clark@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Roger Clark Swann) (11/12/89)
I caught a couple of movies this past week on the local movie channel
that are of interest to this group...
The first one was Blade Runner with Harrison Ford. There is a bar seen
where Harrison Ford makes a phone call from a pay station and of
course it is a picture phone with a CRT on the upper part of the panel
and a kaypad that looked like a touchpad ( microwave oven style ).
There was no hand set, just some kind of speakerphone. No money
(coins) of course, he pushed a card through a reader I think. The
kicker was the placard that said "VID PHONE" with the BELL SYSTEM (TM)
- the outline of a bell inside a circle. No AOS stuff here....
The second flick was Jigsaw with Harry Guardino and Bradford Dillman,
( 1968 ). This is a murder mystery involving some "Doctors" at a think
tank "institute". The set designer must have been NUTS about card
dialers, they were everwhere. Two strange things: they never used the
card dial function, they just used the things like a standard 2500
style phone when placing a call. The other strange thing was that
these phones were all equipped with WECO speakerphone boxes that were
never used. Instead they had these tacky, low-tech multi-pushbutton
intercom boxes that were used to communicate between offices.
One of the shows that I remember as doing a good job with the phone
equipment was the NBC Mystery Movie, Name of the Game. The Howard
Publications building had all the latest WECO phone toys, speaker-
phones, card dailers, you name it. And the best part was that they
USED them! The writers actually included these toys in the script.
Roger Swann | uucp: uw-beaver!ssc-vax!clark
@ |
The Boeing Company |mrose@cheetah.nyser.net (Marshall Rose) (11/14/89)
Certainly the most shocking use of a phone in the movies comes from the Depeche Mode concert film "Route 66" earlier this year, which shows the band's manager using a cellular phone while in a private plane which is airborne. Geez, maybe the FCC oughta have a special branch that does nothing but watch films for violations of FCC rules. I could live with that if the pay was OK, and if the pay wasn't OK, it would depend on the films I guess. :-) /mtr
ckd%bu-pub.BU.EDU@bu-it.bu.edu (Christopher K Davis) (11/15/89)
>>>>> On 11 Nov 89 20:13:08 GMT, ssc-vax!clark@beaver.cs.washington.edu >>>>> (Roger Clark Swann) said: Roger> I caught a couple of movies this past week on the local movie channel Roger> that are of interest to this group... Roger> The first one was Blade Runner with Harrison Ford. [...description Roger> of some sort of video-speakerphone deleted, except for...] The Roger> kicker was the placard that said "VID PHONE" with the BELL SYSTEM Roger> (TM) - the outline of a bell inside a circle. No AOS stuff here.... I seem to remember Arthur C. Clarke, or Stanley Kubrick, or someone (my brain-grep comes up with Clarke's _The Odyssey Files_ book on the making of 2010, but I'm not certain) saying that "the only thing that's out of date in _2001_ is the Bell System logo on the phone in the space station." [paraphrase].
bob@morningstar.com (Bob Sutterfield) (11/15/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0510m07@vector.dallas.tx.us> mrose@cheetah.nyser.net (Marshall Rose) writes: ..."Route 66"... shows the band's manager using a cellular phone while in a private plane which is airborne. You're sure it wasn't a Wolfsburg (sp?) FliteFone? It would look like a cellular but legal (and appropriate) for airborne use.
tel@cdsdb1.att.com (Thomas E Lowe) (11/15/89)
>Certainly the most shocking use of a phone in the movies comes from >the Depeche Mode concert film "Route 66" earlier this year, which >shows the band's manager using a cellular phone while in a private >plane which is airborne. If I remember correctly, it isn't illegal to use a cellular phone in a private plane. The reason they are illegal in 'public' planes is because they can interfere with the electronics in the cock pit and elsewhere on the plane and the pilot as little control over that. In a private plane, the pilot supposedly has total control, so it he is getting interference, it is up to him to stop it. Also, because of the signal pattern of cellular ground stations, cellular phones shouldn't work to well in the air. I do believe this was actually discussed a while back here in Telecom. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Tom Lowe tel@cdsdb1.ATT.COM attmail!tlowe 201-949-0428 AT&T Bell Laboratories, Room 2E-637A Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733 (R) UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T (keep them lawyers happy!!)
