Skip Navigation

InitialsDiceBearhttps://github.com/dicebear/dicebearhttps://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/„Initials” (https://github.com/dicebear/dicebear) by „DiceBear”, licensed under „CC0 1.0” (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)I

InevitableList

@ InevitableList @beehaw.org

Posts
5
Comments
60
Joined
2 yr. ago

  • The train that never came; how maglev technology was derailed

    Jump

  • Doubling the speed turns a 4 hour journey into a 2 hour journey saving you 2 hours. Double speed again and it drops to 1 hour so you only save 1 hour, double again and you save 30 minutes. So the time saving is cut in half each time.

  • The train that never came; how maglev technology was derailed

    Jump

  • Concorde only flew 2 routes; NYC to London and NYC to Paris so in exchange for training pilots and engineers and securing supply chains for the aircraft you got a tiny return on investment. BA also kept a spare aircraft permanently parked in New York that could step in if there were any problems with the primary craft, another significant expense.

    Installing lie flat beds and suites in standard jumbo jets provided similar profits with way fewer headaches.

  • The train that never came; how maglev technology was derailed

    Jump

  • I feel that even if someone succeeds with Maglev it will at best be the Concorde of the railways due to the higher costs and inconvenience of using a niche technology with a limited supply chain and limited number of engineers available to build and maintain lines. Proprietary tech also limits your ability to shop around or negotiate better prices. Remember that Concode was profitable but was retired because it was uneconomical.

    I also wanted to draw attention to the diminishing returns higher speeds deliver: 100km/h train = 4 hour journey 200km/h train = 2 hours 300km/h train = 1 hour 20 mins 400km/h train = 1 hour 500km/h train = 48 mins 600km/h train = 40 mins

    This ignores acceleration and breaking times and the faster your train the sooner it has to start decelerating in order to avoid overshooting it's destination. One overlooked time saving that HSR delivers is that the need to build straight tracks and skip stops to maintain speed means a more direct route to your destination delivered at the expense of the places in between. High speed service is actually a downgrade for many communities as the trains no longer serve local stations.

  • The inarguable case for banning social media for teens

    Jump

  • I was expecting a much stronger argument based on the headline.

    Personally I'd prefer regulation on how social media is structured and how algorithms operate. First thing I'd do is ban infinite scroll, which corporations like because it increases 'engagement' whilst harming the quality of the experience for their users.

  • The inarguable case for banning social media for teens

    Jump

  • They only want to ban social media and even then only the big ones with an exception for youtube.

  • OpenAI's viral Studio Ghibli moment highlights AI copyright concerns

    Jump

  • These AI models require huge amounts of electricity. If governments wanted to they could destroy their ability to operate, like when China banned bitcoin mining.

  • Why can't we go back to small phones?

    Jump

  • The crash at Charles de Galle contributed along with 9/11, the sonic boom limiting flights and the inability to fly across the Pacific. Also the plane is super narrow making seating uncomfortable.

  • Why can't we go back to small phones?

    Jump

  • My favourite example is Concorde, which remained profitable throughout its service life but was cancelled because bigger profits can be made with slower planes.

    Patents expire after 10 years so technology being locked away isn't the biggest concern. The bigger problem is the dismantling of supply chains and loss of skills and experience when the workforce moves on.

  • On May 5, Microsoft’s Skype will shut down for good

    Jump

  • Some of us live overseas and need to make official calls to government agencies and companies from time to time.

  • TikTok Ban Fueled by Israel, Not China

    Jump

  • I like how the article presents this as some super secret conspiracy when Mitt Romney and others made public statements openly admitting to this.

  • ‘Mass theft’: Thousands of artists call for AI art auction to be cancelled

    Jump

  • There are cases progressing through the courts. If the courts rule that copyright has been violated by the AIs under current laws then we won't need to create a new offense or expand IP laws currently on the books.

    wtf are people actually buying

    A unique work of art I guess since it's unlikely anyone would be able to replicate the prompt in order to get the same results.

  • ‘Mass theft’: Thousands of artists call for AI art auction to be cancelled

    Jump

  • When someone makes use of a service and doesn't pay afterwards that is considered to be theft even if the provider hasn't been deprived on anything. For example, if I snuck into an art gallery without paying I won't remove anything tangible since the gallery's overheads and running costs were fixed long before I arrived.

    A better word would be copyright infringement if the AI is making use of other works without a license or other permission. Based on my reading of the article it appears those involved only fed the AI works in the public domain or works that they had created themselves. The letter of complaint appears to be signed by artists who are unaware of these circumstances.

  • Those YouTube ads everyone hates made $10.4 billion in just three months

    Jump

  • This is from Q4 when ad spending doubles in the run up to Christmas. Q1 would probably earn half as much.

    Plus it was an election year so loads of money from campaign ads, too.

  • Reviewers giving high scores to poorly optimised games really grinds my gears

    Jump

  • Good idea if you don't want publishers to send you any advanced copies of their games in the future, which is just as well since your review won't be relevant to anyone. At that point it's just a preview.

  • Marvel game, developed with the Chinese firm NetEase, ‘bans’ the words ‘free Taiwan’ and ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’

    Jump

  • With a TikTok Ban Looming, Users Flee to Chinese App ‘Red Note’

    Jump

  • The BBC spoke to someone who acquired a large following shortly after signing up.

    Some social media users tell the BBC that they find themselves scrolling on RedNote more than TikTok. "Even if TikTok does stay I will continue to use my platform I've created on RedNote," Tennessee tech worker Sydney Crawley told the BBC. Ms Crawley said she got over 6,000 followers within 24 hours of creating her RedNote account. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2475l7zpqyo

    The Guardian says over 500,000. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/14/tiktok-ban-rednote-app

  • Albania declares one-year TikTok ban over stabbing

    Jump

  • The thread is about tiktok being banned in Albania. I thought you might be familiar with Australia's threats to ban tiktok whilst ignoring the crimes other tech companies commit and making no effort to protect Australians from them.

    Did you miss the comment I made about Instagram? That was specifically about the content of the site having a negative impact on users.

  • Albania declares one-year TikTok ban over stabbing

    Jump

  • I commented on your post so yeah I think I managed to click on it. Did you bother to read mine and think of a coherent response before typing? Nah just ignore my efforts to put this in a wider context and dismiss me as a tankie. I'll just dismiss you as racist since you only complain when it's a Chinese company doing it.

    I'm all in favour of robust privacy protections like GDPR. I don't support yellow peril bullshit when a Chinese company successfully operates in the same space that US companies do.

  • Self-experimentation: How TikTok radicalizes Austrian teenagers

    Jump

  • Is it a bad thing when political leaders have a presence on social media? Would you prefer it if the leaders of the 2 biggest economies in the world were actively censored and suppressed by these platforms?

    Seems like a weird complaint to make.