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Message Digest
Volume 28 : Issue 208 : "text" Format
Messages in this Issue:
TLS vs S/MIME (was: Skype threat)
Re: Cellphone tower coverage Qs
Re: Cellphones and driving
Re: Pop song phone number goes up for auction
Re: Pop song phone number goes up for auction
Re: Skype apparently threatens Russian national security
SPRINT NEXTEL Reports Second Quarter 2009 Results
Sprint Nextel To Acquire Virgin Mobile USA
Re: Cellphone tower coverage Qs
Microsoft, Yahoo! Change Search Landscape
Re: Microsoft, Yahoo! Change Search Landscape
Yahoo! and Microsoft to Host Conference Call; Live Webcast Available
How To Hijack 'Every iPhone In The World'
====== 27 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======
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===========================
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:19:03 -0400
From: Matt Simpson <net-news69@jmatt.net>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: TLS vs S/MIME (was: Skype threat)
Message-ID: <net-news69-6EF7B9.10190329072009@news.toast.net>
In article <l1ss655nopkp660dcq7v205gqgsuc3muv6@4ax.com>,
"Tony Toews \[MVP\]" <ttoews@telusplanet.net> wrote:
> We should really be using S/MIME encryption to encrypt the emails
> for the entire connection from your computer to my computer
>
> Programs such as Outlook Express/Windows Mail and Outlook do support
> S/MIME quite nicely.
>
> (Regretfully the email software I've been using since 1995, Eudora, has
> *lousy* support for S/MIME.
I'm another diehard Eudora fan. I'm using Eudora's TLS capability to
encrypt the traffic between Eudora and my mail server. Is this less
secure or desirable than S/MIME? I don't know squat about S/MIME. From
a few seconds of Googling, it looks like it provides signature
verification capability, which isn't included in TLS. But if you're
just interested in protecting your email from prying eyes on the net,
signatures aren't really necessary.
****** Moderator's Note *****
The advantage of S/MIME or PGP is that they are End-To-End encryption
methods. TLS, OTOH, is only secure up to the server, and the emails
are stored in plaintext inside the machine.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:37:18 -0500
From: Neal McLain <nmclain@annsgarden.com>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Re: Cellphone tower coverage Qs
Message-ID: <4A70265E.1000403@annsgarden.com>
techie@tantivy.tantivy.net (Bob Vaughan) wrote:
> It is likely that there are additional cell sites that are not
> located on a tower at all, but are installed on the roof of a
> building (there is a office building along El Camino, next to
> WalMart and Trader Joe's which I recall as having antennas on it.)
> Other places where you may find antennas include flagpoles (there are
> examples at Palo Alto fire stations 3 (Rinconada Park), and 4
> Mitchell Park), lamp posts (the old Elks Lodge parking lot next to
> Dianah's), and church steeples. There are also some micro sites
> mounted on utility poles (Junipero Serra @ Stanford Ave).
Not to mention fake conifers, fake cacti, fake water towers, real water
towers, fake utility poles, smokestacks, transmission line towers,
abandoned billboard poles.
Here are links to some websites dedicated to photos of cell/PCS sites,
including camouflaged sites:
- Kramer.Firm: http://cellularpcs.com/gallery/
- New England Cellular Sites: http://www.necellularsites.net/
- Larson Camouflage, LLC.: http://www.utilitycamo.com/sites.html
- Dan Bricklin: http://danbricklin.com/log/celltowers.htm
- Antenna Spotting: http://antennaspotting.blogspot.com/
- Neal McLain: http://antennastructures.blogspot.com/
Neal McLain
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:37:25 -0500
From: gordon@hammy.burditt.org (Gordon Burditt)
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Re: Cellphones and driving
Message-ID: <-8-dnXEPzt1oXvLXnZ2dnUVZ_vidnZ2d@posted.internetamerica>
>***** Moderator's Note *****
>
>The Fifth Amendment states that
>
>"... nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just
>compensation."
>
>I doubt that items confiscated because they were used in the
>commission of a crime are considered to be "for public use", but I'll
>defer to the constitutional scholars among us.
Civil forfeiture items are often sold and the money is used for law
enforcement or the general fund. I consider that to be "for public
use".
Civil forfeiture also turns "innocent until proven guilty" on its head,
and does not require that the government prove that the item was used
in a crime or is the proceeds of a crime. The owner must prove that
it wasn't. Also, the item is often owned by someone unrelated to
any hypothetical crime.
