TELECOM Digest     Fri, 9 Sep 2005 14:38:00 EDT    Volume 24 : Issue 411

Inside This Issue:                            Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    China Telecom Said to Block Skype (Doug Young)
    Tiawan Court Convicts Music Sharing Service Kuro (Jeffrey Goldfarb)
    Internet Pioneer Vint Cerf Joins Google (Michael Leidtke)
    Katrina Victims Also ID Theft Victims (Andy Sullivan)
    Yahoo Defends Itself Over China News Allegations (John Ruwich)
    Cellular-News for Friday 9th September 2005 (Cellular-News)
    Ebay & Skype = Death (codefixer@gmail.com)
    Apple Special Event Webcast (Monty Solomon)
    iPod Nano Combines Beauty, Function (Monty Solomon)
    Cisco IP NGN -- Video/IPTV (Monty Solomon)
    Microsoft and Sigma Designs Pave Way for Low-Cost IPTV Devices (Solomon)
    IPTV Industry Prepares to Deliver Microsoft TV-Enabled Set-Top (Solomon)
    Verizon V710 Settlement (Monty Solomon)
    Arizona Budget POTS Plans (Mike Sutter)
    How Can I Get Voiceglo Glophone to Answer Mail? (william108@gmail.com)
    Vinton Cerf Joins Google as 'Internet Evangelist' (US Telecom DailyLead)
    Re: Laptops Tune on, Tune in to Seattle Transit (Chip Cryderman)
    Re: Sid Ceasar and Phones in Comedy (Wesrock@aol.com)
    Re: iPod Phone Isn't Perfect, but It's a Start (EventHelix.com)
    Re: Internet Satellite Imagery Under Fire Over Security (Dave Close)

Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
Internet.  All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and
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We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we
are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because
we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands
against crime.   Geoffrey Welsh

               ===========================

See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details
and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest.  

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Doug Young <reuters@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: China Telecom Said to Block Skype
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 10:03:21 -0500


China Telecom has started blocking access to a popular Internet
telephone service that is threatening its long-distance revenue,
according to local media reports and Internet postings.

China's largest fixed-line phone carrier recently began blocking
access to service from Skype Technologies SA, a European-based
Internet telecoms services provider, in the affluent southern city of
Shenzhen near Hong Kong, according to the reports, including one in
the Shanghai Daily.

They said China Telecom, whose broadband Internet service allows
access to Skype, has plans to eventually block the service throughout
its coverage area nationwide.

They also said the carrier has created a "black list" of people who
use the service in Shenzhen, and threatened to fine anyone who tries
to get around the new obstacles.

A China Telecom spokesman had no comment on the reports about the
Shenzhen blockage, but gave a broader view.

"Under the current relevant laws and regulations of China, PC-to-phone
services are strictly regulated and only China Telecom and (the
nation's other fixed-line carrier) China Netcom are permitted to carry
out some trials on a very limited basis," he said.

Skype service, which allows people to make calls from their PCs to
regular phones, enables subscribers in China to dial to major Western
markets in the United States and Europe for as little as 2 eurocents
per minute (2.5 U.S.  cents), compared with rates closer to $1 per
minute from China Telecom.

China routinely blocks access to Web sites on politically sensitive
subjects such as the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement and the 1989
crackdown at Tiananmen Square that left hundreds dead. But blockage of
sites for purely economic reasons is much less common.

Tom Online, a Beijing-based provider of wireless value-added services
that has a year-old relationship with Skype for Internet instant
messaging services, said its product in China was still operational.

HOT TOPIC

The Internet telephony blockage was a hot topic on several Web forums
hosted by Skype.

"The whole thing looks to me like a plot to make back the money China
Telecom thinks they lose because of Skype," complained one user in
Shenzhen, who said his access was blocked but his wife, also in
Shenzhen, was able to access the system.

Other users in Shanghai said they were still able to access the
system.

Long distance business is an important revenue source for both China
Telecom and China Netcom, accounting for about 20 percent of China
Telecom's total revenue last year.

Internet-based services like Skype are putting pressure on both
companies to lower their long-distance tariffs, which have been coming
down at a rate of about 12-15 percent annually in recent years, said
BOC International analyst Alan Ng.

"Eventually (Internet-based phone services) will be a threat," he
said.  "Whether it's already a serious threat, I doubt it. But it will
get even more popular, and certainly that is why China Telecom is very
concerned."

U.S. Web auction giant EBay Inc. is currently in talks to buy Skype, a
source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Thursday, amid
concerns that the European company could crimp highly-profitable
eBay's growth.

China Telecom shares were down 0.88 percent at HK$2.80 in Hong Kong on
Friday. They are unchanged since the beginning of the year, trailing a
6 percent gain for the broader Hang Seng Index.

Investors are fretting about China Telecom's slowing growth, as they
wait for the outcome of a highly anticipated industry restructuring
expected to include the eventual awarding of third-generation (3G)
mobile licenses.


