Posts by TedF

This data center will be Europe’s first with hydrogen backup power

Re: A Step In The Right Direction

That's a problem that is being tackled by a number of start-ups. Kubagen for example, uses a molecular 'sieve' that increases capacity and reduces storage pressure.

Tesla driver charged with vehicular manslaughter after deadly Autopilot crash

Autoplilot Dream

This story confirms my suspicions on the chances of ever arriving at a completely autonomous car; the technology could get 99% there but until fatal autonomous car crashes result in a shrug from the occupants and a hefty bill to the car manufacturer, it's not going to happen.

The James Webb Space Telescope has only gone and deployed its primary mirror

Dystopian Daydream

I have this uncomfortable daydream that Webb picks up unmistakable signals from an advanced civilization but that, being a Billion light years away, they will be long gone...

You've stolen the antiglare shield on that monitor you've fixed – they say the screen is completely unreadable now

Nicotine 'Plating'

Had a gold anodised pair of sliding Aluminium doors with bronzed tinted glass in a house occupied previously by chain smokers. Dated now but looked in good shape. After a few years use and prior to selling, I was giving it a thorough clean with neat 'Flash' - Silver anodising and clear glass apparently. No hint of the disgusting coating previously as it was so uniform...

Nobody cares about DAB radio – so let's force it onto smart speakers, suggests UK govt review

Car DAB misunderstanding

It's a common misunderstanding that people see 'DAB' on their car radios and assume that it works fine, they don't realise that many will automatically switch to FM if they lose a DAB connection - and stay there.

Vaccine dreams: A trip to Oxford to see a biscuit tin, some bed pans and ChAdOx1 nCov-19

Re: Journalistic sarcasm

AKA Phosgene. (Try spraying a CFC propelled aerosol through a flame...)

Ingenuity Mars Helicopter cleared for further, farther, flying after landing on 117-second fourth flight

Fast re-charging

I'm impressed that the footling solar panel stuck on top (like an after-thought) can actually recharge its batteries fairly quickly.

UK government resists pressure to hold statutory inquiry into Post Office Horizon scandal

Depressing

I find it rather depressing that the common sense question "Why do think that suddenly scores of Post Masters have become criminals" was succesfully countered with the declaration fron Fujitsu that this was proof that their software was really working , by exposing decades of fraud.

Surprise: Automated driving biz finds automated driving safer than letting you get behind the wheel

The problem with people

I'm sure systems will eventually be good enough to cope with the vagaries of a wide range of roads.

It would mean you could remove all pedestian crossings in towns; want to cross the road? - Simply step out into traffic and watch it safely stop for you. Got a few hundred people crossing and re-crossing the road? You can see where this is going.

Titanium carbide nanotech approach hints at hydrogen storage breakthrough

Greener Natural Gas

Interesting that our Government (not known for forward planning) have passed Legislation to allow up to 15% Hydrogen to be added to existing Natural Gas supplies...

Made in China? Not for much longer, reckons Foxconn boss

Global Equilibrium

In the grand scheme of things, China becomes more and more wealthy and is obliged to pay its workers more.

Meanwhile, Europe and the West continue to collapse and degenerate so that our pay and lifestyle eventually matches Chinas...

Aussie engineer accuses 'serial farter' supervisor of bullying, seeks $1.8m redress

Re: Farts are Omnidirectional

Flatulence at grand banquet;

"I say, you farted in front of my wife!"

"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't realise it was her turn!"

Disengage, disengage! Cali DMV reports show how often human drivers override robot cars

Sleeping feet...

A change over from automatic driving to human driving will always be traumatic. Am I the only person who feels disorientated after being on cruise control for hours and having to wake up their feet as you leave the motorway?

Hawaiian fake nukes alert caused by fat-fingered fumble of garbage GUI

No warning at all?

Does the UK still have a warning system? I do remember sirens being tested in the sixties and despite warnings in the local press of the test, many getting very upset.

Tesla launches electric truck it guarantees won't break for a million miles

Stainless Hero?

Is it just me, or has Elon Musk started to look like John DeLorean?

Fully working U-Boat Enigma machine sells for $365,000

Big Risk

Taking a bit of a risk aren't you? If GCHQ decodes this, you are TOAST...

WHY did NASA probe go suddenly SILENT - JUST as it was about to send pics of remote ice-world?

"ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS—EXCEPT PLUTO

ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE"

(How embarrassing would that be?)

This whopping 16-bit computer processor is being built by hand, transistor by transistor

The Fellow is a fraud! Commercially made transistors? Pah! Get some Silicon and get doping...

Govt control? Hah! It's IMPOSSIBLE to have a successful command economy

Re: @ TedF

The western world's capitalist system is steadily increasing the gap between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. My comment was a simple reductio ad absurdem argument. You though, seem to be one of the believers who will chant "There is no alternative!" as the world slides down the crapper..

The real problem seems to be that Global Capitalism will end with a few Trillionaires and everyone else crawling around in the mud convincing themselves that "there is no alternative!"

Royal Navy parks 470 double-decker buses on Queen Elizabeth

Yes -No - Yes - No

In typical UK MOD bungling style, it was going to have steam catapults, then it wasn't, then some fancy electro-magnetic linear motor catapult, then nothing. Multiply this sort of faffing about for every system aboard and I wonder it hasn't cost ten times its already staggering cost. Still six years to finish it, so plenty of opportunities to add / delete / add again countless bits of technology. . . .

You’re NOT fired: The story of Amstrad’s amazing CPC 464

Sorcery Plus

Happy memories of covering the patio doors with 'Post-it' notes as we kept a record of how to go from room to room - Creak!

Great intro to computing

I bought 30 - odd Amstrads for my school at a time when CUB monitors and BBC masters were the norm. They proved amazingly tough and reliable whereas the BBCs were a nightmare. We used PCW's as upgrades from typewriters and CPC 6128s to introduce computing. At some point we built (kit?) mice interfaces and used DMP printers. 'Protext' was a fabulous word processor and simple 'coding' done via LOGO. Happy memories.

Why UK.gov's £1.2bn fibre broadband rollout is a bumbling FLOP

Quite; there's nothing like high speed Porn...

Cheap 3D printer works with steel

Re: M Blowhard Now this is more like it.

Today I learnt a gun can be 'safe' and 'useful'.

Build your own WORKING Sonic Screwdriver... for a UNDER A FIVER

Working Sonic Screwdriver - Pozidrive screwdriver with a whistle built in to the handle.

What?

NO! Radio broadcasters snub 'end of FM' DAB radio changeover

Re: Technoluddites

"Embrace the change. With more people listening, it can only get better."

No it won't.

DAB is an old system abandoned by the rest of the World. We need the Government to acknowledge their mistake and adopt DAB+ with more thought of firmware updates in the future.

Digital radio may replace FM altogether - even though nobody wants it

It's Silicon. (You may however have a radio polishing fetish - who am I to judge.)

Cyber jihad as Indonesia and Bangladesh hack each other off the web

Modern cyber-war is one thing; why illustrate it with a picture of a Bristol Bloodhound missile from the 1950s?

Get lost, drivers: Google Maps is not for you – US judge

Re: Luckily the

Those pron films are the best!

Look out! Peak wind is coming, warns top Harvard physicist

Re: I'm shocked, shocked...

or connected even...

Bubble baron treats Space Station crew to blowup model

Very reasonable

$17.8 million seems very reasonable; have they taken inflation into account?

The Beatles Yellow Submarine restored

Graphics - trippy Audio - Overwhelming

A distinct improvement on my DVD copy with pin-sharp graphics (though the 'dodgy' artwork in Bulldog scene still grates.) Audio seems over cooked though with alarming surges and stereo image leaping about at times. A colourful, one-off featuring the Fab Four.

Attention swingbellies: Pizza sauce is a healthy vegetable

Fast food Government

The U.S. government is run by and for big corporations; they will do anything in their considerable power to keep the population hooked on their products.

Amoral and jaw - droppingly ignorant - the tomato is a fruit!

Mars trips could blind astronauts

Or even space odyssey . . .

Pure Contour DAB/FM and Internet radio

DAB+?

FM / Internet radio - fine; but DAB+?

Is this PURE's attempt to push the UK government into adopting a half-way sensible digital system?

James Bond's autogyro revived by Brit spec-ops pilots

Other autogyros are available. .

Other Companies have been developing Autogyros (Gyroplanes?) for some time -

http://www.celieraviation.eu/

Celier have Rotax powered Gyros that are being assessed by Police forces.