Telecom-Request%usc-eclc@brl-bmd.UUCP (Telecom-Request@usc-eclc) (01/10/84)
TELECOM Digest Tuesday, 10 Jan 1984 Volume 4 : Issue 6
Today's Topics:
MCI Mail On-Line directory
Free calling from payphones
Blue boxes
818
Bebugged
Alternative LD Services Comparison
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Date: 8 Jan 1984 1337-EST
From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV at DEC-MARLBORO>
Subject: MCI Mail On-Line directory
MCI Mail does have an on-line directory. If you don't know whether
someone uses the service or not, just type is last name, or narrow it
down further with his first initial and last name (MCI recently told
people to do this without a space -- bad -- all people who chose
usernames other than that wouldn't be found, but first initial <space>
last name finds all).
I think the prices for overnight and four-hour delivery are quite
reasonable; it's the price for the other two services I find a bit
high. But maybe not so high when you consider there's no membership
or connect charges and they let you call in on an 800 Service number
(paying their competitor!).
Laser printers are a xerographic process, and if they don't keep
enough toner in the machine, then you'll get bad copy. You can't
print anywhere near as fast as is necessary to handle the volume they
need with a mechanical process.
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Date: Sun, 8 Jan 84 13:59:10 PST
From: Theodore N. Vail <vail@UCLA-CS>
Subject: Free calling from payphones
Referring to the movie "Wargames", John Gilmore comments about the
various methods of breaking into systems:
The one that doesn't work is: making a free pay
phone call by unscrewing the microphone cover
and grounding it to the phone (!). [Even if it
had the potential to work, the covers are glued
on so nobody will steal the crummy microphone.]
He obviously hasn't tried it. Variants of this were the standard way
of making local telephone calls from the Student House (dormitory) pay
phones when I was an undergraduate at Caltech. The best was to ground
one side of a 1000 ohm resistor (value not critical) and touch the
other side to any of numerous wires in or around the telephone. In
particular, one could fasten a pin to the resistor and poke it into
the microphone, making contact with the metal cover. Although less
reliable, just grounding, without the resistor, through a slightly bad
connection would work, with perhaps a few trials required. These
methods worked on both Pacific Telephone (Western Electric) pay
phones, which didn't have a dial-tone until they were ready for
dialing, and General Telephone (Automatic Electric) pay phones which
gave a dial-tone first.
As for gluing on the cover -- while common in large cities and,
especially in places with Street People, such as Berkeley, small
telephone companies in places like Wyoming often don't bother -- they
don't have the same kind of a rip-off problem found in the Big City.
In any case, our hero could have poked a pin into the mouthpiece to
make the connection if he were unable to unscrew the cover.
ted vail
ps I do not recommend the above technique. It is, of course,
a misdemeanor, punishable in the customary way. I guess
if you're saving the world (as in the movie) then it is
justifiable. But even then the telephone company lawyers
might give you a hard time. -- tnv
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Date: Mon 9 Jan 84 00:58:03-EST
From: Ralph W. Hyre Jr. <RALPHW@MIT-XX.ARPA>
Subject: Blue boxes
I have often wondered if the telco would hassle me because my
customer-provided equipment has the ability to do blue boxing. My
equipment (a Novation Apple-Cat modem) uses a digital-analog converter
to generate DTMF tones, although it is not limited to these
frequencies.
- Ralph Hyre (ralphw@mit-xx)
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From: vortex!lauren at RAND-UNIX
Date: Sun, 8-Jan-84 03:59:51-PST
Subject: 818
Just for amusement, on Friday night here in L.A., I started
experimenting with 818 to see what would result. I have two
Pacific*Bell and two General Telephone lines here, so I tried calling
1-818-555-1212 from both types. In all cases, I was routed to the
normal directory assist operator for that line, just as if I'd dialed
411. In the case of the GenTel lines, I got the standard "please hang
up if you could have used your directory" recording.
Now, an interesting question comes to mind. When the real cutover
comes in nine months, do we get shafted for directory assist calls?
For example: Right now I could call 411 and make up to three requests
on that call, any of which could be for the 213 or 818 area. After a
full split, I'd have to make two separate calls if I needed numbers
both in 213 and 818. Even more interesting, what happens when AT&T
gets their "outside the area code" directory assistance charge? Will
calls that previously were rated as local D.A. then be rated as long
distance D.A.? I doubt that the second scenario will take place
(though I'd like to know for sure) but the first one seems pretty
likely. Since we were promised that the area code split would result
in no additional customer charges, I'm tempted to call my local P.U.C.
contact and see what he has to say on this matter...
--Lauren--
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Date: 7-Jan-84 22:23:46-EST
From: (Joel M. Heller) jmh@BNL
The Los Angeles Times introduced a new service (which was
advertised in the business section of the L.A. Times [Jan. 7, 1983])
called WeatherTimes.
If you dial (213) 976-4646
between 2-3 pm or 10pm - 6am Ski Report
8-10 pm Surfing Report
6-9:20 am or 3-6:20pm Traffic
Sat & Sun 5:40-8 am Sailing
All recordings are updated every time new information comes in.