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: Jeffrey Goldfarb <reuters@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Taiwan Court Convicts Music Sharing Service Kuro
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 10:05:21 -0500


By Jeffrey Goldfarb

The music industry claimed another victory in its legal war against
file-sharing networks on Friday when a Taiwan court convicted the
service Kuro of criminal copyright infringement and sentenced its
operators to jail terms of up to three years.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry said it was
the first criminal conviction of a peer-to-peer file sharing service,
which distributes information between users instead of through a
central server.

Kuro, which charged users to access music files, was fined T$3
million, or about $90,000, IFPI said. Most of the songs available
using Kuro were by local artists, none of whom were paid by the
service, the music industry trade group said.

"This is good news for artists and the music industry, particularly in
Taiwan, which has had a history of piracy problems," said Lauri
Rechardt, IFPI's director of licensing and litigation.

"Kuro has received a criminal conviction, which sends a strong message
that profiteering from infringement will not be tolerated," she added.

Representatives for Kuro could not immediately be reached for comment.

The judgment follows an Australian court ruling last week that popular
Internet file-sharing network Kazaa breached copyright laws. It was
ordered to modify its software to prevent online music piracy.

The U.S. Supreme Court also said in June that services like Grokster
and Morpheus can be held liable if their intent is to promote
copyright infringement of songs or movies. That case was sent back to
a lower court to be re-examined.

IFPI said the two brothers who ran Kuro have each been sentenced to
three years imprisonment and their father, who was president of the
service, was sentenced to two years.

A Kuro user was also convicted of uploading copyrighted material and
sentenced to four months in prison, IFPI 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.

------------------------------

From: Michael Liedtke <ap@telecom-digest.org> 
Subject: Internet Pioneer Vinton Cerf Joins Google
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 20:47:23 -0500


By MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Business Writer

Google Inc. has hired Internet pioneer Vinton Cerf to float more ideas
and develop new products, adding another weapon to the online search
engine leader's rapidly growing arsenal of intellect.

Cerf's defection from MCI Inc., announced Thursday, represents the
latest coup for Mountain View-based Google, which has been amassing
more brainpower as its payroll nearly quadrupled to 4,200 workers
during the past two years.

Along the way, Google has been raiding other companies, a tactic that
has sparked a legal battle with one of its major rivals, software
maker Microsoft Corp. The two high-tech titans battled in court this
week over Kai Fu-Lee's July resignation from Microsoft to oversee
Google's efforts to open a research center in China.

In an interview, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said few of the
company's recent hires have been as significant as Cerf, widely
regarded as one of the Internet's creators because of his seminal work
developing the network's essential communications protocols, TCP/IP,
at Stanford University in the 1970s.

"He is one of the most important people alive today," said Schmidt,
who has been friends with Cerf for more than 20 years. "Vint has put
his heart and soul into making the Internet happen. I know he is going
to jump right in here and start shoveling out new ideas for Google."

When he starts work at Google on Oct. 3, Cerf's official title will be
"chief Internet evangelist," but he is determined to be more than a
figurehead or detached visionary.

"What I have done in the past is not going to be important at Google,"
Cerf said during an interview. "What's important at Google is what you
are doing today and what you going to do tomorrow. That's the metric I
will be measured by."

Cerf will remain chairman of the Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers, the oversight agency for Internet domain names.

He also will continue as a visiting scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, where he has been focusing on a very Google-like project --
trying to figure out a way to connect the Internet to outer space.

Cerf, 62, has spent the past 11 years at MCI, most recently as senior
vice president of technology strategy. At MCI, he has worked on
advanced networking technologies including services that combine data,
voice and video and helped design MCI Mail, one of the Net's first
commercial applications.

He said MCI's pending $8.5 billion sale to Verizon Communications Inc.
didn't push him out the door. Instead, he said working at Google is
"really my dream job."

Google didn't disclose Cerf's salary. When Google lured Lee away from
Microsoft, it rewarded him with a $10 million compensation package,
including a $2.5 million signing bonus, according to court documents.

Cerf expects to spend much of his time developing new applications as
Google continues to supplement the search engine that is core to the
7-year-old company. In recent years, it has released free software to
organize computer files, sort digital photos, generate maps and
conduct Internet-based phone calls and text chats. It also launched a
Web-based e-mail service called Gmail.

"What Google has really been doing is building an entirely new
(computing) infrastructure and whenever you do that, it creates
opportunities for new applications," Cerf said.

Cerf will be a graybeard in Google's youthful culture, which has been
shaped by the company's 32-year-old founders, Larry Page and Sergey
Brin. But Cerf doesn't expect to have trouble fitting in, even though
his penchant for wearing three-piece suits also figures to set him
apart in Google's jeans-clad atmosphere.

"I'm 62 going on 12 anyway," Cerf said. "What's wonderful about
(Google) is that as long as you bring ideas to the table, it doesn't
matter what else is going on."

Although he will report to Google engineering chief Alan Eustace in
Mountain View, Cerf won't be based in Silicon Valley. He will be
working out of a Virginia office so he can stay close to his home.

