Call for Zeitenwende (Start of a New Era, German). Send Tanks into Ukraine, Increasing Price of Energy in Germany Two Times Compared with Global Market. Lower Taxes by 5 Percent. Call it Wirtschaftswende (Start of a New Era in Economy, German). Get Kicked Out of Your Job by Next Elections

 "Abolition of the solidarity surcharge tax and a halt to regulation are intended to revive Germany's economy - at least that is the plan in a new policy paper by Christian Lindner, a member of ruling coalition.

 

In the midst of the traffic light coalition's dispute over the right course in economic and financial policy, a new policy paper by Finance Minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner has been published. It calls for the final abolition of the solidarity surcharge for high earners as an immediate measure, as well as an immediate halt to all new regulations.

 

"Germany needs a reorientation of its economic policy," it said. This should be of a fundamental nature. The paper is entitled "Start of a New Era in German Economy - concept for more growth and intergenerational justice." It is available to the German Press Agency. The "Stern" newspaper was the first to report on it.

 

The undated paper calls for an "economic turnaround" with a "partially fundamental revision of key political decisions" in order to avert damage to Germany as a business location. The German economy is in a growth crisis. A reorientation of economic policy could strengthen the confidence of companies and private households.

 

Answer to Habeck's Germany Fund?

 

The FDP has been calling for an "economic turnaround" for some time and has proclaimed the "autumn of decisions". Demands such as a complete abolition of the solidarity tax are also generally known. The timing of the new paper is, however, controversial. Just a week and a half ago, Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) again proposed a billion-dollar, debt-financed state fund to promote investments by companies. The FDP rejects this, citing the debt brake.

 

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had invited people to an industry summit, but neither Habeck nor Lindner were invited. The FDP faction had organized a kind of counter-summit with associations. Scholz - like the FDP - is planning further meetings in more or less the same format as before. Ultimately, the Chancellor wants to reach a "pact for industry", the result of which should be before Christmas, as government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit announced. It was only in July that the federal government announced a "growth initiative". However, the package with many measures has not yet been implemented.

 

Entrepreneurs should be less burdened

 

In concrete terms, Lindner's current paper speaks of an immediate moratorium to stop all new regulations. New legislative proposals should either be abolished entirely or, where this is not possible, be designed in such a way that bureaucracy and regulation are reduced and not increased as a result of the proposal. In this context, plans by Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) for a collective bargaining law and the supply chain law are mentioned, for example.

 

It also says that as an immediate measure, the solidarity surcharge, which is paid predominantly by companies, the self-employed, freelancers and highly qualified people, should be abolished. In a first step, it should be reduced by 2.5 percentage points to 3 percent in 2025. In a second step, it could then be abolished completely in 2027. The solidarity surcharge has already been abolished for 90 percent of taxpayers.

 

European climate protection targets

 

The paper goes on to say that national climate targets must be replaced by European ones. "It does not help climate protection if Germany, as a supposed global pioneer, tries to make its economy climate-neutral as quickly as possible and consequently with avoidable economic damage and political upheaval." At the European level, Germany should in particular push through the abolition of regulations on energy efficiency, building energy efficiency and fleet limits for car companies.

 

The so-called reconciliation meeting of the budget committee, which is planned for November 14, is seen as groundbreaking for the continued existence of the coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP. The 2025 budget will be decided there.

 

Government spokesman Hebestreit retracted speculation about an early dissolution of the traffic light coalition on Friday afternoon - before the new Lindner paper was announced. "I don't have the impression that anyone is about to hide," said Hebestreit in Berlin. He made it clear "that we will work together constructively for the next eleven months until the regular election date for the next federal election."

 

Controversial issue: Federal budget

 

In view of the existing billion-euro gaps in the draft budget, Lindner's paper speaks of the need to further reduce spending. The government's draft federal budget for 2025 and the financial plan up to 2028 take steps towards "quantitative normalization and qualitative improvement of the federal budget." In view of the lowered economic forecast and the bleaker tax estimate, it is said that these steps are not sufficient.

