Unik Menarik

Plastic particles discovered in Great Lakes

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 31 Agustus 2013 | 22.11

Scientists have found tiny plastic particles in all of the Great Lakes.

They had previously discovered them in Lakes Superior, Huron and Erie last year and new summer research uncovered small concentrations also in Lake Michigan and Lake Ontario.

Mary Balcer, director of the Lake Superior Research Institute at UW-Superior, who has studied more traditional Great Lakes threats such as zebra mussels, said plastics are a new culprit on the list of Great Lakes ecological troubles.

"The accumulation of plastic particles is a great threat to our natural ecosystem and to the humans who use Lake Superior for our drinking water supply," Balcer said Thursday.

Highest concentrations in Lake Erie

Fresh off the research boat, Lorena Rios-Mendoza, assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, presented her preliminary findings to reporters Thursday.

She said Lake Erie seems to hold the highest concentrations of plastics, probably because the particles float downstream from the upper lakes, according to the Duluth News Tribune.

The plastic has also been found in Lake Superior sediment, meaning it's not just floating on the surface, Rios-Mendoza said.

"It was very shallow where they were found, but they were in the sediment," Rios-Mendoza said.

The researchers dragged fine-mesh nets across the surface of lakes. Some of the plastic can be seen only under a microscope.

So far, Rios-Mendoza's hypothesis is that the plastic in the Great Lakes starts small, possibly as scrubbing beads in household or beauty products, facial scrubs and even some toothpaste.

The particles are tiny enough to slip through the screens at wastewater treatment plants and then start their journey across the Great Lakes.

Not only is the plastic itself an issue, she noted, but research has found that plastic can absorb persistent toxic chemicals, some of them known endocrine disrupters. So the floating plastic beads act like tiny, toxic sponges.

That's bad because the articles are just the size to be confused as food for small fish, she said.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Experimental Lakes Area's future to be made clearer Monday

The future of an internationally renowned research facility for the study of water pollution and lake ecosystems will be announced by the province of Ontario and the International Institute for Sustainable Development on Monday.

Supporters of the Experimental Lakes Area hope for an agreement that will secure the future of the facility, which they say is unique for research on water quality and fisheries — and the world's only natural outdoor laboratory to study the physical, chemical and biological processes in actual lake ecosystems.

The ELA is made up of 58 pristine lakes near Kenora in northwestern Ontario and research conducted there has pioneered investigations into acid rain and phosphates in laundry detergents.

The facility was closed at the end of the fiscal year, March 2013, because of cuts to the federal government's budget in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, but re-opened in May after a deal was reached between the federal government and the IISD.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans said it would run sampling programs over the summer to help long-term data collecting stay current.

The province of Ontario said it would pay to keep the Experimental Lakes Area operating in the long term after the federal Conservative government walks away from the freshwater research station at the end of August.

Government 'dragging their feet'

Scientists who perform experiments are now concerned that Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne's commitment of support for the ELA last April may have meant a one-time-only injection of cash.

"Both the provincial and federal government are still dragging their feet on this," Britt Hall, a biology professor at the University of Regina and a member of coalition group Save ELA told CBC News on Friday.

"One of the things that concerns us about the decision is that it's being made by bureaucrats and lawyers. This deal is being written without any real scientific input. They've had one ELA staffer come in as a visiting scientist — but only as of Aug. 1."

Diane Orihel, a scientist who founded Save ELA, said: "The ELA is the only place in the world to conduct experiments on whole lake ecosystems."

The health of Canada's water is at stake if it closes, Orihall added.

"We need ELA science to ensure that our lakes are clean to swim in, that water is pure for us to drink and fish are safe to eat. We need ELA now more than ever, as Canada's lakes are under threat like never before, from climate change to oil spills to discharges of synthetic nanomaterials."

Wynne is expected to be present at the announcement in Kenora on Monday morning.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Older iPhones can now be traded in at Apple stores in U.S.

Excited about the new iPhone expected to be unveiled Sept. 10? Apple will now join others in allowing you to trade in your old model.

The company said starting Friday that it would give customers credit for functioning older models at Apple stores in the U.S. The credit can be used toward the purchase of a new iPhone, which will be activated in the store.

It didn't say how much older phones would be worth. But other brokers such as Gazelle.com offer anywhere from $10 for a working iPhone 3G to $350 for an iPhone 5 that is in pristine condition.

Similar trade-in programs are run by retailers, including Best Buy, Target and Radio Shack.

It was not clear Friday when the trade-in program would be avaialble in Canada

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Arctic internet cable project moves closer to approval

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 30 Agustus 2013 | 22.11

A fibre optic company is one step closer to installing 15,000-kilometre cable across the arctic that has the potential to bring ultrahigh-speed Internet to the region.

Arctic Fibre just finished consulting with seven Nunavut communities where the cable will be closest to once installed. The cable will be embedded in the arctic ocean floor and connect Europe with Asia.

As is typical with any major project that could dsirupt marine life, nearby residents had questions about the project.

