Posts by annodomini2

Space upstart plans public cloud in low Earth orbit

Re: Possible motivation

Also being on orbit, harder to enforce, e.g. bypass the Great firewall as it could be satellite accessed.

Google buys developers of VR goof-around Job Simulator

Re: virtual jobs are most popular

EVE online being a case in point

Huge flying arse makes successful test flight

Re: Gasbags

Git you beat me to it!

Rich professionals could be replaced by AI, shrieks Gartner

More POWER!!!! (CPU, GPU, RAM etc)

US Air Force networks F-15 and F-22 fighters – in flight!

Re: "That's a huge pod. In a day when cellphones are a couple of ounces, why is that so big?"

How wings really work

What augmented reality was created for: An ugly drink with a balloon

Re: practical consideration

Slashing Achilles, we have a history in the UK, look it up

Ministry of Justice scraps 'conviction by computer' law

Re: the government's aim...

"...of delivering a service that is just (for the rich!), proportionate (victimises the plebs), accessible to all (with the cash) and works better for everyone (wealthy)."

How's that for a remote login? NASA puts New Horizons probe to sleep 3.5 billion miles away

Re: "unlike the Pu240, which is proving to be an expensive PITA to make."

Think there is an error with your numbers there, $240 for an RTG?

Re: The download rate is basically set by the power supply

I do find it amusing all these articles "US needs to make more Plutonium for RTGs", there's probably tons of the stuff at Sellafield.

Nvidia says Google's TPU benchmark compared wrong kit

Re: Google still kicks NVIDA in terms of power...

My interpretation of the table is that the Tensorflow isn't for training, but run-time operations.

When you've created your trained environment that is developed to run on this architecture, you can cut your on-going operating costs by using these as the equivalent power consumption is much, much lower.

If the system can function adequately in fixed point 8bit, then why not run it in that scenario. What is the point of wasting all that power and subsequently money for a field operable system that is adequate for the job.

Google have the resource to develop something like this and if it either allows them to increase functionality or save money or both, then they would probably invest in it.

Yes they could buy GPUs off the shelf, but just because something is available to do it this way does not necessarily mean it's the best solution for the job.

FPGA's are great at being flexible, but they are usually not very power efficient.

I get the impression you are looking at this from an academic/development environment perspective rather than a production environment perspective, which is where Google are operating these devices (assumed).

Broadband providers almost double prices after deals end

Re: Article and 29 comments so far and not one mention of

But you would probably be signing a 12-18m contract with the new supplier, so how is this any different?

Boeing 737 turns 50

Re: Much as I'd like to be impressed

Boils down to 3 things:

1. Operating costs.

2. Customer Confidence.

3. Engineering cost for a radical concept.

A component of the Operating costs, is the cost of the Aircraft itself. If this was replaced with a new radical design, the engineering costs would be high and Customer confidence low. This will massively increase the cost of an Aircraft, increasing operating costs.

If the Aircraft were vastly more efficient e.g. 50%+, you may have some interest, but the operating costs have to show significant benefit before you will get custom.

Boeing-backed US upstart reckons it'll be building electric airliners

Re: The important word here is Hybrid

The other advantage of being a electrical generator instead of a gas generator is it can operate in the peak efficiency zone of the engine more of the time, which with many Gas turbines is usually quite narrow.

Re: Catapult takeoff?

It's 3-4g on a Carrier as the runway is short.

If it could use the same launch profile as if there was no catapult (i.e. just get it to take off speed), there must be some savings there.

BOFH: Defenestration, a solution to Solutions To Problems We Don't Have

Re: More cattle prods...

Replace the circuitry with a motorbike ignition coil and a 9v battery.

Boeing details 'Deep Space Gateway' for Mars mission staging

The Falcon 9 Heavy isn't for Mars travel, it's for heavy geostationary satellites.

The SpaceX ITS is for Mars and hasn't been built yet.

Re: Nice idea

Coilgun, rather than a railgun, magnetically hold it to the surface. Main issue is the air resistance on Earth.

Boffins invent wacky quantum gizmo prototype for secure mobile payments

So...

Decryption becomes much harder, but DOS becomes much easier?

User jams up PC. Literally. No, we don't know which flavour

Re: jam

"incorrect" more likely.

"Your password is incorrect!"

