Bits

[unixronin]

Three weeks ago, Eastman Kodak sued Sony alleging infringement of ten Kodak digital-camera patents.  Now, Sony is hitting back with a countersuit against Eastman Kodak for violation of ten of Sony's own digital-camera patents.  Apparently Kodak and Sony have been trying, and failing, to come to a cross-licensing agreement for three years.  C'mon, guys, put the lawyers away and just cross-license even-Steven, OK?

South Korea has begun service of its first high-speed "bullet train" line.  The 186mph (300kph) French-built KTX links Seoul and Busan (also known as Pu San) in two hours and 40 minutes, making South Korea the fifth nation to deploy high-speed trains, after Japan, France, Germany and Spain.  When are high-speed trains coming to the US, you ask?  Don't hold your breath.

And, astronomers estimate that half of the 100 planetary systems so far discovered could contain Earth-like planets.  However, they haven't actually observed any yet, and don't expect to be able to for about another 15 years.  All the extrasolar planets so far observed have been Jovian or super-Jovian.

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

The real issue with bullet trains here is that they cannot have grade crossings.... and what with the American love of the automobile, we're talking basically building the damn thing on a trestle the entire length of the track in some areas....

Although one proposal that might get some traction in a few years is this: Go out in the middle of Washington, somewhere between Grand Coulee and Richland, about halfway between Spokane and Seattle, where there aren't any bitchy neighbors around, and build an airport. Run a bullet train from SeaTac around the south end of Lake Washington, thru a tunnel in the Cascades, and out to the new airport. (At the same time, extend the damn monorail project into SeaTac.)

There's nothing out there due east of Ellensburg to run over except cows. The airport would be dedicated to domestic flights east of the Cascades, and airliners would be able to do a gradual, stabilized descent without worrying about one more mountain range to cross or anybody bitching about noise (buy up all the land in a 5-mile radius, and don't sell it, only lease it, and a "no noise complaint" clause goes in each lease). Sea-Tac can then be dedicated to flights to Vancouver, Portland, California, and points transPacific, and not have near the traffic problem it does now.

But then, that would make too much sense, now, wouldn't it?

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

I fail to understand the link between Americans loving cars and the fact that our country has spots with hills.

-Ogre

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

You cannot simply let cars roll across a bullet train's tracks, like you can with an ordinary freight train. This deforms the track subtly. Ordinary trains slow down when approaching a grade crossing, and also are a lot less picky about variations in their track. A minor deformation at 25-35mph is unnoticeable. A minor deformation at 200mph... and you've got a derailment, 200mph train hash, body parts all over the track. Not pretty. You have to build the track on a trestle or bridge above the road.... which gets expensive fast.

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

Oh, ok. The problem is I'm an idiot, and thought "grade crossing" meant something else. :)

I thought we were talking about bullet trains being unable to go over hills.

I'll go sit over there now.

-Ogre

(Also, I'm amazed that cars deform RR tracks that much. I've worked with RR track, and that's some heavy shit.)

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Hell, just run it to Spokane International. Everyone out in Airway Heights is used to being neighbors to the airport, the drag strip and the Fairchild SAC base anyway, and with the funds from the extra passenger traffic they could build a decent terminal.

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

I think part of the reason that bullet trains work so well in the countries that have them is that they are so small. There are lots of heavily populated cities not very far apart from one another.

At 186 mph, it'd still take 2 hours to get from LA to Vegas, and 3 from Vegas to SF. NYC to LA... 16 hours. So it has to either be cheaper than airplanes, or way more comfortable (probably both) or go a fuck of a lot faster.

We'll note no bullet train goes between Moscow and Paris.

-Ogre

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Bullet trains don't compete well with aircraft over long hauls, no. But consider a high-speed train between, say, San Francisco and LA. Two hours? You could be getting off the train in LA while your rival who bought a ticket on United is still waiting to board his flight.

Also note that many people still think it's worth riding the Daylighter up the coast, 16 hours from SF to Seattle...

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

Do you really think the fedgov is going to let people ride the train without subjecting them to the same sort of bullshit they have to go through to fly? No, you can't crash a train into a building (at least without a lot of help and forethought) but letting people do stuff without gov't interference might give them dangerous ideas. Like that they shouldn't keep paying the salaries of the people who harass them all the time.

-Ogre

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Frankly, this is only one of a great many problems that could be solved via "regime change".

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

We'll note no bullet train goes between Moscow and Paris.

Oh, actually, I heard there was a plan to build one, but as soon as they heard the word "bullet", the French surrendered.