Be Excellent To Each Other

And, you know, party on. Dude.

All times are UTC [ DST ]




Reply to topic  [ 64 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 15:51 
User avatar
EvilTrousers

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 3073
I've just been down to Comet to pick up a laptop and of course the sales guy was trying to sell me everything he possibly could rather than just the laptop but came up with the following gem whilst showing me a Monster multi socket unit (£99);

"This power unit is like they use on TV's but you can use them with laptops and what they do is clean the electricity which can give you an extra 2 or 3 years out of an appliance."

I was really really tempted to get him to put that in writing so I could use it as a stick to beat him with just for laughs but he was so odious I just wanted to get away from him.

I am now going to take an old appliance back to Comet and claim that it has broken because of "dirty" electricity and can they "de-fur" the wires or somesuch.

_________________
Everyone but Zardoz is better than me at videogames.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 15:54 
User avatar
MR EXCELLENT FACE

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2568
haha, brilliant! He'd clearly heard someone say something and just taken it ver-bateumumeum. I think he's reffering to the fact that current and voltage spikes can slowly wear out a lot of the components in the same way that hot-cold-hot transitions can. But quite frankly that's all a load of bollocks and I don't think I've ever actually heard of any electrical component breaking due to to many cold-hot transitions. [But I'd like to be proved wrong here, folks!]

_________________
This man is bound by law to clear the snow away


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 15:55 
User avatar

Joined: 27th Mar, 2008
Posts: 25549
You should write and complain to Comet - he sounds like some dodgy conman who tried to sell £9,000 vacuum cleaners to old women with tales of space allergens. I always make sure to remember the names displayed on the nametags of such creeps for later complaining...

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 15:56 
User avatar
Gogmagog

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 48607
Location: Cheshire
PCR machine sensors.

_________________
Mr Chris wrote:
MaliA isn't just the best thing on the internet - he's the best thing ever.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 15:57 
User avatar
Chinny chin chin

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 15695
Trousers wrote:
I've just been down to Comet to pick up a laptop and of course the sales guy was trying to sell me everything he possibly could rather than just the laptop but came up with the following gem whilst showing me a Monster multi socket unit (£99);

"This power unit is like they use on TV's but you can use them with laptops and what they do is clean the electricity which can give you an extra 2 or 3 years out of an appliance."


Off to Watchdog and trading standards methinks. Utter utter bollocks. You can protect against spikes, but prolong the life of the equipment? I wager I'd like to see that.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 15:57 
User avatar
Hibernating Druid

Joined: 27th Mar, 2008
Posts: 49104
Location: Standing on your mother's Porsche
You can save hundreds by simply washing your power sockets before connecting valuable AV equipment.

_________________
SD&DG Illustrated! Behance Bleep Bloop

'Not without talent but dragged down by bass turgidity'


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 15:58 
User avatar
I forgot about this - how vain

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 5979
Oooh, can you remember what the device was called exactly? Monster is well known for spouting bullshit about their priced up products. And one quick email to ASA can get their knuckles wrapped quite nicely.

He may well have been lead on a little by Monster themselves. Though probably not to the full Brass Eye levels of idiocy he exhibited.

_________________
Curiosity wrote:
The Rev Owen wrote:
Is there a way to summon lave?

Faith schools, scientologists and 2-D platform games.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:00 
User avatar
Gogmagog

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 48607
Location: Cheshire
I was telling student about one of the robots we have here. I was describing the protocol and pointing out the various bits and pieces that do stuff.

"And the water comes through the dispensing head, here, at 100ml per minute but we can change that if we want to"

"Does the water always come out?"

"No, once, lager came out and we all got pissed"

_________________
Mr Chris wrote:
MaliA isn't just the best thing on the internet - he's the best thing ever.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:01 
User avatar

Joined: 27th Mar, 2008
Posts: 25549
No, sorry - he should have known that he was talking crap - I HATE people that wrk in places like that and have bugger all clue about what they are selling, and so ending up mis-informing you. the guy was actively trying to push a product on Trousers with made-up information, which is really bloody annoying.

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:04 
User avatar
I forgot about this - how vain

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 5979
Oooh from Monsters web site

Quote:
For years, people have trusted their computer system's performance to plug strips that offer very little performance value.
These plug strips, essentially extension cords with additional outlets, tout great surge protection as the only necessary factor in connected equipment performance. The fact is, data loss, corrupted files, keyboard lockup, and the hassle of re-installing programs are often symptoms of polluted AC power - not surges or spikes. Dirty AC power is caused by electromagnetic and radio frequency interference generated by any household appliance sharing the same power line with your connected computer equipment. Your computer peripherals also generate their own kind of noise, adding even more pollution. AC power line noise can degrade computer and peripheral performance as much or more than power surges and voltage spikes.


Hmm, I smell something here...

_________________
Curiosity wrote:
The Rev Owen wrote:
Is there a way to summon lave?

Faith schools, scientologists and 2-D platform games.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:05 
User avatar
INFINITE POWAH

Joined: 1st Apr, 2008
Posts: 30498
Lave wrote:
Oooh from Monsters web site

Quote:
For years, people have trusted their computer system's performance to plug strips that offer very little performance value.
These plug strips, essentially extension cords with additional outlets, tout great surge protection as the only necessary factor in connected equipment performance. The fact is, data loss, corrupted files, keyboard lockup, and the hassle of re-installing programs are often symptoms of polluted AC power - not surges or spikes. Dirty AC power is caused by electromagnetic and radio frequency interference generated by any household appliance sharing the same power line with your connected computer equipment. Your computer peripherals also generate their own kind of noise, adding even more pollution. AC power line noise can degrade computer and peripheral performance as much or more than power surges and voltage spikes.


Hmm, I smell something here...


Given that you can run your network through the ring main this almost sounds feasible to me.

_________________
http://www.thehomeofawesome.com/
Eagles soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:08 
User avatar
I forgot about this - how vain

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 5979
Mr Chris wrote:
Lave wrote:
Oooh from Monsters web site

Quote:
For years, people have trusted their computer system's performance to plug strips that offer very little performance value.
These plug strips, essentially extension cords with additional outlets, tout great surge protection as the only necessary factor in connected equipment performance. The fact is, data loss, corrupted files, keyboard lockup, and the hassle of re-installing programs are often symptoms of polluted AC power - not surges or spikes. Dirty AC power is caused by electromagnetic and radio frequency interference generated by any household appliance sharing the same power line with your connected computer equipment. Your computer peripherals also generate their own kind of noise, adding even more pollution. AC power line noise can degrade computer and peripheral performance as much or more than power surges and voltage spikes.


Hmm, I smell something here...


Given that you can run your network through the ring main this almost sounds feasible to me.


Though that equally indicates that massive signals sent through your power network are safe enough to be exploited as they do nothing to your power supply.

_________________
Curiosity wrote:
The Rev Owen wrote:
Is there a way to summon lave?

Faith schools, scientologists and 2-D platform games.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:08 
User avatar
Chinny chin chin

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 15695
Mimi wrote:
No, sorry - he should have known that he was talking crap - I HATE people that wrk in places like that and have bugger all clue about what they are selling, and so ending up mis-informing you. the guy was actively trying to push a product on Trousers with made-up information, which is really bloody annoying.


This.

About 12 years ago I worked in PC World for a day. Aside from being run by a complete bunch of chumps, stuff like this was going on all around me. The final straw was watching my nasty fat boss, who spent most of the day talking about his sex life with his Thai bride, flogging a totally overspecced PC to a couple who didn't need or afford it and them having to buy it on HP.

Scum scum scum scum.

I never returned after that day, and never bothered to chase them for my pay.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:10 
User avatar
MR EXCELLENT FACE

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2568
Zardoz wrote:
You can save hundreds by simply washing your power sockets before connecting valuable AV equipment.


Fact: Today I nearly pooped myself when a full pint of water cascaded all over a the 4-way containing my monitor and computer's plugs. ERRrrrk. Thankfully nothing shorted out.


also: re: Lave's post. Guess what the PSU in your PC is intended to do? It's a big old isolation device.

_________________
This man is bound by law to clear the snow away


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:11 
User avatar
Gogmagog

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 48607
Location: Cheshire
The PSU helps the magic smoke in the PC not escape, thus ensuring smooth running to make the naked women appear on the glowing box.

_________________
Mr Chris wrote:
MaliA isn't just the best thing on the internet - he's the best thing ever.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:12 
User avatar
Song Wars 08/09 Champion

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2320
Sometimes mind, customers are annoying like that.

Bear in mind I work in a self-service cash and carry, we aren't trained on any products and whatever I know is becuase I happen to know myself.

Customer : Hi, who do I speak to about TVs?

Sheepeh : Well, nooone here is trained on them but I probably know enough to answer most queries, how can I help?

Customer : Does this TV have Freeview?

Sheepeh : Yes. You can tell because it has this logo. *points*. Pretty much everything here has it.

Customer : *Looks at piece of paper given to them by little Johnny* Does it have...er...two thousand megajobbies and an electricity cleaner?

Sheepeh : Er...to be perfectly honest with you I have no idea what that means. (Bear in mind it's illegal for me to advertise a product having
something it doesn't, so I'm happy to say when I have no idea. Saves me getting busted.

Customer : Well, who does know?

Sheepeh : Noone here. The manufactuer, I guess.

Customer : Well can you find out?

Sheepeh : Um...I can look through the manual?

Customer : Yes please.

Sheepeh : *Looks through manual* It doesn't mention anything about megajobbies. I've never even heard of megajobbies. Are you sure
that's what you want?

Customer : Yes. Now go get someone who knows about these things.

So, rather than be treated like some dumbass for trying to help above and beyond what I need to, and being honest about not knowing everything under the sun about TVs, it's easier to either say "I have no idea, and this is a self service cash and carry so find out yourself and bugger off" which won't go down well with my management or "Yes, it has two thousand megajobbies. Just buy it. It's awesome."

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:14 
User avatar
I forgot about this - how vain

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 5979
Pod wrote:
also: re: Lave's post. Guess what the PSU in your PC is intended to do? It's a big old isolation device.


Aha, So it would be problem if you didn't have a PSU?

_________________
Curiosity wrote:
The Rev Owen wrote:
Is there a way to summon lave?

Faith schools, scientologists and 2-D platform games.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:15 
User avatar
MR EXCELLENT FACE

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2568
Lave wrote:
Pod wrote:
also: re: Lave's post. Guess what the PSU in your PC is intended to do? It's a big old isolation device.


Aha, So it would be problem if you didn't have a PSU?



I'm no qualified electrician but I doubt it. How often has your 5v phone blown up whilst on charge? :/

_________________
This man is bound by law to clear the snow away


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:16 
User avatar
INFINITE POWAH

Joined: 1st Apr, 2008
Posts: 30498
Pod wrote:
Lave wrote:
Pod wrote:
also: re: Lave's post. Guess what the PSU in your PC is intended to do? It's a big old isolation device.


Aha, So it would be problem if you didn't have a PSU?



I'm no qualified electrician but I doubt it. How often has your 5v phone blown up whilst on charge? :/


On charge via the transformer, you mean?

_________________
http://www.thehomeofawesome.com/
Eagles soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:16 
User avatar
MR EXCELLENT FACE

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2568
Mr Chris wrote:
Pod wrote:
Lave wrote:
Pod wrote:
also: re: Lave's post. Guess what the PSU in your PC is intended to do? It's a big old isolation device.


Aha, So it would be problem if you didn't have a PSU?



I'm no qualified electrician but I doubt it. How often has your 5v phone blown up whilst on charge? :/


On charge via the transformer, you mean?



YOU WIN THE PRIZE.
ps: Transformers are still prone to creating noise. Infact a lot of them a "floating" type things where the voltages they output are always the same, but the max/min at one point in time is different from another point in time.

That sounds stupid, but basically, they always give out +5v, but at 12:00 it's because it;s between 2v and 7v and at 2:01 it's -1 and 4v. Obviously the period of such things is much shorter - This is one way they can generate "noise". But everything usually goes through a transformer anyway. All-in-all I would say this dirty electricity thing is a load of shit. If I'd have read this an hour ago I would have popped into the office behind me and spoken to one of the analouge technicians we have here, as it's quite interesting to know wtf all this "dirty electricty" is!

_________________
This man is bound by law to clear the snow away


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:20 
User avatar
I forgot about this - how vain

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 5979
So they are just reselling you protection you already have?

(Against the 'dirty' bit - not the surge protection stuff)

_________________
Curiosity wrote:
The Rev Owen wrote:
Is there a way to summon lave?

Faith schools, scientologists and 2-D platform games.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:20 
User avatar
baron of techno

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 24136
Location: fife
Lave wrote:
Dirty AC power is caused by electromagnetic and radio frequency interference generated by any household appliance sharing the same power line with your connected computer equipment. Your computer peripherals also generate their own kind of noise, adding even more pollution.


This is true.

Quote:
AC power line noise can degrade computer and peripheral performance as much or more than power surges and voltage spikes.


But this is FUD and LIES.

Due to the efforts of the European Union, there is a little thing called "CE". You may have noticed this symbol on, ooh, all the products you own. To claim CE for an electrical product, you have to demonstrate (yes, actually test) whether it will be affected by "dirty electricity" and also whether it generates such interference. Doesn't reach the market until it passes.

So it's a non-problem.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:24 
User avatar
I forgot about this - how vain

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 5979
kalmar, so that would make this:

Quote:
The fact is, data loss, corrupted files, keyboard lockup, and the hassle of re-installing programs are often symptoms of polluted AC power


Lies because your computer is CE certified yes?

Which would make them fall foul of the ASA (along with your second quote).

_________________
Curiosity wrote:
The Rev Owen wrote:
Is there a way to summon lave?

Faith schools, scientologists and 2-D platform games.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:26 
User avatar
baron of techno

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 24136
Location: fife
Pod wrote:
also: re: Lave's post. Guess what the PSU in your PC is intended to do? It's a big old isolation device.


Although a transformer provides isolation, what you often find with switch-mode supplies is a bad output response to a sudden transient on the supply, enough to damage or disrupt logic circuits.

As I say though, all this is well known about and well regulated, so such problems rarely if ever occur in the wild (and if they do, you take it up with the manufacturer of the equipment rather than buying over-priced witchery which probably wouldn't have helped anyway).


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:26 
User avatar
Sleepyhead

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 27343
Location: Kidbrooke
Sheepeh wrote:

Customer : Yes. Now go get someone who knows about these things.



At that point I hope you told them that you would, and that they should wait right there, before walking to another area of the store to do some work for the rest of the day.

_________________
We are young despite the years
We are concern
We are hope, despite the times


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:28 
User avatar
Rude Belittler

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 5016
Pod wrote:
Transformers are still prone to creating noise.

Image
\
Yes. Yes we are.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:29 
User avatar
Gogmagog

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 48607
Location: Cheshire
Pod wrote:
I don't think I've ever actually heard of any electrical component breaking due to to many cold-hot transitions. [But I'd like to be proved wrong here, folks!]


Megatron, maybe, and the evil robot in Terminator 2.

_________________
Mr Chris wrote:
MaliA isn't just the best thing on the internet - he's the best thing ever.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:31 
User avatar
baron of techno

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 24136
Location: fife
Lave wrote:
kalmar, so that would make this:

Quote:
The fact is, data loss, corrupted files, keyboard lockup, and the hassle of re-installing programs are often symptoms of polluted AC power


Lies because your computer is CE certified yes?

Which would make them fall foul of the ASA (along with your second quote).


Essentially, yes. What they might validly argue is that this device protects against noise and transients that are over and above the EMC requirements (which themselves tend to be over and above what you might experience from a rogue product).

For example, a direct lightning strike might take out your modem even though it meets all regulatory criteria, and you might want to buy an extra level of protection if that's a high risk in your area..

But that blurb is certainly very misleading, along snake-oil lines. Those affects that they list just don't happen in the EU electrical environment, not due to EMI anyway.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:35 
User avatar
I forgot about this - how vain

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 5979
Cheers.

Probably worth a ten minute email to ASA then at least.

_________________
Curiosity wrote:
The Rev Owen wrote:
Is there a way to summon lave?

Faith schools, scientologists and 2-D platform games.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:37 
User avatar
baron of techno

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 24136
Location: fife
Yeah, I would challenge the "are often caused" bit. That's just not factually accurate.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:40 
User avatar
I forgot about this - how vain

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 5979
Mind bogglingly I've just discovered that Advertisements on the Internet, include banner ads and pop-up ads count but not claims on companies own website.

So you can spout whatever shit you like on your products on your own website.

Astonishing.

_________________
Curiosity wrote:
The Rev Owen wrote:
Is there a way to summon lave?

Faith schools, scientologists and 2-D platform games.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:45 
User avatar
INFINITE POWAH

Joined: 1st Apr, 2008
Posts: 30498
Lave wrote:
Mind bogglingly I've just discovered that Advertisements on the Internet, include banner ads and pop-up ads count but not claims on companies own website.

So you can spout whatever shit you like on your products on your own website.

Astonishing.


Yup. This was always a useful loophole for the multi-national cosmetics company I used to be an in-house lawyer for (as well as doing their contracts work, we used to have to check all of their advertising and packaging in conjunction with some scientists).

However, under the ASA's rather tortuous rules on viral marketing, if you include a link to your website in a DM email, it arguably brings your website under the ASA's purview... Time to check if this company does email marketing, perhaps?

_________________
http://www.thehomeofawesome.com/
Eagles soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:45 
User avatar
Song Wars 08/09 Champion

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2320
Curiosity wrote:
Sheepeh wrote:

Customer : Yes. Now go get someone who knows about these things.



At that point I hope you told them that you would, and that they should wait right there, before walking to another area of the store to do some work for the rest of the day.


It's been done before, but when I was due to go on a break so they can't find me upstairs. Makro customers do tend be a little bit more proactive in coming to hunt you down than most. If only they put that much energy in to researching their purchases before they came, eh?

I personally research using the Internet, ask people I trust their opinions, then research some more. If the guy in the shop says anything I just disregard it. I do most of my shopping online anyway ;)

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 16:47 
User avatar
baron of techno

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 24136
Location: fife
It's like invisible lead soup.

Hey, rather than the ASA, perhaps a letter to the Bad Science guy in the Guardian might be worth a try? Anything that would stop him going on about fish oil trials would be good, anyway.
It's kind of on a level with making up psychiatric diseases to sell medication for.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 17:13 
User avatar
MR EXCELLENT FACE

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2568
kalmar wrote:
Pod wrote:
also: re: Lave's post. Guess what the PSU in your PC is intended to do? It's a big old isolation device.


Although a transformer provides isolation, what you often find with switch-mode supplies is a bad output response to a sudden transient on the supply, enough to damage or disrupt logic circuits.

As I say though, all this is well known about and well regulated, so such problems rarely if ever occur in the wild (and if they do, you take it up with the manufacturer of the equipment rather than buying over-priced witchery which probably wouldn't have helped anyway).


"Dirty Electricty" and "Graham Stetzer" seem to appear next to each other a lot on net searches.... is he just spreading FUD in the hope of selling some fancy power packs?

_________________
This man is bound by law to clear the snow away


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 17:14 
User avatar
I forgot about this - how vain

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 5979
kalmar wrote:
It's like invisible lead soup.

Hey, rather than the ASA, perhaps a letter to the Bad Science guy in the Guardian might be worth a try? Anything that would stop him going on about fish oil trials would be good, anyway.
It's kind of on a level with making up psychiatric diseases to sell medication for.


Me and him are like that man.

Well not at all. But he has a lovely website and forum here. I'm far, far too proud of the tiny link he gives my rubbish blog on his front page (way, way at the bottom, under posse).

I'll mention on his forum tomorrow, and see what they think.

_________________
Curiosity wrote:
The Rev Owen wrote:
Is there a way to summon lave?

Faith schools, scientologists and 2-D platform games.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 18:03 
User avatar
MR EXCELLENT FACE

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2568
http://www.dirtyelectricity.org/health-issues.shtml
http://www.electricalpollution.com/

Those two sites are the biggest load of horse shit I've ever read. It actually made me angry to read it. It's pure psuedo science bullshit. They quote completely out of context facts and then say complete toss right after doing so. To an impressionable audience I imagine it reads like the unadultered TRUTH. It's actually made me angry to read it.

_________________
This man is bound by law to clear the snow away


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 18:19 
User avatar
Chinny chin chin

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 15695
Mr Chris wrote:
However, under the ASA's rather tortuous rules on viral marketing, if you include a link to your website in a DM email, it arguably brings your website under the ASA's purview... Time to check if this company does email marketing, perhaps?


Well I hope it's better than the viral marketing this company are doing. Someone on Popbitch just received this casting email:

"We are casting a 2 minute viral for Momentum Pictures to promote the upcoming movie 'Teeth' for which they are the distributors.

'Teeth' is a witty horror movie about a girl with a 'Vagina Dentata' or toothed vagina. This thankfully mythical condition appears in folk tales or cautionary tales about the dangers of sleeping with strange women!

The premise of the viral campaign is to claim that 'Vagina Dentata' is in fact a real condition! It will be viewed in the context of a fictitious health website offering practical advice to women and their partners on this rather sensitive issue. The viral will take the form of a short documentary, thus absolute realism and total sincerity is the key to the actors performances.'"


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 18:23 

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 8679
"Heavy Electricity"


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 18:26 
User avatar
MR EXCELLENT FACE

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2568
That teeth thing has been going for a few months now, right?
Also; I'm actually really angry about this electricity thing. Thankfully this SA thread has saved me having to get even more worked up: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showth ... id=2795040

God Bless the Goons.

_________________
This man is bound by law to clear the snow away


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 18:36 
User avatar
I forgot about this - how vain

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 5979
Pod wrote:
http://www.dirtyelectricity.org/health-issues.shtml
http://www.electricalpollution.com/

Those two sites are the biggest load of horse shit I've ever read. It actually made me angry to read it. It's pure psuedo science bullshit. They quote completely out of context facts and then say complete toss right after doing so. To an impressionable audience I imagine it reads like the unadultered TRUTH. It's actually made me angry to read it.


I'm going out in a moment, so I'll look at these properly tomorrow. But they seem disgusting. The thing with this always is you have to work out how 'big' they are. But if the guy is selling stuff...

EDIT: Oooh the goon link looks great.

_________________
Curiosity wrote:
The Rev Owen wrote:
Is there a way to summon lave?

Faith schools, scientologists and 2-D platform games.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 18:38 
User avatar
MR EXCELLENT FACE

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2568
http://www.badscience.net/?p=425
http://www.badscience.net/?p=239

The guy you were on about seems to have already done something on EMF. Infact he puts down a product that's even more horse shit. (A microcontroller that uses a 'holograph' to defend your house from EMF. Excellent! I'll buy 10!!!)

_________________
This man is bound by law to clear the snow away


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 19:51 
User avatar

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2046
chinnyhill10 wrote:
About 12 years ago I worked in PC World for a day. Aside from being run by a complete bunch of chumps, stuff like this was going on all around me. The final straw was watching my nasty fat boss, who spent most of the day talking about his sex life with his Thai bride, flogging a totally overspecced PC to a couple who didn't need or afford it and them having to buy it on HP.

Scum scum scum scum.

I never returned after that day, and never bothered to chase them for my pay.
Thing is, those kind of places have their sales people on commission, or on some kind of "sell X amount this month or you're fired" type employment, so I'm not surprised they con the fuck out of customers when they can. I would, if it meant the only thing keeping a roof over my head. (Not that it excuses it, mind. The whole system's rotten.)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 19:54 
User avatar
Chinny chin chin

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 15695
Anonymous X wrote:
I would, if it meant the only thing keeping a roof over my head. (Not that it excuses it, mind. The whole system's rotten.)


Or if it meant Ting Tong not running back to Thailand I suppose. [shudders at the memory]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 20:00 
User avatar

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2046
Pundabaya wrote:
Pod wrote:
Transformers are still prone to creating noise.

Image
\
Yes. Yes we are.
The saw the excellent new Transformers cartoon series today. Featured Soundwave. Saw it too?


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 21:38 
User avatar
Honey Boo Boo

Joined: 28th Mar, 2008
Posts: 12328
Location: Tronna, Canandada
You should have asked how these 'electricity cleaners' would affect a Homeplug LAN.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 21:42 
SupaMod
User avatar
Est. 1978

Joined: 27th Mar, 2008
Posts: 69502
Location: Your Mum
Can you all shut up about the science and tell me where I can get one of these cables?

_________________
Grim... wrote:
I wish Craster had left some girls for the rest of us.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 21:52 
User avatar
EvilTrousers

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 3073
Grim... wrote:
Can you all shut up about the science and tell me where I can get one of these cables?


Mrs Grim... has already installed them silly.

_________________
Everyone but Zardoz is better than me at videogames.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 21:54 
User avatar
MR EXCELLENT FACE

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2568
What cables? An electricity cleaning one? They don't really exist, see....

_________________
This man is bound by law to clear the snow away


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Heavy Electricity? Dirty is the one to look out for.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 22:08 
SupaMod
User avatar
Commander-in-Cheese

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 49232
MetalAngel wrote:
You should have asked how these 'electricity cleaners' would affect a Homeplug LAN.



Interestingly, having 'switched' appliances (portable telephone charger docks etc) on the same 6-gang as my homeplugs fucks my LAN throughput.

_________________
GoddessJasmine wrote:
Drunk, pulled Craster's pork, waiting for brdyime story,reading nuts. Xz


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic  [ 64 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Kern and 0 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search within this thread:
You are using the 'Ted' forum. Bill doesn't really exist any more. Bogus!
Want to help out with the hosting / advertising costs? That's very nice of you.
Are you on a mobile phone? Try http://beex.co.uk/m/
RIP, Owen. RIP, MrC.

Powered by a very Grim... version of phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group.