Ireland is set to add 5.8 GW of non-hydro renewable power capacity over the next decade to reach a total 9.6 GW by 2030.

Bernie Sanders wants renewable energy to power U.S. homes and vehicles by 2030 -- and he wants to do it by enlisting the federal government in building and running new solar, wind and geothermal electricity projects.

Italy’s National Energy Strategy aims to increase wind and solar power’s share of gross final energy consumption by 2030. The country boasts a track record of meeting past renewables targets, but can it be successful once more? Stefania Belisario, associate director, Infrastructure, S&P Global Ratings, assesses the factors either driving or impeding progress.

The cost of producing hydrogen gas with renewables is likely to plummet in the coming decades, making one of the most radical technologies for reducing greenhouse gases economical.

In a region of the world where coal is still king, there is room for renewables. This was a takeaway from the Ministerial Address and Joint Opening Keynote at POWERGEN Asia and Asian Utility Week. The two annual events kicked off Tuesday, Sept. 3, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The global energy supply is turning greener.

France’s Neoen SA has outlined plans to build a giant renewables complex in South Australia, including battery storage with up to nine times more capacity than the Tesla Inc. design at its nearby Hornsdale plant, which is billed as the world’s largest lithium-ion battery.

BEST DEALS ON GPS DEVICES:

• Garmin - Drive 52 5" GPS — $99.99 (save $30)

• Garmin - DriveAssist 51 LMT-S 5" GPS — $299.99

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While today's smartphones are loaded with Google Maps or Apple Maps, they are merely quick solutions for traveling short distances. Believe it or not, getting a dedicated GPS device for your car or truck is still the best way to get to your destination safely and with ease. 

Companies like Garmin and TomTom specialize in safe car travel and update their maps and traffic reports whenever changes occur on the road. GPS devices also offer the peace of mind that you'll never get lost, even when you're in a new location — including remote areas. They can also help you find the nearest restaurants, shopping mall, rest area, and other locations that might be considered off-the-beaten-path.  Read more...

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Today's lesson in Cooking as a Grown-Ass adult: Blenders are used for more than frozen margs in summer and collecting dust in winter.

Hot soup without a stove, coffee without a coffee maker, and whipped cream without a hand mixer are just a few of the tasks these multitasking appliances can tackle. Similar to the way the mystical Instant Pot replaces a sauté pan or slow cooker, blenders can expand your meal possibilities tenfold without the clutter of multiple machines. Read more...

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The popularity of gaming PCs has exploded in recent years. Sure, there are plenty of people who won’t abandoned their beloved consoles. But a large number of gaming enthusiasts have been shifting their attention. And with good reason. 

For starters, the games are cheaper and the breadth available is truly astounding. After all, console exclusives are (mostly) a thing of the past. You can use your PC to play the latest strategy and simulation games as well as the top offerings in eSports and first person shooters. Additionally, thanks to the PC’s open platform, you also have access to a wide array of wildly inventive independent games. No matter your penchant and preferences, you’re always guaranteed to find something that matches your mood, skill and desires. Read more...

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It's time to level up.

If you didn't already know, PC gamers take great pride in the way they play. These are the folks who delight in the fact that PC gaming is just so much better than playing on a console, and if this Reddit thread is any indication — this way of thinking isn't going away any time soon.

While it can take a year or two for gaming consoles to adapt to updated technology, PCs see that improvement hit almost instantly. New rigs and laptops hit the market faster, as opposed to consoles that make you wait for months until their release.  Read more...

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If Instagram is to be believed, then self care for women basically amounts to face masks and daily affirmation apps.

Hot take: Sex toys are the ultimate self-care purchase.

Orgasms release oxytocin, the anti-stress hormone that gets you warm and fuzzy when cuddling, while dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates sleep, also makes an appearance. It stands to reason, then, that "I need to get laid" is a thing that actually makes sense to say when you're having a rough week. Read more...

For many low income college students, school closures due to COVID-19 has affected the way they feed themselves. Read more...

