Balcony power plants are trendy. The photovoltaic company Greenakku is now going one step further and has presented a solar system for garden fences. But how high is the energy yield?

In recent years, the prices for solar systems have fallen. The energy from the sun is now one of the most affordable forms of energy. So it’s no wonder that many homeowners are now buying a photovoltaic system. But what are the options if there is no space on the roof or balcony?

The solar company Greenakku now offers a solution. Because with a so-called fence PV set, property owners can turn their garden fence into a solar system. The requirement: The fence is in the sun and can bear the weight of the structure. Depending on the set, there are one or two solar panels for this.

Solar system for the garden fence from Greenakku

In addition, a micro inverter and the necessary mounting material are included in the scope of delivery. Basically, according to the manufacturer, installation works best with so-called double rod mat fences. On the other hand, if you have a different type of fence, you can also adapt the attachment with a little manual skill.

However, once screwed on, the panels cannot be easily removed again. As Greenakku reports, the fastening materials are theft-proof. Also worth mentioning: The solar system can only be attached vertically to the garden fence. Mounting in predefined angles is not possible.

Solar fence: Performance differs depending on the set selected

Once connected to the inverter, the system feeds the generated energy into the home network via a safety plug. The cheapest set starts at around 415 euros and contains a solar panel (335 watts peak) and an inverter (300 watts). There is a model with panels on both sides for around 435 euros, the output is then 390 watts peak.

If there are two panels (including two inverters), about 715 euros will be due. With the double-sided system it is around 800 euros. If you are interested, however, you should consider that the sets do not have a connection cable. However, this can be configured when ordering for 22 to 34 euros.

Also interesting:

Even if an electrical installation belongs in the hands of experts, the cooperation of builders is required. After all, property owners know best how individual rooms should be designed.
The purpose of a room and the furniture in it are decisive for the optimal electrical installation.

Floor plans and on-site inspections

An important basis for optimal planning of the electrical installation is a copy of the floor plan of the respective object. Builders mark the areas on this floor plan in which sockets, light switches, radio, television, hi-fi and EDP connections or lights are to be installed.

If there is already a standard plan for the electrical installation, it can be expanded according to your own wishes.

In addition to looking at the floor plan, it also makes sense to take a close look at the rooms again and mark all the preferred areas for connections.
Homeowners should include connections for music systems, televisions, computers, floor lamps, or other electronic devices in this inspection from the start.

First tip: Better more than too few connections

Experience has shown that far too few sockets are planned for the standard equipment of a house or apartment. There really isn’t too many sockets. In return, the annoyance is great if there is a lack of sockets afterwards.
Based on standard equipment, home builders should plan for the following number of connections:

1. Kitchen: 10 – 15 connections, for example for refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, oven and work sockets
2. Living room from 20 m²: 20 – 24 connections, for example for lamps, music systems, televisions and other electronic devices
3. Nursery: 8-11 ports
4. Bad: 4 connections. Two to the left and right of the bathroom mirror and two more at floor level
5. utility room: 8 connections, for example for dryers, washing machines and multiple work areas
6. Corridor or hallway: 3-5 connections, for example for vacuum cleaners or for charging electronic devices such as smartphones
7. Workspace: 8 – 10 connections, for example for technical devices such as printers, computers, scanners or telephones
8. Outside: 8 connections, for example for electrical garden equipment such as lawnmowers, refrigerators, radios or TV sets

For garages, basements or hobby workshops, devices with a higher voltage are often used. In this case, a so-called three-phase AC socket for 400 volts of power current is a good choice.
A connection with a higher voltage is also particularly suitable for a sauna.

Second tip: Optimal planning of the circuits

If you want to save money, you should try to find cheap electricians nearby. Experienced specialists generally know that safe electrical distribution must be divided into at least four fuse rows.
Separate living areas such as bedrooms, living rooms, hallways, bathrooms or kitchens should each have their own circuit with a circuit breaker. It is just as important to separate light and socket circuits from each other.

In general, high-performance household appliances such as washing machines or dishwashers each require their own circuit.

A residual current circuit breaker is also used for overall protection. Experts recommend a special safety switch for the bathroom.

