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Monday, August 22, 2011

Name change for Libyan square on Google Maps (AP) : Technet

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Name change for Libyan square on Google Maps (AP) : Technet

Name change for Libyan square on Google Maps (AP)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 02:56 PM PDT

– Mon Aug 22, 5:56 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO – Google Inc.'s online mapping service has changed the name of a Libyan location to what it was called before Moammar Gadhafi rose to power four decades ago.

The change came late Sunday, just hours after rebel forces pushed into Tripoli with little resistance.

"Green Square" is now "Martyrs' Square" on the online map for Tripoli, reflecting what rebels are now calling it.

The change was made quickly because Google now allows users to update its maps. A user did just that on Sunday night. Google approved it, making it visible to the public, shortly thereafter.

Although the square's name has been re-labeled on the map, users can find it by searching either name.

Google uses a broad range of sources to keep its maps up to date. This includes public and commercial data providers as well as user contributions.

___

Online:

http://bit.ly/nq15lj

Skype buying group message system GroupMe (AP)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 09:50 AM PDT

– Mon Aug 22, 12:50 pm ET

NEW YORK – Skype is expanding even before it gets absorbed by Microsoft Corp.

The online communications service said Monday that it plans to buy GroupMe, which provides group text messaging.

Skype lets users make calls, conduct video chats and send instant messages over the Web. Its basic services are free, while users pay for services such as calling regular phones from a computer.

The acquisition brings Skype into the quickly growing field of mobile group messaging, which has been rolled out on a variety of smartphone apps including one recently launched by Facebook. Skype already offers a number of group communication options, including Web-based conference calls and group video chats.

New York-based GroupMe was founded last year at a gathering called the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon. In addition to group texts, it offers conference calls, photo sharing and location sharing. Its services are free, though users have to pay for text messages they get or send.

Skype, a privately held company, did not say how much it will pay for GroupMe. Skype is based in Luxembourg and was founded in 2003.

Skype is itself being bought by Microsoft for $8.5 billion. The deal was announced in May and the companies hope to close by the end of this year.

$103M to expand broadband Internet in rural US (AP)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 12:30 PM PDT

By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM, AP Business Writer Michael Felberbaum, Ap Business Writer – Mon Aug 22, 3:30 pm ET

RICHMOND, Va. – Telecommunications companies in 16 states will share more than $103 million in federal funding to help expand broadband Internet access to those areas of rural America that haven't been reached by the high-speed service or are underserved, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday.

Policymakers, public interest groups and telecom companies are seeking to bridge the digital divide by reaching even the most remote pockets of the U.S. with broadband internet, hoping to improve economic and educational opportunities there.

"There's a big gap that remains between rural and urban areas because it's just hard to make a business case in rural areas," said Jonathan Adelstein, the agriculture department's rural utilities service administrator, in a conference call with reporters. "Rural areas' future depends upon access to broadband and we're not where we need to be today."

The states that will benefit from the funding are: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

As many as one in 10 Americans can't get Internet connections fast enough to engage in such common online activities as watching video or teleconferencing, and two thirds of schools have broadband connections that are too slow to meet their needs, the Commerce Department reported earlier this year.

Last year, the Federal Communications Commission released a national broadband plan that set a goal of hooking up 100 million U.S. households to broadband connections of 100 megabits per second by 2020. That's at least 20 times faster than many existing home connections.

About 28 percent of rural America, or nearly 19 million people, lack access to Internet with speeds of three megabits per second or faster, compared with only 3 percent, or 7.2 million people, in non-rural areas, according to an FCC report titled "Bringing Broadband to Rural America."

Adelstein said rural areas lag behind the urban areas of the country when it comes to broadband Internet access because the more remote areas don't have enough people, have rugged terrain, or it's too costly for companies to serve them.

One of the grants announced Monday will help provide Internet services to about 570 members of the Karuk Native American Tribe in a mountainous region of Orleans, in northern California.

"It is a remarkably remote place. It's one of the darkest places from space in the lower 48" states, said Craig Tucker, a spokesman for the tribe.

