Didier “Ice” Iceman

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton pressed his case Tuesday for sweeping action against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, warning foreign governments and companies that they ...

Islamic State is reinvesting in its ability to carry out sophisticated operations from Europe to South Asia by the end of 2019, a United Nations report has found.

“The ISIL covert network in the Syrian Arab Republic is spreading, and cells are being established at the provincial level, mirroring that which has been happening since 2017 in Iraq,” the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team said.

In the near term, the Islamic State will rely on locally-planned attacks in “unexpected locations,” similar to the Easter bombings carried out in Sri Lanka, they assessed. But the report, presented to the Security Council in July, warns that externally-planned attacks in high profile locations could ramp up as early as four months from now.

“ISIL will reinvest in the capacity to direct and facilitate complex international attacks when it has the secure space and time to do so. The current abatement of such attacks, therefore, may not last long, possibly not even until the end of 2019,” it said.

Tens of thousands of Islamic State loyalists and their children are now corralled in desert camps in northeastern Syria, where they were detained by US-backed Kurdish forces following the surrender of the last pocket of the caliphate in March.

Neighboring Turkey has now threatened to seize the area from the Kurds – raising the possibility that some of Islamic State’s most hardcore members could escape.

Get out of jail

The UN report estimates that up to 30,000 foreign nationals who traveled to Syria and Iraq to join the caliphate are still alive, whether at large in the region, detained or relocated to Europe.

These caliphate veterans now pose a radicalization threat, whether in prison or out.

“The radicalization of criminals within the prison system remains a critical concern in Europe, where prisons provide a venue for inmates afflicted by poverty, marginalization, frustration, low self-esteem and violence to be influenced by radical ideologies,” it said.

“In addition, some of the first wave of returnees from the ‘caliphate’ to be imprisoned are expected to be released in the coming year.”

The monitoring team which carried out the report emphasized that data on the exact number of repatriations of foreign fighters to Europe and other regions remains sketchy.

Approximately 2,000 nationals from the former Soviet states are now detained in northeastern Syria. Central Asian nations including Tajikistan and Uzbekistan cite their own citizens returning from the battlefields of Syria and Iraq are currently their primary terrorist threat. Central Asian migrant laborer communities in Russia and Turkey are also seen as particularly vulnerable to recruitment.

The report also flags South and Southeast Asia as prime targets for Islamic State returnees, as evidenced by both successful and thwarted attacks.

“Two troubling trends observed are the targeting of places of worship and the continued prominence of women in operational activities,” it said.

Both returnees and attempted jihadists have been linked to attacks in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

‘Start-up’ jihad

Islamic State has been resourceful in financing its activities post-caliphate, the report found, using small and medium-sized business to generate revenue, offering “seed money” to new affiliates and stashing valuable antiquities for a rainy day.

“One Member State described ISIL affiliates being treated in a manner similar to start-up businesses, receiving ‘seed money’ and advice from head office,” it said.

The group is estimated to have anywhere from US$50-300 million at its disposal to carry out its activities. However, “the group is adapting to its insurgency role with far fewer demands on its financial holdings.”

The UN investigators learned that monetary transfers persist, with family members of active militants using personal or small business bank accounts in countries neighboring a given conflict zone – the cash then passed on by courier.

Mobile payment applications and cryptocurrencies are cited as ripe for exploitation. A special ISIS unit – the ministry of “natural resources” – is believed to be responsible for the sale of antiquities which the group had excavated in Iraq and Syria.

“Details of traded antiquities, as well as the current location of any stored antiquities, are assessed to be known only by ISIL leaders.”

Preserving that leadership, at the top of which is self-proclaimed caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, remains the primary concern of the group.

Protesters will rally in seven districts across Hong Kong when a city-wide strike is staged on August 5, marking the latest disruptive escalation in a months-long confrontation with government and police authorities.

Organizers say the seven districts will include Tamar Park in Admiralty, MacPherson Playground in Mongkok, Wong Tai Sin Plaza, Tin Hau Temple Fung Shui Square in Tai Po, Tuen Mun Cultural Square, Bishop Hill Hundred Stairs in Shatin and Tsuen Wan Park.

