I haven't needed to run it for a long time under battery yet so can't give a meaningful answer to that question. The USB Type-C is cool, I am keen to get a charger for that port and try it.
Yes that is the way to do it on the cheap. For my parents I brought a cheap reasonable spec HP but could not get the WiFi to work. In the end I did exactly what you did, brought new miniPCIe WiFi card for it that supported Linux. I probably spent 4+ hours on the problem.
I still think an extra $150 on a high spec machine was worth it to not worrying about if they provide a solution that works. I get paid more that $38/hr so in the case of the cheap HP I would have been better off paying an extra $150. The problem most times is you have no idea what will work with Linux and what won't before buying a PC. For the XPS DE you know up front where you are at with Linux.
How does popularity of a few sites mean the control of the Internet is changing?
Surely it is about who controls the DNSs and top level routers that affects control of the Internet. That is a real issue to worry about but as I understand things those are not controlled by the big websites.
The reverse way of looking at it is if people waste their time in walled gardens so what? As long as the rest of the Internet still works who cares. How is people limiting themselves to a few websites stopping me from accessing all those little niche sites I enjoy?
I don't see the connection between users with tunnel vision wasting time on popular site and the availability of the rest of the Internet?
You can try, but the Windows version has different hardware that has poor Linux support. It's not that the Windows version is made to lock out Linux but rather the parts are chosen for function/price with Windows and no consideration of Linux. To Dell's credit they went the extra step to rework it for Linux as the XPS DE series when few other manufacturers bother.
It is running Linux so no problems. Laser cut a stencil with a 4:3 aspect ratio and stick it to the screen then reconfigure the display to only use the remain visible pixel. As a bonus you will get that Apple look border instead of that Dell edge to edge display.
The Linux version has different parts. From memory the WiFi chipset is different as the one in the Windows version has poor Linux support whereas the XPS DE has changed to a chipset with good driver support. Not sure what your time is worth but $150 was worth it from a machine where everything worked first time on Linux. Compared to the Apple MBA that my XPS DE replaced it is a dream. It took many hours to get the Mac working on Linux and I never did get the camera working on it. So yea I spent $150 on a free OS, then promptly replaced Ubuntu with Mint 18 anyway. It worked first time too, no drivers needed.
If the $150 really worries you then XPS is probably the wrong range of machines to look at, there are plenty of cheaper options out there.
It uses different chipset parts for some functions, WiFi from memory, to ensure there will be no driver problems. First laptop I have owned where Linux installed with every device working 100% at first boot. No more detective work and long hunts for drivers etc. Also you don't have to pell off all those Windows stickers that are present on the other laptops. Just wish they had changed the keyboard to get rid of the Windows meta key but a sticker fixed that.
The XPS13 is a fine PC, I installed Mint 18 on it with zero hassle and everything worked first time. I am very happy with now I have it but buying it was a major mission as from what I can see it is a US only product. I live in New Zealand where you can not order it from the NZ version of the Dell website. I had to get access to a USA issue credit card to pay for it and ship it to a USA based address. I real hassle. The funny thing is Dell know who pays for their products and who they ship it to but never bother to ask who is buying it or who the owner will be.
Bottom line is Dell are a PIA to deal with but have a first class product, way nicer that the Apple MBA it replaced.
I don't know. I stopped using Ubuntu when they took away the minimize button. I know they have corrected some of those early mistakes and Ubuntu is more usable than their early radical changes but having moved to Mint there was no looking back. The Mint team seem to have the same mindset as I do so I'm happy.
I was talking about is what Mint should do to help capture more of the Windows users, hence my comments about having the tools needed to resolve issues from the GUI as this is what migrating users are looking for. I think the tools they already have in place a pretty good for routine stuff, it more the difficult issues you run in to on some installs I think is worth focusing on.
At the risk of starting a flame war I think if Linux is going to get traction on the desktop it needs more thinking like the Linux Mint. I think both Windows and Ubuntu made the mistake of following trendy ideas at the expense of the user. When my elderly parents we faced with moving from XP to Windows 8 I moved them to Mint and they have been happy Linux users for years now.
The most useful thing for average users is making the GUI config tools easy to use by a lay person, and doing it without breaking the traditional config files people like myself are used to working with. In this respect I think Mint is suitable for large percentage of average users but the focus needs to be on the small but significant number of cases where it is not possible to get a system up and running properly without opening a command line window.
