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The Telecom Digest for June 4, 2012
Volume 31 : Issue 135 : "text" Format
Messages in this Issue:
Re: Why your cell phone is ripe for spam texts in 2012 (danny burstein)
One nano-SIM to rule them all: Apple submission approved as standard (Monty Solomon)
Found: prices behind Verizon's 300Mbps FiOS upgrades (Monty Solomon)
Re: Found: prices behind Verizon's 300Mbps FiOS upgrades (David Scheidt)
Fighting Sign Pollution in Florida With Robocalls (Monty Solomon)
Privacy, Please: This Is Only for the Two of Us (Monty Solomon)
Re: Privacy, Please: This Is Only for the Two of Us (Barry Margolin)
Re: Privacy, Please: This Is Only for the Two of Us (David Clayton)

====== 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.
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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


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Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2012 23:41:09 +0000 (UTC) From: danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Why your cell phone is ripe for spam texts in 2012 Message-ID: <jqe8al$ndg$1@reader1.panix.com> In <p0624080dcbef054eeb29@[10.0.1.2]> Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> writes: >Why your cell phone is ripe for spam texts in 2012 [ snip] >But here we are, some two decades later, and voters across the >country are getting political text messages they never asked for. >... > >http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/06/01/why-your-cell-phone-is-ripe-for-spam-texts-2012/ > Please permit me again to suggest a simple action by the cellcos which would cut doen this, as well as other spam-text msgs, by a hefty percentage. The cellcos currently "offer" (in quotes because they don't make it obvious...), for the most part, two options: a: receive all texts/SMS b: block everything. What they could do, just about tomorrow... is add in a few other choices: a: recve all texts/SMS b: receive only those sent from a _cellular phone account_ in a recognized carrier [1] c: only those from people on the same carrier you are d: block everything. [1] the trick here is that just about all spam text-sms is transmitted via an e-mail -> cellphone gateway. Most carriers offer this via something like sending to: phonenumber@cellularcarrier.demo and just like with all e-mail, it's trivial to kick out thousands at a clip. Blocking (at customer's request) msgs coming in through those gateways, thus limiting spam to folk who actually punch in through cellphone pads [2] would just about end this issue [2] yes, there are ways to send a thousand msgs through a cellphone account, but it would be trivial for any cellco to block that process. -- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2012 22:34:11 -0400 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: One nano-SIM to rule them all: Apple submission approved as standard Message-ID: <p0624084bcbf07d6e4368@[10.0.1.2]> One nano-SIM to rule them all: Apple submission approved as standard The ETSI decision will open the door for thinner and more capable phones. by Jacqui Cheng June 1 2012 The nano-SIM design proposed by Apple has been approved by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), opening the door for the creation of even smaller SIM cards and the continued shrinking of smartphone hardware. ETSI announced its decision on Friday morning, choosing Apple's submission over proposals from Motorola, RIM, and Nokia. The new SIM card design is the fourth form factor (4FF) and is 40 percent smaller than the micro-SIM that is currently popular in today's cell phones. The exact dimensions of the nano-SIM will be 12.3mm wide, 8.8mm high, and 0.67mm thick (0.48" x 0.35" x 0.03"), according to ETSI. And, when it hits the market, it will be packaged so that it's backwards compatible with slots designed to fit the current micro-SIM. This will enable the new SIM to work with older handsets while phone manufacturers work to develop newer hardware that can take advantage of the smaller dimensions. ... http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/06/one-nano-sim-to-rule-them-all-apple-submission-approved-as-standard/ ***** Moderator's Note ***** Is it just me, or does this seem like a shrinking solution in search of a miniscule problem? I mean, think about it: a SIM card is supposed to be easy to handle, so once it's small enough to fit in a pocket, there's no more need to change. Shrinking it makes it harder to use, not easier. (Don't get me started on the sizes of phones. They're already too small.) Bill Horne Moderator
Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2012 22:40:57 -0400 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Found: prices behind Verizon's 300Mbps FiOS upgrades Message-ID: <p0624084ccbf07dbd55e8@[10.0.1.2]> Found: prices behind Verizon's 300Mbps FiOS upgrades At $204.99 per month is a little pricey, but come June 17 there'll be takers. by Megan Geuss June 2 2012 An employee at Verizon revealed the price tiers and release date of its new FiOS structuring to The Verge today, saying that the service-which currently tops out at speeds faster than any other ISP at 300 Mbps-will be available on June 17. Ars reported earlier this week that the fastest level of service that Verizon is planning to offer (300 mbps download, 65 mbps up) will be equivalent to the limits of many dual-band routers. Today we learned that matching your router's maximum speed will cost only $5 more than what many of those who had Verizon's former fastest service (which topped out at 150 Mbps down) were paying. That service will cost $204.99 per month plus a $100 equipment upgrade unless you either sign a two-year contract, are a new customer to Verizon, or you already have the current 150Mbps Internet service. The second-fastest tier (75 Mbps down, 35 up) will cost $84.99 and will also require a $100 equipment upgrade unless you meet one of those three conditions above. ... http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/06/verizon-reveals-prices-behind-300mbps-fios-upgrades/ ***** Moderator's Note ***** ISTM that $204 a month will only appeal to frat houses, hotels, or SOHO users who are willing to share bandwidth - and costs - with their neighbors. Does anyone know what the practical limit to cable modem speed is? I doubt it's in the 300 Mbps range, and whatever speed it is, that effectively limits the speed of the whole system: after all, content providers aren't likely to risk stranding a major portion of their audience by publishing things that require the new, improved higher bandwidth Verizontal is touting. That's not even considering the bandwidth limits of 3G or 4G cellular data plans, which appeal to younger consumers with more money to spend. Bill Horne Moderator
Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2012 19:41:44 +0000 (UTC) From: David Scheidt <dscheidt@panix.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Found: prices behind Verizon's 300Mbps FiOS upgrades Message-ID: <jqgelo$8vj$3@reader1.panix.com> :***** Moderator's Note ***** :ISTM that $204 a month will only appeal to frat houses, hotels, or :SOHO users who are willing to share bandwidth - and costs - with their :neighbors. You might be surrpised. $200 a month is a lot, but high speed network access makes working from home a lot more practical for many people. :Does anyone know what the practical limit to cable modem speed is? I :doubt it's in the 300 Mbps range, and whatever speed it is, that DOCISS 3 provides about 38 Mb/s per configured channel. How many channels are configued is an operator choice. Eight channels down, four up gives 304 up, 108 down. That's an availabe option with hardware that's deployed in some cable systems. I don't think it's being sold yet, though. -- sig 49
Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2012 21:07:33 -0400 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Fighting Sign Pollution in Florida With Robocalls Message-ID: <p06240835cbf0692c8409@[10.0.1.2]> Fighting Sign Pollution in Florida With Robocalls By ROBBIE BROWN June 2, 2012 In Florida, they are as much a part of the landscape as palm trees and oceanfront hotels: plastic signs cluttering roadsides with messages like "We Buy Houses!" "Junk Cars!" and "Avoid Foreclosure!" But now, worried about the impact on tourism and the state's natural beauty, some coastal communities have begun aggressive campaigns against the signs - by robocalling the advertisers' phone numbers. "It's the only crime I know of where a person deliberately leaves their phone number behind," said Mayor Peter Bober of Hollywood, which uses computer software to call the phone numbers, up to 20 times per day, until offenders pay a $75 fine. "They want us to call. So let's call. And keep calling." Think of it as fighting one nuisance with another. The advertisements, known as snipe signs, are illegal in many Florida communities on public property like highway medians or telephone poles. But they are also cheap to print and hard to eradicate. After years of removing the signs by hand, officials in Hollywood, Oakland Park and St. Johns County recently turned to robocalling. Other cities say they are considering the option. ... http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/us/in-florida-fighting-sign-pollution-with-robocalls.html ***** Moderator's Note ***** If you can't beat 'em, tax 'em. Bill Horne Moderator
