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Category: News

  • News story: Prime Minister visits Nissan Sunderland car manufacturing plant

    Prime Minister David Cameron is today visiting the Nissan car manufacturing plant in Sunderland, as the company thanked the UK government for continuing support and investment.

    The visit marks the official start of production of the new, 100% electric Nissan LEAF. The car is now rolling off the line at the company’s Sunderland Plant, using advanced lithium-ion batteries manufactured in Nissan’s new UK Battery Plant. Together the Battery Plant and Nissan LEAF production are supporting jobs for more than 2,000 people in the UK car industry, including more than 500 directly at Nissan.

    Mr Cameron said:

    Nissan’s record breaking year last year is a success story for UK volume car manufacturing and demonstrates how our automotive industry is competing and thriving in the global race. I warmly welcome the production of the new electric LEAF model and battery plant at Sunderland. This £420 million investment, backed by government, is supporting over 2,000 jobs in our automotive sector including more than 500 at Nissan in Sunderland, helping people in the area who want to work hard and get on.

    The government has committed £400 million to make the UK a leading market for ultra low carbon vehicles. Nissan’s announcement shows the confidence the company has in the skills-base and the business environment in the UK and that the UK is open for business.

    The launch event comes as Nissan Sunderland Plant celebrates making more than seven million units since its opening in 1986. Last year it became the first UK car factory ever to make more than half a million cars in one year.

    Nissan’s Executive Vice President Andy Palmer said:

    Today’s announcement progresses Nissan’s unwavering commitment to zero emissions motoring.

    The Nissan LEAF is our most technically advanced car yet and the launch of this new model, built along with its batteries in Sunderland, is a huge boost not only for the plant but for British manufacturing. We have been showing that you can operate a world-beating plant in the UK for almost 30 years and the construction of the battery plant is a vote of confidence in the country’s ability to support high-technology manufacturing.

    We could not have reached this point without the support and commitment we have enjoyed from governments across Europe, especially the British government, who are backing the car industry on manufacturing and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. I would also like to once again place on record our thanks to our many partners and their strong belief in zero-emissions motoring.

  • News story: Appointment of Lord and Lady Justices of Appeal

    The following appointments have been approved:

    • Mr Justice Briggs
    • Mr Justice Christopher Clarke
    • Mr Justice Floyd
    • Mr Justice Fulford
    • Mrs Justice Gloster
    • Mrs Justice Macur
    • Mr Justice Ryder
    • Mrs Justice Sharp
    • Mr Justice Underhill
    • Mr Justice Vos

    These appointments will fill forthcoming vacancies in the Court of Appeal arising over 2013.

    Note to Editors

    These appointments are required in the light of the elevation of Sir Terence Etherton, Sir Roger Toulson and Sir Anthony Hughes, the retirements of Sir Alan Ward and Sir Malcolm Pill, and the forthcoming retirements of Lord Judge, Sir Bernard Rix, Sir Mathew Thorpe, Sir John Mummery and Sir Timothy Lloyd.

    The appointment of Lord and Lady Justices of the Court of Appeal are made by Her Majesty The Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor following the recommendation of an independent selection panel chaired by Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge. The other panel members were:

    • the Master of the Rolls, Lord Dyson
    • Christopher Stephens, Chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission
    • Dame Valerie Strachan (lay commissioner nominated by the Chairman of the JAC for the interviews only)
      • Mrs Stella Pantelides (lay Commissioner nominated by the Chairman of the JAC for the sift only)

    In accordance with section 79 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 the panel determined the selection process to be followed. In accordance with s10(3) of the Senior Courts Act 1981, the selection exercise was open to applicants that satisfied the judicial eligibility condition on a 7 year basis or were Judges of the High Court.

    Biographical Notes

    Mr Justice Briggs

    Called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 1978 and was Junior Counsel to Crown Chancery from 1990-94. He became a Queen’s Counsel in 1994. He was made a Bencher of Lincoln’s Inn in 2001, and was appointed Attorney General of the Duchy of Lancaster on 24 July 2001. He held this post until shortly after his appointment on 3 July 2006 as a Justice of the High Court, when he was assigned to the Chancery Division. He is currently Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster, a Chancery judge appointed by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in consultation with the Lord Chancellor, to supervise Chancery business and hear cases on the North and North Eastern Circuits.

    Mr Justice Christopher Clarke

    Called to the Bar, Middle Temple, in 1969, Bencher 1991; Attorney of Supreme Court of Turks and Caicos Islands, 1975. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1984; a Recorder, 1990-2004; a Deputy High Court Judge, 1993-2004; a Judge of the Courts of Appeal of Jersey and Guernsey, 1998-2004. Counsel to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, 1998-2004. Councillor, International Bar Association, 1988-90; Chairman, Commercial Bar Association, 1993-95; Member, Bar Council, 1993-99. FRSA 1995. He was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division, on 11 January 2005.

