Apple’s newly announced iPad Pro models cost over $3,000 when fully configured with all available options and accessories, making it the priciest iPad to date.
The cost breakdown for the top-specification iPad Pro is as follows:
13-inch iPad Pro (starting price): $1,299
2TB storage: +$1,000
Nano-texture glass option: +$100
Wi-Fi + Cellular: +$200
Apple Pencil Pro: $129
Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro (13-inch model): $349
The maxed-out iPad Pro costs $2,599, but with the Apple Pencil Pro and the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, it comes to a total of $3,077 – a new high for the iPad.
Apple’s “Let Loose” event kicks off today at the unusual time of 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and we’re expecting to see an iPad-focused event with new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, updated Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard accessories, and perhaps some other announcements. Apple is providing a live video stream on its website, on YouTube, and in the company’s TV app across various platforms. We…
Apple today unveiled redesigned iPad Pro models featuring the M4 chip, Ultra Retina XDR OLED displays, a nano-texture display option, and more. The new iPad Pro offers a considerably thinner design and slightly larger 11- and 13-inch display size options. The 11-inch model is 5.3mm thick and weighs less than a pound, while the 13-inch model is just 5.1mm thick and weighs a quarter pound less …
Apple today announced that iOS 17.5 will be released to the public “soon,” following over a month of beta testing. While the software update is relatively minor, it does have a few new features and changes, as outlined in the list below. “The new Pride Radiance watch face and iPhone and iPad wallpapers will be available soon with watchOS 10.5, iOS 17.5, and iPadOS 17.5,” said Apple, in its…
Apple at its “Let Loose” event today announced a new Magic Keyboard for the latest iPad Pro models, with a thinner, lighter design. Apple says the Magic Keyboard has been redesigned to be thinner and lighter, while maintaing the same floating design. Two colors are available that match the new iPad Pro. New features include a function row with screen brightness controls, an aluminum…
Apple will be holding its first event of the year this Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time, with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube. How long will the event be? In his newsletter today, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said the video will have a runtime of “around 35 minutes.” Apple is expected to announce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, along with updated Apple Pencil…
While the iPhone 16 series is still months away from launching, an early rumor about an all-new iPhone 17 model has now surfaced. In a research note with investment firm Haitong this week, analyst Jeff Pu said Apple is planning a so-called “iPhone 17 Slim” model that would replace the Plus model in the lineup. Pu said this model will feature around a 6.6-inch display, a slimmer design, an…
Apple today held the first event of 2024, debuting new iPad Air and iPad Pro models and accompanying accessories. While the event was faster than normal and took 40 minutes, we’ve condensed it down even further for those who want a quick overview of everything that was announced. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We’ve also got a full recap of all of the coverage…
As Elon Musk steps away, yet again, from the idea of a $25,000 Tesla, let’s take this opportunity to zoom out and appreciate what a truly affordable EV can be. For this we need to ignore the Nissan Leaf—currently the cheapest EV in the US at $29,280—and skip over Europe, home to the adorable but flawed $10,000 Citroen Ami, and head to China.
Here you’ll find the equally cheap BYDSeagull, a small electric hatchback styled by ex-Lamborghini designer Wolfgang Egger and with a 200-mile range—four times that of the Ami.
But what if even that is too expensive? Then allow us to present the Zhidou Rainbow. This is a compact city EV priced from 31,900 yuan before subsidies—that’s just $4,400. For a new electric car. WIRED literally recommends ebikes that cost more that this.
The Rainbow has three doors and four seats, and an interior with a 5-inch digital driver display and a 9-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. There’s even a connected smartphone app, charge scheduling, and the promise of over-the-air (OTA) software updates.
Splash out on the flagship Color Cloud Edition (which costs $5,800, or about half the price of Porsche’s fanciest bicycle) and you can have each panel of your Rainbow painted a different color. A bit like Volkswagen did with the somewhat mad Polo Harlequin in the mid ’90s.
Cheaper Than an Ebike
There are two models on offer. The first has that headline $4,400 price tag and is powered by a 20-kW (27-horsepower) motor with 85 Nm (63 ft-lbs) of torque and fed by a tiny 9.98-kWh battery. Spend 39,900 yuan ($5,500) and your Rainbow is fitted with a 30-kW (40-horsepower) motor with 125 Nm of torque and a 17-kWh battery pack. Range is between 78 and 127 miles using China’s generous CLTC testing standard.
