Kaufen Neu: EUR 6,94 Neu (71) Gebraucht (4) ab EUR 6,94
Bestselling author Nassim Nicholas Taleb continues his exploration of randomness in his fascinating new book, The Black Swan, in which he examines the influence of highly improbable and unpredictable events (mehr)

Incandescent lightbulbs may be history. As of 2007, compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), which are more energy-­efficient, had made only modest inroads because they were more expensive. But in December the U.S. Congress passed a major energy bill that included a new lighting standard. By 2012 manufacturers selling any 100-watt (W) bulb must make it 30 percent more efficient than today’s 100-W incandescent bulb. Similar requirements will phase in for 75-W bulbs in 2013 and 60-W and 40-W in 2014. Europe has passed its own rules, too. CFLs already meet the specs, and although makers will try to improve the old hardware, the new bulbs clearly have the edge and continue to improve.

The technology inside a lightbulb is quite advanced. The tungsten filament in an incandescent glows at more than 2,200 degrees Celsius and must be made perfectly uniform because any tiny imperfection will cause it to rapidly burn out. Yet only about 10 percent of the electricity entering the bulb is emitted as visible light; 90 percent or so is radiated as heat. A CFL is about four times as efficient as an incandescent bulb. A 26-W CFL can therefore shine as brightly as a 100-W incan­descent, requiring only one quarter of the energy. The tubular fluorescent bulbs common in overhead lighting are slightly more efficient still but do not fit standard light sockets, as CFLs do.

[More]

Proxi is a free utility from Griffin Technology for Mac OS X. It allows the assignment of automated events called "tasks" to a variety of "triggers" such as hotkeys, email, iTunes, RSS feeds, as well as hardware available from Griffin such as the PowerMate, AirClick or radio SHARK. These tasks...

BitTorrent's software client allows you to quickly download high-quality digital content such as video, music, and games. Available in over 20 languages, it leverages our community of over 70 million users to securely deliver files to your PC faster than anything else out there. Features include detailed graphs and stats...

Buy New: $0.89 New (1) from $0.89
I'm Yours (more)