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User: Dare+nMc

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  1. Re:How about better range? on New Video of Tesla's Mass-Market Electric Car · · Score: 1

    not sure where you get that from. Tesla roadster made that trade off, instead of putting in a high speed electric, they put in a high torque (lower torque from 1000rpm -3000 rpm than any of my ICE vehicles though) and thus had to have a shifting gearbox and much stiffer gearing. Electric motors need high currents to generate high torque, or high voltages to generate high speeds. Until super-conductors can be used, that means if you design a electric for high torque, you need bigger wires, and/or more windings (more wires.) if you build it for high speeds, then you need more insulation between wires, or you get flash over. The higher the max torque, the less efficient the motor, and the heaver it will be. Similar with batterys, they hate to generate high currents, they are lossy at high currents, and you need huge wires to go any distance at high currents. Their are definitely many reasons all cost feasible electrics are slow as dogs.
    Doing huge gearing reductions is the the trade-off for electric, make a high speed, low torque electric for size/weight/efficiency is the usual path, then do as high of voltage as you can.

  2. Re:Europe on New Video of Tesla's Mass-Market Electric Car · · Score: 1

    Free fuel doesn't matter to those spending 50k+ for a car (which it is, at best 1/2 price, not free). My truck gets 20 mpg and over 10 years and 300k miles that I plan to own it, I will pay less the 30k for fuel. Thats 3k per year for heavy driving. people spending that much for new car don't usually keep them more than 2 years. This is not for those making a "economic" choice, this is for those making a "image" choice.

  3. Re:Whoops on Controversy Over San Francisco Public Transportation Data · · Score: 1

    Sounds identical to the USA laws, at least in intent. Since it is all based off ISO/SAE in the USA I would bet it is 100% the same as Europe's laws. Everything is in the loopholes, IE they are not required to share all useful information gathered, just a little more than the minimum. IE they wouldn't be required to have more than something like 1Kbytes of fault history information, and not much vehicle state information along with each fault. If you do more than the minimum inside the controller, then you can restrict access to everything but the minimum amount of data in whatever manner the OEM wants. So typically enough info is stored, for dealers only, that you can do a complete diagnosis from the fault logs alone. They provide enough open data that a repair shop knows where to start looking.
    Then again in the USA they don't typically keep decent enough mechanics at dealerships to actually use the extra info, they just read a code, and start selling related parts. Also if it gets tricky they can dump all the data to a knowledgeable rep of the manufacture (again only a dealer and they can only rent the equipment capable of this, from a OEM.)

  4. Re:The summary is missing something... on BD+ Resealed Once Again · · Score: 1

    does indeed seam to be issues with how the studios compromise for different home setups, for instance a anamorphic DVD would be better on wide screen, than other DVD's. so I wouldn't automatically call that "lack of effort."
    I have seen many DVD's that look much better on my player after ripped to divx. IE playing on the same player of the same dvd looks better after compressed. That is more of a issue with the DVD players optimization not as good for DVD's as my dvd ripping software. Generally that has to do with conversion to widescreen format, black bar processing, etc. (not to mention the "straight to the feature presentation" of a ripped movie)

  5. Re:The summary is missing something... on BD+ Resealed Once Again · · Score: 1

    Can't see many of us throwing 30 gig down on one michael bay movie

    It does seam to me, that even if I ripped to sub DVD quality, that the better the source the better the final result. IE if your making a 1 GB version from a HD source, it should be slightly better than from the DVD, and much better than a SD tv rip. If I ever switch to Blue Ray, I will still want to rip my movies to a hard drive for trips, rather than mess with looking for the right quality/sized download. (who wants to carry $$$ of easily damaged disks?)

  6. Re:What could possibly go wrong? on Canada Considering Online Voting In Elections · · Score: 1

    How is online safer than snail male?

    Because the round trip time, and cost is so much less online. Thus you can send the message, receive a reply, send back verification. If any of these trips fail, with online, you repeat the message.
    With snail mail you drop it in the mail, since any verification would be too late for any corrective action you just assume a equal message failure rate for all parties. Since often votes are predictable simply by region, but even more so by what yard signs you post, it could be quite beneficial if postal employees lose more mailings from those likely voting against their beliefs.

