Technology
AI put in charge of setting variable speed limits on I-24 freeway
Drivers on a busy US freeway have been controlled by an AI since March, as part of a study that has put a machine-learning system in charge of setting variable speed limits on the road. The impact on efficiency and driver safety is unclear, as researchers are still analysing the results.
Roads with variable speed limits, also known as smart motorways, are common in countries including the US, UK and Germany. Normally, rule-based systems monitor the number of vehicles on one of…
Science & Environment
Take a look inside a $1.1 million ‘zero emissions’ home
Courtesy: Wojciechowski Family
Real estate is a key puzzle piece in achieving the U.S.’ climate goals, according to federal officials.
Residential and commercial buildings account for 31% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, after accounting for “indirect” emissions like electricity use, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s more than other economic sectors like transportation and agriculture.
The Biden administration has adopted various policies to cut residential emissions.
The Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in 2022, offers financial benefits including tax breaks and rebates to homeowners who make their homes more energy-efficient, for example. The White House also recently issued guidelines for buildings in order to be considered “zero emissions,” meaning they are “energy efficient, free of onsite emissions from energy use and powered solely from clean energy,” according to the Department of Energy.
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Morgan Wojciechowski, 33, is among the first homeowners to get that federal “zero emissions” label. (That assessment was bestowed by the third-party firm Pearl Certification.)
Wojciechowski, her husband Casey, and their three dogs — Dixie, Bo and Charlie — moved into the newly built residence in Williamsburg, Virginia, in August 2023.
Wojciechowski, who is also the president of Healthy Communities, a local real-estate developer focused on sustainable construction, spoke with CNBC about her new home, its financial benefits and how consumers can best upgrade their homes to be more efficient.
The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Morgan Wojciechowski and her husband Casey.
Courtesy: Wojciechowski Family
Greg Iacurci: What does it mean for your home to be considered ‘zero emissions’?
Morgan Wojciechowski: It’s a very, very, very highly efficient home that’s all-electric. Those are kind of the first two bullet points of the White House definition.
The third part is we are part of the green energy program with [our power provider] Dominion. Not only am I producing solar [energy] and any excess is going back onto the grid, but the power from the grid coming into my home is clean and sustainable. It’s about $10 extra a month for me to get that clean energy.
GI: How much did your house cost to build?
MW: Like $1.1 million.
GI: And how big is the house?
MW: 5,800 square feet.
It’s a large home. But mine is not what everybody’s doing. My home was my personal project because I believe in sustainability and wanted to do it in a home that would be my forever home. But one that’s more replicable would be like what [Healthy Communities] builds at Walnut Farm, which is like 1,500 square feet. We’re selling it for $433,000.
GI: Can you break down your home’s estimated savings?
MW: Our utility bills are projected to be about $917 a year with [solar] panels, or around $80 a month.
The annual savings are $7,226 [relative to an average U.S. home, according to rater TopBuild Home Services]. That’s just from the efficiency of the home with solar.
If you took the solar production away, I would be saving $5,431 annually. The solar offsets it.
Courtesy: Wojciechowski Family
Courtesy: Wojciechowski Family
Courtesy: Wojciechowski Family
Courtesy: Wojciechowski Family
Courtesy: Wojciechowski Family
GI: What do you mean solar offsets it?
MW: You create energy. Your home uses that energy and sends excess energy back to Dominion. Those credits are stored in an account, and then those credits offset your bill. It’s called net metering.
GI: So the power company is paying you that money?
MW: Those credits are applied to your next billing cycle. They offset your overall utility bill, and that’s where your savings come in.
Solar panels only make sense if you build an energy-efficient home that’s really all-electric.
Courtesy: Wojciechowski Family
GI: Why is that?
MW: You have to have a home that’s constructed energy-efficiently enough or retrofitted — by replacing your windows with higher-grade windows, adding insulation — so that you will need fewer panels on your rooftop, so you have a quicker return on your investment. Solar only makes sense if you’re going to have a return on your investment within a few years.
GI: That makes solar more attractive?
