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| Wireless News Aggregation |
| Friday — October 16, 2015 — Issue No. 679 |
Dear Friends of Wireless Messaging, Welcome to The Wireless Messaging News. This is my favorite time of the year, here in Southern Illinois. The leaves on the trees are turning into many different beautiful colors. I love to go walking in the woods, and fields. It reminds me of the times when, as a boy, I used to go quail hunting with my father, grandfather, and cousins. There is no thrill quite like seeing a good bird dog freeze—absolutely motionless—on a point, and then to hear that unique sound of quail wings flapping as a covey takes off in every direction. OK, enough nostalgia—on to the news and views. The RMS Titanic There are several good analogies about the sinking of the Titanic. Like . . . that it was billed as an unsinkable ship—an example of irony. When comparing the sinking of the Titanic to our paging industry, some have said that our association is like the band playing on the deck while the ship was sinking. That one is funny, but is too negative for my taste. It is basically saying that we are entertaining each other while our industry dies. NOT TRUE! Some of us are trying to diversify our businesses, and to continue promoting the things that paging can do better, and more reliably than any other wireless technology. We haven't given up. We are not trying to “manage a melting ice cube” as some have said. John Bradshaw used to say that we are like the Titanic passengers in a life boat. Instead of trying push each other overboard, we should be hugging each other, and singing songs together. I like that one. That's why I am going to the conference in Myrtle Beach I have been saying, for a long time, that our competitors are not other paging companies, they are other wireless technologies. But then, I guess I am “preaching to the choir.” Too many metaphors? Sorry.
| Wayne County, Illinois
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.
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. Back To Paging
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CONFERENCE November 5 - 6, 2015 Join CMA and come back to the beach, November 5 & 6, 2015 in Myrtle Beach, SC. This is an exceptional opportunity to meet face-to-face and make quality connections with other carriers. Several members are providing key topics of interest to small business. As promised we have kept costs minimal with registration just $300 and overnight accommodations $89/night. Conference Topics/Agenda:
Conference Location: Conference Hotel (Deadline October 13) To make reservations, please call 800-876-0010 and reference the Critical Messaging Association (CMA). You may also make reservations online. If you are booking online be sure to select the Royale Palms Hotel and then indicate that you have a special code and put in CMA in the group code. Our group rate is $89 for a one bedroom ocean-view guestroom with balcony or $149 for a 2 bedroom/2 bath ocean-view room with balcony and a full kitchen. The Royale Palms Tower consists of condo rentals and is located at the north end of Myrtle Beach in Kingston Plantation. Guests have access to all of the amenities offered throughout the Kingston Plantation. You may receive complimentary wireless access if you are (or become) a Hilton Honors member. NOTE: You are encouraged to make your reservations immediately in order to ensure you receive the group rate as once the room block fills rooms will be sold at the normal hotel rate. Parking: Parking is at a discounted rate of $5/car/day. Airport: The Myrtle Beach airport is approximately 12 miles away (30 minute drive). A taxi to the hotel costs approximately $38 one way. We hope you are able to join us at this incredible and fun learning opportunity in Myrtle Beach. |
Emergency communications directors push for outage answersBy Deanna LeBlanc PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – It’s supposed to be a lifeline in a time of emergency, but Sunday for at least two hours, 911 calls went down all across Hampton Roads. “Nobody had 911,” explained Captain Susan Canny with the Hampton Police Division. “We didn’t have wire line 911 or your home phone 911 lines coming in and we didn’t have wireless cell phone 911 lines coming in.” Captain Susan Canny runs Hampton’s emergency communications. She says the problem was not with any call center but with Verizon infrastructure. The outage impacted callers from James City County, Williamsburg, York-Poquoson, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, and the Eastern Shore. “We have been trying to get answers…for the past two days,” she said. “We still don’t have any definite concrete answers as to what happened.” WAVY.com also reached out to a Verizon spokesperson, Melanie Ortel. She said in an email that Verizon is looking into the issue closely and will share an update, when available. Monday, Canny and her counterparts from across the Peninsula worked to come up with a back-up plan should Verizon have an issue again. They invited a Verizon representative to the meeting, but Canny says no one from Verizon attended. “We need to approach this as a joint group to have Verizon come forward and tell us what the problem was and get the problem corrected,” she said. Canny also said in the meantime, she and her counterparts are working as a group to try to come up with a plan-B, should Verizon have the same issue again. “At this point we have an action plan to move forward to try to get our answers from Verizon and to try to move forward as jurisdictions to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” she explained. But, relying on Verizon to support 911 communications could eventually become a thing of the past. “The current technology was installed in