Victoria Fox's Blog, page 120

Indra segregates its space business into a subsidiary

The group wants it to be “the cornerstone that brings together activities in the field of space business in the coming years.”

Indra ‘s board of directors approved this Monday the segregation of its space business unit to later integrate its activities into a newly created limited liability company called Indra Espacio and which will be “fully owned” by the former .

According to the statement sent to the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), the segregation is configured as a first phase within the framework of Indra’s final objective of creating an entity that will be “the cornerstone that brings together the activities in the coming years.” in the field of space business” , in line with the provisions of its Strategic Plan 2024-2030.

Furthermore, the firm has explained that, given that the beneficiary company will be newly created and will be fully owned directly by Indra, the spin-off will be carried out in accordance with the simplified procedure provided for in articles 71 and 53 of Royal Decree-Law 5/2023. , of June 28, transposing, among others, European Union directives on structural modifications of commercial companies, by reference to the provisions of articles 63 and 56 of said regulation.

However, the operation must be submitted to a vote at the ordinary general meeting of shareholders , whose date of celebration and call will be announced by the board of directors in accordance with the legislation and internal regulations of Indra.

Strategic plan

Indra already announced on March 6 through its new ‘Leading the Future’ plan that it expected to invoice 6,000 million euros in 2026 and reach a business volume of 10,000 million euros in 2030, a figure that is more than double that of the 4,343 million euros that came in last year.

In this context, the company anticipated a new structure of its areas of activity, currently composed of the departments of Defense, Air Traffic Management (ATM), Mobility and Minsait (the company’s technological subsidiary).

Indra will change this structure and will now have the areas of Defense, Air Traffic Management, Space, Minsait (which will include Mobility) and “new industrial businesses” , which have yet to be defined.

Thus, the company indicated that it would include new partners in Minsait to increase its autonomy and also that it would create a new subsidiary dedicated to the space sector . As for this new company, its creation would take place between 2024 and 2026 to achieve a turnover of around 1,000 million euros in 2030.

On the other hand, the company’s forecasts aim to achieve an operating margin of 12% in 2026 and 14% in 2030 and a net operating profit margin (Ebit) of 10% in 2026 and 12% in 2030. 2023 Indra’s operating margin was 10.3% and the Ebit margin was 8%.

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Starshield: Starlink's sister is supposed to monitor everyone

Under the name Starlink, the space company SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, has built a global satellite network in recent years that now supplies more than 60 countries with internet from space. There are currently around 5,500 Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth, which can be seen with the naked eye in good conditions. They will soon be joined by a sister project called Starshield, whose satellites are not intended for Internet access, but for surveillance. And there is apparently only one user: the US military.

At the end of 2022, SpaceX first mentioned a new business unit called Starshield on its website. This will include a “secure satellite network for government agencies”. Last fall, the Pentagon confirmed a $70 million contract to SpaceX. Now reports from the Wall Street Journal and the Reuters news agency provide further details. Accordingly, the client is the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), a US intelligence service that is responsible for the military satellite program.

The NRO confirmed to Reuters that it was building an advanced satellite system. As the news agency writes with reference to a total of five insiders, SpaceX is said to have received the order worth a total of 1.8 billion US dollars as early as 2021. A year earlier, the US government invested $200 million in a pilot project, and according to insiders, around a dozen satellites have been launched into space since then. These are listed in official databases without further information about the purpose and client.

Like Starlink, Starshield will also operate its satellites in low Earth orbit, where they orbit the Earth approximately once every 100 to 120 minutes. The Starshield network includes larger satellites with cameras and additional sensors as well as smaller satellites that are primarily intended for data transmission. The Starshield satellites, like those from Starlink, will use laser technology and the latest encryption methods to communicate with each other and with ground stations.

The militarization of space

The presumed goal of Starshield is to guarantee complete video and image surveillance of the Earth. This is already partly possible thanks to existing espionage and military satellites. However, a modern system consisting of hundreds to thousands of individual satellites, equipped with the latest camera, sensor and transmission technology, could bring a new quality of military surveillance. The US government can use this to quickly and continuously capture images of activities almost anywhere in the world and thereby support intelligence and military operations, writes Reuters with reference to its sources. “Nobody can hide,” says an insider.