Third tip: Play it safe – with empty pipes

Laying electrical installation pipes under plaster is a good choice for renovations or new buildings. These empty pipes offer tenants or property owners the opportunity to expand the electrical installation as required.

Additionally laid pipes are well suited to subsequently lay a technical basis for connections for switches, sockets, light sources, alarm systems, video surveillance or intercoms.
The empty pipes ensure that when the electrical installation is adjusted, the walls have to be completely broken up again.

Fourth tip: Think of smoke detectors

Smoke detectors are lifesavers, saving people from suffocation or burns while they are sleeping, for example. A few seconds are enough for death to occur as a result of smoke inhalation. This scenario is avoided by smoke detectors that alarm in good time.

The smoke detector requirement for private living spaces applies nationwide in this country.

There are detailed regulations, for example, in the state building regulations of the individual federal states.

Fifth tip: Increased security with overvoltage and lightning protection

Experience shows that many people grossly overestimate the protective effect of tall buildings. It is a myth that lightning always strikes the highest point.
The only effective protection against lightning damage is a professionally installed lightning protection system. Lightning strikes within a maximum radius of two kilometers reach other houses via cables and cause surge damage.

In order to prevent damage to sensitive devices such as televisions or computers, multi-stage lightning protection systems consisting of lightning and overvoltage protection offer a high level of security.

Sixth tip: Connection of USB charging sockets

Permanently installed charging stations for mobile devices are very popular. USB charging sockets or a ramrod attached to the wall fit seamlessly into most room concepts.

In the meantime, even USB charging sockets are available, into which users can plug their own smartphone charging cable directly.

Another option are built-in charging docks, which are optimally adapted to the needs of mobile phone users.

Seventh tip: electrical installation for the outdoor area

Electricity in the garden increases comfort, provides light and at the same time makes work easier. For this reason, it makes sense to include this part of the electrical system in the planning right from the start. Paths and terraces have to be illuminated, pond pumps activated or electronic devices such as lawn mowers connected outside. For these and many other purposes, the external electrics are absolutely necessary. A circuit with a motion detector is recommended for all properties for which floor or wall lights make sense.

A control switch on the patio door is also advantageous for patio lighting.
Incidentally, underground cables are particularly suitable for connecting electrical installations outdoors. In order to optimally determine the route of the underground cable, property owners should be aware of the areas in which power connections or lamps are required. If you lay empty pipes in the garden, you can later pull in additional cables if necessary.

An artificial intelligence based on ChatGPT should Zalando customers choose their clothes in the future. However, the beta version of the so-called new “Fashion Assistant” will initially only be available to a few customers.

Online fashion retailer Zalando has announced a new digital “Fashion Assistant”. The highlight: An artificial intelligence based on ChatGPT is supposed to help customers choose their clothes. According to Zalando, the AI ​​tool should be available “this spring”. However, initially only as part of a test phase and for “a selected group” of customers.

Artificial Intelligence: Zalando integrates ChatGPT AI into its Fashion Assistant

Accordingly, the company wants to integrate artificial intelligence into both its app and the Zalando desktop version. The self-declared goal: “To make the online fashion shopping experience even easier”. Customers should be given the opportunity for additional advice in order to find articles.

For example, it should be possible to search for products “in your own words”. This in turn makes navigation more intuitive, according to Zalando. The new Fashion Assistant should also contain a chat for feedback.

The company plans to make a first test version of the AI ​​tool available in spring “for a selected group of customers in Germany, Ireland, Great Britain and Austria in German and English”. However, the online fashion retailer did not give an exact date.

KI-Tool comes from ChatGPT developer OpenAI

Meanwhile, the software behind the new Fashion Assistant comes from ChatGPT developer company OpenAI. Tian Su, Vice President Personalization and Recommendation at Zalando, said:

The new Assistant is just the beginning: We want to get to know the needs and preferences of our customers even better and understand how ChatGPT can further improve their shopping experience on Zalando.

The new AI tool should form the basis for further functions. As an example, Zalando cites “fashion and beauty advice or the creation of entire outfits.” The protection of privacy is also guaranteed.

