Editor Blogs

January 2018

Formula E

The Gen2 Formula E race car, with double the electric range.

New Formula E Race Cars Have Double the Electric Range

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

Advanced battery technology will make the Formula E racing series more conducive to a spectator sport – increased energy storage capacity will eliminate the customary midrace car swap. We covered Formula E back in July when the electric racing series came to New York for the first time. The Venturi racing team (which h

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01/31/2018

A Cynomolgus Macaque Monkey, the sort used in the experiments.

Automakers Fund Study That Exposed Monkeys to Diesel Fumes

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

So this is pretty awful. Three German automakers have been caught in a scandal involving monkeys, diesel fumes, and doctored test results. And it’s every bit as weird and terrible as it sounds. Back in 2014, Volkswagen, Daimler, and BMW sponsored a study to prove that modern diesel technology produced harmless em

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01/30/2018

Jury: Chinese Firm Conspired to Steal Renewable Energy Secrets from US

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

China might be the king of renewable energy, but they’re not above gaining an edge through good old-fashioned espionage. Beijing-based Sinovel was recently found guilty of stealing trade secrets from AMSC, an erstwhile partner and renewable energy provider. Back in 2011, Sinovel placed a large order with AMSC

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01/25/2018

DOE Announces Contest to "Reassert American Leadership" in Solar

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

US solar is lagging behind the rest of the world, and the Department of Energy wants to rectify that. The DOE announced a $3 million purse for “The American Made Solar Prize” competition. The DOE hopes the contest will “incentivize the nation’s entrepreneurs to develop new processes and products that

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01/24/2018

Trump Mulls Tariffs That Could Eviscerate Solar Panel Installers

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

One of the fastest-growing industries in the US is bracing for the ill effects of a prospective tariff from the Trump administration. If you’ve ever been home during daylight hours, you’ve probably had a close encounter with solar installers. The cinematic cult classic, Birdemic, has an entire scene de

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01/23/2018

AirSpaceX's MOBi-ONE, an autonomous, electric VTOL air taxi.

AirSpaceX Unveils Autonomous Air Taxi

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

It looks like air taxi services will soon ... take off (I’m here all day). AirSpaceX has shown off a sub-scale model of its MOBi-ONE, an autonomous, electric VTOL aircraft that looks like a cross between a seaplane and a V-22 Osprey. And like the Lilium air taxi we covered back in September, the MOBi-ONE

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01/19/2018

Apple CEO Tim Cook

Apple's CEO Admits to PR Blunder With Battery SNAFU

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

Apple’s CEO knows they committed a major faux pas, and he’s penitent … sort of. My colleague from across the pond, Ally Winning, previously reported that Apple admitted to intentionally slowing down older iPhones to reduce the power draw from overtaxed batteries. Last year’s iOS update added the “p

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01/18/2018

Automation - Killer or Creator of Jobs

Ally Winning, European Editor, PSD

Almost every day there seems to be a discussion in the press about automation, AI, the IoT and the effect it will have on employment. Today, a press release arrived in my inbox about a survey entitled, "The Potential Consequences of a Highly Automated Construction Industry," that concluded that increasing au

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01/18/2018

Ferrari Wants to Develop "Electric Supercar"

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

Green is definitely the new black. And while most of us settle for smart cars and Priuses, some of the more affluent eco-warriors want a pricier symbol of environmental awareness – like a Ferrari. Because what’s more eco-friendly than a car that costs more than most houses? Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchio

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01/17/2018

The one. The only ...

It's Electric for Ford with $11 Billion EV Investment by 2022

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

Ford is going all-in on electric vehicles. At the Detroit Auto Show, the company announced a $11 billion investment in EVs by 2022, with at least 40 hybrid and all-electric vehicles by the same year. "Ford will prepare for disruption by becoming fit," said Ford CEO Jim Hackett. "There's no doub

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01/15/2018

A meltdown for CPU manufacturers

Ally Winning, European Editor, PSD

Since Christmas there’s no argument about what the biggest story in tech has been. Two serious security vulnerabilities were found that affected the vast majority of CPUs in the market today. “Spectre” affected chips made by Intel, AMD and ARM, and Meltdown affected mainly Intel-made chips, with one or mo

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01/12/2018

CES 2018: Intel Announces 49-Qubit Quantum Chip

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

Intel has brought quantum computing – still largely theoretical – much closer to reality. At CES 2018, the venerable chip maker announced a 49-qubit quantum chip. If you’ve never been to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), you’re doing yourself a disservice. The annual celebration of TVs, widgets, a

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01/11/2018

A TEKMAX Qi Wireless Charging Pad.

Bombshell: Powermat Dumps the Power Matters Alliance for Qi

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

Powermat just dropped an atomic bomb – the wireless charging provider has jumped ship from the Power Matters Alliance to its sworn enemy, the Wireless Power Consortium (i.e., Qi). This is huge. Monumental – like Sony abandoning Blu-Ray for HD-DVD. Or JVC ditching VHS for Betamax. Powermat’s inductive

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01/09/2018

"Steve Jobs" Clothing Company Sets its Eye on Smartphones

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

No, you didn’t read that wrong – turns out the Cupertino giant never bothered trademarking the moniker of their late CEO, the irascible Steve Jobs. And a pair of Italian brothers have swooped in to claim it as their own. That’s right – there is now an officially-sanctioned “Steve Jobs” company, c

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01/02/2018