China has become the world’s biggest producer of solar energy

Why it matters to you

While China’s solar energy capacity isn’t that impressive when compared to the size of its population, it’s showing a renewed dedication to renewable energy.

Not only is it the world’s most populous country, it’s now also the world’s biggest producer of solar energy. On Saturday, the National Energy Administration (NEA) noted that the nation officially claimed the title after doubling its installed photovoltaic (PV) capacity last year. By the end of 2016, China’s capacity hit 77.42 gigawatts, and while this is great in terms of raw numbers, it’s a lot less impressive relative to the country’s massive population.

As it stands, solar energy represents only one percent of the country’s energy output. But this may soon change as China devotes more and more of its attention towards clean energy. The NEA says that China will seek to add more than 110 gigawatts within the next three years, which could help the nation up the proportion of its renewable energy use to 20 percent by 2030. Today, it stands at 11 percent.

More: Wasted renewable energy a thing of the past as Tesla unveils energy storage center

China’s geography certainly lends itself to large solar energy farms. Last year, Shandong, Xinjiang, and Henan provinces enjoyed the greatest increase in their solar capacity, whereas Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia ended up with the most overall capacity at the end of 2016.

Weaning itself off of fossil fuels will require quite a hefty investment; one that China appears ready to make. As per a Reuters report, the nation will be pouring some 2.5 trillion yuan ($364 billion) into renewable power generation by the end of the decade.

This dedication to environmentally friendly energy sources could put pressure on other nations around the world to do the same. Already, Ireland has passed a bill that would make it the first country to divest from fossil fuels. And some countries are finding increasingly creative ways of moving away from fossil fuels — Iceland, for example, is drilling the world’s largest well for geothermal energy.

Mars’ liquid water may have had an atmospheric ‘escape route’

Scientists have long believed that Mars lost its liquid water very gradually, turning into a mostly dry planet over an extremely long time frame. However, they may have to toss that assumption out the window. A University of Colorado, Boulder team has discovered that Mars has an atmospheric “escape route” which may have helped hydrogen drift into space at much faster rates. Mars Express data shows that water molecules float higher than usual during the planet’s warmer seasons, avoiding an Earth-like “cold trap” that keeps water close to the ground. Once the molecules are in the middle atmosphere, ultraviolet light helps break them up into oxygen and hydrogen — and since hydrogen is very light, it doesn’t take much for the element to escape Mars’ gravity.

More findings are needed to illustrate exactly what happens (MAVEN and Europe’s future Trace Gas Orbiter will help), but the implications are significant. It suggests that Mars may have lost water at wildly varying rates, and that the time scales for that loss could be very different than previously thought. If nothing else, it’s a reminder that other planets aren’t guaranteed to behave like Earth. Even subtle differences could have a dramatic impact on another world’s ability to support life.

Source: LASP, Nature

Amazon flashes Prime Air drone delivery in its Super Bowl ad

The game is over, but Amazon managed to stand out with a brief (if also disgusting) 10-second spot. Unfortunately, other than the voice-controlled shopping via Echo, it needed a disclaimer that “Prime Air isn’t available in some states (or any really). Yet” but Prime Air is looking surprisingly realistic these days. Until then, though, it may be easier to prune your Super Bowl party guest list carefully.

Doritos. Drones. Drama. The perfect recipe for the big game. #JustAsk Alexa #SB51 pic.twitter.com/5sMvM5O6mU

— Amazon Echo (@amazonecho) February 6, 2017

Source: Amazon Echo (Twitter)

‘Stranger Things’ ad reveals S2 release date: Halloween

We got our first real peek at the next season of Stranger Things during tonight’s Super Bowl, and a release date for its second season. The teaser revealed it’s not coming until Halloween, so we hope you have plenty of other plans in place between now and October 31st. Things are said to pick up in 1984 about a year after they left off, with the old gang returning, and “The world is turning upside down.”

Netflix:

Stranger Things 2 is coming. Halloween 2017.

A year after Will’s return, everything seems back to normal… but a darkness lurks just beneath the surface, threatening all of Hawkins.

Source: Netflix (YouTube)

A vigilante hacker took down 20 percent of the dark web after finding child porn

Why it matters to you

After discovering that Freedom Hosting II must have known it was managing child porn sites, a hacker decided to take down a large part of the dark web

An attack on the Dark Web left a whopping 20 percent of it in shambles. On Friday, a vigilante managed to hack into Dark Web hosting service, Freedom Hosting II, after realizing that it was allowing child pornography sites. As first reported by the Verge, visitors to more than 10,000 sites on Friday saw not their expected content, but rather a message that read, “Hello, Freedom Hosting II, you have been hacked.”

