My father could fix almost everything. No repairman ever came to my house when I was a child. I didn't even know there were such things as plumbers and electricians. He fixed TVs, washing machines and the family car. He built furniture, painted the house, fixed the plumbing and even cut our hair! He could run a lathe as easily as he could work an oscilloscope. Of course, having all these skills meant he never made much money. He insisted that we get educated so we wouldn't end up doing manual labor. So my brothers and I ended up with some skills and enough education to avoid digging ditches. Our children and grandchildren? Forget it! Some of them would have trouble changing a light bulb, but they have cell phones so they are "tech savvy". They have lost the ability to use tools and also lost the ability to earn enough money to pay for professional repairmen. Devo was right!
I second the unsprung weight argument. Concept is nice, but the reality of physics intrudes. Electric motors haven't taken over yet, so certainly in-wheel motors have not. Brakes also require large energy dissipation. Now for electric bicycles, you might have something.
I agree about peeling off the protective films. I have seen quite a few items that have had the films left on for long periods (HP DVMs etc.). Eventually the film refuses to come off. For some reason people refuse to believe the film is there only to protect the shiny bits during manufacture and shipping; they are AFRAID to remove it. This reminds me of the 1950-60's habit of putting clear plastic covers on living room furniture and car seats. Looks nice, but you never enjoy the feel of the seat as it was intended.
While I believe a good dose of politeness in commenting is generally a good idea, somehow "Overrated", "Underrated" or "Insightful" does not designate the proper level of stupidity associated with lawn-chair ballooning. Of course, an article about flying lawn furniture would not normally appear on Slashdot (unless Linux was involved).
I think this is the first "Troll" label I've gotten. Feels creepy.
I'm sure it's unhealthy for me to read any GS stories. I just keep thinking about how my brother lost $10k in savings because of shady investing by Morgan-Stanley. There was a lawsuit; Morgan-Stanley lost; the lawyers made a fortune and my brother got a check for $3 which he tore up. Welcome to investing in America.
NY resident here. I have to think it is not legal to drive this thing anywhere but on private property. I don't think NY even allows electric bicycles (perhaps there is an exception for New York City). Could someone in the know clarify? Pretty sure any four-wheeled thing is NOT considered a bicycle. Three wheels and you can claim motorcycle status, but not four. Also 21mph is not fast enough. This is a toy. The main function of vehicles like this is to make the mainstream manufacturers look bad. Any two guys in a barn can whip up an electric car, but Ford can't. Those big evil companies are so lame!!
I would point out that there are places on Earth that require imported food for the local population to survive. I don't mean places like Sudan. I mean a place like Hawaii (90% of food is imported).
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My father could fix almost everything. No repairman ever came to my house when I was a child. I didn't even know there were such things as plumbers and electricians. He fixed TVs, washing machines and the family car. He built furniture, painted the house, fixed the plumbing and even cut our hair! He could run a lathe as easily as he could work an oscilloscope. Of course, having all these skills meant he never made much money. He insisted that we get educated so we wouldn't end up doing manual labor. So my brothers and I ended up with some skills and enough education to avoid digging ditches. Our children and grandchildren? Forget it! Some of them would have trouble changing a light bulb, but they have cell phones so they are "tech savvy". They have lost the ability to use tools and also lost the ability to earn enough money to pay for professional repairmen. Devo was right!
They wrote it while testing their own product.
Throw in a couple of Twinkies and the aura will keep everything fresh for 100 years.
Religious governments are a bad idea. Religious governments are a bad idea. Religious governments are a bad idea.
If something is big, making it smaller is a great technological advance.
Digital camera example: Big pixels yield high ISO which is good, but optical format is large which is bad.
So make smaller pixels so we get more megapixels to advertise which is good.
Now quality sucks, so invent technological advance of bigger pixels!
Profit!
I second the unsprung weight argument. Concept is nice, but the reality of physics intrudes. Electric motors haven't taken over yet, so certainly in-wheel motors have not. Brakes also require large energy dissipation. Now for electric bicycles, you might have something.
I agree about peeling off the protective films. I have seen quite a few items that have had the films left on for long periods (HP DVMs etc.). Eventually the film refuses to come off. For some reason people refuse to believe the film is there only to protect the shiny bits during manufacture and shipping; they are AFRAID to remove it. This reminds me of the 1950-60's habit of putting clear plastic covers on living room furniture and car seats. Looks nice, but you never enjoy the feel of the seat as it was intended.
A123 is having financial problems. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/90d1ea80-9f78-11e1-a255-00144feabdc0.html#axzz20yFgnBM2
While I believe a good dose of politeness in commenting is generally a good idea, somehow "Overrated", "Underrated" or "Insightful" does not designate the proper level of stupidity associated with lawn-chair ballooning. Of course, an article about flying lawn furniture would not normally appear on Slashdot (unless Linux was involved). I think this is the first "Troll" label I've gotten. Feels creepy.
A "Morons" tag like Fark.
Yes, now that someone has ruined everything by fixing the typo!
How many patents are these people violating!!!!!!!
until there is a Treatwomen.
I'm sure it's unhealthy for me to read any GS stories. I just keep thinking about how my brother lost $10k in savings because of shady investing by Morgan-Stanley. There was a lawsuit; Morgan-Stanley lost; the lawyers made a fortune and my brother got a check for $3 which he tore up. Welcome to investing in America.
NY resident here. I have to think it is not legal to drive this thing anywhere but on private property. I don't think NY even allows electric bicycles (perhaps there is an exception for New York City). Could someone in the know clarify? Pretty sure any four-wheeled thing is NOT considered a bicycle. Three wheels and you can claim motorcycle status, but not four. Also 21mph is not fast enough. This is a toy. The main function of vehicles like this is to make the mainstream manufacturers look bad. Any two guys in a barn can whip up an electric car, but Ford can't. Those big evil companies are so lame!!
I assume this only applies to smart phones where people have paid extra for enhanced tracking "features".
I would point out that there are places on Earth that require imported food for the local population to survive. I don't mean places like Sudan. I mean a place like Hawaii (90% of food is imported).
2) Can the entirety of the Earth's internet be cached on local Martian servers to provide entertainment equivalent to being on Earth?
That's Shirley.
Then I want a pony.
Wait. People PAY for Snookie????
"NASA's New Horizons spacecraft was unexpectedly destroyed today when it crashed into a previously unknown 6th moon of Pluto..."
Of course BMW is using a special security system that is not used by anyone else. Right.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/230140/1972-bmw-2002
"Religious" governments are ALWAYS a bad idea.