Re: [nycwireless] MTA/Siemens vaporware ...
My guess ... There are probably a few items beyond physics that Id have a tough time figuring out but if someone can look @ a board w/ blinking lights of some type and see the B train is arriving at Broadway/ Lafayette and physically pick up a mic and announce it that taking out the man-in-the-middle is probably not so union friendly @ this moment in time :-) - Jon On Oct 23, 2006, at 9:25 AM, Dustin Goodwin wrote: Now this is funny. I had the privilege to see the new all digital dispacth center the MTA built. When I got a peek it looked operational from technology perspective but was not yet staffed. Every single car on ever single train on the covered lines was tracked down to the track segment (point and click switching, signal status, train communication, etc). I am not sure how hard it is to go from knowing exactly where a train is to displaying an estimated arrival time on a sign board. But my informed guess is, not that hard. - Dustin - Jon Baer wrote: Saw this in the NYPost this morning ... I find it really hard to believe that between RFID, WiFi, WiMax, etc that no technology can tell me simply when the next train is arriving. The question is what the real problem is? Since Siemens has been in the rail business for a long time ... makes me wonder if there will ever be wide area signal coverage underground. http://www.railway-technology.com/contractors/signal/siemens/ - Jon http://www.nypost.com/seven/10202006/news/regionalnews/ no_eta__firm_flubs_160m_subway_tech_regionalnews_jeremy_olshan__trans it_reporter.htm NO ETA: FIRM FLUBS $160M SUBWAY TECH By JEREMY OLSHAN Transit Reporter October 20, 2006 -- When is the next train coming? Don't ask the MTA. The $160 million digital message boards that transit officials have long promised will take the guesswork out of the platform waiting game do not work, The Post has learned. MTA leaders are furious at German technology powerhouse Siemens, which has already been paid $45.2 million since getting the contract in 2003. Siemens has been unable to deliver on promises to fix its software, forcing the MTA to consider looking for another company to finish the job. There has not been "any tangible evidence that the fixes we have been promised are in fact fixes and can work going forward," New York City Transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges said. "We have begun the process to explore whether we should pursue a different course of action with other parties." Despite several delays, a separate system using a different technology has been installed on the L train. That system does work and will be up and running by "year's end," Fleuranges said. Subway systems in cities such as Paris and London have been able to provide passengers arrival information for years, note transit advocates, who say the MTA has a lousy track record when it comes to bringing in new technology. "It's really disappointing. With the exception of the MetroCard, they have a terrible history with anything that needs software," said Beverly Dolinksy, director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Council to the MTA. In 2000, the MTA scrapped a contract with Orbital to provide a satellite bus-location system, which failed to work around Manhattan's skyscrapers. "That contract is 10 years old, and we still don't have that system," Dolinsky said. Since May, the MTA has stopped paying any invoices for work related to the Siemens software, according to a report by the agency's independent consulting firm, Carter Burgess. "Payments to the contractor for software-related work are being held pending resolution of which direction the software development will proceed," the report said. Though the contractor may have failed to deliver, Gene Russianoff, of the Straphangers Campaign, contends the MTA has only itself to blame. "The buck stops with transit officials, because they are the ones who drew up the specs," he said. "They spend tens of millions of dollars and promise their customers real-time information. Their own studies and polls show riders crave knowing what is going on - even more so in a 9/11 world." Siemens contends it will resolve the problems. "Siemens is confident that we have the solution," spokeswoman Paula Davis said. The project will be completed to "the satisfaction of the New York City Transit and New York City commuters." In the meantime, riders can still employ the more low-tech method of staring into the void for signs of that telltale light at the end of the tunnel. -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/ nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/ -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/
