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PACCAR Inc designs, manufactures, and distributes light, medium, and heavy-duty commercial trucks in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Truck, Parts, and Financial Services. The Truck segment designs, manufactures, and distributes trucks that are used for the over-the-road and off-highway hauling of commercial and consumer goods. It sells its trucks through a network of independent dealers under the Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF nameplates. The Parts segment distributes aftermarket parts for trucks and related commercial vehicles. The Financial Services segment conducts full service leasing operations under the PacLease trade name. It also provides equipment financing and administrative support services for its franchisees; retail loan and leasing services for small, medium, and large commercial trucking companies, as well as independent owner/operators and other businesses; and truck inventory financing services to independent dealers. In addition, this segment offers loans and leases directly to customers for the acquisition of trucks and related equipment. The company also manufactures and markets industrial winches under the Braden, Carco, and Gearmatic nameplates. PACCAR Inc was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.

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Paccar Inc. stock rises Thursday, still underperforms market

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Bernstein raises PT for Paccar on prospects of higher unit deliveries

Paccar Inc. stock outperforms market despite losses on the day

DAF introduces PACCAR Connect, an online fleet management platform aimed at maximising fleet efficiency.

DAF introduces PACCAR Connect - DAF Trucks N.V.

All the crazy, demon-ish, speed-freak car manufacturers are out there with one single motto — ‘Your money can drive you crazy…’ well, there’s nothing to doubt! While they deal with monstrous engineering marvels, they also need to make sure that they are maintaining it well. Talking about the gemstone machinery they carve every year, they make sure that there is enough room for maintenance once the product is delivered to its owner. Inventory management has taken over their worries, and thence came into action ‘smooth manufacturing inventory.’ Their reputation is at stake, and one wrong move can cost them millions! For some automotive manufacturers, their reputation is more important than their sales. All they rely on is the demand amongst the higher class of people. Well, this might go a bit off the topic, but simply selling their automotive at their desired price is not what these companies eye for. They want their products to be in the hands of people who are capable of it, well, ‘reputation’ is everything. These companies take too much pride for their cars, especially for the one who owns them. They want their cars to be a spotlight for mansions, highly reputed people, not anyone who can get hands on these beasts. It wouldn’t be wrong to call these companies ‘ruthless’ as there are many such broken hearts, which deserved one of these, yet didn’t get any. afford Huge expenses demand gigantic protection and maintenance. These cars (mostly don’t, because of the reputation, you see), sometimes get their engines or exhausts damaged because of the speed and intensity they are handled with. Such automotive companies have their repair-inventory full of the parts they feel are mostly demanded. There is no scope of a dead-inventory in such cases, as there is never a possibility that the product will die in the inventory unless they stop the production of the car it is associated with. Because their cars are their reputation, people who own these cars are also valuable. One single fault and these companies toil it out till its sorted. Special logistics and shipment facilities are offered for this. has made it easier for the automobile industry to take the utmost care of their sculpted marvels. Hats off to their inventory management system, from the scratch till the car is delivered. Integration with most of the shipment giants Turning the pages, how have these automotive companies managed to sustain themselves? Well, let’s get rolling! Bugatti Automobiles Founded in the year 1909 by Ellore Bugatti, Bugatti Automobiles was well-known for its beauty and elegance. After all the struggles and fight against the bad times, Bugatti managed to manufacture only ~8000 cars in 50 years. Unfortunately, the operations were impacted after World War 1 and Bugatti had to close the eyes. In the late 90's, Bugatti was taken over by the Volkswagen group and was gradually owned. This is from where the furious journey of Bugatti began. Known to be the fastest car in the world for years, Bugatti Veyron, the best model of Bugatti with other variants, became the sole dream of almost every billionaire. Talking about how they managed the manufacturing, let’s keep our eye on the wheel. Bugatti Automobiles managed to sell only over 1000 cars in the span of 10 years, from 2005 till 2015, till it was replaced by , the world’s fastest car after Bugatti Veyron. This didn’t impact the financials of Bugatti, at all. ‘Koenigsegg Agera R’ Bugatti followed the concept of ‘on-demand manufacturing.’ This never made them a victim of over-stocking their inventory, let that be the repairable and the spare-parts of their vehicles. The ‘just-in-time’ (Kanban) and at it’s best, ain’t it?! The cars come with high maintenance, so Bugatti had to make sure that there was ample inventory for the parts, roughly ten times more than the production of their cars. inventory management system Bugatti, with the lowest number of cars sold, became the first name when talking about high-speed sports cars. Guess they have a gold-toned oil, which costs the owners $21,000 to get it changed. They do deserve an applause, don’t they!? Rolls Royce Motor Cars Founded in the year 1998, Rolls Royce, a wholly owned subsidiary of the German automobile giant BMW, was first into manufacturing heavy-aircraft engines. When it comes to pride and awesomeness, Rolls Royce has never stayed back. As the name says, it believes in being only with the royal personalities; not anyone can get into a Rolls Royce. Rolls Royce’s inventory is considered to be the heftiest when talking about the cost of the car and the spare-parts. It’s made in a way that no one can take an eye off it till it vanishes. Royal, indeed! When you wear an expensive coat, you make sure that it doesn’t get dirty. Well, that was a cheap comparison, but yes, if you own a Rolls Royce, the more you plan to feed this beast, the less it would be. The Rolls Royce team ensures that it’s just not the car that you can afford, but the expenses that come along with it. This car is made in a way that you can never plan to get a spare-part from anywhere else except for Rolls Royce, crazy isn’t it? As said, this beauty has a mighty repair-inventory back home. The they use is not linked to any marketplace. They have their own online store, which is accessible only to the owners of this car. Again, a kanban system is followed, which leaves no margin for over-stocking. inventory management software Along with the cars, this company is well-known for the manufacturing of heavy-duty Boeing aircraft engines. A trusted engine provider to many reputed airlines, Rolls Royce engines have proven to be the best amongst all. When it comes to the inventory of these engines, Rolls Royce has gigantic warehouses and assembly lines. The rotor-blades, the metal used, everything is stocked. Now, again, there is no scope for a dead-inventory, as the stock will last until the product lasts. The big deal, Rolls Royce has sold only ~3000 cars since 2014, worldwide. Strange, but true! Rolls Royce takes care of its inventory in a special way; highly secured with all the barcode systems and RFIDs enabled. The spare-parts remain in a constant scrutiny of the expert officials so that there are no chances for inventory shrinkage, in any case. Kenworth Trucks These monsters are no less! Kenworth Manufacturing Company was founded in 1923 in Seattle, United States. Since then, this trucking company hasn’t seen behind. One of the global trucking leaders, Kenworth is one of a kind. If a Kenworth runs from right next to you, you can feel the ground moving. Muscle, power, and style are what Kenworth focuses on. Kenworth has a huge manufacturing unit (I’m talking about the Kirkland unit here), where it has the assembly line, paint-shop, etc. but not spare-part manufacturing. The spare-parts are manufactured in another unit. Kenworth gets the repairable only when required. This replenishment is quite often because this trucking giant has now made itself run into the blood of global trucking. With power comes responsibility and maintenance. This has made Kenworth cater its customers with all the required spare parts. After its collaboration with PACCAR, Kenworth made sure that its inventory of spare-parts is always full. From the seat-belt to the music systems present inside the truck, Kenworth has a backup for everything in its warehouse. Inventory management system in here, it’s sickening!

Inventory Management System for the Automotive Giants.

News in AI and machine learning

Recollections of My Life: Part 3

The adoption of digital technology has probably reached an all-time high, with the rapid transformation of business processes and services from non-digital to digital. According to recent studies, global spending on digital transformation is expected to hit $3.4 trillion by 2026. It has also been forecasted that the United States will account for 35% of this global spending and could pass the $1 trillion mark in 2025. Several technology leaders have taken lead roles in bringing about this much-needed change in America. Naga Simhadri Apparao Polireddi, an expert in secure web chatbots and web development, has made remarkable contributions through his path-breaking innovations. He is highly rated for his knowledge and expertise in designing AI/ML language models, developing rules using Natural Language Processing (NLP), and creating chatbot applications with technologies such as NodeJS, Java/J2EE, Python Machine Learning (ML) libraries, Dialog flow, TensorFlow, ECMAScript 6, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Spring Boot Microservices. A Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering and a Master of Computer Science from Arizona State University (ASU), Polireddi started his illustrious career in 2002 as an Assistant Professor at Sree Dattha Institute of Engineering & Science College, Hyderabad, India. In the earlier part of his career, he also worked with Hewlett-Packard Global soft (hp), Wipro Technologies, and Infinite Computer Solutions as a Software Developer/ Java Technical Leader. As part of a multi-million-euro collaboration between TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) and Nokia Siemens Networks, Polireddi served as an Assistant Consultant at TATA Consultancy Services from 2010 to 2012, stationed at the client location of Nokia Siemens Networks in Lisbon, Portugal. He conducted a review of the architecture of the Nokia product NetAct and identified defects, including mismatched network element names in the network element Drop-down menu, incorrect passing of Network element code while submitting network element personalization software to the network, and refresh issue of network element alarms.  He was also involved in the development of the NetAct File-Based CM Events module utilizing Java technology. From 02/2012 to 03/2013, Polireddi was part of Saudi Telecommunication Company's (STC) project IRB (infinys rating and billing) upgrade aimed to upgrade its billing operations to new technologies in the core area of GSM and 4G business using 1RB5.1.7 and Billing and Rating management application (BRM) software package from Netcracker Technology Corp. This upgrade helped Saudi Telecommunication Company (STC) gain a customer-focused, service management approach to their operational processes, enabling them to automate and integrate their order fulfillment, customer service management, and billing functions across multiple product and service offerings while reducing the operational cost of USD 2.5M. As part of a TCS project,  Polireddi also served Singapore Airlines from March 2013 to June 2015, undertaking the design and development of a customized solution for the company's Amadeus Altéa product by developing the PODS (Passenger Operational Data distributed System) module. Utilizing his knowledge of airline domain and IOS Web development technologies, he developed a tablet-based CrewCollab product for Singapore Airlines, which was later sold by TCS to clients worldwide. Some of Polireddi’s most important projects were executed during his tenure with Cognizant, serving American Express. From 06/2017 – 08/2018, he handled the American Express Instant “Member Card Number” project, which led to the creation of a first-of-its-kind solution for the credit card industry. Following this game-changing project, American Express customers were provided with an instant membership, contributing to an increase in spending with a business value exceeding $20 million. From 05/2019 until 01/2022, Polireddi worked as the Software Architect for the American Express "Rubiks and Gambit" project, which aimed to introduce a "no negative credit impact" in the card application process. This allows prospective cardholders to submit an application for a credit card and find out if they’re approved before undergoing a hard credit check. Unlike hard credit checks, this soft credit check approval feature has no impact on the applicant’s credit score. With the live implementation of this project, American Express achieved a projected revenue gain of $211 Million. Presently working with IKON Tech Services, Polireddi has designed an AI Chatbot for American Express apply website. This chatbot is capable of streamlining operational processes and improving user experience by facilitating immediate response to user queries, effectively handling high-volume interactions, and ultimately expediting credit card acquisitions for American Express. Following this development, over 90,000 conversations were held over the 90 days while reducing operational costs by 30%. Polireddi's current project for Verizon features the introduction of a groundbreaking GPS solution known as Hyper Precise Location (HPL) using Real-Time Kinematics (RTK). This technology ensures location accuracy within one to two centimeters on the Verizon 5G network, which is crucial for autonomous vehicles and high-definition (HD) maps. The project involved seamless integration of AWS cloud solutions with Node.js application deployment practices, garnering attention from multiple Fortune 500 clients for Verizon. “I strongly believe that secure web chatbots have the potential to become the primary channel for customer service in years to come. The combination of NLP and ML has enabled chatbots to understand conversations more intelligently, comprehend the nuances of query intention, and improve their accuracy in executing commands, even in technical situations,” said Polireddi. “It is a matter of great pride for me to be able to utilize my knowledge and wisdom in building a digitally transformed America.” References: https://explodingtopics.com/blog/digital-transformation-stats Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR. The adoption of digital technology has probably reached an all-time high, with the rapid transformation of business processes and services from non-digital to digital. According to recent studies, global spending on digital transformation is expected to hit $3.4 trillion by 2026. It has also been forecasted that the United States will account for 35% of this global spending and could pass the $1 trillion mark in 2025. Several technology leaders have taken lead roles in bringing about this much-needed change in America. Naga Simhadri Apparao Polireddi, an expert in secure web chatbots and web development, has made remarkable contributions through his path-breaking innovations. He is highly rated for his knowledge and expertise in designing AI/ML language models, developing rules using Natural Language Processing (NLP), and creating chatbot applications with technologies such as NodeJS, Java/J2EE, Python Machine Learning (ML) libraries, Dialog flow, TensorFlow, ECMAScript 6, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Spring Boot Microservices. A Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering and a Master of Computer Science from Arizona State University (ASU), Polireddi started his illustrious career in 2002 as an Assistant Professor at Sree Dattha Institute of Engineering & Science College, Hyderabad, India. In the earlier part of his career, he also worked with Hewlett-Packard Global soft (hp), Wipro Technologies, and Infinite Computer Solutions as a Software Developer/ Java Technical Leader. As part of a multi-million-euro collaboration between TATA Consultancy Services (TCS) and Nokia Siemens Networks, Polireddi served as an Assistant Consultant at TATA Consultancy Services from 2010 to 2012, stationed at the client location of Nokia Siemens Networks in Lisbon, Portugal. He conducted a review of the architecture of the Nokia product NetAct and identified defects, including mismatched network element names in the network element Drop-down menu, incorrect passing of Network element code while submitting network element personalization software to the network, and refresh issue of network element alarms.  He was also involved in the development of the NetAct File-Based CM Events module utilizing Java technology. From 02/2012 to 03/2013, Polireddi was part of Saudi Telecommunication Company's (STC) project IRB (infinys rating and billing) upgrade aimed to upgrade its billing operations to new technologies in the core area of GSM and 4G business using 1RB5.1.7 and Billing and Rating management application (BRM) software package from Netcracker Technology Corp. This upgrade helped Saudi Telecommunication Company (STC) gain a customer-focused, service management approach to their operational processes, enabling them to automate and integrate their order fulfillment, customer service management, and billing functions across multiple product and service offerings while reducing the operational cost of USD 2.5M. As part of a TCS project,  Polireddi also served Singapore Airlines from March 2013 to June 2015, undertaking the design and development of a customized solution for the company's Amadeus Altéa product by developing the PODS (Passenger Operational Data distributed System) module. Utilizing his knowledge of airline domain and IOS Web development technologies, he developed a tablet-based CrewCollab product for Singapore Airlines, which was later sold by TCS to clients worldwide. Some of Polireddi’s most important projects were executed during his tenure with Cognizant, serving American Express. From 06/2017 – 08/2018, he handled the American Express Instant “Member Card Number” project, which led to the creation of a first-of-its-kind solution for the credit card industry. Following this game-changing project, American Express customers were provided with an instant membership, contributing to an increase in spending with a business value exceeding $20 million. From 05/2019 until 01/2022, Polireddi worked as the Software Architect for the American Express "Rubiks and Gambit" project, which aimed to introduce a "no negative credit impact" in the card application process. This allows prospective cardholders to submit an application for a credit card and find out if they’re approved before undergoing a hard credit check. Unlike hard credit checks, this soft credit check approval feature has no impact on the applicant’s credit score. With the live implementation of this project, American Express achieved a projected revenue gain of $211 Million. Presently working with IKON Tech Services, Polireddi has designed an AI Chatbot for American Express apply website. This chatbot is capable of streamlining operational processes and improving user experience by facilitating immediate response to user queries, effectively handling high-volume interactions, and ultimately expediting credit card acquisitions for American Express. Following this development, over 90,000 conversations were held over the 90 days while reducing operational costs by 30%. Polireddi's current project for Verizon features the introduction of a groundbreaking GPS solution known as Hyper Precise Location (HPL) using Real-Time Kinematics (RTK). This technology ensures location accuracy within one to two centimeters on the Verizon 5G network, which is crucial for autonomous vehicles and high-definition (HD) maps. The project involved seamless integration of AWS cloud solutions with Node.js application deployment practices, garnering attention from multiple Fortune 500 clients for Verizon. “I strongly believe that secure web chatbots have the potential to become the primary channel for customer service in years to come. The combination of NLP and ML has enabled chatbots to understand conversations more intelligently, comprehend the nuances of query intention, and improve their accuracy in executing commands, even in technical situations,” said Polireddi. “It is a matter of great pride for me to be able to utilize my knowledge and wisdom in building a digitally transformed America.” References: References: https://explodingtopics.com/blog/digital-transformation-stats https://explodingtopics.com/blog/digital-transformation-stats https://explodingtopics.com/blog/digital-transformation-stats Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR. Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program . HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR. Vested Interest Disclosure: business blogging program business blogging program