    Mr Justice Floyd

    Called to the Bar, Inner Temple, 1975, Bencher, 2001; called to the Bar of Republic of Ireland, 1988. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1992; Assistant Recorder, 1994-2000; a Deputy High Court Judge (Patents Court), 1998-2007; a Recorder, 2000-07. He was appointed Deputy Chairman, Copyright Tribunal, 1995-2007; Chairman, Competition Appeal Tribunal, 2007-. Member: Bar Council Chairman’ Arbitration/Conciliation Panel, 1996-2007; Bar Council Professional Conduct and Complaints Committee, 1998-2002; Bar Council, 2000-04; Bar Council European Committee, 2003-04; Litigation Accreditation Board Appeal Panel, Chartered Institute Patent Attorneys, 2005-07; Enlarged Board of Appeal, European Patent Office, 2011-; Chairman, Intellectual Property Bar Association, 1999-2004. He was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division on 8 November 2007. He has been the Senior Judge, Patents Court, since 2011.

    Mr Justice Fulford

    Housing Advisor, Shelter’s Housing Aid Centre, 1974-75; called to the Bar, Middle Temple, 1978, Bencher, 2002. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1994; a Recorder, 2001-02. Editor, UK Human Rights Reports, 2000-2010 Hon. DLaws Southampton, 2011. He was appointed a Judge of the High Court, Queen’s Bench Division, on 22 November 2002. He was a Judge of the International Criminal Court, The Hague, from 2003-2012 (President, Trial Division, 2008-12; Presiding Judge, Trial Chamber I, 2007-12). He is currently the Lead Presiding Judge, South Eastern Circuit.

    Mrs Justice Gloster

    Graduated from Girton College, Cambridge. She was called to the Bar, Inner Temple, 1971, Bencher 1992. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1989; a Judge of the Courts of Appeal of Jersey and Guernsey, 1993-2004; a Recorder, 1995-2004; Judge in Charge of Commercial Court, 2010-12. Mem., panel of Counsel who appear for DTI in company matters, 1982-89. Mem. Hon. Fellow, Harris Manchester College, Oxford, 2006. She was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division (Commercial Court) on 21 April 2004. Hon. Fellow, Girton College, Cambridge, 2011.

    Mrs Justice Macur

    Called to the Bar, Lincoln’s Inn, 1979 (Bencher, 2005); Midland and Oxford Circuit. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1998; a Recorder, 1999-2005. She was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Justice, Family Division, on 3 October 2005. She was Family Liaison Judge for the South Eastern Circuit from 2007 until she was appointed Presiding Judge on the Midland Circuit, 2008-11.

    Mr Justice Ryder

    Merchant banker, Grindley Brandt & Co., 1979; called to the Bar, Gray’s Inn, 1981; QC 1997; Asst Recorder, 1997-2000; a Recorder, 2000-04; a Dep. High Court Judge, 2001-04; Northern Circuit. Counsel, N Wales Tribunal of Inquiry, 1996-99. Asst Boundary Comr, 2000-04. Commnd Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry, 1981; Sqdn Leader, 1990; Sqdn Leader, Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry, 1992. Awarded TD. 1994 DL Greater Manchester, 2009. FRSA 2010. He was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Justice, Family Division, on 4 May 2004. He was a Family Division Liaison Judge for the Northern Circuit until he became Presider Judge, Northern Circuit, in 2010. He has been Judge in Charge of Modernisation of Family Justice, since 2011

    Mrs Justice Sharp

    Called to the Bar, Inner Temple, 1979, Bencher 2009. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2001 and a Recorder in 1998. She was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division on 13 January 2009. She has been a Presiding Judge on the Western Circuit since 2012.

    Mr Justice Underhill

    Called to the Bar, Gray’s Inn, 1976 (Bencher 2000). He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1992 and was a Recorder 1994-2006; Attorney General to HRH the Prince of Wales 1998-2006; a Deputy High Court Judge 1998-2006; and a Judge of the Employment Appeal Tribunal, 2000-03. He was Chairman of the Bar Pro Bono Unit 2002-05. Appointed a Judge of the High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division, on 30 January 2006. He has been a Judge of the Employment Appeal Tribunal since 2006 and was its President 2009-11.

    Mr Justice Vos

    Called to the Bar, Inner Temple, 1977; Bencher, Lincoln’s Inn, 2000. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1993; a Judge of Courts of Appeal of Jersey and Guernsey, 2005-09; Judge of the Court of Appeal of Cayman Islands, 2008-09. Chairman Chancery Bar Association, 1999-2001 (Honorary Secretary, 1994-97; Vice-Chairman, 1997-99). Chairman Bar Council, 2007 (Vice Chairman 2006, Chairman Professional Standards Committee 2004-05; Member, General Management Committee, 2004-07). Member, Panel on Fair Access to the Professions, 2009. Trustee: Social Mobility Foundation, 2007-11 (Chairman, 2008-11); Slynn Foundation, 2009 to date. He was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division on 27 October 2009 and is currently a Nominated Judge of the Patents Court

  • News story: PM calls to President Zardari and President Karzai

    A Downing Street spokesperson said:

    The Prime Minister spoke to both President Karzai and President Zardari yesterday to take stock of progress following their last meeting at Chequers in February.

