Posts by John Brown (no body)

Re: Well forget the second accident

My guess is that the same number of "back office" control and monitoring people will be required but have half the vehicles each to look after.

Re: Not holding my breath

For new drivers, especially young new drivers, it might only be a small/medium discount initially, but according to people who have done it, it can be a 50% discount in the 2nd year once they have a good years worth of data stored up and analysed. I've heard it can be even more than 50%, but that's only anecdotal and/or insurance marketing claims.

The downside, of course, is feature creep. More monitoring and location tacking, normalising it, and when a critical mass is reached, you either can't get insurance without one or it costs an arm and a leg no matter your driving history to not have one.

Re: Not holding my breath

"The proposal in Oxford effectively (https://www.oxford.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/8144/bgp_14_15_minute_cities.pdf) effectively creates ghettos around the city."

So, because Oxford have got it wrong, or at least you say so, I don't live there, doesn't make it a world-wide lizard conspiracy to lock the annoying humans into segregated cages.

I remember about 20 years ago as a field engineer who occasionally had to do home visits (warranty repairs for a retailer), getting very confused driving around a housing estate because so many roads had been blocked off into dead ends that didn't show on my street map. Turns out there was a local problem with joy riders and boy racers. The people there, to this day, are still allowed out into the real world. They didn't get fenced in and fed through the bars. There's even shops and a health centre on the "inside" and buses that go in and out, just like the residents cars can do. There's not even any checkpoints on the access road, let alone armed guards. Or maybe that was just an early pilot scheme and there are CCTV/ANPR and Facial Recog cameras hidden in the bushes?

Re: Not holding my breath

"We've already got several local governments proposing "15 minute cities" with severe restrictions on car travel within and between arbitrary city zones and any number of anti-car measures being proposed at every level of government."

You were doing so well up to that point. The so-called "15 minute cites" is simply going back to what we had in the past and in some places still have now. Schools, shops and health care such as GPs as dentists in the suburbs. Even now, if a large new housing estate is being planed, there is supposed to new infant/primary schools and shops, at the very lest builting into the plan. All that's "new" is the term "15 minutes". Sadly, in many case, those small parades of shops in housing estates have been allowed to deteriorate and/or be out competed by out of town shopping centres. And we all know the issues with GP surgeries and Dentists. At the rates they are paid, they can't manage as small operations and so consolodate into larger groups more widely spread out.

Re: Failover backup redlining

Or, possibly they DID buy a matched pair, but as development and feature creep went on, realised they needed more resources and someone forgot or vetoed the upgrade on the backup machine.

Re: The Register uses Google Analytics among other tools to keep track of readership size

I would guess that El Reg don't have that power and it's a mandate from "on high" at Situation Publishing.

Re: El Reg has possibly better ways to track anyway

"I think using GA for some web owners, who aren't server jockeys, makes life easier, trawling through web logs can be tedious?"

Back in the day when I used to herd a few websites running on Apache, I used Webalyser(??), which gave me pretty summaries and graphs of more than I really needed to know direct from the Apache log files. I'm sure that or similar log analysers are still available. Ut not as if some non-technical person needs to manage it. That will be set up by the person(s) setting up the site for them. Of course, this may not apply those who think a professional website is a something on facebook or using one of the "build your own website" services such as Wordpress.

Re: What did Bridenstine do

Does anyone know exactly how much control the Administrator has over the budget? How much is ring fenced for specific programmes and projects and does any of that programme or project money include the buildings they are hosted in? Or is "facilities and maintenance" a completely separate budget?

Re: Seriously???????????

"actually, the fact that instructions come with something dates it in itself"

True :-) The first version of WordStar I used, on CP/M, came with a manual so complete, it included as standard user level procedure, the step by step instructions on how to patch the binary with HEX codes to make it work with printers that used different codes for bold, italic, half-linefeed, overprinting etc so that OKI, or Epson, or Juki printers etc could be used to most of it's potential even though it might not have been invented when WordStar came out :-)

Re: Americans and their love for cool sounding abbreviations...

V-SPELL sound like a far eastern rip-off of Texas Speak'n'Spell :-)

ISTR there's a range of kids electronic toys all named V-$something.

Re: Its probably not the cross traffic.

"If we could pass legislation that limits the acceleration of EVs to, say, 10s 0-60 (still very fast) then think of how much electricity would be saved and range improved."

Is it really that performant in "normal" mode? If so, what's like in "sport" or "ludicrous" mode? Or is it just that many or most Tesla drivers user the most performant mode most of the time? The fact they have different modes means there are already software based limiters in the system. Maybe, like those annoying automatic headlights, "green" or "eco" mode should be set to default to on every time you start the thing so it would have to be the drivers conscious choice to enable high acceleration abilities.

