Ambitious ‘Lord of the Rings' Prequel Hopes to Slay Dragons

The return of dragons on the small screen has been a huge hit. Now it’s time for the return of the elves and dwarves.

2023 Nissan Leaf VS. 2023 Chevy Bolt EV

Shopper interest in electric vehicles, or EVs, is rising. According to data from the Pew Research Center in 2021, 40% of non-EV owners are very or somewhat likely to purchase an EV as their next vehicle. But many of the latest models are also pricey; a Rivian R1T pickup, for example, starts at more than $70,000 and can easily cost more than $90,000.

FTC ACCUSES DATA BROKER OF SELLING SENSITIVE LOCATION DATA

Federal regulators have sued a data broker they accuse of selling sensitive geolocation data from millions of mobile devices, information that can be used to identify people and track their movements to and from sensitive locations, including reproductive health clinics, homeless shelters and places of worship.

TAIWAN FORCES FIRE AT DRONES LYING OVER ISLAND NEAR CHINA

Taiwan’s military fired warning shots at drones from China flying over its outposts just off the Chinese coastline, underscoring heightened tensions and the self-ruled island’s resolve to respond to new provocations.

TWITTER READIES EDIT FEATURE FOR PREMIUM USERS

Permanently misspelled tweets might soon be a thing of the past.

EQUITY IS GOAL, NOT MANDATE, IN CALIFORNIA ELECTRIC CAR RULE

Discounted prices, car-share programs and at least one million more public charging stations are among the ways California will try to make electric cars easier to buy and drive as it phases out the sale of gas-powered cars.

MICRON TO INVEST​​​​​​​ $15 BILLION ON MEMORY CHIP PLANT IN BOISE

Micron will invest $15 billion though the end of the decade on a new semiconductor plant in its hometown that the chipmaker said will create 17,000 American jobs.

GROUNDBREAKING ADVANCES EMERGING VEHICLE BATTERY PRODUCTION

Kentucky reached another stage in developing an electric vehicle battery sector, with groundbreaking for a $2 billion plant by a Japanese company that will create 2,000 full-time jobs.

Apple warns of security flaw for iPhones, iPads and Macs

Apple disclosed serious security vulnerabilities for iPhones, iPads and Macs that could potentially allow attackers to take complete control of these devices.

Academy CEO Bill Kramer Looks to Future of The Oscars

Bill Kramer has been thinking about the future of the Oscars since he was named CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences earlier this summer.

JOBS' APPLE-1 COMPUTER PROTOTYPE AUCTIONED FOR NEARLY $700K

An authenticated Apple-1 Computer prototype from the mid-1970s has sold at auction for nearly $700,000.

NEW ELECTRIC VEHICLE TAX CREDITS RAISE TALK OF TRADE WAR

A new tax credit for U.S. buyers of qualifying electric vehicles made in North America has ignited the specter of a trade war as a domestic imperative of the Biden administration and Democrats collides with the complex realities of globalization.

DON'T DAWDLE WITH LATEST iPHONE UPDATE. HERE'S WHY AND HOW

Apple regularly issues updates to the software powering the iPhone, and sometimes it’s OK to dawdle when it comes to installing them.

FIVE CARS THAT WON'T BE AROUND FOR 2023

The collection of new vehicles on sale is constantly changing with all of the latest introductions and discontinuations.

‘PRE-BUNKING' SHOWS PROMISE IN FIGHT AGAINST MISINFORMATION

Soon after the Russian invasion, the hoaxes began. Ukrainian refugees were taking jobs, committing crimes and abusing handouts.

CALIFORNIA POISED TO PHASE OUT SALE OF NEW GAS-POWERED CARS

California is poised to set a 2035 deadline for all new cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the state to be powered by electricity or hydrogen, an ambitious step that will reshape the U.S. car market by speeding the transition to more climate-friendly vehicles.

Arcade : New games breathe new life into subscription service

It’s been almost three years since Apple launched Arcade, its $4.99/month subscription service for iOS and macOS games.

BUDGETING CAN BE A CHALLENGE. HERE ARE 5 TIPS TO GET STARTED

Budgeting is key to managing your finances, whether you’re trying to pay off debt, start a rainy day fund or deal with the consequences of inflation.

Social Media Offers Parents More Controls. But Do They Help?

As concerns about social media’s harmful effects on teens continue to rise, platforms from Snapchat to TikTok to Instagram are bolting on new features they say will make their services safer and more age appropriate. But the changes rarely address the elephant in the the room — the algorithms pushing endless content that can drag anyone, not just teens, into harmful rabbit holes.

MISSOURI HALTS SOLAR TAX BREAK AS FEDERAL INCENTIVES EXPAND

As the U.S. government expands incentives for renewable energy, a decision by the Missouri Supreme Court is moving the state in the opposite direction by halting a solar energy tax break that has been on the books for nearly a decade. 

AVERAGE LONG-TERM MORTGAGE RATES RETREAT SLIGHTLY THIS WEEK

Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates came back down slightly this week after the key 30year loan rate jumped nearly a quarter point last week. 

NASA'S MOON ROCKET MOVED TO LAUNCH PAD FOR 1ST TEST FLIGHT

NASA’s new moon rocket arrived at the launch pad ahead of its debut flight in less than two weeks. 

WALMART DEAL WITH PARAMOUNT GIVES MEMBERS STREAMING PERKS

Walmart Inc. said it has signed a deal with Paramount Global to offer the entertainment company’s streaming service as a perk to subscribers of the discounter’s shipping subscription service. 

US TO HOLD TRADE TALKS WITH TAIWAN IN NEW SHOW OF SUPPORT

The U.S. government plans talks with Taiwan on a wide-ranging trade treaty in a sign of support for the self-ruled island democracy claimed by China’s ruling Communist Party as part of its territory. 

RUSSIAN SPACEWALK CUT SHORT BY BAD BATTERY IN COSMONAUT SUIT

A Russian spacewalker had to rush back inside the International Space Station on Wednesday when the battery voltage in his spacesuit suddenly dropped. 

GAS-POWERED MUSCLE CARS DRIVE INTO THE SUNSET, TURN ELECTRIC

Thundering gas-powered muscle cars, for decades a fixture of American culture, will be closing in on their final Saturday-night cruises in the coming years as automakers begin replacing them with super-fast cars that run on batteries. 

AMAZON: FTC PROBE HOUNDING BEZOS, EXECS; SUBPOENAS TOO BROAD

Amazon has complained to federal regulators that they are hounding company founder JeffBezos and senior executives, making “impossible-to satisfy demands” in their investigation of Amazon Prime, the popular streaming and shopping service with free delivery and an estimated 200 million members around the globe.

AMERICAN AIRLINES PLACES DEPOSIT ON 20 SUPERSONIC PLANES

American Airlines has agreed to buy up to 20 supersonic jets and put down a non-refundable deposit on the planes that are still on the drawing board and years away from flying. 

AMAZON TESTING TIKTOK-STYLE FEED ON ITS APP, AI FIRM SAYS

Amazon appears to be getting the TikTok bug, joining other companies seeking to hold consumers’ attention by introducing replicas of the popular social platform. 

‘I Didn't Really Learn Anything': Covid Grads Face College

Angel Hope looked at the math test and felt lost. He had just graduated near the top of his high school class, winning scholarships from prestigious colleges. But on this test — a University of Wisconsin exam that measures what new students learned in high school — all he could do was guess.