Hong Kong police have been approached by the organizers for protests in Admiralty, Mongkok, Wong Tai Sin, Tai Po and Tuen Mun and will consider whether to object to the planned actions. According to media reports, some protestors will gather in Tsuen Wan Park to “observe flowers” and will not seek police permission. Some protestors will also gather at the gates of Hong Kong Disneyland.

Read: HK protesters call for citywide strike on August 5

According to the Public Order Ordinance, people are required to get an official notice of “no objection” from the police before they can legally protest in public areas. A protest without a letter of no objection can be treated as illegal assembly, under local law.

Police banned protests staged last weekend, including in an area of Hong Kong where triad members are known to reside, in a bid to avoid violence. Suspected triad gang members attacked protestors and others at a MTR station on July 21.

According to the Hong Kong Observatory, it is likely to be a sunny day on Monday with a few showers. Temperatures will be between 27°C and 31°C during the daytime, the forecast said.

Organizers of the seven-district protests said at a press conference on Saturday (August 3) that 24 sectors, involving 14,000 workers, will join the strike on Monday.

They urged the total withdrawal of suspended extradition bill that would allow Hong Kong criminal suspects to be tried in China, the establishment of an independent commission to investigate recent street clashes, a retraction of the government’s  characterization of the June 12 protests as a “riot”, withdrawal of all charges against protesters for recent incidents and the implementation of universal suffrage.

The August 5 strike is expected to hit the economy, and might cause the government to take an even stronger stand, said Dennis Ng, president of the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association. People should minimize disruption to others when they pursue their political demands, said Jimmy Kwok, the honorary chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries.

Read: More arrests in HK ahead of rallies, strike

On August 2, Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, who fled to the United States in 2015, said in YouTube footage that China’s central government will impose martial law and deploy People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops to Hong Kong on August 4. On Saturday, the Hong Kong government said in a statement that rumors about the imposition of a curfew in the city are “totally unfounded.”

At 2:30pm on Saturday, tens of thousands of anti-extradition protesters gathered at the Anchor Street Playground in Mongkok. They began their march at 4pm and walked along the Oak Street, Hoi Wang Road and Hoi Ting Road to the Cherry Street Park. The original route, which ends at the MacPherson Playground, was banned by the police due to safety concerns.

Several shops around the Anchor Street Playground closed ahead of the start of rally, RTHK reported.

At around 4:30pm, thousands of protesters occupied the Nathan Road and walked towards Tsim Sha Tsui. They called for the public to join the strike on Monday.

They  took over Kowloon’s Nathan Road at the junction of Argyle Street in Mong Kok.

Hundreds of protestors, who were wearing masks, helmets and other protective gear, surrounded the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station. They set up barricades on Middle Road and Austin Road and threw eggs and bricks at the police building.

At around 9pm, a small fire broke out on the gates outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station. It was put out by firefighters.

Protestors also surrounded the Mong Kok Police Station. At around 8:15pm, a team of riot police came out and tried to disperse them.

At 6:30pm, some protesters blocked off the Kowloon side of the Cross Harbour Tunnel. Due to safety reasons, they retreated back to Mong Kok. The tunnel was reopened by around 7.30pm.

Protestors continue to occupy key roads in Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok. At around 9:30pm, riot police fired tear gases to disperse protestors and arrested some of them in Mongkok. Some protesters burned debris on Nathan Road and threw some gasoline bombs but no one was hurt.

At around 10:30pm, some protestors moved to surround Wong Tai Sin Police Station.

On Friday evening, tens of thousands of Hong Kong civil servants and protesters held a rally in Chater Garden in Central district to oppose the extradition bill. They called for an independent inquiry into all recent political incidents. Organizers said there were 40,000 participants at the rally, while police claimed that there were only 13,000 at the demonstration’s peak.

