Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

BURLINGTON, Mass., Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --CIMCON Lighting, the leading global provider of smart city technologies, announced today that 23 New York cities and towns have selected its smart streetlight controls and NearSky smart city platform for initial or expanded deployment this year. When completed, the installation of the streetlight controls and smart city applications such as traffic analytics, noise and gunshot detection, air quality monitoring and road temperature measurement will help improve public safety, conserve energy and maintenance costs, and provide an easy way for these New York cities and towns to naturally progress along their smart city journey.

CIMCON's smart lighting system provides cities and towns with the ability to provide a better quality of lighting for residents and more effectively manage streetlight assets. Key benefits of the system include reducing energy costs through adaptive dimming during off-peak hours, significantly reduced maintenance and repair costs by reducing maintenance trips from typical "three trip repairs" to "one trip repairs", extending LED fixture life by eliminating day-burners and dimming, and providing superior asset management.

As the most prevalent piece of real estate in any city or town, the streetlight pole is capable of providing much more than lighting. It is the foundation on which to build a smart city and ultimately a new economy that we call the "Pole Economy". CIMCON's NearSky smart city platform removes the obstacles faced by cities and towns by providing Power, Permitting and Processing for devices located on or near the streetlight pole. The NearSky 360 hub device provides an easy way to power devices, meter the energy consumed by them, and deliver a secure communication network that can transmit data back into the cloud after processing it right at the pole. The NearSky 360 also removes the need for permitting as drilling into the streetlight pole is not required. A powerful onboard processor enables the platform to be able to provide data and access to 3rd party developers to create innovative applications that in the future can create new revenue streams for a city.

Cities and towns in New York have implemented several applications from over a dozen currently supported by the NearSky platform. These include traffic analysis, road temperature measurement, noise and gunshot detection, air quality monitoring, and more. The traffic analysis application is providing time stamped data on traffic volume, vehicle sizes and speed on two and four lane roadways allowing cities and towns to better understand and mitigate challenges related to rush hour traffic and other road conditions. The road temperature measurement application is using non-invasive sensors to provide cities and towns with accurate information about road surface temperatures in order to proactively treat roadways, especially during these winter months. CIMCON's air quality application is providing real-time, continuous measurements of key air pollutants, enabling cities and towns to make informed decisions about outdoor activities, alert residents during periods of poor air quality, and monitor pollution sources such as industrial facilities. The noise and gunshot detection application is providing the ability to easily monitor potentially dangerous situations in real-time through the receipt of audio and location data from an event scene.

The New York State cities and towns that are implementing CIMCON's solutions include: Oneonta, Port Jefferson, Utica, Greece, Tonawanda, Schenectady, Skaneateles, Salina, Homer, Fallsburg, Williamson, Cayuga Heights, Farmington, Butler, Ontario, Sodus Point, Clyde, Tusten, New Hartford, South Nyack and Hartwick, in addition to Sullivan County. The City of Syracuse is expanding its engagement with CIMCON, that was started in 2019 with the award of 17,500 smart lighting controls, and is now adding NearSky applications throughout the city.

"This has been a very productive year for CIMCON in the State of New York," said Anil Agrawal, CIMCON CEO. "This achievement is the result of tremendous collaboration between CIMCON and our local partners, and the trust that these cities and towns have bestowed upon us. We are committed to helping these cities and towns improve resident quality of life and city operations both today and into the future."

About CIMCON

With a heritage of over 25 years of innovation and experience in industrial automation and outdoor wireless applications, CIMCON provides the most proven and most complete smart city solutions to global cities and utilities. The company is the world's leading provider of scalable, intelligent wireless outdoor lighting management solutions for traditional, LED and solar-based streetlights, and the company's smart city platform provides an easy way to deploy, manage and maintain smart city devices and applications. Focused on offering solutions that provide the lowest "Lifecycle Cost of Ownership," CIMCON provides hardware and software technologies that allow cities and utilities to monitor, maintain and in many cases, monetize their assets and other devices on or near the light pole. CIMCON's "Just in Time Lighting," reduces energy, maintenance and repair costs while improving the quality of lighting services and enabling the path to a smart city. For more information, please visitwww.cimconlighting.com.

Follow CIMCON onLinkedIn,Twitter,Facebook, andYouTube.

Media Contact:

Heidi SporelDirector, MarketingCIMCON Lighting, Inc.Tel: 978-846-2659 Email: [emailprotected]

SOURCE CIMCON Lighting, Inc.

http://www.cimconlighting.com

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Twenty-three Cities and Towns in New York State Select CIMCON Lighting Solutions in 2020 - PRNewswire

Office towers and shopping malls have gone dark again in Shanghai. Companies are asking their employees to work from home. The festive seasons lights are mostly turned off as the citys usual holiday vibe is largely muted.

