Airbus struggles to loosen Boeing's grip on Fortress Japan

By Siva Govindasamy and Tim Kelly

SINGAPORE/TOKYO (Reuters) - Airbus appears to have been pushed back once again in landmark efforts to break Boeing Co's grip on Japan's two largest airlines, which need to buy billions of dollars worth of planes in the next decade.

In Japan, where buying American jets once helped take the sting out of trade deficit tensions, Boeing dominates with around an 80 percent market share. Flag carrier Japan Airlines Co Ltd has yet to buy an Airbus aircraft even though the political prodding to purchase Boeing jets partially built in Japan has lessened.

This year, Airbus finally spied a breach in Boeing's Japanese fortress.

Glitches with Boeing's 787s, which both JAL and rival All Nippon Airways have put at the center of their fleet planning, created an opening for it to offer its just-finished A350 to replace around 50 of the airlines' ageing Boeing 777s from 2020. Sticking with Made in America could make the Japanese carriers Boeing launch customer once again for an only-on-paper jet, the 777X, that it has yet to green light.

That window may, however, be closing as Boeing launches a charm counter-offensive to blunt Airbus and shore up its Japanese base. Boeing's order to its sales team from its Seattle commercial aircraft base is "do everything you can to win this order", a source familiar with the negotiations told Reuters.

Airbus got a foothold at ANA, which operates Airbus A320s on short-haul services, but hasn't scored an order there since 2005. ANA's medium and long-haul fleet consists only of Boeing planes, and it is the world's largest operator of the Dreamliner. Airbus's most notable success has been among Japan's emerging discount carriers, including an order by Skymark Airlines Inc in 2011 for six super-jumbo A380s.

High-profile problems with the Dreamliner, including a months-long grounding earlier this year due to problems with the aircraft's lithium-ion batteries, cost the two Japanese carriers millions of dollars.

More importantly, it led to a large degree of frustration with Boeing in Tokyo and this presented Airbus with a golden opportunity. It had pushed hard in the past, but its latest pitch to JAL and ANA included one key message that may finally resonate - the advantage of having an alternative supplier of aircraft.

Airbus is offering the first variant of its new A350, the -900, which is undergoing flight tests and scheduled to be delivered from 2016, to replace the 777-200s. It is also pushing the upcoming larger -1000 to replace the 777-300 family.

Boeing is offering the largest variant of the 787, the -10, as well as a proposed upgraded version of the 777, provisionally known as the 777X, that it says will have lower operating costs and longer range.

Boeing and Airbus declined to comment on the negotiations.

At the Paris Air Show in June, chief Airbus salesman John Leahy said: "It is just a matter of time before Japan Airlines or All Nippon Airways fly Airbus wide-body aircraft".

Indeed, that appeared imminent about two months ago, when industry sources said JAL was close to an agreement with Airbus. But the "deal appeared to slip away", according to a second source familiar with the negotiations, as Boeing executives redoubled their pitch in recent weeks.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Price, while important, is only part of the equation, given that the airlines will get substantial discounts off the list price. Timing may prove to be the deciding factor.

Within JAL, there is a division between those who want to stick with Boeing and those who prefer an alternative supplier. The 787's technical problems may have increased the frustration with Boeing, but a source close to JAL said that alone wouldn't tip the balance to Airbus.

"JAL still has confidence in Boeing's aircraft. The decision hinges on a larger strategic discussion about its aircraft procurement strategy," the source close to JAL said.

"The question before the management is if they should stick to a known and reliable supplier, or order Airbus aircraft in order to ensure they have the best options from two relatively equal companies. The answer to that will guide the decision."

JAL spokesman Jian Yang declined to provide details about the discussion. "Nothing has been decided yet," he said.

ANA spokesman Ryosei Nomura said the airline was considering both the 777X and the A350.

"At the moment we are gathering information and have not yet begun any formal assessment," Nomura said. "We don't yet know when we will reach a conclusion."

Airbus has won orders for its A350s from marquee customers such as Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Emirates Airline. Their confidence in the plane means that Airbus has a much stronger case than before to make to JAL and ANA.

Its challenge is that it remains untested in regular operations and while its testing is on track, some in the industry worry that it could face delays and problems similar to those that have plagued 787 - the last new-generation airplane.

That perception may hinder the 787-10 as well, although United Airlines and SIA have signed up for the aircraft, which was launched in June.

The 777, on the other hand, has been in service for almost two decades. The 777-X is Boeing's answer to the A350-1000.

The question facing airlines considering the 777X is whether an upgraded version of an older aircraft design will be better than a new-generation aircraft like the A350.

