Planet Berry LLC

Monday Brief: Enyo team members head to Google, Absinthe 2.0 released, and more!

2012-05-28T07:51:00.001-07:00

Source: iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog

Editor's desk: Next small things, WWDC 2012, videos, podcasts, features, and more!

2012-05-27T19:55:00.001-07:00

What's the easiest way to take a weapon away from a Grammaton Cleric? The answer to that is the answer to a lot of seemingly difficult problems, including, sadly, how to get passwords away from unsuspecting users. Unfortunately, it's not at all a way to get anything away from Apple. Not ever. So we're left with a mix of leaks, speculation, and analysis. We've been trying to avoid the rumor regurgitation lately to focus on some of that analysis. More on that below.

The next big (small) thing

A while ago, after Apple announced the iPad had done in 2 years what took the iPhone 3, the iPod 5, and the Mac 20, I asked out loud what Apple could possibly do to once again equal or surpass that success? What could be Apple's next big thing?

It's looking increasingly likely that next big thing may come this fall, and will be something quite small.

WWDC 2012

We're only a couple of weeks away from Apple's 2012 World Wide Developer Conference. While there might be some new Macs announced sometime around the show, we're still hearing there won't be any new iOS devices this summer (see above). However, we're assuming we'll see the first signs of iOS 6.

I'll be there, along with our app editor, Leanna Lofte, and our podcast co-host, Seth Clifford.

If you're a developer and you have something awesome to show off, email iosapps@imore.com and let us know. We'd love to meet up.

Video velocity

I don't think it's any secret that iMore's really taken things to another level when it comes to photography on a gadget blog. Especially with Leanna's work, it's not impossible to imagine us being a photography blog that just happens to have iOS devices, apps, and accessories as our subject matter.

Well, like I promised when we changed the site name, we're not going to be slowing down any time soon. So now we're trying to bring the same art direction and ambition to our videos as well.

We want to make them fun and dynamic, engaging and informative, authoritative and definitive but always, always accessible and approachable. We want to keep them part of our discussion and our community, but we want to do it with far more style.

It's an effort to bring some of the iMore TV flair to all of our efforts. To make it the rule instead of the exception. So we've drafted Georgia's husband to help us out and he's been doing a bunch of different experiments with the last few accessory review videos we've done. We're still getting all our equipment in order, and we're still working hard to solidify the concept, but I'm really excited and I can't wait to show you where we're going with them.

If there's anything you want to see us try -- or not try! -- let me know.

Podcast perfectionism

Speaking of experiments, we're still working on the format of our iPhone & iPad Live podcast. We're focused on keeping the 60 minute hard stop, but how we fill those 60 minutes is still up for grabs. For a few weeks we tried to split things up, focus on a headline story, then divide the rest up between news, apps, and accessories. Last week we went more with a round-table concept, invited on a guest, and really did a deep dive on a few, related stories. Specifically, we got Marc Edwards of Bjango to fill in for Seth, and Mark Gurman from 9to5Mac to fill out the panel, and we discussed the ever loving stuffing out of what we might see from Apple when it comes to next generation and new devices.

Which format do you like best so far? Do you want smaller shows or more guests? Fewer topics or more variety? What's your ideal balance?

Check out last week's show and tell me what you think.

iPhone & iPad Live 295: iPhone 5 rumor round table

Features

Jailbreak, app piracy, and the true cost of theft by Ally Kazmucha. There's no such thing as "free" -- everything comes at a price.
Best free simulation games for iPhone by Simon Sage. You asked, our resident editor-at-very-large answered.
Best free educational apps for iPhone by Leanna Lofte. Our resident math teacher takes a look at several different ways the iPhone can help all of us learn.
How to set up, configure, secure, and start using Siri by Gary Mazo. Our new, in-depth help series on Siri has begun.
How to take fantastic photos of your kids with your iPhone by Leanna Lofte. Our iPhoneography series returns, in cutely awesome fashion.
How Apple could provide direct document access in iOS 6 by yours truly. It's the third year in a row I've updated this article. Hopefully that makes it charming.
When is the iPhone 5 coming out? by Georgia. Because you guys won't stop asking, we're making it easier to answer.
The 16:9 iPhone by yours truly. Assuming Apple goes with a wider screen iPhone, how could they make it work? Could it even work?

Equilibrium

The answer to the riddle at the start of this editorial? You ask him for it. (And you make sure as hell your Gun Kata is better than his.)

Excuse me while I go train...

Source: iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog

Diabetes Deaths Drop Substantially, US

2012-05-27T19:51:00.001-07:00

In the decade leading up to 2006, the US saw a substantial drop in deaths for people with diabetes, especially in connection with heart disease and stroke, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)...

Source: Diabetes News From Medical News Today

Game of the Week: Burnout CRASH! for iPhone and iPad

2012-05-27T07:51:00.001-07:00

This Memorial Day weekend is rife with games on sale, but even with the "Because we May" promotion offering up a bunch of options, Burnout CRASH! is our game of the week. It's on sale for $0.99, down from $4.99, and offers a fun, fast-paced destruction derby consistent with the great franchise. You lead your car by pressing the screen down in front of it with the express goal of blowing up as much stuff as possible. Your first crash blocks off traffic, and as more cars pile in, your Crashbreaker meter climbs, allowing you to flick your wreck across the road and explode it next to neighboring buildings.

There are three game modes spanning six themed locations and 18 intersections, all with online leaderboards. Dramatic power-ups are available if you cause enough damage or crash the right cars; they're all goofy, including spinning the Pizza of Fortune wheel to win a prize, or calling in an alien UFO to cause some destruction to the neighborhood. In the end, you're scored based on the dollar amount of damage you cause, and earn bonus stars for accomplishing particular tasks in the level, like blowing up particular structures. As you amass stars, you unlock new levels and new cars with varying crashing power and Crashbreaker ability.

Burnout CRASH! is the perfect game for players with short attention spans; there's always a lot of explosions, goofy sound effects, snappy one-liners, and seemingly random prizes. It's an entertaining time-waster for sure, especially if you've spent any time with the console Burnout games. I find the bass on the audio maxes out every once in awhile, and the leaderboards, for all of their prominence, aren't particularly interesting if you don't have a lot of friends that play it. No dice on cloud saving or Retina iPad textures, but at least it's universal.