"We were able to answer questions [on] the effects on fish and marine mammals," said Madeleine Redfern, a consultant on the project. "We also obtained interesting information from the communities of Hall Beach and Igloolik about walruses … to make sure the cable is laid in the deep trenches away from where they clam, so that traditional environmental knowledge is very helpful to us."

In Iqaluit, the best landing spot was found at Apex beach. The location was picked because of the tides and ice scour in that area.

The company still has to answer to Nunavut regulators and get final approval from the federal government. If all goes well, cable installation should start in 2015. The project will cost millions of dollars and should be ready for use in 2016.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bosses can track workers with GPS, says privacy watchdog

Two elevator companies in British Columbia can continue to use GPS technology to keep tabs on their employees after the province's information commissioner rejected workers' complaints that the practice was an unfair — and illegal — intrusion into their privacy.

However, one of the companies was ordered to temporarily stop using the technology until it provides its workers with better notice about what information is collected and how it is used.

The pair of decisions, issued this week, are the latest from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner to uphold the rights of employers to track the whereabouts of their workers — a trend one privacy advocate says is "pushing the limits" of the law and the privacy rights of the public.

Unionized workers at ThyssenKrupp Elevator Ltd. and Kone Inc. filed complaints over the use of GPS tracking. The workers at both companies are members of the same local of the International Union of Elevator Constructors.

ThyssenKrupp has been using devices installed on its vehicles to monitor its mechanics since early 2011, while Kone has issued GPS-enabled phones that record its mechanics' activity since 2010.

The workers argued such GPS tracking violates the province's privacy legislation and represented an "offence to the dignity" of the companies' employees.

The companies, on the other hand, insisted it was reasonable to use the GPS data to more efficiently deploy its staff, ensure mechanics could be located in the event of an emergency, provide more accurate billing information to clients, and ensure workers were indeed where they said they were.

Adjudicator sides with employers

Privacy adjudicator Ross Alexander sided with the companies, concluding they were acting within the law.

"I am satisfied that use of the system is likely to be effective for Kone's stated purposes," Alexander wrote in one of the two decisions.

"Kone mechanics are a mobile workforce who generally work alone in widely distributed geographic areas, so regular in-person supervision is not practical. ... Kone's use of the GPS information is not, in my view, an offence to dignity of employees that tips the scales against Kone."

A separate decision regarding ThyssenKrupp's tracking practices reached similar conclusions.

Kone issues its employees cellphones, allowing them to indicate when they come on and off shift, and when they arrive and leave a work site. The system then transmits that data back to the employer.

ThyssenKrupp's system relies on devices that are installed on its vehicles. The devices record and transit location data, as well as information about the vehicle, such as its speed and instances of "harsh" braking or "rapid acceleration."

Decisions 'pushing limits' of law

Vincent Gogolek, executive director at the Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, noted the Office of the Privacy Commissioner also ruled on GPS tracking in two previous decisions, last December and in February of this year.

In each case, the commissioner's office sided with employers, though Gogolek noted only the Kone case focused on cellphone tracking, while the others involved tracking only vehicles.

'When it's a cellphone, then it's something that's actually on your person as you walk around. We're now starting to get pretty close to the line.'—Vincent Gogolek, B.C. FIPA

"It's pushing the limits of the law," Gogolek said in an interview.

"The tracking of somebody in a company or government-supplied vehicle is one thing, but when it's a cellphone, then it's something that's actually on your person as you walk around. We're now starting to get pretty close to the line."

Gogolek said the cases highlight the need for a fresh debate about the limits of privacy in a world where it has become exceedingly easy to track anyone's location — a reality that wasn't contemplated when the province's privacy legislation was drafted.

"I think we need to have a debate on this, because the technology is getting more and more sophisticated," he said.

"The law is more than 10 years old now. It may be a situation where we have to look at this and say, 'Are we comfortable with this?"'

Not all workers fully-informed

The workers also argued they weren't provided with sufficient notice about the technology and how it would be used.

While the adjudicator concluded Kone provided adequate notice to its employees, in the form of letters and slideshow presentations, he said ThyssenKrupp did not.

ThyssenKrupp relied on a broad privacy policy to justify its use of the system, known as Fleet Complete, and the company answered some, but not all, of the union's questions in writing, the adjudicator said.

ThyssenKrupp was ordered to stop using its GPS system by Oct. 10, and not resume until it proves it has provided adequate notice to its workers.

While the adjudicator concluded Kone's notice to its workers satisfied the requirements in the province's privacy legislation, he still recommended the company create a detailed policy that outlines how workers' phones will be used to track GPS data.

Neither ThyssenKrupp, Kone, nor the union could be reached for comment.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Light-colour whales 'tan' for sun protection, study finds

Some pale whales appear to tan in order to protect themselves from sunburn, a new study says.

An international team of scientists took mitochondrial DNA samples from blue whales, fin whales and sperm whales to check for genetic damage from ultraviolet rays.

They found that higher melanin levels in the whale's skin correlated with lower levels of skin lesions and DNA damage, suggesting melanin protects the ocean mammals from sun damage.

