Tag Archive for AT&T

| August 23, 2012
One comment

Privacy on IPv6 Networks

Privacy on IPv6 Networks

Internet service providers, websites, and equipment vendors around the globe took part in the World IPv6 launch in June, Internet companies including AT&T (T), Cisco (CSCO), Comcast (CMCSA), Facebook (FB), Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Verizon Wireless (VZ), and Yahoo (YHOO) decided to permanently turn on IPv6. A small fraction of Internet users and devices have started communicating via IPv6 networks, with more and more transitioning to the new protocol over the coming months and years. There are security and privacy implications in the switch to IPv6.

IPv6All kinds of devices will get new IPv6 numbers as the addressing format grows. The IPv6 addresses for these networked devices can be generated in a number of different ways and the choice of how they are created has potentially wide-reaching effects for security and privacy Center for Democracy & Technology explains. One of the original methods for assigning new addresses involved using a unique device identifier (known as a MAC address) as the suffix of the IPv6 address. This method creates a permanent, unique address for a device, potentially allowing any server that the device communicates with to indefinitely track the user.

IPv6 designers soon realized the potential security and privacy problems of MAC-based addresses; as a result, they created an alternate method known as “privacy extensions” or “privacy addresses” the article reports. The privacy extensions use a randomly generated number instead of a MAC address. In order to protect privacy on an IPv6 network, the random number is unrelated to any device identifier and in practice lasts no more than a week (and often much less time), ensuring that the user’s IP address cannot be used for long-term user tracking.

SmartphoneIt is up to operating system vendors to choose which IP address assignment method will be the default on their devices. The author says that some vendors have made good choices, particularly within the last year. Microsoft has long led the charge on IPv6 privacy, with privacy extensions on by default in all versions of Microsoft Windows since the release of Windows XP nearly a decade ago. Apple followed suit last year, with privacy extensions activated by default in all versions of Mac OS X since 10.7 (Lion) and with the release of iOS 4.3 for iPhone and iPad. Google did likewise in its Android 4.0 release last year.

The CDT says that as long as Internet users choose to upgrade their operating systems to the latest versions, they should be protected against perpetual security and privacy threats from IPv6 network address tracking.

rb-

mobile OS's send private information about their users to the networHowever, I wrote about reports from H.Security that mobile operating systems do not protect security or privacy on IPv6 networks. The report says mobile OSs send private information about their users to the network. The H.Security article says this is not a flaw in IPv6, rather it is lazy programming in some cases. The article points out that neither Apple’s iOS nor Android devices have the option to enable Privacy Extensions or the option to disable IPv6. apparently, the only thing smartphones need is a control option in the user interface to protect mobile OS users’ privacy and security on an IPv6 network.

Related articles
  • Romania Has the Fastest IPv6 Adoption Rate (maindevice.com)

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| August 7, 2012
Comments Off on Anti-Patent Troll Bill Introduced

Anti-Patent Troll Bill Introduced

A newAnti-Patent Troll Bill Introduced bill introduced in the House of Representatives attempts to deter frivolous patent litigation. The bill would force unsuccessful patent plaintiffs to cover defendants’ legal costs according to Daily Wireless. Introduced by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and co-sponsored by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), the Saving High-Tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes (SHIELD) Act is limited to patents related to computer hardware and software.

House of Representaive“Patent trolls don’t create new technology and they don’t create American jobs,” DeFazio said in a news release. “They pad their pockets by buying patents on products they didn’t create and then suing the innovators who did the hard work and created the product.”

The article explains that patent trolls often buy broad patents. The purchase allows them to file flimsy lawsuits against multiple companies for infringement. Despite very thin evidence to back their lawsuits, companies are often forced to settle. They settle because going to court can easily cost over $1 million in legal costs even if the company prevails, explained DeFazio in a press release.

Loser pays

Electronic Frontier FoundationThe Electronic Frontier Foundation explains the idea behind the SHIELD Act is simple. A plaintiff needs to believe that a defendant actually infringes a valid patent before it sues. If it doesn’t, then the plaintiff could be on the hook for the costs of litigation. They would also have to cover the winning party’s attorneys’ fees (which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases).

