracking to monitor customer traffic and improve service and efficiency. Away from the branch, other financial services applications set to feature includes telematics, or automotive data collection, which could see more insurers analysing journeys and offering "pay-as-you-drive" cover for motorists. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more headlines and stories from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Friday 20th January 2006 Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 07:44:13 -0600 From: cellular-news Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ 3G ]] WiMAX Equipment Market May Top US$3 Billion in 2010 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15673.php Our aggressive forecast for pre-WiMAX-Certified 802.16-2004 equipment -- subscriber units and base stations -- is $42 million in 2005, growing to $3.2 billion in 2010," said Norm Bogen, In-Stat analyst. "The conservative forecast is $19 million and $... Sprint Nextel Invests in 3G Infrastructure Vendor http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15681.php Sprint Nextel has made an additional US$10 million strategic investment in IPWireless. In July of 2005, Sprint made its initial investment of $4 million in IPWireless. Sprint Nextel is currently trialing IPWireless' UMTS TD-CDMA technology in the Was... [[ Financial ]] Millicom Receives Unsolicited Offers http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15659.php Luxembourg-based telecommunications operator Millicom International Cellular S.A. Thursday said that, following several unsolicited approaches, it has decided to conduct a review of strategic options for the company. ... Russia's Sibirtelecom invest up 11% on yr, excluding mobile service http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15662.php Investments of Russian regional telecommunication operator Sibirtelecom, which provides fixed line as well as mobile services, rose 11% on the year to 6.2 billion rubles in 2005, the company's press service told Prime-Tass Thursday. ... VimpelCom Looks Outside Of Ex-USSR For Expansion http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15663.php VimpelCom, Russia's second-biggest player after Mobile TeleSystems - started expansion in the former Soviet Union in 2004 and operates in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. ... CEO says date of VimpelCom's 2006 budget approval still unclear http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15672.php The date of Russian second-largest mobile operator VimpelCom's 2006 budget approval remains unclear, VimpelCom's CEO Alexander Izosimov told reporters Thursday. ... [[ Handsets ]] Features Less Important Than Aesthetics for New Handsets http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15682.php UK based mobile market analysis, research and consulting firm Mako Analysis has unveiled an interesting insight into the major wireless handset trends that we are likely to see emerge through 2006. The Mako Analysis report identifies forthcoming deve... [[ Interviews ]] Interview: UK's Caudwell Group Expects Sale Within 6 Months http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15658.php The sale of Caudwell Group, which includes the Phones4U mobile phone retail business, is expected to be completed within the next six months according to John Caudwell, chairman and chief executive of the company. ... [[ Legal ]] Government Minister May Be Secret Telecoms Fund Investor http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15661.php Russia's IT and Telecommunications Minister Leonid Reiman was secretly named by his own law firm as the true owner of a Bermuda-based mutual fund that has amassed control of a large share of Russia's mobile-phone industry, according to a filing in a ... [[ Mobile Content ]] Mobile 365 partners with three LatAm operators http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15666.php US mobile messaging and data services provider Mobile 365 has signed agreements with three new operators in Latin America, in Venezuela, El Salvador and Honduras, the company said in a statement. ... [[ MVNO ]] Spain Regulator Sees MVNOs Launch By Year-End Or 2007 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15660.php Spain's telecommunications industry regulator CMT expects the first mobile virtual network operators, or MVNO, in the country to launch services by the year-end or early 2007, a CMT spokeswoman said Thursday. ... [[ Network Contracts ]] Bids Submitted For NYC Subway Station Cell Phone Network http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15657.php NEW YORK (AP)--Some of the best-known companies in the world submitted bids Wednesday to wire 277 New York City subway stations for cell phone use. ... Expanding Indoor Cellular Coverage at Airports http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15678.php LGC Wireless says that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has installed the it's InterReach Unison system to deliver cellular and public safety wireless coverage throughout the airport's 5.8 million square foot facility. The multi-opera... [[ Network Operators ]] Brazil's Vivo launches new promotional tariffs http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15667.php Brazil's largest mobile phone operator Vivo has launched new promotional tariffs for postpaid and prepaid clients, reported local news service AE-Setorial. ... Belarus' BelCel plans to up capacity to 260,000 numbers this year http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15671.php Belarusian mobile telecommunications operator BelCel plans to increase this year the capacity of its network to 260,000 numbers from about 120,000 numbers as of now, an official with the company told Prime-Tass Thursday. ... [[ Personnel ]] Nortel Appoints Carey As Executive VP Of Corporate Operations http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15668.php Nortel Networks has appointed Dennis Carey as executive vice-president, corporate operations, effective Jan. 30. ... Cell Phone Co: 2 Kidnapped Engineers In Iraq Are Kenyans http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15670.php BAGHDAD (AP)--The two foreign engineers kidnapped in an ambush in western Baghdad on Wednesday were Kenyans, their employer said. ... Lucent Employees Sending Mixed Signals - Survey http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15679.php Lucent Technologies employees are sending mixed signals about the company's future, New York research firm Vault has found in new employee surveys on the company. Says a senior manager: "Overall outlook for the company is poor. The telecom equipment ... [[ Regulatory ]] Draft EU Legislation May Hurt Communications Sector http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15669.php The U.K. government minister responsible for the communications industry Thursday warned that draft European Union legislation for the sector could damage growth. ... [[ Reports ]] 18 Percent of European Cellular Users Interested in Disconnecting Their Landline http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15675.php According to the latest research from the Strategy Analytics Wireless Network Strategies service, one in five mobile phone owners in Western Europe would consider disconnecting their landline service. The report also finds that two-thirds would use t... Demand for Telecom Regulation Advice Increases in Eastern Europe http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15680.php Ovum Consulting says that it is intensifying its reach in the ICT sector in Central and Eastern Europe. This move is in response to the increasing demand for consulting services in the region, particularly in the areas of mobile, regulation and Fixed... Wireless Tween Market Has Potential to Double by 2010 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15683.php Yankee Group says that the tween market is the next new growth opportunity for wireless carriers. The tween market, defined as 8- to 12-year-olds, has 5.3 million wireless users, accounting for 2.6% of all wireless subscribers. Amongst tweens, 27% ha... [[ Statistics ]] Russia's MegaFon 2005 user base in Vologda Region up 75% on yr http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15664.php The subscriber base of Russia's third largest national GSM mobile operator MegaFon in the Vologda Region increased 75% on the year to 700,000 users, the company's press service said Thursday. ... Peru's mobile market expected to grow 50% in 2006 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15665.php Peru's mobile telephony market is expected to grow 50% to 8.2 million users during 2006, Nokia Latin American corporate communications director Jorge Aguilar was quoted as saying by Peruvian daily Gestin. ... Half the World will use a Mobile Phone by 2009 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15674.php A new market study from Portio Research predicts that 50% of the world?s population will be using a mobile phone by the end of 2009, and Africa now boasts the fastest growth rate in the world, forecast to add 265 million new mobile subscribers over t... [[ Technology ]] Agere Ships 100 Millionth GSM Chipset http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15676.php Agere Systems says that it has now shipped in excess of 100 million GSM based wireless chipsets for mobile phones operating on more than 70 networks worldwide. Agere is a provider of baseband chipset solutions addressing the high-end, mid-tier and lo... Agreement Expanded to Include HSDPA Technology Development http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15677.php InterDigital Communications and Infineon Technologies say that they are expanding their long standing cooperative development and marketing agreement to include the joint development of HSDPA 3G protocol stack software technology for Infineon's 3G pl... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 12:14:49 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 20, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For January 20, 2006 ******************************** Competing Technologies Vie for Mobile TV http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16311?11228 Mobile TV -- an off-the-shelf-acronym for all TV services that are beamed to hand-held devices -- is gathering pace once more as the much-anticipated 'killer application' for 3G infrastructure. Within 10 days this month, three different announcements involving technological enhancements to 3G highlighted the strong interest in the... U.S. Government Plans to Provide Frequencies for WiMAX http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/140/16308?11228 Michael Gallagher, the assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information, has said that the U.S. government plans to open up frequencies for WiMAX. Gallagher told the Wireless Communications Association's Annual International Symposium and Expo that the government plans to auction off the 1,710 MHz and 2,110 MHz... Alltel Profit Falls on Katrina Costs http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/140/16306?11228 LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Telecommunications company Alltel Corp., which is shedding its traditional telephone business, said Friday its fourth-quarter profit fell 6 percent, due to costs related to Hurricane Katrina and other one-time expenses, many related to acquisitions and sales. The Little Rock-based company said for the quarter ended... Swisscom chief resigns after disagreement with government over expansion plans http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/105/16304?11228 ZURICH, Switzerland -- Swisscom AG said its Chief Executive Jens Alder quit Friday in the wake of the national telephonecarrier's battle with the government over the company's expansion plans. Alder's resignation takes effect immediately and he will be replaced by Carsten Schloter, chief executive of Swisscom's mobile phone business. ... Private equity group takes control of 88 percent of telecom TDC http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16302?11228 COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Private equity firms bidding for TDC A/S said they controlled 88.2 percent of the Danish telecom's shares as the deadline expired Friday for their 76 billion kroner (US$12 billion) bid. The group, Nordic Telephone Co., extended the deadline on Jan. 12 after Denmark's biggest pension fund, ATP, said the offer was... Google Says No to QOS Fees http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16299?11228 Google (Nasdaq: GOOG - message board) said Thursday it would not pay telephone or cable companies "QOS fees" in exchange for priority treatment on the operators' broadband networks. (See Net Neutrality Goes to Washington.) "Google is not discussing sharing of the costs of broadband networks with any carrier," writes Google spokesman... Bill Targets Phone Record Fraud http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/130/16293?11228 WASHINGTON -- Members of Congress want to make stealing wireless phone records an explicit crime and are adding fines and prison time as further deterrents. In a bi-partisan bill introduced yesterday, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.; Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Penn.; and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., propose companies or individuals that access... Copyright (C) 2006 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 10:45:51 -0800 Subject: Telecom Update #513, January 20, 2006 From: Angus TeleManagement Group Reply-To: Angus TeleManagement Group ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 513: January 20, 2006 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/ ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/ ** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca ** MICROSOFT CANADA: www.microsoft.com/canada/telecom/ ** MITEL NETWORKS: www.mitel.com/ ** NEC UNIFIED SOLUTIONS: www.necunifiedsolutions.com ** ROGERS TELECOM: www.rogers.com/solutions ** VONAGE CANADA: www.vonage.ca ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Bell Set to Announce IPTV ** CRTC Revokes 39 Telecom Licences ** Amtelecom Wins Bidding Contest ** Bell Nordiq, TBayTel to Pursue Alliance ** CRTC Confirms Quebec Fibre Decision ** Comment Sought on Northwestel Regulatory Regime ** Nortel Pulls Back from the Edge ** Yet Another GE Exec Joins Nortel ** Videotron Hikes Internet Speeds ** Backhoes Versus Telecom ** Text Messaging Hits New Peak ** Telesat Plans New Satellite ** Cogeco Phone Service Reaches Chatham ** Look Revenue Declines ** CWTA Holds Entertainment Seminar ** Call Centre Conference Asks for Proposals ============================================================ BELL SET TO ANNOUNCE IPTV: Bell Canada, which has been testing Microsoft's Internet Protocol-based television technology since late 2003, appears ready to unveil its plans for a limited rollout of IPTV service. An announcement by the end of January would allow the telco to demonstrate the product at its annual Business Review Conference for analysts on February 1. CRTC REVOKES 39 TELECOM LICENCES: CRTC Telecom Public Notice 2006-2 revokes the basic international telecommunications licences of 39 service providers who, despite numerous reminders, failed to submit required annual reports to the Commission in 2005. It is not clear whether any of the companies are still in business. ** The CRTC notes that providing international telecom services without a licence can result in fines of up to $100,000 for an individual or $1 million for a corporation. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2006/pt2006-2.htm AMTELECOM WINS BIDDING CONTEST: Execulink Group has withdrawn from bidding for People's Communications of Forest, Ontario. The Board of People's has recommended acceptance of Amtelecom's winning bid of $60 per share, valued at $25.6 million. (See Telecom Update #512) BELL NORDIQ, TBAYTEL TO PURSUE ALLIANCE: After three months of discussions, Bell Nordiq and TBayTel (Thunder Bay's municipal telco) have "agreed to not proceed with an equity partnership." Instead, they plan to create a northwestern Ontario telecom hub. (See Telecom Update #503) CRTC CONFIRMS QUEBEC FIBRE DECISION: Responding to a "review and vary" application by Telus, the CRTC has confirmed its Decision 2005-12 order that Telus must file tariffs for maintenance and engineering services provided to the Commission scolaire de la Cote-du-sud to support its private fibre network. However, terminal equipment tariffs are not required. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2006/dt2006-3.htm COMMENT SOUGHT ON NORTHWESTEL REGULATORY REGIME: CRTC Public Notice 2006-1 opens a discussion of a new regulatory framework for Northwestel, to go into effect in 2007. Questions to be addressed include whether price caps and local competition should be implemented in the northern ILEC's territory. ** The proceeding will include a public hearing to be held in Whitehorse, Yukon, in July 2006. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2006/pt2006-1.htm NORTEL PULLS BACK FROM THE EDGE: Nortel Networks has effectively abandoned its attempt to compete with Cisco and Alcatel in the carrier market for multiservice edge routers. The company's MPE 9000, released at the end of last year after several delays, is being repositioned as a platform for wireless and voice services. YET ANOTHER GE EXEC JOINS NORTEL: Mike Zafirovski, hired as CEO of Nortel Networks in October, is moving fast to put a team of former colleagues into the company's executive offices. Dennis Carey, like Zafirovski, spent many years at General Electric and Motorola: he is now EVP of Nortel's newly created corporate operations division. (See Telecom Update #512) VIDEOTRON HIKES INTERNET SPEEDS: Videotron plans to increase the speeds of its Internet access services by March. "Extreme" service will now be 10 Gbps; basic service doubles to 600 Kbps. BACKHOES VERSUS TELECOM: The backhoe is telecom's single biggest enemy. A new study from the Common Ground Alliance, a U.S. industry group, estimates that in 2004 there were over 675,000 cases of damage to various types of underground facilities: 35% involved backhoes, and 27% affected telecom equipment. ** Another recent report, from the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions, says that cable dig-ups caused 57% of U.S. network outages in the past 12 years. The number of outages has been declining, but the number of customers affected and the average length of service interruption have increased. http://www.commongroundalliance.com http://www.atis.org/ TEXT MESSAGING HITS NEW PEAK: The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association reports that the volume of wireless text messaging, after a slump early last year, reached 158.8 million in September, more than double the number sent in September 2004. http://www.txt.ca/facts.htm TELESAT PLANS NEW SATELLITE: Telesat plans to launch its eighteenth satellite, Nimiq 4, in 2008. The new broadcast satellite will provide services to Bell ExpressVu. COGECO PHONE SERVICE REACHES CHATHAM: Cogeco Cable's Digital Phone service is now available to the majority of residents of Chatham, Ontario. LOOK REVENUE DECLINES: Look Communications reports revenue of $8.4 million for the quarter ended November 30, 17% less than a year earlier. The net loss was reduced to $1.35 million from $3.0 million. The subscriber total fell 8% from the previous quarter. (See Telecom Update #506) CWTA HOLDS ENTERTAINMENT SEMINAR: The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association is holding "All About ME," a day-long seminar on mobile entertainment in Toronto February 21. http://www.cwta.ca/CWTASite/english/conference/ME_main.html CALL CENTRE CONFERENCE ASKS FOR PROPOSALS: ICCM, the international contact centre management conference and expo, has asked for presentation proposals, with a February 13 deadline. The conference will be held in Chicago, August 14-16. http://cfp.questex.com/callforpapers ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-mail ianangus@angustel.ca and jriddell@angustel.ca =========================================================== 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 late Friday afternoon each week at http://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 http://www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2005 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail jriddell@angustel.ca. 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. ============================================================ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 13:30:21 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Swisscom Names New CEO USTelecom dailyLead January 20, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cRiYfDtutahvslDzJy TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Swisscom names new CEO BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Report: Huawei could win T-Mobile contract * Verizon's broadband growth spikes in Q4 * BellSouth eyes IPTV move * Nortel CEO makes another hire * Alltel, Motorola report earnings USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * What You Need to Know About Digital Content TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * WiMAX gains traction VOIP DOWNLOAD * Google opens Internet telephony service to XMPP * Cisco issues fixes for VoIP security holes Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cRiYfDtutahvslDzJy ------------------------------ From: sethb@panix.com (Seth Breidbart) Subject: Re: Cell Phone Extenders? Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 00:30:14 UTC Organization: Society for the Promulgation of Cruelty to the Clueless In article , radiodude wrote: > Not theory. Cloning other phones onto your account is theft of > service. Why? Assuming I pay for the calls made by all the phones, what service is being stolen? Seth ------------------------------ From: CharlesH Subject: Re: Cell Phone Extenders? Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 08:01:49 GMT radiodude wrote: > niallgal@yahoo.com wrote: >> A quick web search comes up with: >> http://www.digitalantenna.com/cellamprep_DA4000SBR.html which makes the >> following claims: >> Q: Does the owner of this equipment (installed location) require an FCC >> license to operate the repeater? >> A: No, neither the user nor the installer needs an FCC license. All of >> our products are FCC approved. In the instruction manual, you will >> find guidelines to follow to comply with all FCC requirements, such as >> proper separation between antennas, and persons must be 6 meters >> horizontally away from outside antenna. >> Maybe worth a try. > That person is lying through his teeth, and has been told so many > times by several communications lawyers across the country. DO NOT > BELIEVE HIM! You _MUST_ have permission of ALL licensees in the > affected area which can be passed by the unit!!!! But what I don't understand is how this and other online companies selling similar products have been openly making those claims and selling those products for YEARS without being slammed on by either the FCC or the FTC (for deceptive advertising). These are not exactly grey-market off-shore or fly-by-night companies. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery Date: 19 Jan 2006 12:56:50 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I would be careful saying that it is > a 'simple misdialing' if there are _many_ people calling it. In this particular case, it does sound likely it's merely misdialing -- people are trying to reach the company but reaching his number instead. Yes I agree the translation table should've been updated but nowadays it's understandable it wasn't. Indeed, with all the mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcies I'm frightened to what exists out there. Also remember that right now the new Medicare Drug Plan is being implemented and it's a mess. Lots of people are calling in with questions, so call volume is unusually high. That would increase the chances of error dialing. Don't underestimate the grief someone has with a phone number close to a popular number. A friend's number is vaguely similar to a pizza place and he gets frequent calls for the place. (Since he's not usually there it's not a problem). A number I once had was similar to a call-in for work assignments and I got calls regularly at 5am. I remember when our family moved and got a new number from a newly created exchange. My mother was concerned that it was ANC and an exchange no one heard of; she thought it would make us look odd. (Interesting how we were concerned with our appearances back then.) However, we never got anyone wrong numbers for many years. I wonder if Touch Tone pads generate more errors than rotary dials since people can zip along much faster, increasing the chance of error. Further, with portable and cell phones, people could not be paying attention while dialing and make more mistakes. The old Bell Telephone movies showing somebody dialing carefully from a written down number while seated with good posture at a good desk is not real life. I think in the old days the phone company knew certain numbers were error prone and avoided assigning them out if possible. Also, businesses tended to have symetrical or even hundred numbers. But today that's not the case. Further, many businesses use spelled out numbers which I think are much more error prone. That is, dialing ABC-BANK is trickier than say 922-4800. ------------------------------ From: Julian Thomas Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 17:24:10 -0500 Subject: Re: Internet Explorer 7 Will Flush Its History Pat - please use this submission (with spamtrap email address) rather than my first submission [same subject] - thanks - jt In <20060118205522.465BE15011@massis.lcs.mit.edu>, on 01/18/06 at 03:55 PM, editor@telecom-digest.org typed: > Deeper Cleaning > The feature goes deeper than a novice user would likely pursue. For > example, deleting files from the temporary Internet files folder will > also clean out attachments stored by the Outlook e-mail program in that > folder, Enuha wrote. Yet another reason to avoid Outhouse for mail! Julian Thomas: http://jt-mj.net In the beautiful Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York State! -- -- My software never has bugs. It just develops random features. ------------------------------ From: sethb@panix.com (Seth Breidbart) Subject: Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 00:32:27 +0000 (UTC) Organization: Society for the Promulgation of Cruelty to the Clueless In article , Bill Mayhew wrote: > I am a technical person, not a book keeper, but as far as I know, we > have had no success in getting AT&T to stop sending bills for the non > existent service. What I am looking for is the magic phrase to say, Have you tried saying "Mail Fraud" to the Postal Inspection Service? Seth ------------------------------ From: Dave Garland Subject: Re: Bush Demanding Google Search Records in Porn Probe Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 21:14:02 -0600 Organization: Wizard Information It was a dark and stormy night when Associated Press News Wire wrote: > The Bush administration, seeking to revive an online pornography law > struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, has subpoenaed Google Inc. for > details on what its users have been looking for through its popular > search engine. And the reason you haven't seen similar stories about AOL, Yahoo, and MSN is that AOL, Yahoo, and MSN didn't make a fuss, they just handed the info on their users over to the government. Update: Earlier today, I asked a Justice Department spokesperson which search engines other than Google received requests to provide search records. The answer: Yahoo, AOL, and MSN were also asked to supply search records information, and all complied. Google did not, and that is why the DoJ asked a federal judge on Wednesday to order the company to do so. http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/19/_doj_search_requests.html ------------------------------ From: chopcat <1@foundation-architecture.com> Subject: Re: BlackBerry Devices to Offer Mac Support Date: 20 Jan 2006 08:01:00 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com But it doesn't work and incorrectly syncs the address lines in contacts eventaly removing them from both machines. Bit of a basic problem that. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #29 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Jan 20 18:05:34 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 81C991506E; Fri, 20 Jan 2006 18:05:34 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #30 Message-Id: <20060120230534.81C991506E@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 18:05:34 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.8 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Fri, 20 Jan 2006 18:08:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 30 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson The Front Lines - January 20, 2006 (Jonathan Marashlian) IEC Releases Exclusive Broadband World Forum Europe 2005 Content (L Reyes) Sprint-Nextel Dumps Employee Pension Plan (Kansas City Business Journal) AOL Plans to Take on BT (Ben Child) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jonathan Marashlian Subject: The Front Lines - January 20, 2006 Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 14:21:00 -0500 Organization: The Helein Law Group http://www.thefrontlines-hlg.com/ The FRONT LINES Sponsored by The Helein Law Group, P.C. http://www.thlglaw.com/ Advancing The Cause of Competition in the Telecommunications Industry REMINDER : FCC REGULATORY REPORTING DEADLINES FCC FORM 499-Q - QUARTERLY TELECOMMUNICATIONS REPORTING WORKSHEET Deadline: February 1, 2006 Providers of interstate and international telecommunications services ("Universal Service Fund contributors") are reminded that their FCC Form 499-Q is due no later than Wednesday, February 1, 2006. The FCC requires all non-de minimis USF contributors to file Form 499-Q to report actual billed revenue and projected revenues. In the Form 499-Q due February 1st, contributors must report actual billed revenue for the 4th Quarter of 2006 and projected billed & collected revenue for the 2nd Quarter of 2006. The Universal Service Administrative Company mails forms and instructions to contributors who have reported in the past. If you have not reported in the past, but are required to do so, forms and instructions are available on the FCC's website -- http://www.fcc.gov or you may contact our firm and we'll e-mail them to you. Contact: mail@thlglaw.com or 703-714-1300. De Minimis carriers and service providers (i.e., those with $10,000 or less in annual USF contributions) are not required to file Form 499-Qs, but are reminded that an annual Form 499-A is required each year in April. FCC FORM 499-A - ANNUAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS REPORTING WORKSHEET Deadline: April 1, 2006 Companies providing domestic U.S. interstate services must register to do so with the FCC. Registration is accomplished by filing FCC Form 499-A (Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet). Among other things, the form requires a company to list an agent for service of process in the District of Columbia and calls for a listing of states where the company either provides or anticipates providing intrastate service in the future. On April 1st of each year, interstate service providers whose Universal Service Fund contribution obligation exceeds the de minimis threshold are required to file FCC Form 499-A and report telecommunications and certain non-telecommunications revenues to the FCC. Even companies providing predominantly international services must file FCC Form 499-A if they derive revenue from domestic U.S. interstate services. The FCC Form 499-A is critically important. One reason is that it links a company into the FCC's USF contribution system, identifying a company as a payor under the program. Another reason is that registering companies are added to the FCC's online, searchable database of registered companies. Under the FCC's rules, facilities-based carriers are only allowed to contract with resellers on the FCC registration list. Thus, failing to register will not only subject a company to potential FCC enforcement action, but could prevent it from being able to enter agreements with underlying facilities-based carriers. If you have any questions or concerns regarding compliance with the FCC Form 499 and related requirements you should contact your existing regulatory attorney. You may also contact our firm for a consultation: (703) 714-1313, e-mail: jsm@thlglaw.com . For more information regarding Form 499-A, the following link directs you to a recent article on the subject by Helein Law Group partner, Jonathan S. Marashlian. http://www.prepaid-press.com/news_detail.php?t=paper&id=1124 FCC FORM 477 - LOCAL TELEPHONE COMPETITION AND BROADBAND REPORTING Deadline: March 1, 2006 The FCC Form 477 for the filing due on or before March 1, 2006 is now available electronically on the Commission's website. Filers may obtain the form, and the accompanying detailed reporting instructions, at http://www.fcc.gov/formpage.html#477 All facilities-based providers of wired or wireless broadband connections to end user locations, all local exchange carriers, and all non-reseller commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) providers offering mobile telephony are required to file Form 477 twice each year. In the filing that is due on or before March 1, 2006, filers will report information about broadband connections and local telephone service as of December 31, 2005. For the purposes of Form 477, a broadband connection is one that enables the end user to receive information from and/or send information to the Internet at information transfer rates exceeding 200 kilobits per second. The facilities-based provider of a broadband connection is the entity that owns the portion of the wired broadband connection that terminates at the end user location, that provisions/equips over licensed or unlicensed spectrum the broadband wireless channel that terminates at the end user location, or that obtains an unbundled network element, special access line, or other leased facility to the end user location and provisions/equips it as broadband. EDITOR'S NOTE: LEGAL TRENDS IS A NEW FEATURE OF THE FRONT LINES. ARTICLES IN THIS SECTION WILL ADDRESS OTHER AREAS OF THE LAW AFFECTING TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES SUCH AS EMPLOYMENT, TRADE SECRETS, DEFAMATION, NON-COMPETITION AND SIMILAR ISSUES. CYBERSPACE AVAILABILITY CAUSES LOSS OF TRADE SECRETS A New York biomedical research support company learned that information in unlocked file cabinets and non-password-protected computer files, were not trade secrets under New York Law. (ENV Servs. Inc. v. Alesia, N.Y. Sup. Ct., No. 11777-04, 11/28/05). "Trade secret protection will not be accorded to customer lists where the names and addresses of the customers are readily ascertainable or where client information is scattered throughout the office in unlocked files. Information from publicly available sources is not entitled to trade secret protection." ENV's claims failed because its customer list was available on its corporate Web site and could be ascertained from trade publications. Customer contact information, pricing, and servicing information were also available on the company's internal home page. As a result of this decision, five former employees of ENV were held not liable for violating a non-competition agreement. ISP EXPOSURE TO LAWSUITS FOR INTERNET LIBEL ("CYBERSMEARING") Some ISPs are being confronted with a new and increasing legal issue -- Internet libel or "cybersmearing." For example, Credit Suisse First Boston and Informix recently filed lawsuits against Yahoo and anonymous posters to their message boards on Yahoo because the posters were posting defamatory statements, sharing confidential information and spreading misinformation. In the lawsuits, demand is made that Yahoo disclose the names of the anonymous posters. Last year, Raytheon sued 21 John Does who posted on defamatory statements about it on Yahoo! A Miami-based company, MasTec Inc., was confronted with false statements about it circulating on Internet investor forums and bulletin boards and sued to obtain a subpoena against a former employee. A growing number of companies are starting to monitor the cyberhighways for defamatory material and when any are found, filing suit. These companies scour the Internet for defamatory comments because of the damage they can do in a number of important areas. It is estimated that there are now 200 lawsuits on "Internet libel" or "cybersmearing" and the number is increasing. ISPs that operate investor and other corporate bulletin boards are largely immune from liability because the Communications Decency Act of 1996 designates then as common carriers. But it should be remembered that this Act does not immunize original content produced by ISPs. While some state courts have generally recognized a right to speak anonymously on the Internet, the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to address the issue except for acknowledging a right to anonymity in cases concerning the distribution of political pamphlets. But lower courts are requiring companies to make a preliminary showing that the anonymous speaker injured them economically (such as a fall in stock price or a deal lost) before forcing the ISPs to identify the speaker. Companies are advised to consult with an attorney familiar with this area of law and establish a formal set of procedures, to move quickly after an Internet libel attack and to limit the damage to a company's reputation. To further demonstrate the potential for new legal hurdles, a suit was recently filed against AOL in Ohio claiming that the plaintiff was being humiliated online in an Internet chat room. The suit claims AOL failed to do anything about chat room participants who allegedly caused him emotional distress. Gillespie v. America Online, No. 05CIV1255 (Medina Co., Ohio, Ct. C.P.). COMMUNICATIONS TAXES: News & Notes At The Helein Law Group we are frequently asked to provide advice regarding state and federal taxation of telecommunications and enhanced communications services. The firm's Telecommunications & Technology Regulatory Practice includes a separate focus that offers expert advice on federal and state excise taxes on communications products and services, as well as on state sales, use and gross receipt (excise taxes), and other "tax-like" regulatory fees that are or can be applied to a variety of communications and information technology services and products. As a new service to its clients and readers of The Front Lines, we will begin publishing summaries of tax decisions relevant to the communications industry on a more frequent basis. We are taking these steps to highlight the dizzying array of taxes, changes in tax laws & regulations, and the importance these changes have in the context of the telecommunications & enhanced services industries. If you seek legal advice on issues pertaining to taxes or "tax-like" fees, please contact our firm at 703-714-1300 or via e-mail: mailto:mail@thlglaw.com New York Purchase of plastic cards used to provide prepaid calling services declared "resale"; not subject to separate sales tax. A telephone service provider's purchase of plastic telephone calling cards that provided information on its prepaid calling service were excluded from sales tax as purchases for resale. The plastic telephone calling cards offered information concerning the provider's prepaid telephone calling service to customers. The cards contained such information as the transfer of the authorization code verifying payment for the telephone service, and instructions and codes for accessing the service. The company was audited for sales and use tax and subject to additional tax due on its purchase of the plastic prepaid telephone calling cards, including the printing, bundling, storage and packaging of the cards. The company argued that the plastic telephone cards were tangible personal property and were in fact transferred to their customers. The cards served as an integral part of the sale for the taxable telecommunication service, without which, customers could not access the information to utilize the service. The Tax Division argued that the company was not in the business of selling plastic cards. The provider reminded the tax division that the cards were simply an incidental part of the company's primary business of supplying prepaid telephone service. The Division of Tax Appeals held that the resolution of the issue in this case revolved around whether the plastic cards were an incidental or ancillary part, as opposed to an essential or critical element of the taxpayer's business of providing a prepaid telephone calling service. The tax division held that the plastic cards contained the information essential to enable the consumer to access and utilize the prepaid telephone service. It was ultimately decided that the company's purchase of plastic telephone cards were purchases for resale and not subject to tax. (US Telecom, Inc., New York Division of Tax Appeals, Administrative Law Judge Unit, DTA No. 820160, 12/01/05) ============================= The Front Lines is a free publication of The Helein Law Group, P.C., providing clients and interested parties with valuable information, news, and updates regarding regulatory and legal developments primarily impacting companies engaged in the competitive telecommunications industry. The Front Lines does not purport to offer legal advice nor does it establish a lawyer-client relationship with the reader. If you have questions about a particular article, general concerns, or wish to seek legal counsel regarding a specific regulatory or legal matter affecting your company, please contact our firm at 703-714-1313 or visit our website: http://www.thlglaw.com/ The Helein Law Group, P.C. 8180 Greensboro Drive, Suite 700 McLean, Virginia 22102 ------------------------------ From: Lisa Reyes Subject: IEC Releases Exclusive Broadband World Forum Europe 2005 Content Date: FRI, 20 JAN 2006 14:49:56 -0600 Reply-To: lreyes@iec.org Contact: Lisa Reyes Phone: +1-312-559-3325 E-Mail: mailto:lreyes@iec.org IEC RELEASES EXCLUSIVE BROADBAND WORLD FORUM EUROPE 2005 CONTENT ON DVD PROFORUM SERIES CHICAGO January 18, 2006 With the overwhelming success of the International Engineering Consortium's (IEC's) recent Broadband World Forum Europe in Madrid, Spain, which saw nearly 6,000 information and communication technology (ICT) professionals register, the IEC today announced the full access of the conference's exclusive content via the second edition of its ProForum Series in DVD format. Granting industry professionals and students access to the extensive amounts of cutting-edge information covered at the Broadband World Forum Europe 2005, the most recent edition allows viewers to assess the true costs and opportunities of broadband, the operational experiences of key service providers, the latest developments in IPTV, triple play, quadruple play, UMTS, WiMAX, and much more. More than 90 exhibiting companies along with key sponsors shared research, developments, and information including Telefónica (official sponsor), Siemens, Huawei, Acterna, Alcatel, ECI, Marconi, Fujitsu, Motorola, Accenture, AVICI, Ericsson, Keymile, Microsoft TV, Packetfront, AVM, Cisco Systems, F-Secure, Italtel, Lucent Technologies, Motive, Netcentrex, Nokia, Nortel Networks, Pirelli, Riverstone Networks, Tellabs, Telsey, and Texas Instruments. Key speakers featured in the ProForum Series include Paul Berriman (PCCW Limited), Andrew Burke (BT Entertainment), Ibrahim Gedeon (TELUS Communications), Julio Linares Lopez (Telefonica), Tadanobu Okada (NTT), Stefano Pileri (Telecom Italia Group), Philippe Ribonnet (Belgacom), Mauro Righetti (Italtel), Eric Small (BellSouth), and Jean-Philippe Vanot (France Telecom). Attendee Ofer Raviv, Vice President of Marketing and Sales Support in the Broadband Access Division at ECI, stated, "The Broadband World Forum is indeed one of the very few yearly occasions that raises the challenge of truly debating the true cost and opportunities of broadband!" This second edition of the ProForum Series offers countless sessions, workshops, plenary panels, and keynote addresses from the content- filled event. With video, audio, and presentation material synchronized on DVD, the second edition is an excellent resource for industry professionals and students alike to analyze content as if actually there. The IEC's Broadband World Forum Europe 2005 http://www.iec.org/events/2005/bbwf/ , unmatched by any other communications event, hosted more than 90 exhibitors, drew nearly 6,000 industry professionals to register, and presented more than 60 sessions over four days at the Palacio Municipal de Congresos de Madrid. Encouraging professionals to learn and share information, the event fulfilled the IEC's commitment to catalyzing positive change in technology, business, and academia. For more information, visit www.iec.org/pubs/print/browse_dss.html, contact Lisa Reyes at mailto:lreyes@iec.org, or call +1-312-559-3325. ------------------------------ From: Kansas City Business Journal Subject: Sprint-Nextel Dumps Employee Pension Plan Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:09:43 -0600 from Kansas City Business Journal - January 20, 2006 http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2006/01/16/daily45.html LATEST NEWS Kansas City Business Journal - 2:25 PM CST Friday Sprint ends pension offering Sprint Nextel Corp. discontinued offering pension benefits to its employees on Jan. 1, a spokesman said Friday. The move by Sprint Nextel, which employs about 16,000 locally, will shift the burden to employees to save for retirement through a 401(k) program the company offers. "It gives associates increased flexibility to manage their retirement and also allows us to have success in the marketplace," Sprint Nextel spokesman David Gunasegaram said Friday. Employees who have a pension will not lose their balance, Gunasegaram said, but they will not be able to earn any additional pension benefits starting in 2006. "It's not like the money goes away," he said. "The government required us to meet prior obligations to our employees." Sprint Nextel's 401(k) program provides a dollar-for-dollar match of as much as 5 percent of an employee's contributions. Before merging with Nextel Communications Inc. in August 2005, Sprint Corp. reported a pension liability of $4.5 billion in its 2004 annual report. Nextel did not have a pension plan. Sprint contributed $300 million to its pension fund in 2004 and 2005, according to the annual report. The report said the company expected to pay out pension benefits of $177 million in 2005, $180 million in 2006 and $1.7 billion between 2007 and 2014. It is unclear where those balances stand today and how much of the pension liability will be shifted to Sprint Nextel's local phone spinoff, which employs several thousand unionized employees. The spinoff, which will have 5,000 local employees and 20,000 total, will continue to have both 401(k) and pension benefits. Copyright 2006 American City Business Journals Inc. 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Kansas City Business Journal. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Since its inception, Sprint has been notoriously anti-union. Ir really does not suprise me to see now that they are getting rid of employee pensions as well. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Ben Child Subject: AOL Plans to Take on BT Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:15:53 -0600 AOL announces plans to take on BT Ben Child Sunday January 22, 2006 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This is an advance peek at an article planned for this Sunday's issue of the Guardian in the UK. All the numerical values shown in this article, when they refer to money, are using British Pounds. PAT] Guardian Unlimited Internet giant AOL today announced plans to invest at least 50 million in a new telecoms infrastructure and promised higher quality services and greater speeds to its broadband customers. The company will use new technologies to bypass BT completely and provide internet, telephone and other broadband-related services direct to its customers. Companies like Bulldog have brought the cost of broadband to an all-time low by taking advantage of the same local loop unbundling (LLU) technologies which AOL is now investing in. However the American firm said it would not be cutting prices but would invest the savings it will make through lower ongoing running costs in providing a better service. "The market is already at its low point in terms of pricing," said spokesman Jonathan Lambeth. "Bulldog is pricing itself ahead to the levels that LLU may eventually allow costs to come down to. What we need to see now is who can offer the most value." AOL is promising to increase speeds for customers and offer extra features such as the ability to receive TV through a broadband connection, video on demand and advanced gaming services. The initial phase of its LLU programme, costing 50 million, will take place in the first half of 2006 and will reach the equivalent of 20% of UK households. If successful, AOL will roll out to an additional 50% at a cost of 70 million. Blair Wadman, broadband product manager for price comparison website Uswitch.com, said the move would allow AOL to compete on a level playing field with BT in terms of both phone lines and broadband. "The only other company at the moment is Bulldog, which is only in the major cities," he said. "AOL are backed by Time Warner and there's the potential there for them to roll out across the whole country far faster than one would have thought Bulldog capable of." Bulldog currently offers up to 8 meg speed broadband for 9.75 a month, while BT offers slower 2 meg speeds from 14.99 a month. For the time being AOL will continue to offer its customers 1 meg broadband at a cost of 14.99 for the first six months and 17.99 thereafter. "We've never been the cheapest and don't aim to be," said Mr Lambeth. "We would say we have the best customer service and provide better value for money." Guardian Unlimited Guardian Newspapers Limited Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Guardian Newspapers. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Just a reminder that all the money amounts shown above are British Pounds, the symbol for which I am unable to reproduce in ASCII text here. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #30 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Jan 20 23:23:06 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 025B714DAE; Fri, 20 Jan 2006 23:23:05 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #31 Message-Id: <20060121042305.025B714DAE@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 23:23:05 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.4 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, DRUGS_ERECTILE,DRUGS_ERECTILE_OBFU,SOMETHING_FOR_ADULTS autolearn=no version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Fri, 20 Jan 2006 23:25:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 31 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Information Wants to be Free (Randall Stross) NY Transit Workers Reject New Contract (David B. Caruso) Privacy Advocates Condemn Subpoena Given to Google (Alan Elsner) Rating System Urged For Adult Internet Control (Reuters News Wire) Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery (Tony P.) Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery (Steven Lichter) Re: Advocates of Wi-Fi in Cities Learn Art of Politics (Tony P.) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Randall Stross Subject: Information Wants to be Free Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 21:13:52 -0600 Digital Domain Hey, Baby Bells: Information Still Wants to Be Free By RANDALL STROSS At the top of my wish list for next year's Consumer Electronics Show is this: the introduction of broadband service across the country that is as up to date as that 103-inch flat-screen monitor just introduced by Panasonic. The digital lifestyle I see portrayed so alluringly in ads is not possible when the Internet plumbing in our homes is as pitiful as it is. The broadband carriers that we have today provide service that attains negative perfection: low speeds at high prices. It gets worse. Now these same carriers -- led by Verizon Communications and BellSouth -- want to create entirely new categories of fees that risk destroying the anyone-can-publish culture of the Internet. And they are lobbying for legislative protection of their meddling with the Internet content that runs through their pipes. These are not good ideas. Slow broadband seems to be our cursed lot. Until we get an upgrade -- or rather an upgrade to an upgrade -- the only Americans who will enjoy truly fast and inexpensive service will be those who leave the country. In California, Comcast cable broadband provides top download speeds of 6 megabits a second for a little more than $50 a month. That falls well short, however, of Verizon's 15-megabit fiber-based service offered on the East Coast at about the same price. But what about the 100-megabit service in Japan for $25 month? And better, much better: Stockholm's one-gigabit service -- that is, 1,000 megabits, or more than 1,300 times faster than Verizon's entry-level DSL service -- for less than 100 euros, or $120, a month. One-gigabit service is not in the offing in the United States. What the network carriers seem most determined to sell is a premium form of Internet service that offers a tantalizing prospect of faster, more reliable delivery -- but only if providers like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft pay a new charge for special delivery of their content. (That charge, by the way, would be in addition to the regular bandwidth-based Internet connection charges that their carriers already levy.) An executive vice president of Verizon, for example, said last week that the proliferation of video programs offered via the Internet opens a new opportunity for his company: a new class of premium online delivery for Web sites wishing to pay extra to give smooth video streams to their customers in the Verizon service area. The executive, Thomas J. Tauke, said that a fast lane for premium content providers would not reduce the quality of regular service for everyone else, and that sites could choose not to sign up without suffering retribution. "To the best of my knowledge," he said, "there's no negative." From the consumer's perspective, given the dismal state of the status quo, shouldn't any service improvement be welcomed? The short answer is: not necessarily. For one thing, the occasional need for a preferential fast lane for streaming video -- that is, moving pictures displayed as fast as they arrive, rather than downloaded first and played from memory -- exists in the United States only because our standard broadband speeds are so slow. Were we ever to become a nation with networks supporting gigabit service, streaming video would not require special handling. Perhaps more important, the superabundance of content in the Internet's ecosystem is best explained by its organizing principle of "network neutrality." The phrase refers to the way the Internet welcomes everyone who wishes to post content. Consumers, in turn, enjoy limitless choices. Rather than having network operators select content providers on our behalf -- the philosophy of the local cable company -- the Internet allows all of us to act as our own network programmers, serving a demographic of just one person. Today, the network carrier has a minor, entirely neutral role in this system -- providing the pipe for the bits that move the last miles to the home. It has no say about where those bits happened to have originated. Any proposed change in its role should be examined carefully, especially if the change entails expanding the carrier's power to pick and choose where bits come from -- a power that has the potential to abrogate network neutrality. This should be taken into account when Baby Bells say they need to extract more revenue from their networks in order to finance service improvements. Consumers will pay one way or the other, whether directly, as Internet access fees, or indirectly, as charges when a content company opts for special delivery and passes along its increased costs to its customers. It would be better for the network carriers to continue to do as they have, by charging higher rates for higher bandwidth. (Sign me up for that one-gigabit service.) Left unmentioned in Verizon's pitch is the concentration of power that it enjoys in its service area, which would allow it to ignore the equal-access principle whenever it wishes. We are asked to take on faith that it and the other telephone companies with similar plans will handle ordinary network traffic with the same care they would show if they had not begun parallel businesses for the carriage trade. How likely is that? Vinton G. Cerf has as good a claim as anyone to being the "father" of the Internet -- he was the co-author in the 1970's of key protocols that define it. He worked for many years at MCI and joined Google last year. After hearing a description of Verizon's contemplated offering of a premium delivery service for video, he was skeptical that Verizon and other broadband carriers, would adhere to promises to keep their networks open. Mr. Cerf said that back in the 1990's, when the Web arrived, consumers could choose from among hundreds of dial-up service providers, without geographical constraints. But "as broadband developed," he added, "the set of choices telescoped to zero, one or two," and the lack of choice means that "we now have a serious issue on our hands." Woe to us all if the Internet's content is limited by the companies who also handle the plumbing. "The Future of Ideas," by Lawrence Lessig (Random House, 2001), shows how innovation and creativity associated with the Internet are the byproducts of its openness, its role as a commons that is accessible, by design, to all. Professor Lessig, who teaches law at Stanford, said last week that even now, broadband carriers have failed to demonstrate their commitment to the principle of network neutrality. "They've fought it at each stage," he said, "and they have never embraced the principle." An illustration of his point popped up the same day. In an interview, William L. Smith, the chief technology officer at BellSouth, described to me his company's trial offering in West Palm Beach, Fla., last year of a speedy download service for Movielink content. When asked whether BellSouth would offer its special service on an exclusive basis to a particular content site and agree to exclude the sponsor's rivals, he did not hesitate in treating the question as a matter of simply settling on the right price. The N.F.L. and Nascar strike exclusive distribution deals, he said. Why not network carriers? The largest Internet companies are the ones that could easily afford whatever terms the carriers demand for exclusive deals that would lock out smaller rivals and new entrants. But they have not done special deals with the carriers and instead have joined together to try to persuade Congress to protect the principle of network neutrality and prevent the Bells from striking exclusive deals with anyone. Last November, Amazon, eBay, Microsoft and Google, among others, formally registered their concern with a House committee that is revising the basic telecommunications law; they noted that a draft version of the bill failed to make network neutrality a matter of policy without exception. Whether the committee has responded positively to the suggestions from the Internet players should be known soon. In his debut keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show two weeks ago, one of Google's founders, Larry Page, credited the "dreamers in universities" who had had the foresight to create a network system without gatekeepers, which made it "maximally flexible" to permit the unplanned appearance of the World Wide Web. That, in turn, had made possible the unplanned appearance of Google. More unplanned appearances will follow -- but only if the ecosystem is protected from tromping telephone companies that are genetically incapable of understanding "maximally flexible." Randall Stross is a historian and author based in Silicon Valley. E-mail:ddomain@nytimes.com. Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines and stories from NY Times with no registration nor login requirements, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/nytimes.html ------------------------------ From: David B. Caruso Subject: NY Transit Workers Reject New Contract Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 21:05:55 -0600 By DAVID B. CARUSO, Associated Press Writer The city's 33,000 transit workers rejected a new contract by a mere seven votes Friday, raising fears of another crippling strike like the one that brought subways and buses to a standstill a month ago. The Transport Workers Union voted down the contract, despite the urging of union President Roger Toussaint to ratify the agreement. He said the final tally was 11,234 against and 11,227 in favor. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the harshest critics of the three-day walkout in December, called the contract rejection "disappointing news to all New Yorkers." He urged both sides to return to the negotiating table. Toussaint did not address the possibility of another strike. But opponents of the proposed three-year contract said they were hopeful a new deal could be reached without another walkout. "I would not advocate going back on strike," said union Vice President Ainsley Stewart, who opposed the new contract. Stewart said opponents were most upset by a provision that would have required workers for the first time to contribute part of their salaries toward health care premiums. Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Peter S. Kalikow issued a written statement expressing disappointment with the vote. The MTA, which oversees the city's mass transit system, also informed the union it intends to seek binding arbitration to resolve the dispute. Toussaint blamed "downright lies" told by contract opponents for the ratification failure but said the union's leadership was ready to "go back to the drawing board" as soon as possible. He also said TWU members were worried by Gov. George Pataki's threat to veto a key $110 million refund of pension plan contributions. The strike that started Dec. 20 shut down the nation's largest mass transit system in the middle of the holiday shopping season. It was the first system-wide strike since an 11-day walkout in 1980, and it left millions of New Yorkers and tourists scrambling to find ways to get around the city. It was also an illegal strike. State law forbids strikes by public employees, and the walkout put the union and its members at financial risk. The union was fined $3 million, and workers were docked two days' pay for each day on strike, though a Brooklyn judge has yet to determine exactly how much of those penalties the union and its employees will pay. The rejected contract would have provided raises of 3 percent in the first year, then 4 percent and 3.5 percent in the following two years. But it would have required the workers for the first time to contribute 1.5 percent of their salaries toward health care premiums. The MTA agreed to drop a proposal that would have raised the retirement age for new hires from 55 or required new employees to contribute more to their pensions. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news reports from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Alan Elsner Subject: Privacy Experts Condemn Subpoena Given to Google Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 21:09:47 -0600 By Alan Elsner Right-to-privacy groups said on Friday an attempt by the Bush administration to force Google Inc. to turn over a broad range of materials from its databases set a dangerous precedent that should worry all Americans. "This is the camel's nose under the tent for using search engines and all kinds of data aggregators as surveillance tools," said Jim Harper of the libertarian Cato Institute who also runs Privacilla.org, an Internet privacy database. The Bush administration is already under fire from a number of rights groups over security measures it has taken since the September 11, 2001 attacks on America, including pursuing checks on library records and eavesdropping on some telephone calls. In court papers filed on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in San Jose, the Justice Department stated that Google had refused to comply with a subpoena issued last year for one million random Web addresses from Google's databases as well as records of all searches entered on Google during any one-week period. The government said it needed the information to prepare its case to revive the 1998 Child Online Protection Act, which the Supreme Court blocked from taking effect two years ago. The law prohibited Internet companies from knowingly making available obscene or pornographic material to minors. The Supreme Court said there were potential constitutional problems with the law and sent the case back to a lower court for consideration. It is expected to be heard later this year. The Justice Department said on Friday that America Online, Yahoo and Microsoft had all complied with similar requests. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales rejected concerns that the subpoena might violate individual privacy rights. "We're not asking for the identity of Americans. We simply want to have some subject matter information with respect to these communications. This is important for the Department of Justice and we will pursue this matter," he told reporters. A Google spokesperson said the company objected to the breadth of the government's request but did not consider it to be a privacy issue since the search terms would not include personally identifiable details. BILL TO BE INTRODUCED But others were not reassured. Massachusetts Rep. Edward Markey , the ranking Democrat on the telecommunications subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said he would introduce a bill to strengthen consumers' Internet privacy by prohibiting the storage of personally identifiable information Internet searches beyond a reasonable time. "Internet search engines provide an extraordinary service, but the preservation of that service does not rely on a bottomless, timeless database that can do great damage despite good intentions," Markey said. Chris Jay Hoofnagle of the Electronic Privacy Information Center worried that the government could follow up its initial request with a demand for more information. "If Google hands over the search logs and the Justice Department finds search strings like 'child porn' or 'naked children,' could they not then go back and ask Google for the user's Internet address?" he said. Ari Schwartz of the Center for Democracy and Technology said he was glad Google was fighting the case but the company needed to make privacy a more fundamental part of its products. He said the case was a wake-up call to all Internet users that information was being collected on them all the time and was stored indefinitely. Danny Sullivan, an Internet consultant who created Search Engine Watch, said in a posting on his site: "Such a move absolutely should breed some paranoia. They didn't ask for data this time, but next time, they might." On the other side, the Cincinnati-based National Coalition for Protection of Children and Families, a Christian fundamentalist group, said search companies should be willing to help the government defend children from pornography. "I'm disappointed Google did not want to exercise its good corporate branding to secure the protection of youth," said Jack Samad, the group's senior vice president. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more headlines and stories from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Rating System Urged For Adult Internet Control Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 21:11:21 -0600 An influential U.S. Senator warned the adult entertainment industry on Thursday that if it does not develop a rating system for its Internet content, Congress will. "My advice to your clients is that you better do it soon or we will mandate it if you don't," Republican Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, chairman of the Commerce Committee, told Paul Cambria, general counsel to the Adult Freedom Foundation. "If you do not wish to do it, then we will, but you probably will not like our system very much either." Cambria told the committee hearing that it was the first time his group had been invited to testify before Congress on the issue and he would take the message back to his clients. "I take that as a message and mandate to my clients that we should do that," Cambria said. "I might welcome a shot across the bow rather than one between the eyes." Tim Lordan, executive director of the Internet Education Foundation, said about 75 percent of Internet pornography comes from overseas, beyond the reach of U.S. laws. He said parents play a crucial role in keeping unwanted material away from their children and that a rating system would help. James Burrus of the FBI, illustrating how pervasive the problem is, said that a word search on "pornography" produced 19 million results. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Laura Parsky said law enforcement is using increasingly sophisticated techniques, including following the path of financial transactions, to crack down on child pornography. Younger children are being abused and the images are becoming more disturbing, she said. "In the past several years, the children we have seen in these images have been younger and younger, and, very regrettably, the abuse depicted has been increasingly more severe and is often sadistic," she said. She declined to comment on a Justice Department subpoena of Google Inc., saying she could not talk about ongoing investigations. The department is seeking documents as part of the agency's probe of Internet pornography and the company rejected the demand as overreaching by the government. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more headline stories of interest, with no login nor registration requirements -- the way the net should be! -- please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/nytimes.html [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: FBI agent Burrus may be correct in his assessment that Googling the term "pornography" 'produced 19 million results' -- I do not know, I did not go through and count them all -- and even though he _may_ be correct in his count, much of it will be repeated references to the same article (I have seen the same reference show up three or four times for the same source material) and much of it will not be pornography as such but merely references to the topic. For example, when this article gets indexed by Google, it will probably show up three or four times depending on how the inquirer places his quotation marks and other punctuation. "Pornography produced" (with quotes like that) would produce a result each time this Digest is indexed (either by my efforts or those of other users whose collection of back issues of TD are indexed); 'pornography' will produce a different item count for the same reason, etc. And did he include in his count all the jillions of references to 'Viagra', 'Ciallis' and similar? I can see his point however; there is an awful lot of that stuff on the net; too much really for most people's good at all. But how many of those people would voluntarily deal with any type of 'adult code' is difficult to predict. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 17:12:01 -0500 In article , hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com says: >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I would be careful saying that it is >> a 'simple misdialing' if there are _many_ people calling it. > In this particular case, it does sound likely it's merely > misdialing -- people are trying to reach the company but reaching his > number instead. Yes I agree the translation table should've been > updated but nowadays it's understandable it wasn't. Indeed, with all > the mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcies I'm frightened to what > exists out there. > Also remember that right now the new Medicare Drug Plan is being > implemented and it's a mess. Lots of people are calling in with > questions, so call volume is unusually high. That would increase the > chances of error dialing. > Don't underestimate the grief someone has with a phone number close to > a popular number. A friend's number is vaguely similar to a pizza > place and he gets frequent calls for the place. (Since he's not > usually there it's not a problem). A number I once had was similar to > a call-in for work assignments and I got calls regularly at 5am. > I remember when our family moved and got a new number from a newly > created exchange. My mother was concerned that it was ANC and an > exchange no one heard of; she thought it would make us look odd. > (Interesting how we were concerned with our appearances back then.) > However, we never got anyone wrong numbers for many years. > I wonder if Touch Tone pads generate more errors than rotary dials > since people can zip along much faster, increasing the chance of > error. Further, with portable and cell phones, people could not be > paying attention while dialing and make more mistakes. > The old Bell Telephone movies showing somebody dialing carefully from > a written down number while seated with good posture at a good desk is > not real life. > I think in the old days the phone company knew certain numbers were > error prone and avoided assigning them out if possible. Also, > businesses tended to have symetrical or even hundred numbers. But > today that's not the case. Further, many businesses use spelled out > numbers which I think are much more error prone. That is, dialing > ABC-BANK is trickier than say 922-4800. That's why I love my phone number. It's n2n-2n2n - the repeating two's make it fairly easy to remember. ------------------------------ From: Steven Lichter Reply-To: Die@spammers.com Organization: I Kill Spammers, Inc. (c) 2005 A Rot in Hell Co. Subject: Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 02:49:34 GMT hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > I wonder if Touch Tone pads generate more errors than rotary dials > since people can zip along much faster, increasing the chance of > error. Further, with portable and cell phones, people could not be > paying attention while dialing and make more mistakes. I would say that there would be more errors with a rotary dial, since the springs can bend and people tend to use things like pencils to dial, or force the dial forward then back. The only good spammer is a dead one!! Have you hunted one down today? (c) 2005 I Kill Spammers, Inc. A Rot in Hell Co. ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Advocates of Wi-Fi in Cities Learn Art of Politics Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 17:15:35 -0500 In article , falco_marcus_didius@yahoo.co.uk says: > (johnmac) -- Dana Spiegel, quoted in the article, spoke to my Monroe > College Wireless Technology class, last Saturday. he is, to my > understanding, the Executive Director of NYC Wireless (nycwireless.net > -- an organization that I recommend to everyone.) > From the New York Times -- > http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/19/technology/circuits/19wifi.html > Advocates of Wi-Fi in Cities Learn Art of Politics > By GLENN FLEISHMAN > SEATTLE, Jan. 18 - The idea of building citywide wireless networks > from the community level was suspiciously simple back in 2000, > although the plans sounded like the work of underground > revolutionaries. "All of us were very idealistic, and all quite > strongly opinionated," said Adam Shand, founder of Personal Telco, > which had visions of such a network in Portland, Ore. > There as elsewhere, it was seen as a three-step process. Or a zero step process. What I discovered when I recently got my laptop is that there were a total of 15 wireless networks in my neighborhood, of which more than half were wide open. For the first couple weeks I used one that was right across the street from me and then made a startling realization. I was getting no benefit out of my hardware firewall. So I plunked down $50 and got a WAP and now have 100% coverage through my entire house. Does it broadcast it's SSID, sure it does. But you must have the WPA key and the WAP must know your MAC address if you're going to be able to use it. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications topics. 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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V25 #31 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Jan 22 18:39:00 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 9920214FD8; Sun, 22 Jan 2006 18:38:59 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #32 Message-Id: <20060122233859.9920214FD8@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 18:38:59 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.5 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_REMOVE,NO_COST autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Sun, 22 Jan 2006 18:40:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 32 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson FCC Boss Sees Wireless Auction Starting in June (Reuters News Wire) Format War Looms For Wireless Standard (Peter Svensson) 21st Century Eavesdropping (Matthew Fordahl) Electronic Eavesdroppers Must Now Sort (Monty Solomon) Remote Call Screening (modorney@aol.com) Bluetooth Cordless Phone 5.8 GHz Two Lines (neilsanner@yahoo.com) Amateur Video Sharing (Anick Jesdanun) Online Banking: How Safe is Your Money? (Robin Arnfield) Cingular Joins Rivals With Fast, Reliable Wireless Broadband (M Solomon) Sunglasses That Bring Music to Your Ears (Monty Solomon) Verizon Close to Cable Deal: Draft License Agreement (Monty Solomon) Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery (Davlindi@gmail.com) Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery (Joe Morris) Re: Coder of C-64 Games? (JeremyDestined) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Reuters News Wire Subject: FCC Boss Sees Wireless Auction Starting in June Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 12:37:07 -0600 An auction of U.S. airwaves that could be used for wireless video and high-speed Internet access will likely go ahead in June, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said on Friday. Wireless companies are typically hungry for more airwaves to expand and improve their services. Companies like Cingular Wireless and Verizon Wireless, the two largest U.S. carriers, are rolling out new products, like broadband and video. "I think the commission still intends (on) going forward with the AWS (Advanced Wireless Services) auction in June, in this summer," Martin told reporters after an FCC meeting. "I anticipate that we are going to move forward with it, I don't have any other plans." The FCC said in late 2004 that the sale could occur as early as June 2006. Some of the airwaves to be sold are being cleared by U.S. government operations and some of the expected auction proceeds are being earmarked to cover the costs of moving those services, estimated to be almost $936 million. The FCC sale can only be completed if the proceeds from the sale bring in at least 10 percent more than those costs. Cingular Wireless, the No. 1 U.S. carrier, is a joint venture of BellSouth Corp. and AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless is the No. 2 provider and a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Reuters please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Peter Svensson Subject: Format War Looms for Wireless Standard Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 12:41:36 -0600 By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer A technology that promises to replace the cables behind TV sets and entertainment centers with wireless connections appears to be headed for a format war, after two industry organizations formally broke off their collaboration. At a meeting in Hawaii on Thursday, the UWB Forum and the WiMedia Alliance voted to shut down a working group that sought to create a common standard for a radio technology known as ultra-wideband, or UWB. Utilizing UWB allows data transmission at extremely high rates, more than enough for high-definition TV signals, at ranges up to 30 feet. The UWB Forum -- led by Motorola Corp. spinoff Freescale Semiconductor Inc. -- and the WiMedia Alliance -- supported by Samsung Electronics Co. and chip-makers Intel Corp. and Texas Instruments Inc. -- had been trying to unite on a single standard since forming a task group with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in 2003. The IEEE has been the umbrella group for a number of successful standards, including Wi-Fi. Freescale got a head start on UWB in 2003 by buying Xtreme Spectrum, a company that already had a working prototype chip, and wanted that chip to be the basis of the standard. At the same time, the WiMedia Alliance wanted to go in an entirely different direction. While Freescale's chip sent out extremely rapid "clicks" of radio signals over a wide range of frequencies, the WiMedia Alliance wanted to use a method of dividing the spectrum into a large number of channels and transmitting over them simultaneously, almost like playing the piano with a finger on every key. "After a year or so of arguing, unfortunately the thing started to become more personal," said Roberto Aiello, chief technology officer of Staccato Communications Inc. and the secretary of the WiMedia Alliance. "We started to be more apart rather than closer to finding a solution." On the other side, Martin Rofheart, director of the UWB operation at Freescale, said the effort toward hammering out a common standard "has been stalemated for some time. We felt for our part that it wasn't going to produce a specification that would be useful to the industry." The UWB Forum and Freescale are promoting a personal-computer-centered approach to introducing usage of UWB, emphasizing it as a replacement for the USB cables that connect computers with their peripherals. Rofheart said their Cable-Free USB standard is designed to work with existing computers and peripherals without requiring upgrades or new software. Two products that use Cable-Free USB were announced at the Consumer Electronics Show this month by Belkin Corp. and Gefen Inc. Both packages consist of a small dongle that connect a laptop wirelessly to the other part of the package, a USB hub, where a printer, scanner, or other peripherals can be plugged in. They are expected to go on sale in a few months. Freescale's Rofheart said the technology can later be extended to work with consumer electronics, including TVs and stereos. The first products using the WiMedia Alliance's technology are expected by the end of the year, according to Aiello. Its use of UWB has been certified by another industry body, the USB Forum, and the products will carry the Certified Wireless USB logo. The Certified Wireless USB products and the Cable-Free USB products will not be able to communicate, and may interfere with one another, according to Aiello. Analyst Joyce Putscher at In-Stat noted that the WiMedia Alliance is going to continue to work with European engineering bodies, and could end up being a "de facto" standard without the IEEE. "There is an advantage with the WiMedia flavor such that they can more easily avoid certain frequency bands," Putscher said. That could help acceptance of the technology by foreign governments that wish to minimize interference with other devices. In the United States, both approaches to utilizing the band have clearance from the Federal Communications Commission. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html (news feed and audio summary) http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/Fednews.html (news feed and rews radio) ------------------------------ From: Matthew Fordahl (ap@telecom-digest.org) Subject: 21st Century Eavesdropping Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 15:40:15 -0600 By MATTHEW FORDAHL, AP Technology Writer In the past, intercepting communications meant just that -- copying a telegram mid-route, steaming open an envelope or attaching alligator clips to the copper wires that connected every telephone in the world. But the old ways of communicating are heading into the sunset like the Pony Express and being replaced by phone calls, instant messages, e-mail and more that are converted into digital data before they gallop across the Internet and other advanced networks. This constant interchange of massive amounts of data, converging into speeding bitstreams on common pipes, is both a blessing and a curse for eavesdroppers. It's easier than ever to access wholesale feeds of data. But such work is also more controversial than traditional wiretapping, as seen in objections to post-9/11 warrantless domestic surveillance and to regulatory moves to require networks to be tap-friendly. Critics question whether safeguards put in place a quarter century ago following FBI wiretapping misconduct are strong enough to prevent abuse in the 21st century. Others fear the information superhighway is turning out to be a fast path to mass surveillance. "The thing that really should worry people is that once the capability is there, people will abuse it," said Jennifer Granick, executive director of Stanford University's Center for Internet and Society. "The opportunity for abuse is so much greater, because so much more of our private information is transmitted over the network." Always a hot topic, the debate over wiretapping is further fueled today not only by the knowledge of what's possible but also by a dearth of details of what's actually happening. What makes the White House surveillance program -- acknowledged after The New York Times disclosed it in December -- a cause of such concern is that it skirts existing laws and employs techniques resembling a wide-mouthed vacuum before the fine-toothed combs can be wielded. It's being performed by the ultra-secret National Security Agency, which is believed to have the most advanced information vacuuming technology available. The NSA did not return telephone calls seeking comment on its methods. The agency's efforts are reported to enjoy the cooperation of telecommunications companies, which run the major backbones and junctions where data -- phone calls and Internet traffic -- is exchanged between carriers' networks. Those companies have refused to confirm or deny to The Associated Press whether they've cooperated with the program, which the White House says began in 2002 with the aim of preventing terrorist attacks. But they could be helping in a number of ways to provide information on who's talking to whom, when, how long the communication lasts and, ultimately, the content itself. Under the laws bypassed by the Bush administration, warrants for wiretaps require some evidence of wrongdoing. Given the huge amount of data that traverses networks, it's likely that one element of the program involves analyzing traffic to single out anyone who communicates with people in suspicious locations. Data accumulated for phone billing could be one of the sources. Modern networks can yield such information not just for phone calls but also for any other type of communication that passes through. When the data is converted to packets, as in the Internet, each one contains a header with the origin and destination. Even without support from a carrier, the NSA could be sniffing communication as it traverses the airwaves or passes through the millions of miles of fiber optic cable that are buried underground or beneath oceans. The technical problem is in the fire hose of information involved, said Mark Rasch, a former Justice Department computer crimes prosecutor. "The idea that the NSA could be sitting on every call going internationally, listening in on every possible language, for the words al-Qaida,' 'terrorist' or 'bombs' is just fallacy," he said. "Computers capable of doing that simply don't exist and hopefully never will." But the technology does exist to quickly read just the destination or origin information. That sort of monitoring, if done on a wide scale, creates thorny moral, ethical and legal problems because those channels are much more likely to contain the chatter of innocents than the machinations of terrorists. And it raises the question of how that traffic is used. "The thing about traffic analysis is you can mine that to any depth you want," said Bruce Schneier, chief technology officer of Counterpane Internet Security Inc. In domestic criminal cases, law enforcement officials who want simply to know who is talking to whom -- excluding content -- need only tell a court it's important to a case. But that low burden of proof was established with the belief that only one line would be monitored. When such surveillance is done on all outbound international calls, the law is not clear. "I would say the Fourth Amendment (guaranteeing protection against unreasonable searches) is the Fourth Amendment, and the fact that you're invading the privacy of millions as opposed to dozens should make it worse, not better," said Rasch, who is now chief security counsel at Solutionary Inc., a security risk management firm. It's believed that once the traffic analysis identifies "people of interest," they are then targeted for further surveillance and, possibly, full-content monitoring. Then, the NSA could simply mirror the data going to or coming from a target. It could even set up a parallel phone company or its own Internet Service Provider that would be invisible to its targets, Rasch said. Critics note that the White House could easily have used the secret court created by the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to get approval for such wiretaps, but chose instead to bypass it. As it is, the FISA court has been criticized for rubber stamping requests. "During the Clinton years, we were fighting that kangaroo court -- they never said no," Schneier said. "Here we are now wishing for the little oversight that the court had." The NSA surveillance also raises questions about wiretapping in investigations unrelated to national security. Responding to complaints by law enforcers that such digital communications as Internet telephony can stymie their eavesdropping, the FCC decided last year decided that the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act should be extended next year to apply to some broadband Internet access providers and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) companies. CALEA compels those companies to proactively build out that capability, and network equipment vendors are starting to building surveillance tools into their gear in anticipation of compliance. Some companies, such as VeriSign Inc. and NeuStar Inc., offer an all-in-one service for carriers and service providers, which some federal agencies have argued will actually enhance privacy for people not under investigation. But critics say that rather than laying the groundwork for privacy, new regulations will more likely enable greater misuse. "There's no question in my mind that once we make the networks less secure because of CALEA, we will exploit that lack of security to intercept communications under every legal authority asserted by the government," Rasch said. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines from Associated Press please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 16:22:29 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Electronic Eavesdroppers Must Now Sort By MATTHEW FORDAHL AP Technology Writer SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- In the past, intercepting communications meant just that _ copying a telegram mid-route, steaming open an envelope or attaching alligator clips to the copper wires that connected every telephone in the world. But the old ways of communicating are heading into the sunset like the Pony Express and being replaced by phone calls, instant messages, e-mail and more that are converted into digital data before they gallop across the Internet and other advanced networks. This constant interchange of massive amounts of data, converging into speeding bitstreams on common pipes, is both a blessing and a curse for eavesdroppers. It's easier than ever to access wholesale feeds of data. But such work is also more controversial than traditional wiretapping, as seen in objections to post-9/11 warrantless domestic surveillance and to regulatory moves to require networks to be tap-friendly. Critics question whether safeguards put in place a quarter century ago following FBI wiretapping misconduct are strong enough to prevent abuse in the 21st century. Others fear the information superhighway is turning out to be a fast path to mass surveillance. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54932948 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This major report by Associated Press appeared in much media over the weekend. This summary from Lycos, presented by Monty Solomon also appears in full elsewhere in this issue of TELECOM Digest today. PAT] ------------------------------ From: modorney@aol.com Subject: Remote Call Screening Date: 21 Jan 2006 12:18:58 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com I am looking for a phone answering machine with a wireless remote. I want the remote to be able to screen calls (not just be able to play messages later). So, when the answering machine picks up, and I hear "Hey Mike, pick up the phone!" on the speaker in the base unit, I want a similar speaker in the remote to repeat what the base speaker is saying. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, I can tell you that my Uniden cordless phone/answering machine _comes close_ and does allow intercepting of calls when messages are being left. But the overall space where it is located is small enough that I can hear the answering machine speaker even in a close by room. It even transmits the caller ID information to the wireless unit, but it does _not_ allow for message delivery to the wireless unit while message receiving is in progress, I do not think. But you might check Uniden; if anyone has it the way you want it, they might. PAT] ------------------------------ From: neilsanner@yahoo.com Subject: Bluetooth Cordless Phone 5.8 GHz Two Lines Date: 22 Jan 2006 09:18:50 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hi, Anybody knows if a Bluetooth cordless phone 5.8 GHz with 2 lines exists? I've looked everywhere (for those precise specifications) without any success. neilsanner ------------------------------ From: Anick Jesdanun Subject: Amateur Video Sharing Grows Online Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 15:41:41 -0600 By ANICK JESDANUN, AP Internet Writer Over the past year, Janelle Gunther occasionally captured video with her Canon PowerShot digital camera: An elephant parading through city streets to the Ringling Bros. circus, her friends on stage during an improv dance show. But the clips simply sat on her computer unwatched -- until last weekend, when she began adding them to Vimeo, one of several sites to emerge for sharing amateur footage. There's no shortage of sites willing to accept such video, and once issues of revenues, copyright and ease of use get sorted out, the sharing of personal video promises to become as commonplace as photo-sharing is today. "For the past six months or so, a lot of these sites have been popping up," said Jakob Lodwick, Vimeo's founder. "It went from being none to there being new ones every couple of weeks." Credit the digital video revolution. Most digital cameras sold since 2004 can shoot video, and so can newer models of cellular phones, said Jill Aldort, an InfoTrends consultant who specializes in Internet imaging trends. CVS Corp. even sells disposable video cameras. "People have video all over the place, coming out of their ears," said Cynthia Francis, chief executive of Reality Digital Inc., which runs the ClipShack sharing site. "People are looking for a way to share that." Now they needn't necessarily burn DVDs or carry around cameras to show friends their latest video oeuvre. Thanks to faster Internet connections and better online video technology, even search engine leader Google Inc. is getting into the game. Now that it's easier to reach her audience, Gunther expects to shoot even more video, just as she shot 10 times as many photos once she started sharing them on Yahoo Inc's Flickr. "I finally had a place to put them," the 30-year-old architect said of her photos. YouTube.com, a leading site, had more than 3 million visitors in December, nearly tripling its visitation in November, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. YouTube Inc. says its users have been sharing 20,000 new videos a day and watching some 10 million daily. One clip on YouTube is of a 12-year-old scoring a touchdown, another is of a woman burping in front of a mirror. One young man captured himself skateboarding on a treadmill. Others are more carefully produced and edited, even set to music. Steve Silvestri, a local television news cameraman in Bates City, Mo., began sharing his library of personal videos on Christmas Eve, many featuring his travels on Amtrak. One clip got more than 10,000 views within two weeks -- gaining a wider audience than he did from burning 50 DVDs for family and friends. "It's the greatest thing since the Internet," Silvestri said. "Everybody wants to have an audience for their stuff." Budding filmmakers and musicians can promote themselves, too, but people generally capture everyday moments without ever thinking they'd become Internet sensations, said Chad Hurley, YouTube's co-founder. Despite the growth, video-sharing remains largely a province of the tech-savvy. Many people don't know their digital cameras can shoot video or can't be bothered transferring or trimming it. Though video-sharing is available to higher-end paying subscribers of Smugmug Inc.'s photo service, it's not the main driver, said Chris MacAskill, the company's co-founder. Photos, on the other hand, can be shared as is and many photo-sharing sites even let users crop, remove "red eye" and perform other minor editing. The early video sites differ in another key aspect. With the exception of Flickr, the popular photo-sharing sites tend to promote sharing within a circle of friends and family, generally by sending links. Most of the video sites, however, encourage sharing with the world. They make the task easy by grouping video by most watched or highest rated, and they let users tag clips with keywords so others can search for all clips on bowling, for instance. And while photo-sharing sites typically sell prints and photo-imprinted mugs, there's no commerce counterpart for video, which can consume 10 times as much storage and bandwidth -- even after compressing files and reducing resolution. So video sites are exploring a range of revenue models, including advertisements, which rely on huge audiences. After all, video ads already precede segments at news Web sites like CBS. "But the question is, `Are those same strategies going to work when users are viewing user-generated content?'" ClipShack's Francis said. A few services, particularly newer ones aimed at moms reluctant to share family footage with strangers, are relying entirely on subscriptions. Hewlett-Packard Co.'s Snapfish, for instance, charges $25 a year for the video-sharing service it unveiled this month, even though its photo service is entirely free. Both emphasize closed communities -- one must already have the link to watch. And then there's Revver Inc., which relies on ads but shares revenues with users who submit video. "It is a new frontier," said Steven Starr, Revver's chief executive. "The migration of video onto the network is upon us, and the rules of that migration are being worked out as we speak." Intellectual property owners also must grapple with these services, some of which are littered with skits from "Saturday Night Live" and music video segments. As studios and networks expand online sales of already-aired shows through services like Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes, look for them to more aggressively pursue violations. "This is an evolving landscape," said Rick Cotton, general counsel for NBC Universal. "As we get into partnerships ... to make material legitimately available, we are increasing and escalating our efforts to police against the unauthorized and extensive infringing of materials." The video-sharing sites promise to remove copyright materials -- as well as pornography -- when requested, but they also say that some such clips are actually authorized or tolerated for their promotional value. Another gray area involves music playing in the background. "If you are lip-synching a Prince song, do you owe Prince royalties to that?" asked Trevor Wright, chief executive of the Sharkle Inc. video site. "The industry needs to and will begin to figure these things out." Entertainment lawyer Mark Litvack said copyright owners may not go after every use in amateur movies, but video that becomes an overnight sensation likely will attract attention. Fair use, he said, does not always protect even home movies. But there's no doubt content providers see value in sharing. Just this month, CBS Corp. began offering some shows through Google, which lets amateurs and professionals alike charge viewers for video, with Google getting a cut. There's also great interest among advertisers. A news site can produce only so much video on its own, Wright said, but user-generated content is limitless, driven by personal ego: "People want to share things they've done, places they've been, creations they've made and so forth." On the Net: Gunther's video: http://www.vimeo.com/userjanelle Silvestri's video: http://www.youtube.com/profile?userSrovets Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more headlines from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I see no mention of it in this article from AP, but Google is also in the process of collecting videos for their online search engine. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Robin Arnfield Subject: Online Banking: How Safe is Your Money? Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 15:43:05 -0600 Robin Arnfield, newsfactor.com Online banking is suffering through a withdrawal phase. A study last fall by I.T. security firm Entrust found that 18 percent of Americans who bank online plan to do so less often because of security concerns. A third of the respondents said they were worried about their bank's Web site being spoofed by a fraudulent facsimile that would trick them into divulging their logon information. "Consumer confidence in online banking security has been damaged," said Chris Voice, vice president of technology at Entrust. "This is bad news for banks. If consumers start defecting from online banking to call centers or branches, this will put banks' costs up." According to Voice, a call-center transaction costs a bank 10 times as much to process as an online transaction. And if people start beating a path back to the branches, where a transaction is even more expensive than at the call center, banks will have to hire more staff, he said. Banks are reluctant to share hard data on the scale of online fraud. But in response to the growing threat, financial institutions around the world are stepping up their user-authentication systems and strengthening their risk-monitoring technology. In the U.S., the federal government has given banks until the end of the year to install better online-security measures. Some companies, such as Bank of America and E*Trade, have gotten a head start by introducing two-factor authentication technologies to complement the traditional user name and password required for accessing online services. A SiteKey for Sore Eyes Two-factor authentication combines something you have, such as a hardware device or a software application, with something you know, such as a password. Bank of America's new authentication system, called SiteKey, is now mandatory in all markets across the U.S. in which the bank offers online-account services, with the exception of Washington and Idaho. The bank said it will roll out SiteKey to its online customers in those two states by April. SiteKey, developed by PassMark Security in Menlo Park, California, is designed to prevent account holders from falling prey to bogus Web sites that troll for sensitive information. It does this by asking you to select an image and a phrase that only you know. If this image and phrase are not displayed on the Bank of America Web site when you log in, then you know the site is fraudulent. SiteKey uses cookies -- packets of information commonly used as tracking devices -- to check whether or not customers are accessing the bank's Web site from their usual computers. If, for example, they are using a computer at an Internet cafe, then they are given some challenge-and-response questions that only they will be able to answer. "SiteKey allows our customers to know that they are accessing our Web site and not a fraudulent site, and it enables us to know that we are dealing with genuine customers," said Betty Riess, a spokesperson for Bank of America. E*Trade chose a hardware-based route to stronger authentication. Since April 2005, it has been offering its customers devices known as SecurID tokens, which are made by RSA Security in Bedford, Mass. For customers who are frequent traders on the site or who hold over $50,000 in assets with E*Trade, the SecurID tokens are free, and a one-time $25 charge for everyone else. These tokens calculate a one-time "passnumber" to enter when logging on. The number has to correspond to an identical one-time passcode that is simultaneously generated at E*Trade's back-end server. "We have been very pleased with the adoption rates for the tokens," said Greg Framke, E*Trade's CIO. While he would not disclose how many tokens have been issued, Framke said adoption numbers have been doubling regularly since the program started. "There is a pretty reasonable proportion of users who log on every week to E*Trade with the tokens," he said. The company has enough confidence in SecurID to offer its customers a guarantee that they will be reimbursed if they suffer online fraud, whether or not they are token users. "We expect other financial institutions to follow our lead in issuing tokens to their customers," Framke said. Methods of Deceit Avivah Litan, a financial-services security analyst at Gartner Group, said that a rise in online banking fraud attempts has followed banks' efforts to step up their security systems for debit and credit card payments. "It's too early to tell how the criminals will respond to the new security systems that banks are installing for their Web sites," Litan said. Two scams commonly used today are phishing and pharming. In a phishing attack, a victim is tricked into divulging a password, user name, or other confidential data by an e-mail that purports to originate from a bank or credit card company. The message typically steers people to fake Web sites under the pretense of having them update security information. Once the sensitive data is obtained, the victim's money is there for the taking. Phishing e-mails might also ask customers to reconfirm their ATM card number, expiration date, and personal identification number (PIN). These details are then used to manufacture a bank card, which the fraudster then uses to drain the victim's account. "No legitimate bank or e-commerce company is going to send its customers e-mails requesting security information," said Amanda Pires, a spokesperson for PayPal. "Nor is a bank going to send out an e-mail warning that a user's account will be suspended if they do not immediately provide their Social Security Number." Pharming works much in the same way as phishing, except that e-mail is now out of the picture. In a pharming attack, your Web browser is hijacked so that you are diverted to a false site when you attempt to visit your bank. Unaware of anything out of the ordinary, you divulge your password and user name to criminals. A variant of the two above scams is known as a "man in the middle" attack. Here, once a person is fooled into visiting a bogus bank site, a real-live hacker watches as the victim types in logon information. Criminals also have employed Trojan programs -- hidden applications that disguise themselves in order to avoid detection by antispyware software -- that wait for people to go to their banking sites and then capture passwords. Keeping a Close Watch Amir Orad, executive vice president of marketing at New York security firm Cyota, said that it is not enough for banks to step up their authentication procedures. "Just as a home owner has a gate, a lock on the door, an alarm and a safe, so banks need to have multiple layers of security," he said. In addition to stronger authentication, banks need to be monitoring their customers' transactions for abnormal events, according to Orad. "If I log on and simply pay my monthly car insurance bill, then that is a normal event which does not need any verification," Orad said. "But if an online payment is made out of my bank account to someone that I have never made a payment to before, then maybe the bank needs to ask for some additional security information before authorizing the transaction." A challenge-and-response mechanism is a good idea for high-risk transactions such as an online payment or a change-of-address notification, said Jonathan Penn, an analyst at Forrester Research. "If I ask my bank to change my address on its files and then ask for my card to be canceled and a replacement issued, then the bank's Web site should ask me a security question," he said. "It should not ask for something that is likely to be in the public domain like my Social Security Number, but for something that I have pre-agreed with it, such as my favorite football team." Cyota has developed a real-time monitoring system that looks globally for fraudulent attempts to access online bank accounts. Its E-Fraud Network has 50 major banks as its members, including Barclays Bank of the UK and ING Direct of the Netherlands. "As soon as a suspect Internet Protocol address tries to access an account at one bank, this IP address is blocked, and its details are relayed to the other members of the network," Orad said. Cyota was acquired in December by RSA, the security vendor that makes E*Trade's SecurID tokens. Smart Hardware Hardware devices represent an additional layer of security on top of software-based authentication and risk-monitoring systems. In the UK, banks are investigating the use of smart cards for accessing online banking services. Since the beginning of 2005, every UK bank customer has been issued a debit card that contains a chip as well as the standard magnetic stripe. The chip, which is designed to prevent the card from being cloned by crooks, can be used to authenticate the cardholder when logging on to a bank's Web site. How the card manages that feat is the one drawback to the technology. Banks have to issue smart-card readers to the cardholders. When the smart card is inserted in the reader, and the person types in the PIN, a passcode is generated. The person then enters that passcode when logging on to the bank's Web site. According to Colin Whittaker, head of security at UK banking association APACS (Association of Payments and Clearing Services), it would cost banks in Great Britain the equivalent of $5.40 to issue a smart-card reader to each of their Internet-banking customers. "The banks have agreed to pay the cost of issuing these readers," he said. "What is not known yet is whether the banks will use the readers to authenticate cardholders when making online debit or credit card payments on the Web, or also for online banking security." One company has developed an alternative hardware-based authentication system to using smart cards or one-time passcode-calculating tokens. Meridea, in Helsinki, Finland, has developed software that allows cell-phone users to use their handset as an authentication device. "An online banking user registers their cell-phone number with their bank and the bank then sends them a text message," said Justin McAuley, vice president of financial products at Meridea. "Once the customer has downloaded this message, they click on a link in it to download an application." After downloading the application, the customer has to enter an activation code provided by the bank, and create his or her own secret PIN. "The cell phone has now become an authentication device," McAuley said. "There is no need for banks to issue their customers with online authentication tokens or smart cards." When performing a transaction, the user is presented with a one-time challenge code on the bank's Web page, and is asked to provide a response code. "The user types the challenge code into the mobile phone, which validates that the challenge code is genuine," McAuley said. "After the user has entered their PIN into the phone, it generates a response code. The user types the response code into the Web bank screen, and the transaction is confirmed." Knowledge Is Its Own Reward Recent efforts to fight fraud have stressed the importance of consumer education. Too many people, it seems, neglect to take the elementary step of running security software on their computers. But some companies are encouraged by what they see as increased vigilance on the part of consumers. Amanda Pires, a spokesperson for eBay and its PayPal payments service, said that the online auction company has seen a rise in the number of phishing e-mails forwarded to it by users. "We think greater user awareness about phishing is the reason for this," Pires said. "EBay and PayPal work with Internet service providers and law enforcement to shut down spoof Web sites. We have a very good success rate in the U.S., but it takes longer to shut down spoof Web sites when they are located abroad." Still, people who bank online should not be lulled into a false sense of security. Frost & Sullivan analyst Rob Ayoub said that many Internet users are more careful about their personal information in the physical world than they are on the Web. "No one would hand over their credit card information to a shady-looking guy hanging around outside their bank," he said. "People should be even more careful on the Web." Copyright 2006 NewsFactor Network, Inc. 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from News Factor Network, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/tech-news.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 23:35:21 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Cingular Joins Rivals With Fast, Reliable Wireless Broadband By WALTER S. MOSSBERG Gradually, over the past couple of years, it has become possible in many major U.S. cities to get wireless Internet access, at speeds comparable with those of wired home DSL lines, without having to be anywhere near a wireless "hot spot" in a cafe or hotel or airport. These wireless broadband connections, available over a wide swath of the major metropolitan areas where they are offered, have been sold by two big cellphone companies, Verizon Wireless and Sprint. Both charge $60 a month for unlimited use of the services, which Verizon calls BroadbandAccess and Sprint calls Mobile Broadband. Both companies' services are based on a technology called EV-DO, which stands for Evolution-Data Only. [Cyber Surge] This is a revolutionary development. It means that, with a properly equipped laptop or smart phone, you can now get enough speed on a wireless connection to do everything you would do with a fast Internet connection at your desk -- stream video, download large Web sites, open large email attachments. And you don't have to shell out $4 for a Venti latte just to gain access to a Wi-Fi hot spot. Not only that, but these fast, new networks have, for the first time in years, given the U.S. the edge over Europe in cellular wireless data networks. Actual speeds on the EV-DO networks tend to be 600-700 kilobits a second, which is double or triple the actual speeds of the fastest widely deployed cellphone networks in Europe. Even the lowest speed the U.S. companies promise, 400 kbps, is faster than the maximum speed of today's common European systems. Now, this American trend has taken another step forward. Last month, Cingular Wireless announced it is leaping into the broadband wireless arena. It rolled out a service called BroadbandConnect to compete with Verizon and Sprint. http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20060119.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 23:37:33 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Sunglasses That Bring Music to Your Ears By WALTER S. MOSSBERG and KATHERINE BOEHRET Despite their huge popularity, iPods and other portable music players force people to walk around with wires coming out of their ears. That's an anachronism in an age when everything is going wireless. While there are some attachments for the iPod that allow the use of wireless headphones, both the attachments and the cordless headphones are bulky and ungainly. But there's another approach to getting rid of the wires: make the music player wearable. This week, we tested just such a product -- the Thump 2 from Oakley Inc., the same company known for its stylish and expensive sunglasses with the signature "O" imprinted near your temple. The Thump 2 is a pair of Oakley sunglasses with an MP3 player and earbuds built into its foldable arms, eliminating the messiness of dangling cords. After trying out the Thump 2, we agree that the sunglasses/earbuds combination works pretty well, is comfortable to wear and operates rather easily -- using a series of buttons on the top side of each sunglass arm. But it's very expensive and rather impractical. The Thump 2 is an improved version of the original Thump that came out about a year ago. That first version was built on the thinner frames that you might conjure up when you picture a pair of Oakleys. This Thump uses shades that have a boxier look. http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/solution-20060111.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 13:12:32 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Close to Cable Deal: Draft License Agreement Would Give Verizon close to cable deal: Draft license agreement would give Sudbury extra $100K, local programs By Stacey Hart / Daily News Staff Sunday, January 22, 2006 - Updated: 12:39 AM EST SUDBURY -- The town is finalizing a draft cable television license with Verizon, which would require the company to carry Sudbury's local cable channel programming and give the town about $100,000 a year. "They gave us an initial application that was a little light on details," said Jeff Winston, chairman of the Cable Television Committee. In August, the selectmen approved negotiations to begin with Verizon after a request was made by the company to offer cable and Internet services to Sudbury. Comcast is currently Sudbury's cable and Internet provider, and Verizon is the telephone service for the town. Verizon has begun introducing its new fiber-optic services to cities and towns in Massachusetts, which would provide high-speed Internet access, improved telephone service and cable television programming. The town has until March 6 to submit its proposal. The selectmen plan to discuss and vote on sending the draft license to Verizon at their meeting on Feb. 28 at 7:45 p.m. The cable committee, working with special counsel, presented the selectmen with a draft license at the board's meeting last week. Winston said one thing that guided the committee through drafting a license was making sure there was a level playing field for both Verizon and Comcast. "If we don't do that, Comcast has some rights that allow them to re-discuss their terms with us," he said. The draft license requires Verizon to provide financial support to the town for its local cable channels, 8 and 9, similar to the support received by Comcast. The Comcast license specifies about $70,000 must be spent annually on the local cable channels, which includes staff salary, benefits, operating expenses, repair, maintenance and technical support. Since Comcast already provides Sudbury with a studio and equipment to tape and broadcast meetings and events, the town is asking Verizon to provide a cash payment equal to those services. http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=119906 ------------------------------ From: Davlindi@gmail.com Subject: Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery Date: 20 Jan 2006 23:55:01 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Funny, one of my numbers is similar to a Pharmacy and I get a steady, but not excessive, trickle of people asking about their medications (several a month) ... Well, you can't get that angry with poor sick people, who are just trying to get some help with their medicine, so I don't play any tricks, like some people I know do, when they get a sloppy dialers or the poor of sight. I feel a bit guilty, when I could correct the dialer, since they are mistakiing one number that looks like another, or perhaps a number gets transfigur\red when hand written? Instead, I tell them they are misreading one of the numbers and I get similar calls on occasion and not to worry ... hoping they will write the correct down after a correction and begin to remember it, so I won't get called back again:) I attribute the rash of ever increasing wrong numbers to cellphone users who are distracted and I'm sure many more digits dialed from behind the wheel or other circumstances wher the dialer doesn't give full atention to the task. A forgotten 800 provider seems like it could be very difficult to trace, since it's just a pointer we pay some cellco or other to direct cals. Seemed like there was a centralized way to search for the LOA info(I think this is the form used to transfer 800 numbers biling, but I could be wrong. Letter fo Agency IIRC) Are there any automated dialing tools for playing back the name of the the Telco carrying an 800 line? Something like dialing 1-700-555-4141 that plays back the Long Distance Carrier. If the Toll Free and LD were the same this would be easy , but often they are not. Or 700-4141 to get the local provider. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I have always thought (here I go, thinking for myself again!) it would be good if any future expansion plans for the telephone numbering system included a 'check digit' system, where (let us say someday we got expanded to 8 or 9 digits on local calling or maybe 11-12 digits for 'long distance') the last or perhaps the first digit was mathematically constructed as is done with many or most credit card numbers presently. Unless the person doing the dialing got the remaining digits _absolutly correct and in the right order, the call would fail to complete. Ergo, no more wrong numbers period, unless the caller just coincidentally happened to reverse a couple of the digits in just the right order, for example as the old multiply by 1-2-1-2 existing number, then add the digits across and subtract the total from 10 routine is done. Likewise, it would be virtually impossible to just make up a number on the fly and get it correct without a lot of forethought. They could almost do that now with our seven/ten/eleven numbers in use, simply calculate what the check-digit would be and expect the caller to include it when dialing the desired number, as the eighth, eleventh or twelvth digit presented. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Joe Morris Subject: Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 18:04:12 UTC Organization: The MITRE Organization hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com writes: > Don't underestimate the grief someone has with a phone number close to > a popular number. A friend's number is vaguely similar to a pizza > place and he gets frequent calls for the place. (Since he's not > usually there it's not a problem). A number I once had was similar to > a call-in for work assignments and I got calls regularly at 5am. My father told a story from back in the 1940s: for some reason people kept calling his phone (obTelecomHistory: WAlnut, a manual exchange in uptown New Orleans) when they wanted to contact their local grocery to have food delivered. (Yes, some groceries did that 'way back when ... PeaPod is nothing new.) Apparently someone at the grocery was giving out the wrong number and complaints to the grocery didn't help. He finally fixed the problem by responding to the calls complaining about slow deliveries: he profusely apologized, and told the caller that as a good-will gesture the next order would include some fancy lagniappe at no cost to the customer. Presumably the blasts directed at the store about its failure to include the promised lagniappe finally got management's attention. Joe Morris [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: There was an instance in Chicago several years ago where the Probation Department of the Cook County Court system printed up legal notices which were mailed out to all the probationers -- millions of notices -- with the wrong number on the form. Getting them (court officials) to even _listen_ to the problem, let alone correct their stupid notices took a real act of God, believe me. They just were not going to change anything about their system. Now if you know Chicago, almost everyone gets swept up in their system at least once; many folks more than once. The trouble was sort of serious; all probationers were expected to call that number (or at least the correct version of it) to do something or other. It finally took a lawyer (whether he himself was on probation or simply the counsel for someone else who was on probation is not known to me; it could have been either way) to go raise so much hell with them and get their damn forms reprinted with the correct number. I think the attorney had to offer to file suit against the court itself to prompt the correction of the form. PAT] ------------------------------ From: JeremyDestined Subject: Re: Coder of C-64 Games? Date: 22 Jan 2006 08:41:10 GMT Organization: Octanews Thomas Steiding wrote: > Dear Mr. Trotter, > I'm looking for Mark Trotter who programmed games for the Commodore > C-64 computer a long time ago. Could you please tell me if you are the > person I'm looking for? Thank you very much in advance and have a nice > day. > Kind Regards / Mit freundlichen Gr|ssen > Thomas Steiding > mailto:ts@magnussoft.de Thomas: you might want to google group comp.sys.cbm, alt.c64 and a couple other Commodore 8 bit groups.. url: http://groups.google.com Jeremy Commodore 64 Fan supercommodoreatmaildotcom ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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. 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End of TELECOM Digest V25 #32 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Jan 23 03:30:04 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id C67F914F2B; Mon, 23 Jan 2006 03:30:01 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #33 Message-Id: <20060123083001.C67F914F2B@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 03:30:01 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.0 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, NO_COST,NO_OBLIGATION autolearn=unavailable version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Mon, 23 Jan 2006 03:31:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 33 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post (Marcus Didius Falco) Format War Looms For New Wireless Standard (Monty Solomon) Google Subpoena Roils the Web/US Effort Raises Privacy Issues (M Solomon) Is it Time to Cut the Cords on Directory Assistance? (Monty Solomon) CBS, Fox Show Different Approaches to Tech (Monty Solomon) Verizon Enters Cable Picture/Negotiating Fees to 3rd Provider (M Solomon) Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery (The Kaminsky Family) Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery (Steven Lichter) Number Blocking (Steven Lichter) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Dave Thompson) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. 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Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 20:47:50 -0500 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/21/AR2006012100094.html The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet By Christopher Stern Sunday, January 22, 2006; Do you prefer to search for information online with Google or Yahoo? What about bargain shopping -- do you go to Amazon or eBay? Many of us make these kinds of decisions several times a day, based on who knows what -- maybe you don't like bidding, or maybe Google's clean white search page suits you better than Yahoo's colorful clutter. But the nation's largest telephone companies have a new business plan, and if it comes to pass you may one day discover that Yahoo suddenly responds much faster to your inquiries, overriding your affinity for Google. Or that Amazon's Web site seems sluggish compared with eBay's. The changes may sound subtle, but make no mistake: The telecommunica- tions companies' proposals have the potential, within just a few years, to alter the flow of commerce and information -- and your personal experience -- on the Internet. For the first time, the companies that own the equipment that delivers the Internet to your office, cubicle, den and dorm room could, for a price, give one company priority on their networks over another. This represents a break with the commercial meritocracy that has ruled the Internet until now. We've come to expect that the people who own the phone and cable lines remain "neutral," doing nothing to influence the content on your computer screen. And may the best Web site win. For more than a year, public interest groups, including the Consumer Federation and Consumers Union, have been lobbying Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to write the concept called "network neutrality" into law and regulation. Google and Yahoo have joined their lobbying efforts. And online retailers, Internet travel services, news media and hundreds of other companies that do business on the Web also have a lot at stake. Meanwhile, on the other side, companies like AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth are lobbying just as hard, saying that they need to find new ways to pay for the expense of building faster, better communication networks. And, they add, because these new networks will compete with those belonging to Comcast, Time Warner and oth er cable companies -- which currently have about 55 percent of the residential broadband market -- this will eventually bring down the price of your high-speed Internet service and television access. Would these new fees imposed by carriers alter the basic nature of the Internet by putting bumps and detours on the much ballyhooed information superhighway? No, say the telephone companies. Giving priority to a company that pays more, they say, is just offering another tier of service -- like an airline offering business as well as economy class. Network neutrality, they say, is a solution in search of a problem. Maybe you've never heard of this issue -- and if so, you're far from alone. In my job as a media analyst, I've been talking in recent weeks to lobbyists for some of Hollywood's major entertainment conglomerates. These are people who know that consumers' ability to download their studios' movies and television shows as easily and cheaply as anyone else's will be key to the studios' future profits. Yet hardly any of them were more than vaguely concerned about the potential ramifications of network neutrality. But lately the issue, a matter of heated debate on obscure blogs and among analysts like me, has begun to attract the attention of the mainstream press. There are a couple of reasons. One is that Congress is taking first steps toward updating and rewriting the Telecommunications Act of 1996, a key legal underpinning for media, telecommunications and Internet activity. This process, required by technological advances, will probably take a year to complete. More dramatically, executives at AT&T and BellSouth got into the headlines recently with a series of audacious statements. In a November Business Week story, AT&T Chairman Edward E. Whitacre Jr. complained that Internet content providers were getting a free ride: "They don't have any fiber out there. They don't have any wires. ... They use my lines for free -- and that's bull," he said. "For a Google or a Yahoo or a Vonage or anybody to expect to use these pipes for free is nuts!" It was a stunner. Whitacre had apparently declared that AT&T planned to unilaterally abandon its role as a neutral carrier. Whether or not you agree with Whitacre, you can understand his frustration. Companies like Google and Yahoo pay some fees to connect to their servers to the Internet, but AT&T will collect little if any additional revenue when Yahoo starts offering new features that take up lots of bandwidth on the Internet. When Yahoo's millions of customers download huge blocks of video or play complex video games, AT&T ends up carrying that increased digital traffic without additional financial compensation. But for public interest advocates, Whitacre's outburst was a Clint Eastwood moment. "Make my day," said Gigi Sohn of Public Knowledge, which focuses on defending consumer rights in the digital world. Previously, the group had been having trouble convincing members of Congress that there was a network neutrality problem. Legislators and staffers repeatedly had noted to Sohn that no major telephone company had ever used its network to discriminate against other companies. "Whitacre just made the case for regulation," said Sohn. "This was as good as it can get." Other AT&T executives and spokesmen later said that Whitacre had only been talking about access to a new high-speed broadband network. Industry executives also assured critics that despite Whitacre's bluster, AT&T would never block any Web site, or even degrade the service of a company doing business on the Internet -- even if that service was a voice-over-Internet company such as Vonage, which competes directly with AT&T's core telephone business. But the blog storm over Whitacre's comments had hardly died down when an executive with BellSouth was quoted saying that the company would consider charging Apple five or 10 cents extra each time a customer downloaded a song using iTunes. Bloggers erupted again, saying that this would certainly drive up the cost of the hugely popular music downloading service. Google and others say that the prospect of telephone companies imposing new fees on innovative and successful ventures is exactly the kind of thing that deters online commerce. "If carriers are able to control what consumers do on the Internet, that threatens the model of Internet communications that has been wildly successful," said Alan Davidson, Washington policy counsel for Google. Cable companies abhor the idea of enforced network neutrality just as much as the telephone companies. But so far their executives have remained silent, and stayed out of the crossfire. The Republican-led Congress is struggling with the issue. On one hand, it has taken a deregulatory approach to the Internet, but on the other, it can't ignore the concerns of Google, Yahoo and eBay, some of the most successful companies of the last 10 years. These companies alone have built up businesses worth hundreds of billions of dollars on an unfettered Internet. Moreover, unfettered Internet access has come to be seen by Americans in general as not just a privilege or a product, but a right akin to free speech and free association. Over the coming months, the Telecommunications Act will take shape as several different legislative proposals are combined to create a final law. Some of the proposed bills include language on network neutrality, others don't. The conventional wisdom is that the recent statements by Bell company executives have given network neutrality some momentum. But the bill is not expected to be completed until 2007, leaving lots of time for lobbyists to= battle over the strength of the final language. The FCC, spurred by Commissioner Michael Copps, acknowledged the importance of the issue last October, when it approved two mammoth mergers in the telecommunications industry -- Verizon's $8.5 billion purchase of MCI and SBC Communications' $16 billion purchase of AT&T (SBC quickly assumed the more widely known brand name of AT&T). One of the few conditions that the FCC put on the merged companies was that they abide by the concept of network neutrality for at least two years. But it's not clear if companies would even be in violation of the relatively vague FCC language if BellSouth or AT&T proceeded with their plan to give one company "priority" over others on the Internet. Last week I asked several telecommunications lawyers, including some FCC staffers, if AT&T would be in violation of its merger agreement if it granted "priority" status to some companies for a fee. The consistent response I got was, "That's a really good question." At the end of the day, Google's Davidson says that his biggest worry is not for Google but for the prospect of bringing fresh innovation to the Internet. After all, if worse comes to worst, Google can pay AT&T or BellSouth to maintain its role as the Internet's dominant search engine. But the bright young start-up with the next big innovative idea won't have that option. Author's e-mail: cstern@medleyadvisors.com Christopher Stern is a media policy analyst with Medley Global Advisors. Copyright 2006 The Washington Post Company *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Washington Post Company. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below: falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 23:16:50 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Format War Looms for New Wireless Standard By Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer NEW YORK --A technology that promises to replace the cables behind TV sets and entertainment centers with wireless connections appears to be headed for a format war, after two industry organizations formally broke off their collaboration. At a meeting in Hawaii on Thursday, the UWB Forum and the WiMedia Alliance voted to shut down a working group that sought to create a common standard for a radio technology known as ultra-wideband, or UWB. Utilizing UWB allows data transmission at extremely high rates, more than enough for high-definition TV signals, at ranges up to 30 feet. The UWB Forum -- led by Motorola Corp. spinoff Freescale Semiconductor Inc. -- and the WiMedia Alliance -- supported by Samsung Electronics Co. and chip-makers Intel Corp. and Texas Instruments Inc. -- had been trying to unite on a single standard since forming a task group with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in 2003. The IEEE has been the umbrella group for a number of successful standards, including Wi-Fi. Freescale got a head start on UWB in 2003 by buying Xtreme Spectrum, a company that already had a working prototype chip, and wanted that chip to be the basis of the standard. At the same time, the WiMedia Alliance wanted to go in an entirely different direction. While Freescale's chip sent out extremely rapid "clicks" of radio signals over a wide range of frequencies, the WiMedia Alliance wanted to use a method of dividing the spectrum into a large number of channels and transmitting over them simultaneously, almost like playing the piano with a finger on every key. http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/01/20/format_war_looms_for_new_wireless_standard/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 23:18:22 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Google Subpoena Roils the Web / US Effort Raises Privacy Issues Google subpoena roils the Web US effort raises privacy issues By Hiawatha Bray, Globe Staff The US government's demand for millions of Internet search records from Google Inc. and other prominent search firms has raised new questions about the vast amounts of personal information collected by companies. traced to individuals, Internet privacy activists and some lawmakers said the action underscored concerns about what the search engines know about computer users and what could become of that information. "Internet search engines provide an extraordinary service," said Representative Edward Markey, a Malden Democrat, "but the preservation of that service [should] not rely on a bottomless, timeless database that can do great damage despite good intentions." Markey said yesterday that he will propose legislation as early as next month that would force search companies to destroy records containing personal information after "a reasonable period of time." Markey said that he'd been working on the legislation since last year, modeling it on a law that requires cable television firms to destroy personal data about customers' viewing habits. Google is vowing to resist efforts by the US Justice Department to obtain information about the searches run by millions of its users, even though investigators are seeking aggregate data about Internet use, not individual users' records. The Justice Department wants the information as part of its effort to defend the Child Online Protection Act, a 1998 federal law that seeks to ban Internet sites from displaying content that the government deems ''harmful to minors." The Supreme Court has ruled that the law can't be enforced unless the government shows less intrusive measures such as Internet filtering are inadequate. The government hopes to use search results from Google and other companies to show that Internet pornography is so pervasive that only a federal law can protect children from it. Yahoo Inc., Microsoft Corp.'s MSN search service, and Time Warner Inc.'s AOL service have all agreed to provide the information, according to a Justice Department spokesman. But Google has refused, saying that releasing the data would compromise its users' privacy and the company's trade secrets. "Google is not a party to this lawsuit and their demand for information overreaches," said Nicole Wong, Google's associate general counsel. "We intend to resist their motion vigorously." http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/01/21/google_subpoena_roils_the_web/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 23:23:12 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Is it Time to Cut the Cords on Directory Assistance? By Bruce Mohl, Globe Staff Is it time to deregulate directory assistance? The idea may be heresy here in Massachusetts, where state lawmakers have granted residential customers 10 free directory assistance calls a month. But with the price of directory assistance rising to unheard-of levels and regulation stifling innovation, maybe it's time to try something different. Western European countries began deregulating directory assistance in the late 1990s, requiring consumers to select a provider rather than ceding the business to the customer's phone company. Results have varied from country to country, but consumers overall have a broader range of choices. Kathleen A. Pierz, managing partner of the Pierz Group, a directory assistance consulting firm in Clarkson, Mich., said some European companies trumpet low prices, while others offer concierge-style operators willing to track down a specific type of restaurant and even provide directions on how to get there. Some companies even cater to a specific customer demographic. In Britain, two directory assistance firms have sprung up that cater to gays and lesbians. The companies look up numbers, but also maintain lists of businesses that are gay friendly. In January 2002, the Federal Communications Commission became so intrigued by the idea of competitive directory assistance that it began taking public comments on adopting a European-style system, but that's as far as it has gotten. One reason for that is the opposition of local telephone companies, which dominate the $8 billion-a-year directory assistance business. Phone company executives say the price of directory assistance has risen in recent years to reflect actual costs but has now stabilized. They also say consumers have plenty of options for looking up a number, many of them free. http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/01/22/is_it_time_to_cut_the_cords_on_directory_assistance/ [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: As a matter of fact, one of the sponsors here at TELECOM Digest is a directory assistance service bureau called Easy411. They provide one or two (as requested) inquiries anywhere in the USA _in real time_ for 65 cents per call, which is less expensive than any other directory assistance service bureau around anywhere. Since telcos as of yet still refuse to default calls to 555-1212 to the service bureau _of your choice_ (rather than the one of telco's own choice) you as the customer need to dial an 800 number, and you are billed for your use at 65 cents per call (one or two inquiries). You register the phone numbers you usually use to call DA, thus, no need for any PIN numbers, etc. You can get full details from http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest, and this digest makes a small profit on each call. Please look into it, see if you don't think it is a good deal, and quite inexpensive if you are a frequent -- or even just an occassional -- user of Directory Assistace. It is _real time_, the database is updated daily; it is _not_ just something on the internet you look up; it is actual operators to whom you are speaking. No deposits of any kind, no minimal purchase, no obligations or contracts. Just use it when you want and pay 65 cents billed to your credit card. http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 23:26:12 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: CBS, Fox Show Different Approaches to Tech By David Bauder, AP Television Writer PASADENA, Calif. --In the fast-moving world of technology, Fox is the tortoise and CBS is the hare. CBS has spent the past few months making deals to distribute the network's fare in every conceivable way -- on the Internet, through on-demand services, on iPods, on cell phones. Fox has been content to mostly watch this frenzied activity from the sidelines. Considering their images as TV networks, it's a fascinating reversal of type. In this tech race, CBS, with the oldest average audience, is the teenager careening wildly from experience to experience. Fox, home of "The Simpsons," is the conservative elder taking it all in. CBS doesn't want to be caught on the sidelines -- like the music industry once was -- if a new form of content distribution catches fire with the public. http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/01/22/cbs_fox_show_different_approaches_to_tech/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:09:50 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Enters Cable Picture / Negotiating Fees to be 3rd Provider Verizon enters cable picture Negotiating fees to be 3d provider By Connie Paige, Globe Correspondent Newton residents could be the winners if a looming three-way battle for their cable TV dollars pushes down rates. Verizon is seeking a cable franchise from the city, which is already served by Comcast and RCN. But first the telecommunications giant and the city have to agree on fees to support local-access programming and customer service standards. "We have some requirements that other providers fulfill," said Jeremy Solomon, the city spokesman. "We are asking Verizon to fulfill those same requirements. If they meet them or surpass them, we'll consider their application." A spokesman for Verizon, the corporate descendant of New England Telephone, said the company is committed to local access programming and providing competitive customer service in Newton, but working out the details takes time. "We think the negotiations are very much on track," Verizon spokesman John Hoey said Monday. The company is scheduled to meet with city officials again next month. If granted the franchise in Newton, Verizon would vie for an estimated 25,000 customers, according to Theresa Park, telecommunications specialist in the city's Department of Planning and Development. Comcast has 80 percent of the cable market, the city says. Newton is one of more than 30 communities in Massachusetts where Verizon is trying to offer telephone, high-speed Internet, and television services over a fiber-optic network, called FiOS, that it touts as being faster than the cable companies' equipment. The rollout appears to be taking longer than expected. A year ago, Verizon announced Holliston, Hopkinton, Lexington, Lincoln, Natick, Sherborn, and Westborough, along with Newton, as among the local targeted communities. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/01/19/verizon_enters_cable_picture/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 22:47:25 -0800 From: The Kaminsky Family Reply-To: kaminsky@kaminsky.org Organization: None Whatsoever Subject: Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery Joe Morris wrote: > My father told a story from back in the 1940s: for some reason people > kept calling his phone (obTelecomHistory: WAlnut, a manual exchange in > uptown New Orleans) when they wanted to contact their local grocery to > have food delivered. > He finally fixed the problem by responding to the calls complaining > about slow deliveries: he profusely apologized, and told the caller > that as a good-will gesture the next order would include some fancy > lagniappe at no cost to the customer. Presumably the blasts directed > at the store about its failure to include the promised lagniappe > finally got management's attention. When I was growing up in New York City, our phone number, with two sixes, differed from that of an Italian dentist in that he had zeroes instead of the sixes (which are, of course, the key for the letter O). We frequently got calls for the dentist -- in Italian. But the real kicker was one night when the phone rang at 4 AM. I slept closest to the phone -- in those days we only had the one in the kitchen -- so I picked it up. "Hello?" "We got one for you." "Huh?" "We got one for you." "One what?" "Isn't this the morgue?" I don't think I got back to sleep that night. Turns out our phone number was off by one, in the first digit, from the city morgue. Thank goodness people usually get the first digit right ... Mark ------------------------------ From: Steven Lichter Reply-To: Die@spammers.com Organization: I Kill Spammers, Inc. (c) 2005 A Rot in Hell Co. Subject: Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:19:13 GMT Joe Morris wrote: > hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com writes: >> Don't underestimate the grief someone has with a phone number close to >> a popular number. A friend's number is vaguely similar to a pizza >> place and he gets frequent calls for the place. (Since he's not >> usually there it's not a problem). A number I once had was similar to >> a call-in for work assignments and I got calls regularly at 5am. > My father told a story from back in the 1940s: for some reason people > kept calling his phone (obTelecomHistory: WAlnut, a manual exchange in > uptown New Orleans) when they wanted to contact their local grocery to > have food delivered. (Yes, some groceries did that 'way back > when ... PeaPod is nothing new.) Apparently someone at the grocery was > giving out the wrong number and complaints to the grocery didn't help. > He finally fixed the problem by responding to the calls complaining > about slow deliveries: he profusely apologized, and told the caller > that as a good-will gesture the next order would include some fancy > lagniappe at no cost to the customer. Presumably the blasts directed > at the store about its failure to include the promised lagniappe > finally got management's attention. > Joe Morris > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: There was an instance in Chicago > several years ago where the Probation Department of the Cook County > Court system printed up legal notices which were mailed out to all > the probationers -- millions of notices -- with the wrong number on > the form. Getting them (court officials) to even _listen_ to the > problem, let alone correct their stupid notices took a real act of > God, believe me. They just were not going to change anything > about their system. Now if you know Chicago, almost everyone gets > swept up in their system at least once; many folks more than once. > The trouble was sort of serious; all probationers were expected to > call that number (or at least the correct version of it) to do > something or other. It finally took a lawyer (whether he himself was > on probation or simply the counsel for someone else who was on > probation is not known to me; it could have been either way) to go > raise so much hell with them and get their damn forms reprinted with > the correct number. I think the attorney had to offer to file suit > against the court itself to prompt the correction of the form. PAT] You should see what happens when 50 golfers show up for an 8:00 start time. When I was with GTE in the early 70's we had a CO near a golf course and their T time line was a number off from one of our back CO numbers, when too many people called their number the old Step equipment would send calls to our number. Complaints to them asking them to please add more lines did not good, so we to T times one morning and then went out front to watch, the next day we found out through the service office they added 5 more lines to their main number. The only good spammer is a dead one!! Have you hunted one down today? (c) 2005 I Kill Spammers, Inc. A Rot in Hell Co. ------------------------------ From: Steven Lichter Reply-To: Die@spammers.com Organization: I Kill Spammers, Inc. (c) 2005 A Rot in Hell Co. Subject: Number Blocking Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:21:14 GMT A while back an article was posted listing a device that allowed the user to add numbers thet wished to block. I have one of the CID boxes from Radio Shack that does this, but it is getting old and sometime dows not work. I remember going to the Web page that should it, but never saved the link. The only good spammer is a dead one!! Have you hunted one down today? (c) 2005 I Kill Spammers, Inc. A Rot in Hell Co. ------------------------------ From: Dave Thompson Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 06:07:48 GMT Organization: AT&T Worldnet On 12 Jan 2006 08:05:08 -0800, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > As to other comments in this thread: > 1) Dial up modems were available well before 1973, at least as earlier > as 1968 as part of Teletype time sharing terminals. These were > automatic in the sense they would answer a ringing phone line and > connect up and disconnect and power down upon completition. They > could remotely start/stop different tasks, like the paper tape punch > and reader. Paper-tape reader and punch control was an option of the Teletype, not the modem. It could be used even on direct connections. - David.Thompson1 at worldnet.att.net ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #33 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Jan 23 13:56:10 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 67D8D14EFD; Mon, 23 Jan 2006 13:56:10 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #34 Message-Id: <20060123185610.67D8D14EFD@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 13:56:10 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.8 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:00:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 34 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Financial Gain Driving Most Web Site Breaches (Reuters News Wire) High Court Will Not Hear Blackberry Appeal (Toni Locy) A Sad Cellular Song (Los Angeles Times Op-ed) International Telecommunication Metrics For Developing Country (NES-ly) CFP: IAENG International Workshop on Electrical Engineering (imecs__2006) History: Pecking Order for Telephone Operator Jobs? (Lisa Hancock) Cellular-News for Monday 23rd January 2006 (cellular-news) TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 23, 2006 (telecomdirect_daily) Re: CBS, Fox Show Different Approaches to Tech (Neal McLain) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Lisa Hancock) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Financial Gain Driving Most Web Site Breaches Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 11:49:16 -0600 Financial gain driving Web breaches, IBM says Internet attacks are increasingly being motivated by financial gain, with organized crime supplanting thrill-seekers as the main computer security threat, IBM said on Sunday. Cyber-crime is likely to become more targeted and sophisticated this year than in the past, when the biggest threats were widespread viruses aimed at disrupting entire networks, IBM said in a report summarizing security trends in 2005. In the past, these things were often-times just 'hackers' out for a thrill, money not necessarily the object; just vandalism or a 'learning experience.' "There's an underground economy out there that's trading fraudulent credit card information and extorting money from Web sites," said David Mackey, director of security intelligence at International Business Machines Corp., the world's biggest computer company. Businesses have made their networks more secure, using software from companies such as IBM, Symantec Corp. and McAfee Inc. to thwart viruses and worms that wreaked havoc on computers in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, only one attack, the so-called "Zotob" worm aimed at media organizations, was big enough to generate widespread attention, IBM said. "Gone are the days of curiosity-seekers looking for their 15 minutes of fame," Mackey said. In 2003, the Blaster worm targeted Microsoft Corp. software and devastated hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide. In addition to more-sophisticated software and hardware, high-profile arrests in a number of virus cases appear to have thwarted would-be attackers, Mackey said. Symantec, the world's biggest security software maker, found a similar pattern in a September report. It said viruses exposing confidential information made up three-quarters of the top 50 viruses, worms and so-called Trojans in the first half of last year, up from 54 percent in the year-earlier period. Cyber-vandals increasingly use "phishing" -- fraudulent Web pages that look like legitimate sites -- to gather personal and financial information, IBM said. Also in vogue are spam attacks that seek confidential data, Mackey said. Financial fraud cost consumers and businesses nearly $15 billion in 2005, with some 10 million people falling prey to identity theft, according to market researcher Gartner. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more headlines and news from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Toni Locy Subject: High Court Will Not Hear Blackberry Appeal Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 11:50:57 -0600 By TONI LOCY, Associated Press Writer The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from the maker of the BlackBerry in the long-running battle over patents for the wildly popular, handheld wireless e-mail device. The high court's refusal to hear Canada-based Research In Motion Ltd.'s appeal means that a trial judge in Richmond, Va., could impose an injunction against the company and block BlackBerry use among many of its owners in the United States. The justices had been asked to decide on whether U.S. patent law is technologically out of date in the age of the Internet and the global marketplace. At issue was how U.S. law applies to technology that is used in a foreign country and allegedly infringes on the intellectual property rights of a patent-holder in the United States. The justices were asked to decide whether Research In Motion can be held liable for patent infringement when its main relay station for e-mail and data transmission is located in Waterloo, Ontario, outside U.S. borders. RIM was challenging a ruling by a federal appeals court that found that the company had infringed on the patents held by NTP Inc., a tiny northern Virginia patent-holding firm, because its customers use the BlackBerry inside U.S. borders. The panel said it did not matter where the relay station is located. Attorney Kevin Anderson, who represents NTP, said the firm is pleased with the court's action. "We think the Supreme Court's rejection of RIM's position makes it clear that RIM should stop defying the U.S. legal system," he said. RIM sought to play down the significance of the court's rejction. "RIM has consistently acknowledged that Supreme Court review is granted in only a small percentage of cases and we were not banking on Supreme Court review," said Mark Guibert, RIM's vice president for corporate marketing. "RIM's legal arguments for the District Court remain strong and our software workaround designs remain a solid contingency." Since its introduction in 1999, the BlackBerry has revolutionized the business world, allowing people to stay in constant e-mail contact with their offices and customers while they are away from their desktop computers. The BlackBerry almost instantaneously transmits data through radio frequency technology that Thomas Campana Jr., an engineer, says he developed in 1990, long before the Internet became an integral part of American life. The dispute not only has resonated with BlackBerry users who worry that their lifeline to their offices could be severed. The U.S. and Canadian governments also are concerned, as is Intel Corp., the world's largest semiconductor manufacturer. U.S. officials worry about the loss of BlackBerry use for law enforcement and health workers in a crisis, while the Canadian government is concerned that research and development in other industries will be stifled if RIM loses on all fronts. In a filing with the Supreme Court, Intel's lawyers said the company is torn. As an investor of billions of dollars into research and development, the company is among the nation's leaders in obtaining patents and wants to protect itself against infringement. At the same time, Intel also is frequently accused of infringement and wants clearer rules that protect it from small patent-holding companies that have little infrastructure and produce no products. Attorney Herbert L. Fenster, who represents RIM, said the company is fighting the injunction. But he said an injunction would not end BlackBerry use among at least 1 million of its 3 million users in the United States. Fenster said he believes federal law prohibits U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer from cutting off BlackBerry service to federal, state and local government users and others who rely on the devices to communicate during a public emergency. Spencer has set a Feb. 1 deadline for filings on the injunction issue. The legal fight began in 2001, when NTP sued RIM for infringement. The next year, a jury in Richmond decided that RIM had infringed on patents held by NTP, awarding the company 5.7 percent of U.S. BlackBerry sales. Spencer later increased that rate to 8.55 percent. At last count, the tally of damages and fees had exceeded $200 million and it continues to grow. In a court filing last week, NTP said it was willing to resolve the matter if RIM were to pay it the original 5.7 percent royalty fee, Anderson said. Last year, attempts to resolve the case fell apart when Spencer disapproved a settlement in which RIM would have paid $450 million to NTP. The case is RIM v. NTP, 05-763. On the Net: Supreme Court: http://www.supremecourtus.gov Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html To get more news from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Los Angeles Times Subject: A Sad Cellular Song Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 11:54:20 -0600 http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-cellphone14jan14,0,6382613.story From the Los Angeles Times FULL DISCLOSURE A sad cellular song January 14, 2006 LIKE A LOT OF CELLPHONE service providers, Verizon Wireless wants you to use your cellphone to do more than just make calls. But as its latest venture illustrates, Verizon could use a new slogan. Instead of "We never stop working for you," it's more like, "We make your phone stop working." And therein lies a cautionary tale of new technology -- for consumers and businesses alike. Last week, Verizon announced a new service, dubbed V Cast Music, that will let customers buy songs for their phones. (As hard as it may be to believe, some people are willing to pay a premium for a mobile phone that can double as an MP3 player.) For $1.99, or twice the price of a song from a typical online store, users can download a track to their phone and a second copy to their PC. Left out of the announcement -- it was later disclosed by a little-known website called PCSIntel.com -- was a disturbing fact about the service: Customers who "update" their music-playing phone to work with the new service lose the ability to play the MP3s they already own. That also applies to MP3 files stored on removable memory cards as well as the phone's internal memory. The implicit message: Don't use your cell phone to play your music, use it to play our music -- that is, music you bought from Verizon Wireless. The company points out that customers can still transfer the songs they own from their PC to their phone. (They have to use a Microsoft- powered PC and convert the songs to Microsoft's Windows Media format, then transfer them through a $30 cable that Verizon will happily sell them.) A company spokesman said customers who "update" their phones will be warned explicitly about the capabilities they'll lose. The company also says the V Cast software eliminates MP3-playing capabilities for the sake of simplicity, and customers who do not want to lose that feature do not have to use the service. Nevertheless, Verizon Wireless is forcing customers to give up something to get something else. This is sadly common among avid users of new technology, who often act as guinea pigs for new features and services. It is especially common among customers of Verizon, which already disables several useful features in its high-end phones. Unless its customers scour the Web for reviews, they don't learn about such restrictions until after they buy the phone. This is a strange way of doing business in a competitive market. Maybe Verizon and other cellphone service providers should try offering new services that don't take something away from their customers in the bargain. Or maybe -- it just might work -- they can concentrate on offering reliable phone service. If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at latimes.com/archives. Copyright 2006 Los Angeles Times 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Los Angeles Times. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: NES-ly Subject: International Telecommunication Metrics For Developing Country Date: 23 Jan 2006 03:25:55 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hello, I am currently working on a national project which has the aim of analyzing the telecommunication sector for a developing economy. We are trying to develop a set of metrics to measure if the quality of the telecommunication system is satisfying the local consumer demand. Currently we are using ICT indicators obtained from the ITU database; these indicators address broad criteria such as number of internet users per 100 inhabitants. We are looking for establish measures to analyze the quality of the telecommunication sector in more depth. I would like to seek any advice on this matter ... I am specifically looking for measures which can be compared against other national telecommunication networks. Right now we are using many of the UN ITU ICT measures for benchmarking our internal growth and progress in telecom/data areas. So, any references to international or national studies or data on telecommunications network performance and accessibility would be great. Suggestions as to particularly significant or important areas to measure in landlines, cell lines, data com and other telco systems would be appreciated. Also, we are examining metrics for measuring the internal (nationalized) telco performance (which can't be compared to the UN ICT studies): * % of total IP packets dropped * avg peak/off-peak latency of IP packets (ms) Any advice on these and other metrics for use internally. References to sources and books on this subject would also be appreciated. Thank you. ------------------------------ From: imecs__2006@iaeng.org Subject: CFP: IAENG International Workshop on Electrical Engineering Date: 23 Jan 2006 01:56:36 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Call for Papers From: International Association of Engineers (http://www.iaeng.org) Journal Engineering Letters (http://www.engineeringletters.com) The 2006 IAENG International Workshop on Electrical Engineering (Part of The International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists IMECS 2006) IMECS 2006: 20-22 June, 2006, Hong Kong http://www.iaeng.org/IMECS2006/IWEE2006.html The IWEE'06 workshop is held as part of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2006. The IMECS 2006 is organized by the International Association of Engineers (IAENG), and serves as good platforms for the engineering community members to meet with each other and to exchange ideas. Extended version of the papers under this workshop can be included in the special issue of our journal Engineering Letters. And, further extended version can also be included in a book called "Current Trends in Electrical Engineering " to be published by IAENG. The IMECS 2006 multiconference has the focus on the frontier topics in the theoretical and applied engineering and computer science subjects. It consists of 14 workshops (see the details at IMECS website: www.iaeng.org/IMECS2006). The multiconference serves as good platforms for the engineering community members of different disciplines to meet with each other and to exchange ideas. The current conference committee of the IMECS 2006 includes over 140 workshop co-chairs and committee members of mainly research center heads, department heads, professors, research scientists from over 20 countries, while a few of the committee members are also experienced software development directors and engineers. All submitted papers will be under peer review and accepted papers will be published in the conference proceeding (ISBN: 988-98671-3-3). The abstracts will be indexed and available at major academic databases. The Technology Research Databases (TRD) of CSA (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts), DBLP and Computer Science Bibliographies have promised to index the print proceeding in advance of its publication. After the publication of the proceeding, print copies will also be sent to databases like IEE INSPEC, Engineering Index (EI) and ISI Thomson Scientific for indexing. The accepted papers will also be considered for publication in the special issues of the journal Engineering Letters. Some participants may also be invited to submit extended version of their conference papers for considering as book chapters (soon after the conference). The topics of the workshop include, but not limited to, the following: Biotechnology: such as EEG, ECG, and EKG, various other monitoring equipment. Electronics: such as integrated circuit, computer, electronic amplifier. Power engineering: such as electrical generators, electric power transmission. Telecommunication: such as television, radio, mobile phone, optical multiple access technologies. Control engineering: such as auto pilot, cruise control, climate control, space exploration, smart bomb. Signal processing: such as electronic filter, digital filter, video and audio codec, radar, sonar, beamforming. Submission: Prospective authors are invited to submit their draft paper in abstract format (one page) or in full paper format to imecs@iaeng.org by 12 March, 2006. The submitted file can be in MS Word format, PS format, or PDF formats. The first page of the draft paper should include: . Title of the paper; . Name, affiliation and e-mail address for each author; . A maximum of 5 keywords of the paper; Also, the name of the workshop session that the paper is being submitted to should be stated in the email. Important Dates: Proposals for special conference sessions and tutorials deadline: 30 December, 2005 --DUE IMMEDIATLY-- Draft Manuscript / Abstract submission deadline: 12 March, 2006 Camera-Ready papers & Pre-registration due: 2 April, 2006 IMECS 2006: 20-22 June, 2006 More details about the IWEE 2006 can be found at: http://www.iaeng.org/IMECS2006/IWEE2006.html IWEE'06 Workshop Co-chairs and Committee Members: Yen-Wen Chen Associate Professor, Dept. of Communication Engineering National Central University, Taiwan Yung-Sheng Chen Professor, Electrical Engineering Department Yuan Ze University, Taiwan Jong-Sheng Cherng Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering Da-Yeh University, Taiwan T=2ES. Chung, FIEE (co-chair) Professor, Electrical Engineering Department The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Yi-Nung Chung (co-chair) Associate Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering Da-Yeh University, Taiwan Feng-Li Lian Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering National Taiwan University, Taiwan Chih-Min Lin (co-chair) Chair and Professor Department of Electrical Engineering Yuan-Ze University, Taiwan Prof. A.B. Rad (co-chair) Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Tsung-Han Tsai (co-chair) Associate Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering National Central University, Taiwan Rong-Jong Wai Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Yuan Ze University, Taiwan EC. Yang Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering National ChungHsing University, Taiwan It will be highly appreciated if you can circulate these calls for papers to your colleagues. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: History: Pecking Order For Telephone Operator Jobs? Date: 23 Jan 2006 08:38:56 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Until the 1980s, the telephone companies employed thousands of people, usually women, as telephone operators. They handled calls that automatic equipment couldn't and assisted subscribers in case their was an automation problem. Even after local and long distance dial, there was still a variety of operator roles, especially in cities. To me, some of them would be interesting but others would be quite montonous. I was wondering if there was any "pecking order" in which operator jobs were sought after and assigned. (In very small towns the job was more varied.) In the early days of manual service in cities, local calls required two operators. The "A" operator took the request and connected the caller to the proper exchange, even if it was her own exchange. At the receiving exchange, a "B" operator connected the call to the proper line. This setup was designed for high volume and high speed call handling. Ringing was done automatically. A much more interesting job would seem to be long distance, where toll calls had to be set up by relay between toll centers in each city. In the early days of long distance, some COs didn't have ANI and an operator had to get the calling number. This job was simply asking for numbers and keying in the caller's response to a keypad, nothing more. A similar job was in the early days of manual switching, where a manual caller reached a dial office. A "B" operator listened to the desired 4 digits and keyed them in. These jobs seem rather montonous. To me, directory assistance work would be boring. Another job was intercept. If someone dailed a number ouf of service, an intercept operator would come on and check the number in a special list, and provide the new number. Automation roughly replaced operators over time as follows: . Local calls (basic dial service) . Nearby suburban calls (message unit) . Long Distance (non coin) (AMA billing) . Long Distance "operator handled" assist (TSP, TSPS) . Overseas . Automated intercept . Long Distance (coin deposit recognition, customer input of calling card number) The replacement of central office and inter-office trunks with modern digital gear resulted in higher capacity and more reliability so fewer assistance calls were needed. In the 1970s computerized consoles (TSP/TSPS replaced the cord switchboards and many functions were automated. For example, on a 1+ coin toll call, the console calculated and displayed the amount to collect and did all the work of connecting the call. The operator had only to listen to the coin drop. (Later that was even automated). For calling card calls, the operator only had to key in the number. However, some toll calls required occasional manual routing just like the old days. In 1968, TV's "Laugh In" had Lily Tomlin play a steroetypical telephone operator of the day. I think today's young people would have no idea about that since they've never used an operator. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: In the years I was involved in this sort of thing, I appreciated being in the essence of a 'small town' environment where the few people on duty had a variety of tasks to accomplish. That made it a lot more interesting. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Monday 23rd January 2006 Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 08:03:53 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com Improvements to cellular-news Our news partner, Prime-Tass has opened a bureau in Croatia's capital Zagreb, which will be responsible for covering news in the Balkans. This development will improve cellular-news coverage of the fast growing telecoms markets in the former Yugoslavia region. ====================================================================== [[3G News]] China Issues Homegrown 3G Mobile Phone Standard http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15692.php China issued specifications for its third-generation mobile phone technology, TD-SCDMA, to foster the "timely" standardization of infrastructure based on the homegrown system, the Ministry of Information Industry said Friday in a statement on its Web... Austria Launching HSDPA This Month http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15706.php Austria's mobilkom says that it plans to launch its HSDPA network in some districts of Vienna by the end of January and to begin sales of HSDPA data cards now. A free software upgrade to HSDPA for owners of the UMTS+EDGE data card will be introduced ... [[Financial News]] Motorola CFO: Co Will No Longer Provide EPS View http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15685.php Motorola will stop providing quarterly per-share earnings forecast starting in the July conference call, according to the company's chief financial officer. ... Telecom Italia Sells Venezuela Mobile Operator http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15687.php Telecom Italia said Friday it had sold its Venezuela mobile phone unit Digitel Venezuela for $425 million, the proceeds of which the Italian telecommunications company said would be entirely used to cut debt. ... Hurricane Katrina Damages Alltel 4Q Profits http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15690.php Alltel Corp.'s fourth-quarter profit fell 5.7%, reflecting incremental costs of $9.5 million for Hurricane Katrina. ... Alltel Sees Average Revenue Per User Growth Slowing In 2006 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15694.php Alltel Corp.'s rate of average revenue per user growth is likely to slow in 2006, an executive said Friday. ... Venezuela Digitel Buyer Plans Fusion With Cell Cos http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15696.php A Venezuelan firm that has offered to purchase cellular company Digitel also plans a merger with two cellular operators to create a company with national reach. ... Millicom contemplates asset sale http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15703.php European mobile holding company Millicom International Cellular has entered a process of due diligence to contemplate selling its operations worldwide, the company said in a statement. ... Singapore Operator Sees Shrinking Subscriber Base http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15714.php Singapore's MobileOne (M1) has reported that it ended last year with 1.246 million customers made up of some 809,500 postpaid customers and 436,200 prepaid customers. This is the first time that the company has reported a fall in its subscriber base.... [[Handsets News]] Sensetech Rides Success Of Motorola's Razr With Funding http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15693.php Slim is in -- and paying off -- at Korean start-up Sensetech. After signing on to supply super-thin keypads for Motorola's popular Razr cellphones and new Pebl line, Sensetech scored $5.5 million from venture capitalists. ... Study Finds No Cancer Link To Mobile Phone Use http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15697.php Mobile phone use doesn't lead to a greater risk of brain cancer, a study by the British Medical Journal revealed, according to a report on the BBC News Web site Friday. ... Russia's Euroset representative says to enter Moldova soon http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15699.php Russia's largest mobile handset retailer Euroset plans to enter the Moldavian market soon, Alexander Melnichuk, press secretary of Euroset's Eastern Europe branch told Prime-Tass Friday. ... Motorola LatAm market share up 2 percentage points http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15704.php US equipment manufacturer Motorola maintains its position as the leading mobile handset provider in Latin America and actually increased its market share by two percentage points during the fourth quarter of 2005, the company said in a statement. ... [[Legal News]] Australia's Telstra Rejects Legal Claim On Disclosure http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15684.php Australian telecommunications company Telstra Corp. said Friday it will reject a legal claim being pursued in the Federal Court regarding its disclosure practices. ... Proximus Confident Of Positive Outcome In Antitrust Probe http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15689.php Belgacom's mobile arm Proximus said Friday it is "surprised and indignant" after accusations from rival mobile firm Base that it is abusing its market position. ... [[Messaging News]] ANALYSIS: Controversy over Cofetel SMS ruling http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15702.php A January 12 ruling by Mexico's telecoms regulator Cofetel has renewed controversy surrounding the ongoing saga of SMS exchange between mobile operators and trunking operator Nextel Mexico, analysts say. ... Mobile 365: MMS to take off over next 18-24 months http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15705.php US mobile messaging and data services provider Mobile365 expects Central American telecommunications operators to make a big push to promote multimedia messaging services over the next 18-24 months, Mobile365 Americas region VP Gregory Dunn told BNam... Hong Kong Plans to Make Spam SMS Illegal http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15710.php Hong Kong's Commerce, Industry & Technology Bureau is holding a two month consultation on a raft of anti-spam laws that would include messages sent to mobile phones, as well as the more traditional spam email problems. The regulations will only affec... [[Mobile Content News]] Ericsson Signs Music Deal With EMI http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15708.php Ericsson says that it has signed a pan-European mobile music agreement with EMI Music. The agreement allows Ericsson to enable European mobile operators to distribute ringtunes and full-track downloads from EMI's catalogue in Europe. Around 12,000 ri... LG Improves Digital Rights in Handsets http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15711.php LG Electronics has ordered a DRM platform from Norway's Beep Science to deploy OMA based digital rights management services in its handsets. LG has chosen Beep Science to assure the OMA v2 DRM interoperability of the LG mobile devices.... SMS Alerts To Dominate Football Mobile Revenues - report http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15716.php The 2006 football World Cup is seen as an opportunity to promote 3G, yet it will be established content, such as text-based services that will generate the most significant revenue, according to a report from Visiongain. The study found that the one-... [[Network Contracts News]] National GSM Roaming Agreement in Switzerland http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15715.php Switzerland'd sunrise has signed a national roaming agreement with the new GSM mobile phone provider in&phone. The partnership - the first of its kind in Switzerland - will enable in&phone to provide its customers with national mobile phone services.... [[Network Operators News]] PRESS: Russia's MegaFon to start operation in Kyrgyzstan in Feb http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15691.php Russia's third largest mobile operator MegaFon plans to start operations in Kyrgyzstan, Ishenbek Sadykov, a spokesperson of the Kyrgyz government administration said, Vedomosti business daily reported Friday. ... GSM Network Launched in Guam http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15709.php Guam's telecoms operator, GTA has launched its new GSM network, with a new brand name for its wireless subsidiary. MPULSE wireless operation includes MPULSE GSM as well as MPULSE TDMA network of wireless service. MPULSE TDMA is GTA's original cellula... Fixed CDMA Phone From Romanian Operator http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15717.php The Romanian based CDMA operator, Zapp Mobile has launched a "fixed line" service that offers a conventional landline style handset, while relying on the company's CDMA network for connectivity. The service is available with the Z1110 phone, the firs... [[Offbeat News]] Fined for SMS Divorce Demand http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15712.php Malaysia's Islamic Court has fined a politician US$145 for attempting to divorce his wife via SMS. Senator Kamaruddin Ambok had used the SMS to divorce his wife as is technically possible under Islamic Family Law -- but was given a stern lecture by Ju... Nepal's Mobile Phones Shut Down - Again http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15713.php Nepal's government has again shut down the country's two mobile phone networks as it clamps down on political unrest and the Marxist insurgency. Nepal's royalist government has also imposed a curfew after seven political parties said they would defy ... [[Personnel News]] Swisscom CEO Quits After Clash With Government http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15688.php The chief executive of Swisscom AG, Jens Alder, resigned Friday after clashing with the Swiss government over his foreign-acquisitions strategy. ... Wife Of Kenyan Hostage In Iraq Appeals For His Release http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15698.php NAIROBI (AP)--The wife of a Kenyan engineer taken hostage in Iraq appealed for his release Friday, adding that she had no new information about her husband's fate or that of a colleague who was also seized. ... [[Regulatory News]] Mobile operators forced to assist in wiretaps, geolocation http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15700.php Colombia's mobile operators will be required to assist the nation's law enforcement agencies in the investigation of crimes, even at the companies' expense, the country's presidential website reported. ... Bangladesh Plans Registration For All PrePay Handsets http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15707.php Bangladesh is planning to join the increasing number of countries that will require all PrePay handsets to be registered so that the authorities can track handset ownership. The move is being promoted in an effort to clamp down of the use of unregist... [[Statistics News]] Hong Kong China Mobile Adds 3.96 Million Subscribers Dec Vs Nov 3.92 Million http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15686.php China Mobile (Hong Kong), the Hong Kong-listed arm of the world's largest mobile operator by subscribers, said Friday it added 3.96 million new customers in December, its biggest monthly increase in 2005. ... Ukrainian CDMA Operator Subscriber Base Rises http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15695.php The subscriber base of Ukrainian CDMA operator International Telecommunications Company (ITC) increased to 25,500 users in 2005 from about 8,200 in 2004, Vsevolod Volovik, ITC's marketing department director, said Friday. ... Cell phone subscribers rise 40% in 2005 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15701.php Nicaragua ended 2005 with 1.03 million mobile subscribers, up 40% compared to the 738,624 users registered by year end 2004, according to the telecoms regulator Telcor. ... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 12:19:40 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 23, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For January 23, 2006 ******************************** Broadcom Targets WLAN Chips at 802.11n Market http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16328?11228 Communications chipmaker Broadcom is offering its first products designed to comply with the IEEE 802.11n draft specification. The Irvine, Calif.-based company's new Intensi-fi wireless LAN (WLAN) chipsets aim to deliver high-speed wireless connectivity throughout a home or office. The 802.11n products are designed to provide... Who Has the D? How Clear Decision Roles Enhance Organizational Performance http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16327?11228 Decisions are the coin of the realm in business. But even in highly respected companies, decisions can get stuck inside the organization like loose change. As a result, the entire decision-making process can stall, usually at one of four bottlenecks: global vs. local, center vs. business unit, function vs. function, and inside vs.... Ericsson Signs Deal for Ringtones, Music http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16325?11228 Ericsson has announced a deal with EMI, the world's largest independent music company, allowing Ericsson to offer ringtones and full-track downloads from EMI's European catalogue to mobile operators in Europe. EMI operates directly in 50 countries and represents over 1,000 artists. Significance: Ericsson is gradually but steadily... O2 Adds Record Number of New Customers Ahead of Telefonica Takeover http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16319?11228 LONDON -- Mobile phone company O2 PLC reported Monday that it added a forecast-beating 1.75 million new customers over the Christmas period, taking its total to 27.4 million users. In its last quarterly figures as an independent company, O2 said it added 895,000 customers in the U.K., 823,000 in Germany, and 32,000 in Ireland. ... EU Threat to Fine Greece Unless it Opens Up Telecoms Market http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/130/16317?11228 BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union executive on Monday threatened to fine Greece unless it shows it is obeying EU rules to open up its telecoms market. Greece is the only EU country not to have introduced an electronic communications liberalization law. The European Commission said this means Greeks have fewer telephone firms... Study Predicts Slower Cell Growth http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16315?11228 A new study suggests the growth of wireless subscriptions worldwide will slow 3 percent this year, and that much of the industry's growth will come in Africa. The study, conducted by research firm Strategy Analytics, says most of the growth will come in areas with the highest concentration of people who have yet to purchase their first... House Intros Its Own Phone-Records Bill http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/130/16313?11228 Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) yesterday disclosed that the House of Representatives is planning its own legislation to criminalize the selling of private telephone calling records in light of a Senate bill in the works to stop the brokerage practice. Barton, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, focused on foiling the sale of... Copyright (C) 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ From: Neal McLain Subject: Re: CBS, Fox Show Different Approaches to Tech Reply-To: nmclain@annsgarden.com Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 11:14:05 -0500 Monty Solomon wrote: > By David Bauder, AP Television Writer > PASADENA, Calif. --In the fast-moving world of technology, > Fox is the tortoise and CBS is the hare.... > CBS doesn't want to be caught on the sidelines -- like the > music industry once was -- if a new form of content > distribution catches fire with the public. Or like CBS itself was back in 1986-1995 when Larry Tisch [1] was running things. CBS had had a disastrous experience with a programming venture called "CBS Cable," and Tisch -- logically -- didn't want to repeat the experiment. But he went to the opposite extreme, refusing to invest in any non-broadcast programming for the cable industry. He even sold off CBS's only cable holding, a one-third interest in "SportsChannel." It was not until 1997 -- two years after Tisch's departure -- that CBS finally re-entered the cable programming business, with the launch of something called "Eye on People." [2] Apparently that experiment wasn't successfully either; at any rate, CBS sold "Eye on People" to Discovery Communications two years later. Of course, CBS' current owner, Viacom, owns numerous non-broadcast programming channels: MTV, MTV2, Nickelodeon, BET, Nick at Nite, TV Land, NOGGIN, VH1, Spike TV, CMT, Comedy Central, Showtime, The Movie Channel, Flix, Sundance Channel. [3] ------------ References -------------- [1] Douglas Gomery. "TISCH, LAURENCE, U.S. Media Mogul." The Museum of Broadcast Communications. http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/T/htmlT/tischlauren/tischlauren.htm [2] David Zurawik et al. "Saving CBS News." American Journalism Review, April 1997, 16-23. [3] Columbia Journalism Review. "Who Owns What: Viacom." http://www.cjr.org/tools/owners/viacom.asp Neal McLain ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: 23 Jan 2006 07:14:46 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Dave Thompson wrote: > Paper-tape reader and punch control was an option of the Teletype, not > the modem. It could be used even on direct connections. That's true. I felt the original posting implied that Hayes invented something entirely new; which wasn't quite true. The point I wanted to make was that prior to the Hayes instruction set developed with their modem, there already existed remote control options to control terminal equipment. Yes, Hayes further automated and streamlined the functionality, and moved some of it from the terminal equipment to the modem. One Hayes command -- automatically turning off the modem sound of dialing and connection handshake -- resulted in fraud. PC terminals would be sent a program that would do that and thus secretly be able to dial anywhere, such as an extremely expensive overseas call to a weird corrupt location. In computer time sharing usage, most Teletypes used plain friction feed platens. But they always offered a sprocket feed for pre-printed business forms. You had to be more careful with those because a control-VT (vertical tab) -- ignored on friction feed units -- would cause a page eject on form feed units and you could inadvertently dump a lot of paper on the floor. When I transitioned from Teletype to computerized PC terminals, I was disappointed that I lost the control tape-reader on/off functionality. I had programs that would call for off-line prepared tapes, this didn't transition over to computers without rewriting program. I don't believe the telecom programs (Telix, Procomm) could do anything with those control commands. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V25 #34 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Jan 24 03:29:47 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id D134D14FC1; Tue, 24 Jan 2006 03:29:41 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #35 Message-Id: <20060124082941.D134D14FC1@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 03:29:41 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.3 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, HOT_NASTY autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Tue, 24 Jan 2006 03:30:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 35 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Verizon Launches New Business Unit (USTelecom dailyLead) Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery (John McHarry) Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post (jmeissen) Re: History of Hayes Modem (John Levine) Re: History: Pecking Order For Telephone Operator Jobs? (Lisa Hancock) Re: History: Pecking Order For Telephone Operator Jobs? (Tony P.) Re: Information Wants to be Free (Lisa Hancock) Re: Microsoft Rolls Out Customer Care Solution (radiodude) Re: CFP: IAENG International Workshop on Electrical Engineering (J Levine) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 13:10:47 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Verizon Launches New Business Unit USTelecom dailyLead January 23, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cRrYfDtutaiwpJVFjm TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Verizon launches new business unit BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * PC makers up ante in battle for home-entertainment dominance * Telecom venture seeks to capitalize on "presence" technology * TWC package excludes some networks * Survey: Google the most "influential" brand USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * What You Need to Know About Digital Content TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * DVB-H backers forge alliance * Intel, Qualcomm in race for 4G dominance REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * Supreme Court refuses to hear BlackBerry case * China makes TD-SCDMA an official standard Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cRrYfDtutaiwpJVFjm ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 00:45:49 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: There was an instance in Chicago > several years ago where the Probation Department of the Cook County > Court system printed up legal notices which were mailed out to all > the probationers -- millions of notices -- with the wrong number on > the form. Getting them (court officials) to even _listen_ to the > problem, let alone correct their stupid notices took a real act of > God, believe me. They just were not going to change anything > about their system. Now if you know Chicago, almost everyone gets > swept up in their system at least once; many folks more than once. > The trouble was sort of serious; all probationers were expected to > call that number (or at least the correct version of it) to do > something or other. It finally took a lawyer (whether he himself was > on probation or simply the counsel for someone else who was on > probation is not known to me; it could have been either way) to go > raise so much hell with them and get their damn forms reprinted with > the correct number. I think the attorney had to offer to file suit > against the court itself to prompt the correction of the form. PAT] Isn't this a variation on the sweet old lady who got caught in something like that, and Telecom Digest published the correct number and asked readers to call asking for her? After we brought their switchboard to its knees, they fixed their mailings, put an intercept on her number to filter her calls, and cleared the situation. It could well be both happened. ------------------------------ From: jmeissen@aracnet.com Subject: Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post Date: 24 Jan 2006 01:09:02 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com In article , Marcus Didius Falco wrote: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/21/AR2006012100094.html > Whether or not you agree with Whitacre, you can understand his frustration. > Companies like Google and Yahoo pay some fees to connect to their > servers to the Internet, but AT&T will collect little if any > additional revenue when Yahoo starts offering new features that take > up lots of bandwidth on the Internet. When Yahoo's millions of > customers download huge blocks of video or play complex video games, > AT&T ends up carrying that increased digital traffic without > additional financial compensation. That's a bunch of bull crap. Google, Yahoo, et. al. pay for bandwidth. The fees they pay for network connectivity are based on bandwidth allocation. Now ATT is whining because Google, etc. are actually using the bandwidth that they're paying for. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Jan 2006 19:05:25 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem > That's true. I felt the original posting implied that Hayes invented > something entirely new; which wasn't quite true. As far as I know, his was the first modem to use in-band signalling. It was really rather clever to build a UART into the modem and use it to let the computer control the modem over the same channel as it used to communicate with the remote system. In-band signalling has its problems (that's what made blue boxes possible) but in this case it let people hook up modems to their PCs using a cheap generic serial interface. R's, John ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: History: Pecking Order For Telephone Operator Jobs? Date: 23 Jan 2006 13:20:00 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: In the years I was involved in this > sort of thing, I appreciated being in the essence of a 'small town' > environment where the few people on duty had a variety of tasks to > accomplish. That made it a lot more interesting. PAT] The retired telephone operator from my town is an example of that. As the operator of a small town exchange of about 400 lines, she did most everything (toll calls were relayed to the next town). She provided all of today's fancy features plus kept track of where the town doctor and police officer were. Just like "Mayberry". She enjoyed her job. When they put in dial, she was transferred to a nearby city. Completely different -- high volume traffic, strict protocols, etc. Switchboard duty varied by the size of the town. In big cities it was completely specialized, and that's where I wonder about pecking order. I moderately sized cities and towns the dial 0 assistance operators could do more things -- local assistance and long distance, intercept. As long distance itself became automated, they ceased using separate long distance operators and merged them in with regular 0 operators. (This was before TSP consoles). A dial 0 handling local and long distance seemed a reasonably interesting job, even with most calls automated. ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: History: Pecking Order For Telephone Operator Jobs? Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 17:38:41 -0500 In article , hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com says: > Until the 1980s, the telephone companies employed thousands of people, > usually women, as telephone operators. They handled calls that > automatic equipment couldn't and assisted subscribers in case their > was an automation problem. > Even after local and long distance dial, there was still a variety of > operator roles, especially in cities. To me, some of them would be > interesting but others would be quite montonous. I was wondering if > there was any "pecking order" in which operator jobs were sought after > and assigned. (In very small towns the job was more varied.) > In the early days of manual service in cities, local calls required > two operators. The "A" operator took the request and connected the > caller to the proper exchange, even if it was her own exchange. At > the receiving exchange, a "B" operator connected the call to the > proper line. This setup was designed for high volume and high speed > call handling. Ringing was done automatically. A much more > interesting job would seem to be long distance, where toll calls had > to be set up by relay between toll centers in each city. > In the early days of long distance, some COs didn't have ANI and an > operator had to get the calling number. This job was simply asking > for numbers and keying in the caller's response to a keypad, nothing > more. A similar job was in the early days of manual switching, where > a manual caller reached a dial office. A "B" operator listened to the > desired 4 digits and keyed them in. These jobs seem rather montonous. > To me, directory assistance work would be boring. > Another job was intercept. If someone dailed a number ouf of service, > an intercept operator would come on and check the number in a special > list, and provide the new number. > Automation roughly replaced operators over time as follows: > . Local calls (basic dial service) > . Nearby suburban calls (message unit) > . Long Distance (non coin) (AMA billing) > . Long Distance "operator handled" assist (TSP, TSPS) > . Overseas > . Automated intercept > . Long Distance (coin deposit recognition, customer input of calling > card number) > The replacement of central office and inter-office trunks with modern > digital gear resulted in higher capacity and more reliability so fewer > assistance calls were needed. > In the 1970s computerized consoles (TSP/TSPS replaced the cord > switchboards and many functions were automated. For example, on a 1+ > coin toll call, the console calculated and displayed the amount to > collect and did all the work of connecting the call. The operator had > only to listen to the coin drop. (Later that was even automated). > For calling card calls, the operator only had to key in the number. > However, some toll calls required occasional manual routing just like > the old days. > In 1968, TV's "Laugh In" had Lily Tomlin play a steroetypical > telephone operator of the day. I think today's young people would > have no idea about that since they've never used an operator. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: In the years I was involved in this > sort of thing, I appreciated being in the essence of a 'small town' > environment where the few people on duty had a variety of tasks to > accomplish. That made it a lot more interesting. PAT] These days VoIP providers don't even provide any operator services. Press zero and watch what happens. Nothing. I think that's where the savings on VoIP really kick in. There's no support infrastructure. To be honest the only VoIP issues I've had were the fault of either myself or my broadband provider. And when I did have an issue I got someone who used to be an old AT&T guy. He understood when I told him tht ring voltage/current wasn't high enough to trip a mechanical ringer as on my 2500 and Trimline sets. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Information Wants to be Free Date: 23 Jan 2006 10:09:59 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Randall Stross wrote: > The digital lifestyle I see portrayed so alluringly in > ads is not possible when the Internet plumbing in our homes is as > pitiful as it is. There are a number of serious faults in this article. Here they are: 1) Like so many things advertised, the "alluring digital lifestyle" is more of a fiction than a reality. Just like beers that promise you an exciting lifestyle filled with hot young sexy people, or automobiles you may drive at high speeds on roads you have all to yourself. 2) A substantial part of our demand for high capacity is channels results from the GARBAGE in the information we seek. Text and simple photographs require very little bandwidth and a 56k dialup would be more than adequate if that's all the content consisted of (14.4 if text only). But the computer industry wouldn't be very profitable at that level since none of us would need to buy new machines very often. As Alfred Sloan did at GM many years ago, the computer industry has us sucked into planned obsolescence. Internet screens are continually made more complex and more bloated so we need to buy faster computers and heavier channels to function. Software only a few years old won't work; modern browsers won't work on older machines. > It gets worse. Now these same carriers -- led by Verizon Communications > and BellSouth -- want to create entirely new categories of fees that > risk destroying the anyone-can-publish culture of the Internet. 3) This writer's first premise "information wants to be free", is nonsense. If I want a hard copy of his article, I'll have to buy the New York Times, which is $1.25 where I live. If I look at it on line, I must subscribe to services to provide it to me. Note that I CAN'T simply dial up the NYT directly (like an old BBS) and look at their stuff. Further, to look at their stuff I must also download NYT advertising, which is one of the reasons expanded bandwidth is necessary. 4) The "anyone can publish culture" is also a myth. In the days of the BBS, they told us "shareware" was new wave of the future. The reality was that everybody downloaded shareware or bought disks at computer fairs, but very few paid for it, and very few made any money out of it. Very few authors gain wide readership on the 'net. They also told us BBSing was the new communication wave of the future. It never was. The reality is that a very small part of the population gets its information from these sources. Sure, anyone can open a website and create a blog. But how many people will actually read it? The reality, outside of very rare exceptions, most of us would do better standing on a street corner and handing out leaflets to passers-by. When a site does do well it's because it was publicized by another _media_ source. Hey, if my local [traditional] newspaper wrote that the leafletter at Broad & Market had something worth reading, I'd be well known too. 5) Whether the author likes it or not, "plumbing" costs money. This author seems to think communications lines, junction switchers, and ongoing maintenance should all magically appear for us, for free. That's ridiculous. > Slow broadband seems to be our cursed lot. Until we get an upgrade -- > or rather an upgrade to an upgrade -- the only Americans who will > enjoy truly fast and inexpensive service will be those who leave the > country. 6) Maybe we really don't need truly fast service. Let me note the failed promise of cable television. That was another "wave of the future" that would revolutionalize our lives. Gee, so now I can watch young buff bodies on MTV living together. That has some entertainment value, admittedly, but is that an "information revolution"? Nope. Let's also remember the skyrocketing cost of cable television. We're now paying DOUBLE for it. We pay to subscribe for the content, but then the shows almost all have a great many commercials. Indeed, most have more commercials than traditional commercial TV which comes through for free (though that has more commercials now, too.) Some cable channels have five minutes of commercials for every five minutes of content. We have "Modern Marvels" on the History Channel, which has some educational merit, until a closer look is that it's essentially a propaganda piece for the industries its covering. A report on buses, for example, mostly focused on the wonderful work of one particular school bus builder. When the stuff comes through at high speed, will we be getting quality or just more commercials? > An executive vice president of Verizon, for example, said last week > that the proliferation of video programs offered via the Internet > opens a new opportunity for his company: a new class of premium online > delivery for Web sites wishing to pay extra to give smooth video > streams to their customers in the Verizon service area. ... 7) Verizon had to build an entirely new fibre optic cable delivery network to provide this. Any other entrapreneur could do the same thing. Don't tell me Verizon had an advtg as an existing company. Business history is filled with newcomers upstaging old established companies. Indeed, Comcast is very new compared to Verizon. Microsoft is new compared to IBM. > For one thing, the occasional need for a preferential fast lane for > streaming video -- that is, moving pictures displayed as fast as they > arrive, rather than downloaded first and played from memory -- exists > in the United States only because our standard broadband speeds are so > slow. Were we ever to become a nation with networks supporting gigabit > service, streaming video would not require special handling. 8) The Internet is a free form network of networks with very little central control. That has been debated here, and many people are extremely passionate about keeping it just that way. Well, free-form is by no means necessarily better. > Perhaps more important, the superabundance of content in the > Internet's ecosystem is best explained by its organizing principle of > "network neutrality." The phrase refers to the way the Internet > welcomes everyone who wishes to post content. Consumers, in turn, > enjoy limitless choices. Rather than having network operators select > content providers on our behalf -- the philosophy of the local cable > company -- the Internet allows all of us to act as our own network > programmers, serving a demographic of just one person. 9) "Network neutrality" simply does not work. Never has, never will. Here's why: a) "Limitless choices" is not necessarily a good thing for consumers. First off, many of those choices are just plain garbage. Consumers don't have the time to go through every "choice" to assess quality. For example, I just tried to find out about a new medication on the Internet. My seach result innundated me with garbage -- a great many sex/porn sites include buzz words so search engines always pick them up. Then, there are political activist sites that do the same thing. There were anti-medication sites. Finally I found the manufacturer's site, which had very little to say. Second of all, a key function of information delivery is editing. The editors of my local newspaper choose what stories to run. Certainly this process has problems, but the alternative is absolute chaos--I'd get a newspaper 1,000 pages long every day. Getting a web screen of 1,000 frames is no better. TV networks buy show pilots and later decide not to use them. Such shows are burned off late at night or in late summer (or not shown at all). I used to be curious and watch such shows, but it was quite clear why they weren't picked up -- they were pretty lame. For all the criticism, TV executives aren't as stupid as claimed -- they do perform a necessary culling out function. b) Another big problem with "network neutrality" is that society -- civilization -- functions best by a set of rules. We call them manners and the law. But on the Internet, bullies and malicious vandals are free to mess up everyone else. We have the obvious very expensive problems of spam and viruses. (Adding bandwidth will only make those worse). On discussion groups, we have bullies fouling the discussions. Our moderator, Pat, often tells of his need to sift through temendous amounts of garbage every day. When everyone is talking at once or trying to outshout another, nothing can be understood. Nobody likes censorship. But the internet is increasingly being used to hurt innocent people through theft and exploitation. The gift of the invention of the automobile was freedom -- freedom to go anywhere at any time. But then we had cars crashing into each other, so we enacted rules -- rules on how to drive, rules on the vehicle we drive. > ... broadband carriers have failed to demonstrate their commitment > to the principle of network neutrality. "They've fought it at each > stage," he said, "and they have never embraced the principle." 10) Of course not. Broadband carriers are in business. The principle set forth at Bell System divesture was FREE MARKET -- everyone is out for themselves. Well, a free marketplace has winners and losers. Those who are more efficient will win out at the expense of the less efficient. Economices of scale exist. Every business wants to maximize its market share to increase its efficiency and profits. If you find that basic economic fact unpleasant, then you shouldn't have pushed for a free market. > More unplanned appearances will follow -- but only if the ecosystem is > protected from tromping telephone companies that are genetically > incapable of understanding "maximally flexible." 11) Sounds like "regulation for thee, but not for me." In other words, _other_ companies can do as they please, but the phone carriers are locked into restrictions and discount services to benefit others. Actually, the business history of successful companies is filled with examples of a company in one line of work switching to another. My local video store evolved into a computer service store and accounting service. If say Verizon wants to open up its own e-store, it should be free to do so. Indeed, many people feel Comcast is charging too much for cable TV service and now Verizon, freed from regulation, is entering that market. That's exactly how free markets are supposed to work. [public replies, please] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 13:35:12 -0500 From: radiodude Subject: Re: Microsoft Rolls Out Customer Care Solution Organization: We USTelecom dailyLead wrote: > NEWS OF THE DAY > * Microsoft rolls out customer care solution Best customer care they could do: Tell people to use something else! Jim ------------------------------ Date: 23 Jan 2006 18:59:48 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: CFP: IAENG International Workshop on Electrical Engineering In article you write: > Call for Papers From: > International Association of Engineers (http://www.iaeng.org) > Journal Engineering Letters (http://www.engineeringletters.com) This is spam for a fake conference, you know. The scam is that they accept all the papers, no matter how lousy, and charge inflated fees to the suckers. I suppose the conference happens, but unless you like to hear yourself talk, there's no reason to go. R's, John [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: No, I did not know this was 'spam for a fake conference', nor am I in a position to investigate these things. But if you say a bunch of professors and researchers have conspired to have a fake conference and they send out spam to encourage participation then I guess I will take your word for it. But I do not intend to start censoring researchers and their calls for papers on the premise that it might be fake. I trust people like you will know the fake ones when they come along. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #35 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Jan 24 15:01:35 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id EC78F14F84; Tue, 24 Jan 2006 15:01:34 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #36 Message-Id: <20060124200134.EC78F14F84@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 15:01:34 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.5 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR,NA_DOLLARS autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Tue, 24 Jan 2006 15:05:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 36 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Analog Hole Bill Would Impose a Secret Law (Monty Solomon) CD DRM: Threat Models and Business Models (Monty Solomon) Verizon to Start TV Service in N.Y., Mass. (Monty Solomon) Calif. Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Hacking (Monty Solomon) Verizon Launches FiOS TV in Massapequa Park; First Rollout in NY (Solomon) Cellular-News for Tuesday 24th January 2006 (cellular-news) TelecomDirect News Daily Update January 24, 2006 (telecomdirect_daily) Verizon Offers TV Service in Massachusetts, NY (USTelecom dailyLead) Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post (William Warren) Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery (Jay C. James) Re: Information Wants to be Free (jmeissen) Poor Valentine Starving in Russia (Steve Hurley) Funny "Shoe" Cartoon (Rich Greenberg) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 08:27:51 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Analog Hole Bill Would Impose a Secret Law Monday January 23, 2006 by Ed Felten http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=958 If you've been reading here lately, you know that I'm no fan of the Sensenbrenner/Conyers analog hole bill. The bill would require almost all analog video devices to implement two technologies called CGMS-A and VEIL. CGMS-A is reasonably well known, but the VEIL content protection technology is relatively new. I wanted to learn more about it. So I emailed the company that sells VEIL and asked for a copy of the specification. I figured I would be able to get it. After all, the bill would make compliance with the VEIL spec mandatory -- the spec would in effect be part of the law. Surely, I thought, they're not proposing passing a secret law. Surely they're not going to say that the citizenry isn't allowed to know what's in the law that Congress is considering. We're talking about television here, not national security. After some discussion, the company helpfully explained that I could get the spec, if I first signed their license agreement. The agreement requires me (a) to pay them $10,000, and (b) to promise not to talk to anybody about what is in the spec. In other words, I can know the contents of the bill Congress is debating, but only if I pay $10k to a private party, and only if I promise not to tell anybody what is in the bill or engage in public debate about it. Worse yet, this license covers only half of the technology: the VEIL decoder, which detects VEIL signals. There is no way you or I can find out about the encoder technology that puts VEIL signals into video. The details of this technology are important for evaluating this bill. How much would the proposed law increase the cost of televisions? How much would it limit the future development of TV technology? How likely is the technology to mistakenly block authorized copying? How adaptable is the technology to the future? All of these questions are important in debating the bill. And none of them can be answered if the technology part of the bill is secret. Which brings us to the most interesting question of all: Are the members of Congress themselves, and their staffers, allowed to see the spec and talk about it openly? Are they allowed to consult experts for advice? Or are the full contents of this bill secret even from the lawmakers who are considering it? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 08:41:16 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: CD DRM: Threat Models and Business Models by Ed Felten Alex and I are working on an academic paper, "Lessons from the Sony CD DRM Episode", which will analyze several not-yet-discussed aspects of the XCP and MediaMax CD copy protection technologies, and will try to put the Sony CD episode in context and draw lessons for the future. We'll post the complete paper here next Friday. Until then, we'll post drafts of a few sections here. We have two reasons for this: we hope the postings will be interesting in themselves, and we hope your comments will help us improve the paper. Today's excerpt is from a section early in the paper, where we are still setting the scene before the main technical discussion begins: http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=959 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 09:13:28 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon to Start TV Service in N.Y., Mass. By PETER SVENSSON AP Technology Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- Verizon Communications Inc. is expanding the area where it provides television service over fiber-optic cables, adding homes in Massachusetts and New York for the first time. The telephone company planned to announce Tuesday that it would immediately start taking orders for its FiOS TV service in Woburn, Mass., and Massapequa Park on New York's Long Island. FiOS TV is already available in 14 towns in Texas, one in Florida and one in Virginia. Verizon hasn't specified how many subscribers it has for its TV service so far but said that 20 percent of the homes in Keller, a suburb of Dallas, that were eligible for the service had signed up between the launch on Sept. 22 and the end of the year. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54982004 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 09:23:30 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Calif. Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Hacking By DAN GOODIN AP Technology Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A 20-year-old hacker admitted Monday to surreptitiously seizing control of hundreds of thousands of Internet-connected computers, using the zombie network to serve pop-up ads and renting it to people who mounted attacks on Web sites and sent out spam. Jeanson James Ancheta, of Downey, Calif., pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court to four felony charges for crimes, including infecting machines at two U.S. military sites, that earned him more than $61,000, said federal prosecutor James Aquilina. Under a plea agreement, which still must be approved by a judge, Ancheta faces up to 6 years in prison and must pay the federal government restitution. He also will forfeit his profits and a 1993 BMW. Sentencing is schedule for May 1. Prosecutors called the case the first to target profits derived from use of "botnets," large numbers of computers that hackers commandeer and marshal for various nefarious deeds. The "zombie" machines' owners are unaware that parasitic programs have been installed on them and are being controlled remotely. Botnets are being used increasingly to overwhelm Web sites with streams of data, often by extortionists. They feed off of vulnerabilities in computers that run Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system, typically machines whose owners haven't bothered to install security patches. A November indictment charged Ancheta with 17 counts of conspiracy, fraud and other crimes connected to a 14-month hacking spree that started in June 2004 and that authorities say continued even after FBI agents raided his house the following December. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54977721 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 09:21:44 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Launches FiOS TV in Massapequa Park; First Rollout in NY New Service Offers Consumers Better Television Technology, True Competitive Choice and Greater Value MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y., Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon unveiled FiOS TV in New York today to residents of this village of 17,000 on Long Island, making it the first community in the state to feature the new service. Verizon will begin taking customer orders immediately. "This is not cable TV. This is not satellite. This is FiOS TV," said Bob Ingalls, president of Verizon's Retail Markets Group. "Customers who liked what FiOS did for their Internet connection will love what it does for their TV. We've harnessed the speed and capacity of broadband with the power of broadcast to create a revolutionary, new entertainment experience." Information on packages and prices is available at: http://www.verizon.net/fiostv . Massapequa Park-area customers also can call 1-877-4-FIOS-TV (1-877-434-6788) to see if they're able to order FiOS TV. FiOS TV is designed to be a formidable competitor to cable and satellite. It is delivered over Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, which has industry-leading quality and reliability. Fiber delivers amazingly sharp pictures and sound, and has the capacity to transmit a wide array of high-definition programming that is so clear and intense it seems to leap from the TV screen. It also delivers Internet download speeds of up to 30 Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds of up to 5 Mbps as well as high-quality voice services. Verizon's network design includes backup facilities not common to traditional cable systems, such as duplicate "super head ends" where the TV service receives national programming. (More information about FiOS TV and fiber optics is available in Verizon's online News Center at http://www.verizon.com/news .) Service highlights include: * A broad collection of all-digital programming and compelling consumer choice - with more than 330 total channels and more on the way. * A lead offer with more than 180 digital video and music channels, for $39.95 a month. * More than 20 high-definition channels, with extraordinary clarity and theater-quality sound. * More than 1,800 video-on-demand titles available to customers now, increasing to 2,000 titles in the next several months. * Channels grouped by genres such as entertainment, sports, news, shopping, movies and family, making it easy for audiences to find their favorite programming. * An easy-to-use interactive programming guide that integrates HD programming, video on demand and the digital video recorder along with broadcast television into a seamless user experience. * A dual-tuner DVR that gives customers the freedom to pause and rewind live TV, record one show while watching another, and fast forward to their favorite part of the program - all without a VCR, tapes or DVDs. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54981726 ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Tuesday 24th January 2006 Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 09:12:08 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ Financial ]] Taiwan Mobile Plans To Sell 2% Stake In Chunghwa Telecom http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15718.php Taiwan Mobile plans to sell its entire 2% stake of 200 million shares in Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile's Chief Financial Officer Hui-Ming Cheng said Monday. ... NEWS SNAP: O2 Signs Off With Record 3Q Growth http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15719.php O2 PLC, the UK mobile telecommunications company, Monday said it added 1.75 million new users in the third quarter which proved its best ever quarter for customer growth in its core U.K. and German markets. ... O2 Reshuffles Board With Telefonica Takeover Near Completion http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15723.php O2 PLC, the UK mobile telecommunications company, Monday reshuffled its board to include key Telefonica executives as the Spanish company's takeover of O2 nears completion. ... Mexico's Iusacell Reaches Agreement To Restructure Debt http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15725.php Mexican wireless phone company Grupo Iusacell SA said Monday it has reached an agreement in principle with a majority of its creditors to restructure $766 million in debt. ... Kyrgyz government approves selling 77.8% in Kyrgyztelecom http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15727.php The Kyrgyz government has approved the ruling to put for tender 77.8% of the country's state fixed-line operator Kyrgyztelecom, a spokesperson with the Kyrgyz Committee for State Property Management told Prime-Tass Monday. ... [[ Handsets ]] Euroset Accused of Handset Smuggling http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15722.php Kyrgyzstan's State Customs Inspection seized merchandise of Russia's largest mobile handset retailer Euroset last week alleging that the goods had been smuggled into the country, Mamazundun Shamiyev, a department director of the customs inspection ... DoCoMo To Sell Microsoft Based 3G Handsets http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15729.php Japan's DoCoMo has announced that it is to start selling a 3G based Windows Mobile 5.0 handset, manufactured by Taiwan's High Tech Computer (HTC). DoCoMo and HTC aim to launch commercial sales sometime in the second half of 2006.... [[ Legal ]] High Court Rejects Blackberry Case In NTP Dispute http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15724.php The U.S. Supreme Court Monday rejected Research in Motion's (RIM) Blackberry patent dispute with NTP, leaving the outcome of the intense battle over technology in the popular wireless device to lower courts. ... [[ Messaging ]] Nokia Adds Lotus Notes to its Push Email Server http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15731.php Nokia says that it is adding support for Lotus Notes and Domino to its push email platform. Nokia Business Center with Lotus Notes and Domino support is expected to be available for customers during Q1 2006. Nokia Business Center provides companies w... [[ Mobile Content ]] Mobile Music Growth Curbed By Music Industry - Survey http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15720.php Mobile telecommunication service operators feel record companies are demanding too high a slice of revenue from mobile music services, according to research released Sunday. ... China's Mobile Gaming Industry Will Enter High Profit Stage Soon http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15728.php Analysys International says that China's mobile gaming market size reached US$180 million in 2005 and the industry will enter a stable growth period with high profit value soon in its research report. According to the research, the number of Chinese ... Dilbert On A Mobile http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15730.php Namco Networks has announced plans to bring Dilbert to mobile phones through a partnership with United Media, which owns the rights to the syndicated cartoon strip. Created by Scott Adams, Dilbert addresses all too familiar business topics, ranging f... Mobile Ticketing and Retail to Generate Over $63bn Worth of Revenue http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15733.php Revenues from mobile ticketing and mobile retail services will assist the global mobile commerce market by generating over US$63 billion worth of revenue by 2010, according to a new report from Juniper Research. Mobile phone users, familiar with purc... Mobile Music Downloads Soar http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15734.php Sales of music via the internet and mobile phones proliferated and spread across the world in 2005, generating sales of US$1.1 billion for record companies -- up from US$380 million the previous year -- and promising further significant growth in the c... [[ Network Operators ]] Bulgarian Operator Increases Network Capacity http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15735.php The network of Bulgarian mobile operator GloBul is says that it is now ready to service 3.5 million subscribers after the company invested US$20 million in network optimization in November and December 2005. The investments targeted increasing the ne... Satellite Gets Permission For Terrestrial Service http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15736.php The satellite phone operator, Globalstar says that it has been granted authority from the USA's telecoms regulator, the FCC to offer Ancillary Terrestrial Component services (ATC) in the U.S. in conjunction with its mobile satellite services. ATC aut... Huge Tariff Rises from Zimbabwean Operators http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15738.php Zimbabwe's two GSM network operators have massively raised their tariff rates, with some call charges rising by as much as 200%. This should be considered in relation to the fact that unofficially, the local annual inflation rate is somewhere nearer ... [[ Regulatory ]] EU Asks Greece To Explain Telecom Policy Or Face Fines http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15721.php The European Commission Monday asked the Greek government to explain why its telecommunications sector hasn't been liberalized in accordance with European law. ... Euroset says real mobile penetration in Russia up to 43% http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15726.php The real penetration of mobile services in Russia rose to 43% as of January 1 2006 from 32% as of January 1, 2005, Russia's largest mobile handset retailer Euroset said in a report released Monday. ... [[ Technology ]] Voice Over WiFi Handsets To Take Off This Year - report http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15732.php Over the last two years, WLAN has transformed from a network of stand-alone hotspots into a supporting technology for delivering convergent solutions, clearing the way for VoWLAN. According to a new report from Pyramid Research, VoWLAN mid-tier hands... Alliance To Promote Mobile TV Standards http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15737.php Top vendors have joined forced to create a new forum to develop and promote mobile TV services based around the Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld (DVB-H) standard. The organization, called the Mobile DTV Alliance, includes representatives from In... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 11:53:07 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - Tuesday, January 24, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For January 24, 2006 ******************************** Sprint Nextel Outlines Plans to Spin Off Wireline Unit http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16357?11228 New Local Company, which is registered under the LTD holding name, has submitted a filing to separate itself from its parent company, Sprint Nextel. The company said that the spin-off will be conducted through the pro-rata distribution of outstanding shares of New Local Company to Sprint Nextel shareholders. Sprint Nextel said that it... Ericsson Completes Acquisition of British Telecom Marconi http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/100/16350?11228 LONDON -- Wireless equipment maker LM Ericsson completed its US$2.1 billion acquisition of most of Marconi's assets Tuesday, marking the end to share trading in a company whose brand name traces its roots to the founder of radio. Sweden-based Ericsson, the world's largest maker of wireless network equipment, secured the... Vodafone Reports Strong Customer and Revenue Growth http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/100/16346?11228 LONDON -- Vodafone Group PLC reported better than expected customer and revenue growth Tuesday on the back of a strong performances in Spain, the United States and emerging markets -- offsetting stiff competition in its core European market. The world's largest mobile phone company by revenues, under pressure to show it... Cingular Swings to Profit in Fourth Quarter http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/100/16342?11228 ATLANTA --Cingular Wireless LLC, the United States' largest cell phone provider, swung to a profit in the fourth quarter on strong subscriber and revenue growth. The Atlanta-based company said Tuesday it earned $204 million in the three months ending Dec. 31, compared to a loss of $495 million in the same period a year ago. ... IP PBXs Now the Preferred Choice of US Businesses http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16340?11228 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- US businesses have moved beyond experimenting with IP solutions to incorporating them into the fabric of their voice and data network strategies, reports In-Stat. Many businesses have realized tangible benefits from IP deployments and are increasingly expanding them, the high-tech market research firm says.... Time Warner Invests in UK DSL http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/110/16337?11228 British incumbent BT Group plc (NYSE: BT - message board; London: BTA) is coming under increasing pressure in two of its key markets, broadband and telephony, as big brand names aim to attract the hearts and dollars of Britain's consumers. Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX - message board) is to invest up to GBP120 million ($214 million) in... Supremes Refuse RIM Petition http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16334?11228 Anxious U.S. BlackBerry users are clutching their messagers close to their chests now that the possibility really exists for their wireless email and voice service to be shut down, even temporarily. Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court denied BlackBerry maker Research In Motion's petition for certiorari asking for a review of issues... Copyright (C) 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 12:47:02 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Verizon Offers TV Service in Massachusetts, New York towns USTelecom dailyLead January 24, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cSawfDtutaiVrBcpZn TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Verizon offers TV service in Massachusetts, New York towns BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Vodafone to keep Verizon Wireless stake * IBM links IM service with Yahoo!, AOL * Could Icahn enlist Diller in fight for Time Warner? * Lucent, Cingular report earnings USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * See Microsoft on the TelecomNEXT Exhibit Floor TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * Opera unveils new mobile Web browser * Microsoft adopts IPv6 for Vista * Globalstar gets FCC clearance for ground transmitters * NBA shows Kobe Bryant feat again on broadband REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * Analysis: Supreme Court decision a blow to RIM * Qwest memo shows Nacchio may have known of financial troubles Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cSawfDtutaiVrBcpZn ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 06:05:47 -0500 From: William Warren Subject: Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post jmeissen@aracnet.com wrote: > In article , Marcus Didius Falco > wrote: > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/21/AR2006012100094.html >> Whether or not you agree with Whitacre, you can understand his frustration. >> Companies like Google and Yahoo pay some fees to connect to their >> servers to the Internet, but AT&T will collect little if any >> additional revenue when Yahoo starts offering new features that take >> up lots of bandwidth on the Internet. When Yahoo's millions of >> customers download huge blocks of video or play complex video games, >> AT&T ends up carrying that increased digital traffic without >> additional financial compensation. > That's a bunch of bull crap. Google, Yahoo, et. al. pay for bandwidth. > The fees they pay for network connectivity are based on bandwidth > allocation. Now ATT is whining because Google, etc. are actually using > the bandwidth that they're paying for. The old line telecom providers have always relied on a tiered-service pricing model: relatively cheap basic services, such as local POTS "lifeline" service, subsidized by higher-priced and higher-profit premium offerings. Although the amounts of the subsidies vary, the basic premise has always been that business users pay more because they get more utility from phones and because the network is designed to meet business service levels, and that premium residential offerings, such as call waiting, are also priced at high-profit margins. The reason SBC-AT&T and the other "Baby Bells" are whining is because the Internet has drawn the premium services out from under the Bell umbrella, and left the RBOC's with only a basic service -- the pipes -- to make their profits. Shannon's rule applies in both a technical and an economic sense here: bandwidth is the enemy of switching, and bandwidth-intensive industries like Google/Yahoo/MSN et al are now girding for battle with the old-line switching organizations that see their chokehold on business communications slipping away. In short, the RBOC's are trying to convince the Congress that they should enjoy a share of the profit made on the Internet because they are involved with providing the basic service that makes it possible: it's an old argument, but the RBOCs are old companies and they think that old scams work best. Since the Internet, by its very nature, concentrates power at the endpoints, the former monopolists are floating trial balloons to see if the public will stand for them finding a new way to gouge the consumer. William Warren (Filter noise from my address for direct replies) ------------------------------ From: Jay C. James Subject: Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 10:13:52 -0800 Organization: Texas Instruments John McHarry wrote in message news:telecom25.35.2@telecom-digest.org: >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: There was an instance in Chicago >> several years ago where the Probation Department of the Cook County >> Court system printed up legal notices which were mailed out to all >> the probationers -- millions of notices -- with the wrong number on >> the form. Getting them (court officials) to even _listen_ to the >> problem, let alone correct their stupid notices took a real act of >> God, believe me. They just were not going to change anything >> about their system. Now if you know Chicago, almost everyone gets >> swept up in their system at least once; many folks more than once. >> The trouble was sort of serious; all probationers were expected to >> call that number (or at least the correct version of it) to do >> something or other. It finally took a lawyer (whether he himself was >> on probation or simply the counsel for someone else who was on >> probation is not known to me; it could have been either way) to go >> raise so much hell with them and get their damn forms reprinted with >> the correct number. I think the attorney had to offer to file suit >> against the court itself to prompt the correction of the form. PAT] > Isn't this a variation on the sweet old lady who got caught in something > like that, and Telecom Digest published the correct number and asked > readers to call asking for her? After we brought their switchboard to its > knees, they fixed their mailings, put an intercept on her number to filter > her calls, and cleared the situation. It could well be both happened. This may be more RISKS related, but ... at a previous employer, we had a complicated faxing solution for IC chip orders, and one of the Field Sales Engineers entered an incorrect number into the customer database. The fax number was subsequently never displayed, but the Customer Name And Billing Address was -always- displayed, thus hiding the incorrect fax digits. So, resultingly, 40-50 times a day a poor retired backcountry couple was inundated with beeps and boops and gave up hope on using the telephone regularly (a relative had a serious health issue and getting phone calls after midnight was frightening) until I audited the logs and noticed the connection errors and redials. I called them to apologize and on behalf of my former employer, and then offered to pay their phone bill for a month or so, while requesting a change to the database form to always display the fax number along with the Customer Name And Billing Address. Bottom Line: They could have found my desk line by 'dialing around' the displayed ANI, I now suppose, but ideas like that dont occur in those circles even though they knew enough to "*69" the displayed number anyway to try to reach someone. jcj [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I am reminded of the outlaw fax machine at the First National Bank of Chicago back in the 1970's. It was _supposed to_ call around to the various branches of the bank in the hours just after closing time each day and poll each branch for a report which was prepared by the branch and left on their fax machines for the polling process each day. Trouble was, the doofus who did the poll programming at the main bank (telling that machine what places to poll each night) somehow screwed up the programming and got one or two too many '1' or '0's in the dialing string. Ergo, the fax machine would faithfully at 6 or so each evening make a call to _Germany_ and get no where despite several tries. Manwhile it was about 2 a.m. or so in Germany, and these poor people at a residential number were getting at first quite annoyed, then later on scared by these calls coming in from somewhere. '*69' did not yet exist, at least not in Germany. so the only recourse the folks had was to file a complaint with Bundespost. Bundespost tracked it back to the United States and asked AT&T to get involved on it. AT&T tracked it down to Illinois Bell out of Chicago, and filed a complaint with them. In rather quick time, IBT found the source of the problem, but their fatal mistake was to simply ask the bank to correct the problem. Of course, as in any bureaucracy, the bank simply ignored the request. When a second request came though from Bundespost about a _month_ later, that the problem was still going on, AT&T passed a second request on to Illinois Bell. This time, after getting no response -- or only a very non-committal response from the bank, Illinois Bell sent a registered letter to the bank, to the attention of the Vice President - Telecom informing him if the problem was not cured, pronto, Illinois Bell would simply disconnect the offending line and leave it disconnected. That brought the VP-Telecom down to the department in a hurry, with the proverbial axe in hand, ready to chop off someone's head if necessary or smash up the offending fax machine. The problem _did_ get cured, believe me, you. And, ah, the bureacracy! Since telephone bills, especially with international calls on them always run a month or so after the fact in arriving, and since large institutions like the bank always get around to reconciling those bills a month or two after that, some two or three months after the incident, when First National Bank got a phone bill with several pages of one to three minute calls to the same number in Germany over and over and over, by then the doofuses at the bank had long since forgotten what they had done wrong to start with (did you ever try to punish a dog or cat even an hour after it had done something wrong? ... by that time the poor animal has 'long forgotten' whatever it had done wrong), quite naturally bank took the posture, "the phone company really screwed up our bill" and tried to avoid paying for their mistake. As usual, in those days, telco always wrote off customer mistakes, since they were easily bullied around on the payment of bills. PAT] ------------------------------ From: jmeissen@aracnet.com Subject: Re: Information Wants to be Free Date: 24 Jan 2006 19:26:04 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com In article , wrote: > Randall Stross wrote: >> In other words, _other_ companies can do as they please, but the >> phone carriers are locked into restrictions and discount services to >> benefit others. This is nothing new, and not necessarily bad. Monopolies, critical infrastructure and other industries should be and are regulated for the good of the many over the profits for the few. The phone company is an infrastructure. They have no business controlling content, especially when they want to compete with the content delivered over their government-sanctioned-monopoly infrastructure. You can say that it's just as feasable for someone else to deploy the fiber circuits that Verizon has been installing lately, but that's not true. They already have existing right-of-way agreements and they're only deploying in their current market -- in other words, it's essentially upgrading existing customers. Also, competitive infrastructure usually isn't a good thing. It's been tried in the past -- the early power industry involved several companies competing to deliver electricity to the same area, and it was a mess. Critical infrastructure, such as water delivery, waste management and the cables that provide the physical interconnections for power and communication need to be regulated and controlled. The competition should be among the content providers. ------------------------------ Reply-To: SteveHurley10@yahoo.de Subject: Poor Valentine Starving in Russia From: Steve Hurley Organization: Yahoo Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 12:51:56 +0100 Hi, I suggest you check the following link to find out all abour 'poor' Valentine: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/valentin.asp Steve ___________________________________________________________ Telefonate ohne weitere Kosten vom PC zum PC: http://messenger.yahoo.de [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Thanks for the tip off. Sadly, there _are_ honest people in Russia and other countries who could use the spare largesse many of us here in the USA have, and these guys like Valentine ruin it for everyone. PAT] ------------------------------ From: richgr@panix.com (Rich Greenberg) Subject: Funny "Shoe" Cartoon Date: 24 Jan 2006 10:22:10 -0500 Organization: Organized? Me? Telephone related cartoon on the "Shoe" strip today: http://www.comicspage.com/shoe/shoe.html today 1/24 only, or: other days. If the longer url gets mangled, go to the short one and navigate back to 1/24. Rich Greenberg Marietta, GA, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507 Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67 Canines:Val, Red & Shasta (RIP),Red, husky Owner:Chinook-L Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/ Asst Owner:Sibernet-L ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #36 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Jan 25 14:52:29 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 3EEF014D6B; Wed, 25 Jan 2006 14:52:28 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #37 Message-Id: <20060125195228.3EEF014D6B@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 14:52:28 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.8 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Wed, 25 Jan 2006 14:54:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 37 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Book Review: "Network Security First-Step", Tom Thomas (Rob Slade) Motorola AXPT High Speed Access Point (Monty Solomon) After Subpoenas, Internet Searches Give Some Pause (Monty Solomon) Interconnecting Alcatel OmniPCX (caveman) Cellular-News for Wednesday 25th January 2006 (cellular-news) TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 25, 2006 (telecomdirect_daily) AT&T, Avaya Offer VoIP Solution for Small (USTelecom dailyLead) Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post (jmeissen Re: Information Wants to be Free (Lisa Hancock) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Reed) Re: Verizon Launches FiOS TV in Massapequa Park (Henry Cabot Henhouse III) Re: Poor Valentine Starving in Russia (William Warren) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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, 25 Jan 2006 08:15:33 -0800 From: Rob Slade Subject: Book Review: "Network Security First-Step", Tom Thomas Reply-To: rMslade@shaw.ca Organization: Vancouver Institute for Research into User BKNTSCFS.RVW 20051106 "Network Security First-Step", Tom Thomas, 2004, 1-58720-099-6, U$29.95/C$42.95 %A Tom Thomas %C 800 East 96th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46240 %D 2004 %G 1-58720-099-6 %I Cisco Press %O U$29.95/C$42.95 feedback@ciscopress.com 800-382-3419 %O http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1587200996/robsladesinterne http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1587200996/robsladesinte-21 %O http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/1587200996/robsladesin03-20 %O Audience n- Tech 1 Writing 1 (see revfaq.htm for explanation) %P 456 p. %T "Network Security First-Step" The introduction defines the audience for this book very broadly: so broadly that it appears to try to be all things to all people, and simply, too! (Wireless security seems to be a major consideration.) The preface does specifically mention students and security professionals. Chapter one is the usual "selling" section of the book: in this case promoting the idea that "hackers" are out there and trying to getcha. The material is only loosely organized, and seemingly more intent on proving that the author knows a bunch of "inside" information than on usefully informing the reader. (Thomas also tends to make thinly veiled attacks on Microsoft: many security experts are unhappy with some of Microsoft's decisions in regard to security, but snide references to "the richest man in the world" are unlikely to assist users in securing their systems.) A couple of references for further study are mentioned: these are works that are more popular than accurate. Review questions are provided at the end: these are the all-too-standard simplistic reading checks. (Some of the answers provided don't actually answer the questions at all.) The review of security policies, in chapter two, is reasonable, but generic and terse. The bulk of the content comes in a sample set of functional security policies which touch on a few important topics, but will probably be of very limited use to most readers. Supposedly an overview of security technologies, most of chapter three concentrates on defining different types of firewalls (and doesn't do a very good job with stateful inspection), with (for some odd reason) brief mentions of public key infrastructure and two centralized authentication systems. Chapter four lists a couple of cryptographic, a couple of tunneling, and the secure shell protocols. An introduction to the concept of firewalls, in chapter five, seems odd following the more detailed catalogue previously. In contradiction to the introduction's position, much of this content is complicated (not assisted by a lack of structure in the writing), and also becomes more specific to Cisco products, including pages of PIX configuration tables. Routers would relate to packet filtering, one would think, but chapter six also contains content inspection and intrusion detection topics. (The material becomes even more focussed on Cisco, reprinting a twelve page secure IOS template.) Chapter seven, on virtual private networks, fails to stress the difference between tunnelling and encryption, does a very poor job of explaining IPSec (also seems to confuse the discrete log problem used by the Diffie- Hellman algorithm with the prime factoring used by RSA), and spends a large section at the end listing commands for configuring IPSec on Cisco products. The ordinary wireless security topics are in chapter eight. Chapter nine looks primarily at intrusion detection, and a little bit at honeypots. A list of attacks, more specific than those in chapter one, and some vulnerability scanning tools, are outlined in chapter ten. In relation to the attempt to make the material simple, the author seems to assume that understanding equates with entertainment, and tries to provide humour. The attempts at witticisms are irrelevant and distracting. The student will find this text too facile, and of questionable accuracy in a number of places. The professional will find the work too disorganized to act as any kind of reference, and the content lacking in both analytical and implementation considerations. copyright Robert M. Slade, 2005 BKNTSCFS.RVW 20051106 ====================== (quote inserted randomly by Pegasus Mailer) rslade@vcn.bc.ca slade@victoria.tc.ca rslade@sun.soci.niu.edu This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force. - Dorothy Parker http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev or http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 09:03:55 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Motorola AXPT High Speed Access Point Motorola AXPT for Deployment on Any Existing UMTS Network; Supports Existing UMTS and HSDPA Devices SWINDON, England, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Taking the next step in its mobile broadband strategy, Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) today introduced its new High Speed Access Point -- Motorola AXPT -- for enhanced indoor mobile broadband access. The Motorola AXPT was unveiled to leading mobile operators around the world, with live over-the-air demonstrations revealing exceptional coverage and capacity directly indoors. Motorola AXPT, which can be added to any existing UMTS network, is designed to enable mobile operators to tap into the lucrative enterprise broadband market by maintaining cellular traffic after the user moves indoors. Motorola AXPT was developed to address the specific indoor coverage and capacity challenges that mobile operators face when delivering HSDPA mobile broadband within the enterprise space. HSDPA provides specific challenges to mobile operators as a stronger signal is required to deliver the broadband speeds at the high 3G frequencies. In addition, capacity must be increased to satisfy office-based broadband usage which could congest the current cellular network. Motorola AXPT is designed to help mobile operators retain and grow broadband usage on their cellular network, by reducing the need for users to switch to alternative fixed or wireless broadband services in the office environment. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=55026946 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 09:07:15 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: After Subpoenas, Internet Searches Give Some Pause By KATIE HAFNER The New York Times January 25, 2006 Kathryn Hanson, a former telecommunications engineer who lives in Oakland, Calif., was looking at BBC News online last week when she came across an item about a British politician who had resigned over a reported affair with a "rent boy." It was the first time Ms. Hanson had seen the term, so, in search of a definition, she typed it into Google. As Ms. Hanson scrolled through the results, she saw that several of the sites were available only to people over 18. She suddenly had a frightening thought. Would Google have to inform the government that she was looking for a rent boy -- a young male prostitute? Ms. Hanson, 45, immediately told her boyfriend what she had done. "I told him I'd Googled 'rent boy,' just in case I got whisked off to some Navy prison in the dead of night," she said. Ms. Hanson's reaction arose from last week's reports that as part of its effort to uphold an online pornography law, the Justice Department had asked a federal judge to compel Google to turn over records on millions of its users' search queries. Google is resisting the request, but three of its competitors -- Yahoo, MSN and America Online -- have turned over similar information. The government and the cooperating companies say the search queries cannot be traced to their source, and therefore no personal information about users is being given up. But the government's move is one of several recent episodes that have caused some people to think twice about the information they type into a search engine, or the opinions they express in an e-mail message. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/25/national/25privacy.html?ex=1295845200&en=64e5a917e3761d3c&ei=5090 ------------------------------ From: caveman Subject: Interconnecting Alcatel OmniPCX Date: 24 Jan 2006 23:58:57 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hi I wish to interconnect multiple alcatel omnipcx to create a single voice network. Site A (HQ) : Alcatel OmniPCX Enterprise Site B (Remote Office) : Alcatel OmniPCX Office How can this be done ? ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Wednesday 25th January 2006 Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 07:56:35 -0600 From: Cellular-News Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ 3G ]] 3 UK Offers Users Cash Credit To Receive Calls, Texts http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15743.php 3 UK, the mobile telecommunications company owned by Hutchison Whampoa, Tuesday unveiled a promotion that pays its users to receive calls and texts. ... Ukraine's Ukrtelecom expects to get 29% of 3G market by 2010 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15745.php Ukraine's national fixed-line monopoly Ukrtelecom expects to control 29% of the Ukrainian third generation (3G) mobile services market by 2010, Igor Sirotenko, the company's deputy chairman of the board of directors, told an investment conference... 3G Test Calls Made at 900Mhz Band http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15760.php Nortel, Qualcomm and Orange have successfully completed UMTS and HSDPA calls in the 900 MHz band. W-CDMA in the 900 MHz band is a cost effective way to deliver nationwide high-speed wireless coverage. It achieves a 60 percent reduction in cell sites ... [[ Financial ]] Vodafone Doesn't Rule Out Verizon Wireless Sale http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15739.php Vodafone Group Chief Executive Arun Sarin Tuesday declined to rule out a sale of its 45% stake in U.S. mobile operator Verizon Wireless. ... NEWS SNAP: Vodafone Outlook Unchanged Despite Europe Pressure http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15740.php Vodafone Group PLC, the world's largest mobile telecommunications company by revenue, Tuesday maintained its mid-term outlook despite an increase in competition in continental European markets. ... NEWS WRAP: Lucent Posts 1Q Loss As Sales Decline http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15744.php NEW YORK (AP)--Lucent Technologies on Tuesday reported a $104 million loss for its fiscal first quarter, reflecting a large litigation charge and a 12% sales decline at the telecommunications equipment maker. ... EARNINGS PREVIEW: Nokia 4Q Profit Seen Hit By Low-End Focus http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15746.php Nokia is expected to post a 1.9% drop in fourth-quarter net profit Thursday, with sales growth crimped by falling prices, a greater focus on lower-margin handsets and weakness in the networks division. ... NEWS WRAP: Cingular Reports 4Q Profit On Subscriber Gains http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15747.php ATLANTA (AP)--Cingular Wireless, the USA's largest cell phone provider, swung to a profit in the fourth quarter on strong subscriber and revenue growth. ... Lucent CEO Calls Weaker Year View A Temporary Setback http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15748.php Lucent Technologies Chief Executive Pat Russo said she considers the company's weaker revenue expectations for the year to be a short-term issue. ... Cingular CFO: Average Revenue Per User Stabilizing http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15751.php As Cingular Wireless' customer turnover and subscriber growth trends improve, its average revenue per user appears to be stabilizing, according to Chief Financial Officer Pete Ritcher. ... Analysts: Positive outlook for Iusacell following debt deal http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15752.php Financially troubled Mexican mobile operator Iuscaell reached a deal with creditors over the weekend to restructure its more than US$800mn in debt, the company said in a statement. ... [[ Legal ]] T-Mobile Sues Purported Cell Phone Record Brokers http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15741.php T-Mobile USA said it filed a lawsuit against online data brokers it believes are involved in illegally selling cell phone records of some of its customers. ... Ukrainian court challenges Kyivstar's board, CEO nomination clause http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15757.php Ukraine's High Commercial Court ruled Tuesday that the charter clause on the nomination of members to the board of directors and the CEO of Ukraine's leading mobile operator Kyivstar should be revised. ... [[ Mobile Content ]] Users Disappointed with Mobile TV - report http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15762.php Strategy Analytics has released a report which concludes that current generation Mobile TV services in Germany are failing to impress users due to poor network performance, lack of compelling content and inadequate devices. While T-Mobile's Handy TV ... Opera Releases Java based Web Browser for All Phones http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15766.php The web browser developer, Opera Software has announced the worldwide release of Opera Mini, the full Web browser that runs on almost every mobile phone, including low- and mid-end handsets. The launch follows the trials of Opera Mini in the Nordics ... [[ Network Contracts ]] GSM Coverage Improved for Winter Olympics http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15759.php In advance of the rush of tourists and spectators who will attend the XX Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy next month, Andrew Corporation has completed the first phase of a multi-operator cellular system within the host city's underground that wil... Huawei Wins Portugese HSDPA Contract http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15764.php The Portuguese mobile operator Optimus and Huawei have came to an understanding to deploy a HSDPA network with significant size over Portugal mainland, Madeira and Azores. According to the timing plan, Optimus HSDPA network will be the first full-per... [[ Network Operators ]] Russia's Baikalvestcom to invest $80 mln in network this year http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15750.php Russian mobile operator Baikalvestcom plans to invest U.S. $80 million to expand its network in the Irkutsk Region this year, Vladimir Shapovalov, Baikalvestcom's general director, told reporters Tuesday. ... ICE's TDMA/GSM migration suffers delay http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15755.php Plans by Costa Rican telecoms monopoly ICE to migrate its mobile telephony customers from TDMA technology to GSM have been put back, local daily Al Da reported. ... Limited Resumption of Services in Nepal http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15758.php Following last week's shut down of all mobile phones in Nepal, the state run operator, Nepal Telecom has been given permission to restart services for contract customers. PrePay customers however remain disconnected from the network. The country's se... [[ Offbeat ]] Ban On Phones in Schools Advised http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15765.php The UK local government, Knowsley Council is advising all its schools to ban the use of mobile phones by pupils during the day. The authority's newly-approved policy guidelines recommend a total ban on mobiles in primary schools. And councillors have... [[ Regulatory ]] Ministry seeks to raise mobile quality requirements http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15753.php Colombia's communications ministry plans to ratchet up the current 3% maximum dropped call rate permissible for mobile operators to 0.5%, reported local daily La Republica. ... Govt plans spectrum valuation to prepare for auction http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15754.php The Ecuadorian government plans to hire an investment bank to determine the value of the concessions and frequencies currently used by mobile operators Porta and Movistar, reported local daily La Hora. ... VimpelCom: Russian regulator to hear its complaint Jan 30 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15756.php A commission of Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service, or FAS, is to consider January 30 a complaint filed by Russia's second-largest mobile operator VimpelCom against the State Radio Frequency Commission, VimpelCom said Tuesday. ... [[ Reports ]] Worldwide Wi-Fi Hotspots Hits the 100,000 Mark http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15763.php The number of worldwide Wi-Fi hotspots has surpassed the 100,000 milestone according to recent numbers released by JiWire.JiWire's "Top Ten" lists count the number of verified public hotspots in cities and countries around the world, serving as a dep... [[ Statistics ]] Vodafone Japan Mobile Phone Users Up Net 125,200 Oct-Dec http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15742.php The Japanese unit of UK mobile phone firm Vodafone Group said Tuesday it added a net 125,200 subscribers to its mobile phone service in the October-December quarter. ... Users of CDMA-800 network in Ukraine up 93.34% on yr in 2005 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15749.php The number of subscribers of Ukraine's stationary mobile network CDMA-800 increased 93.34% on the year to 116,000 users in 2005, the Association of CDMA operators of Ukraine said Tuesday. ... [[ Technology ]] Single-Chip CMOS HSDPA / WEDGE RF Transceiver for 3G Handsets http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15761.php Sirific Wireless has introduced the mobile industry's first single-chip CMOS HSDPA / W-EDGE RF transceiver. The SW3200 RF transceiver supports transmit and receive operation in five WCDMA bands (I, II, III, IV and V), as well as all four EDGE, GPRS, ... ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 12:26:57 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 25, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For January 25, 2006 ******************************** Aligning with Customers' Needs: Challenges to Successful Billing Transformation http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16375?11228 It seems that every telco is currently undertaking a transformation program of some form. However, every organization is different, and transformation is as much about procedural and cultural change as it is about systems. This means there is no standard approach or methodology for getting it done. Instead, a telco must clearly... Telecom Reform Hits Snag http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16374?11228 Telecom policy reform in Washington this fall took a sudden turn in the direction of deep quagmire as House backers of new pro-Bell legislation stirred howls of protest across a wide spectrum of affected parties, including some who had been supportive of earlier legislative efforts. Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce... Researchers Envision an LED-Powered Wireless Network http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/100/16366?11228 Could a new LED someday power a WiFi-type network supporting bit rates of up to 1 gigabit per second? Penn State University researchers think so, predicting that such a system, coupled with broadband over either medium- or low-voltage power line (BPL) grids, could potentially offer transmission capacities that exceed today's DSL and... BellSouth Fourth-Quarter Profits Drop 54 percent http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16364?11228 ATLANTA -- BellSouth Corp., the dominant local telephone provider in nine southeastern U.S. states, reported Wednesday a 54 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit on a slight increase in revenue and heavy hurricane-related costs. Its results excluding certain one-time items beat Wall Street expectations. The Atlanta-based company... BT Claims VPN Breakthrough http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/105/16360?11228 In an effort to attract and hang on to lucrative enterprise customers, BT Group plc (NYSE: BT - message board; London: BTA) has developed a new, enhanced IP VPN management system that gives the carrier's IP VPN customers greater self-help capabilities. (See BT, Tazz Tackle VPNs.) BT has developed the system -- known as ICT-ADQ... Copyright (C) 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 12:38:04 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: AT&T, Avaya Offer VoIP Solution for Small Businesses USTelecom dailyLead January 25, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cSjwfDtutajtjJtLFU TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * AT&T, Avaya offer VoIP solution for small businesses BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * BlackBerry users mull possibility of U.S. shutdown * Report projects growth for IPTV gear market * Verizon Wireless files lawsuit over phone records * BellSouth reports earnings USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * Register for TelecomNEXT by this Friday and Receive a Study from IDC TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * Convergence poses problems for established companies REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * GSA delays Networx contract * Virginia may alter tax structure for communications services Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cSjwfDtutajtjJtLFU ------------------------------ From: jmeissen@aracnet.com Subject: Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post Date: 24 Jan 2006 20:56:00 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com In article , William Warren wrote: > The reason SBC-AT&T and the other "Baby Bells" are whining is because > the Internet has drawn the premium services out from under the Bell > umbrella, and left the RBOC's with only a basic service -- the pipes -- > to make their profits. Shannon's rule applies in both a technical and > an economic sense here: bandwidth is the enemy of switching, and > bandwidth-intensive industries like Google/Yahoo/MSN et al are now > girding for battle with the old-line switching organizations that see > their chokehold on business communications slipping away. Well, yes and no. The content delivery they're talking about is mostly over broadband, which these days isn't part of the switched phone network. And these same phone companies are also trying to compete and generate revenue in the content and service arena as well. Verizon's already managed to get our government to rule that they can exclude all other ISP's and make themselves the sole ISP offering over DSL and FIOS, similar to cable's arrangement, effectively relegating all independent ISP's to the dial-up world. > In short, the RBOC's are trying to convince the Congress that they > should enjoy a share of the profit made on the Internet because they > are involved with providing the basic service that makes it possible: > it's an old argument, but the RBOCs are old companies and they think > that old scams work best. Since the Internet, by its very nature, > concentrates power at the endpoints, the former monopolists are > floating trial balloons to see if the public will stand for them > finding a new way to gouge the consumer. No disagreement there. The problem with their argument, which our elected Congress will no doubt be unable to see, is that they're already being paid to provide the basic service that makes it possible. John Meissen jmeissen@aracnet.com ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com (Lisa Hancock) Subject: Re: Information Wants to be Free Date: 24 Jan 2006 13:25:24 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com jmeissen@aracnet.com wrote: > This is nothing new, and not necessarily bad. Monopolies, critical > infrastructure and other industries should be and are regulated for > the good of the many over the profits for the few. Not quite correct. A very few industries are given exclusive franchises and thus monopoly status in return for having their services and rates regulated by the government. Such companies were restrictly as to the businesses they may do. "Infrastructure" is a very vague word. There is no such regulation except in a very few instances. It is not now nor ever has been the policy of the United States to "protect the good of the many over the profits for the few". This country always believed in free enterprise. If I invent something that costs me $1.00 to make but charge $1 million to sell and I have willing buyers, that is my right. I have a right of patent protection. (We do have laws against dishonest behavior and creating a monopoly by illegally killing off your competition, but that's not the issue here.) After 1983 the Bell System agreed to cease being a monopoly. That meant other carriers were freely allowed to compete and they did so in droves. That also meant that the sucessor Bell System--now split into many companies--were allowed to go into other lines of business. It is critical to remember that the 1983 divesture was a TWO-WAY agreement. > The phone company is an infrastructure. They have no business > controlling content, especially when they want to compete with the > content delivered over their government-sanctioned-monopoly > infrastructure. As mentioned, unless explicitly directed, "infrastructure" is not regulated as a result of the 1983 divesture and other court decisions. That's why today we have MCI, Sprint, a host of others, as well as VOIP providers. That's why people can and do use their cable-TV for their telephone and internet service. It's technically possible to even use power lines. I point out that the airlines were once regulated but no more. They can come and go as they wish, setting whatever fares and services they want. They can and do own and operate vacation destinations and provide fare discounts. At one time that was forbidden but not now. In other words, if I own a result and an airline, I could require all my guests to use that particular airline. I also point out that we've allowed competition in infrastructure for many years. We allowed the private automobile and jitneys to compete with the existing streetcar system in city streets. Generally that killed off the streetcar company. We built an interstate highway system and massive airports to compete with mainline passenger trains, and killed off passenger trains. (Trains were explicitly forbidden to fly planes or run buses to keep up, BTW.) > You can say that it's just as feasable for someone else to deploy the > fiber circuits that Verizon has been installing lately, but that's not > true. They already have existing right-of-way agreements and they're > only deploying in their current market -- in other words, it's > essentially upgrading existing customers. No. The new fibre and their new services are being installed under new and separate agreements Verizon acquired, just as the cable companies acquired agreements to lay their cable not that long ago, and cell phone towers acquired permission to build towers in residential areas not zoned for them. After divesture, AT&T was free to do as it wished and it did. It took a risk that its new directions would be more profitable. There was no guarantee. As it turned out, AT&T's ventures into NCR computers, cable TV, and cell phones didn't work out very well and AT&T no longer exists. The point is that AT&T was no longer protected and it's gone. Verizon is taking the same risk. Note on this newsgroup how happy some people are with VOIP service -- that eliminates Verizon altogether. [I don't agree about VOIP.] It's entirely possible that cable and other newcomers will outdo Verizon. At one time General Motors held 50% of the auto market and was seen as the most powerful corporation. It no longer holds that status. The same thing may happen to Verizon. Since Verizon now has competitors, it is only fair that Verizon be allowed to compete as well. Comcast Cable includes content as well as transmission. Verizon should be able to do likewise if it so chooses. You also forget that as a legacy company Verizon (and others) carry legacy obligations that newcomers don't have. VOIPs don't have to provide discounted service to the poor or deadbeat payers or in unprofitable areas as Verizon does, as one example. > Also, competitive infrastructure usually isn't a good thing. It's > been tried in the past -- the early power industry involved several > companies competing to deliver electricity to the same area, and it > was a mess. I agree with you there. In the 1970s many technical experts argued against the break up of the Bell System for the same reasons. The problems they foresaw came true and we live with them today in many situations. But national policy was set in 1983 with Bell System divesture and subsequent decisions for a free market. Really, per your argument, I shouldn't have a separate cable TV company, that should be done by the phone company, especially now. But that's not the policy. We created a semi-free market in the power industry. As a result we had crazy situations and I blame that for the recent NYC blackout, which apparently arose from one of those new companies being unable to control power fluctuations in its circuits. The national grid was built for backup purposes, not wholesale trading purposes. > Critical infrastructure, such as water delivery, waste management and > the cables that provide the physical interconnections for power and > communication need to be regulated and controlled. The competition > should be among the content providers. Basically, I found it very objectionable that certain companies would be allowed to formulate business combos any way they wanted while others could not. That is NOT in the public interest and historically proven bad. ------------------------------ From: Reed Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 02:47:17 GMT John Levine wrote: >> That's true. I felt the original posting implied that Hayes invented >> something entirely new; which wasn't quite true. > As far as I know, his was the first modem to use in-band signalling. > It was really rather clever to build a UART into the modem and use it > to let the computer control the modem over the same channel as it used > to communicate with the remote system. > In-band signalling has its problems (that's what made blue boxes > possible) but in this case it let people hook up modems to their PCs > using a cheap generic serial interface. > R's, > John Dial modems that accepted dialing commands over the RS232 interface did exist prior to Hayes (Codex and Vadic at least). What Hayes did was improve the concept and patent the +++ escape sequence in 1985. Most prior modems could not go back to command mode without disconnecting from the call, using "Long Space" disconnect. Also he targeted the then-new PC market with a low cost unit. Codex etc were considered corporate business-class modems priced accordingly. --Reed ------------------------------ From: Henry Cabot Henhouse III Subject: Re: Verizon Launches FiOS TV in Massapequa Park; First Rollout in NY Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 19:17:49 -0800 No big deal over cable, direct and dish ... and they probably compress compress compress yielding a pic about as good as a VHS recording at SP. If anyone has/had Dish/Direct and now has FioStv ... how do the SD channels compare? Monty Solomon wrote in message news:telecom25.36.5@telecom-digest.org: > New Service Offers Consumers Better Television Technology, > True Competitive Choice and Greater Value > MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y., Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon unveiled FiOS > TV in New York today to residents of this village of 17,000 on Long > Island, making it the first community in the state to feature the new > service. Verizon will begin taking customer orders immediately. > "This is not cable TV. This is not satellite. This is FiOS TV," said > Bob Ingalls, president of Verizon's Retail Markets Group. "Customers > who liked what FiOS did for their Internet connection will love what > it does for their TV. We've harnessed the speed and capacity of > broadband with the power of broadcast to create a revolutionary, new > entertainment experience." > Information on packages and prices is available at: > http://www.verizon.net/fiostv > . Massapequa Park-area customers also can call > 1-877-4-FIOS-TV (1-877-434-6788) to see if they're able to order FiOS TV. > FiOS TV is designed to be a formidable competitor to cable and > satellite. It is delivered over Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises > (FTTP) network, which has industry-leading quality and reliability. > Fiber delivers amazingly sharp pictures and sound, and has the > capacity to transmit a wide array of high-definition programming that > is so clear and intense it seems to leap from the TV screen. It also > delivers Internet download speeds of up to 30 Mbps (megabits per > second) and upload speeds of up to 5 Mbps as well as high-quality > voice services. > Verizon's network design includes backup facilities not common to > traditional cable systems, such as duplicate "super head ends" where > the TV service receives national programming. (More information about > FiOS TV and fiber optics is available in Verizon's online News Center > at http://www.verizon.com/news .) > Service highlights include: > * A broad collection of all-digital programming and compelling consumer > choice - with more than 330 total channels and more on the way. > * A lead offer with more than 180 digital video and music channels, for > $39.95 a month. > * More than 20 high-definition channels, with extraordinary clarity and > theater-quality sound. > * More than 1,800 video-on-demand titles available to customers now, > increasing to 2,000 titles in the next several months. > * Channels grouped by genres such as entertainment, sports, news, > shopping, movies and family, making it easy for audiences to find > their favorite programming. > * An easy-to-use interactive programming guide that integrates HD > programming, video on demand and the digital video recorder along > with broadcast television into a seamless user experience. > > * A dual-tuner DVR that gives customers the freedom to pause and rewind > live TV, record one show while watching another, and fast forward to > their favorite part of the program - all without a VCR, tapes or > DVDs. > - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=54981726 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 10:04:28 -0500 From: William Warren Subject: Re: Poor Valentine Starving in Russia Steve Hurley wrote: > Hi, > I suggest you check the following link to find out all abour 'poor' > Valentine: > http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/valentin.asp > Steve > ___________________________________________________________ > Telefonate ohne weitere Kosten vom PC zum PC: http://messenger.yahoo.de > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Thanks for the tip off. Sadly, there > _are_ honest people in Russia and other countries who could use the > spare largesse many of us here in the USA have, and these guys like > Valentine ruin it for everyone. PAT] Pat, That's why the Red Cross and the Salvation Army are always a safe choice: not only do they have a lot of experience in culling out thieves, but the money stays in the U.S. to help people _here_. William Warren (Filter noise from my address for direct replies) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That is true of Salvation Army mostly, but I have a problem with Red Cross. If you recall from the news, the Red Cross had a difficult time thinning its ranks of thieves during the Katrina/other hurricane events of this past summer. Red Cross lost about a quarter-million dollars to internal theft as they tried to serve Katrina victims. Was it about fifteen or twenty employees in their Sacramento, CA office involved in the rip off? That quarter- million came from donations. I also have a problem with the Red Cross' blatent homophobia regards blood donations. They claim they will not accept blood donations from any GLBT person who has had any sexual activity in _thirty years_, or since 1977. I do not frankly know any person, gay or not, who has not had any sexual activity in thirty years, and in order for a gay person to have not had sex for thirty years -- assuming that one begins engaging in sex as an older teenager -- would require the gay person to be at least 45-50 years of age, and yes, some gay people are that old or older, but the _vast majority_ of gay people who identify willingly as such are in the twenty to forty or possibly even fifty year age brackets. In other words, no blood donations accepted from gay men, at least according to the Red Cross workers in this part of Kansas, based out of Wichita. And not even consistently gay; their rule is _even one gay experience in thirty years_ disqualifies the person. In other words, a teenage boy who experiments with gay sex once or twice in that thirty year period is excluded also. I am well aware of HIV/AIDS, and yes, you can 'catch AIDS' from one single episode, but the chance of that happening from one episode that long ago is very slight. And, although in the earliest days of HIV/AIDS (early 1980's) there was no reliable test for it in blood, there certainly is today. Red Cross says they test all blood prior to banking it, so I am certain that in the unlikely event that an old, very ancient person, admittedly gay had AIDS (and had not died from it by the time he was in his middle sixties) it is even more unlikely that his blood will be contaminated and it will not get detected in a routine screening. My complaint is also that they will not acknowlege that fact in their constant requests for donors. Signs around town here during the quarterly 'blood drive' invite everyone to give; they do not say 'except if you are homosexual do not bother to come around', or 'if you have ever experimented with homosexuality do not come around'. I think they should be honest and say those things, or words to that effect. I think they are very homophobic for that reason and cannot recommend them to anyone. I said to someone at their office here locally, "well, but I certainly could have just lied about it, is that what you would have preferred?" The lady said, "We hope you would not lie about it." Well, gee, that would a first, wouldn't it ... a young guy lying about having had a homosexal experiment in the past few years ... PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications topics. 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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V25 #37 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Jan 26 03:55:11 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 2B33415109; Thu, 26 Jan 2006 03:55:11 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #38 Message-Id: <20060126085511.2B33415109@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 03:55:11 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Thu, 26 Jan 2006 03:53:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 38 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Senator Seeks Information on Google Supoena (James Vicini) Dutch Cable Firms to Pool Phone Networks (Reuters News Wire) Rise in Cybersquatting (Bradley S. Klapper) Reasons For Mot Being Online Getting Old and Stale (Eric Zorn, Chi Tribune) Data Comm History -- IBM Seeks Microwave Channels (Lisa Hancock) Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery (Jim Haynes) Washington Attorney General and Microsoft File Suit (Reuters News Wire) Ameriprise Notifies Clients of Data Theft (Monty Solomon) New Telecom Books Blog Site - www.telecombooksblog.com (tony@telecombooks) Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post (John McHarry) Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post (Wesrock@aol.com) Re: Information Wants to be Free (jmeissen@aracnet.com) Re: Verizon Launches FiOS TV in Massapequa Park; (Gene S. Berkowitz) Re: Poor Valentine Starving in Russia (William Warren) Re: Poor Valentine Starving in Russia (Thor Lancelot Simon) Re: Poor Valentine Starving in Russia (Scott Dorsey) Cell Phones and Pagers -- Can You Hear Buzzing? (Carl Moore) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: James Vicini Subject: Senator Seeks Info on Google Subpoena Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 14:16:59 -0600 By James Vicini The Senate Judiciary Committee's top Democrat asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales what steps are being taken to protect Americans' privacy rights as the Justice Department demands information about Internet searches. In the letter released on Wednesday, Sen. Patrick Leahy (news, bio, voting record) of Vermont asked Gonzales about the subpoena to Google Inc. and three other companies seeking data about what millions of Americans search for on the Internet's leading search engines. Leahy asked about the types of information being sought, how the department intends to use the information while protecting individual privacy rights and civil liberties and whether it will issue any additional subpoenas. Leahy's letter comes at a time of growing criticism in Congress over the government's monitoring of communications, after the disclosure that the Bush administration has been conducting domestic eavesdropping after the September 11 attacks. In court papers filed in California last week, the department said Google had refused to comply with the subpoena issued last year for 1 million random Web addresses from its databases and for records of all searches entered on Google during any one-week period. The government said it needed the information to prepare its case defending the 1998 Child Online Protection Act. The law prohibited Internet companies from knowingly making available obscene or pornographic material to minors. The Justice Department has said that America Online, Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. had all complied with similar requests for the information. America Online is owned by Time Warner Inc. Mountain View, California-based Google, the world's No. 1 Internet search engine, advertises its informal code of conduct as "Don't be evil." Leahy said the collection and use by government law enforcement agencies of such data posed unique concerns. He said it raised "the specter of excessive government surveillance that may intrude upon important privacy interests and chill the exercise of" constitutionally protected free-speech rights under the First Amendment, and some in the Executive branch close to President Bush are beginning to ask in a pointed way, "why is Google stalling like this?". Leahy asked how the department is addressing the privacy and civil liberties concerns raised by the collection, storage and use of such data. He also asked whether the department requested or obtained any personally identifiable information. Gonzales has defended the subpoena and has rejected concerns that individual privacy rights might be violated. The department's request to force Google to comply with the subpoena is pending before a federal judge in California, and we are not going to allow Google to 'continue stalling and putting us off," said Gonzales. "We will get that information." Google on Tuesday said it would voluntarily block politically sensitive terms on its new China site, bowing to conditions set by Beijing in return for access to the world's second largest Internet market. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Dutch Cable Firms to Pool Phone Networks Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 14:09:21 -0600 The top five Dutch cable companies plan to connect their Internet telephony networks, opening the door for free phone calls between their 450,000 phone subscribers, they said on Wednesday. The companies plan to set up an exchange, eliminating the need to route such calls via the traditional phone network, said Sikko de Graaf, Chief Executive of CaiW Diensten, the services arm of one of the five cable firms. While it would be up to the individual companies, which together cover virtually all Dutch households, how to price their voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) service, "it will open the door for free...telephony and video," De Graaf said. "You will see the cost of telephony in the Netherlands come down very rapidly," he said. The move by the cable companies -- UPC Netherlands, Casema, Multikabel, Essent and CaiW -- is a further sign that Dutch telecoms group KPN faces stiff competition in its home market. The five firms cover 95 percent of the Netherlands, have 7 million cable television customers and are adding 50,000 telephone subscribers a month. This would push the number of households using Internet telephony above 1 million by next year, De Graaf said. The Internet telephony service offered by cable operators and increasingly by telecoms operators is different from completely free VoIP services such as Skype, which requires a computer connected to the Internet. Internet telephony offered by cable companies works with regular phones and is usually charged by the minute, although it is cheaper than traditional telephony services. The cable companies selected Britain's XConnect and New-Jersey-based Kayote Networks to set up the exchange in Amsterdam. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html ------------------------------ From: Bradley S. Klapper Subject: Rise in Cybersquatting Reported Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 14:11:25 -0600 U.N. Reports Rise in Cybersquatting By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER, Associated Press Writer The U.N. copyright agency on Wednesday reported a 20 percent jump in "cybersquatting" complaints last year, coming mainly from top tech firms, trendy fashion brands, Hollywood stars and sports personalities. The agency registered 1,456 complaints for cybersquatting -- or abusive registration of trademarks as Internet domain names -- and the practice appears to be on the rise, said Francis Gurry, deputy director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, or WIPO. WIPO handles arbitration for over half of the world's cybersquatting disputes each year. Gurry said the rise highlighted the need for "vigilance by intellectual property owners." "It is important to protect the integrity of market identity," he said. "If domain names are randomly attributed in new domains, intellectual property owners will be forced to compete with cybersquatters for their own trademarks - unless additional safeguards are introduced." Most of last year's disputes have since been resolved, including cases brought by celebrities such as Morgan Freeman, Damien Hirst, Frank Gehry and Larry King, as well sports organizations including the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Italian soccer club Juventus and the English Premier League. Web sites such as sony-ericsson.org and renaulttrucks.com, as well as fashion brands Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Armani and Calvin Klein, were also targeted. Cybersquatters often demand great amounts of money for the sale of Internet sites to people or firms with registered trademarks, Gurry said. "It's a commercial model based on the number of hits on a site," Gurry explained. Anyone can register a domain name on the Internet for a few dollars, which has led to so-called "cybersquatters." The U.N. arbitration system, which started in 1999, allows those who think they have the right to a domain name to get it back without having to fight a costly legal battle or pay large sums of money. It costs about $1,500 to file a claim at WIPO. The arbitration system cannot award financial penalties. Previous celebrities to have won the Internet version of their names back through U.N. arbitration, including Morgan Freeman, Julia Roberts, Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Pamela Anderson, Pierce Brosnan and Carmen Electra. In total, WIPO has received over 8,000 complaints, nearly half of which were filed by people or companies based in the United States. U.S. firms and individuals were also the targets of nearly half of all complaints. France, Britain and Germany were next in filing the most cybersquatting complaints. But while the German and French were rarely accused of bad faith, the number of Chinese firms or individuals to come into the line of fire far outnumbered their compatriots filing claims. Gurry said linguistic reasons partly explain the imbalance, because certain languages have much wider accessibility than others for cybersquatters. With about 60 million registered domain names worldwide and the number still growing, he said cybersquatting would probably increase, but hoped that new measures would help stem the tide. Since 1999, WIPO has decided in favor of the complainant in 84 percent of all cases. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines from Associated Press please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Eric Zorn Subject: Reasons For Not Being Online Getting Old and Stale Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 14:15:30 -0600 chicagotribune.com >> News columnists by Eric Zorn Seniors' reasons for avoiding 'Net have gotten old A typical letter or voice mail in my inbox begins something like this: "Because I'm a senior citizen and don't know how to use a computer, I'm contacting you the old-fashioned way ..." Or, "Why are you always telling us to leave comments on the Web? A lot of us retirees aren't online, you know ..." Such an explanation -- or is it an excuse? -- for not being wired for the new millennium would be offensive if it came from a young person or if it were matter-of-factly applied to an ethnic or gender group. "Because he's an old person he doesn't know how to use a computer ..." or "a lot of women aren't online, you know ..." But we've tended to nod understandingly when gramps and gram cite their advancing years as the reason they haven't joined the digital revolution, and to gloss right over little asides such as "not everyone, especially oldsters, has a computer ..." in a letter published in Saturday's Tribune. But not me. Not anymore. Not when nearly 3 out of 5 people ages 65 to 69 are online, according to the most recent data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Not when 1 out of 4 people from 70 to 75 is surfing the Web, sending e-mail and posting to chat rooms. Not when two of this regions most industrious bloggers -- radio hosts Tom Roeser (tomroeser.com) and Milt Rosenberg (miltsfile.com) -- are on the far side of 75. Not when computers are cheaper, easier to learn and more useful than ever. Not when they have evolved from gadgets for geeks into home appliances more useful and vital than telephones or TVs. And not when there is widespread agreement among advocates for the aged that seniors have more to gain from home computers than any other demographic group. Even basic computers today come with "accessibility technology" for those whose vision and hearing is impaired, and a bare-bones Internet connection brings the world to those who have lost some or all of their mobility. Computers are the only source for about three quarters of all federal documents including the best guide to the Medicare drug plans (medicare.gov), and the fastest, most current and most comprehensive access to medical information available anywhere. No more of the most popular excuses: "I'm afraid I'll break it." That's the No. 1 reason that education consultant Tobey Dichter says seniors tell her they shy away from computers. "No. 2 is: I've lived this long without a computer, I don't need one now. And number three is: I'm too old." Dichter, 61, is the head of Generations on Line, a Philadelphia-based non-profit agency that runs programs to get seniors online throughout the U.S. and Canada. Surprisingly, she said cost and physical infirmities of age are not among the top reasons many elderly people avoid computers. This particular "digital divide" -- nearly 9 in 10 people in their 30s are online according to Pew data released last month -- remains stark even when researchers control for financial and health variables. Dichter said she does not lecture seniors to get them online the way, say, a newspaper columnist might. "The first thing I ask is, What would you do if you could go to the biggest library in the world and look up anything?" she said. "Their imagination often takes them from there." Break the computer? Not unless you shove it to the floor. Don't need one? There's almost no worldly good you need more to feed your mind and keep you healthy and socially connected. Too old to learn? Dichter has a client who's 103 who began to surf the Web when she was 99 and recovering from a stroke. No more will I patronize my elders by giving them an implicit free pass to linger abjectly in the last century. I respect them so much that I'll take any excuse but age for why they're sending a letter by U.S. mail or leaving a telephone message. Meanwhile, here's a final incentive: Online, you can find fault with upstarts and whippersnappers in forums that all the world can read. ---------- Use your computer to leave comments at chicagotribune.com/changeofsubject or, if you must, write me at 435 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago 60611 or call 847-755-7984 (this phone number as published has been corrected in this text.) Copyright 2006, Chicago Tribune ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Data Comm History -- IBM Seeks Microwave Channels Date: 25 Jan 2006 11:36:02 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Along our discussions about early data communications history, I found a New York Times article describing how IBM sought FCC to build and operate microwave transmission systems for data communications. The IBM proposal, in conjunction with General Electric, covered a "three channel terminal at Washington and a six channel station in NYC to serve Washington and Schenectady". Such a system will provide a new business-machine service to industry as well as extensive television capacity. New York Times, 8/13/44. [public replies, please] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery Reply-To: jhaynes@alumni.uark.edu Organization: University of Arkansas Alumni From: haynes@alumni.uark.edu (Jim Haynes) Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 20:07:02 GMT [story about errant bank fax machine...] and the interesting thing too is that the bank apparently never noticed they were not getting the nightly report from whatever branch they were misdialing. -- jhhaynes at earthlink dot net ------------------------------ From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Washington Attorney General and Microsoft File Suit Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 20:44:14 -0600 Washington AG, Microsoft file spyware scam suit Washington state and Microsoft Corp. said on Wednesday they filed civil suits against a New York-based company for violating the state's anti-spyware law and called for cooperation between technology companies and government to crack down on Internet fraud. Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna accused Secure Computer LLC and its associates of marketing software that falsely claims a computer is infected with spyware in order to sell a program to clean the PC when in fact the software makes the computer more susceptible to attacks. "Spyware has overtaken computer viruses as the number-one threat to personal computer users," McKenna said in a statement. "This lawsuit will make it clear to those who prey on consumers' fears about spyware that we are no longer going to tolerate their heinous activities." Malicious spyware can often track victims' Internet activity, hijack their home pages and bombard them with pop-up ads. The 16-count suit, filed on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, is the first lawsuit under Washington's new computer spyware act and represents the growing cooperation between the technology sector, lawmakers and regulators to limit unwanted tracking and advertising software. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said it referred this case to the attorney general's office and provided technical and forensic assistance. Microsoft also filed a parallel suit in federal court. "Microsoft continues to collaborate with many state attorneys general to help protect computer users from the effects of spyware, spam and cybercrime, such as identity theft," said Nancy Anderson, deputy general counsel for Microsoft. Microsoft's lawsuit also alleges Secure Computer used the software giant's trademarks to falsely suggest Microsoft sponsored or approved the ineffective Spyware Cleaner software. Secure Computer could not immediately be reached for comment. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 23:29:34 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Ameriprise Notifies Clients of Data Theft By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press Writer MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Ameriprise Financial Inc. said Wednesday it has notified about 226,000 people that their names and other personal data were stored on a laptop computer that was stolen from an employee's vehicle. Ameriprise said it has alerted 68,000 current and former financial advisers whose names and Social Security numbers were also stored on the same computer. About 158,000 clients had only their names and internal account numbers exposed. The company says it has more than 2 million customers and about 10,500 current financial advisers. Minneapolis-based Ameriprise said it had received no reports that the data lost in the theft had been used improperly. Ameriprise is the name of the former American Express Financial Advisors division, which New York-based American Express Co. spun off last fall. Ameriprise said the theft appeared to be a "random criminal act" and that it has been working with law enforcement to recover the laptop, which it said was stolen recently from an employee's locked vehicle that was parked offsite. Company spokesman Steve Connolly said the laptop was stolen in late December outside Minnesota, but he declined to say where. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=55067057 ------------------------------ From: tony@telecombooksblog.com Subject: New Telecom Books Blog Site - www.telecombooksblog.com Date: 25 Jan 2006 14:18:51 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com http://telecombooksblog.com is a new blog site focus on telecom books. It covers topics from technology to business in telecom industry. The site also list up-to-date telecom news and jobs. ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:48:59 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 20:56:00 +0000, jmeissen wrote: > No disagreement there. The problem with their argument, which our > elected Congress will no doubt be unable to see, is that they're > already being paid to provide the basic service that makes it > possible. Our elected Congress? Are you perhaps referring to their purchased Congress? Of course, since much of the money goes into campaign coffers, maybe we are the ones being purchased in the end. ------------------------------ From: Wesrock@aol.com Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 20:01:36 EST Subject: Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post In a message dated Tue, 24 Jan 2006 06:05:47 -0500, William Warren writes: > The old line telecom providers have always relied on a tiered-service > pricing model: relatively cheap basic services, such as local POTS > "lifeline" service, subsidized by higher-priced and higher-profit > premium offerings. State commissions required this pricing. And they still do. Their premise is that POTS should be as low as possible since by far the largest part of the population in their state is made up of residence users and also because of the desire to promote "universal service." Even where telcos wanted to change the pricing model, such as by reducing or eliminating the pricing disparity between interstate and intrastate calls (intrastate calls being priced high, usually a good deal higher) commissions consistently refused to go along, since this would require raising POTS prices. > Although the amounts of the subsidies vary, the basic > premise has always been that business users pay more because they get > more utility from phones and because the network is designed to meet > business service levels, and that premium residential offerings, such as > call waiting, are also priced at high-profit margins. Business users are far outnumbered by residence users, and whether state commissioners are elected or appointed, they still ultimately have to represent and respond to popular sentiment. Besides that, the premise that business users get more utility from telephone service is generally true. Wes Leatherock wesrock@aol.com wleathus@yahoo.com ------------------------------ From: jmeissen@aracnet.com Subject: Re: Information Wants to be Free Date: 25 Jan 2006 21:16:05 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com In article , Lisa Hancock wrote: > jmeissen@aracnet.com wrote: > "Infrastructure" is a very vague word. There is no such regulation > except in a very few instances. I don't think it's vague ... From Merriam-Webster: Function: noun 1 : the underlying foundation or basic framework (as of a system or organization) > It is not now nor ever has been the policy of the United States to > "protect the good of the many over the profits for the few". This > country always believed in free enterprise. If I invent something > that costs me $1.00 to make but charge $1 million to sell and I have > willing buyers, that is my right. I have a right of patent > protection. (We do have laws against dishonest behavior and creating > a monopoly by illegally killing off your competition, but that's not > the issue here.) You're confusing several issues. The first is the concept of "willing buyers". The idea of infrastructure is that it's a fundamental requirement, and the concept of "willing" doesn't really apply. Having a reliable power grid is no longer an option. Nor is a functional telephone network. And the Internet is approaching that point if it's not there already. Our entire socio-economic system depends on the availability of those services. And while the Republicans and Libertarians like to wave "Free Enterprise" as the foundation of the US, the truth is that there are many examples of government oversight to protect us from greedy corporations. For instance, OSHA, CPSC, FCC, the various PUC's, etc. The truth is, Free Enterprise is not a perfect system. It can be exploited, and will be, just as corporations have exploited the patent system which was originally intended to provide a way for inventors to license their work and encourage deployment, rather than be a weapon against competitors or blackmail against successful companies. > After 1983 the Bell System agreed to cease being a monopoly. That > meant other carriers were freely allowed to compete and they did so > in droves. That also meant that the sucessor Bell System--now split > into many companies -- were allowed to go into other lines of > business. It is critical to remember that the 1983 divesture was a > TWO-WAY agreement. The Bell system ceased being a national monopoly, but the baby bells retained their regional dominance. The "competition" was a failure, as the incumbent phone companies drove competitors out of business through various shady practices from predatory pricing to uncooperative responses to line orders. Maybe you have competition, but in the metropolitan areas I've lived the only choices for wire-line phone service are the incumbent baby-bells, which, as you may have noticed, have consolidated almost to the pre-divestiture state. > As mentioned, unless explicitly directed, "infrastructure" is not > regulated as a result of the 1983 divesture and other court decisions. > That's why today we have MCI, Sprint, a host of others, as well as > VOIP providers. That's why people can and do use their cable-TV for > their telephone and internet service. It's technically possible to > even use power lines. Yes, it was. Not very successfully, though. It's because the incumbents were an infrastructure that they were required to lease their lines to competitors for local service. > I point out that the airlines were once regulated but no more. They > can come and go as they wish, setting whatever fares and services they > want. They can and do own and operate vacation destinations and > provide fare discounts. At one time that was forbidden but not now. > In other words, if I own a result and an airline, I could require all > my guests to use that particular airline. That's both good and bad, but it's also not a fair analogy. The airlines are not the infrastucture in that case, but the airports and air traffic control system, both of which are highly regulated and tightly controlled by the government. A better analogy would be to say that the airports should be private enterprise, and should be able to dictate what airline can or can't use the facilities, based strictly on the airline's ability to pay whatever fees the airport wants to charge. Or maybe the airport will be owned by a specific airline, and will only allow their own planes to use the airport ... a situation very similar to where the Internet is headed. In your airport analogy, the airport is the infrastructure and the airlines the competetive entities providing a service using that infrastructure. > I also point out that we've allowed competition in infrastructure for > many years. We allowed the private automobile and jitneys to compete > with the existing streetcar system in city streets. Generally that > killed off the streetcar company. We built an interstate highway > system and massive airports to compete with mainline passenger trains, > and killed off passenger trains. (Trains were explicitly forbidden to > fly planes or run buses to keep up, BTW.) You're still confusing what's infrastructure and what isn't. The roads provide the infrastructure. > Since Verizon now has competitors, it is only fair that Verizon be > allowed to compete as well. Comcast Cable includes content as well as > transmission. Verizon should be able to do likewise if it so chooses. Can and should are two different things. :-( I believe the government made a fundamental error when it allowed Comcast to keep it's network closed. If someone gets away with murder on a technicality, then I guess it's OK to kill people anytime I can apply the same technicality. Sorry, that's a bit extreme. But that's a little child's arguement, "he did it, so I should be able to do it." I agree that it's not fair to impose two sets of standards. But I think the wrong fix was applied. Also, I NEVER said Verizon and Comcast shouldn't be content providers. What I said was that they shouldn't be allowed to PREVENT other content providers from using their infrastructure, directly or indirectly. Because they also control the infrastructure they have a potentially unfair advantage. Saying that consumers have a choice because there's cable as well as DSL/FIOS isn't appropriate. According to that, every Internet content provider will have to build their own private Internet to reach their customers. > Really, per your argument, I shouldn't have a separate cable TV > company, that should be done by the phone company, especially now. > But that's not the policy. No, different technology, different required infrastructure. When cable TV was deployed there was no way to deliver over phone wire. It required a completely new build-out of services and circuits. > Basically, I found it very objectionable that certain companies would > be allowed to formulate business combos any way they wanted while > others could not. That is NOT in the public interest and historically > proven bad. Free Enterprise is about competition. Where it breaks down is when consolidation or other factors contrive to eliminate competition. The phone companies are doing their best to consolidate control of content delivery, through mergers, regulations and legislation. It will not be a good thing when you can only access The Phone Company's search engine, mail services, video content, etc., at whatever rate they feel justified in charging. John Meissen jmeissen@aracnet.com ------------------------------ From: Gene S. Berkowitz Subject: Re: Verizon Launches FiOS TV in Massapequa Park; First Rollout in NY Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:30:03 -0500 In article , sooper_chicken@hotmail.com says: > No big deal over cable, direct and dish ... and they probably compress > compress compress yielding a pic about as good as a VHS recording at > SP. If anyone has/had Dish/Direct and now has FioStv ... how do the > SD channels compare? Verizon is delivering video using MPEG 2 compression, which is what most existing cable systems use. --Gene ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 21:13:20 -0500 From: William Warren Subject: Re: Poor Valentine Starving in Russia William Warren wrote: [snip] > Pat, > That's why the Red Cross and the Salvation Army are always a safe > choice: not only do they have a lot of experience in culling out > thieves, but the money stays in the U.S. to help people _here_. > William Warren > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That is true of Salvation Army mostly, > but I have a problem with Red Cross. If you recall from the news, the > Red Cross had a difficult time thinning its ranks of thieves during > the Katrina/other hurricane events of this past summer. Red Cross > lost about a quarter-million dollars to internal theft as they tried > to serve Katrina victims. Was it about fifteen or twenty employees in > their Sacramento, CA office involved in the rip off? That quarter- > million came from donations. And they were caught. Donations that go to Russia have NO oversight and NO possible audit trail: every charitable organization uses some funding for its operations, and there are lists of which charities are more/less efficient than others. The point is that people who want to feel good about giving away money can give it to U.S. institutions with at least some assurance that most of it will go to worthy causes. > I also have a problem with the Red Cross' blatent homophobia regards > blood donations. [snip] The Red Cross is homophobic because at the start of the AIDS epidemic, it continued to agressively solicit blood donations from the gay community despite mounting evidence that AIDS was spread through blood. The San Francisco gay community was very hard hit, and the community was also a major source of blood, based on its efforts to limit the spread of hepatitis through blood donations. Disaster relief gets the headlines, but the Red Cross is fundamentally in the blood business, and someone decided to keep soliciting blood from gays and thereby speeded up the spread of AIDS. Needless to say, the Red Cross does not talk about this chapter of its history, but that being said, if I had to choose between donating money to the Red Cross or to an anonymous name on an email from a foreign country, I'd choose the Red Cross. And, *that* being said, I'd give it to the Salvation Army first. William Warren (Filter noise from my address for direct replies) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: None of what you say is news to me. Red Cross was deeply involved on account of the politics of San Francisco and the gay community therein during the early 1980's. But I do not think Red Cross was hurt as badly from that backlash as was Glide Memorial Blood Services. Have you read the book by Randy Shilts (former reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle and gay man [now deceased] entitled _The Boys in the Band_. That sad story told how, among other things, the politics prevalent in the 'gay liberation' movement at the time prevented (or so it was thought) any better way of handling things. One of his quotes, which I remember quite well was his statement that ... "the idea of socially quarentineing the AIDS/HIV carriers is almost unthinkable ... and by the time in a few years when it becomes 'thinkable' it will then be too late." 'Social quarentine' as opposed to 'physical quarentine' meant not so much removing the person from mainstream society [i.e. prison or hospital] as it meant to mark the person in an inconspicuous way [for example, a tiny almost invisible tatoo in a place on one's body where no one would have any right to look except for a physician or a potential sex partner, the two persons who would have every right in the world to know the truth.] Shilts was an excellent writer who died from AIDS several years ago. By the way, I would also tend to give my money and efforts to the Salvation Army. PAT] ------------------------------ From: tls@panix.com (Thor Lancelot Simon) Subject: Re: Poor Valentine Starving in Russia Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 04:27:06 UTC Organization: Public Access Networks Corp. Reply-To: tls@rek.tjls.com In article , William Warren wrote: > That's why the Red Cross and the Salvation Army are always a safe > choice: not only do they have a lot of experience in culling out > thieves, but the money stays in the U.S. to help people _here_. You'd have some trouble convincing me that either of those organizations are a "safe choice". As far as I can tell, at some layer of management or another (a lower layer, for the SA; a higher one, for the RC) both are run by either prosletyzing or bigoted religious fanatics. Now, one may have more or less of a problem with toleration of evangelism as the price of handouts for those in need -- effectively the situation with the SA; I find it exploitive but not so much so as to outweigh the good the SA does, in that particular situation. But the RC, not so long ago, forced out the head of its U.S. opera- tions for, among other things, asking a few too many times just why, exactly, it was acceptable to refuse to recognize its cognate organization in Israel, the Magen David Adom (the official reason: the Israeli organization refuses to replace the Star of David with a Christian cross as its symbol; odd, then, that the Red Crescent is unproblematic). The Red Cross, too, it seems to me, does much good -- but is hardly the sort of group that one should paint as so unquestionably and thoroughly good as to be an "always safe" recipient for one's money. Both of these groups carry substantial baggage from a sort of Victorian era of dogooding in which those in need of help were seen, in some way, as flawed just for needing it, and thus requiring moral improvement. I would certainly want to see such attitudes wane before I would feel good about making either of them the sole recipient of whatever dollars I had available to give to charity. Thor Lancelot Simon tls@rek.tjls.com "We cannot usually in social life pursue a single value or a single moral aim, untroubled by the need to compromise with others." - H.L.A. Hart [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Clara Barton (Red Cross founder) was not as much a do-gooder with an evangelical bent as was General William Booth, founder of the SA, who was really into religion big time. But in that Victorian era, they both would have been a bit too much for many folks who swear by them today. But, you know, around here when there is any sort of personal disaster affecting one or more people, SA and RC are both right there to help, just as they were at Katrina. PAT] ------------------------------ From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: Poor Valentine Starving in Russia Date: 25 Jan 2006 15:31:33 -0500 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) Steve Hurley wrote: > Hi, > I suggest you check the following link to find out all abour 'poor' > Valentine: > http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/valentin.asp Dear Colleagues, Please excuse us for any inconveniences we could cause you by our message. As you know, now Russia has a deep financial and economic crisis. We already for some months do not receive our salary. Our parents and invalids also do not receive pensions and forced to hand over blood to buy necessary alcoholic beverages. Because of all it, our children are constantly shaking and ill from cold and exhaustion. Unfortunately, everybody in our country already has reconciled and are sure, that soon all simple people as we will die from starvation, and our mad politicians will continue to play in the silly political games. Please note that because of alcohol shortage, we need mostly the following: a. Beer b. Wine c. Distilled liquor (vodka, gin, etc.) d. kvass e. Industrial ethanol products Any assistance you can render would produce great appreciation. There is danger of extreme sobriety in our future. "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 16:29:37 EST From: Carl Moore Subject: Cell Phones and Pagers -- Can You Hear Buzzing? I recall hearing a remark, in one place (stage-play venue?) that I was in, that cell phones and pagers should be turned OFF, not to silent (vibrating?) mode, because the vibration causes a buzzing nsound which can be heard. This does not seem to me to be a common request (although, in an orchestra I play in on a volunteer basis, I noticed at least one cell phone in use and am willing to let it remain on in silent mode). Have any of you out there heard of request to turn those things off as opposed to use of silent mode? ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! 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End of TELECOM Digest V25 #38 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Jan 26 17:31:37 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 990BF15026; Thu, 26 Jan 2006 17:31:36 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #39 Message-Id: <20060126223136.990BF15026@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 17:31:36 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.4 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR,NO_COST,WORK_AT_HOME autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Thu, 26 Jan 2006 17:33:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 39 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson ARPA and Packet Switching Network? (Dan) Cellular-News for Thursday 26th January 2006 (cellular-news) TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 26, 2006 (telecomdirect_daily) Level 3 Snaps up Progress Telecom (USTelecom dailyLead) Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago (DLR) Re: Cell Phones and Pagers -- Can You Hear Buzzing? (DLR) Re: History: Pecking Order For Telephone Operator Jobs? (DLR) Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old (DLR) Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto (obsidian) Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery (DLR) Re: The Hazards of Instant Communication (DLR) Re: Poor Valentine Starving in Russia (Scott Dorsey) Re: Poor Valentine Starving in Russia (Jim Stewart) Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post (Lisa Hancock) You've Been Spoofed (Carl Moore) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Dan Subject: ARPA and Packet Switching Network? Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 10:42:37 -0600 Saw a show on the history channel about how ARPA sponsored research into what became the Internet. They showed the first "packet" switch at UCLA which was cool. The show stated that the ARPA project was to get computers to communication easily as they were islands of independent processing. But I thought there was synchronous serial communications between computers well before this and that the main ARPA goal was to develop a communication network that could withstand a nuclear attack by re-routing packets around damaged switching nodes? Dan ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Thursday 26th January 2006 Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 07:53:23 -0600 From: cellular-news Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ 3G ]] Huawei Wins Indonesian 3G Contract http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15784.php China's Huawei Technologies has won a WCDMA contract from Indonesia's mobile operator Natrindo Telepon Selular ("NTS"). Huawei is selected as NTS' preferred & sole vendor to construct NTS' unified 3G/2G softswitch core networks, intelligent service p... Motorola Launches Indoor HSDPA Platform http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15788.php Taking the next step in its mobile broadband strategy, Motorola has introduced its new High Speed Access Point Motorola AXPT for enhanced indoor mobile broadband access. Motorola AXPT, which can be added to any existing UMTS network, is designed ... [[ Financial ]] Profit, Sales Flat At STMicroelectronics http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15768.php STMicroelectronics, one of Europe's largest makers of computer chips, said late Tuesday its fourth-quarter profit per share was unchanged from a year earlier while its sales were slightly higher. ... Vodafone Denies Speculation CEO Arun Sarin To Resign http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15771.php U.K.-based Vodafone Group PLC, the world's largest mobile telecommunications operator by sales, Wednesday said its chief executive, Arun Sarin, isn't planning to resign. ... DoCoMo Mulls Investing In Philippine Telecom http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15772.php NTT DoCoMo Inc. said Wednesday that it is considering investing in Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. in an effort to expand its mobile phone business in growing Asian markets. ... Sweden's Tele2 plans to keep buying Russia's mobile operators http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15779.php Swedish telecommunications company Tele2 plans to keep buying Russian mobile operators, Carl-Magnus Stenberg, CEO of Tele2 Russia, a subsidiary of Tele2, said Wednesday. He did not elaborate. ... PRESS: Russia's Svyazinvest to buy mobile companies this year http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15780.php Fixed-line subsidiaries of Russia's national telecom holding Svyazinvest plan to acquire a number of mobile operators in the Volga and Siberian federal districts this year, Svyazinvest's CEO Valery Yashin said in an interview with Kommersant business... [[ Handsets ]] LG Terminates Russian Handset Deal http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15774.php Russian mobile handset and services retailer Svyaznoi and South Korean mobile handset producer LG have terminated an agreement on mobile phone supplies, representatives of the two companies said, Vedomosti business daily reported Wednesday. ... CDG Sets Up Group To Speed CDMA Handset Development http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15789.php The CDMA Development Group (CDG) has announced that CDMA2000 operators and handset manufacturers have formed working groups to aggregate their requirements for different tiers of devices based on the documents developed by the CDG's Global Handset Re... [[ Legal ]] Citi, funds closer to securing control of Telemig http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15777.php US financial giant Citigroup and pension funds in Brazil have moved closer to securing control of Brazilian mobile operators Telemig Celular and Tele Norte Celular, local and international media reported. ... Cingular Gets Restraining Order Against Cellphone Broker http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15782.php Cingular Wireless said it obtained a temporary restraining order against eFindOutTruth.com, to keep the defendant from selling cellphone records of some of its customers. ... [[ Mobile Content ]] Swedes Vote for the "Ringtone of the Year" http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15786.php In connection with this year's Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards, the "Grammisgalan" on February 7, Telia and Nokia will be giving a newly established prize for "Realtone of the Year". The winner will be selected by the Swedish people, who can ... Portals Remain Key for Data Services in Western Europe http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15791.php The research firm, IDC says that it that the mobile portal market will increase to around 74 million users in 2010 in Western Europe, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10%. As mobile markets shift towards 3G services, the role of m... [[ Network Contracts ]] Nokia Gets 5-Year Managed Services Contract In India http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15770.php Finland's Nokia said Wednesday it has reached a five-year managed services agreement to run Hutchison Essar's network operations in 9 circles in India. ... ECI Celebrates Thousandth Optical Delivery http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15785.php ECI Telecom says it has celebrated its ongoing collaboration with one of the world's largest cellular operators. Since 2000, ECI has been working closely with this leading European-based mobile provider to upgrade and expand its GSM infrastructure, w... [[ Network Operators ]] Vodafone Group Signs Pact With Telekom Malaysia http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15769.php Vodafone Group PLC said Wednesday that it has signed a partner network agreement with Telekom Malaysia Berhad. ... [[ Offbeat ]] Orange to Track Alzheimer's Sufferers http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15787.php Orange France is planning to start selling a bracelet that will use GSM and GPS to track patentients suffering from cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's. The phone-bracelet, which uses a GPS positioning system, offers a solution in assisting patients... Cingular Patents the Emoticon :( http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15792.php The USA based mobile operator, Cingular Wireless has managed to get a patent on the concept of using emoticon on mobile phones. While the aim of the patent is to enable the displaying of MSN style graphics on handsets, they also managed to patent the... [[ Personnel ]] Telefonica Appoints O2's Erskine, Arculus To Board http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15776.php Telefonica SA, the largest telecommunications company in Spain and Latin America, Wednesday said it has appointed the two top executives of U.K. mobile operator O2 PLC to its board of directors. ... [[ Regulatory ]] House Lawmakers Press FCC for Phone-Co. Certifications http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15767.php House lawmakers are asking the Federal Communications Commission to turn over annual-certification records from the largest wireless and landline phone companies amid concerns about the sale of personal phone records. ... Swiss Set 1-Mo Deadline For Swisscom Plan Review http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15773.php The Swiss cabinet has set a one-month consultation period in which political parties and business associations can express their opinion on the planned privatization of telecommunication company Swisscom. ... SeCom refuses mobile license for Hutchison Whampoa http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15778.php Argentine communications ministry SeCom has denied Hong Kong-based Hutchison Telecommunications authorization to offer mobile services, local newspaper El Cronista reported. ... [[ Reports ]] Western European Cellular Market Braced for Rocky 2006 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15783.php Cellular operators in Western Europe should be prepared for another challenging year in 2006, according to the latest research from Strategy Analytics. Competitive pressure saw average revenues weaken in 2005 with churn creeping up. In its latest rep... Emerging Broadband Wireless Horse Race Is On http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15790.php The recent certification of commercial WiMAX gear represents a major milestone for the 802.16 industry but competition looms from existing and evolving IP based wireless technologies, a new Visant Strategies study finds. Alternatives to WiMAX such as... Customers Having to Make More Calls to Resolve Problems - report http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15793.php Wireless users who have problems or issues with service need to contact their current provider more often than in the past in order to resolve the inquiry, according to a? new J.D. Power and Associates report. The study, in its fourth year, now provi... [[ Statistics ]] Russia's Utel mobile user base up 80% on year in 2005 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15775.php The mobile subscriber base of Russia's fixed-line and mobile phone operator Uralsvyazinform, which operates under the Utel brand, increased 80% on the year to 3.674 million users in 2005, the company's press service said Wednesday. ... Russia's 2005 imports of consumer electronics soar to $4.2 bln http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15781.php Imports of consumer electronic appliances and radio electronic appliances soared in monetary terms to U.S. $ 4.2 billion in 2005, from about $2 billion in 2004, Russia's Federal Customs Service said Wednesday. ... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 12:06:16 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 26, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For January 26, 2006 ******************************** SMS-mania is Better Served By Bundles http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/100/16395?11228 What would capture your attention: a printed advertising leaflet arriving through your letterbox that informs you of the week's offers at your local supermarket, or an alert SMS delivered to your mobile handset outlining the hottest deals, as you walk by the store? (Users would have already registered their willingness to receive such... Cable Operators Team Up for Free Dutch VoIP Service http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16393?11228 Five major Dutch cable operators have announced plans to connect their internet telephony networks together to allow for free VoIP calls within their networks. Quoting the chief executive of Caiw Diensten, Sikko de Graaf, Reuters reported that the companies -- CaiW, Casema, Essent, Multikabel and UPC Netherlands -- plan to set up an... T-Mobile USA's Customer Base Grows 25% in 2005 http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16390?11228 T-Mobile USA is the latest U.S. mobile operator to report soaring subscriber growth levels in 2005. Over the course of the year, it added 4.4 million customers to reach 27.1 million. In the fourth quarter of 2005, the operator recorded 1.39 million net additions, up from 1.06 million the previous quarter. At the end of 2005, 88.6% of... Telenor Brings Lawsuit Against VimpelCom http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16389?11228 Telenor, the holder of a 29.9% stake and 26.6% of voting shares in VimpelCom, has announced that it has launched three lawsuits against VimpelCom in Moscow (Russia). The first lawsuit seeks to invalidate the decision of VimpelCom's extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of shareholders to approve VimpelCom's acquisition of Ukrainian... Study: Internet Expands Social Contacts http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16388?11228 NEW YORK -- Alone on the Internet? Hardly. The cyberworld expands people's social networks and even encourages people to talk by phone or meet others in person, a new study finds. The Pew Internet and American Life Project also finds that U.S. Internet users are more apt to get help on health care, financial and other decisions because... AT&T Fourth-Quarter Income Beats Wall Street Expectations http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16386?11228 SAN ANTONIO -- AT&T Inc., the nation's largest telecommunications provider, said Thursday its fourth-quarter net income beat Wall Street expectations, reflecting growth in wireless, broadband and business services. For the quarter ended Dec. 31, AT&T said its net income totaled $1.66 billion, or 46 cents per share.... New Handset Ready to Cast http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16385?11228 Verizon Wireless and UTStarcom Personal Communications have launched a new handset specifically designed for Verizon's new V CAST music- and video-on-demand service. The new handset, the CDM8945 Music Phone, comes with beefed up memory - up to 256 MB - to store more 99-cent songs. The phone is capable of streaming mobile video and 3D... Motorola Takes 3G Indoors http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16383?11228 Targeting enterprise users frustrated that their shiny new 3G phones don't get good coverage in the office, Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT - message board) has released a new, high-speed, indoor "access point" -- the AXPT. One of the little secrets of third-generation cellular wireless technology such as the High Speed Downlink Data Packet... Hi-Speed Wi-Fi Standard Finally Gets The Nod http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/130/16380?11228 The draft specification of the 802.11n standard for the new generation of Wi-Fi, which will provide speeds as as blazing as 600 Mb/s, finally won IEEE approval after more than a year of wrangling; although technically only a draft specification, with perhaps a year of work to final ratification, the rush to market began almost instantly,... Profiles of Wireless-Only Voice Users: The "Cord Cutters" http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16378?11228 Wireless carriers, handset vendors, and application developers have built large businesses around several assumptions: Voice revenues will steadily deteriorate as voice becomes a commodity among wireless carriers Mobile applications such as music, video, and picture messaging will shore up those sagging revenues 3G networks... Your feedback on our e-letter is always welcome. Send email to: TelecomDirect Editor Copyright (C) 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 12:43:34 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Level 3 Snaps up Progress Telecom USTelecom dailyLead January 26, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cSuYfDtutajXcpFSPK TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Level 3 snaps up Progress Telecom BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Is Nortel on the rise? * Judge sets date to consider BlackBerry shutdown * Report: VPN revenues expected to rise * AT&T, Verizon, Tellabs report earnings USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * The US Telecom IP Video Implementation & Planning Guide TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * BT chief says telecom growth linked to new technologies * Device uses cable TV to improve home wireless network * Google admits video service flaws REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * Judge backs T-Mobile in phone records case Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cSuYfDtutajXcpFSPK ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 05:53:54 -0500 From: DLR Subject: Re: AT&T Billing Us For MDNS Account Closed Three Years Ago Danny Burstein wrote: >> I am looking for assistance in dealing with AT&T over an MDNS (Managed >> Data Network Services) account that our company closed in >> approximately September 2002. > [ rest of all too typical story snipped ] > Stop wasting your time trying to reach them. > Send off two notes: One to your State's Public Service Commission, and > one to your State's Attorney General. > Make it short and sweet. And I'd have my attorney do it with copies to AT&T billing AND legal departments. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 05:56:35 -0500 From: DLR Subject: Re: Cell Phones and Pagers -- Can You Hear Buzzing? Carl Moore wrote: > I recall hearing a remark, in one place (stage-play venue?) that I was > in, that cell phones and pagers should be turned OFF, not to silent > (vibrating?) mode, because the vibration causes a buzzing nsound which > can be heard. This does not seem to me to be a common request > (although, in an orchestra I play in on a volunteer basis, I noticed > at least one cell phone in use and am willing to let it remain on in > silent mode). Have any of you out there heard of request to turn > those things off as opposed to use of silent mode? When on they may still make noise. My started chirping about being low on battery power in church the other day. I now just turn it off all the way. :) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 06:10:14 -0500 From: DLR Subject: Re: History: Pecking Order For Telephone Operator Jobs? > These days VoIP providers don't even provide any operator services. > Press zero and watch what happens. Nothing. What about 00? Last time I needed this, 0 was for the local exchange operator and 00 got you to the operator for your LD carrier. > I think that's where the savings on VoIP really kick in. There's no > support infrastructure. As some folks have found out. Cheaper is many times just that. Less of everything. :) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 06:22:02 -0500 From: DLR Subject: Re: In With the New E-Mail, Out With the Old > This isn't a diatribe against Google. One of their guiding mottos is > 'don't be evil'. I've not seen a case where Google has been caught > with their hand in the cookie jar -- so they have the benefit of the > doubt. Real Networks is evil, Doubleclick is evil, but not Google -- > yet. Data mining, enriched by the contents of person mail, can build > personal dossiers that have enormous economic value. The business > case is compelling. When they do, will that be evil? To me, > certainly. To a corporate executive, the driving ethic is to maximize > value and revenue -- failure to do so is evil. Viewpoint is > everything -- and we need to guide our decisions and practices > accordingly. And to add another twist to this debate. I've discovered that "evil" isn't a well defined term. In fact I've been in discussions with well educated folks and none of us can agree on the meaning of the term. Things one of us would think as perfectly acceptable the other would consider "evil". [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Mr. Alberto Gonzales, Bush's head of the Justice Department was quoted a couple days ago asking the question (regards Search Engines) "why is Google continuing to stall like this?" (and later in the same conversation with the reporter stating) "We are not going to permit Google to stall like this! We will get the information we want (desire? need?) They will be forced to give it up". PAT] ------------------------------ From: obsidian Subject: Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 12:24:57 +0100 Organization: -= Belgacom Usenet Service =- I live in Europe (to be precise Belgium). Since the NANP consists of some 20 countries (USA, Can, Carib) is there a way of "knowing" from the +1 800 (888, ...) number to which actual country it is destined for? obsidian Mark Crispin wrote in message news:telecom25.20.9@telecom-digest.org: > On Tue, 10 Jan 2006, gladman911@gmail.com wrote: >> Can someone tell me how to dial 800 and 888 numbers in the US from >> Toronto? > Use Skype. Skype's calls enter +1 land as USA domestic calls, and > thus can access US-accessible toll-free numbers. What's more, Skype > won't charge you for them. > Skype can NOT, however, access Canada-only toll-free numbers. > -- Mark -- > http://staff.washington.edu/mrc > Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate. > Si vis pacem, para bellum. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: There is no easy way. For many years all those other countries shared area code 809, but I think 809 went exclusively to Puerto Rico (which is part of the USA [with the phone priviledges given to USA subscribers]) and the other countries were assigned elsewhere. A couple of islands in the Pacific Ocean which were originally international points (telephonically speaking) have since been moved into NANPA. In my opinion, NANPA is a very screwed up mess with various places that should NOT be in it attached, using the USA 'area code' type numbers and the '1' country code. No where else in the world other than Russia ('7') and the USA (and its collection of immediate neighbors sharing '1')gets to do that. Europe is a big collection of '4's, etc. I would prefer to see '1' broken up also, with for example eastern-USA as '11', western-USA as '12', Canada as '13', Carribean countries as '14' in each case followed by thier area codes or other breakdowns. Such a system would also allow each of these 'countries' to reclaim the area codes used by the other 'countries', assuring most likely we would never again at least in our lifetimes ever run out of area codes, etc, and make it a lot easier to do what you are talking about. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 06:49:49 -0500 From: DLR Subject: Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery > My father told a story from back in the 1940s: for some reason people > kept calling his phone (obTelecomHistory: WAlnut, a manual exchange in > uptown New Orleans) when they wanted to contact their local grocery to > have food delivered. (Yes, some groceries did that 'way back > when ... PeaPod is nothing new.) Apparently someone at the grocery was > giving out the wrong number and complaints to the grocery didn't help. > He finally fixed the problem by responding to the calls complaining > about slow deliveries: he profusely apologized, and told the caller > that as a good-will gesture the next order would include some fancy > lagniappe at no cost to the customer. Presumably the blasts directed > at the store about its failure to include the promised lagniappe > finally got management's attention. When I moved to NC in 87, we were given a number that had belong to a lawyer. :) About once a month we got a call and politely told them we didn't know what his number was and that was it. But there was that one call about a year after we got the number. "I've been arrested, can you bail me out?" It was on the answering machine. So I couldn't even tell the poor guy how bad off he really was. The other day, I got a call the caller id showed as a hispanic name that I didn't recognize. On a whim I answered. (I work at home and try and ignore most personal calls during the day to the home number.) I said hello, the other end said in what seemed to me to be a plaintive female voice, "Maria?". I tried in my non-existent Spanish to tell her wrong number but she kept repeating that name in a questioning voice. I gave up and hung up. She called every half hour a few more times. I called a friend who speaks Spanish and got the phrase for "wrong number" and tried that. No luck. So I ignored the calls. About 6 that day. The next day we got 2 more then they ended. I was going to ask my friend to call the caller id and try and explain if it didn't stop. Is there any other way to deal with this? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 07:05:51 -0500 From: DLR Subject: Re: The Hazards of Instant Communication > While WV is still a producer of coal, and there are counties in which > unemployment is at very high levels, West Virginia has a lot more > going for it. West Virginia is the home of a large IRS processing > center. It is the home of a large FBI facility. Even NASA does > significant business in the state. I should also mention that WV was > one of the first states to provide a computer network statewide > connecting all of its state educational institutions. The eastern It never hurts to have a senator with seniority. ------------------------------ From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) Subject: Re: Poor Valentine Starving in Russia Date: 26 Jan 2006 10:59:47 -0500 Organization: Former users of Netcom shell (1989-2000) Thor Lancelot Simon wrote: > You'd have some trouble convincing me that either of those > organizations are a "safe choice". As far as I can tell, at some > layer of management or another (a lower layer, for the SA; a higher > one, for the RC) both are run by either prosletyzing or bigoted > religious fanatics. Now, one may have more or less of a problem with > toleration of evangelism as the price of handouts for those in need -- > effectively the situation with the SA; I find it exploitive but not so > much so as to outweigh the good the SA does, in that particular > situation. It's interesting that this seems much more to be the case in the US than in Europe. The SA in Europe seems much more concerned with actually providing services for the poor and less with spreading religion. I think that's a good thing ... I think the best way to spread religion is by providing good examples rather than beating people over the head with it. I'm willing to give donations to the SA every year mostly because they helped me out when I was improverished many years ago. Certainly I think it goes to better use than giving money to my college alumni society, which has too much money already (and didn't give me any when I was a poor student). > But the RC, not so long ago, forced out the head of its U.S. opera- > tions for, among other things, asking a few too many times just why, > exactly, it was acceptable to refuse to recognize its cognate > organization in Israel, the Magen David Adom (the official reason: the > Israeli organization refuses to replace the Star of David with a > Christian cross as its symbol; odd, then, that the Red Crescent is > unproblematic). The Red Cross, too, it seems to me, does much good -- > but is hardly the sort of group that one should paint as so > unquestionably and thoroughly good as to be an "always safe" recipient > for one's money. The RC is a pretty weird organization that does carry a whole lot of management along with everything. They do good, but when you donate money to them, you're helping to support a huge and bloated bureaucratic structure. Now, it could be argued that this really _is_ the most effective way to deliver help to people in need, and that the huge structure is necessary in order to support large units in the field when the organizational size needs to be rapidly increased for an emergency. I dunno, but I won't give them money. > Both of these groups carry substantial baggage from a sort of > Victorian era of dogooding in which those in need of help were seen, > in some way, as flawed just for needing it, and thus requiring moral > improvement. I would certainly want to see such attitudes wane before > I would feel good about making either of them the sole recipient of > whatever dollars I had available to give to charity. I would not give all my money to ANY ONE organization, no matter how great they are. Spread it around. --scott "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 09:18:24 -0800 From: Jim Stewart Reply-To: jstewart@jkmicro.com Organization: http://www.jkmicro.com Subject: Re Poor Valentine is Starving in Russia TELECOM Digest Editor noted in response: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: None of what you say is news to me. Red > Cross was deeply involved on account of the politics of San Francisco > and the gay community therein during the early 1980's. But I do not > think Red Cross was hurt as badly from that backlash as was Glide > Memorial Blood Services. Have you read the book by Randy Shilts (former > reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle and gay man [now deceased] > entitled _The Boys in the Band_. That sad story told how, among other > things, the politics prevalent in the 'gay liberation' movement at the > time prevented (or so it was thought) any better way of handling things. I believe you're referring to the book 'And the Band Played On' A truly remarkable book, both for the honest insight and its ability to evoke compassion and understanding in borderline homophobes (such as myself) at the time... [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You are correct on the name of the book. Randy Shilts in an interview once said he named the book after thinking about 'The Boys in the Band', an earlier stage play/later movie about some (quite frankly) sick, neurotic homosexuals at a house party in New York City. And Shilts did lay much blame for the spread of AIDS on the politics of the gay community in San Francisco in those days. Not so much for doing the _natural thing_ and having sex but for the squabbling and the politics about the possible 'cures' for it afterward, and the 'political correctness' so apparent. I guess they had a horrible time getting the Northern California Bathhouse Operator's Association to cooperate at all, even when the gay bars and other gay-based establishments were busy warning everyone in sight, but the Bathhouse Operators were not about to lose their business by hanging up any educational posters, etc. What really pains me is how the fundamentalist ministers try to paint all gay people with the same paint brush, i.e. "they all (this)" or "they all (that)", and nothing could be further from the truth. I guess there are still many folks in SFCA and elsewhere who feel Shilts was totally wrong on his posture in that book. Many gay people hated him (until his dying days) for being so outspoken on the topic. PAT] ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post Date: 26 Jan 2006 10:52:19 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com William Warren wrote: > The old line telecom providers have always relied on a tiered-service > pricing model: relatively cheap basic services, such as local POTS > "lifeline" service, subsidized by higher-priced and higher-profit > premium offerings. That description is only part of the old pricing model. The other very critical part of that model was that the old-line providers were forbidden to charge high rates or engage in high profit external value-added services. They were not allowed to engage in lines of business that would be profitable. Their research and inventions, which they paid for, would be in the public domain. Normal businesses may expand into new areas that are highly profitable. For example, accountants branch into information systems consulting which is more profitable. In other words, the Bell System theoretically could've had its own TV studio or made TV broadcast equipment, and made a lot of money doing so. But it was forbidden, and other companies made a heck of a lot of money instead. Further, the premium services, while generating more profits, were not "high" profits, they just paid a little better than the basic services (in some cases covered the basic service losses). The Bell System's profit rate was far lower than say IBM. AT&T stock appreciated only slightly over the years. > The reason SBC-AT&T and the other "Baby Bells" are whining is because > the Internet has drawn the premium services out from under the Bell > umbrella, and left the RBOC's with only a basic service -- the pipes -- > to make their profits. And it's perfectly justified for the Bells to complain. Another issue is that the other companies are cutting into the Bell's business, so not only are the Bell's losing their more profitable businesses, they're losing their basic business too. It was the same regulatory attitude that killed off the railroad industry in the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s and left us with very expensive clogged highways and airports. We put a strait-jacket around the railroads, artificially held their rates down, wouldn't let them enter new businesses, etc. Cars and planes -- capitalized by taxes -- took their business away. > In short, the RBOC's are trying to convince the Congress that they > should enjoy a share of the profit made on the Internet because they > are involved with providing the basic service that makes it possible: > it's an old argument, but the RBOCs are old companies and they think > that old scams work best. It is neither a scam nor an old argument, and you are not expressing their argument correctly. It is simply reflecting business in today's conditions. The RBOCs no longer have the monopoly they once had. Further, they, like any other business, have a right to participate in new markets and technologies, especially as their old markets are shrinking. They might do well, or they might not (as happened to AT&T). > Since the Internet, by its very nature, concentrates power at the > endpoints, the former monopolists are floating trial balloons to see > if the public will stand for them finding a new way to gouge the > consumer. What exactly constitutes "gouging"? How do we know other companies participating in the Internet are "gouging"? Microsoft has a virutal monopoly on PC operating systems and some applications and is a very profitable company. Does that constitute "gouging"? Some cable companies are very profitable. jmeissen@aracnet.com wrote: > that they're already being paid to provide the basic service that > makes it possible. That is not the issue. The issue is that: (1) that basic service market is shrinking, and (2) new markets are opening up. Say for example a long-time wedding photographer is frequently asked about planning the wedding. The photographer sets up a planning service. Maybe the photographer will go into bridal gowns and tuxedo rentals. Maybe even into catering and music. Under your argument, this photographer would be limited to photography and that's it, even though others can become photographers and other service providers. It's not in the economic interest to deny a provider from the market place. Western Electric and Bell Labs were excellent organizations, but limited to telephone and defense. I wonder if consumers and industry would've been better service if they would've been allowed to develop and sell other products. Maybe they would've beaten RCA in television sets and broadcast gear, or spurred RCA to develop stuff faster and cheaper. Maybe they would've beaten IBM at computer development. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 11:32:06 EST From: Carl Moore Subject: You've Been Spoofed ptownson@telecom-digest.org appears in the From header of the two forwarded messages. Obviously, I do not want to block such address. ----- Forwarded message # 1: Received: from admiii.arl.army.mil by VIP.ARL.ARMY.MIL id aa525580; 26 Jan 2006 05:57 EST Received: by admiii.arl.army.mil (Postfix) id 982E4214DF8; Thu, 26 Jan 2006 05:56:55 -0500 (EST) Delivered-To: cmoore@arl.mil Received: from nrenderws01 (unknown [203.200.128.51]) by admiii.arl.army.mil (Postfix) with SMTP id D469B214E01 for ; Thu, 26 Jan 2006 05:56:40 -0500 (EST) From: "ptownson" To: Subject: [Virus?] eBook.pdf MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----=_NextPart_5.94725668430328E-02" Message-Id: <20060126105640.D469B214E01@admiii.arl.army.mil> Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 05:56:40 -0500 (EST) X-ARL-MailScanner-Information: Please contact the helpdesk for more information X-ARL-MailScanner: Found to be infected X-ARL-MailScanner-SpamCheck: not spam, SpamAssassin (score=2.771, required 5, BAYES_60 1.00, MICROSOFT_EXECUTABLE 0.10, MIME_BOUND_NEXTPART 0.28, MSGID_FROM_MTA_ID 1.39) X-ARL-MailScanner-SpamScore: ss X-ARL-MailScanner-From: ptownson@telecom-digest.org This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_5.94725668430328E-02 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Warning: This message has had one or more attachments removed Warning: (eBook.PIF). Note: forwarded message attached. ----- Forwarded message # 2: Received: from admiii.arl.army.mil by VIP.ARL.ARMY.MIL id aa529503; 26 Jan 2006 08:48 EST Received: by admiii.arl.army.mil (Postfix) id 002AC213E33; Thu, 26 Jan 2006 08:48:35 -0500 (EST) Delivered-To: cmoore@arl.mil Received: from nrenderws01 (unknown [203.200.128.51]) by admiii.arl.army.mil (Postfix) with SMTP id ACB01213E33 for ; Thu, 26 Jan 2006 08:48:12 -0500 (EST) From: "ptownson" To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----=_NextPart_2.61061370372772E-02" Message-Id: <20060126134812.ACB01213E33@admiii.arl.army.mil> Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 08:48:12 -0500 (EST) X-ARL-MailScanner-Information: Please contact the helpdesk for more information X-ARL-MailScanner: Found to be infected X-ARL-MailScanner-SpamCheck: not spam, SpamAssassin (score=4.171, required 5, MIME_BOUND_NEXTPART 0.28, MSGID_FROM_MTA_ID 1.39, RAZOR2_CF_RANGE_51_100 0.50, RAZOR2_CF_RANGE_E4_51_100 1.50, RAZOR2_CHECK 0.50) X-ARL-MailScanner-SpamScore: ssss X-ARL-MailScanner-From: ptownson@telecom-digest.org Subject: [Virus?] Re: This is a multi-part message in MIME format. Warning: This message has had one or more attachments removed Warning: (Original Message.B64). What? ----- End of forwarded messages [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, Carl, please wake up so I can welcome you to Real World. Now you have seen why I believe the so-prevalent idea of using email filters (as opposed to a much more agressive approach of 'hunt them down, torture and kill them') is such a dismal failure. Why is email filtering such a failure, with its 'white lists', 'black lists', 'grey lists', search for certain words/phrases, IP addresses, and other gyrations? Well, aside from the fact we should not have to go to that effort just to send/get a piece of email, the smart-mouths around here tell us that (1) we have no right to take a more aggresive stance with the cretins who have essentially ruined email for all of us, and (2) the cretins may 'get even' by suing us for denial (of their) service, and (3) most of us are brain-diseased idiots with our tin foil hats and how would we know we had chosen the right person to experience our wrath; we couldn't possibly know anything about anything since 'knowing anything' is a monopoly exclusive to themselves, and (4)[one of my favorites] as the nitwit said to me one day here, "Oh, we have no right to tell others what they can and cannot do with their sites". My isn't that _so precious_. To my response, he wrote back and ordered me to NEVER SPEAK TO HIM AGAIN!! and I have not, but he occassionally writes me again here and pops off his mouth each time he overflows. So he, and his ilk will continue to struggle along, filtering their mail while I and my ilk will continue to (as time permits, there being so much of it to spend our time on) continue to forward the most choice and juiciest bits of spam each day to trained investigators who will correctly identify the spammers and viri writers _on a one for one basis_ telling them to LEAVE US ALONE, and allowing the investigators to act as our agents in making these statements to the offenders. You see, Carl, you cannot filter based on name or IP address; they have gotten so smart they use _our real names and email addresses_ to send us their stuff ... although 'ptownson@telecom-digest.org' is not exactly how I send legitimate mail out from here but please do not tell them how my stuff is _really addressed_ least they start using that instead. You cannot filter on the basis of message content, because sometimes I may want to write a legitimate message which contains some of the words or phrases which otherwise would trip the filters. And although there is much to be said about 'freedom of speech' and the 'bill of rights' and a search engine avoiding anything which offends the sensibilties of the Chinese government, somehow I do not feel that the internet cesspool full of spam and viri is exactly what our founders had in mind when we are warned that 'we must not dictate to other sites what they can/cannot do on the net', despite what the modern day Usenetter would have us believe. _They_ would tell us that when we walk through the commons we have to watch where we step to avoid getting 'that stuff' on our shoes. I keep asking WHY, their response is only to tell me about my tin-foil hat, etc. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #39 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Jan 27 02:18:13 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 6D51315026; Fri, 27 Jan 2006 02:18:13 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #40 Message-Id: <20060127071813.6D51315026@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 02:18:13 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.0 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, BIZ_TLD,DRUGS_ERECTILE,HOT_NASTY,MAILTO_TO_REMOVE,MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR, ONLINE_PHARMACY,WORK_AT_HOME autolearn=no version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Fri, 27 Jan 2006 02:20:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 40 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Silicon Valley Plans Region-Wide Wireless Network (Eric Auchard) AOL Wins $5 Million Suit Against Spammer (Matthew Barakat) Was Bill Gates Death-of-Spam Prediction Premature? (Robin Arnfield) Cellphone Sex; Will it Play in Peoria? (Tom Brown) NANP Things (US Toll Free from Toronto) (Anthony Bellanga) Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto (John Levine) Re: Ameriprise Notifies Clients of Data Theft (Tony P.) Re: Cell Phones and Pagers -- Can You Hear Buzzing? (Tony P.) Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post (jmeissen@aracnet) Anyone Need a Telecom Job? (3z3k3l) Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery (Danny Burstein) Cell Phone for "Mature" Folks (Ken Abrams) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Eric Auchard Subject: Silicon Valley Plans Region-Wide Wireless Network Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 00:12:37 -0600 By Eric Auchard A group of Silicon Valley civic and business leaders don't think the high-tech center is connected enough. Now they are looking to catch up to cities around the world that are building region-wide wireless networks. A coalition including a high-tech civic group, regional governments and local chipmaker Intel Corp. said they had agreed to a plan to solicit bids from Internet providers to create a wireless high-speed data canopy to cover the region. The wireless coalition, "Smart Valley," is an undertaking of Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, a local civic group, the San Mateo County Telecommunications Authority and Intel. Like similar efforts to build municipal wireless networks in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and other cites, the plan is to seek proposals from vendors for either fee-based or advertising- supported plans that do not require local taxpayer funds. "'Smart Valley' is looking for wireless Internet service providers and other technology suppliers to come up with a business model or a mix that pays for the services," Intel spokesman Mark Pettinger told Reuters. The plan is to embrace various wireless technologies, from Wi-Fi short-range networks to wide-area WiMAX and other techniques under one umbrella that will give residents of the region wireless coverage from home to work and around town. "Who provides it, what they provide, when they provide it, how much they provide it for has not been decided," he said. For example, consumers would be able to use computers, phones or other handheld wireless devices to receive information around the region. Local agencies might track police cars and street sweepers on the go, or use sensors to be alerted to when a traffic light or sewer pump fails. The initiative seeks to create a regional wireless network over a 1,500 square mile area in the high-tech region, stretching from San Mateo, a city south of San Francisco, to Santa Cruz on the coast of California. The wireless coalition selected Intel to develop an initial bidding process, reflecting its growing focus on wireless technology and its role in organizing similar projects in Portland, Oregon and Tempe, Arizona. The request for proposal process is scheduled to begin in April. Intel has agreed not to bid on the project. The San Mateo County Telecommunications Authority, which represents 16 cities, will issue the request. The Smart Valley group will solicit financial contributions to develop the plan to cover another 20 Silicon Valley cities. In all, the plan would stretch across four counties -- Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz. The towns of Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Menlo Park, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Palo Alto, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz -- have already approved their contribution and are now participants in the project, the project's backers said. In November, the city of Mountain View, which is located near the heart of Silicon Valley, agreed to a plan by Google Inc., the Web search leader headquartered there, to build a free, citywide wireless data network. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Reutes, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Matthew Barakat Subject: AOL Wins $5 Million Suit Against Spammer Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 00:15:32 -0600 By MATTHEW BARAKAT, Associated Press WriterThu Jan 26, 8:07 PM ET A man who sent billions of junk e-mails hawking online college degrees, sexually explicit Web sites and "generic Viagra" must pay more than $5 million in penalties to America Online Inc., a federal judge ruled. Christopher William Smith, of Prior Lake, Minn., was considered one of the world's worst spammers, operating under the name Rizler. He is now in a Minnesota jail awaiting trial on criminal charges that he violated federal drug laws while operating an online pharmacy. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton ordered Smith to pay $5.3 million in damages and $287,000 in legal fees to AOL, which filed a civil suit against Smith under a 2004 federal law known as Can-Spam. AOL spokesman Nicholas Graham said Smith "was the poster child for the Can-Spam Act." "This is someone we've been pursuing for three years," Graham said. "It's one of the largest judgments we've received." Hilton issued a summary judgment in favor of AOL, saying Smith "refused to participate in this case, willfully disregarding ... discovery obligations and failing to comply with multiple court orders." Court records show that Smith's lawyers withdrew from the case several months after it was filed. In addition to e-mails promoting generic Viagra and pornographic Web sites, Smith also advertised cable TV descramblers and penis enhancement pills. In an initial response to AOL's lawsuit, Smith's lawyers denied wrongdoing and questioned the constitutionality of the Can-Spam law. Graham said that AOL, the Dulles-based subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., has won tens of millions of dollars in judgments against more than 30 spammers under the federal law and a similar Virginia law. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Robin Arnfield Subject: Was Bill Gates Death-of-Spam Prediction Premature? Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 00:17:30 -0600 Robin Arnfield, newsfactor.com In January 2004, Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft, famously predicted the end of spam in a speech at the World Economic Forum. "Two years from now, spam will be solved," Gates said in his speech. But, as any e-mail user knows, spam is still flying over the Internet into everybody's inboxes. "Spam is not dead, obviously, nor is it dying," said Forrester Research analyst Jonathan Penn. "But I do think that it is a problem that has been largely solved for end-users, employees, and consumers." There are plenty of good antispam products from enterprise-security vendors as well as solutions developed by and deployed at Internet service providers (ISPs), according to Penn. "These are far from perfect, to be sure, but very good," he said. "However, for ISPs especially, the spam problem is not fully solved by any means," Penn said. "They still spend a lot of money on R&D in a cat-and-mouse game with spammers, as well as the infrastructure investment to deal with the inbound volume that gets rejected at or near the gateway." Sender Authentication In 2004, Microsoft came up with the concept of Sender ID, an e-mail authentication technology, as a means of combating spam. Sender ID checks a registered list to determine whether a message came from the same domain as the e-mail address indicates. The technology has not caught on among ISPs and corporations. "Sender authentication solutions are very slow to reach maturity, and that is simply a shame on the ISPs, who have not been aggressive enough in developing the specs and deploying them in full force," Penn said. "In this case, the 'perfect' is the enemy of the 'good enough,'" Penn explained. "The world would not stop spinning if ISPs would implement effective, albeit imperfect, solutions available today. We've seen much more tolerance by companies for imperfect solutions -- those that might temporarily block some e-marketing messages, for example -- than the ISPs seem comfortable deploying." Penn pointed out that, in addition to helping solve the spam problem, sender-authentication technologies can be useful for stopping phishing attacks. "These problems, especially phishing, have not even diminished, much less gone away," Penn said. Dynamic Filtering Ken Schneider, chief architect at U.S. Internet security vendor Symantec, said that his company is generally supportive of e-mail-authentication efforts. "These do not solve the problem of spam, but they provide an additional level of filtering on top of antispam filters," Schneider said. "You need very dynamic antispam filters, as the spam being sent out changes on a daily basis," Schneider pointed out. "But if e-mail users have a good antispam filter in their e-mail system, they should catch most of the spam. And if an ISP deploys effective filtering, they will block a lot of junk e-mails." Court Cases In recent months, there have been several high-profile U.S. court cases in which spammers have received heavy sentences. On Monday, January 23, Jeanson James Ancheta, of Downey, California, pleaded guilty to federal charges related to his assembly of a botnet consisting of hundreds of thousands of computers to spread spam and malicious software, and of profiting from the zombie machines through the unauthorized distribution of adware. Last month, CIS Internet Services, a Clinton, Iowa-based Internet service provider, was awarded $11.2 billion in a court judgment against a Florida man who sent millions of unsolicited pieces of commercial e-mail. Copyright 2006 NewsFactor Network, Inc. ------------------------------ From: Tom Brown Subject: Cellphone Sex; Will it Play in Peoria Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 00:19:31 -0600 By Tom Brown Dial P for porn? It may never be quite that easy. But cell-phone pornography is a fast-growing business that analysts expect will generate about $2 billion in global revenue by 2009. And porn-on-the-go was the focus of a two-day Mobile Adult Content Congress that wrapped up in Miami on Thursday amid expectations, according to at least some participants, that it will soon catch on in the United States. Consumers already spend tens of millions of dollars a year on cell-phone-based adult content in Europe where companies such as mobile-phone giant Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L) -- or "Vodafilth" as it was dubbed by one British newspaper -- are among the distributors. Leading American cellular carriers have been reluctant to jump onto the bandwagon, however, fearing a backlash from the conservatives and the religious right if they provide U.S. consumers easy access to hand-held X-rated theater. The Miami conference, aimed at allaying some of those concerns, was sponsored by Waat Media, a California-based company that represents some of the leading so-called late-night U.S. entertainment brands. Rather than focusing on steamy content or images, such as video footage featuring conference attendee Ron Jeremy -- a porn star who has licensed his name to RJ Mobile -- industry officials focused here on issues such as content rating and filtering devices or age verification mechanisms, meant to prevent underage consumers from buying adult content. It was all a bit staid and very business-like, but one speaker, an executive identified as James Walz of West Management, did seem to get worked up as he talked about features like "personalized strip teases" and unbridled U.S. market potential. "There's a huge consumer demand following up on the immense success of the Internet," Walz said. "It's a sizzling, serious business." U.S. sales of erotica or porn distributed via cell phones were estimated at no more than about $30 million last year. But Adi McAbian, Waat Media's managing director, told Reuters that U.S. revenues could soon hit about $500 million per year, once the right technology, and services such as "robust age verification," are in place. One key to future growth, apart from an avoidance of excessive regulatory controls, will be the ability U.S. consumers should have to get billed for adult content directly by their cell-phone providers, McAbian said. "There's no doubt it's a huge market forthcoming. Long-range it's a huge market," he said. On a global basis, Juniper Research, which specializes in research on the telecoms industry, says sales of adult mobile services are seen tripling between 2004 and 2009 to $2.1 billion. Tina Southall, director of content standards at Vodafone, told Reuters adult offerings were a key part of the company's multimedia strategy across Europe. But what sells in Austria or Hungary, which she described as Europe's "most explicit markets," or even in Ireland, Britain and Sweden, which she ranked as Europe's "most conservative" venues, may not play in Peoria, Illinois. Jeffrey Nelson of Verizon Wireless, the U.S. cell-phone service that Verizon Communications Inc. shares with Vodafone, said the company had absolutely no plans to offer adult content on its mobile phones. "As my grandmother would have said, 'fat chance,"' Nelson said. "I hear all the same things you do about analysts saying this is a big boom," he said. "We don't think that our customer base wants it." Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 18:05:54 -0700 From: Anthony Bellanga Reply-To: no-spam@no-spam.no-spam Subject: NANP Things (US Toll Free from Toronto) PLEASE DELETE my email address where-ever it might appear in the headers! Thanks! obsidian@vlaanderen.terra.sol wrote: > I live in Europe (to be precise Belgium). > Since the NANP consists of some 20 countries (USA, Can, Carib) is > there a way of "knowing" from the +1 800 (888, ...) number to which > actual country it is destined for? > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: There is no easy way. For many years > all those other countries shared area code 809, but I think 809 went > exclusively to Puerto Rico (which is part of the USA [with the phone > priviledges given to USA subscribers]) and the other countries were > assigned elsewhere. Puerto Rico split off from 809 into 787 back in 1996. The U.S.Virgin Islands split off from 809 into 340 back in 1997. All of the other non-US Caribbean islands which are part of the NANP (mostly "British"), including the Bahamas and Bermuda in the Atlantic, changed from 809 into their own unique area codes between 1995 and 1999; It was the Dominican Republic which retained area code 809. Puerto Rico (787) was overlaid with 939 in 2001. The Dominican Republic (the sole country retaining 809) was overlaid with 829 last year (2005). Puerto Rico and the U.S.Virgin Islands have domestic-rated calling with the rest of the United States on most (though not necessarily all) US Long Distance carriers. > A couple of islands in the Pacific Ocean which were originally > international points (telephonically speaking) have since been moved > into NANPA. NANPA (North American Numbering Plan *ADMINISTRATION*) is not a geographic location but rather the generic name of the organization that administers numbering within the geographic location known as the NANP (North American Numbering *Plan*), this geographic area aka Country Code +1, or World Zone '1'. AT&T had the functions of the NANPA through 1983. NANPA functions were moved into Bell Communications Research (Bellcore), the entity "carved out of" the old Bell System to handle centralized, single-point-of-contact functions, with divestiture in 1984. Effective in 1998, Lockheed-Martin took over NANPA functions, to make it appear more "neutral", Bellcore being owned by the seven Regional Bell holding corporations, in an era of increasing competition on the local side (although Bellcore was sold by its regional Bell holding corporate owners to SAIC, Scientific Applications International Co, effective 1999, which renamed what had been Bellcore now as Telcordia). In 2000, Lockheed-Martin transferred the NANPA functions over to a new entity called Neustar, because of conflicts-of-interest regarding LM, who was getting involved into some "fringe" telecom operations. As for the Pacific Islands, in addition to the two US states in the Pacific Ocean area (Alaska 907, Hawaii 808), three US territories in the Pacific Ocean area have since become incorporated into the NANP. The numeric digits of their ITU Country Code were retained as the numeric digits of their NANP Area Code, now under Country Code +1. Guam +671- changed to +1-671-, along with the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan, Tinian, Rota) +670- changed to +1-670- in 1997/98. American Samoa +684 changed to +1-684- in 2004/05. > In my opinion, NANPA is a very screwed up mess with various places > that should NOT be in it attached, using the USA 'area code' type > numbers and the '1' country code. No where else in the world other > than Russia ('7') and the USA (and its collection of immediate > neighbors sharing '1')gets to do that. Europe is a big collection of > '4's, etc. I would prefer to see '1' broken up also, with for example > eastern-USA as '11', western-USA as '12', Canada as '13', Carribean > countries as '14' in each case followed by thier area codes or other > breakdowns. +7 Russia is only shared (still) by Kazakstan. All of the other former Soviet republics have broken off into their own ITU Country Codes. The US is a single country that will not be broken up into separate "country" codes. Canada maintains close relations with the US, and will more than likely retain the use of Country Code +1 with the US. The non-US Caribbean Countries in the NANP might be the only possible "candidates" to get their own ITU Country Codes, but they couldn't begin as '1X', due to the way the numbering and dialing is structured in the US/Canada part of the NANP. But it would be a significant international situation, both politically and telephonically, to "force" the (non-US) Caribbean islands into their own ITU Country Codes outside of Country Code +1 (NANP). Also note that there are some Caribbean locations which already have their own country codes, such as Cuba (+53), Haiti (+509), the French and Dutch islands (+590, +596, +599, Aruba +297), and the French islands of St.Pierre & Miquelon off the coast of Newfoundland (Canada) have their own ITU Country Code +508. > Such a system would also allow each of these 'countries' to reclaim > the area codes used by the other 'countries', assuring most likely we > would never again at least in our lifetimes ever run out of area codes, > etc, and make it a lot easier to do what you are talking about. PAT] At present, we are NOT running out of area codes. What had happened in the later 1990s in the NANP/US and *elsewhere* around the world, i.e., area code splits, expansions of local/national numbers, total re-numbering of domestic numbering plans, etc., turned out to only be a temporary trend. Not that there are never going to be new area codes in the NANP, or other codes introduced in other countries' numbering plans, but what happened in the later 1990s has either stopped altogather for the present time, or has slowed down tremendously. At one point in the later 1990s, it was thought that the NANP would run out of area codes as early as 2007 if codes continued to be assigned at the rate they were. But since then, the projections of exhaust of the NANP are for the 2030-50 time-period, which is what the projections were when done in the early 1990s. This is at the end of the lifetime for most of us, or well past most of our lifetimes. It also appears that over time, there will be less geography, possibly little to no geograpic association, to telephone or telecom numbering. Just look at cellphones and VoIP, virtual fax numbers, etc. People are "migrating" numbers all over with VoIP, and they are constantly "roaming" with cellular. In closing, to reiterate: 809 was retained exclusively by the Dominican Republic after everything else in the NANP Caribbean broke into thNeir own unique area codes between 1995 and 1999. This includes Puerto Rico which broke off into 787 back in 1996. And both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic have subsequently been overlaid as well. NANPA is an administrative body, the North American Numbering Plan *Administration*. The North American telephonic geographic area is known as the NANP, North American Numbering *Plan*. Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan, Tinian, Rota) were incorporated into the NANP in 1997/98; American Samoa was incorporated into the NANP in 2004/05. In all cases, the numerics of their ITU Country Code were used as the numerics of their NANP Area Code within Country Code +1. At present, we are NOT in danger of running out of area codes or other numbers resources anytime soon, whether in the NANP or elsewhere in the world. The big "numbering crisis" of the later 1990s was only a temporary trend, and if really investigated or managed properly, was mostly unnecessary. And it might happen over time that telephone numbering will become less geographic based altogather. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Jan 2006 01:53:11 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: How to Dial US Toll Free from Toronto > Since the NANP consists of some 20 countries (USA, Can, Carib) is > there a way of "knowing" from the +1 800 (888, ...) number to which > actual country it is destined for? That's not a meaningful question. In the USA, when you dial an 800 number, the phone switch does a database lookup to find out which carrier handles it, connects the call to that carrier who can do anything with it they want, perhaps forward it to a POTS number somewhere, or to dedicated trunks, or something more complicated with voice menus, perhaps based on where the caller is, the time of day, load levelling, or anything else they offer their customers. The same thing happens in other parts of the NANP, probably a little simpler in countries that don't have long distance competition. When you call +1 800 XXX XXXX from outside the NANP, if they handle the call, they route it to a NANP country, probably the U.S., and the call is then handled from there. R's, John PS: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: ... In my opinion, NANPA is a very > screwed up mess with various places that should NOT be in it > attached, using the USA 'area code' type numbers and the '1' country > code. No where else in the world other than Russia ('7') and the USA > (and its collection of immediate neighbors sharing '1')gets to do > that. We offered, Europe turned us down. Their loss. ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Ameriprise Notifies Clients of Data Theft Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 20:20:39 -0500 In article , monty@roscom.com says... > By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press Writer > MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Ameriprise Financial Inc. said Wednesday it has > notified about 226,000 people that their names and other personal data > were stored on a laptop computer that was stolen from an employee's > vehicle. > Ameriprise said it has alerted 68,000 current and former financial > advisers whose names and Social Security numbers were also stored on > the same computer. About 158,000 clients had only their names and > internal account numbers exposed. The company says it has more than 2 > million customers and about 10,500 current financial advisers. > Minneapolis-based Ameriprise said it had received no reports that the > data lost in the theft had been used improperly. Ameriprise is the > name of the former American Express Financial Advisors division, which > New York-based American Express Co. spun off last fall. > Ameriprise said the theft appeared to be a "random criminal act" and > that it has been working with law enforcement to recover the laptop, > which it said was stolen recently from an employee's locked vehicle > that was parked offsite. > Company spokesman Steve Connolly said the laptop was stolen in late > December outside Minnesota, but he declined to say where. > - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=55067057 I found out today that Warwick, RI is all strung with Verizon FIOS but they're waiting for state approval to roll it out. Also found out that Verizon will either AIP the existing copper plant, or try to sell it to a CLEC. I also found out that Providence is still about 5 years off from fiber because of two factors. First is that it is hideously expensive to to multi-unit buildings, and second and most important is that Verizon is running out of money. ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Cell Phones and Pagers -- Can You Hear Buzzing? Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 20:11:38 -0500 In article , cmoore@ARL.ARMY.MIL says: > I recall hearing a remark, in one place (stage-play venue?) that I was > in, that cell phones and pagers should be turned OFF, not to silent > (vibrating?) mode, because the vibration causes a buzzing nsound which > can be heard. This does not seem to me to be a common request > (although, in an orchestra I play in on a volunteer basis, I noticed > at least one cell phone in use and am willing to let it remain on in > silent mode). Have any of you out there heard of request to turn > those things off as opposed to use of silent mode? I don't know if its the light buzz or not, but vibrate is definitely good for a thing called beepilepsy. I can recall a rather boring move meeting back in the mid 90's. I.T. crew all had those Skytel pagers and we had monitoring sofware on the servers to tell us when something went wrong. Well -- the boss and I are pretty much snoozing through the meeting when all of a sudden our pagers go off. Both of us bolted upright, looked at the pagers and saw gibberish. Off to the elevator to head down to the computer room And while in there everyones pagers are going off. Uh oh. Turns out Skytel had a little meltdown that day. Most interesting. ------------------------------ From: jmeissen@aracnet.com Subject: Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post Date: 26 Jan 2006 23:33:15 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com In article , wrote: > Say for example a long-time wedding photographer is frequently asked > about planning the wedding. The photographer sets up a planning > service. Maybe the photographer will go into bridal gowns and tuxedo > rentals. Maybe even into catering and music. > Under your argument, this photographer would be limited to photography > and that's it, even though others can become photographers and other > service providers. It's not in the economic interest to deny a > provider from the market place. No, you still insist on making irrelevant or incorrect analogies. Under my argument, if the photographer were somehow the ONLY planning service available (because for some mysterious reason only one was feasable in this imaginary world) and every wedding HAD to make use of a planning service, then he should not be allowed to prevent his clients from taking his plans to another photographer for actual implementation. He certainly would NOT be prevented from providing the implementation service in a competitive way. He could make money from the planning service, and he could also make money from taking/printing photos. But he wouldn't be able to use his sanctioned monopoly position to prevent others from also making money by taking/printing photos. Or charge license and other fees to other photographers for the use of said plans, after the plans were already paid for by the person(s) who originally contracted for the planning service. John Meissen jmeissen@aracnet.com ------------------------------ From: 3z3k3l Subject: Anyone Need a Telecom Job? Date: 26 Jan 2006 19:47:37 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com I have been using Monster, and Telecom careers, but I just stubled upon some new listing at http://www.pbxjobs.com What other sites do you guys use for Jobs? [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: There is another area which has not taken off as well as I had hoped, and that is our very own Telecom Classifieds http://telecom-digest.org/classifieds.html . An all-purpose bulletin board for employment opportunities, situations wanted, items for sale, etc. Entirely voluntary regards payment, etc, suggested donations are five dollars for a large number of words in this section every month. Please look it over and see if there is a way it can meet your needs. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Danny Burstein Subject: Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 22:39:02 +0000 (UTC) Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC In DLR writes: [ snip ] > The other day, I got a call the caller id showed as a hispanic name > that I didn't recognize. On a whim I answered. (I work at home and try > and ignore most personal calls during the day to the home number.) I > said hello, the other end said in what seemed to me to be a plaintive > female voice, "Maria?". I tried in my non-existent Spanish to tell her > wrong number but she kept repeating that name in a questioning > voice. I gave up and hung up. She called every half hour a few more > times ... And ... the next call was a(n) hispanic woman who said: This is Maria. Any calls for me? _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Its an old joke, but one that still draws good laughs from time to time! PAT] ------------------------------ From: Ken Abrams Subject: Cell Phone For "Mature" Folks Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 23:16:57 GMT Being on the leading edge of the Boomers, I find that I need to fish out my reading glasses to discern most printed material and my key-strokes are not always as precise as they used to be. I need to replace my GSM phone with one that will work for a vacation in Ireland. I would REALLY like to find one that is about twice the size (or more) of the present "peanut" phones to get a larger screen and larger (better spaced) keys. So far, I haven't found anything. I actually liked the size of the ones about 3 "generations" ago, that is slightly larger than a pack of 100s cigarettes. They were easy to hold on to, the keys were relatively large and had ample space between and I could read the display without my glasses. Is anything like that available in the GSM world today? ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V25 #40 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Jan 27 15:16:01 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 4298C1508D; Fri, 27 Jan 2006 15:16:01 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #41 Message-Id: <20060127201601.4298C1508D@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 15:16:01 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_REMOVE,MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:17:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 41 Inside This Issue: Happy 250th Birthday, Mozart! Vietnam Frees Cyber 'Spy' From Jail (Reuters News Wire) Maryland Court Gets Tough on Spam (Kristen Wyatt) 1-866 Numbers Are Now in Demand (tollfree@businesstrust.us) Cellular-News for Friday 27th January 2006 (cellular-news) CD DRM: Attacks on Disc Recognition (Monty Solomon) TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 27, 2006 (telecomdirect_daily) Yahoo! Links With Linksys for Wireless Music (USTelecom dailyLead) Telecom Update #514 (Canada) (Angus Telemanagement Group - John Riddell) Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet (Lisa Hancock) Re: History of Hayes Modem (Jeff Sutter) Re: Cell Phone for "Mature" Folks (Chris Farrar) Re: Cell Phone For "Mature" Folks (John Levine) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Vietnam Frees Cyber 'Spy' From Jail Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 12:20:05 -0600 Vietnam has freed a 51-year-old Vietnamese man, a government official said on Friday, after the detainee spent 4 years in jail for helping an overseas dissident group collect anti-Hanoi complaints via the Internet. Nguyen Khac Toan was convicted on espionage charges and jailed for 12 years in December 2002 during a government crackdown on cyberspace dissent. "After four years of executing the jail sentence, convict Nguyen Khac Toan has admitted his offence and shown the attitude of remorse," Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung said in a statement on Friday. The provincial court of Ha Nam dropped the remaining eight years of Toan's sentence on Monday in accordance with Vietnam's "policy on clemency and humanity," the statement said. Toan, who was released on Tuesday, had been a soldier and a mathematics teacher before going into business. The government had accused Toan of receiving orders from an exiled Vietnamese organization based in France to gather letters of complaint and protests from those unhappy with the communist government. Human rights groups and some Western governments had called for Toan's release. Vietnam defends its human rights record and accuses foreign-based dissident groups of attempting to blacken the country's image. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more Reuters News Headlines, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Kristen Wyatt Subject: Maryland Court Gets Tough on Spam Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 12:23:42 -0600 Md. Court Rules Spam Law Applies to All By KRISTEN WYATT, Associated Press Writer Annoying e-mails offering home financing deals or other offers can violate Maryland law, even if they're sent from out of state, a state appeals court judge ruled. Court of Special Appeals Judge Sally D. Adkins rejected an argument by a New York state marketer who said he could not be punished for violating Maryland law because he had no way of knowing whether his e-mails would be opened in Maryland. "This allegation has little more validity than one who contends he is not guilty of homicide when he shoots a rifle into a crowd of people without picking a specific target, and someone dies," the judge wrote in Thursday's ruling. The ruling overturned a lower court decision that a pioneering 2002 state law to penalize junk e-mail senders was unconstitutional because it sought to regulate commerce across state lines. The case began in 2003 when law student Eric Menhart set up a company to go after illegal spammers. In two months he received more than 80 e-mails from Long Island marketer Joseph M. Frevola. One e-mail listed the sender as "Exceptional Deals." Menhart replied to some of the e-mails, but his responses were returned as undeliverable. At the end of 2003, he sent a message to Frevola's e-mail company -- First Choice Internet Inc. -- saying Frevola had violated Maryland's anti-spam law and that Frevola should pay damages or be sued. "My client felt like he was being blackmailed," defense lawyer Andrew Dansicker said. He said Adkins' ruling could open a door for people to make a living by extracting damages from e-mail marketers. Menhart's attorney, Michael Rothman, called Maryland's anti-spam law an essential tool to keep e-mail functioning. Maryland was one of the first states to try to control junk e-mail through legislation. Its 2002 law predates the 2004 federal CAN-SPAM Act. "Part of our goal was to take back the medium of e-mail from spammers who have really hijacked it," Rothman said. Dansicker said his client would like to appeal the ruling but that his company has gone out of business and he may not be able to afford it. On the Net: Ruling: http://www.courts.state.md.us/opinions/cosa/2006/2321s04.pdf Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more Associated Press news and headlines, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: tollfree@businesstrust.us Subject: 1-866 Numbers Are Now in Demand Date: 27 Jan 2006 02:38:32 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com The 866 Area Code Has Reached an All-Time-High Popularity Rate in 2005. View full story at tollfreenumber.org: http://www.tollfreenumber.org/866-numbers/ [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I will tell you why I think 866 has become more popular than 877 or 888. The number of 'vanity' words which can be formed out of 'TUV' followed by 'MNO' is greater than the number of same formed by 'TUV' followed by 'P(Q)RS'. So many companies prefer meaningful (to their customers) words than just numbers. 866 as a starter concluded by 4357 gets you 866 something help for example. 800 is the most 'popular' of all but it was the only choice for many years, and the default. VON amd TOM are very easy combinations to deal with. Where many companies begin with the area code and then find seven digit vanity words, a few very lucky companies can make ten-letter vanity words out of the whole thing: VONAGEHELP is one such example. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Friday 27th January 2006 Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 08:00:54 -0600 From: cellular-news Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ 3G ]] HSBC: 3 Italia May Have Enterprise Value Of Up To EUR10 Billion http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15795.php Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.'s Italian third-generation mobile unit could have an enterprise value of up to EUR10 billion, according to an HSBC research report seen by Dow Jones Newswires Thursday. ... KPN's BASE Unit Fails To Meet 3G License Requirement http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15803.php Royal KPN's Belgian mobile phone company BASE failed to meet the required 30% coverage for its third-generation wireless technology services UMTS network, KPN spokesman Stephen Hufton said Thursday. ... Casio Extends 3G License Agreements http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15814.php Casio has extended its existing CDMA licenses with Qualcomm to include all 3G CDMA standards (i.e., CDMA2000, WCDMA/UMTS, TD-SCDMA). Under the terms of the royalty-bearing expansion, Qualcomm has granted Casio a worldwide license under Qualcomm's CDM... [[ Financial ]] Qualcomm's CEO Says Company Is 'Executing Well' http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15794.php Qualcomm Inc.'s chief executive, Paul Jacobs, said the company is "executing well," even as it reiterated guidance for 2006 which disappointed Wall Street. ... Maroc Telecom 4Q Revenue Up 17.5% On Mobile Division Growth http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15796.php Maroc Telecom, a unit of Vivendi Universal said Thursday its fourth-quarter revenue rose 17.5% on the growth of its mobile phone division. ... NEWS SNAP: Deutsche Telekom Mobile Users Buoyed By USA http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15797.php Germany's largest telecommunications operator Deutsche Telekom said Thursday its U.S. wireless arm added a record number of new customers in the fourth quarter, fueling overall growth at its mobile unit. ... Nokia Profit Slips As Phone Prices Decline http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15798.php okia Corp. on Thursday said fourth-quarter profit slipped 1% due to the increasing popularity of low-end phones and as take-up of telecom infrastructure equipment slowed. ... Siemens Gains As Sales, Orders Offset Profit Slide http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15799.php Shares of German industrial conglomerate Siemens gained ground on Thursday as orders climbed 31%, offsetting potential disappointment from a 19% income slide. ... Verizon CFO: Co Entering '06 With 'Excellent Momentum' http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15804.php Verizon Communications entered the new year with "excellent momentum" after investing in several growth areas in 2005, according to Chief Financial Officer Doreen Toben. ... CTC posts net profit of US$47.9mn in 2005 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15807.php Chile's largest telco Telefonica CTC Chile recorded a net profit of 25.2bn pesos (US$47.9mn) in 2005, the company said in a statement. ... Vivo shareholders to vote Feb 8 on merging units http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15809.php Brazil's largest mobile operator Vivo will hold a general shareholders' meeting to approve the transfer of its five units into a single operation on February 8, the company said in a statement. ... Airwide Raises Investment Funds http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15812.php Airwide Solutions says that it has secured US$25 million in Series D funding. The financing was led by a new investor, Advent International, with participation from existing investors Artiman Ventures, Axiom Venture Partners, Key Venture Partners, an... [[ Handsets ]] Global Mobile Phone Shipments Hit 810 Million In 05-Research http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15800.php Global mobile phone shipments continued to grow at a rapid rate during 2005, according to research compiled by Strategy Analytics, a research company. ... PRESS: Source says police seize handset retailer stocks http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15802.php Russian police have seized mobile handsets and accessories worth several millions of dollars from storehouses of Russian mobile handset retailer Telephone.ru, a source close to the situation said, Biznes daily reported Thursday. ... Nokia Claims 20% US Market Share, Aims For Top Position http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15805.php Nokia Corp. achieved a market share of more than 20% in the U.S. during the fourth quarter after introducing an improved product portfolio, Chief Executive Jorma Ollila told analysts on a conference call. ... [[ Legal ]] Norway's Telenor files three lawsuits against Russia's VimpelCom http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15801.php Norway's telecommunication company Telenor has filed three lawsuits against Russia's second-largest mobile operator VimpelCom, with the Moscow Arbitration Court, Telenor said in a press release Thursday. ... Telenor says doesn't insist on sacking Russia's VimpelCom CEO http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15811.php Norwegian telecommunication company Telenor does not plan to insist on sacking the CEO of Russia's second-largest mobile operator VimpelCom Alexander Izosimov, Jan Edvard Thygesen, executive vice president and head of Telenor in Eastern/Central Eur... [[ Messaging ]] Comverse Wins Australian IM Contract http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15815.php Comverse has commenced work with Australia's Optus to deliver its Mobile Instant Messaging service based on it's Mobile IM solution. Optus has also chosen Comverse's Presence Platform to supply its subscribers with presence-based value added services... [[ Network Contracts ]] Osiptel, Valtron sign wireless deal for Huarochir province http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15808.php Peru's telecoms regulator Osiptel and Lima-based telecoms equipment company Valtron were set to sign a contract on January 25 to implement a wireless network covering the province of Huarochir, Osiptel said in a statement. ... [[ Reports ]] FOCUS: Russian mobile companies still have room to expand http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15810.php If one is to believe the latest data from analysts, almost everybody in Russia including babies and very old people carry a mobile or two. ... Market for Base Station Silicon Tapering Off http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15816.php During the next five years, suppliers that sell semiconductor components to the cellular base station market are likely to see their revenues slightly shrink, after modest growth from 2005 to 2007, reports In-Stat. As a whole, demand for cellular voi... [[ Technology ]] Microsoft: LatAm to see IPTV services offered in 2006 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15806.php Latin America will start to see commercial success with internet TV (IPTV) services in 2006, Renato Cotrim, regional business manager for Microsoft's TV products unit in the southern cone told BNamericas. ... Analog Launches New EDGE Processor http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15813.php Analog Devices has announced the availability of a new high-end multimedia baseband processor enabling advanced audio and video functions in EDGE and GSM/GPRS cellular phones. The new SoftFone chipset consists of the AD6900 digital baseband processor... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 09:21:49 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: CD DRM: Attacks on Disc Recognition CD DRM: Attacks on Disc Recognition Thursday January 26, 2006 by J. Alex Halderman Ed and I are working on an academic paper, "Lessons from the Sony CD DRM Episode", which will analyze several not-yet-discussed aspects of the XCP and MediaMax CD copy protection technologies, and will try to put the Sony CD episode in context and draw lessons for the future. We'll post the complete paper here next Friday. Until then, we'll post drafts of a few sections here. We have two reasons for this: we hope the postings will be interesting in themselves, and we hope your comments will help us improve the paper. Today's excerpt is from the middle of the paper, where we're wading through details about the copy protection systems and the techniques they use to recognize protected CDs. Please note that this is a draft and should not be formally quoted or cited. The final version of our entire paper will be posted here when it is ready. http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=960 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 11:37:45 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 27, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For January 27, 2006 ******************************** Nokia Reports Profit Slip, Boosts Market Share http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/100/16413?11228 Nokia has announced a 6% year-on-year (y/y) fall in fourth-quarter 2005 profits. The company blamed the drop on falling prices of its low-end mobile devices in emerging markets, among other things. It reported a net income reduction to 1.07 billion euro (US$1.3 billion), although sales rose by 9% to 10.33 billion... AT&T and Verizon Upbeat on 2006 Prospects http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16411?11228 AT&T and Verizon are making positive noises about their prospects in 2006. AT&T, which now constitutes the old AT&T and SBC, reported a 7.5% increase in revenues in 2005 and a 4.5% increase in operating income. Its local voice revenues declined by 3.6% over the year and accounted for 46% of total revenues, down from 51% in... Verizon 4Q Earnings Down but Meets Views http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16410?11228 NEW YORK -- The rising cost of pensions and building out a fiber-optic network kept earnings essentially flat at Verizon Communications Inc. in the fourth quarter, while customers migrated from traditional phone lines to cell phones and broadband connections. The New York-based telephone company said it earned $1.7 billion, or 59 cents... Deutsche Telekom Reports Growth in U.S. http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/100/16409?11228 BERLIN -- Germany's Deutsche Telekom AG said Thursday its U.S. mobile unit gained its largest number of new customers to date last year, with rapid growth in the fourth quarter powering a strong overall wireless performance. T-Mobile USA gained a net 1.4 million customers in the October-December period, the Bonn-based parent company... IP PBXs Now the Preferred Choice of US Businesses http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/105/16405?11228 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- US businesses have moved beyond experimenting with IP solutions to incorporating them into the fabric of their voice and data network strategies, reports In-Stat. Many businesses have realized tangible benefits from IP deployments and are increasingly expanding them, the high-tech market research firm says.... CPUC Considers New Rules http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/100/16404?11228 The battle over wireless consumer rights in California is boiling over again as regulators push two different ideas about how to oversee wireless services in the state. The idea of a "Consumer's Bill of Rights" has morphed into another potential donnybrook at the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC). Commissioner Dian Gruenreich... VOIP Peering Bypasses KPN http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/110/16399?11228 The VOIP peering company XConnect Global Networks Ltd. has landed in the middle of a significant VOIP peering arrangement involving five large Dutch cable carriers with 450,000 VOIP users among them. (See Dutch Cablecos Use XConnect.) XConnect is peering together the VOIP services of United Pan-Europe Communications NV (UPC) (Nasdaq:... Copyright (C) 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 12:23:13 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Yahoo! Links With Linksys for Wireless Music USTelecom dailyLead January 27, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cTcYfDtutakwktYvQo TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Yahoo! links with Linksys for wireless music bridge BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Verizon interested in full control of wireless unit * Coalition aims to unwire Silicon Valley * It's a whole new new economy * Siemens reports earnings USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * How will the new bankruptcy laws affect your business? * See Verizon's Newest Products and Services at TelecomNEXT TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * Charge your phone on the links with solar golf bag * Is mobile TV for real this time? VOIP DOWNLOAD * Researchers: Some VoIP services vulnerable to attack * Juniper, Avaya work together on IP products * Qwest debuts IP wholesale offering REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * Lawmakers seek information on phone records Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cTcYfDtutakwktYvQo ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 10:58:16 -0800 Subject: Telecom Update #514 From: Angus TeleManagement Group ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 514: January 27, 2006 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/ ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/ ** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca ** MICROSOFT CANADA: www.microsoft.com/canada/telecom/ ** MITEL NETWORKS: www.mitel.com/ ** NEC UNIFIED SOLUTIONS: www.necunifiedsolutions.com ** ROGERS TELECOM: www.rogers.com/solutions ** VONAGE CANADA: www.vonage.ca ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** SaskTel to Spend $310 Million on Net Upgrade ** Top U.S. Court Won't Hear RIM Appeal ** Aliant Residential Lines Down 2.7% ** MTS Set to Announce 2005 Results ** Virtual Hall of Fame Opens Monday ** Study Sees No Cellphone Cancer Risk ** Experts Find VoIP Security Danger ** Hoax Email Warns of Cellphone Telemarketing ** Microsoft Updates Call Centre Software ** Blackworm Virus Spreads ** Avaya Revenue Up 8.8% ** Lucent Sales Sag ** Uptick in Sierra Wireless Revenues ** SR Telecom Raises $50 Million ** Correction--Videotron ============================================================ SASKTEL TO SPEND $310 MILLION ON NET UPGRADE: SaskTel plans to spend $310 million through 2010, including $136.5 million this year, to install next-generation access technology and bring fibre closer to customers' homes. The first result will be faster Internet access: the telco says it will offer service at 40 to 50 Mbps in ten communities by the end of this year. TOP U.S. COURT WON'T HEAR RIM APPEAL: The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a Research in Motion appeal in the NTP case. RIM had asked the court to consider whether U.S. law is applicable to its service, which is delivered from servers based in Canada. ** NTP's request for an injunction to halt BlackBerry service in the U.S. will be heard in a Virginia district court February 24. ALIANT RESIDENTIAL LINES DOWN 2.7%: At the end of 2005, Aliant had 863,000 residential customer lines in service, a 2.7% drop from 2004. The telco attributed the decline to competitive losses, replacement of dial-up lines by high-speed services, and conversions to VoIP. Local telecom revenue was down 2.9%; long distance revenue fell 8.5%. ** Those declines were offset by increased revenues from wireless, Internet, and other services, and by reduced expenses. Operating revenue for the year was up 3.1%; net income increased 52.6% to $199.4 million. MTS SET TO ANNOUNCE 2005 RESULTS: Manitoba Telecom Services will reveal its financial results for 2005 on Tuesday, January 31. These will be the first results released since Bell Canada veteran Pierre Blouin took over as CEO, and there is speculation that he will discuss the future of Allstream, which has performed poorly since MTS acquired it in the spring of 2004. VIRTUAL HALL OF FAME OPENS MONDAY: Canada's Telecommunications Hall of Fame will unveil a new and greatly enhanced website on Monday January 30 at 3 pm. New features at the Virtual Hall of Fame will include exhibits about HoF laureates, a National Telecom Portal, and a "living stories" section for reminiscences about Canadian telecom. http://www.telecomhall.ca STUDY SEES NO CELLPHONE CANCER RISK: A study published in the British Medical Journal finds no link between cellphone use and increased frequency of brain tumours. The four-year survey of 2,682 people compared tumour incidence with number of calls, years of cellphone use, and hours of cellphone use. EXPERTS FIND VoIP SECURITY DANGER: The Communications Research Network says that a security loophole could permit VoIP applications such as Skype and Vonage to be used as cover for launching denial of service attacks. CRN is funded by Cambridge University in Britain and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. http://www.communicationsresearch.net HOAX EMAIL WARNS OF CELLPHONE TELEMARKETING: An email circulating on the Net warns that massive telemarketing to cellphones is about to begin, so cellphone users should register with the Do-Not-Call registry. This message a hoax: please don't pass it on! ** There is no Do-Not-Call registry in Canada: a Bill to create one was passed by Parliament in December, but it has not yet been proclaimed. MICROSOFT UPDATES CALL CENTRE SOFTWARE: Microsoft has upgraded its call centre software, and renamed it Customer Care Framework 2005. The product provides agents with data from ordering, billing, and other business systems. BLACKWORM VIRUS SPREADS: One more reason to keep your antivirus software updated. If activated, "Blackworm" sends itself to all your contacts, then hides on your hard drive: it is programmed to erase 11 types of files, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF, on February 3. ** An IBM study released this week reports a sharp decline in email viruses: 2.8% of emails contained viruses in 2005, compared to 6.1% in 2004. AVAYA REVENUE UP 8.8%: Avaya reports revenue of US$1.25 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 8.8% higher than the same period in 2004. Profits more than doubled to $71 million, and IP line shipments increased 16%. ** Avaya this week announced integration of its communications software with IBM Lotus, and alliances with Juniper Networks, SAP, and AT&T. LUCENT SALES SAG: Fourth quarter revenue of Lucent Technologies was US$4.2 billion, 12% less than the same period in 2004. The company's net loss of $104 million included a $278 million charge for a bankruptcy court judgment. UPTICK IN SIERRA WIRELESS REVENUES: Vancouver-based Sierra Wireless reports 2005 revenue of US$107 million, only half the level of the previous year. But fourth-quarter revenue was up 37% from the preceding quarter. Net loss on the year: $36.5 million. (See Telecom Update #485) SR TELECOM RAISES $50 MILLION: SR Telecom says it is raising $50 million in equity investment and converting some of its debt to shares. (See Telecom Update #508) CORRECTION -- VIDEOTRON: Videotron's "Extreme" Internet access service is being upgraded to 10 Mbps by March, not 10 Gbps, as reported in Telecom Update #513. We apologize for the error. ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-mail ianangus@angustel.ca and jriddell@angustel.ca =========================================================== 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 late Friday afternoon each week at http://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 http://www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2005 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail jriddell@angustel.ca. 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: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post Date: 27 Jan 2006 10:56:11 -0800 jmeissen@aracnet.com wrote: > No, you still insist on making irrelevant or incorrect > analogies. Under my argument, if the photographer were somehow the > ONLY planning service available (because for some mysterious reason > only one was feasable in this imaginary world) and every wedding HAD > to make use of a planning service, then he should not be allowed to > prevent his clients from taking his plans to another photographer > for actual implementation. No. The bottom line is that the baby Bells now operate in a competitive world. You don't need them at all anymore. You may get all services -- broadband and local -- from a cable TV provider. There's a lot of fibre out there that can serve end points. In other words, the photographer is NOT the only planning service available. It is true the baby Bells have a monopoly on traditional POTS service. But that is (and always has been) the least profitable part of the business. The more profitable aspects -- switching, premium services, long distance, equipment, are fully competitive. In other words, even if someone uses Bell as connection, a heavy user with a combined $100 communications bill would pay only $5 to the Bell company, the rest would go to others. That's not a very powerful market position nor very profitable. All of the arguments in this theme falsely assume the baby Bells have a monopoly as they did in the old days. If the baby Bells have something to offer the market place (by virtue of their long experience in communications services), the market place should not be denied their services. AT&T tried to compete in the market place and failed and the company no longer exists. The regulators didn't decide this, the market place and AT&T's abilities and offerings worked it out. If Verizon can outdo Comcast in Internet service (for example), why shouldn't we consumers have that benefit? ------------------------------ From: Jeff Sutter Subject: Re: History of Hayes Modem Date: 27 Jan 2006 00:47:25 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com John Levine wrote: >> That's true. I felt the original posting implied that Hayes invented >> something entirely new; which wasn't quite true. > As far as I know, his was the first modem to use in-band signalling. > It was really rather clever to build a UART into the modem and use it > to let the computer control the modem over the same channel as it used > to communicate with the remote system. Nope, that honor goes to Bizcomp, who predated Hayes by two years. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 09:28:28 -0500 From: Chris Farrar Subject: Re: Cell Phone For "Mature" Folks I'd recommend the Motorola Razor, nice large screen, fairly large buttons, and it is a "world" phone. Chris Ken Abrams wrote about: Cell Phone For "Mature" Folks on Thu, 26 Jan 2006 23:16:57 GMT: > Being on the leading edge of the Boomers, I find that I need to fish > out my reading glasses to discern most printed material and my > key-strokes are not always as precise as they used to be. > I need to replace my GSM phone with one that will work for a vacation > in Ireland. I would REALLY like to find one that is about twice the > size (or more) of the present "peanut" phones to get a larger screen > and larger (better spaced) keys. So far, I haven't found anything. > I actually liked the size of the ones about 3 "generations" ago, that > is slightly larger than a pack of 100s cigarettes. They were easy to > hold on to, the keys were relatively large and had ample space between > and I could read the display without my glasses. Is anything like > that available in the GSM world today? ------------------------------ Date: 27 Jan 2006 15:25:45 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: Cell Phone For "Mature" Folks > I actually liked the size of the ones about 3 "generations" ago, that > is slightly larger than a pack of 100s cigarettes. They were easy to > hold on to, the keys were relatively large and had ample space between > and I could read the display without my glasses. Is anything like > that available in the GSM world today? Probably not, but one of the nice things about GSM is that every GSM900 phone ever made is still compatible with current networks. Just find one on ebay, pop in a SIM and go. Here in the US I still like my Nokia 6340i with fairly large text and buttons. R's, John ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications topics. 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End of TELECOM Digest V25 #41 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Jan 28 00:25:46 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id BE98E1512E; Sat, 28 Jan 2006 00:25:45 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #42 Message-Id: <20060128052545.BE98E1512E@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 00:25:45 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_REMOVE,MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=unavailable version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Sat, 28 Jan 2006 00:27:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 42 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson UK Music Filesharers Ordered to Pay Fines (Tim Castle) Father Rapes Daughter, age 3, in AOL Chat Room (Associated Press NewsWire) SBC-ATT Merger Triggers $866 Million Charge (San Jose Business Journal) Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post (jmeissen@aracnet) Re: Maryland Court Gets Tough on Spam (jtaylor) Re: Cellphone Sex; Will it Play in Peoria (John McHarry) Re: Cell Phone For "Mature" Folks (Ken Abrams) Re: Cell Phone For "Mature" Folks (John Levine) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tim Castle Subject: UK Music Filesharers Ordered to Pay Fines Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 21:00:32 -0600 By Tim Castle Britain's record industry said on Friday it had won a landmark court case against two people caught illegally swapping music on the Internet, forcing them to pay thousands of pounds in bills. In the first case of its kind in Britain, London's High Court ruled in separate judgments that the two men were liable for illegal internet distribution of music, the British Phonographic Institute (BPI) said. "It's the first time our assertion that file sharing is illegal has been tested in court," a BPI spokesman told Reuters. "These individuals felt they had a case to defend, and the courts ruled that they emphatically don't." The BPI said it had decided not to name the two men, a postman from Brighton in southern England and a man from King's Lynn in eastern England, who it had taken to court for breaking the Copyright and Patents Act. The judgments were made earlier this month and in November. The man from King's Lynn was ordered to make an immediate payment of 5,000 pounds ($8,860), and faces legal costs of 13,500 pounds and as well as an undecided sum for damages. The postman, a father of two, was told to pay 1,500 pounds pending a final decision on damages and costs. Until now the BPI has reached out-of-court settlements with individuals it has traced uploading large amounts of music over so-called peer-to-peer networks, which distribute data between users instead of relying on a central server. The BPI has launched around 140 legal cases since October 2004 against individuals as it cracks down on illegal filesharing. In the United States the Recording Industry Association of America has sued thousands of individuals for unauthorized downloading of music. The music industry estimates there are 900 million unauthorized music files are on the Internet. But the BPI said the growth of illegal file sharing has slowed following the emergence of legitimate music download services such as Apple's iTunes and a greater awareness of the possibility of legal sanctions. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Reuters News Service, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: Associated Press News Wire Subject: Father Convicted of Raping Daughter, age 3 on Vidcam in AOL Chatroom Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:31:44 -0600 A man who was arrested after offering to have sex with a toddler live on the Internet was convicted of raping his 3-year-old daughter and could face life in prison. The man's wife was also charged with sexually abusing their children but was found incompetent to stand trial and is undergoing treatment. Prosecutor Joe Deters said both Paul Kraft, 32, and his wife sexually abused their four sons and daughter, ages 1 to 6, over the past year. Robin Kraft, 25, faced 17 charges, including rape and attempted rape, mostly over Internet in chatrooms. Paul Kraft was arrested after he encountered an undercover Secret Service agent last March in an AOL chat room called "baby and preteen sex." In an online exchange, Kraft offered to rape a 3-year-old live on the Internet if another person would do the same so he could watch, prosecutors said. The agent contacted Hamilton County sheriff's deputies, who arrested Kraft at home. Kraft later admitted they "did that sort of thing a lot on AOL in chat rooms with kids, letting other adults watch, and they would do the same with their kids." Kraft waived his right to a jury trial, and Judge Charles J. Kubicki convicted him Thursday of five charges of rape and 12 charges of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor. The children, now in foster care, initially had limited language skills but developed enough over the past 10 months to tell authorities what happened to them, Deters said. His office has opposed efforts by members of the couple's family to gain custody of the children. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: San Jose Business Journal Subject: SBC-ATT Merger Triggers $866 Million Charge Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:43:23 -0600 via Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal - January 26, 2006 http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2006/01/23/daily48.html Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal SBC-AT&T Merger Costs Trigger $866M Charge The costs associated with the merger of SBC Communications Inc. and AT&T Corp. last fall resulted in a fourth-quarter charge of $866 million, the new AT&T Inc. said Thursday. The financial results from San Antonio, Texas-based AT&T also include AT&T's portion of Cingular Wireless LLC's ongoing merger and amortization costs. That resulted in a charge of $707 million. In addition, AT&T's portion of Cingular's hurricane-related costs resulted in a charge of $20 million. AT&T owns a 60 percent stake in the Atlanta-based carrier. AT&T also took a separate fourth-quarter charge of $106 million for workforce reduction costs not related to the merger. The company did, however, experience a tax gain of $902 million, or 25 cents per share, from favorable tax settlements, which helped offset these charges. According to purchase accounting rules, AT&T's most recent quarter includes SBC's stand-alone operations until the Nov. 18 merger and the combined SBC-AT&T operations for the remainder of the quarter. In addition, financial figures from the former AT&T Corp.'s fourth-quarter earnings for 2004 aren't factored into comparisons with the combined company's financial reports. AT&T reported net income of $1.66 billion, or 46 cents per share, on revenue of $12.97 billion for the quarter ended Dec. 31. That compares with net income from continuing operations of $688 million, or 21 cents per share, on revenue of $10.3 billion for the quarter ended Dec. 31. That figure reflects only SBC's operating results. "The new AT&T has gotten off to a very strong start," AT&T Chairman and CEO Edward Whitacre Jr. said. "We continue to execute well across our operations, and we have moved quickly on merger integration. The assets we acquired are in excellent shape, we did a thorough job of merger planning, we have retained key talent, and customer response to the new AT&T has been very positive." Copyright 2006 San Jose Business Journal 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, San Jose Business Journal. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: jmeissen@aracnet.com Subject: Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post Date: 27 Jan 2006 23:14:39 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com In article , wrote: > No. The bottom line is that the baby Bells now operate in a > competitive world. You don't need them at all anymore. You may get > all services -- broadband and local -- from a cable TV provider. > There's a lot of fibre out there that can serve end points. In other > words, the photographer is NOT the only planning service available. No, it's NOT a competitive world. Maybe in your perfect universe, but if I HAVE to get all services from the people that provide the wires then that's not competition. WHat you're saying is that anyone who wants to provide Internet services should be prepared to deploy their own Internet. There are very few places where there are more choices than cable or phone company wires. And maybe you haven't noticed but anywhere that alternatives have been proposed the phone companies have been fighting them tooth and nail, in the courts and in the media. I don't mind paying the phone company whatever they want to charge for the physical connection. And I'm certainly interested in considering whatever services they offer as well. But I don't want them to be able to tell me what I can and can't do with the network that I'm paying them to provide me. I'm sure if the government wasn't forcing them to open the phone lines that I'd have to use whatever long-distance company Verizon wanted me to use. You can argue Free Enterprise all you want, but the truth is there's only competition in many areas because the government forces it. I have a choice of local phone service now because of VOIP providers, but what will happen when Verizon starts blocking all VIOP traffic except their own? You're saying that it's their wires, they should be able to do that. And that's what they will do, unless the government stops them. If Verizon, or whoever, wants to run wires at their own expense to my place so they can offer their services, and only their services, over it, that's fine. But if I'm paying for the wires I should be able to determine what flows over it. > All of the arguments in this theme falsely assume the baby Bells have > a monopoly as they did in the old days. You say falsely, but the local markets seem to say otherwise. A monopoly position doesn't have to be 100% saturation. According to your view, since Linux can be used as a desktop alternative then the desktop computer market is obviously competitive ... something the government has already ruled is not the case. Thanks to our government I'm facing a near future where I won't be able to use my current ISP. I'll be forced to use Verizon or Comcast. It may not be a monopoly, but a duopoly is NOT competition. > If the baby Bells have something to offer the market place (by virtue > of their long experience in communications services), the market place > should not be denied their services. I agree! I've NEVER said that they shouldn't be allowed to provide services. I don't know why you keep implying that I did. All I've EVER said was that they shouldn't be allowed to PREVENT other people from also providing services. > AT&T tried to compete in the market place and failed and the > company no longer exists. AT&T "doesn't exist" because of mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs and consolidation. It may or may not be because they failed to compete. I would argue that they continue to exist, they just became an attractive take-over target for a corporation with deeper pockets. > If Verizon can outdo Comcast in Internet service (for example), why > shouldn't we consumers have that benefit? I never said we shouldn't. In fact, I wish they would, and that I could. But 1) I have no choice, and 2) They're doing everything in their power to make it worse. And I'm not unique, and they're trying to make sure I'm the rule rather than the exception. John Meissen jmeissen@aracnet.com ------------------------------ From: jtaylor Subject: Re: Maryland Court Gets Tough on Spam Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 20:14:39 -0400 Organization: MCI Canada News Reader Service Kristen Wyatt wrote in message news:telecom25.41.2@telecom-digest.org: > Md. Court Rules Spam Law Applies to All > By KRISTEN WYATT, Associated Press Writer > He said Adkins' ruling could open a door for people to make a living > by extracting damages from e-mail marketers. Works for me ... How can an out-of-state resident sue in Maryland? [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You begin your suit by finding out if the Maryland company/corporation has any person or office in your state. If so, then you make legal service on that person or office in _your state_. Let _them_ go to the trouble of getting the paperwork into the right hands. PAT] ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: Cellphone Sex; Will it Play in Peoria Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 01:45:07 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net On Fri, 27 Jan 2006 00:19:31 -0600, Tom Brown wrote: > But what sells in Austria or Hungary, which she described as Europe's > "most explicit markets," or even in Ireland, Britain and Sweden, which > she ranked as Europe's "most conservative" venues, may not play in > Peoria, Illinois. I wouldn't be too sure. I grew up in a small town near Peoria. Peoria had a thriving whorehouse industry, at least through the '60s. When the long time leading madam died, all the local swells turned out for her funeral. Peorians may not be much for stage plays, but perhaps it is just because they prefer their entertainments a bit more chthonic. ------------------------------ From: Ken Abrams Subject: Re: Cell Phone For "Mature" Folks Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 00:12:42 GMT Chris Farrar wrote: > I'd recommend the Motorola Razor, nice large screen, fairly large > buttons, and it is a "world" phone. I have glanced at those already but I will take a closer look. If I remember the size and layout of the keyboard correctly (which may NOT be the case), your concept or "large" is somewhat different than mine. ;-) I do need one that will work in Europe and would like to have a built-in camera so I'm sure my choices will be limited. Thanks for the input. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Jan 2006 15:25:45 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: Cell Phone For "Mature" Folks > I actually liked the size of the ones about 3 "generations" ago, that > is slightly larger than a pack of 100s cigarettes. They were easy to > hold on to, the keys were relatively large and had ample space between > and I could read the display without my glasses. Is anything like > that available in the GSM world today? Probably not, but one of the nice things about GSM is that every GSM900 phone ever made is still compatible with current networks. Just find one on ebay, pop in a SIM and go. Here in the US I still like my Nokia 6340i with fairly large text and buttons. R's, John [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I took John's suggestion and it worked out reasonable well. Cingular Wireless really pressured me to go with GSM when my last contract ran out, so I did, and the phone which came with the new contract for free was a Nokia 6010. Trouble is, I thought and still think it is a flimsy phone, confusing to use, with tiny little buttons. _None_ of my attachments (car charger, headphone, or cell socket device) were compatible. I had to start over from scratch. But on E-Bay, I found the very same phone John mentioned, a Nokia 6340i which was unlocked and quite cheap. My attachments mostly worked okay with that except for my cell socket (which still distributes calls to other wired phones but will _not_ be charged through the cell socket. I had some trouble with the 6340i, which, when Cingular explained it mostly went away. The problem was every day or three, the 6340i would lose track of its registration data and refuse to accept or admit any calls. Cingular explained it this way: You still have your old phone around? Yes I do; I leave it in a charger and always turned on. Cingular asked, when the old phone was taken out of service did you 'merely' get the number swapped over to the new phone, or did the agent also 'reprogram' the old phone with ten zeros as the number? No programming done, just had the ESN deactivated in the old phone and the new ESN turned on (along with the SIM card of course). Well said the rep, there is a problem right there. The tower sees the old, now invalidated ESN in the old phone, but the _phone number_ is getting broadcast both from the old phone (now unused) and the _new_ phone. The tower gets a little confused by that, seeing the number out there twice but only one good ESN (and SIM card). Now and again, the tower decides to try and respond to the old phone, when that happens the new phone gets left out. So she urged me, "if you are going to leave the old phone around 'where the tower can see it' at least program its number to ten zeros where the tower won't be continually attempting to hook up with the new phones number. I will just leave the old phone turned off and not use it at all and see if that helps the new GAIT phone Nokia 6340-i keep its place. The lady said to me also, "even if you prefer to have your active phone always turned on and available 24/7, you are still going to have to cycle the power on it at least once every or two. I guess that makes sense. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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. 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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V25 #42 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Jan 28 22:25:43 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 4079E14DF1; Sat, 28 Jan 2006 22:25:43 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #43 Message-Id: <20060129032543.4079E14DF1@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 22:25:43 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.1 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR,USERPASS,US_DOLLARS_3 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Sat, 28 Jan 2006 22:27:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 43 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Sprint-Nextel Sues Data Brokers (Jeremy Pelofsky) Exemption For Government BlackBerry Users Riles Regular Users (M Solomon) Hearing Set on Possible BlackBerry Blackout (Monty Solomon) Voip Learning and Translating Tutorial (kimi) Re: Information Wants to be Free (Neal McLain) Re: Remote Call Screening (modorney@aol.com) From Our Archives: Prison Phone Technology (TELECOM Digest Editor) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jeremy Pelofsky Subject: Sprint-Nextel Sues Data Brokers Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 19:34:54 -0600 Sprint Nextel Corp. on Friday said it sued the parent company of four data brokers it said used fraudulent means to obtain and sell wireless customer call records. Sprint said the company, 1st Source Information Specialists Inc., had its employees pose as customers seeking information about their own accounts, to get access to cell phone logs and phone numbers. Sprint is seeking temporary and permanent injunctions against the Tamarac, Florida-based company, which runs Web sites such as locatecell.com and celltolls.com. Sprint filed the lawsuit in a state court in Broward County, Florida, a spokeswoman for the company said. GoDaddy.com, which hosts the locatecell.com site, made it unavailable after receiving complaints from customers who said they failed to receive service, consumers worried about their data being sold and law enforcement agencies, GoDaddy.com general counsel Christine Jones told Reuters. "We made the decision, based on input we were getting, to remove the hosting content," she said in a telephone interview. She said the company also hosts celltolls.com but has not heard of complaints regarding that site. An attempt to leave a message with 1st Source on Friday afternoon was unsuccessful. A lawyer for the company could not be reached for comment. The lawsuit marked the latest in a series of legal actions against 1st Source. Wireless phone company T-Mobile on Monday sued 1st Source in a Washington state court and the company also faces a lawsuit brought by the Illinois attorney general. Cingular Wireless, the largest U.S. wireless carrier, has said it obtained a temporary restraining order against 1st Source and another company, Data Find Solutions. The Federal Communications Commission this month issued a citation against 1st Source for failing to comply fully with a subpoena and threatened to fine the company. U.S. lawmakers, state attorneys general and the FCC are looking into whether any laws were broken by companies that obtain and sell cell phone records. The House Energy and Commerce Committee scheduled a hearing on the issue for Wednesday and the Senate Commerce Committee plans to hold a hearing on February 8, the panels announced on Friday. Lawmakers on both committees are drafting legislation. "Congress must ensure that Americans' phone records are protected and that there will be severe penalties for invading privacy," said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican. (Additional reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky in Washington.) Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html Read more Reuters News Wire reports at: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 11:10:54 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Exemption for Government BlackBerry Users Riles Regular Users Exemption for government BlackBerry users riles others facing shutdown 'They're sticking it to private business,' says one CIO News Story by Matt Hamblen JANUARY 26, 2006 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Government workers and emergency personnel would be exempt from a possible shutdown of BlackBerry wireless e-mail service in the U.S., a situation that has private-sector users steaming. "They're sticking it to private business," said John Wade, CIO at St. Luke's Health System in Kansas City, Mo. St. Luke's supports nearly 500 health care workers using the BlackBerry service. In the ongoing patent lawsuit brought by NTP Inc. against Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM), NTP adjusted its injunction request in a Jan. 17 memorandum to a federal judge, saying it will not seek to stop BlackBerry service for federal, state and local government users as well as certified first responders. Explaining that change today, NTP attorney James Wallace Jr. said that NTP is complying with a federal law that says federal workers must be automatically exempted. As for the other government entities, he said: "We're not nasty, vindictive people and we're trying to help emergency responders. But purely commercial people are going to have to stop using BlackBerry unless RIM pays" licensing fees to NTP. "RIM chose not to take out a license, and the time of the free ride is over." While several IT managers said in interviews that they doubt a court-ordered shutdown would ever take effect, they are miffed by the possibility of an exemption for public-sector users. http://www.computerworld.com/mobiletopics/mobile/story/0,10801,108094,00.html [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That is the way things so often are done. The government rarely -- if ever -- has to follow the laws and rules it imposes on its citizenry; that is because the government's purposes are always so noble and good and pure. If you think this anticipated Blackberry fiasco stinks please recall several years ago when the Justice Department was upgrading some of its software; the end result was they bought _ONE_ copy of Westlaw stuff and then proceeded to install that ONE copy of thousands of desktop computers in the Justice Department. Westlaw complained, but to no avail; I guess they are still complaining. And the government, which will continue to use Blackberry equipment all it wants will be quite happy to seize _your_ Blackberry if you are caught using it, because their motives are -- you guessed it -- pure and noble and good. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 11:10:11 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Hearing Set on Possible BlackBerry Blackout By John Cox, NetworkWorld.com, 01/26/06 The next legal skirmish for Research in Motion in its long-running patent battle with NTP will take place Feb. 24 in a federal courtroom closely watched by customers worried that RIM's BlackBerry service could be shut down. U.S. District Court Judge James Spencer this week set the date for a hearing to consider a possible injunction against RIM, maker of the BlackBerry wireless e-mail device. NTP has asked the court to close down the BlackBerry service in the U.S. and the manufacture and sale of the handhelds themselves. Both companies are scheduled to file opposing arguments in the case with Judge Spencer by Feb. 1. Right around the time the parties will be meeting in Judge Spencer's courtroom, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) may be moving toward a final resolution of the NTP patents at the heart of this dispute. Last December, the office issued another set of preliminary rulings that found NTP's patents to be invalid. NTP's response is due by Feb. 28. A report this week by analysts at investment banker Goldman Sachs noted that "NTP must prove that these patents contain new inventions on several key patents by Feb. 28 or face the PTO permanently rejecting the patents," the authors wrote. "If the PTO issues final rejections on any or all of the five NTP patents, this could change the course of the lawsuit. To the extent that patents are ruled invalid, we believe that it is likely that this would be considered by the District Court." http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/012606-blackberry-hearing.html ------------------------------ From: kimi Subject: Voip Learning and Translating Tutorial Date: 28 Jan 2006 07:13:08 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Voip Learning and Translating Tutorial Voice Over IP is a new communication means that let you telephone with Internet at almost null cost. How this is possible, what systems are used, what is the standard, all that is covered by this Howto. http://www.freewebs.com/voipformula/VoIP-HOWTO.html ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 07:15:53 -0600 From: Neal McLain Reply-To: nmclain@annsgarden.com Subject: Re: Information wants to be free hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > Let me note the failed promise of cable television. That was > another "wave of the future" that would revolutionalize our > lives. Gee, so now I can watch young buff bodies on MTV living > together. That has some entertainment value, admittedly, but is > that an "information revolution"? Nope. > Let's also remember the skyrocketing cost of cable television. > We're now paying DOUBLE for it. We pay to subscribe for the content, > but then the shows almost all have a great many commercials. Indeed, > most have more commercials than traditional commercial TV which > comes through for free (though that has more commercials now, too.) > Some cable channels have five minutes of commercials for every five > minutes of content. We have "Modern Marvels" on the History Channel, > which has some educational merit, until a closer look is that it's > essentially a propaganda piece for the industries its covering. A > report on buses, for example, mostly focused on the wonderful work > of one particular school bus builder. When the stuff comes through > at high speed, will we be getting quality or just more commercials? So how would you offer History Channel if you were in charge? Would you offer History Channel as premium cable service, with no commercials (like HBO and Showtime), for an extra $10.00 or so on top of the basic-cable charge? If so, do you think enough people would subscribe to it sustain it financially? Or would you buy a nationwide network of TV stations and offer History Channel as a 100%-advertising-supported channel with no subscriber charge? If so, do you think enough advertisers would buy airtime to sustain it financially? Neal McLain ------------------------------ From: modorney@aol.com Subject: Re: Remote Call Screening Date: 28 Jan 2006 09:44:11 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Yep, they're the ones! UNiden CLX 475 and CLX 485 support "Call Screening/Call Recording from Handset" Thanks for the tip! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 21:32:53 EST From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) Subject: Telecom Archives Reprint - Prison Phone Technology Ten years ago in this column, I printed an essay from Tom Farley on the topic of Prison Phone Technology. On a cold, damp, Saturday night here (winter has _finally_ come to Independence this year, it seems) I thought it might be a fun item to review again, especially for our readers who were not even on line here ten years ago. Date: Wed, 2 Oct 1996 16:00:46 -0400 (EDT) From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) Subject: Prison Phone Technology Tom Farley is another great member of our online community who writes a print journal from time to time known as {Private Line}. I shared his most recent issue with Digest readers recently and now I have another excellent report from Tom, this time on telephones in prisons. Without wasting any more bandwidth, let's read it! PAT From: Tom Farley Subject: Prison Phone Technology Date: Wed, 2 Oct 96 14:31:56 -0500 Organization: Delphi (info@delphi.com email, 800-695-4005 voice) Hello, Pat. Here's something from my latest e-zine. I can e-mail people a copy of the ezine although it should be up at http://privateline.com soon. Best wishes, Tom Farley IV. AN INTRODUCTION TO PRISON PHONE TECHNOLOGY-- by Tom Farley -- tom@privateline.com -- http://privateline@delphi.com A. A brief overview B. Three different call processing approaches 1. Class of service approach 2. Generic switch utilizing custom software a. Close up of one switch: NACT's 120LCX 3. Dedicated system using PC technology 4. Typical Call processors' anti-fraud features a. Call blocking on a permanent basis b. Call blocking on an as needed basis c. Limiting long distance carriers d. Flash hook prevention e. Rotary dial acceptance f. Limiting automated message attempts g. Conference call prevention C. The federal Inmate Telephone System (ITS) 1. Introduction 2. Letter from jail 3. Discussion and speculation 4. Federal Bureau of Prison (B.OP.) Time Line 5. Discussion continues 6. ITS Account Report 7. A report on ITS from Jail 8. Real short conclusion 9. Bibliography A. General Overview The prison phone business is big and getting bigger. At least 50,000 inmate phones now exist with more being added all the time. By comparison, colleges account for 60,000 public phones and hotels and motels 80,000. [1] Phone companies pay big commissions to states and counties to service the rapidly growing prison market. The decades old practice of letting inmates call collect to any number they wish is now being replaced by allowing collect calling or direct dialing to pre-selected numbers. Just how that is accomplished is the focus of this article. Prison phone systems come in a bewildering number of shapes and sizes. County, state and some Federal prisons configure their operations for their requirements, consequently, there are no standards, much like all PBX's vary widely in features and operating methods. But like PBX's, there are some features common to all "inmate call control technologies." At the very least, a prison phone system uses a call processor to approve and place the call, surveillance equipment to monitor it, and recording equipment to archive the conversation. Only smaller counties and, curiously, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, "the largest state prison system on earth, still unlock the cells and let prisoners use a phone on someone's desk, a la Barney Fife." (2) In past years prisoners could call collect to anyone they wished. The new trend, though, is toward allowing direct or collect calls to pre-approved numbers. The most controversial approach is a pre-approved number scheme, as practiced by the federal Inmate Telephone System (ITS). But before we look at ITS, let's look at the technology state and county prisons use to process automated collect calls. B. Three approaches to call processing While line based call blocking is an effective solution for some facilities, most county and state prisons use a call processor to approve and place calls. There are two approaches. The first method employs a pre-existing switch using custom software written for the prison industry and quite often for the individual facility itself. Switch based platforms excel at supporting the greatest number of ports (sometimes to 8,000). The other approach uses a dedicated system based on PC or microprocessor technology. PC-based platforms shine at providing flexibility. Figure on stand alone switches costing from $160,000 to $700,000, compared to PC- platforms starting around $60,000 with only 96 ports or 48 channels. [3] Let's first look at what a telco can do and then we'll look at call processors. 1. Class of service approach Large and small telcos offer many kinds of call blocking to institutions. The advantage is simplicity. Order from your local phone company and pay by the month. Pacific Bell calls their two offerings the "COPT (Customer Owned Pay Telephone) Inmate Line" and the "COPT Inmate Collect Only Line." [4] The COPT Inmate Line is a low security offering, with only 900/976 and international direct distance dialing (IDDD) permanently blocked. 'O+' calls are screened for collect only. All other calls, including local, '411', '611' , '911' '0-' (operator dialed) and so on must be blocked with customer owned equipment. Their COPT Inmate Collect Only Line, by comparison, costs more but blocks all of the above calls, at least over Pacific Bell's network. Line based call blocking may be good to have, however, it can't replace a prison's call processor. 2. Generic switch using custom software. Switches like the Summa Four, Excell, Harris 20/20 are often used to managing prison calls. National Applied Computer Technology (NACT), for example, sells a switch called the LCX 120C switching system. [4] It's a tandem digital switch, often used by long distance carriers, prepaid calling card sellers, payphone route handlers and other service providers. The 120C is a medium to large trunk switch, capable of putting long distance traffic out to the toll network without going through the local central office first. It's a generic switch, therefore, with software making the difference. NACT is heavily involved in the correctional industry. Let's look a little more closely at this switch, since it is so often used in prisons and other high fraud locations. a. Close up of one switch: NACT's LCX120C Although I do not have the name of the operator, a NACT LCX120C is currently operated by a company which manages or owns over 2,500 COCOTs in New York City. 1+, 0+ and 0- calls are processed through the switch and all traffic is scrutinized by NACT's proprietary Control and Validation Unit (CVU). Most software, by the way, is developed in "C". NACT claims fraud losses will drop from 20% on average to 0.5 percent and the return on investment for this operator was only six weeks. Perhaps. The cabinet housing the switch stands three feet tall and two feet wide. A clear plexiglass door covers the electronic bay housing the electronics. Two 125 cfm fans keep the air moving. The control and validation unit (CVU) stands at the top of the assembly. The CVU is the primary processor, equipped with dual 330/520 MB hardrives and a 250 MB cartridge tape drive. Using older but serviceable technology, the processor is an MC680x0, utilizing 8 megs of ram and drawing on a 400 watt power supply. The CVU does validation and controls the trunk control unit (TCU) below it. Up to four trunk control units can be supported, each TCU controlling 120 ports (60 talk paths). The TCUs contain "processor and trunk control cards to handle line signalling, send/receive digits, and interface with the CPU." Each TCU utilizes a "realtime industrial processor", 128 Kb of RAM, 80 KB of ROM and a 300 watt power supply. An uninteruuptible power supply sits below the TCU and a remote diagnostics system, with a modem, of course, sits below that.[5] Add an administration workstation and a printer and you're ready to roll. 2. Dedicated system using PC technology The other approach to prison call processing uses a dedicated system, often based on PC or microprocessor hardware. Such a beast will use a 486 processor or a Pentium, typically running under DOS rather than UNIX. TELEQUIP, CPDI and others use this approach. [6] TELEQUIP's ACP-4000 (Automated Call Processor (R)) is marketed just to correctional facilities. That might make it simpler to install. TELEQUIP boasts that "ACP installation is the easiest in the industry. No wall space or card racks! Simple plug-and-play is standard. Set the ACP anywhere on-site, connect one cable to a 66 block, plug in the power and your ACP is processing inmate calls!" [7] Wonderful. N.A.C.T., by comparison, says six weeks are required to install their switch. TELEQUIP says their equipment services 8,000 prison lines and six state contracts. That's a pretty large slice of the prison pie. But for variety, let's take a look at CPDI's offering to get an idea of a PC-platform based switch. b. Close up look at a PC-based switch CPDI's PC-switch approach is typical. It relies on a file server, a card processor, a workstation, Dialogic telephone interface cards, a Novel local area network, a hub and some proprietary software. [8] The file server is actually a souped up PC, a computer with file management software, voice boards for prompts and a big hard drive. T1 lines usually terminate directly into the card processors. Each processor supports 48 ports or 24 channels. A tape backup and a hard drive backup are usually standard, indeed, a redundant file server is often used in case of failure. The administration workstation may have a modem and a dial up remote access port. So what do these two kinds of systems have in common? Plenty, especially when it comes to anti-fraud features. 3. Call processors' anti-fraud features Many state and county prison calls are dialed collect from a pre-approved list. Allowing and supervising calls from hundreds or possibly thousands of prisoners at an institution requires a fraud resistant automated collect calling system. Everett Castor, switch operations manager for N.A.C.T says "You can't possibly simulate in a lab everything an inmate can think to do." [9] Here's a list of features a modern processor may have: a. Call blocking on a permanent basis -- Most inmates are not allowed to talk to a live operator of any sort. In addition, 700, 800, 900 and 950 services are all permanently blocked. "Country codes, information digits, NPAs (area codes), third party numbers" can also be shut down. b. Call blocking on an as needed basis -- Inmates and their compatriots are notorious for their ability to find home phone numbers of guards, wardens and family members of same. Witnesses, judges and many others are also targets. Most systems accommodate nearly limitless amounts of non-dialable numbers. This does not prevent a third party, though, from manually bridging a call. c. Limiting long distance carriers -- Most systems now use one carrier, keeping inmates from switching, for better or worse, to another LD provider.' [10] d. Flash hook prevention -- keeps inmates from breaking out of of a call and dialing a new number. [11] This was a problem with older analog processors which were built along PBX lines. e. Rotary dial acceptance -- Some systems allow a rotary dialed party to signal collect acceptance by holding the line, however, this normally requires the switch to be programmed for this ahead of time. f. Limiting automated message attempts -- Like many of us, inmates try to send coded messages with an automated collect system. This feature limits attempts to a certain number within a certain amount of time, keyed to the inmates' account number. g. Reverse battery supervision -- Disables keypad after destination number is dialed. Prevents fun and games and possibly getting a new dial tone. Pressing different buttons on the keypad while an automated collect system worked may have allowed an unrestricted dial tone in older systems. [12] h. Three way call prevention -- TELEQUIP claims near 100% 3-way call prevention with their patented ACP processor. They go on to say that AT&T's Inmate Processing System deters only 93% of such attempts. I do not see how manually bridging a call can be stopped. It is also possible that call forwarding or foreign exchange circuits could circumvent this. i. Call limitations -- allows an institution to limit calls by length, billing type, dollar amount and so on. May prevent a huge bill from being placed to a subscriber who has no intention of paying. D. The Federal Inmate Telephone System (ITS) 1. An introduction The Federal Bureau of Prisons (B.O.P.) incarcerates approximately 100,000 prisoners at 84 institutions across the country. Fully a quarter of that population are foreign nationals, willing and often able to spend big bucks to call home. This captive market might seem ideal for private competition, with hundreds of long distance companies bidding for a Federal contract. Oddly enough, though, the U.S. still carries calls themselves over the government's normal FTS2000 network. That's composed of, essentially, heavily discounted Sprint lines. (Local telephone companies handle local calls). [13] A new contract, however, will be awarded for this traffic due to a court settlement, indeed, a whole new inmate telephone system will be developed in the next year or two. For now, though, the B.O.P. continues to manage things their own way. So what's going on here? And what kind of technology do the Feds use to process these calls? Before we answer those questions, though, let's take a break and look at the letter that got this article started: 2. Letter from jail March 12, 1996 private line journal P.O. Box 1059 Isleton, CA Re: A "Beseeching", of sorts . . . As may be evident, I am currently incarcerated within a federal correctional center in Coleman, Florida. I have been placed in this hell hole due to ideas run-afoul . . . I am here for wire fraud. It seems that I may have gotten ahead of myself in that I "accidentally" wired money from a corporation's account that I neither worked for, nor had the authorization to be meddling with. Never-the-less, some funds, as I said before, "accidentally" ended up in my account (which was opened in another name, by the way -- I am not totally lame!). Anyhow, I would hope that I may be able to convince you to send me a couple of your back issues, or better yet, a subscription to your fine journal? I await your reply with high hopes. name withheld 3. Discussion Damn that wire fraud! Turns out our man is the author of, appropriately enough, _Credit Card Fraud and Toll Fraud Issues_, a slim tome detailing how "scam artists can take advantage of you without your knowledge." Great. In any case, I sent him a copy of _private line_ and he replied with all sorts of interesting information on the Inmate Telephone System. ITS is a switch based system controlled by a UNIX workstation at 41 federal penitentiaries. I doubt a switch sits at each facility, however, that is certainly possible. But remember, a switch like a N.A.C.T. can sit anywhere in the United States and take calls. The traffic simply has to be routed to it. You could even own a switch and have it located at N.A.C.T.'s headquarters in Utah, just so that it gets around the clock attention. It would be natural, though, that some sort of G.T.E. switching is employed since G.T.E. helped develop I.T.S. Maybe in Texas? Collect calls that are authorized use AT&T's automated collect call program. [14] In accordance with a settlement last year, "prison officials have now agreed to tie their rates to those of state prisons, which are controlled by state utility boards."[15] That might cut down on complaints about high costs, especially overseas calls. Rates like $9.99 a minute to Vietnam were not uncommon. Even domestic calls are sufficiently high that a foreign exchange circuit may be less expensive to arrange rather than paying for direct dialing. (I've paid as high as 61 cents a minute to accept an ITS call from Florida in the middle of the day.) Whether the ITS officer in each prison would allow this is a whole different question, since the whole system is in flux and because each facility is allowed a great deal of leeway in deciding its rules. As an example 38 facilities allow only direct dialing to pre-approved numbers, 28 still provide direct calling only and 18 provide both. The settlement does allow 120 minutes of collect calling to all inmates, no matter what the policy is at a particular institution. Anti-fraud features are basically the same as noted under '3' above. 3-way calling is definitely frowned upon. As one prisoner notes "the ITS system (through GTE/OPUS's proprietary specialized programming) detects such calls in real time, cuts off the inmate- caller, flags the inmates PAC and records the telephone number the inmate was connected to during the 3-way calling attempt."[16] The Bureau of Prisons originated the Inmate Telephone System in 1990, implemented part of it through 1993 and watched as it fell apart in 1995. ITS lingers on at many institutions, but only until the entire system is scrapped after a new contract is awarded. That may take another year to let. Maybe two. The cornerstone of the system, direct dialing to pre-approved numbers has been heavily modified. The funding method, whereby the B.O.P. raided an inmate welfare fund to install the system, without having to officially publish their rules or intent, has been crushed, with Federal officials having returned $4,000,000 in mis-appropriated funds. What a mess. Take a look at the time line that follows: 4. Federal Bureau of Prison (B.OP.) Time Line Pre-1973 -- Each institution's warden sets phone policy 1973 -- B.O.P. sets uniform national phone policy 6/29/1979 -- B.O.P. issues final Rule (44FR 38249) for policy 6/1/1983 -- B.O.P. amends 1979 rule (44FR 24622) 1990 -- B.O.P. conceives Inmate Telephone System 1991 -- GTE & OPUS begins installing ITS at certain prisons. 4/1992 -- B.O.P. starts charging AT&T rates plus 75 cents a call. 7/1993 -- An anonymous LD carrier sponsors class action suit against B.O.P. 8/1993 -- B.O.P. stops installing ITS after 41 facilities due to court injunction. 4/1994 -- B.O.P. admits official policy not often practiced. 4/1994 -- AT&T submits unsolicited bid to develop new system. 4/1994 -- Final rule published in the Congressional Record. 5/1995 -- Mediation begins, seeking to resolve problems. 8/2/95 -- Settlement reached. 5. Discussion continues ITS was supposedly implemented to provide better security and to enable prisoners to better account for their money. The security angle seems spurious in light of existing call processors that offer excellent results. Money management seems odd as well. Direct dialing meant that prisoners needed to pay for calls out of their prison accounts. Yet B.O.P. officials would often take money sent by relatives and friends to cover phone expenses, in order to recover other debts owed by the prisoner. Endless arguments and excitement followed. Prisoners thought long distance costs were too high. Long distance companies felt shut out and the courts were also unhappy. Without going further into the history and machinations of all of this, [17] let's look at how ITS works in practice. Before we get an account from a _private line_ reader in jail, though, let's look at what a typical account report looks like, just so we get familiar with the terms. A register number, by the way, is like a prisoner's serial number . . .: 6. ITS Account Report Inmate Telephone Account Report FCI LFREEH Page 1of 1 Report Date Jan. 12, 1996 12:12 /dev/ttyi1f Register Inmate Phone Access Date Number Name Code Entered 03496823 Louis Freeh 478274228 25-FEB-96 Inmate Dialing Instructions Inmate Telephone System (ITS) To place: -- A Local Call: 1. Listen for the dial tone. 2. Enter the seven digit telephone number. 4. Enter your Phone Access Code (PAC). Example: 555-1234-478274228 -- A Long Distance Call: 1. Listen for the dial tone. 2. Enter 1, area code and telephone number. 4. Enter your Phone Access Code (PAC). Example: 1-202-555-1234-478274228 -- An International Call: 1. Listen for the dial tone. 2. Enter 011, country code and telephone number. 4. Enter your Phone Access Code (PAC). Example: 011-24-335937-478274228 To obtain your ITS account balance and the cost of your last call: I. Listen for the dial tone. 2. Enter 118, then enter your Phone Access Code (PAC). Example 118-478274228 ----------------------------------------------------- 7. A report on ITS from Jail A hacker at Lompoc writes _private line_ to say: "ITS is pretty crappy. All my phone numbers have to be submitted to my counselor prior to calling (up to 30 numbers). In a few days the numbers are verified and put on my phone list. Each inmate is assigned a 10 digit pin when they first arrive. The phones are like those information phones at airports. They're all in a row, about 25 of them with the small partition dividing each phone. I don't know if it's important but the handsets all smell like shit. When the handset is lifted you are greeted by a standard dialtone. After you dial the number you get a second dialtone. Then you enter the PIN and wait for validation. The whole system is pretty Mickey Mouse and the cross talk is almost unbearable. Throughout your conversation you can hear DTMF tones from the neighboring phones. Each call is limited to 15 minutes but you can call back immediately if no one is waiting. When you get down to your final minute they drop carrier for a split second to warn you have 15 seconds left. If a foreign dialtone or ring is detected you are dropped immediately. This is to prevent people from three-waying phone calls. It's easily corrected if the receiving party places a call, waits for an answer and then bridges the call. All calls are monitored, most likely recorded, in case you conspire to commit another crime over the phone. The Feds are always looking for a new indictment. Everything is handled by a machine they have on the compound. It's some UNIX box that treats each phone as /dev/???. [18] The only numbers you can dial are those on your approved phone list. Thereby eliminating the problem of people stealing kodez!, or dialing any unauthorized numbers. ("O", 911, 800's, 700's, etc.) Basically, it's run by a script . . . a person can pretty much write the whole ITS in modem commands. The system's primary concern is security with inmate's phone calls as a secondary function. The rates are similar to calling card rates, a call to L.A. costs me $3.75 for 15 minutes. Interestingly it costs the same to Sacramento . . ." 8. Real short conclusion ITS seems like some bureaucrats 'better idea' gone seriously astray. B.O.P's Request will be interesting to watch for in the next year or so. They'll need to specify what kind of system they want so that companies can bid on it. Lots of technical details should be included. My guess is that they will go with more conventional equipment and techniques -- I'm unsure if they can build on ITS technology, no matter how well it works, since GTE and OPUS's approach is proprietary. Hmm. Got any more information or personal experience with prison phones? Send it in and I'll print it here. 9. --Bibliography-- [1] "Long Distance Runaround" _New York Newsday_ Michael Moss, May 14, 1995 [2] 'Dialing For Dollars: Taxpayers Could Win Big With Prison Pay Phones' _John Sharp Opinions and Editorials_ Undated :( John Sharp, State Comptroller of Public Accounts http://www.cpa.texas.gov/comptrol/oped/oped18.html (5k) [3] "Calling Card Platforms -- The Intelligence Behind The Cards" Ed Metcalf _Premier Telecard_ December 1995-January 1996 28 (+1(805) 547-8500 for Premier) [4] Pacific Bell. For questions, try +1(415) 452-7455 [5] National Applied Computer Technology, 744 South 400 East, Orem, Utah 84058 (801) 225-6248 FAX (801) 224-8456 [6] TELEQUIP Labs Inc., 1820 N. Greenville Ave., Suite 100 RIchardson, TX 75801 1(800) 329-3290; Communications Product Development Incorporated 915 Broadway, Suite 100 Vancouver, WA 98660 (360) 694-2977 FAX (360) 694-2553 [7] TELEQUIP advertisement _Public Communications_ Volume 11, No. 4 April, 1995 49. This ad extols the virtues of their patented switch. This means you could do a patent search and read all about it. Consult _private line_ No. 4 (Volume 2, No. 1 January/February 1995) for my lengthy article on patent searching. [8] "Calling Card Platforms -- The Intelligence Behind The Cards" ibid. [9] "LCX 120C A Success In Camden County Correctional Facility," _CCQ-Correctional Communications Quarterly_ April, 1994. I have a reprint of this article, as supplied by N.A.C.T., however, I have no further information on _CCQ._ [10] "Letter from Prison" _2600_ Winter 1992-93 (Volume Nine Number Four )13 [11] CCQ ibid. [12] Letter to the Editor by C. Rebel _2600_ Autumn 1990 (Volume 7, Number 3) 29 [13] "Federal Prison Telephone Plan Stuck on Hold" _Legal Times_ Naftali Bendavid May, 22 1995 Well researched and balanced article on ITS issues. +1(457-0686) 1730 'M' Street N.W., Suite 802 Washington, D.C. 20036 [14] Each time I've accepted a collect call from ITS the automated voice announces "AT&T". [15] "Plaintiffs, Feds Connect in Settlement; Inmates Laud Deal Over Prison Phones" _Legal Times_ Naftali Bendavid August 14, 1995 Follow on to the article in 13 above. [16] name withheld -- Personal correspondence [17] B.O.P.'s point of view is contained in the Federal Code of Regulations: 28 CFR 540 -- Telephone Regulations and Financial Responsibility. Or look it up in the April 4, 1994 Federal Register. It's the Big Kahuna of ITS documents, as far as rules, regs and explanations go. Not much technical info, however, you may want to look it up under this candidate for the longest URL: http://www.gpo.ucop.edu:80/cgi-bin/gpogate?waisdoc=1&4=gpo.occ.uky.edu;1994_register/TEXT/100384/3=0%201003840%20/diska/wais/data/1994_register/fr0ap94dat022.txt; [18] Peter Shipley offers this explanation of /dev/???: A /dev/ is a path to a device kind of like COM1, COM2 and LPT1 under DOS. Think of COM1 as \dev\COM1 on your DOS box and if you do a dir or c:\dev you will see a listing of cards and services you have on your system, eg: (I made this list up) c:> dir \dos COM1 0 09-09-96 5:47p COM2 0 09-09-96 5:47p LPT1 0 09-09-96 5:47p SOUND BST 0 09-09-96 5:48p MOUSE MS 0 09-09-96 5:48p SVGA 0 09-09-96 5:48p KBD 0 09-09-96 5:48p SCSIDISK 1 0 09-09-96 5:48p SCSIDISK 2 0 09-09-96 5:48p SCSITAPE 1 0 09-09-96 5:48p SCSIROM 1 0 09-09-96 5:48p FLOPPY 1 0 09-09-96 5:48p FLOPPY 2 0 09-09-96 5:48p --------------------------------------------- [TELECOM Digest Editor's 1996 Note: Tom, thank you *very much* for sharing this. This article will become a permanent file in the Telecom Archives. Watch for it there soon. PAT] [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Has the system changed very much, or is it still as described? I do know that even from our local jail here in Independence, accepting a collect call from an inmate -- the only way the person call call -- is _quite_ expensive. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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 V25 #43 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Jan 29 17:47:49 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 0B68B14FCD; Sun, 29 Jan 2006 17:47:46 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #44 Message-Id: <20060129224746.0B68B14FCD@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 17:47:46 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Sun, 29 Jan 2006 17:50:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 44 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Brain Scans Coming Soon to Police Station Near You (Malcolm Ritter) Man Sentenced for Stealing Microsoft Code (Associated Pres News Wire) California Man Pleads Guilty to Hacking (Dan Goodwin) MPAA Finds Itself Accused of Piracy, Hypocrisy (John Horn) Virginia Man Pleads Guilty in Online Pornography Case (Monty Solomon) When Terry Met Jerry, Yahoo! (Monty Solomon) Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby (Monty Solomon) For Stolen Saltcellar, a Cellphone Is Golden (Monty Solomon) Privacy for People Who Don't Show Their Navels (Monty Solomon) The New Security: Cameras That Never Forget Your Face (Monty Solomon) As Gadgets Get It Together, Media Makers Fall Behind (Monty Solomon) Mobile TV Gets on a Roll (Monty Solomon) Online CD Purchase Brought Her Some Harassment (Monty Solomon) Razr vs. Blade: Cloning Is Only Skin Deep (Monty Solomon) Re: Anyone Need a Telecom Job? (rayj00@yahoo.com) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Malcolm Ritter Subject: Brain Scans Coming Soon to Police Station Near You to See Your Lies Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 22:12:41 -0600 Brain Scans May Be Used As Lie Detectors By MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science Writer Picture this: Your boss is threatening to fire you because he thinks you stole company property. He doesn't believe your denials. The lawyer suggests you deny it one more time -- in a brain scanner that will show you're telling the truth, or lying. Wacky? Science fiction? It might happen this summer. Just the other day I lay flat on my back as a scanner probed the tiniest crevices of my brain and a computer screen asked, "Did you take the watch?" The lab I was visiting recently reported catching lies with 90 percent accuracy. And an entrepreneur in Massachusetts is hoping to commercialize the system in the coming months, hopefully by this summer. "I'd use it tomorrow in virtually every criminal and civil case on my desk" to check up on the truthfulness of clients, said attorney Robert Shapiro, best known for defending O.J. Simpson against murder charges. Shapiro serves as an adviser to entrepreneur Steven Laken and has a financial interest in Cephos Corp., which Laken founded to commercialize the brain-scanning work being done at the Medical University of South Carolina. That's where I had my brain-scan interrogation. But this lab isn't alone. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have also reported impressive accuracy through brain-scanning recently. California entrepreneur Joel T. Huizenga plans to use that work to start offering lie-detecting services in Philadelphia this July. His outfit, No Lie MRI Inc., will serve government agencies and "anybody that wants to demonstrate that they're telling the truth," he said. "Justice Department and FBI have just signed up with us. Their intention is to use it 'routinely' as part of investigations." Both labs use brain-scanning technology called functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI. It's a standard tool for studying the brain, but research into using it to detect lies is still in early stages. Nobody really knows yet whether it will prove more accurate than polygraphs, which measure things like blood pressure and breathing rate to look for emotional signals of lying; the federal government hopes it will work as intended. Advocates for fMRI say it has the potential to be more accurate, because it zeros in on the source of lying, the brain, rather than using indirect measures. So it may someday provide lawyers with something polygraphs can't: legal evidence of truth-telling that's widely admissible in court. (Courts generally regard polygraph results as unreliable, and either prohibit such evidence or allow it only if both sides in a case agree to let it in.) Laken said he's aiming to offer the fMRI service for use in situations like libel, slander and fraud where it's one person's word against another, and perhaps in employee screening by government agencies. Attornies suggest it would be more useful in civil than most criminal cases, he said. Of course, there's no telling where the general approach might lead. A law review article has discussed the legality of using fMRI to interrogate foreigners in U.S. custody. Maybe police will use it as an interrogation tool, too, or perhaps major companies will find it a cheaper than litigation or arbitration when an employee is accused of stealing something important, other observers say. Homeland Security says it can be used to also detirmine how patriotic and loyal (or not) someone is to the United States. For his part, Shapiro says he'd switch to fMRI from polygraph for screening certain clients because he figures it would be more reliable and maybe more credible to law enforcement agencies. In any case, the idea of using fMRI to detect lies has started a buzz among scientists, legal experts and ethicists. Many worry about rushing too quickly from the lab to real-world use. Some caution that it may not work as well in the real world as the early lab results suggest. And others worry that it might work quite well. Unlike perusing your mail or tapping your phone, this is "looking inside your brain," Hank Greely, a law professor who directs the Stanford Center for Law and the Biosciences, told me a few days before my scan. It "does seem to me to be a significant change in our ability ... to invade what has been the last untouchable sanctuary, the contents of your own mind," Greely said. "It should make us stop and think to what extent we should allow this to be done." But Dr. Mark George, the genial neurologist and psychiatrist who let me lie in his scanner and be grilled by his computer, said he doesn't see a privacy problem with the technology; neither does the Justice Department. That's because it's impossible to test people without their consent, he said. Subjects have to cooperate so fully -- holding the head still, and reading and responding to the questions, for example -- that they have to agree to the scan, but Mr. Gonzales, head of the Justice Department disagreed. "We have our methods to 'make people agree to be scanned, and hold their heads still'," he pointed out. "If the person who is suspected of criminal activity is stripped, strapped down to the examining table (which rolls in and out of the MRI machine) and their head is clamped in place, they won't be able to move their head around and defeat the scan." "It really doesn't read your mind if you don't want your mind to be read," Dr. George said. "If I were wrongly accused and this were available, I'd want my defense lawyer to help me get this done." So maybe the technology is better termed a "truth confirmer" than lie detector, he said. Whatever you call it, the technology has produced some eyebrow-raising results. George and his colleagues recently reported that using fMRI data, a computer was able to spot lies in 28 out of 31 volunteers. I joined an extension of that study. That's why I found myself lying on a narrow table in George's lab while he and his assistants pulled a barrel-shaped framework over my head like a rigid hood and strapped me to the table. As it brushed the tip of my nose and blotted out the light from the room, I looked straight ahead to see a computer screen and camera, which would be my interrogator. Then the table eased into the tunnel of the fMRI scanner, a machine the size of a small storage shed. Only my legs stuck out. As I focused on the questions popping up on the computer screen, the scanner roared like a tractor trying to uproot a tree stump. It was bombarding me with radio waves and a powerful magnetic field to create detailed images of my brain and detect tiny changes in blood flow in certain areas. Those changes would indicate those areas were working a bit harder than usual, and according to research by George and others, that would in turn indicate I was lying. Some questions that popped up on that screen were easy: Am I awake, is it 2004, do I like movies. Others were a little more challenging: Have I ever cheated on taxes, or gossiped, or deceived a loved one. As instructed, I answered them all truthfully, pushing the "Yes" button with my thumb or the "No" button with my index finger. Then, there it was: "Did you remove a watch from the drawer?" Just a half-hour or so before, in an adjacent room, I'd been told to remove either a watch or a ring from a drawer (or not take it) and slip it into a locker with my briefcase. This was the mock crime that volunteers lied about in George's study. So I took the watch. As I lay in the scanner I remembered seizing its gold metal band and nestling it into the locker. So, the computer was asking, did I take the watch? No, I replied with a jab of my finger. I didn't steal nuthin.' I lied again and again. Other questions about the watch popped up seemingly at random during the interrogation. Is the watch in my locker? Is it in the drawer? Did I steal it from the drawer? I had been seen stealing it, did I want to confess now and make it 'easier' on myself? The same questions came up about the ring, and I told the truth about those. It would be a different computer's job to figure out which I was lying about, the watch or the ring. It would compare the way my brain acted when I responded to those questions versus what my brain did when I responded truthfully to the other questions. Whichever looked more different from the "truthful" brain activity would be considered the signature of deceit. Finally, after answering 160 questions over the course of 16 minutes -- actually, it was 80 questions two times apiece -- I was done. The machine returned me to the bright light of the scanning room. The computer's verdict? That would take a few days to produce, since it required a lot of data analysis. I didn't mind waiting. It's not like the result would help get me fired, or lose a lawsuit, or send me to jail; it would if I had actually been accused of course, but this was just a controlled test. Nobody in George's studies faced consequences like that, which is one reason the lab results may not apply to real-world situations. George has already begun another study in which volunteers face "a little more jeopardy" from the mock crime. He declined to describe it because he didn't want prospective volunteers to hear about it ahead of time. That work is funded by the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, an agency of the Justice Department. Other questions remain. How would this work on people with brain diseases? Or people taking medications? How would this work on people outside the 18-to-50 age range included in George's recent work? How about experienced and pathological liars? Dr. George hopes eventually to study volunteers from prisons. And then there's the matter of the three people who got away with lying in his recent study. For some reason, the computer failed to identify the object they'd stolen. George says he doesn't know what went wrong, but said he will continue the research. But in a real-world situation, he said, the person being questioned would go through an exercise like the ring-or-watch task as well as being quizzed about the topic at hand. That way, if the computer failed in the experimental task, it would be obvious that it couldn't judge the person's truthfulness. Because of that, George said, he's comfortable with entrepreneur Laken's plans to introduce the scanning service to police, though just on a limited basis, by the middle of this year. Lab studies are obviously necessary, he said, but "at a certain point you really have to start applying and see how it works. And I think we're getting close. Eventually we will not be limited to just 'yes or no' type questions. We hope to eventually adjust it so that mere suggestions given to the person being interogated will produce results we can scan, to get truthful analysis about the person by scanning his brain. But Jennifer Vendemia, a University of South Carolina researcher who studies deception and the brain, said she finds Laken's timetable premature. So little research has been done on using fMRI for this purpose that it's too soon to make any judgment about how useful it could be, she said. Without studies to see how well the technique works in other labs -- a standard procedure in the scientific world -- its reliability might be an issue, said Dr. Sean Spence of the University of Sheffield in England, who also studies fMRI for detecting deception. Speaking more generally, ethical and legal experts said they were wary of quickly using fMRI for spotting lies. "What's really scary is if we start implementing this before we know how accurate it really is," Greely said. "People could be sent to jail, people could be sent to the death penalty, people could lose their jobs." Gonzales retorted that "our government does not send innocent people to jail." Greely recently called for pre-marketing approval of lie-detection devices in general, like the federal government carries out for medications. Judy Illes, director of Stanford's program in neuroethics, also has concerns: Could people, including victims of crimes, be coerced into taking an fMRI test? Could it distinguish accurate memories from muddled ones? Could it detect a person who's being misleading without actually lying? Her worries multiply if fMRI evidence starts showing up in the courtroom. For one thing, unlike the technical data from a polygraph, it can be used to make brain images that look simple and convincing, belying the complexity of the data behind them, she said. "You show a jury a picture with a nice red spot, that can have a very strong impact in a very rapid way ... We need to understand how juries are going to respond to that information. Will they be open to complex explanations of what the images do and do not mean?" There's also a philosophical argument in case fMRI works all too well. Greely notes that four Supreme Court justices wrote in 1998 that if polygraphs were reliable enough to use as evidence, they shouldn't be admitted because they would usurp the jury's role of determining the truth. With only four votes, that position doesn't stand as legal precedent, but it's "an interesting straw in the wind" for how fMRI might be received someday, he said. It didn't take any jury to find the truth in my case. "We nabbed ya," George said after sending me the results of my scan. "It wasn't even a close call." The computer knew right away that you were guilty; guilty as hell." I was ratted out by the three parts of my brain the technique targets. They'd become more active when I lied about taking the watch than when I truthfully denied taking the ring. Those areas are involved in juggling the demands of doing several things at once, in thinking about oneself, and in stopping oneself from making a natural response -- all things the brain apparently does when it pulls back from blurting the truth and works up a whopper instead, George said. Of course, nobody is going to make me or anybody else climb into an fMRI scanner every time they want a statement verified. The procedure is too cumbersome to be used so casually, George says. "Not so!", responded Gonzales, "we have ways to make everyone climb on the table and get inserted into the 'truth detirmining machine as the computer watches and probes them. " But he figures that if a perfect lie detector (or 'truth detirmining machine') is more fully developed, that practical consideration might not matter. The mere knowledge that one is available, he said, that the police can strip you down, strap you to the table and slide you inside the machine might provoke people to clean up their acts. "My hope," George said, "would be that it might make the world operate a little bit more openly and honestly." On the Web: Cephos Corp.: http://www.cephoscorp.com No Lie MRI, Inc.: http://www.noliemri.com fMRI information: http://www.radiologyinfo.org/content/functional_mr.htm Benefit&Risk Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml For more news headlines from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Associated Press News Wire Subject: Man Sentenced for Stealing Microsoft Code Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 22:02:52 -0600 A Connecticut man known on the Internet as 'illwill' was sentenced to two years in prison Friday for stealing the source code to Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating software, among the company's most prized products. William Genovese Jr., 29, of Meriden, Conn., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley, who called Genovese 'a predator who has morphed through various phases of criminal activity in the last few years.' Genovese pleaded guilty in August to charges related to the sale and attempted sale of the source code for Microsoft's Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0. The code had previously been obtained by other people and unlawfully distributed over the Internet, prosecutors said. Source code is the blueprint in which software developers write computer programs. With a software program's source code, someone can replicate the program. Industry experts expressed concern that hackers reviewing the Microsoft software code could discover new ways to attack computers running some versions of Windows. Prosecutors said in an indictment in February 2004 that Genovese posted a message on his Web site offering the code for sale on the same day that Microsoft learned significant portions of its source code were stolen. Genovese was arrested when an investigator for an online security company hired by Microsoft and an undercover FBI agent downloaded the stolen source code from his Web site after sending him electronic payments for it. Microsoft, based in Redmond, Wash., had previously shared parts of its source code with some companies, U.S. agencies, foreign governments and universities under tight restrictions that prevented them from making it publicly available. A Microsoft spokesman said last year that the company was confident the Windows blueprints weren't stolen from its own computer network. Copyright 2006, 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Associated Press please go to : htttp://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Dan Goodwin Subject: California Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Hacking Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 22:05:07 -0600 By DAN GOODIN, AP Technology Writer A 20-year-old man pleaded guilty Monday to surreptitiously seizing control of hundreds of thousands of Internet-connected computers and renting the zombie network to people who mounted attacks on Web sites, served up pop-up ads and sent out spam. Jeanson James Ancheta, of Downey, Calif., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles to four felony charges for crimes, including infecting machines at two U.S. military sites, that earned him more than $61,000, Assistant U.S. Attorney James Aquilina said. Under a plea agreement, which still must be approved by a judge, Ancheta will receive from 4 years to 6 years in prison, forfeit a 1993 BMW and more than $58,000 in profit and pay $19,000 in restitution to the federal government to compensate for infecting the military computers, according to documents filed in the case. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 1. Prosecutors said the case is the first to target profits derived from use of 'botnets,' the term used to describe large numbers of infected computers that work in unison to attack Web sites, send spam and carry out other tasks. The botnets feed off of vulnerabilities in computers that run Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system. A November indictment charged Ancheta with 17 counts of conspiracy, fraud and other crimes connected to a 14-month hacking spree that started in June 2004. Ancheta's crimes continued even after FBI agents raided his house in Downey, about 13 miles southeast of Los Angeles, in December 2004, authorities said. 'Part of what's most troubling about those who commit these kinds of offenses is they think they'll never be caught,' said Aquilina, who spent more than a year investigating Ancheta and several of Ancheta's online associates who remain uncharged co-conspirators. Ancheta's attorney, federal public defender Greg Wesley, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment. The guilty plea comes less than a week after the FBI released a report that estimates viruses, worms and Trojan horses like the ones Ancheta used cost U.S. organizations such as Microsoft $11.9 billion each year. Copyright 2006, 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ From: John Horn Subject: MPAA Finds Itself Accused of Piracy, Hypocrisy Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 23:15:24 -0600 http://www.latimes.com/business/custom/cotown/cl-et-mpaa24jan24,0,2188275.story SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL MPAA finds itself accused of piracy By John Horn Times Staff Writer PARK CITY, Utah - The Motion Picture Assn. of America, the leader in the global fight against movie piracy, is being accused of unlawfully making a bootleg copy of a documentary that takes a critical look at the MPAA's film ratings system. The MPAA admitted Monday that it had duplicated "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" without the filmmaker's permission after director Kirby Dick submitted his movie in November for an MPAA rating. The Hollywood trade organization said that it did not break copyright law, insisting that the dispute is part of a Dick-orchestrated "publicity stunt" to boost the film's profile. Scheduled to debut at the Sundance Film Festival on Wednesday night, "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" examines what Dick believes are the MPAA's stricter standards for rating explicit depictions of sex than for gruesome violence. Dick also explores whether independent films are rated more harshly than studio films, whether scenes of gay sex are restricted more than scenes of straight sex, and why the 10 members of the MPAA's ratings board operate without any public accountability. Michael Donaldson, a lawyer representing Dick, has written the MPAA demanding that it "immediately return all copies" of the film in its possession, and explain who approved the making of the copy and who within the MPAA has looked at the reproduction. Dick said he was "very upset and troubled" to discover during a recent conversation with an MPAA lawyer that the MPAA had copied the film from a digital version he submitted Nov. 29 for a rating. ("This Film Is Not Yet Rated" was rated NC-17 for "some graphic sexual content," a rating upheld after Dick appealed.) The MPAA's copy of Dick's film was viewed by Dan Glickman, the MPAA's new president, the MPAA said. The filmmaker said that when he asked MPAA lawyer Greg Goeckner what right his organization had to make the copy, Goeckner told him that Dick and his crew had potentially invaded the privacy of the MPAA's movie raters. "We made a copy of Kirby's movie because it had implications for our employees," said Kori Bernards, the MPAA's vice president for corporate communications. She said Dick spied on the members of the MPAA's Classification and Rating Administration, including going through their garbage and following them as they drove their children to school. "We were concerned about the raters and their families," Bernards said. She said the MPAA's copy of "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" is "locked away," and is not being copied or distributed. The standard the MPAA is using for itself appears to be at odds with what the organization sets out for others: "Manufacturing, selling, distributing or making copies of motion pictures without the consent of the copyright owners is illegal," the MPAA's website says. "Movie pirates are thieves, plain and simple. ALL forms of piracy are illegal and carry serious legal consequences." Donaldson said in an interview that the MPAA previously had promised in writing that it would not copy the film, but an e-mail exchange does not completely support that claim. Donaldson added that while he is not planning at this time to sue the MPAA for copyright infringement, he reserved the possibility of filing a lawsuit later. "It's my practice and style to wait and see what they do, go over all of our options, and then make a decision," he said. Dick, who was nominated for an Academy Award for 2004's documentary feature "Twist of Faith," said in an interview that his film crew acted appropriately in tracking down and identifying the anonymous members of the movie ratings board. But even if he didn't "follow all the rules," Dick said, "I don't know how that allows somebody else to break the law." Bernards said the MPAA has made copies of other films submitted for ratings, but did not identify any by name. When Dick submitted his film for a rating, he asked in an e-mail for assurances that "no copies would be made of any part or all of the film," according to a copy of the e-mail exchange. In a reply e-mail, an MPAA representative did not specifically say the organization wouldn't copy the film, but did say "the confidentiality of your film ... is our first priority. Please feel assure (sic) that your film is in good hands." The MPAA's Bernards, who said Glickman was unavailable for comment, said the organization was operating lawfully when it copied Dick's movie without his or his producer's authorization. "The courts recognize that parties are entitled to make a copy of a work for use as evidence in possible future proceedings," she said. The MPAA has not brought any legal actions against Dick, but did call the police when the movie raters complained about being stalked and were worried about their safety. The raters had no idea they were being followed as part of a documentary. Donaldson said he was unaware of any legal cases that supported the MPAA's position. One expert on intellectual property and copyright law said that while he was unfamiliar with any cases specifically addressing the issue, the MPAA's argument might work. "You can't make a copy as a general matter, but you can if you meet several tests," said Mark Lemley, a professor at Stanford Law School. It helps the MPAA, Lemley said, that it is not selling the copy of "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" for commercial gain. Dick "is right to say you can't make a single copy unless you have a legitimate defense," Lemley said. "But it seems that in this case, [the MPAA] may have a legitimate defense." Copyright 2006 Los Angeles Times 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Los Angeles Times. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 23:23:13 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Virginia Man Pleads Guilty in Online Pornography Case By KURT EICHENWALD The New York Times January 29, 2006 A Virginia man arrested in a national investigation of child pornography on the Internet pleaded guilty to multiple charges involving the sexual exploitation of boys and the operation of illegal Web sites, the Justice Department said Friday. The man, Gregory J. Mitchel, 38, was an administrator of several illegal Web sites and admitted in his plea to producing and distributing child pornography through the Internet. In that role, the Justice Department said, Mr. Mitchel filmed boys engaging in sex acts and received money from Web site subscribers who paid monthly fees for viewing live and recorded videos. Mr. Mitchel was arrested after being implicated by Justin Berry, a 19-year-old who was featured in a December article in The New York Times about teenagers who operate for-pay pornography sites that show images of themselves transmitted by Webcams. Mr. Mitchel has since begun naming other adult men who were actively involved in the sexual exploitation of children, court records show. Mr. Berry, who beginning at 13 was enticed by adults he met online into performing sex acts in front of his Webcam, operated pornography sites featuring his own image for five years. In discussions with a Times reporter in July, Mr. Berry agreed to abandon his business and tell law enforcement about adult men who he knew were sexually exploiting and abusing children. Mr. Berry was granted immunity and is now a federal witness. In interviews with The Times and the government, Mr. Berry said Mr. Mitchel had molested him over several years and had begun sexually exploiting as many as six other children. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/national/29kids.html?ex=1296190800&en=3d7140b1dbac5147&ei=5090 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 23:27:49 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: When Terry Met Jerry, Yahoo! By RICHARD SIKLOS The New York Times January 29, 2006 WHEN Yahoo Inc. announced nearly five years ago that Terry S. Semel, then a former leader of the Warner Brothers motion picture studio, would become its chairman and chief executive, the reaction both outside and within Yahoo was not exactly one of wild encouragement. Despite a hugely successful career running companies that make movies, television shows and music, Mr. Semel was immediately labeled an "old media" guy. Worse, he was a Hollywood guy, and had barely touched a computer during the nearly two decades he oversaw Warner Brothers with Robert A. Daly. Even though he had been making private Internet investments since resigning from the studio two years earlier, when people associated "Semel" and "Yahoo," they were more likely to think of an Australian comic named Yahoo Serious who starred in the 1988 Warner Brothers flop "Young Einstein." Mr. Semel's former boss at Time Warner, Gerald M. Levin, who had just completed his merger with America Online, laughed incredulously when he heard the news of Mr. Semel's new gig in April 2001, according to an executive who was with Mr. Levin at the time. At Yahoo, where the collapse of the dot-com bubble and the evaporation of online advertising had just helped sink the company's market value from a peak of $127 billion to just $12.6 billion when he joined, the reception wasn't much warmer. Mr. Semel, then 58, had neither geek cred like that of Yahoo's co-founders, Jerry Yang and David Filo, nor Silicon Valley venture-capitalist swagger. Mr. Semel looked like a self-assured but unassuming guy who originally hailed from Queens, which he was. Word spread quickly in Yahoo's headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif., that - horrors! - he even wore a gold chain on his wrist. (This, too, was true, but the chain is not a fashion statement; it's a medical bracelet for a shellfish allergy.) The story line at Yahoo is much different today. Having lost $98 million on revenue of $717 million in the year when Mr. Semel joined it, Yahoo earned $1.2 billion last year on sales of $5.3 billion. With a market capitalization nudging $50 billion, it is worth roughly the same as the newly Pixar-ized Walt Disney Company or the combined value of the recently split Viacom and CBS. Dollars aside, Yahoo has the widest global reach of any Internet site. It counts more than 420 million registered users around the world, and it owns the most-used e-mail, instant-messaging and music Web sites on the planet. In the United States alone, Yahoo attracted 103 million unique visitors in December, making it the country's most-visited Web destination, according to Nielsen NetRatings. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/business/yourmoney/29yahoo.html?ex=1296190800&en=e6c8a61fc545c9a4&ei=5090 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 00:45:32 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby By JOE SHARKEY The New York Times January 24, 2006 DON'T try any funny business at the Alex Hotel in Manhattan, Karen Kelly, because they've got your number, sister. It is 1507. That is the number the desk clerk jotted on the photocopy the hotel made of Ms. Kelly's passport. Ms. Kelly had to produce the passport one night last week when she came into the lobby of the hotel, which is at 205 East 45th Street, to meet an out-of-town business associate. "My husband and I travel a lot, but that was the most bizarre experience I've ever had in a hotel lobby," said Ms. Kelly, a writer who lives in Brooklyn. "I'm one of those New Yorkers who doesn't have a driver's license, so I carry my passport with me in case I do need to show a picture ID." But because she was not checking into the hotel and not going anywhere but the lobby, she did not count on having to produce a government-issued photo ID just to have a clerk phone a guest room from the front desk. "I was kind of dumbfounded," she said. She handed her passport to the clerk, who made the photocopy and jotted on it the file number, 1507, and the time and date. The clerk told her the copy would be "kept on file for a year," said Ms. Kelly, adding: "At that point, I was kind of irritated at myself. I mean, a hotel lobby is, like, a public place, right? They claim the right to demand ID just to come in?" http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/business/24road.html?ex=1295758800&en=427434a9c8f68d4a&ei=5090 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 01:08:14 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: For Stolen Saltcellar, a Cellphone Is Golden By RICHARD BERNSTEIN The New York Times January 26, 2006 BERLIN, Jan. 25 - Advice to art thieves: never get angry and depart from the plan. In particular, don't use a new cellphone to send a message to the police. It may prove your undoing. Or, at least, that was the downfall of Robert Mang, a 50-year-old specialist in security-alarm systems who in 2003 pulled off one of the biggest art heists in recent years: the removal of the "Saliera" (or saltcellar), a rare gold-plated sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini, from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. After holding the Cellini masterpiece, valued at roughly $60 million, for nearly three years and making two attempts to collect about $12 million in ransom, Mr. Mang was identified as the culprit late last week. On Friday, the police had circulated security camera images of him buying a cellphone that he used to send a text message. On Saturday, after the photographs appeared on television and in newspapers, Mr. Mang, described by police as a successful businessman with no financial problems and no criminal record, turned himself in. On Sunday, he led the police to a wooded area about 50 miles northeast of Vienna where he had buried the legendary 10 inch-high sculpture inside a lead box. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/26/arts/design/26cell.html?ex=1295931600&en=dec8f5faf906f771&ei=5090 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 01:18:57 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Privacy for People Who Don't Show Their Navels By JONATHAN D. GLATER The New York Times January 25, 2006 IT may be easy to forget that there are people who want to remain anonymous on the Web while the online world is full of those who happily post pictures of themselves and their navels for all to see. But interest in software that allows people to send e-mail messages that cannot be traced to their source or to maintain anonymous blogs has quietly increased over the last few years, say experts who monitor Internet security and privacy. "People in the world are more interested in anonymity now than they were in the 1990's," when the popularity of the Internet first surged, said Chris Palmer, technology manager at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit group in San Francisco dedicated to protecting issues like free speech on the Web. Increasingly, consumers appear to be downloading free anonymity software like Tor, which makes it harder to trace visits to Web sites, online posts, instant messages and other communication forms back to their authors. Sales are also up at companies like Anonymizer.com, which among other things sells software that protects anonymity. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/25/technology/techspecial2/25privacy.html?ex=1295845200&en=9e5ae900de53b6ca&ei=5090 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 01:21:35 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: The New Security: Cameras That Never Forget Your Face Surveillance The New Security: Cameras That Never Forget Your Face By NOAH SHACHTMAN The New York Times January 25, 2006 MANAGEMENT at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco had been suspicious for weeks. A houseman on the graveyard shift was not the most productive worker, and trying to reach him on his walkie-talkie was usually a lost cause. So when the employee could not be found one summer night, his bosses went to their new video surveillance system. The camera network -- using software from 3VR Security Inc., a San Francisco company that makes surveillance technology -- already knew what the houseman looked like; facial recognition algorithms had built a profile of him over time. With a couple of mouse clicks, managers combed through hours of videotape taken that night by the hotel's 16 cameras, and found every place he had been -- including the back entrance he slipped out of, three hours into his shift. He became 1 of 10 employees dismissed from the hotel since 3VR's surveillance package was installed last June. Until recently, the only place where an employee could have been caught that easily was in a Hollywood script. Digital spy cameras can instantly pick people out of crowds on the television show "24." But real-world video surveillance was stuck in the VCR age, taking countless hours to sift through blurry black-and-white tapes. Stopping a problem in progress was nearly impossible, unless a guard just happened to be staring at the right video monitor. But surveillance companies, using networks of cheap Web-connected cameras and powerful new video-analysis software, are starting to turn the Hollywood model into reality. Faces and license plates can now be spotted, in almost real time, at ports, military bases and companies. Security perimeters can be changed or strengthened with a mouse click. Feeds from hundreds of cameras can be combined into a single desktop view. And videotape that used to take hours, even days, to scour is searched in minutes. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/25/technology/techspecial2/25video.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 01:24:03 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: As Gadgets Get It Together, Media Makers Fall Behind By SAUL HANSELL The New York Times January 25, 2006 AMID the cacophony of the sprawling Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, the main action had little to do with electronics. Sure, booth after booth claimed to have the biggest TV screen, the smallest music player and the niftiest wireless gizmo. But that was to be expected. The real news was neither shiny nor tiny. The question in the air was what people will watch, listen to and do with these machines now that they are becoming interchangeable and interconnected. This should not be a pop quiz. For decades, nearly every gathering of media or technology executives has defined the future in a single word: convergence. What exactly was converging remained in dispute, but most saw some combination of television, computers and an intelligent network that would give consumers much more control. For once, the visionaries were right. Video is popping up on cellphones, iPods, TiVo's and Web sites. And as for blogs, photo-tagging sites like Flickr, podcasts and the rest of the bubbling digital stew, it's clear that lots of media are coming together in lots of devices in lots of ways. Yet for all the time that media executives - from the towers of Sixth Avenue to the back lots of Burbank - had to prepare for convergence, they are now scrambling to figure out what to do about it. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/25/technology/techspecial2/25converge.html?ex=1295845200&en=98a3113619054d4b&ei=5090 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 01:28:47 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Mobile TV Gets on a Roll By Greg Sandoval After a lackluster start, mobile TV is generating buzz again. Electronics makers, wireless operators and cell phone technology firms are betting big money that consumers on the go will soon clamor for TVs that they can tote in purses and pockets. "The one message that came out loud and clear from our market research was that people who like TV like the idea of mobile TV," said Jeffrey Lorbeck, senior vice president at MediaFlow, the Qualcomm subsidiary that is deploying the company's high-speed wireless network in the U.S. But the gulf between the idea and the reality of mobile TV -- at least at this point in its development -- still presents a few challenges to the consumer. Before TV fans can watch live NBA games or CNN broadcasts on their cell phones, they have to wade through a dizzying number of new video-enabled gadgets as well as special services and technologies, some with impenetrable acronyms like EV-DO and DVB-H. Adding to the confusion are emerging competitive battles over signal transmission standards. Just this week, a group of companies that includes Intel, Nokia and Texas Instruments announced that they were joining forces to encourage open standards for TV broadcasts to mobile devices. The consortium, called the Mobile DTV Alliance, is promoting DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld), a technology that bypasses mobile networks and broadcasts directly to millions of handsets simultaneously. Transmission networks in development include broadcast systems being built by MediaFlo, a subsidiary of Qualcomm that uses a technology called FLO, and Modeo, a DVB-H proponent owned by Crown Castle International. These systems deliver TV programming on networks that overlay existing 3G wireless networks. Another TV transmission technology, TDtv, developed by IPWireless, uses existing 3G networks to "multicast" TV signals to subscribers. Ultimately, of course, it will be up to the wireless providers to decide which technology is most cost-effective for them. But pressure also is mounting to make things more reliable and user-friendly for prospective customers. Research firm In-Stat estimates that 1.1 million people purchased mobile video content last year in the U.S. but expects that number to rise to 30 million in 2010. http://news.com.com/2100-1039-6031768.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 11:00:17 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Online CD Purchase Brought Her Harassment Also By HIROKO SATO, Sun Staff Lowell Sun 01/26/2006 CHELMSFORD -- She was an unhappy customer of an online auction site and wasn't afraid to write a negative review about the seller she dealt with. Soon, her cell phone started to ring. On the other end of the line were Web surfers of another kind -- men looking for sexual pleasure. "The phone calls kept coming, coming and coming," the woman said. "People were calling from all over the country -- all over the U.S., from Utah to Tennessee." Police are investigating a possible identity-fraud case after they say a local woman's name ended up on a XXX-rated Web site without her knowledge. Loaded with pornographic photos, the site provides personal ad services for those looking for sexual relationships. One of the messages posted on the site carried the name and cell-phone number of the 36-year-old woman, and police believe the man who sold a music CD to her on eBay is behind it. Some of her personal identifying information also showed up on a couple of other pornographic Web sites, as well, leading to harassing phone calls, police said yesterday. Police have yet determine the full identity of the suspect except that he is in New York. But depending on the outcome of the investigation, the suspect could face "false impersonation and identity fraud" charges under a statute designed to prevent such crime, said Chelmsford Deputy Police Chief Jim Murphy. A conviction on the misdemeanor charges could result in $5,000 in fines and 21/2 years in jail. Murphy said this is just one example of a growing number of identity-fraud cases involving online transactions. http://www.lowellsun.com/front/ci_3440086 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 23:03:10 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Razr vs. Blade: Cloning Is Only Skin Deep By DAVID POGUE The New York Times January 26, 2006 THEY say that looks aren't everything, but don't tell Motorola. Its breathtakingly beautiful Razr is the world's best-selling cellphone. In just one year, this ultrathin metal slab has attained almost iPod-like popularity; 12 million people are now slipping Razr phones in and out of their pockets. You can buy the Razr in black, silver, pink or blue (for about $150), and there's more to come. "The year of 2005 was the Razr," says Edward J. Zander, Motorola's chief executive, "and the year of 2006 is more Razrs." All right, we get the idea. Thin is in. Other cellphone companies get the idea, too. In fact, Samsung has already come up with a Razr clone, nicknamed the Blade. (Its official name is the A900. It's offered only by Sprint, for $200, although a Verizon edition is reported to be in the works.) Whereas the Razr is a flat, rectangular, high-fashion flip phone, the Blade is a flat, rectangular, high-fashion flip phone. The dimensions are identical, too: 3.9 by 2 inches, and about a half-inch thick when closed. Both feel satisfying and James Bondian in your palm, and both snap shut with the cushioned click of a Lexus car door. Each has a camera, a speakerphone, Bluetooth wireless capability, a totally flat keypad, crystal-clear and extremely loud ringers, a big color screen inside and a postage-stamp-size screen on the outside. The phones are similar in their limitations, too. Neither has a Silence All keystroke for use in boardrooms, theaters or churches; you have to work the Volume Down key all the way to zero through the volume settings. The vibrate mode is so feeble, one layer of pocket fabric blocks it from your nerve endings. FINALLY, skinny little phones have skinny little batteries. The Blade dies after three hours of talking, or less. The Razr's life is longer, but still not nearly what its Web site says ("seven hours"). Truth is, you'll probably have to charge either phone at least once a day. But there are differences between the Razr and the Blade. Man, are there differences. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/26/technology/circuits/26pogue.html?ex=1295931600&en=f9ff34658aa21d96&ei=5090 ------------------------------ From: rayj00@yahoo.com Subject: Re: Anyone Need a Telecom Job? Date: 29 Jan 2006 08:13:45 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Pat, I get "page not found" on your classified link... Ray 3z3k3l wrote: > I have been using Monster, and Telecom careers, but I just stubled > upon some new listing at http://www.pbxjobs.com > What other sites do you guys use for Jobs? > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: There is another area which has not > taken off as well as I had hoped, and that is our very own Telecom > Classifieds http://telecom-digest.org/classifieds.html . An > all-purpose bulletin board for employment opportunities, situations > wanted, items for sale, etc. Entirely voluntary regards payment, etc, > suggested donations are five dollars for a large number of words in > this section every month. Please look it over and see if there is a > way it can meet your needs. PAT] [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That was my error. The correct directory is without the /s/ on the end, as in '/classified.html' or http://telecom-digest.org/classified.html and I _would_ like to see it put to use for telecom-related classified adverts. Try it again, and see if it meets your needs. Payment for the classified bulletin board is on an honor system, use the PayPal template on the front page of that section. PAY] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 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) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * 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 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #44 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Jan 30 18:19:14 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id AC46E14F3F; Mon, 30 Jan 2006 18:19:13 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #45 Message-Id: <20060130231913.AC46E14F3F@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 18:19:13 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.8 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Mon, 30 Jan 2006 18:20:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 45 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Call for Change to Communication Taxes [in VA] (Marcus Didius Falco) Rift Between Parties Over NSA Wiretapping Grows (Marcus Didius Falco) Deutsche Telekom Reports Growth in U.S. (Marcus Didius Falco) 2003 Draft Legislation Covered Eavesdropping (Marcus Didius Falco) For Unlucky Ones, Sox Out of Sight (Monty Solomon) CD DRM: Unauthorized Deactivation Attacks (Monty Solomon) Hello, You're in a Dead Zone/Region's Cellphone Users (Monty Solomon) Consumer Trial of Contactless Payments in NYC Subway Stations (M Solomon) Turning Your Cellphone Into Your Home Phone (Monty Solomon) TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 30, 2006 (telecomdirect_daily) Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby (Lisa Hancock) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 22:49:58 -0500 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: Call for Change to Communication Taxes [in VA] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/26/AR2006012602177.html Call for Change to Communication Taxes By Chris L. Jenkins Friday, January 27, 2006; B04 The House of Delegates voted 62 to 35 to approve legislation that would change how Virginia taxes phone, cable, wireless and Internet phone services. The proposed tax system would replace what supporters of the bill call an antiquated mix of local levies. The bill, sponsored by Del. Samuel A. Nixon (R-Chesterfield), would eliminate a combination of local and state taxes and fees on telephone, paging, cable and cell phone use and create a flat 5 percent tax statewide on all communications services, including satellite television and Internet telephone for the first time. Supporters said that it was necessary to help localities prepare for a declining revenue base as more state residents use cell phones instead of landlines and use satellite television in addition to cable. The state would collect the tax, and cities and counties would get a share equal to what they collect from the local fees and taxes, about $425 million. The bill must now go before the state Senate, where a similar bill died last year. Satellite companies said the bill unfairly burdens their consumers. Rural lawmakers said their constituents would be heavily impacted because rural areas rely more on satellite service. Owners of Dangerous Pets, Beware The Virginia Senate has approved a bill to impose penalties on dog owners whose pets injure or kill people. The bill was offered by Sen. R. Edward Houck (D-Spotsylvania) in response to a March incident in which an 82-year-old woman was killed by three pit bulls as she walked her dog on a neighborhood street. Authorities said the dogs were allowed to run free even though there had been suspicions that they had killed neighborhood pets. If the bill passes, any dog owner whose pet injures or kills a person or other animal could be charged with a crime. Penalties would be more severe if the dog had been labeled "dangerous" by a court. Such dogs would have to be registered with the state. The bill, SB 200, passed the Senate unanimously but must still receive the backing of the House of Delegates and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) to become law. Red-Light Bill Gets Green Light A measure to allow several Northern Virginia jurisdictions, includin Alexandria and Arlington and Fairfax counties, to use cameras at intersections to monitor red-light running has the approval of a Senate committee. A House of Delegates committee ended the 10-year-old practice last year. They cited concerns over the privacy rights of drivers. Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (R-Fairfax) said she felt it was important to sponsor the bill, SB453, even though the proposal faces little chance of success in the House. "I feel, and statistics show, the program was successful," she said. Staff writer Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to this report. Copyright 2006 The Washington Post Company 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, The Washington Post Company. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below: falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 22:45:16 -0500 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: Rift Between Parties Over NSA Wiretapping Grows http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/25/AR2006012500534.html Rift Between Parties Over NSA Wiretapping Grows By Jim VandeHei Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, January 26, 2006; A04 In a pep talk yesterday to intelligence experts at the National Security Agency, President Bush defended eavesdropping on overseas communications to and from U.S. residents as legal and imperative to stopping terrorists. In the latest sign of the escalating debate on the issue, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) called Bush's rationale a "strange" and dangerous legal stretch. The conflicting views of the NSA spying program highlighted by the Bush-Clinton exchange reflect a widening divide over warrantless eavesdropping, and how leaders in both major parties are trying to shape the debate in preparation for upcoming congressional hearings and this year's elections. Bush, whose aides said they consider the issue a clear political winner, is resurrecting tactics from the last campaign to make the NSA spying program a referendum on which party will keep the United States safe from terrorists. He has dispatched top White House officials almost daily to defend the program and has sent a message to party activists that he considers fighting terrorism with tools such as NSA eavesdropping the defining issue of the November elections. Exhibiting an obsession to detail not seen in the Social Security rollout a year ago, the White House is even waging a war on the semantics being used spying, because the monitored calls involve a person overseas. It is also putting out pages of highly detailed -- and often hotly disputed -- legal analyses of the program and drawing what Democratic critics and many independent analysts regard as questionable historical parallels to show Bush is following a long wartime tradition. Speaking to reporters, Clinton took aim at what she called a lawless assertion of power: "My question is, why can't we do what we want to do within the rule of law?" Her comments came after an appearance at the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Clinton, a leading contender for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, rejected Bush's argument that the president had power to order surveillance after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. She said established procedures for approval for such spying from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act would have protected civil liberties and national security. "Their argument that it's rooted in the authority to go after al Qaeda is far-fetched," Clinton said. "Their argument that it's rooted in the Constitution inherently is kind of strange because we have FISA, and FISA operated very effectively and it wasn't that hard to get their permission." Bush staged his latest defense at NSA headquarters at Fort Meade, Md. Speaking to the code breakers, analysts and linguistic experts who help sift through the information obtained with the warrantless searches of overseas phone calls and e-mails involving at least one person in the United States, Bush called the program a "vital" defense tool. The issue is different but the message is similar to the one many political analysts credit for Bush's 2004 victory: He can be trusted to protect U.S. citizens, and Democrats cannot. In a recent speech to the Republican National Committee, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove previewed a similar strategy for this year's elections, in which the GOP majorities in the House, Senate and governorships are at risk. When news of the NSA program broke, Bush was put on the defensive, but he and strategists quickly decided this fight could be an asset at a time when the president was struggling to regain his balance, advisers said. "It is amazing to me -- not only are the Democrats not learning from costly policy mistakes, they are not learning what happened from the political mistakes of 2002 and 2004," said RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman. Some Democratic strategists say the NSA program is a political loser for Democrats, whom many voters still see as soft on national security. But there is no way for elected Democrats to avoid the fight -- and few want to. With congressional hearings on the topic expected early next month, Democrats and several Republicans have serious policy differences with Bush and consider the NSA fight part of a much larger battle over presidential power and congressional oversight. "I don't think it's bad politics," said Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.). "I don't think the national security attack works this time," he said, because "we have a politically weakened president whose poll numbers are down and whose credibility is under increased scrutiny." Although arguments about the legality of the eavesdropping program are boiling, details about what the NSA is doing remain hidden from all but eight members of Congress: the House speaker and minority leader, the Senate majority and minority leaders, and the chairmen and ranking minority members of the House and Senate intelligence committees. Pressed yesterday by Democratic members of the Senate intelligence committee for a closed hearing or briefing on the NSA program, Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said he had scheduled a Feb. 1 Justice Department briefing on the legal issues involved but not on the program itself. Under Roberts's proposal, the committee will meet on Feb. 16 "to discuss the terrorist surveillance issue" but apparently will not be briefed on what it entails. Democrats told Roberts yesterday they want a business meeting of the committee Tuesday, when they will call for a vote on whether to hold a hearing or briefing with NSA witnesses, congressional sources said. Copyright 2006 The Washington Post Company 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, The Washington Post Company. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below: falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 23:04:49 -0500 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: Deutsche Telekom Reports Growth in U.S. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/26/AR2006012601038.html Deutsche Telekom Reports Growth in U.S. The Associated Press BERLIN -- Germany's Deutsche Telekom AG said Thursday its U.S. mobile unit gained its largest number of new customers to date last year, with rapid growth in the fourth quarter powering a strong overall wireless performance. T-Mobile USA gained a net 1.4 million customers in the October-December period, the Bonn-based parent company said. For the year, it added 4.4 million subscribers _ a gain of 25 percent that took its total number of customers to 21.7 million at the end of the year. Worldwide, T-Mobile added 3.6 million new customers in the fourth quarter and 9 million over the course of 2005. At the end of December, it had 86.6 million subscribers _ a gain of 11.6 percent from a year earlier. Telekom's purchase of T-Mobile USA, then VoiceStream, during the technology boom was criticized by many investors and analysts at the time. However, the unit has since become a key driver of growth. Germany is still T-Mobile's largest market. The company said subscriber numbers in its home country rose by 7.5 percent last year "in a market characterized by increasingly tough competition." The operator gained more than 810,000 customers in the fourth quarter, and 2.1 million over the whole year, for a total of 29.5 million at the end of December. In its third-biggest market, Britain, T-Mobile added 845,000 customers in the fourth quarter and 1.4 million over the year for a total of 17.2 million. Also on Thursday, Deutsche Telekom's Internet arm, T-Online International AG, said it added 407,000 new customers in Germany in the fourth quarter for its high-speed DSL service. It attracted another 102,000 new DSL customers in France and Spain in the quarter, and said it added more than 1.2 million new DSL customers overall last year. T-Online did not give total subscriber numbers. Deutsche Telekom shares rose 1.2 percent to close at 13.07 euros ($16.05) in Frankfurt trading. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Associated Press. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below: falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 22:30:53 -0500 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: 2003 Draft Legislation Covered Eavesdropping http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/27/AR2006012701476.html 2003 Draft Legislation Covered Eavesdropping Justice Dept. Officials Call Measure Unrelated; Critics Say Bush Claims Are Undermined By Dan Eggen Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, January 28, 2006; A02 Legislation drafted by Justice Department lawyers in 2003 to strengthen the USA Patriot Act would have provided legal backing for several aspects of the administration's warrantless eavesdropping program. But officials said yesterday that was not the intent. Most lawmakers and the public were not aware at the time that President Bush had already issued a secret order allowing the National Security Agency to intercept international calls involving U.S. citizens and legal residents. Some critics of the NSA program said the draft legislation raises questions about recent administration claims that Bush had clear legal authority to order warrantless domestic spying in late 2001 and had no need to go to Congress for explicit approval. "It's rather damning to their current view that they didn't need legislation," said Timothy H. Edgar, a national security lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union. "Clearly the lawyers at the Justice Department, or some of them, felt that legislation was needed to allow the government to do what it was doing." But the Justice Department said that the measures were not drafted to help the NSA effort. "These proposals were drafted by junior staffers and never formally presented to the attorney general or the White House," said department spokeswoman Tasia Scolinos. "They were not drafted with the NSA program in mind." The Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003 -- dubbed "Patriot II" by critics -- was leaked to the media in February 2003 and soon abandoned by Justice officials, who characterized it at the time as an "early draft" written by staff lawyers. The proposal included several provisions that, in retrospect, would have affected the NSA's program of monitoring telephone calls and e-mails, which was disclosed last month in press reports. One provision would have made it clear that the president could order wiretapping without court supervision for 15 days after Congress approved the use of military force, as it did against al Qaeda. Current law allows such spying for 15 days without a judge's approval only when Congress issues a declaration of war. Justice officials have argued more recently that the two types of declarations are legally equivalent. Another section of the 2003 proposal would have made it easier for the NSA to obtain lists of telephone calls placed or received by U.S. citizens and residents. A third provision would have created a "statutory defense" for agents who conducted surveillance under "lawful authorization" from the president or attorney general, meaning they could not be prosecuted for violating federal law, according to the draft. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which governs domestic spying, provides such a defense only if the surveillance was approved by a secret intelligence court established by that law. Some legal experts who question the president's authority to order warrantless eavesdropping said the latter proposal could be used to justify the legality of the entire NSA program, because it refers to surveillance activity ordered by the president or attorney general and not overseen by either the FISA or criminal courts. "It would have done it through the back door and in such a way that it would have been unlikely that Congress would have picked up on what was meant," said Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies, a civil liberties advocacy group in Washington. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said last month that the administration had considered seeking legislation authorizing the NSA program but had determined it would be impossible and could expose the highly classified program to the public. Scolinos said Gonzales was not referring to the 2003 draft proposals, which she characterized as a compendium of ideas compiled by staff lawyers. "It is common when drafting any new policy to debate various ideas and proposals," she said. Officials have said the NSA program was known only to a relatively small group of senior officials at Justice, including then-Attorney General John D. Ashcroft and his deputies. In Senate testimony in March 2003, Ashcroft said some proposals for legislation strengthening the Patriot Act were under consideration but nothing formal had been drafted. Many legal scholars and lawmakers have said Bush's NSA order may violate either FISA or the Constitution. An analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service also concluded that the warrantless surveillance effort directly conflicts with Congress's intentions in passing the FISA law in 1978 and said other legal justifications were "not as well grounded" as the administration asserts. The Justice Department and Gonzales have responded with a variety of statements and documents aimed at bolstering the administration's legal arguments in the weeks leading up to Feb. 6, when the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on the program. Committee Democrats sent a letter to Gonzales yesterday requesting documents related to electronic surveillance policies and the congressional authorization of force against al Qaeda. Also yesterday, the Justice Department released a list of defenses of the "NSA terrorist surveillance program" under the heading "myth vs. reality," reiterating arguments that the effort is legal, is "narrowly focused" and follows in a tradition of warrantless eavesdropping during wartime. The document also repeats recent claims by Gonzales and others that the FISA law is too cumbersome for use in rapidly intercepting overseas telephone calls, although it says the process is fine for purely domestic communications. Copyright 2006 The Washington Post Company 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, The Washington Post Company. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below: falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 22:49:29 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: For Unlucky Ones, Sox Out of Sight By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe columnist | January 29, 2006 It was an announcement that barely got anyone's attention. A couple of weeks back, the Red Sox and NESN declared the end of their Friday night relationship with Channel 38, committing all locally televised Red Sox games to pay cable. This means no free television access to the Red Sox in 2006, except for a handful of games that will be carried nationally on the Fox network. For the last three years, people without cable in this market have been able to watch the Red Sox on Channel 38 on Friday nights. Twenty-eight games per year. For free. Now if you don't have cable, you don't have the Red Sox -- except for that random Fox game once a month. It's unfortunate. It's also elitist, classist, and probably greedy, too. The Sox are putting all their games on NESN because it means more money for the organization. Unfortunately, it takes the team away from some loyal fans who don't have the cash for cable. We tend to think we live in a world in which everybody has cable television and personal computer access. Well, it's not everybody. In the Boston market, 6-7 percent of homes do not have cable television. The majority of those households make less than $50,000 per year. Folks without cable? You know who they are. Probably your elderly aunt in Cohasset, the one who still has a rotary phone. She loves the Red Sox. Recently, she's loved them on Friday nights when she can watch for free. It's the same in a lot of hospitals, shelters, and religious residences. Not everybody has cable. According to Scarborough Research, there are 589,635 adults in the Boston market (Eastern Massachusetts from the Cape to Southern New Hampshire and as far west as Worcester) without cable or satellite television. More than 20 percent of the non-cable population is nonwhite and 51.8 percent is made up of households earning less than $50,000. Nineteen percent of the non-cable/satellite people are over 65. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2006/01/29/for_unlucky_ones_sox_out_of_sight/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 01:18:50 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: CD DRM: Unauthorized Deactivation Attacks By Ed Felten Alex and I are working on an academic paper, "Lessons from the Sony CD DRM Episode", which will analyze several not-yet-discussed aspects of the XCP and MediaMax CD copy protection technologies, and will try to put the Sony CD episode in context and draw lessons for the future. We'll post the complete paper here next week. Until then, we'll post drafts of a few sections here. We have two reasons for this: we hope the postings will be interesting in themselves, and we hope your comments will help us improve the paper. Today's section is part of the technical core of the paper. Please note that this is a draft and should not be formally quoted or cited. The final version of our entire paper will be posted here when it is ready. Unauthorized Deactivation Attacks As described previously, active protection methods rely on installing and running software components that interfere when ordinary software tries to access the disc. If an adversary can remove or deactivate the active protection software, then the DRM scheme will fail to prevent arbitrary use or ripping of the music on the disc. In this section we discuss such deactivation attacks. One attack strategy is to manually deactivate or uninstall the active protection software. This can be done by using standard system administration tools, which are designed to find, characterize, and control the programs installed on a machine. This attack is very difficult to stop if the user has system administrator privileges on the machine. http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=964 Previous excerpts CD DRM: Compatibility and Software Updates Saturday January 28, 2006 by Ed Felten http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=963 CD DRM: Attacks on Disc Recognition Thursday January 26, 2006 by J. Alex Halderman http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=960 CD DRM: Threat Models and Business Models Tuesday January 24, 2006 by Ed Felten http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=959 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 01:53:25 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Hello, You're in the Dead Zone / Region's Cellphone Users Still Hello, you're in the dead zone Region's cellphone users still have problems making, keeping connections By Matt Viser, Globe Staff | January 29, 2006 You're driving along, talking on your phone. It could be something as mundane as trying to determine which cereal to pick up at the grocery store or as crucial as trying to seal a business deal. Then come the unexplained silences, the fragments of talk, and the sudden realization that the other person's just not there. You've been trapped. In a cellphone dead zone. Even as cellular phones have become necessities of modern life and companies have tried to improve service, it's still possible to find yourself in a dead zone in Boston's western suburbs, according to residents and a survey by Globe West. "Our area is full of cellphone dead spots," said Stephanie Price, a 33-year-old Cingular Wireless subscriber who lives in the Waban section of Newton. "There is literally no way to drive to my house and not drop a call." To examine how reliably the phones work these days, a Globe West reporter took comparable phones from the four companies serving Massachusetts -- Cingular Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA, and Verizon Wireless -- on a 150-mile tour of the area. Calls were made on each phone from the same location within a one-minute period, and a record was kept of whether calls went through clearly on the first try, had an obviously weak connection, or failed to connect after three attempts. A total of 480 phone calls were made from 120 locations ranging from Newton to Boylston and from Norfolk to Lincoln. Sixty-two of the calls, or about 13 percent, didn't connect on the first try. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/01/29/hello_youre_in_the_dead_zone/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 10:09:14 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Consumer Trial of Contactless Payments in NYC Subway Stations MasterCard and Citi Conduct Consumer Trial of Contactless Payments with MTA in Select NYC Subway Stations; Fast, Convenient 'Contactless' Payments to Provide Trial Participants More Time to Reach Their Destinations - Jan 30, 2006 09:00 AM (BusinessWire) PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 30, 2006--MasterCard International and Citi today announced that they will be working with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and MTA New York City Transit to conduct a trial of contactless payments in select New York City subway stations with pre-selected Citi customers. The trial is scheduled to begin in the Spring of 2006 and is expected to last approximately six months. Contactless payments offer consumers a fast and convenient way to pay. Using contactless payment technology, powered by MasterCard(R) PayPass(TM), participants in the subway trial will be able to pay for their fare at the point of entry by simply tapping their new Citi(R) MasterCard(R) card or payment tag on a specially equipped reader mounted on a subway turnstile. These specially equipped readers will feature a graphic that is unique to the trial, so that participants will know which turnstiles accept their cards or tags. These cards and payment tags will also be useable at any MasterCard PayPass merchant location. The payment tag conveniently fits on any key chain, and both the tag and card allow for everyday small purchases to be completed quickly, securely and easily, without needing to fumble for cash and coins. The trial will take place at select Lexington Avenue Line 4 5 6 stations. During the trial, participating customers will have the pay-per-ride option, including the 20% bonus, available to them. No passes or transfers to buses will be available. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=55190447 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 10:01:48 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Turning Your Cellphone Into Your Home Phone Turning Your Cellphone Into Your Home Phone By WALTER S. MOSSBERG and KATHERINE BOEHRET Anyone with a cellphone is familiar with this scenario: You come home, take your jacket off, and set your purse or briefcase down near the door. A few hours later, you get your cellphone out of your bag to use it, only to find that you've missed three calls because you weren't close enough to hear your phone ringing. Cellphones rule in lots of places -- we can call for car help when stranded along a highway, find friends in a crowd, and be nagged by co-workers or spouses at any time and place. But the old-fashioned wired phone wins at home. When someone calls your house line, extension phones all over the house ring, and can be used to answer the call. With a cellphone at home, you have to schlep it everywhere you go. As more and more households continue to trade in their landlines for cellphones with better calling plans and free long distance, the inconvenience of toting a single cellphone around the house gets more annoying. So, this week we took a look at two products that aim to solve that problem by tying your cellphone into your wired home phone setup. They allow you to use your home phones, including extensions in every room, to place and receive calls through your cellphone and your cellphone calling plan. http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/solution-20060125.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 11:44:12 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 30, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For January 30, 2006 ******************************** Coming Soon Video-On-Demand http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/105/16436?11228 For most of the country's smaller, independent cable operators, the video-on-demand (VOD) vision has evolved into a "must-have" service for the rural, smaller markets, but with a "not yet" reality. The reality is that all of the necessary ingredients needed to deploy a quality VOD service remain out of reach for the majority of the... Conquering a Culture of Indecision http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16434?11228 The single greatest cause of corporate underperformance is the failure to execute. According to author Ram Charan, such failures usually result from misfires in personal interactions. And these faulty interactions rarely occur in isolation, Charan says in this article originally published in 2001. More often than not, they're typical of... Qwest Demands Users Accept New DSL Terms http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/105/16433?11228 Claiming that it's just doing what the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) now allows, Qwest is demanding that its DSL customers accept a new set of terms of service that, among other things, could forbid small businesses from offering their customers WiFi and could see home users fined $5 per e-mail if a hacker secretly hijacks... Researchers Seek "Perfect" Mobile Storage http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/100/16430?11228 A new type of static memory could well be the perfect storage device, promising the development of handheld devices with coin-sized drives that could store over 100 movies. The magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) technology would also offer numerous other advantages, including faster operation with 99 percent less energy consumption. ... Arcor, Hansanet and QSC Announce Broadband Plans http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16424?11228 Germany's leading alternative fixed-line telco Arcor, part of the Vodafone Group, is planning to invest over 200 million euro this year on a high-speed fibre-optic network. Arcor expects to present its proposal to the German chancellor as it is willing to share the costs of constructing the national fibre-optic network with dominant... http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16421?11228 As Research In Motion (RIM) continues its patent battle with NTP, it's business as usual in other parts of the world where RIM continues its dominance. RIM and Dialog Telekom announced the launch of the BlackBerry wireless platform in Sri Lanka. Dialog will offer the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, the BlackBerry 7100g and the BlackBerry... Alltel/Valor Restructuring Gets FCC Nod http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16418?11228 The proposed corporate restructuring and the transfer of landline network assets by Alltel Corporation to the Valor Communications Group was approved by the Federal Communications Commission, moving the proposed $9.1 billion transaction closer to its anticipated mid-2006 closing. The federal nod from the regulator's Wireline Competition... Copyright (C) 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby Date: 30 Jan 2006 07:27:50 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Monty Solomon wrote: > The New York Times > "I'm one of those New Yorkers who doesn't have a driver's license, so > I carry my passport with me in case I do need to show a picture ID." Many states offer official photo-IDs for people who do not have a driver's license. New York State does. I would think it'd be more prudent to carry such an ID card rather than a passport in case it's lost or stolen. (see: http://www.nysdmv.com/license.htm) > But because she was not checking into the hotel and not going anywhere > but the lobby, she did not count on having to produce a > government-issued photo ID just to have a clerk phone a guest room > from the front desk. That seems a bit extreme just for a visitor. However, hotels have more liability about security, especially a place in a busy city. > "At that point, I was kind of irritated at myself. I mean, a hotel > lobby is, like, a public place, right? They claim the right to > demand ID just to come in?" No, a hotel lobby is NOT a public place. It is private property and the owner may require such security checks as the owner deems appropriate. Indeed, the hotel owner may HAVE to require such ID to meet liability insurance or legal requirements to protect the security of its guests. If the hotel had an incident of serious theft or personal attack, I can see them being very cautious. Further, the ID check may be a way of preventing undesirables from coming in and loitering, looking for targets for theft, etc. Keep in mind that a great many private property spaces have closed circuit TV recording all movements. Big brother is indeed watching you. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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 oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! 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Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2006 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 V25 #45 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Jan 31 02:28:34 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id DE74B14D5A; Tue, 31 Jan 2006 02:28:33 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #46 Message-Id: <20060131072833.DE74B14D5A@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 02:28:33 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.6 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, BIZ_TLD autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Tue, 31 Jan 2006 02:30:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 46 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Limits Set on .com Price Increases (Anick Jesdanun) Re: Information Wants to be Free (Michael Chance) Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post (Michael Chance) Re: CD DRM: Unauthorized Deactivation Attacks (Gordon Burditt) Re: Hello, You're in the Dead Zone / Region's Cellphone Users Still (T) Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby (David B. Horvath) Re: Anyone Need a Telecom Job? (3z3k3l) Re: For Unlucky Ones, Sox Out of Sight (Barry Margolin) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Anick Jesdanun Subject: Limits Set on .com Price Increase Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 17:57:51 -0600 Deal Places Limits on '.com' Price Hikes By ANICK JESDANUN AP Internet Writer VeriSign Inc. must meet certain conditions in order to fully raise fees for '.com' domain names under a new tentative settlement reached with ICANN, the Internet's main supervision/oversight agency. The new deal also would prevent VeriSign from ultimately passing on to domain name holders separate surcharges that help fund the agency, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN. The revised accord would end a longstanding legal dispute between the two powerhouses behind the computer servers that, as the Internet's core address books, help people find Web sites and send e-mail. The new deal follows months of public input and, ICANN general counsel John Jeffrey said Monday, requires final approval by the boards of both ICANN and VeriSign after another public-comment period. In a statement, VeriSign called it 'the best efforts of both VeriSign and ICANN to resolve differences that have been present for several years.' If approved, both sides would drop lawsuits filed against each other over, among other things, the introduction by VeriSign of a controversial search service called Site Finder. The most direct change for Internet users involves domain name fees. Currently, VeriSign charges domain name resellers, called registrars, $6 per '.com' name; registrars can then charge domain name buyers whatever they like, incorporating that $6 annual fee into the basic price. If the deal is approved, VeriSign would be allowed to raise that fee, which registrars could then pass along to customers. The new settlement would limit those increases. In any two of the next six years, VeriSign could raise fees by up to 7 percent a year only in response to a security threat or to comply with an ICANN mandate. But that leaves four years in which Verisign could raise rates by 7 percent annually without having to justify the increases, objects Network Solutions Inc., a registrar that VeriSign sold in 2003. With more than 40 million '.com' names in use, a 7 percent increase could generate as much as $17 million for VeriSign in the first year alone. The old deal, reached in October, would have allowed VeriSign to raise the fees every year without conditions. Network Solutions and other critics also complained that VeriSign still would get first rights to a renewal in 2012, thwarting any hopes competitors had for open bidding. But Network Solutions did applaud ICANN for prohibiting VeriSign from passing along a separate surcharge for '.com' names. Under the old settlement, VeriSign would have collected for ICANN up to 50 cents per '.com' name. Now the company must pay ICANN a lump sum on its own -- $6 million in the first year, increasing to $12 million in 2009. The new settlement also makes clear that ICANN isn't immediately approving Site Finder, which VeriSign introduced in late 2003 to help Internet users find Web sites when they mistype addresses. Following complaints that Site Finder broke some Internet tools like spam filters and gave VeriSign an unfair competitive advantage in search, the company suspended the service. Verisign subsequently sued ICANN, complaining that the agency was making it difficult for the company to create new businesses. ICANN countersued. With the settlement, changed little in the revision, ICANN would create procedures and deadlines to more quickly review any new services VeriSign might introduce. The new deal also adds performance benchmarks and privacy protections. VeriSign still faces two lawsuits over the proposed settlement, and the plaintiff in one of them, calling itself the Coalition for ICANN Transparency, said the new terms were inadequate. ICANN also is a defendant in the CFIT lawsuit. 'It's pretty clear that VeriSign and ICANN are aware of the areas that are most objected to by the Internet community, but I do think that the revision posted offers change in name only,' said John Berard, a spokesman for the group. Copyright 2006, 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines and stories from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Michael Chance Subject: Re: Information Wants to be Free Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 23:40:43 GMT In article , jmeissen@aracnet.com says: > The Bell system ceased being a national monopoly, but the baby bells > retained their regional dominance. The "competition" was a failure, as > the incumbent phone companies drove competitors out of business > through various shady practices from predatory pricing to > uncooperative responses to line orders. Maybe you have competition, > but in the metropolitan areas I've lived the only choices for > wire-line phone service are the incumbent baby-bells, which, as you > may have noticed, have consolidated almost to the pre-divestiture > state. However, traditional wire-line voice telephony technology is no longer the only option for voice telephony (and many might suggest it's no longer the preferred option). While there may be a single dominant provider for wire-line service in most areas, there are multiple wireless voice providers, and cable companies are providing either PSTN or VoIP telephany. Wall Street analysts continue to mark the erosion of wireline voice customers against all the "baby Bells", which they would not do if there were not robust competition for voice service. Michael Chance ------------------------------ From: Michael Chance Subject: Re: The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet -- Wash Post Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 23:46:24 GMT In article , william_warren_nonoise@speakeasy.net says: > Since the Internet, by its very nature, concentrates power at the > endpoints, the former monopolists are floating trial balloons to see > if the public will stand for them finding a new way to gouge the > consumer. However, the "power at the endpoints" isn't very much if you can't get anyone to carry your traffic to the rest of the net. If others can't connect to your content, your "endpoint" has all the "power" of an expensive typewriter. Michael Chance ------------------------------ From: gordonb.sx75c@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) Subject: Re: CD DRM: Unauthorized Deactivation Attacks Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 23:55:10 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com > Today's section is part of the technical core of the paper. > Please note that this is a draft and should not be formally quoted or > cited. The final version of our entire paper will be posted here when > it is ready. > Unauthorized Deactivation Attacks When I read this title, I think of an entirely different form of attack than what the authors were thinking off. And I think this kind of attack should be of serious concern also. An Unauthorized Deactivation Attack (my definition) is an attack by the rights owner (e.g. Sony) or virus writer or writers unknown but probably employed by guess who against the licensees (Joe Customer) to revoke or limit the usability of what they purchased in violation of the license agreement at the time they purchased it, without any violation of the license by the licensee. For example, Sony might (and I wouldn't put it past them) make playing "Get Right With The Man Version 3" revoke all your licenses to "Get Right With The Man Version 2" without any warning in the agreement you got with Version 2 or Version 3. Or, a virus mysteriously targets licenses of "Get Right With The Man" versions 1, 2, and 3, destroying them, just before the release of version 4. Gordon L. Burditt ------------------------------ From: T Subject: Re: Hello, You're in the Dead Zone / Region's Cellphone Users Still Organization: The Ace Tomato and Cement Company Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 20:03:02 -0500 In article , monty@roscom.com says... > Hello, you're in the dead zone > Region's cellphone users still have problems making, keeping connections > By Matt Viser, Globe Staff | January 29, 2006 > You're driving along, talking on your phone. It could be something as > mundane as trying to determine which cereal to pick up at the grocery > store or as crucial as trying to seal a business deal. > Then come the unexplained silences, the fragments of talk, and the > sudden realization that the other person's just not there. > You've been trapped. In a cellphone dead zone. > Even as cellular phones have become necessities of modern life and > companies have tried to improve service, it's still possible to find > yourself in a dead zone in Boston's western suburbs, according to > residents and a survey by Globe West. > "Our area is full of cellphone dead spots," said Stephanie Price, a > 33-year-old Cingular Wireless subscriber who lives in the Waban > section of Newton. "There is literally no way to drive to my house > and not drop a call." > To examine how reliably the phones work these days, a Globe West > reporter took comparable phones from the four companies serving > Massachusetts -- Cingular Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA, and > Verizon Wireless -- on a 150-mile tour of the area. > Calls were made on each phone from the same location within a > one-minute period, and a record was kept of whether calls went through > clearly on the first try, had an obviously weak connection, or failed > to connect after three attempts. > A total of 480 phone calls were made from 120 locations ranging from > Newton to Boylston and from Norfolk to Lincoln. > Sixty-two of the calls, or about 13 percent, didn't connect on the > first try. > http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/01/29/hello_youre_in_the_dead_zone/ I note that wherever I go in RI, Verizon seems to have very good coverage. But the article has obvious falsehoods, like former AT&T towers not talking to Cingular towers. It's because Cingular and AT&T used differnt protocols, one was CDMA the other was GSM. They're transitioning to all GSM at the moment. By the way -- I note that Boston.com has their odious side after all. They let you get three pages in before asking for registration, and then block cut/paste so BugMeNot won't work. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 21:16:54 -0500 From: David B. Horvath, CCP Subject: Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby Please mung my address PAT. Name is fine. On 30 Jan 2006 07:27:50 -0800, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > Many states offer official photo-IDs for people who do not have a > driver's license. New York State does. I would think it'd be more > prudent to carry such an ID card rather than a passport in case it's > lost or stolen. (see: http://www.nysdmv.com/license.htm ) The advantage of the passport is that it does not have address. It also does not have SSN (or a key that is easily cross-referenced to SSN). You can have a driver's license and a passport (I don't believe you're really allowed to have the license and the non-license ID). In addition, many people look down on the the non-driver's ID's believing that the holder is unable to get a license (or it has been revoked for some reason) rather than a reasoned choice. I'll use my passport when I know I'm going to need specific ID (new job, getting a mortgage, etc.). - David ------------------------------ From: 3z3k3l Subject: Re: Anyone Need a Telecom Job? Date: 30 Jan 2006 18:25:15 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com The telecom editor note isn't mine ... It looks like it is an automated message. Good Luck though. PBX Classifieds http://classifieds.pbxinfo.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: No, actually these notes are not from you, they are from me! And they are not automated. But, it is hoped that you will decide to use our classified messages area from time to time. http://telecom-digest.org/classified.html PAT] ------------------------------ From: Barry Margolin Subject: Re: For Unlucky Ones, Sox Out of Sight Organization: Symantec Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 22:23:45 -0500 In article , Monty Solomon wrote: > It was an announcement that barely got anyone's attention. A couple of > weeks back, the Red Sox and NESN declared the end of their Friday > night relationship with Channel 38, committing all locally televised > Red Sox games to pay cable. Poor channel 38. First they lose their network (channel 56 is going to be the Boston affiliate of the new CW network after the WB/UPN merger), now they lose their baseball games. Maybe they should bring back "Ask the Manager", that was fun. Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu Arlington, MA *** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me *** *** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group *** ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V25 #46 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Jan 31 18:44:36 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 83EBC14FEC; Tue, 31 Jan 2006 18:44:36 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #47 Message-Id: <20060131234436.83EBC14FEC@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 18:44:36 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.2 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, NIGERIAN_BODY1 autolearn=unavailable version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Tue, 31 Jan 2006 18:46:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 47 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Going Postal Once Again! (Reuters News Wire) Cable & Wireless to Restructure (USTelecom dailyLead) TelecomDirect News Daily Update - January 31, 2006 (telecomdirect_daily) Cellular-News For Tuesday 31st January 2006 (cellular-news) Does Anyone Know About a Group in Telecom? (yabh.engr@gmail.com) Can You Help Unlock a Vonage ATA186 Please (rob.greaves@gmail.com) Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby (John Levine) Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby (Lisa Hancock) Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby (Dale Farmer) Re: Hello, You're in a Dead Zone/Region's Cellphone Users Still (Hancock) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Going Postal Once Again! Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 10:51:37 -0600 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Where have we heard a story like this before? PAT] Seven dead after California postal shooting spree A woman believed to be a postal employee went on a shooting spree at a mail sorting center near Santa Barbara, California, killing six people before committing suicide, law enforcement officials said on Tuesday. A California Highway Patrol dispatcher on Tuesday morning confirmed that seven people including the shooter had died at the mail facility in Goleta, California. Police received calls that shots had been fired at about 9:15 p.m. on Monday and found two bodies in the street, Santa Barbara Sheriff spokesman Erik Raney said on local television station KEYT. A former employee with a firearm was suspected of shooting postal employees, he said. Santa Barbara County and city Special Weapons and Tactics teams responded, he added. KEYT reported on Tuesday morning the shooting had ended and deputies had found two bodies outside the building and four bodies inside, including the shooter, a female employee. Two wounded were taken to the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Nursing Supervisor Wanda Johnson said one victim had died and another was in critical condition with a gun shot to the head. Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml For more news from Reuters News Wire, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 12:52:26 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Cable & Wireless to Restructure USTelecom dailyLead January 31, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cTwQfDtutalThtazDL TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Cable & Wireless to restructure BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Cavalier wraps up Elantic buy * Wireless resellers target immigrants * Liberty Media, EchoStar invest in Slingbox * Philly, EarthLink finalize Wi-Fi contract * Independent telcos ramp up local video offerings * RIM rivals benefit from BlackBerry maker's legal woes USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * Register today for TelecomNEXT: Free study from IDC; save $275! TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * AOL, Mark Burnett to create online reality show REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * Ebbers' lawyers appeal conviction, prison term Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cTwQfDtutalThtazDL ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 11:41:20 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - Tuesday, January 31, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For January 31, 2006 ******************************** North Dakota to Test Balloons for Cellular Service http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/140/16462?11228 BISMARCK, N.D. -- Why put up costly cell phone towers in thinly populated areas, when a few balloons would do? In North Dakota, former Gov. Ed Schafer is backing a plan to loft wireless network repeaters on balloons high above the state to fill gaps in cellular coverage. "I know it sounds crazy," said Schafer, who now heads... EU Backs Spain's Move To Open Up Mobile Phone Market http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/100/16459?11228 BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Commission backed Spain's move to open up its mobile phone market on Tuesday, saying lower prices could result from giving three new players access to networks run by Telefonica, Vodafone and France Telecom's Amena. The cost of using mobile phones in Spain was well above the EU average, it said,... Earthlink Finalizes Wireless Deal in Pennsylvania http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16457?11228 PHILADELPHIA -- Earthlink Inc. has finalized a 10-year contract to provide wireless Internet service across Philadelphia, a city official said Monday. Philadelphia was the first large city to announce plans to build a wireless Internet network and provide low-cost access to residents as a way to span the digital divide. Smaller... TeliaSonera Launches One Number for Two Phones http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16453?11228 TeliaSonera's Finnish unit, Sonera, has announced that it will commence its Multi-SIM service from 1 February 2005. The service allows a customer to use one mobile number on two phones, without swapping SIM cards between phones. A company press release says that the caller ID remains the same, irrespective of whether the main... Alltel Intros New Prepaid Service http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16451?11228 Alltel is introducing a new prepaid wireless service that offers an expanded phone selection, plans and features. The company says the service is designed for customers "who want to customize a wireless plan to their needs and tastes." "U personalized prepaid is flexible, hip, user-friendly and built around what customers want... Ericsson Reports 52% Profit Boost http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16449?11228 Ericsson, the world's leading wireless network manufacturer, has announced 52% growth in earnings for the fourth quarter of 2005. According to a company press release, net profit rose to 8.5 billion kroner (US$1.18 billion) from 5.6 billion kroner for the same period in 2004. Its full-year net profit was up 39% to 24.3 billion kroner.... Customer Churn = MVNO Butter http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16441?11228 Brand loyalty is rare among cellular subscribers, according to a study released this morning by In-Stat/MDR -- a finding that could have profound future implications for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) targeting enterprise customers. According to the new In-Stat survey, entitled "MVNOs: Current and Planned Wireless Subscriber... TIA Urges House To Mop Up DTV Bill http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16439?11228 As the U.S. House of Representatives reconvenes this week, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is imploring federal lawmakers to pass the Senate-amended version of deficit-reduction/-spending legislation as early as possible in the hopes of mopping up details on the digital television (DTV) transition bill. The deficit... C&W Says Ciao to Caio http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16437?11228 Cable & Wireless plc (NYSE: CWP - message board) today showed how tough it is for traditional telecom operators to revamp themselves by announcing a corporate reorganization that sent its share price plummeting by 15 percent. (See C&W Splits, Ditches CEO.) Its latest move is to split its operations into two units -- one for its... Copyright (C) 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-Nnews for Tuesday 31st January 2006 Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 09:47:57 -0600 From: cellular-news Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ 3G ]] Siemens To Build 3G Wireless Network In Malta http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15844.php German technology company Siemens, Monday said it has received an order from Malta's wireless operator Vodafone Malta to build a third generation wireless, or 3G/W-CDMA, network. ... Italy Consumer Groups Complain About 3 Italia IPO http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15852.php Italian consumer advocacy group Adusbef said Monday it had filed a complaint about the planned initial public offering of 3 Italia to stock market regulator Consob and the Milan public prosecutors' office. ... More 3G/WCDMA Operators Combine with EDGE http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15856.php A survey by GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association) of EDGE operator deployments confirms that a growing number of 3G/WCDMA operators are delivering services in combination with GSM/EDGE networks. The survey confirms 61 network operators are deploy... [[ Financial ]] FOCUS: Investors Look For European Telecom Reckoning http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15843.php Investors in European telecom stocks are demanding payback for the sector's recent poor performance, and Hutchison Whampoa's 3 Italia may foot the bill. After a year of expensive telecom mergers and acquisitions and ambitious growth targets ended wit... Vivendi Universal's Mobile Unit Beats Forecasts http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15846.php Vivendi Universal's SFR mobile-phone network outpaced analyst expectations Monday, though weaker earnings from its music and games division disappointed. ... MegaFon's US GAAP net profit soars 65% on yr in Jan-Sep http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15850.php The net profit of Russia’s third largest mobile operator MegaFon soared 65% on the year to U.S. $281 million in January-September, as calculated under U.S. GAAP, the company said Monday. ... NTL Inc: Virgin Group Could Hold Over 10% Of Combined Co http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15853.php NTL Incorporated said Monday that the acquisition of Virgin Mobile may involve the issuance of a substantial equity interest in ntl or in the combination of ntl and Telewest as well as substantial cash payments to Virgin Mobile's shareholders. ... [[ Legal ]] RIM Gets Favorable Ruling In InPro Patent Litigation http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15848.php Research In Motion Ltd. received a positive ruling in a patent dispute with InPro, a patent-holding firm in Luxembourg. ... Telenor: Tax Authorities Appeal Sonofon Ruling http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15849.php Norwegian telecommunications operator Telenor, Monday said tax authorities have appealed an earlier court decision from December relating to tax which occurred from the intracompany sale of shares in Sonofon AS. ... [[ Mobile Content ]] Yahoo! Has Early Lead in Mobile Domain Market http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15857.php M:Metrics has found that Yahoo! is the most popular mobile content brand. During the quarter ended December 2005, 12.8 million U.S. mobile subscribers accessed Yahoo's services in an average month -- 4 million more than second-place AOL. MSN and Goog... [[ MVNO ]] Carriers Beware! About 80% of Respondents Would Consider an MVNO http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15860.php While resellers of cellular service have long been part of cellular channels to market, the recent growth of strongly branded Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) is creating a new way to compete for current subscribers and offering opportunities... [[ Network Contracts ]] Russia's Enforta to invest $50 mln in WiMAX networks http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15855.php Russia's Prestige-Internet, operating under the Enforta brand, plans to invest over U.S. $50 million in the construction of WiMAX networks in 28 cities in Russia, the company's Product and Marketing Director Oleg Tainov told Prime-Tass Monday. ... [[ Network Operators ]] TDC Offers New Mobile Phone Price Plan In Denmark http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15845.php Danish telecommunications operator TDC, Monday said it will launch a new flat-rate mobile phone subscription plan in Denmark. ... [[ Personnel ]] France Telecom Revamps Senior Management http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15851.php France Telecom Chairman and Chief Executive Didier Lombard has appointed a streamlined management team with a new finance chief, the company said Monday in a release. ... Filtronic Loses CEO - Posts Operating Loss http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15858.php The CEO of the wireless equipment manufacturer, Filtronic resigned yesterday following an unexpectedly large loss for the first half of the financial year. Professor John Roulston, Chief Executive Officer, has resigned from the company by mutual agre... [[ Regulatory ]] Russian regulator delays consideration of VimpelCom's complaint http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15854.php A commission of Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service, or FAS, postponed until February 15 consideration of a complaint filed by Russia's second-largest mobile operator VimpelCom against the State Radio Frequency Commission, an FAS representative t... [[ Reports ]] Threat To The Mobility Premium - Clear and Present Danger http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15859.php The Shosteck Group's latest study warns that the threat to the mobility premium is a "clear and present danger." The rapid adoption of Internet pricing and a slowdown in subscriber growth in some markets could potentially drive the mobile industry do... [[ Statistics ]] Hungary's Mobile Phone Penetration Rate 92.4% By End-'05 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15847.php Mobile telephone use continued to expand in Hungary last year amid fierce competition among the service providers, the Hungarian telecommunications authority, NHH, said Monday. ... ------------------------------ From: yabh.engr@gmail.com Subject: Does Anyone Know About a Group in Telecom? Date: 31 Jan 2006 03:53:16 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hi, I want a group that has experts or consultants to ask them any question about telecommuncations from a technological point of view . (not financial or business ) Thanks. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I would say you have come to the right place, here at comp.dcom.telecom and http://telecom-digest.org. Although we do not totally ignore comments about financial and business operations in telecom, our main emphasis here is on the technical and sociological aspects of telecommuniations. If comp.dcom.telecom does not suit your needs, then you might also look into comp.dcom.telecom.tech and also alt.dcom.telecom, two Usenet newsgroups which many years ago were started here in TELECOM Digest. PAT] ------------------------------ From: rob.greaves@gmail.com Subject: Can You Help Unlock a Vonage ATA-186 Please? Date: 31 Jan 2006 09:01:51 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com The subject says it all. Any help unlocking a Vonage-locked Cisco ATA-186 would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, bob ------------------------------ Date: 31 Jan 2006 15:02:01 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby >> But because she was not checking into the hotel and not going anywhere >> but the lobby, she did not count on having to produce a >> government-issued photo ID just to have a clerk phone a guest room >> from the front desk. That's ridiculous. In that case, I would have pulled out my mobile phone, called the hotel, and asked to speak to the guest. Of course, any ID check where they aren't checking the ID against a list of known good or bad people is completely pointless anyway. And as we've seen with the TSA no-fly list, even if they do have a list, that often doesn't help. R's, John ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby Date: 31 Jan 2006 07:06:30 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com David wrote: > The advantage of the passport is that it does not have address. It > also does not have SSN (or a key that is easily cross-referenced to > SSN). For simple ID in cases like this the passport will work. But to say open a bank account I wonder if banks will accept a document that does not have an address and a key number. In other words, when they ask for your license, they record that key number and your address. > You can have a driver's license and a passport (I don't believe > you're really allowed to have the license and the non-license ID). True. I wanted to get a non driver's ID card for this very reason; plus I wanted to keep my driver's history separate. In other words, if a cop stops me while walking down the street, he has no need to see my driver's license, just some official ID. (A passport would be useful, unless he wanted an official address as well.) But you're only allowed to get a non driver's ID if you can't drive. They appear to be rather fussy about giving them out. > I'll use my passport when I know I'm going to need specific ID (new > job, getting a mortgage, etc.). My only concern would be losing your passport. Is it hard to replace if lost or stolen? ------------------------------ From: Dale Farmer Organization: I'm working on that.... Subject: Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 21:35:31 GMT David B. Horvath wrote: > Please mung my address PAT. Name is fine. > On 30 Jan 2006 07:27:50 -0800, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: >> Many states offer official photo-IDs for people who do not have a >> driver's license. New York State does. I would think it'd be more >> prudent to carry such an ID card rather than a passport in case it's >> lost or stolen. (see: http://www.nysdmv.com/license.htm ) > The advantage of the passport is that it does not have address. It > also does not have SSN (or a key that is easily cross-referenced to > SSN). You can have a driver's license and a passport (I don't believe > you're really allowed to have the license and the non-license ID). In > addition, many people look down on the the non-driver's ID's believing > that the holder is unable to get a license (or it has been revoked for > some reason) rather than a reasoned choice. > I'll use my passport when I know I'm going to need specific ID (new > job, getting a mortgage, etc.). > - David A friend of mine ( now deceased ) had a Massachusetts ID card. He didn't drive for a number of reasons, mainly because he had severe vision problems. When he went to the bank to cash a check that had been written on an account from that bank, they wouldn't accept the Massachusetts non-driver ID card. They did end up accepting his all area access pass from a science fiction convention he had worked on before and still happened to have in his wallet. --Dale ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Hello, You're in the Dead Zone / Region's Cellphone Users Still Date: 31 Jan 2006 07:15:04 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Monty Solomon wrote: > You've been trapped. In a cellphone dead zone. Apparently digital signals used today aren't as "enrobing" as analog signals and are more easily blocked by buildings or terrain. After a big push to switch people to digital dead zone complaints soared. The wireless carriers have to put a lot more antennas in and study tricky locations to ensure continual service. Public safety departments using new digital radios have had the same problem with dead spots. Their old analog sets were more reliable. I was riding a train and the other passengers lost their signal. My old analog phone kept working. In more remote areas people use older style "bag phones" with a higher powered analog signal to have service. Apparently there is no replacement for this yet, and analog is supposed to be retired in a few years, which will leave rural areas in big trouble. As a user, I'm concerned that if I take a motor trip, and go a few miles off the main highway to an isolated area, that I'll lose service at a point where I'll need it the most in an emergency. How far will today's tiny little phones work away from the antenna? [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I think rural areas are _already_ in some trouble. Cingular Wireless is really trying hard to get all customers converted over to GSM and the flimsy little phones. On my older style Nokia phone which I used, quite successfully until a few months ago, I _always_ had a great signal. The local agent told me that the newer Nokia 6010 phone (GSM) would be 'much better'. I got it and turned it on, and only rarely does the signal strengh approach the level the old one does. GSM is _not_ a better deal at all. I suppose if you wanted to use it fo (very limited) Internet stuff, watch television or take photos, etc it would be okay, but how about those of us who just want to make/recieve good quality phone calls? PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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. 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End of TELECOM Digest V25 #47 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Jan 31 23:45:26 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id D9ED715061; Tue, 31 Jan 2006 23:45:25 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #48 Message-Id: <20060201044525.D9ED715061@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 23:45:25 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Tue, 31 Jan 2006 23:46:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 48 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson EFF Sues AT&T Over Phone Surveillance (Natthew Fordahl) Gonzales is Challenged On Wiretaps (Carol Leonnig) Concern Growing Over Pornogaphic Virus (Michael Kahn) Western Union Telegrams -- End of a Very Long Era (Marcus Didius Falco) Scammer in Telco, Porn and Credit Card Scam Sentenced (Danny Burstein) Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby (Herb Stein) Re: For Unlucky Ones, Sox Out of Sight (Gene Berkowitz) Re: As Gadgets Get It Together, Media Makers Fall Behind (Thomas Horsley) Re: Hello, You're in the Dead Zone/Region's Cellphone Users Still (DLR) Re: Hello, You're in the Dead Zone/Region's Cellphone Users Still (S Sobol) Re: Limits Set on .com Price Increase (NOTvalid@Queensbridge.us) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Matthew Fordahl Subject: EFF Sues AT&T Over Phone Surveillance Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 20:57:01 -0600 By MATTHEW FORDAHL, AP Technology Writer A civil liberties group sued AT&T Inc. on Tuesday for its alleged role in helping the National Security Agency spy on the phone calls and other communications of U.S. citizens without warrants. The class-action lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, seeks to stop the surveillance program that started shortly after the 2001 terrorist attacks. It also seeks billions of dollars in damages. The EFF claims the San Antonio-based telecommunications company not only provided direct access to its network that carries voice and data but also to its massive databases of stored telephone and Internet records that are updated constantly. "Our main goal is to stop this invasion of privacy, prevent it from occurring again and make sure AT&T and all the other carriers understand there are going to be legal and economic consequences when they fail to follow the law," said Kevin Bankston, an EFF staff attorney. President Bush has acknowledged authorizing the super-secret NSA to eavesdrop on international phone calls and e-mails of people within U.S. borders without the approval of a court, as required by existing surveillance and wiretapping laws. The White House has vigorously defended the program, saying the president acted legally under the constitution and a post-Sept. 11 congressional resolution that granted him broad power to fight terrorism. Democrats and civil libertarians disagree with the program's defenders, and it has already resulted in lawsuits against the federal government and plans for congressional hearings. In its lawsuit, the EFF claims AT&T violated U.S. law and the privacy of its customers as part of the "massive and illegal program to wiretap and data-mine Americans' communications." The group said it identified AT&T through news reports and its own investigation. "We are quite confident that discovery would reveal evidence proving our allegations correct," said Kevin Bankston, an EFF staff attorney. Michael Balmoris, an AT&T spokesman, said the company does not comment on matters of national security or on pending litigation. The NSA also did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment. The EFF lawsuit will not just be fought by AT&T but also the government, which could seek to remove evidence that's sensitive to national security. "I think we are going to definitely have a fight on state-secret issues," Bankston said. "I would also point out that the state-secret privilege has never come up in a case where the rights of so many have been at issue." The lawsuit names both AT&T Inc. and its predecessor, AT&T Corp. Last year, SBC Communications Inc. purchased AT&T Corp. and renamed itself AT&T Inc. On the Net: http://www.eff.org Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Carol D. Leonnig Subject: Gonzales Is Challenged on Wiretaps Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 20:59:23 -0600 Feingold Says Attorney General Misled Senators in Hearings By Carol D. Leonnig, Washington Post writer Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) charged yesterday that Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales misled the Senate during his confirmation hearing a year ago when he appeared to try to avoid answering a question about whether the president could authorize warrantless wiretapping of U.S. citizens. In a letter to the attorney general yesterday, Feingold demanded to know why Gonzales dismissed the senator's question about warrantless eavesdropping as a "hypothetical situation" and "nonsense" during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in January 2005. At the hearing, Feingold asked Gonzales where the president's authority ends and whether Gonzales believed the president could, for example, act in contravention of existing criminal laws and spy on U.S. citizens without a warrant. Gonzales said that it was impossible to answer such a hypothetical question but that it was "not the policy or the agenda of this president" to authorize actions that conflict with existing law. He added that he would hope to alert Congress if the president ever chose to authorize warrantless surveillance, according to a transcript of the hearing. "President Bush always obeys the law," Gonzales claimed. In fact, the president did secretly authorize the National Security Agency to begin warrantless monitoring of calls and e-mails between the United States and other nations soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The program, publicly revealed in media reports last month, was unknown to Feingold and his staff at the time Feingold questioned Gonzales, according to a staff member. Feingold's aides developed the 2005 questions based on privacy advocates' concerns about broad interpretations of executive power. Gonzales was White House counsel at the time the program began and has since acknowledged his role in affirming the president's authority to launch the surveillance effort. Gonzales is scheduled to testify Monday before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the program's legal rationale. "It now appears that the Attorney General was not being straight with the Judiciary Committee and he has some explaining to do," Feingold said in a statement yesterday. A Justice Department spokesman said yesterday the department had not yet reviewed the Feingold letter and could not comment. Copyright 2006 The Washington Post Company 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html ------------------------------ From: Michael Kahn Subject: Concern Growing Over Pornographic Virus Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 21:02:29 -0600 By Michael Kahn A destructive worm posing as a pornographic e-mail may already have infected hundreds of thousands of computers and could erase many everyday files on February 3, security experts warned on Tuesday. The "Kama Sutra" worm, which targets popular Microsoft Corp. operating systems, Adobe Systems Inc. and ZIP files, is a threat because many users will not know the virus has infected their computers until it is too late, security experts said. They also estimate that the worm -- which spreads by e-mailing itself to addresses in an infected computer's mailbox -- may already have slipped onto 275,000 to 500,000 machines and is now simply waiting to obliterate files on Friday. The virus, also known as Grew.A or MyWife, ErectPenis and other pornographic names tricks users by appearing as an e-mail attachment with subject lines such as "Hot Movie," "give me a kiss" and "Miss Lebanon 2006" are the most common variants on the names it uses. Some variations refer to the ancient Kama Sutra guide to elaborate sexual positions in order to attract attention and convince victims to open. Or, letters may claim "look at these pictures I found of you". "It claims to be a movie or picture with some sort of sexual content," said Johannes Ullrich, chief research officer at the nonprofit SANS Institute research group. "That is how it lures and tricks users." The virus causes a keyboard and mouse to freeze up and then disables anti-virus programs when the computer is restarted, leaving a machine vulnerable, said Ken Dunham, rapid response director at VeriSign Corp.'s security unit iDefense. The attack is scheduled to begin at midnight on February 3. The virus mainly has infected computers of vulnerable consumers and small businesses, which are far less likely to have up-to-date security software, he said. The Kama Sutra worm also stands out because its primary purpose is to destroy files _including anti-virus protection programs_ rather than to seek financial gain or to take control of a computer, security experts said. Dunham said any users who suspect they may have triggered the worm should reinstall an anti-virus program and make sure the virus has been removed. "It is already underway and may have disabled your personal anti-virus protection and will be activated unless people get removal tools," he said. "If you have opened an e-mail and your computer froze up, you should be very concerned. A good clue is if you have received email through AOL or Hotmail including pictures and those systems (which normally will advise 'email scanned for viruses') responds by saying 'email NOT scanned' or similar and your computer stalled or locked up even for a couple minutes. That means you may have gotten infected. In all probability, your personal anti-virus software may have gotten stomped on as well, and MUST be re-installed." Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news and headlines from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 18:53:14 -0500 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: Western Union Telegrams -- End of a Very Long Era http://www.westernunion.com/info/osTelegram.asp?country=3DUS&origination=global Effective January 27, 2006, Western Union will discontinue all Telegram and Commercial Messaging services. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you, and we thank you for your loyal patronage. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact a customer service representative. 2001-2006 Western Union Holdings, Inc., All Rights Reserved Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below: falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ------------------------------ From: danny burstein Subject: Scammer in Telco (USOC) and Porn and Credit Card Gets Sentenced Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 22:38:42 -0500 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC The trial took place here in NYC so there was some local coverage. There was also a related piece from the midwest. (Comment: while I'm glad to see some action here, if a burglar had broken into hundreds and then hundreds of thousands of houses and stolen from each, grabbing hundreds of millions ... he sure wouldn't have just been given a nine year hit. Oh, and the "fence" he used would have been dragged along as well.) Local: " The apple of John Gotti's eye is rotten to the core, said a Brooklyn judge who sentenced one of the Gambino crime family's top earners to nine years in prison yesterday for his role in a porn scam. " Richard Martino, 46, apologized to Brooklyn federal Judge Carol Amon and the victims he duped into doling out millions of dollars to his smutty Internet and phone scams. " The Gambino soldier pleaded guilty last February to racketeering and mail and wire fraud for bilking $650 million from porn perusers in what Assistant Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Eric Komitee described as the 'most sophisticated Internet fraud' he has ever seen. " Martino has admitted to luring visitors onto porn Web sites by promising the steamed-up surfers 'free tours.' " Internet users would then be billed up to $90 when they gave their credit-card number. The racket netted him $230 million between 1996 and 2002. . . rest at: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/62643.htm and.... " A New York man, and an owner of the holding company that owns Cass County Telephone Company, was sentenced in federal court Monday for participating in a nearly $9 million conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, according to Todd P. Graves, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. " 'Three defendants in two separate, but related, cases will forfeit a total of $8.9 million to the government,' Graves said. 'This marks the largest amount of forfeiture ever paid in the Western District of Missouri.' ... " The Martinos admitted to their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), which disperses federal subsidies to rural telephone companies, and the National Exchange Carriers Association (NECA), which handles tariff filings and revenue distribution among carriers. The Martinos, along with Matzdorff, inflated expenses of the Cass County Telephone Company LP (known as CassTel) in order to qualify for $8.9 million in unwarranted subsidies and disbursements . . . rest at: http://www.democratmissourian.com/news3-011306.html ____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] ------------------------------ From: Herb Stein Subject: Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby Date: Wed, 01 Feb 2006 03:37:03 GMT wrote in message news:telecom25.45.11@telecom-digest.org... > Monty Solomon wrote: >> The New York Times >> "I'm one of those New Yorkers who doesn't have a driver's license, so >> I carry my passport with me in case I do need to show a picture ID." > Many states offer official photo-IDs for people who do not have a > driver's license. New York State does. I would think it'd be more > prudent to carry such an ID card rather than a passport in case it's > lost or stolen. (see: http://www.nysdmv.com/license.htm) >> But because she was not checking into the hotel and not going anywhere >> but the lobby, she did not count on having to produce a >> government-issued photo ID just to have a clerk phone a guest room >> from the front desk. > That seems a bit extreme just for a visitor. However, hotels have > more liability about security, especially a place in a busy city. >> "At that point, I was kind of irritated at myself. I mean, a hotel >> lobby is, like, a public place, right? They claim the right to >> demand ID just to come in?" > No, a hotel lobby is NOT a public place. It is private property and > the owner may require such security checks as the owner deems > appropriate. Indeed, the hotel owner may HAVE to require such ID to > meet liability insurance or legal requirements to protect the security > of its guests. If the hotel had an incident of serious theft or > personal attack, I can see them being very cautious. Further, the ID > check may be a way of preventing undesirables from coming in and > loitering, looking for targets for theft, etc. "NOT a public place" would imply that the no-smoking ban in NY is a crock. > Keep in mind that a great many private property spaces have closed > circuit TV recording all movements. Big brother is indeed watching > you. Herb Stein herb@herbstein.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A 'public place' is wherever police decide it is. If someone has a thing against another person smoking somewhere, I am sure they will be able to find a judge to agree with them if they look for awhile. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Gene S. Berkowitz Subject: Re: For Unlucky Ones, Sox Out of Sight Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 23:09:22 -0500 In article , barmar@alum.mit.edu says: > In article , Monty Solomon > wrote: >> It was an announcement that barely got anyone's attention. A couple of >> weeks back, the Red Sox and NESN declared the end of their Friday >> night relationship with Channel 38, committing all locally televised >> Red Sox games to pay cable. > Poor channel 38. First they lose their network (channel 56 is going > to be the Boston affiliate of the new CW network after the WB/UPN > merger), now they lose their baseball games. > Maybe they should bring back "Ask the Manager", that was fun. Not nearly as fun as Willie Whistle. Gene ------------------------------ Subject: Re: As Gadgets Get It Together, Media Makers Fall Behind From: tom.horsley@att.net (Thomas A. Horsley) Organization: AT&T Worldnet Date: Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:09:46 GMT > The question in the air was what people will watch, listen to and do with > these machines now that they are becoming interchangeable and > interconnected. Gimmie a break -- how could that possibly be a question that requires any thought? The first book printed on the Gutenberg press may have been the Bible, but the next dozen were sex manuals. Within a week of Daguerre's first photograph, dirty pictures were being sold on street corners. Porn did more to make the VCR a success than any other use it had for timeshifting or wot-not. The biggest source of revenue for cable companies rolling out the new video on demand technology is porn. And media analysts wonder what media will be a success on the new gadgets? Someone needs to get new media analysts ... Come to think of it, does anyone other than a bunch of self deluded anthropologists think those clay figurines of women with big tits found all the time with the bodies of cavemen are really religious symbols, or is it far more likely that they are they just paleolithic porn? :-). >>==>> The *Best* political site >>==+ email: Tom.Horsley@worldnet.att.net icbm: Delray Beach, FL | Free Software and Politics <<==+ [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I am reminded of several years ago seeing a cartoon of several archeological workers on a 'dig' somehere in some ancient country. They see a bunch of what would appear to be meaningless squiggles scratched on a rock somewhere. It is suggested to call the scientist who is publishing a paper on their work: the scientist arrives, looks at the (to my untrained eye) meaningless sribbles, then prnounces to one and all, "Good Lord! I can't publish this! It is pure pornographic filth!" And yes, the first item printed by Gutenberg was the Bible; when his old wine skins worked, he gave the glory to Gott, and suggested this would now place the Holy See in complete control, giving the Pope a full monopoly over everything. Fifty years after its invention, there were about five thousand presses throughout Europe, and a couple million books, very few of which had anything at all to do with the Holy Scripture. [From a lecture by Neil Postman to IBM employees in Stuttgart Germany in October, 1990 in our archives.] PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 20:15:56 -0500 From: DLR Subject: Re: Hello, You're in the Dead Zone / Region's Cellphone Users Still hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > Monty Solomon wrote: >> You've been trapped. In a cellphone dead zone. > Apparently digital signals used today aren't as "enrobing" as analog > signals and are more easily blocked by buildings or terrain. After a > big push to switch people to digital dead zone complaints soared. The > wireless carriers have to put a lot more antennas in and study tricky > locations to ensure continual service. > Public safety departments using new digital radios have had the same > problem with dead spots. Their old analog sets were more reliable. > I was riding a train and the other passengers lost their signal. My > old analog phone kept working. > In more remote areas people use older style "bag phones" with a higher > powered analog signal to have service. Apparently there is no > replacement for this yet, and analog is supposed to be retired in a > few years, which will leave rural areas in big trouble. The main problem was that there was no practical way to get anywhere near the subscriber counts we have today with analog. It just took up way too much bandwidth. They could make the digital phones more "powerful" but that would make them larger or reduce the battery life or require you start pulling out antennas again. Marketing and perceived convenience (at the point of sale) beats practicality again. > As a user, I'm concerned that if I take a motor trip, and go a few > miles off the main highway to an isolated area, that I'll lose service > at a point where I'll need it the most in an emergency. Uh, and this takes you back to what dark age? 1995? 2000? I often wonder how I survived driving on roads without sidewalks, curbs, and most without painted center lines. If your car broke down you got out and walked to a house and hoped they didn't shoot before they could see you well. :) ------------------------------ From: Steve Sobol Subject: Re: Hello, You're in the Dead Zone / Region's Cellphone Users Still Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 18:07:48 -0800 Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com T wrote: > I note that wherever I go in RI, Verizon seems to have very good > coverage. But the article has obvious falsehoods, like former AT&T > towers not talking to Cingular towers. It's because Cingular and AT&T > used differnt protocols, one was CDMA the other was GSM. They're > transitioning to all GSM at the moment. AT&T and Cingular BOTH used to be a mix of *TDMA* and GSM, and they were both migrating to GSM at the time of the merger. Monty Solomon wrote: > Calls were made on each phone from the same location within a > one-minute period, and a record was kept of whether calls went through > clearly on the first try, had an obviously weak connection, or failed > to connect after three attempts. > A total of 480 phone calls were made from 120 locations ranging from > Newton to Boylston and from Norfolk to Lincoln. > Sixty-two of the calls, or about 13 percent, didn't connect on the > first try. How much of this was due to NIMBY's? Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED Company website: http://JustThe.net/ Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/ E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307 ------------------------------ From: NOTvalid@Queensbridge.us Subject: Re: Limits Set on .com Price Increase Date: 31 Jan 2006 18:47:03 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Why is VeriSign stlll in charge of .COM? I still remember their sending out phony bills that if paid would have tricked people into switching registration directly to VeriSign. Most of my domain names are NOT .COMs. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: VeriGign is still in charge of .COM because our supervisors (ICANN -- The Internet Corporation) said they are still in charge of it. You know, ICANN, the bunch of rodents headed up by Vint Cerf, Esther Dyson, and the other members of their hot team; the bunch that Usenetters-in-Denial will tell you have no control over anything on the net which matters, or so they will claim and hope that you will believe. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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. 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End of TELECOM Digest V25 #48 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Feb 1 16:04:07 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id B72D615156; Wed, 1 Feb 2006 16:04:07 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #49 Message-Id: <20060201210407.B72D615156@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 16:04:07 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.5 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, NA_DOLLARS autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Wed, 1 Feb 2006 16:07:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 49 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson 19 Indicted in Software Piracy Case (Megan Reichgott) Legal Hassles Spread to Blackberry Competitors (Michelle Kessler) Web Site Censorship Does Not Work According to Gates (Reuters News Wire) Globe and Worcester T&G Customer Credit Info Mistakenly Released (Solomon) Verizon's CEO Says Fiber Investment Will Pay Off (USTelecom dailyLead) Cellular-News For Wednesday 1st February 2006 (cellular-news) TelecomDirect News Daily Update - February 1, 2006 (telecomdirect_daily) Re: For Unlucky Ones, Sox Out of Sight (Garrett Wollman) Re: Information Wants to be Free (Lisa Hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com) Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby (Lisa Hancock) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Megan Reichgott Subject: 19 Indicted in Software Piracy Case Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 13:30:33 -0600 By MEGAN REICHGOTT, Associated Press Writer Federal authorities on Wednesday announced the indictment of 19 people accused of using the Internet to pirate more than $6.5 million in copyrighted computer software, games and movies. The 15-count indictment outlines an alleged plot by defendants across the United States to illegally distribute newly released titles, including movies like "The Incredibles" and "The Aviator," and games like "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005." The indictment, returned late Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Chicago, followed undercover investigations in Chicago, Charlotte, N.C., and San Jose, Calif., according to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and the FBI. "Online thieves who steal merchandise that companies work hard to produce and protect might think that cyberspace cloaks them in anonymity and makes them invulnerable to prosecution, but we have the ability to infiltrate their secret networks and hold them accountable for their criminal conduct," Fitzgerald said in a statement. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Michelle Kessler Subject: Legal Hassles Spread to Blackberry Competitors Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 14:45:13 -0600 By Michelle Kessler, USA TODAY Mobile e-mail addicts, already nervous about a lawsuit that threatens to shut down BlackBerry service in the USA, have another reason to fret: BlackBerry's biggest rival was hit with a similar lawsuit Tuesday. Visto, a maker of mobile e-mail systems for cellphone carriers, sued rival Good Technology in U.S. District Court. Visto claims Good has violated several patents dating to 1997. Good sells e-mail products for the Palm Treo, Hewlett-Packard iPaq and other handheld devices. Customers shouldn't rush out to replace e-mail gadgets just because they're jittery, says Gartner tech analyst Ken Dulaney. Much of the industry is now involved in intertwined legal disputes. Most users should wait until the mess works itself out, he says. "I don't know what's with this industry," he says. "The one viable product we can make is a lawsuit." Visto, founded in 1996, has contracts with Cingular, Sprint and other carriers. Its user base numbers in the "hundreds of thousands," says co-founder Daniel Mendez. Good won't release figures but is believed to be larger, Dulaney says. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIMM) has more than 4 million customers. Visto's attack on Good comes as a similar lawsuit against RIM reaches a crucial stage. RIM has battled tiny intellectual property firm NTP over patents since 2001. On Feb. 24, a federal judge is expected to decide whether RIM must shut down its service in the USA until the case is resolved. Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM says it has a software workaround to keep BlackBerrys running if it loses. But some customers remain nervous. Good has reported growing interest in its products as a result of RIM's legal woes. Now Visto wants to benefit, too. By casting doubt on Good's legal status, it hopes to win customers from both Good and RIM. "There are justifiable marketplace jitters about whether BlackBerry service will be shut down," Visto CEO Brian Bogosian said in a statement. "With Visto, all users, including BlackBerry users, have a safe-harbor alternative." Good says it can't comment until it has time to review the claims. Visto also has patent lawsuits against Microsoft, Seven Networks and Smartner Information Systems. On Wednesday, Visto plans to make a declaration in the RIM case claiming that the industry can absorb RIM's customers if BlackBerry service is turned off. RIM-rival NTP has an equity stake in Visto. It also has a stake in Good. The lawsuits raise questions about whether U.S. courts make it too easy for companies to threaten to shut down rivals' businesses, says lawyer Jeffrey Berkowitz at Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner in Washington, D.C. It also points out flaws in the often-overwhelmed patent office, Dulaney says. Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news headlines from USA Today and other news media please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/internet-news.html (also) http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/othernews.html (mostly BBC and CNN, also) http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/technews.html (tech news reports) ------------------------------ From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Web Site Censorship Does Not Work According to Gates Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 13:35:53 -0600 Microsoft Corp Chairman Bill Gates said on Wednesday that government attempts to censor Web sites or blogs would fail since the banned information could get out in defiance of official efforts. The spread of private e-mail means online users could distribute banned news despite government injunctions, he told a news conference. "You may be able to take a very visible Web site and say that something shouldn't be there, but if there's a desire by the population to know something, it's going to get out," he said. However, Gates said Microsoft, the world's biggest computer software company, had to meet legal requirements of the countries where it does business. Microsoft pulled the blog, or Web log, of a critic of the Chinese government in December after getting a government order to do so. Brad Smith, Microsoft's chief counsel, said on Tuesday that company was creating rules to deal with government complaints about Web sites and blogs Microsoft hosted. Gates was in Lisbon for a Microsoft-sponsored forum on how to use Internet technology to make the public sector more effective. Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more news and headlines from Reuters, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/news-today.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 00:11:34 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Globe and Worcester T&G Customer Credit Info Mistakenly Released By Robert Gavin, Globe Staff | January 31, 2006 Credit and bank card numbers of as many as 240,000 subscribers of The Boston Globe and Worcester Telegram & Gazette were inadvertently distributed with bundles of T&G newspapers on Sunday, officials of the newspapers said Tuesday. The confidential information was on the back of paper used in wrapping newspaper bundles for distribution to carriers and retailers. As many as 9,000 bundles of the T&G, wrapped in paper containing subscribers' names and their confidential information, were distributed Sunday to 2,000 retailers and 390 carriers in the Worcester area, said Alfred S. Larkin Jr., spokesman for the Globe. In addition, routing information for personal checks of 1,100 T&G subscribers also may have been inadvertently released. The Globe and T&G, which are both owned by The New York Times Co., share a computer system. The release of the data is another in a long list of high-profile incidents in which companies, universities, and federal and state agencies have had sensitive financial information lost or stolen. Globe and T&G officials said the newspapers have notified the four major credit card companies -- American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa -- of the problem. The newspapers will turn over the card numbers of subscribers who may have been affected to the companies upon request. As of last night, Mastercard and Visa have asked for the details. The newspapers are doing the same thing with banks of customers who may be affected. About 227,000 Globe subscribers pay by credit or bank cards, although it's unclear exactly how many had their information released. Larkin, however, said a reconstruction of the errors that took place suggests a majority of those affected are Globe subscribers. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/01/31/globe_and_worcester_tg_customer_credit_info_mistakenly_released/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 12:53:57 EST From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Verizon's CEO Says Fiber Investment Will Pay Off USTelecom dailyLead February 1, 2006 http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cUgkfDtutamqiNTmGu TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Verizon's CEO says fiber investment will pay off BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * AT&T raises forecast for cost savings from merger * Verizon ramps up Ethernet plans, joins IPSphereForum * Nortel, Huawei team up * Dubai-backed investment fund sides with Icahn USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * Last chance! TelecomNEXT early bird registration, free study from IDC TECHNOLOGY TRENDS * BusinessWeek: Microsoft poised to jump into VoIP * Napster's stock drops after Google denies bid REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * Congressional hearing to focus on illegal sale of phone records * Anaheim mayor calls for easing way for telecom TV Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/cUgkfDtutamqiNTmGu ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Wednesday 1st February 2006 Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 09:55:23 -0600 From: cellular-news Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ 3G ]] Novatel Wireless Completes 3.6Mbps Data Call on PC Card Modem http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15876.php Novatel Wireless says that it has developed the Merlin U870, a HSDPA PC Card Modem, to support the global rollout of HSDPA networks. Novatel Wireless and Siemens have successfully completed their first 3.6Mbps (megabits per second) data call, a wirel... [[ Financial ]] Ericsson 4Q Net Profit +52% On Strong Sales http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15861.php Swedish telecommunications equipment maker Ericsson, Tuesday said fourth-quarter net profit rose 52%, driven by higher sales in North America and emerging markets. ... Ericsson CFO: Co Aims For Market Share Gain In EMEA http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15862.php Swedish telecommuniactions equipment manufacturer, Ericsson sees opportunities for growing market shares in central Europe, Middle East, Africa and in western Europe, Chief Financial Officer Karl-Henrik Sundstroem said on the sidelines of a press con... TIM Hellas Completes Purchase Of Q-Telecom http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15869.php Greece's mobile telephony operator TIM Hellas Telecommunications, Tuesday said its wholly-owned unit, Helen GAC Telecommunications, has completed the acquisition of Q-Telecom, the country's fourth-largest mobile operator. ... [[ Handsets ]] IDC: 2005 mobile sales top 105 million units http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15871.php Sales of mobile devices in Latin America are expected to have reached record levels in 2005, with shipments growing beyond 105 million units, a 33.7% increase from 2004, according to a new study from tech consultancy IDC. ... Venko, Teikon to start up factory in Feb http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15873.php Brazilian handset manufacturers Venko and Teikon expect to start producing mobile phones in February at a new factory in southern Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state, local newspapers reported. ... Top ten in mobile phone sales in Telia stores in January http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15881.php The Nokia 5140i captured first place in the first top ten list of 2006, while the No. 1 phone on the December list last year, the Samsung SGH-X640, slipped down to sixth place. Two newcomers have entered the January list since December - the Sony Eri... [[ Legal ]] Visto Sues Nokia Partner Over Push Email Patents Claim http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15883.php Visto Corporation has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Good Technology. The suit, which alleges that Good's products and services infringe on multiple patents held by Visto, was filed in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of T... [[ Messaging ]] Dr Who To Read SMSs Over Landlines http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15882.php The UK based landline service that enables people to send an SMS to a land phone and have it read out as an audio message has started to recruit celebrities to read out the messages. The first celebrity, who will be used for three months is Tom Baker... [[ Mobile Content ]] Sonera seeks to build a mobile TV network http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15879.php Sonera Mobile says that it has filed a licence application to build a nationwide mobile television network in Finland. The company will be ready to start constructing a network targeting at commercial operation in 2006. According to the plan set fort... [[ MVNO ]] EU Backs Spain Plan To Open Mobile Networks To MVNOs http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15863.php The European Commission Tuesday endorsed a plan by Spanish national mobile phone regulators to grant mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs, access to the networks of three Spanish operators. ... [[ Network Operators ]] DoCoMo To Close 2G Network http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15874.php Japan's DoCoMo has announced that it aims to shut down its Personal Handyphone System (PHS) mobile phone service at the end of 2007. DoCoMo will announce the specific date for termination of the service after monitoring PHS usage trends of existing c... CDMA Rollout Update http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15880.php The CDMA Development Group (CDG)has announced that the number of CDMA2000 operators reached 143 at the end of the last year, and the technology is now deployed in 67 countries across six continents. Furthermore, the number of 1xEV-DO networks nearly do... [[ Personnel ]] Nokia Shuffles Finnish Workforce http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15866.php Finnish mobile phone company Nokia, Tuesday said some 200 people at its network unit will need to be redeployed due to workforce balancing. ... Vodafone Group: Deputy Group CEO Horn-Smith To Retire http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15867.php Vodafone Group said Tuesday that Sir Julian Horn-Smith will be retiring from the board at the Annual General Meeting in July 2006. ... [[ Regulatory ]] Regulator Orders Moviles To Pay Amena EUR40 Million -Source http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15864.php Spain's telecommunications industry regulator CMT has told Telefonica Moviles it must pay EUR40 million to rival mobile operator Amena following a row over local fees, a person close to the situation said Tuesday. ... FCC Orders Phone Cos. To Provide Certifications Within Week http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15865.php The Federal Communications Commission ordered telecommunications companies to file by next Monday annual certifications that detail their operating procedures for complying with rules, including rules for safeguarding customer records. ... Osiptel bets on small operators, wireless to up teledensity http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15870.php Peruvian telecoms regulator Osiptel believes small operators and wireless technology are the answers to increasing the country's low teledensity, Osiptel general manager Jaime Cárdenas told BNamericas. ... Hutchison to appeal license rejection http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15872.php The Argentine unit of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Telecommunications plans to appeal a communications ministry SeCom resolution denying it authorization to offer mobile services, local newspaper El Cronista reported. ... [[ Reports ]] Electronic Component Price Reductions Decelerate http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15877.php Price reductions for electronic components slowed during the second half of 2005, as robust consumer demand drove up sales and reduced erosion, according to the latest reading from iSuppli Corp.?s Procurement Pricing Index. Average electronic compone... [[ Statistics ]] Russia's MegaFon says user base in Saratov Region up to 500,000 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15868.php The subscriber base of Russia's third largest mobile operator MegaFon in the Saratov Region rose to 500,000 users as of now, from 260,000 users as of March 1, 2005, the company said Tuesday. ... [[ Technology ]] Nokia Open-Sources its Python Platform http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15875.php Nokia says that it is to release the source code for its Python for S60 Platform software package to open-source software developers. The source code for Python for S60 Platform will be made available to the open-source software development community... New System Used to Produce Comparative Study of Network Quality http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15878.php Sensustech says that it has carried out an in depth, comparative review of the quality delivered by operators in Bristol, a major UK city. The survey covers the areas of greatest interest to subscribers: effective coverage, clarity of calls and relia... ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 11:14:02 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - February 1, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For February 1, 2006 ******************************** Aligning with Customers' Needs: Laying the Groundwork for Change http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16476?11228 The following is an excerpt from "Laying the Groundwork for Change" in PricewaterhouseCoopers' InfoComm Review, Volume 10, No.3, titled "Aligning with Customers' Needs." To read more and view all articles, please click here. This is the second in a series of articles on cultural change. In the previous issue of InfoComm... Samsung Claims Solution to LCD "Wash Out" http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16475?11228 LCDs are everywhere in the mobile world. You can find them on cell phones, notebook computers, PDAs and media players. Unfortunately, it's not easy to use LCD screens everywhere in the world. That's because even the best displays can fade away to near or total unreadability when placed under a strong natural or artificial light source. ... TIM Hellas Seals Q-Telecom Buy http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16473?11228 TIM Hellas has announced that its Helen GAC unit has completed the acquisition of rival Q-Telecom. The company said that it paid 350 million euro (US$423.9) for its rival. TIM Hellas was itself acquired by two private equity firms in 2005. Significance: This acquisition is likely to be a precursor to a move by Orascom to acquire the... In-Stat Study Finds Managed Services to Provide Competitive Edge in Maturing Mobile Markets http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/100/16471?11228 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- As the mobile industry matures and service providers seek innovative ways to reshape their businesses and successfully compete for subscribers, they are increasingly turning to vendors of outsourced and managed services solutions to support key areas of service delivery and network operations. These managed... Verizon Wins Another Injunction http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/130/16469?11228 Verizon Wireless is celebrating a big win today after a federal judge in Trenton, N.J., issued a preliminary injunction against the current and former owners of LocateCell.com -- Data Find Solutions, First Source Information Specialists and related companies -- and other affiliated Websites. The injunction, which Verizon says is... France Telecom Gives CFO Le Boot http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16467?11228 Less than three weeks after issuing a profits warning, France Telecom SA (NYSE: FTE - message board) has axed its head of finance, Michel Combes, as part of a management reshuffle that cuts the number of senior executives from 20 to just eight. (See FT Revamps Top Table and FT Warns, Europe Quakes.) On January 12 the carrier cut its... WiFi Phone Heats Up http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16466?11228 Voice-over-WiFi is one of the hottest markets in telecommunications, predicted to more than double this year, according to a report released today by Infonetics Research Inc. The report says that worldwide revenues from WiFi phone service (also known as "voice over wireless LAN," or VOWLAN) hit $102.5 million last year -- up 76 percent... Copyright (C) 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ From: wollman@csail.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) Subject: Re: For Unlucky Ones, Sox Out of Sight Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 05:18:22 Organization: MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab In article , Barry Margolin wrote: > Poor channel 38. First they lose their network (channel 56 is going > to be the Boston affiliate of the new CW network after the WB/UPN > merger), now they lose their baseball games. Actually, they'll probably make more money. All of WSBK-TV's operations are shared with WBZ-TV and WLWC. So the principal costs of operating channels 38 and 39 are programming, electricity, and rental at the UHF Candelabra (where channel 38, but not channel 39, transmits from). They probably have a good deal on rent at the Candelabra, since CBS was in a better negotiating position than American Tower at their last lease renewal[1] -- they should be paying less than $100,000, and perhaps less than half that, per month. Power, based on a NStar's current large-commercial rates, should be about $150,000 a month. Programming is free (or in some cases even paid). A sales manager who couldn't sell $300 an hour wouldn't be working in market #6, and I'd expect several times that.[2] Network programming is more expensive to run, because the networks demand a greater fraction of the spot time than do other programming distributors. (I don't believe either WB or UPN pay affiliate compensation, or if they do, it's peanuts.) Sports programming actually *costs* money. -GAWollman [1] CBS owns its own tower just down the road, where channel 39 is already located. There's no technical reason channel 38 couldn't move there (there's space in the building and the lower UHF master is already broadband), so there's a limit on what American Tower can ask without losing the business entirely -- and both companies know this. [2] Disclaimer: I don't know anyone who works in that part of the business so my numbers could be way off. I don't think so, though -- I think even infomercials pay more than $300/hour in top-10 markets. -- Garrett A. Wollman | As the Constitution endures, persons in every wollman@csail.mit.edu | generation can invoke its principles in their own Opinions not those| search for greater freedom. of MIT or CSAIL. | - A. Kennedy, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003) ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Information Wants to be Free Date: 1 Feb 2006 10:04:10 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Michael Chance wrote: > However, traditional wire-line voice telephony technology is no longer > the only option for voice telephony (and many might suggest it's no > longer the preferred option). While there may be a single dominant > provider for wire-line service in most areas, there are multiple > wireless voice providers, and cable companies are providing either > PSTN or VoIP telephany. All very true and a significant point. Even if one uses a traditional wireline company for that initial connection (home to central office), that represents only a small percentage of the total communications setup. The company is required to provide that line at wholesale costs. The subscriber doesn't even deal with the wireline company. Competitors offer DSL (one is advertising heavilly in my area); one is not bound to the wireline carrier for DSL. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby Date: 1 Feb 2006 10:16:13 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com John Levine wrote: > That's ridiculous. In that case, I would have pulled out my mobile > phone, called the hotel, and asked to speak to the guest. Yes, you could've done that. > Of course, any ID check where they aren't checking the ID against a > list of known good or bad people is completely pointless anyway. And > as we've seen with the TSA no-fly list, even if they do have a list, > that often doesn't help. That is not the only purpose for checking ID and recording those who come in. From the point of view of the hotel mgmt, the ID check serves as a way to legally keep undesirables -- homeless and criminals -- out of the hotel. Frankly, in NYC it is in the interest of the hotel and its guests to do so. If the hotel attempted to eject a homeless person sitting quietly it could get into discrimination trouble. Most homeless people either do not have IDs or wish to be challenged, so this helps keeps them out. A criminal might have ID, but obviously would not want a record of his or her presence made. Again, this check helps keep them out. I don't care for such intensive ID checking and surveillance. However, such public places in some cities, like NYC, are prohibited by law from using common sense to keep undesirables out and they seek alternative legal ways to do so. A few people think undesirables have as much right as anyone else to sit around lobbies and such. As a user of public transit, my own experiences have been most unpleasant with undesirables and I am very glad transit agencies are finally getting rid of them. I object to those social activists who think otherwise; I believe they are clueless. My fellow transit riders and I have rights too to a safe and clean environment and the activists refuse to recognize that. Herb Stein wrote: > "NOT a public place" would imply that the no-smoking ban in NY is a crock. I have no idea what the terms are of no-smoking ban which is a different issue. But any property owner may ban smoking on their own property if they so choose. The govt for many years has banned smoking in some places, such as the inside of a transit bus. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A 'public place' is wherever police > decide it is. If someone has a thing against another person smoking > somewhere, I am sure they will be able to find a judge to agree with > them if they look for awhile. PAT] In this context, my usage of "public place" was a public sidewalk vs. the interior of private property. Once you leave the public sidewalk the laws and rules governing behavior differ. Some private property, such as a store or restaurant, is defined as a place of public accomodation and there are laws regarding the rights and responsibilities of the owners of such places. The most obvious example is prohibiting racial discrimination. However, beyond certain explicit situations, the owners of private spaces may make and enforce their own rules (e.g. dress codes and conduct.) A supermarket theorectically could require every shopper to register before entry; they don't because there's no need to and it would discourage business. However, some very high end stores do do that for protection. I note all of this because while we may be offended by this photo ID requirement, it is the owner's right to do so. There are two important points to remember: 1) why has the owner been forced to take the expense to require IDs and 2) many people think "big brother" watching us is the government; we forget the private sector does it extensively. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: What I could never understand is how stores such as Walmart on the one hand want to encourage shoppers (although I do not personally care for the chain) yet on the other hand they can claim that someone is 'tresspassing' if the person comes in their store. Ditto with public transit. If it is a public place, which is claimed, then how can a member of the public who chooses to go inside or upon the property of the store or the transit agency get arrested by police for trespassing? Yet CTA does that all time; so does Walmart. Seems to me like Walmart and transit agency want to have things both ways at the same time. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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: 620-402-0134 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. 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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 V25 #49 ***************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Feb 2 14:50:01 2006 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 6165A14E4F; Thu, 2 Feb 2006 14:50:01 -0500 (EST) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V25 #50 Message-Id: <20060202195001.6165A14E4F@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 14:50:01 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.5 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR,NA_DOLLARS autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Thu, 2 Feb 2006 14:52:00 EST Volume 25 : Issue 50 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Western Union STOP Ends Telegram Service (P. Solomon Banda) Western Union Stops Sending Telegrams (harold@hallikainen.com) Era Ends: Western Union Stops Sending Telegrams (Monty Solomon) ACLU Files FOIA Requests With NSA (Marcus Didius Falco) The Competitive Broadband Environment (jmeissen@aracnet.com) Cellular-News for Thursday 2nd February 2006 (cellular-news) Dish Network Launches Local TV Stations in High Definition (Monty Solomon) Call for Papers: IAENG International Workshop on Wireless Networks (imecs) 800-706-0971 (dahauss@unlimitedsounds.com) TelecomDirect News Daily Update - February 2, 2006 (telecomdirect_daily) Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby (Lisa Hancock) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: P. Solomon Banda Subject: Western Union STOP Ends Telegram Service Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 02:22:28 -0600 Western Union -STOP- Ends Telegram Service By P. SOLOMON BANDA, Associated Press Writer For more than 150 years, messages of joy, sorrow and success came in signature yellow envelopes hand delivered by a courier. Now the Western Union telegram is officially a thing of the past. The company formed in April 1856 to exploit the hot technology of the telegraph to send cross-country messages in less than a day. It is now focusing its attention on money transfers and other financial services, and delivered its final telegram on Friday. "The decision was a hard decision because we're fully aware of our heritage," Victor Chayet, a spokesman for the Greenwood Village-based company, said Wednesday. "But it's the final transition from a communications company to a financial services company." Several telegraph companies that eventually combined to become Western Union were founded in 1851. Western Union built its first transconti- nental telegraph line in 1861. "At the time it was as incredible and astonishing as the computer when it first came out," said Tom Noel, a history professor at the University of Colorado at Denver. "For people who could barely understand it, here you had the magic of the electric force traveling by wire across the country." In 1994, Western Union Financial Services was acquired by First Financial Management Corp. which First Data Corp. bought for $7 billion the following year. Last week, First Data said it would spin Western Union off as a separate company. Telegrams reached their peak popularity in the 1920s and 1930s when it was cheaper to send a telegram than to place a long distance telephone call. People would save money by using the word "stop" instead of periods to end sentences because punctuation was extra while the four character word was free. Telegrams were used to announce the first flight in 1903 and the start of World War I. During World War II, the sight of a Western Union courier was feared because the War Department, the precursor to the Department of Defense, used the company to notify families of the death of their loved ones serving in the military, Chayet said. With long distance rates dropping and different technologies for communicating evolving -- including the Internet - Western Union phased out couriers in the late 1960s and early 1970s. By last year, only 20,000 telegrams were sent at about $10 a message, mostly from companies using the service for formal notifications, Chayet said. Last week, the last 10 telegrams included birthday wishes, condolences on the death of a loved one, notification of an emergency, and several people trying to be the last to send a telegram. "Recent generations didn't receive telegrams and didn't know you could send them," Chayet said. Samuel Morse, inventor of the Morse Code, sent the first telegram from Washington to Baltimore on May 26, 1844, to his partner Alfred Vail to usher in the telegram era that displaced the Pony Express. It read "WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT?" "If he only knew," Chayet said of the myriad of choices today, which includes text message on cell phones, the Internet and virtually free long-distance calling rates. "It definitely was an anachronism," Noel said. "It's amazing it survived this long." Copyright 2006 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html For more headlines and news from Associated Press, please go to: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: WUTCO sent a final 'telegram' to the remaining 'mailgram' post offices and WUTCO agencies handling message service early last Friday quoting the first message ever sent to Alfred Vail (a relative of Ted Vail, AT&T's first chairman) "WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT?" with a final word "STOP" to bring an end to the century and a half system for sending messages. It was quite a show while it lasted. In another issue of the Digest later today, I am going to reprint some old archival material about WUTCO, and discuss their public business offices, clocks, and some other details. PAT] ------------------------------ From: harold@hallikainen.com Subject: Western Union Stops Sending Telegrams Date: 2 Feb 2006 07:57:44 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com After 145 years, Western Union has quietly stopped sending telegrams. On the company's web site, if you click on "Telegrams" in the left-side navigation bar, you're taken to a page that ends a technological era with about as little fanfare as possible: "Effective January 27, 2006, Western Union will discontinue all Telegram and Commercial Messaging services. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you, and we thank you for your loyal patronage. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact a customer service representative." whole story at http://www.livescience.com/technology/060131_western_union.html Harold ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 08:59:53 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Era Ends: Western Union Stops Sending Telegrams Era Ends: Western Union Stops Sending Telegrams By Robert Roy Britt LiveScience Managing Editor 31 January 2006 After 145 years, Western Union has quietly stopped sending telegrams. On the company's web site, if you click on "Telegrams" in the left-side navigation bar, you're taken to a page that ends a technological era with about as little fanfare as possible: "Effective January 27, 2006, Western Union will discontinue all Telegram and Commercial Messaging services. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you, and we thank you for your loyal patronage. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact a customer service representative." ... http://www.livescience.com/technology/060131_western_union.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Feb 2006 20:48:50 -0500 From: Marcus Didius Falco Subject: ACLU Files FOIA Requests With NSA http://htdaw.blogsource.com/post.mhtml?post_id=3D214356 ACLU Seeks Pentagon Files on Peace Groups WASHINGTON - February 1 - In the wake of new evidence revealing Pentagon surveillance of peace groups and protest activities, the American Civil Liberties Union and its affiliates across the country today filed multiple Freedom of Information Act requests seeking to uncover who is being spied on by the Pentagon and why. The Pentagon's monitoring of anti-war protesters is yet another example of a government agency using its powers to spy on law-abiding Americans who criticize U.S. policies, said ACLU staff attorney Ben Wizner. How can we believe that the National Security Agency is intercepting only al Qaeda phone calls when we have evidence that the Pentagon is keeping tabs on Quakers in Fort Lauderdale? The ACLU filed national Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests on behalf of the American Friends Service Committee, Veterans for Peace, United for Peace and Justice and Greenpeace, as well as dozens of local groups in Florida, Georgia, Rhode Island, Maine, Pennsylvania and California. The ACLU is seeking the disclosure of all documents maintained by the Department of Defense on the individual groups. Many of the groups involved in today's action, such as the Rhode Island-based Community Coalition for Peace, have already learned that they are listed in the Pentagon's Threat and Local Observation Notice (TALON) database. The TALON program was initiated by former Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz in 2003 to track groups and individuals with possible links to terrorism. But according to portions of the database that were leaked to the media in December, the Pentagon has been collecting information on peaceful activists and monitoring anti-war and anti-military recruiting protests throughout the United States. Following public outcry over the domestic spying program, current Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England issued a memorandum on January 13 directing intelligence personnel to receive refresher training on the policies for collection, retention, dissemination and use of information related to U.S. persons. The ACLU believes the organizations and individuals monitored by the Pentagon have a right to know what information the military has collected about them. Today's FOIA requests also seek to uncover whether the TALON records have been or plan to be shared with another agency, or otherwise disseminated. There is mounting evidence that people who are simply exercising their First Amendment rights to free speech or peaceful assembly are being unfairly targeted and scrutinized, said Mary Ellen McNish, general secretary of the American Friends Service Committee, a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Quakers worldwide. Trampling upon the Bill of Rights is not the answer to stopping terrorism. Let us not erode the very principles and safeguards upon which our country was founded. The ACLU has exposed and challenged other expanded domestic spying programs as well. Documents requested by the ACLU under previous FOIA requests have revealed that the FBI is using its Joint Terrorism Task Forces to gather extensive information about peaceful organizations such as Greenpeace and Food Not Bombs. Earlier this month, the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of journalists, scholars and attorneys against the National Security Agency for illegally intercepting vast quantities of the international telephone and Internet communications of Americans without court approval. The Pentagon spying program is part of a broad and disturbing pattern of spying on innocent Americans, said Ann Beeson, Associate Legal Director of the ACLU. Unchecked government spying has a chilling effect on free speech and causes Americans to think twice before expressing dissent or engaging in lawful protests. For details and documents regarding the FOIA requests filed today by the ACLU around the country, including a list of clients, go to www.aclu.org/spyfiles http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0201-13.htm "We've got the hatemongers who literally hate this president, and that is so wrong ... The people who hate George Bush hate him because he's a follower of Jesus Christ, unashamedly says so and applies his faith in his day-to-day operations." -- Rev. Jerry Falwell, on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" 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. And, discuss this and other topics in our forum at http://telecom-digest.org/forum (or) http://telecom-digest.org/chat/index.html *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Johnsmac Group. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below: falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk ------------------------------ From: jmeissen@aracnet.com Subject: The Competitive Broadband Environment... Date: 1 Feb 2006 20:52:51 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com I notice that in the UK Bulldog Broadband offers 8Mb/s DSL for 20 pounds per month, for the life of your contract, and is starting to deploy 20Mb/s ADSL+2 service (no price quoted). Here in the States, Verizon offers a max 3Mb/s service for $30 per month (after $20 per month for the first three months). And if you're lucky and you're in one of the areas where they're deploying FIOS, you can get 5Mb/s for $36 per month (which seems to be a drop from the $40/mo I remember seeing the last time I looked). Could it be the competition created by the US government's rulings to give incumbent phone providers exclusive access to their networks? For comparison purposes it's useful to note that while it's expensive for US dollars to buy UK products, the salaries and prices in UK currency for a UK citizen are roughly equivalent to US salaries and prices in US currency for US citizens. John Meissen jmeissen@aracnet.com ------------------------------ Subject: Cellular-News for Thursday 2nd February 2006 Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 07:41:07 -0600 From: cellular-news Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com [[ Financial ]] Virgin Mobile 3Q Mixed Prior To NTL Deal http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15885.php U.K. mobile telecommunications services company Virgin Mobile Holdings PLC, Wednesday posted mixed fiscal third-quarter results and said takeover talks with NTL Inc. are ongoing. ... Alltel Sees 2006 Revenue Growth Of 8%-10% http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15887.php Alltel unveiled its 2006 estimate, forecasting revenue of $7.85 billion to $8.02 billion, or growth of 8% to 10% from a year ago. ... Flextronics International Retreats As Profit Falls http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15888.php Flextronics International shares fell as much as 7% Wednesday after the electronics maker reported a sharp drop in third-quarter profit on restructuring costs and lower sales after it sold off a business unit. ... CEO says Russia's Svyazinvest may merge two units' mobile assets http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15891.php Top managers of VolgaTelecom and Sibirtelecom, both incorporated by Russia's national telecom holding Svyazinvest, may consider merging their mobile assets this year, Svyazinvest's CEO Valery Yashin said in an interview with Prime-Tass released Wedne... Millicom Buys Out Minority Partners in Africa http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15904.php Millicom says that it has completed the buyout of its minority partners in MIC Tanzania and Millicom Sierra Leone. Millicom has also reached agreement to cancel a call option on an equity interest in Millicom Ghana. Following these transactions, Mill... [[ Handsets ]] InfoSonics expects US$13.5mn share placement proceeds http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15893.php US wireless handsets and accessories distributor InfoSonics expects net proceeds of US$13.5mn from a private placement of 1.1 million shares of its common stock, InfoSonics said in a statement. ... [[ Interviews ]] MTC Group Seeking $5 billion Credit; not Loan http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15903.php In an interview with CNBC Arabiyia, Dr. Saad Al Barrak, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Kuwait's MTC Group explained that the US$5 billion negotiation with international banks is not for a loan but credit facilitation in preparation for fund... [[ Legal ]] Russia's SMARTS says its shares frozen again http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15889.php Lyudmila Andamasova, a bailiff of the Moscow Federal Bailiff Service, has ruled that no transactions with shares of Russian regional mobile operator SMARTS are to take place, the company said in a press release Tuesday. ... Russian antitrust body to hear case vs MegaFon's unit Feb 28 http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15897.php The Moscow branch of Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service plans to consider on February 28 its case against GSM mobile operator Sonic Duo, a wholly owned subsidiary of Russia's third largest mobile phone operator MegaFon, the FAS said Wednesday. ... Court Questions German Refusal To Refund Telecom Fees http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15899.php The European Court of Justice Wednesday took a skeptical view of the German government's refusal to refund two German telecommunications companies the money they paid for their 30-year licenses. ... T-Mobile Files Injunctions Against Cellphone Record Brokers http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15900.php T-Mobile USA Inc. filed stipulated permanent injunctions against two cellphone data brokers it believes illegally obtained and sold call records. ... [[ Mobile Content ]] Softbank Mulling Broadcasting Service For Cell Phones http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15886.php Softbank Corp. is mulling broadcasting services for cell phone users in a bid to further strengthen its telecommunications services, a company spokeswoman said Wednesday. ... [[ Network Contracts ]] Ericsson To Enchance Batelco GSM Network With Softswitch http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15884.php Ericsson said Wednesday it has signed a contract with Bahrain Telecommunications Company to enhance its GSM network with a mobile softswitch. ... Indoor Coverage for Malaysian Royal Palace http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15901.php AlanDick says that it has installed a multi-carrier cellular transmission system at the Malaysian King's Palace at Putrajaya. The contract for the installation, which was struck by AlanDick's Malaysian In-country team, is highly prestigious, since th... Intec Wins Pakistani Billing Contract http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15907.php Pakistan's Mobilink has announced the award of a contract worth in excess of US$1.5 million to Intec, for the supply of core components from its Settlement product family, Intec InterconnecT v7 and Intec Automated Reconciliation. Together these techn... [[ Network Operators ]] TEM unit: Telcel not fighting fair http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15894.php Mexican mobile operator Telefonica Mviles Mxico has accused the market leader Telcel of engaging in anticompetitive practices and believes the authorities are unwilling to do anything about it, Telefonica Mviles Mxico incoming CEO Miguel Me... Russian CDMA Operator sees user base doubling by year-end http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15896.php Russian CDMA mobile operator Sky Link projects its subscriber base to double to 600,000 users by the end of 2006, the company said Wednesday. ... [[ Personnel ]] Ex-Government Minister To Head Poland's Polkomtel http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15890.php Unlisted Polish mobile telephone operator Polkomtel, Wednesday named former Finance Minister Jaroslaw Bauc as its new chief executive officer, the company said in a statement. ... Motorola Employees Voice Doubts, Generally Optimistic http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15906.php Motorola employees harbor doubts about their company's future, although generally optimistic, New York research firm Vault has found in new employee surveys on the communications equipment giant.? Says a marketing manager, "It is changing to be a lea... [[ Regulatory ]] CRT cuts max fixed to mobile fee 50% http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15892.php Colombia's telecoms sector regulator CRT has upheld a decree cutting the maximum per minute fee for fixed to mobile calls by half, to 464 pesos (US$0.24) before VAT, CRT said in a statement. ... Regulators sign accord to exchange knowledge http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15895.php Bolivia's general public services regulator Sirese and Peru's competition regulator Indecopi have signed a two-year agreement to strengthen the protection of consumers of electricity, hydrocarbons, telecommunications, transportation and basic sanitat... [[ Reports ]] Report into Bangladesh Mobile Market http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15902.php BIS Shrapnel, has launched its Bangladesh Mobile Telecommunication, 2005 report. Report author Mr Priyam Shah explains that Bangladesh's mobile phone market has achieved exceptional growth since the beginning of 2004, registering a massive 100% growt... African Continent Fastest Mobile Growth Market http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15908.php The latest report from Portio Research predicts that the African continent will see significant growth in mobile subscribers between 2006 and 2011, adding 265 million new subscribers over that period. During 2004 and 2005 Africa saw overall mobile ma... [[ Statistics ]] MegaFon says user base in Russia's Far East up to 1 mln users http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15898.php The subscriber base of Russia's third largest mobile operator MegaFon in the Far East Federal District rose 11% to 1 million users as of December 2005, the press service of Mobikom-Khabarovsk said Wednesday. ... Mobile Phone Shipments Surge in 2005 Q4 - report http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15905.php Mobile-phone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2005 reached a record level of 241.5 million units, driving up shipments for the entire year to 812.5 million units according to iSuppli. These final shipment numbers slightly exceeded iSuppli's forecas... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 08:54:43 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Dish Network Launches Local TV Stations in High Definition Dish Network Launches Local TV Stations in High Definition in New York City via Satellite; DISH Network Introduces Nation's Largest Package of HD Channels ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 2, 2006--EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH) and its DISH Network(TM) satellite TV service announced today it will launch local high definition TV channels via its satellite TV service to customers in New York City and the surrounding counties. The following local TV channels will be available: ABC Ch. 7 (WABC), CBS Ch. 2 (WCBS), NBC Ch. 4 (WNBC) and FOX Ch. 5 (WNYW). With the addition of HD locals in New York, customers can now watch Desperate Housewives on ABC, CSI on CBS, American Idol on Fox and the 2006 Winter Olympics on NBC, all in breath-taking high definition. Plus, DISH Network is offering its New York area customers Super Bowl XL in stunning HD on Sunday, Feb. 5. Customers in New York who sign up for any of the new DishHD(TM) packages can take advantage of more than 1,700 hours of HD programming every week, including their local HD broadcasts. Cable companies, with a national average of just 10 HD channels, cannot come close to the robust lineup of DishHD. As an added bonus, new customers who sign up for DishHD through a local RadioShack retailer before Feb. 28, are eligible for next-day installation. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=68854&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=811771 ------------------------------ From: imecs2006@iaeng.org Subject: Call for Papers: IAENG International Workshop on Wireless Networks Date: 2 Feb 2006 06:25:10 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com CFP From: International Association of Engineers (http://www.iaeng.org) Journal Engineering Letters (http://www.engineeringletters.com) Call for Papers: The 2006 IAENG International Workshop on Wireless Networks (IWWN'06) (Part of The International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists IMECS 2006) 20-22 June, 2006, Hong Kong http://www.iaeng.org/IMECS2006/IWWN2006.html The IWWN'06 has the focus on some specific issues for wireless LAN, PAN, sensor networks and ad hoc networks such as efficient management of energy, the security, the behaviour of different protocols over these networks, the theoretical and applied study of these networks in a disconnected and weakly connected operation and middlewares/agents/proxies based solutions. This workshop is held as part of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2006. The IMECS 2006 is organized by the International Association of Engineers (IAENG), and serves as good platforms for the engineering community members to meet with each other and to exchange ideas. Extended version of the papers under this workshop can be included in the special issue of our journal Engineering Letters. And, further extended version can also be included in a book called "Current Trends in Wireless Networks" to be published by IAENG. The IMECS 2006 multiconference has the focus on the frontier topics in the theoretical and applied engineering and computer science subjects. It consists of 14 workshops (see the details at IMECS website: www.iaeng.org/IMECS2006). The multiconference serves as good platforms for the engineering community members of different disciplines to meet with each other and to exchange ideas. The current conference committee of the IMECS 2006 includes over 140 workshop co-chairs and committee members of mainly research center heads, department heads, professors, research scientists from over 20 countries, while a few of the committee members are also experienced software development directors and engineers. All submitted papers will be under peer review and accepted papers will be published in the conference proceeding (ISBN: 988-98671-3-3). The abstracts will be indexed and available at major academic databases. The Technology Research Databases (TRD) of CSA (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts), DBLP and Computer Science Bibliographies have promised to index the print proceeding in advance of its publication. And after the publication of the proceeding, print copies will also be sent to databases like IEE INSPEC, Engineering Index (EI) and ISI Thomson Scientific for indexing. The accepted papers will also be considered for publication in the special issues of the journal Engineering Letters. Some participants may also be invited to submit extended version of their conference papers for considering as book chapters (soon after the conference). Workshop Co-Chairs: Chin-Chen Chang IEEE Fellow, IEE Fellow Chair Professor in Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science, Feng Chia University, Taiwan Chung Shue Chen Assistant Professor, Department of Information Engineering The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Joy Iong-Zong Chen Associate professor of Dep. of Communication Engineering Da Yeh University, Taiwan Yuh-Shyan Chen Associate Professor, Co-Editors-in-Chief of International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing (IJAHUC) Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan I-Shyan Hwang Associate professor in the Department of Computer Engineering & Science Yuan-Ze University, Taiwan Rajgopal Kannan Assistant Professor, Dept. of Computer Science, Louisiana State University, USA Phone Lin Associate Professor, Department Computer Science & Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Dr. Elsa M. Macias Lopez (Chair) Dept. of Telematic Engineering, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria University, Spain Ali Nazari Research staff member Fraunhofer IGD, Germany Ai-Chun Pang Assistant Professor, Dept. of Computer Science and Information Engineering National Taiwan University, Taiwan Prof. Vaidy Sunderam (co-chair) Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Computer Science, Dept. of Math & Computer Science, Emory University, USA Chia-Sheng Tsai Assistant Professor, EE & CSE College Tatung University, Taiwan EC. Yang Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering National ChungHsing University, Taiwan Wei Yen Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering Director of Industrial Cooperation Section Tatung University, Taiwan Technical papers describing original, previously unpublished research results are solicited. Specific topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: Location-based Services and Positioning Wireless Ad-hoc Networks, MANET Wireless Broadband Mobile Access Wireless LAN/PAN Sensor Network Planning and Deployment Wireless/mobile networked applications Interworking heterogeneous wireless/wireline networks Disconnected and weakly connected operation Mobile agents Multimedia QoS support & middleware Proxies and middleware for wireless networks Performance of end-to-end protocols over wireless networks Wireless multicasting T ransport Layer Issues in Mobile and Wireless Networks Routing in multihop, ad hoc and sensor networks Congestion and admission control Wireless network security and privacy System-level energy management for wireless devices Submission: Prospective authors are invited to submit their draft paper in abstract format (one page) or in full paper format to imecs@iaeng.org by 12 March, 2006. The submitted file can be in MS Word format, PS format, or PDF formats. The first page of the draft paper should include: = Title of the paper; = Name, affiliation and e-mail address for each author; = A maximum of 5 keywords of the paper; Also, the name of the workshop session that the paper is being submitted to should be stated in the email. Important Dates: Draft Manuscript / Abstract submission deadline: 12 March, 2006 Camera-Ready papers & Pre-registration due: 2 April, 2006 IMECS 2006: 20-22 June, 2006 More details about the IWFE 2006 can be found at: http://www.iaeng.org/IMECS2006/IWWN2006.html It will be highly appreciated if you can circulate these calls for papers to your colleagues. ------------------------------ From: dahauss@unlimitedsounds.com Subject: Mysterious Calls From: 800-706-0971 Date: 1 Feb 2006 13:36:57 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com I keep getting calls from 800-706-0971. Its listed on my caller ID several time a day every day during the week. Thanks. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You might try using *60 to 'block calls from last number received, although I am not sure that would absolutely end the calls. I've tried dialing 800-706-0971 at various times since I first received your message; it is always busy. I do not think it would help to use *60 to block 800-706-0971 since that number is just a bogus entry on your caller ID anyway. Better to block 'last call I received, whether or not I know the number', which will oblige telco to at least attempt internally to figure out the calling number although they (telco) will not tell you the number in any event. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 11:47:37 -0500 From: telecomdirect_daily Subject: TelecomDirect News Daily Update - February 2, 2006 Reply-To: telecomdirect_daily-owner@telecomdirectnews.com ******************************** PricewaterhouseCoopers Presents The TelecomDirect News Daily Update For February 2, 2006 ******************************** Lannet Bids for Telepassport http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16496?11228 Greek alternative telecoms operator Lannet has announced a 35 million-euro (US$42.2 million) preliminary bid for unlisted alternative telecoms operator Telepassport Hellas. Reuters quotes a Lannet spokesperson admitting that the motivation for the bid is to double the company's size and gain significant market share. The offer will be... Deutsche Telekom CEO Urges Deregulation To Protect High-Speed Networks In Germany http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16494?11228 BERLIN -- Deutsche Telekom AG, which is building a high-speed communications network in Germany, called on regulators Thursday to ensure that the field will be deregulated and free of interference. "We need clear legal commitments regarding the long-term regulatory situation if we are to roll out this project in 50 towns," Chief... Bell Canada Envisions Unique Telecom 'Trust' http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/120/16492?11228 Bell Canada will form a new "regional telephone income trust" that will own and manage 1.6 million local access lines in parts of its Ontario and Quebec operating territories. The carrier then will distribute shares in the trust to shareholders of parent company BCE. The move involves a complex tax-deferred transaction that will... Nokia Stays Strong on Home Turf http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16489?11228 In North America Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM - message board; Toronto: RIM) may be king, but in Europe the S60 smartphone from Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK - message board) is the cool ruler, according to a new survey from market researchers IDC. IDC finds that the Western European mobile device market -- including... With DSL at Turning Point, DSL IC Revenues Will Fall http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16484?11228 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- As broadband moves from data-only services to triple play offerings, the DSL market is in flux, and total DSL IC revenues will drop from a high of close to $1.6 billion in 2004 to $880 million by 2009, reports In-Stat. Combining voice, video and data within the same stream forces a myriad of changes that will... VOIP Finds Home in Eastern Europe http://www.telecomdirectnews.com/do.php/150/16480?11228 VOIP is now a mainstream telecom service in Central and Eastern Europe following a raft of deployments by service providers in the region, with IP telephony system vendors Cirpack and NetCentrex SA the main beneficiaries. Softswitch maker Cirpack, now part of Thomson (NYSE: TMS - message board; Euronext Paris: 18453), has just announced... Copyright (C) 2005 PricewaterhouseCoopers. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Challenge to Hospitality: The ID Check in the Lobby Date: 2 Feb 2006 06:54:39 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: What I could never understand is how > stores such as Walmart on the one hand want to encourage shoppers > (although I do not personally care for the chain) yet on the other > hand they can claim that someone is 'tresspassing' if the person comes > in their store. Ditto with public transit. If it is a public place, > which is claimed, then how can a member of the public who chooses to > go inside or upon the property of the store or the transit agency get > arrested by police for trespassing? ... I am not a lawyer, but as I understand it: A member of the public is invited into Walmart or the CTA for specific purposes (to shop or be transported). A conditional part of that invitation is acceptance of their rules of behavior while on their property; that is, if you enter their property you agree to follow their rules. Note that restaurants have such rules, ranging from requiring simply a shirt and shoes up to requiring formal attire. Stores don't allow soliciting. These rules are nothing new. If someone enters those properties and violates the rules, they lost their invitation to be there. They may be asked to leave, and if they fail, they are cited for trespass. It does make sense. If you invite someone over your house for lunch, you assume they're not gonna rifle through your bedroom drawers. If you discover them doing that, you'll ask them to leave -- you're withdrawing your invitation -- and that person is now trespassing on your property. One controversial issue in transit carriers is restrictions on photography. Some carriers have _always_ banned photography, mostly out of a very justified fear the photographer may trip and hurt himself or others and the carrier will get sued (happened a lot). People who wanted to take pictures had to get a permit and sign a liability release. More recently some carriers, as well as some toll road authorities, have banned photography as a 9/11 security measure. This is controversial because people question if it really enhances security. NJ Transit had such a ban and proposed to make it stricter, but after a public outcry they removed the ban altogether. (In all cases, photographers are still restricted not to do anything to impede trains, other people, etc., quite properly so.) I am not aware of any ban on the CTA, at least no one bothered me when I took pictures. NYC once had a ban for liability protection but lifted it. The Port Authority (PATH trains) has an extremely strict ban on photography. I guess being hit twice by terrorists made them nervous. A number of years ago Bell had an open house at a crossbar office (normally these places are very secure with no visitors). I went down and asked if I could take pictures. For some reason that set the hosts into a panic and they didn't know what to do. Finally they said yes but without flash. The flourescent lighting was just barely enough so I got a few pictures, though I don't know what I was taking (except the AMA recorders and a DAB operator who posed for me.) I was given a tour of a modern ESS office and permitted to take pictures with flash (no flash in the basement where the batteries were). But there was nothing pictorial; just a bunch of boring blue boxes. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: CTA has (or did) have an almost constant 'war' with 'street people' loitering in their stations during overnight hours in cold weather. They required people of course to prepay their fare, which met the 'intention to ride' requirement and often times the person would secure a 'transfer' to ride a later vehicle without having to pay any additional fare, then go down in the subway and (as they had intended to do all along) fall asleep on one of the benches for the rest of the night. If a 'rider' fell asleep sitting or laying on a bench and was awakened by a police officer or transit security person, that person always managed to have a very innocent excuse: oops, I fell asleep and missed my train, now I will have to take the next train (which run through the subway at 15 minute intervals minimum during the night, and depending on where you claimed was your destination, 'your' next train might be another 30 minutes in arriving! Here is my transfer to 'prove' where I was going to. Am I not allowed to sit here and close my eyes resting while I wait? I will try not to fall asleep again. (oh, sure you will.) CTA retaliated by remodeling the benches to put arm rest dividers on each bench several inches apart from one another making it physically impossible to lay down on a bench and use it as a bed. To add insult to injury where the street people were concerned, CTA then painted a sign on each bench saying 'this bench is intended to provide seating for five people' (and by implication 'not just one person laying down on it'. They also put up signs saying 'do not go to sleep, do not close your eyes. Stay awake and alert on our property.' (Citing some recently passed city ordinance requiring same. With Walmart (there are _no_ Walmart stores in Chicago itself; only in a couple of suburbs; that is because the Chicago politicians have various disputes with Walmart executives over things like Walmart's pay scale, non-union practices, etc), in one of the net newsgroups (I think it is http://walmart-watch.com but not certain) where there are constant complaints about the company, one reader recently ventured to say, "the only time I go in Walmart here in our town is when I need a bathroom to use, otherwise I never step foot in the place except to go to the toilet or get a drink of water, or wash my hands." The Walmart employee assigned to spy on that newsgroup responded, "well, you may get charged with trespassing in that case." I know that here in our town, a couple people have been 'blacklisted' from Walmart, found guilty of trespassing and told they had to stay out of the store. I have no idea why. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications 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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Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V25 #50 *****************************