no, they just have to move their rhetoric more to the center and in their campaigning, show up in Democrat dominant states and counties. Embracing key Democratic principles would be enough. Surely it is not as easy as the Democrat's shooting their own feet off by pulling a switch to 3rd party ploy, but the only true way to insure a particular future is to control it.
The Republicans have 'eaten their own young' in the past so given the recent 8 years of history, THIS is not beyond the expected techniques they'd use. IMO.
you must be a young one if you don't know that in the current system, a 3rd party is not going to work. We need laws which allow a 3rd party system to be effective first.
It's funny you mention this though. I just saw that a couple of Republicans are considering switching to Independents and the first thing I thought of was, "wow, they're already planning on ways to split the vote so their party wins."
I wish it only looked like that but as I just posted in another reply in this thread, the "Big 3" did a complete 180 after Dubya took office and provided funding for hydrogen. They dumped about 7 years of research in hybrid systems and started pedaling million dollar prototypes of fuel cell vehicles. You know, those fuel cell things which were invented in 1800s and used by NASA over the last 20+ years.
it does come down to 'having balls' to do what's right in the long run but it sure looks like they were paid off to kill off hybrid R&D to go for something so far off in the future that there wouldn't be a changing in fuel consumption for a very long time. Sure looks like Dubya helped screw up the US auto industry too but I felt that way in 2001 as soon as I saw them all put down the hybrid flags and lift up the hydrogen flags emblazed with the Dubya logo. If you know what I mean. But who knows, maybe they would have still fallen on their faces without the misdirection but we'll never know that.
I'm all for private enterprises but I wanted to mention that the US industry had R&D investments in hybrid drivetrains which happened to be federally sponsored from 1993-early 2001. What happened after 2001 looked like the new administration did something to direct private industry away from the years of work they had already done and toward only hydrogen/fuelcell technology. In most times, government should stay out of private sector interests but you know, sometimes they can influence growth in a market and also do just the opposite and prevent growth in a sector/market.
You might not have seen it but in late 2000, after Toyota sold a decent amount of Prius's and had waiting lines, the "Big 3" were all putting out press releases that they'd have hybrids in 3-5 years. But then, just about 4 months later, it all stopped and shortly after, they started telling the world+dog that hydrogen cars are the future and that they'd have production vehicle in 5-7 years. Such a drastic turn around seems to coincide with a particular change in office, termination of a particular govermental program supporting hybrid technologies, and new funding for hydrogen technologies.
I really don't think there is ANY place in this for defending Bush and gang. BTW, I'd been investigating the Prius since 1999 by communicating with owners in Japan initially and then eventually purchasing on in late July 2000. I was there and saw all this going on. Unfortunately.
nope, Toyota seems to realize that they should ALSO play with other 'dream' technologies. On the other hand, the US auto industry seems to spend more time/effort telling the public how great the future could be while continuing to shovel the same old technology year after year.
I don't know, was it their total failure at hybrids in the 90s which caused them to abandon that technology or was it the Bush Administration saying they'd get billions from the Feds if they drop the hybrids and push obviously 'dream' technology in the hydrogen fuel cells? Either way, the result is that since Bush took over in 2000, the US auto industry has done nearly nothing to leverage technology to PROVIDE cleaner and more efficient technologies.
Knowing that GM purchased the majority of the patent rights to NiMH batteries, then sold that to the oil industry which now refuses to license the rights to build high-energy cells for vehicles... Well, I just don't put much trust in the US auto industry to really have a clue how to move forward. Too political, too ignorant, IMO.
marketing pieces. I think it was a GM executive who released a public statement that hybrids were bad because it distracted attention from the real future, hydrogen fuelcell vehicles. Oh, and he chose to release this the same week that Toyota invited the press to see the Prius built on the same productionline as 4 other cars. Not being custom built in some special production facility.