Tucker said lack of reliable Internet services is a "limiting factor for economic development" for the tribe and the non-Native community that lives in the area as well.

"There's not really good cell phone service, or Internet service. Even electricity is a struggle/ A lot of people are off the grid entirely," he said.

Another grant will help rebuild the broadband infrastructure in Tushka, Okla., which was hit by a tornado in April that killed two people and destroyed or damaged numerous buildings in the community.

Adlestein said there's still a "long way to go" in terms of bringing rural America in line with the rest of the country, and he added that one of the challenges is that young people won't stay in communities without broadband Internet access.

"There's not a future there for them," he said. "Not only do they expect it, but they need it ... if young people want to stay rural areas where they grew up."

The majority of the funding comes in the form of infrastructure loans of totaling about $90 million for five broadband projects. These projects join others across the countries that are sharing $192 million in loans announced by the Agriculture Department in late July.

About $13 million of the funding is through the USDA's Community Connect program, which provides grants to rural, economically challenged communities. The funds can be used to build, buy or lease facilities to bring broadband access to community facilities such as schools and government offices, as well as residents and businesses.

The USDA funding is just one of several federal, state and local programs working to expand Internet access to rural parts of the country.

___

Michael Felberbaum can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/MLFelberbaum.

Man uses a bird house to trick speeders into slowing down (Yahoo! News)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 06:05 PM PDT

Teen racing champion Zach Veach tells you to put down your phone (Yahoo! News)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 05:09 PM PDT

Skype to Buy GroupMe Group Messaging Service (Mashable)

Posted: 21 Aug 2011 01:48 PM PDT

Charlie White Charlie White – Sun Aug 21, 4:48 pm ET

The group messaging battle just heated up with the announcement Sunday that Skype has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire GroupMe, a group messaging service that will enhance Skype's ability to facilitate text and photo messaging. With this acquisition, Skype said in a press release that GroupMe will provide "best-in-class text-based communications and innovative features that enable users to connect, share locations and photos and make plans with their closest ties."

[More from Mashable: Skype App Lets You Pay for Wi-Fi by The Minute at 1 Million Hotspots]

Given the hyper-competitive backdrop of this booming group messaging field, it's no surprise that Skype's CEO Tony Bates told The Wall Street Journal about how important he thinks the mobile group messaging space is to his company. That's evidenced by the multiple deals in that space taking in the past year, including Google's purchase of group messaging company Slide in August of last year, Facebook's rollout of its Group Chat capabilities after it acquired group messaging app Beluga in March of this year, and Apple's June announcement of iMessage in iOS 5 that's also capable of group messaging.

Even though Skype agreed in May to sell itself to Microsoft for $8.5 billion, that transaction has not been completed yet. Skype's CEO didn't specify the terms of the agreement between Skype and GroupMe, which is expected to close on Monday.

[More from Mashable: Skype Enables Video Calls on 17 More Android Devices]

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Redemption clock for eHarmony is ticking (Reuters)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 03:42 PM PDT

By Alistair Barr Alistair Barr – Mon Aug 22, 6:42 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Two of eHarmony Inc's main backers stand to gain extra leverage over the online-dating company in early November when redemption rights from its last financing round kick in -- an unusual development in the venture capital business.

The rights come into play after November 5 for Technology Crossover Ventures and Sequoia Capital, which invested when eHarmony raised $110 million in 2004.

The firms will have the right to require eHarmony to buy back their preferred shares in four quarterly installments, according to eHarmony's certificate of incorporation.

The company would have to pay $8.0158 for each preferred share being redeemed, matching the price of the original $110 million investment, or a "fair market value" agreed by eHarmony's board of directors and holders of most of the stock being bought back -- whichever is greater.

If the two sides can't agree, they have to appoint an independent appraiser to establish a value for the securities in 20 days, the certificate says.

