Monthly Archives: October 2010

The Consortium, Inc. Agrees to Purchase Ludwig Technology for Deployment in Mexico


 

 

 

POMPANO BEACH, Fla., Aug 16, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Ludwig Enterprises, Inc. (LUDG 0.05, 0.00, -2.17%)board of directors announces it has reached a definitive Agreement with the Consortium, Inc. to license its technology for deployment in Mexico. The new technology will allow the Consortium to deploy a new Mexican digital radio network.

Under terms of the agreement the Consortium Inc. has agreed to purchase licensing rights to the patented technology owned by Ludwig for the transmission of 50 audio channels over the new digital TV network within Mexico, and access to the technology surround the new radio receiver developed by Ludwig, called "TheOne(TM)".

About the Consortium, Inc.

The Consortium, Inc. is a ten-year-old business group based in Belize, Central America. The Consortium group was one of the first communication companies to utilize voice over the Internet in Mexico. The company looks forward to again being the first to offer Digital Mobil Handheld services in Mexico. Headquarters for this project will be in Mexico City.

About Ludwig Enterprises, Inc.

Ludwig Enterprises, Inc. is a revolutionary broadcasting company. Ludwig is offering programming to the Multi-Cultural Ethnic and Senior citizens markets that are currently underserved by commercial broadcasters. Ludwig is part of the digital conversion of radio from traditional (analogue). Ludwig will be all-digital, all the time, in all locations, rivaling the quality existent on HD or satellite radio.

Ludwig has developed and patented a new radio that receives signals from new Digital Television Stations (ATSC also known as HD-TV). The radios receive 50 channels of audio. Ludwig’s programming consists of 40 channels of ethnic talk radio (Filipino, Pakistani, Hebrew, Chinese, Greek, Russian and more). The remaining channels include, in English, old-time radio shows, 24-hour news without commentary, audio books, educational and religious programs plus classical music.

For financial highlights and information visit www.ludwigent.com or www.otcmakets.com.

SAFE HARBOR

Forward-looking statements made in this release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements made by Ludwig Enterprises, Inc. are not a guarantee of future performance. This news release includes forward-looking statements, including with respect to the future level of business for the parties. These statements are necessarily subject to risk and uncertainty. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain risk factors that could cause results to differ materially from estimated results. Management cautions that all statements as to future results of operations are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties and events that may be beyond the control of Ludwig Enterprises, Inc. and no assurance can be given that such results will be achieved. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability to procure, properly price, retain and successfully complete projects, and changes in products and competition.

SOURCE: Ludwig Enterprises, Inc

Mexico’s Yucatan: Last of the unspoilt outposts

Alice Waugh escapes the horrors of the Riviera Maya to enjoy the Yucatan’s more simple pleasures.

By Alice Waugh 
Published: 8:01AM GMT 09 Mar 2009 

Mexico's Yucatan: Last of the unspoilt outposts

Chichén Itzá may look peaceful at dawn but during the day it is crowded with tourists

As our coach moved off again, I saw two dogs up ahead, lying in the sunshine in the middle of the road. I could only hope they would be alerted by the noise of the engine, but they stayed put. The woman selling tamales laughed at my panic: "There’s no problem, they’ll be fine." Sure enough, the driver veered sharply into the opposite lane to avoid them, upsetting everyone’s bags. The dogs, unmoved, slept on.

That’s the Yucatan; as soon as you escape the horrors of the Riviera Maya, where no theme is too tacky, you enter one of the most laid-back regions in the world. Besides the Mayan ruins dotted all over the peninsula, there is almost an overabundance of beauty: rolling miles of emerald jungle, punctuated by deepcenotes (sinkholes linked to subterranean water systems) and fringed by the Caribbean, are home to a bewildering variety of birds and butterflies. Despite the hordes of visitors, people are generally very friendly and open. Best of all, there are still places not yet overrun.

We had been in Mexico for a couple of months, volunteering on organic farms, and were in need of a break. The tried-and-tested resorts felt overcrowded and soulless; after three depressing days on Isla Mujeres, the Mexican answer to Ibiza, we were desperate to get away, so we took a bus into the jungle.

Ek Balam (Dark Jaguar) is one of the oldest Mayan sites and was a centre of power until about AD 1200 when it was eclipsed by Chichén Itzá. (In the long run, Chichén Itzá did worse – now the most famous of Mexican ruins, it is besieged daily by thousands of tourists.)