Be under no illusion here, these are tiny numbers. Even the larger battery is the same capacity of that of a plug-in hybrid Honda CR-V, which also employs a 2.0-liter engine to help it get around. But the range isn’t terrible. Even if the testing standard is generous, and the larger battery has a more realistic range of 100 miles, that’s about the same as the Honda e, which cost a whopping £37,000 ($46,000) before it went off sale at the end of 2023.
There are two Rainbow models: One powered by a 20-kW (27-horsepower) motor fed by a tiny 9.98-kWh battery; and a pimped 30-kW (40-horsepower) motor version with 17-kWh battery.
The cost of ditching Windows 10 at your business and upgrading to the latest software might end up being a rather expensive process, Microsoft has revealed.
Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, with businesses then needing to pay out for its Extended Security Updates (ESU).
The company has now unveiled details on how much businesses will need to have to pay if they want to keep using Windows 10 after its official end of support deadline without being left open to security attacks.
Costly Windows 10 upgrade
In a blog post explaining the changes, Microsoft reminded businesses that will need to keep using Windows 10 after support ends that they will need to enroll those PCs in the ESU program.
There will be three paid options for businesses looking to extend their support, Microsoft said – the traditional 5-by-5 activation key method, a cloud-based activation method, and activation included with your Windows 365 subscription.
The former is the base license package, costing $61 per device for Year 1, with users simply downloading an activation key and applying it to whichever individual Windows 10 devices they have selected for the ESU program.
Companies will also be able to access ESU through their existing Windows 365 subscription at no extra cost, with devices automatically be activated to receive security updates without any additional steps.
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Finally, Microsoft also has a “special offer” for organizations using a Microsoft cloud-based update management solution such as Microsoft Intune or Windows Autopatch, who can access a 25% discount, meaning their ESU will cost $45 per user for up to five devices for Year 1.
“ESUs allow you to receive critical and/or important security updates for Windows 10 PCs when you need extra time to move to Windows 11,” the company noted.
“Organizations that run legacy software are at a higher risk of security breaches and potential compliance violations. While Windows 10 PCs will continue to function after they reach end of support, they will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes, feature improvements, or security issue resolutions. Upgrading to Windows 11 or transitioning to a new Windows 11 PC will help you deliver the best, most secure computing experience to your employees—and help protect your organization.”
Fresh off its announced acquisition by Walmart, Vizio has dropped news of a new 86-inch TV, the biggest screen yet to appear from the US-based TV maker.
Ultra-large TVs are nothing unusual, with the best 85-inch TVs now starting to seem small compared to the 98-inch and even larger models that many brands rolled out at CES 2024. What is unusual about Vizio’s new 86-inch TV is its price: $999. That’s not much more than the 65-inch Vizio M-Series QX model I reviewed in late 2022, and it’s a stone-cold bargain for a TV of this size.
The new 86-inch model tops off the company’s 4K TV series, which features screens in other sizes ranging from 43 inches to 75 inches. It has a full-array LED display and supports the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ high dynamic range formats. The TV’s native refresh rate is 60Hz, but gaming at 120fps is possible when played at 1080p resolution, and there’s also support for ALLM, VRR, and Dolby Vision gaming.
DTS:X audio processing is onboard, which typically includes a virtual surround sound option. The new 4K TV also comes with a Vizio Voice remote control with a built-in mic, works with Alexa and Google voice assistants, and supports AirPlay2 and Chromecast for streaming from a phone or tablet.
(Image credit: Vizio)
Big and cheap… but good?
Low-priced large TVs are becoming more common, with even premium brands like Samsung offering affordable 85-inch sets (and now 98-inch ones for 2024). But as we saw when we tested the Samsung CU8000 in a 75-inch screen size, the picture quality of these more basic TVs can be lacking in key areas, especially when it comes to contrast and black uniformity.