 

The paper states that the higher debt leeway through the adjustment of the so-called economic component of the debt brake must be used exclusively to compensate for the shortfall in revenue.

 

The planned subsidy for Intel should not only be postponed, but should be eliminated entirely, the paper says. The funds tied up so far, totaling 10 billion euros, could be taken from the climate and transformation fund - this is a special federal fund. The struggling chip company Intel had postponed the construction of a factory in Magdeburg.

 

Impulses for labor market and asylum policy

 

The paper speaks of a "turning point in asylum and labor market policy". Due to a lower number of initial asylum applications, the payments to states and municipalities for support from the federal government were lower.

 

The standard rates of citizen's allowance rose disproportionately in 2024. "They will continue to exceed requirements in 2025 and should therefore be reduced by abolishing the 'grandfathering rule' in order to strengthen work incentives." The paper goes on to say that deductions for early retirement should be adjusted.

 

The CSU's financial and budgetary policy spokesman in the Bundestag, Sebastian Brehm, called Lindner's policy paper "an expression of sheer desperation over a hopeless financial situation and a disastrous situation for his party." Lindner and the FDP are part of and co-cause of the problems that are plaguing the country."

 

Dirbtinio intelekto pelningumui svarbios naujienos: „iPhone“ pardavimai padidino „Apple“ rekordą

 

 Kodėl Apple yra svarbi šiandien? Pasitikėjimas. Niekas negali pasitikėti OpenAI bosu. Visi, su juo dirbę, sutinka, kad jis nėra labai geras žmogus. Kai kurie mano, kad jis jiems vis dar naudingas. „Apple“ yra vienintelė, kuri parduoda telefonus, o ne mūsų intymiausią informaciją visiems, turintiems didelį pinigų maišą. Pasitikėjimas yra pagrindinis dalykas, kuris šiandien trukdo plačiai įdiegti dirbtinį intelektą, kas trukdo dirbtinio intelekto įmonėms gauti didelį pelną.

 

 „„Apple“ pranešė, kad rugsėjo mėnesio pajamos pasiekė rekordines aukštumas, o tai paskatino nedidelis „iPhone“ pardavimų padidėjimas, prieš išleidžiant naujus dirbtinio intelekto (AI) įrankius.

 

 Remiantis „FactSet“ duomenimis, ketvirtojo „Apple“ fiskalinio ketvirčio pardavimai siekė 94,9 mlrd. dolerių, o tai viršijo 94,5 mlrd. dolerių analitikų lūkesčius. Grynosios pajamos sumažėjo maždaug 35% iki 14,7 milijardo JAV dolerių dėl Europoje priimto teismo sprendimo, dėl kurio Apple bus priversta sumokėti daugiau, nei 14 milijardų, dolerių mokesčių Airijai.

 

 „Apple“ akcijos antrinėje rinkoje nukrito beveik 2%. Bendrovė teigė, kad tikisi, kad gruodžio mėnesio pajamos augs nuo mažų iki vidutinių vienženklių skaitmenų. Remiantis „FactSet“, analitikų prognozės pardavimų augimui tuo laikotarpiu yra 6,6%.

 

 „Apple Intelligence“, labai reklamuojamo AI įrankių rinkinio, pristatymas paskatino investuotojus, kurie tikisi, kad šios funkcijos paskatins vartotojus atnaujinti savo išmaniuosius telefonus. Apple iPhone verslo, kuris sudaro maždaug pusę visų pardavimų, pardavimai siekė 46,2 mlrd. dolerių. Rezultatai rodo posūkį nuo pirmojo pusmečio, kai išmaniųjų telefonų pardavimas buvo vangus kelis ketvirčius iš eilės.