Telcom related tidbit: If pot plants are found growing outside a central
office, the police might confiscate the central office, with no proof
that the telco or even any employee of the telco was responsible for
the pot plants.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:54:15 -0700
From: Sam Spade <sam@coldmail.com>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Re: Pop song phone number goes up for auction
Message-ID: <IeTbm.7123$cf6.1968@newsfe16.iad>
hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
> A telephone number related to the Jenny song is up for auction. For
> details see:
>
> http://www.kyw1060.com/--Jenny-s---Phone-Number-Goes-Up-For-Auction/4888510
>
I guess I am out of it. That number means nothing to me.
Prior to electronic switching many, of not most C.O.s reserved XXX-0000
for calling maintenance in the C.O. My local LEC, at least, dropped
that scheme when cutting to electronic. At the time I was tight with a
wheel and convinced him to give me one of the 0000 numbers. He warned
me I would get a lot of trash calls. I said it would be a second number
we would use for outgoing calls only. (never turned the ringer on for
that line)
Then, in November, 2003, when wireless local number portability became
effective I ported it to my wireless service. It took Cingular 3 months
to get the porting done. At first they claimed their system wouldn't
accept porting of a 0000 number. I persisted and they finally got it done.
I don't use my wireless phone much except when on business or personal
trips. There was a pattern of voice mails, mostly from car dealers,
asking different names to please call back about that car they want to
buy. (No one listened to the name on my voice mail message).
Apparently, folks who like to leave bogus numbers like using 0000.
About a year ago I placed a laborious message on the voice mail stating
several times who they had reached and if the call isn't for my wife or
me (by name for the second time) they have reached the wrong number.
That seems to have solved the problem. The few folks that call my cell
and know the routine hit "#" to abort the message and get the tone. (I
believe that can be done with most C.O.-based voice mail.)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:07:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: annie <dmr436@gmail.com>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Re: Pop song phone number goes up for auction
Message-ID: <3540342c-9355-4ee0-bde8-0cf96a7b2bbd@e11g2000yqo.googlegroups.com>
> A telephone number related to the Jenny song is up for auction. For
> details see:
I always thought that telephone numbers "belonged" to the phone
company and subscribers had no right to them as intellectual
property. Has this changed?
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:07:49 -0700
From: Thad Floryan <thad@thadlabs.com>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Re: Skype apparently threatens Russian national security
Message-ID: <4A6FCB15.4010104@thadlabs.com>
On 7/28/2009 8:30 PM, Thad Floryan wrote:
> On 7/28/2009 9:22 AM, Tony Toews [MVP] wrote:
>> Thad Floryan <thad@thadlabs.com> wrote:
>>> [...]
>> [...]
> ***** Moderator's Note *****
>
> This thread reminds me of the debate about the "Clipper Chip", which
> was a governemnt-backed program that would have mandated that any
> encryption device include the capability for the government to decode
> the data which was encrypted.
I had almost forgotten the Clipper. Good riddance. I seem to remember
that "requirement" sparked rumors that Microsoft also has/had been
"requested" to provide back doors in their OSs for government use.
> RSA Security and other commercial firms opposed the program, and it
> was never implemented. However, any widespread use of encryption will
> revive the debate: the methods aren't important, but the central
> question is "Should Uncle Sam be entitled to listen in on my calls or
> read my emails"?
For those following this thread, it's a given that government already
is eavesdropping on telephone, radio, email, etc. (ref. Echelon, SORM,
Carnivore, and similar).
Just speculating here, apparently such government systems "trigger" on
key words, phrases, end points, and "abnormalities" (such as encryption
for voice and data).
As mentioned at prior-cited URLs regarding Echelon, the loophole in
present law is that "non-USA entities" are freely allowed to monitor
intra-USA communications, presently rendering moot whether Uncle Sam
can monitor (or not) its citizen's voice and data communications. The
"non-USA entities" includes the USA's Echelon partners (UK, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand).