"We found molecular evidence that blue whales increase production of melanin, so this would indicate that they tan," Karina Acevedo Whitehouse, a zoologist from the University of Queretaro in Mexico, and one of the authors of the study published Friday in the journal Scientific Reports.

"Increasing their pigmentation (tanning) appears to be the way blue whales protect themselves from UV damage."

They also found that the ability to modify skin pigment — or tan — may be linked to migration patterns.

Heavy hearts

Blue whales are believed to be the largest animal to have ever lived on Earth at up to 30 metres in length with hearts that can weigh as much as a car. They're found in every ocean in the world, spending summers in polar waters before migrating toward the Equator for winter.

The palest of the three study whales, with mottled blue-grey skin, they appear to adjust their pigment as they move from higher UV environments to lower.

In contrast, fin whales, the blue whale's darker-skinned, stay-at-home cousins, showed a reduced ability to change the level of melanin in their skin.

Rather, fins maintained higher levels of melanin and had the lowest prevalence of sunburn lesions.

Sperm whales reacted differently yet.

These ocean behemoths, with their rounded foreheads and the largest brain of any creature in the world, did not show a spike in melanin production but appeared to respond with increased production of repair genes.

The researchers believe the difference may lie in their behaviour, which sees sperm whales spend more time on the surface of the water, exposed to UV radiation.

It suggests that, like humans, they may acclimatize to UV exposure.

"Whales are the UV dosimeter or barometer of the oceans," co-author Mark Birch-Machin, a professor of molecular dermatology at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, said in an email.

No evidence of skin cancer

Although measures have been put in place, substances released into the environment decades ago continue to deplete the ozone layer in the atmosphere, the study said.

Other ocean species have been shown to tan, it pointed out, including hammerhead sharks and some fish.

The researchers did not find evidence of skin cancer in the whale biopsies, but did find DNA damage that could potentially lead to cancer. Birch-Machin said the presence of skin cancer in whales is something he hopes to investigate in the next study.

Both scientists said environmental changes to their ocean habitat, including climate change, could compromise the whales' ability to protect themselves from UV radiation and other challenges.

The study is the first to look at the potentially distinct evolution of these whale species to combat the effects of UV radiation.

It also provides information on changing global climate conditions, information that could potentially be applied to human skin research into aging and skin cancer.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

New Zealand bans software patents

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 29 Agustus 2013 | 22.11

In a move widely seen as a boost for innovation and competition in the technology sector, New Zealand has passed a law that will prohibit the patenting of computer software.

The reformed Patents Bill, which was first drafted five years ago, passed third reading in the New Zealand Parliament Wednesday. The new law states that "a computer program is not an invention" and hence cannot be protected by a patent.

"This bill marks a significant step towards driving innovation in New Zealand," said Commerce Minister Craig Foss in a press release on his ministry's website. "It replaces 60-year-old legislation and introduces a patent system suited for the 21st century."

IT experts and supporters of open source software have long been lobbying for a patents ban, arguing that the process of developing software necessarily draws on aspects of existing programs and allowing patents on such material greatly restricts the kind of cross-pollination needed to develop new software.

"The patents system doesn't work for software because it is almost impossible for genuine technology companies to create new software without breaching some of the hundreds of thousands of software patents that exist, often for very obvious work," said Paul Matthews, chief executive of the Institute of IT Professionals in New Zealand, one of the groups that had lobbied for patent reform.

In a press release, Matthews praised the passage of the bill and called it a "victory for common sense."

"Today's historic legislation …sends a clear message to the rest of the world that New Zealand won't tolerate the vexatious practice of 'patent trolls'," he said. "That is, when software patents are created with the sole purpose of bringing costly litigation against inventive technology companies."

Intellectual property laws have chilling effect

Groups like IITP and InternetNZ, which advocates for an open internet, had argued that patent laws have a chilling effect on software developers who fear their work will be challenged in the courts.

"Patenting software would not only make the continued development of the internet more difficult; it would reduce innovation and could well stymie interoperability of various software platforms," InternetNZ had said earlier this year when arguing in favour of a patents ban for software.

Countries around the world are struggling to clarify what can and can't be patented in the realm of the internet and computer technology, and tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and Amazon are waging multibillion-dollar battles over technology patents in numerous jurisdictions.

In New Zealand, the parliamentary commerce committee examining the proposed patent reform had argued that New Zealand's patent legislation, modelled on the since-repealed United Kingdom Patents Act 1949, had "a low threshold for patentability compared with most other countries."

"This low threshold can lead to broader patent rights being granted in New Zealand than in other countries," the committee wrote in its brief on the issue, "which can disadvantage New Zealand businesses and consumers, as technology that may be freely available in other countries can be covered by patents in New Zealand.

"This can discourage innovation and inhibit growth in productivity and exports."

In Europe, software creators must demonstrate that their program "actually makes a contribution in a technical field" in order to qualify for a patent.

According to the U.K. Intellectual Property Office, "whether a computer-implemented invention is patentable depends on the contribution the invention makes."

"For example, if it provides improved control of a car braking system, it is likely to be patentable, but if it merely provides an improved accounting system, it is probably not patentable," the office says on its website.

No definitive court rulings in Canada

In the U.S. and Canada, the software patent matter has been fought largely on a case-by-case basis in the courts, with no definitive ruling on what makes software patentable.

In a 2010 decision, for example, Canada's Federal Court ruled that Amazon's one-click technology, which allows customers to complete an online purchase with a single click of a mouse, could be patented.

In a more recent decision in the U.S., the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that software patented by the internet retailer Alice.com (which has since gone into receivership) was not patentable, but the judges were split in their decision and critics said the ruling provided little direction for future cases.

"The only thing the judges seem to agree on is that we need more clarity, but they can't even figure out what that looks like," Julie Samuels, an intellectual property lawyer with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told PCWorld magazine at the time. "No one understands what the hell is or isn't patentable, including the ... Federal Circuit."

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

How close is too close? Testing personal space boundaries

CBC News reporter Chris Brown tested out several personal space bubbles in downtown Vancouver Wednesday. (CBC)

British researchers think they may have quantified the precise distance when close becomes too close.

The study, conducted by the University College of London and published today in The Journal of Neuroscience, tested the blinking reflexes of 15 subjects aged 20 to 37, as an electric pulse was applied to a specific nerve in one of their hands.

The closer their hand got to their faces, the bigger the blinking reflex was, and the conclusion was that 20 to 40 centimetres, depending on the person, is the boundary of the personal space bubble.

The University College of London researchers also found, after tallying anxiety surveys filled out by their test subjects, that those with more anxiety traits tended to have the larger personal space boundaries.

University of Victoria professor Richard Gifford has studied personal space extensively and he says a number of other factors play into feelings around what's too close.

"The correct distance varies with person, the other person, the social situation, the culture, what they are talking about, et cetera," he said.

Gifford also says people have a hard time sometimes explaining their personal space needs.

"We learn all these rules as we are growing up, but we couldn't really state the rules, we just learn them as we go along."

CBC News reporter Chris Brown tested out different personal space bubble boundaries in downtown Vancouver Wednesday. Click the link above or the video 'play' icon above to see the results.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nintendo 2DS unveiled as Wii U prices cut

Nintendo Co. has announced it is cutting the price of its Wii U video-game system and will launch a hand-held Nintendo 2DS gaming device on Oct. 12.

Nintendo will reduce the price of the Wii U deluxe set from $349.99 to $299.99, effective Sept. 20. The company will also release a Wii U bundle featuring The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, a remake of the 2003 game, that will also be available September 20 for $299.99.

The Wii U has struggled to find an audience. Nintendo sold 3.61 million of the consoles between the Wii U's launch last November and the end of June. The company aims to sell 9 million Wii U units over the fiscal year through March 2014.

Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime said in an interview Wednesday that consumers who have bought the Wii U "love the system" but want more software. Nintendo's game releases for the rest of 2013 include Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Wii Party U and Wii Fit U.

"As long as we create high-quality software we will be able to drive our business," Fils-Aime said. Regarding the price cut, he said: "Now is the right time to offer better value. This sets us up for a strong holiday season."

Sony's new console, the PlayStation 4, is due November 15 with a $399 price tag. Microsoft has not announced an exact launch date for its new Xbox One, which will cost $499.

The new Nintendo 2DS will sell for $129.99 and play all DS and 3DS games — although it will not display the latter games' three-dimensional graphics. Like Nintendo's DS models, the 2DS has two screens; unlike them, it does not fold up. Fils-Aime said the 2DS is intended to appeal to "the entry-level consumer looking for lower-priced access to a fantastic library."

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

India bans shark 'finning'

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 27 Agustus 2013 | 22.11

India has banned hunting sharks for only their fins in a move to protect endangered species from indiscriminate hunting for parts wanted abroad.

The practice of shark 'finning', or slicing off a shark's fins and throwing it back to die slowly on the ocean floor from starvation or inability to move, has exploded worldwide due to demand from China, where shark fin soup is considered a delicacy.

India lists several of the dozens of shark species in its waters as endangered, including hammerheads, broadfins and whale sharks.

Under the Environment Ministry's new policy, announced Monday, fishermen now found with hauls including detached fins risk up to seven years in prison for hunting an endangered species since identifying species by fins alone is difficult.

Worldwide, sharks are in sharp decline, with some species' numbers now 10 per cent of what they were three decades ago. Their demise threatens the health of ocean ecosystems, experts say, as the top predators are key to keeping fish and turtle populations in check. Tens of millions are caught every year.

The growth of shark finning to feed the Chinese market has posed a major threat to the world's oldest vertebrates.

Ministry's move applauded

India is the world's second-largest shark-catching nation behind Indonesia, with the two countries accounting for 20 per cent of yearly shark catches, according to a report by the international wildlife trade monitoring agency TRAFFIC.

Most Indian fishermen catch sharks primarily for food, though they also export the bones and fins abroad. Those fins will now have to be removed once the sharks are on shore.

Last year, Indian fishermen exported $4.8m in shark fins to China, less than half the $11.3m in 2010 exports despite steady demand, according to data from India's Marine Products Export Development Authority.

"Fishermen are saying the numbers of sharks they've been able to catch has definitely come down," said C. Samyukta of Humane Society International.

Conservationists applauded the ministry's move as key to ending a cruel practice threatening to push some shark populations to the brink.

"Given the perilous status of many shark species, we urge the state governments to act quickly and work to enforce the policy," said Belinda Wright of the Wildlife Protection Society of India.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wireless foreign ownership limits should end, report says

If the federal government really wants healthy competition in the wireless market, it should just do away with the limits on foreign ownership and other regulations, a new report says.

The analysis published Monday by the right-of-centre Fraser Institute is the latest input into the heated debate on the upcoming auction of valuable wireless spectrum.

The big three Canadian providers — Bell, Telus and Rogers — are furious that current rules might allow an American giant like Verizon to bid at the auction.

As the system works now, the government limits how much of the spectrum the big "incumbent" companies can buy up, in order to encourage smaller players to come to the table. That theoretically would stimulate competition across Canada and ultimately keep prices down.

But those smaller players — Wind Mobile or Mobilicity for example — could be bought up by a firm like Verizon, which would theoretically have an easy time snapping up the spectrum that is off limits to the incumbents. Because those big Canadian firms aren't allowed to bid on all the spectrum available, that could drive down the size of auction bids and give Verizon a potentially good deal.

The report, written by senior Fraser Institute fellow Steven Globerman, argues there is no evidence that handicapping the incumbent companies does anything to improve efficient competition.

'By setting up rules that handicap the three large Canadian telecoms … the federal government is effectively subsidizing new entrants and promoting inefficient competition.' —Fraser Institute fellow Steven Globerman

"By setting up rules that handicap the three large Canadian telecoms and favour small or new players in the marketplace, the federal government is effectively subsidizing new entrants and promoting inefficient competition. This could make most consumers worse off, rather than better off," Globerman says.

"Given conclusive evidence that the wireless sector in Canada is workably competitive, there would be clearly no conceptual case for competitive handicapping," writes Globerman.

He says that getting rid of the remaining barriers to foreign entrants in the Canadian marketplace would create fears of hostile takeovers of the big three companies, thus creating an incentive for them to be more efficient.

"For one thing, it would expose the incumbents to the threat of a takeover by a more efficient foreign-owned company. That's a discipline on management to use assets efficiently," Globerman told CBC's Lang O'Leary Exchange.

"Second, it's an attractive way for foreign companies to enter on a large scale and quickly."

Telus says 'bring it on.'

"We've been on the record since 2001 calling for Ottawa to lift restrictions," Telus spokesman Shawn Hill said Monday. "It would open up Canada to real competition. Bring it on, [so long as it is] on a level playing field."

Rogers, for its part, said it welcomed competition from "any company, foreign or domestic."

"We believe this is an important debate and the Fraser Institute's report adds another perspective," the company said in a statement. "It's clear that the government needs to re-examine their wireless policy.

"Spectrum is a natural resource and the lifeblood of Canada's wireless networks. It's important that the government do the right thing and change their policies so that massive foreign companies aren't given preferential access to this precious natural resource."

Support for Ottawa's rules

Technology commentator Iain Grant of the Seaboard Group said it was "odd" that the Fraser Institute is talking about throwing open the market to more foreign players when, in fact, Vimpelcomm, a Dutch company twice the size of Verizon, is selling Wind.

He also said the report failed to address the way Bell, Rogers and Telus have already become more competitive in response to Wind and Mobilicity entering the market.

"The only reason that the marketplace works so well in 2013 is due to the government's steps to encourage a broader competitive market framework in 2007-2010," he said in an analysis of the report.

Grant said he supports Ottawa's plan to limit how many blocks the big three can bid on in its September auction of spectrum as well as the 10 per cent restriction on foreign ownership of Canadian companies.

Telecom overlaps broadcasting

Since many telecom firms are in the broadcasting business, the Fraser Institute report says the limits in that industry should also be eliminated — a foray into the cultural realm that no Canadian government has wanted to make.

Globerman says the government already has good levers at its disposal for making sure the industry is competitive — namely the Competition Act. In the absence of handicaps in the auction, the Competition Tribunal would evaluate major acquisitions and mergers, and hear complaints about anti-competitive behaviour.

"The elimination of all foreign ownership restrictions ... and reliance upon the Competition Act to deter acquisitions of spectrum that threaten to reduce competition, as well as to discourage any abuses of market dominance that raise rivals' costs or otherwise suppress competition, seem quite adequate competitive safeguards," he writes.

Industry Minister James Moore has already signalled he will not be changing either the date or the rules around the auction, scheduled for January 2014.

The big three telecom companies have been taking out full-page ads and have launched a campaign called "Fair for Canada," arguing Verizon would be getting preferential treatment under the current auction rules.

With files from CBC News

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Is the Big 3 telecom 'Fair for Canada' campaign working?

