Polls: Technology & Internet

I just received my MacBook Pro replacement and when I opened the lid, this was drawn out:

A KEI car, pronounced like “kay”, is a vehicle category in Japan for autos that are at most ~11 feet (340 cm) long, ~4.9 feet (150 cm) wide, and ~6.6 feet (200 cm) tall.

Due to their small size, KEI cars don’t meet current US safety standards, and changes to the vehicles and the regulations would be needed. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNBC that KEI cars are “probably not” for anyone who wants to drive on a freeway, but “if there’s a market for those vehicles, I want to give our manufacturers the opportunity to build those cars.”

[picture and news item courtesy of Morning Brew]

Would you buy a KEI car?

Please vote in the poll.

There are two basic types of computer keyboards: QWERTY and ABC, which defines the way he keys are arranged. The QWERTY keyboard also has US and UK versions, as well as versions for other countries and languages.

What type of keyboard do you prefer to use?

Please vote in the poll.

I just got back from a long trip overseas, it dawned on me while listening to YouTube, and I'm talking about the same YouTube I listened to in the United States, that there were no damn ads, I watched a real estate video today that was 8 minutes, and it interrupted three times for ads. At this point, if it's the same ad over and over again, I go out of my way to go to their YouTube channel and thumbs down it.

I hope it is Jeff Bezos. I would love to see the first rocket to the moon to be a giant penis.

This is the eighth and last in a series on auto makers in the world.

Italy is known for many things, including the manufacture of automobiles.

The poll lists the major Italian auto-makers, in alphabetical order.

Which do you think is the best Italian auto-maker?

This is the seventh in a series on auto makers in the world.

The United Kingdom is known for many things, including the manufacture of automobiles.

The poll lists the major British auto-makers, in alphabetical order.

Which do you think is the best British auto-maker?

Everybody knows about drones and probably knows about Lasers being the great hope in combating them. Every country is working on them. The pic is off an Australian offering.

This little beauty comes stock standard with a 100 KW laser but can be optioned up to 150 KW. It is rated at 20 drones per minute but could be 30 with the 150KW option. It's range is 3 KM for a drone kill but can dazzle sensors at 8KM

I was listening to a podcast which suggested China would probably use paratroopers initially on Taiwan then use amphibious landings.

It is an obvious thought to think why not laser paratroopers as they float down? Below this laser is a flat plain. Why not pick off enemy paratroopers on the plain as well?

According to Google a 10 KW laser can kill a person and fully option this bad boy is 15 times higher. It probably doesn't pro rata but that could be 15x30 = 450 soldiers per minute. Useful.

Also according to Google, 5 mW permanently blinds people. 5mW/150KW = 30 micro seconds per shot. Your ability to disable enemy troops is only limited by how fast you can point the laser at the paratroopers eyes because it would blind them very quickly.

The key point is a purely defensive drone laser could be an extremely good offensive weapon.

I imagine if a laser is to kill an enemy combatant it will have to burn a hole into the heart, lung or brain. That could hurt. To blind probably hurts less but it leaves the enemy combatant permanently incapacitated.

I'm interested on what people think the ethics of Direct Energy Weapons fire on people are. I think if it can be done it will be done especially when it is an existential threat.

What do people think the ethics are? Multi choice can't cover it. So put it in the comments.

This is the sixth in a series on auto makers in the world.

France is known for many things, including the manufacture of automobiles.

The poll lists the major French auto-makers, in alphabetical order.

Which do you think is the best French auto-maker?

This is the fifth in a series on auto makers in the world.

South Korea is known for many things, including the manufacture of automobiles.

The poll lists the major Korean auto-makers, in alphabetical order.

Which do you think is the best Korean auto-maker?

This is the fourth in a series on auto makers in the world.

The United States of America is known for many things, including the manufacture of automobiles.

The poll lists the major American auto-makers, in alphabetical order.

Which do you think is the best American auto-maker?

Note: General Motors' major brands are listed separately, while Ford/Lincoln are listed together.

Note: This question is for internal combustion engine brands. There is a separate question for electric vehicles (EVs) ...

What is the best EV-only car maker?

This is the third in a series on auto makers in the world.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are an alternative to conventional internal combustion vehicles. Though many companies now make EVs, this question is about those companies that only make EVs.

The poll lists the major EV auto-makers, in alphabetical order.

Which do you think is the best EV auto-maker?

This is the second in a series on auto makers in the world.

Germany is known for many things, including the manufacture of automobiles.

The poll lists the major German auto-makers, in alphabetical order.

Which do you think is the best German auto-maker?

Japan is known for many things, including the manufacture of automobiles.

The poll lists the major Japanese auto-makers, in alphabetical order.

Which do you think is the best Japanese auto-maker?

Note: Some auto-makers have a main line and a luxury line, and both are shown together in the poll.

Elon Musk has said that AI will make work "optional". I heard an economist talking about how all the investment in AI will make industry much more efficient and will be good for the economy. I just see companies like Amazon laying off 40,000 employees. The Teamsters Union at the Port of LA had written inro their current contract to limit the use of AI because they know it will result in massive job losses. I think that the gains in productivity will not be spread to all employees in the form of bonuses and a shorter work week. Instead only a few will greatly benefit from AI and the rest will be unemployed.