This is emblematic of our culture: creating childish illusions whilst ignoring our approaching extinction.

As long as one doesn't play games or use niche cloud services Sailfish is pretty awesome. I never liked the Android UI and as we all know there are aspects to Google that are problematic. Apple made it onto my naughty list before the launch of the first iPhone, I could never use their devices anyway, they're not made for people who's brains are wired like mine. For decades the first thing I did when I got a PC was scrub windows and install Linux. Now when I get a mobile device I scrub Android and install Sailfish. Sailfish gives me a proper GNU/Linux with a super-slick UI, I'll miss it when my Librem 5 arrives.

I don't deny global warming, but what is being done about it is crazy.

Personally I think it's what's not being done about it that's crazy.

Back on topic: I agree that a rethink of personal transportation is required. I think it is more important to rethink the things that cause us to need or want cars. Living in a different town from one's workplace is rarely if ever required. The centralisation of services that widespread car ownership has permitted (think malls or retail parks) is amongst the myriad of reasons we feel we need cars. Research like this is useful and worth while, but as others have pointed out what's really needed is a more fundamental rethink. I'd like to see us reordering our societies and lives in such a way that we don't need cars.

Agreed. In a dog-eat-dog world you eventually end up with one very fat dog.

http://www.tartanhen.co.uk/ebooks/ygg/title.htm

...For correcting my correction. I knew I should have paid more attention in Klingon class.

I'm not a Trekkie, although I am a bit of a sci-fi buff. The Klingon homeworld is called Qo'noS. This is Slashdot, if we can't get this stuff right here then something is very wrong.

It's more like spacequake. I've played both and TBH I much prefer Vendetta. Even is too much point-and-click for me. YMMV.

I want to be recycled.

Out of interest do you expect code to compile first time?

I'm always suspicious if this happens, but it's probably because I don't do much coding in my job - when I do code it tends to be scripts to quickly test something/process data (or some embedded code for a micro controller) - as such I always tend to be using different compilers (esp embedded ones which always seem to have their own set of non standard stuff), languages (python then C++ etc).

As a result I'm always making some sort of grammar mistake (i.e commenting out C++ with # instead of //, missing the odd semi-colon, pressing tab instead of spaces (or not setting up the text editor to handle this correctly) or forgetting the correct way to refer to a member function via a pointer etc..)

It could just be that I'm used to compiling being the fastest way to catch this kind of problem in most cases.

If kith or kin ask me for tech support I offer to install and support Linux. I take time to explain the pros and cons and then they get to make an informed choice. I haven't used windows for a decade or so so it's not simply zealotry.

In Daggerfall I used to enjoy finding routes around town that minimised the time I spent on the ground. Why simply walk down the street when you can run along hedges or leap from rooftop to rooftop? Using magic would have been cheating of course.

Telltales new games, Wallace and Gromit, would probably count - I've never been a huge fan of the tv series/movie but they seem to be something of a cultural icon here.

Laser range finder, preferably in the visible spectrum. Not that I would buy it, I'm not a fan of Apple.