For several weeks now, the big three telecommunication firms — Bell, Rogers and Telus — have joined forces and waged a public relations blitz to win the hearts and minds of Canadians.

Their 'Fair for Canada' campaign seeks to rally the public to their side and "stand up for fair competition in Canada." And they warn of the consequences of the federal government giving U.S.-based companies like Verizon Communications an unfair advantage to bid on valuable wireless spectrum.

But some telecom analysts question the effectiveness of the campaign, charging that their message is a tough sell to many wary consumers who have little love for their cellphone providers.

"[The telecom providers] haven't paid attention to the fact — whether it's reality or not — that the perception is they're taking advantage of Canadian customers in the pocketbook and taking liberties with customer service," said Mark Blevis, a digital public affairs analyst.

"So they haven't built a relationship with the Canadian public. They've now turned to the Canadian public to come to their aid."

The three companies have launched full-page newspaper ads, radio spots and a Fair for Canada website, that includes an array of facts, figures, editorials and columns along with an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper signed by the CEOs of the big three.

Their beef is that the government limits how much of the spectrum the three incumbent companies can buy up. And that changes to rules in foreign ownership mean a company like Verizon could snap up the spectrum that is off limits.

"The Government of Canada is risking the future of the Canadian wireless industry," the website states. "The policy loopholes, which give giant American corporations an advantage in the wireless spectrum bidding process, are unfair and will have massive consequences for Canadians. This policy could undermine Canadians' ability to connect to one another, threaten Canadian jobs, and raise significant concerns regarding privacy and security."

But the incumbents' concerns about competition may instead be sparking a consumer backlash.

Blevis did some analysis on the online response to the campaign and found that an "overwhelming number of people" have been critical of the campaign. It has given an excuse for those to complain about their providers' service and many welcome Verizon, hoping a fourth carrier will provide lower prices.

The website and Fair for Canada slogan has been mocked. And a two-minute video showcasing the concerns of Bell, Telus and Rogers employees has been parodied and criticized.

Meanwhile, a poll by Forum Research a found that 57 per cent of Canadians support Verizon entering the Canadian market, and a majority believe its presence will lead to lower rates and better service.

"Canadians have sniffed this one out. They can tell what the big three are trying to do and it's not going over well," Blevis said.

Blevis believes the timing of the campaign was bad, coming during summer vacation when people either aren't around or aren't interested in telecom issues. He said the campaign also erred by sending out a mixed message.

"If they had inspired Canadians to protect the Canadian marketplace, that may have worked. Instead what they tried to do is get Canadians to protect them. And by all accounts, Canadians are not prepared to do that for the big three."

'They haven't been convinced'

Iain Grant, an analyst with The Seaboard Group consulting firm, said that if effectiveness is measured by shifting public policy and by changing minds of the people who have the ability to change the policy, this campaign "has been one of the least effective lobbying/PR campaigns in history."

"Since the print campaign was launched, we've had the minister of industry say 'Ok, thank you, I've heard you — NO. And then a week later we heard the prime minister... say, 'You didn't understand the minister? The answer is NO.

"Now those are the two Canadians whose opinions count the most. And they haven't been convinced."

John-Kurt Pliniussen, an associate professor in innovation, sales management and e-marketing at Queen's University school of business, said instead of trying to appeal to a sense of patriotism, the incumbents should have been contrite, admitted that their service has been subpar in the past, and promise to improve over the next couple of years.

"They could have done something that makes the consumer, the user of their services more pleased," he said. "They say this might happen, or this might happen. They say nothing about our service, nothing about what our costs are."

Four or five years ago, the CRTC would receive about 900 complaints a year about telecom companies, Pliniussen said. Now it's over 7,000.

"I don't think the trigger is Canada. I think the trigger is service. Service and value. Because that's all we care about is great service," he said.

With files from The Canadian Press

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Artifacts in northern Quebec could be 7,000 years old

Written By Unknown on Senin, 26 Agustus 2013 | 22.11

A Quebec archaeological team will begin its work at an extraordinary site this week, as it explores a settlement that could be as old as the invention of the wheel.

The Saunders Goose Pond discovery, which could date back 7,000 years, was found last summer on Waskaganish territory in northern Quebec.

The James Bay community, located near Fort Rupert, is known as the birthplace of the Hudson's Bay Company and has historical significance for the local Cree as a traditional fishing site.

When archaeological crews were digging near the Smokey Hill rapids last summer, they expected to find relics and pottery dating back about 150 years.

'It's a time period that we know almost nothing about'—James Chism, curator of archaeology, Waskaganish Cultural Institute

So it came as a surprise when one discovery was linked to pre-European times.

The rough-looking stone blades and arrowheads were found by a local community member, who brought them to the Waskaganish Cultural Institute.

"It was very obviously quite different and quite old," says James Chism, the curator of archaeology at the institute.

He says the tools could be between 4,000 and 7,000 years old.

"It's pretty exciting, because we don't have a lot of sites in Quebec that are that old, if it's as much as 7,000 years," Chism says.

