Disney to Lay Off About 32,000 Workers in First Half of 2021
November 26th, 2020Via: Reuters:
Walt Disney Co said on Wednesday it would lay off 32,000 workers, primarily at its theme parks, an increase from the 28,000 it announced in September, as the company struggles with limited customers due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The layoffs will be in the first half of 2021, the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Starlink Teardown
November 25th, 2020This is a full teardown of a Starlink groundstation antenna.
SpaceX definitely doesn’t want people messing around with the business end of that thing, as you’ll see.
My assumption all along has been that the rural broadband aspect of Starlink is a limited hangout. Looking at the size of the PCB and the phased array, I wonder if some of this wandered out of DARPA. If you click through, note the physical similarity to the phased array system in the nose of that F-16.
Also, SpaceX is charging beta users only $499 for this (including dish, router, power supply, cabling and basic mounting hardware). I wonder: What does that phased array antenna actually cost to manufacture? My guess is a hell of a lot more than $499. Obviously, the hardware is a bit of a loss leader for Starlink, but it would be interesting to know just how much that thing costs.
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Update: $2400 Each?
Via: Business Insider:
SpaceX signed an agreement a few years ago with STMicroelectronics to manufacture the terminals, according to a person with knowledge of the contract between the two companies.
“The production agreement specifies 1 million terminals at a price of roughly $2,400 each,” said the person, who is known to Business Insider but requested anonymity to avoid retaliation. “The original timeline for that production run was end-2019, but it has been extended.”
Via: Kenneth Keiter:
Qantas Will Require Proof of Covid Vaccination for International Travelers
November 24th, 2020Via: BBC:
International air travellers will in future need to prove they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to board Qantas flights, the airline says.
The Australian flag carrier’s boss, Alan Joyce, said the move would be “a necessity” when vaccines are available.
“I think that’s going to be a common thing talking to my colleagues in other airlines around the globe,” he said.
What NO ONE is Saying About The Lockdowns
November 24th, 2020Via: Corbett Report:
If you are advocating for lockdowns, you are complicit in tearing families apart. You are complicit in inflicting untold suffering on millions of people around the world. You are complicit in casting the poorest and most vulnerable in our societies into even further grinding poverty. You are complicit in murder.
Weird Metal Object Found in Utah Desert
November 23rd, 2020Update: Object Has Now Been Removed
Via: BBC:
A mysterious metal monolith discovered last week in the desert in the US state of Utah has disappeared, officials say.
Utah’s Bureau of Land Management said it had seen credible reports the object had been removed “by an unknown party”.
Social media images apparently from the site show a pile of rocks and a small piece of metal left behind.
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Update: It’s Some Sort of Art Project
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Countersunk screws are easily visible on the object.
Someone’s art installation?
Via: Desert News:
The Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter was helping Utah Division of Wildlife Resource with a task in the remote Utah wilderness when those on board noticed a mysterious object in the middle of nowhere.
The crews found a shiny metal monolith planted in the middle of a red rock cove.
COVID-19: Millions of Americans Expect to Lose Their Homes
November 23rd, 2020Via: Bloomberg:
Millions of Americans expect to face eviction by the end of this year, adding to the suffering inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic raging across the U.S.
About 5.8 million adults say they are somewhat to very likely to face eviction or foreclosure in the next two months, according to a survey completed Nov. 9 by the U.S. Census Bureau. That accounts for a third of the 17.8 million adults in households that are behind on rent or mortgage payments.
Related: One in Four Rhode Islanders Can’t Meet Basic Food Needs
Cheap Chinese Routers Contain Hidden Backdoors to Control Devices
November 23rd, 2020Via: Cybernews:
In a collaboration between CyberNews Sr. Information Security Researcher Mantas Sasnauskas and researchers James Clee and Roni Carta, suspicious backdoors have been discovered in a Chinese-made Jetstream router, sold exclusively at Walmart as their new line of “affordable” wifi routers. This backdoor would allow an attacker the ability to remotely control not only the routers, but also any devices connected to that network.
CyberNews reached out to Walmart for comment and to understand whether they were aware of the Jetstream backdoor, and what they plan to do to protect their customers. After we sent information about the affected Jetstream device, a Walmart spokesperson informed CyberNews: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are looking into the issue to learn more. The item in question is currently out of stock and we do not have plans to replenish it.”
Texas Will Host Largest Solar Project in U.S.
November 23rd, 2020Via: Electrek:
Invenergy, a Chicago-based global developer and operator of green energy generation and storage, announced a 1,310-megawatt solar farm in northeastern Texas on Wednesday. It will be the largest in the US upon completion.
Dark Journalist: The JFK Assassination
November 23rd, 2020Via: Dark Journalist:
Guitar Center Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
November 22nd, 2020Via: MarketWatch:
Guitar Center Inc. filed for bankruptcy Saturday, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to batter the retail industry.
The retail chain, the largest seller of musical equipment in the U.S., said Saturday it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and plans to keep its nearly 300 U.S. stores open during the process.
