From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Aug 3 04:39:32 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 43E39150BB; Wed, 3 Aug 2005 04:39:32 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V24 #351 Message-Id: <20050803083932.43E39150BB@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 04:39:32 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Wed, 3 Aug 2005 04:40:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 351 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Identity Theft: Big Enough to Steal Lawmaker's Attention (Adam Karlin) Fraud Roshambo: Paper Beats RFID (Stephen Leahy) Analysts Say ATM Systems Highly Vulnerable (Brian Bergstein) Today's Long Distance Circuits? (Lisa Hancock) Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? (Lisa Hancock) Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? (Paul Coxwell) Re: Personal Opinion Telegram and Mailgram-Discontinuance (Lisa Hancock) Re: AUDIX Message to Two Mailboxes (Pete Romfh) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Adam Karlin Subject: Identity Theft: Big Enough to Steal Lawmakers' Attention Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 01:31:56 -0500 By Adam Karlin, Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor BOSTON - Sandra Pochapin learned a few key lessons from her ordeal with identity theft. Among them: Check the mail early. Had she done so, she may have gotten the replacement credit card in her mailbox. Instead, a thief lifted the card and took it on a $1,200 shopping spree at Lord & Taylor. Ms. Pochapin eventually recouped her money, but the incident haunted her for months afterward, as the criminal opened other new accounts in her name. She recalls a Macy's representative calling to ask about a $2,400 bill on her new store card. "I asked them, 'How could you open an account in my name if I already have an account there?' " said Pochapin, testifying recently in front of the Massachusetts state legislature. Experiences of people like Pochapin, and break-ins at large databases that hold Americans' most sensitive personal information, have grown severe enough in recent months to prompt a new wave of protective legislation by lawmakers at the state and federal level. The bills are designed to address various aspects of the threat, but, as identity thieves find new ways to ply their trade, the efforts represent a daunting race against crime. Credit-freeze laws growing One rising form of legislation, the one being considered here in Massachusetts, allows consumers to freeze third-party access to their credit reports. "If a security freeze [on my credit reports] had been implemented, this couldn't have happened," said Pochapin. While she admits the thief could have still had a field day at Lord & Taylor, "They wouldn't have been able to open other accounts," since companies don't give out credit cards if they can't review a potential client's credit rating. Ten states now have credit-freeze laws, with a New Jersey bill awaiting the promised signature of Gov. Richard Codey. While lauded by many consumer advocates, such measures hint at the challenges of combatting ID theft. Opponents say such laws are intrusive measures that clunk up business practices. Others question if any law can protect personal information from determined hackers. At the least, if current laws aren't deterring high-tech burglars, neither are security measures. On June 17, MasterCard announced a break-in to the database of payment-processor CardSystems Solutions. The heist, by far the biggest of its kind to date, compromised the account records for millions of Visa USA, American Express, Discover, and MasterCard holders. But MasterCard said a much smaller number of people faced a real risk of identity theft from the breach. Cardholders honored in a breach What infuriates ID theft activists is that up until this year, California was the only state that forced credit-card companies to notify their customers about such a raid. There, companies must tell their clients about breaches to electronic, unencrypted databases. Now, 15 states have some sort of breach law, and four more bills await a governor's signature. "We think the California law provides a good model for other states and the federal government to follow," says Marc Rotenberg, president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. In that vein, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) of California is pushing Senate Bill 751, which goes beyond her state's law requiring companies to notify consumers of unauthorized access to paper caches and encrypted files. "The senator has been working on ID theft for over five years. She thought that not just California should have this right. The recent database breaches really underscore the need for this kind of legislation," says Scott Gerber, the senator's spokesman. Representatives from credit-card companies disagree that such steps are needed. J.P. Morgan Chase, for example, has stated that cardholders will not be contacted unless the firm believes they are victims of, or highly susceptible to, fraud. Credit card companies say they are trying to stave off unneeded panic. And costs are an issue as well; if a new card costs $3 to create, 40 million cancelled cards would cost $12 billion to replace. The next phase: prevention For Mr. Rotenberg, bills like Feinstein's come too late to help many ID theft victims. "We also want to focus on the question of how do you reduce the breaches before they take place," he says. So do some lawmakers. This year, Sens. Charles Schumer (D) of New York and Bill Nelson (D) of Florida introduced the Comprehensive Identity Theft Prevention Act. Among that bills' provisions: the establishment of an Office of Identity Theft within the Federal Trade Commission, and provisions that "data merchants" establish authentication, tracking, and safeguarding processes for third parties that want to access personal information. The bill also has language on notifying consumers of database break-ins. All put together, the legislation could create a nightmare for credit-card companies: In a case like CardSystems, fines are slapped down by the federal government and customers across the nation ask for credit report freezes, which keeps consumers from opening new credit accounts. Critics warn that such laws could hold unintended consequences for consumers. "This should be about meeting consumer expectations," said Eric Ellman, director of government relations for the Consumer Data Industry Association, testifying against credit-report freezes in Massachusetts. In emergency situations where credit is crucial, frozen reports would slow access to funds, he says. In addition, obstacles to credit would deter companies from pushing promotional deals, like 10 percent discount cards. But state lawmakers were skeptical. "It seems there's a very paternalistic theme to those comments, which is 'We know what's best for consumers,'" said Massachusetts state Rep William M. Straus. He said the issue should be turned over to the victims of ID theft: "Would they trade a 10 percent discount from Sears for everything they've been through?" Copyright 2005 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, The Christian Science Publishing Society. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: Stephen Leahy Subject: Fraud Roshambo: Paper Beats RFID Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 01:28:12 -0500 By Stephen Leahy Fingerprints aren't just for fingers anymore. Now, they could be an important new tool for fighting document forgery. All paper, as well as plastic credit and debit cards, bears a unique "fingerprint" of microscopic surface imperfections. According to Russell Cowburn, professor of nanotechnology at Imperial College London, detecting these unique patterns is easy to do with a portable laser scanner. And it's cheap, too: "Our field scanners could be manufactured for $1,000 or less (when made) in volume," said Cowburn. The detection process makes use of the optical phenomenon known as laser speckle. Light coming from a focused laser is coherent, or in phase, but when it strikes a microscopically rough surface like a piece of paper, the light is scattered, producing a pattern of light and dark "speckles." The scanner's photodetectors digitize and record this pattern. According to Cowburn's research, as published July 28 in the journal Nature, the unique speckle pattern of a sheet of paper remains recognizable even after crunching the paper into a ball, soaking it in water, baking it at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes, scrubbing it with an abrasive cleaning pad or scribbling over it with a big black marker. A cross-correlation algorithm that assesses the degree of similarity between the base-line scan and the new scan allows the paper's identity to be verified. The odds of two pieces of paper having similar patterns are greater than 1,000 to one. These fingerprints raise the possibility of securing documents without resorting to controversial solutions like RFID tags. In the future, every passport, driver's license and birth certificate could be scanned for its unique speckle pattern by the issuing agency. Portable scanners at border crossings or police stations would read the pattern on the document in question and match it to the baseline database. A standard desktop PC could check 10 million entries per second. This could put document forgers around the world out of business. "There is no known manufacturing process for copying surface imperfections at the necessary level of precision," said Cowburn. "The beauty of this system is that there is no need to modify the item being protected in any way with tags, chips or inks," he said. But it's still not foolproof. This sort of security would not have prevented the 9/11 terrorists from obtaining their legal Virginia driver's licenses with false information, said Nick Fadziewicz, an expert on security at Comter Systems. Eleven of the terrorists successfully obtained those licenses using false information. Many states, including Virginia, now have much tougher requirements. "There is no one solution for security," said Fadziewicz. "The goal is to put in enough strong security measures to minimize the (potential) to create fake documents." It's also important to balance a security system's benefits with its costs and any resulting inconvenience to the general public, he said. Other attempts to secure documents like passports have met with controversy. Many have likened the State Department's plan to embed RFID chips in all new passports this year to installing homing devices for high-tech muggers, identity thieves and even terrorists. Unauthor- ized persons could read or "skim" the information from the RFID chip and obtain personal data. In late June, the State Department announced that new passports will have a metallic lining to prevent unauthorized reading of the tags. Bill Scannell, a publicist and civil liberties activist, strongly opposes RFID technology on privacy and other grounds. He said document identification using speckle patterns has the advantage of not collecting or broadcasting personal information. But there may be issues regarding on-the-ground implementation and overall cost. "We're spending billions on new, ever-more-complex security technology ... At what point does this become stupid?" Copyright 2005, Lycos, Inc. Lycos is a registered trademark of Carnegie Mellon University. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. ------------------------------ From: Brian Bergstein Subject: Analysts Say ATM Systems Highly Vulnerable Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 01:25:44 -0500 By BRIAN BERGSTEIN, AP Technology Writer By failing to scan security codes in the magnetic strips on ATM and debit cards, many banks are letting thieves get away with an increasingly common fraud at a cost of several billion dollars a year. A report Tuesday from Gartner Inc., a technology analyst firm, estimates that 3 million U.S. consumers were victims of ATM and debit-card fraud in the past year. The fraud most commonly begins when a criminal engages in "phishing" -- sending a legitimate-seeming e-mail with a link to a phony Web site that appears to belong to a consumer's bank, Gartner analyst Avivah Litan believes. The e-mail recipients are asked to give their account information, including PIN numbers. With that information "harvested," fraudsters can make their own cards for automated teller machines and withdraw huge sums. This should be easily preventable, because the magnetic strips on cards contain multiple tracks. One track has data such as the user's name and account number. A second track contains special security codes that card users don't know. That means the information can't be squeezed out of them in a phishing attack. Duplicating the codes would require inside knowledge of a bank's security procedures, Litan said. (The inclusion of another kind of security codes in records held by a credit and debit card processor, CardSystems Solutions Inc., made that company's massive data breach disclosed this spring especially dangerous.) Surprisingly, Litan said, perhaps half of U.S. financial institutions have not programmed their ATM systems to check the security codes. Con artists specifically seek out customers of banks that do not validate the second track on the strip, she said. Litan believes many banks simply didn't know about the vulnerability. Others may have once scanned the codes but stopped because using the codes requires that customers go to a bank and have an ATM card rewritten whenever they want to change their PINs. That was a costly step that many banks figured they could avoid in pre-phishing days when ATM fraud was rare. "It's not negligence," Litan said. "It's just kind of being asleep at the wheel when business is running smoothly, and then you get hit." Gartner estimates that annual losses from ATM fraud total $2.75 billion, or $900 per incident. Most of that is covered by the financial institutions that issued the hacked cards, but consumers sometimes have to struggle with bounced checks and other inconveniences when a criminal raids a bank account. Although fixing the security hole is straightforward, it might not solve everything. One of the codes is only three digits, meaning hackers can use brute-force attacks -- trying every possible combination -- over some online systems. Litan advises banks to lengthen the codes on newly issued cards. A separate report Tuesday by the corporate services unit at International Business Machines Corp. noted a surge in Internet attacks that facilitate bank fraud, including phishing and the surreptitious installation of keystroke-logging programs that copy what a computer user types. Network monitoring by IBM and other organizations led IBM to determine that, in the first half of this year, criminals sent 35 million e-mails designed to steal financial data. Criminals are increasingly engaging in "spear phishing," a targeted attack at a specific person or organization known to be vulnerable, IBM security analyst Jeremy Kelley said. That makes the phishers harder to detect and shut down. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Phishing has indeed gotten much, much worse in the past year or so. There have been some days I have received a hundred phish things on PayPal in a single day. At one time I was batching them up (five, ten or twenty at a time in the day's incoming email) and sending them off to 'spoof@paypal.com'. I would specifically read through the 'source' on an HTML message looking for the real sender. For example, the source code will often times do a pretty good imitation of PayPal, and give a URL to go to for doing the 'required' updates in order to have your account 'unrestricted' once again, which looks something like http://somewhere.com/cgi-bin/something/www.paypal.com "Security Team" or some such nonsense. I was taking several of these incoming mails all at one time, putting them in a larger cover letter and sending them on to 'spoof@paypal.com'. PayPal kept asking me to please forward 'any I recieved'; so if I got fifty in a day, which was typical, I would send all fifty. All I would ever get back from PayPal was an auto-ack saying "thanks for passing it along; our review shows it is not a bonafide PayPal page, we will deal with it. If you gave any personal information to that site, you may get trouble." I had a stack of those auto-acks from Paypal almost as large as the collection of spoofs I would mail them each day; I do not see where it ever did any good; the 'spoofs' just contine, unabated, so I finally quit sending them in, as I have better things to do also. They _claim_ they shut those sites down but I do not see any progress at it. Maybe they are like many netters, and 'horrified' at the prospect of shutting down an offensive web site. Maybe they figure like a lot of netters that if they shut down those jackals they 'may get sued', etc. Who knows, maybe PayPal bought into that line of malarkey also. PAT] ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Today's Long Distance Circuits? Date: 2 Aug 2005 14:10:34 -0700 This came up before but perhaps things changed. I call, say Wilmington Delaware to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. How and who is the call physically routed and connected between the two cities? What about a shorter call, say Harrisburg PA to Erie PA (a few hundred miles)? By how, I mean what physical medium is chosen and how is it routed. Do they use satellite, microwave, fibre optic, coax, plain wire? Are there direct routes or must it go to intermediate switching centers and transferred there? What happens if the primary circuits are busy -- do they go to a lot of trouble to reroute or just cut me off? Does AT&T still have a big network control center in Bedminster? Does anyone even have such control centers or are they not needed anymore? By whom I mean does my designated long distance carrier actually physically carry the call or do they merely sublet to someone else who actually owns the wires to where I'm going. Who manages the switching centers? I suspect a heck of a lot of long distance traffic is carried by someone other than the designated carrier. Thanks! [public replies please] ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? Date: 2 Aug 2005 13:54:25 -0700 > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I do know that in Chicago in years > past, Illinois Bell's largest customer was the City of Chicago itself, Would you know if years ago the city's telephone system, such as street callboxes that cops once used, phones in police and fire stations, and phones in any city owned utilities were Bell Telephones or a private city network? When CTA took over the L lines after the war, were the L lines under one owner or still under individual owners? I'd dare say they had private telephone networks. (Your Skokie Swift L stop was unique in that it was relatively new, built after the old North Shore Line closed down.) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I think the call boxes were city owned; police and fire stations had Bell telephone lines and PAX type (privately owned) phones as well. Eventually the PAX phone system in the various police stations disappeared along with all the Bell System _phone numbers_ in each location as they all got converted over to the 312-PIG centrex system. The Chicago Transit Atrocity -- oops, I mean 'Authority' was formed by an act of the Illinois Legislature in 1947 as a independent government in its own right (_not a government agency, but an actual government_) when the Chicago City Council in an extraordinary act of greed decided to 'municipalize' (a nice sounding word which means government sanctioned theft) the four existing elevated (and the time, one) subway lines. The subway _tunnel_ remains under city ownership, while the trains belong to the 'government' known as CTA. The four owners of the elevated trains were 'Lake Street Elevated Company', the 'Jackson Park Elevated Railway Company', the Union Loop Company, and the Chicago Rapid Transit Company. In the 1930's, two other elevated train companies ('Commercial' and one whose name I have forgotten but which ran east and west from 40th and Indiana Street to about 40th and Halstead Streets (maybe the 'Stock Yards Transit Company') were merged into the old Milwaukee Avenue elevated train. Eventually the southermost part of 'Commercial' was renamed the Douglas Park branch and the northernmost part of 'Commercial' was abandoned, but they still maintain those tracks; it is the only way for trains to get transferred for service from the north/south line and the Ravenwoood/ Ohare lines; send them over the old 'Commercial' tracks. 'Stock Yards' on the other hand was totally abandoned after the second war. I am sure all those companies had private phone service via Illinois Bell. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 03 Aug 2005 01:33:46 +0100 From: Paul Coxwell Subject: Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? > Historically, there wasn't much of a career path for a telephone > operator. Often young women took the job for a few years until they > got married or had kids, and then they quit. Some returned after the > kids were grown. A few would get promoted to be supervisors. Others > would leave and get jobs as PBX operators -- almost all large PBX > installations required an operator to be "Bell trained" and have Bell > Telephone experience to get hired. That's pretty much how it was in the days of the old state-run GPO Telephones in Britain too. As I understand it (I wasn't born until 1966), it was pretty much just expected that any younger girl who got married would leave. In a similar way to "Bell trained,", an operator who was "GPO trained" was often regarded as the best available for a large PBX. About 8 or 9 years ago the BBC produced a drama show -- "The Hello Girls" -- set in a typical telephone exchange in the late 1950s/early 1960s. The show ran for only two very short seasons, but received many favorable comments from those who had worked in GPO exchanges of that era for the way it captured the atmosphere so well. (It might be available on tape or DVD, I'm not sure.) > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Traditional Bell had a habit of always > using an 'X' to mean 'e(X)change', as in PBX (P)rivate (B)ranch > e(X)change, FX as in (F)oreign E(X)change, and PAX as (P)rivate > (A)utomatic e(X)change. This use of "X" was also widespread by the British GPO. There was the whole group of varying terms for a private branch exchange: PBX, PABX or PAX, PMBX, etc. There was the old UAX -- (U)nit (A)utomatic e(X)change -- series of small Strowger step-by-step systems which were the mainstay of village and rural telephone service at one time. Electronic switching systems became known as TXE, for (T)elephone e(X)change (E)lectronic. Crossbar offices were designated TXK, although how they got the "K" is anybody;s guess. -Paul. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Personal Opinion Telegram and Mailgram - Discontinuance? Date: 2 Aug 2005 14:02:30 -0700 Jim Haynes wrote: > You can still send a telegram, according to www.westernunion.com Yes, but the Opiniongram was a discounted service, much cheaper than a regular telegram (IIRC, 90c vs $5 years ago). I feel a traditional letter gets more attention than an email because (1) a letter has a physical presence instead of fleeting bits on a screen, and (2) the recipient knows you went to the trouble of writing and mailing it while an email is easy to knock off en masse. However, writing to Washington today may be bad because letters are secured before delivery and they can be seriously delayed. > I guess you can still send a Mailgram; somebody sent me one last year. Yes, today's WU website does have them, but under business services. I think you have to send them in volume and they're not available for an individual to use as before. Also, I wonder if there is still a printer in a post office for fast delivery, or is this basically an ordinary first class letter in a mailgram envelope. WU has some interesting services, but I noticed they left the price off most of them (a telegram is $15). They have a deposit debit card but the transaction fee wasn't given, as well as quick payment (but unknown fee). I think if I searched deeper I'd get the fee, but I didn't want to waste time. Some of these services can be pretty expensive to use. ------------------------------ From: Pete Romfh Subject: Re: AUDIX Message to Two Mailboxes Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2005 20:50:12 -0500 Organization: Not Organized stewartmcewen@hotmail.com wrote: > Hi Everyone, > I wondered if anyone could let me know of a way of having > a message delivered to two mailboxes at once on the audix > system. > I have a client who have a small office and they wish for > the two directors to be able to pick up each others > voicemail. > I have tried to explain that you can change to a > different mailbox my doing **7,once logged in, and then > enter the extension details. > But the problem is we have just migrated from call > express where the option was straight forward (simple > check box) and a copy of the message was saved in each > mailbox. > Of course as it was available before, the client wishes > it available now ... sigh! > Anyone out there know if this is possible? I have checked > the Avaya documentation and done a search on the web, but > no joy. > Thanks a great deal in advance. > Regards, > Stewart Look into Enhance List Administration. It's an add on feature from Avaya and it adds a "store & forward" feature to a mailbox. It's intended for distribution lists (of up to 1500 entries) but would work for this application as well. I used it on a CEO's mailbox to send a copy of everything he received to his secretary and a backup mailbox. The backup was in case a message got inadvertently deleted. Pete Romfh, Telecom Geek & Amateur Gourmet. promfh at hal dash pc dot org ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. 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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #351 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Aug 4 00:00:17 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id D7B5914E1B; Thu, 4 Aug 2005 00:00:16 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V24 #352 Message-Id: <20050804040016.D7B5914E1B@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 00:00:16 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.3 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAD_CREDIT, BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: R TELECOM Digest Wed, 3 Aug 2005 23:58:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 352 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Telecom Update - Canada - August 3, 2005 (Angus TeleManagement Group) NYT's Friedman Calls For Better Wireless Access (Lisa Hancock) Tuning Into the Times / Mobile Phones New Features (Monty Solomon) IPTV May Be Springboard For Telcos (USTelecom DailyLead) Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (Lisa Hancock) Looking For Good International Conference Call Service (John R Levine) Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? (mc) Re: Credit Reports, was Re: AT&T Customers Taken Over (C. Cryderman Re: Identity Theft: Big Enough to Steal Lawmakers' Attention (S Sobol) Re: Personal Opinion Telegram and Mailgram - Discontinuance (Kaminsky) Re: Personal Opinion Telegram and Mailgram - Discontinuance (Greenberg) Re: Today's Long Distance Circuits? (Diamond Dave) Re: Today's Long Distance Circuits? (Justa Lurker) Re: Today's Long Distance Circuits? (Robert Bonomi) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 04:51:47 -0700 Subject: Telecom Update - Canada - August 3, 2005 From: Angus TeleManagement Group Reply-To: Angus TeleManagement Group ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com ** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/en/ ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/ ** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca ** MITEL NETWORKS: www.mitel.com/ ** SPRINT CANADA: www.sprint.ca ** UTC CANADA: www.canada.utc.org/ ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Telcos Ask Cabinet to Deregulate VoIP ** Telus Workers on the Picket Line ** Entourage Strike Ends ** Local Phone Competition Spreads ** Telecom Policy Review to Include Public Hearings ** Bell Mobility Relaunches Solo ** Telus Strike Boosts Wireless Sales ** Mitec, SR Telecom CEOs Resign ** Thieves Hit Phone Equipment Vendors ** Wireless Fuels Rogers Growth ** Aliant Sales Edge Up ** Allstream Swells MTS Revenue ** Aastra Revenue Doubles ** Hall of Fame to Debut at Telemanagement Live ============================================================ TELCOS ASK CABINET TO DEREGULATE VoIP: On July 28, Aliant, Bell Canada, SaskTel, Telebec, and Telus filed a joint petition to Cabinet asking it to eliminate the "economic regulation" of VoIP services that the CRTC ordered in Telecom Decision 2005-28 (see Telecom Update #481). The telcos want to be able offer VoIP services without filing tariffs and without restrictions on "winback" activities or promotional offers. www.bce.ca/en/news/eventscalendar/webcasts/2005/20050728/index.php ** The Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association immediately urged Cabinet to reject the telcos' appeal. www.ccta.ca/english/view.asp?t=&x=150&id=1209 TELUS WORKERS SET UP PICKET LINES: The Telecommunications Workers Union calls it a lockout. Telus calls it a strike. What's certain is that after five years without a contract, thousands of unionized Telus employees are now walking picket lines. B.C. and Alberta courts have barred the TWU from picketing in a manner that "blocks, obstructs or impedes access" to and from Telus premises. ** Telus blocked all of its Internet customers from accessing voices-for-change.com, a website that is "run by and for Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) members." The B.C. Civil Liberties association condemned Telus for "leveraging its power as a telecommunications service provider to censor a specific group." Telus ended the website block after an Alberta Court ordered the website to remove photos of Telus employees who cross picket lines. ENTOURAGE STRIKE ENDS: The four-month strike by 1,400 employees of Entourage Technology Solutions, now part of Bell Canada, has ended. The union says the settlement is $3.5 million better for its members than Bell's pre-strike offer; CRTC statistics show that service-related complaints against Bell more than doubled during the strike. LOCAL PHONE COMPETITION SPREADS: Local phone service from cablecos Shaw, Rogers, and Cogeco is now available in more areas. Shaw has begun selling Digital Phone in Winnipeg, Rogers has added six communities in Ontario and three in B.C., and Cogeco has added Three Rivers. ** Vonage Canada has begun offering local telephone numbers from Brampton and Mississauga, Ontario. TELECOM POLICY REVIEW TO INCLUDE PUBLIC HEARINGS: The Telecommunications Policy Review Panel (see Telecom Update #482, 485) has announced two public consultations. The first, on September 9 in Whitehorse, will focus on broadband access issues. The second, on October 24-26 in Ottawa, will consider broader telecom policy issues including regulation, adoption of information and communications technologies, and productivity. www.telecomreview.ca/epic/internet/intprp-gecrt.nsf/en/rx00027e.html BELL MOBILITY RELAUNCHES SOLO: Bell Mobility will launch Solo Mobile service August 2, featuring free text messaging, $1-a-day walkie-talkie service, exclusive handsets, and a free ringtone each month. The revived Solo brand targets 13- to 24-year-olds. TELUS STRIKE BOOSTS WIRELESS SALES: MetroBridge Networks, a B.C.-based wireless broadband provider, says its volume of customer inquires has increased 15-fold since Telus workers walked out. The company says it is receiving orders from companies that are moving or setting up new offices, and from others that want back-up facilities in case of service interruption. MITEC, SR TELECOM CEOs RESIGN: The chief executives of two Montreal-based wireless equipment makers have resigned: ** Rajiv Pancholy has resigned as President and CEO of Mitec Telecom. CFO Keith Findlay becomes interim CEO; Stefano Bazzocchi is acting CFO. Mitec has announced losses of $25 million on sales of $58 million for the year ended April 30. ** Pierre St-Arnaud has resigned as President and CEO of SR Telecom. William Aziz, the company's Chief Restructuring Officer, has been named interim CEO. THIEVES HIT PHONE EQUIPMENT VENDORS: Toronto fraud squad investigators say that a ring of thieves has been calling in orders for quantities of business phones, collecting the orders, and paying with worthless cheques or money orders. Seven thefts have been reported; other victims are asked to call the police. WIRELESS FUELS ROGERS GROWTH: A 47% jump in wireless revenue enabled Rogers Communications to increase second-quarter sales to $1.73 billion, 29% more than a year earlier. The wireless division, which added 125,000 subscribers, made up 56% of Rogers sales. Results include the former Microcell but not Call-Net. ** Rogers bundle discounts, formerly 15% across-the-board, now range from 5% to 15%. ** Rogers Telecom (formerly Call-Net) reports Q2 2005 revenues of $217 million, up 8% over the same quarter in 2004, with growth in both consumer and business service revenues and a 41% increase in EBITDA. ** Rogers' July 1 acquisition of Call-Net (see Telecom Update #488) triggered several change-of-control provisions, including vesting of stock options ($4.1 million) and senior executive payments ($3.4 million). The company’s agreement with Sprint (U.S.) will end September 29. ALIANT SALES EDGE UP%: Aliant Inc. had 2Q net income of $49.8 million, 24% higher than the second quarter a year earlier, during which Aliant experienced a strike. Sales rose 1.2% to $517 million. Wireless sales increased 14%; Internet sales, 6%. Aliant says 693 employees have accepted buyout packages. ALLSTREAM SWELLS MTS REVENUE: Manitoba Telecom 2Q revenue of $502 million was 60% higher than a year ago, before its purchase of Allstream. On a pro forma basis, revenue in Manitoba was up 4.3%, that of the national division (Allstream) down 3.9%. Net income: $111.5 million. ** John MacDonald, President of the MTS national division, returns from a medical leave August 2. AASTRA SALES DOUBLE: Aastra Technologies, based in Concord, Ontario, had 2Q revenue of $126 million, 94% higher than a year earlier. Net income: $7 million. During this year, Aastra bought the PBX business of EADS (which includes the former Intecom); two weeks ago it paid $51 million for the PBX business of Berlin-based DeTeWe. HALL OF FAME TO DEBUT AT TELEMANAGEMENT LIVE: The inaugural ceremonies for Canada's Telecommunications Hall of Fame will be held in Toronto on October 17, in conjunction with the Telemanagement Live conference and trade show. The first eight inductees to the Hall of Fame will be announced at a gala co-hosted by the Coalition for Competitive Telecommunications. ** Online registration for Telemanagement Live, Canada's premier annual conference on business telecom and networking, is now open at www.telemanagementlive.com. Participants who register before August 31 save $300 off the full conference fee. ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-mail ianangus@angustel.ca and jriddell@angustel.ca =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web late Friday afternoon each week at www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add or remove the sender's e-mail address from the list. Leave subject line and message area blank. We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail addresses to any third party. For more information, see www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2005 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail jriddell@angustel.ca. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: NYT's Friedman Calls For Better Wireless Access Date: 3 Aug 2005 10:22:14 -0700 A New York Times columnist, Friedman, calls today (8/3/05) for better wireless access in the United States. He says many foreign countries have better systems than we do and they will have the competitive edge on the US as a result. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 08:46:39 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Tuning Into the Times / Mobile Phones New Features Tuning into the times Mobile phones could soon feature up to 10 radios, delivering a host of services. But the industry must ensure it doesn't frustrate consumers. By Peter Judge Thursday July 14, 2005 The Guardian Most mobile phones already have at least two radios inside them, and some have three or four. In the future, they could have nine or 10. That will be a headache for the handset makers, the silicon vendors and the operators -- and perhaps for you. http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,1527517,00.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 13:35:29 EDT From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: IPTV May be Springboard For Telcos USTelecom dailyLead August 3, 2005 http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23562&l=2017006 TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * IPTV may be springboard for telcos BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * BellSouth simplifies DSL pricing * Cable targets small business * Motorola, Nortel fund Wi-Fi company * Sirius announces push for 3M subscribers USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act -- What It Means to Your Business -- Friday, Aug. 5, 11 to 12:30 p.m. (ET) EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES * Broadband penetration to reach 62% by 2010, study says REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * Court issues new ruling in RIM patent case * Nextel seeks e911 delay Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23562&l=2017006 Legal and Privacy information at http://www.dailylead.com/about/privacy_legal.jsp SmartBrief, Inc. 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20005 ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Date: 3 Aug 2005 12:14:48 -0700 My department at my employer uses plain 2500 style telephone sets under a Centrex system. I kind of assumed they were still common place, but I understand now that they're kind of unusual? I heard caller-ID is very common on business phones, is that true? [public replies, please] [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Caller ID _is_ very common on business phone systems these days. For instance, when I call either Atmos Energy (gas supplier) or Westar (electric utility) they answer with voice mail of course, but after a couple minutes of chatter while they tell me 'our menu has changed, listen to all options' then the voice mail on both tells me "based on your caller ID, you are located at (street number); if yes, press one, if no, press two", etc. And far from using 'old fashioned' 2500 style sets, they sit in a room with little keypads attached to computer terminals. They seem to emphasize your address, since they need to know where to show up to work on the wires or gas pipes, etc. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: 3 Aug 2005 18:15:43 -0400 From: John R Levine Subject: Looking For a Good International Conference Call Service Twice a month I'm on a conference call of about fifteen people, maybe five in the US, and the rest scattered all over the world, Italy, Argentina, Chile, China, Japan, and usually a couple in Africa. People call in if there's a local number in their country (US and Europe mainly), and the conference service is supposed to call out to the rest of them. We've been using MCI, but their service is just awful, voice quality is flaky, they consistently fail to call out when they say they're doing so, they tell people who call in at the correct time that the conference is already over. So we're not going to use them any more. Can anyone suggest an international conferencing service that really works, with decent voice quality, international access, and the ability to call out (preferably by an operator) to international numbers? Price isn't a big issue, nothing that works is going to be cheap. Online conferencing stuff is no good, since several of the callers are in places with limited Internet and people are frequently travelling and are using their cell phones. TIA, John Levine johnl@iecc.com Primary Perpetrator of The Internet for Dummies, Information Superhighwayman wanna-be, http://iecc.com/johnl, Mayor "I dropped the toothpaste", said Tom, crestfallenly. ------------------------------ From: mc Subject: Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 10:55:43 -0400 Organization: Speed Factory http://www.speedfactory.net > The Chicago Transit Atrocity -- oops, I mean 'Authority' was formed by > an act of the Illinois Legislature in 1947 as a independent government > in its own right (_not a government agency, but an actual government_) Yes ... presumably a "district" that is administratively like a county, but instead of governing a portion of the state the way a county does, it governs a particular set of government services, and has the authority to levy taxes in specified places. For example, we have had a "school district" here (Clarke County, Ga.) for a long time, to get around the problem that the county is small but the city and county governments were not originally consolidated. There are also "sewer districts" etc. Definitely one of the odd points of American politics. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: In Chicago, in addition to the CTA or Chicago Transit Authority (thus situated), there is also the CHA (or Chicago Housing Authorty) which is a _true_ atrocity if there ever was one. CHA has been in 'federal receivership' now for a few years due to the unbelievably awful living conditions in the 'homes' and the amount of crime on its property. Originally very nice _but plain_ living accomodations, the CHA was started in 1941 and its first commissioner was a woman who was a protege of Jane Addams of Hull House fame. CHA was intended to be _temporary, transitional_ housing for needy people; then after the second war ended, the idea was to provide _temporary, transitional_ housing for military veterans returnin from military duty. Since about 1960 or so, these high-rise (fifteen or twenty story buildings; a cluster of a dozen or so in each location) have been almost exclusively for black people; many of whom of course have extensive criminal histories and their families; quite often the only person in the 'home' (all seven or eight thousand of them in an aggregate total) is the Mother. Nearly every one of them has one or more sons or fathers currently in prison or recently released. The little kids run around wild and rather delinquent as one would expect. The television series of the 1970's, _Happy Times_ (written by Norman Lear) is now in endless re-runs on TV-Land . The former commissioner of the mess, a man named Charles Swibel, a rich, white older guy from the northern suburbs had some problems of his own in keeping the CHA money accounts in order, barely escaped going to prison himself, but did get CHA tossed into federal recivership (a sort of bankruptcy chapter used for governments) when the feds 'evicted' him from office. Then there is the Chicago Park _District_ (rather than 'authority'), started in the 1940's as well, with its own can of worms. And there is the Chicago School _Board_ (also rather than 'authority') with the same sort of government arrangements. When the school board came up several million dollars unaccounted for, Mayor Daley (312-PIG-3000 if you ever wish to dial him direct) had a solution for that; a whole new layer of control called the Chicago Schools Finance Authority whose only job was to make the School Board obey the law on deficit spending. The Finance Authority has to sign off on the School Board budget each year, and not approve it unless the school board has the books in order. The board is apparently incapable or unwilling to obey the law all on their own. In his greed and unmitigated gall a few years ago, Mayor Daley and the City Council got the notion of 'municipalizing' Commonwealth Edison, the electric utility. So the people who run our transportation system, our subsidized 'homes', our parks and our schools would then be in charge of our nuclear power plants as well ... that did not go off very well; the unwashed masses complained bitterly at the idea, but most important, several very large industries who depend extensively on their electrical power began making arrangements to _close up their shops and split town_, unwilling to risk possible loss of electrical service. At that point, Mayor Daley blinked and backed off. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Credit Reports, was Re: AT&T Customers Taken Over By Alltel Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 14:11:18 -0400 From: Charles Cryderman As Steve and I continue our conversation: I wrote: > Yes Steve, it is my understanding that this is a Federal Law. Then Steve came back with: > Ahh, ok. The unconditional you-get-one-free-report-per-year law is new, > though. The law that's been in effect for years is "you're entitled to a > free report at any time if you've been denied credit or employment > within the last thirty days, based on your credit report." I assume > that's the law that you just referred to? No Steve I am not talking about that one, though I do know about it. Back in 1986 I was the Training Sergeant for a US Army Communications unit on Okinawa, Japan. I would receive the Army Times and other publications which I reviewed for training subjects for my unit. In one issue of the Army Time there was a article about the credit reporting company TRW. In it they talked about how many military personnel would have credit issues due to deployment. It also stated that all "Credit Reporting Companies" were required to provide, upon written request, copies of your credit report (address was provided for TRW). I then sat down and requested a copy to see if it worked. About 6 weeks later I did receive a copy and saw that only the credit I had requested was posted and that I was in good standing. I wanted to have a training session on this but the guy I worked for didn't like it. Wasn't military enough for him so I copied it and sent it out to the read files for each department in my unit. Now I don't remember if it was stated that this was a Federal or not but was someone's law that I was able to use. Chip Cryderman ------------------------------ From: Steve Sobol Subject: Re: Identity Theft: Big Enough to Steal Lawmakers' Attention Date: Wed, 03 Aug 2005 18:05:40 -0700 Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com Warning: a major rant follows. > She recalls a Macy's representative calling to ask about a $2,400 bill > on her new store card. "I asked them, 'How could you open an account > in my name if I already have an account there?' " Because I don't believe the store reps care. No one at Carson Pirie Scott apparently gave a crap when someone showed up with my stolen drivers license (ok, lost, but then someone found it and left the state with it) and applied for a card. I was living in Cleveland at the time, and had never lived further west than southwest Ohio. CPS, a Chicago-based chain, never had any Ohio stores except a few in Toledo which had closed years ago, and the only reason I even recognized the name when I got a letter from them was because they used to buy flooring supplies from my father. It apparently meant nothing that the criminal trying to screw me was quite a ways from Ohio and attempting to get credit with an Ohio license. > Credit-freeze laws growing > One rising form of legislation, the one being considered here in > Massachusetts, allows consumers to freeze third-party access to their > credit reports. That's a great idea and I hope someone ends up passing a federal law of that nature. It would give a lot of control back to the consumer. > While lauded by many consumer advocates, such measures hint at the > challenges of combatting ID theft. Opponents say such laws are > intrusive measures that clunk up business practices. And I'd like to tell those people that they can kiss my ass. The only reason I wasn't completely screwed back in 1998 when I lost my DL was because my credit was terrible back then -- and I was never happier about that than when I found out that the idiot had stopped after applying for three department store cards. > Representatives from credit-card companies disagree that such steps > are needed. J.P. Morgan Chase, for example, has stated that > cardholders will not be contacted unless the firm believes they are > victims of, or highly susceptible to, fraud. The banks can kiss my ass too, and I say that as a consumer AND a merchant. The merchants are the ones who lose money if there are chargebacks. Not the consumers, not on chargebacks -- they get their money back. Certainly not the banks. They get to charge more because now the merchant is "high-risk." Or if you're talking about American Express, well ... I got dumped by Amex after one chargeback. ONE. No recourse, couldn't dispute the chargeback, nothing. > Critics warn that such laws could hold unintended consequences for > consumers. > "This should be about meeting consumer expectations," said Eric > Ellman, director of government relations for the Consumer Data > Industry Association, testifying against credit-report freezes in > Massachusetts. In emergency situations where credit is crucial, frozen > reports would slow access to funds, he says. Like what, Mr. Ellman? Gee whiz, can't the house or car purchase wait? Free clue, jerkoff ... it's not a life-or-death issue. There are no credit checks if you get into an accident and get Life-Flighted to the emergency rooms. Hospital ERs ARE REQUIRED TO ACCEPT PATIENTS. Just about everything else can wait. > In addition, obstacles to credit would deter companies from pushing > promotional deals, like 10 percent discount cards. Waaaaahhhhhh. > But state lawmakers were skeptical. "It seems there's a very > paternalistic theme to those comments, which is 'We know what's best > for consumers,'" said Massachusetts state Rep William M. Straus. > He said the issue should be turned over to the victims of ID theft: > "Would they trade a 10 percent discount from Sears for everything > they've been through?" Bravissimo, State Representative Strauss! Someone who Gets It. Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED Company website: http://JustThe.net/ Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/ E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307 [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I definitly feel consumers should have the absolute right to lock up their credit bureau files so _no one_ can see them. Your application for credit, along with your password, would serve as your permission for a business to look at and act upon your credit. There would be no more of these credit card promotions where cards are just sent out willy-nilly because some store or credit card company said 'you meet our criteria; do you want a card?' If I want a card I have to specifically ask for one. PAT] ------------------------------ From: The Kaminsky Family Reply-To: kaminsky@kaminsky.org Organization: None Whatsoever Subject: Re: Personal Opinion Telegram and Mailgram - Discontinuance? Date: Wed, 03 Aug 2005 07:35:52 GMT Wesrock@aol.com wrote: > Now, mail between Lawton, Oklahoma, and Wichita Falls, Texas, about 40 > miles apart and considered a single market area, takes two days. > Unless you use the curious and unusual mailbox at the Lawton post > office marked "Wichita Falls only," which presumably bypasses the > mechanized system and goes directly from Lawton to Wichita Falls, > rather than making a mechanized stopover in Oklahoma City and another > one in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. (Yes, they have three mailboxes > rather than the usual two -- "Local," "Out of Town." "Wichita Falls > only." > Wes Leatherock > wesrock@aol.com > wleathus@yahoo.com We have a similar situation here. Sunnyvale and Santa Clara are adjoining cities, but served by different main post offices (San Francisco and San Jose, respectively, if memory serves -- rather a gamble these days). Mail from one to the other can take three to five days for delivery. Even Sunnyvale to Sunnyvale often takes two days, because all the mail is trucked up to San Francisco. There used to be a "Sunnyvale only" box at the main Sunnyvale post office, but they removed it a couple of years ago. They said something about "efficiency". As my wife says, the handbasket is accelerating. Take care. Mark [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Does anyone remember when we used to have _two_ mail deliveries each day as a routine thing, and when postage cost only a few pennies at that? PAT] ------------------------------ From: richgr@panix.com (Rich Greenberg) Subject: Re: Personal Opinion Telegram and Mailgram - Discontinuance? Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 19:47:30 UTC Organization: Organized? Me? In article , wrote: > I feel a traditional letter gets more attention than an email because > (1) a letter has a physical presence instead of fleeting bits on a > screen, and (2) the recipient knows you went to the trouble of writing > and mailing it while an email is easy to knock off en masse. However, > writing to Washington today may be bad because letters are secured > before delivery and they can be seriously delayed. What I have heard is that the preferred media is Fax. As effective as snail mail and no quarantine. Also cheaper. I can send a 1 page fax for 3-6 cents vs 37 cents for a letter. Rich Greenberg Marietta, GA, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507 Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67 Canines:Val, Red & Shasta (RIP),Red, husky Owner:Chinook-L Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/ Asst Owner:Sibernet-L ------------------------------ From: Diamond Dave Subject: Re: Today's Long Distance Circuits? Organization: The BBS Corner / Diamond Mine On-Line Date: Wed, 03 Aug 2005 18:01:12 -0400 On 2 Aug 2005 14:10:34 -0700, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > By how, I mean what physical medium is chosen and how is it routed. > Do they use satellite, microwave, fibre optic, coax, plain wire? Are > there direct routes or must it go to intermediate switching centers > and transferred there? What happens if the primary circuits are busy > -- do they go to a lot of trouble to reroute or just cut me off? Does > AT&T still have a big network control center in Bedminster? Does > anyone even have such control centers or are they not needed anymore? 1. Its all fiber these days. Maybe digital microwave as a backup on some routes, but these are rare, few and far between. 2. It all depends on what carrier you use and how long the call is. Calls may go through an intermediate tandem if the call is cross country, or crosses from one country to another via a "gateway" switch. 3. Rerouting is almost not an issue anymore. There is so much extra capacity that if there is more than one route to a destination, rerouting is automatic. 4. As far as I know, the NOC in Bedminster still exists. After SBC takes over, who knows? 5. I'm sure that these centers are still needed to maintain large networks. I'm sure MCI and Sprint have similar NOCs. > By whom I mean does my designated long distance carrier actually > physically carry the call or do they merely sublet to someone else who > actually owns the wires to where I'm going. Who manages the switching > centers? I suspect a heck of a lot of long distance traffic is > carried by someone other than the designated carrier. These days, everyone buys from everyone else, so who knows where your call actually goes. Also, there are many wholesale providers that work with any and all LD providers (Level 3 comes to mind as one of these). Its not as cut and dry as it once was. Dave Perrussel Webmaster - Telephone World http://www.dmine.com/phworld ------------------------------ From: Justa Lurker Subject: Re: Today's Long Distance Circuits? Organization: AT&T Worldnet Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 00:14:09 GMT hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > By how, I mean what physical medium is chosen and how is it routed. > Do they use satellite, microwave, fibre optic, coax, plain wire? The vast majority of domestic "long distance" calls today would, of course, go over fibre optic transmission systems. There are also some digital radio (e.g., microwave) routes still out there where they make economic or technical sense. Satellite routes are used predominantly for overseas traffic to countries not served more directly by optical fibre transport, or perhaps to some extremely remote locales (in for example, the state of Alaska) which do not have fiber connectivity. Satellite is also still used as backup for some of the submarine cables, should they fail pending repair or perhaps during maintenance [although increasingly infrequently --- since (a) many of the new submarine cables tend to use SONET ring technology which greatly increases availability and minimizes the need to use any sort of satellite restoration, and (b) there is often extra capacity on other undersea fiber systems which can be pressed into service by rerouting traffic over them]. For a historical perspective, check out the URL http://long-lines.net/ ... if you haven't already. Lots of good stuff there. > Are there direct routes or must it go to intermediate switching > centers and transferred there? What happens if the primary circuits > are busy -- do they go to a lot of trouble to reroute or just cut me > off? Take a look at http://perso.rd.francetelecom.fr/chemouil/gcn_ieee/DynRout20.pdf ... for a throrough description written by 2 genuine experts. > Does AT&T still have a big network control center in Bedminster? Yes. In fact, it was enlarged and moved to a new building a few years ago. For example, see: http://www.extron.com/company/archive.asp?id=featureappatt http://www.christiedigital.com/recentInstallations/networkOperation/att/att_noc.asp http://www.emeapress.att.com/library/images/att_noc_01.jpg > Does anyone even have such control centers or are they not needed > anymore? Certainly they serve as much of a "PR" (Public Relations) function as anything else. Not to mention the "we always did it that way" factor. And big execs like to build their empires to show off. Certainly, one could debate whether (given today's technology) that all of those people need to be (or even should be) in one physical location. > By whom I mean does my designated long distance carrier actually > physically carry the call or do they merely sublet to someone else who > actually owns the wires to where I'm going. Who manages the switching > centers? Depends on your choice of designated long distance carrier, and the extent to which it owns and operates its own facilities vs. buying capacity 'wholesale' from one of the big guys or perhaps a "carrier's carrier" (Wiltel comes to mind here). > I suspect a heck of a lot of long distance traffic is carried by > someone other than the designated carrier. Once again, it varies from virtually none to virtually all, based upon who you've specifically selected as your LD carrier. As a very rough first-order estimate, next time you are out on your bicycle or driving around the countryside, take a look at those little signs which are posted along fiber optic right-of-ways ... do you see your carrier's name on many (any) of them ? Certainly that's not a 100% foolproof way to answer your question since there is a lot of capacity swaps & dark fiber/optical wavelength leasing & reselling of bandwidth between carriers, but it may give you a crude sense of who owns what in a relative sense. ------------------------------ From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com (Robert Bonomi) Subject: Re: Today's Long Distance Circuits? Date: Wed, 03 Aug 2005 11:27:32 -0000 Organization: Widgets, Inc. In article , wrote: > This came up before but perhaps things changed. > I call, say Wilmington Delaware to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. How and who > is the call physically routed and connected between the two cities? > What about a shorter call, say Harrisburg PA to Erie PA (a few hundred > miles)? > By how, I mean what physical medium is chosen and how is it routed. > Do they use satellite, microwave, fibre optic, coax, plain wire? "Yes". One or more of the above. _Probably_ fiber. > Are there direct routes or must it go to intermediate switching > centers and transferred there? The proverbial 'it depends'. On the specific locations involved. Generally there are a number of intermediate centers involved. > What happens if the primary circuits are busy -- do they go to a > lot of trouble to reroute or just cut me off? Re-route/alternate route is _common_. "All circuits are busy, please try your call again later" generally indicates an issue *very*close* to one end or the other of the call. > Does AT&T still have a big network control center in Bedminster? > Does anyone even have such control centers or are they not needed > anymore? They're still needed. The nature of the beastie has changed considerably, over the years, however. Lots more 'smarts' in the hardware, allowing automation of much of what used to require 'manual intervention'. People are still required, for when the 'unexpected'/'unanticipated' occurs. automation doesn't deal well with things that it -hasn't- been programmed to handle. > By whom I mean does my designated long distance carrier actually > physically carry the call or do they merely sublet to someone else who > actually owns the wires to where I'm going. "It depends." On _who_ the LD carrier is. Some have their own networks, some just buy 'wholesale' from those who do have their own physical infra- structure. > Who manages the switching centers? Whomever owns the network involved. > I suspect a heck of a lot of long distance traffic is carried by > someone other than the designated carrier. Probably true. There are a lot more LD sellers than there are physical "national" networks. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. 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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #352 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Aug 4 17:32:19 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 25D33152CA; Thu, 4 Aug 2005 17:32:19 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V24 #353 Message-Id: <20050804213219.25D33152CA@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 17:32:19 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.7 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Thu, 4 Aug 2005 17:32:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 353 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Advertising com Settles FTC Adware/Spyware Charges (Reuters News Wire) Calling All Luddites: NY Times OpEd (Thomas L. Friedman) Comcast Reports Second Quarter 2005 Results (Monty Solomon) Analysts: ATMs Highly Vulnerable to Fraud (Monty Solomon) Time Warner Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2005 Results (Monty Solomon) Hackers Demonstrate Their Skills in Vegas (Monty Solomon) FCC Approves Sprint-Nextel Merger (USTelecom dailyLead) Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (J.P.) Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (davidesan@gmail.com) Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (T. Sean Weintz) Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (Tim@Backhome.org) Re: Looking For Good International Conference Call Service (Hallikainen) Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? (davidesan@gmail.com) Re: NYT's Friedman Calls For Better Wireless Access (Mark Crispin) Re: Credit Reports, was Re: AT&T Customers Taken Over (Steve Sobol) Re: Opinion Telegrams and Mailgrams (Chris Farrar) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Advertising com Settles FTC Adware/Spyware Charges Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 12:39:17 -0500 An America Online Inc. subsidiary will no longer bundle its anti-spyware program with software that tracks consumers' online habits and force-feeds them pop-up ads, the Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday. Advertising.com Inc. also agreed to regular check by the FTC in order to settle a deceptive-advertising suit filed by the consumer-protection agency. Advertising.com, also known as Teknosurf.com, promoted its SpyBlast program as a way to protect users' computers from "hackers," the FTC charged. But those who downloaded the product also installed a separate program that monitored their online behavior and served them pop-up ads. Such advertising programs, known as "adware," are considered a form of spyware by many consumer advocates because consumers typically don't know they're installing them. Advertising.com didn't provide consumers with adequate notice that SpyBlast came bundled with the adware program, the FTC charged. Advertising.com did not admit or deny guilt as part of the settlement. AOL, a division of Time Warner Inc. bought Advertising.com for $435 million in June 2004 and understood how Advertising.com's program worked according to FTC's allegations. An AOL spokesman said that Advertising.com had only been in the adware business for a brief period during 2003. The company makes most of its money by selling banner ads, spokesman Andrew Weinstein said. "They were not in this business when we purchased them," Weinstein said. "Advertising.com does not now and will not in the future distribute adware products." FTC did not agree that "Advertising.com was not in 'that business' when it was purchased by AOL" and contended they were still in 'that business' anyway. FTC said that "either way, we think that Advertising.com, and its parent AOL, under the terms of its supervision by FTC, will definitly be out of 'that business' in the future. Banner ads are okay, Adware, no more." The House of Representatives in May voted to stiffen jail sentences and establish multimillion-dollar fines for spyware purveyors. The Senate has not yet acted on the bill. Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. ------------------------------ From: Thomas L. Friedman Subject: Calling All Luddites Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 12:44:15 -0500 By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN I've been thinking of running for high office on a one-issue platform: I promise, if elected, that within four years America will have cellphone service as good as Ghana's. If re-elected, I promise that in eight years America will have cellphone service as good as Japan's, provided Japan agrees not to forge ahead on wireless technology. My campaign bumper sticker: "Can You Hear Me Now?" I began thinking about this after watching the Japanese use cellphones and laptops to get on the Internet from speeding bullet trains and subways deep underground. But the last straw was when I couldn't get cellphone service while visiting I.B.M.'s headquarters in Armonk, N.Y. But don't worry -- Congress is on the case. It dropped everything last week to pass a bill to protect gun makers from shooting victims' lawsuits. The fact that the U.S. has fallen to 16th in the world in broadband connectivity aroused no interest. Look, I don't even like cellphones, but this is not about gadgets. The world is moving to an Internet-based platform for commerce, education, innovation and entertainment. Wealth and productivity will go to those countries or companies that get more of their innovators, educators, students, workers and suppliers connected to this platform via computers, phones and P.D.A.'s. A new generation of politicians is waking up to this issue. For instance, Andrew Rasiej is running in New York City's Democratic primary for public advocate on a platform calling for wireless (Wi-Fi) and cellphone Internet access from every home, business and school in the city. If, God forbid, a London-like attack happens in a New York subway, don't trying calling 911. Your phone won't work down there. No wireless infrastructure. This ain't Tokyo, pal. At the City Hall subway stop this morning, Mr. Rasiej plans to show how one makes a 911 call from the subway. He will have one aide with a tin can in the subway send a message to another aide holding a tin can connected by a string. Then the message will be passed by tin can and string up to Mr. Rasiej on the street, who will call 911 with his cellphone. "That is how you say something if you see something today in a New York subway -- tin cans connected to someone with a cellphone on the street," said Mr. Rasiej, a 47-year-old entrepreneur who founded an educational-technology nonprofit. Mr. Rasiej wants to see New York follow Philadelphia, which decided it wouldn't wait for private companies to provide connectivity to all. Instead, Philly made it a city-led project - like sewers and electricity. The whole city will be a "hot zone," where any resident anywhere with a computer, cellphone or P.D.A. will have cheap high-speed Wi-Fi access to the Internet. Mr. Rasiej argues that we can't trust the telecom companies to make sure that everyone is connected because new technologies, like free Internet telephony, threaten their business models. "We can't trust the traditional politicians to be the engines of change for how people connect to their government and each other," he said. By the way, he added, "If New York City goes wireless, the whole country goes wireless." Mr. Rasiej is also promoting civic photo-blogging -- having people use their cellphones to take pictures of potholes or crime, and then, using Google maps, e-mailing the pictures and precise locations to City Hall. Message: In U.S. politics, the party that most quickly absorbs the latest technology often dominates. F.D.R. dominated radio and the fireside chat; J.F.K., televised debates; Republicans, direct mail and then talk radio, and now Karl Rove's networked voter databases. The technological model coming next -- which Howard Dean accidentally uncovered but never fully developed - will revolve around the power of networks and blogging. The public official or candidate will no longer just be the one who talks to the many or tries to listen to the many. Rather, he or she will be a hub of connectivity for the many to work with the many -- creating networks of public advocates to identify and solve problems and get behind politicians who get it. "One elected official by himself can't solve the problems of eight million people," Mr. Rasiej argued, "but eight million people networked together can solve one city's problems. They can spot and offer solutions better and faster than any bureaucrat. ... The party that stakes out this new frontier will be the majority party in the 21st century. And the Democrats better understand something -- their base right now is the most disconnected from the network." Can you hear me now? Copyright 2005 New York Times Company NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. Read NY Times on line each day; no login nor registration requirements. http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/nytimes.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 22:32:57 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Comcast Reports Second Quarter 2005 Results Revenue Increased 10.5% to $5.6 Billion Operating Income Increased 23.2% to $1.0 Billion Operating Cash Flow Increased 13.2% to $2.2 Billion 20th Consecutive Quarter of Double-Digit Growth Growth in New Services Continues Added 1.1 Million Revenue Generating Units During the First Half of 2005 Including 507,000 During the Second Quarter PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) today reported results for the quarter ended June 30, 2005. Comcast will discuss second quarter results on a conference call and webcast today at 8:30 AM Eastern Time. A live broadcast of the conference call will be available on the investor relations website at http://www.cmcsa.com and http://www.cmcsk.com . - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=50846672 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 22:36:32 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Analysts: ATMs Highly Vulnerable to Fraud By BRIAN BERGSTEIN AP Technology Writer BOSTON (AP) -- By failing to scan security codes in the magnetic strips on ATM and debit cards, many banks are letting thieves get away with an increasingly common fraud at a cost of several billion dollars a year. A report Tuesday from Gartner Inc., a technology analyst firm, estimates that 3 million U.S. consumers were victims of ATM and debit-card fraud in the past year. The fraud most commonly begins when a criminal engages in "phishing" _ sending a legitimate-seeming e-mail with a link to a phony Web site that appears to belong to a consumer's bank, Gartner analyst Avivah Litan believes. The e-mail recipients are asked to give their account information, including PIN numbers. With that information "harvested," fraudsters can make their own cards for automated teller machines and withdraw huge sums. This should be easily preventable, because the magnetic strips on cards contain multiple tracks. One track has data such as the user's name and account number. A second track contains special security codes that card users don't know. That means the information can't be squeezed out of them in a phishing attack. Duplicating the codes would require inside knowledge of a bank's security procedures, Litan said. (The inclusion of security codes in records held by a credit and debit card processor, CardSystems Solutions Inc., made that company's massive data breach disclosed this spring especially dangerous.) Surprisingly, Litan said, perhaps half of U.S. financial institutions have not programmed their ATM systems to check the security codes. Con artists specifically seek out customers of banks that do not validate the second track on the strip, she said. Litan believes many banks simply didn't know about the vulnerability. Others may have once scanned the codes but stopped because using the codes requires that customers go to a bank and have an ATM card rewritten whenever they want to change their PINs. That was a costly step that many banks figured they could avoid in pre-phishing days when ATM fraud was rare. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=50863070 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 22:39:47 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Time Warner Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2005 Results NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 3, 2005--Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX) -- Company Reaches Agreement in Principle to Resolve Its Primary Securities Class Action Litigation and Reserves $3 Billion Related to All Pending Securities Litigation Matters -- Board of Directors Authorizes $5 Billion Stock Repurchase Program Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX) today reported financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2005. The Company also announced that it has reached an agreement in principle to resolve its primary securities class action litigation and established reserves of $3 billion related to this and all other related securities litigation matters. In addition, Time Warner's Board of Directors has authorized a $5 billion stock repurchase program over the next two years. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=50881109 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 22:47:08 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Hackers Demonstrate Their Skills in Vegas By GREG SANDOVAL AP Technology Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Even the ATM machines were suspect at this year's Defcon conference, where hackers play intrusion games at the bleeding edge of computer security. With some of the world's best digital break-in artists pecking away at their laptops, sending e-mails or answering cell phones could also be risky. Defcon is a no-man's land where customary adversaries _ feds vs. digital mavericks _ are supposed to share ideas about making the Internet a safer place. But it's really a showcase for flexing hacker muscle. This year's hot topics included a demonstration of just how easy it may be to attack supposedly foolproof biometric safeguards, which determine a person's identity by scanning such things as thumb prints, irises and voice patterns. Banks, supermarkets and even some airports have begun to rely on such systems, but a security analyst who goes by the name Zamboni challenged hackers to bypass biometrics by attacking their backend systems networks. "Attack it like you would Microsoft or Linux," he advised. Radio frequency identification tags that send wireless signals and that are used to track a growing list of items including retail merchandise, animals and U.S. military shipments_ also came under scrutiny. A group of twentysomethings from Southern California climbed onto the hotel roof to show that RFID tags could be read from as far as 69 feet. That's important because the tags have been proposed for such things as U.S. passports, and critics have raised fears that kidnappers could use RFID readers to pick traveling U.S. citizens out of a crowd. RFID companies had said the signals didn't reach more than 20 feet, said John Hering, one of the founders of Flexilis, the company that conducted the experiment. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=50877421 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 12:41:57 EDT From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: FCC Approves Sprint-Nextel merger USTelecom dailyLead August 4, 2005 http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23601&l=2017006 TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * FCC approves Sprint-Nextel merger BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Wireless networks are vulnerable, hackers say * Alcatel, Amdocs focus on IPTV * MCI launches wholesale VoIP service * 7-Eleven answers call for phone service * Alltel, Iowa Telecom report earnings USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act -- What It Means to Your Business -- Friday, Aug. 5, 11 AM (ET) EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES * Comcast details digital simulcast plans REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * Continental feuds with Boston airport over Wi-Fi * China to merge electronics companies Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23601&l=2017006 ------------------------------ From: J.P. Subject: Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 09:13:44 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > My department at my employer uses plain 2500 style telephone sets > under a Centrex system. I kind of assumed they were still common > place, but I understand now that they're kind of unusual? I heard > caller-ID is very common on business phones, is that true? > [public replies, please] Unfortunately everyone wants one button access to features and such and displays with caller ID, length of call, etc. so you're seeing less and less of the 2500-style phones on office desks these days. One of the things I appreciated about the Executone IDS systems I used to maintain is that the "wave" desk phones had 2500-style keypads on them instead of the keypads found on the new business system phones (buttons wrong size, a 'mushy' feel to them, etc.). Nothing beats those old tried and true keypads. J.P. Wing ------------------------------ From: davidesan@gmail.com Subject: Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Date: 4 Aug 2005 08:14:12 -0700 And don't you just hate it when the voicemail system asks for your account code so they "can better process your call" and the very first thing that the human operator asks for is your account number? [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Actually, in the case of human operators, its not a bad thing that they ask first for your account number or other identifying feature. While you are on the line explaining your problem, the better trained agents can be scanning your account as you are speaking, and frequently have an intelligent and correct answer for you when you have finished stating your problem. Would you prefer that they listen politely to your problem, _then_ ask for your account number, go away, and come back in a minute or two with an answer? Even for automated systems, the several seconds required for voicemail to give its spiel is time the system can be spinning its disk drives and looking up your account if it knows your name and identity. PAT] ------------------------------ From: T. Sean Weintz Subject: Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 11:40:30 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > My department at my employer uses plain 2500 style telephone sets > under a Centrex system. I kind of assumed they were still common > place, but I understand now that they're kind of unusual? I heard > caller-ID is very common on business phones, is that true? Every office I have ever worked in has had a PBX system using some sort of proprietary keysets. Every office I have ever worked in since '95 has had keysets with an LCD display that (amomg other things) displays caller ID. Centrex is a ripoff IMO. Especially for offices where most of the calling is in-house. Why pay for a line for each station when say only 20% of your calls ever go outside the building? [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Even in the case of Centrex it is very rare that telco provides an _actual wire pair to the outside_ for every phone thus equipped. Using Erlang or other formulas, they decide a ten or fifteen percent ratio of wire pairs to usage at any given time is sufficient. When calls come in from outside, something like ANI examines the number dialed, chooses an idle pair and rings the desired extension. On outgoing calls (even on centrex you still have to dial '9' first) the equipment looks at the outgoing line, uses its ID number to detirmine what caller ID to send to the called party, etc. If a centrex user ever dials '9' for an outside line and gets a fast busy response, it means one of two things: either the phone in question is not given outside dialing privileges _or_ the limited number of trunk lines is totally in use. And with centrex, your call (inside or outside the customer premises) is still taken to the telco central office for processing, even if the end result is the call is, following processing, sent right back inside your premises as a 'station to station call'. Remember that 'centrex' means that telco has your 'PBX' on its premises rather than in your office. Otherwise calls in or out are handled about the same way and with the same rules in place. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Tim@Backhome.org Subject: Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 01:20:43 -0700 Organization: Cox Communications > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Caller ID _is_ very common on business > phone systems these days. For instance, when I call either Atmos > Energy (gas supplier) or Westar (electric utility) they answer with > voice mail of course, but after a couple minutes of chatter while they > tell me 'our menu has changed, listen to all options' then the voice > mail on both tells me "based on your caller ID, you are located at > (street number); if yes, press one, if no, press two", etc. And far > from using 'old fashioned' 2500 style sets, they sit in a room with > little keypads attached to computer terminals. They seem to emphasize > your address, since they need to know where to show up to work on the > wires or gas pipes, etc. PAT] I called one of the credit reporting services 800 numbers the other day. The robot that answered the call told me that it would provide information applicable to my area code. Not real smart as my primary Vonage number is in Washington, DC but I live in California. ;-) ------------------------------ From: harold@hallikainen.com Subject: Re: Looking For a Good International Conference Call Service Date: 4 Aug 2005 08:02:22 -0700 http://www.sipphone.com offers free conferencing for its users. On the sip network, you dial 1 747 222 1234 where 1234 is a random number you choose. Everyone who calls that number at that time is connected together. There are dial in numbers from PSTN at various points around the US, and perhaps the world, but it seems simplest to just hook a sip adapter between a phone and the internet, or to use a "soft-phone" (free ones listed on their home page). Harold FCC Rules updated daily at http://www.hallikainen.com ------------------------------ From: davidesan@gmail.com Subject: Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? Date: 4 Aug 2005 08:18:41 -0700 The TV show was called "GOOD Times". Among the various stars was a young Janet Jackson. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Yeah, my error, sorry. It was set in one of the Chicago Housing Authority buildings on the south side of town. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Mark Crispin Subject: Re: NYT's Friedman Calls For Better Wireless Access Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 08:59:21 -0700 Organization: University of Washington On Wed, 3 Aug 2005, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > A New York Times columnist, Friedman, calls today (8/3/05) for better > wireless access in the United States. He says many foreign countries > have better systems than we do and they will have the competitive edge > on the US as a result. Well he to take a look at a map and consider the differences in geography and demographics. It's pretty easy to have good wireless coverage in densely-populated postage-stamp sized countries, especially when not encumbered by zoning ("you are NOT going to put that tower where I can see it!"). It is also advisable to consider geography. Japan is no slouch when it comes to wireless, yet there are numerous dead zones in big cities. Any honest coverage map of Japan will show that there is no coverage at all in the sparsely-populated mountainous interior of Japan; the coverage is in the big cities which are all on the coasts. I know from personal experience that you lose service as soon as you get a few kilometers from the urban core. I also know from personal experience that there are numerous dead zones in London. Now, if two relatively small island nations have problems, consider wireless coverage issues in a large continental nation, and you have the situation faced by Canada, the US, and Mexico. -- Mark -- http://staff.washington.edu/mrc Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate. Si vis pacem, para bellum. ------------------------------ From: Steve Sobol Subject: Re: Credit Reports, was Re: AT&T Customers Taken Over By Alltel Date: Wed, 03 Aug 2005 23:10:37 -0700 Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com Charles Cryderman wrote: > reporting company TRW. In it they talked about how many military > personnel would have credit issues due to deployment. It also stated > that all "Credit Reporting Companies" were required to provide, upon > written request, copies of your credit report (address was provided > for TRW). I then sat down and requested a copy to see if it > worked. About 6 weeks later I did receive a copy and saw that only the > credit I had requested was posted and that I was in good standing. I Maybe you got special consideration as a soldier. Perhaps enlisted men and women got a special deal because it wouldn't be easy for them to deal with credit issues overseas ... But as far as I know, the rest of us were not entitled to any free reports unless we were denied credit or employment (as I posted earlier) or if there was a state law specifying we were not to be charged. There have been some state laws on the books prior to this past year. Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED Company website: http://JustThe.net/ Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/ E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 10:47:39 -0400 From: Chris Farrar Subject: Re: Opinion Telegrams and Mailgrams TELECOM Digest Editor wrote in response: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Does anyone remember when we used to > have _two_ mail deliveries each day as a routine thing, and when > postage cost only a few pennies at that? PAT] Pat, I wouldn't complain too much about the US Postal Service. Take a look at what the mail service is like in your neighbor to the north. Canada Post doesn't deliver on Saturdays. If you buy a home in a new subdivision, you will NEVER get mail delivery to your door. If you build a house on a vacant lot, in between 2 houses that have mail delivery, you still will NEVER have mail delivery. You will have to go to a "super-mailbox", essentially a post office box somewhere within a several block radius of your house. Chris ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! 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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #353 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Aug 5 15:12:51 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 292FF15211; Fri, 5 Aug 2005 15:12:51 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V24 #354 Message-Id: <20050805191251.292FF15211@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 15:12:51 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.8 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Fri, 5 Aug 2005 15:12:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 354 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Yahoo Launches Web Audio Search Service (Reuters News Wire) Logan, Continental in Spat Over Free Wireless (Micheal Kunzelman) Microsoft Hires New Boss From Walmart (Reed Stevenson) Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (J.P.) Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (T. Sean Weintz) Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (I am a Sock Puppet) Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (Rich Greenberg) Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (The Kaminsky Family) Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (Tim@backhome) Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (davidesan@gmail.com) Re: Looking For a Good International Conference Call Service (J Levine) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Yahoo Launches Web Audio Search Service Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 22:58:19 -0500 Web media company Yahoo Inc. on Thursday launched a free Web audio search service that helps users find, hear and buy everything from music downloads and podcasts to interviews and newscasts. Yahoo Audio Search, at http://audio.search.yahoo.com, is still in testing and gives users access to more than 50 million audio files as Yahoo beefs up its entertainment offerings. For example, a search for "Green Day" yields a list of the band's albums, song samples and links to download services, including Yahoo's own music service, Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes, Rhapsody from RealNetworks Inc. and Napster Inc. The service also taps independent publishers and the Web, helping users find such things as music videos, reviews and photographs of the artists. Yahoo and rivals such as Google Inc. and privately held Blinkx already have launched video search services as the Internet's role in entertainment grows and ad dollars follow. The company has integrated Yahoo Audio Search with its video search service and has invited people to submit videos and music through Media Really Simple Syndication, so it can be found by the new audio search engine. It also integrated tools from its comparison shopping search engine, which helps users find CD prices and make purchases from a variety of retailers. Companies such as GoFish and Blinkx already offer audio search. Yahoo acquired early audio search providers AltaVista and AllTheWeb through its purchase of Overture Services in October 2003. Shares of Yahoo were down 46 cents to $34.05 in afternoon trade on the Nasdaq. Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. ------------------------------ From: Michael Kunzelman Subject: Logan, Continental in Free Wireless Spat Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 23:03:43 -0500 By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, Associated Press Writer Logan International Airport is trying to block Continental Airlines Inc. from providing free wireless Internet access to its frequent fliers -- a service for which the airport charges a daily $7.95 fee -- calling it a threat to safety and security. The Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates Logan, claims Continental's Wi-Fi service interferes with other wireless devices. Continental rejects that claim and argues Massport has no legal authority to restrict its use of the technology. Massport ordered Continental to remove the Wi-Fi antenna from its Presidents Club lounge by July 9, prompting the Houston-based airline to file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. An FCC spokesman said the complaint is the first of its kind involving Wi-Fi access at airports. The agency isn't expected to rule on the dispute before Aug. 29, its deadline for accepting public comments on Continental's complaint. A Massport spokesman declined to comment on Continental's complaint. All 27 of Continental's frequent-flier lounges at airports have offered free Wi-Fi service since last December. The airline's lounge at Logan has offered the wireless connection since June 2004, but a year passed before Logan notified Continental in writing that the Wi-Fi antenna violated the terms of its lease. Last month, a Massport attorney warned the airline that its antenna "presents an unacceptable potential risk" to Logan's safety and security systems, including its keycard access system and state police communications. Massport told the airline it could route its wireless signals over Logan's Wi-Fi signal, at a "very reasonable rate structure." In response, however, Continental said using Logan's Wi-Fi vendor could force the airline to start charging its customers for the service. Craig Mathias, founder of the Farpoint Group, a wireless consulting firm in Ashland, Mass., said Wi-Fi signals can interfere with each other, but not with other wireless devices. "It's hard to imagine how this is a security threat," Mathias said. "They clearly don't want the competition." Continental argues that restrictions on the installation and use of Wi-Fi antennas are prohibited under FCC regulations. "We believe that offering the free Wi-Fi service at Logan is consistent with FCC regulations and its prior rulings, and is permitted by the terms of our lease with Massport," Continental spokeswoman Julie King said Thursday. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. For AP News Radio and general news headlines, please go to http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Reed Stevenson Subject: Microsoft Hires New COO From Walmart Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 23:05:21 -0500 By Reed Stevenson SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. appointed Kevin Turner, a top executive at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. as its new Chief Operating Officer, the world's largest software maker said on Thursday. The appointment of Turner, 40, who will be in charge of Microsoft's global sales, marketing and service operations, is part of a wider reorganization of executive positions, the Redmond, Washington-based company said in a statement. Wal-Mart, in a separate announcement, said that Doug McMillon would replace Turner as head of its Sam's Club warehouse stores. Microsoft's COO job, considered the No. 3 position after Chairman Bill Gates and Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, has been vacant since 2002, when Rick Belluzzo left the position. "That number three job at Microsoft is a tough position to be in," said Matt Rosoff, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft, an independent research firm in Kirkland, Washington. Belluzzo, a former Hewlett-Packard Co. executive, left Microsoft three years ago after being pushed out as part of a wider reorganization that made the company's major product groups more autonomous. Belluzzo also held the title of president, but Turner was not named president in Thursday's announcement. "Turner's experience as a proven leader of people in Wal-Mart's incredibly dynamic sales environment; his IT background as CIO of a world-class company and his familiarity with our products and technologies as a Microsoft customer for more than a decade uniquely qualify him to serve as our COO," Ballmer, according to companywide e-mail obtained by Reuters. Turner will effectively replace Kevin Johnson, Microsoft's group vice president in charge of sales and marketing, who will be moving into a new executive role at Microsoft. Ballmer said in his e-mail that Johnson's new role would be announced with a month. Rosoff, who has been tracking Microsoft's human resources for year, said that these changes could be part of a wider reorganization at the top. "There might be an executive departure that we haven't heard of yet," Rosoff said. At Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart, Turner was considered a rising star and even a possible successor to Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott. He oversaw a turnaround at Sam's Club, which had been losing ground to larger rival Costco Wholesale Corp. Under his tenure, Sam's Club aggressively cut prices to win over coveted small-business customers, heaping pressure on Costco's profits. Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. ------------------------------ From: J.P. Subject: Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 09:13:44 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > My department at my employer uses plain 2500 style telephone sets > under a Centrex system. I kind of assumed they were still common > place, but I understand now that they're kind of unusual? I heard > caller-ID is very common on business phones, is that true? Unfortunately everyone wants one button access to features and such and displays with caller ID, length of call, etc. so you're seeing less and less of the 2500-style phones on office desks these days. One of the things I appreciated about the Executone IDS systems I used to maintain is that the "wave" desk phones had 2500-style keypads on them instead of the keypads found on the new business system phones (buttons wrong size, a 'mushy' feel to them, etc.). Nothing beats those old tried and true keypads. J.P. Wing ------------------------------ From: T. Sean Weintz Subject: Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 11:40:30 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > My department at my employer uses plain 2500 style telephone sets > under a Centrex system. I kind of assumed they were still common > place, but I understand now that they're kind of unusual? I heard > caller-ID is very common on business phones, is that true? > [public replies, please] Every office I have ever worked in has had a PBX system using some sort of proprietary keysets. Every office I have ever worked in since '95 has had keysets with an LCD display that (amomg other things) displays caller ID. Centrex is a ripoff IMO. Especially for offices where most of the calling is in-house. Why pay for a line for each station when say only 20% of your calls ever go outside the building? ------------------------------ From: I am a Sock Puppet Subject: Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Date: Fri, 05 Aug 2005 10:04:58 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com J.P. wrote: > One of the things I appreciated about the Executone IDS systems I used > to maintain is that the "wave" desk phones had 2500-style keypads on > them instead of the keypads found on the new business system phones > (buttons wrong size, a 'mushy' feel to them, etc.). Nothing beats > those old tried and true keypads. > J.P. Wing I wonder if they are even available anymore since Intertel bought them out. I know they do make cards that let you use them on your intertel system if you already own them, but I don't know if you can buy them new anymore. T. Sean Weintz wrote: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Even in the case of Centrex it is very > rare that telco provides an _actual wire pair to the outside_ for > every phone thus equipped. I think you misunderstood my use of the word "outside". By "outside", I meant "leaving the cusomers property" - IE: going back to the CO, where the centrex switch is. I did not mean a connection to the PTSN for each keyset. And of course they charge for each centrex line going back to the CO. Out here SBC has pitched us about 35 a month for centrex 1100, about 15 a month for centrex 3100. They can't seem to get it thru their brains that $0 a month for PBX connections that we oiwn outright is a better deal. > Remember that 'centrex' means that telco has your 'PBX' on its > premises rather than in your office. Otherwise calls in or out are > handled about the same way and with the same rules in place. PAT] EXACTLY. I knew that -- I think my choice of the word "outside" was a mistake. To me, the lines going to the centrex switch at the CO are "outside lines" - they leave the building, and you pay every month for them. Which is why it is such a bad deal for places such as us, where capital expenditure money is much easier to come up with than operating cash. DO NOT REPLY TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE HEADERS OF THIS POST. IT IS A SPAM TRAP ADDRESS. ------------------------------ From: richgr@panix.com (Rich Greenberg) Subject: Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 22:59:32 +0000 (UTC) Organization: Organized? Me? In article , wrote: > And don't you just hate it when the voicemail system asks for your > account code so they "can better process your call" and the very first > thing that the human operator asks for is your account number? > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Actually, in the case of human [...] > or two with an answer? Even for automated systems, the several > seconds required for voicemail to give its spiel is time the system > can be spinning its disk drives and looking up your account if it > knows your name and identity. PAT] Pat, you are correct, but it still doesn't answer the original question, why does the human operator STILL have to ask for your account number? Rich Greenberg Marietta, GA, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507 Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67 Canines:Val, Red & Shasta (RIP),Red, husky Owner:Chinook-L Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/ Asst Owner:Sibernet-L [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Maybe because the type of computer system the company uses (or the voicemail, etc) does not present the account number. Or maybe the first step (where you punch it in on the phone as part of voicemail merely validates that you do have an account but it does not get passed 'through the system' to the next person you deal with? PAT] ------------------------------ From: The Kaminsky Family Reply-To: kaminsky@kaminsky.org Organization: None Whatsoever Subject: Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Date: Fri, 05 Aug 2005 08:37:45 GMT davidesan@gmail.com wrote: > And don't you just hate it when the voicemail system asks for your > account code so they "can better process your call" and the very first > thing that the human operator asks for is your account number? > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Actually, in the case of human > operators, its not a bad thing that they ask first for your account > number or other identifying feature. While you are on the line > explaining your problem, the better trained agents can be scanning > your account as you are speaking, and frequently have an intelligent > and correct answer for you when you have finished stating your > problem. Would you prefer that they listen politely to your problem, > _then_ ask for your account number, go away, and come back in a minute > or two with an answer? Even for automated systems, the several > seconds required for voicemail to give its spiel is time the system > can be spinning its disk drives and looking up your account if it > knows your name and identity. PAT] I think you may have missed the point. Once you have given your account code to the automated system, that account number should be directly available on the human agent's screen when the agent gets your call. It's easy enough for a decent automated system to handle this -- but it is surprising to me that so many automated systems seem to have been assembled by folks who just don't get it (or perhaps by folks who really don't like their employer ...). It is certainly not easy to design an excellent user interface for a customer -- especially if you are not willing to spend what it takes to get a good speech recogition engine (and to train it for your application -- getting the grammar rules right is an art, but there are systems available in the market now whch do an excellent job). But designing an excellent user interface for your human agents should be a whole lot easier -- and that interface should start by gathering everything the customer has entered so far on this call. Take care. Mark ------------------------------ From: Tim@Backhome.org Subject: Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Date: Fri, 05 Aug 2005 06:00:19 -0700 Organization: Cox Communications davidesan@gmail.com wrote: > And don't you just hate it when the voicemail system asks for your > account code so they "can better process your call" and the very first > thing that the human operator asks for is your account number? > > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Actually, in the case of human > operators, its not a bad thing that they ask first for your account > number or other identifying feature. While you are on the line > explaining your problem, the better trained agents can be scanning > your account as you are speaking, and frequently have an intelligent > and correct answer for you when you have finished stating your > problem. Would you prefer that they listen politely to your problem, > _then_ ask for your account number, go away, and come back in a minute > or two with an answer? Even for automated systems, the several > seconds required for voicemail to give its spiel is time the system > can be spinning its disk drives and looking up your account if it > knows your name and identity. PAT] I would prefer that the system deliver my account number to the agent based on the entry I made during the automated routine at the start of the call. It's similar to being handed off (often abruptly) from one agent to another and the receiving agent doesn't have a clue about the issue you spent five minutes trying to explain to the first agent. Further, if they are located in India just forget anything beyond a simple request. ------------------------------ From: davidesan@gmail.com Subject: Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Date: 5 Aug 2005 07:32:41 -0700 I don't mind that the operator has my information in front of her/him. What I do mind is giving my information TWICE! When I key it into the pad, and they verify that I really am a subscriber, that info should be passed onto the operator, who should not have to ask me for the information again. The other operator function that infuriates me is the request for a Social Security Number. After my refusal to give it to them they tend to get really huffy. They have a form to fill in, after all. ------------------------------ Date: 5 Aug 2005 00:05:06 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: Looking For a Good International Conference Call Service Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA Hmmn. How could I have made the part about why Internet based conferences wouldn't work clearer? Some of these people are in Africa, their Internet access barely exists, and their phone connections aren't a whole lot better. The only way to get them on the call is to call out to them, with a persistent operator who can figure out how to retry around "all circuits busy" and the like. > http://www.sipphone.com offers free conferencing for its users. On the > sip network, you dial 1 747 222 1234 where 1234 is a random number you > choose. Everyone who calls that number at that time is connected > together. There are dial in numbers from PSTN at various points around > the US, and perhaps the world, but it seems simplest to just hook a > sip adapter between a phone and the internet, or to use a "soft-phone" > (free ones listed on their home page). ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. 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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #354 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Aug 5 19:30:00 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 9FEB915123; Fri, 5 Aug 2005 19:29:59 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V24 #355 Message-Id: <20050805232959.9FEB915123@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 19:29:59 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.9 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, INFO_TLD,MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Fri, 5 Aug 2005 19:30:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 355 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Telecom Update #491, August 5, 2005 (Angus TeleManagement Group) ISP for Liberty,KS (Iam Enoch) Telephoning Russian Villages (cherniymonakh@hotmail.com) Inter-Tel Phones Through Cable/DSL? (Beholder) Comcast Reports Second Quarter 2005 Results (Monty Solomon) Time Warner Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2005 Results (Monty Solomon) Austin Gaffe Stirs Fantasy (Neal McLain) Death Sentence For Independent ISPs (jmeissen) FCC Gives Blessing to Sprint, Nextel Marraige (Joseph) Stehekin Residents Say Hold the Phone - Forever (Joseph) Re: NYT's Friedman Calls For Better Wireless Access (Mark Crispin) Re: NYT's Friedman Calls For Better Wireless Access (Lisa Hancock) Re: Opinion Telegrams and Mailgrams (NOTvalid@XmasNYC.Info) Re: Personal Opinion Telegram and Mailgram - Discontinuance? (R. Bonomi) Re: Calling All Luddites (Mark Crispin) Re: Looking For Good International Conference Call Service (Hallikainen) Re: Credit Reports, was Re: AT&T Customers Taken Over By Alltel (Sobol) Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? (Justa Lurker) Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? (BV124@aol.com) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 10:55:23 -0700 Subject: Telecom Update #491, August 5, 2005 From: Angus TeleManagement Group Reply-To: Angus TeleManagement Group ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 491: August 5, 2005 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com ** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/en/ ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/ ** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca ** MITEL NETWORKS: www.mitel.com/ ** ROGERS TELECOM: www.rogers.com/solutions ** UTC CANADA: www.canada.utc.org/ ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** BCE Revenues Up 4% ** Telus Revenues Rise 8.2% ** RIM Gets Mixed News from U.S. Court ** Union Says Telus May Be Ready to Talk ** Ottawa Seeks Comment on Power-Line Broadband ** Bell Buys Montreal Cableco Assets ** Nortel Postpones Quarterly Results ** Industry Canada Supports Rural Digital Roaming ** FCC Creates VoIP E911 Task Force ** Dobbin Moves to Toronto Hydro Telecom ** Quick Approval for Telus Bundle ** CRTC Limits Cost of Bell Service Improvement ** Wireless Age Buys Networking Company ============================================================ BCE REVENUES UP 4%: BCE's second quarter revenues of $5.0 billion were up 4.2% from a year ago. Net income rose 2% to $563 million. Wireless sales rose 10.5% to $771 million, making up 15% of total revenues. Changes in other product-line sales: Long distance down 9.4%; local/access down 2.4%; data up 11%. ** Growth in subscriber base: wireless 146,000; video 63,000; high- speed Internet 92,000. ** Telesat led BCE subsidiaries with a revenue gain of 61%, to $137 million, due in large part to income from the new Anik F2 satellite. ** BCE declared it had reached its goal of "significantly more competitive labour agreements." TELUS REVENUES RISE 8.2%: Second quarter revenues at Telus rose 8.2% over the same quarter last year, to $2.02 billion. Net income increased 10% to $190 million. Wireless sales increased 19% to $802 million, making up 40% of total Telus revenue. Changes in revenue in other categories: long distance no change; local down 0.2%; data up 9.9%. ** Growth in subscriber base: wireless 131,100; high-speed Internet 17,100. ** Regarding the current labour conflict, Telus said that 70% of its total work force continues to work, including all employees east of Alberta. RIM GETS MIXED NEWS FROM U.S. COURT: A U.S. appeals court has delayed implementation of a lower court order to halt sales of BlackBerry devices in the U.S. However, the same ruling confirmed most of the earlier ruling against RIM on the substance of its patent dispute with NTP Inc. UNION SAYS TELUS MAY BE READY TO TALK: The Telecommunications Workers Union says it has established "channels of communication with [Telus] upper levels" and expects contract negotiations to resume in two to four weeks. (See Telecom Update #490) OTTAWA SEEKS COMMENT ON POWER-LINE BROADBAND: Industry Canada is asking for public and industry comment on the deployment and regulation of systems that deliver high-speed Internet and broadband services over power lines. A consultation paper is now available online; the deadline for comments is November 28. http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/vwapj/bpl-e.pdf/$FILE/bpl-e.pdf BELL BUYS MONTREAL CABLECO ASSETS: Bell Canada has bought the residential assets of Cable VDN, a Gaz Metropolitain subsidiary that provides service to 13,500 TV and 3,000 Internet subscribers in Montreal apartment buildings. NORTEL POSTPONES QUARTERLY RESULTS: On the day before it was to announce second quarter results, Nortel Networks postponed the release five days to August 8, to align with the date of U.S. regulatory filings. INDUSTRY CANADA SUPPORTS RURAL DIGITAL ROAMING: Under current policy, wireless carriers are required to provide only analog roaming service to other carriers; this will disadvantage small rural carriers as analog is phased out. Industry Canada has announced a new policy that "encourages" national wireless carriers to voluntarily provide digital roaming to non-competing rural wireless carriers. The policy includes no legal obligation, and no penalty for not complying. http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/en/sf06317e.html FCC CREATES VOIP E911 TASK FORCE: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has created a joint federal-state task force "to facilitate the timely and effective enforcement of the Commission's VoIP E911 rules." In May the FCC ordered providers of telephone service over the Internet to provide Enhanced E911 to all customers by the beginning of November. (See Telecom Update #482) http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-260150A1.pdf DOBBIN MOVES TO TORONTO HYDRO TELECOM: Telecom Ottawa COO Dave Dobbin is leaving the utility telco to become President of Toronto Hydro Telecom, effective August 15. Telecom Ottawa's owner, Hydro Ottawa, has congratulated Dobbin on the move and will work with him to "ensure an orderly transition." QUICK APPROVAL FOR TELUS BUNDLE: The CRTC took only nine business days to issue Telecom Order 2005-285, which approves a new Telus residential bundle that offers discounts up to 30% to customers who subscribe to Telus residential service and six calling features. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2005/o2005-285.htm CRTC LIMITS COST OF BELL SERVICE IMPROVEMENT: Six years ago, CRTC Telecom Decision 99-16, which dealt with service in high-cost areas, ordered the incumbent telcos to upgrade all localities to a newly defined basic service that included touch-tone, access to 911, 411, and voice relay, and access to long distance. Telecom Decision 2005-43, released this week, limits that requirement to localities where the capital cost would not exceed $62,500 for each customer who opts to obtain the upgrade. ** Bell says that 69 localities will be excluded from service improvement programs under the new rule: in those locations only 5% of customers, on average, want the upgrades. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/1999/DT99-16.htm www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2005/dt2005-43.htm WIRELESS AGE BUYS NETWORKING COMPANY: Mississauga-based Wireless Age Communications, a cellular retailer and phone card distributor, has bought Wireless Works, which provides broadband wireless and Land Mobile Radio services in the Niagara region. (See Telecom Update #447) ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-mail ianangus@angustel.ca and jriddell@angustel.ca =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web late Friday afternoon each week at www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add or remove the sender's e-mail address from the list. Leave subject line and message area blank. We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail addresses to any third party. For more information, see www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2005 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail jriddell@angustel.ca. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ============================================================ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 08:32:26 PDT From: Iam Enoch Subject: ISP for Liberty,KS Hello, I am trying to find a way to get internet in Liberty, KS without using Totah. They will not let any other ISP get a number in their exchange. Do you have any ideas? Thank you for any help you can give. Will [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You did not say _where_ you live in Liberty; the Totah Telephone business office rep said Totah was 'mostly entirely' all of Liberty (zip 67351) with 620-485 phones but a 'tiny edge' was served by Southwestern Bell out of the Independence Central Office 620-331. She offered me DSL 'for about $30 per month' if you are served by Totah as you seemed to imply. I checked with our two cable companies in this area: Cable One out of Independence and Cox out of Coffeyville. Mike Flood over at Cable One here told me they did not reach all the way to Liberty. I also chatted with the Cox Cable tech support guy and asked him about it. He said at first that '67351 zip code was shown on his map as an 'unserviceable area' but he agreed that 'Cox takes in so much of Montgomery County (other than Cable One communities) that he could not be sure.' He had me hold while he called the 'head end' guys in Coffeyville and asked them specifically about the fiber in the south end of the county; did it reach into Liberty or not? They said it did not, presently. So it would appear that for _high speed broadband service_ you are stuck with Totah Telephone Company DSL service if that is what you have now. Cable One also runs into many 'small' towns around here: Cherryvale, Parsons, etc but not Liberty which is really a very tiny, very rural area. ): By the way, Totah brokers DSL from Southwestern Bell as I understand it, but under their own brand name. If you are willing to use dialup service (much slower) you can get an account with TerraWorld (which has _no_ 'local' numbers in Liberty). You'd have to pay for a toll call to Independence or Cherryvale or Coffeyville, whichever was cheapest for you, or TerraWorld told me you could get an account with them and use their 800 number by paying extra. But still it would just be dialup speed. Sorry I could not find any better alternative for you; Cox Cable at least told me they expected to get out that way 'sometime in a year or so'; Cable One could not even give me that little bit of encouragement. PAT] ------------------------------ From: cherniymonakh@hotmail.com Subject: Telephoning Russian Villages Date: 5 Aug 2005 07:28:24 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hello, perhaps you can help: My family are now at a cottage in a village outside Moscow, where they are staying for weeks due to the hot weather. The telephone number there contains less than the usual number of digits (6 instead of seven). For some reasons calls cannot get there from North America, although they can call here. The problem seems to be with the US, as I don't even get a Russian dial tone, but a North American one followed by an English-language message saying that there is no such number and to try again. Is there any trick to dialing such numbers and getting through? There is freakish discrepency between the cost of calling from there (a couple of dollars per minute) versus from here (cents per minute with calling card), so I would prefer to be the one doing the calling. Any help would be appreciated. Regards, BM [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: What is the _name_ of the village? Let's begin by examining what _you_ show is the correct dialing string. Often times, I have found that you have 'country code' then 'city code' (like a USA area code) then the local number. Many times, the 'city code' part has an extra digit or two, to make up for 'less than seven' digits in the local number part. Tell us the correct name of the village and what _you_ think is the dialing string. Are you actually in Russia trying to make the call, or in the USA trying to make an international call? Some of our experts here will be able to figure it out, I am sure. If in the USA trying to call do not be alarmed if an intercept recording comes back in _English_ instead of in Russian. Telco has some trick where if they (telco) knows that an intercept message is on the way, they yank the connection and return with an 'American' recording instead often times. Your turn, tell us more specifics please. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Beholder Subject: Inter-Tel Phones through Cable/DSL? Date: 5 Aug 2005 07:28:15 -0700 Hi everyone, I am new to our office (been here about 3 months) and have been quickly learning all about the Company's Inter-Tel phone system that they installed in Nov 04'. Our company has a converged system so our main office (which houses the system) uses RJ11 wire to the 50+ phones that are in this office. We also have 3 branch offices that use the IP version of the same phone we have in our main office (Model 8520). We have a MPLS VPN that connects our Headquarters to each remote office, so each branch office has a T1 line running between them and our HQ. As the system is set up now we can 3-digit dial any extension regardless of where it is in the network. I am trying to persue the possibility of using a normal cable or DSL connection to have our phones connect to our system. I could have a phone at my house with my cable connection, and have my work extention ring at my house. ALso if salespeople traveled they could plug into a hotel's internet connection and have access to voicemail and their extention. Is this possible? We are also looking at the possibility of having cable connections supplied to each branch office which would be a better value as the cable connections provide about 4x as much speed for 1/4 the price of teh VPN lines. If anyone has done this I would greatly appreciate some help. Thanks, and I appoligize for the lenghtly post. - Andrew ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 22:32:57 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Comcast Reports Second Quarter 2005 Results Revenue Increased 10.5% to $5.6 Billion Operating Income Increased 23.2% to $1.0 Billion Operating Cash Flow Increased 13.2% to $2.2 Billion 20th Consecutive Quarter of Double-Digit Growth Growth in New Services Continues Added 1.1 Million Revenue Generating Units During the First Half of 2005 Including 507,000 During the Second Quarter PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) today reported results for the quarter ended June 30, 2005. Comcast will discuss second quarter results on a conference call and webcast today at 8:30 AM Eastern Time. A live broadcast of the conference call will be available on the investor relations website at http://www.cmcsa.com and http://www.cmcsk.com . - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=50846672 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 22:39:47 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Time Warner Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2005 Results NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 3, 2005--Time Warner Inc. -- Company Reaches Agreement in Principle to Resolve Its Primary Securities Class Action Litigation and Reserves $3 Billion Related to All Pending Securities Litigation Matters -- Board of Directors Authorizes $5 Billion Stock Repurchase Program Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX) today reported financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2005. The Company also announced that it has reached an agreement in principle to resolve its primary securities class action litigation and established reserves of $3 billion related to this and all other related securities litigation matters. In addition, Time Warner's Board of Directors has authorized a $5 billion stock repurchase program over the next two years. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=50881109 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 05 Aug 2005 07:24:57 -0500 From: Neal McLain Subject: Austin Gaffe Stirs Fantasy by Rick Casey Houston Chronicle It is said in Washington that a gaffe is when someone slips up and tells the truth. Austin is becoming more like Washington. Time Warner Regional President Ron McMillan of Houston made a gaffe in a note he wrote in response to a fundraising letter from state Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale, R-Houston. Now McMillan has me fantasizing that he would expand on his truthful gaffe. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.mpl/metropolitan/3297313 ------------------------------ From: jmeissen@aracnet.com Subject: Death Sentence for Independent ISPs? Date: 5 Aug 2005 21:47:16 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com The FCC just signed a death sentence for local independent ISP's. http://tinyurl.com/dzhzg WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Verizon Communications (VZ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and other U.S. local telephone companies will be freed from numerous regulations on their high-speed Internet services, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission decided on Friday. The agency unanimously agreed to treat the service, known as digital subscriber line (DSL), as an "information service," which insulates it from many traditional telephone rules, such as requirements to lease network access to competitors. ....... I fail to see how enabling a monopoly reduces prices and improves service. :-/ John Meissen jmeissen@aracnet.com ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: FCC Gives Blessing to Sprint, Nextel Marriage Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 16:57:54 -0700 Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com By Arshad Mohammed and Yuki Noguchi The Washington Post WASHINGTON -- The merger of Sprint and Nextel Communications won approval from the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department yesterday, clearing the way for a combined company with more than 35 million mobile-phone subscribers. The companies said they expect the $35 billion merger to close within two weeks and joint operations to begin within two months, meaning consumers may see joint advertising on television and new signs in stores by October. The combined Sprint Nextel will be the nation's third-largest mobile company and will have more ammunition to compete against its much bigger rivals, Cingular Wireless and Verizon Wireless, and to forge potentially lucrative partnerships with cable companies. The company will continue to market to Sprint's customer base and to Nextel's loyal business clients, who are devoted to its "push to talk" walkie-talkie-like feature. For now, the companies will still operate two different network technologies, so that customers will not have to switch their phones. They hope to develop a new version of Nextel's push-to-talk service that will operate over Sprint's network, allowing current Nextel customers to use the feature with Sprint customers. http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=sprintnextel04&date=20050804&query=fcc+gives+blessing+to+sprint%2C+nextel+marriage http://tinyurl.com/79trq ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Stehekin Residents Say Hold the Phone - Forever Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 16:47:53 -0700 Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com By Ralph Thomas Seattle Times Olympia bureau Judy Clark yells out to greet a neighbor in Stehekin. At left is the community's only public phone. Clark is against expanding phone service, saying it will change too many things here, including face-to-face contact with people in this remote area. Phil Garfoot, who turns 68 Wednesday, shoes a horse in Stehekin. Garfoot doesn't want phone service coming to the remote community and he isn't alone. STEHEKIN, Chelan County -- Ana Maria Spagna has to think hard about how long it's been since she talked on a telephone. Two months, she figures, maybe longer. It's not that Spagna is anti-social or suffering from some weird phone phobia. It's just that she, like nearly everyone else here in this remote mountain village, doesn't have a phone. And she'd like to keep it that way. More than a century after telephones came to towns like Seattle, a small company called WeavTel is pushing to connect Stehekin (pronounced sta-HEE-kin) to the outside world. But instead of embracing the idea, many of the town's 100 or so year-round residents are fighting hard to keep WeavTel and the telephones out. "Why can't we have one place in this world where there aren't any phones?" said Spagna. Spagna and many of her neighbors have numerous arguments against bringing phones to Stehekin. They say it will damage the town's rustic but neighborly nature and ruin its reputation as a place where tourists can truly escape their hectic city lives. Some lifelong residents, descendants of Stehekin's first white settlers, fear the phone system would further diminish the town's already eroding spirit of self-reliance. They fume over a federally mandated subsidy program that would enable WeavTel to make money even if many of the residents never hook up. http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=stehekin04m&date=20050804&query=stehekin+residents+say+hold+the+phone http://tinyurl.com/a8466 ------------------------------ From: Mark Crispin Subject: Re: NYT's Friedman Calls For Better Wireless Access Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 08:59:21 -0700 Organization: University of Washington On Wed, 3 Aug 2005, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > A New York Times columnist, Friedman, calls today (8/3/05) for > better wireless access in the United States. He says many foreign > countries have better systems than we do and they will have the > competitive edge on the US as a result. Tell him to take a look at a map and consider the differences in geography and demographics. It's pretty easy to have good wireless coverage in densely-populated postage-stamp sized countries, especially when not encumbered by zoning ("you are NOT going to put that tower where I can see it!"). It is also advisable to consider geography. Japan is no slouch when it comes to wireless, yet there are numerous dead zones in big cities. Any honest coverage map of Japan will show that there is no coverage at all in the sparsely-populated mountainous interior of Japan; the coverage is in the big cities which are all on the coasts. I know from personal experience that you lose service as soon as you get a few kilometers from the urban core. I also know from personal experience that there are numerous dead zones in London. Now, if two relatively small island nations have problems, consider wireless coverage issues in a large continental nation, and you have the situation faced by Canada, the US, and Mexico. -- Mark -- http://staff.washington.edu/mrc Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate. Si vis pacem, para bellum. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: NYT's Friedman Calls For Better Wireless Access Date: 5 Aug 2005 09:09:26 -0700 Mark Crispin wrote: > Well he to take a look at a map and consider the differences in > geography and demographics. It's pretty easy to have good wireless > coverage in densely-populated postage-stamp sized countries, > especially when not encumbered by zoning ("you are NOT going to put > that tower where I can see it!"). That's an excellent point. Many articles complain about the United States compared to other countries. Certainly in some cases the complaints are valid. However, we must be sure we're making an apples-to-apples comparison and understand all the business-environment differences. What seems particularly strange is that in the days the Bell System the U.S. consistently was far ahead of other countries with telephone service. I wonder if perhaps the lack of landline service options fueled growth of cell phones in other countries. That is, in other places the cell phone is the only phone they have because a traditional phone line was either unavailable or too expensive. In one sense developing an all-new cellular system is easier than land lines since no expensive street house-to-house cabling is required. Central office electronics are relatively cheap now. ------------------------------ From: NOTvalid@XmasNYC.Info Subject: Re: Opinion Telegrams and Mailgrams Date: 5 Aug 2005 05:01:03 -0700 Chris Farrar wrote: > Pat, I wouldn't complain too much about the US Postal Service. Take a > look at what the mail service is like in your neighbor to the north. > Canada Post doesn't deliver on Saturdays. And I hear that they charge sales tax on stamps. ------------------------------ From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com (Robert Bonomi) Subject: Re: Personal Opinion Telegram and Mailgram - Discontinuance? Date: Fri, 05 Aug 2005 01:12:27 -0000 Organization: Widgets, Inc. In article , > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Does anyone remember when we used to > have _two_ mail deliveries each day as a routine thing, and when > postage cost only a few pennies at that? PAT] "The cost of postage really _hasn't_ gone up all that much in the last 75 years. It's *still* about 3 cents a day." Seriously, when you factor out inflation, the cost of mailing a letter has not increased all that much over the years. ------------------------------ From: Mark Crispin Subject: Re: Calling All Luddites Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 17:39:28 -0700 Organization: University of Washington On Thu, 4 Aug 2005, Thomas L. Friedman wrote: > I began thinking about this after watching the Japanese use > cellphones and laptops to get on the Internet from speeding bullet > trains and subways deep underground. Yes; in select areas, cellphones work in Japanese subways and on the shinkansen. The key is the phrase "select areas". I have a domestic Japanese cell phone. I see the infamous "OUT" (which is how many Japanese phones indicate "no service") appear regularly while on the subway, and while on the shinkansen. Actually, you're not supposed to be talking on the phone at all on trains in Japan. In Japan, you're supposed to switch the phone into "manner mode", which silences the ringer and speaker and directs all incoming calls to voice mail. The heavy usage of cell phones on Japanese trains that you see are people playing games (muted!) or exchanging email messages (which only needs intermittant connectivity). It was quite jarring to me back in the US to encounter people engaged in loud and animated cell phone conversations on public transportation (not to mention unmuted Game Boys). > But the last straw was when I couldn't get cellphone service while > visiting I.B.M.'s headquarters in Armonk, N.Y. How about not being able to get cellphone service at a research lab at NTT? By the way, Japan has about as many incompatible cell phone systems as the US: PDC (TDMA-based 2G unique to Japan), cdmaOne (2G), W-CDMA (3G), CDMA2000 1x (3G), and PHS (dual low-power public wireless/cordless phone in Japan and a few other Asian countries). There's no GSM in Japan. There is limited international roaming with 3G CMDA (W-CDMA, CMDA2000 1x), but not (as far as I can tell) with any North American carriers. -- Mark -- http://staff.washington.edu/mrc Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate. Si vis pacem, para bellum. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 19:50:46 PDT Subject: Re: Looking For a Good International Conference Call Service From: Harold Hallikainen Guess I missed the part about Internet conferencing not working. Sorry about that. Harold ------------------------------ From: Steve Sobol Subject: Re: Credit Reports, was Re: AT&T Customers Taken Over By Alltel Date: Wed, 03 Aug 2005 23:10:37 -0700 Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com Charles Cryderman wrote: > reporting company TRW. In it they talked about how many military > personnel would have credit issues due to deployment. It also stated > that all "Credit Reporting Companies" were required to provide, upon > written request, copies of your credit report (address was provided > for TRW). I then sat down and requested a copy to see if it > worked. About 6 weeks later I did receive a copy and saw that only the > credit I had requested was posted and that I was in good standing. I Maybe you got special consideration as a soldier. Perhaps enlisted men and women got a special deal because it wouldn't be easy for them to deal with credit issues overseas ... But as far as I know, the rest of us were not entitled to any free reports unless we were denied credit or employment (as I posted earlier) or if there was a state law specifying we were not to be charged. There have been some state laws on the books prior to this past year. Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED Company website: http://JustThe.net/ Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/ E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307 ------------------------------ From: Justa Lurker Subject: Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? Organization: AT&T Worldnet Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2005 21:52:01 GMT > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: In Chicago, in addition to the CTA or > Chicago Transit Authority (thus situated), there is also the CHA (or > Chicago Housing Authorty) which is a _true_ atrocity if there ever was > one. CHA has been in 'federal receivership' now for a few years due > to the unbelievably awful living conditions in the 'homes' and the > amount of crime on its property. Originally very nice _but plain_ living > accomodations, the CHA was started in 1941 and its first commissioner > was a woman who was a protege of Jane Addams of Hull House fame. CHA > was intended to be _temporary, transitional_ housing for needy people; > then after the second war ended, the idea was to provide _temporary, > transitional_ housing for military veterans returnin from military > duty. Since about 1960 or so, these high-rise (fifteen or twenty story > buildings; a cluster of a dozen or so in each location) have been > almost exclusively for black people; Exactly how has this racial exclusivity been enforced ? > many of whom of course "of course" ???? Do explain further, please. > have extensive criminal histories and their families; quite often > the only person in the 'home' (all seven or eight thousand of them > in an aggregate total) is the Mother. Nearly every one of them has > one or more sons or fathers currently in prison or recently > released. The little kids run around wild and rather delinquent as > one would expect. All of which is somehow the fault of the CHA ? You've lost me here. > The television series of the 1970's, _Happy Times_ (written by Norman > Lear) is now in endless re-runs on TV-Land . "Good Times". I remember watching it as a lad, along with "All in the Family" and other Lear shows. :-) > The former commissioner of the mess, a man named Charles Swibel, a > rich, white older man How is his financial status, race, and age relevant ? Why did you mention them ? Aren't you a white older man too (so that can't be the problem) ? Maybe your real problem is that he is rich and you are not. Or are you implying that he & the CHA oppressed black people on behalf of rich white people. Say what you mean ! Don't keep us guessing. > from the northern suburbs had some problems of his own in keeping > the CHA money accounts in order, barely escaped going to prison > himself, but did get CHA tossed into federal recivership (a sort of > bankruptcy chapter used for governments) when the feds 'evicted' him > from office. Not all that unusual, or unique to Chicago or even Illinois, unfortunately. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Racial exclusivity in Chicago means that when black people move into a neighborhood, the white people generally move out. Blame it on whomever you wish; that is a fact of life in Chicago (another reason, among several, why I was happy to get away from Chicago). I like Independence, because it is an integrated, inclusive community. There are many 'integrated' couples and families here. Blacks and whites are not at each other's throats as happens so often in a place like Chicago. Gay and straight people are not always hassling each other here either. We are simply too 'laid back' to bother with that sort of thing. There was a discussion here in town once of having a 'gay pride' parade. Some gay people said 'why should we do anything like that; who needs such a garish display?' I did not completely agree with that assessment (having lived so long in Chicago) but I can see where the local guys were coming from. Our public schools here are totally integrated; in Chicago the public schools are almost entirely black (by default, since the white people send their kids to private schools often times.) Here the white people do not run and hide when blacks are around. The 'racial exclusivity' of the CHA 'housing projects' came about by this default; blacks moved in, whites moved out. It was not entirely the CHA's 'fault' except that as the conditions of the housing got worse and worse over the years, many less ecomically privileged blacks found it was all they could afford, and the white people figured out somewhere else to live. Yes, I am a white man, and no I am not rich; even when I lived around Chicago I could not afford to live in an enclave like Wilmette or Glencoe or Winnetka. Many of CHA's problems came from Charles Swibel and his immediate sucessors, men who were demonstrated thieves, men who ripped off the housing authority for most of its money, it was nothing to do with 'rich oppressing poor' or 'white oppressing black'. I mentioned those items about his race, wealth and living accomoda- tions to show the difference between the person who ran the system versus those who lived and still live under the system. In recent years, some thought has been given to having a board of directors of CHA who are _actually residents_ in large part of the housing project. Just like the Chicago Police Department; isn't it sad there has to be a law requiring officers to live in the city; in other words they have to live where they shit and the other way around. For many years there was no such law; cops tended to live where they wanted, usually the white cops lived around other white guys (much nicer white suburbs) and the black cops lived in at least the better class black neighborhoods in the suburbs. Ditto with school teachers in Chicago. You want to work here, then _live_ here as well. City of Chicago had to force that rule, even with the unions fighting them. We just do not have to do that sort of thing here; people in town by and large are proud to be part of Independence. Once on a local area BBS in Chicago, I got into a discussion with a guy who said "prostitution and 'drug use' should be legal in a 'red light district'. " I asked him where would you put the 'red light district'? He said "oh I guess we would locate it somewhere in _Chicago_." I asked him why not locate it in _Lake Forest where you live_ or maybe in _Winnetka?_ Needless to say he was highly indignant at my suggestion. Oh, by the way, even our local 'housing project' here in town; it is called 'Garden Walk Apartments' on North 10th Street near the high school (rents subsidized by City of Independence and State of Kansas) does not come close to the hassles that were so prevalent with the CHA. And our housing 'project' is truely integrated, not just all black people who cannot manage to do any better. PAT] ------------------------------ From: BV124@aol.com Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2005 22:28:10 EDT Subject: Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? You wrote: > The TV show was called "GOOD Times". Among the various stars was a > young Janet Jackson. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Yeah, my error, sorry. It was set in > one of the Chicago Housing Authority buildings on the south side of > town. PAT] I believe they were in the Cabrini Green Homes, which is > on the near north side. At least the lead-in film was of Cabrini > and the near north side. I believe they were in the Cabrini Green Homes, which is on the near north side. At least the lead-in film was of Cabrini and the near north side. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My second mistake in recent years; the (Catholic nun) Mother Frances Cabrini 'Homes' at Division Street and Halstead Street (where the CTA bus drivers always warn their passengers 'duck down in your seats until we get to Clark Street') -- in order, I guess, to avoid being hit by a random bullet -- is right next to the group of buildings named for Edgar Green, a long-ago commissioner of CHA. It is one of the near north side branches of the 'homes' offered by CHA to black people. 'Cabrini', as 'Cabrini-Green' is known in street parlance, is or was one of the worst. The couple thousand people who live in the 'Cabrini-Green' highrises are not as fortunate as the family in 'Happy Times'. I think when Lear made that pilot, CHA required a lot of consideration (read that as 'loot') to let him make the series and they (CHA) insisted on decorating and fixing up one apartment where the actors would live which was nicer than the usual accomodations there. Also, CHA insisted on giving imprimatuer to Lear's work before they would okay the series being made. CHA once was asked why they did not have _their_ administrative offices in one of their own highrises rather than on State and Madison Streets downtown where it is located. They had no answer for that, or maybe were too embarassed or ashamed to say why. Once of our mayors (during the interim when Daley was out of office) Jane Byrne tried to score some political points by supposedly moving out of her near- north elegant highrise and living for a month in Cabrini, just to show that she was 'one of the regular people'. PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. 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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #355 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Aug 6 00:01:06 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 2174B15224; Sat, 6 Aug 2005 00:01:06 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V24 #356 Message-Id: <20050806040106.2174B15224@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 00:01:06 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.8 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Fri, 5 Aug 2005 23:53:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 356 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Craig Niedorf Remembered - Part 1 (TELECOM Digest Archives Reprint) Craig Niedorf Remembered - Part 2 (TELECOM Digest Archives Reprint) Re: Nextel False Advertising (Joseph) Re: Analysts: ATMs Highly Vulnerable to Fraud (Wesrock@aol.com) Re: Credit Report, was Re: AT&T Customers Taken By Alltel (Damon Brownd) Re: Today's Long Distance Circuits? (Neal McLain) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 22:42:12 EDT From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) Subject: Craig Niedorf Remembered - Part 1 It was fifteen years ago, about this time in the summer of 1990, that Craig Niedorf, then a college student about 20 years old, was told by the federal government that they would not be finding him guilty after all. The federal prosecutor came up with a total crock based on some flaky testimony by BellSouth. To save embarassment to themselves because of this prosecutorial misconduct, the government simply decided to let him go, after all the hell they had first put him through, for his alleged 'hacking'. I thought you might like to see the story I ran in the Digest fifteen years ago, over the last weekend of July, 1990. Date: Fri, 27 Jul 90 16:55 CDT From: TK0JUT2%NIU.BITNET@uicvm.uic.edu Subject: NEIDORF TRIAL OVER! GOVERNMENT DROPS ALL CHARGES! Less than halfway through the trial, and before it had presented its remaining witnesses, but government dropped all charges against Craig Neidorf. Defense Attorney Sheldon Zenner said that Prosecutor Bill Cook's decision was "in line with the highest standards of good government and ethical conduct." Zenner said that the government could have continued to the last and let the jury decide, but did the honorable thing. One reason for the surprise decision, according to one inside source, was that, as the testimony and cross-examination proceeded, the government realized that BellSouth had not been forthcoming about the extent of availability of the document and its worth. The prosecution apparently relied on the good faith of BellSouth because of the previously good working relationship it had with it and other telecom companies. Craig Neidorf was ecstatic about the decision, and feels vindicated. He can now resume his studies, complete his degree, and seriously consider law school. He *WILL NOT* resume publication of PHRACK! Zenner praised Bill Cook's decision to drop all charges, and added he is not angry, but appreciative. Zenner also felt that the the efforts of EFF, CuD, and the many individuals who supported Craig were instrumental in creating credibility and visibility for the case, generating ideas and information for the defense, and facilitating enlisting some of the prospective defense witnesses to participate. There are those who have taken the Ed Meese line and assumed that Craig must have done *something* or the government wouldn't be prosecuting him. Others have not been as strident, but have put their faith in "The System," assuming that the process works, and as long as Craig's procedural rights were protected, we should "wait and see." Others on the extreme end have said that those of us who supported Craig would change our minds once all the evidence has come out, and we were criticized for raising issues unfairly when the government, so it was claimed, couldn't respond because it had to protect Craig's privacy and was required to sit in silence. One prosecutor even said that when all the evidence comes out, Craig's supporters would slink back under their rocks. There is little cause for Craig's supporters to gloat, because the emotional and financial toll on Craig and his family were substantial. Dropping the charges hardly means that the system works, because if it worked, there would have been no charges to begin with. From the beginning, Craig expressed his willingness to cooperate, but the government made this impossible with its persecution. Craig's supporters, from the beginning, have published the evidence, explained the issues, and we can still see no reason for his indictment. The evidence presented by the government in some cases could have been presented as well by the defense to show that *no* criminal acts occurred. When witnesses must be coached into how to present negative evidence, and when little, if any, can be adequately constructed, one would think that somebody in the prosecutor's office might realize there simply isn't a case there. The government had no case in the beginning, they could not construct one, and they had nothing at the end. So, dropping the charges does not indicate that the system works, but rather that sometimes a just outcome may result despite unjust actions of over-zealous agents. The prosecution not only lost the case, but reduced its credibility in all areas of computer enforcement. The claim that a recent TELECOM Digest contributor made that the SS and others may intentionally overstep bounds to establish more clearly the lines of law may be true, but what about the costs to innocent victims of such Machiavellian tactics? Do we really live in such a cynical society that we find it acceptable to place lives, careers, and reputations at great risk? Now, however, it is time to move on and address the lessons learned from the experience. Some of the issues include how computerists can be protected from overzealousness, how law enforcement agents can perform their legitimate tasks of gathering evidence without violation rights, and how legislation can be written to reflect technological changes that protect us from predators while not subverting our rights with loose, broad, or inaccurate language. This has been the goal of Mitch and the EFF, and it is one on which we should *all* unite and focus our energy. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jul 90 03:23 CDT From: TK0JUT2%NIU.BITNET@uicvm.uic.edu Subject: Days Three and Four of Craig's Trial Some final comments on Day Three of Craig Neidorf's trial: It was curious that, in introducing the PHRACK/INC Hacking Directory, a list of over 1,300 addresses and handles, the prosecution seemed it important that LoD participants were on it, and made no mention of academics, security and law enforcement agents, and others. In some ways, it seemed that Bill Cook's strategy was to put HACKING (or his own rather limited definition of it) on trial, and then attempt to link Craig to hackers and establish guilt by association. It was also strange that, after several months of supposed familiarization with the case, that neither Bill Cook nor Agent Foley would pronounce his name correctly. Neidorf rhymes with eye-dorf. Foley pronounced it KNEEdorf and Cook insisted on NEDD-orf. Further, his name was spelled incorrectly on at least three charts introduced as evidence, but as Sheldon Zenner indicated, "we all make mistakes." Yeh, even Bill Cook. One can't but think that such an oversight is intentional, because a prosecutor as aware of detail as Bill Cook surely by now can be expected to know who he is prosecuting, even when corrected. Perhaps this is just part of a crude, arrogant style designed to intimidate, perhaps it is ignorance, or perhaps it is a simple mistake. But, we judge it an offense both to Craig and especially his family to sit in the courtroom and listen to the man prosecuting their son to continually and so obviously mispronounce their name. DAY FOUR OF THE TRIAL (THURSDAY, JULY 26): Special Agent Foley continued his testimony, continuing to describe the step by step procedure of the search, his conversation with Craig, what he found, and the value of the E911 files. On cross-examination, Agent Foley was asked how he obtained the original value of the files. The value is crucial, because of the claim that they are worth more than $5,000. Agent Foley indicated that he obtained the figure from BellSouth and didn't bother to verify it. Then, he was asked how he obtained the revised value of $23,000. Again, Agent Foley indicated that he didn't verify the worth. Because of the importance of the value in establishing applicability of Title 18, this seems a crucial, perhaps fatal, oversight. Next came the testimony of Robert Riggs (The Prophet), testifying presumably under immunity and, according to a report in the last issue of CuD, under the potential threat of a higher sentence if he did not cooperate. The diminutive Riggs said nothing that seemed harmful to Craig, and Zenner's skill elicited information that, to an observer, seemed quite beneficial. For example, Riggs indicated that he had no knowledge that Craig hacked, had no knowledge that Craig ever traded in or used passwords for accessing computers, and that Craig never asked him to steal anything for him. Riggs also indicated that he had been coached by the prosecution. The coaching even included having a member of the prosecution team play the role of Zenner to prepare him for cross-examination. It was also revealed that the prosecution asked Riggs to go over all the back issues of PHRACK to identify any articles that may have been helpful in his hacking career. Although it may damage the egos of some PHRACK writers, Riggs identified only one article from PHRACK 7 that MIGHT POSSIBLY be helpful. What are we to make of all this? So far, it seems that the bulk of the evidence against Craig is weak, exaggerated, and at times seems almost fabricated (such as the value of the E911 file and Craig's "evil" attempt to organize a league of "criminals." We have been told repeatedly be some law enforcement officials and others that we should wait, because evidence will come out that could not be discussed in public, and that this evidence would silence critics. Some have even said that those who have criticized law enforcement would "slink back under their rocks" when the evidence was presented. Perhaps. But, so far at least, there has been no smoking gun, no evidence that hasn't been discussed previously, and no indication of any heinous conspiracy to bring America to its knees by trashing the E911 system, robbing banks, or destroying the technological fabric of society. Perhaps a bombshell will be introduced before the prosecution winds up in a few days. But, even if Craig is ultimately found guilty on any of the counts, there is certainly nothing presented thus far that appears to justify the severity of the charges or the waste of state resources. To paraphrase that anonymous writer in the last issue of CuD, I can't help but wonder why we're all here! ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 22:35:21 EDT From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) Subject: Craig Niedorf Remembered - Part 2 Another incident during that summer of 1990 we shouldn't forget were the various newspaper accounts written by reporter Joe Abernathy. Although Mr. Abernathy in his earlier articles got a lot of details wrong, by this point (summer, 1990) he was doing better at reporting facts, not hearsay and rumors. Abernathy talked in this article about the government sponsored witch hunt that went on for couple of yeas in 1989-1990. ANOTHER ARTICLE BY JOE ABERNATHY ABOUT THE INTERNET IS LOCATED IN THE MAIN DIRECTORY OF TELECOM ARCHIVES UNDER THE TITLE 'ABERNATHY.INTERNET.STORY' . Date: Wed, 5 Sep 90 19:29:47 CDT From: edtjda@MAGIC712.CHRON.COM(Joe Abernathy) To: tk0jut2%niu.bitnet@UICVM.UIC.EDU Subject: Text of chron-sundevil article War on computer crime waged with search, seizure By JOE ABERNATHY Houston Chronicle The government's first assault on computer crime, unveiled with fanfare six months ago, has generated few criminal cases and is drawing allegations that federal agents are using heavy-handed tactics. Although only four people have been charged, searches and seizures have been conducted in at least 44 homes or businesses in the crackdown, called Operation Sun Devil. One prosecutor attributed the delay in filing cases to the vast amount of information that must be sorted. Authorities would not say, however, when or if additional charges might be re- turned. Sun Devil, so named because it began in Arizona and targeted an evil that investigators deemed biblical in stature, is held forth as a sophisticated defense of the nation's computer in- frastructure. Computer-related abuses will cost the nation's business community $500 million this year, according to some esti mates. Operation Sun Devil and several related investigations made public in March have been under way for more than two years. Hun- dreds of agents from the Secret Service, U.S. attorney's office, the Bell companies, and assorted law enforcement agencies are involved. But the operation is coming under fire for what critics describe as unjustified searches and seizures of property and electronic information protected by the Constitution. Among examples they cite: * An Austin publishing house is clinging to life after Secret Service agents confiscated equipment and manuscripts, leaving behind an unsigned search warrant. * A Missouri college student faces an extra year in school and $100,000 in legal fees after defending himself from charges that he stole a proprietary document from the telephone company by publishing it in a newsletter. * The wife and children of a Baltimore corporate computer consultant were detained for six hours while he was interrogated in a locked bedroom and his business equipment was confiscated. With no way to support itself, the family has sunk into pover- ty. At a press conference in March, authorities presented Sun De- vil as a full-scale response to a serious criminal threat. "The United States Secret Service, in cooperation with the Un- ited States attorney's office and the attorney general for the state of Arizona, established an operation utilizing sophisticat- ed investigative techniques," a press release said, adding that 40 computers and 23,000 data disks had been seized in the initial sweep. "The conceivable criminal violations of this operation have serious implications for the health and welfare of all individu- als, corporations, and United States government agencies relying on computers and telephones to communicate," it continued. Six months later, most officials are silent about Sun Devil. But at least one principal denies excesses in the operation. "I am not a mad dog prosecutor, " said Gail Thackeray, assistant attorney general for the state of Arizona and the intellectual parent of Operation Sun Devil. "(Agents) are acting in good faith, and I don't think that can be said of the hacker community. "Over the last couple of years, a lot of us in different places -- state, federal and local -- have been getting hit with a dramatic increase in complaints from computer hacker victims. So in response to that the Secret Service started the Sun Devil in- vestigation trying to find a more effective way to deal with some of this." Thackeray said the Secret Service, an agency of the U.S. Treasury Department, assumed jurisdiction because computer crime often involves financial fraud. Most of the losses are at- tributed to stolen long distance service. "It's not unusual for hackers to reach six figures (of abuse) in one month'' at a single business location, she said. "This whole mess is getting completely out of hand.'' But computer experts critical of Sun Devil contend the opera- tion also is out of hand. They have rallied behind the banner of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which contends that computer networks represent a fundamentally new realm of self-expression into which constitutional protection must be extended. Some visitors to this realm deem it cyberspace, using termi- nology borrowed from a science fiction genre set in a gritty fu- ture in which computer and telephone lines become extensions of one's intellect and even physical being. Hackers, as those who enter others' computers without authori- zation are known, are referred to as cyberpunks by some computer network users. It may have been this connection that drew the Secret Service to the Austin offices of Steve Jackson Games, which early this spring was about to publish something called "GURPS Cyber- punk." It is a rule book for a role-playing adventure along the lines of Dungeons & Dragons, played with dice and not computers. The cover page, however, credits the Legion of Doom, a self- professed underground hackers group, for assistance in providing realism. The game's author admits discoursing with the Le- gion. This link ensnared the company in the nationwide sweep con- ducted March 1, when 27 search warrants were executed in 14 ci- ties. A number of cases targeted members of the Legion. The Secret Service seized all copies of the Cyberpunk manuscript, along with the computers on which it was being stored prior to publication. "One of the Secret Service agents told Steve Jackson that they thought the book was a handbook for computer crime,'' said Sharon Beckman of the Boston firm Silverglate & Good, Jackson's attorney. "It looks like what (this) was, in effect, was a prior restraint on protected speech, speech protected by the First Amendment." Jackson's company, which had revenues of $1.4 million in 1989, was nearly dealt a death blow by the raid. Cyberpunk was to be its main spring release, but it would have to be rewritten from scratch. Jackson was not allowed access to the reams of in- formation stored on the confiscated equipment. "We had to lay off eight people, and we had to cut way back on the number of products we were producing," said Jackson, who put the cost of the raid at $125,000. That doesn't include lost revenues, "or the value to the company of the eight (of 17) em- ployees we had to lay off, because I don't know where to start to put a value on that." Beckman described her client as an ordinary businessman who uses a computer in his business. "He's not a computer hacker. He's not even a particularly sophisticated computer user," she said. "It was terrifying,'' Jackson recalled." I was in the hands of a lot of keen, earnest, sincere people who had no idea what they were doing and who had federal law enforcement powers. "It's frightening that they can do this to innocent people." No charges have been filed. Some of the equipment has been returned, but some was damaged beyond repair. Jackson said agents recently acknowledged that some equipment indeed is gone forever. The Secret Service, Arizona U.S. attorney's office and Justice Department all refused to discuss any specifics of Jackson's case, or any activities associated with Operation Sun Devil. "We're a very efficient organization, and we follow the guide- lines set forth by the law," said Michael Cleary, assistant to the special agent in charge of the Secret Service in Chicago, which has jurisdiction in the case. "If we have a signed, sworn affidavit, and a search warrant, we execute that warrant." Cleary wouldn't say why the search warrant used against Steve Jackson was not signed. A request by Jackson's attorney for more information went unanswered. Beckman said a raid conducted without a signed warrant would violate Fourth Amendment protection against unwarranted search and seizure. Mike Hurst, a Steve Jackson Games editor who lost his job to the raid on the company, offered bitter advice: "The Secret Ser- vice ought to make some attempt to find out if there's actually a case involved before they begin searches and confiscations of property." In one incident, the government did file a case, only to aban- don it when it fell apart in court. The defendant, Craig Neidorf, is going back to college at the University of Missouri this fall, but his reputation is stained, he's having to repeat his senior year, and he's $100,000 in debt. An intrusion into the computers of Bell South by a Legion member in 1988 set off much of the activity in Operation Sun De- vil, including the case against Neidorf. While in Bell South's computer, Legion member Robert Riggs found and copied a document describing administrative aspects of the emergency 911 system. Riggs and associates Franklin E. Darden Jr. and E. Grant, all three of whom are from Georgia, recently pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges and await sentencing. Darden and Riggs face up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Grant faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Neidorf, publisher of Phrack, a newsletter for hackers, was accused of theft for republishing the 911 document stolen by Riggs. Prosecutors stopped the trial after the document was shown to be freely available. His case received widespread coverage because it raised is- sues of free speech. Phrack was published electronically via computer networks instead of on paper, and thus did not immedi- ately receive the First Amendment protection that virtually would have been assured a paper document, according to Sheldon Zenner, Neidorf's attorney. "Going through this last seven months is not something I would wish on my worst enemy," said Neidorf, 20, who faced 31 years in prison. "It devastated my parents. My grandparents, they didn't take it well. They're in their 80s. "I kind of broke down myself at one point. I don't like to talk about it exactly." Leonard Rose, a computer consultant in Baltimore, let the Legion forward network mail through his computer, an everyday ar- rangement on the sprawling Internet research and education net- work. But because the name of his computer appeared in the group's electronic address, he was portrayed by the government as the mastermind of the group. "I've lost everything because of it," he said. Business con- tracts worth $100,000 a year, $70,000 worth of computer equipment used in his business, his top secret clearance, his wife's dream home, their credit rating, cars, are gone. The Roses now live with their two young children in an apartment furnished with two mattresses and a TV. "I used to look at people in the street and I couldn't under- stand how they could get there," Rose said. "I couldn't under- stand how you could sink that low, but now I understand. I under- stand a lot more now." He was never charged as part of the Legion of Doom investiga- tion, but during that probe he was found to have received an il- licit copy of a computer program that must be licensed from AT&T. "What Len Rose is accused of turns software piracy into a felo- ny," said John Perry Barlow, a co-founder of the Frontier Foun- dation. "If the government is prepared to go out and turn every- body who has engaged in software piracy into a felon, it'll make the war on drugs look like a minor undertaking." Detractors say that the investigative techniques used in Operation Sun Devil are at best rude, at worst illegal. Authori- ties respond that they are adjusting to a new world. Most concerns center on bulletin board systems, a frequent point of access into the nation's computer network byways. Locals call the BBS, which then moves private electronic mail and pub- lic messages into the public networks, which as a whole are re- ferred to as Internet or simply the matrix. "The government is seizing electronic mail like crazy, in the sense that it's seizing BBS's and all their contents," Barlow said. "It's the equivalent of seizing post offices and all their contents." The privacy of electronic mail is protected under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986, which is also the law setting forth most of the conditions under which computer hacking can be con- sidered a crime. "We've seized lots of BBS's," acknowledged Thackeray of the Arizona attorney general's office, although search warrants were obtained only for the owner of each computer, not for each person with electronic mail stored on that computer. Benjamin Wright, a Dallas attorney who writes and lectures frequently on electronic data interchange, said that surveillance of electronic mail poses serious questions even when conducted properly under the supervision of a court. "A huge amount of information could build up, so there could be a great mass of information laying at the government's feet," he said. "To tap into all the phone lines of a corporation would be a lot of work, but if there's this database building up of a large part of a company's business, then there's a reason for being a little bit concerned. "This applies to private people as much as it applies to cor- porations." Authorities see the BBS seizures as preventive medicine. "The only thing I have ever found that has an effect on these kids is to take their computer away," Thackeray said. "It final- ly sinks in, 'I'm really not going to get this back.' " But Barlow criticizes that approach. "Essentially what they have done is to fine (the suspect), without conviction, for the entire value of his property," he said. "They're not making arrests. This is turning the whole search and seizure into the punishment." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The preceding appeared Sunday, 9/2/90, on the front page of the Houston Chronicle. Please send comments to: edtjda@chron.com ANOTHER ARTICLE ON THE INTERNET BY JOE ABERNATHY IS LOCATED IN THE MAIN TELECOM-ARCHIVES DIRECTORY UNDER THE TITLE 'ABERNATHY.INTERNET.STORY' [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I wonder what the past fifteen years has done for Craig, Len Rose and those other guys. And also of interest to me would be what the past fifteen years has done to the several individuals who were responsible for this misguided attack on computer 'hackers'. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: Nextel False Advertising Date: Mon, 01 Aug 2005 10:18:56 -0700 Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 20:37:41 -0700, Telecom digest editor wrote: > but now these guys are stuck with a couple phones that are useless, > and a contract to boot. Did you even check this out? To my knowledge if you sign up with a carrier and move to an area that they do not serve they usually will let you out of a contract. They may need some proof such as a utility bill, but more than likely they would be let out of any contractual obligation. If no one checked that out that's yet another error that they've made. > When newer technologies are sort > of a mystery even to relatively experienced users, how is it that kids > in their early/mid twenties getting a 'cellular phone' for the first > time in their lives are expected to know anything? No one needs to play the "victim" in this day and age. You do some not so hard research on the net and you find an answer! Just typing "cellular phone basics" into Google brings up over 800,000 hits! Going to google and asking the question "cellular service independence missouri" brings up several results including a Google page showing all registered cellular towers around Independence. It also shows you which services are available. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You are wrong! I am no where close to Independence, MO; I am in Independence, KS, about 300 miles southwest and I know what cell towers we have around here. Independence, MO is a suburb of Kansas City, MO, which is nowhere near me. But I will explain to Justin how to use Google and look for the information he will need if he wishes to cancel his contract. He will be returning back home to Orlando, FL in about a week. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Wesrock@aol.com Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 19:42:04 EDT Subject: Re: Analysts: ATMs Highly Vulnerable to Fraud In a message dated Wed, 3 Aug 2005 22:36:32 -0400 Monty Solomon writes: > By BRIAN BERGSTEIN AP Technology Writer > BOSTON (AP) -- By failing to scan security codes in the magnetic > strips on ATM and debit cards, many banks are letting thieves get away > with an increasingly common fraud at a cost of several billion dollars > a year. > Surprisingly, Litan said, perhaps half of U.S. financial institutions > have not programmed their ATM systems to check the security codes. > Con artists specifically seek out customers of banks that do not > validate the second track on the strip, she said. A very large number of ATM's are owned by ATM companies, not banks, who provide ATMs in many convenience stores, stadiums race tracks and arenas, shopping malls and casinos. To blame the banks for what these companies do is disingenuous. Wes Leatherock wesrock@aol.com ------------------------------ From: Damon Brownd Subject: Re: Credit Reports, was Re: AT&T Customers Taken Over By Alltel Organization: AT&T Worldnet Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2005 01:23:41 GMT Steve Sobol wrote in message news:telecom24.355.17@telecom-digest.org: > Maybe you got special consideration as a soldier. Perhaps enlisted men > and women got a special deal because it wouldn't be easy for them to > deal with credit issues overseas ... But as far as I know, the rest of > us were not entitled to any free reports unless we were denied credit > or employment (as I posted earlier) or if there was a state law > specifying we were not to be charged. There have been some state laws > on the books prior to this past year. See https://www.annualcreditreport.com. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 05 Aug 2005 20:54:46 -0500 From: Neal McLain Subject: Re: Today's Long Distance Circuits? hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > By how, I mean what physical medium is chosen and how is it > routed. Do they use satellite, microwave, fibre optic, coax, > plain wire? Whereupon Justa Lurker responded: > Depends on your choice of designated long distance carrier, and > the extent to which it owns and operates its own facilities vs. > buying capacity 'wholesale' from one of the big guys or perhaps > a "carrier's carrier" (Wiltel comes to mind here). Or even a "carrier's carrier's carrier." Back in the 1980s, Wiltel provided capacity to Norlight, which in turn provided capacity to IXCs. At the time, Norlight was owned by a consortium of Minnesota- and Wisconsin-based electric utility companies. Most of the network was constructed using grounded Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) installed at the top of the electric transmission lines owned by the member utility companies. OPGW is a metallic (usually aluminum-clad steel) conductor with optical fibers buried inside; it is installed at the top of a transmission line in place of a static wire, where it serves the same purpose as the static wire -- protecting lower conductors from lightning. http://www.phillipsfitel.com/english/48specs.html Norlight faced a problem when it tried to extend its network to Chicago: Commonwealth Edison Company. ComEd was not a member of the consortium that owned Norlight, so it had no financial interest in Norlight's success. ComEd's price for letting Norlight use its transmission lines was higher than Norlight was willing to pay. So Norlight turned to Wiltel instead. Wiltel (then a subsidiary of Williams Pipeline, a gas and petroleum transmission company) installs fiber optic cables in abandoned pipelines. Norlight contracted with Wiltel for dark fiber between Maple Park IL and Chicago, bypassing most of ComEd's transmission lines. Thus, Wiltel became a "carrier's carrier's carrier" (and AFAIK, it still is, although since I've retired I've lost contact with the folks I used to deal with). Neal McLain ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. 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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #356 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Aug 6 16:18:45 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id D4F9715185; Sat, 6 Aug 2005 16:18:44 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V24 #357 Message-Id: <20050806201844.D4F9715185@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 16:18:44 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.8 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Sat, 6 Aug 2005 16:17:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 357 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson The Life of an Internet Scammer (Dulue Mbachu) Wireless Internet - Easy Hacker Pickings (Andy Sullivan) MCI Billing Class Action Lawsuit Notice (Gerard Gibbs De Bartolomeo) ICANN Transfers the Iraq (iq) Domain (Danny Burstein) Wiring Help Needed (rikki5150@comcast.net) Re: Telephoning Russian Villages (Gerard Bok) Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (Joseph) Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? (Tony P.) Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? (Tony P.) Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? (Justa Lurker) Re: FCC Gives Blessings to Sprint/Nextel Merger (Steve Sobol) Re: Credit Reports; was Re: AT&T Customers Taken by Alltel (Steve Sobol) Re: Identity Theft: Big Enough to Steal Lawmakers Attention (Tony P.) Sixtieth Anniversary of Hiroshama Bombing (Eric Talmadge) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Dulue Mbachu Subject: Life of an Internet Scammer Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 12:05:40 -0500 Internet Scammers Keep Working in Nigeria By DULUE MBACHU, Associated Press Writer Day in, day out, a strapping, amiable 24-year-old who calls himself Kele B. heads to an Internet cafe, hunkers down at a computer and casts his net upon the cyber-waters. Blithely oblivious to signs on the walls and desks warning of the penalties for Internet fraud, he has sent out tens of thousands of e-mails telling recipients they have won about $6.4 million in a bogus British government "Internet lottery." "Congratulation! You Are Our Lucky Winner!" it says. So far, Kele says, he has had only one response. But he claims it paid off handsomely. An American took the bait, he says, and coughed up "fees" and "taxes" of more than $5,000, never to hear from Kele again. Festac Town, a district of Lagos where the scammers ply their schemes, has become notorious for "419 scams," named for the section of the Nigerian penal code that outlaws them. In Festac Town, an entire community of scammers overnights on the Internet. By day they flaunt their smart clothes and cars and hang around the Internet cafes, trading stories about successful cons and near misses, and hatching new plots. Festac Town is where communication specialists operating underground sell foreign telephone lines over which a scammer can purport to be calling from any city in the world. Here lurk master forgers and purveyors of such software as "e-mail extractors," which can harvest e-mail addresses by the million. Now, however, a 3-year-old crackdown is yielding results, Nigerian authorities say. Nuhu Ribadu, head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, says cash and assets worth more than $700 million were recovered from suspects between May 2003 and June 2004. More than 500 suspects have been arrested, more than 100 cases are before the courts and 500 others are under investigation, he said. The agency won its first big court victory in May when Mike Amadi was sentenced to 16 years in prison for setting up a Web site that offered juicy but phoney procurement contracts. Amadi cheekily posed as Ribadu himself and used the agency's name. He was caught by an undercover agent posing as an Italian businessman. This month the biggest international scam of all -- though not one involving the Internet -- ended in court convictions. Amaka Anajemba was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison and ordered to return $25.5 million of the $242 million she helped to steal from a Brazilian bank. The trial of four co-defendants is to start in September. Why Nigeria? There are many theories. The nation of 130 million, Africa's most populous, is well educated, and English, the lingua franca of the scam industry, is the official language. Nigeria bursts with talent, from former NBA star Hakeem Olajuwon to Nobel literature laureate Wole Soyinka. But with World Bank studies showing a quarter of urban college graduates are unemployed, crime offers tempting career opportunities -- in drug dealing, immigrant-trafficking, oil-smuggling, and Internet fraud. The scammers thrived during oil-rich Nigeria's 15 years of brutal and corrupt military rule, and democracy was restored only six years ago. "We reached a point when law enforcement and regulatory agencies seemed nonexistent. But the stance of the present administration has started changing that," said Ribadu, the scam-busting chief. President Olusegun Obasanjo is winning U.S. praise for his crackdown. Interpol, the FBI and other Western law enforcement agencies have stepped in to help, says police spokesman Emmanuel Ighodalo, and Nigerian police have received equipment and Western training in combating Internet crime and money-laundering. Experts say Nigerian scams continue to flood e-mail systems, though many are being blocked by spam filters that get smarter and more aggressive. America Online Inc. Nicholas Graham says Nigerian messages lack the telltale signs of other spam -- such as embedded Web links -- but its filters are able to be alert to suspect mail coming from a specific range of Internet addresses. Also, the scams have a limited shelf life. In the con that Internet users are probably most familiar with, the e-mailer poses as a corrupt official looking for help in smuggling a fortune to a foreign bank account. E-mail or fax recipients are told that if they provide their banking and personal details and deposit certain sums of money, they'll get a cut of the loot. But there are other scams, like the fake lotteries. Kele B., who won't give his surname, says he couldn't find work after finishing high school in 2000 in the southeastern city of Owerri, so he drifted with friends to Lagos, where he tried his hand at boxing. Then he discovered the Web. Now he spends his mornings in Internet cafes on secondhand computers with aged screens, waiting "to see if my trap caught something," he says. Elekwa, a chubby-faced 28-year-old who also keeps his surname to himself, shows up in Festac Town driving a Lexus and telling how he was jobless for two years despite having a diploma in computer science. His break came four years ago when the chief of a fraud gang saw him solve what seemed like "a complex computer problem" at a business center in the southeastern city of Umuahia and lured him to Lagos. He won't talk about his scams, only about their fruits: "Now I have three cars, I have two houses and I'm not looking for a job anymore." Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. Listen to AP News Radio and browse headlines at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: Andy Sullivan Subject: Wireless Networks - Easy Hacker Pickings Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 12:01:19 -0500 By Andy Sullivan Wireless Internet users may not know that it's easy for outsiders to read their email or scoop up passwords or other sensitive information. Secretly using a stranger's Wi-Fi connection is so easy that sniffing out open connections has become a sport among computer hackers. At a recent conference in Las Vegas, wireless network enthusiasts, known as "wardrivers," had two hours to find 1,000 wireless networks in one of many contests that test their prowess. Hackers ogled high-powered antennas that can pick up signals from over a mile away, and promoted wardriving Web sites like Wigle.net that map millions of wireless access points, or "hotspots," around the globe. Hacking the Defcon conference's own wireless network proved popular as well -- organizers said they fended off some 1,200 attempts to compromise network security. Wardrivers say the goal is not to steal bandwidth or spy on unsuspecting Internet users, and they frown upon those who do so. Rather, they hope to convince consumers and equipment manufacturers to improve the dismal state of wireless security. "We're trying to raise awareness. Security, by default, should not be turned off," said an Edmonton, Alberta wardriver who goes by the name Panthera. Wireless routers, many costing less than $100, enable consumers to surf the Web from their back yard or living room couch. With a range of several hundred feet, a Wi-Fi signal can reach to the street or surrounding houses, allowing neighbors to get online too. Equipment sellers like Wardrivingworld.com say they do a lot of business with truckers and Winnebago owners as well as war drivers. "People think truckers just drink beer and eat chili and belch, but 800 truck stops across the United States have wireless access," said Wardrivingworld.com co-founder Matthew Shuchman. Hotspot owners can set passwords, encrypt their traffic to deter eavesdroppers, or limit network access only to specified computers. But most don't have that kind of protection in place -- a June, 2004 wardrive of some 230,000 hotspots conducted found that 62 percent were not encrypted. Encryption won't stop a determined hacker. Wardrivers say that the WEP encryption standard used by many access points is easily crackable, though the recent WPA standard is tougher. Open networks can expose sensitive information in homes, businesses and government offices. A Michigan man in 2004 was convicted of using an unsecured network at a Lowe's home improvement store to steal credit card numbers, while a Toronto man was charged in 2003 with downloading child pornography using a nearby wireless connection. Some wardrivers say that manufacturers like Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems Inc. are to blame because they don't ship their products with security settings turned on and are more concerned with ease of use than security. "They're not taking care of their customers -- they're intentionally putting them in harm's way," said RenderMan, a prominent wardriver who has logged some 20,000 access points in Edmonton. New Linksys routers allow consumers to set up a secure connection with other Linksys devices by simply pushing a button, said Mike Wagner, the company's director of worldwide marketing. But Linksys, which accounts for 57 percent of the U.S. consumer market, can't ship its products with security settings turned on because most users won't bother to change the default password, Wagner said. "That preconfigured password will be the exact same on 500,000 wireless products that we ship every month. So that's actually creating a false sense of security," he said. Legal aspects of wardriving remain murky. While a variety of laws make it illegal to access a computer network without permission, very few have been tested in court. Reading e-mail and other traffic on a wireless network could invite prosecution and it's unclear if wardrivers are breaking the law when they use open networks for Internet access, said San Francisco lawyer Robert Hale. In Tampa, Florida, a man was arrested in April and charged with unauthorized access to a computer network after police found him using a nearby hotspot without permission. "It comes down to a policy debate about whether the Internet is open or not," Hale said at a Defcon forum. RenderMan and other prominent wardrivers say that people shouldn't tap into open networks even if the owners don't mind. "We actively do not condone unauthorized use of people's networks," said Andy Carra, who helps run the Wigle.net wardriving Web site. Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. ------------------------------ From: Girard, Gibbs & De Bartolomeo LLP Subject: MCI Billing Fraud Class Action Notice Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 23:31:29 -0500 MCI SUED FOR BILLING MONTHLY SERVICE CHARGES TO NON-CUSTOMERS San Francisco - The law firm Girard Gibbs & De Bartolomeo LLP http://www.girardgibbs.com has filed a class action complaint on behalf of telephone customers nationwide who were unlawfully billed by MCI, Inc. for monthly service charges despite the fact they were not MCI customers. The complaint alleges that MCI assesses the monthly fees directly or through consumers' local phone bills. "MCI has been charging non-customers minimum usage fees and other monthly service fees without authorization even though MCI provided no service to these persons," said Daniel Girard, one of the attorneys for the plaintiff. "Consumers who mistakenly paid MCI or paid in response to a threatening collections notice should get their money back." The case was brought by Shary Everett, a Goodyear, Arizona resident who repeatedly was assessed monthly service charges by MCI even though she had a different long distance carrier and had terminated MCI service at a former address several years earlier. MCI refused to reverse the unauthorized charges and threatened Ms. Everett with a collections notice for failing to pay. To stop MCI from continuing to bill her without authorization, she was forced to restrict all long-distance service on her telephone line. The complaint alleges that MCI enrolled non-customers and former MCI long-distance subscribers without their knowledge or consent in the "Basic Dial-1 Plan" or another MCI calling plan that carries a monthly service fee. In 2002, MCI began charging a $3.00 or $5.00 minimum usage fee (MUF) and a $3.95 monthly recurring fee to consumers who did not have active billing accounts with MCI and whom MCI has no reasonable basis to believe are current MCI customers. The class action lawsuit against MCI was filed in federal district court in Phoenix on July 18, 2005 and asserts claims against MCI for violations of the federal Communications Act and for unjust enrichment. The complaint alleges that MCI's policy and practice is to reverse, refund, or credit back unauthorized charges only to consumers who threaten to bring legal action, lodge complaints with regulatory authorities, or take other action. According to the complaint, consumers who do not pay the unauthorized charges are turned over to collections agencies. Girard Gibbs & De Bartolomeo LLP is one of the nation's leading firms representing individuals in consumer fraud class actions and investors in securities fraud litigation. If you've experienced this or a similar problem and you are interested in sharing your experience with us, please print out and fill in the form below, and mail or email it to our firm. http://gerardgibbs.com Name: E-Mail: Telephone: State of Residence: Message: I would like to receive updates concerning this problem or other class action news: Your use of this web site, or sending of email to Girard Gibbs & De Bartolomeo LLP, does not, by itself, create an attorney-client relationship between you and Girard Gibbs & De Bartolomeo LLP. ------------------------------ From: Danny Burstein Subject: ICANN Transfers the Iraq ("iq") Domain Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 01:43:31 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC Redelegation of .IQ (Iraq) Following a detailed discussion of the proposed .IQ redelegation, Michael Palage moved and Thomas Niles seconded the following resolution: " Whereas, the .IQ top-level domain was originally delegated on 9 May 1997. " Whereas, ICANN has received a request for the redelegation of .IQ to the National Communications and Media Commission (NCMC) of Iraq. " Whereas, ICANN has reviewed the request, and has determined that the proposed redelegation would be in the best interests of the local and global Internet communities. " Resolved (05.__) that the proposed redelegation of the .IQ ccTLD to the National Communications and Media Commission (NCMC) of Iraq is approved." http://www.icann.org/minutes/resolutions-28jul05.htm Good related story: " The Internet's key oversight agency has quietly authorized Iraq's new government to manage its own domain name, allowing for the restoration of Internet addresses ending in '.iq'." " The suffix had been in limbo after the 2002 federal indictment of the Texas-based company that was running it on charges of funneling money to a member of the Islamic extremist group Hamas." " InfoCom Corp., which sold computers and Web services in the Middle East and got the '.iq' assignment in 1997, was convicted in April along with its chief executive and two brothers...." ....... snip ......... http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/special_packages/iraq/12315401.htm _____________________________________________________ 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, 06 Aug 2005 11:06:14 -0400 From: rikki5150@comcast.net Subject: Wiring Help Needed I have my father's Western Electric D1(202) phone and a newly acquired WE 684BA subset. I'm having difficulty getting it to ring. Can you or direct me to someone that can tell me the wiring configuration for the subset. Thanks, Rick Busey, Bel Air, Md. ------------------------------ From: bok118@zonnet.nl (Gerard Bok) Subject: Re: Telephoning Russian Villages Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2005 11:51:10 GMT On 5 Aug 2005 07:28:24 -0700, cherniymonakh@hotmail.com wrote: > Hello, perhaps you can help: > My family are now at a cottage in a village outside Moscow, where they > are staying for weeks due to the hot weather. The telephone number > there contains less than the usual number of digits (6 instead of > seven). For some reasons calls cannot get there from North America, > although they can call here. The problem seems to be with the US, as > I don't even get a Russian dial tone, but a North American one > followed by an English-language message saying that there is no such > number and to try again. > Is there any trick to dialing such numbers and getting through? First thing I would try: dial an extra digit :-) (just an arbitrary one) Kind regards, Gerard Bok ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2005 09:18:13 -0700 Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On Fri, 05 Aug 2005 08:37:45 GMT, The Kaminsky Family wrote: > I think you may have missed the point. Once you have given your > account code to the automated system, that account number should > be directly available on the human agent's screen when the agent > gets your call. It's easy enough for a decent automated system > to handle this -- but it is surprising to me that so many automated > systems seem to have been assembled by folks who just don't get it > (or perhaps by folks who really don't like their employer ...). I think it's the implementation of systems and not being consistant with systems. I've called T-Mobile on several occasions and in the "log in process" when you call they ask you to enter your ten digit phone number. If you ask for certain information such as billing they will ask for the last four digits of your SSN. Then the frustrating thing sometimes happens when you speak to a rep. They don't have *any* of the information that you have keyed in. It's not always this way but it is a lot of the time. I've asked reps why this is and they claim it's because those identifying fields are not filled in on their display. I'd say that this is a technical problem which could be fixed if there was a demand for it. > It is certainly not easy to design an excellent user interface for a > customer -- especially if you are not willing to spend what it takes > to get a good speech recogition engine (and to train it for your > application -- getting the grammar rules right is an art, but there > are systems available in the market now whch do an excellent job). > But designing an excellent user interface for your human agents should > be a whole lot easier -- and that interface should start by gathering > everything the customer has entered so far on this call. I have seen really good IVR implementations such as what T-Mobile uses. With T-Mobile's IVR you are not limited to just the standard commands that the IVR expects you to give. It will do all sorts of normal variants e.g. saying representative, operator, or assistance will transfer you to a real person. Saying text message or saying SMS will give you your text message use. There are also "touch tone" shortcuts. If you want minute useage key 2. For billing key 1. For a representative key 0. Then on the other hand extremely poor implementation of an IVR you can look at Fido (mobile provider in Canada.) It will only understands the exact words it wants to understand. Even on words that it's supposed to know such as "agent" you'll get fed back "I didn't get that" repeatedly. Also the Fido IVR absolutely does not permit any touch tone input for any menu items. If you do you get "that function is not supported." You can't even time out to get a real person! Another problem with IVRs is if you're using it with a mobile handset any outside noise will confuse the IVR. Why mobile providers think it's a good thing to use IVRs with mobile services I have yet to understand. ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Typical Business Telephone Sets Today? Organization: ATCC Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 13:58:24 -0400 In article , jp@jpnearl.com.nospam says: > hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: >> My department at my employer uses plain 2500 style telephone sets >> under a Centrex system. I kind of assumed they were still common >> place, but I understand now that they're kind of unusual? I heard >> caller-ID is very common on business phones, is that true? > Unfortunately everyone wants one button access to features and such and > displays with caller ID, length of call, etc. so you're seeing less and > less of the 2500-style phones on office desks these days. > One of the things I appreciated about the Executone IDS systems I used > to maintain is that the "wave" desk phones had 2500-style keypads on > them instead of the keypads found on the new business system phones > (buttons wrong size, a 'mushy' feel to them, etc.). Nothing beats > those old tried and true keypads. I'm partial to the 7406D+. The keypad is very close to that on a 2500 set. Feature buttons respond with an accompanying sound to and in some cases, a light to indicate the feature is active, like send-calls. I hate the 8410's we have but the 6408's we've got are ok. In article , davidesan@gmail.com says: > And don't you just hate it when the voicemail system asks for your > account code so they "can better process your call" and the very first > thing that the human operator asks for is your account number? > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Actually, in the case of human > operators, its not a bad thing that they ask first for your account > number or other identifying feature. While you are on the line > explaining your problem, the better trained agents can be scanning > your account as you are speaking, and frequently have an intelligent > and correct answer for you when you have finished stating your > problem. Would you prefer that they listen politely to your problem, > _then_ ask for your account number, go away, and come back in a minute > or two with an answer? Even for automated systems, the several > seconds required for voicemail to give its spiel is time the system > can be spinning its disk drives and looking up your account if it > knows your name and identity. PAT] What I hate even more is calling Cox Communications. They have you enter in your phone number before letting you through the gate. Then a service rep comes on the line and asks for your phone or account number. Apparently it doesn't pass that little bit of information from the phone system to the computer sitting on the reps desk. ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? Organization: ATCC Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 13:36:20 -0400 TELECOM Digest Editor noted in response to article , mc_no_spam@uga.edu: > when the feds 'evicted' him from office. > Then there is the Chicago Park _District_ (rather than 'authority'), > started in the 1940's as well, with its own can of worms. And there > is the Chicago School _Board_ (also rather than 'authority') with the > same sort of government arrangements. When the school board came up > several million dollars unaccounted for, Mayor Daley (312-PIG-3000 if > you ever wish to dial him direct) had a solution for that; a whole new > layer of control called the Chicago Schools Finance Authority whose > only job was to make the School Board obey the law on deficit > spending. The Finance Authority has to sign off on the School Board > budget each year, and not approve it unless the school board has the > books in order. The board is apparently incapable or unwilling to > obey the law all on their own. There is however one good thing that the Chicago School Board and system has done. Seems that in Freakonomics they were able to prove that teachers were padding test results because they kept the answers that all the students had given on the tests for a period of at least a decade. The resulting investigations culminated in the termination of several teachers. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Interesting news from a school system where about ten percent of the students graduate from high school almost totally illiterate and about thirty percent of graduating seniors can read/write and do math at about a ninth grade level. I recall a big stink in the Chicago Tribune once where high school students were given a blank map of the world and asked to mark on the map the location of 'Chicago'. While many students got it correct (or at least parked it in the general area for North America and/or Illinois, a few of them located 'Chicago' around South America or the North Pole region. Tribune printed pictures of the maps the kids had turned in. Mayor Daley was furious, but what else is new. The reason the teachers kept those tests to work from is because there are standardized tests all the kids have to take in order for the school system to retain its accredidation, etc. The teachers were desparate to get the right answers on those standardized tests. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Justa Lurker Subject: Re: Bell System and GTE Telephone Operator? Organization: AT&T Worldnet Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2005 03:20:05 GMT TELECOM Digest Editor noted in response to Justa Lurker: >> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: In Chicago, in addition to the CTA or >> Chicago Transit Authority (thus situated), there is also the CHA (or >> Chicago Housing Authority) which is a _true_ atrocity if there ever was >> one. CHA has been in 'federal receivership' now for a few years due >> to the unbelievably awful living conditions in the 'homes' and the >> amount of crime on its property. Originally very nice _but plain_ living >> accomodations, the CHA was started in 1941 and its first commissioner >> was a woman who was a protege of Jane Addams of Hull House fame. CHA >> was intended to be _temporary, transitional_ housing for needy people; >> then after the second war ended, the idea was to provide _temporary, >> transitional_ housing for military veterans returnin from military >> duty. Since about 1960 or so, these high-rise (fifteen or twenty story >> buildings; a cluster of a dozen or so in each location) have been >> almost exclusively for black people; > Exactly how has this racial exclusivity been enforced ? >> many of whom of course > "of course" ???? Do explain further, please. >> have extensive criminal histories and their families; quite often >> the only person in the 'home' (all seven or eight thousand of them >> in an aggregate total) is the Mother. Nearly every one of them has >> one or more sons or fathers currently in prison or recently >> released. The little kids run around wild and rather delinquent as >> one would expect. > All of which is somehow the fault of the CHA ? You've lost me here. >> The television series of the 1970's, _Happy Times_ (written by Norman >> Lear) is now in endless re-runs on TV-Land . > "Good Times". I remember watching it as a lad, along with "All in the > Family" and other Lear shows. :-) >> The former commissioner of the mess, a man named Charles Swibel, a >> rich, white older man > How is his financial status, race, and age relevant ? Why did you > mention them ? Aren't you a white older man too (so that can't be the > problem) ? Maybe your real problem is that he is rich and you are not. > Or are you implying that he & the CHA oppressed black people on behalf > of rich white people. Say what you mean ! Don't keep us guessing. >> from the northern suburbs had some problems of his own in keeping >> the CHA money accounts in order, barely escaped going to prison >> himself, but did get CHA tossed into federal recivership (a sort of >> bankruptcy chapter used for governments) when the feds 'evicted' him >> from office. > Not all that unusual, or unique to Chicago or even Illinois, > unfortunately. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Racial exclusivity in Chicago means > that when black people move into a neighborhood, the white people > generally move out. Blame it on whomever you wish; that is a fact of > life in Chicago (another reason, among several, why I was happy to get > away from Chicago). I like Independence, because it is an integrated, > inclusive community. There are many 'integrated' couples and families > here. Blacks and whites are not at each other's throats as happens so > often in a place like Chicago. Gay and straight people are not always > hassling each other here either. We are simply too 'laid back' to > bother with that sort of thing. There was a discussion here in town > once of having a 'gay pride' parade. Some gay people said 'why should > we do anything like that; who needs such a garish display?' I did not > completely agree with that assessment (having lived so long in > Chicago) but I can see where the local guys were coming from. > Our public schools here are totally integrated; in Chicago the public > schools are almost entirely black (by default, since the white people > send their kids to private schools often times.) Here the white people > do not run and hide when blacks are around. The 'racial exclusivity' > of the CHA 'housing projects' came about by this default; blacks moved > in, whites moved out. It was not entirely the CHA's 'fault' except > that as the conditions of the housing got worse and worse over the > years, many less ecomically privileged blacks found it was all they > could afford, and the white people figured out somewhere else to > live. Yes, I am a white man, and no I am not rich; even when I lived > around Chicago I could not afford to live in an enclave like Wilmette > or Glencoe or Winnetka. Many of CHA's problems came from Charles > Swibel and his immediate sucessors, men who were demonstrated thieves, > men who ripped off the housing authority for most of its money, it was > nothing to do with 'rich oppressing poor' or 'white oppressing black'. > I mentioned those items about his race, wealth and living accomoda- > tions to show the difference between the person who ran the system > versus those who lived and still live under the system. In recent > years, some thought has been given to having a board of directors of > CHA who are _actually residents_ in large part of the housing > project. Just like the Chicago Police Department; isn't it sad there > has to be a law requiring officers to live in the city; in other words > they have to live where they shit and the other way around. For many > years there was no such law; cops tended to live where they wanted, > usually the white cops lived around other white guys (much nicer white > suburbs) and the black cops lived in at least the better class black > neighborhoods in the suburbs. Ditto with school teachers in > Chicago. You want to work here, then _live_ here as well. City of > Chicago had to force that rule, even with the unions fighting them. We > just do not have to do that sort of thing here; people in town by and > large are proud to be part of Independence. Once on a local area BBS > in Chicago, I got into a discussion with a guy who said "prostitution > and 'drug use' should be legal in a 'red light district'. " I asked > him where would you put the 'red light district'? He said "oh I guess > we would locate it somewhere in _Chicago_." I asked him why not > locate it in _Lake Forest where you live_ or maybe in _Winnetka?_ > Needless to say he was highly indignant at my suggestion. > Oh, by the way, even our local 'housing project' here in town; it > is called 'Garden Walk Apartments' on North 10th Street near the > high school (rents subsidized by City of Independence and State > of Kansas) does not come close to the hassles that were so prevalent > with the CHA. And our housing 'project' is truely integrated, not > just all black people who cannot manage to do any better. PAT] Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful and detailed reply ! [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You are quite welcome. I have heard it stated on a few occassions that much or most of the trouble in the world comes from people _not understanding correctly_ what another person is saying. With this thesis in mind -- that many problems would be solved if _everyone spoke the same language and phrases_ (not as per English versus German or French, but if we all could fully commun- icate what we wanted to say to each other easily) -- I sometimes attempt to do that in this Digest. To that extent, my responses are sometimes painfully long -- some would claim 'long-winded' -- because I want to convey _exactly_ what I mean, and what I feel is a solution to the issue or problem at hand. When some reader or another _actually under- stands_ what I am saying I feel gratified, even if they do not agree with me. Clarity in written or oral conversation is very important. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Steve Sobol Subject: Re: FCC Gives Blessing to Sprint, Nextel Marriage Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2005 10:48:10 -0700 Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com Joseph wrote: > WASHINGTON -- The merger of Sprint and Nextel Communications won > approval from the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice > Department yesterday, clearing the way for a combined company with > more than 35 million mobile-phone subscribers. Good. This is one merger that might actually benefit people other than the shareholders. Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED Company website: http://JustThe.net/ Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/ E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307 ------------------------------ From: Steve Sobol Subject: Re: Credit Reports, was Re: AT&T Customers Taken Over By Alltel Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2005 10:49:40 -0700 Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com Damon Brownd wrote: > Steve Sobol wrote in message > news:telecom24.355.17@telecom-digest.org: >> Maybe you got special consideration as a soldier. Perhaps enlisted men >> and women got a special deal because it wouldn't be easy for them to >> deal with credit issues overseas ... But as far as I know, the rest of >> us were not entitled to any free reports unless we were denied credit >> or employment (as I posted earlier) or if there was a state law >> specifying we were not to be charged. There have been some state laws >> on the books prior to this past year. > See https://www.annualcreditreport.com. That is a result of the change in federal law that was *just implemented.* As I said, it used to be that there were only certain conditions under which you could get a free report, unless you lived somewhere where state law specified otherwise. Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED Company website: http://JustThe.net/ Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/ E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307 ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Identity Theft: Big Enough to Steal Lawmakers' Attention Organization: ATCC Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 13:51:53 -0400 In article , karlin@telecom- digest.org says: > By Adam Karlin, Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor > BOSTON - Sandra Pochapin learned a few key lessons from her ordeal > with identity theft. Among them: Check the mail early. > Had she done so, she may have gotten the replacement credit card in > her mailbox. Instead, a thief lifted the card and took it on a $1,200 > shopping spree at Lord & Taylor. > Ms. Pochapin eventually recouped her money, but the incident haunted > her for months afterward, as the criminal opened other new accounts in > her name. > She recalls a Macy's representative calling to ask about a $2,400 bill > on her new store card. "I asked them, 'How could you open an account > in my name if I already have an account there?' " said Pochapin, > testifying recently in front of the Massachusetts state legislature. > Experiences of people like Pochapin, and break-ins at large databases > that hold Americans' most sensitive personal information, have grown > severe enough in recent months to prompt a new wave of protective > legislation by lawmakers at the state and federal level. > The bills are designed to address various aspects of the threat, but, > as identity thieves find new ways to ply their trade, the efforts > represent a daunting race against crime. > Credit-freeze laws growing Credit freeze is one thing. But if the legislators really looked at the true causes of identity theft they'd have to point the blame squarely at the feet of the banking industry. For example, as mentioned in a prior posting here on c.d.t if ATM's simply read the second track of a car and used challenge-response you could kill off most replicant identity theft. But as I'm lead to believe, even the PIN is challenge-response. So that means the procedure for encoding the PIN on a card has been exploited. But banks don't want you to know that your money isn't as safe as you think it is. For example, ever write a check to someone? They could empty your account just by knowing the routing and account number on the check using a demand draft. It's a bit more risky but completely within the realm of the probable. So don't expect an immediate answer to the problem. First off, it would require a rehash of procedures to identify any vulnerabilities. Then it would require a replacement of the infrastructure that is already out there. It isn't going to happen anytime soon. ------------------------------ From: Eric Talmadge Subject: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 11:26:25 -0500 By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press Writer Hiroshima marked the 60th anniversary of the first atomic bomb attack Saturday with prayers and water for the dead and a call by the mayor for nuclear powers to abandon their arsenals and stop "jeopardizing human survival." At 8:15 a.m., (a day ago, by Japanese time), the instant of the blast, the city's trolleys stopped and more than 55,000 people at Peace Memorial Park observed a moment of silence that was broken only by the ringing of a bronze bell. A flock of doves was released into the sky. Then wreaths and ladles of water -- symbolizing the suffering of those who died in the atomic inferno -- were offered at a simple, arch-shaped stone monument at the center of the park. Outside the nearby A-Bomb Dome, one of the few buildings left standing after the blast, peace activists held a "die-in" -- falling to the ground to dramatize the toll from the United States bombing that turned life to death for more than 140,000 and forever changed the face of war. Thousands of paper lanterns symbolizing the souls of the dead were floated on a river next to the park, concluding a day of rememberance. Fumie Yoshida was just 16 when Hiroshima was bombed. She survived but lost her father, brother and sister. On Saturday, she chose not to attend the formal memorial, but paid her respects privately with a small group of friends in the peace park. "My father's remains have never been found," she said. "Those of us who went through this all know that we must never repeat this tragedy. But I think many Japanese today are forgetting." In a "Peace Declaration," Hiroshima's outspoken Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba vowed to never allow a repeat of the tragedy and gave an impassioned plea for the abolition of nuclear weapons, saying the United States, is "jeopardizing human survival." "Many people around the world have succumbed to the feeling that there is nothing we can do," he said. "Within the United Nations, the United States uses its veto power to override the global majority and pursue its selfish objectives." In a more subdued speech, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi offered condolences for the dead. "I offer deep prayers from my heart to those who were killed," he said, vowing that Japan would be a leader in the international movement against nuclear proliferation. Though Hiroshima has risen from the rubble to become a thriving city of 3 million, most of whom were born after the war, the anniversary underscores its ongoing tragedy. Officials estimate that about 140,000 people were killed instantly or died within a few months after the Enola Gay dropped its deadly payload over the city, which then had a population of about 350,000. Three days later, another U.S. bomber, Bock's Car, dropped a plutonium bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, killing about 80,000 people. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945, ending World War II. Including those initially listed as missing or who died afterward from a loosely defined set of bomb-related ailments, including cancers, Hiroshima officials now put the total number of dead in this city alone at 242,437. This year, 5,373 more names were added to the list. In central London, more than 200 anti-nuclear activists and others gathered at Tavistock Square, where a cherry tree was planted in 1967 in memory of the victims of the Hiroshima bombing. Jeremy Corbyn, a lawmaker in the governing Labour Party and vocal anti-war campaigner, urged people to remember the "unique horror" of what the United States did to Hiroshima in 1945. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I have to wonder if it has occurred to Mr. Bush that what is good for the goose is often times good for the gander as well. How would _he_ (or Mr. Blair for example) feel if the Iraqi government decided "in order to end further suffering or loss of innocent lives in this war with the United States, _we_ have elected to drop the big one on their country." In other words, Harry Truman's line, all over again, one big blast to end the agony of war, but this time fingers pointed at us as the agressors ... and the Iraqi government did, just this past week, invite the United States to withdraw totally from Iraq and let all of us go back to living at peace. We know that Mr. Bush refused that offer totally. We also know that China has threatened us in recent days regards its ongoing spat with Taiwan, stating that if Bush insisted on remaining involved in that situation, they (the Chinese) 'would not hesitate' to use strong medicine on us. And the North Koreans, I am sure, would get involved also as circumstances permitted. I have to wonder if Mr. Bush even realizes how close he is coming toward getting a taste of his own medicine or if he even cares, in his deluded state of grandeur. Considering Bush's strong association with the right-wing fundamentalist Christian movement in this country -- people who feel from their reading of scripture that the end is near anyway -- I really wonder if he _does_ care ... if nothing else, it would most assuredly allow _his_ congresspersons to declare a state of emergency and retain him in office for the duration of the first real war on American soil. Under the present constitutional constraints, he is ineligible for another term in office, but just as in New York City a few days after 9-11-01 there were suggestions seriously considered to put off installing the new mayor and retaining the old mayor 'due to the crisis'. I am sure the same ideas would be floated around as Bush's term would otherwise draw to a close. Do the Atomic Scientists still keep setting that clock periodically on its journey to midnight? What is that clock setting now? PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. 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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #357 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Aug 7 19:33:43 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 8745415185; Sun, 7 Aug 2005 19:33:42 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V24 #358 Message-Id: <20050807233342.8745415185@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 19:33:42 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.8 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Sun, 7 Aug 2005 19:33:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 358 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Terrorists Turn to the Web as Base of Operations (Monty Solomon) The Wired Are A Rude Bunch (Monty Solomon) Europe Zips Lips; U.S. Sells ZIPs - New York Times (Monty Solomon) Bogus Homeland Alerts Hit the Air (Monty Solomon) Princeton University Goes Digital - The Wrong Way (Monty Solomon) NYT Article on Cyberextortion Including Ricin, Grenades (Danny Burstein) How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? (A User) AT&T Voice Mail System (Steven Lichter) More Help Needed on Wiring WE-201 (rikki5150@comcast.net) Re: NYT's Friedman Calls For Better Wireless Access (Dean M.) Re: FCC Gives Blessing to Sprint, Nextel Marriage (Joseph) Re: Calling All Luddites (Ed Clarke) Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb (Gene S. Berkowitz) Re: MCI Billing Fraud Class Action Notice (Tim@Backhome.org) Internet Porn (Steven Lichter) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 12:10:09 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Terrorists Turn to the Web as Base of Operations By Steve Coll and Susan B. Glasser Washington Post Staff Writers In the snow-draped mountains near Jalalabad in November 2001, as the Taliban collapsed and al Qaeda lost its Afghan sanctuary, Osama bin Laden biographer Hamid Mir watched "every second al Qaeda member carrying a laptop computer along with a Kalashnikov" as they prepared to scatter into hiding and exile. On the screens were photographs of Sept. 11 hijacker Mohamed Atta. Nearly four years later, al Qaeda has become the first guerrilla movement in history to migrate from physical space to cyberspace. With laptops and DVDs, in secret hideouts and at neighborhood Internet cafes, young code-writing jihadists have sought to replicate the training, communication, planning and preaching facilities they lost in Afghanistan with countless new locations on the Internet. Al Qaeda suicide bombers and ambush units in Iraq routinely depend on the Web for training and tactical support, relying on the Internet's anonymity and flexibility to operate with near impunity in cyberspace. In Qatar, Egypt and Europe, cells affiliated with al Qaeda that have recently carried out or seriously planned bombings have relied heavily on the Internet. Such cases have led Western intelligence agencies and outside terrorism specialists to conclude that the "global jihad movement," sometimes led by al Qaeda fugitives but increasingly made up of diverse "groups and ad hoc cells," has become a "Web-directed" phenomenon, as a presentation for U.S. government terrorism analysts by longtime State Department expert Dennis Pluchinsky put it. Hampered by the nature of the Internet itself, the government has proven ineffective at blocking or even hindering significantly this vast online presence. Among other things, al Qaeda and its offshoots are building a massive and dynamic online library of training materials -- some supported by experts who answer questions on message boards or in chat rooms -- covering such varied subjects as how to mix ricin poison, how to make a bomb from commercial chemicals, how to pose as a fisherman and sneak through Syria into Iraq, how to shoot at a U.S. soldier, and how to navigate by the stars while running through a night-shrouded desert. These materials are cascading across the Web in Arabic, Urdu, Pashto and other first languages of jihadist volunteers. The Saudi Arabian branch of al Qaeda launched an online magazine in 2004 that exhorted potential recruits to use the Internet: "Oh Mujahid brother, in order to join the great training camps you don't have to travel to other lands," declared the inaugural issue of Muaskar al-Battar, or Camp of the Sword. "Alone, in your home or with a group of your brothers, you too can begin to execute the training program." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080501138.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 13:01:17 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: The Wired Are A Rude Bunch by Fahmida Y. Rashid While technology, such as cell phones, e-mail and instant messaging, have in many ways made life easier, these same devices may make users lazy and oblivious to their surroundings. The constant pressure on workers to be accessible means manners often take a backseat. In consumer circles, lots of people apparently believe that because they can take or make a phone call, they should. In a recent national poll by market research group Synovate, 68% of Americans claimed to observe poor cell phone etiquette at least once per day. Eighteen percent said they ran into poor e-mail etiquette. The study noted that the Americans showed the poorest etiquette when using the very devices they rely on the most (52% said they would "die" if their phones and e-mails were taken away). "Poor tech etiquette is something most of us don't really think about as we pick up our cell phones or send an e-mail," said Steve Levine, senior vice president at Synovate. The survey results follow on the heels of a marketing push by a company called Moderati, which sells ring tones, cell phone wallpaper and ring-back tones. The company claims that "nothing says 'I hate you' like a DisTone." A DisTone is a rather unfriendly greeting users assign to callers they want to avoid. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2005/07/28/technology-rudeness-wireless-cx_fr_0728rude.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 14:15:43 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Europe Zips Lips; U.S. Sells ZIPs - New York Times By ERIC DASH IF the information is not already missing, 2005 might be recorded in the databanks of history as the year of the consumer privacy breach. So far, American companies including financial services giants like Bank of America, Citigroup and MasterCard, and national retailers like DSW shoes and Ralph Lauren Polo, have announced data compromises. All told, the personal information of more than 50 million consumers has been lost, stolen and even sold to thieves. Why is this happening here, and not, say, in Britain, Germany or France? One reason may be that every other Western country has a comprehensive set of national privacy laws and an office of data protection, led by a privacy commissioner. The United States, by contrast, has a patchwork of state and federal laws and agencies responsible for data protection. "In Europe, the question has been settled: citizens have strong legal rights," said Joel R. Reidenberg, a Fordham University law professor who is an expert on international data privacy rules. "In the United States, we basically have a mess, and we are still trying to sort it out." More fundamentally, these two systems for dealing with data arise from a cultural divide over privacy itself. In broad terms, the United States looks at privacy largely as a consumer and an economic issue; in the rest of the developed world, it is regarded as a fundamental right. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/weekinreview/07dash.html?ex=1281067200&en=0917edc4d24f6c28&ei=5090 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 15:48:11 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Bogus Homeland Alerts Hit the Air By Kevin Poulsen As if Florida didn't have enough to worry about this hurricane season, some residents of the Sunshine State were alerted to a nonexistent radiological emergency last Wednesday after a National Weather Service operator fat-fingered a routine test of the Emergency Alert System. The EAS, a 1997 replacement for the Cold War-era Emergency Broadcast System, transmits emergency audio and text information to the public over weather-alert radios and by interrupting commercial television and radio broadcasts. A digital header at the top of every EAS alert dictates how long it's in effect and how far the message should be propagated. It also identifies the type of event by a three-letter code. The Florida gaffe occurred when an operator at the National Weather Service's Tallahassee forecast office inadvertently entered the code "RHW" instead of "RWT," keying a radiological hazard warning instead of a required weekly test. The warning was broadcast to the Florida panhandle and parts of southern Georgia, said National Weather Service warning-coordination meteorologist Walt Zaleski. Fortunately, it failed to cause panic, in part because the audio accompanying the message still identified it as "only a test," and the office moved rapidly to quash the false alarm. "They quickly alerted every radio and television station within their viewing and listening area that the ID had gone out incorrectly and there was no emergency to speak of," said Zaleski. A similar glitch at a Las Vegas radio station a day earlier falsely alerted cable companies, radio and TV stations in five counties to a national crisis that didn't exist. That error occurred Tuesday afternoon when KXTE-FM tried to send out a message canceling an earlier Amber Alert, and instead transmitted an EAN, or emergency action notification -- a special code reserved for the president of the United States to use in the event of a nuclear war or similar extreme national emergency. http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,68363,00.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 11:06:31 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Princeton University Goes Digital - The Wrong Way http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=4658 We admire Princeton not only for its beautiful campus and its myriad of creative minds, but also for its courage to embrace new technologies. Starting in the fall semester, the school will offer digital textbooks to its students in partnership with Missouri-based MBS Textbook Exchange Inc and various textbook publishers. The student only needs to pick up a barcoded textbook card (see attached screenshot), activate it at the cash register for usually 33 percent less than the new-book price, and go online for a one-time download of the textbook in PDF format. Alas, the e-books are encoded in DRM which pretty much spoils the potential success of this pilot project: * Textbook is locked to the computer where you downloaded it from; * Copying and burning to CD is prohibited; * Printing is limited to small passages; * Unless otherwise stated, textbook activation expires after 5 months (*gasp*); * Activated textbooks are not returnable; * Buyback is not possible. If this hasn't scared you off already, click here to read the rest in the press release. http://www.digitaltextbooks.net/cgi-dts/pressrelease.pdf ------------------------------ From: Danny Burstein Subject: NYT Article on Cyberextortion Including Ricin and Grenades Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 01:15:51 -0400 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC " August 7, 2005 The Rise of the Digital Thugs By TIMOTHY L. O'BRIEN " Early last year, the corporate stalker made his move. He sent more than a dozen menacing e-mail messages to Daniel I. Videtto, the president of MicroPatent, a patent and trademarking firm, threatening to derail its operations unless he was paid $17 million. " In a pair of missives fired off on Feb. 3, 2004, the stalker said that he had thousands of proprietary MicroPatent documents, confidential customer data, computer passwords and e-mail addresses. " Unbeknownst to the stalker, MicroPatent had been quietly trying to track him for years, though without success. He was able to mask his online identity so deftly that he routinely avoided capture, despite the involvement of federal investigators. " But in late 2003 the company upped the ante. It retained private investigators and deployed a former psychological profiler for the Central Intelligence Agency to put a face on the stalker. The manhunt, according to court documents and investigators, led last year to a suburban home in Hyattsville, Md., its basement stocked with parts for makeshift hand grenades and ingredients for ricin, one of the most potent and lethal biological toxins. " Last March, on the same day that they raided his home, the authorities arrested the stalker as he sat in his car composing e-mail messages he planned to send wirelessly to Mr. Videtto. The stalker has since pleaded guilty to charges of extortion and possession of toxic materials. [ snippety snip, rest at: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/business/yourmoney/07stalk.html [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The NY Times article did not note however, whether or not some snippity, uppity Usenetters were 'horrified' that the company had drilled down deep enough to find the _actual offender_ and afford him some severe punishment rather than just -- as they would prefer -- the guy's messages had just been filtered out, perhaps ineffectually, as filters go, but the preferred (by some who are quite vocal) way to deal with offenders. It is _good_ to see some of these bozos get caught and severely dealt with. PAT] ------------------------------ From: A User Subject: How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2005 09:16:26 +1000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com I am going to be visiting Northern California shortly. I am trying to find out what carriers have GSM coverage in 95437 Fort Bragg California. Is there a database that might be able to help? Thanks in advance. ------------------------------ From: Steven Lichter Reply-To: Die@spammers.com Organization: I Kill Spammers, Inc. (c) 2005 A Rot in Hell Co. Subject: AT&T Voice Mail System Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2005 02:25:35 GMT Some years ago AT&T marketed a 2 line digital Answering system. It was made by Bogon. It is real nice since you can have 10 different mailboxes with some being answer only and also allow a caller to page or transfer via the second line to reach you. Does anyone know if they ever updated it to handle CID? The only good spammer is a dead one!! Have you hunted one down today? (c) 2005 I Kill Spammers, Inc. A Rot in Hell Co. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2005 22:02:04 -0400 From: rikki5150@comcast.net Subject: More Help Needed on Wiring for WE201 I asked about wiring for a WE subset 684BA to the wall outlet with a WE201. There was a response but I could not open the attachment. Could you try something else? Rick Busey ------------------------------ Subject: Re: NYT's Friedman Calls For Better Wireless Access From: Dean M. Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2005 22:07:01 GMT I agree Friedman is probably making too much of the US lagging in cell phone coverage. However, what is true (only from my personal experience and that of some friends though) is that one particular kind of cell phone service -- GSM -- has coverage in major US cities which is worse than in major European cities. From the journos perspective, whether or not there are good reasons for this is probably irrelevant. I'll bet that Friedman has GSM (possibly even T-Mobile which I hear is very flaky in Manhattan), and has found coverage much better when he travels to London, Paris and Brussels! And that's what really spurred the article he wrote:-) -Dean On Thu, 04 Aug 2005 08:59:21 -0700, Mark Crispin wrote: > On Wed, 3 Aug 2005, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: >> A New York Times columnist, Friedman, calls today (8/3/05) for >> better wireless access in the United States. He says many foreign >> countries have better systems than we do and they will have the >> competitive edge on the US as a result. > Tell him to take a look at a map and consider the differences in > geography and demographics. It's pretty easy to have good wireless > coverage in densely-populated postage-stamp sized countries, > especially when not encumbered by zoning ("you are NOT going to put > that tower where I can see it!"). > It is also advisable to consider geography. Japan is no slouch when > it comes to wireless, yet there are numerous dead zones in big cities. > Any honest coverage map of Japan will show that there is no coverage > at all in the sparsely-populated mountainous interior of Japan; the > coverage is in the big cities which are all on the coasts. I know > from personal experience that you lose service as soon as you get a > few kilometers from the urban core. > I also know from personal experience that there are numerous dead > zones in London. > Now, if two relatively small island nations have problems, consider > wireless coverage issues in a large continental nation, and you have > the situation faced by Canada, the US, and Mexico. > -- Mark -- > http://staff.washington.edu/mrc > Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate. > Si vis pacem, para bellum. ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: FCC Gives Blessing to Sprint, Nextel Marriage Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2005 15:54:57 -0700 Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On Sat, 06 Aug 2005 10:48:10 -0700, Steve Sobol wrote: > Joseph wrote: >> WASHINGTON -- The merger of Sprint and Nextel Communications won >> approval from the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice >> Department yesterday, clearing the way for a combined company with >> more than 35 million mobile-phone subscribers. > Good. This is one merger that might actually benefit people other than > the shareholders. Actually, this is good for Sprint PCS which has been in the pits. The benefit to Nextel is illusive. It's more than likely Sprint PCS had more designs on spectrum than any real benefit to Nextel. Then again when have mergers ever really benefitted the end user? Look at what happened with AT&T Wireless and Cingular. If you were an AT&T Wireless subscriber and you got absorbed by Cingular you basically got reamed and were not even given any Vaseline to make it easier on you. ------------------------------ From: Ed Clarke Subject: Re: Calling All Luddites Date: 7 Aug 2005 02:07:28 GMT Organization: Ciliophora Associates, Inc. Reply-To: clarke@cilia.org On 2005-08-04, Thomas L Friedman wrote: > By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN > I began thinking about this after watching the Japanese use cellphones > and laptops to get on the Internet from speeding bullet trains and > subways deep underground. But the last straw was when I couldn't get > cellphone service while visiting I.B.M.'s headquarters in Armonk, N.Y. No matter what you do, you aren't going to get cell service in CHQ Armonk. The lobby (if you noticed it) has a copper foil ceiling; the walls are metal and the windows are metalized (and grounded). You're not going to get a radio signal out of that building (or into it). I've tried. I had to set up a demo for the corporate staff that involved satellite data transmission. We ended up moving the meeting to a different building on the site that wasn't quite so RF secure. ------------------------------ From: Gene S. Berkowitz Subject: Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 01:24:59 -0400 In article , ap@telecom-digest.org says: > By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press Writer > Hiroshima marked the 60th anniversary of the first atomic bomb attack > Saturday with prayers and water for the dead and a call by the mayor > for nuclear powers to abandon their arsenals and stop "jeopardizing > human survival." > > At 8:15 a.m., (a day ago, by Japanese time), the instant of the blast, > the city's trolleys stopped and more than 55,000 people at Peace > Memorial Park observed a moment of silence that was broken only by > the ringing of a bronze bell. > A flock of doves was released into the sky. Then wreaths and ladles of > water -- symbolizing the suffering of those who died in the atomic > inferno -- were offered at a simple, arch-shaped stone monument at the > center of the park. > Outside the nearby A-Bomb Dome, one of the few buildings left standing > after the blast, peace activists held a "die-in" -- falling to the > ground to dramatize the toll from the United States bombing that > turned life to death for more than 140,000 and forever changed the > face of war. > Thousands of paper lanterns symbolizing the souls of the dead were > floated on a river next to the park, concluding a day of rememberance. > Fumie Yoshida was just 16 when Hiroshima was bombed. She survived but > lost her father, brother and sister. On Saturday, she chose not to > attend the formal memorial, but paid her respects privately with a > small group of friends in the peace park. > "My father's remains have never been found," she said. "Those of us > who went through this all know that we must never repeat this > tragedy. But I think many Japanese today are forgetting." > In a "Peace Declaration," Hiroshima's outspoken Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba > vowed to never allow a repeat of the tragedy and gave an impassioned > plea for the abolition of nuclear weapons, saying the United States, > is "jeopardizing human survival." > "Many people around the world have succumbed to the feeling that there > is nothing we can do," he said. "Within the United Nations, the United > States uses its veto power to override the global majority and > pursue its selfish objectives." > In a more subdued speech, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi offered > condolences for the dead. > "I offer deep prayers from my heart to those who were killed," he > said, vowing that Japan would be a leader in the international > movement against nuclear proliferation. > Though Hiroshima has risen from the rubble to become a thriving city > of 3 million, most of whom were born after the war, the anniversary > underscores its ongoing tragedy. > Officials estimate that about 140,000 people were killed instantly or > died within a few months after the Enola Gay dropped its deadly > payload over the city, which then had a population of about 350,000. > Three days later, another U.S. bomber, Bock's Car, dropped a plutonium > bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, killing about 80,000 people. > Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945, ending World War II. > Including those initially listed as missing or who died afterward from > a loosely defined set of bomb-related ailments, including cancers, > Hiroshima officials now put the total number of dead in this city > alone at 242,437. > This year, 5,373 more names were added to the list. > In central London, more than 200 anti-nuclear activists and others > gathered at Tavistock Square, where a cherry tree was planted in 1967 > in memory of the victims of the Hiroshima bombing. > Jeremy Corbyn, a lawmaker in the governing Labour Party and vocal > anti-war campaigner, urged people to remember the "unique horror" of > what the United States did to Hiroshima in 1945. > Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. > NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the > daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at > http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new > articles daily. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I have to wonder if it has occurred to > Mr. Bush that what is good for the goose is often times good for the > gander as well. How would _he_ (or Mr. Blair for example) feel if the > Iraqi government decided "in order to end further suffering or loss > of innocent lives in this war with the United States, _we_ have > elected to drop the big one on their country." In other words, Harry > Truman's line, all over again, one big blast to end the agony of > war, but this time fingers pointed at us as the agressors ... and the > Iraqi government did, just this past week, invite the United States to > withdraw totally from Iraq and let all of us go back to living at > peace. We know that Mr. Bush refused that offer totally. We also know > that China has threatened us in recent days regards its ongoing spat > with Taiwan, stating that if Bush insisted on remaining involved in > that situation, they (the Chinese) 'would not hesitate' to use strong > medicine on us. And the North Koreans, I am sure, would get involved > also as circumstances permitted. I have to wonder if Mr. Bush even > realizes how close he is coming toward getting a taste of his own > medicine or if he even cares, in his deluded state of grandeur. > Considering Bush's strong association with the right-wing fundamentalist > Christian movement in this country -- people who feel from their > reading of scripture that the end is near anyway -- I really wonder if > he _does_ care ... if nothing else, it would most assuredly allow > _his_ congresspersons to declare a state of emergency and retain him > in office for the duration of the first real war on American > soil. Under the present constitutional constraints, he is ineligible > for another term in office, but just as in New York City a few days > after 9-11-01 there were suggestions seriously considered to put off > installing the new mayor and retaining the old mayor 'due to the > crisis'. I am sure the same ideas would be floated around as Bush's > term would otherwise draw to a close. Do the Atomic Scientists still > keep setting that clock periodically on its journey to midnight? > What is that clock setting now? PAT] The clock is now set at 7 minutes to Midnight. http://www.thebulletin.org/doomsday_clock/ Gene ------------------------------ From: Tim@Backhome.org Subject: Re: MCI Billing Fraud Class Action Notice Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2005 07:04:15 -0700 Organization: Cox Communications Shows how woefully inadequate are so-called federal consumer "protectors" are. It is absolutely disgusting. Girard, Gibbs & De Bartolomeo LLP wrote: > MCI SUED FOR BILLING MONTHLY SERVICE CHARGES TO NON-CUSTOMERS > San Francisco - The law firm Girard Gibbs & De Bartolomeo LLP > http://www.girardgibbs.com has filed a class action complaint on > behalf of telephone customers nationwide who were unlawfully billed by > MCI, Inc. for monthly service charges despite the fact they were not > MCI customers. The complaint alleges that MCI assesses the monthly > fees directly or through consumers' local phone bills. > "MCI has been charging non-customers minimum usage fees and other > monthly service fees without authorization even though MCI provided no > service to these persons," said Daniel Girard, one of the attorneys > for the plaintiff. "Consumers who mistakenly paid MCI or paid in > response to a threatening collections notice should get their money > back." > The case was brought by Shary Everett, a Goodyear, Arizona resident > who repeatedly was assessed monthly service charges by MCI even though > she had a different long distance carrier and had terminated MCI > service at a former address several years earlier. MCI refused to > reverse the unauthorized charges and threatened Ms. Everett with a > collections notice for failing to pay. To stop MCI from continuing to > bill her without authorization, she was forced to restrict all > long-distance service on her telephone line. > The complaint alleges that MCI enrolled non-customers and former MCI > long-distance subscribers without their knowledge or consent in the > "Basic Dial-1 Plan" or another MCI calling plan that carries a monthly > service fee. In 2002, MCI began charging a $3.00 or $5.00 minimum > usage fee (MUF) and a $3.95 monthly recurring fee to consumers who did > not have active billing accounts with MCI and whom MCI has no > reasonable basis to believe are current MCI customers. > The class action lawsuit against MCI was filed in federal district > court in Phoenix on July 18, 2005 and asserts claims against MCI for > violations of the federal Communications Act and for unjust > enrichment. > The complaint alleges that MCI's policy and practice is to reverse, > refund, or credit back unauthorized charges only to consumers who > threaten to bring legal action, lodge complaints with regulatory > authorities, or take other action. According to the complaint, > consumers who do not pay the unauthorized charges are turned over to > collections agencies. > Girard Gibbs & De Bartolomeo LLP is one of the nation's leading firms > representing individuals in consumer fraud class actions and investors > in securities fraud litigation. > If you've experienced this or a similar problem and you are interested > in sharing your experience with us, please print out and fill in the > form below, and mail or email it to our firm. http://gerardgibbs.com > Name: > E-Mail: > Telephone: > State of Residence: > Message: > I would like to receive updates concerning this problem or > other class action news: [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I ran this entire legal notice again, along with Tim's response since it is important that _everyone_ reclaim their money from MCI. Long-time (twenty or thirty year) phone users understand that MCI by and large was built on fraud from its beginning in the 1960's. It's crowning glory, if that term is appropriate came this summer when it's chairperson, Bernie Ebbers, got sent away all the while he was wringing his hands and claiming to know nothing of the deceit which built that huge empire. By all means, if you have as little as five cents coming from MCI, go through Gerard Gibbs (or whomever will administer the class action and get your money back. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Steven Lichter Reply-To: Die@spammers.com Organization: I Kill Spammers, Inc. (c) 2005 A Rot in Hell Co. Subject: Internet Porn Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2005 21:25:02 GMT Dateline NBC ran a good program on this problem, that included tracking down the companies and the spammer, plus an inside look at a porn convention, in Las Vegas. The only good spammer is a dead one!! Have you hunted one down today? (c) 2005 I Kill Spammers, Inc. A Rot in Hell Co. ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. 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The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of fifty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V24 #358 ****************************** TELECOM Digest Mon, 8 Aug 2005 02:12:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 359 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Gangs and Spam (ConsumerAffairs.com) The Truth About DSL (ConsumerAffairs.com) Towns Prepare For Switch to Comcast (Monty Solomon) Dayight Saving Time Switch May Cause Tech Woes (Monty Solomon) NBC TV Lookat, was: Internet Porn (Danny Burstein) Pay Phone Providers (demetrios@word13.com) Re: Europe Sells Zips; US Zips Lips (Phil Earnhardt) Re: How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? (Daniel AJ Sokolov) Re: Princeton University Goes Digital - The Wrong Way (Tony P.) Re: The Wired Are A Rude Bunch (Steven Lichter) Re: How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? (John Levine) Re: Calling All Luddites (John McHarry) Re: FCC Gives Blessing to Sprint, Nextel Marriage (Steve Sobol) New Sponsor - Phone Bill Busters (TELECOM Digest Editor) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ConsumerAffairs.com Subject: Gangs and Spam Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 23:11:45 -0500 IBM Says Gangs Now Behind Most Spam In the early days of the Internet, geeky hackers competed to see who could create the most diabolical computer viruses. The motivation was a twisted kind of bragging rights. But a study released by IBM says hackers today have a different motivation -- profit. In its Global Business Security Index, the computer giant says email continues to grow as a security menace, with messages often disguised as communications from legitimate entities that seek to pry personal and financial information from the unsuspecting. Believed to be largely driven by criminal gangs, "phishing" was tied to 35.7 million emails in the first half of 2005. The experts also noted an increase in "spear phishing," highly targeted and coordinated attacks at a specific organization or individual designed to extract critical data. Also, more and more electronic messages contain viruses that can harm computer or network operations. The overall volume of viruses has exploded. In January of 2004, one in every 129 emails contained a virus; by June of this year, infections had spread to one in every 28 emails. The first half of 2005 saw more than 237 million security attacks overall, more than 20 percent of which were aimed at government computers. The United States was overwhelmingly the target location for attacks (12 million), followed distantly by New Zealand (1.2 million) and China (1 million). Surprisingly, spam, unsolicited and unwanted email, provided a bright spot in the study. The ratio of spam to legitimate email continuously decreased over the course of the last six months, from 83 percent in January to 67 percent in June 2005. Although some of this decrease is due to spammers getting fewer reponses from net users, and simply getting tired from fewer positive results and giving up their efforts, much of the decease is also attributed to netters taking a more agressive seek/search out/destroy posture as well. "IBM advises its clients to rapidly adopt a holistic, enterprise-wide approach to security and risk management," said John Lutz, general manager of IBM's Financial Services Sector. Copyright 2003-2005 ConsumerAffairs.Com Inc. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, ConsumerAffairs.com For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: ConsumerAffairs.com Subject: The Truth About DSL Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 23:14:55 -0500 DSL (digital subscriber line) technology uses plain old copper phone wires to deliver data at high speeds to your home or office. It's the second-most-popular broadband service behind cable, and its subscriber numbers are growing. To get DSL, you'll need a phone line (your primary home phone line can work; you don't necessarily need a second line); a DSL modem, which usually comes with the service; an Ethernet card; and a company that's willing to sell the service to you at your current location. While DSL has become a lot easier to find over the last year or so--it's fast approaching mainstream status -- some common myths still abound. We'll debunk them and set you straight on the facts of DSL. Read on. Myth: DSL makes Web surfing blazingly fast. DSL is faster than dial-up Internet service but not change-your-life faster. In our informal tests, Web pages loaded about three to five times quicker with DSL than with dial-up -- nice, but about the same boost we got from cable. The real difference comes when downloading multimegabyte files, which can show up on your computer in minutes rather than the hours required for dial-up, provided you're downloading with a high-speed connection from a high-speed connection. Myth: Getting DSL is a Nightmare. While ordering DSL is no picnic, it's a lot easier now than it was even a year ago. To qualify for DSL, you still must be within about three miles of a phone company's central office (CO), and that CO must be equipped for digital Internet service. But many of the bureaucratic hassles -- incredibly long installation times, billing mistakes, and tech-support finger-pointing -- have disappeared, says Justin Beech, founder of Broadband Reports. That's partly because many small DSL providers have gone belly-up, leaving only one bureaucracy (the telcos) to deal with if you have a problem. Also, the phone companies have updated their databases and upgraded their equipment dramatically in the last two years. And many now offer self-installation kits, eliminating the delays waiting for an installer to arrive. There are, however, a few caveats to note. It's much easier to get brand-new DSL service than it is to transfer existing service to a new address or switch to a new provider. If you're moving, you'll have better luck getting DSL service quickly if you get a brand-new phone number. If you're transferring to a new service but are keeping your old phone number, be prepared for possible delays; it's sometimes difficult to get your old provider to release its death grip on your phone line, and once that happens, the new provider has to provision, or take hold of, the line for itself. Myth: They advertise DSL in your area, so you can get it. Not so fast, slick. Even if you live close to a central office, you may not qualify for DSL. For example, your phone line might contain load coils, devices that boost voice signals, or bridge taps, where a phone line is spliced to serve other houses in your neighborhood, both of which stop DSL dead in its tracks. The only way to find out is to ask the phone company to test your line and fix any problems, if the company is willing to do so. Such repairs shouldn't cost extra, but don't expect your telco to be speedy about it. And unfortunately, the DSL company usually won't tell you if your line isn't suitable; you're more likely to find out by installing DSL, then discovering for yourself that it doesn't work. Myth: You can get DSL only through your local Baby Bell. Today America Online, MSN, and EarthLink offer DSL (and cable) connections in various parts of the country. A handful of smaller firms also sell DSL, mostly to small businesses. But in nearly every case, these small firms simply piggyback on your local phone company's equipment, as do the large providers, which can add to the time it takes to get your service installed. Myth: One type of DSL is no different from another. There are several types of DSL, each of which differs in speed, reliability, and price. Nearly all residential connections use ADSL. The A stands for asymmetric, and the term means that the speed at which you send data from your PC will be different from the speed at which you receive it. Most ADSL connections let you download data at up to 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps) and send data up the line at 128 to 256 kilobits per second (Kbps), but the rates will vary depending on your distance from the central office and on Net congestion. Symmetric DSL (SDSL) is used by businesses who need a reliable connection speed; it sends data at the same rate in both directions (typically from 256K to 768K) and is usually more expensive ($75 to $200 per month). There's also IDSL (for ISDN DSL), which costs about the same as SDSL and provides speeds of up to 144Kbps in both directions. It's primarily for customers who are too far from a central office to qualify for faster versions of DSL. Myth: Having DSL means your computer is always logged on to the Net. Not necessarily. Some DSL service is merely always available -- meaning that you have to log on every time you turn on your computer. Logging on again is a minor hassle if you have programs running that expect constant access to the Net -- such as online backup software or an antivirus update utility -- but otherwise, it's no big deal, since the process takes only a few seconds and doesn't tie up your phone line. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, Consumer Affairs.com For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 23:40:15 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Towns Prepare For Switch to Comcast By Robert Knox, Globe Correspondent Some 73,000 households in Southeastern Massachusetts served by Adelphia cable TV soon will become Comcast customers, probably within the next year. For cable TV viewers in communities currently served by Adelphia, the change will likely mean new programs, services, and fees. For the town of Carver, it may mean beginning negotiations with one company on a new cable contract and concluding with another. The Carver Cable TV Advisory Committee is gearing up to begin talks on a new 10-year pact, with two years left on its current deal. With the joint $12.7 billion purchase of the troubled Adelphia Communications by Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Corp. working its way through bankruptcy court, the companies can only estimate that the deal will be completed in the first three months of next year. By then the Carver committee may be well underway in its contract renewal dealings with Adelphia. But it's almost certain that Adelphia will not be around when Carver completes its negotiations. "The owners of [Adelphia] dug a hole they just can't get out of," said Ron Clarke, a member of the Carver cable committee. In addition to Carver, Comcast is taking over nine other area communities currently served by Adelphia: Abington, Rockland, Duxbury, Kingston, Halifax, Marshfield, Pembroke, Plympton, and Plymouth. Adelphia, then the sixth-largest US cable company, filed for bankruptcy three years ago, shortly before its founder and two of his sons were charged with financial fraud. The sale of the company to Comcast and Time Warner, announced in April, needs the approval of security regulators in addition to the bankruptcy court. The cable companies believe it's a matter of when, not if, the deal will be completed. As required by law, Comcast has applied to each town for a cable TV license transfer. The town has 60 days to hold a public hearing. If it does nothing within that period, the transfer goes through automatically -- but in either case the actual transfer will not take place until the sale is final. The hearings are not the time to air concerns about service, costs, and favorite channels, officials say. Federal law allows the licensing authority -- generally the local board of selectmen -- to examine only a narrow range of criteria at the hearing, such as the company's technical, financial, and management capability to provide the service. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/08/07/towns_prepare_for_switch_to_comcast/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 01:10:37 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Daylight-Saving Switch May Cause Tech Woes By ANICK JESDANUN Associated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- When daylight-saving time starts earlier than usual in the United States come 2007, your VCR or DVD recorder could start recording shows an hour late. Cell phone companies could give you an extra hour of free weekend calls, and people who depend on online calendars may find themselves late for appointments. An energy bill President Bush is to sign Monday would start daylight time three weeks earlier and end it a week later as an energy-saving measure. And that has technologists worried about software and gadgets that now compensate for daylight time based on a schedule unchanged since 1987. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=50981012 ------------------------------ From: Danny Burstein Subject: NBC TV Lookat, was: Internet Porn Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 23:39:49 UTC Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC In Steven Lichter writes: > Dateline NBC ran a good program on this problem, that included > tracking down the companies and the spammer, plus an inside look at a > porn convention, in Las Vegas. Actually,. I thought it was pretty miserable. They did a credible job of tracking down the spammer and showing the layers of camelf^h^h^ subterfuge they use, but among other major difficulties: a) the show claimed these folk (spammers and the porn merchants) hadn't violated any laws. In the same clip they showed the spammers saying "They'll sign up with fake names or fake credit cards" (and lots of other clearly illegal actions). b) they had to do the sappy, happy, ending deal where they tracked down the original spammer (maybe..) and he apologized to the recipient for causing her grief. Sure he's sorry. Stick a national tv camera in front of someone and they'll say anything... (watcha wanna bet he's still doing it?) Oh, and they quoted one of the CAUCE folk (hopefully out of context) as saying: "I think many spammers, once they see the kind of damage they do, some of them may feel sorry. Some of them may get a sense of how much pain they cause people," - sorry, I don't buy that. c) they showed the original e-mail spam that got them started ... *with a fake ID on it*, and nowhere did they followup on how much grief the splillback of these _illegal identity fraud_ mails cause the innocent third parties. I could go on and on ... My compliments to Dateline host John Hockenberry and crew for getting as far a they did, but they left out plenty. Transcript is up at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8841299/ _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] ------------------------------ Reply-To: From: Subject: Pay Phone Providers Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 21:23:28 -0700 Hello, Do you have a list of pay phone providers nationally? Do you know where I can find one? Best Regards, www.Word13.com "Your Word to Our World" Demetrios Pousatis 505 South 9th Street, Suite 2 Philadelphia, P.a., 19147 p:215-917-2680 ------------------------------ From: Phil Earnhardt Subject: Re: Europe Zips Lips; U.S. Sells ZIPs - New York Times Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2005 23:44:56 -0600 Organization: http://newsguy.com On Sun, 7 Aug 2005 14:15:43 -0400, Monty Solomon wrote: > So far, American companies including financial services giants like > Bank of America, Citigroup and MasterCard, and national retailers like > DSW shoes and Ralph Lauren Polo, have announced data compromises. All > told, the personal information of more than 50 million consumers has > been lost, stolen and even sold to thieves. I think this analysis is missing the forest for the trees. The larger failure is that the validity of our identity is being held in the secrecy of a few numbers rather than a challenge-response system. If a challenge-response system were in place for the approval of credit card transactions (and applicaitons for new credit, changes of address, etc.), things like credit card nubmers would rapidly lose their value as a target for thieves. --phil ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 02:15:00 +0200 From: Daniel AJ Sokolov Subject: Re: How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? Am 07.08.2005 01:16 schrieb A User: > I am going to be visiting Northern California shortly. I am trying to > find out what carriers have GSM coverage in 95437 Fort Bragg > California. Is there a database that might be able to help? http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_us.shtml HTH, Daniel AJ My e-mail-address is sokolov [at] gmx dot net ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Princeton University Goes Digital - The Wrong Way Organization: ATCC Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 21:04:52 -0400 In article , monty@roscom.com says: > http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=4658 > We admire Princeton not only for its beautiful campus and its myriad > of creative minds, but also for its courage to embrace new > technologies. Starting in the fall semester, the school will offer > digital textbooks to its students in partnership with Missouri-based > MBS Textbook Exchange Inc and various textbook publishers. The student > only needs to pick up a barcoded textbook card (see attached > screenshot), activate it at the cash register for usually 33 percent > less than the new-book price, and go online for a one-time download of > the textbook in PDF format. > Alas, the e-books are encoded in DRM which pretty much spoils the > potential success of this pilot project: > * Textbook is locked to the computer where you downloaded it from; > * Copying and burning to CD is prohibited; > * Printing is limited to small passages; > * Unless otherwise stated, textbook activation expires after > 5 months (*gasp*); > * Activated textbooks are not returnable; > * Buyback is not possible. > If this hasn't scared you off already, click here to read the rest in > the press release. > http://www.digitaltextbooks.net/cgi-dts/pressrelease.pdf Considering that: 1) College Textbooks aren't worth the paper they are printed on because the information contained in them is often erroneous. 2) The choice of textbooks at any given college or university has nothing to do with the quality of the book, instead it has to do with the marketing of the book. 3) That there's very little difference between revision 5 and revision 9 of a book. But that doesn't stop them from publishing a new revision pretty much every year. 4) The price gouging is horrendous. I'm assuming that MBS is going to learn a horrible lesson in all this. Students might actually be willing to pay an extra 33% to get a non- crippled paper version of the book. There goes their profit scenario. ------------------------------ From: Steven Lichter Reply-To: Die@spammers.com Organization: I Kill Spammers, Inc. (c) 2005 A Rot in Hell Co. Subject: Re: The Wired Are A Rude Bunch Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 01:12:50 GMT Monty Solomon wrote: > by Fahmida Y. Rashid > While technology, such as cell phones, e-mail and instant messaging, > have in many ways made life easier, these same devices may make users > lazy and oblivious to their surroundings. The constant pressure on > workers to be accessible means manners often take a backseat. In > consumer circles, lots of people apparently believe that because they > can take or make a phone call, they should. > In a recent national poll by market research group Synovate, 68% of > Americans claimed to observe poor cell phone etiquette at least once > per day. Eighteen percent said they ran into poor e-mail etiquette. > The study noted that the Americans showed the poorest etiquette when > using the very devices they rely on the most (52% said they would > "die" if their phones and e-mails were taken away). > "Poor tech etiquette is something most of us don't really think about > as we pick up our cell phones or send an e-mail," said Steve Levine, > senior vice president at Synovate. > The survey results follow on the heels of a marketing push by a > company called Moderati, which sells ring tones, cell phone wallpaper > and ring-back tones. The company claims that "nothing says 'I hate > you' like a DisTone." A DisTone is a rather unfriendly greeting users > assign to callers they want to avoid. > http://www.forbes.com/technology/2005/07/28/technology-rudeness-wireless-cx_fr_0728rude.html There was a letter to the editor in the Press-Enterprise here in Riverside, Ca. today. Someone wrote about being hit by a shopping card in a market here by a woman using her cell phone, the person took it away and shut it off, then the lady called the party she was taking to and said that SHE had been interrupted by a rude person. About 5 years ago I was working in Las Vegas and was in a supermarket and was leaning down to get something from the frozen foods section when I was knocked to the floor, I got up the woman was pushing her cart and talking, she never even know she had hit me, that one was not as lucky, I got up, took the phone from her and smashed it on the floor, she went nuts, but other pointed out that she had run me down and kept going, would that be considered hit and run? The only good spammer is a dead one!! Have you hunted one down today? (c) 2005 I Kill Spammers, Inc. A Rot in Hell Co. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2005 02:45:58 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA > I am going to be visiting Northern California shortly. I am trying > to find out what carriers have GSM coverage in 95437 Fort Bragg > California. Is there a database that might be able to help? The two major GSM carriers in the US, Cingular (now including what used to be AT&T Wireless) and T-Mobile both have 1900MHz band licenses in Mendocino. If you visit Cingular's web site, you can find a coverage map with a little blob around Fort Bragg, so assuming you have a 1900MHz phone, it should work. T-Mobile has no coverage at all in Mendocino, and the 800 MHz band carriers, US Cellular and Verizon, are both CDMA. The Mendocino coast is so hilly that I'd expect plenty of dead spots even for carriers that do cover the area. But it's very pretty. R's, John ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: Calling All Luddites Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 02:05:32 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net On Sun, 07 Aug 2005 02:07:28 +0000, Ed Clarke wrote: > No matter what you do, you aren't going to get cell service in CHQ > Armonk. The lobby (if you noticed it) has a copper foil ceiling; the > walls are metal and the windows are metalized (and grounded). You're > not going to get a radio signal out of that building (or into it). > I've tried. > But if all you want is audio, windows make lovely microphones. Just bounce a laser off all that lovely metalized glass. A Faraday cage does not a prison make. ------------------------------ From: Steve Sobol Subject: Re: FCC Gives Blessing to Sprint, Nextel Marriage Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2005 19:05:45 -0700 Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com Joseph wrote: > Actually, this is good for Sprint PCS which has been in the pits. The > benefit to Nextel is illusive. It's more than likely Sprint PCS had > more designs on spectrum than any real benefit to Nextel. Perhaps, but both companies will end up combining spectrum - there are towers where Nextel has antennas but Sprint doesn't, &c. Nextel probably figured Sprint was a good partner since (as I understand it) they're dumping iDen for a CDMA-based platform, long-term. > when have mergers ever really benefitted the end user? Look at what > happened with AT&T Wireless and Cingular. If you were an AT&T > Wireless subscriber and you got absorbed by Cingular you basically got > reamed and were not even given any Vaseline to make it easier on you. What do you expect? SBC has done the same thing to hundreds of thousands of landline customers by buying RBOC's... I'd *never* use Cingular. Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED Company website: http://JustThe.net/ Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/ E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307 ------------------------------ Subject: New Sponsor - Phone Bill Busters Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 00:36:14 EDT From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) A new sponsor for the Digest, starting today; Phone Bill Busters and its owner, Dave Seldon. Please check out his web site at http://www.phone-bill-busters.com for a lot of good deals on long distance service. 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You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! 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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #359 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Aug 8 19:24:46 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 7BEF215051; Mon, 8 Aug 2005 19:24:45 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V24 #360 Message-Id: <20050808232445.7BEF215051@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 19:24:45 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.9 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: R TELECOM Digest Mon, 8 Aug 2005 19:25:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 360 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Google Gets Sued (Reuters News Wire) Google Gets Googled (Saul Hansel) Report: Cisco Mulls Offer For Nokia (USTelecom dailyLead) RJ-50 Specifications (chsvideo@hotmail.com) Re: Princeton University Goes Digital - The Wrong Way (jmeissen@aracnet) Re: Princeton University Goes Digital - The Wrong Way (Lisa Hancock) Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack (L Hancock) Re: How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? (A User) Re: How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? (Joseph) Re: Calling All Luddites (Dean M.) Re: The Wired Are A Rude Bunch (Steve Sobol) Re: Pay Phone Providers (Carl Navarro) Re: Death Sentence for Independent ISPs? (Matt Simpson) Re: FAX vs VOIP (I am a Sock Puppet) New Sponsor - Phone Call Busters (TELECOM Digest Editor) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Google Gets Sued Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 16:54:57 -0500 Google sued over claims of excess advertising fees Google Inc. is being sued over accusations that it overcharged advertisers who use the Web search giant's paid search advertising program, which accounts for the vast majority of Google's revenue. The proposed class-action suit, filed on August 3 in State Superior Court in Santa Clara, California, accuses Google of charging in excess of advertisers' "daily budgets," under which Google allows an advertiser to limit how much it spends each day. Lawyers for the proposed suit were not available to comment. The suit seeks unspecified monetary damages and was filed on behalf of CLRB Hanson Industries LLC in Minnesota and other advertisers. Google said the allegations had no basis. "The claims are without merit and we will defend against it vigorously," said Google spokesman Steve Langdon. The suit claims Google "engaged in conduct which injured members of the general public, including the plaintiffs" and said it was "impossible ... to determine the exact amount of the injury without a detailed review of Google's books and records." It also accuses Google, based in Mountain View, California, of disputing complaints from advertisers regarding the company's pricing practices and for not reimbursing what the suit called "unlawful" charges. Google, the biggest player in the global Internet advertising market, gets the vast majority of its revenue from Web search advertising. Shares of Google closed down $1.10 to $291.25 on Nasdaq. The stock is 7.2 percent below its record close of $313.94 on July 21. Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. ------------------------------ From: Saul Hansel Subject: Google Gets Googled Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 16:57:51 -0500 Google says its mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." But it does not appear to take kindly to those who use its search engine to organize and publish information about its own executives. CNETNews.com, a technology news Web site, said last week that Google had told it that the company would not answer any questions from CNET's reporters until July 2006. The move came after CNET published an article last month that discussed how the Google search engine can uncover personal information and that raised questions about what information Google collects about its users. The article, by Elinor Mills, a CNET staff writer, gave several examples of information about Google's chief executive, Eric E. Schmidt, that could be gleaned from the search engine. These included that his shares in the company were worth $1.5 billion, that he lived in Atherton, Calif., that he was the host of a $10,000-a-plate fund-raiser for Al Gore's presidential campaign and that he was a pilot. After the article appeared, David Krane, Google's director of public relations, called CNET editors to complain, said Jai Singh, the editor in chief of CNETNews.com. "They were unhappy about the fact we used Schmidt's private information in our story," Mr. Singh said. "Our view is what we published was all public information, and we actually used their own product to find it." He said Mr. Krane called back to say that Google would not speak to any reporter from CNET for a year. In an instant-message interview, Mr. Krane said, "You can put us down for a 'no comment.' When asked if Google had any objection to the reprinting of the information about Mr. Schmidt in this article, Mr. Krane replied that it did not. Mr. Singh, who has worked in technology news for more than two decades, said he could not recall a similar situation. "Sometimes a company is ticked off and won't talk to a reporter for a bit," he said, "but I've never seen a company not talk to a whole news organization." by Saul Hansel Copyright 2005 New York Times and CNET Com. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. Read NY Times on line each day with NO registration or login requirements: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/nytimes.html ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 12:53:33 EDT From: USTelecom DailyLead Subject: Report: Cisco Mulls Offer For Nokia USTelecom dailyLead August 8, 2005 http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23672&l=2017006 TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Report: Cisco mulls offer for Nokia BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Iowa Telecom taps CopperCom for softswitch changeover * Huawei considers Marconi bid * Report: News Corp. made offer for Skype * Nortel reports earnings USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * Carrier Grade Voice Over IP EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES * AOL acquires phone-personalization software maker REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * Evolving broadband raises new questions Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23672&l=2017006 Legal and Privacy information at http://www.dailylead.com/about/privacy_legal.jsp SmartBrief, Inc. 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20005 ------------------------------ From: chsvideo@hotmail.com Subject: RJ-50 Specifications Date: 8 Aug 2005 08:56:03 -0700 Hi All, Does anyone know where I can find the physical specifications for an RJ-50 plug/jack? We have some equipment that uses RJ-45s as well as an RJ-45-sized connector with a 10P10C configuration -- coworkers say it's a "10 Conductor RJ45", I say it's a "RJ50" -- we'd like to know who is right and have some hard evidence in the form of a spec or something. Thanks! Lincoln ------------------------------ From: jmeissen@aracnet.com Subject: Re: Princeton University Goes Digital - The Wrong Way Date: 8 Aug 2005 17:53:59 GMT Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com In article , Monty Solomon wrote: > http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=4658 > .... > Alas, the e-books are encoded in DRM which pretty much spoils the > potential success of this pilot project: > * Textbook is locked to the computer where you downloaded it from; > * Copying and burning to CD is prohibited; > * Printing is limited to small passages; > * Unless otherwise stated, textbook activation expires after > 5 months (*gasp*); > * Activated textbooks are not returnable; > * Buyback is not possible. Do they use some proprietary Adobe DRM mechanism that makes them incompatible with non-Adobe PDF readers? Specifically, what about Linux platforms, where Windows-specific DRM measures don't usually work? John Meissen jmeissen@aracnet.com ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Princeton University Goes Digital - The Wrong Way Date: 8 Aug 2005 11:33:37 -0700 Tony P. wrote: >> go online for a one-time download of >> the textbook in PDF format. This is another issue in the ongoing debate between conventional paper and book records and electronic media. My conclusion is "mixed". I've been doing library research with both kinds of media. I also use both at work. There are a lot of advantagess of online media: it takes up less space, it's more easily or much more easily searchable, and one can 'cut and paste' selected portions faster and easier than writing them down or making a photocopy. But there are some disadvantages, too. Traditional hardcopy (a book) is eye scannable. That means you can see random things with your eyes that an electronic search will never catch. A book is movabl e-- you can arrange it in different ways on the table or on your lap or even in the bathroom, you can't do that with a fixed terminal. Large format books are difficult to read on a computer screen without constant size adjustment or screen scrolling which gets dizzying after a short while. For example, we have the telephone book available online. They come up slowly and are hard to read. For such a reference it's faster to use the real thing. As the original article notes, there are many restrictions to the CDs being offered which are significant disadvtgs to the book. In the case of a textbook where you're reading the whole thing anyway I don't see much advtg to CD. I see it more with reference works or indexes. Microfilm saves tremendous space. That's significant since space is costly and a large collection probably couldn't be housed. It also lasts longer than paper, esp newsprint. However, it is a pain to search through and look at. The problems of 'scrolling' a large image over a screen remain. Microfiche is a little bit better in terms of random access, but still a pain. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack Date: 8 Aug 2005 10:06:28 -0700 Eric Talmadge wrote: > Outside the nearby A-Bomb Dome, one of the few buildings left standing > after the blast, peace activists held a "die-in" -- falling to the > ground to dramatize the toll from the United States bombing that > turned life to death for more than 140,000 and forever changed the > face of war. I was wondering why the firebombing of Tokyo -- that burned to death 100,000 people -- doesn't get the same attention as Hiroshima? Lots of German and Japanese cities were fire bombed and many thousands of civilians were killed by napalm and related incendiaries. Indeed, during the war US research labs continually sought better burning materials that would stick harder and burn hotter to Japanese buildings. Analysts worked to develop the most efficient ratio between explosives and fire -- how much explosives to use to properly blow something apart, and then fire to burn it all up; all in a way to maximize destruction. Nobody talks about this stuff. I point all this out because "the bomb" must be taken in context with the rest of the WW II, not in isolation. We also must look at the causes of WW II. That's a lot harder. It's easy to denounce war. It's something completely different to prevent. On Sept 11, many people worldwide cheered when the World Trade Center was destroyed and thousands of people were killed. That kind of cheering seems rather warlike to me. It's easy for someone to say in hindsight "I would not have dropped the bomb." But it's a lot harder to rethink decisions made by the Allied countries in the 1930s in response to Axis powers aggression. The Axis powers thought they had a legitimate right to do what they did. Germany felt it was unfairly screwed at the end of WW I and was only making things right. Japan felt it was unfairly shut out of world commerce by actions of western powers. At the time, it sure seemed that Chamberlain was doing the right thing making concessions to Germany and avoiding war at that moment. That's a decision people need to rethink carefully. > In central London, more than 200 anti-nuclear activists and others > gathered at Tavistock Square, where a cherry tree was planted in 1967 > in memory of the victims of the Hiroshima bombing. Do they remember the victims of the London blitz? Do they remember the victims of the 'rape of Nanking'? The Bataan death march? TELECOM Digest Editor's Note Note was responded to by Gene S. Berkowitz: >> Do the Atomic Scientists still keep setting that clock periodically >> on its journey to midnight? What is that clock setting now? PAT] > The clock is now set at 7 minutes to Midnight. > http://www.thebulletin.org/doomsday_clock/ It has been 60 years since nuclear weapons were used. They were used only once. However, conventional weapons and new weapons (like hijacked airplanes) have been used many times. The "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" is an interesting magazine; it has a lot of good history and international political affairs articles. However, I don't agree with their general theme. As I understood it, the Bulletin was established by some scientists from the Manhattan Project who were opposed to using the bomb they created against Japan. They intended it for use against Germany, but they objected for use in Japan. In my opinion, those who objected at the time did not understand the situation as well as the political leaders who had to make the actual decision. The scientists had been busy in their laboratories and didn't realize the horrors and casualties Allied soldiers suffered in the war in the Pacific. The scientists knew firsthand how evil Germany was. But Japan's military government was just as bad and had to be completely removed from power. Their actions at the time as well as subsequent history shows clearly that military government was not about to step away despite a string of defeats. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A group of World War Two veterans in a counter-demonstration over the weekend at Arlington Cemetery carried banners which stated 'had there been no Pearl Harbor there would have been no Hiroshima.' PAT] ------------------------------ From: A User Subject: Re: How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 20:14:56 +1000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com On 8 Aug 2005 02:45:58 -0000, John Levine wrote: >> I am going to be visiting Northern California shortly. I am trying >> to find out what carriers have GSM coverage in 95437 Fort Bragg >> California. Is there a database that might be able to help? > The two major GSM carriers in the US, Cingular (now including what > used to be AT&T Wireless) and T-Mobile both have 1900MHz band licenses > in Mendocino. If you visit Cingular's web site, you can find a > coverage map with a little blob around Fort Bragg, so assuming you > have a 1900MHz phone, it should work. T-Mobile has no coverage at all > in Mendocino, and the 800 MHz band carriers, US Cellular and Verizon, > are both CDMA. > The Mendocino coast is so hilly that I'd expect plenty of dead spots > even for carriers that do cover the area. But it's very pretty. > R's, > John Thanks to all. The GSM World page is rarely up to date. According to the Cingular web site, looks like there is a cell in Fort Bragg. It looks like one cell. GSM cells are only 17 or so miles across. Still would nice to have a database of US and other global locations with who services them and what technology. ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 08:00:37 -0700 Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On Sun, 07 Aug 2005 09:16:26 +1000, A User wrote: > I am going to be visiting Northern California shortly. I am trying to > find out what carriers have GSM coverage in 95437 Fort Bragg > California. Is there a database that might be able to help? According to Wireless Advisor http://www.wirelessadvisor.com for that ZIP the GSM providers would be T-Mobile and Cingular. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Calling All Luddites From: Dean M. Organization: SBC http://yahoo.sbc.com Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 06:09:52 GMT Heh! You should email Friedman this little piece of info:-) Although he was obviously making a larger point, it's rather amusing his supposed "straw that broke the camel's back" is bogus! -Dean On Sat, 06 Aug 2005 19:07:28 -0700, Ed Clarke wrote: > On 2005-08-04, Thomas L Friedman wrote: >> By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN >> I began thinking about this after watching the Japanese use cellphones >> and laptops to get on the Internet from speeding bullet trains and >> subways deep underground. But the last straw was when I couldn't get >> cellphone service while visiting I.B.M.'s headquarters in Armonk, N.Y. > No matter what you do, you aren't going to get cell service in CHQ > Armonk. The lobby (if you noticed it) has a copper foil ceiling; the > walls are metal and the windows are metalized (and grounded). You're > not going to get a radio signal out of that building (or into it). > I've tried. > I had to set up a demo for the corporate staff that involved satellite > data transmission. We ended up moving the meeting to a different > building on the site that wasn't quite so RF secure. ------------------------------ From: Steve Sobol Subject: Re: The Wired Are A Rude Bunch Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 00:01:24 -0700 Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com Steven Lichter wrote: > There was a letter to the editor in the Press-Enterprise here in > Riverside, Ca. today. Someone wrote about being hit by a shopping > card in a market here by a woman using her cell phone, the person took > it away and shut it off, then the lady called the party she was taking > to and said that SHE had been interrupted by a rude person. Good thing she wasn't about an hour further north, because if she'd run into me up here I probably would have done physical damage to the phone before giving it back to her. :) I try extremely hard *not* to be rude when I'm using my phone in a public place, and I wish other people would too (though I don't expect it; I know better). > cart and talking, she never even know she had hit me, that one was not > as lucky, I got up, took the phone from her and smashed it on the > floor, she went nuts, but other pointed out that she had run me down > and kept going, would that be considered hit and run? Good for you. :) Steve in Apple Valley Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED Company website: http://JustThe.net/ Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/ E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307 ------------------------------ From: Carl Navarro Subject: Re: Pay Phone Providers Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 11:50:26 GMT Organization: Road Runner High Speed Online http://www.rr.com On Sun, 7 Aug 2005 21:23:28 -0700, wrote: > Hello, > Do you have a list of pay phone providers nationally? If you're the one buying the box, try the obvious. www.payphone.com Carl Navarro ------------------------------ From: Matt Simpson Subject: Re: Death Sentence for Independent ISPs? Organization: Yeah Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 13:13:22 -0400 In article , jmeissen@aracnet.com wrote: > I fail to see how enabling a monopoly reduces prices and improves > service. :-/ Since any service is an improvement over no service at all, this MIGHT improve service if it really does encourage the "monopolies" to begin serving areas which currently have no service. Speaking as someone who can get neither cable nor DSL (and doesn't consider satellite a viable option), I get a little tired of my friends who currently have access to both cable and DSL whining about their choices being limited. At this point, I'd be pretty damn happy if I could get just one option. I'm not convinced that legislation favoring the "big guys" is necessarily the answer, but until I have at least one vendor offering to sell me broadband, I'm not going to whine about legislation limiting other ISPs' ability to undercut the big guys in the profitable urban markets, unless those ISPs also want to sell their service to me. I would be happier if the legislation actually provided some incentives, or even requirements, to the big guys to expand service in exchange for strangling the competition, instead of vague suggestions that they'll feel more free to expand if competition isn't a threat. For example, my telephone service is provided by Bell South. Bell South won't sell me DSL. From a technical point of view, I don't know what would be required for them to do so. I've heard rumors that maybe DSL equipment could be added to that SLC box at the end of my road. It would be nice to see a ruling that Bell South doesn't have to give competitors access to their lines IF AND WHEN they offer DSL to all their residential phone customers. ------------------------------ From: I am a Sock Puppet Subject: Re: FAX vs VOIP Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 16:25:42 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com John McHarry wrote: > This is really a reply to a question posted on a discussion of Lingo, > but the subject is really quite different from that of the original > thread. > I believe the issue with FAX over VOIP is that VOIP uses lossy > compression that does not treat FAX modulation gently. Depends the VOIP. But (when set to "high quality mode) use g7.11 for the codec. This is the same that most digital lines (ie: isdn, t1) use - so in most cases lossy compression is NOT an issue. What IS often an issue is latency in the IP connection -- this translates into audio latency. For instance, a 250ms delay on the IP end means that there is a 1/4 second delay in the audio -- the recieving end hears the audio 1/4 second after it is sent. That sort of thing can play havoc with modems and faxes. DO NOT REPLY TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE HEADERS OF THIS POST. IT IS A SPAM TRAP ADDRESS. ------------------------------ Subject: New Sponsor - Phone Bill Busters Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 00:36:14 EDT From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) A new sponsor for the Digest, starting today; Phone Call Busters and its owner, Dave Seldon. You'll find his ad in the far right column on our web site http://telecom-digest.org ; the green telephone and the Phone Bill Busters message. You can either click on that logo itself or check out http://phone-bill-busters.com to learn about his techniques for reducing long distance costs, and also note his several pages of good links, and reports on cell phones, etc. In addition, he carries the .rss feed for TELECOM Digest and you might find that a preferable way to read this Digest each day. Dave and I both thank you for taking a few minutes today to visit with him. Patrick Townson ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of fifty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V24 #360 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Aug 9 20:45:16 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id A4DB31514D; Tue, 9 Aug 2005 20:45:15 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V24 #361 Message-Id: <20050810004515.A4DB31514D@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 20:45:15 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, BIZ_TLD,CELL_PHONE_IMPROVE autolearn=no version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Tue, 9 Aug 2005 20:45:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 361 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Microsoft Spammer (Reuters News Wire) Listing of Major Spyware Threats (Webroot Software) Digital Gold Circulation Rises (Reuters News Wire) DesignCon East 2005 Invitation (Lisa Reyes) VOIP Hardware (J Kelly) CacheLogic Announces P2P Audio/Video File Format Study (Jon Hirshon) Covad VoIP Service (harris@calltower) Former U.S. Treasury Chief Aims To Close Digital Divide (USTelecomdaily) Iwatsu Omega IV 616 (compufreak) Re: More on Verizon Fiber/FiOS (foxintampa1) Re: 1A2 Help Requested (IPRichie) Correction (David Sims) Re: FCC Gives Blessing to Sprint, Nextel Marriage (John Levine) Re: How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? (Joseph) Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack (Tony P.) Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack (Tim) Nakasaki Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb (Eric Talmadge) Don't Forget Peter Jennings' ... Flaw (alan@bloomfieldpress.com) New Sponsor - Phone Call Busters (TELECOM Digest Editor) Sister Katherine Finally Laid to Rest (Patrick Townson) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Microsoft Settles Suit Against Spammer Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 08:46:03 -0500 Microsoft Corp. said on Tuesday that it had settled a lawsuit against Scott Richter, whom it identified as a former "spam king." Microsoft said that as part of the settlement Richter and his company agreed to pay $7 million to Microsoft. Richter and his company will file a motion on Tuesday to dismiss bankruptcy proceedings they filed in March in the U.S. bankruptcy court in Denver, according to a joint statement by Microsoft and Richter. Bankruptcy was originally filed to avoid paying Microsoft's judgment. The settlement is conditioned on dismissal of the bankruptcy cases. A separate statement from Microsoft senior vice president and general counsel Brad Smith said the company will reinvest all of the money including $5 million additional of their own money which will go to increase Internet enforcement efforts and expand technical and investigative support to help law enforcers to address computer- related crimes. Smith said "we intend to begin catching and punishing spammers; deterence rather than filtering from now on." The joint statement from Microsoft and Richter said Richter had changed his e-mailing practices in part because Microsoft and the office of New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer sued him in 2003. In its lawsuit, Microsoft argued that Richter and his companies violated state and federal law by sending spam e-mail and teaching other guys how to do the same, to send spam. In the statement, Richter and his company, OptInRealBig.Com, LLC, denied all allegations. Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. ------------------------------ From: Webroot Software Subject: Listing of Major Spyware Threats Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 09:39:20 -0500 The list below depicts the spyware threats most frequently identified by Webroot's Spy Audit, a free spyware scanner tool. Webroot's dedicated team of expert spyware researchers compiled the threat background and additional spyware information provided. Spy Sweeper, Webroot's anti-spyware software, can detect and remove all of these spyware threats: Name: CoolWebSearch (CWS) Description: CoolWebSearch may hijack any of the following: Web searches, home page, and other Internet Explorer settings. Recent variants of CoolWebSearch install using malicious HTML applications or security flaws, such as exploits in the HTML Help format and Microsoft Java Virtual machines. Name: Gator (GAIN) Description: Gator is an adware program that may display banner advertisements based on user Web surfing habits. Gator is usually bundled with numerous free software programs, including the popular file-sharing program Kazaa. Name: 180search Assistant Description: 180search Assistant is an adware program that delivers targeted pop-up advertisements to a user's computer. Whenever a key word is entered into a search engine or a targeted Web site is visited, 180search Assistant opens a separate browser window displaying an advertiser's Web page that is related to the key word or site. Name: ISTbar/AUpdate Description: ISTbar is a toolbar used for searching pornographic web sites that may display pornographic pop-ups and hijack user homepages and Internet searches. Name: Transponder (vx2) Description: Transponder is an IE Browser Helper Object that monitors requested web pages and data entered into online forms, then delivers targeted advertisements. Name: Internet Optimizer Description: Internet Optimizer hijacks error pages and redirects them to its own controlling server at http://www.internet-optimizer.com. Name: BlazeFind Description: BlazeFind may hijack any of the following: Web searches, home page, and other Internet Explorer settings. BlazeFind may redirect Web searches through its own search engine and change default home pages to www.blazefind.com. This hijacker may also change other Internet Explorer settings. Name: Hot as Hell (one of the worst!) Description: Hot as Hell is a dialer program which dials toll numbers in order to access paid pornographic Web sites. Hot as Hell may disconnect a user's computer from a local Internet provider and reconnect the user to the Internet using an expensive toll or international phone number. It spies on the user, and it may accrue significant long distance phone charges. It may run in the background, hiding its presence. It often times does not even ask permission; it simply seizes the user's line and makes credit card calls to porn sites, based on information it has accumulated such as credit card numbers, for instance during overnight hours. Name: Advance Keylogger Description: Advanced Keylogger has the ability to monitor keystrokes and take screenshots. Name: TIBS Dialer Description: TIBS Dialer is a dialer that may hijack a user's modem and dial toll numbers that access paid, pornographic Web sites. Copyright 2005 Webroot Software, Inc. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, WebRoot Software. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Digital Gold Circulation Rises to 2.5 Tons Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 09:31:53 -0500 Internet payment system e-gold now holds around 2.5 ton of gold, an increase of 40 percent since 2004 and more than the official gold reserves of countries like Chile and Luxembourg. "The e-gold system has now surpassed 27 out of 109 gold-holding nations and is on track to exceed Canada's gold reserves by year-end," e-gold founder Douglas Jackson said in a statement. The system (www.e-gold.com) allows people anywhere in the world to send specified weights of gold to other e-gold accounts. While the ownership changes, the gold in the treasury grade vault stays put. A Canadian, for example, can pay a German the correct weight of gold for goods or services as easily as if the price had been quoted in a national currency. The system currently processes over 10 million user-to-user payments annually with a value exceeding $1 billion. According to e-gold's Web Site, the most frequent gold spend over the past 24 hours fell in the 10-100 milligram range, for a total of 455 grams (14.6 troy ounces). Spot gold currently trades at around $433 an ounce. But the amount of gold involved is still only a fraction of bullion's ever-shrinking share of central bank foreign exchange reserves, which stood at just over 31,000 tons as of June 2005. Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. ------------------------------ From: Lisa Reyes Subject: DesignCon East 2005 Invitation Date: TUE, 9 AUG 2005 09:20:09 -0500 Reply-To: events@iec.org The International Engineering Consortium (IEC) requests your presence, as a valued member of the high-technology press, at the 2005 DesignCon East Conference in Worcester, Massachusetts, September 19-21 at the DCU Center. Offering the freshest solutions to today's pressing engineering-design challenges, DesignCon East is the place to see and hear about the latest advancements in semiconductor and electronic design engineering. Industry leaders will give keynote addresses on critical industry issues, participate in important panels, and present award-winning papers during comprehensive seminars. More than 40 technical papers will be presented at DesignCon East, and more than 40 leading companies are expected to demonstrate their latest products and services at its accompanying technology exhibition. The IEC offers complimentary registration to the DesignCon East conference and exhibition to accredited members of the media, which will grant you full access to the host of educational programming offered, as well as the extensive exhibition showcasing the industry's most important technological advances and product developments. Please see below for information on how to register. What: DesignCon East 2005 When: September 19-21, 2005 Where: DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts Who (keynote speakers): Raul Camposano, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Synopsys; Michael Paczan, Chief Technology Officer, Power.org Initiative, Systems and Technology Group, IBM; Don Desbiens, Vice President, Technology Development, Fairchild Semiconductor; and Wayne Morrison, Vice President, TCS Sales and Applications Engineering, Teradyne How to Register: Visit http://www.iec.org/events/2005/designcon_east/registration/reg_press.html How to Get More Information: Visit http://www.designcon.com/east or contact Lisa Reyes at 312-559-3325, (Chicago number). Best regards, Lisa Ann Reyes Communications Manager +1-312-559-3325 mailto:lreyes@iec.org http://www.iec.org/ ------------------------------ From: Withheld on Request Subject: VOIP Hardware Date: 8 Aug 2005 17:50:47 -0700 *** PATRICK, can you remove my name email address from this post please *** Can anyone recommend a solution for the following: I need to be able to pick up a phone at Location B and get a dialtone from a POTS line located at Location A Both locations have broadband. Location A has a cable modem and Location B has a T1 connection. Both locations are behind a firewall and or NAT, but I have full control over the firewall at A (but no control at all at B, I assume it will pass most anything going out that originates inside the firewall, so far I've found no protocols it will not pass). Location B does not need to be able to receive calls, only originate calls, the calls must be made from the phone line at A (ANI has to match A's number). It needs to allow a modem connection across the link. Its probably 2400bps, but I have no way to be sure. My other requirement is that it needs to be really cheap. My first thought was Asterisk with a FXO card at A and some sort of FXS device at B (maybe an iAXy or similar). Asterisk seems like overkill for this and I don't want to dedicate a PC for this unless I really have to. Seems like there should be some sort of cheap box out there that can take a single FXO line and link up to an FXS device using SIP or some similar protocol across the public internet. If such a thing exists I have yet to locate it. This is going to be very low traffic, maybe a couple calls a month at random times. Any pointers to get me started are much appreciated. ------------------------------ From: Jonathan Hirshon Subject: CacheLogic Announces Worldwide P2P Audio/Video File Format Study Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 12:18:08 -0700 Greetings all -- the following news announcement from CacheLogic details their latest analysis of the actual P2P data traffic worldwide across the Net, obtained through direct packet monitoring of Internet backbones and ISPs data streams via Layer 7 packet analysis. For this study, we determined what kinds of audio and video file formats are being actually traded on the major P2P networks, on a weighted basis. The results certainly surprised me -- key details are: - Overall Mix of P2P traffic by volume, across the 4 major P2P networks: Audio: 11.34% Video: 61.44% Other: 27.22% - Microsoft video formats represent 46% of aggregate worldwide P2P traffic. - 65% of all audio files by volume of traffic are still traded in the MP3 format, but a surprising 12.3% are in the open-source OGG file format (almost all of which are exclusively traded on the BitTorrent network, particularly in Asia - this last *really* caught me by surprise, as I did not believe OGG had anywhere near this kind of market penetration!) - BitTorrent is increasingly being used for the distribution of legitimate content. If you are interested in seeing the complete Powerpoint presentation with these and other details, just reply back and I will forward it on to you. Also, if you wish to interview CacheLogic regarding this, please don't hesitate to call me on my mobile number and I'll quickly facilitate that for you. As always, should you no longer wish to receive these missives from CacheLogic, just reply back and we will immediately address this for you. Cheers, JH First-Ever, Real-Time Traffic Analysis of File Formats Crossing Peer-to-Peer Released by CacheLogic CacheLogic Technology Installed in Tier-One ISPs Worldwide Monitors Actual Network Traffic, Reveals Surprising Facts in Audio/Video Trends and Format Usage. Cambridge, England August 9, 2005 CacheLogic, Ltd. a world leader in Peer-to-Peer traffic management and network intelligence solutions =96 today published a market study of file formats traversing the Peer-to-Peer Networks that identifies the formats of choice for audio and video files among file traders. This first-ever, truly definitive study is based not on estimates, but on actual packet data and traffic levels analyzed at Tier-One ISPs (Internet Service Providers) worldwide. Using the advanced Layer-7 technology found in both its Peer-to-Peer Management Solution and Deep Packet Inspection products, CacheLogic analyzed terabytes of data to discover a number of surprising new facts regarding Peer-to-Peer audio and video trading across the entirety of the Internet. Jonathan Hirshon Principal, Horizon Communications Vox - 408-969-4888 US Mobile - 408-393-4900 Euro Mobile (only when traveling) - (+44)(0)7791 156425 GnuPG Fingerprint - 3F31 D4FE 391C A0AA E7DE 124F 36FB E002 891C 8909 Automatically add my vCard into Outlook (etc.) at www.horizonpr.com/ vcard.html See the current JH Music Library at http://www.horizonpr.com/ituneslist/ ------------------------------ From: harris@calltower Subject: Covad VoIP Service Date: 9 Aug 2005 13:09:44 -0700 Full disclosure: I am with CAllTower, a direct competitor of Covad in VoIP. Recently we have received a number of calls from Covad VoIP customers who are looking for alternatives. In some cases these Covad customers are telling us that they have not received any billing from Covad for a number of months. "Free" is hard to sell against. I am wondering if there are lots of Covad customers who are: 1. unhappy and looking for alternatives; 2. not being invoiced? and if not being invoiced, is this due to service issues? Thanks for helping us grow the quality end of the nascent VoIP industry. harris@calltower ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 14:45:16 EDT From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Former U.S. Treasury Chief Aims to Close Digital Divide USTelecom dailyLead August 9, 2005 http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23703&l=2017006 TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Former U.S. Treasury chief aims to close digital divide BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Marconi issues statement on strategic plans * Verizon joins MOCA * Yahoo! adds phone service to IM software * Editorial: FCC's DSL ruling to spur broadband * AT&T makes VoIP easy with new software USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * New in the Telecom Bookstore: Introduction to IP Television EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES * Qualcomm, Boeing test in-flight mobile phone service REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * FCC adds VoIP to CALEA rules * USDA puts Pannaway on RUS list Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23703&l=2017006 Legal and Privacy information at http://www.dailylead.com/about/privacy_legal.jsp SmartBrief, Inc. 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20005 ------------------------------ Subject: Iwatsu Omega IV 616 From: jone@ll-dot-net.no-spam.invalid (compufreak) Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 11:21:51 -0500 Hi! I have just recently picked up an Iwatsu Omega IV 616 system. The system was removed from a working environment, or so I was told. I am now setting it up. Unfortunately, I seem to be having problems getting the extension phones to operate. When hooked up, they simply keep clicking, even without the handset lifted. There is no dialtone or anything. As of now, I have tried different RJ-21 ends on this thing, but I seem to keep running into brick walls. I believe that this is a problem with the ends, the key system unit hardware, or the software on the system. I cannot further isolate this problem, though. I do know, however, that it is not the phones -- I have tested several to no avail. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks! P.S. Some extensions did 'work,' but then mysteriously went bad. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: More on Verizon Fiber/FiOS From: jason@vip26-dot-com.no-spam.invalid (foxintampa1) Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 11:21:52 -0500 You can also find more out about Fios here: http://www.myfios.net - Thanks ------------------------------ Subject: Re: 1A2 Help Requested From: petratechnologies@yahoo-dot-com.no-spam.invalid (IPRichie) Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 11:21:51 -0500 My father installed those systems in the 70's. He even custom wired them to utilize the Northern Telecom SM-1's and Logic 10's. The 1A2 KSU was made by ITT. Each multibutton telephone requires a 25 pair connection to the KSU (If it is a 10-button ITT Classic)=20 I might be able to find the old ITT manuals which have the punch down configurations for all the features, including intercom. The Ksu requires the old relay line cards. ------------------------------ Subject: Correction From: david@david-sims-dot-com.no-spam.invalid (David Sims) Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 11:21:52 -0500 In my article as posted recently, I misattributed material from Paul Kapustka's original reporting to "wire services" and "Reuters" and neglected to put attributions on all Paul's reporting. This article has been pulled and a revised version submitted to my editors. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2005 05:02:33 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: FCC Gives Blessing to Sprint, Nextel Marriage Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA >> Actually, this is good for Sprint PCS which has been in the pits. The >> benefit to Nextel is illusive. It's more than likely Sprint PCS had >> more designs on spectrum than any real benefit to Nextel. > Perhaps, but both companies will end up combining spectrum - there are > towers where Nextel has antennas but Sprint doesn't, &c. Unlikely, since Sprint is PCS 1900 and Nextel is iDen 800, different bands, different technologies, different antennas. I can report that our shiny new water tower has separate antennas for Sprint and Nextel, each paying separate rent. > Nextel probably figured Sprint was a good partner since (as I > understand it) they're dumping iDen for a CDMA-based platform, > long-term. That's the point, iDen doesn't provide an upgrade path to spiffy digital services. I wonder whether they're going to move to CDMA in the 800 band that Nextel uses or run the networks in parallel forever or what. They're surely not going to abandon the iDen band, since they paid so much for them and 800 propagates a lot better than 1900. Regards, John R. Levine, IECC, POB 727, Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 330 5711 johnl@iecc.com, Mayor, http://johnlevine.com, Member, Provisional board, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 06:43:45 -0700 Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On Mon, 08 Aug 2005 20:14:56 +1000, A User wrote: > Still would nice to have a database of US and other global locations > with who services them and what technology. It may not be official but if you go to http://www.cellreception.com/towers/ they have interactive google maps of areas with red balloons where towers are. Clicking on a balloon will show you who it belongs to. From what I understand it won't show everything except towers that are registered with the FCC. Also take into account that it may not be listed as its present name e.g. it may say something like VoiceStream I LLC instead of T-Mobile or it might say Airtouch LLC instead of Verizon. Also mobile operators sometimes "aggregate" with other operators on a single tower being run by someone who owns the tower. ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack Organization: ATCC Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 21:03:54 -0400 In article , hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com says: > Eric Talmadge wrote: >> Outside the nearby A-Bomb Dome, one of the few buildings left standing >> after the blast, peace activists held a "die-in" -- falling to the >> ground to dramatize the toll from the United States bombing that >> turned life to death for more than 140,000 and forever changed the >> face of war. > I was wondering why the firebombing of Tokyo -- that burned to death > 100,000 people -- doesn't get the same attention as Hiroshima? Lots of > German and Japanese cities were fire bombed and many thousands of > civilians were killed by napalm and related incendiaries. Indeed, > during the war US research labs continually sought better burning > materials that would stick harder and burn hotter to Japanese > buildings. Analysts worked to develop the most efficient ratio between > explosives and fire -- how much explosives to use to properly blow > something apart, and then fire to burn it all up; all in a way to > maximize destruction. Nobody talks about this stuff. In the case of Japan the incendiary bombs were VERY effective. They literally used lots of wood and paper in Japanese homes. > I point all this out because "the bomb" must be taken in context with > the rest of the WW II, not in isolation. We also must look at the > causes of WW II. That's a lot harder. > It's easy to denounce war. It's something completely different to > prevent. On Sept 11, many people worldwide cheered when the World > Trade Center was destroyed and thousands of people were killed. That > kind of cheering seems rather warlike to me. > It's easy for someone to say in hindsight "I would not have dropped > the bomb." But it's a lot harder to rethink decisions made by the > Allied countries in the 1930s in response to Axis powers aggression. > The Axis powers thought they had a legitimate right to do what they > did. Germany felt it was unfairly screwed at the end of WW I and was > only making things right. Japan felt it was unfairly shut out of > world commerce by actions of western powers. Both were correct in their reasons. Germany in particular was economically hamstrung by the French when they signed the Treaty of Versailles. People also neglect to mention the push by the arms industry in Germany, Krup being a prime example. In the case of Japan it was all about natural resources and establishment of Empire. Manchuria allowed them to do both. > At the time, it sure seemed that Chamberlain was doing the right thing > making concessions to Germany and avoiding war at that moment. That's > a decision people need to rethink carefully. Chamberlain was an idiot. Perhaps that was a little bit harsh and instead I should have said that his failure to reconcile promise against breach was the main issue. >> In central London, more than 200 anti-nuclear activists and others >> gathered at Tavistock Square, where a cherry tree was planted in 1967 >> in memory of the victims of the Hiroshima bombing. > Do they remember the victims of the London blitz? Do they remember > the victims of the 'rape of Nanking'? The Bataan death march? Indirectly we Rhode Islanders still commemorate the brutality of the Japanese and the dropping of the atomic bomb to vanquishing the Japanese. It used to be called and is still widely known as VJ or Victory over Japan day but the state government prefers to drop the "Japan" part in order to appease Toray Plastics. My two grandfathers both served during WW II. My maternal grandfather was in the South Pacific, while my paternal was in Europe routing out Germans. You can be damned sure I'll remember the sacrifices they made. > TELECOM Digest Editor's Note Note was responded to by Gene S. Berkowitz: >>> Do the Atomic Scientists still keep setting that clock periodically >>> on its journey to midnight? What is that clock setting now? PAT] >> The clock is now set at 7 minutes to Midnight. >> http://www.thebulletin.org/doomsday_clock/ The clock was at 3 minutes to Midnight when Ronald Reagan was sworn as President. I think ... > It has been 60 years since nuclear weapons were used. They were used > only once. However, conventional weapons and new weapons (like > hijacked airplanes) have been used many times. > The "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" is an interesting magazine; it > has a lot of good history and international political affairs > articles. > However, I don't agree with their general theme. > As I understood it, the Bulletin was established by some scientists > from the Manhattan Project who were opposed to using the bomb they > created against Japan. They intended it for use against Germany, but > they objected for use in Japan. In my opinion, those who objected at > the time did not understand the situation as well as the political > leaders who had to make the actual decision. The scientists had been > busy in their laboratories and didn't realize the horrors and > casualties Allied soldiers suffered in the war in the Pacific. The > scientists knew firsthand how evil Germany was. But Japan's military > government was just as bad and had to be completely removed from > power. Their actions at the time as well as subsequent history shows > clearly that military government was not about to step away despite a > string of defeats. What would the difference have been had the atomic bomb been used on Germany instead of Japan. The Germans were pretty much on their way to having their own atomic weapons but fortunately for us, the best minds migrated westward to the United States. Germany even had the delivery system that was the basis of our manned space program. That's right, Von Braun got lifted from Germany to get our program off the ground. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A group of World War Two veterans in > a counter-demonstration over the weekend at Arlington Cemetery carried > banners which stated 'had there been no Pearl Harbor there would > have been no Hiroshima.' PAT] Good for them. ------------------------------ From: Tim@Backhome.org Subject: Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 18:25:10 -0700 Organization: Cox Communications > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A group of World War Two veterans in > a counter-demonstration over the weekend at Arlington Cemetery carried > banners which stated 'had there been no Pearl Harbor there would > have been no Hiroshima.' PAT] In the context of the era, Truman did what he had to do. I certainly agree with his decision. But, on a macro level, Carl Sagen was right, we are screwed. ------------------------------ From: Eric Talmadge (ap@telecom-digest.org> Subject: Nakasaki Commemorates Sixtieth Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 09:22:44 -0500 By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press The second and last city ever attacked by an atomic bomb marked the 60th anniversary of its devastation Tuesday with a Catholic Mass, a moment of silence and an impassioned plea for a global ban on nuclear arms. About 6,000 people, including hundreds of aging bomb survivors, crowded into Nagasaki's Peace Memorial Park, just a few hundred yards from the center of the blast, for a solemn remembrance and moment of silence. Nagasaki Mayor Iccho Itoh then had some angry words for the leaders of the nuclear powers, and especially the United States. "We understand your anger and anxiety over the memories of the horror of the 9/11 terrorist attacks," he said. "Yet, is your security enhanced by your government's policies of maintaining 10,000 nuclear weapons, of carrying out repeated sub-critical nuclear tests, and of pursuing the development of new 'mini' nuclear weapons?" Itoh also urged Japan to get out from under the U.S. "nuclear umbrella." About 50,000 U.S. troops are deployed throughout Japan under a post-World War II mutual security pact. Soon after, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, a staunch supporter of the U.S. presence, placed a wreath before the monument to the dead. He vowed to advocate a nuclear ban but kept his comments brief. "This is an occasion to remember the victims and pray for world peace," he said. Nagasaki's remembrances began just after sunrise yesterday (Japanese time) with a special Mass at Urakami Cathedral. Hundreds of worshippers crowded into the church, which at the time of the bombing was the largest in Asia with 12,000 parishioners -- 8,500 of whom are believed to have been killed. Tuesday's memorial follows a much bigger one last week in Hiroshima, where some 55,000 people swarmed into the city's peace park. Three days after the Enola Gay dropped the "Little Boy" bomb on Hiroshima, killing at least 140,000 in the world's first atomic bomb attack, Bock's Car took off to deliver the second A-bomb -- nicknamed "Fat Man" -- to the city of Kokura. Kokura was hidden under a thick cover of smoke. The plane circled three times, then changed course for Nagasaki, where it also encountered thick clouds. With dwindling fuel, the pilot nearly turned around but then found a break in the clouds. Estimates of the death toll range from 60,000 to 80,000. Nagasaki officials on Tuesday used 74,000 as the death figure. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945, ending World War II. "Together with some 260,000 A-bomb survivors ... I swear in the presence of the souls of the victims of the atomic bombing to continue to tirelessly demand that Nagasaki be the last A-bomb site," said Fumie Sakamoto, who represented survivors at Tuesday's memorial. Sakamoto, 74, was a junior high school student when Nagasaki was bombed. The blast destroyed her home and threw her 10 yards into the air. She landed in her garden. "As far as I could see, everything had been reduced to rubble," she said. Other than the many small monuments around town, few signs of the devastation remain. A scenic port city with a population of about 420,000, Nagasaki today is a popular tourist destination known for its Chinatown, one of the largest in Japan, and its European flair. Nagasaki has a long history of trade with the Dutch, and for about 200 years, until Japan opened its doors to the outside world in 1859, it was the only Japanese city open to foreign trade. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. For Associated Press News Radio 24/7 go to URL: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 14:41:13 -0400 From: alan@bloomfieldpress.com Subject: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw Newscasters and reporters are falling all over themselves trying to out-praise the now deceased Peter Jennings. I suppose it's only natural, but it hides something important. Jennings was one of the prime actors in the greatest news suppression and anti-rights campaigns ever waged. Yes, it's the anti-gun-rights, hide-everything-positive-about-guns media campaign that rushes on unabated to this day. Listen up folks -- because Jennings and his media comrades refuse to tell you -- guns are good, guns save lives, guns stop crime, and guns are why America is still free. What, you haven't seen that in the news, ever? Then you're a witness to this simple truth. Most news people I meet cannot even name ten story ideas that portray the wholesome and wonderful side of firearms or the great two-century American tradition of the right to keep and bear arms. Huge numbers of Americans own guns, enjoy guns, and know this is true. Many are alive today because guns are good. But Jennings spent decades hiding it, lying about it, suppressing the side he and his "J-school" accomplices hate -- the free, individually responsible, armed adult citizen. It's not good to hate. How bad is it? Thirteen scholarly studies confirm 2-1/2 million defensive gun uses annually. In 2001, Jennings, with his corrupt corps of "news" leaders at the other two networks, aired 190,000 words about gun crime, and zero words about defensive gun use. Zero. It's just as bad in print (I have the numbers if you care to see, posted at gunlaws.com). That's not a measurement upon which to heap praise. Sincerely, Alan Korwin, Author Gun Laws of America Contact: Alan Korwin BLOOMFIELD PRESS "We publish the gun laws." 4718 E. Cactus #440 Phoenix, AZ 85032 602-996-4020 Phone 602-494-0679 FAX 1-800-707-4020 Orders http://www.gunlaws.com alan@gunlaws.com Call, write, fax or click for a free catalog. If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you're reading this in English, thank a veteran. ------------------------------ Subject: New Sponsor - Phone Bill Busters Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 00:36:14 EDT From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) A new sponsor for the Digest, started this week; Phone Bill Busters and its owner, Dave Seldon. Stop in to chat with him and check out his web site at http://phone-bill-busters.com . He has good deals on long distance service, and a huge number of references to VOIP service, cell phones, and other interesting things. In addition, he carries the .rss feed for this Digest, meaning you can read our news at his site if you wish. Dave and I will appreciate you stopping in to chat with him sometime soon. PAT ------------------------------ From: Patrick Townson Subject: Sister is Home, Now Laid to Rest Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 18:00:00 CDT I've mentioned a couple times in the past that as a teenage girl, many years ago, my sister ran away from home, located herself for a short time in Texas but mainly, for about thirty years, she lived in Orlando, Florida, pretty much as a street person. We were notified back in mid-May that she had died in that set of circumstances, on the streets in Orlando in March, 2005. Her cremated remains were delivered to her son who came to visit us (his Grandma and his Uncle Pat) this past week. Today, Tuesday, August 9 the ashes were taken by us to the cemetery in Coffeyville where my father is buried, and were scattered. That's the end of this saga, I guess. I am glad we found her finally, particularly my mother who now has some closure in the matter. PAT ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of fifty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V24 #361 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Aug 10 15:16:58 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 5FE2214F98; Wed, 10 Aug 2005 15:16:57 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V24 #362 Message-Id: <20050810191657.5FE2214F98@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 15:16:57 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.9 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, CELL_PHONE_IMPROVE,NO_COST autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Wed, 10 Aug 2005 15:17:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 362 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Students Charged With Computer Trespass (Michael Rubinkam) Kenya to Begin Using Internet Phones (George Obulutsa) DTV Beta: Internet TV (Monty Solomon) Pushing Broadcasting to the Limit (Monty Solomon) Bluesecurity and BlueFrog (Chuck Wassall) Franchise Rules Could Blunt IPTV's Promise (USTA Daily Lead) Re: How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? (John Levine) Re: FCC Gives Blessing to Sprint, Nextel Marriage (Joseph) Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack (jtaylor) Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw (John McHarry) Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw (Steve Sobol) Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw (Joseph) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael Rubinkam Subject: Students Charged With Computer Trespass Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 12:32:45 -0500 By MICHAEL RUBINKAM, Associated Press Writer They're being called the Kutztown 13 -- a group of high schoolers charged with felonies for bypassing security with school-issued laptops, downloading forbidden Internet goodies and using monitoring software to spy on district administrators. The students, their families and outraged supporters say authorities are overreacting, punishing the kids not for any heinous behavior -- no malicious acts are alleged -- but rather because they outsmarted the district's technology workers. The Kutztown Area School District begs to differ. It says it reported the students to police only after detentions, suspensions and other punishments failed to deter them from breaking school rules governing computer usage. In Pennsylvania alone, more than a dozen school districts have reported student misuse of computers to police, and in some cases students have been expelled, according to Jeffrey Tucker, a lawyer for the district. The students "fully knew it was wrong and they kept doing it," Tucker said. "Parents thought we should reward them for being creative. We don't accept that." A hearing is set for Aug. 24 in Berks County juvenile court, where the 13 have been charged with computer trespass, an offense state law defines as altering computer data, programs or software without permission. The youths could face a wide range of sanctions, including juvenile detention, probation and community service. As school districts across the nation struggle to keep networks secure from mischievous students who are often more adept at computers than their elders, technology professionals say the case offers multiple lessons. School districts often don't secure their computer networks well and students need to be better taught right from wrong on such networks, said Internet expert Jean Armour Polly, author of "Net-mom's Internet Kids & Family Yellow Pages." "The kids basically stumbled through an open rabbit hole and found Wonderland," Polly, a library technology administrator, said of the Kutztown 13. The trouble began last fall after the district issued some 600 Apple iBook laptops to every student at the high school about 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The computers were loaded with a filtering program that limited Internet access. They also had software that let administrators see what students were viewing on their screens. But those barriers proved easily surmountable: The administrative password that allowed students to reconfigure computers and obtain unrestricted Internet access was easy to obtain. A shortened version of the school's street address, the password was taped to the backs of the computers. The password got passed around and students began downloading such forbidden programs as the popular iChat instant-messaging tool. At least one student viewed pornography. Some students also turned off the remote monitoring function and turned the tables on their elders_ using it to view administrators' own computer screens. The administrative password on some laptops was subsequently changed but some students got hold of that one, too, and decrypted it with a password-cracking program they found on the Internet. "This does not surprise me at all," said Pradeep Khosla, dean of Carnegie Mellon University's engineering department and director of the school's cybersecurity program. IT staff at schools are often poorly trained, making it easy for students with even modest computer skills to get around security, he said. Fifteen-year-old John Shrawder, one of the Kutztown 13, complained that the charges don't fit the offense. He fears a felony conviction could hurt his college and job prospects. "There are a lot of adults who go 10 miles over the speed limit or don't come to a complete stop at a stop sign. They know it's not right, but they expect a fine" not a felony offense, he said. Shrawder's uncle, James Shrawder, has set up a Web site that tells the students' side of the story. "As parents, we don't want our kid breaking in to the Defense Department or stealing credit card numbers," said the elder Shrawder, a businessman. "But downloading iChat and chatting with their friends? They are not hurting anybody. They're just curious." The site, http://www.cutusabreak.org, has been visited tens of thousands of times and sells T-shirts and bumper stickers, including one that says: "Arrest me, I know the password!" The district isn't backing down, however. It points out that students and parents were required to sign a code of conduct and acceptable use policy, which contained warnings of legal action. The 13 students charged violated that policy, said Kutztown Police Chief Theodore Cole, insisting the school district had exhausted all options short of expulsion before seeking the charges. Cole said, however, that there is no evidence the students attacked or disabled the school's computer network, altered grades or did anything else that could be deemed malicious. An association of professional computer educators, The International Society for Technology in Education, believes in a less restrictive approach to computer usage. The more security barriers a district puts in place, the more students will be tempted to break them down, it believes. "No matter how many ways you can think to protect something, the truth is that someone can hack their way around it," said Leslie Conery, the society's deputy CEO. "The gauntlet is thrown down if you have tighter control." On the Net: Students' site: http://www.cutusabreak.org Kutztown Area School District's response: http://www.kasd.org/districtinfo/kasdPressrelease.htm Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. For AP News Radio and headlines, go to URL: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ From: George Obulutsa Subject: Kenya Telecoms Regulator to Allow Internet Phone Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 12:31:22 -0500 By George Obulutsa Kenya's telecoms regulator on Wednesday said it would this week permit telecoms operators to provide call services over the Internet, in order to lower high phone costs and expand telephone services to the rural areas. Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) Director-General John Waweru said the regulator will place a notice in Kenya's official publication on Friday allowing licensed Internet service providers to transmit phone calls using the Internet -- or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). "As a further step toward liberalization, the commission has introduced the provision of Voice over Internet Protocol," Waweru told reporters at a news conference. "We expect that the introduction of VoIP is going to increase the teledensity, particularly in the rural areas." The regulator said that the notice would give guidelines to licensed service providers on how to run the Internet calls. The new service would also reduce calling costs locally and internationally, but that would depend on how the companies involved adopt it, Waweru said. Industry players had accused Kenya's only fixed line provider, Telkom Kenya, of interfering with companies that attempted to provide Internet phone services long after its monopoly ended in June 2004. "It's the reason why these guidelines have been issued -- to remove the conflict. With this guidelines they (Telkom Kenya and service providers) will now be allowed to negotiate," Waweru said. Telecoms industry experts say they expect the cost of making calls to fall with the introduction of Internet calls. While hailed for reducing calling costs, experts say that using the Internet to transmit phone calls is open to eavesdropping when done on unencrypted connections. Kenya is one of the east African countries hoping to connect to a fibre optic cable running under the sea from Djibouti to South Africa. Waweru said that he hoped the completion of the cable connection in early 2007 would reduce Internet costs by diverting traffic from terrestrial satellites heavily used to transmit data out of Kenya. "At that time, I think the cost of bandwidth will be affordable, and even Voice over Internet Protocol will be even better and the prices will be better," he said. ) Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 00:59:09 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: DTV Beta: Internet TV on Your Mac http://participatoryculture.org/download.php WINDOWS VERSION AND FULL LAUNCH COMING SOON. Internet TV is Open and Independent. DTV is a new, free and open-source platform for internet television and video. An intuitive interface lets users subscribe to channels, watch video, and build a video library. Our publishing software lets you broadcast full-screen video to thousands of people at virtually no cost. The project is non-profit, free and open source, and built on open standards. A Windows version of DTV and a full website are well underway and will arrive in the next several weeks. http://participatoryculture.org/download.php ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 01:06:31 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Pushing Broadcasting to the Limit http://www.apple.com/uk/pro/video/tourdefrance/ Even by the standards of the world's most prestigious cycling event, this year's Tour de France was momentous. Cycling enthusiasts from all over the world tuned in to watch the indefatigable Lance Armstrong make history with an unprecedented seventh consecutive Tour win. In the UK, ITV covered the three-week event with a daily hour-long highlights programme on ITV2 plus live coverage on Saturday and Sunday, and a weekly highlights programme every Monday on ITV1. Mounting a broadcast operation on such a large scale is a phenomenal task. Turnaround needs to be lightning-fast and with a high profile event like the Tour, there's simply no margin for error. A London-based 'dream team' was assembled to take on the job -- and the 'dream workflow' they employed was based around Apple technology. James Venner, producer/director of production company VTV, has been covering the Tour since 1986. Venner joined forces with freelance editor Peter Wiggins, who has been editing sport for over 15 years and the Tour for nine years. The other key members of the 'dream team' were Soho-based broadcast facility, Molinare, and Apple Solution Experts, Root6, who supplied the equipment and helped install the Xsan at Molinare. http://www.apple.com/uk/pro/video/tourdefrance/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 23:04:38 -0700 From: Chuck Wassall Subject: Bluesecurity and BlueFrog After ten years with the same email address I was getting over a hundred spams a day. Now I get *none*. This program really works and does what congress failed to do. It's free for now and I have no ethics problems in flooding ISP's that harbor spammers. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I generally have no objections or ethics problems with that same concept. I do think one needs to make abosolutely certain (or as reasonably certain as one can be) that your aim is at the _actual offender_ and that you do very little or no 'collateral damage' to other 'valid' users at the ISP. I object to your use of the phrase 'flooding ISP's that harbor spammers' however. You or your agent (in this instance, Blue Frog/Blue Security) are entitled to complain or respond _ONE TIME_ to each proven, valid, actual offender, not 'flood' the ISP. That is what I understand that Blue is doing. A hundred spams per day is nothing, believe me, really nothing. How about 500 to a thousand spams per day plus viruses which is what my score is up to? I do not have the time nor patience to investigate _actual offenders_ so I employ Blue to do that work for me. Believe me, should I get proof that Blue is not doing _exactly as they claim_ locating offender by offender and sending them exactly one each complaint per offended netter then I will quickly pull out of their program. Of course one complaint per offended party to each actual offender still causes lot of commotions does it not? PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 14:35:12 EDT From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Columnist: Franchise Rules Could Blunt IPTV's Promise USTelecom dailyLead August 10, 2005 http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23732&l=2017006 TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Columnist: Franchise rules could blunt IPTV's promise BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Skype mulls its options * Deutsche Telekom buys Tele.ring * Report: DSL port shipments hit new record * Sprint, Nextel target "third screen" * Cisco, MCI report earnings USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * The MVNO model: Should it be included in your business plan? EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES * Author reaches tween fans via SMS REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * The future of P2P * Europe may regulate wireless broadband Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23732&l=2017006 Legal and Privacy information at http://www.dailylead.com/about/privacy_legal.jsp SmartBrief, Inc. 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20005 ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2005 03:47:53 -0000 From: John Levine Subject: Re: How Do I Find GSM Coverage in the US? Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA > It may not be official but if you go to > http://www.cellreception.com/towers/ they have interactive google maps > of areas with red balloons where towers are. Clicking on a balloon > will show you who it belongs to. From what I understand it won't show > everything except towers that are registered with the FCC. It looks to me like it's just towers that are tall enough to be registered with the FAA. I checked its coverage of the area where I live, and it had none of the towers that are mounted on buildings and water towers and missed a lot of the freestanding towers that are short enough not to need lights. On the other hand, it also includes towers for public service and broadcast radio that don't have any cell antennas. It's better than nothing, but don't take its contents too seriously. In the particular case of Fort Bragg, it shows a couple of towers for Edge Wireless, which the gsmworld site says does GSM 1900, confirming the info that Cingular works there. There's also a note on the cellreception site claiming that T-Mobile works, but since T-Mobile claims no coverage in that county at all, I'd guess they were roaming onto Cingular. R's, John ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: FCC Gives Blessing to Sprint, Nextel Marriage Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 06:03:38 -0700 Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On 9 Aug 2005 05:02:33 -0000, John Levine wrote: > That's the point, iDen doesn't provide an upgrade path to spiffy > digital services. I wonder whether they're going to move to CDMA in > the 800 band that Nextel uses or run the networks in parallel forever > or what. They're surely not going to abandon the iDen band, since > they paid so much for them and 800 propagates a lot better than 1900. I'd say it's highly likely they'd move to the PCS 1900 band since Nextel already has problems of interference with public safety broadcasting in several areas in the 800 Mhz band. Nextel is already in the process of transferring out of the 800 Mhz band. See: ------------------------------ From: jtaylor Subject: Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 22:06:25 -0300 Organization: MCI Canada News Reader Service Tony P. wrote in message news:telecom24.361.15@telecom-digest.org... > The Germans were pretty much on their way to having their own atomic > weapons. The stuff I've read (Farm Hall transcripts, for instance) says no, they were working on a pile, not bombs. They miscalculated the amount of fissionable material necessary and so thought they could not a) get enough; b) if not a), get such a big bomb to anywhere it would do them any good. ------------------------------ From: John McHarry Subject: Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 01:30:52 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net On Tue, 09 Aug 2005 14:41:13 -0400, alan@bloomfieldpress.com wrote: The most mean spirited off topic load of bollocks you have allowed to seep through into this forum in many a year. At least he included his 800 number, 1-800-707-4020, for posting in pay phone booths. ------------------------------ From: Steve Sobol Subject: Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 19:45:12 -0700 Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com alan@bloomfieldpress.com wrote: > Newscasters and reporters are falling all over themselves trying to > out-praise the now deceased Peter Jennings. I suppose it's only > natural, but it hides something important. You're entitled to your opinion. However, I think you're exceedingly foolish if you believe any particular slant in ABC's coverage is the fault of Jennings or any other reporter. Your posthumous attack seems rather sleazy to me -- you should direct your ire at the people actually responsible for making decisions about coverage. Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED Company website: http://JustThe.net/ Personal blog, resume, portfolio: http://SteveSobol.com/ E: sjsobol@JustThe.net Snail: 22674 Motnocab Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307 n ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 06:09:51 -0700 Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On Tue, 9 Aug 2005 14:41:13 -0400, alan@bloomfieldpress.com wrote: > Newscasters and reporters are falling all over themselves trying to > out-praise the now deceased Peter Jennings. I suppose it's only > natural, but it hides something important. > Jennings was one of the prime actors in the greatest news suppression > and anti-rights campaigns ever waged. Yes, it's the anti-gun-rights, > unabated to this day. Once again, Pat uses his "good" judgment to permit this article which doesn't have a damned thing to do with telecom to allow this lug nut to spew his crap. I guess Telecom Digest and CDT have really gone into the toilet. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This Digest does not exist to serve as a mouthpiece for CDT or for that matter, _any of Usenet_. Usenet is so nineteen-sixtyish it is not funny. It might have been a cute and quaint thing back in the 1980's or even the 1990's, but this is 2005 for god's sake. Only a ... well ... Usenetter would pay any attention to the load of crap coming out of that network most of the time. And although you (obviously!) do not believe in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution it _is_ one of our rights (not privileges) as citizens here. I dunno why the legislature simply does not retract the Second Amendment or amend it to make it read the way some of you think it should read. Yes, that would be a chore to do and should not be taken lightly, but we have what -- twenty four or twenty five amendments to the constitution and one that was even repealed totally (Prohibition) so the Second _can_ be amended or repealed if that is the wishes of the people through their legislators. Make it read the way _you_ think it should read, if not outright abolish it. It has been watered down and diddled with so substantially now it might was well not exist anyway. I know John Ashcroft and Senor Gonzales and Mr. Bush wish a few of the amendments were not present or could be easily eliminated. Why not number two as well? PAT] ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of fifty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V24 #362 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Aug 11 23:27:35 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 6E52014F84; Thu, 11 Aug 2005 23:27:34 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V24 #363 Message-Id: <20050812032734.6E52014F84@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 23:27:34 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-4.5 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Thu, 11 Aug 2005 23:27:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 363 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Mobile Phone Virus Infects Helsinki Championships (Reuters News Wire) Amazon Settles Patent Lawsuit (Retuers News Wire) ISOC Adopts Strategic Operating Plan, Seats New Board (Peter Godwin) Texas Lawmakers Greenlight Video Franchise Bill (USTelecom dailyLead) 800 Number - Prepaid - Walmart (Jason Vance) Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw (Garrett Wollman) Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw (William Warren) Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw (Joseph) Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw (Charles Cryderman) Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack (A Hastings) Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack (L Hancock) Employment Opportunity-System Engineering (grant.gibson@us.fujitsu.com) 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; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Mobile Phone Virus Infects Helsinki Championships Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 19:32:00 -0500 Visitors to the world athletics championships in Finland have had to brave wind and rain, and officials say they now face the possibility of catching the world's first mobile phone virus. Officials in mobile-mad Finland, home to the world's largest cellphone maker Nokia, said there had been outbreaks of the Cabir virus at Helsinki's Olympic Stadium. "At most we are speaking about dozens of infections, but during a short period and in one spot this is a huge number," said Jarmo Koski, a security official at telecoms firm TeliaSonera. Cabir, first reported in June last year, uses Bluetooth short range wireless signals to jump between cellphones. That means it can spread over distances of up to 10 metres (30 feet), which in a packed stadium could include dozens of phones. The recipient needs to accept a download to be infected and, while telecoms security officials say the risk of catching a mobile virus is small, thousands of phones have already been hit around the world. "There must be a lot of infected phones at the stadium and a lot of Bluetooth traffic," said Antti Vihavainen, head of the mobile unit at antivirus software firm F-Secure. "It is the early version of Cabir, which can infect only one phone at a time. Later versions of Cabir are much more fierce. Since it was invented, the virus has so far spread to more than 20 countries, from the United States to Japan and from Finland to South Africa. F-Secure says there are 55 viruses or other malicious programmes spreading between cellphones and other mobile devices. Cabir drains the power of the infected phone as it tries to replicate itself on nearby mobiles but the most damaging viruses could disable a phone, requiring a factory reset. Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. ------------------------------ From: Reuters News Wire Subject: Amazon Settles Patent Lawsuit for $40 Million Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 19:11:23 -0500 Amazon.com Inc. on Thursday said it will pay $40 million in the third quarter to settle a patent infringement lawsuit with Soverain Software LLC. The settlement of the lawsuit, which was originally filed in 2004 in Texas, was announced in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Amazon, the online retailer, said the settlement also includes the dismissal of all claims and counterclaims, mutual releases, and a nonexclusive license to Soverain's patent portfolio. Soverain had filed the suit against Amazon on January 12, 2004 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Amazon said in the filing. Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. ------------------------------ From: Peter Godwin Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:08:18 +0200 Organization: Internet Society Subject: ISOC Adopts Strategic Operating Plan, Seats New Board Reston, VA - 11th August 2005 - The Board of Trustees of the Internet Society formally adopted ISOC's new Strategic Operating Plan (SOP) during the the society's Annual General Meeting in Paris. The SOP provides a high-level framework outlining the society's vision, mission and values, goals and objectives, and programs and projects. The Plan will be used extensively to drive the definition of future activities in line with ISOC's core values. The full text of the ISOC SOP is available at: http://www.isoc.org/isoc/SOP.pdf "I am excited about the launch of the society's Strategic Operating Plan," said Lynn St. Amour, President and CEO of the Internet Society. "ISOC has made significant progress in the last several years and we are now well positioned to continue building on our past success. This Plan heralds the start of a new era for ISOC as we move forward to address the new challenges facing the Internet." ISOC's Board of Trustees now includes those members that were selected in a recent election process for terms 2005 to 2008. During these elections two members of the new board were selected by the society's organization members --- Glenn Ricart of PricewaterhouseCoopers was re-elected, and Daniel Karrenberg of the RIPE NCC joined the Board. Veni Markovski (President and Chairman of the Board of ISOC Bulgaria) was re-elected by ISOC's chapters. "We're delighted to welcome Daniel Karrenberg to the ISOC Board," said Fred Baker, Chair of the ISOC Board of Trustees. "Daniel brings with him a wealth of experience gained during his work with building up and managing the processes behind the operations of the RIPE NCC, one of the five Regional Internet Registries." As part of ISOC's election process, one member of the Board is named each year by the IETF, through selection by the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) and confirmation by the IESG. ISOC is pleased to announce that Fred Baker of Cisco will be returning for a new three year term. Baker was also re-elected as Chair of the ISOC Board of Trustees for a further one year term. The current members of the Internet Society's Board of Trustees, their countries and terms of office are listed below: Fred Baker, Chair (USA): 2002-2008 Rosa M. Delgado (Peru/Switzerland): 2000-2006 Lynn St. Amour, President and CEO, 2001- Glenn Ricart, Treasurer (USA): 2002-2008 Veni Markovski (Bulgaria): 2002-2008 Pindar Wong (Hong Kong): 2003-2006 Erik Huizer (Netherlands): 2002-2007 Desire Miloshevic (Serbia/UK): 2004-2007 Patrick Vande Walle (Luxembourg): 2004-2007 Steve Crocker (USA): 2003-2006 Stephen Squires (USA): 2004-2007 Margaret Wasserman (USA): 2003-2006 Daniel Karrenberg (Germany/Netherlands): 2005-2008 ### ABOUT ISOC The Internet Society (http://www.isoc.org) is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and policy. With offices in Washington, DC, and Genev a, Switzerland, it is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world. ISOC is the organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and other Internet-related bodies who together play a critical role in ensuring that the Internet develops in a stable and open manner. For over 13 years I= SOC has run international network training programs for developing countries and these have played a vital role in setting up the Internet connections and networks in virtually every country connecting to the Internet during this time. FOR FURTHER DETAILS: Peter Godwin Communications Manager, Internet Society E-mail: godwin@isoc.org 4, rue des Falaises 1205 Geneva Switzerland ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 13:12:23 EDT From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: Texas Lawmakers Greenlight Video Franchise Bill USTelecom dailyLead August 11, 2005 http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23772&l=2017006 TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * Texas lawmakers greenlight video franchise bill BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Qualcomm to buy Flarion * Cisco chief seeks to squelch Nokia rumors * BellSouth: IPTV's coming in 2006 * Cable One picks Nortel for VoIP * HBO, Cingular talk wireless distribution * Deutsche Telekom, XO post earnings USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * 3G Wireless with WiMAX and Wi-Fi EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES * Execs ponder TiVo's future REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * Rural carriers have option under new DSL rules Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23772&l=2017006 Legal and Privacy information at http://www.dailylead.com/about/privacy_legal.jsp SmartBrief, Inc. 