Tag: Homes

The Rich Are Preparing for Coronavirus Differently

The new coronavirus knows no national borders or social boundaries. That doesn’t mean that social boundaries don’t exist. An anonymous reader shares a report: “En route to Paris,” Gwyneth Paltrow wrote on Instagram last week, beneath a shot of herself on an airplane heading to Paris Fashion Week and wearing a black face mask. “I’ve already been in this movie,” she…

Melting Glaciers: Effects on the Environment, Humans, and Biodiversity

Recently, the temperature in the Arctic appears to have hit a new continental high, close to 70 degrees. That’s leading to continued melting of glaciers in the Arctic and around the world. But how will that impact the world’s ecosystems? Dr. David Hik is an Associate Dean of the Faculty of Science as well as […]
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Western New York digging out from intense snow and ice

An intense storm and lake-effect snow walloped upstate New York – especially rural areas in western New York – in late February, 2020. On the shores of Lake Erie, the storm created a dramatic display of thick, windblown ice on homes and buildings. Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/photos-intense-lake-effect-snow-feb-2020-uptate-ny…

Microsoft’s Cortana Drops Consumer Skills as it Refocuses on Business Users

With the next version of Windows 10, coming this spring, Microsoft’s Cortana digital assistant will lose a number of consumer skills around music and connected homes, as well as some third-party skills. From a report: That’s very much in line with Microsoft’s new focus for Cortana, but it may still come as a surprise to the dozens of loyal Cortana fans….

Bernie Sanders Has an Audacious — and Hugely Expensive — Climate Plan

Senator Bernie Sanders, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination in this year’s presidential election, has put forth the most audacious climate plan among the contenders. But there are doubts about the political and economic feasibility of his sweeping vision, as well as the wisdom of some of his particular technical proposals. From a report: Notably, the plan restricts tools that could…

Forbes Criticizes Airbnb ‘Surveillance Bugs To Make Sure Guests Behave’

“So this is creepy,” writes a Forbes cybersecurity reporter, saying Airbnb “has put aside the stories of hosts secretly spying on guests” to promote a new line of devices Forbes calls “surveillance bugs to make sure guests behave.” Vice reports:
As part of its “party prevention” campaign, the home-sharing service is offering discounts on devices designed to alert hosts when there’s an…

Can Solar Power Compete With Coal? In India, It’s Gaining Ground

Electricity from sunlight costs less, a hopeful sign for developing nations building out their power grids. From a report: In a dusty northwest India desert dotted with cows and the occasional camel, a solar-power plant is producing some of the world’s cheapest energy. Built in 2018 by India’s Acme Solar Holdings, it can generate 200 megawatts of electricity, enough to power…

Online-only Platforms Are Going Offline With Permanent Spaces

An anonymous reader shares a report: The retailpocalypse started in 2010. It followed the 2008 global recession, with the parallel birth and rise of social media adding fuel to the growth of online shopping. Suburban and rural malls sat empty, underutilized or poorly maintained as the most affected brands lost their customer base in the squeezed middle class. Meanwhile, online retailers…

Officials In Australia’s New South Wales Celebrate: ‘All Fires Are Now Contained’

An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: Fire officials in Australia are celebrating a landmark moment, saying that for the first time in what has been a horrendous wildfire season, every fire in hard-hit New South Wales is now under control. Bushfires have destroyed more than 2,400 homes and burned 5.4 million hectares of land — or about 13.3 million…