Tuesday, March 29, 2005 In a report from the Department of Homeland Security released on Friday, March 25, they allege the US Transportation Security Administration “made inaccurate statements” about its management of personal data belonging to passengers. The report claims, “TSA did not ensure that privacy protections were in place” as it handled data transfers to private contractors for use in the development of a computerized passenger screening application, called CAPPS II. While the report criticizes TSA for its inaccurate statements, it notes the “misstatements were apparently not meant to mischaracterize known facts,” but were instead “premised on an incomplete understanding” of the truth.

According to the report, the data at issue described passengers flying on the following airlines: America West Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, and JetBlue Airways. In most of the problematic transfers, the privacy violation occurred by allowing third parties to access passenger data that was not anonymized. In one case, passenger information was made public on the internet through a presentation prepared by Torch Concepts. According to the report, ” Torch Concepts’ subsequent efforts to remove the presentation from the internet have failed.”

In an AP report, Yahoo! News notes that TSA announced the launch of its “Secure Flight” system, saying, “Congress has said the agency can’t proceed with Secure Flight unless the Government Accountability Office reports that the technology ensures privacy and that the data are protected.” The report from the GAO was to be released Monday, March 27, 2005.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

A London man charged on Sunday with drugging and murdering four men made his first court appearance yesterday. Stephen Port, 40, was remanded to appear before a higher court tomorrow.

Port faces four counts of murder and four counts of “administering a poison with intent to endanger life or inflict grievous bodily harm”. He is alleged to have administered overdoses of recreational drug GHB. He allegedly murdered the men at his home before dumping the bodies, after finding victims online using gay dating services.

Three of the deaths were last year. Anthony Patrick Walgate, 23, was found dead on June 19, 2014 in Cooke Street. Port lives in Cooke Street. The other three alleged victims were found in the vicinity of St Margaret’s Church on North Street. Gabriel Kovari, 22, was discovered dead on August 28. Daniel Whitworth, 21, was found dead the following month on September 20. Fourth alleged victim Jack Taylor, 25, was found a year later on September 14.

Whitworth and Kovari were known to each other, according to testimony at inquest. The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission concerning what police called “potential vulnerabilities in [our response] to the four deaths.” Police did not initially link the deaths.

Special needs teacher Port, who was guarded by three officers in the dock, spoke in court to confirm his identity. He did not indicate if he will deny the offences. He was arrested following a police appeal to trace a man seen with Taylor shortly before his death.

Police at the time released security footage of Taylor’s movements, with an officer telling the press “the man captured on CCTV may well be the last person to talk to Jack.” The four deaths were finally linked and passed to the Metropolitan Police’s serious crime investigators on Wednesday last week.

The Magistrates’ Court ordered Taylor to appear at the Old Bailey, a famed London courthouse, tomorrow. He spent the hearing holding one arm, and repeatedly looking at the floor, whilst clad in a grey tracksuit given to him by the authorities holding him.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Ford Motor Company said on Tuesday that its sales in the United States rose 43% in February compared to the same period last year, as the automaker outsold rivals Toyota and General Motors.

Ford said that total sales improved to 142,285 units, compared to 141,951 units sold by GM. Additionally, Ford said that its share of the total US car market rose to 17%, up from 14% a year ago. The increase was better than analysts had predicted, and Ford’s stock rose to a five-year high in morning trading, before declining later in the day. Ford’s sales were significantly influenced by a 74% increase in fleet sales to businesses. Rental car agencies alone accounted for around 30,000 units sold. Sales to retail consumers increased only 28%.

The increases were led by sales of two sedans, the Fusion and Taurus, which rose 166.5 and 93.3% respectively, although sales of other models such as SUVs and pickup trucks also increased. Both models were significantly redesigned last year, and analysts said that improved quality from such cars were driving the increases.

Other companies also reported February sales today, nearly all reporting sales gains as well, although none as large as those of Ford. Toyota was the sole exception to the sales gains, as their sales declined 8.7%, as the company was faced with a global recall during the month that led to a temporary stoppage of production for some models.

