UWI and Piracy - The Real Pirate Bay

Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest

Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum

Drink to the devil and be done with the rest

Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum

Old Pirate Chantey from Stevenson’s Treasure Island

It seems that the above song could have well been the protest song for the young 20-somethings who held a vigil for the impending death of the infamous The Pirate Bay file sharing website.

This as The Pirate Bay file sharing website was illegally sharing Digital content from music to movies and was been threatened with extinction much as was the case with Napster, Aimster, and TorrentSpy, as its ISP (Internet Service Provider), Black Internet, was being threatened with heavy fines by a Swedish High Court as stated in the article “File sharers vigil for Pirate Bay”, published August 25, 2009 4:00 AM PDT by Greg Sandoval, CNET News - Digital Media.

As irony would have it, a click on the hyperlink (its The Pirate Bay if the above does not work!!) reveals that it is up and still kicking. I know.

This very website saved me during my sojourn through the Department of Physics, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences at the University of the West Indies during the years 2005 to 2009, as John Public sought to get his BSc in electronics and Chemistry without spending a dime.

Thanks to the infamous The Pirate Bay file sharing website, I was quite able to do that, as it has a treasure trove of books that one can download for free, such as Solomon’s Organic Chemistry, which from my point of view then and still is now, as the Americans would say, a “rip-off”, as I fail to see why someone would purchase such an expensive book when each version was not any much improvement on the first.

Indeed, I never purchased ANY book while at UWI, as The Pirate Bay file sharing website had them all for me to download and read. Plus, I do share the persecution sentiment expressed by Peter Sunde Kolmissopi, one of the co-founders of The Pirate Bay file sharing website, who was quoted in an email to David Kravets of Wired Magazine as saying: “Some of the most talented network people in the world have been working with the site (under) a tremendous threat from the most corrupt and powerful corporations in the world”.

But other students had other thoughts in mind, mainly using their Broadband Internet access to the University of the West Indies to illegally stream and download Digital content, namely movie and music.

I knew it was wrong, but my expressed concern to fellow students fell on deaf ears, as many did not see it as stealing, merely regarding it as just “copying” or “streaming for free” as the makers of the content, they reasoned were relatively well-of people who would not be concerned about a few hundred dollars of lost revenue.

Not to mention the fact that being older than them, they saw me as merely an older person come to spoil their fun. Guess they never met the content owners and multi-million dollar conglomerates trying to shut down who regarded the founders of The Pirate Bay file sharing website Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi, Fredrik Neij, and Gottfried Svartholm Warg, who persons the world over revered as the  modern day equivalent of Robin Hood, Scandinavian style, as thieves.

To be fair, John Public regarded them as heroes, as I do not know how I would have survived UWI without being able to download copies of books that were so expensive and out of my reach. But what of the other students at the University of the West Indies who knew what they were doing was wrong?  

That was August 2009 in Sweden. In the United States of America, it seems that the RIAA (Recording Industry Artiste Association) and the MPAA (Motion Picture Artiste Association) have finally persuaded Congress to effectively suspend Title IV Federal Aid to Universities and Colleges in the United States of America in breach of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008.

This was legislation lobbyist from the RIAA and the MPAA help to craft along with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). It speaks more specifically to protecting copyright material from unauthorized usage or redistribution for profit as stated in the article

“Federal rules on campus file shring kick in today”, published July 1, 2010 7:14 AM PDT by Greg Sandoval, CNET News - Media Maverick.

The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008 lays out legislation that basically holds Universities culpable for breaches of copyright by students, citing that guidelines should be clearly laid out to students as to what constitutes a breach of these anti-piracy legislations, actions that the Universities and Colleges must take to stem the problem and alternates to the illegal downloading and unauthorized sharing of copyrighted material.

This shift from taking legal action against websites that host content for file sharing to the sharers themselves, is best expressed in the comments of Cary Sherman, President of the RIAA, who basically said that “It's the first time ever in the history of dealing with the issue that Congress is holding schools accountable and requiring them to address the problem.

Here you have Congress saying 'Get off the sidelines and deal with the problem.' It's an important signal”. Very important indeed, as by taking action for that which was prior assumed to be the preserve of Universities and Colleges to enforce copyright. This as a Sword of Damocles hangs over the Administrators of the Universities and Colleges heads via the threat of withdrawal of Title IV Federal Aid, thus making compliance a simple matter.

This compliance came into effect on Thursday July 1, 2010, a damper for those who wish to still dabble in file sharing on campus and a strong signal to them that it is not only wrong, it is stealing.

Thus the implications for Universities and Colleges worldwide is obvious, as it means that eventually Music Industry and Movie Industry Associations will possibly seek to take similar actions against Universities and Colleges in their countries. Here in Jamaica at the University of the West Indies and the other Universities and Colleges, the usage of computers and the internet also needs to be more streamlined.

This with Students access to downloading, video and audio streaming websites and social networking websites and instant messaging applications capable of VOIP (Voice over IP) being blocked, as these site are responsible for clogging the network with traffic and exposing the delicate University ecosystem to viruses, previous attacks having crippled the Universities Network, especially as more and more Students have personal laptops and Netbooks.

Additionally, Students accessing the networks on Campus should be given a download/upload cap per month of 3Gb in addition to logon times of one (1) hour per session, which should decrease to half (1/2) and hour once the person has exceeded this download cap for the month, so as to prevent persons from being able to abuse their access to the Campus Internet.

More use needs to be made of Open Source applications e.g. Ubuntu Operating system, Open Office, OURVLE, etc. to replace those applications for which the University needs a license to put on multiple computers, thereby lowering the University’s IT costs in the long run.

Students should only have the ability to use the IM and chat applications on OURVLE and access to websites pre-screened by the Guild of Students deemed important to learning and not able to allow Students to engage in downloading, video and audio streaming, social networking and instant messaging applications capable of VOIP (Voice over IP).

Computers at these Universities and College also need to be put on a regular maintenance schedule, with computers campus wide being regularly defragged, virus scanned, software and files being backed up and files taking up space on hard drives being removed by teams of Students employed by the University on weekends.

If Students wish to download what the University of the West Indies does not allow, they need to speak to the Network Administrator of the Computer Lab or purchase a 3G modem from Telecoms Providers LIME or CLARO or a Digicel Wimax 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) modem (when it becomes available), or better yet, a Netbook or laptop from the aforementioned Telecoms Providers with the modem already embedded in the laptop – and see how it feels to have to pay for your internet access, as most wireless internet access is capped.

University and College students should realize that they live in a more privileged time, where knowledge is truly democratized, being able to search and pick of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and Evil using Google, at which point my parallel to the Garden of Eden ends.

Thus I am left to wonder if young people’s attitudes to the right of content owners to be compensated for their work will ever change, as the rebellious nature of those who steal may be best expressed in the sea chantey, as these students enjoying their Frat Parties and Free Music on the University of the West Indies will see those follies coming to an end. John Public will drink to the Devil and be done with the rest……….