the mid-70s. We’re in the process as a nation of moving to next generation 911,” explained Terry Hall. Hall is the Chief of the York-Poquoson-Williamsburg Regional 911 Emergency Communications Center. That center will be the first in the state to switch to an internet based system – that doesn’t rely on Verizon phone lines. “Fast forward a year from now we’re IP [internet protocol] based next generation 911 supported and Hampton Roads went out, our system would still be functioning,” Hall explained. He said callers will be able to use cell phones to send texts, pictures, and video to dispatchers. “That information will be put in the hands of 911 dispatchers who can then put them out to the first responders.” That program is a pilot program for the state of Virginia. It will be the first of its kind in the commonwealth. Hall says they are running some tests on it now, but it should be up and running next year. The rest of the state could see the program expand in coming years, and the program should be implemented nationwide in about a decade. For more information on the Next Generation 911 click here: http://www.911.gov/911-issues/standards.html |
| Source: | WAVY.com |
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Facebook says it's fixing a battery-killing iPhone bugby Benjamin Snyder @WriterSnyder
The company said it hopes to have a fix “soon.” Facebook confirmed to TechCrunch Thursday that its iOS app is running in the background and draining batteries in the process. A spokesperson told the publication that it hopes there will be a fix completed “soon.” “We have heard reports of some people experiencing battery issues with our iOS app. We’re looking into this and hope to have a fix in place soon,” said the spokesperson. The battery drain reportedly occurs even when the background app refresh feature is disabled. Per TechCrunch:
What to do to remedy the situation until a fix is created? Delete the app. |
| Source: | Fortune.com | (Editor: I have noticed this on my iPhone, at least I think it is Facebook that is causing it.) |
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Midland Park emergency communications take Swift routeOCTOBER 15, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015, 12:32 AM MIDLAND PARK — Beginning on Oct. 15, a new communications system will deliver information from borough officials to residents. The Swift 911 communications system allows municipal departments such as health, public works, recreation and the Office of Emergency Management to send notifications via email and text and voice messaging to both home and cellular devices. The borough currently uses e-Notices, a free email service. Borough Clerk and Administrator Adeline Hanna said the new service will cost the borough $2,300, including a $400 start-up cost for the first year of the contract, which is renewable annually. "After the first year we would pay an annual fee of $1,900 for the service," said Hanna. "We are excited to be able to communicate with residents using multiple methods." Residents are required to register through a link provided on the home page of the borough’s website, midlandparknj.org. Hanna said communications will be identified by the department sending the notification and residents will be able to choose the information they wish to receive. "The Midland Park Police Department will continue to use the Nixle communications system," Hanna said. |
| Source: | NorthJersey.com |
| STI Engineering |
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How Yahoo Mail Just Killed the Need for a PasswordBy ALYSSA NEWCOMB
Yahoo just killed the password. The online company today announced a revamped version of its Yahoo Mail app for iOS and Android, allowing users to log into their email accounts securely and without ever having to remember a password or enter one to gain access. The password killer, called Yahoo Account Key, works like this: Users enter their user name and are then sent a push alert to their smartphone letting them know someone is trying to log in to their account and from what computer. With one tap, the user can accept and will be taken to their email inbox — all without ever using a password. Why Emoji May Be in Your Next Password "Passwords are usually simple to hack and easy to forget. Account Key streamlines the sign-in process with a secure, elegant and easy-to-use interface that makes access as easy as tapping a button," Dylan Casey, vice president of product management at Yahoo said in a blog post. "It’s also more secure than a traditional password because once you activate Account Key — even if someone gets access to your account info — they can’t sign in." Yahoo rolled out another password killer earlier this year, letting users get SMS codes to use to log into their account instead of having to remember a password. |
| Source: | abc NEWS |
Wireless Communication Solutions USB Paging Encoder
Paging Data Receiver (PDR)
Other products Please see our web site for other products including Internet Messaging Gateways, Unified Messaging Servers, test equipment, and Paging Terminals.
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Windows 10 upgrades reportedly appearing as mandatory for some users
Jared Newman | @onejarednewman Microsoft is reportedly making it harder for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users to avoid the upgrade to Windows 10. Some users now claim that they no longer see an option in the Control Panel to install updates to their current version of Windows. Instead, a message says that the “upgrade to Windows 10 is ready,” and prompts users to “restart your PC to begin the installation.” Another user claims to have seen a countdown timer for installing Windows 10, with an option to reschedule but no way to call off the upgrade entirely.
