Comments for Thingomy.co.uk http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog The adventures of Thingomy Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:15:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 Comment on New job … and Station X by Thingomy http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/09/03/new-job-and-station-x#comment-80 Thingomy Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:54:25 +0000 http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/09/03/new-job-and-station-x#comment-80 Replacing valves ... that's the funny thing -- they were perfectly reliable -- they are only a problem when turning them on and off, and as they never actually turned the things off, it was all good. there were a fascinating number of modern concepts used in those machines. For example, the machine goes through a message once per second roughly, looping (literally a paper loop) through the message ad-infinitum, the clock pulse is generated by the sprocket holes in the paper tape. The output analysis goes to teliprinter however to make sure that the message hangs around for long enough for the printer to get it, they implemented what we now call double buffering, using relays. BTW, the critical path for the machine actually turns out to be the speed at which the paper tape can hold together at. Replacing valves … that’s the funny thing — they were perfectly reliable — they are only a problem when turning them on and off, and as they never actually turned the things off, it was all good.

there were a fascinating number of modern concepts used in those machines. For example, the machine goes through a message once per second roughly, looping (literally a paper loop) through the message ad-infinitum, the clock pulse is generated by the sprocket holes in the paper tape. The output analysis goes to teliprinter however to make sure that the message hangs around for long enough for the printer to get it, they implemented what we now call double buffering, using relays.

BTW, the critical path for the machine actually turns out to be the speed at which the paper tape can hold together at.

]]> Comment on New job … and Station X by PlummetAirlines http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/09/03/new-job-and-station-x#comment-79 PlummetAirlines Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:29:49 +0000 http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/09/03/new-job-and-station-x#comment-79 Thanks for the update and photos. Station X is somewhere I'd really like to see - but replacing all those valves must have been a nightmare! Thanks for the update and photos. Station X is somewhere I’d really like to see - but replacing all those valves must have been a nightmare!

]]> Comment on So much happening by PlummetAirlines http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/05/12/so-much-happening#comment-77 PlummetAirlines Tue, 13 May 2008 11:36:07 +0000 http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/05/12/so-much-happening#comment-77 There *must* be a book in this... 'Thingomy's guide to camping' :o) There *must* be a book in this…
‘Thingomy’s guide to camping’
:o)

]]> Comment on Links round up by Daniel http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/04/07/links-round-up#comment-76 Daniel Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:04:07 +0000 http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/04/07/links-round-up#comment-76 Loved the "Tiger Soup" one! Still, boiling Tigers is a bit cruel. Loved the “Tiger Soup” one! Still, boiling Tigers is a bit cruel.

]]> Comment on Cebit 2008 by Daniel http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/03/31/cebit-2008#comment-75 Daniel Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:40:00 +0000 http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/03/31/cebit-2008#comment-75 Blah. Blah.

]]> Comment on Cebit 2008 by Daniel http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/03/31/cebit-2008#comment-74 Daniel Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:44:31 +0000 http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/03/31/cebit-2008#comment-74 Oh, and the last attempt at a comment has suddenly appeared. I guess the error message didn't mean it failed then. Oh, and the last attempt at a comment has suddenly appeared. I guess the error message didn’t mean it failed then.

]]> Comment on Cebit 2008 by Daniel http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/03/31/cebit-2008#comment-73 Daniel Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:14:35 +0000 http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/03/31/cebit-2008#comment-73 Seems like the OpenID login works after all :) Seems like the OpenID login works after all :)

]]> Comment on Travel security by PlummetAirlines http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/03/21/travel-security#comment-72 PlummetAirlines Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:56:10 +0000 http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/03/21/travel-security#comment-72 I think it's an excellent idea. Northlink will be certain that any desperate terrorist on board is a *genuine* desperate terrorist.. :oD I think it’s an excellent idea.
Northlink will be certain that any desperate terrorist on board is a *genuine* desperate terrorist.. :oD

]]> Comment on Edinburgh by PlummetAirlines http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/02/15/edinburgh#comment-71 PlummetAirlines Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:52:42 +0000 http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/02/15/edinburgh#comment-71 Welcome back, o-great-world-traveller. You have seen many lands, done many great deeds and eaten many strange fruits - but the great Gods on Machu Picchu still await your presence and are disappointed that you did not visit them (... and they warn us not to mention the sacred words 'new camera' ... or we shall mightily suffer ...) Well Done, JR, the pics were brilliant... Welcome back, o-great-world-traveller.

You have seen many lands, done many great deeds and eaten many strange fruits - but the great Gods on Machu Picchu still await your presence and are disappointed that you did not visit them
(… and they warn us not to mention the sacred words ‘new camera’ … or we shall mightily suffer …)

Well Done, JR, the pics were brilliant…

]]> Comment on in HK by sallysmedley http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/02/10/in-hk#comment-70 sallysmedley Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:39:07 +0000 http://www.thingomy.co.uk/blog/2008/02/10/in-hk#comment-70 If it's Hong Kong Dollars, you're okay - sixty dollars is just under 4 quid! If it’s Hong Kong Dollars, you’re okay - sixty dollars is just under 4 quid!

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