These guys raised $200 million.
Remember that.
Yes, that is the RIGHT approach in Africa
This article shows that the writer, and by proxy, the magazine, is rather unaware of how presidential politics plays out in Africa, and is taking a colonial view whereby bureaucrats lead such talks.
The bottom line: presidents will only respect, and talk substantively with their peers, not their underlings.
Never their underlings. Using underlings is a purely Western approach.
Former African leaders' mediation efforts under scrutiny
Horologigrafica Watch of the Day: Angelus U10 Tourbillon Lumière
Horologigrafica Watch of the Day: Jacob & Co Astronomia Solar Bitcoin
Horologigrafica Watch of the Day: Patek Philippe Ref. 5230 World Time
Nigeria would consider China's C919 plane for new airline? Seriously?
This is how Nigeria does corruption.
In the attempt to reboot their national airline, the government of Nigeria is again going to go with aircraft from Boeing, Airbus, and now….China.
On the surface, it might look merely insane.
However, the truth is much more invidious: it is a money grab.
This way, all three countries have a dog in the fight, so to speak, and would allow the bloated sale contracts to be funded, and be on the gravy train for the next decade and more.
Moreover, by divving up their number of airplane suppliers, the corrupt officials there are baking in inefficiencies by design, and ensuring that anti-corruption authorities in the US, the EU, and China would look the other way once expected monies from bribes are shared.
Meanwhile, the people of Nigeria keep suffering.
Original story:
Nigeria would consider China's C919 plane for new airline
© 2002 – 2022, John Obeto II for Blackground Media Unlimited
Equipping autonomous cars with local memory
Why is this new?
Seriously.
Why don’t current self-driving cars have local memory to store routes and other pertinent information for faster and differential computations?
A damn hard drive. Or an SSD for faster retrieval, and a humungous hard drive for colder data.
This isn’t rocket science. It’s just logical.
Customers are going to be paying a lot of money for these autonomous vehicles and functions, so why not make it better, faster, safer?
Original story. https://interestingengineering.com/self-driving-vehicles-with-memory
© 2002 – 2022, John Obeto II for Blackground Media Unlimited
NYC’s annual bike crushing is the height of performative bullshittery
In a city of 8 million+ people, the mayor gave a press conference which highlighted the crushing of…..tada…..96 bikes! (Forgive me, for I am not going to calculate that infinitesimal percentage!)
What is does show, and one which the referenced article below rightfully denotes, is that the city is being rather stupid on this issue.
Why weren’t these seized devices sold to folks or dealers in other jurisdictions that allow those wheeled conveyances?
Why are they still illegal to use in the city?
I will posit here that is is nothing but a racist decision aimed at the minority population in the city of New York.
Because I can bet that if the riders of these devices were White, the laws would be changed to either accommodate them, or no restrictions would have been enacted in the very first place.
Disbelieve me?
Okay.
Now tell me why electric/motorized bicycles are lawful.
And Oh, what demographic rides electric bicycles in New York again?
Referring story: https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkgy5v/six-years-of-dirt-bike-crushing-leaves-new-york-city-back-where-it-started
© 2002 – 2022, John Obeto II for Blackground Media Unlimited
Throwing it all away
You take cash money - actual dinero, mind you, - and give it to someone for something called a "stablecoin", which, incredibly, mimics a dollar, but is guaranteed either by an algorithm, or by 'financial instruments'.
You are given a token.
Now, if you are particularly greedy-ish, you are then invited to invest that stablecoin in an exchange that gives you a pledge that your so-called investment will return a 20%+ vig to you unfailingly.
Seriously?
No bank ever guarantees a 20% return.
None!
But you, in FOMOistic fervor, sail right in.
Nothing in your melon says "Wait. Stop!" Nothing.
All you see are dollar signs.
In the 2000-era British comedy, "Hustle", a common refrain uttered by the protagonists was simple: "You cannot con an honest man."
Meaning, your greed opens you up to being conned.
Now, you’re crying.
You threw all that money away, folks.
The soundtrack for this blog post is “Throwing It All Away” (1986) by Genesis.
(I’ve amazed myself about not even mentioning the libertarian aspect of this mess.)
Referring story: ‘I’m out millions of dollars’: Thousands of crypto investors have their life savings frozen as Voyager files for bankruptcy protection
Would you turn Twitter into your personal blog? I wouldn’t.
And you shouldn’t as well.
Why?
Easy: control.
As in, if you blog right now, you are generally in control of your destiny.
All your content, your blog policies, your content moderation is yours.
You decide, you keep. Or discard, if that’s your wish.
When you blog on the forthcoming Twitter Notes, that’s no longer true.
You would now be subject to Twitter’s ToS, Twitter’s aimless and arbitrary moderation, policies and rules.
Oh, and the best part?
Twitter can suspend, or even permanently ban you from their platform.