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:03:54 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: SPRINT NEXTEL Reports Second Quarter 2009 Results
Message-ID: <p06240836c695ea935fa0@[10.0.1.3]>
SPRINT NEXTEL Reports Second Quarter 2009 Results
* Year-to-date Free Cash Flow* of almost $1.5 billion; cash balance
of $4.6 billion after retiring all of 2009 senior note maturities;
total liquidity of $6.1 billion
* 18 consecutive months of improvement in Customer Care Satisfaction
and First Call Resolution
* Achieved new best-ever network performance metrics
* Highest reported number of prepaid net additions by any U.S.
carrier in three years
* Successful launch of the award-winning Palm Pre - showcasing 'a
new Sprint'
The company's second quarter earnings conference call will be held at
8 a.m. EDT today. Participants may dial 800-938-1120 in the U.S. or
Canada (706-634-7849 internationally) and provide the following ID:
15280281, or may listen via the Internet at www.sprint.com/investor.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S)
today reported second quarter 2009 financial results that included
consolidated net operating revenues of $8.1 billion, a net loss of
$384 million and a diluted loss per share of 13 cents. The company
generated Free Cash Flow* of $676 million in the quarter and $1.5
billion in the first half of 2009. As of June 30, 2009, the company
had $4.6 billion of cash and cash equivalents and $1.5 billion of
borrowing capacity available under its revolving bank credit
facility, for a total liquidity of $6.1 billion.
...
http://newsreleases.sprint.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=127149&p=irol-newsArticle_newsroom&ID=1313470&highlight=
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:03:54 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Sprint Nextel To Acquire Virgin Mobile USA
Message-ID: <p06240835c695ea3d4b5c@[10.0.1.3]>
Sprint Nextel To Acquire Virgin Mobile USA
Strengthens Company's Prepaid Position in Wireless Market with Iconic
Consumer Brand
Public Shareholders to Receive $5.50 per Share
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. & WARREN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 28, 2009--
Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) and Virgin Mobile USA, Inc.,
(NYSE:VM) announced today that their boards of directors have
approved a definitive agreement for Sprint to acquire Virgin Mobile
USA for a total equity value of approximately $483 million, which
includes the value of Sprint's current 13.1% fully diluted ownership
interest in Virgin Mobile USA. In addition, at closing Sprint will
retire all of Virgin Mobile USA's outstanding debt, which is $248
million net of cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2009, but is
expected to be no more than $205 million net of cash and cash
equivalents on Sept. 30, 2009.
This acquisition will strengthen Sprint's position in the growing
prepaid segment by bringing together under one umbrella the iconic
Virgin Mobile brand with Sprint's successful Boost Mobile business.
These complementary prepaid brands, each with a distinctive offer,
style and appeal to different customer demographics, will continue to
serve existing and prospective customers following the completion of
the transaction.
Following the closing of the transaction, Sprint's prepaid business
will be led by Dan Schulman, current Virgin Mobile USA chief
executive officer, who will report directly to Dan Hesse, Sprint
Nextel president and chief executive officer. Bringing exceptional
telecom leadership credentials to Sprint, Schulman will be
responsible for the business strategy and growth of the prepaid
segment. Matt Carter will continue to lead Boost Mobile and will
report to Schulman.
...
http://newsreleases.sprint.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=127149&p=irol-newsArticle_newsroom&ID=1312854&highlight=
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:21:12 -0700
From: Alan W <me@here.there.everywhere>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Re: Cellphone tower coverage Qs
Message-ID: <h4om88$d17$1@news.eternal-september.org>
On 7/28/2009 9:23 AM, Bob Vaughan wrote:
>
> See the notes on the site. It mentions that it doesn't have listings for
> towers that are not registered in the fcc database, nor for towers owned
> by third parties. It also dosen't have listings for carriers co-located on
> another carriers tower. I'm guessing that they are basing the database on
> the FCC Antenna Structure Registration, and not a specific transmitter site
> license. I'm not sure if individual cell sites are even listed in the FCC DB.
> I suspect that Nextel sites are more likely to be listed, given that Nextel
> is/was a SMR licensee with interconnect capabilities, and not a cellular
> licensee. Different service, different rules.
>
> I know of at least one tower (at Foothill College) that is not shown on
> the map. I forget who is actually on that tower, but there were at least
> 3 carriers when I last looked. The site is owned/leased by one of the site
> management companies (Spectrasite?), and not by a specific carrier.
>
> It is likely that there are additional cell sites that are not located on
> a tower at all, but are installed on the roof of a building (there is a
> office building along El Camino, next next to WalMart and Trader Joe's
> which I recall as having antennas on it.)
>
> Other places where you may find antennas include flagpoles (there are
> examples at Palo Alto fire stations 3 (Rinconada Park), and 4 (Mitchell
> Park), lamp posts (the old Elks Lodge parking lot next to Dianah's),
> and church steeples. There are also some micro sites mounted on utility
> poles (Junipero Serra @ Stanford Ave).
