Four arrested as Bangladesh building toll rises to 352

By Serajul Quadir and Ruma Paul

DHAKA (Reuters) - Two factory bosses and two engineers were detained in Bangladesh on Saturday, three days after the collapse of a building where low-cost garments were made for Western brands killed at least 352 people.

More were being pulled alive from the rubble at the building, where police said as many as 900 people were still missing in Bangladesh's worst ever industrial accident.

The owner of the eight-storey building that fell like a pack of cards around more than 3,000 mainly young women workers was still on the run.

Police said several of his relatives were detained to compel him to hand himself in, and an alert had gone out to airport and border authorities to prevent him from fleeing the country.

Officials said Rana Plaza, on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, had been built on spongy ground without the correct permits, and the workers were sent in on Wednesday despite warnings the previous day that it was structurally unsafe.

Anger at the negligence has sparked days of protests and clashes, with police on Saturday using tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to quell demonstrators who burned cars.

Two engineers involved in building the complex were picked up at their homes early on Saturday, Dhaka district police chief Habibur Rahman said. He said they were arrested for dismissing a warning not to open the building after a jolt was felt and cracks were noticed on some pillars the previous day.

The owner and managing director of the largest of the five factories in the complex, New Wave Style, surrendered to the country's garment industry association during the night and they were handed over to police. They will be kept in remand for an initial 12 days.

The factory, which listed many European and North American retailers as its customers, occupied upper floors of the building that officials said had been added illegally.

"PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR HIS HEAD"

"Everyone involved - including the designer, engineer, and builders - will be arrested for putting up this defective building," said junior internal affairs minister Shamsul Huq.

Anger over the working conditions of Bangladesh's 3.6 million garment workers - most of whom are women earning as little as $38 a month - has grown since the disaster.

Hundreds were on the streets again on Saturday, smashing and burning cars and sparking more battles with police, who responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and a water cannon. Eyewitnesses said dozens of people were injured in the clashes.

An alliance of leftist parties which is part of the ruling coalition said it would call a national strike on May 2 if all those responsible for the disaster were not arrested by Sunday.

Rahman identified the owner of the building as Mohammed Sohel Rana, a leader of the ruling Awami League's youth front.

"People are asking for his head, which is quite natural," said H.T. Imam, an adviser to the prime minister.

Wednesday's collapse was the third major industrial incident in five months in Bangladesh, the second-largest exporter of garments in the world. In November, a fire at the Tazreen Fashion factory nearby the latest disaster killed 112 people.

Such incidents have raised serious questions about worker safety and low wages, and could taint the reputation of the poor South Asian country, which relies on garments for 80 percent of its exports.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Saturday asked garment factory owners to produce building designs by July in a bid to improve safety.

Remarkably, rescuers armed with rod cutters and drills were still pulling people alive from the precarious mound of rubble - 29 in all since dawn on Saturday.

Marina Begum, 22, spoke from a hospital bed of her ordeal inside the broken building for three days.

"It felt like I was in hell," she told reporters. "It was so hot, I could hardly breathe, there was no food and water. When I regained my senses I found myself in this hospital bed."

Frantic efforts were under way to save 15 people trapped under the concrete who were being supplied with dried food, bottled water and oxygen.

Heavy machinery will not be used to remove the remaining bodies and debris until all the survivors are rescued, junior minister for local government Jahangir Kabir Nanak said.

About 2,500 people have been rescued from the remains of the building in the commercial suburb of Savar, about 30 km (20 miles) from Dhaka.

WRONG PERMIT, ILLEGAL FLOORS

Emdadul Islam, chief engineer of the state-run Capital Development Authority (CDA), said the owner of the building had not received the proper building consent, obtaining a permit for a five-storey building from the local municipality which did not have the authority to grant it.

"Only CDA can give such approval," he said. "We are trying to get the original design from the municipality, but since the concerned official is in hiding we cannot get it readily."

Furthermore, another three storeys had been added illegally, he said. "Savar is not an industrial zone, and for that reason no factory can be housed in Rana Plaza," Islam told Reuters.

Islam said the building had been erected on the site of a pond filled in with sand and earth, weakening the foundations.

Duty free access offered by Western countries and low wages helped turn Bangladesh's garment exports into a $19 billion a year industry. Sixty percent of the clothes go to Europe. The United States takes 23 percent and Canada takes 5 percent.

North American and European chains, including British retailer Primark and Canada's Loblaw, a unit of George Weston Ltd, said they were supplied by factories in the Rana Plaza building.

