Posts by et tu, brute?

InSight data suggests plentiful water lies beneath Mars' surface

So the aquifers Kim Stanley Robinson wrote about in the Mars trilogy actually exist!

The secret to better weather forecasts may be a dash of AI

I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that machine learning and LLM's are branded as "AI"...

There's no intelligence there, it's just machines following pre-programmed routines!

No spontaneous thinking, no wild ideas, no inspiration, nada!

Is that what we call intelligence????

Boffins reckon Mars colony could survive with fewer than two dozen people

Re: as long as

Was wondering how far down the comment list this would pop up :D

Ireland unfriends Facebook: Oh Zucky Boy, the pipes, the pipes are closing…from glen to US, and through the EU-side

Re: "does this prevent people accessing it from the US? "

http://purl.org/nxg/note/singular-data

Bit of a read, but do yourself a favour and read it all...

Best argument is that you won't ask "How many data do you have?" (indicating plural) but you would ask "How much data do you have?" (indicating singular, i.e. a collective)

And let the down-votes roll in...

Re: "does this prevent people accessing it from the US? "

Saying "data are" just looks wrong to me... For me it will always be "data is"!

They've only gone and bloody done it! NASA, SpaceX send two fellas off to the International Space Station

Re: Awesome...

> Only turned off when Ted Cruz popped up to give his speech.

So you left at the same time as I did!

Awesome...

...spending almost 5 hours of my life to watch this.

>>> to the people involved!

Turns out Elon can't control the weather – what a scrub: Rain, clouds delay historic manned SpaceX-NASA launch

Well, at least it didn't go like the icon >>>>

And watching the 4.5 hours of webcast was mostly interesting :)

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a flying solar panel: BAE Systems' satellite alternative makes maiden flight in Oz

Re: Why, oh why...

That's my point: why are we, glorified monkeys, so backward that all we can think of (and provide money for) is ways to kill other glorified monkeys?

When are we going to be advanced enough to do science and scientific applications just for the benefit of humanity (and other species), rather than for advantages in killing others?

If I could, I would leave, so mine's the one with a Hitchhiker's Guide in the pocket...

Why, oh why...

...can't we for once develop something cool like this without a military application?

Ancient Ore Crusher or KillBot 2000? NASA gets ready to pick a name for its Mars 2020 Rover

Re: Marsy McMarsface

Nirgal!

(See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirgal_Vallis)

Astroboffins baffled as Curiosity rover takes larger gasps of oxygen in Martian summers

Re: Can anyone think of a chemical process?

Hmm, yeah... the red weed that gives the planet it's distincting colour?

A peeling solution to pothole has split the community... Yeah, they stuck a banana tree in it

He's called Getafix in the English version... quite appropriate in this case where the road needs fixing

Boffins baffled by planet nugget whizzing round white dwarf that should have killed it

Leftover core, or an ark ship?

Could it be an ark ship containing the last of the civilisation that lived there?

Never thought we'd ever utter these words, but... can anyone recommend a spin doctor for NASA?

Re: Blame it on the thrusters

Or it's spinning up to provide gravity before it wakes it's sleepers...

Sorry, but NASA says Mars signal wasn't Opportunity knocking

"Here at Vulture West we're crossing fingers and toes"

And arms and legs and whatever else can be crossed...

Brit startup plans fusion-powered missions to the stars

Interstellar fuel

Would be a good idea to get ion thrusters to use methane as a fuel... Capture the farts of the spacefarers, and use it for propulsion!

Just an idea...

Fruit flies use the power of the sun to help them fly in straight lines

"For flies crossing inhospitable territory, flying around in circles would be really dangerous - they're less likely to find any food or water"

No shit Sherlock...

New Horizons eyeballs Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule, its next flyby goal

Will be so much better than the fireworks on New Year!

Well, well, well. Crime does pay: Ransomware creeps let off with community service

"notoriously difficult language"

Not that difficult... I managed to learn it as a toddler!

English on the other hand...