"The Japanese carriers are facing a tough choice, go with Boeing and be a launch customer again for an aircraft that could slip beyond its 2019 start of delivery target, or pick Airbus, an unknown, but with a firmer delivery schedule," said a third source close to the negotiations.

If they delay a decision, they may not enjoy the benefits of being among the early customers for the 777X or miss out on the delivery slots for the A350-1000.

"This is an intense battle, and the pressure is on the airlines and the aircraft manufacturers. There are so many variables at stake here. Whatever the decision is, someone will be very unhappy," said one of the sources familiar with the negotiations.

(Editing by Emily Kaiser)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/airbus-struggles-loosen-boeings-grip-fortress-japan-210835242.html

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The National Museum of Computing gets ?1M pledge | bit-tech.net

The National Museum of Computing has received a whopping ?1 million pledge - but it will only receive the cash if it can raise the same value itself.

The National Museum of Computing, located in the grounds of Bletchley Park, has announced receipt of its largest-ever single donation: a whopping ?1 million from trustee Matt Crotty.

The museum, typically known by its initialism TNMOC, is a charitable organisation dedicated to providing hands-on access to key objects from computing history. From fully-working examples of classic PC hardware like Apple's original Lisa system to a rebuild of Colossus, the world's first electronic computer, and the Harwell Dekatron, the world's oldest working digital computer, TNMOC attracts numerous visitors despite being open only during afternoons on Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

However, the museum relies entirely on donations to remain operational - meaning it is often short of funds to make the most of its incredible collection of historical objects. 'Despite modest budgets, high rent, and a challenging economic climate, TNMOC has opened six acclaimed and genuinely unique new galleries in the past four years,' crowed Tim Reynolds, chair of trustees at the museum, at the announcement today. 'To make this happen staff and volunteers have been working with enthusiasm, skill and patience and funders have been generous in difficult economic times.'

Crotty, technology entrepreneur and TNMOC trustee, has been more than generous with his pledge of ?1 million in phased funding. 'To help the development of a museum such as this is an exceptional opportunity that comes once in a lifetime. I have watched this organisation grow and make astonishing achievements with very limited funding,' explained Crotty at the announcement. 'My decision to donate has also been motivated by the increasing public awareness of the significance of digital heritage and the role and understanding it can play in inspiring current and future generations to become engineers and computer scientists.'

There is, however, a catch: Crotty's cash will only be provided to the museum once the Trust has found matched funding - meaning that for every pound donated, the Trust must raise a pound of its own. As a result, the Trust is expected to redouble its fundraising efforts with additional events, such as the Summer Bytes Festival which ran throughout August.

'Already the Museum is recognised as one of the top computing museums in the world, but we have only just started,' promised Reynolds. 'This new funding - the largest single private donation to any organisation on Bletchley Park - will enable us to unleash amazing potential.'

The Trust has indicated that its first priorities for the cash will be to refurbish the museum, which is housed in a block of Bletchley Park originally built for the codebreaking effort during the Second World War, and to increase its capacity both for exhibits and for visitors.

Details of TNMOC, its exhibits, how to visit and how to donate should you want to help it reach its funding goal are available on the official website.

Source: http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2013/09/03/tnmoc-pledge/1

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Social Fixer’s Facebook Page Removed

Beginning yesterday, users of Social Fixer have been greeted by an announcement when they log onto Facebook, informing them that the popular browser extension?s Facebook page has been removed without warning.

Social Fixer, a plugin that works with most browsers, allows users to change how their Facebook newsfeed and other pages are displayed and how they operate. Although very popular, the extension has always been a thorn in Facebook?s side. It?s not surprising that Zuckerberg and his minions would now find even less to like about the plugin, since Wall Street has been prodding them to get serious about monetizing the massive amount of traffic that flows through the social network.

The graphic that accompanied Social Fixer?s announcement

This is actually a pretty useful plugin with many features that people who spend time on Facebook find useful. Among its features are the ability to place wall posts into tabbed folders by content type, the ability to highlight new comments, hide posts and to enlarge thumbnails simply with a hover of the cursor. Those who manage commercial pages on the social network can also arrange their pages in a way that makes them easier to manage. These changes are all made within the browser, so none of these changes affect how others will see a user?s page.

It?s the ability to automatically hide posts on a news feed that probably most has the powers that be at Facebook in a snit. A savvy user could probably use this feature to block or hide ?suggested posts? in a newsfeed, which basically are just paid advertisements for commercial Facebook pages. Some users find these posts to be an intrusion, since they are advertising that can?t be easily ignored because they appear mixed inside the content stream.

The announcement of the removal of Social Fixer?s Facebook page included a graphic image from the Peanuts comic strip of Lucy pulling the ball away from Charlie Brown, with a link to the plugin?s website for a more detailed explanation. According to Matt Kruse, the plugin?s sole developer, Facebook removed the page apparently because they thought it contained spam.

?Luckily, the removal of the Page does not impact the functionality of the Social Fixer app at all. It will continue to function as normal in all ways. What it does affect is my ability to communicate with the hundreds of thousands of people who use my app, notify you of updates or problems, etc.?

Mr. Kruse explains that when Facebook removes a page, no way is offered for owners to offer feedback or to otherwise plead their case. Facebook does offer a button to click to request an appeal however.

?I have heard stories from other people whose Pages have been removed without warning, never to be returned. Unfortunately, when we use Facebook as the basis for running a group or business or even a free browser extension, we are at their mercy, and we have no way of knowing for sure what the rules are or how they enforce them.?

Mr. Krause offers the Social Fixer browser extension for free and attempts to cover his expenses through small donations.

Christine Hall has been a journalist since 1971. In 2001, she began writing a weekly consumer computer column and started covering Linux and FOSS in 2002 after making the switch to GNU/Linux.

Source: http://lxer.com/module/newswire/ext_link.php?rid=190695

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Disrupted heartbeat restored with regenerative intervention

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Researchers have found a way to resynchronize cardiac motion following a heart attack using stem cells. Scientists implanted engineered stem cells, also known as induced pluripotent stem cells, into damaged regions of mouse hearts following a heart attack.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/gDpNrS6PJ3c/130903151851.htm

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Japan economy waiting for an Olympics boost

JAPANESE Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida begins an official visit to Latin America today, starting in Brazil, but the high point of his trip will come on Saturday in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires with the announcement of whether or not Japan will host the 2020 Olympic Games.

There is a lot riding on the decision, which some say could see Japan's economy ride a wave of economic success that stretches beyond the benefits of Abenomics and into a period of soaring land and property prices in Tokyo and elsewhere and of surging tourism and consumer confidence.

Mr Kishida's extended visit to Latin America - lasting more than one week - will allow him to do some last-minute lobbying among members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to sell Tokyo's case to host the games against strong competition from Madrid and Istanbul.

Some reports suggest that Tokyo is gaining an edge over its rivals in the bid to host the games because of Japan's "organisational ability", but IOC vice-president Thomas Bach said last week that the presentations in Buenos Aires would be crucial because of the closeness of the competition.

Rio de Janeiro is a significant first stop for the Japanese foreign minister because it will host the next Olympic Games in 2016 and sources say that Japan is anxious to learn logistical lessons from Brazil's second largest city on the assumption that Tokyo will take over the baton in 2020. Japan's relations with Brazil hinge on more than a shared interest in hosting the Olympic Games. Cultural ties were boosted by large scale migration of Japanese farmers and others to Brazil a century ago and there are now 1.5 million people of Japanese descent living in the country.

But while Mr Kishida will be seeking to boost political and economic ties with Brazil - including a possible future Strategic Economic Partnership between the two countries - his diplomatic efforts in Buenos Aires will be what captures most attention in Japan and overseas. Most Japanese are expected to be glued to their television sets from crack of dawn next Sunday to see the outcome of Tokyo's Olympic bid.

Tokyo has appeared to have a headstart on competitor national capitals until recently on the ground that it is not only a well-run city but also one of the safest in the world. But the renewed flare-up of internationally publicised radiation problems at the crippled Fukushima nuclear complex some 240 kilometres north-east of Tokyo has sparked speculation that public safety could become an issue in the Japanese capital.

Tokyo last hosted the Olympic Games in 1964 and the subsequent surge in Japanese economic growth was put down partly to this event which cast Japan in a favourable light internationally and is credited with being one factor in the nation's highly successful drive into world export markets.

For Prime Minister Shinzo Abe especially, Tokyo's aggressive bid to host the Olympics in seven years' time chimes well his mission to boost Japan's international political and diplomatic profile and to prove that "Japan is back" as a global economic power after a lost decade of stagnant growth and deflation.

Hosting the Olympics would require multi-trillion-yen investment in infrastructure in Tokyo and other parts of Japan, giving a major boost to the construction industry and services industries in general. A land and property price boom could also be expected, analysts say.

"It is possible that land prices in Tokyo will rise by 50 per cent," Daiwa Securities senior strategist Eiji Kinouchi in Tokyo was quoted by Reuters as saying while Kunihiko Sugio, chief investment officer at Invesco Asset Management, said a winning bid should help drive long-term growth in Japan as companies would be more likely to increase their capital expenditure.

"If Tokyo wins, corporate investment should be boosted, so it will be a big domestic driving factor which will benefit the Japanese market as a whole," Mr Sugio said.

