Interesting Links for 30-10-2013

[andrewducker]

• HS2 will be worth 2.3x what it costs. Unless rail demand keeps rising, in which case 4.5x
  (tags: uk transport rail hs2 )
• Scroll Down to Riker
  (tags: quotes StarTrek funny )
• Nice map of mortality rates in the US, broken down by type and state.
  (tags: maps death mortality disease usa )
• Digital radio is a failure. Anyone tell me why?
  (tags: radio

Comments

[momentsmusicaux]

Digital radio is a failure possibly because regular radio works fine. Digital doesn't really add anything. The name of the station? Well listen long enough and the announcer will say it. Faffy digital extras? I have no idea what those even are -- there's some sort of cricket thingy maybe, but how do you receive it? Extra stations? Eh, if you really want a specific programme you'd be getting it on iPlayer anyway

[del_c]

Yes, when my FM alarm radio died, a good FM replacement didn't seem available, so I chose a DAB radio. My impressions at the time were:

-Much more expensive for what they offer, which is just radio
-Clunky boxy design, almost like they'd rushed the prototypes into production
-Bad reception at home
-Slow to turn on when I press the "on" button. This is particularly annoying when I absentmindedly turn the radio off *just* as it says something interesting; by the time it comes back on again the moment is lost.

I can't help feeling like Tommy Lee Jones in MIB, that it was just a way to make you "buy the White Album again".

[naath]

Whereas my DAB radio/alarm is much much better than the previous FM thing I had. The design is decent (I am not picky though);the reception is SO MUCH BETTER, wow, no more arial wiggle-dance to make it pick up anything; it turns on pretty much instantly (on the same station it was on when I turned it off).

It does have the irritating habit that after about 1 minute of radio it glitches (only once, just after turning it on), not sure what's up with that.

DAB is bad for portable radios (it eats battery) which is annoying. But since I have yet to find a portable radio that actually manages to pick up a clear enough Radio 4 signal for me to listen to it when I am carrying it around Cambridge (this might be something to do with Cambridge, or it might be me)...

[del_c]

It was depressing, after the hype about DAB's superior quality, to have to put it on a shelf at the limits of the power cord's extension, then tape the ariel as much higher than that as it would go, just to get a signal. Then avoid going too near the ariel when moving around. It turns out I had an FM-friendly house.

Is there a word for the feeling that a new technology isn't bringing the promised new benefits? How about "techschmerz"?

[strangemeetings]

I switched to digital radio because I couldn't get a reliable signal with regular radio in my flat. There is no more horrible way to wake up than a stuttering, static-y clock radio in your ear.

[strangemeetings]

Saying that, since I moved down south it's just become an expensive clock that plays Radio 4 in the morning, as I don't seem to be able to get BBC Scotland or Radio nan Gaidheal down here :(

[steer]

Hah... yes, mine too -- if I want something other than R4 then I stream it.

Occasionally if my phone is fscked I use the "select podcast" from my digital radio. :-)

Digital radio is a failure. Anyone tell me why?

[a_pawson]

Very few people listen to digital radio because:

a) radios last a very long time. They have almost no moving parts and so don't need to be replaced.

b) most people are satisfied with analogue radio. Digital offers improved signal quality but most people are happy with their existing radio so see no reason to upgrade. The only other advantage is that there are a few additional radio stations, but the majority can still be listened to via analogue.

c) digital radios are extremely expensive compared to analogue radios. The cheapest set will cost almost £50 whereas you can buy analogue radios from £5 upwards.

Re: Digital radio is a failure. Anyone tell me why?

[philmophlegm]

How about...

d) Most cars don't have digital radios in them, and for many people, in the car is the only place they would listen to the radio.

Re: Digital radio is a failure. Anyone tell me why?

[a_pawson]

That's a good point. I am one of those people and in fact looked into getting a digital radio for the car, but the cost to replace my perfectly functional one was far more than I was willing to pay to be able to listen to 6 music.

Re: Digital radio is a failure. Anyone tell me why?

[alitheapipkin]

Yep, I've occasionally listened to digital radio on the TV using my cable service but the overwhelming amount of time I spend listening to the radio is in my bedroom on my radio alarm clock, which cost all of about £12 for a very nice one, thank you very much. Also the digital signal where I live was awful last time I checked, most people have Sky or cable for TV because the Freeview signal is crap.

Eye tracking technology shows people check out women at first glance

[cartesiandaemon]

That's interesting, and rather depressing.

I couldn't make out from the summary whether they separated out "objectification of people who look like women", "objectification of people who look to be your preferred sex" and "objectification by men" -- those are all extremely related, but it does make a difference to how to think about it.

[steer]

It's worth noting when regarding the HS2 thing that I looked up the guidelines for what gets funding when considering a transport infrastructure project. The guidance put HS2's estimated return into the "absolutely always fund" category and, in fact, it was noted that some projects with a multiplier less than 1 should be funded.