Technologies

Alaska Issued Its First Heat Advisory, and Only 2% of Homes Have AC

With temperatures rising to around 86 degrees in Fairbanks, residents in Alaska got their first-ever heat advisory.

Alaska got its first-ever heat advisory over the weekend, which is in effect until June 17. Over the last few days, temperatures in central Alaska have reached 86 degrees Fahrenheit (that’s 30 Celsius).

It’s not as if Alaska never gets hot in the summer. However, as Jason Laney, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fairbanks, Alaska, told CNET, «The frequency with which the heat is coming up is starting to be a bit of a concern.»

This heat advisory seems pretty big, especially for an area where most people don’t have air conditioners. But there’s an important caveat to keep in mind.

While this is the first heat advisory for Alaska issued by the National Weather Service, it’s not the first time that Alaska has seen high temperatures. This is simply the first time heat advisories were an option for offices in Fairbanks and Alaska’s capital city of Juneau. Before a change that took effect on June 2, the National Weather Service announced heat risks through special weather statements. According to a statement, this change will allow offices in Fairbanks and Juneau to communicate heat information more effectively. Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, has opted out for now.

Residents of Fairbanks and surrounding areas need to prepare for these temperatures because this is a significant jump in heat, around 15 degrees above the area’s average.

How hot is it going to get?

The average temperature for Fairbanks, central Alaska, is in the low 70s through the bulk of the summer. The forecast for the next few days predicts temperatures in the mid-to-upper 80s. While some parts of the US may not bat an eye at the mid-80s (stop laughing, Arizona), Alaska is different. Many places don’t have air conditioners, and many buildings are designed to trap heat to get through cold winters. That means serious heat-related risks are associated with these temperatures, even indoors

The criteria for a heat advisory in Alaska range between 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the location. Fairbanks’s limit is 85 degrees, and the forecast exceeds that limit.

That number was picked intentionally. Laney and the National Weather Service team worked with the state climatologist in Alaska to look at the last 10 to 20 years of temperatures, noting how frequently temperatures rose. Laney told me that it was important that the criteria temperature was met no more than three times a year.

«We wanted it to come out when it meant something,» Laney said.

Although the criteria are final, Laney said it has the potential to change.

«If we end up issuing too many of these things this year, then we know we set our criteria too low,» he said.

A flood watch was also issued on June 12 to warn people about river flooding from rapid snow melting.

Despite the heat advisory, these are not Alaska’s highest temperatures. In June 1969, Fairbanks’ record high was 96 degrees. Temperatures in Fairbanks generally rise to the mid-80s two to three times each year, though depending on how many days temperatures remain in the 80s, it could be one of the longest hot streaks on record for the area. The longest consecutive streak for the area was in 1991 with 14 days.

Alaskan weather deals in extremes

Alaska is an area of extremes. Winter is six months of snow on the ground with subfreezing temperatures but spring hits just as hard — and fast. According to Laney, it only takes four to six weeks to melt about three feet of snow. Trees turn green in 48 to 72 hours.

«The issue is that the body takes a while to acclimate to this,» Laney said. «Because the swing is so rapid, most people who spend a winter in Alaska aren’t used to the heat just yet.»

Another thing to remember is that official temperatures are reported in the shade, not the sunlight. This brings us to a unique quirk of Alaska: the sunshine lasts 20 to 21 hours a day at this time of year. Only about 2% of houses have AC, Laney told me, and many have larger windows that let in as much sunlight as possible in the winter. This can backfire in the summer when they let in that sunlight, and the six- to eight-inch-thick walls that accommodate extra insulation trap in the heat.

Alaska is warming faster than other places

The climate is warming because of emissions from fossil fuels and extreme heat is becoming more common. The World Meteorological Organization predicts that global heat will only worsen over the next five years. There’s roughly an 80% chance that in the next five years, we’ll surpass 2024, the hottest year ever recorded.

The effects of climate change are felt everywhere. Alaska, however, is warming two to three times faster than the rest of the globe, resulting in permafrost thawing, glaciers shrinking and transformations in Alaska’s ecosystems.

«Alaska is actually ranked as the fastest warming state in the United States due to its high latitude,» said Sara Tonks, meteorologist for The Weather Company.

«So far, the state has warmed by 4.3 degrees since 1970, and it is expected to continue to warm according to projections from NOAA’s U.S. Climate Resistance Toolkit,» Tonks said.

The statewide average air temperature has increased by 3 degrees in the past 60 years, and winter temperatures are up 6 degrees. If global emissions continue at the current rate, annual precipitation is also expected to grow 15% to 30%.

