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Message Digest Volume 29 : Issue 51 : "text" Format Messages in this Issue: Re: Prison to Test Cellphone Jamming Re: ISDN (really VOIP) Malicious Software Infects Computers The iPhone app for instant booty calls US school district spied on students through webcams, court told Re: US school district spied on students through webcams, court told Re: US school district spied on students through webcams, court told Re: US school district spied on students through webcams, court told Skype Fights to Be Heard on Mobile Phones Safe Travels for You and Your Data Wi-Fi Turns Rowdy Bus Into Rolling Study Hall Mobile Data, the Next Generation: High Speeds but at What Cost? Re: 40% lack home broadband access Re: Pay phone nostalgia Re: Pay phone nostalgia ScanSafe Annual Global Threat Report 2009 Cell phone subscriptions to hit 5 billion globally Opera Mini for iPhone: Will Apple approve it? Re: Prison to Test Cellphone Jamming ====== 28 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 Patrick Townson 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 the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. 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: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:27:47 -0600 From: John Mayson <john@mayson.us> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Prison to Test Cellphone Jamming Message-ID: <6645152a1002182027m45c2003bwe3b66d73b81983ba@mail.gmail.com> On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 10:38 AM, <hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote: > As mentioned, they have a legal right to monitor all telephone calls > in and out of a facility except attorney-client. > > There were several newspaper reports of studies on this issue. It is > a fact of life that extensive monitoring is required to deter > criminal activity such as gangs and drug running directed by prison > inmates. The gangs are growing and are particularly vicious; they > make the Corleone's 'family business' look like at kitty-cat. It is > a serious problem. Every now and then I hear a report of a gang member in a Texas prison ordering a hit from his prison cell. Is this by cell phone? Letter? Unmonitored call? What about prisoners who speak something other than English or Spanish? Will the prison have someone on staff to monitor? It doesn't sound like a very robust system to me, but I'm not an expert. :-) John -- John Mayson <john@mayson.us> http://www.linkedin.com/in/jmayson Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:30:44 -0500 (EST) From: Dan Lanciani <ddl@danlan.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: ISDN (really VOIP) Message-ID: <201002190830.DAA08373@ss10.danlan.com> kd1s.nospam@cox.nospam.net (T) wrote: |In article <201002170902.EAA11755@ss10.danlan.com>, ddl@danlan.com |says... |> Until recently I had 768k/128k. Eventually I was able to upgrade to a |> whopping 1M/384k but the service still does not seem suitable for |> VOIP. The funny thing is that the problem appears to be mainly in the |> downstream direction. The various web sites that offer tests for VOIP |> suitability seem to concentrate on the upstream path. I'd really like |> to understand better what is going on... |Who is providing your DSL service? Verizon MA |I've often suspected the likes of |Verizon and other companies of deliberately blocking VoIP traffic if |it isn't destined for THEIR servers. It's probably not that simple. I see similar problems regardless of whether I go directly or through an encrypted tunnel. The latter hides the details from the local ISP and it's a rather non-standard setup (IPSEC inside L2TP) so I doubt they are looking at, e.g., the packet sizes. The problem is not total failure, and in fact sometimes it works acceptably. But a lot of the time I get long dropouts and the router providing the voice port shows lots of silence fill. I've gone so far as to write programs to simulate packet streams similar in size and timing to RTP streams, but at least when I run them I'm not seeing either drops or out-of-sequence packets. Of course, the end points are not the same as those of any of the VOIP services I've played with so I suppose the problem could be far-end rather than near. The simplest explanation is that the DSL downstream is just way oversubscribed and happens to perform poorly often enough to make for a bad VOIP experience. If this is typical, though, I wonder how things like MagicJack work acceptably. Maybe I'm just too sensitive... Dan Lanciani ddl@danlan.com Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:22:32 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Malicious Software Infects Computers Message-ID: <p06240854c7a45d0337dd@[10.0.0.5]> Malicious Software Infects Computers By JOHN MARKOFF The New York Times February 19, 2010 A malicious software program has infected the computers of more than 2,500 corporations around the world, according to NetWitness, a computer network security firm. The malicious program, or botnet, can commandeer the operating systems of both residential and corporate computing systems via the Internet. Such