April 16, 2024

Japan's govt. prepares bill to fine IT giants that hinder market competition

Source: NHK

The Japanese government has drawn up a bill that fines tech giants that obstruct other companies from competing in the market.

Firms such as Apple and Google hold dominant positions in areas such as smartphone operating software and app stores. There are concerns that this hinders new firms and raises the cost of companies that use the services.

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Based on the bill firms will face restrictions in the areas of smartphone operating software, app stores, internet browsers and search engines, and list prohibited acts. The acts include preventing the use of app stores and payment systems run by other firms, and forcing unreasonable practices on other firms in business transactions.

Designated firms will be required to report on their compliance with the restrictions every fiscal year. Firms that don't comply will be fined an amount equal to 20 percent of their sales in Japan. That's more than three times the fine for obstructing another firm's business under the current antitrust law. Firms that continue illegal practices face a fine equal to 30 percent of their sales.

Read more: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240416_22/

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20 percent of their sales. very dramatic

April 21, 2023

Gulf of Aden wiki

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Aden

map is educational . Narrow area , with Yemen, Somalia and Ethiopia as the largest near neighbors, then Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Eritrea.

August 8, 2022

Collage Photographer Uğur Gallenkuş

https://boingboing.net/2022/08/07/the-powerful-collage-images-of-ug%cc%86ur-gallenkus%cc%a7.html

Warning: if you don’t like DU, you probably will not like the link at all.

If you do like DU, …. well, this link is international in nature. The camera didn’t blink. Neither did the photographer Uğur Gallenkuş.

August 4, 2021

Covid 19 Vaccinations for children in testing

https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2021/07/25/covid-19-delta-variant-affects-unvaccinated-children-in-north-carolina/

The story discusses trends in cases and vaccine trials.

I speculate that there will be calls by education leaders and blue state public health leaders for strict stay at home education, as the vaccines are not yet approved for children. ( disclosure: i have long been in favor of lockdowns.)

March 17, 2019

"Be like #50"

headline from https://www.fark.com/comments/10354755/Be-Like-50

Video on Twitter https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1106765148537147398

For those without video access, a young basketball player helps another to take a couple of shots.