As any of you have gone through a major home remodel know, your biggest nightmares can come from your neighbors who complain to the city. Well, you think that is tough, can you imagine building megawatts of solar cells and fuel cells, and besides complaining to the city, the press is talking to the neighbors too looking for the dirt on how you are not abiding by buliding codes.
Apple has this problem building one of the largest Solar Arrays and Fuel Cell installations at its data center in Maiden, NC. Here are images from this news video.
WSOCTV article has many neighbors comments. One is pro environment.
Pastor William Painter's church sits right next to the data center and commends Apple for trying to help the environment.
"It's great that they're using the solar power. We need more of that around. Cleaner powersources," Painter said.
Another says the curious are good for business.
But the project has been good for Randy Rush's appliance business. Apple said the renewable energy produced here could power not just refrigerators but more than 10,000 homes.
"I've got a couple people who stop a week and ask what they're doing and most of the time of they stop they buy something, so it's been good, " Rush said.
There are a few complaints of dust and noise.
Zelda Vosburgh's back yard runs right up to the solar farm. She said she cannot wait for the renewable energy project to be completed. She said she has endured a lot during the construction of the environmentally friendly project.
"When we get a storm or the wind blows bad this whole place turns into nothing but dust in the air. You can see it flying everywhere," Vosburgh said.
Trevor Wilson said it's not the dust but the noise he's noticed the most near his parent's home in Maiden. On Monday, crews were working to install the rows of supports needed for the solar panels.
But, no out right anger. You can watch the video in the web post to see what people say and their expressions.
Forbes has an article with a write who looked at the MacBook Pro Retina and chose the Macbook Air.
What is disappointed with articles like this is the author doesn't take the time to explain their needs, and why the MacBook Air was right for them then the MacBook Pro.
One of the simple questions to ask is whether you are Creator of content or a Consumer? The growth of the iPad is due to how much people are consumers of content. Any one who uses the iPad as their authoring tool slows their productivity.
The writer of the Forbes article is a Tech Journalist which would put him in the category of creator, but also a creator that pretty much sticks I would guess to words. Why?
In his article he says his choice is a MacBook Air with 128GB of memory.
I got the low-end model with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage because that suited me well enough on the 11-inch I had, especially now that I can store data in the cloud.
As soon as you take lots of photos, let alone add videos, the 256GB of storage is a challenge. Loading photo imaging and video imaging apps will also push the 4GB RAM limit.
Almost everyone talks about the Retina display. What I am looking at is what Mac do I get for a wide range of researching topics (lots of windows open), image and video editing. Getting used to the MacBook Air where the SSD drive was done well, getting 512 GB of storage is a priority. Getting 8GB of memory makes sense with the 512 GB of SSD.
A Macbook Air has a 4GB limit. the 512 GB SSD is an expensive option that gets you quickly up to the price of the MacBook Pro.
For me, I decided to get a MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM, 512 GB SSD, and Retina display. I spend time bouncing between MarsEdit, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Aperture, Final Cut Pro. I travel, but I don't spend a lot of time on my laptop while travelling, rarely using my computer while on a flight.
Few of you do what I do, so buying MacBook Pro Retina based on my buying one doesn't make sense.
Why should you buy a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air because another writer says it is right for them? How many of you are journalists?
I love my MacBook Air that I bought as part of a switch from Windows.
The MacBook Pro is announced and I wasn't interested at first, but after thinking for a bit, I could use three things. More RAM, More SSD space, and More pixels.
There is plenty of news like how the MacBook Pro is aimed at the heart. Really? You think this is the issue?
The new MacBook Pro with Retina Display is not a particularly practical unit. It appeals to your heart, not your head. I will grant the argument that it is practical for a very small set of media professionals. The $2,199 low-end model, though, only comes with a non-upgradable 256 GB SSD drive. A media pro can blast through that piddling amount of storage space in no time at all.
With a heavy heart, I have decided not to the buy the gorgeous new MacBook Pro with Retina Display. I lust after the idea of 2,880 by 1,800 pixels gloriously showing off my awesome photos of the Grand Tetons, Half Dome and small children running from the cold droplets of a sprinkler system under a hot summer sun.