Yes, it may be possible to hack some monitors but generally this is bullshit. I have worked on the development of monitors so know that most simply can not be hacked in the way they suggest. The first criteria of most monitors is they are cheap. The second criteria is they work. Once you understand that then you realise the only to hack most monitors is with a special programming card (some can be updated via an USB port). The fact is you typically have a low spec 8 bit micro controlling a high speed switch/amplifier. The I2C channel is typically connected to a EEPROM and can not be used to program the micro. The CEC is a custom UART type port that also does not offer ISP functions. The micro controller can overlay low res graphics but has no ability to read the actual high speed video stream because to do so cost money, see criteria one, and is not need for it to work, see criteria two.
The simple way to see this is bullshit is to ask yourself when was the last time you updated the firmware in you monitor?
So how far is 5-30 minutes in distance? What useless way to specify their ability! When you look at one the initial feeling is they won't go very far, so will be of rather limit use initially.
Put it in gear to hold on a slope when your handbrake is broken is only going to work on the flat or very slight slope. Enough incline and the engine will turn over, just like when you bump start a car. On a significant slope it will move immediately but on a more modest slope it will move slowly was the compressed air in the cylinders leaks past the piston rings. Over an hour or so you car may roll several meters. Using a choc block under the wheels is a good idea in his case.
Actually the Chinese government are pretty open about it. The non-Chinese company I worked for in China had VPN connections to a free country and also to the USA. They were told they would be expected to install government supplied equipment on their internal network so the government could properly monitor their communications. It had not happen yet as of when I left their employ.
My guess is the props on the takeoff motors fold in when cruising to reduce drag. Even if they do I would still worry about the remaining drag and the extra weight.
But then again it is an X plane. That is why you build them, to see how good or bad the ideas are in the real world.
The article states that the Maxwell X plane is a hybrid and goes on to detail it is electric propulsion and battery powered. That doesn't sound like a hybrid to me. I can only guess they either used the term in error or were think of future concepts.
Interesting I would guess pure electric aircraft make up the majority if you include hobby quadcopters in that definition. I mention that as I think the takeaway from the article is that electric aircraft are practical in some niche areas and NASA's work will widen those niches. The changes need for EV cars to replace ICE are evolutions in batteries and is already close to the tipping point, but It is going to take some truly impressive breakthrough in battery technology before your will see traditional commercial jets like the A320, 737, 767 or A380 replaced. My guess we are are years, not decades, away from cars going all electric but for aircraft we are probably still talking decades.
I note it is missing from IMDB and figured I could add it but occurs to me that there is issues with entering the writer's details. IMDB will assume the writer is a person. I guess the details of the computer that wrote the script could be entered. The date of birth or gender could get interesting. I think this is increasingly going to be an issue, Human writers could be upset that a machine is getting the same status, Until the machines reach the status of being sentient then maybe they shouldn't be listed in databases the same way as people?
It's funny how the simple act of creating an IMDB entry now has ethical overtones!
Surely there is no legal reason why Google can not provide support for a developer being attacked for using Google services, and every commercial reason to support the developer. If I was running Google I would be putting some of my best lawyers at the developers disposal at no cost to the developer. If the troll wins against this developer then I assume they would then go after every successful app at Play Store which would have a follow on effect on Play Store in general.
Firstly the laws around bicycles and ebike are not the same in every country, state and city. Just because the law where you are restricts you in some way that does not make it true for people living elsewhere. The legal/practical viability of ebikes is going to vary from place to place.
Secondly many posters are thinking of ebikes as only bicycles with a small motor added, which is the most common type in Western cities but most ebikes in China, which the original article refers to, do not have peddles, they are scooter styled. If you saw one in a western city you would likely assume that it was a gas power Vespa or similar, not an ebike. The reason the scooter format is more common that the bicycle style is the load carrying capacity, you can put you shopping on the deck in front of the seat and more in the compartment under the seat. Of course the load carrying capabilities do get a abused in China. Often saw four people on one and loads that were oversized. Watched one girl transporting a wardrobe fall off when the wardrobe, laid horizontally over the desk, dug into the ground on a corner.
Try China where they will ride them anywhere and I mean anywhere they can physically ride to and feel they have the need. I often saw them being ridden in shopping malls. This also included motorcycles. But then again I saw small trucks using a pedestrian tunnel under a motorway. Driving and riding in a country with no apparent enforcement of even the most basic rules was both liberating and scary at the same time.