MW: If you don’t do energy-efficient upgrades to a pre-existing home or if you don’t build a home that’s energy-efficient enough, you have to add more panels to compensate for the lack of energy efficiency. And if that number gets too big it turns people upside down.
Solar has to make sense with the home that you’re putting it on, or else, don’t do it. Maybe just upgrade your windows, add insulation, condition your crawl space, upgrade your mechanical systems.
There are a lot of things consumers can do. You don’t have to do it all at one time. You don’t have to have a solar home to be zero emissions; you have to have an energy-efficient house that’s all-electric, and you have to buy renewable energy from your utility company.
That’s extremely approachable. Lots of people can do that. Everybody can join in at their level of sustainability.
GI: How do you recommend people get started?
MW: I would tell a consumer, why don’t you start with windows and doors. That’s a very easy one. Do that and see how you notice any [efficiency] changes.
In a lot of older homes windows are very old and they leak. Air is coming in and out. If you think about it, a house is like an envelope. You you want to seal the inside of your home the best that you can.
I would hit insulation next.
A lot of older homes have HVAC systems, duct work inside of their attic. Insulate it so that it’s a conditioned space, so that those building systems don’t have to work in overdrive to keep up with really hot temperatures or really cold temperatures. That keeps it more energy efficient.
And there are tax incentives [available] for energy-efficient upgrades to your home. Consumers can get and write them off, so that’s attractive to people as well.
GI: If you’re a renter, there are certain things that are out of your control. I suppose you can ask your landlord.
MW: Depending upon what your rental situation is. I feel like that’s a little bit more daunting, to change someone else’s mind. Once you get to your own home, eventually, then you have more say of what you can do.
Until then, you could be mindful about the energy you use. Turn lights off. I mean, that’s a real thing. People don’t turn lights off. I mean, even though I have a really efficient home, I have timers on things because I don’t want to be wasting energy. That’s an easy one that anybody could do.
Technology
The Duolingo app just got two big updates. Here’s what’s new
Duolingo, the popular language learning app, has always offered fun and interactive ways to learn new languages. It has now added two new features that make it even more feature-packed. As part of its latest update, the app now includes Adventures and Video Calls.
Adventures is a game-like feature that allows you to explore different settings and storylines within the Duolingo universe. It features two characters, Lily and Oscar. Adventures is designed to help you improve your language skills by putting you in simulated real-world situations.
Currently, one adventure is available for each course unit. It is only accessible for English speakers learning French and Spanish speakers learning English. However, more languages will be added in the upcoming weeks and months.
Duolingo’s new video call feature uses artificial intelligence to help you practice your conversational skills in a realistic setting. As the title suggests, the feature lets you make a video call — in this case, to the Duolingo character Lily. You can converse just like you would with a real person, but in an environment without pressure.
Duolingo explains that “Video Call is designed to simulate natural dialogue and provides a personalized, interactive practice environment.” Some Duolingo users tell us the video call option is already showing up within the app, although there isn’t a sign of Adventures yet.
Finally, Duolingo has announced a new partnership with Loog, a manufacturer of portable instruments. As a result of this collaboration, a new three-octave electric piano compatible with the Duolingo Music course has been introduced. The device is priced at $249 and is currently available for preorder, with shipping scheduled to begin in November.
Science & Environment
Morgan Stanley sees this stock doubling on eventual data center deal
Technology
The Foldable iPhone may get UPC tech for Face ID first
The iPhone 17 series was previously expected to adopt the under-panel camera technology for Face ID. However, a recent report from the Korean publication The Elec claims that Apple has delayed the application of the ‘Under-Panel Face ID’ technology. Reputed display industry analyst Ross Young from DSCC fame has already reversed his claim that Apple will have a phone with an under-panel camera in 2025. Sources from the Korean screen business now confirm that.
Will the foldable iPhone be the first to use the ‘Under-Panel Face ID technology?
According to The Elec Apple is waiting for at least two of its major display suppliers to master the under-panel camera technology. Only then, will the company start using the technology for its iPhones. Samsung and LG supply displays for Apple’s devices.
