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Editorial: COP28 needs less talk and more action

In 2015, the world’s governments declared a collective ambition: to limit the rise in global temperatures to just 1.5 degrees Celsius. Since then, two things have become clear. First, the costs of exceeding that threshold are greater than believed eight years ago. Second, the goal looks increasingly difficult to reach. Even if governments ...Read more

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China scores a big win in race with US for influence on the moon

China notched a diplomatic victory in its race against the U.S. for influence in space, with Egypt agreeing to support Beijing’s plan for a proposed project on the moon.

The China National Space Administration on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Egyptian Space Agency that will see them cooperate on the International ...Read more

Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Feds propose shooting one owl to save another in Pacific Northwest

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to enlist shooters to kill more than 500,000 barred owls over the next 30 years in the Pacific Northwest to preserve habitat for northern spotted owls, a protected species.

Barred owls are native to the East Coast but since the 1950s have been expanding their range in the Northwest. They are ...Read more

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Feds calls for sweeping changes in California shipping after huge oil spill

A federal agency wants changes in how container ships are anchored off Southern California as well as new safety measures for vessels near offshore pipelines to help prevent or minimize ruptures like the one that spilled 25,000 gallons of crude oil off Huntington Beach.

The 2021 spill caused damage to beaches and wetlands and killed scores of ...Read more

Dangerous proximity of ships, pipeline led to California oil spill; investigators urge reform

A federal agency wants changes in how container ships are anchored off Southern California as well as new safety measures for vessels near offshore pipelines to help prevent or minimize ruptures like the one that spilled 25,000 gallons of crude oil off Huntington Beach.

The 2021 spill caused damage to beaches and wetlands and killed scores of ...Read more

Climate negotiators get down to business at COP28 summit

COP28 is approaching the end of the first week and the kings, presidents and prime ministers have flown off. Now, hundreds of seasoned climate diplomats must get down to the tough job of negotiating a text that everyone can agree on.Adnan Amin, who as chief executive officer of COP28 is one of Sultan Al-Jaber’s most senior lieutenants, ...Read more

Los Angeles aims to collect billions more gallons of local water by 2045

LOS ANGELES — Over the next two decades, Los Angeles County will collect billions more gallons in water from local sources, especially storm and reclaimed water, shifting from its reliance on other region’s water supplies as the effects of climate change make such efforts less reliable and more expensive.

The L.A. County Board of ...Read more

Steve Jobs wrote a check in 1976 to Radio Shack. Now it's up for auction

It’s a pristine piece of Silicon Valley history — and it comes with a famous autograph.

A check that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs made out to Radio Shack on July 23, 1976, just months after the pioneering computer company was founded, has gone up for auction.

The latest bid tops $30,000, with less than a day remaining in the sale by RR ...Read more

Robert Willett/The News & Observer/TNS

'We're hitting new limits.' North Carolina quantum computing bullish on a coveted breakthrough

When Jungsang Kim came to Duke University in 2004, he wasn’t sure he’d live long enough to witness quantum advantage: the elusive moment when a quantum computer outperforms a classical computer to solve a real-world problem.

Back then, the emerging field was more theoretical. The experimental building blocks existed; scientists had already ...Read more

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This new AI-powered drone is both a bomb and a boomerang

What if a missile could jet toward a moving target — and then fly back home to try again if it missed?

That's the idea behind the Roadrunner, a novel combination of AI-powered drone, bomb and boomerang designed by the defense tech company Anduril Industries and announced on Thursday.

The company unveiled the product at its Costa Mesa ...Read more

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Jim Rossman: Larger camera bump means newer iPhones can’t use some wireless chargers

This week a reader wrote, “Since purchasing an iPhone 15, my phone doesn’t connect to the Qi charger in my vehicle because the camera bump prevents the phone from lying flat and making contact. Is there a solution for this?”

This is an interesting situation that mainly involves the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and 15 models.

Apple has increased ...Read more

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If your house is your office, you may be overdue for some tech upgrades

Working from home is great. You skip the commute, wear whatever you like, and keep a flexible schedule for that all-important work-life balance.

But how comfortable is your work setup? If you’ve been pecking at a laptop on the kitchen table or (heaven forbid) in bed, it is time for an upgrade.

Welcome to my holiday gift guide, work-from-...Read more

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Great tech gifts for $100 or less

Shopping for family and friends can be a difficult endeavor. But when you're sticking to a budget it can be downright nerve-wracking. We've rounded up a list of tech picks that are priced less than $100 and three of our favorites are included here.

The products featured below have either been fully reviewed or personally tested by the experts...Read more

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Takeaways from ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ trailer

Rockstar Games has released the trailer for its much-anticipated title “Grand Theft Auto VI” a few hours earlier than expected.

Here’s what fans can glean from the video.

“Grand Theft Auto VI” takes place in Vice City, which is based on Miami and was featured in “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City”

It appears to star a female ...Read more

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Gadgets: This tool measures up

Twelve inches is 12 inches. But how you come to those measurements with the Hozo Design NeoRuler brings measuring to a precisely accurate level. Hozo Design developed the NeoRuler ($129) to provide a more efficient and multi-functional measuring experience.

I never worked in a profession where a tool like this was needed; a 6-inch ruler in my...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Eight-eyed cave creature -- with unique genitalia -- discovered as new species in China

As light filtered into a cave in southeastern China, an eight-eyed creature moved around underneath a rock. Despite its small size, the animal caught the attention of nearby scientists. It turned out to be a new species.

Researchers ventured into Baiyan Cave to survey local wildlife in 2020, according to a study published Dec. 1 in the journal ...Read more

Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times/TNS

'Little ray of hope': Carbon hot spots discovered near California coast

Scientists exploring the Northern California coast have, for the first time, uncovered a treasure trove of carbon compacted on the seafloor — a discovery that may help unravel the ocean's power to combat climate change.

A reserve spanning 6,000 square miles of sanctuary from Point Arena in Mendocino County south to Point Año Nuevo in San ...Read more

Parasitic creature -- with unique teeth -- found in forests of Asia. It's a new species

In a forest in southern China, a parasitic creature flew through the air. Suddenly, a net enveloped the animal. Scientists looked at their successful catch — and discovered a new species.

Equipped with bug-catching nets, researchers ventured into a forest in Guangzhou in 2022, according to a study published Dec. 1 in the European Journal of ...Read more

KARIM SAHIB/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Al Gore wants to weaken petrostates' power over global climate decisions

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Former Vice President Al Gore said the annual United Nations COP climate summits need to be reformed so that petrostates don’t wield so much power over the final outcome.

The meetings are run by consensus, meaning any one country can block an ...Read more

Dunes and native plants to sprout next year on a California's harbor beach

A relatively low-budget project has received a $57,000 state grant to restore sand dunes and native plants next year to spots along Oceanside's North Strand and Harbor Beach.

Protected from erosion by a long jetty and replenished by annual harbor dredging, the beach is probably Oceanside's widest, about 500 feet from the harbor parking lot to ...Read more