$0.99 - Download Now

Source: iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog

Solar Power in a Suitcase for Medical Situations

2012-05-27T05:21:00.001-07:00

Obstetrician Laura Stachel from Berkeley, CA was on a medical relief mission in AfricaÂ when she observed a C-section being performed at night,… by the light of a kerosene lantern. The lantern died during the operation, so the rest of the procedure had to be completed with a flashlight.

She was shocked by the lack of resources available for medical treatment during her visit, so when she returned home she set about trying to come up with solutions.

Her husband works in the solar industry, so he began to experiment with various combinations of solar panels and small lights to invent a portable solar kit that could be used for medical field trips in Africa. Solar power and a small battery system seemed to be the best choice, because villages in rural areas are off-grid but there is abundant sunshine during daylight hours for recharging batteries.Â Also, small lights could be stored in the same suitcase kit for transportation and protection during trips.

Today, their suitcase solar kits are used in nearly 200 medical clinics in various locations across the planet. Initially, the kit was designed for use in obstetric situations, but now can be employed in any medical emergency or healthcare event.

Key components of the system are solar panels for generating 40 or 80 watts, LED lighting for medical tasks, chargers for batteries and cell phones, and a 12-amp-hour sealed lead acid battery. There are also outlets for 12V DC electronics. This system can also be expanded to accommodate 200 watts of solar panels and a 140-amp-hour sealed battery.

About 15,000 mothers each year are now provided emergency medical care 24 hours a day because of the solar suitcases. Reportedly, over 350,000 mothers die from pregnancy complications each year.

Additionally, these small portable lighting systems don’t generate air pollution by burning kerosene, and don’t have the same potential to start accidental fires.

If you are interested in supporting We Care Solar, you can donate on their site.

Â Image Credit: We Care Solar

Source: CleanTechnica

HyperSolar Envisions Solar Powered Hydrogen "Farms"

2012-05-27T05:17:00.001-07:00

Last year the solar company HyperSolar, Inc. filed a patent application for a solar powered system that creates renewable methane gas from water, which it has been testing out at California’s Salton Sea. Just last week, the company announced that it has completed a proof-of-concept prototype for a solar-powered hydrogen generator, so this looks like a good time to check in and see what they’re up to.

Everything you need to know about hydrogen

Hydrogen can be produced from plain water through a reaction touched off by electricity. However, it takes a significant amount of energy to split hydrogen atoms from water molecules. If the energy in question is a fossil fuel then hydrogen is a wash in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

An emerging solution is to develop hydrogen production systems that are integrated with solar power, essentially mimicking the natural process of photosynthesis.

One notable example of this approach is MIT researcher Daniel Nocera’s solar powered “artificial leaf,” which is based on a small solar module the size of a playing card.

Plastic bags, solar power and green hydrogen

Hypersolar’s system goes even farther down the size spectrum, using tiny particles consisting of a nanoscale solar device and a protective plastic coating.

The particles float in water, and the coating enables them to function in hostile environments including sea water, wastewater or stormwater runoff. That gives the system a leg up on conventional hydrogen systems, which require purified water.

The reaction takes place at ambient temperatures, so it can take place in a low-cost glass vessel or even an ordinary plastic bag.

For the proof of concept prototype, Hypersolar used a baggie placed in wastewater from a pulp and paper mill.

A little help from hydrogen friends

Hypersolar recently partnered up with the UC-Santa Barbara College of Engineering to bring the technology closer to commercial development, with a focus on using municipal and industrial wastewater as feedstocks. Potentially, the system could be scaled up to form sprawling hydrogen “farms.”

When they’re ready for another announcement, we’ll be sure to check in again.

Image: Courtesy of Hypersolar.

Follow me on Twitter: @TinaMCasey.

Source: CleanTechnica

App of the Week: Diet Coda for iPad

2012-05-26T19:51:00.001-07:00

Panic's ingenious all-in-one FTP, CSS, and Code editing app comes to iPad

I bought the original Coda for Mac the minute Panic put it on sale and have used it day-in, day-out ever since. Coming from Macromedia/Adobe's Dreamweaver, it was a breath of fresh air. That won't be a surprise to anyone familiar with Panic. They're among the most thoughtful, most talented interface designers outside of Apple. And now they've brought Coda to the iPad. Whimsically named Diet Coda, it doesn't provide all the functionality of it's bigger, older Mac brother, but it does provide almost exactly the functionality needed for an ultra-portable environment like the iPad.

Anyone familiar with Coda for Mac will immediately recognize how Diet Coda opens. It has the same, excellent pin-board style site manager, complete with the same terrific new backflip animation Coda 2 received on the desktop. Little touches like that, sprinkled throughout Panic's apps, make you smile no matter how many times you see them, and make what could be a boring, utilitarian UI more than a little delightful.

Diet Coda includes all the great visualizations and animations of Coda for Mac, though the lack of in-app security probably means you won't want to save your passwords.

Enter your site credentials and you're off to work. Mostly. Diet Coda supports FTP and SFTP in both GUI and Terminal, but sadly iOS doesn't support either OpenVPN or persistent background internet connections which means if, like me, you need to access sites over OpenVPN, you're out of luck. Hopefully Apple adds this capability in the future, or Panic adds it specifically to Diet Coda.

It's also worth noting that while Coda 2 now supports iCloud to sync sites between Macs, Diet Coda can't tie into those settings yet to automagically bring them over to the iPad (the way Screens does for VPN, for example). Hopefully they'll add that in the future, if for no other reason that to save time re-entering a dozen or so sites.

Lastly, since there's no per-app security in iOS, and Panic hasn't offered a PIN or password system, security paranoid users like myself won't want to let Diet Coda save any passwords. That does make it less convenient, and for strong passwords will typically require the use of a separate password manager app like 1Password or DataVault.

Once in, you can browse your server-side directories, pick the files you want to work on, and open them up in Diet Coda.

Easily browse for files on the server and open anything you want to edit right in Diet Coda.

The file editor enjoys a dedicated keyboard row with useful functions like undo and arrow keys, and symbols like comments, angle brackets, etc. It also has excellent syntax highlighting and even code completion. And their version of Apple's text editing loupe -- a full on horizontal zoom bar -- is fantastically functional.

A handy zoom bar lets you edit more comfortably at a large size.

Changing between files is as easy as tapping the bright purple open file counter button at the top right, which reveals a variation of the awesome new tab bar from Coda 2 for Mac. All your open files are shown, with thumbnails, and there's a tab for Sites and for Terminal as well. Sublime.