"It's very rare that these redemption rights are actually exercised," said Curtis Mo, a Silicon Valley partner at law firm DLA Piper. "More often, if a company or management isn't performing, investors can use looming redemption rights as leverage to force some action like a sale of the company."

Redemption rights were included in fewer than one-fifth of venture capital financings in the second quarter of 2011, according to law firm Fenwick & West. What's more, it's unusual that they kick in.

Redemption rights are more common in late-stage financings, where venture capital firms like TCV offer some liquidity for company founders, according to Louis Lehot, a partner at law firm Sheppard Mullin.

"I can't recall a circumstance where they came into play -- in other words where the securities were redeemed," Lehot added. "They often cause some sort of non-public settlement ahead of time, like the company agrees to do an IPO or agrees to be sold."

However, a secondary market for stakes in private companies has emerged in recent years, giving founders and employees a new way of selling their stock. That's reduced pressure on management to work toward an IPO or sale.

"Company founders are no longer feeling the pressure to exit -- nowhere near as much as their venture capital backers," Lehot told Reuters. "There have been a number of liquidity transactions in the last couple of years. VC firms are very frustrated."

Mo and Lehot weren't talking specifically about eHarmony.

However, eHarmony shares have been posted for sale on a secondary market run by SharesPost at least three times since the middle of 2009. One completed secondary transaction in eHarmony shares from April 2009 is also listed on SharesPost.

EHarmony has been considered an IPO candidate for several years, although speculation about such an exit has died down a little recently, according to Anupam Palit, a senior equity analyst at GreenCrest Capital Management, which researches private, venture-backed companies.

"We view the company as a potential takeout candidate," Palit wrote in an April report that valued eHarmony at about $800 million.

EHarmony declined to comment, as did TCV and Sequoia.

EHarmony has less than $200 million on its balance sheet, so it probably wouldn't be able to meet redemptions without borrowing some money, Palit said in an interview with Reuters on Monday.

"I don't think that this means they would IPO because of this redemption issue," Palit added. "They would have to file very soon to go public in November."

Earlier this month, eHarmony hired Zynga executive Jeremy Verba as chief executive. Verba left Zynga soon after the social-gaming company filed for its own IPO.

"The new CEO needs to establish himself and build a reputation with investors before an IPO," Palit said. "However, he has some experience helping to prepare a company for a public offering."

(Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

S&P upgrades Google stock days after "sell" view (Reuters)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 12:52 PM PDT

By Alexei Oreskovic Alexei Oreskovic – Mon Aug 22, 3:52 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Recommendations to unload Google Inc stock are extremely rare on Wall Street. But the latest "sell" rating for the Internet company was so fleeting it existed for just three trading days.

Standard & Poor's upgraded Google's stock on Monday, giving it a "hold" rating, reversing its much-debated downgrade the prior week.

S&P had slapped Google with a Sell rating -- the only such bearish call on the Internet giant's stock among almost 40 analysts tracked by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S -- after a surprise August 15 announcement that it will buy Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc for $12.5 billion.

As with other investors and industry commentators, S&P voiced concern about Google's plans to enter the smartphone manufacturing business, which could weigh on its financials and create conflicts with the other handset vendors who also license Google's Android software.

Shares of Google have fallen more than 10 percent from their closing price before the deal was announced, trading just a whisker below $500 in the afternoon, compared to the Dow Jones Industrial Average's roughly 3 percent drop during the period.

But while several analysts adjusted targets on Google's stock price following news of the deal, no other firm appears to have downgraded Google's stock, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Scott Kessler, the head of technology sector equity research at S&P, said the sell-off in Google's stock following the Motorola news had brought its share price down to the $500 target that he set for Google when he downgraded the stock.

"It's very hard for us to say sell this stock when it's trading below its target price," Kessler told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

The fact that the back-to-back Google downgrade and upgrade came from S&P Equity, whose parent's unprecedented downgrade of United States sovereign debt this month roiled global markets and prompted discussion, made the move all the more striking.

Kessler acknowledged it was unusual to see a stock's recommendation change so quickly. But he said the move was consistent with S&P's approach to equity research.

