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Technology Holdings Unveils the 'TH Growth and Exit Strategy Report' for your Tech Services, Consulting, BPO or Technology Business: Get a Customised Exit Readiness, Recapitalization and Growth Strategy Report in Minutes Powered by Strat - Busines

Technology Holdings Unveils the 'TH Growth and Exit Strategy Report' for your Tech Services, Consulting, BPO or Technology Business: Get a Customised Exit Readiness, Recapitalization and Growth Strategy Report in Minutes Powered by Strat  Business Wire











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'A New Gaming CPU King': AMD's New Ryzen 7 9800X3D Reviewed

"AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D debuts with impressive performance gains, powered by advanced 3D V-Cache technology and improved thermal efficiency," writes Slashdot reader jjslash. "While the CPU shines as a top choice right out of the gate, AMD's history of quick price cuts suggests waiting could yield even better value for savvy buyers." TechSpot reports: Today we're finally able to show you how AMD's new Ryzen 7 9800X3D performs, and spoiler alert -- it's a real weapon that solves the issues we encountered with the non-3D Zen 5 chips before this. Without question, this is the best CPU released since the 7800X3D, making this launch particularly exciting. [...] For now, the 9800X3D is mighty impressive, the undisputed king of gaming, and it marks a historic milestone. We don't think AMD has ever been this dominant over Intel, certainly not in the last 15 years.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.




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America's First Sodium-Ion Battery Gigafactory Announced. Cost: $1.4 Billion

Sodium-ion batteries are cheaper than lithium-ion batteries — and they're also more environmentally friendly. And "In the past few years, sodium-ion battery production has increased in the United States," reports the Washington Post, with a new factory planned to manufacture them "in the same way as lithium-ion batteries, just with different ingredients. Instead of using expensive materials like lithium, nickel and cobalt, these will be made of sodium, iron and manganese..." Last month, sodium-ion battery manufacturer Natron Energy announced it would open a "gigafactory" in North Carolina that would produce 24 gigawatt hours of batteries annually, enough energy to charge 24,000 electric vehicles. But sodium-ion batteries are still early in their development compared with lithium-ion, and they have yet to hit the market on a massive scale. "It's unlikely sodium-ion could displace lithium-ion anytime soon," said Keith Beers, polymer science and materials chemistry principal engineer at technical consultancy firm Exponent... The biggest limitation of sodium-ion batteries is their weight. Sodium weighs nearly three times as much as lithium, and it cannot store the same amount of energy. As a result, sodium-ion batteries tend to be larger. Jens Peters, an economics professor at the University of Alcalá in Madrid, said the energy density could be improved over time in sodium-ion batteries. But, he added, "what we found out so far in our assessments is that it is not a game changer." Sodium-ion batteries are touted to be the environmentally friendly alternative to their lithium-ion counterparts, thanks to their raw materials. Sodium, iron and manganese are all abundant elements on the planet, so they require less energy to extract and cost less... Sodium-ion batteries also last longer than lithium-ion ones because they can withstand more charge cycles, said Wendell Brooks, co-CEO of Natron Energy. "Our product can have millions of cycles," said Brooks, "where lithium-ion would have three to five thousand cycles and wear out a lot faster...." Sodium-ion batteries aren't the best fit for smartphones or electric vehicles, which need to store lots of energy. However, one advantage is their low cost. And they could be a good candidate in situations where the size of the battery isn't a concern, like energy storage. "When something is built out to support grid or backup storage, it doesn't need to be very dense. It's staying put," Beers said. Natron will invest nearly $1.4 billion in the factory "to meet the rapidly expanding demand for critical power, industrial and grid energy storage solutions," according to their announcement. "Natron's high-performance sodium-ion batteries outperform lithium-ion batteries in power density and recharging speed, do not require lithium, cobalt, copper, or nickel, and are non-flammable... Natron's batteries are the only UL-listed sodium-ion batteries on the market today, and will be delivered to a wide range of customer end markets in the industrial power space, including data centers, mobility, EV fast charging, microgrids, and telecom, among others."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.