Expert Pioneers Innovations in Secure Web Chatbots and Development Amid Digital Transformation

ডিজিটাল ট্রান্সফর্মেশনের মধ্যে নিরাপদ ওয়েব চ্যাটবট এবং বিকাশে বিশেষজ্ঞ অগ্রগামী উদ্ভাবন

Experte leistet Pionierarbeit bei Innovationen für sichere Web-Chatbots und der Entwicklung im Zuge der digitalen Transformation

Expertos pioneros en innovaciones en chatbots web seguros y desarrollo en medio de la transformación digital

Un expert pionnier des innovations en matière de chatbots Web sécurisés et de développement dans le contexte de la transformation numérique

डिजिटल परिवर्तन के बीच सुरक्षित वेब चैटबॉट और विकास में विशेषज्ञ अग्रणी नवाचार

デジタル変革の真っ只中、専門家が安全なウェブチャットボットと開発の革新を先導

디지털 혁신 속에서 보안 웹 챗봇 및 개발 혁신을 선도하는 전문가

Especialistas são pioneiros em inovações em chatbots seguros na Web e desenvolvimento em meio à transformação digital

Эксперты-пионеры инноваций в области безопасных веб-чат-ботов и развития в условиях цифровой трансформации

Güvenli Web Sohbet Robotları ve Dijital Dönüşümün Ortasında Geliştirme Konusunda Uzman Öncü Yenilikler

Chuyên gia tiên phong đổi mới trong phát triển và trò chuyện trên web an toàn trong bối cảnh chuyển đổi kỹ thuật số

专家率先在安全网络聊天机器人领域进行创新，并在数字化转型中不断发展

HackerNoon editorial team has launched this interview series with women in tech to celebrate their achievements and share their struggles. We need more women in technology, and by sharing stories, we can encourage many girls to follow their dreams. Share your story today! Tell us about yourself! Ritika: I am a technical product manager who is passionate about bringing compelling enterprise solutions to the market to solve customer problems at scale and deliver profitable growth. I have over ten years of experience in the field, working for large enterprises such as Splunk, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Dell Technologies, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Prior to working in the Enterprise technology space, I worked in the automobile industry as a manufacturing planning engineer. My Academic qualifications include an MBA and Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering. Why did you choose the Technology Product Management field in the first place? Ritika: The early seeds of my career in technology product management were planted serendipitously during my first job as an industrial engineer working at one of India's largest commercial vehicle manufacturers. Focusing on the engineering implementation aspect of manufacturing new vehicles, I grew extremely curious about who decided what to build and why we were building something. It was fascinating to uncover the customer demands and business objectives behind each product line in the factory. I decided to pursue an MBA at Mays Business School, Texas A&M University, looking for formal education in the business side of things. During my MBA, I got into the product management world as an intern for enterprise storage. This role was a true 'aha' moment for me. I saw firsthand how products are conceptualized, developed, and launched. I realized that product management was where I wanted to focus my career. Over the past decade, this decision has been the most rewarding one, allowing me to lead the launches of multiple high-impact products. What tech are you most excited/passionate about right now and why? Ritika: I find data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) applications in the precision farming field very exciting. Very soon traditional farming is going to face a lot of challenges while dealing with climate change and resource depletion. The world population is predicted to grow rapidly which puts immense pressure on agriculture to constantly increase its output. We can enrich precision farming practices such as optimized watering and controlling plantation methods based on real-time data on soil conditions, weather forecasts, and crop health by integrating AI with sophisticated data analytics closer to where the decision needs to be made. This technology has the potential and is probably our only hope to significantly increase crop yields and reduce waste by optimizing resource usage. What tech are you most worried about right now and why? Ritika: I am worried about how large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT will continue to train on public data. Training models on copyrighted work without permission is concerning, but if laws are put in place to regulate this, AI companies will potentially run out of public data to train their models. I am concerned about how this will go down to be fair to original content creators while not impeding the evolution of LLMs. What are your hobbies and interests outside of tech? Ritika: Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, learning Spanish (currently on my 342nd-day streak on Duolingo), creating content on social media platforms, and hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Let's talk about breaking the glass ceiling. What were the biggest challenges you faced as a woman in tech, and how did you deal with them? Ritika: I have faced my fair share of challenges in the industry. There are some common microaggressions I have encountered, including being interrupted or talked over by colleagues, my achievements being attributed to my gender instead of competence, and assuming things about my interests and skills based on gender stereotypes. Any questionable misogynistic story/situation you faced/handled, and you want to share with the HackerNoon Fam? Ritika: There is one story that stands out for me. I was assigned to lead a major project involving a collaboration with a third-party company to co-brand and market a multimillion-dollar product. This was a significant opportunity, especially since I was one of the youngest product managers ever tasked with such a project. The key meeting for this project was scheduled in Europe, and I traveled there to meet with my counterpart from the third-party company. Before the official meeting, we met informally at a conference. It became immediately apparent that he was uncomfortable with me leading the project once he realized who I was. Without consulting me, he quickly included my manager in the upcoming meeting. During the meeting, he directed all questions to my manager, ignoring me despite my role as the subject matter expert. This not only put me in an awkward position but also frustrated my manager, who expected me to be the primary point of communication. After the meeting, I expressed my dissatisfaction to my manager, who was equally disappointed by the counterpart's behavior. Together, we decided that the best course of action was for my manager to decline future meeting invitations and to send a note emphasizing that all decisions and communications should be channeled through me. This incident underscores the challenges women often face in professional settings, where gender prejudices overshadow our capabilities and leadership roles. It’s crucial for organizations to support their staff by fostering an environment where such biases are addressed promptly and effectively. What was the biggest setback/failure that you faced, and how did you manage it? Ritika: Failures are opportunities to learn, working in Technology product management I live by the principle of failing fast when introducing new products and I tend to apply the same ideology in life to continuously course correct and move forward. What's your biggest achievement that you're really proud of? Ritika: I am proud of my resilience, both professionally and personally. I continue to persevere in the face of challenges and focus on my skills. I used to be proud of becoming my business school’s brand ambassador and having a billboard near IAH airport with my face on it. When my parents traveled from India for my graduation in the USA, they beamed with joy seeing my billboard on their way to the airport, which made me proud. In your opinion, why do we see this huge gender gap in the tech industry, and how can we reduce it? Ritika: The huge gender gap cannot be attributed to one thing, but one of the biggest contributing factors is the lack of STEM awareness and education for young girls, especially in developing countries. Lack of limited role models in the workplace, preconceived notions, and biases also contribute to the problem. We all need to come together to reduce the gender gap in Tech. Some of the ways can be to Promote STEM education among young girls through programs and scholarships.
Encourage an inclusive culture that provides a safe space to support women throughout their careers.
Include more diverse leaders in tech companies. Who is your tech idol? Why? Ritika: I admire a lot of tech folks. Radia Perlman, also known as the “mother of the internet,” is pretty amazing. Do you have any advice for aspiring girls who want to join the field? Ritika: My advice to aspiring women/girls who want to join Tech is never to undersell yourself. Have confidence in your potential. I have observed women often hesitate to apply for a tech position unless they meet every single listed job requirement/qualification. But you need to remember that candidate requirements are often a “good to have” skill list for the ideal candidate, and thus not meeting every criterion should not deter you from applying. Many skills can be learned on the job, and showing a willingness to grow and adapt is highly valued in the tech industry. HackerNoon editorial team has launched this interview series with women in tech to celebrate their achievements and share their struggles. We need more women in technology, and by sharing stories, we can encourage many girls to follow their dreams. Share your story today ! this interview series with women in tech Share your story today Tell us about yourself! Ritika: I am a technical product manager who is passionate about bringing compelling enterprise solutions to the market to solve customer problems at scale and deliver profitable growth. I have over ten years of experience in the field, working for large enterprises such as Splunk, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Dell Technologies, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Ritika: Prior to working in the Enterprise technology space, I worked in the automobile industry as a manufacturing planning engineer. My Academic qualifications include an MBA and Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering. Why did you choose the Technology Product Management field in the first place? Why did you choose the Technology Product Management field in the first place? Ritika: The early seeds of my career in technology product management were planted serendipitously during my first job as an industrial engineer working at one of India's largest commercial vehicle manufacturers. Focusing on the engineering implementation aspect of manufacturing new vehicles, I grew extremely curious about who decided what to build and why we were building something. It was fascinating to uncover the customer demands and business objectives behind each product line in the factory. Ritika: I decided to pursue an MBA at Mays Business School, Texas A&M University, looking for formal education in the business side of things. During my MBA, I got into the product management world as an intern for enterprise storage. This role was a true 'aha' moment for me. I saw firsthand how products are conceptualized, developed, and launched. I realized that product management was where I wanted to focus my career. Over the past decade, this decision has been the most rewarding one, allowing me to lead the launches of multiple high-impact products. What tech are you most excited/passionate about right now and why? Ritika: I find data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) applications in the precision farming field very exciting. Very soon traditional farming is going to face a lot of challenges while dealing with climate change and resource depletion. The world population is predicted to grow rapidly which puts immense pressure on agriculture to constantly increase its output. We can enrich precision farming practices such as optimized watering and controlling plantation methods based on real-time data on soil conditions, weather forecasts, and crop health by integrating AI with sophisticated data analytics closer to where the decision needs to be made. This technology has the potential and is probably our only hope to significantly increase crop yields and reduce waste by optimizing resource usage. Ritika: What tech are you most worried about right now and why? What tech are you most worried about right now and why? Ritika: I am worried about how large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT will continue to train on public data. Training models on copyrighted work without permission is concerning, but if laws are put in place to regulate this, AI companies will potentially run out of public data to train their models. I am concerned about how this will go down to be fair to original content creators while not impeding the evolution of LLMs. Ritika: What are your hobbies and interests outside of tech? Ritika: Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, learning Spanish (currently on my 342nd-day streak on Duolingo), creating content on social media platforms, and hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Ritika: Let's talk about breaking the glass ceiling. What were the biggest challenges you faced as a woman in tech, and how did you deal with them? Ritika: I have faced my fair share of challenges in the industry. There are some common microaggressions I have encountered, including being interrupted or talked over by colleagues, my achievements being attributed to my gender instead of competence, and assuming things about my interests and skills based on gender stereotypes. Ritika: Any questionable misogynistic story/situation you faced/handled, and you want to share with the HackerNoon Fam? Any questionable misogynistic story/situation you faced/handled, and you want to share with the HackerNoon Fam? Ritika: There is one story that stands out for me. I was assigned to lead a major project involving a collaboration with a third-party company to co-brand and market a multimillion-dollar product. This was a significant opportunity, especially since I was one of the youngest product managers ever tasked with such a project. The key meeting for this project was scheduled in Europe, and I traveled there to meet with my counterpart from the third-party company. Before the official meeting, we met informally at a conference. It became immediately apparent that he was uncomfortable with me leading the project once he realized who I was. Without consulting me, he quickly included my manager in the upcoming meeting. During the meeting, he directed all questions to my manager, ignoring me despite my role as the subject matter expert. This not only put me in an awkward position but also frustrated my manager, who expected me to be the primary point of communication. After the meeting, I expressed my dissatisfaction to my manager, who was equally disappointed by the counterpart's behavior. Together, we decided that the best course of action was for my manager to decline future meeting invitations and to send a note emphasizing that all decisions and communications should be channeled through me. Ritika: This incident underscores the challenges women often face in professional settings, where gender prejudices overshadow our capabilities and leadership roles. It’s crucial for organizations to support their staff by fostering an environment where such biases are addressed promptly and effectively. What was the biggest setback/failure that you faced, and how did you manage it? What was the biggest setback/failure that you faced, and how did you manage it? Ritika: Failures are opportunities to learn, working in Technology product management I live by the principle of failing fast when introducing new products and I tend to apply the same ideology in life to continuously course correct and move forward. Ritika: What's your biggest achievement that you're really proud of? What's your biggest achievement that you're really proud of? Ritika: I am proud of my resilience, both professionally and personally. I continue to persevere in the face of challenges and focus on my skills. I used to be proud of becoming my business school’s brand ambassador and having a billboard near IAH airport with my face on it. When my parents traveled from India for my graduation in the USA, they beamed with joy seeing my billboard on their way to the airport, which made me proud. Ritika: In your opinion, why do we see this huge gender gap in the tech industry, and how can we reduce it? In your opinion, why do we see this huge gender gap in the tech industry, and how can we reduce it? Ritika: The huge gender gap cannot be attributed to one thing, but one of the biggest contributing factors is the lack of STEM awareness and education for young girls, especially in developing countries. Lack of limited role models in the workplace, preconceived notions, and biases also contribute to the problem. Ritika: We all need to come together to reduce the gender gap in Tech. Some of the ways can be to Promote STEM education among young girls through programs and scholarships. Encourage an inclusive culture that provides a safe space to support women throughout their careers. Include more diverse leaders in tech companies. Promote STEM education among young girls through programs and scholarships. Encourage an inclusive culture that provides a safe space to support women throughout their careers. Include more diverse leaders in tech companies. Who is your tech idol? Why? Ritika: I admire a lot of tech folks. Radia Perlman, also known as the “mother of the internet,” is pretty amazing. Ritika: Do you have any advice for aspiring girls who want to join the field? Ritika: My advice to aspiring women/girls who want to join Tech is never to undersell yourself. Have confidence in your potential. I have observed women often hesitate to apply for a tech position unless they meet every single listed job requirement/qualification. But you need to remember that candidate requirements are often a “good to have” skill list for the ideal candidate, and thus not meeting every criterion should not deter you from applying. Many skills can be learned on the job, and showing a willingness to grow and adapt is highly valued in the tech industry. Ritika:

World of Technology Product Management: Women in Tech Interview with Ritika Saini

When faced with tough economic conditions, often look to reduce overheads to remain afloat. Given the high inflation and rising interest rates that played out globally in 2023, growth and expansion plans may have been put on hold. But despite the recent downturn, predictions for the year ahead are cautiously optimistic. A recent report from the (IMF) predicts that global economic growth is likely to remain at a steady 3.3% in 2024. business leaders International Monetary Fund Investing in brand and design is one of the most effective ways to remain resilient during an economic downturn, helping companies to stand out from the competition and win the trust of consumers. The most successful brand and are driven by highly skilled professionals with the skills and expertise to execute multifaceted strategies that resonate with audiences. design campaigns Here we present 15 examples of excellence in the field of brand and marketing that are helping companies to thrive in 2024. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) stands as a global leader in edge-to-cloud solutions, helping to revolutionize businesses worldwide. With a mission to facilitate seamless connectivity, robust protection, insightful analysis, and decisive action on data and applications from edge to cloud, HPE empowers enterprises to translate insights into tangible actions with unparalleled agility in today’s dynamic landscape. , serves as the Brand Strategy Manager for Hewlett Packard Enterprise. In his position at the helm of brand strategy, Askew orchestrates HPE’s strategic initiatives, ensuring the alignment of branding efforts with the company’s overarching mission and vision. With a keen understanding of market dynamics and consumer behavior, Askew plays a pivotal role in shaping HPE’s brand narrative and positioning in the industry, driving forward its legacy of innovation and transformation. Jeff Askew IBM is the Vice President of Brand Experience & Design at IBM and Lead for the IBM Blue Studio. He has been with this major tech firm since 2014 during which time Todd has played an instrumental role in marrying the design and software development disciplines, Todd Simmons The IBM Design Language provides the guidance and assets used to express the IBM brand in products, communications, marketing, events and digital experiences consistently and elevant user experiences. His work has contributed to IBM’s Quantum System Two, a winner of the 2023 Innovation by Design Awards. Todd’s work crosses nearly every category of creative output. He is outcome-obsessed, and his unique combination of creative and strategic thinking has been central to the many successful engagements he has led over the years. Todd believes that strong design is built on understanding which is why one of IBM’s key principles is to never delegate understanding. Global Brand at GSK Rowan Green is a distinguished professional serving as the Director of Brand Identity for Global Brand at GSK. Here, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the brand’s identity and strategy on a global scale. In addition to corporate responsibilities, Rowan generously volunteers his time as a student mentor at the University of Plymouth, contributing to the development and growth of future generations of professionals. With a wealth of experience spanning various sectors, Rowan has made significant contributions to renowned organizations such as the National Trust, Forestry England, Lisson Gallery, and the University of Oxford, among others. His extensive background underscores his expertise in brand development, design, and strategic leadership, making him a highly respected figure in the industry. Rowan Green’s dedication to both their professional endeavors and philanthropic pursuits exemplifies his commitment to excellence and community engagement. Feely Studio Feely Studio stands out as a dynamic entity, composed of a team of fervent designers dedicated to empowering startups and helping with their onward journey. Whether startups seek to elevate their marketing strategies, secure funding across various stages (from pre-seed to Series A), or allure top-tier talent, Feely offers specialized expertise in crafting impactful branding and marketing websites. At the helm of Feely Studio’s creative endeavors is Anastasia Sycheva, serving as both the Art Director and co-founder. With a blend of artistic vision and entrepreneurial spirit, Sycheva leads the team in delivering innovative design solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of each startup client, fostering their growth and success in the competitive landscape. Liberty Mutual Insurance With a legacy spanning over a century, Liberty Mutual Insurance has been a pioneer in developing innovative insurance solutions tailored to address the evolving needs of society. Their dedication to breaking away from conventional mindsets and exploring new territories within the industry is driven by a steadfast commitment to ensuring peace of mind for their customers. At the helm of Liberty Mutual’s creative endeavors is Michael Wood, who serves as the Executive Creative Director. With expertise in copywriting, storytelling, brand management, brand marketing, branding and identity, strategic thinking, and social media engagement, Wood leads the charge in crafting compelling narratives and strategic initiatives that redefine the insurance landscape. Under Wood’s guidance, Liberty Mutual continues to push boundaries, embracing innovation and customer-centricity to shape the future of insurance branding. Sanofi Consumer Healthcare Sanofi is an innovative global healthcare company on a mission to help people build toward a healthier future. The company uses consumer-inspired, science-based products and solutions that are creatively designed and simple to use to empower people to take an active role in their health. helps to further this mission with his reputation for delivering intelligent and carefully considered brand communication solutions, Joe Durkin works as Sanofi’s Head of Brand Design to further this mission. He has 20 years of success, helping companies create and promote their brands, design packaging and produce emotionally compelling consumer experiences. Joe Durkin SAP SAP develops enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. The company is the world’s leading enterprise resource planning software vendor with a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders. SAP offers an end-to-end suite of applications and services enables its customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference worldwide. is the VP of Creative Enablement, Brand Awareness and Marketing at SAP. During her time at SAP she strategically developed and transformed the SAP brand to be more open, approachable and relevant for all-sized businesses. Resulted in year-over-year brand growth and consistent placement in the top 25 of Interbrand’s Best Global Brands study. Laura Johnson Takeda At Takeda, the overarching mission is to foster better health for individuals and a brighter future for the world. Rooted in enduring values, their commitment to advancing science and technology remains unwavering. The company’s ambition is to continuously deliver transformative treatments, thereby generating significant societal value while prioritizing an exceptional experience for its people. serves as the driving force behind Creative and Corporate Brand Engagement at Takeda. His multifaceted role encompasses various responsibilities aimed at nurturing a vibrant brand community within the organization and facilitating seamless communication of branding updates and changes. McArdle ensures that global corporate materials and assets are promptly updated to reflect high-level organizational changes, collaborating closely with stakeholders across the organization to ensure accurate dissemination of content. Maxwell McArdle FINIEN FINIEN, a purposefully small consultancy, is spearheaded by brand strategist, entrepreneur, and best-selling author Fabian Geyrhalter. Their mission is to empower Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) and founders navigating brand transformations by offering swift strategic, verbal, and visual clarity to reposition their brands for growth. With a focus on companies based in the US or Europe, their clientele typically generates a minimum of $5 million in revenue. At the helm of FINIEN’s creative endeavors is Jessie (Campbell) Irving, serving as the Creative Director. With an illustrious career trajectory, Irving earned her title after 22 years of dedicated service, succeeding Geyrhalter in the role. As a highly creative and strategic leader, she is entrusted with designing and driving the creative direction and execution of brand transformations across various platforms and mediums, catering to both B2B and B2C audiences. Trellix Trellix pioneers an evolutionary XDR architecture that dynamically learns and adjusts to the pace of cyber threats, offering intelligence on advanced cyber threats. Their innovative approach to security is revolutionizing the industry, providing businesses with the assurance that they are safeguarded at all times. Wesley Porter, a seasoned Graphic Design graduate from Kansas State University, boasts over 25 years of exemplary creative experience. Having honed his skills at renowned agencies like MMGY, TracyLocke, TPN, and Integer, Porter has garnered numerous awards for his work with multiple Global 500 brands. Currently, he serves as the Director of Brand Design + Creative at Trellix, where his extensive expertise drives innovative branding solutions. Through his leadership, Trellix continues to establish itself as a leader in the realm of cybersecurity, offering clients peace of mind and unparalleled protection through strategic brand design initiatives. Medtronic , Communications Director for Cranial and Spinal Technologies at Medtronic, brings a wealth of expertise in executing strategic communication campaigns, change management initiatives, and digital strategies. With a demonstrated track record of delivering measurable results for executive leaders, internal and external audiences, and key stakeholders, Greenberg plays a vital role in shaping Medtronic’s communication landscape. Through her strategic vision and effective communication strategies, she helps to amplify the impact of Medtronic’s innovative solutions, driving positive change in healthcare worldwide. Rita Greenberg Medtronic stands as a global leader in healthcare technology, boldly tackling humanity’s most challenging health issues with transformative innovations that improve lives. The Future Forward Inc. The Future Forward stands out as a prominent creative agency based in NYC, dedicated to empowering brands to wield greater influence through the seamless integration of strategy, design, and technology. Their name encapsulates their philosophy – they are committed to helping teams envision a positive future and actively contribute to its realization. Rad Bratich, serving as the Creative Director, brings his expertise to the forefront of The Future Forward’s creative endeavors. With a keen eye for innovation and a passion for pushing boundaries, Bratich leads the team in crafting compelling narratives and transformative experiences that resonate with audiences. Under his guidance, The Future Forward continues to drive positive change and shape the future of branding and design. Watson Creative Watson Creative stands out as a research-based creative studio specializing in empowering challenger brands. Their portfolio proudly showcases collaborations with industry giants such as Nike, Disney, and Kaiser Permanente, serving as a testament to their prowess in driving transformation and fostering growth. While their focus primarily centers on mid to large businesses, Watson Creative remains open to partnering with startups and small businesses alike. Jennifer Crotteau, serving as the COO/Integrator, plays a pivotal role in orchestrating Watson Creative’s operations and ensuring seamless integration across all facets of the organization. With a keen eye for strategic execution and operational efficiency, Crotteau contributes to the studio’s continued success in delivering impactful solutions to their diverse clientele. Under her leadership, Watson Creative continues to push boundaries and elevate brands to new heights in the competitive landscape. Cisco Systems Cisco empowers individuals to forge powerful connections, whether in business, education, philanthropy, or creativity. Through its hardware, software, and services, Cisco enables the creation of Internet solutions that underpin networks, facilitating access to information anywhere, anytime. serves as the Director of Global Creative Operations at Cisco Systems, Inc. In her role, she plays a pivotal role in overseeing and optimizing the creative operations globally. With a keen focus on ensuring efficiency and excellence in creative processes, Fedele contributes to Cisco’s mission of enabling seamless connectivity and driving innovation across various domains. Under her leadership, Cisco continues to lead the way in creating transformative solutions that empower individuals and organizations worldwide. Lisa Fedele AbbVie AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company, emerged in 2013 following its separation from Abbott. With a mission centered on leveraging its expertise, dedicated workforce, and innovative approach, AbbVie aims to develop and market advanced therapies addressing some of the world’s most complex and severe diseases. serves as the Associate Director of Corporate Brand at AbbVie, overseeing brand strategy and governance across a workforce of over 50,000 employees worldwide. Rathmann’s dedication to creating impactful brand experiences, aligned with business objectives and resonant with diverse audiences, is evident in her leadership. She possesses a proven track record of spearheading cross-functional teams, fostering strong relationships and communities, and cultivating a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence within AbbVie. Abbie Rathmann This article was originally published by on Emily Branch The Sociable.

Highlighting 15 Exemplary Designs and Brands of 2024

BUSINESS COLLEGES

No. Thank you and goodbye. Ok, first off, I apologize for the click-bait style title. Every now and then, when I get an idea for a demo, it doesn't work. But , it doesn't work out in a fun and interesting way, and I figure it's a good idea to share it anyway. (Also, there's always the chance that it didn't work out because I did something wrong!) Today's demo is a perfect example of that, I think. sometimes strong Earlier this year, I built a using Alpine.js and the quite excellent . Yesterday, I was thinking about the game, and I wondered - what would happen if I used generative AI to ask for help when playing it? So, for example, I went to and saw this: Blackjack game Deck of Cards API my game In Google's PaLM Makersuite app, I wrote: I'm playing blackjack and the dealer has a six of diamonds showing. I've got a jack of clubs and a jack of hearts. Should I hit or should I stay? And got this response: You have 20, which is a good hand. The dealer has 16, which is below the average. If you hit, you risk getting a card that will bust you. So it's better to stay and hope that the dealer busts. Which, ok, is pretty obvious. You would never hit with two Jacks. But I loved the descriptive response that reinforces the principles of the game. I thought - what if I added a button to the game that lets you ask GenAI for help? Here's how I did it: The Front End On the front end, I kept the UI changes pretty minimal. I began by adding a simple button: Clicking this needs to do two important things. First, it needs to 'translate' the game state into a prompt; then, it needs to pass this to a service that will handle the call. I created a new function, , that handles it: gen AI askForHelp async askForHelp() {
	this.aiHelp = 'Asking our AI friend...';

	// first, "translate" the cards to English
	let q = `I'm playing blackjack and the dealer currently has ${this.pcCards[1].value} of ${this.pcCards[1].suit.toLowerCase()}. I've got a ${this.playerCards[0].value} of ${this.playerCards[0].suit.toLowerCase()} and a ${this.playerCards[1].value} of ${this.playerCards[1].suit.toLowerCase()}. Should I hit or should I stay?`;
	console.log(q);

	let resp = await fetch(`https://eo8dkukowewth66.m.pipedream.net?text=${encodeURIComponent(q)}`);
	let help = await resp.json();