    Since the postal mailings most likely get entered directly into a computer at their arrival point, how is snail mail safer than e-voting, if done equally?

  7. Re:Good luck with that on Investigators Suspect Computers Doomed Air France Jet · · Score: 1

    The only important speed to the plane is in reference to the air giving it the lift. So no external source (GPS,RADAR) is going to be very accurate at predicting tail wind (in the jet stream, it can be a consistent 50-100 mph)

  8. Re:Good luck with that on Investigators Suspect Computers Doomed Air France Jet · · Score: 1

    The downside of electric, is the complicated backup systems IE the emergency energy storage. With hydraulic systems you use compressed air: it is simple to check what volume of air? at what pressure? thats the energy you have available. With electric, battery chemistry is too complicated for any simple check to know with 100% certainty what amount of energy you have. Sure you can inspect a battery for buildup on the plates, specific gravity, etc, etc and do a offline check, and have some certainty for a period of time. So I am sure it can work for aviation, but no where near as easy of check-out as hydraulics.

  9. Re:Whoops on Controversy Over San Francisco Public Transportation Data · · Score: 3, Informative

    they cant...you need to pay copyright license fees in order to see the data your navigation system has been collecting for you... (er for them??).

    The auto industry is one of the culprits that does almost exactly that with the fault descriptions, and related data logs from "their" controllers. IE many data parameters cannot be looked at our changed with any of the data readers available to non-dealers. Sure they are required to allow these readers to exist and show some standard faults and data in a open format. But most of the data logged on your car, will require you to pay money to a licensed dealer to access. This may be justified while the car is under warranty, but there is no unlocking, or accessing that data for free once the warranty has expired.

  10. Re:New Definition of Human Rights on Pirate Bay Retrial Denied, Judge Declared Unbiased · · Score: 1

    not sure why you were modded down, guess the truth hurts. I guess the second part is debatable, I would have agreed he was biased, but biased to the good side, not the dark side ;) I also doubt there could be a much better result for anti-copyright groups, had TPB been found innocent by a EFF loving judge the laws would have been changed, and the pirate party would be a non-issue (until the new laws were passed.)
    As such the copyright winners now walk out of Sweden scratching their heads, wondering how they spent all that money, won, and likely accomplished nothing.

  11. Re:They Had Warning on Amazon Cuts Off North Carolina Affiliates · · Score: 1

    no money, no business relationship, then not a affiliate, thus no tax. is my guess. Then the referral link is just the same as a blog saying "hey this is a cool book" with a url to amazon with some now meaningless characters embedded in the link.
    As the other posts say, they had time to setup a LLC in Delaware to make a nice transition without loss.

  12. Re:New Definition of Human Rights on Pirate Bay Retrial Denied, Judge Declared Unbiased · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This case was about what responsibility TPB has relating to how their service was used to break copyright law, specifically Videos. So it seams very important what the Judges opinion is of the role of copyright law in protecting large content owners. Obviously a judge who showed interest in supporting a expansion of copyright law would have more interest in setting this precedent. His interest in the manner would not have been so worrying in the case of determining actual infringement, this case was more about how far that law should extend. Infringement seams clear cut in this case, just not who can be held responsible for the infringement.

  13. Re:When I dispose of an obsolete drive on Reporters Find US Gov't Data In Ghana Market · · Score: 1

    turn on a huge magnet just to make sure. And stop wasting all that hardware.

    FYI the magnet doesn't help with destroying data, or saving the drive. I attached the biggest magnet I could find to a unused hard drive, and booted the computer, it booted but started making a horrible scratching noise. I shutdown and took off the magnet couple tries over a couple days, and the drive was dead (same horrible noise. Let it sit for 2 weeks, and whatever bent/magnetized metal in the drive recovered enough that all of the data was then readable, drive still works (poorly) with 99.9% of the data still intact.

    basically any degaussing hardware would destroy the data on the platter at the same rate as the magnets powering the device. Any mostly static magnetic field will just destroy the hardware before the data.

  14. Re:Erasure Device? on Reporters Find US Gov't Data In Ghana Market · · Score: 1

    I doubt a magnet would be a reliable solution.

