Disqus - Latest Comments for vocaro

Re: Segway Made from Lego Robot Kit Works Without a Gyro (video)

vocaro — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:51:51 -0000

I wouldn't describe using light sensors instead of gyros as "really cool". It's actually a cheat, since light sensors aren't as noisy as gyros, and you typically need to combine gyros with an accelerometer (merged with a Kalman filter) in order to achieve good balance. Also, the light sensor approach limits this bot to perfectly flat surfaces.

And you have a typo: "it's relative distance" -- > "its relative distance"

Re: Who owns that recipe?

vocaro — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:39:42 -0000

I don't think restaurants are foolish for protecting their recipes. Okay, if there's a famous chef at some gourmet restaurant, then yeah I might go there just because he's good at what he does, and I might not care what recipe he uses for banana clove pudding. But otherwise I'm going to the restaurant for the recipe. I don't care who makes my Wendy's Frosty as long as they use that special recipe that makes it taste so darn good. The recipe is what matters, not the short order cook who follows it. If some other restaurant were to copy that recipe and start selling treats that taste just like a Frosty, well then suddenly I have one less reason to spend my dollars at Wendy's. Commercially, a recipe is worth protecting.

Re: Bane of Existence: Select-a-size paper towels

vocaro — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:54:41 -0000

You're blaming the towels, but the true villains here are the towel holders. Almost all towel holders have a major design flaw: They allow the roll to spin freely. This is wrong! The holders should instead place a certain amount of tension on the roll, not too much to prevent it from turning, but enough so that tearing off a sheet doesn't cause the roll to spin. It's hard to get it just right, but I've seen it done. simplehuman, for example, sells a wall-mounted holder that does this perfectly. You don't have to spend a lifetime training your wrist to pull with just the right flick. Instead, you can tear off a piece with one hand just as naturally as if you were using the other hand to hold the roll in place. The nice thing about this approach is that it works with both regular and select-a-size towels. You get the environmental benefit without having to retrain your muscle memory.

http://www.simplehuman.com/...

Re: Omnivore’s 100

vocaro — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:10:17 -0000

Wait a second... You've never had clam chowder in a sourdough bowl? It's fantastic! A lot easier to find than crocodile and haggis and those other things, too. And I recommend currywurst, as well, but it has to be "proper" currywurst, meaning obtained from a street vendor in Germany!

Re: Omnivore’s 100

vocaro — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:01:58 -0000

I had no idea what "VGT Omnivore 100" was, so I had to look it up. Turns out it's It's a list of foods that, according to "Very Good Taste" British food bloggers, everyone should try at least once.