Bangalore, India (AHN) - British Prime Minister David Cameron went against official recommendations on Wednesday and agreed to lift the ban on export of civilian nuclear technology to India. Cameron\'s decision is part of the United Kingdom\'s move to improve trade tires which India, which is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
The prime minister consulted his cabinet on the planned export ban lifting, but the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defense objected to the removal of the ban. It was Business Secretary Vince Cable who proposed lifting the ban after the U.S. removed its restrictions with New Delhi on civilian nuclear trade two years ago. Cable pointed out British companies are missing out on the nuclear power industry deals worth billions of pounds.
Cameron\'s declaration is a turnaround from the previous Labor government stand, which feared a cooperation agreement with India on civilian nuclear power might be vulnerable to leaks of Britain\'s military nuclear program. The policy is also expected to be criticized because India is not a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Cameron acknowledged the obvious security sensitivities, which he pointed out Indians are also aware of. Despite these constraints, he said Britain wants to go ahead with a civil nuclear cooperation, which is a sector the U.K. foresees much progress ahead.
Aside from the civilian nuclear cooperation deal, Cameron announced that the U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council will partner with the Indian Bhabha Atomic Research Center in a $3.6 million (2.4 million pounds) research program.
British defense company BAE will also ink a deal worth $750 million (500 million pounds) to supply India with Hawk jets and possibly Westland helicopters in the future.
Bangalore, India (AHN) - British Prime Minister David Cameron went against official recommendations on Wednesday and agreed to lift the ban on export of civilian nuclear technology to India. Cameron\'s decision is part of the United Kingdom\'s move to improve trade tires which India, which is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
The prime minister consulted his cabinet on the planned export ban lifting, but the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defense objected to the removal of the ban. It was Business Secretary Vince Cable who proposed lifting the ban after the U.S. removed its restrictions with New Delhi on civilian nuclear trade two years ago. Cable pointed out British companies are missing out on the nuclear power industry deals worth billions of pounds.
Cameron\'s declaration is a turnaround from the previous Labor government stand, which feared a cooperation agreement with India on civilian nuclear power might be vulnerable to leaks of Britain\'s military nuclear program. The policy is also expected to be criticized because India is not a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Cameron acknowledged the obvious security sensitivities, which he pointed out Indians are also aware of. Despite these constraints, he said Britain wants to go ahead with a civil nuclear cooperation, which is a sector the U.K. foresees much progress ahead.
Aside from the civilian nuclear cooperation deal, Cameron announced that the U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council will partner with the Indian Bhabha Atomic Research Center in a $3.6 million (2.4 million pounds) research program.
British defense company BAE will also ink a deal worth $750 million (500 million pounds) to supply India with Hawk jets and possibly Westland helicopters in the future.
Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines (AHN) - Philippine Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras announced on Tuesday that President Benigno Aquino III rejected proposals to revive the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. Almendras said Aquino made the decision because of too much social complexities caused by the facility.
The secretary added Aquino also considered the fact that the BNPP, which was supposed to provide the Philippines with 600 megawatts of power, sits on a fault line. But Almendras stressed the national government is still open to nuclear power, but not reviving the BNPP.
Aquino just followed the policy made by his mother, former President Corazon Aquino, who ordered the mothballing of the BNPP over safety concerns. The BNPP cost the Philippine government $2.3 billion, which Manila paid over 32 years. The last payment of $15 million was made in April 2007.
Prior to Aquino\'s policy pronouncement, the Department of Energy had plans to convert the BNPP into a 1,500 MW gas-fired plant based on expectations that the country would have more recoverable gas reserves to delineate. A National Power Corporation official also disclosed last week that a team of Filipino experts were undergoing training in nuclear power plant operations in case Aquino favored the BNPP\'s revival.
Almendras said the Philippines is still open to nuclear power use because the country is aware of the depleting supply and rising prices of fossil fuel.
Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines (AHN) - Philippine Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras announced on Tuesday that President Benigno Aquino III rejected proposals to revive the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. Almendras said Aquino made the decision because of too much social complexities caused by the facility.
The secretary added Aquino also considered the fact that the BNPP, which was supposed to provide the Philippines with 600 megawatts of power, sits on a fault line. But Almendras stressed the national government is still open to nuclear power, but not reviving the BNPP.
