Comment Re:Simple solution (Score 1) 74
Alternatively, if pre-installed, disable the Gemini app. Just noticed it was quietly installed with a recent upgrade to my Samsung device.
Comment Re:Fuel or electrical? (Score 3, Insightful) 106
2. Apparently a solar storm hit exactly at the time of the crash, raising questions about induced currents causing an electrical failure.
The emergency turbine shouldn't have deployed if it were bad gas, so that leads to the sudden electrical failure causing the crash.
I haven't heard anything about this the solar storm theory but I don't buy it. Takeoff and landing are the two most likely times for something to go wrong leading to a plane crash. That a solar storm just happened to cause a power failure with this specific plane at this specific bad-luck time, and no other plane in the world at the time (I assume we would've heard about that), goes against Occam's razor in my mind.
Comment Re:A recent experience (Score 2) 180
My takeaway is that cashless transactions are fine, right up until the moment they suddenly stop working for whatever reason
This. Spain got a lesson in this just a couple months ago with its massive power outage. Add in internet and payment processors and you have 3 potential points of failure. As much as I prefer paying by card, maintaining the option to pay cash is smart.
Comment Re:Bring back those horrible metal caps. (Score 2) 30
For serious, the easy solution is right there, go back to metal caps on all glass bottles. Twist off caps are still available on quite a bit, but even just going back and using a bottle opener would be fine.
It sounds like you're talking about the very caps (i.e. beer bottle caps) that the article says are the problem? Maybe you can link a pic of the caps you're talking about.
Comment Not the only way the EU is hitting back (Score 2) 72
Comment For anyone who wants to read the actual article... (Score 4, Informative) 13
Here's a working link: https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.space.com%2Ftechnolo...
Comment Re:Ecodesign requirements (Score 5, Interesting) 34
From that page:
The ecodesign requirements will include:
— resistance to accidental drops or scratches and protection from dust and water
— sufficiently durable batteries which can withstand at least 800 charge and discharge cycles while retaining at least 80% of their initial capacity
— rules on disassembly and repair, including obligations for producers to make critical spare parts available within 5-10 working days, and for 7 years after the end of sales of the product model on the EU market >
— availability of operating system upgrades for longer periods (at least 5 years from the date of the end of placement on the market of the last unit of a product model)
— non-discriminatory access for professional repairers to any software or firmware needed for the replacement
The (bolded) requirement of 5 years of OS upgrades from date of end placement on the market is huge for Android devices, as currently to get that you pretty much need to buy a high-end Samsung or Google Pixel device.
Regarding battery replacement, the above pages links to https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Feur-lex.europa.eu%2Feli%2F... in which section 4c, states:
From 20 June 2025, manufacturers, importers or authorised representatives shall ensure that the process for battery replacement: meets the following criteria:
— fasteners shall be resupplied or reusable;
— the process for replacement shall be feasible with no tool, a tool or set of tools that is supplied with the product or spare part, or basic tools;
— the process for replacement shall be able to be carried out in a use environment;
— the process for replacement shall be able to be carried out by a layman.
It will be very interesting to see how device manufacturers deal with the battery replacement issue, and whether the whole "we have to glue your phone together to keep it waterproof!" argument holds any water.
Comment Re:Oh boy! (Score 1) 38
If you can't modernize, just slap a 70's theme on everything on make it appear as retro-by-design. They can issue 70's-era uniforms to all MTA staff. Hire some local actors to ride the subway performing as 70's crazy people. Make the whole thing a theme park ride.
Tourists arriving from Europe and Asia will get that gritty New York experience that will make them say "Wow!", instead of stepping onto the subway at the airport wondering if they've just entered a 3rd world country.
Tourists arriving from Europe and Asia will get that gritty New York experience that will make them say "Wow!", instead of stepping onto the subway at the airport wondering if they've just entered a 3rd world country.
Submission + - SPAM: Starliner's troubles were much worse than NASA made clear
An anonymous reader writes: According to a long interview given to Eric Berger of Ars Technica, the astronauts flying Boeing's Starliner capsule on its first manned mission in June 2024 were much more vulnerable than NASA made it appear at the time.
First, the thruster problem when they tried to dock to ISS was more serious than revealed. At several points Butch Wilmore, who was piloting the spacecraft, was unsure if he had enough thrusters to safely dock the capsule to ISS. Worse, if he couldn't dock he also did not know if had enough thrusters to de-orbit Starliner properly.
In other words, he and his fellow astronaut Sunni Williams might only have a few hours to live.
The situation was saved by mission control engineers, who figured out a way to reset the thrusters and get enough back on line so that the spacecraft could dock autonomously.
Second, once docked it was very clear to the astronauts and NASA management that Starliner was a very unreliable lifeboat.
Link to Original Source
First, the thruster problem when they tried to dock to ISS was more serious than revealed. At several points Butch Wilmore, who was piloting the spacecraft, was unsure if he had enough thrusters to safely dock the capsule to ISS. Worse, if he couldn't dock he also did not know if had enough thrusters to de-orbit Starliner properly.
