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I tried to beat an overclocking robot and failed
Extreme overclocking is hard. I had my first taste of this delicate hobby at last year's Computex, in which, with a lot of back and forth between pouring liquid nitrogen and torching, I managed to push Intel's 4.2GHz Core i7-7700K processor to an epic 7GHz. Still, I had it easy. Professional overclockers from G.SKILL and HWBOT had set everything up in the first place. Even the pros can find this all a little mundane. EVGA's Vince "Kingpin" Lucido and Illya "Tin" Tsemenko are well-known for their GPU-overclocking records over the years, but they, too, grew tired of the tedious "monkey work," to the point where they decided to build a rig that could overclock itself. The result is the Roboclocker, a PC that can intelligently and efficiently pump liquid nitrogen to both its CPU and GPU. While this may not be the first automatic liquid-nitrogen-overclocking rig, it's the first of its kind to actually break records.
UK's abandoned tin mines could be reopened to help build EVs
The last of Britain's tin mines were closed in the late 90s due to plummeting metal prices and languishing global demand. Now, with the advent of smartphones and electric vehicles, demand -- and prices -- are on the up, and these forgotten facilities could be reopened to help the UK gain a stronger foothold in the market.
Apple looking into possible illegal tin mining after activists converge on Apple stores
A few days ago, we reported on the environmental group Friends of the Earth and its activities inside Apple Stores meant to raise awareness of the environmental impact tin mining for electronics is having on the islands of Indonesia. Now Apple has updated its Supplier Responsibility page to reflect that the company is looking into the possibility that tin from illegal mining is making it into its products. As Apple states on its Supplier Responsibility page: Bangka Island, Indonesia, is one of the world's principal tin-producing regions. Recent concerns about the illegal mining of tin from this region prompted Apple to lead a fact-finding visit to learn more. Using the information we've gathered, Apple initiated an EICC working group focused on this issue, and we are helping to fund a new study on mining in the region so we can better understand the situation. The Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) issues a Code of Conduct that helps companies ensure that worker safety and fairness, environmental responsibility and business efficiency are being followed to their best ability. Apple says that it currently has 249 suppliers using tin in product components.
Apple pushed to investigate source of tin used in iPhones
Apple is investigating claims that tin used in its products comes from mines on Bangka Island in Indonesia. This comes after environmental watchdog Friends of the Earth (FoE) pressured the tech giant to identify the source of the metal used for soldering components in iDevices. While the island region is one of the largest suppliers of tin in the world, mining conditions are far from ideal. Landslides consistently claim the lives of workers, and mining itself has had an adverse effect on the local environment. The group successfully pressured Samsung to admit its involvement with the area's tin supplies in April. For its part, Apple commissioned a fact-finding visit to learn more and is helping to fund a new study on mining in the region so they "can better understand the situation." Or maybe they could save some time and money by reading the one conducted by The Guardian and FoE from last November. You know, the one that found that unregulated tin mining leans heavily on child labor, destroys the environment and causes on average 100 - 150 miner fatalities every year. Cupertino has already vowed to not use conflict minerals and appointed a former EPA administrator to focus on its environmental efforts, so it at least looks responsible. Now to see if it can back up its actions.
Apple's 'destroying tropical forests, wrecking lives,' according to Friends of the Earth
If you were at certain Apple Stores last weekend, you may have seen some people picketing the company and leaving message tags next to display models of Macs, iPhones and iPads. The picketers are Friends of the Earth activists who are trying to raise awareness of the environmental impact tin mining is having on the islands of Indonesia. Tin is used in every electronics product on the planet, including Macs, iPads and iPhones. Macworld explains the reasoning behind the protest: Friends of the Earth claims that due to the "dangerous and unregulated" tin mining on Bangka, in 2011 an "average of one miner a week died in an accident." The activists also claim coral and sea life is threatened due to silt from tin mining, which they claim is "killing coral reefs and seagrass eaten by turtles, driving away fish and ruining fishermen's livelihoods." In addition soil has become acidic after the destruction of forests for tin mining, making conditions difficult for farmers. The average 650-gram iPad contains 1.3 grams of tin (used in soldering). While it may seem unfair that Friends of the Earth has only targeted Apple (when everyone who makes electronics uses tin), if you want your activism to be noticed and your message to reach the widest possible audience, you picket the company that gets the most press and that also happens to be the largest consumer technology company on the planet (both Apple). Friends of the Earth has written to Apple CEO Tim Cook regarding the issue, but as of yet, no return correspondence has been publicized. Image from Rachel Kennerley Twitter feed.
IBM alliance sets efficiency record for solar power cells using common materials
There have been more than a few solar power efficiency records set in the past few months, let alone years. What makes IBM, DelSolar, Solar Frontier and Tokyo Ohka Kogyo think they can just waltz in and claim a record of their own? By using more commonplace elements in the periodic table, that's how. The partnership's new photovoltaic cell based on copper, zinc and tin (CZTS for short) can convert light rays to electric power with a 11.1 percent efficiency rate -- still nothing to upset traditional silicon power, but a large 10 percent more efficient than anything else in the class. In its early form, CZTS can already be manufactured through ink printing and could be produced in quantities equivalent to about 500 gigawatts of power per year, or five times more than some of the next-closest alternatives. The group wants to improve CZTS' efficiency over the course of the next several years, ideally reaching the point where it's useful as a truly cheap, ubiquitous source of power. We're looking forward to the day when there's a little slice of solar energy in just about everything, hopefully including a few more hybrid cars and private aircraft.
Intel wants to have conflict-free processors by the end of 2013
Intel had already promised that it would avoid using conflict minerals, and now it's giving itself a more concrete timetable for that to happen. It wants to have at least one processor that's proven completely conflict-free across four key minerals -- gold, tantalum, tin and tungsten -- by the end of 2013. Lest you think Intel's not taking swift enough action, it wants to reach the tantalum goal by the end of this year. The effort's part of a wider array of goals that should cut back on the energy use, power and water use by 2020. Sooner rather than later, though, you'll be buying a late-generation Haswell- or Broadwell-based PC knowing that the chip inside was made under nobler conditions.
Just say no: Apple and Intel stop using conflict minerals
While the US government hasn't issued an outright ban against the use of 'conflict minerals' coming from the Congo, it has passed a law that will require companies who use them to tell all of us when our gadgets have been paid for (in part) with blood. Looks like Apple and Intel weren't too keen on the bad PR that would come from such disclosures, and joined the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition and its Conflict-Free Smelter program. The program requires mineral processing plants either prove that they don't fund the ongoing hostilities in central Africa or peddle their war-supporting wares elsewhere. For now, that means that the folks in Cupertino and Santa Clara will have to find other sources for the three Ts (tungsten, tin, and tantalum) needed to sate our technological appetites.
New law requires gadget companies to disclose 'conflict mineral' use
When President Obama put his pen to the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act last week, it wasn't just financial reform he signed into law, but also a stipulation that may affect your gadget purchases down the road. You see, at present your technology includes some amount of tantalum, tungsten and tin, three rare earths that happen to be mined heavily in the Congo... and thus indirectly linked to poverty, rape and death. The new US law won't stop that, and doesn't restrict any sort of trade -- it merely requires companies to disclose the use of such materials in independent audits filed with their annual financial reports. It does, however, allow companies that don't use bloody rocks to label their products "conflict-free," so we're sure astute marketing gurus are developing plenty of new all-plastic gizmos even as we speak. For the children, of course.
Insider Trader: To prospect, smelt, or let alone?
Recently, a reader wrote in with a question that everyone ponders from time to time. When trying to make money from a profession, it can be difficult to determine what to sell, what to convert, and what to avoid doing all together. Here's what she asked:Hello, When making gold from Mining, is it better to Prospect the Ore? Or is it better to just sell the Ores and Bars?Thank you!Regards, Kristy. Taking a break from the faction recipe series to shake things up a bit, let's take a look at how this breaks down.
Nintendo-themed lunchbox lacks only the thermos
In this day and age, a person with a knack for the more technological things in life can freely stroll throughout their local Wal-Mart's Eletronics section, taking pictures of various things with their nifty camera phones. Pictures like the above rack of Nintendo-themed lunchbox DS cases.Upon checking Wal-Mart's site to see exactly what was in each tin, we found a bundle of: Headphones Car Adapter Screen protectors (2) Case Decal Cartridge cases (2) 3 colored styli Wow, quite a bit of goods for $27.88. But is it a good enough deal? If you want to see the bundle for yourself, head on past the break.
Kinpo's Tin becomes iDo S630
Whether Kinpo planned this name change all along or it was a last-minute decision after realizing that tin is a nearly worthless, weak, and altogether uninspiring metal, we don't know, but either way, the Tin has become the iDo S630. Our American readers might want to stop reading this right about now, seeing how the rather attractive Pocket PC phone lacks GSM 850, EDGE, and any sort of 3G data -- on the other hand, our friends hangin' out in Asia probably want to pay close attention here: the mid-range device is going to come packing Bluetooth with A2DP, a 2-megapixel cam, 128MB of Flash, 64MB of RAM, WiFi, miniSD expansion, and a Freescale i.MX21 clocked at a reasonable 350MHz. It sounds like Kinpo hasn't quite gotten around to getting the S630 out the door yet, but when it does, expect to find them for about HK$4,180 (about $540).
Kinpo pushes Tin (and Saturn)
Taiwanese manufacturer Kinpo is following up the "lightest in the world" S600 Pocket PC phone with a pair of Windows Mobile 2005 devices under its iDo brand name. First up is the tri-band Tin, whose name doesn't inspire a lot of confidence, but packs a reasonable punch for its 21.5mm of girth: a sliding keyboard, 350MHz Freescale i.MX21, 64MB of RAM, 128MB of flash, Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11b/g, a MiniSD slot, and a 2.8-inch QVGA display. Next up, the Saturn takes the Tin's specs and antes up a 2.0 megapixel shooter and a bonus 170MHz of clock on the Freescale for a staggering total of 520MHz. We're told the Tin is so-named for its metallic finish; whether that means the Saturn is large and gassy, we don't know, but we'd love to find out if only Kinpo would care to send a few our way.
