glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

I've seen a few documentaries on this device (though not sure if I've seen this one yet... just started watching), and I find it absolutely amazing. It always makes me wonder just how much technology has been developed and lost (and how many times this has happened) due to events like the burnings of the library of Alexandria (for example) and others we may not even know have happened. The fact that this device is more intricate and more accurately "machined" (for lack of a better term) than was thought possible for its age just proves we don't know just how far back some of what we consider to be modern developments go.

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

This is a bit terse [0], but still very cool. I used to love to follow all of the new CPUs from the various vendors to see how they compared in performance, wattage, transistor count, etc. by following The CPU Info Center at Berkeley. Sadly, the site was abandoned around 2004 and removed some time after, but you can still see some of the content if you search archive.org for http://bwrc.eecs.berkeley.edu/cic (dig back to the spikes in 2005 or so). My favorite was watching the Alpha... every time HP's PA-RISC would bump past it, DEC would release either a new generation or maybe just bump the clock in the Alpha and completely blow it away. Hungry beasts though... and way out of my budget when they were being made. It would be neat to see a chart like that with modern CPUs - shame they abandoned the site.

0 - It has very short descriptions for each stage. There's not quite enough info to understand the "whys". Like it states that the 6501 was dropped after the threat of a lawsuit, but doesn't explain that it was because of it being pin-(and I believe signal)-compatible with the 6800, which the 6502 was not.

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

I wonder how long until someone creates an Android client for this (one that is configurable, not hard-coded to point to the defunct Ubuntu One servers).

I'd love to run a ZFS-backed Ubuntu One server for all my family's portable devices.

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

I'm surprised the Pond Racer [0] isn't in there. With its (relatively) huge engine nacelles way out front dragging the tiny cockpit way in the back, I swear it's got to be the inspiration for the "pod racers" in Star Wars.

I'm also surprised to see the Proteus and X29 in the list. The Proteus was quite a ground-breaker and doesn't look too strange if you've seen a few gliders. I remember seeing the X29 on the front cover of (I think) Popular Science back in the day, and thought it was a beautiful design. Highly efficient, highly maneuverable, and I think this was the one with a vertical canard (under the pilot, not visible in most pictures) that allowed it to corner flat (for improved visibility during dogfights).

I think the Edgley Optica looks like something from Lexx, the Bartini Beriev VVA-14 belongs in a video game and the Handley-Page Victor belongs in Agents of Shield!

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p7iNuTe3w0

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

I'm amazed that I'm reading in the same article talking about faults in limestone and "underground trapping of carbon dioxide emitted by power stations".

The water we're pumping down there isn't the only water deep in the earth. Water + C02 = carbonic acid, commonly known to dissolve limestone (frequently the cause of sinkholes when it happens near the surface). Am I the only one who thinks pumping enormous amounts of C02 deep into the ground (where it's going to come into contact with water and limestone) is a really, really bad idea?

Outside of that, very interesting article. Fantastic that they have access to a fault via an old military installation!

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

As I understand it, the bolts were pointing forward towards the fuel tank which caused the puncture and (the threads caused) the spark, but this was only in the Pinto wagon, a far less popular variant of the car. The hatchback most people think of as the Pinto did not have this design flaw (the bolts were perpendicular to the car instead of aiming forwards).

So, you had to rear-end a Pinto wagon (not hatchback) with a nearly empty tank so the bolts entered at the fume level for any chance of fire or explosion.

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

In addition to all of the other examples given, countless SoHo routers (just about everything from the old WRT54G workhorse on up) run MIPS processors.

Edit: Fixed typo.

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

Hopefully, this will get more traction than OpenSPARC did. I was really surprised that one didn't get adopted heavily. It runs Linux (and Solaris and OpenBSD), is multicore, CMT, low power.

Reference:

http://opensparc.net/

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/systems/opensparc/openspar...

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

I remember reading this article when it was first published and thought it was a fantastic piece of work. When it was later discovered that the NSA has been doing this for years [0], the extent of their technical prowess really became apparent to me.

[0] https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2014/02/swap_nsa_expl...

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

The article specifically mentions using this motor for hybrid passenger aircraft (which is what my post addressed). I mentioned nothing about UAVs or solar power (which is only possible with an enormous wing/fuselage ratio).