On The Net:
Google: http://www.google.com
Cerf's home page: http://www.mci.com/cerfsup

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 News headlines and stories, go to:
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/AP.html 

------------------------------

From: Andy Sullivan <reuters@telecom-digest.org> 
Subject: Katrina Victims Also Become ID Theft Victims
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 20:46:33 -0500


By Andy Sullivan

Birth certificates and other sensitive documents left among the
waterlogged debris of Hurricane Katrina could put the storm's victims
at heightened risk for identity theft, experts said on Thursday.

U.S. officials and consumer advocates said they had not yet heard of
any cases of identity theft related to the disaster because the crime
usually takes months to unfold.

But consumers should keep a close eye on their bank statements and
order a copy of their credit reports in the process of getting their
lives back together to make sure they are not being victimized, they
said.

"We tell people not to be alarmed but to be cautious," said Betsy
Broder, an assistant director in the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau
of Consumer Protection.

Those who wish to contribute to relief efforts are at risk as well.
Internet-security company Websense said on Sunday that it had found a
"phishing" e-mail campaign that seeks to trick Internet users into
providing their credit-card numbers to a Web site that looks like one
run by the Red Cross.

In order to avoid such scams, donors should type the address of
charitable Web sites directly into their browsers, rather than
clicking on a link in the e-mail, experts said.

The FBI is investigating at least a dozen suspicious Web sites and
e-mail messages for fraud, spokesman Paul Bresson said.

Similar scams emerged after the tsunami that devastated large portions
of coastal Asia and Africa in December but "this is far worse," he
said.

The Justice Department said on Thursday that it has set up a task
force to investigate identity theft and other types of fraud related
to the Katrina.

Identity theft costs U.S. consumers and businesses $50 billion annually,
according to FTC estimates.

A string of computer breaches at businesses and universities has
focused attention on the issue this year but those who have been
uprooted by Hurricane Katrina also face risk from looters and
"dumpster divers" -- those who sift through garbage looking for
valuable personal information to steal -- as well.

Ruined homes and businesses are likely to contain mortgage records,
Social Security cards and other documents that criminals can use to
hijack an identity, said Linda Foley, co-executive director of the
Identity Theft Resource Center.

"A crisis brings out the best of people and the worst of people.
Unfortunately, in criminals it brings out their best skills," she
said.

Thieves also could intercept drivers' licenses and birth certificates
when they are mailed to storm victims trying to get their lives back
together, said Beth Givens, director of the Privacy Rights
Clearinghouse.

"I suspect that many of the shelters are temporary facilities and do
the people running them have the ability to operate a secure post
office?"  she said.

Mail bound for the affected areas is currently held in secure sorting
facilities and will be forwarded to residents once they fill out a
change-of-address form, U.S. Postal Service spokesman Bob Anderson
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.

------------------------------

From: John Ruwitch <reuters@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Yahoo Defends Itself Over China Accusations 
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 21:00:33 -0500


By John Ruwitch

Internet giant Yahoo Inc. defended itself on Thursday against
accusations that it supplied data to Chinese authorities which led to
the imprisonment of a journalist, saying it has to abide local laws.

Press watchdogs accused Yahoo Holdings (Hong Kong) Ltd. of providing
details about e-mail communications that helped identify, and were
used as evidence against, Shi Tao, who was sentenced in April to 10
years in prison for leaking state secrets abroad.

"Just like any other global company, Yahoo! must ensure that its local
country sites must operate within the laws, regulations and customs of
the country in which they are based," Yahoo spokeswoman Mary Osako
said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters by the firm's Hong Kong arm.

Yahoo declined to confirm or deny that it furnished the Chinese
government with the information.

The French group Reporters Without Borders said Shi, a former news
editor for the Contemporary Business News in Hunan province, was
convicted for e-mailing foreign-based Web sites the text of an
internal message to journalists about dangers around the 15th
anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 2004.

China broadly defines as a state secret anything that affects the
security and interests of the state, but the limits are vague and can
include political news. Rights groups say the laws are arbitrary
enough to be manipulated for political purposes.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in February
that China had the most journalists in prison, 42, of any country for
the sixth year in a row.

Among those in detention are New York Times researcher Zhao Yan,
arrested on charges of leaking state secrets to foreigners, and Hong
Kong-based reporter Ching Cheong of the Singapore Straits Times, who
China suspects of spying for Taiwan.

Shi's conviction sent shockwaves through the Chinese journalist
community because many felt his sentence was excessive and might have
been heavy to serve as a warning.

The Committee to Protect Journalists decried what it called China's
"chokehold" on the Internet.

"We categorically condemn the outrageous prosecution of Shi Tao,"
Executive Director Ann Cooper said.

"We call on the Chinese government and Yahoo to provide a full
explanation of the circumstances that led the company to provide
account holder information,"

In 2002, Yahoo was among the many firms to voluntarily sign the
"Public Pledge on Self-Discipline for the China Internet Industry,"
seen by critics as a promise of self-censorship.

