Category: United States

Rooftop Solar Could Save Utilities $100 To $120 Per Installed Kilowatt | Ars Technica

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When you install rooftop solar panels, the electricity you create cuts into the amount of electricity the utility must provide to meet your needs. Add up the reduced demand of all the homes with solar panels, and you’ve got a pretty sizable amount of electricity that’s no longer needed. Lower wholesale prices “should ultimately reduce consumers’ costs through lower retail rates,” the researchers write (although whether and how those savings get passed on to retail customers is not discussed in the paper). The paper is location-specific and draws on historical…

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Smart TVs Are Invading Privacy And Should Be Investigated, Senators Say | Ars Technica

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Two Democratic US senators have asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate privacy problems related to Internet-connected televisions. “Many Internet-connected smart TVs are equipped with sophisticated technologies that can track the content users are watching and then use that information to tailor and deliver targeted advertisements to consumers,” Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote in a letter yesterday to FTC Chairman Joseph Simons. “Regrettably, smart TV users may not be aware of the extent to which their televisions are collecting sensitive information about their viewing habits.” The…

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‘I Was Truly Shocked’: Canadian Banned From U.S. Over Pot Investment | CTV News

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With the impending legalization of recreational marijuana this fall, Canadians with investments in American pot companies will have to be careful crossing the U.S. border following the news that one prominent businessman was banned for life. Sam Znaimer is a prominent venture capitalist in Vancouver who started investing in budding U.S. cannabis startup companies a few years ago. In May, Znaimer was trying to travel to the States when he was stopped by border officials. During the questioning, he said he was never asked about his personal consumption of the…

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Trade War Fallout: Why Oil And The Loonie Are Finally Headed Apart | CBC News

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It’s a relationship that Canadians had gotten used to. For years, when the price of oil went up, so did the value of the Canadian dollar. That led to a soaring loonie when oil prices were flying high, but double-takes while travelling in the U.S. once the wind came out of oil’s sails and the Canadian dollar was lower. But a funny thing has happened of late, as the symbiotic relationship between the two has weakened. Or, as Bank of Montreal economist Doug Porter put it, “The Canadian dollar continues to diverge…

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U.S. Border Patrol Questions Crews Of At Least 2 Canadian Fishing Vessels In Disputed Waters | CBC News

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The federal government is investigating reports that two Canadian fishing vessels were approached, and crew members questioned, by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Canadian waters in the Gulf of Maine in late June. According to Global Affairs Canada, the incidents occurred June 24 and 25 around Machias Seal Island and North Rock. While details are scant, the fishermen are members of the Grand Manan Fishermen’s Association. Laurence Cook, the association’s chair, wrote on Facebook that the U.S. officials claimed they were “looking for illegal immigrants.” On Wednesday, Cook said further that border officials…

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Fourth Of July Travel? Secret Service Warns Of Gas Pump Skimmers | CNET

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Nearly 47 million Americans are expected to hit the road to celebrate what promises to be the busiest Fourth of July holiday weekend in history, according to AAA. That’s why Secret Service agents from 36 field offices will be out locating and recovering skimming devices from gas stations in 21 states during the holiday week, the agency said Tuesday. Skimmers are devices that detect and record credit card information at payment terminals, such as gas pumps. The devices are are getting smaller, smarter and harder to detect. Gas stations are…

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With Trump As Commander-in-Chief, Canada’s Dithering On Procurement Becomes Intolerable | CBC News

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Defence procurement is the government promise that keeps on rebooting. At the moment, Canada is preparing to purchase 25 second-hand F-18 fighter jets from Australia — pending U.S. approval —as a stop-gap measure until it can replace its fleet with new jets. The earlier plan was to buy 18 used jets, making this the roughly zillionth update to Canada’s defence procurement plan. This de facto refusal to truly modernize our fighter jet fleet will make Canada look like the runt compared to our allies. And by “allies,” I am referring mainly to…

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Legal Recreational Marijuana: What You Need To Know | CBC News

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The legislative battle over marijuana may be over, but as Canadians look ahead to Oct. 17 — the date legalization takes effect — there are some practical considerations that should be top of mind for those keen to light up legally. First of all — and this is typical of Canada’s federal system — not all provinces and territories are following the same path to legalization. Some are imposing different regulations on the drug within their jurisdictions. Two provinces, Quebec and Manitoba, are banning home cultivation altogether. Canadians who cross the border…

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Mounties, CSIS Still Haven’t Publicly ID’d People Behind Electronic Cell Surveillance In Ottawa | CBC News

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After investigating for over a year, the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) are still unable to publicly identify those who have deployed electronic espionage devices in the national capital. In April 2017, a CBC/Radio-Canada report revealed that IMSI catchers were being used in Ottawa and Montreal. These devices can capture cellphone data and listen to telephone conversations. News that sophisticated spying tools had been deployed within range of Parliament Hill caused some tumult within the government. Following the CBC/Radio-Canada report, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced the launch…

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A Trip To The ER With Your Phone May Mean Injury Lawyer Ads For Weeks | Ars Technica

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With digital traps in hospitals, there’s no need for personal injury lawyers to chase ambulances these days. Law firms are using geofencing in hospital emergency rooms to target advertisements to patients’ mobile devices as they seek medical care, according to Philadelphia public radio station WHYY. Geofencing can essentially create a digital perimeter around certain locations and target location-aware devices within the borders of those locations. Patients who unwittingly jump that digital fence may see targeted ads for more than a month, and on multiple devices, the outlet notes. While the…

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