It’s challenging to quantify Alaska’s rapid warming’s impacts because they affect everything from people to roads to biodiversity in wildlife. For example, the permafrost soil under about 85% of Alaska’s surface could shift or shrink as it thaws because of continued extreme temperatures. In the long run, this could damage everything from pipelines to buildings, sewer systems and the water supply. And the change will be especially tough on groups more vulnerable to extreme temperatures, whether because of socioeconomic or medical conditions.

Heat safety tips to keep in mind

Per the heat advisory from the National Weather Service, «Individuals and pets not accustomed to these unusually hot temperatures for this region may experience heat-related concerns.»

It’s essential to prepare where you can for the heat, especially because many people won’t be able to escape the high temperatures. Small changes can go a long way.

Simple tips to use when it’s hot outside:

Monitor how you’re feeling and watch out for cramps or heat-related symptoms
Wear loose-fitting clothing
Wear sunscreen
Take breaks
Limit outdoor exercise to the morning or evening
Prioritize hydration
Draw your blinds or curtains
Weather-strip your windows and door
Invest in a portable air conditioner
If you do have an AC unit in your home, change the filter and check the vents

Signs of heat-related illness, such as heat exhaustion or heatstroke, include confusion, heavy sweating, nausea, muscle cramps, a fast pulse and cold and clammy skin.

Technologies

Every iPhone 17E Rumor and Leak That I Found: Dynamic Island, MagSafe and More

Apple’s reportedly releasing a lower-priced iPhone 17, and it might offer notable improvements over last year’s iPhone 16E.

Key Takeaways:

Features: Apple might include MagSafe on the iPhone 17E.
Release date: Possibly as soon as February.
Price: There have been no leaks about price increases, which is good news at this point.
Design: Could get the Dynamic Island and look more like an iPhone 15.

Apple might be continuing its lower-cost iPhone line, with an iPhone 17E reportedly releasing early this year. If that’s true, the sequel to last year’s iPhone 16E has a lot of room to step up.

Some rumors point to improvements borrowed from Apple’s iPhone 15, such as Dynamic Island and MagSafe. If these are true, it could make the lower-cost iPhone 17E a compelling value option with fewer trade-offs needed to hit a lower price.

Apple’s $599 iPhone 16E was a bit of an oddity when it was released last year. It replaced Apple’s $429 iPhone SE, effectively retiring the older iPhone SE design that included a home button with Touch ID. Apple’s new «budget» device was a pricier amalgamation, featuring the body of an iPhone 14 with a display notch. It also had the USB-C port from the iPhone 15 and the A18 processor from the iPhone 16 to support Apple Intelligence features.

To save money, Apple scaled back on features by including only a single 48-megapixel main camera and omitting Apple’s MagSafe clip-on capability (though it kept standard wireless charging). While the iPhone 16E is a solid starter iPhone, I found these omissions to be confusing, especially given that Apple increased the price of this entry-level iPhone from $429 to $599.

An iPhone 17E could follow a playbook closer to Samsung’s Galaxy S25 FE. It would have many of the same features as the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17, like the smaller screen notch and an A19 processor, along with smaller stepbacks to the hardware that might be less noticeable.

Apple hasn’t confirmed whether an iPhone 17E exists yet, but we’re keeping an eye out. Here are the rumors we’ve heard so far, with features that could help or hinder the more budget-friendly iPhone 17E.

iPhone 17E release date: February 2026

The iPhone 17E could be announced as early as February, according to a Mashable report citing the Digital Chat Station Weibo account. The phone is said to be launching in the first half of the year. This would align with the iPhone 16E’s February 2025 announcement, establishing winter as Apple’s preferred launch window for cheaper iPhone models.

There are even rumors suggesting the base iPhone 18 will launch in the first half of 2027, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.

iPhone 17E design: Gets a Dynamic Island

One aspect that made the iPhone 16E stand out was Apple’s new design, which featured the iPhone 14’s body, a USB-C port and a single camera.

The iPhone 17E, however, will allegedly look more like 2023’s iPhone 15, with a smaller Dynamic Island cutout, according to the same Digital Chat Station Weibo post. The iPhone 17E is rumored to have a 6.1-inch display with a cutout, including dynamically sized notifications for timers and app alerts, such as Uber pickups.

This design is corroborated by the Smart Pikachu Weibo account, which also notes that the iPhone 17E will have a 60Hz refresh rate screen rather than the 120Hz one seen across the iPhone 17 line and the iPhone Air. It’d be nice to see a 17E with a 120Hz display, dubbed ProMotion by Apple. But this is one area that could be less noticeable to people coming from a former iPhone SE or an older base model like the iPhone 14.

