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Comment Re:For safe integration with existing air traffic (Score 1) 129

DanDD, Those requirements are not enough. The current international standard for aircraft traffic separation, for both VFR and IFR, is "see and void". The video bandwidth and coverage technology in drones is not nearly the equivalent of a pilot's swiveling stereo human optics and visual cortex. TCAS doesn't cut it. As an IFR pilot using TCAS I can tell you that it's useless without the optical component. The closest technology weighs hundreds of pounds, and is only used on drones weighing 1000 lbs or more. This attempted integration of drones into controlled airspace is far too early for the technology available.

Comment Re:You were bluffing (Score 1) 64

The politics of tech are legitimate topics for discussion on slashdot. Green energy is all about technology, and in the case of Germany's forced green energy policy, the politics got ahead of the technology. That's clear from both articles. If you think not, then cite specific examples of your claims. Don't just have your hands about.

Comment Re: Government s a crappy investor (Score 2) 64

In California price increases average 5-7% per year not counting inflation. That's compounded, of course, so that in just ten years we are paying 80% more for electricity than we did in 2004, again discounting inflation. And the trend is accelerating as a result of carbon caps and increase regulation.

Comment Re: Government s a crappy investor (Score 1) 64

My 'precious electronic toys' use about a tenth of the power that the ones I was using a decade ago for the same purpose did. Even lighting power consumption has dropped. My fridge, freezer and washing machine are the big electricity consumers in my home - efficiency has improved there, but nowhere near as fast as for gadgets.

And I'll wager that your energy costs have skyrocketed. Am I right?

Comment Re:Government s a crappy investor (Score 1) 64

Germany's green energy fantasy is a disaster because NONE of the promised benefits of forced green energy have come to pass, nor do they look likely to occur. The dependence on foreign energy is higher than ever, energy prices are higher than ever (and crippling citizens and businesses alike), and promised green energy yields are much lower than forecast. You have to read the NY Times article (which strains to put a good face on the disaster) to see the downward trend.

Comment Re:Government s a crappy investor (Score 1) 64

I am happy to use Google for you.

Here's the Forbes article Germanys Green Energy Disaster a Cautionary Tale for World Leaders.

That was 2013. Here it is even worse a year later in the NY times article German Energy Push Runs Into Problems, reporting major troubles such as:

. Electricity prices in Germany are already among the highest in the world.

. The price of industrial electricity has risen about 37 percent since 2005.

. International energy experts say the country cannot meet its future needs solely through renewable sources as planned

. The unexpected drop in global energy prices through the emergence of abundant, low-cost natural gas in the United States, further degrades Germany's green energy economic plan

Comment Government s a crappy investor (Score 1) 64

The U.S. government's track record for choosing technologies to invest in is horrible. Probably because, unlike capitalist investors, the government can't resist sullying markets with subsides and manipulative politics. Just look at the US solar efforts. Or the German government's solar disaster if you want to see an extreme fail.

Comment Federal "Do Not Communicate" list (Score 1) 299

Based on the govt's track record with the unconstitutional Do Not Fly list, does anyone doubt that the Feds would define a class of people "not entitled to communicate" via an unchallengeable and undiscoveraple device bricking list? "They can use the postal system," would be the rationalization.

There is no way to block abuse of any Off Switch technology. It must be opposed ruthlessly NOW!

Comment For a manufacturing company, Apple's spot on (Score 1) 561

According to the AFL/CIO's report "Women in the Professional and Technical Labor Force", in the manufacturing sector workers are 71% male, 29% female. Apple is a manufacturer, and as such has a range of employees in technical, clerical, and production categories that fit the manufacturing labor mix profile. So Apple's diversity is actually a tad better than the available workforce. You can't really "improve diversity" without affirmative-action-type job manipulation, which will lead to reduced productivity and innovation.

Comment So to ruin someone's life, send CP to their gmail? (Score 2) 790

Even if the innocent recipient deletes it as irrelevant spam, the Great and Wize Google has already seen it and alerted police. It's well demonstrated that even an unfounded charge of pedophelia can destroy someone's career and relationships.

That's the last straw. Goodbye gmail.

Comment Buss ducts are failing more often as they age (Score 2) 124

This actually is an infrastructure aging problem. And the incidence of buss duct failure has been increasing in older buildings. Many bus ducts installed in industrial and commercial facilities are immediately downstream of the transformers, but upstream of the main overcurrent device. Thus, transformer protection devices often inadequately protect the buss conductor from being fried by a short. I've seen them vaporized.

Such shorts occur due to water infiltration, corrosion, and most importantly in the summer, overheating. All three effects accumulate over time. If money were no object, every building would have a dual-buss electrical system, just like aircraft (and data centers) do. Alas, money is an object.

Comment Re:Block all IE browsers (Score 1) 83

I run an ISP. Is it kosher for me to block all IE browser traffic? After all, IE is one of the largest vectors of malware infections on earth. At least I'd be "out there doing some enforcement."

Microsoft enforcement policy: "Ready! Fire! Aim!"

BTW, I didn't see where Microsoft apologized for their actions to the Internet community.

Comment Re:Illegal and Dangerous? (Score 3, Informative) 200

I say try because in a battle between a jet engine with the power to push 400 tons of steel into the sky VS a drone I'm going to put my money on the jet engine lasting long enough for them to turn around and land again.

You would lose that bet. Turbine aircraft can be disabled by stray metal bits as small as a single bolt. An entire drone, with many metal components, would undoubtedly render a turbine engine inoperable. For this reason, airport operators routinely inspect and pick up all debris on runways and taxiways. It's called FOD (foreign object damage), and is an ever-present risk to aircraft.

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