Reporters Without Borders asked how far Yahoo would go.

"Does the fact that this corporation operates under Chinese law free
it from all ethical considerations? How far will it go to please
Beijing?"  it said in a statement.

"It is one thing to turn a blind eye to the Chinese government's abuses
and it is quite another thing to collaborate."

(Additional reporting by Eric Auchard in San Francisco)

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. To learn more about Telecom-Digest Extra please go to:
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra

------------------------------

Subject: Cellular News for Friday 9th September 2005
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 09:11:01 -0500
From: cellular-news <dailydigest@cellular-news.com>


Changes to cellular-news

We are pleased to announce a new service on cellular-news that will
enable you to read the web site without seeing any advertisements
whatsoever. We are also about to launch a range of "premium" news
articles -- which will be made available to TELECOM Digest readers.

  1.5 Billion GSM Customers
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14014.php

3G Americas reports that as of August 2005, there are 1.5 billion GSM
customers according to the latest subscriber data from Informa
Telecoms & Media. Remarkably, it was just in Q1 2004 that the GSM t...


  Pre-WiMAX Trial in Manhattan Next Year
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14015.php

Adaptix, a provider of software defined, all-IP Orthogonal Frequency
Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) wireless mobile broadband access
technologies, and the NY3G Partnership, a Broadband Radio Service...


  Nokia Moving to Minimise Semiconductor Dependency
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14016.php

Merrill Lynch has issued a report commenting on moves by Nokia to
lower its handset component costs as well as diverging its supply
lines to protect it from a potential ly damaging WinTel style
allian...

  Mobiles Work On English Channel Ferries
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14017.php

Passengers and staff are now able to make wireless phone calls while
at sea aboard the Stena Line's Stena Europe, a SuperFerry that sails
the English Channel. Maritime Communications Partner (MCP) is ...


  Large Enterprises Plan New Investments in WiFi, GPS, Push-to-Talk and RFID
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14018.php

While RFID (Radio Frequency ID) and GPS (Global Positioning System)
applications remain relatively rare among large enterprises, these two
application areas will likely become much more common after t...


  Motorola CEO: Co Needs To Increase Market Share In India
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14003.php

There are phenomenal growth opportunities in emerging markets for
Motorola Inc. (MOT), but one country the telecom-equipment maker needs
to work on is India, Chief Executive Ed Zander said Wednesday. ...


  Ericsson To License 3G Platform To NEC
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14004.php

Telefon AB LM Ericsson (ERICY) Thursday said it has signed a license
agreement with NEC Corp. (NIPNY) for U250, the latest Wideband Code
Division Multiple Access/General Packet Radio Systems platform ...


  EU Court Rules Most Mobile Phone "Mast Taxes" Are Legal
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14005.php

The European Court of Justice ruled Thursday that most taxes imposed
on mobile phone masts are legal.  The case involves the Belgian
communes of Fleron and Schaerbeek, who imposed taxes on ma...

  EU Divided Over Data-retention Bill For Security Package
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14006.php

NEWCASTLE, England (AP)--European Union nations debated a contentious
plan Thursday that would force telecommunications companies to keep
records of cell-phone and e-mail traffic for up to three years...


  Nokia Supplies WCDMA Network To Eurotel
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14007.php

Finland's Nokia Oyj (NOK) said Thursday it has signed a contract with
Czech mobile operator Eurotel Praha (ERP.YY) for the supply of
wideband code division multiple access, WCDMA, third generation net...


  EU OK's Taiwan Co BenQ To Buy Siemens Mobile 
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14008.php

The European Commission Thursday cleared Taiwanese electronics
manufacturer BenQ Corp. (2352.TW) to buy the mobile phone unit of
German electronics and engineering group Siemens AG (SI).

  Sony Ericsson Can't Meet Demand For Walkman Phone
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14009.php

Sony Ericsson can't meet demand for its new music phone W800, a
company spokesman told Dow Jones Newswires Thursday.
Sony Ericsson, a joint venture of Sony Corp. (SNE) and Telefon AB LM Eric...


  Telecom Italia 1st Half Net Profit Up 81% On Accounting,Capital Gain
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14010.php

Telecom Italia SpA (TIT.MI) said Thursday its first half consolidated
net profit increased by 81% thanks to accounting changes and capital
gains from asset disposals.
Italy's leading telecom...


  Telekom Austria To Pursue Legal Action Over Mast Tax
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14011.php

Telekom Austria AG (TKA) said Thursday it will continue pursuing legal
action to stop a tax being levied on wireless masts in Lower Austria
after a European Union court ruled that such taxes are legal...


  Nokia's Gross Margin On Network Services Around 25% - Executive
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14012.php

Nokia Corp.'s (NOK) network services unit is seeing gross margins of
around 25% to 26%, Executive Vice President Simon Beresford-Wylie told
investors in a Web cast conference Thursday.

  Solar Flare Hampers Communications
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14013.php

SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones) - Nature has thrown another curveball at
communications systems and power grids already pounded by Hurricane
Katrina: Solar flares.

