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Microsoft to Supply Electronics to Formula 1
Yooden_Vranx writes "speedtv.com reports that beginning in 2008, Microsoft will be the sole supplier of Engine Control Units to Formula 1. Apparently, moving to a single supplier is part of the FIA's (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) attempts to cut costs.
The article does not clarify whether this cost reduction is enabled by cutting back on tech support, what percentage of the engine's power will be required to run all the 'features' embedded in the device, or whether 'crash' will now refer primarily to software behavior rather than driving incidents."
I hope it doesn't crash!
To paraphrase Chandler when Joey turns up in the Elf costume in Friends.. "Too many jokes.. must mock Microsoft". Awww shucks. Let's start with having to press CTRL-ALT-DEL on the steering wheel at 200 MPH and take it from there..
Never email donotemail@WeAreSpammers.com
This is a good chance for Microsoft to show off their embedded systems (Maybe WinCE? The article doesn't say.). Now as long as the race cars don't suddenly blow up ;)
Shh.
Something tells me this is going to be bad...
Engine Control Unit: Pressure is rising abnormally in main engine block. Would you like Windows to attempt to fix the problem?
Driver: *OK*
Engine Control Unit:This feature requires the latest service pack from windowsupdate.com. Would you like to download and install?"
Driver: shit.
... to turn the engine off?
or, be prompted with dialogs along the lines of "Applying the brakes will cause temporary loss of your vehicle's speed. Are you sure, Y/N?"
It must be a bad omen when Formula 1 is referred to as "F1" for race fans, but for techies like us, F1 means something completely different, especially in M$oft terms.
As McLaren rounds turn number 5 at Jerez, a small balloon pops up in his HUD:
You may be a victim of software counterfeiting. This copy of Windows is not genuine and is not eligible to receive all updates and product support from Microsoft.
Click Get Genuine now to get more information and resolve this issue.
Now blue screens are going to involve hemoglobin.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah... Boom!
At least something other than Takuma Sato will be the cause of a crash on an F1 circuit.
Typical of Microsoft: "Microsoft have been granted exclusive contracts to be the sole suppliers" sounds like anticompetative to me... look out... here comes the Justice Dept with a Sherman Tank
The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed (SK)
What do you mean it just stopped?
...moment later..
...and when WGA's routine credential check ran, it determined that the software was illegal per contract and shut everything down.
...and...
:)
I'm telling you... I was entering turn 3, off the throttle for just a 1/1000th of a second, and when I tried to bring the revs back up, the damn car just stopped.
Ok, Mr. Schumacher, please sit tight and give us a moment to check the logs....
We think we've located the issue, Sir. Since you crashed the A car during practice, you're in the backup car. We cloned the race configuration from the computer off the A car to the B car, but we neglected to refresh the hardware/software credentials.
Yes....and...
And...you want we should kick Massa out of his ride so you can finish the qualifying session?
Actually....no. I think I'll just sit here and block the track so nobody else can get in a run
Rotate the tires, sometimes that helps.
They just figured out the only way you can get Ferrari and Renault engines to grenade so someone else wins a championship.
Professional Politicians are not the solution, they ARE the problem.
Gentlemen, Restart your Engines!
BSOD at 200 mph - where do you want to go today? don' matter, boy, you're headed for a crash!
Ever even seen a F1 steering wheel?
D E_ID=1945
http://www.stuffmag.co.uk/hotstuffarticlerss.asp?
must be one of these!
... gets replaced by the "Flaming red scream of death".
I stole this sig from someone cleverer than me.
I hadn't thought about driver until you said something. Now all I think about is how Microsoft made the driver crash through the blue screen of death.
God spoke to me.
And how clever it was from Microsoft to make sure it's never the car's fault
thus avoiding the blame if anything goes wrong...
Sure, the driver is always the culprit!
At least these buttons will come standard on F1 control panels:
- Update Driver
- Roll Back Driver
- Uninstall Driver
I don't know if Honda will keep the "Jensen" button though...
"In addition, the WMSC also announced that due to a significant increase in cornering speeds in F1 this season, the sport's Technical Working Group will be consulted regarding possible measures to slow the cars down."
Not as much of a target as people who can't spell though...
I mod down anyone who says "I will be modded down for this", regardless of the rest of their comment
It certainly adds a whole new meaning to the term 'driver update'.
They're always trying to find ways of slowing the cars down more and more, so adding Windows to the ECU is probably the logical next step...
Code, Hardware, stuff like that.
<F1 cockpit> "Where do you want to go today?"
<F1 driver> *gasp*
<Clippy> "I've noticed you are having some trouble. Would you like me to: drive the car for you; show you a map of the circuit; wipe your helmet's visor; stop by the pitstop for a fresh change of underwear; search the help files for '300kph collision'?"
*SLAM*
i ate crayons when i was a kid and now i have two braincells and the blue ones taste nicer
F1 cars don't have opening and shutting windows, how are the support tech going to solve problems if they can't do that?
More chicanery from Redmond...
You have pressed the accelerator 5 times in a row, would you like to turn on Sticky acceleration?
Error 0x000000
Your brakes have performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.
Neeeeeeerrrrr... SMASH!