FTA: "This innovation will make it possible to build series hybrid-electric aircraft with four or more seats," said Frank Anton, Head of eAircraft at Siemens Corporate Technology

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

I don't see how hybrid-aircraft make any sense.

The whole point of hybrid cars are the fact that you're only on the throttle periodically. You start, stop, speed up, slow down all the time (especially in S. Florida!). Normally when you're slowing down, you're burning off the energy as heat (friction from the brakes), etc. Adding an electric motor/generator to this allows you to recapture energy that is normally wasted slowing back down, so it can be reused to re-accelerate back up to speed. This is why hybrids (unlike non-hybrid cars) get better fuel mileage in town than on the freeway.

Aircraft, on the other hand, are at full-throttle on takeoff, and close to 3/4 throttle during the vast majority of the flight. There is no slowdown to recoup the energy until coming in for a landing. @beloch has already done the math showing the electric range would be downright miniscule, so there's very, very little to be gained here.

Until we have some utterly astounding advances in battery (or more likely, supercapacitor) tech (probably via graphene), this won't really be a cost-effective solution.

However, this would be an absolutely incredible motor for electric car conversions. Imagine a pair of these (each powering an axle)... it would be considerably more powerful than even the Tesla Model S P85D.

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

I can't help, but wonder what the carotene levels are in the white, red, and purple variants of carrots. I'd expect it to be quite low, since carotene is where the orange and yellow carrots (and melons, and squash) are supposed to get their color.

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

I've only read part of the article so far, but scanned it for the NSA's codename and am surprised it is not mentioned (there or here).

They're describing SWAP [0]. Cool they Kasperksy now has binaries to reverse-engineer.

What's impressive is the number of OSes and filesystems that are supported. Keep in mind the documentation publicized is from 2008, so they likely support ZFS, ext4 & btrfs as well now.

[0] https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2014/02/swap_nsa_expl...

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

I've wondered for years why people always gravitate towards Li-Ion cells when talking about a home storage battery. Li-Ion's advantages are far, far less important for a dwelling. Weight doesn't matter... you won't be moving them. Size doesn't matter nearly as much as it does in a vehicle... losing a few inches off an entire wall in a garage won't really be an issue for most people. Edison cells are incredibly durable and much, much more environmentally friendly than any other battery tech I know of. The lifespan is nothing short of incredible too... you won't need to change them out.

Thank you very much for the 2nd link. I was unaware any company was still manufacturing them. The last time I looked, the last company I could find that made them stopped a few years prior. I'm glad someone is making them still/again and marketing for an appropriate use.

The one odd thing is the price... for something as low-tech (relatively speaking) as an Edison cell, I'd expect them to be much cheaper. Must be the lack of competition.

glabifrons

11 lat temudiscuss

"The new rules would not apply to model aircraft." I think this is going to be a problem... when does a model become a "small unmanned aircraft system" and when does it not? It seems to me they're at least heavily overlapping, if not synonymous.

Does it have to resemble an existing aircraft to be considered a "model aircraft"? This could easily be open to interpretation of law enforcement. If so, my brother had some "small unmanned aircraft systems" back in the '70s (powered by 049 engines). They were most definitely "experimental designs" as some of them looked nothing like any (manned) aircraft ever produced. This proposal looks dangerously close to something that could make experimenting with new aircraft designs an illegal activity, including those designed for humor. Examples include flying lawnmowers, doghouses and witches. [0] How would they classify my Dragonflies? [1] They certainly don't resemble any manned flying contraption ever made, they barely resemble an actual dragonfly. Would these fall under the "more flexible framework for “micro” UAS under 4.4 pounds"? If so, that's utterly absurd. If your answer is "it's a toy", I agree, but then so are all of the quads and aircraft I've already mentioned. It needs to have a very distinct line distinguishing a "model aircraft" from a "small unmanned aircraft".

It doesn't even say "powered aircraft", so a large hand-launched remote controlled glider could be illegal (yes, I know this is reaching a bit, just trying to prove a point).

