By David Sims
[email protected]
The news as of the first coffee this morning, and the music
is U2’s “Beautiful Day:”
Watched the Olympics
last night, the exhibition event some misguided folks consider a sport, figure
skating. Oh I don’t have anything against it, skating’s entertaining
but any time a bunch of “judges” decide who wins instead of the competitors
themselves winning and losing among themselves according to clearly-understood
rules it’s not a sport. Especially when the “judging” is so obviously corrupt
and biased, as the Salt Lake City Olympics proved – Marie-Rene Le Gougnet,
anyone?
Fun to watch, quite athletic, skillful and difficult, but
about as much of a sport as ballroom dancing, ballet or cheerleading. Now if
they had three or four skaters all do their routines at the same time, and
allowed body-checking, especially on pairs, with a points system that’s a sport
I could get into.
…
Disturbing news in Electronic
Engineering Times for the RFID chip industry. It seems that Adi
Shamir, professor of computer science at the Weizmann Institute, told a panel
discussion at the RSA Conference that he can pretty easily hack the most
popular RFID chip and steal all the information.
Saying all he and his
associate needed was an ordinary cell phone, noting that they hadn’t tested
all brands of RFID chip, “we did test the biggest brand and it is totally unprotected.”
A cell phone “has all the ingredients you need to conduct an
attack and compromise all the RFID tags in the vicinity,” he concluded.
Shamir said the pressure to get tags down to five cents each
has forced designers to eliminate any security features, a shortcoming that
needs to be addressed in next-generation products.
In recent weeks, EET reports,
“Shamir used a directional antenna and digital oscilloscope to monitor power
use by RFID tags while they were being read. Patterns in power use could be
analyzed to determine when the tag received correct and incorrect password
bits, he said.”
The reflected signals contain a lot of information, Shamir observed:
“We can see the point where the chip is unhappy if a wrong bit is sent and
consumes more power from the environment, to write a note to RAM that it has
received a bad bit and to ignore the rest of the string,” he added.
…
GlobeTel watch: It’s the middle of February
and still no word on GlobeTel closing that eye-popping $600 million deal for
Russian wi-fi with some mysterious Russian partner that took everyone by
surprise. They were supposed to close January 31st, that got pushed
back for rather unspecified reasons, stock holders are looking to February 28th
with increasingly white knuckles on crossed fingers.
And hey, since it’s Friday, kind of a kick-back day, I’ll
reprint an e-mail I got about GlobeTel. Oh heavens, not one from those unhinged
penny-stockers who accuse me of having some sort of stake in this matter, as if
I’d buy such a highly unstable stock in the first place [I own absolutely no
financial interest in anything remotely to do with GlobeTel and I’ll do
everything in my power to keep it that way], the tinfoil-hat brigade who
immediately assume that Seth Jayson, myself and anyone who writes critically of
such a overpromising and underdelivering company is in the pay of a cabal of
stock market-fixers, those people are in severe need of a life. Severe.
No, I got this e-mail out of the blue from Vladimir Draitser, whom I have never
met and do not know:
After reading your
February 9 th article regarding GTE and its contract with Russian company
Internafta, I have done some research on the Internet and found an article
discussing current state of WiMax business in Russia.
This article was
published on January 30, 2006 in Russian daily newspaper “Business.”
Strangely enough there was no mentioning about neither Globe Tel nor
Internafta, while talking about $150 million contract for providing WiMax based
services basically to the same cities in Russia as the GTE’s “contract”
specifies.
I would appreciate
your comments on this subject, since GTE would not talk about it with me.
