lunedì 30 ottobre 2017
lunedì 23 ottobre 2017
Even the world’s top Apple blogger is losing it over a new MacBook Pro problem
Even the world’s top Apple blogger is losing it over a new MacBook Pro problem
by Chris Smith @chris_writes
Apple’s newest MacBooks apparently suffer from an unexpected problem, a keyboard issue that’s not easy to fix. Affected models include 2015 or later MacBook and 2016 or later MacBook Pro models. These laptops are thinner than ever, and Apple redesigned the mechanism under each key so that it could manufacture butterfly keyboards with an even slimmer profile.
Incredibly, it turns out that simple particles of dust can render individual keys on these machines useless, and dislodging them to fix them isn’t as easy as it was on older MacBook models.
Reports recently published in The Outline and 512pixels indicate that some users are experiencing serious issues with their keyboards.
The Outline explains that replacing a faulty keyboard isn’t possible. Apple has to replace the top case, which has a $700 price tag if the MacBook Pro is out of warranty. Apparently, plenty of buyers are affected:
It’s unclear how big of a problem butterfly switch keyboards are. Apple forums are overflowing with reports of Geniuses who have told customers that Apple is “collecting data” on the issue. One corporate issuer of the MacBook Pros in question reported to me that its business has encountered a significant number of keyboard issues, but “less than 5% for sure.” Another Genius explained to me that he had seen an overwhelming number of the computers with keyboard issues, the spacebar in particular — while some keys can be very delicately removed, the spacebar breaks every single time anyone, including a professional, tries to remove it. This is a big problem, since, according to the Genius I spoke to, it’s the key most susceptible to acting up from the aforementioned piece of dust. “I would say it’s THE issue on this computer,” he told me. (Apple declined to comment.)
What further proves the new butterfly keyboards have a dust issue is this Apple support document that’s basically insane. If you need to have this guide on your site, it means a significant number of MacBook buyers experience keyboard issues, and it’s not a problem that is going to go away:
You need a particular set of skills to clean the keyboard by yourself and not drop the MacBook in the process. The best thing about it is holding the Mac at a 75-degree angle “so it’s not quite vertical,” before using compressed air to eliminate the dust.
Even John Gruber, a diehard Apple fan and respected blogger, is upset about it. “I find these keyboards — specifically, the tales of woe about keys getting stuck or ceasing to work properly — a deeply worrisome sign about Apple’s priorities today,” he said, in a response to The Outline’s story.
What’s worse about it is that we have a song for this issue created by Jonathan Mann, the same guy who mocked Apple’s “Antennagate” issue.
by Chris Smith @chris_writes
Apple’s newest MacBooks apparently suffer from an unexpected problem, a keyboard issue that’s not easy to fix. Affected models include 2015 or later MacBook and 2016 or later MacBook Pro models. These laptops are thinner than ever, and Apple redesigned the mechanism under each key so that it could manufacture butterfly keyboards with an even slimmer profile.
Incredibly, it turns out that simple particles of dust can render individual keys on these machines useless, and dislodging them to fix them isn’t as easy as it was on older MacBook models.
Reports recently published in The Outline and 512pixels indicate that some users are experiencing serious issues with their keyboards.
The Outline explains that replacing a faulty keyboard isn’t possible. Apple has to replace the top case, which has a $700 price tag if the MacBook Pro is out of warranty. Apparently, plenty of buyers are affected:
It’s unclear how big of a problem butterfly switch keyboards are. Apple forums are overflowing with reports of Geniuses who have told customers that Apple is “collecting data” on the issue. One corporate issuer of the MacBook Pros in question reported to me that its business has encountered a significant number of keyboard issues, but “less than 5% for sure.” Another Genius explained to me that he had seen an overwhelming number of the computers with keyboard issues, the spacebar in particular — while some keys can be very delicately removed, the spacebar breaks every single time anyone, including a professional, tries to remove it. This is a big problem, since, according to the Genius I spoke to, it’s the key most susceptible to acting up from the aforementioned piece of dust. “I would say it’s THE issue on this computer,” he told me. (Apple declined to comment.)
What further proves the new butterfly keyboards have a dust issue is this Apple support document that’s basically insane. If you need to have this guide on your site, it means a significant number of MacBook buyers experience keyboard issues, and it’s not a problem that is going to go away:
You need a particular set of skills to clean the keyboard by yourself and not drop the MacBook in the process. The best thing about it is holding the Mac at a 75-degree angle “so it’s not quite vertical,” before using compressed air to eliminate the dust.
Even John Gruber, a diehard Apple fan and respected blogger, is upset about it. “I find these keyboards — specifically, the tales of woe about keys getting stuck or ceasing to work properly — a deeply worrisome sign about Apple’s priorities today,” he said, in a response to The Outline’s story.
What’s worse about it is that we have a song for this issue created by Jonathan Mann, the same guy who mocked Apple’s “Antennagate” issue.
lunedì 16 ottobre 2017
What would be the worst possible design for a sink?
