Latest news with #Dye
Global News
2 hours ago
- Business
- Global News
Report suggests renewable cleanup rules making Alberta less competitive for investment
A report says new cleanup rules for renewable energy sites are hurting the competitiveness of Alberta's industry. Business Renewables Centre-Canada analyzed the reclamation security requirements for renewables in 27 jurisdictions and found Alberta's are now the most costly. Under a code of practice for solar and wind projects published last week, the Alberta government says operators must provide an estimate for the cost of dismantling turbines and panels, removing underground concrete infrastructure, hauling waste away, replanting vegetation and other items. A 30-per-cent security is required upfront, rising to 60 per cent after 15 years to ensure there is enough money for proper cleanup at the sites' end of life. BRC-Canada says Alberta's upfront security requirement is unusually high and the rules don't take into account the salvage value of the concrete and metals that could be sold to recoup cleanup expenses. Story continues below advertisement The Alberta government issued the new rules in February 2024, just as a seven-month moratorium on new renewable project approvals expired, but it had yet to lay out the details around how they'd be implemented. 5:14 Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announces end of ban on renewable energy projects Jorden Dye, BRC-Canada's director, said many renewable projects are being built by multinational companies that can move their capital around easily. 'And it'll just be really disappointing if we see Alberta lose out and lose our ground as the biggest developer of renewable energy in the last few years in Canada because we've continued to place onerous rules on the industry,' he said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In addition to the reclamation security requirements, the province has placed buffer zones around wind turbines so as not to impede 'pristine viewpoints' and is taking an 'agriculture first' approach to deciding what can be built on farmland. The province is also working through consultations on the structure of its energy market as well as transmission regulations. Story continues below advertisement 'If you take one by itself, it's OK — we might be able to live with it, or we can work around it,' said Dye. 'It's kind of getting to the totality of the decisions that's really driving some of the concerns.' The BRC-Canada study noted some jurisdictions — such Illinois and Tennessee — require a 100-per-cent reclamation security, but only 10 per cent of that must be paid upfront. 'Renewable energy projects are really sensitive to the upfront capital cost,' Dye said. 'Having that as an operating annual cost is a lot different to whether a project will go forward than if it's an upfront cost.' 2:05 Alberta unveils strict new rules for renewable energy Three-quarters of the jurisdictions the group compared accounted for the salvage value of materials once projects are dismantled. While that amount may not reflect the real-world value of the metal and concrete decades into the future, it does go a long way toward offsetting the reclamation costs, Dye said. Story continues below advertisement Dye said wind and solar projects generally have a lifespan of 20 to 50 years, but components are often refurbished along the way. And when they're done operating, there is decades' worth of real-world data to make pursuing another development easier. While an oil or gas well will eventually become depleted, 'the sun and the wind will still be there in those exact spots,' Dye said. The cost of cleaning up old oil and gas wells has been a major issue in the oil and gas sector. The Alberta Energy Regulator estimates that as of June 2024, there were $36 billion in environmental liabilities. In announcing the renewables policy in February 2024, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the province was looking for a different and better way to approach solar and wind cleanup than what had been done for oil and gas. 'It is critical that we do not repeat errors of the past, and that we have reclamation rules and costs accounted for at the beginning of any development,' she said. The reclamation bond or security can be paid to the Alberta government, or be negotiated between the renewable developer and a landowner. Janetta McKenzie, oil and gas program director at the Pembina Institute think-tank, said the rules for wind and solar are fundamentally different than 'generous and flexible' ones for oil and gas. Story continues below advertisement In that sector, companies are required to pay about one per cent of cleanup costs in upfront securities, with no firm timelines, she said. The industry-funded Orphan Well Association looks after closure costs when an energy company has gone bankrupt or otherwise cannot meet its obligations. But that organization 'is also buttressed by some interest-free loans from the provincial and federal government and is pretty persistently underfunded,' McKenzie said. 'This is a province that wants to unleash its energy sector, but there is an energy sector that's waiting for a stable regulatory environment and then one that is being given a lot of options to not reclaim and not clean up itself in a timely manner.' 1:45 Alberta to introduce renewable energy recycling fee
The Citizen
9 hours ago
- The Citizen
Apple WWDC: Everything Apple announced including Liquid Glass
Apple announced updates for iOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, visionOS 26, and more. Liquid Glass was described by Apple as an 'expressive material' meant to mimic the qualities of glass. Picture: Apple Tech giant Apple announced a slew of platform operating system updates with a makeover of its software design interface called 'Liquid Glass'. Apple announced updates for iOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, visionOS 26, and more. Pressure was on Apple to show it hasn't lost its magic despite broken promises to ramp up iPhones with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) as rivals race ahead with the technology. The Cupertino company on Monday showcased plans for its coveted devices and the software powering them at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in Silicon Valley. However, most of the announcements Apple made won't reach users' devices for a few months. Liquid Glass Alan Dye, Apple's vice president of human interface design, announced that the company's software would be getting a makeover. 