All of the companies mentioned operate in Europe, that makes it the EU's business. You clearly don't understand the situation.
I'm assuming you're an American, it seems you have very strong feelings about "your" companies despite the fact that they operate abroad. They're incorporated in Europe. If they operate in the EU, they're subject to European laws. If you want to sell your products in Europe, you will be subject to our market regulations and laws.
The same principle applies to European and other companies in other markets including the US. You're being very narrow minded and strongly nationalistic, yet your nation, the United States of America, is the strongest advocate of globalization and free trade.
If you can't take the pain, don't play the game!
As for your ludicrous claim that this has anything to do with Nokia, Europeans are not "Europeans" first and foremost. Nokia is a Finnish concern. There are few if any other European countries interested in what happens to a Finnish company. Did you even know that there are several other European cellphone makers? SonyEricsson of Sweden for example, and there are others.
Your next suggestion would probably be "lobbyists", however the European equivalent of the US Congress, the European Parliament, doesn't really have that kind of power and neither do the lobbyists. We're not as corrupt as the US on a federal level, that remains on a national level.
In the EU the national leaders are all naturally looking out for their own country's interests, the EU itself on the other hand cuts evenly and is only interested in fair competition regardless of your origin. The EU's competition authority and courts don't give a rats ass about your claims, they're vigilant and justly so, in the interest of the average European consumer.
That's how most companies operate (suggested retail price), however that's just the products of one company, not like the book market where there are several publishers.
Apple competes with HP and many others. Amazon suddenly can't compete with Apple, Kobo or others on books because the publishers don't want to!
I can't be bothered to rehash all of this now. The flat rate discount is actually that here. Healthcare [for children] is free, my mistake I should have made the context clear, adults do in fact pay a fee to see their GP. The Education Loan facility does not work that way in the US, not like every other country, even if you go bankrupt that debt stays with you for the rest of your life! And so on...
If you want to talk rubbish about Sweden, be my guest, Norwegians love to mock our Swedish friends!:) I find it interesting that you bothered to talk about how terrible Scandinavia is when you live in the UK... Your country's not exactly the place to be at the moment. Have a nice day!
The LAN parties in Norway that I know of actually own most of the equipment involved.:)
Companies like Cisco have been known to offer some discounts and/or sponsor the event with equipment. However it's mostly financed by the members and participants themselves.
Here in Norway I believe they even operate a small company, KANDU, that rents this equipment out where needed [to other LAN parties]. As of 2011 they own 170 48-port gigabit switches, backbone switches, frame relays and much more. The people involved are professionals with years of experience both in their professional lives and organizing this kind of event.
Yet another ignorant liar that knows nothing about Scandinavia.
The average tax rate is 32% on taxable income, after deductions and a flat rate discount. The tax rate is proportional, with exceptions for the lowest incomes. The highest income groups pay an additional extra tax on income above a certain threshold. This tax gives you an automatic government paid pension. I can only speak for my own Scandinavian country, but it's mostly the same.
You may deduct interest payments on mortgages, travel expenses if you have to commute a long distance (minimum limits apply), expenses due to your health (special needs equipment) and so on. Too much to list here.
In addition you receive a monthly cash subsidy for each child below the age of 18, kindergartens and after-school parks are subsidied, schools are free, college is free, healthcare is free, hospitals are free, prenatal clinics offer free, extensive pre/post-birth support, maternity/paternity leave is paid for by the government (1 year at 80% pay). Students are eligble for a student loan from the State Educational Loan Fund, no interest paid while studying, and you only pay when you actually have a job. If you end up sick or disabled you will receive welfare and additional support including housing, caretakers and so on. That's just what I can think of at the moment, there's a lot more.
It's simple. The EU is similar to the US Federal government. The member countries are subject to EU law where applicable, they have signed treaties to that effect.
If the member state loses the case it will be subject to punitive measures until it corrects the situation. There is a lot to lose for the member country in question.
At least here in Scandinavia, the government is not the enemy, it represents us and our shared interests. Many Americans seem to think their negative view is the "universal" truth. It is most certainly not.
On the other hand we allow individuals to choose what immunizations they want their children to get. It just happens that most people actually trust our government, universal health care system and science; the majority of people choose to get all immunizations offered.
At first glance I agree it does look rather strange [for a repository], the difference lies in the fact that it's called the "App Store". The OS upgrade is a product.
While Linux offers a lot more [out of the box], the average Apple user doesn't need a repository. They can however easily add one! The App Store helped a lot in my opinion. Using Fink and Macports is not mainstream, but it sure works me!
