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The Telecom Digest for June 14, 2010
Volume 29 : Issue 160 : "text" Format
Messages in this Issue:
Re: The High Cost of Loving Your Phone (David Clayton)
Re: The High Cost of Loving Your Phone (Sam Spade)
Re: The High Cost of Loving Your Phone (Dave Garland)
Printing in a Smartphone Age (Monty Solomon)
AT&T's Capped Data Plan Could Save You Money (Monty Solomon)
Three Easy Upgrades for Late Adopters (Monty Solomon)
The Bay State Raises The Bar On Personal Data Security: Are You In Compliance? (Monty Solomon)
Re: Do landlines have a future with Generation Y? (Mike Blake-Knox)
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===========================
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Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2010 13:08:37 +1000
From: David Clayton <dcstar@myrealbox.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: The High Cost of Loving Your Phone
Message-ID: <pan.2010.06.13.03.08.34.691669@myrealbox.com>
On Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:42:42 -0400, Monty Solomon wrote:
>
> The High Cost of Loving Your Phone
>
> By DAMON DARLIN
.........
> There are social switching costs, too. Switching free e-mail services is
> no small matter because of the bother of informing all your correspondents
> of your new address.
.........
Didn't we (that is - those who figured out this issue years ago) all
move away from ISP based e-mail because it pseudo-locked you into staying
with a particular ISP/provider to retain the e-mail address you were
originally grateful to receive?
Moving to "free" e-mail services gave us all access to e-mail addresses
that we could use no matter what ISP we personally used or changed to.
I don't know too many issues of these free e-mail services now that
require too many people to change, and if a permanent e-mail address is so
important then the option to pay a domain name with an associated e-mail
service is always there.
Aren't these other phone services also in need of something similar that
is independent of the provider?
--
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: Sun, 13 Jun 2010 06:13:36 -0700
From: Sam Spade <sam@coldmail.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: The High Cost of Loving Your Phone
Message-ID: <ffSdnawJiqUdRInRnZ2dnUVZ_t2dnZ2d@giganews.com>
David Clayton wrote:
>
> Moving to "free" e-mail services gave us all access to e-mail addresses
> that we could use no matter what ISP we personally used or changed to.
>
> I don't know too many issues of these free e-mail services now that
> require too many people to change, and if a permanent e-mail address is so
> important then the option to pay a domain name with an associated e-mail
> service is always there.
That is probably the better option than so-called free email.
>
> Aren't these other phone services also in need of something similar that
> is independent of the provider?
>
>
You mean such as local number portability, the best thing that happened
in the U.S.?
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2010 10:05:18 -0500
From: Dave Garland <dave.garland@wizinfo.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: The High Cost of Loving Your Phone
Message-ID: <4qednVw-RPSEbonRnZ2dnUVZ_vadnZ2d@posted.visi>
David Clayton wrote:
> Moving to "free" e-mail services gave us all access to e-mail addresses
> that we could use no matter what ISP we personally used or changed to.
>
> I don't know too many issues of these free e-mail services now that
> require too many people to change, and if a permanent e-mail address is so
> important then the option to pay a domain name with an associated e-mail
> service is always there.
>
> Aren't these other phone services also in need of something similar that
> is independent of the provider?
In the States, we can port phone numbers from one provider to
another. Usually, though sometimes they resist. Google Voice is
comparable to a free email service, in that they own the number but
you access it from somewhere else (you can program your Google number
to ring through to wherever you want). Google owns those numbers,
though, so you can't port the number away from them, and you are at
risk if Google should decide to kill the service (both risks are
comparable to free email services). Plus, it doesn't seem like it
would scale that well, if everybody used it that would mean doubling
the number space.
Dave
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2010 18:11:34 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Printing in a Smartphone Age
Message-ID: <p06240807c839b5488bdf@[10.0.1.3]>
Printing in a Smartphone Age
By ASHLEE VANCE
The New York Times
June 6, 2010
SAN DIEGO - Vyomesh I. Joshi, the head of Hewlett-Packard's $24
billion printing empire, relaxes by taking long walks on the beaches
near his home here. And, for a while, it seemed as if he might end up
spending more time strolling the sand than moving ink and toner.
H.P.'s printing business deflated during the darkest days of the
recession, producing plenty of gossip that Mr. Joshi would either
leave the company or be fired. But sales have started to come back,
and Mr. Joshi, who goes by V.J., is still around in fighting form. On
Monday, he will preside over an event announcing H.P.'s latest attack
on the printing market - which will center on printers built for the
iPhone age.
...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07printer.html
***** Moderator's Note *****
ObTelecom: Mobile devices have a sometimes-fatal shortcoming: they
can't render output in a form that's usable to someone who doesn't
have one.
On first glance, that's great news for mobile services: if I want to
get a text message from you, then I have to have a mobile phone.
But what if I don't?
This isn't a case of digital one-upsmanship, or me looking down my
digital nose at you: it can be caused by very real, and very important
legal, ethical, and regulatory restrictions, as well as by cultural
factors.
If that's the case, you need to print something on paper - or have
someone else nearby to me who'll do it for a reasonable fee.
