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TELECOM Digest     Wed, 5 Oct 2005 14:15:00 EDT    Volume 24 : Issue 453

Inside This Issue:                            Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    AOL Boasts Anti-Phishing Protection (Reuters News Wire)
    U.S. FTC Sues New Hampshire Spyware Operation (Reuters News Wire)
    Texas Grants First State-Issued Cable Franchise (USTelecom dailyLead)
    Cell Phone 'Bill of Rights' Debated on Beacon Hill Today (Monty Solomon)
    Locked In Cell: How Cell Phone Early Termination Fees Hurt (Monty Solomon)
    Cellular-News for Wednesday 5th October 2005 (Cellular-News)
    Sept 2005 Consumer Reports -- Good Computer/Telecom Info (Lisa Hancock)
    Virus Checking, was: On Bluefrog (Danny Burstein)
    Re: Visitors Risk Being Shot in Florida (David B. Horvath, CCP)
    Re: Visitors Risk Being Shot in Florida (Eric Friedebach)

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

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 Newswire <reuters@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: AOL Boasts Anti-Phishing Protection 
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2005 12:24:19 -0500


America Online, the online division of Time Warner Inc., on Wednesday
said it plans to step up protections against the illegal gathering of
subscribers' sensitive data through fraudulent Web sites.

AOL said it has struck partnerships with MarkMonitor Inc. and
Cyveillance and expanded an agreement with Cyota Inc. to help prevent
what's popularly known as "phishing."

The companies will help AOL spot and block sites that mimic legitimate
companies. AOL also plans to monitor for new phishing sites across the
Web as well as track down suspicious links contributed by its
subscribers.

"The only difference between a phisher and a mugger is that a phisher
uses a keyboard and not a gun," Tatiana Platt, AOL Chief Trust
Officer, said in a statement.

The move follow improvements AOL made in late September to block out
programs that track user behavior, known as "spyware."

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.

For more headlines and news reports, also go to:
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html   (also)
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/internet-news.html

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

From: Reuters News Wire <reuters@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: U.S. FTC Sues New Hampshire 'Spyware' Operation
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2005 12:25:38 -0500


U.S. regulators asked a court on Wednesday to shut down a maker of
what they termed computer "spyware" that steers Internet users to fake
search engines and tracks their movements online.

Odysseus Marketing Inc. of New Hampshire said its free Kazanon
software would allow users to share music anonymously over "peer to
peer" networks to avoid prosecution from the recording industry.

But the software doesn't work as advertised and the company's work
should be halted, the Federal Trade Commission said in a complaint
filed with a U.S.  court in New Hampshire.

The FTC said the software serves as a Trojan horse for other, unwanted
programs that deliver "pop up" ads and track the user's online
movements, the FTC said.

Those infected with Odysseus' spyware have their search results
corrupted as well, the FTC said. When they try to use a search engine
like Yahoo or Google, they are steered to a look-alike page that
prominently lists Odysseus clients in the results.

Those who use an Odysseus software tool to remove the spyware only
draw more unwanted programs on to their computers, the FTC said.

Odysseus principal Walter Rines was not immediately available for
comment.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted in May to stiffen jail
sentences and establish multimillion-dollar fines for spyware
purveyors. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate.

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, 5 Oct 2005 13:12:30 EDT
From: USTelecom dailyLead <ustelecom@dailylead.com>
Subject: Texas Grants First State-Issued Cable Franchise


USTelecom dailyLead
October 5, 2005
http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/vhBoatagCrcjldTIOH

		TODAY'S HEADLINES
	
NEWS OF THE DAY
* Texas grants first state-issued cable franchise
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH
* Sprint Nextel sues Vonage
* Covad snaps up NextWeb
* Denmark's TDC gets another offer
* Telefonica taps Nominum for DNS
* Report: Rokr sales lukewarm
USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT
* Register by Oct. 15 for TELECOM '05 and save!
TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
* WiMAX holds promise, but obstacles remain
* Study: SMS overflow could jam mobile phone networks
* Alcatel announces "universal" optical metro switch
REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE
* Qwest adds BellSouth to Networx bid team

Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others.
http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/vhBoatagCrcjldTIOH

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: Tue, 4 Oct 2005 23:44:30 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Cell Phone 'Bill of Rights' Debated on Beacon Hill Today


By Emelie Rutherford / Daily News Staff

BOSTON -- While lawmakers want to help Massachusetts wireless
customers dodge "dead zones" and unwanted contracts, the industry is
balking at a proposed Cell Phone Users' Bill of Rights it said would
lead to higher prices.