These dark sights are reminiscent of the lockdowns seen in February and March, when coronavirus-containing measures brought China to a halt. But this time, the lights-out closures spreading across the country are caused by a lack of power, not the pandemic.

Many small and medium businesses in the eastern Zhejiang province have reverted to work-from-home arrangements after local governments there cut off power to prioritize residential users.

China Business News reported that factories in the industrialized coastal province had since last week started to release employees early in the afternoon and asked some of them to work from home.

There have been complaints about sudden blackouts in industrial parks as factory owners realize that their locations have been chosen in the governments new emergency plan for electricity rationing and staggered supply.

An order about energy conservation and power cuts was issued so hastily by Zhejiangs provincial government this week that local cadres could not prepare notices for affected businesses before implementing it.

The order noted that all measures would lapse on December 31 if no new directives were issued by the provincial authorities. Backup power systems and diesel generators are said to be in short supply in Zhejiang again, similar to the provinces power crisis in the early 2000s.

Manufacturers and exporters are scrambling to find alternative power supplies to keep production lines running as overseas orders pile up. Exports from the economic powerhouse, whose GDP is on a par with those of Spain and Turkey, have bounced well above pre-Covid-19 levels, with Octobers exports up 20% year-on-year.

Jiangsu, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Inner Mongolia are also grappling with power supply issues and have reportedly told their power producers to ensure ample supply to local clients before feeding the state grid.

China News Service quoted Hunan officials as saying that the daily electricity shortfall of the central province of 70 million residents fluctuates between 10 and 20 million kilowatt-hours.

Asia Times reported on December 16 that an emerging power crunch was forcing Shanghai and other major cities to switch off outdoor lighting as well as air-conditioning in malls, libraries and government buildings. Apparently, the power saved so far has failed to make up for the shortfall and the manufacturing sector is starting to feel the impact.

An official with Shanghais Industry and Information Technology Commission who requested anonymity told Asia Times that the city was still assessing how much the power shortage would eat into its GDP growth and industrial output after growth recovered back to positive territory in the third quarter.

He said Shanghai and other better-off provinces such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Guangdong would normally see a spike in manufacturing in the final quarter but widespread power cuts would deal a blow to the recovery and momentum. Cadres, the source said, had pinned hopes on the year-end bumper quarter to boost output.

That said, residents in Shanghai, while wondering what is behind the apparent power shortage, have praised the governments bid to guarantee supply to households. The official Jiefang Daily noted that peoples livelihoods mattered more than the frivolity of chasing GDP growth targets.

So far it appears that the Communist Partys propaganda department has not ordered a news blackout as the power shortage shuts plants across the country.

Extensive coverage by Chinese state media this week has piled more pressure on agencies in charge of power generation and security. On Friday, the National Development and Reform Commission vowed in a Xinhua circular that power cuts would not affect residential users and that the nations overall power generation remained stable.

Still, many are unconvinced by official reports that blame steep temperature drops across large swathes of China for the power crunch.

The Economic Observer newspaper reported that Chinas hydropower plants have fed 21.7 billion fewer kilowatt-hours on to the state grid so far this month due to the dry season, but thermal power generation had also been losing steam due to thermal coal and natural gas undersupplies.

The retail price of thermal coal from the resource-rich Shanxi province has surged to 663 yuan per tonne this week, a two-year high, while the LNG net price for power producers hit 7,800 per tonne.

Yuan, a popular financial analysis blog on WeChat updated by former Xinhua reporters, revealed that Beijings Australian coal ban had also left many power producers in limbo.

Power plants have in the past years retrofitted their equipment to use quality Australian coal but they cannot switch to domestic alternative overnight simply because comparable pure thermal coal is not easy to source from Shanxi and Inner Mongolia due to stricter safety and environmental rules, noted one post on the blog.

Imports from Russia and Indonesia are still on their way to China.

It also added that more than 80 Australian vessels with coal had been held up off Chinese ports. These hold about 8.8 million tonnes but despite reports about individual ports granting entry to some ships, most of them still sit at sea waiting for a U-turn from Beijing on its coal ban.

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Asia Times Financialis now live. Linking accurate news, insightful analysis and local knowledge with the ATF China Bond 50 Index, the world'sfirst benchmark cross sector Chinese Bond Indices.Read ATFnow.

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Power crunch turning the lights out in China - Asia Times

In his Fully Charged newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today briefly reiterated that Apple plans to release a new Apple TV with a stronger gaming focus, an updated remote, and a new processor at some point next year.

