E N M I O P I N I O N: Por: Ricardo Tribin No tengo tiempo!!!!

Parece que esta frase es bien común hoy en día. Es la excusa ideal para “sacarle el bulto” a las responsabilidades. Un jefe de nombre Presuroso llama a su empleado Lentin para pedirle que le haga un trabajo que necesita urgente para el día siguiente. Antes de terminar su solicitud el subalterno ya tiene más

de una excusa para no hacer la tarea, aduciendo en síntesis que está muy ocupado.

El superior se va frustrado a su oficina y regresa más tarde para preguntarle algo. En este momento encuentra al caballero realizando, por algo así como unos quince minutos, uno de los deportes más notables de la actualidad, esto es el chateo por el celular, con un componente muy importante, y es que este lo hace con alguien que no tiene nada que ver con su empresa. Qué cosa, no? y dizque no tiene tiempo.

En la vida en general vemos el caso de una persona que sufre de diabetes, enfermedad en la que hacer ejercicio, especialmente el caminar, es altamente recomendable para mantener en control los niveles de azúcar. Pero no, este no tiene tiempo, pues anda muy ocupado con su trabajo y porque con frecuencia al final del día se toma unas "chelitas" con sus amigotes, ejercicio etílico que tampoco le conviene practicar puesto que el alcohol se convierte en azúcar y ello para el diabético es crítico. Lo triste del caso es que no tiene tiempo para cuidar de su salud, pero si para parrandear.

Para lo anterior y en otras muy diversas aplicaciones en la vida resulta importante sacar tiempo para nosotros, buscando serenarnos, relajarnos,  y entrar en nuestro interior, todo lo cual ayudara mucho para establecer verdaderas prioridades en la vida, buscando así dominar al tiempo y no que este nos domine.

http://ricardotribin.blogspot.com

Miami, Junio 28 de 2014

On TV, at Least, World Cup Soccer Is America's Second-Most Popular Sport (BusinessWeek)

By Ira Boudway  June 24, 2014

Fans in Grant Park celebrate a goal by the U.S. against Portugal in a Group G World Cup soccer match on June 22 in Chicago

The 2014 FIFA World Cup match between the U.S. and Portugal produced anotherrecord-breaking ratings number for ESPN and Univision. The combined 24.7 million viewers—18.2 million on ESPN and 6.5 million on Univision, neither number official yet—would make it the most-watched soccer game in U.S. history, just topping the 2010 World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands.

Soccer, at least in its World Cup form, can now make a claim to being the second-most popular televised sport in the U.S., behind only American-rules football.

The chart above shows selected marquee events for the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, Nascar, college football, college basketball, horse racing, and golf in the last year. Plus Monday’s World Cup match. The audience for each event is measured by the average number of viewers over the age of two, using data collected by Nielsen and provided by Brad Adgate of Horizon Media. Since this year’s Daytona 500 had a long rain delay that depressed ratings, the chart uses the 2013 audience number. The top-rated game from best-of-seven series is shown for  the Stanley Cup, NBA Finals, and World Series, as well as the top-rated day for the Masters.

STORY: The World's Most Crazed Soccer Nation? Try Nigeria

The NFL easily tops the World Cup—not only with the unmatched television power that is the Super Bowl but also with conference championships. College football’s title game, the BCS Championship between Florida State and Auburn in January, also outdid Sunday’s U.S.-Portugal match—but just barely, with 25.6 million viewers. After that, everybody trails the big soccer game.

Plenty of caveats that go with a comparison like this: The World Cup is once every four years. Some of these events are on broadcast TV, others on cable. Some are on during the week, others on weekends. But with numbers like these, talk of soccer asun-American should probably be put to rest. And ESPN and Univision are probably wishing they had bid harder for rights to broadcast the World Cup in 2018 and 2022.

STORY: Have Brazilians Lost Their Love of Soccer?

Boudway is a reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek in New York.

Misión Comercial a Panamá : Julio 14 al 18 del 2014

GOOGLE TO SPEND A BILLION OR MORE ON INTERNET SATELLITES (How to Geek)

Internet access is common in the developed world, but many in emerging markets are just now getting online. For Google, one of the most visited sites in the world, it’s a massive growth opportunity. And they aren’t going to wait for local governments or anyone else to build the necessary infrastructure.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported the firm plans to spend $1 to $3 billion to launch a fleet of internet satellites. The satellite network would initially include 180 small satellites and might later double that number.

