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User: bburdette

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Comments · 36

  1. Re:It's not in the engine, it's in storage on BMW Shows Off World's Fastest Hydrogen Car · · Score: 1

    A few years back there was a prototype car made that used a flywheel for energy storage and a turbine engine for energy generation. It was very cool! The flywheel rotated on magnetic bearings. I think this was an independent venture, not associated with the big auto manufacturers. They are no longer in business (can't remember the name). One interesting thing about the design was that the flywheel housing had to withstand the forces of flywheel disintigration, which apparenty were many times greater than what would be encountered in any normal auto accident. The website for this outfit touted that as a feature, but it seemed kind of scary to me to have that much kinetic energy in the car next to passengers. If anything did go wrong with it at full spin it would be like a bomb going off...

  2. Re:Mazda has a hydrogen-powered rotary on BMW Shows Off World's Fastest Hydrogen Car · · Score: 1

    Yep, norton had a rotary powered bike. These look like some cool bikes!

    http://www.monito.com/wankel/norton.html

  3. Re:Mazda has a hydrogen-powered rotary on BMW Shows Off World's Fastest Hydrogen Car · · Score: 1

    A quick google search reveals: http://www.bikez.com/bike/index.php?bike=9681 http://www.rotaryrecycle.net/W2000.asp I think I remember seeing another rotary motorcycle someplace (british maybe?), but maybe it was the w2000.

  4. Check out this jet powered recumbent bicycle on Jet-Powered Wheelchair · · Score: 5, Informative
  5. Re:pr0n jokes aside... on Panasonic's Blu-ray Recorder To Hit Market In July · · Score: 1

    Unless you value video/audio quality... those pirate dvds that pack tons of episodes onto each disc have lower video and audio quality than legit DVDs. Plus intelligibility must take up a few megs too, since the subtitles on those pirate DVDs seem to have left that out too.

  6. Also solves the recharging problem on airplanes on Fuel Cells for Laptop Computers · · Score: 1

    Just order up a couple mini bottles. "No, I dont' need a glass."

  7. Tier One == SpaceShipOne, Tier Two == Orbiter? on SpaceShipOne Flight Completed Successfully · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If SpaceShipOne is Tier One, then will there be a Tier Two? If you can get to the edge of space by piggybacking a rocket on a jet aircraft, what about having another, smaller rocket on board to accelerate to orbital or escape velocity? So Tier 'Zero' gets you to 50000 feet (jet aircraft), Tier One gets you to the edge of space, and Tier Two goes on to orbit. That way you don't have to accelerate all of your Tier One stage to orbital velocity, only the orbiter. That means that you don't have to worry about making a SpaceShipOne that can withstand reentry or accelerate to mach 25 in space; just build it large enough to carry something that can.

  8. PUBPAT is registered as a charitable organization on PUBPAT Challenges Microsoft's FAT Patent · · Score: 1

    You can go here to make donations: http://www.pubpat.org/Support.htm I wasn't aware of PUBPAT before either, but what a concept! An organization to combat the stream of idiotic patents, especially in software, that seem to be everywhere these days. I'll be sending them a check... Next we need someone to lobby for reducing the Disney Deadline - allowing IP to become public domain again instead of kicking back the deadline every time Disney is in danger of losing exclusive rights to Mickey.

  9. I have m-tech's version of this on Acer Plans A 16 lb. Notebook · · Score: 1

    Check it out:

    http://www.m-techlaptops.com/specifications/mtec hd 4700.htm

    The price is very similar, and the m-tech sports an awesome 17 inch display, which I believe is exactly the same resolution and size as that found in the powerbook. Probably the same LCD manufacturer. Plus it weighs less than the acer - 'only' 9 lbs instead of 16. I got a backpack for it and I tote it back and forth from work everyday. Battery life is only 1.5 hours, but I'm willing to live with the weight and battery in exchange for the low price, speed, and nice LCD.

  10. Good for vibration damping on Energy From Vibrations · · Score: 1

    I demoed a pair of skis a few years ago that had some LEDs in the tips, which were powered by vibrations in the skis. The idea was that converting the vibrations to electricity would dampen the vibrations, allowing the ski to hold its edge better.

  11. Only works from 3 feet away. on WSJ Reviews High End Universal Remotes · · Score: 5, Informative

    Last time I tried this was with a palm III. It only worked when I was close enough to push the TV buttons myself. Kind of defeats the purpose! I think there are some palm models that have greater range, but most don't.