_tec_atR � a a `Q, � , or New AT&T users, no more "all you can eat" data”, published June 2 2010 By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer, Yahoo News.

Albeit the zeal to deal with Digital Music and Video Piracy being shown by the Government of the United States of America is commendable.

This should also be extended to Colleges and Universities outside of the United States of America by pressuring Governments such as the current Bruce Golding-led Government of Jamaica to get serious about infringements of Copyright, and not leave it to companies having to go after local companies in breach of Copyright Act

The Case with Triple Play Cable Provider FLOW and HBO comes to mind. Instead, a partnership should be forged between the Government of the United States of America, Telecom Providers Digicel, CLARO and LIME and the Government of Jamaica and it various organizations to identify the sources of downloading in Developing Countries such as Jamaica and have them blocked from local access

This would not only have a positive effect on our local music industry, but would also pave the way, along with the implementation of MNP (Mobile Number Portability) for Telecom Providers and DSO (Digital Switch Over) for the coming of eCommerce, as the primary indicator of a country with an interest in eCommerce that is business ready is one that has respect for the Intellectual Property, a point hinted at in my blog article entitled ‘Piracy Solution via MNP, DSO and Legislation”.

Antigua and Barbuda could also pursue this route of co-operation with the Government of the United States of America of between its Telecom Providers, implement MNP and DSO, if not already done, and proceed to block the downloading of Copyright Infringing Content in exchange for waivers on Internet Gambling.

The Baldwin Spencer-led Government of Antigua and Barbuda derives considerable revenue from online gaming, who are in dire need of the revenues derived from Internet Gambling, which is effectively another form of eCommerce.

Equally of interest is the taxation of such eCommerce transactions………..being of course fodder for another great article on my blog. Until then, it seems the spectacle of Men [Governments] biting the Scurvy Dogs of Piracy [websites, college students] will be ongoing and making the rounds in the news.

This as the article quoted thus far state that these actions are only just the beginning………with the recommendation that Latin America and Jamaica be included in efforts of the Government of the United States of America.

Telecom Providers and The Rise of E-Commerce

So nigh grandeur to our dust,

So near to God is man,

When Duty whispers low, Thou must

The youth replies, I can

Emerson, from his writings entitled “Voluntaries”

Prospects for a swift economic recovery are looking brighter and brighter. German automakers are reportedly back in production, producing new high-end SUV (Sports Utility Vehicles) for the People’s Republic of China, where the insatiable demand for these gas-guzzlers is suddenly picking up, albeit fears exists as to whether it is a return to “good times” or just a short term recovery as suggested in the “DW-TV Journal”, aired Friday July 12 2010 5:00AM Television Jamaica Limited (http://www.televisionjamaica.com). Other signs can now be seen that are definitive in terms of new business opportunities for Internet not just in terms of Apple iPhones, Apple iPads and other wonderful gadgets from the Magical World of Apple, but also in terms of good old fashioned Internet Commerce, or e-Commerce, an ode to the heyday of the 90’s and the Dot.com Bubble that gobble up many a VC’s (Venture Capitalist) money and littered the Internet with websites than nobody visited. This resurgence of e-Commerce is curiously enough, occurring in places where the Internet Penetration has exceeded 50%, after initially being below this figure as is the case with Jamaica in the article “Most J'cans still not online”, published Saturday, September 2 2006, the Saturday Gleaner, (http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com).

Indeed, people are now beginning to see internet as a necessity based on a recently commissioned BBC poll in which 78% of the participants emphatically declared that they believe that access to broadband internet should be a fundamental right, as suggested in the article “BBC survey: Net access is basic right”, published March 8, 2010 8:04 AM PST by Andrew Nusca, CNET News – Digital Media. It is now the case in Finland, where broadband is now officially a right, every resident having the right to a minimum of a 1 MBps broadband access into their houses, putting this “right” in the same category as utilities such as light, water and sewage as stated in the article “You gotta fight for your right to broadband”, published Thursday June 1 2010 by Christopher Null, Technology Writer, Yahoo! News (http://www.news.yahoo.com) with an eventual plan to raise that allotted amount to 100 Mbps, easily achievable in Finland, a sedated Nordic society where everyone lives indoors most or the time, eat bland food and are taken care of by the state from cradle to grave. Comparatively only 40% of citizens of the United States of America are connected to broadband, based on a National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) funded study conducted by the Census Bureau, as stated in the article “Survey: 40 percent in US have no broadband”, published February 16, 2010 10:11 AM PST by Lance Whitney, CNET News - Wireless (http://www.cnet.com), FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Chairman Julius Genachowski has made his intention clear that he intends to increase both Wired and Wireless Broadband Penetration across the length and breadth of the United States of America as stated in the article “FCC chairman wants faster broadband”, published February 17, 2010 10:05 AM PST by Lance Whitney, CNET News - Politics and Law, (http://www.cnet.com) with the aim also being 100 Mbps for every American as stated in the article “100Mbps broadband may be closer than you think”, published March 8, 2010 4:00 AM PST, by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - Signal Strength, (http://www.cnet.com).

In the Developed World, such as where John Public calls home, CLARO has come to save the day with their 3G Internet since September 2008, albeit their service is not being promoted on radio and television. LIME is just as bad, having launched in 2008 but only now just reaching Montego Bay as stated in the article “LIME to build $40m 3G Netwo for Montego Bay”, published Sunday June 27, 2010, by Janeta Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer, janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com, The Sunday Gleaner, (http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com) and Digicel, which had promised WiMax 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) in 2009 as stated in the article “Digicel to offer mini laptops with 4G service next year”, published Friday September 4^th 2009 by Lavern Clarke, lavern.clarke@gleanerjm.com,The Daily Gleaner, (http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com), with ZTE Corp of China as their build out partner of their new WiMax 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) Broadband Network as stated in the article “DIGICEL SIGNS ZTE AS 4G MOBILE WIMAX INTERNET PARTNER”, published Sunday, September 27, 2009, The Jamaica Observer, (http://www.jamaicaobserver.com), is now delivering, albeit now one (1) week behind schedule and now looking set to miss the deadline altogether, only achieving launch in August 2010 as stated in the article “Digicel quietly testing 4G for August launch”, published Sunday June 27^th 2010 by Mark Titus, Gleaner Reporter, mark.titus@gleanerjm.com, The Jamaica Sunday Gleaner, (http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com), with the possibility to use it as a means of delivering DigiTV as stated in the article “DigiTV' launch for 2009 - Mobile provider branches into TV”, published Friday November 14^th 2009 by Ross Sheil, rsheil@jamaicaobserver.com,  Online Co-ordinator, The Jamaica Observer, (http://www.jamaicaobserver.com).

Thus the rise of e-Commerce in the Middle East as stated in the article “Online Advertising Spending surges in the Middel East”, published June 3, 2010, 11:00AM EST By Alaa Shahine and Massoud A. Derhally, BloomBerg BusinessWeek - ADVERTISING (http://www.businessweek.com) and Jamaica as stated in the article “E-shopping growth bosts business for customers”, published Friday June 25th 2010 by Avia Collinder, Business Writer, The Financial Gleaner, (http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/efg) should not come as a surprise, as the same level of Telecommunication Development that is taking place in Jamaica is taking place worldwide as stated in the article “On call: Welcome to 4G”, published March 9, 2010 11:01 AM PST by Kent German CNET News – Dialed In (http://www.cnet.com), with broadband access prices falling as stated in the article “Mobile, broadband prices dropping worldwide”, published February 24, 2010 9:43 AM PST by Lance Whitney CNET News - Digital Media (http://www.cnet.com) and usage of wireless Broadband beginning to mimic Wired Broadband as stated in the article “Can 4G wireless take on traditional broadband?”", published March 22, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - CTIA 2010 (http://www.cnet.com), all of which bodes well for the expansion of internet usage globally in the Summer of 2010.

Finland has Access to Broadband as a Right. The United States of America has plans under the FCC to reach a similar status in the next ten (10). Jamaica apparently has no concrete Energy Sector Liberalization Plan other than catching the religion of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas), which though correct and will actually save us the 25% to 30% on our Electricity Bills as stated in the article “Gov’t eyes LNG cure for energy problems”, published Wednesday June 16 2010 by Laura Redpath, Senior Staff Writer, the Jamaica Gleaner, laura.redpath@gleanerjm.com (http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com), is not true Energy Diversification and Research needed to achieve Energy Sector Liberalization as stated in the article “LNG drama raises more questions than answers”, published Sunday, June 27, 2010 BY AL EDWARDS, The Jamaica Observer, (http://www.jamaicaobserver.com) from Senator James Robertson, Minister of Energy and Mining to make such an incomplete declaration, and would explain in part the insistence of Senator Phillip Paulwell, Opposition Spokespersons on Telecoms and ICT on details of this plan as stated in the article “Government, Opposition wrangle over Energy”,  published Saturday  April 3, 2010, the Jamaica Gleaner,  (http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com), despite a copy existing on the Ministry of Energy and Mining website, which is vague. Even worse is Water Sector Liberalization, with no plans or announcements from Senator Dr. Horace Chang, Minister of Water and Housing. Thus it is no surprise that we do not have a broad policy on Broadband Liberalization and enshrining it as a Right, as is the case in Finland, the excuse of being a Third World Country now sounding like a broken record. Worse with a stalled MNP (Mobile Number Portability) ruling overdue from the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) as stated in the article "Paulwell calls for number portability", published, Wednesday April 21, 2010, Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner (http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com) which should have been released in June 2010 and previously stated to be necessary as we are running out of phone numbers, down to one million (1,000,000) from nearly eight million (8,000,000) as stated in the article “OUR signals policy shift on portability - Says Jamaica running out of phone numbers”, published Friday November 20, 2009 by Mark Titus, Business Reporter, mark.titus@gleanerjm.com, The Friday Gleaner (http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com), one is left to wonder if the Telecom Sector will ever be fair to customers, despite recent declarations by the OUR stating that lower cross network rates are coming as stated in the article “Digicel loses appeal, call rates could fall”, published Wednesday, June 02, 2010, The Jamaica Observer - Business (http://www.JamaicaObserver.com). All of these things are necessary to growth and must be executed properly, or the JDX (Jamaica Debt Exchange) declared as successful in the article “JDX Ends at 99 per cent; Minister says thanks”, published Thursday, February 25, 2010, The Jamaica Observer (https://www.jamaicaobserver.com) would have been in vain and their would be no Happy Ending by 2015, when Oil is expected to Peak. Duty Calls……..

Telecom Providers and Mobile Banking - Christmas a cum me wah me llama

Christmas a cum

Me wah me Llama

Christmas a cum

Me wah me Llama

Jamaican Folk Song sung traditionally at Christmas Time

The Big Three (3) in Banking, namely RBTT (Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago), NCB (National Commercial Bank) and BNS (Bank of Nova Scotia) took a body blow when the JDX (Jamaica Debt Exchange) declared as successful in the article “JDX ENDS AT 99 PER CENT; MINISTER SAYS THANKS”, published Thursday, February 25, 2010, The  Jamaica Observer struck.

Overnight, it wiped out their profits and they slowly resigned themselves to an end to the heyday of record profits and a return to the traditional business of banks: Savings, Loans and investments, both Fixed Income and Money Market. Governor of the Bank of Jamaica, Mr. Brian Wynter as stated in the article “Credit Rating bureau needed quickly – Wynter”, published Friday January 22 2010, by Alicia Roache, The  Jamaica Observer.

The BOJ then made a declaration that players in the Banking Sectors wanted to hear that would make Loans seamless, transparent and convenient, which was a urgent call for a Credit Bureau Database in keeping with the Credit Reporting Bill that is yet to be full ratified in Parliament, still distracted by Christopher “Dudus” Coke related matters, when the focus should be on getting growth going.

The Commercial Banks, namely RBTT, BNS and the NCB seem reluctant to lower their Interest Rate spreads, as the losses incurred due to the JDX possibly still hurt and they are at least trying to ride out the difference between their rates to make up for the short term losses due to the surrender of their short term (read 30-day, 90-day, 180-day) Government of Jamaica Bond instruments, as those days are over for them as well, as it is back to the traditional business of Banks – loans and borrowing.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen……..indeed. At this point it is good to note that the Credit Unions are not squealing

Then Light at the end of the Tunnel flashed glimmers of what lay ahead for the Big Three (3) Banks. First signs of growth were reported by Jamaica Exporters Association (JEA) president Titus Evans in the article “JDX MAKES EXPORTING MORE ATTRACTIVE”, published Wednesday, April 21, 2010, The  Jamaica Observer.

Based on an increase in queries mostly relating to the production of farming produce for export, as this was a ready earner of foreign exchange, postulated that encashment of Government Paper was occurring with investors [Banks representing customers] began liquidating their assets to reinvest in growth areas as the Jamaican Dollar was still approximately JA$95 to US$1.

Corroboration of this statement can be seen in the unusual level of borrowing and possibly investment noticed in the Micro and Small Business Sector, collectively called MSE (Micro and Small Enterprise), “micro” being defined as having less than ten (10) employees and “small” being defined as having between ten (10) and fifty (50) employees as published in the latest exciting issue of the Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica (ESSJ) as stated in the article “Small businesses post JA$96 billion sales decline – Firms borrowing more and commerce worsens”, published Sunday June 2010 by Avia Collinder, Business Writer, The Sunday Gleaner.