The project is part of Google’s wider plan to provide internet access to remote areas using solar powered drones and high altitude balloons. They recently purchased drone company Titan Aerospace and launched Project Loon to experiment with a squadron of stratospheric, internet providing balloons steered by global trade winds.

Why is a software company so interested in building infrastructure? A Google representative explained to the WSJ, “Internet connectivity significantly improves people’s lives. Yet two thirds of the world have no access at all.”

Consider the implications of the second half of that statement. Opening new markets is critical to revenue growth, and Google’s got its eye on four billion potential new users.

The firm dominates search and operates the two most visited sites on the web (Google and YouTube). A healthy fraction of those billions may well choose Google’s products—if only they can gain access to them.

Mobile computing and wireless signals are likely to provide that access. Just as cell phones leapfrogged landlines, mobile internet (combined with affordable smartphones, likethis one from Mozilla) may jump over wired internet connections in remote areas.

Because the reach of cellphone towers is limited by line of sight to local areas, getting up high provides wider coverage. Satellites are a traditional way to provide signal in rural places. But it seemed Google was trying to circumvent satellites with other out-of-the-box solutions like drones and balloons. Why? Satellites are expensive to build and deploy. Especially 180 of them.

The WSJ offers other earlier satellite projects as a cautionary tale.

Backed by Microsoft and telecom entrepreneur Craig McCaw, Teledesic likewise attempted to construct a network of internet providing satellites (and even considered drones too) in the 1990s but was forced by budget woes and technical challenges to abandon the $9 billion undertaking in 2002. Another 1990s project by Iridium Satellite LLC went bankrupt in 1998.

Roger Rusch, who runs satellite consulting firm TelAstra, told the WSJ Google’s satellites could cost up to 20 times more than their low-end estimate—more like $20 billion than $1 billion. “This is exactly the kind of pipe dream we have seen before.” Rusch says the landscape is littered with failed satellite projects like the one being proposed by Google.

There isn’t anything cheap or easy about creating orbital infrastructure. But recent entrants into the satellite launch market, like SpaceX, are reducing the cost to launch satellites, even as the satellites themselves are getting cheaper to build. Tim Farrar, head of another satellite consulting firm TMF Associates, thinks Google might launch 180 small satellites for $600 million.

Of course, broadcasting internet is useless unless there are devices on the ground listening in. Mozilla (and others) are attempting to create affordable Android smartphones for emerging markets. And that’s where Google might step in with cheap service.

The firm is offering average speeds to Google Fiber subscribers free for seven years and gigabit speeds for the same fee you pay your cable provider. Maybe they would offer a similar deal to new customers in emerging markets—charging a fee to cover operational costs but subsidizing the price to maximize their user base (and to message Google = good).

Ultimately, Google providing internet in any market is a means to an end.

They’ll have done exceedingly well if they convert any significant fraction of those four billion new users with a $1 billion investment (6% of quarterly revenue and a third the price of their recent Nest acquisition). Fact is, they could probably afford to spend more.

How to Watch the World Cup Online (PCMagazine)

World Cup madness is about to begin, whether you like it or not. But how do you find out how your new favorite footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, is doing on the field when you're away from your couch?

If you can't be near your TV for the full schedule of games—and who can?—then you'll have to do what everyone else is likely doing and stream them.

Some of the ways to do this are legal and some are a little less so, but that shouldn't shock FIFA, the organization that runs the World Cup.

So gear up by setting up your calendar to remind you when games begin, and then use this guide to score a virtual seat. Things kick off this afternoon at 4 p.m. ET with Brazil vs. Croatia.

WatchESPN

ESPN is live-streaming all the games, with one catch—you need a cable subscription. If you subscribe to one of ESPN's cable partners (click right), sign in with your cable credentials and watch online or via apps for iOS,Android, and Windows devices. For those without cable, the ESPN FC Soccer & World Cup app (on Androidand iOS) will have will have live match video highlights. "Watch goals and key plays from the app moments after the action," ESPN says. The app will also feature breaking news and analysis so you can stay up to date with the watercooler chatter.

