This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Last week, a long, narrow section of the Earth’s atmosphere funneled trillions of gallons of water eastward from the Pacific tropics and unleashed it on California. This weather event, known as an atmospheric river, broke rainfall records, dumped more than a… Continue reading All That Rain Is Driving Up Cases of a Deadly Fungal Disease in California
Author: Wired Magazine
SpaceX Launched Military Satellites Designed to Track Hypersonic Missiles
Two prototype satellites for the Missile Defense Agency and four missile-tracking satellites for the US Space Force rode a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket into orbit Wednesday from Florida’s Space Coast. These satellites are part of a new generation of spacecraft designed to track hypersonic missiles launched by China or Russia and perhaps emerging missile threats… Continue reading SpaceX Launched Military Satellites Designed to Track Hypersonic Missiles
Give Us an Xbox Handheld Already
Microsoft is gearing up for a big holiday season at the end of this year. During yesterday’s much-hyped Official Xbox Podcast, Xbox president Sarah Bond teased news regarding the company’s hardware, as well as its plans for its next-gen gaming devices. “What we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will… Continue reading Give Us an Xbox Handheld Already
Sierra Says Conversational AI Will Kill Apps and Websites
I might have inadvertently insulted Bret Taylor and Clay Bavor when I interviewed them about their new AI startup last week. Their new company, Sierra, is developing AI-powered agents to “elevate the customer experience” for big companies. Among its original customers are WeightWatchers, Sonos, SiriusXM, and OluKai (a “Hawaiian-inspired” clothing company). Sierra’s eventual market is… Continue reading Sierra Says Conversational AI Will Kill Apps and Websites
Nikon Zf Review: A Mirrorless Camera With Classic Style
While I did not expect it given the obvious nods to Nikon’s film past, the Zf is a surprisingly capable video camera. It shoots up to 4K/60 using an APS-C size crop of the sensor. If you want to use the whole sensor, you can get 4K/30. That’s not going to wow video professionals, but… Continue reading Nikon Zf Review: A Mirrorless Camera With Classic Style
Elon Musk’s X Gave Check Marks to Terrorist Group Leaders, Report Says
A watchdog group’s investigation found that terrorist group Hezbollah and other US-sanctioned entities have accounts with paid check marks on X, the Elon Musk–owned social network that still resides at the Twitter.com domain. The Tech Transparency Project (TTP), a nonprofit that is critical of Big Tech companies, said in a report on Wednesday that “X,… Continue reading Elon Musk’s X Gave Check Marks to Terrorist Group Leaders, Report Says
ChatGPT vs. Gemini: Which AI Chatbot Subscription Is Right for You?
The problem with testing AI chatbot subscriptions like Google’s Gemini Advanced and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus is their generality. The same tool is used for disparate applications; the same software service that developers in San Francisco are using to build their latest app might also be used by parents in Kansas to plan a Paw Patrol… Continue reading ChatGPT vs. Gemini: Which AI Chatbot Subscription Is Right for You?
OpenAI’s Sora Turns AI Prompts Into Photorealistic Videos
We already know that OpenAI’s chatbots can pass the bar exam without going to law school. Now, just in time for the Oscars, a new OpenAI app called Sora hopes to master cinema without going to film school. For now a research product, Sora is going out to a few select creators and a number… Continue reading OpenAI’s Sora Turns AI Prompts Into Photorealistic Videos
Some People Actually Kind of Love Deepfakes
A month ago, the consulting company Accenture presented a potential client an unusual and attention-grabbing pitch for a new project. Instead of the usual slide deck, the client saw deepfakes of several real employees standing on a virtual stage, offering perfectly delivered descriptions of the project they hoped to work on. “I wanted them to… Continue reading Some People Actually Kind of Love Deepfakes
Leading Lab-Grown Meat Company Upside Foods Just Paused a Major Expansion
It has been a rocky year for plans for large-scale cultivated-meat production. In May 2022, another Californian startup, Eat Just, announced its plans to build up to 10 large bioreactors, each with a 250,000-liter capacity, with the bioreactor firm ABEC. The deal fell apart, with ABEC later filing an amended legal complaint in federal court… Continue reading Leading Lab-Grown Meat Company Upside Foods Just Paused a Major Expansion