I predict a riot: Amazon UK chief foresees 'civil unrest' for no-deal Brexit

Re: Government by Big Business

People are already upset at the level of control exercised by the EU, they're unlikely to be any more supportive of government by Big Business

i.e. business as usual?

People who don't understand that this is exactly what we have in this capitalist "democracy" shouldn't be allowed to vote...

Swiss sausage sizzler 4.0 hits 200 bangers per hour

Re: specific sausage style

From the picture on ElReg, yeah... but looking at the picture from the linked article, boerie would be possible if you make smaller portions, and not want to braai the whole roll of wors at once...

--> perfect addition to said boerie...

We've heard of data gravity – we're just not sure how to defy it yet

Maybe they earn the millions for inventing new buzzwords?

UK government's war on e-cigs is over

Re: Ex-smoker, vaper here

I'm vaping at work, and even in aeroplanes, without any complaints whatsoever! No colleagues ever complained, and no smoke alarms have been set off. Actually, on the point of smoke alarms, it's weird that they would go off, as it would mean you can't boil a kettle under one of them either: also steam, just like what I exhale!

I vape for the nicotine, not to generate any clouds... With decent kit, it gives enough of a throat hit to satisfy me, and I need the nicotine (yes, I'm addicted to it, and so what, that's my choice!)

Juno's first data causing boffins to rewrite the text books on Jupiter

Sadly no black monolith found

Not yet!

Watch SpaceX's rocket dramatically detonate, destroying a $200m Facebook satellite

Oops!

That's it... title says it all!

SpaceX lands another rocket

Re: Never boring

Just curious: Sonic boom even when the landing is on a barge? Thought it would be well away from land by then?

Classic Shell hackers: We infected FossHub so ransomware couldn't (and yeah, also for fun)

Re: Collateral Damage?

You mean like striking tube drivers, who also punish the users instead of the company?

Same principle, if you ask me...

Break out the Elder Scrolls: Skyrmion characters seek storage possibilities

Raising one...

...as that is all I can do!

Have no clue how this works or would work, but I'm sure the scientists do, thus "proost"!

Flame Canada, flame Canada ... Botched govt payroll computers spew smoke ahead of probe

Phoenix...

...rises from the ashes, so surely smoke is a good sign, as fire is needed to produce ashes?

Here WeGo! Google Maps rival drops Maps branding

Had a look, but...

...the permission details needed by the app are simply mad!

Identity

- Find accounts on the device

- Read your own contact card

Contacts

- Read your contacts

Location (this I can understand!)

- Approximate location (network-based)

- Precise location (GPS and network-based)

SMS

- Send SMS messages

Phone

- Read call log

Photos/Media/Files

- Modify or delete the contents of your SD card

- Read the contents of your SD card

Wi-Fi connection information

- View Wi-Fi connections

Bluetooth connection information

- Access Bluetooth settings

Device ID & call information

- Read phone status and identity

Other

- Prevent phone from sleeping

- Install shortcuts

- Control vibration

- View network connections

- Full network access

- Uninstall shortcuts

- Change network connectivity

- Pair with Bluetooth devices

Updates to HERE WeGo may automatically add additional capabilities within each group.

O2 sales dip 9% as tight-fisted Brits cling to their old handsets

Re: What is wrong with an old handset ?

Was exactly my reaction to the article... unless they come up with a revolutionary design or software improvements, why would I upgrade? Just to get more useless bloatware?

No thanks, what I have now does the job perfectly!

After Monday's landing, SpaceX wants to do it in triplicate

Re: I just love the idea...

We need the webcast split into at least 3 windows: one each streaming the video from the boosters coming back (left and right), and the middle window showing the central stack still going...

Can't wait!

Raising one to the engineers...

Loose wrists shake chips: Your wrist-job could be a PIN-snitch

Next time, comment from a computer... Phones are made to call and speak to people, not leave comments on our favourite website!

Vodafone hints at relocation from UK

Re: Close the door on your way out.

UK's EU reps keen to protect Brit mobile player rather than act for consumers.