No, none of that is required here, just a car license. The actual requirements will vary from country to country. If you want to be pedantic you could argue that all those requirements should apply to bicycles.
About as safe as falling off at 20mph and landing under a car doing 35mph? I watched a good friend of mine be killed by a car, she was riding at less than 5kph when the car drove over her. What's your point? I have been riding motorcycles since 1974 and all those years I have never felt the desire or need to throw my self off. My normal commute is on a VTR1000, 100KW, top speed 280kph. When commuting I do so at the same speed as the traffic when it is moving, and about 20kph when passing stationary traffic. In China they have physically separate lanes for the eBikes so the 35kph is fine as there is no cars to deal with. With most western cities there are a few token bike lanes but much of the time you share with cars so matching their speed helps. I would not recommend 100KW for commuting, but I would recommend enough power to say safe in the realities of typical cites.
If you are really worried about a safe commute I think telecommuting might be your best option.
Well the 20mph limit is a regional thing but yes it is relevant. We use a 300W limit so most existing Chinese eBike would be treated as motorcycles here anyway but at 20mph they have all the same risks that bicycle suffer from with not being able to join the other faster traffic. In many countries you could ride them with a car licence. The eBikes I rode had fat scooter tires and disk brakes were becoming common. Basically my argument is they should be up spec'd to match a typical 50cc scooter which is an ideal transport option in a city. The eBike can have all the advantages of a 50cc scooter without the high cost and all the hassles of gas stations and complicated maintenance etc.
Having used eBikes for a daily commute in China I think they are a great technology, practical and affordable. The average price for an eBike was about USD $400 when I lived there a couple of years ago. Current eBikes outside of China appear to be grossly over priced. There are a few changes need if they wish to sell outside of China. The build quality needs to improve, quite doable. The speed restrictions need removed, typically 35kph which is too slow in cities outside China, 55kph (35mph) should make them able to mix with cars safely in cites. They currently have 500W motors which would probably need boosted to 750W-1KW for flat cites and 2-3KW for hilly cities.
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I haven't needed to run it for a long time under battery yet so can't give a meaningful answer to that question. The USB Type-C is cool, I am keen to get a charger for that port and try it.
Yes that is the way to do it on the cheap. For my parents I brought a cheap reasonable spec HP but could not get the WiFi to work. In the end I did exactly what you did, brought new miniPCIe WiFi card for it that supported Linux. I probably spent 4+ hours on the problem.
I still think an extra $150 on a high spec machine was worth it to not worrying about if they provide a solution that works. I get paid more that $38/hr so in the case of the cheap HP I would have been better off paying an extra $150. The problem most times is you have no idea what will work with Linux and what won't before buying a PC. For the XPS DE you know up front where you are at with Linux.
How does popularity of a few sites mean the control of the Internet is changing?
Surely it is about who controls the DNSs and top level routers that affects control of the Internet. That is a real issue to worry about but as I understand things those are not controlled by the big websites.
The reverse way of looking at it is if people waste their time in walled gardens so what? As long as the rest of the Internet still works who cares. How is people limiting themselves to a few websites stopping me from accessing all those little niche sites I enjoy?
I don't see the connection between users with tunnel vision wasting time on popular site and the availability of the rest of the Internet?
You can try, but the Windows version has different hardware that has poor Linux support. It's not that the Windows version is made to lock out Linux but rather the parts are chosen for function/price with Windows and no consideration of Linux. To Dell's credit they went the extra step to rework it for Linux as the XPS DE series when few other manufacturers bother.
It is running Linux so no problems. Laser cut a stencil with a 4:3 aspect ratio and stick it to the screen then reconfigure the display to only use the remain visible pixel. As a bonus you will get that Apple look border instead of that Dell edge to edge display.
Problem solved!
The Linux version has different parts. From memory the WiFi chipset is different as the one in the Windows version has poor Linux support whereas the XPS DE has changed to a chipset with good driver support. Not sure what your time is worth but $150 was worth it from a machine where everything worked first time on Linux. Compared to the Apple MBA that my XPS DE replaced it is a dream. It took many hours to get the Mac working on Linux and I never did get the camera working on it. So yea I spent $150 on a free OS, then promptly replaced Ubuntu with Mint 18 anyway. It worked first time too, no drivers needed.
