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I want to know what makes low air pressure and cold temps break apart balsa wood... I was trying to imagine moisture content in the wood, but couldn't see enough to do that since balsa's pretty hollow/porous fibre... any ideas anyone? #toshibaspacechair
@brianmi40: The balloon popped, and the chair was destroyed by the aerodynamic stresses of freefall, since it was designed to be lightweight, not sturdy. #toshibaspacechair
@Kakkoii: I'm using Firefox, and Flash is updated. It was specifically something either with the video or the ad that was showing. WHatever it was, when I closed this page, utilization dropped back to nothing. #toshibaspacechair
...... so wait they spent nearly 4 grand for a chair made out of "biodegradable" balsa wood.....
Last time i checked all wood was biodegradable and balsa wood cost like 4 bucks a sheet. And i think full sized model chair means they just made it so light you couldnt actually sit on it.
@WWSJD: Thanks for the expert opinion, armchair carpenter!
You're right, I bet that Toshiba forgot to consult the internet, and just wasted thousands of dollars on a prop for an advertisement.
As experts like you and I know, there's nothing special to consider at all when shooting video, especially when you do it unmanned from a balloon at 50,000 feet.
@Joe Stoner: Theres about as much rocket science to this as loading your car for vacation. And yes i was trained in aeronautical engineering.
My point is they over hyped the dinky chair. Its just a gussied up piece of light wood. They act like its special, its a lightweight prop well painted and made of wood so they needn't bother retrieving it. The people who made it is a props company.
The balloon technology has been around for decades, you hang a rig from it and send it up. It makes all your object length stationary so the optics are quite simple especially with a modern camera. Im also an amateur photographer/holographer so im quite aware of that branch of physics as well.
Not every pithy comment on the internet is filed as serious commentary by a fool. #toshibaspacechair
@WWSJD: I'd guess the biodegradable part comes from it being completely biodegradable - as in it doesn't have any metal screws, and probably wasn't painted with anything that would inhibit it being biodegradable. I'd bet the upholstery is biodegradable as well. #toshibaspacechair
@WWSJD: Well, then, with your amazing training in aeronautical engineering, photography, AND holography, I expect you should be submitting your own short video soon, right?
You seem awfully stubborn about your off-hand assertion that Toshiba got ripped off by a prop company. I still think it's entirely possible that Toshiba's ad agency has some connections in the industry, managed to negotiate a reasonable price for the prop, and shot the commercial using trained professionals.
But maybe you're right, aeronautical photo-holographer. Maybe the prop company could have done it for about $50, and they went and filled a bathtub with all the extra money they got out of this - which would also be a great way to save money on their upcoming bathtub commercial. In this economy, everybody's got to get creative!
Man, I hope you don't also run a side business involving bathtubs. That would be egg on my face. #toshibaspacechair
@fsusmithc2: Well, if the thing weighed about 4 pounds, and terminal velocity was 50 m/s, the force would be 90 newtons. 21 pounds of force. That would hurt. Probably wouldn't kill though.
Am I right? I am not an arithmetist. I work with people here. #toshibaspacechair
@Frisky Unicorns: How did you calculate the terminal velocity? You'd need to know the wind resistance. Are you just using some common value of terminal velocity, because something with a large size to weight ratio like this would have a much lower terminal velocity. #toshibaspacechair
@The Lab: I went the common value route. I used a slightly lower terminal velocity than that of a human skydiver, arms and legs spread. I also googled around for some other values, and found that close to 50 m/s seemed a good guess.
@joule79: You made me think, why the heck has battery technology changed so much for laptops and cars etc. but the 1.5 V AA battery has remained the same for all this time? It hasn't gotten too much more efficient and/or longer lasting. Since it's size remains the same, it should at least double in power every couple years. Wait, does Moore's law apply to batteries? #toshibamkxx33gsg
@PurpleMonkeyDishwasher: : battery technology is improving every year. In terms of what chemicals produce the best reaction while being the least harmful to whatever they don't want to harm. The AA cannot really improve much more without changing its size/shape, which would defeat the purpose of being an AA battery. There are more powerful and smaller batteries, it's just hard to adapt their technology to still produce 1.5 V in that size. #toshibamkxx33gsg
@psychiccheese: Still, battery tech is improving at a slower pace than the rest of technology. Battery tech is actually what is keeping us from advancing even more quickly. Though I did see that there were some recent breakthroughs, I can't wait till they're out. #toshibamkxx33gsg
@Digo: another thing I forgot to mention is backwards compatibility. When someone designs a faster, more efficient CPU, if they can't make it fit on existing motherboards, they simply make a new motherboard for it. With batteries, even today, new gadgets run on AA batteries, because they're the most widespread and universal. Not because they're the best kind, but because everyone will have access to them. #toshibamkxx33gsg
And already out of date. It's kind of undeniably sad when a company spends what was probably a tidy sum on a product that will be DOA. #toshibamkxx33gsg
@vercordio: Perhaps Toshiba can find other markets aside from us, such as airlines, racing, etc. that still use this type of storage. Plus, it's cheaper then the flash alternative. Just a thought... #toshibamkxx33gsg
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If I close it, all is good. But starting this particular page blows. #toshibaspacechair
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Last time i checked all wood was biodegradable and balsa wood cost like 4 bucks a sheet. And i think full sized model chair means they just made it so light you couldnt actually sit on it.
Artem musta seen these guys comin a mile away. #toshibaspacechair
11/16/09
You're right, I bet that Toshiba forgot to consult the internet, and just wasted thousands of dollars on a prop for an advertisement.
As experts like you and I know, there's nothing special to consider at all when shooting video, especially when you do it unmanned from a balloon at 50,000 feet.
It's obviously not rocket science. #toshibaspacechair
11/16/09
My point is they over hyped the dinky chair. Its just a gussied up piece of light wood. They act like its special, its a lightweight prop well painted and made of wood so they needn't bother retrieving it. The people who made it is a props company.
The balloon technology has been around for decades, you hang a rig from it and send it up. It makes all your object length stationary so the optics are quite simple especially with a modern camera. Im also an amateur photographer/holographer so im quite aware of that branch of physics as well.
Not every pithy comment on the internet is filed as serious commentary by a fool. #toshibaspacechair
11/16/09
11/16/09
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11/16/09
You seem awfully stubborn about your off-hand assertion that Toshiba got ripped off by a prop company. I still think it's entirely possible that Toshiba's ad agency has some connections in the industry, managed to negotiate a reasonable price for the prop, and shot the commercial using trained professionals.
But maybe you're right, aeronautical photo-holographer. Maybe the prop company could have done it for about $50, and they went and filled a bathtub with all the extra money they got out of this - which would also be a great way to save money on their upcoming bathtub commercial. In this economy, everybody's got to get creative!
Man, I hope you don't also run a side business involving bathtubs. That would be egg on my face. #toshibaspacechair
11/16/09
My husband was hit in the head by your falling chair and is now dead!
Yeah, but did you see the commercial? #toshibaspacechair
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Am I right? I am not an arithmetist. I work with people here. #toshibaspacechair
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11/23/09
#tips
11/16/09
I wonder how much time ti would take a person to make the same fall? #toshibaspacechair
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[www.rapidrepair.com] #toshibamkxx33gsg
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The World's Wittlest 320GB Hard Dwive
The World's Littlest 320GB Hard Drive? #toshibamkxx33gsg
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