It's unclear to me if this will make illegal all of the automated fliers that have been built (such as those suggested on old episodes of Hak5, programmed to fly to a nearby building's roof, park for a period of time, then fly back, etc.). I suspect it will, since it makes repeated references to the "operator" and "line of sight", etc. I saw interviews with people (at DEFCON?) who had created some very impressive auto-navigating (beyond autopilots) craft as well. All of the machines produced with cameras and video feeds for remote operation would suddenly be illegal to fly in the manner for which they were designed. Among those would be a wonderfully implemented one with a full cockpit view. [2]

"A small UAS may not fly over people" This is really vague... "directly over" or just "kinda over" (what range)? Technically, if they're over 7 feet up, they're "over people" so already in violation. This will make flying remote control airplanes illegal in parks too... where will all the hobbyists be able to go? You can't launch and land in a cornfield.

[0] http://flyingthingz.com/ [1] http://www.wowwee.com/en/products/toys/flight/flytech/dragon... [2] http://hackaday.com/2014/06/18/rc-plane-flies-with-a-cockpit...

glabifrons

12 lat temudiscuss

It wasn't the cornea, but an artificial lens that was responsible. [0] UV passed through the artificial lens, but not through our natural one. It was replaced because of cataracts.

[0] http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/02/14/165202/followup-u...

glabifrons

12 lat temudiscuss

In every interview I've been in during the last few decades, I've been asked (in addition to this question) what I'm currently making "in order for us to form an offer". I've tried explaining that I believe my compensation should reflect my skill levels and experience based on the current market, and not my current salary (since that was the sole reason for leaving some of my previous jobs [0]). Even when I tell them that I'm not allowed (by my current employer) to divulge that information (which was true on some cases), they were adamant that they cannot make me an offer or even "we cannot continue this interview" until I disclose my current salary. I've never walked out of an interview in a huff as I don't see that as being professional, but I've also never been able to get past this question - even though I question the ethics of asking it.

[0]: One particular company I worked for had an a cap on what percentage raise you could receive, even when changing to completely different positions in different departments. There was as running joke that "the only way to make money here is to leave and come back". Once I left and realized just how horrifically underpaid I was there, I saw no reason to return.

glabifrons

12 lat temudiscuss

I resisted buying my own cellphone for a long time as I always worked for companies that provided them for me. Then got a job where they required me to provide my own. My first phone purchase was the first generation SideKick Color, and I loved it! I still have the SideKick II that replaced it (I traded my original one in on it pre-public-release). I still have the external camera that plugged into the SK Color's headphone jack too.

The screen was gimmicky, but oh-so-cool... it got everyone's attention, and allowed me to show people what it could do. Everyone was impressed - until they asked about ringtones. T-Mobile's laser-focus on hip-hop was a real blow there... I'm not into it, nor were any of the people I showed the device to. It really turned people away from it when they realized the target market was teenagers (even though it was an awesome techie's device).

The terminal program was my favorite part (I was a Unix Systems Architect at the time) and it got a great deal of (ssh) use.

I loved reading through the various descriptions of the apps being developed on the developers site (skdr?) and waited so patiently for T-Mobile to give the green light to so many of them (including a super-simple one, the voice-note-recorder), which they never did. I tried to get my own developer status (can't remember the term they used) so I could get a key and load the apps directly onto my device (via usb), but that was shortly after T-Mobile had made the process extremely difficult with huge forms to fill out and some catch-22 requirement that you had to already have a program published to get the dev kit (or something like that). I read a lot of complaints about that.

The best part of the device was the keyboard. It had the best layout and by far the best feel (and spacing) of any phone thumb-keyboard I've used since. Better than the Nokia N800 (NIT, not phone), better than the original Android G1, even better than the N900. It's the only thumb-keyboard I ever used that I could type on without looking at the keyboard, and quickly... far more quickly than anything remotely similar that I've tried.

After they cut the service, I used mine as a dumb-phone for a while until the microphone finally stopped working. That forced me to finally get a replacement (my N900).

One thing that's pretty impressive about the SideKick II... mine is still running (never been rebooted) since before T-mobile cut the service! I've had it plugged in the entire time for fear that if the battery dies, it will lose the games and programs I have installed (it acted sort-of as a thin client and downloaded all apps you had allocated upon powerup).

Pretty darned amazing uptime, considering what it was. :)

glabifrons

13 lat temudiscuss

Thanks... extremely confusing since it still has one point, it apparently wasn't downvoted and I don't see how I violated any of the guidelines.