According to the hacker, Freedom Hosting II must have been aware that it was managing child porn sites — those in question required gigabytes of data despite the fact that the hosting service officially claims to allow no more than 256MB. As part of the hack, not only was the usual content replaced with the hacker’s message, but it also served up a data dump (without user info), and an explanation as to the reason for the hack.

More: W-2 tax forms for 2016 can be bought and sold on the dark web at $20 or less

This is by no means the first time Freedom Hosting has come under fire for child pornography. Back in 2013, law enforcement officials busted the service, ultimately allowing for several child pornography prosecutions. But just a few years later, it looks like the second iteration of the host is running into the same issues.

On Saturday, the hacker spoke to Motherboard about the rationale behind the attack. “This is in fact my first hack ever,” the intruder wrote via an email sent from the same address posted to the hacked Freedom Hosting II sites. “I just had the right idea.”The hacker continued, “Initially I didn’t want to take down FH2, just look through it,” but after finding no fewer than 10 child pornography sites with some 30 GB of files, action had to be taken.

Thus far, it looks as though the hacker had benevolent intentions, and is handling the data in a responsible manner. Apparently, the information will be sent to a security researcher who will ultimately relay data to law enforcement, who could use it to bring the child pornographers to justice. However, the FBI may not be fully pleased with this vigilante action. As Motherboard explains, “In recent years, when law enforcement agencies such as the FBI have taken over dark web sites or hosting providers, they have then tried to identify individual users by deploying malware. But now with the plethora of Freedom Hosting II child pornography sites shut down, the feds might not be able to use that sort of tactic at all.”

Mannequin head records intimacy for VR porn

Why it matters to you

Interpersonal technologies get even more personal with virtual reality intimacy simulation that emotionally charges scenes via kisses, caresses and whispers.

Self-love just got a tech upgrade that heads in the virtual reality direction of on-call cuddles mixed with a bit of George Orwell.

Related Article: Realdoll is building a fleet of AI-powered sex robots with customizable personalities

Porn tech pioneers VR Bangers announced the release of a severed head that records the audio and visual nuances of intimacy.  The POV head rig captures the caresses and sweet-nothing whispers of pornography performers via stereoscopic cameras in its eyes and head, and binaural microphones in its ears. The multiple cameras attain 4K resolution at 60 frames per second.

The company aims to forge an ultra-real, immersive emotional connection for porno performers and viewers.

“This rig was built especially for adult VR scenes because we noticed that there is a much warmer and more intimate emotional attachment between the performer and the recording device if the device itself is able to be kissed, caressed and whispered to in the same sort of ways that a real person would sense those subtle communications,” said VRBangers.com CTO Boris Smirnoff in the press release. “It’s easy to think that performers will be able to overcome all the odd positions and constraints of filming content so it looks pristine on a virtual screen, but the fact is, the more we can help our models get the most out of their play space, the better our content will continue to be and the real winner in this line of advancements is always our fans.”

The device was deemed too freaky for CES 2017, despite its unique strategy to level-up interpersonal technology.

“The show didn’t allow us in because they still think this industry and tech are different or something,” Smirnoff said in the press release.

Motherboard reports the company showed off the controversial tech at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo instead.

China is now the biggest producer of solar energy

You probably don’t think of China as a clean energy champion given its frequent problems with smog and continued dependence on coal power, but you may have to rethink your views after today. The country’s National Energy Administration has revealed that its solar energy production more than doubled in 2016, hitting 77.42 gigawatts by the end of the year. The country is now the world’s biggest producer of solar energy in terms of capacity — it doesn’t compare as well relative to population (Germany, Japan and the US could easily beat it), but that’s no mean feat for any nation.

Right now, solar is a drop in the bucket for China. It represents just 1 percent of the country’s total energy output. However, the NEA plans to add over 110 gigawatts by 2020, giving the technology a much greater role within a few years. It’ll help China increase its use of non-fossil fuel power from 11 percent now to 20 percent by 2030.

Not every country can compete with these increases, of course. Even if you discount the population advantage, China has large regions that are relatively friendly to solar energy farms. Still, this puts pressure on the rest of the world to up its game. Countries like the US may be seen as trailing behind, especially with policies that are bent on protecting the fossil fuel industry instead of phasing it out.

Source: Reuters

Drones help expand the world’s busiest airport

Drones and airports usually go together like oil and water, but you can’t say that about Atlanta’s air hub. The city has formed a partnership with 3DR, Autodesk and engineering firm Atkins that has drones mapping Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as part of a planned expansion. The key to making it work was Site Scan, 3DR’s autonomous data capturing tech. The drones could capture 2D mosaics and 3D point scans while staying well away from the airliners — no mean feat when they’re flying between runways at the busiest airport in the world (over 100 million passengers per year).

