How to disable your new, RFID-laden US passport

From Boing Boing via Wired:
Smash the crap out of it with a hammer. No, seriously. Snip from Wired Magazine tutorial:
All passports issued by the U.S. State Department after January 1 will have always-on radio frequency identification chips, making it easy for officials – and hackers – to grab your personal stats. Getting paranoid about strangers slurping up your identity? Here’s what you can do about it. But be careful – tampering with a passport is punishable by 25 years in prison. Not to mention the “special” customs search, with rubber gloves. Bon voyage!

FCC dismisses BPL complaints in Manassas, Virginia

From Media Network weblog:

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has dismissed complaints by local amateur radio operators alleging that the broadband over powerline (BPL) system in Manassas, Virginia, interferes with their signals. In March 2006, the FCC directed Manassas and Communication Technologies Inc. (COMTek), the city’s BPL provider, to investigate the allegations and take steps to eliminate “harmful interference.” The FCC responded to Manassas’ report on its progress in June and directed both the city and COMTek to further address interference issues and the system’s non-compliance with FCC emission regulations.

In April, COMTek began updating its equipment to the latest technology. COMTek spokesman Scott Stapf said the company has begun upgrading about 600 overhead lines and plans to have the upgrade complete in early 2007. In October, the FCC sent engineers to Manassas to coordinate with COMTek to test for interference in six areas of the city that were chosen based on their proximity to locations identified in the interference complaints, city attorney Bob Bendall said. The FCC then made measurements and stated on 14 December that the system is “in compliance with the radiated emission limits” and dismissed the complaints.

But George Tarnovsky, vice president for Ole Virginia Hams, a local ham radio group, said he thinks the “whole thing was mishandled,” and still doesn’t believe the results the FCC obtained. Tarnovsky said the FCC was supposed to contact him and other ham radio operators to be present for the FCC’s tests in October, but neither he nor any other hams ever heard from the commission, he said. “I think we were dealt the wrong deal by the FCC,” Tarnovsky said. He insists the fight is not over and that he and fellow hams plan to continue registering complaints. Manassas became the first American municipality to implement the technology citywide in 2003. By plugging a modem into any city electrical outlet, subscribers can get high-speed Internet access for about $29 per month, approximately half of what cable providers charge. COMTek’s BPL service runs through the city’s power grid and has about 850 subscribers. (Source: Potomac News Online)

Fessenden: World's first broadcaster?

Twas the night before Christmas, and Radio World is debunking the Dec. 24, 1906 "Brant Rock Broadcast." "You may have read that 2006 marks the 100th anniversary of the first broadcast of speech and music," James O'Neal writes about the claim that Professor Reginald Aubrey Fessenden, "assembled a primitive AM radiotelephone transmitter and placed it on the air in the evening hours of Dec. 24 at his experimental communications station at Brant Rock, Mass. He transmitted music and speech on that occasion. Thus - the story went - he was the first ever to 'broadcast.'" O'Neal's lengthy story slowly erodes the contention one small fact at a time.

Sunni insurgents launch TV channel

National Public Radio has an audio report by Saad Qasim, and Alex Chadwick about Sunni insurgents in Iraq running a 24-hour pirate television channel, called Al Zawraa. "The channel shows attacks on Americans and Shiites, as well as violence committed by Shiite militias," NPR says.

Afghanistan launches spectrum mobile monitoring station

From Media Network weblog via Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union:

Afghanistan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ATRA) has acquired a new radio spectrum monitor to curb illegal radio usage in the country. Funded by the World Bank at a cost of U.S. $1 million, the country’s Minister of Communications Amirzai Sangin said the launching of the mobile spectrum station will allow Afghanistan to monitor illegal frequency users and operators, who are operating without permission from the ministry. The minister also said that the quality of broadcasting of local TV, radio stations and GSM frequencies in Afghanistan can also be monitored from the mobile spectrum station. “Thus, we will be able to enhance the quality of the broadcasting of these stations and help their broadcasting problems,” the minister added. According to ATRA officials, the station can monitor and control radio frequencies from 20 MHz [sic, presumably 20 kHz] to 3000 MHz. The station can also simultaneously monitor and evaluate the frequency and provide a real check or monitoring report of evaluation. (Source: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)

OPEN CALL: free103point9 AIRtime Artist Residency Program

free103point9 AIRtime residency applications due April 1, 2007.

Do you, or would you like to, use the airwaves in your work?

Coined by free103point9, "Transmission Arts" is defined as a conceptual umbrella that unites a community of artists and audiences interested in transmission ideas and tools utilizing the electromagnetic spectrum for creative expression. Transmission practices harness, occupy and/or respond to the airwaves that surround us. There is an inherent "liveness" to this work. In a performance- based setting, audience members are newly engaged, becoming participants rather than passive viewers and listeners. Installation or sculptural transmission works are often dependant on the present, reacting to whatever occupies the surrounding frequencies in a single instance, or changing that information by adding new signals to the spectral environment.

The AIRtime workspace residency program at Wave Farm provides media artists with valuable space, physical and intellectual, to concentrate on new transmission works and conduct important research about the genre using free103point9's resource library and equipment holdings. free103point9's Study Center (see sketch, above) is under construction and will be partially functional during the 2007 residency season.

The AIRtime program serves artists by providing space for research and creation with technical support, and audiences through the presentation of works developed during AIRtime in conjunction with free103point9' s exhibition program PETS. Selected artists and projects are invited to install long-term outdoor installations as part of free103point9' s Transmission Sculpture Garden. The free103point9 Dispatch Series provides distribution for selected projects completed during AIRtime residencies. Artists-in-residence also interact with free103point9 Online Radio, presenting live on-air programming during their stay. free103point9 shares resources regarding preservation and archiving models with our residents. Artists are encouraged to archive recordings and other reproducible media with the free103point9 study collection.

