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Tag Archives: telecoms
There’s Nothing that a Wompom Cannot Do!
Flanders and Swann used to sing an amusing song about the Wompom – an imaginary animal / vegetable hybrid with an amazing range of properties. This song, which is still available on iTunes, often comes to mind when I’m reading … Continue reading
Posted in Telecom Ramblings
Tagged Andre Geim, Graphene, Kostya Novoselov, telecoms, University of Manchester
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Time for Unconventional Thinking
I recently published a white paper describing some unconventional threats to utility infrastructure. In addition to rather unusual (but potentially devastating) threats such as coronal mass ejections from the sun, electromagnetic pulses and space debris, the paper also talks about … Continue reading
Posted in Telecom Ramblings
Tagged cyber terrorism, cyber warfare, DOT-DASH TO DOT.COM, infrastructure, Internet, telecoms, utility, World Wide Web
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Is Anybody Out There?
I’ve recently been reading a book by John Gribbin about the possibility of life in other parts of our galaxy. The title – Alone in the Universe – makes it pretty clear what the answer is going to be, but … Continue reading
Concerns about Copper
The high price of copper on world markets has led to a spate of cable thefts, and this has provided telephone companies with a strong incentive to find cost-effective ways of replacing copper telephone wire with optical fibre. However, this is … Continue reading
Posted in Telecom Ramblings
Tagged 19th century, cable, communications, copper, telecoms, telegraph, telephone
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The Strange Story of Phone Phreaking
During the 1960’s, the use of analogue signalling tones between telephone exchanges gave rise to a new phenomenon called “Phone Phreaking”. The word “phreak” is apparently a combination of “phone”, “free” and “freak”, so it’s rather a good name. Phone … Continue reading
Posted in Telecom Ramblings
Tagged Cap'n Crunch, communications, Joe Engressia, network, phone, phreak, signalling, telecoms, telephone, telephone exchange
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Are Radio Waves Bad for Your Health?
The health risks associated with radioactivity have been recognized for many years. Alpha, beta and gamma emissions from radioactive sources can ionize atoms or molecules that they encounter by detaching electrons from them. People exposed to high levels of ionizing … Continue reading
Posted in Telecom Ramblings
Tagged cellular, communications, health risks, ionising radiation, microwave, mobile, network, radio, telecoms, WiFi
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Let’s Hear It for the Bad Boys of Physics!
Surprising as it may seem, there are still some major barriers that are holding back the march of telecommunications. One of these barriers is Einstein’s universal speed limit – the speed of light – which applies to electrical currents in … Continue reading
Posted in Telecom Ramblings
Tagged communications, fibre optic, microwave, network, neutrino, radio, speed of light, telecoms, transmission
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