Posts by willcor

Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram deplatform themselves: Services down globally

I suspect users are blaming their ISP for their lack of Facebook connectivity

European Commission redacts AstraZeneca vaccine contract – but forgets to wipe the bookmarks tab

Re: Clearly states the first batch is manufactured in EU, not UK

I initially read it the same as you, but I think 5.1 covers manufacturing the initial doses (filling and distribution of vials), reinforced by the reference to 7.1 (funding for same), while 5.4 covers the bulk vaccine itself. But then I'm a programmer, not a lawyer.

Re: And the EU still can't understand why the UK left.

I read 5.1 as saying the first batch should be bottled in the EU. 5.4 says the vaccine itself can be made in the UK if AZ chooses and the EU consents. Did the EU check with the UK before naming them as a third party in the contract ?

UK government shakes magic money tree, finds $500m to buy a stake in struggling satellite firm OneWeb

Re: It Could Be Made to Work ???

It seems to me the satellites don't need an accurate clock. All that's needed is a ground-level array of receivers at known locations which each note the time from their point of view that every satellite's last clock edge arrived at their location. That doesn't need long-term accuracy, we only need the delta time.

The 'where am I' receiver does the same, and compares the time distribution it sees with that of each receiver in the array, interpolating as necessary. That needs a broadband connection, but that's what these things do, right ?

Comms room, comms room, comms room is on fire – we don't need no water, let the engineer burn

get in there quickly

I was in a pub about ten years ago and a bloke a a nearly table thought it would be funny to set fire to his girlfriend's newspaper. It watched with interest as it flared up spectacularly and burning embers showered over the girl's clothes, her hair, and the nearby curtains. Nobody else seemed to have noticed so I threw a pint of lager over her, and even I was surprised how effective it was. The whole thing only lasted five or ten seconds. They bought me a new beer, which was nice.