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131 Comments
- A2TrueBlue, on 04/11/2009, -5/+168<Insert dumb comment about crashing here>
Professionally he started the company who's product is probably in 99% of the world's offices and personally he fights for some of the poorest people on the planet through generous funding. It's a shame that most of these comments will bash him while he's out there trying to reshape the world for the better. - Griminal, on 04/11/2009, -2/+84\* Insert BSOD pun *\
Seriously though. More power to him. At least he's willing to use his money to push technology. - mikeinto, on 04/11/2009, -7/+62In response Steve Jobs announced the release of some new crappy overpriced Mac stuff.
- Harbinger67, on 04/11/2009, -0/+49A combustible engine wouldn't be a very practical device; it'd probably catch fire far too easily.
- IFEice, on 04/11/2009, -2/+48The ironic thing is, the business tactics for which he is criticized helped MS dominate the computer industry, which in turn provided a common and universal platform for all sectors of business. His contribution to the world in that regard is immeasurable.
- CSFFlame, on 04/11/2009, -4/+43We like bashing Microsoft.
Bill Gates himself is a pretty chill guy. - inajeep, on 04/11/2009, -2/+38I didn't know Bill was a mechanical engineer. The combustible engine is getting a little long in the tooth.
- Pseudorious, on 04/10/2009, -13/+38I'd wait at least a few months after release until you upgrade then.
- JaycobC, on 04/11/2009, -2/+27If it's to improve my car, I'm all ears.
- inactive, on 04/11/2009, -6/+30Yo, dawg, I heard you like plasma.
- MasterGrief, on 04/11/2009, -0/+21"It's pretty cool, huh?"
- npsken, on 04/11/2009, -2/+22If Apple made a car it would only have one pedal.
Thanks but no thanks. - oogee, on 04/11/2009, -0/+16I wonder if it was also a different "Microsoft's former chief technology officer, Nathan Myhrvold" too
- LittleGerms, on 04/11/2009, -1/+16the iCar.
With a click (steering) wheel. - IFEice, on 04/11/2009, -1/+12its*
- canchin, on 04/11/2009, -0/+11Headline is incorrect.
There is a "Patent Application" for a "Free piston electromagnetic engine" with the abstract describing it as: "A converter converts mechanical energy of a piston to and from electrical energy during each piston cycle."
Application filed: April 9, 2009 and with the application number: 20090091195
At the very most it can be termed as "Patent Pending" but that's a stretch.
And the sensational headline note of "Plasma Injector" is taken from a repeated example throughout of: "The engine may further include a reaction trigger (e.g., an electrical igniter such as a spark plug, a thermal igniter, a chemical igniter, a catalyst, a hypergolic injector, particle beam igniter, or a plasma injector)."
Perhaps the so-called tech journalist for Tom's Hardware didn't bother to read the patent application but I think it would have been more sensational if they had chosen "Particle Beam Igniter" rather than Plasma Injector such as "Bill Gates applies for a patent on a car running on Particle Beams!!!"
So no patent, just the application and some diagrams and language that includes everything (hmm, bloatware application?) that includes the above "examples" and also includes "Embodiments depicted in the Figures include magnets that move through substantially stationary coils, magnets that move outside substantially stationary coils, and conductors that move through a substantially stationary magnetic field."
As well as pistons.
I have a feeling that there will be numerous challenges to the application based on "Prior Art" just because of the bloatware in the application that includes everything - including the kitchen sink...but no mention of Internet Excrement or a Media Player anywhere.
Here's the link to the "application" - http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=P ... - bigteebo, on 04/11/2009, -1/+11I can't bash the man. Hell, I wish I was in his shoes(right place, right time) since he's succesfully lived the American dream. And also, if he has a plasma gun, he better invite me over so I can try it out. pew pew pew
- mrjit, on 04/11/2009, -1/+10How cute.
Also, my BMW starts and shuts off via the "Engine Start" button. - spoon088, on 04/11/2009, -1/+10Large company patents something that probably will never see the light of day until someone else makes money off something that could remotely be connected to the patent then get sued.
- honeybrass, on 04/11/2009, -1/+10You will have to reinstall every 6 months or your car will go slower and slower.
- banessi, on 04/11/2009, -1/+10Both of you, well said! You don't have to like Windows or Exploder to recognize that the man has done some amazing stuff and has the power and money to get things done. Which is a lot more to be said than most of our wealthier, more powerful people.
- BrogMaN, on 04/10/2009, -1/+10Nah, he probably stole the idea from Doc Brown
- knute5, on 04/11/2009, -0/+9Why is everything so black and white? Is Gates a devil or a saint? Having read a half dozen biographies and followed this world closely over the years I think it's safe to say the guy did some brilliant and ruthlessly cold things during the early years, and has matured and put his vast fortune to good use since then. Might have a little to do with Melinda too...
- ohplease, on 04/11/2009, -2/+11Who's "we"?
As an enterprise network architect, I wouldn't be able to do near any of the things I do on a daily basis (large scale rollouts/rollbacks, scalable group policy implementation, enterprise email etc) without MS products. When it comes to backoffice software nothing competes with them in most regards.
I use Linux in the limited areas where it shines, but without the advancements of Windows 2000+, the networks I design and support today (and I'm talking global networks of up to 100,000 PCs) would be as wild and unmanageable today as they were in the mid 90's .
MS does write some best in class software, the problem is most people that think they're computer experts don't know about it because they're either helpdesk lackeys or still in school. I have yet to meet one MS basher who's ever even had the lowly responsibility of implementing an Exchange environment for 1,000 users. - inactive, on 04/11/2009, -2/+11your life is so sad.
- bwdd, on 04/11/2009, -0/+9I would be seriously impressed if someone were to make a BSOD pun.
- inactive, on 04/11/2009, -2/+10of course, this xchange neverhappened, and if it did, it would make the GM exec look stupid. Let's go over each point, shall we?
1. Winodws doesn't crash and hasn't since at least XP SP2. If you are still getting crashes, the blame goes to you.
2. Why? I have had just 3 Windows computers since 1996. Never had a problem. Sure, toward the end of each one it was a bit slow, but certainly not intolerable.
3. Same as 1, since the bitchfest is the same.
4. 4. See #3 and #1.
5. idiotic comparison
6. 5 times as fast? So now the Mac fanboys are trying to say that you get MORE for your money with Macs?
7. Not hard to get data on specific parts of a PC
8. If you can't figure out how to turn off UAC, then again, blame your parents for their terrible job in educating you.
9. Huh?
10. How so?
11. Who the ***** couldn't figure out how to use Windows 98 after Wndows 95? Or Windows 2000 or (gasp) ME after Win 98? Or XP after that, or Vista? Again...if you are too dumb to transition from one to the next, it is YOUR fault.
12. Hmmm...seems to me that you turn your car off by turning the START apparatus...the key. And where would you like to put the shut down command? You really want something JUSt for that? Why? - inactive, on 04/11/2009, -6/+12haven't used Windows in over half a decade, have you?
- AdmeeralKirk, on 04/11/2009, -0/+6Scotty get those plasma injectors online, we need warp speed in two minutes or we're all dead!
- bincoder, on 04/11/2009, -2/+8Spark plugs are cute and all, but the electromagnetic way of tapping the energy from a moving piston has been done already too. It would be elegant, reliable and low maintenance but would also waste energy like theres no tommorow if used as described by detonating an explosive fuel to whip a piston back and forth with a magnet through a coil. That maybe could be improved with superconducting coils and very large and heavy magnets being driven by a piston going at 20,000 times per second or so (which would make both the piston and magnet explode into shrapnel). Even so, it would still be an internal combustion engine, just one that gets less economy than the current type.
A magnetic transmission could easily be designed that is infinitely variable, frictionless and would last a few million years without service of any kind too, but it has the same drawback in that a huge amount of the energy input would escape as heat, not power to the wheels. Turn a gear, push a piston rod, spin a wheel with a chain and you need lubrication and work to keep it operating as it should, but nearly 100% of the energy going into the device will end up moving the vehicle not producing heat. - displaced1, on 04/11/2009, -0/+6I shall ponder this during my slumber.
- freehunter, on 04/11/2009, -3/+9It would start accelerating until it hit 35, drive that steady speed, and the single pedal would be used for braking. You push it once and let go, it will come to a stop on its own. Push it again once you have come to a full stop, and you will resume accelerating.
- BoostingBlue04, on 04/11/2009, -0/+6And you'd have to take it to the dealer everytime you needed the battery changed
- zephyrprime, on 04/11/2009, -0/+6The "plasma injector" in question is otherwise known as a "spark plug". The patent in interesting. It'd basically a more direct version of a electric generator powered by a internal combustion engine. The electical coils are attached directly around the piston shafts.
- coolgangsta, on 04/11/2009, -0/+5Yo dawg, we heard you like macs.
So now there's only one pedal in your car. - cammj, on 04/11/2009, -8/+13I wonder if it will come in different editions
Plasma injector car basic edition
Plasma injector car edition
Plasma injector ultimate edition - MeccaYdna, on 04/11/2009, -1/+6Well, there's really no point in filing a patent unless you intend to protect it. If you have no competition for the product, it's kindof a waste of money to just say "I made it first".
- bysin, on 04/11/2009, -1/+6I wonder how he implemented the anti-matter containment field.
- deviantsteve, on 04/11/2009, -0/+5At least wait until service pack 1 is out.
- DigeratiPrime, on 04/11/2009, -2/+7Great Scott!
- tacojohn48, on 04/11/2009, -1/+5My guess is that he was the financier and got listed as a co-inventor.
- inactive, on 04/11/2009, -1/+5what the ***** do you have loading at start up? Minetakes well under a minute from the time I press the button to the time I am actually opening programs.
- marttub, on 04/11/2009, -0/+4Yawn. Wake me up when he's invented an actual flux capacitor...
- Amazetbm, on 04/11/2009, -0/+4Nah...he'll license it.
- SecretPact, on 04/11/2009, -1/+5Warp speed, mister Sulu!
- inactive, on 04/11/2009, -0/+3He's saying the design is easy and obvious but that the details of the implementation are so difficult as to make it practically impossible. Anyone who has any degree of experience in any real engineering will know exactly what st1710 is talking about.
- darksydxx, on 04/11/2009, -10/+13f**k STEVE JOBS ! greedy ass hippy !
- matt.rubin, on 04/11/2009, -0/+3Magnets are always the way of the future
- MasterGrief, on 04/11/2009, -2/+5If any one man's gonna get something like this done, it'd probably end up being someone like Gates.
- brad3378, on 04/11/2009, -1/+4This invention isn't intended to be a replacement for internal combustion.
It's basically a charging system just like of those flashlights that you shake back and forth to recharge. (Kinetic energy to Electrical energy)
If I'm interpreting the patent correctly, you should be able to energize the coils to effectively create a solenoid. (Electrical energy to Kinetic energy) If they can do this efficiently enough, it might be a feasible hybrid vehicle technology, but I have my doubts because I'm not sure how you could do this without adding a bunch of reciprocating mass. Maybe a thin ferrous/iron skin could be applied to a lightweight connecting rod? -
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