Also interesting:

The new app is scheduled to be launched this summer. Also: Mark Zuckerberg is $44 billion richer and Apple restricts employees’ use of AI.

Good morning! Even during the weekend, work in the digital scene continued in many places.

The top topics:

Instagram plans to release a text-based app using Twitter should compete. The company is currently testing the project idea with celebrities and influencers, as reported by the Bloomberg agency, citing insider information. However, none of these selected testers is said to have had access to the full version of the app.

With that it seems MetaCEO Mark Zuckerberg to focus more on the strengths of his social media group. In the past year he’d thrown himself wholeheartedly into the Metaverse and spent billions trying to dominate virtual reality. Although his personal wealth has since fallen by more than $100 billion, he now seems to have managed the turnaround: Because of the cost reductions at Meta, the company’s shares and thus also Zuckerberg’s assets are largely made up of his Meta share has risen again: So far this year the bottom line is around 44 billion dollars more, a higher sum than for all others in the “Bloomberg Billionaires Index”. In total, Zuckerberg’s net worth is currently estimated at $89.9 billion. [Mehr bei Bloomberg und Bloomberg]

On Founder Scene: With a recent valuation of $8.5 billion Person the second most valuable startup in Germany. Perhaps the most important key to success is for the founder Have Rennerto let the employees share in the success: “Today you need an ESOP program to be able to keep up,” he says. He explained exactly what Personio’s participation program looks like to founder scene editor-in-chief Alex Hofmann. [Mehr bei Gründerszene+]

And here are the other headlines of the night and the past few days:

Apple According to a report by the “Wall Street Journal”, the use of the artificial intelligence ChatGPT for employees should be restricted. Apparently, the iPhone group is concerned that employees could pass on confidential data. Apple is said to be working on a comparable technology. [Mehr bei Wall Street Journal]

Blue Origin has received a $3.4 billion contract from NASA. Jeff Bezos’ rocket company is set to develop a landing system for the US Space Agency to fly astronauts to the moon as part of the Artemis V mission planned for 2029. competitor SpaceX is building a comparable landing system for the Artemis III and IV missions to the moon. SpaceX also sent four private astronauts to the International Space Station over the weekend, including the first woman from Saudi Arabia. [Mehr bei Bloomberg, Techcrunch und The Information]

Samsung becomes Google not through for now Microsofts Replace Bing as the default search engine on its mobile devices. The decision comes as a blow to Microsoft, which has long been trying to attract more traffic to its search engine. After the multi-billion dollar investment in ChatGPT developer OpenAI Microsoft has added a number of new artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Since then, however, Bing’s market share has only grown by a fraction of a percent. [Mehr bei Wall Street Journal]

X Corpthe Elon Musk-backed parent of the social media platform Twitter, is under investigation for building code violations at Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters. The investigation follows a lawsuit by six former Twitter employees who allege management ordered them to make unauthorized changes to the company’s office space. The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that management ordered employees to convert office space into “hotel rooms” while inspectors and the landlord were told they were merely “temporary rest rooms.” [Mehr bei CNBC]

Tiktoks creative minds who monetize their content on the platform are suing the US state of Montana, which first banned the short video platform. Previously, some fans of the app had sought a similar lawsuit against former US President Donald Trump. He also tried to restrict the use of the app. [Mehr bei Wall Street Journal]

Our reading tip on Gründerszene: Larry Page was one of the key financiers of the now-failed startup Kittyhawk by Sebastian Thun. The mingled behind the scenes Google-Co-founders strongly committed, as evidenced by leaked emails. [Mehr bei Gründerszene]

Don’t want to miss anything? Then subscribe to our Gründerszene newsletter! It appears every morning at 8:30 a.m. and brings you all the important news straight to your inbox.

Have a good start into the week!

Your Gründerszene editors

Bookmarks are a helpful tool in any browser. But when you switch browsers or need to set up a new device, they often lag behind. However, you can easily transfer them – we’ll show you how to export bookmarks on Google Chrome.

It can take quite a bit of time when you need to set up a new tech device. But even if you have decided to use a different browser, setting it up can take a while.

