TELECOM Digest     Sat, 19 Nov 2005 15:47:00 EST    Volume 24 : Issue 526

Inside This Issue:                             Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Cellphones Get Broken by Tight Jeans (Marcus Didius Falco)
    Toilet-Disposed Mobiles Menace Helsinki's Sewers (Marcus Didius Falco)
    On the Effectiveness of Aluminium Foil Helmets (Marcus Didius Falco)
    Cisco Systems to Buy Scientific-Atlanta (Monty Solomon)
    New AT&T Launches; Offering Customers a New Leader (Monty Solomon)
    Not Again! Installer for Other Sony DRM Also Has Security Problem (Solomon)
    Re: Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far (S Breidbart)
    Re: Replacement for Siemens Gigaset (DevilsPGD)
    Re: Lingo Phone Can't Port Number (John Levine)
    Re: Lingo Phone Can't Port Number (Rik Rasmussen)

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Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 00:59:22 -0500
From: Marcus Didius Falco <falco_marcus_didius@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Cellphones Get Broken by Tight Jeans


http://www.cellular-news.com/story/11367.shtml

Siemens in Sweden asked themselves: "What are the most common
cellphone accidents"? 300 swedish retailers participated in the survey
by listing the most common reasons for end-user accidents.

To squeeze the handset in tight jeans, using the cellphone in heavy
rain or throwing it on the ground in rage were some of the most common
"stories/excuses for accidents". "We notice that people use their
cellphones directly after coming out from the shower or a gym session,
even out in the rain", says Magnus Svensson, After Sales Manager at
The Phonehouse Sweden.

Ulf Sandberg Marketing Director at the Swedish company Krusell
International adds ; "Professional retailers around the world are very
aware of the "situations" that users seem to run into. Highlighting
the money and the trouble users can save themselves by using a case,
the retailers will not only benefit from added sales but also customer
satisfaction, which will create loyality to their stores ."

According to the survey, the most common reason for a phone to break
is that you simply drop it on the floor.

It might be surprising to hear that people have thrown their unit on
the ground in rage, this is of course alarming, but obviously not
uncommon says Titti Hagenfeldt, Marketing Manager at Siemens.

The most common reasons for "Mobile accidents" according to 300
Swedish retailers:

Dropped the mobile on the ground.
Squeezed the cellphone in tight jeans/pockets.
Used the handset in the rain.
Throw the device on the ground in rage.
The dog/child got hold of the mobile.
Dropped the cellphone in the toilette.
Dropped the handset into the sea.
Forgot the cellphone on the roof of the car.
Perspiration on the mobile during workout.
Dropped the handset in the snow.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
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*** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the
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------------------------------

Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 01:02:09 -0500
From: Marcus Didius Falco <falco_marcus_didius@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Toilet-Disposed Mobiles Menace Helsinki's Sewers


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/16/phones_down_the_toilet/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/16/phones_down_the_toilet/print.html

Biting the hand that feeds IT
The Register  Mobile Devices

Original URL:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/16/phones_down_the_toilet/

Toilet-disposed mobiles menace Helsinki's sewers

By Jan Libbenga (feedback at theregister.co.uk)

More and more mobile phones are turning up in the sewage system of the
Helsinki Metropolitan area, according to Helsinki Water, which serves
over one million households. It's not known if the phones are
purposely or accidentally disposed of, but with 4.8m mobile users in
Finland, it's reasonable to expect a certain number of toilet-related
mobile incidents.

Helsinki Water didn't supply exact numbers, but dropping mobiles down
the loo is pretty common elsewhere too. In the UK alone, as estimated
600,000 mobiles are flushed every year. As mobile phones get smaller
and smaller, this number will undoubtedly increase, although dropping
a cell phone down the pan is still only number six on a list
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/11367.shtml of mobile phone
accidents compiled by Swedish retailers. Most mobiles apparently come
a cropper as a result of tight jeans.

At the sewage treatment plant in Viikinmki in Finland, one thousand
tons of solid waste, equalling 200 truckloads, is collected every
year. Apart from mobile phones, false teeth, toys, cameras and even
torches are found.