Ten artists (or collectives) are selected from an open application each AIRtime season. Residency durations are flexible based on the schedules of participating artists, but typically last one week. The program is active July - October. Residents are provided with a stipend of $150. Meals are provided by free103point9 as well as local transportation for supplies. One resident is on-site at a time. Both program directors are available on site during the residencies for technical assistance and critical feedback.

Artists are required to archive completed works related to their residency with the study center research collections. A performance and exhibition program from works made during this residency period will be held at Wave Farm in Oct., 2007.

For a complete list of equipment, resources, and technical
support associated with the AIRtime residency program, see:
http://www.free103point9.org/airtime.php

To learn more about free103point9, go here:
http://www.free103point9.org/

To learn more about Wave Farm, go here:
http://www.free103point9.org/wavefarm. php

April 1, 2007 application deadline

free103point9 Online Radio
Tune in around the clock. www.free103point9.org
Transmission arts, creative radio, and more.

Packages: 5662 Route 23, Acra, NY 12405

RIP WRPI?

By Tom Roe

Alas, another great radio station may be shutting down. Or turning off? Or you may be turning it off? Whatever, conservative students interested in playing the same 40 songs as all the other rock stations in town, want to excise all that is interesting and local about WRPI (91-5-FM, Troy, NY), the station on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. We are all for student control of student airwaves, but WRPI's large signal means the station owes the larger community something, and for a long time that meant letting students and faculty take the first show time slots, and letting members of the community fill in the rest, especially holidays when the school's campus is largely shut down. That's a smart system. RPI is a part of the Hudson Valley, and the community of the Hudson Valley should also be part of WRPI. Now, though, students are cutting news shows -- the rumour on the internets is that the 9 a.m. daily "Democracy Now!" will be shed soon -- in favor of an automation machine (!) playing the same 40 songs as all the other rock stations in town. New executive committee elections on Dec. 8 have some regular listeners and on-air talent nervous. How about let's keep a great diverse station the way it is? Write to WRPI Station Manager Gino D'Addario to let him know how important WRPI is to the entire community at wrpi-sm@rpi.edu. Or you can donate to Friends of WRPI, an advocacy group for "communiversity radio" to Friends of WRPI, PO Box 1656, Troy NY 12181.

Steve Pierce, president of the Friends of WRPI, wrote in a newsletter, “The community service/alternative programming philosophy that marked much of the last decade at WRPI (and perhaps much of its nearly 50 year history as a full power FM station) is now being challenged. Over the past two years, the on-campus awareness of the radio station’s importance to the community outside of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has eroded. While some students understand that WRPI is a 10,000-watt radio station reaching hundreds of thousands of people in three states and has an educational and non-commercial mission that extends far beyond the campus community, others don’t. . . . For years student leaders cultivated and supported a student/community partnership that produced a truly unique radio station. It is with deep regret that I note that partnership is in jeopardy now.”

Ravezooka

From we make money not art:

The Ravezooka is a musical weapon that shoots powerful "hardcore" sounds based on your target's distance from the instrument. Squeezing the trigger handle initiates sound and a beam of light. As the user moves the Ravezooka around, the frequency range being played changes based on the distance of the person or object in front of the instrument. The closer the target, the lower the frequency range. The light emitted from the LED gives a visual clue as to what person or object is being targeted. Sliding the trigger handle back and forth modifies the distortion effect of the sound. The closer the handle is drawn towards the user, the greater the distortion. Volume is controlled by turning the potentiometer knob on the side of the Ravezooka. The sound of the Ravezooka is generated by MIDI data collected from the sensors and is played through a guitar or bass amplifier from the computer. The sound resembles an analog synthesizer manipulating sine wave frequencies with the aggressiveness of a machine gun. Developed by Lesley Flanigan and Benedetta Piantella Simeonidis. Check out the final version of project at the ITP Winter Show, on December 17 and 18, 721 Broadway at Waverly Place 4th Floor South Elevators, New York. Related works: Troika's Exploded monologues sends your voice on one or more of the four different speakers, each of them located approximately one meter from your mouth; Tomoaki Yanagisawa's Sonic Gun allows you to shoot sounds that you have previously recorded with the gun itself and send them to targets that play these sounds back and The Earworm Assault Devices, by Fur, enable you to distribute your own earworms, a piece of music (preferably irritating) that you hear and you can't forget anymore. Small pieces of sound or music can be recorded onto the devices and fired at single or multiple persons.

FCC eliminates Morse code exam, modifies amateur radio rules

From the Federal Communications Commission:

Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a
Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration (Order) that modifies the rules for the Amateur Radio Service by revising the examination requirements for obtaining a General Class or Amateur Extra Class amateur radio operator license and revising the operating privileges for Technician Class licensees. In addition, the Order resolves a petition filed by the American Radio Relay League, Inc. (ARRL) for partial reconsideration of an FCC Order on amateur service rules released on October 10, 2006.

The current amateur service operator license structure contains three classes of amateur radio operator licenses: Technician Class, General Class, and Amateur Extra Class. General Class and Amateur Extra Class licensees are permitted to operate in Amateur bands below 30 MHz, while the introductory Technician Class licensees are only permitted to operate in bands above 30 MHz. Prior to today’s action, the FCC, in accordance with international radio regulations, required applicants for General Class and Amateur Extra Class operator licenses to pass a five words-per-minute Morse code examination. Today’s Order eliminates that
requirement for General and Amateur Extra licensees. This change reflects revisions to international radio regulations made at the International Telecommunication Union’s 2003 World Radio Conference (WRC-03), which authorized each country to determine whether to require that individuals demonstrate Morse code proficiency in order to qualify for an amateur
radio license with transmitting privileges on frequencies below 30 MHz. This change eliminates an unnecessary regulatory burden that may discourage current amateur radio operators from advancing their skills and participating more fully in the benefits of amateur radio.