Fortunately, you don’t have to transfer everything manually in this case. Because browsers like Google Chrome now allow you to easily export your settings and bookmarks. So you can easily import them back into the new browser or onto your new computer.

Here’s how to export bookmarks on Google Chrome

There are several ways to export your bookmarks from Chrome. For example, you can have it output as an HTML file. You can then use this file to transfer your bookmarks to another computer, for example.

To do this, click on the three-point menu in the top right corner of your browser. Here you will find the Bookmarks sub-item where you need to click on the Bookmark Manager option.

Your bookmarks are now displayed here. In a new bar next to the search field, you’ll find another three-dot menu at the top-right corner of your browser window.

From there you can select “Export Bookmarks”. Find a storage location on your computer or an external storage medium.

You can then import the exported file into your new browser or into the browser on your new device.

Import bookmarks from other browsers

However, if you want to switch to Google Chrome from another browser, you can import the bookmarks from your old browser even more easily. This works either via an HTML file or via the import function in Chrome.

To do this, navigate back to the bookmark manager. In the three-dot menu, on the other hand, select the “Import bookmarks” option.

Now you can select the program from which you want to import the bookmarks – for example Safari or Firefox. With a click on Import you add the bookmarks from your old browser to Chrome.

Also interesting:

Artificial intelligence is currently on everyone’s lips, mainly due to the success of ChatGPT. But how do tech companies train their systems? That has the Washington Post researches and analyzes which websites make AI software appear intelligent.

The topic of artificial intelligence has increasingly come into focus due to the success of the AI ​​software ChatGPT. According to estimates, the market with AI in the areas of hardware, software and IT services could be worth around 554.3 billion US dollars in 2024. In 2021, the number was still around 380 billion US dollars.

But what is behind artificial intelligence like ChatGPT and Co. and how are they trained? That has the Washington Post analyzed in a research and scrutinized which websites make AI software appear intelligent.

With which websites does artificial intelligence train?

For their research, the Washington Post “high-quality English-speaking AIs” analyzed. These are trained as so-called “large language models” with the help of websites.

analyzed the Washington Post including Google’s T5 and Facebook’s LLaMA. This analysis is based on Google’s C4 data set, which contains the content of 15 million websites.

How do ChatGPT and Co. learn?

Since AI systems cannot think for themselves, they have to be trained beforehand. Once they have absorbed enough information, they can imitate speech and, for example, conduct conversations or answer complex questions.

Of course, it depends on what information the respective artificial intelligence was previously fed with. Because that’s the only way she can work later.

In the meantime, however, technology companies often try to keep this secret. So does the ChatGPT mother OpenAI. Because the company does not disclose which data sets its AI software uses to train.

The AI ​​analysis of the Washington Post

For the analysis of the websites, the Washington Post collaborated with the Allen Institute for AI. First, the 15 million websites were categorized. Websites that were no longer categorizable or available were excluded from the analysis.

The remaining ten million websites has die Post sorted by how many tokens occur in their data set. This can be individual words or entire phrases.

The websites examined came mainly from the fields of journalism, entertainment, software development or medicine. The websites patents.google.com, a listing of all patents worldwide, and the online encyclopedia Wikipedia are in the first two places.

But dubious websites have also made it to the top. According to research by the Washington Post at least 27 websites identified by the US government as pirate and counterfeit markets.

Questionable content also makes it into the training for artificial intelligence

But not only serious content makes it into the training data of the AI ​​systems. Because although Google and Co. filter the data in advance, racist or radical websites also make it into the list.

Business websites appear most frequently in the analysis. At 16 percent, this category accounts for the majority of AI training sites.

Websites on the subject of technology follow in second place, while journalistic content takes third place. News houses such as nytimes.com, theguardian.com and forbes.com can be found among the first places.

According to the Washington Post above all, that no permission is obtained for the use of the content. The use of radical and right-wing extremist sites is also problematic. Because websites like RT.com or Breitbart.com also appear in the list.

Precisely because of this questionable content, the Washington Post This is because the data that tech companies use to train artificial intelligence must be disclosed.

Also interesting:

The artificial intelligence of the startup OpenAI can book the next milestone. Also: Disney gives Florida the cold shoulder and Snowflake puts AI on the shopping list.

