California has too much solar power

// The HP printer your WFH setup has been missing »

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California now has so much solar power that electricity prices are going negative during the day

“California, which gets over a quarter of its electricity from solar, is generating more power than it knows what to do with. On sunny days, there's now so much solar energy being supplied that electricity prices can dip into the negative. … In the morning when everyone's getting up, demand is high. But by midday, the sun's out and solar energy can provide almost all the power needed, causing prices to plummet. … In the long run, it could cause electricity prices to go up.”

// The Byte »

It’s time you got your own printer

You might think your WFH setup is complete… but is it, really? That is: Do you have a printer? We didn’t think so. Sure, you can print at the library, but they’ll charge you for every page, and they’ll rip you off if you’re trying to print anything in — gasp! — color. And you can keep nagging that one friend who’s got a printer, but that’s bound to get real old real quick. So why not just get your own? Especially when they’re so affordable and versatile. *Cough* We’re talking about this one from HP. *Cough* It comes with two years of ink (yes, including all that Roy G Biv action) and boasts wireless printing, copying, and scanning. Save $80 when you get it today. [Ad]

// Work smarter »

AI sustainability: How Microsoft, Google Cloud, IBM & Dell are working on reducing AI’s climate harms

“How much energy generative AI consumes depends on factors including physical location, the size of the model, the intensity of the training and more. Excessive energy use can contribute to drought, animal habitat loss and climate change. … A team of researchers from Microsoft, Hugging Face, the Allen Institute for AI and several universities proposed a standard in 2022. Using it, they found that training a small language transformer model on 8 NVIDIA V100 GPUs for 36 hours used 37.3 kWh. On average, training the language model emits about as much carbon dioxide as using one gallon of gas. Training just a fraction of a theoretical large model — a 6 billion parameter language model — would emit about as much carbon dioxide as powering a home does for a year.”

// TechRepublic »

Beta Alia nails first manned eVTOL transition to cruise flight [Video]

“Ever since its launch, we thought Vermont's Beta Technologies might prove itself the real deal in an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) world dominated by renderings, concepts, prototypes and other ‘maybe somedays.’ Now it's taken another major step, becoming the first to perform a successful transition – from helicopter-style hovering to airplane-like cruising – with a pilot on board. And it's kindly captured the achievement on video.”

// New Atlas »

Say goodbye to bad ads — forever

Imagine a future where you’re scrolling through social media and the ads you see don’t suck. Instead of cringey or trying-too-hard-to-be-funny or just totally irrelevant ads, you’re getting branded content for things you actually want to see on your timeline. That’s the future that RAD AI is creating with their groundbreaking AI. Connecting brands with the tools they need to target the right audiences, RAD AI is turning the $633 billion content and data industry on its head. Invest today and join the other cool kids from Google, Amazon, and Meta who also think this AI is a pretty nifty thing. Get on it ASAP. [Ad]

// Invest now, the round closes 4/29 »

The best alternatives to Spotify for streaming music

“Things have been rough for Spotify. There was anti-vaccine misinformation prominently featured, which garnered quite a lot of criticism, and earlier this month, it also once again raised its prices. The famous music streaming app is also notorious for being anti-artist by severely underpaying them. … If you want to switch to a more ethical streaming service or simply want to explore other options, we’ve curated a list of the best music streaming apps. All of these have one strong selling point, so you can make a decision based on what you value the most.”

// Gizmodo »