HSBC CEO says complex structure had left it open to crime

LONDON (Reuters) - HSBC's biggest ever restructuring had been necessary to simplify the bank's complex structure and wide geographical spread which had made it attractive to money-laundering criminals, its Chief Executive said.

"Our structure was not fit for purpose for a modern world," Stuart Gulliver told lawmakers on a British banking inquiry on Wednesday.

HSBC was fined $1.9 billion in December, the largest ever paid by a bank, followed a U.S. investigation into its Mexican and U.S. operations that made scathing criticism of its anti-money-laundering systems. The lax controls allowed two cartels to move $881 million in drug proceeds through the bank, according to U.S. prosecutors.

"To be honest, our geographic footprint became very attractive to trans-national criminal organizations, whether they are terrorist in origin or criminal in origin," Gulliver said.

After taking the helm at the start of 2011, Gulliver centralized control and created global business operations, taking much of the control out of the hands of regional managers.

"It's the biggest organizational change in this firm since 1865 and we did it to deal with the weaknesses," Gulliver said.

HSBC's problems in Mexico stemmed from its purchase of Grupo Financiero Bital in 2002, which was bought cheaply as it was distressed. HSBC Chairman Douglas Flint said the bank was too slow to improve its systems and controls.

"There were things we were not aware of, and standards we believed were being applied that were not," Flint said.

(Reporting by Steve Slater; Editing by Dan Lalor and Elaine Hardcastle)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hsbc-structure-not-fit-purpose-two-years-ago-103431337--finance.html

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PocketDesktop (16GB)

Though our technological world may be getting more mobile and more personal, there's still a lot out there that is neither. Whether it's a shared PC at work or school, or a stranger's desktop, there are plenty of instances where you might want a portable, secure, personal computing environment. Enter the PocketDesktop, a USB flash drive small enough to put in your pocket, but filled to the brim with tools to let you safely and securely work on public and shared systems. It's one part bootable OS-on-a-stick, one-part USB software toolkit. And while it may not appeal to everyone, it's an easy solution for those who may need it.

Design
The PocketDesktop is an unassuming flash drive?our review unit was 16GB?measuring 2.6 by 0.25 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and measuring 0.3 ounce. It's small enough to add to a keychain without adding any appreciable bulk. Unlike most flash drives, however, you won't be buying the PocketDesktop for the storage capacity, but for what's already on the drive.

The drive is pretty plain as far as hardware goes, with a USB 2.0 connection, an aluminum body with a blue PocketDesktop logo, and a black plastic cap. There's a tether point on the back end for a lanyard or key ring, but nowhere to store the cap while the drive is in use. In all honesty, the PocketDesktop looks a whole lot like the generic 1GB to 2GB drives given away at corporate events. However, the hardware doesn't need to be particularly amazing, since the main functionality is software-based.

Our 16GB review unit sells for $59.95 (plus $7.95 shipping and handling), working out to roughly $4.24 per GB. This is pretty steep for a 16GB flash drive, even with the included software. For comparison, the Kingston DataTraveler Workspace (32GB) is a similar product?offering a bootable version of Windows 8?which sells for $2.80 per GB. And for more specific uses there are more affordable alternatives, like the Victorinox Swiss Army Slim Flight, which offers private zero-footprint Web browsing. And plenty of drives offer password protection and secure partitions for keeping private data private, including both the Victorinox Slim Flight and the Editors' Choice SanDisk Extreme 3.0 (64GB).

Features and Performance
The main feature of the PocketDesktop is a bootable secure desktop environment. The Pocket Desktop OS is a tweaked Linux distro, but because the OS is read-only and operates in a closed environment, it does offer a measure of security that the average bootable copy of Ubuntu or Puppy Linux won't offer. It also offers security for the owner of the PC?once you're booted into the Private OS, you won't be able to access the host PC's local storage, and will be operating entirely outside of the installed operating system. It's also usable on nearly any PC, regardless of operating system?any Windows, Mac, or Linux PC that allows booting from a flash drive should be supported.

Also found on the bootable drive are a few dozen applications and utilities. Included on all models are Firefox, Avast, Thunderbird, Pidgin, Open Office (Writer, Math, Base, Draw, Impress), Adobe Reader, Skype, Dropbox, Transmission (Bit Torrent Client), Rhythmbox music player, Totem video player, KeePass password manager, along with a generic calculator and a file recovery manager.