The National Oceanic and At...

------------------------------

From: codefixer@gmail.com
Subject: Ebay & Skype = Death
Date: 8 Sep 2005 14:22:19 -0700
Organization: http://groups.google.com


The great dot-com boom, a pot full of lies filled and fuelled by
companies like Enron, Citigroup and other Wall Street associates,
Optical Fiber innovators and greedy scientists like Gururaj Desh, Star
Telecom Analysts like Jack Grubman together brought down the entire
nations economy giving hard time for the conservative and federal
reserve guard, Greenspan.

In the aftermath of Dot.Com bust, the Big 3 of Internet emerged,
Yahoo, Ebay and AOL. Cisco, Sun, Amazon, MSN and others existed but
their business models were not too consumer centric and they only
tried hard to survive growth. A new Stanford born baby was already
conceiving and came to limelight in 2001. Yes you got it right,
Google. With it's powerful Search technology it replaced AOL to join
the Big 3. Google focused on web-services technologies, unveiled new
model of business with its cool web based applications like gmail and
google maps.

It is always said that many of us have herd mentality. So when Google
unveiled their Google Talk, the Redmond company which has already lost
its focus announced the buy-out of Teleo (teleo.com). The telecom and
VoIP bug has now bitten eBay. According to Bloomberg, it is willing to
pay a whopping $3 Billion.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aLvNorCTFLZM&refer=us

So is eBay willing to pay so much just for the subscribers it has?
What about Yahoo integrated instant messaging and VoIP based services
it offers?

These Telecom analysts are all set to ruin the recovery in the IT
world, which came back in the real form of web-services. Don't forget,
Skype is a big hype. Not every customer will pay you for the low
quality service that Skype offers.

The entry cost for Skype like services are very low. Any company with
a million dollar in its treasury and a good negotiator across the
table can use much of open source tools and build such a
service. Where are the customers? In my experience, between Google
Talk and Yahoo!, the former got better customer rating because of the
clarity compared with Yahoo!. But Google has 1/100th the number of
users compared to Yahoo!  So lesser the number of customers better the
quality. I think the VoIP market will evolve as a fragmented market
with at least two service providers for every small town and more than a
dozen providers for large cities.

I only hope someone will save eBay from shelling out couple of
billions for a useless services as this. I will not immediately jump
to VoIP unless they come up to the quality of fixed line Telco's
otherwise, I can never conduct my business with lost words in-between
deals. Maybe eBay and Skype officials must negotiate using Skype VoIP
to know what eBay is paying for and what Skype is offering.

<<All can never be said>>

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 01:35:57 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Apple Special Event Webcast


http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/specialevent05/

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 04:34:20 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: iPod Nano Combines Beauty, Function


By Walter S. Mossberg

Grab a standard American business card. Now, get a pair of scissors
and trim the long side of the card by 20%. That's all the space you
need to hold over 1,000 songs, plus audio books, podcasts and photos
if you buy Apple Computer's newest iPod model, the gorgeous and sleek
iPod nano.

This latest iPod was publicly revealed yesterday at a razzle-dazzle
marketing event orchestrated by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. But I have been
testing a nano for the past few days, and I am smitten. It's not only
beautiful and incredibly thin, but I found it exceeds Apple's
performance claims.

In fact, the nano has the best combination of beauty and functionality
of any music player I've tested -- including the iconic original white
iPod. And it sounds great. I plan to buy one for myself this weekend,
when it is due to reach stores in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Available in classic iPod white, or a lustrous black (my favorite),
the nano is not only small, it's stunningly skinny -- about the
thickness of five credit cards stacked on top of one another. That
means it can be carried easily in even the snuggest of clothing and
the smallest of purses, and worn comfortably during exercise. You
could even carry it in a wallet, if you were sure you wouldn't sit on
it.

Yet the nano, which starts at $199 in the middle of the iPod range,
contains key features previously available only on the largest,
costliest iPods. These include a sharp color screen, the ability to
display the album covers for the songs it's playing, and the ability
to store a user's photos and display them in slide shows accompanied
by music.

Also, despite its small size, the nano holds plenty of songs and can
play them for a long time. The base $199 model has two gigabytes of
storage, which Apple says can hold 500 songs. A second model, at $249,
has four gigabytes of storage and can hold 1,000 songs, Apple
claims. The company says this slip of a player somehow packs in a
large enough battery to play continuously for 14 hours.

In my tests, I found that the nano's battery lasted a bit longer than
Apple claims -- 14 hours and 18 minutes. And I was easily able to pack
around 1,200 songs, plus a couple dozen photos, into the $249 model,
because most older pop and rock tunes tend to be shorter than the
notional song Apple uses to calculate capacity.

http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20050908.html

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 08:50:45 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Cisco IP NGN - Video/IPTV


     Service Providers Worldwide Driving Video/IPTV with Cisco IP NGN;
     Unmatched Global Experience, Proven Scalability and Open Solution
     Architecture Drive Cisco Deployment Leadership in Video/IPTV
     - Sep 9, 2005 07:00 AM (BusinessWire)

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 9, 2005--Cisco
Systems(R) (Nasdaq:CSCO) today announced continued momentum on its
leadership with service providers around the world in delivery of
video/IPTV services over its IP Next Generation Network (IP NGN)
reference architecture.