If the $150 really worries you then XPS is probably the wrong range of machines to look at, there are plenty of cheaper options out there.
It uses different chipset parts for some functions, WiFi from memory, to ensure there will be no driver problems. First laptop I have owned where Linux installed with every device working 100% at first boot. No more detective work and long hunts for drivers etc. Also you don't have to pell off all those Windows stickers that are present on the other laptops. Just wish they had changed the keyboard to get rid of the Windows meta key but a sticker fixed that.
The XPS13 is a fine PC, I installed Mint 18 on it with zero hassle and everything worked first time. I am very happy with now I have it but buying it was a major mission as from what I can see it is a US only product. I live in New Zealand where you can not order it from the NZ version of the Dell website. I had to get access to a USA issue credit card to pay for it and ship it to a USA based address. I real hassle. The funny thing is Dell know who pays for their products and who they ship it to but never bother to ask who is buying it or who the owner will be.
Bottom line is Dell are a PIA to deal with but have a first class product, way nicer that the Apple MBA it replaced.
They could call it Google Plus!
I don't know. I stopped using Ubuntu when they took away the minimize button. I know they have corrected some of those early mistakes and Ubuntu is more usable than their early radical changes but having moved to Mint there was no looking back. The Mint team seem to have the same mindset as I do so I'm happy.
I was talking about is what Mint should do to help capture more of the Windows users, hence my comments about having the tools needed to resolve issues from the GUI as this is what migrating users are looking for. I think the tools they already have in place a pretty good for routine stuff, it more the difficult issues you run in to on some installs I think is worth focusing on.
At the risk of starting a flame war I think if Linux is going to get traction on the desktop it needs more thinking like the Linux Mint. I think both Windows and Ubuntu made the mistake of following trendy ideas at the expense of the user. When my elderly parents we faced with moving from XP to Windows 8 I moved them to Mint and they have been happy Linux users for years now.
The most useful thing for average users is making the GUI config tools easy to use by a lay person, and doing it without breaking the traditional config files people like myself are used to working with. In this respect I think Mint is suitable for large percentage of average users but the focus needs to be on the small but significant number of cases where it is not possible to get a system up and running properly without opening a command line window.
Yes, it may be possible to hack some monitors but generally this is bullshit. I have worked on the development of monitors so know that most simply can not be hacked in the way they suggest. The first criteria of most monitors is they are cheap. The second criteria is they work. Once you understand that then you realise the only to hack most monitors is with a special programming card (some can be updated via an USB port). The fact is you typically have a low spec 8 bit micro controlling a high speed switch/amplifier. The I2C channel is typically connected to a EEPROM and can not be used to program the micro. The CEC is a custom UART type port that also does not offer ISP functions. The micro controller can overlay low res graphics but has no ability to read the actual high speed video stream because to do so cost money, see criteria one, and is not need for it to work, see criteria two.
The simple way to see this is bullshit is to ask yourself when was the last time you updated the firmware in you monitor?
So how far is 5-30 minutes in distance? What useless way to specify their ability! When you look at one the initial feeling is they won't go very far, so will be of rather limit use initially.
Put it in gear to hold on a slope when your handbrake is broken is only going to work on the flat or very slight slope. Enough incline and the engine will turn over, just like when you bump start a car. On a significant slope it will move immediately but on a more modest slope it will move slowly was the compressed air in the cylinders leaks past the piston rings. Over an hour or so you car may roll several meters. Using a choc block under the wheels is a good idea in his case.
Actually the Chinese government are pretty open about it. The non-Chinese company I worked for in China had VPN connections to a free country and also to the USA. They were told they would be expected to install government supplied equipment on their internal network so the government could properly monitor their communications. It had not happen yet as of when I left their employ.
My guess is the props on the takeoff motors fold in when cruising to reduce drag. Even if they do I would still worry about the remaining drag and the extra weight.
But then again it is an X plane. That is why you build them, to see how good or bad the ideas are in the real world.
The article states that the Maxwell X plane is a hybrid and goes on to detail it is electric propulsion and battery powered. That doesn't sound like a hybrid to me. I can only guess they either used the term in error or were think of future concepts.