If anything, the biggest challenge was getting the green light from extra-wary FAA regulators. Site Scan helped convince the FAA that the mapping drones wouldn’t fly into harm’s way, but the approval also demanded that the drone operators stay in constant contact with air traffic control and submit to controllers’ authority.

The effort should pay dividends before long. The maps and models will help with both demolishing old locations and the early designs for their replacements. Also, 3DR hopes that the lessons it learned in getting FAA clearance will help with other commercial drone outfits. It recently published some learning tools that could give other companies a helping hand, so projects like this may soon be run-of-the-mill.

Source: 3DR (Medium)

Former Apple Creative Director Reveals the Story Behind the 1999 ‘HAL’ Super Bowl Commercial

Super Bowl LI is almost here, not forgetting of course the high-profile TV commercials that accompany the event. While recollections of notable Super Bowl ads from years gone by typically reference Apple’s groundbreaking “1984” commercial, fewer mention the company’s 1999 ad starring HAL, the malicious computer from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

“HAL” was Apple’s first Super Bowl appearance since its 1985 “Lemmings” commercial and arrived amid a flurry of largely media-driven panic surrounding the Y2K bug, which was supposed to make computers go haywire when the millennium ticked over and bring about a precipitous collapse of global infrastructure.

Macs on the other hand would be immune to the bug, thanks to their ability to recognize dates at least up to 29,940 – a fact not lost on Steve Jobs, who in 1999 had not long begun his second stint as Apple CEO. Over 12 months before the collective PC rollover from x99 to x00, Jobs decided he wanted to do a commercial that would promote the advantages of Mac ownership before worldwide calamity struck. So, Jobs tasked Ken Segall, then-Apple creative director at TBWA/Chiat/Day, to get the ball rolling and come up with an idea for an ad that would highlight the Mac’s resistance to the Y2K bug.

This week, Segall relayed detailed memories of making the “HAL” ad. In a blog post on his site, Segall relates his experiences of dealing with Jobs directly as the idea for the commercial took shape, and reveals how his team overcame legal, technical, and Steve-related challenges to make the commercial a reality – and a surprise Super Bowl hit. For an interesting read, check out Segall’s full story here, and “HAL” below.

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The best ultra-wide monitor you can buy

Sometimes you need a little extra screen real-estate, and the typical 16:9 monitor won’t do. Whether you’re a creative professional who needs a massive curved display, or a gamer looking for the most immersive experience you can possibly get outside of VR, there’s probably an ultra-wide monitor for you. Be careful though, ultra-wides are dangerous – once you try one, you’ll be spoiled for all other monitors. Even the sharpest, clearest 16:9 monitor will seem insubstantial and inadequate by comparison.

That said, if you’re prepared to take the plunge, read on. We’ve gathered the best of the best in the ultra-wide monitor market and run them through a barrage of tests to determine their fitness to display your games, your movies, or even your workspace.

Our pick

Why should you buy this: You want a monitor with the sensibility and size of a small luxury yacht.

Our Score

The best

Samsung CF791

With a reasonable price, stunning display, and understated, premium design, the Samsung CF791 is easily the best ultra-wide monitor on the m…

$949.99 from Amazon

$949.99 from Samsung

Who’s it for: Gamers, professionals, and everyone in between.

How much will it cost: From $950 to $1000

Why we picked the Samsung CF791:

First and foremost, this monitor is a striking piece of hardware. The design is understated, effortless and professional. The frame and stand all seem to melt away when you’re seated before that massive curved display. Colors saturate your vision from all angles, and the monitor is all-encompassing.

The CF791 offers stunning picture quality, with rich inky blacks, vivid and lifelike colors — right out of the box. Without any tinkering, it hits a stellar 940:1 contrast ratio, which puts it well ahead of similarly priced competitors.

This level of quality on a standard 16:9 display would be outstanding. The fact that it’s on a massive 21:9 display with a deep curve makes it truly a sight to behold. Video content is rich and fluid thanks to the monitor’s 100Hz refresh rate, and AMD’s FreeSync.

In addition to the stunning display, it has a simple and professional exterior design which makes it a bit of a chameleon. It would be just as comfortable beside a flashy gaming PC decked out in LEDs as it would in an office beside a dusty old workstation.

The Samsung CF791 doesn’t need a flashy exterior design because its size, clarity, and resolution make it a showstopper all on its own.

Our full review