An interesting morning
2013-Aug-23, Friday 13:43![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
texxgadgetIt seems Microsoft stock rose 7% today with the news that Steve Ballmer is leaving sometime this year. I only caught part of the news this morning and got the part about Microsoft on the chatter on one of the ham radio repeaters.
My personal take is that Ballmer has realized that Microsoft is going to plateau from now on and the rise has ended permanently. Hes getting out while the getting is good. It wouldnt surprise me if the company was split up in a few years.
The video of the Despicable Me minions xeroxing their butts on the net reminds me of "Tales of the City" from the 70s & 80s. Mary Jane reports to her boss that the "Xerox Flasher" has been caught. And that it turns out he had the machine on "Enlarge"....
Ive been noticing over the last few years, things are being advertised by the amperage they draw from the wall. Its not a claim of energy efficiency. Someone vacuum cleaner is better because it has a 9 amp motor ? How can it be better because its motor is a pig? Silly me, I want to know how many torr of vacuum this motor generated. I dont care what the current draw is unless I can compare it to anything it actually accomplishes. Apparently consumers like big numbers even if they mean nothing.
Im still batting around the idea of electric motorcycles. I run into the same problem here. Im looking at DC motors and they are rated by watt. I cant tell if thats watts of energy draw, or if its watts of force and theres a BIG difference there. What I REALLY want to know is torque in foot-pounds.
It turns out that a horsepower comes out to be about 550 foot pounds per sec of force.
I believe this means it will lift 550 pounds 1 foot per sec.
I believe it also means it will move 1 pound 550 feet per second.
Since a conventional gas motorcycle (road bike) comes out around 550lbs sans passenger,
it shouldnt take many horsepower to move a bike.
I need a bit more tutelage on the physics here. Bikes on pure battery have limited range.
I think the answer is an adaptation on the Toyota Synergy drive.
Im thinking diesel electric hybrid. That ones going to be on the back burner a while.
Im gearing up for the Scottish Games at the end of the month in Pleasanton.
Ill be working for Lodema the Potter and Ill pop out long enough to march with Clan Hay.
Ive also got to get started on Dickens Fair.
Ive been watching Steves progress up in Seattle. Its goiod that things are moving along.
My personal take is that Ballmer has realized that Microsoft is going to plateau from now on and the rise has ended permanently. Hes getting out while the getting is good. It wouldnt surprise me if the company was split up in a few years.
The video of the Despicable Me minions xeroxing their butts on the net reminds me of "Tales of the City" from the 70s & 80s. Mary Jane reports to her boss that the "Xerox Flasher" has been caught. And that it turns out he had the machine on "Enlarge"....
Ive been noticing over the last few years, things are being advertised by the amperage they draw from the wall. Its not a claim of energy efficiency. Someone vacuum cleaner is better because it has a 9 amp motor ? How can it be better because its motor is a pig? Silly me, I want to know how many torr of vacuum this motor generated. I dont care what the current draw is unless I can compare it to anything it actually accomplishes. Apparently consumers like big numbers even if they mean nothing.
Im still batting around the idea of electric motorcycles. I run into the same problem here. Im looking at DC motors and they are rated by watt. I cant tell if thats watts of energy draw, or if its watts of force and theres a BIG difference there. What I REALLY want to know is torque in foot-pounds.
It turns out that a horsepower comes out to be about 550 foot pounds per sec of force.
I believe this means it will lift 550 pounds 1 foot per sec.
I believe it also means it will move 1 pound 550 feet per second.
Since a conventional gas motorcycle (road bike) comes out around 550lbs sans passenger,
it shouldnt take many horsepower to move a bike.
I need a bit more tutelage on the physics here. Bikes on pure battery have limited range.
I think the answer is an adaptation on the Toyota Synergy drive.
Im thinking diesel electric hybrid. That ones going to be on the back burner a while.
Im gearing up for the Scottish Games at the end of the month in Pleasanton.
Ill be working for Lodema the Potter and Ill pop out long enough to march with Clan Hay.
Ive also got to get started on Dickens Fair.
Ive been watching Steves progress up in Seattle. Its goiod that things are moving along.
