Most people know circuit breakers and fuses. Quite many also know ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) or Residual Current Device (RCD). But now a new protective device is coming to use in Europe and you might want to learn about it. AFDD/AFCI Arc Fault Protection Device protects people and property against fires caused by arc →
I have written about fluorescent lights technology and fire dangers related to fluorescent lights. I had earlier covered the problems related to starter, bad tube and ballast overheating. Now there is another risk to consider: most fluorescent lamps powered from 230V AC have a filtering capacitor on power input between live and neutral. This is →
https://www.iflscience.com/environment/landmark-un-climate-change-report-act-now-to-avoid-climate-catastrophe/ The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has unleashed their Special Report on the impact of global warming reaching 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. “This IPCC report is set to outline a rescue plan for humanity,” “1.5°C is the new 2°C,” If we stick to Paris Climate Agreement commitments, we could still see a global →
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2018/10/supply-chain-security-is-the-whole-enchilada-but-whos-willing-to-pay-for-it/ You can have it fast, cheap, or secure — pick any two. It seems to be possible as long as “secure” isn’t one of your choices. “Our IT industry is inexorably international, and anyone involved in the process can subvert the security of the end product,” Schneier wrote. We don’t often hear about intentional →
https://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/wireless/the-car-in-the-age-of-connectivity-enabling-car-to-cloud-connectivity Advancements in enabling connected cars are astonishing. Today, we are witnessing a radical reimagining of the automobile. Advances in connectivity are creating opportunities in the automotive industry. Dashboard navigation, infotainment systems, and Bluetooth-enabled dashboards are a glimmer of what is coming in the not-so- distant future. By 2018, automobiles with connected capabilities were almost →
https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/who_finland_has_the_worlds_cleanest_air/10188554 Finland’s air quality is better than that of any other country on earth, according to statistics from the World Health Organisation published by the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Monitoring stations suggest that there are some 6 microgrammes of small particles per cubic metre of air in Finland, the lowest figure recorded worldwide. →
http://www.wired.co.uk/article/hotel-hack-digital-lock-door-system-fsecure-assa-abloy Finnish cybersecurity firm F-Secure has revealed it found a flaw in the 20 years old digital lock system that may be used in millions of hotels worldwide. VingCard digital lock technology master key – which specifically worked on the Assa Abloy’s Vision lock – could be generated from any ordinary electric keycard, even ones →
http://www.iflscience.com/environment/over-95-percent-of-the-world-is-breathing-unsafe-air/ Seven billion people, over 95 percent of the world’s population, are breathing air that contains unhealthy levels of pollution. 60 percent of the world is living in areas that don’t even meet the most basic standards of air quality. The findings come from the State of Global Air 2018 (PDF), an annual assessment by →
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/20/facebook-data-cambridge-analytica-sandy-parakilas This has grown to a huge story! Hundreds of millions of Facebookusers are likely to have had their private information harvested by companies that exploited the same terms as the firm that collected data and passed it on to Cambridge Analytica, according to a new whistleblower. →
https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/the-smarter-grid/utilities-probed-as-potential-cause-of-california-fires Automatic reclosers are pole-mounted circuit breakers that can quickly restore power after outages. Reclosers make quick work of many line faults, the great majority of which result from temporary insults such as a tree branch striking a line or the electrocution of an unlucky squirrel. Reclosers usually try restarting a line 2-3 times before giving up →