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Today's Topics:
1. The Singularity Is Coming: Here?s What It Means For Business
(Antony Barry)
2. O/t: New North Korean missile signals an improved capability
to attack US (Stephen Loosley)
3. Australia to invest $12bn in missile manufacturing
(Stephen Loosley)
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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2024 21:10:27 +1100
From: Antony Barry <[email protected]>
To: Link list <[email protected]>
Subject: [LINK] The Singularity Is Coming: Here?s What It Means For
Business
Message-ID:
<caecotwyytuxtrkna3ojvpt+_g1mkdcfgbaqs3z5womafpjd...@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Link:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertbtucker/2024/10/29/the-singularity-is-coming-heres-what-it-means-for-business/
Summary by Perplexity -
Nokia's Fall from Grace and the Impending Singularity
Nokia's dramatic decline from its position as a global leader in cell
phones serves as a cautionary tale for companies facing rapid technological
change. This story illustrates the broader concept of the approaching
Singularity, a period of unprecedented technological advancement that will
transform business and society.
## Nokia's Downfall
In 2006, Nokia was at the pinnacle of the cell phone industry:
- Global leader in cell phones
- Experiencing double-digit growth
- Ranked 8th most innovative company by BusinessWeek
However, innovation expert Robert B. Tucker's experience with Nokia
revealed underlying issues:
- Risk aversion
- Operational mindset dominance
- Large corporation syndrome
- Bureaucracy stifling innovation
These problems became apparent when Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007,
catching Nokia unprepared for the smartphone revolution.
## The Singularity and Its Impact
The Singularity, as defined by futurist Ray Kurzweil, is a period of rapid
technological change that will irreversibly transform human life and
business. Key aspects of this impending transformation include:
- Simultaneous revolutions in business, society, geopolitics, and climate
- Exponential change across industries
- Rapid shifts in customer needs
- Emergence of new technologies at record rates
- Radical changes in workforce and talent requirements
## Companies Facing Their Singularity Moments
**Intel**: Missed both the smartphone trend and the AI revolution, while
rival Nvidia capitalized on the opportunity by repurposing its video game
chips for AI.
**Boeing**: Once known for safety and quality, the company now faces
ongoing crises:
- 737 Max crashes due to cost-cutting measures
- Starliner spacecraft failures leading to extended astronaut stays on the
International Space Station
**SpaceX**: In contrast to Boeing, SpaceX has embraced its Singularity
Moment:
- Developed the Falcon 9 rocket at a fraction of the cost of comparable
systems
- Adopted a leaner, more innovative engineering approach
- Implemented a fixed-price, milestone-based payment model
## Preparing for the Future
To thrive in the coming decade, organizations and leaders must:
1. Recognize the increasing pace of change
2. Embrace the need to constantly innovate and disrupt
3. Avoid complacency and bureaucracy that can stifle innovation
4. Remain agile and adaptable to new technologies and market shifts
The lessons from Nokia's fall and the contrasting fortunes of companies
like Boeing and SpaceX highlight the critical importance of innovation and
adaptability in the face of rapid technological change. As we approach the
Singularity, businesses must be prepared to transform or risk becoming
obsolete.
Tony
--
Shared via Shareaholic
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2024 23:47:12 +1030
From: Stephen Loosley <[email protected]>
To: "link" <[email protected]>
Subject: [LINK] O/t: New North Korean missile signals an improved
capability to attack US
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
North Korean long-range missile test signals its improved, potential capability
to attack US
By HYUNG-JIN KIM, KIM TONG-HYUNG and MARI YAMAGUCHI. October 31, 2024
https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missile-launch-377c07eac46ad41bda0d4445df6f51d5
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic
missile for the first time in almost a year Thursday, demonstrating a potential
advancement in its ability to launch long-range nuclear attacks on the mainland
U.S.
The launch was likely meant to meant grab American attention days ahead of the
U.S. election and respond to condemnation over the North Korean reports of
troop dispatchs to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.
Some experts speculated Russia might have provided technological assistance to
North Korea over the launch.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed the launch, calling it an appropriate
military action, to show North Korean resolve to respond to its enemies, moves
that have threatened North Korean safety, according to the North Korean state
media.
Kim said the enemies various adventuristic military maneuvers have highlighted
the importance of North Korean nuclear capability. He reaffirmed that North
Korea will never abandon its policy of bolstering their nuclear forces.
North Korea has steadfastly argued that advancing its nuclear capabilities is
its only option to cope with the expansion of U.S.-South Korean military
training, though Washington and Seoul have repeatedly said they have no
intention of attacking North Korea.
Experts say North Korea uses its rivals drills as a pretext to enlarge its
nuclear arsenal to wrest concessions when diplomacy resumes.
The North Korean statement came hours after its neighbors said they had
detected the first North Korean ICBM test since December 2023 and condemned it
as a provocation that undermines international peace.
South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea could have tested a new,
solid-fueled long-range ballistic missile on a steep angle, an attempt to avoid
neighboring countries.
Missiles with built-in solid propellants are easier to move and hide and can be
launched quicker than liquid-propellant weapons.
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters the missiles flight
duration of 86 minutes and its maximum altitude of more than 7,000 kilometers
(4,350 miles) exceeded corresponding data from previous North Korean missile
tests.
Having a missile fly higher and for a longer duration than before means its
engine thrust has improved. Given that previous ICBM tests by North Korea have
already proved they can theoretically reach the U.S mainland, the latest launch
was likely related to an effort to examine whether a missile can carry a bigger
warhead, experts say.
Jung Chang Wook, head of the Korea Defense Study Forum think tank in Seoul,
said that it is fair to say the missile involved in the Thursday launch could
carry North Koreas biggest and most destructive warhead. He said the launch was
also likely designed to test other technological aspects that North Korea needs
to master to further advance its ICBM program.
North Korea has made strides in its missile technologies in recent years, but
many foreign experts believe the country has yet to acquire a functioning
nuclear-armed missile that can strike the U.S. mainland. They say North Korea
likely possesses short-range missiles that can deliver nuclear strikes across
all of South Korea.
There have been concerns that North Korea might seek Russian help to perfect
its nuclear-capable missiles in return for its alleged dispatch of thousands of
troops to support the Russian war against Ukraine. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd
Austin said Wednesday that North Korean troops wearing Russian uniforms and
carrying Russian equipment are moving toward Ukraine, in what he called a
dangerous and destabilizing development.
Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at the South Korean Science and
Technology Policy Institute, said the early results of the Thursday launch
suggested Russia might have given a key propellant component that can boost the
missile engine thrust. He said that a higher thrust allows a missile to carry a
bigger payload, fly with more stability and hit a target more accurately.
Jung said he speculates Russian experts might have given technological advices
on missile launches since Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea
for a meeting with Kim in June.
Kwon Yong Soo, an honorary professor at the South Korean National Defense
University, said that North Korea likely tested a multiple-warhead system for
an existing ICBM. There is no reason for North Korea to develop another new
ICBM when it already has several systems with ranges of up to 10,000 to 15,000
kilometers (6,200 to 9,300 miles) that could reach any location on Earth, Kwon
said.
The North Korean confirmation of an ICBM test was unusually quick since North
Korea usually describes its weapons tests a day after they occur.
North Korea could have probably thought that its rivals could look down on it
after it gave away so much in military resources to Russia, Yang Uk, an expert
at the South Korean Asan Institute Institute for Policy Studies. The launch may
have been intended as a demonstration to show what it is capable of, regardless
of troop dispatches or other movements.
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett called the launch a
flagrant violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions that
needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in
the region. Savett said the U.S. will take all necessary measures to ensure the
security of the American homeland and its South Korean and Japanese allies.
South Korean military spokesperson Lee Sung Joon said the North Korean missile
may have been fired from a 12-axle launch vehicle, the Norths largest mobile
launch platform. The disclosure of the new launch vehicle in September had
prompted speculation North Korea could be developing an ICBM that is bigger
than its existing ones.
South Korea?s military intelligence agency told lawmakers Wednesday that North
Korea has likely completed preparations for its seventh nuclear test as well.
It said North Korea had been close to testing an ICBM.
