Before people start getting carried away with putting valuations on the riches up there some thoughts - I have a basic understanding of economic theory so this may be wrong.
Metals are a commodity and their prices are affected by supply and demand. Rare metals that can be used in a number of high tech industries have a high price since there is a large demand, but only a limited supply.
NEO 3554 Amun is worth more than all of the platinum metal resources on Earth by several trillion dollars at today's prices only by virtue of being inaccessible. If it could be easily mined then those commodity price would fall quickly.
Alternatively, if the mining organisation maintained prices, thus maximising revenues, but the process by which they were doing it were relatively easily repeatable by others then comptitors would go looking for their own rocks - otherwise known as competition.
Also if the metals could be recovered and transported cheaply enough you could look to see even more mining companies going bust. (Though given the enironmental damage some of the mining companies have done that ain't necessarily a bad thing)
A friend went out to Latvia to work a couple of years back as a teaching assitant for English in a school. (I still haven't got a straight answer as to why he did it).
He claims to have ended up advising the education ministry on how to set English exams and the syllabus apparently being one of the more qualified people in the country. He had other horror stories, apparently they really don't like the Russians.
Re:Britain's history of amateur games development
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Playstation 2 Basic?
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· Score: 1
This has nothing to do with the strength of the British computer games industry.
It appears to be a simple attempt to avoid import duty into the EU of 2.2% that would apply to video game consoles.
The thinking seems to be that if it ships with BASIC this makes it a programmable computer, thus being eligable for another import catagory, which has import duty of 0%. Customs may not take the same view, so this could end up in the courts. (IANAL but used to work importing goods from Japan and the USA)
If this is the case, then expect the BASIC app to be on all PS/2 sold in Europe, since UK customs duties are harmonised with the rest of the EU. (BTW the taxes on booze and fags that mean they are more expensive in the UK are excise duty, which is set by member states, rather than import duty, which is harmonised, and applies in this case)
In the UK the employer does have an obligation to provide a phone, free from monitoring, for personal use. This is in recognition that people do need to take care of personal business in working hours.(For Americans who see any employee rights as an affront to the sacred cow of free enterprise, I have never seen a complaint from a business that this is unreasonable)
Email is becoming widespread, but many people do not have access at home, therefore use it at work. In moderation this will have minimal impact on effectiveness, but personal email may contain information that you would wish your employer not to know - that job offer, or that test for a serious disease.
Yes, you should use other methods, regardless of the legal status, but this enshrines the employers right to snoop.
In Europe my cell phone roams automatically when I change countries - used it without problem in the UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Of course, I pay through the nose for the calls..
Been digital here (UK) for about 5 years - don't think I've ever had an analog cell phone and I've had one for about 4 years.
BTW we don't pay to receive calls normally - I think about 50% of the UK population now has a mobile. We're well behind some of the Scandinavian countries.
Re:Mattel vs UK Government?
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Mattel Spyware
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· Score: 1
Go directly to Jail, do not pass Go, do not collect £200?
Re:Mattel Criminalises Users?
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Mattel Spyware
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· Score: 1
Thanks, I've seen it, just thought that the BBC may offer a more balanced introduction. Stand has a particular agenda in this case.
Mattel Criminalises Users?
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Mattel Spyware
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· Score: 2
Under pending legislation in the UK (the RIP act) failure to provide a key for encypted information can be punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment. The fact that one never had it is not necessarily a defence. Insertion of encrypted data by commercial software without the user's knowledge is worrying for a whole host of reasons. More info about RIP http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_7 84000/784426.stm
Slashdot Mirror
Metals are a commodity and their prices are affected by supply and demand. Rare metals that can be used in a number of high tech industries have a high price since there is a large demand, but only a limited supply.
NEO 3554 Amun is worth more than all of the platinum metal resources on Earth by several trillion dollars at today's prices only by virtue of being inaccessible. If it could be easily mined then those commodity price would fall quickly.
Alternatively, if the mining organisation maintained prices, thus maximising revenues, but the process by which they were doing it were relatively easily repeatable by others then comptitors would go looking for their own rocks - otherwise known as competition.
Also if the metals could be recovered and transported cheaply enough you could look to see even more mining companies going bust. (Though given the enironmental damage some of the mining companies have done that ain't necessarily a bad thing)
A friend went out to Latvia to work a couple of years back as a teaching assitant for English in a school. (I still haven't got a straight answer as to why he did it).
He claims to have ended up advising the education ministry on how to set English exams and the syllabus apparently being one of the more qualified people in the country. He had other horror stories, apparently they really don't like the Russians.
It appears to be a simple attempt to avoid import duty into the EU of 2.2% that would apply to video game consoles.
The thinking seems to be that if it ships with BASIC this makes it a programmable computer, thus being eligable for another import catagory, which has import duty of 0%. Customs may not take the same view, so this could end up in the courts. (IANAL but used to work importing goods from Japan and the USA)
If this is the case, then expect the BASIC app to be on all PS/2 sold in Europe, since UK customs duties are harmonised with the rest of the EU. (BTW the taxes on booze and fags that mean they are more expensive in the UK are excise duty, which is set by member states, rather than import duty, which is harmonised, and applies in this case)
(Apart from the Russians who have said that they always have better relationships with Republican presidents...)
In the UK the employer does have an obligation to provide a phone, free from monitoring, for personal use. This is in recognition that people do need to take care of personal business in working hours.(For Americans who see any employee rights as an affront to the sacred cow of free enterprise, I have never seen a complaint from a business that this is unreasonable)
Email is becoming widespread, but many people do not have access at home, therefore use it at work. In moderation this will have minimal impact on effectiveness, but personal email may contain information that you would wish your employer not to know - that job offer, or that test for a serious disease.
Yes, you should use other methods, regardless of the legal status, but this enshrines the employers right to snoop.
In Europe my cell phone roams automatically when I change countries - used it without problem in the UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Of course, I pay through the nose for the calls.. Been digital here (UK) for about 5 years - don't think I've ever had an analog cell phone and I've had one for about 4 years. BTW we don't pay to receive calls normally - I think about 50% of the UK population now has a mobile. We're well behind some of the Scandinavian countries.
Go directly to Jail, do not pass Go, do not collect £200?
Thanks, I've seen it, just thought that the BBC may offer a more balanced introduction. Stand has a particular agenda in this case.
Under pending legislation in the UK (the RIP act) failure to provide a key for encypted information can be punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment. The fact that one never had it is not necessarily a defence. Insertion of encrypted data by commercial software without the user's knowledge is worrying for a whole host of reasons. More info about RIP http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_7 84000/784426.stm