If that happens, all your content is either suspended or banned as well.
Is that what you want?
Source: Twitter confirms it’s working on a built-in Notes feature
© 2002 – 2022, John Obeto II for Blackground Media Unlimited
EV charging is a financially tantalizing greenfield
Nary a day goes by without yet another auto manufacturer committing not just to creating and delivering battery-electric vehicles, but also to developing battery manufacturing facilities, or entering battery alliances, or developing EV sales networks.
Or, in the case of some firms, realigning their existing gas-powered dealers for electric vehicles.
What is mostly left out of the announcements, is this little nugget: electric vehicle charging.
What makes this a greenfield is the fact that with current technology, electric vehicle charging is mostly a lengthy affair, taking a minimum of at least 30 minutes to some over an hour for a full charge.
Just about all gas stations in America are not prepared for this, and almost all of them may not have the physical space, without a wholesale revamping of their facilities.
The superb Tesla Supercharger Network is, without a doubt, the secret sauce that makes the Tesla cars have an advantage over other EV entrants today.
Get in the car, plot a trip, onboard sat/nav computes the route, calculates the amount of charging stops based on the car charging levels, adds needed charging stops, AND needed charging times, then delivers the journey’s itinerary with all the information. Easy. Peasy.
Now, imagine what will be needed when the mega auto companies – Toyota, GM, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, et al – start delivering EVs.
Yes, charging networks offering interoperability between vehicle marques must be developed in order to boost the viability of EVs not made by Tesla.
These networks would have to accommodate the fact that EV charging times are longer, and also like gas pumps, take a varied amount of time.
It opens up an opportunity for “charge stations” to offer new products and experiences to customers who are literally held captive for an extended amount of time. These experiences could range from expanded retail to expanded food options, and even to parkland/walkways on travel routes.
If the US ever mandates a single charging port or dongle for electric cars, then the opportunity becomes even more delicious.
It is my hope that the US government announces a plan for funding the creation of these networks by SMBs.
© 2002 – 2022, John Obeto II for Blackground Media Unlimited
I am quitting Starbucks for now. And maybe forever.
Starbucks has for long been that business that I reflexively supported.....because of their track record.
Every Starbucks that has been my local has always had pleasant, friendly, engaging, and incredibly hardworking staffers.
Through any of their public travails, and even with the crazy racist incident at that Philly Starbucks, I stood by the company. Because in all my engagements with them, they weren't like that. Making that incident an anomaly. As it was proven to be.
What has been galling though, has been the Starbucks stance on unionization.
It is crass, tone deaf, and born of an almost sociopathic dislike for unions than for any basis in fact.
And it had made me question my loyalty to the firm, as it violated my personal convictions.
I have not been directly helped by any unions. However, the benefits of unions are well known. And despite being a business owner, I respect that.
So, I mulled, and kept mulling how to reconcile the two.
Today, this was shared on Twitter.
Starbucks combines its offer to help employee travel for abortions with union busting.
Starbucks offers all employees enrolled in its health plan access to abortion travel, BUT SAYS it can't "promise" that for unionized stores
I am pissed off beyond belief!
How low, Starbucks?
So, I am going to speak with my wallet.
I am quitting Starbucks completely until sanity returns.
I will end my laziness. I have a super-automatic and a Nespresso. I will start making my own coffee drinks instead of purchasing them at Starbucks. I will start patronizing boutique coffee stores in search of truly sublime coffee beans. (Here comes Insufferable Coffee Snob John.)
And I will stay away from all Starbucks products.
Wifey and I share a Starbucks account, and I have informed her of my decision, and asked her not to purchase anything for me.
© 2002 – 2022, John Obeto II for Blackground Media Unlimited
Audi Charging Hub is pretty, but looks like a money pit to me!
While I like the battery and the solar panels, this is overkill.
What is needed, are MORE charging stations for ALL MAKES of cars, and with a retail focus to keep eyeballs on purchases while awaiting a full charge.
This "premium experience", while pretty to countenance, is not sustainable over time, as it isn't, and would never be, financially viable.
Original Story: CAR Magazine: Audi Charging Hub
I like the forthcoming Citroen My Ami Buggy
This is quite a cool runabout.
And forget about it only being a 'city car': slap AWD on it, and it becomes the perfect sled for a rancher and his/her dog.
Original link: CAR Magazine: Citroen My Ami Buggy revives Méhari spirit
The Amazon Delivery Partner Program was a total clusterfunk for partners!
I really thought the Amazon partner thingy would be good for several middle-aged new immigrant pals of mine, but my [wealth manager] older brother asked a poignant question:
"Why, with all their money and resources, Amazon wasn't buying the equipment outright and then loaning directly to their partners?
Turns out, he was right.
Amazon used these poor unsuspecting folks as a test bed to gather as much data into last-mile delivery, for which they will now create their in-house own offerings.
Meanwhile, many hopes and dreams, especially those of minorities and veterans, have died.
Original story: 'I'm Drowning:' Amazon Contractors Are Paying the Price for the Labor Shortage
Sacramento Police Department's gun buyback program runs out of gas after just 45 minutes
No ID needed.
However, morons, your identification is captured in two delightful ways: 1) upon spending said gift card, and 2) this beauty: “no identification was required but all firearms must be unloaded in the trunk of a vehicle when arriving.”
Stay stupid, criminals!
Original story: Sac PD gun buyback program runs out of gas after just 45 minutes
© 2002 – 2022, John Obeto II for Blackground Media Unlimited
Apple hit with EU antitrust charges over Apple Pay exclusivity
Apple will settle.
Why?
Because of this little bit: ".....Apple could be fined up to 10% of annual revenues..."
That's not peanuts, and a cudgel like that should make Apple *want* to settle.
Think about this: the EU has laws governing this sort of exclusion by an OEM. Plainly, it is illegal; *according to EU rules.
As I understand them, and fair warning, IANAL, you cannot exclude other manufacturers from utilizing standards-based functionality that the customer/consumer - in this instance, the iPhone owner - has already paid for.
For example: it would be like Apple requiring iPhone owners to only connect to Apple-branded Wi-Fi access points.
Which would be insane.
As this situation is.
Apple Pay's use of NFC compounds Apple's problem, IMO.
Because it isn't an Apple-created technology, and is standards-based.
Moreover, Apple has had enough time to come up with the security framework and privacy scheme that it would have posited would benefit iPhone owners.
It didn't do so.
Therein lies their problem: their (Apple's) steadfast refusal to even consider 3rd-party payment processors' use of NFC has been exposed for what it is: Apple not wanting any competition.
That is a clear violation of EU antitrust laws. I think.
What do you think I am missing?
What Apple is doing with Apple Pay isn’t new, their thing, or an Apple innovation.
Apple just took NFC payments to a whole new level with Apple Pay.
They also did so using basically available technology that they repackaged magnificently.
iPhones may not be the dominant devices numerically; they are so in terms of buying power.
The iPhone demographics skew firmly towards the well-heeled, and that is why everyone wants in.
Suffice it to say, While Apple has about 20% of the global smartphone market, Apple banks over 80% of available profits for ALL phones.
That really means that, yes, Android phone OEMs deliver crappy devices and crappy user experiences.
What I think though, is that other payment system operators such as PayPal just want access to the iPhone ecosystem without having to share both profits and customer data with Apple.
I hope Apple can come out with a scheme whereby other pay processors can use iPhone NFC, but cannot harvest customer data.
That, to me, would be the ideal middle ground.
Original story at The New York Times.
© 2002 – 2021, John Obeto II for Blackground Media Unlimited
Ads in Windows Explorer? Say it ain't so, Microsoft!
There are bad ideas, and there are BAD IDEAS.
Then, there are EFFIN’ BAD IDEAS!
This though, is the mother of all bad ideas!
Listen, I know that Microsoft has generously made Windows® literally free for registered/registered users, and with Windows 11, provided what is no doubt the most hassle-free and most capable Windows update ever.
However, even with that solid, ads in Windows Explorer are really, way too far.
As Steve Jobs might have put it,
Microsoft, please let sanity return to Redmond, and stop this nonsense immediately.
Thanks you.
Original story:
https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/15/22979251/microsoft-file-explorer-ads-windows-11-testing
Can Microsoft even create a touch-first operating system, or even a touch-first version of Windows?
Over the past several months, I have been subjected to several news reports about the Microsoft Surface Duo 2, the ‘lost’ Microsoft Windows Version S operating, the new Surface devices, and quite happily, the magnificent Windows 11.
I also use the iPad as a tablet. Daily.
What does that have to do with anything?
Plenty.
While the Surface line really shows off their hybrid chops, they aren’t touch-first devices like the iPad is.
Resultantly, they cannot be used as pure tablets, and that’s a darned shame! Because, into this breech steps the iPad, which is a very good media consumption device. Only.
Which does everything well in that realm, as long as you desire to live in Apple’s walled garden.
I don’t.
I don’t want anything Android either. Ever!
I just want a Microsoft touch-first, preferably windows-based operating system for all my Surface tablets.
So that I can ditch the keyboard and the mouse.
That can’t too much to ask now, can it?
© 2002 – 2018, John Obeto for Blackground Media Unlimited
In-road Wireless Charging.
This is very interesting.
However, one mile = about a minute's drive at 60mph.
How much charging would that accomplish?
Also, the energy loss would be insane.
Home charging stations take all night to give ~400 miles or so; Tesla Superchargers take an hour minimum.
This has to beat those, so we're looking at miles and miles of municipal roadways.
Plus, mix in payment schemes.
While innovative and all that, I just can't see the ROI.
