Monkey Dust

Yep, heat death of the universe is the currently excepted end. Of course, a few observations, and some brain melting maths, could push a different theory to prominence. We don't know what 'dark energy' and 'dark matter' are yet. It's all a best guess, based on incomplete information. Of course, if we knew everything, science would be awfully dull.

The needle isn't pointing at, or near, the centre, which for most cars is the engine's normal operating temperature. Also, unless I'm miss remembering (and it has been many years since I've driven an M BMW) the amber lights on tacho gradually go out as the engine warms up, until there are none left. There is still one amber light left illuminated, so it isn't fully warmed up.

Doing that without the engine fully up to temperature, I feel that engine's pain. If the water isn't up to temp, as in this vid, the oil will be nowhere near. I'm all for driving a car like you stole it when it's warmed up properly, but until it is, you should treat it gently.

I really can't see them trying that. Even walled garden enthusiasts, Apple, don't do that with macOS. The corporate PC market dwarfs the gaming one, and is possibly the most important segment for Windows. Not being able to install their own software would be a redline for almost all companies. However, I suspect MS would barely notice if the majority of PC gamers jumped ship. It seems like MS have no long-term plan for Xbox. They are getting their arse handed in the console wars by Sony, and they are aiming for fewer exclusives? If you were coming to console gaming fresh, no brand loyalty, why would you choose Xbox?

The layout without the numpad, but with the separate arrow keys and nav cluster, is an 80% board. The layout with the arrow keys and nav keys squished on the side is a 75% board. There don't seem to be as many 80% boards about as there used to be, or maybe I'm just not looking? Keychron are on a mission to fill every possible niche, so offer a number of 80% boards at different price points.

I'm not sure what battery it has in it. Normally, watch batteries aren't rechargeable. I assume it must be unique to this, and maybe a few other Casio watches, so picking up a replacement in 20 years is unlikely. But if it has done 20 years, maybe time to treat yourself to a new watch? If you want one that will last almost indefinitely, I'd recommend a non-solar one. It will use a standard battery, which should be available for decades to come.

For several years now, tablets have been powerful enough to be many people's PC. It's their OSs holding them back, not allowing the desktop apps that they are clearly fast enough to run. Maybe with MS finally taking Windows on ARM seriously, we might get a proper laptop replacement tablet. And Windows 8 will have the last laugh...

In the UK, and I think the whole of the EU, we have different speed limits for different vehicles. Heavy goods vehicles and buses are limited to 90 kph/56mph. On 70mph roads, large vans and anyone towing is limited to 60mph. People will almost always be travelling at different speeds on a multi-lane road. I don't know about the US, but in the UK, the motorways (what we call highways) are the safest roads in the country, despite high speed differentials between vehicles.

There are an increasing number of 20 mph (32 kph) limits in the UK. Honestly, I think it causes people to just pay less attention to driving. That said, in the Bristol rush hour, 20 mph is often an impossible dream. The point about heavier vehicles is valid, a 2500Kg car is bringing double the energy to an accident as a 1250kg one at the same speed. And there are a lot more 2500kg cars about, even in Europe. Differential speed limits for different car weights would be too complicated to implement, so it sadly makes sense to lower the limits for everyone.

It's really not great for PC gaming to have one GPU manufacturer so dominate. Remember how Intel behaved when AMD were nowhere in the CPU market? Admittedly, I have an Nvidia card in my PC, so I'm not doing my bit for GPU diversity.

AMD cards are solid IMO, their biggest problem is DLSS vs FSR. They are still behind on ray tracing, but have closed the gap. For rasterization performance, AMD hammers the equivalently priced Nvidia card into the ground. Actually, I think their biggest problem, more so than their upscaling tech, is most gamers don't consider them any more. If the games you play don't have ray tracing, or don't use it well enough to justify turning it on, and will run fine at your monitor's native resolution, you absolutely should consider AMD.

I just realized I don't use the left shift either, at least for letters, mind blown. I still use it for most of the symbols, but that's it. Never use left Control, and only use the left Alt for the € symbol (Alt Gr + 4 is € on a UK keyboard)

It is a full sized vs compact difference, rather than age. If you need to find space on the bottom row for a function key, or two, and possibly some of the arrow key cluster, the duplicate keys are a good place to start. You can't get rid of the right Alt, as in Europe it's Alt Gr, to access special characters. So that leaves the right Control & Windows/Super keys, and that weird key that just opens menus.

Hay fever triggered by grass pollen...

Game publishers, I suspect more so than the dev studios, just can't stop shooting themselves in the foot, can they?

They could have more than one team. They're not a small indie.

They are not expensive, if you have a use case for one, I see no reason not to get one. Doesn't matter which one you pick, it isn't going to damage either your PC or the disc if it fails. But personally, I'd still stick with a brand I'd heard of.

Wow, I'd forgotten FO Shelter existed. It seems a bit odd that they don't have a vaguely new game to sell off the back of the TV show. Unless the plan is to release Fallout 5 just as the eighth season airs? Then again, they're not in a hurry to release a new Elder Scrolls game either. Maybe Bethesda just hate money?

A lesson intro why, despite the gaming industry's size and impact on culture, it can still be embarrassing to admit that you are a gamer?

I think the personal & office PC angle is already getting covered (our gaming PCs aside). The processing power most people need has increased far more slowly than power available. Most people for personal use would be fine with a tablet. Servers, with the rise of AI, are another matter. Probably the best solution available now is to use the waste heat for something useful. District heating, or heating for industrial greenhouses, for example.

These things go in phases. Look at TV shows & movies from the 80's, for example. The worst thing about it, is at the office Christmas party. You have a woman talking to you who clearly knows who you are, but you're struggling to figure out who she is, despite having seen her 100s of times before. This problem is, admittedly, more severe the greater your acquaintance with Mr Daniels that evening.

Yes. It's considered a form of communism. A true patriot will just rear end the car in front at 120 freedoms per hour.

I'm on the fence about this. Software that can make itself the default, is a security risk. But I feel MS reasons are not pure. Given that it's only the more tech-savvy users installing 3rd party browsers, I don't think it's much of an issue.

Yes, knowing where the emergency release of your own car is not unreasonable... But, passengers may not, passers-by assisting after an accident may not, the emergency services may not. And even if you look it up when you buy the car, if you find yourself a couple of years later, car wedged in the scenery, in that high stress situation, will you remember? Not everyone will. They create a problem that has no good reason to exist IMO.

If a vehicle has automatic locking, it should auto unlock in the event of an accident. The big issue is when the handles aren't connected to the locking mechanism by mechanical means. If the power fails as a result of the accident, the regular door handle won't work, and the emergency override ones are frequently too well hidden. Making it somewhat infuriating that so many new EVs are SUVs. Rain sensing wiper are a weird one. I thought they should be getting better, but still, the best rain sensing wipers I've ever used was on a 2001 Alfa 147. And as much as I loved that car, its electronics weren't something I normally praised...