I guess it's pointless to argue with people like you, you might be a little bit upset perhaps, but your claims are all more or less unfounded.
The EU is more than capable in many respects, however it currently lacks a [full] military arm [which will eventually replace NATO]. The Eurocorps is changing that.
The EU has taken charge of military missions using European national forces in Europe, Africa and not least the naval operations outside Somalia in the Indian Ocean. I would love to see [my]Europe leave NATO, never again aiding the US
To accuse Europe of not being capable is both laughable and imprecise, there is no "Europe" as such to accuse. We will see in the future however as the EU consolidates. NATO has been the foundation of both American and European operations. You fight your wars with our help, not just the other way around. Despite your [increasingly invalid] superiority complex and extreme nationalism, you're not actually protecting Europeans at all, just your own interests. How exactly does the Ramstein Air Base protect Germany? Why are Europeans fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan?!
It's ironic that you dare to speak about nationalism and facism, your country is the prime representative of both at this point in time! Oh, and you're awfully good at both genocides and apartheid. Your own history is far from respectable. And if we're to be blamed for past mistakes we also take full credit for Democracy, Magna Carta and the Republic!
The NATO committments you referred to are not exactly in our best interest. What possible reason do we have for spending a fixed percentage on non-essentials? The Cold War is over, that threat has passed, the need for arms has changed for Europe. The US uses its arms for other less admirable goals than promoting peace!
Why should we care about your strategic and economic goals? Defending Israel and other dicators (from Egypt to Saudi Arabia)! We should use our[European] armed forces and funds on other fronts such as border patrols, anti-terrorism and rapid reaction forces.
Europe (EU) is at peace for now, but our neighbors are not (see the Middle East, ex-Soviets and Africa). That's what we should care about!
This is not so-called anti-Americanism, that passed decades ago. The US isn't even remotely on the agenda in Europe in general. Why would we hate you? The EU is actually a lot more "hated" by people than your irrelevant foreign government. I think you're an old man, stuck in the past.
The Libyan operation is testament to Europe's growing self-confidence and ability. The French lead those attacks on Libya, joined by the British, before the US even acted! That's despite the lack of NATO and EU support.
At least you are correct when you claimed that what's going on is exactly what some European nations did in the past; playing The Great Game. The empires of Britain, Spain and France fell, and the American empire will also fall...
No, that's not entirely correct. The country must have stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities. The criteria are not clear cut however.
The ban on capital punishment is part of the European Convention on Human Rights. The convention is a membership requirement for the Council of Europe, an entirely separate body that predates the European Union.
It is generally understood that both membership of the CoE and ratification of the ECHR is a requirement for EU membership.
They were designed by his friend Issey Miyake after Steve decided a corporate image and uniform would help his company. I believe he was impressed by the workers' uniforms at Sony.
Not really. That's more or less France in a nutshell. It's not Europe as a whole. A little in Belgium I suppose(?). I've never seen it happen in the 48 other European countries.
Oh, and they might obstruct traffic, but they're hardly "rioting" à la Greece.
You do realize transplants of this nature are less of a risk? They're essentially native already...
I believe the doctors know far more about this than you and how it will affect any pregnancy afterwards.
Oh, and she's not "desperate" for a child, it's not unexpected coming from someone with your unkind attitude, she could have bought the services of a surrogate(!).
Your comment is far from true. Europeans in general don't choose cars over public transport. That's far too general and a very dubious claim.
Europeans in large cities like Rome, London and Paris are far more likely to use public transport. Many young Europeans never bother to get a driver's license because it's not neccessary. Public transport is both efficient and inexpensive for the users in a large percentage of European cities of all sizes.
Germans as a people might own more cars than the US per capita, but it doesn't mean they're used for commuting... nor does that take into account the people that don't own cars in either country. There could be other factors such as purchasing power, salaries, local costs and cultural values.
I also believe that people generally like the convenience of cars, but we don't all prefer them over other options. At least not here in Europe... You're projecting your views on a huge group of people you don't know or have any data on (links?). The US and Europe aren't that similar culturally or socially.
Personally I prefer relaxing on the train while commuting home from my [European] capital, but I live in a rural suburb where I need a car...
I think we're on the same page on this issue. I assume your comment about being judged has something to do with US-style corporate annual reviews and such? In my part of the world the annual review is nothing more than a nice little chat, we're not actually reviewed according to meaningless numbers, we're more interested in actual results. If the job got done, it was of no consequence where I worked to my [previous] employer.
The question [of how we work] will resolve itself naturally over the next decades as our societies change under economic and environmental pressure. For people like us, who live in the West and work in technology, I believe it will become very normal to telecommute and simply switch network credentials when we change employers. In my previous job my employer even paid me "rent" on my home office and covered my broadband and cellphone expenses.