	/*
	note that help has line breaks and stuff in and in theory
	we should map to br or something, but im fine ignoring.
	*/
	this.aiHelp = '';
	alert(help);
}, I store the player and PC cards in two variables that contain an array of cards representing their hands. Each card has a 'value,’ which is either a number or a name, like Jack. Each card also has a suit. In theory, that's probably not critical information, but I figured it couldn't hurt. Here's an example prompt generated by a game: I'm playing blackjack and the dealer currently has 8 of clubs. I've got a 7 of spades and a QUEEN of hearts. Should I hit or should I stay? This is passed off to my backend service (more on that in a second), and the result is then displayed in a JavaScript alert, which is 100% horrible UX, but as this was an experiment, I figured it was good enough. If you're curious, this is what the response was: Stay. You have a total of 17, which is a good hand. The dealer's 8 is not a high card, so you are unlikely to lose if you stay. The Back End For my back end, I whipped up a quick workflow. My workflow consisted of literally just three steps. Pipedream The first is my trigger, an HTTP endpoint. You can see the URL in the front-end code above. The second step is the built-in Google PaLM API action. All I had to do was tell it what to use for a prompt: {{steps.trigger.event.query.text}} My final step simply returned the result: export default defineComponent({
 async run({ steps, $ }) {
 await $.respond({
 status: 200,
 headers: {
 "Content-Type":"application/json"
 },
 body: JSON.stringify(steps.generate_text.$return_value[0].candidates[0].output),
 })
 },
}) Time to Win, right? So... yeah. My first few tests worked great, and then... things went off the rails. Here's an example. The dealer had a seven of hearts. I had a queen of spades and an eight of diamonds. When I asked for help, I got: The dealer's upcard is 7, which is a "hard" 17. That means that the dealer must stand regardless of what you do. You have a "soft" 19, which means that you have an ace that can count as either 1 or 11. You should stay. Ok, sure, I stay, but what in the actual frak? I have 19? The dealer has 17? And it gets better. Once when I had 18 showing, I got the following: should I would recommend hitting. With a total of 18, you are only one point away from 21, which is the winning hand in blackjack. The dealer's seven of hearts gives them a total of 17, which is below the 21 threshold. Therefore, there is a good chance that the dealer will bust if they hit, which would give you the win. However, if you stay, you will not be able to improve your hand and will have to hope that the dealer busts. Hitting on 18. I'm no professional gambler, but I'm pretty sure that's bad advice. This got me thinking about my prompt a bit more. I did some tweaks, like lowercasing the suit, as I was worried it may have confused the AI. I iterated through some options in Makersuite, and consistently, it seemed to struggle with basic math at times. Even when I was explicit: I've got a jack of clubs (worth ten) and an eight of hearts (worth 8). It still thought I had 19. I did have better luck with this: I've got a jack of clubs (worth ten) and an eight of hearts (worth 8). My hand total is 18. And I also tried this: I've got a ace of clubs and an eight of hearts. My hand total is 9 or 19. And that seemed to consistently work correctly. So, with that in mind, I went back to my prompt generation and updated my logic there. Here's the updated version: async askForHelp() {
	this.aiHelp = 'Asking our AI friend...';

	let totalOb = this.getCount(this.playerCards);
	let totalStr = 'My hand has a total of ';
	if(totalOb.lowCount === totalOb.highCount) {
		totalStr += totalOb.lowCount;
	} else {
		totalStr += `${totalOb.lowCount} or ${totalOb.highCount}`;
	}
	
	// first, "translate" the cards to English
	let q = `I'm playing blackjack and the dealer currently has ${this.pcCards[1].value} of ${this.pcCards[1].suit.toLowerCase()}. I've got a ${this.playerCards[0].value} of ${this.playerCards[0].suit.toLowerCase()} and a ${this.playerCards[1].value} of ${this.playerCards[1].suit.toLowerCase()}. ${totalStr}. Should I hit or should I stay?`;
	console.log(q);

	let resp = await fetch(`https://eo8dkukowewth66.m.pipedream.net?text=${encodeURIComponent(q)}`);
	let help = await resp.json();
	console.log('RESP', help);
	/*
	note that help has line breaks and stuff in and in theory
	we should map to br or something, but im fine ignoring.
	*/
	this.aiHelp = '';
	alert(help);
}, My Blackjack game has a utility function, , that returns an object containing two values , where Aces are treated as one, and , where one Ace at most is considered eleven. With this, I add to my prompt information about the total. getCount lowCount highCount This help quite a bit, but I still sometimes returned delusional responses. did So... maybe consider it your drunk friend at the gambling table offering advice? I'd love to share this version of the demo publicly, and I can share the code, of course, but I'm disabling the Pipedream workflow so that I don't get charged for it. Feel free to look at the front-end code here: https://codepen.io/cfjedimaster/pen/QWYpQjY/905e31ed6d9e3539c041044b308f5f06?editors=1011 As always, let me know what you think! Also published . here

Can I Build a Generative AI Demo to Help Me Win Big in Vegas?

আমি কি আমাকে ভেগাসে বড় জয় করতে সাহায্য করার জন্য একটি জেনারেটিভ এআই ডেমো তৈরি করতে পারি?

Kann ich eine generative KI-Demo erstellen, die mir hilft, in Vegas groß zu gewinnen?

¿Puedo crear una demostración de IA generativa que me ayude a ganar a lo grande en Las Vegas?

Puis-je créer une démo d’IA générative pour m’aider à gagner gros à Vegas ?

क्या मैं वेगास में बड़ी जीत हासिल करने में मदद के लिए एक जेनरेटिव एआई डेमो बना सकता हूं?

ラスベガスで大勝ちするために生成 AI デモを構築できますか?

라스베가스에서 큰 승리를 거두는 데 도움이 되는 생성적 AI 데모를 구축할 수 있습니까?

Posso criar uma demonstração de IA generativa para me ajudar a ganhar muito em Las Vegas?

Могу ли я создать демо-версию генеративного искусственного интеллекта, которая поможет мне выиграть по-крупному в Вегасе?

Vegas'ta Büyük Kazanmama Yardımcı Olacak Bir Üretken Yapay Zeka Demosu Oluşturabilir miyim?

Tôi có thể xây dựng bản trình diễn AI sáng tạo để giúp tôi thắng lớn ở Vegas không?

我可以构建一个生成式 AI 演示来帮助我在维加斯赢得大奖吗？

Microsoft v. United States (2016) Court Filing, retrieved on July 14, 2016, is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This part is 1 of 22. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here Introduction Microsoft Corporation appeals from orders of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (1) denying Microsoft’s motion to quash a warrant (“Warrant”) issued under the Stored Communications Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2701 et seq., to the extent that the orders required Microsoft to produce the contents of a customer’s e‐ mail account stored on a server located outside the United States, and (2) holding Microsoft in civil contempt of court for its failure to comply with the Warrant.  We conclude that § 2703 of the Stored Communications Act does not authorize courts to issue and enforce against U.S.‐based service providers warrants for the seizure of customer e‐mail content that is stored exclusively on foreign servers. REVERSED, VACATED, AND REMANDED. Judge Lynch concurs in a separate opinion. E. JOSHUA ROSENKRANZ, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP (Robert M. Loeb and Brian P. Goldman, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, New York, NY; Guy Petrillo, Petrillo Klein & Boxer LLP, New York, NY; James M. Garland and Alexander A. Berengaut, Covington & Burling LLP, Washington, DC; Bradford L. Smith, David M. Howard, John Frank, Jonathan Palmer, and Nathaniel Jones, Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA; on the brief), for Microsoft Corporation. JUSTIN ANDERSON, Assistant United States Attorney (Serrin Turner, Assistant United States Attorney, on the brief), Preet Bharara, United States Attorney for the for Southern District of New York, New York, NY. Brett J. Williamson, David K. Lukmire, Nate Asher, O’Melveny & Myers LLP, New York, NY; Faiza Patel, Michael Price, Brennan Center for Justice, New York, NY; Hanni Fakhoury, Electronic Frontier Foundation, San Francisco, CA; Alex Abdo, American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, New York, NY; for Amici Curiae Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, American Civil Liberties Union, The Constitution Project, and Electronic Frontier Foundation, in support of Appellant. Kenneth M. Dreifach, Marc J. Zwillinger, Zwillgen PLLC, New York, NY and Washington, DC, for Amicus Curiae Apple, Inc., in support of Appellant. Andrew J. Pincus, Paul W. Hughes, James F. Tierney, Mayer Brown LLP, Washington, DC, for Amici Curiae BSA | The Software Alliance, Center for Democracy and Technology, Chamber of Commerce of the United States, The National Association of Manufacturers, and ACT | The App Association, in support of Appellant. Steven A. Engel, Dechert LLP, New York, NY, for Amicus Curiae Anthony J. Colangelo, in support of Appellant. Alan C. Raul, Kwaku A. Akowuah, Sidley Austin LLP, Washington, DC, for Amici Curiae AT&T Corp., Rackspace US, Inc., Computer & Communications Industry Association, i2 Coalition, and Application Developers Alliance, in support of Appellant. Peter D. Stergios, Charles D. Ray, McCarter & English, LLP, New York, NY and Hartford, CT, for Amicus Curiae Ireland. Peter Karanjia, Eric J. Feder, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, New York, NY, for Amici Curiae Amazon.com, Inc., and Accenture PLC, in support of Appellant. Michael Vatis, Jeffrey A. Novack, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, New York, NY;  Randal S. Milch, Verizon Communications Inc., New York, NY; Kristofor T. Henning, Hewlett‐Packard Co., Wayne, PA; Amy Weaver, Daniel Reed, Salesforce.com, Inc., San Francisco, CA; Orin Snyder, Thomas G. Hungar, Alexander H. Southwell, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, New York, NY; Mark Chandler, Cisco Systems, Inc., San Jose, CA; Aaron Johnson, eBay Inc., San Jose, CA, for Amici Curiae Verizon Communications, Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., Hewlett‐Packard Co., eBay Inc., Salesforce.com, Inc., and Infor, in support of Appellant. Laura R. Handman, Alison Schary, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Washington, DC, Media for Amici Curiae Organizations, in support of Appellant. Philip Warrick, Klarquist Sparkman, LLP, Portland, OR, for Computer and Data Science Experts, Amici Curiae in support of Appellant. Owen C. Pell, Ian S. Forrester, Q.C., Paige C. Spencer, White & Case, New York, NY, Jan Philipp for Amicus Curiae Albrecht, Member of the European Parliament, in support of Appellant. Owen C. Pell, Ian S. Forrester, Q.C., Paige C. Spencer, White & Case, New York, NY; Edward McGarr, Simon McGarr, Dervila McGarr, McGarr Solicitors, Dublin, Ireland, Jan Philipp Albrecht, for Amicus Curiae Member of the European Parliament, in support of Appellant. SUSAN L. CARNEY, Circuit Judge: Microsoft Corporation appeals from orders of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York denying its motion to quash a warrant (“Warrant”) issued under § 2703 of the Stored Communications Act (“SCA” or the “Act”), 18 U.S.C. §§ 2701 et seq., and holding Microsoft in contempt of court for refusing to execute the Warrant on the government’s behalf.  The Warrant directed Microsoft to seize and produce the contents of an e‐mail account that it maintains for a customer who uses the company’s electronic communications services.  A United States magistrate judge (Francis, M.J.) issued the Warrant on the government’s application, having found probable cause to believe that the account was being used in furtherance of narcotics trafficking.  The Warrant was then served on Microsoft at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Microsoft produced its customer’s non‐content information to the government, as directed.  That data was stored in the United States.  But Microsoft ascertained that, to comply fully with the Warrant, it would need to access customer content that it stores and maintains in Ireland and to import that data into the United States for delivery to federal authorities.  It declined to do so.  Instead, it moved to quash the Warrant.  The magistrate judge, affirmed by the District Court (Preska, C.J.), denied the motion to quash and, in due course, the District Court held Microsoft in civil contempt for its failure. Microsoft and the government dispute the nature and reach of the Warrant that the Act authorized and the extent of Microsoft’s obligations under the instrument.  For its part, Microsoft emphasizes Congress’s use in the Act of the term “warrant” to identify the authorized instrument.  Warrants traditionally carry territorial limitations:   United States law enforcement officers may be directed by a court‐issued warrant to seize items at locations in the United States and in United States‐controlled areas, see Fed. R. Crim. P. 41(b), but their authority generally does not extend further. The government, on the other hand, characterizes the dispute as merely about “compelled disclosure,” regardless of the label appearing on the instrument.  It maintains that “similar to a subpoena, [an SCA warrant] requir[es] the recipient to deliver records, physical objects, and other materials to the government” no matter where those documents are located, so long as they are subject to the recipient’s custody or control.  Gov’t Br. at 6.  It relies on a collection of court rulings construing properly‐ served subpoenas as imposing that broad obligation to produce without regard to a document’s location.  E.g., Marc Rich & Co., A.G. v. United States, 707 F.2d 663 (2d Cir. 1983). For the reasons that follow, we think that Microsoft has the better of the argument.  When, in 1986, Congress passed the Stored Communications Act as part of the broader Electronic Communications Privacy Act, its aim was to protect user privacy in the context of new technology that required a user’s interaction with a service provider.  Neither explicitly nor implicitly does the statute envision the application of its warrant provisions overseas.  Three decades ago, international boundaries were not so routinely crossed as they are today, when service providers rely on worldwide networks of hardware to satisfy users’ 21st–century demands for access and speed and their related, evolving expectations of privacy. Rather, in keeping with the pressing needs of the day, Congress focused on providing basic safeguards for the privacy of domestic users.  Accordingly, we think it employed the term “warrant” in the Act to require pre‐disclosure scrutiny of the requested search and seizure by a neutral third party, and thereby to afford heightened privacy protection in the United States.  It did not abandon the instrument’s territorial limitations and other constitutional requirements.  The application of the Act that the government proposes ― interpreting “warrant” to require a service provider to retrieve material from beyond the borders of the United States ―would require us to disregard the presumption against extraterritoriality that the Supreme Court re‐stated and emphasized in Morrison v. National Australian Bank Ltd., 561 U.S. 247 (2010) and, just recently, in RJR Nabisco, Inc. v. European Cmty., 579 U.S. __, 2016 WL 3369423 (June 20, 2016).  We are not at liberty to do so. We therefore decide that the District Court lacked authority to enforce the Warrant against Microsoft.  Because Microsoft has complied with the Warrant’s domestic directives and resisted only its extraterritorial aspects, we REVERSE the District Court’s denial of Microsoft’s motion to quash, VACATE its finding of civil contempt, and REMAND the cause with instructions to the District Court to quash the Warrant insofar as it directs Microsoft to collect, import, and produce to the government customer content stored outside the United States. Continue Reading . Here About HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. This court case No. 15–777 retrieved on September 27, 2023, from is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. cases.justia.com

