Swiss clock with a unique detail for the second hand, yeah I'm happy Apple didn't win that one.

The red second hand completes a full sweep every 58.5 seconds and then uses the spare 1.5 second for synchronization.

So the clock is on average a second off.

In high school we had clocks that synchronized every hour. The minute hand would jump to vertical a little early then the clock would buzz and hum and prepare to explode... but it never did. The hands were released to continue their journey.

ZAZ: The red second hand completes a full sweep every 58.5 seconds and then uses the spare 1.5 second for synchronization.

So the clock is on average a second off.

In high school we had clocks that synchronized every hour. The minute hand would jump to vertical a little early then the clock would buzz and hum and prepare to explode... but it never did. The hands were released to continue their journey.

I agree. That's totally bizarre. The Swiss would never knowingly agree to something like that.

It's about time!

ZAZ: The red second hand completes a full sweep every 58.5 seconds and then uses the spare 1.5 second for synchronization.

So the clock is on average a second off.

No. It's on time, but at the top of the minute it pauses slightly then jumps ahead he right amount. They're actually quite neat to watch. Especially from a inside the train, where you see the second hand hit the top, pause, and then start going again,and pretty much at the same time, so does your train.

SBB runs an operation that you can only dream about in the US. It's not just that the trains are on time, they're more frequent, they're faster, and the equipment's lot nicer, not to mention it's quieter because the Swiss network is almost all electric. SBB receives very little government money to operate trains, but receives a large amount of capital improvement funding. This is the opposite of the US where transit operators (including Amtrak) receive very little capital construction money, and huge operating subsidies to offset huge operating losses. SBB's ridership is better than 10 times that of Amtrak, though that also includes S bahns, which are somewhat analogous to US commuter trains (but are shorter lines and significantly higher average speed)

red5ish: PsychoPhil: No. It's on time, but at the top of the minute it pauses slightly then jumps ahead he right amount.

Your description of the clocks and railroad are more interesting than the article.

If you want to see a railroad done right, SBB is pretty much it. DB in Germany says they're done right but they weren't much better than Amtrak at timekeeping.

One thing though: if you ever travel in Europe by high speed train, at least once, opt for the first class, especially if it's the Thalys or TGV. Trust me, it's worth it.

ZAZ: The red second hand completes a full sweep every 58.5 seconds and then uses the spare 1.5 second for synchronization.

So the clock is on average a second off.
.

I'm fascinated by the series of errors that got you to that conclusion. Could you elaborate?

fondleslab fondleslab fondleslab fondleslab fondleslab fondleslab

"My little i." I get it.

+1

The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves: fondleslab fondleslab fondleslab fondleslab fondleslab fondleslab

That got a laugh out of me too.

theurge14: ABQGOD: GameSprocket: Um, where did Apple lose a lawsuit? Agreeing to license something is not losing anything.

To be fair, they weren't being sued yet. Apple only did the right thing and licensed the clock design after public pressure forcing them to admit they either copied it on purpose, or didn't know it was trademarked.

So essentially a non-story but OMG APPLE so a headline with ad-clicks?

Apple did not do the right thing. They did the wrong thing and got caught and instead of going to court settled for getting caught doing the thing they accuse every one else of doing. And its not the largest company in the world does not research trademarks....

Not the first lawsuit Apple has lost. Read this. Skip to the third paragraph for this:

Apple paid Nokia more than $600M plus an estimated $11.50 per iPhone sold. Where were the handwringers who now accuse Apple of abusing the patent system when the Nokia settlement took place? Where was the outrage against the "evil", if hapless, Finnish company?

The answer, of course, is that nobody is getting paid to spread anti-Nokia propaganda.

Tigger

If the second hand moves at (60/58.5) RPM for 58.5 seconds then stops for 1.5 seconds each minute it will be on average about a second off.

However, PsychoPhil says it moves at 1 RPM for 58.5 seconds, 0 RPM for 1.5 seconds, and ∞ RPM for long enough to advance from 0 to 1.5. In that case it is much more accurate.

traylor: Ivo Shandor: ZAZ: So the clock is on average a second off.

3/4 of a second, which is still quite a lot by modern standards. A cheap quartz clock that set itself to the DCF77 radio signal every night would do better.

That is true for the second hand, but not for the minute hand, which is synchronized in every minute by a radio signal, and is advanced by an independent system. The minute synchronization also starts the motors that move the second hand.

So actually, the minute hand is waaaay more accurate than your cheap quartz clock that synchronizes only once a day, and it is pretty impressive that it was designed in 1944. And railway timetables don't list seconds, anyway.

I believe the Shinkansen is scheduled to the second, though. I doubt SBB needs that precision, but they're a very tight ship anyway.

And really, of all places, Switzerland's gonna be the one with accurate clocks. Do you really think the Swiss would go around installing a clock system that can't keep time?

bingethinker:

Not the first lawsuit Apple has lost. Read this. Skip to the third paragraph for this:

Apple paid Nokia more than $600M plus an estimated $11.50 per iPhone sold. Where were the handwringers who now accuse Apple of abusing the patent system when the Nokia settlement took place? Where was the outrage against the "evil", if hapless, Finnish company?

The answer, of course, is that nobody is getting paid to spread anti-Nokia propaganda.

You iDrones are so amusing, you especially since you've been accused in the past of being a paid Apple advocate.