Anson Chan Fang On-san, Hong Long’s former chief secretary, praised the civil servants for having the courage to show up at the rally on Friday after the Civil Service Bureau tried to discourage them.

Joseph Wong Wing-ping , former secretary for the civil service, said the civil servants who joined the Friday gathering did not violate the “political neutral” principle as it was part of their civic duties to point out the wrongdoings of top government officials.

On Saturday morning, two pro-Beijing lawmakers, Alice Mak Mei-kuen of the Federation of Trade Unions lawmaker and Ann Chiang Lai-wan of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, urged the government to respond to the protesters’ demands in order to end the political disputes.

It was not immediately apparent that city officials intended to respond to the protesters’ latest calls.

Read: Hongkongers interrogated and checked at borders

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, the spiritual leader of Tibet, is turning 84 on July 6. With his advancing age, the question of who will succeed him has become more pressing.

Winner of the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize and one of the most recognizable faces of Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is an important figure bringing Buddhist teachings to the international community.

The successor to the Dalai Lama is traditionally located by senior monastic disciples, based on spiritual signs and visions. In 2011, however, the Chinese foreign ministry declared that only the government in Beijing can appoint the next Dalai Lama and no recognition should be given to any other succession candidate.

As a scholar of transnational Buddhism, I have studied Buddhism and its refashioning in the context of globalization.

The Dalai Lama’s succession today is not just a religious issue, but a political one as well. Here’s how the Dalai Lama is chosen.

Dalai Lamas in history

The Dalai Lama is a highly influential figure.

All of the Dalai Lamas are thought to be manifestations of the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokitesvara. The 14 generations of Dalai Lamas, spanning six centuries, are linked through their acts of compassion.

For Buddhists, the ultimate goal is enlightenment, or “nirvana” – a liberation from the cycle of birth and death. East Asian and Tibetan Buddhists, as part of the Mahayana sect, believe bodhisattvas have reached this highest realization.

Furthermore, Mahayana Buddhists believe bodhisattvas choose to be reborn, to experience the pain and suffering of the world, in order to help other beings attain enlightenment.

Tibetan Buddhism has developed this idea of the bodhisattva further into identified lineages of rebirths called “tulkus.” Any person who is believed to be a rebirth of a previous teacher, master, or leader, is considered a tulku. Tibetan Buddhism has hundreds, if not thousands of such lineages, but the most respected and well-known is the Dalai Lama.

The 14th Dalai Lama

The current Dalai Lama was enthroned when he was 4½ years old and renamed Tenzin Gyatso.

The search for him began soon after the 13th Dalai Lama died. Disciples closest to the Dalai Lama set to identify signs indicating the location of his rebirth.

There are usually predictions about where and when a Dalai Lama will be reborn, but further tests and signs are required to ensure the proper child is found.

In the case of the 13th Dalai Lama, after his death, his body lay facing south. However, after a few days his head had tilted to the east, and a fungus, which was viewed as unusual, appeared on the northeastern side of the shrine containing the body. This was interpreted to mean that the next Dalai Lama could have been born somewhere in the northeastern part of Tibet.

Disciples also checked Lhamoi Latso, a lake that is traditionally used to see visions of the location of the Dalai Lama’s rebirth.

The district of Dokham, which is in the northeast of Tibet, matched all of these signs. A two-year-old boy, named Lhamo Dhondup, was just the right age for a reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, based on the time of his death.

When the search party, consisting of the 13th Dalai Lama’s closest monastic attendants, arrived at his house, there were immediate signs that this was the one they were looking for.

Dalai Lama memoirs

The 14th Dalai Lama recounts in his memoirs about his early life that he remembered recognizing one of the monks in the search party, even though he was dressed as a servant. The search party did not show who they were to the villagers, to prevent any manipulation of the process.

As a little boy, he remembers asking for the rosary beads the monk wore around his neck. These beads were previously owned by the 13th Dalai Lama. After this meeting, the search party came back again to test the young boy with further objects of the previous Dalai Lama. He was able to correctly choose all items including a drum used for rituals and walking stick.

