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Submission + - China Plans to Build the World's First Waterless Nuclear Reactor (interestingengineering.com) 2

Submitted by AltMachine
AltMachine writes: Government researchers in China unveiled their design for a commercial molten salt nuclear reactor that is expected to be the first in the world to not utilize water for cooling. The two-megawatt prototype molten salt reactor, powered by liquid thorium instead of uranium, is due for completion next month and the first tests could begin as soon as September. Molten salt reactors are expected to be safer than traditional uranium nuclear reactors, as thorium cools and solidifies quickly in the open air, meaning that a leak would theoretically result in less radiation contamination for the surrounding environment. The concept of a nuclear reactor powered by liquid salt instead of uranium was first devised in the 1940s. However, early experiments struggled to find a solution for problems including the corrosion and cracking of pipes used to transport the molten salts. As the reactor won't need water it can be deployed in desert regions, allowing operators to utilize otherwise desolate spaces in order to provide energy for large populations. The prototype reactor is built in the desert city of Wuwei, in Gansu province.

Submission + - Xiaomi overtakes Apple (androidcentral.com)

Submitted by denisbergeron
denisbergeron writes: Xiaomi overtakes Apple to become the second-largest smartphone brand. Xiaomi records an insane 83% year-on-year growth and is now within striking distance of Samsung.

It looks like Xiaomi is having a great 2021. In addition to making the best Android phones in the form of the Mi 11 Ultra and Mi 11, Xiaomi sold tens of millions of budget phones in the Redmi series, allowing it to nudge past Apple to become the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world.

The latest data from Canalys reveals Xiaomi now has a 17% global market share, bested only by Samsung at 19%. The firm notes that Xiaomi saw a massive 83% year-on-year growth, with Samsung touting a 15% increase and Apple at just 1%. OPPO and Vivo, meanwhile, are at a joint fourth with a 10% market share.

Submission + - Parts Of Amazon Rainforest Now Releasing More Carbon Than It Absorbs (npr.org)

Submitted by phalse phace
phalse phace writes: Portions of the Amazon rainforest are now releasing more carbon dioxide than they absorb, disrupting an important balancing act that signals a worsening of the climate crisis, according to a new study.

Findings from the nearly decade-long research project, published Wednesday in the journal Nature , suggest that deforestation and fire, among other factors, have dramatically undercut the Amazon's ability to absorb heat-trapping carbon emissions from the atmosphere.

Researchers who routinely tested the atmosphere at four areas in Amazonia twice a month over a nine-year period found that not only are carbon emissions higher in the eastern areas of the rainforest than in the western areas, but that the southeastern area is putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than it absorbs. The eastern Amazon is a hotspot of deforestation to facilitate logging and agriculture, including cattle ranches.

In addition to deforestation and fires, the study says the rise in emissions from the Amazon has been accelerated by warming temperatures and "moisture stress" during the dry season. The eastern areas have less moisture than the west during already-difficult dry periods, which now have become drier and have lasted longer due to climate change.

Submission + - GM Tells Bolt Owners to Park Outside Due to Fire Risk (cbsnews.com) 1

Submitted by BeerFartMoron
BeerFartMoron writes: General Motors tells Chevy Bolt owners to park outside because batteries could catch fire

General Motors is telling owners of some older Chevrolet Bolts to park them outdoors and not to charge them overnight because two of the electric cars caught fire after recall repairs were made.

The company said Wednesday that the request covers 2017 through 2019 Bolts that were part of a group that was recalled earlier due to fires in the batteries.

The latest request comes after two Bolts that had gotten recall repairs caught fire, one in Vermont and the other in New Jersey, GM spokesman Kevin Kelly said.

Owners should take the steps "out of an abundance of caution," he said. The steps should be continued until GM engineers investigate and develop a repair, he said.

The cars should be parked outdoors after charging is complete, GM said in a statement. "We are moving as quickly as we can to investigate this issue," the company said.

