The Register: AMD uses liquid helium to cool a FX chip, reaches 8.429GHz

Seems to me like this is even more complex (and likely more expensive) than just buying a mainframe to get the same results, but what do I know?
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

There's a thread like this one over on the SJGames forums, and I get a non-zero number of suggestions for good music from it, so I thought a similar thread here might be a good idea.

What are you listening to? (And if it's online, where can we buy it?)

To kick the thread off: Mondo Cacti, the brand-new album by The Reverb Syndicate. Imagine a fake spaghetti-western soundtrack written by a surf-rock band who love camp '60s spy movies... actually, that's exactly what Mondo Cacti is, so you don't need to imagine it.

If you're in Ottawa, you can buy the CD at Legend Records (just like I did) or Compact Music. If you aren't that lucky, you can buy it online from the band, CDBaby, or iTunes. Ordering hotlinks and two sample tracks (two of the five best on the album, IMO) available on the album information page.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

Most people love speed drives... they are easy to understand, quick to set up for a story and don't create too much headaches because of their "anti kinetic kill vehicle" limitation.

But whats about acceleration drives? After some discussions in the IRC, I think it might be good to talk about whats a reasonable acceleration drive for Fenspace from a Meta point of view. Constant acceleration quickly goes to insane numbers, quite innocent concepts suddenly look like continent shattering weapons or just outrun the Magnificent Midnight easily.

Acceleration drive "limits" and good numbers are hard, and I don't have a good idea how to do it... so lets start talking about it.

----

Personally I avoid acceleration drives completely, because I don't feel that I can get a good balance between "useful fast" and "most dangerous object in Fenspace". The only thing I created with an acceleration drive is the Thor Heyerdahl, which is limited to 0.1g on long journeys (because its a pure hardtech ship).

http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/news/game ... _guide.php

Oh hey, it details the Avatars powers. Assuming Desdemona doesn't climb the mushrooms to escape through the holes in reality again, that'll be helpful.

My computer isn't booting. The lights and fans come on briefly and then stop. After several seconds, this repeats. As I'm not getting even a motherboard screen, I'm assuming this is a power supply failure. Is this a correct assumption? Any advice? (Beyond getting a replacement.)
Sent from notepad.

{{stub}}
{{Shipbox
|shipname     = ''Thrillmaster''
|shipimage    =
|caption      =
|hull         = custom Hull
|length       = 167.55 m / 267.55 m with extended arms
|width        = 67 m / 97 m with extended Arms
|height       = 25.6 m / 45.6 m with extended Arms
|mass         = 2,443,287 kg
|drivetype    = 5x ArcJet Ion Engine (speed drive)
5x Philo MKIII Fusion Torch acceleration engines
|driverating  = 0.025c with Ion Thrusters
Max Acceleration 30g
Max Delta-v: 44000 km/s without external tanks, 50000km/s+ with external tanks
|weapons      = 6x 20mm Railgun Defense System
750 mm Kinetic Missile Launcher 'Jeb's Special'
|manufacturer = Whistler Orbital Services
|owner        = Whistler Orbital Services
|faction      = Rhodanites (Pulpers)
|datelaunched = May 16th, 2012
|purpose      = Orbital Debris Collector/Orbital Maintenance Craft
Mobile Dry Dock
|crew         = Jeb Kerman (AI)
varies
|auxvehicles  = 6x Orbital Sled
|status       = '''Active'''
}}

With the relatively large success of [[Whistler Orbital Services], good company finances and a good number of problems with people with space ship problems, [[Naedial Warringer|Naedial] suggested in mid-2010 to build a larger purpose vessel that can act in the same way as the [[Toy Box], but also offer Dry Dock capacities for space ships in dire need for repair.

Rather then order the ship from someone else, the people of Whistler decided to take stab at building another ship. Not taking any more contracts for the time being, aside from their long term contract, they began to build the ''Thrillmaster'' in late 2010.

However it was initially planned to name the ship ''Henry Whistler'', but as soon as Jeb came online, he named the ship ''Thrillmaster'' and threatened everyone who did not use his name to use as test subject for an experimental rocket.

In its basic shape the ''Thrillmaster'' is build from a larger number of 40 foot ISO containers, like most Whistler constructions, but with a larger internal bay and a dedicated workshop. To service vessels and ship larger then the internal bay a number of extensible arms are included into the design to keep the ship or vessel marooned close to the ''Thrillmaster''.

The ''Thrillmaster'' got internal fabrication facilities in the form of a conventional workshop and a unique Fabber system consisting of robotic arms, three professional 3D rapid prototyping machines and a good dozen RepRap Darvin devices. All machines in the Fabber are waved to increase the productivity and the quality of the end product.

The Defense System was added as an after thought with the growing number of Boskone Incidents in late 2011, before SOSCon even started.

The Kinetic Energy Missile 'Jeb's Special' is the result of Jeb playing around with hardtech rockets and hearing about a rocket from the 60 that could pull 600g. He managed to copy the propellant and intended to market the rocket as Courier Rocket, but since the propellant ran out too fast for any use, it was re-purposed as a Kinetic Energy Missile instead to give the Thrillmaster some offensive capability. Initially propelled by a small speed drive for maneuvering purposes the missile ignites and propels the rocket at 700g for 5 seconds towards the target.

== Known Vehicle Quirks ==
* ''Vorsprung Duct Technik:'' If something on the ''Thrillmaster'' breaks, they strangely enough most things run better after being repaired with duct tape. However the crew makes normal repairs pretty fast or most parts of the ship would only be kept together by duct tape. Only the coffee machine is not repaired normally as the coffee is the best damn coffee this side of Earth since a duct tape repair.
* ''Ba Dum Dish:'' The ships sound system plays a rimshot every time someone cracks a joke. Regardless of how bad it is.
* ''Needs more Boosters:'' Somehow all ships that are repaired by the ship leave with a couple of boosters attached to them. No one has any idea where they come from or who mounted them. Once ignited the boosters wobble. A lot!
* ''It can toast?'' Sometimes the Fabber system integrates a toaster into a system it builds. It does not matter of it is a pump or a large engine.

== Known Crew Quirks ==
* ''Yeeeeehaaaaaa!'' As soon as the ship activates its acceleration drives, Jeb’s face can be seen on every non-vital screen, with a huge grin on it, while he is generally cheering. If there are any problems during acceleration, he cheers even more. Speeddrive travel is boring to him...
* ''I got me a rocket:'' Jeb usually tries to build hardtech rockets in his spare time. Most fail spectacularly. Safe for the Kinetic Missiles 'Jeb's Special'. And even that one was intended as courier rocket...
* ''They are everywhere:'' In late 2012 Jeb build a couple of Kerbal robots to help the crew. They eventually developed slightly demented personalities and can be found just about everywhere on the ship. Someone once commented that they are a strange mix of Rabids and Minions... And not even Jeb has any idea just how many he build as he left the ships Fabber active without control for a few days. A few of them can make a mean toast...

== Trivia ==
* In late 2015 the ''Thrillmaster'' proved to be capable of servicing the [[Starfleet] [[Gagarin-class] Alan Sheppard after it had a run-in with a larger asteroid that damaged the ships engines and the ''Thrillmaster'' was close enough to be among the first to respond and the only one able to actually help out to do repairs.

== Stories ==

{{Space Ships}}
[[Category:Space Ships]
[[Category:Whistler Orbital Services]

In the last five minutes before pulling into work about 15 or 20 minutes ago, I twice spotted a fighter jet doing a flyover almost directly overhead.  This is not typical in my experience; in fact, the last time I saw a fighter jet overhead was a couple years back when there was some kind of brief security crisis, the details of which are currently escaping me.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

I'm not sure what the effect should be exactly, besides amplifying the next song somehow minute-for-minute with how long he plays this one first ("For every minute I have to work, I get a minute of pay") Simply expanding his effect radius seems obvious (he can rock you from further away) but is usually not within the bounds of his effects, and even if it's good enough to generate a power, I don't think it has the touch to break the normal limit on powers. Maybe just making them more intense? It would require judging the alteration per-song, but that's nothing new for Doug

- CD
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

Egon Spengler: There's something very important I forgot to tell you.Peter Venkman: What?Egon Spengler: Don't cross the streams.Peter Venkman: Why?Egon Spengler: It would be bad.Peter Venkman: I'm fuzzy on the whole "good/bad" thing. What do you mean, "bad"?Egon Spengler: Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously, and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.Ray Stantz: Total protonic reversal!Peter Venkman: Right, that's bad. Okay. Allright. Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon.

Okay.

So I'm finally getting around to actually doing it(Was about to get too onerous). I've got my driving test coming up tomorrow for a full license, and I'm nervous as hell. I don't quite know why, because I know I can drive well enough, but I'm still nervous in a way that I never was before any college exam or school test. Clutch control is no trouble for me. I know I know it... road position, hand signals, all the little maneuvers you need to do... even the theory and technical things.

Maybe it's because the instructors are so finnicky in the nearest test centre, but Jaysus am I bricking it.

I suppose I mean to say, wish me luck. I can't help but feel I'm going to need it.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?