China and Dalai Lama

Today the selection process for the next Dalai Lama remains uncertain.

In 1950 China’s communist government invaded Tibet. The Dalai Lama fled in 1959 and set up a government in exile.

The Dalai Lama is revered by Tibetan people and his exile has created anger inside Tibet. China’s threats to manipulate the selection process is believed to be a way to impose control on the Tibetan people.

In 1995, the Chinese government caused the disappearance of the Dalai Lama’s choice for the successor of the Panchen Lama, the second most important tulku lineage in Tibetan Buddhism, when he was six years old. The Chinese government appointed their own Panchen Lama.

China also wants to appoint its own Dalai Lama. But it is important to Tibetan Buddhists that they are in charge of the selection process.

Future options

Because of the threat from China, the 14th Dalai Lama has made a number of statements that would make it difficult for a Chinese appointed 15th Dalai Lama to be seen as legitimate.

For example, he has stated that the institution of the Dalai Lama might not be needed anymore. However, he has also said it was up to the people if they wanted to preserve this aspect of Tibetan Buddhism and continue the Dalai Lama lineage.

Another option the Dalai Lama has proposed would be for him to appoint his reincarnation before he dies. In this scenario, the Dalai Lama would transfer his spiritual realization to the successor. A third alternative Tenzin Gyatso has stated is that if he dies outside of Tibet, his reincarnation would be located abroad, most likely India.

Lastly, he has mentioned the possibility of being reborn as a woman, but added that he would have to be a very beautiful woman. He believes that appearance is important in transmitting Buddhist teachings.

The Dalai Lama is confident that no one would trust the Chinese government’s choice. In April 2019, US Sen. Cory Gardner said at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Asia Subcommittee that the Congress would not recognize a Dalai Lama chosen by the Chinese government.

Brooke Schedneck, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Rhodes College

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

100 YEARS AGO Wednesday, Aug. 13 1919 First women’s strike in Japan THE JAPAN TIMES Over 100 female workers employed at a silk reeling factory ...

Russia is meticulously advancing Eurasian chessboard moves that should be observed in conjunction, as Moscow proposes to the Global South an approach diametrically opposed to Western sanctions, threats and economic war. Here are three recent examples.

Ten days ago, via a document officially approved by the United Nations, the Russian Foreign Ministry advanced a new concept of collective security for the Persian Gulf.

Moscow stresses that “practical work on launching the process of creating a security system in the Persian Gulf” should start with “bilateral and multilateral consultations between interested parties, including countries both within the region and outside of it,” as well as organizations such as the UN Security Council, League of Arab States, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Gulf Cooperation Council.

The next step should be an international conference on security and cooperation in the Persian Gulf, followed by the establishment of a dedicated organization – certainly not something resembling the incompetent Arab League.

The Russian initiative should be interpreted as a sort of counterpart of, and mostly a complement to, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is finally blossoming as a security, economic and political body. The inevitable conclusion is that major SCO stakeholders – Russia, China, India, Pakistan and, in the near future, Iran and Turkey – will be major influencers on regional stability.

The Pentagon will not be amused.

Drill, baby, drill

When the commander of the Iranian Navy, Hossein Khanzadi, recently visited St Petersburg for the celebration of Russia’s Navy Day, the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces and the Russian Defense Ministry signed an unprecedented memorandum of understanding.

Khanzadi was keen to stress the memorandum “may be considered a turning point in relations of Tehran and Moscow along the defense trajectory.”

A direct upshot is that Moscow and Tehran, before March 2020, will enact a joint naval exercise in – of all places – the Strait of Hormuz. As Khanzadi told the IRNA news agency: “The exercise may be held in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, which flows into the Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz and also the Persian Gulf.”

The US Navy, which plans an “international coalition” to ensure “freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz – something Iran has always historically guaranteed – won’t be amused. Neither will Britain, which is pushing for a European-led coalition even as Brexit looms.

Khanzadi also noted that Tehran and Moscow are deeply involved in how to strengthen defense cooperation in the Caspian Sea. Joint drills already took place in the Caspian in the past, but never in the Persian Gulf.