botnets are used by computer criminals for a range of illicit activities, including sending e-mail spam and stealing digital documents and passwords from infected computers. In many cases they install so-called keystroke loggers to capture personal information. The current infection is modest compared with some of the largest known botnets. For example, a system known as Conficker, created in late 2008, infected as many as 15 million computers at its peak and continues to contaminate more than seven million systems globally. Botnet attacks are not unusual. Currently Shadowserver, an organization that tracks botnet activity, is monitoring 5,900 separate botnets. Several computer security specialists also disputed the company's assertion that the botnet was a novel discovery. This type of infection is well known to the computer security research community and is routinely tracked by a monitoring system that has identified more than 1,300 botnets of this design. ... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/19/technology/19cyber.html Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:34:46 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: The iPhone app for instant booty calls Message-ID: <p06240856c7a45f9bd36e@[10.0.0.5]> February 18, 2010 5:35 PM PST The iPhone app for instant booty calls by Chris Matyszczyk The urge to have sex is something that many find difficult to control. Some, indeed, find this urge gets them into trouble. It can affect your marriage, your work, even your golf swing. However, now that technology is making so many things easier, the power of mobile social networking is being brought to, um, bare by the makers of a new iPhone app. It is called PinPointsX. At its heart is the notion that sex these days is very much like real estate. It's about location, location and location. Ergo, the vital part of PinPointsX is its Passion Map. This cartographic delight is your gateway to graphic or, who knows, Sapphic pleasures. The Passion Map "allows the user to filter, prioritize, schedule, and directly interact with those sensual resources, leading toward the ultimate fantasy and potential hook-up." Yes, those words come from the creators. They also claim they can put your in immediate locational contact with "all imaginable erotic resources" in your immediate vicinity. However, I fear that there are some people who, as they wander through the streets of life, are truly seeking unimaginable erotic resources. I am concerned that PinPointsX doesn't seem to cover those. ... http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10456304-71.html Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:08:03 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: US school district spied on students through webcams, court told Message-ID: <p06240859c7a467309a47@[10.0.0.5]> US school district spied on students through webcams, court told Pennsylvania district accused of using remote-control laptops to photograph teenage students at home without their knowledge Daniel Nasaw in Washington guardian.co.uk, Friday 19 February 2010 13.54 GMT A school district in Pennsylvania spied on students through web cameras installed on laptops provided by the district, according to a class action lawsuit filed this week. Lower Merion school district, in a well-heeled suburb of Philadelphia, provided roughly 2,300 high school students with Mac laptops last autumn in what its superintendent, Christopher McGinley, described as an effort to establish a "mobile, 21st-century learning environment". The programme was funded with $720,000 (£468,000) in state grants and other sources. The teens were forbidden from installing video games and other software, and were barred from "commercial, illegal, unethical and inappropriate" use. But unbeknown to the students, the district retained remote control of the built-in webcams installed on the computers - and used them to capture images of the students, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court this week. The ruse was revealed when Blake Robbins, a student at Harriton high school, was hauled into the assistant principal Lindy Matsko's office, shown a photograph taken by a webcam on the laptop in his home and disciplined for "improper behaviour". According to Robbins, Matsko said the school had retained the ability to activate the laptop webcams remotely, at any time. ... http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/19/schools-spied-on-students-webcams Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:03:46 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: US school district spied on students through webcams, court told Message-ID: <YrKdnagTHIAYT-PWnZ2dnUVZ_ridnZ2d@speakeasy.net> On 2/19/2010 11:08 AM, Monty Solomon wrote: > A school district in Pennsylvania spied on students through web > cameras installed on laptops provided by the district, according to a > class action lawsuit filed this week. > >[snip] > > But unbeknown to the students, the district retained remote control > of the built-in webcams installed on the computers - and used them to > capture images of the students, according to a lawsuit filed in > federal court this week. > >[snip] > > http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/19/schools-spied-on-students-webcams The article doesn't make it clear whether the school was acting on a picture the student had voluntarily taken, or if the school was activating the remote camera capability without the student's knowledge. If it's the first case, i.e., if the student used the laptop of his own free will to take questionable pictures, and the school intercepted them, then I feel the school is acting appropriately. The second possibility, i.e., that the school officials activated remote-monitoring capabilities and captured images without the student's knowledge or consent, is obviously wrong. Bill Horne -- (Filter QRM for direct replies) "There are no mistakes in life, some people say It's true, sometimes you could see it that way" - Joan Osborne Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:39:23 -0800 From: Thad Floryan <thad@thadlabs.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: US school district spied on students through webcams, court told Message-ID: <4B7EE8EB.1020400@thadlabs.com> On 2/19/2010 10:03 AM, Bill Horne wrote: > On 2/19/2010 11:08 AM, Monty Solomon wrote: > >> A school district in Pennsylvania spied on students through web >> cameras installed on laptops provided by the district, according to a >> class action lawsuit filed this week. >> >> [snip] >> >> But unbeknown to the students, the district retained remote control >> of the built-in webcams installed on the computers - and used them to >> capture images of the students, according to a lawsuit filed in >> federal court this week. >> >> [snip] >> >> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/19/schools-spied-on-students-webcams > > The article doesn't make it clear whether the school was acting on a > picture the student had voluntarily taken, or if the school was > activating the remote camera capability without the student's knowledge. > [...] Uh, sometimes the obvious is overlooked. The paragraph between the two "snip" markers above states use of remote control to capture images of the students. The article is very clear here (with "it" being the lawsuit): It claims that since the laptops were used by students and their friends and family at home, images of "compromising or embarrassing positions, including ... in various states of undress" have been captured. In other words, they captured pictures of [near-]naked children in their homes and this can be construed to be child pornography though it's not clear that's the point of the lawsuit. ***** Moderator's Note ***** I read it differently: there's a lot of reference to the lawsuit, but few specifics, and the publication never accusses the school district of using the capability, only of having the capability. I'd expect a lot more media attention on this issue if there was a more definite bases for an accusation: after all, spying is illegal, isn't it? Bill Horne Moderator Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:27:23 -0800 From: Thad Floryan <thad@thadlabs.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: US school district spied on students through webcams, court told Message-ID: <4B7F3A7B.8000100@thadlabs.com> On 2/19/2010 11:39 AM, Thad Floryan wrote: > [...] > > The [Guardian] article is very clear here (with "it" being the lawsuit): > > It claims that since the laptops were used by students and their friends > and family at home, images of "compromising or embarrassing positions, > including ... in various states of undress" have been captured. > > In other words, they captured pictures of [near-]naked children in their > homes and this can be construed to be child pornography though it's not > clear that's the point of the lawsuit. > > ***** Moderator's Note ***** > > I read it differently: there's a lot of reference to the lawsuit, but > few specifics, and the publication never accusses the school district > of using the capability, only of having the capability. > > I'd expect a lot more media attention on this issue if there was a > more definite bases for an accusation: after all, spying is illegal, > isn't it? Definitely. And here's the actual text of the lawsuit [17p, 627 KB] http://craphound.com/robbins17.pdf Another (short) article is here: http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/17/school-used-student.html ***** Moderator's Note ***** The lawsuit is a lot more clear than the original news report, and I agree that the lawsuit alleges the school did deliberately use the webcams in students' laptops to spy on them without their knowledge. The only puzzle at this point is why a "60 Minutes" crew isn't knocking down the doors at that school department. If these allegations are true, then the insurance carrier that bonded the school in question is about to take a major loss. Bill Horne Moderator Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:13:37 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Skype Fights to Be Heard on Mobile Phones Message-ID: <p06240860c7a476f24bd5@[10.0.0.5]> Skype in a Struggle to Be Heard on Mobile Phones By KEVIN J. O'BRIEN The New York