Wildfires don’t just scorch landscapes. Some are so intense that they create their own weather systems, such as pyrocumulonimbus thunderstorms that loft smoke up to 10 miles (16 kilometers) into the atmosphere. While it’s long been known that this high-altitude smoke…
Last-minute holiday deals: Apple Watch Series 11 $299, iPad $279, Mac from $479
Holiday savings are at a fever pitch this week, as last-minute deals slash Apple gear by as much as $436. Save up to $436 on Apple products with last-minute holiday deals – Image credit: Apple These deals deliver heavily discounted prices…
Obscura VPN just aced its first independent audit
Obscura VPN just passed its first independent audit Leading audit firm, Cure53, couldn’t find any major security vulnerability Obscura VPN is a new service built on an innovative multi-hop VPN system Obscura VPN is still fairly new, but its first independent…
The Download: Why 2025 has been the year of AI hype correction, and fighting GPS jamming
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 The Trump administration has launched its US Tech Force programIn a bid to lure engineers away from Big Tech roles and straight into modernizing the government. (The…
Google is retiring its free dark web monitoring tool next year
Google will stop sending out dark web reports starting early next year, as it shuts down the free tool that can tell you if your personal information has appeared on the seedy underbelly of the internet. The tool used to be…
Private satellites pinpoint methane emissions from oil, gas and coal facilities worldwide
When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, carbon dioxide gets the lion’s share of global attention. But methane is the second-largest contributor to human-caused global warming. A high proportion of methane emissions comes from the energy sector, often from concentrated “point…
iOS 26 leak details multiple unreleased Apple products
An unreleased build of iOS 26 has revealed details about more than a dozen Apple hardware projects currently in development. An iOS 26 code leak confirmed the existence of multiple unreleased iPhone models, including the iPhone 17e. Following a series of…
Samsung quietly drops a tiny PCIe Gen5 SSD that packs extreme speeds and serious capacity into 22 x 42mm
Samsung PM9E1 delivers PCIe Gen5 performance within an unusually small 22 x 42mm footprint Double-sided component placement enables high capacity despite severe physical space constraints Specialized PCB materials help mitigate mechanical stress during prolonged thermal cycling Samsung’s PM9E1 NVMe Gen5 SSD…
The fast and the future-focused are revolutionizing motorsport
When the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship launched its first race through Beijing’s Olympic Park in 2014, the idea of all-electric motorsport still bordered on experimental. Batteries couldn’t yet last a full race, and drivers had to switch cars mid-competition….
Affordable gifts you can still get from Lego, Apple, Yeti and more
Some gifts are fun, some are useful, and AirTags manage to be both. This tiny tracker pairs instantly with iPhones, making it almost impossible to lose keys, wallets or bags. The Find My app guides you straight to your stuff with…