Exercise together

Russia’s Eastern Military District will be part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) anti-terrorist exercise in Thailand and China early next month. According to the Eastern Military District, the training is part of “preparations for a practical phase of an ASEAN anti-terrorist exercise in China.” This means, among other things, that Russian troops will be using Chinese military hardware.

Exercises include joint tactical groups attempting to free hostages from inside official buildings; search for and disposal of explosives; and indoor and outdoor radiation, chemical and biological reconnaissance.

This should be interpreted as a direct interaction between SCO practices and ASEAN, complementing the deepening trade interaction between the Eurasia Economic Union and ASEAN.

These three developments illustrate how Russia is involved in a large spectrum from the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf to Southeast Asia.

But the key element remains the Russia-Iran alliance, which must be interpreted as a key node of the massive, 21st century Eurasia integration project.

What Russian National Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said at the recent, historic trilateral alongside White House national security adviser John Bolton and Israeli National Security Council Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat in Jerusalem should be unmistakable:

“Iran has always been and remains our ally and partner, with which we are consistently developing relations both on a bilateral basis and within multilateral formats.”

This lays to rest endless, baseless speculation that Moscow is “betraying” Tehran on multiple fronts, from the all-out economic war unleashed by the Donald Trump administration to the resolution of the Syrian tragedy.

To Nur-Sultan

And that leads to the continuation of the Astana process on Syria. Moscow, Tehran and Ankara will hold a new trilateral in Nur-Sultan, the Kazakh capital, possibly on the hugely significant date of September 11, according to diplomatic sources.

What’s really important about this new phase of the Astana process, though, is the establishment of the Syrian Constitutional Committee. This had been agreed way back in January 2018 in Sochi: a committee – including representatives of the government, opposition and civil society – capable of working out Syria’s new constitution, with each group holding one-third of the seats.

The only possible viable solution to the tragedy that is Syria’s nasty, rolling proxy war will be found by Russia, Iran and Turkey. That includes the Russia-Iran alliance. And it includes and expands Russia’s vision of Persian Gulf security, while hinting at an expanded SCO in Southwest Asia, acting as a pan-Asian peacemaking mechanism and serious counterpart to NATO.

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Thirteen civilians including two children were killed in a Saudi artillery strike in northern Yemen on Monday in response to a rebel attack on a Saudi base, medics said.

They said the strike on the Al-Thabit Al-Shaabi district of Saada province, a stronghold of the Huthi rebel group, also wounded 26 people including 12 children.

Rebel-controlled media including the Huthis’ Al-Masirah channel earlier reported Saudi artillery fire on a market in the same area.

The channel reported 36 casualties, including both dead and wounded, while the rebels’ spokesman said at least 10 civilians had died.

Rebel media reported that the Huthis had carried out a drone attack against the King Khaled airbase in the Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.

Saudi authorities gave no immediate confirmation of the drone attack or the artillery fire.

Saudi Arabia heads a military coalition that has since 2015 been battling the Huthis, which are backed by the kingdom’s regional arch-rival Iran.

The Huthi rebels, who have faced persistent and deadly coalition bombing since March 2015 that has exacted a heavy civilian death toll, have stepped up missile and drone attacks across the border.

In June alone, they launched at least 20 missile and drone attacks on the oil-rich kingdom, challenging Saudi Arabia’s advanced defense technology.

Saudi air defenses intercepted a Yemeni rebel drone targeting a southwestern city last Thursday.

Nine civilians were wounded in a July 3 Huthi attack on Abha airport in the south of the kingdom, the coalition said.

A June 12 missile attack on the same airport wounded 26 civilians, drawing warnings of “stern action” from the coalition.

And on June 23, a rebel attack on Abha airport killed a Syrian and wounded 21 other civilians, the coalition said.

The uptick in cross-border raids comes amid heightened regional tensions as key Saudi ally the United States presses a “maximum pressure” campaign against its arch-rival Iran after withdrawing from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between major powers and Tehran.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly accused Iran of supplying sophisticated weapons to the Huthis, a charge Tehran denies.

