Personal Tech
Last week, in The Times and on my blog, I've been ranting about one particularly blatant money-grab by U.S. cellphone carriers: the mandatory 15-second voicemail instructions.
Suppose you call my cell to leave me a message. First you hear my own voice: "Hi, it's David Pogue. Leave a message, and I'll get back to you"--and THEN you hear a 15-second canned carrier message.
* Sprint: "[Phone number] is not available right now. Please leave a detailed message after the tone. When you have finished recording, you may hang up, or press pound for more options."
* Verizon: "At the tone, please record your message. When you have finished recording, you may hang up, or press 1 for more options. To leave a callback number, press 5. (Beep)"
* AT&T: "To page this person, press five now. At the tone, please record your message. When you are finished, you may hang up, or press one for more options."
* T-Mobile: "Record your message after the tone. To send a numeric page, press five. When you are finished recording, hang up, or for delivery options, press pound."
(You hear a similar message when you call in to hear your own messages. "You. Have. 15. Messages. To listen to your messages, press 1." WHY ELSE WOULD I BE CALLING?)
I, the voicemailbox owner, cannot turn off this additional greeting message. You, the caller, can bypass it, but only if you know the secret keypress--and it's different for each carrier. So you'd have to know which cellphone carrier I use, and that of every person you'll ever call; in other words, this trick is no solution.
These messages are outrageous for two reasons. First, they waste your time. Good heavens: it's 2009. WE KNOW WHAT TO DO AT THE BEEP.
Do we really need to be told to hang up when we're finished!? Would anyone, ever, want to "send a numeric page?" Who still carries a pager, for heaven's sake? Or what about "leave a callback number?" We can SEE the callback number right on our phones!
Second, we're PAYING for these messages. These little 15-second waits add up--bigtime. If Verizon's 70 million customers leave or check messages twice a weekday, Verizon rakes in about $620 million a year. That's your money. And your time: three hours of your time a year, just sitting there listening to the same message over and over again every year.
In 2007, I spoke at an international cellular conference in Italy. The big buzzword was ARPU--Average Revenue Per User. The seminars all had titles like, "Maximizing ARPU In a Digital Age." And yes, several attendees (cell executives) admitted to me, point-blank, that the voicemail instructions exist primarily to make you use up airtime, thereby maximizing ARPU.
Right now, the carriers continue to enjoy their billion-dollar scam only because we're not organized enough to do anything about it. But it doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to sit there, waiting to leave your message, listening to a speech recorded by a third-grade teacher on Ambien.
Let's push back, and hard. We want those time-wasting, money-leaking messages eliminated, or at least made optional.
I asked my Twitter followers for help coming up with a war cry, a slogan, to identify this campaign. They came up with some good ones:
"Where's the Beep?"
"Let it Beep"
"We Know. Let's Go."
"Lose the Wait"
"My Voicemail, My Recording"
"Hell, no, we won't hold!"
My favorite, though, is the one that sounds like a call to action: "Take Back the Beep."
And here's how we're going to do it.
We're going to descend, en masse, on our carriers. Send them a complaint, politely but firmly. Together, we'll send them a LOT of complaints.
If enough of us make our unhappiness known, I'll bet they'll change.
I've told each of the four major carriers that they'll be hearing from us. They've told us where to send the messages:
* Verizon: Post a complaint here: http://bit.ly/FJncH.
* AT&T: Send e-mail to Mark Siegel, executive director of media relations: MS8460@att.com.
* Sprint: Post a complaint here: http://bit.ly/9CmrZ
* T-Mobile: Post a complaint here: http://bit.ly/2rKy0u
Three of the four carriers are just directing us to their general Web forums. Smells like a cop-out, I know. (As for AT&T: Props to the guy for letting me publish his e-mail address! Hope he knows what he's in for!)
Yet all four carriers promise that they'll read and consider our posts. And we have two things going for us.
First, I have a feeling that the volume of complaints will be too big for them to ignore. To that end, I hope you'll pass these instructions along, blog them, Twitter them, and spread the word. (Gizmodo, Consumerist and others have agreed to help out.) And I hope you'll take the time to complain yourself. Do it now, before you forget.
Second, we'll all be watching. I'll be reporting on the carriers' responses. If they ignore us, we'll shame them. If they respond, we'll celebrate them.
Either way, it's time to rise up. It's time for this crass, time-wasting money-grab to end for good.
