black line

the wireless messaging news

black line

Wireless News Aggregation

black line

Friday — June 27, 2014 — Issue No. 612

black line

Paging and Wireless Messaging Home Page image Newsletter Archive image Carrier Directory image Recommended Products and Services
imageimageimageimage
Reference Papers Consulting Glossary of Terms Send an e-mail to Brad Dye

black line

Dear Friends of Wireless Messaging,

LAST YEAR'S STORMS

I usually mention what the weather is like around here—in addition to the weather report in the column to your right. Last year we had some major storms, and one nice lady in England sent me an e-mail to see if I was OK. She saw a report on the BBC. Here is the one on Nov. 17, 2013 taken behind my house.

THIS YEAR'S STORMS

So here is a report on the latest excitement — a tornado near here. Fortunately there have been no reports of injuries or major property damage. Just a few trees blown down.

Never-the-less—scary!

black line

TORNADO NEAR FAIRFIELD, ILLINOIS
No Reported Injuries


Taken on Monday near Fairfield, Ill.
(Source: Terry Richardson, cNews)

black line


Taken on Monday near Fairfield, Ill.
(Source: Terry Richardson, cNews)

black line


Taken on Monday southwest of Fairfield, Ill.
(Source: Chris Wise, cNews)

black line


Taken on Monday near Fairfield, Ill.
(Source: Terry Richardson, cNews)

black line

Did you see the new ad from WaveWare Technologies   left arrow  that started last week?

If you missed the CRS webinar yesterday on The Different Alarm Notification Technologies in Healthcare left arrow click here.

Now on to more news and views.

The Weather in
Wayne County‚ Illinois

Find more about Weather in Fairfield, IL
Click for weather forecast

Wireless Messaging News
  • Emergency Radio Communications
  • Wireless Messaging
  • Critical Messaging
  • Telemetry
  • Paging
  • Wi-Fi
Wireless
wireless logo medium
Messaging

black line

About Us

A new issue of the Wireless Messaging Newsletter is posted on the web each week. A notification goes out by e-mail to subscribers on most Fridays around noon central US time. The notification message has a link to the actual newsletter on the web. That way it doesn't fill up your incoming e-mail account.

There is no charge for subscription and there are no membership restrictions. Readers are a very select group of wireless industry professionals, and include the senior managers of many of the world's major Paging and Wireless Messaging companies. There is an even mix of operations managers, marketing people, and engineers — so I try to include items of interest to all three groups. It's all about staying up-to-date with business trends and technology.

I regularly get readers' comments, so this newsletter has become a community forum for the Paging, and Wireless Messaging communities. You are welcome to contribute your ideas and opinions. Unless otherwise requested, all correspondence addressed to me is subject to publication in the newsletter and on my web site. I am very careful to protect the anonymity of those who request it.

I spend the whole week searching the Internet for news that I think may be of interest to you — so you won't have to. This newsletter is an aggregator — a service that aggregates news from other news sources. You can help our community by sharing any interesting news that you find.

black line

Editorial Policy

Editorial Opinion pieces present only the opinions of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of any of advertisers or supporters. This newsletter is independent of any trade association.

black line

Back To Paging

pagerman

Still The Most Reliable Protocol For Wireless Messaging!

black line

Subscriptions

* required field

If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter just fill in the blanks in the form above, and then click on the “Subscribe” bar.

free There is no charge for subscription and there are no membership restrictions. It's all about staying up-to-date with business trends and technology.

free

black line

look

Newsletter Advertising

advertise here

If you are reading this, your potential customers are probably reading it as well. Please click here to find out how.

black line

Can You Help The Newsletter?

left arrow

You can help support the Wireless Messaging News by clicking on the PayPal Donate button above. It is not necessary to be a member of PayPal to use this service.

Reader Support

Newspapers generally cost 75¢ $1.50 a copy and they hardly ever mention paging or wireless messaging. If you receive some benefit from this publication maybe you would like to help support it financially? A donation of $50.00 would certainly help cover a one-year paid subscription. If you are wiling and able, please click on the PayPal Donate button above.

black line

twitter

black line

facebook

black line

Valid CSS!

black line

black line

Advertiser Index

American Messaging
Critical Alert Systems
Critical Response Systems
Easy Solutions
Hahntech USA
Hark Technologies
Infostream Pty Limited
Ira Wiesenfeld & Associates
Ivycorp
Leavitt Communications
Preferred Wireless
Prism Paging
Product Support Services — (PSSI)
Paging & Wireless Network Planners LLC — (Ron Mercer)
WaveWare Technologies
WiPath Communications

black line

black line

American Messaging

black line

amsi

black line

American Messaging

black line

 

 

black line

WaveWare Technologies

wavewear
sales@wirelessmessaging.com
800-373-1466
2630 National Dr., Garland, TX 75041

New Products

SPS-5v9E Paging System

  • 1 Serial Port Connection
  • 2 Ethernet Connections
  • Browser and Serial Port Config
  • TAP, COMP2, Scope, WaveWare SNPP, COMP2, & PET Protocols
  • 2W, 5W Option

DMG Protocol Converter

  • Linux Based Embedded System
  • Up to 4 Serial Port Connections
  • Ethernet Connections
  • Browser Configuration
  • Protocol Conversion
  • TAP, XMPP, SMS, HTTP, UDP
  • Additional Protocols Available Soon
WaveWare Technologies

black line

black line

Easy Solutions

black line

easy solutions

Easy Solutions provides cost effective computer and wireless solutions at affordable prices. We can help in most any situation with your communications systems. We have many years of experience and a vast network of resources to support the industry, your system and an ever changing completive landscape.

  • We treat our customers like family. We don't just fix problems . . . We recommend and implement better cost effective solutions.
  • We are not just another vendor . . . We are a part of your team. All the advantages of high priced full time employment without the cost.
  • We are not in the Technical Services business . . . We are in the Customer Satisfaction business.

Experts in Paging Infrastructure

  • Glenayre, Motorola, Unipage, etc.
  • Excellent Service Contracts
  • Full Service—Beyond Factory Support
  • Contracts for Glenayre and other Systems starting at $100
  • Making systems More Reliable and MORE PROFITABLE for over 30 years.

Please see our web site for exciting solutions designed specifically for the Wireless Industry. We also maintain a diagnostic lab and provide important repair and replacement parts services for Motorola and Glenayre equipment. Call or e-mail us for more information.

Easy Solutions
3220 San Simeon Way
Plano, Texas 75023

Vaughan Bowden
Telephone: 972-898-1119
Website: www.EasySolutions4You.com
E-mail: vaughan@easysolutions4you.com

black line

Easy Solutions

black line

black line

Eyes on you: Experts reveal police hacking methods

By RAPHAEL SATTER
The Associated Press
Updated: 5:38 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Posted: 5:38 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, 2014

LONDON — Law enforcement agencies across the globe are taking a page out of the hacker's handbook, using targets' own phones and computers to spy on them with methods traditionally associated with cybercriminals, two computer security groups said Tuesday.

Drawing on a cache of leaked documents and months of forensic work, two reports about the private Italian firm Hacking Team expose a global network of malicious software implants operated by police and spy agencies in dozens of countries.

"This in many ways is the police surveillance of the now and the future," said Morgan Marquis-Boire, a security researcher with Citizen Lab and a lead author of one of the reports. "What we need to actually decide how we're comfortable with it being used and under what circumstances."

Citizen Lab's work, paired with a report published simultaneously by Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab, helps complete the picture of state-sanctioned surveillance sketched by Edward Snowden's sensational revelations about the National Security Agency and its international allies.

While many of Snowden's revelations dealt with the mass monitoring of communication as it flows across the globe, Hacking Team brags about more aggressive forms of monitoring that let authorities turn people's phones and laptops into eavesdropping tools.

Hacking Team's chief spokesman, Eric Rabe, dismissed the reports as consisting of a lot of old news. Hacking Team's ability to break into iPhones and BlackBerrys is "well known in the security industry," he said in an e-mail.

"We believe the software we provide is essential for law enforcement and for the safety of all in an age when terrorists, drug dealers and sex traffickers and other criminals routinely use the Internet and mobile communications to carry out their crimes," he said.

Rabe invoked Hacking Team's customer policy, which says the company sells only to governments which it screens for human rights concerns. A company-established panel — whose membership Rabe declined to specify — checks out every potential client. While Hacking Team realizes that its software can be abused, the policy says the company takes "a number of precautions to limit the potential for that abuse."

Those precautions haven't prevented copies of Hacking Team's malicious software from being used to target more than 30 activists and journalists, according to a tally maintained by Citizen Lab, a research group based at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs.

Citizen Lab's report provided an unusual level of insight into how the malware operates, showing how devices can be compromised through booby-trapped e-mails or infected USB sticks, or even pushed onto handsets by a pliant telephone company.

Screenshots released by Citizen Lab appear to show a control panel complete with on-off switches for recording text messages, calls, keystrokes and visited websites. Other options open to Hacking Team's customers include the ability to force infected phones to take regular pictures or video and to monitor the position of an infected handset via Google Maps, effectively turning a target's phone into both a hidden camera and a tracking device.

Hacking Team built its programs for stealth. The spy software implanted on iPhones is calibrated to avoid draining the phone's battery, both Citizen Lab and Kaspersky said. On BlackBerrys, it can be programmed to ship stolen data via Wi-Fi to avoid jacking up the phone bill. The spyware even comes with a special "crisis" mode that will cause it to self-destruct if it's in danger of being detected.

"The victim's got almost no chances of figuring out that their iPhone is infected," said Kaspersky malware expert Sergey Golovanov, who investigated the rogue program for his firm.

Hacking Team does not say who its customers are, but researchers can draw inferences from the network of servers tasked with controlling its spyware.

In its report, Kaspersky says its scans uncovered 326 Hacking Team command servers based in more than 40 countries, including 64 servers in the United States, 49 in Kazakhstan and 35 in Ecuador. Other countries hosting multiple servers include the United Kingdom, Canada and China.

Kaspersky's report cautions that hosting a Hacking Team command server doesn't necessarily mean officials in that country are using its software, although it said that would be logical due to the complications of controlling spyware from another nation's territory.

Hints about who is using these programs can also be found by studying how victims got infected.