"If we made a change to our fundamental commentary or the target price, that would understandably be a little curious," he said.

Google, the world's No.1 Web search engine, has 14 "strong buy" ratings, 20 "buy" ratings and 5 "hold" ratings, according to Thomson Reuters data. Google has no other "underperform" or "sell" ratings according to Thomson One (S&P's research is not included in Thomson One).

Although S&P raised its recommendation on Google's stock a notch, Kessler said the firm's views of Google have not changed much.

"We still have a lot of questions and concerns about this proposed acquisition and the impact it's going to have," he said.

(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

Malware targeting Android devices jumped in Q2: McAfee (Reuters)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 09:38 PM PDT

– 14 mins ago

(Reuters) – U.S. computer security software maker McAfee said the number of malware targeted at Android devices jumped 76 percent since last quarter, making Android the most attacked mobile operating system.

"This year we have seen record breaking numbers of malware, especially on mobile devices, where the uptick is in direct correlation to popularity," Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of McAfee Labs, said in a statement.

In the second quarter of 2011, Google's Android operating system-based malware surpassed Nokia's Symbian as the most popular target for mobile malware developers, McAfee, a unit of Intel Corp, said in a report.

"The rapid rise in Android malware in Q2 indicates that the platform could become an increasing target for cybercriminals," McAfee said.

(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by Vinu Pilakkott)

Study shows the iPhone 3GS is the 2nd most popular phone on the market (Digital Trends)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 04:29 PM PDT

Mike Dunn Mike Dunn – Mon Aug 22, 7:29 pm ET

iphone 3GS vs iPhone 4Even though Android is the most popular Smartphone platform the iPhone 4 is the best-selling phone. A recent study shows that the second best-selling phone on the market is the over two year old iPhone 3GS, which is quite a shock. This news comes out even before we can see how effective Best Buy's one day only iPhone 3GS sale going for the low price of nothing. As amazing as it is that the iPhone 4 is still the best selling phone on the market after over a year the fact that the iPhone 3GS is outselling all the new top of the line Android phones takes the cake.

The iPhone 3GS has been the cheaper more accessible older sibling to the iPhone 4, which is why it continues to sell so well. The normal, on contract, price of a 3GS is $49 for the base model, and a refurbished model can be had for $9 which is a steal. The cheapest iPhone 4 on both AT&T and Verizon goes for $200.

The iPhone 4 made several improvements from the 3GS model. Most notably would have to be the exterior styling, the 3GS looks identical to the iPhone 3G which is now over three years old. Besides physical appearance there is a large boost in performance as well as the inclusion of apple's retina display. Even with these changes the iPhone 3GS is not missing too much, and is still a great phone. Most importantly the vast majority of the available apps still run on the iPhone 3GS even if they might take a little longer to loud.

The timing of today's Best Buy sale might be too little too late. With all rumors pointing to an October launch of the next-generation iPhone this might be the iPhone 3GS' swan song.

 

Photographer Refuses to Take Portraits of Facebook Bullies (Time.com)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 07:20 PM PDT

Rumor: HTC's September 1st Press event to only feature WP7 Devices (Digital Trends)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 06:14 PM PDT

Mike Dunn Mike Dunn – Mon Aug 22, 9:14 pm ET

Sprint HTC Arrive WP7Seeing as HTC is one of the most popular Android phone makers it made sense to assume that during its September 1 press conference that they would announce something Android related. There is a report stating that the event will focus solely Windows Phone 7 devices.

Rumor has it that HTC will announce several WP7 devices at the press event. One of the devices will be called the Eternity which will have a 3.7inch screen and be available through AT&T. The second device named is the Omega which will feature a gigantic 4.5inch screen and will be offered through T-Mobile. There was no word on any other WP7 devices that will be shown off at the event.

There have been several rumors floating around linking HTC to future Android devices, so it is a bit of a surprise that the event will focus solely on WP7. The HTC tablet named Puccini has made its way through the rumor mill a number of times. From what we know about the tablet it will be available on AT&T's LTE network and should come to the market sometime this year.