    They all agreed that they remain fully committed to working together to establish a secure, stable and democratic Afghanistan that never again becomes a haven for terrorism. All three reiterated their support for an Afghan-led peace process and for negotiations between the Taliban and the High Peace Council and both Presidents confirmed their ongoing commitment to achieve the goals set at Chequers.

    The Prime Minister emphasised the need for increased cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, built on a relationship of trust and strong relations between 2 neighbours.

  • News story: Details of ministerial changes announced

    The ministerial appointments are:

    • John Hayes MP to become a Minister without Portfolio (Minister of State)
    • Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP to become a Minister of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change in addition to his current role as a Minister of State at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Notes to editors

    1. The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of John Hayes to Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council.
    2. John Hayes will be based in the Cabinet Office.

  • News story: Community Action Through Sport (CATS) wins Big Society Award

    Originally established in 2005 in Bude, North Cornwall, Community Action Through Sport won a three-year BIG Lottery grant in 2011 to help its work in harnessing young people’s interest in sport around the Olympics. With the help of this funding they expanded from one branch to 15 across the South West in just over 2 years.

    Each branch helped young people turn their ideas for positive community action into solid proposals, which were brought to life by local agencies. The organisation targeted young people of all backgrounds and helped children at risk of getting drawn into anti-social behaviour make a more positive contribution to their local area. The organisation also sought to re-balance negative perceptions of young people in the wider community.

    The work being commended today covered 3 key themes:

    • anti-bullying campaigns and buddy programmes for primary schools
    • getting kids off the streets and into sport through outdoor activities such as canoeing
    • rewarding young people for tackling difficult issues in their communities through trips and sporting activities

    One of the many successes over the last two years has been the ‘Friday Night Splash’. Inspired by the London 2012 Olympics, the ‘Splash’ was conceived by two 15-year-old girls who saw the link between teenagers having nowhere to go on a Friday night and nuisance behaviour in their home town of Bude. With a view to getting teens together, improving fitness and having a positive activity to do on a Friday night, the girls lobbied to get their local swimming pool to remain open until 9pm, and to reduce the entry fee from £3 to £1 to encourage young people to join them.

    As well as up to 150 teenagers attending the Friday Night Splash each week, other benefits have also been realised, including:

    • the police seeing a reduction in youth loitering in Bude
    • fewer young people under-age drinking or causing a nuisance in their community
    • an increase in physical and outdoor activity by young people out of school
    • more interest in vocational qualifications including certifications in lifeguarding and instructing

    Commenting on the award Prime Minister David Cameron said:

    I’m delighted to award Community Action Through Sport a [Big Society Award] (http://www.bigsocietyawards.org “Big Society Award”) for their fantastic work in helping young people take positive action for their communities.

    This worthwhile project has rewarded young people – of all backgrounds – with sporting activities, visits and trips for their positive contribution to their local communities. It has also helped young people help themselves through anti-bullying, skills and educational programmes.

    The essence of the project is about engendering a culture within young people of making a positive contribution to their communities, which is then rightly recognised and rewarded.

    And I’m pleased to see how the project has helped to realise wider benefits in their local areas such as reductions in crime, nuisance behaviour and under-age drinking.

    I congratulate CATS for this well deserved Big Society Award.

    Founder of CATS Denise May MBE, and Director of Sport and Assistant Headteacher at Budehaven Community School Said:

    Community Action Through Sport are delighted to receive the Big Society award. It is testament to the ethos of CATS, which recognises young people for their positive contribution to their community. We firmly believe that volunteering is the inspiration, recognition is the key and sport is the driving force.

    We believe sport is a wonderful way of channelling the energy of young people and promoting engagement and team spirit. What they learn through these activities can help in their careers, in their education, and even in the relationship they have with the wider community. Evidence has also shown that it helps with the crime rate in the community and the Police are one of our biggest supporters. We look forward to growing as an organization and helping more children make their ideas a reality.

    CATS entered in the third year of their three year initiative. In this time they established 14 branches across Devon and Cornwall, and have run 22 sports diversionary programmes by this summer, through surfing, kayaking or other sports. Partnership and multi-agency work has proved an essential element of the success of the projects, with 14 established CATS branches with the target to develop more. CATS works to give support and ownership to young people in their own communities and this award will be gratefully received by all and hopefully enable more branches to be developed.