Those misplaced items are difficult to remove and will eventually cause
system blockages, environmental manager Lundstrm warned newspaper
Helsinki Sanomat today. According to Helsinki Water, annual waste treatment
fees are increasing as a result of the rubbish found in Finnish sewers. 

Related stories

This phone is stolen (28 March 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/03/28/simwatcher_mobile_phone_theft/

GSMA declares war on mobile phone theft (26 February 2004)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/02/26/gsma_declares_war_on_mobile/

Mobile phone theft is far worse than we thought (20 February 2002)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/02/20/mobile_phone_theft_is_far/

Copyright 2005

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 Register, UK.

For more information go to:
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Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below:
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------------------------------

Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 00:57:48 -0500
From: Marcus Didius Falco <falco_marcus_didius@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: On the Effectiveness of Aluminium Foil Helmets:


Lots of interesting pictures in the original
http://people.csail.mit.edu/rahimi/helmet/

On the Effectiveness of Aluminium Foil Helmets: An Empirical Study

Ali Rahimi1, Ben Recht 2, Jason Taylor 2, Noah Vawter 2
17 Feb 2005

1: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department, MIT.
2: Media Laboratory, MIT.

Abstract

Among a fringe community of paranoids, aluminum helmets serve as the
protective measure of choice against invasive radio signals. We
investigate the efficacy of three aluminum helmet designs on a sample
group of four individuals. Using a $250,000 network analyser, we find
that although on average all helmets attenuate invasive radio
frequencies in either directions (either emanating from an outside
source, or emanating from the cranium of the subject), certain
frequencies are in fact greatly amplified.  These amplified
frequencies coincide with radio bands reserved for government use
according to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC).  Statistical
evidence suggests the use of helmets may in fact enhance the
government's invasive abilities. We speculate that the government may
in fact have started the helmet craze for this reason.  

Introduction

It has long been suspected that the government has been using
satellites to read and control the minds of certain citizens. The use
of aluminum helmets has been a common guerrilla tactic against the
government's invasive tactics [1]. Surprisingly, these helmets can in
fact help the government spy on citizens by amplifying certain key
frequency ranges reserved for government use. In addition, none of the
three helmets we analyzed provided significant attenuation to most
frequency bands.

We describe our experimental setup, report our results, and conclude
with a few design guidelines for constructing more effective helmets.

Experimental Setup

The three helmet types tested
The ClassicalThe Fez
The Centurion

We evaluated the performance of three different helmet designs,
commonly referred to as the Classical, the Fez, and the
Centurion. These designs are portrayed in Figure 1. The helmets were
made of Reynolds aluminium foil. As per best practices, all three
designs were constructed with the double layering technique described
elsewhere [2].

A radio-frequency test signal sweeping the ranges from 10 Khz to 3 Ghz
was generated using an omnidirectional antenna attached to the Agilent
8714ET's signal generator.

The experimental apparatus, including a data recording laptop, a
$250,000 network analyser, and antennae.

A network analyser (Agilent 8714ET) and a directional antenna measured and 
plotted the signals. See Figure 2.

Because of the cost of the equipment (about $250,000), and the limited
time for which we had access to these devices, the subjects and
experimenters performed a few dry runs before the actual experiment
(see Figure 3).

Test subjects during a dry run.

The receiver antenna was placed at various places on the cranium of 4
different subjects: the frontal, occipital and parietal lobes. Once
with the helmet off and once with the helmet on. The network analyzer
plotted the attenuation betwen the signals in these two settings at
different frequencies, from 10Khz to 3 Ghz. Figure 4 shows a typical
plot of the attenuation at different frequencies.

A typical attenuation trace form the network analyser

Results

For all helmets, we noticed a 30 db amplification at 2.6 Ghz and a 20
db amplification at 1.2 Ghz, regardless of the position of the antenna
on the cranium. In addition, all helmets exhibited a marked 20 db
attenuation at around 1.5 Ghz, with no significant attenuation beyond
10 db anywhere else.  Conclusion

The helmets amplify frequency bands that coincide with those allocated
to the US government between 1.2 Ghz and 1.4 Ghz. According to the
FCC, These bands are supposedly reserved for ''radio location'' (ie,
GPS), and other communications with satellites (see, for example,
[3]). The 2.6 Ghz band coincides with mobile phone technology. Though
not affiliated by government, these bands are at the hands of
multinational corporations.

