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đ¨âđ DIY firefighting: A 60-year-old man saved his home from the Palisades fire with some special equipment he’d purchased in advance. He soaked his house with water pumps, sprinklers and a hydrogel retardant he mixed in his backyard hot tub. Sadly, the homes surrounding him werenât as lucky. Hereâs the video showing how he did it.
Hereâs your 10-second CES recap: TVs are bigger and smarter, laptops are faster and lighter, and AI is everywhere. I sifted through the fluff to bring you the best and weirdest of this yearâs consumer tech showcase.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned: Singer Lily Allen went undercover on celebrity dating app Raya to figure out if her husband, David Harbour, was cheating on her. He was. She found his profile by setting her preference to women, then cross-referencing the women on the app to his following on Instagram. Thatâs skill.
Donât let me drone on: The U.S. has a fancy, new spy drone that can fly at 15,000 feet for 14 hours, even while carrying heavy equipment. Most military drones fly for eight hours, tops, so this is a game-changer. Combat teams will use it for recon and surveillance.
The real meaning of cell service: A lady in Mississippi accidentally texted the sheriffâs department instead of her drug dealer while trying to buy fentanyl. Yeah, it didnât go well. She was arrested when she showed up to pick up the goods. I hope her one phone call in jail went better.
Iâm moose-tly excited: Robots can now walk through mud and snow using high-tech shoes modeled after moose hooves. The suction cup design lets them traverse rough terrain so they can help with agriculture, environmental monitoring and disaster response.
Donât like how ChatGPT âtalksâ? Custom personalities are coming soon. Traits include âChatty,â âSkepticalâ and âForward-thinking.â Some already have these options available under âCustomize ChatGPT.â I donât yet, but you might!
đ Go play outside: Almost half the world might be nearsighted (itâs called âmyopiaâ) by 2050 because kids are on their screens too much and donât spend enough time outside. Researchers say just an hour in the sun a day could reduce the risk of myopia by 45% (paywall link). Sunlight triggers dopamine, which helps eyeballs grow correctly. Plus, that sweet vitamin D makes your eye tissues stronger.
When can iPhones and Androids text each other? Last month, the FBI said cross-platform messages are easy to hack. A leak shows Google is working on MLS encryption thatâs better than the current RCS standard. Theyâll have to test the heck out of this, then get Apple to play nice with it, too. Unless youâre texting someone secret spy stuff, donât worry about it.
Start saving now: Microsoft is killing off Windows 10 in October. You can add 12 months of support (for $30); after that, an estimated 400 million PCs wonât meet the specs to upgrade. Youâd better believe hackers will do anything and everything they can to exploit Windows 10.
The LA fires: The sheer destruction is overwhelming, and it may be some time before we fully understand the lives lost and the toll taken. My heart is with everyone affected, and Iâm keeping you all in my prayers. As a homeowner in an evacuation zone, I fear the worst for my own property, but material things pale in comparison to the loss of life and safety for so many. This 3D map allows you to zoom in and explore the impacted areas. Itâs a stark reminder of the fires’ far-reaching devastation.
