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Comment Help Yourself (Score 1) 184

My WiFi SSID has been called "Help Yourself" for years. I've never had any issues, probably because every router I've had has turned out to be so crappy that I can barely get a signal from the other side of the house, let alone the street. Every now and then I see some people joining. I don't use WiFi encryption, because I don't think the speed loss is worth it, and all of the websites I visit that contain information I don't want to share use HTTPS.

Comment Re:Improper use of [sic] in TFA (Score 1) 100

Yes, but:

The notation's usual purpose is to inform the reader that any errors or apparent errors in the transcribed material do not arise from errors in the course of the transcription, and the errors have been repeated intentionally, i.e., that they are reproduced exactly as set down by the original writer or printer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

But not worth arguing over.

Comment Improper use of [sic] in TFA (Score 1, Funny) 100

Yes, it's a British article, but they put "[sic]" in a quote that contains "favorite" as opposed to "favourite", I guess without taking into account that the perpetrators might be American. On the other hand, while typing this post in Chrome, the browser marked "favourite" as a misspelling :-)

Comment Re:Drones over the matches (Score 1) 138

I actually believe that "drones" were being used at the matches. They were certainly used at the Olympics this year.

I also think the objections do have to do with the thought that it was another team trying to watch training.

The Phantom 2 has a range (out of the box) of approximately 800m. So whoever was controlling it was nearby. It might have been possible to track him/her down.

I've been told by my friend who has one that it uses point-to-point 802.11 in order to communicate, so you can imagine all sorts of ways to mess with it.

Comment Re:Software methodology for automobiles (Score 1) 106

Sez you, pal. Microsoft Word 2008, 2010, 2000, Server 2008, Windows98, ME... Model year works great for Microsoft. In fact I heard this model year is going to be good. I heard they are adding more chrome on the menu buttons, a brand new aqua green windows, and wait for it, twelve. inch. fins. yes, you heard it right, 12 inch fins on all models.

I know you are being sarcastic, but in case others don't realize, all of these software packages are updated pretty much weekly.

Comment Software methodology for automobiles (Score 3, Insightful) 106

One of the reasons I was one of the first to buy a Tesla is because I love the fact that Elon Musk refused to abide by all of the known "rules" of automotive manufacturing. I love it that I get regular updates to the car's firmware/software that actually adds features to the vehicle (one of the first ones I got actually made my 0-60 time faster!).

But I think that when it comes to this idea of not following the established rule of "model years", it doesn't work very well. The modern-day method of rolling software updates is great--for software. But when it comes to hardware, it is a bit more difficult. It's made even worse when things are not retrofittable (like the rear seat heating referenced here).

I understand that the company has a great new hardware feature and wants to get it onto the assembly line as quickly as possible, and you have to applaud that. But you end up with people ordering a car and not knowing what they will get. Some improvements are announced at or around the time they hit the assembly line, and many cars without the improvement are then delivered for a period of time. Note that although the summary only references "options", there are many more improvements other than options that are added in an add-hoc manner.

We haven't even seen the confusion this will eventually cause when there is a substantial resale market for the Model S. There will be no "shorthand" to say what features the vehicle has or doesn't have. Even the Roadster had "version numbers".

Comment Software methodology in automobiles (Score 1) 1

One of the reasons I was one of the first to buy a Tesla is because I love the fact that Elon Musk refused to abide by all of the known "rules" of automotive manufacturing. I love it that I get regular updates to the car's firmware/software that actually adds features to the vehicle (one of the first ones I got actually made my 0-60 time faster!).

But I think that when it comes to this idea of not following the established rule of "model years", it doesn't work very well. The modern-day method of rolling software updates is great--for software. But when it comes to hardware, it is a bit more difficult. It's made even worse when things are not retrofittable (like the rear seat heating referenced here).

I understand that the company has a great new hardware feature and wants to get it onto the assembly line as quickly as possible, and you have to applaud that. But you end up with people ordering a car and not knowing what they will get. Some improvements are announced at or around the time they hit the assembly line, and many cars without the improvement are then delivered for a period of time. Note that although the summary only references "options", there are many more improvements other than options that are added in an add-hoc manner.

We haven't even seen the confusion this will eventually cause when there is a substantial resale market for the Model S. There will be no "shorthand" to say what features the vehicle has or doesn't have. Even the Roadster had "version numbers".

Submission + - Is The 2012 Tesla Model S Outdated Already? 1

cartechboy writes: Tesla won't reveal its production figures every quarter, but it has now likely built about 50,000 all-electric Model S luxury sport sedans. Unlike other automakers, Tesla doesn't group its changes to a model year, rather it makes running changes to cars whenever updates are tested, validated, and ready to roll out. Which begs the question, are model year 2012 Model S sedans already outdated? The answer is it depends how you look at it. From a powertrain perspective, no. There are still two battery-size options and the shape is still the same. But under the surface of the car there are a surprisingly number of updates and new options. Not including software changes which there are dozens of and are pushed to the car, changes range from power folding mirrors and a new cold-weather package (which cannot be retrofitted) to a new ultra-high-fidelity sound package and three-zone, three-mode rear seat heaters. It's worth noting that none of these are mandatory changes--there are merely options that have been added to the roster of available equipment.

Comment Re:Only works if (Score 2) 450

the criminals are not aware of what is being done. Good job NYT for letting the cat out of the bag.

True. This is a technology that gets less useful the more it is used. Even if you're an idiot crook, you don't have to be a genius to understand when your crook buddy says, "Hey, I got popped for taking the drugs that are on the special holder. Don't take those."

Comment Re:What were the pings then? (Score 2) 245

The devices were not looking for "a specific frequency", and, in fact, the detections were not at the frequency the FDR/CDR were supposed to send. They were "close", and part of the reason they had confidence in the finding is that after AF447 was found, they tried out the transmitter and noted that the frequency was off by a little.

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