Category Archives: Technology

Business, Investigations, Online, Retail, Technology, Videos

Online: ‘Inside Amazon’s Smart Warehouse’ (Video)

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Amazon is the world’s biggest retailer, and its CEO Jeff Bezos the world’s richest man, for one very good reason. His company is better than anyone else, ever, at giving people what they want, quickly. Amazon acquired its undisputed status as heavyweight champion of the retail universe thanks largely to its lightning-fast delivery times.

The astonishing feat of ferrying hundreds of millions of items, from guitar strings to saucepans to car parts, directly to your door, inside 24 hours, is nothing short of a modern logistical miracle. So how does Amazon do it? A super-smart army of slave robots, for one. Ingenious, if occasionally unscrupulous, management practices are part of the answer too.

And the modern-day voodoo of deep-learning AI – all of which are made flesh in the most advanced stockrooms the world has ever seen. So join us today, as we button up our hi-vis jacket and journey inside Amazon’s smart warehouses.

Design, Home Design, Homes, Living, Technology

Mobile Living: Modern Shed – ‘The DW’ (Dwelling On Wheels) – “An Amazing Off-Grid Tiny Home”

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Having provided customers with small backyard spaces for over two decades, Modern Shed has taken the next step in small space innovation. One that can be taken with you wherever you go. Introducing the DW (dwelling on wheels). This is more than a mobile shed on wheels.

Modern-Shed was born from builders and dreamers—idealists and pragmatic problem-solvers. The Modern Shed team was inspired to embark on a creative project in 2020–creating their first-ever portable dwelling. Drawing on their design/build expertise, the team created a beautiful, self-contained space big enough to call home, yet small enough to take anywhere: The Dwelling on Wheels –the DW– was born. A classic gable form creates a recognizable home, with wall-to-ceiling window placements maximizing landscape views and sunlight.

The Details

The resilient, low-maintenance envelope is contrasted by a bright and spacious wood interior and sustainable linoleum flooring. The DW offers room for three with a large bed–just a few inches short of a queen–tucked below a twin in the sleeping area. Thoughtfully designed, built-in storage accommodates small living while the glass wall orients the structure to capture the horizon in the living room.

With a solar array on the roof equipped with batteries, and a wood stove to provide warmth, the DW is equipped to be used off-grid. The dwelling comes with two electric wall heaters as a backup, and is ready to accommodate water tanks or a composting unit.

The DW exemplifies Modern-Shed’s values: creating beautiful dwellings efficiently, sustainably, and cleverly.

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Aviation, Technology, Transportation, Videos

Aviation: Covid May Spur Carbon-Neutral Flights

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As much of the aviation industry fights to survive the coronavirus pandemic, some economists and engineers see the crisis as an opportunity to use stimulus funds to propel air travel to a carbon-neutral future.

Photo illustration: George Downs

Food, Retail, Technology, Videos

Online Shopping: How 3 Million Grocery Items Are Delivered Each Day (Video)

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Each week, e-grocer FreshDirect delivers 100,000 grocery boxes direct to customers’ doors. It all happens from its Bronx warehouse, the size of 11 football fields. Using an advanced AI system, temperature controls, nine miles of conveyor belt, and a fleet of delivery trucks, the company is able to cut out three steps in the normal grocery store supply chain. Business Insider visited the warehouse to see how the company moves 3 million grocery items a week in the face of unprecedented pandemic demand.

Boats, Technology, Videos

Sailboat Racing: ’36th America’s Cup’ Analysis

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If there’s one hard fact in a sea of uncertainty, this is the team that needs to be beaten to win the America’s Cup, the current Defender representatives, Emirates Team New Zealand. Their new second boat took many by surprise as it was rolled out into the open for the first time. This is a bold, aggressively styled AC75 that is a long way from their first boat. Such a big departure has raised plenty of questions so, in our Defender analysis Matt Sheahan explains what this means for both the Kiwis and the competition.

Boats, Engineering, Technology, Transportation, Videos

Ocean Transport: ‘Are Renewable Ships Possible?’

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The shipping industry plays a critical role in the global economy, carrying approximately 90% of the total tonnage of world’s traded goods. Shipping propulsion has changed radically since the mid-19th century, from the renewable energy of sail power, to the coal power of steamships, to the predominance of heavy fuel oil and marine diesel oil. But renewable energy technologies could transform the global shipping fleet again, at all levels and scales.

Landscape, Living, Technology, Videos

Extreme Locations: ‘How Living At The South Pole, Antarctica Works’ (Video)

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The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where Earth’s axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of Earth and lies on the opposite side of Earth from the North Pole.

Antarctica, the southernmost continent and site of the South Pole, is a virtually uninhabited, ice-covered landmass. Most cruises to the continent visit the Antarctic Peninsula, which stretches toward South America. It’s known for the Lemaire Channel and Paradise Harbor, striking, iceberg-flanked passageways, and Port Lockroy, a former British research station turned museum. The peninsula’s isolated terrain also shelters rich wildlife, including many penguins.

Law, Media, Technology, Videos

Media: ‘The Law At The Center Of The Big Tech Debate In Congress’ (WSJ)

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Leaders in government and tech want to rewrite a law that governs the internet. WSJ explains Section 230, how it shaped the modern internet, and what lawmakers and tech executives want to change.

Photo illustration: Carlos Waters/WSJ