Posts by bombastic bob

Boeing wants autonomous flying cabs in US airspace by 2030

maybe they learned their lesson on that last one?

(then again...)

By Jove! Jupiter to make closest approach to Earth in 70 years next Monday

Re: Gas giant

There's plenty of methane in Uranus. No, really. Raining diamonds they say...

Re: Gas giant

if ya want even MORE gas, a pipeline to Uranus...

apparently Jupiter is close to its apogee, and to some extent, Earth to its perigee, which would make us even closer than for most oppositions.

According to one source, Jupiter's apogee (closest to the sun) is in January next year.

Earth is furthest from the sun (perigee) in July of every year.

Do the maths a bit and it puts us at a pretty ideal closeness to Jupiter.

Re: I can see for miles

all comedy aside, the planets exert tidal forces on the sun. The sun is a nuclear reactor and density is a factor in fusion rate. Even a minute alteration of density could change reactivity enough that the fusion rate is altered in a noticeable way, related directly to the positions of the planets relative to the earth, especially large ones like Jupiter. (this would affect the sun's output that is heading towards earth according to the relative planetary positions, rate of motion, and a few other physics things). Throw in the gravity well of the galactic baricenter and that of the universe, and it might explain a lot...

Thinking about that, maybe there is at least a *teensy* bit of truth in the whole astrology thing, minus the wackier mythology.

Re: Wow!

with Jupiter in direct opposition, looks like "around midnight" would be the best (on average) viewing time. or 1AM with daylight savings time applied. I have a terrible view towards the east, though, but very clear looking west, so maybe 4 AM for me looking west (so it would be lower in the sky, and I won't fall over trying to look up with binoculars).

For those with a nice clear view of sunrise, I would imagine 10 PM would work well.

Linux luminaries discuss efforts to bring Rust to the kernel

Re: Rust is barely out of nappies!

weighing coin bags works ok I suppose, Or they COULD use one of those cool coin counting machines that also can make coin rolls at the same time (if you want).

Better than an abacus, yeah.

Re: Odd choice

biggest problems with C++ in the kernel has to do with object construction and destruction, and unwinding following an exception. If you compile with no static object constructors or destructors and eliminate everything related to exception handling, you could use the remaining C++ features pretty well.

That being said, I think similar changes to Rust are required. Some things just do NOT (and CAN not) belong in a kernel!

Re: It's not an insult

use of C-pound (aka C#), as opposed to assembly language, gets you a downvote from me.

Although your point about memory safety is valid, it can be overcome in both C and assembly language through proper code review, diligence, and standardization. And Linus acting like "Linus 1.0" on occasion (heh)

And you STILL have to ask how much performance cost would result from using Rust for "memory safety" to protect from lazy/incompetent coders?

All of that effort

So, it appears that a LOT of effort is needed to get Rust into the LInux kernel. A _LOT_.

Question: what is the 'bang for the buck' expected at the end of the process?

In comparison, Microsoft has spent a GREAT DEAL of effort re-re-redesigning the user interface. Let's suppose they had LEFT IT as it was for Winxows 7, but then spent a BUNCH of time making improvements needed for touch screens without breaking the keyboard+mouse NOR the hotkeys NOR the UI that people were now very familiar with. They COULD have made the kernel SO robust that patches would no longer have to be deployed weekly. OK maybe not but still.

NOW we have a significant amount of Linux kernel dev time dedicated to folding RUST into it, and THEN having to MAINTAIN it.

In My Bombastic Opinion, there may be BETTER ways to spend this time, maybe more code reviews and performance tweeks? And maybe we could use some really good open source video drivers for various adapters (for XOrg, naturally, why waste time on Wayland).