The US government’s creation of such a network confirms the increasingly important role of space in warfare. According to NATO, surveillance from space is now “critically important for coherent deterrence and the defense of the Alliance.” In 2019, the US government founded the United States Space Force (USSF), a new space division for the US armed forces. In September 2020, France also converted its air force into the French Air & Space Forces. And even the Bundeswehr has had an operations center for space activities in the form of the Air and Space Operations Center (ASOC) for four years.

There are also reports that China could begin building a Starlink-like satellite network this year. It is still unclear whether this will only be used commercially or whether it could also be used for military purposes as part of a dual-use system. Since 2006, China has launched almost 150 remote sensing satellites, which officially serve civilian purposes but, according to Western observers and secret services, are also used for espionage purposes. In February there were reports that Russia was working on satellites equipped with nuclear weapons to attack targets in space.

Under the name Starlink, the space company SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, has built a global satellite network in recent years that now supplies more than 60 countries with internet from space. There are currently around 5,500 Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth, which can be seen with the naked eye in good conditions. They will soon be joined by a sister project called Starshield, whose satellites are not intended for Internet access, but for surveillance. And there is apparently only one user: the US military.

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Dustin Moskovitz: The Billionaire and the Apocalypse

Almost a year and a half ago, the first five million dollars landed in his account. Dan Hendrycks was able to get to work: against the end of the world. He hired researchers, created consulting services for politicians and entrepreneurs and has since been thinking full-time about averting his personal horror: that one day an artificial superintelligence could get out of control and destroy humanity.

Hendrycks is a computer scientist and only 28 years old. Thanks to a generous windfall, he is now the head of his own research institute, called the Center for AI Safety, which employs around a dozen people in San Francisco. Hendrycks had previously studied and researched at the University of Berkeley as an expert on the question of how to teach machines morals. Even at university, Hendrycks told everyone that AI systems could develop bioweapons against humans. That robots that have gone wild turn against their creators, that war machines could attack their creators. “They thought I was crazy,” says the head of the institute.

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The 'telecos' focus on sharing fiber networks to avoid overinvesting more

After the approval of the merger of Orange and MásMóvil by the Spanish Government last Tuesday, March 12, there are no longer any obstacles for the integration to become a reality and become a single company, something that will predictably happen at Easter.

And after this integration, events will accelerate, not only in the new unified company but also in its rivals. Some of the main decisions that have to be made in different companies will have to do with networks, which s

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Social media: X cancels planned talk show after critical interview with Elon Musk

Billionaire Elon Musk surprisingly canceled a talk show on his platform X before the first episode was published – after he himself was a guest in the premiere episode as an interview partner. The network, formerly known as Twitter, said it had decided “not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show” after careful consideration. The former CNN presenter Don Lemon was invited to publish the program content on X “without censorship” – but without being paid for it.

Musk’s regularly expressed self-assessment that he is an “absolutist for free expression” apparently no longer applies if he doesn’t like the questions “from people like me,” criticized Lemon. Elon Musk is “angry with me,” said the host of the planned The Don Lemon Show in a video distributed on X. He will publish the conversation with him on YouTube and as a podcast on Monday. Lemon did not say why exactly Musk was dissatisfied.

There were no restrictions on the interview, Lemon said in writing. “My questions were respectful and broad, covering everything from SpaceX to the presidential election.” From his point of view, the conversation was good. “Obviously he disagreed,” Lemon wrote of Musk.

X announced in January that it was planning a “new content partnership” with Lemon. 30-minute episodes of the show named after the presenter were to be published three times a week, covering the topics of politics, culture, sports and entertainment. The background to the agreement was the ailing platform’s efforts to become more attractive to users and advertising customers.

Billionaire Elon Musk surprisingly canceled a talk show on his platform X before the first episode was published – after he himself was a guest in the premiere episode as an interview partner. The network, formerly known as Twitter, said it had decided “not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show” after careful consideration. The former CNN presenter Don Lemon was invited to publish the program content on X “without censorship” – but without being paid for it.