[nycwireless] article: Spammer kills coffee shop's connection
So there are many good reasons to use a NYCwireless Supernode to offer wireless access in your business (http://www.nycwireless.net/SuperNode). But after reading this article I am struck by the fact that none technical users should use some sort of purpose built solution to avoid getting bitten by this kind of problem. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061022-8046.html - Dustin - -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/
Re: [nycwireless] List of VPN providers
Hamachi is a cool app. But this is more of a peer to peer VPN? Meaning every host you want secure communications must be running Hamachi also? - Dustin - Jon Baer wrote: Another ... http://www.hamachi.cc/ There is also a good quick comparison PDF located @ http://www.infosecwriters.com/texts.php?op=display&id=450 which does include the drawbacks on the Iopus client. - Jon On Oct 20, 2006, at 1:19 PM, Dustin Goodwin wrote: I assume your saying that all shell servers are also VPN providers by assuming that SSH redirection is acceptable. IMHO SSH based port redirect or socks proxy is not really a VPN. By my definition a VPN consists of client software that provides a network driver shim that encrypts all traffic leaving you computer. There is a small group of VPN to Internet to providers that just provide specialized service that provide VPN services from and to the Internet. So that list would be pretty short. The list so far: http://www.hotspotvpn.com/ http://wifi.google.com/gsa/faq.html (Free google VPN if your using a Google hotspot) http://www.jiwire.com/hotspot-helper.htm - Dustin - Robin-David Hammond %KB3IEN wrote: Most ISPs provide this via thier shell servers. I know from experience that nando.net and bestweb.net had/have a shell servers avail at no additional cost for thier ISP customers. I think this is an essential service for all ISPs to offer, take heed! No need for an isp? google "unix shell servers". Most of these vendors will setup whatever proxy you need for a fee. I think the proposed list would be too huge and basicaly redundant, its not realy worth anyone compiling one. It would be like having a list of 'residential light bulb installers' under 'electricians' in the phone book. Not everyone can install a light bulb true, but all electricians can (i hope). Maybe we can encourage accesspoint providers to offer such service localy and freely, by standardising this offering we can make it more accessable: I would suggest providing a standard FQDN for this service perhaps $(AP_HW_ADDR).freeproxy.nycwireless.net. , and a standardised username "proxy:proxy" for ssh logins. The colons would have to be removed from the hardware address, to prevent the parser thinking it a malformed ip6 addy. This o/c protect's the user from the fellow user, but the AP admin can still see all, but then again, some one some where, always can. On Thu, 19 Oct 2006, Dustin Goodwin wrote: Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 10:24:24 -0400 From: Dustin Goodwin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: nycwireless@lists.nycwireless.net Subject: [nycwireless] List of VPN providers (was: Secure your Public Wi-Fi Connections) Does someone have a list of all the VPN to Internet providers? - Dustin - [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Wow, great resource! http://wifidefense.cuzuco.com/ Quoting [EMAIL PROTECTED]: There was a nycwirless presentation given two years ago on some ways to secure connections. Mainly it describes how to create ssh tunnels, but has other information as well. PDF of the slides are at http://wifidefense.cuzuco.com/ --NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/ --NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/ Robin-David Hammond KB3IEN +1 347 350 34 00 -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/ -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/
Re: [nycwireless] MTA/Siemens vaporware ...