The statistics indicated borrowing from Private and Public Sector lending agencies in excess of 100 percent moving from JA$753.1 million in 2008 to JA$1.622 billion in 2009, with the bulk of borrowing being gender and age centric, with JA$98.6 or 65.9% being female borrowers and persons over the age of 36 years old borrowing 67% percent of loans on offer, compared to 33% of persons in the age range 18 to 35. A glimmer of hope pre-JDX or is this a trend set to increase? It was, however, an indication of my previously stated views: Banks are going back to their traditional business, albeit slowly.

This would explain the increased level of confidence shown by the Governor of the Bank of Jamaica, Mr. Brian Wynter in lowering on a monthly basis, the Interest Rates into single digit territory, signaling further rate cuts in the coming months as stated in the article “Interest Rate cut signal BOJ optimism” published Sunday June 2010 by Sabrina Gordon, Reporter, The Sunday Gleaner, with all that is needed being a CBD (Credit Bureau Database);

Thus necessitating the need for a Credit Reporting Bill, heralding the coming of a Cashless Society where all financial transactions do not involve physical cash and instead are merely transferring cash between Debit and Credit Card accounts involving intra-Branch Monetary Transfers, inter-Branch Monetary Transfers and Inter-Bank Monetary Transfers on a common Platform, be it one based on Mobile smart phones using the Square App or increased usage of the ABM (Automated Banking Machines) to conduct transactions.

This reduces the cost of conducting financial Transactions by cutting back on the cost of operating Banks and aiding the Telecom Providers to retail more Mobile phones by giving customers a Mobile smart phone when they open a merchant account along with a Credit or Debit Card upon with which to conduct financial Transactions using Square as detailed in my proposal on my blog article entitled “CLARO and Square - the App of the Year 2010 and CLARO's Saviour”.

Credit and Debit Cards are easy marks and popular targets for online hackers as well as unscrupulous merchants who utilize skimmers to steal Debit and Credit Card information, as Credit Cards often have no PIN numbers.

Thus it would seem the security features being implemented by the Bank of Nova Scotia involving JPS customers who exercise the option to use the internet to pay their bills (voluntarily?) keying in their the credit card numbers on SSL (Secure Script Layer) websites as stated in the article “As Fraud Grows, Privacy erodes”, published Sunday March 21st 2010 by Avia Collinder, Business Reporter, The Sunday Gleaner.

Storing them in the Bank’s Database will not work.

This as if their Database Server is not a Oracle DB Database housed on a Sun Solaris Server running a Linux Distribution Operating System with access terminals also running a Linux Distribution with Open Source Firewalls and Biometric Security protocols for all Laptops for Database Administrators, Computer Terminals and Servers and having the Servers and Computer Terminals connected over a private network, they are very vulnerable to outside intrusions.

Both in terms of hackers remotely accessing their Servers, Laptops for Database Administrators and Computer Terminals or accessing the computer being used by the Credit Card holder over the internet via scam websites, key logging software and other “phishing” techniques.

Especially if the Bank of Nova Scotia is using Microsoft software, which is notoriously hacker friendly – which of course one assumes to be information that the Network and Database Administrators at BNS are well aware. The same level of security required for the Banks Databases is also required for the CBD.

But what of the Telecom Providers? Are their Networks secure? I would posit that they are not………

It seems Telecoms Providers may possibly be the Debit Card thief’s best friend in another way that most police may not have possibly foreseen but is so new that it has a new name: GSM snooping.

This new method is now made possible thanks to the work of a German security expert Karsten Nohl indicated at a Hackers convention press conference in German that he had decrypted the A5/1 codebook, which uses a 64-bit encryption key, as stated in the article “Q&A: Researchers Karsten Nohl on Mobile eavesdropping”, published January 1, 2010 4:00 AM PST author Elinor Mills, InSecurity Complex – CNET News.

For the layperson, this means that conversations on Telecoms Providers networks that still use the A5/1 codebook are not only interceptable but decodable. It is thus being hoped that local Telecoms companies have upgraded to the more secure A5/3 codebook, which Dr. Karsten Kohl, who holds a PhD in computer engineering from the University of Virginia, has yet to decrypt…….at least for now.

What Dr. Karsten Kohl research means is that for the first time, the almost 80 billion users in the world on the older GSM networks that have not yet gone 3G, Networks which uses the stronger (and supposedly more secure A5/3 codebook), can have their conversations intercepted and reliably deciphered using off-the-shelf, easily available computer hardware. What is even worse, this information is now circulating on the Internet, as Dr. Karsten Kohl did this project with assistance from volunteers and developers from the Open Source community.

In practical terms, this means that not only is the knowledge of the process of how the codebook operates and is produced widely known, Mobile conversations on older GSM networks still using A5/1 codebooks can now be easily decrypted. Decryption was possible years ago with the right gear, but this equipment was specialized and required security clearance and registration and was very expensive.

With this breakthrough, thanks to the Open Source Community, GSM Mobile conversations can no longer be considered private and confidential, as now embassies and politicians will soon realize that persons with laptops with the right gear can intercept their conversations as far as a kilometer away.

Thus, the layperson, armed with this information, is left to wonder where the real concern of the Bank of Nova Scotia should be focused: not the few hundred people, whose number admittedly are increasing, who do transactions online and often receive notifications via email and may mistake them as real when in fact they are part of a phishing scam.

But rather,  increasing thousands of people who are now using wireless POS (Point Of Sale) at Gas Stations and Convenience Stores island wide whose transactions are now interceptable and reliably decodable with equipment that is already easily available in Jamaica.

Eventually as Dr. Karsten Nohl and his Open Source team progress with their work, they will soon decrypt the formidable 128 bit A5/3 codebook, which is currently not in use on most GSM networks, inclusive of Telecom Provider CLARO, Telecom Provider Digicel, Telecom Provider LIME and Telecom Provider AT&T, which has so far resisting change to this new encryption schema due to it prohibitive costs as stated in the article “Cell phone codebook exposes security gaps”, published January 28, 2010 by Sami Lais, The Washington Technology, The Washington Post.

Thus it seems a solution is required for both the usage of ATM Debit and Credit Cards as well as Wireless POS device usage before the wholesale adoption of Mobile Banking, as unscrupulous people can easily intercept and steal money, this time by decrypting the transmission itself, a concern that should necessitate more discussion with the Telecom Providers. Otherwise, Christmas will see many a customer unable to buy their llama due to Debit and Credit Card Theft over Telecom Provider’s networks.

I would hereby propose the use of a 512 bit encryption schema upgrade, the so called A5/5 codebook, for all Telecom Providers worldwide, otherwise the increasing power and presence of 64-bit computers and higher bit computers could put a damper in the ambitions expressed by some Telecom Providers such as Telecom Provider Digicel as stated by Group CEO Colm Delves in the article “Digicel looks beyond to expand its 32 markets”, published Friday June 25^th 2010 by Al Edwards, The  Jamaica Observer to go into Mobile Banking as the mantra of the Big Three (3) is security.