Cisco has unmatched video/IPTV networking deployment experience, with
platforms and technologies that enable scaling to millions of
subscribers quickly and easily and with a lower total cost of
ownership (TCO) than others. Cisco's approach enables providers to
improve the subscriber experience and increase average
revenue-per-subscriber (ARPU) by offering enhanced viewing options,
improved security and proven reliability. This is based on improved
service control, intelligence within the aggregation layer and
scalability at the network core. The Cisco IP NGN architecture gives
providers an open platform for service differentiation, allowing them
to move beyond video/IPTV to develop and deliver a variety of
integrated media services in the connected home.

     - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=51673846

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 08:54:46 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Microsoft and Sigma Designs Pave the Way for Low-Cost IPTV Devices


System-on-Chip Technology Stimulates Market Opportunity for
High-Definition IPTV Services

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today at
IBC2005, the International Broadcasters Convention, Microsoft Corp.
(Nasdaq: MSFT) and Sigma Designs Inc. (Nasdaq: SIGM) announced the
availability of a new class of system-on-chip (SOC) that will enable
the production of low-cost, high-definition-capable devices optimized
for the Microsoft(R) TV Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Edition
software platform.

The new SMP8634 media processor from Sigma Designs will enable set-top
box and consumer electronics manufacturers to create a range of
products for broadband service providers to deliver IPTV services to
the home.

Microsoft and Sigma Designs have worked closely together to extend the
processing functionality of Sigma Designs' open standards-based
SMP8634 media processor to achieve a feature set that delivers the
full power of the Microsoft TV platform. This innovative SOC is
capable of delivering multiple channels of high-definition (HD) video
and on-screen graphics, powerful multimedia processing, powerful
content security, and support for a full range of peripherals such as
USB 2.0, IDE, Ethernet and HDMI. Support for the VC-1 and H.264
(MPEG-4) video codecs is also built in, further reducing costs for
set-top box manufacturers.

The SOC can be embedded inside a range of consumer electronic devices
to enable consumers to choose from a variety of IPTV-ready receivers
such as TV sets, set-top boxes, digital video disc players and gaming
consoles. These offerings create more "on ramps" to the connected
digital home, enabling great stand-alone IPTV experiences that are
ultimately "better together" when connected to other compatible
devices and services.

     - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=51671784

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 08:49:30 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: IPTV Industry Prepares to Deliver Microsoft TV-Enabled Set-Tops


     IPTV Industry Prepares to Deliver Microsoft TV-Enabled Set-Tops
     and Consumer Devices to the Home
     - Sep 9, 2005 02:30 AM (PR Newswire)

Hardware Partners Confirm Support With New Set-Top Boxes and
System-on-Chip Offerings

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today at
IBC2005, the International Broadcasters Convention, in a milestone for
the industry's move toward Internet Protocol television (IPTV)
readiness, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) announced further partner
support for its IPTV software platform with a host of new set-top-box
offerings and a new class of system-on-chip (SOC) that will enable the
production of low-cost, high-definition (HD) set-top boxes. The
announcements underline a growing choice of Microsoft(R) TV IPTV
Edition-enabled devices, allowing broadband service providers
worldwide to develop offerings best suited to their business models
and customer needs.

Hardware partners Linksys-KiSS, Motorola Inc., Scientific-Atlanta
Inc., Tatung Co. and Thomson confirmed support for the Microsoft TV
platform with a range of new set-top boxes supporting Microsoft TV
IPTV Edition:


    -- Linksys-KiSS announced it will provide set-top-box products
       supporting Microsoft TV IPTV Edition with integrated DVB-T
       tuners and conditional access support for European Network
       operators. Products will be available in December 2005.

    -- Motorola will support Microsoft TV IPTV Edition in the
       company's worldwide portfolio of IP-based video products,
       including its VIP line of IPTV set-tops, a forthcoming line of
       hybrid IPTV-DTT set-tops and advanced video-encoding
       technology.  

    -- Scientific-Atlanta announced its support for Microsoft TV IPTV
       Edition in a new family of set-top boxes under development. 
       Scientific-Atlanta will target both the NTSC market with its 
       IPN series set-top family and the PAL and European markets 
       with its IPP series set-tops. Models will range from basic 
       SD to HD and DVR and will include optional features such as 
       integrated IP over Coax and DVB-T support. These set-top 
       models, which complement Scientific-Atlanta's encoder support
       for IPTV Edition, will be on display at IBC2005 Stand 1.471.

    -- Tatung announced its support for Microsoft TV IPTV Edition in
       a new set-top box. The company will demonstrate this support 
       in the Sigma Designs booth, Hall 3 West, No. 151.  