He then attaches
this URL for the Russian
article [http://www.b-online.ru/articles/a_11052.shtml], and this
translation, and folks, I do not speak or read Russian, I have no idea if this
is the actual translation or not, I am not vouching for its authenticity, I haven’t changed a byte from what I
received, but it’s Friday, and maybe someone could verify the publication and
translation if they’re so inclined, start quote:
Large investors even
more often pay attention to wireless technologies of broadband access in the
Internet. The last year in Russia the arrogant projects based on technology
WiMax have been started some, the total sum of investments has made some tens
millions dollars. One of these days company “ Энфорта “ has declared readiness
the nearest half-year to start to render services in 12 cities of Russia,
having constructed there a network on pre-WiMax-equipment with use of chipsets
Intel. More than $50 million is invested in project “Энфорты” by the Japanese
corporation Sumitomo and fund Baring Vostok. To tell the truth, analytics
consider, that “Энфорта” yet does not maintain terms of construction and the
message aspires to calm shareholders more likely.
About the project of Dutch company “ Энфорта “ on
construction of a wireless network on basis WiMax for the first time it became
known even in the summer of the last year. Then Japanese corporation Sumitomo
has declared purchase of 50 % of “Энфорты” shares, owning 100% of Russian company
“ Prestige – Internet”. As this company had licenses for granting of services
of broadband access in 29 Russian cities, Japanese have decided to sponsor
deployment of networks WiMax. “Business - plan” Энфорты “ assumes the
investments exceeding $50 million, - director of products “Prestige - Internet”
Oleg Tajnov.- informed “Business” the project is financed on construction of a
network in 12 cities “.
To tell the truth, in plans of “Энфорты” was to start the
network’s commercial operation in 10
cities of Russia already by the end of 2005. But by this time it became clear,
that ambitious plans of the company are not justified, and actually for
January, 2006 the network is constructed only in two cities - Novosibirsk and
Ryazan. Oleg Tajnov recognizes that the network is under construction more
slowly, than was planned. He explains a delay expectation of commercial systems
WiMax and “the certain specifications in the regulatory plan “. However, it did
not become a surprise for the market: even in the summer the founder and
general director “Престижинтернет” Victor Ratnikov (former president “Транстелекома”)
declared shortage of financing and search of the second investor. In October of
the last year the investor has been found – investing fund Baring Vostok
Capital Partners.
In fund for financing Russian WiMax give reason perspectives
of wireless technologies in the regional markets of Russia. Sumitomo also have
hastened to assure, that it is pleased with results “Энфорты”. “Sumitomo with
readiness has increased the size of investments “, - the manager for
development of business and investment projects in Russia declares corporation
Sumitomo Kashiki Katsuja. Nevertheless, participants of the project do not open
a level of additional investments and a share of investments Baring Vostok.
From informal sources of “Business” it became known, that investors participate
in the project in equal shares and that approximately half of the money already
invested.
It is necessary to note, that interest Baring Vostok to the
WiMax-project not accidental: in July of the last year this organization
together with venture fund Intel Capital financed the Russian manufacturer of
the WiMax-equipment company Infinet Wireless. Means have been allocated on
development of the standard 802.16 supported by Intel. In networks “Энфорты”
the equipment of the same Infinet Wireless is now used. Thus, regional WiMax
project it will be substantially constructed on the equipment with chipsets
Intel. Though participations alternative Infinet Wireless vendors in “Энфорте”
also is not excluded.
In analyst J’son and Partners Boris Ovchinnikova opinion, published in the
evening on Friday the release as some kind of psychotherapeutic means. “Development
of the project was obviously slowed down, - said Овчинников, - the management “Энфорты”
should calm shareholders, showing them, that construction of a network proceeds
in accordance with the plan “.
As to the sum of investments declared $50 million, in
opinion of experts, it is quite sufficient for start of the project. “However
additional investments will be necessary for promotion and successful
development of a network - about $100-150 million “, -said analyst of “ Коминфо
consulting” Eugeny Solomatin.
End quote. There you go, for whatever that’s worth. Any confirmations or corrections on the translation are much appreciated.
If read off-site hit http://blog.tmcnet.com/telecom-crm/
for the fully-linked version. First CoffeeSM accepts no sponsored
content.
