Month: May 2022

Aviation H2: Flugzeuge sollen mit Ammoniak sauber werden

Das australische Unternehmen Aviation H2 hat ein Verfahren entwickelt, um Triebwerke von Flugzeugen auf einen Betrieb ohne Kohlendioxidemissionen umzurüsten (Luftfahrt, Technologie)

Das australische Unternehmen Aviation H2 hat ein Verfahren entwickelt, um Triebwerke von Flugzeugen auf einen Betrieb ohne Kohlendioxidemissionen umzurüsten (Luftfahrt, Technologie)

The most important EV of the decade? We drive the F-150 Lightning

America’s bestseller now comes as a battery electric, starting at under $40,000.

At first glance, this could be any other Ford F-150 pickup, but the aerodynamic wheels and nose treatment mark it out as the all-electric F-150 Lightning. This is the top-spec Platinum trim.

Enlarge / At first glance, this could be any other Ford F-150 pickup, but the aerodynamic wheels and nose treatment mark it out as the all-electric F-150 Lightning. This is the top-spec Platinum trim. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—Simply put, the Ford F-150 Lightning is the most important new electric vehicle we'll drive for some time. Auto journalists can be accused of using that cliché all too readily, but in this case, I think it's defensible. Americans love pickup trucks more than any other four-wheeled vehicle, and when it comes to pickup trucks, they love Ford's F-series enough that it has been the nation's bestseller for almost as long as I've been alive.

Making a fully battery-electric version of its favorite pickup therefore seems like a good way to spur adoption of electric vehicles in a country that's lagging behind Europe and China. But only if the truck is any good. Part of the reason Ford sells so many F-series trucks is that many of them are put to work, pulling trailers or hauling heavy loads in their beds. And it's just as important to decarbonize those trucks, which means that a stripped-down electric F-150 has to be able to cut it on the job site just as much as in the role of a suburban dad's fully loaded commuter pickup.

To a casual observer, there's little that marks the F-150 Lightning as being anything other than just another F-150 with a super crew cab and a 5.5-foot bed. Instead of an open grille, there's a more aerodynamic treatment at the front, plus some distinctive daytime running lights. The alloy wheels' surfaces are more disc-like than you'd normally see. And if you look carefully, you'll spot the occasional lightning bolt. The cab is light and airy thanks to large glass moonroofs, and there's plenty of room in the back for large adults.

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Ryzen 5 5500 im Test: Preiswerter Gaming-Chip mit PCIe-Haken

Mit dem Ryzen 5 5500 bringt AMD die bisher günstigste Zen-3-CPU in den Handel, doch Intel hat mit dem Core i5-12400F längst vorgelegt. Ein Test von Marc Sauter (AMD Zen, Prozessor)

Mit dem Ryzen 5 5500 bringt AMD die bisher günstigste Zen-3-CPU in den Handel, doch Intel hat mit dem Core i5-12400F längst vorgelegt. Ein Test von Marc Sauter (AMD Zen, Prozessor)

U.S. Senator Targets Disney With Bill Limiting Copyright Protection Term

Republican Senator Josh Hawley just introduced a bill that proposes to shorten the copyright term to 56 years. This will apply retroactively to major movie studios with Disney being a prime target. The plan appears to be an indirect attempt to punish Disney for its politics, including the opposition to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.

From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

mickeyOver the past decades, copyright protection terms have gradually been extended all around the world.

In the United States, copyrights are currently enforceable for 70 years after the author’s death. If something was made for hire, protection is available for 95 years after publication or 120 years after creation, whichever is shorter.

These terms were last changed in the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, which is also dubbed the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act”. This is a reference to Disney’s famous cartoon character, whose original copyright protections were about to expire.

New Bill Proposes to Shorten the Copyright Term

Today, more than two decades later, “Steamboat Willie” is at risk again. However, instead of extending the copyright term even further, Republican Senator Josh Hawley has just proposed a bill that would shorten it.

The newly introduced “Copyright Clause Restoration Act” proposes to lower the copyright term for new copyrights to 56 years. This change would also apply retroactively to companies with a market cap of over $150 billion and are part of the movie or entertainment industries.

copyright bill

The latter conditions single out the major copyright companies including Disney. This is not without reason, as the official announcement on the Senator’s website calls out the media giant as well.

“Senator Hawley’s bill would limit new copyright protections to 56 years and make the change retroactive for massive corporations like Disney that have been granted unnecessarily long copyright monopolies,” it reads.

Woke Politics?

The proposal to limit the copyright term is not just about encouraging creativity. It is partly motivated by Disney’s opposition to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which has angered many Republican lawmakers.

Previously, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that would end Disney’s tax benefits, motivated by the same reason. Commenting on his own proposal, Senator Hawley also calls out Disney for its “woke” stance.

“The age of Republican handouts to Big Business is over. Thanks to special copyright protections from Congress, woke corporations like Disney have earned billions while increasingly pandering to woke activists.

“It’s time to take away Disney’s special privileges and open up a new era of creativity and innovation,” the Senator adds.

Mickey in Danger?

The Copyright Clause Restoration Act is, without doubt, a far-reaching proposal that, if passed, could have wide-ranging implications. However, the Republicans don’t have a majority in the Senate so that seems unlikely.

Even if the copyright term was indeed limited, Mickey Mouse won’t enter the public domain in its entirety. All later creations of the character remain protected, including all films and other media that were created more recently.

That said, Disney and other major rightsholders won’t be happy with Senator Hawley’s proposal. Whether it will change their political views and comments is another matter entirely.

From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.