Catch up on stories from the past week (and beyond) at the Slashdot story archive

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror

Comment Re:a reboot can take about 90 minutes! (Score 1) 176

It is fundamentally a very old system, hasn't changed much since the days when it ran on Telex machines. And the messages in the NOTAM database are limited because they were originally designed for Telex, so everything is abbreviated, and only capital letters and digits are available, limited punctuation. For notam decoding see: https://www.thinkaviation.net/...

Comment Re: How does it compare to Tesla's Dojo architectu (Score 1) 16

You realize Ford's electric truck is a paper launch, right? It doesn't exist as anything other than a prototype either, same as Tesla's Cybertruck. Those two are exactly comparable.

True, I was referrring to the track record of Tesla making announcements which are never realized, from unattended cross country to solar tiles to Semi Trailers which defy the laws of physics etc. I don't think Ford is in the same class.

Comment Re:hmmm.. (Score 2) 128

Designing a chip like the EyeQ v3 chip is a very large multi-year project. Tesla has hired a couple of designers, but they can't possibly be designing their own chip to replace the EyeQ. It would be akin to Dell hiring a couple of s/w engineers and saying they are writing a replacement for WIndows. I expect that in reality, Tesla are trying to integrate some of their existing s/w with other chips and new board design. From what I understand, they have disagreed about futures, and on realistic vs unrealistic expectations from existing system. For public info and speculation see: https://www.technologyreview.c...

Comment Re:Permanently disabling? (Score 1) 225

My goodness, so the dastardly Intel compiler team didn't expend effort to optimize code for AMD processors - ignoring available optimizations? How terrible. I bet that AMD provided many tools optimized for Intel processors didn't they? And Apple development tools are optimized for Windows, ....

Submission + - Ballmer: Microsoft mobile should focus on Android apps not universal apps (theverge.com)

UnknowingFool writes: Former CEO Steve Ballmer had some strong opinions about the direction of Microsoft's mobile strategy. As reported last month, Microsoft's Project Astoria has not been received well or going well. The strategy is to help build Windows 10 apps by making universal apps via easy porting from Android. Ballmer question its effectiveness. "That won't work," he said. Instead he suggested that Windows phones should "run Android apps." This is a dramatic departure from the Microsoft only focus that Ballmer championed during his tenure as CEO.

Comment Re:My mother is an optometrist (Score 1) 464

I chose to buy progressive glasses, but not covering the whole range from close up to infinity, but only from close up to medium range. I can't drive with them, but for working at a desk they let me read close up, and see the monitors (3) easily. As suggested, measure to determine the distance you need, and a decent optometrist should be able to write the prescription for close up to screen that you need. Or you can do it yourself from the full range progressive prescription - here is a good guide which contains all the terms you will need for further research: http://blog.zennioptical.com/w...

Comment Re:Medical doctor (Score 1) 737

As for other drugs, a doctor could work with herbalists. Willow bark replaces aspirin; foxglove replaces digitalis; Ephedra sinica replaces pseudoephedrine; absinthe replaces anti-worm medications. A herbalist working under medical supervision is a lot better than nothing.

Yes, just grab a cab to the nearest willow tree, and then ask him to wait and take you to some foxglove. I would rather have an army medic than a doctor if I was stranded in a post-industrial civilization, or on a desert island.

Comment Re: Universal chargers (Score 1) 277

I was part of a project by Intel over 15 years ago to standardize laptop batteries. Great idea - right? Cheap mass produced batteries, buy a new one easily at your corner store, swap with other users). The initiative had support from some major battery manufacturers, and when it failed most people assumed that the laptop manufacturers wanted to sell high priced batteries. Turns out that design constraints (heat, space, balance...), lead to batteries being designed in last, to fit whatever space was available (hence the weird asymmetric shapes we still see today). So often the true interests that hold back benefits to the consumer are obvious only with hindsight.

Slashdot Top Deals

The moving cursor writes, and having written, blinks on.

Working...