---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <20170225180458.11850.qmail@ary.lan> Date: 25 Feb 2017 18:04:58 -0000 From: "John Levine" <johnl@iecc.com> Subject: Re: Apple, Let Us Tune into Those FM Radio Channels In article <008c01d28de3$0942c8b0$1bc85a10$@nc.rr.com> you write: >As the article notes, phones' FM chips are commonly enabled in other >countries They're commonly found in the US on Android devices, such as my Samsung tablet. The FM radio in a phone or tablet only works when you plug in headphones, because the cable is the FM antenna. Recent iPhones don't have a headphone jack. I suppose it's hypothetically possible that they could do it with a USB thing, but now you have to retrieve the FM signal from the electrically noisy USB system rather than the audio system. R's, John ------------------------------ Message-ID: <k1mjuvfe8c3w$.vpa0w5hwrqcm$.dlg@40tude.net> Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2017 03:19:15 -0500 From: tlvp <mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net> Subject: Re: USA: "Data" SIMM Card That Does Not Expire? On Thu, 23 Feb 2017 12:16:57 -0500, Pete Cresswell wrote: > Full Disclosure: I have a legacy tMobile prepaid account and it's > working for me: nets out to about $.10 per minute.... I buy $100 worth > of minutes every so often, and they roll over year-after-year.... Maybe > there's better out there, but this one is good enough and I am familiar > with it.... > > But it lacks data. > > I am thinking about getting one of the Huawei phones that takes 2 or > more SIMM cards, staying with tMob, and supplementing it with a "Data" > SIMM card. > > I think my only "Musts" for a phone are that it accepts a 256-gig > external SD card and allows use of a stylus (for TeamViewer-ing into > big-screen PCs). > > A user-replaceable battery is a strong "Want". There are LG handsets I've seen, the Stylo 2 and Stylus 2, that (a) feature a removable battery; (b) use a true PalmTreo-like Pointy stylus; (c) have a microSD card slot good for up to 256 and 128 GB, respectively; (d) are available in both GSM and Verizon flavors; (e) come in both single SIM and dual SIM models; (f) screen is a full 720 x 1280 px^2 size. Reviews are mixed. I've never owned one. The very few owners I know of are happy with theirs, but for the camera, which "could be better," they say. If you go with a Verizon-branded version, you can get a good price for infrequent, low-volume, data service from Page Plus Cellular: they have an activation scheme whereby a $10 PIN delivers you up to 120 days worth of account availability, with 50 cents being drawn out of your balance once a month, domestic airtime for voice (in or out) running you 10 cents per minute, SMSes running you 5 cents apiece, and data (in or out) getting charged at something fairly outrageous (like maybe 10 cents per MB). You refill whenever you run low enough, or by day # 120 since last refill; any unused credit *remains* available to you upon refilling. I've never needed to replenish my balance before the 120-day deadline, and, over the years, my available credit has steadily grown from a few bucks to several dozen bucks. If you go fully GSM, otoh, you may find that putting your current legacy T-Mo prepaid SIM and a suitable prepaid data SIM into a dual-SIM LG handset leaves you better off than adding a Verizon handset to the T-Mo handset currently in your arsenal. As to the difference(s) between Stylo 2 and Stylus 2? I have no clue! Anyway, you may well have many other options as well :-) . Cheers, -- tlvp -- Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP. ------------------------------ Message-ID: <46EFD43C-94E6-463B-862A-5FEF1064B40B@roscom.com> Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2017 14:28:18 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> Subject: FCC to halt rule that protects your private data from security breaches By Jon Brodkin The Federal Communications Commission plans to halt implementation of a privacy rule that requires ISPs to protect the security of its customers' personal information. The data security rule is part of a broader privacy rulemaking implemented under former Chairman Tom Wheeler but opposed by the FCC's new Republican majority. The privacy order's data security obligations are scheduled to take effect on March 2, but Chairman Ajit Pai wants to prevent that from happening. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/02/isps-wont-have-to-follow-new-rule-that-protects-your-data-from-theft/ ------------------------------ ********************************************* End of telecom Digest Tue, 28 Feb 2017