Broadcasters and Web TV - The Sleeping Beauty of Broadcasting

Extra Extra, Read all about it!

Hulu no longer free!! Future of Broadcasting is here………

Parodied call of a Extra Newspaper circa the 1920’s

Broadcasting interests in Jamaica, specifically the Big Three (3), namely RJR Communications Group, CVM Communications Group and LOVE TV/Radio, must be very excited with the recent happenings in the United States of America, specifically as it relates to Hulu as stated in the article “Hulu launches $10 video subscription service”, published Tuesday June 29 2010 by RYAN NAKASHIMA, AP Business Writer, (https://www.news.yahoo.com). After Telecom Provider AT&T made the decision to have Metered Internet Usage, essentially Capped Internet on the now infamous day Wednesday June 2^nd 2010 as stated in the article “For New AT&T users, no more "all you can eat" data”, published June 2 2010 By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer, Yahoo News (https://www.yahoo.com), in the article “AT&T phases out unlimited data plans”, published Wed June 2, 12:07 pm ET, by Ben Patterson, Yahoo News (https://www.yahoo.com), in the article “AT&T to end unlimited use of mobile data plan”, published Thursday June 2 2010, by Ryan Kim, Chronicle Staff Writer (https://www.sfgate.com), in the article “AT&T's new pricing takes smart phones to the masses”, published June 3, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - Signal Strength and in the article “New AT&T data plans for iPhones, iPad, more”,  June 2, 2010 2:39 AM PDT CNET News – Crave, changes are being slowly made as to how Developers write applications or Apps as they are called that can run over 3G Internet, becoming more efficient in their usage of the 3G bandwidth as stated in the article “Data Caps force developers to be efficient”, published June 14, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News- Signal Strength (https://www.cnet.com), such as charging Skype Callers to make Skype-to-skype calls VOIP calls over 3G, with Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) based Skype-to-skype calls being free as stated in the article “Skype for iPhone now support 3G, but free ride's ending”, published June 2 2010, by Ben Patterson, Yahoo! News (https://www.news.yahoo.com) and the newly minted and highly popular Apple iPhone 4.0, now all the rage in San Francisco and New York at Apple and AT&T Stores alike as stated by Senior Editor, Brian Tong in the video “CNET The Apple Byte”, aired Friday June 25^th 2010, by Brian Tong, Senior Editor, CNET News, CBS, (https://www.cnet.com) and corroborated by the blog “Live blog: iPhone 4 goes on sale”, published June 24, 2010 3:00 AM PDT by CNET News staff, CNET News - Wireless, (https://www.cnet.com) on Thursday 24^th June 2010 when the Apple iPhone 4.0 landed completely outstripped the hype of the previous Apple iPad launch that debut earlier on the weekend of Saturday April 3^rd and Sunday April 4^th 2010 and the article “iPhone 4 goes on sale at AT&T stores”, published June 29, 2010 5:48 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News - Signal Strength, (https://www.cnet.com) with the atypical long lines, chaos – just for a taste of the Apple and satiate their gadgetry sweet tooth.

“White people gone bananas over Apple” indeed is a phase worth repeating! Adjustments can also be seen in the FaceTime video calling feature, the highlight of the Apple iPhone 4.0 as stated by the video CNET Buzz Report, aired Thursday June 10^th 2010, by Molly Wood, Executive Editor, CNET News (https://www.youtube.com/cnettv), which uses Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) but utilizes the GSM Network to initiate the calls. Hulu was also on the list as having changes its usage habits to fit with the new belt-tightening, efficiency based mantra as it relates to using Wireless Broadband as opined in the article “Hulu to soon charge for content, sources say”, published June 9, 2010 9:53 AM PDT, by Lance Whitney, CNET News - Digital Media, (https://www.cnet.com), an obvious play to buy time while they upgrade their network to handle the coming traffic of LTE (Long Term Evolution). Now it is official: Hulu is now a pay service as stated in the article “Hulu launches $10 video subscription service”, published Tuesday June 29 2010 by RYAN NAKASHIMA, AP Business Writer, (https://www.news.yahoo.com), as everyone had suspected was the plan all along, as the affiliate partners could not be serious about allowing all broadcasters content for free forever. But what is so special about Hulu’s model? Simply put, it is the future of Broadcasting. Ever since the other newly minted device, the much lauded and hyped Apple iPad that debut on the weekend of Saturday April 3^rd and Sunday April 4^th 2010 and stormed to a fun filled victory of one million (1,000,000) Apple iPads in twenty eight (28) days as stated in the article “Apple sells 1 million iPads”, published May 3, 2010 6:16 AM PDT by Jim Dalrymple, CNET News – Apple (http://www.cnet.com), their has been much vacillating and airy-fairy commentary on the device and how it is a “game changer” in terms of its design being a “touch of genius” as stated in the article as stated in the review “Early reviews: iPad is 'beautiful', 'blazingly fast', 'has a touch of genius'”, published Wednesday April 1 2010 by Ben Patterson Yahoo! News (https://www.news.yahoo.com), an improvement on previous suggestions for a tablet by Microsoft as stated in the article “How Apple's iPad Succeeded where Microsoft Failed” published Tue Apr 6, 8:00 pm ET by John C. Dvorak Yahoo! News (PC Magazine) despite still no multitasking, no flash support, no front facing or rear facing camera, no-E-Ink for reading, no external ports (possibly missing to prevent hackers?), no dock or kickstand and worse, a problematic Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) service as stated in the article “Apple Addresses Complaints about Weak iPad Wi-Fi” published Wednesday April 7^th 2010 by Barry Levine, Yahoo! News (newsfactor.com). Even its name, the Apple iPad, the butt of jokes from middle-school as stated in the article “iPad's Widely mocked name won't stifle sales”, published March 28, 2010, 10:51PM EST By Connie Guglielmo, Business Week Computers (https://www.businessweek.com). Despite not being sun friendly as stated in the article “Users say the iPad, sun don't mix”, published Tuesday Apr 6, 2:18 pm ET, Yahoo! News (https://www.news.yahoo.com) or scratch-proof as stated in the article "The iPad's Screen: To protect or Not?", published April 9, 2010 10:40 AM PDT by David Carnoy, CNET Reviews – Computers (https://www.cnet.com) and the potential it and its related tablet-like copycats have to dampen netbook sales, if the price is right as stated in the article  " iPad, tablets expected to dampen Netbook sales", published April 6, 2010 8:17 AM PDT by Lance Whitney CNET News – Crave and " Netbook Sales Sag as the iPad Arrives” published April 7, 2010, 12:27AM EST By Cliff Edwards, CNET News – COMPUTERS (https://www.cnet.com).