Now this is funny. I had the privilege to see the new all digital dispacth center the MTA built. When I got a peek it looked operational from technology perspective but was not yet staffed. Every single car on ever single train on the covered lines was tracked down to the track segment (point and click switching, signal status, train communication, etc). I am not sure how hard it is to go from knowing exactly where a train is to displaying an estimated arrival time on a sign board. But my informed guess is, not that hard. - Dustin - Jon Baer wrote: Saw this in the NYPost this morning ... I find it really hard to believe that between RFID, WiFi, WiMax, etc that no technology can tell me simply when the next train is arriving. The question is what the real problem is? Since Siemens has been in the rail business for a long time ... makes me wonder if there will ever be wide area signal coverage underground. http://www.railway-technology.com/contractors/signal/siemens/ - Jon http://www.nypost.com/seven/10202006/news/regionalnews/no_eta__firm_flubs_160m_subway_tech_regionalnews_jeremy_olshan__transit_reporter.htm NO ETA: FIRM FLUBS $160M SUBWAY TECH By JEREMY OLSHAN Transit Reporter October 20, 2006 -- When is the next train coming? Don't ask the MTA. The $160 million digital message boards that transit officials have long promised will take the guesswork out of the platform waiting game do not work, The Post has learned. MTA leaders are furious at German technology powerhouse Siemens, which has already been paid $45.2 million since getting the contract in 2003. Siemens has been unable to deliver on promises to fix its software, forcing the MTA to consider looking for another company to finish the job. There has not been "any tangible evidence that the fixes we have been promised are in fact fixes and can work going forward," New York City Transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges said. "We have begun the process to explore whether we should pursue a different course of action with other parties." Despite several delays, a separate system using a different technology has been installed on the L train. That system does work and will be up and running by "year's end," Fleuranges said. Subway systems in cities such as Paris and London have been able to provide passengers arrival information for years, note transit advocates, who say the MTA has a lousy track record when it comes to bringing in new technology. "It's really disappointing. With the exception of the MetroCard, they have a terrible history with anything that needs software," said Beverly Dolinksy, director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Council to the MTA. In 2000, the MTA scrapped a contract with Orbital to provide a satellite bus-location system, which failed to work around Manhattan's skyscrapers. "That contract is 10 years old, and we still don't have that system," Dolinsky said. Since May, the MTA has stopped paying any invoices for work related to the Siemens software, according to a report by the agency's independent consulting firm, Carter Burgess. "Payments to the contractor for software-related work are being held pending resolution of which direction the software development will proceed," the report said. Though the contractor may have failed to deliver, Gene Russianoff, of the Straphangers Campaign, contends the MTA has only itself to blame. "The buck stops with transit officials, because they are the ones who drew up the specs," he said. "They spend tens of millions of dollars and promise their customers real-time information. Their own studies and polls show riders crave knowing what is going on - even more so in a 9/11 world." Siemens contends it will resolve the problems. "Siemens is confident that we have the solution," spokeswoman Paula Davis said. The project will be completed to "the satisfaction of the New York City Transit and New York City commuters." In the meantime, riders can still employ the more low-tech method of staring into the void for signs of that telltale light at the end of the tunnel. -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/ -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/
[nycwireless] ARTICLE: New York Post: 'NET LOSS IN PARKS - CITY IS BUNGLING WI-FI PLAN: CRITICS
'NET LOSS IN PARKS CITY IS BUNGLING WI-FI PLAN: CRITICS By SAM GUSTIN October 23, 2006 -- Bureaucratic bungling, incompetence and old- fashioned greed have short-circuited a plan to install free wi-fi in city parks, critics charge. Two years ago, the city Department of Parks and Recreation awarded a contract to set up wireless Internet access in 10 city parks, but to date, only two of those parks are up and running. Parks spokesman Ashe Reardon conceded that only a handful of "hot spots" in Central Park currently work. Wi-Fi Salon, the company awarded the contract two years ago to take the parks wireless, claims Battery Park also is online. "It's been a long process," said Reardon. "But we're working on it." City Councilwoman Gale Brewer told The Post she's "frustrated" by the situation and blasted the Parks Department as "technologically challenged." Wi-fi activists also are fed up. "No one at the top of the Parks Department food chain knows anything about wi-fi or the Internet," said Dana Spiegel, the executive director of NYC Wireless, a volunteer group. In one case, she said, the department demanded a $1.5 million insurance policy from the community group Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza after it said it wanted to install a free hot spot there. "I don't know what liability the city was worried about," said Friends director Tom Payne. "That the antenna would fall on somebody's head?" In another example of bureaucratic bungling, a firm building Philadelphia's free, citywide wireless network offered to construct a hot spot in Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn at no cost to the city - but the department held it up, critics said. Sources inside and outside city government charge that the department is dragging its feet in order to sign up corporate sponsors - and pump revenue out of them. -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/
