ChiefOfficers.Net

If one could ever say that a circuit has a soul, one must, surely, say that about Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix for almost every running of that race since Formula One was born. And if a soul can be resurrected, to come alive and celebrate, Silverstone did just that. As the F1 circus rolled into town and set up shop, the biggest question was if this would be the last F1 at Silverstone and, even, if there would be a British Grand Prix after 2019. While the terms of the deal are secret, it is likely that the British Racing Drivers' Club, the owners of the former airfield and Liberty, the owners of F1, have done a deal under which the cost of running the race is reduced. The deal makes sure F1 comes home for at least the next five years. Then the grand old dame of F1 shed all her cares and woes and partied and what a party it was..

Inernet research company Ookla has produced a map that shows where there is 5G mobile network rollout. Some is active, some is in testing and some is installed but not yet available. There are some places in the world that are pretty busy. But there is one very surprising country that has, according to the map, absolutely no roll-out whatsoever. See if you can guess, before opening the map, which country it is.

The European Union has long had institutions for dealing with cyber-security issues. But there's an update and new features. And there are a couple of things it tells us about the EU itself, such as its continued progress to become a country and to have central instruments of government rather than to rely on member states to comply with Directives. But, equally importantly, what the update does is set the scene for more restructuring in the future, if the EU works out that it needs to develop efficiencies and reduce duplication.

When Edward Warlopp left his office and walked, he walked in front of a moving lorry. The driver, taking care manoeuvring in a complex environment was paying attention his surroundings and did not notice that Mr Warlopp had walked in front in the lorry. Mr Warlopp was struck and suffered fatal injuries.

Australia is big. Seriously big. It is also empty. Seriously empty. With an estimated 90% of its population clustered into a handful of coastal cities (and some of those being small compared to Sydney and Melbourne), the cost of doing business can be disproportionately high in provincial and rural areas. One might think that would favour the internet and, for non-perishable, non-urgent things that's probably true although, as in many countries, the cost of delivery dramatically ramps up the cost of products in sparsely populated areas. What happens when towns become too small to support reasonable returns for businesses? Logic says "close up or combine." Australian regulators question that policy.

Lewis Hamilton has long been amazing and he's just getting better and better. And still the public don't get behind a driver who is set to eclipse every record in F1 history - and has already done so in most. He is now beyond being statistically interesting: it seems like every time he gets in the car it's another milestone or another record. And that's before we consider his driving which has reached a level of excellence that is so good it doesn't inspire devotion. We are in the presence of greatness, a true star and one who doesn't cheat to achieve it (although he can be brutal when needed and sometimes has gone too far). His French Grand Prix 2019 demonstrated things that the naysayers won't be impressed by. They should be.

How much use are listings in Google for marketing? Now as much as people like to think, especially if your business is outside the USA.

This weekend the GMA takes place. It's a huge, three day, affair and it's part of a music - tv - film industry of mixing, matching and deal-making event is very, very influential. And yet it doesn't show up on the first two and a half-pages of a Google search because either as GMA, GMA or even GMA ASIA TAIWAN MUSIC awards. Why? Because it's in Taiwan and because there are so many US GMAs that are listed over and over again in the early pages. 第30屆金曲獎 GMA, ( it stands for Golden Melody Awards) , despite now being in its 30th year, might as well be invisible so far as Google is concerned.

Motor racing is, sometimes, the cruellest of sports. There was no competition for the Toyota Hybrids as they closed out their season and the end of their very successful venture into LMP1. And, as the race wore on, it was clear that the early lead taken by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez developed into a routine. Nothing would stop them winning their first major race and it was well deserved. Then the tech started to play up..

The Circuit of Catalunya, Barcelona, venue for the Spanish Grand Prix for both F1 and MotoGP is often the source of drama. But the MotoGp 2019 race was drama with what may turn out to be huge consequences. And it all began because someone started to call the Barcelona circuit "Lorenzo Land."

The Canadian Grand Prix produced excellent and exciting racing. Strategy played almost no part and we were treated to motor racing at its best. Sadly, the racing has been overshadowed.

In Australia, 14 airlines have been found to have colluded to fix prices for freight. The latest to be brought to book is Garuda Indonesia and the penalties are substantial.

Today's news that a prosecution has collapsed and a jury discharged without even considering the evidence because of the lack of credibility of a witness put up as an expert might not be big news - if it wasn't for the fact that the witness is Andrew Ager, a sticky character, a self-described Subject Matter Expert, that the Crown Prosecution Service used as their go-to-guy for anything to do with carbon credits and, sometimes, frauds in other areas, too. Even more startling is the witness' attempts to pervert the course of justice. The CPS is, once more, the subject of much head-shaking for being rubbish. But culpable as they are, the CPS is not the only one against which accusations of ineptitude should be levelled.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has begun proceedings in the Federal Court against Sony Interactive Entertainment Network Europe Limited (Sony Europe).

 

The complaint relates to limitations on warranty for Sony's online sales of PlayStation products that appear on its website and have been notified to Australian consumers in dealings with them.

It's far, far more complicated than the ACCC suggests and for global retailers it's a major threat.

The front page of the website of a solicitor's practice in Bolton in the north of England says "WARNING – SCAM ALERT – We have been advised that Allansons has been cited as the instructed solicitors by Agents purporting to be from ECM Asset Management Limited and in connection with investment equity release. No such company exists and we have been informed this is part of an ongoing investment scam. Allansons has not been instructed by any such company nor been involved in any such scheme." Sadly, the profession's regulator has found, there was malfeasance within the firm. And there is apparently unrelated skulduggery afoot.

I'm highly critical of American style oval racing. It's far too orchestrated by "IndyCar" or "Nascar" and it's boring unless there's a crash (and who wants to wish for crashes that cause injury or death?). After all, who wants to sit through 185 laps only for a crash to force the "full course yellow" or, even, "safety car" that sets up the cars for the only bit that really matters: the last ten laps or so to the finish. I've watched it, on and off, for several decades and it's almost always Dullsville personified. Until this year's Indy 500. Oh, how I wish they could all be like this.