I don't believe talking about it will get us there, as with most things political it takes too long, but energy prices, transport time/costs and the mutual benefits for employers and employees is bound to make things happen. Nothing talks like money.
Your name appears to be Greek? Appropriately the word Dogma springs to mind; any belief that is held stubbornly, including political and scientific beliefs.
I very much doubt that a large organization cannot do more than two things at a time, while I appreciate the disruptive effect [moving] can have on the whole organization. I do however not agree that it is "a symptom of decay" in general or with regards to this project. There is always "progress" and who knows what will happen in terms of discovery by sheer accident? Perhaps a move will spawn new interesting ideas and concepts in the minds of some key people?
Apple will move, development will continue, who knows what could have been and what will appear?
I think Apple needs a building for their hardware people, but the software people should be able to work from home.
I recently switched employers because I had enough of working from home... The irony is that I fully support your views on the future workplace and the "green" approach. It was the lack of human interaction, social learning and exchange of skills, poor communication, high latency, problems took longer to resolve in general, customers are less responsive over the phone etc. We're pretty easy going in Scandinavia, there's no hierarchy or formality. We also have the newest technology and networks in place, so that was never an issue.
Maybe it depends on the people you work with? Working from home was a distinct advantage when I last switched jobs, the competition offered a long commute (by train or car).
If you disregard the amount of energy wasted on commuting [because employers don't have to account for macro-economic and/or environmental effects] large, modern buildings can actually be a lot more efficient than thousands of [less advanced] private homes... You do have to power your own home, network and utilities. The irony is that cities can be/are a lot more effective than a small village, but I would rather live in a village for the social benefits.
Slashdot Mirror
To be frank, reading about the EU and Euro in a British publication is about as reasonable as reading about Jews in the Al-Qaida magazine.
All of the companies mentioned operate in Europe, that makes it the EU's business. You clearly don't understand the situation.
I'm assuming you're an American, it seems you have very strong feelings about "your" companies despite the fact that they operate abroad. They're incorporated in Europe. If they operate in the EU, they're subject to European laws. If you want to sell your products in Europe, you will be subject to our market regulations and laws.
The same principle applies to European and other companies in other markets including the US. You're being very narrow minded and strongly nationalistic, yet your nation, the United States of America, is the strongest advocate of globalization and free trade.
If you can't take the pain, don't play the game!
As for your ludicrous claim that this has anything to do with Nokia, Europeans are not "Europeans" first and foremost. Nokia is a Finnish concern. There are few if any other European countries interested in what happens to a Finnish company. Did you even know that there are several other European cellphone makers? SonyEricsson of Sweden for example, and there are others.
Your next suggestion would probably be "lobbyists", however the European equivalent of the US Congress, the European Parliament, doesn't really have that kind of power and neither do the lobbyists. We're not as corrupt as the US on a federal level, that remains on a national level.
In the EU the national leaders are all naturally looking out for their own country's interests, the EU itself on the other hand cuts evenly and is only interested in fair competition regardless of your origin. The EU's competition authority and courts don't give a rats ass about your claims, they're vigilant and justly so, in the interest of the average European consumer.
What exactly do you mean by "look at Apple & BSD"?
That's how most companies operate (suggested retail price), however that's just the products of one company, not like the book market where there are several publishers.
Apple competes with HP and many others. Amazon suddenly can't compete with Apple, Kobo or others on books because the publishers don't want to!
This is the publishers doing, never mind Apple.
I'm not from Sweden... I'm Norwegian.
I can't be bothered to rehash all of this now. The flat rate discount is actually that here. Healthcare [for children] is free, my mistake I should have made the context clear, adults do in fact pay a fee to see their GP. The Education Loan facility does not work that way in the US, not like every other country, even if you go bankrupt that debt stays with you for the rest of your life! And so on...
If you want to talk rubbish about Sweden, be my guest, Norwegians love to mock our Swedish friends! :) I find it interesting that you bothered to talk about how terrible Scandinavia is when you live in the UK... Your country's not exactly the place to be at the moment. Have a nice day!
I'm not sure what part of the world you live in, but what you are saying does not apply in Scandinavia [and this article].
The LAN parties in Norway that I know of actually own most of the equipment involved. :)
Companies like Cisco have been known to offer some discounts and/or sponsor the event with equipment. However it's mostly financed by the members and participants themselves.