Both upgrade tactics were reported by Josh Mayfield, whose GWX Stopper program is designed to eliminate Microsoft’s Windows 10 update notifications. In a blog post , Mayfield said GWX Stopper can’t help users who’ve seen either of the above dialogs. (The post was first spotted by ZDNet .) If the reports are accurate and not due to user error of some kind, it’s yet another case of Microsoft trying to ramp up Windows 10 adoption by coercion rather than incentive. Microsoft has previously confirmed that it automatically downloads Windows 10 installation files without users’ permission, occupying as much as 6GB of storage space in a hidden folder. Slyly executing the installation would be the next logical step. Microsoft, however, claims that any installation is being done with the user's prior consent. "The image you are showing is related to existing Windows 7 and 8 customers who have already opted in to the Windows 10 upgrade and this is the last step in the process," Microsoft said in a statement to PCWorld. "Recently we added the option to reschedule the Windows 10 upgrade based on customer feedback." That's not what Microsoft is saying elsewhere, though. In a statement to Ars Technica, Microsoft explained the Windows 10 update as an "optional" upgrade. " In the recent Windows update, this option was checked as default; this was a mistake and we are removing the check," Microsoft told Ars. Why this matters: For most people, Windows 10 should be an improvement over previous versions, but there are plenty of users who have perfectly valid reasons not to upgrade . Microsoft likes to talk about how it wants people to love Windows , but that’s not something you can force. Updated at 9:29 AM on Jan. 16 with a statement from Microsoft. |
| Source: | PCWorld | Microsoft keeps bugging me to upgrade to Windows 10 on an old computer that is not capable of running Windows 10. Go figure. |
| BloostonLaw Newsletter |
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.
HeadlinesAlternative Connect America Cost Model Version 2.0 ReleasedThe Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) announced the release of the Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) v2.0, which incorporates various updates to the model. (WC Docket No. 10-90). The WCB also released results of how particular study areas will be impacted based on different per-location funding caps used to calculate support. According to the WCB, the illustrative results are available at https://transition.fcc.gov/wcb/ACAM_20_ILL_Rpt_Version3_0_FINAL_100615_Public.xlsx . The WCB states that it will be difficult to draw meaningful comparisons between results from A-CAM v2.0 and results from prior versions of A-CAM given the number of changes that have been incorporated into A-CAM v2.0. Among other things, A-CAM v2.0 incorporates updated exterior study area boundaries, interior service area boundaries, and Node0 locations. The model also includes updated network topology to reflect the changes in study area boundaries, service areas, and Node0 locations. The WCB states that these changes may change the routing along roads, number of locations, or area served and, therefore, the costs calculated by the model. A-CAM v2.0 also adds two connections from each regional access tandem ring to an Internet access point to account for the cost of connecting to the public Internet. The A-CAM v2.0 capital expenditures input table creates a new size category for central offices serving fewer than 250 locations, with lower land and building investment for these very small areas than exchanges with 250 to 1,000 locations. A-CAM v2.0 was modified to allow for the setting of plant mix input values by study area rather than by state. Although the WCB invited commenters to submit proposed corrections to the plant mix values for individual study areas, they are not reflected in the model because the WCB is still reviewing them. According to the WCB, support in A-CAM v2.0 is calculated using the average cost at the census block level for each study area (i.e., costs are averaged at the census block level. Cost is calculated at the sub-block level only in cases where a census block crosses a study area boundary. According to the WCB, the model methodology for A-CAM v2.0 will be made available at https://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/rate-return-resources shortly after A-CAM v2.0 is publicly released. November 13 Recon Date Set for Incentive Auction Procedures PNThe Incentive Auction Procedures Public Notice that was adopted in the Commission’s August Open Meeting (FCC 15-78) was published in the Federal Register today (at 80 FR 61917). Under the Commission’s Rules, petitions for reconsideration of the incentive auction procedures must be filed within 30 days from the date of Federal Register publication, making petitions due on or before Friday, November 13, 2015. We have been reviewing the incentive auction procedures and are concerned that the Commission’s choices to require forward auction bidders to be active on at least 95% of their total eligibility from the very start of the auction, and not to provide these bidders any activity rule waivers, would be especially harmful to our clients. A 95% activity threshold will disadvantage small carriers because it limits a bidder’s ability to move its bids between markets. Moreover, if the 95% activity rule is not met, then this will result in a reduction in the bidder’s eligibility, possibly curtailing or eliminating the bidder’s ability to place additional bids in the auction. A “zero waiver” policy in this context means that small bidders will have no flexibility, and they cannot push “pause” on the auction if they need additional time to confirm a higher bidding budget with their board, or make some other major change in bidding strategy. It also means that small