In other words, he and his fellow astronaut Sunni Williams might only have a few hours to live.
The situation was saved by mission control engineers, who figured out a way to reset the thrusters and get enough back on line so that the spacecraft could dock autonomously.
Second, once docked it was very clear to the astronauts and NASA management that Starliner was a very unreliable lifeboat.
Wilmore added that he felt pretty confident, in the aftermath of docking to the space station, that Starliner probably would not be their ride home.
Wilmore: "I was thinking, we might not come home in the spacecraft. We might not. And one of the first phone calls I made was to Vincent LaCourt, the ISS flight director, who was one of the ones that made the call about waiving the flight rule. I said, 'OK, what about this spacecraft, is it our safe haven?'"
It was unlikely to happen, but if some catastrophic space station emergency occurred while Wilmore and Williams were in orbit, what were they supposed to do? Should they retreat to Starliner for an emergency departure, or cram into one of the other vehicles on station, for which they did not have seats or spacesuits? LaCourt said they should use Starliner as a safe haven for the time being. Therein followed a long series of meetings and discussions about Starliner's suitability for flying crew back to Earth. Publicly, NASA and Boeing expressed confidence in Starliner's safe return with crew. But Williams and Wilmore, who had just made that harrowing ride, felt differently.
Wilmore: "I was very skeptical, just because of what we'd experienced. I just didn't see that we could make it." [emphasis mine]
Link to Original Source
Submission + - "Real Genius" star Val Kilmer Dead at 65 (imdb.com)
EmagGeek writes: Val Kilmer, star of the iconic 90's science-comedy film "Real Genius," has died at the age of 65 from complications due to pneumonia. Many of us remember his breakout role in the cult classic, where he starred as brilliant yet unmotivated student Chris Wright, whose intellect overshadowed his professor and archenemy Prof. Jerry Hathaway, played by William Atherton, another notable film actor known for his roles in blockbuster films such as Ghostbusters and popular Christmas movie Die Hard. He had many other notable roles including his brilliant portrayal of Jim Morrison in "The Doors," and also many forgettable appearances in B-movies such as Top Gun and a movie in The Batman series.
He was a versatile actor who enjoyed the craft and refused to be typecast. We'll miss him.
He was a versatile actor who enjoyed the craft and refused to be typecast. We'll miss him.
Comment 'Stabelcoin' from a 'stabel' genius? (Score 1) 77
The misspelling in the post title is somehow appropriate.
Comment Re:Florida (Score 2) 48
I didn't read the article, but there's no mention of sun exposure, which leads to wrinkles and thus appearing more aged. People in warmer climes are typically both 1. out in the sun more and 2. at latitudes where the sun's UV rays are stronger.
Comment Seems pretty clear from the article (Score 4, Informative) 52
From the article, it was US hardware, launched by the US and initially controlled by the US until they gave control to the UK:
The official, though incomplete, logs of Skynet-1A’s status suggest final commanding was left in the hands of the Americans when Oakhanger lost sight of the satellite in June 1977.
But however Skynet-1A then got shifted to its present position, it was ultimately allowed to die in an awkward place when really it should have been put in an "orbital graveyard".
This refers to a region even higher in the sky where old space junk runs zero risk of running into active telecommunications satellites.
Graveyarding is now standard practice, but back in the 1970s no-one gave much thought to space sustainability.
Comment See Battery University (Score 3, Informative) 142
If you want to get into the nitty gritty: How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries
My conclusions from reading that site years ago (the page has been updated so my info could be out-of-date):
My conclusions from reading that site years ago (the page has been updated so my info could be out-of-date):
- 1. In daily use, avoid going above 80% charge and below 40% (the latter also guarantees you have a reserve in an emergency)
- 2. Slow charging is better, i.e. use a slow (1A) charger for your daily at-home charger (put the newer, faster charger in your carry-on bag)
- 3. Avoid heat (killer of batteries)
Comment Re:WFH is great for employees (Score 1) 200
Here in the UK public service telephone helplines have gone down the toilet since the employees worked from home , and a knock on effect of that is councils suddenly realised that perhaps they don't need so many of these people after all and my local one sacked hundreds and replaced them with AI.
And thats before we get to jobs being outsourced abroad even more than they were in the past. If you're not in the office you're not in the office - doesn't matter if you're next door or across the ocean for a lot of roles.
First, phone support workers are not exactly "top tech talent", which is the point of the article.
Second, you're suggesting that these workers' jobs wouldn't have been replaced by AI anyway (or outsourced until they were later replaced by AI).
It seems to me that phone support workers are one of the best candidates for working from home, because how can a worker "slack off" at home when there are absolutely solid metrics about the work being done (calls answered, call length, recordings of the call)? All the while saving the cost of maintaining a building to house them while they work. Of course that doesn't keep them safe from the risk of replacement by AI for any organization attempting to cut costs, though as anyone who has yelled "AGENT!" into a phone knows, quality will surely suffer.
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