Earlier this year, an anonymous leaker known as "Fudge" on Twitter indicated that Apple has prototyped new Apple TV models with variants of the A12 and A14 chips for faster performance;if true, it's unclear if Apple will ultimately settle on one chip or release two different models. Fudge added that Apple is planning to bring console-quality games to its Apple Arcade service that may not work with existing Apple TV models.

The new Apple TV is also rumored to have higher 64GB and 128GB storage capacity options, compared to 32GB and 64GB for the current Apple TV 4K model.

All of these potential features have been rumored several times by now, and the Apple TV 4K was released over three years ago, so odds are looking good for a new Apple TV next year. Keep an eye on our Apple TV roundup linked below for the latest rumors.

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Rumors Persist of New Apple TV With Stronger Gaming Focus, Updated Remote, and Faster Chip Next Year - MacRumors

Tesla CEO Elon Musk today said on Twitter that he once reached out to Apple CEO Tim Cook about the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla, but Cook "refused to take the meeting." Musk says that he attempted to contact Apple during the "darkest days of the Model 3 program," offering Tesla for 1/10 of its value.

Musk in a separate tweet said that the Apple Car rumors are "strange if true" and that a monocell design is "electrochemically impossible."

Apple and Tesla have been at odds since Apple started working on the Apple Car project and have notoriously poached employees from one another. In 2015, in fact, Musk said that he calls Apple the "Tesla Graveyard." "If you don't make it at Tesla, you go work at Apple," he said.

If and when Apple does start manufacturing a car aimed at consumers, Tesla and Apple will be direct competitors. That could happen as early as 2024 or 2025 if Apple's work on an Apple Car stays on track.

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Elon Musk Claims He Once Reached Out to Tim Cook About Tesla Purchase But Was Refused Meeting - MacRumors

Outdoor Living Products Market Report Highlights On Future Development 2020-2027

This report covers the impact of COVID-19 on the global market. The pandemic caused by Coronavirus has affected every aspect of life globally, including the business sector. This has brought along several changes in market conditions.

This market report is a window to the Outdoor Living Products Market which gives explanation about what market definition, classifications, applications, engagements and market trends are. This market report enlists the leading competitors and provides the market insights and the key factors influencing the industry. Report underlines strategic profiling of top players in the market, estimates their mainstay competencies, and illustrates competitive landscape for the market.

The major players profiled in this report include:Ace Hardware, Century Furniture LLC., Forever Patio., DEDON INC., EMU Group S.p.A., Haworth Inc., RODA Srl, Sun Garden GmbH, Home Depot Product Authority, LLC., Unopi S.p.A., Paul Hartmann Limited, Inter IKEA Systems B.V., Plaisir du Jardin, Cane Furniture Warehouse, Outdoor India., Patio Furniture Industries, Conover, NC, Treasure Garden, Inc., Homecrest Outdoor Living, LLC, and Trex Company, Inc. among other domestic and global players.

Download Sample Report of Outdoor Living Products Market (COVID-19 Impact Analysis Updated Sample):https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-outdoor-living-products-market

An Overview of the Impact of COVID-19 on this Market:

The outdoor living products market will reach an estimated valuation of USD 27.62 billion by 2027 from USD 17.33 billion, while registering this growth at a rate of 6.00% for the forecast period of 2020 to 2027.

The emergence of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. We understand that this health crisis has brought an unprecedented impact on businesses across industries. However, this too shall pass. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly contagious disease. Some industries are struggling and some are thriving. Overall, almost every sector is anticipated to be impacted by the pandemic.

We are making continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future

Why you should buy this report?

This report offers a concise analysis of the Outdoor Living Products market for the last 5 years with historical data and more accurate prediction for upcoming 6 years on the basis of statistical information.This report helps you to understand the market components by offering a cohesive framework of the key players and their competition dynamics as well as strategies.

The report is a complete guideline for the clients to arrive an informed business decision since it consists of a detailed information for better understandings of the current and future market situation.

The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below:

Outdoor living products market is segmented on the basis of lawn and yard maintenance into lawn mowers, lawn care consumables, DIY irrigation systems, sprinklers, trimmers & edgers, & other power equipment parts, & attachments.Outdoor living products market is segmented on the basis of outdoor furniture into grills & accessories, sheds & other outdoor storage products, outdoor kitchen equipment, & patio heating products.Outdoor living products market is segmented on the basis of gardening into bedding & garden plant, garden consumables, watering products, pots & planters, wheeled implements, bird & wildlife products, power gardening equipment, & hand tools.Outdoor living products market is segmented on the basis of hardscaping into trees & shrubbery, water features, outdoor structures, & outdoor lighting.

