A Huge Step Forward in Memory Technology
A new kind of memory technology is going into production, which is up to 1,000 times faster than the Nand flash storage used in memory cards and computers' solid state drives (SSDs). The innovation is called 3D XPoint, and is the invention of Intel and Micron. The two US companies predict a wide range of benefits, from speeding up scientific research to making more elaborate video games. One expert described it as a "huge step forward".
"There are other companies who have talked about new types of memory technology, but this is about being able to manufacture the stuff - that's why they are making such a big deal out of it," says Bob O'Donnell, from the consultancy Technalysis.If all goes to plan, the first products to feature 3D XPoint (pronounced cross-point) will go on sale next year. Its price has yet to be announced.
Source: BBC
Dominicans fined or face jail time for maritime crimes
The TCI Prosecutor hopes the Dominicans captured stealing marine product from our waters will find the money to pay their fines and go home.
Public Prosecutor Clement Joseph said it is far more costly to TCIG to keep these men in remand for six months; a bill he estimates at $5,000 per day for the 28 men now convicted of poaching.
Magistrate Clifton Warner heard a whale of a tale today from the 28 poachers who say they thought they were in Puerto Plata in the DR. The poachers, who had been staying at the detention center since the raid last Thursday said their captain lied to them.
That captain eluded capture last week; left the 28 men, 14 boats outfitted with 14 Yamaha engines, spear guns, air compressors, hoses and other equipment outlawed in the TCI to face officers on their own.
One by one in court the 28 repeated their sorry tale. Telling Warner they were "betrayed."
The men, in the end plead guilty to all eight charges and were fined $5,400 each; a total of $151,200 in fines.
The Magistrate had given them until 4pm to pay those fines.
2000 Migrants Tries to Enter the UK through a Channel Tunnel
Some 2,000 migrants tried to enter the Channel Tunnel terminal in Calais on Monday night in an attempt to reach the UK, operator Eurotunnel has said. Eurotunnel is facing a daily struggle with migrants who attempt to smuggle themselves into Britain, sometimes with fatal consequences. "It was the biggest incursion effort in the past month-and-a-half," said a spokesman for Eurotunnel.
The incident caused serious delays to Eurotunnel train services on Tuesday. Passengers were held up for about an hour on the British side and 30 minutes on the French side, French news agency AFP reports. The spokesman for Eurotunnel said the migrants were trying to enter the site "between midnight and 6am". He added: "All our security personnel, that is nearly 200 people, as well as police were called in." Eight migrants have died this summer trying to enter the Channel Tunnel.
AFP says an official count at the beginning of July found that about 3,000 migrants - mainly from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and Afghanistan - were camping in Calais and trying to get across the Channel. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve held talks in London on Tuesday with UK Home Secretary Theresa May on the migrant issue. Eurotunnel is seeking compensation from the British and French governments for disruption caused by illegal migrants.
Source: BBC
Minister Thanks Team For Successful Anti-Poaching Sting
Minster of Tourism, Environment, Heritage and Culture Hon. Porsha Stubbs-Smith offered her gratitude to Officers from the Department of Environment and Maritime Affairs (DEMA) who reacted to a tip from the TCI's Marine Police Air Patrol on Thursday, 23 July, which allowed them to apprehend 28 Poachers together with 14 unlicensed vessels.
"This is proud moment as a Turks and Caicos Islander" stated Hon. Stubbs-Smith. "These civil servants have shown courage and bravery and deserve our recognition and gratitude.
"It is important that all potential violators understand that we will not stand by, while our waters and natural environment be abused. Anyone that insists on malicious efforts similar in kind to these will be caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
"On behalf of myself and my government, we thank all persons involved with this massive apprehension and hope the good work continues."
Android Bug Detected Software Needs Updating
A bug in the Android mobile operating system has been discovered by researchers, who say it affects nearly a billion devices. The flaw can be exploited by sending a photo or video message to a person's smartphone, without any action by the receiver. Google said it had patched the problem, but millions of devices still need their software updating.