 

 Kinijoje, kur konkurencija sustiprėjo po to, kai vietinis išmaniųjų telefonų čempionas „Huawei“ išleido didelės spartos telefoną, „Apple“ pajamos regione pasiekė 15 mlrd. dolerių.

 

 „Apple“ kolegos šią savaitę pranešė apie gerus rezultatus. „Microsoft“ ir „Google“ patronuojančios įmonės „Alphabet“ paskelbė, kad pajamos išaugo dviženkliu skaičiumi, daugiausia dėl didėjančios, dirbtinio intelekto teikiamų, debesies paslaugų paklausos. Trečiadienį „Meta Platforms“ užregistravo rekordinius ketvirčio pardavimus, kuriuos paskatino skaitmeninės reklamos stiprumas. Aplenkęs Wall Street lūkesčius, Amazon.com padidėjo daugiau, nei 4%, o debesijos paslaugų ir elektroninės prekybos pardavimų paklausa išaugo.

 

 Tačiau šie dideli technologijų žaidėjai, įskaitant „Microsoft“ ir „Meta“, susidūrė su atsargiais investuotojais, kai pranešę apie didėjančias išlaidas dirbtinio intelekto bumui. Nors šių bendrovių ketvirčio pardavimai pastebimai išaugo, trečiadienį pasibaigus prekybai jų akcijos krito, o tai pabrėžė akcininkų poreikį gauti geresnę grąžą iš milijardų dolerių, išleidžiant naujus dirbtinio intelekto produktus ir paslaugas.

 

 „iPhone“ pardavimų augimas buvo teigiamas siurprizas ir rodo, kad žmonės, turintys trijų ar ketverių metų senumo „iPhone“, yra pasirengę atnaujinti, sakė Charlesas Rinehartas, „Apple“ akcininko Johnson Investment Counsel vyriausiasis investicijų pareigūnas.

 

 Remiantis „FactSet“ duomenimis, „Apple“ laikosi atsargesnio požiūrio, palyginti su „Microsoft“ ir „Meta“, ir šiais metais veiklos sąnaudas didino daug lėčiau.

 

 Rugsėjo mėn. „Apple“ išleido savo „iPhone 16“ seriją, kuri, jos teigimu, įgalins individualizuotą ir privatesnę AI sistemą, nei kitos.

 

 Naujosios dirbtinio intelekto funkcijos pasiekiamos naujausiuose telefonuose ir ankstesnės kartos „iPhone 15 Pro“, o tai gali paskatinti naują paklausos bangą. Paskutinis didelis iPhone atnaujinimo ciklas buvo 2021 m., kai daugelis operatorių subsidijuodavo naujų telefonų pirkimą, kad vartotojai galėtų naudotis 5G palaikančiomis priemonėmis.

 

 Ankstyvieji „iPhone 16“ paklausos ženklai buvo įvairūs. Per pirmąsias aštuonias „iPhone 16“ pardavimo dienas rugsėjo mėnesį „iPhone 15“ pardavimai buvo geresni, nei pernai tuo pačiu laikotarpiu, sakė „Apple“ finansų direktorius Luca Maestri.

 

 Remiantis „Consumer Intelligence Research Partners“, naujieji „iPhone 16“ modeliai sudarė 20% JAV „iPhone“ pardavimų rugsėjį, o 2023 m. rugsėjo mėn. „iPhone 15“ serijos dalis buvo 29% – naujausias tuo metu. „Counterpoint Research“ duomenimis, Kinijoje per pirmąsias tris „iPhone 16“ pardavimo savaites sekėsi geriau, nei praėjusių metų „iPhone 15“ pristatymui. Tačiau didesni pardavimai Kinijoje gali nesitęsti, nes neseniai Kinijos vietiniai pardavėjai pristatė išmaniuosius telefonus, perspėjo tyrimų įmonė.