Loblaw, which had a small number of "Joe Fresh" apparel items made at one of the factories, said on Saturday that it was working with other retailers to provide aid and support.

It said it was sending representatives to Bangladesh and was also joining what it described as an urgent meeting with other retailers and the Retail Council of Canada.

(Writing by John Chalmers and Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Paul Tait and Jeremy Laurence)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/two-arrested-bangladesh-building-toll-rises-325-043614507.html

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How trees play role in smog production

Apr. 25, 2013 ? After years of scientific uncertainty and speculation, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill show exactly how trees help create one of society's predominant environmental and health concerns: air pollution.

It has long been known that trees produce and emit isoprene, an abundant molecule in the air known to protect leaves from oxygen damage and temperature fluctuations. However, in 2004, researchers, contrary to popular assumptions, revealed that isoprene was likely involved in the production of particulate matter, tiny particles that can get lodged in lungs, lead to lung cancer and asthma, and damage other tissues, not to mention the environment.

But exactly how was anybody's guess.

Jason Surratt, assistant professor of environmental sciences and engineering at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, now reveals one mechanism by which isoprene contributes to the production of these tiny, potentially health-damaging particles.

The study found that isoprene, once it is chemically altered via exposure to the sun, reacts with human-made nitrogen oxides to create particulate matter. Nitrogen oxides are pollutants created by cars, trucks, aircrafts, coal plants and other large scale sources.

"The work presents a dramatic new wrinkle in the arguments for reducing man-made pollutants worldwide," said Surratt, whose work was published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Isoprene evolved to protect trees and plants, but because of the presence of nitrogen oxides, it is involved in producing this negative effect on health and the environment."

"We certainly can't cut down all the trees," Surratt adds, "but we can work on reducing these man-made emissions to cut down the production of fine particulate matter."

With the precise mechanism now revealed, researchers can plug it into air quality models for better predicting episodes of air pollution and potential effects on earth's climate. The advance would allow researchers and environmental agencies to evaluate and make regulatory decisions that impact public health and climate change.

"We observe nature's quirks, but we must always consider that our actions do have repercussions," said Surratt. "It's the interaction between these natural and man-made emissions that produces this air pollution, smog and fine particulate matter -- and now we know one reason for how it happens."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Y.-H. Lin, H. Zhang, H. O. T. Pye, Z. Zhang, W. J. Marth, S. Park, M. Arashiro, T. Cui, S. H. Budisulistiorini, K. G. Sexton, W. Vizuete, Y. Xie, D. J. Luecken, I. R. Piletic, E. O. Edney, L. J. Bartolotti, A. Gold, J. D. Surratt. Epoxide as a precursor to secondary organic aerosol formation from isoprene photooxidation in the presence of nitrogen oxides. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013; 110 (17): 6718 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1221150110

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/nG-hIyb58dw/130425132812.htm

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Nokia hosting Lumia event on May 14th, invites us to 'see what's next'

The next couple months are gearing up to be pretty busy, and Nokia's joining the fun with a press event on May 14th. The Finnish company is putting out a rather hefty teaser to get us intrigued, stating that the Nokia Lumia story continues, and we'll get to "see what's next." The timing of this new device is rather curious, given the fact that the flagship Lumia phones typically get shown off later in the fall. Is this the rumored 41MP PureView Windows Phone we've been hoping for ever since the 808 came out? Perhaps we'll see the Lumia 928 that we hear is supposed to hit Verizon in May (though London would be an odd and unlikely locale for a US-only handset unveiling). Could it simply be a lower-end device along the lines of the 520 or 620? We doubt that as well, but either way, we'll be there to get the scoop as Mr. Elop (we'd expect) shows off the latest Windows Phone coming out of Espoo.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Nokia

Comments

Via: TechnoBuffalo

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/25/nokia-lumia-event-may-14/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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T-Mobile quickly gives in to WA Attorney General, agrees 'UNcarrier' is misleading to consumers

Device financing terms to be clarified going forward; some customers can leave without penalty

T-Mobile has been making some big steps towards what it calls an "UNcarrier" strategy, which clarifies device pricing, ends phone contracts and gives customers more choice in the wireless industry. In trying to reinvent its strategy, however, T-Mobile has apparently ruffled some feathers at the Washington State Attorney General's office. Attorney General Bob Ferguson claims that T-Mobile's new plan structure is deceptive, leaves unfulfilled promises, and has "duped" consumers.

Ferguson specifically takes issue with the way T-Mobile now finances devices -- with a small down payment and monthly installments -- claiming that although the carrier claims there is no commitment to the service, customers will have to stay for 24 months or "face an unanticipated balloon payment for the phone equipment". Specifically, the AG had this to say:

“My office identified that T-Mobile was failing to disclose a critical component of their new plan to consumers, and we acted quickly to stop this practice and protect consumers across the country from harm.”

Ferguson has filed a court order, which has been signed and agreed upon by T-Mobile, that will force the carrier to clarify its terms of service and stop what Ferguson calls "deceptive advertising". Under the terms of the order, T-Mobile has created a document called the "an Assurance of Discontinuance (AOD)", better laying out the terms of the new Simple Choice plans. Inside, the carrier agrees not to:

• Misrepresent consumers' obligations under its contracts, including those contracts that have not restrictions or limitations;  and
• Fail to adequately disclose that customers who terminate their T-Mobile wireless service before their device is paid off will have to pay the balance due on the phone at the time of cancelation.

As part of the settlement, anyone who purchased service from T-mobile from March 26 to April 25 will be given an opportunity to leave the service agreement, with no penalty, and receive a full refund for the device and service provided they cite the terms of the new AOD.

Source: TmoNews; WA Attorney General

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/jMG4ERw2j1c/story01.htm

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TokBox Brings WebRTC To The Cloud, Enables Multi-Party Video Chats & SIP Interop

Telefonica’s TokBox announced a huge upgrade to its OpenTok on WebRTC service today. TokBox’s new cloud-based Mantis media distribution framework is designed to overcome some of WebRTC’s limits with regard to video distribution. By default, WebRTC is a peer-to-peer platform, but that makes it hard to scale video chats beyond two participants. With Mantis, TokBox essentially puts its own cloud infrastructure in the middle of these calls and is then able to route and manage calls that include multiple participants without using a prohibitive amount of bandwidth and using a complicated mesh-based architecture. In the future, as TokBox CEO Ian Small told me earlier this week, this will also enable TokBox shape video streams according to the different users’ bandwidth conditions and the developers’ needs. “With Mantis, what we’re doing putting smarts into the WebRTC infrastructure,” Small said. “Today, we’re routing traffic. Tomorrow, we’ll shape traffic.” On cool feature Mantis already enables today is SIP interop, so developers will actually be able to write WebRTC-based apps that allow users to call in from their standard phone lines. This, for example, is useful for video conferencing services where you can now have a number of WebRTC-based video streams and a few participants on regular phone lines simultaneously. Currently, Small told me, the system scales well for chats with up to ten users. In a webinar setting where just one user is broadcasting, it can easily scale up to more than a hundred users. The company beta tested Mantis with the help of LiveNinja and Roll20. Current OpenTok developers won’t have to do anything to take advantage of the new system, given that TokBox already abstracts most of the WebRTC calls anyway. They will just have to create the topology they need for their apps (P2P, multi-party chat, etc.) and get started. It just “happens in the cloud automatically,” as Small noted, and now that it’s in the cloud, the company will be able to add many new features to its implementation in the near future. WebRTC, of course, is still in its early phases, something Small also acknowledged in our interview. In his view, we are not even in the early adopter phase right now. Instead, he believes, WebRTC is still in its experimentation and early mover phase. Once WebRTC arrives in the stable release channel of Firefox (it’s about to hit the developer channels soon and should be in the

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/wTQ9fSe290c/

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GigaWatch

Let's face it, any parental monitoring program that you could use to secretly track what your children are doing online could potentially be misused to snoop on your spouse, your boss, a business rival, or just about anyone. There's a bit less potential for abuse with GigaWatch, because you can only manage the monitored computer from another computer within the same local network. And, as the FAQ points out, spying on people without their knowledge is almost certainly illegal in your state.

At $44, GigaWatch is the least expensive tool of its sort that I've reviewed. Note, too, that this is a one-time fee, not a subscription. The company promises that "Over years we plan to implement new monitoring features into GigaWatch and you'll be able to receive all future updates free of charge." Getting free updates is especially good given the fact that this product needs a few tweaks.

Another similar product that sells for a one-time payment is Shield Genie, but at $149.95 it costs quite a bit more. If you want Spector Pro 2011, you'll pay $99.95 each year. The initial one-time purchase price for WebWatcher or PC Pandora 7.0 is higher than GigaWatch's price, and to get maximum performance from these two you'll pay for an ongoing subscription. GigaWatch is definitely a bargain compared with the competition.

Setting up GigaWatch
GigaWatch consists of a monitoring module and a separate administrative console. During installation you'll choose which of these to install. You can also install both on the same PC, in which case you'll want to choose stealth mode, so the administrative console doesn't give itself away. (The monitoring module is always in stealth mode.)