Is that a phone in your hand – or a gun? This neural network reckons it has it all figured out

Na it just edits the video and claims they threw it away

Get a GRIP! Robolution ain't happening until TOUCH is cracked

Re: the Lego test

2nd point, magnet on a robot arm.

Volkswagen pleads guilty to three Dieselgate criminal charges

Re: Justice for the UK?

It's due to a difference in the law, the EU regulations the UK follows in this regard doesn't specifically state that a bypass device/software for the test is illegal, whereas the US regulations do.

Road accident nuisance callers fined £270,000 for being absolute sh*tbags

Re: Was about to say the same thing

@Electron Shepard, your example is backwards, it is up to the police to prove, beyond reasonable doubt, you were exceeding the posted speed limit.

CIA hacking dossier leak reignites debate over vulnerability disclosure

Re: Zero day vulns sound great for TLA's

Like anything regarding security: "If there is a way in, you can get in!"

Look! Up in the sky! Is it a drone? Is it a car? It's both, crossed with Uber

Re: And if you think about it for more than 10 minutes...

Currently space is not an issue because there isn't many of them, get 2 million of them up there each needing to be at least a mile apart from each other and things change.

Also Air traffic control is stressful with the current setup, imagine people having to organise that many flying vehicles. Yes I know they would intend to automate it, but that is not currently the case.

Salford and Liverpool City Councils plan IT trading venture

More privatisation by the back door

How long before these commercial entities are sold off?

In a loving tribute to its fiery washing machines and Note 7... Samsung management explodes

Re: Samsung:

Maybe they took the notion of a Fire Sale too far.

The most l33t phone of MWC: DarkMatter's Katim

Snapdragon 821

Quad core not Octo core

NHS patient letters meant for GPs went undelivered for years

Curious

How many people died as a result of various information from GPs not reaching Hospitals and Vice Versa, given the need for this current shambles to attempt to run the NHS into the ground to justify privatisation, it wouldn't shock me if this was deliberate.

Autonomous cars are about to do to transport what the internet did to information

Re: Works for cities

"If more people were to rely on automated vehicles there'd be less privately owned cars sitting parked on the streets so more spaces."

Actually there won't...

People mainly use their cars for getting to and from work, this is where the peak demand will be, so if there are not enough cars available, someone is either going to buy there own or change jobs (because they were fired due to being either late or never arriving).

Now there could be some "rideshare" systems which may save a few cars, but I'd put money many (who could afford it) would be willing to pay extra not to have to sit in the vehicle with some stranger.

The Vehicle OEMs won't like their market being shortened, the bulk of the tech in vehicles is reused and margins are quite high, the evolution and competition will reduce costs.

Yes early autonomous vehicles will be expensive, just as pretty much all automotive tech trickles down.

It won't be a rental setup, but the cost of a taxi fare may go down.

Alert! The dastardly Dutch are sailing a 90-ship fleet at Blighty

Re: The RN can send an attack submarine to shadow the Dutch...

Bunch of Sea cadets in a dingy with some air-rifles probably.

Sysadmin's sole client was his wife – and she queried his bill

Re: My family doesn't even know I do IT work...

I just refuse to do it for free for them,

"Can you take a look at my computer, it's being a bit weird?"

"Yup, £75/hr."

"But the computer repair shop round the corner, usually only charges me £25!"

"Then take it to them then!"

O2 daddy Telefónica reports 12.5% drop in UK sales

Not competing

Price rises when others are supplying a more cost effective product and an unwillingness to discount when presented with those options are the reason I left.

I was happy with the service, but I'm not paying through the nose for it.

I would suspect many others have left for the same reason.

More brilliant Internet of Things gadgetry: A £1,300 mousetrap

Cat...Pfft, you need a Polymorph

Will make the game of Tom and Jerry far more entertaining.

Would be less likely to bring other mice in, although the emotion consuming side effects may be too much for some.

Tosh doubles 64-layer 3D flash chip capacity with a bit of TLC

Cost/TB

Once the Cost/TB is comparable, spinning rust will die.

Oh UK. You won't switch mobile providers. And now look at you! £5.8bn you've lost

Re: cut to the chase

This may be a lot of people who've bought a new phone on a deal that was £30+/month and not upgraded when the contract expired, but are still charged the same monthly rate.