Go Toyota, show em how its done. Can you believe that the US had actually started working on hybrid vehicle in 1993? Yup, but good ole George Dubya Bush terminated government backing/involvement once he/Dick created the hydrogen program?
as you pointed out, Microsoft has never been successful outside of software which could leverage the Microsoft Windows desktop pre-loads to grab marketshare. They must know this and though they still get billions flowing in through the MS Windows gravy train, their market growth areas are finding quite a nice home for Linux and OSS. And they know they can only keep re-feeding their existing customers just so much before even they start looking elsewhere for a cheaper solution.
Think of the reaction Earnie Ball had when the BSA came and found a handful of illegally installed apps. There are also examples of what a number of school districts did when the BSA and Microsoft hammered them in attempts to force them into new and expensive licensing contracts.
So they are "taking on water" but will these extortion/patent threats just send a few customers overboard or will there be an abandoning of the ship when it is shown that they can not take this to the courts without a massive reciprocation?
to say that crap and he's paid to harm the open source market because it threatens the Microsoft Windows monopoly. I hope this isn't new folks because Bill Hilf went to 'the dark side' the day he signed up with Microsoft because Microsoft's only* product is Microsoft Windows and must be protected at all costs.
*)Without Microsoft Windows, none of their other products matter. None.
Just a guess but since the mid to late 80s, there really hasn't been anything to get excited about coming out of Microsoft. Sure, some people( Miguel ) get excited about copying others but most developers get 'religion' when amazing things are laid out before them and they get the feeling they are paving the way to the future. At Microsoft, it's gotta feel like RE-paving the way to yesterday. What's to get excited about? IMO
I figured the company installing the panels on your behalf would get getting the rebates since it's a tougher business model without the rebates. For instance, a smallish 2.5KWh system runs around $20K and in our area would average about 5 solarhours per day or 2.5K*5=12,500KWh @ $.15/KWh is $685/year times 20 years would be only $13,867. They'd have to charge around $.25/KWh to just about break even and that's not including the cost of the money.
I think they currently need the rebates to make it work.
that's right, I remember someone was offering to install the PV system on residential homes and essentially rent the power to the homeowner at a fixed cost. I wonder if 'fixes' to the rebate system didn't eliminate that situation from the program. No doubt there is some discussion inside the energy companies on how to stop this.
Given what you said though, I wonder why there wasn't a massive move over to that configuration instead of the 78% drop off for new systems because of the newly added TOU clause?
so maybe the real invention here is a dashboard MPG display showing many different MPG ratings( average, running total, current, etc ) AND has a CPM( Cost per Mile ) calculation which is wirelessly updated with the current fuel price when you fill up at the pump.;-) We'd never get the filling stations to go for that but it could be easily input at the filling station manually too.
This would go a LONG way toward getting people to stop driving up to the bumper of the car ahead of it and stop accelerating to the stop sign or street light. And it'll not cost an extra $2000+ they current hybrid systems cost.
the problem arises when PV pricing starts getting to the point where an enterprising resident can become a power plant and make some money selling peak power electricity. But, the utilities already have roadblocks put in place to help keep those interested in clean energy production down in the noise levels. My guess is that they would rather have brownouts and still make massive profits then to start letting alternative generation systems slowly start taking aways their profits by reducing demand.
Think about it. The energy companies already know that by strategically timing maintenance of critical generation systems, they can reduce supply and boost profits. It was done in 2000 by the electrical generators, mostly in Texas, and currently it looks like the oil industry might be doing the same to help run gasoline prices up.
I've heard a number of people complain about current regulation and utility policies are blocking the increased use of solar PV energy generation so it's not surprising to here any of the TOU issues coming up now. They are looking out for themselves and the PUC seem to be oblivious to any of this.
That surely is ONE problem but this article brings up another BIG PROBLEM and that is with the utilities. They do not want solar power to be cost effective for home and business owners. This also explains why these same utilities tricked the PUC into letting them charge customers for new ToU digital meters. It won't be long before the PUC is asked to allow the utilities to switch home owners to ToU metering like most businesses already are. Bingo, a nice big profit increase and the people helped fund it.
Accuracy doesn't seem to be much of an issue to be honest.