I once again cite Arthur C. Clarke's "Superiority"

http://www.mayofamily.com/RLM/txt_Clarke_Superiority.html

Climate change prevention plans 'way off track', says UN

Re: So?

when even the producers of the products causing CO2 levels to rise have admitted that they have caused global heating, I'd say that it's up to you to prove otherwise

I regularly post a graphic on #ClimateChangeHoax that uses bullet points and a really nice chart to do EXACTLY THAT. it is not hard. It just requires applying common sense to observable facts to show that man-made CO2 basically can NOT be causing ANY kind of "climate change". [Yes, you CAN believe your own "lying eyes" and NOT that double-speak and double-think and outright lying propaganda that Big Brother is constantly shoving at you to convince you otherwise]. And for WEEKS (probably MONTHS) I have been DARING anyone to DISprove it. So far, NO takers. (I have gotten MANY responses on other things I have posted in the same venues, including from some "scientist" who loves to use the term "layman" as a pejorative, but NEVER on this particular one)

And those who 'admit' to 'causing' the 'heating' are (most likely) just caving under pressure because market research and/or gummints and/or cancel culture bullies make it the path of least resistance...

Re: It seems evident that

The more likely thing is that "science" will notice that temperatures are going back DOWN (it's what the long cycles do) and predict an ICE AGE and blame human activity and find some OTHER way to separate the 'haves' from the 'have-nots' through some economic and tyrannical means... to "solve" it. And make themselves even MORE powerful. Human nature.

Yet, worthy of mention:

the water vapour cycle has a very strong negative feedback effect on global temperatures

Yes! People forget too easily about how important WATER is, as the ACTUAL GH GAS that controls world temperatures. CO2 is a *blip*. The hydro cycle keeps earth temperatures reasonably stable.

Keep in mind that people are living in Hiroshima and Nagasaki today. At some point Chernobyl will become habitable. And not too far in the future, Fukushima. I think that "irradiated ground" is far less of a concern than shivering to death.

Re: Thought about using nuclear?

If I were to invent a safe and successful fusion power system tomorrow, there would be an ENDLESS PARADE of anti-science WACKOS trying to STOP me from building a power plant, with a constantly growing list of B.S. "concerns" to justify it. It's how the "grievance industry" does things.

I honestly believe that the goals of the protesters and lawsuers and obstructionists with respect to nuclear power have NOTHING to do with the environment, safety concernes, or waste disposal. It has to do with POWER, and not the electrical kind.

Re: Thought about using nuclear?

Nuclear power plants are *scary* to people who are easily whipped up into a frenzy. That is pretty much why we do not have enough of them.

/me operated nuclear reactors for the U.S. Navy, pushing a sub around the world for close to 4 years.

Yes. We need more nuclear power plants, and NO dependency on Vladimir Putin's pipeline.

(if nuclear electricity were charging electric cars, I would consider getting one, but most likely it is coal or oil since they would get charged at night when the rates are lower)

Re: So?

When "they" (the climate ALARMISTS) disprove everything that I've said about CO2 (with science) _AND_ stop private-jetting around the world while SMUGLY telling the REST of US how to live OUR lives, and stop legislating and regulating fuel and electricity prices and availability to the point where we are ALL (except for THEM) living like we are in a third world country...

THEN *MAYBE* I WOULD LISTEN TO THEM.

In the mean time, they should stop venting their hot air into OUR atmosphere, get out of OUR way, and leave US alone from their CLIMATE ALARMIST HYSTERIA!

(I seriously question their "science", their motives, and their elitist 'smuggery')

California Governor signs child privacy law requiring online age checks

Re: Kids' workarounds

criminals in prison have nothing but time and come up with ways to escape and to milk the system.

Children who are TREATED like prisoners (in a way) should be expected to act the SAME WAY towards any kind of unreasonable "authority". They will use their creativity to "circumvent" because it is FUN.

I mean seriously, if it's just about online pr0n, it'd be like your average [pre-]teenage boy getting access to Dad's Playboy magazines.

Governor "Nuisance" and other hyper-control-freak evil manipulative "for the children" politicians should just go away, and leave the PARENTING up to the PARENTS.

Apple warned by US lawmakers over using Chinese YMTC chips in new iPhone

Re: Danger Will Robinson!

I'd actually like to see proof of that...