Fearful of attack by their powerful neighbours, the city’s rulers buried the Acropolis under a layer of clay. Subsumed by vegetation, the site was forgotten for 800 years; exploration and restoration did not begin until the Nineties. Visitors have only been allowed in since 1997.

The road to Ek Balam is easy to miss and peppered with potholes: it’s hard to believe there could be anything at the end. The entrance is just as unassuming – a grey wall with a couple of bicycles propped against it. As soon as we stepped away from it we were on our own in the canopy. An old Mayan road leads through the trees to a series of low walls which mark the real entrance into the city. A local guide waiting there told us, "When I was a child, we played on top of the temples. We didn’t know what they were. Now, most of us work here."

We strolled through a four-sided arch towards the great Oval Palace, which looks like a fortified medieval village, its thick outer walls curling around like a snail shell. The sun was fierce and the steps high, but the view from the top was almost mystical: undisturbed hillocks pushing through the leaves, interspersed with excavated pyramids, and not a tripper to be seen. Men were hard at work on one building; it’s fascinating, if a little disenchanting, to observe the part that cement has to play in the amazing transformation of rocky mounds to restored temples.

It was a relief to come down to the shady gardens, where we lay for a while before climbing the Acropolis. One of the largest buildings uncovered in Mesoamerica, it’s an extraordinary monument, immaculately preserved by the clay that buried it. The rooms at the base, which hold intricate frescoes and carvings, are splendid enough but the stucco façade near the summit is the real find. It’s the only sculpture of its type – any others rotted long ago. Winged warriors and animals cavort around a monstrous mouth that guards the underworld in a complex depiction of the chain of life. A couple of Mayan buffs behind us started arguing over its significance. For me, it was enough to stare.

The village of Ek Balam, just over a mile away, is well worth visiting. Nearly all the homes are wooden huts, open to the world; turkeys wander the tracks freely and the only signs of modernity are the satellite dishes that adorn every roof. There are two hotels: Genesis Retreat sounded idyllic – and probably was a couple of years ago. It’s a little past its best now; we arrived to renovations, metal bashing concrete reverberating around the grounds. Mosquito nets were full of holes and there was dust everywhere. But the garden was lovely and the owner’s dogs and parrots very welcoming. Elsewhere, Italian-run Dolcemente offers air-conditioning and cocktails.

If you prefer somewhere more lively, nearby Valladolid has plenty of attractions, not least the spectacular cenote Dzitnup, where you can swim among the stalactites. Hotel Maria de la Luz in the main square is clean and comfortable, with a wonderful restaurant. Try cochinita pibil, pork marinated in bitter orange juice and baked in banana leaves. Outrageously good.

No cenotes can make up for a missing breeze and after a few days in the steaming centre of Yucatan we needed to see the sea. Incredibly, there is a peaceful Caribbean island nearby: Isla Holbox, off the north-eastern coast, is two hours from Valladolid. Developers plan to build a resort here to rival Cancun; for now, though, the island still sleeps in the balmy sun. There are no paved roads on Holbox, nor are there likely to be any soon. The islanders want tourism on their own terms: roads bring masses of visitors, who would inevitably destroy the life they know. And so when you step off the boat from Chiquila, you see only golf carts and mopeds moving languidly through the streets.

Within five minutes we were walking more slowly, sinking into the local rhythm. Holbox is a throwback to a better era, before high-rise buildings or high-powered careers. It’s easy to imagine Sophia Loren wandering the sandy streets in dark glasses, stopping to bargain over ripe mangoes here, a fresh taco there. Peek into brightly coloured houses and you’ll see someone "enjoying the hammock". After a couple of days I too was so relaxed that the effort of getting out of the hammock nearly made me pass out.

We were camping at Ida y Vuelta, a lovely site near the beach. The owners were very welcoming and gave great advice, including the best places to eat – a pink family-run café in the main square – and the best place for cocktails on the beach, Casa Las Tortugas. The bedrooms there were honeymoon-perfect and reasonably priced, although beyond our budget. We settled for mojitos on the hanging beds at sunset.

The days slide away easily; prolonged breakfasts on the white sand slip into late lunch and more sunbathing. There are more than 15 miles (24km) of virgin beaches, all open to the world. Pelicans hover above the shore, diving into the surf to grab enormous fish that slip from their beaks before they can eat them. Between December and May, flamingos congregate in lagoons around the island and turtles come to nest in June. In high summer, it’s the turn of the gentle whale sharks, which feed a few miles off the coast. Owing to low funds, we had to forgo a trip out to swim with them, but we’re definitely going next time; everyone we met raved about it.

