WestEst101

WestEst101 OP t1_j9yrpko wrote

Reply to The cities built to be reusable by WestEst101

Designing buildings for disassembly, with the aim of recycling or reusing their materials, is gaining traction as a future way to reduce environmental impact. Builders can use materials such as wood and steel, which are easier to recycle or reuse than concrete and drywall, and opt for standardised connections that can be easily removed. This approach allows future residents to make changes more easily, such as removing wall panels or repurposing entire rooms. The concept aligns with a growing number of regulations promoting the "circular economy", where products and materials are reused and recycled as much as possible to limit environmental harm.

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WestEst101 OP t1_iycwwmv wrote

Reply to Alexa, is the voice-assistant industry doomed? by WestEst101

A recent report indicating that Amazon's Alexa division is on track to lose $10 billion US this year is raising questions about the future of the entire voice-assistant industry.

Microsoft Cortana has already pulled out, leaving just three large players (Apple Siri, Google, and Amazon Alexa)

Having been seen as the new interface for computing and AI (much like the moise was at one point), some feel the industry is already doomed. Others feel it’s still in its infancy.

The problem is twofold:

  1. A lack of an ability to monetize the industry

  2. Integration with other computing elements. Google’s platform is already embedded in its systems, as is Apple’s, but Amazon’s is not. Amazon’s has many apps (allowing you to even turn on your washing machine), but there isn’t an easy way to let people know about them. It’s like buying a smartphone without knowing an AppStore exists.

No easy solutions

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WestEst101 OP t1_iure9qh wrote

Reply to With COP27 on the horizon, shipping industry feeling increased pressure to reduce emissions by WestEst101

>The shipping industry is responsible for three per cent of all global greenhouse gas emissions — an amount equivalent to what Germany emits every year. But across the globe, 99 per cent of shipping is currently powered by burning fossil fuels, such as bunker fuel and marine diesel. (As a replacement) Bio-methanol — which can be synthesized from any large biomass, such as crops — is a leading contender. "Bio-methanol is up and coming, and I think it's where we should go if we really want to go green," said Svensson. , which may be somewhat cheaper to produce than methanol, is another contender.

>"We need to [eliminate fossil fuel production] really quickly and that would knock out 40 per cent of shipping," said Sandford.

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