| Study says wind turbines raise surrounding area temperature, but only at night Apr 30th 2012, 18:47  Who said the butterfly effect couldn't apply to renewable energy? Though wind farms are considered pretty green on the energy-generating spectrum, it looks like they, too, have an impact on the planet. According to a study published today in the journal Nature Climate Change, turbines can raise the local temperature -- albeit slightly. From 2003 to 2011, researchers monitored satellite data for west-central Texas, which is home to 2,350-plus turbines and four of the world's largest wind farms. In that decade, scientists observed a temperature increase of 0.72 degrees in wind farm regions compared to areas without turbines. That warming trend was especially marked at night, when the temperature difference between the ground and the air is highest. The temperature increase was also higher in winter; researchers say that these cooler, windier conditions cause turbines to generate more electricity and therefore create more heat. Since the study didn't find any change in daytime temperatures, it looks like we don't have to ring the global warming alarm just yet. Study says wind turbines raise surrounding area temperature, but only at night originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Phys.Org | | Email this | Comments | | Verizon gets new prepaid plans, adds Jetpack hotspot to contract-free lineup Apr 30th 2012, 18:01  And just like that Verizon has revamped its prepaid pricing structure. Starting tomorrow, May 1st, the carrier will be offering unlimited talk and text packaged with 1GB of data for $80 a month. The new offering will be available first with the Samsung Illusion, a disappointingly 3G handset, though, one that wont demand a two year commitment to Big Red. Verizon is also adding the Jetpack MiFi 4510L LTE mobile hotspot to its contract-free offerings for $130. Prepaid plans for the 4G wireless hotspot start at $15 for 250 MB a week, but quickly climb to $60 and $90 for 3GB and 10GB, respectively. For more info check out the PR after the break. Continue reading Verizon gets new prepaid plans, adds Jetpack hotspot to contract-free lineup Verizon gets new prepaid plans, adds Jetpack hotspot to contract-free lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Google Wave reaches zero amplitude Apr 30th 2012, 17:51  We knew it was coming, but alas, the loss of Google Wave hits us anew now that the execution date has finally come. To say we fully grokked this platform would be untrue, but as we dug through its history to gather our thoughts, we realized what a misunderstood creature Wave really was. Released in 2009 with great fanfare and no shortage of Firefly references, the program meant well with its collaboration-friendly interface, emphasis on multimedia sharing and raft of third-party extensions such as real-time Swedish Chef translation. But while its heart was in the right place, the service sacrificed accessibility for intrigue, a distinct online identity for an early adopter sensibility. Thus, after the invite-only mystique wore off and talk of a Wave app store began to sound downright foolish, the program's future looked anything but rosy. But even a product this short-lived can have a legacy: in Wave's case, it could be making Google Plus seem downright approachable by comparison. And though this may be little consolation to those hardcore wavers -- few and far between as they may be -- the project's spirit will live on in the equally perplexing Apache Wave. RIP, Google Wave, we really hardly knew you. Google Wave reaches zero amplitude originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Velocity Micro unveils three Ivy Bridge desktops, starting at $849 Apr 30th 2012, 17:24  From Acer and HP to Maingear, PC makers across the board are releasing Ivy Bridge desktops before the family of CPUs makes its much-anticipated debut on notebooks. Velocity Micro is following suit, with the announcement of three customizable PCs powered by Intel's third-generation Core processors. Starting at $849, the Vector Z70 comes standard with a 500GB, 7,200RPM hard drive, 4GB of RAM and a 2.6GHz Intel Pentium G620 CPU (upgradeable all the way to a Core i7 processor, clocked at 3.4GHz). The $999 Edge Z40 is a middle-of-the-road model, shipping with a 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTS 450 GPU, a 2.8GHz Intel Core i5-23000 and 1TB of storage spinning at 7,200 RPM. On the premium side, the Raptor Z90 is a full-on gaming machine, with GeForce GTX 680 graphics and an Intel Core i7-3770 CPU, plus eight USB 3.0 and four USB 3.0 connections. All three systems are immediately available -- click through to the product pages for the complete configuration options. Continue reading Velocity Micro unveils three Ivy Bridge desktops, starting at $849 Velocity Micro unveils three Ivy Bridge desktops, starting at $849 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  Velocity Micro (Vector Z20), (Edge Z40), (Raptor Z90) | Email this | Comments | |