Today’s Order also revises the operating privileges for Technician Class licensees by
eliminating a disparity in the operating privileges for the Technician Class and Technician Plus Class licensees. Technician Class licensees are authorized operating privileges on all amateur frequencies above 30 MHz. The Technician Plus Class license, which is an operator license class that existed prior the FCC’s simplification of the amateur license structure in 1999 and was grandfathered after that time, authorized operating privileges on all amateur frequencies above 30 MHz, as well as frequency segments in four HF bands (below 30 MHz) after the successful completion of a Morse code examination. With today’s elimination of the Morse code exam requirements, the FCC concluded that the disparity between the operating privileges of Technician Class licensees and Technician Plus Class licensees should not be retained. Therefore, the FCC, in today’s action, afforded Technician and Technician Plus licensees identical operating privileges.

Finally, today’s Order resolved a petition filed by the ARRL for partial reconsideration of an FCC Order released on October 10, 2006 (FCC 06-149). In this Order, the FCC authorized amateur stations to transmit voice communications on additional frequencies in certain amateur service bands, including the 75 meter (m) band, which is authorized only for certain wideband voice and image communications. The ARRL argued that the 75 m band should not have been expanded below 3635 kHz, in order to protect automatically controlled digital stations operating in the 3620-3635 kHz portion of the 80 m band. The FCC concluded that these stations can be protected by providing alternate spectrum in the 3585-3600 kHz frequency segment. Action by the Commission on December 15, 2006, by Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration. Chairman Martin and Commissioners Copps, Adelstein, Tate, and McDowell.

Linux software for radio stations launches

From Jonathan Marks in Broadcast & Podcast Gadgets:

I am currently looking at this piece of software as one possibile solution for a radio station in West Africa. One challenge with the Open-Source project like this is that the developers cannot offer a 24 hour service, like other guys do for Linux. But I have met the people behind this project and know them to be passionate about getting it right.

Community radio stations in Sierra Leone and in other emerging democracies will be powered by the latest release of the free and open source Campcaster software, which was released on December 7th 2006. Campcaster is free and open source software that turns a PC running the free Linux operating system into an essential tool for radio broadcasting. In a user-friendly way, it enables both automated broadcast at preset dates and times, as well as allowing “live” playout from the studio. At the same time, it also enables the exchange of radio program material both online and off-line, and provides a stable, secure, extensible archive server for storing, searching and retrieving program content.

Campcaster 1.1, code-named “Freetown,” was built with conditions in difficult environments such as Sierra Leone in mind. It provides very stable playout, and because it runs on Linux, there are fewer problems with viruses, spyware and malware.

Campcaster's relevance is not limited to the developing world: stations in the developed world are starting to adapt the system to their own needs. For example, Vienna, Austria's Radio Orange is adapting Campcaster's playout system to work with its existing digital archive, while in Hungary, a network of independent radio stations is integrating Campcaster's storage server into its IKRA project, a generic public website engine for radio stations.

Because all of the Campcaster software is free and open source, stations are free to adapt it to their individual needs, but are strongly encouraged to share their efforts with others.

“Campcaster provides features that used to be only available in extremely expensive commercial radio systems,” says Sava Tatić, Managing Director of the Media Development Loan Fund's Center for Advanced Media, Prague (CAMP), which coordinates the Campware Initiative. “We believe there is a strong north-south aspect to using and extending Campcaster,” Tatić added. “Every time a station in North America or Europe adapts and extends Campcaster, stations in places like Sierra Leone benefit.”

An international team of software developers, user interface designers, media activists and radio professionals have worked for more than 12 months on the 1.1 “Freetown” release. Campware representatives have coordinated their work with the Cornet community radio network on the software, and members of the development team will travel to Freetown, Sierra Leone later this month to provide training to partners implementing and servicing Campcaster locally.

Campcaster 1.1 “Freetown” is the latest release from the Media Development Loan Fund's Campware Initiative, which creates free and open source tools for independent media in emerging democracies. Initial funding for Campcaster has been provided by a grant from the Open Society Institute. The tools are all free and available for download at the Campware website at www.campware.org. Developers and technically-minded users can visit the developers' page at http://code.campware.org/projects/campcaster.

Douglas Arellanes Head of Research and Development on the project tells me that he and programmer Ferenc Gerlits are now in Freetown, Sierra Leone to install Campcaster at the Cornet network of community radio stations. They already have confirmation that a number of other stations have already begun installing and extending Campcaster, and they will regularly update the Campware site as we hear about new implementations.

Next on their release program (in addition to bugfix releases) is Campcaster 1.2, which is code-named "Kotor" because they are planning to implement it at Skala Radio in Kotor, Montenegro. The main feature will be integration with Campsite, which will allow stations to create and manage news broadcasts in an effective and user-friendly manner.

Pirate radio station operators protest outside NCC in Taiwan

From AsiaMedia via Angelica Oung in Taipei Times:

Members of the Taiwan Defense Alliance demonstrate outside the office of the National Communications Commission yesterday, demanding that commission members resign because the group had been declared unconstitutional. Scores of pirate radio station operators protested vociferously against the National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday in a continuation of clashes that have simmered since June. Held back by rows of police in riot gear, angry protesters spat at pictures of commission members and burnt copies of the Constitution over what they said was the NCC's lack of legitimacy.

"The threshold that the NCC has set for licensed stations is NT$50 million [US$1.5 million] in assets and capital, which puts licensing totally out of reach of independent operators," said Tsai Chi-feng, a pirate radio station owner. "Local and non-mainstream Taiwanese voices are being silenced," Tsai said, adding that the crackdown was part of the NCC's "secret scheme to let the pro-China media monopolize the media market" in the country.

The commission has been cracking down hard on pirate stations, which are generally considered more sympathetic toward Taiwan independence. So far this year, the commission has shut down more than 500 such outfits, according to Hsu Ming-tse, the news liaison for the protesters. The commission itself was declared unconstitutional by the Council of Grand Justices in July because of the party-based nomination method for its members. However, the current members will serve until the end of their term in January 2008.

"They have no authority to shut us down when they have constitutional problems themselves," Hsu said. "We will be willing to work with the next group of commissioners, elected constitutionally, but not the current NCC," Hsu said.

