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The Telecom Digest for December 9, 2012
Volume 31 : Issue 287 : "text" Format
====== 31 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======
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Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
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See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details
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Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2012 23:47:03 -0500
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: The State of Smartphones in 2012: Part I of our Ultimate Guide
Message-ID: <p06240814cce721185741@[10.0.1.5]>
The State of Smartphones in 2012: Part I of our Ultimate Guide
We review the landscape and name the best in multiple categories. And
it's just the beginning.
by Andrew Cunningham
Dec 3 2012
Ars Technica
The last six months or so has seen a veritable storm of high-end
smartphones. While you can generally count on new hardware being
released year-round, this holiday season is particularly busy.
Between the iPhone 5, iOS 6, the Nexus 4, Android 4.2, and Windows
Phone 8, things have changed quite a bit since the summer.
Even more exciting, the smartphone wars aren't just a two-horse race
anymore. Apple and Samsung continue to be the giants in the field,
but we're seeing attractive handsets from a newly competitive LG, a
Google that seems more eager than ever to show its Android partners
how it's done, an HTC that's eager to thin out its product portfolio
and reverse its ill fortunes, and a Nokia that really wants its bet
on Windows Phone to pay off.
We know all this new hardware and software can be hard to keep
straight. To that end, we'll be taking some time over the next few
weeks to go in-depth on the state of the smartphone: we'll be
examining not just the available hardware and software, but also
which hardware and software will work best for particular uses. More
than ever, smartphones are powerful devices that can handle an
increasingly large amount of the work formerly unique to full-fledged
computers. But just like the PC market, the hardware and software you
buy is going to depend on what kind of things you need to use it for.
For the purposes of this overview, we're going to be focusing on
current, high-end iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 8 handsets. These
aren't the only players in the field, but they're certainly the most
consequential: smaller platforms like Tizen, Open WebOS, and Firefox
OS are either still in development or not widely available
commercially. As for BlackBerry, RIM seems to be all but begging
users, developers, and the press alike to wait for BlackBerry 10 to
come out before writing it off... so that's what we'll do. Expect
more coverage of RIM's latest as its projected March 2013 launch date
approaches, but BlackBerry won't factor into today's discussion.
To kick off this series, we'll examine each platform's major
strengths and weaknesses, then dive into specific phones and use
cases.
...
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/12/the-state-of-the-smartphone/
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2012 23:47:03 -0500
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: FCC chair criticizes rule against using tablets during takeoff
Message-ID: <p0624081ccce7235cdf3c@[10.0.1.5]>
FCC chair criticizes rule against using tablets during takeoff
Pilots can use iPads in the cockpit, but passenger use is banned by FAA rules.
by Timothy B. Lee
Dec 6 2012
Ars Technica
The head of the government agency in charge of wireless
communications has urged the agency in charge of commercial air
travel to revise its long-standing rule against the use of portable
electronic devices during takeoff and landing. The Federal Aviation
Administration is currently considering relaxing the rule that
prohibits the use of iPads, Kindles, or other devices when an
airplane is below 10,000 feet.
On Thursday, Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius
Genachowski sent a letter to Michael Huerta, the chairman of the FAA,
asking him to "enable greater use of tablets, e-readers, and other
portable devices" during takeoff. A copy of the letter was obtained
by The Hill.
...
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/12/fcc-chair-criticizes-rule-against-using-tablets-during-takeoff/
Date: Sat, 8 Dec 2012 14:10:14 -0500
From: Stuart Barkley <stuartb@4gh.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Who Do Online Advertisers Think You Are?
Message-ID: <alpine.BSF.2.00.1212081359390.15508@freeman.4gh.net>
> What about "Flash cookies"? Are they real, and if so, how can I
> control them?
Looking at your system backups you are able to see what files change
while running your browser. That will allow you to reverse engineer
what is being stored locally on your system. Be sure to check file
contents and not just timestamps, some things update files without
changing the timestamp.