The activities are endless, from birdwatching trips to kite surfing, but we were so happy doing very little that all we managed was a kayaking expedition. Mexican attitudes to Health and Safety being joyfully lax, we were allowed to set off unguided, a decision I regretted when we got stuck in one of the overgrown creeks. Being alone with the cormorants in the ancient mangroves suddenly seemed very unnerving. A few hard shoves with the paddle got us out of trouble, but we were left with a pleasing sense of adventure: our lobster that night felt well-earned.

"It’s hard to live in paradise, isn’t it?" asked Manuel, the lovely ice cream seller we chatted to every day. I couldn’t agree; the only hard thing about Holbox was coming home. Despite the islanders’ efforts, it may be destroyed in five years, so the time to go is now. Just don’t expect to find a five-star hotel. 

Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/sunandsea/4950273/Mexicos-Yucatan-Last-of-the-unspoilt-outposts.html

 

Condesa DF, Mexico City: full review

Condesa DF, Mexico City: hotel review from Mr & Mrs Smith.

Mr & Mrs Smith review
Published: 12:00PM GMT 04 Dec 2008

Condesa DF, Mexico City, Mexico - Mr & Mrs Smith

Condesa DF, Mexico City, Mexico – Mr & Mrs Smith

I love Mexico City. I love it because it’s big and brash, and a little bit mental. And that’s the point: if you want peace and quiet, go to Alaska. If it’s edge and excitement you’re after, the Distrito Federal is where it’s at. So when I find myself outside an elegant art deco boutique hotel on a tranquil tree-lined avenue, shortly after arriving at Benito Juárez airport, I feel slightly off-kilter.

As I’m waiting for Señor Smith to fly in from Cancún to join me, I have to drag my luggage into the tiny lobby of Condesa DF alone. There to greet me is a huge chocolate labrador, watching imperiously from behind reception with his paws on the counter. Is he making sure I’m dressed appropriately for this chic boutique hotel?

I walk through into a light-bathed, laurel-dotted triangular courtyard, where dressed-down chilangos are enjoying a parasol-shaded late lunch. I look up and see a Pythagorean vision of sky as blue as Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul. I’m in the centre of the atrium, and four floors of white walls, constructed from huge rectangular louvred panels, rise up around me. Oblong patterns of light are beamed onto the walls of the corridors behind. It’s beautiful and geometric. My old maths teacher would be delighted with Condesa DF.

This terrace leads onto a series of rooms, filled with mismatched, gently curving, Barbara Hepworth-esque furniture. Bold floral graphics in fresh verdant tones feature heavily, complementing the turquoise walls. Our own room continues the natural theme. Green walls segue into chocolate-coloured wooden floorboards. Huge doors slide closed to separate the bedroom from a pretty lounge, in which sit more flower-emblazoned chairs. I open my window and the sound of birdsong floods into the hotel from the palm-filled park across the road.

When Señor Smith arrives, I bounce around the room showing him all our new toys, before realising there are perhaps more important things to focus on after a spell of distance-enforced absence. When we finally make it up to the buzzing rooftop bar, there’s a slight chill in the air – but the stylish crowd of young creatives doesn’t seem to mind. We ward off the cold by cuddling beneath a blanket, as lounge music and the gentle throb of conversation provides our soundtrack. Occasionally, we stick out a hand to pick up champagne cocktails or to clamp chopsticks around morsels of Condesa DF’s Mexican-influenced Japanese cuisine.

We’re on Latin time now, so breakfast is still waiting for us when we make it down to the courtyard at 11am the next morning, . Another beautiful day beams down into the atrium. With nowhere particular to be, we boutique-hop, gallery-browse and café-idle our way through this genteel, leafy neighbourhood. It’s hard to remember we’re in Mexico City – this all feels more like a romantic weekend in Paris.

In the afternoon, we brave the hot, frantic and intense city I know. Mr Smith is reluctant to leave our idyll in the suburbs, but I persuade him to come with me to the Zócalo. This bustling square has been the heart of the capital since the time of the Aztecs, and shows no signs of letting up. I drag Mr Smith through tightly packed crowds watching feather-headed dancers spin and whirl to a pounding drumbeat, to the Diego Rivera murals at the Palacio Nacional. After spending an hour or so admiring the epic frescoes, as chaotic and colourful as the culture from which they came, we head out to brave the burning sun amid the ruins of the Templo Mayor.

