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Apple silent on mysterious noises from Sunnyvale complex

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Re: Apple silent on mysterious noises from Sunnyvale complex

#72
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but article clearly states the neighbours can't stop talking about it. They're so busy talking about it that they haven't made time to record it. Be patient. As soon as they all stop talking about it we can hear the noise. What a BS linkbaity vaporous article. For all anyone knows Apple could be repairing an AC unit. Oh, and while I'm in a ranty mood. Aren't all labs "mysterious" from the outside?

That would hardly explain the hypervigilant security people harassing bystanders on public property and thoroughfares.

Isn't hypervigilant security normal for Apple?

Re: Apple silent on mysterious noises from Sunnyvale complex

#73
post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cell phones have shitty mics (because physics). You would need a condenser microphone for low level noises. Around $100. TV camera crews have them, not even one stood around waiting for the sounds?

Even better, hang it from a 20' cable below a drone and fly it over. Stream the audio back in case they somehow manage to disable the drone. I'm sure lots of people in the Bay Area have the equipment right now to do this, just a matter of if anyone cares.

You'd need a good wind blocker on the mic, and you'd get a lot of drag from the 20' cable, but this seems doable.

Re: Apple silent on mysterious noises from Sunnyvale complex

#74
Looks like a small data center under construction by converting an existing building. Large amounts of HVAC equipment for the size of the building. Cooling towers. Big fuel tank. Cummins Diesel emergency generator, size around 1MW. Lots of electrical conduit on outside of building.[1] Picnic area and half basketball court. Several construction trailers on site, so some remodeling is going on. Beeping trucks and banging on sheet metal sounds like HVAC work.

It's annoying the neighbors because it's directly across a drainage ditch from suburban houses. Nobody likes nighttime industrial construction opposite their backyard.

[1] https://goo.gl/maps/dcK3MjKdh822

Re: Apple silent on mysterious noises from Sunnyvale complex

#75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not necessarily, it could be a rolling road, which is more similar to what the OP described.

A rolling road is another term for a chassis dynamometer.

Here is what I would call a chassis dyno http://www.maha.de/roller-function-tester-fps-2700.htm These are very very noisy, because the tires are moving at 70 or 80 mph (whatever you set) and make as much noise as tires going 70 down a highway (only 1 axle though!)

A rolling road is different in that the floor moves under the car, not just rollers under 1 or 2 axles. Like this http://www.qmtmag.com/images/Windshear_RR_05.jpg The chassis dynos are noisy, these are super noisy.

Disclosure: I sold Maha dynos from 96-2000 with SnapOn/Sun branding, about 40 of them.

Re: Apple silent on mysterious noises from Sunnyvale complex

#77
post #74

Looks like a small data center under construction by converting an existing building. Large amounts of HVAC equipment for the size of the building. Cooling towers. Big fuel tank. Cummins Diesel emergency generator, size around 1MW. Lots of electrical conduit on outside of building.[1] Picnic area and half basketball court. Several construction trailers on site, so some remodeling is going on. Beeping trucks and bangi…

A residential area in Sunnyvale seems like an inopportune place to put a data center.

Re: Apple silent on mysterious noises from Sunnyvale complex

#78
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh no, a joke. Downvotes for you now!

I see you making sarcastic comments about all the silly noise that's being added to the thread. This is exactly the kind of noise we want to avoid on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10933288 .

I don't see why it's a joke, personally. If you want to know what's going on, flying a drone over their fence is an obvious (if illegal) thing to do.

Re: Apple silent on mysterious noises from Sunnyvale complex

#79
This was quite the sensationalist piece. Maybe something is going on, but maybe the explanation is more boring. Since everyone is taking wild guesses, allow me to partake:

The building is Apple's HR center. The people there mostly write reports on health insurance utilization.

The noise is office remodeling. They do it at night because people are working during the day.

I have it on good authority that there are several capacitors in the building. They're mostly used to filter the output of switching power supplies. Why right now, there are probably hundreds of capacitors inside your house!

Give me a break.

Re: Apple silent on mysterious noises from Sunnyvale complex

#80

This was quite the sensationalist piece. Maybe something is going on, but maybe the explanation is more boring. Since everyone is taking wild guesses, allow me to partake: The building is Apple's HR center. The people there mostly write reports on health insurance utilization. The noise is office remodeling. They do it at night because people are working during the day. I have it on good authority that there are seve…

And a "repair garage"!? What could that possibly be used for besides a secret new Apple car?
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