My understanding is that residential (home based) fuel cells are already cost-competitive and allow you to sell power back to the grid. The main impediments are startup costs and the lack of awareness.
Does that include the cost and engineering impact of manufacturing, storing, and transporting the hydrogen? Or is that lost in the sauce?
Haven't we been here before? Hydrogen is expensive to make, difficult to store, difficult to transport, and would require a complete revamping of our transportation and industrial infrastructure. There have got to be better solutions - ethanol, for instance. Or processes that under development that could turn CO2 and H2O into alkanes and oxygen - then we could take the energy (nuclear, most likely) that we would have used to make hydrogen, and instead use that energy to make a fuel that we can already use with our existing equipment, while remaining carbon-neutral. But hydrogen by itself is not a workable long-term solution.
Microsoft's not in trouble because they've bundled software. Microsoft's in trouble because they've abused their monopoly in one area (end-user operating systems and office-program file formats) to gain monopolies in other areas (web browsers, media formats, server operating systems etc).
Uh, what monopoly? Last I heard, there were alternatives to MS in both operating systems and office software - and, get this - they're free, they don't const nothin'. How can a market that's that wide open be considered a monopoly? Cause a whole bunch of sheep out there are too stupid to know any better? That's their problem, not Microsoft's.
It'll be insanely tough to convince customers that a 600mhz, 256mb ram linux machine is equivalent or better than a 2.0ghz, 512mb winbox
Why should they even try? It's a Linux box, that costs $150. In parts of the world where $150 is a considerable amount of money, I would think that would be a pretty strong selling point compared to a $2K dual-core SLI Windows machine.
There's not that much of a gap between DVD and Blu-ray/HD-DVD.
Are you kidding? Ever see a movie in HD vs. the same movie in SD (on a TV that can show the difference)? To me it's almost as significant as the difference between (non-HD) DVD and VHS.
Not so long ago. I was skipping commercials just last night, courtesy of directions available on Wikipedia regarding how to re-enable it on my Comcast DVR. Look up your cable box's model number, and skip away.
Personally I'm amazed Comcast allowed this to exist, even hidden as it is.
What would they care? They're already getting your check every month...
So you have no issues with Iran building new reactors? I'm personally quite puzzled to hear in the news that Australia is looking to sell Uranium to India and China, and practically in the same breath decrying Iran's extension of their nuclear fuel processing plant.
The US Govt ( at least bush) is also trying to sell uranium to India
How about research and development on cleaner more efficient tech? Then we can clean up our act *and* sell the technology to others. Oh but spurring economic activity would apparently be a *bad* thing according to you.
Gee, read into what other people say much? Where did I imply that I disfavor the development of cleaner technologies? But I don't see what that has to do with the per capita pollution of China. China's per capita pollution is less than ours, not because they have cleaner technology (far from it!), but because they simply enjoy a lower standard of living and therefore don't use as much energy per capita. I would not want to live like that; would you?
I'm a geek who has a little difficulty himself in face-to-face interactions involving conflict, so maybe I can see the other side of this - it may encourage comment and dissent from people in an organization who might otherwise not have the courage to speak, and who might see your more confrontational, in-your-face approach as threatening and bullying. By making it not be a face-to-face thing, it may encourage freer, more open, less emotionally charged discussion of issues that might otherwise fester beneath the surface.
OTOH, I don't know where you get the idea that 1 GW is precisely the amount of power needed to disable a missile, and that the only factors worthy of consideration are said power and the 'effective range' of the laser...
When's the last time NY Governor's gone off to do anything interesting.
From Wikipedia's List of Governors of New York: George Clinton - Vice President John Jay - first Chief Justice of the United States Martin Van Buren - President William H. Seward - Secretary of State Samuel J Tilden - won popular vote in Presidential election of 1876 (but lost election) Grover Cleveland - President Theodore Roosevelt - President, Vice President, first American to receive the Nobel Prize Franklin Roosevelt - President
So it may have been a few years now, but given the track record, I wouldn't count New York out just yet.
Germany during World War II switched to hydrogen for its cars when its petroleum supplies were cut off. Brazil has switched to domestically produced alcohol.
And notice that as soon as petroleum became available again, they switched back. Hydrogen is a terrible solution. Expensive to make, difficult to store and transport. Yes, we have to kick the petroleum habit, but hydrogen is not the way. Ethanol is better, but still problematic for transport and long-term storage due to its tendency to absorb water.
By your definition, there is almost no non-proprietary format in the world, except maybe Vorbis, and even that is disputable. (Xiph has a trademark on it)
Having a trademark on the name is not the same as the format itself being proprietary.
On a serious note, please check in at a local mental hospital. You can have informal talks with the staff there and you may find that some of your paranoia can be helped with modern medicines.
And if they can't help you, at least you won't be here anymore.
Rest in peace. I eagerly await the day you raise to the ranks of Asimov & Tolkien when the world will remember you as more than "that guy who wrote a story for a George Clooney movie."
You mean, like how most of the world probably thinks Asimov is that guy who wrote a story for that Will Smith movie?
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Stop using public roads then. Why should non-drivers pay money to some lazy ass bum who doesn't want to walk?
But you're right - the people who use the roads should pay for them. I'd have no problem with that. So what was your point?
I liked Matthew Broderick as Richard Feynman in Infinity...
My understanding is that residential (home based) fuel cells are already cost-competitive and allow you to sell power back to the grid. The main impediments are startup costs and the lack of awareness.
Does that include the cost and engineering impact of manufacturing, storing, and transporting the hydrogen? Or is that lost in the sauce?
