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Friday, May 4, 2012
Don't believe the headlines. Wind farms do not cause 'global' warming.
A recent study published in Nature Climate Change suggests that large wind farms could be pulling down hot air at night, raising the average temperature of the local region. The results of the study, however, have been widely misconstrued in the news media.?
All energy technologies have nuances and drawbacks. New research published in Nature Climate Change found that wind farms are no exception.
Skip to next paragraphSpecifically, the study found that large tracts of wind turbines in remote areas of Texas appear to be increasing local surface temperatures. The results of this study have been misconstrued by certain media outlets as ironic evidence that a supposedly "green" technology is contributing to global warming, despite the lack of any supporting evidence.
Here are the facts: The team of researchers, led by SUNY Albany environmental scientist Liming Zhou, analyzed surface temperature data of Texan wind farms ? the data courtesy of NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites. Zhou and his colleagues found that the immediate surroundings of the wind farms rose an average of 0.72 degrees Celsius between 2003 and 2011. The effect was most prominent at night. Some of the team has speculated that this localized warming trend could be an effect of the turbines pulling down warm air from higher altitudes at night, when the air above the land would otherwise be cooler.
In a recent University at Albany press release, Zhou warned that "the estimated warming trends only apply to the study region and to the study period, and thus should not be interpolated linearly into other regions (e.g., globally) or over longer periods (e.g., for another 20 years)," he said. "For a given wind farm, once there are no new wind turbines added, the warming effect may reach a stable level."
Yet exaggerated interpolation seems to be stock-in-trade for many of the media outlets covering this story. Take, for example, FOX News' headline: Wind farms are warming the Earth, or that of Forbes: Wind Farms Cause Global Warming! or that of the Inquistr's: Wind Farms May Contribute to Global Warming, or that of Newser: Latest Global Warming Culprit: Wind Farms.?It should be noted that nearly all of these stories contradict their own headlines by?explaining?that the observed effect was local.
This new study doesn't necessarily illustrate a causal link between wind turbines and localized warming, let alone temperature change on a global scale. The authors of the Nature paper were the first to admit that further science is needed to determine that exact nature of this link.
If it were true that the spinning blades of wind turbines increased the overall temperature of the planet, as opposed to simply redistributing thermal energy,?we would have to rewrite some basic laws of physics, particularly the?2nd law of thermodynamics.?This is an important distinction from the burning of fossil fuels, which produces gas that increases how much of the sun's energy the Earth retains. In this respect, this process contributes to a globally warming climate because the source of energy (the sun) is apart from the system that is warmed (the Earth.)
Rather than inform the public's perception on climate change, exaggerated coverage of this study has merely justified the common distrust scientists have for journalists.
The reality is that any alternative energy source is going to present problems. Over the past two years, there has been scientific investigation of whether wind turbines can affect the health of proximal residents, though the legitimacy of "Wind Turbine Syndrome", as it was called, was widely questioned. Natural gas has its problems with fracking, nuclear energy with radiation, and even solar cells with electronic waste. This recent study was merely exploring a similar issue in wind energy, but only so that we might effectively deal with it.
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Microsoft SkyDrive impressions: a look at features and functionality
You may remember a certain, somewhat anticipated cloud service finally coming in to land in recent days. That wasn't the only news in nebular computing last week, however: perhaps in anticipation of Google's long-rumored Drive service, Microsoft made some updates to the Windows Phone app for its own offering, SkyDrive. This comes not long after the release of desktop SkyDrive applications for Windows and OSX, all suggesting that Redmond's hoping to cut itself as large a slice of the cloud-storage pie as it can, preferably while others are still taking their seats at the table. We spent some time with the latest quiver of tools from Microsoft, to see how they've progressed.
Continue reading Microsoft SkyDrive impressions: a look at features and functionality
Microsoft SkyDrive impressions: a look at features and functionality originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 11:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Thursday, May 3, 2012
'Fifty Shades Of Grey' Casting Rumors: Who'll Take On S&M Best-Seller?
Ian Somerhalder and Alexander Skarsgard both interested in movie adaptation of E.L. James' saucy romance novel.
By Fallon Prinzivalli
"Fifty Shades of Grey" book cover
Photo: The Writer's Coffee Shop
The literary world was flipped upside down recently when E.L. James' novel "Fifty Shades of Grey" became a New York Times best-seller. The erotic tales of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele are nothing new — saucy romance novels are published all the time. What caught the attention of readers everywhere was that the characters weren't entirely figments of James' imagination. The story actually started out as "Twilight" fan fiction, with Grey representing the sullen vampire Edward Cullen and Steele the timid Bella Swan.
For those of you who haven't secretly downloaded the guilty-pleasure novel on your Kindle, here's the gist: College graduate Ana Steele encounters Christian Grey, a savvy businessman with a need for domination and love of bondage who captivates her attention. Steele decides to give into her dark desires, and the two begin a sadomasochistic physical affair. They may be bad, but they're perfectly good at it.
When the rights to the book were optioned by Universal Pictures and Focus Features, rumors began to swirl about who could star in the film. Would Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart take on the roles? Or would the part go to actors unattached to "Twilight"? The rumors are flying, and they've turned up some interesting possibilities.