Picture quality shortcomings in lower-cost TVs can often be connected to the backlight technology used. Pricier models typically have a full array LED or mini-LED backlight with local dimming, which evenly distributes the lighting across the screen and boosts contrast. But the Samsung CU8000’s basic, edge-lit backlight caused deep blacks to appear as more of an elevated gray tone, and for highlights in movies with HDR to look comparatively dull.
That’s not to say Vizio’s 86-inch TV will suffer the same shortcomings. It does feature a full-array LED backlight, but there was no mention of local dimming in either the press release Vizio shared with us, or in the product listing on the company’s website.
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Other budget TV brands such as TCL and Hisense also sell 85-inch models for under $1,000, and like Vizio’s 86-incher, these use basic LED backlights with no local dimming. TechRadar hasn’t tested these models, but it’s unlikely that they’d provide the same level of performance as mini-LED TVs such as the TCL QM8 and Hisense U8K, models ranking among the best TVs for combining picture quality with value.
Both those TVs with an 85-inch screen size cost roughly twice as much as the new 86-inch Vizio. And while we can’t say if the company’s new top 4K TV can rival the TCL and Hisense mini-LEDs without first completing a full review, if it comes anywhere close it will be an incredible value at $999. At the very least, it has an inch of screen size on the competition.
People with long COVID often struggle to get sufficient support in the workplace; researchers are no exception.Credit: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Abby Koppes got COVID-19 in March 2020, just as the world was waking up to the unprecedented scale on which the virus was spreading. Her symptoms weren’t bad at first. She spent the early lockdown period in Boston, Massachusetts, preparing her tenure application.
During that summer of frenzied writing, Koppes’s symptoms worsened. She often awoke in the night with her heart racing. She was constantly gripped by fatigue, but she brushed off the symptoms as due to work stress. “You gaslight yourself a little bit, I guess,” she says.
Soon after Koppes submitted her tenure application in July, she began experiencing migraines for the first time, which left her bedridden. Her face felt as if it was on fire, a condition called trigeminal neuralgia that’s also known as suicide disease because of the debilitating pain it causes. Specialists took months to diagnose her with a series of grim-sounding disorders: Sjögren’s syndrome, small-fibre polyneuropathy and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. To make time for the litany of doctors’ appointments, Koppes took a six-month “self-care sabbatical”.
It’s a bit of a blur, she says, but Koppes, a biochemical engineer at Northeastern University in Boston, describes September 2021 to April 2023 as a dark period in her life. Fortunately, she was buoyed by one monumental victory that preceded it: she was granted tenure in summer 2021.
Abby Koppes changed her research focus to study her own experience of long COVID.Credit: Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University
However, other academic researchers with long COVID might not count themselves so lucky. Koppes’s experience has compelled her to speak up for other researchers with the condition. It needn’t spell the end of an academic career, provided institutions step up to help. Nature spoke to researchers living with long COVID to find out how they manage the illness amid the pressures of academic research. (Many requested anonymity for privacy or for fear of repercussions on their careers and reputations.) They describe new realities that include budgeting for periods of fatigue and negotiating adjustments such as flexible working arrangements — an area, they say, in which academia can do better.
When academia meets long COVID
Koppes is one of at least 65 million people worldwide to develop long-term health problems after contracting the virus SARS-CoV-2. The World Health Organization defines long COVID as a suite of symptoms lasting two months or longer, continuing or occurring three months after the initial infection.
Collection: Coronavirus and scientific careers
Common symptoms of long COVID include cognitive impairment, fatigue and immune dysregulation. Weak or overburdened health-care systems in some nations mean many people who have the condition are left without appropriate care.
Moreover, in the cut-throat world of academia, in which it is the norm to push oneself through graduate training and the postdoctoral stage, and as an early-career academic, long COVID throws up barriers for those seeking permanent positions, such as the promised land of tenure.
It could also squeeze diversity out of the talent pool — studies have shown that long COVID tends to disproportionately affect women and people of colour. “Women are already under-represented in higher roles,” says Natalie Holroyd, a computational medicine researcher with long COVID at University College London. “Is this going to exacerbate existing inequality?”
Scientists count the career costs of COVID
“Getting tenure was so profoundly destructive to my health that it prepared my body for severe long COVID,” one Latina researcher in the humanities tells Nature. “I feel like my academic job demands my death.”
