Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by tictac88

unexplained coronavirus cases found in USA

tictac88 — Sat, 29 Feb 2020 23:06:37 +0800

basically the spread of the new virus already far and wide. and since connection cannot be established, that means the many carriers and spreaders probably has no symptoms or just so mild that they recover by themselves. but it is out there, everywhere, most likely no longer possible to be contained.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51685908

Officials on the US West Coast have reported three unexplained coronavirus cases, raising concerns the virus could be spreading within the community.

The patients - in California, Oregon and Washington State - have no known connection to a badly hit country.

A total of 59 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the US, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

What is happening in the US?
On Friday health officials in California's Santa Clara County said an older woman with chronic health conditions had been diagnosed with Covid-19.

Officials say she is not known to have travelled to a country badly affected by the virus or been in contact with a person who had.

"This new case indicates that there is evidence of community transmission but the extent is still not clear," said Dr Sara Cody, director of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.

Oregon health officials said a school employee in Clackamas County had tested positive for the virus. In Washington State, authorities said another case concerned a high school student in Snohomish County.

Neither had any contact with a known case nor any history of travel to an affected region.

These bring the total of unexplained cases in the country to four, after another such case was reported in California on Tuesday.

The Democratic Party has criticised President Donald Trump's response to the outbreak, arguing that he has contradicted his own health officials and tried to downplay the severity of the virus.

On Friday, the president hit back at Democrats, accusing them of politicising the outbreak. "This is their new hoax," he told a rally in South Carolina.

He accused Democrats of advocating a policy of open borders and said this was "a direct threat to the health and wellbeing of all Americans".

government wants to stimulate growth

tictac88 — Sat, 29 Feb 2020 00:18:13 +0800

so multiple methods will be used as announced earlier

https://www.nst.com.my/business/2020/02/569...llion-war-chest

1. spend money and give free money for people to spend
2. encourage people to reduce EPF savings so people can spend more
3. lower interest rates so people inclined to spend more

everyone does not spend end up economy no good also. but if want to spend you want to spend on things most important to you right?

so, what are you going to spend on?

if government change, macai no more jobs

tictac88 — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 06:57:12 +0800

if government change again, PH probably no more right? either go to jail or retire. no more oppo means no more need of macai. aren't those macai worried?

yesterday was kind of anti climax

tictac88 — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 07:47:39 +0800

today gonna has big news? what does /k think?

pawn shop is the forever mystery to me

tictac88 — Sat, 22 Feb 2020 16:52:17 +0800

nowadays i know of nobody that actually has visited pawn shop before. so how do they actually stay in business. rental also cost money right? i heard rumor about they are usually fronts for money laundering or ah loong business. not sure if it is true or not since it is just rumor.

i meant, if it is truly and very obviously money laundering front isn't it easy to crack down? imagine a front that cannot be cracked down then every songlap person can easily use it to justify their income. must be more to that than meeting the eye.

OPM surprisingly monster king not yet dead

tictac88 — Sat, 22 Feb 2020 14:26:54 +0800

latest chapter, monster king regenerating itself so gonna have another unseen before epic fight later

who gonna watch Onward?

tictac88 — Sat, 22 Feb 2020 06:11:57 +0800

[YOUTUBE]gn5QmllRCn4[/YOUTUBE]

containment box for infected flyers

tictac88 — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 20:15:15 +0800

so high class and advanced. like Agents of Shield containment module.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/32248...infected-flyers

who here has run out of space on gmail before?

tictac88 — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 20:00:07 +0800

anyone has this happened before?

Generate electricity from thin air

tictac88 — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 07:13:37 +0800

so. Malaysia no need nuclear power or oil in the future anymore?

https://scitechdaily.com/new-invention-gene...an-energy-24-7/

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a device that uses a natural protein to create electricity from moisture in the air, a new technology they say could have significant implications for the future of renewable energy, climate change and in the future of medicine.

As reported today in Nature, the laboratories of electrical engineer Jun Yao and microbiologist Derek Lovley at UMass Amherst have created a device they call an “Air-gen.” or air-powered generator, with electrically conductive protein nanowires produced by the microbe Geobacter. The Air-gen connects electrodes to the protein nanowires in such a way that electrical current is generated from the water vapor naturally present in the atmosphere.

“We are literally making electricity out of thin air,” says Yao. “The Air-gen generates clean energy 24/7.” Lovely, who has advanced sustainable biology-based electronic materials over three decades, adds, “It’s the most amazing and exciting application of protein nanowires yet.”

The new technology developed in Yao’s lab is non-polluting, renewable and low-cost. It can generate power even in areas with extremely low humidity such as the Sahara Desert. It has significant advantages over other forms of renewable energy including solar and wind, Lovley says, because unlike these other renewable energy sources, the Air-gen does not require sunlight or wind, and “it even works indoors.”

The Air-gen device requires only a thin film of protein nanowires less than 10 microns thick, the researchers explain. The bottom of the film rests on an electrode, while a smaller electrode that covers only part of the nanowire film sits on top. The film adsorbs water vapor from the atmosphere. A combination of the electrical conductivity and surface chemistry of the protein nanowires, coupled with the fine pores between the nanowires within the film, establishes the conditions that generate an electrical current between the two electrodes.

The researchers say that the current generation of Air-gen devices are able to power small electronics, and they expect to bring the invention to commercial scale soon. Next steps they plan include developing a small Air-gen “patch” that can power electronic wearables such as health and fitness monitors and smart watches, which would eliminate the requirement for traditional batteries. They also hope to develop Air-gens to apply to cell phones to eliminate periodic charging.

Yao says, “The ultimate goal is to make large-scale systems. For example, the technology might be incorporated into wall paint that could help power your home. Or, we may develop stand-alone air-powered generators that supply electricity off the grid. Once we get to an industrial scale for wire production, I fully expect that we can make large systems that will make a major contribution to sustainable energy production.”

Continuing to advance the practical biological capabilities of Geobacter, Lovley’s lab recently developed a new microbial strain to more rapidly and inexpensively mass produce protein nanowires. “We turned E. coli into a protein nanowire factory,” he says. “With this new scalable process, protein nanowire supply will no longer be a bottleneck to developing these applications.”

The Air-gen discovery reflects an unusual interdisciplinary collaboration, they say. Lovley discovered the Geobacter microbe in the mud of the Potomac River more than 30 years ago. His lab later discovered its ability to produce electrically conductive protein nanowires. Before coming to UMass Amherst, Yao had worked for years at Harvard University, where he engineered electronic devices with silicon nanowires. They joined forces to see if useful electronic devices could be made with the protein nanowires harvested from Geobacter.

Xiaomeng Liu, a Ph.D. student in Yao’s lab, was developing sensor devices when he noticed something unexpected. He recalls, “I saw that when the nanowires were contacted with electrodes in a specific way the devices generated a current. I found that that exposure to atmospheric humidity was essential and that protein nanowires adsorbed water, producing a voltage gradient across the device.”

In addition to the Air-gen, Yao’s laboratory has developed several other applications with the protein nanowires. “This is just the beginning of new era of protein-based electronic devices” said Yao.

The research was supported in part from a seed fund through the Office of Technology Commercialization and Ventures at UMass Amherst and research development funds from the campus’s College of Natural Sciences.

if you own RM30 millions in wealth will you work?

tictac88 — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 21:01:20 +0800

assuming you have accumulated RM30 millions in wealth, diversified into various relatively safe investments and generates RM1 million in cash annually for you. will you still work?

pro: plenty of money for highend middle class and lower end elite class life
con: not enough to support true status symbol assets like ferrari, cruise ship, mistresses etc

what is your favorite bond song?

tictac88 — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 19:56:22 +0800

which one is your favorite?

[YOUTUBE]bFurkDf6WXg[/YOUTUBE]

confusion about B40, M40 and T20

tictac88 — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 21:27:35 +0800

normally we classify B40, M40 and T20 based on their annual income level. for example, less than RM100K annual income but more than RM3800 monthly income in a year is consider M40.

but what if someone is already retired, have RM3 millions in cash, which in turn earn RM90k annual income a year in interest. does that also make him a M40?

KL to pedestrianise 10 roads

tictac88 — Sun, 09 Feb 2020 18:48:39 +0800

Bukit Bintang super duper jam incoming.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/02/...e-10-roads-2025

UALA LUMPUR: AT least 10 roads in the city will be off limits to private vehicles by 2025 with plans to turn them into pedestrian-only stretches like in many cities around the world.

The goal is to reduce the number of cars entering the capital. It will see several major roads closed in stages for a trial run over the next five years.

By the end of the year, at least five roads will be affected. They include Jalan Raja, where the iconic city landmarks Dataran Merdeka and Sultan Abdul Samad Building are located, as well as Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR), which is popular among shoppers for its food bazaars, fabric emporiums and markets.

In disclosing this, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan said City Hall planned to cordon off several stretches in Bangsar, Bukit Bintang and Brickfields to make them more pedestrian-friendly and reduce carbon emissions.

“We will be revisiting Jalan TAR’s trial run that was suspended last year. Our vision is to see it connected to Jalan Raja until the intersection at Leboh Pasar Besar,” he told the New Sunday Times.

“That’s our vision for the future of the city. It has been done successfully in Singapore and other countries,” he said, drawing examples from the semi-pedestrianised Arab Street and Haji Lanes in Singapore, as well as some parts of London, such as Portobello Road.

Nor Hisham said the road closures would be modelled after Jalan Masjid India and Jalan TAR’s previous trial closures.

When asked to elaborate on the initiative, he said details could only be finalised at a later time as studies were under way.

He also did not elaborate on whether the closures would entail cordoning off the entire road or just some stretches.

It is yet to be decided if the closures would be on a permanent basis, semi-permanent for weekends or a combination of the two.

To a question on whether public transport such as taxis and e-hailing rides would be allowed on the roads, like how it was during the trial run in Jalan TAR, he said the matter would be studied before any decision could be made.

However, Nor Hisham said, plans for a widespread awareness campaign were on the cards, together with consultations with stakeholders and public engagements.

solo leveling vs the king's avatar

tictac88 — Sat, 08 Feb 2020 16:28:37 +0800

which one better?

i heard aeon big at 3damansara gonna chaplap

tictac88 — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 20:47:17 +0800

if aeon big at 3damansara chaplap, how soon before 3damansara also chaplap?

hulu international rollout

tictac88 — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 18:54:19 +0800

got use meh? later due to licensing issue,

titles available in USA = 1300+
titles available in Malaysia = 300

human population history

tictac88 — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 19:44:24 +0800

human originated from Africa, and started migrating across the globe 100,000 years ago.

Question: how come we end up have so many different skin colors instead of all black?

Question: if 100k years is enough to create so many different skin colors? then another 100k years we gonna have even more exotic colors like blue skin, purple skin, green skin, rainbow skin?

[YOUTUBE]PUwmA3Q0_OE[/YOUTUBE]

if Earth ocean dry up

tictac88 — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 19:37:37 +0800

every place will be connected. can easily walk from west malaysia to east malaysia since the ocean floor is actually quite shallow. only between 50 to 100 meters

[YOUTUBE]-uOwv_Krqk8[/YOUTUBE]

do hawkers still charge extra for CNY?

tictac88 — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 19:43:52 +0800

anyone notice if hawkers still claim they need to charge extra for CNY this year?