riQQ's recent activity

  1. Comment on Almost half of EU’s busiest flight routes are ‘hard or impossible’ to book on trains in ~transport

    riQQ
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    Europe’s “stone age” system of booking train tickets makes it needlessly difficult for travellers to avoid polluting flights, a report has found.

    Booking equivalent train tickets is “difficult or impossible” on almost half of the EU’s busiest international air routes, analysis from the Transport & Environment (T&E) thinktank shows.

    The European Commission plans to publish a single ticketing package on 13 May as part of a promise to allow Europeans to travel across the continent more easily and enjoy consumer protections as they do so.

    19 votes

  3. Comment on We heard you: the new Framework Laptop 13 Pro in ~tech

  4. Comment on Lufthansa axes CityLine fleet early over strikes, fuel costs in ~transport

    riQQ
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Looks like there are more measures this year: https://newsroom.lufthansagroup.com/en/lufthansa-group-accelerates-strategy-implementation/

    Looks like there are more measures this year:

    • Capacity reduction in three steps:

      • (a) During the current summer flight schedule:
        Immediate and permanent removal of Lufthansa CityLine's capacity from the program
      • (b) At the end of the summer flight schedule:
        Retirement of the last four A340-600s and grounding of two B747-400s
      • (c) During the 2026/2027 winter flight schedule:
        Additional capacity reduction of the Lufthansa core brand's short- and medium-haul program by five aircraft

    • Accelerated allocation of nine additional A350-900s to Discover Airlines

    As a first immediately effective step, the 27 operational aircraft of Lufthansa CityLine will be permanently removed from the flight program starting the day after tomorrow, in order to reduce further losses of the loss-making airline. The Canadair CRJ aircraft are nearing the end of their technical operational capability and have comparatively high operating costs.

    https://newsroom.lufthansagroup.com/en/lufthansa-group-accelerates-strategy-implementation/

    4 votes

  5. Comment on Lufthansa axes CityLine fleet early over strikes, fuel costs in ~transport

    riQQ
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    Germany's Lufthansa says it will retire older CityLine aircraft earlier than planned in response to strikes and rising fuel costs. As unions stage walkouts on two fronts, the Iran war has sent kerosene prices spiraling.

    Germany's national carrier Lufthansa on Thursday said its regional subsidiary Lufthansa CityLine will suspend operations of its 27 older aircraft starting Saturday.

    The move marks an immediate cost-cutting step as Lufthansa faces mounting pressure from labor disputes and higher kerosene prices.

    4 votes

  7. Comment on Tesla's supervised self-driving software gets Dutch okay, first in Europe in ~transport

    riQQ
    (edited )
    Link

    Dutch regulators approved the use of Tesla's (TSLA.O) self-driving software with required human supervision on highways and city streets in a European first for the electric ‌car maker, which hopes to see similar action from the rest of the European Union.

    5 votes

  9. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 30 in ~society

  10. Comment on Inside the covert operation to bring down the party threatening Viktor Orbán’s rule in ~society

    riQQ
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    Detective with inside knowledge of the operation against Tisza Party speaks up https://www.direkt36.hu/en/megszolal-a-nyomozo-aki-belulrol-ismeri-a-tisza-elleni-muvelet-ugyet/

    Detective with inside knowledge of the operation against Tisza Party speaks up
    https://www.direkt36.hu/en/megszolal-a-nyomozo-aki-belulrol-ismeri-a-tisza-elleni-muvelet-ugyet/

    Direkt36 recorded an interview with a police detective who worked in the department involved in the investigation against the Tisza IT specialists. In the interview, Bence Szabó spoke in detail about how the secret service had pressured them within the police force. Early Wednesday morning, Szabó was charged with abuse of office, and his home was searched.

    3 votes

  11. Comment on Inside the covert operation to bring down the party threatening Viktor Orbán’s rule in ~society

    riQQ
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    According to documents obtained by Direkt36, a secret operation was carried out to bring down the IT systems of the Hungarian opposition party Tisza. IT specialists affiliated with the party planned to expose this, but then police officers, pressured by the Hungarian secret services, raided them, apparently on trumped-up charges.

    7 votes

  13. Comment on Lost in translation: How Russia’s new elite hit squad was compromised by an idiotic lapse in tradecraft in ~society

    riQQ
    Link Parent
    Just as additional information: what I checked when I posted the article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Insider_(website), sadly doesn't link to the https://theins.press domain, only to...

    Just as additional information: what I checked when I posted the article:

    4 votes

  14. Comment on Lost in translation: How Russia’s new elite hit squad was compromised by an idiotic lapse in tradecraft in ~society

    riQQ
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    Center 795, which emerged after the start of Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine and comprises elite units from the GRU and FSB, was established as a top-secret and fully autonomous entity designed to carry out the most critical operations, ranging from military missions in Ukraine to political assassinations and abductions abroad. The Insider has managed to identify all of the center’s key leaders and sponsors, determine its location, and pinpoint its main areas of activity. One of its officers has already been arrested in Colombia on charges of organizing the kidnapping of multiple regime opponents. He was caught because he handled an agent using Google Translate.

    15 votes

  16. Comment on Google resolves its legal dispute with Epic Games in ~tech

    riQQ
    Link Parent
    I think it will stay similar like it is now as they are only talking about improving the experience for qualified app stores.

    I think it will stay similar like it is now as they are only talking about improving the experience for qualified app stores.

    We’re introducing a program that makes sideloading qualified app stores even easier.

    1 vote

  17. Comment on Google resolves its legal dispute with Epic Games in ~tech

    riQQ
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    Expanded billing choice on Google Play for users and developers
    Google Play is giving developers even more billing choice and freedom in how they handle transactions. Mobile developers will have the option to use their own billing systems in their app alongside Google Play’s billing, or they can guide users outside of their app to their own websites for purchases. Our goal is to offer this flexibility in a way that maximizes choice and safety for users.

    We’re introducing a program that makes sideloading qualified app stores even easier. Our new Registered App Stores program will provide a more streamlined installation flow for Android app stores that meet certain quality and safety benchmarks.

    Lower pricing and new programs to support developers

    1. Billing: For those developers who choose to use Google Play’s billing system, they will be charged a market-specific rate separate from the service fee. In the European Economic Area (EEA), UK, and US that rate will be 5%.

    2. Service Fees:

      a. For new installs (first time installs from users after the new fees are launched in a region), we are reducing the in-app purchase (IAP) service fee to 20%.

      b. We are launching an Apps Experience Program and revamping our Google Play Games Level Up program to incentivize building great software experiences across Android form factors associated with clear quality benchmarks and enhanced user benefits. Those developers who choose to participate in these programs will have even lower rates. Participating IAP developers will have a 20% service fee for transactions from existing installs and a 15% fee on transactions from new app installs.

      c. Our service fee for recurring subscriptions will be 10%.

    8 votes

  19. Comment on Eyes of Iran: how the regime secretly monitors its citizens in ~society

    riQQ
    Link Parent
    I didn't know about the funding by National Endowment for Democracy. As this story was also run by i.a. Spiegel, ZDF and Le Monde I didn't look into it more. I posted this because I found the...

    I didn't know about the funding by National Endowment for Democracy. As this story was also run by i.a. Spiegel, ZDF and Le Monde I didn't look into it more.

    I posted this because I found the technological 'state of the art' interesting.

    6 votes

  20. Comment on Eyes of Iran: how the regime secretly monitors its citizens in ~society

    riQQ
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    Key findings

    • In complete secrecy, Iranian authorities bought FindFace, a Russian facial recognition software, in 2019, as confirmed by contracts obtained by Forbidden Stories and its partners.
    • FindFace can identify faces in public spaces in a matter of seconds and run them through databases maintained by the regime's security services.
    • The Iranian security apparatus is attempting to conceal this acquisition with shell companies.
    • Several security agencies are involved, including the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence.
    6 votes