Author: abubakar
Here’s Why Andrew Tate May Have Chosen To Live In Romania, Where Sex Trafficking Has “Become A National Sport”
A representative for Tate dismissed theories as to why he based himself in the Eastern European country as “press speculation.”
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A representative for Tate dismissed theories as to why he based himself in the Eastern European country as “press speculation.”
Lucid Motors Steps Up Production as Supply Chain Problems Ease
The maker of electric luxury sedans said it made more than 7,000 cars in 2022, achieving a scaled-down target.
The maker of electric luxury sedans said it made more than 7,000 cars in 2022, achieving a scaled-down target.
Detroit Tigers Work to Rebuild Under Scott Harris
As the team’s president of baseball operations, Scott Harris wants to turn Detroit’s fortunes around. But he knows the team has a long way to go.
As the team’s president of baseball operations, Scott Harris wants to turn Detroit’s fortunes around. But he knows the team has a long way to go.
Tech Trends Shaping Industry in 2023
Digital transformation encompasses all spheres of life and verticals. While the digital world is increasingly connecting with the real one and new challenges arise. DigitialMara has prepared the observation of emerging tech trends. Among them are industry cloud platforms, autonomous systems, Metaverse, Web3, and multi-experience. Businesses strive to add sustainability to operational processes and deliver
The post Tech Trends Shaping Industry in 2023 appeared first on ReadWrite.
Digital transformation encompasses all spheres of life and verticals. While the digital world is increasingly connecting with the real one and new challenges arise. DigitialMara has prepared the observation of emerging tech trends. Among them are industry cloud platforms, autonomous systems, Metaverse, Web3, and multi-experience.
Businesses strive to add sustainability to operational processes and deliver sustainable products and services. According to Gartner, the digital solution can be named sustainable if it brings good environmental, social, and governance outcomes to all market participants. In this case, AI, cloud technologies, and automation will proceed to rock, accompanied by digital twins and 3D printing.
Businesses invest in AI-based products to empower internal and external processes, provide services and improve user experience. IDC estimates expenditures on AI technologies as $500 billion in 2023. Technology helps companies to optimize resilience, scale operations, and leverage data-driven decision-making.
Digital trust is a fundamental part of all financial processes going online. Thus, more businesses and individuals increasingly prefer online transactions. There is a demand for new security measures. A decentralized network developed with Blockchain technologies can be a viable solution. This architectural approach assumes encryption for data transmission and storage and a coordinated form of digital ownership.
Let’s look in more detail at the tech trends that impact production and consumption, development, and perception. Trends are split into three blocks: business solutions, user experience, web, and mobile development.
Business solutions tech trends
Autonomous systems
Automation is becoming progressively more popular in various industries and applications as enterprises are going for more rational approaches choosing resilience and efficiency. Autonomous systems can empower most of the processes: increase accuracy and productivity, provide flexibility and data-driven insights, and reduce the time for repetitive tasks.
Their scope of application is wide. They can be used in manufacturing, vehicles, supply chains, delivery, logistics, healthcare, energy solutions, etc.
Autonomous systems have a fairly complex architecture and consist of several components – digital tools. The obligatory requirements are reliability, safety, and real-time control. The main advantage of the systems is the ability to adapt to changing conditions and make decisions independently on large amounts of data.
The data is being collected from AI systems, automated quality management, IoT sensors, drones, enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, and quality control systems. To develop such a system, you will need a team of data scientists, systems engineers, and programmers.
Industry cloud platforms
Moving to the cloud allows companies to be more flexible, scalable, and accelerate processes. Industry cloud platforms or industry clouds are designed specifically to meet the needs of industries such as healthcare, retail, finance, government, and others.
They are a combination of software, platform, and Infrastructure-as-a-service. According to Gartner, more than 50% of core business operations will be conducted using cloud platforms by 2027. Experts believe that this approach goes beyond the traditional cloud and brings extra value to enterprises.
With cloud platforms, one can create an environment in compliance with all security and privacy standards, use predetermined industry scenarios and processes, and handle multilayer tasks. Their tool kit is composed of data models, workflows, and APIs, with the addition of advanced capabilities like AI and ML, IoT, blockchain, AR, and VR capabilities. Enterprise gets the system with greater performance that stands heavy loads and prosses high volumes of data.
Platform engineering
Platform engineering aims to increase developers’ productivity, clarify processes, and enhance the experience. And what’s more important is to speed up the delivery of software. Such platforms combine standard toolkits, self-service capabilities, reusable and configurable components and services, and automated processes. The team gets the infrastructure that is centrally managed and enhanced workflows. And the benefit for companies lies in the consistency and efficiency of processes.
In general, the building of the platform covers the following key areas: an internal platform for developers, security of key delivery processes, internal service level agreements, and team performance indicators. However, the platform is not universal and must be adapted to the needs of each organization. The specific functions depend entirely on the requirements of users – developers, data processing specialists, and others.
User experience trends
Metaverse
Metaverse is strongly accessioned by Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg, but this notion is much broader. This is a new type of digital interaction with an immersive effect replicating the real world. So that users have a sort of real-life experience in the virtual world. According to Mckinsey’s presentation, there are five basic activities that can be conducted in Metaverse.
They are entertainment, social, gaming, travel, and shopping. It seems to me education can also benefit from this technology. Meetings, conferences, and other events can be held in the Metaverse. Brands can sell their products and launch marketing campaigns. It is possible to carry out training and build digital-twin models.
Metaverse development is a rather laborious process that requires a wide range of technologies and technical requirements. Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Virtual and Augmented reality, 3D modeling, distributed computing, microservices, and edge computing are basic technologies here.
The infrastructure must be stable, and all data must be strictly secured. The system must endure a heavy load and work equally well on different platforms and devices, as thousands of people interact simultaneously and take action from different gadgets.
However, things are going not so bright. Companies invest in the metaverse but don’t always get a return. For example, Meta company, having already invested $100 billion in two years, has lost $3.7 billion in the last few months. Many things have led to this.
Starting from bad-looking avatars and an incomplete environment and ending with a lack of own video games for virtual reality and poor sales of headsets. And don’t forget about reputational losses – low level of trust.
AI chatbots
Chatbots can be used much more widely than customer support and sales. AI makes them smart, capable of adapting to the conversation and providing customers with human-like interactions. Depending on the level of complexity of the algorithm embedded in them, they can be used in social apps for fun conversation, therapy apps for primary diagnostics and recommendations, and educational apps to answer general questions and conduct tests.
Chatbots also can assist with the internal processes of the company and become a part of employee services: IT help, employee training, administrative help, HR bots, etc. They can perfectly complement messengers, websites, and applications.
Smart bots are based on Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning models, which are capable of remembering previous conversations and constantly learning and, as an output, show more personalized communication.
You may not be limited to this basic functionality. And add, for example, behavioral analytics to adjust embedded conversation flows or automated translation to make chat multilingual. At the same time, one should keep in mind that customers often share both personal and sensitive information. Therefore, data protection is crucial.
Multiexperience
The rising adaptation of voice, wearables, AI, and AR has led to a multi-experience approach, which means creating the same smooth, connective, and engaging experience across multiple digital touchpoints. The user consistently interacts with your software product across websites, mobile apps, voice assistants, chatbots, and various types of wearable devices and manages it with voice, text, and touch.
Multi-experience Development Platforms (MXDP) come to allow you to facilitate the development process and deploy your app on various devices. Gartner defines MXDP as a combination of front-end development tools and “backend for frontend” capabilities to build fit-for-purpose apps that are based on touchpoint-specific modalities. They support iOS and Android development, cross-platform development, responsive and progressive web apps, chatbots, IoT, and AR apps.
Voice search
Voice search optimization of our websites and apps should be a part of your strategy, as most modern devices have voice recognition function. Statista claims by 2024, the total number of digital voice assistants will attain 8.3 million. Customers use voice commands not only for smartphones but also for a wide range of smart home devices and smart systems in vehicles. It frees up hands, saves time, and enables multitasking. In general, this is an efficient way to interact with your customers, thanks to a quick reaction to their requests.
Software development trends
Web3
Web3 is a relatively new technology. Some see its potential in it, while others have concerns. Ultimately, we can expect this to change the architecture and basic principles of web platforms and how users interact amongst themselves and with the platforms. The innovation of the Web3 approach is that it offers a rejection of centralized systems and intermediaries.
While all interactions are going peer-to-peer. Critics argue that such a system is acceptable for public solutions but not for enterprises. Some examples here are NFTs and play-to-earn games, and decentralized finance.
The technology stack of Web3 development combines the concept of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO), Blockchain capabilities, and AI adaptive algorithms. Semantic web, cryptocurrency payments, verifiable authenticity, and automation are some key features. At the same time, the emphasis should be placed on ensuring proper cyber hygiene, protection of personal data, and privacy.
Low-code (no-code)
Low-code development is gaining more and more popularity. And there are a large number of low-code platforms on the market as an alternative to conventional development. Their principle of operation is based on a “drag-and-drop” interface and pre-configured templates.
One can use web and mobile development, IoT development, testing, workflow automation, AI chatbots, data science, and more. With this approach, you can quickly develop and deploy with minimal resources. It’s a viable option for MVP development if you are a startup.
When working with low-code or no-code, you need to consider several nuances. Choosing a platform, you should keep in mind a wide range of factors. For example, cloud support, integration with existing systems, number of users, collaborative IDEs, multichannel deployment, ability to scale, and more.
Platforms lack customization opportunities and may have technical limitations for modification of your code. In professional hands, low-code is a good instrument, able to save your time and resources and validate your idea.
Automation testing
You should consider automation testing as a part of your QA policy, as your software quality is crucial both for internal processes and for the products and services that you are providing to customers. Obviously, various types of malfunctions, failures, freezes, late detection of bugs, and operational errors lead to reputational and financial losses.
Automation provides greater testing coverage and allows handling continuous testing covering all stages of the development process. Automated tests are more accurate, efficient, and reliable and also save time and costs.
The faster you can test and debug, may faster to launch your product. While higher the quality of your software – the higher the customer satisfaction. Creating automated tests is the task of a QA engineer.
And advanced technologies like cloud, artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, and robotic process automation can help with it and extend the capabilities of the tests. For example, creating multiple testing environments and specific scenarios, emulating real-world conditions, conducting large-scale testing, and more.
Final words
The digital world is continuously evolving as new challenges arise that can be solved with the help of technology. In turn, emerging technologies are also shaping trends. Businesses need to be flexible and adapt to these processes. Investigating and understanding trends enables staying competitive in a rapidly changing market. You can adjust your strategy, explore new growth opportunities and identify areas for investment.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by TH Team; Pexels; Thank you!
The post Tech Trends Shaping Industry in 2023 appeared first on ReadWrite.
Supreme Court Wrestles With Suit Claiming Twitter Aided Terrorists
The case, arising from an attack in Istanbul, was a companion to a case argued a day before that tested a shield for technology platforms.
The case, arising from an attack in Istanbul, was a companion to a case argued a day before that tested a shield for technology platforms.
Coinbase Hacked: Confirms sensitive data stolen after hackers breached internal systems
Coinbase becomes the latest victim of a cyber attack in which an unidentified threat actor made significant efforts to breach the internal systems of one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange platforms through a phishing attack. In a blog posted
Coinbase becomes the latest victim of a cyber attack in which an unidentified threat actor made significant efforts to breach the internal systems of one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange platforms through a phishing attack. In a blog posted […]
Robots to do 39% of domestic chores by 2033, say experts
Researchers quizzed 65 AI experts on which tasks robots are likely to do in the near future.
Researchers quizzed 65 AI experts on which tasks robots are likely to do in the near future.
The secrets of ‘Scandal’ include greenscreen, speedtalking, and a psychic writers’ room
The best friend vibes between Katie Lowes and Guillermo Diaz are going strong as the Scandal pals delve into the second episode of the show and establish a rhythm for the podcast. For their premiere episode, they had the unstoppable Shonda Rhimes as a guest. This week, Lowes and Diaz are by themselves, giving a more detailed breakdown of the episode they’re rewatching, as well as more day-to-day behind-the-scenes details.
Huck reveals the bit of Scandal he took home.
Credit: Shondaland / ABC Studios / Kobal / Shutterstock
The wall of cracked windows in the conference room is a centerpiece of the OPA office and was frequently used to tack up photos of clients or various suspects — a sort of highly symbolic (those cracks!) version of a yarn wall. Diaz got permission to take home a window panel as a memento, which he still has in his home.
“It’s right at the entrance of the house, on the wall….It’s one of my favorite things that I have in my house,” he said.
“It makes me sleep better at night, knowing that you have one of the window panes,” Lowes declared. “And our OPA conference table desk is the main conference room table at Shondaland Offices in Hollywood… I was there once before COVID, and I walked past the big conference room, and it’s the OPA conference table that you and I boned on!”
They cracked up. “We sure did,” Diaz teased. But that’s for a much, much later episode!
The writers’ room was psychic, maybe.
“You know what’s so lovely [about rewatching], I can see what the writers were seeing about Huck taking Quinn under his wing,” Lowes said, “You can already see I always go to you. Abby’s just so mean to Quinn, it’s insane and great and lovely and I love it, and Harrison just doesn’t have time because he’s Mr. Man About Town, and you’re really the only person — “
Diaz added, “Katie, do you remember we used to talk while we were filming the show, like, how do the writers know and how does Shonda know our relationships? Because you and I started to get really close, and then we’d be like, are there microphones in our trailers? And then we’d see it…reflected in the scripts, right? We were like, how did they know?!”
“They have got to have bugged the makeup trailer!” Lowes agreed. “On sets, makeup trailers are where a lot of shit-talking gets done, and that’s mostly because you’re there at 5 o’clock in the morning, your makeup and hair people are the ones that are closest to your face at all times — like, when you’re on your period, when you’ve had a rough night… So, the makeup trailer just sort of becomes this place — and I was like, this shit has gotta be bugged! Because… we would have relationships forming and trust things happening, and then we would see them 100 percent reflected in scripts down the road.”
How did Scandal find its breakneck pace?
Shonda Rhimes and the Scandal writers’ room had nothing on the Gilmore Girls when it came to packing a lot of information into not a lot of onscreen time. Lowes and Diaz discussed how much time they spent running lines behind the scenes and in their downtime.
“We were really studious, and we would drill lines [in the makeup trailers]!” laughed Lowes.
“We had to! We had to Scandal pace our dialogue,” Diaz said. “It first started because the scripts were so long, right? And there were so many words that I think it was Shonda that said, ‘You guys have to talk fast to get all this stuff out,’ and that’s, I think, where it started. But then we all discovered little by little that the faster you speak — I mean, the intention [matters], and we’re still acting under the fast pace, but every time it made the scene better. Every single time! Even beyond Scandal. Sometimes I’m on sets, I’m like, ‘Y’all gotta speed that shit up!'”
Diaz admitted that although they had a lot of fun while filming, he spent a ton of time just running lines. “There was no room to mess up.”
The secret about Lindsay Dwyer was there was no secret (yet).
Credit: Shondaland / ABV Studios / Kobal / Shutterstock
The ongoing subplot about Amanda Tanner requires Quinn to make a little confession to the young woman about having her own dark past, in an attempt to get Amanda to trust her — and return to OPA, natch. The title of the episode is, after all, “Dirty Little Secrets,” and Quinn certainly has a few herself.
Lowes recalled, “Amanda Tanner and I meet, I think, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and we get a glimpse into Quinn’s past, which is Lindsay Dwyer, and I say, Quinn says something like, ‘I was in trouble once. A lot of people wanted to…I was in trouble. I was alone, and it was awful.’ Now, you think we’re getting a glimpse into Quinn Perkins’ past, but at that point, the writers’ room did not know what Quinn’s past was!”
“Nobody knew where that was gonna go!” Diaz exclaimed.
“They didn’t know!” Lowes declared. “They didn’t know! So what I think is interesting is that things were already being built, but I also sometimes wonder if I had played it differently. Like, I played it as truth, like, Quinn does have this thing, this secret. But I could have played it as like, I’m tricking her. Like I’m making it up —”
“Just to get her to be a client, yeah,” Diaz agreed.
“Because Olivia told me to, and I always am like, wow, had I been playing [it like that], would things have been different? Who knows.”
The secret behind shooting Scandal that fooled us all is right in plain sight.
Most of Scandal was actually filmed in Los Angeles, on various soundstages, so scenes like the ones Lowes described above were filmed in local parks, with monuments later added with digital effects.
“When you see the Lincoln Memorial and other historical sites in DC, that’s all greenscreen! The team that did that were so freaking talented, too, because remember people would come up to us all the time like, ‘You guys shoot the show in DC?'” Diaz gushed.
“People still think that now!” Lowes exclaimed. (Uh, I certainly did!)
“We would always be outside in parks, all over L.A., and then they would have this massive greenscreen that they would then superimpose, like you’re saying, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, whatever, the Mall, and we would be dressed in coats, sweating balls,” Lowes laughed.
“In California, where it never gets cold, excerpt for today,” Diaz agreed.
“And Lyn Paolo — we’re going to have her on too, she’s an amazing costume designer — Lyn Paolo, she I think just set the world. I don’t know if that was her choice or Shonda’s choice, that it was just a ‘forever fall’… which means we’re just like always in peacoats, a scarf. Olivia’s obviously in the most incredible gloves you’ve ever seen in your entire life that go up to her elbow, but a lot of times we’d be in 110 degrees, in a wool coat — the chafing that was going on in my pencil skirts! I deserve all the acting awards, people!” Lowes joked.
Unpacking the Toolbox wraps up with some other factoids about the show, a continuity error or two, and a look back at some tweets from when the show aired live. (Remember when live-tweeting was so fun because Twitter actually worked and wasn’t a broken toy abandoned in a tantrum by its owner? Sigh!)
New episodes of Unpacking the Toolbox drop every Thursday. Scandal is currently streaming on Hulu.
The best friend vibes between Katie Lowes and Guillermo Diaz are going strong as the Scandal pals delve into the second episode of the show and establish a rhythm for the podcast. For their premiere episode, they had the unstoppable Shonda Rhimes as a guest. This week, Lowes and Diaz are by themselves, giving a more detailed breakdown of the episode they’re rewatching, as well as more day-to-day behind-the-scenes details.
Huck reveals the bit of Scandal he took home.
Credit: Shondaland / ABC Studios / Kobal / Shutterstock
The wall of cracked windows in the conference room is a centerpiece of the OPA office and was frequently used to tack up photos of clients or various suspects — a sort of highly symbolic (those cracks!) version of a yarn wall. Diaz got permission to take home a window panel as a memento, which he still has in his home.
“It’s right at the entrance of the house, on the wall….It’s one of my favorite things that I have in my house,” he said.
“It makes me sleep better at night, knowing that you have one of the window panes,” Lowes declared. “And our OPA conference table desk is the main conference room table at Shondaland Offices in Hollywood… I was there once before COVID, and I walked past the big conference room, and it’s the OPA conference table that you and I boned on!”
They cracked up. “We sure did,” Diaz teased. But that’s for a much, much later episode!
The writers’ room was psychic, maybe.
“You know what’s so lovely [about rewatching], I can see what the writers were seeing about Huck taking Quinn under his wing,” Lowes said, “You can already see I always go to you. Abby’s just so mean to Quinn, it’s insane and great and lovely and I love it, and Harrison just doesn’t have time because he’s Mr. Man About Town, and you’re really the only person — “
Diaz added, “Katie, do you remember we used to talk while we were filming the show, like, how do the writers know and how does Shonda know our relationships? Because you and I started to get really close, and then we’d be like, are there microphones in our trailers? And then we’d see it…reflected in the scripts, right? We were like, how did they know?!”
“They have got to have bugged the makeup trailer!” Lowes agreed. “On sets, makeup trailers are where a lot of shit-talking gets done, and that’s mostly because you’re there at 5 o’clock in the morning, your makeup and hair people are the ones that are closest to your face at all times — like, when you’re on your period, when you’ve had a rough night… So, the makeup trailer just sort of becomes this place — and I was like, this shit has gotta be bugged! Because… we would have relationships forming and trust things happening, and then we would see them 100 percent reflected in scripts down the road.”
How did Scandal find its breakneck pace?
Shonda Rhimes and the Scandal writers’ room had nothing on the Gilmore Girls when it came to packing a lot of information into not a lot of onscreen time. Lowes and Diaz discussed how much time they spent running lines behind the scenes and in their downtime.
“We were really studious, and we would drill lines [in the makeup trailers]!” laughed Lowes.
“We had to! We had to Scandal pace our dialogue,” Diaz said. “It first started because the scripts were so long, right? And there were so many words that I think it was Shonda that said, ‘You guys have to talk fast to get all this stuff out,’ and that’s, I think, where it started. But then we all discovered little by little that the faster you speak — I mean, the intention [matters], and we’re still acting under the fast pace, but every time it made the scene better. Every single time! Even beyond Scandal. Sometimes I’m on sets, I’m like, ‘Y’all gotta speed that shit up!'”
Diaz admitted that although they had a lot of fun while filming, he spent a ton of time just running lines. “There was no room to mess up.”
The secret about Lindsay Dwyer was there was no secret (yet).
Credit: Shondaland / ABV Studios / Kobal / Shutterstock
The ongoing subplot about Amanda Tanner requires Quinn to make a little confession to the young woman about having her own dark past, in an attempt to get Amanda to trust her — and return to OPA, natch. The title of the episode is, after all, “Dirty Little Secrets,” and Quinn certainly has a few herself.
Lowes recalled, “Amanda Tanner and I meet, I think, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and we get a glimpse into Quinn’s past, which is Lindsay Dwyer, and I say, Quinn says something like, ‘I was in trouble once. A lot of people wanted to…I was in trouble. I was alone, and it was awful.’ Now, you think we’re getting a glimpse into Quinn Perkins’ past, but at that point, the writers’ room did not know what Quinn’s past was!”
“Nobody knew where that was gonna go!” Diaz exclaimed.
“They didn’t know!” Lowes declared. “They didn’t know! So what I think is interesting is that things were already being built, but I also sometimes wonder if I had played it differently. Like, I played it as truth, like, Quinn does have this thing, this secret. But I could have played it as like, I’m tricking her. Like I’m making it up —”
“Just to get her to be a client, yeah,” Diaz agreed.
“Because Olivia told me to, and I always am like, wow, had I been playing [it like that], would things have been different? Who knows.”
The secret behind shooting Scandal that fooled us all is right in plain sight.
Most of Scandal was actually filmed in Los Angeles, on various soundstages, so scenes like the ones Lowes described above were filmed in local parks, with monuments later added with digital effects.
“When you see the Lincoln Memorial and other historical sites in DC, that’s all greenscreen! The team that did that were so freaking talented, too, because remember people would come up to us all the time like, ‘You guys shoot the show in DC?'” Diaz gushed.
“People still think that now!” Lowes exclaimed. (Uh, I certainly did!)
“We would always be outside in parks, all over L.A., and then they would have this massive greenscreen that they would then superimpose, like you’re saying, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, whatever, the Mall, and we would be dressed in coats, sweating balls,” Lowes laughed.
“In California, where it never gets cold, excerpt for today,” Diaz agreed.
“And Lyn Paolo — we’re going to have her on too, she’s an amazing costume designer — Lyn Paolo, she I think just set the world. I don’t know if that was her choice or Shonda’s choice, that it was just a ‘forever fall’… which means we’re just like always in peacoats, a scarf. Olivia’s obviously in the most incredible gloves you’ve ever seen in your entire life that go up to her elbow, but a lot of times we’d be in 110 degrees, in a wool coat — the chafing that was going on in my pencil skirts! I deserve all the acting awards, people!” Lowes joked.
Unpacking the Toolbox wraps up with some other factoids about the show, a continuity error or two, and a look back at some tweets from when the show aired live. (Remember when live-tweeting was so fun because Twitter actually worked and wasn’t a broken toy abandoned in a tantrum by its owner? Sigh!)
New episodes of Unpacking the Toolbox drop every Thursday. Scandal is currently streaming on Hulu.
Companies Successfully Balancing Sustainability With Affordability
The concept of “going green” sounds good on paper. Companies across the globe are setting goals to operate more efficiently by balancing sustainability with affordability. But how many of these businesses are actually pulling it off? What companies are walking the walk and not just talking the talk? What brands are creating technology that is
The post Companies Successfully Balancing Sustainability With Affordability appeared first on ReadWrite.
The concept of “going green” sounds good on paper. Companies across the globe are setting goals to operate more efficiently by balancing sustainability with affordability.
But how many of these businesses are actually pulling it off? What companies are walking the walk and not just talking the talk? What brands are creating technology that is sustainable and affordable?
As the global economy struggles and a potential recession looms, truly “green” companies operating a sustainable (both environmentally and fiscally) business model will begin to stand out compared to the pretenders. As we head through 2023, here are several green tech companies that are coming through on their promise to help build a sustainable yet affordable tech-powered future.
1. PosiGen Is Making Solar Power Accessible
As the idea of solar power has slowly inched toward reality, one of the ongoing issues has been upfront costs — expenses that are disproportionately felt by certain groups more than others. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has reported that low-income households, as well as those of ethnic minorities such as Black, Native American, and Hispanic homes, pay a disproportionately high share of their income on their energy bills.
In contrast, even with government incentives (many of which lower and moderate-income households don’t qualify for), a solar panel system can easily run into thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars. Even if it has the potential to save a home more than its cost over its lifespan, the upfront investment to buy a system puts this green energy option firmly out of reach for many homes.
Enter PosiGen. PosiGen offers solar energy system leases to homeowners, designs them based on a customer’s utility usage, and does not require a minimum income level or credit score. This removes the immediate capital burden of each installation.
ACEEE also highlights home weatherization as a way for homeowners to reduce energy burdens by as much as 25%. PosiGen has an answer for this as well, as it provides a complimentary home energy audit and certain energy efficiency upgrades along with each solar installation, further enhancing each household’s savings.
2. Soluna Is Recycling Solar Power
Sticking with the renewable energy theme, solar and wind power are all the rage now. And yet, the renewable energy industry is still finding its footing.
Blades from wind turbines represent a growing pollution threat. Unpredictability in weather patterns can make financing and paying debts difficult for wind and solar farm owners. Critically, inconsistent revenue and negative pricing periods are chaotic at best and often lead to wasted electricity. (A devastating reality for an industry built around sustainability).
Soluna Computing is a tech company that is answering the issue of excess energy — and even redirecting it to solve a separate yet related issue: cryptocurrency mining. The digital “mining” of cryptocurrency has come under fire for its wasteful use of resources for years now.
Soluna’s reclamation of excess solar and wind power is used to run data centers that sell clean computing power to its customers — including cryptocurrency miners. This is another key example of balancing sustainability with affordability. It’s the definition of efficiency and a clear “two birds with one stone” win for the sustainable tech sector.
3. Sendle Is Making Shipping Carbon Neutral
If there’s one iconic image that represents the ongoing environmental damage taking place around the world on a daily basis, it has to be the picture of large trucks rumbling down the road. Exhaust and fumes, consumption of fossil fuels, and the sheer number of vehicles in operation on the road are alarming.
Sendle is one delivery brand that is working hard to remedy the unsustainable damage done by transportation. The tech company has created a software platform that small business owners can use to gain easy access to cost-effective and flexible shipping options.
Along with its primary focus on moving goods between different endpoints, Sendle is also fiercely committed to a sustainable philosophy — a tall order in its industry. Nevertheless, the brand consistently promises that each delivery is 100% carbon neutral.
This lofty goal is accomplished in multiple ways. For instance, Sendle software charts the most efficient path for each package, ensuring that extra emissions aren’t in transit. In addition, the company invests in positive environmental initiatives to offset the carbon that its carriers do create in the process of doing their jobs. Needless to say, this company is not only balancing sustainability with affordability, but it’s making shipping more convenient as well.
4. Bowery Farming Is Reducing Agricultural Waste
Tech influences every industry today — and the food industry is no exception. From farming to distribution to cutting-edge crops, technology is reimagining life for a planet that has always struggled with hunger.
The only problem is that many of the technologies currently in use tend to be harmful to the environment. From gas-guzzling tractors to earth-damaging fertilizers to chemically-disrupted ecosystems, farming in the 21st century can be as destructive as it is beneficial.
It’s an issue that Bowery Farming is working overtime to address. The sustainably-focused farming company is utilizing food technology to create controlled indoor agricultural hubs just outside of major urban centers. This generates affordable food while addressing a variety of environmental concerns, such as a lack of arable land and water waste.
5. Boundless Offers Clean, Sustainable, Hydrogen-Backed Health
Hydrogen is a popular item for many sustainable initiatives. One unexpected area where entrepreneurs are putting the essential element to good use is the growing health obsession with hydrogen water.
Hydrogen water is a health beverage that combines hydrogen with water and offers a variety of benefits. The process of combining these ingredients can be tricky, though, and often involves chemical processes, such as electrolysis.
Boundless Hydrogen Water has found a cleaner way to manufacture its hydrogen water: through hydrokinetic ultrasonic fluid mixing. (i.e., using sound waves to naturally combine the ingredients.) In addition, the brand only uses green hydrogen obtained from sustainable sources. The result is a healthy, affordable product that is as good for the planet as it is for people.
From food to shipping, solar power, and even cryptocurrency, there are countless tech companies that are creating a real, tangible difference in the environment. As the “green gospel” continues to infatuate all and sundry, the world needs to learn from these leaders in the green tech space. Making a difference and preserving our future is more than a cute mission statement or setting aside a budget for sustainability efforts. It requires thoughtful sustainability strategies executed with the passion and vision for a brighter future.
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