Re: Apple needs to bolt from the US

OK a few bullet points for ya on China and the world market:

* Unfair trade practices (slave labor, dumping, supply chain + assembly local lock-ins)

* Unreliable due to their internal politics/policies (shutdowns and lockdowns and capricious re-prioritization)

* Communist nation, seem to be bent on world domination

* Hostile threats/actions upon the world (Taiwan, Japan for starters)

Do you REALLY want to hand over the key/core supply chains to THEM ? They are NOT our friends.

Re: Land of the Free...

No.

Retbleed slugs VM performance by up to 70 percent in kernel 5.19

Re: Speculative execution exploits in the wild?

The other thing to consider is whether or not this is needed at all.

In the cases where "sensitive data" is NOT of a concern, why not disable the mitigation?

In the cases where "sensitive data" IS of a concern, put the mitigation(s) in.

Then disclose to customers which is which. Pricing would be related to what the customer wants.

In MY case, my company web site (shared hosting) has public downloads, customer related downloads (modified linux kernel source in one case) and nothing else that would in any way be a compromise if someone leveraged an exploit. On a shared host this might be an issue but not for me.

So if it is a CHOICE for cloud services, maybe not so bad?

Rest in peace, Queen Elizabeth II – Britain's first high-tech monarch

Re: ta ta Liz

whenever the appearance of paper money changes, all of the note validators need to be updated (or you'll be standing there at the vending machine swearing at it).

Taking CHIPS Act cash? You're banned from planting advanced fabs on Chinese soil

Re: PNAC

I'm an American and I upvoted you. Be independent or at least have the potential for it.

Scientists pull hydrogen from thin air in promising clean energy move

Re: Storage ? Transport ?

have they solved the issues with storing it ?

First thing I thought of. Recent criticisms of NASA around using H2+O2 fuel for Artemis point out that SpaceX uses a hydrocarbon fuel which makes for smaller (and safer?) rockets.

I would LOVE to use fuel cells to power an electric car. Self-contained (does not need "the grid" to charge) and could theoretically be refueled as fast as a gasoline car.

However, no safe+effective storage available for the H2.

California passes bill requiring salary ranges on job listings

Re: Yes it still helps.

how much discrimination is actually happening out there? I suggest VERY LITTLE.

[like plane crashes, it happens rarely but whenever it does it makes HUGE news]

This may simply be another regulation waiting for a problem to actually address...

(Also the current reporting requirements (that I am aware of) probably overlap this. EOC already collects demographic information on hiring. My corporation is tiny so i am fortunately exempt. But I am aware of it.)

Re: Will this actually help ?

As you pointed out, it is not very worthwhile to apply for a position that underpays you. Posttng salary range will help for job SEEKERS.

THAT much at least might be an advantage.

But the Cali-F-U EOC and other agencies ALREADY collect too much info based on demographics. It is useful for lawsuits (both sides potentially), but it is a *bit* racist and sexist to make ANY kind of distinction by sex or race (or whatever identity floats your boat INCLUDING religion, politiics, and old age).

I do not think it will change much EXCEPT the ADMINISTRATIVE cost of employing people.

(Once you are signing the FRONT of the checks, you start to 'get it' when it comes to gummint gumming things up)

Open source databases: What are they and why do they matter?

Re: Microsoft SQL Server

perhaps if Micros~1 were to switch to PostgreSQL (and stop calling it "sequel") rather than using SQL Server as its basis. A handful of compatibility add-ons for PG could be easier than maintaining an entirely separate code base...

but of course the add-ons would have Micros~1 licensing so not sure how well THAT would work out.

NASA scrubs Artemis mission yet again because SLS just can't handle the pressure

Re: Gimme a spanner...

You need SPACE TAPE, not duck tape. It's got SPACE in its name.

Re: Hydrogen is HUGE

when mixed with anything carbon-based, H2O2 makes for a nice hybrid rocket engine.;

Re: Recycling

well space shuttle focused on re-usability and was a bit of an experiment in that regard.

