The Telecom Digest for October 29, 2010
Volume 29 : Issue 291 : "text" Format
Messages in this Issue:
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Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:21:40 -0700
From: Thad Floryan <thad@thadlabs.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Did Charlie Chaplin film a cell phone in 1928?
Message-ID: <4CC91674.7060809@thadlabs.com>
On 10/27/2010 3:55 PM, Steven wrote:
> On Oct 26, 10:14 pm, Thad Floryan<t...@thadlabs.com> wrote:
>> [...]
>> Of course, there were no cell phones in 1928. And even if this
>> was a time traveler, there would be no cell towers to handle
>> [...]
> It could be a hearing add, they were about the same size as cell phones
> are today.
That's my original thought, too, but look at what was available
circa the 1920s:
http://hearing.siemens.com/sg/10-about-us/01-our-history/milestones.jsp?year=1924
The Siemens unit uses a carbon mic and an electromagnetic
diaphragm similar to the two components in the handset of, say,
a model 500 telephone instrument.
And look at the large box and briefcase presumably used to carry
the batteries -- not exactly inconspicuous. I wish they had the
owner or user manual available on that page.
Another site:
http://beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/did/20thcent/index.htm
is really interesting: concealed hearing devices of the 20th century.
But look at the 1927 Acousticon Model 28 or the 1928
Acousticon Model 56 -- neither resembles what's more-or-less
visible in the Chaplin movie clip.
The 1920s Siemens Halske Wallet and Purse hearing aids "might" be
contenders except one has a headset and the other a detached
circular earpiece. And it's not until the late 1930s that
miniaturized vacuum tubes were used in hearing aids requiring
two batteries ("A" for the filament and "B" for amplification)
as seen for the Western Electric Model 134 circa 1944.
And what's still puzzling (from the Chaplin film clip) is to whom
is that woman talking? Or is she a nutcase who wanders around
the streets enjoying the sound of her own voice? Her actions
seem purposeful, but ...
The time traveller explanation seems fanciful, but I wonder --
there was something I saw at the Smithsonian in Washington DC
in the early 1950s that's still nagging me and it has long since
been removed from public view and I think moved to New York
(but I need to check some really old emails and Usenet posts
for more info because others wrote they remember seeing it, too).
I was with my Dad who also saw it and we both had the same
impression of what it was we were observing in a large fossil
slab 10 feet by 10 feet: (don't laugh) Jeep tracks -- two
equidistant arced tracks featuring what appeared to be modern
mud tire treads (interlocking "V"s the entire length of both).
Color me crazy, but I saw them -- I have a good memory. :-)
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:46:03 +0800 (Malay Peninsula Standard Time)
From: John Mayson <john@mayson.us>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Did Charlie Chaplin film a cell phone in 1928?
Message-ID: <alpine.WNT.2.00.1010281444530.3344@AURM106297.americas.ad.flextronics.com>
On Wed, 27 Oct 2010, Steven wrote:
> It could be a hearing add, they were about the same size as cell phones are
> today.
That crossed my mind, but no one appeared to be speaking to her.
I'm certain there's a rational explanation. But it's still pretty
strange.
John
--
John Mayson <john@mayson.us>
Austin, Texas, USA
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:44:35 -0500
From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com (Robert Bonomi)
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Did Charlie Chaplin film a cell phone in 1928?
Message-ID: <ZYOdne0GfIzuWlXRnZ2dnUVZ_qGdnZ2d@posted.nuvoxcommunications>
In article <141b2db1-bc93-4ad5-81e4-3c8b1487b458@g25g2000yqn.googlegroups.com>,
Lisa or Jeff <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:
>On Oct 26, 10:14 pm, Thad Floryan <t...@thadlabs.com> wrote:
>
>Would anyone know when police radios for automobiles came out? I
>recall it was after WW II. Before then police used call boxes located
>on street corners; rural police were on their own.
>
State of Iowa Highway Patrol had an operating police radio transmitter,
upon their establishment, in _1935_. Receive-only gear on the cars and
motorcycles. All Iowa Highway Patrol cars equipped with two-way radio
in 1944. I doubt they were first, I'm familiar with it, because I grew
up a handful of miles from the original transmitter site.
A little Googling shows;
New York City PD had their first receive-only "radio cars" in 1917(!!).
Two-way radiotelephones installed in 1937.
Motorola first built two-way mobile police radios in 1939. (at about 1/4
the cost of competing units)
The first 'truly mobile' 2-way radio was developed in Australia, 1923(!!),
for the Victoria Police. gear took up the -entire- back seat of the police
cars.
Detroit PD were using 1-way radio in 1928. So was Berkeley, Calif.
Bayonne NJ police may be the first domestic US two-way users -- in the
cars, in 1933.
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:14:55 -0400
From: danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Verizon Wireless settles with FCC, to pay $25 million plus refunds
Message-ID: <Pine.NEB.4.64.1010281614390.8389@panix5.panix.com>
[FCC press release]
FCC INVESTIGATION INTO VERIZON WIRELESS "MYSTERY FEES"
RESULTSIN RECORD SETTLEMENT
Verizon Wireless to pay largest-ever settlement and consumer refund
Today, the Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau announced an
historic consent decree with Verizon Wireless - including a record $25 million
payment to the U.S. Treasury - regarding "mystery fees" the company charged its
customers over the last several years. The payment is the largest in FCC
history and the settlement concludes the agency's ten-month investigation into
these overcharges. In addition to Verizon Wireless's payment to the Treasury,
the company will immediately refund a minimum of $52.8 million to approximately
15 million customers and ensure that consumers are no longer charged the
mystery fees.
--------
rest of press release (which has links to the settlement, etc.)
in, respectively, "Word Doc" format, PDF, and text:
http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2010/db1028/DOC-302489A1.doc
http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2010/db1028/DOC-302489A1.pdf
http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2010/db1028/DOC-302489A1.txt
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
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