“The strength of our new products … are resonating with customers,” said Ken Czubay, Ford’s vice president of sales and marketing. However, he believed that traditional Toyota customers were not buying rival autos, but rather awaiting the results from the recalls.

Saturday, November 4, 2006

New Zealand First is calling for gangs to “be outlawed” out after the New Zealand police discovered stun guns cash and large quantities of drugs.

The drugs found included Methamphetamine (“P”), Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) and cannabis, which, according to police, is to be worth thousands of dollars altogether.

The seven stun guns, capable of disabling a person, were discovered at houses and in cars in Hamilton and Tauranga on Tuesday.

New Zealand First’s law and order spokesman Ron Mark said Parliament should pass legislation to outlaw gangs “once and for all”.

“How many more of these discoveries is it going to take before we see some effective legislative action to stamp out gangs? While we applaud the efforts of police we feel that the passing of legislation to outlaw gangs once and for all is well overdue. Outlawing gangs would eliminate much of the organised crime within New Zealand, including drug manufacturing and distribution,” Mark said.

“Section 98A of the Crimes Act makes participation in an organised criminal gang a criminal offence but the Minister has informed us through parliamentary questions that prosecutions were brought under that section on a mere dozen occasions in 2004-05 and 18 times last year.”

“It is time for the police to be armed with definitive legislation carrying a high maximum sentence to better enable them to charge these thugs as it seems that the longer that gangs are allowed to flourish the more heavily armed they are becoming.”

The head of the Waikato police crime control unit, Detective Sergeant Karl Thornton, said the seizure of the stun guns was a major issue that the public should be aware of. It is alarming that drug dealers are equipping themselves with weapons like stun guns.”

11 people will appear in Hamilton District Court later this week on drug charges and with possessing restricted weapons.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Since the AutoTronics Taipei was held from 2006, companies from electronic and automobile-related industries steadily made their stages and a good complementary in this trade show.

Before the first holding in 2006, because of the establishment of Car Electronics Pavilion in 2005 TAITRONICS Autumn (Taipei International Electronic Autumn Show), it (the pavilion) ever became a hot topic in these 2 industries. And eventually, Yulon Group recruited their sub-companies grouping their own pavilion to showcase automobile parts, accessories, and applications.

Currently, automobile navigation, mobile entertainment, and road safety, were included in modern automotive devices. But in a keynote speech of TARC Pavilion, Jamie Hsu (Consultant of Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Republic of the China) pointed out several threats and opportunities on the automotive industry, his words also echoed a notable quote by Yi-cheng Liu (Chairman of Taiwan Transportation Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association): “The automobile industry shouldn’t be monopolized by a company or its own industry. If this industry want to be grown up, it [the industry] should do more optimizations and transformations with the other related industries like IT and electronic.”

Although some participants like Renesas, Fujitsu, MiTAC, TomTom NV, and Agilent ever participated in Taipei IT Month, CeBIT, or Computex Taipei, but there were varied comments for participation on Computex 2008.

Renesas Technology, a participant of Computex 2007, won’t showcase in Computex 2008, but Fujitsu and TomTom both declared to participate in the 2008 Taipei IT Month.

Generally in the automobile industry, progressively conformed by the other industries, its success should depend on collaborations between different and similar industries because “not any company can do any monopoly in any industry” even though the automobile industry will become a “trillion industry” not only in Taiwan.

Saturday, April 2, 2005

Regional U.S. telephone giant SBC Communications is one step closer to offering cable television to the 18 million households in its 13 state coverage area. The company announced a $195 million contract with Scientific-Atlanta Thursday to provide a video operations center and regional hubs for the new service. Under the brand name, U-verse, the SBC’s television rollout is set to launch in 2006 after field trials begin later this year.

The company is seeking the so-called “triple play,” where a telecommunications company offers voice, data and video in one bundled package. Local telephone companies like SBC have been losing business to cable TV companies, which have added telephone and Internet services in recent years.

