2600 Flash
414 Bust
Six people in area code 414, Wisconsin, were arrested for credit card fraud. The World of Krypton BBS was taken down as a result, but was reportedly not the target of the investigation, which is being continued by the Secret Service in several cities. The Wizard, Phoenix, and many other phone phreaks were among those were were implicated in the investigation.
Police Hacker Cleared
A preliminary investigation by the San Francisco Police Commission has cleared the police department of wrongdoing in the recent controversy over a breach in computer security.
No evidence had been uncovered to substantiate charges that a police lieutenant used a specially designed menu to gain access to Public Defender Jeff Brown's confidential files, which are stored in a shared computer system in the city's Hall of Justice building.
Although the lieutenant admitted that he was given an access level usually granted only to system administrators to conduct an internal police probe, he has denied allegations that he read confidential files stored by other agencies.
As a result of the police department's actions, a public defender had asked a San Francisco court to dismiss murder charges filed against one man, saying that the security breach had violated his right to attorney-client confidence. The judge ruled against the defense's motion.
Dial-a-Directory
Soon to be published is a directory that lists more than 2,500 "informative, exciting, and entertaining recorded phone numbers." Called The Incredible Dial-a-Message Directory, it lists many of the familiar and unfamiliar recorded messages around the country. "I went through 2,500 phone books," says Mark C. Guncheon, the book's author and no stranger to three digit phone bills. The book includes such numbers as:
Dial-an-Avalanche: 907-337-6742 The Sleep Line: 206-258-2791 Dial-a-Romeo: 215-976-6367
Reagan Hangs Upon Kids
The two Montgomery, N.J. teenagers who were promised a presidential phone call as their prize for winning a national essay contest have been put on hold indefinitely, a White House spokesman said. Donna Woodwell and Kate Baicker, both 13, have been waiting four months for President Reagan's phone call, which they were promised as their reward for submitting the winning essay and illustration in a contest sponsored by Current Events magazine. Connie Mackey, the White House's director of student correspondence said she never was contacted by the publishing company and doubts whether they had arranged for the presidential call.
The editor of the publication said the kids may get a trip to Washington, D.C. Their winning essay and illustration was one of more than 400 entries in the contest, which was open to students in fourth through 12th grade. The entry, which urged the Reagan Administration to strive for nuclear disarmament was written by Baiker and illustrated by Woodwell.
Reagan Library Box 6, Folder 115: 05/22/1985 Call to Kate Baicker and Donna Woodwell 292352 PR007-02
MCI Goes to U.K.
MCI Communications Corp. said it inaugurated long-distance telephone service to the United Kingdom, increasing to 18 the number of overseas locations MCI serves. The U.K. countries represent 15% of the international long-distance telephone market that totals $6 billion in annual revenue, a spokesman for the telecommunications company said. MCI expects to reach 80% of the international market by the end of this year.
Yellow Scam
Owners of small businesses in New Jersey are being targeted by telephone solicitors who are duping them into buying advertisements that never appear in the Yellow Pages. The "Yellow Pages" scam is a well operated, out-of-state operation that floods areas with invoices for Yellow Page advertising. Unfortunately, the advertising is not for the directory published and distributed by New Jersey Bell. Businessmen are reportedly getting invoices from a company that uses the "fingers do the walking" logo instead of the pretty Bell logo according to Monmouth County Consumer Affairs Director Sally Mollica.
"Crackers" Cracked
Transcall America, an Atlanta based discount long-distance telephone service, has uncovered a group of computer crackers who ran up at least $12,000 in illegal calls in five months. According to company officials, no one has been charged, but the FBI is investigating the case and could bring state and federal charges. The crackers were caught when investigators allowed a stolen access code to be posted on a Cocoa Beach, Florida, bulletin board, to remain valid, and to be traced. The bogus calls were traced to several homes in Brevard County, Florida.
Carrier Choosing Time
Bell Atlantic telephone companies in six states and the District of Columbia will begin using ballots at the end of May to make it simpler for customers to sign up for easy access long-distance dialing. Equal Access, as the system is called, was agreed to as part of the AT&T breakup. It gives all long-distance companies Equal Access to customers by allowing callers to reach their long-distance company by dialing "1", instead of a multi-digit access code. Customers of Bell Atlantic now must place their orders through the long-distance company instead of balloting. AT&T competitors claim balloting gives companies a better chance to get pan of the long-distance market.
Mystery Transistor
Enthusiastically describing ongoing projects, Robert W. Lucky, executive director of research for communications sciences, mentioned that Bell Labs researchers were working on a "ballistic transistor" that switches at the incredible speed of 10 femtoseconds (1 quadrillionth of a second). No sooner were the words out then he caught himself. "I guess I shouldn't have mentioned that," he said half-jokingly to two public relations people in the back of the small conference room.