To which I responded (Verizon):
I would like the "feature" of the 15 second pre-message announcement to be shorter and optional. It costs me so much a day to waste that time on such redundant messages. It's probably my #1 gripe with you guys at the moment. Get serious and make a change.
We're free to use any carrier. Be my choice.Follow-up from Pogue 7/31/09 reads: "...there are secret codes to bypass the obnoxious instruction messages. It’s * for Verizon, 1 for Sprint and # for T-Mobile or AT&T.But this is not a solution. It requires you to know in advance which carrier the person you’re calling uses, which is unrealistic! Making the instructions optional would be a far superior idea. Many of you replied: “Well, why don’t you give out the code when you record your voice mail greeting? For example: ‘You’ve reached David Pogue. Press star to cut to the beep.’”So, when you call ME, Press star to cut to the beep!m ~A.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Mandatory 15-Second Voicemail Instructions
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Jamestown
Check out what they're finding at the excavation of Jamestown, VA. Original, daily. Bill Kelso is the champion archeologist. I met him there a few years ago when he published a book about opening up the site.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Thursday, June 04, 2009
The Prem Rawat Foundation
The Lamp that Needs to Shine
Prem Rawat speaking at London's Guildhall
What I talk about is something very, very simple. I don’t have a written speech to give—just words from my heart. Sometimes it is the little things in life that have the most significant impact. Little things like peace being felt in the heart of every human being. The formula of “peace, then prosperity” was set forth a long time ago.
We sometimes forget that we are human beings who have very simple needs. On the top of the list has always been to feel contentment, to feel a heart full of joy, to feel peace within. This is a need we all have, irrespective of religion. Just like there are so many different cuisines, but they all have food that satisfies hunger. We get caught up in the recipes and forget about the hunger.
I go around from place to place reminding people of the most important things in their lives. Simple things—not complex things. I see wars in this world. Nobody likes wars, and yet they happen again and again. And every time there is a war, there is a call for peace. It is not a new call, but one that has always been there, for it comes from within us. The quest for peace is within us, and the solution for peace also lies within us. This is who we are.
We are human beings striving, each in our own way, to reach the same goal. Maybe some people have more resources and others very few, but the driving force is exactly the same for everyone. The same ambition drives us all. Aside from all our accomplishments, a lamp shines in the heart of every human being. This is the lamp that needs to shine. In this time of great darkness where people are fighting with their own kind, that lamp needs to shine as bright as it possibly can.
What I say to people is that if you are looking for peace, turn within. Look for the other things you want, but also look within. People find that to be a powerful message. I can understand why. Sometimes we forget those simple little things. We go fumbling in the darkness while the solution has always been with us. A little opening of the heart, a little shining of the lamp, and we don’t have to stub our toes on all the obstacles out there.
Simple it is. Simple it will be. Simple it always has been. Peace, then prosperity. Your own call, your own thirst, your own wisdom you feel within. Let them be true. Let them be real. Peace is not a fiction. Peace is not a work created by someone else. Peace is that one flower that is held by every human being. And that is what peace needs to be.
Prem Rawat
Friday, May 29, 2009
Scott Blum Summers Path book download
Summer's Path is the remarkable story of Don Newport, an engineer that comes face to face with his personal destiny under extraordinary circumstances. After losing his job and his health insurance, Don learns he has a terminal disease with only a few months left to live. On his death bed, he meets Robert, a brazen angel of death that promises to help Don with a graceful exit. As Don prepares to say his last goodbyes to his loving wife, Robert attempts to change Don's perspective about his mortality and proposes an exceptionally unique option.
Robert leads Don through an astounding meditation of life and death and reveals various healing and spiritual concepts including walk-ins, embodiment and soul destiny. On this magical journey of self realization, Don discovers that it's never too late to learn profound life lessons about ourselves and our loved ones.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
SlideShare
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Tight Times=Creativity!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Scientific American - Power Plants
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Saturday, May 09, 2009
"The mission of the Air Force is to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace."History shows Hickam played a pivotal role in past Pacific operations - bullet-scarred walls are still visible from the December 7th, 1941 attack that pushed the U.S. into WW II.
Today, the 15AW remains the launch point of strategic air mobility and operational missions in support of the Global War on Terrorism as well as special air missions in support of the commander, Pacific Command and commander, Pacific Air Forces.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Thursday, May 07, 2009
- This is a 2008 National Security Report we should all be aware of and dealing with!