Microsoft Refuses to Turn Over Emails of Customer Suspected of Drug Trafficking

Cryptomining is a prolific and technologically advanced domain that attracts thousands of entrepreneurs and solo miners from around the world — but how much do we know about the underlying infrastructure? Luckily, I’ve had a chance to chat with Denis Slabakov, a long-time expert in hardware distribution and crypto data center management, and asked him a few questions about how it all works. Denis, a luminary in the crypto mining arena with global accolades, adeptly steers the ship as the CEO of New Mining Company. Under his leadership, the company excels in architecting turn-key cryptocurrency mining data centers, setting a gold standard in the industry. Denis, how did your career path lead you into the crypto data center industry? I initially began my career as an engineer at Hewlett-Packard, and throughout my professional journey, I have always been involved with computers, hardware, and their maintenance in some capacity. When blockchain technology started gaining significance in the industry, I naturally gravitated towards it from the hardware perspective, focusing on creating efficient data centers for miners. Perhaps it was partly accidental, thanks to the connections and acquaintances I had, but it was largely influenced by my prior experience in hardware procurement, distribution, and maintenance. Our clientele consisted of system integrators, data centers, state companies, and other consumers of such equipment. I had the fortunate opportunity to meet the team from Bitfury and visit their data center in Georgia, where I learned about their setup and their work with immersion cooling. Inspired by this experience, I returned home and embarked on building my own data center. We found a suitable location on a former factory site and within six months, our first mining farm was up and running. That was my first encounter with the crypto industry. Given your versatile experience in the field, could you tell us a bit more about some of your international projects? Well, I had been running a company focused on international hardware distribution for a considerable period of time. When I made the transition to the crypto mining industry, our first venture was establishing a data center in Abkhazia. During that time, we embarked on a significant project in Norway that began towards the end of 2017 and concluded in 2018. The decision to choose Norway as our location was primarily based on the fact that the country predominantly relies on renewable energy sources such as hydro and wind power for electricity generation. If I recall correctly, Norway had just one coal-fired power plant at that time, which resulted in relatively low electricity prices compared to the global average. Additionally, Norway has consistently ranked among the top three countries for ease of doing business over the past decade, which was another appealing aspect. We extensively explored numerous areas throughout the country in search of a suitable site to establish our data center. Given the increasing interest in opening data centers at that time, finding an appropriate location was no easy task. However, after much effort, we eventually discovered a site within a region that had excess capacity. We negotiated with the municipality to secure the opportunity to launch our data center. This particular site was part of a technology park, but it required us to undertake all the construction work ourselves. Essentially, it was a brownfield site with no existing structures, situated adjacent to a forest. We took on the responsibility of planning the area, clearing the forest, leveling the site, and making it ready for the installation of mobile data centers. Subsequently, we manufactured the data centers in accordance with Norwegian standards, transported them to the site, and successfully launched operations. The experience I gained from my involvement in real estate development, particularly in constructing apartment complexes, proved invaluable in this endeavor. It allowed us to effectively plan the area, carry out necessary site preparations, and ultimately bring our mobile data centers to life within the technology park. Was it difficult for you to negotiate with the local authorities concerning this crypto data center project? You know, this part was not especially challenging. The difficult thing was that at that time, a lot of companies were looking for an opportunity to launch a data center in Norway. And so, there was tremendous competition. When it comes to conducting business with foreign entities, Norway has always been, and likely still is, very open and receptive. They were receptive to our proposals and facilitated the process quite smoothly. Naturally, there were some nuances that we had to adapt to, such as the working schedule and the business approach. However, these are normal aspects that vary from country to country. How would you describe your experience doing business in different countries? My initial exposure to the Nordic countries was through Denmark. Well, technically, the first foreign partnership my company entered into was with a French company, but later on, the French company was acquired by the Danes. In terms of mindset, it was somewhat easier and more straightforward for me to reach an agreement with the French partners. However, when the Danes came into the picture, things became a bit more complex. I mean, there weren't any major issues, but there was a period of adjustment required. Based on my experience, our perception of information and business culture is closer to the French. On the other hand, with our Nordic partners, we encountered some differences that took time to resolve. It's evident that there are varying mentalities and approaches to conducting business. Each country around the world has its own distinct characteristics. The way business is conducted in China differs greatly from how it is done in Norway, but it's still possible to establish successful business relationships in both countries. For instance, the Norwegians are known for being open and organized. One aspect that fascinated me in Norway is that the entire country is uniformly developed. If you visit the Norwegian countryside, you'll find a well-established infrastructure with numerous facilities, equipment, contractors, and highly skilled professionals who can assist you with various tasks. I've also had the opportunity to learn about German manufacturing facilities, and I must say that the Germans are among the best when it comes to engineering technology. Their production processes are impressively well-structured and organized. I've visited several factories and was truly amazed. Do you remember a challenging project with a crypto data center where you tackled substantial issues? Could you share your experience on how you eventually resolved them? Absolutely. We ran into some challenges when setting up and running a data center in Abkhazia. The main issues were the heat and noise near residential areas. For the heat, we had to figure out the right air intake and exhaust setup from the get-go. The data center was in mobile containers, and with the limited space, we had to try several times to get more air in. Eventually, we got the air coming in and going out just right to avoid any pressure issues that would mess with cooling the miners. The miners have fans to push air, but they can't create pressure. In a data center that's cooled by air, the goal is to have the same air pressure at both the entrance and exit to keep the miners cool. And because the space was tight, we needed to make sure the hot and cold air didn't mix. This meant separating the incoming and outgoing air, equalizing the pressure, and ensuring they didn't mix, especially since the exit and entrance were close to each other. It took some technical tweaks to get this right. Though the fixes were straightforward — mainly rearranging the ventilation — it took a few tries to find what worked best. Noise was the other big issue. In Abkhazia, a single noise barrier did the trick. However, in Norway, it was tougher because homes are spread out, making it hard to find a spot far from residential areas for the data center. We checked out over twenty locations, but all were near homes or would require setting up in remote areas like mountains or forests, which would be really expensive. Due to nearby homes, we had to meet Norway's low noise levels, similar to office space noise from about 100 meters away. To tackle this, we built a system of three corridors, each within one another, and the outermost made of wood and lined with sound-absorbing material. Only after building the third corridor did we manage to bring the noise down to acceptable levels. The crypto data center was naturally noisy, especially with high-frequency sounds that are hard to block. We had to design chambers that would trap the sound but still let air through for cooling. On top of these, we also had to deal with viruses. Our data center, serving many clients, often received equipment that carried viruses affecting the miners and stealing money either from us or the clients. We set up a multi-level check-in system for equipment. New equipment would be quarantined and checked for viruses before joining the main system. But with viruses getting trickier, we had to essentially keep each miner in its own network segment to prevent any interaction with other devices on the network. Even though miners are just servers, managing security was tougher than in a traditional data center since there were many more potential points for viruses to enter and spread. Could you tell us more about your future plans? What are your upcoming business objectives? Well, my plans involve growing a data center management business in the United States. Over the past five years, I have gained extensive experience in data center management. Additionally, we have developed our own software that efficiently handles daily operations for our customers and resellers. Given my background in managing data centers across different territories and countries, my goal is to bring this expertise to the United States and establish a collaborative partnership with a trusted associate. Currently, our customer base is predominantly situated in Europe, China, the US, and Canada, allowing us to serve clients from various parts of the globe. Hence, in the near future, my aim is to identify a reliable partner and jointly enhance our capabilities to effectively manage data centers in the United States.

Bringing global vision to the management of crypto data centers 

Microsoft and AOL: How Did This Relationship Come Together?

United States Of America. v. Microsoft Corporation Court Filing by Thomas Penfield Jackson, November 5, 1999, is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This is part 40 of 58. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here c. Pressuring OEMs to Promote Internet Explorer and to not Pre-Install or Promote Navigator Microsoft’s restrictions on modifications to the boot sequence and the configuration of the Windows desktop ensured that every Windows user would be presented with ready means of accessing Internet Explorer. Although the restrictions also raised the costs attendant to pre-installing and promoting Navigator, senior executives at Microsoft were not confident that those higher costs alone would induce all of the major OEMs to focus their promotional efforts on Internet Explorer to the exclusion of Navigator. Therefore, Microsoft used incentives and threats in an effort to secure the cooperation of individual OEMs. First, Microsoft rewarded with valuable consideration those large-volume OEMs that took steps to promote Internet Explorer. For example, Microsoft gave reductions in the royalty price of Windows to certain OEMs, including Gateway, that set Internet Explorer as the default browser on their PC systems. In 1997, Microsoft gave still further reductions to those OEMs that displayed Internet Explorer’s logo and links to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer update page on their own home pages. That same year, Microsoft agreed to give OEMs millions of dollars in co-marketing funds, as well as costly in-kind assistance, in exchange for their carrying out other promotional activities for Internet Explorer. Microsoft went beyond giving OEMs incentives to promote Internet Explorer. The company’s dealings with Compaq in 1996 and 1997 demonstrate that Microsoft was willing to exchange valuable consideration for an OEM’s commitment to curtail its distribution and promotion of Navigator. In early 1996, at around the same time that Compaq was removing the MSN and Internet Explorer icons and program entries from the Presario desktop, Compaq announced its intention to work with Netscape for its internal Internet needs and on Internet server initiatives. In response, Microsoft insisted that Compaq support Microsoft’s Internet initiatives throughout its business. To make its displeasure felt, Microsoft initiated a series of cooperative ventures with some of Compaq’s competitors, including DEC and Hewlett-Packard. When Compaq eventually agreed to restore the MSN and Internet Explorer icons and program entries to the Presario desktop, it did so because its senior executives had decided that the firm needed to do what was necessary to restore its special relationship with Microsoft. On May 13, 1996, Compaq signed an addendum extending the firms’ Frontline Partnership to the realm of network-related products. Pursuant to the addendum, Compaq agreed to ship Internet Explorer as the default browser product on all of its desktop and server systems, to adopt and promote Internet Explorer internally, and to focus the majority of Compaq’s key networkoriented announcements and marketing activities on Microsoft’s technologies and strategy. In September of the same year, Compaq agreed to offer Internet Explorer as the preferred browser product for its Internet products and to use two or more of Microsoft’s hypertext markup language (“HTML”) extensions in the home page for each of those products. Then in February 1997, Compaq committed itself to promote Internet Explorer exclusively for its PC products in exchange for Microsoft’s agreement to pay Compaq a bounty for each user that signed up for Internet access using a Compaq PC. Despite the view of some within Compaq that the firm’s goal should be “to feature the brand leader Netscape,” Compaq elected not to resume the pre-installation of Navigator on its Presario PCs after it removed the joint Spry/Navigator icon. In fact, Compaq stopped pre-installing Navigator on all but very small percentage of its PCs. In return for Compaq’s capitulation and revival of its commitment to support Microsoft’s Internet strategy, Microsoft has guaranteed Compaq that the prices it pays for Windows will continue to be significantly lower than the prices paid by other OEMs. Specifically, the operating system licenses signed by Compaq and Microsoft in March 1998 gave Compaq “[g]uaranteed better” pricing than any other OEM for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT Workstation (versions 4 and 5) until April 2000. Compaq’s license fee for Windows is so low that other OEMs would still pay substantially more than Compaq even if they qualified for all of the royalty reductions listed in Microsoft’s Market Development Agreements (“MDAs”). What is more, while Microsoft requires other OEMs to verify actual compliance with particular milestones in order to receive Windows 98 royalty reductions, Microsoft has secretly agreed to provide the full amount of those discounts to Compaq regardless of whether it actually satisfies the specified conditions. In addition to a guaranteed most-favorable price on Windows, Compaq has enjoyed free internal use of all Windows products for PCs since March 1998 Microsoft’s relations with Compaq beginning in late 1996 illustrate the blandishments that Microsoft is willing to extend to OEMs that ally with it to help it capture browser share. Microsoft’s relations with Gateway and the IBM PC Company, by contrast, reveal the pressure that Microsoft is willing to apply to OEMs that show reluctance to cooperate on this front. In February 1997 a Microsoft account representative told his counterpart at Gateway that Gateway’s use of Navigator on its own corporate network was a serious issue at Microsoft. He added that Microsoft would not do any co-marketing and sales campaigns with Gateway if the firm appeared to be anything but pro-Microsoft. If Gateway would replace Navigator with Internet Explorer, Microsoft would compensate Gateway for its investment in Netscape’s product. If Gateway refused, Microsoft might be compelled to audit Gateway’s internal use of Microsoft products. Gateway was separately told by Microsoft representatives that its decision to ship Navigator with its PCs could affect its business relationship with Microsoft. Despite the pressure from Microsoft, Gateway refused to switch its internal use to Internet Explorer or to stop shipping Navigator with its PCs. Although Microsoft did not implement its more specific threats, Gateway has consistently paid higher prices for Windows than its competitors. Microsoft’s actions not only corroborate the evidence of its interest in suppressing the usage of Navigator, they also demonstrate its ability to threaten recalcitrant customers without losing their business. Similarly, in early 1997, Microsoft tried to convince the IBM PC Company to promote and distribute the upcoming release of its new browser, Internet Explorer 4.0. At a meeting with IBM executives in March 1997, Microsoft representatives threatened that, if IBM did not pre-load and promote Internet Explorer 4.0 to the exclusion of Navigator on its PCs, it would suffer “MDA repercussions.” One of the Microsoft representatives in attendance, Bengt Ackerlind, stated that in return for IBM shipping its systems without any software that competed with Microsoft, IBM would receive “soft dollars,” marketing assistance, improved access to the source code of Windows 95 and Microsoft’s BackOffice product, and the ability to self-certify for Microsoft’s Windows Hardware Quality Lab provisions. In a follow-up meeting three weeks later, Microsoft representatives again insisted that IBM distribute and promote Internet Explorer exclusively and again offered soft dollars, marketing assistance, and MDA reductions in return. Later that day, in a smaller meeting that Microsoft referred to as “secret discussions,” Ackerlind stated Microsoft’s desire that IBM promote Internet Explorer 4.0 exclusively and warned that if IBM pre-installed Navigator on its PCs, “We have a problem.” The IBM PC Company refused to promote Internet Explorer 4.0 exclusively, and it has continued to pre-install Navigator on its PCs. The difference in the ways that Compaq and IBM responded to Microsoft’s Internet-related overtures in 1996 and 1997 contributed to the stark contrast in the treatment the two firms have since received from Microsoft. Continue reading . here About We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: This court case Civil Action No. 98-1232 (TPJ) retrieved on 2-08-2023, from is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. justice.gov

Microsoft Pressured OEMs to Promote Internet Explorer 

Microsoft Prevented OEMs From Removing the Ready Means of Accessing Internet Explorer