The commission did not respond to the protest. An administrator who declined to be named told the Taipei Times that the commission did not meet with the protesters because the protesters did not submit their complaints in the proper manner. Despite the fact that stations are continually being shut down and their equipment confiscated, Tsai said station owners continue to play cat and mouse with the commission. "We will keep fighting ... we are regrouping and rebroadcasting as soon as soon as they shut us down," Tsai said. 12.15.06.

U.S. broadcast efforts in Cuba worth the cost? asks Chicago Tribune

From Chicago Tribune via Media Network Weblog:

“After 20 years and more than $530 million, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting operates a radio station that by the U.S. government’s own estimates has suffered a precipitous drop in listenership and a television station that may never have been seen by anyone in Cuba for more than a few minutes at a time.” So writes Andrew Zajac, national correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.

Zajac continues “Cubans who manage to tune in to Radio or TV Martí hear or see programming that is sprinkled with vulgarity, presents one-sided programming as news, and omits stories critical of the Bush administration and Miami’s Cuban exile community, all in apparent violation of federal broadcast standards, according to recent U.S. government quality-control reviews of OCB offerings.”

In a Special Report (registration required), one of the longest and most detailed articles we have seen about Radio and TV Martí in the popular press, all aspects of the operation are looked at, and a fair amount of space is given to those defending the operation.

FCC sends warning letters to New Jersey microcasters

The Federal Communications Commission sent four warning letters about unlicensed use of radio transmission equipment to northern New Jersey microcasters in the past four weeks. Someone, apparently, called in two Jersey pirates on Nov. 4, and another on Nov. 8. On Nov. 29 the FCC sent a "Notice of Unlicensed Operation" to "Jain and Jain, Inc." operating on 102.3-FM from 214 Glenwood St. in East Orange. That same day they sent a nearly identical letter (except it says they learned about his operation on Nov. 8) to Perkin A. Diaz, who they contend was operating a station at 90.5-FM from 439 E. 32nd St. in Paterson. Then on Dec. 7, the FCC notified Manuel Carbajal (99.9-FM at 256 Clifton Ave., 2nd fl, in Newark) and Wayne Phillip (also on 102.3-FM at the same address in East Orange of "Jain and Jain, Inc."). So three stations in four weeks have been reported, observed, and sent letters from the FCC's New York City office.

OPEN CALL: 100 Years of Radio

Sri Lanka Community Radio Organization will begin a web site (100years0fradio.org) on "100 Years of Radio" from Dec. 24, 2006 through Dec. 23, 2007 with the theme "Free Air Waves." They are looking for articles and programs. Send before Dec. 20, 2006 to: Niranjan udumalagala, General Secretary, Sri Lanka Community Radio Organization, sl community radio movement srilankacomradio@yahoo.com

OPEN CALL: Fourth Annual NYC Grassroots Media Conference

The Fourth Annual NYC Grassroots Media Conference is coming Saturday, February 24th, 2007. We’re now accepting workshop proposals, artwork and films, advertisements, table exhibition reservations and more.

To submit a workshop proposal visit: www.nycgrassrootsmedia.org/proposal
To submit your artwork or film visit: www.nycgrassrootsmedia.org/art
To reserve an ad in the conference program visit: www.nycgrassrootsmedia.org/ads
To reserve a table to promote your organization in the exhibition area visit: www.nycgrassrootsmedia.org/table

This year, the NYC Grassroots Media Conference seeks to ask: What are the common threads inherent in our global struggles for social change and how does media contribute to our understanding of the root causes of injustice faced by world communities? From educating ourselves and our government leaders to spreading our messages and recruiting broader and more diverse constituencies into our campaigns, media is central to the struggle for social justice. Therefore, the fight for better access to and representation in the media is essential for advancing peace and justice both at home and abroad.

Join us for the 4th annual NYC Grassroots Media Conference as we explore these connections and strategies, and come together to demand a media system that will link our diverse communities, connect local and international struggles, and fight for social justice across boundaries and beyond borders. In addition to a full day of workshops and networking sessions there will be a political art installation and full day film festival and an exhibition room featuring displays by local organizations.

More than 200 local organizations and over 3,000 people have already participated in NYC Grassroots Media Coalition events. The conference offers anideal opportunity for presenting organizations and activists to reach out and gain visibility among the many conference attendees and the slew of participating organizations, and to network, make connections and form the basis for future partnerships. Information about how to submit proposals, art and film, purchase ads, reserve tables and register for the conference is available at www.nycgrassrootsmedia.org.

OPEN CALL: Papers for 5th Media in Transition conference

Call for Papers (submission deadline: Jan. 5, 2007)

Our understanding of the technical and social processes by which culture is made and reproduced is being challenged and enlarged by digital technologies. An emerging generation of media producers is sampling and remixing existing materials as core ingredients in their own work. Networked culture is enabling both small and large collaborations among artists who may never encounter each other face to face. Readers are actively reshaping media content as they personalize it for their own use or customize it for the needs of grassroots and online communities. Bloggers are appropriating and recontextualizing news stories; fans are rewriting stories from popular culture; and rappers and techno artists are sampling and remixing sounds.

These and related cultural practices have generated heated contention and debate. What constitutes fair use of another's intellectual property? What ethical issues are posed when sounds, images, and stories move from one culture or subculture to another? Or when materials created by a community or religious or ethnic tradition are appropriated by technologically powerful outsiders? What constitutes creativity and originality in expressive formats based on sampling and remixing? What obligations do artists owe to those who have inspired and informed their work and how much creative freedom should they exercise over their borrowed or shared materials?

One source of answers to such questions lies in the past – in the ways in which traditional printed texts – and films and TV shows as well – invoke, allude to and define themselves against their rivals and ancestors; and – perhaps even more saliently – in the ways in which folk and popular cultures may nourish and reward not originality in our modern sense, but familiarity, repetition, borrowing, collaboration.