The burgeoning real estate enterprise and the metropolitan residents are key determinants propelling the industry. Furthermore, increasing per capita earning and disposable revenue performs an influential role in feeding production increase. Besides, augmented customer spending energy and the living inclination of traveling have succeeded in boosting traveller crosswise the planet. The aim can be witnessed largely in seaside cities, hill states, and other impressive homes. This, in turn, drives to an accelerating amount of resorts, hotels, public terraces, and public places, thereby impelling the market for outside furniture. Insufficient availability of proficient operation to meet alternating customer calls will serve as the market constraint.

This outdoor living products market report provides details of new recent developments, trade regulations, import export analysis, production analysis, value chain optimization, market share, impact of domestic and localised market players, analyses opportunities in terms of emerging revenue pockets, changes in market regulations, strategic market growth analysis, market size, category market growths, application niches and dominance, product approvals, product launches, geographical expansions, technological innovations in the market. To gain more info on Data Bridge Market Research outdoor living products market contact us for an Analyst Brief, our team will help you take an informed market decision to achieve market growth.

Major highlights of the report:

All-inclusive evaluation of the parent marketEvolution of significant market aspectsIndustry-wide investigation of market segmentsAssessment of market value and volume in past, present, and forecast yearsEvaluation of market shareStudy of niche industrial sectorsTactical approaches of market leadersLucrative strategies to help companies strengthen their position in the market

Get Full Report (including COVID-19 impact analysis and up-to 30% discount):https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-outdoor-living-products-market

Outdoor Living Products Market Country Level Analysis

Outdoor living products market is analysed and market size, volume information is provided by country, lawn and yard maintenance, outdoor furniture, gardening and hardscaping as referenced above.

The countries covered in the market report are the U.S., Canada and Mexico in North America, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Rest of Europe in Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, Israel, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa (MEA), Brazil, Argentina and Rest of South America as part of South America.

North America followed by Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Europe is required to the provision to a potential requirement due to the flourishing hospitality division augmentation linked with the increase in the outbound tours that influence the regional business increase.

Table of Contents Analysis of Key Points

Part 1:

Market Overview, Development, and Segment by Type, Application & Region

Part 2:

Global Market by company, Type, Application & Geography

Part 3-4:

Asia-Pacific Market by Type, Application & Geography

Part 5-6:

Europe Market by Type, Application & Geography

Part 7-8:

North America Market by Type, Application & Geography

Part 9-10:

South America Market by Type, Application & Geography

Part 11-12:

Middle East & Africa Market by Type, Application & Geography

Part 13:

Company information, Sales, Cost, Margin etc.

Part 14:

Conclusion

To know the latest trends and insights TOC in Outdoor Living Products Market, click the link:https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-outdoor-living-products-market

Customization Available

Data Bridge Market Research is a leader in consulting and advanced formative research. We take pride in servicing our existing and new customers with data and analysis that match and suits their goal. The report can be customised to include production cost analysis, trade route analysis, price trend analysis of target brands understanding the market for additional countries (ask for the list of countries), import export and grey area results data, literature review, consumer analysis and product base analysis. Market analysis of target competitors can be analysed from technology-based analysis to market portfolio strategies. We can add as many competitors that you require data about in the format and data style you are looking for. Our team of analysts can also provide you data in crude raw excel files pivot tables (Factbook) or can assist you in creating presentations from the data sets available in the report.

About Data Bridge Market Research:

Data Bridge Market ResearchPvtLtdis a multinational management consulting firm with offices in India and Canada. As an innovative and neoteric market analysis and advisory company with unmatched durability level and advanced approaches. We are committed to uncover the best consumer prospects and to foster useful knowledge for your company to succeed in the market.

Data Bridge Market Research is a result of sheer wisdom and practice that was conceived and built-in Pune in the year 2015. The company came into existence from the healthcare department with far fewer employees intending to cover the whole market while providing the best class analysis. Later, the company widened its departments, as well as expands their reach by opening a new office in Gurugram location in the year 2018, where a team of highly qualified personnel joins hands for the growth of the company. Even in the tough times of COVID-19 where the Virus slowed down everything around the world, the dedicated Team of Data Bridge Market Research worked round the clock to provide quality and support to our client base, which also tells about the excellence in our sleeve.

We provide a variety of services such as market verifiedindustry reports, technology trend analysis, Formative market research,strategic consulting, vendor analysis, production and demand analysis, consumer impact studies among many others.

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Outdoor Living Products Market Study an Emerging Hint of Opportunity in 2020-2027 | Ace Hardware, Century Furniture LLC., Forever Patio., DEDON INC -...

