There is a simple fix for this - hedging the currency. It is standard practice in import / export businesses.
If you are not prepared to take the risk of the currency fluctuations, then it is simple to lock in the exchange rate for 12 months. Of course if the AU$ rises (as it is currently) then you've made the problem of grey imports worse... but you don't run the risk of it falling and loosing money.
I did this exactly last week. I needed a Network Edition license for Zimbra. US$399, Australian price $475.
VmWare tried to prevent orders direct through the US site, but I used a proxy service.
Having a friend in the US to provide a freight forwarding service is useful, otherwise there are freight forwarding companies that will do it for you.
A new analysis of pollution data for the Port Augusta region contradicts reassurances from the South Australian Government that smoking can be blamed for high lung cancer rates.
Residents of the region have long complained about health problems they link with two power stations, Playford and Northern, which burn highly-polluting brown coal.
The lung cancer rates around Port Augusta are said by medical experts to be double the expected number.
I wonder if it is the fact that the harsher climate in Europe means that you need shelter to survive winter is the differentiator. This may also explain the difference between northern and southern European countries. This would explain help to explain China, but I'm not sure about the Middle East.
If correct, then it may also explain a potential cause behind welfare support programmes often not actually causing transformation.
Doctors cite lung cancer worries at Port Augusta
Posted May 03, 2012 11:48:28
A new analysis of pollution data for the Port Augusta region contradicts reassurances from the South Australian Government that smoking can be blamed for high lung cancer rates.Residents of the region have long complained about health problems they link with two power stations, Playford and Northern, which burn highly-polluting brown coal.The lung cancer rates around Port Augusta are said to be double the expected number.The independent analysis has been presented in Adelaide at a briefing for state parliamentarians organised by Doctors for the Environment Australia.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-03/doctors-cite-lung-cancer-worries-at-port-augusta/3987432
> cause the government to miss its target of having the “best superfast broadband network” in Europe by 2015.'
I'm curious as to how fast the best network is considered to be in Europe currently and what the target of the government is. The article is severely lacking in this information.
A good rule of thumb is avoid providing services to lawyers.
My father-in-law was burnt badly by a firm of lawyers renting a property. They refused to pay rent and were well prepared to fight payment through the courts. The costs of hiring lawyers to pursue the rent made it cheaper to evict them. Eviction still required lawyers, but it was cheaper.
Standard practice until recently in Australia was for Barristers to declare themselves bankrupt every couple of years to avoid paying tax.
The actual goal is to ramp up within 2 years to 5,900 premises a day based on 250 working days a year. This equates to 1.5 million premises a year. This is 0.2 million less a year than the HFC rollout in Australia in the 1990s. You can find this information on page 78 of the NBNCo Corporate Plan.
The NBNCo press release contains some key wording missing from the news article: Construction to be underway or complete in areas containing over 3.5 million homes and businesses in 1500 communities in every state and territory. Underway means that NBNCo have started detailed planning for the area. For some suburbs named in the plan (i.e. Weston, ACT) detailed planning doesn't commence until September 2015 and homes in the suburb cannot expect to actually have an active connection until September 2016. So the actual figure will be significantly less than 3.5 million able to connect in June 2015.
For some suburbs named in the plan (i.e. Weston, ACT) detailed planning doesn't commence until September 2015 and homes in the suburb cannot expect to actually have an active connection until September 2016.
The roll out has been poorly planned in that it overbuilds many suburbs where coaxial cable running at 100Mbps is available now, while ignoring areas where ADSL is unavailable and people are relying on 3G wireless.
Take up rates in the small number of suburbs where the NBN has been built of about 14%. The reported highest rate is 29% for for Willunga, SA and second is Kiama, NSW at 26%.
The government has promoted 1000/400Mbps connections, but NBNCo are predicting in the Corporate Plan (page 118) that only 1% will connect at that speed in 2026. Unfortunately 50% are predicted to connect to the network at 12/1Mbps, even when it costs only $5 a month for 25/5Mbps. In Australia we have quotas, which start at 10GB and reaching 1TB on current NBNCo plans. Unlike countries where speed is used to limit connections, it would cost NBNCo zero to provide the full speed to all customers and deliver a return from people using more data. RSPs (aka ISPs) will be charged $20Mbps for CVC to connect to the network.
The other challenge is that the mobile network operators are progressively rolling out 4G services which reviews have stated are providing 30/10Mbps in many locations. This network will be a direct competitor for low usage customers (e.g. 50% connecting at 12/1Mbps who won't pay $5 extra for 25/5Mbps).
Unfortunately it appears that technically we are building a first class network, while political decisions mean that speeds and actual usage will be third class.
In the Global Green Challenge 2009 (sister event), Simon Hackett drove a world record distance of 501km. You can read about it on the internode blog. Internode are sponsoring the World Solar Challenge this year, but no Tesla:(.
Slashdot Mirror
Would you mind sharing the script?
There is a simple fix for this - hedging the currency. It is standard practice in import / export businesses.
If you are not prepared to take the risk of the currency fluctuations, then it is simple to lock in the exchange rate for 12 months. Of course if the AU$ rises (as it is currently) then you've made the problem of grey imports worse ... but you don't run the risk of it falling and loosing money.