Both sides will face off today over the legislation that would ban
wireless carriers in Massachusetts from offering contracts for more
than a year and from extending contracts without the customer's
written permission.

Additional protections include requiring the carriers to give
customers 30 days to cancel their contracts without penalty,
easy-to-understand bills, clear explanations of fees and precise
coverage maps.

Under the bill of rights state regulators also would monitor service
quality, such as dead zones and signal strength, and handle billing
disputes.

If the bill of rights passes, Massachusetts would be the only state 
to have such a consumer protection system for cell phone users.

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=110722

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

Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2005 03:00:50 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Locked In a Cell: How Cell Phone Early Termination Fees Hurt Customers


Executive Summary
http://masspirg.org/MA.asp?id2=18535

Press Release
http://masspirg.org/MA.asp?id2=18541

Full Report
http://masspirg.org/reports/lockedinacell05.pdf

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

Subject: Cellular-News for Wednesday 5th October 2005
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2005 07:30:54 -0500
From: Cellular-News <dailydigest@cellular-news.com>


Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com

  Two Join Up for 3G Testing in Japan
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14282.php

Cetecom and Telec have announced a strategic collaboration to provide
the Japanese mobile communications industry with conformance testing
resources on location for accessing global markets. The first phase of
this coope...

  New Wireless 911 Contracts Signed
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14283.php

Intrado has announced new contracts for wireless E9-1-1 solutions with
WestLink Communications, Nex-Tech Wireless, Edge Wireless, Chariton
Valley Wireless, Cellcom Inc. of Wisconsin, and Appalachian
Wireless. Each of the...

  MTC Denies Staff Arrest Claims over Lebanese PM Assassination
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14284.php

Last Tuesday, the Information Division of the Lebanese Interior
Security Services visited the offices of the GSM network operator, MTC
Touch in Beirut, as part of their investigation around the
assassination of former Le...

  3G Contract Signed in Andorra
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14285.php

Motorola has signed a 3G contract with Andorran operator, Servei de
Telecomunicacions d'Andorra (STA), for a UMTS network. The network
deployment with Andorra's only network provider is planned to commence
in October 200...

  Test Equipment Vendors Need to Keep Pace With Changing Standards - report
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14286.php

Recovering from the dismal growth of 2002 and 2003, the European
wireless communication test equipment market improved considerably in
2004 to record revenues of approximately US$572.8 million and is
likely to grow at a ...

  Russian Operator Dropping Dollar Currency Tariffs
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14287.php

The Russian operator, MegaFon-Moscow has decided to stop offering its
tariffs in dollars and switch entirely over to the local currency, the
Rubble. The switch will occur from January next year. Expecting the
transfer, o...

  Crown Castle Considers Future of Australian Operations
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14288.php

The wireless tower operator, Crown Castle International says that it
has commenced an evaluation of strategic alternatives for its
investment in Crown Castle Australia ("CC Australia"), which may
directly or indirectly i...

  Dubai's Emaar Among 15 Cos Interested In Turkey's Telsim
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14277.php

Dubai developer Emaar Properties (EMAAR.DI) is among the 15 firms that
have applied for pre-qualification in the tender for the sale of
Turkey's cell-phone operator Telsim, an Emaar spokesman said
Tuesday. ...

  Ericsson To Expand Network For Vodafone In Fiji
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14278.php

Swedish telecommunications equipment maker Telefon AB L.M Ericsson
(ERICY) Tuesday said it has signed a contract with Vodafone Group PLC
(VOD) to expand its network in Fiji. ...


  MTN Applies For Prequalification In Tunisie Telecom Sale
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14279.php

JOHANNESBURG--South African telecommunications company MTN Group
(MTN.JO) said Tuesday it has applied for prequalification to bid for a
stake in Tunisian incumbent Tunisie Telecom. ...

  EU Launches Web Site Detailing Mobile Phone Roaming Fees
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14280.php

In an effort to increase transparency for mobile phone users, the
European Commission Tuesday launched a Web site detailing the roaming
charges customers pay while traveling abroad. ...

