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Polish charity gets huge phone bill thanks to stork

bbc.com

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Re: Polish charity gets huge phone bill thanks to stork

#121

Post by happythought »

kaybe wrote: post #36

Meanwhile, can Microsoft please add an option to Windows10 that says 'this computer is only connected to an internal on-board network and satellite connection, please never try to update'? That was an expensive mistake as well. I really wish people had started to migrate away from Windows earlier, but now all the essential stuff is written for it and well-tested, so any choice is hard.

GPO: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\turn off access to all windows update feature

Re: Polish charity gets huge phone bill thanks to stork

#122

Post by detaro »

dspillett wrote: post #120
detaro wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the Pro version you also can set it to "always ask before downloading updates", and that has worked reliably for me so far.

Pro licences here. Can't say as I've found an option like that. Is it relatively new? I've not dug around terably recently. Everything else people have suggested either hasn't worked or did for a while then changed after an update.

Group Policy for Windows Update "configure automatic updates" can be set to "notify for download".

Re: Polish charity gets huge phone bill thanks to stork

#123

Post by arcticbull »

namibj wrote: post #96
m0dest wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

unfortunately, no carrier will do this. I suspect that this is because of administrative fees associated with simply allocating a phone number and the network overhead from having a device associate with cell towers when idle.

You don't need a phone number if you don't need to be called on one, and you don't even need to be actively tracked in the home location database if you don't need to be reached at low latency at all. Think low latency=incoming call, no loner low latency=hourly email check. The remaining overhead is just renewing the sim once it degrades and keeping database space to allow it to associate if it turns the gsm module o…

I'm pretty sure all registered SIMs (even data-only) on a carriers network get an allocated phone number -- at least that's what I'd always thought.

Re: Polish charity gets huge phone bill thanks to stork

#124

Post by tzs »

That's reminiscent of this incident from a few years ago [1]. A women in Australia took a SIM card from an electric meter and used it to download a bunch of movies and make a lot of calls, which the electric company found out when they got a bill for A$200k.

I can't find a link, but I have a vague recollection of a similar thing happening in the US.

Some cellular providers have data plans specifically for things like remote sensors that need to periodically reports small amounts of data, such as few hundred bytes an hour. They have low data caps and astronomical per kilobyte charges if you go over the cap.

[1] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/05/02/stolen_sim_woman_ja...

Re: Polish charity gets huge phone bill thanks to stork

#125

Post by toomanybeersies »

pndy wrote: post #67

It's kinda amusing I'm reading this "news" by help of HN on BBC News page. Still, it seems to be really not interesting (typical to "silly season" or as we're saying here in Poland "cucumber season") as no other media outlet has copied it - well, beside Super Express but that's just a tabloid newspaper of same level as British The Sun, and they love such - pardon the word, shit.

It's from BBC's News From Elsewhere [1], which covers weird local stories that their journalists come across. It's meant to be light, humorous news.

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-23204394

Re: Polish charity gets huge phone bill thanks to stork

#126

Post by toomanybeersies »

sandworm101 wrote: post #57
lathiat wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use FlexiRoam which gives me ~$30/GB that works in almost any country - everyone I’ve travelled to so far. On the same recharge and SIM card. It also sticks onto your existing sim and lets you software switch between your existing sim and the flexiroam. They also have country specific plans which are cheaper for some specific destinations. I’ve not tried those but I’ve gone through about 25GB of data over 2 years o…

>> ~$30/GB Does that include Canada? That is about HALF the advertised rates where I am. The real rates, after all the fees, are inevitably higher. Please send a few storks my way. https://www.telus.com/en/bc/mobility/plans/

Is there a particular reason that BC has obscenely expensive phone plans?

For comparison:

I used to get a Spotify subscription, unlimited calling and SMS, and 1.5 GB of data for $30 in New Zealand. I now currently get 12 GB and unlimited calling+SMS for $40 in Australia.

Re: Polish charity gets huge phone bill thanks to stork

#127

Post by toomanybeersies »

llampx wrote: post #18

They should have either set a SIM lock or reported the SIM as lost once they stopped receiving signals from it. They presumably thought it may come online later or may have forgotten about it. Expensive mistake.

It wouldn't be unusual to lose signal for a while though. What if the stork has a layover on a desert island?

Re: Polish charity gets huge phone bill thanks to stork

#128

Post by decryption »

tzs wrote: post #124

That's reminiscent of this incident from a few years ago [1]. A women in Australia took a SIM card from an electric meter and used it to download a bunch of movies and make a lot of calls, which the electric company found out when they got a bill for A$200k. I can't find a link, but I have a vague recollection of a similar thing happening in the US. Some cellular providers have data plans specifically for things like…

The woman who did that was sent to jail for 18 months too! [http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-05-02/woman-jailed-for-it-th...

Pretty harsh I reckon.

Re: Polish charity gets huge phone bill thanks to stork

#129

Post by wjdp »

lozenge wrote: post #13
reubenmorais wrote: post #2

Only tangentially related to the article, but where/how do researchers get global coverage SIM cards that you can just put on a stork and expect to get data/calling wherever it flies? I've looked for this before but only found what seemed like tourist scams with very high prices per MB/minute.

You can get emergency beacon devices for hiking and sailing that also work globally.

They use a mix of satellite and ground radio (satellite to get the SOS out and a rough location, then radio to actually locate you)

See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_locator_beacon

There are lots of types that work in different ways however. E.g. For marine use we use VHF radios with digital functionality. There's a big red 'distress' button that will transmit your vessel information and position to the coastguard. That's all done via radio, no satellites. (You then back it up with a very analogue mayday call)

Re: Polish charity gets huge phone bill thanks to stork

#130

Post by wpietri »

kweks wrote: post #118
m0dest wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

unfortunately, no carrier will do this. I suspect that this is because of administrative fees associated with simply allocating a phone number and the network overhead from having a device associate with cell towers when idle.

Knowroaming.com Essentially worldwide coverage, cheap rates, unlimited plans as well, no monthly fee, and only kicks in when you need it :)

Are you sure about that? As far as I can tell, the plans are all for limited periods.
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