Bill Horne
Moderator
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2010 18:18:33 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: AT&T's Capped Data Plan Could Save You Money
Message-ID: <p06240808c839b7770f22@[10.0.1.3]>
AT&T's Capped Data Plan Could Save You Money
By DAVID POGUE
The New York Times
June 3, 2010
I don't know if you've seen the frantic blog headlines, but they boil
down to this: Those big, greedy, monolithic cellphone companies have
found yet another way to gouge us for more money.
Well, hold on a minute.
The news Wednesday was that AT&T is the first company to introduce
capped data plans. After June 7, new customers will no longer be
offered a $30 plan for unlimited Internet use on a smartphone
(including iPhones). Instead, you'll have to gauge how much data you
use, and buy the appropriate number of megabytes a month, and worry
about either going over or paying for capacity you never use-just
like you do now with talk minutes.
Verizon and the other carriers will probably follow suit.
How anti-consumer, right? Surely this is yet another way to exploit
the masses and stifle innovation!
Look, you know me. I'm the first guy to lead the charge against
cell-carrier greed.
But this is different. This time, I think you'll wind up coming out
ahead. I think AT&T has put together one of the fairest, most
carefully considered plans in a long time.
First of all, if you're an existing AT&T customer, the new plans are
optional. You can hang onto your $30 unlimited plan if you like. Yes,
even if you get a new phone.
If you're a new customer, or an existing one who wants to save some
money, here's the deal. There are two new capped Internet-service
plans:
...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/technology/personaltech/03pogue-email.html
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2010 18:31:17 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Three Easy Upgrades for Late Adopters
Message-ID: <p06240809c839bafbe1ef@[10.0.1.3]>
Three Easy Upgrades for Late Adopters
By RIK FAIRLIE
The New York Times
June 2, 2010
ONCE upon a time, when big, boxy tube television sets roamed the
earth, anything related to home-entertainment technology was so
complicated and costly that many mere humans were cowed into a state
of terrified indecision.
Sound like you? If so, you can come out of the cave now.
While early innovations were as soul-crushingly complex as they were
technologically impressive, many home gadgets have long since been
simplified and refined. What used to require a degree in electrical
engineering to install and operate in many cases now demands only the
ability to read.
Call it the advantage of being a late adopter. Instead of grappling
with unfamiliar (and, sometimes, underdeveloped) technologies as soon
as they appear on the scene, the late adopter lets more-eager gadget
fans work out the kinks until simpler versions reach the market.
Congratulate yourself for having the foresight to procrastinate.
With a minimum of effort - and considerably less expense than if you
were using first-generation products - you can effect a basic tech
makeover.
Your game plan for this project is simplicity. Tech products should
be about as complicated as a toaster: just a few dials and a
two-minute learning curve, owner's manual optional. There may be
cheaper ways to upgrade your audio, video and photo-viewing systems,
but technology that is easy to use is worth the price.
Start with a few basics: broadband Internet and a Wi-Fi network are
essential; an iPhone or iPod Touch will come in handy. With these,
you can make three simple changes that should take less than a
weekend and will catapult your home into the digital age.
...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/garden/03hometech.html
***** Moderator's Note *****
The secret is out: the way to get the most bang for your electronic
buck is not to "ride the wave", but to shop in the trough behind the
wave.
Hang on a second: the phone I bought at Walmart for $10.99 is ringing.
Bill "It's not pink! It's High-Visibility Emergency Fuchsia!" Horne
Moderator
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2010 11:46:47 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: The Bay State Raises The Bar On Personal Data Security: Are You In Compliance?
Message-ID: <p06240802c83aa8db975d@[10.0.1.3]>
The Bay State Raises The Bar On Personal Data Security:
Are You In Compliance?
by
Jeffrey D. Neuburger and Natalie Newman
Proskauer Rose LLP
Newly effective regulations promulgated under Massachusetts' recent
data security law, Mass. Gen. Law ch. 93H, have raised the bar for
data security compliance. Even companies that were compliant with
applicable law prior to the enactment of the Regulations are
obligated to review where they stand in light of these new
requirements. Furthermore, companies outside of Massachusetts cannot
ignore the Regulations - their effect is national and international
in scope, as they apply to all companies - wherever located - using
personal data of Massachusetts residents.
...
http://wlf.org/Upload/legalstudies/contemporarylegalnote/NeuburgerFinal.pdf
***** Moderator's Note *****
IANALB, this sounds like nonsense. If some bureaucrat in Boston called
up a company in a foreign country and tried to dictate "data security"
to them, the most likely response (s)he'd get would be "You and what
army"?
I would have thought that law firms had more class than to send
fear-mongering missives like this: it sounds suspiciously similar to a
local TV station teasing the evening news.
Bill Horne
Moderator
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2010 11:25:51 -0400
From: Mike Blake-Knox <mikebkdontspam@knology.net>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Do landlines have a future with Generation Y?
Message-ID: <VA.0000025b.10445dfc@knology.net>
In article <huq44o$qhe$1@news1.tnib.de>, Marc Haber wrote:
> Is that really the case for US cordless phones?
We have a Uniden DECT4086. It defaults to Privacy Mode but the handset
on the call can release Privacy.
Mike
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End of The Telecom Digest (8 messages)
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