Used oil is exactly what its name implies: any petroleum-based or synthetic oil that has been used. Oil keeps our cars, lawnmowers, and many other machines running smoothly. However, during normal use, impurities such as dirt, metal scrapings, water, or chemicals, can get mixed in with the oil, so that in time, the oil no longer performs well. Eventually, this used oil must be replaced with virgin or re-refined oil to do the job correctly. Basic Information on Handling Used Oil at Home If you are one of the many people who change their own motor oil, you too need to know how to properly manage the used oil. After all, used oil from one oil change can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water — a years’ supply for 50 people! When handling used oil, be sure to take these key points into consideration: Used motor oil is insoluble, persistent, and can contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals. It’s slow to degrade. It sticks to everything from beach sand to bird feathers. It

Giant Food Stores, supermarkets that are common sights in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, are getting some robotic assistance. Within six months, each of these 172 supermarkets will be working with robots called Marty. Giant's parent company, Ahold Delhaize USA, which is based out of the Netherlands, also owns Martin's and Stop & Shop locations. They'll also be getting robots, bringing the total number of stores getting Martys to 500. The robots aren't quite replacing the humans in these supermarkets. Built by Brain Corp., which has also built robotic janitors for Walmart, Martys will be alerting humans to problems that need their attention. They'll move through the Giants and when they notice spills or other trip hazards, they'll alert customers verbally and reach out to employees through the store's public announcement system. “Bringing robotics and A.I. from a research lab to the sales floor has been a very exciting jour

 Fender is really offering something special with their new Acoustasonic, a hybrid electric/acoustic guitar several years in the making. This guitar is truly an acoustic and an electric, not just an acoustic with a preamp and pickup, nor just an electric with a Piezo pickup for an added "acoustic” tone. It’s a concept all its own and one we're excited about. The new Acoustasonic sports the classic Telecaster body, has a magnetic electric pickup, a Piezo, and a body-sensing pickup (more on that later), a soundhole, a wooden bridge, two knobs, and a bolt-on neck. There’s a DSP chip inside for a diversity of tones, but the guitar sounds anything but digital. With acoustic, electric, digital, and analog technology, it’s a hard instrument to nail down, but that's what makes it so interesting. Acoustic-electric guitars have been around since the late '60s. With onboard preamps and pickups, these let artists play large venues with acoustic guitars without putting a mic

While the United States has seen substantive growth in homes using photovoltaic (PV) solar energy over the last several years, this growth has been uneven. According to a new study from Tufts, fewer African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods are gaining the benefits of solar power, even when controlling for home ownership and income level. “Solar power is crucial to meeting the climate goals presented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, but we can and need to deploy solar more broadly so that it benefits all people, regardless of race and ethnicity,” says Deborah Sunter, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Tufts and the study’s lead author, in a press statement. “Solar energy can be a resource for climate protection and social empowerment.” The study used Google's Project Sunroof, which collects data from Google Maps to analyze the solar potential of neighborhoods as well as how many solar projects exist in any given area. “Advances in rem