Citizen Lab found Hacking Team software hiding in an Android phone application ostensibly designed to provide Arabic-language news from Saudi Arabia's Qatif region, the scene of protests in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring revolutions. Saudi officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Steven Bellovin, a Columbia University academic who has written about hacking in the law enforcement context, described the reports' findings as credible. In an e-mail exchange, he said there was nothing inherently wrong about police using malware to infect their targets, noting that both police and criminals do carry guns.

"The hacking tools fall into the same category. They're dual use," he said.
But Bellovin said there need to be strict rules - and open debate - about the law enforcement uses of malicious software before government-commissioned viruses are unleashed on the Internet.

"None of that seems to be present here," he said.

Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

black line

infostream

black line


State-of-the-art paging network infrastructure, fully supported at an affordable price – and it integrates with your other gear, include most makes of transmitters

Whether you are replacing or upgrading your existing network or building out new infrastructure, Infostream has the new equipment and systems that you need.

  • POCSAG & FLEX
  • Optimised for mission critical and public safety networks
  • Highly integrated base station controller
    • GPS
    • 3G modem
    • HTML User Interface
    • Ethernet switch, IP and router
    • Optional integrated radio modems
    • Dual channel capable
    • Integrated off-air (self monitoring) receiver
  • Ultra high reliability configuration (99.999%)
  • Message encryption plug-in
  • Fully featured central site VOIP, CAD, HTML, TAP, TNPP, SMPP access
  • NMS integration including Nagios, SNMP and syslog
  • Comprehensive diagnostics including adjacent site monitoring
  • Deployed internationally in mission critical applications
  • 21 years of industry experience in design, build and integration

Infostream is a world leading supplier of paging and messaging infrastructure, specialized paging receivers and consultancy services. The company was founded in 1993 and has engineered and supplied equipment for some of the largest public safety networks and private paging customers around the world.

Medical • Fire • Police • Security • Mining • Petrochemicals • Financial Markets • Telemetry • Custom Applications

infostreamInfostream Pty Limited
Suite 10, 7 Narabang Way, Belrose, NSW 2085, AUSTRALIA
Sales Email: sales@infostream.com.au | Phone: +61 2 9986 3588 | Afterhours: +61 417 555 525

black line

How to watch hacking, and cyberwarfare between the USA and China, in real time

By Sebastian Anthony on June 25, 2014 at 8:54 am

You’ve no doubt heard countless stories about how the internet is rife with hackers and ruled by malware-peddling malcontents. You’ve probably read dozens of paragraphs on how the next great theater of war will be online rather than offline, and how China and the US are already battling each other for cyber supremacy. The truth is, though, unless you’ve actually been hacked, it’s hard to appreciate just how real the prospect of cyberwar actually is; after all, the effects of hacking are mostly invisible to the untrained eye, with the exception of very-high-profile database breaches. Now, though, a security company has produced a fascinating geographic map that shows you global hacking attempts in real-time — and sure enough, you really can see China waging cyberwar against the US.

The real-time map , maintained by the Norse security company, shows who’s hacking who and what attack vectors are being used. The data is sourced from a network of “honeypot” servers maintained by Norse, rather than real-world data from the Pentagon, Google, or other high-profile hacking targets. In hacking a honeypot is essentially a juicy-looking target that acts as a trap — either to gather important data about the would-be assailants, or to draw them away from the real target. The Norse website has some info about its “honeynet,” but it’s understandably quite sparse on actual technical details.

If you watch the map for a little while, it’s clear that most attacks originate in either China or the US, and that the US is by far the largest target for hack attacks. You can also see that the type of hack used, indicated by the target port, is rather varied. Microsoft-DS (port 445) is still one of the top targets (it’s the port used for Windows file sharing), but DNS (port 53), SSH (22), and HTTP (80) are all very popular too. You’ll probably see CrazzyNet and Black Ice, too — two common Windows backdoor programs often used by script kiddies and criminals, rather than actual cyberwar fighters.


Norse real-time hacking map, showing a coordinated attack from China towards the US

Occasionally, you will even see a big burst of coordinated attacks from China towards the US. It’s obviously hard to directly link these attacks to the Chinese government, but it does appear that there is someone calling the shots. A lot of hacks originate in the US, too, but their targets are much more varied; they’re not coordinated towards a single target like China.

Because this data comes from Norse’s network of honeypots, rather than real targets, it’s hard to say whether real attacks — on the Pentagon, on US universities, on big Silicon Valley companies — follow the same patterns. If Norse knows what it’s doing, it should be possible to make a honeypot server appear to be a US Department of Defense or Google server, though. But without more details from Norse, it’s hard to say.

swordfish Just so you have some idea of the global scale of hacking and cyberwarfare, here are some stats. Back in 2012, the US DOD reported that it was the target of 10 million cyber attacks per day; likewise, the National Nuclear Security Administration (which is in charge of the US’s nuclear stockpile), says it saw 10 million attacks per day in 2012. In 2013, BP’s CEO said it sees 50,000 cyber attacks per day. The UK reported around 120,000 attacks per day back in 2011, while the humble state of Utah said it was up to 20 million attacks per day in 2013.

I suspect there’s quite a big variation on what exactly constitutes an “attack,” but still, it’s clear that hacking and cyberwarfare are topics that governments, corporations, and institutions need to pay attention to. The Obama administration, at least, has announced that it won’t sit on its hands while China steps up its attacks — but it’s a fine line between shoring up defenses, and triggering a full-on cyberwar that could cripple both countries.

Source: ExtremeTech.com

black line

Ivy Corp 

black line

ivy

ivy

left arrow

black line

Changes to Amateur Service Part 97 Rules Go Into Effect on July 21

The FCC's recently announced revisions to the Part 97 Amateur Radio rules governing exam credit to former licensees, test administration, and emission types will go into effect on Monday, July 21. The new rules were published in The Federal Register on June 20. Earlier this month, the Commission announced that it would grant examination credit for written elements 3 (General) and 4 (Amateur Extra) to holders of "expired licenses that required passage of those elements." The FCC will require former licensees falling outside the 2-year grace period to pass Element 2 (Technician) in order to be relicensed. The Commission declined to give exam credit to holders of expired Certificates of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCEs) or to extend lifetime validity to CSCEs.

fcc The FCC also embraced the use of remote testing methods, allowing volunteer examiners and volunteer examiner coordinators "the option of administering examinations at locations remote from the VEs." The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) in 2002 endorsed experimental use of videoconferencing technology to conduct Amateur Radio testing in remote areas of Alaska. The Commission dropped its earlier proposal to permit two VEs to administer exams; the requirement remains at three VEs. The Commission did not spell out the "mechanics" of remote testing, however, which, it said, would "vary from location to location and session to session." VEs administering examinations remotely must grade such examinations "at the earliest practical opportunity," rather than "immediately," as the current rule for conventional exam sessions requires.

In addition, the FCC adopted an ARRL proposal to authorize certain Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) emissions in the Amateur Service. The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau in 2013 granted an ARRL request for a temporary blanket waiver to permit radio amateurs to transmit emissions with designators FXD, FXE, and F7E, pending resolution of the rulemaking petition. That waiver becomes permanent on July 21.

The Commission also made "certain minor, non-substantive amendments" and corrections to the Amateur Service rules.

black line

SAQ "Alexanderson Day" Transmissions Set for June 29 and July 2

The annual "Alexanderson Day" transmission from the World Heritage Grimeton site in Sweden, using the vintage Alexanderson alternator on 17.2 kHz, will take place Sunday, June 29 at 0900 UTC (SAQ will start tuning at about 0830 UTC) and again at 1200 UTC (SAQ will start tuning at about 1130 UTC). Another SAQ transmission will take place on July 2 at 1430 UTC (SAQ will start tuning at about 1400 UTC), to mark 10 years since SAQ was designated as a World Heritage site.

"Alexanderson Day" Amateur Radio activity from SAQ Grimeton club station SK6SAQ will get underway at about 0800 and continue until about 1400 UTC, except during SAQ transmissions. Listen for SK6SAQ on 14.035 MHz (CW), 14.215 MHz (SSB), and 3.535 MHz (CW) QSL via the bureau.

saq
An SAQ operator sends CW during a public demonstration of the historic facility. [Grimeton Heritage photo]

QSL reports for SAQ are welcome via e-mail or via the bureau, or QSL direct to Alexander-Grimeton Veteranradios Vaenner, Radiostationen, Grimeton 72 SE-432 98 GRIMETON, Sweden.

In January, SAQ reported that nearly 300 listeners — most of them in Europe — reported hearing the 17.2 kHz CW transmission from SAQ on Christmas Eve 2013. The reports included three from the US.

Dating from the 1920s, the Alexanderson alternator — essentially an ac alternator run at extremely high speed — can put out 200 kW but typically is operated at less than one-half that power level. Once providing reliable transatlantic communication, it is now a museum piece and only put on the air on special occasions.

The transmitter was developed by Swedish engineer and radio pioneer Ernst Alexanderson, who was employed at General Electric in Schenectady, New York, and was chief engineer at the Radio Corporation of America.

Six 400+ foot towers with 150 foot cross-arms support a multi-wire antenna for SAQ. The actual signal radiates from vertical wires, one from each tower. Amateur Radio station SK6SAQ operates from the Alexanderson alternator site.

Source: The ARRL Letter

black line

Critical Response Systems

black line

More than Paging.
First Responder Solutions.

Our patented technology notifies clinical personnel immediately, while tracking who receives and responds to each alarm. Users confirm or defer each event with a single button press, and analytic dashboards display response statistics in real time, as well as historically broken down by time, unit, room, and individual.

Our systems not only notify your personnel quickly and reliably, but also provide actionable feedback to fine-tune your procedures, reduce unnecessary alarms, and improve patient outcomes.

www.criticalresponsesystems.com

black line

Moto 360 First Look: An Android Wear Watch You Might Actually Wear

8:26 pm ET
Jun 25, 2014 SMARTPHONES & WIRELESS
By JOANNA STERN
The Wall Street Journal

Nobody wants a shrunken smartphone stuck to their wrist, right? Of the three smartwatches in Google 's Android Wear debut, that’s what two of them—Samsung’s Gear Live and LG’s G Watch—look like. But the Moto 360 actually looks more like a watch.

With a stainless steel frame, edge-to-edge screen and leather band, the Moto 360 looks nicer and feels nicer. Sure, it’s big, and while Motorola says it was designed for both men and women, it certainly will fit on a larger wrist better. On my dainty wrist, it looked almost comically large, but I happen to like big-faced, chunky watches.

