30 Years of the Digest ... founded August 21, 1981
Add this Digest to your personal
or 
The Telecom Digest for October 25, 2011
Volume 30 : Issue 271 : "text" Format
====== 30 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======
|
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
journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are
included in the fair use quote. By using any name or email address
included herein for any reason other than responding to an article
herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to that person, or email address
owner.
Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be
sold or given away without the explicit written consent of the owner of
that address. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk
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.
|
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:49:11 +1100
From: David Clayton <dcstarbox-usenet@yahoo.com.au>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Cell Phone/Cancer
Message-ID: <pan.2011.10.24.05.49.05.518003@yahoo.com.au>
On Sun, 23 Oct 2011 11:52:27 -0400, Randall Webmail wrote:
> Quoting Bill Horne:
>
>>In other words, while this is "nice" news for the Danish markets, it
>>might or might not be the whole story for cellphone users in other
>>places. We'll probably hear every cellphone salesdroid on Earth
>>trumpeting this report from every cell tower, but I'll wait until the
>>results have been picked over by the scientific communities in other
>>places, and corroborated by other studies, before I throw out my wired
>>set.
>
> Dr. Bob Park, of the University of Maryland, has been telling anyone who
> would listen that the radiation from cell phones is not energetic enough
> to knock electrons out of their shells. Plus there is the statistical
> fact that as cell phone use has skyrocketed over the last twenty years,
> the incidence of brain cancer has gone DOWN.
>
>
> http://tinyurl.com/3b4hp7b
> (Link is to Fortune magazine article).
Interesting graph, I'd like to see the points on the time scale when cell
phone users began migrating from old analogue services to digital ones,
especially since digital systems are supposed to use less power
generally as well as using more base stations as the networks were rolled
out (which means less Tx power because of the closer base stations).
Perhaps "cell phone use has skyrocketed over the last twenty years", but
overall radiation exposure may well have not tracked on the same curve to
to these other factors.
The "jury" may well and truly still be out on this issue.
--
Regards, David.
David Clayton
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Knowledge is a measure of how many answers you have, intelligence is a
measure of how many questions you have.
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:03:32 -0700
From: Thad Floryan <thad@thadlabs.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Cell Phone/Cancer
Message-ID: <4EA5EEC4.3060801@thadlabs.com>
On 10/23/2011 10:49 PM, David Clayton wrote:
> On Sun, 23 Oct 2011 11:52:27 -0400, Randall Webmail wrote:
>> [...]
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/3b4hp7b
>> (Link is to Fortune magazine article).
>
> Interesting graph, I'd like to see the points on the time scale when cell
> phone users began migrating from old analogue services to digital ones,
> especially since digital systems are supposed to use less power
> generally as well as using more base stations as the networks were rolled
> out (which means less Tx power because of the closer base stations).
>
> Perhaps "cell phone use has skyrocketed over the last twenty years", but
> overall radiation exposure may well have not tracked on the same curve to
> to these other factors.
>
> The "jury" may well and truly still be out on this issue.
FWIW, GSM cellphones can transmit using up to 2+ Watts (33 dBm)
and as high as 8 Watts (39 dBm) per:
http://www.analogzone.com/hft_1206.pdf
which is a document from Agilent Technologies (formerly H-P)
describing how to control transmit power levels in a cellphone.
Think how hot a 4 Watt nightlight feels to the touch. :-)
What was surprising for me to learn just now is the 35 km
coverage radius of GSM cellphones; I suspect that's where the
higher transmit power levels come into play.
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 02:56:00 -0700
From: Thad Floryan <thad@thadlabs.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Steven VanRoekel, CIO of the USA, speaks at Xerox PARC
Message-ID: <4EA53630.6060200@thadlabs.com>
" Don't miss this opportunity to hear and interact with Steven VanRoekel,
" the Chief Information Officer of the United States, in his first public
" appearance since his appointment by President Barack Obama in August 2011.
" VanRoekel, who has been a visionary leader at Microsoft and the FCC, will
" share his priorities for the Federal IT landscape and his vision for how
" technology can enable the government to do more for the American people,
" even as we face constrained resources.
Details of the free meeting at Xerox PARC in Palo Alto CA are here:
http://www.parc.com/event/1613/evening-with-steven-vanroekel.html
The program begins at 7:00pm PDT Tuesday 25-OCT-2011 and the above page
states the "event WILL be livestreamed. Details forthcoming."
As of 2:45am Monday, the livestreaming details are not yet online.
For those on the US West Coast who want to chance getting a seat
in the PARC auditorium, you MUST register here:
http://transition.churchillclub.org/eventDetail.jsp?EVT_ID=924
Note the [QTY] input box near the bottom of the page; enter a
"1" for yourself, click [SUBMIT], and proceed through the
remaining pages [info about yourself, nametag, checkout review, etc.].
It's free and the transaction will always display a $0.00 value.
The last several pages take awhile to process, so I suspect they're
checking availability, etc. When/if you get to the last (5th) page,
you'll be registered and you'll shortly receive a confirming email.