Aquino just followed the policy made by his mother, former President Corazon Aquino, who ordered the mothballing of the BNPP over safety concerns. The BNPP cost the Philippine government $2.3 billion, which Manila paid over 32 years. The last payment of $15 million was made in April 2007.
Prior to Aquino\'s policy pronouncement, the Department of Energy had plans to convert the BNPP into a 1,500 MW gas-fired plant based on expectations that the country would have more recoverable gas reserves to delineate. A National Power Corporation official also disclosed last week that a team of Filipino experts were undergoing training in nuclear power plant operations in case Aquino favored the BNPP\'s revival.
Almendras said the Philippines is still open to nuclear power use because the country is aware of the depleting supply and rising prices of fossil fuel.
New York, NY, United States (AHN) - Apple Inc. has upgraded its Mac Pro making the desktop computer more powerful with a quad-core and 6-core Intel Xeon processors.
The iPhone and iPad maker also introduced a trackpad that mimics the MacBook Pro touchpad and updated the iMacs.
The new Mac Pros unveiled on Tuesday have four 512GB solid state drives and four 2 terabyte hard drives. Sales of the computer start in August at $2.499 per unit.
Mac Pro users can do gesture control with their fingers with the new Apple peripheral called Magic Trackpad. The trackpad is priced at $69, including a battery that can last four months.
The new iMac now comes in 21-inch and 27-inch monitor with a 500GB and 1TB hard drive. It is powered by a 3.06 GHz Intel Core i3 processor and ATI Radeon HD graphics processor. The starting price is $1,199 for the low-end model and $1,499 for the mid-range one.
New York, NY, United States (AHN) - Apple Inc. has upgraded its Mac Pro making the desktop computer more powerful with a quad-core and 6-core Intel Xeon processors.
The iPhone and iPad maker also introduced a trackpad that mimics the MacBook Pro touchpad and updated the iMacs.
The new Mac Pros unveiled on Tuesday have four 512GB solid state drives and four 2 terabyte hard drives. Sales of the computer start in August at $2.499 per unit.
Mac Pro users can do gesture control with their fingers with the new Apple peripheral called Magic Trackpad. The trackpad is priced at $69, including a battery that can last four months.
The new iMac now comes in 21-inch and 27-inch monitor with a 500GB and 1TB hard drive. It is powered by a 3.06 GHz Intel Core i3 processor and ATI Radeon HD graphics processor. The starting price is $1,199 for the low-end model and $1,499 for the mid-range one.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AHN) - According to reports, officials in the United Arab Emirates are reviewing the BlackBerry smartphone, stating it could be a potential threat to national security.
Officials fear the device could breach UAE\'s national security since it is the only device that transports information off-shore and is managed by a non-domestic commercial entity, allowing certain users to misuse the service, and potentiall causing serious security issues.
Officials, according to a released statement, have been trying to develop security measures to protect consumers while still operating within UAE law.
The BlackBerry went on the market in the UAE in 2006, one year before new national security legislation, according to reports.
BlackBerry did not respond to the UAE claims.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AHN) - According to reports, officials in the United Arab Emirates are reviewing the BlackBerry smartphone, stating it could be a potential threat to national security.
Officials fear the device could breach UAE\'s national security since it is the only device that transports information off-shore and is managed by a non-domestic commercial entity, allowing certain users to misuse the service, and potentiall causing serious security issues.
Officials, according to a released statement, have been trying to develop security measures to protect consumers while still operating within UAE law.
The BlackBerry went on the market in the UAE in 2006, one year before new national security legislation, according to reports.
BlackBerry did not respond to the UAE claims.
London, United Kingdom (AHN) - After starting her YouTube and Twitter accounts, Britain\'s Queen Elizabeth is sharing her photo album online through photo-sharing website Flickr starting on Monday.
Some 600 photos of the royal family\'s various public activities will be streamed on Flickr under the name British Monarchy, the Buckingham Palace announced Sunday.
Included in the album are the latest photos of the queen\'s trips to Canada and New York City, and historic snapshops of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert circa 1854 and 1861.
Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, an eminent Victorian, and baby photos of the queen and Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, are also part of the British Monarchy photo collection.
The photos are divided into different themes for easy browsing.
The Buckingham Palace has its own website but shows not as many photos. It regularly broadcasts official videos on YouTube and feeds royal news to some 50,000 Twitter followers.
London, United Kingdom (AHN) - After starting her YouTube and Twitter accounts, Britain\'s Queen Elizabeth is sharing her photo album online through photo-sharing website Flickr starting on Monday.
