Month: September 2018

Etching solar

While researchers did find that production of individual black-Si passive emitter rear cells (PERC) were between 15.8 and 25.1% more expensive than making conventional cells, they also found that the efficiency gains and the ability to go to the less-expensive multicrystalline silicon starting material far outweighed those extra costs: overall the cost per unit power dropped by 10.8%.

Hypocralypse?

Better tech for reading feelings and widespread hypocrisy, seem to me to be on a collision course. As a result, within a few decades, we may see something of a “hypocrisy apocalypse”, or “hypocralypse”, wherein familiar ways to manage hypocrisy become no longer feasible, and collide with common norms, rules, and laws. In this post I want to outline some of the problems we face.

Liquefying cargo

Solid bulk cargoes – defined as granular materials loaded directly into a ship’s hold – can suddenly turn from a solid state into a liquid state, a process known as liquefaction. And this can be disastrous for any ship carrying them – and their crew. 10 “solid bulk cargo” carriers have been lost at sea each year for the last 10 years. Solid bulk cargoes are typically “2-phase” materials as they contain water between the solid particles. When the particles can touch, the friction between them makes the material act like a solid (even though there is liquid present). But when the water pressure rises, these inter-particle forces reduce and the strength of the material decreases. When the friction is reduced to zero, the material acts like a liquid (even though the solid particles are still present). A solid bulk cargo that is apparently stable on the quayside can liquefy because pressures in the water between the particles build up as it is loaded onto the ship. This is especially likely if, as is common practice, the cargo is loaded with a conveyor belt from the quayside into the hold, which can involve a fall of significant height. The vibration and motion of the ship from the engine and the sea during the voyage can also increase the water pressure and lead to liquefaction of the cargo. When a solid bulk cargo liquefies, it can shift or slosh inside a ship’s hold, making the vessel less stable. A liquefied cargo can shift completely to one side of the hold. If it regains its strength and reverts to a solid state, the cargo will remain in the shifted position, causing the ship to permanently tilt or “list” in the water. The cargo can then liquefy again and shift further, increasing the angle of list. At some point, the angle of list becomes so great that water enters the hull through the hatch covers, or the vessel is no longer stable enough to recover from the rolling motion caused by the waves. Water can also move from within the cargo to its surface as a result of liquefaction and subsequent sloshing of this free water can further impact the vessel’s stability. Unless the sloshing can be stopped, the ship is in danger of sinking.

Uber Bundles

The biggest payoff, though, comes from effectively bundling opportunities for drivers. The problem for any standalone restaurant delivery app is that the vast majority of orders come at lunch and dinner, but the driver may wish to work at other times of the day as well. With Uber that is easy: just pick up riders (Uber drivers can drive for just Uber, just Uber Eats, or both). In other words, Uber has more and more ways to monopolize a driver’s time, to the driver’s benefit personally and Uber’s benefit competitively.

Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop

While Paulie Gee’s serves the Neapolitanish, toppings-eccentric pies that were all the rage when it opened in 2010, Giannone has more than pizza up his sleeve. For his second act, he’s going old-school with Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop. He and his head pizza chef Andrew Brown, a 4-year alum of Paulie Gee’s, are taking inspiration in slices from these places. Take the Freddy Prince, an upside-down Sicilian with fresh mozzarella that nods to Giannone’s favorite square, Prince Street’s Soho Square. “It’s a combo of that and one from this place in Whitestone called Freddy’s, where they have sesame seeds on the bottom of their crust.

FB Wifi

In late 2015, we began testing Express Wifi, a program that enables local entrepreneurs, internet service providers, and mobile network operators to offer fast, affordable internet access in local communities around the world. We partner with licensed local internet service providers, mobile network operators, and others to provide Wifi services. Today, Express Wifi is available with 10 partners in 5 countries — India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

People typically access Express Wifi hotspots by signing up with a participating retailer and purchasing a prepaid data pack. Using Express Wifi hotspots, our partners can easily expand their services and provide faster, more affordable connectivity to rural and urban areas.