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Cuba's Power Grid Collapses Again After Second Hurricane. And Then an Earthquake Hit

Wednesday Cuba was hit by a major hurricane which took down its entire power grid again, this time for about 24 hours, according to CNN: Videos of the aftermath showed power infrastructure turned into a mangled mess and power poles down on streets. Hundreds of technicians were mobilized Thursday to reestablish power connections, according to state media... Operations at two electrical plants were partially restored and parts of eastern and central Cuba had electricity back up by Thursday afternoon, state media reported... The country's power grid has collapsed multiple times, including when Hurricane Oscar hit in October and killed at least 7 people. In the capital of Havana, where 2 million people live, power had been restored to less than 20% of the city by late Friday afternoon, . "Authorities had not yet given an estimate for when power would be fully restored..." Then tonight, CNN reported: A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Cuba on Sunday, causing material damage in several regions as the island continues to recover from widespread blackouts and the impact of two hurricanes over the past few weeks. The earthquake was reported about 39 km (24 miles) south of Bartolomé Masó before noon local time, about an hour after a 5.9 magnitude quake rocked the area, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. "There have been landslides, damage to homes and power lines," Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said, adding that authorities are evaluating the situation to start recovery efforts.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.




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Can AI-Enabled Thermostats Create a 'Virtual Power Plant' in Texas?

Renew Home says they're building a "virtual power plant" in Texas by "enabling homes to easily reduce and shift the timing of energy use." Thursday they announced a 10-year project distributing hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats to customers of Texas-based power utility NRG Energy, starting next spring. (Bloomberg calls them "AI-enabled thermostats that use Alphabet Inc.'s Google Cloud technology.") The ultimate goal? "Create a nearly 1-gigawatt, AI-powered virtual power plant" — equivalent to 1.9 million solar panels, enough to power about 200,000 homes during peak demand. One NRG executive touted the move as "cutting-edge, AI-driven solutions that will bolster grid resilience and contribute to a more sustainable future." [Residential virtual power plants] work by aggregating numerous, small-scale distributed energy resources like HVAC systems controlled by smart thermostats and home batteries and coordinating them to balance supply and demand... NRG, in partnership with Renew Home, plans to offer Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, including professional installation, at no cost to eligible customers across NRG's retail electricity providers and plans. These advanced thermostats make subtle automatic HVAC adjustments to help customers shift their energy use to times when electricity is less constrained, less expensive, and cleaner... Over time, the parties expect to add devices like batteries and electric vehicles to the virtual power plant, expanding energy savings opportunities for customers... Through the use of Google Cloud's data, analytics, and AI technology, NRG will be able to do things like better predict weather conditions, forecast wind and solar generation output, and create predictive pricing models, allowing for more efficient production and ultimately ensuring the home energy experience is seamless for customers. Google Cloud will also offer "its AI and machine learning to determine the best time to cool or heat homes," reports Bloomberg, "based on a household's energy usage patterns and ambient temperatures." It was less than a year ago that Renew Home was formed when Google spun off the load-shifting service for its "Google Nest" thermostats, which merged with load-shift management startup OhmConnect. Bloomberg describes this week's announcement as "Three of the biggest names in US home energy automation... coming together to offer some relief to the beleaguered Texas electrical grid." But they point out that 1 gigawatt is roughly 1% of the record summer demand seen in Texas this year. Still, "The entire industry has been built to serve the peak load on the hottest day of the year," said Rasesh Patel, president of NRG's consumer unit. "This allows us to be a lot more smarter about demand in shaving the peak."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.




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LG's New Stretchable Display Can Grow By 50%

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Tom's Hardware: LG Display, one of the global leaders in display technologies, unveiled a new stretchable display prototype that can expand by up to 50%. This makes it the most stretchable display in the industry, more than doubling the previous record of 20% elongation. [...] The prototype being flexed in [this image] is a 12-inch screen with a 100-pixel-per-inch resolution and full RGB color that expands to 18-inches when pulled. LG Display said that it based the stretchable display on a "special silicon material substrate used in contact lenses" and then improved its properties for better "stretchability and flexibility." It also used a new wiring design structure and a micro-LED light source, allowing users to repeatedly stretch the screen over 10,000 times with no effect on image quality.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.