bidders – who generally don’t have the resources for backup bidding systems or large bidding teams – could be disqualified from the Incentive Auction as a result of circumstances they cannot control, such as if they run into an unexpected technical or communications glitch, if the individual responsible for bidding gets caught in traffic or has a sudden illness. Because the forward auction will use a multiple round “ascending clock” format in which the prices will steadily and predictably rise from round to round for all licenses in a market so long as the demand for licenses exceeds the amount available, we expect there will be fewer bidding “surprises” and sudden shifts of strategy that we have seen in previous “simultaneous multiple round” (or “SMR”) auctions. At the same time, however, the incentive auction will be the most complex auction that the FCC has ever undertaken, and there is no telling when a bidder may run into technical issues, or some other circumstances out of their control. Allowing small bidders to have a couple of waivers in this context would be extremely beneficial, and it would not have the same potential for harm to the reverse auction that allowing waivers to large bidders would have. We expect that the Blooston Rural Carriers will be filing a petition for reconsideration proposing that small carriers be allowed at least two (2) activity rule waivers to provide them with a requisite amount of flexibility when bidding and to account for potential technical problems or other unexpected circumstances. Please let us know if you are possibility interested in bidding in the incentive auction and we will circulate our draft petition to you prior to filing. Comment Sought on Regulatory Status of Mobile MessagingOn October 13, the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau issued a Public Notice seeking comment on a declaratory ruling clarifying the regulatory status of mobile messaging services. Comments are due November 20, and reply comments are due December 21. The declaratory ruling in question was filed in August by Twilio, Inc., a “cloud-based developer-platform company” that facilitates “merging cloud computing, web services, and traditional voice and messaging communications.” In its Petition, Twilio asks the Commission “to declare that messaging services are governed by Title II” of the Communications Act. According to Twilio, wireless providers engage in a variety of discriminatory and anti-competitive practices that cannot be adequately addressed absent a declaratory ruling classifying messaging services under Title II. Twilio further asserts that, under judicial and Commission precedent, messaging services constitute telecommunications services and commercial mobile radio services and are thus subject to Title II. The Bureau seeks comment on the issue, specifically detailed estimates – numerical estimates if available – of any costs or benefits claimed. Law & RegulationSenators Introduce Bill to Increase Broadband DeploymentOn October 8, Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) introduced the Streamlining and Investing in Broadband Infrastructure Act, which seeks to “increase broadband deployment by cutting red tape for companies, states, and local governments who want to install broadband infrastructure on federal land and promotes the simultaneous installation of underground broadband conduit during federal transportation projects.” According to the Senators, the bill would ensure states simultaneously install broadband conduits as part of certain federal transportation projects that involve constructing a new highway or adding an additional lane or shoulder — known as “dig once.” The bill also establishes a “standard fee” to streamline leasing agreements involving the installation, construction and maintenance of a communications facility by instructing agencies in possession of federal government property or infrastructure to grant a real property interest to applicants, which may include states, wireless carriers, or other organizations seeking to install communications facilities. "Not only does access to broadband connect rural Americans and tribal communities to the rest of the world, but there are many broadband dependent farming applications that will enable Montana farmers to be more efficient and equip them to feed our growing population,” Senator Daines stated. "Making effective use of existing resources and streamlining these processes are essential to continue broadband deployment in rural America. This bill would make it easier for providers to lay the groundwork for broadband, taking an important step toward connecting our unserved communities." Comments Due November 9 on Regulatory Fees FNPRMOn October 8, the FCC published its Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on changes to the methodology it uses to calculate regulatory fees for AM and FM broadcast radio, and to reallocate full time employees from the Wireline Competition Bureau working on numbering and universal service issues, in the Federal Register. Comments are due November 9 and replies due December 7. Specifically, comment is sought on i) including a higher population row in the table, dividing radio broadcasters that serve 3,000,001–6,000,000 people from those that serve more; ii) standardizing the incremental increase in fees as radio broadcasters increase the population they serve; input on consistently assessing fees based on the relative type and class of service; and iv) potentially assessing AM class A stations at 60 percent more, AM class B stations at 15 percent more, and AM class D stations at 10 percent more than AM class C stations. The FCC also seeks comment on ITTA’s proposals to i) combine wireless voice and wireline services into the Interstate Telecommunications Service Providers category and, alternatively, to