by hoyclan December 19, 2009
A company that made car airbags. Pretty much every car company except for Volvo used Takata airbags on at least one vehicle line at some point in time, but Honda and Toyota used their airbags the most.
Back in the 1990s, airbags were made with a chemical propellant called sodium azide, which is very toxic. By 2000 automakers switched to other propellants that were safer. Takata switched to a propellant called Tetrazole for a while, it was effective but expensive. Takata was looking to save a buck and decided to go with ammonium nitrate.
Ammonium nitrate tends to stick together after absorbing humidity. This problem is worse in climates which have lots of hot and humid weather. The airbags are sealed in a metal container, so it takes several years for the propellant to clump together. For the first few years after Takata made the switch to ammonium nitrate, everything was going well. Then, starting around 2008, some of these airbags went off in crashes and instead of providing a cushion, they shot fucking shrapnel at people in crashes. The ammonium nitrate's clumping together caused it to detonate too forcefully, blowing apart the housing of the airbag. Over 20 people have been killed by these airbombs, the vast majority of them in Hondas and Ford Rangers from the early to mid 2000's.
Despite a massive recall campaign which succeeded in getting the vast majority of these airbombs out of cars, the damage had been done and Takata closed down in 2018.
Back in the 1990s, airbags were made with a chemical propellant called sodium azide, which is very toxic. By 2000 automakers switched to other propellants that were safer. Takata switched to a propellant called Tetrazole for a while, it was effective but expensive. Takata was looking to save a buck and decided to go with ammonium nitrate.
Ammonium nitrate tends to stick together after absorbing humidity. This problem is worse in climates which have lots of hot and humid weather. The airbags are sealed in a metal container, so it takes several years for the propellant to clump together. For the first few years after Takata made the switch to ammonium nitrate, everything was going well. Then, starting around 2008, some of these airbags went off in crashes and instead of providing a cushion, they shot fucking shrapnel at people in crashes. The ammonium nitrate's clumping together caused it to detonate too forcefully, blowing apart the housing of the airbag. Over 20 people have been killed by these airbombs, the vast majority of them in Hondas and Ford Rangers from the early to mid 2000's.
Despite a massive recall campaign which succeeded in getting the vast majority of these airbombs out of cars, the damage had been done and Takata closed down in 2018.
by hoyclan January 18, 2020
If cars ran on Windows Vista:
7:30 am. Johnny goes to get in his car (that he's making $700 monthly payments on). As soon as he turns the key, the car freezes. He tries to shift the car into reverse, but it doesn't respond. He fiddles with it for a couple minutes, before the car starts. He has to go through a range of windows to give permission for it to work. "Gearshift.exe needs your permission to run." "Steeringwheel.exe", "Radio.exe", etc. By the time he leaves, it's 7:37 and he's probably going to be late for work.
He's on a country road fifteen minutes later, when he gets a message. "Steeringwheel.exe has stopped working, Windows is checking for a solution." just as he's about to go around a curve. Just as he slams head on into a Windows 7 car, his car says "Airbag.exe needs your permission to run." Obviously he can't react in time for the crash, so the airbag doesn't deploy. After the crash, his hand slips, hits "Yes", and the airbag punches him in the face, causing further injury. The driver of the Windows 7 car walks away.
Good thing the emergency room doesn't run on Windows Vista.
7:30 am. Johnny goes to get in his car (that he's making $700 monthly payments on). As soon as he turns the key, the car freezes. He tries to shift the car into reverse, but it doesn't respond. He fiddles with it for a couple minutes, before the car starts. He has to go through a range of windows to give permission for it to work. "Gearshift.exe needs your permission to run." "Steeringwheel.exe", "Radio.exe", etc. By the time he leaves, it's 7:37 and he's probably going to be late for work.
He's on a country road fifteen minutes later, when he gets a message. "Steeringwheel.exe has stopped working, Windows is checking for a solution." just as he's about to go around a curve. Just as he slams head on into a Windows 7 car, his car says "Airbag.exe needs your permission to run." Obviously he can't react in time for the crash, so the airbag doesn't deploy. After the crash, his hand slips, hits "Yes", and the airbag punches him in the face, causing further injury. The driver of the Windows 7 car walks away.
Good thing the emergency room doesn't run on Windows Vista.
Windows Vista is better than Windows ME, and worse than Windows 3.1, 95, 98, 2000, XP, 7, 8... well pretty much any non ME Windows released since 1990.
by hoyclan June 10, 2014
by hoyclan August 10, 2016
by hoyclan October 11, 2013
The best video game console ever. Has a massive game library with winners in every conceivable genre. Also triples as a PS1 and a DVD player. There's a reason that over 20 years after its release it's still the best selling video game system ever made. Since they made so many of them, you can still get one fairly cheap.
Also there was none of that microtransactions or major parts of the game locked behind DLC bullcrap.
Also there was none of that microtransactions or major parts of the game locked behind DLC bullcrap.
by hoyclan August 16, 2023
This operating system resembles a piece of horse crap more than an actual operating system. It lasts about as long as a bridge made of matchsticks and held together by Elmers Glue before it crashes. Sure it's nice to look at, but so is a Mercedes-Benz with Yugo parts running it. I'm sorry I can't give a detailed review of Windows ME - my copy crashed after just three days.
Operating systems I've had:
2007 - Present
Windows Vista
Lifespan: 2 1/2 years, no crashes, minor problems from time to time
2005 - 2007
Windows XP
Lifespan: 2 years, no crashes, computer still in operating condition as of 2010
Fate of computer: Partially Retired
2004 - 2005
Windows XP
Lifespan: 1 year, 10 months, no crashes
Fate of computer: Retired
2002 - 2004
Windows ?? (not ME)
Lifespan: 1 year+, no crashes
Fate of computer: Retired
December 25, 2002 - December 28, 2002
Windows ME
Lifespan: 3 days
Fate of computer: Crashed, inoperable after crash of 12/28/2002
Thank you Windows ME for giving me a perspective on what a crappy, poorly working operating system feels like
2007 - Present
Windows Vista
Lifespan: 2 1/2 years, no crashes, minor problems from time to time
2005 - 2007
Windows XP
Lifespan: 2 years, no crashes, computer still in operating condition as of 2010
Fate of computer: Partially Retired
2004 - 2005
Windows XP
Lifespan: 1 year, 10 months, no crashes
Fate of computer: Retired
2002 - 2004
Windows ?? (not ME)
Lifespan: 1 year+, no crashes
Fate of computer: Retired
December 25, 2002 - December 28, 2002
Windows ME
Lifespan: 3 days
Fate of computer: Crashed, inoperable after crash of 12/28/2002
Thank you Windows ME for giving me a perspective on what a crappy, poorly working operating system feels like
by hoyclan June 09, 2010