    I tested the magnet approach with a old laptop drive, it is not a effective method.
    IE I got too of the best magnets I could find, 100# vertical hold stacked them on top of the drive, and booted the laptop. it booted, then started making scratching noises (apparently either the write head, or the disks were deflected by the force enough to rub) The drive did quickly become un-useable. 2 days later, still un-useable. 2 weeks later, the drive was 100% fine, whatever was magnetized/bent from the exposure recovered and the drive works 100%, very little data loss.

    Basically a mostly static magnentic force has no effect on the data on the platters, the force of the magnets is bad (like dropping the drive)

  15. Re:I hope the wrong lesson isn't drawn... on Atari Sub-Sub-Contractor Used ScummVM For Wii Game · · Score: 1

    It would simply make the distribution of said binaries illegal.

    This is a important point, because
          1) the binaries are not illegal or a violation (only the distribution)
          2) the software source can be distributed, without a violation
          3) the game (without the VM built into it) can even be distributed to be run on the scummvm on the wii without any GPL implications.

    since a legal version of scummVm is available (see link above) for the Wii, seams 2 issues remain:
        1) Nintendo won't allow the GPL statement attached to any games at retail.
        2) Atari doesn't want to release these games without the scummVM compiled into a single binary.

    I would guess Atari needs the Nintendo approval, otherwise the DRM type capability wouldn't be in the game to prevent copying. And to get the Nintendo name on the retail boxes.

  16. Re:Easy alternative on Cows That Burp Less Methane to Be Bred · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Basically most animals spend 80% of their awake time foraging for food, that's why we don't need to copy "nature" and instead alter our diets to allow a lifestyle.

    Show me one other animal who consumes another species' milk

    well growing up on a farm, I have personally watched: cats, dogs, birds, pigs, numerous insects, and mice that drink other animals milk. basically about equal percentage do vs don't. maybe most don't require it in their diet (except many bacteria) or compose a regular portion of their diet (again similar to humans), but then again their is no single item in most animals diets they couldn't do without.
    Similar arguments would make more sense with cooked/steamed foods (IE a good chunk of our diet, even a vegans diet) that no other animals follow that. Although humans don't require even meat to be cooked, just ones who haven't grown up eating raw meats. Same with processed foods, drinks, refrigerated items. Basically your argument works against most everything humans eat in the modern conviences.

  17. Re:Litigiousity on Predicting SCO's Actions Post Bankruptcy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    it would be a way too low risk method to move forward for the lawyers. The counter suit was the downside, so it would be a real disservice to allow SCO to drop their obligations/debits to Novell and the other legal agreements they signed, then broke (allegedly), to get these patents in the first place. Then allow some new company to just assume the patents. Not that all laws are fair, but it would be insane to assign any of the patent portfolio to anyone but IBM or Novell, without lugging all the obligations along with those patents. Seams Novell has already raised this point, I am guessing this whole speculation of the article, is not really a possibility.

  18. Re:singular not plural on Crowdsourcing Big Brother In Lancaster, PA · · Score: 1

    should have been animal life is greater than human life (should have known a single >> symbol would be lost.)

  19. Re:singular not plural on Crowdsourcing Big Brother In Lancaster, PA · · Score: 1

    PETA members are fairly well known for mostly non-violent attacks, but still illegal and harassing actions. IE destroying fir coats with red paint, throwing flour on people they disagree with. They do go into trading human lives for animal lives with suggestions that all animal testing could be foregone (flat out saying anything that has passed all tests for human use, shy of animal testing, should not use animals, which I guess means straight to humans, and using force in attempt to progress down this path.)
    So while I don't think PETA is pro killing humans, I sure don't want their views of human life animal life being enforced through the use of cameras to maximize their attacks (but I am certain they would use every tool they can to progress their cause.)

  20. Re:singular not plural on Crowdsourcing Big Brother In Lancaster, PA · · Score: 1

    And I would assume similar results to this would be similar to Britans, IE it doesn't cut crime wastes money, and is ripe with abuses. Just because it was used to solve a crime, doesn't mean that it will prevent a single crime, or even solve a single crime that would have gone un-solved without the cameras. In the USA, cameras have pretty much only displaced crime to a different location, similar to Britan. Since cameras obviously are meant to temper people reactions in public, it is just a giant passifier that starts to erode freedom and enjoyment for all, and Britan is a perfect example why the US should put a end to this ASAP.