On my unix systems I find the following helpful:
% rm -rf ~/.adobe ~/.macromedia
% touch ~/.adobe ~/.macromedia
% chmod 444 ~/.adobe ~/.macromedia
Some flash based websites won't work anymore, but I'm usually happier
that way.
Stuart Barkley
--
I've never been lost; I was once bewildered for three days, but never lost!
-- Daniel Boone
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 14:21:41 -0500
From: T <kd1s.nospam@cox.nospam.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Dear ITU, please don't bill Internet use like phone calls
Message-ID: <MPG.2b2c0bc79252bbea989d56@news.eternal-september.org>
In article <p06240815cce721796e0c@[10.0.1.5]>, monty@roscom.com says...
>
> Dear ITU, please don't bill Internet use like phone calls
>
> Telcos lobby for drastic change, think content networks getting a free ride.
>
> by Iljitsch van Beijnum
> Dec 1 2012
> Ars Technica
>
> "Operating agencies shall negotiate commercial agreements to achieve
> a sustainable system of fair compensation for telecommunications
> services and, where appropriate, respecting the principle of sending
> party network pays."
[Moderator snip]
That isn't going to wash here in the U.S. In essence they want to meter
internet usage. Technically it's trivial do so, but ethically it's wrong
to do so. Most of us have broadband connections that were sold to us as
UNLIMITED in both use and bandwidth.
Date: 8 Dec 2012 10:26:20 -0500
From: kludge@panix.com (Scott Dorsey)
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Best simple screening system?
Message-ID: <k9vm6s$6dk$1@panix2.panix.com>
Frank Stearns <franks.pacifier.com@pacifier.net> wrote:
>Robot Rachel and her evil robot sister, Ann, are hitting me up 2-4 times a day now
>for interest rate reductions on my credit cards -- and making me crazy.
Forward all your calls to your congressman. Maybe he'll do something about it.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2012 23:59:26 -0500
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: For PC Virus Victims, Pay or Else
Message-ID: <p06240822cce727eef168@[10.0.1.5]>
For PC Virus Victims, Pay or Else
By NICOLE PERLROTH
December 5, 2012
CULVER CITY, Calif. - Kidnappers used to make ransom notes with
letters cut out of magazines. Now, notes simply pop up on your
computer screen, except the hostage is your PC.
In the past year, hundreds of thousands of people across the world
have switched on their computers to find distressing messages
alerting them that they no longer have access to their PCs or any of
the files on them.
The messages claim to be from the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
some 20 other law enforcement agencies across the globe or, most
recently, Anonymous, a shadowy group of hackers. The computer users
are told that the only way to get their machines back is to pay a
steep fine.
And, curiously, it's working. The scheme is making more than $5
million a year, according to computer security experts who are
tracking them.
...
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/technology/ransomware-is-expanding-in-the-united-states.html
***** Moderator's Note *****
In Neal Stephenson's latest novel, "REAMDE", he describes a data
ransom scheme where the hackers ask to be paid by having their victims
leave virtual money at certain geographic locations in a Massive
Multiplayer Game called "T'Rain", which has numerous virtual locations
that players can go to or avoid according to the rules of the
game. Long story short: the money transfers are a lot harder to trace,
because the hackers can claim they are just other game players who
just found the virtual cash laying on the virtual ground.
Nice way to evade the police's first rule of investigation: "follow
the money".
Bill Horne
Moderator
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 09:48:36 -0500
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Future Of Landline Phones
Message-ID: <p06240825cce7b0be026c@[10.0.1.5]>
Future Of Landline Phones
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-12-06/future-landline-phones
The Diane Rehm Show
December 6, 2012
Landline phone use is plummeting. The telecom industry argues it
should no longer be required to provide the service. Consumer groups
disagree. The future of the landline.
Guests
Scott Cleland chief executive of The Precursor Group
Gigi Sohn president and co-founder of Public Knowledge
Betty Ann Kane chairman of the Public Service Commission of the
District of Columbia
Craig Moffet senior analyst for U.S. Telecommunications, Cable and
Satellite at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-12-06/future-landline-phones
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