Microsoft details its plan to become ‘water positive’ by 2030

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced plans to become carbon negative by 2030. But the company isn’t just looking at its emissions. Today, it unveiled its plan to be “water positive” by 2030, too. By that, Microsoft means it will replenish more wate...

Apple says its products will be carbon-neutral by 2030

Since April, Apple’s corporate operations have been 100 percent carbon neutral. Now, the company says it’s ready to go even further. Today, Apple pledged to make its supply chain and all of its products carbon neutral by 2030.Apple made the announcem...

Apple will spend $400 million on affordable housing this year

This year, Apple will spend more than $400 million on affordable housing projects and first-time homebuyer assistance programs in California. The investment is part of Apple’s multi-year $2.5 billion pledge to combat California’s housing crisis.With...

IBM and Microsoft support the Vatican’s guidelines for ethical AI

IBM and Microsoft have signed the Vatican's "Rome Call for AI Ethics," a pledge to develop artificial intelligence in a way that protects all people and the planet, Financial Times reports. Microsoft President Brad Smith and John Kelly, IBM's executi...

Privacy groups ask tech companies to sign user data ‘security pledge’

A number of organizations including the ACLU, Fight for the Future and Color of Change have called on tech companies to sign a pledge and commit to protecting their users' data. The move comes as repercussions of the Cambridge Analytica scandal conti...

Tech workers unite against a potential US Muslim registry

Employees from large organizations across the technology industry have pledged to never help build a government database targeting individuals by race, religion or national origin, in response to extreme immigration proposals from US President-elect...

China asks US tech companies to follow its security policies

You know how Russia recently took the contentious step of insisting that Google and Twitter keep Russian user data on servers within the country itself, presumably to facilitate government searches? China apparently tried to pull the same stunt ear...

Ubuntu Edge pricing drops to $625 minimum on Indiegogo after initial sellout

Ubuntu drops Edge pricing to $625 minimum on Indiegogo after initial sellout

So far, it seems that Canonical's $32 million Ubuntu Edge smartphone Indiegogo campaign has been a roaring success, having raised over $3.5 million in about 40 hours. But after selling out all 5,000 units in the lowest $600 pricing tier, Canonical has added three new pledge levels. Initially, those who missed out on the one-day-only offer would've needed to cough up $830, but there are now $625, $675 and $725 rungs prior to that price, each with 1,250 of the linux-coated handsets available. Meanwhile, the counter at the original $830 second level -- which had already been in the hundreds -- has been reset, with all those buyers dropped to the new $625 tier. Canonical promised it would "refund the difference (to those buyers) at the end of the campaign," adding it would contact each with more info. After setting an Indiegogo record by raising $2 million in about 8 hours, the fundraising inevitably slowed down, and the revised price tiers could be a response to that -- either way, there's still a steep climb to the gargantuan target.

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Via: OMGUbuntu

Source: Indiegogo

CordLite illuminated iOS dock connector cable hands-on (video)

CordLite illuminated iOS dock connector cable handson video

Love or hate it, Apple's 30-pin dock connector is no easier to attach than a standard micro-USB plug. That's not to say that it's tremendously difficult to link an iOS device with its proprietary cable, but it can be a nuisance on occasion, especially when you're fumbling around in the dark. CordLite makes that standard-issue dock connector cable a bit more nighttime friendly, adding a pair of touch-activated white LEDs to the left and right of the metal lead. Instead of the familiar white, this third-party Apple cable is finished in black (white is available, too), with a silver connector at the tail end. That component itself is noticeably wider, longer and thicker than its Apple-designed counterpart, but that's to be expected, given the added electronics. After you connect the USB plug to a computer or power source, the opposite end is ready to go to work, lighting up just as soon as you touch its metal housing. It powers off just as quickly, once it's docked with your iPhone, iPad or iPod.

We took the cable for a spin earlier today, and while the device we received is an early prototype, it still worked just fine, lighting up and turning off on cue, and pairing our iPhone with a MacBook just as any old dock connector cable has in the past. There's not much more to it than that -- the cable works, and we can see how it could be useful in low-light situations, such as at the bedside, in a car or while riding on a plane. It could theoretically also double as a flash light, and given that you're most likely to use it in a dark environment, it could be equally suited for non-iOS-related scenarios as well. CordLite isn't available for purchase yet, but you can be one of the first to receive a cable if you hop on board the company's Kickstarter campaign. Pledges of $30 or more will net you one CordLite in black or white after the device's estimated October ship date -- assuming the project meets its $70,000 funding goal before next week. For now, you can take a closer look in our hands-on video after the break, and rest assured that your days of blindly connecting your iPhone may very well be numbered.

Continue reading CordLite illuminated iOS dock connector cable hands-on (video)

CordLite illuminated iOS dock connector cable hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Insert Coin: Knut WiFi-enabled sensor hub (video)

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

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On the surface, Knut (pronounced Kah-noot) doesn't sound terribly exciting -- it's a pocketable WiFi-enabled device that beams you realtime stats over the web. But consider the possible applications, and you'll be much more anxious to pick one up. You can use Knut to measure humidity in your humidor, the temperature in your fish tank or even the status of a door or window. You can monitor stats in realtime, or set alerts so you'll know something's wrong before your goldfish cooks in the tank, those precious Cuban cigars you smuggled through Customs dry up and crumble or someone sneaks into your house through a window after you check in miles away on Foursquare. After popping in a pair of AAA batteries (which are said to last from 2 weeks to 10 years, depending on the battery and syncing options), you assign Knut an email address, which it then uses to communicate. Other Knuts can use the same email address, from which they'll send updates at pre-set intervals.

Knut ships with built-in temperature and battery level sensors, and it's compatible with a variety of add-ons, from humidity and vibration to door and water presence sensors. You can also create your own sensor using the breakout board. The project creators have developed a functional prototype, but they need to raise additional funds to pay programmers and buy materials for mass production. As usual, that's where you come in. The first 200 Kickstarter backers can hop on board the pre-order train with a pledge of $80, while an unlimited number of devices will be available for $95. A $115 pledge will get you a Knut and an additional sensor, while $175 will up the order to one Knut, three sensors and a three-port hub. There's six weeks left to go on the campaign, with a goal of $25,000 and an estimated September ship date. As always, you'll find everything you need in the demo video and source link, just after the break.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Knut WiFi-enabled sensor hub (video)

Insert Coin: Knut WiFi-enabled sensor hub (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 12:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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