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Apple Intelligence will help AI become as commonplace as word processing


When Apple’s version of AI, branded as Apple Intelligence, rolls out in October to folks with the company’s latest hardware, the response is likely to be a mix of delight and disappointment. The AI capabilities on their way to Apple’s walled-garden will bring helpful new features, such as textual summaries in email, Messages and Safari; image creation; and a more context-aware version of Siri. But as Apple Intelligence’s beta testing has already made clear, the power of these features falls well below what is on offer from major players like OpenAI, Google, and Meta. Apple AI won’t come close to…

This story continues at The Next Web

Or just read more coverage about: Apple




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How wasted heat from our bodies could generate green energy


If you’ve ever seen yourself through a thermal imaging camera, you’ll know that your body produces lots of heat. This is in fact a waste product of our metabolism. Every square foot of the human body gives off heat equivalent to about 19 matches per hour. Unfortunately, much of this heat simply escapes into the atmosphere. Wouldn’t it be great if we could harness it to produce energy? My research has shown this would indeed be possible. My colleagues and I are discovering ways of capturing and storing body heat for energy generation, using eco-friendly materials. The goal is to…

This story continues at The Next Web




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Do we need a European DARPA to cope with technological challenges in Europe?


The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is often held as a model for driving technology advances. For decades, it has contributed to military and economic dominance by bridging the gap between military and civilian applications. European policymakers frequently reference DARPA in discussions, as outlined in the 2024 Draghi Report, but an EU equivalent has yet to materialise. To create such an agency, the governance and management of European innovation programmes would need drastic changes. DARPA supports disruptive innovation Founded in 1958, DARPA operates under the US Department of Defense (DoD) with a straightforward mission: to fund high-risk technological…

This story continues at The Next Web




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How close are we to an accurate AI fake news detector?


In the ambitious pursuit to tackle the harms from false content on social media and news websites, data scientists are getting creative. While still in their training wheels, the large language models (LLMs) used to create chatbots like ChatGPT are being recruited to spot fake news. With better detection, AI fake news checking systems may be able to warn of, and ultimately counteract, serious harms from deepfakes, propaganda, conspiracy theories and misinformation. The next level AI tools will personalise detection of false content as well as protecting us against it. For this ultimate leap into user-centered AI, data science needs…

This story continues at The Next Web




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Nvidia's New App Combines the Best of GeForce Experience and Control Panel

This all-in-one app makes it easier to maximize your Nvidia GPU.




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If You Believe in Privacy, You Shouldn't Have These 9 Products In Your Home

An interconnected smart home is a nice idea, but not if it's constantly leaking your data.




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This Terrifying Google Maps Scam Is Making the Rounds: Here's How to Stay Safe

Scammers are using photos of your house to encourage you to send them money, but here's why you shouldn't.





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Upfront Ventures Raises > $650 Million for Startups and Returns > $600 Million to LPs




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A Walk in Roofing Contractors' Shoes: Red Wing Shoe Company Plant 1 Blends History and New TPO Roofing System

Look around a jobsite, and you’ll likely see many crew members wearing Red Wing boots.




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The Moose Hotel & Suites Debuts in Picturesque Banff with Distinctive Roofing Tile

Over the summer, the Banff Lodging Company proudly debuted the newly-constructed Moose Hotel & Suites in beautiful Banff, Alberta.




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Case Study: Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum

Colorado Custom Metal Inc. was selected as the roofing contractor to reroof the museum with help from S-5! for snow retention.




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Case Study: MicroTech's Costa Rica Facility Goes Solar

To upgrade a facility's 145,300 square foot roof with metal and solar while dealing with COVID delays, a contractor turned to S-5! to shrink the project timeline.




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Case Study: California's Largest Commercial Solar + Energy Storage System

With help from S-5! products, SunGreen Systems Inc. installed a solar and energy system housing a 772-kilowatt photovoltaic array and 14 Tesla Powerpacks.




