Our self-hosted, solar-powered, off-grid website has been running for 15 months now. In this article, we present its energy and uptime data, and calculate the embodied energy of our configuration. Based on these results, we consider the optimal balance between sustainability and server uptime, and outline possible improvements. Illustration: Diego Marmolejo. Introduction In September 2018, Low-tech Magazine launched a new website that aimed to radically reduce the energy use and carbon emissions associated with accessing its content. Internet energy use is growing quickly on account of both increasing bit rates (online content gets “heavier”) and increased time spent online (especially since the arrival of mobile computing and wireless internet). The solar powered website bucks against these trends. To drop energy...
Data detox: Five ways to reset your relationship with your phone – The Firefox Frontier
Does your phone really need to know your location, last meal or secret wine subscription? Here are five steps to a better relationship with your phone.
I Got Access to My Secret Consumer Score. Now You Can Get Yours, Too.
Little-known companies are amassing your data — like food orders and Airbnb messages — and selling the analysis to clients. Here’s how to get a copy of what they have on you.
In 2019, eBay prioritized a company-wide initiative, aptly called “Speed,” focused on improving the performance of critical eBay flows across all platforms — iOS, Android, and Web. This article explains the journey and outcomes.
Do you want to stop criminals from getting into your Gmail or Facebook account? Are you worried about the cops spying on you? We have all the answers on how to protect yourself.
Training people to do accessibility reviews - Accessibility in government
I created a fictional service called ‘Record a goose sighting’ using the GOV.UK Design System. I then broke it to introduce accessibility issues based on real issues I’ve seen, such as missing alt text and broken heading hierarchies.
Since Sustainable Virtual Design lacks a formal certification, sustainability databases for site “ingredients”, and agreed-on measurements of sustainability, where do we start? One way …