  21. Re:singular not plural on Crowdsourcing Big Brother In Lancaster, PA · · Score: 1

    A screwdriver is usually used innocently as a useful tool.

    I take it your reinforcing my point. In my post, I specifically said having a camera is fine, it is a tool perfect. Linking together hundreds of cameras across wide areas for constant surveillance no good, make that act illegal, not the tool, agreed.

    Many murderers have been caught with CCTV evidence.

    That's always one of the knee jerk "it caught a murder, and wasn't painful, so any side affect less than murder is worth it." But again it is not at issue for my post, putting up cameras that record a maximum of 48 hours, and using them only to investigate a crime that happened, perfect. Bored people looking at footage, trying to find reasons to arrest/harass people is bad. With software maturing, and cameras+networking boxes shrinking + cheap storage, you realize if we say it is OK today for networked cameras for all, at some-point soon they will become so small, and cheap, that everyone can stick their own cameras covering every place they have ever been. then at anypoint someone wants dirt, they simply scan your photo, and will know every single place you have ever been, and exactly where exactly you are at, and where your headed. If you think that would be fine for yourself, thats possible. But, I can't see how anyone could think that is OK for a entire society. IE every public action always available for recovery at it's most embarrassing time?

  22. Re:singular not plural on Crowdsourcing Big Brother In Lancaster, PA · · Score: 1

    a single camera doesn't take away freedom as such, cameras{pl} do. For instance does the local minister have the right, and freedom to hang out in a strip club, or visit a adult movie store, etc? Do these clubs have a right to maintain some anonymity for their customers? Should PETA, right to lifers, stalkers be allowed to build their own networks of cameras to kill/injure those they don't agree with? Putting out a single camera this is removed simply with any type of mask. When you tie hundreds of cameras together at one location, someone with a vendetta can now track them from start to finish. Or just claim they tracked you from start to finish as their "job" and make up lies that you can't defend against. It is shown cameras are largely in-effective in capturing criminals, only helpful in prosecuting (unless the crime raises to a level where enough media will publish the video.) So having people constantly looking for crimes, social morrie transgressions 24/7 is taking away freedoms.

  23. Re:yet another justification on Satellite Glitch Rekindles GPS Concerns · · Score: 1

    Due to the geometry of the orbits, you're second false solution on the Earth is not going to be near your previous position,

    exactly, as the 4th piece of required information, a previous position is acceptable.

  24. Re:yet another justification on Satellite Glitch Rekindles GPS Concerns · · Score: 2, Informative

    A false solution way off the earth, but not all of them. If you imagine 2 spheres interacting where the satellites are both straight above you at very close distance, you end up with possible solutions being in one big elliptical arc, a good portion being away from the earth. When you add in a third source, they must intersect in at least 2 locations. But because the satellites are very close together your most likely at 4 intersection points, 2 will be in deep space, 2 will be in the earths sphere. The further apart the centers of the spheres the more circular the solution from 2 satellites, the less likely multiple solutions. So if you got good solutions from satellites on opposite ends of the earth, then 3 is good, you won't get that unless your really high though.

    Of course that is all assuming a perfect measurement, add in a little uncertainty in the time dimension (all of your distances are going to be a slightly different moments in time, but within a few microSeconds) and with the closeness of the GPS satellites (relative to your location) your 4th source is a absolute requirement.

    As you say, a little ground based info goes a long ways, partially because it is from such a different direction and distance, its accuracy can even be less.

  25. Re:yet another justification on Satellite Glitch Rekindles GPS Concerns · · Score: 2, Informative

    A GPS only needs 3 time signals to triangulate,

    it can continue to track with 3 time signals (since it can rule out some incorrect solutions, based on a physical movement constraint), but can only triangulate with a minimum of 4 inputs. 3 points works in a 2d (IE draw circles on a paper) sense, GPS are calculating intersections of 3d Orbs. It is also possible for terrestrial GPS to assume your the solution located on the surface of earth. Technically a GPS only needs some 4th bit of info, since you are always moving in relation to the satellites, it is possible to use that movement to fine tune your position over time, but most handheld GPS's don't have that bit of calculus and require at least 4 satellites, then assume a maximum movement if you drop to 3.