The coalition intervened in support of the Yemeni government in 2015 when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into Saudi exile as the rebels closed in on his last remaining territory in and around second city Aden.

Yemen’s conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives, according to relief agencies, and triggered what the United Nations describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

– Agence France-Presse

Correspondants de presse (3/12). Pour le journaliste du « Monde » Benjamin Barthe, le Liban reste une anomalie dans l’étouffoir proche-oriental, et un précieux poste d’observation pour comprendre la région et la guerre en Syrie.

HCM City authorities have a new solution to attract investors to participate in apartment renovation projects.

Scientists there are forging ahead with CRISPR, even as regulations remain unclear

Police in Vietnam on Sunday detained more than 380 Chinese people accused of running the country’s largest-ever underground online gambling ring, the government said.Gambling is ...

Iran on Sunday slammed as “provocative” a British proposal for a European-led naval mission to escort tankers in the Persian Gulf, amid soaring tensions over ...

A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition fighting in Yemen killed or injured 729 children during 2018, accounting for nearly half the total child casualties, United Nations ...

Cela fait bien une quinzaine d’années, voire une vingtaine qu’on peut lire des articles sur la mort prochaine de l’ordinateur avec son clavier et sa souris. Dans la liste non-exhaustive des tueurs ? Je fais la liste de mémoire, il y aura sûrement des trous… Que voulez-vous, avec l’âge, la mémoire devient moins fiable…

• 1997-1999 : l’épopée des Network Computer dont j’ai parlé dans un article d’octobre 2012
• 2007-2009 : l’épopée des eeePC et apparentés
• depuis 2010 : l’épopée des tablettes tactiles et autres smartphones

Et pourtant, les ordinateurs continuent de se vendre. À une vitesse réduite, certes. Mais on peut toujours en trouver que ce soit dans les rayons de grandes surfaces, spécialisées ou non. Si on regarde l’article de ZDNet consacré au marché du PC, on peut lire en juillet 2019 :

Le PC, une affaire de pros – 2017 avait été la 6e année consécutive de recul des livraisons mondiales de PC. 2018 fut elle la 7e année, et très vraisemblablement 2019 la huitième. Certes, la chute a fléchi par rapport aux années précédentes, mais sans prendre fin. Et 2018 démarrait sur une tendance comparable : une baisse moindre, mais une baisse toujours.

Un an plus tard, le retour à la croissance n’est toujours pas d’actualité. Lors du premier trimestre 2019, les livraisons mondiales ont reculé de 4,6% à 58,52 millions d’unités. « Nous avons observé le début d’un rebond des livraisons de PC à la mi-2018, mais l’anticipation d’une rupture par des pénuries de CPU a eu un impact sur tous les marchés des PC. »

Même si un article concernant le deuxième trimestre 2019 dit que le marché repart à cause de la demande des entreprises qui migrent vers MS-Windows 10, ce n’est qu’un frémissement.

Pourquoi ? Tout simplement, c’est que la durée de vie moyenne d’un PC a explosé depuis une douzaine d’années. J’ai gardé un PC à 300€ près de 8 ans avant de recevoir une machine basée sur du Ryzen3 2200G qui me fera sûrement elle aussi 7 à 8 ans. Il me suffira de compléter le disque dur mécanique par un SSD, remplacer l’alimentation pour gagner un peu de marge et de remplacer le Ryzen3 par un Ryzen 5 avec une petite carte graphique dans un délai de 18 mois à 2 ans.

Pour 400 à 500€ de frais – en comptant le passage de 8 à 16 Go de mémoire vive – je repousserai l’achat d’une machine neuve d’au moins deux bonnes années. Prenez une machine de 2014-2015. Remplacez son disque dur par un SSD, et vous lui donnerez un second souffle qui rallongera sa durée de vie d’au moins deux ans.