Date: Sat, 2 Jun 2012 21:01:07 -0400 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Privacy, Please: This Is Only for the Two of Us Message-ID: <p06240834cbf067952493@[10.0.1.2]> Privacy, Please: This Is Only for the Two of Us By JENNA WORTHAM June 2, 2012 SOME friends were gushing recently about a new mobile application called Pair, intended for people in a relationship. Initially, I didn't see the appeal of the app, which lets the two partners send messages and photos back and forth. The idea of adding another service to the daily routine of Twitter, Facebook and their ilk seemed exhausting. And wouldn't it be just as easy to exchange e-mails, text messages or, better yet, just flirt face to face? Curious, I tried it - even though I'm single. I recruited a friend to help me test it. And, after a few hours, the app started to grow on me. Something was thrilling about the secret little notes that Shaun, my temporary beau, and I sent to each other throughout the day. The secrecy was welcome. We weren't cluttering up anyone else's feeds on Twitter, and didn't have to worry about random high school friends seeing and commenting on our exchanges on Facebook. In addition, there were gestures distinct to the app. It let us share information about our locations, and to exchange doodles, to-do lists and virtual nudges - all conveying that "I'm thinking about you." The app highlights the best elements of social networking - the warm, fuzzy feeling of being connected to people you care about when you're physically nowhere near them. And it says it eliminates some of the worst - the worry about who can see the content you're posting and how they may interpret it. ... http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/technology/apps-aiming-for-sharing-within-boundaries.html ***** Moderator's Note ***** I don't think I need an "app" to keep my electronic conversations private: it's trivially easy to encrypt email, and there's no chance of a vendor listening in. Bill Horne Moderator
Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2012 11:28:13 -0400 From: Barry Margolin <barmar@alum.mit.edu> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Privacy, Please: This Is Only for the Two of Us Message-ID: <barmar-878C53.11281303062012@news.eternal-september.org> In article <p06240834cbf067952493@[10.0.1.2]>, Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> wrote: > By JENNA WORTHAM > June 2, 2012 > > SOME friends were gushing recently about a new mobile application > called Pair, intended for people in a relationship. > > Initially, I didn't see the appeal of the app, which lets the two > partners send messages and photos back and forth. The idea of adding > another service to the daily routine of Twitter, Facebook and their > ilk seemed exhausting. And wouldn't it be just as easy to exchange > e-mails, text messages or, better yet, just flirt face to face? She never really answered her own question: How is this better than using those traditional means of private communication? -- Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu Arlington, MA *** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me ***
Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2012 09:09:57 +1000 From: David Clayton <dc33box-usenetcdt@yahoo.com.au> To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Privacy, Please: This Is Only for the Two of Us Message-ID: <pan.2012.06.03.23.09.53.349167@yahoo.com.au> On Sun, 03 Jun 2012 11:28:13 -0400, Barry Margolin wrote: > In article <p06240834cbf067952493@[10.0.1.2]>, > Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> wrote: > >> By JENNA WORTHAM >> June 2, 2012 >> >> SOME friends were gushing recently about a new mobile application called >> Pair, intended for people in a relationship. >> >> Initially, I didn't see the appeal of the app, which lets the two >> partners send messages and photos back and forth. The idea of adding >> another service to the daily routine of Twitter, Facebook and their ilk >> seemed exhausting. And wouldn't it be just as easy to exchange e-mails, >> text messages or, better yet, just flirt face to face? > > She never really answered her own question: How is this better than using > those traditional means of private communication? Probably because you may no longer "accidentally" be able to send extremely private messages to the wrong destinations, I assume that this "app" locks you into the fixed destination to avoid those oh-so embarrassing on-line mistakes that are regularly revealed. -- 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.
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