"It's a time period that we know almost nothing about."

Searching for answers

Last summer, the team did a survey of the site and marked locations of interest.

But Monday afternoon will be the first time archaeologists will dig at the Saunders Goose Pond site.

Chism says the area where the relics were found was likely once a peninsula or island, even though the site is now about 63 metres above sea level.

The Cree community of Waskaganish is located along James Bay in northern Quebec. (Google Maps)

It's possible the territory was a campsite, but archaeologists won't know for sure until the team gets a better look at the settlement.

Chism hopes they will be able to narrow down the timeline this summer through geological surveys and tests on any organic materials they might find, such as charcoal or bone.

He says the dig could reveal important information about how people lived in Canada at that time — who they were, and what they hunted and ate.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Canadian on moon possible under latest space plan

Canada could be sending its first astronaut to the moon under an ambitious long-term plan being developed by a group of space agencies around the world.

A return to the moon within the next two decades is part of the recently updated Global Exploration Roadmap — a far-reaching plan developed by more than a dozen space agencies.

Canada is among the 14 space agencies participating in the International Space Exploration Coordination Group, which first started developing the strategy in 2007. The first roadmap was released in 2011 and the latest update was made public last week.

An early phase of the plan would put a new space station into orbit around the moon, and use it as a staging point to ferry astronauts back and forth.

It's part of a roadmap that lays out human and robotic missions in the solar system over the next 25 years, with the other components including a moon settlement and a proposal by NASA to capture a near-Earth asteroid.

Jean-Claude Piedboeuf, the director of space-exploration development at the Canadian Space Agency, says there's an agreement among space agencies that returning to the moon is a stepping stone to a more distant target: Mars.

There would be human missions in the lunar vicinity and on its surface until 2030, at which point sights would be set on the red planet.

"You need to master how to land on a planet — and the moon can be a test bed for that and how to live on the surface for a long time," said Piedboeuf, who noted that Canada is chairing the ISECG this year.

First moon visit since 1972

The CSA official suggested astronauts could again be moon-bound in about 15 years. It would be the first human visit to the shining orb since 1972, when NASA astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmidt spent 75 hours there.

This time, there could well be Canadian visitors.

Dextre, the Canadian Space Agency's robotic handyman, has made history with its manoeuvres aboard the International Space Station. Canadian officials hope expertise in such space robotics could earn the country a spot on an eventual lunar mission. (NASA)

Their specialty: robotics.

"We're proposing a vision where Canada could have an astronaut, effectively a Canadian who will be in lunar space, either in orbit or on the moon and could operate a Canadian rover in the same way that Canadians operate a Canadarm on the space station," Piedboeuf said.

"We can foresee in the future doing the same type of thing on the moon, with the Canadian industry building a rover — and a Canadian astronaut could be the operator of this rover."

The first stop on the pathway to Mars — the International Space Station — will continue to be manned until at least 2020.

Canada is working to get one of its two active astronauts, David Saint-Jacques or Jeremy Hansen, to visit the space station between 2016 and 2019.

"For the next 10 years, we can expect that human space flight will still be in an Earth orbit," Piedboeuf told The Canadian Press.

"But then, starting maybe in 2025 — that's really a guess because there's a lot of work — then we can start thinking about human orbit around the moon and basically doing some activity there, then starting back on the surface of the moon."

The plan would see a small human settlement established on the moon. Astronauts could use it to mine lunar resources while also learning how to survive away from Earth.

The scenario proposes the use of a "Deep Space Habitat," which would serve as a staging post. The habitat, a sort of mini-space station, could be placed at a so-called Lagrange point near the moon.

Lagrange points are locations where gravity balances itself out and where a space station could theoretically be stationary.

"We think that around the beginning of the '20s," Piedboeuf said, "we will have the capacity to send humans into lunar space."

Piedboeuf pointed out that Canada has been working with NASA and other space agencies to develop the next generation of rovers, which would go to the moon and Mars.

"In terms of human exploration, we are building the building blocks, the capability that we need to support human exploration," he said.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wireless foreign ownership limits should end, report says

If the federal government really wants healthy competition in the wireless market, it should just do away with the limits on foreign ownership and other regulations, a new report says.

The analysis published Monday by the right-of-centre Fraser Institute is the latest input into the heated debate on the upcoming auction of valuable wireless spectrum.

The big three Canadian providers — Bell, Telus and Rogers — are furious that current rules might allow an American giant like Verizon to bid at the auction.

The report, written by senior Fraser Institute fellow Steven Globerman, argues there is no evidence that handicapping the incumbent companies does anything to improve efficient competition.

'By setting up rules that handicap the three large Canadian telecoms and favour small or new players in the marketplace, the federal government is effectively subsidizing new entrants and promoting inefficient competition. This could make most consumers worse off, rather than better off.'—Fraser Institute fellow Steven Globerman

"Given conclusive evidence that the wireless sector in Canada is workably competitive, there would be clearly no conceptual case for competitive handicapping," writes Globerman.