    They have engaged with 124 primary and secondary schools in Cornwall and North Devon, as well as many community groups, thus rewarding and recognising more than 2,000 young people.

  • Microsoft to debut Windows Blue preview this summer

    Microsoft Windows Blue Release Date
    Microsoft (MSFT) is expected to announce the next generation of the Windows operating system later this year. According to The Verge, the company began working on a “milestone preview” version of Windows Blue earlier this month, and plan to make it available to developers and enthusiasts at its Build developer conference in June. Microsoft earlier this week acknowledged the Blue codename, however it is unlikely that the final product will be called Windows Blue. Earlier rumors have suggested that the next version of Windows will include a variety of new features such as customized live tiles and improvements to the company’s Snap View feature. Microsoft’s Build developers conference is scheduled to take place on June 26th in San Francisco.

  • The first batches of Google Glass could be made inside the U.S.

    google_glass_made_in_the_usa

     

    It appears Google may manufacture units of their infamous Google Glass in the U.S, as opposed to abroad. According to a new report from the Financial Times, Google will work with Foxconn to produce units of Google Glass in Silicon Valley, California. This idea that Google will manufacture Google Glass locally is no surprise really. Google’s headquarters is located in Mountain View, California, while Foxconn’s manufacturing plant is steps away in Santa Clara, California— so it makes sense that an innovative product such as Google Glass would require special attention by Google and be manufactured locally, as opposed to being manufactured abroad and would almost be an expensive proposition for the search giant.

    So far this decision is only mentioned to be for the initial 8,000 units meant for contest winners who won the #IfIHadGlass contest earlier this year. Whether or not Google plans to keep production within the U.S. after a global launch remains to be seen.

    Source: Financial Times

    Come comment on this article: The first batches of Google Glass could be made inside the U.S.

  • Now Windows Phone 8 users can get jungle fever as well

    My name is Alan and I am a Temple Run Addict. I play Temple Run 1, Temple Run 2, Temple Run Brave, Temple Run Oz…I have a problem and I am here to admit it. My wife should be my steadying force, but she has a Windows Phone 8, and now I fear she may fall victim to the same affliction.

    As of today she can steal the idol from that cave and attempt to outrun the apes through the jungle in Temple Run. The game, long popular on Android and iOS, has landed on Windows Phone after a long wait from customers.

    Temple Run will test your reflexes as you race through the jungle making sharp turns, jumping over some obstacles and sliding under others.  Oh, and don’t forget to avoid the poisonous snakes as well. And, did I mention that each section gets faster, making the game increasingly difficult with a growing frantic pace?

    Yes, this is both good and bad news for customers of the Microsoft mobile operating system. Sure, the game is great fun, but do not miss the fact that the Windows Phone Store begins its description with “The addictive mega-hit Temple Run is now out for Windows Phone”. You just became less productive folks.

    All kidding aside, if you have not played Temple Run then I recommend grabbing it. The game is free and it really is a lot of fun. If you played the old Pitfall on Atari when you were a kid, as I did, then this should make you feel right at home.

    Oh, and Microsoft would prefer you simply ignore the fact that other mobile operating systems have had this game for two years…or that there are three newer versions of the game… Well, let Joe Belfiore and company have their fun with this announcement and their time in the sun. I will be playing Temple Run Oz while they bask in this glory.

  • Bina Technologies Raises $6.25M From Sierra

    Bina Technologies said it closed a $6.25 million Series B round in a deal led by Sierra Ventures. The big data genomics company plans to expand development, marketing, sales and support. It will raise additional investment from a strategic life sciences investor to close out the round in the coming months.

    PRESS RELEASE

    Bina Nets $6.25 Million Series B Financing Led by Sierra Ventures to More Than Double Headcount

    Plans to Raise Additional Funds From Strategic Life Sciences Investor in Coming Months

    Redwood City, CA (PRWEB) March 26, 2013 — Bina Technologies, the genomic big data science platform accelerating personalized medicine, today announced that it has closed a $6.25 million round of Series B financing led by Sierra Ventures. Founded in 2011 by experts in complex, large-scale genomics, big data and high-performance computing, Bina’s mission is to process and mine vast volumes of genomic information as the leading big data platform for the world’s healthcare industry.

    With this investment, Bina plans to aggressively expand their development, marketing, sales and support teams to manage the growing market demand for scalable genomic analysis solutions and the company’s product development initiatives this year. The company will be raising additional investment from a strategic life sciences investor to close out the round in the coming months.

    “We’re fortunate to have Sierra Ventures as our venture capital partner as well as the financial support of some of the most respected and successful private investors in big data technology,” said Narges Bani Asadi, founder and CEO of Bina. “We believe the intersection of genomic analysis and big data is creating disruptive new technologies for mining valuable medical information in the enormous streams of genomic data being generated today. Analyzing this kind of large-scale data has been too expensive or too technically difficult for researchers and clinicians until now. Our mission is to make large-scale genomic analysis more accurate, accessible and affordable for the entire medical community.”

    “Bina has critical elements that we look for in category-defining companies — a world-class founding team, great technology, and a disruptive and large market opportunity,” said Tim Guleri, managing director at Sierra Ventures. “In the immediate future, the $15 billion genomic research industry is ripe for solutions like Bina, which allow for powerful and scalable genomic analysis. Vertical-specific applications of big data, such as what Bina is doing in healthcare, is how the real value of big data will ultimately be realized and revolutionize the $100B healthcare market.”

    In addition to the funding, Bina is announcing a key partnership with Dr. Elizabeth Worthey at the Medical College of Wisconsin focusing on accelerating newborn whole genome sequencing and screening in the neonatal intensive care unit. Dr. Worthey works at the frontiers of whole genome sequencing, revolutionizing pediatric care by diagnosing genetic diseases in infants within the first 28 days of life.

    Using Bina to optimize her analysis pipeline, Dr. Worthey was able to significantly decrease the analysis time of identifying genetic disorders in newborns from 334 hours down to 39 hours, increasing the probability of identifying genetic disorders before symptoms arise and saving infant lives in the process.

    As part of this announcement, the Genetics Department of Stanford University led by Dr. Michael Snyder will be coming onboard as an official customer after a successful pilot program. Dr. Snyder is deploying Bina’s Genomic Analysis Platform to analyze several hundred whole human genomes, each in 4 hours or less, a task that previously took days to weeks to complete.

    “Bina is extremely well-positioned as the fast, accurate and scalable choice for genomic analysis that is keeping up with the rapid pace of innovation occurring in DNA sequencing today,” said Dr. Michael Snyder, Chair of the Genetics Department at Stanford. “Before we started using the Bina Genomic Analysis Platform whole human genome analysis typically took days if not weeks to complete. Bina allows us to blow away the data analysis bottleneck that had been holding us back, accelerating our research forward drastically.”

    About Bina Technologies

    Bina is the big data science platform accelerating personalized medicine for researchers and clinicians requiring fast, accurate and scalable genomic analysis. We develop cutting-edge big data technologies to dramatically reduce the amount of time and money required to process raw genetic data in order to generate insights for personalized medicine.

    Bina was started by a team of Stanford and Berkeley researchers and entrepreneurs, with the vision that whole genome sequencing (WGS) is just the beginning of a brighter future. Bina is accelerating personalized medicine, one genome at a time.

    We are a team of data scientists, bioinformaticians, software developers and high performance computing experts working in harmony in Redwood City, California. To learn more, visit: http://binatechnologies.com.

    About Sierra Ventures

    Since 1982, Sierra Ventures, a privately held venture capital firm, has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs around the world begin and grow successful technology companies. Sierra is investing out of its tenth fund and currently has more than $1.2 billion of capital under management, focusing on investments across all areas of the information technology sector from semiconductors to enterprise software. For more information please visit: http://www.sierraventures.com.

    The post Bina Technologies Raises $6.25M From Sierra appeared first on peHUB.

  • Why Twitter is doing the right thing by refusing to identify users who posted anti-Semitic comments

    Whether it’s being used as a communications tool for dissidents during the Arab Spring uprisings or a real-time newswire about events like the mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school, Twitter has become a crucial platform for speech of all kinds — and in many cases that speech is unpleasant and even offensive. That may be taken for granted in the United States, but it doesn’t go over well in other countries with different views about speech, and that is making things increasingly difficult for Twitter. For now at least — to its credit — it seems determined to remain the “free-speech wing of the free-speech party.”

    Last fall, a Twitter hashtag — #UnBonJuif, or A Good Jew — resulted in a number of anti-Semitic posts. Although Twitter removed the offending tweets after a complaint by the Union of Jewish French Students (UEJF), the group was not satisfied and sued to force the service to reveal the identities of those who posted the messages. A French court eventually agreed to this demand, since anti-Semitic comments and other “hate speech” are illegal in that country.

    So far, Twitter has not complied with the court order — it is appealing the judgement, arguing that since it is a U.S. company it only has to comply with such demands from U.S. courts and other authorities. Meanwhile, the UEJF said it plans to file a second lawsuit in criminal court, seeking damages of $50 million for Twitter’s failure to provide the data.

    A private company, but a platform for public speech

    Anonymous

    Twitter has revealed user data in several cases after being forced to do so by U.S. courts, including personal data related to several users who were supporters of WikiLeaks, such as Icelandic MP Birgitta Jonsdottir and hacker Jacob Appelbaum. Twitter also handed over tweets by two members of the Occupy Wall Street movement, after being forced to do so by a court order, although it fought against both of these decisions — and also made the request for the Occupy supporter’s data public even though it was asked not to do so.

    What makes these kinds of cases so difficult is that Twitter is a private corporation with a proprietary platform, and yet it is being used as a public communications vehicle around the world, and one whose free-speech aspects are becoming increasingly important. And while we may all agree that certain types of speech are offensive, the idea that governments or courts can force Twitter to reveal the identities of those users is troubling in the extreme.

    While Facebook and to some extent Google are also being used in this kind of context, Twitter is unique in the sense that it explicitly allows people to use pseudonyms. Facebook has a firm policy on the use of “real” or verified names, and while Google somewhat grudgingly allowed users to add pseudonyms to their Google+ accounts after what some called the “nym wars,” the service is still designed primarily for “real” names. Twitter is one of the only communications platforms of its size and reach that freely allows users to be known by pseudonyms.

    As sociologist Zeynep Tufekci and Jillian York of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (among others) have argued, anonymity or pseudonymity may allow for all kinds of offensive behavior — including the anti-Semitic comments in France and racist tweets posted by a number of users following the re-election of President Barack Obama — but protecting users’ identities is also a crucial factor that allows Twitter to be used as a communications tool by all kinds of disadvantaged groups, including political dissidents.

    The free-speech wing of the free-speech party

    twitter bird tweets logo drawing

    The pressure on Twitter to resist demands like the one from France stems in part from this, and also from repeated comments from the company’s chief legal counsel, Alex Macgillivray, and CEO Dick Costolo that they are committed to being the “free-speech wing of the free-speech party.” The company may get criticized by some (including us) for the way it has shut down parts of its ecosystem, but its commitment to the rights of users remains.

    The problem for Twitter is that as it becomes more global, it is running into country-specific demands like the one from France — or the one from Germany that led Twitter to block access to certain neo-Nazi tweets, since that kind of speech is also against the law. The risk here is that the network could easily fall victim to every government’s demands for user identities or censorship in even the most ridiculous cases, such as Turkey’s prohibition on comments that “insult Turkishness.”

    If Twitter backs down on the French order, what is to stop Syria from forcing it to reveal the identities of dissidents, or Iran from forcing it to reveal who is posting anti-Muslim comments — or Britain from forcing it to identify those who were involved in the London riots, or those who post about cases covered by the country’s bizarre “super-injunctions”? Almost every country seems to have certain things that it prohibits people from saying publicly and is willing to go to court over.

    But the bottom line is that freedom of speech — however offensive that speech might be — is a principle that needs all the help it can get, and Twitter deserves some credit for sticking to its guns, despite the obvious pressures it must be feeling.

    Post and thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr user Hoggarazi and Shutterstock / Rob Kints

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  • Google Glass will reportedly be manufactured at American Foxconn plant

    Google Glass Production
    Google’s (GOOG) highly anticipated wearable computing device will reportedly be manufactured in the United States. According to the Financial Times, the company has contracted Foxconn to assemble Google Glass at a facility in Santa Clara, California. Google previously manufactured its Nexus Q media streaming device in the U.S., although the product was later scrapped after negative feedback. Manufacturing locally will allow the company to closely monitor the production process and give its engineers the ability to provide any necessary last-minute fixes.

  • The Lyder side of Westwood

  • TED2013 speakers win Peabody Awards

    Peabody-Awards
    Congratulations to the winners of the 72nd annual Peabody Awards! All of you have created incredible work that adds so much to the landscape of radio, television and electronic media. But TED would like to raise our glasses to toast two winners in particular.

    At TED2013, multimedia producer Jacky Myint shared the storytelling process that went into creating  “Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek,” which combines traditional reportage with beautiful and eerie video. Now, The New York Times has been awarded a Peabody for the feature, with the organization applauding the unusual package for being, “A spectacular example of the potential of digital-age storytelling.”

    The day after Myint spoke at TED, Ben Affleck introduced the Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste, who’d flown all the way from the Congo to perform the composition “Luba.” Now 60 Minutes has been awarded a Peabody for their segment “Joy in the Congo,” about this incredible group that sounds “a note of hope for a war-ravaged nation.”

  • Google adds info cards to Play Movies app

    google-play

    Google loves their info cards they introduced with Google Now, and they love giving you access to more information in your media, like what we’ve seen in the Sound Search widget in Jelly Bean. Well, if you’re a big movie watcher, Google’s implemented a nice little surprise for you.

    Whenever you’re watching a movie and you’re curious about the actor on screen or the music playing in the movie at that moment, you can simply pause your video and a handful of info cards will pop up on screen to give you actor names, other movies the actors have been in, song names, etc. Tapping the actor’s face will even give you his (or her) full biography. Resuming the movie or show will cause the info cards to disappear until you pause again. Right now the info cards won’t show up on every single movie you watch, but Google says the list is quite large and they’re adding to it every day.

