A shadow ‘financial crisis’ has cost the world $2 trillion | CNN Business

November 11, 2024November 10, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Last month, two major storms, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, caused a total of between $51.5 billion and $81.5 billion of property damage, mostly to Southeastern US states, according to estimates from CoreLogic.

That’s a lot of damage – but it’s only a small fraction of what climate change has cost people around the world.

A new report is flashing a warning signal about climate change and natural disasters, finding that their total economic damage has skyrocketed into the trillions.

The report from the International Chamber of Commerce, which comes as the United Nations Climate Change Conference begins in Azerbaijan this week, estimated that the total cost of damage from climate-related extreme weather events globally was approximately $2 trillion between 2014 and 2023 – roughly in line with the economic toll of the 2008 global financial crisis.

Bitcoin hits $80,000. Why Trump is boosting crypto | CNN Business

November 11, 2024November 10, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Bitcoin on Sunday hit a new record above $80,000. The world’s largest cryptocurrency surged in the run-up to Tuesday’s US presidential election, rose sharply immediately on election night after it became clear Donald Trump would win and has continued rising in the days since his victory.

Bitcoin is up 80% this year, dwarfing the S&P 500’s still-electric 25.7% gain this year. After briefly touching the $80,000 milestone, bitcoin was trading just below it Sunday mid-morning.

The crypto industry believes Trump’s victory is a bullish sign for Bitcoin and other digital currencies. Although Trump was once a bitcoin skeptic, once saying it “was based on thin air,” he has fully embraced crypto in recent months — unlike the Biden administration, which has sought to rein in crypto.

Incredibly rare, ghostly white shark discovered off Albania | Live Science

November 8, 2024November 7, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A ghostly white deep-sea shark has been discovered off the coast of Albania.

The critically endangered angular roughshark (Oxynotus centrina) was caught by a commercial trawler off Sazan Island — an uninhabited military island — at a depth of around 656 feet (200 meters).

The shark is the first of its species to be discovered with leucism, a genetic disorder that disrupts melanin production, causing a reduction in pigmentation, scientists report in a new study. Unlike albinism, in which animals completely lack melanin and have red irises, leucistic sharks have normal iris pigmentation even if they appear completely white.

‘Hawking radiation’ may be erasing black holes. Watching it happen could reveal new physics. | Live Science

November 8, 2024November 7, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Primordial black holes may be exploding throughout the universe. If we can catch them in the act, it could pave the way to new physics, a study suggests.

Primordial black holes (PBHs), which are thought to have formed right after the Big Bang, may be heating up and exploding throughout the universe.

These black hole explosions, powered by Hawking radiation — a quantum process where black holes generate particles from the vacuum due to their intense gravitational fields — could be detected by upcoming telescopes, physicists suggest in a new study. And, once spotted, these exotic explosions could reveal whether our universe contains previously undiscovered particles.

Boeing’s union accepts contract offer, ending strike | Fast Company

November 6, 2024November 5, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Factory workers at Boeing voted to accept a contract offer and end their strike after more than seven weeks, clearing the way for the aerospace giant to resume production of its bestselling airliner and generate much-needed cash.

Leaders of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers district in Seattle said 59% of members who cast ballots agreed to approve the company’s fourth formal offer and the third put to a vote. The deal includes a 38% wage increase over four years, and ratification and productivity bonuses.

However, Boeing refused to meet strikers’ demand to restore a company pension plan that was frozen nearly a decade ago.

Tropical Storm Rafael intensifies in the Carribean as Cuba braces for another hurricane | Fast Company

November 6, 2024November 5, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Tropical Storm Rafael was chugging past western Jamaica on Tuesday and was expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it headed toward Cuba.

The storm was located 65 miles (105 kilometers) southwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Tuesday morning. It had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph) and was moving northwest at 13 mph (20 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The center said it expected “steady to rapid intensification” over the next 24 to 36 hours. It was expected to continue to pass by Jamaica through Tuesday afternoon, be near or over the Cayman Islands on Tuesday night and make landfall in Cuba on Wednesday.

HP and Staples Launch In-Store Same-Day Large Format Printing with New HP DesignJet XL3800 Printers | Small Business Trends

November 4, 2024November 3, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

HP Inc. has partnered with Staples to bring same-day, high-quality large-format printing to Staples stores across the United States. This initiative will make professional-grade printing of posters, banners, blueprints, and more accessible to small businesses, retail owners, and consumers nationwide. Each participating Staples location will be equipped with the new HP DesignJet XL3800 printers, providing customers with same-day access to high-quality, large-format color prints.

Traditionally, large-format printing has been limited to specialty print shops with premium pricing. With the HP DesignJet XL3800 now in Staples locations, customers can manage their printing projects on their own schedules, benefiting from pigmented ink prints that offer superior color matching and long-lasting results.

Abercrombie & Fitch: How my investigation led to sex trafficking charges against ex-boss | BBC News

October 29, 2024October 28, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In a federal courtroom in New York, for the first time I’m face to face with Mike Jeffries – the multi-millionaire ex-fashion boss I’ve spent three years investigating for the BBC. He stares at me directly, lips pursed, and chin raised, as he sits before the judge.

As a result of my reporting, he was arrested this week by the FBI and charged with running an international sex trafficking and prostitution business along with his British partner, Matthew Smith, and their middleman James Jacobson.

Authorities acted after hearing my podcast series, The Abercrombie Guys, in which I unearthed evidence that Mr Jeffries, 80, and Mr Smith, 61, had been at the centre of a sophisticated global operation involving a network of recruiters and a middleman scouting young men for sex.

Apple Intelligence: AI features start to roll out to some iPhones | BBC News

October 29, 2024October 28, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

After a long wait, Apple has finally released its artificial intelligence (AI) tools for iPhone – to a select few.

Apple Intelligence, a suite of AI tools announced in June, became available to owners of some iPhones around the world on Monday.

The new features include notification summaries, tools to assist users in writing messages, and a glowing new interface for virtual assistant Siri.

But they will only be available to people with the latest devices – including all iPhone 16 models, and the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.

Amazon announces a huge change to how they ship products | Mashable

October 24, 2024October 23, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Say goodbye to the guilt generated by those plastic air pillows stuffed into your Amazon purchase — the company announced earlier this month it’s ceasing use of the eco-unfriendly packaging material.

“As of October 2024, we’ve removed all plastic air pillows from our delivery packaging used at our global fulfillment centers,” Amazon wrote on its blog. “As part of this transition, we were able to quickly expand our use of paper filler made from 100% recycled content across North America to replace plastic air pillows, our biggest reduction in plastic packaging in North America to date.”