A new iPhone, and 9 more unmissable stories this week
A weekly roundup of the most interesting science and technology news published on the Web.
1. Move over, iPhone – there’s a new iPhone in town!
Doesn’t it feel like we JUST had a new one? You know, the one that has the different kind of adapter than the ones that came before it? And rendered my old docking station useless? I can’t wait to see what new “conveniences” and inconveniences the newest iPhone will bring. As much as I love my iPhone, I am not loving that big basket that resides under the coffee table, containing older versions and useless accessories of all things Apple.
READ: It’s Almost Time For a New iPhone
2. An eco-friendlier flush?
We use a serious amount of water every time we flush. New energy efficiency standards for toilets and urinals in California would increase their already-high standards, thereby seriously decreasing water usage in the U.S. state. (And kudos for the “porcelain throne” reference.)
READ: How Efficient Can Toilets Become?
3. Don’t blame the tree…
… that fell on a cable, that turned off all the lights and caused the great blackout of 2003 (which I lived through). Blame the vulnerability of the grid. But is it any more reliable a decade later?
READ: 10 Years After the Great Blackout the Grid is Stronger – But Vulnerable to Extreme Weather
4. It’s a smart grid world (by 2020)
2020. I imagine the world will be this utopia by the year 2020, because that it is the year consistently quoted as THE target year to meet all new environmental standards. (That and 2016, but since 2016 is a mere 3 years away, 2020 is the new 2016.)
READ: Smart Grid Market to Surpass $400 Billion Worldwide By 2020
5. Presenting … the Hyperloop!
It’s a high-speed, sustainable transportation system, and Elon Musk and the folks at Tesla will bring it to us. Is it all talk? You be the judge.
READ: Tesla CEO Unveils Hyperloop
6. Being green saves green
The Ivy League university is getting a little help from their friends over at Con Edison in the quest to lower their energy consumption.
READ: Columbia University Saves $700,000 a Year Via Energy Efficiency
7. Can we save it all before it’s too late?
There’s no question sea levels are rising, but how quickly? Scientists are trying to figure out if the process will outpace our ability to do anything about it.
READ: Timing a Rise in Sea Level
8. Don’t just cope with it, fix it
When it comes to the weather, the last several years have not been kind to the U.S., and the power grid has taken a beating as a result, costing millions and billions of dollars. It’s clear now that the answer is no longer just to put a bandage on the wound, but preventing the wound to begin with.
READ: As Cost of Weather-Related Power Outages Rises, White House Says Grid Should Be Made Tougher
9. Getting the most out of wind
You have to give them credit: for a country that aggressively produces so much pollution, China is just as aggressively pushing their green initiatives.
READ: China’s Longyuan Power Launches World’s Highest Wind Farm in Tibet
10. On “Cloud” Nine
I had to add this because, one, it’s a valid concern. How much information do we, whether as individuals or organizations, want to send up to the Cloud? And two, isn’t it interesting to read the kind of vernacular that has become the norm? Like “sending information to the Cloud?” But seriously, where is this information going? And how much of is can be accessed? Am I the only one frightened about this?