Archive for the 'Technology' Category
DARPA and Boeing Team Up to Build a Hypersonic Spaceplane
May 25th, 2017Via: Popular Mechanics: DARPA announced today that it has selected Boeing to design and build a new reusable, hypersonic spaceplane called the Phantom Express that would fly into high suborbital altitudes to launch satellites into orbit before coming back down to land horizontally like an airplane. The unmanned craft, part of the Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) […]
Microsoft Has a Plan to Add DNA Data Storage to Its Cloud
May 25th, 2017This will probably be viable when you can hook up a Mr. Fusion to your Tesla, but it’s an interesting read anyway. Via: MIT Technology Review: The plans signal how seriously some tech companies are taking the seemingly strange idea of saving videos, photos, or valuable documents in the same molecule our genes are made […]
Thai Company to Build a Tesla Style Lithium Ion Battery Factory
May 25th, 2017Via: Bloomberg: A little-known company from Thailand with grand ambitions in clean energy wants to take on Tesla Inc. at its own game. Energy Absolute Pcl, which has morphed in recent years from a producer of biodiesel to Thailand’s leading renewable energy company, is eyeing a major push into energy storage with plans to develop […]
Daimler Begins Construction on Lithium-Ion Battery Factory in Germany
May 22nd, 2017Via: Ars Technica: On Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the site of a future lithium-ion battery factory in the eastern German town of Kamenz. The factory is being developed by Mercedes-Benz manufacturer Daimler, which will devote approximately €500 million (or $562 million) to churning out batteries for electric vehicles and stationary storage. If the […]
CIA Malware for All Versions of Windows
May 20th, 2017Via: WikiLeaks: Today, May 19th 2017, WikiLeaks publishes documents from the “Athena” project of the CIA. “Athena” – like the related “Hera” system – provides remote beacon and loader capabilities on target computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system (from Windows XP to Windows 10). Once installed, the malware provides a beaconing capability (including configuration […]
Stanford Professor: Fossil-Fuel Vehicles Will Vanish in 8 Years in Twin ‘Death Spiral’ for Big Oil and Big Autos
May 18th, 2017I very seriously doubt it. Via: Financial Post: No more petrol or diesel cars, buses, or trucks will be sold anywhere in the world within eight years. The entire market for land transport will switch to electrification, leading to a collapse of oil prices and the demise of the petroleum industry as we have known […]
Firm Thinks Solar Will Attract More Investment Funds Than Coal, Gas and Nuclear Combined in 2017
May 16th, 2017Disclosure: I sell solar power systems in New Zealand. — Via: PV Magazine: A new report by analyst firm Frost & Sullivan projects that in 2017 solar PV will attract more investment than coal, gas and nuclear power combined. The report, titled the Global Power Industry Outlook 2017, examines power market trends, including investment and […]
Microsoft Releases WannaCry Patch for PCs Running Old Operating Systems
May 14th, 2017I’m responsible for protecting some organizations from stuff like this. Here’s what I do: #1 If Windows is used, only operating systems currently supported by Microsoft are allowed. Even though I personally don’t use Macs, I encourage companies to use them and welcome those users who do use Macs. If you don’t know anything about […]
Here Comes the War for Commercial Drone Dominance
May 14th, 2017Via: Bloomberg: At some point in the not-too-distant future, fleets of commercial drones are expected to swarm across American skies. Companies in a wide range of industries will employ unmanned vehicles for tactical advantage—inspecting infrastructure, surveying crops, maybe even estimating how much your new roof will cost. And when these drones fly, a torrent of […]
In Cashless Sweden, Even God Now Takes Collection Via an App
May 14th, 2017Reverend Wayne’s Pearly Gates open 24/7. Via: Bloomberg: In the most cashless society on the planet, even God now accepts digital payments. A growing number of Swedish parishes have started taking donations via mobile apps. Uppsala’s 13th-century cathedral also accepts credit cards. The churches’ drive to keep up with the times is the latest sign […]