    Sound interested? Just update to the latest Play Movies and TV app and start playing around with it. This will give you a great excuse to catch up on all those movies you’ve been itching to see.

    source: Android Official Blog

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  • Nokia’s map app boss quits following worldwide collapse in the charts

    Nokia Maps App
    Last November, Nokia’s (NOK) HERE map app had a big debut by becoming a top 5 iPhone application in America on its launch day. The last three months have been cruel, however. Following mixed reviews from major tech sites, the HERE app plunged in the app charts across the world. Google (GOOG) Maps became a smash hit on iOS devices across the world. Today, Nokia’s biggest map app success is found in Mozambique, where it reigns at No. 526 in the iPhone download chart. Finns may still carry a torch for Nokia, but they aren’t dumb — HERE is just at No. 663 on the Finnish iPhone app market. The app is moving up the charts in Laos and Cape Verde, though it can’t quite break into top 600 in either market. It is in danger of dropping out of the top 1000 chart in Yemen and Albania.

    Continue reading…

  • Aquiline, Genstar Ink $412.5 Mln Buy of Genworth Wealth Management

    Genworth Financial has agreed to sell Genworth Wealth Management to Aquiline Capital Partners and Genstar Capital for $412.5 million. The deal, which is expected to close in the second half, includes Genworth Financial Wealth Management and Altegris. Credit Suisse is providing debt financing. Aquiline and Genstar were advised by Deutsche Bank.

    PRESS RELEASE

    Aquiline Capital Partners LLC (“Aquiline”), a New York-based private equity firm investing in the financial services sector, and Genstar Capital, LLC (“Genstar”), a middle market private equity firm based in San Francisco, today announced that they have agreed to acquire Genworth Wealth Management from Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW) (“Genworth”) for $412.5 million. The sale by Genworth includes both of Genworth Wealth Management’s businesses: Genworth Financial Wealth Management (“GFWM”), an investment management and consulting platform, and Altegris, a provider of premier alternative investments.
    Together, the two businesses make up a leading wealth management platform and an alternative investment solutions provider. GFWM primarily provides a growing universe of independent financial advisors with comprehensive support across every phase of their practice, helping them to meet clients’ wealth management and investment needs. Altegris offers a suite of liquid alternative mutual funds, a wide platform of hedge funds and separately managed accounts backed by a deep commitment to research. Altegris’ products provide an efficient solution for financial professionals and individuals seeking alternative investments.
    Aquiline and Genstar will bring their operational expertise and industry experience to help GFWM and Altegris increase their scale and capabilities. Specifically, Aquiline and Genstar will work with the respective senior management teams to enhance product development and technology offerings at GFWM, and expand distribution channels and launch new alternative products at Altegris. By strengthening the companies’ infrastructures and capital bases, Aquiline and Genstar will create the foundation for ongoing growth and greater market share.
    “Genworth Financial Wealth Management and Altegris are market-leading businesses with strong brands, experienced management teams and high growth potential,” said Jeff Greenberg, Chief Executive of Aquiline. “Both businesses provide strategic resources that differentiate them from their competitors in rapidly-growing industries. Together, they form an effective platform for investors. We look forward to working with Genstar to support these companies in their continued development.”
    “GFWM and Altegris are each well-positioned to meet the growing needs of independent financial advisors and increased demand from retail investors for access to alternative products,” added Tony Salewski, a Principal of Genstar. “Aquiline and Genstar will leverage our collective investment experience to help the management teams capitalize on these trends and grow their businesses.”
    Jean-Pierre L. Conte, Managing Director and Chairman of Genstar, commented: “This acquisition, in partnership with Aquiline, is a demonstration of our continued focus of investing in targeted, attractive segments within the financial services sector.”
    “We are pleased to welcome our new partners to our teams because they share our vision for continued growth and ongoing client focus. Aquiline and Genstar’s financial services expertise will support market innovation for advisors,” said Gurinder S. Ahluwalia, President and Chief Executive Officer of GFWM. “We look forward to working with them and leveraging their strategic, financial and operational support.”
    “As a specialist with deep roots in the alternative investment industry, we take great pride in our investment teams, whose proven, research-driven process helps us provide our clients with the best in alternatives,” said Jon Sundt, President and CEO of Altegris. “We appreciate that our new strategic partners, Aquiline and Genstar, recognize the strength of our operations, and we are excited to invest alongside them in Altegris as we build a stronger foundation for our future.”

    Aquiline and Genstar were advised by Deutsche Bank. A debt financing commitment has been provided by Credit Suisse in connection with the acquisition. The transaction, subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the second half of 2013.
    # # #
    About Aquiline Capital Partners LLC
    Aquiline is a private equity firm based in New York investing in financial services enterprises in industries such as asset management, property and casualty insurance, banking, securities, life insurance and financial technology. Aquiline seeks to add value to its portfolio companies through strategic, operational, and financial guidance.
    About Genstar Capital, LLC
    Genstar Capital is a leading private equity firm that has been actively investing in high quality companies for more than 20 years. Based in San Francisco, Genstar works in partnership with its management teams and its network of strategic advisors to transform its portfolio companies into industry-leading businesses. Genstar has more than $4 billion of committed capital under management and targets investments focused on selected sectors within the financial services, software, healthcare, and industrial technology industries.