Submission + - End of an Era: NTSC finally goes dark in America (hackaday.com)

Submitted by AmiMoJo
AmiMoJo writes: A significant event in the history of technology happened yesterday, and it passed so quietly that we almost missed it. The last few remaining NTSC transmitters in the USA finally came off air, marking the end of over seven decades of continuous 525-line American analogue TV broadcasts. We’ve previously reported on the output of these channels, largely the so-called “FrankenFM” stations left over after the 2009 digital switchover whose sound carrier lay at the bottom of the FM dial as radio stations, and noted their impending demise.

Submission + - Politicians call for complete reset of music streaming to ensure fair pay (bbc.com) 1

Submitted by AmiMoJo
AmiMoJo writes: The music industry is weighted against artists, with even successful pop stars seeing "pitiful returns" from streaming, a committee of British MPs has said. They are calling for a "complete reset" of the market, with musicians given a "fair share" of the £736.5 million that UK record labels earn from streaming. In a report, they said royalties should be split 50/50, instead of the current rate, where artists receive about 16%. The findings came after a six-month inquiry into music streaming. "While streaming has brought significant profits to the recorded music industry, the talent behind it — performers, songwriters and composers — are losing out," said Julian Knight, MP, who chairs parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee. "Only a complete reset of streaming that enshrines in law their rights to a fair share of the earnings will do."

Submission + - China plans mass rocket launch to divert killer asteroids (independent.co.uk) 1

Submitted by AmiMoJo
AmiMoJo writes: Chinese researchers want to send more than 20 rockets from the country to practise diverting asteroids away from Earth. Scientists at China’s National Space Science Centre found in simulations that 23 Long March 5 rockets, which weigh 900 tonnes when they leave the planet, hitting simultaneously could divert an asteroid from its original path by nearly 9,000 kilometres – 1.4 times the Earth’s radius. The probability of an asteroid colliding with Earth is low but one, the 78 billion kilogram Bennu, has been targeted for investigation. Bennu is classified as a B-type asteroid, which means it contains a lot of carbon along with various other minerals, formed over 4.5 billion years ago. As a primordial artefact that has been preserved by the vacuum of space, the asteroid could contain molecules that developed when life was first evolving on Earth. It might also, ironically, be the end of life on Earth.

The United States is planning a similar endeavour called HAMMER (Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response), which would send more material — 400 tonnes of rocket material — to Bennu; it would also make the trip faster, only taking two years to reach the asteroid. However, that plan is more expensive, and would take longer to prepare. The United States would need to discover the asteroid 25 years before a potential collision, while the Chinese plan would only need a decade’s warning.

Submission + - Tesla's $16,000 Quote for a $700 Fix Is Why Right to Repair Matters (thedrive.com) 2

Submitted by AmiMoJo
AmiMoJo writes: First-party repair shops often get a bad rap. OEM parts are expensive, especially for new cars, and the independent dealership model often revolves around slim profits on new vehicles with after-sales making up a good chunk of profits. As automakers with direct-to-consumer sales like Tesla expand service offerings to consumers, it's becoming abundantly clear that the high cost isn't going anywhere.

One Tesla Model 3 leasee discovered this first-hand after hitting road debris and damaging his battery pack. After taking his vehicle to a Tesla service center, he was handed an estimate for more than $16,000 to replace said pack. After seeking an alternative solution online, the owner reached out to Rich Benoit and the team at Electrified Garage who got him on the road again for just $700. To add insult to injury, the owner of the car mentions that Tesla was originally planning to keep the Model 3's damaged battery pack. That was until he referenced a consumer protection act provision put in place by New Jersey which prevents automotive service facilities from refusing to return a replacement part under most conditions when requested by a customer—most notably when the replacement part isn't sold as an exchange (with a core charge).

Normally, this is where we would ask Tesla about this, but since it dissolved its public relations department, there's nobody to officially comment.

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