Trump Hits China with Fresh Tariffs
September 17th, 2018Via: Reuters:
U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his trade war with Beijing, imposing 10 percent tariffs on about $200 billion worth of imports in a move one senior Chinese regulator said “poisoned” the atmosphere for negotiations.
Trump also warned in a statement on Monday that if China takes retaliatory action against U.S. farmers or industries, “we will immediately pursue phase three, which is tariffs on approximately $267 billion of additional imports.”
Tesla’s Most Credible Rival Raises $1 Billion from Saudi Arabia
September 17th, 2018Via: Ars Technica:
Lucid Motors, the electric car startup we described as Tesla’s most credible rival last year, got a shot in the arm on Monday as Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund announced a $1 billion investment. The company aims to bring its first car to market in 2020.
Japanese Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa to Fly Around Moon on SpaceX BFR
September 17th, 2018Via: The Verge:
This evening, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed that Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese billionaire and founder of Zozotown, Japan’s largest online clothing retailer, will be the first private customer to ride around the Moon on the company’s future massive rocket, the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR). Maezawa plans to fly on the trip as early as 2023, and he wants to take artists with him to turn the entire ride into an art project called #dearMoon.
People Exploring Closed Solar Observatory Grounds, No Law Enforcement or Security Present
September 16th, 2018Update: Sunspot Observatory to Reopen Monday Following Security Investigation
Via: El Paso Times:
The National Solar Observatory in Sunspot will reopen Monday, according to a statement released Sunday afternoon by Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, the organization that oversees operations at the facility.
According to AURA, the obversatory was closed due to investigation into possible criminal activity at the site.
The residents that vacated their homes will be returning to the site, and all employees will return to work this week, the release stated.
“In light of recent developments in the investigation, we have determined there is no risk to staff, and Sunspot Solar Observatory is transitioning back to regular operations as of September 17th,” the news release stated.
AURA did not specify the nature of the criminal activity.
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Via: 4:20 TV FREEDOMIST FILMS:
Google China Prototype Links Searches to Phone Numbers
September 16th, 2018Oh, so it’s similar to using Google outside of China.
Via: The Intercept:
Google built a prototype of a censored search engine for China that links users’ searches to their personal phone numbers, thus making it easier for the Chinese government to monitor people’s queries, The Intercept can reveal.
The search engine, codenamed Dragonfly, was designed for Android devices, and would remove content deemed sensitive by China’s ruling Communist Party regime, such as information about political dissidents, free speech, democracy, human rights, and peaceful protest.
Previously undisclosed details about the plan, obtained by The Intercept on Friday, show that Google compiled a censorship blacklist that included terms such as “human rights,” “student protest,” and “Nobel Prize” in Mandarin.
Leading human rights groups have criticized Dragonfly, saying that it could result in the company “directly contributing to, or [becoming] complicit in, human rights violations.” A central concern expressed by the groups is that, beyond the censorship, user data stored by Google on the Chinese mainland could be accessible to Chinese authorities, who routinely target political activists and journalists.
Trump ‘Orders Further China Tariffs’
September 15th, 2018Via: BBC:
US President Donald Trump has instructed staff to move forward with the next round of tariffs on Chinese goods, US media have reported.
The tariffs are expected to apply to about $200bn worth of imports from China, including electronic parts and consumer goods such as handbags.
It remains unclear when the new import taxes – which could be as high as 25% – will go into effect.
Officials are reportedly still working on the final list of products.
President Trump ordered his staff to start preparing the tariffs this summer, escalating a dispute over what the US says are China’s unfair trade practices, such as state subsidies.
The new duties would add to tariffs the US has already imposed on $50bn in Chinese goods as part of that dispute, as well as tariffs that China levied on $50bn in US goods in retaliation.
Friday’s news reports that Mr Trump has ordered the US to proceed with further tariffs quoted administration sources. There has so far been no formal announcement.
Solar Observatory Remains Closed Due to “Ongoing Security Concern”
September 15th, 2018Related? Trump Administration to Send U.S. Cellphones a Test Alert on Thursday
Via: CBS:
An observatory in the mountains of southern New Mexico that is dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of the sun has found itself at the center of a mystery that is creating a buzz here on earth. Authorities remain tightlipped Friday, saying only that an undisclosed security concern was behind the decision to abruptly vacate and lock up the remote facility on Sept 6.
The Sunspot Solar Observatory has been closed for more than a week.
The FBI referred all questions to the group that manages the site, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy. Officials there say they’re working with authorities.
The association said in an update Friday that it has “decided that the observatory will remain closed until further notice due to an ongoing security concern. The rest of the National Solar Observatory facilities remain open and are operating normally.”
The vagueness continued to fuel speculation on social media.
Related: Definitely Not Aliens
Trump Administration to Send U.S. Cellphones a Test Alert on Thursday
September 15th, 2018Via: Reuters:
The Trump administration will send a message to all U.S. cellphones on Thursday to test a previously unused alert system that aims to warn the public about national emergencies.
The messages will bear the headline “Presidential Alert”, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said in a statement this week. Phones will make a loud tone and have a special vibration, said FEMA, which will send the alert.
The test message, scheduled for 2:18 p.m. EDT on Thursday, will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
The test has been scheduled to ensure that the alert system would work in the event of a national emergency. U.S. cellphone users will not be able to opt out.
‘Apple’s Best Product Is Now Privacy’
September 14th, 2018Sadly, Apple is the least bad option for most computer users, no doubt about it.
Please don’t believe that Apple is actually providing anything even remotely close to an objective definition of privacy, and security flaps can be as ridiculous and cringe inducing as on other platforms:
Apple iTunes “Flaw” Allowed Government Spying for 3 Years
Pointless Rant About Hopeless Situation
You Can Log Into macOS High Sierra as Root with No Password
Snowden: FBI’s Claim It Can’t Unlock the iPhone Is ‘Bullshit’
etc. etc.
As bad as Apple is, Microsoft and Google are far worse, and Linux remains mostly a pain in the ass for average users. I do appreciate people who force themselves to use Linux, no matter how terrible the desktop experience is. I’ll probably be there eventually.
If Microsoft goes to some sort of lease thing for individuals running Windows, that will be The End for me. They are going to start demanding a monthly fee from Windows 7 users (who refuse to upgrade) to continue to receive security updates, so they might be coming for the rest of us eventually.
Via: Fast Company:
Under Tim Cook’s leadership, Apple saw just how critical an issue user privacy would become. Now it’s at least as important a feature as shiny industrial design or a nice camera.
Volvo Unveils All-Electric and Autonomous Truck Without a Cab
September 13th, 2018Via: Electrek:
If your truck is completely autonomous, why would you need a cab? Volvo Trucks believes that you don’t and that’s why they built a new all-electric and autonomous truck without a cab called Vera.