SO yeah SRBs plus "one big tank" instead of multiple stages, and yeah the shuttle engines had to work well in a vacuum as well as on the ground. A compromise. Most of the aerodynamic losses were probably nn the fuel tank, though, before SRB separation. So the SRBs would have (probably) made up for any advantages of using fuel oil at those altitudes.

I think the same logic applies to Artemis, use the SRBs to assist where H2+O2 makes less sense, but get max performance out of the whole system trying to use just one stage + boosters to achieve orbit.

more of a philosophical decision, perhaps?

Re: Go Starship go!

methane is certainly more dense than H2 and can be liquified more easily, but you get the hottest burn with H2+O2. Hotter means better thrust efficiency. This is why engines that only operate in space (for Apollo) use H2+O2 whereas engines that act as 1st stage boosters often use other fuels for reliability and physical size (H2 tanks need to be much larger).

[Engineers doing the math, figuring out what works best]

To double thrust you must do one of two things: double the mass flow rate, or quadruple the energy from the burn. At some point there is a maximum benefit, and I'm pretty sure rocket surgeons (heh) go for that. I would. Then you look at system and operating costs, materials, safety, yotta yotta. It's all figgered out.

Terminal downgrade saves the day after a client/server heist

very similar events took place in the early naughties for a company i did work for. The PCs were stolen (cables cut, smash and grab job) so new ones were purchased and software re-installed. THEN the NEW ones were stolen. I recommended getting steel anti-theft cables with key locks to at least slow them down on the next round of computers.

(and the CEO and I actually suspected it may have been an inside job, a new employee who spent 2 weeks doing nothing but re-configure his computer twice, who was subsequently let go, and no additional thefts. no correlation, but still...)

Re: Ah, the equivalent of a modern day rollback!

I started a contract a few years ago working with embedded (RPi-based) systems that all ran Linux. But there was not a single Linux workstation in the place, so I could not get anything significant done using WIn-10-nic even with some of the new,shiny Linux-like command line features (like ssh).

I had installed Linux on an old laptop from 2003 (an old Toshiba) and I did not have another (working) one available so I brought that one in the next day and got BOATLOADS of work done. I instructed a guy with a Mac on how to make an SD card image (he was angry because it took 20 minutes to write an 8gb image from his Mac, but would have taken hours with USB 1.1) and THEN had the thing talking to equipment in short order. There were other problems, like the network firewall NOT letting me update Linux packages and things of that nature (this was eventually resolved) but 2-3 days with that stone-age Linux laptop getting MORE work done than a Win-10-nic machine convinced them. So I took an unused Win-10-nic workstation home with me and used my own (pathetic at the time) connection to install everything (while watching TV (etc.)

Funny how a pathetically slow DSL and an ancient Linux laptop "saved the day" in their OWN way.

(later after severely mocking the network people [contractors] behind their backs for being so anal retentive with the firewall settings, they were eventually "convinced" to set up an IP block that I could use that had NO FILTERING on it. As I needed outgoing ssh to my home network, as well as being able to install Linux packages, this was a MUST.)

Underwater datacenter will open for business this year

Re: Why the bleep dunk these things in salt water?

"Probably because sea-levels are rising, and are not subject to the vagaries of drought/climate change."

you SERIOUSLY had to say that...?

*facepalm*

Re: Why the bleep dunk these things in salt water?

existing dams and the U.S. Great Lakes are good categories, so long as unfriendly gummints and wacky enviro-activists don't drag the process out to infinity with continuous lawsuits, protests, cancel culture, etc..

If things get to THAT point, sea water (vs fresh) is less of a problem. It would be a matter of doing anything at ALL. And that goes DOUBLE for anything attempted in Cali-F-U . (these are very realistic concerns; years of permitting, protests, legal challenges, etc. can easily kill ANY new construction -project by draining its funds before a single concrete slab gets poured or brick gets laid)

Worth pointing out, barnacles are found close to the surface where the plankton is. So down where it is dark (below about 75 meters), it would be less of a problem. In fact, MOST of the sea growth that can clog up cooling systems is generally found close to the surface.