MarketsandResearch.biz has published a new report titled Global Fluorescent Wall Lights Market 2020 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 that is replete with precise analysis from studies, specifically answers queries that approaches market size, trends, share, forecast, outlook, production, and futuristic developments trends and present and future market status from 2020 to 2025. The report provides an in-sight survey of the global Fluorescent Wall Lights market trends and significant statistical data points, skilled conclusions, crucial angles with the general standpoint of the market with a comprehensive perspective of the business. The report tracks some significant activities of the current market size for the worldwide Fluorescent Wall Lights market. It contains a point by point analysis dependent on the research of the market elements like development situation, potential opportunities, and operation landscape and trend analysis.

What Does The Global Market Research Hold For The Readers?

The recently published study includes information on key segmentation of the global Fluorescent Wall Lights market based on type/product, application, and geography (country/region). The market segmentation helps the clients and other readers obtain a crystal-clear context about the market. The report offers you a comprehensive analysis of the products of the market and helps you to understand the prospects of various segments. This research will assist in identifying the high growth areas as well as in identifying the growth factors which are helping in leading these segments.

NOTE: Our analysts monitoring the situation across the globe explains that the market will generate remunerative prospects for producers post COVID-19 crisis. The report aims to provide an additional illustration of the latest scenario, economic slowdown, and COVID-19 impact on the overall industry.

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Major players operating in the global Fluorescent Wall Lights market: SANSHIN ELECTRIC CORPORATION, ELK Group International (EGI), Brokis, Besa Lighting, DELTA LIGHT, BOVER Barcelona, GriplockSystems, Crenshaw, BUZZI & BUZZI, Foscarini, Kevin Reilly Collection, Kuzco Lighting, Brillamenti, LECCOR, Kichler Lighting, KARMAN, Hinkley Lighting, L&L Luce&Light, KRONEMAG MILLENIUM srl, iGuzzini, METALARTE, LIGMAN Lighting Company Limited, Maxim Lighting, Martinelli Luce Spa, NEWGARDEN SPAIN, Marset, Original BTC, LINEA LIGHT GROUP, MORELLI S.A.S., Louis Poulsen, Platek s.r.l., Targetti Sankey S.p.a., Santa & Cole, Pujol Iluminacion, PureEdge Lighting, Top Light GmbH & Co. KG, ORSTEEL Light, VIBIA LIGHTING, Royal Botania, WAC Limited, Artemide, Whitfield Lighting

Market segment by type, the product can be split into: 8W, 10W, 15W, 20W, Others

Market segment by application, split into: Indoor Lighting, Outdoor Lighting

The report highlights the insights of the industry and selective comments from experts all over the world. Other key attributes covered by the study includes global Fluorescent Wall Lights market development factors, constraining components, new forthcoming openings, innovative progressions, rising fragments of the market, and variable market changes in the report.

Analyzing The Regional Scope:

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Moreover, the report provides details about revenue by manufacturers, production and capacity by manufacturers, price by manufacturers, mergers, and acquisitions, and products, market entry dates, distribution, and market areas of key manufacturers. The regional and country-level analysis is given integrating the demand and supply forces that are influencing the growth of the market. Production and capacity analysis is given where marketing pricing trends, capacity, production, and production value of the global Fluorescent Wall Lights market are discussed. Then, the report estimates the growth of upcoming products, pricing strategies, predictions about new launching products.

Customization of the Report:

This report can be customized to meet the clients requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@marketsandresearch.biz), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +1-201-465-4211 to share your research requirements.

Contact UsMark StoneHead of Business DevelopmentPhone: +1-201-465-4211Email: sales@marketsandresearch.bizWeb: http://www.marketsandresearch.biz

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Global Fluorescent Wall Lights Market 2020 Analysis by Key Players, End-User, Type, Application, Regions and Forecast to 2025 - The Courier

Packable lights

The UST Spright Recharge has lower battery capacity and lower weatherproof and brightness ratings compared with the MPOWERD Luci Base Light3,500 mAh, IPX3, and 100 lumens, respectivelyand just one metal hook versus two straps. Unlike the Luci Base Light, it does not have a solar panel, and it can only be powered by USB. After it is powered off, it still glows in the dark, which could be annoying or obstruct sleep. It has one USB port for input and one for output, which could get confusingplus, at a measly 5 watts, the output port is hardly worth having.

The UST Spright Solar has lower battery capacity and lower weatherproof and brightness ratings than the MPOWERD Luci Base Light860 mAh, IPX4, and 120 lumens, respectively. Plus, its dual fold-up metal handles are less effective at hanging and holding onto compared with the Luci Base Lights straps, and its solar panel is on the bottom so you have to hang it if you want to catch any rays. And, like the Spright Recharge, it glows in the dark even when you might not want it to.