ii) reassign certain Wireline Competition Bureau full time employees as indirect for regulatory fee purposes. Enforcement Bureau Fines Kajeet for Failure to Contribute to USF, TRS, and LNPOn October 7, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau released an Order and Consent Decree, resolving its investigation into whether Kajeet, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Kajeet/Airlink, repeatedly failed to: fully contribute to the USF, the TRS Fund, and the LNP cost recovery mechanism; and obtain Commission approval prior to consummating the assignment of an international Section 214 authorization. According to the Order, Kajeet admitted it made these violations, and agreed to pay a $450,000 civil penalty and to implement a long-term compliance plan. FCC Fines Rio Verde Wireless for Failure to Timely File Form 477On October 7, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued an Order and Consent Decree resolving an investigation into whether Rio Verde Wireless failed to timely file FCC Form 477 (Local Telephone Competition and Broadband Reporting) and failed to fully respond to the Bureau’s letter of inquiry. According to the Order, Rio Verde admitted it failed to file a timely March 2014 Form 477 and failed to respond to the Bureau’s inquiry, and agreed to implement a compliance plan and pay a $10,500 penalty. IndustryCalifornia Signs Strictest Digital Privacy Bill in US into LawMedia outlets are reporting that last Thursday, California Governor Jerry Brown (D) signed the Electronic Communications Privacy Act into law. This bill provides extremely broad protections and bars any state law enforcement agency or other investigative entity from forcing a business to turn over any digital communications or related metadata – including e-mail, text and SMS messages, documents and other data files stored in the cloud, etc., without a properly issued warrant. This legislation goes further to require the issuance of a warrant to permit law enforcement to track mobile phone signals or otherwise search the contents of mobile wireless devices. While a few other states have warrant protection for either content or GPS tracking, the California legislation is the first to protect location data, content, metadata as well as device searches. According to State Senator Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, there was no logical reason that “a handwritten letter stored in a desk drawer [should] enjoy more protection from warrantless government surveillance than an email sent to a colleague or a text message sent to a loved one.” Leno also stated that “[t]his is nonsensical and violates the right to liberty and privacy that every Californian expects under the constitution.” It is important to note that this legislation only applies to California law enforcement agencies and that agencies outside the state are bound by the laws of their home jurisdiction. Thus, an investigation originating in another state of a California citizen might not be subject to the limitations of the new California law. That said, the California law could be a harbinger of things to come – especially in view of recent outcries for digital privacy protections. Federal Magistrate Wades into Debate Requests to Unlock Encrypted Smart PhonesThe Washington Post is reporting that Magistrate Judge James Orenstein of the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York has waded into the debate concerning whether device manufacturers can be compelled to unlock a customer’s smart phone. The current controversy involves Apple and a customer’s iPhone. Magistrate Orenstein has declined to rule in the case, and instead, issued an order directing Apple to explain whether the government’s request would be “unduly burdensome.” The Post indicates that Orenstein has a reputation on the bench for being an “activist” in the surveillance debate and that he would like a similar discussion on encryption. Analysts indicate that Orenstein may have picked the wrong case for his challenge since, according to law enforcement sources, the iPhone in question runs on an older version of Apple’s IOS operating system and therefore can be easily unlocked. Nonetheless, Apple started the national debate last year when offered encryption on its more recent mobile devices that could only be unlocked by the customer. Interestingly enough, while the FBI says that it is hampered by this sort of encryption, it has chosen to try to persuade device manufacturers to provide the government with the encryption keys. This tact may be the result of the current administration’s support for strong encryption on mobile devices. Even so, it is important that law enforcement have access to information if a warrant has been issued in a criminal or terrorism case. DeadlinesOCTOBER 15: INITIAL 911 RELIABILITY CERTIFICATION. The Commission’s rules require Covered 911 Service Providers to take “reasonable measures” to provide reliable service with respect to 911 circuit diversity, central office backup power, and diverse network monitoring, as evidenced by an annual certification of compliance with specified best practices or reasonable alternative measures. The Initial Reliability Certification requires covered providers to demonstrate “substantial progress” toward meeting the requirements of the full Annual Reliability Certification, which is defined as compliance with standards of the full certification in at least 50 percent of the Covered 911 Service Provider’s critical 911 circuits, central offices that directly serve public safety answering points (PSAPs), and independently monitored 911 service areas. OCTOBER 26: COMMENTS DUE ON SECTION 214 DISCONTINUANCE CRITERIA AND PROCESS. The FCC is seeking comments on a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) which asks whether the Commission should revise its rules