Most people don't 'install windows'. It comes preinstalled on the box when they buy it. It lives on, sometimes patched, sometimes not, until the box dies, and they get whatever version of Windows is out on the new box.
It's basically just put it in your CD drive and 1 minute later it's up and running a full GUI with your browser connected to the internet and solitaire ready to play. Not to mention having a _full_ office suit ready to use.
But they already have that. A GUI they already know, already connected to the net, all the games in the world, real financial mangement (Quicken), etc, etc. What? A free office suite? Sure. OO.o comes in Windows flavors.
What's the compelling reason to switch to Linux? No viruses? If they can't operate Windows well enough to not get a virus, they can't manage the little foibles inherent in Linux.
A ballistic missile system that intercepted 98% of them (which is nothing like the actual ABM system being tested) would still leave two hundred or more nuclear detonations in the US.
assuming that: a) they all were fired b) all those fired actually left the silos c) all those actually launched were accurate to their targets (a scenario that has never, for obvious reasons, been tested) d) that there was no fratricide between incoming missiles (again, never really been tested)
e) all the warheads actually fire as programmed
f) none were held back for a possible second strike
g) all those that get through a-f are targeted at different locations
In the immortal words of Gen. Buck Turgidson: "I'm not saying we won't get our hair mussed up, but 10-20 million tops, depending on the breaks."
That bug was found and fixed during simulation testing. It never made its way into actual flight software. Luck had nothing to do with it. Good test procedures caught it.
You just simply would drive up to the "gas station", the empty battery gets pulled out, and a charged one installed.
And the battery pack for the Prius (a very small hybrid), weighs in at 120 lbs. A batt pack for something bigger (Ford SUV hybrid) would be heavier. Yes, we could make them modular...say 30 or 40lb sections. But then your efficiency would only be as good as the worst individual module. Like when you replace flashlight batteries. Put in one duff one out of 4, and the total time and brightness goes down.
And, you'd have to have trained 'service station' attendants. Asking Aunt Tillie to install and connect 40lb battery packs is a bit much.
Can they be used for evil? Again, sure. Tracking me.
The thing is to get privacy regulations in place before these things become too widespread. And questioning the uses of them is pivotal to getting those regulations. Because corporations/governments will want to use them to their benefit, not ours. If SearsMart can make 1/2 cent from selling your info to Nike/Hilfiger, you can bet your ass they'll do it.
2) If you're in a crash*, how do you protect your rights of posession to the data?
The other problem with this is actual ownership. As a lot of cars are leased or on payments, who actually 'owns' it? The bank (which may be owned by or owner of your insurance company)? And thereby the data on the black box? In the event the car is totaled, the insurance company often keeps it, and pays you (and the bank). Again, do they then 'own' the data on the black box in the car that they now own?
3) How do I safely rig something to destroy or scramble my car's computer?
Never fear...this act will be made illegal. "Destruction of evidence" or some such. And an autodestruct/autoerase mechanism would have to be very finely tuned. You don't want it going off randomly, or in the event of a minor fender bender, or if you are in the right. But if you are incapacitated in the crash, you will not have the chance to trigger it.
They don't have to be unsightly. Here's a jpg of a proposed system that was shot down in Cincinnati. The rails run along the sidewalk, leaving the streets free and clear.
A lot of current popular, busy, destinations already have huge parking lots. Ball stadiums, shopping malls, office buildings, etc. Mark off a section of the already existing parking lot and dedicate it to these things. Ramp the track down to the parking lot, multiple "Y's" off into separate rails, and you have as large a 'station' as you wish.
Of course, lots of small communities use tickets to increase their budgets. If the cars don't speed or violate traffic, some budgets would feel the impact.
And if there is less crime/accidents involving cars, presumably the community could reduce its police force. Hence, less money needed.
Taking the bus would have taken me at least 3 hours to commute each day. Driving takes me about 45 minutes.
That is merely the result of a poorly planned and implemented bus system/route. There is nothing inherently wrong with a properly funded and laid out bus/train system. We run into the problem of them not being laid out efficiently, so no one uses them, so they get insufficient funding. Self-fulfilling prophecy.
I would ONLY favor an automated driving system if it did not do any of the following things:
1 - Require a centralized control or regularly downloaded from some centralized source in order to work properly (i.e. map data from a city's traffic management server, or something like that).
Would have to. Everyone would have to be on the same map and version. Unless there is some sort of control system in the road. Which probably would not work well in the snow.
2 - Allow the government to effectively disable the car by remote (which would be easy if #1 was true - just mandate that only authorized vehicles could access the server).
I believe OnStar can already do this.
3 - Become mandatory (or effectively mandatory by raising insurance rates to punitive levels for those who don't use it).
No, they won't 'raise' everybody else's, they'll lower rates if you do use this. Effectively the same thing, but looks more attractive. "Buy a new car with AutoDrive, and get 45% off your insurance rates!"
I recently got one at Kroger. "Do you have a Kiroger card?" 'Nope' "well...here's the card and the application" She swiped it, and gave me the blank app, to be filled out later.
The card works, and I just shredded the application.
So..just take the blank application, and say "I'll fill it out later".
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If it's not cost effective for Verizon, how is it cost effective for the local government?