Just like Coda 2 for Mac, it's easy to jump back through the file path, and switch documents, sites, and even access the Terminal via the tabs.

A handy breadcrumb trail in the top bar lets you quickly jump back to grab more files from anywhere in the current path, and a quick view icon lets you preview what you're working on in a built-in web view.

(And for those who also use Coda 2 on the Mac, Diet Coda can serve as a separate preview screen.)

Syntax highlighting, code snippets, an extended keyboard, and more making editing your web files not just a breeze, but an enjoyable breeze.

There's terrific code snippet support, with global, site, and mode options, the latter of which is pre-populated with all the basics. There's find and replace, and options to manually set syntax mode, line ending type, and encoding format'

Once you're done editing, the big green checkmark button lets you save, or if you hold it down, save or duplicate.

And then you're out, as quickly and easily as you were in.

The good

Fantastic interface
Outstanding feature set
Can serve as web preview for Coda 2 for Mac

The bad

No app-wide master password
No iCloud sync with Coda 2 for Mac

The conclusion

It's not the same experience as working in a multiple window environment like the Mac, where you can drag and drop and do all sorts of other, powerful, productive things. But for working on your iPad, in the context in which you would be working on your iPad, it's fantastic. For quick fingered bug fixes on-the-go, or for Bluetooth keyboard-power code sprints on the road, it's darn near perfect.

Seriously, if you do any web dev work, go buy it before I run out of superlatives.

19.99 - Download now

Source: iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog

A rare look at the iPhone 4S assembly line at Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory

2012-05-26T07:55:00.001-07:00

A new video has surfaced that gives us an extremely rare look at the iPhone assembly line within a Foxconn factory. Seeing one of these lines in action is a very rare occurrence as Apple is well known for keeping its production processes and products secret. The video is shot in Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant where over seventy percent of Apple's iPhones are now made.

The video which is provided by iFeng, shows a Chinese reporter with Foxconn CEO Terry Gou taking a tour around the extensive factory. The tour starts in a helicopter to give an idea on the sheer size of this huge factory. It covers 5.6 square kilometers (2.2 Square miles) with more expansion planned and employs around 115,000 workers.

The factory part of the tour starts off in the iPhone 4S production line where you can see the iPhone 4S frame and motherboard. The motherboard line is 148 meters long and rolls out 10,000 units a day. The tour continues into the camera assembly area which is all done in a clean room environment.

You can watch the video below, the dialogue is all in Chinese and we don't have a translation yet.

Source: TNW via MIC Gadget

Source: iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog

Diabetes Treatment - Potential New Target

2012-05-26T07:51:00.001-07:00

The online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that Cincinnati University (UC) researchers have discovered that apolipoprotein A-IV (apoA-IV), a naturally produced protein that has the ability to reduce blood sugar levels and enhance insulin secretion, could be a potential target for a new diabetes treatment...

Source: Diabetes News From Medical News Today

SolarTech Partnership Model: Investing in People, Powering Solar and Clean Tech Growth

2012-05-26T05:21:00.001-07:00

A clean energy revolution

Like the first wave of electrification changed the lives of our forbears in the early years of the last century, these first decades of the 21^st century mark the beginning of solar power and clean as a mainstream reality in our daily lives. Solar power is an emerging market for an industry taking its first steps in the new energy economy. While solar and clean tech promise to transform our society for the better, the industry's rapid expansion carries with it many growing pains, not the least of which is the struggle to effectively manage workforce development – put simply, finding the right people for the right jobs at the right time.

Growing pains: a solar industry call to action

The industry has done a good job in the past few years investing in products and processes – what it does and how it does it – but it hasn't kept pace so well in who's going to do what needs done for solar companies to grow and adapt in an emerging industry. As important as they are, too many independent training programs have cranked out too many rooftop installers for the industry to absorb, as one case in point. Training, recruiting, and workforce needs are too often fragmented efforts work in isolation. What is needed is a market-based, systematic approach to training and staffing.

"In the past 5 years we’ve seen major cost and time–to–market reductions, helping the industry scale" says Fabienne Rodet, Senior Analyst for SolarTech, a Silicon Valley-based solar industry leadership initiative. "Where the solar industry has fallen short, in our view, is investing in people and this is fundamentally where we need a solar industry call to action."

The SolarTech Workforce Innovation Collaboration – Faster, smarter, cheaper

SolarTech has taken up that call to action. In partnership with NOVA Workforce, Foothill-DeAnza Community Colleges and San Jose State University, SolarTech has pioneered the SolarTech Workforce Innovation Collaborative (SWIC), a novel pilot program for training high-level solar professionals and matching them with available jobs.

SWIC is a public/private partnership funded by a $4 million Green Innovations Challenge Gant sponsored in 2010 by the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency. The SWIC model identifies current market needs and trends in a real time basis, integrating that ongoing research with relevant and thorough professional-level training in all aspects of solar, clean tech and energy efficiency. Closing the circle is coordination of this industry research and training with employee screening and placement services.

The core message bears repeating: the right person for the right job at the right time.

Since its inception, SWIC has proved a successful win-win model for workforce development in a fast-paced industry, cutting the cost to employers for finding qualified professionals to $0, often saving companies from $12,000 to $18,000 in employee acquisition costs and countless hours of wading through the resumes of unqualified candidates. Prospective employees are educated, industry-trained, and ready to "hit the ground running."

Training is offered free of charge to students at various community colleges throughout the Bay Area, including classes in Solar PV Design, Solar Sales and Proposal Development, Clean Energy Technology, Building Science, Energy Management and Efficiency, EV and Hybrid Vehicle Technology, and other relevant courses of study aimed at closing the gap between trained professionals eager to enter the industry and available jobs.

In two years the program has gone from concept to 254 students trained and, as of this writing, at least 129 placed in jobs, with many more expected in the coming weeks.

SWIC up close and personal

Five graduates of the SWIC program were on hand last week at SEMI global headquarters in San Jose to report to Facilities Director John Friedlund their findings from a detailed energy efficiency analysis for the building, part of their "final exam" for the commercial building energy efficiency portion of the training.

John was willing to let teams of students poke and prod at the building's HVAC, lighting, and plug load data, and for doing so was presented with an estimated $30,000 in potential operating cost reduction.

This real-world experience is an important key component of the SWIC program, offering graduates a solid footing to test their knowledge and work flows as well as an opportunity for both prospective employee and employer a chance to work together.