Researchers with long COVID often face extra administrative burdens: dealing with the mountains of paperwork for disability claims and workplace-accommodation requests. These tasks can feel like a part-time job in their own right. “Not only are we trying to get all the same work done with many fewer functional hours, but we also have more work to do,” one US-based biology researcher says. “That doesn’t even count all of the extra hours that we have to spend dealing with getting health care.”
There’s also financial pressure. Researchers might feel the need to soldier on to continue to receive a steady income and, in many cases, employer-provided health insurance. The most vulnerable individuals are graduate students and postdoctoral scholars on temporary contracts. International early-career researchers’ visa status can be contingent on working full-time.
In some cases, seeking accommodations can feel out of reach. “I did not go up to anybody and say, ‘Hey, I’ve been dealing with this the entire two years. Can we do something about it?’” says Priya (not her real name), a master’s student with chronic post-COVID-19 health problems at one of the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research. Organizing a community to advocate for a better learning and research environment takes time, effort and money. Convinced that the university can’t do much, Priya is resigned to bearing her poor health alone. “There are definitely other people here that have similar issues, but I don’t think there’s been a dialogue about it.”
Pandemic productivity loss: how scientific institutions should support academic mothers
Academics with long COVID also face societal ignorance about the condition, with several of those Nature spoke to reporting that they were mainly left to fend for themselves or to navigate workplace accommodation policies that aren’t tailored for long COVID. Many researchers conceal their illness for fear of stigma. Even with understanding colleagues, people with long COVID say they’re exhausted from constantly advocating for their needs and educating others about the condition.
Because some symptoms can be invisible, colleagues might negatively judge a co-worker’s performance or ability to participate. When Sarah (not her real name) started her assistant professorship at a US university, colleagues who were aware of her condition would occasionally tell her that she “looked good” during a meeting. “But it’s because I had very carefully managed my day,” she says. To be able to attend an hour-long meeting at the height of her symptoms, Sarah says she would sleep for two hours beforehand, then for another two afterwards to recuperate. “They don’t realize that there are four hours on either side that were devoted to making it possible.”
The need for extra rest can leave those with long COVID little time for pursuing career-advancing opportunities, especially travel. And because reinfection can exacerbate symptoms, crowd-facing activities aren’t safe, either, when masking is not required.
Sociologist Kerstin Sailer had to redefine what it meant to be a researcher living with the disabilities that come with long COVID.Credit: Beatrix Fuhrmann
Many high-achieving researchers with long COVID say that one of their biggest struggles is the loss of their identities that had been pegged to their cognitive abilities and productivity. Often, they learnt the hard way that pushing themselves beyond their limits would only cause them to crash later. “It took me a while to recognize that I am now a disabled academic,” says Kerstin Sailer, a sociology researcher at University College London. She had “to gather around and find my own kind of inner strength and redefine what it means to be me”.
But Sailer and others are a testament to the fact that long COVID need not signal a career dead end. With the right support, affected academics can still thrive.
Accommodations and flexibility
Researchers living with long COVID have found ways to adapt, often relying on assistance from peers. Koppes co-advises all of her students with her husband, an academic at the same university, which is helpful for the days she’s off sick. Other long-haulers have formed online support groups or leaned on collaborators to help them to cross project finishing lines. Kathleen Banks, a public-health doctoral student with long COVID at Boston University in Massachusetts, has an informal dissertation coach who holds her accountable for meeting graduation milestones without pushing her too hard.
Researchers say that the most important form of support is that offered by a compassionate supervisor, be it a department chair or a research adviser. They advise looking for someone who prioritizes your health and doesn’t put undue pressure on you to perform.
Academia’s ableist culture laid bare
Holroyd says she’s grateful for having had the same supportive adviser since her PhD days. “He kept reassuring me that the work that [I’m] putting out is fine, it’s enough,” she says of her now-postdoctoral supervisor. “I’m unlikely to find that level of support elsewhere.”
Ideally, supervisors will also fight for needed accommodations. These can include having a private office, being able to work from home, teaching remotely and having a flexible schedule to deal with an unpredictable ailment.