(Each one contains a report on the weather in general, business travel
forcast, and the special reports listed above.)
In addition there is
Business Pulse (213) 976-6464
SportsTimes (213) 976-6363
SportsCall (213) 976-2111 (National sports)
At the bottom of the ad in small print:
"One quarter buys a lot of convenience. Each call costs only 25
cents plus applicable toll charge, if any. You'll find the charge on
your monthly phone bill. These services do not work on coin operated
phones."
Does anyone have the details on whether such a service can be set
up on residential phones. Do businesses have the legal responsibility
to notify you if such charges are made? If such services are set up
on a residential line, does the owner of the line get the full amount
that the caller is charged?
It seems that setting up a charge might be useful
a) On a public bulletin board system, where the sysop would get a
small income to help pay for the phone line. b) On a line you plan
to use only for outgoing calls (Crank callers
would be penalized!)
But what about wrong numbers? You accidentally dial such a service
and you receive a charge (without being notified until the bill
arrives...)
Please share any knowledge or opinions you have!
~~jmh
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Date: 9 Jan 84 10:44 EST (Monday)
From: Denber.WBST@PARC-MAXC.ARPA
Subject: Bebugged
>From page 38 of the Spring 1984 Edmund Scientific Catalog:
Is Someone Listening In?
Makes your phone secure, and works whether call is being made or
received. Adjustable for all telephone installations and can be
easily installed. 3 1/4" x 5" x 1/2".
Eavesdropper
K33,199 $39.95
The accompanying photo shows a box (labelled "Eavesdropper Stopper")
with an on/off switch, and what look like one or two small lights.
Now I vaguely recall some discussion of bug-detectors here about a
year ago but I ignored it, not being directly interested at the time.
Lately however, I have noticed strange clicks on my line, not faint
switching noises or static, but loud definite single clicks occurring
once per call on many calls I get (sounds like an extension being
picked up). I also have reason to believe that someone might be
interested in tapping my line (how dramatic).
The phone company "checked the line" and "found nothing wrong" and
appeared uninterested/unwilling to investigate further.
So my questions are: 1. how easy is it to bug a private residential
phone line (ie. do you need an EE degree, do you need connections
down at the C.O., do you have to climb poles, or what?); 2. can you
tell if someone is tapping a line you're using (ie. could that result
in what I'm hearing, or am I being paranoid?); 3. do devices like the
above really work, and if so, how? Thanks.
By the way, the $4.88 Cheap Phone I told you about last month lasted
exactly three weeks before biting the Big One. The "0" key decided to
become a NOP. At least the store gave me a brand new one no questions
asked. The new one had a different face plate and keyboard.
- Michel
DENBER.WBST@PARC-MAXC
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Date: 9 Jan 1984 1348-PST
Subject: Alternative LD Services Comparison
From: WMartin at Office-3 (Will Martin)
Since there has been interest expressed in comparing the alternative
LD services, I typed in the following chart:
>From USA TODAY, Friday, 30 Dec 83:
Comparative LD Services. Rates shown are for a New York-Los Angeles
call. (Original chart also has a Denver-Chicago call, but the whole
thing won't fit in 80 columns.)
Day Eve Night Sign-up Monthly MinimumBilling
Wkend Fee Fee Charge Unit
______________________________________________________________________
AT&T $4.17 $2.50 $1.66 None None None 60 sec. AT&T(new-4/84) $3.74
$2.24 $1.49 None None None 60
MCI Full-Time $3.46 $1.70 $1.33 None $10 None 60 MCI Super
Saver $3.76 $1.70 $1.33 None $5 None 60 MCI Basic $3.76 $2.12 $1.41
$10 None None 60
(1000-1600 hours "restricted")
GTE-Sprint $3.72 $2.16 $1.45 None None $5 60
Allnet $3.35 $1.55 $1.21 $7.50 $5 None 6 sec.
Homeline $3.96 $1.75 $1.00 None $5 None 60 sec.
(US Telephone, Inc.)
ITT Longer $3.89 $1.59 $1.17 None $5 None 60
Distance
Skyline $3.12 $1.44 $1.12 $16 None $15 6
(After 1 min)
(Satellite Business Systems, Inc.)
Western Union: Metrofone I $3.44 $1.60 $1.55 None $10 None 60 sec.
Metrofone II $3.44 $1.60 $1.55 None $5 $40* 60 Metrofone $3.44 $1.60
$1.55 None None $10 60
Off-Peak (0900-1700 "restricted") * = After first 60 days
I'm sure this changes quite often, so be sure to check with the
companies yourself instead of relying on this data. It might be a
useful tool when trying to compare them, though. I wish they would
include an intrastate call on these kind of comparisons, though. They
never do...
Will Martin
PS: Since the sign-up fee is usually waived in sales periods and as a
part of come-ons, I would never pay one myself; probably you could
always wait a bit for a sale in which is is waived.
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End of TELECOM Digest
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