Some 600 photos of the royal family\'s various public activities will be streamed on Flickr under the name British Monarchy, the Buckingham Palace announced Sunday.
Included in the album are the latest photos of the queen\'s trips to Canada and New York City, and historic snapshops of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert circa 1854 and 1861.
Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, an eminent Victorian, and baby photos of the queen and Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, are also part of the British Monarchy photo collection.
The photos are divided into different themes for easy browsing.
The Buckingham Palace has its own website but shows not as many photos. It regularly broadcasts official videos on YouTube and feeds royal news to some 50,000 Twitter followers.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (AHN) - B.C. Lottery Corporation has no timetable yet when would its online casino resume operations. BC Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman could not give a definite date when will the casino reopen.
The unexpected closure was the result of a technical glitch that had the personal details of some online gamblers, particularly their credit card information, open to other gamers who used the data to place bets, using other people\'s money.
Coleman said the one-week closure has not cost the agency much lost revenue, but he added income is secondary. What is more important is to fix the glitch.
BC Lottery initially blamed the surge of bettors as the reason behind the closure of the portal hours after it relaunched playnow.con on July 15. Later, the agency admitted it was the security breach which led the operators of the online casino to shut down the website.
To handle the additional online traffic when the site reopens later, BC Lottery added two servers.
In its latest media advisory, the agency said, "BCLC is developing and testing a technical solution to address the issue that led to the data crossover. PlayNow.com will be restored when a solution is implemented that meets the highest levels of player protection and receives third party approval and regulatory certification."
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (AHN) - B.C. Lottery Corporation has no timetable yet when would its online casino resume operations. BC Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman could not give a definite date when will the casino reopen.
The unexpected closure was the result of a technical glitch that had the personal details of some online gamblers, particularly their credit card information, open to other gamers who used the data to place bets, using other people\'s money.
Coleman said the one-week closure has not cost the agency much lost revenue, but he added income is secondary. What is more important is to fix the glitch.
BC Lottery initially blamed the surge of bettors as the reason behind the closure of the portal hours after it relaunched playnow.con on July 15. Later, the agency admitted it was the security breach which led the operators of the online casino to shut down the website.
To handle the additional online traffic when the site reopens later, BC Lottery added two servers.
In its latest media advisory, the agency said, "BCLC is developing and testing a technical solution to address the issue that led to the data crossover. PlayNow.com will be restored when a solution is implemented that meets the highest levels of player protection and receives third party approval and regulatory certification."
Toronto, Ontario, Canada (AHN) - The Toronto Transit Commission will upgrade the transit\'s turnstile system to allow riders to enter its trains and buses using swipe cards and maybe even mobile phones.
TTC Chair Adam Giambrone said the company will invite next month service providers to bid for a more modern entry system, which TTC plans to be operational by 2011.
TTC seeks to replicate systems being used by other transit systems such as those in New York City and Chicago.
Giambrone disclosed the TTC initiated a study in April in search of a technology that will facilitate entry for the transit\'s millions of passengers.
TTC was seeking for a technology similar to Mastercard\'s PayPass system in which consumers would just swipe a card with a radio frequency identification chip embedded on it to pay for a service or item.
Giambrone said the TTC is also open to the proposal of Toronto mayoral candidate Rocco Rossi, who suggested using Ontario\'s Presto smart card to enter TTC\'s coaches and buses.
Rossi claims the Presto system would pay for the cost of investment in three years. Rossi based his data on a 2005 study by Accenture, which implemented Presto, that the TTC could achieve savings and income from the system from $55 million to $100 million a year.
However, Giambrone pointed out Presto is potentially very expensive and takes years to implement, so the TTC is inclined more toward an open system. TTC estimated it would cost the company $356 million if it uses the Presto system, less a $140 million subsidy from Ontario.
Giambrone said whatever new technology TTC would adapt, it would not phase out cash and tokens other passengers have gotten used to over the years.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada (AHN) - The Toronto Transit Commission will upgrade the transit\'s turnstile system to allow riders to enter its trains and buses using swipe cards and maybe even mobile phones.
TTC Chair Adam Giambrone said the company will invite next month service providers to bid for a more modern entry system, which TTC plans to be operational by 2011.
TTC seeks to replicate systems being used by other transit systems such as those in New York City and Chicago.
