Science & Technology
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'Doomsday' glacier set to melt faster, swell seas as world heats up
Tidal action on the underside of the Thwaites Glacier in the Antarctic will “inexorably” accelerate melting this century, according to new research by British and American scientists. The researchers warn the faster melting could destabilize the entire West Antarctic Ice sheet, leading to its eventual collapse.
The massive glacier — which...Read more
Social media platforms engaged in 'vast surveillance' and failed to protect young people, FTC finds
Major social media platforms and video streaming services that gather a "staggering" amount of data from its users have failed to protect young people and safeguard online privacy, the Federal Trade Commission said Thursday.
"These surveillance practices can endanger people's privacy, threaten their freedoms, and expose them to a host of harms,...Read more
Georgia research illuminates plight of Cherokee Indians forced west
ATLANTA — In September of 1838, Nancy Still filed a claim to recoup $820 she said was stolen from her after federal troops expelled her and other Cherokee Indians from their homes in what is now North Georgia. Forced to migrate west to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears, thousands of Cherokee died on the way.
“The troops compelled her to go and...Read more
Amazon launches Project Amelia, an AI assistant for third-party sellers
Amazon launched a new AI-powered personal assistant for third-party vendors Thursday, one of many new features the company rolled out for its independent sellers this week.
The assistant, internally called Project Amelia, answers questions for sellers, offers advice and, down the line, will diagnose problems and take action.
Amazon has already...Read more
Apple gets EU warning to open up iPhone operating system
Apple Inc. has been warned by the European Union to open up its highly guarded iPhone and iPad operating systems to rival technologies, or eventually risk significant fines under its flagship digital antitrust rules.
EU watchdogs announced under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act that Apple must step into line with strict new laws on making ...Read more
Climate warriors fighting some of the 'greatest crises humanity has ever seen'
Aru Shiney-Ajay’s awakening to the climate crisis began in her late teens. On visits to family in India, she watched in horror as loved ones endured one disaster after another: deadly floods in her parents’ home state of Kerala and record-shattering air pollution in Delhi among them.
“The climate crisis was not just something in the ...Read more
Red and blue states have big climate plans. The election could upend them
Pennsylvania wants to remain a manufacturing powerhouse. But state leaders also want to reduce climate change-causing emissions from steel mills and other industrial facilities, while cutting back the toxic pollutants that cause health problems in nearby neighborhoods.
Thanks to a nearly $400 million investment from the federal government, the ...Read more
It's baby rattlesnake season in California. Here's what to do -- and how to stay safe
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Are you noticing more rattlesnakes? It’s baby rattlesnake season in California.
The Golden State is home to eight species of rattlesnakes. The reptiles can be seen on hiking trails, rural roads and in even your backyard, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
The California Poison Control ...Read more
The invasive Joro spider has landed in Bucks County, Pa. Here's what to know about the giant flying arachnid
Rumors of the giant flying Joro spider, landing in New Jersey this summer never materialized in the Garden State. But they did land in Philly's backyard.
On Sept. 5, a Joro spider was found in Ivyland, Pa., a Bucks County borough nearly 30 miles north of Philadelphia, in the yard of someone's home. The sighting was confirmed by a site visit ...Read more
Sea-Tac Airport refuses to pay 100-bitcoin ransom after August cyberattack
The hackers behind last month’s cyberattack on Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are demanding a 100-bitcoin ransom — about $6 million — for stolen data, though just how much information was accessed, and what kind, is still unclear.
During a Wednesday morning hearing with the U.S. Senate’s Commerce, Science and Transportation ...Read more
'Hunger Games' studio Lionsgate to partner with AI company
Lionsgate will work with artificial intelligence research company Runway to create and train a new artificial intelligence model customized to the “Hunger Games” and “John Wick” studio’s film and TV content, marking the AI company’s first collaboration with a Hollywood studio.
The model will generate cinematic video that can then be...Read more
What the jet stream and climate change had to do with the hottest summer on record − remember all those heat domes?
Summer 2024 was officially the Northern Hemisphere’s hottest on record. In the United States, fierce heat waves seemed to hit somewhere almost every day.
Phoenix reached 100 degrees for more than 100 days straight. The 2024 Olympic Games started in the midst of a long-running heat wave in Europe that included the three hottest days ...Read more
He's training the world's next microchip leaders. Here's why he worries
Burn Lin knows the ins and outs of the tiny chips that power your phones, cars and gaming consoles, and he knows there aren't enough workers to keep up with skyrocketing demand.
The electrical engineer started his career at IBM in 1970, but eventually returned to his roots in Taiwan where his work helped turn the island democracy into the chip-...Read more
Tech review: Fender x Teufel speakers look and sound great
If you know anything about music, you’ve heard of Fender, the maker of guitars and amplifiers.
The Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster electric guitars have been revered since the 1950s, and their amplifiers are known for their pure sound, even after decades of use.
Fender has partnered with German speaker manufacturer Teufel (pronounced "toy...Read more
Hackers have stolen your personal information in a data breach. Now what?
I almost threw away the mailing I got in mid-July from MNGI Digestive Health. I couldn’t remember ever patronizing the place. Must be more junk mail.
Then I remembered I’d recently written about MNGI and another Twin Cities medical firm, Consulting Radiologists. They had both been hacked, together exposing personal data of over 1 million ...Read more
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Silent Hill 2 and other hot fall 2024 games
It’s been a staccato summer in the world of video games, with a few highlight releases amid more layoffs in an industry that’s already seen more than 11,000 jobs cut this year.
However, the fall slate of releases is an impressive one. Here are six games that seem worthwhile in their own right and may help turn the tide for the industry.
...Read more
Jim Rossman: You should be using a password manager
A reader named Nancy wrote to me this week.
“Can you please explain how password managers work and the different options? I have a Windows PC and an Apple iPad and iPhone. Do I have to use the same browser on all devices? Or do I have to have a separate app to store passwords? How do they work with all of the different apps I need to log...Read more
‘Monster Hunter Now’ launches Season 3 featuring cooking, the Heavy Bowgun and Magnamalo
“Monster Hunter Now” continues to improve each season, and in the latest chapter, out now, Niantic’s mobile game features one additional weapon, two big improvements and several new monsters with a few of them temporarily going away.
In Season 3: Curse of the Wandering Flames, players will get their hands on the Heavy Bowgun, another ...Read more
Gadgets: Cordless vacuum
The Proscenic P11 Lite 6-in-1 multi-function vacuum is a top-of-the-line ergonomically designed cordless vacuum.
The lightweight (2.9 pounds) and easy-to-handle cordless vacuum includes three specialized brushes: a floor brush, a 2-in-1 dusting brush, and a crevice tool. Along with the adjustable telescopic pipe, it can be used in six ...Read more
Gen Z: Will they finally solve the plastic crisis?
WOODSIDE, Calif. — Generation Z has been heralded by some as the “sustainability” generation — more likely to pay a premium for eco-friendly products and more likely to make purchase decisions that incorporate their personal, social and environmental values.
Some studies indicate they’ve scored off the charts when it comes to their ...Read more
Popular Stories
- The invasive Joro spider has landed in Bucks County, Pa. Here's what to know about the giant flying arachnid
- It's baby rattlesnake season in California. Here's what to do -- and how to stay safe
- Red and blue states have big climate plans. The election could upend them
- Climate warriors fighting some of the 'greatest crises humanity has ever seen'
- 'Doomsday' glacier set to melt faster, swell seas as world heats up