So, normal corporate operation then. Corporates will always do everything in their own interest, never in the interest of the consumer!

Not saying you're wrong, but if you don't like it, start a revolution against capitalism...

Boring SpaceX lobs another sat into orbit without anything blowing up ... zzzzz

Re: Speeded up view from Stage 1's perspective of landing.

Thanks for finding it and posting the link! That's really amazing footage!

Watch: SpaceX finally lands Falcon rocket on robo-barge in one piece

Congratulations to SpaceX!

And thank you for a wonderful extra present on my birthday!

It was actually just more than a year ago that I posted a comment to say a successful landing would be a perfect present, as their next attempt would have been on the 8th of Aprilf, and now it happened! (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/02/11/spacex_launches_dscovr_satellite_into_deep_space_after_4_day_and_ten_year_wait/)

Lifting one to the geniuses at SpaceX!

HMRC dangles £10bn in outsourcing meat before hungry SME hounds

Re: The dangers of SME in Government work

Well, I'm running a ME (Micro Enterprise) and would love to get my hands on some of that £10bn pie...

I promise not to mess up, and also promise not to modify my own company and personal accounts, so where can I sign up?

Clear November in your diary: SpaceX teases first Falcon Heavy liftoff

November cleared...

...although I generally always clear my diary when a SpaceX launch is announced, even up to four times to see a launch called off up to the last second!

-> Raising one to the engineers who make this happen!

Fifth time's the charm as SpaceX pops satellite into orbit

Re: Thus we get no footage, even some time after the event.

Uhm... what about the following links?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/01/10/spacex_rocket_falcon_9_drone_ship_landing_fails/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/04/14/spacex_falcon_landing_barge_iss_resupply/

And Elon tweeted a link as well:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAqirNbwEc0/

SpaceX Falcon 9 set yet again to soar aloft

Oops...

Elon Musk's last tweet: "Target altitude of 40,600 km achieved. Thanks @SES_Satellites for riding on Falcon 9! Looking forward to future missions." (https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/705910704792973313)

Bit of a mistake there! Satellite deployed at 602 km altitude... Still a bit to go before it reached geostationary orbit!

Or am I not understanding?

Re: Good luck, SpaceX!

What technology do they rely on to broadcast from the barge? If satellite, maybe the rocket burn completely blocks out the signal?

Earthquake-sensing smartphone app fires off early alerts of disaster

False positives...

Like a group of friends on quad-bikes converging on each other from four directions in a large open area, all happily bumping around, and thus triggering an alert?

UK taxpayers should foot £2bn or more to adopt Snoopers' Charter, says Inquiry

Really?????

See title...

Major Hollywood studio eyes Paint Drying sequel

"Paint Dying: The Flaking"

Followed by a reboot of the series:

"Paint Drying: The Repaint"

Paint Drying 2: Dry Hard

Based on the novel by Primer Levi

I would love to read the book!

Data centers dig in as monster storm strikes America's East Coast

Re: A nice cup of tea

Coffee for me please... you can keep the tea!

>> Mine's the one with the packet of ground coffee and a cafetière in the (big) pockets...

Wikimedia Foundation bins community-elected trustee

Your view, my view, and I think the view of millions of others...

...just not enough (yet) to start a revolution, as it is millions against the billions...

Getting metal hunks into orbit used to cost a bomb. Then SpaceX's Falcon 9 landed

A bit negative...

...is my opinion of the article! Not so good, Vulture central!

At least now we have, for the first time ever, a first stage that successfully boosted a delivery to it's intended orbit, and got it back in one piece, able to analyse exactly what happens to the engines! And if it becomes obvious from that analysis that the engines are not really reusable right now, we at least get to learn how to build them better to make them properly reusable...

Nobody has ever done that before, so it's hats off to SpaceX!

The ball's in your court, Bezos: Falcon 9 lands after launching satellites

Re: Watched it live last night

Me too, here from the Netherlands... was well worth the short night that followed after watching right until the end at 3 o'clock local time!