While my judgment is still out on the Google Android Wear platform, and how well it will perform, when it comes to style, the 360 is probably the first smartwatch hardware I’d consider wearing regularly. The Moto 360 in the video was running a software demo. We’ll have a deeper look at Android Wear, and those other two watches, soon.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

black line

leavitt

Specialists in sales and service of equipment from these leading manufacturers, as well as other two-way radio and paging products:

UNICATIONbendix king
ZETRON

motorola blue Motorola SOLUTIONS

COMmotorola red Motorola MOBILITY spacer
 usalert
Philip C. Leavitt
Manager
Leavitt Communications
7508 N. Red Ledge Drive
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail: pcleavitt@leavittcom.com
Web Site: www.leavittcom.com
Mobile phone:847-494-0000
Telephone:847-955-0511
Fax:270-447-1909
Skype ID:pcleavitt

black line

Microsoft's top lawyer: 'Future is bleak' if gov't bulk data collection continues

Summary: Microsoft's executive VP has blasted the NSA's “unfettered bulk collection of data” and continues to push for reform following the NSA surveillance scandal.

By Charlie Osborne for Between the Lines
June 25, 2014 — 10:11 GMT (03:11 PDT)

Microsoft's executive vice president and general counsel Brad Smith has argued that surveillance reform is necessary in order to avoid a “bleak future” where US law enforcement is not entrenched in the pursuit of justice.

Speaking Tuesday at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, Smith said the US’s secret surveillance court is not held unaccountable to the public, and as a result, is not “inclined to promote justice,” as reported by The Wall Street Journal .

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ( FISA ) is a secretive body that reviews applications and appeals concerning data gathered in the name of US national security. The court decides whether to grant requests including government wiretapping, data analysis and collection if they relate to national security, but has been criticized due to its “one sided” nature — as the court's 11 judges only hear the government's side in hearings.

Not only are FISA rulings arguably one-sided and biased, but the secretive court's decisions are not released to the public. Smith said this effectively creates law “that the American public is not permitted to read.”

Read this

Facebook and Microsoft join call to disclose FISA requests

A trio of tech giants has called for the US government to allow for disclosure of total numbers of requests by US security agencies.

arrow  Read more

FISA was thrown into the spotlight following the leak of confidential documents by formed US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden, which revealed the government's massive bulk collection of data through telecommunications and the Internet.

Not only did the NSA scandal show just how much data was being collected on the general public without national security relevance, but also highlighted how the US legal justice system and the amount of power the government possesses for surveillance may be due for reform to protect privacy.

The Microsoft executive believes the US government's actions have broken down boundaries that should be set to protect individual privacy, and with the uptake in mobile devices and connection through the internet, unless boundaries are repaired and respected, the issue is only going to get worse.

Smith called on Congress to stop what he calls the “unfettered collection of bulk data” by the NSA and to reform the “role and nature and proceedings” of FISA in order to restore trust in the US legal system and restore the general public's rights to privacy.

“I want law enforcement to do its job in an effective way pursuant to the rule of law,” he said. “If we can't get to that world, then law enforcement is going to have a bleak future anyway.”

The Microsoft executive did note that the Obama administration proposed a measure of reform to FISA earlier this year which would appoint a panel of privacy advocates to offer input on the court's rulings, but the proposal has not yet been made law.

Smith has upheld a public campaign for reform over this year. There is also a context to Smith's advocation of privacy, as Microsoft is currently resisting a warrant issued late last year by US authorities to force the tech giant to hand over e-mail records of a European customer stored in Dublin , Ireland. Microsoft's reluctance to comply did not help the company win the case, and the firm is now appealing the judge's decision. However, Smith's comments have placed Microsoft firmly on one side of the surveillance row and may assure customers that even if the company fails, it will at least try to stop governmental overreach.

Source: ZDNet

black line

Product Support Services, Inc.

black line

 

Repair and Refurbishment Services

pssi logo

pssi

Product Support Services, Inc.

511 South Royal Lane
Coppell, Texas 75019
(972) 462-3970 Ext. 261
sales@pssirl.com left arrow
www.pssirl.com left arrow

PSSI is the industry leader in reverse logistics, our services include depot repair, product returns management, RMA and RTV management, product audit, test, refurbishment, re-kitting and value recovery.

black line

WORLD

NSA Fears Prompt Germany to End Verizon Contract

Associated Press
June 26, 2014 — 11:07 AM ET

BERLIN (AP) — The German government is ending a contract with Verizon over fears the company could be letting U.S. intelligence agencies eavesdrop on sensitive communications, officials said Thursday.

The New York-based company has for years provided Internet services to a number of government departments, although not to German security agencies, said Interior Ministry spokesman Tobias Plate.

While Germany had been reconsidering those contracts for some time, they faced additional scrutiny after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed the extent of electronic eavesdropping by the U.S. intelligence agency and Britain’s GCHQ.

German authorities were particularly irked by reports that the NSA had targeted Chancellor Angela Merkel. Berlin has also proposed building more secure networks in Europe to avoid having to rely on American Internet companies that manage much of the electronic traffic circulating the globe.

“There are indications that Verizon is legally required to provide certain things to the NSA, and that’s one of the reasons the cooperation with Verizon won’t continue,” said Plate.

The current contract with Verizon will expire in 2015, he said.

The announcement follows reports this week that Verizon and British company Colt also provide Internet services to the German Parliament and to other official entities.

Verizon didn’t immediately respond to e-mails seeking comment on Germany’s decision.

Source: Time

black line

Leavitt Communications

black line

its stil here

It's still here — the tried and true Motorola Alphamate 250. Now owned, supported, and available from Leavitt Communications. Call us for new or reconditioned units, parts, manuals, and repairs.

We also offer refurbished Alphamate 250's, Alphamate IIs, the original Alphamate and new and refurbished pagers, pager repairs, pager parts and accessories. We are FULL SERVICE in Paging!

E-mail Phil Leavitt ( pcleavitt@leavittcom.com ) for pricing and delivery information or for a list of other available paging and two-way related equipment.

black line

Phil Leavitt
847-955-0511
pcleavitt@leavittcom.com

leavitt logo

7508 N. Red Ledge Drive
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
www.leavittcom.com

black line

Google Glass gets 2GB of RAM. Think about this. Two gigs of RAM

Updated specs specs include new viewfinder to better frame stealth photos

By Neil McAllister, 25 Jun 2014
The Register

Just ahead of its annual I/O developer conference, Google has announced some changes to its Glass Explorer program. It's not clear who will reap the benefits, though.

Most notably, Google announced via the Glass team's official Google+ page that future headsets will ship with 2GB of RAM, up from the 1GB they've been shipping with since they first launched. The 16GB of flash storage will remain unchanged.

According to the post, the goal of the upgrade is “better performance” – and some Explorer program participants have indeed grumbled that the original model, which runs with only 682MB of free RAM after it boots the Android OS, can get bogged down on some apps.

Naturally, however, the top question on many Glassholes' minds was whether they would get a chance to upgrade their existing 1GB models to the new version. In fact, several Google+ commenters even seemed to feel Google owed them an upgrade free of charge.

That wouldn't actually be unprecedented. In October 2013, the Chocolate Factory offered the earliest adopters of its spy-goggles the chance to swap their specs for an updated version and didn't charge them anything. So far, however, Google has remained mum on whether it plans a similar trade-in program this time around.

But the online ad-slinger did have a few other announcements from which all Glass guinea pigs Explorers can benefit. For starters, it's rolling out a new viewfinder for Glass's notorious head-mounted camera. When a Glass wearer says "OK Glass, show the viewfinder," four L-shaped marks will now appear to help frame photos.

In addition, the company says it's rolling out new Google Now cards for Glass, including one to remind wearers where they parked and another to provide shipping alerts for packages.

Finally, Google also announced a dozen new and/or updated apps for Glass, known among the faithful as “Glassware.” The additions include an app for the Guardian newspaper, a Duolingo app for learning a new language, a Shazam client, a couple of fitness apps, and an app to let Glass owners follow the football (or soccer, to us Yanks), among others.

Whether Google plans to make any more Glass-related announcements at I/O remains to be seen. The sold-out conference runs from June 25-26 at San Francisco's Moscone Center ® .

Source: The Register

black line

black line

Consulting Alliance

black line

Brad Dye, Ron Mercer, Allan Angus, Vic Jackson, and Ira Wiesenfeld are friends and colleagues who work both together and independently, on wireline and wireless communications projects.

Click here left arrow for a summary of their qualifications and experience. Each one has unique abilities. We would be happy to help you with a project, and maybe save you some time and money.

black line

Consulting Alliance

black line

 

advertise

 

black line

HahntechUSA

black line

HahntechUSA

Telemetry solution

Easy Application & Better Performance

 

NPCS Telemetry Modem

BLUE LINE

(ReFLEX 2.7.5)

telemetry

finger

E-mail: sales@hahntechUSA.com

Website: hahntechUSA.com

 

black line

HahntechUSA

black line

 

black line

Preferred Wireless

black line

preferred logo

Terminals & Controllers:
5ASC1500 Parts: ATC, Memory Cards & Power Supplies    
3CNET Platinum Controllers 
2GL3100 RF Director 
1GL3000 ES — 2 Chassis
40SkyData 8466 B Receivers
1GL3000L Complete w/Spares
3Zetron 2200 Terminals
1Unipage—Many Unipage Cards & Chassis
9Zetron M66 Transmitter Controllers  
Miscellaneous:
4Glenayre Universal Exciters, 1 UHF, 3 VHF
5Hot Standby Panel—2 Old Style, 3 New Style
25New and Used Cabinets & Open Racks 
38Andrews PG1N0F-0093-810 Antennas 928-944 MHz, Omni, 10dBi, 8 Degree Down-Tilt
4Andrews PG1D0F-0093-610 Antennas 928-944 MHz, Omni, 10dBi, 6 Degree Down Tilt
Link Transmitters:
1QT-5701, 35W, UHF, Link Transmitter
4Glenayre QT4201 & 6201, 25 & 100W Midband Link TX
1Glenayre QT6994, 150W, 900 MHz Link TX
3Motorola 10W, 900 MHz Link TX (C35JZB6106)
2Eagle 900 MHz Link Transmitters, 60 & 80W
8Glenayre GL C2100 Link Repeaters
2Motorola Q2630A, 30W, UHF Link TX
VHF Paging Transmitters
1Glenayre QT7505
1Glenayre QT8505
25GLT8311
25GLT8411
UHF Paging Transmitters:
20Glenayre UHF GLT5340, 125W, DSP Exciter
900 MHz Paging Transmitters:
2Glenayre GLT8200, 25W
15Glenayre GLT-8500 250W
3Glenayre GLT 8600, 500W
40Motorola Nucleus 900 MHz 300W CNET Transmitters

SEE WEB FOR COMPLETE LIST:

www.preferredwireless.com/equipment left arrow

Too Much To List • Call or E-Mail

Rick McMichael
Preferred Wireless, Inc.
10658 St. Charles Rock Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63074
888-429-4171 or 314-429-3000
rickm@preferredwireless.com left arrow

black line

Preferred Wireless

black line

black line

Limited free Wi-Fi to be available at NY area airports

Originally published: June 25, 2014 5:58 PM
Updated: June 25, 2014 8:21 PM
By WILLIAM MURPHY william.murphy@newsday.com
Newsday


George Zelcs, who flew into LaGuardia Airport from Chicago, is on his computer for business. (Credit: Uli Seit)

Travelers at Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark and Stewart airports will be able to get a half hour of free wireless Internet access by the end of the year, the Port Authority said Wednesday.