Nous ne sommes plus dans la folie des années 1985-2005 où il fallait changer complètement d’ordinateurs en moyenne tous les 18 mois vu les progrès en terme de puissance engrangée que ce soit au niveau du microprocesseur ou des cartes graphiques.

Sur un autre plan, purement ergonomique. Certaines personnes nous sortent des grandes tirades sur le fait que les tablettes vont remplacer le PC à terme. Soit. Mais amusez-vous donc à faire quelques activités un tant soit peu sérieuses sur un périphérique qui n’a aucun périphérique d’entrée physique.

Amusez-vous à remplir un formulaire avec un clavier virtuel. Bon courage… Vous reviendrez rapidement à un clavier avec ses touches qui font du bordel à la frappe mais qui au moins sont plus confortable à l’utilisation sur le long terme.

Écrire un texte de plusieurs milliers voire dizaine de milliers de caractères, et vous en aurez rapidement marre. D’accord, j’ai poussé un peu le bouchon ici, mais vous comprenez l’idée.

Une tablette pour lire des bouquins, faire du jeu à la Candy Crush Saga, envoyer 3 ou 4 courriers électronique, je suis d’accord.

On me rétorquera sans aucun doute que nombre de personnes se contentent de leur smartphone pour poster 3 conneries sur Facebook, twitter ou encore Instagram. Je suis entièrement d’accord. Mais est-ce que la vie en ligne se résume à dire que « Tatie Amélie a eu la gastro-entérite » ou à poster une photo de son dernier repas sur Instagram ?

N’oublions pas le problème de la durée de vie des tablettes, de la pollution liée à leur fin de vie, du manque de réparabilité par conception. Bref une tablette, ça vit quoi ? Deux voire trois ans à tout casser ?

Le petit acteur informatique qu’est Google a décidé de mettre fin à sa marque de tablettes pour se reconcentrer sur les PC à la Chromebook, les Network Computer nouvelle génération. On se demande bien pourquoi

La tablette a son champ d’application, les ordinateurs classiques le leur. Croire qu’on pourra tout faire avec une tablette, c’est illusoire… Comme de penser que les ordinateurs personnels dont les prémisses remontent à l’Altaïr 8800 et au premier Apple (1975-1976) dureront éternellement.

En tout cas, l’ordinateur classique a survécu à deux tueurs en série (les Network Computer et les eeePC), nul doute qu’il survivra au troisième constitué du duo tablette et smartphone. Allez, je parie un carambar que d’ici 2024-2025, on continuera d’utiliser des claviers et de souris… Pari tenu ?

Les fraises sont surnommées “l’or rouge” en Espagne. Pour les ouvrières marocaines qui travaillent dans ces plantations, ces fraises sont synonymes de harcèlement sexuel sur leur lieu de travail. Toute dénonciation entraîne une stigmatisation dans leur environnement au Maroc. Reportage du New York Times.

Les " Mauritius leaks ", 200 000 documents transmis par un lanceur d'alerte au Consortium international des journalistes d'investigation (ICIJ) révèlent l'ampleur de l'optimisation fiscale opérée à Maurice. Une pratique qui coûterait chaque année 50 milliards de dollars à l'Afrique, selon l'OCDE. Les autorités mauriciennes répliquent en garantissant que les dispositifs respectent les critères internationaux.

A science ministry committee of experts on Wednesday approved Japan’s first research to inject human induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells into fertilized animal eggs ...

Plus de trois mois après la démission d'Abdelaziz Bouteflika, l'impasse politique est totale : chaque partie y va de son plan de sortie de crise et ne veut pas en démordre.

La présidence tournante du Conseil de l’Union européenne est assurée depuis le 1er juillet par la Finlande. Helsinki a choisi d’être sponsorisée par le constructeur automobile BMW pour assurer cette fonction.

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Takeru Kobayashi, the "godfather of competitive eating" recounts how he devoured the American dream, until it chewed him up and spat him out again.

Officials will only say it involves a “policy breach”

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Friday that her government would consider providing political asylum to fleeing Hong Kong activists who were involved in protesting ...