The event at SEMI was attended by representatives of all stakeholders in SWIC to showcase the results-oriented focus of the program. "This is a textbook example of what we envisioned two years ago," said project manager Justin Bradley.

At the conclusion of the presentation the students discussed their experience and outlook for the future. One of the five students had already landed a job, but all expressed enthusiasm and hope for their prospects in the industry, all from a combination of their own hard work and the opportunities provided from the SWIC program.

Besides the employment screening and placement service from Nova Workforce, SWIC organizes solar industry job fairs and regular contact with employers throughout the course of the training. In fact, it was this sort of contact that landed Rudy Schneider his job. Rudy’s “job interview” happened after class between the classroom and the parking lot with that evening’s guest speaker on smart grid technology. Now that guest speaker is Rudy’s boss.

“That brings up the relational aspect [of the program]," says SWIC Program Manager Justin Bradley, "that you can give the right training, you can give everything, but unless there’s a lead and a link of relationships it’s really hard to make these things work”

The future of SWIC

For a program with a proven concept and such great potential like SWIC, there's got to be a down side. And there is – chiefly in the fact that, at least for now, the SWIC program is over. The five students I met the other day are among the last to benefit from the program as the grant funding has all but run its course.

"The State has called in our grant as of the 1^st of June," SolarTech Director of Grants and Industry Solutions David McFeely told me. "But we are working on plans for an industry-funded approach for SWIC," he said, "perhaps a subscription-based model."

The size and scope of any future program will be hammered out in the next six to eight months, with hopes of a new program launch before the year is out. "We want to do any replicating and scaling smartly and in the right way," says Rodet.

Even if not exactly sure what the future holds for a working program, SolarTech is optimistic that the SWIC idea will benefit the growth of solar, energy efficiency and clean tech into drivers of a new 21^st century economy – indeed it already has.

"It's an investment in people," says McFeely. And it is people, after all, upon which the success of solar energy and the entire new energy economy depend.

Image credit: SolarTech

Source: CleanTechnica

Cleantech News: Solar Energy Financing on Brink of Transformation; Obama Iowa Wind Power Speech; Clean Coal Not a Thing; Greenpeace & Apple Continue to Dance…

2012-05-26T05:17:00.001-07:00

More cleantech news from around:

Solar Energy

US Solar Financing on Brink of Transformation: “Financing of US solar projects is in the midst of a transformation, with new business models, new investors, and new financing vehicles gaining sway, according to new research by specialist research firm Bloomberg New Energy Finance commissioned by Reznick Group.

“US solar projects have historically been bankrolled by some combination of energy sector players, banks, and the federal government, but the landscape is rapidly changing. New business models are emerging with an emphasis on third-party financing. New investors, including institutional players, are entering. And new financing vehicles such as project bonds and other securities are being assembled to tap the broader capital markets.”

Welspun Energy Awarded 125-MW Solar Project in India: “Welspun Solar Madhya Pradesh Private Limited (WSMPPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Welspun Renewable Private Limited, has won a 125 MW Solar PV project in Madhya Pradesh State of India….Â This isÂ the highest capacity to be awarded to anyÂ Indian entity in the solar space toÂ date.”

Recurrent Energy Puts 50 MW of Commercial Solar PV in Operation in Sacramento: “three of its solar photovoltaic projects inÂ Sacramento CountyÂ have achieved commercial operation. The projects are currently delivering 50 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), the nation’s sixth largest public utility, under a 20-year feed-in tariff (FIT).”

Wind Energy

Obama Prioritizes Extending the Wind Energy PTC in Iowa Speech:

In Iowa this afternoon, President Obama continued to press lawmakers to take action on hisÂ To-Do ListÂ for Congress.

He traveled to Newton to push forÂ the renewal of a tax credit for companies that produce clean energy. The creditÂ currently supports as many as 37,000 jobs.

His host for the visit was TPI Composites — a company that makes blades for wind turbines and employs more 700 people.

“If Congress doesn't act, companies like this one will take a hit,” he said. “Jobs will be lost. That's not a guess, that's a fact. We can't let that happen.”

Currently, 20 percent of all the electricity used in the Iowa is generated by wind power, and there are currently more wind power jobs in the state than in any other in America.

Overall, the United States generates enough electricity from wind to power 10 million homes. And there are 500 production facilities in 43 states putting people to work in that industry.

Full Iowa speech here.

Other

Â£5.4 billion growth in UK green economyÂ in 2011: “Green goods and services valued at Â£122bn and now employs almost one million people, government figures show.”

Two Large Overseas Investors –Â Germany’s E.On and Norway’s Statkraft — Slam UK for New Energy Bill: “The German-based E.ON, one of the big six electricity providers in Britain, said national subsidy schemes for renewables such as Britain’s contracts for difference had helped ‘bust’ key European carbon reduction initiatives.

“And Norway’s Statkraft, said on Wednesday it would not be able to press the button on a giant Â£30bn offshore wind farm on the Dogger Bank until ongoing ‘uncertainty’ was lifted.”

Clean Coal is Not a Thing: “The coal industry plans toÂ spend $40 millionÂ this year trying to convince you that coal is good for the country. One thing they'll tell you is that coal is clean. But we said it before, and we'll say it now: There is no such thing as "clean" coal. Annual carbon pollution from a single coal plant is equal to the annual emissions from more thanÂ 650,000 cars.

“Each year almost 12,000 people are hospitalized because ofÂ pollution from coal plants. If pollution from coal plants remains unchecked it could add an astonishing $100 billion to ourÂ annual healthcare bill. Does this sound clean to you?”

IMF Oil Price Warning Presses Need for Alternative Fuels: “TheÂ Fuel Freedom FoundationÂ says that a new warning from the International Monetary Fund underscores the urgency of opening markets to competition fromÂ alternative fuelsÂ such as natural gas, ethanol, methanol and electricity. TheÂ IMF Working Paper, entitled ‘The Future of Oil: Geology versus Technology,’ predicts that oil prices could permanently double in the next decade.”

Groups Ask Senate to Reconsider NDAA Amendments Blocking Military Use of Alternative Energy: “The Advanced Biofuels Association, the Algal Biomass Organization, Airlines for America, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, Growth Energy, and the Pew Charitable Trusts today expressed disappointment that the Senate Armed Services Committee adopted amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act blocking the Department of Defense's (DoD) use of domestically produced alternative energy.”