 

 Naujos dirbtinio intelekto funkcijos Kinijoje nepasiekiamos, o JAV jų nebuvo, kai įrenginiai buvo parduoti rugsėjį. Pirmoji funkcijų paketas buvo išleistas anksčiau šią savaitę – pranešimų apibendrinimas, teksto perrašymas ir nuotraukų išvalymas, tačiau norint jas pasiekti žmonės pirmiausia turėjo patekti į laukiančiųjų sąrašą. „Apple“ teigė, kad kitos funkcijos, įskaitant integraciją su „OpenAI“ „ChatGPT“, bus pristatytos vėliau.

 

 „Apple“ planuoja būti atsargi, pristatydama naujus įrankius,  o vadovai teigė, kad bendrovė pirmiausia skiria dėmesį privatumui ir atsakomybei.

 

 „Tai didelis pakėlimas“, – neseniai „The Wall Street Journal“ sakė „Apple“ programinės įrangos vadovas Craigas Federighi. „Galėtumėte ką nors įdėti ir sukelti netvarką. „Apple“ požiūris labiau panašus į: „Pabandykime sutvarkyti kiekvieną gabalą ir išleisti, kai jis bus paruoštas“.

 

 Vartotojai atnaujino naująją „iPhone“ operacinę sistemą greičiau, nei pernai, kad galėtų pasiekti „Apple Intelligence“, sakė Maestri.

 

 „Mūsų klientai labai domisi naujosios programinės įrangos naudojimu, kad jie galėtų patirti intelektualines funkcijas“, – sakė Maestri.

 

 Didžiausio naujojo „Apple“ produkto per beveik dešimtmetį – „Vision Pro“ akinių – pardavimas buvo lėtas, jų kaina – 3 499 doleriai. Jau kitais metais tikimasi pigesnės versijos.“ [1]

 

1. iPhone Sales Boost Apple to a Record. Tilley, Aaron.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 01 Nov 2024: A.1.

Important News for AI Profits: iPhone Sales Boost Apple to a Record

 Why Apple is important today? Trust. Nobody can trust OpenAI boss. Everybody, who worked with him, agree that he isn't a very good person. Some consider him useful for them still. Apple is the only one, who is selling phones, not our most intimate information to anybody with a big bag of money. Trust is the main thing that is interfering with broad implementation of AI today, interfering with the big profits for AI companies.

"Apple reported revenue reached a record high for the September quarter, propelled by a modest rebound in iPhone sales that came ahead of its release of new artificial-intelligence tools.

For Apple's fiscal fourth quarter, total sales were $94.9 billion, beating the $94.5 billion analysts were expecting, according to FactSet. Net income fell around 35% to $14.7 billion due to a judicial ruling in Europe that will force Apple to pay more than $14 billion in taxes to Ireland.

Apple shares fell in aftermarket trading by nearly 2%. The company said it expects revenue in the December quarter to grow in the low- to mid-single digits. Analyst projections for sales growth in that period are 6.6%, according to FactSet.

The launch of Apple Intelligence, a heavily advertised set of AI tools, has prompted a rally from investors who hope the features will lead users to upgrade their smartphones. Apple's iPhone business, which accounts for around half of overall sales, had sales of $46.2 billion. The results represent a turnaround from the first half of the year, when smartphone sales were sluggish for consecutive quarters.

In China, where competition intensified after domestic smartphone champion Huawei released a high-speed phone, Apple's revenue reached $15 billion for the region, a slight decline from the same period last year and nearly 6% below analyst expectations.

Apple's peers reported strong results this week. Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet posted double-digit revenue growth due in large part to rising demand for their AI-powered cloud services. On Wednesday, Meta Platforms logged record quarterly sales, fueled by strength in digital advertising. Amazon.com rose by more than 4% in after-hours trading after beating Wall Street expectations, with demand rising for its cloud services and e-commerce sales.

"There's an underappreciated demand," he said. "It's super encouraging to see this growth in advance of the AI features fully launching."

