and a giant tidal energy system |
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Happy Friday! Today we've got a handful of pieces that'll hopefully get you feeling optimistic about the future -- including an exciting new development in tidal energy, a successful 3D printed rocket launch, and a laptop with two screens. Enjoy! |
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A massive tidal turbine said by its maker to be the world's largest has started generating power. Linked to the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney just off mainland Scotland, the 74-meter-long, 680-ton O2 turbine will harness the power of ocean currents to meet the annual electricity demand of around 2,000 U.K. homes over the next 15 years.
Orbital Marine Power, the company behind the O2 turbine, said the huge piece of hardware is its first commercial turbine and the result of 15 years of development work. It was constructed in Dundee before being transported 200 miles across water to its current location. The turbine's floating platform is moored by anchors in a powerful tidal stream though it can also work with strong-flowing rivers, with underwater rotors capturing the dense flowing energy that passes through.
Commenting on the launch of the hefty bit of kit, Orbital CEO Andrew Scott said, "Our vision is that this project is the trigger to the harnessing of tidal stream resources around the world to play a role in tackling climate change whilst creating a new, low-carbon industrial sector." |
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Asus isn't giving up on dual screens. The company has a few laptops with second screens embedded in the touchpad, but last year it released the more extravagant ZenBook Pro Duo UX581, which positioned a second large display underneath the primary panel. For such a futuristic idea, the laptop was remarkably well-executed.
But Asus hasn't rested on its laurels, recently releasing the ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED UX582, making several significant changes to this experimental design. I reviewed a well-stocked configuration of the ZenBook Pro Duo with a 10th-gen Intel Core i9-10980HK CPU, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB solid-state drive (SSD), and two displays, a primary 15.6-inch 4K (3840 x 2160) OLED panel and a second OLED screen at 3840 x 1100.
This is an expensive machine at $3,000, though. Is the dual-display functionality enough to justify the exorbitant price? We put it through its paces to find out. |
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Rocket Lab successfully launched a small satellite for the U.S. military on Thursday, July 29. The mission was the first since a failed effort in May 2021 when its Electron failed to reach orbit, resulting in the loss of two satellites.
Back on track, the launch provider's workhorse Electron rocket blasted off from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula at 6 p.m. local time, deploying the satellite a short while later.
The night launch offered some spectacular visuals from the booster-based camera. The sequence shows the separation of the first and second stages, and the immediate ignition of the single Rutherford engine on the second stage (nine of these are used to power the first stage). Keep watching for the fleeting fairing separation and, a short while later, the jettison of the battery that powers elements of the engine (a new battery is automatically deployed immediately after). |
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TIPS, TRICKS, & TECHNIQUES |
Much has been written about the effects smartphones can have on your sleep. For several years, researchers have been warning that the blue light emitted by touchscreens can interfere with sleeping patterns, while they've also flagged the dangers of looking too much at your social media before bedtime.
However, while excessive smartphone use certainly isn't the ideal nighttime companion, focused use of your device can actually help you improve your sleeping routine. In fact, if you're an Apple fan, you may be interested to hear that you can track your sleep with your iPhone. Here's how it's done. |
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