- The Commission and Its Charter The Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack was established by Congress through Title XIV of Public Law 106-398. Looking out 15 years, the Commission was tasked to assess: 1) The nature and magnitude of potential high-altitude EMP threats to the United States from all potentially hostile states or non-state actors that have or could acquire nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles enabling them to perform a highaltitude EMP attack against the United States within the next 15 years. 2) The vulnerability of United States military and especially civilian systems to an EMP attack, giving special attention to vulnerability of the civilian infrastructure as a matter of emergency preparedness. 3) The capability of the United States to repair and recover from damage inflicted on United States military and civilian systems by an EMP attack. 4) The feasibility and cost of hardening select military and civilian systems against EMP attack. The Commission was also tasked to recommend any steps it believes should be taken by the United States to better protect its military and civilian systems from EMP attack. In accord with its charter, the Commission focused on the electromagnetic pulse produced by high-altitude nuclear weapon detonations, as opposed to other types of nuclear and non-nuclear EMP phenomena. Unless clearly indicated to the contrary, all references to EMP are to the electromagnetic pulse produced by a high-altitude nuclear detonation. This report presents the unanimous conclusions and recommendations of the Commissioners.
- I urge you to read about this critical potential "Uber-Weapon" It's just a pdf. Download it and take some notes. http://www.empcommission.org/docs/A2473-EMP_Commission-7MB.pdf
- Think about what you can do.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Monday, May 04, 2009
Sunday, May 03, 2009
505TH COMMAND AND CONTROL WING
The 505th Command and Control Wing is a subordinate unit to the United States Air Force Warfare Center, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The USAFWC serves as the lead agency to pull command and control together across the Air Force. Under the mantle of the USAFWC, the 505 CCW is the focal point for integration of all aerospace campaign command and control processes, including rapid technology assessment on behalf of the warfighter. Through their facilities at Hurlburt Field and several geographically separated groups, squadrons and detachments, the 505 CCW possesses the unique ability to test, exercise, experiment and train all elements of C2: people, processes and systems. With exercises such as BLUE FLAG and Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment, the men and women of the 505 CCW conduct specialized training in planning and execution of joint operations for the USAF, sister services and coalition partners, as well as readiness training for Numbered Air Forces. In addition, the 505 CCW manages operational tests and evaluations and conducts acceptance tests of command, control, communications, computers and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. Unit personnel evaluate capabilities and limitations, determine optimum operation configuration, identify operating deficiencies and recommend corrective action for United States C2 architectures. On behalf of the USAF, the 505 CCW is proud to host the future of joint training: Joint RED FLAG. Joint RED FLAG, primarily staged from Nellis AFB, has expanded to include many bases throughout the U.S. including Hurlburt Field. Planners from the 505 CCW help to write the exercise scenario and craft unexpected events to challenge America's warfighters. Through virtual scenarios and networked training, participants are able to participate through actual, virtual or constructive means, allowing the 505 CCW to train for tomorrow's scenarios regardless of a unit's location. The 505 CCW is also responsible for dynamic evaluation of emerging technologies and procedures for inclusion in the Air Force's C2 architecture. The wing is comprised of a group and five squadrons located at Hurlburt Field; a group at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico; a group at Nellis AFB, Nevada; and a detachment at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The 605th Test and Evaluation Squadron has detachments in Seattle, Washington and Melbourne, Florida. The 505th Training Squadron has a detachment at Ft. McPherson, Georgia and liaisons from the Army, Navy and Marines. Emblem Significance The blue background represents the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. The bamboo curtain signifies the units service in Vietnam. The control and direction of strike aircraft against the enemy by Forward Air Controllers is symbolized by the flight symbols in chief. The flight symbols in base allude to the control of aircraft for effective air defense. The double bevile refers to lightning and represents the unit's complete ground/air communications support, search and direction capability. The crescents symbolize the moon going through its phases and represent the Wing's continuing performance of its mission month in and month out. The emblem bears the National colors and the Air Force colors of gold and ultramarine blue. | ||||
Friday, May 01, 2009
WHO says existing vaccine little use against new flu
GENEVA (Reuters) -
The World Health Organization said on Friday that tests had shown the current seasonal vaccine against flu would have little effect against the new H1N1 strain.
"There is very little chance that the seasonal vaccine ... will be effective against this particular virus," Marie-Paule Kieny, director of the WHO's initiative for vaccine research, told a news conference.
"We have no doubt making a successful vaccine is possible," she added, saying that it would still take between four and six months for the first doses to be available.
She said samples needed to make a vaccine would be ready to send to manufacturers by mid to late May.
