Posts by TWB

How do they know weight of HMS Belfast?

Are there set a of scales big enough? (and how do you lift it on? - I see no lifting eyes)

Or did they weigh all the bits as they assembled it? - what about all the extra stuff that people took on board while no one was looking?

Ok - I guess they measure the displacement with a giant Eureka jar....

I reckon someone looked at it and made up a number and no-one has ever questioned it.

Can't think of a title

As someone who would not notice if all football disappeared from the planet tomorrow - I really liked the footage, makes it look quite exciting.

BUT I am with the law on this one, I think flying a small drone over a built up area like this is too risky unless it has loads of built in safety features. I hope he gets a knuckle rap but somehow gets to do this kind of thing professionally in the future.

Any similar sized laptop good for repair?

Honest question, just wondered if any manufacturer makes similarly sized/spec'd machines easy to open and repair.

(I'm too lazy to go searching or put another way, this is my way of searching)

I agree with what others have said, stuff is just becoming so compact and clever that the reliability goes right up when you reduce the number of separable connectors and therefore modules. Sadly the failures are very sudden and often irreparable. But maybe it is time to build a laptop out of discrete components - "hello RS, I'd like 10 billion BC108s..."

Suggestion

To anyone who does not like the new watch* or laptop** - you don't have to buy either. Watches and Laptops are available from other manufacturers which may suit you better.

I am sure you can also tell Apple what you think as I don't think they read Reg comments or take any notice of them.

*Personally could not care less, I'll be interested to see if smart watches really take off.

**I like it, I think it's a great machine for many laptop users - I doubt you'll find a similarly spec'd, svelte and elegant laptop much cheaper - that's counting all the features (resolution, weight, backlit keyboard, battery time, trackpad/pressure pad, thick/thinness, fanlessness etc)

' while chewing up between 15.5 and 16 amps.'

Were you trying to talk about power here? Me thinks you need to learn a bit about units....

It may draw that much current but without some idea of voltage we're kind of in the dark.

64us?....

That is the period for 1 line of 625 line SD video.. hmmm...coincidence?...

(no not the active line period, that is 52 or 51.95 if talking analogue)

NFC payment is new stuff and involves money

I was very careful years ago with my first internet purchases because it was new and I was wary - I suspect NFC payments will take time to be popular in the same way - I don't count this as a failure yet. I don't think my smartphone supports it but I do occasionally pay by tapping with my credit card.

75 Channels...

....yeah about 70 - too many.

Thanks!

For quoting battery capacities in watt-hours.

Beginning of the end?

As someone who prefers Macs over other-PCs but has no iPhone (or smart phone in fact!) and has been an Apple-preferrer for many years, I wonder if this might be the beginning of Apple's demise - I know they have lots of cash so should be able to pay for this easily - but having worked in creative places for some years now, I've usually found that when there is a hotch-potch annoying arrangement of stuff, people somehow are more creative even though they moan about it. When you try to tidy things up and order them, the creativity goes.

Hopefully I'll be wrong on this one

I'd love to join you (y'all)

But time and money are sadly lacking in my life - commitments etc.....

Sounds a great offer.

I hope it all goes well and you all have fun.

Why not a smart reading device?

That clips onto your meter and using OCR 'reads' the meter and sends the info back - surely if mass produced would be much cheaper to build and fit (clip on) and would save the waste of the current meters - would also get around the issue of the "kill switch" - I couldn't care if the energy companies monitor my usage more closely - they already do albeit in very coarse way.

No new products, nada

Time Cook is going to come out all ashamed and mumble 'sorry we have not got anything, the dog ate it'

If you stop ranting...

I will say at the outset that I am quite anti gun but not really in any lobby group etc. However I think the writer makes many good points but it comes across as a moan and a rant - and you don't get things changed by ranting.

However if the idea was sold more on its positives I think it could gain more traction - if the 'shooting community' (if I can call it that) was to recommend to Government that a computerised system of payments would free up time and resources for better vetting of those who wish to have gun licenses and bring an improvement to the overall security of gun ownership (i'm sure it could be better worded) then it would be much better received. Don't go on about how inefficient paper and cheques are , but how much more efficient a computerised system would be (I'm not going to argue about it getting hacked etc - someone else can have that dig)

A colleague used to go on and on about speed cameras not improving safety - I told him he should have 'sold' his theories to safety campaigners rather than moaning on about the government limiting his 'rights' - it feel on deaf ears though as ultimately it just came down tot he fact that he wanted to drive fast being an ex-rally driver.

Don't other computer companies already do this?

I thought all computers companies except Apple already insisted that where they get their machines made, the manufacturers did not use any hazardous chemicals and endanger the workforce in any way.

Maybe I have just missed the Reg stories regarding Lenovo, Asus, Samsung, Dell etc and how they make a big thing about how great they are when it comes to manufacturing.

Cynical - moi?...

Grandad built Lancs, Dad did Vulcans

My grandad worked at Avro Woodford during the war buildling Lancasters - I have a great picture of about 40 men all standing in front of one Lanc in various forms of attire - one looks like a gardener, another a grease monkey, some are in smart office clothes, one looks like a secret service agent....There was this story in our family that my Grandad was involved in the bouncing bomb stuff, but he is no longer alive to ask and I don't know how to find out more (now that I am more interested...)

My Dad then worked on the Vulcan - doing his engineering apprenticeship with Avro - we love the sounds of both aircraft even though I have such mixed feelings about bombers being a bit of a ~peace loving hippy~....When I see+hear the WWII memorial flight fly past, it brings a lump to my throat and yet I would not describe myself as particularly patriotic or proud of being British.

Anyone any ideas how I find out more about my Lanc photo?

Battery capacity

Dear Reg,

As a 'technical' website, is it not about time that you started putting battery ratings in Wh? - Ah as measure of capacity, is only any use if talking about batteries of the same voltage. I realise that many phones may use similar voltage batteries but that is not stated in your articles.

Keep up the (rest of) the good work.

Supersonic parachutes?

Don't weird things happen at supersonic speeds - a parachute might make it fall faster!

(I'd add an appropriate icon if I was allowed....)

All for Apple

Your headline infers all these people are for Apple manufacturing then your ~report~ effectively says 'but maybe not for Apple' - is this clickbait?

I still kick myself

For not applying for that 'head of Apple' job......sigh

So when do we get a semiconducting version?

This sounds like somewhere along the way to 'super-semiconductors' I invented a few years back. Sadly I am yet to come up with a working prototype - (a bit like Pete 'n' Dud's pill that cures all illness/disease)

What about my mp3s?

Won't they all come out squeaky and high pitched?