Posts by Lars

Boeing to pay SEC $200m to settle charges it misled investors over 737 MAX safety

Re: "Reimbursing investors"

@Chris Miller

cheating should not be allowed what ever the system is called.

Another UK tech company bought out: Schneider Electric grabs rest of Aveva

Re: Avast

@Doctor Syntax

Stop the explaining.

The article was about British companies being sold.

And Avast should not have been mentioned at all because it's not a British company.

Not your fault either.

And it you look a at LSE you find this text there "The main market is home to over 1,300 large companies from 60 countries"

And if you look at the FTSE 100 Index like here;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FTSE_100_Index

You find non British companies there too including Avast and properly mentioned as Czech and bought by NortonLifeLock (Symantec once).

Re: Avast

@Doctor Syntax

My point was that it's not a British company, never was, and should not have been mentioned in that article at all.

A hell of a lot of "foreign" companies are listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Avast

"Avast Software s.r.o. is a Czech multinational cybersecurity software company headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic that researches and develops computer security software, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Avast has more than 435 million monthly active users[2] and the second largest market share among anti-malware application vendors worldwide as of April 2020.[3] The company has approximately 1,700 employees across its 25 offices worldwide.[2] In July 2021, NortonLifeLock, an American cybersecurity company, announced that it is in talks to merge with Avast Software. In August 2021, Avast's board of directors agreed to an offer of US$8 billion."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avast

Firefox 105 is here, and it's faster and more memory-frugal

Re: Vertical Tabs

@Mayday

You could also have deleted your smoke affected comment.

Linux Foundation launches European division

Re: The public sector

The public sector will use companies as before and those companies could well use more open source.

The public sector uses open source today already, should they have anything to do with the internet, the cloud or super computing.

I can understand that SAP is there very well. And perhaps there is in Europe some more energy for open source that could be harnesst more easily like this.

Linux luminaries discuss efforts to bring Rust to the kernel

Re: 31 years.

@Gene Cash

Yes indeed, Initial release September 17, 1991. But what it also means is that I am 31 years older and I have to assume I looked that much younger then too.

This video from 1994 and version 1.0.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaDpjlFpbfo

White House puts $50m into floating wind turbine projects

Re: Quite literally a drop in the Ocean

It's far from only about the wind there is also tide and sea currents to deal with.

Cannot be too difficult to deal with though.

The next deep magic Linux program to change the world? Io_uring

"To be pedantic".

I think you succeeded.

Google fined $4b after Euro court snips 5% off earlier price

Yes but then again Britain is not now taking part in the EU budget either.

Re: Got the message yet Google?

Don't worry they won't go bust but lets hope they might learn something from it.

China's single aisle passenger jet – the C919 – likely to be certified next week

Re: Obviously can't work because, well, they're Chinese

@martinusher

"when Airbus planned to acquire Bombadier.."

There was no such plan, it was only about the Bombardier CSeries.

"Airbus partnership

The stiff competition, slow business and ultimately the dumping petition by Boeing paved the way for Bombardier to close a partnership with Airbus in October 2017.[30] Bombardier CEO predicted that the partnership would significantly accelerate sales as it would bring certainty to the CSeries programme and increase the level of confidence through the Airbus's global scale, which would take the programme to new heights.

On 16 October 2017, Airbus and Bombardier announced that Airbus would acquire a 50.01% majority stake in the CSALP partnership, with Bombardier keeping 31% and Investissement Québec 19%, to expand in an estimated market of more than 6,000 new 100- to 150-seat aircraft over 20 years."

And eventually Bombardier sold its shares in that partnership.