    -- Thomson and Intel Corporation
       announced that a new family of IPM11xx set-top boxes supporting
       Microsoft TV IPTV Edition is now commercially available and
       shipping to Microsoft TV customers. The IPM11xx products
       support a range of video codecs including MPEG-2, Windows
       Media(R) Video 9 (Microsoft's implementation of VC-1, the
       proposed SMPTE standard) and MPEG-4 AVC. They feature the Intel
       1.4 GHz Intel 854 platform with its application-handling
       performance, design flexibility and scalability. They also come
       with optional hard disk drives for both streaming and digital
       video recording (DVR) applications. On display in Thomson Stand
       11.551, the IPM11xx products are the first deployable set-top
       boxes to support the IPTV Edition software.

     - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=51671783

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 10:46:41 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Verizon V710 Settlement


http://www.kirtlandpackard.com/v710/

Class Action Against Verizon for the Motorola v710 Cell Phone

A national settlement has been reached in the claims against Verizon 
Wireless over the Motorola V710 cell phone. Details will be available 
shortly at http://www.verizonwireless.com/V710Settlement

------------------------------

From: Mike Sutter <mjs2032@rochester.rr.com>
Subject: Arizona Budget POTS Plans
Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2005 04:58:20 GMT
Organization: Road Runner


My elderly parents maintain two residences, one in NY and another,
which is the focus of my question in the Greater Phoenix AZ area
(Apache Junction to be precise). Area code is 480, NXX is 982, LEC is
Qwest.

More background -- My parents have gone completely wireless in NY. They
have ported their NY number to the mobile and are happy with the
results. However, they have many friends in the Phoenix area that
would be put off by LD charges to call their NY mobile number. That
said they feel and I agree that they need to keep their POTS line in
Phoenix but don't want to spend a bundle on it since all outgoing
calls will be on the mobile.

And so, finally on to the question, does anyone know if Qwest offers a
real low cost (perhaps metered) service for POTS in the 480 area?
Where I'm at (NY) the LEC is obligated to provide a minimal POTS
service that allows a small number of outgoing calls and an unlimited
number of inbound calls. The service was designed by regulators to
provide a minimal service for pensioners and the otherwise
disadvantaged that would not cannibalize other more functional rate
plans. The Qwest web site is no help; it only talks about premium
plans.

------------------------------

From: william108@gmail.com
Subject: No Help From Voiceglo Glophone
Date: 9 Sep 2005 06:27:21 -0700
Organization: http://groups.google.com


I have called Voiceglo and been put on hold for 2 hours. I have
written to them to cancel my account and stop charging me but they do
not respond. Can anyone say how I can stop them from continually
charging my card. This has been going on for 6 months and they don't
respond by phone or mail. When I call they just put me on hold.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The best solution, IMO would be to
notify your credit card company to _accept no further charges to your
account_ from Voiceglo. After a month or two of this, Voiceglo will
most likely want to know what is going on, and cancel your service. PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 13:43:54 EDT
From: USTelecom dailyLead <ustelecom@dailylead.com>
Subject: Vinton Cerf Joins Google as 'Internet Evangelist'


USTelecom dailyLead
September 9, 2005
http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=24485&l=2017006

		TODAY'S HEADLINES
	
NEWS OF THE DAY
* Vinton Cerf joins Google as "Internet evangelist"
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH
* Apple may have grander ambitions in mobile phone market
* Wireless broadband helps connect hurricane region
* Skype mulls its options
* Murdoch's Web plan begins to take shape
USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT 
* Triple Play:  Real Life Lessons, Thursday, Sept. 15, 1 p.m. EDT
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
* Microsoft promotes its IPTV platform at IBC
VOIP DOWNLOAD
* VoIP was communications lifeline for New Orleans officials
* China Telecom unit blocks SkypeOut
* VoIP company launches 911 network
* FT breaks down the VoIP boom
REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE
* Cable group challenges Texas franchise law

Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others.
http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=24485&l=2017006

------------------------------

Subject: Re: Laptops Tune On, Tune In to Seattle Metro's Transit
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 13:57:05 -0400
From: Charles Cryderman <Charles.Cryderman@globalcrossing.com>


John L. Shelton wrote:

> The cities aren't doing this for free. They tax their citizens (and
> visitors are taxed more than citizens) to provide these allegedly nice
> services. Do you really want your cities expanding their budgets and
> spending on things that commercial vendors are happy to compete to do?
> Perhaps they should go build levees or something that others don't want
> to do.

> Why is wi-fi on the bus good for citizens who don't ride, or don't have
> laptops? For you left-thinkers out there, why are your cities catering
> to the wealthier bus riders? Why not free coffee, of value to all bus 
> riders?  (Dallas tried that trick in the 1970s, but people still drove
> to work.)

> When foreign governments subsidize industry, many of you call it
> "dumping" and protest it. But if Seattle does the same thing, again
> depriving someone of a job, you call it good.

