Posts Tagged ‘russia’
Russian Code
Dobroye Utro. (That’s “good morning” in Russian.)
Russia has passed a new law which will ban the sale of certain devices that are not pre-installed with Russian software. Like smartphones, computers, and smart TVs.
The law is intended to promote Russian technology and to make it easier for people to use the gadgets they buy, but will not exclude Russian users from using non-Russian software.
Apple bean counters are in high heaven. Shipments of their AirPod wireless earphones are expected to double to 60M units by the end of this year, demand driven in part by the new $249 AirPods Pro introduced at Apple’s October launch event. Current wait times for the new version on Apple’s U.S. website: 2-3 weeks.
I remember a similar production issue 2 years ago when I bought my Gen 1 AirPods. The good news? I haven’t lost them, as feared, and they still work great.
Hacker Alert: Google has announced it will pay up to $1.5M for the “most severe hacks of its Pixel line of Android phones.” That’s up 7X over the previous top Android bounty.
This to help refine the Titan M Google-designed chip that carries out core security functions for the Pixel. We’ll see if anyone can hack it.
Happy weekend!
A Kilowatt for A Bitcoin!
Happy Friday.
If you’re looking for cheap energy to do your Bitcoin mining, don’t head for Plattsburgh, New York.
Its city council last evening unanimously voted to impose an 18-month moratorium on Bitcoin mining in the city.
Motherboard reports that the moratorium was proposed by Plattsburgh Mayor Colin Read earlier this month after residents began reporting wildly inflated electricity bills in January (some up to $100 or $200 more than average).
And this in a place that advertises itself as having the “cheapest electricity in the world” because of its proximity to a hydroelectric dam on the St. Lawrence river.
Meanwhile, following up on my post yesterday about the cyber escapades in Saudi Arabia, the plot thickens.
According to a report from Reuters, the Trump Administration yesterday blamed the Russian government for a campaign of cyber attacks stretching back at least two years that targeted the U.S. power grid. That’s the first time the U.S. has publicly accused Moscow of hacking into American energy infrastructure.
The attempts started in/around March 2016, with the Russian government hackers seeking to penetrate multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation and manufacturing.
You know, pretty much everything to keep a modern industrialized society’s wheels turning!
And if you’re looking for some lighter fare, Facebook Lite will soon be coming to Canada, Australia, the U.K. and U.S.
Facebook Lite is Facebook’s pared down version of its app that had originally been designed for people in developing countries with limited data plans, but hey, we’re rapidly becoming a third world country here in the U.S., so bring on the Lite Facebook…err, the Facebook Lite.
How about some new old ad slogans for the newest Lite?
You can call me Ray, and you can call me Jay!
Great taste, less filling!
If you’ve got the time…we’ve got the social network?! No?
The app will only be available for Android for today’s release, I guess suggesting that we iOS users aren’t in need of such bandwidth relief??!
From Russia With Bailouts
Das vi dan ya.
That’s “goodbye” in Russia. So I should probably learn hello.
Answers.com explained it’s dobro pozalovat.
So, dobro pozalovat to Yandex, the Russian search engine, which followed short on the heels of LinkedIn’s IPO and went public earlier today on the Nasdaq, raising some $1.3B (dollars, not rubles).
Apparently, the issue was some 17 times oversubscribed, surprising considering that Yandex only has about 64% market share (although it is still the largest Web site in Russia).
Also a done deal: Twitter buys TweetDeck for roughly $40M. This has been rumored for some time, but apparently it’s really happened this time. Really. Seriously. #ftw
Is this the beginning of a great Twitter consolidation?
When a TweetDeck falls in the virtual Twitter forest, does it even make a sound???
Well, I’m just glad to see someone out there’s making some deals.
After watching HBO’s docudrama rendition of Aaron Ross Sorkin’s 2010 book about the financial crisis, Too Big To Fail, last evening, one might start to wonder.
I read the book.
The movie’s probably easier to consume in many ways, minus all the boring financial mumbo jumbo details, although it nearly made me ill to replay that denouement from the fall of 2008.
But, I have to say, William Hurt made for a wonderful SecTreas Henry Paulson, understated and steely, and James Woods cracked me up as vulgar Richard Fuld, the former CEO of Lehman Brothers. And Paul Giamatti as Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke…another classic performance by Giamatti.
The movie seemed to raise a central question: Was Paulson the hero who saved the day or the insider who protected the interests of his industry?
You get to watch the film (or read your history book, if you’re so inclined) and be your own judge.
But kudos to the HBO team for making a compelling film about what could have easily become a trite and boring re-enactment.
It was anything but boring…now, having seen it and completely paranoid, if I could only figure out a way to move all my retirement savings into a small bomb shelter immune from market movements if not the elements!
turbotodd
Turbotodd 