The researchers said the flaw was "extremely dangerous". Researchers from US information security company Zimpherium said they believed it was one of the worst Android vulnerabilities to date, estimating that 950 million devices were affected. Hackers were able to send malicious code within a multimedia message that could access a service within Android called Stagefright. After Stagefright had been invoked, which required no action from the victim, other data and apps on the handset could be accessed by the malicious code.
"These vulnerabilities are extremely dangerous because they do not require that the victim take any action to be exploited," the researchers wrote. Further details on the flaw will be revealed by the team, at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas next week. James Lyne, global head of security research at security company Sophos, said the flaw affected a "massive array" of phones running Android version 2.2 and higher.
"On some devices, the privileges at which this runs means an attacker could access all kinds of content on your device or access resources such as the camera," he said.
Source: BBC
Police beat Quality Super Kings
The Turks and Caicos Islands Cricket Association Summer T20 Cricket League Tournament sponsored by HAB Group, continued on Sunday 26th July 2015 at The Downtown Ball Park, Providenciales.
Police called correctly and took first strike, closing on 170 runs for 2 wickets from their allotted 20 overs. Kareem Jack cracked an unbeaten 68 runs which was punctuated with 11 x 4 and 1 x 6. The next contributor was Garvin Bruno with 45 runs which consisted of 4 x 4 and 3 x 6.
Bowling for Quality Super Kings; Robert Johnson and Jawellyn Sealey took one wicket a piece. Quality Super Kings in their run chased were restricted to 127 runs from 20 overs. The Top Scorer was Captain Ebbon Caesar with an unbeaten 52 runs and Levan McCoy added 21 runs, 4 x 4.
Bowling for the Police, Vaurice Jarvis picked up 3 wickets for 27 runs from 4 overs.Meanwhile the Competition continues on Saturday 1st August 2015 at the same venue. Mitsubishi Electric will take on Police and on Sunday 2nd August 2015 Quality Super Kings will battle Kischo.
TCIG TEAM ATTENDS IRENA ENERGY CONFERENCE IN MARTINIQUE
The Minister responsible for Infrastructure, Housing and Planning, the Hon. Amanda Misick recently lead a delegation to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) -Martinique Conference on Island Energy Transitions: Pathways for Accelerated Uptake of Renewables, held last month in Fort-de-France, Martinique.
The event was based on the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Lighthouses Initiative, which aims to mobilize $500 million USD, deploy 100 MegaWatts(MW) of new solar photovoltaic power, deploy 20 MW of new wind power and ensure that all participating SIDS create renewable energy roadmaps within the initial 5-year timeframe.
Under this initiative, the Martinique Island Energy Conference set forth a Martinique Action Plan (MAP) which proposed a concrete set of actions to accelerate the uptake of renewables, in particular wind, geothermal and marine technologies. Actions included the development of a Grid Integration Framework for islands as well as the creation of a network for islands to share resources, knowledge, experiences and strategies for expanding the use of renewables.
“Given the initiatives currently being undertaken, I welcome the exposure and networking opportunities as well as being able to get a better understanding of the development as well as the benefits of renewables within the region” noted Hon. Missick. “The exposure gives us the opportunity to see how similar countries are tapping into available resources to implement alternative energy options and curb rising energy cost for its population."
The Minister was accompanied by Ms. Sparkle Prentice, Energy Analyst in the Department of Energy and Utilities and Ms. Kathy Walkin, Head of Secretariat for the Ministry.
Among the models showcased at the conference from which the Turks and Caicos can benefit were grid integration examples in Seychelles, São Tomé, King Island and Mauritius, as well as grid stability studies from Barbados, Palau and Martinique. Also showcased were suitable biomass and waste-to-energy applications in Palau and the Maldives, as well as options for renewable desalination systems in Anguilla and St. Barts.
The conference, which highlighted the need for enabling frameworks for renewables investments and advancement through renewable energy project partnerships, was a milestone in the implementation of the Lighthouses goals for the UNFCCC 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21). The progress of the Martinique Action Plan will be showcased at COP21 in November and December.
