All posts tagged: Cheap

Will fusion power get cheap? Don’t count on it.

Will fusion power get cheap? Don’t count on it.

Published by skeptic

It’s tricky to make any predictions about the cost of a technology that doesn’t exist yet. But when there’s billions of dollars of public and private funding on the line, it’s worth considering what assumptions we’re making about our future energy mix and its cost. One crucial measure is a metric called experience rate—the percentage by which an energy technology’s cost declines every time capacity doubles. A higher figure means a quicker price drop and better economic gains with scaling. Historically, the experience rate is 12% for onshore wind power, 20% for lithium-ion batteries, and 23% for solar modules. Other energy technologies haven’t gotten cheap quite as quickly—fission is at just 2%. In the new study, published in Nature Energy, researchers aimed to improve predictions of fusion’s future price by estimating the technology’s experience rate. The team looked at three key characteristics that can correlate with experience rate: unit size, design complexity, and the need for customization. The larger and more complex a technology is, and/or the more it needs to be customized for different …

Iconic UK shoe chain closes stores and people rush to buy cheap stock | UK | News

Iconic UK shoe chain closes stores and people rush to buy cheap stock | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

Russell & Bromley, which previously operated 36 high street stores across the UK and was acquired by Next, has started a first wave of closures as part of an administration deal. Closing its Covent Garden, Bath and Harrogate stores this week, the retailer is also launching clearance sales with 90% of everything. In response, shoppers have taken to social media to share the bargains they’ve come away with, including a £900 pair of boots for just £128. TikTok user @ninalisaaa recorded her shopping trip, showing the offers left to have as shelves empty for the last time. Another shopper, @lauracathryn, said she couldn’t wait to shop around the Ashford branch when she heard the news, saying they have sales on both this year and last year’s seasons. She said: “I could not get over the prices. They had shoes for £30 from over £300 – that is a 90% reduction. The amount of stock they have is crazy – I was in shoe heaven.” Commenting on her video, one person said: “I’m devastated they are …

The cheap supplement that can boost energy levels and support muscle growth

The cheap supplement that can boost energy levels and support muscle growth

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Creatine supplementation is booming among those seeking greater muscle size and performance. Although creatine is certainly not a new discovery, with research dating back to the 1830s, its popularity and sales have continued to grow, and have expanded beyond bodybuilders and athletes to clinical applications and benefits beyond muscle performance. Today, creatine stands as one of the most researched supplements, and new findings continue to support its use for consistent and measurable results in bodybuilding, fitness and overall health. While creatine is naturally found in foods like red meat and seafood, and also produced naturally in the body, supplementation has surged in popularity, especially among young men. This growth in popularity is largely due to young men’s desire to increase muscle size and muscle strength. Several meta-analyses have looked at the effects of creatine supplementation during resistance training on properties of …

Isuzu launches its first electric pickup in the UK, but it’s not cheap

Isuzu launches its first electric pickup in the UK, but it’s not cheap

Published by skeptic

While Toyota is preparing to launch the Hilux BEV in the UK, another Japanese electric pickup is now on sale. The Isuzu D-MAX EV can tow over 7,700 lbs, wade through close to 24″ (600 mm) of water, and it even has a dedicated Rough Terrain Mode for off-roading. However, it’s not cheap. Isuzu launches the D-Max EV pickup for the UK After revealing the left-hand-drive D-Max EV for Europe last year, Isuzu said it would begin production of the right-hand-drive model for the UK, with sales following in early 2026. Isuzu officially launched the D-Max EV as a right-hand-drive model, calling it “the first fully electric pickup in the UK to provide over 1-tonne payload, 3.5-tonne towing capacity, and permanent All Wheel Drive.” The EV pickup is powered by a 66.9 kWh lithium-ion battery and dual electric motors, providing a combined 200 hp (149.3 kW), 347.6 Nm of torque, and a WLTP driving range of 163.2 miles. In the city, the D-Max EV offers a WLTP driving range of 223.9 miles. Advertisement – scroll …

Cheap batteries are taking over the world’s power grids

Cheap batteries are taking over the world’s power grids

Published by Sam Flores

Around the world, a wave of mega installations of batteries are lining up to be connected to the grid this year — from solar hubs in Texas to grasslands in inner Mongolia and the site of a former coal plant north of Sydney. Falling costs and soaring energy demand from data centers had already set the stage for rapid growth. The war in the Middle East has helped accelerate the trend by lifting demand for alternatives to expensive fossil fuels, setting 2026 up to be the year batteries become influential in the global energy system. BloombergNEF analysts had already expected installations to jump by about a third this year, led by expansion in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. That momentum could build further if fuel disruptions persist. Signs of the ramp-up are already emerging. A Chinese battery manufacturer has forecast a sharp rise in first-quarter profit as global demand picks up. In Vietnam, a developer is seeking approval to replace a planned LNG-to-power project with renewables paired with storage, citing the surge …

How Cheap Drones Are Changing Wars Like the Ones in Ukraine and Iran

How Cheap Drones Are Changing Wars Like the Ones in Ukraine and Iran

Published by Sam Flores

A 3-D rendering of an Iranian Shahed-136 drone, a device with two triangle-shaped wings attached to a central fuselage. It has an engine the size of a small motorcycle’s and carries 110 pounds of explosives. Engine the size of a small motorcycle’s Carries 110 pounds of explosives One of the biggest takeaways of the war with Iran is that it has proven itself to be a surprisingly capable adversary against the United States. In addition to its willingness to go on the offensive, Iran has forced the U.S. and its regional allies to confront the rise of cheap drones on the battlefield. Iranian drones, made with commercial-grade technology, cost roughly $35,000 to produce. That is a fraction of the cost of the high-tech military interceptors sometimes used to shoot them down. Note: Estimated price of munitions per unit. In practice, multiple interceptors are fired when targeting a drone. For instance, with the $80 bullet fired by the Centurion Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM), 75 rounds are fired in a second. Sources: Department of Defense, Lockheed …

If you spot this port on a cheap used laptop, grab it before someone else does

If you spot this port on a cheap used laptop, grab it before someone else does

Published by skeptic

One man’s trash really is another man’s treasure, and that feels more true now than it used to. Ever since I bought a used router and installed OpenWRT on it, I’ve been mesmerized by the used tech market. Open-source software has come a long way. So has self-hosting. There are more options than ever, which means buying old hardware is no longer just about settling for less. Sometimes it’s about spotting something cheap, wiping the software, installing your own stack, and turning it into exactly what you need. Thanks to the advances of software, there are so many ways to put old hardware to use. Old tablets and phones still have lots of uses. Old laptops definitely still have uses. Maybe not as “laptops” that you carry around to work on the go. I wanted something to use as a home server, a machine to run Jellyfin on, host SearXNG, maybe Immich, that sort of thing. I landed on a used Dell Latitude for about $180. It has an Intel Core i5-1245U, 8GB of RAM, …

Why you shouldn’t buy cheap DisplayPort cables – the ‘Death Pin’ can put your GPU at serious risk

Why you shouldn’t buy cheap DisplayPort cables – the ‘Death Pin’ can put your GPU at serious risk

Published by skeptic

Ugreen/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways DisplayPort cables are designed to transfer power to monitors. With cheaper options, misaligned pins may cause power failures. You can avoid this by opting for a VESA-certified DisplayPort cable. The DisplayPort “Death Pin” issue, or more formally known as the Pin 20 Problem, is a well-known manufacturing defect in which the last contact pin on a DisplayPort cable is wired incorrectly.  This creates a direct electrical connection between your monitor and graphics card, allowing power to flow freely between them and causing severe damage. And in a time where GPU prices regularly top $1,500, it’s best to take every precaution to protect your Nvidia or AMD card from becoming a very expensive paperweight. Also: 3 tiny gadgets I trust to block electrical surges, data-stealing software, and more Fortunately, the best solution is as easy as selecting the right DisplayPort cable. But there are a few things we need to understand first in order to see how the Death Pin can wreak havoc on …

I highly recommend this car charger for quick charging on the go – and it’s cheap

I highly recommend this car charger for quick charging on the go – and it’s cheap

Published by skeptic

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET The start of spring and summer is a great time to pick up useful smartphone accessories that can improve your overall quality of life — especially before vacation season.  Also: Amazon Spring Sale live blog 2026: Top Amazon deals still live Right now, the Lisen Retractable Car Charger is on sale for $16 at Amazon, a 35% discount off its original $25 price. Multiple models are seeing the price drop. The one that I recommend is the all-gray option. But if you want something with more pizzazz, Lisen also has an all-black and a black-pink car charger for $30. The most expensive charger is the white-pink option, which is $40. I actually own a Lisen car charger myself. I bought it last year during last year’s Amazon Big Spring Sale, and I loved it so much that I ended up buying a second one for my dad to put in his car. What I enjoy most about it is how fast it charges my devices. It outputs 60W of power. I can plug …

Beyond Cheap Fish Oil: How A 5:1 DHA Ratio Powers Brain Health & Vision

Beyond Cheap Fish Oil: How A 5:1 DHA Ratio Powers Brain Health & Vision

Published by Jenni Sidey

Omega-3s are an amazing family of fats that our bodies can’t make efficiently on their own. Long used for general heart and inflammation support, research shows that when formulated with a heavy emphasis on DHA plus targeted eye nutrients, they can support brain structure, cognitive performance, memory, attention, and eye/retinal health.  Most people get very little DHA from their modern diet, especially with high intake of processed seed oils that compete with omega-3s. Studies suggest that boosting DHA intake with a targeted formula can support brain function in everyday healthy adults. But before we get into the science… We sell this unique Omega-3 formulation, so this is obviously an ad. As always, whether or not you buy from us – you should take note of what these studies have found when considering your daily supplement stack.  Long story short, what we sell is a specialized 5:1 DHA-to-EPA ratio fish oil fortified with lutein and zeaxanthin (more on that below). It’s designed specifically for brain and eye support. Support yourself & support the site – buy some here.  Actual …