Comcast Xfinity

Speaking of cable, Comcast announced that every 2014 FIFA World Cup match will be available in Spanish via Instant On Demand, which lets viewers start a broadcast over from the beginning. Xfinity will have all 64 matches in Portuguese, select matches in Korean, as well as alternate feeds for every game via its Web and mobile streams of ESPN3 Surround. English-speaking Xfinity customers, meanwhile, can also tap into ESPN streams on the Xfinity World Cup site, Xfinity Mundial, and the Xfinity TV Go mobile apps.

Hola 

Hello is olá in Portuguese, but to watch broadcasts from around the world you'll want Hola instead. For those without cable, the app acts as a VPN proxy so that you can benefit from the largesse of other nations. Use it to tap into English-language broadcasts from the United Kingdom (BBC), Canada (CBC), Australia (SBS), and Ireland (RTÉ).

Univision Deportes

Brush up on your Spanish because every game can be found on Univision's siteand on its apps (iOS and Android). But like ESPN, if you want to watch the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finale you'll need a cable subscription.

ESPN Radio

If you don't mind just listening to the games, then ESPN Radio will have them allonline, on its app (for iOS, Android, and Windows). Meanwhile, SiriusXM will air 56 of the games on Channel 84. In cases where two matches are airing simultaneously, one will air on SiriusXM 84, with the other on SiriusXM 85.

TuneIn

Alternatively you can listen with TuneIn online or via app (iOS, Android, andWindows).

Microsoft Fights U.S. Request for Data Stored Overseas (PCMagazine)

Microsoft is fighting a U.S. government request to turn over customer email data that is stored in Redmond's Dublin data center.

The summons was granted in December as part of a criminal inquiry, and Microsoft lost an appeal in April to have the search warrant annulled.

But the company is still fighting, saying in a Monday court filing that if the judicial order is upheld, it "would violate international laws and treaties, and reduce the privacy protection of everyone on the planet."

The issue, according to the New York Times, stems from Microsoft's insistence that the same rules for a search warrant in the physical world should apply online. James C. Francis, who issued the April ruling, pointed to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which he said creates a hybrid search warrant-subpoena that would allow for access to data stored overseas.

According to the Times, Microsoft's protest is believed to be the first case of a corporation challenging a domestic search warrant pursuing digital information overseas.

In the post-Snowden age, when companies like Google and Yahoo are taking added steps to encrypt users' emails, it's no surprise that some organizations have moved their data abroad.

"Over the course of the past year, Microsoft and other U.S. technology companies have faced growing mistrust and concern about their ability to protect the privacy of personal information located outside the United States," Redmond's filing said. "The government's position in this case further erodes that trust, and will ultimately erode the leadership of U.S. technology companies in the global market."

Microsoft currently manages a global network of more than 1 million computers, stored in more than 100 data centers, spread across 40 countries, hosting more than 200 online services used by more than 1 billion customers worldwide.

The ongoing case is expected to continue in late July, according to the Times, which suggested that after Judge Loretta Preska's July 31 ruling, there may be more appeals.

U.S. telecom giant Verizon filed a brief on Tuesday in solidarity with Microsoft, encouraging other companies to join the fight.

"The search warrant in this case is no run-of-the-mill investigative measure," Verizon said in its filing. "If enforced, it would violate international understandings, harm American business, subject Americans to potential liability abroad, and invite foreign governments to unilaterally obtain electronic communications and data of Americans in the United States."

The depressing truth about e-waste: 10 things to know (TechRepublic)

By Lyndsey Gilpin                                       June 11, 2014

Where do our cell phones and laptops go to die? Here are 10 things to know about the growing electronic waste problem and how to properly recycle these items. 

A small Chinese child sitting among cables and e-waste, Guiyu, China.

In 2012, the United Nations reported that in five years, the world's electronic waste would grow by 33% from 49.7 million tons to 65.4 million tons. That's the weight of 200 Empire State Buildings or 11 Great Pyramids of Giza.

Considering the lifespan of a cell phone is now only 18 months and a laptop's life span is only around two years, that rapid growth rate isn't surprising. What is surprising, however, is how little the public knows about e-waste and how to properly dispose of electronics. Here are 10 things to know about the e-waste life cycle.