But since many telecom firms are in the broadcasting business, the report says that would mean also getting rid of the limits in that industry — a foray into the cultural realm that no Canadian government has wanted to make.

Industry Minister James Moore has already signalled he will not be changing either the date or the rules around the auction, scheduled for January 2014.

22.11 | 0 komentar | Read More

Radioactive water at Fukushima creeps toward Pacific

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 25 Agustus 2013 | 22.12

Deep beneath Fukushima's crippled nuclear power station, a massive underground reservoir of contaminated water that began spilling from the plant's reactors after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami has been creeping slowly toward the Pacific.

Now, more than two years later, experts fear it is about to reach the ocean and greatly worsen what is fast becoming a new crisis at Fukushima: the inability to contain vast quantities of radioactive water.

The looming crisis is potentially far greater than the discovery earlier this week of a leak from a tank that stores contaminated water used to cool the reactor cores. That 300-ton leak is the fifth and most serious from a tank since the March 2011 disaster, when three of the plant's reactors melted down after a huge earthquake and tsunami knocked out the plant's power and cooling functions.

But experts believe the underground seepage from the reactor and turbine building area is much bigger and possibly more radioactive, confronting the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., with an invisible, chronic problem and few viable solutions. Many also believe it is another example of how TEPCO has repeatedly failed to acknowledge problems that it could almost certainly have foreseen — and taken action to mitigate before they got out of control.

Fishing ban continues

It remains unclear what the impact of the contamination on the environment will be because the radioactivity will be diluted as it spreads farther into the sea. Most fishing in the area is already banned, but fishermen in nearby Iwaki City had been hoping to resume test catches next month following favorable sampling results. Those plans have been scrapped after news of the latest tank leak.

"Nobody knows when this is going to end," said Masakazu Yabuki, a veteran fisherman in Iwaki, just south of the plant, where scientists say contaminants are carried by the current. "We've suspected (leaks into the ocean) from the beginning... TEPCO is making it very difficult for us to trust them."

To keep the melted nuclear fuel from overheating, TEPCO has rigged a makeshift system of pipes and hoses to funnel water into the broken reactors. The radioactive water is then treated and stored in the aboveground tanks that have now developed leaks. But far more leaks into the reactor basements during the cooling process — then through cracks into the surrounding earth and groundwater.

'"Nobody knows when this is going to end" —Masakazu Yabuki, veteran fisherman in Iwaki

About 1,000 tons of underground water from the mountains flows into the plant compound each day, of which 400 tons seep into the reactor and turbine basements and get contaminated. The remaining 600 avoids that area, but at least half of it is believed to eventually come in contact with contamination elsewhere before entering the sea, according to an estimate by Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy.

Scientists, pointing to stubbornly high radioactive cesium levels in bottom-dwelling fish since the disaster, had for some time suspected the plant was leaking radioactive water into the ocean. TEPCO repeatedly denied that until last month, when it acknowledged contaminated water has been leaking into the ocean from early in the crisis. Even so, the company insists the seepage is coming from part of a network of maintenance tunnels, called trenches, near the coast, rather than underground water coming out of the reactor and turbine area.

"So far, we don't have convincing data that confirm a leak from the turbine buildings. But we are open to consider any possible path of contamination," said TEPCO spokesman Yoshimi Hitosugi.

Water 'about to reach coast'

The turbine buildings at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant are about 150 meters from the ocean. According to a Japan Atomic Energy Agency document, the contaminated underground water is spreading toward the sea at a rate of about 4 meters a month.

At that rate, "the water from that area is just about to reach the coast," if it hasn't already, said Atsunao Marui, an underground water expert at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology who is on a government committee studying the contaminated water problem. "We must contain the problem as quickly as possible."

TEPCO, nationalized and burdened with the astronomical cleanup costs, has been criticized for repeatedly lagging in attempts to tackle leakage problems. As a precautionary step, it has created chemical blockades in the ground along the coast to stop any possible leaks, but experts question their effectiveness. After a nearly two-year delay, construction of an offshore steel wall designed to contain contaminated water has begun.

The utility has also proposed building frozen walls — upside down comb-shaped sticks that refrigerate surrounding soil — into the ground around the reactor areas, but that still has to be tested and won't be ready until 2015 if proved successful.

22.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Comet's solar 'death plunge' captured by NASA camera

A tiny comet sailed through space towards the sun on Tuesday, diving into it before vanishing. Moments later, the sun expelled a large solar belch.

The comet was captured on video by NASA and European Space Agency's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. Scientists created video of the comet's dive toward the sun using the SOHO images.

Astronomers said the comet's dive, which some are calling the 'death plunge,' was a case of solar synchronicity: The comet was too small to cause such a big disturbance on the sun. They suggest that the crash of the comet and the timing of the solar flare were just a big cosmic coincidence.

According to observers from monitoring site SpaceWeather.com, the comet is a member of the Kreutz family. Kreutz comets are remains from a single giant comet that broke up many centuries ago. They get their name from 19th century German astronomer Heinrich Kreutz.

22.12 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ambitious space plan could put Canadian on the moon