This fifth Media in Transition conference, then, aims to generate a conversation that compares historical forms of cultural expression with contemporary media practices. We hope this event will appeal widely across disciplines and scholarly and professional boundaries. For example, we hope this conference will bring together such figures as:
• anthropologists of oral and folk cultures
• historians of the book and reading publics
• political scientists and legal scholars interested in alternative approaches to intellectual property
• media educators who aim to help students think about their ethical responsibilities in this new participatory culture
• artists ready to discuss appropriation and collaboration in their own work
• economists and business leaders interested in the new relationships that are emerging between media producers and consumers
• activists and netizens interested in the ways new technologies democratize who has the right to be an author

Among topics the conference might explore:
• history of authorship and copyright
• folk practices in traditional and contemporary society
• appropriating materials from other cultures: political and ethical dilemmas
• poetics and politics of fan culture
• blogging, podcasting, and collective intelligence
• media literacy and the ethics of participatory culture
• artistic collaboration and cultural production, past and present
• fair use and intellectual property
• sampling and remixing in popular music
• cultural production in traditional and developing societies
• Web 2.0 and the "architecture of participation"
• creative industries and user-generated content
• parody, spoofs, and mash-ups as critical commentary
• game mods and machinima
• the workings of genre in different media systems
• law and technological change

Short abstracts of no more than 200 words for papers or panels should be sent via email to Brad Seawell at seawell@mit.edu no later than January 5, 2007 . Brad can be reached by phone at 617-253-3521. Email submissions are preferred, but abstracts can be mailed to:
Brad Seawell
14N-430
MIT
Cambridge , MA 02139
Please include a short (75 words or less) biographical statement.
This will be our fifth media in transition conference. The previous conferences were the inaugural Media in Transiton conference, MiT2: globalization and convergence , MiT3: television and MiT4: the work of stories.

FCC ruling affirms tenants' rights for Wi-Fi use

From Frederick Joyce in Internet Business Law Services:

Dec. 13, 2006 -- The Federal Communications Commission recently released an order in response to a petition for declaratory ruling filed by Continental Airlines that may be of interest to anyone that owns, leases or rents commercial or residential property. Continental Airlines had asked the FCC to preempt the Massachusetts Port Authority from shutting down Continental's WiFi network in its frequent flier lounge. MassPort had contracted with a vendor for WiFi services throughout the airport, and informed Continental that it was in breach of its airport lease which prohibited private WiFi networks. MassPort raised various arguments in opposition to Continental's petition, including the potential for interference that Continental's WiFi hub could cause to the larger airport network. Perhaps more to the point, MassPort shared revenue with its exclusive vendor arrangement; that arrangement would obviously be at risk if airport tenants opted to install their own WiFi networks.

On virtually all legal and factual points the FCC sided with Continental. The FCC reminded everyone that WiFi is an unlicensed service; hence, in actuality no WiFi operator is entitled to protection against harmful interference from other WiFi operations. And, the FCC cited longstanding rules and statutory authorities that allow tenants, under certain circumstances, to install and operate their own small antennas for certain categories of service. Those rules originally applied to video services (such as satellite TV antennas); by this decision, the FCC for the first time said that WiFi hubs/antennas are also covered under its rules. Consequently, notwithstanding contract terms to the contrary, the FCC has ruled that tenants are allowed to
install their own WiFi networks within their own leased space. By comparison, the FCC's rules would not apply if someone were to install a WiFi booth in the hallways of an airport. Continental's rights derived from the fact that it was a rent-paying tenant, and its WiFi hub was confined within its leased lounge space. The significance of this ruling extends well beyond airlines and airports. The ruling will certainly apply to all public and quasi-public spaces such as convention centers, sporting arena/stadiums, shopping malls, multiple tenant commercial and residential buildings, train and bus stations. Continental presumably didn't pursue this issue for several years only to prove a point; WiFi subscription fees, and the marketing potential of tailored WiFi offerings, can amount to serious dollars for landlords and tenants. In the coming months, landlords and tenants are likely to inspect the fine print in their lease agreements to assess the impact of the FCC's decision to expand tenants' rights with respect to privately installed and maintained WiFi networks.

Listening in on current microradio

Several audio sources are available in the past week to hear what's up about the current state of microradio in the U.S. First, Reclaim the Media organized the Northwest Community Radio Summit a few weeks back, with a workshop called "The Case for Free Radio in the 21st Century." Listen to the hour-long discussion here hosted by members of the Free Radio Olympia collective. Then click here to hear John Anderson from DIYmedia.net on mediageek, tracking current FCC enforcement. "The FCC stats look like the commission has been stepping up enforcement on pirate broadcasters, but under the surface it looks like there are even more stations and that enforcement action is not all that it seems," Mediageek reports. There's also "The PiratesWeek Podcast" with reports this week on pirate shortwave stations WHYP, M.A.C. and a UNID, and other illicit broadcasting reports.

The Dust Dive Flash, "Tens of Thousands" CD out now from free103point9

free103point9 Dispatch Series subscribers just received copies of The Dust Dive Flash's Tens of Thousands CD. Largely a solo effort, as all songs were written and performed by Laura Ortman (violin, vocals, electric guitar, piano, chord organ, Casio). Ortman got a little help too from producer Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, John Zorn, Swans, others), and photographer (see cover, above) and fellow Dust Diver Bryan Zimmerman. You can listen to an mp3 of "Gone and Placed to the Land" from Tens of Thousands here, and buy a copy for $8 here.

Russians suspected of deliberately disrupting BBC Russian service FM transmissions

From Media Network weblog:

The Times reports that the Russians are suspected of involvement in the disruption of the BBC’s Russian Service FM broadcasts in Moscow and St Petersburg, at the height of coverage of the poisoning in London of former Russian security agent Alexander Litvinenko. The FM transmitter that carries the 4-hour daily broadcast in St Petersburg was off the air from 13 November to 1 December. During this period the poison story broke, Litvinenko died and, in a final statement, accused Mr Putin of his murder.