Here’s a full statement from the united groups:

"Continued reliance on foreign oil puts U.S. national security at risk. Oil market volatility has already wreaked havoc on military budgets, which came at the cost of new equipment and training for our troops and reduced military readiness. In fiscal years 2011 and 2012, DoD came up $5.6 billion short in its budget for military operations and maintenance because it spent more on fuel than anticipated. Moreover, the United States sends $1 billion overseas each and every day to pay for foreign oil, further draining resources from the U.S. economy.

"U.S. advanced biofuel producers have made rapid progress toward cost-competitiveness. The per-gallon cost of test quantities of advanced biofuels under DoD contracts has declined more than 90 percent over the past two years and will continue to decline as these technologies scale to commercial production. DoD's efforts to reduce use of foreign oil and increase use of American biofuels can lead the nation's effort to achieve energy security.

"We will work with Members of the Senate to restore support within the NDAA for the DoD's commitment to accelerate production of American-made, advanced, 'drop-in' biofuels for use in military jets, ships, and vehicles."

Greenpeace Supports Apple Pledge to Be Coal-Free, Asks How It Will Get There: “Apple has made a bold claim to make all three of its data centres ‘coal free’ and has doubled the amount of solar energy powering its data centre in North Carolina. Apple's customers certainly appreciate boldness, and will love the ambition to be ‘coal free.’…

“This is a clear sign that Apple is listening to the 220,000 customers who have asked for a clean iCloud. Apple now needs to show those customers how it will turn that rhetoric into reality, with further action and changes to its plans.”

Wave-Powered Dolphin Speaker May Help Us Talk to Dolphins: “Tokyo University team developed theÂ dolphin speaker, an extremely broadband speaker that can project all the various communication sounds, whistles, burst-pulse sounds, and echo-location clicks that dolphins make and at frequencies from 7 kHz to 170 kHz. For it to operate underwater, the team used piezoelectric materials in its construction so that it will be powered by the bobbing of the waves.”

NYC Flagship Cleantech Incubator Adds 3 New Startups: “The roster of the city’s preeminent cleantech business incubator is set to grow again, as three startup companies join theÂ New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable EconomyÂ (NYCÂ ACRE at NYU-Poly).

“The newest tenants,Â Energex Technologies,Â EnertivÂ and HEVO, join 11 companies that have been fostered atÂ NYCÂ ACRE since it was founded in 2009 with a mission to establishÂ New YorkÂ as a hub for clean energy technology innovation and entrepreneurship. In three years,Â NYCÂ ACRE startups have raised more thanÂ $17 millionÂ in capital and created 100 full-time jobs. To date, seven companies have ‘graduated’ from the incubator.”

Source: CleanTechnica

Apple releases updated iOS 5.1.1 build for GSM/AT&T iPhone 4

2012-05-25T19:51:00.001-07:00

Apple has released an updated build 9B208 of iOS 5.1.1 just for your handset.

There doesn't appear to be any information from Apple on what triggered the new build, though it's possible some very specific bug or glitch was identified and fixed. If it was incredibly minor, Apple would likely just have filed it away for next time. If it was incredibly major, Apple would likely have pushed it out as new update to ensure every user got it.

As it is, if you've already updated to iOS 5.1.1 you won't see the new version popup as an over-the-air (OTA) update, or as available in iTunes. If you haven't already updated, you'll be offered this new version when you do. To force an update from the previous iOS 5.1.1 build to this one, you'll have to restore to it in iTunes. (And really, there's almost certainly no reason to do that.)

iOS 5.1.1 was originally released on Monday, May 7. As of May 15, almost 74% of iMore readers had already updated to iOS 5.1.1. Today, one of the major reasons many had waited, an untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1, was released.

Source: iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog

What Is Holding Back Solar Hot Water in the US?

2012-05-25T17:27:00.001-07:00

Solar hot water has been a commercialized technology for many, many years now. It had its heyday back in the 1980s when it seemed like everyone was putting a system on his or her roof. Even my dad, the ultra-conservative New York City money manager put one on our house in Connecticut when I was a teenager. Unfortunately, however, the technology wa

Source: Renewable Energy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

NLP Solar Sales Training Live Webinar May 30th & 31st

2012-05-25T17:21:00.001-07:00

Source: Renewable Energy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

New Report Says Alternative Energy is Closer to Grid Parity

2012-05-25T17:17:00.001-07:00

A new report by Global Data, a market intelligence company, says the cost of generating clean, alternative energy such as solar power is increasingly closer to the cost of generating energy from traditional, non-renewable sources.

The report focuses on the US and China cases, which have driven the cumulative installed PV capacity increase of 100% between 2009 and 2011 and project a considerable growth within the next few years. In the US, solar PV technology is expected to reach grid parity for some PV projects in 2014, and by 2017 most regions in the country are expected to reach grid parity in alignment with average electricity prices in the residential sector. China is also due to witness similar developments, with grid parity for solar expected to reach in most regions by 2015-2016.

Solar PV accounts for around 14% of the global renewable energy capacity and it is the fastest growing clean energy source in the world, having grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 56.4% over the past five years. Between 2010 and 2011, 44.3 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity came online, up from 14.8 GW installed during 2008 and 2009.

The report predicts Europe will lose market share to India and China as the two Asian countries have announced ambitious PV targets and have introduced favorable policies to boost the development of alternative energy. The global solar PV installed capacity will continue to grow at a CAGR of 20.2% 2011-2020, to reach 362,842 MW by 2020.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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Source: CleanTechies Blog - CleanTechies.com

Solar offers former LA gang members a bright new path

2012-05-25T11:19:00.001-07:00

Here at Vote Solar we work day in and day out on the policies that help solar thrive. We are passionate about our work – but it’s easy to get buried in a world of regulatory dockets and draft legislation. Which is why we sure appreciate a reminder of what solar power means to the daily lives of those it touches.

The June issue of Photon Magazine does just that with a truly moving article by Chris Warren about Homeboy Industries, the Los Angeles non-profit that provides job training for former gang members who have been in prison. The article (you can read a copy here) provides a window on the stories of people who have turned their lives around, thanks to the opportunity to join the growing local solar industry.

As Warren writes, solar has the power to transform individual lives as well as to transform our energy systems and fight climate change. That’s one more valuable reason that leaders in the city’s government and at the LA Department of Water and Power should keep building on their recent momentum in coming years, boosting solar development across LA and in the process creating jobs that provide opportunities and inspiration for Angelenos of all stripes.