UK SHIP SUPPORTS TCI HURRICANE AND DISASTER READINESS
The 16,000 tonne Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ship Lyme Bay will arrive in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) this weekend to support the Islands’ hurricane season preparations (1-4 August 2015).
Amphibious support ship RFA Lyme Bay is on ‘hurricane watch’ from June until November 2015, ready to offer assistance to the UK’s six Overseas Territories in the Caribbean should a storm hit.
“Preparing thoroughly for natural disasters in this region is vital to each UK Overseas Territory’s safety, security and sustainability,” said TCI Governor Peter Beckingham.
“RFA Lyme Bay’s visit is a very clear demonstration of how the UK supports the people and governments of its Overseas Territories.”
Lyme Bay will spend the first two days of her visit in Grand Turk, where the crew will also get involved in a search and rescue exercise with officials from TCI’s Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME), as well as community projects and football and cricket matches against local sides.
She will then sail to Providenciales to survey where the UK’s hurricane support ships should best be positioned if a storm struck the TCI’s most populated island – the island’s reef prevents large ships berthing there.
Her Royal Marines and soldiers will further familiarise themselves with the TCI’s most populous island by working with DDME, the Police Marine Unit and Department of Environment and Maritime Affairs personnel based on Providenciales.
In addition to her crew of nearly 100 RFA sailors, the ship carries 23 Royal Navy sailors, 27 Royal Marines and Royal Engineers in a specialist disaster relief unit, plus 18 soldiers from the Royal Logistics Corps.
Bay Class ships, like Lyme Bay, are amphibious landings ships which can quickly offload troops and equipment in rough weather. The ship can also generate electricity and fresh drinking water after a storm.
The civilian-manned Royal Fleet Auxiliary delivers worldwide logistical and operational support for the wide range of tasks the Royal Navy undertakes including war fighting, counter-piracy, humanitarian and disaster relief, and counter-narcotics operations.
PREMIER RUFUS EWING COMMENTS OF THE TRAGIC DEATH OF A MINOR
The Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Dr. The Hon. Rufus W. Ewing, has expressed his sincere regret on hearing news of the tragic death of the three year old who was fatally injured yesterday in South Dock, Providenciales.
Premier Ewing, who returned to the Country last evening after attending the Pre Joint Ministerial Council Meeting in Bermuda this past week, remarked that incidents of this nature not only affects the families of the victims, but also affect the nation.
Premier Ewing commented:
“This is a very sad time for the entire country. As a leader and a father the tragic death of this child weighs heavily on my heart".
“On behalf of the Government, the people of these beautiful islands and my family, I extend my sincere condolences to the family of the deceased. May God be your source of strength and comfort during this difficult time
Bobbi Kristina Brown Passes Away
Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of late singer Whitney Houston, has died aged 22, a family representative has said. Kristen Foster said she passed away on Sunday surrounded by her family and was "finally at peace in the arms of God". Brown was discovered face down and unresponsive in a bathtub on 31 January and placed in a medically induced coma. She never regained consciousness. She was moved to a hospice in the city of Duluth, Georgia, a month ago after her condition deteriorated. Brown was the only daughter of Houston and R&B singer Bobby Brown. Houston was found dead in a hotel bath in Los Angeles in 2012.
"It is hard to say goodbye. On Sunday, July 26, Bobbi Kristina Brown made her transition peacefully. The family thanks everyone for their loving thoughts and prayers. As Bobbi Kristina would say: 'The wind is behind me and the sun is in my face.'" "Bobbi Kristina Brown passed away July 26 2015, surrounded by her family," Ms Foster added. "She is finally at peace in the arms of God. We want to again thank everyone for their tremendous amount of love and support during these last few months." Singer Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston's cousin, described Bobbi Kristina as "a sweetheart". "She will be missed, that's for sure. She was a good girl. She was a good little girl. She really was," she told Bravo's Watch What Happens Live.