Fee shifting, often called “loser pays,” is not a new idea. It’s long existed in copyright law, it allows a court to award the winning party costs and fees in certain cases. In patent litigation, the EFF says this type of provision would help tilt the playing field slightly more in favor of the good guys. Fee shifting would empower innovators to fight back while discouraging trolls from threatening lawsuits to start.

The EFF has set up a website defendinnovation.org to lead the battle against patent trolls and reform the U.S. Patent Office.

rb-

Voter apathySigh – Today is primary election day here in the U.S. and I just got back from voting and a whopping 417 people in my neighborhood had voted. There are almost 17,000 people 18 years or old.

Voter apathy has everything to do with everything about where the US is today, including patent reform. Who are the politicians going to listen to?  I have covered the patent mess for a while here, here, here, and here. I doubt the political clout me and my 416 other neighborhood voters even matter when compared to the millions of dollars that Apple, Google, ATT, and the rest spend on lobbyists in Washington and Lansing to buy the legislation they want.

Have a nice day!

Related articles

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
| March 4, 2012
Comments Off on 1963 Short From Muppets Jim Henson for Bell System

1963 Short From Muppets Jim Henson for Bell System

1963 Short From Muppets Jim Henson for Bell System In the wake of the recent The Muppets movie, AT&T (T) re-discovered a film by Muppets creator Jim Henson. He created the film for The Bell System nearly 50 years ago. CNet author Edward Moyer says the film gives a hilarious glimpse of Mr. Henson’s earlier days – and of the youthful years of computing.

AT&T posted the 1963 short “Robot” on the company’s ATTTechChannel section on YouTube, addresses the anxiety felt by humans in regard to machines and computers. The article says the film was “made for an elite seminar given for business owners, on the then-brand-new topic–Data Communications,” AT&T explains on the YouTube page. And the company continues:

“The organizers of the seminar, Inpro, actually set the tone for the film in a three-page memo from one of Inpro’s principals, Ted Mills, to Henson. Mills outlined the nascent, but growing relationship between man and machine: a relationship not without tension and resentment….”

Displaying his mastery of slapstick, comic timing, and sound effects, Henson uses his humorously menacing star, “Computer H14,” to reassure viewers that they need not be alarmed: humans remain in control according to CNet.

Related article

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
| January 26, 2012
One comment

Your Dog Can Run, But He Can’t Hide

Your Dog Can Run, But He Can't HideThere is a new pet-oriented Global Positioning Systems (GPS) on the market. The new GPS system now makes it possible to constantly track your best friend according to a report in MIT’s Technology Review. The GPS devices made just for pets are generally small enough to be attached to a dog or cat collar which allows Owners to track their furry companion’s every paw print in real-time.

GPSThe New Jersey Star-Ledger points out unlike microchips embedded in the skin of an animal which store identifying information, these devices aren’t invasive, and owners don’t have to wait for a stranger to find and bring their lost pet to an animal shelter to scan the chip.

“This could easily be a multi-million-dollar category,” David Lummis, a “pet market analyst,” at New York-based market research firm Packaged Facts, recently told the New Jersey Star-Ledger. Dog owners are now more “crazy” about their four-legged friends than ever. If the recession is any indication, Mr. Lummis told the paper that the $58 billion pet products industry has merely slowed a few percentage points during the recession.

tagg logoThat kind of consistent growth has attracted the attention of Qualcomm (QCOM) the biggest maker of mobile phone chips.  San Diego-based Snaptracs, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm, has released Tagg the Pet Tracker.

The rechargeable Tagg device can be attached to a collar (provided it’s not a spiked or bejeweled one), plus a home base unit. Owners are able to set a virtual perimeter for the dog to wander. TR says a text message or email alert will be sent if Fido strays too far. The device has a battery life of some 30 days and is water-resistant; it’s intended for dogs (or cats) 10 pounds or heavier. The necessary hardware and one year of Verizon (VZ) service cost $200 according to Technology Review. The service costs $5 a month after that. It’s a small price to pay, Dave Vigil, president of Snaptracs told the paper, considering pets are becoming increasingly “like family members.” Users can also find their pets at any time through a computer or smartphone.

Jessie and WileyGPS giant Garmin (GRMN), has also entered the dog lo-jack market. The paper says the Olathe, Kansas-based company released the GTU 10 device, a 1.7-ounce gadget. Garmin users can also set up a perimeter and receive alerts, or track real-time from a mobile device or computer. The GTU 10 operates on AT&T‘s (T) wireless network and costs $200 for the first year and $50 a year after that.

Another competitor is Retriever. TR says Retriever has similar functions with virtual fences and alerts but adds a social networking element. Retriever will share Spot’s location with a friend, presumably so if your dog gets loose while you’re out-of-town, you can help steer the on-site rescue. To judge from its site, Retriever appears to not yet be on the market, nor is a projected price listed.

Technology Review also notes other products in this niche. Global Pet Finder, is not available any more on Amazon (AMZN) as of this article. The SpotLight device costs $169.99 and is limited to T-Mobile coverage. SpotLight costs $179.88 per year for a subscription. The Love My Pets device and 1-year subscription cost $189.95 use the Sprint (S) network. The Love My Pets system costs $14.95 per month for a subscription according to a CSR.

rb-

Qualcomm’s goal is to encourage new uses of its radio chips, not to make a hit product. These products are part of the Internet of Things. As the Apple (AAPL) iPod and iPhone have shown, people are willing to shell out a lot of cash for things, but it is in the services where the money is to be made on the Internet of Things. Content is still king.

Related articles

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| September 20, 2011
2 comments

Super-Fi OK’d by IEEE

Super-Fi OK'd by IEEEI usually don’t have a problem getting a wireless signal where in my Bach Seat. However, there are some areas where I coordinate technical services that don’t get wired or wireless Internet. In these rural areas, where AT&T (T), Verizon (VZ), Sprint Nextel (S), and Comcast (CMCSA) and their fellow travelers fear to tread because they can’t make a buck in these areas, some help may be on the way from the IEEE.

IEEE logoIn 2009, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) started the development of IEEE standard 802.22, which addressed the need for broadband wireless access in rural areas, those where it is not economical to deploy a wired infrastructure. In July 2011, the IEEE announced that it has published the standard titled: “IEEE 802.22-2011 Standard for Wireless Regional Area Networks in TV Whitespaces” (PDF).

The IEEE press release states: “This new standard for Wireless Regional Area Networks (WRANs) takes advantage of the favorable transmission characteristics of the VHF and UHF TV bands to provide broadband wireless access over a large area up to 100 km (60 miles) from the transmitter. Each WRAN will deliver up to 22 Mbps per channel without interfering with reception of existing TV broadcast stations, using the so-called white spaces between the occupied TV channels.”That part of the spectrum, known as white spaces, sits between broadcast TV channels and will become available when broadcast TV stations switch from analog to digital in 2009.

VHF and UHF TV bands to provide broadband wireless accessThe White Space Coalition led by Microsoft (MSFT), Google (GOOG), Dell (DELL), and other tech titans strongly support the use of the white spaces in the U.S., going up against strong opposition lead by Michigan’s own John Dingell and big media like the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, NBA, NHL, NCAA, PGA Tour and ESPN who say unlicensed devices in the TV bands would interfere with their signals.IEEE 802.22 reportedly will not interfere with TV broadcasts, because it incorporates advanced cognitive radio capabilities including:

rb-

I met Mr. Dingell about a dozen years ago, at a school to encourage the politician to support schools when the USF started the eRate program for schools. I recall Mr. Dingell telling me he could not support eRate because he did not trust the FCC to get it right. At least he is consistent.

I believe there is a very good chance this technology will never be a commercial success. The wireless carriers will squash this technology like they have squashed municipal wi-fi and community fiber networks. The improved speeds and coverage areas are a threat to their limited 4G coverage and they would lose out on their monthly pound of flesh capped rate-limited data plan.

It will be up to us in the public sector to implement this technology for our clients.

What do you think?

Will Super-Fi ever see the light of day?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Related articles:

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

Category: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Entries   Recent Entries »