When Ryan Seacrest spoke to Ian Somerhalder and addressed talk that he was "potentially" up for the role of the titillating male lead, he confirmed. He's currently reading the first book and said he would take the job if it was offered to him.
"I absolutely would be up for it. It could be very, very amazing," the "Vampire Diaries" heartthrob said. "I think [playing Grey] would be a pretty incredible thing, and hopefully, that could pan out."
But it looks like Somerhalder will have some competition: When Access Hollywood caught up with "True Blood" star Alexander Skarsgård, he said he'd be perfect for the part of Grey.
"He's got a sex chamber? My character has that on 'True Blood.' He's got his little dungeon," the actor said in reference to Eric Northman. "I was born to the play that part."
Both Somerhalder and Skarsgård have the vampire angle working for them. Since Grey was adapted from a blood sucker, they have the advantage of being familiar with a similar character — especially as both of the vampires they play happen to be bad boys with somewhat of a soft side.
Another name that's been tossed around the Internet is Michael Fassbender. The "X-Men: First Class" actor scored a Golden Globe nomination for his role in "Shame," in which he played a successful New Yorker struggling with sex addiction. There's no word yet whether Fassbender is interested, but his knowledge playing a similar character will undoubtedly work in his favor.
And, what about the female lead? Who is brave enough to tackle the role of the naive, yet confident Anastasia? Kristen Stewart has a knack for taking on gritty, controversial roles and already has the added advantage of playing Bella Swan. Celebuzz reports that when EW approached the actress about the book, she said, "It's funny — I heard about it yesterday. Rob and Wyck [Godfrey], our producer, were talking about it. I've heard it's quite sexy, very titillating."
Will she read the book? "Hell yeah!" she exclaimed.
If Stewart's not interested in playing the character, perhaps fan favorite Nina Dobrev will take on the role — especially if her real-life beau Somerhalder lands the male lead. The "Vampire Diaries" stars already have chemistry as Dobrev falls for the charms and lure of Somerhalder's character on the hit CW show. It seems like the perfect match.
The film is still in the early stages of development, so while none of the casting is anywhere close to concrete, it's certainly off to a good start.
Who would you like to see star in the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movie? Sound off below!
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Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Koss Striva Wireless Earphones
From Koss, the Striva?offers an ultra compact WiFi earpiece solution. Using WiFi (not Bluetooth), the earpieces can be used to stream internet radio stations directly to the headphones, using the Content Access Point (CAP) stream from you smartphone, tablet or MP3 player.? Or you can use them as standard headphones by plugging them into any [...]
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Jessica Simpson And Beyonce: From One Mommy Mogul To Another
Maxwell's mom can learn a lot from another superstar mama, Queen B.
By John Mitchell
<P><a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/simpson_jessica/artist.jhtml">Jessica Simpson</a> is basking in the glow of new motherhood after <a href="/news/articles/1684216/jessica-simpson-baby-girl-maxwell-drew-johnson.jhtml">giving birth to her daughter</a>, Maxwell Drew Johnson, on Tuesday, but if we know anything about celebrity moms, she'll be back to work in no time flat.</P><P>While she hasn't released an album of new material since 2008's country crossover record <i>Do You Know,</i> Simpson remains a true mogul. Her fashion line, the Jessica Simpson Collection, is the most successful ever for a celebrity. What began as a vanity line of bags and shoes has transformed into a billion-dollar brand that now also includes clothing, jewelry, fragrances and sunglasses.</P><P><CENTER><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:724613/cp~name%3Dnews%26id%3D1676907%26vid%3D724613%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A724613" width="460" height="260" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed></CENTER></P><P>The dueling pulls of motherhood and celebrity create a tough balancing act for a new mom, but being a mogul already is evidence enough that Simpson can wear a lot of hats. Just look at <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/knowles_beyonce/artist.jhtml">Beyoncé</a>, another multi-hyphenate superstar with a newborn who is already plotting her return to form.</P><P>Indeed, Queen B is a perfect example of exactly how to balance early motherhood with the rigors of being a mogul. She's done things her way and is readying her musical comeback with several <a href="/news/articles/1681308/beyonce-memorial-day-atlantic-city-shows.jhtml">planned dates in Atlantic City</a>, currently appears on the cover of<a href="/news/articles/1683832/beyonce-people-most-beautiful-woman.jhtml"><i>People</i>'s Most Beautiful issue</a> (a covert and classy post-baby body reveal, in true Beyoncé style) and has even suggested she may at some point create a line of maternity clothes for her House of Dereon fashion line, telling <a href="http://www.harpersbazaar.com/magazine/cover/beyonces-baby-love-interview-1111"><i>Harper's Bazaar</i></a> late last year, "I love figuring out designs that still make me feel edgy and sexy while pregnant."