    The post Aquiline, Genstar Ink $412.5 Mln Buy of Genworth Wealth Management appeared first on peHUB.

  • Amazon Announces Original Comedy Series ‘Betas’

    Amazon Studios announced that it has greenlit a new original comedy series called Betas for Amazon Prime Instant Video. The company describes the show:

    Set in the land of Silicon Valley start-ups where the right algorithm can make you king, Betas, written by Evan Endicott and Josh Stoddard, follows four computer geeks and their quest for nerd fame as they attempt to crack the ultimate code. Ed Begley Jr., Jon Daly, Joe Dinicol, Margo Harshman, Charlie Saxton and Karan Soni star in the pilot.

    The pilot is being directed and produced by Michael Lehmann (Heathers, True Blood, Dexter, American Horror Story) along with Alan Freedland and Alan Cohen (King of the Hill, Due Date, American Dad), and Michael London (Sideways, The Visitor, The Informant).

    “Amazon is giving us a chance to work outside the TV bureaucracies and connect directly with audiences hungry for original content, and Betas is the perfect match for that model,” said producer Michael London. “Betas is a half hour comedy about a group of tech-savvy millennials trying to connect with the world both personally and professionally. Speaking for the whole creative team on Betas, we couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of the first launch of Amazon Studios pilots and working with such an inspiring group of people.”

    “We can’t wait to hear what fans think of this and the seven other comedy pilots we’re producing — we have unbelievable casts and crews working on these projects,” said Roy Price Director of Amazon Studios.

    Earlier this week, Amazon announced the upcoming Zombieland TV series. Other comedies in the works at Amazon include: Alpha House, Browsers, Dark Minions, Onion News Empire, Supanatural, and Those Who Can’t.

    Image: Ed Begley Jr. in Arrested Development

  • Nintendo Improves Wii U System Load Times In April Update

    One of the major complaints of the Wii U is that the load times between menus takes far too long. This is most apparent when a player returns to the home menu. In its April firmware update, Nintendo is hoping to fix this.

    In a new video uploaded to its official YouTube channel, Nintendo shows off the effect its new firmware update has on system load times. Going from a game to the home menu takes about 22 seconds on the current firmware. With the new firmware, this time will be reduced to six seconds.

    The April update will be the first of two system firmware updates planned for this year that will hopefully improve the system load times. The video makes it seem that this update will focus on decreasing the time required to move from a game to the home menu. It’s unknown if the April update will decrease the time required to move between apps like Miiverse and the eShop.

  • Julia Pierson Is Sworn In As First-Ever Female Director of the US Secret Service

    President Obama watches as Vice President Joe Biden administers the oath of office to incoming U.S. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson, March 27, 2013.

    President Barack Obama watches as Vice President Joe Biden administers the oath of office to incoming U.S. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson during a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office, March 27, 2013.

    (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

    A highly respected veteran of the Secret Service was sworn in as head of that agency today in a ceremony in the Oval Office. President Obama watched as Vice President Joe Biden administered the oath to Julia Pierson, and praised her dedication, professionalism and commitment to her work:

    "I have to say that Julia’s reputation within the Service is extraordinary," President Obama said following the ceremony. "She’s come up through the ranks. She’s done just about every job there is to do at the Secret Service."

    "Obviously, she’s breaking the mold in terms of directors of the agency, and I think that people are all extraordinarily proud of her. And we have the greatest confidence in the wonderful task that lies ahead and very confident that she is going to do a great job. So we just want to say congratulations."

  • Serial Killer: Head Newly Linked to Joel Rifkin

    Many murders go unsolved, and many murderers are reluctant to reveal the extent of their crimes, even when they have no hope of being released from prison. This week, New York police have revealed that a severed head found in 1989 has been linked to one of New York’s most notorious serial killers.

    According to an Associated Press report, New York state police have revealed that a woman named Heidi Balch was likely serial killer Joel Rifkin’s first victim. The 25-year-old’s head was found on a New Jersey golf course in 1989. She, like most of Rifkin’s victims, was a New York City prostitute. Police cited physical evidence and statements by Rifkin in making their determination that Balch was murdered by Rifkin.

    Joel Rifkin is believed to have killed more than a dozen women from 1989 to 1993, most of them prostitutes. He was convicted of nine of the murders in 1994 and sentenced to 203 years to life in prison. He is currently serving his sentence in the Clinton Correctional Facility in Clinton County, New York.