As someone mentioned earlier, Tesla don't advertise. At least not in the traditional sense, so there's nothing for the ASA to go after. Tesla make PR announcements to the press, the press lap it up and splash it all over the TV news bulletins, newspapers and websites, all for free. Teslas PR department is possibly one of the most efficient and cost effective operations on the face of the planet :-)

Re: Tesla is simply making a financial calculation

True. According to the RAC, "Some popular models you’ve probably seen on our roads include the Audi E-tron, BMW i4, Citroën e-C4, Fiat 500e, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Honda e, Jaguar I-Pace, Kia e-Niro, Mazda MX-30, Mercedes-Benz EQA, Mini Electric, Nissan Leaf, Peugeot e-208, Polestar 2, Porsche Taycan, Renault Zoe E-Tech Electric, Skoda Enyaq, Tesla Model 3, Vauxhall Corsa-e, Volkswagen ID.3 and Volvo XC40 Recharge."

I've seen most of them on the road at some point or other, but as you point out, many are just EV versions of existing models and look almost identical to their ICE equivalent. Generally, in the UK, the car number plate has a green flash at one end if it's an EV or hybrid. Not sure if that's regulated or mandated in any way though and that feature is more recent than the launch of EVs and hybrids so older cars don't have it.

Re: I feel sorry for the engineers.

What they have demonstrated is that they are far more wary of perjuring themselves in front of a judge than any veiled threats that may come from Musk or the legal team. Being honest doesn't say anything about their engineering skills. Although I'd prefer an honest average engineer over a dishonest "brilliant" one any day.

Re: "Autopilot"

"Plenty of people simply have no idea of what "autopilot" really means."

Most people know exactly what it means. It means what they think it means, which may or may bear any similarity to what you think it means :-)

Few know what autopilot means in terms of aviation, but then most people are not pilots and the term "autopilot" has now been hijacked for other uses in other industries, where it means something very different, and even there might not mean the same thing to different people.

Re: "Autopilot"

True, but can it "full self drive" to the terminal and auto park? Mind you, from what I hear of Teslas self-parking abilities, that's not a high bar to reach :-)

Is the money what the victims (or their surviving families) are thinking about too? Or are their own lawyers only thinking about the "quick win" of a settlement and advising against a long, expensive and drawn out court case plus any number of appeals which they;d really rather not get involved in if possible since they'll be facing a large team of high priced, well resources lawyers?

Actually, now I've typed that out, I might take the settlement too, assuming it's big enough. Who has the stomach and financial resources for possible years of court case?

Re: Is this time really any different?

I could see the "lane keeping" causing that if some of the road markings are more worn than others and the lane marking nearest the edge of the road (left or right depending country) so the lane keeping system follows the well marked line which lead up the sliproad/exit. Here in the UK, the lane markings at the edge of the road are solid white. Lane separators are dashed, but the left edge of the left lane while passing an exit or entry slip (on/off ramps) is also dashed, albeit shorter dashes. Those shorter dashes get driven over and worn quicker, so if not maintained, a lane keeping system might not see them in some conditions, eg wet.

Re: Is this time really any different?

"So far, when it looks like it might not be going Tesla's way, they settle for an undisclosed amount - then it is done and gone, as though it never happened. Nothing accumulates. Will this be any different?"

The court case may end up with an undisclosed "no blame" settlement out of court, but the information and data from the case is still being published and will be reaching and feeding the NHTSA investigation. I'm not in the US, but I assume they will not "settle out of court" and will enact some sort punishment. Or are they as toothless as some other regulators?

"At a minimum they could have changed the code to only ALLOW IT TO ENABLE the function if it HAS ALREADY DETECTED the center divide" at the very least!

My approximately 10 year old SatNav with up to date maps) can tell if I'm on a dual carriageway (Not sure what the US calls it, but the one with the central reservation/divider) because that's just the level of data in the mapping database. Surely Tesla didn't skimp on the SatNav database provider? Assuming US SatNavs maps are at least as good as UK ones, the "Autopilot" should only need to check where the SatNav thinks it is and decide whether it's allowed to engage or not, with additional input from whatever sensors it's using to "look" for the central divider. In effect, automated geofencing with visual confirmation and they don't even need to build a geofence database.

Re: There is no possible fix

"if we're coming up on an intersection AND there's no data about potential cross traffic, engage the 'be extra cautious'" mode.

Some people in Rotherham, UK need that upgrade in their brains. Although what the fuck was going through the housing estate developers minds when they designed junctions with no road markings is anyone's guess. Probably cocaine (allegedly!)

For non-UK readers, housing developments are often "managed" by the developer for a some time, often years, before the roads etc become the legal responsibility of the local town/city Council. But they are still supposed to adhere to UK traffic laws and regulations, which the developers claim they are. If true, then there's a loophole that needs to be closed, quickly.

Re: Risk tolerance

And those drive with cruise control set at a speed and then pull out to pass a slower vehicle, often far sooner than any normal and sane driver would and keep to their nominated set speed instead of speeding up to that lanes current average speed. And stay out in the passing lane far longer than needed before pulling back over. In the process, causing a line of traffic to build up behind them. I've noticed that particular circumstance growing over the last few years, so I guess adaptive cruise control has either made it down to the more average cars now, or a lot more people are driving more expensive cars on leased, "pay as you drive" deals instead actually owning a car.

Re: Risk tolerance

"It has to be pointed out that Tesla hasn't done advertising so there isn't official statements about what autopilot/fsd can and cannot do,"

They may not advertise in the traditional sense, but they have an effective PR machine. They just pull stunts and get the news media to do their advertising for them. And if a product launch[*] isn't advertising, then what is?

[*] Musk breaking the window, anyone? Genuine faux pas or just some very good "free" marketing of the Tesla brand carried by most news services around the world?

"Somehow, people have mistakenly decided that "autopilot" is a synonym for "self-driving", which it isn't."

Yes, people are incorrect in misunderstanding what an aircraft's autopilot is. But that misconception came from somewhere. Primarily, from Hollywood not only bigging up autopilot, but adding in other systems such as automated landing etc and not differentiating them as separate systems doing different jobs. The news media are not much better, continuiing the Holywood trope in news stories with no explanation of reality. And I especially include so called "science and technology" reporters in that. Most won't criticise or tell the whole truth for fear of not being invited to new product launches. And then there's both Musks and Teslas PR machine pushing that same narrative. Is it any wonder that so many people associate a Tesla with Autopilot as being so much more than it is?

Despite the voting pattern you have at my time of reading, I agree with you. Cruise Control sets a speed and that's it. Enhanced or Super Cruise Control tells us this one does more without being clear what the more is. Whereas everyday, run-of-the-mill Adaptive Cruise Control adjusts your speed to match the traffic conditions, including, AFAIK, bringing you to a stop if the vehicles in front are stopped unless you take active control of the pedals, thus disengaging it, or steering to avoid the obstruction. Teslas cruise control doesn't appear to even that properly. And if what I see on UK motorways is anything to go by, they've copied BMW and made indicator lights optional too.

Re: Risk tolerance

"The FSD beta has been described in writing by Tesla to California as not expected to exceed Level 2. It's glorified cruise control."

Absolutely that. But no matter what the manual says, no matter what the small print disclaimers say, you have to take into account the public perception created by both Musk and Tesla PR and marketing, which strongly implies so much more. Even publicly calling it Autopilot is enough to lead people to an incorrect impression, whatever the official name for it migh be in the manual. This is a country where people need to be told a coffee might be hot, a bag of nut "may" contain nuts and objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are. Just because someone has enough disposable income to splash out a big chunk on a Tesla car with "Autopilot" doesn't mean they are intelligent.

To be fair to the US though, you guys don't have a monopoly on stupid rich kids. There's regular reports in the UK of young men renting supercars and then crashing them. It seems to be a thing especially with young Asian men in Yorkshire. My guess is they are going to weddings and similar and want to make a splashy impression, but can't handle the powerful car when trying to show off.

Re: "Personalized advertising has never been allowed on YouTube Kids"

"As usual, there is what a company says, and there is what a company does."

Yes, exactly that. Are we surprised? Of course not.

From the article: "insists its YouTube service has not broken the law nor its own policies on advertising to children."

This is the entire problem. Google, like most tech companies, especially US ones, but probably also many, many other companies of all types around the world, they are constantly pushing at the edges of the law looking for that tiny little bit of advantage over the competition. This leads to them stepping over on a regular basis and getting slapped down. But as we see constantly, the profits made while on the wrong side of the line is frequently more than the cost incurred in fines by that action because they can make those extra profits for a quite some time before being discovered, accused and eventually either going to court or settling. This just encourages them to maintain that behaviour, simply looking for a new "loophole" as previous one gets closed, or even an alternative way of exploiting the same loophole.

If Google, or any other company for that matter, wants to live up to it's claims that it "has not broken the law nor its own policies on advertising to children", then make sure you are well within in the spirit of the law, not pushing hard against the boundaries where it comes down to what the justice system says is the law and what your legal team thinks is the law. If you need to run something past your legal team and it takes more than an few minutes for them to state the action is legal or not, then it probably isn't

LG invented the roll up TV

Currently only seems to be available in 65" format. I guess the technology is still so expensive that anyone prepared to spend that much is goign to want something big to justify the cost. Paying 10x the price for something 24" to 27" would probably not work, but from the point of view of the target market for this "briefcase TV", the roll up TV tech sounds like the perfect use case for small and portable decent sized screen. Since they have released this silly briefcase idea, I guess that means they can't make an equivalent sized roll up screen at an attractive price. Maybe when they get the kinks out it. Or maybe the mechanics can't be shrunk down just yet, possibly limitations on the minimum diameter of the roll.

Re: Students?

"I'd love to be able to get into the BBC archives, and apparently they are available to folks with licenses"

The BBC archive is VAST. but even we licence holders only get to see a tine, tiny percentage of it via iPlayer on demand. And much of the newer stuff is commissioned from outside sources, often the very people they "spun out" as independent production companies because there was a concerted effort to make the BBC more "commercially viable" rather than the vertically integrated behemoth it used to be. Those commissioned projecst, sometimes co-produced, have very different rights management and so what might look like a BBC production sometimes only survives a short time on iPlayer and then disappears so the actual rights holders can tout it around the world and/or to the streamers.