Times February 18, 2010 BARCELONA, Spain - Josh Silverman, the chief executive of Skype, the voice-over-Internet phone service, could tick off the names of mobile phone operators that block his company's service. But for Mr. Silverman, a 41-year-old Michigan native, it is quicker to name those that allow it, no strings attached. "The two operators that have really embraced us are 3 in Europe and Verizon Wireless in the United States," Mr. Silverman said Wednesday at the Mobile World Congress, the industry's annual convention, in Barcelona. "But we are making progress, and operators are beginning to change their attitudes." In a world where network neutrality has become a rallying cry for advocates of an unfettered Internet, Skype, the pioneer in low-cost and even free online calls, has become a prime example of the limits of wireless freedom. In the United States, Skype is blocked on mobile networks, and the service is available only on the Apple iPhone over Wi-Fi. AT&T, the exclusive American carrier for the iPhone, has said that it would allow Skype and voice-over-Internet-protocol services to operate on its 3G network, but Skype has not made an application available. In Europe, Skype is carried by the company 3 in Britain, Ireland, Austria, Denmark, Italy and Sweden. But many other cellular operators still block its calls, prohibit their customers from downloading Skype's software or outlaw the use of VoIP service in standard sales contracts. Some carriers are imposing fees to undermine Skype's attraction. In Germany, customers of T-Mobile can place calls using Skype, but only if they pay an extra 10 euros, or $13.60, a month. German customers of the Vodafone Group can use the service for an extra 5 euros a month. However, the barriers to Skype and similar Internet calling services, like Google Voice, are coming under increasing scrutiny as the Internet goes mobile. By 2013, the number of Internet-ready mobile phones will surpass the number of computers in the world for the first time, according to Gartner, a research firm. ... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/technology/18voip.html Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:16:51 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Safe Travels for You and Your Data Message-ID: <p06240861c7a477b47951@[10.0.0.5]> Safe Travels for You and Your Data By RIVA RICHMOND The New York Times February 18, 2010 You're a smart traveler. You pack sunscreen and Pepto, locks for your luggage and a pouch to hide cash under your clothes. But what digital precautions do you take? It's hard enough to make sure the data you send and receive is safe when you're at home or at work. But traveling brings a whole new set of hazards: from publicly accessible computers to unprotected wireless networks to crowded and pickpocket-plagued airports. Luckily, preventing a digital wipeout while you're on the road is reasonably easy and inexpensive. Here are some of the main things you can do to keep your data out of harm's way while you wander the world. PUBLIC COMPUTERS Computers in cybercafes and hotels are notorious for having malware on them, including "keylogger" programs that record users' keystrokes and capture screenshots to collect log-in information. Many PCs do not have important software fixes or security programs with current updates. They could even have physical keylogging devices fitted onto the back. Before using public computers, ask what security measures are in use. Better hotels and cybercafes maintain their computers properly and reset them after each user so unauthorized programs are removed. If you get a blank look from the attendant, check for a security program icon at the bottom of the screen and click on it to see if it is up to date. If you do not see evidence the computer you are about to use is safe, try to find another place to go online. If you cannot wait for a more secure machine, avoid any banking business and entering of your credit card number. As for using e-mail: "If you absolutely have to, then do it. Then when you get home, change your password," said Maxim Weinstein, executive director of StopBadware, a consumer-focused nonprofit. PUBLIC WI-FI It is safer to use your own computer and go online using airport, hotel or other public Internet connections. But beware that there is still some risk, especially using public Wi-Fi. ... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/technology/personaltech/18basics.html Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:39:39 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Wi-Fi Turns Rowdy Bus Into Rolling Study Hall Message-ID: <p06240863c7a47d16bc36@[10.0.0.5]> Wi-Fi Turns Rowdy Bus Into Rolling Study Hall By SAM DILLON The New York Times February 12, 2010 VAIL, Ariz. - Students endure hundreds of hours on yellow buses each year getting to and from school in this desert exurb of Tucson, and stir-crazy teenagers break the monotony by teasing, texting, flirting, shouting, climbing (over seats) and sometimes punching (seats or seatmates). But on this chilly morning, as bus No. 92 rolls down a mountain highway just before dawn, high school students are quiet, typing on laptops. Morning routines have been like this since the fall, when school officials mounted a mobile Internet router to bus No. 92's sheet-metal frame, enabling students to surf the Web. The students call it the Internet Bus, and what began as a high-tech experiment has had an old-fashioned - and unexpected - result. Wi-Fi access has transformed what was often a boisterous bus ride into a rolling study hall, and behavioral problems have virtually disappeared. ... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/education/12bus.html Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:42:16 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Mobile Data, the Next Generation: High Speeds but at What Cost? Message-ID: <p06240864c7a47d8ed870@[10.0.0.5]> Mobile Data, the Next Generation: High Speeds but at What Cost? By KEVIN J. O'BRIEN The New York Times February 16, 2010 BARCELONA - The next great leap forward in wireless broadband networks, a superfast technology called Long Term Evolution, is being hailed as a breakthrough that will transform the world's mobile operators into the lucrative gatekeepers of the on-the-go Internet. But despite its theoretical potential to redefine the online experience - with download speeds many times faster than currently available - many of the world's major carriers are holding back. They are wary of repeating the mistakes of a decade ago, when billions were spent on equipment and licenses for third-generation networks, the current standard, only to see consumers largely ignore the technology until Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007. ... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/technology/16lte.html Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:04:49 -0500 From: Matt Simpson <net-news69@jmatt.net> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: 40% lack home broadband access Message-ID: <net-news69-566ECA.13044919022010@news.toast.net> In article <hlge11$eqm$1@news.eternal-september.org>, sfdavidkaye2@yahoo.com (David Kaye) wrote: > I have the occasional customer with dial-up and they're not the > typical consumer of the hotshot websites. Usually they just use > their connection for email and can't be bothered with Facebook or > other fancy sites. Unfortunately, many websites that wouldn't necessarily be considered "hotshot" are far more bandwidth-intensive than they need to be. I'm thinking about credit-card and banking websites that make me download multiple megabytes of flash, javascript, images, etc to get a statement with information that could just as easily be presented in a couple kilobytes of text. Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:15:37 -0800 (PST) From: Joseph Singer <joeofseattle@yahoo.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Pay phone nostalgia Message-ID: <854157.93095.qm@web52708.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:54:20 -0800 (PST) hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: >On Feb 17, 6:31 pm, Sam Spade <s...@coldmail.com> wrote: > >> I don't know which did in public pay stations quicker: >> >> 1. Wireless phones > > The widespread usage of wireless phones, including to children, > probably was the biggest factor. They were so much more convenient. > Note that it was not a matter of price since it takes a lot of 50c > local calls to add up to the monthly cost of a wireless phone. Considering that you can get a prepaid wireless account for $10 which will pay for an account for 90 days and can cost as little as <$1 per month why would someone opt to pay 50c for a three minute call? Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:01:38 -0800 (PST) From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Pay phone nostalgia Message-ID: <e0d7a09b-ab66-4be3-8d9a-ce97cf0e7ea9@c16g2000yqd.googlegroups.com> On Feb 19, 3:15 pm, Joseph Singer <joeofseat...@yahoo.com> wrote: > Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:54:20 -0800 (PST) hanco...@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > > >On Feb 17, 6:31 pm, Sam Spade <s...@coldmail.com> wrote: > > >> I don't know which did in public pay stations quicker: > > >> 1. Wireless phones > >> The widespread usage of wireless phones, including to children, >> probably was the biggest factor.  They were so much more convenient. >> Note that it was not a matter of price since it takes a lot of 50c >> local calls to add up to the monthly cost of a wireless phone. > > Considering that you can get a prepaid wireless account for $10 which > will pay for an account for 90 days and can cost as little as <$1 per > month why would someone opt to pay 50c for a three minute call? I think you're mixing up the timeline: when the phones went to 50 cents per call, cellphones were still very expensive and still cost a lot to run. The rates you cite may be low now, but one of the driving forces behind them becoming low was the large influx of dissatisfied payphone customers, many of whom wouldn't pay 50 cents per call even if it meant paying $90 per month for a cell phone instead. As I said, people are funny. Bill Horne -- (Filter QRM for direct replies) "I