Top Headlines - part 62
Airlines Go Paperless with New iPad Pilot Manuals
BUSINESS August 26, 2011 | 10:46 AM
- Delta Airlines trials iPad to replace bulky paper manuals and flight charts
- Change could support significant reduction in fuel consumption
- American Airlines first approved by FAA for iPad trials; United Airlines and Alaska Air also expressing interest
Delta Airlines has begun trials of Apple’s iPad as an upgrade to traditional paper flight manuals for its pilots. Apple’s tablet PCs were given to 22 pilots to replace their flight bags, which contain bulky manuals, weather maps, logbooks and other cumbersome papers, weighing around 15 kg.
The move is part of a massive digital upgrade for Delta staff and equipment, which has also seen the integration of in-flight Wi-Fi for its domestic aircraft to allow pilots to get real-time information and updates. The airline is also experimenting with the idea of handing out iPads to passengers for in-flight entertainment.
Read more »Japan’s Renewable Energy Plan in Motion
ECONOMY August 26, 2011 | 10:12 AM
- Japan’s lower house of parliament approved new renewable energy bill
- Bill requires utilities to purchase electricity generated by renewable energy sources
- Majority of Japanese polled favor a gradual change in energy sources
Japan’s lower house of parliament has approved a bill promoting investment in solar and other forms of renewable energy. This ruling was the first step toward current Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s vision of a nuclear-free Japan. It is expected that the upper house will grant final legislative approval in the next few days, with related laws enforced by July 2012.
Under this bill, utilities will be mandated to purchase any amount of electricity generated from small hydro power plants, solar, biomass, wind and geothermal energy sources at pre-set rates for a maximum of 20 years. As reported by Business Green, this new legislation should push renewable energy from 9% of generated energy to 20%, with over 30 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity developed in the next ten years.
Read more »Lenovo Eyes Big Picture as Apple Tops China Sales
BUSINESS August 25, 2011 | 1:59 PM
- Apple’s greater China sales surpass Lenovo’s for first time in Q2 of 2011
- Lenovo dismisses sales comparisons, saying it is focused on global PC industry
- Lenovo controls 31.7% of Chinese PC market
Lenovo has said it remains focused on the global PC market, despite being overtaken by Apple as the number one technology maker in greater China for the first time.
Rising demand for the iPhone, iPad and Mac computer saw Apple sales across China, Hong Kong and Taiwan jump to $3.8 billion in the second quarter of 2011, six times higher than the same period last year.
Read more »Delta Approves $8.5 Billion Deal for 100 Boeing 737 Jets
BUSINESS August 25, 2011 | 1:56 PM
- Delta orders 100 Boeing 737-900ER planes; delivery to begin in 2013
- Deal is part of a $2 billion plan to update aging Delta fleet
- Advanced wing technology on Boeing 737s will save an estimated 20% in fuel and maintenance costs
Delta Air Lines has ordered 100 Boeing 737-900ER planes as part of a three-year, $2 billion plan to update its domestic fleet with more fuel-efficient planes. The deal for the 180-seat, single-aisle jets is valued at around $8.5 billion. Delivery will begin in 2013 and is expected to be completed by 2018.
Last year, Delta approached Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and Bombardier, asking the plane makers to put forward proposals on delivering up to 200 planes to update their aircraft. The decision to go with Boeing came after delays last week as the executive board voted on the inclusion of narrow-body jets in its fleet.
Read more »Automotive M2M revenues to reach €157 Billion by 2020
BUSINESS August 25, 2011 | 11:10 AM
- Automotive applications highly dynamic segment of M2M communications
- Aftermarket hardware revenue to drop to 20% by 2020
- Applications promising greatest profit for mobile network operators linked to in-vehicle entertainment
The machine-to-machine (M2M) communications sector is set to see automotive applications dominate, rising from €10 billion in 2010 to €157 billion in 2020 a new study shows.
Vehicle connectivity affords many advantages including the recovery of stolen cars through tracking: By the end of 2020, Machina Research estimates there will be 1.4 billion connections worldwide, up from 90 million last year.
Read more »August Gold Prices Surge, Bubble Likely
ECONOMY August 25, 2011 | 9:19 AM
- JP Morgan forecasts $2,500 per ounce gold by year end
- Since 1999, gold is up from $255 to over $1,800
- Gold exceeds relative strength index, “bubble” talk begins
August gold prices have remained upward-swinging and are on track to becoming the best monthly yield since 1999. With gold rallying above $1,900 an ounce, gold futures are up 16% and are expected to climb.
Investors are throwing more money into gold bars and bullion-based derivatives due to record prices and an uncertain global economy.
Read more »Microfossils Give Insight into First Life on Earth
WORLD August 24, 2011 | 3:49 PM
- Tiny fossils found in Western Australia represent life on earth in its earliest form
- Fossilized bacteria from 3.4 billion years ago lived off sulfur, not oxygen
- Confirming evidence of fossilized life now more complex with technology advances
Microscopic fossils found in Western Australia show life on earth in its most primitive form, according to a new report.
Close to three years ago, a research team from the University of Western Australia found fossils of tiny organisms in 3.4 billion-year-old sandstone in Strelley Pool in the dry Pilbara region, some 1,500 km north of Perth.
Read more »Species Rapidly Migrating to Escape Global Warming
WORLD August 24, 2011 | 3:28 PM
- Species migrating towards polar regions 3 times faster than estimated to escape rising temperatures
- Plants and animals in mountainous areas shifting habitats upwards faster than thought
- Scientists expect trend to continue until end of the century
Animal and plant species are relocating their natural habitats at a rapid rate, heading for cooler polar regions as they flee rising global temperatures, according to a new report.
Published in leading scientific journal Science, the study says that species are migrating towards the poles three times faster than had previously been estimated by researchers.
Read more »Google Captures the Amazon for Street View
BUSINESS August 24, 2011 | 9:55 AM
- Google heads to northwest Brazil to photograph the Amazon and Rio Negro rivers to include them in Street View
- Foundation for a Sustainable Amazon suggested idea to highlight effects of poor global sustainability initiatives
- Locals to do navigating; photo equipment will be left behind with local communities
Google has taken to boat and bicycle in order to bring the Amazon to Street View. The internet company will photograph the Amazon and Rio Negro rivers in northwest Brazil as part of its plan to include some of the world’s most remote destinations in its virtual globetrotting service.
The photographs will be stitched together to create panoramic images that will transport internet users into the surrounds of the Amazon.
Read more »ECB Purchases €14.3 Billion in Government Bonds
ECONOMY August 24, 2011 | 9:15 AM
- ECB buys government bonds to ease eurozone debt crisis
- ECB total spending of government bonds now €110.5 billion
- Obama and Merkel meet to discuss financial crisis
The European Central Bank has purchased €14.3 billion, or $20.5 billion, in government bonds last week in an attempt to soften the blow from the debt crisis that lingers over Italy and Spain. The ECB has yet to release information regarding which government bonds it had purchased.
A week earlier, the ECB bought €22 billion in bonds for Italy and Spain. The ECB has purchased roughly €110.5 billion in bonds since the launching of the Securities Markets Program in May 2010.
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