The Surprising Things That Helped Make 2023 the Hottest Year Ever

In this graph, the orange line shows the global sea surface temperature throughout 2023. The other squiggles are previous years, with the uppermost dashed black line being the average between 1982 and 2011. The dark black line at upper left is where we’re starting out 2024. Notice it’s already at a sky-high level several months… Continue reading The Surprising Things That Helped Make 2023 the Hottest Year Ever

The Boeing 737 Max Crisis Reignites Arguments Over Infant Safety on Planes

As terrible as that tradeoff is, it’s worth noting that the risk of death on a commercial airliner to anyone, lap-held infants included, remains vanishingly low—so let the pangs of guilt subside if you’ve flown holding your baby on your lap. “Commercial aircraft accidents are still extremely rare, and the logistics of having infants in… Continue reading The Boeing 737 Max Crisis Reignites Arguments Over Infant Safety on Planes

The Real Problem With the Boeing 737 Max

Spirit AeroSystems, the Wichita-based aerospace manufacturer that manufactured the door plug that blew out on the Alaska Airlines flight, declined to comment on the incident. However, in a statement published on its website, Spirit says its “primary focus is the quality and product integrity of the aircraft structures we deliver.” The company’s parts have caused… Continue reading The Real Problem With the Boeing 737 Max

Why Crypto Idealogues Won’t Touch Bitcoin ETFs

Bitcoin devotees are declaring a historic victory after US regulators approved a new, more accessible way for people to invest in the crypto asset after a decade of resistance. Yet they won’t go anywhere near it themselves. On January 10, after a farcical false start, the US Securities and Exchange Commission approved the launch of… Continue reading Why Crypto Idealogues Won’t Touch Bitcoin ETFs

The Big Problem With the Giant Stanley Cup

That strategy tapped into deep currents in consumer culture that can drive huge sales—but also overconsumption. “We see all the time that [a customer] wants her Quencher to match her fit, her nail polish, her car, her mood, her kitchen,” Reilly told CNBC in December. “We’re serving her where she wants the product.” Stanley has… Continue reading The Big Problem With the Giant Stanley Cup

Congress Wants Tech Companies to Pay Up for AI Training Data

Do AI companies need to pay for the training data that powers their generative AI systems? The question is hotly contested in Silicon Valley and in a wave of lawsuits levied against tech behemoths like Meta, Google, and OpenAI. In Washington, DC, though, there seems to be a growing consensus that the tech giants need… Continue reading Congress Wants Tech Companies to Pay Up for AI Training Data

Bitcoin ETFs Have Arrived. Here’s Who Stands to Get Rich

US regulators have approved a new breed of financial product that will give people a way to invest in bitcoin through their brokerage for the first time, as if it were a regular stock. A selection of financial institutions, including household names like BlackRock and Fidelity, have been given permission by the US Securities and… Continue reading Bitcoin ETFs Have Arrived. Here’s Who Stands to Get Rich

CES 2024 Live Blog: More News, Photos, and Videos From Tech’s Big Show

Photograph: MSi Now Wi-Fi 7 is official, several companies are showing off new routers and mesh systems. TP-Link boasts by far the longest line-up, with a range of Wi-Fi 7 Deco mesh systems and Archer routers that goes from the relatively affordable Archer BE9300 ($250) router up to the Deco BE95 mesh ($1,800 for a… Continue reading CES 2024 Live Blog: More News, Photos, and Videos From Tech’s Big Show

OpenAI’s New App Store Could Turn ChatGPT Into an Everything App

ChatGPT also functions as a kind of translator or helper for GPT apps. When WIRED asked the AllTrails GPT to suggest a two-hour hike in Berkeley, California, ChatGPT responded by asking how strenuous the hike should be and if the trail should be dog-friendly. ChatGPT then asked for permission to call up AllTrail’s API and… Continue reading OpenAI’s New App Store Could Turn ChatGPT Into an Everything App