The System 333: Full Gadget Ratio

UPDATE-UPDATE: I know what you’re thinking. The equation is crap! Here’s how you can help me fix it!

Everything you need to know to calculate the true size of the gadgets you carry. There are way more factors than you may have considered. I invite you to calculate yours, and post in the comments. Use standard metric system for all measurements. As for Planck’s Apple Constant (based on his original work on Planck’s Constant), everyone knows that’s a physical constant used to describe the size of the smallest iPod available used in the pricing of running arm bands and quantum mechanics.

Systemic Harris has helped us better define the Full Gadget Ratio, with an equation that has now been reflected in the above image. Here’s his breakdown:

On the FGR of Mobile Devices:

Clearly, FGR should be a measure of how bulky/inconvenient the object is, amortized over how useful it is. So:

FGR, the base term at first glance should be affine in S,A,B, as these all contribute more or less additively to bulkiness. T is an issue, though for now we can add it in as well. I see lots of people use S*T or some such, which is clearly not right, though my S+T isn’t much better. Really, the question is whether S is a volume, or the bulkiest dimension, or maybe, it’s the largest face divided by the opposite direction (screen size divided by thickness, say). The question is whether S should be a measure of useful dimensions vs. non-useful dimension, like the latter, or a general matter of how bulky something is to carry around, so a simple volume, or the bulkiest dimension. The interaction w/ T then plays into that. Not sure the best way to handle it. The most accurate would be to break S into the three dimensions and apply T directly, recomputing the volume, but that will complicate the device enormously. So for now we leave it linear.

If a device is twice as useful, it’s clearly functionally half as bulky, so divide by U.

Higher H makes it more useful, but how? On the one hand, H should essentially contribute to higher U, as you can’t use it if the battery is dead, so will use it more. But only past a point, as if it can do, say, 24 or 48 hours w/out recharge, it’s not an inconvenience to recharge every so often. So replacing 1/U by (1 + 1/H)/U is good for bulkiness, as low H decreases effective usefulness a lot, but past a point high H is diminishing returns.

Additionally, though, H plays off against A, as the longer it lasts w/out power the less you need to carry the power adapter around. So perhaps replace the A term by A/H, that is, the bulk of the adaptors is reduced by you maybe not needing to carry them around. Really this should be a threshold effect of some kind, though, where either you are carrying the adaptors around or you aren’t, so maybe multiply A by an appropriate shifted Heaviside function of H. Still, the linear approximation is ok for now. And of course, that you rolled chargers & adapters into the same category muddles the issue.

The worry factor increases bulkiness, presumably linearly. But, if newer versions are out, you don’t mind it breaking as much because you want to buy the new one. So there should be a W/N factor in there (where obviously we must count N as the number of generations at least as new as this one, to avoid division by 0). Again, though once it is old enough you don’t worry at all, but this shouldn’t go to 0, so it should be (1+ W/N).

And the constant should definitely be used as a multiplier, to get the units (whatever they are) to come out right.
So maybe:

FGR = (S + T + A/H + B) * (1+1/H)/U * (1 + W/N) * h, or reordered to look a little nicer

FGR = h(1+W/N)(1+1/H)(S+T+A/H+B)/U

This is why I outsource the really mathy stuff. It’s just easier that way.

UPDATE: As always, if you want a print of this comic (or any comic), they are all only $10 at our online store, Hilariawesome.com!

Comments:

Buy A Print of This Comic
  • Image Link Code:
  • A link to this post:
  • StumbleUpon
  • submit to reddit

picture-5

Here at Rosscott, Inc. we’ve had a real boner for infographics lately. Let today be no exception. Graphic designer (and fellow infographic lover) Stephen “Stivo” Taubman has created an infographic that depicts all the statistical and visual detail necessary to recreate the famous scene in the smash hit Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus where the mega shark jumps out of the water and eats the plane near the Golden Gate Bridge. When I saw this, I thought of my friends in tropical Madison, WI at Tank Riot, who I know love them some Mega Shark action.  LINK.

See More Posts About:

Comments:

  • A link to this post:
  • StumbleUpon
  • submit to reddit

screen-shot-2010-01-20-at-10930-pm

As if a comic and another post on infographics weren’t enough for this week, here’s another great infographics link. This is a site collecting visual graphics that interpret information about The Beatles. Breakdown of who wrote songs, song keys used, references to other Beatles songs, etc. Pretty epic stuff.  LINK.

See More Posts About:

Comments:

  • A link to this post:
  • StumbleUpon
  • submit to reddit

screen-shot-2010-01-19-at-23020-pm

Thanks to Systemic Amy for sending this one my way. A site full of infographics created based on episodes of This American Life. As the creator describes:

My new years resolution is to make an infographic on every This American Life ever made. The idea is to expand and add context to the stories and information contained in the shows. Basically, anything I am curious about while listening to the pieces.

It seems to be a growing trend of public acceptance for infographics (information is beautiful, flip flop flyball, etc). As well there should be. As well there should be. LINK.

See More Posts About:

Comments:

  • A link to this post:
  • StumbleUpon
  • submit to reddit
The System 328: Graphic Info

If you like this one, check out my previous comics with infographics, charts and graphs, and one on boobs.

See More Posts About:

Comments:

Buy A Print of This Comic
  • Image Link Code:
  • A link to this post:
  • StumbleUpon
  • submit to reddit

picture-21

Amazing infographic on mythological venn diagram kinda graphic thingy.  Link.

See More Posts About:

Comments:

  • A link to this post:
  • StumbleUpon
  • submit to reddit

picture-13

If you’ve never been to Information is Beautiful before, it ranks with FlipFlopFlyball for one of the great infographic posting blogs out there.  Here’s a great time travel timeline, which incorporates tons of time paradoxes.  The guy wants help with a Dr. Who graphic, I suggest you help out. Link.

See More Posts About:

Comments:

  • A link to this post:
  • StumbleUpon
  • submit to reddit