Random News not worthy of own thread

Avis · Post by **Avis** » Fri, 13. Oct 17, 18:41

pjknibbs wrote:
greypanther wrote: I wonder how long it will take for this to spread, though I guess it was always on the cards to happen somewhere. Shame we do not have the infrastructure to support all the vehicles in the UK being electric eh?
The government has basically stated that all regular petrol and diesel cars will be banned countrywide from 2040--if you want to keep driving after that point you have to have either an electric car or a hybrid of some kind. So, we don't really have a choice about making sure the infrastructure gets put in place sometime over the next 20-odd years.

The manufacture and sale of new petrol/diesel cars is to be banned not the existing cars as far as I'm aware of.
If the infrastructure or technology isn't in-place expect a U turn before then, 22 years is a long time.

Tracker001 · Post by **Tracker001** » Fri, 13. Oct 17, 18:46

When your Crew is demanding Pizza , Our delivery service is second to none

greypanther · Post by **greypanther** » Fri, 13. Oct 17, 20:47

Avis wrote:
pjknibbs wrote:
greypanther wrote: I wonder how long it will take for this to spread, though I guess it was always on the cards to happen somewhere. Shame we do not have the infrastructure to support all the vehicles in the UK being electric eh?
The government has basically stated that all regular petrol and diesel cars will be banned countrywide from 2040--if you want to keep driving after that point you have to have either an electric car or a hybrid of some kind. So, we don't really have a choice about making sure the infrastructure gets put in place sometime over the next 20-odd years.
The manufacture and sale of new petrol/diesel cars is to be banned not the existing cars as far as I'm aware of.
If the infrastructure or technology isn't in-place expect a U turn before then, 22 years is a long time.

Considering the history of this country and how such projects get delayed, then I would consider the chances of it all being ready to be very slim indeed. We have known for a long time, for instance, that there is an impending crisis regarding our energy production, yet we are still way behind producing new power stations. The National Grid nearly goes into meltdown during the X Factor commercial break, as millions of people put the kettle on for a brew! Imagine the effect of many millions of cars being plugged in, as their owners get home from work.

Then you have the issue of all the charging stations that will be needed, several for each car in the country, the home one needing to be dedicated to that owner, which should be fun people living in flats...

So 25.8 million charging stations, at the very minimum, but probably five or six that in reality. Who is going to pay for all this? Never mind the amount of time it will take.

How far overdue is the latest nuclear power plant? How far over budget is it? Just how much more expensive will the electricity be that it produces? How many such plants will we need to cover the new consumption?

Lastly, how quickly will it take for the centre of Oxford to die off?

Morkonan · Post by **Morkonan** » Sat, 14. Oct 17, 00:29

greypanther wrote:...So 25.8 million charging stations, at the very minimum, but probably five or six that in reality. Who is going to pay for all this? Never mind the amount of time it will take...

Easy - Allow people to charge others for charging their car and standardize ways to do that. Reduce any licensing requirements to the bare minimums, enforce standardized safety and quality issues and create a standard "Commercial Charging Station" design that is cheap and effective.

So, what do you get?

Eventually, qualified, licensed, electricians will standardize their installation fees to be competitive and affordable. Any commercial building that has public parking could provide a "Fee-based charging station" in their parking lot. Heck, it could be hooked into a buidling's main bus, depending on the phase they decide on or whatever is needed.

IOW - If you don't limit it to special "gas stations" but allow licensing for any commercial building concern to provide this service, like shopping centers (which are dying out, these days) and grocery stores or large chain outlets, then there's a chance that the "there's money to be made" capitalism spirit to take over and provide the path to a solution.

I suspect, however, that regulatory requirements and special interest legislation would be what really stands in the way of something like this. Not all such things are "bad", but some tend to be more self-serving for special interest groups that have the power to take advantage of new opportunities like this.

Watch the regulatory system that oversees stuff like this. Where it moves is where this idea is going to move. And, if it appears to start to place restrictions on who can make money off of this, where they can do it and how they can do it, that'll tell you who's really in charge... ("In charge", get it?

)

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Sat, 14. Oct 17, 02:56

"Gas stations" are entirely impractical for electric cars, though, is the problem. They take too long to charge to just pull up at the pump and plug in for a top-up, which is why most existing charging stations are in hotel and service station car parks, where people can be expected to be waiting long enough for a charge to make sense.

