I wonder if snapraid would work for this. Especially if your data is mostly written once and then just read, it could be an easy way to add redundancy while keeping isolated individual drives.
If your source is Dolby Digital, you may not need anything new - just adjusting your settings. Dynamic range compression is a standard feature, and the bitstream should already include the necessary metadata for the decoder to implement this.
It's been a while since I looked into this in detail, but iirc the decoder must automatically enable dynamic range compression when it's set to two channel output. So avoid configurations where you first convert the audio to 5.1 channel PCM or analog, and then apply downmixing or virtual surround.
If you're using a surround system, most receivers have a night mode as mentioned by others already. Some have also an adaptive system that adjusts the dynamic range based on your volume setting - turn it up and you get the full dynamic range, turn it down and the dynamic range is compressed more as you set the volume lower to try to keep the dialog audible. Many receivers include a microphone for automatic settings, and after calibration know the actual output level. The Dolby Digital bitstream (and I think DTS) include a flag to indicate the overall dialog level, and based on these a receiver can do quite a good job. Some I think go only by the DD metadata, others have a compressor that can be applied to any input.
The only two things I can think of are Atmos (as mentioned in the article), and metadata for dynamic range compression (which you can do on the computer too but may be more convenient to control on the receiver).
I think the main reason for audio passthrough preference in the home theater crowd is seeing the DD/DTS logos light up on the receiver.
> A portable battery should be considered to be removable by the end-user when it can be removed with the use of commercially available tools and without requiring the use of specialised tools, unless they are provided free of charge, or proprietary tools, thermal energy or solvents to disassemble it.
edit: Forgot to mention that it also works nicely on mobile. I've added it on my desktop as "Archive this" into the bookmarks, and on mobile (chrome or firefox) I just type "archive this" into the location to activate it.
> braking much harder than I would have been able to
Any idea why you weren't able to apply full brakes? I remember reading that most people don't in an emergency and that's why the emergency brake boost was created, but haven't seen the reason for it.
This is just one of those suspicions I have had for many years and done nothing to verify, but I think part of it is probably that everyone sits too far back from the pedals.
I have my seat adjusted so that with my back and butt against the back of my seat (so I’m braced against something) I can push the brake pedal and have it hit the bottom of travel just a bit before my knee locks without having to take my heel off the floor and try and press it with my toes or something.
My wife is almost a half foot shorter than me and when I drive her car I don’t need to adjust the seat at all. I find a similar situation driving most people’s cars.
So, y’know, I think people literally can’t apply the brakes all the way… because they can’t reach the bottom of the pedal travel.
I suspect it's more like people brake at first like a startle reflex, but they only brake really hard once their brain does the calculus and full panic sets in. Then they can bend the brake pedal.
On a motorcycle this is actually a lifesaver that's a very natural reflex because you want to load the front suspension and tire before you almost lock it up.
I'm not sure what the exact amount of force is, but I took a more performance oriented driving course that included some hard braking at highway speeds.
It's fairly violent. In normal driving we never do this, it would cause someone to rear end you and it's not necessary. So we have lots and lots and lots of practice braking at a moderate pace. Braking fast in normal day to day life is maybe a 70% force. We're used to trying to think how much pressure is the right amount of pressure.
What they told us is basically to try to break the pedal off. I think it's the easier way to remember, if the crap hits the fan, just put your foot through the floor and get stopped. The less thinking and modulating, the better.
To add on, most people have never experienced what “full braking” is in any car since it is so uncommon to even use half of the ultimate braking power a car can deliver in a non-track day or non-emergency situation. Even a modern Toyota Camry can sustain on average >1 g of deceleration force from 70 mph to 0.
Thus, people think they have applied full brakes but in reality they are only 60-70% of the way there.
I can remember clearly my thoughts during before bumping into someone in front of me: it was quick alternates between “BREAK NOW” and “beware slipping”. Traffic was quite slow but but I was terrified to not being able to choose what voice to listen in my head, it was a very strange dissonance experience.
I braked too softly and ended up in the bumper of the car in front of me. The rental car did had ABS and I knew it but didn’t thought of it during the breaking.
My Chevy came with instructions on proper track prep and tracking it (if prepped as instructed) won't void the warranty. Didn't include free track days though.
Autocrossing is more my thing and I'm shocked any car manufacturer would try to weasel out of warranty for it. I've seen modified cars break and even catch on fire, and can understand racing tires could put undue stress on stock suspension, but a stock car that can't handle autocross? Should we expect parts to be falling off if you need to do an emergency brake or evasive maneuver on the road?
Good question. I think that if Russia stationed troops in strategic places (with those countries’ permission) and/or retaliated in response to an actual attack on their country, then yes.
However, as far as I know, neither of those happened and the rationale I’ve heard reported is a mix of “that Land is really Russian land and Ukrainians are not a historically separate nation” or something like that.
I think what is truly immoral is the cynical and barbaric targeting of civilians, seemingly systematically and not isolated incidents.
My impression is that Russia isn’t doing this for defense reasons but rather for glory of the leader.