  Orange Adds 8 Mobile TV Channels In UK Including Cricket
  http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14281.php

Orange, the mobile telecommunications unit of France Telecom SA (FTE),
Tuesday said it has added eight new television channels to its mobile
TV service, including live cricket coverage of the ICC Super Series
games. ...

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

From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
Subject: Sept 2005 Consumer Reports - Good Computer/Telecom Info
Date: 5 Oct 2005 07:07:10 -0700
Organization: http://groups.google.com


I recommend this issue.  While tech-savy people probably know most of
it, a lot of lay people do not.  There is good information on
protecting one's personal computer from spam, viruses, phishing,
spyware; issues on legislature, and cell phone user issues.

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

From: Danny Burstein <dannyb@panix.com>
Subject: Virus Checking, was: On Bluefrog
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2005 02:50:59 UTC
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC


( I originally wrote "virus chacking", with the second word being a
manglement, so to speak, of "checking" and "whacking". Might be a good
word...)

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I do the same thing here. Although I am
  .... [ snip ]  ...
> to examine, claim or destroy those items. Naturally I get between 75-100
> viruses most days, and about the same number of spams at my cableone.net
> account. Little check boxes allow for deliver, destroy, .....

While filters for "spam" have a pretty serious risk/tradeoff of false
positives, so simply sending all suspicious e-mail to the garbage is
risky (but often done at of necessity...)  many of the current
anti-virus products are pretty good

You might want to check with your various ISPs (or the e-mail clients
you're using) to see if there's a simple "kill all viruses and
executables" e-mail.

That would help make your situation a bit more manageble.

_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
		     dannyb@panix.com 
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

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

Date: Wed,  5 Oct 2005 09:10:56 -0400
Subject: Re: Visitors Risk Being Shot in Florida
From: David B. Horvath, CCP <dhorvath@notchur.biz>


PAT -- As usual, please mung my email address; showing real name is 
fine.

On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 21:31:16 -0700, PAT wrote:

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well no one I know ever accused Florida
> legislators of being classmates in competition with Albert Einstein. 
> Yes, that is a new law in Florida. You may also recall that a few years
> ago, there was an instance of some tourists from Germany getting their
> rental car in Florida car-jacked, then they, themselves got shot
> dead. There was a big stink about that case also, and the German
> newspapers played it up.  Probably the French newspapers (AFP) wanted
> make French people aware of this new law in Florida also.   PAT]

While I might agree or disagree with you about the average IQ in the
state govenment of Florida (depending on whether I was pro or anti
Bush), they have passed some innovative laws regarding self-defense.

They were one of the first states to pass a "shall-issue" concealed
firearm permit law. Many states had concealed permit laws before but
they were often at the whim of the issuing body (i.e., if you were
friends with the mayor, you got one).

Vermont has always allowed concealed carry (without permit) and most
states have "open carry" laws (you can carry a gun so long as it is
visible).

After Florida got "shall-issue", a decent (10-20) percentage of the
law-abiding population went through the process and got permits. The
criminals quickly learned that they were risking their own lives
trying to carjack or mug Florida residents.  They looked for the next
soft target which was tourists.  Tourists are easy to identify by the
stickers on their rental cars.

Florida enacted a law forcing removal of the rental-car company
stickers. They also now issue non-resident conceal carry permits as
well as recognizing the permits issued by a number of other states.

- David

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

From: Eric Friedebach <friedebach@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Visitors Risk Being Shot in Florida
Date: 5 Oct 2005 10:08:14 -0700
Organization: http://groups.google.com


PAT wrote:
<SNIP>

> You may also recall that a few years ago, there was an instance of
> some tourists from Germany getting their rental car in Florida
> car-jacked, then they, themselves got shot dead. There was a big
> stink about that case also, and the German newspapers played it up.
> Probably the French newspapers (AFP) wanted make French people aware
> of this new law in Florida also.  PAT]

I believe that was not long after Florida passed a concealed carry
law.  Florida does not have front license plates, so many rental car
companies would add a plate with their logo on it. This made it very
easy for the criminals to spot their unarmed victims.

TELECOM Topic: Its been three weeks since the last junk fax!

Eric Friedebach
/And now it's time for: Jaromir Weather/

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


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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #453
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