Sorry for the late announcement. I've known about this event since
last week but it wasn't until a colleague called late this evening
asking if I received a confirmation that I realized registration
is mandatory, thinking I could just drive the 3 miles to PARC and
walk in. I had no trouble registering late Sunday night so there
"should" still be available room.
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:34:33 -0700
From: Thad Floryan <thad@thadlabs.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: UPDATE: Steven VanRoekel, CIO of the USA, speaks at Xerox PARC
Message-ID: <4EA5E7F9.1060606@thadlabs.com>
On 10/24/2011 2:56 AM, Thad Floryan wrote:
> " Don't miss this opportunity to hear and interact with Steven VanRoekel,
> " the Chief Information Officer of the United States, in his first public
> " appearance since his appointment by President Barack Obama in August 2011.
> " VanRoekel, who has been a visionary leader at Microsoft and the FCC, will
> " share his priorities for the Federal IT landscape and his vision for how
> " technology can enable the government to do more for the American people,
> " even as we face constrained resources.
>
> Details of the free meeting at Xerox PARC in Palo Alto CA are here:
>
>
> http://www.parc.com/event/1613/evening-with-steven-vanroekel.html
>
>
> The program begins at 7:00pm PDT Tuesday 25-OCT-2011 and the above page
> states the "event WILL be livestreamed. Details forthcoming."
> [...]
The livestreaming details appeared on PARC's site today (24-OCT-2011):
http://www.justin.tv/parcinc
Additional background on Steven VanRoekel also appeared:
"
" Steven VanRoekel is the second Chief Information Officer of the United
" States, appointed by President Obama on August 5th, 2011. Mr. VanRoekel
" plays a key role in ensuring that the Federal Government is operating,
" in President Obama's words, "in the most secure, open, and efficient way
" possible." VanRoekel works closely with the chief technology and
" performance officers.
"
" Mr. VanRoekel directs IT policy, strategic planning of Federal IT
" investments, and oversight of Federal technology spending. He
" establishes and oversees enterprise architecture to ensure system
" interoperability and information-sharing, and maintains information
" security and privacy across the Federal Government. VanRoekel's
" priorities include openness and transparency, lowering costs,
" cybersecurity, participatory democracy, and innovation.
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:02:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: HAncock4 <withheld@invalid.telecom-digest.org>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Telegraph turns 150
Message-ID: <2b11e48f-8b5a-4888-8576-a739e0bc9af2@m19g2000vbm.googlegroups.com>
LOS ANGELES - Long before there was an Internet or an iPad, before
people were social networking and instant messaging, Americans had
already gotten wired.
Monday marks the 150th anniversary of the completion of the
transcontinental telegraph. From sea to sea, it electronically knitted
together a nation that was simultaneously tearing itself apart, North
and South, in the Civil War.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45007641/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:25:25 -0400
From: Curt Bramblett <CurtBramblett.remove-this@and-this-too.cfl.rr.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: dugout telephones
Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20111024102250.01434e48@pop-server.cfl.rr.com>
Can someone here add some insight to this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/sports/baseball/world-series-dugout-phones-last-bastion-of-the-landline.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha26
Curt Bramblett (-at- cfl.rr.com)
***** Moderator's Note *****
Insight? Sure: they're simple, intuitive, rugged, reliable, easy to
maintain, and the batteries never die.
Bill Horne
Moderator
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:03:13 -0500
From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com (Robert Bonomi)
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: dugout telephones
Message-ID: <H8SdncHYP6nMBzjTnZ2dnUVZ_u6dnZ2d@posted.nuvoxcommunications>
In article <5.1.0.14.2.20111024102250.01434e48@pop-server.cfl.rr.com>,
Curt Bramblett <CurtBramblett.remove-this@and-this-too.cfl.rr.com> wrote:
>Can someone here add some insight to this:
>
>
>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/sports/baseball/world-series-dugout-phones-last-bastion-of-the-landline.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha26
>
>
>Curt Bramblett (-at- cfl.rr.com)
>
>***** Moderator's Note *****
>
>Insight? Sure: they're simple, intuitive, rugged, reliable, easy to
>maintain, and the batteries never die.
Further, aren't they just an 'intercom' system?
no connection with the PSTN, Except, maybe, for some of the terminating
gear used? A quick perusal of the story seemed to indicate point-to-point
hot ring-down circuits -- i.e., pick up the phone, and the other end rings..