"Our airports were among the few in America and the world that didn't have this 21st century amenity," Steve Sigmund, executive director of Global Gateway Alliance, said after the authority board approved an amended contract with the wireless provider.

The alliance, a coalition of public officials and corporate, union and civic groups that pushes for modernizing area airports, said 15 major airports offer free Wi-Fi, but none are in the New York area.

Port Authority board member William Schuber said at an agency committee meeting before the full board voted that the improvement in Internet access was "modest," adding: "It's a good start, I think."

In 1999 the bistate agency entered into a 15-year contract — with an option for an additional 10 years — with Concourse Communications that allowed the firm to charge airport users an hourly Wi-Fi fee of $4.95 or $7.95 for a full day. Under the new contract, users get 30 minutes free and can purchase additional time in hourly, daily or monthly increments.

The company splits revenue with the Port Authority, generating a bit less than $8 million for the agency last year, a port official said.

Concourse was acquired in 2006 by Boingo Wireless Inc., and the new contract is with New York Telecom Partners, a subsidiary of Boingo. Boingo said in a statement Wednesday airport users will get "free, ad-supported basic Wi-Fi access as well as premium options for power users." The authority will foot the bill for $3.8 million in upgrades by Boingo by allowing the company to deduct the cost from its annual payments over three years.

Sigmund said the authority had "a limited negotiating position" because the option to extend the contract was at the discretion of Boingo. He called the original contract "the product of a bygone era."

Pat Foye, executive director of the authority, said the change is part of a renewed emphasis on customer service. "We've worked hard with Boingo to make changes that will significantly improve our customers' experience at our airports."

Source: Newsday

black line

 
critical alert CA Partner’s Program
 

Providing better communications solutions to hospitals across the country — together!

For CAS, strong partnerships remain key to providing our software-based communications solutions to our customers. These solutions include:

ca dr and nurse
nurse call systemscritical messaging solutionsmobile health applications

We provide the communication, training and resources required to become a CA partner. In turn, our partners provide customers with the highest levels of local service & support. CA Partners may come from any number of business sectors, including:

  • Service Providers
  • System Integrators
  • Value Added Resellers and Distributors
  • Expert Contractors
If you would like to hear more about our CA Partners program, we’d love to hear from you. criticalalert.com

black line

Selected portions of the BloostonLaw Telecom Update, and/or the BloostonLaw Private Users Update — newsletters from the Law Offices of Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy & Prendergast, LLP are reproduced in this section with the firm's permission.

black line

BloostonLaw Telecom UpdateVol. 17, No. 25June 25, 2014

Headlines

black line

FCC Releases Fourth “Measuring Broadband America” Report

On June 18, the FCC released the results of its ongoing nationwide performance study of residential broadband service in its fourth “Measuring Broadband America” report. According to a press release on the report, “This year’s report reveals that most broadband providers continue to improve service performance by delivering actual speeds that meet or exceed advertised speeds during the past year, but some providers showed significant room for improvement, particularly with respect to consistency of speeds.”

The report identifies five “evolving trends”:

  1. ISPs continue to deliver the combined upload/download speeds they advertise, but a new metric this year – consistency of speeds – shows there’s still work to be done; average speeds are close to advertised, but not always available.
  2. Download speeds performance varies by service tier, with some ISPs delivering less than 80 percent of advertised speed. Windstream’s 1.5 Mbps speed tier was the biggest offender here, only delivering 78 percent of advertised speeds.
  3. Fiber and Cable technologies continue to evolve to higher speed offerings, but DSL is beginning to lag behind. According to the report, providers using DSL technology generally failed to meet their advertised speeds.
  4. Consumers continue to migrate to higher speed tiers. This year, consumers subscribed to an average advertised speed of 21.2 Mbps, representing an increase of approximately 36 percent from last year.
  5. Upload speeds vary sharply. Verizon was king of the hill, offering upload rates as high as 35 Mbps and Frontier was a distant second up to 25 Mbps, but no other provider in the study offered rates that are higher than 10 Mbps.

The study also reportedly uncovered data on network congestion that, while not a part of the report, will be made public by the FCC, and plans to institute its own congestion.

NANC Recommendations on LNP Adopted

The Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) of the FCC has adopted recommendations made by the North American Numbering Council (NANC) to change certain local number portability (LNP) “provisioning flows.” Specifically, the WCB adopted changes to existing processes for canceling a number port request, to the timeline for re-using disconnected ported numbers, and for changing the due date for a port. The WCB declined to adopt a recommendation concerning a preference for area code overlays instead of area code splits, and left to the states the option to choose the best means of implementing area code relief for their citizens.

With respect to the provisioning flows for port cancellations, termed by the NANC as the “Cancel Flows,” the WCB adopted revisions clarifying that if the customer contacts the current provider, that provider may choose to advise the customer to call the new provider to cancel the port request. If the customer contacts the new provider, that provider must cancel the port. If the current provider decides to cancel the port request, it must obtain verifiable authority from the customer, such as a Letter of Authorization, dated after the initial port request. The new provider must then process the cancellation request, even if the current provider does not provide an actual copy of the authorization. The WCB also adopted changes to the steps to be taken to notify the new provider of the cancellation, depending on whether the current provider is a wireline or a wireless provider.

With respect to the timeline for re-using disconnected ported numbers, the WCB adopted a recommendation to delete language in section 52.15(f)(ii) of the Commission’s rules that states “[t]he maximum interval between disconnect date and effective release is 18 months,” because it is inconsistent with the Commission’s rules, which provides that a service provider may not “age” disconnected residential numbers for more than 90 days and disconnected business numbers for more than 365 days.

The WCB also adopted the recommendation to accept Best Practice 65, which provides that both service providers involved in a port must agree to any changes to the original due date for that port. This change is intended to close a perceived loophole in the current flows that prompts some new service providers to activate ports before the agreed-to porting date and before the old service providers have their networks ready to port a number out.

The revised provisioning flows will become effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register and will be available to the public through the NANC website. Once effective, the industry is required to comply with these new provisioning flows.

FCC Seeks Comment on LMCC Petition; Denies Extension of Temporary Rule Waiver

The Land Mobile Communications Council (LMCC) has filed a Petition for Rulemaking to amend Rule Section 90.159 to expand the Conditional Temporary Authorization rule to include Private Land Mobile Radio Service (PLMRS) applications for spectrum in the 470-512 MHz, 806-824/851-866 MHz and 896-901/935-940 MHz bands. Comments on the LMCC proposal are due Wednesday, July 23, 2014 and Reply Comments will be due on Thursday, August 4, 2014.

Under the FCC’s current rules, PLMRS applicants for spectrum below 470 MHz are permitted to operate in most circumstances for a period of up to 180 days during the pendency of their application, provided that the application has been frequency coordinated (if required) and been on file with the FCC for at least ten business days. Conditional temporary authorization will lapse if the application is dismissed or returned for additional information. Further, under the FCC’s rules, conditional temporary authority is not available if the application proposes a site in the Canadian coordination zone, the antenna structure still requires approval of the FAA and the FCC, the application requires a waiver of the FCC’s rules, the proposed facility will have a significant environmental effect or the proposed facility is located in a radio quiet zone.

Because of changes in the FCC’s regulatory environment for coordinating frequencies above and below 470 MHz, LMCC believes that conditional temporary authority for PLMRS applications above 470 MHz is appropriate. And, while the FCC granted a temporary waiver to permit conditional temporary authority for applications above 470 MHz in the industrial business pools, the question remains whether the same relief would be appropriate for the public safety bands as well since that spectrum is also subject to frequency coordination.

Accordingly, the FCC is seeking comment on whether to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend its rules to expand the scope of its conditional temporary authorization rules. For those of our clients with PLMRS systems above 470 MHz, we believe that this will enhance your flexibility in deploying systems since it will have the potential to greatly expand your tool box in order to accommodate construction schedules and minimize the need for applications for special temporary authorizations. Additionally, the FCC is also seeking comment on whether this proposal should be available to frequencies in both the Industrial/Business Pool and the Public Safety Pool, or just the former. Since both sets of frequencies are subject to frequency coordination in much the same manner, we believe that it would be appropriate for the FCC to provide this relief to frequencies in both the Industrial/Business Pool and the Public Safety Pool.

In a related matter, the FCC declined to extend the temporary waiver that had been granted for applications in the Industrial/Business Pool frequencies above 470 MHz. As a result, any applications for Industrial/Business Pool frequencies above 470 MHz that are received on or after July 1, 2014 will not have the benefit of the FCC’s conditional temporary authorization waiver and applicants will have to wait until their applications are affirmatively granted by the FCC unless they are able to obtain a specific grant of special temporary authority (STA) to construct and operate while the underlying application is pending.

E-Rate Modernization Effort Announced

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced that he has circulated an E-Rate Modernization proposal to his fellow Commissioners. According to the announcement, the proposed Order is “the next major step in a comprehensive modernization of E-Rate,” and is “focused on the largest and most urgent need — closing the Wi-Fi gap — while ensuring E-Rate money is spent smartly and improving program administration.”