We ruled out several other models in the MPOWERD Luci line (including the Candle, Color, Color Essence, Connect, Core, EMRG, Explore, Lux, Original, Outdoor 2.0, and Pro Series) without testing them since they have lower battery capacity (mAh) and/or brightness ratings (lumens) than the Luci Base Light.

The Coleman 800 Lumens LED Lantern with BatteryGuard offers plenty of light (800 lumens) and power (four D batteries) for the price, and it has a classic look and convenient handle on topmuch like the UST 60-Day Duro and UST 30-Day Duro 700. However, we found that it feels clunky and chintzy compared with the other two, both in terms of materials used and build quality.

The Coleman Rugged Rechargeable 400L LED Lantern is dimmer (rated for 400 lumens) and its battery capacity rating (4,000 mAh) is lower than most rechargeable lanterns we tested. Its not weatherproof, and the materials and build quality seem relatively cheap and flimsy. Weve also noticed some stock issues with this model.

The Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 has an impressive brightness rating (600 lumens) and its built-in battery has a capacity rating (5,200 mAh) as high as any rechargeable lantern we tested. We like that it has a hand-crank recharging option, red flashing lights in case of emergencies, and fold-up legs as well as a handle on top. However, its not weatherproof, and its built-in USB-A cable (a slower charging option than the Torchs USB-C port) is super short.

The Goal Zero Lighthouse Core has fewer lumens (rated for 430) and recharging options (just a short built-in USB-A cable) than the Torch. Its battery capacity rating (4,400 mAh) is also lower, and its not weatherproof.

The TaoTronics TT-DL23 is not weatherproof, and we wouldnt trust it for outdoor useexcept maybe on a covered deck or patiosince the glossy plastic and faux-wood components seem prone to scratches. It also has so-so brightness (450 lumens) and battery capacity (4,400 mAh) ratings. However, we like it for indoor use, such as on a bedside table (for late-night trips to the bathroom) or in a closet.

The UST 30-Day Duro 1000 used to be our top lantern pick, and it offers even more settings (flashing and flickering in addition to high, medium, and low) than our current tabletop picks. But it has a lower brightness rating than the 60-Day Duro (1,000 lumens versus 1,200) and weve noticed some stock issues with it in the past.

The World Market Large Flameless Outdoor LED Pillar Candles fared about as well as the Crate and Barrel versions in our testing, but a representative from the company told us they are seasonal and will be discontinued soon.

The Luminara Outdoor Candle comes in a variety of sizes (9, 7, 5, and 4 inches tall), but its less realistic than others we testedboth in terms of its exterior and flickering lightand much more expensive.

The Brightech Ambience Pro 35 is similar to the Hampton Bay and Newhouse Lighting options, but it only came with one spare bulb, and when we were assembling the bulbs we had to partially unscrew some of them to light up.

The Hampton Bay 48 ft. 24-Socket Incandescent String Light Set is almost identical to the Newhouse Lighting model, but it has more bulb sockets (24) and comes with more spare bulbs (six), all of which come packaged in a convenient cardboard grid. However, it was out of stock when we did our most recent round of testing.

The Restoration Hardware Party Globe Light String is most comparable to the Room Essentials model, but its cord is thinner and flimsier, and at the time of this writing its more than triple the price.

The Energizer Stainless Steel Solar LED Path Stake Light (Stainless Steel, 8 Pack) is the priciest set of lights we tested, and while it offers plenty of lumens, easy setup, and durable construction, we dont think these features outweigh the high cost. Not to mention that each light is a whopping 6 inches in diameter, which we think is a little too obtrusive for the average backyard walkway.

The Lowes Portfolio 4-Pack 8x Brighter (9.6-Lumen) Black Solar Integrated LED Path Light was more difficult to assemble than any other model we tested, and it was on the pricier side. It also has a more noticeable solar panel on top and a dimmer light than on others.

The Room Essentials Outdoor Pathway Light Stainless feels cheap and clumsily constructed compared with the rest. No lumens are listed online, but its light appeared dimmer than most of the others we tested.

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Outdoor and Backyard Lighting We Love - The New York Times

A new report published today by Counterpoint Research finds that the iPhone 12 became the world's bestselling 5G smartphone in October, in spite of its delayed launch.

Although the iPhone 12 was only sold for two weeks in October, it was still able to top the rankings. These two weeks' worth of sales allowed the iPhone 12 to become the seventh-bestselling 5G device sold between January and October of 2020.

The iPhone 12 Pro was the second-bestselling 5G smartphone, followed by the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G. Together, the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro captured almost one-fourth of total 5G smartphone sales in October.

