48VDC is used by the Telcos for a multitude of reasons, efficiencey isn't one of them.
They use DC because the systems originally ran completely off batteries. The battteries were charged fomr battery chargers on the power line. One of the reasons they did that was so the phones would keep working during a power outage. The original UPS.
Another reason for DC is that the early carbon element microphones required current running through them to work. You can make one work on AC, by the AC hum is then the predominant sound coming out of the other an of the line.
BTW, it's a good idea to alway have at least one simple phone in your house that doen't require AC power to work
Silicon Valley is not the seat of government any more than other large metropolitin areas. It's primarily in Santa Clara County and San Jose is the county seat, a big ho-hum.
It consists of several cities and each has it's own city government. Nothing different there from many other metropolitin areas either.
"Of course, a lot of politicians would definitly enjoy it. Information is one of the weapons against dissenters. But do you think people would let them?"
I don't know about all them furrin counties, but "We the Sheeple" in the US would if it was sold as part of "Homeland Security"
You get to see a different point of view, you gain insight, you get to see things from a different angle. You get more information to base your judgement on. Thus your decisions will improve in quality, being based on more information. Not necessarily "better" information, but you can gain insight into the various views different people from all over the world have on a certain matter.
That would be that real reason the internet is regionalized if it ever is.
Would the average american want to watch a black and white movie, where you can see the strings, and there's only 6 actors, and the director/producer/editor/cameraman/lighting tech/lead actor is all the same person?
Sounds like porn flicks, except you have too many actors and they're color because color doesn't cost extra anymore.
Sad part is that the same Azzhats (clear channel etc) will still own the bulk of the AM stations, The bulk of AM digital will be higher fidelity garbage, but it will still be garbage.
There are a few good AM stations, but they are a small minority.
What is overlooked is that the 3 to 1 ratio was overall. An atttack would have been massed in a few areas with a far higher numerical advantage. Also, the Soviets had a far more than 3:1 advantage in artillery. Everything in their path would have been shreaded before they got there. That's why the West needed tactical nukes.
Somone else mentioned the Davy Crocket, which is a tube launched very short ranged rocket, not a mortar. One is on display in the Ft. Benning, GA museum mounted on a jeep.
So the Ruskies were going to hit NATO where it cause the most pain. What would anyone except a complete cypher expect of them?
It's not like NATO was going to shoot it's nukes harmlessly off into some empty desert.
It was going to be a real nasty fooking war if it happened and very likely the West would have started tossing nukes first because the Warsaw Pact had greatly superior quantities of ground forces.
During the cold war one of the catchy phrases in the military industrial complex was that NATO forces were going to have a "Target rich environment". That means their asses were going to get run over.
I agree. And, it's called a sales tax, not a purchase tax. The tax (if any) should be based on where the product was sold, not from where it was purchased.
This idea isnt new, doing it in a potentially production car is.
35+ years go we did a paper exercise in a thermodynamics class to evaluate the potential efficincy of a Rankine cycle (steam) engine running off waste heat from an internal combustion engine. IIRC, we got efficency numbers about like what BMW is claiming.
One weakness is that the systems aren't very efficent at low power, such as stop and go traffic or slow driving. There just isn't enough waste heat in the cooling system to do anything useful until you start making a reasonable amount of horsepower.
Some ships and stationary power plant use steam engines (usually steam turbines) that run off waste heat from gas turbine engines to boost efficency. Celebrity's Millenium Class cruise ships are one example.
BMW has the ability to make Hydrogen-powered production cars, it is a shame that they have not caught on yet.
Current fuels will eventually go the way of the steam engine, or wait, maybe not the steam.
The biggest problem with hydrogen is that for all practicle purposes it isn't a fuel, it's a means of energy storage. That's because it takes more energy to get the hydrogen into a usable form than you get from it when you consume it.
Slashdot Mirror
48VDC is used by the Telcos for a multitude of reasons, efficiencey isn't one of them.
They use DC because the systems originally ran completely off batteries. The battteries were charged fomr battery chargers on the power line. One of the reasons they did that was so the phones would keep working during a power outage. The original UPS.