That's great. My comments regarding this were because I'd remembered reading in the blogs at that time, that the latest build wasn't accurate enough to build its own parts(self building). Not sure if that's still valid but good to hear accuracy is no longer an issue.
BTW, That 3-Axis Trinamics board( TMCM-303/SG ) is ~$180US and not only do they not require heatsinks, the "SG" model has builtin stall sensing too so there's no need for optical-switches for locating or stop points. They also sell just the driver chips( TMC246 )for ~$7US. I don't work for them but have used their stuff and it simplifies stepper control quite a bit. Maybe something to consider for another rev since I see you're doing some PCB's now.
I'm not concerned with who currently uses Linux( geeks mostly ) but those businesses who are falling for the Microsoft/Novell/Suse trap. Those are the ones who have been so concerned about patents and indemnification that they'll fall into Microsofts trap and believe they're making the right choice. One possible problem with the rosy picture you painted is that when GPL v3 ships, Novell can only fork everything that migrates to GPL3. If OpenSuse does not follow, it'll no longer be Suse based. So now there's this huge fork in the software with Novell Suse on one side and the few million business users who followed Microsoft into this trap. And as you mention, innovation is happening all over in the OSS side but Novell and its customers are kinda left out of it. Those customers are not going to think they've made a good choice in Linux and will probably migrate back to Microsoft Windows. These are the fortune 1000 or more who are buying into the Novell Suse trap Microsoft is building. Those businesses will NOT go back to Linux or OSS for another 10 or more years after being burned one.
No doubt Linux will survive and we will still be able to do the stuff we're doing now. But, it'll be branded by business as a niche and bad business to mess with. Microsoft will continue to dominate and dictate what comes with a computer and what software is most commonly used. They'll continue to leverage that power to extend software so it only works well or at all on Windows.
Microsoft does not say the "L"-word without plans to bury it. Then Novell/Suse deal(s) are part of their plan. IMO
Some people are "bitching" or discussing this because there is no way in hell that Microsoft is doing this for the money they'll get from Linux/Novell/etc. They have a plan to stop the migration and growth of Linux and opensource software and this Microsoft/Novell/Suse deal is the cornerstone of this plan, with Dell being another brick in the cog in the plan.
This is not good for Linux and open source software and any deal with Microsofts backing can be. THIS is why it is being discussed IMO and there is great reason it should be discussed for the foreseeable future. As good as it may seem to be for Linux drivers etc in the short term, there is a tripping point/stone being put inplace by Microsoft and it needs to be identified. Remember BayStar? People didn't keep quite about that and sure enough, it was eventually found out that Microsoft was behind it and BayStar backed out the best they could.
So people, don't lay down and wait for the Microsoft to screw over Novell and its Suse Linux customers. Something or someone will leak out the plan behind this "madness" eventually. IMO
because acting like the RIAA and going after home users would make for some bad press for Microsoft and you're not going to get much putting a billion dollars worth of lawyers against a home user. Now, line those lawyers up against Home Depot, Lowes, Manny-Moe-Jack, etc and there's gold be squeezed out of them. The press and public wouldn't be so concerned with this since it doesn't look like a David vs Goliath kind of battle.
I'm with you on how Mark Shuttleworth must feel. But he didn't get "owned", he's been "had" since being "owned" would imply a takeover or massive lost of control. He's just not going to get much out of this.
There is definitely something bad going on here. Just the fact that Microsoft added the patent protection section to the Novell deal at the last minute and then turned around and proclaimed it the primary purpose for the agreement tells you they have a nasty plan being brewed. Heck, seeing the press say that "Microsoft announce....Linux deal...." is enough to step back and ask WTF is going on.
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no, they just have to move their rhetoric more to the center and in their campaigning, show up in Democrat dominant states and counties. Embracing key Democratic principles would be enough. Surely it is not as easy as the Democrat's shooting their own feet off by pulling a switch to 3rd party ploy, but the only true way to insure a particular future is to control it.
The Republicans have 'eaten their own young' in the past so given the recent 8 years of history, THIS is not beyond the expected techniques they'd use. IMO.