Interesting I would guess pure electric aircraft make up the majority if you include hobby quadcopters in that definition. I mention that as I think the takeaway from the article is that electric aircraft are practical in some niche areas and NASA's work will widen those niches. The changes need for EV cars to replace ICE are evolutions in batteries and is already close to the tipping point, but It is going to take some truly impressive breakthrough in battery technology before your will see traditional commercial jets like the A320, 737, 767 or A380 replaced. My guess we are are years, not decades, away from cars going all electric but for aircraft we are probably still talking decades.
I note it is missing from IMDB and figured I could add it but occurs to me that there is issues with entering the writer's details. IMDB will assume the writer is a person. I guess the details of the computer that wrote the script could be entered. The date of birth or gender could get interesting. I think this is increasingly going to be an issue, Human writers could be upset that a machine is getting the same status, Until the machines reach the status of being sentient then maybe they shouldn't be listed in databases the same way as people?
It's funny how the simple act of creating an IMDB entry now has ethical overtones!
Surely there is no legal reason why Google can not provide support for a developer being attacked for using Google services, and every commercial reason to support the developer. If I was running Google I would be putting some of my best lawyers at the developers disposal at no cost to the developer. If the troll wins against this developer then I assume they would then go after every successful app at Play Store which would have a follow on effect on Play Store in general.
Firstly the laws around bicycles and ebike are not the same in every country, state and city. Just because the law where you are restricts you in some way that does not make it true for people living elsewhere. The legal/practical viability of ebikes is going to vary from place to place.
Secondly many posters are thinking of ebikes as only bicycles with a small motor added, which is the most common type in Western cities but most ebikes in China, which the original article refers to, do not have peddles, they are scooter styled. If you saw one in a western city you would likely assume that it was a gas power Vespa or similar, not an ebike. The reason the scooter format is more common that the bicycle style is the load carrying capacity, you can put you shopping on the deck in front of the seat and more in the compartment under the seat. Of course the load carrying capabilities do get a abused in China. Often saw four people on one and loads that were oversized. Watched one girl transporting a wardrobe fall off when the wardrobe, laid horizontally over the desk, dug into the ground on a corner.
Try China where they will ride them anywhere and I mean anywhere they can physically ride to and feel they have the need. I often saw them being ridden in shopping malls. This also included motorcycles. But then again I saw small trucks using a pedestrian tunnel under a motorway. Driving and riding in a country with no apparent enforcement of even the most basic rules was both liberating and scary at the same time.
No, none of that is required here, just a car license. The actual requirements will vary from country to country. If you want to be pedantic you could argue that all those requirements should apply to bicycles.
About as safe as falling off at 20mph and landing under a car doing 35mph? I watched a good friend of mine be killed by a car, she was riding at less than 5kph when the car drove over her. What's your point? I have been riding motorcycles since 1974 and all those years I have never felt the desire or need to throw my self off. My normal commute is on a VTR1000, 100KW, top speed 280kph. When commuting I do so at the same speed as the traffic when it is moving, and about 20kph when passing stationary traffic. In China they have physically separate lanes for the eBikes so the 35kph is fine as there is no cars to deal with. With most western cities there are a few token bike lanes but much of the time you share with cars so matching their speed helps. I would not recommend 100KW for commuting, but I would recommend enough power to say safe in the realities of typical cites.
If you are really worried about a safe commute I think telecommuting might be your best option.
Well the 20mph limit is a regional thing but yes it is relevant. We use a 300W limit so most existing Chinese eBike would be treated as motorcycles here anyway but at 20mph they have all the same risks that bicycle suffer from with not being able to join the other faster traffic. In many countries you could ride them with a car licence. The eBikes I rode had fat scooter tires and disk brakes were becoming common. Basically my argument is they should be up spec'd to match a typical 50cc scooter which is an ideal transport option in a city. The eBike can have all the advantages of a 50cc scooter without the high cost and all the hassles of gas stations and complicated maintenance etc.
Having used eBikes for a daily commute in China I think they are a great technology, practical and affordable. The average price for an eBike was about USD $400 when I lived there a couple of years ago. Current eBikes outside of China appear to be grossly over priced. There are a few changes need if they wish to sell outside of China. The build quality needs to improve, quite doable. The speed restrictions need removed, typically 35kph which is too slow in cities outside China, 55kph (35mph) should make them able to mix with cars safely in cites. They currently have 500W motors which would probably need boosted to 750W-1KW for flat cites and 2-3KW for hilly cities.