* Posts by Malmesbury

69 publicly visible posts • joined 20 Oct 2011

Page:

Fat margins squeeze Apple against Android

Malmesbury

Hmmmmmm.....

So -

1) Android is going to end up on a lot of phones - basically the none Apple ones. Microsoft is going to bob along at the back with a small amount of market share.

2) Apple's computer business is based on having the majority of the high-margin business. Most of the PC business is selling a wafer thing margins.

3) Apple caused/prompted a massive take up in smart phones and tablets that spread usage of both a long way outside the usual niches for such products.

4) Everyone else is following the Apple lead in these two areas.

5) It is assumed that Apple won't make a mid/low price offering in these two market areas. But what did they do with iPod?

All of the above strongly suggests that Apple with be a declining percentage of the phone/tablet market. But they will probably have quite a lock on the high-margin part of the business, and probably record massively growing sales in absolute terms for the next few years.

As tech marches on, there will be point where iPhone/iPad "Mini" offerings will make sense - sufficient performance on a cheaper device. We have also seen, to date, the results of attempts to build cheapo tablets...

MP allegedly cuffed after scrap in Commons bar

Malmesbury
FAIL

If you read the history of the MP in question (google) you will see that appears to be one of those people who should stop drinking at all.

The other question is why the prices in the Commons bars are so subsidised, given the joy with which they like to legislate for the Outer Party and The Proles.

Xeroxiraptor: Boffins to print 3D robot dinosaur

Malmesbury

Most dinosaur remains are distorted by the fossilisation process - wonder if they are going to reverse this?

Mars, Europe losers in Obama's 2013 NASA budget

Malmesbury

For those who don't know the politics - JWST is un-cancellable, lots of work in the state whose senator is a key senior Democrat.

Commercial crew is being cut back because the backers of Orion/SLS are worried that if 2 or more crewed vehicles are ready before the first (unmaned) flight of Orion, it will be killed. So the pressure is on to down select to a single vendor and delay it until Orion is in service.

Anyone making stupid comments about "the colonials" government should consider BAe, Westlands etc - billions for crap. We do it to - and end up with less. For more.

MPAA threat sparks White House petition for bribery probe

Malmesbury

When politicians control buying and selling, the first things bought and sold are politicians.

This is why Ancient Greek history is so valuable - check out how the Parthenon got built.

Foreign sabotage suspected in Phobos-Grunt meltdown

Malmesbury
The sad truth is that you are not far off the mark. Have a look at the threads on nasaspaceflight.com - translation of Russian language stuff on what happened. Phobos-Grunt was slapped together with no testing. Software being uploaded while it was on the pad. Known defects - they attempted to fix electrical miss-wiring with a soldering iron on the pad as well. With the hydrazine already on board. The consensus is/was that it would have been incredible if it had made it out of orbit.

ALIEN ARTIFACTS can best be FOUND ON MOON

Malmesbury

Worry

If you find a strange city of squares without apparent purpose - all burnt and hacked about.

I'll get my coat. It's the one with the Engines of God in the pocket...

UK's solar 'leccy cash slash ruled unlawful

Malmesbury

Slab Murphy is probably doing it now.....

Malmesbury

Hmmmmm

You have solar panels that live forever? And the converters etc?

If solar panels were essentially free (and the electronics) then what you say would be true. But they aren't. Yet.

Apple stores getting close to overload

Malmesbury

It is interesting that Apple have adopted the non-commission policy. This policy is used by John Lewis - it is the main reason that so many people find shopping there so pleasant. In most other retailers, there is a hideous push to sell. Yes, Dixons/Currys, I am looking at you.

Talking to sales staff at John Lewis, many of the older ones have moved there from other retailers. Their happiness to have escaped the pressure sales thing is one thing. They also uniformly comment that they sell more, simply because they are free to connect the customer to the things they actually want, rather than the managers-push-of-the-week.

US Martian nuke-truck launches without a hitch, but...

Malmesbury
Mushroom

The fun bit is that this rocket is primarily used for US government payloads.

Yes, Russian engines used to launch American spy sats....

Mind you, Russian strategic missile subs use GPS for navigation....

Reg man the most-flamed recruiter in the UK?

Malmesbury

True

But the basic ideas do work -

1) a couple of pages.

2) reverse order - last thing you did first.

3) summary of you and your skills in a paragraph at the top

4) contact info. at the top of page 1

5) these days - work permit/nationality stuff at the top as well.

The best thing about the "re-write your CV our way" thing is seeing the different takes on your original - how other people see what you've written....

Malmesbury

I think that many people missed the weapons grade sarcasm in the original article.....

Enormous orbiting solar raygun power plants touted

Malmesbury

The energy isn't the problem

To raise the Earths temperature just by adding heat would take an insane extra amount of power - think multiply world energy expenditure by 100x to see noticeable effects. This is because the heat radiates away. You'd get some heat islands (see modern cities).....

Green house gases are about accidently installing extra double glazing and keeping unwanted heat in. Not the heat itself.....

Malmesbury
Coat

Exactly

Basic physics 101 -

You can't build an orbital death ray with microwaves, unless you used a antenna of insane (100s of kms) dimensions. Easier to build a small antenna and allow bean spread. Just cover x amount of farm land with chicken wire on poles. Land is cheap in this context

The best scheme is to use a phased array antenna for transmission which is locked onto a pilot transmitter on the ground. If the orbital antenna looses lock, all focusing would be locked and the power per square whatsit would go down from less-than-sunlight to I-need-a-better-detector-to -detec anything.

It is useless as a weapon - "Do as we say or we will turn our beam of microwaves on you. At an intensity that is classified as safe for the workplace by 'elf and safety".

Russian probe engines crap out on way to Mars

Malmesbury
Terminator

Small point

7 tons of hydrazine on that thing.

USA 193 had about 1/2 a ton

"Captain of the USS Lake Erie to the courtesy phone......"

UK Border Force chief walks in passport checks row

Malmesbury
FAIL

Apparently he admitted to his (civil service) boss that "he exceeded his authority". In a minuted meeting.

I think that is a fairly epic way to fail.

You can imagine why he is trying to fight that now.

Vegas man begs web for $1m to fix gigantic scrotum

Malmesbury

NHS

...was in the Conservative Manifesto for 1945. The NHS was planned under the wartime Conservative led coalition.

There were two structures suggested in the original reports. One was to nationalise everything. The second was universal health insurance, with some government facilities - the model that most of the rest of the present day first world uses.

Labour went for plan A. The Conservatives were going to go for plan B.

War boffin: Killer cyber attacks won't happen

Malmesbury

Cyber warfare has already happened -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Orchard

The Israelis switched off (parts of) the Syrian air defense network, then bombed the hell out of the Syrian copy of the North Korean plutonium producing reactor... According to rumour they switched the systems back on as they left Syrian airspace...

The point being that it will be one of the weapons used in future conflicts. A "cyber only" war is unlikely.

Page: