Non-IT News Thread
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Repair cafe - cool idea
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/stories-46195069/why-this-man-will-fix-your-broken-stuff-for-free
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Activists sail four weeks across Atlantic for climate change summit -- then learn it is canceled
The activists set off from Amsterdam on October 2.
A group of climate activists crossing the Atlantic by sailboat to a UN summit in Chile were shocked to learn the event was canceled -- four weeks into their grueling voyage. The 36 young environmentalists set off from Amsterdam on October 2, using a sailboat in order to highlight the impact of flying on greenhouse gas emissions. They had completed more than half of their seven-week journey to the UN Climate Conference (COP25) in Santiago, Chile, which was scheduled to take place in early December. However Chile's President Sebastián Piñera announced Wednesday that the country would no longer host the summit, amid protests that have left at least 20 people dead and led to the resignation of eight cabinet ministers. -
BBC News - Indiana woman found dead with python wrapped around neck
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-50261417 -
UK drone pilots have 25 days to register with regulator
UK drone pilots have until the end of November to register their details with the Civil Aviation Authority.
The mandatory requirement to register covers owners of drones or model aircraft weighing more than 250g (8.8oz). Owners of unregistered drones could then face the threat of a fine.
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@hobbit666 said in Non-IT News Thread:
Super easy test i've just done it (despite not using my drone for 12 months
), 20 questions multiple choice and only need 16 to pass. This gets you a Flyer ID, valid for 3 years.
If you own a drone you need a operators ID which is £9 for 1 year. -
@hobbit666 said in Non-IT News Thread:
UK drone pilots have 25 days to register with regulator
UK drone pilots have until the end of November to register their details with the Civil Aviation Authority.
The mandatory requirement to register covers owners of drones or model aircraft weighing more than 250g (8.8oz). Owners of unregistered drones could then face the threat of a fine.
/la sigh!
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@hobbit666 said in Non-IT News Thread:
@hobbit666 said in Non-IT News Thread:
Super easy test i've just done it (despite not using my drone for 12 months
), 20 questions multiple choice and only need 16 to pass. This gets you a Flyer ID, valid for 3 years.
If you own a drone you need a operators ID which is £9 for 1 year.Why - seriously why? This is little more than a money grab.
If the ID isn't required to purchase a drone, this is dumb, if all drone sales in the UK aren't serialized and reported to government to their person of purchase - based on the ID, again, what does this matter?I can only assume this is to make those that fly them and crash them can be held liable? without the tracking, this is pointless and little more than a money grab.
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@Dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
@hobbit666 said in Non-IT News Thread:
@hobbit666 said in Non-IT News Thread:
Super easy test i've just done it (despite not using my drone for 12 months
), 20 questions multiple choice and only need 16 to pass. This gets you a Flyer ID, valid for 3 years.
If you own a drone you need a operators ID which is £9 for 1 year.Why - seriously why? This is little more than a money grab.
If the ID isn't required to purchase a drone, this is dumb, if all drone sales in the UK aren't serialized and reported to government to their person of purchase - based on the ID, again, what does this matter?I can only assume this is to make those that fly them and crash them can be held liable? without the tracking, this is pointless and little more than a money grab.
Because drones can shut down airports as has happened more than one time. Obviously criminals don’t care. But that’s no different than firearm registration.
Like everything, it’s simply a deterrent.
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@JaredBusch said in Non-IT News Thread:
@Dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
@hobbit666 said in Non-IT News Thread:
@hobbit666 said in Non-IT News Thread:
Super easy test i've just done it (despite not using my drone for 12 months
), 20 questions multiple choice and only need 16 to pass. This gets you a Flyer ID, valid for 3 years.
If you own a drone you need a operators ID which is £9 for 1 year.Why - seriously why? This is little more than a money grab.
If the ID isn't required to purchase a drone, this is dumb, if all drone sales in the UK aren't serialized and reported to government to their person of purchase - based on the ID, again, what does this matter?I can only assume this is to make those that fly them and crash them can be held liable? without the tracking, this is pointless and little more than a money grab.
Because drones can shut down airports as has happened more than one time. Obviously criminals don’t care. But that’s no different than firearm registration.
Like everything, it’s simply a deterrent.
In the US at least. Drones over a certain size are required to have their FAA identifier clearly labeled on the underside of the drone so it can be visible from the ground. I assume the UK will have something similar. This identifier is linked to a physical person or company.
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@JaredBusch said in Non-IT News Thread:
@Dashrender said in Non-IT News Thread:
@hobbit666 said in Non-IT News Thread:
@hobbit666 said in Non-IT News Thread:
Super easy test i've just done it (despite not using my drone for 12 months
), 20 questions multiple choice and only need 16 to pass. This gets you a Flyer ID, valid for 3 years.
If you own a drone you need a operators ID which is £9 for 1 year.Why - seriously why? This is little more than a money grab.
If the ID isn't required to purchase a drone, this is dumb, if all drone sales in the UK aren't serialized and reported to government to their person of purchase - based on the ID, again, what does this matter?I can only assume this is to make those that fly them and crash them can be held liable? without the tracking, this is pointless and little more than a money grab.
Because drones can shut down airports as has happened more than one time. Obviously criminals don’t care. But that’s no different than firearm registration.
Like everything, it’s simply a deterrent.
Hence asking the question if these licenses were required to buy drones.
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@Dashrender I agree, seems a bit pointless if someone can just buy one anyway, it only comes an issue if your stopped by police and asked for your ID details. Which in small places i don't see happening.
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@coliver said in Non-IT News Thread:
In the US at least. Drones over a certain size are required to have their FAA identifier clearly labeled on the underside of the drone so it can be visible from the ground. I assume the UK will have something similar. This identifier is linked to a physical person or company.
Same here if they are over a certain weight, then different rules and registration is required.
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@hobbit666 said in Non-IT News Thread:
@Dashrender I agree, seems a bit pointless if someone can just buy one anyway, it only comes an issue if your stopped by police and asked for your ID details. Which in small places i don't see happening.
And even if it does - it's just a citation/ticket, not like they take your drone or arrest you.
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Democrats claim victory in key Virginia and Kentucky elections
US Democrats have made gains in state elections, in what is being seen as a blow to President Donald Trump.
Democrat Andy Beshear claimed victory in Kentucky's governor vote, after a tight race in the conservative-leaning state. Meanwhile, Democrats seized full control of the legislature in Virginia for the first time in over 20 years. The results are a gauge of the political mood ahead of next year's presidential election. Republicans held on to power in the Mississippi governor vote, following a closely-fought race in the traditional Republican stronghold. US state governors head the executive branch in state governments. In Kentucky, Mr Beshear claimed victory over incumbent Republican governor Matt Bevin after final results gave him a lead of 0.4%. Mr Bevin, 52, says he will not concede, citing unspecified "irregularities". However, Mr Beshear, a 41-year-old attorney general whose father is a former governor of the state, said: "We will be ready for that first day in office and I look forward to it." -
'Astonishing' fossil ape discovery revealed
Fossils of a newly-discovered ancient ape could give clues to how and when walking on two legs evolved.
The ability to walk upright is considered a key characteristic of being human. The ape had arms suited to hanging in the trees, but human-like legs. It may have walked along branches and even on the ground some 12 million years ago, pushing back the timeline for bipedal walking, say researchers. Until now the earliest fossil evidence for walking upright dates back to six million years ago. The four fossils - of a male, two females and a juvenile - were unearthed in a clay pit in Bavaria between 2015 and 2018. "The finds in southern Germany are a milestone in palaeoanthropology, because they raise fundamental questions about our previous understanding of the evolution of the great apes and humans," said Prof Madelaine Böhme from the University of Tübingen, Germany. -
Nato alliance experiencing brain death, says Macron
President Emmanuel Macron of France has described Nato as "brain dead", stressing what he sees as waning commitment to the transatlantic alliance by its main guarantor, the US.
Interviewed by the Economist, he cited the US failure to consult Nato before pulling forces out of northern Syria. He also questioned whether Nato was still committed to collective defence. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a key ally, said she disagreed with Mr Macron's "drastic words". Russia, which sees Nato as a threat to its security, welcomed the French president's comments as "truthful words". Nato, which celebrates 70 years since its founding at a London summit next month, has responded by saying the alliance remains strong. -
Australia bushfires: Record number of emergencies in New South Wales
Australian authorities say an "unprecedented" number of emergency-level bushfires are threatening the state of New South Wales (NSW).
More than 90 blazes were raging across the state on Friday. Gusty winds and up to 35C heat have exacerbated the fires, many of which are in drought-affected areas. There are reports of people trapped in their homes in several places, with crew unable to reach them due to the strength of the fires. "We are in uncharted territory," said Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. "We have never seen this many fires concurrently at emergency warning level." At one point, 17 emergency-level fires were burning simultaneously across NSW. -
@mlnews said in Non-IT News Thread:
Australia bushfires: Record number of emergencies in New South Wales
Australian authorities say an "unprecedented" number of emergency-level bushfires are threatening the state of New South Wales (NSW).
More than 90 blazes were raging across the state on Friday. Gusty winds and up to 35C heat have exacerbated the fires, many of which are in drought-affected areas. There are reports of people trapped in their homes in several places, with crew unable to reach them due to the strength of the fires. "We are in uncharted territory," said Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. "We have never seen this many fires concurrently at emergency warning level." At one point, 17 emergency-level fires were burning simultaneously across NSW.More on this:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-10/nsw-weather-conditions-ease-but-high-risk-fires-expected/11690080
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50357103The smoke is drifting over to New Zealand now.
View from Space:
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This article has a heap of photos of the fires:
https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/moments-of-bravery-and-bush-spirit-captured-in-photos-of-nsw-fires/news-story/f901d4e87f01334df917e37bbb1f63a9 -
Things in Bolivia getting really bad. We have several team members there so talking to people on the inside continuously...
