December 15, 2020

One Finite Planet: Why the site title?

One, because given it took 4 billion years before life could exist on the surface of this planet, it is going to take a long time to ever find another. Finite, because no matter how obvious it is the planet is finite, it is large enough for us to mistakenly overlook that the planet being finite impacts everything from the environment to the economy.

Technology

Finite Planet

Next steps for mankind don’t include the Sci-Fi dream of a new home planet.

Commenced: May 31, 2016

2022 July 26: Rewrite to update on progress of colonising the solar system.

There is a dream, often explored in science fiction, where humanity inhabits not just one planet, but many. While the dream is still centuries away, as is 'Earth 2.0', the reality, working towards small outposts on Mars or the Moon or even beyond is overwhelming compelling and can provide many rewards. Humanity may get back up outposts, but for centuries, will have no real second home, and over 99% of us will still need to live on our one finite planet.

The Challenges of Earth 2.0. (Kepler 452b?)

Commenced: July 26, 2015

2022 July 24: Rewrite, updated to fully clarify why 'no alternate home'. I learnt a lot in 7 years.

Sadly, no, the existence of many "Earth 2.0" planets does not mean there are planets out there we could colonize. From the obvious to the surprising, reasons include: It would take 10,000 years for us to send even 10 people to a planet of another star.It took plants billions of years to build this O2 atmosphere.Even on a planet identical to Earth, odds are we still can't survive there!

Hydrogen Future: Often Scams, Even If Not Intended, So Always Ask “Where does the hydrogen come from?”

Commenced: October 24, 2021

In the race to stop CO2, there are many scams involving hydrogen, but are the public or the backers being scammed? There are many myths, and in the end, Hydrogen is a light, but inefficient battery solution. This is an exploration of where Hydrogen may be a solution, and where it just does not add up.

A Timeline of Our Solar System.

Commenced: May 11, 2021

I feel this a useful reference. It is just collation of data from a variety of resources, as in the table below, and then mapped onto one year, to give perspective of ‘how long through the year’ various events are. The timeline is based on the life of the Sun from formation through the inevitable […]

EV Range & Economy: Decoding the Numbers.

Commenced: May 1, 2021

2022 May 24: added link to article on WLTP range is really calculated.

The key specification for EVs so far has been 'range'. But how are the numbers measured, will range specific match reality, and can the number even be compared? It turns out there are even 3 different standards for measuring range, and they give very different answers! Further, why have we moved from 'economy' to 'range'? Is there still even economy with EVs?

Mobile Phones – Fold 3 vs Note, Fold S-Pen Fail?, Watch and History.

Commenced: August 15, 2021

This page focuses on a topical question, can the Samsung Z Fold 3 be a viable option for someone who has previously owner Samsung Note phones? Having owned 4 notes dating back to the original, I add my review, and links and selected quotes of other opinions. The page includes my review from the perspective […]

WordPress.com to the Next Level: Plugins, Elementor, CoBlocks?

Commenced: January 8, 2022

2022 April 2 and then July 31:no date to be seen here help on tablepress and table-chart.

Something completely different. A discussion on how this site is hosted: on wordpress.com. Anyone who has started a "blog" or other site on wordpress.com, may get to wonder, what are the options for upgrading the website? What is the value of the free, personal or premium plans and beyond? What real world benefits are there, and, alternatively, what would you lose and/or gain from moving away from wordpress.com. This is a page discussing being in that situation. If you are not considering having a website, it may be of little interest.

Headphones, Earphones Revolution, plus B&O Beoplay H95, H9i, H9, Apple AirPods Max ETC.

Commenced: March 6, 2021

Augmented reality was seen as potentially the way of the future when introduced in 2013. So far, augmented reality through sight has never delivered and people wearing augmented reality glasses are not a common sight. In contrast, people wearing headphones and earphones are everywhere. Augmented sound reality is here (or hear?) and if anything, is growing in significance. This page looks at the topic overall but also includes some specific reviews.

Making Animated GIFs: Solving colour problems.

Commenced: January 1, 2022

This is part of series of pages I will be adding on things I have learnt as part of building this website, and I will soon try and enable following by topic (when I get this page working), so people can separately select notification on building websites and/or population or other issues, without being notified of things outside their interest. Standby for that update. Meanwhile this page provides general help on making an animated GIF for a series of images, specific help on a challenge with animated GIFs, and a list of sites with free images as a resource for those building images.

Carbon Capture and Storage: When it works, and why it doesn’t for work ‘blue hydrogen’.

Commenced: February 20, 2022

There are both vocal supporters and vocal opponents of carbon capture and storage, and there are arguments for both sides. This page goes beyond reporting on how carbon capture and storage fails to make current 'blue hydrogen' projects sustainable, and looks at the underlying principle that dictates why carbon capture and storage, despite having genuine valuable applications, can never enable 'blue hydrogen' to be environmentally sustainable, but is so popular politically.