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Case Study: Atlas Roofing Polyiso, Shingles Enhance Church's Ventilation, Durability, and Aesthetic

Atlas General Contractors in Illinois turned to Atlas Roofing products to help reroof and improve ventilation for a century-old church.




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Case Study: California Self Storage Gets Desired Aesthetic with McElroy Metal's Metal Roofing, Wall Panels

Using McElroy Metal roofing and wall panels, this storage facility became the brand's "flagship self-storage facility" thanks to its aesthetics.




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IRE 2021 Session Preview: Understanding OSHA's Multi-Employer Worksite Doctrine

In this session, learn about the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s multi-employer worksite doctrine and the unforeseeable employee misconduct defense to an OSHA citation. 




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Habitat for Humanity's 38th Carter Work Project: A Record-Breaking Build

The nation will join former President Jimmy Carter in celebrating his 100th birthday with Habitat for Humanity's 38th Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project.




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Stronghouse Solutions Names Mike Hilcove SVP, Head of Mergers & Acquisitions

Hilcove comes to Stronghouse with more than 15 years of investment banking and corporate development experience, leading mergers and acquisitions throughout the U.S.




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What's the Owner's Job?

While no two owners are alike, the following guidelines may help you with that decision. 




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'You Did What?' Dealing with Employee Mistakes

We all make mistakes, but it’s important to determine if an employee is simply having a bad day, or is performing poorly.




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Contractor Profile: Z Roofing & Waterproofing

A family legacy and great advice from a college professor led Z Roofing & Waterproofing to massive growth.




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RC Contractor Q&A: Sam Stilley

Amstill Roofing CEO Sam Stilley shares his perspective on the importance of adopting technology and the roofing industry’s future.




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Contractor Profile: Watkins Construction & Roofing

Watkins Construction & Roofing has successfully served central Mississippi for two decades thanks to an intense focus of quality and customer service.




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Contractor Q&A: Kauffmann Quality Construction

Kauffmann Quality Construction owner Ivan Kauffmann shares his roofing journey and how his company continues to weather supply shortages amid a slow pandemic recovery.




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Contractor Profile: Kodiak Roofing & Waterproofing

From Google’s high-tech campus to international airports, Kodiak Roofing & Waterproofing has roofed them all thanks to its dedication to safety and continuous training for employees.




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Contractor Q&A: PUFF, Inc.

RC caught up with SPFA President Bonnie Strickler to learn about the pathways spray foam can offer to professionals.




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Contractor Q&A: JF Lopez Roofing

Wisconsin-based roofing contractor creating a legacy with quality work, giving back.




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Georgia’s CRS Sales & Marketing Earns First Carlisle Experience Award

See how CRS, Inc. helped roofing contractors during difficult times with RC's exclusive coverage of the inaugural Carlisle Experience Award.




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Contractor Profile: Green River Roofing & Construction

Meet Dennis Bresette and Jason Seura, principals of Lee's Summit, Mo.-based Green River Roofing & Construction, a residential and commercial contracting firm that earns about 90% of its revenue from residential roofing jobs on U.S. military bases.




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Q&A: Counting on Coatings

In this Q&A, industry experts speak on the state of roof coatings and what aspects roofing contractors should know about a product that can diversify their offerings.




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Westlake Royal Roofing Solutions Rolls Out New 'Cool-Roof' Colors

Westlake Royal Roofing Solutions introduces two new CRRC-rated Unified Steel Stone Coated Roofing colors, Harborwood and Stirling Gray, known for their energy efficiency and durability. 




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Coatings Q&A with Huntsman Building Solutions




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Coatings Q&A with KARNAK

Roofing Contractor catches up with Chris Huettig, national director of technical services with KARNAK, about the state of the coatings industry.




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Coatings Q&A with Mule-Hide Products

Learn more about the state of the coatings industry in 2023 with this Q&A featuring Kyle Stavish, national business development manager with Mule-Hide Products Co. Inc.




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Coatings Q&A with PPG