Also worth pointing out, water pressure increases about 1psi per 2 feet. I do not know what that is in metric, as I observed it while I was on a sub in the U.S. Navy where everything was still in feet and psi (etc.). But the deeper you go the stronger the vessel needs to be. You COULD pressurize it with air, but you do not want the equivalent of a diesel engine at depth going off when pressure meets anything with hydrocarbons and electricity, so it would have to be something inert (like Nitrogen gas). That adds more expense. It makes shallower water look a lot better.

Re: On Call

so do the techs that service the unit have to have a current diving qualification card?

/me hears Jethro Tull doing "Aqualung" in my head

also was thinking it might be easier to put it in Lake Michigan (near Chicago) or in the lake behind Hoover Dam (somewhat near Las Vegas). The whole idea of cooling by immersing in water sounds like high potential for efficiency in ANY large lake, natural or man-made.

Woman forced to sell 4-bed house after crypto exchange wrongly refunded $7.2m

Re: It was just a corporate error

I had the reverse happen to me on a payroll once (typically in the US if you own a corp you still need to put yourself on payroll and pay some kind of reasonable salary). So I FAX the latest rates from Cali-F-U to the payroll company near the end of the year, and a month or 2 later, do the first payroll of the year. Then I read the fine print while entering the bank info and what should have been around $70 "contribution" for this one Cali-F-U payroll tax, was more like $7000 !! (I think they entered the tax amount as 150% instead of 1.5%) Well I couldn't screw around with that one and immediately got back to them. Thing is they probably sent it to a NON-REFUNDABLE fund or something, and took over a week to refund me. (fortunately I had enough in the bank to cover paying myself or rent probably would have been late)

In any case it was resolved, but you know most people will NOT be too quick to say "weren't you supposed to deduct XX" or "Why is this check so big?" if they overpay (or undercharge) YOU.

MX Linux 21.2: Middleweight Debian-based distro is well worth a look

does not use systemd, but has it installed... ?

because of NVIDIA drivers?

NVIDIA - remember what Linus told you few years ago?? (he was NOT saying you are #1 either)

YOU NEED TO FIX THIS @#$% ASAP!!!

Oh, and excellent news about NOT using "the cancer known as systemd" for MX

Former Microsoft UX boss doesn't like the Windows 11 Start menu either

yeah and Micros~1 marketing picked up Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" as their theme song.

Seriously though it made more sense than the old Program Manager. I beta tested "Chicago" and they'd already added the Start menu button. I liked it WAY better than program manager.

Re: Use the windows key not start button

"start typing the 1st few letters of whatever you are looking for, it usually comes along as 1st item on the list"

That was BEFORE the search had to hit "teh intarwebs' first. NOW you are likely to get something you do NOT want (and get tracked while "finding" it). And maybe a popup ad for some paywall/adwall "solution"... (have not confirmed that last one but it would NOT surprise me)

Voyager 1 data corrupted by onboard computer that 'stopped working years ago'

Re: 70's Tec

I have an old Fender reverb unit (solid state) that was made in the 70's. A few years ago I took it completely apart, cleaned it out really well with contact cleaner [the dust inside stank like cigarettes, bad enough to give me a headache], and re-soldered the solder joints on the circuit board and cleaned up the 1/4" audio jacks and whatnot. Worked a LOT better (had proper gain again) and no more scratchy noise.

The traces on the circuit board looked like they were done by hand using a French Curve. And the parts have a LOT of space between them, not like a pocket radio from the same time period where parts are all crammed together.

(the reverb itself sounds really good when playing surf-style music or Brian Setzer kinda stuff)

California to try tackling drought with canal-top solar panels

Re: 13GW

"Over car parks!"

that is actually done a LOT. The local Walmart has several rows of covered parking with solar panels on top. Not the entire lot, but a significant portion of it. It has to make cost sense though.