By 6pm, though, Mr Smith can bear no more. We jump into a green and white VW Beetle taxi and crawl along Mexico City’s traffic-clogged highways, watching people weave between the cars to hawk toys and chewing gum. Stepping out of our cab beside the park, we breathe simultaneous sighs of relief; it’s hard to imagine we’re still in the same city.

That night, we treat ourselves to dinner in the hotel’s El Patio restaurant. Seated at a table in the atrium, we begin with refreshing ginger and champagne cocktails, then I move onto melting black cod in tequila miso while Mr Smith tucks into hearty braised ribs with a roasted apple purée. The food is divine; the service impeccable. We roll out of the hotel with full bellies and head to low-key local bar La Botica, which serves 15 different kinds of mescal, a local tipple caustic enough to strip paint. Bravery buoyed by the cocktails back at Condesa DF, Señor Smith asks for the strongest one they have. Several shots and some chillied peanuts later, he’s a little worse for wear.

Next morning, as we sit up in bed with coffee and pastries, we reflect on our weekend. What’s not to like about Condesa DF? Nothing. The hotel is a peaceful haven in one of the most frenetic and extreme urban environments on earth; it also happens to be a stylish and fun boutique hotel with world-class food and service. And it has a dog on front-desk duties. I wonder whether – if I tickle his tummy – he’ll let us stay for another night.

 

Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/centralamericaandcaribbean/mexico/3549668/Condesa-DF-Mexico-City-hotel-review.html

 

Mexico City: My kind of town

Kevin Duncan, the author, on Mexico City’s amazing museums and fascinating architecture.

By Kevin Duncan
Published: 12:30PM BST 18 Aug 2009

Mexico City: My kind of town

Teotihuacán, ‘the place where men become gods’ is a 45-minute drive away

 

WHY MEXICO CITY? 
Because it is quite wonderful – sweeping wide boulevards fringed with palm trees, charming people and intriguing old and new architecture.

WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU RETURN? 
Type up my travel journal so I never forget any of the Mexican experience.

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO STAY? 
The Habita, Av Presidente Masaryk 201, Colonia Polanco (0052 55 5282 3100; hotelhabita.com; doubles from £117) is in the chic area just north of the Bosque de Chapultepec woods. It has minimalist decor, nouvelle cuisine and a trendy bar and pool on the roof that plays house music into the small hours (don’t worry – you can’t hear it in your room).

WHERE WOULD YOU MEET FRIENDS FOR A DRINK? 
The Museo Nacional de Antropología (5553 6381) on the Paseo de la Reforma. It is massive and beautifully done. There are 10 exhibition halls and the scale is staggering. Most impressive is a frieze, 50ft high and 100ft long, hewn out of volcanic rock and depicting multicoloured jaguar heads.

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE FOR LUNCH? 
The Palacio de Bellas Artes (5130 0900), a large art nouveau building in the historic centre, with a yellow dome and marble interior. The enormous murals depict every conceivable human emotion.

AND FOR DINNER? 
The top floor of the Majestic Hotel, on the terrace overlooking the huge Zócalo Square, the Plaza de la Constitución (5521 8600; www.majestic.com.mx) Enjoy a Victoria beer 200ft above this vast expanse, third only in scale to Tiananmen and Red Square. The flag is flanked by the Palacio Nacional, the Catedral Metropolitana and the Templo Major – Aztec remains discovered in the city centre in the Seventies.

WHERE WOULD YOU SEND A FIRST-TIME VISITOR?
Take the 45-minute drive to Teotihuacán, "the place where men become gods". This eight-mile square site represents only 10 per cent of a pre-Columbian city from AD 300 that housed 125,000 people. The extraordinary thing is that nobody knows who built it. Climb the massive Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon (the Spanish didn’t investigate them because they thought they were volcanoes). They are separated by the Avenue of the Dead, which is so enormous you could land a jumbo jet on it. Check out the auditorium, with acoustics so amazing they allow a person to speak at normal volume and still be heard by 100,000 people hundreds of yards away.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM TO AVOID? 
The Basilica de Guadalupe, the most-visited Catholic shrine in the Americas, in the Plaza de las Americas. It’s a massive auditorium that runs non-stop religious services and caters for mass rallies of 100,000 or more.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT OR TAXI? 
Take one of the city’s distinctive green and white VW beetle cabs.

HANDBAG OR MONEYBELT? 
Handbag. If you stick to the better parts of town you’ll be fine.

WHAT SHOULD I TAKE HOME
?

 

A Mayan ceremonial mask to hang on the wall. A wooden one will cost a fiver, or you can pay £500 for stunning obsidian and jade ones that will play havoc with your baggage allowance.

Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/centralamericaandcaribbean/mexico/6047907/Mexico-City-My-kind-of-town.html

 

New Mexico Software Ranked Number 471 Fastest Growing Company in North America on Deloitte’s 2010 Technology Fast 500™

Company Attributes 162% Revenue Growth to Its FDA 510k Cleared PACS System, Attention to Patient Care, and Quality Control Programs

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–New Mexico Software, Inc. (OTCBB:NMXC) today announced that it ranked number 471 on Technology Fast 500™, Deloitte’s ranking of 500 of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America. Rankings are based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth during the period from 2005–2009. New Mexico Software grew 162 percent during this period.

“Deloitte commends New Mexico Software for this impressive accomplishment.”

New Mexico Software CEO Dick Govatski credits the company’s FDA 510k cleared PACS system, attention to patient care, and quality control programs for the company’s 162% revenue growth. “I was extremely pleased to learn that our company was named to the Technology Fast 500™. The growth that we achieved was in large part due to the rapidly developing telemedicine marketplace. New Mexico Software is providing many new and unique technologies that will become even more important to the future of medicine in the coming years. In addition to radiology, we are growing in cardiology, neurology, tele-retinal, and dermatology practices. We’ll be seeing continued growth in our revenue in 2011,” Govatski said.

“New Mexico Software and the other 2010 Technology Fast 500™ winners forged ahead in a challenging economic environment to realize exceptional growth,” said Phil Asmundson, vice chairman and Deloitte’s U.S. technology, media and telecommunications leader. “Deloitte commends New Mexico Software for this impressive accomplishment.”

“New Mexico Software has proved itself to be one of the fastest growing tech companies in North America, and we are proud to honor them as one of the 2010 Technology Fast 500™,” said Mark Jensen, managing partner, venture capital services, Deloitte & Touche LLP.

This is the first year that New Mexico Software has been listed as a Technology Fast 500™ award winner.

For additional detail on the Technology Fast 500™ including selection and qualifying criteria, visit www.fast500.com.

About New Mexico Software, Inc.

New Mexico Software, Inc. develops and provides medical IT services and solutions that enable improved and faster communication within the preventative, comprehensive and critical healthcare segments. New Mexico also provides software and hardware that streamlines administrative processes for a more efficient working environment. For more information, visitwww.nmxc.net or www.nmxs.com or contact Dick Govatski, president and CEO, at 505-255-1999 or ceo@nmxs.com.

An investment profile on New Mexico Software may be found at http://www.hawkassociates.com/profile/nmxc.cfm. To receive future releases in e-mail alerts, sign up athttp://www.hawkassociates.com/about/alert.

For more investor-related questions contact Frank Hawkins, Hawk Associates, at 305-451-1888 or ceo@nmxs.com.

To subscribe to future releases via e-mail alert visit www.hawkassociates.com/about/alert/.

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), including all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) the company’s financing plans; (ii) trends affecting the company’s financial condition or results of operations; (iii) the company’s growth strategy and operating strategy; and (iv) the declaration and payment of dividends. The words “may,” “would,” “will,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend” and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company’s ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors including the risk disclosed in the company’s Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with the SEC.

Source:http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20101020005200/en/Mexico-Software-Ranked-Number-471-Fastest-Growing

 

Computer security at Tech questioned

Written by Suzanne Barteau   
Saturday, 16 October 2010 06:00

A procedural mishap at New Mexico Tech’s Computer Center may have allowed the Social Security numbers of a few thousand people to be publicly available to anyone with a Tech computer account for nearly five years.

 

 

William Colburn, Tech graduate, former Tech employee and Tech Community College instructor and current Tech student, said he found copies of an accounting file containing more than 3,000 Social Security numbers stored in two locations on a publicly searchable disk on the TCC server.

Tech’s Public Information Officer, Thom Guengerich, said the problem has been taken care of.

