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Thursday, 1 January 2015

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One Million Jobs loss due to Ban of Mining

One Million Jobs loss due to Ban of Mining.



Bengaluru: Ban on mining  and exporting of iron ore has led to jobs loss for a million people in the two mineral-rich states of Goa and Karnataka, a joint study by an industry chamber and a private bank said on Thursday.
"Export ban after the 2008 global meltdown resulted in drastic fall in mineral production, as export of iron ore from Goa and Karnataka plunged to 14 million tonnes last fiscal (2013-14) from 117 million tonnes in 2009-10," said the study conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (Assocham) and Yes Bank.
The study titled, "Mining: Building a sustainable development framework for inclusive growth", noted the Indian mining sector was saddled with logistic inefficiencies, economic, bureaucratic, environmental and a host of capacity issues due to lack of coordination between various agencies.
"Illegal mining, regulatory issues, policy gridlocks, inadequate supporting infrastructure and legal cases are stalling the sector`s growth and affecting a million people directly and indirectly," said Assocham secretary general D.S. Rawat in the study.
Noting that lack of central planning was leading to procurement delays, he called for efficient rail and road transportation for quicker movement of iron ore for consumption by steel producers.
Calling for radical policy initiatives such as single-window clearance for greenfield and brownfield projects to enable greater participation by private sector, Rawat said boosting production, improving financing across the value chain and promoting sustainable practices would ensure responsible mining in compliance with law.
"Rapid urbanisation and growth in the manufacturing sector will fuel up to 9-11 per cent annual increase in demand for metals and minerals," the study said.
As the mining industry, comprising small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is involved in surveying, exploration and other mining activities, the stakeholders have to tap innovative funding sources, as the recent judicial and regulatory developments in the sector have dried up new funding from banks.
"Limited geological and exploration expenditure, weak law enforcement, lack of coordinated approach in decision-making, human resource and technological gaps and insufficient investments are challenges daunting the sector," Rawat noted.
The study has suggested a time-bound plan to monitor mining activities, introduction of a single-window system to centralise functions of all ministries/agencies to expedite approval processes and offer information to boost investor confidence in the sector.

Tuesday, 30 December 2014

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E-lerter App sends emergency alerts to your smartphone

E-lerter App sends emergency alerts to your smartphone



An app, known as E-lerter, scans the internet for notices and emergency alerts like weather warnings and sends notifications directly to your smartphone.


According to its developer Jamie Brandt from the Alberta-based firm Stony Plain, the notification banner will not vanish until it has been acknowledged.

"That means you will not miss any important warnings," he added.

The app users can also specify which area to scan for emergency alerts so that they would only receive local-specific news. According to Brandt, E-lerter makes sense as people have become more reliant on their mobile devices.
Mobile app 'Ziman' launched for women and children safety

With an aim of preventing rising crimes against women and children in the country, a new mobile application called 'Ziman', a 24x7 virtual protector, was launched by an IT company.

"With incidents of crime rising day by day, Zicom Electronic Security Systems Ltd, has created a unique mobile application to provide 24x7 response services to the victim in danger, besides informing their family members," Pramoud Rao, Managing Director of the company said.
  
In a press release, the company claimed that during an emergency, one can activate 'Ziman' in five seconds by just pressing the power button on smartphone five times when the person is in any danger which will send out alerts to your emergency contacts requesting for help.

Even after an incident has occurred, Ziman helps by providing an emergency map that provides a list of emergency services located in the vicinity of the incident.
  
After the launch of this fingertip solution to prevent crimes, Zicom organized a panel discussion moderated by Viveck Shettyy, All India Head of Media Cell for CGSI and MD, Indus Communications, it said.
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Gmail Blocked in China

Gmail Blocked in China; New Microsoft Browser; Stealing Fingerprints



Topping tech headlines on Monday were reports that Gmail is blocked in China.
Activity on Google's free email service dropped off significantly in the region over the weekend; a Google spokesperson said that nothing was wrong on their end. The shutdown was first reported by GreatFire.org, an organization that monitors online censorship in China, and it appears the blockade has also extended to Google Search. On Tuesday, however, the FT reported that Gmail access appeared to be returning in China.
In other news, Microsoft is reportedly working on a brand new browser for Windows 10 with an experience similar to Mozilla's Firefox and Google's Chrome. Forget Internet Explorer 12; this will be something entirely new, according to ZDNet, which first reported the news. Expect more details at Redmond's Jan. 21 press event.
Meanwhile, the Chaos Computer Club presented at the Chaos Communication Congress (31C3) this weekend, during which Jan Krissler (known online as Starbug) outlined how he reproduced the fingerprint of Ursula von der Leyen, Germany's Federal Minister of Defense. Basically, Krissler photographed the minister during a public presentation, and was able to get high-quality snaps of her fingers as she gesticulated during her talk.