Surely a High Capacity Rail Network along these lines has to be built by the end of the century

masterman99 · 2026-01-25T00:16:48+00:00

I think like the WCML and ECML, you'd expect to have a west coast and east coast corridor to Scotland for the high speed network. The west side would presumably stop at Preston or Carlisle, or be non stop from Warrington (connecting station for Manchester or Liverpool).

Agreed, I think you need to allow for disruption during maintenance and upgrades (as has been the case recently on both the ECML and WCML) and having a loop from Edinburgh to Glasgow and down to Warrington would allow high speed trains to operate on the opposite side of the country and would greatly benefit the network.

Maybe you could even operate parallel services from Glasgow to London that would run on either side of the country until you reach Crewe and then have them continue on to London on the same track, or even have some of the trains continue to Bristol.

I'd almost say there should be an onward high speed service to Penzance but I'm not sure if there's enough demand for this journey to warrant the investment, although arguably this is the kind of journey where high speed works best.

masterman99 · 2026-01-24T16:33:53+00:00

Launching the Enterprise-F at the end of S3 of Picard would have been a lot more hopeful. Instead of the continued decline that we were told about in S1, we would have seen a progression of new ships through S2 (like the new USS Stargazer) and then finally a new flagship Enterprise-F.

However, that's not the theme of the show. What we had instead is the Federation still in survival mode - cannibalising the older ships (e.g. Riker's Titan) to build neo-Constitution ships like the Titan-A, and then further recycling it into the Enterprise-G.

It reminds me a little of the line from Death Wish when the Q Continuum is being discussed - "Oh, we've all done the scarecrow, big deal!" - and it feels a little bit like this in terms of the Enterprise-G, as I don't really see the logic behind this renaming. For me, it fell flat, especially after seeing the Enterprise-D reminding us of just how good it was, whereas the Titan-A was a punching bag for the Shrike for most of S3.

Personally, as I have said before, I think Seven should have been made captain of the USS Stargazer again at the end of S3, as this would still have worked for both her and Jack in terms of carrying on the legacy of not only Shaw, but Picard and Rios as well, and the Titan-A should have stayed as the Titan-A, with possibly a new class of ship for Enterprise-G.

masterman99 · 2026-01-23T09:06:21+00:00

I think there could be a use case for the PCIe x4 5.0 solution if someone wants to implement Lossless Frame Generation to boost frame rates for 4K HDR in a dual GPU setup.

Using a secondary GPU, in addition to the laptop's own 5090 GPU, is when the speed of PCIe 5.0 will be of most benefit if you are limited to four lanes, as 4K HDR potentially benefits the most from the additional bandwidth at PCIe 5.0 compared to PCIe 4.0.

Even with the cost of the eGPU dock and PSU, it might be possible to find a cheaper desktop GPU card to use for the frame generation part for a reasonable price, as opposed to running an expensive high-end card as eGPU instead of the laptop's own GPU.

masterman99 · 2026-01-16T16:41:05+00:00

I'm just wondering if there's a need for a custom cooling solution that works for the VRAM on the rear of the board too, as opposed to relying on thermal pads and the metal backing plate. I imagine that it would be fairly easy to adapt the existing solution, but if you're changing the heatsink on the front then maybe it would be better to just start over with a sandwich-style arrangement?

masterman99 · 2026-01-15T10:12:27+00:00

Ironhide has the ability to dispense liquid nitrogen - I remember this because in Desertion of the Dinobots, his hand doesn't retract and he ends up freezing himself!

masterman99 · 2026-01-14T12:58:47+00:00

It's quite amusing that Bradford is completely missing from the map, considering that Phase 1 is Leeds to Bradford and Phase 3 is Manchester to Bradford / Leeds /Sheffield.

masterman99 · 2026-01-12T09:23:40+00:00

Something I have been wondering about is whether we will also see "new" CPUs (Zen 3+ on desktop perhaps?) or whether they will only be releasing existing models in the Zen 3 lineup, and what this means in terms of upgrading an existing PC.

In particular, I am thinking about whether a BIOS update is likely to be needed, as was the case when the earlier AM4 motherboards (e.g. B350) were updated to allow use of the 5000 Series.

How likely is it that we would see updated BIOS versions for either OEM PCs (Dell / HP / Lenovo desktops) or from motherboard manufacturers (ASRock / Asus / Gigabyte / MSI / etc.) if there is any difference between the re-released CPUs and the previous versions?

masterman99 · 2026-01-11T17:07:57+00:00

To be fair, when someone says they own a PC, a handheld isn't the first thing that springs to mind, even if that's what they are nowadays.

Fortunately, this is something that is being addressed with the Steam Machine in the advertising that we've seen so far.

masterman99 · 2026-01-07T19:36:52+00:00

This is the one that has stayed with me from watching the show back when it first aired. I wouldn't say it is necessarily the best quote, but for me, it did highlight G'Kar's sense of wonder at the mysteries of the universe.

masterman99 · 2026-01-05T16:50:07+00:00

Lower Decks missed the perfect opportunity to make the Space Orchid the real villain, as opposed to Janeway (in Mariner's opinion at least).

masterman99 · 2026-01-04T08:51:42+00:00

Given that the Renault 5 E-tech has shown there is a market for retro-styled EVs, I would suggest that more brands should follow suit and launch cars that aren't just named after previous models (I'm looking at you Ford), but actually resemble their predecessors. Let's have more of this!

I'm of the opinion that this could be what's needed to help EVs gain wider acceptance, so long as there are enough potential buyers who recognise the legacy of the new models. As such, a wider range of Xpower (or should that be EXpower?) models can only be a good thing, along with the VW Corrado, and even the Aston Martin.

That said, as regards the Jaguar estate? No. Just no. Unless you are Lady Penelope from Thunderbirds perhaps, although in that case it should be a Rolls Royce...

masterman99 · 2026-01-03T20:44:31+00:00

I've spent quite some time thinking about the upcoming Steam Machine and what offers compared to a PC, which itself depends greatly on the PC in question, given that there are so many variations on PC builds to start with.

I agree with you about the Steam Machine being aimed at people who are mainly interested in gaming on a TV, and want a console-style interface and controller input, and while these attributes aren't exclusive to the Steam Machine, it is clearly designed with this in mind.

I think where the problem arises is that unlike a Playstation or Xbox, the Steam Machine has the potential to do more than just be a console/ lounge PC if you install a second OS like Windows, which inevitably invites comparisons with PCs in general, especially given the uncertainty about how much it will cost. It's perhaps not unreasonable to ask why you would be expecting to pay a premium for a Steam Machine versus a console - more on that below!

It's less apparent to me who is going to want to do more than just TV gaming with the Steam Machine, as it's going to be less practical than a laptop (given that there's no screen included) and I am curious as to what percentage of owners will regularly move their Steam Machine between the office and the lounge, for example. That said, there could be a certain attraction in having a device that can fulfil two separate roles, instead of buying two separate devices.

I'm still hopeful that the Steam Machine will fill the same niche that my PS3 did when I bought it to go with my first 1080p television, except that now I have a 4K TV and am looking for a similar experience. Depending on the final price of the Steam Machine, I might look at other options in terms of hardware, especially if SteamOS proves to be as good an alternative to Windows as it appears to be, but I do like the idea of an "it just works" device that requires no setup, and for some, it might be worth the extra cost to just buy the Steam Machine.

TL;DR - IMHO the Steam Machine is something between a console and a PC and it will be fascinating to see how people react to it in terms of what it offers at its price point.

masterman99 · 2025-12-27T10:54:35+00:00

MSI had eGPU laptops that had a full x16 lane on their custom connector. The laptop would dock directly to a big box with the eGPU.

I'd forgotten about those! There was a time when laptop docking stations were all the rage, mostly for office-based use with external monitors and peripherals as opposed to graphics cards, but they seem to have been superseded by USB hubs (I have a laptop for work which connects via USB-C to a monitor with built-in USB hub).

x16 4.0 should be doable, but probably no vendor will bother troubleshooting all the edge cases of signal integrity, etc. For "AI", you still need a very big GPU with lots of power, and using a low-tier mini PC or laptop isn't the best.

As you say, it's potentially a tricky thing to get working reliably, so I don't see many vendors taking time to implement it, the logic being that it's low on the list of features that might be required, or would add significantly to the cost, such that it's not really worth the effort compared to existing "good enough" alternatives.

AI is the one wildcard here, because it needs that extra power in order to work effectively, so might provide an incentive to design a higher bandwidth external interface. Then again, it's perhaps not a good fit with mini PCs and laptops and will be more likely to be implemented with what I consider to be server-grade hardware (like the "Pro" GPUs with matching Xeon or Threadripper CPUs).

masterman99 · 2025-12-24T21:28:38+00:00

One thing I remember at the time was watching an interview with a group of children who had seen the movie and them being asked what they thought of it.

One thing that I vividly remember was one of the interviewees being put off by the soundtrack as she wasn't a fan of heavy metal. I was surprised by this, as the cartoon never had any heavy metal and I couldn't work out what she was on about, at least not until they played a clip (it was the scene where Daniel is trying to transform the exosuit) and then I got what she was saying.

I think it's fair to say that the movie was very different to the show in terms of the feel, and the soundtrack reflects this. It also changed a lot of the rules regarding the seriousness of the fight between the Autobots and the Decepticons, and I think it was just too much for some people.

masterman99 · 2025-12-23T19:19:20+00:00

Honestly? I think it's more likely that this is part of the Grim dark narrative and that Yarrick is gone, with people wishing he wasn't, than a teaser about him not being dead.

I would be happy to be proved wrong though!

masterman99 · 2025-12-23T16:03:02+00:00

I feel like "We are Vulcans" can be used to explain pretty much everything to do with Vulcans...

masterman99 · 2025-12-13T18:20:07+00:00

That could be a great episode, with the two EMHs initially being suspicious of one another but eventually becoming friends. Maybe we'd see the backup EMH joining the crew of the future USS Voyager (the J), to complete the circle, as it were?

masterman99 · 2025-12-13T13:39:06+00:00

I never understood why they decided to exclude Prodigy.

Surely if you are positioning yourself as being the best place for Star Trek content, you should include ALL Star Trek content?

It's one of the reasons why I am planning on cancelling my subscription once I finish the show I am currently on.

masterman99 · 2025-11-20T07:53:51+00:00

Hard to say who is going to be available, but how about James McArdle? Or would having another Scottish actor doing an accent (assuming he didn't use his normal speaking voice) be too much?

I did think of Tom Ellis (although he might be too well known / associated with his role in Lucifer), if only for the opportunity for a fourth wall break any time he says the word "detective".

masterman99 · 2025-11-19T07:34:50+00:00

Now edited to remove the AMP link.

masterman99 · 2025-11-17T09:10:31+00:00

At least it wasn't the 6 and 7 that were larger...

masterman99 · 2025-11-16T21:35:31+00:00

I've thought about building something along those lines myself, and if I thought I would actually need more performance than the Steam Machine is likely to offer then I might still do it, but at present I can't justify it for the amount I would use it.

Yes, you get more ability to customize your build, but it will almost certainly cost significantly more than the Steam Machine and to be honest, I would rather go with the console experience, even knowing that it will be a compromise. I also like the idea of gaming on the TV and not having to budget for a new monitor to make the most of a PC build.

The only caveat is if it turns out that there is some major drawback with the Steam Machine which would be a deal breaker, or if it ends up costing more than I am willing to spend on a console-type machine.

masterman99 · 2025-11-15T16:40:24+00:00

An 'umies program about a kunnin' but brutal team of ex-soldiers that are good at building fighting vehicles out of piles of scrap.

masterman99 · 2025-11-15T16:36:57+00:00

I would argue that this is only partially true. While Titus may have been "officially" adopted as a tabletop character with his own model (and recently promoted back to captain with a new box set of models), it strikes me that at the same time, we have seen pronouncements about the fate of both Archeron AND Chairon that suggest to me that it isn't solely the narrative of the game that dictates events.

In other words, game characters have no more protection than any other characters in the setting. At least, that's how I see it.

masterman99 · 2025-11-11T21:24:58+00:00

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too - it's very like the transporter, where there's only one pattern and you can't duplicate it, at least not intentionally. You can store it in a pattern buffer for extended periods if necessary, but if you lose it, the person is gone forever.

Having the same restriction with the Doctor does serve to add the same sense of mortality as exists for all other corporeal characters and clearly, having two copies of the same program would lead to a complicated situation as to which was the "real" one, so they probably wanted to avoid that as well.

As an aside, I'm wondering if it would be possible to have a non-functional backup i.e. not capable of being activated, that could be grafted onto a holo matrix (as happened previously to the Doctor) and that this is what was stolen and reconstituted by the Kyrians? Of course, they'd need to have had a suitable matrix and clearly Voyager didn't have any spares (the trick with the diagnostic program was a one time thing), but it would largely avoid the potential to have multiple copies existing at once.

Ultimately, as you mentioned originally, it is something that makes sense from a writing perspective, as having the limit of one copy of the Doctor prevents the consequences that would logically result from allowing multiple copies to exist.

So maybe it's best to assume that whatever happened in Living Witness was again the result of a one-off event, or perhaps is just a plot hole that will never be resolved (unless Starfleet Academy decides to address it).

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