</P><P>Here are the three ways Jessica should look to Beyonce for post-baby mommy mogul inspiration:</P><P><big><b>Bouncing Back Professionally</b></big><br> Simpson's focus has switched from music to television in recent years, though she has never ruled out returning to the studio. Motherhood is a subject that has proven to be ace songwriting material for several pop divas, most notably Madonna. Madonna's 1998 album <i>Ray of Light</i> was inspired by the changes having a child had on her life, from her pursuit of spirituality post-baby to the change in her priorities once Lourdes entered the picture. The album went on to become one of her best-selling and most acclaimed, scoring five Grammy nominations, including Album and Record of the Year, and winning three awards. Its success reinvigorated the star, who returned to touring a few years later with a bang and has been on the road multiple times since, setting records along the way.</P><P>Beyoncé is reportedly already working on <a href="http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/02/14/beyonce-prepping-two-new-albums">not one, but <i>two</i> records</a>, and it goes without saying that baby Blue Ivy and the experience of motherhood will be a chief topic of her songwriting. She's also set to make her return to the stage for three concerts at the re-launch of Atlantic City's Revel Entertainment Center over Memorial Day weekend.</P><P>Simpson would be smart to put all the emotions she's feeling now to good use and start penning tracks for her return to music. The very emotions she's feeling now are the things that make for the best songs, something Beyoncé is seemingly well-aware of.</P><P><big><b>Working on Your Fitness</b></big><br> Jessica seems intent to make her post-baby weight loss a public affair (Get it? That song is her most underrated jam!) with a reported <a href="http://todayentertainment.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/02/11490423-jessica-simpsons-baby-wait-is-over-but-weight-watchers-awaits?lite" target="_blank">multimillion-dollar endorsement deal</a> with Weight Watchers, clearly taking a cue from B by keeping it healthy.</P><P>Unlike so many other celebrities, who rush hard in ways that cannot be good for them to get their figures ready for "How I Got My Body Back" tabloid photo shoots as if it were some sort of competition, Beyoncé didn't appear to feel any sort of rush to get her pre-baby figure back. According to her <a href="http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20360857_20589758,00.html"><i>People</i> interview</a>, she has relied on a healthy, protein-heavy diet and three 90-minute workout sessions per week, mixing things up by combining running, dancing and exercise ball crunches. And the results speak for themselves: Four months later she looks fantastic, if not yet back to her perfect pre-baby figure. (Which is just fine; regardless of what the tabloids tell you, it is unnatural for the mother of a newborn to look as if she never had a baby in the first place just a few months after giving birth.)</P><P>"I feel my body bouncing back," B told <i>People.</i> "Whatever was tight and muscular, like my legs, I'm seeing it come back. You just have to work at it."</P><P>And work at it is exactly what Jessica will do — just in a more public setting than B. In the scheme of diets, Weight Watchers is among the healthiest and most effective. The program helps participants lose weight by forming helpful habits, eating smarter, getting more exercise and providing support, and has proven successful for such celebs as Jennifer Hudson.</P><P>Having negotiated her contract with the company in December, she may not be taking her cues from Beyoncé here, but they clearly share the same mind-set when it comes to post-baby weight loss. Slow, steady, healthy and long-term is the goal.</P><P><big><b>Creating Products</b></big><br> While Beyoncé doesn't have a line of baby clothes just yet, she has mentioned being interested in creating a maternity line for her House of Dereon label. Jessica may have a leg up on Beyoncé in this department, given the breadth of products that have popped up under her Jessica Simpson Collection label.</P><P>As both moms search for ways into the elusive baby market, Christopher Gavigan, who works with Jessica Alba on her Honest brand, <a href="/news/articles/1677997/beyonce-motherhood-business.jhtml">told MTV News</a> that he urges celebrity moms like B and Jessica to stick to what they love when it comes to branding.</P><P>"Find what you're passionate about and go do that," he advised. "You articulate that in a brand or in a way you feel from a business perspective that you feel you get your focus articulated in some meaningful or special way. A lot of it is partnerships and leveraging the greatest assets of each other."</P><P><i>What else can Jessica learn from Beyoncé — or vice versa? Let us know in the comments below!</i></P><P><a href="http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1617615"><img src="http://www.mtv.com/news/photos/s/spotted/banner/spotted.jpg"></a></p>
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Acer Iconia Tab A510 review
We'll stop just short of quoting Top Gun here, but if it's speed you crave, these next thousands of words could have you emptying your wallet. How's that for an opening line? To be honest, it's been quite some time since any of us Engadget editors booted up a brand new device and immediately let loose a stream of expletives -- all expressing unbridled delight, of course. Such was the beginning of our meet-cute with Acer's Iconia Tab A510, the company's first Tegra 3 slate, and the second to ship with Ice Cream Sandwich.
Apart from that 1280 x 800 TFT LCD display, this 10-incher looks, feels and performs nothing like its predecessor, the A500. Turbocharged with that quad-core CPU and 1GB of RAM, this Android 4.0 tablet joins a crowded category with a generous 32GB in built-in storage and a reasonable $450 price tag to match. So, does that excellence lose its luster with more extensive use? Is your money better spent on any of the other umpteen tablets running ICS? Will the lack of a higher-quality display prove too much of a con for your exquisite tech tastes? Follow on as we probe the A510 for answers.
Continue reading Acer Iconia Tab A510 review
Acer Iconia Tab A510 review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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