Mind you, I personally think electric cars generally are impractical with the battery technology we currently possess--they really should be working harder on getting things like hydrogen fuel cells working in cars.

greypanther · Post by **greypanther** » Sat, 14. Oct 17, 16:22

pjknibbs wrote:"Gas stations" are entirely impractical for electric cars, though, is the problem. They take too long to charge to just pull up at the pump and plug in for a top-up, which is why most existing charging stations are in hotel and service station car parks, where people can be expected to be waiting long enough for a charge to make sense.

Mind you, I personally think electric cars generally are impractical with the battery technology we currently possess--they really should be working harder on getting things like hydrogen fuel cells working in cars.

Without a doubt, a five minute visit to a " gas station, " or a minimum of of what half an hour plugged in? Electric is still not practical and the hydrogen fuel cell is a far better alternative. The technology exists and is very well proven. Some car manufacturers have already got cars powered this way and the infrastructure, whilst still huge, would be far more practical.

Then you have the whole issue of the resources needed to build all these many millions of batteries. What harm on the environment there then? Not something you see mentioned in the media much is it?

I wonder who gains most from this agenda, because there will be someone who is pushing it...

Edit: Next green cars.

Also, what about the issue about the range of a battery electric car? It is currently poor to say the least.

burger1 · Post by **burger1** » Sat, 14. Oct 17, 20:53

The vr wars continue.

Oculus Go introduced, priced at $199

https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/11/oculu ... e-headset/

Oculus Rift permanent price drop to $399

https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/11/164 ... 99-connect

Morkonan · Post by **Morkonan** » Sat, 14. Oct 17, 21:05

pjknibbs wrote:"Gas stations" are entirely impractical for electric cars, though, is the problem. They take too long to charge to just pull up at the pump and plug in for a top-up, which is why most existing charging stations are in hotel and service station car parks, where people can be expected to be waiting long enough for a charge to make sense.

Depending on the battery type, you can get a full charge in 30 minutes or so. Mind you, an electric car doesn't have to have just one type of battery. Also, a partial charge isn't wasted, either.

Mind you, I personally think electric cars generally are impractical with the battery technology we currently possess--they really should be working harder on getting things like hydrogen fuel cells working in cars.

Distribution is a problem. Stability is another. There are several ideas, here, from relatively safe solid fuel systems to your typically dangerous "just build really large tanks and fill them with hydrogen all over the place" sorts of schemes. You could, for instance, bond hydrogen into a solid pellet/powder form and package it in cardboard milk cartons, available on a shelf at a convenience store.

BUT, there's a problem - You have to make the hydrogen to begin with. Simple, right? No. And, if you're concerned about "global warming", then the inefficiencies in the supply chain for hydrogen for fuel cells are far greater, and result in much more of an environmental impact footprint, than electricity for electric batteries.

Granted, manufacturing batteries isn't "clean" either. But, hydrogen manufacturing would be an ongoing processes, fueling vehicles, and battery manufacture gets more life from each unit with a cleaner supply chain if the electricity is also manufactured in a suitably mindful way.

felter · Post by **felter** » Sun, 15. Oct 17, 16:07

So I just stumbled onto this video on youtube and I thought I would post it here, as you are all talking about petrol Vs electric cars. It's pretty interesting, or at least I found it so.

Morkonan · Post by **Morkonan** » Sun, 15. Oct 17, 17:30

Went to visit a neighbor, yesterday, to return the containers she had given me when she made dinner for me last week. (Never return containers that have had such wonderful gifts in them empty - Always return the favor if you can. Gave her some cookies.)

My neighbors, all of them, are awesome. People are always doing nice things like that for each other around here.

So, visited for a few minutes. She has dogs. I love dogs. So, played with the dogs...

She won't bathe her dogs. Unless something like a skunk attack occurs, she won't bathe them... They are indoor/outdoor dogs... So, afterwards, with dog slobber and fur all over me, I stunk like "dawg." I went to the store, picked up a few things, came home and took a shower.

Early last night, my eyes started itching. One was particularly bad. Starting getting a runny nose. Eye scratchy. Throat itchy.. Great... Took a bunch of different antihistimines, just in case. Probably nothing, right?

Woke up early AM, terrible pain, one eye almost swollen shut, side of face/head/neck felt like someone hit me with a giant pincushion. Fluids everywhere... breathing difficult, pain, pain, pain.. Grabbed every darn antihistimine produce, immediately, and went to work, casually overdosing myself.