Here in Norway I believe they even operate a small company, KANDU, that rents this equipment out where needed [to other LAN parties]. As of 2011 they own 170 48-port gigabit switches, backbone switches, frame relays and much more. The people involved are professionals with years of experience both in their professional lives and organizing this kind of event.
Yet another ignorant liar that knows nothing about Scandinavia.
The average tax rate is 32% on taxable income, after deductions and a flat rate discount. The tax rate is proportional, with exceptions for the lowest incomes. The highest income groups pay an additional extra tax on income above a certain threshold. This tax gives you an automatic government paid pension. I can only speak for my own Scandinavian country, but it's mostly the same.
You may deduct interest payments on mortgages, travel expenses if you have to commute a long distance (minimum limits apply), expenses due to your health (special needs equipment) and so on. Too much to list here.
In addition you receive a monthly cash subsidy for each child below the age of 18, kindergartens and after-school parks are subsidied, schools are free, college is free, healthcare is free, hospitals are free, prenatal clinics offer free, extensive pre/post-birth support, maternity/paternity leave is paid for by the government (1 year at 80% pay). Students are eligble for a student loan from the State Educational Loan Fund, no interest paid while studying, and you only pay when you actually have a job. If you end up sick or disabled you will receive welfare and additional support including housing, caretakers and so on. That's just what I can think of at the moment, there's a lot more.
It's simple. The EU is similar to the US Federal government. The member countries are subject to EU law where applicable, they have signed treaties to that effect.
If a member country does not apply the relevant law correctly, charges will be brought before the The Court of Justice of the European Union.
If the member state loses the case it will be subject to punitive measures until it corrects the situation. There is a lot to lose for the member country in question.
You are in the minority in Scandinavia and you know it. You clearly don't have the balls to discuss it openly, coward.
What "government"? Are you even Australian?
At least here in Scandinavia, the government is not the enemy, it represents us and our shared interests. Many Americans seem to think their negative view is the "universal" truth. It is most certainly not.
On the other hand we allow individuals to choose what immunizations they want their children to get. It just happens that most people actually trust our government, universal health care system and science; the majority of people choose to get all immunizations offered.
At first glance I agree it does look rather strange [for a repository], the difference lies in the fact that it's called the "App Store". The OS upgrade is a product.
Where you see a repository, Apple sees a store.
While Linux offers a lot more [out of the box], the average Apple user doesn't need a repository. They can however easily add one! The App Store helped a lot in my opinion. Using Fink and Macports is not mainstream, but it sure works me!
I guess it's pointless to argue with people like you, you might be a little bit upset perhaps, but your claims are all more or less unfounded.
The EU is more than capable in many respects, however it currently lacks a [full] military arm [which will eventually replace NATO]. The Eurocorps is changing that.
The EU has taken charge of military missions using European national forces in Europe, Africa and not least the naval operations outside Somalia in the Indian Ocean. I would love to see [my]Europe leave NATO, never again aiding the US
To accuse Europe of not being capable is both laughable and imprecise, there is no "Europe" as such to accuse. We will see in the future however as the EU consolidates. NATO has been the foundation of both American and European operations. You fight your wars with our help, not just the other way around. Despite your [increasingly invalid] superiority complex and extreme nationalism, you're not actually protecting Europeans at all, just your own interests. How exactly does the Ramstein Air Base protect Germany? Why are Europeans fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan?!
It's ironic that you dare to speak about nationalism and facism, your country is the prime representative of both at this point in time! Oh, and you're awfully good at both genocides and apartheid. Your own history is far from respectable. And if we're to be blamed for past mistakes we also take full credit for Democracy, Magna Carta and the Republic!
The NATO committments you referred to are not exactly in our best interest. What possible reason do we have for spending a fixed percentage on non-essentials? The Cold War is over, that threat has passed, the need for arms has changed for Europe. The US uses its arms for other less admirable goals than promoting peace!
Why should we care about your strategic and economic goals? Defending Israel and other dicators (from Egypt to Saudi Arabia)! We should use our[European] armed forces and funds on other fronts such as border patrols, anti-terrorism and rapid reaction forces.
Europe (EU) is at peace for now, but our neighbors are not (see the Middle East, ex-Soviets and Africa). That's what we should care about!
This is not so-called anti-Americanism, that passed decades ago. The US isn't even remotely on the agenda in Europe in general. Why would we hate you? The EU is actually a lot more "hated" by people than your irrelevant foreign government. I think you're an old man, stuck in the past.
The Libyan operation is testament to Europe's growing self-confidence and ability. The French lead those attacks on Libya, joined by the British, before the US even acted! That's despite the lack of NATO and EU support.
At least you are correct when you claimed that what's going on is exactly what some European nations did in the past; playing The Great Game. The empires of Britain, Spain and France fell, and the American empire will also fall...
I sure hope you're not American... because Echelon is a pretty big stone in a glass house!
We all know by now that the American intelligence agencies use their assets for the benefit of American companies...
No, that's not entirely correct. The country must have stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities. The criteria are not clear cut however.
The ban on capital punishment is part of the European Convention on Human Rights. The convention is a membership requirement for the Council of Europe, an entirely separate body that predates the European Union.
It is generally understood that both membership of the CoE and ratification of the ECHR is a requirement for EU membership.
They were designed by his friend Issey Miyake after Steve decided a corporate image and uniform would help his company. I believe he was impressed by the workers' uniforms at Sony.
Found a source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/fash-track/steve-jobs-issey-miyake-black-turtlenecks-246808
A number of non-EU, European countries are also members, thank you very much.
Several of China's high speed rail systems were engineered by German and French companies.
Not really. That's more or less France in a nutshell. It's not Europe as a whole. A little in Belgium I suppose(?). I've never seen it happen in the 48 other European countries.
Oh, and they might obstruct traffic, but they're hardly "rioting" à la Greece.
You're not European, are you?
You do realize transplants of this nature are less of a risk? They're essentially native already...
I believe the doctors know far more about this than you and how it will affect any pregnancy afterwards.
Oh, and she's not "desperate" for a child, it's not unexpected coming from someone with your unkind attitude, she could have bought the services of a surrogate(!).
Your comment is far from true. Europeans in general don't choose cars over public transport. That's far too general and a very dubious claim.
Europeans in large cities like Rome, London and Paris are far more likely to use public transport. Many young Europeans never bother to get a driver's license because it's not neccessary. Public transport is both efficient and inexpensive for the users in a large percentage of European cities of all sizes.
Germans as a people might own more cars than the US per capita, but it doesn't mean they're used for commuting... nor does that take into account the people that don't own cars in either country. There could be other factors such as purchasing power, salaries, local costs and cultural values.
I also believe that people generally like the convenience of cars, but we don't all prefer them over other options. At least not here in Europe... You're projecting your views on a huge group of people you don't know or have any data on (links?). The US and Europe aren't that similar culturally or socially.
Personally I prefer relaxing on the train while commuting home from my [European] capital, but I live in a rural suburb where I need a car...
I think we're on the same page on this issue. I assume your comment about being judged has something to do with US-style corporate annual reviews and such? In my part of the world the annual review is nothing more than a nice little chat, we're not actually reviewed according to meaningless numbers, we're more interested in actual results. If the job got done, it was of no consequence where I worked to my [previous] employer.
The question [of how we work] will resolve itself naturally over the next decades as our societies change under economic and environmental pressure. For people like us, who live in the West and work in technology, I believe it will become very normal to telecommute and simply switch network credentials when we change employers. In my previous job my employer even paid me "rent" on my home office and covered my broadband and cellphone expenses.
I don't believe talking about it will get us there, as with most things political it takes too long, but energy prices, transport time/costs and the mutual benefits for employers and employees is bound to make things happen. Nothing talks like money.
Your name appears to be Greek? Appropriately the word Dogma springs to mind; any belief that is held stubbornly, including political and scientific beliefs.
I very much doubt that a large organization cannot do more than two things at a time, while I appreciate the disruptive effect [moving] can have on the whole organization. I do however not agree that it is "a symptom of decay" in general or with regards to this project. There is always "progress" and who knows what will happen in terms of discovery by sheer accident? Perhaps a move will spawn new interesting ideas and concepts in the minds of some key people?
Apple will move, development will continue, who knows what could have been and what will appear?
I think Apple needs a building for their hardware people, but the software people should be able to work from home.
I recently switched employers because I had enough of working from home... The irony is that I fully support your views on the future workplace and the "green" approach. It was the lack of human interaction, social learning and exchange of skills, poor communication, high latency, problems took longer to resolve in general, customers are less responsive over the phone etc. We're pretty easy going in Scandinavia, there's no hierarchy or formality. We also have the newest technology and networks in place, so that was never an issue.
Maybe it depends on the people you work with? Working from home was a distinct advantage when I last switched jobs, the competition offered a long commute (by train or car).
If you disregard the amount of energy wasted on commuting [because employers don't have to account for macro-economic and/or environmental effects] large, modern buildings can actually be a lot more efficient than thousands of [less advanced] private homes... You do have to power your own home, network and utilities. The irony is that cities can be/are a lot more effective than a small village, but I would rather live in a village for the social benefits.