It's probably stealthier to install the administrative console on a different computer than the one being monitored. Note that both have to be within the same local network. After installing the administrative console, you simply probe the network to find PCs running the monitor. Yes, you can monitor multiple PCs, but you'll need a license for each.

Spector Pro also requires that the administrative console reside within the same network as the monitored computer. Shield Genie goes even further, requiring that you do all your configuration and management at the computer that's being watched. By contrast, WebWatcher lets you connect from anywhere at all; PC Pandora, too, if you pay $29.97 per month for the "Live" module.

During the installation process you'll create two passwords, one for access to the administrative console and one to let the administrative console access data on the monitored computer. Why two passwords? Well, picture a business using GigaWatch to track employees (with their knowledge, of course). Without that machine-specific password, someone else on your network could install another copy of the administrative console, probe the network with it, and hijack your monitoring sessions.

Communicating With the Monitor
From the main Configuration Manager window, you can enable or disable the nine monitoring modules. By default, all are enabled. You can also dig in and configure the settings for each monitor. When you've finished, clicking "Save & Send" both saves your changes and transmits them to the monitored computer. You can also save your changes and send later, if necessary.

Each time you open the administrative console, you must select which computer you want to view and click a button to sync in the latest data from that computer. Note that you still have to do this even if the administrative console is installed on the same computer.

Successful Stealth
In stealth mode, GigaWatch leaves no trace. There are no visible icons or menu items, and it doesn't show up in Task Manager or in the list of Startup programs. You activate the console by pressing a special key combination and entering your master password when prompted. Spector Pro, PC Pandora, and WebWatcher are likewise stealthy, and they go a bit further. On the chance that the child might accidentally hit on the special key combo, they use an anonymous, unlabeled dialog box to ask for the password. GigaWatch's name is plastered all over its popup password dialog; I'd be happier if it, too, used an anonymous login dialog.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/Iq2ilTFo6pE/0,2817,2418008,00.asp

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3M cuts 2013 outlook on falling electronics demand

By Ernest Scheyder

(Reuters) - Diversified U.S. manufacturer 3M Co cut its 2013 profit forecast on Thursday, citing weakening demand for electronics products as well as foreign currency fluctuations.

The lowered outlook came after first-quarter profit and revenue both missed Wall Street expectations.

3M, which makes a range of products from Post-It notes to films used in television screens, blamed falling sales in its consumer electronics segment.

Executives had expected weak demand for electronic insulation, computer touch screen materials as well as fluids used to make computer chips, but they said actual sales were worse than feared.

"We expected a challenging start to the year, but in fact market conditions were tougher than we had expected," Chief Executive Inge Thulin said on a conference call with investors.

While a 56 percent drop in pension payments boosted first-quarter margins, analysts were wary as margin strength wasn't more reliant on higher sales.

Additionally, the company changed its reporting segments on January 1, making it difficult for analysts to compare performance to prior years and track results, William Blair & Co analyst Nick Heymann said.

"This is a little more complex than normal," Heymann said.

3M now expects to earn $6.60 to $6.85 per share this year, a range mostly below the $6.82 average analyst estimate, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

3M previously had expected to earn $6.70 to $6.95 per share this year.

Also, the rising value of the U.S. dollar compared to other global currencies harmed results, executives said. Before, the company had not expected foreign currency changes to harm 2013 results, but now it was seen cutting revenue by 1.5 percent.

Its stock dropped 3.5 percent to $104.09 in mid-morning trading. It has gained about 16 percent this year, outpacing the Dow Jones industrial average's roughly 12 percent rise.

REVENUE RISES

St. Paul, Minnesota-based 3M posted first-quarter profit of $1.13 billion, or $1.61 per share, compared with $1.13 billion, or $1.59 per share, in the year-earlier period.

Profit per share missed analysts' estimates of $1.65. The number of outstanding shares fell, boosting the most recent earnings per share.

Revenue rose 2 percent to $7.63 billion, missing the $7.81 billion estimate from analysts.

Thulin, who took the top job last year, began a restructuring in January. He merged 3M's security and traffic-safety units, eliminating about 300 jobs, and identified other units that 3M would need to fix, sell or close.

Thulin has said 3M needs to prune its broad portfolio of products, and likely to focus on fewer but larger takeovers.

(Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Maureen Bavdek and Jeffrey Benkoe)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/3m-quarterly-profit-slightly-2013-outlook-cut-115703087--sector.html

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