Source: http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/premium/world/japan-economy-waiting-olympics-boost-20130902

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Microsoft Owes Us an Xbox One Release Date, Snarls EA

Gotta Be Mobile ? Gaming ? Microsoft Owes Us an Xbox One Release Date, Snarls EA

The Microsoft Xbox One release date remains an unknown as retailers and game developers drive full force into a busy holiday retail season, earning the ire of EA COO Peter Moore.

While Sony announced the PS4 release date last month, giving all parties involved the time needed to plan and allot space on store shelves and to work out logistics, Microsoft has yet to announce an Xbox One release date to the public.

While key partners may know when the Xbox One release is scheduled for, it appears EA is not among them and it?s burning up Peter Moore, the man responsible for part of the Xbox 360?s success and who is now an executive at Electronic Arts, a company with several Day One Xbox One release games.

Read:?Xbox One Release Date: Narrowing It Down

EA wants Microsoft to announce the Xbox One release date already.

In an interview with GamesIndustry International, Moore shares his views on consoles launching so close together and why Microsoft needs to announce an Xbox One release date soon.?Moore says,

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But to your point this is precedent setting, it has never happened this way. There?s always been a period of time, a sorbet between consoles, that has cleansed the palate and allowed us to move on. It might be a week, who knows? Microsoft needs to cough up the date.

At this point, no matter when in November Microsoft sets the Xbox One release, it will be within two weeks of the PS4 release date, which could put a strain on retailers and on companies like EA who still need to make physical copies of games for the PS3, Xbox 360, PS4 and Xbox One. Moore explains the reason EA wants to know the Xbox One release date as much as gamers,

So things that gamers don?t have to worry about but we have to worry about is getting the flow of manufacturing right, getting the quantities right, making sure everything is at retail. Depending on which goes first they may want to change the store to focus on the new console coming out, I mean it?s just what we do. That?s the work we do, that?s the business that we?re in.

Thanks to a crowded November and a PS4 release date on November 15th, Microsoft?s window is much smaller than the full month.

According to a leak shared with Kotaku, the Xbox One release date is set for after November 8th. This pushes the Xbox One closer to the PS4 and makes a launch before the 15th tough. It isn?t impossible, but the general consensus is Microsoft will not share the Xbox One release extravaganza with Sony and it could be a nightmare for retailers to launch both consoles on the same day.

Read:?Microsoft Starts Showing Off Xbox One Software Features

The Thanksgiving holiday and Black Friday limit the Xbox One release date on the other end of the spectrum, as many gamers could start traveling for the holiday as early as Tuesday the 26th and it would be a shock if the console did not launch before the major shopping event that is Black Friday.

This points to a likely Xbox One release date around November 22nd, which puts a week between the PS4 release and between Black Friday. None of this is confirmed at this time, but if EA, other publishers and retailers are pressuring Microsoft, perhaps we will see an announcement soon.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Gottabemobile/~3/Gj_dYkUp7BU/

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Windows 8.1 Did Microsoft miss their last chance?

Is Microsoft loosing it?

Nah. This is just my opinion mind you, and note that I'm not bothering with 8.1 until it's officially released and the dust has settled a bit. That said, I'm not a fan of trying to shoehorn the modern apps into a desktop workflow, that goes counter to what they were designed for to begin with, namely a consistent setup between desktops and tablets, that was the whole point. If you think traditional forms based applications are superior (and I'm among that group) then why would you even worry about it if you're not going to use it anyway? It's just another layer on the desktop, one that's completely optional. Stay with regular form based software, optionally throw on a start menu replacement if you want, go about your business as before. Takes all of 10 seconds to do and you'll have a desktop that's more to your liking. It's just an out-of-the-box setup that's easily changed, the OS is still flexible to where you can get it how you want it.

Microsoft losing it would be completely removing compatibility with almost 20 years of software and making it essentially Windows RT on the desktop. Then I'll be on the "f'k Microsoft" bandwagon, but until then, meh. I get what they're doing but it's not for me, click click done, back to my classic setup.

Ever since, well, forever, there's always been stuff on every desktop ever made that people don't like and gets replaced/changed by something else. This isn't specific to Windows either, I can name things I've added/changed/removed on pretty much any desktop OS out there. I've yet to find that "perfect" desktop that didn't need a bit of tweaking or help.
?

Fun fact: Windows Blue RTM has yellow as default wallpaper.

I don't get that yellow wallpaper.. the defaults are usually fairly calm, but that one for some reason feels like "angry wallpaper". I dunno, but /shrug fun fact, click click gone.

Source: http://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1174293-windows-81-did-microsoft-miss-their-last-chance/

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