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20005 ------------------------------ From: Jason Vance Subject: 800 Number - Prepaid - Walmart Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 13:15:02 -0500 AT&T developed the card (patent #:6694003) primarily as a PRIVACY service. Original intent was that if you needed to hear from someone, but did not want them to know your name or location, you would purchase card, activate service, and then callers could reach you. Number they dialed, would route to any number you programmed in. They added a "follow me" feature which if (for example) you didn't answer at first location, call would re-route to your back-up number. PLUS -- 800 service without big set-up hassles. AND near total anonymity. (I am sure AT&T would co-operate if card were used for nefarious purposes. Original thought was that card purchaser would only activate the card for very limited, very short time, purposes (hence, the cost-per minute was not really the primary issue). PS: As far as I know (so far) ... the card and the service is available ONLY thru Walmart. Add me to your address book... Want a signature like this? Jason Vance ------------------------------ From: wollman@khavrinen.csail.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) Subject: Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 20:29:22 +0000 (UTC) Organization: MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory In article , TELECOM Digest Editor noted n response to Joseph : > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This Digest does not exist to serve as > a mouthpiece for CDT or for that matter, _any of Usenet_. I'd be happy to issue a rmgroup for you if that's really how you feel. Frankly, there's been so little of any interest (or indeed relevance to telecom) in this newsgroup in so long, I really wouldn't miss it. > Usenet is so nineteen-sixtyish it is not funny. BZZZZZT! Wrong, but thanks for playing. Usenet was invented in 1979. [Second Amendment screed deleted as irrelevant.] Garrett A. Wollman | As the Constitution endures, persons in every wollman@csail.mit.edu | generation can invoke its principles in their own Opinions not those | search for greater freedom. of MIT or CSAIL. | - A. Kennedy, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: 1979? Really? I thought Al Gore invented it in 1994 when he invented the web. I find it interesting that you only challenged the year (1979 versus 1960-ish) and not my main point about many of the people who hang out a lot on Usenet. Please accept my correction -- my typographical error -- go back and read my thoughts again, using 1979-ish instead of 1960-ish won't you please? See if you can pick me apart again doing it that way. Thank you! PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 01:11:24 -0400 From: William Warren Subject: Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw Steve Sobol wrote: > alan@bloomfieldpress.com wrote: >> Newscasters and reporters are falling all over themselves trying to >> out-praise the now deceased Peter Jennings. I suppose it's only >> natural, but it hides something important. > You're entitled to your opinion. However, I think you're exceedingly > foolish if you believe any particular slant in ABC's coverage is the > fault of Jennings or any other reporter. Your posthumous attack seems > rather sleazy to me -- you should direct your ire at the people > actually responsible for making decisions about coverage. How's he going to do that if they're watching us from the black helicopters using silent mode all the time? Besides, it's impossible to talk to them: don't you know that the black helicopters have special encrypted radios that not even tinfoil can stop? The black helicopters have special mind rays that control us! They used to belong to a Well-Regulated Militia until the John Birch Society bought them at surplus ... William "If you're not smiling, you need help" Warren (Filter noise from my address for direct emails) [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Delightful, touche, and all that. Sadly, many Second Amendment advocates are of that John Birch mentality. Not all, nor even very many of them, but the crackpots who _are_ of the John Birch mentality are like crackpots most anywhere; loud and noisy. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 06:06:23 -0700 Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On Wed, 10 Aug 2005 06:09:51 -0700, TELECOM Digest Editor noted in reponse to Joseph : > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This Digest does not exist to serve as > a mouthpiece for CDT or for that matter, _any of Usenet_. Usenet is > so nineteen-sixtyish it is not funny. It might have been a cute and > quaint thing back in the 1980's or even the 1990's, but this is 2005 > for god's sake. Only a ... well ... Usenetter would pay any attention > to the load of crap coming out of that network most of the time. > And although you (obviously!) do not believe in the Second Amendment > to the US Constitution it _is_ one of our rights (not privileges) as > citizens here. Well, despite what you say you believe anyone (evidently) who has an axe to grind can have their say about anything. And it also appears that telecom doesn't have anything to do with CDT or Telecom Digest any longer and is only a place where any lugnut can spew his opinion never mind that it doesn't have any tangental relevance to telecom at all. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I think what I shall do is start an adjunct digest; I shall call it SOCIETY Digest or SPAMMER Digest or even maybe ADJUNCT Digest or as a last ditch thing, maybe TOWNSON Digest. (All those words) Digest have _seven letters_ just like 'TELECOM', ergo I won't even have to re-write all the 1960-ish scripts I use to put it out each day, especially since the onset of my beloved Deseased Brain I have lost the ability and patience to write shell scripts anyway other than changing a few print statements to my liking. I'll add a few Google Adsense messages on the web version just as I do with telecom and collect on the revenue from the clicks there. That's all that really matters for most of us web publishers on the net these days anyway is the Google Scorecard isn't it? To answer your question bluntly and succintly (and with this benediction I hope and pray this thread soon comes to a close without having to rudely toss many of the messages on same) I _firmly_ and _strongly_ support the US Constitution the way it is written. I do wish that those guys in the 18th century, Adams, Jefferson, et al had been able to tell the future, or been as succinct at times in their writings as I attempt to be with mine. (snore!). Especially, a wee bit more laborious in writing numbers one and two. Break up one to be more plain about religion and speech and in the case of two, to be more precise about terms like 'well regulated militia' and re-ordered their punctuation a bit differently, removing any and all doubt about each of those two Amendments. Both of them (one and two) give us much grief when there are court battles about them. My opinion: if number two means what many claim it means, that a 'well regulated militia' refers to the National Guard or the military service in general and this 'well regulated' National Guard or military has a right to bear arms but the rest of us ordinary citizens do _not_ have such a right, then I would have to say that is the one item in the Bill of Rights which allows the _government_ (as opposed to regular citizens a 'right'). The National Guard or the Army does not have to get permission (in the form of a constitutional amendment) to 'bear arms'. Think about it that way; the entire Bill of Rights was written to provide we the people with certain rights; does it make sense that the second amendment is an exception to that, and it (second amendment) is to give the government 'rights'? The government does not need protection from the people; the people are the ones needing protection. So why would the Bill of Rights grant the 'right to bear arms' to its own agencies (National Guard and Army, etc). A 'well regulated militia', IMO, refers to _law abiding_ citizens who wish to arm themselves. Now if 'well regulated' equals 'law abiding' (instead of equalling 'a government agency' as the government claims) then we have problems. Far too many of us are not 'well regulated' in that sense; we grow angry or we get drunk or we otherwise break the law and take our host- ility out on police officers and other more 'well-regulated' citizens. Does it seem a bit odd that the New York Times constantly chatters about 'gun control' yet the late publisher of that journal used to always get chauffered to work each day carrying a gun in his suit pocket or briefcase? Many people think that 'gun control' should apply to everyone else _except for themselves_. I can trust me, but I can't trust you, that sort of thing. And you never hear of the ACLU taking on a Second Amendment case; they seem to be happy with the status quo also. I personally am frightened of guns. I do not want one in my house; I grow ill when I have touched a gun in the past; but I certainly would not restrict the right of _other folks_ to have them and use them as needed, but the government does just that. The regulations on gun ownership and use in the USA are so restrictive that about all I can say to anyone who has a _legitimate, bonafide need_ to ever use a gun in the protection of their property or life or family's lives, etc, do what you need to do but then _destroy the gun and ditch it totally_. Do not let the gun stand in the way of detirmining who the true villian was; the person who made the use of the gun necessary. And do not ask me for support of some crackpot notion from John Birch and all that rot. President Bush is strongly in favor of 'gun control', and that should give you something to think about. PAT] ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 16:57:49 -0400 From: Charles Cryderman Steve Sobol responded to a somewhat crass commit on Mr. Jennings: > You're entitled to your opinion. However, I think you're exceedingly = > foolish if you believe any particular slant in ABC's coverage is the = > fault of Jennings or any other reporter. Your posthumous attack seems = > rather sleazy to me -- you should direct your ire at the people actually = > responsible for making decisions about coverage. Actually Steve you are wrong on this one. Last night August 10, 2006, ABC had a wonderful retrospective on Mr. Jennings. His title was "Senior Editor, ABC World News Tonight". As such, he was given total control over the content of "ABC World News Tonight - With Peter Jennings". This included what stores to present and how they were to be presented. One Reporter even told of how all, that were to report a story for each show had to submit their script to him for approval. This one gentlemen went so far as to say how proud he was the one and only time he submitted a script and it came back with no marks (Peter like his red pen I guess). Now, yes the original poster's attack was very sleazy but as is his right in our country he can have his opinion and state it as his wishes. I am a firm believer in the Second Amendment and am a very proud gun owner. That said, Peter Jennings was one of the best of his profession and I enjoyed his reporting, especially how well he understood the Mid-east. Chip Cryderman [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I am not a 'proud gun owner' and in fact guns scare me a lot. But I support the people who own them and use them _properly_ as needed. If you went around Independence here, you are not going to find a bunch of raving lunatics driving in the streets waving or displaying or shooting off their weapons. But if you went to at least a few private homes, you would find some weapons put away, out of children's reach, unloaded, etc to be used as the need arose. Peter Jennings was a good reporter, and he _did_ control the stuff that went out on the air, but yes, he did have that one 'blind spot' in his life; he did not 'believe in' the private ownership of weapons, and he did not promote any positive publicity on private gun ownership; many others in the media do not either. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Andrew Hastings Subject: Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 14:25:42 -0500 Organization: Sun Microsystems Corporation According to Edward Teller as quoted by John McCarthy, the miscalculation may have been intentional. See http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/teller.html. -Andrew jtaylor wrote: > Tony P. wrote in message > news:telecom24.361.15@telecom-digest.org... >> The Germans were pretty much on their way to having their own atomic >> weapons. > The stuff I've read (Farm Hall transcripts, for instance) says no, > they were working on a pile, not bombs. They miscalculated the amount > of fissionable material necessary and so thought they could not > a) get enough; > b) if not a), get such a big bomb to anywhere it would do them any good. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack Date: 10 Aug 2005 19:07:06 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com jtaylor wrote: >> The Germans were pretty much on their way to having their own atomic >> weapons. > The stuff I've read (Farm Hall transcripts, for instance) says no, > they were working on a pile, not bombs. They miscalculated the amount > of fissionable material necessary and so thought they could not Germany was clearly interested in developing nuclear power for military purposes. However, as stated, the project didn't get very far. The Allies went to a lot of trouble to disrupt a source of heavy water. Before the war even ended, an American specialist team went into Germany to get German scientists and their records. See "Now it can be told" by Gen. Leslie Groves. Japan was also working on a nuclear weapon, although their project was extremely limited in size and basically just lab research. When nuclear fission was discovered and announced in January 1939, scientists worldwide knew of the potential for extremely powerful weapons and began to think about the issues involved. We are fortunate that making a nuclear weapon is not easy at all. This is why 60 years later so few nations have them. Making the fuel is very difficult as well is detonation. Of course, one can't help but wonder what would've happened if the U.S. had the bomb a year later, say August 1944. The Allies still face high losses slogging through Europe to Germany at that point, and a great many losses in the Pacific against Japan. Thousands, perhaps millions of enemy civilians and soldiers would also die. The shock of a single bomb doing the work of a huge fleet of conventional bombers would've been the shock to end the war. ------------------------------ From: grant.gibson@us.fujitsu.com Subject: Employment Opportunity - System Engineering Date: 11 Aug 2005 14:01:22 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com SYSTEM ENGINEERING Job Description: Work as a senior member of an R&D System Engineering team that defines product requirements and architectures for a new Fiber to the Prem (FTTP) product. Skills and Abilities: * Prior System Engineering experience is required. * Ability to write product requirements and define product architectures based on ITU, Telcordia, and other industry standards. * Must be a team player that can work independently with little or no supervision. In depth knowledge and product implementation experience in 1 or more of the following technologies is required: * VOICE: VOIP-H.248, MGCP, GR-303, GR-909, echo cancellation, MOS, soft switch, Custom, Local, Area Switching Service (CLASS) * VIDEO: MPEG2, MPEG4, Video on Demand (VOD) Multicast, IPTV, MOCA * GPON: G.984, FTTP, GR-909, GR-57 CORE * HFC/Cable Systems: DOCSIS, OpenCable, CableHome, Residential COAX distribution system design * IP transport and switching: SIP, DNS, DHCP, IGMP, NAT, IPSEC, RTSP Knowledge / Experience in the following preferred but not required: * Residential Gateway / Home Networking * Ethernet, Layer 2 switching, VLAN, Q in Q, MPLS, pseudowire (Martini specs) * Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) specifications, QOS * Carrier Tariffs, SLA's, RFI's, RFQ's Education: BS / MS Electrical Engineering or Computer Science Years of Experience: 10+ years of Industry Experience Location: Pearl River, NY Applicants should email their resume in MS Word format along with their salary requirements to: grant.gibson@us.fujitsu.com ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly to telecomm- unications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest Post Office Box 50 Independence, KS 67301 Phone: 620-402-0134 Fax 1: 775-255-9970 Fax 2: 530-309-7234 Fax 3: 208-692-5145 Email: editor@telecom-digest.org Subscribe: telecom-subscribe@telecom-digest.org Unsubscribe:telecom-unsubscribe@telecom-digest.org This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm- unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then. Our archives are available for your review/research. We believe we are the oldest e-zine/mailing list on the internet in any category! URL information: http://telecom-digest.org Anonymous FTP: mirror.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/ (or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives) RSS Syndication of TELECOM Digest: http://telecom-digest.org/rss.html For syndication examples see http://www.feedrollpro.com/syndicate.php?id=308 and also http://feeds.feedburner.com/TelecomDigest ************************************************************************* * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from * * Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate * * 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. * * http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com * * Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing * * views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. * ************************************************************************* ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased. One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com Copyright 2004 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved. Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. ************************ DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE JUST 65 CENTS ONE OR TWO INQUIRIES CHARGED TO YOUR CREDIT CARD! REAL TIME, UP TO DATE! SPONSORED BY TELECOM DIGEST AND EASY411.COM SIGN UP AT http://www.easy411.com/telecomdigest ! ************************ Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management (MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35 credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including data, video, and voice networks. The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum. Classes are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning. Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at 405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at http://www.mstm.okstate.edu ************************ In addition, gifts from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert have enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of fifty dollars per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above. Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing your name to the mailing list. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. End of TELECOM Digest V24 #363 ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Aug 12 13:58:35 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id 089D314FE7; Fri, 12 Aug 2005 13:58:35 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest Special Announcement Message-Id: <20050812175835.089D314FE7@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 13:58:35 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-4.5 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Fri, 12 Aug 2005 13:45:48 EDT Special Announcement Inside This Issue: ditor: Patrick A. Townson Urgent Help Needed With Internet Explorer IE 6.0 (TELECOM Digest Editor) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Urgent Help Needed With Internet Explorer IE 6.0 Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 13:40:56 -0400 (EDT) From: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu (TELECOM Digest Editor) This is an appeal to any Windows Internet Explorer person in our readership who can help me: Wednesday night/Thursday morning someone stuck me with a virus and the end result was my Internet Explorer browser is gone. I cannot get the browser to come up at all; clicking on the icon makes it sit for a few seconds, then the screen flashes ONCE as though it was getting ready to deliver the browser, but no such luck. I have cleared out the virus but apparently a driver or two or a file is gone as well. Not only that but I cannot even get any pages which would come via that browser. Now my copy of Mozilla works just fine, its only that Internet Explorer 6.0 wont come up (or anything that depends on it, such as a link in email, etc.) Using Mozilla I went to a download site (supposedly 'free downloads') and paid for a password to download an entirely new copy of Internet Explorer 6.0 and Outlook Express. Downloaded it, but still nothing ... I am wondering if it is because my index page (I was using 'my yahoo' as my home or starting page) somehow got wiped out. The newly loaded thing produces the very same results: click on the icon, it goes away for a couple seconds, comes back flashing once then goes away. Can you tell me WHERE to install a new 'index' page ('Documents and Settings/Administrator/something? so I can try that method to clear this up? Or got any other ideas? And where would I go to make mail and all the other links default to mozilla rather than IE? Microsoft tech support cannot help me because I have an OEM serial number. So I am seeking tech support from the readership here. If someone will send me email who can help, I will supply that person with an 800 number to reach me at by phone so it will not cost them anything to call me, and I will be right at the affected computer to follow their instructions. Thanks very much! PAT ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest Special Announcement ****************************** From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Aug 12 19:23:00 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Received: by massis.lcs.mit.edu (Postfix, from userid 11648) id E5EAA14E7A; Fri, 12 Aug 2005 19:22:59 -0400 (EDT) To: ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V24 #364 Message-Id: <20050812232259.E5EAA14E7A@massis.lcs.mit.edu> Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 19:22:59 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org (TELECOM Digest Editor) X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on massis.lcs.mit.edu X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-4.4 required=2.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00, MAILTO_TO_REMOVE,MAILTO_TO_SPAM_ADDR autolearn=ham version=3.0.4 Status: RO TELECOM Digest Fri, 12 Aug 2005 19:23:00 EDT Volume 24 : Issue 364 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Internet Phone Carriers Still Seeking 911 Replies (Jeremy Pelofsky) Google Pauses on Book Search After Copyright Flap (Eric Auchard) D. Telekom Home is Couch Potato Heaven (Prodhan and Sikhrar) TiVo Tests Internet Download Service (Greg Sandoval) Telecom Update #492, August 12, 2005 (Angus TeleManagement Group) WorldCom's Sullivan Gets Five Years (USTelecom dailyLead) Western Union Private Line Voice Service -- "Hot Line" (Lisa Hancock) Stock Market Ticker Tape Machines? (Lisa Hancock) Overview of Telecom History? (Vincent M) Re: Austin Gaffe Stirs Fantasy (AntwainBarbour) Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw (mc) Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack (jtaylor) Re: Urgent Help Needed With Internet Explorer IE 6.0 (Paul W. Schleck) Re: Urgent Help Needed With Internet Explorer IE 6.0 (Robert Bonomi) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jeremy Pelofsky Subject: Internet Phone Carriers Still Seeking 911 Replies Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 15:29:08 -0500 By Jeremy Pelofsky Some of the top U.S. Internet phone providers told U.S. regulators this week they are still trying to obtain acknowledgments from customers that they know the limitations of dialing 911 with their service. Some customers of Internet phone service, known as Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), have had trouble getting help when dialing the emergency number 911, which prompted the Federal Communications Commission to order changes. Unlike traditional phone service, not all Internet phones provide 911 dispatchers with the location of callers, and some calls have been routed to administrative lines that are not always monitored. The FCC in May ordered companies to fix those issues by late November and, in the interim, to get acknowledgments from all customers that they understand those service limitations. Analysts estimate there are more than 2 million VOIP customers. Vonage Holdings Corp., the biggest U.S. Internet phone provider, said it has received acknowledgments from more than 90 percent of its customers but was unable to predict whether it would achieve the 100 percent goal by an August 29 deadline. "Vonage is continuing its campaign to contact and obtain affirmative acknowledgment from all of its customers," the company told the FCC. Dozens of carriers reported that they were contacting customers via letters, calls and e-mails. "Vonage expects to send out at least one e-mail per week and to continue to restrict account access of subscribers who have not yet submitted an affirmative acknowledgment," it said in an August 10 filing. AT&T Corp. said that it had received affirmative replies from 77 percent of its customers as of August 9, but about 10 percent of its Internet phone customers may not provide acknowledgments by the deadline. Net2Phone said 98 percent of its own customers had provided acknowledgments and the company was still working on the remaining 2 percent. The FCC initially ordered companies to obtain acknowledgments from all customers by July 29 but then gave companies an extra month as long as they filed a report detailing their efforts. The FCC said only those companies that filed reports about their compliance efforts by August 10 would escape enforcement action for violations until the end of the month. The agency said service should be disconnected for those customers who have not provided an acknowledgment by then. Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. ------------------------------ From: Eric Auchard Subject: Google Pauses on Book Search After Copyright Flap Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 15:30:20 -0500 By Eric Auchard Google Inc., responding to an outcry by publishers, has temporarily scaled back plans to make the full text of copyrighted books in five of the world's great libraries searchable via the Internet. Google, the world's most popular way of searching the Internet, said it will allow copyright holders who contact the company to withhold books from the project, according to Adam Smith, program manager of the Google Print program. For three months, Google will stop scanning copyrighted books to allow owners to inform the company of objections. "Any and all copyright holders ... can tell us which books they'd prefer that we not scan if we find them in a library," Adam Smith, the product manager of Google Print, said in a statement on Google's corporate Web site. Nonetheless, Google is moving ahead with its ambitious project to work with publishers and librarians to scan books in the public domain that are not covered by copyright, he said. Libraries participating in the program include Oxford University, Harvard University, the New York Public Library, Stanford University and the University of Michigan. The Google spokesman declined to comment on how many book titles are now searchable on the Google Print site, which works by typing the name of an author, a book title or a word or phrase into a Web search box at http://print.google.com/. Google is working with publishers large and small to encourage them to make their books searchable. In exchange, Google can create distinct pages for each book with advertising and links to retailers. As a further inducement, publishers can create a direct sales link to consumers for their titles. "We are really excited about the scope of this program and the good it will do for the world," Smith said in a telephone interview. Google said that virtually all major U.S. and U.K. publishers are partici- pating, at least in part, in Google Print. Critics of the program said that Google's plan to allow copyright holders to indicate whether they wish to opt out of the Google Print project switches the burden of upholding copyright from infringers to the copyright holders. "This really stands copyright law on its head," Patricia Schroeder, president and chief executive of the Association of American Publishers, said in a phone interview. "There are hundreds of years of tradition that go the other way." "Google's announcement does nothing to relieve the publishing industry's concerns," said Schroeder, a former congresswoman from Colorado. Smith replied that Google is extending the logic of searching for online materials to printed books to make them more accessible. "What we are doing here is legal under the principles of fair use," he said. Schroeder said her organization and Google had been unable to come to terms on a proposal to address the concerns of copyright holders. Smith said Google was continuing to talk with organizations of publishers, authors and other interested parties to strike a balance between the interests of publishers and readers. Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. ------------------------------ From: Georgina Prodhan & Rajiv Sekhrir Subject: D. Telekom's Home is Couch Potato Heaven Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 15:33:10 -0500 By Georgina Prodhan and Rajiv Sekhri The two-story pre-fabricated house dwarfed by Communist-era buildings in the center of Berlin looks as though it belongs in the suburb of a small town but it is actually Deutsche Telekom's vision of a high-tech future. From the moment you cross the threshold of the T-Com house, everything is theoretically at your fingertips. "The idea is to not go out at all," said house manager Anne-Kathrin Berends. "You can do everything inside." Surrounded by flags and lit up by Deutsche Telekom's signature magenta-colored lights, the house is a very public walk-in laboratory where a lucky few can test out the company's latest gadgets and get a glimpse of a supposedly fuss-free future. The central concept is a system of plasma screens that dominate every room, serving up entertainment and information linked by an Internet IP system to handheld PDAs (personal digital assistants) via wireless local area network (WLAN). "Anyone can see straight away just how simply and conveniently our communications solutions integrate every aspect of modern day life," said Achim Berg, a member of the management board at T-Com, Telekom's fixed-line and broadband unit. A favorite feature is the mood lighting: Feel like a party? Change the room's color scheme to vibrant reds and oranges. Want to de-stress? Go for soothing blue with calm music. There can be problems -- during a recent visit, screens froze as competing PDAs vied for their control -- but T-Com house still has a lot to offer couch potatoes. TAKING IT EASY IN T-COM HOUSE Real-time or face-to-face communication is no longer necessary -- instead there is a multi-media whiteboard by the door where you can swap e-mails, pictures or text messages with housemates. If you don't feel like entertaining visitors, let them leave a video recording at the front door and relax while a robot vacuum cleaner trundles around the floors and a torso-shaped shirt press blow-dries your work clothes to perfection. And don't worry about the children misbehaving -- a Webcam will keep an eye on them. Just don't let them get their hands on a PDA or you might find alarms going off, blinds going up and down and television programs abruptly interrupted. If you feel like a spot of exercise or fancy a look around Germany's capital city, step onto the running machine and let a plasma screen take you on a virtual tour of Berlin. The T-Com house was built by WeberHaus, which makes pre-fabricated homes for thousands of Germans, and inventors hope it will soon become a reality for what they call average German families. Mail-order company Neckermann provided the furnishings and engineering firm Siemens supplied appliances and house automation. "It's a prototype," said Berends, adding that the gadgets being tested are expected to be ready for the market in 15 to 18 months. "We want to find out what normal German people think about this kind of technology." So far, she says, the mood lighting has been the biggest hit with some 20 groups who beat tens of thousands of online contestants to spend a long weekend in the house, which opened on March 1. The lighting system, however, is not for sale. In fact, the only item which Deutsche Telekom has definite plans to bring to market is the whiteboard message center, which should be available for under 500 euros within 18 months. Siemens already supplies other house-automation systems that remotely control security, temperature or kitchen appliances. Most of these are not installed in the T-Com house for fear of accidents or of frightening guests -- who have ranged from young families to groups of elderly friends to the Bayern Munich soccer team -- with too much technology. An intelligent fridge, which scans for missing products and compiles shopping lists, stands in an exhibition at the Communications Museum nearby but is not featured in the house. "Germany is not really the market for that. Maybe in 20 years or something, but not yet," said Berends. Perhaps tellingly, only one visitor so far has actually expressed interest in buying the whole house with its contents -- and he was Italian. Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. ------------------------------ From: Greg Sandoval Subject: TiVo Tests Internet Download Service Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 15:37:40 -0500 By GREG SANDOVAL, AP Technology Writer Add TiVo Inc. to the list of companies trying to wed the Internet to television. The digital recording company is preparing to enable customers to download TV shows to their set-top boxes via the Internet -- even before the shows air on TV. TiVo has struck a deal with the Independent Film Channel to transmit several of the cable channel's shows through a broadband connection as part of a trial program. A group of customers were asked to take part in the test and those who chose to participate will begin receiving the IFC shows next week, said TiVo spokesman Elliot Sloane. Content on demand has long been a holy grail for Internet and cable companies as they try to create the next generation of television. No one yet has found a way to overcome key technological hurdles, such as finding a speedy way to pump two-hour movies through broadband, or convince Hollywood that it can profit from Internet broadcasts. Still, broadband connections are picking up speed, and are moving closer to becoming a reliable delivery method for broadcast-quality video. Should the day come that video is downloaded at the touch of a button, some of the stakeholders in the sector foresee a vast video universe of endless variety. For TiVo, the news comes a day after the company saw its stock fall more than 6 percent following a media report that DirecTV was planning to stop marketing the service to its 14 million customers. News Corp.-owned DirecTV is planning to throw support behind a competing digital recording company. About 70 percent of TiVo's 3.3 million users have come from its deal with DirecTV. TiVo shares were up 3 cents at $5.65 in midday trading Friday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new articles daily. For more AP headlines and AP News Radio, go to URL: http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 10:56:49 -0700 Subject: Telecom Update #492, August 12, 2005 From: Angus TeleManagement Group Reply-To: Angus TeleManagement Group ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 492: August 12, 2005 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com ** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/en/ ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/ ** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca ** MITEL NETWORKS: www.mitel.com/ ** ROGERS TELECOM: www.rogers.com/solutions ** UTC CANADA: www.canada.utc.org/ ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Bell Offers Hosted VoIP for Small, Medium Business ** Rogers Firefly Targets Pre-Teens ** Bell Offers Cellular Tracking for Families ** Linton Named EVP at Rogers ** Policy Review Submissions Due Monday ** Prince Rupert Spins Off City Telco ** More Appeals Filed Against CRTC VoIP Decision ** "Spam King" Agrees to Pay Damages ** Aliant Adds Self-Service Options ** Small ILECs Want Price Cap Regime Extended ** Is Phone Penetration Falling in U.S.? ** WorldCom CFO Gets Five Years ** Work Stoppage Delays Telus TV Launch ** Enterprise Sector Leads Nortel Sales Gain ** Cisco Profits Up, Shares Down ** "Telemanagement Live" Brochure Now Online ============================================================ BELL OFFERS HOSTED VoIP FOR SMALL, MEDIUM BUSINESS: Bell Canada this week launched a hosted VoIP service for small and medium-sized businesses. Business IP Voice provides local phone service, extension to extension calling, and a range of calling features including Find Me/Follow Me, Meet Me Conferencing, and Voicemail to Email. ** Bell's proposed tariff for the service received interim approval on July 26. Intervenors have until September 2 to submit comments on the tariff. www.crtc.gc.ca/8740/eng/2005/b2.htm#6883 ** In July the CRTC asked for comment on Bell's Digital Voice, a consumer VoIP service whose tariff has some similarities. (see Telecom Update #486, 488) www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2005/pt2005-9.htm ROGERS FIREFLY TARGETS PRE-TEENS: Rogers Wireless now offers Firefly, a phone designed "for pre-teens and their parents." The phone has no dialpad; parents use a PIN to program up to 22 numbers, including speed keys for mom and dad. BELL OFFERS CELLULAR TRACKING FOR FAMILIES: Bell Mobility's new Seek & Find service enables parents to determine their children's whereabouts if the child has a GPS-equipped cellphone and the phone is switched on. Parents can check location on the Internet 20 times a month for $5. LINTON NAMED EVP AT ROGERS: Bill Linton, former President and CEO of Call-Net Enterprises, is now Executive Vice-President of Rogers Communications Inc. Call-Net was acquired by Rogers Communications on July 1 and renamed Rogers Telecom Holdings. (See Telecom Update #488) POLICY REVIEW SUBMISSIONS DUE MONDAY: Submissions to the Telecom Policy Review are to be filed by August 15. They will be made public on the panel's website, where some comments are already posted. (see Telecom Update #485) www.telecomreview.ca/epic/internet/intprp-gecrt.nsf/en/h_rx00025e.html PRINCE RUPERT SPINS OFF CITY TELCO: Prince Rupert B.C.'s CityTel, until now a department of the city government, has been spun off as a city-owned corporation and renamed City West. The new company has agreed to buy the northern B.C. cable business and assets of Monarch Cablesystems for $23.5 million. MORE APPEALS FILED AGAINST CRTC VoIP DECISION: The Coalition for Competitive Telecommunications, the Vancouver Board of Trade, and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada have each petitioned the federal Cabinet, opposing economic regulation of incumbent telcos' VoIP services, as ruled in CRTC Telecom Decision 2005-28. ** Earlier Cabinet appeals of this decision were filed by the Government of Saskatchewan (see Telecom Update #488) and by Aliant, Bell Canada, SaskTel, Telebec, and Telus (see Telecom Update #490). "SPAM KING" AGREES TO PAY DAMAGES: Microsoft has won $7 million in damages from Scott Richter, whose Colorado company is alleged to have sent 38 billion spam messages a year in violation of U.S. law. Richter denied the allegations but agreed to let authorities monitor his business in future. ALIANT ADDS SELF-SERVICE OPTIONS: Using software from California-based eGain, Aliant has enhanced the customer self-service options available on its website. SMALL ILECs WANT PRICE CAP REGIME EXTENDED: The Canadian Independent Telephone Company Joint Task Force, representing most of the small incumbent carriers in Canada, says the price cap regime under which they have been regulated since January 2002 has worked well for providers and consumers. They want the framework extended for another four years, with minor modifications. www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8663/c136_200509201.htm IS PHONE PENETRATION FALLING IN U.S.? A March 2005 Federal Communications Commission study shows that 92.5% of U.S. homes have either wireline or wireless phone service, a sharp decline from 95.5% two years earlier. This would indicate that 8.7 million homes cannot make or receive phone calls, the largest number since 1983. The National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates has asked the FCC to investigate whether the statistics are correct. WORLDCOM CFO GETS FIVE YEARS: Scott Sullivan, the former WorldCom Chief Financial Officer whose testimony held convict CEO Bernard Ebbers, has been sentenced to five years in prison for his part in the US$11 billion fraud. The judge said Sullivan was the "architect" and "day-to-day manager" of the scheme, but gave him a short sentence because he cooperated with prosecutors. WORK STOPPAGE DELAYS TELUS TV LAUNCH: Telus says its plans to launch digital TV "are on hold until we see the work stoppage through to a positive conclusion." ENTERPRISE SECTOR LEADS NORTEL SALES GAIN: Nortel Networks reports second quarter revenues of US$2.86 billion, up 10% over the same period a year ago and 13% over the previous quarter. Sales of the enterprise networks division increased 22% on the year; sales in Canada rose 34%. CISCO PROFITS UP, SHARES DOWN: Cisco Systems revenues for the three months ended July 30 were US$6.58 billion, 11% higher than a year ago. Net income increased 11.6% to 1.54 billion. A Cisco forecast that sales would increase only 10% in the next quarter sparked an 8% decline in share price. "TELEMANAGEMENT LIVE" BROCHURE NOW ONLINE: Full program details for the Fall 2005 TeleManagement Live conference and exposition are now available online. This year's agenda includes a day of in-depth management tutorials on IP-Based Convergence, Telecom Cost Control, Managing Change in Telecom, and other topics. www.telemanagementlive.com/PDFS/TML%202005%20Event%20Guide.pdf ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-mail ianangus@angustel.ca and jriddell@angustel.ca =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web late Friday afternoon each week at www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. 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Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ============================================================ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 13:57:21 EDT From: USTelecom dailyLead Subject: WorldCom's Sullivan gets five years USTelecom dailyLead August 12, 2005 http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23809&l=2017006 TODAY'S HEADLINES NEWS OF THE DAY * WorldCom's Sullivan gets five years BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH * Speech tones catch fire among handset users * Study: Home-networking sales poised for boom * Birch files Chapter 11 USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT * RFID: Radio Frequency Identification -- Get Your Copy Today! EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES * Internet-style search coming to TV * Not interested? New phone software might give you away VOIP DOWNLOAD * Study: Skype leads in U.S. VoIP traffic * Analysis: Quality key to cable VoIP's future success * Municipalities the next VoIP frontier? REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE * VoIP wiretap ruling spurs concern over network security * Former FCC chief joins investment firm Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others. http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=23809&l=2017006 Legal and Privacy information at http://www.dailylead.com/about/privacy_legal.jsp SmartBrief, Inc. 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20005 ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Western Union Private Line Voice Service -- "Hot Line" Date: 12 Aug 2005 12:57:16 -0700 In the mid 1960s Western Union introduced a private line voice service called "Hot Line". In essence, a person lifting the receiver of one telephone would cause a specified distant telephone to ring over a private line. The connection was faster and cheaper than placing a conventional long distance call over the Bell System. WU charged by 6 second increments and at a lower rate; the Bell System at that time had a 3 minute minimum. WU says their arrangement was cheaper when more than 3 calls a day were made. The connection between the two telephones was actually not a dedicated private line, but shared use of the WU network via concentrators. If a circuit was busy there were alternates. See: http://massis.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives/technical/western-union-tech-review/21-2/p104.htm The article said the service was popular among brokers between field offices and the central office serving the stock exchange for calling in stock orders. Such calls were normally brief. Obviously this service had some limitations since it was telephone-set to telephone-set. I don't think this could terminate in a PBX system to allow shared use of the line by a whole organization which would give more flexibility. I don't know if WU permitted any kind of multiple extension sets at the subscriber since a specialized telephone set they provided was used. For example, a secretary might want to answer the boss's hot/line phone if he was out. WU also reported customers wanted to get the service in more cities than available. None the less, it seemed like a pretty good idea for its time. Would anyone know how successful this service was and how long it lasted? ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Stock market ticker tape machines? Date: 12 Aug 2005 13:31:51 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com For many years a symbol of Wall Street has been the stock market ticker tape machine. This was a table top glass-domed unit that printed a tape of trades. My impression from Oslin's book was that this unit was developed around 1930 and had a service lifespan of 30 years. Faster units to handle larger market volumes of the 1960s replaced it. WU had to continually speed up the wire to handle ever more trading volumes, which exploded in the 1960s. (Historically, the tape printed the sale of 100 stock lots by the symbol of the stock and the sale price). These tapes were showered down upon parades in New York, thus the name "ticker tape parade". For many years it's really been a "scrap paper" parade but that doesn't sound as good. Along with this system was a wall display system used in brokerage offices. The trades were projected on a wall where investors could watch it. In the 1960s computerized stock quote machines became available which also showed the bid, asked, and closing price of stock sales. Western Union had a big business handling stock brokers and connecting field offices to New York to announce trading information and send in orders. I was wondering what kind of machine, if any, replaced the classic glass-dome model and continued to produce a tape showing trades. ------------------------------ From: Vincent M Subject: Overview of Telecom History ? Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 17:43:17 +0200 Organization: Guest of ProXad - France Hi everyone, I'm looking for an overview on the telecom's history. -When it really beguns, where, which technique ... Can someone recommend any site/book ? Thanks, Vincent [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: You might begin right here, at our site for some basic information. http://telecom-digest.org is a good start; look at the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) files; also check the files at http://telecom-digest.org/history and the other sections in our archives. PAT] ------------------------------ From: AntwainBarbour Subject: Re: Austin Gaffe Stirs Fantasy Date: 12 Aug 2005 11:59:05 -0700 I just read this article. Wow. What is going on here? Are all cable companies working like this? Does this seem right? Just raises a lot of questions I guess. ------------------------------ From: mc Subject: Re: Don't Forget Peter Jennings'... Flaw Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 23:31:45 -0400 > Actually Steve you are wrong on this one. Last night August 10, 2006, You're posting from the future? [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Actually, I did that because I wanted to see if anyone would notice it or not. (smile). PAT] ------------------------------ From: jtaylor Subject: Re: Hiroshima Marks 60th Anniversary of Atomic Bomb Attack Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 07:29:33 -0300 Organization: MCI Canada News Reader Service Andrew Hastings wrote in message news:telecom24.363.10@telecom-digest.org: > According to Edward Teller as quoted by John McCarthy, the > miscalculation may have been intentional. > See http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/teller.html. > -Andrew I knew that -- but Heisenberg may have been the only one who also did, at the time. That the decision makers had/were given the wrong info doesn't change the fact that the Germans were in no way "close to having the bomb". > jtaylor wrote: >> Tony P. wrote in message >> news:telecom24.361.15@telecom-digest.org... >>> The Germans were pretty much on their way to having their own atomic >>> weapons. >> The stuff I've read (Farm Hall transcripts, for instance) says no, >> they were working on a pile, not bombs. They miscalculated the amount >> of fissionable material necessary and so thought they could not >> a) get enough; >> b) if not a), get such a big bomb to anywhere it would do them any good. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 13:38:29 CDT From: Paul W. Schleck Subject: Re: Urgent Help Needed With Internet Explorer IE 6.0 Pat, I recall that one, or both, of these free Microsoft tools has an option to return your copy of Internet Explorer to its original factory settings: Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/mbsahome.mspx Microsoft Anti-Spyware (Beta) http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware