Month: September 2024

Microsoft will purchase energy produced by the restarted Three Mile Island nuclear plant

Microsoft has signed a deal with one of the most infamous nuclear power facilities in the US as it looks for more ways to ensure the demand for AI computing is met.

The legacy of the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear plant has long been shaped by the 1979 Unit 2 meltdown, which had a profound effect on public perceptions of nuclear energy. What a lot of people don’t know is that Unit 1 was not only unaffected, but continued to operate safely and reliably for decades.

Now, in a major new step, Constellation has signed its largest power purchase agreement with Microsoft, leading to the planned restoration and restart of TMI Unit 1 under the name Crane Clean Energy Center (CCEC). The project is expected to bring 835 megawatts of carbon-free power to the grid, create 3,400 jobs, and contribute over $3 billion in taxes.

Support for nuclear energy remains strong

Under this agreement, Microsoft will purchase the energy produced by the renewed plant to match the power consumption of its data centers within the PJM grid.

The tech giant has been exploring nuclear energy as a way to power its data centers for a while now, although this will be by far its most high profile deal.

“This agreement is a major milestone in Microsoft’s efforts to help decarbonize the grid in support of our commitment to become carbon negative,” noted Bobby Hollis, VP of Energy at Microsoft.

Joe Dominguez, President and CEO of Constellation, commented on the deal, saying, “Powering industries critical to our nation’s global economic and technological competitiveness, including data centers, requires an abundance of energy that is carbon-free and reliable every hour of every day, and nuclear plants are the only energy sources that can consistently deliver on that promise.”

Before TMI Unit 1 can be restarted, it will undergo substantial modernization, including upgrades to the turbine, generator, and cooling systems. Approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission will also be required, with plans to extend the plant’s operations through 2054. The plant is scheduled to come back online by 2028.

A report by The Brattle Group found that the Crane Clean Energy Center, renamed to honor former Constellation CEO Chris Crane, will not only add more than 800 megawatts of clean energy but also inject $16 billion into Pennsylvania’s GDP and generate $3 billion in taxes. Additionally, Constellation has committed $1 million over five years to support local workforce development and community programs.

Public support for nuclear energy remains strong in Pennsylvania, with a recent poll showing a 2-to-1 margin in favor of restarting TMI Unit 1. Governor Josh Shapiro praised the project, saying, “The Crane Clean Energy Center will safely utilize existing infrastructure to sustain and expand nuclear power in the Commonwealth while creating thousands of energy jobs and strengthening Pennsylvania’s legacy as a national energy leader.”

The resurgence of nuclear energy, particularly as a reliable, carbon-free power source for energy-intensive sectors like data centers, is increasingly appealing to firms like Microsoft and Oracle who are betting big on it.

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Nothing fancy: just a smartwatch and two pairs of headphones.

When 2025 rolls around, I’ll have been a professional fitness writer for ten years, and a professional technology writer for five. In my long career writing about fitness and fitness tech, I’ve tried almost every category of workout equipment and health-based technology you can imagine.

I really mean it.

I’ve tried all manner of gadgets in the name of a review, from smart glucose monitors that require needles in your arms to smart sleep masks that play soothing sounds. I’ve tried intelligent insoles that slip into your shoes to tell you about your running gait, and AI-powered cameras that help you work out with dumbbells.

Smart workout mirrors? Smart rings? Peloton classes? Electro-stimulation to improve muscle tone? Bone-conduction headphone technology? All boxes checked.

It’s a far cry from reviewing the best fitness trackers and best running shoes on the market. In that time, amongst all the gadgets I’ve tested, there’s only a handful of pieces of hardware that I really use in my personal life on a regular basis.

It almost says a lot about the state of the industry that each piece of wellness tech is marketed as a game-changer, a problem-solver, yet I keep coming back to the same old bits of kit. As someone with unfettered access to all the gear in TechRadar towers, that says a lot. So, without further ado, below I’ve listed the only pieces of tech I go back to time and time again.

Bone conduction headphones: Shokz OpenRun

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Whether you’re running, cycling or doing any form of exercise outdoors, it pays to be aware of your surroundings.

I’ve used Shokz OpenRun for years as a way to listen to music or podcasts broadcasting from my phone during runs without sacrificing situational awareness. You could technically do the same thing with AirPods or other workout headphones using their HearThrough or Conversation modes, but the best bone conduction headphones are built to leave your ears free.