Worldwide, 13 countries have confirmed cases of the virus that has killed as many as 176 people. Only one person has died outside Mexico: a toddler from Mexico who traveled to the United States.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Five self-care strategies that can help you feel better and reduce the risk of depression:
1) Keep active. As little as 15 to 30 minutes of physical activity most days has been shown to improve mood. Long-term regular exercise can help prevent recurrence.
2) Eat well. A well-balanced eating strategy will help you feel better now and later.
• Eat more whole grains, beans and vegetables. They provide a longer-lasting energy source than processed baked goods and sugar.
• Eat regular meals, especially breakfast. Regular meals avoid the irritability and overeating that can come from skipping meals.
• Increase your intake of cold-water fish such as salmon, halibut, tuna and bluefish. Research indicates that the omega-3 fatty acids in these cold-water fish may help reduce symptoms of depression.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can contribute to depression and anxiety.
3) Get adequate sleep. Aim for eight hours a night, and be consistent with bedtime.
4) Control stress. Coping with depression is stressful enough, so try to limit other sources of stress.
• Simplify your schedule and prioritize.
• Get organized so you know where to find things you need.
• If you need a break, take it, even if it’s just a day trip or weekend getaway.
• Recognize stress signals and slow down. Is your stomach upset? Are you forgetting things or feeling extra irritable? Take notice of your signals and do something about it.
5) Stay connected. Make relationships a priority. Social ties give you a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
• Recognize the importance of give and take. It’s true you should give of yourself in a relationship, but it’s also important to receive from others, especially when you are depressed.
• Cultivate your spirituality. Studies have shown that believing in something larger than yourself strengthens your ability to cope with life’s ups and downs.
• Avoid negative and unhealthy connections that might bring you down.
• Call a friend! ....
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
KILL A WATT! tp://www.p3international.com/products/consumer/p4320.html Electricity Usage Monitoring Power Strip Now you can protect your valuable electronics and find out what they are actually costing you. Simply connect these appliances into the Kill A Watt™ PS, and it will assess how efficient they are while the built-in surge protection keeps them safe. Advanced features such as over current, over voltage, and no load detection provide clean, safe power to your expensive equipment. | ||||||||
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Watch these new shows staring tonight on Sundance Channel!
ECO TRIP: THE REAL COST OF LIVING is an eight-part original series exploring the origins and environmental impact of common everyday products. Hosted by eco-adventurer David de Rothschild, whose far-flung travels have garnered international attention, the half-hour primetime program investigates iconic items from cotton t-shirts and paper napkins to salmon and cell phones, and follows their life cycle from production to disposal, revealing the environmental, social and health effects along the way. “Eco Trip: The Real Cost of Living” inspires and educates viewers on what they can do to live a greener life. Episodes are: Chocolate, Cotton T-Shirt, Gold Ring, Paper Napkin, Light Bulb, Bottled Water, Cellphone, Salmon.
PREMIERES APRIL 21 9PM E/P
CARBON COPS follows six families as they are led through a fascinating step-by-step process of auditing their current use of energy in order to lessen their carbon footprint and the effects of global warming on the planet. Each episode of the six part series follows Carbon Cops Lish Fejer and Sean Fitzgerald as they challenge a household to reduce their domestic carbon emissions by 50%. In a manner that is refreshingly down to earth, Fejer and Fitzgerald blend science and the environment in simple and practical terms that are easily understandable, as they walk each family through the process of conserving energy and changing habits.
PREMIERES APRIL 21 9:30 PM E/P
FLOW
Appeared at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
From South Africa and India to Bolivia and Michigan, Irena Salina's award-winning documentary presents a "galvanizing ... informed and heartfelt investigation" New York Times into the growing world water crisis. In the developing world, corporate interests and complicit governments have made drinkable water - previously a free natural resource - into the world's third-largest industry. Meanwhile, in the United States, bottled water is alarmingly unregulated and tap water may contain pollutants - even rocket fuel! "Smartly done" - L.A. Times.
PREMIERES APRIL 21 10PM E/P
ADDICTED TO PLASTIC
Filmmaker Ian Connacher conducts an international odyssey revealing the disturbing long-term effects of the most ubiquitous and versatile material ever invented. From water bottles and Styrofoam cups to toothbrushes and garbage bags, in less than a century the pervasive presence of plastics has marked every ecosystem and all aspects of human activity. Visually compelling, entertaining and thought provoking, ADDICTED TO PLASTIC is both a wake-up call and an inspiring consideration of possible recycling or down-cycling solutions.
