Yahoo Mail users furious over disruptions
Yahoo Mail users vented their anger on Twitter Friday about disruptions plaguing the free messaging service.
Website Downrightnow.com, which monitors popular online services, displayed a graph showing multiple disruptions of Yahoo Mail in the past 24 hours.
"Yahoo mail is down... AGAIN," one Twitter user wrote, using the hashtag #yahoomail. "Totally frustrated."
"Anyone else having constant problems with @yahoomail lately? After 15 years, I'm on the edge of abandoning it #yahoomaildown," said another.
In an email response to an AFP inquiry, the California-based Internet firm said it was "working to mitigate a Yahoo Mail issue that is limited to a small segment of users."
"We apologize for the inconvenience as we certainly understand email is a critical service for our customers," it said.
The service was almost back to full functioning as of early afternoon in California, according to Yahoo.
Yahoo said its email service has 110 million active daily users.
Source-AFP
Auto makers unite to protect drivers from computerized cars
Nineteen auto makers accounting for most of the passenger cars and trucks sold in the U.S. have signed onto a set of principles they say will protect motorists’ privacy in an era when computerized cars pass along more information about their drivers than many motorists realize.
The principles were delivered in a letter Wednesday to the Federal Trade Commission, which has the authority to force corporations to live up to their promises to consumers. Industry officials say they want to assure their customers that the information that their cars stream back to auto makers or that is downloaded from the vehicle’s computers won’t be handed over to authorities without a court order, sold to insurance companies or used to bombard them with ads for pizza parlours, gas stations or other businesses they drive past, without their permission.
The principles also commit auto makers to “implement reasonable measures” to protect personal information from unauthorized access.
Many recent-model cars and light trucks have GPS and mobile communications technology integrated into the vehicle’s computers and navigation systems. Information on where drivers have been and where they’re going is continually sent to manufacturers when the systems are in use. Consumers benefit from alerts sent by auto makers about traffic conditions and concierge services that are able to unlock car doors and route drivers around the path of a storm.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also working with auto makers on regulations that will clear the way for vehicle-to-vehicle communications. The technology uses a radio signal to continually transmit a vehicle’s position, heading, speed and other information. Similarly equipped cars and trucks would receive the same information, and their computers would alert drivers to an impending collision.
“As modern cars not only share the road but will in the not too distant future communicate with one another, vigilance over the privacy of our customers and the security of vehicle systems is an imperative,” said John Bozzella, president of Global Automakers, an industry trade association.
The auto makers’ principles leave open the possibility of deals with advertisers who want to target motorists based on their location and other personal data, but only if customers agree ahead of time that they want to receive such information, industry officials said in a briefing with reporters.
“Google may want to become an auto maker, but we don’t want to become Google,” said Mitch Bainwol, president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.
The possibility of ads popping up on the computer screens in cars while drivers are behind the wheel worries some safety advocates.
“There is going to be a huge amount of metadata that companies would like to mine to send advertisements to you in your vehicle,” said Henry Jasny of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. “We don’t want pop-up ads to become a distraction.”
Industry officials say they oppose federal legislation to require privacy protections, saying that would be too “prescriptive.” But Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said legislation is needed to ensure auto makers don’t back off the principles when they become inconvenient.
“You just don’t want your car spying on you,” he said. “That’s the practical consequence of a lot of the new technologies that are being built into cars.”
The auto makers signing on to the principles are Aston Martin, BMW, Chrysler, Ferrari, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.
Source- Joan Lowy OF The Associated Press
YouTube Music Key subscription service is unveiled
Google's YouTube is starting a subscription service that allows users to stream ad-free music videos and to download them for offline use.
The £9.99 monthly fee for Music Key also provides membership to Google Play All Access, its existing "all-you-can-eat" song stream and download facility.
It is set to pose a challenge to Spotify, Rdio, Beats Music and other audio-only "unlimited" music services.
The launch had been delayed by a dispute with independent labels.
However, Google said it had now signed deals with hundreds of indies worldwide.
That has enabled it to include tracks from artists including Billy Bragg, who had previously said YouTube was trying to "strongarm" labels into agreeing to "low rates" by threatening to block their material altogether if they did not take part.
He told the BBC his music had been included as part of an agreement signed by Merlin - which represents indie labels - but that he had not been informed about the details.
The BBC understands that the terms of the deal state that the more plays a video has, the bigger the share of the subscription pool its publisher receives.
Brad Nevin, chief executive of The Orchard group of indie labels, said he thought the deal struck was both fair and "a phenomenal opportunity".
Digital habits
Android devices will be first to be able to save clips, followed by Apple's phones and tablets, but the facility will not extend to PCs yet.
The mobile devices will also be able to continue playing music in the background when they switch to other programs.
In addition to album tracks, Music Key offers downloads of concert recordings, remixes, "unreleased" rarities and cover versions recorded by others.
YouTube describes itself as "the biggest music service on the planet", but Google Play is thought to lag far behind Spotify's 12.5 million paying subscribers.
One expert said the new offer might tempt a number to jump ship.
"If you are someone who only listens to Spotify and doesn't listen to YouTube, this won't be a good enough reason to switch," said James McQuivey, principal analyst at the Forrester Research consultancy.
"There is a certain comfort in the well-established digital habits that people already have.
"But if you - as many people do - listen to both Spotify and use YouTube for music, then this is genuinely a reason to switch, because you not only have all the unlimited music but also the ability to move from audio to video, which is a very compelling experience."
Those unwilling to pay can still access a new Music home page on YouTube's apps and web service, which:
Makes it easier to find and play albums from beginning to end. The album's cover is displayed for songs without a video clip
Can put together a playlist of all an artist's available songs
Provides next, previous, shuffle and repeat buttons, to help users switch between songs
Highlights trending songs and recommendations based on the user's previous activity
Should Spotify, the market leader in music streaming, feel able to relax?
Maybe not - there is now a new revenue stream available to artists, many of whom are disgruntled with what Spotify is paying them.
It's not clear that YouTube Music Key will pay more - but if others follow Taylor Swift's lead and desert Spotify, that could signal a shift in the balance of power in digital music.
Source:
US-led Airstrikes Pummel IS Targets Near Kobani
Large plumes of smoke rose in the air in the border region around Kobani on Thursday as a U.S.-led coalition launched more airstrikes against Islamic State targets.
Loud explosions were heard on the Turkish border with Syria as clouds of smoke filled the sky over the embattled town following a morning of relative calm.
Also Thursday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the U.S.-led air war against Islamic State militants will intensify in the future as Iraqi ground forces improve and become more effective.
Defending the U.S. strategy, Hagel said, "As Iraqi forces build strength, the tempo and intensity of our coalition's air campaign will accelerate in tandem."
Hagel and U.S. General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified Thursday before the House Armed Services Committee.
The testimony comes days after U.S. President Barack Obama authorized the U.S. military to deploy up to 1,500 more troops to Iraq. Obama is asking for $5.6 billion to help fund the campaign.
Dempsey said it is possible that sometime in the future U.S. officials will consider assigning a modest number of American troops to fight with Iraqi forces in the northern city of Mosul and elsewhere.
“I am not predicting at this point that I would recommend that those forces in Mosul and along the border would need to be accompanied by U.S. forces, but we are certainly considering it,” Dempsey said.
Islamic State militants seized control of most of Mosul in June.
U.S.-led forces conducted 16 airstrikes in Syria, most of them around the strategic town near the Turkish border, and seven in the oil-producing northern region of Iraq since Monday, the U.S. Central Command said.
Source-Reuters
Obama Calls on Russia to Respect Ukraine Cease-fire
President Barack Obama has called on Russia to honor a September cease-fire between Kyiv and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.
White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said President Obama delivered the message to Russian Vladimir Putin during informal conversations at a summit this week in Beijing.
Rhodes also told reporters that Obama will discuss the Ukraine crisis with European leaders on the sidelines of next week's G20 summit in Brisbane, Australia.
NATO and European monitors have reported Russian tanks, troops and weapons crossing the border in the past few days.
Moscow has repeatedly denied any official military involvement in Ukraine, and has described Russian troops fighting alongside rebels as volunteers.
St Lucia Opposition demands report on state of economy
St Lucia's main opposition United Workers Party is calling on the Kenny Anthony administration to provide a report on the state of the local economy.
Opposition leader Allen Chastanet at a press conference last night said the time has come for government to stop hiding the truth.
Chastanet said his party is concerned that a recent International Monetary Fund report indicates that the local economy has contracted by 1.1 per cent this year.
Last year, the IMF said St Lucia had already contracted by 2.4 per cent.
The Opposition leader said this trend is troubling particularly when it comes to creating new opportunities for locals.