What would be the worst possible design for a sink?
Answers from Quora.com:
Carlo Sirna
This one:
Looks great right?
OK, now wash your teeth, spit the toothpaste into it and try to clean it.
Why this homemade wooden sink is so much shared in woodworkers forums is a total mystery to me.
Design Suggestion
A larger sink could be used, designed so that the faucets are a part of the sink instead of a separate installation on the counter. When the faucets are adjusted, a larger sink would allow the water that drops down to drain back into the sink, rather than to run over the top of the counter.
Another solution is to install faucets that automatically adjust the water flow without having to move one's hands away from the sink.
Answers from Quora.com:
____________
Carlo Sirna
This one:
 |
| Stunning Wooden Sink |
Looks great right?
OK, now wash your teeth, spit the toothpaste into it and try to clean it.
Why this homemade wooden sink is so much shared in woodworkers forums is a total mystery to me.
___________
Take a glance at this sink:
 |
| Clear Blue Tempered Glass Sink |
Looks like a normal sink right? Take a closer look at it? Where do you put the soap? Or anything? You finish brushing your teeth right? You put the toothbrush down on th- Oh wait, there's nothing around the sink, the vanity. You can put a towel on the bottom to dry off your hands, but there's really no point because your hands won't be clean…(no soap).
____________
 |
| photo via unicornhornsandlgitter |
___________
Copyright © Michael J. Darnell 1996-2010
We recently moved into a newly-constructed building at work. The picture on the left shows one of the bathroom sinks in the new building.
After the sink is used a few times, the top of the counter becomes covered with water. (See the arrow.) The problem is that as one adjusts the faucets with wet hands, water drops down onto the counter and accumulates there.
A larger sink could be used, designed so that the faucets are a part of the sink instead of a separate installation on the counter. When the faucets are adjusted, a larger sink would allow the water that drops down to drain back into the sink, rather than to run over the top of the counter.
Another solution is to install faucets that automatically adjust the water flow without having to move one's hands away from the sink.
____________
Hansgrohe ComfortZone
 |
| Hansgrohe ComfortZone test |
Irritating water splashes due to mismatched combinations of mixer and washbasin – perhaps that’s something you’ve already experienced. As of now, your customers‘ associated annoyance is a thing of the past.
lunedì 9 ottobre 2017
Will robots take my job?
This site estimates how likely you are to lose your job to artificial intelligence.
In 2013 Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A. Osborne published a report titled "The Future of Employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation?”. The authors examine how susceptible jobs are to computerisation, by implementing a novel methodology to estimate the probability of computerisation for 702 detailed occupations, using a Gaussian process classifier.
In 2013 Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A. Osborne published a report titled "The Future of Employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation?”. The authors examine how susceptible jobs are to computerisation, by implementing a novel methodology to estimate the probability of computerisation for 702 detailed occupations, using a Gaussian process classifier.
According to their estimates, about 47 percent of total US employment is at risk. Although the report is specific to the US job market, it is easy to see how this might apply all over the world.
We extracted the jobs and the probability of automation from the report and have made it easy to search for your job. We’ve added some additional information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to provide some additional information about the jobs.
Is your job at risk of being taken over by computers?
____________________
Researchers have found that nearly half of 702 US jobs could be at risk of automation. Find out using our interactive the probability of your job role being replaced by computerisation.
________________________
 |
| BBC |
 |
| BBC |
lunedì 2 ottobre 2017
Why are traditional knobs not replaced by touchscreens in cockpits?
Why are traditional knobs not replaced by touchscreens in cockpits?
by Aviation Stack Exchange
Answers
Look at the switches and knobs in an airplane up close some time. You'll notice that nearly all of them have different textures,heights,sizes or shapes. That's intentional. Pilots train and train and train and train on checklists, especially the emergency ones. Muscle memory is a big part of quickly and correctly executing an emergency checklist.
As an example, flap levers/switches normally have a cap or top that is flat and parallel to the wings. It's easy to identify solely by touch.
Checklist item: "flaps up" Action: Hand to flap lever (automatic after doing it a hundred times in training), verify feel of lever, move, look to verify
Without the tactile element, every motion would have to be verified by looking before it's made. With the tactile element, the movement can be made and then verified visually while the hand is moving to the next item. In an emergency, every second counts and the savings from tactile + verify matters.
Beyond emergency procedures, they're simply safer. The plane I fly the most has a touch screen display and several non touch devices. In turbulence, the touch screen is basically useless. But, the important devices all have buttons and knobs. I can be banging my head on the ceiling (literally) and still adjust the auto-pilot or radio. In that kind of turbulence, the touch screen device is completely useless.
Flicking a switch gives clear haptic and audible feedback. Compare that to a touchscreen where you can never be sure if your intention has been interpreted correctly. This might not seem to matter much, but if you need to throw 20 switches in a hurry, the mechanical solution is head and shoulders above anything with a touch input.
Mechanical switches can be operated with gloves on. Touchscreens generally cannot.
If the computer driving the touchscreen crashes, you are out of control. Mechanical switches don't have this failure mode.
Mechanical switches are far easier to debug than touchscreens. You can make sure if the switch works by using a screwdriver and a voltmeter. And some knowledge of the routing, admittedly.
Inadvertently flicking a mechanical switch is so much harder than one on a touchscreen, especially if it has a cage to protect it from movements in an off direction.
Mechanical switches gives a better visual inspection than digital touch screens. For a pilot surrounded with so many switches, just a visual glance would be enough to find the position of the control.
Don't try at home experiment:
Also, it is easier to specially and individually protect mechanical actuators against accidental manipulation than making hundreds of dedicated touch screens and protect those.
It makes no sense if each knob/switch needs to be implemented as a dedicated touch screen, with a fallible control computer or some electronics behind it (in addition to the switching logic behind the knob or switch).
by Aviation Stack Exchange
Answers
Look at the switches and knobs in an airplane up close some time. You'll notice that nearly all of them have different textures,heights,sizes or shapes. That's intentional. Pilots train and train and train and train on checklists, especially the emergency ones. Muscle memory is a big part of quickly and correctly executing an emergency checklist.
As an example, flap levers/switches normally have a cap or top that is flat and parallel to the wings. It's easy to identify solely by touch.
Checklist item: "flaps up" Action: Hand to flap lever (automatic after doing it a hundred times in training), verify feel of lever, move, look to verify
Without the tactile element, every motion would have to be verified by looking before it's made. With the tactile element, the movement can be made and then verified visually while the hand is moving to the next item. In an emergency, every second counts and the savings from tactile + verify matters.
Beyond emergency procedures, they're simply safer. The plane I fly the most has a touch screen display and several non touch devices. In turbulence, the touch screen is basically useless. But, the important devices all have buttons and knobs. I can be banging my head on the ceiling (literally) and still adjust the auto-pilot or radio. In that kind of turbulence, the touch screen device is completely useless.
_______
Flicking a switch gives clear haptic and audible feedback. Compare that to a touchscreen where you can never be sure if your intention has been interpreted correctly. This might not seem to matter much, but if you need to throw 20 switches in a hurry, the mechanical solution is head and shoulders above anything with a touch input.
Mechanical switches can be operated with gloves on. Touchscreens generally cannot.
If the computer driving the touchscreen crashes, you are out of control. Mechanical switches don't have this failure mode.
Mechanical switches are far easier to debug than touchscreens. You can make sure if the switch works by using a screwdriver and a voltmeter. And some knowledge of the routing, admittedly.
Inadvertently flicking a mechanical switch is so much harder than one on a touchscreen, especially if it has a cage to protect it from movements in an off direction.
_______
Mechanical switches gives a better visual inspection than digital touch screens. For a pilot surrounded with so many switches, just a visual glance would be enough to find the position of the control.
_______
Beyond the obvious aviation reasons of cost and so on, I can think of a few reasons why I'd not want an over reliance on touchscreens in the cockpit:
- If a touchscreen fails, you've lost all the controls that were related to it.
- Likewise, if a touchscreen (or portion of) fails then the whole thing has to be replaced rather than just the button
- Feedback - phones and similar devices offer things like haptic feedback to register a positive touch. I can't imagine that being implemented and working well in a fixed monitor. Pressing a button provides a positive reinforcement that you did press the button.
- Using touch-screens is hard if they're not still - it's far easier to press a physical button, without pressing an adjacent button, than it is to press an area on a screen without accidentally glancing another area.
- Some controls are designed to be easy to operate, while being hard to do accidentally - for example flaps, gears, mixture etc. All of these require some positive force.
With that said - you've posted some advantages and, in honesty, I suspect it'll all happen one day. So, for that reason, in the meantime I give you the stock answer to any "Why isn't..." aviation question:
- Cost
- Certification
- Proven reliability
- Market demand
Unless pilots and airliners are crying out for it, and a manufacturers think it will make the difference between whether they buy a particular aircraft or not, they simply aren't going to spend the time and money necessary to make it a reality.
Additionally, it'll almost certainly come in slowly. It's one thing to add some touch functionality to a flight computer but I wouldn't be expecting flap and gear levers to be touch sensitive anytime soon!
_______
- Spill lots of water on a touch screen and try to use it.
- Close your eyes and use your touch phone or tablet.
- Try the same with knobs and switches.
Also, it is easier to specially and individually protect mechanical actuators against accidental manipulation than making hundreds of dedicated touch screens and protect those.
It makes no sense if each knob/switch needs to be implemented as a dedicated touch screen, with a fallible control computer or some electronics behind it (in addition to the switching logic behind the knob or switch).
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