The announcement goes on to detail the “highlights” of the proposed Order:

Close the Wi-Fi Gap

  • Commit at least $1 billion in support to Wi-Fi next year to connect over ten million students across the country in 2015, followed by another $1 billion in 2016 with predictable support continuing in future years.
  • Provide multi-year funding predictability to ensure widespread and equitable distribution of support.
  • Begin a multi-year transition of all program funding to broadband, by gradually phasing down support for non-broadband services.
  • Adopt clear broadband goals to measure overall program success, while maintaining local flexibility to determine the needs of individual schools and libraries.

Make E-Rate Dollars Go Farther

  • Set the maximum program match at 4-to-1 for Wi-Fi services to promote cost-effective decision-making.
  • Speed consortium applications to drive down prices.
  • Increase transparency on how E-rate dollars are spent and on prices charged for E-rate services.
  • Leverage GSA pricing so schools can buy for less.

Deliver Faster, Simpler, More Efficient Applications and Other Processes

  • Fast, simple process for multi-year applications.
  • Expedited process for small dollar, cost-effective applications.
  • Speed review of all applications.
  • Move to electronic filing of all documents.
  • Simplify discount calculations.
  • Zero tolerance for fraud or abuse: toughen document retention and site inspection rules.
The FCC said it hopes to act on the proposed Order over the summer, so rules would be in place for 2015 funding.

Law & Regulation

black line

Wireline Competition Bureau Seeks Comment on Market Analysis for CenturyLink Petition

On June 20, the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau released a Public Notice seeking comment on its proposed method for defining the relevant market or markets at issue, and analyzing the level of competition within the market(s). Comments are due July 7, and Reply Comments are due July 14.

CenturyLink filed a Petition for Forbearance requesting that the Commission forbear from “dominant carrier regulation and the Computer Inquiry tariffing requirement with respect to all of its packet-switched and optical transmission services (together ‘enterprise broadband services’) that are still subject to those obligations.” According to the Petition, due to a series of mergers CenturyLink’s enterprise broadband services are subject to different degrees of regulation depending on which CenturyLink affiliate—Qwest, Embarq, or CenturyTel—historically provided service in the area.

With regard to the requisite market analysis of the Petition, the FCC proposes to modify its traditional market analysis, which is based on the Qwest Phoenix Order’s specific criteria for defining markets and assessing market power, to account for “potential differences in competition for enterprise broadband services among various customer classes ( e.g. , small and medium businesses, as opposed to large enterprise customers; customers with localized or low-volume needs versus those with needs for nationwide contracts).” According to the FCC, “an analysis that recognizes the potential for varying levels of competition among customer classes will provide a sound framework to consider CenturyLink’s assertion that it competes in a nationwide market for the provision of broadband enterprise services.”

The FCC indicated that it also intends to issue a data request to help determine the level of competition that various customer classes face for the enterprise broadband services at issue in CenturyLink’s forbearance petition.

FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for July Open Meeting, Will Consider Rural Broadband Experiments

On June 20, the FCC issued the tentative agenda for its July 11, 2014 Open Meeting. The Commission will consider a Report and Order to modernize the E-rate program and expand support for Wi-Fi connectivity for schools and libraries (see the article in this week’s edition for more information).

The Commission will also consider a Report and Order establishing a budget and a methodology for selecting winning applications for the Connect America rural broadband experiments adopted in the Technology Transitions Order, and will consider a Second Order on Reconsideration and FNPRM that revisits the Commission’s determinations regarding the captioning of video clips when delivered using IP.

Clients will recall that back in February the FCC invited a wide range of entities and consortia (including state and regional authorities, research and education networks, municipalities, Tribal governments, cable operators, CLECs, ILECs, fixed and mobile wireless providers, wireless Internet service providers and electric utilities) to propose experiments that focus on the deployment of last mile broadband networks in rural areas that lack Internet access service that delivers 3 megabits per second downstream and 768 kilobits per second upstream. The FCC intends to make a portion of the current unallocated $230 million balance in the Connect America Fund (CAF) available to support the experiments.

D.C. Circuit Vacates FCC Interim Rules on IP-Captioned Telephone Service

On June 20, 2014, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit released an Opinion vacating the FCC’s January 2013 Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP-CTS) (a form of Telecommunications Relay Service) Interim Order, asserting the FCC had no good cause for bypassing notice and comment rulemaking requirements, and vacated the $75 Rule and the Default-Off Rule contained in the August 2013 Final Order. The Court left the remainder of the Order intact. The appeal was brought by Sorenson Communications, Inc. and CaptionCall, LLC (collectively “Sorenson”).

IP-CTS uses the Internet to transmit telephone conversations and captioned messages between hearing-impaired users, third-party callers, and relay operators. The FCC uses the TRS Fund to compensate TRS providers for their services, with rates ranging from $1.2855 per minute to $6.2390 per minute, depending on the type of service provided. IP-CTS providers are compensated at a rate of $1.7877 per minute, and prior to the rulemakings at issue in the appeal, they served approximately 150,000 users.

Sorenson is an IP CTS provider. Unlike its competitors, who generally require their users to pay for their phones, Sorenson provided its phones to customers at no charge. This led to the belief that Sorenson’s unusual method of expanding its market presence resulted in a strain on the TRS Fund, with actual disbursements to providers far exceeding projected amounts.

On January 25, 2013, the FCC released the Interim Order, without notice and comment, promulgating several interim rules. It cited the potential for Fund depletion caused by IP-CTS misuse as “good cause” for bypassing the notice-and-comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Of the rules promulgated in the Interim Order, two were pertinent to the appeal. First, the FCC required all new users to register and self-certify their hearing loss, but only if the provider sold the IP-CTS equipment for $75 or more. If the phone was distributed free or for less than $75, the FCC required users to submit a third-party professional certification of their hearing impairment. Second, all IP-CTS capable phones were to be distributed with the captions turned off and users were to activate the captioning feature for each call as needed. The FCC issued a Final Order on August 26, 2013, which made permanent—after notice and comment—most of the rules promulgated in the Interim Order.

The FCC tweaked the price-floor rule, eliminating the option to be certified by a third-party professional; instead, all phones were to cost $75 or more to be eligible for TRS reimbursement, unless the phone was distributed through a state-run program (“the $75 Rule”). As for the default captions rule, the FCC added an exception: all IP-CTS-capable phones were to be distributed with captions turned off by default, unless the user applied for an exemption based on a certification by an independent professional that the user was either too physically or mentally disabled to turn captions on manually (“the Default-Off Rule”).

The Court noted that an agency can bypass the notice-and-comment requirement of the APA when the agency “for good cause finds . . . that notice and public procedure thereon are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest.” Here, the Court determined that the FCC’s decision to implement the Default-Off Rule was arbitrary and capricious.

The Court resolved Sorensen’s challenges on APA grounds, stating that it did not need to reach the question of whether the two rules run afoul of Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Sorenson asked the Court to vacate the entire Final Order, but the Court saw no need to do so. According to the Court, “cutting to the chase, Sorenson would like to be rid of the marketing restrictions of the Final Order. Because the issues surrounding the rules were not properly presented to us, we have no opinion concerning whether the restrictions were properly promulgated in accordance with the ADA, the APA, and the First Amendment.”

The Court vacated the entire Interim Order, as there was no good cause for bypassing notice and comment. It also vacated the $75 Rule and the Default-Off Rule contained in the Final Order, but left the remainder intact.

Industry

black line

US Supreme Court Rules Warrants Required for Cell Phone Search

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that police must obtain a warrant before searching mobile devices that are seized when arresting someone. The landmark decision was handed down in the case Riley v. California, and it extends broad constitutional privacy protections to data that citizens increasingly store on smartphones. The Court’s ruling also addressed a separate case on cell phone privacy, United States v. Wurie, which was argued on the same day.

The Court’s opinion, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, rejected law-enforcement arguments that cellphones should be subject to a long-standing exception to the warrant requirement that allows police to search the contents of suspects' pockets to make sure they don't carry weapons or destroy evidence.

“That is like saying a ride on horseback is materially indistinguishable from a flight to the moon. Both are ways of getting from point A to point B, but little else justifies lumping them together. Modern cell phones, as a category, implicate privacy concerns far beyond those implicated by the search of a cigarette pack, a wallet, or a purse,” Roberts wrote.

By way of background, the Supreme Court held in United States v. Robinson (1973) that law enforcement could conduct a complete search of a person incident to arrest. A “complete search” was not just limited to a frisk of the suspects outer clothing and removal of weapons that the arresting officer might reasonably ascertain that the suspect had in their possession, but also reasonably included a suspect’s remaining pockets to allow the removal of weapons which the arrestee might use to harm the officer or attempt an escape. However, the Roberts court concluded that the physical search rule of Robinson didn’t apply to cell phones:

“Modern cell phones are not just another technological convenience,” wrote Roberts. “With all they contain and all they may reveal, they hold for many Americans ‘the privacies of life.’ The fact that technology now allows an individual to carry such information in his hand does not make the information any less worthy of the protection for which the Founders fought. Our answer to the question of what police must do before searching a cell phone seized incident to an arrest is accordingly simple — get a warrant.”

In the Riley case, police looked at the contents of David Leon Riley’s smartphone twice after his 2009 arrest but prior to obtaining a warrant. They found photos on the device that were evidence of Riley’s involvement in a gang, and the photos were deemed admissible by the trial court. Riley was subsequently convicted and given a lengthened sentence of 15 years to life based on his gang involvement. A state appeals court upheld Riley’s sentence as well as the use of cell phone evidence by authorities. During oral arguments yesterday morning, Riley's lawyer emphasized a distinction between law enforcement’s right to inspect physical items — like hardcopy photos in a suspect’s wallet — and digital evidence. He told the justices there are “very, very profound problems with searching a smartphone without a warrant.”

In the Wurie case, the federal government was challenging a decision by the First Circuit Court of Appeals that ruled against warrantless review of the call log of a cell phone found on a person who was lawfully arrested. There, the court threw out Brima Wurie’s conviction after a search of his flip phone following a street arrest in 2007 led police to his home where they discovered a variety of drugs and weapons. The Court of Appeals reasoned that a modern cell phone is more like a personal computer that can contain large amounts of highly personal information. Because searching cell phone data could be a convenient way for the police to find more information relating to the suspect’s arrest or even other crimes, the Court of Appeals held that the police could not perform warrantless searches of cell phones unless specific exigent circumstances existed, such as destruction of evidence or a bomb threat.

The ruling found that even though the “search incident to arrest” exception does not apply to cell phones, other case-specific exceptions — such as when “the exigencies of the situation” may still justify a warrantless search of a particular phone.

As a result of the ruling, Supreme Court reversed and remanded the Riley case to the California Court of Appeals, and it affirmed the First Circuit’s ruling in Wurie. We are continuing to review today’s decision and will keep our clients advised of any further developments.

AT&T Chairman Promises Expansion of Rural Broadband if DirecTV Merger Approved

In a hearing on the proposed merger of AT&T and DirecTV before a House antitrust subcommittee yesterday, AT&T’s Chairman and CEO, Randall Stephenson, described ambitious plans to expand access to AT&T’s broadband services in rural America if the $45.8 billion transaction is allowed to proceed.

“Being able to offer DirecTV’s video product on a nationwide basis gives us the confidence to expand and enhance our high-speed broadband service to at least 15 million customer locations across 48 states, mostly in underserved rural areas, within four years after deal close,” Stephenson said in prepared testimony.

Stephenson’s testimony revealed that the company plans to use fixed wireless technology — using “dedicated spectrum, and professional home installations” — to expand service to a majority (13 million of the 15 million) of these households. He said the product would perform at speeds of 15-20 Mbps, and that nearly 20% of rural customers that would receive AT&T’s service today have no access to high-speed wireline broadband, while another 27% have access to only one provider. In addition, AT&T promised to upgrade at least 2 million additional customer locations to its “GigaPower” fiber-to-the-home broadband service. These additional locations today either have no AT&T broadband or older generation broadband that does not support video.

A map provided in support of Stephenson’s testimony (shown below) reflects AT&T’s “best estimate” of the coverage of its promised broadband expansion:

Stephenson touted competitive benefits of the transaction, arguing AT&T and DirecTV do not compete in the vast majority of the country, and that the deal will make AT&T a stronger competitor and able to accelerate innovation and deployment of new broadband infrastructure. He even said that the AT&T-DirecTV merger would pressure cable companies to lower prices. He was unwilling, however, to guarantee that AT&T would lower its own pay-TV prices for consumers.

"At best you're telling us [the merger] would slow the rate of increase" for prices, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn). "I think at best a lot of consumers would find that answer unsatisfying."

Lawmakers were reportedly less confrontational to AT&T than they were at an April hearing that examined the proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable deal. Congress has no direct authority to block such a deal, but members can exert political and/or budgetary pressure on the FCC and Justice Department.

The AT&T-DirecTV merger is subject to approval by DirecTV shareholders as well as review by the FCC, the DoJ, a few U.S. states and some Latin American countries. In addition, AT&T will sell its 8.4% stake in America Movil SAB, worth about $5.8 billion, in the open market to facilitate the regulatory approval process. America Movil is a major competitor for DirecTV in the pay-TV market in Latin America. AT&T has said it expects the deal to close within approximately 12 months.

Mediacom and Deere & Co. Seek Federal Funding For Rural Internet Project in Two Iowa Counties

PCIA reports that the Des Moines Register recently published an article stating that Mediacom Business and Deere & Co. have asked the FCC to help fund a plan to demonstrate how reliable broadband connectivity has grown from a luxury tor rural communities into an anchor that can attract businesses and other attractions. The project would strengthen access to high-speed Internet access in Audubon and Carroll Counties in western Iowa.

Officials for the two companies say the project would help farmers get the most out of modern farm equipment, much of which now includes features that can only be fully implemented with high-speed Internet access. A filing with the FCC specified the cost of the project as approximately $800,000 in federal funding in addition to 20 percent more to come from Mediacom and other private sources. Officials for both companies claim that the first step is to convince the government that the plan is viable.

The project would require laying six miles of fiber-optic cable in Audubon County and 19 miles in Carroll County. The cost estimate is $200,000 for the Audubon County portion and $600,000 for the Carroll County portion.

The FCC will award between $100 million and $150 million later this year to fund broadband projects. Deere and Mediacom submitted their proposal as part of the agency’s preliminary phase. A formal application seeking the money will have to be filed after the FCC adopts rules governing the process for awarding funding.

Sprint Inks 4G LTE Rural Roaming Agreements with 12 New Carriers

Sprint has announced a significant expansion of its Rural Roaming Preferred Program through the addition of 4G LTE agreements with 12 rural and regional network carriers. The agreements further initiatives announced this past March by Sprint, Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) and the NetAmerica Alliance. Sprint’s Rural Roaming Preferred Program now extends coverage to 23 states, over 352,000 thousand square miles and a population of over 34 million people.

Last week’s announcement highlights agreements with 12 new carriers:

  • SouthernLINC Wireless, covering 127,000 square miles and 18 million people in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida
  • nTelos, covering 66,000 square miles and 6.1 million people in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky (previously announced)
  • C Spire Wireless, covering over 61,700 square miles and approximately 5.5 million people in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee
  • Nex-Tech Wireless , covering 35,000 square miles and 286,000 people in Kansas and Colorado
  • Flat Wireless, covering over 29,000 square miles and 2.1 million people in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona
  • SI Wireless dba MobileNation, covering 10,000 square miles and 830,000 people in Tennessee and Kentucky
  • Inland Cellular, covering 9,000 square miles and 297,000 people in Idaho and Washington
  • Illinois Valley Cellular, covering 5,500 square miles and 250,000 people in Illinois
  • Carolina West Wireless, covering 3,100 square miles and 585,500 people in North Carolina
  • James Valley Telecommunications, covering 4,000 square miles and 45,000 people in South Dakota
  • VTel Wireless , covering 791 square miles and 60,450 people in Vermont
  • Phoenix Wireless, covering 800 square miles and 17,000 people in Maine

“These agreements demonstrate Sprint’s commitment to provide better coverage, a faster network and a wider selection of lower-cost wireless devices to all customers, regardless of where they live,” said Michael C. Schwartz, Sprint senior vice president of Corporate and Business Development. “Through unique and flexible deals with carriers like C Spire and nTelos we are providing an enhanced 4G LTE experience for Sprint customers and increasing wireless choice and competition across rural America.”

Through the CCA arrangement, Sprint will provide competitive wireless service providers with roaming access on Sprint’s 4G LTE network. In turn, rural carriers will build local 4G LTE mobile broadband networks (Sprint Network Vision-compliant) and will share those networks with Sprint. Sprint will also share its network (nationwide) with participants. Participating carriers will use CCA’s Data Services Hub (developed by Reston, VA-based Transaction Network Services, Inc.) as a clearinghouse for reciprocal roaming arrangements with each other and Sprint, Wi-Fi access and interoperability and 3G roaming fallback. RCR Wireless has reported that Sprint will also work with CCA to promote a device ecosystem that will include 700 MHz Band Class 12 support into devices that are also compatible with Sprint’s LTE and CDMA services across the 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz bands.

The Rural Roaming Preferred Program, developed by CCA, complements the Small Market Alliance for Rural Transformation (SMART) initiative announced last March by Sprint and the NetAmerica Alliance, which remains a separate program. That agreement will provide members with the ability to lease 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz spectrum from Sprint in markets where the carrier does not have plans to launch LTE services, reciprocal roaming with Sprint and its network partners, and relies on core network facilities maintained by NetAmerica. In contrast, the CCA Rural Roaming Preferred Program does not appear to provide participating carriers with access to Sprint’s licensed spectrum. To date, Net America has completed preliminary agreements with 14 companies and has engaged in discussions with approximately 40 additional companies in more than a dozen states.

Calendar At-A-Glance

black line

June

Jun. 26 – Replies to petitions to suspend or reject tariff filings made on 15 days’ notice are due.
Jun. 26 – Petitions to suspend or reject tariff filings made on 7 days’ notice are due.
Jun. 27 – Replies to petitions to suspend or reject tariff filings made on 7 days’ notice are due.

July

Jul. 1 – FCC Form 481 (Carrier Annual Reporting Data Collection Form) is due.
Jul. 3 – FCC Application Filing Fees increase.
Jul. 7 – Comments are due on proposed FCC fee revisions.
Jul. 7 – Comments on Market Analysis for CenturyLink Forbearance Petition are due.
Jul. 10 – Comments are due on T-Mobile Data Roaming Petition.
Jul. 14 – Comments are due on Citizens Broadband Radio Service FNPRM.
Jul. 14 – Reply comments on Market Analysis for CenturyLink Forbearance Petition are due.
Jul. 14 – Reply comments are due on proposed FCC fee revisions.
Jul. 15 – Comments are due on the Open Internet NPRM.
Jul. 15 – Comments are due refreshing the record on the 2010 Broadband NOI.
Jul. 23 -- Comments are due on LMCC Petition to Expand Conditional Temporary Authorization
Jul. 31 – FCC Form 507 (Universal Service Quarterly Line Count Update) is due.
Jul. 31 – Carrier Identification Code (CIC) Report is due.
Jul. 31 – FCC Form 690 (Mobility Fund Phase I Auction Winner Annual Report) is due.

August

Aug. 1 – Reply comments are due on Citizens Broadband Radio Service FNPRM.
Aug. 4 - Reply comments on LMCC Petition to Expand Conditional Temporary Authorization are due.
Aug. 11 – Reply comments are due on T-Mobile Data Roaming Petition.

September

Sep. 10 – Reply comments are due on the Open Internet NPRM.
Sep. 10 – Reply comments are due refreshing the record on the 2010 Broadband NOI.

BloostonLaw Private Users UpdateVol. 15, No. 6June 2014

Reminder: License Modification May Not Result in a New Construction Date – Watch Your License

The FCC recently issued an order dismissing a late-filed Petition for Reconsideration of the termination of a wireless license for non-construction. In this case, the license was originally issued on February 28, 2013 with a February 28, 2014 construction deadline. On August 28, 2013, the FCC granted an application for modification of the license. However, this license modification did not result in the adjustment of the license construction deadline. As a result, because the licensee did not file its construction notification in a timely manner, the license, as modified in August 2013 automatically terminated on February 28, 2014.

The FCC has established a mechanism for addressing license authorizations where a construction notification has not been filed before it acts to formally terminate the license authorization in its license database. Under this procedure, the FCC will issue a Termination Pending Public Notice, which will provide affected licensees with a 30-day window to seek reconsideration of the FCC’s proposed action. The licensee will be required to demonstrate that the station was timely constructed within the authorized construction period. A failure to file the petition for reconsideration will ultimately result in loss of your authorization with respect to that transmitter. As a result, it is extremely important that any filings be made in a timely manner in order to avoid the inadvertent loss of a necessary and valuable license.

