HOBI Weekly Blog Recap 9/6-17/21
Provided is a weekly snapshot of the recent electronic recycling, technology and battery related news that HOBI’s blog reported during the week 4/22-4/26.
Apple boosts global recycling program
Last week, Apple released a press release announcing major expansions to their global recycling programs to include Best Buy stores in the U.S. and KPN locations in the Netherlands. This will greatly increase the number of places where customers can return old devices to ensure that they’re recycled properly. Previously, the only pace to recycle an iPhone was through Apple Stores or Apple’s online site.
The digital transformation can’t solve all our problems just yet
Recent news reports serve as cautionary tales of poor product design and lax physical security that indicate software, AI, and the push for digital transformation can’t solve all of our problems. As companies rush to refashion themselves for the digital age, recent news on the breakdown of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Fold device and the USB Killer attack reminds us why businesses shouldn’t ignore the physical world as they focus on digital.
Drones play a critical role in tracking and stopping the Notre Dame fire
As people still come to terms with last week’s devastating fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, stories about how the balze was tackled are continuing to emerge. Around 500 firefighters made their way to the 850-year-old Gothic structure when the alarm sounded but around 6:30 p.m. local time on April 15, but when they arrived, the enormity of the challenge that confronted them was immediately apparent. To aid them in their efforts to contain the flames, the fire department deployed a number of technologies, among them were drones and a firefighting robot called Colossus.
Explosions threaten lithium-ion’s foothold in battery race
Another lithium-ion battery has exploded, this time at a U.S. energy-storage complex. Local regulators are now demanding answers, companies are investigating the cause, and analysts are wondering: Could more blazes threaten the future of lithium-ion — the only technology that has proven capable of bringing battery storage into the mainstream? Either way, lithium-ion will be a powerful incumbent to beat it is only a matter of time before we begin to see widespread replacement of lithium-ion batteries.
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