>
It seemed a bit odd at first that there isn't a single tower shown in
Saratoga, when I drive by plenty of them here every day. But most of the
towers here are actually owned by Crown Castle, and they lease space to
the different carriers. So it looks like they wouldn't be listed.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:08:33 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Microsoft, Yahoo! Change Search Landscape
Message-ID: <p06240837c695eba09e95@[10.0.1.3]>
Microsoft, Yahoo! Change Search Landscape
Global Deal Creates Better Choice for Consumers and Advertisers
SUNNYVALE, Calif. & REDMOND, Wash., Jul 29, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Yahoo! and Microsoft announced an agreement that will improve the Web
search experience for users and advertisers, and deliver sustained
innovation to the industry. In simple terms, Microsoft will now power
Yahoo! search while Yahoo! will become the exclusive worldwide
relationship sales force for both companies' premium search
advertisers.
For Web users and advertisers, this deal will accelerate the pace and
breadth of innovation by combining both companies' complementary
strengths and search platforms into a market competitor with the
scale to fuel sustained development in search and search advertising.
Users will find what they care about faster and with more personal
relevance. Microsoft's competitive search platforms will lead to more
value for advertisers, better results for Web publishers, and
increased innovation and efficiency across the Internet.
Under this agreement, Yahoo! will focus on its core business of
providing consumers with great experiences with the world's favorite
online destinations and Web products.
...
http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=399702
http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/common/download/download.cfm?companyid=YHOO&fileid=309489&filekey=f3a64f43-82ec-4569-be5e-277a8aaf6bd2&filename=399702.pdf
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:11:59 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Re: Microsoft, Yahoo! Change Search Landscape
Message-ID: <p06240839c695ec8fd6a5@[10.0.1.3]>
Microsoft, Yahoo! Change Search Landscape
Global Deal Creates Better Choice for Consumers and Advertisers
SUNNYVALE, CA and REDMOND, WA - 29 July, 2009 - Yahoo! and Microsoft
announced an agreement that will improve the Web search experience
for users and advertisers, and deliver sustained innovation to the
industry. In simple terms, Microsoft will now power Yahoo! search
while Yahoo! will become the exclusive worldwide relationship sales
force for both companies' premium search advertisers.
...
http://www.choicevalueinnovation.com/thedeal/Default.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2009/jul09/07-29release.mspx
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:08:33 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Yahoo! and Microsoft to Host Conference Call; Live Webcast Available
Message-ID: <p06240838c695ebf0b15a@[10.0.1.3]>
Yahoo! and Microsoft to Host Conference Call; Live Webcast Available
Broadcast/B-Roll Footage Also Available
SUNNYVALE, Calif. & REDMOND, Wash., Jul 29, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Yahoo! Inc. and Microsoft will host a conference call for accredited
media and financial and industry analysts at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m.
PT today, July 29, 2009, to discuss the search agreement the
companies recently announced. In addition, b-roll footage will be
available. The satellite feed of b-roll footage will contain
broadcast footage of remarks from Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz and
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, as well as corporate Yahoo! and
Microsoft b-roll footage.
Below is the information for the Yahoo!-Microsoft conference call
with their CEOs, Carol Bartz and Steve Ballmer at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30
a.m. PT today:
...
http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=399704
http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/common/download/download.cfm?companyid=YHOO&fileid=309488&filekey=e742c1d4-2250-413c-9393-c6a8922dc875&filename=399704.pdf
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:14:30 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: How To Hijack 'Every iPhone In The World'
Message-ID: <p0624083ac695ed460189@[10.0.1.3]>
Security
How To Hijack 'Every iPhone In The World'
Andy Greenberg, 07.28.09, 5:40 PM ET
On Thursday, two researchers plan to reveal an unpatched iPhone bug
that could virally infect phones via SMS.
If you receive a text message on your iPhone any time after Thursday
afternoon containing only a single square character, Charlie Miller
would suggest you turn the device off. Quickly.
That small cipher will likely be your only warning that someone has
taken advantage of a bug that Miller and his fellow cybersecurity
researcher Collin Mulliner plan to publicize Thursday at the Black
Hat cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas. Using a flaw they've found
in the iPhone's handling of text messages, the researchers say
they'll demonstrate how to send a series of mostly invisible SMS
bursts that can give a hacker complete power over any of the smart
phone's functions. That includes dialing the phone, visiting Web
sites, turning on the device's camera and microphone and, most
importantly, sending more text messages to further propagate a
mass-gadget hijacking.
...
http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/28/hackers-iphone-apple-technology-security-hackers.html
------------------------------
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