Counterpoint credits a number of factors for the explosive success of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro compared to other existing 5G devices. For example, it is believed that there was significant pent-up demand for a 5G upgrade within the iOS user base. The uptick was also caused by strong carrier promotions within the United States, which accounted for over one-third of iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro sales for the month. Compared to most other 5G devices, the iPhone generally has a wider market coverage with availability in over 140 countries.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro have also given a "much-needed" boost to the 5G smartphone market, which achieved its highest ever share of 24 percent in the global smartphone sales in October.

Sales of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro have more than doubled the penetration of mmWave-capable smartphones from five percent in September to 12 percent in October. Counterpoint highlights how this is likely to impact the telecoms industry, and speculates that it may facilitate Apple's future push into other sectors such as augmented reality or virtual reality:

This is important because it gives operators an incentive to deploy mmWave infrastructure rapidly. The high throughput and low latency provided by mmWave will help unlock the true potential of 5G. With the mmWave network and devices in place, it would lay a solid foundation for Apple to leverage the power of mmWave in segments like AR/VR.

Counterpoint expects demand for the iPhone 12 series to remain strong through the fourth quarter of 2020, particularly during the holiday season. The late launch of the devices is likely to push sales into subsequent months, thereby maintaining the momentum of sales into early 2021.

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iPhone 12 Became the World's Top 5G Smartphone Within Two Weeks of Launch - MacRumors

Apple is aiming to begin production on an Apple-branded self-driving vehicle starting in 2024, according to a new report shared today by Reuters.

Unnamed sources told Reuters that Apple is developing a new battery design that has the potential to "radically" reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicle's range.

Apple is building a "monocell" design that will bulk up the individual battery cells and free up space inside the battery pack by removing pouches and modules that hold battery materials. This will allow for more active material in a smaller package.

Apple's design means that more active material can be packed inside the battery, giving the car a potentially longer range. Apple is also examining a chemistry for the battery called LFP, or lithium iron phosphate, the person said, which is inherently less likely to overheat and is thus safer than other types of lithium-ion batteries.

One person who spoke to Reuters described Apple's battery technology as "next level" and said that it's similar to "the first time you saw the iPhone."

Apple will need to tap into a whole new supply chain to produce a car. Apple is said to be planning to rely on a manufacturing partner to build the vehicles. Apple is working with outside partners for car components, such as LiDAR sensors.

The Apple Car could feature multiple LiDAR sensors for scanning different distances, and some of those could be created from Apple's internally developed LiDAR units.

Apple was in talks with Magna International about manufacturing a car, but the talks ended when Apple's plans became unclear. To enter into a contract, Apple may need to commit to high volume sales, as many as 100,000 vehicles annually.

There are years to go before Apple begins production on an Apple Car, and Reuters warns that the company could still choose to scale back the project and reduce the scope of its efforts to an autonomous driving system that would be integrated into a car made by a traditional automaker. Delays caused by the ongoing global health crisis could also push production to 2025 or beyond.

Read more here:
Apple Car Production Slated for 2024 With 'Next Level' Battery Technology - MacRumors

By Clint C. Thomas, Esq.

Photography by Zoe Thomas

Electrical work, like everything else in life, can run the gamut from very basic to extremely complex. It is helpful for every DIY-minded homeowner to have at least a basic understanding of electrical work. This article will attempt to reveal some of the mystery surrounding the maze of wiring that runs throughout your home and that makes everything in it work with the flick of a switch.

Electricity enters every home by running through a power meter supplied by the local utility company, then, in most cases, through a master 200-amp circuit breaker, and then to the homes breaker box, often still referred to as a fuse box .From the breaker box, this flow of electricity is spread over numerous circuits to different parts of the home by first passing through individual circuit breakers which serve as a safety mechanism to keep the system from being overloaded. A homes electrical system is designed to work off 120 volts with the exception of certain major appliances, such as an electric clothes dryer, which runs off 240 volts.

Electrical wiring comes in different gauges, or sizes. The heavier the gauge, i.e., the thicker the copper wire, the more electrical current it can carry without overheating. Electrical wire and circuit breakers are designed to work in tandem with one another, and each must be of a proper corresponding size. For example, 14/2 gauge electrical wire is rated to a maximum of 15 amps and should not be used with any circuit breaker larger than 15 amps.12/2 gauge wiring is rated to a maximum of 20 amps. These two size wires are the standard that are used in homes today for most lighting and wall outlets. Again, heavier gauges and higher amp circuit breakers must be used for certain appliances that use more electricity and as dictated by local and state building codes.

Electrical wire is gauged like shot for a shotgun. The smaller the number the heavier gauge the wire. Twelve-gauge wire is heavier and will carry more of a load than 14-gauge wire but is smaller than 10-gauge wire and will carry less of a load than the 10 gauge.