Most people don't 'install windows'. It comes preinstalled on the box when they buy it. It lives on, sometimes patched, sometimes not, until the box dies, and they get whatever version of Windows is out on the new box.
But they already have that. A GUI they already know, already connected to the net, all the games in the world, real financial mangement (Quicken), etc, etc. What? A free office suite? Sure. OO.o comes in Windows flavors.
What's the compelling reason to switch to Linux? No viruses? If they can't operate Windows well enough to not get a virus, they can't manage the little foibles inherent in Linux.
Where's the *wow* for Linux? All of those can be had for Windows.
Clayton Lee Waagner probably wishes he'd used somewhere else besides Kinkos.
Correct. 1 is an unacceptably large number.
assuming that:
a) they all were fired
b) all those fired actually left the silos
c) all those actually launched were accurate to their targets (a scenario that has never, for obvious reasons, been tested)
d) that there was no fratricide between incoming missiles (again, never really been tested)
e) all the warheads actually fire as programmed
f) none were held back for a possible second strike
g) all those that get through a-f are targeted at different locations
In the immortal words of Gen. Buck Turgidson:
"I'm not saying we won't get our hair mussed up, but 10-20 million tops, depending on the breaks."
That bug was found and fixed during simulation testing. It never made its way into actual flight software.
Luck had nothing to do with it. Good test procedures caught it.
Painless, if you think unbolting and swapping out a 120lb battery pack two or three times a week is painless.
And the battery pack for the Prius (a very small hybrid), weighs in at 120 lbs. A batt pack for something bigger (Ford SUV hybrid) would be heavier.
Yes, we could make them modular...say 30 or 40lb sections. But then your efficiency would only be as good as the worst individual module. Like when you replace flashlight batteries. Put in one duff one out of 4, and the total time and brightness goes down.
And, you'd have to have trained 'service station' attendants. Asking Aunt Tillie to install and connect 40lb battery packs is a bit much.
Can they be used for evil? Again, sure. Tracking me.
The thing is to get privacy regulations in place before these things become too widespread. And questioning the uses of them is pivotal to getting those regulations. Because corporations/governments will want to use them to their benefit, not ours. If SearsMart can make 1/2 cent from selling your info to Nike/Hilfiger, you can bet your ass they'll do it.
The other problem with this is actual ownership. As a lot of cars are leased or on payments, who actually 'owns' it? The bank (which may be owned by or owner of your insurance company)? And thereby the data on the black box?
In the event the car is totaled, the insurance company often keeps it, and pays you (and the bank). Again, do they then 'own' the data on the black box in the car that they now own?
3) How do I safely rig something to destroy or scramble my car's computer?
Never fear...this act will be made illegal. "Destruction of evidence" or some such.
And an autodestruct/autoerase mechanism would have to be very finely tuned. You don't want it going off randomly, or in the event of a minor fender bender, or if you are in the right. But if you are incapacitated in the crash, you will not have the chance to trigger it.
Ohio is doing a full recount anyway
They don't have to be unsightly. Here's a jpg of a proposed system that was shot down in Cincinnati. The rails run along the sidewalk, leaving the streets free and clear.
A lot of current popular, busy, destinations already have huge parking lots. Ball stadiums, shopping malls, office buildings, etc. Mark off a section of the already existing parking lot and dedicate it to these things. Ramp the track down to the parking lot, multiple "Y's" off into separate rails, and you have as large a 'station' as you wish.
How many times a year do you a) buy lumber, and b) move it by subway or taxi?
Jeez...talk about your non-problems.
Naa...that would be thinking too much.
Take two. Or, nothing says the max size on those cars is 4 passengers. No reason why a few six passenger models couldn't be sprinkled into the mix.
This is what the 'self driving car' should be.
They better get together on what the meaning of 'Is' and 'IsNot' is.
And if there is less crime/accidents involving cars, presumably the community could reduce its police force. Hence, less money needed.
Taking the bus would have taken me at least 3 hours to commute each day. Driving takes me about 45 minutes.
That is merely the result of a poorly planned and implemented bus system/route. There is nothing inherently wrong with a properly funded and laid out bus/train system. We run into the problem of them not being laid out efficiently, so no one uses them, so they get insufficient funding. Self-fulfilling prophecy.
1 - Require a centralized control or regularly downloaded from some centralized source in order to work properly (i.e. map data from a city's traffic management server, or something like that).
Would have to. Everyone would have to be on the same map and version. Unless there is some sort of control system in the road. Which probably would not work well in the snow.
2 - Allow the government to effectively disable the car by remote (which would be easy if #1 was true - just mandate that only authorized vehicles could access the server).
I believe OnStar can already do this.
3 - Become mandatory (or effectively mandatory by raising insurance rates to punitive levels for those who don't use it).
No, they won't 'raise' everybody else's, they'll lower rates if you do use this. Effectively the same thing, but looks more attractive. "Buy a new car with AutoDrive, and get 45% off your insurance rates!"
Yes. See Dance Dance Revolution.
That's why this card is used *only* with cash.
"Do you have a Kiroger card?"
'Nope'
"well...here's the card and the application" She swiped it, and gave me the blank app, to be filled out later.
The card works, and I just shredded the application.
So..just take the blank application, and say "I'll fill it out later".