31 Years of the Digest ... founded August 21, 1981
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The Telecom Digest for May 17, 2013
Volume 32 : Issue 106 : "text" Format
====== 31 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======
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Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
Internet. All contents here are copyrighted by Bill Horne and
the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other
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Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be
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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, and other stuff of interest.
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Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 08:30:44 -0700 (PDT)
From: Wes Leatherock <wleathus@yahoo.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Chips in credit cards
Message-ID: <1368718244.35293.YahooMailClassic@web125206.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
I received a routine renewal of a credit card carlier this week that
included a funny symbol on the front and an enclosure with it that
said it included a chip so it could be used in other places that
reuire it such as Canada, Mexico and the U.K.
Wes Leatherock
wleathus@yahoo.com
wesrock@aol.com
Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 15:08:51 -0400
From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: The wireless industry's biggest gamble is failing
Message-ID: <20130516190851.GA31583@telecom.csail.mit.edu>
(I just came across this. It's from April, but still current.)
LightSquared: The wireless industry's biggest gamble is failing
By David Goldman @CNNMoneyTech April 5, 2012: 1:34 PM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The end appears near for LightSquared, one of
the wireless industry's grandest and riskiest gambles.
It's odd to think of a company backed by $5 billion as a startup, but
that's what LightSquared is. It wanted to become the country's fifth
nationwide wireless carrier by going toe-to-toe with giants like
Verizon and AT&T - an ambitious vision it had a real shot at pulling
off.
Now, after a series of potentially fatal regulatory setbacks, it's
mulling bankruptcy. Philip Falcone, head of LightSquared's majority
owner Harbinger Capital Partners, told Reuters the company is
"seriously considering" the option.
http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/05/technology/lightsquared/index.htm
--
Bill Horne
(Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)
Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 15:36:43 -0400
From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Tell Verizon to bring back FTP
Message-ID: <20130516193643.GA3097@telecom.csail.mit.edu>
(Fascination of the abomination department: I know that ftp isn't
secure, but anyone who has struggled through getting Dreamweaver to
create a web page, and then found themselves unable to upload it, will
understand why I think this is worth publishing. Sorry, I couldn't
resist - Bill)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Tell Verizon to bring back FTP for web designers on Verizon.Net
Posted in the Verizon Forum
Jan 18, 2013
Please do me a favor and sign my petition asking Verizon to allow it's
Verizon.Net web designers to use FTP when creating and modifying their
personal web pages. FTP is the industry standard for uploading files
to web sites. We had it as a free service and they removed it stating
security issues. Without FTP users have to use Verizon's Site Builder
and it ain't pretty.
Please click -
http://www.change.org/petitions/verizon-return-ftp-to-users-who-maintain-web-sites-at-verizon-net?utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_created
-or-
http://goo.gl/jdtxL
and sign.
Petition by
Venison Turner
West Bridgewater, MA
--
Bill Horne
(Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)
Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 18:52:00 -0400
From: Matt Simpson <net-news69@jmatt.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Tell Verizon to bring back FTP
Message-ID: <net-news69-291B95.18520016052013@news.eternal-september.org>
In article <20130516193643.GA3097@telecom.csail.mit.edu>,
Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> wrote:
> I know that ftp isn't secure, but anyone who has struggled through
> getting Dreamweaver to create a web page, and then found themselves
> unable to upload it, will understand why I think this is worth
> publishing.
Instead of bringing back FTP, maybe they should offer SFTP. That should
eliminate their security woes, and any web page builder should be able
to find an SFTP client that's easy to use.
Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 21:36:23 -0400
From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Tell Verizon to bring back FTP
Message-ID: <20130517013623.GA20364@telecom.csail.mit.edu>
On Thu, May 16, 2013 at 06:52:00PM -0400, Matt Simpson wrote:
> In article <20130516193643.GA3097@telecom.csail.mit.edu>,
> Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> wrote:
>
> > I know that ftp isn't secure, but anyone who has struggled through
> > getting Dreamweaver to create a web page, and then found themselves
> > unable to upload it, will understand why I think this is worth
> > publishing.
>
> Instead of bringing back FTP, maybe they should offer SFTP. That should
> eliminate their security woes, and any web page builder should be able
> to find an SFTP client that's easy to use.
The problem is that most web-design programs made before 2000 are only
coded for ftp, and turning off ftp is an effective way to force users
to use the brain-dead preformated sites and tools. Why an ISP would
want to do that is anyone's guess.
Bill
--
Bill Horne
(Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)
Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 15:16:13 -0400
From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Vote on Fire Island phone service Thursday
Message-ID: <20130516191613.GA1765@telecom.csail.mit.edu>
Vote on Fire Island phone service Thursday
Updated: May 15, 2013 10:25 PM
By CANDICE RUUD candice.ruud@newsday.com
A plan to eliminate landline phone service in western Fire Island is
scheduled to be voted on by the state Public Service Commission
Thursday amid concern it could leave people on the barrier island
unable to make calls if a storm knocks out electrical power.