In Moscow the FM broadcasts went off air on 24 November, the day after Litvinenko’s death, and have not resumed since. Sarah Gibson, the head of the BBC Russian Service, told The Times that this was the first time that the FM transmissions had been stopped. She said that the Russians had blamed “technical difficulties” for the suspension. The service is still broadcast on shortwave and mediumwave, but the FM transmission is the most accessible in the Russian capital, where most of the one million Russian Service listeners live.

A member of the Russian Service said that the 40 Russian journalists working for the BBC in Moscow were fearful for their safety if the Litvinenko story continued to dominate the headlines.

Update from Kimandrewelliott.com:

"The service is still broadcast on short wave and [local] medium wave, although the FM transmission is the most accessible in the Russian capital, where most of the one million Russian Service listeners live. A member of the Russian Service said that staff suspected that the broadcasts were taken off air to stop Muscovites hearing allegations that Russian security services were linked to the Litvinenko killing. The staff member added that the 40 Russian journalists working for the BBC in Moscow were fearful for their safety if the Litvinenko story continued to dominate the headlines." Times Online, 9 December 2006

UK regulator considers shutting off AM and FM radio and using spectrum for mobile TV

From CMedford at Red Herring:

Neither television nor the movies could do it, but regulators in the United Kingdom are considering the end of AM and FM radio on the grounds that they have both outlived their usefulness, and digital services could make better use of the spectrum occupied by both bands. Ofcom, the U.K.’s communications regulator, published a statement that said many of the AM and FM licenses are up for renewal and an automatic renewal could tie up very valuable slices of spectrum for 24 years, so the time is right for a long-term decision....By making a decision on the future of analog commercial radio now, the U.K regulator argues, it will have more flexibility in the use of the VHF Band II spectrum currently occupied by FM radio. Ofcom believes that the spectrum would be put to better use if it were allotted to emerging services such as mobile TV and more digital radio and data services.

“FM radio re-uses a limited number of frequencies in a patchwork across the U.K. to deliver around 300 local BBC and commercial services and five UK-wide networks,” said the Ofcom statement. “Any alternative uses for those frequencies would require large chunks of that spectrum to be freed-up simultaneously—something a rolling re-licensing process does not allow for,” the statement continued.

Personal firewall for the RFIDs you carry

From Boing Boing:

A Platform for RFID Security and Privacy Administration is a paper by Melanie R. Rieback and Georgi N. Gaydadjiev that won the award for Best Paper at the USENIX LISA (Large Installation Systems Administration) conference today. It proposes a "firewall for RFID tags" -- a device that sits on your person and jams the signals from all your personal wireless tags (transit passes, etc), then selectively impersonates them according to rules you set. Your contactless transit card will only send its signal when you authorize it, not when some jerk with an RFID scanner snipes it as you walk down the street. The implementation details are both ingenious and plausible -- it's a remarkable piece of work. Up until now, the standard answer to privacy concerns with RFIDs is to just kill them -- put your new US Passport in a microwave for a few minutes to nuke the chip. But with an RFID firewall, it might be possible to reap the benefits of RFID without the cost. This is a must-read paper for anyone who cares about electronic privacy and who wants to catch a glimpse of the future.

Tag Spoofing Demystified

RFID readers produce an electromagnetic field that powers up RFID tags, and provides them with a reference signal (e.g. 13.56 MHz) that they can use for internal timing purposes. Once an RFID tag decodes a query from an RFID reader (using its internal circuitry), it encodes its response by turning on and off a resistor in synchronization with the reader’s clock signal. This so-called “load modulation” of the carrier signal results in two sidebands, which are tiny peaks of radio energy, just higher and lower than the carrier frequency. Tag response information is transmitted solely in these sidebands2, rather than in the carrier signal. Figure 5 (from the RFID Handbook[6]) illustrates how these sidebands look, in relation to the reader-generated carrier frequency. The comparatively tiny sidebands have approximately 90 decibels less power than the reader-generated carrier signal, and this is the reason why RFID tag responses often have such a limited transmission range.

The secret to creating fake tag responses is to generate the two sideband frequencies, and use them to send back properly-encoded responses, that are synchronized with the RFID reader’s clock signal. The simplest way to generate these sidebands is to imitate an RFID tag, by turning on and off a load resistor with the correct timing. The disadvantage of this approach is that passive modulation of the reader signal will saddle our fake tag response with identical range limitations as real RFID tags (˜10 cm for our test setup).

Take me to Monkey Town

From Rhizome:

Brooklyn's Monkey Town is a one-of-a-kind venue presenting the interactive installations, video, music, and performance work of international artists in a multi-channel environment. The venue stays afloat by doubling as a highly-regarded restaurant, making the pleasure of spectatorship all the more synesthetic. Recently, this artist-run space encountered financial difficulties and a community of New York artists responded immediately, helping them face the threat of closure by organizing a massive new media holiday party. For one night only, Monkey Town will take over Greenpoint's Polish-American Discotheque, Europa, to present performances by quasi-animatronic pop star My Robot Friend, computer vision maestro Golan Levin, and the always hilariously poignant stylings of Dynasty Handbag. The December 7th event will be emceed by Nicklcat and will also feature DJing by No Ordinary Monkey and live video performances by Luke Dubois, Adam Kendall, Ray Sweeten, and others at the forefront of New York's contemporary audio-visual art scene. The party runs from 8pm-2am and tickets are $12-20. - Marisa Olson

OPEN CALL: 12th International Media Art Biennale

12th International Media Art Biennale WRO 07 Competition :: 16 - 20 May 2007, Wroclaw, Poland.

WRO Foundation for Media Art in Wroclaw/Poland, announces an international competition open to any work created using electronic media techniques, exploring innovative forms of artistic communication. The competition welcomes creators of artistic projects of diverse forms such as screenings (video art, computer animation), installations, objects, performances, multimedia concerts and network projects from all over the world. The main prize is 5000. The deadline date for entry submission is 15.02.2007.