Source: Vote Solar

Untethered jailbreak your iPhone 4S, new iPad and more with Absinthe 2.0 for iOS 5.1.1

2012-05-25T07:56:00.001-07:00

Absinthe 2.0 has launched and it provides support for a fully unthethered jailbreak under iOS 5.1.1 (and only iOS 5.1.1) for the following devices:

iPad, iPad 2, new iPad (except the 2012 iPad 2, which will come later)
iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S
iPod touch 3, iPod touch 4

Developed by a collaborative "Dream Team" between Chronic-Dev Team and iPhone Dev Team, Absinthe 2.0 and promises to be so easy, your "grandma could do it." Here are the steps:

Make a backup of your device in iTunes by right clicking on your device name under the 'Devices' menu and click 'Back Up'.

Once your backup is complete return to your device and go to Settings – General – Reset – Erase all Content and Settings. This will make the jailbreak process much faster.

Open Absinthe and be sure you are still connected via USB cable to your computer.

Click 'Jailbreak' and wait…. just be patient and do not disconnect your device.

Once jailbroken return to iTunes and restore your backup from earlier. Right click on your device name under the 'Devices' menu in the left panel of iTunes and click 'Restore from Back Up…' then select the latest backup you created before. (restoring this backup will return all the content previously on your device ie, apps, photos, etc.)

You can grab the download via the source link below, and if you need any help, jump right into our Jailbreak Forum.

Source: greenpois0n.com

IOS JAILBREAK DREAM TEAM RELEASES ABSINTHE 2.0 – IOS 5.1.1 JAILBREAK AT #HITB2012AMS

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS – 25th May 2012 – Today @pod2g and the @ChronicDevTeam announced the highly anticipated release of Absinthe 2.0 at #HITB2012AMS held at the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam.

Known as the "iOS Jailbreak Dream Team", @p0sixninja, @pod2g, @planetbeing, @pimskeks released the untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1 on the final day of the week-long conference. Echoing Steve Jobs' trademark WWDC encore of '… and one more thing', the team announced the release of Absinthe 2.0 during the closing minutes of their 2 hours talk at the conference.

Absinthe 2.0 will affect the majority of Apple devices running iOS 5.1.1 including iPad 1,1 – 2,1 – 2,2 – 2,3 – 3,1 – 3,2 – 3,3, the iPhone 2,1 – 3,1 – 3,3 – 4,1 and iPod 3,1 – 4,1. The jailbreak does not support the third generation Apple TV and support for iPad 2,4 will be added at a later date.

The team announced that the new Absinthe 2.0 will be available immediately for download from the official ChronicDevTeam website: http://greenpois0n.com The release announcement came after recent rife speculation spreading through online social networks on the actual release date and scope of Absinthe 2.0. The jailbreak community's interest was first piqued when the team announced they were scheduled to appear at HITBSecConf2012 – Amsterdam to deliver not one but two talks covering both the Corona (A4) and Absinthe (A5) jailbreaks for Apple devices. On the 20th of May, a tweet from team member @pod2g stating the release of Absinthe 2.0 was 'in a matter of days' led to further speculation that the final release would be made at HITBSecConf which ran from 21 – 25 May.

"We want to take this opportunity to thank Hack in the Box for giving us the chance to all get together for the first time, especially in the beautiful city of Amsterdam, it has been a great delight for us to announce our next release at this event. Thank you to all our supporters and keep jailbreaking!! "

"This was certainly one of the most highly anticipated talks we've EVER had at one of our HITB conferences, and we've done quite a few of these. The excitement from the Dream Team followers and overall Twitter and online buzz has been terrific!", said Dhillon Andrew Kannabhiran, Founder and CEO of Hack In The Box.

"It was truly an honor to host the Dream Team in their first ever 'real world' meet up and we would like to thank them for taking the time and effort to make the trip over to not only join us at our third European outing, but to help kick-start our celebration of '10 years of HITB awesomeness' with the release of Absinthe 2.0!", he added.

HITBSecConf2012 – Malaysia (#HITB2012KUL) marks our 10th annual event in Asia and runs from October 8th till 11th at the Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur featuring 42 of HITB's best speakers of the decade in one massive event. Registration is already open: http://conference.hitb.org/hitbsecconf2012kul/

About iOS Jailbreak Dream Team: The group is made up of members from the Chronic-Dev Team and the iPhone Dev Team and consists of @MuscleNerd @pod2g @planetbeing @p0sixninja @pimskeks.

About iOS jailbreaking: iOS jailbreaking, or simply jailbreaking, is the process of removing the limitations imposed by Apple on devices running the iOS operating system through use of custom security exploits. Jailbreaking allows users to gain elevated access to the operating system. Consequently it also allows users to download additional applications, extensions and themes that are unavailable through the official Apple App Store.

Source: iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog

Obesity Epidemic Likely Cause Of Huge Increase In Kidney Stones

2012-05-25T07:51:00.001-07:00

The number of Americans suffering from kidney stones between 2007 and 2010 nearly doubled since 1994, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and RAND. "While we expected the prevalence of kidney stones to increase, the size of the increase was surprising," says Charles D. Scales, Jr., MD, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/U.S...

Source: Diabetes News From Medical News Today

Solar manufacturing's new strategy: 'co-opetition'

2012-05-25T05:27:00.001-07:00

The current crisis in solar manufacturing is leading to some novel economic strategies. Pure manufacturing is dead, say many solar companies: it's time to diversify.

Source: Renewable Energy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

China to Spend $27 Billion on Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency This Year

2012-05-25T05:23:00.001-07:00

Just confirming the easy bet Goldman Sachs is putting on cleantech (which I just wrote about), China is reportedly going to spend $27 billion this year alone on cleantech (energy efficiency and conservation, clean energy, and emissions reductions).

“The country’s finance ministry said it wants to promote energy-saving products, solar and wind power and accelerate the development of renewable energy and hybrid cars,” the Guardian reports.

Of course, this comes on the heels of a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) showing that China’s rapid growth was a key factor in bringing annual CO2 emissions up to a record and very concerning level in 2011, despite carbon emissions reductions in the US and EU. Nonetheless, as noted there, China’s carbon intensity has actually dropped 15% (from 2005 to 2011) due to its tremendous cleantech investments.

“In the long term, China is targeting to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40-45% by 2020, compared with 2003 levels and aims to boost its use of renewable energy to 15% of overall energy consumption,” the Guardian piece adds.