Get this: Tech industry thinks journos are too mean. TOO MEAN?!

Re: Guess they have something in common with Trump after all

Trump is completely reliant on an adversarial press, it gets him the headlines his ego so desperately needs.

Beeps, roots and leaves: Car-controlling Android apps create theft risk

Turd polishers to the rescue

... or not as usual, just so they can justify some ridiculous bonus for selling a feature no one sane actually wants.

NASA bakes Venus-proof electronics

Re: Working at 500°C

Say hello to micro steam turbines.

Prepare your popcorn: Wikipedia deems the Daily Mail unreliable

Re: Irony

@John Lilburne, you forgot 'Daily Fail'

Facebook investors yell at CEO: Get the Zuck out of our boardroom!

Re: Monopolists Rule !

Careful FSS you're becoming almost comprehensible in your posts, wouldn't want to tarnish that image.

NASA's Curiosity puts cat among the climate pigeons: Lack of CO2 sinks water theory

Re: "which was supposedly a lot thicker"

In regards to the water conundrum, there are large swathes of water ice on Mars:

Water ice on Mars

Which would suggest if the temperature were high enough it would be liquid.

Now what evidence do we have of the surface pressure of the atmosphere on Mars at that time?

The evidence presented suggests a low concentration of Carbon molecules in the atmosphere, but it does not state the pressure, which suggests we do not know.

It is widely suggested that the solar wind has stripped Mars of it's atmosphere.

If the atmospheric pressure was higher on Mars (potentially supported with ground sourced energy) it may have had liquid water, the observational evidence certainly suggests it did.

Parents have no idea when kidz txt m8s 'KMS' or '99'

Re: Why does it matter?

Maybe the culture shift is deliberate to encourage you to accept mass surveillance?

David Hockney creates new Sun masthead. Now for The Reg...

Re: The Sun?

I think turd would appropriately apply to most if not all newspapers.

For $deity's sake, smile! It's Friday! Sad coders write bad code – official

Re: Deadlines

One gap is generally liability on the Sales droid/Turd Polisher side, they are generally liable only to the point of getting the business in, so they promise said customer Diamond encrusted Moon on a Golden stick. Involving unrealistic or unachievable technical goals, combined with unachievable and unrealistic deadlines.

Until there is liability on the delivery goals from the individuals/groups within the business that are responsible for the original agreement with the customer (without negative reflection on those groups due to unrealistic customer expectations), nothing will change.

Another gap is a general micro-management culture in certain businesses.

Work-Life balance.

Excessive Unpaid Overtime expectations. (This is generally due to the above unrealistic deadlines, resulting in a vicious circle of permanent fire fighting, which results in a highly stressed and unmotivated workforce).

Shifting responsibility down, while retaining authority above.

"People Jacking" resulting in the "Many Chiefs not enough Indians" behaviour.

Unrealistic Project Managers (i.e. the 9 Women can make a baby in 1 month types)

Super-cool sysadmin fixes PCs with gravity, or his fists

Unfortunately the Politicos think this is also the solution to social problems.

Boeing's 747 to fly off the production line for the foreseeable future

Re: Simple

If you think Automotive OEMs create "totally new cars" every time you are sadly mistaken.

90% of changes are cosmetic, 5% tuning, 5% SW.

I'm not saying they don't create new cars, but the volume of parts sharing for many OEMs is quite high.

PM hints at legislation stick to force blue-light services to share IT

Re: Would it not make more sense..

This is not about common sense it's about profit at the tax payers expense and cushy jobs for civil servants and MPs involved.

I'm deadly serious about megatunnels, vows Elon Musk

All related to Mars

If no-one has noticed this is all related to his Mars project.

Electric cars - no freely available oxygen on Mars to run an ICE, so vehicles will need to be electric.

Solar Panels - Power the Mars Habitat.

Batteries - For vehicles above, in Space and on Mars.

Mars Habitat - Will probably have to be underground, so dig, hence digging company.

Hyperloop - Long Term Surface transport on Mars.

Awaiting something on either Hydroponics or Nuclear power.

Forget Tony Stark's Iron Man – exosuits of the future will be spandex

Re: "Social acceptability may not matter in conflict scenarios"

Also if it is cheap, flexible and integrated into the uniform there is no need to "strap in".