Presentation of shortlisted works and the international jury's announcement of the competition results will take place during public screening at the WRO 07 Biennale. The competition regulations and entry form are available in downloadable format at http://wro07.wrocenter.pl. Requests to receive the regulations and entry form by post can be made at print[at]wrocenter.pl.

OPEN CALL: 30 second works about McCarren Park

Asking for 30 second original sound works focusing on McCarren Park, Brooklyn.
Each 30 second work will become part of a larger sound piece to be installed at experimental art/video/dining space, Monkeytown, N. 3rd, Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Requirements:
1. Final piece must be precisely 30 seconds in length.
2. Original audio must have been recorded at McCarren Park, Brooklyn.
Besides above requirements, anything goes.
Deadline:
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Send submissions and questions to:
Greg - gregallenmuller@yahoo.com
Preferred formats are .AIFF, and .WAV no larger than 8 MB.
Less preferred format is MP3, but if you must send in this format please make it the highest quality possible. Feel free to submit more than one. If this is not possible then please email me and we can arrange a drop-off. Thanks. This is hopefully the first of many projects in which I will be exploring all of the physical
elements, concepts and perception of sound. I am looking to expand my base of sound artists as well as the size and stature of these projects.

free103point9 Online Radio December Top 40

free103point9 Online Radio
December 2006 Top 40

1. Compiled by TJ Norris, triMIX: TribrydInstallation Soundtracks Deconstructed (Innova)
With Scanner, Beequeen, Humectant Interruption, M. Behrens, Asmus Tietchens, Nobukazu Takemura, Illusion of Safety, and others.
2. Phantom Limb & Tetuzi Akiyama, Hot Ginger (Archive)
Recorded June, 2006 at free103point9 Project Space in Brooklyn.
3. Edmund Mooney, Happy Trails (self)
4. Pauline Oliveros, Lion's Eye/Lion's Tale (Deep Listening)
5. Dave Burrell, Momentum (High Two)
6. Jonny Farrow, Suite for Broken Rhodes/Sketches of a Cleaning Building (self)
7. Sonic Liberation Front, Change Overtime (High Two)
8. North Guinea Hills, North Guinea Hills et. al. (self)
With Patrick McCarthy, Michael Garafalo, Laura Harrison, Sean Smith, and others.
9. Charter Oak, three song CD (self)
With Tianna Kennedy, Brendon Anderegg, Chris Millstein, Lucas Jansen, and Rob Hatch-Miller.
10. Laura Ortman, Tens of Thousands (free103point9 Audio Dispatch 029)
11. Fortner Anderson + tape/head, he sings (Wired on Words)
12. Sybarite, Cut Out Shape (Temporary Residence)
13. Juan Matos Capote, the subway aural recordings (self)
14. Various artists, The Art of the Virtual Rhythmicon (Innova)
With Jeff Feddersen, Matthew Burtner, Janek Schaefer, Annie Gosfield, and others.
15. Caustic Castle, Caustic Castle mini-CD (804noise)
16. ben owen, radio in (Winds Measure Recordings)
17. chefkirk, Giant Squid (804noise 006)
18. Giancarlo Bracchi, Universal Soul Adaptor (self)
19. Viki, compilation (Animal Disguise)
20. FFFFs, I Can Hear Summer Coming (Sockets)
21. DJ Slip, She's a Time Traveller (Broklyn Beats)
22. Prana Trio, After Dark (Circavision)
23. Scanner with MCs from the New Horizon Youth Centre, Night Jam (Bette)
24. Mammal, "No Hope/In the Mood" 7" (Chondritic Sound)
25. Sic Alps, Pleasures and Treasures (Animal Disguise)
26. Sabir Mateen's Shapes, Textures, and Sound Ensemble, Prophecies Comes to Pass (577)
27. Andrey Kiritchenko, Stuffed With/Out (self)
28. Fluorescent Grey, Lying on the floor mingling with god in a tijuana motel room next door to a veterinary supply store (Isolate Records)
29. Shawn Hansen, It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas trapped in outer space (Evolving Ear)
30. Lycaon Pictus, Personal Disaster (Avant-God)
31. Sybarite, Remix/Mash-up for Temprary Residence Fest at Bowery Ballroom (Temporary Residence)
32. Todd Merrell, Neptune (Dreamland Recordings)
33. The Caution Curves, a little hungry (Sockets)
34. Andy McWain + Albey Balgochian + Laurence Cook, Vigil (Fuller Street Music)
35. Jeff Arnal + Gordon Befferman, Rogue States (Generate)
36. Jeff Rehnlund, our thin mercy of error (self)
37. Jeph Jerman + Albert Casais, and this (Winds Measure Recordings)
38. Tor Lundvall, Empty City (Strange Fortune)
39. Judy Dunaway, Mother of Balloon Music (innova)
With Damian Catera, Flux Quartet, Ryuko Mizutani, and others.
40. Mammal, Let Me Die (Animal Disguise)

OPEN CALL: ETC residencies

From post.thing.net:

The Experimental Television Center announces the next deadline for the Artists in Residency Program, December 15th, 2006, for residencies between February and June 30, 2007. The Residency supports contemporary electronic media art projects. The studio workshop environment offers access to an image processing system, intensive individualized instruction and time for exploration and personal creative growth. Artists have an opportunity to study the processes and techniques of analog and digital imaging and to then use the system independently in the creation of new works. Participating artists have complete aesthetic and technical control over all aspects of the making process.

The image processing system is a hybrid tool set which facilitates interactive relationships between older historically important analog instruments such as colorizers and keyers, and new digital technologies using a G5, several G4s, a customized Doepfer A-100 system with sonic and control modules, software including Max/MSP, Jitter and Pluggo, as well as DVD authoring and editing software, DVD Studio Pro and Flash. Recording is mini-DV/DV and DVD. Svhs and 3/4" decks are also available. This rich electronic environment encourages artists to explore boundaries and intersections within narrative, documentary and social issue traditions as well as more experimental forms. A complete list is available by email and on the web in the News section. The postmark deadline is December 15th. You are encouraged to email the written materials. To apply please send the following:
1. A brief project description
2. A current resume
3. A prioritized set of dates between February 1 and June 30, 2007.
4. A sample of completed work with SASE if you wish it returned.