1. What counts as e-waste

Electronic waste includes all discarded electric or electronic devices with battery power or circuitry or electric elements. This includes mobile phones, television sets, computers, printers, and entertainment devices such as stereo systems, as well as refrigerators, washing machines and dryers.

2. Where e-waste goes

Electronic waste is a globalized business, and about 70% to 80% of it is shipped to landfills in many developing nations, where it is sorted and sold for scrap metal or burned to extract materials, which is harmful to people and the surrounding environment. The US also sends e-waste to prisons, where it is processed in under-regulated environments.

In 2012, the US generated more than 9 million tons of e-waste, which was a huge jump from its 2 million tons in 2005.StEP

In 2012, the US generated more than 9 million tons of e-waste, which was a huge jump from its 2 million tons in 2005. According to the EPA, 141 million mobile devices were ready for end-of-life management in 2008, but they made up less than 1% of discarded electronics. Of the electronic waste the US generated, only 25% was recycled. The other 75% was sent to landfills in the US or abroad.

3. Why it matters to properly dispose

Electronic waste can have many toxic elements inside. According to the United Nations' Solving the E-Waste Problem (StEP) Initiative, which is a collaborative global effort to raise awareness and promote innovation in disposing and recycling e-waste, up to 60 elements from the periodic table can be found inside e-waste items, as well as flame retardants and other toxic chemicals. For example, cadmium is one found in personal computer batteries and monitors. It is extremely toxic to humans and the environment. Other harmful elements include:

• Lead, which is in most electronic equipment
• Beryllium, a lightweight metal in many electronics
• Mercury, in many lighting displays
• Polyvinyl chloride, often used for cabling in circuit boards

4. What it can be turned into

The metal from these devices can be used for many things, if extracted properly. Cell phone batteries and metals inside the phone can be used to make new ones, or for jewelry, art, metal plates, or other electronics. A company in India, Attero, extracts metals like gold, platinum, and selenium safely from used devices, refurbishes others, and helps businesses with end-to-end electronic asset management. It's a small dent in the grand scheme, but companies like this are important -- and profitable.

5. Where to dispose e-waste

There are several good resources to find out about local or regional e-waste recycling programs. The EPA and the Electronics Take Back Coalition offer information about e-Stewards, which are responsible recyclers. If there is no e-Steward near you, look at the manufacturer or store recycling programs. For instance, Staples and Best Buy both have recycling programs.

6. How to vet a collector

Burning waste in Ghana, where there are no regulations or precautions regarding the toxic materials.

There are a great deal of fake electronic recycling programs, which is why it's important to look at websites like the ones in No. 5 before recycling. This e-waste cycle is a lucrative business because these organizations can make a lot of money by exporting the items to developing countries that use the scrap metal rather than recycling them for reuse, but they do not monitor or pay for any safety precautions for the people that root through the waste and disassemble it.

7. The laws regarding e-waste vary widely

Why is information about electronic waste so hard to come by? First of all, there have been many attempts to develop federal laws to deal with e-waste, but a consensus has never come to fruition. The Responsible Electronics Recycling Act of 2013, which would make it illegal for the US to send toxic e-waste to other nations was never passed. The Senate introduced the same one in March 2014, but it still hasn't passed.

If we recycled a million laptops, it would save the energy equivalent of the electricity used by 3,657 US homes in a year.

EPA

The Coalition for American Electronics Recycling (CAER) includes more than 100 companies operating over 218 facilities in 34 states, including Waste Management, Sims Recycling Solutions, which is the largest recycling company in the world, and many big-name tech companies like Dell and Microsoft. The organization is trying to promote the passage of this bill. Most states have their own e-waste disposal laws, but only 25 states have passed e-waste recycling laws.

8. Companies are trying to promote trade-ins

In May, Apple unveiled a new trade-in program for iPhones, offering a higher value on iPhone 4 and 4S, and putting that credit towards a new version. Apple has recently made a bigger deal of its clean energy efforts in data centers, and is promoting its recycling programs as well. Dell is also doing its part -- Dell Reconnect is a program at many existing Goodwill locations across the US that promotes responsible recycling of old computers, and the company also helps businesses recycle equipment. Google partnered with Sims Recycling Solutions for a program to promote recycling old devices.