If the improper gauge wire is used with the wrong size circuit breaker, it can easily result in a fire or a malfunctioning electrical circuit. For example, if a wire of too small gauge is used with a high amp break, then the wire can overheat and catch fire long before the circuit breaker ever trips. On the other hand, if a too large of a gauge wire is used with a low amp breaker then the breaker may continuously trip, disrupting the circuit before the wire ever reaches its maximum electrical load.

It is imperative to know exactly what gauge wire and what amp breaker have to be used for any given application. This is not an area to guess-timate. The result of such guesswork can be a house fire or someone being electrocuted. Also, there are limits under the applicable building codes to how many outlets and/or lights, etc., that a particular circuit can have on them, and even where they can be placed or not placed. Be sure to consult your local and state building codes before beginning any electrical work.

Typical electrical wire for home use comes in an insulated sleeve and consists of three wires. A black wire carries the electrical current and is therefore commonly known as the hot wire. There is a white wire that is the neutral, and, finally, a bare copper wire that is the ground wire. When electrical wires are joined together the black wires must be hooked together, the white wires must be hooked to the white wires, and the ground wires must be hooked together. Otherwise, the circuit will not work, and will result in an electrical short.

Three-conductor electrical wire is available for use with applications that require an additional hot wire, such as with a three-way switch. A total of four wires are found in three-conductor wiring: A white neutral wire, a bare copper ground wire, a black hot wire and a red wire for a second hot wire.

Basic Connections

First and foremost, always disconnect the electrical power supply before working with any part of the electrical system.

For applications such as wiring a light fixture, the fixtures wires are joined to the electrical supply wires with wire nuts. Like the wire itself, wire nuts come in different sizes to accommodate the various gauges of wire. To connect, strip back the insulation from the ends of the wires, hold them between your fingers and twist the wire nut in a clockwise direction onto the ends.

Light switches and wall outlets have screws on both sides for connecting wires. The green screws are for the ground wires, the silver/stainless colored screws are for the white neutral wires and the brass colored screws are for the black hot wires.

Some of the most common electrical projects that a homeowner will encounter are replacing light switches and wall outlets. Room additions or major renovations may even involve having to increase the number of wall outlets in a particular area of your home. Therefore, the scope of this article will be confined to the most basic of electrical jobs using only single-pole switches and end-of-run receptacles.

Light switches simply serve to disrupt, or break, the flow of electricity in the wiring before it gets to the light fixture. This interruption in the flow is what turns the light off, and then back on. To connect a switch, imagine a wire running from a hot junction point to the box that will contain the light switch .Another wire will lead from that light switch box to the junction box that contains the light fixture. The switch itself is what will connect these two wire runs and allow the electrical current to flow to the light or to be stopped at the switch.

Route the ends of the two wires in the switch box, strip the ends and then connect the white wires together with a wire nut and the ground wires together by securing them around the green screw on the bottom of the switch. The black wires are each attached to the switch. One wire is attached to each brass screw on the right-hand side of the switch.

Wall outlets are the other area that may require a homeowners attention .Unlike a light fixture, wall outlets remain hot, meaning that they always have live electrical current in them, all of the time. This is achieved by outlets being connected together in a row much like the lights on a Christmas tree. A hot wire will come from a circuit breaker or other hot junction box and lead to the first wall outlet. From there another wire is run from the first wall outlet to the second wall outlet. This continues until the entire room has been hooked-up or until the maximum number of fixtures has been attached to a particular circuit.

Receptacles, also known as outlets or plugs, are connected in a row, so-to-speak, by attaching the black wires to the brass screws, the white wires to the silver/stainless metal screws and the ground wire to the green screw at the bottom. Modern receptacles are called duplex receptacles because they have two screws on both sides. As the name implies, they can bring electrical current into one set of screws and then send it out on the other duplex set of screws to another fixture.

Wires are attached to the receptacles and switches by bending the end into a hook shape. I usually do this by holding the bare wire between a pair of needle nose pliers and then rotating the wrist to make the hook shape in the wire. This hook will easily go around the screws on each side of the outlet and/or switch to make a secure connection when tightened.

Remember that all electrical work in a home is governed the jurisdiction having authority. Most jurisdictions follow the standards that are promulgated in the National Electrical Code, but have sometimes modified these standards in their local and state building codes. Many states and local jurisdictions permit homeowners to perform their own electrical work, but some do not. Consult your local laws, ordinances and local building codes before beginning any electrical work. In addition, be certain that you know what you are doing. If drywall is improperly hung, then you will just have an eyesore on your hands. If electrical work is improperly done, it can result in your house burning down or someone being electrocuted! When in doubt, dont do it.

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Electrical 101 for the Homeowner - Extreme How To