Employers should also recognize that accommodations, such as virtual working, aren’t one-size-fits-all. Jane (not her real name) is a US-based researcher in the social sciences who developed mast-cell activation syndrome after a COVID-19 infection. In her case, this causes life-threatening allergic reactions to synthetic chemicals in scented products. She requested a high-efficiency particulate air filter for her classroom, but her institution recommended that she teach remotely instead.
However, as other classes at her institution returned to in-person formats, Jane says she noticed that students preferred those to virtual courses such as hers. She’s nervous about the impact this might have on the teaching evaluations that count towards tenure. She has proposed that her institution establish a fragrance-free policy for her office building, but her employers, although receptive, have declined to help her enforce the rules. “It felt like they threw everything at me to advocate for myself,” Jane says. “They basically proposed the remote option as an alternative to all the things that I had requested.”
In many countries, disability laws require employers to make reasonable allowances for disabled workers. Of course, the word ‘reasonable’ is open to interpretation. Not everyone has found workarounds for their job. One mathematics PhD student in the Netherlands quit his programme in his final year after contracting long COVID. And some scholars have pivoted to focus on less physically demanding and more remote-friendly research fields, choosing computational over experimental work, for example, to allow them to sidestep significant hands-on labour.
Many institutions have offered employees with long COVID tenure-clock pauses, deadline extensions and emergency health-related funding. Advocates welcome these short-term support measures, but say more needs to be done. Medical experts don’t know how long the condition might last, so academia needs to formulate long-term policies.
Without such policies, informal arrangements can signal to those with long COVID that they’re a burden. “My experience with the accommodation system has been [that] it just comes down so much to having a supportive principal investigator” to back you up, says one graduate student at a major US university who has long COVID. “That’s just not how it should be.”
Culture shift
Some advocates are calling for a culture that champions workplace accessibility for all: universal design. The concept aims to shift the onus of advocating for particular needs away from the individual. Universal design measures include — by default — live captioning for video-call events and the taking of meeting notes to share with absentees. Researchers with long COVID also advocate for those organizing seminars and conferences to enable remote attendance options.
Brainstorming for these initiatives needs to be a community-wide process, says Emily Shryock, the director of the University of Texas at Austin’s Disability Cultural Center, a community hub for those who identify as disabled and their allies. She recognizes that there will always be tricky situations that have no easy answer. Nevertheless, the broader goal is to reach a middle ground between measures that aren’t required by law any more, such as mask mandates, and individual preferences. “That would be the hope — that every person would feel like they can ask for what they need and be supported in that request, even if, ultimately, they don’t get exactly what they want,” she says.
Postdoctoral fellow Sandra Schachat says being vulnerable to contracting long COVID means she is likely to seek remote-working opportunities next.Credit: Andrés Baresch
Universal design is just the first step; academic culture has a long way to go to becoming more inclusive. People like Holroyd choose to stay with trusted advisers so as not to risk working with someone less empathetic. Others are leaving academia altogether. “Why would I want to spend my entire career begging for safety measures that are essential to my survival?” asks Sandra Schachat, a postdoctoral researcher and Schmidt Science Fellow at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She has dodged COVID-19 so far, but she has an autoimmune disease and knows it makes her vulnerable to the infection’s chronic fallout. Although she says her current lab is “perfect”, she doesn’t trust the larger academic world to protect people like her. So, when her fellowship ends, she plans to explore a career in industry that will allow her to work remotely.
In academia’s rigid research-assessment system, which is based on the quantity of publications and invited talks a person clocks up, people with chronic illnesses find it incredibly hard to compete. Jane, the social scientist, says her university refuses to make exceptions to the tenure policy for those with long COVID. Other affected researchers call for academic success to be reimagined.
Chris Maddison says long COVID bolsters calls for more flexible research assessments.Credit: Dan Komoda/Institute for Advanced Study
“I do think that [universities] should broaden what they consider to be impact,” says Chris Maddison, a machine-learning researcher with long COVID at the University of Toronto, Canada. That could mean acknowledging different contributions towards society as being equally valuable. For example, in addition to papers published, his field could also count contributions such as releases of scalable, machine-learning prototypes. Nevertheless, Maddison admits that finding the solution to equitable academic assessment isn’t simple. “Maybe long COVID is just one other impetus to say we need to really solve this problem.”
On an individual level, long COVID has also served as a wake-up call to some researchers in relation to their taxing lifestyles. “It’s really forced me to re-evaluate my relationship with stress and my work–life balance,” says one postdoc in the United Kingdom. Now, she is diligent about pacing herself and feels much less guilty for taking breaks. “This experience has helped me develop healthier habits and skills that I’ll carry with me even after I recover.”
On the flip side, the rigours of academic research have also helped to prepare these scholars for the ups and downs of long COVID. “Science has also trained me [to have] resilience, persistence, patience,” says Sarah. “These are helpful qualities when dealing with chronic conditions.”
Koppes agrees. Inspired by her own conditions, she has shifted her research towards the autoimmunity and neurology of long COVID symptoms to interrogate her experience.
For now, Koppes is celebrating the small victories in her slow recovery: being able to walk the dog or take public transport instead of relying on car rides. On her wall at home hangs a reproduction of a painting by the impressionist artist Edward Henry Potthast titled Wild Surf, Ogunquit, Maine. It depicts a beach that she and her husband frequented pre-COVID-19 — a reminder, she says, not of everything she’s lost, but of what she might one day return to.
Tim Cook didn’t give investors the truth about iPhone demand in China in 2018 and it’s costing the company. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Apple reportedly settled a class action lawsuit that accused the company of hiding news of declining iPhone demand in China. It concerns comments made by CEO Tim Cook during an investor call back in 2018.
The iPhone-maker is allegedly paying a $490 million settlement.
Apple pays up after misleading comments about iPhone demand in China
When a CEO stretches the truth about the company they run, they face consequences. In a prominent example, tweets Elon Musk made in 2018 about taking EV-maker Tesla private resulted in a $40 million fine and a requirement that he resign as Tesla chairman. Now it’s Tim Cook’s turn.
When speaking to investors in November 2018, Cook said that iPhone demand was declining in some counties but that China was not one of them. Two months later, Cook penned an open letter to investors warning that Apple revenue wouldn’t meet expectations because of declining iPhone demand in China. A class action lawsuit accused the CEO of deliberately deceiving investors.
Apple and the plaintiffs have reached a preliminary settlement, according to Reuters. Apple agreed to pay $490 million but admit no wrongdoing. The money will be available to investors who bought AAPL shares after Cook’s November 2018 comment but before the January 2019 open letter.
The settlement has not yet been approved. That’s up to U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
Researchers propose that governments apply a new method for calculating the benefits that arise from conserving biodiversity and nature for future generations.
The method can be used by governments in cost-benefit analyses for public infrastructure projects, in which the loss of animal and plant species and ‘ecosystem services’ — such as filtering air or water, pollinating crops or the recreational value of a space — are converted into a current monetary value.
This process is designed to make biodiversity loss and the benefits of nature conservation more visible in political decision-making.
However, the international research team says current methods for calculating the values of ecosystem services “fall short” and have devised a new approach, which they believe could easily be deployed in Treasury analysis underpinning future Budget statements.
Their approach, published in the journal Science, takes into consideration the increase in monetary value of nature over time as human income increases, as well as the likely deterioration in biodiversity, making it more of a scarce resource.
This contrasts with current methods, which do not consider how the value of ecosystem services changes over time.
“Our study provides governments with a formula to estimate the future values of scarce ecosystem services that can be used in decision-making processes,” said Moritz Drupp, Professor of Sustainability Economics at the University of Hamburg and lead author on this study.
Two factors play a key role in this value adjustment: on the one hand, income will rise and with it the prosperity of the world’s population — by an estimated two percent per year after adjusting for inflation.
As incomes go up, people are willing to pay more to conserve nature.
“On the other hand, the services provided by ecosystems will become more valuable the scarcer they become,” said Professor Drupp. “The fact that scarce goods become more expensive is a fundamental principle in economics, and it also applies here. And in view of current developments, unfortunately, we must expect the loss of biodiversity to continue.”
According to the researchers, the present value of ecosystem services must therefore be set much higher in today’s cost-benefit analyses, to more than 130 percent if just including the rise of income.
If also taking into account the impact on Red List Index endangered species, the value adjustment would amount to more than 180 percent.