Any clients with questions about their construction requirements should contact our office.

Complaint Leads to $12,000 Consent Decree for Operating on Expired License

Call Mobile, Inc. has entered into a consent decree for $12,000 following a complaint that lead to an FCC investigation which concluded that Call Mobile had been illegally operating on an expired license for almost three years. Call Mobile indicated that the license expiration was the result of human error since it had believed that the license for the station did not expire until 2013 like the rest of its licenses — especially since it had consolidated several of its licenses. As a result, Call Mobile inadvertently assumed that the call sign was inactive when it received its renewal reminder notification from the FCC in 2010.

It is critically important that our clients ensure that licenses are properly maintained and renewed in a timely manner. A failure to renew a license will result in the automatic termination of the license authorization and the operational authority that goes with it.

The FCC originally proposed a fine in the amount of $15,000 — which was based upon two violations: (a) operations for almost three years without authorization and (b) failure to file required forms — namely, the license renewal applications.

Because of the potential for inadvertent rules violations, we recommend that our clients periodically review their licenses in order to ensure that the station operations match the licensed specifications and that no licenses have inadvertently been allowed to expire. Clients with any questions or concerns should contact our office.

FCC Proposes $15,000 Fine for Tower Violations

The FCC has proposed a $15,000 fine against Northeast Passage Corporation for various antenna structure violations, including: (a) the failure to monitor and properly maintain daytime obstruction lighting, (b) increasing the structure height without FCC authorization and (c) failing to notify the FAA of known light outages.

On July 19, 2013, the FCC’s field agents stumbled upon Northeast Passage Coloration’s antenna in Hightstown, New Jersey. The tower did not appear to be lit or painted as required by the FCC. In this regard, the FCC’s antenna structure registration database indicated that antenna tower stood 78.3 meters above ground level and was required to have day-time painting and red obstruction lighting for night-time visibility. When the FCC’s enforcement agents came back to inspect the tower a few days later, it was discovered that, while the tower had red-obstruction lighting, it also had medium white-intensity lighting in lieu of the required day-time paint, and most of the medium intensity white lights were not working. Based upon this inspection, the FCC contacted the FAA and determined that no Notice to Airman (NO-TAM) had been filed to warn pilots of the hazards posed by the lighting outage. Finally, the FCC field agents also determined from a contractor working on the tower that the tower itself significantly exceeded the authorized structure height specified in the ASR.

During the course of the FCC’s investigation, Northeast Passage’s President claimed that the contractor working on the tower was to repair the tower lights, that the tower lights were being monitored by US Tower Services – which had contracted with Nextel to monitor the lights. The FCC’s enforcement agents were unable to substantiate any of Northeast Passage’s claims.

Even though Northeast Passage received a Determination of No Hazard from the FAA in 2006 to increase the overall height of its antenna structure and change its obstruction marking and lighting from day-time paint to medium intensity white-lighting, it never sought the required approval from the FCC to modify its Antenna Structure Registration.

In reviewing the violations (failure to properly maintain obstruction marking and lighting and notifying the FAA of the outage and failure to update its Antenna Structure Registration), the FCC proposed a base fine of $13,000. However, because Northeast Passage appeared to act with “deliberate disregard for the Commission’s rules that are critical for ensuring the safety air navigation,” the FCC added an additional $2,000 for a total of $15,000.

Clients should make the following observations in dealing with the FCC in similar type cases: (a) If you desire to make a change to your antenna tower, it is critically important to amend the Antenna Structure Registration after you receive your FAA approval to make the change, and (b) do not mislead an FCC enforcement agent since this case demonstrates that they may check behind you to make sure your statements are accurate.

FCC Proposes Record $34.9 Million Fine for the Sale and Marketing of Illegal Signal Jammers

The FCC has issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture of $34.9 million against a Chinese electronics manufacturer and retailer for allegedly marketing 285 different models of signal jamming devices to US consumers over a two year period. As we have previously reported, the use of signal jamming equipment is illegal in the United States and dangerous, since it can block emergency cellular calls to 911 services as well as public safety communications.

It is important to note that all companies, whether located in the United States or overseas, are subject to the FCC’s equipment rules for any equipment that is marketed or sold in the United States — including the prohibition against the marketing and sale of signal jamming equipment. In this case, CTS Technology Co. (CTS) operates an Internet website that markets consumer electronics to consumers in the United States. The FCC states that CTS used this website to mislead American consumers by falsely claiming that certain signal jammers were approved for use by the FCC — when in fact the use of signal jamming equipment by consumers is illegal under any circumstance. The FCC noted that in addition to marketing and selling these devices to the general public, CT also sold 10-high powered signal jammers to undercover FCC personnel.

In addition to the proposed $34.9 million fine, the FCC has also ordered CTS to cease marketing signal jamming equipment in the United States and to report to the FCC any US based persons and entities that have purchased these devices.

The public may report the sale or use of an illegal signal jammer by contacting the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau at 1-888-225-5322.

If you have inadvertently purchased an illegal signal jammer, please contact our office promptly.

ARRI, Inc. Agrees to $80,000 Penalty for Illegal Sale of Electronic Devices

AARI has entered into a consent decree with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau and agreed to make a voluntary contribution to the federal Government for $80,000. The consent decree resulted from ARRI’s marketing and sale of digital cameras and wireless accessories in the United States prior to complying with the FCC’s equipment authorization rules, which are designed to ensure that devices which emit radio frequency radiation do not interfere with authorized radio communications and provide consumers with the necessary information to ensure that electronic devices are used properly.

FCC Waives Narrowband Requirement to Allow Rescue Squad to Obtain Quiet Zone Approval

In connection with a Petition for Reconsideration filed by Belington Emergency Squad in West Virginia, the FCC has waived the narrowbanding requirement for a period of six months in order to enable the Rescue Squad to “obtain ‘Quiet Zone’ approval.” In taking this action, the FCC dismissed Belington’s Petition for Reconsideration as moot.

As we have previously reported over the past few years, the FCC’s narrowbanding requirements for the VHF and UHF bands became effective on January 1, 2013 and any wide band operations would no longer be permitted unless explicitly allowed under the FCC’s Rules or pursuant to the grant of a limited rule waiver by the FCC. If you are still operating in a wide-band mode, please contact our office right away so that we can assist in bringing your station back into regulatory compliance. The FCC has repeatedly indicated that they can issue fines for improper operation.

At issue in Belington’s case is the fact that Quiet Zone approval is required because of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) telescope located at Green Bank, West Virginia. This Quiet Zone – which is 13,000 square miles, was created to minimize the possible harmful interference to the NRAO telescope. As a result, the FCC’s rules require applicants to notify the NRAO of any proposed construction and operation of a new or modified radio facility from any fixed location within the Quiet Zone.

When Belington sought the required approval from the NRAO, its administrator requested that it significantly reduce power as part of the narrowbanding process to 17 watts ERP. Because the Administrator did not explain why Belington’s narrowband operation would pose a greater potential for greater interference than its current wide-band operation at 25 kHz, the Commission granted a limited waiver to Belington to continue wide-band operations for a period of six months so that it may pursue the matter further with the NRAO administrator since Belington has no other alternative to keep operating.

This newsletter is not intended to provide legal advice. Those interested in more information should contact the firm. For additional information, please contact Hal Mordkofsky at 202-828-5520 or halmor@bloostonlaw.com .

black line

Voluntary Newsletter Supporters By Donation

black line

Kansas City

mobilfone

Premium Newsletter Supporter

mobilfone

black line

gcs logo

Premium Newsletter Supporter

black line

Canyon Ridge Communications

canyon ridge

Premium Newsletter Supporter

(Above and beyond the call of duty.)

black line

ProPage Inc.

propage

Newsletter Supporter

black line

Metropolitan Communications

Metropolitan

Newsletter Supporter

black line

Le Réseau Mobilité Plus
Montreal, Quebec

reseau

Newsletter Supporter

black line

Communication Specialists

communication specialists

Newsletter Supporter

black line

Cook Paging

cook paging

Premium Newsletter Supporter

black line

MethodLink

methodlink

Premium Newsletter Supporter

black line

Citipage Ltd.
Edmonton, Alberta

citipage

Newsletter Supporter

black line

black line

Chicago is getting lamp posts that count people and track pollution

BY JON FINGAS @JONFINGAS

Apparently, Chicago is becoming even more like its Watch Dogs doppelganger than we first thought . Researchers are deploying networked, sensor-equipped lamp posts from this July onward to learn how they could help urban planning and safety. They'll collect environmental data like air quality, noise levels and wind, and they'll also measure foot traffic by counting the number of passing cellphones. If the project takes off, Chicago officials could easily tell if air pollution is on the rise, or if a narrow sidewalk is creating a choke point.

That may seem a bit Orwellian at first glance, and there is a concern that the pedestrian info could be used in tandem with other monitoring techniques to get a better idea of someone's daily activity. However, team scientist Charlie Catlett tells the Chicago Tribune that all the data collection is anonymous — the smart lights won't be identifying people, recording sounds or taking pictures. That's not going to completely assuage privacy advocates worried about a surveillance-happy government , but the initiative may pay off if it makes urban life a little more bearable.

[Image credit: Iceninejon, Flickr ]

[Source: Chicago Tribune left arrow More here, including a video.]

Source: engadget.com (Thanks to Barry Kanne—he taught me everything I know.)

black line

Friends & Colleagues

black line

Ira Wiesenfeld, P.E.

black line

Complete Technical Services For The Communications and Electronics Industries Design • Installation • Maintenance • Training • Engineering • Licensing • Technical Assistance

black line

Ira Wiesenfeld, P.E.
Consulting Engineer
Registered Professional Engineer

Tel/Fax: 972-960-9336
Cell: 214-707-7711
Web: IWA-RADIO.com
7711 Scotia Dr.
Dallas, TX 75248-3112
E-mail: iwiesenfel@aol.com

black line

Ira Wiesenfeld, P.E.

black line

subscribe free

black line

Wireless Network Planners

black line

Wireless Network Planners
Wireless Specialists

www.wirelessplanners.com
wirelessplannerron@gmail.com

R.H. (Ron) Mercer
Consultant
217 First Street
East Northport, NY 11731
ron mercer

Cellphone: 631-786-9359

black line

Wireless Network Planners

black line

black line

Google Unveils Ambitious Android Expansion at I/O Conference

By BRIAN X. CHEN
JUNE 25, 2014
The New York Times

SAN FRANCISCO — Google wants to be everywhere: in your home, your car and even on your wrist.

