Original Killer PC Spreadsheet Lotus 1-2-3 Ported to Linux.
Not only has a long-lost native Unix version of the killer PC spreadsheet been uncovered, but it’s also been upgraded to make a native Linux version.
Lotus 1-2-3, released nearly 40 years ago on January 26, 1983, was likely the one application that made the IBM PC successful. We commemorated the Reg’s 30th anniversary by booting it up in DOSbox, and we lamented its demise when IBM ultimately destroyed it.
It still has supporters, including Google bug hunter Tavis Ormandy of Project Zero. Here, Ormandy explains how he ported Lotus 1-2-3 to Linux natively.
Ormandy not only owns and operates 1-2-3, but he also created a new display driver for release 3, allowing it to support more than one monitor. You can find the source on GitHub.
Source: https://lock.cmpxchg8b.com/linux123.html
Why Vietnam’s Rise in Global Supply Chain Doesn’t Mean It Will Eat Into China’s Share of Manufacturing
Vietnam, which shares a border with China in the south, has recently surprised Chinese economists with astounding export data. In March, the Southeast Asian country’s exports increased 14.8% yearly to $34.7 billion, while China’s top export city, Shenzhen, declined 14% to $18.9 billion.
While Vietnam is more likely to be a supplement to China’s supply chain than a rival, China must continue to improve its competitiveness.
Due to its cheaper labour costs relative to China, incentive policies to boost manufacturing, and geographic advantages, Vietnam has been one of the significant benefactors of supply chain diversification thus far.
On the other hand, China should not be alarmed by Vietnam’s recent economic expansion. “Vietnam is more likely to be a supply line for China.”
Source: https://en.pingwest.com/a/10269
15-Second Shopping: TikTok’s E-commerce Ambitions Are Rising
According to Data.ai, TikTok was one of the most downloaded applications in Southeast Asia in 2021. Since February of that year, parent company ByteDance has been testing TikTok Shop with entrepreneurs like Fredi in Indonesia and the United Kingdom to expand its increasing popularity into e-commerce. In the United States, a separate campaign is ongoing. ByteDance said in February that it would expand the function to Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
While Southeast Asia already has its own e-commerce behemoths – Alibaba-backed Lazada and Sea-owned Shopee – ByteDance has positioned TikTok Shop as the next step in online shopping: more addictive according to TikTok’s algorithm and more engaging thanks to its infinite scroll of short videos. TikTok Shop allows merchants to add a description to their videos.
Source: https://restofworld.org/2022/tiktok-e-commerce-expands-in-southeast-asia/
Corporate Espionage Is Entering a New Era
The pages of John le Carré or Ian Fleming are hard to top regarding cloak-and-dagger espionage. However, the world of industrial espionage has its own share of intrigue. For example, the alleged deception in a recent court case involving two American software companies. After accusing Massachusetts-based Pegasystems of illegally snooping on it to acquire a competitive edge, a jury awarded Appian. Their headquarters are in McLean, Virginia, with a stunning $2 billion in damages in May.
According to Eamon Javers’ book on corporate spying, “Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy,” there is a considerable grey area between agents who “ride the ragged edge” of morality and the law. Many of them work for firms that hire them to do their work.
Source: https://www.economist.com/business/2022/05/30/corporate-espionage-is-entering-a-new-era