am Pabst Blue Ribbon, American, 'Southern Serves the South' I am tucked behind the 'J.C.' sign on the rural route." - Mary Chapin Carpenter Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:23:50 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: ScanSafe Annual Global Threat Report 2009 Message-ID: <p0624086bc7a4924bb4c2@[10.0.0.5]> Annual Global Threat Report 2009 The World's Largest Security Analysis of Real-World Web Traffic http://www.scansafe.com/downloads/gtr/2009_AGTR.pdf KEY HIGHLIGHTS * Malicious PDF files comprised 56% of Web-encountered exploits in 1Q09, growing to 80% of all exploits by 4Q09; Flash exploits encountered via the Web dropped from 40% in 1Q09 to 18% in 4Q09; * Web-encountered exploits in Word and Excel comprised less than 1% of all detected exploits for the year; * Malicious image files comprised 10% of all Web malware encountered in 2009; * The Gumblar attacks were the single largest at 14% of all Web malware blocks in 2009; * Compromises and malware encounters resulting from the Asprox and Zeus botnets comprised 2% and 1% of Web malware blocks, respectively; * 45% of all Web malware encounters in 2009 were with exploits and iframes indicative of compromised websites; * Energy & Oil experienced an encounter rate 356% higher than normal for data theft trojans; * Companies in the Pharmaceutical & Chemical sector experienced a 322% heightened rate of encounter with data theft trojans; * Other sectors experiencing higher than average exposure to data theft trojans included Government at 252% higher and the Banking & Finance sector at 204% higher; * Attacks continue to increase. A representative customer encountered 77 compromised websites in May 2007, compared to 1024 in May 2009. Direct encounters with data theft Trojans increased from 0 in May 2007 to 307 in May 2009. Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:31:09 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Cell phone subscriptions to hit 5 billion globally Message-ID: <p0624086cc7a4c1194fe4@[10.0.0.5]> Cell phone subscriptions to hit 5 billion globally by Lance Whitney February 16, 2010 On a planet with around 6.8 billion people, we're likely to see 5 billion cell phone subscriptions this year. Reaching 4.6 billion at the end of 2009, the number of cell phone subscriptions across the globe will hit 5 billion sometime in 2010, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The explosion in cell phone use has been driven not only by developed countries, but by developing nations hungry for services like mobile banking and health care. ... http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13970_7-10454065-78.html Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:34:34 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Opera Mini for iPhone: Will Apple approve it? Message-ID: <p0624086dc7a4c2008627@[10.0.0.5]> Opera Mini for iPhone: Will Apple approve it? by Dan Frakes Macworld.com Feb 16, 2010 With Opera Software's announcement that the company is this week demonstrating an iPhone-app version of its eponymous Web browser, we've seen quite a bit of commentary about the app being dead in the water, along with some legitimate speculation as to whether or not Apple will approve a third-party Web browser. (The company hasn't yet submitted Opera Mini to Apple for approval, although our colleagues at Macworld UK got a look at it earlier today.) There were rumors back in late 2008 that an Opera iPhone app had been rejected; however, Opera never actually submitted a browser to the App Store. So the upcoming submission of Opera Mini for the iPhone appears to be significant in two respects. First, there's sure to be demand for the app, as the company claims it's dramatically faster than Safari, requires much less bandwidth to display the same Web pages (see below), and offers a number of unique features, including a "speed dial" screen that displays thumbnails of favorite sites for easy access. Second, Opera Mini may be the first Web browser submitted to Apple for approval that doesn't use the iPhone's WebKit as its base. But the situation is a bit more complex. Taking into account developer guidelines, past approvals and rejections, and the actual functionality of Opera Mini for iPhone, here's a look at the biggest reasons for App Store rejection speculation. ... http://www.macworld.com/article/146470/2010/02/operaminiiphone.html Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:19:45 EST From: Wesrock@aol.com To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Prison to Test Cellphone Jamming Message-ID: <168d6.1df5021b.38b084a1@aol.com> In a message dated 2/18/2010 4:50:51 PM Central Standard Time, bruceNOSPAMbergman@gmail.com writes: > The only way I can see making it work in a prison setting is one > that is physically isolated from the outside world in a far off > canyon or prairie - wouldn't work as well in a dense urban setting, > too much radio traffic to sift through... But that's fine, we put > the real baddies in that isolated prison setting for a reason. That sounds like the prison near Florence, Colorado. 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