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Women on Web: "First only one post will be removed and then our account will be blocked"

Martha Dimitratou is a digital strategist at Women on Web, an organization that has been raising awareness about abortion worldwide since 2005 and whose website allows women to have abortion pills sent to them. ZEIT ONLINE met her at the South by Southwest tech conference.

ZEIT ONLINE: Ms. Dimitratou, in February Instagram boss Adam Mosseri announced on Threads that he would no longer proactively amplify political content on Facebook, Instagram and Threads that users do not already follow. There they provide information about abortions. Does the ban affect your work?

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Social media: TikTok announces opposition to US change of ownership law

TikTok boss Shou Chew wants to defend himself against the US law that is intended to bring the short video app under the control of American investors. The company will do everything possible and use legal means to defend the platform, he said in a video published on Wednesday.

TikTok insists that the goal of the law is to ban the app in the US. US politicians, on the other hand, say they simply want to ensure that Chinese authorities cannot influence TikTok and thereby harm American interests. The company and its parent company ByteDance deny all allegations.

The law could result in TikTok being banned from American app stores if there is no change in ownership. It was passed with a large majority in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday and now has to pass the Senate as the second chamber of parliament. President Joe Biden has already announced that he will sign it.

Shou Chew pointed out that the law will give “a handful of other social media companies” more influence. The TikTok boss also claimed the bill puts 300,000 jobs in the US at risk. His company often points out that small businesses use the service for advertising. TikTok claims to have 170 million users in the USA.

TikTok operator does not see itself as a Chinese company

It is currently unclear whether the law has enough support in the Senate. In the House of Representatives, a cross-party majority of Republicans and Democrats came together with 352 votes to 65. In the Senate, where Biden’s Democrats hold a slim majority, there are supporters and critics of the plan on both sides.

Among the concerns is that a TikTok ban could be challenged by citing the freedom of speech enshrined in the US Constitution. That’s why Donald Trump, as US President, once failed in court in his attempt to force a change of ownership at TikTok. For the same reason, a prohibition law cannot currently come into force in the US state of Montana.

Biden’s security advisor Jake Sullivan recently said that the law was expressly not about a TikTok ban, but about a change of ownership. “Do we want TikTok as a platform to be owned by an American company – or owned by China?” Sullivan said.

China’s government criticizes “rogue methods”

TikTok, on the other hand, does not see itself as a subsidiary of a Chinese company. ByteDance is 60 percent owned by Western investors and the company’s headquarters are in the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean. Critics object that the Chinese founders, with a share of 20 percent, maintained control thanks to higher voting rights and that ByteDance has a large headquarters in Beijing.

The Chinese government announced that it would take “all necessary measures” to protect the legitimate rights and interests of its companies abroad. Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman He Yadong said the U.S. must “respect the principles of market economy and fair competition” and stop the “unfair oppression of foreign companies.” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin spoke of “rogue methods.” If “so-called national security reasons” are used to oppress successful foreign companies, “then there is no fairness and justice.”

TikTok boss Shou Chew wants to defend himself against the US law that is intended to bring the short video app under the control of American investors. The company will do everything possible and use legal means to defend the platform, he said in a video published on Wednesday.

TikTok insists that the goal of the law is to ban the app in the US. US politicians, on the other hand, say they simply want to ensure that Chinese authorities cannot influence TikTok and thereby harm American interests. The company and its parent company ByteDance deny all allegations.

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Bitcoin: Australian is not Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto

An Australian computer expert has lost a lawsuit over his official recognition as the mysterious inventor of the cyber currency Bitcoin. Craig Wright was not the author of the 2008 paper published under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, a British court ruled. The paper describes the technology behind the cryptocurrency. The detailed reasons for the judgment will be submitted at a later date.

All attempts to unmask the inventor of Bitcoin had failed for years. It was also not clear whether there was one or more people behind the pseudonym. Then Wright went public on his own initiative in 2016. In interviews with the BBC, GQ and the Economist , he claimed to be behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Media research had already pointed to Wright in advance. Still, the question remained as to whether Craig was a mastermind or a braggart.