While the OpenRun Pro are more expensive, offering faster charging and longer life, I still use the original OpenRun and have experienced no problems with the battery even after all this time.

They’re comfortable to wear for long periods and during very long runs, I also call my wife or family to break up the monotony and they can hear me just fine.

This is the set of headphones that got me through two marathons over two consecutive years.

In-ear headphones: Jabra Elite 8 Active

(Image credit: Becca Caddy)

In my marathon off-seasons, I like to hit the gym in order to regain the muscle mass I lose when running takes over my life.

This is where a lot of gear falls down for me to use: even the best smart rings, for example, are at risk of scratching and being damaged when I’m lifting weights, so I use a watch instead.

Likewise with bone conduction headphones: while outside I like to be able to hear my surroundings, in a commercial gym you need headphones to kill the gym’s music and the noise of other gym-goers to focus on your own workouts.

I used to use a cheap pair of Anker Soundcare P20s for this, but when those finally died, I switched to a pair of Jabra Elite 8 Active, the best workout headphones on the market right now, and haven’t looked back.

They’re comfortable, tough, completely waterproof (they survived a glass of water, at any rate), and have Active Noise Canceling I can switch on and off if I need to ask a staff member a question, or another lifter if I can work in. Easy to set up, simple to use, tough as nails, and long-lasting.

Smartwatch: Garmin Epix Pro

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

I really want to recommend the Apple Watch Ultra 2 here as it’s functionally fab, but short battery lives on smartwatches continue to be a frustration for me.

The Garmin Epix Pro lasts for ages, and it has the running tool I use most: route creation. For hikers, runners, and cyclists yet to plan routes using Garmin Connect and follow the directions on your watch, it’s a game changer. It’s the single smartwatch feature that’s made the most difference in my training.

I also like big, chunky watches and dislike charging watches often, so the Fenix range (including the Epix Pro) fits the bill nicely. Although I know some people find smartwatches uncomfortable to wear in bed, I don’t mind at all.

Plus, even though I don’t tend to use my smartwatch to formally track sets and reps in the gym, it doesn’t get in the way of my weight-based workouts in the same way that a smart ring does, so it’s passively tracking activity and calorie burn in the background and factoring it into my recovery metrics.

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Chucky has been axed at Peacock after three years, potentially killing the evil doll for good.

Chucky is a bit of an outlier when it comes to horror. Usually, you can’t beat the original movie, and any sequels or TV adaptations pale in comparison – check out TechRadar’s ranking of every Chucky movie. But the Peacock series impressed critics so much that it has a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, placing it above the 1988 movie Child’s Play. With this in mind, it really is a shame that the horror hit has been canceled.

The adaptation ran for three successful seasons before it was announced that it would not continue, with The Hollywood Reporter announcing they had pulled the plug on the killer doll. While previous attempts to deactivate Chucky did not go so well, unfortunately, they’ve finally done it. For now, at least.

Confirming the news in a statement, creator Don Mancini said: “I’m heartbroken over the news that Chucky won’t be coming back for a fourth season, but am so grateful for the killer three years we did have.”

He added: “I’d like to thank UCP/SYFY/Peacock/Eat the Cat, our awesome cast and Toronto-based crew (the best in the business), and finally, to our amazing fans, a big bloody hug. Your incredible #RenewChucky campaign really warmed Chucky’s cold heart. Chucky will return! He ALWAYS comes back.”

What made the Chucky series better than Child’s Play?

Bride of Chucky is actually good okay? (Image credit: MGM)

It’s a big question and the Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus cited its “absurd humor and creative horror” as being a huge hit. There may be other factors at play, such as nostalgia, or more people getting into horror, but it is refreshing to see the iconic doll having such a successful time on the small screen.

Some of the entries into the franchise have not been good at all, including Child’s Play 3, which has a pretty awful 19% rating on the aggregator. Others spark more debate among fans such as Bride of Chucky which is still considered rotten on the whole, but fans like me will go to bat for it mostly because of Jennifer Tilly’s performance as Tiffany.

But despite the series’ success, it wasn’t enough to save it from getting the chop. So season 3 is the end of the road but if you want to live the brutal, bloody memories, you can still stream the previous episodes.

Peacock does have a new horror series on route, called Hysteria, starring the Evil Dead‘s own Bruce Campbell, so there’ll be plenty to sink your teeth into throughout October and beyond.

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