In a slew of recent deals, SBC is looking to stop that trend. Within the past six months it has signed alliances with various technology firms to build out a fiber network to the home strategy. For instance, SBC has a $1.7 billion deal with Alcatel to build out its fiber optic network and a 10-year, $400 million, pact with Microsoft to license its IPTV technology to allow multi-channel television to stream over its Internet backbone.

In most of the U.S. only cable TV companies like Comcast have been able to offer the “triple play” of voice, video and data services. But traditional phone companies like SBC and Verizon have been upgrading their copper wire telephone networks to fiber optic. SBC says it plans to spend billions of dollars to overhaul its telecommunications network, saying the aging and brittle copper wires which were originally laid in the early 1900s do not have enough bandwidth to allow television capability.

Friday, August 3, 2007

At 11:20 a.m. in the Australian state of Victoria, the Governor David de Kretser started the ceremony for the swearing in of the new Brumby’s cabinet, attended by family and friends of the ministers. This comes a full week after the resignation of Steve Bracks from the top position, and his deputy John Thwaites.

The ministers and their portfolios are:

• John Brumby has the role of Premier as well as the ministries of Multicultural Affairs and Veterans Affairs,
• Deputy Premier Rob Hulls has the Industrial Relations and Racing,
• Gavin Jennings Environment and Climate Change, and Innovation
• Lynne Kosky has Public Transport and the Arts,
• John Lenders is the new Treasurer,
• Justin Madden retains his portfolio of Planning minister,
• James Merlino takes on multiple roles of: Minister Assisting the Premier on Multicultural Affairs, Sport and Recreation and Youth Affairs
• Maxine Morand Children and Early Childhood Development
• Lisa Neville has Mental Health, Community Services and Senior Victorians,
• Tim Pallas retains Roads and Ports,
• Bronwyn Pike changes to Education,
• Tony Robinson has the multiple portfolios of Gaming, Consumer Affairs and the Minister Assisting the Premier on Veterans Affairs,
• Theo Theophanous retains Industry and trade and major projects, gains minister for Information Technology but loses Small Business,
• Richard Wynne has Housing, Local Government and Aboriginal Affairs,
• Peter Batchelor has Energy and Resources, and Community Development,
• Bob Cameron retains Police and Emergency Services, and the Corrections portfolios,
• Joe Helper retains both Agriculture, and Small Business,
• Tim Holding has the Water, WorkCover, Finance, Tourism and Major Events and the TAC Ministries,
• Jacinta Allan has the Regional and Rural Development, and Skills and Workforce Participation from the Education Ministry.
• Daniel Andrews has Health

Monday, September 17, 2007

On Saturday of September 15, ING Taipei Marathon South Taiwan Warming Up Competition goes to Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, not only 1615 professional runners but also international runners from Canada, Japan, UK, USA, Germany, and Ireland participated this event. And event organizer Chinese Taipei Road Running Association (CTRRA) presented limited “I Love Marathon” T-shirt for some of 3KM group runners.

Not only international runners, companies and enterprises such as China Steel Corp., CPC Corp. Taiwan, Taiwan Power Company, Chi Mei Medical Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, NXP Semiconductors Taiwan, Corning Co., Ltd. (Taiwan), National Highway Police Bureau of Taiwan, Kang Hsuan Educational Publishing Group, Kaohsiung Prison and Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office of Ministry of Justice of Taiwan also grouped and participated this event.

A great intensive competition is still in Men’s Group between Wen-chien Wu and Tsu-chien Cheng, but Wu still held his honor and won back this championship with 27 minutes and 34 seconds; In the Women’s Group, Chien-her Hsieh won with 31 minutes and 34 seconds, Yu-hao Wu won the champion with 40 minutes and 27 seconds in the Blind Group.

After this event, ING Antai and CTRRA announced that next stage of ING Taipei Marathon Warming Up will go to Taichung City at September 30.