Indeed, the Apple iPad has already begun to change the way in which webs site builders and app store designers design their apps as they now can take advantage of the larger real estate in terms of screen size as stated in the article " iPad Already Changing the Way Web Sites are Built", published Thursday April 1, 12:01 pm ET Dan Hope TechNewsDaily Staff Writer Yahoo! News (LiveScience.com) and is already beginning to look like the next gaming platform of the summer as stated in the article “iPhone vs iPad: 20 games compared”, published April 6, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Josh Lowensohn CNET News - Web Crawler, (https://www.cnet.com), with even Hulu and other traditional websites such as YouTube that usually support Adobe Flash considering porting their content using the new upcoming HTML5 protocol, may in limbo and is as yet to be ratified due to internal infighting at the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) as stated in the article “Growing pains afflict HTML5 standardization”, published June 28, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Stephen Shankland, CNET News - Deep Tech (https://www.cnet.com), which comes with built in support for video playback, thus freeing the Apple iPad and other tablet-like devices from being dependent on Third Party companies for video and audio playback, such as Adobe FLASH. Oh, how the times have changed!

So Hulu is changing too in light of all these development as it relates not only to Telecom Providers but also as it relates to how potential viewers consume media as stated in the article “Hulu launches $10 video subscription service”, published Tuesday June 29 2010 by RYAN NAKASHIMA, AP Business Writer, (https://www.news.yahoo.com). The way Hulu does it is also clever and sweet: all recent content (as in shows that week), are free to watch in 720p, but archived content older than the current week requires a subscription fee of US$9.99 per month, with paying customers being allowed to stream over Wireless 3G or 4G Broadband on smart phones or on computers via ADSL, AT&T , Verizon or Comcast Triple Play Cable Internet or via AT&T or Verizon FIOS at 720p or HD (High Definition), freeloaders getting the 420p, all advertisement supported. So simple!

Thus this new development bodes well for the Big Three (3) Broadcasters, namely RJR Communications Group, CVM Communications Group and LOVE TV/Radio in Jamaica, as albeit the Apple iPad Wi-fi (IEEE 802.11n) or the Apple iPad Wi-fi (IEEE 802.11n) + 3G or any other table announced since the Apple iPad came on the scene is yet to get support from any Telecom Provider and 3G rollout is still in its infancy in term of adoption for Telecom Provider CLARO, with LIME now just rolling out to Montego Bay as stated in the article “LIME to build S$40m 3G network for Montego Bay”, published Sunday June 27, 2010, by Janeta Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer, janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com, The Sunday Gleaner, (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com) and Digicel, which had promised WiMax 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) in 2009 as stated in the article “Digicel to offer mini laptops with 4G service next year”, published Friday September 4^th 2009 by Lavern Clarke, lavern.clarke@gleanerjm.com,The Daily Gleaner, (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com), with ZTE Corp of China as their build out partner of their new WiMax 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) Broadband Network as stated in the article “DIGICEL SIGNS ZTE AS 4G MOBILE WIMAX INTERNET PARTNER”, published Sunday, September 27, 2009, The Jamaica Observer, (https://www.jamaicaobserver.com) and now confirmed as ongoing as stated in the article “Digicel quietly testing 4G for August launch”, published Sunday June 27^th 2010 by Mark Titus, Gleaner Reporter, mark.titus@gleanerjm.com, The Jamaica Sunday Gleaner, (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com). So it is early days yet. However, with the Big Three (3), namely RJR Communications Group, CVM Communications Group and LOVE TV/Radio to soon achieve DSO (Digital Switch Over), possibly via piggy-backing Radio and Television signals over  Digicel’s WiMax 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) Wireless Broadband Network despite the foot-dragging as stated in the article “Slow road to digital switch-over - Cable groups mum; Flow ahead but network coverage behind”, published: Saturday  August 15, 2009 by Mark Titus, Gleaner Writer, The Daily Gleaner (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com), it WebTV still relevant? After all, the Big Three (3), namely RJR Communications Group, CVM Communications Group and LOVE TV/Radio do already stream their content via their various web portals some offer RSS feeds and podcasts are available albeit I am yet to see video podcasts and the platforms are not standardized. Also no marketplace exists for downloading audio and video podcasts from the Big Three (3) and there are no apps for Apple iPhones or smart phones running Google Android OS to listen to content on any of the media houses web portals, with the exception of IRIE FM, a radio station. Thus WebTV remains a viable means of making money from the sale of content and advertising that is not being fully exploited as it is the case with Google’s five years experiment with YouTube as stated in the article “Time Warner, YouTube ink distribution pact”, published August 19, 2009 12:34 PM PDT by Larry Dignan, CNET News - Digital Media, (https://www.cnet.com) and the article “At YouTube, adolescence begins at 5”, published May 16, 2010 11:06 PM PDT By Brad Stone,The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com).

The benefits of DSO and WebTV are detailed in several of my blog articles, such as “Road to Damascus experience to make Broadcasters  see DSO Benefits”, (https://www.mythoughtontechnologyandjamaica.blogspot.com), DSO Benefits, how MNP (Mobile Number Portability) along with DSO can eliminate piracy as stated in my blog article “Piracy Solution via MNP, DSO and legislation”, (https://www.mythoughtontechnologyandjamaica.blogspot.com), a semi-technical dissertation on how this can be achieved at the lowest cost possible as stated in the my blog article “Google TV and DSO - an example of how a set top box for TVJ and CVM can be built”, (https://www.mythoughtontechnologyandjamaica.blogspot.com). The finale of my blog articles deals directly with the focus of this article, which is WebTV and its implication as it relates to advertising, stressing on the fact that WebTV requires no license on the part of the broadcaster as stated in my blog article “CLARO, Youtube and the coming of WebTV”, (https://www.mythoughtontechnologyandjamaica.blogspot.com), and combined with 3-D, can be a means of thwarting piracy as stated in my blog article “3-D anti-piracy technology to thwart Digital Video Piracy”, (https://www.mythoughtontechnologyandjamaica.blogspot.com). Make adjustments to my suggestions and Hulu and add in a service where by which subscribers can download content on demand, be it via a podcast of video podcast and show transcripts in lovely HD and with subtitles, as is the case with YouTube and Broadcast Television and Radio is saved. Thus, further explanation would not suffice, as the obvious is now a sore on the noses of the Big Three (3) Broadcasters and the Broadcasting Commission: adopt WebTV along with DSO or lose out on lucrative local and foreign advertising and promotion of local brands and content as with the expansion of Telecom Provider’s Wireless Broadband Networks the Big Three (3)will continue to read statistics about the declining listenership and viewership from the All Media MRSL Surveys………..via you Apple iPad from CLARO of course…………but that is grist for the mill till another time.