While Apple’s ProMotion displays have been available on Pro models for years — as well as on almost every Android phone that costs $300 and more — the smoother animations and always-on displays it provides won’t be as noticeable when switching from a phone that never had them.

iPhone 17E features: MagSafe wireless charging

It baffled me that Apple didn’t include MagSafe with last year’s iPhone 16E. The feature, which allows for sticking magnetic accessories like chargers and wallets without a case, has been on most iPhone models since 2020. It felt like a strange omission, since Apple contributed MagSafe’s charging and magnetic profiles to the Qi2 standard, both of which are on Google’s Pixel 10 phones, HMD’s Skyline, and the upcoming Clicks Communicator.

The iPhone 17E is rumored to have a glass back that supports magnetic wireless charging — likely meaning the phone would gain the ability to magnetically attach to MagSafe and Qi2 accessories, according to a report in The Information spotted by 9to5Mac. This would be a major improvement for someone coming to this phone from an iPhone SE or the iPhone 11, both of which do support Qi wireless charging but do not include magnets for attaching accessories and cases.

While we would need more details, hopefully the inclusion of MagSafe also means the iPhone 17E’s wireless charging speed would increase to at least 15 watts, matching the iPhone 15.

iPhone 17E pricing

We’ll keep updating this story as more iPhone 17E rumors arrive. While there isn’t much regarding the pricing of the rumored phone, last year’s iPhone 16E starts at $599 for a 128GB model. I’m hoping the iPhone 17E starts at 256GB of storage, like the base iPhone 17. Apple still sells both the 16E and the iPhone 16 at 128GB, with the latter starting at $699.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 24 #692

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Jan. 24, No. 692.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is one of those where the answers only make sense in pairs. There are six answers to find, and each of them matches up with one of the other answers. Some of them are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: A work of art.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: On museum walls.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

FINS, FINE, FINES, GARB, BOAT, GATES, GATES, FIST, RATE, RATS, STAR, PAINT, SILL, SPAT

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

STARRY, NIGHT, WATER, LILIES, BOATING, PARTY

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is FAMOUSPAINTING. To find it, start with the F that’s four letters down on the far-left vertical row, and wind up, across, and then down.

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Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest.

#1: Dated slang. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.

#3: Off the hook. Again, it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK.

Technologies

San Diego Comic-Con Draws a Line: No AI Art Allowed at 2026 Event

The long-running fan convention is banning AI-created works from its popular art show.

Like Sarah Connor in The Terminator, San Diego Comic-Con is fighting back against AI. The prestigious, long-running pop culture convention has banned all artwork created by artificial intelligence from the 2026 Comic-Con art show. Rules posted on the Comic-Con website now state that AI-generated art won’t be shown in any form.

«Material created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) either partially or wholly, is not allowed in the art show. If there are questions, the Art Show Coordinator will be the sole judge of acceptability,» the website reads.

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A representative for San Diego Comic-Con did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the past, the convention allowed participants to display AI artwork, provided it was clearly marked as such and wasn’t sold. But now, those artists can’t even bring it through the door. The rule change is a response to artist-led pushback, according to a 404 Media report. San Diego Comic-Con is one of the world’s most famous pop culture conventions, uniting comics, movies, television, gaming, cosplay and collectibles.

Jim Zub, writer for the Conan the Barbarian and Dungeons and Dragons comic book series, told CNET he supports Comic-Con’s decision and hopes other conventions will follow their lead.

«Hundreds of thousands of people attend San Diego Comic-Con each year, and the excitement that generates isn’t because they’re eager to meet a computer spitting out homogenized slop,» Zub said.

Zub, who’s also an artist, is scheduled to appear at Comic-Con in 2026.

Entertaining AI

The use of generative AI in comic book and pop culture art has generated controversy in recent years as AI programs have become more skilled at imitating creators.

A central focus of the 2023 actor’s strike involved backlash against the use of AI in movies and television. The issue has continued to roil Hollywood, as actors, special effects designers, and other film workers see the technology as a threat, while some movie studios view AI as a way to reduce production costs.

Netflix has already begun using AI-generated imagery in at least one series, Argentine sci-fi show El Eternauta. CEO Ted Sarandos praised the technology during a 2025 earnings call.

«We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper,» Sarandos said at the time.

AI is also an issue in the video game industry, with publishers facing swift backlash whenever fans discover AI was used in a game. The Indie Game Awards rescinded two awards for the hit RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, after they found out that AI-made placeholder assets were included when the game launched. The game developer quickly patched the assets out.

While the movie and video game industries appear to have mixed views on using AI, Comic-Con has taken a firm stance, at least for now.

«Artists, writers, actors and other creatives gather and celebrate the popular arts in person because the people part of the equation is what matters most,» Zub said.