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User: wiredlogic

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  1. Re:TERRIBLE ADVICE on Woz Cites "Scary" Prius Acceleration Software Problem · · Score: 1

    Whats more, you'll lose power brakes

    Actually, the brake booster will still function normally on the first actuation of the brake pedal after the engine is turned off. This is assuming that the check valve on the vacuum line is working correctly and there are no other leaks such that there is still full vacuum in the booster. After the first time the pedal is released the vacuum will begin to diminish as the booster fills with air at normal pressure.

  2. Re:Now I get it. on How Many SUSE Subscriptions Can You Get For $240M? · · Score: 2, Funny

    It finally proves that Linux has a higher TCO.

  3. Re:bicycle lanes are for BICYCLISTS on Electric Bicycles Surging In Popularity · · Score: 1

    As far as I know all of the electric bikes are designed to top out their power assist at 20mph. This is how they avoid classification as a moped (with requisite MV registration) in those states that don't ban e-bikes outright. There is still going to be some disparity in speed between them and a larger motor vehicle on most roads. While you can pedal them to faster speeds, nobody is going to do that because they weigh a ton and are a chore to accelerate.

  4. Re:reasons this may not catch on in the US on Electric Bicycles Surging In Popularity · · Score: 2, Interesting

    pretty much everyone else in the world has the sense to realise that bicyclists are pedestrians. They don't belong in the road any more than joggers or skateboarders.

    I don't suppose you've ever ridden down a sidewalk at 30mph? How about trying to avoid getting hit by cars pulling in and out of driveways while riding down a sidewalk at 30mph? Nobody expects fast moving vehicles on a sidewalk and they are a hazard to any cyclist capable of maintaining high speed. The widespread development of smooth paved roads was initially done at the behest of cyclists 100+ years ago who wanted a better surface to ride on than dirt or gravel. Now all of a sudden the automobile comes along and we can't use the roads originally made for us. That's very fair.

  5. Re:reasons this may not catch on in the US on Electric Bicycles Surging In Popularity · · Score: 1

    Most of your trouble is the fault of cities designed solely around the automobile and having bike lanes to ride in. Riding a bike in an older US city where the streets were laid out before the rise of the automobile is nicer. You will have a road network that tends to offer more options for routing yourself. You don't have many roads with more than four lanes of traffic to deal with so setting up for left turns is easier. In a city that doesn't have bike lanes there is no potential for arrogant drivers to expect you to be trapped in them or do stupid things like parking in them or right hooking the "invisible" cyclists in their special ghetto. This is the most problematic issue with bike lanes. You are placed far to the right, outside the zone of awareness of the typical driver and they will happily ignore your presence when moving across your path. Without bike lanes drivers are more obliged to let you blend in with them and you are more favorably positioned in their cone of vision. If the local car culture is more laid back then it can be mostly pleasant to ride in a city like this. You will still encounter idiots on a regular basis but it is a manageable problem in my opinion.

  6. Re:Safety Critical on Toyota Pedal Issue Highlights Move To Electronics · · Score: 1

    More specifically, with the engine off, the brake booster cannot replenish its vacuum. After the first release of the brakes with the engine off, the vacuum is diminished and eventually equalizes with atmospheric pressure after multiple pedal cycles. The brakes themselves don't actually fade but it requires more effort than normal to get the same amount of force delivered to them. The solution is don't pump the brakes and hope that your ABS is still functioning if you need it.

    This isn't peculiar to Toyotas. It affects all vehicles with engine supplied vacuum. A diesel with an electric vacuum pump will still provide brake boost as long as the pump is running.

  7. Re:Apple should let Fujitsu have it... on Fujitsu Readies Lawsuit Over "iPad" Name · · Score: 1

    iPod Magnum. It's more euphonic. That is the marketing secret to a good name.

  8. Re:It Figures on US Grants Home Schooling German Family Political Asylum · · Score: 0, Troll

    I'm surprised they didn't make it to Kansas.

  9. Re:They're artificial limitations. That's the prob on iPad Is a "Huge Step Backward" · · Score: 1

    When you live in an idiocracy and the people who have the ability to see naked emperors are few and far between, there is no chance for the enlightened to influence corporate stupidity through boycott. There are too many fools willing to shell out their money for the latest overhyped shiny for us to make any perceivable difference in the corporate revenue stream.

  10. Re:Cartoon porn is still porn on Man in Court Over Simpsons Porn · · Score: 4, Insightful

    depicting sexual acts with people under the age of 18 years.

    Technically, even Maggie is over 18 now.

