Extreme heat disproportionately affects Latino neighborhoods in California, with these areas experiencing 23 more days of temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit annually compared to non-Latino white neighborhoods. Developed by UCLA, the Latino Climate & Health Dashboard highlights this disparity and links it with related issues such as air pollution and asthma rates. Latino neighborhoods face double the air pollution exposure and asthma-related ER visits. Factors like less tree canopy and more heat-retaining surfaces contribute to higher temperatures. This tool aims to fill data gaps left by federal cuts and inform community efforts to address environmental and health inequities caused by industrial pollution, urban heat islands, and historical segregation.
Reddit, known for its unfiltered content and real user answers, is celebrating its 20th anniversary by integrating AI to enhance user experience. The company has introduced AI tools like Reddit Answers, which provide AI-generated summaries to user queries while prominently linking back to the original Reddit content. According to CTO Chris Slowe, Reddit leverages its vast human-generated data to fuel these AI features. This approach contrasts with other AI tools that have been criticized for poor source attribution. Reddit Answers aims to offer both concise summaries and transparent access to source material within Reddit, preserving the authenticity and depth of its community-driven content.
Kobo is offering significant discounts on two of its top e-readers. The Kobo Elipsa 2E, a leading note-taking e-reader with a 10.3-inch display, is now available for $349.99, down $50, at Rakuten Kobo and Target. The Kobo Libra Colour, a compact 7-inch color screen e-reader, is priced at $209.99, reduced by $20, from Amazon, Target, and Rakuten Kobo. These sales last until July 10th. The Elipsa 2E stands out for its natural note-taking experience with an included stylus and versatile annotation tools, making it a superior choice over Amazon's Kindle Scribe. The Libra Colour, smaller yet feature-rich, supports color highlights and physical page-turn buttons, enhancing reading and note-taking. While Kobo devices do not natively support Kindle books, they offer broader file compatibility and library borrowing options through OverDrive.
The third and final season of Squid Game maintains its signature intense and brutal gameplay, but its worldbuilding efforts fall flat and feel inconsistent. Key storylines involving the masked guards' politics, the organ-harvesting scheme, and the relationship between Front Man/In-ho and his brother Jun-ho conclude without expanding the universe significantly. Though the season poses many intriguing questions about the guards' hierarchy, their inner politics, and the possibility of the games being stopped if Jun-ho's team infiltrates the island, it ultimately leaves much unexplored.
The Supreme Court recently ruled in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton that using age verification to restrict access to adult content on the internet does not violate the First Amendment. Justice Clarence Thomas stated that states have a legitimate interest in protecting minors from pornography, and requiring proof of age is a valid enforcement method. The ruling highlights that the internet environment has evolved since previous decisions in the early 2000s, and age verification now only incidentally limits adult access to protected speech, similar to showing ID at a liquor store. However, many questions and concerns remain about privacy and implementation, as discussed by organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and 404 Media.
Tesla has successfully completed its first fully autonomous vehicle delivery, transporting a Tesla Model Y from the Austin Gigafactory to a customer's apartment without any human or remote operator intervention. CEO Elon Musk announced this milestone a day ahead of schedule, emphasizing the trip was fully autonomous on public highways. While Waymo has operated fully driverless vehicles with passengers in select cities, Tesla's achievement marks a significant step forward in its Full Self-Driving system. This progress comes despite earlier safety concerns with Tesla's robotaxis, which still require safety monitors. The successful driverless delivery demonstrates that Tesla's technology is advancing towards true unsupervised driving.
The Nintendo Switch 2 requires microSD Express cards for expanding storage and playing games, identifiable by an “EX” label on the card and packaging. Traditional microSD cards from the original Switch or Switch Lite will have very limited functionality on the new console. The Switch 2 offers a 4.4x speed improvement with these cards, which are PCIe NVMe SSDs and come at a higher cost, with prices above $50 for 256GB and up to $200 for larger sizes. While the Switch 2 includes 256GB of built-in storage, many users may consider additional memory. Available microSD Express cards include Samsung, PNY, onn, Sandisk, GameStop, and Lexar, with various prices and capacities listed. Walmart’s onn cards offer some of the best value. The largest widely available size is 1TB, although the console supports up to 2TB.
Google's carbon emissions increased by 11% last year, reaching 11.5 million metric tons of CO2, reflecting a 51% rise since 2019 as the company intensifies its AI development. This increase distances Google from its 2030 goal of halving emissions compared to 2019. However, Google's 'ambition-based' emissions exclude some supply chain emissions deemed outside its control, with total emissions at about 15.2 million metric tons - equivalent to the output of nearly 40 gas-fired power plants annually. Despite a 12% drop in emissions from data centers, overall data center emissions remain higher than in 2019 due to increased energy use driven by AI. Google cites uncontrollable external factors such as rapid AI evolution, policy changes, slow carbon-free energy adoption, and market limitations as obstacles to meeting its climate targets. Similar trends are seen in other tech giants like Microsoft and Meta, with AI projected to consume more power than Bitcoin this year. Efforts for energy-efficient AI models continue, though some companies pursue fossil fuel-powered data centers, impacted by policies promoting coal usage.
After a hectic week, cleaning floors can be a tiresome task, especially when vacuuming and mopping are both needed. The Eufy Robot Vacuum Omni C20, now available for $399.98 (originally $699.99) at both Amazon and Eufy, offers a convenient solution with a $300 discount for a limited time. This newer model combines vacuuming and mopping, featuring an all-in-one station that empties, washes, dries, and refills the device. It also cleans the mop to prevent odors, with a transparent water tank for easy monitoring. With 7,000Pa suction, dual sweeping and mopping modules rotating at 180 rpm, a rolling brush, side brush, and a pro-detangle comb to manage hair, it tackles dirt, tough stains, and pet hair effectively. Although it doesn't have obstacle avoidance, meaning some pre-cleaning may be needed, it shares many features with Eufy's highly rated midrange models. Also noted are other deals like the Super Mario Odyssey game discount, BioLite Solar Site Lights, and Apple Watch Series 10 price drops.
The Senate version of the budget reconciliation bill, supported by President Donald Trump, proposes auctioning off portions of the unlicensed 6GHz spectrum, which is currently used to enhance Wi-Fi speeds and capacity. This could lead to slower Wi-Fi performance for users as the FCC might have to sell as much as half of the spectrum to mobile carriers like AT&T. While this auction would generate government revenue and prepare carriers for future wireless technologies, it could undermine the benefits of the 6GHz band introduced in 2020, which supports faster, more reliable Wi-Fi through Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7. Many modern devices, including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, and smart home gadgets, depend on this band for improved connectivity. Industry leaders, including Apple, Amazon, and Meta, have urged lawmakers to keep the 6GHz band unlicensed to support ongoing technological advancements.