Comment: Re:So release the old fart they have in prison... (Score 1) 115
"old fart"? You are an arrogant fool.
Comment: Re:Gut everything and start over (Score 1) 115
Cuba could leapfrog technology, but policy is more important than technology:
See: http://laredcubana.blogspot.co...
See: http://laredcubana.blogspot.co...
Comment: Re:The access is not as dire as you would imagi (Score 1) 115
Few Cubans can afford to use the Internet cafes or attend universities or have accounts through their jobs. The cell phones are not like those in Asia -- they are 2G.
Comment: Re:Satellite not needed (Score 1) 115
They still have some international satellite connectivity in addition to the undersea cable, but the real need is not for international connectivity but domestic access. In the short run, satellite and terrestrial wireless could make a big difference at low cost if the Cuban government were willing.
+ - Cuba says the Internet now a priority -- is it?
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lpress
lpress (707742) writes "Cuba first connected to the Internet in 1996 through a Sprint link funded by the US National Science Foundation. A year later the Cuban government decided to contain and control it. Now they say the Internet is a priority. If so, they need a long run plan, but they can get started with low cost interim measures. There is virtually no modern infrastructure on the island, but they could aggressively deploy satellite technology at little cost and, where phone lines could support it, install DSL equipment. With liberalized licensing, US companies could supply service and equipment — the ball is in the Cuban court."
+ - A survey of RAND's contributions to computer science
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lpress
lpress (707742) writes "RAND Corporation was formed after World War II to do research and development for the Air Force. Perhaps the first "think tank," RAND was instrumental in many computer science developments. They did important early work on communication satellites, artificial intelligence and operations research and RAND's JOHNNIAC was one of the first stored program (Von Neumann architecture) research computers. IPL, the first list processing language, the SIMSCRIPT simulation programming language and JOSS, one of the first interactive time-sharing systems, were developed at RAND. The RAND tablet was the great grandfather of the iPad and its graphical input language (GRAIL) featured object-oriented drawing and character recognition. Paul Baran's work on the design and feasibility of large, distributed, packet-switched networks was RAND's most important theoretical work — leading to the ARPANET.
In 1957, RAND spun off its research division, creating the System Development Corporation (SDC) to build the SAGE air-defense system. SAGE was the first computer network and a huge project that trained most of the system programmers in the US. Those programmers invented many programming and project management techniques and went on to productive careers. SDC also developed the most advanced time-sharing and software development system of its time, which was used in dozens of man-machine research projects."
In 1957, RAND spun off its research division, creating the System Development Corporation (SDC) to build the SAGE air-defense system. SAGE was the first computer network and a huge project that trained most of the system programmers in the US. Those programmers invented many programming and project management techniques and went on to productive careers. SDC also developed the most advanced time-sharing and software development system of its time, which was used in dozens of man-machine research projects."
+ - Routers in orbit – can Elon Musk and Greg Tyler connect the other three bi
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lpress
lpress (707742) writes "In the early 1990s, cellular pioneer Craig McCaw, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Talal founded Teledesic with the intention of providing global Internet connectivity using low-earth orbit satellites. The satellite and launch technology were not good enough and the company failed. Today, entrepreneurs Elon Musk (launch technology) and Greg Wyler (satellite technology) are working on a constellation of 700 low-earth orbit satellites to provide Internet connectivity to rural areas and developing nations and Google has several related projects. Will they realize Teledesic's 1990 vision using 2020 technology?"
+ - Cuban and American collaboration -- against ebola and on the early Internet
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lpress
lpress (707742) writes "Cuban doctors and nurses are working in ebola treatment units funded by the U. S, Agency for International Development and Sprint, a U.S. corporation subsidized by funds from the U.S. National Science Foundation, provided Cuba's first Internet link.
In the days of pre and early-Internet networking, Americans were welcome as visitors to Cuba's National Center of Automated Data Exchange, the organization responsible for Cuban networking at that time, and at Cuban computer science conferences. Cubans, Americans and others worked side by side in the Internet Society Developing Nation Workshops and Conferences. We were not politicians seeking power or representatives of corporations seeking monopoly profits, but technicians and others who believed that computer networks were fascinating and held great potential for improving the world."
In the days of pre and early-Internet networking, Americans were welcome as visitors to Cuba's National Center of Automated Data Exchange, the organization responsible for Cuban networking at that time, and at Cuban computer science conferences. Cubans, Americans and others worked side by side in the Internet Society Developing Nation Workshops and Conferences. We were not politicians seeking power or representatives of corporations seeking monopoly profits, but technicians and others who believed that computer networks were fascinating and held great potential for improving the world."
+ - A review of CBS All Access online video streaming
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lpress
lpress (707742) writes "I tested CBS All Access video streaming. It has technical problems, which will be resolved, but I will still pass because they show commercials in addition to a $5.99 per month fee. Eventually, we will all cut the cord and have a choice of viewing modes — on-demand versus scheduled and with and without commercials — but don't expect your monthly bill to drop as long as our ISPs are monopolies or oligopolies."
+ - Nobel laureate Jean Tirole has advice for Internet companies and regulators.
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lpress
lpress (707742) writes "Companies like Apple and Google face complex pricing decisions since they are in "two-sided" markets and telecommunication policy makers need to find regulatory strategies that will incent network companies to invest, while keeping end user prices low. Tirole has advice for both. European regulators have heeded his advice, but not those of the US.
http://cis471.blogspot.com/201..."
http://cis471.blogspot.com/201..."
+ - Annals of sleazy domain name squatting
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lpress
lpress (707742) writes "The domain name ebola.com is for sale. In the meantime, the folks who own it are redirecting to ebola.org, where you can read frightening articles and purchase BHT, a nutritional supplement that could help with ebola. I don't know which is more depressing — the fact that someone would try to exploit the ebola epidemic this way or that there are enough people who would pay for BHT to fend off ebola to make squatting on disease domain names a profitable business."
Comment: Re:Really? (Score 1) 126
At that high level, the line between corporations and the government becomes blurry, no matter which country you live in. Just look at Standard Oil, Boeing, Halliburton... The list goes on.
For sure, but are there differences in degree? For example, in Chinese dominated Singapore, the government is an explicit shareholder. I wonder if anyone has done a study of explicit ownership of stock by US companies --- e. g., does Haliburton own stock in Standard Oil?
Comment: Re:Comparable? Not really. (Score 1) 126
The post discusses the nature of Chinese corporations, not the structure of this particular stock deal.
Comment: Re:Comparable? Not really. (Score 1) 126
It's not the same thing as share of Apple at all.
The post discusses the nature of Chinese corporations, not the structure of this particular stock deal.
Comment: Re:US investors don't have shares in Alibaba ... (Score 1) 126
I agree. Asking the question indicates ignorance of this arrangement.
I am asking about the nature of Chinese corporations, not the structure of this stock deal.