The MacBook Pro is getting bad reviews as hard to service.
Apple's new Retina display MacBook Pro has been taken apart and examined from the inside, revealing that the RAM is soldered onto the logic board and cannot be upgraded, and that the proprietary solid-state drive memory was supplied by Samsung.
The details come from iFixit's extensive teardown of the next-generation MacBook Pro, which the site published on Wednesday, just two days after the new notebook was announced. The solutions provider took particular issue with the design of the new MacBook Pro with respect to repairability, giving it a lowest possible score of 1 out of 10.
Why did I order a MacBook Pro after all this news?
Versus my MacBook Air. More than 4GB of RAM would be really nice. The 4GB is getting painful. 256GB of SSD is just too constraining. Everybody talks about the display with more pixels, but that is less of an urgent need. My eyes aren't screaming for more pixels. Seeing the world a bit fuzzy is OK for abstract thinking.
So, I took the leap and placed an order for 16GB of RAM with 512 SSD. This is a significant upgrade from the MacBook Air I have. The Air is fine, but I need more RAM and SSD space. I don't live all in the cloud. Do you?
i worked at Apple from 1985 - 1992 and at Microsoft from 1992 - 2006. There are actually a fair amount of people who have made the move from Apple to Microsoft. More and more I hear there are people who are moving from Microsoft to Apple. I even know people who went from Apple to Microsoft and back to Apple.
But, after 50 years who would remember this. The below is a video of Malcolm Gladwell being interview at an event celebrating Jamaica's 50 year of of independence.
Geekwire reports on a Youtube video recorded by Toronto Public Library's Appel Salon interviewing Malcolm Gladwell. Here is the video.
The Geekwire article does a good job digging through and transcribing the video.
“I firmly believe that 50 years from now he’ll be remembered for his charitable work. No one will even remember what Microsoft is, and all the great entrepreneurs of this era, people will have forgotten Steve Jobs. There will be statues of Gates across the third world and … there’s a reasonable shot … because of his money, we will cure malaria.”
One of the main points that Malcolm makes is Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were some of the best businessman.
“Think about it, look, all of the things that made him a brilliant self-promoter, they overlap with what made him a great businessman, right? He was brilliant at understanding the image he wanted to craft for the world. What was brilliant about Apple? He understood from the get-go that the key to success in that marketplace was creating a distinctive and powerful and seductive brand, and he was as good at doing that for laptops as he was for himself.”
Malcolm made this a person vs. person story.
Gladwell called Gates “the most ruthless capitalist” until the day when he “wakes up one morning and says enough and steps down and he takes his money, he takes it off the table.” For that alone, Gladwell believes that Gates will be revered like no other entrepreneur of his era.
But, the #1 thing that will help Malcolm's prediction come true that Bill Gates will be remembered is the Gates Foundation. Bill Gates is spending 100% time on this. Bill is going to put his health as the top priority and not make mistakes Steve Jobs made with his health, trusting new age medicine and seeing his health through his eyes like the infamous statement of Steve not using an oxygen mask that is poorly designed.
To illustrate his point, Gladwell retells the story of Steve Jobs who while on his deathbed refused an oxygen mask several times because he didn’t like the design of it.
“It was like making him send his final emails using Windows,” Gladwell said to laughs from the crowd.
Health is a cruel reality of where big egos can quickly be brought down to earth and make them aware they are not super human, and the world will not bend to their will.
Also, the Gates Foundation has Melinda Gates, Billions of Gates money, more than Steve Jobs had, Warren Buffet's Billions, and a staff of hundreds. Bill Gates has built the Microsoft of Foundations that is called the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill has made room for Melinda to change the world. And, Bill Gates, Sr participates as well.
Forbes' Brian Caulfield says Malcolm Gladwell is wrong. That Bill Gates is a Atilla the Hun. But, Brian is wrong. In third world countries, they have no concern with the Apple vs. Microsoft past wars. With Steve Jobs gone and Bill Gates gone from Microsoft the battle between the companies is history. Does anyone get pumped up with a battle between Apple's Tim Cook and Microsoft's Steve Ballmer?