Haven't we been here before? Hydrogen is expensive to make, difficult to store, difficult to transport, and would require a complete revamping of our transportation and industrial infrastructure. There have got to be better solutions - ethanol, for instance. Or processes that under development that could turn CO2 and H2O into alkanes and oxygen - then we could take the energy (nuclear, most likely) that we would have used to make hydrogen, and instead use that energy to make a fuel that we can already use with our existing equipment, while remaining carbon-neutral. But hydrogen by itself is not a workable long-term solution.
Microsoft's not in trouble because they've bundled software. Microsoft's in trouble because they've abused their monopoly in one area (end-user operating systems and office-program file formats) to gain monopolies in other areas (web browsers, media formats, server operating systems etc).
Uh, what monopoly? Last I heard, there were alternatives to MS in both operating systems and office software - and, get this - they're free, they don't const nothin'. How can a market that's that wide open be considered a monopoly? Cause a whole bunch of sheep out there are too stupid to know any better? That's their problem, not Microsoft's.
from Clear and Present Danger - "We're wayyy beyond birthdays now. I'm gonna have to write... a special program, here."
It'll be insanely tough to convince customers that a 600mhz, 256mb ram linux machine is equivalent or better than a 2.0ghz, 512mb winbox
Why should they even try? It's a Linux box, that costs $150. In parts of the world where $150 is a considerable amount of money, I would think that would be a pretty strong selling point compared to a $2K dual-core SLI Windows machine.
There's not that much of a gap between DVD and Blu-ray/HD-DVD.
Are you kidding? Ever see a movie in HD vs. the same movie in SD (on a TV that can show the difference)? To me it's almost as significant as the difference between (non-HD) DVD and VHS.
We'll be able to go from New York to Tokyo in less than three hours?
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris, well by '76 we'll be A-OK...
Seriously. $250 per ticket? Whatever happened to "making music for the purpose of making music?"
So who's stopping you? If you want to go make some music for free, then go right ahead.
Not so long ago. I was skipping commercials just last night, courtesy of directions available on Wikipedia regarding how to re-enable it on my Comcast DVR. Look up your cable box's model number, and skip away.
Personally I'm amazed Comcast allowed this to exist, even hidden as it is.
What would they care? They're already getting your check every month...
There is a great story that Philips made a PacMan clone on one of their game consoles years ago
Holy crap, a KC Munchkin reference, after all these years. My wrists still ache sometimes, from whippin' that horrible joystick around...
So you have no issues with Iran building new reactors? I'm personally quite puzzled to hear in the news that Australia is looking to sell Uranium to India and China, and practically in the same breath decrying Iran's extension of their nuclear fuel processing plant.
The US Govt ( at least bush) is also trying to sell uranium to India
India doesn't need American or Australian uranium.
How about research and development on cleaner more efficient tech? Then we can clean up our act *and* sell the technology to others. Oh but spurring economic activity would apparently be a *bad* thing according to you.
Gee, read into what other people say much? Where did I imply that I disfavor the development of cleaner technologies? But I don't see what that has to do with the per capita pollution of China. China's per capita pollution is less than ours, not because they have cleaner technology (far from it!), but because they simply enjoy a lower standard of living and therefore don't use as much energy per capita. I would not want to live like that; would you?
I'm a geek who has a little difficulty himself in face-to-face interactions involving conflict, so maybe I can see the other side of this - it may encourage comment and dissent from people in an organization who might otherwise not have the courage to speak, and who might see your more confrontational, in-your-face approach as threatening and bullying. By making it not be a face-to-face thing, it may encourage freer, more open, less emotionally charged discussion of issues that might otherwise fester beneath the surface.
And [China is] just above 50% of the U.S... Oh! Oh! Do them on a per capita!
Uh, huh. Do you want to live like the average person in China?
OTOH, I don't know where you get the idea that 1 GW is precisely the amount of power needed to disable a missile, and that the only factors worthy of consideration are said power and the 'effective range' of the laser...
Dude, you need to get out more.
Do not stare into Airborne Laser with remaining portion of head.
Wouldn't be too hard
God, how I hate that statement!
He must be a manager.
When's the last time NY Governor's gone off to do anything interesting.
From Wikipedia's List of Governors of New York:
George Clinton - Vice President
John Jay - first Chief Justice of the United States
Martin Van Buren - President
William H. Seward - Secretary of State
Samuel J Tilden - won popular vote in Presidential election of 1876 (but lost election)
Grover Cleveland - President
Theodore Roosevelt - President, Vice President, first American to receive the Nobel Prize
Franklin Roosevelt - President
So it may have been a few years now, but given the track record, I wouldn't count New York out just yet.
Germany during World War II switched to hydrogen for its cars when its petroleum supplies were cut off. Brazil has switched to domestically produced alcohol.
And notice that as soon as petroleum became available again, they switched back. Hydrogen is a terrible solution. Expensive to make, difficult to store and transport. Yes, we have to kick the petroleum habit, but hydrogen is not the way. Ethanol is better, but still problematic for transport and long-term storage due to its tendency to absorb water.
By your definition, there is almost no non-proprietary format in the world, except maybe Vorbis, and even that is disputable. (Xiph has a trademark on it)
Having a trademark on the name is not the same as the format itself being proprietary.
On a serious note, please check in at a local mental hospital. You can have informal talks with the staff there and you may find that some of your paranoia can be helped with modern medicines.
And if they can't help you, at least you won't be here anymore.
Where is the democracy when the people you can choose to vote for are no one you would choose?
Funny, I live in the US, and I feel the same way...
Rest in peace. I eagerly await the day you raise to the ranks of Asimov & Tolkien when the world will remember you as more than "that guy who wrote a story for a George Clooney movie."
You mean, like how most of the world probably thinks Asimov is that guy who wrote a story for that Will Smith movie?