Giambrone disclosed the TTC initiated a study in April in search of a technology that will facilitate entry for the transit\'s millions of passengers.
TTC was seeking for a technology similar to Mastercard\'s PayPass system in which consumers would just swipe a card with a radio frequency identification chip embedded on it to pay for a service or item.
Giambrone said the TTC is also open to the proposal of Toronto mayoral candidate Rocco Rossi, who suggested using Ontario\'s Presto smart card to enter TTC\'s coaches and buses.
Rossi claims the Presto system would pay for the cost of investment in three years. Rossi based his data on a 2005 study by Accenture, which implemented Presto, that the TTC could achieve savings and income from the system from $55 million to $100 million a year.
However, Giambrone pointed out Presto is potentially very expensive and takes years to implement, so the TTC is inclined more toward an open system. TTC estimated it would cost the company $356 million if it uses the Presto system, less a $140 million subsidy from Ontario.
Giambrone said whatever new technology TTC would adapt, it would not phase out cash and tokens other passengers have gotten used to over the years.
Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines (AHN) - A looming power crisis has led the new Philippine government to take a second look at nuclear energy as an option.
National Power Corporation President Froilan Tampinco disclosed on Wednesday that several Filipinos are undergoing training on nuclear energy operations in the event that President Benigno Aquino III would give the go signal to tap nuclear power.
The green light would include a decision if the Philippine government would finally operate the mothballed $2-billion Bataan Nuclear Power Plant built during the term of former President Ferdinand Marcos in the late 1970s, or abandon the facility and build a new one.
Tampinco said if Aquino decides to rehabilitate the BNPP, it would take about five years before the facility become operational.
It was Aquino\'s mother, former President Corazon Aquino who ordered in 1986 the mothballing of the BNPP after she succeeded Marcos over safety and environmental concerns. If the president decides to build a new nuclear plant, it would probably be operational after Aquino\'s term has ended in 2016 since the construction and commissioning takes years.
The Napocor president said Toshiba Corporation of Japan, which purchased Westinghouse Electric - the builder of the BNPP - has expressed interest in reviving the nuclear plant, located in Morong, Bataan.
Tampinco said two other Japanese firms - Kansai Electric Power Corporation and Tokyo Electric Power Corporation - want to provide the Philippines with technical assistance if Manila opts to pursue a nuclear power program.
Kansai estimates it would cost the Philippines $1 billion to rehabilitate the BNPP, while it would cost $1.24 billion to construct a new one.
Tampinco added that taking into account the nature of the Philippines\' transmission network, he would recommend the construction of a medium-sized nuclear power plant, which should not be larger than the BNPP.
Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines (AHN) - A looming power crisis has led the new Philippine government to take a second look at nuclear energy as an option.
National Power Corporation President Froilan Tampinco disclosed on Wednesday that several Filipinos are undergoing training on nuclear energy operations in the event that President Benigno Aquino III would give the go signal to tap nuclear power.
The green light would include a decision if the Philippine government would finally operate the mothballed $2-billion Bataan Nuclear Power Plant built during the term of former President Ferdinand Marcos in the late 1970s, or abandon the facility and build a new one.
Tampinco said if Aquino decides to rehabilitate the BNPP, it would take about five years before the facility become operational.
It was Aquino\'s mother, former President Corazon Aquino who ordered in 1986 the mothballing of the BNPP after she succeeded Marcos over safety and environmental concerns. If the president decides to build a new nuclear plant, it would probably be operational after Aquino\'s term has ended in 2016 since the construction and commissioning takes years.
The Napocor president said Toshiba Corporation of Japan, which purchased Westinghouse Electric - the builder of the BNPP - has expressed interest in reviving the nuclear plant, located in Morong, Bataan.
Tampinco said two other Japanese firms - Kansai Electric Power Corporation and Tokyo Electric Power Corporation - want to provide the Philippines with technical assistance if Manila opts to pursue a nuclear power program.
Kansai estimates it would cost the Philippines $1 billion to rehabilitate the BNPP, while it would cost $1.24 billion to construct a new one.
Tampinco added that taking into account the nature of the Philippines\' transmission network, he would recommend the construction of a medium-sized nuclear power plant, which should not be larger than the BNPP.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (AHN) - British Columbia closed on Tuesday PlayNow.com, its online gambling site, due to a technical glitch that caused the personal data of some players to be revealed to the public.
