PV inverters often have around 1-2% losses. This is not very significant. You also need to convert the voltage anyway because PV output voltage varies with light level.

Buck/boost converters work by converting the DC current to (messy) AC, then back to DC. If you want an isolating converter (necessary for most applications for safety reasons) that converter needs to handle the full power. If it's non isolating, then it's proportional to the voltage step.

Frequency provides a somewhat convenient method for all parties to know whether the grid is over- or under- supplied on a sub-second basis. Operating solely on voltage is more prone to oscillation and requires compensation for voltage drop, plus the information is typically lost at buck/boost sites. A DC grid would likely require much more robust and faster real-time comms.

The AC grid relies on significant (>10x overcurrent) short-term (<5s) overload capability. Inrush and motor starting requires small/short overloads (though still significant). Faults are detected and cleared primarily through the excess current drawn. Fuses/breakers in series will all see the same current from the same fault, but we want only the device closest to the fault to operate to minimise disruption. That's achieved (called discrimination, coordination, or selectivity) by having each device take progressively more time to trip on a fault of a given size, and progressively higher fault current so that the devices upstream still rapidly detect a fault.

RCDs/GFCIs don't coordinate well because there isn't enough room between the smallest fault required to be detected and the maximum disconnection time to fit increasingly less sensitive devices.

Generators are perfectly able to provide this extra fault current through short term temperature rise and inertia. Inverters cannot provide 5-fold overcurrent without being significantly oversized. We even install synchronous condensers (a generator without any actual energy source) in areas far from actual generators to provide local inertia.

AC arcs inherently self-extinguish in most cases. DC arcs do not.

This means that breakers and expulsion type fuses have to be significantly, significantly larger and more expensive. It also means more protection is needed against arcs caused by poor connection, cable clashes, and insulation damage.

Solid state breakers alleviate this somewhat, but it's going to take 20+ years to improve cost, size, and power loss to acceptable levels.

I expect that any 'next generation' system is likely to demand a step increase in safety, not merely matching the existing performance. I suspect that's going to require a 100% coverage fibre comms network parallel to the power conductors, and in accessible areas possibly fully screened cable and isolated supply.

EVs and PV arrays get away with DC networks because they're willing to shut down the whole system in the event of a fault. You don't want a whole neighborhood to go dark because your neighbour's cat gnawed on a laptop charger.

Most Fediverse stuff has web front ends so that any modern browser will work.

My concern would be that Chrome is about to neuter ad blockers, and you can't use a different browser without replacing the OS.

Both are also heavily privacy destroying.

The issue is acronyms; there's millions of products, schematics, datasheets, and manuals that refer to them as MISO and MOSI with no further explanation. Any new standard that doesn't fit runs into the 15-competing-standards problem, and ought to be followed by an "AKA MISO" every time it's used.

Various articles and forum posts suggest that using the emergency/manual releases can crack the windows. It looks like the door can't/shouldn't be opened with the window fully raised, and part of the normal door opening process is for the car to lower the windows a few millimetres.

https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/how-do-you-manually-release-the-doors-of-the-model-y.236856/

Well that’s not good. There was a recent software update which does electrically pull down the windows incase someone manually releases the door so hopefully that issue is no longer. Unless the window Reg doesn’t get power which can be caused by a lot of trivial things (like the puddle lamp burning out)

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-manually-open-tesla-door-if-battery-power-dies-2023-8?op=1

Starlink plugs the rural coverage gaps, but in urban areas it's still more expensive than either conventional fixed-line connections or wireless (4G/5G) broadband. Even in rural areas, while it's the best option, it's rarely the cheapest, at least in the NZ market I'm familiar with.

It also doesn't have the bandwidth per square kilometre/mile to serve urban areas well, and it's probably never going to work in apartment buildings.

This is a funding/subsidisation issue, not so much a technical one. I imagine Starlink connections are eligible for the current subsidy, but in most cases it's probably going to conventional DSL/cable/fibre/4G connections.

There is some argument for e-scooters (the kind that you could theoretically move by kicking the ground) being used in a bike lane.

I agree that a full-size motorbike, electric or not, should not be in a bike lane.

The primary reason for bike lanes is arguably being safely overtaken by cars, due to the speed difference. Motorbikes can keep up with traffic, and will want to overtake cyclists.

I expect they are talking about the 'irrevocably' part, as one of the core tenets of GDPR is that consent can be withdrawn.

I couldn't say whether or not that applies here.

The actual eruption happened in 2019. It was big news locally when it happened, and there has been a slow trickle of further reports like this one.

It wasn't a particularly big eruption; the fact that people were on the rather small volcanic island when it erupted is what led to the deaths.

The efforts towards a prosecution have been long and slow because it's probably going to be a real mess:

• Adventure tourism including visiting active volcanoes is inherently dangerous.

• Did the scientists get the volcano risk levels wrong?

• Which entities should get criminal blame? Island owner, tour providers, tour transport providers (boats), and/or the various regulators?

It sounds like that's all sorted and they're into sentencing on those that were found guilty.

Yup. Expect that everything lasts exactly as long as you don't want it to.

You rapidly end up with a freeloader issue.

I'm not sure that there is any point in a fediverse platform. That implies you want interaction (e.g. comments) from other locations, and therefore need moderation etc. A local blog site with 'share to Mastodon' buttons (if they exist) is probably all that's needed.

'Fair use' is a thing. It varies by country, and I'm not certain on where the US falls.

Selling copies on merchandise would definitely not be fair use.

Using it in news articles may be fair use under some circumstances, but probably only if you were commenting specifically on the mugshot.