Even without the panels, covering the canals with "something" has been discussed for DECADES.

There are many other issues outside of the scope of the article and related discussion, though, that could actually make a MUCH BIGGER difference in water usage and availability... related to the Sacramento river and a certain kind of fish. And maybe better drip irrigation systems for farmers, too.

Startup wants to build a space station that refuels satellites by 2025

Re: and you thought fuel prices down here were bad!

cost per kg of fuel to deliver it from Earth to the orbiting fuel station, plus fuel delivery bots that ALSO consume fuel, cost of earth-bound operators and all of the infrastructure, and THEN you have to make a profit to pay back the investors. That kinda justifies it.

Plus when you are the ONLY fuel station for 36,000 km you can charge "whatever the market will bear"

(I suppose getting a "tow" might be an interesting add-on service - to put a satellite back into orbit if it runs out of fuel and cannot do station keeping for some reason).

Still cheaper than a NEW satellite.

Japan to change laws that require use of floppy disks

Re: Obsolete regulations are best regulations

at the very LEAST, tab delimited, not CSV

(copy/pasta a libre office spreadsheet selection into a plain text editor gets you tab delimited - actual CSV takes way too much effort)

Re: Time to modernise: magneto-optical disks

I bought a ZIP drive at a time it made sense. had an IDE interface. Still got 10 usable disks somewhere. 16Mb each as I recall. When the format changed to allow bigger ones, I decided re-writeable CDROM made more sense. Still have a bunch of THOSE, too... never use 'em. The burnable DVDs though, I occasionally use for backups. Got 50 or so of those left.

I still FAX things on occasion. Cali-F-You gummint sends me an updated payroll tax rate (a certain one changes every year), and I turn around and FAX it to the payroll service.

And there is a FAX number in Sacramento that can be used to GRIPE ABOUT GUMMINT when need arises (I did this more than once a week during 2020 for obvious reasons, in large hulkbuster font, often with a photo of a guy fawkes mask).

But the last few years I've done taxes they are always e-filed, and I think corporate taxes HAVE to be e-filed now. Considering the price of paper, copying (or printer ink), and postage, it's about the same to cough up $20 or so to do it vs the old school way.

As for other things, DMV, paying use tax, etc. (even court documents in the state of Maine), it's nearly always an online form of some kind (or even e-mail, depending). So really not THAT bad.

Ubuntu Linux 18.04 systemd security patch breaks DNS in Microsoft Azure

Re: Remind me again?

"It is not a virus. Rather, it is a cancer"

certain kinds of viruses DO cause cancer, that is for sure

(systemd is probably one of them)

it solves the "problem" of not being "modern" enough

AMD refreshes desktop CPUs with 5nm Ryzen 7000s that can reach 5.7GHz with 16 cores

Re: Very impressive!

built a couple of ryzen systems recently. 5+Ghz is an AMAZING feat! Glad to see it!

Maybe in a year or so I can afford it... (want want want want)

AI detects 20,000 hidden taxable swimming pools in France, netting €10m

Re: If it steers boots on the ground to double check

to avoid tax "sticker shock", particularly for those who could LEAST afford it, one great thing that cali-forn-you ACTUALLY did, before it fell off the cliff politically, was called "Proposition 13", back in the mid 70's. Housing prices were skyrocketing (you could turn a 10% profit by buying a house and paying only interest like it was rent, and then selling it after a year). Since gummints LOVED to re-assess the houses that were already paid for, the massive increases in taxation were literally driving grandparents and retirees out of their "bought and paid for" homes. SO, the law was RIGHTFULLY changed, in that once you buy a house, the assessed value can NEVER exceed the purchase price, for tax purposes anyway. That means that when you buy it, the tax is essentially the same until you sell it.

(It was one of the few moments of sanity that came out of Sacramento, nearly 50 years ago - and many of my high school teachers were REALLY MAD about it, because they LOVED their money-pile budgets, and they had to start LIVING WITHING THEM like EVERYONE ELSE!)