I did this exactly last week. I needed a Network Edition license for Zimbra. US$399, Australian price $475. VmWare tried to prevent orders direct through the US site, but I used a proxy service. Having a friend in the US to provide a freight forwarding service is useful, otherwise there are freight forwarding companies that will do it for you.
A new analysis of pollution data for the Port Augusta region contradicts reassurances from the South Australian Government that smoking can be blamed for high lung cancer rates. Residents of the region have long complained about health problems they link with two power stations, Playford and Northern, which burn highly-polluting brown coal.
The lung cancer rates around Port Augusta are said by medical experts to be double the expected number.
I wonder if it is the fact that the harsher climate in Europe means that you need shelter to survive winter is the differentiator. This may also explain the difference between northern and southern European countries. This would explain help to explain China, but I'm not sure about the Middle East. If correct, then it may also explain a potential cause behind welfare support programmes often not actually causing transformation.
Unfortunately and shamefully many Aboriginal Communities in the outback have health and other standards that are 3rd world.
Here are a couple of links:
* http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/304648/olpc_boosts_outback_education_laptop_deployment/ (2012)
* http://www.itnews.com.au/News/300029,indigenous-communities-get-olpc-boost.aspx (2009)
And some research by Gina Milgate to put it into context.
Doctors cite lung cancer worries at Port Augusta
Posted May 03, 2012 11:48:28
A new analysis of pollution data for the Port Augusta region contradicts reassurances from the South Australian Government that smoking can be blamed for high lung cancer rates.Residents of the region have long complained about health problems they link with two power stations, Playford and Northern, which burn highly-polluting brown coal.The lung cancer rates around Port Augusta are said to be double the expected number.The independent analysis has been presented in Adelaide at a briefing for state parliamentarians organised by Doctors for the Environment Australia. Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-03/doctors-cite-lung-cancer-worries-at-port-augusta/3987432
Doctors for the Environment Australia website has a longer article titled Illness and Pollution at Port Augusta; Doctors Prescribe Solar Thermal Treatment. Now clearly this body has a green bias, but their position paper contains some useful links to check the facts http://dea.org.au/images/general/Briefing_paper_on_coal_2011.pdf
A nuclear power station, located only 250km South of the world's largest uranium mine (Olympic Dam) sounds like a much safer option to me.
> cause the government to miss its target of having the “best superfast broadband network” in Europe by 2015.'
I'm curious as to how fast the best network is considered to be in Europe currently and what the target of the government is. The article is severely lacking in this information.
The blue of KDE turns me off, because it reminds me too much of Windows.
A good rule of thumb is avoid providing services to lawyers.
My father-in-law was burnt badly by a firm of lawyers renting a property. They refused to pay rent and were well prepared to fight payment through the courts. The costs of hiring lawyers to pursue the rent made it cheaper to evict them. Eviction still required lawyers, but it was cheaper.
Standard practice until recently in Australia was for Barristers to declare themselves bankrupt every couple of years to avoid paying tax.
The actual goal is to ramp up within 2 years to 5,900 premises a day based on 250 working days a year. This equates to 1.5 million premises a year. This is 0.2 million less a year than the HFC rollout in Australia in the 1990s. You can find this information on page 78 of the NBNCo Corporate Plan.
The NBNCo press release contains some key wording missing from the news article: Construction to be underway or complete in areas containing over 3.5 million homes and businesses in 1500 communities in every state and territory. Underway means that NBNCo have started detailed planning for the area. For some suburbs named in the plan (i.e. Weston, ACT) detailed planning doesn't commence until September 2015 and homes in the suburb cannot expect to actually have an active connection until September 2016. So the actual figure will be significantly less than 3.5 million able to connect in June 2015.
For some suburbs named in the plan (i.e. Weston, ACT) detailed planning doesn't commence until September 2015 and homes in the suburb cannot expect to actually have an active connection until September 2016. The roll out has been poorly planned in that it overbuilds many suburbs where coaxial cable running at 100Mbps is available now, while ignoring areas where ADSL is unavailable and people are relying on 3G wireless. Take up rates in the small number of suburbs where the NBN has been built of about 14%. The reported highest rate is 29% for for Willunga, SA and second is Kiama, NSW at 26%. The government has promoted 1000/400Mbps connections, but NBNCo are predicting in the Corporate Plan (page 118) that only 1% will connect at that speed in 2026. Unfortunately 50% are predicted to connect to the network at 12/1Mbps, even when it costs only $5 a month for 25/5Mbps. In Australia we have quotas, which start at 10GB and reaching 1TB on current NBNCo plans. Unlike countries where speed is used to limit connections, it would cost NBNCo zero to provide the full speed to all customers and deliver a return from people using more data. RSPs (aka ISPs) will be charged $20Mbps for CVC to connect to the network. The other challenge is that the mobile network operators are progressively rolling out 4G services which reviews have stated are providing 30/10Mbps in many locations. This network will be a direct competitor for low usage customers (e.g. 50% connecting at 12/1Mbps who won't pay $5 extra for 25/5Mbps). Unfortunately it appears that technically we are building a first class network, while political decisions mean that speeds and actual usage will be third class.
In the Global Green Challenge 2009 (sister event), Simon Hackett drove a world record distance of 501km. You can read about it on the internode blog. Internode are sponsoring the World Solar Challenge this year, but no Tesla :(.