Images: Chinese Yuan & plant and Hong Kong via Shutterstock

Source: CleanTechnica

Goldman Sachs Investing $40 Billion More in Clean Energy

2012-05-25T05:17:00.001-07:00

Not even a couple weeks ago, Mridul wrote that Goldman Sachs–backed firm ReNew Power Limited was investing Rs 6,000 crore (over $1.1 billion) to build 1 GW (1,000 MW) of wind power projects across India. Apparently, Goldman Sachs has much bigger plans than that, though.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc reportedly plans to put $40 billion towards renewable energy projects over the coming 10 years. Why? well, if you know anything about Goldman Sachs, you know it’s all about the money.Â Renewable energy is “an area the investment bank called one of the biggest profit opportunities since its economists got excited about emerging markets in 2001,” Reuters reports.

It sees China, Brazil, India, Europe, and many other countries implementing strong renewable energy policies. Combined with dropping renewable energy costs from mass deployment and continued technological advances, renewable energy is a winning bet as far as Goldman Sachs is concerned.

That said, this new announcement actually more or less continues the bank’s current trend.Â ”In 2011, it helped finance $4.8 billion in clean technology companies globally, and co-invested more than $500 million in that area,” so $4 billion a year is actually a bit of a decrease in annual investments. Still, this is far more than the $1 billion it committed to in 2005. Perhaps if more countries implement strong climate change and cleantech policies, we can look back on this $40 billion (still a considerable amount) as Goldman Sachs testing the waters.

“The bank’s new $40 billion target applies to investments and financings for solar, wind, hydro, biofuels, biomass conversion, energy efficiency, energy storage, green transportation, efficient materials, LED lighting and transmission,” Reuters writes.

Goldman has also pledged to reduce its own net carbon emissions to zero by 2020.

Stuart Bernstein, head of Goldman’s clean technology and renewables investment banking group, compared the opportunity to technology investments in the 1990s or investing 10 years ago in fast-growing countries like Brazil, Russia, India andÂ China, for which Goldman economist Jim O’Neill coined the term “BRIC” in 2001

Enthusiasm for renewables was high in 2006 and 2007 as oil prices soared. But enthusiasm waned after the financial crisis cut energy demand and cash-strapped governments reduced subsidies for alternative energy programs.

The use of hydraulic fracturing technology to access abundant supplies of natural gas in the United States and elsewhere has also undermined alternative sources of energy.

“Obviously we recognize this is not the easiest of times in the clean energy market but nevertheless the underlying thesis as to why cleaner and more sustainable forms of energy need to scale up still holds true,” Park said.

For more, check out:Â Goldman sets $40 billion clean energy investment plan.

Image: Goldman Sachs building in NYCÂ via Shutterstock

Source: CleanTechnica

Best free simulation games for iPhone

2012-05-24T19:51:00.001-07:00

iMore is here to help you play God, build cities, and run commercial empires with these top free simulation games for iPhone.

Last week we featured the best free iPad games, but there were a few new categories there that weren't in my original best free iPhone games post. One of those categories is simulation, where your micro-management skills pay the virtual bills. Some of these will look familiar, but others may be new to you. Keep in mind that all of the current picks here are free-to-play, but subsist on in-app payments for various non-essential perks, so if you're not a fan of being nickeled-and-dimed, this list might not be for you. Buckle up hit the jump to see our favourite free simulation games for the iPhone.

Tiny Tower

Tiny Tower is a really simple social management game with 8-bit-style graphics. Your job is to populate a tower with bitizens, assign them jobs relevent to their skills, keep their respective businesses stocked, and build more floors on top of your building. Over time, your bitizens earn you money which can be spent on purchasing new stock for various types of stores, or for putting the next storey onto your tower. You'll need to ferry bitizens from the ground floor with the elevator if you'll ever want to move new people in, plus once in awhile VIPs will provide you extra bonuses, like knocking off a few hours from your restocking time.

Tiny Tower occasionally gives you Towerbucks for handling the elevator, which can be used to hurry restocking, construction, or elevator upgrades. Towerbucks can also be bought through in-app purchases.

Download now

The Sandbox

The Sandbox is clever mix-and-match game with an 8-bit art style. You take the role of an almighty creator trying to combine various elements in the right order at the right spot in order to complete a puzzle. Those goals can be as simple as evaporating water and as elaborate as discovering electricity. In that sense, there's a definite Doodle God vibe, except this is a lot more fluid. Beyond painting element-infused pixels, you also have control over a wide variety of environment elements, including temperature and weather. The real magic of The Sandbox is that elements all behave as you expect them to - trees catch fire if you turn up the world temperature, dirt falls when you paint it in the sky, and electricity surges through metal and shoots off the ends of wires with sparks. Given, all of that action is in chunky pixels, it's still all very believable. Outside of the puzzles, you can also go freestyle to make your own creations and share them online in the burgeoning pixel art gallery.

Though The Sandbox is free, new elements are unlocked with mana points, which are awarded as you play through missions or bought through in-app purchases. Mana points can also be used to purchase hints for particularly tricky puzzles - luckily the hints aren't too expensive. There's Game Center support here to track achievements, but it's not Universal, so unfortunately no enjoying this one on the big screen.

Download now

My Country

My Country is a city simulation game where you build businesses, attract residents, and connect with neighboring communities. It's about as close to a full-featured, free version of the premium SimCity game as you'll find. Sure, there are some of the FarmVille trappings of having to tap on buildings to collect revenue, but there's a ton of depth to the resource structure; for example, to run a business, you have to gather up equipment either through other business or upgrading residential units to hire the required professionals. You need to juggle ecology ratings and electrical demands as your city expands from one era to the next. As you complete missions, you gain experience points, level up, and unlock new buildings to propel your metropolis to further heights.

The in-game cash you earn from running businesses within your city (or country, once it gets big enough) is generally what you use to expand and unlock new buildings, but you can also use the premium CountryBucks currency to complete most of the same tasks.

Download now

Order Up!! To Go

Order Up!! To Go is a cooking and restaurant simulator that tests your time management skills. The gameplay is twofold - for one, you're working on building up the reputation and menu for your restaurant, always with an eye to the next establishment, so there's a fair bit of budgeting involved. The cooking itself is very similar to the Cooking Mama series in you cut tomatoes with downward swipes and flip burgers with curved swipes (though I wouldn't mind some accelerometer control for that). What really keeps the game fun is the variety of other mini-games and the great humor both in the writing an art style. Smaller nuances, like recognizing customers as they come in and using the appropriate spices adds even more depth to the frantic gameplay.