However, according to the report, none of the companies are near to producing display panels that can maintain reasonable visibility for the under-panel sensors that Apple expects. According to a previous report, Apple has delayed the launch of its foldable iPhone to 2027. It was also reported that the foldable iPhone may come with a ‘wrap-around design‘. However, the latest news is that a foldable iPhone with a Galaxy Z Flip design may arrive in 2026
For those unfamiliar, there have been Android devices for a while that utilize the under-panel camera technology. In fact, Samsung’s own book-style foldables, including the latest Galaxy Z Fold 6 use the under-panel camera tech to hide the 4 MP selfie camera under the large foldable AMOLED display. On one hand, it does not obstruct the view, while on the other, it lets you make video calls and take occasional selfies without having to switch to the external display. However, the clarity and overall image quality from the under-display camera is certainly much inferior as compared to the punch-hole selfie camera on the external display.
An industry insider noted, “Apple hasn’t even decided which model among the foldable product it’s currently preparing and the existing bar-type iPhone to apply the under-panel Face ID to first.”
Samsung is working with Canada’s OTI Lumionics to meet the requirements
The Elec also reports that Samsung is currently working with Canada’s OTI Lumionics to overcome the challenges and meet Apple’s expectations of the technology.
OTI Lumionics uses a fine metal mask (FMM) to pattern-deposit organic cathode patterning material (CPM) and then deposits the cathode with an open metal mask (OMM), avoiding the CPM. However, reports indicate that diffraction still occurs when the IR laser passes through the panel in the under-panel Face ID currently in development.
LG is also working on related technologies. The company has reportedly developed a ‘freeform optic’ lens to overcome some of the limitations of the existing UPC technology.
Science & Environment
New species of “ghost shark” discovered living deep in the Pacific Ocean to
Researchers have discovered a new species of “ghost shark” that exclusively lives in the deep waters surrounding Australia and New Zealand.
The “Australasian narrow-nosed spookfish” has a long, pointed nose, as its name indicates, and bulging black eyes. The creature has “chocolate brown” skin and a long, wispy tail, according to New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.
Ghost sharks, formally known as chimaeras, have smooth skin and no scales. They have “distinctive, beak-like teeth,” NIWA said, and primarily eat shrimp and mollusks.
The species lives in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, which NIWA scientist Brit Finucci said makes them difficult to study. One ghost shark was caught on camera swimming off the coast of California in 2017. The specimens studied by NIWA to make this identification were found during other research studies for Fisheries New Zealand.
“Their habitat makes them hard to study and monitor, meaning we don’t know a lot about their biology or threat status, but it makes discoveries like this even more exciting,” Finucci said.
The specimens found were thought to be part of a species that can be found around the world, but research revealed the Australasian narrow-nosed spookfish is “genetically and morphologically different to its cousins,” NIWA said.
Finucci gave the species the scientific name “Harriotta avia” in honor of her grandmother.
“Avia means grandmother in Latin; I wanted to give this nod to her because she proudly supported me through my career as a scientist,” Finucci said. “Chimaeras are also rather ancient relatives — the grandmas and grandpas — of fish and I thought the name was well suited.”
Technology
Apple’s AirPods 4 are already on sale in this early Prime Day deal
It has been less than a week since Apple released the AirPods 4, and there’s already a small sale available on them. Ahead of October Prime Day, you can pick up the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation for $169, down from $179. The AirPods 4 without ANC are also $10 off, with an eight percent discount dropping their price to $119 from $129. The markdowns aren’t significant but could be the extra push you need if you’ve been sitting on the fence.
Apple announced the two AirPods 4 models at its iPhone 16 event on September 9. The fourth-generation AirPods with ANC garnered an 86 in our review, while the standard version fared a bit better with an 88. The ANC model has improved fit and sound quality and offers Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and wireless charging. It also has perks like a speaker in the case that beeps when you activate Find My — though the AirPods only support proximity view, not precision finding like the AirPods Pro 2.
The AirPods 4 without ANC share a big con with their sister device: no onboard volume controls. They also don’t have wireless charging or Conversation Awareness. What they do give you is a good, comfortable fit and much better sound quality than their predecessor. This model also offers Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Voice Isolation and Adaptive EQ.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.
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