But these big tech players, including Microsoft and Meta, faced wary investors after reporting rising spending on the AI boom. Although quarterly sales increased markedly for both companies, their shares fell in after-hours trading Wednesday, underscoring the demand among shareholders for better returns on billions of dollars in spending for new AI products and services. 

The growth in iPhone sales was a positive surprise and indicates that people with iPhones that were three to four years old are ready to upgrade, said Charles Rinehart, chief investment officer at Johnson Investment Counsel, an Apple shareholder.

Apple has taken a more cautious approach compared with Microsoft and Meta, increasing operating expenses at a far slower rate this year, according to FactSet data.

In September, Apple released its iPhone 16 lineup, which it said would enable a personalized and more private AI system than from others. 

The new AI features are available on the latest phones and the previous generation's iPhone 15 Pro, potentially encouraging a new wave of demand. The last big upgrade cycle for the iPhone was in 2021, when many carriers were subsidizing new phone purchases to get users on 5G-enabled devices.

Early demand signs for the iPhone 16 have been mixed. In the first eight days of sales for the iPhone 16 in the September quarter, sales were better than the same period last year for the iPhone 15, said Apple Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri.

New iPhone 16 models accounted for 20% of U.S. iPhone sales in September, down from a 29% share in September 2023 of the iPhone 15 lineup, the latest at the time, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. In China, the first three weeks of sales for the iPhone 16 did better than the prior year's iPhone 15 launch, according to Counterpoint Research. But stronger sales in China might not last because of recent smartphone launches from domestic Chinese vendors, the research firm cautioned.

The new AI features aren't available in China, and in the U.S., none was available when the devices went up for sale in September. The first batch of features were released earlier this week -- summarizing notifications, rewriting text and cleaning up photos -- though people first had to get on a wait list to access them. Apple said other features, including an integration with OpenAI's ChatGPT, would be coming later.

Apple plans to be careful as it launches the new tools, and executives have said the company is focusing on privacy and responsibility first.

"This is a big lift," Craig Federighi, Apple's software chief, recently told The Wall Street Journal. "You could put something out there and have it be sort of a mess. Apple's point of view is more like, 'Let's try to get each piece right and release it when it's ready.'"

Users have upgraded to the new iPhone operating system faster than last year in order for them to access Apple Intelligence, said Maestri.

"There is a lot of interest from our customers to get onto the new software so they can experience the intelligence features," said Maestri.

For Apple's biggest new product in nearly a decade, the Vision Pro headset, sales have been slow with its high $3,499 price tag. A cheaper version is expected as soon as next year." [1]

1. iPhone Sales Boost Apple to a Record. Tilley, Aaron.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 01 Nov 2024: A.1.

 

 

Šimonytė teisi. Tarp jos ir Palucko yra tik nedidelis skirtumas, Paluckas turi mažiau patyrimo.

 Kad Paluckas yra teistas, o konservatoriai yra dar neteisti, tai čia mažas skirtumas. Ir socdemai, ir konservatoriai yra ta pati vagių šaika. Garsusis pavyzdys - auksinius šaukštus iš Lietuvos kariuomenės vogė konservatorių Landsbergių pavaldiniai, o visą tai pridengė tuometinis gynybos ministras socdemas Olekas. Kodėl amerikiečiai gali išsirinkti normalią valdžią nors retkarčiais, o mes vis skaudžiai mušame sau per tą pačią vietą? Nejaugi mes tiek žioplesni?

Šimonytė is right. There is only a slight difference between her and Paluckas, Paluckas has less experience.

The fact that Paluckas is convicted, and the conservatives are not yet convicted, is a small difference here. Socdems and Conservatives are the same gang of thieves. The famous example is that the subordinates of the Conservative Landsbergis stole gold spoons from the Lithuanian army, and all this was covered up by the then Minister of Defense, Socdem Olekas. Why is it that Americans can elect normal government once in a while and we keep beating ourselves up over the same spot? Are we that stupid?