That vision became increasingly clear at the search giant’s annual conference for software developers here on Wednesday. The company unveiled plans to expand Android, its mobile operating system, for new categories like wearable computers and automobiles.

Sundar Pichai, a senior vice president at Google, spoke about Android’s expansion during his keynote address at the Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco.
Credit Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters

The announcements came on the heels of the company’s recent acquisition of Nest Labs , the thermostat maker, for $3.2 billion, which gave Google a speedy entry into the nascent market of Internet-connected home appliances.

“This is one of the most comprehensive releases we have done,” said Sundar Pichai, chief of Google’s Android division, in front of a convention center crowded with 6,000 software developers.

Google’s annual software developers’ conference, called Google I/O, has become an important place for the company to woo app makers to build software for its Android software system, which powers more than one billion devices.

Rallying app developers is increasingly vital for Google as competition grows with rivals like Apple and Samsung Electronics, which are also expanding their device and software portfolios.

“What’s striking is the way each of these three major companies — Google, Microsoft and Apple — are seeking to participate across four key domains: the home, the car, the body and the mobile world at large,” said Jan Dawson, an independent telecom analyst for Jackdaw Research. Google said a coming version of Android for smartphones and tablets, tentatively named Android L, would include new features, like smarter authentication and anti-theft software.

If a user is wearing a smartwatch paired with the device, he can unlock the phone without entering a passcode. When the watch is removed, the phone will require a passcode again. Google also said that Android L, which will be available in the fall, would include a so-called kill switch for rendering a device unusable if it were stolen.

In Android L, Google overhauled the design of its software system powering smartphones and tablets. Similar to Apple and Microsoft, Google adopted a “flat” design with more vibrant colors and added effects like shadows and animations. For example, when a user taps the screen, a small water ripple appears on the tapped area.


Dave Burke, director of engineering for Android, controls an Android TV by phone.
Credit Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters

Google also shared its ambition to push Android deeper into areas beyond mobile devices, revealing details on Android Wear, a special version of Android tailored for smartwatches, which it introduced this year .

Google said Android Wear was customized to show immediately useful information, like message notifications, the status of a package shipment or the status of traffic for a commuter. The smartwatch system is controlled by speaking or by swiping the touch screen.

When a user is traveling, the watch system will continue to bring up relevant contextual information based on his location, like the local bus schedule or the weather, according to Google.

Google said two smartwatches including Android Wear — Samsung’s Gear Live and LG’s G watch — would be available to order in its online retail store, Play, on Wednesday.


An LG G smartwatch, which is available on Play, the Google online store. Credit Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

For television, Google announced Android TV. Users can speak voice commands into a smartwatch to search for programs and Google will find the programs if they are available for purchase in its online Play store.

Searching “Breaking Bad,” for example, will bring up the show and information about it. Users can also stream music and games from their tablets and smartphones to Android TV. Google said it had become partners with Sony, Sharp and Asus. Products including Android TV should arrive in the fall, Google said.

Television has been a tough market for Google, and Android TV is its fourth attempt to push Android into television. One of its earlier attempts included Google TV, which came with a clunky remote and many limitations to what people could watch.

Google has found some success with Chromecast, a stick that plugs into TVs and allows users to stream content from their smartphones or computers to the television. Released last year, Chromecast has been a top seller on Amazon. Google on Wednesday said it had improved Chromecast, allowing any phone to connect to the device without having to be on the same Wi-Fi network.


A version of Android customized for cars, called Android Auto. Credit Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Brian Blau, an analyst for Gartner, said Google’s new TV strategy fit much better with its apps and web ecosystem. But he noted that with the example of using a smartwatch as a remote for the TV, he felt the company was being unrealistic.

“They appeared to be implying that your watch should now be the center of your smart device attention, and that just won’t be the case,” he said. “It makes apps look dumb and less functional.”

Google also announced a version of Android customized for cars, called Android Auto. Google said it streamlined the design of the system to keep people’s eyes off the screen and on the road. It emphasizes access to maps, phone contacts and playlists, allowing users to use those features with the tap of a button or voice control. The car system will pair with a smartphone.

In addition, the company is also trying to aggressively expand in business computing . Google showed several changes to its businesses offerings, which include things like corporate e-mail and spreadsheets delivered online, along with storage and videoconferencing.

Google unveiled additions to Drive, its online storage service, tailored for businesses. Google said companies would be able to audit which employees were reading what documents, more easily encrypt documents and gain access and work with documents stored in older formats, like Microsoft Office.

All of that is tied with an effort to improve battery life for Android devices, with a tool called Project Volta. A presentation of the feature was interrupted by a protester who stood in front of the stage holding a banner that read “Develop a conscience.” The protester said she was being evicted by a property owner who was a Google employee, before she was escorted out by security guards.

Soon after, she was replaced by another shouting protester who called Google “a company that builds machines that kill people.”

Quentin Hardy contributed reporting.

Source: The New York Times

black line

Prism Paging

black line

prism
white line

PRISM IP MESSAGE GATEWAY

white line

THE ULTIMATE IN COMMERCIAL AND PRIVATE RADIO PAGING SYSTEMS

prism
  • VoIP telephone access — eliminate interconnect expense
  • Call from anywhere — Prism SIP Gateway allows calls from PSTN and PBX
  • All the Features for Paging, Voice-mail, Text-to-Pager, Wireless and DECT phones
  • Prism Inet, the new IP interface for TAP, TNPP, SNPP, SMTP — Industry standard message input
  • Direct Connect to NurseCall, Assisted Living, Aged Care, Remote Monitoring, Access Control Systems
prism
prism

black line

black line

WiPath Communications

black line

Intelligent Solutions for Paging & Wireless Data

WiPath manufactures a wide range of highly unique and innovative hardware and software solutions in paging and mobile data for:

  • Emergency Mass Alert & Messaging
  • Emergency Services Communications
  • Utilities Job Management
  • Telemetry and Remote Switching
  • Fire House Automation
  • Load Shedding and Electrical Services Control

black line

PDT3000 Paging Data Terminal

pdt 2000 image

  • FLEX & POCSAG
  • Built-in POCSAG encoder
  • Huge capcode capacity
  • Parallel, 2 serial ports, 4 relays
  • Message & system monitoring

black line

Paging Controlled Moving Message LED Displays

welcom wipath

  • Variety of sizes
  • Indoor/outdoor
  • Integrated paging receiver

black line

PDR3000/PSR3000 Paging Data Receivers

paging data receiver

  • Highly programmable, off-air decoders
  • Message Logging & remote control
  • Multiple I/O combinations and capabilities
  • Network monitoring and alarm reporting

black line

Specialized Paging Solutions

paging data receiver

  • Emergency Mass Alerting
  • Remote telemetry switching & control
  • Fire station automation
  • PC interfacing and message management
  • Paging software and customized solutions
  • Message interception, filtering, redirection, printing & logging Cross band repeating, paging coverage infill, store and forward
  • Alarm interfaces, satellite linking, IP transmitters, on-site systems

black line

Mobile Data Terminals & Two Way Wireless  Solutions

mobile data terminal

radio interface

  • Fleet tracking, messaging, job processing, and field service management
  • Automatic vehicle location (AVL), GPS
  • CDMA, GPRS, ReFLEX, conventional, and trunked radio interfaces

black line

Contact
Postal
Address:
WiPath Communications LLC
4845 Dumbbarton Court
Cumming, GA 30040
Street
Address:
4845 Dumbbarton Court
Cumming, GA 30040
Web site: www.wipath.com left arrow CLICK
E-mail: info@wipath.com left arrow CLICK
Phone:770-844-6218
Fax:770-844-6574
WiPath Communications

black line

black line

Hark Technologies

black line

hark logo

Wireless Communication Solutions

black line

USB Paging Encoder

paging encoder

  • Single channel up to eight zones
  • Connects to Linux computer via USB
  • Programmable timeouts and batch sizes
  • Supports 2-tone, 5/6-tone, POCSAG 512/1200/2400, GOLAY
  • Supports Tone Only, Voice, Numeric, and Alphanumeric
  • PURC or direct connect
  • Pictured version mounts in 5.25" drive bay
  • Other mounting options available
  • Available as a daughter board for our embedded Internet Paging Terminal (IPT)

black line

Paging Data Receiver (PDR)

pdr

  • Frequency agile—only one receiver to stock
  • USB or RS-232 interface
  • Two contact closures
  • End-user programmable w/o requiring special hardware
  • 16 capcodes
  • POCSAG
  • Eight contact closure version also available
  • Product customization available

black line

Other products

black line

Please see our web site for other products including Internet Messaging Gateways, Unified Messaging Servers, test equipment, and Paging Terminals.

Contact
Hark Technologies
717 Old Trolley Rd Ste 6 #163
Summerville, SC 29485
Tel: 843-821-6888
Fax: 843-821-6894
E-mail: sales@harktech.com left arrow CLICK
Web: http://www.harktech.com left arrow CLICK

hark David George and Bill Noyes
of Hark Technologies.

black line

Hark Technologies

black line

advertise

Click on the logo above for more info.

black line

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

black line

From:Barry Kanne, W4TGA
Subject: Real Time Lightning Strike Data
Date:June 26, 2014
To:Brad Dye

There is a new website out there that is beta testing nearly real-time lightning strike information. Check it out at:
http://www.lightningmaps.org/realtime?lang=en

black line

UNTIIL NEXT WEEK

black line

The Wireless Messaging News


Best regards,
brad's signature
Newsletter Editor
73 DE K9IQY

Brad Dye
P.O. Box 266
Fairfield, IL 62837 USA

mensa member animated gif

CONTACT INFO & LINKS
Skype: braddye
Twitter: @BradDye1
Telephone: 618-599-7869
E–mail: brad@braddye.com
Wireless: Consulting page
Paging: Home Page
Marketing & Engineering Papers
K9IQY: Ham Radio Page

Back To Paging
pagerman
Still The Most Reliable Wireless Protocol For Emergencies!

Wireless
wireless logo medium
Messaging

black line

THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK

black line

Happiness

“The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase; if you pursue happiness you'll never find it.”

—C. P. Snow (1905 - 1980)

black line

“Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them.”

—Charles de Montesquieu (1689 - 1755)

black line

black line

Home Page | Directory | Consulting | Newsletters
Products | Reference | Glossary | Send e-mail