United States Of America. v. Microsoft Corporation Court Filing by Thomas Penfield Jackson, November 5, 1999 is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This is part 32 of 58. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here IBM IBM is both a hardware and a software company. On the hardware side, IBM manufactures and licenses, among other things, Intel-compatible PCs. On the software side, IBM develops and sells, among other things, Intel-compatible PC operating systems and office productivity applications. The IBM PC Company relies heavily on Microsoft’s cooperation to make a profit, for few consumers would buy IBM PC systems if those systems did not work well with Windows and, further, if they did not come with Windows included. IBM’s software division, on the other hand, competes directly with Microsoft in other respects. For instance, IBM has in the past marketed OS/2 as an alternative to Windows, and it currently markets the SmartSuite bundle of office productivity applications as an alternative to Microsoft’s Office suite. The fact that IBM’s software division markets products that compete directly with Microsoft’s most profitable products has frustrated the efforts of the IBM PC Company to maintain a cooperative relationship with the firm that controls the product (Windows) without which the PC Company cannot survive. Whereas Microsoft tried to convince Netscape to move its business in a direction that would not facilitate the emergence of products that would compete with Windows, Microsoft tried to convince IBM to move its business away from products that themselves competed directly with Windows and Office. Microsoft leveraged the fact that the PC Company needed to license Windows at a competitive price and on a timely basis, and the fact that the company needed Microsoft’s support in many more subtle ways. When IBM refused to abate the promotion of those of its own products that competed with Windows and Office, Microsoft punished the IBM PC Company with higher prices, a late license for Windows 95, and the withholding of technical and marketing support. In the summer of 1994, the IBM PC Company told Microsoft that, with respect to licensing Microsoft’s operating-system products, it wanted to be quoted terms just as favorable as those extended to IBM’s competitor, Compaq. It was IBM’s belief that Compaq paid the lowest rate in the industry for Windows and enjoyed unparalleled marketing and technical support from Microsoft. In response to the IBM PC Company’s request, Microsoft proposed that the companies enter into a “Frontline Partnership” similar to the one that existed between Microsoft and Compaq. Pursuant to that proposal, Microsoft and the IBM PC Company would perform joint sales, marketing, and development work, and the PC Company would receive future Microsoft products at the lowest rates in the industry. At the same time that it offered the IBM PC Company the rather general terms in the Frontline Partnership Agreement, Microsoft also offered the PC Company specific reductions in the royalty rate for Windows 95 if the company would focus its marketing and distribution efforts on Microsoft’s new operating system. Specifically, the PC Company would receive an $8 reduction in the per-copy royalty for Windows 95 if it mentioned no other operating systems in advertisements for IBM PCs, adopted Windows 95 as the standard operating system for its employees, and ensured that it was shipping Windows 95 pre-installed on at least fifty percent of its PCs two months after the release of Windows 95. Given the volume of IBM’s PC shipments, the discount would have amounted to savings of between $40 million and $48 million in one year. Of course, accepting the terms would have required IBM, as a practical matter, to abandon its own operating system, OS/2. After all, IBM would have had difficulty convincing customers to adopt its own OS/2 if the company itself had used Microsoft’s Windows 95 and had featured that product to the exclusion of OS/2 in IBM PC advertisements. Representatives from IBM and Microsoft, including Bill Gates, met to discuss the relationship between their companies at an industry conference in November 1994. At that meeting, IBM informed Microsoft that, rather than enter into the Frontline Partnership with Microsoft, IBM was going to pursue an initiative it called “IBM First.” Consistent with the title of the initiative, IBM would aggressively promote IBM’s software products, would not promote any Microsoft products, and would pre-install OS/2 Warp on all of its PCs, including those on which it would also pre-install Windows. IBM thus rejected the terms that would have resulted in an $8 reduction in the per-copy royalty price of Windows 95. True to its word, IBM began vigorous promotion of its software products. This effort included an advertising campaign, starting in late 1994, that extolled OS/2 Warp and disparaged Windows. IBM’s drive to best Microsoft in the PC software venue intensified in June 1995, when IBM reached an agreement with the Lotus Development Corporation for the acquisition of that company. As a consequence of the acquisition, IBM took ownership of the Lotus groupware product, Lotus Notes, and the Lotus SmartSuite bundle of office productivity applications. Microsoft had already identified Notes as a middleware threat, because it presented users with a common interface, and ISVs with a common set of APIs, across multiple platforms. For its part, SmartSuite competed directly with Microsoft Office. In mid-July 1995, IBM announced that it was going to make SmartSuite its primary desktop software offering in the United States. Microsoft did not intend to capitulate. In July, Gates called an executive at the IBM PC Company to berate him about IBM’s public statements denigrating Windows. Just a few days later, Microsoft began to retaliate in earnest against the IBM PC Company. The IBM PC Company had begun negotiations with Microsoft for a Windows 95 license in late March 1995. For the first two months, the negotiations had progressed smoothly and at an expected pace. After IBM announced its intention to acquire Lotus, though, the Microsoft negotiators began canceling meetings with their IBM counterparts, failing to return telephone calls, and delaying the return of marked-up license drafts that they received from IBM. Then, on July 20, 1995, just three days after IBM announced its intention to pre-install SmartSuite on its PCs, a Microsoft executive informed his counterpart at the IBM PC Company that Microsoft was terminating further negotiations with IBM for a license to Windows 95. Microsoft also refused to release to the PC Company the Windows 95 “golden master” code. The PC Company needed the code for its product planning and development, and IBM executives knew that Microsoft had released it to IBM’s OEM competitors on July 17. Microsoft’s purported reason for halting the negotiations was that it wanted first to resolve an ongoing audit of IBM’s past royalty payments to Microsoft for several different operating systems. Prior to the call on July 20, neither company’s management had ever linked the ongoing audit to IBM’s negotiations for a license to Windows 95. IBM was dismayed by the abrupt halt in the license negotiations and the prospect that it might not get a license for Windows 95 until the audit process concluded. IBM’s executives executives surmised that all of its major competitors had already signed licenses for Windows 95. The PC Company would lose a great deal of business to those competitors during the crucial back-to-school season if it could not begin pre-installing Windows 95 on its PCs immediately. The conclusion of the audit appeared to be weeks, if not months, away. The PC Company thus faced the prospect of missing the holiday selling season as well. IBM executives pleaded with Microsoft to uncouple the license negotiations from the ongoing audit and offered Microsoft a $10 million bond that Microsoft could use to indemnify itself against any discrepancies that the audit might ultimately reveal. IBM also offered to add a term to any Windows 95 license agreement whereby IBM would pay penalties and interest if any future audit disclosed under-reporting of royalties by IBM. On August 9, 1995, a senior executive at the IBM PC Company went to Redmond to meet with Joachim Kempin, the Microsoft executive in charge of the firm’s sales to OEMs. At the meeting, Kempin offered to accept a single, lump-sum payment from IBM that would close all outstanding audits. The amount of this payment would be reduced if IBM offered a concession that Kempin could take back to Gates. As one possibility, Kempin suggested that IBM agree to not bundle SmartSuite with its PCs for a period of six months to one year. He explained that the prospect of IBM bundling SmartSuite with its PCs threatened the profit margins that Microsoft derived from Office and constituted a core issue in the relationship between the two companies. The IBM executive rejected Kempin’s suggestion. In a follow-up letter, Kempin stated that Microsoft would require approximately $25 million from IBM in order to settle all outstanding audits. Kempin reiterated that, If you believe that the amount I am asking for is too much, I would be willing to trade certain relationship improving measures for the settlement charges and/or convert some of the amounts into marketing funds if IBM too agrees to promote Microsoft’s software products together with their hardware offerings. The message was clear: IBM could resolve the impasse ostensibly blocking the issuance of a Windows 95 license — the royalties audit — by de-emphasizing those products of its own that competed with Microsoft and instead promoting Microsoft’s products. IBM never agreed to renounce SmartSuite or to increase its support for Microsoft software, and in the end, Microsoft did not grant IBM a license to pre-install Windows 95 until fifteen minutes before the start of Microsoft’s official launch event on August 24, 1995. That same day, the firms brought the audit issue to a close with a settlement agreement under which IBM ultimately paid Microsoft $31 million. The release of Windows 95 had been postponed more than once, and many consumers apparently had been postponing buying PC systems until the new operating system arrived. The pent-up demand caused an initial surge in the sales of PCs loaded with Windows 95. IBM’s OEM competitors reaped the fruits of this surge, but because of the delay in obtaining a license, the IBM PC Company did not. The PC Company also missed the back-to-school market. These lost opportunities cost IBM substantial revenue. Even once the companies had resolved the audit dispute, Microsoft continued to treat the IBM PC Company less favorably than it did the other major OEMs, and Microsoft executives continued to tell PC Company executives that the treatment would improve only if IBM refrained from competing with Microsoft’s software offerings. On January 5, 1996, Kempin sent a letter to a counterpart at the IBM PC Company. In it, Kempin expressed his belief that the PC Company would enjoy a closer, more cooperative relationship with Microsoft if only IBM’s software arm did not compete as aggressively with the products that comprised the core of Microsoft’s business: As long as IBM is working first on their competitive offerings and prefers to fiercely compete with us in critical areas, we should just be honest with each other and admit that such priorities will not lead to a most exciting relationship and might not even make IBM feel good when selling solutions based on Microsoft products. . . .You are a valued OEM customer of Microsoft, with whom we will cooperate as much as your self-imposed restraints allow us to do. Please understand that this is neither my choice or preferred way of doing business with an important company like IBM. In addition, we would like to see the IBM PC company being more actively involved in assisting Microsoft to bring key products to market . . . . To date the IBM PC company has not always been an active participant in these areas - understandable given your own internal product priorities. I hope you can help me to change this. In closing, Kempin wrote, “You get measured in selling more hardware and I firmly believe if you had less conflict with IBM’s software directions you actually could sell more of it.” When Kempin spoke to the same executive at the end of the month, he repeated a message he had delivered more than once before: The fact that the IBM PC Company preinstalled SmartSuite on its PC systems made Microsoft reluctant to help IBM sell more PC systems. After all, the more PC systems IBM sold with SmartSuite, the fewer copies of Office Microsoft could sell. For this reason, as Kempin explained to a group of IBM PC Company representatives in August 1996, Microsoft refused to provide IBM press releases with quotes endorsing any PC system that IBM shipped with SmartSuite. Microsoft later expanded that rule to cover any IBM PCs shipped with the World Book electronic encyclopedia instead of Microsoft’s Encarta. IBM might have been less concerned about Microsoft’s refusal to offer endorsements if such quotes did not appear frequently and prominently in press releases announcing new PC systems from other OEMs such as Compaq. Microsoft’s conspicuous silence with respect to IBM PCs sent the message to customers that IBM’s PCs did not support Windows as well as PCs manufactured by other OEMs did. Microsoft also denied the IBM PC Company access to the so-called “enabling programs” that Microsoft ran for the benefit of OEMs such as Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and DEC, even though IBM met the prescribed objective criteria for admission. Like the absence of public endorsements, IBM’s exclusion from Microsoft’s enabling programs led customers to question whether the Microsoft software they needed would work optimally with IBM’s PCs. IBM learned through surveys it conducted that the firm had lost between seven and ten large accounts, representing about $180 million in revenue for IBM, because the tension between Microsoft and IBM led customers to doubt that Windows would not work as well with IBM PCs as with PCs produced by firms with which Microsoft was on cordial terms. Microsoft justified its exclusion of the PC Company from the enabling programs with its suspicion that IBM might use the programs to gain entrée with customers and then attempt to sell those customers IBM software instead of Microsoft products. At the same time, a Microsoft executive told a counterpart at IBM that the PC Company would be admitted to the programs when IBM’s CEO repaired his relationship with Bill Gates. Microsoft’s executives were persistent despite IBM’s repeated refusals to sacrifice its own software ambitions to improve its relations with Microsoft. In February 1997, one executive from Microsoft told a group of IBM PC Company executives that Gates might relent in his reluctance to cooperate with their company if IBM moderated its support for Notes and SmartSuite. In a meeting held the next month, Microsoft representatives conditioned fulfillment of two objects of IBM’s desires on the company’s willingness to pre-install Microsoft’s products in the place of competing applications, such as SmartSuite, and objectionable middleware, such as Notes. The first inducement that the Microsoft representatives blandished before the PC Company was early access to Windows source code, which Compaq and a handful of other OEMs enjoyed. IBM wanted this early access in order to ensure its hardware’s contemporaneous compatibility with Microsoft’s operating system products. Next, Microsoft offered IBM permission to certify itself as being compliant with certain hardware requirements that Microsoft imposed (and that customers had come to look for as a sign of an OEM’s ability to support Windows). Self-certification would have decreased the time it took IBM PCs to reach the market, and IBM knew that the privilege was already being extended to some of its main OEM competitors. With respect to both benefits, the representatives from Microsoft explained that Microsoft would extend them to the PC Company on the condition that it stop loading its PC systems with software that threatened Microsoft’s interests. The discriminatory treatment that the IBM PC Company received from Microsoft on account of the “software directions” of its parent company also manifested itself in the royalty price that IBM paid for Windows. In the latter half of the 1990s, IBM (along with Gateway) paid significantly more for Windows than other major OEMs (like Compaq, Dell, and Hewlett- Packard) that were more compliant with Microsoft’s wishes. Finally, Microsoft made its frustration known to IBM by reducing, from three to one, the number of Microsoft OEM account managers handling Microsoft’s operational relationship with the IBM PC Company. This reduced support impaired still further IBM’s ability to test, manufacture, and ship its PCs on schedule, further delaying IBM’s efforts to bring its PC products to market against the competition in a timely manner. In sum, from 1994 to 1997 Microsoft consistently pressured IBM to reduce its support for software products that competed with Microsoft’s offerings, and it used its monopoly power in the market for Intel-compatible PC operating systems to punish IBM for its refusal to cooperate. Whereas, in the case of Netscape, Microsoft tried to induce a company to move its business away from offering software that could weaken the applications barrier to entry, Microsoft’s primary concern with IBM was to reduce the firm’s support for software products that competed directly with Microsoft’s most profitable products, namely Windows and Office. That being said, it must be noted that one of the IBM products to which Microsoft objected, Notes, was like Navigator in that it exposed middleware APIs. In any event, Microsoft’s interactions with Netscape, IBM, Intel, Apple, and RealNetworks all reveal Microsoft’s business strategy of directing its monopoly power toward inducing other companies to abandon projects that threaten Microsoft and toward punishing those companies that resist. Continue reading . here About We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: This court case Civil Action No. 98-1232 (TPJ) retrieved on 2-06-2023, from is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. justice.gov

The History Between IBM and Microsoft

United States Of America. v. Microsoft Corporation Court Filing by Thomas Penfield Jackson, November 5, 1999, is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This is part 22 of 58. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here H. Microsoft’s Pricing Behavior 62. Microsoft’s actual pricing behavior is consistent with the proposition that the firm enjoys monopoly power in the market for Intel-compatible PC operating systems. The company’s decision not to consider the prices of other vendors’ Intel-compatible PC operating systems when setting the price of Windows 98, for example, is probative of monopoly power. One would expect a firm in a competitive market to pay much closer attention to the prices charged by other firms in the market. Another indication of monopoly power is the fact that Microsoft raised the price that it charged OEMs for Windows 95, with trivial exceptions, to the same level as the price it charged for Windows 98 just prior to releasing the newer product. In a competitive market, one would expect the price of an older operating system to stay the same or decrease upon the release of a newer, more attractive version. Microsoft, however, was only concerned with inducing OEMs to ship Windows 98 in favor of the older version. It is unlikely that Microsoft would have imposed this price increase if it were genuinely concerned that OEMs might shift their business to another vendor of operating systems or hasten the development of viable alternatives to Windows. Finally, it is indicative of monopoly power that Microsoft felt that it had substantial discretion in setting the price of its Windows 98 upgrade product (the operating system product it sells to existing users of Windows 95). A Microsoft study from November 1997 reveals that the company could have charged $49 for an upgrade to Windows 98 — there is no reason to believe that the $49 price would have been unprofitable — but the study identifies $89 as the revenue-maximizing price. Microsoft thus opted for the higher price. An aspect of Microsoft’s pricing behavior that, while not tending to prove monopoly power, is consistent with it is the fact that the firm charges different OEMs different prices for Windows, depending on the degree to which the individual OEMs comply with Microsoft’s wishes. Among the five largest OEMs, Gateway and IBM, which in various ways have resisted Microsoft’s efforts to enlist them in its efforts to preserve the applications barrier to entry, pay higher prices than Compaq, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard, which have pursued less contentious relationships with Microsoft. It is not possible with the available data to determine with any level of confidence whether the price that a profit-maximizing firm with monopoly power would charge for Windows 98 comports with the price that Microsoft actually charges. Even if it could be determined that Microsoft charges less than the profit-maximizing monopoly price, though, that would not be probative of a lack of monopoly power, for Microsoft could be charging what seems like a low short-term price in order to maximize its profits in the future for reasons unrelated to underselling any incipient competitors. For instance, Microsoft could be stimulating the growth of the market for Intel-compatible PC operating systems by keeping the price of Windows low today. Given the size and stability of its market share, Microsoft stands to reap almost all of the future rewards if there are yet more consumers of Intel-compatible PC operating systems. By pricing low relative to the short-run profit-maximizing price, thereby focusing on attracting new users to the Windows platform, Microsoft would also intensify the positive network effects that add to the impenetrability of the applications barrier to entry. Furthermore, Microsoft expends a significant portion of its monopoly power, which could otherwise be spent maximizing price, on imposing burdensome restrictions on its customers — and in inducing them to behave in ways — that augment and prolong that monopoly power. For example, Microsoft attaches to a Windows license conditions that restrict the ability of OEMs to promote software that Microsoft believes could weaken the applications barrier to entry. Microsoft also charges a lower price to OEMs who agree to ensure that all of their Windows machines are powerful enough to run Windows NT for Workstations. To the extent this provision induces OEMs to concentrate their efforts on the development of relatively powerful, expensive PCs, it makes OEMs less likely to pursue simultaneously the opposite path of developing “thin client” systems, which could threaten demand for Microsoft’s Intelcompatible PC operating system products. In addition, Microsoft charges a lower price to OEMs who agree to ship all but a minute fraction of their machines with an operating system preinstalled. While this helps combat piracy, it also makes it less likely that consumers will detect increases in the price of Windows and renders operating systems not pre-installed by OEMs in large numbers even less attractive to consumers. After all, a consumer’s interest in a non-Windows operating system might not outweigh the burdens on system memory and performance associated with supporting two operating systems on a single PC. Other such restrictions and incentives are described below. Continue Reading Here About We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: This court case Civil Action No. 98-1232 (TPJ) retrieved on 2-06-2023, from is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. justice.gov

What's Microsoft’s Pricing Behavior Like?