I have only ever had one bad allergic reaction to something, years ago. But, because of that, I am "stocked" with stuff, since breathing is really cool and I like to do it pretty darn frequently.

As of right now, the reaction appears to be subsiding. But, an ER trip isn't out of the question if I think conjunctivitis or something nasty like that is going to kick in. An allergic reaction is something one can handle at home, usually, without permanent damage. Viral or bacterial infections are not and I sort of would like to be able to see for the rest of my life. But, who knows wtf those stanky, slobbering, poop-eating, dogs have been into...

Short story: Neighbor is a wonderful person, just not very sensible sometimes. I love dogs. All dogs are good dogs. Neighbor's dogs are nasty as @$%@, but love people. This isn't a good combination.

PROTIP: WASH UR FRIGGIN NASTY DAGS PEEPOL!

/sigh

(Sorry, had to rant a bit. Am going to have to have a sit down with my nice neighbor and tell her that her dogs are friggin nasty as @$^^$ and need a $@$Y^'in bath, even if I have to pay for someone to do it.

)

Rice · Post by **Rice** » Sun, 15. Oct 17, 18:27

time to held a Doggy bathing challenge in your neighbourhood with Cheese , Cake and Dogs

burger1 · Post by **burger1** » Mon, 16. Oct 17, 19:54

If you get really lost google has added 3 planets and nine moons to Google Maps.

https://www.cnet.com/news/google-maps-p ... turn-nasa/

Morkonan · Post by **Morkonan** » Tue, 17. Oct 17, 01:14

ALERT ALERT ALERT ALERT ALERT

GIANT ROBOT DUEL: U.S. VS JAPAN - Tomorrow!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... Dc-9HLky-k

Tracker001 · Post by **Tracker001** » Tue, 17. Oct 17, 20:27

Victimhood
~ 30min

Tracker001 · Post by **Tracker001** » Thu, 19. Oct 17, 11:48

The journalist who led the Panama Papers investigation into corruption in Malta was killed on Monday in a car bomb near her home.

https://lovinmalta.com/

Daphne Caruana Galizia, a blogger whose investigations focused on corruption, was described as a ‘one-woman WikiLeaks’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ ... journalist

Morkonan · Post by **Morkonan** » Thu, 19. Oct 17, 14:01

Just a quick blurb on a topic of general interest,usually: Bannerlord Devblog: How history influences game construction

Tracker001 wrote:The journalist who led the Panama Papers investigation into corruption in Malta was killed on Monday in a car bomb near her home.

"And, that's the end of that..." said the corrupt official, probably. :/

How often are we faced with corruption, right in front of us, and we look away?

This is what happens when we look away.

Morkonan · Post by **Morkonan** » Thu, 19. Oct 17, 16:21

Is this the Shadowrun movie I've been waiting for?

O_M_G!

"Bright" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... qzK1kbx0NA

Will Smith. Orcs. Elves. Magic. Cop Action Movie?

$%$@@^$@^ AWESOME!

My imagination just got that thing that happens when that you_know_what kind of thing that happens to guys when you_know_what happens...

greypanther · Post by **greypanther** » Thu, 19. Oct 17, 18:48

Interesting and it could be good Mork, now I might have to subscribe to Netflix. How much is that again?

felter · Post by **felter** » Fri, 20. Oct 17, 05:04

So I don't normally listen to political speeches, but I've just listened to the George W. Bush Speech. I got to say WOW, while he never mentions anyone in particular, have a listen and see if you can work out just who he is taking a dig at.

Morkonan · Post by **Morkonan** » Fri, 20. Oct 17, 08:43

greypanther wrote:Interesting and it could be good Mork, now I might have to subscribe to Netflix. How much is that again?

No idea - I don't have a subscription. But, Imma watch it, anyway, since I have a friend who does.

THIS JUST IN! CALLING ALL STAR CONTROL VETS!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/27126 ... l_Origins/

Yes, that's right - "Star Control Origins." Let's pray they don't screw it up... Star Control II is still a wonderful game, today. You can get it free, here, completely legally. It's the laserdisk version, so it has integrated voice dialogue and animations.

http://sc2.sourceforge.net/

IT'S STILL GOOD! And, yes, you can still play "arcade" mode!

@felter - Yeah, I watched that speech. It was pretty impressive. Obama did one as well, so I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't some consensus going on between those two and, perhaps, other leaders.

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

Random News not worthy of own thread