We also know practically everything about the HTC Bliss except a release date. The Bliss is HTC's attempt at making an Android phone that is tailored to ladies' needs and wants. Some of the notable additions to the Bliss include a soothing green color, and a light up charm.

Another possible wild card for the September 1 press event would be the introduction to the first HTC phone to include Beats audio. Even though the purchase of Beats took place recently it was said that the companies had been working on a phone since the beginning of the year.

It is exciting to hear that WP7 will get the spotlight, and hopefully we will see a wide range of devices on several networks.

 

Five off-putting iPhone apps for potential mates (Appolicious)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 03:00 PM PDT

Transit police arrest San Francisco protesters (AP)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 09:24 PM PDT

By PAUL ELIAS, Associated Press Paul Elias, Associated Press – 28 mins ago

SAN FRANCISCO – Police have arrested roughly three dozen protesters and have reopened two downtown San Francisco subway stations that were closed during the evening commute.

About 100 demonstrators on Monday were protesting the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency's decision to cut wireless service in its San Francisco stations earlier this month to quell another demonstration. BART's action touched off a worldwide debate over free speech and prompted retaliation by hackers.

BART police arrested four protesters shortly after 5:30 p.m. at the Civic Center station for protesting on the subway platform. BART police said other arrests were made as the protesters roamed up and down San Francisco's Market Street as night fell, prompting the opening and shutting of stations.

As of 9 p.m., the protest had wound down and all stations had re-opened.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Transit police arrested at least eight protesters, closed two subway stations and tailed dozens of demonstrators as they chaotically roamed downtown San Francisco Monday.

The protest started shortly after 5 p.m. at the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency's Civic Center station with about 50 demonstrators protesting the system's decision to cut wireless service in its San Francisco stations earlier this month to quell another protest.

By 8 p.m., the crowd had grown to more than 100 and was roaming up and down San Francisco's Market Street, which runs above BART's stations. BART kept two stations closed throughout the night and San Francisco police reported demonstrators throwing firecrackers, overturning garbage cans and attempting to start a fire.

SFPD also requested that an upscale mall on Market Street close its doors as protesters passed.

The demonstration was the second in seven days in protest of BART's cutting wireless service on Aug. 11 in a successful bid to disrupt a protest that day over transit police shooting and killing a transient on July 3.

The social activist group Anonymous organized the last two demonstrations.

The protest Aug. 15 was larger and prompted the brief closure of four downtown stations as more than 300 protesters marched through downtown San Francisco.

Monday's protest lasted longer as protesters kept San Francisco and BART police busy keeping them from blocking traffic and approaching subway stations. Small groups splintered from the main marchers, making it difficult for police to monitor them all.

"I don't care about the cellphone stuff," said Tony Wallace, a homeless man standing in front of the payday loans store watching the protesters after BART police closed the station below and forced everybody onto the streets. "I do care about them shooting people. They are out of control, for sure."

Despite the smaller turnout, transit police showed less tolerance and patience than the previous demonstration.

"This has been an ongoing process," BART Deputy Chief Daniel O. Hartwig said of the decision to make arrest protesters on the subway platform for the first time.

Hartwig said the four will be charged with trespassing on rail transit property. BART prohibits demonstrations on its platforms, citing safety concerns.

San Francisco police arrested four more during the march above ground.

The social activist group Anonymous called for the protests Monday and last week in response to BART shutting wireless service at four of its stations Aug. 11.

The transit agency cut wireless service that day after learning organizers of a protest of the transient's shooting death were planning on issuing last-minute instructions through social networks and text messaging designed to disrupt the rush-hour commute.

The Aug. 11 protest failed to materialize after the BART tactic was implemented, and the commute went smoothly. But the transit agency drew worldwide criticism and is now at the center of a heated debate over free speech, social networks and public safety.

"I don't even own a cellphone, but what BART did was wrong," said David Kubrin, 72, of San Francisco. "We are seeing elements of a police state more and more every day."

The nine-member BART board of directors has scheduled a special meeting Wednesday to discuss the policy. BART police kept the wireless service on during the last two protests.

Letterman back at work after website death threat (AP)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 09:05 PM PDT

– 47 mins ago

NEW YORK – Even a fatwa is grist for comedy when you're David Letterman.

Back from two weeks' vacation and making his first TV appearance since a threat against his life was posted on a jihadist website, the "Late Show" host played it all for laughs during Monday's monologue.

Letterman began by thanking his studio audience for being there.

"Tonight," he said, "you people are more, to me, honestly, than an audience — you're more like a human shield."

Then he apologized for having been tardy coming out onstage.

"Backstage, I was talking to the guy from CBS," he explained. "We were going through the CBS life insurance policy to see if I was covered for jihad."

Until Letterman delivered his jokes, his situation seemed no laughing matter.

Last week, a frequent contributor to a jihadist website posted the threat against Letterman. He urged Muslim followers to "cut the tongue" of the late-night host because of a joke and gesture the comic had made about al-Qaida leaders on a show that aired in June.

"A guy, a radical extremist threatened to cut my tongue out," Letterman marveled during Monday's monologue. Then, referring to his disastrous turn hosting the Oscars in 1995, he added: "I wish I had a nickel for every time a guy has threatened (that). I think the first time was during the Academy Awards."

"And so now," he continued, "State Department authorities are looking into this." But they could save themselves some trouble, he suggested: "Everybody knows it's (Jay) Leno."

Along with his monologue, Letterman mined the situation for his Top Ten List: "Top Ten Thoughts That Went Through My Mind After Hearing about the Threat."

Among them:

• "Why is the staff in such a good mood?"

• "How can someone be so angry at a time when Kim Kardashian is so happy?"

• "Some people get Emmy nominations; some people get death threats."

One joke that may have helped spark the fatwa was one of several lampooning al-Qaida in Letterman's June 8 monologue. This was just days after the death of al-Qaida leader Ilyas Kashmiri, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan. Though Kashmiri was rumored to be a long-shot choice to succeed Osama bin Laden, he wouldn't have worked out even had he lived, Letterman cracked, pointing to Kashmiri's "rocky start" as a front-runner: "He botched up the story of Paul Revere."

The real butt of that joke: Sarah Palin, potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate, who in early June on her "One Nation" bus tour had claimed that Paul Revere's famous ride was intended to warn British soldiers as well as his fellow colonists.

The website contributor, who identified himself as Umar al-Basrawi, railed in his post that Letterman had referred to both bin Laden and Kashmiri and said that Letterman, in discussing Kashmiri's death, had "put his hand on his neck and demonstrated the way of slaughter."

"Is there not among you a Sayyid Nosair al-Mairi ... to cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever?" Al-Basrawi wrote, referring to El Sayyid Nosair, who was convicted of the 1990 killing of Jewish Defense League founder Meir Kahane. Letterman is not Jewish.

Al-Basrawi, considered likely to be an alias, has made some 1,200 postings to the Muslim website, according to Adam Raisman, an analyst for the Site Monitoring Service. The private firm, part of the Site Intelligence Group, provides information to government and commercial clients on what jihadists are saying on the Internet and in traditional media. Raisman said the online forum is often used by al-Qaida.

The FBI said last week that it was looking into the threat.

While Letterman and his writers were polishing their jokes Monday afternoon, outside on Broadway, a bomb-sniffing dog was led around the periphery of the Ed Sullivan Theater in midtown Manhattan. Meanwhile, ticketholders queuing up along the sidewalk seemed relaxed about attending Letterman's first taping since the assassination threat. Some were even unaware that his life had been threatened.

"I'm not worried. They've got metal detectors," said Kendall Phillips, a 25-year-old from Houston, noting a standard provision in the TV world for screening audience members. "Plus, it's like really hard to get tickets."

___

AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle contributed to this report.