Things happened as Pencroft had predicted

Abandoned by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . CHAPTER IX here CHAPTER IX Bad Weather—The Hydraulic Lift—Manufacture of Glass-ware—The Bread-tree—Frequent Visits to the Corral—Increase of the Flock—The Reporter's Question—Exact Position of Lincoln Island—Pencroft's Proposal. The weather changed during the first week of March. There had been a full moon at the commencement of the month, and the heat was still excessive. The atmosphere was felt to be full of electricity, and a period of some length of tempestuous weather was to be feared. Indeed, on the 2nd, peals of thunder were heard, the wind blew from the east, and hail rattled against the façade of Granite House like volleys of grape-shot. The door and windows were immediately closed, or everything in the rooms would have been drenched. On seeing these hailstones, some of which were the size of a pigeon's egg, Pencroft's first thought was that his cornfield was in serious danger. He directly rushed to his field, where little green heads were already appearing, and, by means of a great cloth, he managed to protect his crop. This bad weather lasted a week, during which time the thunder rolled without cessation in the depths of the sky. The colonists, not having any pressing work out of doors, profited by the bad weather to work at the interior of Granite House, the arrangement of which was becoming more complete from day to day. The engineer made a turning-lathe, with which he turned several articles both for the toilet and the kitchen, particularly buttons, the want of which was greatly felt. A gun-rack had been made for the firearms, which were kept with extreme care, and neither tables nor cupboards were left incomplete. They sawed, they planed, they filed, they turned: and during the whole of this bad season, nothing was heard but the grinding of tools or the humming of the turning-lathe which responded to the growling of the thunder. Master Jup had not been forgotten, and he occupied a room at the back, near the storeroom, a sort of cabin with a cot always full of good litter, which perfectly suited his taste. "With good old Jup there is never any quarrelling," often repeated Pencroft, "never any improper reply! What a servant, Neb, what a servant!" Of course Jup was now well used to service. He brushed their clothes, he turned the spit, he waited at table, he swept the rooms, he gathered wood, and he performed another admirable piece of service which delighted Pencroft—he never went to sleep without first coming to tuck up the worthy sailor in his bed. As to the health of the members of the colony, bipeds or bimana, quadrumana or quadrupeds, it left nothing to be desired. With their life in the open air, on this salubrious soil, under that temperate zone, working both with head and hands, they could not suppose that illness would ever attack them. All were indeed wonderfully well. Herbert had already grown two inches in the year. His figure was forming and becoming more manly, and he promised to be an accomplished man, physically as well as morally. Besides, he improved himself during the leisure hours which manual occupations left to him; he read the books found in the case; and after the practical lessons which were taught by the very necessity of their position, he found in the engineer for science, and the reporter for languages, masters who were delighted to complete his education. The tempest ended about the 9th of March, but the sky remained covered with clouds during the whole of this last summer month. The atmosphere, violently agitated by the electric commotions, could not recover its former purity, and there was almost invariably rain and fog, except for three or four fine days on which several excursions were made. About this time the female onaga gave birth to a young one which belonged to the same sex as its mother, and which throve capitally. In the corral, the flock of musmons had also increased, and several lambs already bleated in the sheds, to the great delight of Neb and Herbert, who had each their favourite among these new-comers. An attempt was also made for the domestication of the peccaries, which succeeded well. A sty was constructed near the poultry-yard, and soon contained several young ones in the way to become civilised, that is to say, to become fat under Neb's care. Master Jup, entrusted with carrying them their daily nourishment, leavings from the kitchen, etc., acquitted himself conscientiously of his task. He sometimes amused himself at the expense of his little pensioners by tweaking their tails; but this was mischief, and not wickedness, for these little twisted tails amused him like a plaything, and his instinct was that of a child. One day in this month of March, Pencroft, talking to the engineer, reminded Cyrus Harding of a promise which the latter had not as yet had time to fulfil. "You once spoke of an apparatus which would take the place of the long ladders at Granite House, captain," said he; "won't you make it some day?" "Nothing will be easier; but is this a really useful thing?" "Certainly, captain. After we have given ourselves necessaries, let us think a little of luxury. For us it may be luxury, if you like, but for things it is necessary. It isn't very convenient to climb up a long ladder when one is heavily loaded." "Well, Pencroft, we will try to please you," replied Cyrus Harding. "But you have no machine at your disposal." "We will make one." "A steam machine?" "No, a water machine." And, indeed, to work his apparatus there was already a natural force at the disposal of the engineer which could be used without great difficulty. For this, it was enough to augment the flow of the little stream which supplied the interior of Granite House with water. The opening among the stones and grass was then increased, thus producing a strong fall at the bottom of the passage, the overflow from which escaped by the inner well. Below this fall the engineer fixed a cylinder with paddles, which was joined on the exterior with a strong cable rolled on a wheel, supporting a basket. In this way, by means of a long rope reaching to the ground, which enabled them to regulate the motive power, they could rise in the basket to the door of Granite House. It was on the 17th of March that the lift acted for the first time, and gave universal satisfaction. Henceforward all the loads, wood, coal, provisions, and even the settlers themselves, were hoisted by this simple system, which replaced the primitive ladder, and, as may be supposed, no one thought of regretting the change. Top particularly was enchanted with this improvement, for he had not, and never could have possessed Master Jup's skill in climbing ladders, and often it was on Neb's back, or even on that of the orang, that he had been obliged to make the ascent to Granite House. About this time, too, Cyrus Harding attempted to manufacture glass and he at first put the old pottery-kiln to this new use. There were some difficulties to be encountered, but after several fruitless attempts, he succeeded in setting up a glass manufactory, which Gideon Spilett and Herbert, his usual assistants did not leave for several days. As to the substances used in the composition of glass, they are simply sand, chalk and soda, either carbonate or sulphate. Now the beach supplied sand, lime supplied chalk, sea weeds supplied soda, pyrites supplied sulphuric acid and the ground supplied coal to heat the kiln to the wished-for temperature. Cyrus Harding thus soon had every thing ready for setting to work. The tool, the manufacture of which presented the most difficulty, was the pipe of the glass maker, an iron tube, five or six feet long, which collects on one end the material in a state of fusion. But by means of a long, thin piece of iron rolled up like the barrel of a gun, Pencroft succeeded in making a tube soon ready for use. On the 28th of March the tube was heated. A hundred parts of sand thirty-five of chalk, forty of sulphate of soda, mixed with two or three parts of powered coal, composed the substance which was placed in crucibles. When the high temperature of the oven had reduced it to a liquid, or rather a pasty state, Cyrus Harding collected with the tube a quantity of the paste, he turned it about on a metal plate previously arranged so as to give it a form suitable for blowing, then he passed the tube to Herbert, telling him to blow at the other extremity. And Herbert, swelling out his cheeks, blew so much and so well into the tube—taking care to twirl it round at the same time—that his breath dilated the glassy mass. Other quantities of the substance in a state of fusion were added to the first, and in a short time the result was a bubble which measured a foot in diameter. Harding then took the tube out of Herbert's hands, and, giving to it a pendulous motion, he ended by lengthening the malleable bubble so as to give it a cylindro-conic shape. The blowing operation had given a cylinder of glass terminated by two hemispheric caps, which were easily detached by means of a sharp iron dipped in cold water; then, by the same proceeding, this cylinder was cut lengthways, and after having been rendered malleable by a second heating, it was extended on a plate and spread out with a wooden roller. The first pane was thus manufactured, and they had only to perform this operation fifty times to have fifty panes. The windows at Granite House were soon furnished with panes; not very white, perhaps, but still sufficiently transparent. As to bottles and tumblers, that was only play. They were satisfied with them, besides, just as they came from the end of the tube. Pencroft had asked to be allowed to "blow" in his turn, and it was great fun for him; but he blew so hard that his productions took the most ridiculous shapes, which he admired immensely. Cyrus Harding and Herbert, whilst hunting one day, had entered the forest of the Far West, on the left bank of the Mercy, and, as usual, the lad was asking a thousand questions of the engineer, who answered them heartily. Now, as Harding was not a sportsman, and as, on the other side, Herbert was talking chemistry and natural philosophy, numbers of kangaroos, capybaras, and agoutis came within range, which, however, escaped the lad's gun; the consequence was that the day was already advanced, and the two hunters were in danger of having made a useless excursion, when Herbert, stopping, and uttering a cry of joy, exclaimed,— "Oh, Captain Harding, do you see that tree?" and he pointed to a shrub, rather than a tree, for it was composed of a single stem, covered with a scaly bark, which bore leaves streaked with little parallel veins. "And what is this tree which resembles a little palm?" asked Harding. "It is a 'cycas revoluta,' of which I have a picture in our dictionary of Natural History!" said Herbert. "But I can't see any fruit on this shrub!" observed his companion. "No, captain," replied Herbert; "but its stem contains a flour with which nature has provided us all ready ground." "It is, then, the bread-tree?" "Yes, the bread-tree." "Well, my boy," replied the engineer, "this is a valuable discovery, since our wheat harvest is not yet ripe; I hope that you are not mistaken!" Herbert was not mistaken: he broke the stem of a cycas, which was composed of a glandulous tissue, containing a quantity of floury pith, traversed with woody fibre, separated by rings of the same substance, arranged concentrically. With this fecula was mingled a mucilaginous juice of disagreeable flavour, but which it would be easy to get rid of by pressure. This cellular substance was regular flour of a superior quality, extremely nourishing; its exportation was formerly forbidden by the Japanese laws. Cyrus Harding and Herbert, after having examined that part of the Far West where the cycas grew, took their bearings, and returned to Granite House, where they made known their discovery. The next day the settlers went to collect some and returned to Granite House with an ample supply of cycas stems. The engineer constructed a press, with which to extract the mucilaginous juice mingled with the fecula, and he obtained a large quantity of flour, which Neb soon transformed into cakes and puddings. This was not quite real wheaten bread, but it was very like it. Now, too, the onaga, the goats, and the sheep in the corral furnished daily the milk necessary to the colony. The cart, or rather a sort of light carriole which had replaced it, made frequent journeys to the corral, and when it was Pencroft's turn to go he took Jup, and let him drive, and Jup, cracking his whip, acquitted himself with his customary intelligence. Everything prospered, as well in the corral as in Granite House and certainly the settlers, if it had not been that they were so far from their native land, had no reason to complain. They were so well suited to this life, and were, besides, so accustomed to the island, that they could not have left its hospitable soil without regret! And yet so deeply is the love of his country implanted in the heart of man, that if a ship had unexpectedly come in sight of the island, the colonists would have made signals, would have attracted her attention, and would have departed! It was the 1st of April, a Sunday, Easter Day, which Harding and his companions sanctified by rest and prayer. The day was fine, such as an October day in the northern hemisphere might be. All, towards the evening after dinner, were seated under the verandah on the edge of Prospect Heights, and they were watching the darkness creeping up from the horizon. Some cups of the infusion of elder berries, which took the place of coffee, had been served by Neb. They were speaking of the island and of its isolated situation in the Pacific, which led Gideon Spilett to say,— "My dear Cyrus, have you ever, since you possessed the sextant found in the case, again taken the position of our island?" "No," replied the engineer "But it would perhaps be a good thing to do it with this instrument, which is more perfect than that which you before used." "What is the good?" said Pencroft. "The island is quite comfortable where it is!" "Well, who knows," returned the reporter, "who knows but that we may be much nearer inhabited land than we think?" "We shall know to morrow," replied Cyrus Harding, "and if it had not been for the occupations which left me no leisure, we should have known it already." "Good!" said Pencroft. "The captain is too good an observer to be mistaken, and, if it has not moved from its place, the island is just where he put it." "We shall see." On the next day, therefore, by means of the sextant, the engineer made the necessary observations to verify the position which he had already obtained, and this was the result of his operation. His first observation had given him for the situation of Lincoln Island,— In west longitude: from 150° to 155°; In south latitude: from 30° to 35°. The second gave exactly: In longitude: 150° 30´; In south latitude: 34° 57´. So then, notwithstanding the imperfection of his apparatus, Cyrus Harding had operated with so much skill that his error did not exceed five degrees. "Now," said Gideon Spilett, "since we possess an atlas as well as a sextant, let us see, my dear Cyrus, the exact position which Lincoln Island occupies in the Pacific." Herbert fetched the atlas, and the map of the Pacific was opened, and the engineer, compass in hand, prepared to determine their position. Suddenly the compasses stopped, and he exclaimed,— "But an island exists in this part of the Pacific already!" "An island?" cried Pencroft. "Tabor Island." "An important island?" "No, an islet lost in the Pacific, and which perhaps has never been visited." "Well, we will visit it," said Pencroft. "We?" "Yes, captain. We will build a decked boat, and I will undertake to steer her. At what distance are we from this Tabor Island?" "About a hundred and fifty miles to the north-east," replied Harding. "A hundred and fifty miles! And what's that?" returned Pencroft. "In forty-eight hours, with a good wind, we should sight it!" And, on this reply, it was decided that a vessel should be constructed in time to be launched towards the month of next October, on the return of the fine season. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (2010). Abandoned. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/33516/pg33516-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