'Today marks an exciting and beautiful new chapter for our design, one that sets the stage for our next era of our products and how you interact with them.' A feature of the new OS is Liquid Glass, described by the company as an 'expressive material' meant to mimic the qualities of glass. The dynamic new interface makes apps, widgets, and docs appear translucent, allowing users to see multiple layers of their screen at once. 'It beautifully retracts light and dynamically reacts to your movement with specular highlights. This is the largest software design overhaul for Apple since it launched iOS 7 in 2013,' Dye said. 'From navigating apps to system experiences like the lock screen notifications and control centre app icons have been crafted with multiple layers of Liquid Glass and come to life in light mode, dark mode, colourful, new tints, or an all-new clear look,' said Dye. ALSO READ: Apple iPhone 16e lands in SA, but should you get one? Siri Apple CEO Tim Cook briefly mentioned that Siri's AI makeover was still under development and 'needed more time to meet our high quality bar,' which includes Apple's standards on privacy and data security. 'We are making progress, and we look forward to getting these features into customers' hands,' he added. Apple Intelligence The biggest AI announcement was the company confirming plans to open the Apple Intelligence foundation models to developers. This will allow app creators to write their own software and features using the underlying Apple Intelligence technology. Apple also rolled out live call translation and the ability to merge two existing emojis into a new image in Apple's Genmoji feature. ALSO READ: WhatsApp for iPad: What you need to know Games Apple said more than half a billion people play games on the iPhone. To serve its fan base, the company redesigned the game experience in a new app called, simply, Games. The iPhone received a revamped Phone app that integrates voicemails, recent calls and favourite contacts in one view. watch OS Apple previewed watchOS 26, offering a new look. A new design with Liquid Glass makes features like the Smart Stack, Control Center, the Photos watch face, and in-app navigation and controls more expressive, while maintaining the instant familiarity of watchOS. tvOS Apple's Liquid Glass also comes to Apple TV. The most striking change is a glassy, see-through menu that lets you change settings without blocking as much of the on-screen visuals. visionOS Apple still thinks people really do want to wear its bulky, heavy headset around their homes. It was a fad at one time until the reality of how ridiculous it looked making gestures in the air while crossing the street. It's now spatial widgets — virtual objects like digital photos, calendars, and 'Now Playing' Apple Music cards that you can plonk onto your real-world surroundings. MacOS Apple's new desktop operating system is called macOS Tahoe. It also incorporates the Liquid Glass aesthetic, with a completely free-floating menu bar at the top of the screen. There are some fun enhancements. Live Activities is a new menu-bar shortcut that can sync with apps running on desktop or your phone, alerting you to upcoming meetings or keeping track of your incoming Uber Eats orders. Maps Apple is also introducing a number of features that have long been available in competitors like Google Maps. A 'Visited Places' feature in maps keeps track of the places you've been, complete with photos taken there. This is entirely opt-in, so you have to turn it on, and your location history stays encrypted on your device. It's basically Google Maps' Timeline feature but just for Apple people, Wired reported. CarPlay Some additional updates to Apple's CarPlay software were announced today. The next CarPlay adds customisable widgets and better screening for incoming calls. You can also tap a button to respond to texts with emoji while you're driving. Users first saw some CarPlay updates last month when Apple partnered with Aston Martin. These updates come at a time when carmakers are starting to embrace physical buttons again, given that lots of people seem to hate the touchscreens in their cars. NOW READ: Icasa seizes Starlink satellite-internet equipment in South Africa [VIDEO]
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
‘Liquid a**': Unfortunate play button placement on Apple's Liquid Glass YouTube video sparks meme fest
Apple recently announced Liquid Glass, the company's biggest design update since iOS 7. According to the company, it is designed to make the system experience 'more expressive and delightful.' However, this refreshed user interface has unexpectedly sparked a meme fest on X. People started sharing hilarious posts after noticing that the button placement on the thumbnail of a YouTube video about Liquid Glass makes it read 'Liquid A**' instead. 'Very unfortunate play button,' an individual wrote while sharing a screenshot showing the placement of the red-coloured YouTube play/pause button. Another individual, pointing to the same issue, remarked, 'It's absolutely wild that Apple's social media intern didn't proofread the Liquid Glass YouTube thumbnail on all devices.' 'At Apple, we've always believed in the deep integration of hardware and software that makes interacting with technology intuitive, beautiful, and delightful,' said Apple's Vice President of Human Interface Design, Alan Dye. 'This is our broadest software design update ever. Meticulously crafted by rethinking the fundamental elements that make up our software, the new design features an entirely new material called Liquid Glass. It combines the optical qualities of glass with a fluidity only Apple can achieve, as it transforms depending on your content or context. It lays the foundation for new experiences in the future and, ultimately, it makes even the simplest of interactions more fun and magical,' Dye continued. According to Apple, it is translucent and 'behaves like glass in the real world.' It adapts to 'light and dark environments.' 'This gorgeous new material extends from the smallest elements users interact with every day — like buttons, switches, sliders, text, and media controls — to larger elements, including tab bars and sidebars for navigating apps. It also shines in system experiences, such as the Lock Screen, Home Screen, notifications, Control Center, and more,' Apple explained.
