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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2015)
AS IA / PAC IF IC Page 4 TH E A S IAN R EPOR T ER Feb rua r y 16 , 2015 Japan read ie s f i r s t robo t to p robe me l ted Fu ku sh ima reac to r B y M ik i Toda Th e A s s o c ia t ed P r e s s H T INY ISLAND , HUGE CELEBRAT ION .F o rm e r b i s h o p S o a n e P a t i t a P a i n i M a f i l e a v e s a t t h e e n d o f a s p e c i a l c o n s i s t o r y w i t h c a r d i n a l s a n d b i s h o p s i n S y n o d h a l l a t t h e V a t i c a n o n F e b r u a r y 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 . M a f i w a s o n e o f 2 0 c a r d i n a l s r e c e n t l y e l e v a t e d b y t h e p o p e . H e i s a n o u t l i e r n o t o n l y i n g e o g r a p h y , b u t a l s o i n a g e : A t 5 3 , h e i s t h e y o u n g e s t m em b e r o f t h e C o l l e g e o f C a r d i n a l s . ( A P P h o t o / A n d r ew M e d i c h i n i ) Tonga ce leb ra te s i t s f i r s t Ca tho l ic ca rd ina l B y N i ck P e r r y and N i co l e W in f i e ld Th e A s s o c ia t ed P r e s s W ELL INGTON , N ew Z ea land — Chu r ch e s d o t the heav i ly Ch r i s t ian , t iny i s land o f T onga eve rywhe re and ch o i r s can b e h ea rd s ing ing on any day o f the week , s o many in th e Pa c i f i c na t i on o f 106 ,000 a re ove r joyed tha t th e Ca th o l i c Chu r ch mad e a T ongan a ca rd ina l fo r th e f i r s t t im e ev en th ough a ma j o r i ty o f i s lande r s a re P r o t e s tan t . B i sh op Soane Pa t i ta Pa in i Ma f i wa s on e o f 20 ca rd ina l s e l eva t ed by the pope on F eb rua ry 14 , 2015 . H e i s an ou t l i e r n o t on ly in geog raphy , bu t a l s o in ag e : A t 53 , h e i s th e y oung e s t membe r o f the C o l l eg e o f Ca rd ina l s . Ju s t ge t t ing to the Va t i can p r ov ed a cha l l eng e f o r Ma f i . H e n e ed ed to f i r s t f ly abou t 500 m i l e s t o F i j i and wa i t th e r e s ev e ra l day s to ge t h i s v i sa , b e cau s e T onga i s t o o sma l l t o i s su e them . “W e l l eve rybody he re in T onga i s ju s t s o su rp r i s ed , ” sa id th e R ev . Lu tov iko F inau , wh o i s r e sp on s ib l e f o r th e T ongan Ca tho l i c chu r ch in Ma f i ’ s ab s en c e . “W e a r e s o happy abou t i t . So g ra te fu l a s w e l l . ” Ma f i r ep re sen t s a chu r ch and r eg i on g rapp l ing w i th c l ima t e change , wh i ch i s on e o f th e ma j o r c on c e rn s o f P op e F ran c i s . In a re cen t in te rv i ew w i th th e J e su i t maga z in e Am e r i ca, Ma f i spoke ab ou t th e “p e rman en t vu ln e rab i l i ty ” l ow - ly ing Pa c i f i c i s land s su ch a s T onga fa c e f r om g l oba l wa rm ing . F ran c i s ha s sa id c l ima t e chang e i s m o s t ly manmad e and i s expe c ted to lay ou t h i s ca l l f o r g r ea t e r s t ewa rd sh ip o f g od ’ s c rea t ion in an up c om ing en cy c l i ca l tha t ha s e la t ed env i r onmen ta l i s t s and a la rm ed c l ima t e - chang e sk ep t i c s , in c lud ing tho se w i th in th e chu r ch . Ma f i ’ s ré sumé l i s t s pay ing a t t en t i on t o th e n e ed s o f th e d i sadvan taged and wom en a s a p r i o r i ty . H e g r ew up in a r e l ig i ou s fam i ly , and bo th h i s g rand fa th e r and fa th e r w e r e chu r ch ca te ch i s t s . The R ev . S epa Maka sa id th e r e wa s n o e l e c t r i c i ty in Tonga when Ma f i wa s y oung . H e sa id b e f o r e tu rn ing to the sem ina ry , Ma f i wa s a f r e e sp i r i t “wh o d id wha t h e wa s do ing a c co rd ing t o th e w ind . ” Ma f i a t tended a yea r a t S t . Pa t r i ck ’ s C o l l eg e in W e l l ing t on in pa r t to imp r ov e h i s Eng l i sh . N ew Z ea land e r P e t e r G regan sa id Ma f i b oa rd ed w i th h i s la t e m o th e r , wh o had su f f e red a s t roke , and h e lp ed h e r c o ok and c l ean . H e th en en te red the Pa c i f i c R eg i ona l S em ina ry in F i j i . Th e R ev . M i chae l O ’Conn o r , th e r e c t o r , sa id tha t l ik e th e o th e r s tuden t s , Ma f i w ou ld h e lp on th e p lan ta t i on s , ha rv e s t ing ca s sava , ta lo , and banana s . H e sa id Ma f i wa s a k e en sp o r t sman , p lay ing rugby , a sp o r t wh i ch ha s n ow b e en banned f rom the sem ina ry b e cau s e o f th e numb e r o f in ju r i e s . “H e ’ s a ve ry wa rm pe r s on , g en t l e , ” O ’C onn o r sa id . “H e ’ s d o e sn ’ t go fo r a lo t o f sh ow . H e ’ s v e ry humb l e . ” Ma f i a l so s tud ied pa s to ra l c oun s e l l ing a t L oy o la C o l l eg e in Ma ry land . He be cam e a v i c e r e c t o r a t th e s em ina ry in F i j i and wa s con se c ra ted c oad ju t o r b i sh op f o r T onga in 2007 , tak ing ove r a s b i sh op th e f o l l ow ing y ea r . H e r e cen t ly to ld the S IR n ew s ag en cy o f th e I ta l ian b i sh op s ’ con fe ren ce tha t h i s chu r ch r ep r e s en t s th e p e r iph e ry tha t F ran c i s o f t en sp eak s ab ou t , and tha t th e chu r ch ha s to rea ch ou t in pa r t i cu la r t o th e p o o r , th o s e on th e ma rg in s , and tho se wh o a r e o f t en ov e r l o ok ed b e cau s e th ey a r en ’ t b ig p laye r s in th e w o r ld . C o n t i n u e d o n p a g e 2 4 ITACH I , Japan — A snak e - l ik e r ob o t d e s ign ed t o exam in e th e in s id e o f on e o f th r e e m e l t ed r ea c t o r s a t th e Fuku sh ima Da i - i ch i nu c l ea r p lan t i s r eady t o b eg in i t s exp ed i t i on . A s s e s s ing th e damag e in s id e th e r ea c t o r s i s a c ru c ia l s t ep in th e d e c omm i s s i on ing o f th e p lan t , wh i ch wa s bad ly damag ed by th e 2011 ea r thquak e and t sunam i . U s e o f a r em o t e - c on t r o l l ed r ob o t i s e s s en t ia l b e cau s e n o human s can g o c l o s e t o th e r ea c t o r chamb e r s b e cau s e o f th e i r fa ta l ly h igh rad ia t i on l ev e l s . U s ing in f o rma t i on ga th e r ed by th e r ob o t , th e p lan t op e ra t o r , T oky o E l e c t r i c P ow e r C o . , p lan s t o r epa i r th e damag ed chamb e r s en ough s o th ey can b e f i l l ed w i th wa t e r in p r epa ra t i on f o r th e r em ova l o f m e l t ed rad i oa c t iv e d eb r i s , p lann ed in ab ou t a d e cad e . Th e tw o - f o o t - l ong r ob o t , d ev e l op ed by e l e c t r on i c s g ian t H i ta ch i and i t s nu c l ea r a f f i l ia t e H i ta ch i -GE Nu c l ea r En e rgy , wa s d em on s t ra t ed a t a H i ta ch i -GE fa c i l i ty in H i ta ch i , n o r th ea s t o f T oky o . I t ha s a lamp a t th e f r on t and i s d e s ign ed t o c raw l l ik e a snak e th r ough a f ou r - in ch -w id e p ip e in t o th e c on ta inm en t v e s s e l . F r om th e r e i t mu s t dang l e and d e s c end on t o a s t e e l -m e sh p la t f o rm ju s t b e l ow th e r ea c t o r c o r e . Th e r e , th e r ob o t i s t o t ran s f o rm in t o a U - shap e au t o - d r iv e c raw l e r and cap tu r e l iv e imag e s and t emp e ra tu r e and rad ia t i on l ev e l s and t ran sm i t th em t o a c on t r o l s ta t i on ou t s id e th e bu i ld ing . A f t e r i t s t r ip , t e chn i c ian s p lan t o s t o r e th e r ob o t in a sh i e ld ed b ox b e cau s e o f i t s ex t r em e ly h igh rad i oa c t iv i ty , and i t w i l l n o t b e r eu s ed . D i f f e r en t r ob o t s mu s t b e d e s ign ed f o r ea ch r ea c t o r , s in c e a l l a r e s l igh t ly d i f f e r en t . C ompu t e r s imu la t i on s ind i ca t e tha t a l l o f th e fu e l r od s in th e Un i t 1 r ea c t o r p r obab ly m e l t ed and f e l l t o th e b o t t om o f th e c on ta inm en t chamb e r , bu t un t i l n ow th e r e ha s b e en n o way o f c on f i rm ing tha t . A b r i e f f ib e r s c op e ob s e rva t i on wa s c ondu c t ed in 2012 bu t th e imag e s w e r e s c ra t chy and l im i t ed . B e cau s e o f th e r ea c t o r damag e , la rg e v o lum e s o f c o o l ing wa t e r c on t inu e t o l eak f r om th em , cau s ing c on tam ina t i on and hamp e r ing th e p lan t ’ s c l eanup p r o c e s s . A s s o c i a t e d P r e s s w r i t e r M a r i Y am a g u c h i i n T o k y o c o n t r i b u t e d t h i s r e p o r t . MOB ILE MON ITOR . A r em o t e - c o n t r o l l e d r o b o t ( t o p p h o t o ) t h a t l o o k s l i k e a n e n l a r g e d f i b e r s c o p e m o v e s o n a d e c k i n s i d e t h e m o c k - u p o f a p r im a r y c o n t a i nm e n t c h am b e r ( b o t t om p h o t o ) d u r i n g a d em o n s t r a - t i o n f o r t h e m e d i a a t a g o v e r nm e n t f a c i l i t y i n H i t a c h i , I b a r a k i p r e f e c t u r e . T h e s n a k e - l i k e r o b o t , d e v e l o p e d b y J a p a n e s e e l e c t r o n i c s g i a n t H i t a c h i a n d i t s n u c l e a r a f f i l i a t e H i t a c h i -G E N u c l e a r E n e r g y , i s r e a d y t o e x am i n e t h e d am a g e i n s i d e t h e U n i t 1 r e a c t o r a t t h e F u k u s h im a D a i - i c h i n u c l e a r p l a n t , w h i c h w a s b a d l y d am a g e d b y t h e 2 0 1 1 e a r t h q u a k e a n d t s u n am i . ( A P P h o t o /S h i z u o K am b a y a s h i ) Ea ve sd ropp ing conce rn s in Sam sung sma r t TV s B y Youk yun g L e e AP T e chn o l o g y W r i t e r S EOUL , S ou th K o r ea — Wa t ch wha t y ou say in y ou r l iv ing r o om . Sam sung ’ s sma r t TV c ou ld b e l i s t en ing . And sha r ing . A t l ea s t tha t ’ s wha t y ou ’d c on c lud e in r ead ing Sam sung ’ s p r iva cy p o l i cy f o r sma r t t e l ev i s i on s . V o i c e r e c ogn i - t i on t e chn o l ogy in Sam sung ’ s in t e r - n e t - c onn e c t ed t e l ev i s i on s cap tu r e and t ran sm i t n ea rby c onv e r sa t i on s . Th e p o l i cy wa rn s , “P l ea s e b e awa r e tha t i f y ou r sp ok en w o rd s in c lud e p e r s ona l o r o th e r s en s i t iv e in f o rma t i on , tha t in f o rma t i on w i l l b e am ong th e da ta cap tu r ed and t ran sm i t t ed t o a th i rd pa r ty th r ough y ou r u s e o f V o i c e R e c ogn i t i on . ” In a b l og p o s t , Sam sung sa id i t i s r em ov ing tha t s en t en c e and c la r i fy ing th e p o l i cy “ t o b e t t e r exp la in wha t a c tua l ly o c cu r s . ” F o r th e v o i c e c ommand f ea tu r e t o w o rk , th e TV l i s t en s f o r p r ed e f in ed c ommand s su ch a s chang ing th e chann e l o r th e v o lum e . Tha t sp e e ch i sn ’ t s t o r ed o r t ran sm i t t ed , a c c o rd ing t o Sam sung . Bu t th e r em o t e c on t r o l a l s o ha s a m i c r oph on e tha t n o t on ly r e sp ond s t o th o s e c ommand s , bu t a l s o s ea r ch e s f o r c on t en t , su ch a s r equ e s t s t o r e c omm end a g o od m ov i e . Th e sp e e ch i s t ran s la t ed by th i rd -pa r ty s o f twa r e in t o t ex t and s en t ba ck t o th e TV a s a c ommand . A l th ough Sam sung in i t ia l ly d e c l in ed t o nam e th e s o f twa r e c om - pany , th e b l og p o s t id en t i f i e s i t a s Nuan c e C ommun i ca t i on s In c . Th e TV a l s o t ran sm i t s o th e r in f o rma t i on in c lud ing i t s un iqu e id en t i f i e r , b o th t o p r ov id e th e s e rv i c e and t o imp r ov e SAMSUNG SP IES .M o d e l s p o s e w i t h S am s u n g E l e c t r o n i c s C o . ’ s SUHD 4 K sm a r t T V d u r i n g a p r e s s c o n f e r e n c e i n S e o u l , S o u t h K o r e a . S am s u n g E l e c t r o n i c s s a y s v o i c e r e c o g n i t i o n t e c h n o l o g y i n i t s i n t e r n e t - c o n n e c t e d t e l e v i s i o n s c a n c a p t u r e a n d t r a n sm i t n e a r b y c o n v e r s a t i o n s . ( A P P h o t o / A h n Y o u n g - j o o n ) th e f ea tu r e . Sam sung sa id v o i c e r e c ogn i t i on on th e r em o t e mu s t b e a c t iva t ed by p r e s s ing a bu t t on . I t ’ s s im i la r t o h ow S i r i and G o og l e N ow v o i c e a s s i s tan t s w o rk on sma r tph on e s . I f th e f ea tu r e i sn ’ t a c t iva t ed , th e r e ’ s n o th r ea t o f eav e sd r opp ing , Sam sung sa id . U s e r s w i l l s e e a m i c r oph on e i c on on th e s c r e en wh en i t i s on . U s e r s can d i sab l e th e f ea tu r e , bu t v o i c e c on t r o l w ou ld th en b e l im i t ed t o p r ed e f in ed c ommand s . Th e S ou th K o r ean c ompany sa id i t tak e s c on sum e r p r iva cy “v e ry s e r i ou s ly . ” “W e emp l oy indu s t ry - s tanda rd s e cu r i ty sa f egua rd s and p ra c t i c e s , in c lud ing da ta en c ryp t i on , t o s e cu r e c on sum e r s ’ p e r s ona l in f o rma t i on and p r ev en t unau th o r i z ed c o l l e c t i on o r u s e . ” I t i s n o t th e f i r s t t im e sma r t TV s hav e spa rk ed p r iva cy c on c e rn s . In 2013 , th e own e r o f a LG E l e c t r on i c s sma r t TV r ev ea l ed i t wa s s end ing in f o rma t i on ab ou t h i s v i ew ing hab i t s ba ck t o th e c ompany w i th ou t c on s en t and w i th ou t en c ryp t ing da ta . LG ha s a l s o exp e r im en t ed w i th d i sp lay ing ta rg e t ed ad s on i t s sma r t TV s , wh i ch r equ i r e s c o l l e c t ing and u t i l i z ing u s e r da ta , su ch a s th e i r l o ca t i on , ag e , and g end e r . T o r ead Sam sung ’ s p r iva cy p o l i cy f o r th e sma r t TV , v i s i t <www . sam sung . c om / sg / in f o /p r iva cy / sma r t t v .h tm l> . T e c h n o l o g y w r i t e r A n i c k J e s d a n u n c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h i s s t o r y f r om N ew Y o r k .