Posts by TWB

Re: Too many return() statements in the code?

Upvote for GOSUB - not done any BASIC (or other) programming for years now, but good memories.

Re: Pi-based resurrection of the long dead home computer in the attic.

Upvote for the Round Tuits reference

Re: Professional Failure

Yes, but he may also have poor 3G/4G/5G where he lives.

Also bear in mind, many people (not necessarily this chap) actively like to be ignorant of technology and what it can do - they wear it as a badge or pride that they are not "geeky nerds" - they are useless in many ways but somehow get by in the World. I know many people will wait weeks for me to come along and sort something out for them rather than let me try and talk it through with them on the phone.

Re: Problem with too much RAM

Oddly, I don't mind that (in fact I like speed for that kind of thing), it is when you get what should be a really small simple app that takes GBs when it should be KBs.

Re: Vice versa

Analogue signal specs were relatively straightforward as they were designed so that the receiving kit could be cheap and simple.

Digital TV specs are far more complex and have loads of possible variations/options/choices - the MPEG2 spec I believe is over 800 pages and allows for improvements in coding when the technology comes along.

Sadly everyone - the online streamers and the broadcasters - are now in a race to keep 'improving stuff' and come out with new stuff - even though to many viewers they cannot tell the difference and really they'd just like to watch TV.

Re: If I have enough lego to need sorting

"Also known as 'your kids'"

You have not met my son have you...trying to get him to do any sort of tidying takes 10 times more effort than doing it myself.

Yep, I'm a terrible parent.

Re: "The £2,399 portable"

Are you sure? I had to check...

Base model 13inch - £1299, then £1499, £1799, and £1999 for higher specs.

Re: What actually happens to the fatberg?

I wondered if it could go into an Anerobic Digester....

Re: 767

My Moke fuel gauge was duff for years and I just got passengers to pul the cap off an have a look for me. I usually asked that they did not use it as an ash tray.

[When I finally restored the car, I replaced the sender in the tank and all worked perfectly after that]

Re: Productivity? I really don't see the benefit of Catalina over High Sierra.

Snow Leopard is also my favourite from a usability POV, but as someone who still runs it on an old Macbook (it can't take any further updates), it can be annoying for internet stuff.

I wonder if Linux will be my next OS.

Re: brushless

I remember overhearing many years ago from my electrical tutor at university, that synchronous motors are the most efficient. DC to AC conversion is very good these days. Maybe the efficiency of a synchronous motor with a DC to AC converter just wins the maths....?

(though I would also imagine that one speed props have their limitations unless they are variable pitch)

Re: Isn't Chemistry, Physics?

Physics is particle engineering (and other fundamental stuff)

Chemistry is atomic engineering

Biology is molecular engineering

And they all overlap one another - e.g. molecules feature in Chemistry and electrons feature in Biology, and physicists are predominantly biological (all the ones I've met)

'You just described 70% of bicycle riders'

I suspect your estimation is off. Good cyclists are everywhere but you don't notice them. "they are all the same is" is a dangerous assumption to make in many situations.

Yes, sounds like an idiot in the case of your sister's car, but it is not representative of all cyclists.

Re: Forgive them.

Like you I used them for a bit and had no problem.

I only moved away from them as my ISP offered a slightly better deal.

Re: Wonderful

I do similarly.

When something seems like it is going to be a saga, I keep a written log of dates, times, who I spoke to, what they said, what I said etc, as when push comes to shove and the inevitable complaint letter is written, a clear history of events is difficult to argue with.

Re: Am a happy Bulbster, but they can shove their smart meters ...

'i fyny eu hasesiadau'

That's what Google translate says English to Welsh - interestingly it comes out as 'up their assessments' - Welsh to English.

Any Welsh scholars out there able to shed any light? - not important, just curious.

Re: "learned how to play the popular card game by playing trillions of games against itself"

If a computer plays something a trillion times, it can remember every detail of every game and then run the analysis on best strategy.

I suspect your tongue is in your cheek, but if not, please can I borrow your memory?

Now, what did I come here for?.....

Re: The numbers are not tautological.

I'm also confused. I thought in superconductivity there was no resistance? Maybe it is resistance outside the 'superconducting bit'

I've not worked in the field - in fact when I studied* superconductivity it was all fields round here.

(*OK 'came across',I've never done anything with it except be scanned in an MRI scanner)

@jmch Larndun

I live in London and like living here and think it is a great place, but I fully agree with your sentiment.

Tea Cosies

Apparently the definition of a genius is: someone who left alone in a room with a tea cosy will not try it on.

[Back to the original subject....]

Re: This is the thought that wakes me up in the middle of the night!

A friend of mine has been trying to renounce his US citizenship for years and it is painfully slow and difficult at least for him. From his POV, the US seem mostly obsessed with TAX. He has lived in the UK all of his life since a baby.

Re: I don't know phones anymore

Fairly happy Moto(rola) owner here - fairly cheap and also would consider Wiley Fox. Not too overloaded with bloatware (IMHO - please comment if you think otherwise) Don't know about the unlocked bootloader as I'm not that adventurous.

Re: Why the front-facing camera hullaballoo?

I suspect most of your figures are from the "80% of statistics are made up on the spot" and I think your tongue might be somewhere in your cheek - but I upvoted you as I think your last point might be the most accurate.

Re: Rollback

"And Mrs Page wonders why I wait months before I'll update her iPad."

My wife is the opposite - never wants anything updated, prefers the old ways of doing things, thinks updates breaks things (which is often how it seems). She used to work with journalists and they all much preferred using Xywrite (IIRC) - with visible control characters and text only clunky non-wisiwyg display - over having Word forced upon them.

Re: Waze

I've recently been using Waze, I tired it originally on a 3G phone and found it to be useless but with a 4G phone much better (YMMV - a friend who recommended it said he had not trouble with it on 3G)

I've not been able to contribute much back though as I don't like touching the screen while driving - too distracting. I guess it is monitoring my speed, location and progress though.

I wonder when and how it is going to be monetized. Quite like it though so far.

Re: topical

A pal of mine who used to lecture on international politics used Life of Brian to illustrate many aspects of political theory to his students.

As a youngster (slightly underage) I went to see it when it was first released and loved it. When I saw it when I was older, the socio-politcial jokes made far more sense meaning that I got more out of it later.

Still love the "You're all individuals....." etc bit - best joke ever IMHO in so many ways.

Re: Brooklands

A bunch of my colleagues/friends went to Brooklands a few years ago and were lucky enough to be there on a day when the chief test pilot (IIRC - or at least a very knowledgeable and experienced Concorde pilot) was there. Being a weekday and it was fairly quiet, apparently they had him to themselves for ages and he was more than happy to talk - and all being engineers - they more than happy to ask questions. Wish I'd gone along.

Re: Or maybe....

Although I concur with nearly all of your comment, I wonder if people shove their phones in your face as it might be easier than trying to shout/say "have you got xxxxxxx by zzzzzzz" and have the ensuring discussion above the sound of your loud music (presuming it is loud - I've never come across a quiet 'sound system')

Bootcamp?

I've heard of it but never felt the need to install it. You better not meet me.

One man balloon

I've flown one of those - including over the centre of Reading once at 1500 ft - and it was surprisingly safe and easy to fly - I was a bit lonely up there.

Bigger balloons with baskets took longer to deflate (on landing) and it was harder to pull the vent at the top, so they would drag along the ground for longer in high winds - not that we flew in what most people would count as high winds.

I never felt unsafe flying balloons, the basket edge is quite high. I have felt more uneasy on high ground based objects e.g. buildings.

It's an enjoyable (IMHO) but daft form of transport, though not quite as daft as a gas balloon where you have a lot less control of height.

Re: Bill increase of £20

I blame the article - it would have been nice to have stated if this is:-

- a one off payment

- per month

- per year

etc - too much of the media do this i.e. stating figures out of context - a fail in IMHO.

Re: "Anthony and Cleopatra is not a comedy..."

Thanks fo that - I wish my memory for proper useful stuff which would help in everyday life (e.g. work) was as good as that for comedy sketches and song lyrics which are just 'nice to have'