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Comment Re:Biomechanics (Score 1) 379

The paper debunks that the shape has anything to do with magic and clearly states the shape, on it's own, does nothing in the first few paragraphs. Even with the increased length for part of the revolution, I assume if you integrate over the whole downward push, for both, you would get the same numbers.

Comment Re:the placebo effect (Score 1) 226

I don't get it. There were no numbers posted in the thread. This doesn't mean placebo, this just means there are no numbers posted. The claim that it's placebo has just as much foundation that it's not. Write a benchmark and test it, you could get exactly 2 minutes of fame.

Comment Re:Biomechanics (Score 2) 379

> have to do more work in order to do a single revolution.

It's inertia. It's not wasted. It'll create a force when the pedal decelerates. Since you always want the pedal spinning, this isn't so bad for cruising. It's only bad for transients, which this would help smooth out.

> related to pedals having 2 moments of inertial.
Would be no different than a straight pedal with more mass on the end.

Comment Re:Biomechanics (Score 4, Informative) 379

An analysis, found on their webpage:
http://www.z-torque.com/Portals/6/DrHuangReport.pdf

Claims that the benefit is from two side effects of the claim:
                The increased mass gives a flywheel effect, meaning the pedal goes through top dead center easier.
                The long shape bends under pressure, which does slightly increase the length of the arm under pressure.

So, by going to carbon fiber (lighter, and most likely stiffer), they'll most likely negate any benefits!

> so the cyclist's legs are in a different position during the pedal cycle
Only because of the bending. If it were stiffer, position would be exactly the same.

Comment Re:3 things are good though 7 doesn't have (Score 1, Interesting) 663

You don't have to use metro, you know. Click the little desktop tile when you first login, or use one of the metro bypassers like start8 (even puts the start button back). Not sure why anyone would miss the start button though. Something like Launchy for pre windows 7, or just start typing after hitting a button for windows 7 and on. I suppose if you're a non-keyboard user user, it almost makes sense.

Comment Re:The engine isn't the problem. (Score 1) 262

>The problem is keeping the "car" stably in contact with the ground.

If the thrust is around 30,000 lbs, and you point only 1% of that the wrong way, you have to come up with 300lb of force to keep the car going straight, on a dirt road...better be quick, because you're going 1000mph!

Crazy!

I would love to see the track marks after the run. I'm guessing there's all sorts of sliding around.

I wonder what percent of power goes to downforce.

Comment Re:"Killer" as "it could kill you" (Score 1) 434

In the future I see a harmonized ui.

When you stick your device into the desktop dock, it's a desktop, using an external graphics accelerator, mass storage, network, mouse, etc. When you pull it off of the dock (that isn't bound by one manufacturer)....

. .. it's a laptop with touchscreen. The keyboard is removable, maybe with some extra flash memory and battery built in. When you pull off the keyboard...

. .. it's a tablet, as you would expect.

But, *all of the software* is aware of the docking state. If you pull off the keyboard, the touchpad keyboard pops up when needed. The UI expands to be less "consumption" oriented use. When you attach it to the desktop, the UI changes and expands into more of a "developer mode" to accommodate a mouse and the extra horsepower built into the desktop dock.

Of course, this wont happen because it's not what people want...but it sure would be nice. :(

Chrome

Another Death in the Cloud As Apple Kills Off iWork 134

Google is retiring the iGoogle page, but on a much shorter time scale, Apple is shutting down an iService of its own: the cloud-storage site iWork.com (linked to Apple's office apps suite iWork) is slated to go offline at the end of this month. Says the article, over at SlashCloud: "As of that date, 'you will no longer be able to access your documents on the iWork.com site or view them on the Web,' reads Apple’s note on the matter, followed by a recommendation that anyone with documents on iWork download them to the desktop." Both of these announcements remind me why I covet local storage for documents and the ability to set my own GUI prefs.

Comment Re:A tad longer than that (Score 1) 565

If my screen cold fold back or rotate around, I would be all for this. Otherwise, no...your laptop ends up being across the table, and most computer desks are too short in these days of flat screens.

My last laptop screen had brackets that fit either way and it lived with the screen backwards just for this reason.

Idle

Company Creates a Self-Making Bed 159

MarkWhittington writes "A Spanish company has created a bed that will make itself. Ordinarily I am excited about just about any technological advance, but this one leaves me wondering what it's good for. It might be that as a rather slovenly housekeeper, I do not see the purpose of making a bed. The idea of being able to bounce a coin off of a sheet that has been stretched tight seems to have been an invention of moms and drill sergeants to torment people. Why make up a bed in the morning when it's just going to be unmade that evening (or sooner if one likes an afternoon nap?) When I was a lad, dreaming of the wonders that awaited in the 21st century, among the flying cars, colonies on the moon and jet packs, self-making beds somehow escaped by imagination, even as my sainted mom forced me to make mine before heading out to school."

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