9. The e-waste capital of the world is Guiyu, China

Though China is second behind the US in amount of e-waste generated, it is also the place where most e-waste is dumped by the US. Guiyu, which is a town in Guangdong Province in China's main manufacturing zone, has been a main hub for electronic waste for years. The roads are covered in plastic, wires, and other e-waste. A study showed pollution comes from the burning of circuit boards, and throwing hydrochloric acid on items to recover steel and copper. It's dangerous for workers, residents, visitors, and the surrounding areas. Other studies showed people in Guiyu had higher levels of lead in their blood.

10. Even in the digital age, information is scarce

Because there are no federal laws -- and state laws obviously aren't a top priority -- it's difficult to understand exactly how the world deals with e-waste, even as the numbers of disposed electronics grow and the life span of our devices get shorter. It's also hard to find out how much waste is out there, because of the amount that is said to be recycled by these small companies, but is actually sold to other countries. Even on the EPA website, it says "reliable data on exported e-waste is not available."

But there is this information from the EPA that drives home the importance of recycling e-waste. If we recycled a million laptops, it would save the energy equivalent of the electricity used by 3,657 US homes in a year, and one ton of circuit boards can contain 40 to 800 times the amount of gold and 30 to 40 times the amount of copper mined from one metric ton of ore.

Maps: 5 apps that take you beyond Google and Apple (TechRepublic)

Made by MapMyFitness, MapMyWalk is great for accurately tracking your walks, whether they are for business, travel, exercise, or leisure. Create routes, find routes, or save routes, count calories, mileage, and pace, and even sync your music. The company also has separate apps for biking, hiking, and running, but here's a quick tip: you can do all the activities from any of the apps by just using the "Activity" setting when recording your workout.

Open Street Map is an open source map of the world, created and amended by people all over the planet. It emphasizes local knowledge, so if you're in a city and know of a new route or location, you can feel free to add it. There are many types of contributors, from mapping enthusiasts, to professionals, to humanitarians that help add things during disasters. The map shown here was listed as a great example of a community-made map of Pompeii, Italy.

Citymaps is a global social mapping tool, made to integrate with social media and your personal preferences. You can create your own maps on the go, explore your friends maps, and share yours with others. Each store or restaurant location is represented by its logo, making them easy to find, and the app offers turn-by-turn directions as well.

NASA Earth Now

This app visualizes global climate data from satellites so you can view carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, air temperatures, and water vapor levels. At the bottom are color-coded legends to show you how they vary around the world. The Earth can rotate 360 degrees, and you can zoom in and out with the swipe of a finger.

Star Walk

This stargazing app allows you to map the constellations, no matter where you are. There are over 200,000 celestial bodies to view on the app, which gives you information, extra views, and stories about them. Just point your phone to the night sky.

E N M I O P I N I O N: Por: Ricardo Tribín Acosta

Una vida dedicada al servicio

Ese seria para mí un epitafio o recordatorio ideal para alguien que ya se nos ha ido físicamente de este mundo y su mejor legado haya sido el servicio desinteresado a sus gentes, incluyendo en ello a los más cercanos. José Antonio Monsalve, un personaje de una magnifica empresa colombiana quien laboraba allí al comienzo de los años setenta., le repetía a sus empleados una frase que conservo con agrado desde entonces “Servir es mi ocupación”, pues ella hace de la vocación del servicio una meta de vida.

De ahí que el definir las profesiones, actividades laborales, sociales, o de representación como: Presidente, Gerente General, Monseñor, Gestor, entre muchas otras más, se aparta de un concepto más práctico y útil que expresa que “la más alta posición que un ser humano puede ocupar es la de servidor incondicional”.

Dar sin esperar recompensa alguna, es también un objetivo muy mentado , mas bastante difícil de internalizar, ya que de una u otra forma las personas anhelan siempre el agradecimiento por las buenas acciones realizadas, mas les es difícil aceptar el no molestarse si los conocidos : “mil gracias” o “tome esto a cambio” no se dan. Vanidad de vanidades, cuando será que nos dejarás descansar?

http://ricardotribin.blogspot.com

Miami, Junio 7 de 2014