Apple iPhone and the Loop Antenna - Strange Encounters of the Third Kind

“Non Issue. Just Avoid holding it that way”

Steve Jobs, responding to a Customer concern over the Apple iPhone 4.0

The question was asked if AT&T was ready for the Apple iPhone as stated in the article

“Is AT&T ready for the iPhone 4?” published June 16, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.

Granted they had begun doing upgrades since last year in anticipation of the increased traffic from the Apple iPad and the Apple iPhone as stated in the article “AT&T considers incentives to curb heavy Data usage”, published December 9, 2009 3:08 PM PST by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.

Much ado had being made by the Chairman Julius Genachowski of the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) as to the impact of these heavy Data usage devices being on Telecom Provider AT&T’s Broadband Wireless 3G Network as stated in the article “FCC: iPad use could further strain AT&T 3G”, published February 6, 2010 4:56 PM PST by Jim Dalrymple, CNET News.

Which the AT&T CEO  Randall Stephenson, hoping to allay investor fears of a surge in usage on their already overstressed 3G Network by diffusing any possibility of persons having multiple contracts as stated in the article “AT&T CEO sandbags iPad 3G subscriptions”, published March 3, 2010 12:30 PM PST by Erica Ogg, CNET News.

Even going to the point of instructing Apple on how to make the Apple iPhone efficient in its usage of broadband, which is mostly out of their control, as stated in the article “Report: AT&T schooled Apple on iPhone issues”, published March 30, 2010 10:44 PM PDT by Steven Musil, CNET News.

Meanwhile, Telecom Provider AT&T has been quietly upgrading by deploying an 850 MHz Network and upgrading its 3G Broadband Network across the United States of America as stated in the article “Wireless operators accelerate upgrade plans”, published January 26, 2010 4:00 AM PST by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.

Fellow Telecom Providers Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and Clearwire are also doing likewise as stated in the above article in anticipation of increased traffic from 4G, be it LTE (Long Term Evolution) or WiMax 4G Mobile (IEEE 802.16d) roll-outs slated to occur this years as per the article “On call: Welcome to 4G”, published March 9, 2010 11:01 AM PST by Kent German CNET Newsand examined in detail in my blog article entitled “The 4G Revolution and the Summer of 2010”.

AT&T as apparently now reached the Big Apple, having completed upgrades to their 3G Network in that part of the Network (their Network is a MONSTER of backhaul, mostly copper based T1 and newly installed microwave radios!!) as stated in the article “AT&T completes 3G upgrades in NYC”, published June 29, 2010 8:23 AM PDT by Lance Whitney, CNET News.

Then the Big News came. AT&T has decided that the days of “all-you-can-eat” Data Plans are over and that they would be introducing Data Caps, essentially what Telecoms Providers in Jamaica have being doing since the inception of 3G Wireless Broadband as stated in the following articles:

1.      “For New AT&T users, no more "all you can eat" Data”, published June 2 2010 By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer, Yahoo News

2.      “AT&T phases out unlimited Data plans”, published Wed June 2, 12:07 pm ET, by Ben Patterson, Yahoo! News

3.      “AT&T to end unlimited use of mobile Data plan”, published Thursday June 2 2010, by Ryan Kim, Chronicle Staff Writer, San Francisco Chronicle

The article “AT&T's new pricing takes smart phones to the masses”, published June 3, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News and in the article “New AT&T Data plans for iPhones, iPad, more”,  June 2, 2010 2:39 AM PDT Matt Hickey, CNET News from my favorite news aggregator, CNET, provide more than ample proof that this announcement is huge in its implications and scope.

Some amount of user backlash was expected as reported in the article “AT&T Sparks User Backlash With End to Unlimited Plan (Update1)”, published June 4 2010, by Hugo Miller and Olga Kharif, BloomBerg Markets. The “all-you-can-eat” experiment is now officially over. Already it is having a positive effect on the design of apps as developers are forced to make consideration as it relates to Data usage in their smart phone apps as evidenced in the article “Data Caps force developers to be efficient”, published June 14, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.

This is now evidenced by the fact that Skype has decided to charge for VoIP (Voice over IP) Calling as stated in the article “Skype for iPhone now support 3G, but free ride's ending”, published June 2 2010, by Ben Patterson, Yahoo! News.

Hulu, under pressure from Networks VC (Venture Capitalists) has decided to introduce a subscription based service for users wishing to access it archive of content in 720p as opined in the article “Hulu to soon charge for content, sources say”, published June 9, 2010 9:53 AM PDT, by CNET News.

New content is being free and delivered via streaming in 480p corroborated by the article “Hulu launches US$10 Video Subscription Service”, published Tuesday 29 June 2010 by RYAN NAKASHIMA, AP Business Writer, Yahoo! News, and FaceTime.

The built in Video Calling competitor to Fring, the only other alternative for Video Calling, initiates the Video call over the GSM Network but routes the Video call over AT&T’ Municipal Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Network.

I am hundreds of miles away in Jamaica from the craziness in San Francisco and New York and the rest of the world driven mad by the Apple iPhone 4.0, yet the buzz and the craziness of Americans, no matter what tribe or ethnicity they claim to be, should boggle the minds of most well thinking Jamaicans. We, as pragmatic Jamaican people, rarely stand in lines, only for the US Embassy, government of Jamaica food Stamps, Free Food or anything free for that matter and in Government Tax Agencies.

This is all corroborated by the blog “Live blog: iPhone 4 goes on sale”, published June 24, 2010 3:00 AM PDT by CNET News staff, CNET News. On Thursday 24^th June 2010 the Apple iPhone 4.0 landing completely outstripped the hype of the previous Apple iPad launch that debut earlier on the weekend of Saturday April 3^rd and Sunday April 4^th 2010. The headline should really have been “White people gone bananas over Apple”.

The same story was also evident later when AT&T launched the Apple iPhone from its stores as stated in the article “iPhone 4 goes on sale at AT&T stores”, published June 29, 2010 5:48 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News: long lines, chaos – just for a taste of the Apple and satiate their gadgetry sweet tooth.

Indeed, one must take note of sales figures of one million, five hundred thousand (1,500,000) Apple iPhone 4.0’s in one (1) day, a record corroborated by article “First day iPhone 4 sales estimate: 1.5 million”, published June 25, 2010 10:10 AM PDT by Erica Ogg, CNET News! Undoubtedly more than the Apple iPhone’s initial launch back in 2007 and the Apple iPhone 3GS launch in 2008, which took a weekend in both instances to brush the one million (1,000,000) mark!

This is in a completely different league from even my baby, the Apple iPad, which claimed three hundred thousand (300,000) scalps based on statistics coming out of the Apple iPad launch as tabulated by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster as stated in the article “iPad 3G sales estimated at 300,000 for launch weekend”, published May 3, 2010 4:13 AM PDT by John Paczkowski, CNET News.

