Category Archives: Business

Business, Mathematics, Technology and Society

Windows Install Problem

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I’m trying to repair a Windows 7 installation with a Windows 8.1 DVD. I’ve configured the BIOS for Windows 8 mode, and I’m booting from the UEFI-DVD option. It dumps me into the EFI shell. I switch to fs3 (the drive name). I see BOOTX64.EFI on the drive, but when I run it from shell, it gives a screen saying to hit any key to install. I do that, and it dumps me back into the shell. Anyone have any idea what’s going on, or how to diagnose?

[Update a few minutes later]

Huh. Never mind. For some reason, now it’s working.

Now, next question. I selected the option to “repair the PC.” But it says that the drive where Windows is installed is “locked,” and I have to “unlock” it. What the hell does that mean?

[Update a few minutes later]

OK, I followed these instructions. After firing it back up, it’s back to it’s old trick of dumping me back into the EFI shell when I try to run bootx64.exe. Guess I’ll give it a few minutes and try again.

[Update a while later]

OK, separate (but related subject). Has anyone ever experienced a computer that kills flash drives? I just tried to copy an updated BIOS on to one. It didn’t work. When I put it back into the (Fedora) laptop that I’d downloaded it too, it can no longer see the drive. My Fedora desktop has done this as well, to the point that I’m afraid to put USB drives in it.

[Update a while later]

OK, this is weird. It turns out that the machine that’s destroying the flash drives is the one that I’m trying to flash the BIOS on. They’re OK when they leave linux, and get bricked when I plug them into the other machine, without even an OS running.

[Update a while later]

OK, it appears that the front USB port on the machine is killing the drives. The rear ones seem to be OK. Guess I’ll just tape them over.

[Update Saturday afternoon]

Still can’t figure out why I can’t boot Windows from the installation DVD. Anyone have any ideas?

Business, Technology and Society

Electronic Key Fobs

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I’ve never been that thrilled with them. The one on our BMW has a failed lock button, and it’s over $200 to replace. But here’s another problem:

The teenagers, he said, likely got into the car using a relatively simple and inexpensive device called a “power amplifier.”

He explained it like this: In a normal scenario, when you walk up to a car with a keyless entry and try the door handle, the car wirelessly calls out for your key so you don’t have to press any buttons to get inside. If the key calls back, the door unlocks. But the keyless system is capable of searching for a key only within a couple of feet.

Mr. Danev said that when the teenage girl turned on her device, it amplified the distance that the car can search, which then allowed my car to talk to my key, which happened to be sitting about 50 feet away, on the kitchen counter. And just like that, open sesame.

“It’s a bit like a loudspeaker, so when you say hello over it, people who are 100 meters away can hear the word, ‘hello,’ ” Mr. Danev said. “You can buy these devices anywhere for under $100.” He said some of the lower-range devices cost as little as $17 and can be bought online on sites like eBay, Amazon and Craigslist.

Mr. Danev said his company was in talks with several car manufacturers to install a chip that can tell how far the key is from the car, thereby defeating the power-amplifier trick.

I’d think that putting the key in the microwave would work as well as the freezer, except you risk accidentally cooking it. That wouldn’t be a problem with our new unit, though — it won’t let you start it without opening and reclosing the door.

Business, Economics, Education, Mathematics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society

Today’s EPA Hearing On The Hill

I listened to some of it. Here is Judith Curry’s prepared testimony, and here are Moynihan’s live tweets.

The Democrats were sufficiently unhappy that they abandoned the hearing before it was over. They can’t handle the truth.

[Update in the afternoon]

Before he walked out, Professor Curry assisted one of the Democrats in beclowning himself.

[Update a few minutes later]

Post-hearing thoughts from her. I agree that the economist’s testimony was valuable, too. They basically told the Democrats that what the EPA plans to do would hit the poor hardest. Which is absolutely true.

Business, Economics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Space, Technology and Society

SpaceX’s Latest “Failure”

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Thoughts on why it was a spectacular success, from Bob Zimmerman.

By the way, the podcast of my talk on The Space Show is available.

Also, I’ll be on John Batchelor’s Hotel Mars segment tonight, at 6:30 PM PDT.

[Update a few minutes later]

Here’s the video, though it doesn’t show the tipping over.

[Afternoon update]

OK, here’s the best video yet. Looks like they may not get much back. Note the top thruster trying to keep it vertical, but lacking adequate thrust.

[Update a few minutes later]

Whoops. If you missed it, you missed it. They just made it private. But I think plenty of people saw it, so not sure what the point of hiding it is now.

[Update a few more minutes later]

OK, I’ve update with a new one that seems to have come back on line.

[Late-afternoon update]

Slow motion, color corrected. This looks official (I got it from Elon, via Amanda Stiles).

Business, Space, Technology and Society

The SpaceX Launch

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You can follow live here. Weather is looking good half an hour before liftoff, with no technical issues.

[Update after the launch]

Perfect primary mission, but they landed on the ship too hard to survive, according to Elon.

[Update almost an hour post launch]

[Update a little over an hour after the launch]

Thoughts from (SpaceX investor) Steve Jurvetson.

[Update a while later]

Lee Billings has the story over at SciAm.

[Update a while more later]

And here‘s the Space News report.