In the past two years, Kim has used the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a window
to ramp up weapons tests and threats while also expanding military cooperation
with Moscow. South Korea, the U.S. and others say North Korea has already
shipped artillery, missiles and other convectional arms to replenish Russia?s
dwindling weapons stockpiles.
Any North Korean participation in the Ukraine war would mark a serious
escalation. Besides Russian nuclear and missile technologies, experts say Kim
Jong Un also likely hopes for Russian help to build a reliable space-based
surveillance system and modernize his countrys conventional weapons.
They say Kim will likely get hundreds of millions of dollars from Russia for
his soldiers wages if they are stationed in Russia for one year.
___
Follow AP?s Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
KIM TONG-HYUNG. Kim has been covering the Koreas for the AP since 2014. He has
published widely read stories on North Korea?s nuclear ambitions, the dark side
of South Korea?s economic rise and international adoptions of Korean children.
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:24:36 +1030
From: Stephen Loosley <[email protected]>
To: "link" <[email protected]>
Subject: [LINK] Australia to invest $12bn in missile manufacturing
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Australia to invest $12bn in missile manufacturing amid China?s rise
Canberra has prioritised domestic capabilities in defence strategy overhaul to
meet ?missile age?
[Photo caption: Australia will take its first delivery of US Tomahawk
long-range missiles, to be used on the Hobart class of destroyers, pictured, by
the end of the year ? Mark Dadswell/Bloomberg]
By Nic Fildes in Sydney OCTOBER 30 2024
https://www-ft-com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/content/e810a7f8-8d45-43d0-9d5e-fc89cc3b670b
Australia will invest up to A$18bn (US$12bn) to strengthen manufacturing of
missiles, including making advanced guided missile systems in the country for
the first time, as part of an overhaul of its defence strategy in the face of
rising geopolitical tensions.
Pat Conroy, Australia?s defence industry minister, said on Wednesday that
strategic competition between China and the US was ?sharpest? in the
Indo-Pacific region as he announced the plan in Canberra. He cited a recent
Chinese ballistic missile test that entered the south Pacific as a significant
concern.
Australia has overhauled its defence strategy over the past three years to
respond to China?s military build-up, following the creation of the Aukus
alliance with the US and the UK, which will deliver nuclear-powered submarines
to the Pacific country.
Canberra has also shifted its military posture to adapt to what the country?s
defence review termed the ?missile age?, backed by a A$50bn (US$33bn) increase
in defence spending over the next decade.
The defence review noted that ?the proliferation of long-range precision strike
weapons? had ?radically reduced? the natural defensive advantage of Australia?s
geographic remoteness.
Part of that strategic shift includes a push to reduce Australia?s reliance on
alliance partners to supply munitions by establishing manufacturing facilities
in the country.
Conroy said a new facility would be developed alongside US arms contractor
Lockheed Martin to produce guided multiple-launch rocket systems from 2029.
The complex, which will be the first outside the US to produce the missile
systems, will be located in either Victoria or New South Wales at an initial
cost of A$316mn and will be capable of producing 4,000 such missiles a year,
which Conroy said equated to a quarter of current global production.
?As well as acquiring more missiles, more rapidly from our partners, we need to
build a new Australian guided weapons manufacturing industry,? Conroy said.
?Long-range strike is critical to deterrence.?
Australia on Wednesday also confirmed a deal with France?s Thales to produce
155mm M795 artillery ammunition, which is used in howitzers, at a
government-owned facility in the Victoria town of Benalla.
It expects to produce up to 15,000 rounds a year by 2028, but production could
be scaled up to 100,000 rounds a year, which would support 550 jobs, according
to the government.
The efforts have raised Australia?s profile in the global defence supply chain.
A new factory in Queensland, jointly owned by local company NIOA and Germany?s
Rheinmetall, is producing tens of thousands of artillery shells for Ukraine in
its defence against Russian forces.
South Korean, US and Norwegian defence companies have also invested in
Australian defence facilities over the past two years.
Conroy said Australia?s navy would also take its first delivery of US Tomahawk
long-range missiles by the end of the year.
The range of the missiles, which are currently used only by the US and UK and
will be used by Australia?s Hobart-class destroyers, is more than 2,500km, a
10-fold increase on the current capability.
------------------------------
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