The 8GB and 16GB models?including our review unit?get two scoops of goodies, adding GIMP (Image Editor), Bluefish (HTML Editor), Efax, GNU Cash, Home Bank, Planner, Scribus (Print and Page Layout), Epiphany Web browser, Ekiga (Net Meeting and VoIP), Xchat (IRC Chat Client), GMud (MUD and MU* Client), Vinagre (Remote Desktop Viewer), Amazonmp3 (Downloader), Brasero (CD/DVD Burner), Dasher (Predictive Text Entry), Filezilla (FTP Client), Gdesklets (Desktop Widgets), Gnome Scan (Scanner Utility), Grip (CD Player and Ripper), Orca (Accessibility Screen Reader), and Tomboy (Note Taking).

Now, it is definitely worth pointing out that all of these programs?all of them?are available for free, in USB executable form, through sites like PortableApps.com and PortableFreeware.com. And if you don't need the PocketDesktop's read-only version of Linux, there are plenty of DIY alternatives available as well. For some of our readers, putting Linux and freeware on a bootable flash drive is an afternoon diversion?but those readers aren't the intended market for this product. PocketDesktop is aimed at folks who want those tools, but are willing to pay $20 to $60 to get it in a ready-to-use form factor.

Using the drive is fairly straightforward, if a bit underwhelming. Plug the drive into a USB port and fire up the system, pressing F2 or F6, (or whichever key your system uses for the boot menu) and select the device labeled "Private OS." Booting from the drive, it will open up a desktop environment?that looks like a kludgy refugee from the late 90s. If you were hoping for the slick graphics of modern Windows or Mac operating systems, you will be disappointed.

Once you're booted into the desktop, you're good to go. The remaining storage space on the drive is mounted as the system drive while the hard drive of the host PC will be inaccessible (it won't even show up). Using the included tools and programs, you can now do all of your Web browsing, document editing, and other sundry activities safe from any viruses or malware that might be on the host PC. When you disconnect the drive, you won't have to worry about leaving any digital breadcrumbs behind or forgetting to log out of sensitive web services like your banking or insurance accounts.

I did run into two odd quirks while testing, however. The first was network access; while I was able to access my network in PC Labs, I couldn't connect to my home network during off-site testing. Also, once the PocketDesktop is booted up, the audio control reverts to its default setting, namely maximum volume. Given that I usually mute my speakers to reduce distractions, the unexpected volume change was something of an unwelcome surprise.

If you're the sort who looks at the PocketDesktop and scoffs that you can do the same for free, it really isn't meant for you. It's meant for your in-laws, your boss, your kids, anyone who may want those same tools in a convenient prepackaged device. Unfortunately, the end result is underwhelming, and the very folks that would need it will likely opt to use the more familiar?and potentially insecure?operating system already on the host PC. Ultimately, while the idea is a good one, the final product is a little too opaque and unpolished.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the PocketDesktop with several other flash drives side by side.

More flash drives reviews:
??? PocketDesktop (16GB)
??? LaCie XtremKey USB 3.0 (32GB)
??? Victorinox Swiss Army 16GB Jetsetter Flash Drive
??? Kingston DataTraveler Workspace (32GB)
??? LaCie PetiteKey (16GB)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/l9bft8s3Hl4/0,2817,2414975,00.asp

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Don?t Mess With The GOOG

A couple of years ago I wrote in this space: "A spectre is haunting Mountain View. No, not bed bugs: bit rot. Google is in serious decline." Well, credit where it's due. These days Google has put its problems behind it and is soaring from strength to strength. Contenders keep coming and trying to claim its crown--and failing. I give you Apple Maps and Facebook's Graph Search as an example.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/uUgHvSXcFic/

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Bus hits overpass in Boston, injuring dozens

BOSTON (AP) ? A charter bus carrying high school students from Pennsylvania crashed when it attempted to pass under a low bridge in Boston on Saturday night, injuring more than 30 people, several seriously, and leaving some trapped inside for hours, authorities said.

The students had been in the area to visit Harvard University. The bus, which was carrying 42 students and adult chaperones, was heading back to the Philadelphia area when it struck an overpass on Soldier's Field Road, a major crosstown road, at around 7:30 p.m., Massachusetts State Police said.

Authorities said the Calvary Coach bus did not belong on that road, which was not authorized for over-sized vehicles, and State Police were investigating whether charges were warranted against the driver, who apparently failed to see a sign prohibiting the vehicle from taking that route.

Ray Talmedge, owner of the Philadelphia-based Calvary Coach Bus company, said his driver was being interviewed by police. Talmedge said the driver, who also drives a school bus, didn't know about the road restrictions.

The students were part of a Destined for a Dream Foundation group, Talmedge said. Officials with the Bristol, Pa.-based group, a nonprofit that helps underprivileged youth, had no immediate comment on the crash.

The group's Facebook page said the trip to Harvard was to "visit the campus, sit with the office of cultural advancement, followed by a tour of the campus ... followed by Harvard Square (shopping, eating, site seeing...etc...) This should be a fun time for all!"

The bus suffered significant damage in the crash.

State police said at least 32 people were injured, including three seriously. Photos posted on the Fire Department's website showed firefighters standing on the top of the bus using boards to extract people. The last victim was freed from the bus around 9 p.m., according to the department.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority sent buses to pick up non-injured passengers and get them out of the frigid temperatures.

Soldiers Field Road curves along the Charles River and passes by Harvard and Boston University. It is a major roadway to the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bus-hits-overpass-boston-injuring-more-30-034112168.html

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How to Watch Super Bowl 47

This Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers will battle the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl 47. The action will air on CBS. Kickoff is at 6:30PM ET. Here's how to watch it no matter where you are. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/hXSjD2CIn8c/how-to-watch-super-bowl-47

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The Religious Right Is Still Mad About Getting What It Wanted on Birth Control

Today, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced a compromise on the contraception mandate. The proposal lets religious organizations opt out of directly providing women with birth control, while still ensuring that women get contraception at no extra charge from health insurance providers. The work-around basically grants certain religious organizations an exception from the birth-control mandate due to their moral objections. But women employed by these groups would still get contraception without extra co-pays.?HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement that the deal will give "women across the nation with coverage of recommended preventive care at no cost, while respecting religious concerns."?

RELATED: It's International Women's Day, Do You Know Where Your GIFs Are?

This controversy first broke?in late 2011 and early 2012 amidst debate over the Patient?Protection and Affordable Care Act.?The Obama administration's health-care reforms require religious organizations to provide contraception as part of the health insurance packages their employees?receive.?The Washington Post's E.J. Dionne summed up objections from Catholics and others in the religious right pretty well when he wrote:

I think the Church's leaders had a right to ask for broader relief from a contraception mandate that would require it to act against its own teachings. The administration should have done more to balance the competing liberty interests here.

Well, the new compromise reconciles those competing liberty interests pretty well, doesn't it? Everyone wins in this birth-control middle-man scenario: Women's health-care provisions remain in tact, and churches aren't required to do anything they find immoral. But if you think everyone's happy with today's contraception compromise, you underestimate the fury of the religious right:

RT @tobincommentary: White House retreat on contraception mandate is inadequate. Religious freedom still at risk. ow.ly/hlkLZ

? Commentary Magazine (@Commentary) February 1, 2013

Dear Carney: Women already have ACCESS to birth control pills. Stop using language to twist. What you're talking about is who pays for it.

? Jedediah Bila (@JedediahBila) February 1, 2013

We just posted: Revised HHS birth control mandate continues to violate religious freedom bit.ly/Xd5pPx

? Bound4LIFE (@Bound4LIFE) February 1, 2013

Obama administration issues bogus compromise on contraception mandate ow.ly/hl0vN

? Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) February 1, 2013

ObamaCare still mandates contraception coverage, but here's the White House's latest attempt to pretend it doesn't bit.ly/UKhQ8s

? Herman Cain (@THEHermanCain) February 1, 2013

It seems as though nothing short of stripping contraception from health-care plans entirely will satisfy certain members of this debate. In any case, it's weird to see so many tempers flare over this move just now, because?as noted by Slate's Amanda Marcotte?the Department of Health and Human Services reached a pretty similar compromise?a year ago anyway. Back then, the Catholic Health Association was happy with the solution, saying, "A resolution has been reached that protects the religious liberty and conscience rights of Catholic institutions."?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/religious-still-mad-getting-wanted-birth-control-221439851.html

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Television section

For the week of Jan. 14-20

1. AFC Championship: Baltimore vs. New England, CBS, 47.71 million.

2. "AFC Championship Post-Game," CBS, 25.95 million.

3. "NCIS," CBS, 22.86 million.

4. "American Idol" (Wednesday), Fox, 17.93 million.

5. "NCIS: Los Angeles," CBS, 17.64 million.

6. "American idol" (Thursday), Fox, 16.23 million.

7. "Hawaii Five-0" (Sunday), CBS, 13.03 million.

8. "Criminal Minds," CBS, 12.64 million.

9. "2 Broke Girls," CBS, 12.45 million.

10. "The Big Bang Theory" (Monday, 8:30 p.m.), CBS, 11.7 million.

Source: http://www.today.com/id/3032450/ns/today-entertainment/

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