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:28:30 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Photo Retrospective of Steve Jobs, 1955-2011
Message-ID: <p06240811cacb26459bf2@[10.0.1.9]>
Steve Jobs, 1955-2011
Alan Taylor
In Focus
The Atlantic
OCT 6, 2011
Apple co-founder and visionary Steve Jobs died yesterday at the age of
56. Jobs was a man with extraordinary vision, drive, and success; and
the technology he helped create has touched and enriched the lives of
billions. He focused on creating things of simplicity and beauty
matched by an underlying power and utility. When composing this entry,
I was surprised to find myself so moved. Coming across the photo of a
young Steve introducing the Apple II computer, I remembered learning
to program on it. From Basic to Assembly Language, it was on Apple
machines that I first developed the key skills I use in my work to
this very day. All those years ago, as a high-school kid, my life was
enriched by Jobs' efforts, and it continues to be today. Gathered here
are images of Steve Jobs, along with a few remembrances from around
the world. The first photo is especially striking, because you see in
it not only Steve as a proud CEO walking the stage at the top of his
game, but as a human being, a simple silhouette of the man who
inspired so many. [20 photos]
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/10/steve-jobs-1955-2011/100164/
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:58:46 -0400
From: "Geoffrey Welsh" <gwelsh@spamcop.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Cell Phone/Cancer
Message-ID: <519c4$4ea5b550$adce5502$18956@PRIMUS.CA>
Randall Webmail wrote:
> [...] Plus there is the
> statistical fact that as cell phone use has skyrocketed over the last
> twenty years, the incidence of brain cancer has gone DOWN.
Twenty years ago my cellphone sat several feet behnd me in my trunk, with
the antenna stuck magnetically to the centre of my roof with a sheet of
metal between it and me. The lack of either distance or a shield between me
and the microwave transmitter - no matter how many orders of magnitude less
powerful than the one on my kitchen counter - contributed at least somewhat
to my slow adoption of the handheld cellphone. Many things have changed
since then: frequencies, modulations, usage patterns, transmissions when
we're not on a call, the number (density) of other devices near me, etc. I
suspect that only the long term can definitively reveal the long term
effects of the technology. That said, I have lost much of my trepidation
and am regularly surrounded by cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other
wireless technologies and I'm not dead yedrfvgb
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:05:53 +0000 (UTC)
From: "Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Definition of "accident" (was Re: BlackBerry Outage Linked to Massive Drop in Traffic Accidents)
Message-ID: <j845th$smt$1@news.albasani.net>
Barry Margolin <barmar@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
>David Clayton <dcstarbox-usenet@yahoo.com.au> wrote:
>>On Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:56:19 -0400, Monty Solomon wrote:
>>>BlackBerry Outage Linked to Massive Drop in Traffic Crashes
>>>by Brad Aaron
>>>October 17, 2011
>>>According to data released last week by NYPD, distracted drivers were
>>>the leading cause of city traffic crashes in August. Of 16,784
>>>incidents, 1,877 were attributed to "driver inattention/distraction,"
>>>while an additional 10 were linked specifically to phones or other
>>>electronic devices.
>>.........
>>I love this report - no use whatsoever of the bogus term "accident" that
>>people have used for years as an excuse for someone doing something wrong
>>on the roads.
>>It is no "accident" when someone deliberately takes their attention from
>>the road to pander to their desire to use a phone or whatever, it is
>>100% deliberate negligence.
>>One less use of a "weasel word" in our modern life (maybe), now let's hope
>>we can also make some inroads on the countless others.....
>My dictionary says:
>1. an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and
>unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury
>While taking your attention away from the road may increase the
>likelihood of the incident, it doesn't make the incident expected or
>intentional.
>Perhaps you're thinking of this:
>2. an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or
>deliberate cause
>I'd agree that accidents due to negligence have an apparent cause, so
>they don't fit this definition.
Barry, David's complaint was NOT that negligent behavior makes the crash
intentional. Intent is not a factor in these situations, so there's no
reason to bring it up.
In police reports, "accident" was supposed to be a term used without
assignment of fault, indicating only lack of intent. The trouble is
that it doesn't sound that way to the listener's ear.
I certainly disagree that a collision in which driving while distracted
is a contributing factor is unexpected. It's a driver's duty to be prepared
for changing circumstances; he must pay attention.
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:10:07 -0400
From: "Geoffrey Welsh" <gwelsh@spamcop.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Cellphone Users to Get Billing Alerts Under New Voluntary Standards
Message-ID: <2ce9a$4ea5e22b$adce5502$31488@PRIMUS.CA>
John Stahl wrote:
> My carrier, Verizon Wireless, has (almost - depending, I've observed,
> the time of the week) real-time information about data, number of
> calls and texting usage available either on the their website where
> I'm registered to pay my bill or via the #DATA or #MIN dial-up's on
> my cell phone where a (free) text message indicates current
> cumulative usage.
My Virgin Mobile Canada (100% owned by Bell Canada now) account sends me a
text (free to receive) when my texting, long distance, or extra minutes use
has run down my pay as you go account balance the point where it needs to be
topped up. I would be surprised if just about all prepaid carriers didn't
have something like that implemented to ensure that customers keep using-
and keep paying for - their phone service. But because this service helps
the customer avoid paying more, they drag their feet.
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecom-
munications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in
addition to Usenet, where it appears as the moderated newsgroup
'comp.dcom.telecom'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Bill Horne. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
The Telecom Digest is moderated by Bill Horne.
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and
published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the oldest e-zine/mailing list
on the internet in any category!
URL information: http://telecom-digest.org
Copyright (C) 2011 TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as
yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help
is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of fifty dollars
per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above.
Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing
your name to the mailing list.
All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the
author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only
and messages should not be considered any official expression by the
organization.
End of The Telecom Digest (11 messages)
Return to Archives ** Older Issues