Bitcoin will “halve” for the third time next week, slowing down the discovery of new bitcoins and preventing disruptions from new miners. Read more...

All it took was a pandemic, but the long-running joke finally became a reality: DEF CON is canceled. 

The annual hacker conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, typically draws tens of thousands of attendees to talk shop, compare notes, and generally cause delightful mischief. One element of that mischief is the constant — and until now false — yearly claim that DEF CON is canceled. The coronavirus changed that, and the organization announced Friday that the in-person conference will not take place this year. 

"The #DEFCONiscanceled meme has crossed over into real life, courtesy of #COVID19," read the announcement. "In early March we had hopes that things would be stable by August. That is no longer realistic." Read more...

Striso is a digital instrument with pressure-sensitive buttons that plays a variety of acoustic-like sounds.  Read more...

Google's video chat app got new features this week. No, the other one. No, the other other one.

In a Friday blog post, Google announced some snazzy new features for Duo, one of its three video chat services. Let's get this out of the way early: Duo is the one that's mobile-friendly and resembles FaceTime more than Hangouts and Meet.

The new features make more sense with that in mind. Google added something called "Family Mode" to Duo, in which you can draw silly little doodles on the video feed, presumably to amuse the little ones on the call. There are also AR effects you can use on one-on-one calls on Android and iOS, similar to those available on Facebook's video calls. Read more...

Between the infamous Peloton commercial, the wild Boyhood wannabe that ended up being a Subway ad, and the endless #girlboss marketing reminding you that even women can be part of the capitalist machine, 2019 was a year for advertising. 

But nothing quite tops this one, which was released in September but resurfaced in a viral tweet on Friday.  

The ad starts off with a bleak statistic: women hold just 10 percent of all patented inventions. Then, it pans over to a delightful montage of ambitious young women. Each one is filmed preparing for their career goals, from mixing delicate chemicals in a laboratory to carefully testing the consistency of soil.  Read more...

TL;DR: A one-year subscription to Norton Secure VPN is on sale for £2.50 per month, saving you 50% on list price.

It feels like the world of VPNs is expanding, with more and more providers entering the market and increased demand from users. 

This market can be a daunting place, especially as you probably won't be familiar with most of the available providers. This doesn't mean you shouldn't consider these services, but we totally understand if you're reluctant to invest in an unknown provider.

Fortunately for those who would prefer to subscribe to an established provider, there are plenty of options from the leading names in securityNorton is one such brand, with a comprehensive VPN service on sale for just £2.50 per month. Read more...

TL;DR: You don't have to buy a drum set to learn how to play the drums. Instead, just grab the Senstroke by Redison bluetooth drum kit for $189.95, on sale for 5% off as of May 9.

If you want to learn how to play the drums, then a quality set may cost you upwards of $1,000. Not only is this a hefty price to play for individuals who aren't fully committed to the instrument yet, but their massive size may be impossible to fit inside your space. Or at least your housemates may not appreciate it.

With the Senstroke by Redison Bluetooth Drum Kit and App Bundle, you can practice, play, and record on just about any surface for a much more affordable price — and it'll take up little to no space.  Read more...

TL;DR: Give a meaningful gift during these difficult times with a Tribute Video Montage for $64.99, a 34% saving as of May 9.

A Zoom happy hour only goes so far.

If you're looking for a way to celebrate and send affection to your loved ones, regardless of the reason, check out Tribute Video Montage as an alternative to those wonky (and sometimes awkward) video calls. 

Sending a Tribute might just be one of the best morale-boosting presents you can send during these trying times. It's a way for friends and family to share their love and appreciation for someone they want to celebrate, whether for a major milestone, like a 50th anniversary or 30th birthday or just because. The platform is super easy to use and breaks a 10-hour process down to just 10 minutes. Read more...

TL;DR: Get trained in cybersecurity with The Ultimate 2020 White Hat Hacker Certification Bundle for $39.90, a 97% as of May 9.

When you think of superheroes, you probably picture capes and some sort of otherworldly powers. But in the digital world, superheroes are actually normal people like you and me. They just happen to know a thing or two about stopping cybercriminals in their tracks.

These superheroes are in short supply across the world. In fact, there are over half a million cybersecurity job openings in the U.S. alone. That just means this could be your chance to swoop in, superhero style, and save the day. But first things first, you need to learn the ropes and the Ultimate 2020 White Hat Hacker Certification Bundle is a great place to start. Read more...

Internet of Yum digs into all the things that make us drool while we're checking our feeds.

The famously sensitive strongman, actor Terry Crews, is screaming at the top of his lungs. In another time and place, you would be sure he was getting tortured. Which, essentially he is — just not as a form of punishment. Instead, the misery is all in the name of promotional entertainment, with Crews' self-inflicted tears generating views for the YouTube series Hot Ones.

Across the centuries, people have watched transfixed as others dare to eat disgusting, torturous, or sickening amounts of food. The specifics change with the venue, but it is a consistent form of entertainment.  Read more...

Americans have been receiving contradictory information about the coronavirus pandemic, so much so that it's become a joke. One example is face masks: In March, the World Health Organization advised people to not wear masks if they aren't sick or caretakers of the sick. 

But given that some coronavirus patients are asymptomatic, opinions of masks from top officials have shifted. The CDC and the media now advise you to wear a damn mask. And a new study may provide more evidence that masks can help beat the outbreak.

According to this study, if 80 percent of Americans wore masks, coronavirus infections would plummet, Vanity Fair reports. The title of the study makes the researchers' view clear: Universal Masking is Urgent in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Read more...

Guy Fieri — one of the most popular celebrity chefs— has spent nearly 15 years starring in and hosting entertaining culinary shows. But one of Fieri's favorite things to watch on television isn't food-focused. It's the workplace comedy, The Office.

That's right, the Mayor of Flavortown is obsessed with the employees of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch. And much to his delight, he recently got to team up with one of the show's former stars, John Krasinski, to help lift spirits and raise money for restaurant workers in need.

Fieri guest starred on the potluck episode of Some Good News, in which Krasinski invited famous chefs to cook viewer-submitted recipes on video chat. Fieri made a "Dynamite," which has Big Sloppy Joe Energy. And then Krasnski surprised him by announcing a $3 million PepsiCo donation to his Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, which provides financial assistance to restaurant workers impacted coronavirus. Read more...

The coronavirus pandemic has many of us nostalgic for a simpler time — maybe when we were teenagers and/or watching our favorite early oughts sitcoms. 

Actress Cobie Smulders seems to be feeling that itch, and sensed we are too. The former How I Met Your Mother actress decided to recreate her character Robin Scherbatsky's hit song from the series, "Let's Go to The Mall."

For those who need a refresher, "Let's Go to The Mall" was released during Robin's short career as a pop star (under the name Robin Sparkles) in her homeland of Canada. While it has all the flair of an '80s banger — jelly bracelets, worshipping the mall — it was released in the '90s because apparently that's when '80s culture reached Canada.  Read more...

Work(out) From Home is a weekly column where we review smart fitness machines and apps in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Thanks to technology, there are still plenty of ways to exercise if your gym is closed. Read more...

With all the stress in the world — you know, a deadly, terrifying global pandemic — Spotify dropped a new service: a daily, personalized aimed at wellness. Fittingly, it's called Daily Wellness and I gave it a try. 

OK, first, let me drop my biases: I can be a cynical person and I'm pretty high energy — like hyper hyper — which has made meditation difficult for me. I can get both mentally and physically uncomfortable while trying anything resembling meditation or therapy or sincere reflection.

That being said, amid the pandemic — and battling some, let's say, serious anxiety — I've been taking active steps to try to improve my mental health. Therapy, meditation, exercise, whatever else, it all seemed like a good idea to help me get through the day. Read more...