LoB
where are my mod points when I need em. :-/
Well said.
LoB
you must be a young one if you don't know that in the current system, a 3rd party is not going to work. We need laws which allow a 3rd party system to be effective first.
It's funny you mention this though. I just saw that a couple of Republicans are considering switching to Independents and the first thing I thought of was, "wow, they're already planning on ways to split the vote so their party wins."
LoB
I wish it only looked like that but as I just posted in another reply in this thread, the "Big 3" did a complete 180 after Dubya took office and provided funding for hydrogen. They dumped about 7 years of research in hybrid systems and started pedaling million dollar prototypes of fuel cell vehicles. You know, those fuel cell things which were invented in 1800s and used by NASA over the last 20+ years.
it does come down to 'having balls' to do what's right in the long run but it sure looks like they were paid off to kill off hybrid R&D to go for something so far off in the future that there wouldn't be a changing in fuel consumption for a very long time. Sure looks like Dubya helped screw up the US auto industry too but I felt that way in 2001 as soon as I saw them all put down the hybrid flags and lift up the hydrogen flags emblazed with the Dubya logo. If you know what I mean. But who knows, maybe they would have still fallen on their faces without the misdirection but we'll never know that.
LoB
I'm all for private enterprises but I wanted to mention that the US industry had R&D investments in hybrid drivetrains which happened to be federally sponsored from 1993-early 2001. What happened after 2001 looked like the new administration did something to direct private industry away from the years of work they had already done and toward only hydrogen/fuelcell technology. In most times, government should stay out of private sector interests but you know, sometimes they can influence growth in a market and also do just the opposite and prevent growth in a sector/market.
You might not have seen it but in late 2000, after Toyota sold a decent amount of Prius's and had waiting lines, the "Big 3" were all putting out press releases that they'd have hybrids in 3-5 years. But then, just about 4 months later, it all stopped and shortly after, they started telling the world+dog that hydrogen cars are the future and that they'd have production vehicle in 5-7 years. Such a drastic turn around seems to coincide with a particular change in office, termination of a particular govermental program supporting hybrid technologies, and new funding for hydrogen technologies.
I really don't think there is ANY place in this for defending Bush and gang. BTW, I'd been investigating the Prius since 1999 by communicating with owners in Japan initially and then eventually purchasing on in late July 2000. I was there and saw all this going on. Unfortunately.
LoB
nope, Toyota seems to realize that they should ALSO play with other 'dream' technologies. On the other hand, the US auto industry seems to spend more time/effort telling the public how great the future could be while continuing to shovel the same old technology year after year.
I don't know, was it their total failure at hybrids in the 90s which caused them to abandon that technology or was it the Bush Administration saying they'd get billions from the Feds if they drop the hybrids and push obviously 'dream' technology in the hydrogen fuel cells? Either way, the result is that since Bush took over in 2000, the US auto industry has done nearly nothing to leverage technology to PROVIDE cleaner and more efficient technologies.
Knowing that GM purchased the majority of the patent rights to NiMH batteries, then sold that to the oil industry which now refuses to license the rights to build high-energy cells for vehicles... Well, I just don't put much trust in the US auto industry to really have a clue how to move forward. Too political, too ignorant, IMO.
LoB
marketing pieces. I think it was a GM executive who released a public statement that hybrids were bad because it distracted attention from the real future, hydrogen fuelcell vehicles. Oh, and he chose to release this the same week that Toyota invited the press to see the Prius built on the same productionline as 4 other cars. Not being custom built in some special production facility.
Go Toyota, show em how its done. Can you believe that the US had actually started working on hybrid vehicle in 1993? Yup, but good ole George Dubya Bush terminated government backing/involvement once he/Dick created the hydrogen program?
LoB
as you pointed out, Microsoft has never been successful outside of software which could leverage the Microsoft Windows desktop pre-loads to grab marketshare. They must know this and though they still get billions flowing in through the MS Windows gravy train, their market growth areas are finding quite a nice home for Linux and OSS. And they know they can only keep re-feeding their existing customers just so much before even they start looking elsewhere for a cheaper solution.