The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (Copa) also wanted to seek clarification through legal channels. She is committed to the use and further development of cryptocurrency technologies. Their goal was to prevent Wright from further lawsuits against Bitcoin developers. The Australian had brought a whole series of lawsuits against representatives from the Bitcoin community and accused them of patent infringements.

Copa accuses Wright of falsifying documents to supposedly prove his claims, which he denies. “Based on his dishonest claim to be Satoshi, he has asserted hundreds of billions of dollars in claims, including against numerous private individuals,” said Copa attorney Jonathan Hough.

An Australian computer expert has lost a lawsuit over his official recognition as the mysterious inventor of the cyber currency Bitcoin. Craig Wright was not the author of the 2008 paper published under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, a British court ruled. The paper describes the technology behind the cryptocurrency. The detailed reasons for the judgment will be submitted at a later date.

All attempts to unmask the inventor of Bitcoin had failed for years. It was also not clear whether there was one or more people behind the pseudonym. Then Wright went public on his own initiative in 2016. In interviews with the BBC, GQ and the Economist , he claimed to be behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Media research had already pointed to Wright in advance. Still, the question remained as to whether Craig was a mastermind or a braggart.

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HaloTech, the helmet with AI that prevents workplace accidents

Manu Marín’s new project combines IoT and AI technologies with the aim of improving the safety of workers in industries and has the collaboration of Telefónica Tech.

Safety is a healthy obsession for Manu Marín. The former COO of Walbox did not hesitate to undertake his particular fight for it with Livall, the start-up of bicycle, ski and even motorcycle helmets (the latter, with the approval of the D

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Silbo, the new virtual telecom, plans to bill 200 million in four years

Silbo, the new telecom operator that was presented today, plans to achieve a turnover of 200 million euros in four years, at the end of 2027, according to its president and CEO, Jorge Morán . The company, which will fundamentally use Movistar networks, both in mobile and fixed broadband – claims that it can provide services in 30 million homes, since in addition to Movistar it also has other wholesale fiber providers such as Adamo -, foresees that, By the end of 2027, the group will already have a customer base of 1.2 million accesses or services, of which about 120,000 would be fiber and the rest mobile, and around 250,000 would belong to the field of microSMEs, SOHO and self-employed.

Morán is a veteran manager in the telecom sector who began his career in the sector at an Airtel distributor (currently Vodafone) in 1996 and has subsequently worked at companies such as Amena (integrated into current Orange) and more recently at Finetwork.

Around the Silbo project, Morán has brought together a group of eleven investors , including industrial entrepreneurs and listed companies as well as people linked to professional sports, with whom together he has obtained 20 million euros of capital for the implementation of the project, according to Morán.

Sponsor of the soccer team

The new operator aims to make itself known quickly and for that it has chosen football as a showcase. It has closed a 2+2 year agreement with the Spanish Football Federation , to be the main sponsor, along with Adidas, so that the Silbo brand will appear on the anthem jacket and training equipment, both for the men’s team and the women’s and men’s under 21.

Channels

Morán ‘s forecasts include having exclusive stores through distributors. Its plans include having around 100 of its own stores by the end of 2024 and reaching around 225 by the end of 2025. It will also have an online channel and a physical presence in multi-brand channels.

Real Smart Cost

Silbo ‘s proposal does not aim to compete in the ultra-low-cost band, where Digi is found, for example, although it does have low-cost offers. Its offer is defined by Morán as “real smart cost ” and aims to offer competitive prices along with more sophisticated features than those that can generally be found in the low cost segment. Thus, its offer for the residential market includes the possibility of having eSIM (the electronic SIM, which does not require a physical chip), as well as dual SIM offers and television content that includes up to 200 channels and the second division of football. In the business market, it also offers virtual switchboards.

In the offer for the individual market, the entry price for a mobile line with unlimited calls and 30 GB of data is 9 euros/month, and there is a rate with unlimited data for 25 euros/month. In convergence, it starts with 29 euros/month for a 300 mbps fiber and 10 GB on the mobile. The offer with television and 30 GB on the mobile starts at 32 euros/month and the one that includes a 300 mb fiber, an unlimited data rate and TV is at 40 euros.

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