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Pastimes : The New Qualcomm - write what you like thread. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Biddle who wrote (5593)	1/2/2003 11:44:33 PM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12231

John, fuel cell technology is too expensive. The main problem with fuel cells is that the newest petrol-powered [gasoline-powered in American] cars are now very clean. With even better fuel, cars will be even cleaner. Methanol fuel cells would be no problem to introduce from a service station point of view because methanol is really easy to handle. An underground tank can be converted to methanol from petrol and trucks can be converted from gasoline [unless they have aluminium, or aluminum in the USA, tanks, which corrode dramatically in contact with methanol]. The main problem is that methanol and other sources of hydrogen for the fuel cell are expensive. The other main problem is that fuel cells are expensive. The main air quality problem is from diesel fuel. That can be fixed by engine technology and fuel quality and by diesel taxes pushing more people in the direction of petrol. Small vans, taxis etc should be running on petrol, not diesel. Even quite large trucks can run on petrol economically. Big trucks, which are hauling across the USA, should be running on diesel. They are running at constant speed, which enables clean-burning of fuel. They are out in the country, so there's no pall of particulates settling in one spot. Taxes could be adjusted to ensure that the economics drive people in the right direction. Fuel cells will be a solution looking for a problem by the time internal combustion engines and fuel quality is improved as much as practicable and taxes are made sensible. Similarly, superconductor filters for cellphone base stations are solutions looking for problems. It is apparently cheaper to put in smaller base stations, infilling the network, rather than cleaning up the spectrum to get the most out of it. No respect for fuel cells from me! But for cyberphones, I'm a rabid fanatical supporter and the sooner they produce them, the better. On the other hand, the Segway is battery driven, so maybe there's scope for them there. A benefit of methanol is that it's less hazardous from a fire point of view than petrol. But diesel is much safer still. Methanol can be hosed down, and if it does catch fire can be extinguished by dilution with water [unlike petrol]. Methanol burns slowly and is fun to play with. It makes a nice blue flame at night, which children can have fun jumping over. Pour a litre in a long, thin, puddle on an impermeable surface, light one end and watch the flame run along the surface. For extra excitement, pour a couple of litres across a road and it makes a fun 'fire-jump' for cars to drive through. It's good if they aren't leaking petrol when they drive through and also good if they don't stop in the flames to enjoy the warmth. Petrol floats on top of water, quickly forms a large vapour cloud, making it easily ignited, burns very rapidly with a big whoooshhhh and is horribly dangerous - many people are burned to death every year while trapped in cars. Methanol is a fun product. Very useful and versatile. But it's also very toxic. 20 ml is enough to kill some people if swallowed. Some naive people hear that it is an alcohol, so figure they might as well give it a go. I used to require NO use of the words methyl alcohol to be used on anything to do with methanol, just in case anybody got the wrong idea. [We used to run methanol-fuelled car trials in BP Oil in the good old days = early 1980s, with fuel pumps at a few locations - I got the "Methyl Alcohol" signs taken off and "Methanol" put on. Also, I got Bitrex added to make it taste disgusting. I didn't want dead people on my mind]. Methanol soaks into skin and also can be inhaled. If swallowed, the antidote to methanol is ethanol [= brandy etc]. Giving a good dose of brandy can save the person's life. I forget how much to give - that's the doctor's job. Russians used to die in numbers when mistaking methanol as a Vodka replacement. Methanol in a cyberphone would be great. Stored all through the body, it would take up no extra room, would circulate, providing cooling by convection, and evaporation from really hot components. It would give long battery life, and could be instantly refilled = zero recharge time. The cyberphone could have a cigarette lighter function, and a flashlight function [lots of electricity available so make use of it]. Also a camplight and small flame for cooking small quantities of food. It would be a hot water bottle replacement for cuddling on a cold night in a sleeping bag. Excellent for mountain climbers. Mqurice

To: John Biddle who wrote (5593)	1/3/2003 5:15:33 PM
From: John Biddle	Respond to of 12231

Hidden meaning in choice of mobile phone ring tones VALERIE HANNAH, -Jan 2nd theherald.co.uk MOBILE phone users should think twice before choosing a ring tone because the jingle can send out subliminal messages about their hopes and fears, a psychologist has claimed. Whether it is the theme from a film or a top 10 hit, Graham Wilson, a psychologist, believes all ring tones give away something about the kind of person you are, and some have more sinister undertones than others. If, for example, you choose an action drama theme, such as Mission Impossible or the A-team, you are likely to be a young, aggressive professional who wants to be seen as a dynamic problem solver. In reality, however, Dr Wilson, of the Insight Partnership of business psychologists, says that such people actually fail to live up to that image "because they are prepared to put the time into setting up their phones like that. "They don't have huge excitement in their lives but like to think that they do. I doubt you'd find a firefighter or ambulance driver with a ring tone like that." Top 10 hits are among the most popular mobile phone ring tones but even they can send out the wrong message. Dr Wilson said that some people, particularly young school girls who want to fit in, use them innocently enough. The people to be wary of, however, are apparently young, competitive men. Dr Wilson said: "Top 10 hits are popular among young girls who want to be one of the gang. They're saying: 'I'm feeling pretty awkward about myself but being into a particular pop star reassures me I'm normal'. "The more sinister side of it would be young men, especially macho, competitive, self-focused types. The message they're trying to send out is: 'I'm safe. I'm normal' but those types of people tend to manipulate, so if I was a woman hearing that theme, I would be slightly concerned." Based on his research, Dr Wilson believes school-aged children are most likely to choose football anthems or top 10 hits for their mobile phones. Young male professionals tend towards action drama themes, while young female professionals "are focused on other things" and are less likely to programme their phones. If they do, they are most likely to pick from the charts. Many students like to "create the impression of being clever" by using sci-fi theme tunes. TV themes are popular among housewives, and the music from the quiz show Countdown would fit company executives "down to the ground". As for the humble "ring, ring" tone, Dr Wilson said: "The typical profile would be someone who uses their phone as a purely functional item. They will pick the tune or the tone that appeals to their hearing. "It will be someone who doesn't want to think of the phone as any more than a tool. It's not that they're boring. They're just more focused on other things." The Top 20 1 Stan - Eminem 2 Simpsons - TV theme 3 Logical Song - Scooter 4 Without Me - Eminem 5 Like A Prayer - Mad House 6 The Tide Is High - Atomic Kitten 7 Mission Impossible 2 - Film theme 8 Colour Blind - Darius 9 Italian Job - Film Theme 10 Anyone Of Us - Gareth Gates 11 A Little Less Conversation - Elvis vs JXL 12 Sweet Child O Mine - Guns N Roses 13 I Need A Girl - P Diddy 14 Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor, Rocky film theme 15 Fields Of Athenry - Irish ballad 16 Underneath Your Clothes - Shakira 17 Round Round - Sugababes 18 Hawaii 5-O - TV theme 19 The Great Escape - Film theme 20 Hey Baby - DJ Otzi