This is a roundup of the ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 23 April to Sunday 29 April 2012.
Monday, 23 April 2012
Doctor wants documentation on misuse of electronic devices
Antigua & Barbuda – The misuse of mobile electronic devices has not escaped the attention of Medical Council Chairman Dr Eumel Samuel who is calling for a method to better record data from cell phone accidents… more
LIME launches pay TV in Barbados
Barbados – LIME, the Caribbean division of Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), has launched a pay TV service in Barbados, its first TV over broadband product in the Caribbean… more
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
BTC to spend $8M on cross-country reopenings
Bahamas – More than $2 million has been spent on the construction of the six stores that have so far been unveiled by the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC)… more
Concerns ease as top telecom vows secure poll results transmission
Dominican Republic – The presidents Board Central Electoral (JCE), Robert Rosario and of the telecom Claro, Oscar Peña, guarantee the political parties and the population that the electoral results will be transmitted with the strictest security, speed and transparency they deserve… more
Computer In A Beer Crate
Jamaica – Innovation and creativity were put to the test recently as students from the Penwood High School, working with the Camara Jamaica Foundation, constructed a computer from a Red Stripe beer crate, scraps of metal and other waste material… more
Cable And Wireless Worldwide Sale Won’t Impact LIME
Jamaica – LIME yesterday moved to assure customers that the United Kingdom-based Cable and Wireless Worldwide (CWW), which Vodafone has agreed to purchase, is a completely separate company from LIME’s parent company, Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC)… more
Jamaica to advance measures to counter money laundering and terrorism financing
Jamaica – Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr Peter Phillips, says the government intends to advance the process for the full implementation of a modern anti-money laundering (AML) / countering financing of terrorism (CFT) framework in Jamaica… more
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Grenada Bets On Mobile Apps
Grenada – Grenada has become the latest country to be caught up in the mobile application development wave currently sweeping across the Caribbean… more
Barbados best in Caribbean in Global IT Report
Barbados – Barbados narrowly edged-out Puerto Rico for the highest position among Caribbean countries in the 2012 Global Information Technology Report (GITP)… more
New Jamaica task force fights international lottery scams
Jamaica – With Jamaica rapidly becoming a centre for international telemarketing fraud, authorities have launched a new task force to fight proliferating lottery scams… more
Scammers hatch new blackmail scheme
Jamaica – Following a police crackdown on illicit lotto scamming activities, the scammers have hatched a new plot in which they hack into websites and personal e-mails, download sensitive information and blackmail individuals with threats of making them public… more
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Govt signs contract for national closed circuit television project
Bahamas – Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest said yesterday that the implementation of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras throughout The Bahamas will not, in isolation, reduce the crime rate, adding that other factors will play critical roles in the project’s success… more
Lowe’s inks $4.6M CCTV contract
Bahamas – The government signed a $4.6 million contract yesterday to supply key areas throughout New Providence with a comprehensive closed circuit television (CCTV) network… more
“Connect2Government” initiative launched
Dominica – A “Connect2Government” initiative is part of the latest attempt by the Dominica government to step up its dissemination of information locally and to the Dominican diaspora in various parts of the world… more
Grenada unveils first mobile app
Grenada – Grenada has launched its first ever locally produced software showcasing Grenada culture… more
Neal & Massy hosts IT Expo/Seminar
Guyana – In sensitizing the business community on Information Technology (IT) the Neal and Massy Guyana Group yesterday launched the first IT Expo/Seminar at its business headquarters at Ruimveldt, Georgetown… more
Interactive Website Developed To Help CSEC Students
Jamaica – As secondary-school students enter the final stage of preparation ahead of this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, an innovative and interactive tutorial website has been created to provide examination practice… more
No evidence that mobile phones harm health: study
Jamaica – There is no convincing evidence that the use of mobile phones damages human health, a “comprehensive” review of scientific evidence said on Thursday… more
Offensive blog removed from the web
Jamaica – Police have reported that the offensive blog site used by scammers to post nude photos of Jamaican females in an attempt to blackmail them has been removed from the web… more
Friday, 27 April 2012
4G Set For George Town Before Exuma Regatta
Bahamas – One week after some 200 people celebrated the opening of BTC’s new retail experience store in George Town, Exuma, the company said it had more good news for the Family Island in the central Bahamas — the launch of 4G… more
Digicel outscores rivals, says NISE
Barbados – Telecoms operator Digicel is outperforming its major rival and other utility companies in customer satisfaction and reliability… more
17 lotto scammers collared
Jamaica – Seventeen persons, believed to be involved in the lotto scam, were taken into custody, following simultaneous operations conducted against scammers by a team the security forces, yesterday… more
Be careful of the information you post online — Police
Jamaica – With the recent revelation that desperate scammers are blackmailing members of the public who post sexually explicit photographs on their computers and mobile phones, the police Cyber Crimes Unit has issued an advisory warning of the dangers of the practice… more
Analysis: Effective governance key to Caribbean ICT development
Trinidad & Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago jumped three spots to place 60th overall out of 142 countries in the 2012 Global Information Technology Report, published earlier this month by the World Economic Forum (WEF)… more
T&T agency gave orders for 267 wiretap cases
Trinidad & Tobago – Without going to a judge, there have been 267 instances of wiretapping of communications between December 17, 2010 and December 31, 2011 under the Interception of Communications Act… more
Saturday, 28 April 2012
T&T Telecoms Authority boss chastises media
Trinidad & Tobago – Media houses could themselves become a threat to freedom of the press. That view was expressed by Selby Wilson, chairman of the Telecommunications Authority (TATT), on Wednesday at the tenth annual Information Communication Technology (ICT) Forum… more
Sunday, 29 April 2012
eMedia gives sneak peek at iVu tv
Jamaica – eMedia Interactive on Friday gave potential advertisers a first look at its iVu tv, dubbed as the region’s first online television network… more
“Countries are not poor because they don’t have resources. Countries are poor because they have corruption.”
Guyana – The national spectrum is a national asset. It is not the property of any group, class political party or ideology. Similarly the management of this national asset should be effected in a manner that is fair, transparent, equitable and accommodating of the diversity that is Guyana… more
Image courtesy of NS Newsflash, flickr
________________
Thrilled with Computer in Beer Crate. What a demontration of innovation. Simplicity is not easy, and yet this is what those students are doing. Amazing!