"We don’t dispute that some files were accidentally and inadvertently made open," Guengerich said, in a telephone interview on Thursday, Oct. 14. "When it came to the university’s attention, they were deleted."

Guengerich said the university has already addressed Colburn’s concerns, in a letter to the editor published in the Albuquerque Journal on Sept. 29 and reprinted in El Defensor Chieftain on Oct. 2. In the letter, Guengerich wrote that Colburn had discovered in 2005 that a small number of students’ Social Security numbers were "searchable on the Internet."

"When he pointed out the deficiency in our system, New Mexico Tech administrators took action to ‘plug the hole,’" the letter said.

According to Colburn, Guengerich’s letter doesn’t accurately reflect what he found, and when.

It was in January of this year, not 2005, Colburn said, that he found two copies a file stored on the TCC servers, containing not just his own personal Social Security number, but what appeared to be the Social Security numbers of at least 3,000 other people, if not more. According to Colburn, the copies had been created in 2005, and had been publicly available since they were created five years ago to any and all TCC users.

Colburn estimates that at any given time at least 3,000 people have a TCC account, including students, faculty and staff members and their spouses, alumni, NRAO employees and some visitors. Over the course of five years, considerably more than 3,000 people who have come and gone from the Tech community could have had access to them.

Alarmed by his discovery, on Jan. 18 Colburn wrote a letter to Tech’s Director of Information Services, Joe Franklin, containing the file name, along with its creation date and the two locations where he found it.

Franklin remembers receiving the letter.

"The way I understand it, he brought the letter to me because he felt the problem wasn’t being resolved over at the Computer Center," Franklin said. "I referred it to the vice president over the TCC, Dr. Peter Gerity, and they took care of it."

Shortly thereafter, Colburn looked again and the files were gone, but he wasn’t satisfied. "They were removed fairly quickly, but I got no response," he said. "The thing I’m upset about is Tech’s ongoing refusal to provide any accountability."

 

Alleged password theft

According to Colburn, he began raising concerns about security lapses at the TCC with Tech officials five years ago.

Like many Tech alumni, Colburn maintains an account on Tech’s computer system. In 2005, he said, he discovered that the security of his TCC account had been breached, and that a copy of his private e-mail and the "ssh DSA key" for his account had been placed on a publicly available disk where any one could read them.

"An ssh DSA key is a string of computer information that allows anyone to log in to an account without knowing the password," Colburn said. "Basically, it’s your password. My password was stolen, and made public."

Colburn filed a complaint, using the TCC’s ticket system for reporting a problem, or making a complaint or request.

When he checked again, his e-mail and key and been removed from the publicly available disk, but he said he never received any response or notification from the TCC answering his questions or informing him that the problem was being taken care of.

After repeated efforts, Colburn said, he gave up trying to find out how the problem had occurred, until he learned that the same thing had happened to at least one other TCC account holder. In this case, he alleged, not only was the password stolen, but other information, including tests and test results, was compromised.

Colburn said he filed yet another ticket, and received, some time later, a notice telling him that his ticket had been canceled, with no action taken.

At that point, he said, he sent multiple letters up the chain of command to Dr. Peter Gerity, Tech’s vice president for Academic Affairs, and received no response.

The complete lack of response, Colburn said, led him to believe that Tech was engaging in a cover-up. He decided to do his own investigation.

Colburn said he started by trying to search the TCC ticket system for any complaints, beginning with his own, of stolen passwords and private information being made public.

Colburn was an employee of the TCC from 1993 until 2004. As one of the people involved in creating the TCC ticket system, Colburn knew where to look, or so he thought.

"All those records, every ticket filed with the TCC, existed in a database program that was accessible in full to anyone with a TCC account until the summer of 2009," Colburn said.

Sometime in the summer of 2009, Colburn said, during the time when he wrote multiple letters to university officials that went unanswered, the database program was converted to a Web page and disappeared from public view. When he began searching for his own complaint and couldn’t find it, he decided to make a formal Inspection of Public Records Act request, asking to be allowed to inspect all the tickets in the TCC ticket system.

"This really started with me trying to find my own ticket that I filed," he said.

Tech’s response was to inform Colburn, in writing, that his request would cost him nearly $18,000, payable in advance. The reason given for the fee was that the ticket system contained almost 18,000 records, any of which might contain exempt information, such as a student ID number or Social Security number. Each ticket would have to be printed out, and an employee would have to be assigned to manually redact any exempt information.