In its application, Verizon is proposing to amend its tariff, so the
company could abandon copper wire in favor of a wireless alternative,
if it demonstrates that "a substantial portion of its facilities in
the area is destroyed, rendered unusable or beyond reasonable repair."
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/towns/vote-on-fire-island-phone-service-thursday-1.5272080
--
Bill Horne
Moderator
Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 13:21:33 -0700
From: Thad Floryan <thad@thadlabs.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Where, how and why smartphones are stolen in San Francisco CA
Message-ID: <51953FCD.4070902@thadlabs.com>
Interactive map from InfoWorld here:
http://blog.sfgate.com/crime/2013/05/16/cell-phone-theft-map/
Where are cell phones stolen in SF?
Ellen Huet May 16, 2013 at 6:30 am PDT
It's no secret that cell phone thefts -- especially robberies -- are
on the rise in San Francisco. The trend even has subtrends: it's
likely your smart phone will get stolen while you're riding Muni, and
phone thieves are starting to develop a taste for Android over Apple.
Now there's another factor to think about when weighing whether to
check that text in public: Where are you standing?
The folks at InfoWorld pulled together an interactive map of cell
phone and tablet thefts from November 2012 through April 2013, using
data from daily police reports of serious incidents. Each incident
can be clicked on for more information. Red icons indicate a robbery
with firearm or knife, blue icons are robbery with force and purple
incidents are phone thefts that don't fit either category.
Somewhat predictably, the thefts appear bunched around busy downtown
areas, including Market Street and the Financial District, plus a
small pocket in the central Mission. An accompanying article also
shows 7-10 p.m. as the time of day when thefts are most likely to
occur.
Another thing to note: Not all of the incidents on the map are
robberies -- some of the "other" categories include hot-prowl
burglaries where phones were taken.
No matter the location, the best way to avoid cell phone theft is to
stay vigilant about your surroundings, especially when sitting near an
exit on a bus or train, and to avoid taking your phone out in public,
police said.
Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 16:35:56 -0400
From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Verizon: Not-so-unlimited data
Message-ID: <20130516203556.GA10215@telecom.csail.mit.edu>
By STEPHANIE ZIMMERMANN
May 7, 2013
Dear ABC News Fixer: We signed a two-year contract with Verizon
Wireless in July 2011 when we got two iPhones. We got an unlimited
data plan.
Last year, while updating her phone, my wife lost her
contacts. Verizon advised us to bring the iPhone and her old phone
(which still had the contacts) to any Verizon store and they'd be able
to help.
She took both phones to the store on March 30, 2012. The employee
worked on them, then said the problem was fixed.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/abc-news-fixer-unlimited-data-verizon/story?id=19126131#.UZU9CrXCk7o
-or-
http://goo.gl/YQX1G
--
Bill Horne
(Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)
Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 17:45:38 -0400
From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Verizon customers in Idaho are victims of new scam
Message-ID: <20130516214537.GA21811@telecom.csail.mit.edu>
Better Business Bureau officials are warning Verizon Wireless
customers who live in the Snake River Region that they're the target
of a new scam that's going around.
Thieves on the other end of the telephone line are telling Verizon
customers they have been selected to receive a bonus certificate, with
a promise of 115 free minutes, for being an excellent customer.
http://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/article_cb05a0fe-bdc0-11e2-aecb-0019bb2963f4.html
--
Bill Horne
(Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)
Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 18:02:58 -0700 (PDT)
From: HAncock4 <withheld@invalid.telecom-digest.org>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Verizon FiOS battery failures surprising Pennsylvania Customers
Message-ID: <275575bb-adb3-43ca-9899-b746969807e0@gm7g2000vbb.googlegroups.com>
On May 12, 10:39 pm, Bill Horne <b...@horneQRM.net> wrote:
>
> Verizon customer Bob Gaertner of Ross Township told KDKA he noticed
> the replace battery light on his FIOS control box [flashing], which meant
> his backup battery was dead.
For what it's woth, in my own experience electronic device battery
status indicators can be rather inaccurate both ways. One of my
devices says the batteries are low when they still have plenty of
power; another device fails to warn in time of low battery. I wonder
if some of the "dead batteries" mentioned in the article were in fact
actually dead.
> Lee Gierczynski of Verizon says the backup battery is crucial because
> it provides up to 8-hours of backup power to voice service in case
> there is a commercial power outage, KDKA reports.
I've heard from some FIOS users that actual backup time is more like
3-4 hours. Anyone else have experience with backup time?
> But when Gaertner called Verizon to get a replacement battery, KDKA
> says he was told his warranty was just for one year and that he was
> solely responsible for the battery.
The article suggested the batteries were failing about after a year.
For a battery like this, I'm surprised it doesn't last longer (I am
not an engineer).. Automobile batteries, which have more of a charge/
discharge cycle, can last five years or more. A FIOS battery probably
stays on 'trickle' charge almost the entire time and isn't bounced
around like a car battery. (Of course, Verizon may be equipping its
boxes with very cheap batteries that don't last very long.)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecom-
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