The opposition leader also referred to the 'Ease of Doing Business Report' where in 2011 St Lucia was at number 53 - the second highest in the Caribbean.
However, in the 2015 report St Lucia's ranking dropped 47 places and the island is now ranked eighth in the Caribbean.
Kazz Forbes shines at Islands of the World Fashion Showcase
Kazz Forbes and his label, Saint George Fashion House (SGFH) delivered a highly praised fashion runway presentation at Islands of the World Fashion Showcase (IWFS) as a Guest Designer during the event’s finale on November 8th at Fort Charlotte, Nassau, Bahamas.
The two-day highly anticipated fashion extravaganza was held on November 7th and 8th and featured fashion designers from Bermuda, Cuba, Jamaica, Nigeria, Turks and Caicos, The Bahamas and the United States of America, that presented an array of haute couture, prêt a porter, resort wear and swimwear collections at the historical Fort Charlotte that was transformed into a Fashion Pavilion.
Bahama Islands Info; an online popular Bahamian news blog reported, “Turks & Caicos native Kazz Forbes, and his label, Saint George Fashion House, took the audience to the ultimate ball and red carpet with an array of high end evening gowns rounding out the series of traditional yet awesome runway experiences.”
“I was very impressed with the degree that Kazz Forbes with his line, Saint George Fashion House has come since I’ve witnessed his debut in New York in 2011. The production that he made here at Islands of the World Fashion Showcase; in one word, incredible! I think he has grown and with that I can only see a tremendous future ahead for him.” said event producer Owen Bethel.
“The collection really showed elegance, red carpet and haute couture straight through. The choice of fabrics, the intricate embellishments and craftsmanship, the concept that he had in his collection really showed a well thought through; a very detailed meticulous approach to fashion and I can only wish him the best in all his endeavours in the future and the world of fashion. He should go very far and we will be here to support him.”
Telling of the work of Kazz Forbes, Bethel once asked, “Could we possibly see the next Oscar de la Renta emerge from the soil of the Turks and Caicos?”.
Closing the designers exhibition, Saint George Fashion House presented a strategic spectrum of haute couture, prêt-a-porter and red carpet designs. The majority featured Forbes’ signature of elaborate and elegant hand beaded embellishments with sparkling glass beads and rhinestones, and other intricate works done by hand.
Mae Wayne, Publisher and Editor in Chief of SHE Caribbean Magazine said, “The line from Saint George Fashion House by Kazz Forbes was presented on the runway like a fashion story. An editorial well put together, crisp and dream like. A story of balance full of the splendor of Caribbean colors.”
“Presenting at Islands of the World Fashion Showcase was indeed an honour and I will like to again express heartfelt thanks to IWFS organizers for choosing me as a guest designer and to Digicel TCI Telecommunications for funding part of the collection and for supporting all my endeavours; even before the inception of Saint George Fashion House.” said Fashion Designer Kazz Forbes.
“I had a great time working and socializing with the organizers, models and hair and makeup teams. Everyone involved were so full of enthusiasm and the hospitality received alone made my entire experience beyond amazing. I'm extremely excited about the future of Saint George Fashion House and my career in fashion design.”
“Adding to my excitement of showcasing, a couple days before departing for Nassau, I learned that Je’Cannya Garland; a fifteen year old local aspiring model that competed in the 2014 TCI Top Model Contest and won the first runner up title, was also traveling to participate at IWFS.”
“I’m so proud of Je’Cannya. Working with her and seeing her take instructions from other participating designers and walking the catwalk made me realize even more that our country is so full of great young talents, and the importance of bringing awareness to the unfortunate lack of opportunities being generated for talent development in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Since 2008, Islands of the World Fashion Showcase has held to the platform it was charged by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for its promotion of cultural diversity, and as a means to bring value-added levels of production to the fledgling fashion industries in developing nations, particularly more vulnerable small island developing states.
The intent of Islands of the World Fashion Show is to draw attention via international media and trade exposure to the skills and creativity across the spectrum of the fashion industry in the islands.
TCIG Mourns the Passing of Director of Agriculture, Ms. Margaret Kalloo
The Ministry of Environment and Home Affairs and the Department of Agriculture join with colleagues from the sub-region and internationally in mourning the untimely death of the Director of Agriculture, Ms. Margaret Kalloo, née, Boodram; every member of the Ministry and the Department grieves her passing.
Her contribution to field of Agriculture throughout the region and the Turks and Caicos Islands is well known and greatly appreciated. Her tireless efforts to promote veterinary public health, animal diseases surveillance, food safety, and SPS matters are but only a few examples.