Accounting for these effects will increase the likelihood of projects that conserve ecosystem services passing a cost-benefit test.
The research team includes three UK-based authors: Professor Mark Freeman (University of York), Dr. Frank Venmans (LSE), and Professor Ben Groom (University of Exeter).
“The monetary values for the environment that are currently used by policy makers in the appraisal of public investments and regulatory change mean that nature becomes relatively less valuable over time compared to other goods and services,” said Professor Groom.
“Our work shows this is wrong. We propose an uplift in the values of ecosystems over time. This proposal could easily be deployed in the Treasury’s analysis that will underpin future Budget statements.”
Dr Venmans added: “Take coral reefs as a specific example. These are expected to decline in area and biodiversity as the climate changes, meaning that the remaining reefs will be much more valuable than today, and even more so as household incomes rise. This matters when we assess coral reef preservation with long-lasting effects.”
Professor Freeman said: “The government is under considerable pressure from many sides for additional public investment. Ensuring that the protection of ecosystems is appraised in a way that is consistent with other public projects, including HS2 and other infrastructure spending, is critical. This is what our work aims to achieve.”
The researchers say that as political decisions can alleviate the loss of biodiversity, it is important that governments are able to adequately assess the consequences of their decisions today and in the future.
Economist Professor Moritz Drupp has developed this research in collaboration with a team of international researchers from Germany, the UK, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United States.
The team advises, among others, HM Treasury, the US White House, and the German Federal Environment Agency.
Audi has revealed an extreme version of its RS6 estate, the Audi RS 6 Avant GT, and the car costs a massive £176,975 in the UK. Production will be limited to just 660 cars worldwide, and only 60 will be available in the UK.
The car features a range of heritage decals which are based on the Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO, the car will come with a range of exclusive features and exclusive interior and exterior details.
The new Audi RS 6 Avant GT distinguishes itself with a striking roof edge spoiler, a redesigned diffuser, and 22-inch wheels that feature a unique pattern, cementing its status as the preeminent RS 6 Avant. Internally, the vehicle is adorned with premium bucket seats, a custom color scheme, and a unique serial number on the center console, adding to its exclusivity.
The RS 6 Avant GT further enhances its driving dynamics with a lightweight, adjustable coilover suspension system exclusive to this model, and an optimized quattro sport differential at the rear axle for improved handling. Powering this automotive masterpiece is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre TFSI V8 engine, which produces 630PS and generates 850Nm of torque between 2,300 to 4,500rpm.
The Audi RS 6 Avant GT can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 3.3 seconds, reaching 124 mph in 10.5 seconds, with a top speed of 190 mph, supported by standard RS ceramic brakes. Its 4.0-litre TFSI V8 engine uses permanent quattro all-wheel drive and an eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox for improved shift times. This model features an updated locking center differential, distributing power 40:60 between the front and rear axles, adjusting up to 70% to the front and 85% to the rear for better traction. The enhanced differential boosts handling, and precision in cornering, and minimizes understeer.
The car sets itself apart with a specially tuned quattro sport differential for enhanced agility and a rear-focused dynamic mode, offering drivers sporty, precise handling. Exclusive to this model, standard adjustable coilover suspension with higher spring rates, triple-adjustable dampers, and significantly stiffer stabilizers reduce body roll and heighten driving enjoyment. Tools and instructions for personal adjustments are included.
New high-performance Continental “Sport Contact 7” 285/30 R22 tires provide superior grip for dynamic driving, improving road holding in all conditions and reducing understeer at high speeds for more precise handling. These tires also shorten braking distance by up to two metres from 62mph to zero.
The new Audi RS 6 Avant GT looks impressive from the photos and considering that it will be limited to just 660 cars worldwide and just 60 in the UK, we suspect that it may sell out quickly.
Source Audi
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While many organizations recognize the need for basic security measures, the hidden costs of neglecting a comprehensive business security strategy can be devastating. From fines due to non-compliance with data laws to the loss of intellectual property, the risks are multifaceted. This blog post delves into the various hidden costs that organizations might face if they underestimate the importance of business security.
