<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Open Parenthesis]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://www.openparenthesis.org]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[John]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[http://www.openparenthesis.org/author/admin/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Another BlackJack Mystery: SMS messages in Europe]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[I'm often puzzled by aspects of my Windows Mobile device (a Cingular Blackjack / Samsung i607). 

One is its occasional glimpses into the future (see here and here). Another is its refusal to expose my location to Google Maps. 

One I haven't ever figured out is the fact that whenever I travel in Europe (usually Switzerland and Germany) I get tons of SMS messages. They seem to be "Cell Broadcast" messages, meaning they aren't sent directly to me but to everyone - but my phone seems to pick those CB messages out of the stream only while in Europe. 
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Here's a screen shot from my last day in Europe on my most recent trip - in 24 hrs I got 230+ sms messages:

<img src='http://www.openparenthesis.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/sms_mms.png' alt='SMS MMS Index' />

Opening up one of the messages, here's what they look like (it is typical of the others):

<img src='http://www.openparenthesis.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/sms.png' alt='SMS' />

What's going on here?

Looks to me like I'm getting notified every time I go from one tower to another? 

Most importantly, can someone show me how to turn these off? I've never found a setting which seems to apply - maybe I need to edit the registry?

All I know is that I don't think I'll ever buy a Windows Mobile device again. 

<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=iPhone+3G+2008">3G iPhone</a> in 2008? Maybe. 

<a href="http://www.openmoko.com/">OpenMoko</a> <a href="http://www.openmoko.com/products-neo-base-00-stdkit.html">Neo1973</a>? Maybe. 

Something running <a href="http://code.google.com/android/">Android</a> that I can hack at? Bring it on. 



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