PREMIERES APRIL 28 10PM
(okay, tell me if you watch any of these and what you think!)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
| 1/2 boy 1/2 man If you read this, you WILL forward it on. You just won't be able to stop yourself. The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either.  He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer. He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must. He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional. He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity... He is self-sufficient.. He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts. If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low. He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands. He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job. He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.  He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed. He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful... Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.  He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood. And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so. As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot. . . A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.  Prayer wheel for our military... please don't break it! Please send this on after a short prayer.. Prayer Wheel 'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.' When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our ground troops in Afghanistan , sailors on ships, and airmen in the air, and for those in Iraq , Afghanistan and all foreign countries. There is nothing attached... This can be very powerful... Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, Sailor, Coastguardsman, Marine, or Airman, prayer is the very best one.  |
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Electricity Grid in U.S. Penetrated By Spies
By SIOBHAN GORMAN
WASHINGTON -- Cyberspies have penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system, according to current and former national-security officials.
The spies came from China, Russia and other countries, these officials said, and were believed to be on a mission to navigate the U.S. electrical system and its controls. The intruders haven't sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis or war.
"The Chinese have attempted to map our infrastructure, such as the electrical grid," said a senior intelligence official. "So have the Russians."
The espionage appeared pervasive across the U.S. and doesn't target a particular company or region, said a former Department of Homeland Security official. "There are intrusions, and they are growing," the former official said, referring to electrical systems. "There were a lot last year."
Many of the intrusions were detected not by the companies in charge of the infrastructure but by U.S. intelligence agencies, officials said. Intelligence officials worry about cyber attackers taking control of electrical facilities, a nuclear power plant or financial networks via the Internet.
Authorities investigating the intrusions have found software tools left behind that could be used to destroy infrastructure components, the senior intelligence official said. He added, "If we go to war with them, they will try to turn them on."
Officials said water, sewage and other infrastructure systems also were at risk.
"Over the past several years, we have seen cyberattacks against critical infrastructures abroad, and many of our own infrastructures are as vulnerable as their foreign counterparts," Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair recently told lawmakers. "A number of nations, including Russia and China, can disrupt elements of the U.S. information infrastructure."
Officials cautioned that the motivation of the cyberspies wasn't well understood, and they don't see an immediate danger. China, for example, has little incentive to disrupt the U.S. economy because it relies on American consumers and holds U.S. government debt.
But protecting the electrical grid and other infrastructure is a key part of the Obama administration's cybersecurity review, which is to be completed next week. Under the Bush administration, Congress approved $17 billion in secret funds to protect government networks, according to people familiar with the budget. The Obama administration is weighing whether to expand the program to address vulnerabilities in private computer networks, which would cost billions of dollars more. A senior Pentagon official said Tuesday the Pentagon has spent $100 million in the past six months repairing cyber damage.
Overseas examples show the potential havoc. In 2000, a disgruntled employee rigged a computerized control system at a water-treatment plant in Australia, releasing more than 200,000 gallons of sewage into parks, rivers and the grounds of a Hyatt hotel.
Last year, a senior Central Intelligence Agency official, Tom Donahue, told a meeting of utility company representatives in New Orleans that a cyberattack had taken out power equipment in multiple regions outside the U.S. The outage was followed with extortion demands, he said.
The U.S. electrical grid comprises three separate electric networks, covering the East, the West and Texas. Each includes many thousands of miles of transmission lines, power plants and substations. The flow of power is controlled by local utilities or regional transmission organizations. The growing reliance of utilities on Internet-based communication has increased the vulnerability of control systems to spies and hackers, according to government reports.
The sophistication of the U.S. intrusions -- which extend beyond electric to other key infrastructure systems -- suggests that China and Russia are mainly responsible, according to intelligence officials and cybersecurity specialists. While terrorist groups could develop the ability to penetrate U.S. infrastructure, they don't appear to have yet mounted attacks, these officials say.
It is nearly impossible to know whether or not an attack is government-sponsored because of the difficulty in tracking true identities in cyberspace. U.S. officials said investigators have followed electronic trails of stolen data to China and Russia.
Russian and Chinese officials have denied any wrongdoing. "These are pure speculations," said Yevgeniy Khorishko, a spokesman at the Russian Embassy. "Russia has nothing to do with the cyberattacks on the U.S. infrastructure, or on any infrastructure in any other country in the world."