How is it that you can see my postings? Is it your extremely high karma?

glabifrons

13 lat temudiscuss

A lot of the negative comments I see in this discussion are about the slow to respond UI, battery life, and the lack of a "retina display" level of pixel density.

The slow UI problem was licked some time ago by the Thumb2 project (porting a huge portion of the OS & apps to the more compact Thumb2 architecture), which freed up an amazing amount of RAM. The slow UI problem, you see, was cause by swapping (to flash). I switched to the Thumb2 CSSU some time ago and it's nothing short of astonishing. The difference is much bigger than when I overclocked my 600MHz N900 to 1050MHz (that didn't do much for the UI, but it did eat the battery faster and make it run hot). As a nice side benefit, the lack of flash-burning (swapping) resulted in ~3x battery life.

The pixel density of the device is actually too high for me (my eyes are too old). My N800 (and 770) display had the same resolution at 4.3" instead of 3.5", and I can still read small fonts on it fine. The N900, on the other hand, is barely usable as a computer anymore (remember, Debian based OS - real xterms). I'd like to someone over 40 try and read an xterm on a 5" 1080p display without bifocals.

The Neo900 project handily solves the 1st problem in hardware... one of the biggest problems this device had wasn't the CPU, it was the 256MB of RAM (it needed ~320MB to run efficiently - my rough guess based on the difference the Thumb project made).

Unfortunately, the screen density issue is (obviously) not addressed by a motherboard replacement... and the price is sadly too high for me to afford.

As to the "why?" questions about the device:

Most open phone OS I've seen on any commercial phone (I'm not talking about a limited hacker-marketed Neo1973 here). I can get root on the device without breaking any laws or EULA anywhere... as it's not restricted from the owner. I can modify how the device works easily (many functions are event-triggered via D-Bus, which opens amazing possibilities). A minor, but very useful example is the remapping of the camera button (when the lens cover is closed) to bring up the application menu for quicker multitasking). It goes on and on.

The most open phone device I've seen (same disclaimer as above) with the ability to run numerous OSes, multi-booting between them: Fremantle (stock OS), Mer, MeeGo, Tizen, Debian, Ubuntu, Android, possibly more (yes, I know #2, #3, & #4 are related, just as Debian and Ubuntu are).

FM Receiver (yeah, I know)

FM Transmitter... turn any car radio instantly into a speakerphone, or play any music on your built-in 32GB of storage (or 64GB of microsdxc) through your stereo, amp up your games, etc.

TV-out... play games on your TV.

IR transmitter... a really versatile universal remote. ;^)

Did I mention 32GB of built in storage and a microSD slot that can use sdxc cards as well as sdhc? Remember, this is a device released in 2009!

USB-OTG... use wired ethernet(!), optical drives, joysticks, USB-sticks, etc. (anything over ~100ma requires a powered hub as the device won't supply more)

Resistive touchscreen with a stylus. Yes, I consider this a plus as I find it absurd to try and click on a small cluster of pixels with a finger that covers tens of thousands of them. My finger is fine for dialing, but outside of that, I want accuracy. I'd much rather type with a stylus on my old N800 (pre-N900) than with my fingers on my HP TouchPad (~10" capacitive touchscreen).

Camera with Carl Zeiss Tessar optics and a sliding cover. While the stock software could only record 480p video, a modified library can be installed that allows 720p video recording (uses a mild DSP overclock, IIRC). The fact that this sort of modification is possible without the assistance of the manufacturer is a testament to this device's versatility.

Video calling (more on that below)

Deep integration of communications via plugins (highly expandable). Want to IM someone? No need to dig for the right app for their choice of IM providers, just IM them - all protocols are handled by the same UI (even IRC!). Take a picture, share it via whatever sharing service you wish (using the same camera UI), from Facebook to Twitter to many, many others (I never used this feature, but always thought the way it was integrated was impressive and elegant). Want to call someone? It doesn't matter if you're calling using VoIP, Yahoo-IM-voice, POTS, Google Talk, Skype, etc... you used the same phone UI to call them. Deep integration, done extremely well.

OK keyboard (not nearly as nice as the ol' SideKick II, but I've found nothing that compares to that keyboard).

For its day, it was pretty powerful. The closest device Apple produced was the iPhone 3GS (same CPU, very close to the same 3D GPU).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_N900

Edit: Clarification of calling integration.