___

Online:

http://www.cbs.com

Play “guess the celeb” in a group environment with VH1 Celebrity Party (Appolicious)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 11:35 AM PDT

Google acquisition of Motorola could boost its market share, says NPD (Appolicious)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 11:12 AM PDT

AP ENTERPRISE: Sand for sale; environment ravaged (AP)

Posted: 22 Aug 2011 03:40 AM PDT

By DENIS D. GRAY, Associated Press Denis D. Gray, Associated Press – Mon Aug 22, 6:40 am ET

KOH KONG, Cambodia – Round a bend in Cambodia's Tatai River and the virtual silence of a tropical idyll turns suddenly into an industrial nightmare.

Lush jungle hills give way to a flotilla of dredgers operating 24 hours a day, scooping up sand and piling it onto ocean-bound barges. The churned-up waters and fuel discharges, villagers say, have decimated the fish so vital to their livelihoods. Riverbanks are beginning to collapse, and the din and pollution are killing a promising ecotourism industry.

What is bad news for the poor, remote Tatai community is great tidings for Singapore, the wealthy city-state that is expanding its territory by reclaiming land from the sea. Sand from nearby countries is the prime landfill and also essential building material for Singapore's spectacular skyline.

As more countries ban its export to curb environmental damage — entire Indonesian islands have been all but wiped off the map — suppliers to Singapore scour the region for what still can be obtained, legally or not. Cambodia, a poor country where corruption is rife and laws are often flouted, is now the No. 1 source.

Singapore is by no means the only nation taking part in what is a global harvest of sand from beaches, rivers and seabeds. Officials and environmentalists from China to Morocco have voiced concern and urged curbs. As construction booms in emerging economies and more sources dry up, however, exploitation of the remaining ones is likely to intensify.

Sand mining began anew in May on southwestern Tatai River, which empties into the ocean almost directly north of Singapore, across 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) of open water.

Despite denials by the main owner of sand mining rights in Koh Kong province, two Cambodian officials told The Associated Press that the sand is destined for the island nation.

Singapore will not say where its sand comes from; the Construction and Building Authority said it is not public information. The National Development Ministry said the state's infrastructure development company buys it from "a diverse range of approved sources."

The mining visible on the Tatai River clearly violates some of Cambodia's own legal restrictions, not to mention a recent government order to suspend it temporarily.

Vessels of a Vietnamese company were tracked by boat from about 10 kilometers (6 miles) upriver to the Gulf of Thailand, where nearly a dozen seagoing barges, tugs hovering around them, took on the sand.

The AZ Kunming Singapore, a 5,793-ton (5,255-metric ton) barge pulled by the AZ Orchid, was seen arriving empty from the open ocean, its tug flying a Singaporean flag. Both are registered with the Singapore government, which would not comment on the barge's cargo or destination.

Ships from several countries, including China, were spotted in sand-mining operations in Koh Kong province, where residents joked about going to Singapore and planting a Cambodian flag there.

The vessels included one from Winton Enterprises, a Hong Kong-registered group that was subcontracted to export sand to Singapore, according to Global Witness, a London-based environmental group that published a detailed account of the trade last year.

The report said that miners had penetrated protected mangrove, estuary and sea grass areas, breeding grounds for marine life along a coastline and hinterland harboring some of the country's last wilderness areas.

Cambodia's cabinet spokesman, Siphan Phay, who was investigating the issue in Koh Kong, appeared angry that the temporary halt order was being ignored. He described the activity as illegal mining destined for Singapore, a surprising statement given that government ministers awarded the concession.

A police officer in the economic crime division, who demanded anonymity given the issue's sensitivity, also said the sand is going to Singapore.

Ly Yong Phat, who holds the major concession in Koh Kong, has at times openly acknowledged the Singapore connection. But in a recent AP interview, amid tightening restrictions and mounting criticism, he said his company had not shipped sand to Singapore for more than a year because "our sand did not meet their standards."

The dredging, he added, was for local sale and to deepen river channels.

However, a Malaysian company, Benalec Holdings, said it was ready to tap up to 530,000 tons for a reclamation project in Singapore from several sources in Cambodia, including Ly Yong Phat's LYP Group.

Known as the "King of Koh Kong," Ly Yong Phat is one of Cambodia's biggest tycoons and a senator with close ties to Prime Minister Hun Sen. His holdings include hotels, a casino and agricultural plantations.

Land reclamation has enlarged Singapore by more than a fifth, and up to 100 square kilometers (nearly 40 square miles) more are slated for reclamation by 2030. What was once seabed is now Changi, among the world's finest airports, and more recently the Marina Bay complex, which includes a 2,560-room hotel and casino developed by Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Mountains of sand are needed for such fills. U.N. statistics show Singapore imported 14.6 million tons last year, ranking it among the world's top customers. Global Witness estimated that nearly 800,000 tons a year, worth some $248 million, were streaming to Singapore from Koh Kong alone.

The U.N. figures show that Cambodia supplied 25 percent of Singapore's imports in 2010, followed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines. With its secrecy and lax enforcement of environmental regulations, Myanmar could emerge as a major supplier.

The damage caused by sand extraction has spurred clampdowns on exports.

Malaysia imposed a ban in 1997, though the media there frequently report on massive smuggling into neighboring Singapore. Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad complains that sand pirates are "digging Malaysia and giving her to other people."

An Indonesian ban came in 2007, following years of strained relations with Singapore over the sand on islands lying between the two countries. When miners finished with Nipah Island, reportedly all that was left was three or four palm trees protruding above the waterline. Environmental groups say smuggling is believed to be continuing.

Vietnam banned exports late last year.

Cambodia outlawed the export of sand from rivers in 2009 but allows it from some seabeds. Recently, some government officials said that rivers where seawater flowed into fresh water, replenishing sand naturally, were exempt.

Global Witness spokesman Oliver Courtney said the trade in Cambodia revealed a "mismatch between Singapore's reliance on questionably sourced sand and its position as a leader for sustainable development." The city-state prides itself on environmentally sound urban planning.

The dredging of the Tatai River began on May 17 "with a fury," creating a veritable traffic jam on the water, said Janet Newman, owner of the riverside Rainbow Lodge.

"Before you could see crab pots bobbing in the river everywhere and fishermen going out. Now there is nothing and nobody," the British woman said.

Chea Manith of the Nature Tourism Community of Tatai said 270 families along the river have seen an estimated 85 percent drop in catch of fish, crab and lobsters and were being forced to eke out a living from small garden plots. Tourists have all but vanished.

Armed with a petition, village leaders, tourism operators and a wildlife group met with Ly Yong Phat in early July. He appeared sympathetic, Newman said. He substantially reduced the dredging and has promised to stop altogether in October.

A subsequent letter from the Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology ordered the LYP group to halt operations temporarily on the Tatai, citing a breach of regulations. The letter was obtained by Cambodia's Phnom Penh Post newspaper, which made it available to the AP.

Hun Sen himself expressed concern over the mining in the river.

"We hoped that the prime minister's recent promise to review the impacts of the sand trade would lead to proper regulation of dredging operations," said Courtney of Global Witness. "Unfortunately, the pledge does not appear to have been followed up with meaningful action."

The mining has continued on the Tatai, and violations, such as dredging closer than 150 meters (165 yards) from riverbanks, were clearly evident.

The Post also obtained a Ministry of Industry, Mining and Energy letter extending LYP Group's concession in Koh Kong until Sept. 2012.

"We are just little people. We cannot do anything," Chea Manith said.

Newman sounded a more optimistic note. "It's my hope that the LYP Group will become sympathetic through this experience of having seen the reaction from people passionate about protecting their environment," she said. "It would be sad if they just went somewhere else to dump the same on others."

___

Associated Press writers Sean Yoong in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Alex Kennedy in Singapore; Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines; Aye Aye Win in Yangon, Myanmar; and Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed to this report.
at 10:14 PM

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