Fines for Non-compliance with Data Laws and Regulations
In Huntsville, AL, and beyond, businesses are increasingly bound by stringent data protection laws. For businesses in Huntsville, AL, neglecting to adhere to such laws not only leads to financial losses but also damages the trust of stakeholders. Engaging a competent business security company in Huntsville, AL, can guide you through the complexities of these laws, ensuring compliance and avoiding hefty penalties.
Loss of Intellectual Property, Trade Secrets, and Proprietary Information
Intellectual property is the lifeblood of many businesses in Huntsville. When security is compromised, the loss of trade secrets and proprietary information can be catastrophic. It’s not just about the immediate loss but also the long-term impact on competitive advantage. A robust business security strategy in Huntsville is crucial to safeguard these invaluable assets, securing the very foundation upon which your business is built.
Costly Emergency Incident Response and Crisis Management
A security breach often necessitates immediate and extensive intervention. The cost of emergency incident response and crisis management can be exorbitant, not to mention the disruption it causes to regular operations. For businesses in Huntsville, AL, investing in preventive business security measures is far more cost-effective than the expenses incurred in managing a crisis post-incident.
Employee Downtime and Reduced Productivity After a Breach
The aftermath of a security breach significantly affects employee productivity. Downtime, while systems are restored, and the psychological impact on staff cannot be overlooked. For businesses in Huntsville, this can translate into considerable productivity losses. Effective business security not only protects data but also ensures that employees can continue their work without interruption.
Reputational Damage Leading to Loss of Customers and Partners
The reputational damage following a security breach can be devastating. For businesses in Huntsville, AL, the trust of customers and partners is paramount. Once lost, it’s incredibly challenging to regain. This loss of confidence often leads to a decrease in business, affecting the bottom line. Investing in a solid business security strategy helps maintain this trust and secure long-term relationships.
Implementation of New Security Measures After an Avoidable Incident
Often, businesses in Huntsville, AL, only recognize the need for enhanced security measures after suffering a breach. This reactive approach is more expensive and less effective than proactive security planning. Implementing new measures post-incident not only involves costs but also distracts from core business activities.
Legal Expenditures Including Liability and Litigation Expenses
Finally, the legal ramifications of a security breach can be extensive. Businesses in Huntsville face the prospect of liability and litigation expenses in the event of data breaches. These legal expenditures, often unplanned for, can strain the financial resources of any organization.
In conclusion, ignoring business security in today’s digital landscape is a risk that organizations in Huntsville, AL, cannot afford. The hidden costs are multifaceted and can impact a business in various damaging ways. Engaging a knowledgeable business security company in Huntsville, AL, can help navigate these challenges, ensuring that your business remains secure, compliant, and prosperous.
The new Hyundai IONIQ 5 N EV was made official back in July, this is the performance version of the IONIQ 5, and the car comes with an impressive 641 horsepower or 650 PS now we have details on how much the car costs in the UK,.
Pricing for the new Hyundai IONIQ 5 N starts at £65,000 on the road, the car also comes with 770 Nm of torque and it has also had a range of other performance upgrades as well as the additional power.
Elevating itself from the standard IONIQ 5, this beauty is not just about looks; it’s loaded with technical prowess. Imagine harnessing a powertrain that’s been meticulously tweaked for top-notch performance in power delivery, efficient battery cooling, and responsive braking.
Feel the thrill as the IONIQ 5 N’s electric motors rev up to a whopping 21,000 RPM. In everyday scenarios, it delivers a robust 609PS. But for those moments when you crave that extra push, activate the N Grin Boost (NGB) and watch the power surge to 650 PS, ensuring breathtaking acceleration for those adrenaline-packed 10 seconds. And for those who enjoy the race track vibes, the N Launch Control is your best buddy, offering three traction levels to ensure you get off the mark like a pro.
But that’s not all; the IONIQ 5 N is as smart as it is powerful. It’s been engineered to manage heat effectively, ensuring your ride’s performance remains top-tier. Thanks to its advanced battery thermal management system, which includes dedicated radiators for both the battery and motor, along with a revamped motor oil cooler and battery chiller, you can be assured of optimized performance.
You can find out more information about the new Hyundai IONIQ 5 N electric vehicle over at Hyundai at the link below, the car will come in a choice of 9 different colors, including a matte finish which is coming later on.
Source Hyundai
Filed Under: Auto News
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