You earn silver coins through regular gameplay, which can be used to buy your ingredients, access new restaurants, and hire extra help, but you can speed up the process with premium gold coins acquired through in-app purchases.

Download now

The Sims FreePlay

The Sims FreePlay is a classic life simulation game where you tend to a collection of virtual people, each with a variety of needs and colorful spectrum of personality quirks. You do everything from steering their conversations with other Sims, decorating their home, getting them to work, and making sure they bathe regularly. A recent update even added the ability to play as and care for child Sims. As you guide your Sim to accomplish daily tasks, you gain experience points, level up, and unlock new items. Unlike the old Sims games that had a handy fast-forward button, activities in The Sims FreePlay all happen in real-time, so when you put your little people to sleep, they're gone for 8 real hours.

As you play, you earn Lifestyle Points, which can be used to immediately satisfy your Sim's needs and quickly complete tasks. Those can be bought through in-app purchases, alongside the game's currency, Simoleans, which your Sims earn through various kinds of work.

The UI is better-suited for the iPad; on the iPhone, I find gameplay a little cramped, but everything is still there, and in the world of simulation games, there's really no contest. Saved games can be manually synced to the cloud between iPhone and iPad, but that can prove to be a hassle if you switch back and forth a bunch.

Download now

Your favorite sim games for iPhone?

There's a wide world of free iOS sim games out there, and new ones are coming out all the time. What have you been playing lately ? Anything you'd like to see on this list? As with the other features, you can expect this list to be updated over time.

Source: iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog

California PUC Rules in Favor of Net-Metering

2012-05-24T17:26:00.001-07:00

California net-metering gained a resounding victory on Thursday when the state's Public Utilities Commission voted 5-0 to accept a proposal that clarifies how utilities should measure the net-metering cap.

Source: Renewable Energy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

AMSC's 100-MW Wind Deal: New Life After Sinovel

2012-05-24T17:21:00.001-07:00

Massachusetts-based American Superconductor, which is embroiled in a bitter dispute with Chinese wind manufacturer Sinovel, has reached a 100-megawatt (MW) deal with growing Indian turbine maker Inox in a move that may spur renewed interest from investors.

Source: Renewable Energy News - RenewableEnergyWorld.com

We won! CPUC unanimously approves net metering expansion in California

2012-05-24T17:19:00.001-07:00

Today the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously voted to give more Californians access to net metering credit for solar power. The 5-0 vote on a Proposed Decision will protect this important solar consumer right for tens of thousands of California homes, schools, businesses and public buildings.

Solar policy victories don’t come easily – so today is truly a day to celebrate! Thanks to the hard work of organizations and solar companies across the state, not to mention the nearly 60,000 Californians who expressed their support for net metering, California will continue to be increasingly powered by the sun. Extra special thanks to Governor Brown and the Commissioners themselves for fighting so hard on behalf of this program.

Net metering makes sure solar customers get fair credit on their utility bills for the valuable clean power they put on the grid for others to use.

There is a cap on the amount of net metering that must be made available to customers. California's law sets the cap at "5 percent of aggregate customer peak demand," but does not specify how utilities should calculate that number. Consequently, utilities had been using a more restrictive methodology that would result in almost 50 percent less net metered solar and renewable energy than would otherwise be allowed. Today’s decision clarifies that utilities should use a cap calculation approach that results many more Californians having access to net metering benefits.

At today’s public hearing, we were especially glad to hear the Commissioners highlight the many benefits to the California economy and California energy grid of more rooftop solar. This important solar policy has already delivered tremendous benefits to California: supported 25,000 solar jobs, driven $10 billion in private investment in the state's clean energy industry, given thousands of homeowners, schools, water districts, industrial users, and cities control over their electricity bills, and installed 2 natural gas plants worth of valuable peak solar power generation that our utilities won't have to build and you won't have to fund.

Commissioner Simon, himself a Bayview resident with friends and neighbors (and even a barber) with solar, also debunked the myth that solar energy is just for wealthy homeowners, saying "shame on you to whoever started those rumors." Data from GRID Alternatives published on the Vote Solar blog this month backs Commissioner Simon assertions that solar is becoming more and more accessible to Californians of all income levels.

The Proposed Decision was amended the night before the vote to include a comprehensive cost benefit analysis of net metering – due to the utilities persistent claims that net metering is an unfair subsidy. We look forward to further study of the costs and benefits of this program, and believe the results will lead the Commissioners to the same conclusion as the Division of Ratepayer Advocates that the utilities ‘cost shift’ argument is a red herring and unsubstantiated.

In addition to the study requirement, there were some technical additions to the proposal that bear further review to make sure the state’s policy continues to achieve the goal that we all support – the long-term growth of solar as a mainstream energy resource in our state.

There is still work to be done – and we hope you’ll continue to help us along the way.

But today let’s celebrate a big step forward!

Source: Vote Solar

Planet Berry LLC

Monday Brief: Enyo team members head to Google, Absinthe 2.0 released, and more!

Editor's desk: Next small things, WWDC 2012, videos, podcasts, features, and more!

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Video velocity

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Features

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$0.99 - Download Now

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Panic's ingenious all-in-one FTP, CSS, and Code editing app comes to iPad

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19.99 - Download now

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Apple releases updated iOS 5.1.1 build for GSM/AT&T iPhone 4

What Is Holding Back Solar Hot Water in the US?

NLP Solar Sales Training Live Webinar May 30th & 31st

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Related posts:

Solar offers former LA gang members a bright new path

Untethered jailbreak your iPhone 4S, new iPad and more with Absinthe 2.0 for iOS 5.1.1

Obesity Epidemic Likely Cause Of Huge Increase In Kidney Stones

Solar manufacturing's new strategy: 'co-opetition'

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Goldman Sachs Investing $40 Billion More in Clean Energy

Best free simulation games for iPhone

iMore is here to help you play God, build cities, and run commercial empires with these top free simulation games for iPhone.

Tiny Tower

The Sandbox

My Country

Order Up!! To Go

The Sims FreePlay

Your favorite sim games for iPhone?

California PUC Rules in Favor of Net-Metering

AMSC's 100-MW Wind Deal: New Life After Sinovel

We won! CPUC unanimously approves net metering expansion in California