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Wang Baodong, said the Chinese government "resolutely oppose[s] any crime, including hacking, that destroys the Internet or computer network" and has laws barring the practice. China was ready to cooperate with other countries to counter such attacks, he said, and added that "some people overseas with Cold War mentality are indulged in fabricating the sheer lies of the so-called cyberspies in China."
Utilities are reluctant to speak about the dangers. "Much of what we've done, we can't talk about," said Ray Dotter, a spokesman at PJM Interconnection LLC, which coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in 13 states and the District of Columbia. He said the organization has beefed up its security, in conformance with federal standards.
In January 2008, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved new protection measures that required improvements in the security of computer servers and better plans for handling attacks.
Last week, Senate Democrats introduced a proposal that would require all critical infrastructure companies to meet new cybersecurity standards and grant the president emergency powers over control of the grid systems and other infrastructure.
Specialists at the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, a nonprofit research institute, said attack programs search for openings in a network, much as a thief tests locks on doors. Once inside, these programs and their human controllers can acquire the same access and powers as a systems administrator.
The White House review of cybersecurity programs is studying ways to shield the electrical grid from such attacks, said James Lewis, who directed a study for the Center for Strategic and International Studies and has met with White House reviewers.
The reliability of the grid is ultimately the responsibility of the North American Electric Reliability Corp., an independent standards-setting organization overseen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The NERC set standards last year requiring companies to designate "critical cyber assets." Companies, for example, must check the backgrounds of employees and install firewalls to separate administrative networks from those that control electricity flow. The group will begin auditing compliance in July.
—Rebecca Smith contributed to this article.
Write to Siobhan Gorman at siobhan.gorman@wsj.com
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Opinion: Smart Meters Are Not the Answer to the U.S. Power Problem
Guest Column
Mar. 27, 2009
Empowering consumers with actionable intelligence about their power will not be the outcome of the deployment of smart meters. Rather, it will be exactly what the utilities intend for it to be: a cost-effective way to implement real-time pricing, demand side management and distribution system monitoring.
Why? The buyer and seller of electricity have opposite power consumption interests. We (buyers) want to have control over the total power we consume and independent confirmation we are getting what we pay for. Electric utilities (sellers) seek to maximize the profits from a business model that requires them to generate, transport and deliver a consistent quality of power — regardless of demand — in exchange for a guaranteed rate of return.
Electricity generated on the power grid isn’t stored, so the grid is engineered and operated to meet peak levels of demand, which might only exist for a few hours per month. Without control over demand, responding to demand spikes will cause the quality of power supplied to fluctuate outside accepted norms, i.e., delivered voltage lags outside the 5 percent acceptable quality band, or frequency fluctuates outside its 2 percent quality band. That can only change if demand can be controlled, so utilities want three things from smart meters:
- To protect their return on investment (ROI) by not reducing the total amount of electricity sold.
- To free up supply reserved for unpredicted variations in peak demand with direct load control. (If the utility was granted direct control over devices with the highest amperage — the air conditioner (40 amps) and the hot water heater (30 amps) — it could shed 70 percent of the average consumer load, temporarily reducing consumption.)
- To reshape the demand curve, shifting demand from the peak busy hours to when demand can be met with baseload power (peak load shaving).
Metering has never been intended to reduce overall consumption.
A smart meter could report on whole house electricity usage, but it could not report on the demand from individual household devices. To make intelligent decisions about energy use, measurement should take place at the outlet, in the device or even on the power cable connecting the device to the outlet. This information can also track the quality of the power being delivered, which can affect the life of the device. Current, temperature and time data could be collected inexpensively, using existing technology, and transmitted over an Internet connection to one of the many service providers with a business intelligence platform. This data can be mined to reveal power quality issues that affect consumption. For example, a low voltage reading will tell you that the device will need to draw more current, increasing the total power cost for that device. Or if your dishwasher were drawing a current for longer than similar appliances, that could alert consumers that a maintenance check is in order.
While price signals, along with consumer education, might have an effect on total demand, they could also have an unintended consequence: If a drop in the price per kilowatt-hour becomes the key indicator of when to run the dishwasher, hot water heater and washing machine, then using it may actually increase total carbon emissions because the cheapest electricity today is mostly from coal. By using more electricity when it’s cheapest, we’ll burn more coal.
There is little doubt that smart metering will meet the utilities’ needs, and perhaps facilitate whole house measurement for the buyer. But direct device monitoring is a simple, inexpensive way to effect a shift from a grid blind to demand and engineered to meet peak demand to smart customers who can manage the way their power is delivered.