concerning the 214 application process and proposes specific criteria for use in evaluating applications to discontinue retail services pursuant to section 214 of the Act. OCTOBER 29: COMMENTS DUE ON APPLICABLITY OF TELEMARKETING RULES TO GOVERNMENTS. A petition for declaratory ruling (CG Docket No. 02-278) asks the FCC to find that the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Commission’s implementing rules do not apply to calls made by or on behalf of federal, state, and local governments, including calls made by legislative, judicial, and executive bodies, and those who act on behalf of such government entities, when such calls are made for official purposes. NOVEMBER 1: FCC FORM 499-Q, TELECOMMUNICATIONS REPORTING WORKSHEET. All telecommunications common carriers that expect to contribute more than $10,000 to federal Universal Service Fund (USF) support mechanisms must file this quarterly form. The FCC has modified this form in light of its decision to establish interim measures for USF contribution assessments. The form contains revenue information from the prior quarter plus projections for the next quarter. Form 499-Q relates only to USF contributions. It does not relate to the cost recovery mechanisms for the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund, the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA), and the shared costs of local number portability (LNP), which are covered in the annual Form 499-A that is due April 1. Calendar At-A-Glance October November December |
| 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 . |
| Friends & Colleagues |
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Wireless Network Planners www.wirelessplanners.com
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GREENVILLE, S.C., Oct. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Zipit Wireless, a provider of critical communication solutions, today announced the issue by the US Patent Office of a patent covering the mobile technology used in its Enterprise Critical Messaging Solution™, which is currently in use in hundreds of healthcare, emergency services, manufacturing, government, and other enterprise organizations throughout the U.S. The patent details specific features that enable users to distinguish between critical, often time-sensitive messages and simple text messages. The device patent, no. 9,131,356 — System and Method for Administration and Operation of One or More Mobile Electronic Communications Devices, covers technology for prioritizing messages sent to a device, changing the behavior of the device, such as changing the display and sound based on a specific message priority level, support for pre-defined multiple choice message responses, and enabling messages to be deleted remotely or automatically from mobile electronic communications devices such as the dedicated Zipit Now™ devices or smartphones and tablets running an application like the Zipit Confirm™ mobile application. The entire patent includes 16 claims.
Patent 9,131,356 is the ninth patent received by Zipit. Zipit patents also cover IoT products utilizing Zipit technologies that have been brought to market by nationally recognized third-party brands. About Zipit Wireless Zipit Wireless (“Zipit”) is an experienced and innovative provider of critical communication solutions and Internet of Things services that leverage the company's unique strengths in communication workflows, wireless connectivity and encryption, user-friendly device software, and secure cloud-based infrastructure. Zipit's patented technology and best-in-class solutions have been connecting people and devices since 2004. For more information on Zipit and our solutions, please visit www.zipitwireless.com . The “Z” logo and Zipit are registered trademarks of Zipit Wireless, Inc. Contact: Dan Heredia |
| Source: | PRNewswire |
| LETTERS TO THE EDITOR |
Hello Brad, We thought you would be interested in this new press release announcing a new patent we received related to our critical messaging solution. The patent covers:
You can view the announcement here: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zipit-wireless-issued-patent-for-mobile-enterprise-messaging-technology-300159123.html [see complete news release above] Let us know if you would like to set up a time to speak with someone here about it and good job on the newsletters. Keep them coming. Regards, Dan Heredia |
Dear Brad, I enjoyed, very much, your article on Marty Cooper and Arlene Harris. I am a great admirer of both and have been since the early days when Fred Link used to talk to me about them. Fred had so much respect for the two of them. I remember how excited he was when Marty left Motorola, it was a major happening as Fred explained to me. I remember how pleased Fred was when Arlene was elevated to fellow status at the Radio Club of America. Fred and Marty are so much alike in so many ways. Both have contributed tremendously to the wireless industry, seem to always be in the spot light and yet both are just your regular down to earth good guys. Marty has helped me more than once and I will always be grateful to him. Your article brought back so many good memories! Thanks for all that you do. Mercy PS — See attached picture from 1978. Amazing, he still looks the same!
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| THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK |
Autumn “I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” — L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” — Albert Camus “Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” — Lauren DeStefano, Wither |
| PHOTO OF THE WEEK |
Taking a Peak |
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| OCTOBER 15, 2015 | Photograph by Liz Barney |
| Source: | National Geographic |
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