> The only "fair" thing is to allow competition from all providers and for
> government to step back and try to do well in the few areas we entrust
> to it. If a city prevents competition, the solution isn't letting only
> the city compete: it's real competition.

John, it sounds to me you are either a paid mouth piece (lobbyist) for
the fixed line providers (LEC or cable company), or employed by
Qworst, I'm sorry, I mean Qwest.

SBC is the dominate carrier in Michigan and yet we are not getting
wireless internet access here. They are doing their best to ensure their
paid employees in Lansing (state capital & if your not understanding
that, I am talking about the politicians) pass laws stopping local
governments from giving us wireless access. Now had a private commercial
enterprise came in and did one I wouldn't care if they did or not. But
you see, Oakland County (one of the top ten in wealth in the US), where
I live, wants to provide wireless access to residents and business' no
matter who they are, what they do, where they live. You see, the county
executive wants to empower the under privileged and knows that you need
those with the money to do it. His plan is to wire the entire county so
that rates for those that don't make the big bucks will not cause them
to choose between paying rent, buying food or using the internet to help
them improve their lot in life. 

In a capitalistic society business should be the ones to do these
things, but SBC is to busy trying to take cable company's video
customers (as well as paying for AT&T so they can expand their
monopoly) to spend the money now for wireless access here.  Yes, my
tax dollars are going to be used for this endeavor, but seeing as no
one else is stepping up to the plate I think the county executive is
going to hit a home run for the fans. In the end the price charged for
this access will pay for the installation and operations with the
added bonus of forcing Comcrap, there I go again, Comcast, and SBC to
reduce the inflated rates they now charge for DSL and cable modems.


Chip Cryderman


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: SBC is the dominant carrier here in 
rural southeast Kansas as well, and they have made it plain to the
government authorities here (meaning city and county officials in the
four county southeast corner of Kansas) that they better not try to
'pull' another 'Independence deal' on them where we (a) got an
independent telco (Prairie Stream) available and (b) City Hall was
thinking seriously about municipal wi-fi connected through CableOne
(our local cable company) for Independence. SBC was 'asleep at the
switch' -- the best way to phrase it -- when Prairie Stream went into
business; SBC has stated they will allow no other entity to get away
with that. They (SBC) laughed and said 'Prairie Stream wants to play
like a telephone company, so let them try.' Now that Prairie Stream
has a few thousand customers here in Kansas and has the Commission's
blessings pretty much in whatever they do, SBC is blinking and saying
'well, damned if those people are going to take over all our business.'
SBC has promised to sue us if the muni wi-fi plan goes any further and
I am sure they will do just that.  SBC also brought up that old, lame
excuse about how 'city government should not be in the utility business'
but they backed off from that a little when it was pointed out that
Coffeyville has had municipal electric service for about a hundred
years with no ill-effects. Coffeyville Light and Power has done okay,
but don't pass the message on to SBC, please.   PAT]

------------------------------

From: Wesrock@aol.com
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 19:46:02 EDT
Subject: Re: Sid Ceasar and Phones in Comedy


In a message dated Wed, 7 Sep 2005 20:31:15 -0700, Al Gillis
<alg@aracnet.com> writes:

> Anyway, Ed Norton (Art) came to the Cramden apartment that evening and
> asked to use the telephone.  Jackie told his pal, "Sure -- go ahead.
> But remember this costs me money for every call".  (Jackie had
> obviously ordered a measured line).

Has anything but measured service every been available in New York,
where the Honeymooners was set?

This meant some bits of business and some rules of etiquette were
completely lost on people in most of the country, where flat rate
service was always offered and was used by the great majority of
customers.


Wes Leatherock
wesrock@aol.com

------------------------------

From: EventHelix.com <eventhelix@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: iPod Phone Isn't Perfect, but It's a Start
Date: 8 Sep 2005 19:00:32 -0700
Organization: http://groups.google.com


The ROKR is not a Apple branded thing. It doesn't even come close to
the iPod nano in style.

I guess iPod nano would be a good platform for a future iPod phone ...


EventStudio 2.5 - http://www.EventHelix.com/EventStudio
Model in Plain Text; Generate Call Flow Diagrams in PDF/Word

------------------------------

From: Dave Close <dave@compata.com>
Subject: Re: Internet Satellite Imagery Under Fire Over Security
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 05:00:56 UTC
Organization: Compata, Costa Mesa, California


Panarat Thepgumpanat <reuters@telecom-digest.org>  writes:

> Asian governments have expressed security concerns about easy access
> to detailed satellite images on the Internet, such as those used by
> rescuers in New Orleans, saying the technology could endanger
> sensitive sites.

I guess they will have to do what the US did in Santa Monica during
WW2: build covers over the Douglas Aircraft plant with phony images of
houses, streets, and other structures painted on the cover.


Dave Close, Compata, Costa Mesa CA  "Politics is the business of getting
dave@compata.com, +1 714 434 7359    power and privilege without
dhclose@alumni.caltech.edu           possessing merit." - P. J. O'Rourke

------------------------------


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