  11. Re:Why would Hulu need Nielsen Ratings? on Nielsen Ratings To Count Online TV Viewing · · Score: 1

    I don't use Hulu, but if they have something like Google analytics included in their script soup then they can also create a detailed demographic profile of their viewers rather than just processing their own logs. That's something Nielsen can't do. If I were an advertiser I would be willing to pay a little premium for better targeted ads shown to only the eyeballs most likely respond to them. For instance, it's wasteful to advertise women's products to men. If I had 100% confidence in the gender of a viewer I might be willing to pay a 20% premium to show my ad to half as many people.

  12. Re:Sounds like features I need from an audio file on Bach Launches Updated MP3 Format · · Score: 1

    TFA was lacking in any real info but I would surmise that the extra content (at least the video and dynamic content) is not being embedded. Rather, I suppose that there is a signed payload unique to the owne... licensee that is stored as a tag and that can be submitted to a server to gain access to the extra content. If your file is found floating around the internets they can invalidate that tag on your copy and lock you out for the copyright violation.

  13. Re:help in police chases? on Electromagnetic Pulse Gun To Help In Police Chases · · Score: 1

    Oh, and if you have an old Ranger pick'em'up you just as well better plan to park it if you want to hear anything besides alternator whine and spark plug noise.

    Not necessary. You can hear whine through the stereo on a new Ranger too. Albeit rarely.

  14. Iodized salt on Prolonged Gaming Blamed For Rickets Rise · · Score: 1

    I believe that prepared foods do not use iodized salt. You only can only get it with salt in its raw granular form. Otherwise, most people would get too much iodine in their diet.

  15. Re:I'll be the first to say... on 75% of Linux Code Now Written By Paid Developers · · Score: 1

    Some of us like to squat in our offices at MIT thank you very much.

  16. Re:US Intelligence almost certainly monitors TOR on Tor Users Urged To Update After Security Breach · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They probably do more than just monitor. They almost certainly run their own exit nodes so they can log everything flowing through what they pwn.

  17. Re:$1 Billion out the window, down the tubes, bye- on European Commission Approves Oracle-Sun Merger · · Score: 1

    I'm firmly of the opinion that IBM's major interest was in acquiring and converting SUN's existing enterprise userbase.

    IBM wanted control over Java. The rest of the Sun business was dying anyway.

  18. Re:That's funny... on Half of Google News Users Browse But Don't Click · · Score: 1

    I find the new fast flip previews on the bottom fascinating because it appears that the selection of what appears is more user driven. It's amazing how long some of the superfluous junk from the women's magazines can stay up no matter how unnewsworthy it is. I presume that's because they're getting more click-throughs than the meatier articles.

  19. Re:More than one Buran out there... on Lacking Buyers, NASA Cuts Prices On Shuttles and Old Engines · · Score: 4, Informative

    The vehicle designators reveal the original plans for the orbiters and test articles. They are:

    MPTA-098 non-flight worthy mockup Pathfinder (Its current appearance is largely decoration added after the fact)
    STA-099 became OV-099 Challenger
    OV-101 Enterprise (The first of the orbital vehicle series. Originally intended to undergo the conversion STA-099 went through)
    OV-102 Columbia
    OV-103 Discovery
    OV-104 Atlantis
    OV-105 Endeavour

    It was determined that it would be cheaper to make Challenger out of STA-099 rather than perform the necessary upgrades to bring Enterprise up to space flight worthiness. Only cost concerns prevented it from becoming an operational shuttle.

  20. Re:It IS safe! on Own Your Own Fighter Jet · · Score: 3, Informative

    Civilian operated aircraft in the US aren't allowed to have ejection seats. All of the privately owned warbirds have to have their ejection systems removed or rendered inoperable.

  21. Re:Sequel? on TV Show Seeks Terminally Ill Volunteer for Mummification · · Score: 4, Funny

    I prefer Terminally Ill: Revenge of Helvetica

  22. Re:How Thick is the Display? on Forget LCDs and LEDs, Here Come LPDs · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The back surface of the image plane doesn't have to be flat. There could be ridges molded in place to reflect/refract the laser into the phosphors.

  23. Re:Oh great, more orbital shooting gallery! on India Developing Vehicle To Knock Enemy Satellites · · Score: 1

    The gun was there to research the feasibility of using one in a space environment. There are special thermal and lubrication issues in space that needed to be explored.

  24. Re:Reboot how? on Spider-Man 4 Scrapped, Franchise Reboot Planned · · Score: 1

    From what I've read so far it looks like the reboot is going to follow the lines of the teen oriented Ultimate Spider-Man. Basically they're going to do a Spidey version of Twilight.

  25. Scaremongering on Rudolph the Cadmium-Nosed Reindeer · · Score: 2, Informative

    It is a little annoying when people trot out these scary stories without completely understanding the true threats involved. Cadmium is only considered to be carcinogenic when inhaled as a vapor. You can safely touch it without any adverse effects. While not commonplace today, there was a time when tools were frequently cadmium plated. These are safe to use provided you don't do anything to remove the plating or try to polish it up.