Eventually, in November 2009, Colburn filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office. While waiting for the AG to investigate, Colburn came across the file containing all the Social Security numbers.

 

How it could have happened

Colburn said he has since written letters about the Social Security numbers being publicly available to numerous people, including Rep. Don Tripp, and Sens. Howie Morales and David Ulibarri, 7th Judicial District Attorney Clint Wellborn, Attorney General Gary King, the US Department of Education Family Compliance Office, and the Social Security Fraud Hotline.

In the meantime, Colburn said he believes he has discovered how the problem occurred, by searching the internet.

According to a TCC ticket he found "via Google" Colburn said, the information stored on two TCC disks named "lithium" and "thorium" was backed up onto a specific TCC server on March 11, 2005.

"Thorium contained old accounting records," Colburn said. "(The server) is where I found the Social Security numbers. The date of (that ticket) corresponds to the date the file was created."

Colburn said he believes the security lapses were accidental.

"It’s easy to understand how it could have happened," he said. "The problem is, they don’t appear to care. They’re not investigating it, they’re just covering it up instead of doing anything about it."

An example of what Colburn characterizes as a desire to cover-up the lapses is the new license agreement he was told he must sign in order to keep his TCC account. Inserted at the bottom of the agreement is the statement, "All communication with the TCC becomes the property of the TCC and is not governed by the Public Records Act. I, the user, understand, acknowledge, and agree to be bound by the conditions outlined in this document."

Colburn said he had consulted with the Attorney General’s Office and was told the clause wasn’t enforceable. In a telephone interview on Sept. 2, Sarah Welsh, executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, explained, saying that the Inspection of Public Records Act would still apply.

"They can try to make things confidential by fiat," Welsh said, "But you can’t just make up your own exemptions. The TCC is still a public entity."

El Defensor Chieftain called Gerity’s office on Tuesday Oct. 12, and was referred to Guengerich.

In a telephone interview on Tuesday, Oct. 12, Guengerich said he had spoken with Mike Topliff, director of the TCC, and been assured that the archive containing Social Security numbers that was inadvertently made publicly available was not in fact available for five years. Guengerich said, however, that he didn’t have sufficient details or dates to adequately and appropriately respond to Colburn’s allegations.

In a telephone interview on Wednesday, Oct. 13, Topliff, who has held his position since 1995, said he would have to research the matter more thoroughly before responding to specific questions, and that any response would have to be cleared through Gerity.

El Defensor Chieftain made three more calls to Gerity’s office between Tuesday, Oct. 12, and Friday, Oct. 15, that were not returned.

 

Still no word

Meanwhile, Colburn is still waiting to hear from Tech about those public records he asked to inspect.

"They told the Attorney General’s Office and the newspapers that they were going to make them available to me, but they’ve never told me that," he said in a telephone interview on Tuesday, Oct. 12. "As of today, Tech has not contacted me at all to inform me when or how they will fulfil my request. They have not provided me with a single record."

Guengerich said the university is currently working on Colburn’s request.

"My understanding is that Joe Franklin has written a program to redact any exempt information in the records, but that a person is still required to go through and check each one manually to verify that no confidential information was missed," he said.

Guengerich said the plan is to make the records available for Colburn to inspect, in batches of 500, as soon as possible.

"The reason for the delay in contacting Mr. Colburn is that the administration is waiting on an answer from legal counsel and the Attorney General’s Office as to whether the proposed method and delivery is acceptable to the state," Guengerich said.

 

Souce:http://www.dchieftain.com/dc/index.php/news/2263-computer-security-at-tech-questioned.html 

Totvs e IBM firman alianza para México

Sólidas tecnologías así como experiencia y conocimiento de mercado e industrias, en esta alianza

Uniendo esfuerzos en pro de la adopción tecnológica por parte de las Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas de nuestro país, TOTVS e IBM, firmaron recientemente una alianza, a través de la cual buscan crear una solución integral, robusta y confiable con la cual las PyMEs puedan enfrentar los retos de negocio que les plantea la actual dinámica económica. 