Software developers are studying what went wrong, although BC Lottery Corporation - which runs the site - pointed to the surge of online gamblers as their reason for the technical problem. The glitch caused the personal account of some bettors to be made available to others, which some of the online gamblers took advantage of by placing bets using other people\'s money or credit card details.
BC Lottery has no idea how many players took advantage of the situation. The site just opened on Thursday. The privacy breach affected 12 players. BC Lottery redistributed $8,000 after the errors were found out and affected gamblers were tracked.
BC launched the online gambling site to capture the $100 million residents spend yearly on illegal gambling done on offshore betting sites.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (AHN) - British Columbia closed on Tuesday PlayNow.com, its online gambling site, due to a technical glitch that caused the personal data of some players to be revealed to the public.
Software developers are studying what went wrong, although BC Lottery Corporation - which runs the site - pointed to the surge of online gamblers as their reason for the technical problem. The glitch caused the personal account of some bettors to be made available to others, which some of the online gamblers took advantage of by placing bets using other people\'s money or credit card details.
BC Lottery has no idea how many players took advantage of the situation. The site just opened on Thursday. The privacy breach affected 12 players. BC Lottery redistributed $8,000 after the errors were found out and affected gamblers were tracked.
BC launched the online gambling site to capture the $100 million residents spend yearly on illegal gambling done on offshore betting sites.
Palo Alto, CA, United States (AHN) - On the face of it, social networking site Facebook appears to be the one of the most prolific websites in its domain but a recent customer satisfaction survey has revealed that the site scored poorly in terms of satisfied customers. Veteran sites such as Google and Yahoo scored far better with 80 and 76 points, respectively, on a scale of 100, while Facebook scored just 64.
The survey, called the 2010 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), took stock of 30 online companies. MySpace, owned by NewsCorp, came in even lower, with a score of 63.
The survey, developed by the University of Michigan\'s business school, found Facebook users were concerned about their privacy, frequent design changes and aggressive advertising, which has hurt the "social" status of Facebook.
Despite generating low customer-satisfaction ratings, the site has continued to attract new members and advertisers alike. After facing a plethora of user complaints in the year gone by, Facebook simplified its privacy settings so that people could protect their personal information better.
This is reflected in the climbing user numbers, with the number in the U.S. alone climbing 84 percent in the past year. In fact, Facebook is set to announce a milestone later this week, that of reaching the 500 million user mark.
The site scored the same ranking as several airlines and cable companies, two other groups that often fare low on customer-satisfaction.
In a reply to the survey findings, Facebook said, "We haven\'t reviewed the survey methodology in detail, but clearly we have room to improve. Building a simple, useful service is the best way to earn and sustain the trust people put in us. That\'s why we spend so much of our time and energy focused on improving the products we offer and introducing new ones."
The highest score among social-media companies was 77 for Wikipedia and 73 for Google\'s YouTube.
Palo Alto, CA, United States (AHN) - On the face of it, social networking site Facebook appears to be the one of the most prolific websites in its domain but a recent customer satisfaction survey has revealed that the site scored poorly in terms of satisfied customers. Veteran sites such as Google and Yahoo scored far better with 80 and 76 points, respectively, on a scale of 100, while Facebook scored just 64.
The survey, called the 2010 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), took stock of 30 online companies. MySpace, owned by NewsCorp, came in even lower, with a score of 63.
The survey, developed by the University of Michigan\'s business school, found Facebook users were concerned about their privacy, frequent design changes and aggressive advertising, which has hurt the "social" status of Facebook.
Despite generating low customer-satisfaction ratings, the site has continued to attract new members and advertisers alike. After facing a plethora of user complaints in the year gone by, Facebook simplified its privacy settings so that people could protect their personal information better.
This is reflected in the climbing user numbers, with the number in the U.S. alone climbing 84 percent in the past year. In fact, Facebook is set to announce a milestone later this week, that of reaching the 500 million user mark.
The site scored the same ranking as several airlines and cable companies, two other groups that often fare low on customer-satisfaction.
In a reply to the survey findings, Facebook said, "We haven\'t reviewed the survey methodology in detail, but clearly we have room to improve. Building a simple, useful service is the best way to earn and sustain the trust people put in us. That\'s why we spend so much of our time and energy focused on improving the products we offer and introducing new ones."
The highest score among social-media companies was 77 for Wikipedia and 73 for Google\'s YouTube.