Across the world, the pace of innovation is increasing and transforming the way services are delivered and goods produced.

Perceptions of political uncertainty and community opposition continue to weigh heavily on Mexico’s mining sector.

While the China market has been a miracle for Australian food exporters, the data belies many of the operating challenges individual Australian firms face.

Australia’s food supply chain is a world leader in food quality. This gives Australian food producers a vital competitive advantage in a world where consumers seek assurances that the produce they purchase meets stringent biosecurity standards. With top-grade food safety standards, reliable supply chains and an ingrained receptiveness to new technology, the Australian agriculture and food industry provides a vast range of opportunities for global investors.

India’s consumers have embraced online retail, creating a market worth A$52 billion that is expected to reach over A$100 billion by 2026. With a fast-growing ecommerce sector, India is creating major new market opportunities for Australian companies.

A strong and trusted partnership between a Wuhan based distributor of Australian beef and their Australian supplier ensured shipments continued during the worst of the pandemic crisis.

Kangaroo Island sits in cool water of the Southern Ocean that wells up from Antarctica. Crystal clear, the sea appears azure blue as it laps the golden sandy beaches and pounds the rugged rocky cliffs. Surrounded by water KI, as the island is known, enjoys a mild microclimate perfect for holiday making and growing superb food.

Thanh Bui discovered a passion for American soul music while growing up in Australia as the son of Vietnamese parents. It led him to a life as a performer, teacher and songwriter. Now, having written songs for some of the world’s biggest acts in Japanese and Korean pop, he is passing on his knowledge to the next generation.

Cybermerc sell a hardware device that provides SMEs with a cyber security team in a box, linking them in a national intelligence collaboration.

Rheology Solutions are the exclusive Australian distributor for the world leading manufacturers of optical control systems, temperature control, polymer, rheology and viscometry instruments and equipment.

Amplify is an enterprise software solution for Strategy Execution Management with features such as business goals and target setting, dependency maps, schedule, benefit and cost tracking, stage gate workflows with approvals, and a suite of reporting options.

Play2Lead helps teams build trust, inclusivity to create sustainably high performing and diverse teams.

Applications are now open. Your application should include information about your startup and your team; your vision for your company; and how participation in the Landing Pads will help you take your business to the world.y

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Australia, India and UK Pursuing Centralized Approach Many Privacy Experts Warn Against
Technology is no panacea, including for combating COVID-19. While that might sound obvious, it's worth repeating because some governments continue to hype contact-tracing apps. Such apps won't magically identify every potential exposure. But they could make manual contact-tracing programs more effective.

Terminology Shift Announced by Britain's National Cyber Security Center
Forget "whitelists" and "blacklists" in cybersecurity. So recommends Britain's National Cyber Security Center, in a bid to move beyond the racial connotations inherent to the terminology. Henceforth, NCSC - part of intelligence agency GCHQ - will use the terms "allow list" and "deny list." Will others follow?

Ransomware Gangs Keep Pwning Poorly Secured Remote Desktop Protocol Endpoints
In honor of World Password Day, here's a task for every organization that uses remote desktop protocol: Ensure that all of your organization's internet-facing RDP ports have a password - and that it's complex and unique.

Business resiliency and the supply chain - they both were tested by the disruptions we've all experienced. But Patrick Potter of RSA says there are lessons to be learned from the response, and they will guide us as we prepare for the next evolution of our business climate.

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report analyzes the privacy issues raised by COVID-19 contact-tracing apps. Also featured: An update on efforts to fight fraud tied to economic stimulus payments; John Kindervag on the origins of "zero trust."

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report analyzes the rising costs of ransomware attacks and the latest victims. Also featured: An assessment of Australia's new contact-tracing app designed to help battle the spread of COVID-19, and a discussion of applying the "zero trust" model to the remote workforce.

The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report analyzes the many challenges involved in developing and implementing contact-tracing apps to help in the battle against COVID-19. Also featured: A discussion of emerging privacy issues and a report on why account takeover fraud losses are growing.