Another reason for DC is that the early carbon element microphones required current running through them to work. You can make one work on AC, by the AC hum is then the predominant sound coming out of the other an of the line.
BTW, it's a good idea to alway have at least one simple phone in your house that doen't require AC power to work
Well shaken.
Silicon Valley is not the seat of government any more than other large metropolitin areas. It's primarily in Santa Clara County and San Jose is the county seat, a big ho-hum.
It consists of several cities and each has it's own city government. Nothing different there from many other metropolitin areas either.
Say hello to Bill for me.
I haven't been in a Blockbuster in 3 or 4 years because they are evil, at least they were 3 or 4 years ago.
Netfix, OTOH, seems to go out of their way to satisfy customers.
Get rid of the crying kid and they might quit avoiding you. Better yet, let me borrow the kid so they'll leave me alone.
Farty Ferret
"Of course, a lot of politicians would definitly enjoy it. Information is one of the weapons against dissenters. But do you think people would let them?"
I don't know about all them furrin counties, but "We the Sheeple" in the US would if it was sold as part of "Homeland Security"
That would be that real reason the internet is regionalized if it ever is.
Sounds like porn flicks, except you have too many actors and they're color because color doesn't cost extra anymore.
I respect the office of the President of the United States. That is why I refuse to call that clown "President" Bush.
Sad part is that the same Azzhats (clear channel etc) will still own the bulk of the AM stations, The bulk of AM digital will be higher fidelity garbage, but it will still be garbage.
There are a few good AM stations, but they are a small minority.
If the cell company rep's lips were moving when he said that, that's prima facie evidence that it's legal.
Never underestimate the ability of the Democratic party to pull defeat from the jaws of victory.
Not applicable here, we're dealing with a monkey clan and a sheep clan.
Then Taiwan's anti-missile plan is working.
The only power they are working on is the power to move money from investors accounts to theirs.
"I couldn't watch video ?"
That's because you're using a clunker operating system.
What is overlooked is that the 3 to 1 ratio was overall. An atttack would have been massed in a few areas with a far higher numerical advantage. Also, the Soviets had a far more than 3:1 advantage in artillery. Everything in their path would have been shreaded before they got there. That's why the West needed tactical nukes.
Somone else mentioned the Davy Crocket, which is a tube launched very short ranged rocket, not a mortar. One is on display in the Ft. Benning, GA museum mounted on a jeep.
So the Ruskies were going to hit NATO where it cause the most pain. What would anyone except a complete cypher expect of them?
It's not like NATO was going to shoot it's nukes harmlessly off into some empty desert.
It was going to be a real nasty fooking war if it happened and very likely the West would have started tossing nukes first because the Warsaw Pact had greatly superior quantities of ground forces.
During the cold war one of the catchy phrases in the military industrial complex was that NATO forces were going to have a "Target rich environment". That means their asses were going to get run over.
That's a relief, I thought they were calling us wanks.
Let me translate. The phrase "do the right thing" is conservative talk for bend over and grab your ankles.
I agree. And, it's called a sales tax, not a purchase tax. The tax (if any) should be based on where the product was sold, not from where it was purchased.
This idea isnt new, doing it in a potentially production car is.
35+ years go we did a paper exercise in a thermodynamics class to evaluate the potential efficincy of a Rankine cycle (steam) engine running off waste heat from an internal combustion engine. IIRC, we got efficency numbers about like what BMW is claiming.
One weakness is that the systems aren't very efficent at low power, such as stop and go traffic or slow driving. There just isn't enough waste heat in the cooling system to do anything useful until you start making a reasonable amount of horsepower.
Some ships and stationary power plant use steam engines (usually steam turbines) that run off waste heat from gas turbine engines to boost efficency. Celebrity's Millenium Class cruise ships are one example.
The biggest problem with hydrogen is that for all practicle purposes it isn't a fuel, it's a means of energy storage. That's because it takes more energy to get the hydrogen into a usable form than you get from it when you consume it.