Forty FCC contacts with New York microcasters so far this year

DIYmedia does an excellent job breaking down all the information from the Federal Communications Commission web site about enforcement actions against microcasters. DIY's latest chart shows 40 contacts with New York microcasters plus a number from northern New Jersey, which sounds like a major increase until you look closer and see that most "contacts" are letters to the same people over and over again.

The FCC typically investigates and observes stations, then sends warning letters and makes "casual" visits to the locations of the transmissions, before moving on to search warrants and $10,000 fines. But they count all these actions as contacts. So Arlene Capell (3), Kacy Rankine (5, $10,000 fine last notice), Elroy Simpson (7, $10,000 fine), Carmen Spencer (3, warning letter), Denver McIntyre (2, warning), Moises and Juan Cabrera (2, $10,000 fine), Shawn Deroux (2, $17,000 fine), Denyse Roberts (2, warning), and a handful of real estate shops (presumably, they are sending letters to landlords too) made up almost all of the New York microcasting contacts so far this year.

New York City metropolitan microcasters used 87.9, 89.7, 90.1, 90.9, 94.5, 95.9, 96.1, 96.7, 99.1, 102.3, and 103.1. Most contacted seem from the reports to be ethnic or religious minorities, with music programming that does not exist on much of the rest of the New York City dial. The FCC continues to miss many NYC-based microcasters, such as the hip hop station that's on from 10 p.m. to midnight on 91.9-FM, and the other night time hip hop station on 88.7.

The Economist on the future of phone

From The Economist via Pasta and Vinegar:

The last issue of The Economist has a good article about the phone of the future. Some quotes of this compelling overview:
The chances are that phones will not only look very different—they may not even be seen.(…) And even if they are still called “phones”—a word derived from the Greek word for voice—making voice calls may no longer be their primary function.
(…) “The cellphone is not a telephone. It is a—I don’t know what it is. A communications device? A tool I carry in my pocket?” says Don Norman
(…)
One thing that is clear is that phones will pack a lot more computing power in future, and will be able to do more and more of the things that PCs are used for today—and more besides. (…) In a decade’s time a typical phone will have enough storage capacity to be able to video its user’s entire life, says Mr Lindoff. Tom MacTavish, a researcher at Motorola Labs, predicts that such “life recorders” will be used for everything from security to settling accident claims with insurance firms.
(…)
Researchers at Nokia, meanwhile, speculate that within a decade, the cost of storage will have fallen so far that it might be possible to store every piece of music ever recorded in a single chip that could be included in each phone.
(…)
No doubt other new functions will be incorporated into phones. But which ones? (…) they might subsume the other two items that are generally carried everywhere, namely wallets and keys.
(…)
handset-makers now make different devices optimised for particular tasks such as music, photography or e-mail, and combinations thereof. The next step, suggests Stephen Randall of LocaModa, a wireless-services firm, will be a great decoupling, as the screen, keypad and earpiece start to become separate components, or are replaced by other completely new technologies.
(…)
Some users might choose to hook up separate screens and keyboards when needed, such as when answering e-mail or browsing the web. Already, early examples of such technologies exist. And there are even more elaborate alternatives. Tiny projectors inside handsets could allow walls, tabletops or screens made of flexible materials to be used as displays while on the move (…) This approach also makes it possible to overlay information on the real world, which could be useful when giving directions. Your phone might even label people at a party or conference to remind you of their names.
(…)
“virtual keyboard” onto a flat surface….Voice-recognition systems ….use of brainwaves to interface.

The ability to superimpose images and sound upon reality means that future phones will “create layers on our world”, says Pierre de Vries of the Annenberg Centre for Communication at the University of Southern California. Users will always be connected, he says, but in concentric circles of conversations and interactions that range from people right next to them to those far away.

“When I try to make predictions, I don’t look at what I see in the technical realm, I look at what I see in the social realm,” says Mr Norman. He has recently been investigating how children interact with each other and with technology. “They are never alone with their own thoughts,” he says. Instead, they listen to music while texting and talking with friends next to them. “We are learning that we never have to be away from people,” says Mr Norman.

Phantom Limb + Tetuzi Akiyama “Hot Ginger" CD recorded at free103point9 Project Space

One-time meeting between Tetuzi Akiyama and Phantom Limb (1/2 of PSI) recorded in June, 2006 at the free103point9 Project Space in Brooklyn. The recording, released on the Archive label, is a 30-minute improv drone piece for two guitars and two organs. free103point9 has a different recording of the set up on its Audio Archive page.

Nike + iPod = Stalking?

From Daily Wireless:

A report from four University of Washington researchers says Nike’s RFID-embedded shoe that links to an Apple iPod, using the $29 Nike + iPod Sport Kit, makes it easy for tech-savvy stalkers to track your movements, even plot your running routes on a Google map without your knowledge. Wired explains the Nike+ iPod gives runners real-time updates about the speed and length of their workouts. A small transmitter in the soles of Nike shoes broadcasts workout data to a small receiver plugged into an iPod Nano.

The RFID in the shoe sensor contains its own on-board power source, essentially turning your running shoe into a small radio station capable of being received from up to 60 feet away, with a signal powerful enough to be picked up from a passing car. Compare this with the roughly 3-centimeter to 10-inch read range of a typical consumer-grade RFID, such as the kind you find in smart tags in Gap clothing or in credit cards, which is passively powered by the reader. In their report, the researchers detail a scenario in which a stalker who wants to know when his ex-girlfriend is at home taps into her Nike+ iPod system. He simply hides the gumstix device next to her door, and it registers her presence as she passes by in her Nike shoes. If he adds a small “wifistix” antenna to the device, it can transmit this information to any nearby Wi-Fi access point and alert him to her presence via SMS or by plotting her location on Google Maps.