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Towards zero-carbon computing

Blog - March 11, 2013 by Mark McA

Supercomputers and data-centres have two problems that aren't going away: energy and heat. The largest facilities cost billions of dollars and consume megawatts of electricity, enough to power small towns. Not only are more built every year, they're also getting bigger.

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From sci-fi to start-up: the origin of Charity Engine

Blog - March 8, 2013 by Mark McA

Many years ago, I started writing a couple of sci-fi novels. One of them was called Off-camera, a story about the near-future in which everything (and I mean everything) is recorded. In that story, a company called DownTime becomes a huge multinational from harnessing - you guessed it - the downtime of billions of home computers.

(Strictly speaking, it was badly named. Downtime means switched off. But hey, the 'IdleTime Corporation' sounded worse...)

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Why the iPhone 6 will still be badly designed

Blog - March 7, 2013 by Mark McA

This has to be a joke, right?

Of all the nit-picking criticisms of the Church of Cupertino, not even the most ardent anti-Apple fanboi can possibly argue this. The iPhone has won the most prestigious design awards on Earth. They're Editor's Choices, five-star reviews, brushed aluminium slivers of total gorgeousness that forever changed how all other phones look.

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The Charity Engine mission

Blog - March 6, 2013 by Mark McA

There will come a day when the last incurable disease is conquered. On that day, our descendants will begin to enjoy long, healthy, productive lives free from constant physical pain, impairment or disfigurement – and wonder how we coped with such unimaginable suffering in this, the remote and savage past. The very word 'incurable' will be consigned to history, such will be their command of biology and the technology to influence it.

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