Good morning! While you slept, work continued elsewhere in the digital scene.

The top topics:

OpenAI launched a ChatGPT iPhone app on Thursday. This was announced by CTO Mira Murati Twitter. An Android version will follow soon, she said. The app is the first official mobile application for ChatGPT, a software program that quickly gained over 100 million users after its launch last year, forcing the tech industry to adapt and invest in artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

According to OpenAI, the app can answer questions like “What are special and unique birthday gift ideas for my coffee-loving mom?” or explain how to politely decline an invitation to a concert. The app of the AI ​​language model also accepts verbal input, it said. According to Murati, the app is only available in the USA for the time being. [Mehr CNBC, Techcrunch und Bloomberg]

On Founder Scene: For a long time were few #MeToo cases in the startup scene known. That has changed with the incidents in companies like Find Auto and Cara Cara now changed. But what exactly is sexual harassment? Actually quite simple, says psychologist Sandra Schwark, the law is clear. “It wasn’t all that bad” does not appear in it anyway. She reveals to editor Nina Klotz why startups in particular are struggling with this and what they can do better. [Mehr bei Gründerszene]

And here are the other headlines of the night:

Disney has scrapped plans for a new staff campus in the US state of Florida amid rising tensions with the state governor over new anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney’s parks, experiences and products division, wrote in a memo to employees Thursday that the company will not go ahead with construction of the campus and that some 2,000 California-based employees will no longer need to relocate to Florida . [Mehr bei The Guardian und CNBC]

Snowflake According to information from the US medium “The Information”, in advanced talks to take over Neva condition. The Silicon Valley startup was founded by the former top ad tech executive at Google, Sridhar Ramaswamy. The purchase is intended to help the US database software provider offer artificial intelligence (AI) software that helps companies find information in internal documents and data. [Mehr bei The Information]

Die Netflixshares are up more than 9 percent on Thursday after the streaming service revealed details of its new ad-supported release. The latter indicated that the business model is beginning to pay off. Around five million monthly users are active on the cheaper, ad-supported option, and 25 percent of new subscribers sign up for the version in the regions where it’s available. [Mehr bei CNBC]

Ali Baba plans to spin off the cloud division as a separate, publicly traded company. This was announced as part of the quarterly results, which fell short of analysts’ expectations. The Chinese e-commerce retailer took in around $29.6 billion in the most recent quarter, up just around two percent year-on-year. Analysts had expected more in view of the opening of China after the Covid lockdowns. The report was Alibaba’s first since the company split into six entities. [Mehr bei Bloomberg, Reuters und CNBC]

The AppleManagement has considered selling the company’s headset at a loss after sluggish demand for virtual and augmented reality products, according to a Bloomberg report. Ultimately, however, they opted for a cost-effective approach and lowered the sales estimates to 900,000 units. The long-awaited headset project reportedly suffered from a lack of vision and received mixed levels of support from senior management. CEO Tim Cook is said not to have shown undue interest in the project, which has cost Apple over $1 billion annually. [Mehr bei Bloomberg]

Our reading tip on Gründerszene: A lot of people are dreaming of living in a tiny house right now. But is this really as cool as it sounds? The startup Tramp builds just such miniature houses. Our editor Fiona Mathewson visited the company in Munich and tried out life in a tiny house – and now she also knows the disadvantages. [Mehr bei Gründerszene]

Don’t want to miss anything? Then subscribe our start-up scene newsletter! It appears every morning at 8:30 a.m. and brings you all the important news straight to your inbox.

There is hardly anything more annoying than a slow or unstable internet connection. However, this happens all the time, especially when it comes to WiFi. We show you some tools to improve your WiFi.

Constant Internet access – a luxury that we no longer want to do without these days. However, frustration arises from time to time, especially when it comes to WLAN. Poor reception, a slow connection and other disruptive factors sometimes make surfing the Internet a test of patience.

Slow WLAN is particularly noticeable with large amounts of data

Slow WiFi is particularly noticeable when you want to download large files or stream films and series. Even people who like to play online games know the problem well.