Think of the reaction Earnie Ball had when the BSA came and found a handful of illegally installed apps. There are also examples of what a number of school districts did when the BSA and Microsoft hammered them in attempts to force them into new and expensive licensing contracts.
So they are "taking on water" but will these extortion/patent threats just send a few customers overboard or will there be an abandoning of the ship when it is shown that they can not take this to the courts without a massive reciprocation?
LoB
Then some Podunk consultant(s) should file it and maybe a few dozen/hundred others if there's some means of financial backing for this. No?
LoB
to say that crap and he's paid to harm the open source market because it threatens the Microsoft Windows monopoly.
I hope this isn't new folks because Bill Hilf went to 'the dark side' the day he signed up with Microsoft because Microsoft's only* product is Microsoft Windows and must be protected at all costs.
*)Without Microsoft Windows, none of their other products matter. None.
LoB
Just a guess but since the mid to late 80s, there really hasn't been anything to get excited about coming out of Microsoft. Sure, some people( Miguel ) get excited about copying others but most developers get 'religion' when amazing things are laid out before them and they get the feeling they are paving the way to the future. At Microsoft, it's gotta feel like RE-paving the way to yesterday. What's to get excited about? IMO
LoB
so it's obvious he's not really up on science very much and therefore, is more like a salesmen who writes articles.
LoB
Now you've done it.... LOOK OUT!
http://www.missileballoon.com/Hummer-fhm04.jpg
LoB
That'll cost you a cool $1.5 million to find out. But, you can then become a 'Quatro OT'. ooooooowwwwww ;-)
LoB
I figured the company installing the panels on your behalf would get getting the rebates since it's a tougher business model without the rebates. For instance, a smallish 2.5KWh system runs around $20K and in our area would average about 5 solarhours per day or 2.5K*5=12,500KWh @ $.15/KWh is $685/year times 20 years would be only $13,867. They'd have to charge around $.25/KWh to just about break even and that's not including the cost of the money.
I think they currently need the rebates to make it work.
LoB
that's right, I remember someone was offering to install the PV system on residential homes and essentially rent the power to the homeowner at a fixed cost. I wonder if 'fixes' to the rebate system didn't eliminate that situation from the program. No doubt there is some discussion inside the energy companies on how to stop this.
Given what you said though, I wonder why there wasn't a massive move over to that configuration instead of the 78% drop off for new systems because of the newly added TOU clause?
LoB
so maybe the real invention here is a dashboard MPG display showing many different MPG ratings( average, running total, current, etc ) AND has a CPM( Cost per Mile ) calculation which is wirelessly updated with the current fuel price when you fill up at the pump. ;-) We'd never get the filling stations to go for that but it could be easily input at the filling station manually too.
This would go a LONG way toward getting people to stop driving up to the bumper of the car ahead of it and stop accelerating to the stop sign or street light. And it'll not cost an extra $2000+ they current hybrid systems cost.
LoB
LOL, but the "idiot" tie-in was great. IMO
LoB
the problem arises when PV pricing starts getting to the point where an enterprising resident can become a power plant and make some money selling peak power electricity. But, the utilities already have roadblocks put in place to help keep those interested in clean energy production down in the noise levels. My guess is that they would rather have brownouts and still make massive profits then to start letting alternative generation systems slowly start taking aways their profits by reducing demand.
Think about it. The energy companies already know that by strategically timing maintenance of critical generation systems, they can reduce supply and boost profits. It was done in 2000 by the electrical generators, mostly in Texas, and currently it looks like the oil industry might be doing the same to help run gasoline prices up.
I've heard a number of people complain about current regulation and utility policies are blocking the increased use of solar PV energy generation so it's not surprising to here any of the TOU issues coming up now. They are looking out for themselves and the PUC seem to be oblivious to any of this.
LoB
Well said and it's good to see another who cheers higher priced energy.
LoB
That surely is ONE problem but this article brings up another BIG PROBLEM and that is with the utilities. They do not want solar power to be cost effective for home and business owners. This also explains why these same utilities tricked the PUC into letting them charge customers for new ToU digital meters. It won't be long before the PUC is asked to allow the utilities to switch home owners to ToU metering like most businesses already are. Bingo, a nice big profit increase and the people helped fund it.
Nice work PUC. Not!
LoB
That's great. My comments regarding this were because I'd remembered reading in the blogs at that time, that the latest build wasn't accurate enough to build its own parts(self building). Not sure if that's still valid but good to hear accuracy is no longer an issue.
BTW, That 3-Axis Trinamics board( TMCM-303/SG ) is ~$180US and not only do they not require heatsinks, the "SG" model has builtin stall sensing too so there's no need for optical-switches for locating or stop points. They also sell just the driver chips( TMC246 )for ~$7US. I don't work for them but have used their stuff and it simplifies stepper control quite a bit. Maybe something to consider for another rev since I see you're doing some PCB's now.
LoB
I'm not concerned with who currently uses Linux( geeks mostly ) but those businesses who are falling for the Microsoft/Novell/Suse trap. Those are the ones who have been so concerned about patents and indemnification that they'll fall into Microsofts trap and believe they're making the right choice. One possible problem with the rosy picture you painted is that when GPL v3 ships, Novell can only fork everything that migrates to GPL3. If OpenSuse does not follow, it'll no longer be Suse based. So now there's this huge fork in the software with Novell Suse on one side and the few million business users who followed Microsoft into this trap. And as you mention, innovation is happening all over in the OSS side but Novell and its customers are kinda left out of it. Those customers are not going to think they've made a good choice in Linux and will probably migrate back to Microsoft Windows. These are the fortune 1000 or more who are buying into the Novell Suse trap Microsoft is building. Those businesses will NOT go back to Linux or OSS for another 10 or more years after being burned one.
No doubt Linux will survive and we will still be able to do the stuff we're doing now. But, it'll be branded by business as a niche and bad business to mess with. Microsoft will continue to dominate and dictate what comes with a computer and what software is most commonly used. They'll continue to leverage that power to extend software so it only works well or at all on Windows.
Microsoft does not say the "L"-word without plans to bury it. Then Novell/Suse deal(s) are part of their plan. IMO
LoB
Some people are "bitching" or discussing this because there is no way in hell that Microsoft is doing this for the money they'll get from Linux/Novell/etc. They have a plan to stop the migration and growth of Linux and opensource software and this Microsoft/Novell/Suse deal is the cornerstone of this plan, with Dell being another brick in the cog in the plan.
This is not good for Linux and open source software and any deal with Microsofts backing can be. THIS is why it is being discussed IMO and there is great reason it should be discussed for the foreseeable future. As good as it may seem to be for Linux drivers etc in the short term, there is a tripping point/stone being put inplace by Microsoft and it needs to be identified. Remember BayStar? People didn't keep quite about that and sure enough, it was eventually found out that Microsoft was behind it and BayStar backed out the best they could.
So people, don't lay down and wait for the Microsoft to screw over Novell and its Suse Linux customers. Something or someone will leak out the plan behind this "madness" eventually. IMO
LoB
because acting like the RIAA and going after home users would make for some bad press for Microsoft and you're not going to get much putting a billion dollars worth of lawyers against a home user. Now, line those lawyers up against Home Depot, Lowes, Manny-Moe-Jack, etc and there's gold be squeezed out of them. The press and public wouldn't be so concerned with this since it doesn't look like a David vs Goliath kind of battle.
I'm with you on how Mark Shuttleworth must feel. But he didn't get "owned", he's been "had" since being "owned" would imply a takeover or massive lost of control. He's just not going to get much out of this.
There is definitely something bad going on here. Just the fact that Microsoft added the patent protection section to the Novell deal at the last minute and then turned around and proclaimed it the primary purpose for the agreement tells you they have a nasty plan being brewed. Heck, seeing the press say that "Microsoft announce....Linux deal...." is enough to step back and ask WTF is going on.
LoB