India.com
14 hours ago
- India.com
Apple Unveils New Software Design Crafted With Liquid Glass
Cupertino: Apple on Monday previewed a beautiful new software design that makes apps and system experiences more expressive and delightful while being instantly familiar. It's crafted with a new material called Liquid Glass. This translucent material reflects and refracts its surroundings, while dynamically transforming to help bring greater focus to content, delivering a new level of vitality across controls, navigation, app icons, widgets, and more. For the very first time, the new design extends across platforms — iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 261 — to establish even more harmony while maintaining the distinct qualities that make each unique. 'At Apple, we've always believed in the deep integration of hardware and software that makes interacting with technology intuitive, beautiful, and delightful,' said Alan Dye, Apple's vice president of Human Interface Design. 'It lays the foundation for new experiences in the future and, ultimately, it makes even the simplest of interactions more fun and magical,' Dye added. Inspired by the depth and dimensionality of visionOS, the new design takes advantage of Apple's powerful advances in hardware, silicon, and graphics technologies. By using Liquid Glass materials and the new and updated controls, developers have the opportunity to refresh the design of their apps to make every user interaction even more intuitive and delightful. Liquid Glass uses real-time rendering and dynamically reacts to movement with specular highlights. This creates a lively experience that makes using iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV even more delightful, said the company. 'Controls, toolbars, and navigation within apps have been redesigned. Previously configured for rectangular displays, they now fit perfectly concentric with the rounded corners of modern hardware and app windows — establishing greater harmony between hardware, software, and content,' Apple informed. Tab bars and sidebars have been redesigned with the same approach. In iOS 26, when users scroll, tab bars shrink to bring focus to the content while keeping navigation instantly accessible. The moment users scroll back up, tab bars fluidly expand. In iPadOS and macOS, updated sidebars make apps like Apple TV even more immersive.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Apple redesigns its operatings systems with 'Liquid Glass'
Apple's iPhone may not be getting a significant AI upgrade, but it is getting a fresh coat of paint. As are Apple's other operating systems. At Monday's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 25), the company announced a refreshed user interface called Liquid Glass, which features shiny, reflective, and transparent visual interface elements that give the software a more "glassy" look and feel. The design refresh is inspired by Apple's VR headset, the Vision Pro. It unifies the iPhone's design and that of Apple's other devices, with the interface built for the spatial computing headset. This change could also hint at a potential future that could see Apple's operating system and software extended to other surfaces besides phones, tablets, and watches -- like AR glasses, perhaps. Introduced at WWDC by Alan Dye, Apple's Vice President of Design, the Liquid Glass interface represents the biggest visual update to iOS, the software powering the iPhone, since the move from the original skeumorphic design to a flat design style in iOS 7. With skeumorphism, the idea was to translate real-world objects to the touch screen -- like a Notes app that looked like a yellow legal pad. Flat design upended this visual language, opting instead for simple shapes, clean lines, a minimalist user interface, and more colorful icons. Over time, iOS's flat design evolved to have more glossy and semi-translucent layers, like a Control Center that mimicked a frosted pane of glass. As Dye explained, the redesign includes the "optical qualities of glass and a fluidity that only Apple can achieve." The company says the update will bring more clarity to navigation and controls, refracts light, nd dynamically reacts to your movement. In addition, it will respond in real time to your content and your input, creating a "more lively experience," Dye said. The Liquid Glass display is translucent and will behave like glass in the real world. The color of the screen is informed by your content and will adapt between light and dark environments. In addition, alerts appear from where you tap, context menus expand into a scannable list when you scroll tap. The design applies to both the system experiences like the Lock Screen, Notifications and Control Center, as well as the app icons. The company says the new icons will look like they've been crafted with multiple layers of liquid glass and will come in light mode, dark mode and a new clear mode. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Sign in to access your portfolio