It requires no stretch of the imagination to conclude that the current
helmet craze is likely to have been propagated by the Government,
possibly with the involvement of the FCC. We hope this report will
encourage the paranoid community to develop improved helmet designs to
avoid falling prey to these shortcomings.  

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Andy (Xu) Sun of the MIT Media Lab for
helping with the equipment, Professor George Sergiadis for lending us
the antennae, and Professor Neil Gershenfeld for allowing us the use
of his lab equipment.

Direct replies are unlikely to be read. To reply use the address below:
falco(underscore)md(atsign)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk

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

Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 23:45:51 -0500
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Cisco Systems to Buy Scientific-Atlanta


By MATTHEW FORDAHL AP Technology Writer

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Betting that video will drive the future of
networking, Cisco Systems Inc. agreed Friday to buy the cable
television technology company Scientific-Atlanta Inc. in a $6.9
billion deal that would create a one-stop shop for sending TV over the
Internet.

The acquisition is expected to help fuel the revolution in how TV is
distributed and watched _ a change that's accelerating as telephone
companies barge into the domain of cable operators and begin offering
programming over fiber-optic networks using the language of the
Internet.

It also fits Cisco's strategy of moving into areas that are converging
on the Internet Protocol standard _ a shift that creates an
opportunity to increase revenue with new business and enhance its
traditional routers and switches that direct data over networks.

 - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=53297959

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

Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 23:47:06 -0500
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: New AT&T Launches; Offering Customers a New Leader


     New AT&T Launches; Offering Customers a New Leader in
     Communications and Entertainment, Leading Industry Transformation
     to Integrated, IP-Based Services
     - Nov 18, 2005 02:51 PM (BusinessWire)

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 18, 2005--Today marks the birth of
AT&T Inc. and of a new standard-bearer in communications,
entertainment and service for the 21st century.

SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) closed its acquisition of AT&T
Corp. today as California regulators approved the transaction -- the
final approval needed for the merger of the companies' highly
complementary networks, product portfolios, capabilities and shared
heritage. The combined enterprise will immediately begin a
well-planned integration process, allowing the new AT&T family of
companies to quickly deliver benefits for both customers and
stockholders.

Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T Inc. is the largest
telecommunications company in the United States and one of the largest
in the world. The combined company is the largest U.S. provider of
high-speed DSL Internet services and local and long-distance voice
services and the No. 1 provider of data services to the Fortune 1000.
The new AT&T owns 60 percent of Cingular Wireless, which is the No. 1
U.S. wireless services provider.

The combined company is now poised to lead the industry in one of the
most significant shifts in communications technology since the
invention of the telephone more than 120 years earlier -- the
deployment of integrated services based on Internet Protocol, giving
customers access to virtually any services, anytime, anywhere.

     - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=53292164

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

Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 14:57:30 -0500
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Not Again! Uninstaller for Other Sony DRM Also Opens Security Hole


Not Again! Uninstaller for Other Sony DRM Also Opens Huge Security Hole

I have good news and bad news about Sony's other CD DRM technology,
the SunnComm MediaMax system. (For those keeping score at home, Ed and
I have written a lot recently about Sony's XCP copy protection
technology, but this post is about a separate system that Sony ships
on other CDs.)

I wrote last weekend about SunnComm's spyware-like behavior. Sony CDs
protected with their technology automatically install several
megabytes of files without any meaningful notice or consent, silently
phone home every time you play a protected album, and fail to include
any uninstall option.

Here's the good news: As several readers have pointed out, SunnComm
will provide a tool to uninstall their software if users pester them
enough. Typically this requires at least two rounds of emails with the
company's support staff.

