Unhappy Public as Trump Tariffs Solar
President Trump will be imposing a 30% tariff on imported crystalline-silicon solar cells and modules. What does this mean? It’s a move towards Trump’s “America First” campaign, by making it harder to import cheap solar panels from China and protecting the domestic solar industry. GTM Research analysis predicts an 11% decline in solar installations over the next five years, translating into a loss of 7.6GW of installed solar from 2018 to 2022. Former Vice President Al Gore defends Trump, saying the trade was originally brought on by private companies, even though he disagrees with Trump’s position on it. The decision has led to a lot of unhappy people, more to come. (Source: Forbes)
Apple’s Optional Slowdown
To slow, or not to slow, that is the question. Apple, in face of recent news of deliberating slowing down some of its devices, has now given the option to switch off their “battery saver” feature. The company said the feature “dynamically manages maximum performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns” but customers will be able to “turn it off.” This ability to switch off the battery saver will appear in iOS 11.3, which is planned to release later this year. Ultimately, we shall see whether switching off the battery saver will blow up in popularity, hopefully, not in the same way as the Samsung’s Note 7. (Source: BBC)
Young Robot Entrepreneur’s Dream Deal with Apple
Last March, 25-year-old British-Nigerian entrepreneur, Silas Adekunle, met a senior executive at Apple. He opened his briefcase to present his collection of colorful robots. When he took one out and set it on the floor, it came alive. Called a Mekamon, it raced, spider-like across a mat on four pointed legs, trotting daintily before bowing and performing a dramatic death shudder. Apple’s head of developer relations, Ron Okamoto, carefully surveyed the robots, “It’s got character,” he noted. Their expected 15-minute chat went on for more than an hour. At the end, Okamoto said the words every young entrepreneur dreams of hearing: “You need to come spend some time with us in Cupertino.” Apple’s partnership with Mekamon could be a sign of the forecasted increased robot sales doubling in the next three years. (Source: Forbes)
(Photo by Parmy Olson)