Three words for Gladwell: Atilla the Hun. Who is better known, Albert Schweitzer or Thomas Edison? Father Damien or J.P. Morgan? Steve Jobs wasn’t a great humanitarian*; but what does not being a great humanitarian have to do with being particularly forgettable?
Bill Gates has used his money to pull together an organization that has no rivals.
Bill GatesCo-chair and TrusteeBill Gates shapes and approves foundation strategies, reviews results, advocates for the foundation’s issues, and helps set the overall direction of the organization.Melinda French GatesCo-chair and TrusteeMelinda Gates shapes and approves foundation strategies, reviews results, advocates for the foundation’s issues, and helps set the overall direction of the organization.William Gates Sr.Co-chairWilliam H. Gates Sr. guides the vision and strategic direction of the foundation and serves as an advocate for the foundation’s key issues.
Warren BuffettTrusteeWarren Buffett helps shape our vision and develop strategies to address some of the world’s most challenging inequities.Jeff RaikesChief Executive OfficerJeff Raikes leads the foundation's mission to promote equity for all people around the world.Christopher EliasPresident Global DevelopmentDr. Chris Elias, President of the Global Development Program, leads the foundation’s efforts in integrated and innovative delivery, finding creative new ways to ensure solutions and products get into the hands of people in developing countries who need them most.
Allan C. GolstonPresident United States ProgramAllan C. Golston leads the foundation’s efforts to increase opportunity and advance student achievement for all young people in the United States through evidence-based education reforms and innovations.Geoff LambPresident, Global Policy and Advocacy Global Policy & AdvocacyGeoffrey Lamb leads a team that partners with public policy colleagues in each of the three program areas to help build strategic relationships that are crucial to the foundation’s work.Trevor MundelPresident Global Health ProgramDr. Trevor Mundel, president of theGlobal Health Program, leads the foundation’s efforts in research and development of health solutions including vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics, focusing on health problems that have a major impact in developing countries but get too little attention and funding.
Martha ChoeChief Administrative Officer Foundation OperationsMartha Choe oversees the foundation's Information Technology, Security, and Global Workplace Resources teams.Connie CollingsworthGeneral Counsel and Secretary Foundation OperationsConnie Collingsworth leads the Legal team, which provides staff guidance and creative solutions and upholds the foundation’s integrity.Richard HenriquesChief Financial Officer Foundation OperationsRichard Henriques oversees Finance and Accounting, Financial Planning and Analysis, Strategic Planning, Impact Planning and Improvement, and several special initiatives.
Kate JamesChief Communications Officer Foundation OperationsKate James oversees internal and external communications functions, advancing and protecting the foundation’s reputation and building awareness of foundation focus areas.Mark SuzmanManaging Director, International Policy and Programs Global Policy & AdvocacyMark Suzman leads a team that helps build strategic relationships with governments, NGOs and other key partners to increase awareness, action, and resources devoted to global development and health priorities.
The reporter makes the observation others have that Apple has been working on its green data center plans longer than Greenpeace has been putting pressure on Apple.
An aggressive public relations campaign by Greenpeace may have forced Apple to disclose this earlier than originally planned, but it is clear that this initiative has been in the works for some time. Seriously, there is so much involved in planning this sort of thing, that is definitely was not in reaction to Greenpeace.
The article continues to cover the steps that Apple is taking to be greener than others.
As the author covers the dynamics between greenpeace and Apple, the author mentions the efforts Apple is taking to disclose its energy use to the North Carolina Renewable Energy Tracking System.
The facility has earned the coveted LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. We know of no other data center of comparable size that has achieved this level of LEED certification.
Bill Gates
Melinda French Gates
William Gates Sr.
Warren Buffett
Jeff Raikes
Christopher Elias
Allan C. Golston
Geoff Lamb
Trevor Mundel
Martha Choe
Connie Collingsworth
Richard Henriques
Kate James
Mark Suzman