///////////////////////////// Patent Pending ////////////////////////////
  //                                                                     //
  //         Pointers in the Direction of Better HP Information          //
  //                 ...and how to get your paws on it                   //
  //                                                                     //
  //////////////////////////// By Keltic Phr0st ///////////////////////////


INTRODUCTION
  Take a look at the 'UnderGround' today, and the chances are that what you
  see will not be a pretty sight. Lamers from the Shareware scene, drifting
  in to leech info, Busts left right and centre, Back Biting on even the
  most 'leet boards, etc, etc... The worst by far, though, has to be the lack
  of information that surrounds certain topics, and leads to a general air
  of awe around the subject in question.


        For example - Could you name the most popular digital switch in use
  in the United Kingdom today? Nope? Hmmm. OK, have you any idea of what kind
  of network our Military are using? No? Errrr...


        Take a look at the US Scene - Although chock full of lamers, it has
  the UK knocked into a cocked hat as far as information pooling goes. Why?
  Well, because, to put it flagrantly bluntly, they've realised that 60% of
  the information in circulation in the underground can be obtained from
  legitimate sources.


        Think about this - Do you think that by Upping files and leeching
  all the time, you're gonna learn anything? Sure, you'll learn a shitload,
  but you'll be missing so, so much good, fresh info if you sit online all
  day.


        Turn OFF that terminal, get up, and take a walk to :



YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY


{GASP}





 Recently, I came across a file called KINGCARD.LHA. Basically just a
 re-dizzed pile of shit carding files with one or two good files slung in.
 The one that caught my eye, however, was one regarding AT&T's Card Phones
 (The range that accepts Credit Cards - Buggered if I can remember the name).


 The recent this stuck out was due to the fact that I had been reading the
 exact same document five weeks earlier - In my local Library. The Person
 who's menial duty it was to push this file around had dizzed it with the
 heading "From Pirate 80! The REAL Document about the AT&T payphone!".


 OK, Cool, P80 is a damn good BBS as far as HPACV goes, but this dude had
 tagged the file like P80 was some mythical Information well, where files
 just Magically appeared, mysteriously materialising from the sheer radiant
 'leetness of its users or summat!! Get a fucking grip, y'know?
 This dude was acting like one of the followers of Brian in The Python film,
 you know? "He has dropped a Sandal! It is a Sign!" "No, follow, the Gourd,
 the Gourd is his word!" etc, etc, etc...


 The file can be found in ANY Library that uses the MICROPATENT CD-Rom
 Patent Office Software, Which, if memory serves me correctly, is called
 PatSoft, and is marketed by Espace.


        Go into your library, and head for the buisness section. Walk
 straight up to that counter, and ask to be pointed in the direction of the
 patent registers. Usually, you'll be taken there, and told step by step how
 to use the system, but just in case you get Sharon, the Interesting one,
 who is more interested in sharpening her nails than giving help, here goes :


 Look for the Aisle marked Patent Registers. From here, you should be faced
 with Mountains of Hard Backed Volumes, dating back to circa 1888 (Depending
 on how large your library is - The Mitchell In Glasgow has records shelved
 that date back to approximately that time).


        Now to give you a taster of what's on offer, look for the Folders
 marked 'Patent Abstracts'. These hold Short, One page descriptions of each
 registered product for the current year, and maybe the preceeding two.
 Have a flick through, just to see whats on offer. Look tasty? Good.


 Patents are organised into Different Categories, such as Electronics,
 Heating, Fuel, Telecommunications, etc, etc. Look along the shelf of
 registers for Book H4 (Telecommunications) and take it down. Have a good
 read - Theres bound to be something in here that interests you - and note
 down any topics you think look interesting. Also Note down the number
 next to its entry, as you'll need this for the CD System.


        Having accrued something like 250 designs you wish to see, now move
 over to the CD's. These are usually kept in six deep drawers, like the kind
 used for architectural BluePrints and Designs. Look down the spines of the
 cases until you see the number you want to investigate, or the CD with the
 number in question within its range.


        Eg : You wish to look up Patent Number 00346194. So, you're looking
 for the Compact Disc that has that number in its range, ie:
 00346000 - 00346999. Its quite simple, really.


        Now, take this CD over to the PC's which should be running the Espace
 Software, bung it in the Drive, and type PATSOFT. The Drive will spin, a
 menu will appear. Select the Search Option, and search for a patent number.
 (Usually the option PN, I could be wrong). Enter your number here, and slap
 return.


        The System will then show the patent description, and offer to show
 the document. Display it, and you're now looking at the Complete Description
 and Technical Specification for the article in question. Printouts are
 usually available at about 30p per page.


 To get you started, try some of the following -

 EP 0519963 A1 9212 30  Method for testing Payphones ;-)
 EP 0409417 A1 9101 23  Payphone Specifications - AT&T
 EP 0618713 A2 9410 05  Real Time Fraud Monitoring and Tracking System
 EP 0540219 A2 9305 05  Digital Switch TimeSlot Testing Algorithm / Details
 EP 0610672 A2 9408 17  High Capacity NEC Digital Switch
 EP 0119707 A1 8409 26  Automatic Transaction Verification over PSTN
 EP 0118995 A1 8409 19  Generation of ID Keys for Above
 EP 0103976 A1 8403 28  Line Concentrator Specifications
 EP 0341816 A1 8911 15  Apparatus and Method for testing Customers Lines


 The Power of the system is also apparent when you want to search for
 all patents submitted by one specific company - Get the Archive disk from
 behind the desk that holds Patents Numbers for The Year Range in Question,
 Eg : 1987 - 1991, and then using PatSoft, issue a search for the company
 you're interested in.


        A Search for British Telecommunications PLC brought up approx 567
 entries, all incredibly technical shit, 90% of which was heavy duty
 Optical Physics Related - Obviously, this would be the case, if BT were
 planning a large scale Fibre Optic Network.


        Beware - BT mask themselves under several different names when
 issuing Patents, and also Issue under GPT, as well as plain old British
 Telecom.


        Well, thats obviously a starter, but I cant possibly hope to document
 a system as large as PatSoft Here - If anyone wants any specific details
 or help regarding this system, mail me on Digital Violation, Arrested
 Development, DockMaster, or DAC. I'd be happy to help out, and if you
 live in the Glasgow area, maybe even show you the system working in person.

        Later
                Keltic Phr0st


 PS : The rot set in some time ago - I remember reading the one and only
      issue of Hacknet magazine ever released, and in it, one of the authors
      had totally and utterly ripped of "Unix for the Moderate" written
      By Urville or Necron. This dude even had the cheek to tag it like it
      was his - Lame, lame, lame.

                Don't settle for second best - Get it straight from the
      horses mouth. Otherwise we may as well just give up and play games
      consoles all day.