Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category

Brazil Misses Enough Infrastructure for Chip Production

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008

Acording to Hector Ruiz, AMD CEO, in an interview to IDGNow! in Brazil, Brazil and Latin America don’t have enough infrastructure to receive a semiconductor factory, discarding any chances to build a new AMD factory in Brazil.

US$ 4 billions in investments, and 4 years, would be needed to build a new factory in Brazil, besides more government support and fiscal incentives, tax reduction and donations, and investiments on better roads, railroads, airports and ports.

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Brazilian Culture Minister Defends Free Access to Music

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

The singer and Brazilian Culture Minister, Gilberto Gil, in an interview to the spanish newspaper La Vanguardia told that the access to music should free (as in beer).

Acording to the minister “the cultural consuming laws shoud be changed” and “the access to the music should be free, free of charge, qualityful. The authour should be paid” but the gratuitousness should be in first place.

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Free Internet Access for All Public Schools in Brazil

Thursday, April 10th, 2008

The brazilian federal government has lauched in April/08 the project “Broadband in Schools”, to offer broadband internet access to all public schools in Brazil. The project offers broadband access to all urban schools around the country, 55,000 schools, connecting 37 millions of students and teatchers.

The project was made possible due to negociations between government and broadband access companies: Telefonica (Spain), Sercontel (Brazil), Brasil Telecom (Brazil/Italy), CTBC (Brazil), Oi/Telemar (Brazil), to provide low-cost broadband all across the country.

The companies will provide for free 1 Mbps links for all the 55,000 schools included in the project. At 2011 the link will raise to 2 Mbps.

Although it my sounds as philanthropy these companies are doing nothing beyond their duties. 1% of their sales must be redirect to FUST (Telecomunication Services Universalisation Fund). A government fund to make telecomunication services avaiable for low income families.

Linux Voting Machines Save US$ 8 Millions in Brazil

Sunday, April 6th, 2008

Brazilian Goverment will save US$ 8 Millions in election between 2008 and 2018. The economy is due to the use of Linux in the eletronic voting machines, made by Procomp-Diebold, it will also offer better transparency to the election process. The vulnerability tests were avaiable for anyone last saturday, April 5th, and the system will be open for propouses of modification until a month before elections.

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