However, the WiFi connection can be improved here and there. Even if the end device does not offer an extra socket for an external LAN cable. Because online tools can help to improve Internet reception.

Improve Wi-Fi: Online tools can improve reception

So that you don’t have to worry about an unstable internet connection as often in the future, we have put together some online tools for you that can help you to improve your WiFi reception.

WLAN card leads to the best reception

The online tool Ekahau Heatmapper shows you on a map where you have the best WiFi reception in your apartment or house.

After installing the program, you simply walk through your four walls and test your connection. The tool helps you to find the perfect position for your router and end devices.

Improve WiFi with a different radio channel

WiFi analysis tools such as Homedale, WiFi-Scanner or Xirrus WiFi Inspector can help you to check whether your wireless network and that of your neighbor overlap.

You can then select another channel that is as far away as possible in your router menu. This should make your WiFi connection faster.

Read WLAN information

the tools WirelessNetView gives you the opportunity to call up information about available WLANs. The program runs in the background and monitors the wireless networks around you. The tool also shows you all active wireless networks and their signal strength.

Turn off the pre-installed WiFi throttle

computer picture offers one WLAN-Booster with which your notebook can surf faster. The program changes the speed level of the wireless adapter chip in the mobile device so that it works at the highest level when the notebook is running on battery power. This is less energy-efficient, but faster.

Overview of network connections

the tools Acrylic WiFi Home helps you get an overview of the speed and security of multiple WiFi networks. To do this, you can mark a wireless access point in the program. Several color bar ratings then light up.

Improving WLAN: This is how you turn your PC into a router

Sometimes the WiFi connection slows down or fails completely because the distance between the router and the end device is too great. So-called repeaters can help to avoid this. These are WiFi extension bridges that increase the range of the wireless signal.

There is also the option of using your own PC as a WLAN Internet access point. Your Windows operating system shares the Internet connection with on-board resources via the command line.

It’s even easier with Connectify Hotspot: The tool has a graphical interface and creates a hotspot using an existing LAN or WLAN Internet connection.

The program works in a similar way MyPublicWifi. Although the tool is less common, it does not display ads in the user interface.

Improve WiFi with Internet Speed ​​Test

If the WLAN is slow, it can also be caused by your provider. To be on the safe side, it is advisable to first carry out a speed test of your internet connection.

With a DSL speed test you can find out how fast your data is transmitted over the corresponding Internet line. If you find that your data transfer is slower than promised, you should contact your provider.

Also interesting:

Researchers from Switzerland have apparently made a breakthrough. Because they developed a new type of solar power plant that can generate both hydrogen, heat and oxygen.

When it comes to the energy sources of the future, sustainable options are increasingly taking over. Against the background of climate change, this also seems necessary. In addition to solar systems and wind turbines, experts also see hydrogen as a future energy supplier. Researchers at the EPFL University in Switzerland have now made a breakthrough.

Because even if the combustion of hydrogen usually only produces water and oxygen, sustainable production continues to be complicated. With their new approach, the university team has now demonstrated that the solution could lie in the sun.

Solar power plant produces hydrogen by pooling energy

To do this, they developed a system that resembles a satellite dish and works in a similar way. During the day the sun shines on the bowl. This, in turn, bundles the energy and concentrates it on a small reactor that converts water into hydrogen, oxygen and heat. The bundling of the solar radiation meanwhile enables a thousandfold concentration.

A first pilot system achieved an output of one kilowatt. A further developed prototype already two kilowatts. Sophia Haussener, Head of the Laboratory for Science and Technology of Renewable Energies, speaks of a very high degree of efficiency without going into further detail.

Occurring oxygen as a by-product for the medical industry

The team sucked off the accumulating oxygen and used it further. Because producers often see this as a waste product – even if the medical industry were a possible customer. The system is suitable for industrial, commercial or private use.

The solar reactor could be used, for example, to generate enough energy for the heating and hot water supply of entire neighborhoods. With the current prototype, an output of around half a kilogram of hydrogen per day is possible. Extrapolated, this is enough to supply 1.5 hydrogen vehicles with fuel for one year. A four-person household in Switzerland could use it to heat for six months.

Also interesting: