[Offwidth]

Well if they make a big donation to the Conservatives they might just get a contract, in the meantime we wait for Dyson and JCB to sort their shit out.

If it's an open source design with off-the-shelf parts, contract issues are less complex and time to market is much reduced.  Its hardly like there is a glut of alternatives. More importantly for the third world they can use it to cheaply manufacture and save lives.

It's easy to forget how much open source has influenced modern technology development from Bell Labs and the transistor to the masses of open source software.

Another excellent local innovation today (Im not normally a massive fan of Boots):

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/boots-opens-drive-through-covid-3994681

It was in the news yesterday that a biotech company in Hampshire is working with the local NHS trust to similarly test NHS staff for free.

[Offwidth]

A lovely message from Italy

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/27/a-letter-to-the-uk-from-italy-this-is-what-we-know-about-your-future

[Muenchener]

It's a small thing, but I had scarcely read or paid for a newspaper in years. The Munich Mercury's coverage of the state of emergency in Bavaria has been so excellent, though, that I've decided they definitely deserve some of my money in future.

[cheque]

Clocks go forward tonight so that’s one hour less to kill tomorrow. 

[bolehillbilly]

Clocks go forward tonight so that’s one hour less to kill tomorrow. 

As the actual time has less relevance now you could save the change for a rainy day when you cant get out for walk.
 

[Oldmanmatt]

Clocks go forward tonight so that’s one hour less to kill tomorrow. 

As the actual time has less relevance now you could save the change for a rainy day when you cant get out for walk.
 

Realised we had forgotten all about this.

Suddenly had a vision of emerging from our hole in a few weeks an hour out of sync with humanity at large...

[TobyD]

Clocks go forward tonight so that’s one hour less to kill tomorrow. 

I'd totally forgotten about that! Tar...

[Offwidth]

Another public institution producing open souce designs .. this time for PPE face masks. Caught it on the BBC news earlier today. They are already manufacturing and shipping thousands to local healthcare in Wales.

https://www.scotsman.com/health/coronavirus/royal-mint-make-medical-visors-nhs-2520782

[jwi]

The slow-down in Italy seems to be real, and is driven by a slow down in the Lombardy region, while the infection is still spreading fast in the Piedmont- and other central and southern regions. Google translate does a god job on this: https://www.avvenire.it/.../un-mese-di-covid19-adesso-si... (google translate Italian > French seems almost perfect and Italian > English produce acceptable text as well)

Overall the article is an educational read.

[Duma]

Link doesn't work for me?

[Offwidth]

https://www.avvenire.it/attualita/pagine/un-mese-di-covid19-adesso-si-vede-una-luce

[Duma]

Thanks offwidth (and jwi)

[tomtom]

Our neighbour who works from home for a wine wholesaler is being furloughed on Monday. And has just been distributing some of his excess stock to the roads residents!

[Offwidth]

Thanks offwidth (and jwi)

It's all jwi... I just tidied up a link

[Stu Littlefair]

This probably would have happened anyway, given the spectacular lack of common sense disallayed by the protagonist. But let’s add it to the tally.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/30/astrophysicist-gets-magnets-stuck-up-nose-while-inventing-coronavirus-device

[TobyD]

This probably would have happened anyway, given the spectacular lack of common sense disallayed by the protagonist. But let’s add it to the tally.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/30/astrophysicist-gets-magnets-stuck-up-nose-while-inventing-coronavirus-device

Ha, I saw that and thought of you!

[tomtom]

I did wonder if it was a ‘Ive got this friend’ post...

[Stu Littlefair]

I do know him, very vaguely. We are occasionally on conference calls together. But what I like about this story is that it could easily have been any one of my colleagues.

[SA Chris]

He's going to have the piss taken out him for eternity.

[petejh]

 Brilliant!

“I’m actually getting a lot of work done,” he said. “Working remotely is not that bad. We are also renovating our house, so I am building shelves, making furniture and doing some tiling.” 

[Offwidth]

So not all the magnets end up in the same place.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/29/government-set-to-cap-university-admissions-amid-covid-19-chaos

[tomtom]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/29/government-set-to-cap-university-admissions-amid-covid-19-chaos

I would very much welcome this.

[duncan]

Three weeks ago Camden, my patch, had the second-highest rate of Coronovirus in the UK, just behind Kensington and Chelsea. A function of a mobile and affluent population (half-term skiing holidays in Italy and the means to get tested through private healthcare)?

It's now 51st in the UK. My sense is we were social isolation early adopters (being affluent helps) and it's a local indication that this stuff really does works.

[SA Chris]

How is "patch" classified? District, Postcode, Constituency?

[JamieG]

Urination boundary?