Hydrogen: Facts vs Myths, blue vs green.

Commenced: April 13, 2021

There is much talk of a 'hydrogen economy', but what is the substance behind it all? There are many myths but hydrogen can be : 'green' hydrogen, not a source of energy, but a less efficient storage stepping stone on the path to battery power.or blue/grey hydrogen, the fossil fuel industries' hope for greenwashing emissions. This exploration provides looks at the reality, and the myths about hydrogen, and provides background for other pages such as: Electric or Hydrogen Cars and Hydrogen Scams.

The ‘Blook’: An Evolution of a book.

Commenced: January 12, 2022

Think of the process of writing a book, while sharing all the research and steps of finding, researching and collating material, as the book gradually takes shape online as the work progresses. But does the work ever end, or is there always progress towards the next edition?

Revolution?: HDMI ARC, eARC and S/PDIF

Commenced: March 21, 2019

The move from S/PDIF to HDMI ARC failed in bringing even a small revolution, but the introduction of eARC in HDMI 2.1 may now actually allow a major revolution. Contents: S/PDIF: History Audio Return and Directional Audio/Video Cables Pre ARC (before HDMI 1.4, 2009 ) HDMI 1.4 with ARC (Audio Return Channel) Sonos Beam – […]

Digital Cameras: Crop vs ‘Full Frame’

Commenced: December 27, 2017

There are cases where the rapid evolution of technology means that terms can lose connection with their original meaning. ‘Crop’ and full frame are clear examples. Should we go back to the original meaning, or embrace using the original term in ways that evolve further and further from that original meaning? History/Background Film Cameras Pre […]

Apple Evolution: Which premium market next?

Commenced: December 15, 2017

This is the excerpt for your very first post.

Will Apple One Day Ditch the Mac/MacBook?

Commenced: December 10, 2017

John C Dvorak of suggests in this article that Apple is ready to ditch the Mac. Is this realistic? The idea that the Mac is a problem for Apple is something I have suggested in conversation on several occasions, so there are a least two observers, and from different perspectives, seeing that Mac products no […]

ARMs Race Risc: Episode 1, Apple and Microsoft

Commenced: March 15, 2021

Right now could be a bad time to invest in technology and buy a new computer. I suggest that, right now, all Apple laptops are in a state of flux, and no Microsoft Surface tablets or laptops make sense. This is all due to the ‘ARMs race to new computer architecture, as an upheaval in […]

ARMs Race Risc: Episode 2, Why Microsoft needs RISC!

Commenced: March 16, 2021

Episode 1 stated now could be a bad time to invest in technology and buy a new computer. Apple has announced they are moving to ARM CPUS, which will mean replacing their products, and this episode explores why it is so critical to Microsoft that they also move to ARM, and what the multiple technology […]

All Free? The Tech Industry is so dumb!

Commenced: March 4, 2021

Initially, it seems the tech industry is just dumb. You could think: “So they get me to watch adds, and they collect my data. It is not like letting them collect my data is going to cost me anything! It is not like Facebook, Google, Instagram, WhatsApp etc have some way of getting their hands […]

Relativity Simple: Understanding Einstein’s Theory.

Commenced: June 13, 2021

Understanding relativity provides a completely different perspective in looking at everything in the world around us. Although, some the maths and other details are complex, those maths and details are not required to grasp fundamental concepts, that change the view of the world around us forever. The biggest challenge is that if you have thought […]

Why Car Makers are Lying about the storm.

Commenced: September 10, 2021

If you follow car industry publications, there both facts and well recognised predictions that combined, signal a storm for the car industry. Reality: Why Makers Are Lying. The Lies and The Sad Truth: Industry Combined Revenues Will Plummet. The Predictions of Doom: Both Right and Wrong. Bankruptcy, Pivot, Or Downsize. The Industry Future: Robotics? Reality: […]

The Electric Vehicle Road Trip Problem.

Commenced: September 14, 2021

The Problem: Road Trip ‘Fast’ Recharge Sucks. The Counter Point: Local Trip ‘Sleep’ recharge doesn’t. In fact it is an improvement Solutions For Road Trips. Conclusion and Where Next.

What the F is 5G? What is new, and what are the risks?

Commenced: September 2, 2020

Now for something not Covid-19, which is a rarity lately! A different topic for this blog, but 5G came up in a recent conversation, and what I thought I ‘knew’ about 5G was: significantly higher mobile data rates were possible (true) 5G is based on higher frequency radio than 4G etc (false) 5G works for […]

Our Home Robot Future and the Deebot T9+: Toys or Valuable Tools?

Commenced: August 8, 2021

The Robot Revolution. Early Steps. Coming Soon: Flexible Home Robots. Robot Vacuums: Useful Yet? How useful is any robot vacuum? Tests: Determining Usefulness. Spills and Spot cleaning, Steps, Stairs and Multi-Level Homes Progress: From Trilobite (1996), Samsung 9350 to T9+ Electrolux Trilobite (1996). Samsung 9350 (2016) Ecovacs Deebot T9+ Review Of the Ecovacs Deebot T9+ […]

WTF? UFOs are Real? (OK, UAPs or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena)

Commenced: June 1, 2021

The US military is, for the first time, sharing that they really do have UFO/UAP sightings that they cannot explain. It is easy to underestimate the significance of this revelation. There is even at least the appearance of deliberate efforts to downplay the significance. But this revelation, at some level changes our understanding of the […]

Dark Stuff: Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Antigravity.

Commenced: May 16, 2021

This is an overview of ‘dark matter’ and ‘dark energy’, that was started back in 2016 but published until I was recently asked again. The TLDR; is that no-one knows what dark matter or dark energy are, and it is not even absolutely certain that either exists. In fact, my addition to the official version, […]

Babel: Electricity, Measurement, Video and Phones around the world.

Commenced: March 2, 2021

2021 May 20: Moved EV charging to a dedicated page.

Babel? Measurement. One International Standard: Metric vs Imperial and Others. Height?, Screen Size? Time: The Universal, But Messy Measurement. Electrical Energy: kwh or joules? Fuel Consumption / Economy: mpg, 1/100km, pkwhh, mpg-e, kwh/100km, wh/km. Electricity. Mains Power. AC Voltage. Power Plugs. Electric Vehicle Charging. DC Home Power: USB? Video: NTSC, Secam, PAL Phone Systems Dialling […]

Relativity for dummies. Part 1 – How fast can you travel?

Commenced: May 4, 2015

How fast? How long does it take the light to get from the Sun to the Earth? A: No time all. You will hear the answer ‘8 and a half minutes’ but that is from our perspective on Earth. From the perspective of the light, it takes no time at all! So it takes the […]

EV Charging Systems: Reference

Commenced: May 20, 2021

2021 May 10: Added CHAdeMO3 and other updates.

I have been exploring electric vehicles. What is needed to make them affordable, and what it is like to live with them. When exploring charging, the charging systems became so complex that I have extracted what I found as its own exploration, which I plan to keep updated as a reference. It currently does need an update for wireless charging, but some information can be found on my exploration of the logistics of charging.

Our Sun: Big, White and a Yellow Dwarf?

Commenced: April 4, 2021

2021 April 6: Reformat

Our Sun is our very definition of white in colour, as can be seen in photos from space, and larger than most stars. Despite this, our Sun is a yellow dwarf! The page explores a few facts and myths about our star, the Sun.

Camera System Sizes: Phones vs Nikon 1 vs 4/3 vs APSc vs 35mm vs Medium

Commenced: April 3, 2018

Introduction History The system sizes- who and what size camera phones Nikon M1 Micro 4/3 APS-C Canon EF-S – EF-M Fuji X, Nikon, Pentax,Sony 35mm Medium Format X1D H1D 645 Large Format Conclusions No system size is inherently ‘best’ No One system is likely to ‘rule them all‘ any time soon Introduction Different cameras all […]

5G, Wi-Fi (WiFi), Bluetooth & UWB: Why do we need them, and how do they all fit?

Commenced: January 5, 2021

I recently researched 5G, in order to understand what it was all about, and the reality of any possible new health risks. I came to the conclusions that 1) health risk claims are groundless, and 2) there is no logical reason to upgrade devices at this time to get 5G. But that research led to […]

Photons: What is electromagnetic radiation?

Commenced: September 1, 2020

Radio waves, microwaves, millimetre waves, infra-red, visible light, ultra violet, x-rays, gamma rays… …… can seem so different, yet they are all electromagnetic radiation. All are composed of the same fundamental particle: the ‘photon’. All photons, travel at the ‘speed of light’ (or the ‘speed of photons?’), have the properties of a wave, and interact […]

the mobile pressure is on apple and samsung, and the importance of Tizen

Commenced: November 18, 2014

The mobile space is dominated by two brands: Apple and Samsung. Each has reached such a large market that continuing to increase market share basically requires the other company to falter. Both have ‘hit the wall’ in terms of market share in the mobile space, with further grown thin market share a real challenge. For […]

Opinion and Review: The Samsung Note Edge.

Commenced: March 30, 2015

I moved from a Samsung Note 3, to a Samsung Note Edge (note 4 variant). The move was not because I chose to make the move, but because I received the note edge as a gift. A key advocate of my receiving the note edge as a gift was set to inherit the Note 3 […]

Broken: Educating Girls in Technology

Commenced: June 15, 2016

Statistics show secondary schools in developed countries are failing to interest girls in technology. I recently attended a forum on this topic and I was able to hear from those making breakthroughs towards fixing the problem. The reality is secondary schools are having difficulties teaching technology in general, and even include woodwork, metalwork, fabrics, sewing […]

Microsoft Phones: Dead, or a real opportunity?

Commenced: June 19, 2016

There are rumours that Microsoft will introduce a Surface Phone. There are other rumours that Microsoft will exit the phone software platform business completely and admit defeat. Now consider, what if Windows could run any Android applications along side current Windows and in addition to Windows programs, would you then consider a Surface Phone? This […]

iPhone 7: misguided headphone fuss

Commenced: September 14, 2016

I suggested the fuss about the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 is misguided. Misguided because the fuss is focused on resisting change, not focused on ensuring the right change. Wireless only limits quality, is not always convenient for charging which means a cable system is still required. Changing from 3.5mm audio to a digital […]

Surface Pro update: Canary for the problems in journalism?

Commenced: October 9, 2016

Ok, so this post is about what is happening with updates for the Surface Pro and the Surface Book, but is also about the problems in technology reporting, which themselves are symptoms of a wider problem. Firstly, to the Surface Pro/Book. There are lots of rumours of an update, and rumours there being rumours is […]

The Canary: part II

Commenced: October 18, 2016

My previous post was a diversion for the usual, and this post is a continuation of the diversion, but normal topics are set to return! For now, a little more the episode of the early warning of failing journalism. In the previous ‘canary post’ I outlined reasons why the almost universally reported ‘Microsoft will not […]

No new Surface ‘Pro 5’ after all?

Commenced: February 11, 2017

Lots of others ‘crystal ball gaze’ into the future of Microsoft’s ‘Surface’ products. Here is another perspective. A lighter tone than the usual post, here is a look at both what Microsoft are likely to do, and what they should do. 🙂 Ok, it is largely crystal ball gazing, but so it seems is every other […]

What really killed the dinosaurs?

Commenced: May 16, 2017

While I do literally mean the actual dinosaurs, there is also a lesson in the answer for the metaphoric dinosaurs that big companies can become. “A giant meteorite wiped out the dinosaurs” is the catch phrase. But have you ever wondered “why the dinosaurs, when so many other animals survived?”. The alligators survived, fish survived, […]

Lessons from SciFi: Future Expansion

Commenced: May 31, 2016

The actor Morgan Freeman has declared he is determined to produce a movie based on the novel ‘Rendevous with Rama’ by Arthur C Clarke. Great Sci-Fi writers like Clarke are renown for their insights in to the possible future and this novel is no exception. After again reading this novel I realised the insights into […]

Planets, Aliens and Fermi Paradox: Climate or Photons?

Commenced: August 12, 2019

2019 Aug 30: Just formatting.

If we are alone, why? If we are not alone, where is everyone? There should be well over 11 billion planets in our galaxy with a potential to host life, yet all our searches have not found anybody out there. Update: Yet we don’t have evidence all evidence so far, seems to suggest life emerging […]

The Future of Medicine

Commenced: September 13, 2016

Over the past 2 days I been given a view of the possible future of medicine, attending two lectures: ‘2084: Future Medicine’ and ‘Nanotainment‘. I will discus the actual presentations later, but the impact is that doctors as we know them and other current medical practitioners being will become obsolete other than for the treatment […]

The ‘perfect’ everyday bag: messenger bag, shoulder bag or backpack?

Commenced: May 7, 2017

I am on the hunt for the perfect bag to carry things with me, but is this a backpack, a messenger bag, or some hybrid of the two. The strongest candidates right now, are the peak design backpack, or the ‘urban disguise’ series from Thinktank. Peak design make a messenger bag the can work as […]

Electric Cars 2025: ‘adding up’ will create a revolution. Who wins, who loses? China? Japan?

May 4, 2021

I recently explored how in 2021, the numbers for EVs don’t really add up yet. One of the key discoveries, was that many sensible people are projecting EVs will reach ‘price parity’ by 2024-5. If this happens consider the trend: 2021: Numbers don’t add up 2024-5: Price parity 2026 & beyond: Price Leadership Looking deeper, […]

Electric Cars: 2021, It Just Doesn’t add up (yet).

April 19, 2021

Right now, without subsidies, buying an electric car does not add up. Currently there is a price premium, and as a result the cars only appeal to those happy to pay a premium to indulge a passion. Buyers are prepared to pay a premium for the environment or the acceleration, but right now, buying is […]

Topics and Subtopics.

The Limitations of Perception

December 15, 2020 August 12, 2021

What humans can perceive is not reality in full, but our own picture of reality, constructed by our brains from clues to reality collected by