cfogg@milton.u.washington.edu (Chad Fogg) (11/16/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0511m08@vector.dallas.tx.us> you write: >I seem to remember Arthur C. Clarke, or Stanley Kubrick, or someone >(my brain-grep comes up with Clarke's _The Odyssey Files_ book on the >making of 2010, but I'm not certain) saying that "the only thing >that's out of date in _2001_ is the Bell System logo on the phone in >the space station." [paraphrase]. It should be further noted that the clairvoyant Mr. Clarke adds in his latest sequel, 2061: Odyssey Three, and I quote: ..the coming of the jet age had triggered an explosion of global tourism. At almost the same time -- it was not, of course, a coincidence -- satellites and fiber optics had revolutionized communications. With the historic abolition of long-distance charges on 31 December 2000, every telephone call became a local one, and the human race greeted the new millennium by transforming itself into one huge, gossiping family. (p. 15) Sounds like science FICTION to me. INTERNET & BITNET: cfogg@blake.acs.washington.edu [IP:128.95.136.2] UUCP path : ....uw-beaver!blake.acs.washington.edu!cfogg
mrose@cheetah.nyser.net (Marshall Rose) (11/16/89)
Well, if memory serves, it wasn't one of those GTE AirFones (which might be like a FlightFone, I guess). The guy was using a cellular in a car on the ground, and it seemed to me he was using the same phone on a plane. If I catch the film again, I'll watch more closely... /mtr
john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) (11/17/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0512m04@vector.dallas.tx.us>, tel@cdsdb1.att.com (Thomas E Lowe) writes: > If I remember correctly, it isn't illegal to use a cellular phone in a > private plane. The reason they are illegal in 'public' planes is > because they can interfere with the electronics in the cock pit and > elsewhere on the plane and the pilot as little control over that. In > a private plane, the pilot supposedly has total control, so it he is > getting interference, it is up to him to stop it. No, it's illegal regardless of the type of plane you are using it from. This comes up all the time in our various meetings when some hotshot has yet another idea for a promotion using a cellular phone from a plane. The reason is very straightforward. The system was designed to be used from ground level. The cell sites are carefully engineered to provide a specific amount of signal and sensitivity in each direction that is harmonious with each other cell site. Part of the calculation involves beam-tilt, so that your transceiver will intentionally work one site rather than another. In an airplane, all bets are off. When you push the s(p)end button, perhaps a dozen sites or more will suddenly see your signal, since you are high enough that your signal will hop over adjacent sites to the distant ones that are not supposed to see you. You may even be picked up by other systems. What will probably happen is that your cellular phone will be locked out. Most systems are set up to do this to protect themselves against multiple-site activation. This is semi-permanent, in that you will have to contact your service provider to get re-instated. > Also, because of the signal pattern of cellular ground stations, > cellular phones shouldn't work to well in the air. I do believe this > was actually discussed a while back here in Telecom. That is correct, on both counts. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !
wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (David Lesher) (11/18/89)
Anyone remember the 'Hot Line' in the "FLINT" movies? Flint had a special phone, typically shaped as a Texas steer, (hint--guess who was President) to call 'upstairs'. When it rang, it had a great sound that defies description. Wish I had that for a common ringer on my key system. A host is a host & from coast to coast...wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu no one will talk to a host that's close..............(305) 255-RTFM Unless the host (that isn't close)......................pob 570-335 is busy, hung or dead....................................33257-0335
shiau@ka (Shyue Chin Shiau) (11/18/89)
Regarding to the "picture phone with CRT", I'm collecting information
about this so called "video phone". Information about:
technology
vendor
research
Or video message compression
or anything which you think is useful. Thx.
UUCP: {ames,sun,apple,mtxinu,cae780,sco}!excelan!shiau Chin Shiau
BARRNet/Internet: shiau@xlnvax.excelan.commsmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) (11/19/89)
I think Panasonic has introduced a slow-scan, non-continuous video phone that works over current phone lines. I think it's Panasonic, I'm not sure. I saw a demo last night at Fortunoff's. You normally get a mirror of your own camera, unless you or the other guy press the send button. The send button sends your current camera to the other guy's screen. There is also a recall feature that seems to recall the last 4 pictures you received. It was $299 each set, as I remember. Mark Smith, KNJ2LH All Rights Reserved RPO 1604 You may redistribute this article only if those who P.O. Box 5063 receive it may do so freely. New Brunswick, NJ 08903-5063 msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu
paul@attunix.att.com (Paul Krzyzanowski) (11/19/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0511m08@vector.dallas.tx.us>, ckd%bu-pub.BU.EDU@ bu-it.bu.edu (Christopher K Davis) writes: > I seem to remember Arthur C. Clarke, or Stanley Kubrick, or someone > (my brain-grep comes up with Clarke's _The Odyssey Files_ book on the > making of 2010, but I'm not certain) saying that "the only thing > that's out of date in _2001_ is the Bell System logo on the phone in > the space station." [paraphrase]. Incidentally, the Bell System Picturephone in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey was designed with the help of John R. Pierce of Bell Laboratories, who designed the Telstar satellite. It looks rather formidable; there seem to be two keypads and a whole slew of instructions below the screen (16 bullet items!).