Mrs. Susan Malcolm, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Home Affairs stated; "Even though she was with us for only eight months, her impact was positively felt.
"We take this time to extend to her family and close friends our deepest and sincerest condolences. No words of ours can assuage the grief felt at this time."
During this period the Chief Veterinary Officer will be acting Director until a suitable candidate can be found to replace her.
We need an Autopsy on the dead mammal
Dear Greenpeace Volunteer,
Please accept my request for your intervention to prevent the further exploitation of marine mammals in the TCI in the name of rescue.
A manatee is dead, and an autopsy is a must. The government of the TCI owes the world to conduct an autopsy on the dead manatee as these marine mammals are endangered species and it died in official TCIG care.
Days ago the TCI was graced with a visitor, a young sea cow who just came out of nowhere, just chilling and enjoying the crystal clear waters of the Nation’s Capitol.
Instantly a government official entrusted with protecting nature, or so I am assuming, decided that mother nature should not be left alone and all efforts were made to SAVE the animal. Save him from what? Salt water. Never-mind that he swam through thousands of miles of SALT WATER at about 2 miles per hour. He had to be saved from the SALT WATER and taken to FRESH WATER.
Gallons and gallons of fresh water was ferried to the sea creature, he must be thirsty, he gulped it down. Then came lettuce… that went down too. Calls were made and a flight was booked, the manatee was being rescued.
A mammoth sized rescue was performed, the sea was not safe for the sea creature, he would be much petter off in a backyard pool and so he was taken thereto. Tragedy struck soon after and the rest is history. The manatee is no more and has DIED IN CAPTIVITY at the hands of TCI Experts.
Now apparently, Manatees or Sea Cows cant stand salt water. Thats what the experts said. But other experts say different, you see the West Indian manatee lives in the West Indies, or Caribbean, generally in shallow coastal areas. It is known to withstand large changes in water salinity, so has also been found in shallow rivers and estuaries. It can live in fresh, brackish, and saline water. It is limited to the tropics and subtropics due to an extremely low metabolic rate and lack of a thick layer of insulating body fat. While this is a regularly occurring species along coastal southern Florida, during summer, this large mammal has even been found as far north as Dennis, Massachusetts and as far west as Texas.
A map of the territory of the West Indian Sea Cow shows the TCI smack dab in the middle of the mammal’s home territory. I guess the poor guy was right at home. The lack of thick body fat and low metabolic rate meant that the poor guy would have likely died from the change in temperature.
Lets consider the process of buying goldfish, when you buy them you take them home in a bag, then you place the bag in your tank for a while to get the temperature right then you let them swim - if not they would die. Did the Sea Cow die of this syndrome?
Not sure, but an autopsy would be sure to tell the truth.
Meanwhile all the King’s Horses and Men have failed again.
Sincerely,
Devon Williams
TCI Citizen
TCIG APPOINTS NEW HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER
Turks & Caicos Islands Government, Deputy Governor’s Office is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Keisha Bonita Taylor to the post of Human Resource Manager within the Human Resource Management Directorate.
Ms. Taylor who holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Finance with a minor concentration in Human Resource Management, has been a civil servant for over 14 years. She joined the HR team in April 2010 and worked in the Training Unit for some time as a Human Resource Officer attached to the Training & Development Division before leaving the service for a short while in 2012 during the Voluntary Severance Exercise. She returned in April 2013 through the VS Reengagement Program and has earnestly worked to assist the department in its HR efforts, most especially the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture which is the largest employment sector in government.
Commenting on the appointment Deputy Governor Anya Williams said; “I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Taylor to her new post within the Human Resource Management Directorate. This appointment is part of our new Senior Management Deputy/Understudy program and I am sure that Ms. Taylor will continue to do well.”
Ms. Taylor added; “I would like to give God thanks and praises. The Human Resource Management Discipline is one that I am passionate about and even more so, the Turks & Caicos Islands Government Civil Service.
“TCIG was my first place of employment, which dates back 14 years ago. This institution has had a significant impact on the professional I am today! And this appointment is indeed an honorable, rewarding and grand opportunity. It will present the perfect platform, that will allow me to contribute and assist the team in the rebranding, transforming and development initiatives of Civil Service. Towards this end, I stand committed and I look forward to this journey and will continue to work diligently to meet the objectives of this post.”