Editor Blogs

August 2018

Effects of Beirutâ€™s civil war. While the country has rebuilt, the nationâ€™s power grid is patchwork at best.

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

Small wonder that a country synonymous with destruction and ruin has an underground power market. In the 1920s, the U.S. banned the sale of alcohol, emboldening the mafia, which stepped in to fill the void. And in Beirut, amidst a strained power grid and 3-12 hour mandatory blackouts, industrious power bro

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08/29/2018

Trump's Affordable Clean Energy Rule Could Cause up to 1,400 Deaths

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

The EPA’s new Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule “empowers states, promotes energy independence, and facilitates economic growth and job creation.” It could also lead to up to 1,400 premature deaths. Every President inevitably staffs federal agencies with their own people, and Trump’s EPA is no different – the Acting Administrator, Andrew R. Wheele

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08/27/2018

UK Military Drone Sets Solar Flight Record

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

The latest Airbus Defence and Space High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) has set a new record for longest duration solar flight. The Zephyr S HAPS took off July 11th in Arizona and landed 25 days, 23 hours, and 57 minutes later. Airbus Defence and Space calls the Zephyr system the “world’s leading, solar–

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08/21/2018

Volkswagen EV Chargers Tainted With Cadmium

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

Thought mercury in CFLs was bad? 124,000 EV and plug-in chargers were found to contain cadmium, a highly carcinogenic metal that causes metal fume fever, chemical pneumonitis, pulmonary edema, and death. Fun! 124,000 Volkswagen electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles apparently shipped with aftermarket chargers that includ

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08/17/2018

Using LED Light to Build Wireless Networks

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

UK telecom giant O2 is using solid-state lighting to transmit data wirelessly. The early trials use LED light to “send large amounts of data, while appearing as white light to the human eye. The result is a high-speed, bi-directional and fully networked wireless communication of data,” claims O2’s co-conspira

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08/16/2018

President Trump signs the Defense Authorization Act into law at Fort Drum, New York.

China Sanctions Excluded From Defense Authorization Act

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

China gets off relatively easy in the latest Defense Authorization Act. The bill includes a government ban on data-sharing devices but excludes the sanctions which crippled telecom giant ZTE. The sanctions barred US companies from doing business with ZTE, which violated trade agreements by selling US technolo

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08/14/2018

Galaxy Note 9's "All Day Battery" Won't Last All Day

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

Newsflash – the Galaxy Note 9’s “all day battery” isn’t guaranteed. But it will last most of the day for the average user, which isn’t nearly as catchy. We’ve been ragging on Apple a lot for the iPhone’s battery life – and the company’s various schemes to downgrade existing batteries – so the Galaxy Note 9 has an obvious selling point. Samsung’s latest “phablet” won’t win on price

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08/13/2018

Smart Control Technology Brings Modern Amenities to the Wild

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

I’m going camping next month, and while I like to experience the outdoors when I’m experiencing the outdoors, Airstream’s trailers let you brave the wild with all the comforts of home – their Smart Control Technology ensures you won’t be too hot, too cold, or denied a strong Wi-Fi signal. I jest,

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08/10/2018

Sono Motors' Sion.

This Solar Car Charges as You Drive

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

A German start-up is testing a solar car that can be charged while you drive. The Sion, from Sono Motors, will reach 18.6 miles through photovoltaics, alone. The all-electric car includes 330 integrated solar cells throughout its polycarbonate body, with a max range of 155 miles and recharging via conventional power outlets a

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08/09/2018

Seattle to Introduce Electric Garbage Trucks

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

Seattle is ready to debut its first battery-powered refuse trucks, courtesy of Chinese automaker BYD (Build Your Dreams). The 8R Class-8 electric garbage trucks will utilize two electric motors, rated at 201 hp and 550 lbs-ft apiece, and a 178 kWh battery will allow for a 76-mile range with a 10-ton payload. Rec

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08/07/2018

Prototype for the Harley Davidson LiveWire electric bike.

Harley-Davidson Goes All-in For Electric

Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD

Can electric bikes save a dying Harley-Davidson brand? Yes, but the result might be unrecognizable. Back in 2014, Harley-Davidson demoed its LiveWire prototype, with plans of bringing their first electric bike to market in 2019. CFO John Olin claimed that Harley would invest $25-50 million per year in electr

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08/03/2018