Size does in a phone but below a certain threshold thickness is irrelevant.

Imagine trying to stuff something the size of an A4 sheet of paper, but rigid into your pocket. Maybe if only it was 50gsm not 80 it would be comfortable...

Below a certain point, the curvature of you against a flat, rigid phone accounts for as much effective thickness as the phone.

Ooorrrrr buy trash bags?

I've been through this whole process. Actual trash bags are larger and thinner than grocery bags. They don't need to take such heavy weight and don't need to go as far. Plus people don't buy trash bags then litter them. You can also buy biodegradable plastic bags that won't permanently release micro plastics into the environment.

It's really not that bad. I used to tree use carrier bags too. I've got used to the new way and I think it's actually better.

Yes, because we all love walking half a mile a day in the rain

It is said that Americana think a hundred years is a long time and Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Unless you parked at the far end of the Walmart carpark in which case Americans think 100 yards is a long way.

There are these devices called "rain coats" and "umbrellas" that you can use to prevent getting wet while your are strolling fire all of 10 minutes. Did you seriously just complain about walking for 10 minutes??? .carrying groceries in paper bags

Good grief why must you make everything so incredibly difficult? Who on earth would use paper bags, especially in the rain. We have these things called "reusable bags" where I live that are often made of cloth.

or transporting 20-kilo items.

Look it's late and I'm tired. Ultimately you probably won't believe that people actually live in London. Maybe you'll concede we do but convince yourself that we live as Sisyphus constantly pushing heavy weights up a hill for all eternity. We don't, by the way.

Maybe one day or will occur to you that people have actually figured out how to live without a car (it's almost like settled civilisation managed that for 6000 years or so), and that transplanting every one of the most perverse things you do in the most car centric parts of America is not actually a very good model of the world.

But what do I know? I've only been living without a car since 2009.

You're both right and wrong. It looks like Panasonic now make an upgraded version with an inverter. It is a little more efficient, 2650W Vs 2830W, but they both have an output power of 1800W, so it's still no faster. Microwaves are generally limited by the output power of the magnetrons, so they're rated by that, not the input power. Still there's not a lot in it by the looks of it.

As for fast kettles, well I'm British. I drink a lot of tea.

You appear to have a lot of faith in the ability of AI to not invent statistically plausible crap.

The average case is not people admitting failure. So in the interests of generating the statistically most likely outcome, it won't admit failure.

Inverter microwaves aren't any better at heating water to boiling than the regular kind. What they are better at is lower power levels.

Also unless you have an epically huge microwave, then a kettle is faster. My 3kW kettle does beat or my pretty huge 1800W industrial microwave. Unfortunately they don't make that model with an inverter for some reason, their only comparable one has an opaque door for some reason. My one quibble is the duty cycle is a bit long for really got low power performance.

I would also recommend installing such a plug so you can have a good kettle.

I usually chuck mine in the dishwasher. Or honestly just rinse it off stove a bit of coffee oil residue doesn't matter between washes.

Not sure I follow to be honest. Barrel jacks aren't usually waterproof, so not much difference from usbc. They're still allowed to do stuff with screw terminalis inside designed to be hard wired. Anything external you can always pot in construction adhesive, epoxy or hot melt for some ad hoc waterproofing.

Why in God's name would you want Brussels telling you how to plug your computer in?

Firstly: you're begging the question here. Is it bad for Brussels to say this?

Secondly, Brussels ain't telling me shit, because I'm not in the EU. Brexit, fuck yeah etc. I do nonetheless reap the benefits of what Brussels are saying here.

Thirdly, Brussels aren't telling me how to plug my computer in. Even if I were in the EU, I could basically do what I want. I could open it up and attach a barrel jack. I could cut the cable and splice in a 48V supply. I can even buy a dodgy shit USB-C to barrel jack and power my ancient laptop from any of the many supplies I have. I can do any of those things and no one is telling me I can't.

What Brussels IS doing is telling manufacturers that they have to make devices that accept and emit power according to a particular set of standards. I'm guessing your government already does this with AC powered devices, specifying voltages, frequency, current, plug mechanical design, thermals, tolerances on those and of course a whole other bunch of shit, so people can buy a device from any vendor and safely plug it into power from any supplier in any part of the country.

What makes you think they have any idea what the right answer is,

1. What makes you think they don't? Face it, you don't have a better idea.

2. We know they do because the charging standardised on USB-C is infinitely better than the utter mess of proprietary shite we had to deal with before.

or that their answer will continue to be right for as long as the rule is in place?

Well USB-C has so far held up for 11 years and is only becoming more common, so I don't think it's going away any time soon. But if it is... gosh if only the law was written in such a way that the specifics are subject to review from time to time...

but converting a barrel jack to hard wired terminals is much easier than a USB-C connector for things that are fixed installations.

https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthepihut.com%2Fproducts%2F...

trying to mandate the use and design of rapidly changing technology.

Rapidly changing WTF are your talking about. USB-C is 11 years old now and is still on the rise.

Just wait, everything will go to wireless charging

So? If you even remotely understood how the regulation worked you'd know this was not a problem. But ignorance and "herp derp teh EWWW" is good too.

Also... no they won't.

or some newer thing

This is a new one! The EU shouldn't stop e-waste and incompatible chargers because new physics might exist.

but consumers in the EU will have to keep buying USB adapters.

FML engage your brain once please. The point is they (and by extension we) don't. Chargers we already have will work with new devices we buy, sp we don't need to keep buying adapters. That's the POINT.

The EU isn't exactly demonstrating stellar economic performance right now

Neither is the UK, and our trade with Europe has dropped a lot.

The old apple ones I have do that. This is good because the cables have started to fall apart.

One of the most fascinating aspects of H2O is the sheer number of forms it can take under different conditions.