Conservative estimates of one million, three hundred thousand (1,300,000) million units by June 2010 was a gross underestimate!  The Apple iPad went on to achieve the hit the one million (1,000,000) mark in twenty eight (28) days since the debut of the device on the weekend of Saturday April 3^rd and Sunday April 4^th 2010, creating history for Apple Inc and CEO Steve Jobs for ANY device release from Apple to date.

Natalie Del Conte is indeed privileged to “touch with these hands” the Apple iPad two (2) days before it official launch.

Though the numbers are huge, it is the RATE of adoption of these new devices that is amazing, despite the breakdown in the Apple Pre-Order system as stated in the article “Apple, AT&T get record number of iPhone orders”, published Thursday June 17, 12:19 am ET By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer, Yahoo! News. Apparently Pre-Ordering the Apple iPhone did not help much.

And yet there is an overlooked hero in all of these upgrades that is already improving AT&T lackluster image. Albeit not scientific proof, but the External Loop Antenna, as I have christened my design (that’s right, it mine…..copied from WWII Germany!!!!) is having an impact on how smart phone receive broadband signals. This due to the circular polarization of the 3G signals and already a trendsetter for smart phone engineers working at Handset Vendor’s and how they design antenna for mobile phones.

Anecdotal evidence indicates that the new External Loop Antennae has improved reception, call quality and upload and download speed of Voice Calling, 3G and Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) on the Apple iPhone as stated in the article “iPhone 4's Antenna Bosts Voice and Data Rates, with One big Flaw” published Friday June 25, 8:38 am ET by Mark Sullivan, Yahoo! News.

However, on the very same day of the launch of the Apple iPhone 4.0, many Customers complained of signal strength and dropped call signals. This was due to gripping the Apple iPhone 4.0 on its left most side, as one would do if you are left-handed, as was the odd complaint by the Left-Handers Club as stated in the article “Apple critized by left-handed org over iPhone 4”, published June 26, 2010 6:51 PM PDT by Chris Matyszczyk, CNET News.

Another possibility is that you have the phone in your left hand and browsing the Internet, touch screen style, with your right according to the articles:

1.      “iPhone 4's Antenna Bosts Voice and Data Rates, with One big Flaw” published Friday June 25, 8:38 am ET by Mark Sullivan, Yahoo! News

2.      “Apple tells iPhone 4 owners to get a grip”, published Friday June 25 2010, Yahoo! News

3.      “Poor iPhone 4 Signal? You're holding it wrong, Jobs says”, published Friday June 25 2010, Ben Patterson, Technology Writer, Yahoo! News

Soon, people even posted Videos showing the phenomenon on YouTube of the signal attenuation that occurred when they cupped the phone in their left palm or simply covered the lower left hand side of the Apple iPhone 4.0 with a conductive material or simply their sweaty palms.

Thus providing Video evidence to corroborate the claims reported by the above web articles. Apple was then forced to issue and official statement which read: “Gripping any mobile phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone”.

Apple went on to further state that Customers must “avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band”.

Or simply use one of many available “cases”, thereby a remedy to a “problem” which is really an issue which speaks volumes to how people care their Apple iPhones 4.0 as opposed to it being a design flaw.

By right, Customers who invest such huge sums of money in their smart phones whether via purchase up front or in the form of Postpaid Contracts should not let their investment be easily scratched or mauled by everyday life. The investment in a US$30 bumper, a must have accessory for your prized Apple iPhone 4.0 or any smart phone for that matter is a necessity.

It is the least one can do in support of Apple and the other smart phone “wannabees” in the form of Google Android powered HTC, sporting so-called “smart” phones with beefier 8 Megapixel cameras (it’s a phone, not a camera!!) and other unnecessary specs upgrades. The recently announced smart phone HTC Droid Incredible 4G on Telecom Provider Verizon 4G Wireless Broadband Network.

Additionally, there are other alternatives as listed in the article “Top 4 iPhone 4 Alternatives”, published June 8, 2010 6:52 pm, by J.R. Raphael, PC World. Yet, none of these can approach the level of excitement of an Apple product launch, despite Telecom Provider Verizon being a very popular, robust CDMA 2000 Network. Telecom Provider Verizon is functional, not cool.

Furthermore, Apple must be commended for its retailing of the US$30 bumper, which Apple has been kind enough to advertise it’s otherwise unknown bumpers to people out of concern for maintaining the value of their investment in an Apple iPhone 4.0. It is good to note that the Apple iPhone 4.0 improved External Loop Antenna design, its next talking point after FaceTime.

Furthermore, it is already delivering the goods as promised by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, showing improvements in reception on Telecom Provider AT&T 3G Wireless Broadband Network as suggested by the unscientific anecdotal analysis provided in the article “iPhone 4's Antenna Bosts Voice and Data Rates, with One big Flaw” published Friday June 25, 8:38 am ET by Mark Sullivan, Yahoo! News.

Combine with the ongoing improvements in Telecom Provider AT&T 3G Wireless Broadband Network, it is a safe bet (with Supreme Ventures Jamaica Limited Just Bet of course!!)  to say that by December 2010, if the latest on the progress of their upgrades as stated in the article “Is AT&T ready for the iPhone 4?” published June 16, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News is to be believed.

Combined with the imposed Data Caps as aforementioned and the consideration in design of the Apps by Developers to be more efficient in their usage of Telecom Provider AT&T 3G Wireless Broadband Network as stated in the article “Data Caps force Developers to be efficient”, published June 14, 2010 4:00 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.

The above provided evidence, that even if Telecom Provider Verizon were to get the Apple iPhone on their 3G Wireless Broadband Network, most lemmings……….I mean customers……….would stick with Telecom Provider AT&T with their  Apple iPhones and not defect to Verizon, following AT&T all the way towards the beach, not the cliff as Brian Cooley so smugly puts it, as lemmings are famous for drowning themselves, the original Video game Lemmings not being true to the actual animals instinctual habits.

To echo the words of the CEO Steve Jobs: “Non Issue. Just avoid holding it that way” and invest in a bumper, expressed quite eloquently in a more Wall Street-esque phrasing squirreled out by annoying TUAW (The Unofficial Apple Weblog) complainant as stated in the article “Poor iPhone 4 Signal? You're holding it wrong, Jobs says”, published Friday June 25 2010, Ben Patterson, Technology Writer, Yahoo! News: “Gripping any phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas.

This is a fact of life for every wireless phone. If you ever experience this on your iPhone 4, avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases.” Problem solved……….! The External Loop Antenna is a hit!!!

But after all this hype, one thing John Public in Jamaica is most certain of, look on as I write, wry smile, as I am an antenna design hobbyist as well as a technology blogger: after all this, as the American would say, the “Hoopla” over a “non-issue” of a design change that actually improves the Apple iPhone 4.0, the attention give to this issue has made Antenna Designs, specifically External Loop Antennas sexy again…….and I must say it is my idea, copied from WWII Germany…………!

Strange Encounters of the Third Kind indeed!!