tad@ssc.UUCP (Tad Cook) (11/20/89)
A friend who works at KOMO Radio in Seattle told me that their air traffic guy during drive time was told by THE FCC to stop using a cellular phone from his small plane. They said it was ILLEGAL! It had nothing to do with interfering with the operation of the plane. I understand that they are worried about a strong signal from up high being picked up by many cells, and making that frequency unavailable over a wide area. I can see the technical problems with this, but had no idea that it was illegal! The traffic reporter's name is Ted Potter. Tad Cook tad@ssc.UUCP
cantor@proxy.enet.dec.com (David A. Cantor 26-Nov-1989 1345) (11/27/89)
In TELECOM Digest Volume 9 : Issue 518, David Lesher <wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu>, asks >Anyone remember the 'Hot Line' in the "FLINT" movies? Flint had a >special phone, typically shaped as a Texas steer, (hint--guess who was >President) to call 'upstairs'. When it rang, it had a great sound >that defies description. Wish I had that for a common ringer on my >key system. I'm 99.44% sure that the sound was the TouchTone keys 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-*-0-# in progression. Dave C.
Dave Fiske <davef@brspyr1.brs.com> (12/02/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0533m03@chinacat.lonestar.org>, cantor@proxy.enet. dec.com (David A. Cantor 26-Nov-1989 1345) writes: > In TELECOM Digest Volume 9 : Issue 518, David Lesher > <wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu>, asks > >Anyone remember the 'Hot Line' in the "FLINT" movies? Flint had a > >special phone, typically shaped as a Texas steer, (hint--guess who was > >President) to call 'upstairs'. When it rang, it had a great sound > >that defies description. Wish I had that for a common ringer on my > I'm 99.44% sure that the sound was the TouchTone keys > 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-*-0-# in progression. Sorry, but I don't think that's right. I was fascinated with the sequence as a boy, and remember it pretty clearly. Unfortunately, I'm not a musician, so I can't provide the correct note values, but the following represents the notes relative to each other. (Read across from the left. The small dee's are staccato, and the big DEE's are a tad longer in duration.) DEE DEE dee dee dee dee dee dee DEE DEE dee dee dee DEE dee dee dee dee dee dee Also, I don't remember that they sounded particularly multi-frequency. I think they were just single tones, but I could be wrong on this. "CROOK ROBS 16 BANKS -- Dave Fiske (davef@brspyr1.BRS.COM) WITH A CUCUMBER" Home: David_A_Fiske@cup.portal.com Headline from Weekly World News CIS: 75415,163 GEnie: davef
davef@brspyr1.brs.com (Dave Fiske) (12/02/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0533m03@chinacat.lonestar.org>, cantor@proxy.enet. dec.com (David A. Cantor 26-Nov-1989 1345) writes: > In TELECOM Digest Volume 9 : Issue 518, David Lesher > <wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu>, asks > >Anyone remember the 'Hot Line' in the "FLINT" movies? Flint had a > >special phone, typically shaped as a Texas steer, (hint--guess who was > >President) to call 'upstairs'. When it rang, it had a great sound > >that defies description. Wish I had that for a common ringer on my > I'm 99.44% sure that the sound was the TouchTone keys > 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-*-0-# in progression. Sorry, but I don't think that's right. I was fascinated with the sequence as a boy, and remember it pretty clearly. Unfortunately, I'm not a musician, so I can't provide the correct note values, but the following represents the notes relative to each other. (Read across from the left. The small dee's are staccato, and the big DEE's are a tad longer in duration.) DEE DEE dee dee dee dee dee dee DEE DEE dee dee dee DEE dee dee dee dee dee dee Also, I don't remember that they sounded particularly multi-frequency. I think they were just single tones, but I could be wrong on this. "CROOK ROBS 16 BANKS -- Dave Fiske (davef@brspyr1.BRS.COM) WITH A CUCUMBER" Home: David_A_Fiske@cup.portal.com Headline from Weekly World News CIS: 75415,163 GEnie: davef