"After reassessing its participation in January 2020, Bombardier exited the A220 programme in February 2020, selling its share to Airbus for $591 million. Airbus thus owned 75% of the programme; the remaining 25% of shares were held by Investissement Québec. Under the acquisition terms Airbus acquired Bombardier's option to buy out Investissement Québec's share from 2023, with a revised option date of 2026. Airbus also agreed to acquire A220 and A330 work package production capabilities from Bombardier in Saint-Laurent, to be taken through the Airbus subsidiary, Stelia Aerospace."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A220

Re: That's how Airbus started

@Chris C

"*Jet* airliner???"

"The Airbus product line started with the A300 in 1972, the world's first twin-aisle, twin-engined aircraft. A shorter, re-winged, re-engined variant of the A300 is known as the A310.

Building on its success, Airbus launched the A320, the first commercial jet to use a digital fly-by-wire control system. The A320 has been, and continues to be, a major commercial success. ".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus

Re: That's how Airbus started

It's also how Boeing started or what are you driving at.

Twitter whistleblower Zatko disses bird site as dysfunctional data dump

Yes, lets hope Musk buys it, kills it, and starts a new better named "Twats".

Private equity suits at Thoma Bravo pull out of Darktrace acquisition

From the article - "Dark Trace said the net impact of the..."

Is there really a guy named Dark Trace.

And Avast is Czech and based in Prague, and AVEVA is already to 60% owned by Schneider Electric.

Quoting the Wikipedia:

"On 1 March 2018, AVEVA agreed to merge with France-based Schneider Electric's industrial software business.[22] Schneider Electric became the largest shareholder with a 60% ownership interest.

PS. If you look for Avast on Wikipedia you find no such information. You have to use a differen language to get the information.

UK tech sector facing structural difficulties, says analyst firm

Re: When BREXIT and MURICA end your markets you fall like a heap

@James Anderson

Yes I agree with your comment but I would still like to point out than you are a bit careless claiming the lithium batteries are a British invention.

Please use for instance the Wikipedia to understand the history better.

It all eventually comes down to this.

"in 1987, Akira Yoshino patented what would become the first commercial lithium-ion battery using an anode of "soft carbon" (a charcoal-like material) along with Goodenough's previously reported LCO cathode and a carbonate ester-based electrolyte. In 1991, using Yoshino's design, Sony began producing and selling the world's first rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The following year, a joint venture between Toshiba and Asashi Kasei Co. also released their lithium-ion battery.".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-ion_battery

Also read about the LCD.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid-crystal_display

Re: No mention of anything even remotely looking like an "industrial strategy"......

"..building wings for Airbus".

That seems to pop up every now and then, but in reality that factory is an Airbus factory fully owned by Airbus.

While some seem to believe a British company is building wings for Airbus like RR who actually is builds engines for Airbus among others.

I mention this because some years ago a British kid or gammon, a brexiteer, wrote that should Airbus decide to move the production on wings to mainland Europe then the British would never reveal the technology behind building wings.

One should not mention or remember idiocy like that but the guy did very well in the number of up votes he got. It wasn't on ElReg.

"...but why are we not laying out a plan for what we need to build?".

You are run by happy idiots,

it's the cost of a two party system with a one part government, fptp and the English plague in the form of Rupert not the reindeer.

Apart from that I am not all that surprised as +80% of British business is about services and not about industry.

The Moggs will make it all about shuffling money around simply by just shuffling money around.

Re: When BREXIT and MURICA end your markets you fall like a heap

The problem is that they don't understand any other language and anything not English has to be inferior (except for expatting, if only in English).

It has gone as far as the Tory importing the "Venezuela scare" into British politics, not to mention the domestic Drumpf.

Scientists pull hydrogen from thin air in promising clean energy move

Not for me then

No thin air in my house, thick air or just air at best.

Re: have you looked at your electricity bill lately

@captai veg

Ertu kannski að tala um Ísland eða lítur þú á kjarnorku sem endurnýjanlega orku?

CERN draws up shutdown plans to save energy

Re: "Gas by wire"

@katrinab

"exporting at pretty much maximum capacity to France, Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway. "

What do you base that claim on, and I suppose you talk about electricity.

Please leave a link to that claim.

Looking at 2021 where we have government information you find this.

"Electricity supply increased in 2021, due to higher demand for electricity, but UK generation fell with higher supply from net imports. Total electricity supplied in 2021 was 333.2 TWh, with net imports of 24.6 TWh, 7.4 per cent of electricity supplied. Electricity generation fell to a record low of 308.7 TWh in 2021, 1.2 per cent less than in 2020.

Total net imports were a record 24.6 TWh in 2021. Total imports were 28.7 TWh in 2021, up 28.4 per cent compared to 2020, while total exports were down 7.0 per cent on 2020 to 4.2 TWh. Interconnector capacity rose to 7.4 GW in 2021 with new operational cables between the UK and Norway (North Sea Link), and a second link to France (IFA 2)."

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1094628/DUKES_2022_Chapter_5.pdf

Re: "Gas by wire"

You seem to assume Britain is only exporting electricity.

Still these are the facts for 2021, 2022 not of course available yet.

"Electricity demand increased in 2021 to 334.2 TWh, up by 1.2 per cent from 2020. The increase was primarily a result of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which severely restricted the activity of business and industry in 2020 but had a smaller effect in 2021.

Electricity supply increased in 2021, due to higher demand for electricity, but UK generation fell with higher supply from net imports. Total electricity supplied in 2021 was 333.2 TWh, with net imports of 24.6 TWh, 7.4 per cent of electricity supplied. Electricity generation fell to a record low of 308.7 TWh in 2021, 1.2 per cent less than in 2020.

Total net imports were a record 24.6 TWh in 2021. Total imports were 28.7 TWh in 2021, up 28.4 per cent compared to 2020, while total exports were down 7.0 per cent on 2020 to 4.2 TWh. Interconnector capacity rose to 7.4 GW in 2021 with new operational cables between the UK and Norway (North Sea Link), and a second link to France (IFA 2)."

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1094628/DUKES_2022_Chapter_5.pdf

Note, we talk about "net" as a good grid works both ways, or perhaps the word "interconector" is a better word.

Many countries both export and import according to demand and availability.

It's positive to leave a link as you did but I wonder if you are capable of understanding it properly.

Nadine Dorries promotes 'Brexit rewards' of proposed UK data protection law

@SundogUK

You could write. Show me the numbers. I don't believe you. That would be OK.

But when you write "show me the number" you reveal you don't have the numbers and thus it's silly to claim it's untrue.

Right!.

Re: A cunning plan

@Cynical Pie

Sir Humphrey was also a fairy tale figure.

Re: UK rejoining the EU?

@Philip Storry

There is of course also Denmark who decided to keep the Danish crown.

But I still would not claim it's "rubbish" as there is really no way to know how different countries would react.

But if there is today a rule that demands a "new" member to join the euro zone that rule can be changed if the member states agree.

And after all, there are hardly any rules specifically for rejoining the EU.

I don't think the pound would be the biggest question at all.

I think one of the bigger questions would be about howto prevent Britain from becoming a "hand grenade", never knowing if it is coming or going before every election.

My first "demand" would be that you get rid of the fptp, not that I know if stuff like that ever enter any such discussions

But what I find so very English is the deeply inbuilt assumption that joining the euro would be a bad thing.

Seriously, what is that based on.

Both in Sweden and Denmark business would have preferred the euro because they can count, and even if they knew they would lose the ability to devaluate the currency.

One SEK is worth 0.080 pound and the DKK is 0.115 pound today.

The crime against humanity that is the modern OS desktop, and how to kill it

Why does carmakers produce new models more or less every year. Most likely because they have to look new.

Same with Windows no doubt.

And I would claim much less with Linux. I have become more or less totally KDE and it has not changed randomly for the worse at all.

If you want to mix Linux into your rant you have to define which Linux desktop you are talking about or it gets silly.

California asks people not to charge EVs during heatwave

Re: Har Har

"climate scepticism doesn't make you a maga nutcase".

It does if you are wrong, and it does because you seem to be well prepared to be wrong and rather than being sceptical you seem to be be an optimist willing question facts we can measure and see for ourselves.

The price for being wrong is just too high.

And by the way air pollution is not good for us either, climate change or not.

Germany orders Sept 1 shutdown of digital ad displays to save gas

Re: Pointless laws are pointless

@Jou (Mxyzptlk)

That is very nice, how many municipals do you have in Germany, how many percentage does 10 represent.

Let me guess, about 2.5%.

My point is that - please try not to be ridiculous with stuff like "the Nuke train".

Any country, every country will need energy of some kind until they can achieve anything like 100% renewable and nuclear is clearly greener than coal, gas and oil.

There is of course always this discussion about how expensive it is, but in my opinion it's much too late to weep about the money now.

Re: Pointless laws are pointless

@Jellied Eel

"we're being forced to pay".

Who has forced you.

Hincley Point C is built, financed by EDF Energy and China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN).

And for the cost to consumers:

"EDF has negotiated a guaranteed fixed price – a "strike price" – for electricity from Hinkley Point C under a government sanctioned Contract for difference (CfD). The price is £92.50/MWh (in 2012 prices),[18][78] which will be adjusted (linked to inflation – £106/MWh in 2021[72]) during the construction period and over the subsequent 35 years tariff period. The base strike price could fall to £89.50/MWh if a new plant at Sizewell is also approved.[18][78] High consumer prices for energy will hit the poorest consumers hardest according to the Public Accounts Committee.".

If that is a high price we don't really know yet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinkley_Point_C_nuclear_power_station

Re: Energiewende...

Also Trump was upset by Greta, I think that is very childish, perhaps you do it too as you write as an AC.

Comparing just the number of nuclear power plants tells a lot but what they actually produce together would give a better comparison.

Also where they are built now and in the near future would also tell some, like that about half of that is in China alone.

Re: FRA airport is very nearly in compliance with this law....

@big D

It might be better to have a look at that, 50C is not good at al and if you mix between C and F it's not high enough for F either.

Quoting the Wikipedia:

"The bacteria grow best at warm temperatures and thrive at water temperatures between 25 and 45 °C (77 and 113 °F), with an optimum temperature of 35 °C (95 °F). Temperatures above 60 °C (140 °F) kill the bacteria."

As funny as this sounds I decided about 2h ago to decrease the 70C to 62C at home to save some energy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionnaires%27_disease

Zuckerberg: Yes, Facebook kept Hunter Biden's laptop under wraps

Re: A Dutch saying

Versions of that saying you probably find in every language.

For instance, "don't judge others by your own standards".

And in Swedish and German. "genom sig själv känner man andra", and "man soll nicht von sich auf andere schließen".

And for a Finnish, a more interesting one , Ryssä on Ryssä vaikka voissa paistaisi".

UK launches 'consultation' with EU over exclusion from science programs

Re: Reap what you sow

So to be precise AZ did have and has subcontractors producing the vaccine in the EU too and of course full control of that production.

And AZ then agreed to deliver as promised as you can read from my previous comments.

Re: Reap what you sow

@Justthefacts

Why you don't do any duedilligence is much beyond me but anyway.

From AZ own information:

"To help meet global demand for COVID-19 vaccine, AstraZeneca rapidly conducted due diligence with more than 60 potential partners to ultimately build a global supply network of more than 25 proven manufacturing organisations in 15 countries with the capability and capacity to supply the vaccine. With each partner, the technology transfer process began immediately to ensure that not a minute was wasted in our quest to rapidly establish commercial manufacturing ahead of regulatory approval/authorisation. During this process, our technical experts worked around the clock with our supply partners to transfer our validated protocols and standard methods for vaccine production. As our teams were unable to travel due to the pandemic, we used virtual technology to provide real-time technical support and coaching to production teams on each site."

From the Wikipedia:

"As of March 2021 the vaccine active substance (ChAdOx1-SARS-COV-2) is being produced at several sites worldwide,[82] with AstraZeneca claiming to have established 25 sites in 15 countries.[83] The UK sites are Oxford and Keele with bottling and finishing in Wrexham.[82] Other sites include the Serum Institute of India at Pune.[82] The Halix site at Leiden was approved by the EMA on 26 March 2021, joining three other sites approved by the EU.".

Apart from Halix there is also Novasep and in addition for filling and finish IDT Biologica Catalent and Insud Pharma in Spain and Italy.

How can that surprise you.

Re: Reap what you sow

Some more facts here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id0y9nVRO98

New Trade Figures Expose This Brexit Catastrophe

And here:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/bulletins/uktrade/may2022

Office for national statistics

Re: Reap what you sow

@justthespin

"AstraZeneca has its corporate headquarters in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and its main research and development (R&D) centres are in Cambridge (UK), Gaithersburg (Maryland, US), Gothenburg (Sweden) and Warsaw (Poland)."

"However, the contract that AstraZeneca reached with the UK was very similar to that it reached with the EU, and it also contained the phrase "best reasonable efforts"; the UK contract was signed on 28 August 2020, a day after the contract with the EU.[146] The key difference seems to be that AstraZeneca entered into a preliminary agreement with the U.K. back in May 2020 which arranged for "the development of a dedicated supply chain for the U.K."[147] The failure to produce the vaccine in the anticipated quantities contributed to the low vaccination rates of vulnerable populations of the European Union at the beginning of the outbreak of more virulent variants of SARS-CoV-2 in early 2021."

"Lawsuits

In April 2021, the European Commission announced that it would sue Astra Zeneca for delaying the timely delivery of Vaxzevria at a time when "every vaccine counts, because every vaccine can save lives".[107][108] In September 2021, the lawsuit was finally settled with AstraZeneca agreeing to deliver 60 million doses of vaccines to EU member states by October, 75 million by the end of the year, and 65 million more by April 2022."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AstraZeneca

I think Pfizer become the number one vaccine in the EU.

As for the annoying facts.

Deaths:

Britain 187.000 highest in Europe

France 1500.00

Germany 146.000

Deaths per 100K

Britain 281 almost as bad as Italy at 289

France 230

Germany 176

Why does it surprise you that Boris is going on only about that one small advantage that eventually came to nothing.

And Britain, an island had all the possibilities to perform extremely well.

Take Ireland for instance, death per 100K at 158 to 281 in Britain.

Re: Reap what you sow

@genghis_uk

No that is not true. Britain followed EU rules and did something any other EU country could have done, I think, was it, Hungary who did it too.

The 27 understood it would be madness for every country to compete individually for the same vaccine and cooperated for a joint big order.

This has all been cleared up long ago in Britain too.

What you Brits should start to understand is that the "fantastic rollout" is just a smoke screen to hide the fact that Boris blew it badly.

You did worse than France and Germany and many other EU countries too. The numbers tell it all.

You still find on YouTube, Boris showing with his hands how the Covid epidemic would just past through, taken on the chin.

He might have gotten that idea from the Swedes who made such a decision.

They did understand later it was a mistake but they were never able to mend the error. The numbers shows it very clearly today.

In the USA, also with not so stellar numbers, we have Trump who claimed he invented two or was it three vaccines, and some Americans no doubt believe it still.

And I suppose many Brits will keep on falling for the rollout smoke screen for years to come.

Re: Leaver whining!

Some Brits seem to have this fantastic illusion of being the great Reformers.

Please just look at your political system and an ailing industry and rotting infrastructure and food banks, Reformers.

Anybody here with any great specific British only example of this great reformation of the EU, anything else but efforts to get some more exceptions for Britain.

What great reforms did Cameron speak for when he met with the Commission before the referendum.

But one should of course remember how greatly Britain has tried to reform everything related to tax havens and dark money.

@AC

"Lars, yours is starting to sound very much like Schadenfreude. It's not helpful."

Tell me first of all how I could help?.

As for schadenfreude (no capital letters) i would assume it produced a at least slightly smiling face but I am not smiling at all. Normal people don't smile looking at a car crash either.

Re: Reap what you sow

"UK can join the EFTA whenever it likes....".

No those days are long gone, very long gone.

You could apply but you won't, nor am I convinced you would be accepted, run by your government of today, or any.

"The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.[4] The organization operates in parallel with the European Union (EU), and all four member states participate in the European Single Market and are part of the Schengen Area.[5] They are not, however, party to the European Union Customs Union.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Free_Trade_Association

Re: Leaver whining!

@Big_Boomer

I was going to up vote you until you totally lost it at the end with "partnered up with likeminded countries in the EU", there was never any chance of that worth dreaming about. People are not that stupid.

Re: Reap what you sow

@TVU

I agree, just try to rejoin and it's all there, but stop dreaming about having all that for free.

Re: Reap what you sow

@codejunky

Hard life codejunky, who do you suggest paid British pensions when you left the EU.

But as I am sure you know it's more than just pensions and it was all agreed upon years ago.

Stop whining, some day father Christmas will bring you all those Brexit gifts.

All about this annoys me as it's so damned stupid and unnecessary but I would still try to point out that all this idiocy took place with a Tory government in place and it seems to just get madder by the day.

@Old Tom,

What has (along with a dozen and a half other non-member states) to do with anything related to Britain and Brexit.

Could it be that you are looking for support from other non-member states who have no problems with their relation to the EU.

Will Truss now travel to Bosnia-Hertsegovina to ask for help.

Re: Reap what you sow

Ten of the richest EU countries were net contributors to the EU budget.

Should I now assume you feel the EU should have payed you for the great honour of having you as a member.

It might surprise you but most countries tend to help porer parts of the county to catch up by taking money from the ritcher parts of the country.

But that of course is not British at all as Ritchy has pointed out.

Brexit means Brexit

You cannot scrap parts of the agreement and then weep about some other part of it not progressing.

That would very much sound like the cherry picking Britain was warned abuot.

Modeling software spins up plans for floating wind turbines

Re: Rickover rolling over.

So what is so fantastic with a floating nuclear power station.

"Akademik Lomonosov is a non-self-propelled power barge that operates as the first Russian floating nuclear power station. The ship was named after academician Mikhail Lomonosov. It is docked in the Pevek harbour, providing heat to the town and supplying electricity to the regional Chaun-Bilibino power system. It is the world’s northernmost nuclear power plant".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akademik_Lomonosov

Nuclear power is the climate superhero too nervous to wear its cape

@MonsieurTM

That is a bit harsh, the French have the knowledge and the technology. They cooperate with the Chinese for the simple reason about half of +50 new nuclear reactors are being built or will be built in China.

The Chinese have the ability to build the sites the buildings and then there is Siemens who does most of everything producing the electricity from the hot steam. (Seldom mentioned).

It is apparently very hard for a Brit to get over the fact that the French build a nuclear plant in Britain and will own it too producing electricity for Britain.

The alternative would have been to order one from the Russians who indeed still built them at least then.

What is it with you, the country is to +80% about services and still you seem to imagine you are "world leading" in what not. When did Britain last design and build a modern nuclear plant. And what about Boris "one new every year" plus all those new +40 hospitals too. Get real.

Re: Waste

"What can be done in Finland and Sweden can't be done in .....".

No that is not true at all, there are plenty of stable areas around the world for that purpose.

It is as always, just about making a decision and agreeing on who will pay for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYpiK3W-g_0

Finland Might Have Solved Nuclear Power’s Biggest Problem