That's significant, and it's not just the engines. The heat shield tiles, tanks and plumbing, the ship itself, all are receiving changes that are more than small incremental improvements: new insights from test flights are rolled into the design of the next ship. That introduces additional risk on each flight as well. And the risk that the cycle continues like this... letting perfect be the enemy of good enough.

Trump thinks he's forcing the EU and other countries to rely more on the USA but he's doing the exact opposite, the consequences of which will only become apparent long his insanity is gone.

in an unregulated market (what consumers need), new businesses are able to create new competition if there is money to be saved for consumers.

If even a quarter of what I've heard about Oracle's offerings being over-budget, never-on-time, never-on-spec shitshows is actually true,

In general this is NOT for Oracle services...this is site wide (for all of DOW) for enterprise database and other software licensing....

There are contractors for each branch and project that use and maintain databases and most of them are Oracle....lots of legacy systems and always something new on the horizon....but Oracle generally is NOT doing any work.

'79 928 says "Hello."

Ah...that sounds nice.

Do you still have it?

I lost my 930 in Katrina.....at one point on Google Maps I saw the black monster floating in my back yard....

:(

Honestly, these Europeans dragging on our tech industry needs to stop. We should recoup the funds in tariffs on all goods and reimburse Google. Hurt their industries if they hurt ours.

There are three issues that the EU is concerned about when it comes to US big tech: the reliance of European citizens, companies and governments on US tech firms, and data collected in the process. The influence that those firms can exert over EU public opinion. And anti-competitive practises and the abuse of monopoly positions. The first 2 are the ones that the EU started to worry about a lot more since Trump’s second term, but they are mainly dealt with through policy. The 3rd issue has always been a priority, and that’s the one being dealt with through fines.

Reminds me of swapping out the radio in cars. Maybe people could bring that back? I did that on nearly every car I've owned.

Indeed I remember doing that...and used to LOVE to custom configure my cars audio system.

I research and save and save and get a new head unit, then save...get the amp, new speakers...etc.

I dunno...I guess today's youth isn't as interested in audio fidelity...but I sure miss it.

OnStar systems detect that a collision has occurred and dial 911 for you. The phone can't do this as well, though it could perhaps do it.

I believe iPhones do this too...?

I believe they call it Crash Detection.

Both of my vehicles are still stick shifts, a 5spd WRX and a 6spd Tacoma. You'll take them from my cold dead hands!

In my rather long life to date..I have never owned anything but 2 seater sports cars with manual transmissions.

Ok, the '86 911 Turbo Porsche "technically" had rear seats, but you couldn't fit more than a couple bags of groceries back there, so I don't really count that.

If I were to buy a new GM car...first thing I'd do (actually while researching the car)....is find out how to disable the fscking cellular connection and cut the damned thing off from the mothership completely.

I don't want over the air updates at their choice, nor telemetries, etc....

Hell at this point, I just may only be buying older cars if need be and keeping them in good running order.

I prefer manual transmission anyway....those are hard to get new. I'd love a new Vette, but a sports car with no manual transmission? A waste...

In addition to what other people said, some companies use it to screen out people who are going to cause employee conflicts, ie, are you using it to make controversial posts and comments and say things that violate the social contract, or do you use it to communicate with family and talk about your hobbies?

If you don't feel some attachment to your past and want people to be able to find you and contact you, in this age without phone books, are you going to be a company person? Or do you just want a paycheck?

I guess I don't see social media the way you do....I've never thought of not having social media as the same thing as "no feeling attachment to past or want people, etc".

I've never done social media, yet I'm in almost constant touch with friends over 45+ year I've been with...we text, phone call, email...and actually try as often as possible to get together in meatspace.

Anyone that needs to know where I am...knows where I am.

And not sure about....company person? I mean, the ONLY reason I work...is for $$$.

I've contracted 1099 and done W2 over the years.

When I go to work, I follow the rules, I'm very amiable with co-workers....I do work stuff at work and when the door hits me on the ass on the way out, I leave work fully behind.

As a general rule I do not associate with co-workers outside of the office. I have real friends for friend actives and needs....I have found over the years, it keeps things professional and keeps problems at bay.

Frankly in the litigious society we find ourselves in today....I do believe employers are looking more for a person like myself...little to NO threat of interoffice conflicts or lawsuits.

This is principally because it was recognized that computers are no longer ten-year purchases (typical service life for a mainframe), they are commodity items that rapidly become obsolete. You don't depreciate pencils; personal computers aren't that far removed.

Macs also require activation. Reformat the drive and you can't even install the OS without the computer phoning the mothership. This is tied into the fact that Apple offers a business service that semi-permanently links a machine to your company's MDM. Reformat it and it automatically reinstalls the company's management profile. This link is burned in at purchase time (and cannot be set up post-purchase) - it's really a database entry back at Apple that says "oi, this serial number isn't for general consumers, it belongs to ${MIGHTYCORP}" during that mothership ping. Apple allows the corp to divest the Mac with a onetime, irreversible "drop this machine from our list of managed devices" process.

And what's the endgame?

"How about a nice game of....chess?"