Con esta alianza TOTVS podrá ofrecer una solución completa, mediante el conjunto de sus aplicaciones potenciadas por el software de IBM. La oferta permite cubrir las necesidades de todas las áreas y procesos de las organizaciones y resolver sus problemas en forma integral, a un precio muy competitivo. El software de IBM que forma parte de las soluciones de TOTVS, incluye productos de Information Management para explotar el valor de la información, Lotus para lograr un ambiente colaborativo más inteligente y Tivoli para simplificar el control de la infraestructura. 

Por medio de este acuerdo, TOTVS se constituye en un proveedor “one-stop-shop”, ofreciendo soluciones completas para sus clientes. El acuerdo forma parte de una alianza implementada a nivel regional, que inició en Brasil y ahora continúa en México, a fin de ampliar la presencia y cobertura con la que ambas compañías cuentan, extendiendo sus fuerzas de ventas y la red de sus canales, así como aprovechando las fortalezas tecnológicas y el conocimiento de industrias y mercados que ambas poseen.  

“Existe una gran complementación en nuestros productos, es por eso que tenemos la certeza de que esta alianza traerá beneficios importantes a los clientes. Ambas corporaciones tienen un gran conocimiento de las necesidades del mercado y la experiencia conjunta será de gran utilidad para los clientes que decidan utilizar estas soluciones”, declaró Rodrigo Nasser, Director General de TOTVS México. 

Por su parte, José Luis Martínes Robles, SW Industry Frameworks and IDR Sales Manager en IBM de México señaló “En IBM de México estamos comprometidos en proveer la mejor tecnología a las organizaciones a fin de que logren su objetivos de rentabilidad, crecimiento y desarrollo” y agregó: “Estamos seguros de que esta alianza será de gran beneficio para todos y en especial, a la pequeña y mediana empresa de nuestro país”. 

 Reference: MUNDO-CONTACT 2010. Portal de Convergencia y Tecnología. Publicado el 20 de Octubre de 2010 en:

http://mundo-contact.com/enlinea_detalle.php?recordID=19877 

Al Gore to speak in Tijuana about new Technologies and the Environment

Former Vice President Al Gore will address a conference in Tijuana about the cutting-edge technologies that have put the Mexican border city on the world map.

 

Gore, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, will deliver a keynote address on Oct. 14, a day devoted to the theme of sustainability during the “Tijuana Innovadora 2010” conference.

 

His talk will focus on the new technologies industries are using to protect the environment, said one of the conference coordinators, Alejandro Bustamante.

 

Gore is the author of “An Inconvenient Truth,” a best-selling book about the threat global warming poses to mankind and some possible solutions. That’s also the subject of a movie with the same name, considered one of the most influential films ever made. In 2007, the movie won two Oscars for Best Documentary Feature and Best Original Song.

 

Bustamante said the participation of a leader of Gore’s stature in “an event that’s 100 per cent Tijuanan” underscores an improvement in the city’s image, setting the table for new investment.

 

“One of the basic goals of the Tijuana Innovadora conference is to send a message to the world that the city is more than bad news, it’s an optimal site to develop all kinds of industries,” said Bustamante, president of Tijuana’s operations of Plantronics, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of lightweight communication headsets.

 

The conference also features three other Nobel Prize winners – Robert Aumann (economy), and Robert Grubbs and Mario Molina (both chemistry) – as well as innovation leaders Francis Fukuyama, Xani Jardin, Jim Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, among others.

 

Reference: TIJUANA INNOVADORA 2010. Published on:

http://www.tijuanainnovadora.com/eng/details.php?idBoletin=14 

Manufacturing plants open their doors to media

A group of national and international journalists on Monday got a peek inside one of this city´s manufacturing plants that builds components for leading oil and energy companies.

Their tour was one of the events supporting the conference Tijuana Innovadora, which is showcasing the technology being developed and used in key industries in the city.

Turbotec manufactures components for industrial turbines and repairs and refurbishes these machines, one of its engineers, Erik Colón, told the journalists.

The plant, built in 1989, employs 954 people, and serves companies such as Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), Petróleos Brasileños (Petrobras), Sempra Energy, among others in 92 countries. It´s a subsidiary of Solar Turbines, based in San Diego, Calif.

Colón said Turbotec had not laid off employees despite the recession of the last two years. Though they had cut back on buying new machines, his clients had opted to repair the equipment they already had.

The engineer added that his company plans to open a plant like Turbotec in the Czech Republic whose personnel will be trained by the engineers who work in Tijuana, given their high degree of qualification.

 

 

 
Reference: TIJUANA INNOVADORA 2010. Published on: