---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <20181121235744.GA27282@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2018 18:57:44 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: The FCC has a new plan to combat unwanted robocalls and spammy texts By Brian Fung and Tony Romm | The Washington Post WASHINGTON - The U.S. government said Tuesday that it plans to take aim at the scourge of unwelcome phone calls and spam text messages plaguing millions of consumers - but one of its proposals drew sharp rebukes, with critics concerned that it could enable telecom giants to censor legitimate communications. The first measure, announced by the Federal Communications Commission, aims to create a national database containing information about phone numbers that have recently been disconnected and reassigned to someone else. The effort aims to help businesses, such as banks and pharmacies, avoid dialing the wrong customers repeatedly. https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2018/11/21/the-fcc-has-a-new-plan-to-combat-unwanted-robocalls-and-spammy-texts/ -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ Message-ID: <20181121234902.GA27215@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2018 18:49:03 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: Palm phone review: A tiny 'second phone' no one needs How can something so small be such a big headache? By Chris Velazco The only phone I've ever waited in line for in my life was the original Palm Pre. What can I say? I believed in the company's approach to design, webOS seemed to have a lot of potential and I thought the market could use some more competition. I bought in, and I was crushed when HP acquired Palm and ran webOS into the ground. Now, years later, the Palm brand is back, and its new stewards are asking us to buy in once again. The pitch this time is highly unusual though. The company is selling a tiny, $350 Verizon-exclusive smartphone that's supposed to be a companion to your regular phone for when you want to disconnect... but not completely. There's little argument that we all probably spend too much time on our phones, and the former Samsung design execs who crafted the Palm did so to bring people out of their bubbles and back into the real world. https://www.engadget.com/2018/11/21/palm-phone-review/ -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ Message-ID: <20181121235202.GA27235@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2018 18:52:02 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: Wildwood whale-watching business sues Verizon over lost phone number The 1-800-2GO-WHALEWATCHING vanity number belonged to Sightseer Enterprises for 25 years By Adam Hermann he operator of a popular Jersey Shore whale-watching business is suing Verizon over a lost vanity phone number. Sightseer Enterprises Inc. of Wildwood, New Jersey, had held the phone number 1-800-2GO-WHALEWATCHING for a quarter century, according to the Cherry Hill Courier-Post. https://www.phillyvoice.com/wildwood-whale-watching-business-sues-verizon-over-lost-phone-number/ -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ Message-ID: <20181122000048.GA27310@telecom.csail.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2018 19:00:48 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> Subject: VERIFY: What's actually being done to combat pesky robocalls? Neustar recently teamed up with Verizon on its new SPAM alert feature for landline subscribers to address illegal robocalling on their network. There are 500,000 complaints, every month of Illegal robocalls. Why does it seem to be getting worse? Our sister station, WUSA9, spoke with a viewer, Christopher Johnson, who contacted the team after being bombarded with robocalls. https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/verify/verify-whats-actually-being-done-to-combat-pesky-robocalls/291-616627544 -- Bill Horne (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly) ------------------------------ ********************************************* End of telecom Digest Sat, 24 Nov 2018