There had been a full moon at the commencement of the month

Abandoned by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . CHAPTER VIII here CHAPTER VIII Linen—Shoes of Seal-leather—Manufacture of Pyroxyle—Gardening—Fishing—Turtle-eggs—Improvement of Master Jup—The Corral—Musmon Hunt—New Animal and Vegetable Possessions—Recollections of their Native Land. The first week of January was devoted to the manufacture of the linen garments required by the colony. The needles found in the box were used by sturdy if not delicate fingers, and we may be sure that what was sewn was sewn firmly. There was no lack of thread, thanks to Cyrus Harding's idea of re-employing that which had been already used in the covering of the balloon. This with admirable patience was all unpicked by Gideon Spilett and Herbert, for Pencroft had been obliged to give this work up, as it irritated him beyond measure; but he had no equal in the sewing part of the business. Indeed, everybody knows that sailors have a remarkable aptitude for tailoring. The cloth of which the balloon-case was made was then cleaned by means of soda and potash, obtained by the incineration of plants, in such a way that the cotton, having got rid of the varnish, resumed its natural softness and elasticity; then, exposed to the action of the atmosphere, it soon became perfectly white. Some dozen shirts and socks—the latter not knitted of course, but made of cotton—were thus manufactured. What a comfort it was to the settlers to clothe themselves again in clean linen, which was doubtless rather rough, but they were not troubled about that! and then to go to sleep between sheets, which made the couches at Granite House into quite comfortable beds! It was about this time also that they made boots of seal-leather, which were greatly needed to replace the shoes and boots brought from America. We may be sure that these new shoes were large enough and never pinched the feet of the wearers. With the beginning of the year 1866 the heat was very great, but the hunting in the forests did not stand still. Agoutis, peccaries, capybaras, kangaroos, game of all sorts, actually swarmed there, and Spilett and Herbert were too good marksmen ever to throw away their shot uselessly. Cyrus Harding still recommended them to husband the ammunition, and he took measures to replace the powder and shot which had been found in the box, and which he wished to reserve for the future. How did he know where chance might one day cast his companions and himself in the event of their leaving their domain? They should, then, prepare for the unknown future by husbanding their ammunition and by substituting for it some easily renewable substance. To replace lead, of which Harding had found no traces in the island, he employed granulated iron, which was easy to manufacture. These bullets, not having the weight of leaden bullets, were made larger, and each charge contained less, but the skill of the sportsmen made up this deficiency. As to powder, Cyrus Harding would have been able to make that also, for he had at his disposal saltpetre, sulphur, and coal; but this preparation requires extreme care, and without special tools it is difficult to produce it of a good quality. Harding preferred, therefore, to manufacture pyroxyle, that is to say gun-cotton, a substance in which cotton is not indispensable, as the elementary tissue of vegetables may be used, and this is found in an almost pure state, not only in cotton, but in the textile fibres of hemp and flax, in paper, the pith of the elder, etc. Now, the elder abounded in the island towards the mouth of Red Creek, and the colonists had already made coffee of the berries of these shrubs, which belong to the family of the caprifoliaceæ. The only thing to be collected, therefore, was elder-pith, for as to the other substance necessary for the manufacture of pyroxyle, it was only fuming azotic acid. Now, Harding having sulphuric acid at his disposal, had already been easily able to produce azotic acid by attacking the saltpetre with which nature supplied him. He accordingly resolved to manufacture and employ pyroxyle, although it has some inconveniences, that is to say, a great inequality of effect, an excessive inflammability, since it takes fire at one hundred and seventy degrees instead of two hundred and forty, and lastly, an instantaneous deflagration which might damage the firearms. On the other hand, the advantages of pyroxyle consist in this, that it is not injured by damp, that it does not make the gun-barrels dirty, and that its force is four times that of ordinary powder. To make pyroxyle, the cotton must be immersed in the fuming azotic acid for a quarter of an hour, then washed in cold water and dried. Nothing could be more simple. Cyrus Harding had only at his disposal the ordinary azotic acid and not the fuming or monohydrate azotic acid, that is to say, acid which emits white vapours when it comes in contact with damp air; but by substituting for the latter ordinary azotic acid, mixed, in the proportion of from three to five volumes of concentrated sulphuric acid, the engineer obtained the same result. The sportsmen of the island therefore soon had a perfectly prepared substance, which, employed discreetly, produced admirable results. About this time the settlers cleared three acres of the plateau, and the rest was preserved in a wild state, for the benefit of the onagas. Several excursions were made into the Jacamar woods and forests of the Far West, and they brought back from thence a large collection of wild vegetables, spinage, cress, radishes, and turnips, which careful culture would soon improve, and which would temper the regimen on which the settlers had till then subsisted. Supplies of wood and coal were also carted. Each excursion was at the same time a means of improving the roads, which gradually became smoother under the wheels of the cart. The rabbit-warren still continued to supply the larder of Granite House. As fortunately it was situated on the other side of Creek Glycerine, its inhabitants could not reach the plateau nor ravage the newly-made plantation. The oyster-bed among the rocks was frequently renewed, and furnished excellent molluscs. Besides that, the fishing, either in the lake or the Mercy, was very profitable, for Pencroft had made some lines, armed with iron hooks, with which they frequently caught fine trout, and a species of fish whose silvery sides were speckled with yellow, and which were also extremely savoury. Master Neb, who was skilled in the culinary art, knew how to vary agreeably the bill of fare. Bread alone was wanting at the table of the settlers, and as has been said, they felt this privation greatly. The settlers hunted too the turtles which frequented the shores of Cape Mandible. At this place the beach was covered with little mounds, concealing perfectly spherical turtles' eggs, with white hard shells, the albumen of which does not coagulate as that of birds' eggs. They were hatched by the sun, and their number was naturally considerable, as each turtle can lay annually two hundred and fifty. "A regular egg-field," observed Gideon Spilett, "and we have nothing to do but to pick them up." But not being contented with simply the produce, they made chase after the producers, the result of which was that they were able to bring back to Granite House a dozen of these chelonians, which were really valuable in an alimentary point of view. The turtle soup, flavoured with aromatic herbs, often gained well-merited praises for its preparer, Neb. We must here mention another fortunate circumstance by which new stores for the winter were laid in. Shoals of salmon entered the Mercy, and ascended the country for several miles. It was the time at which the females, going to find suitable places in which to spawn, precede the males and make a great noise through the fresh water. A thousand of these fish, which measured about two feet and a half in length, came up the river, and a large quantity were retained by fixing dams across the stream. More than a hundred were thus taken, which were salted and stored for the time when winter, freezing up the streams, would render fishing impracticable. By this time the intelligent Jup was raised to the duty of valet. He had been dressed in a jacket, white linen breeches, and an apron, the pockets of which were his delight. The clever orang had been marvellously trained by Neb, and any one would have said that the negro and the ape understood each other when they talked together. Jup had besides a real affection for Neb, and Neb returned it. When his services were not required, either for carrying wood or for climbing to the top of some tree, Jup passed the greatest part of his time in the kitchen, where he endeavoured to imitate Neb in all that he saw him do. The black showed the greatest patience and even extreme zeal in instructing his pupil, and the pupil exhibited remarkable intelligence in profiting by the lessons he received from his master. Judge then of the pleasure Master Jup gave to the inhabitants of Granite House when, without their having had any idea of it, he appeared one day, napkin on his arm, ready to wait at table. Quick, attentive, he acquitted himself perfectly, changing the plates, bringing dishes, pouring out water, all with a gravity which gave intense amusement to the settlers, and which enraptured Pencroft. "Jup, some soup!" "Jup, a little agouti!" "Jup, a plate!" "Jup! Good Jup! Honest Jup!" Nothing was heard but that, and Jup without ever being disconcerted, replied to every one, watched for everything, and he shook his head in a knowing way when Pencroft, referring to his joke of the first day, said to him,— "Decidedly, Jup, your wages must be doubled." It is useless to say that the orang was now thoroughly domesticated at Granite House, and that he often accompanied his masters to the forest without showing any wish to leave them. It was most amusing to see him walking with a stick which Pencroft had given him, and which he carried on his shoulder like a gun. If they wished to gather some fruit from the summit of a tree, how quickly he climbed for it! If the wheel of the cart, stuck in the mud, with what energy did Jup with a single heave of his shoulder put it right again. "What a jolly fellow he is!" cried Pencroft often. "If he was as mischievous as he is good, there would be no doing any thing with him!" It was towards the end of January the colonists began their labours in the centre of the island. It had been decided that a corral should be established near the sources of the Red Creek, at the foot of Mount Franklin, destined to contain the ruminants, whose presence would have been troublesome at Granite House, and especially for the musmons, who were to supply the wool for the settlers' winter garments. Each morning, the colony, sometimes entire, but more often represented only by Harding, Herbert, and Pencroft, proceeded to the sources of the Creek, a distance of not more than five miles, by the newly beaten road to which the name of Corral Road had been given. There a site was chosen, at the back of the southern ridge of the mountain. It was a meadow land, dotted here and there with clumps of trees, and watered by a little stream, which sprung from the slopes which closed it in on one side. The grass was fresh, and it was not too much shaded by the trees which grew about it. This meadow was to be surrounded by a palisade, high enough to prevent even the most agile animals from leaping over. This enclosure would be large enough to contain a hundred musmons and wild goats, with all the young ones they might produce. The perimeter of the corral was then traced by the engineer, and they would then have proceeded to fell the trees necessary for the construction of the palisade, but as the opening up of the road had already necessitated the sacrifice of a considerable number, those were brought and supplied a hundred stakes, which were firmly fixed in the ground. At the front of the palisade a large entrance was reserved, and closed with strong folding-doors. The construction of this corral did not take less than three weeks, for besides the palisade, Cyrus Harding built large sheds, in which the animals could take shelter. These buildings had also to be made very strong, for musmons are powerful animals, and their first fury was to be feared. The stakes, sharpened at their upper end and hardened by fire, had been fixed by means of cross-bars, and at regular distances props assured the solidity of the whole. The corral finished, a raid had to be made on the pastures frequented by the ruminants. This was done on the 7th of February, on a beautiful summer's day, and every one took part in it. The onagas, already well trained, were ridden by Spilett and Herbert, and were of great use. The manœuvre consisted simply in surrounding the musmons and goats, and gradually narrowing the circle around them. Cyrus Harding, Pencroft, Neb, and Jup, posted themselves in different parts of the wood, whilst the two cavaliers and Top galloped in a radius of half a mile round the corral. The musmons were very numerous in this part of the island. These fine animals were as large as deer; their horns were stronger than those of the ram, and their grey-coloured fleece was mixed with long hair. This hunting day was very fatiguing. Such going and coming, and running and riding and shouting! Of a hundred musmons which had been surrounded, more than two-thirds escaped, but at last, thirty of these animals and ten wild goats were gradually driven back towards the corral, the open door of which appearing to offer a means of escape, they rushed in and were prisoners. In short, the result was satisfactory, and the settlers had no reason to complain. There was no doubt that the flock would prosper, and that at no distant time not only wool but hides would be abundant. That evening the hunters returned to Granite House quite exhausted. However, notwithstanding their fatigue, they returned the next day to visit the corral. The prisoners had been trying to overthrow the palisade, but of course had not succeeded, and were not long in becoming more tranquil. During the month of February, no event of any importance occurred. The daily labours were pursued methodically, and, as well as improving the roads to the corral and to Port Balloon, a third was commenced, which, starting from the enclosure, proceeded towards the western coast. The yet unknown portion of Lincoln Island was that of the wood-covered Serpentine Peninsula, which sheltered the wild beasts, from which Gideon Spilett was so anxious to clear their domain. Before the cold season should appear the most assiduous care was given to the cultivation of the wild plants which had been transplanted from the forest to Prospect Heights. Herbert never returned from an excursion without bringing home some useful vegetable. One day, it was some specimens of the chicory tribe, the seeds of which by pressure yield an excellent oil; another, it was some common sorrel, whose anti-scorbutic qualities were not to be despised; then, some of those precious tubers, which have at all times been cultivated in South America, potatoes, of which more than two hundred species are now known. The kitchen garden, now well stocked and carefully defended from the birds, was divided into small beds, where grew lettuces, kidney potatoes, sorrel, turnips, radishes, and other cruciferæ. The soil on the plateau was particularly fertile, and it was hoped that the harvests would be abundant. They had also a variety of different beverages, and so long as they did not demand wine, the most hard to please would have had no reason to complain. To the Oswego tea, and the fermented liquor extracted from the roots of the dragonnier, Harding had added a regular beer, made from the young shoots of the spruce-fir, which, after having been boiled and fermented, made that agreeable drink, called by the Anglo-Americans spring-beer. Towards the end of the summer, the poultry-yard was possessed of a couple of fine bustards, which belonged to the houbara species, characterised by a sort of feathery mantle; a dozen shovellers, whose upper mandible was prolonged on each side by a membraneous appendage; and also some magnificent cocks, similar to the Mozambique cocks, the comb, caruncle and epidermis being black. So far, everything had succeeded, thanks to the activity of these courageous and intelligent men. Nature did much for them, doubtless; but faithful to the great precept, they made a right use of what a bountiful Providence gave them. After the heat of these warm summer days, in the evening when their work was finished and the sea breeze began to blow, they liked to sit on the edge of Prospect Heights, in a sort of verandah, covered with creepers, which Neb had made with his own hands. There they talked, they instructed each other, they made plans, and the rough good-humour of the sailor always amused this little world, in which the most perfect harmony had never ceased to reign. They often spoke of their country, of their dear and great America. What was the result of the War of Secession? It could not have been greatly prolonged, Richmond had doubtless soon fallen into the hands of General Grant. The taking of the capital of the Confederates must have been the last action of this terrible struggle. Now the North had triumphed in the good cause, how welcome would have been a newspaper to the exiles in Lincoln Island! For eleven months all communication between them and the rest of their fellow-creatures had been interrupted, and in a short time the 24th of March would arrive, the anniversary of the day on which the balloon had thrown them on this unknown coast. They were then mere castaways, not even knowing how they should preserve their miserable lives from the fury of the elements! And now, thanks to the knowledge of their captain, and their own intelligence, they were regular colonists, furnished with arms, tools, and instruments; they had been able to turn to their profit the animals, plants, and minerals of the island, that is to say, the three kingdoms of Nature. Yes; they often talked of all these things and formed still more plans for the future. As to Cyrus Harding he was for the most part silent, and listened to his companions more often than he spoke to them. Sometimes he smiled at Herbert's ideas or Pencroft's nonsense, but always and everywhere he pondered over those inexplicable facts, that strange enigma, of which the secret still escaped him! About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (2010). Abandoned. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/33516/pg33516-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

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