The demand to store ever-increasing volumes of information has resulted in the widespread implementation of data centers for Big Data. These centers consume massive amounts of energy (about 3% of global electricity supply) and rely on magnetization-based hard disk drives with limited storage capacity (up to 2 TB per disk) and lifespan (three to five Read more about Sub-diffraction optical writing enables data storage at the nanoscale – on disk[…]

Seismologists at Caltech working with optics experts at Google have developed a method to use existing underwater telecommunication cables to detect earthquakes. The technique could lead to improved earthquake and tsunami warning systems around the world. […] evious efforts to use optical fibers to study seismicity have relied on the addition of sophisticated scientific instruments Read more about Using deep-sea fiber optic cables to detect earthquakes[…]

Apple, on its French website, is now publishing repairability scores for its notoriously difficult to repair products, in accordance with a Gallic environmental law enacted a year ago. Cook & Co score themselves on repairability however, and Cupertino kit sometimes fares better under internal interpretation of the criteria [PDF] than it does under ratings awarded Read more about Apple, forced to rate product repair potential in France, gives itself modest marks – still lying, they should be worse[…]