Now the bad news: It turns out that the web-based uninstaller SunnComm
provides opens up a major security hole very similar to the one
created by the web-based uninstaller for Sony's other DRM, XCP, that
we announced a few days ago. I have verified that it is possible for a
malicious web site to use the SunnComm hole to take control of PCs
where the uninstaller has been used. In fact, the the SunnComm problem
is easier to exploit than the XCP uninstaller flaw.


http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=931

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

From: sethb@panix.com (Seth Breidbart)
Subject: Re: Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 04:45:26 UTC
Organization: Society for the Promulgation of Cruelty to the Clueless


In article <telecom24.515.6@telecom-digest.org>, Denise Reinecke
<dmr436@gmail.com> wrote:

> I assume that these CD's play in regular non-computer players, like
> the one in your car, right?

Yes.

> Couldn't you just turn off all of the auto-run and all that stuff on
> your PC and play the thing just like a regular audio CD?

Yes, you can.  You should do that anyway.

> Or is that something that they have prevented?

They would have if they could.

Seth

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

From: DevilsPGD <spam_narf_spam@crazyhat.net>
Subject: Re: Replacement for Siemens Gigaset
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 01:32:14 -0700
Organization: Disorganized


In message <telecom24.525.8@telecom-digest.org> tls@panix.com (Thor
Lancelot Simon) wrote:

> In article <telecom24.524.12@telecom-digest.org>, Robert Bonomi
> <bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com> wrote:

>> In article <telecom24.519.13@telecom-digest.org>,
>> DevilsPGD  <spamsucks@crazyhat.net> wrote:

>>>> The phone and the base station have to negotiate the spreading code
>>>> used for each session.  If you can eavesdrop on that negotiation, you
>>>> _can_ predict the frequency hops, rendering it 'trivial' to track as a
>>>> third-party listener.

>>> Sure, except that the negotiation is typically performed by the base
>>> and handset via a wired connection OR at extremely low power (since it
>>> only happens when they're physically connected)

>> What happens if you turn the handset off, then back on, when it is
>> _out_ of the base?

> The claim about "negotiating the spreading code only when they're
> physically connected" is plainly false: if it were true, the
> multi-handset phones now so popular simply wouldn't work.  After all,
> each handset has its own charging stand; only one of these is the
> "base".

It really depends on the phone.  I know this because in electronics
class in highschool one of the students managed to clone one (and
either handset worked independently with the same base, but if you
placed either phone on the base, the other would stop functioning)

Not all sets work this way, but in general renegotiation isn't
required to maintain security, as long as the original negotiation is
performed securely chances of a spread spectrum phone being
eavesdropped upon is extremely low.

Obviously not all phones operate the same way.

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

Date: 19 Nov 2005 06:41:27 -0000
From: John Levine <johnl@iecc.com>
Subject: Re: Lingo Phone Can't Port Number
Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA


> I signed up with Lingo, and after collecting my money and sending me
> the hardware, they say my number can not be transfered.

That's odd.  I transferred my Vonage number to Lingo with no trouble.

> They never answered emails I sent.

I have found the people who answer their help phone line to be
surprisingly helpful.  What did they say when you called them?

R's,

John

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

From: Rik Rasmussen <hrasmussen@nc.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Lingo Phone Can't Port Number
Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 10:58:43 -0500


Their web site has an email address to use for number transfer issues,
so I sent them an email.

I will be surprised if they respond because they never responded to
emails I sent with questions before signing up. I will try them on the
phone.

Vonage was able to transfer my neighbor's number from the same local
phone company.

An update: I just spoke to Lingo. The CSR was very nice and professional.

He said my local phone number is "outside the Lingo service area, and
can not be ported at this time." I live in Wake Forest, a suburb of
Raleigh, NC, not some backwoods location.

He had no indication when it might be in their service area.

I told hime that if they could port my number I would prefer to stay
with them even though they do not answer emails and also inspite of
their unwillingness to disclose portability of my number prior to
signing up for service.

He said I would need to call their Cancellation Number Mon. - Fri. in
order to arrange to return my box and get a refund.

So, looks like I will be doing that and going with Vonage.

I really hate it because Lingo includes Western Europe.

Rik Rasmussen
Radio Systems Manager
City/County of Durham, NC
919-560-4175 x 244
919-560-4400 fax
http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But this 'neighbor' of yours: Is he
also in Wake Forest, or Durham, or Raleigh, or Research Triangle,
or where?  Didn't you say neighbor was on the same phone exchange?
PAT]

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


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